Music Video Mondays: HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEN Edition

AGGGGGHHH Halloween!!! It's here, and it's horrid. (In a good way.) Here are 3 creeptastic new vids to check out, while covering your face in zombie make-up.


1. The Pack A.D., "Haunt You"

I'm not sure what's scarier -- this tune, or the fact that you can't tell whether the band is male or female! (They're chicks, according to Facebook)

2. Summer Camp, "Down"

Cinemagraph gifs of your fave Halloween cliches! For the nostalgia lover in us all.

3. Twin Sister, "Kimmi in a Rice Field"

Who knew dream pop could get so twisted?

Want more spooky tunes tonight? Tune in to my radio show from 6 to 8 for 2 hours of Halloween horrors. Muahahahahaha.

.

This Mischief Night, Remember Who You're Dealing With...

The youth today are not to be messed with!

(even if they're totes adorable)

Happy almost-Halloween!

.

Best New Music: Class Actress

Class Actress write icy, sultry dance grooves dripping with '80s sexuality and infused with bedroom mystique. The project of Brooklyn vixen Elizabeth Harper, the band totes seduced me live last Friday night, and put out a pretty good record too in Rapprocher, their debut on Carpark Records. Check out my full review -- plus the steamy vid for single "Weekend" -- over at Phrequency.com -- then considering adding Rapprocher to your iTunes "seduction" playlist (you know you have one.) Retro '80s pop for the win!

.

This Day is Music History: October 27, 1998

It was the start of something new. Something passionate, and wild, and sometimes a little violent. (Sometimes a lot violent.) Something with a face like this:


To some, it was just a record; to others, a way of life. What was this face-smashing riot fodder? Head over to A.V. Club Philly to find out!


(See more "This Day in Music History" posts here)

.

XPN2 Playlist, 10/24/11

6:00

The Raveonettes, “Oh, Stranger”
Batman: Arkham City - The Album

M83, “Reunion”
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

.

Milagres, “Here to Stay”
Glowing Mouth

Blonde Summer, “Cathode Ray”
Eleganza

Black Lips, “New Direction”
Arabia Mountain

Male Bonding, “Carrying”
Endless Now

Comet Gain, “The Weekend Dreams”
Howl of the Lonely Crowd

.

Real Estate, “It’s Real”
Days

Big Troubles, “Misery”
Romantic Comedy

Ok Sweetheart, “You Let Me Down”
Home

Princeton, “Calypso Gold”
Cocoon of Love

.

Class Actress, “Weekend”
Rapprocher

The Brunettes, “Red Rollerskates”
Paper Dolls

Friendly Fires, “Photobooth”
Friendly Fires

Phantogram, “Don’t Move”
Nightlife

.

Blondie, “Atomic”
The Platinum Collection

Dominant Legs, “Hoop of Love”
Invitation


Google image result #1 for "Hoop of love." Very creative, Google.



7:00

Talking Heads, “Road to Nowhere”
Little Creatures

Casiokids, “Dresinen”
Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen

The Rapture, “In the Grace of Your Love”
In the Grace of Your Love

LCD Soundsystem, “Time to Get Away”
Sounds of Silver

.

The Soft Boys, “I Wanna Destroy You”
Underwater Moonlight

Crocodiles, “Sleep Forever”
Sleep Forever

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Berlin”
Baby 81

Bodies of Water, “Mary, Don’t You Weep”
Twist Again

.

William Fitzsimmons, “So This is Goodbye”
Derivatives

Zero 7 feat. Sia, “This Fine Social Scene”
The Garden

Geoffrey O’Connor, “Like They Say it Does”
Vanity is Forever

Girls, “Honey Bunny”
Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Good Old War, “My Own Sinking Ship”
Good Old War

.

Local Natives, “Sun Hands”
Gorilla Manor

Tune in again next week for sexy Halloween-themed madness!

.

Music Video Mondays: Ok Sweetheart

Warning! Adorableness ahead.

Ok Sweetheart is the moniker of Erin Austin, a Texan-turned-San Franciscan who crafts '60s-tinged heartbreak pop, with just the right amount of hopeful. I'm not really into baking, but there's something delightfully domestic about this too cute video for first single "Home."

Like this tune? Tune in to my radio show tonight at 6 p.m. to catch another song from OK Sweetheart.

.

This Day in Music History: October 21, 1972

He was one of the city's most bizarre and intriguing forces, whose legacy still delights and beguiles unsuspecting crowds. He's written over 1000 songs, in countless styles, and directed a band that sometimes swelled to 30 members. Who is this strange and prolific music-maker and why did he move to Philly? Head over to the A.V. Club to find out!

Nope, it's not Bill Cosby!

.

Best New Music: Dominant Legs

Main legs Ryan Lynch and Hannah Hunt

San Francisco's Dominant Legs make bright, playful pop perfect for dreary, rainy days like today. Inspired by the shimmer and sheen of '80s acts like Fleetwood Mac, the quirkyness of the Talking Heads and the heart-on-sleeve songwriting of The Boss -- Dom Legs offer a fresh take on synth pop on debut record Invitation. Check out my full review over at Phrequency.com -- and regale yourself with summertastic vid for first single "Hoop of Love." Ahh, summer. Just 8 more months til your return...

.

XPN2 Playlist, 10/17/11

With a focus on retro and retro-inspired pop+soul!

6:00

The Pipettes, “Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me”
We Are the Pipettes

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “I Second That Emotion”
The Ultimate Collection: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

.

Mayer Hawthorne, “The Walk”
How Do You Do

The Supremes, “Come See About Me”
The Ultimate Collection: The Supremes

Adele, “He Won’t Go”
21

The Black Keys, “Your Touch”
Magic Potion

Big Star, “She’s a Mover”
Radio City

.

Minks, “Little Fawn”
Araby

The School, “Let It Slip”
Loveless Unbeliever

Tennis, “Baltimore”
Cape Dory

The Lilys, “A Nanny in Manhattan”
Better Can’t Make Your Life Better

Who Knew, “Made Belief”
Bits and Pieces of a Major Spectacle

.

The Really Cooks, “Mr. Badman”
Dr. Lemonade Stand

She & Him, “Thieves”
Volume Two

The Kooks, “Taking Pictures of You”
Junk of the Heart

Three 4 Tens, “Mary’s Poppin’”
Change is on its Way

.

Cults, “You Know What I Mean”
Cults

Cee-Lo Green, “Forget You”
The Lady Killer



Sometimes, there are no words



7:00

Lana Del Rey, “Blue Jeans”
Video Games

Los Campesinos!, “By Your Hand”
Hello Sadness

.

The Boo Radleys, “Kingsize”
Kingsize

Ride, “Kaleidoscope”
Nowhere

Black Kids, “I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You”
Partie Traumatic

Allo Darlin’, “The Polaroid Song”
Allo Darlin’

.

Dr. Dog, “Say Something”
Easy Beat

Jonny, “Goldmine”
Jonny

The Beatles, “The Night Before”
Help!

The Chimeras, “Leigh”
She

.

The Go! Team, “Buy Nothing Day”
Rolling Blackouts

The Four Tops, “It’s the Same Old Song”
The Ultimate Collection: The Four Tops

The Shangri-Las, “Heaven Only Knows”
The Best of The Shangri-Las

Vivan Girls, “Dance (If You Wanna)”
Share the Joy

The Temptations, “My Girl”
The Definitive Collection: The Temptations

.

A Band of Bees, “Chicken Payback”
Free the Bees

Tune in again next week for hot jamz and cool grooves!

.

The Walkmen at Bloktoberfest: In Photos!

Just a couple photos of NYC rockers The Walkmen performing at Bloktoberfest, 2011:

Click any photo to enlarge

All photos (c) Kate Bracaglia. Do not use without credit.

What an amazing set!

.

Maritime Brings it Old-Skool to JB's

Maritime front man Davey von Bohlen has been in the business of rock for many years now. 17 years, to be exact -- counting his stints with Cap'n Jazz, The Promise Ring, and Vermont, in addition to his work with Maritime. With each project, the prolific songwriter's charged emotional content and electric stage presence helped him win fans -- although perhaps nowhere as successfully as with Maritime, whose accessible melodies and cathartic sound have made them a mainstay on alternative radio. Last night, the band brought their sparkling indie rock to life, with an hour-long set at Johnny Brenda's, in support of new album Human Hearts.

JB's. (Click any photo to enlarge.)

"It's been a long time since we've played in Philly," stated von Bohlen early on -- some casual googling on my part suggests 2007. Perhaps not surprisingly then, the band treated the crowd to an-hour plus set of discography-spanning material, the crowd shouting out songs titles, and whooping with each recognized intro. von Bohlen himself was a bastion of energy and antics, flailing about the stage kicking up his legs -- while drummer Dan Didier kept things tight and moving. And while early numbers saw von Bohlen reverting to his Promise Ring tendency of wailing off-key (which always used to annoy me back in high school) -- he soon found his stride as the night went on, hitting notes with ardor AND accuracy.






Tunes like new single "Paraphernalia" resonated with beautiful melancholy, while "The Guns of Navarone"'s jaunty pop bounce had the audience grooving. The band closed the night with "Air Arizona," a sense of urgency ringing out amongst the crowd. Maritime might be an aging band -- but they still bring it hardcore, and that rocks.

All photos (c) Kate Bracaglia. Do not use without credit.

.

Best New Music: Mayer Hawthorne

Photo by Doug Coombe

You may not suspect it from looking at the photo above -- but this man has a hell of a voice. It's sweet, and soulful, and capable of obliterating the highest of high notes in formidable falsetto. Now add to the picture a stunning multi-instrumental prowess, and a penchant for breezy Motown-style R&B grooves...and you have yourself the work of Mayer Hawthorne, the 32-year-old chanteur who has been winning hearts (and umm, <3s) all across America. And nowhere does he shine as brightly as on sophomore album How Do You Do, which dropped yesterday on Universal Republic. Head over to Phrequency.com to read my full review, and catch a video for first single "The Walk."

.

XPN2 Playlist, 10/10/11

6:00

Future Islands, “Balance”
On the Water

Love and Rockets, “So Alive”
Love and Rockets

.

Blonde Summer, “Silver Jesus”
Eleganza

The Hold Steady, “Stuck Between Stations”
Boys and Girls in America

J. Roddy Walston and the Business, “I’ll Tell You What”
Hail Mega Boys

Cherry Ghost, “Here Come the Romans”
Thirst for Romance

The Morning Benders, “Wet Cement”
Big Echo

.

Jacuzzi Boys, “Los Angeles”
Glazin’

Eternal Summers, “Silver”
Silver

Super Wild Horses, “Love”
Fifteen

Ty Segall, “Goodbye Bread”
Goodbye Bread

The Velvet Underground, “After Hours”
The Velvet Underground

Creaky Boards, “Lie to Me
Brooklyn is Love

.

Beat Happening, “Indian Summer”
Jamboree

Reading Rainbow, “Wasting Time”
Prism Eyes

Big Troubles, “Sad Girls”
Romantic Comedy

Belle and Sebastian, “Expectations”
Tigermilk



Yes, this appears to be a comic based on Belle & Sebastian's "Expectations"
(from this site.) Too bad the text is too small to read. I assume the "Bitch" is
Veronica, the "fat girl with a lisp."



7:00

Mannequin Men, “Hobby Girl”
Mannequin Men

The Lemonheads, “It’s a Shame About Ray”
It’s a Shame About Ray

.

Voxtrot, “Easy”
Voxtrot

Ra Ra Riot, “Can You Tell”
The Rhumb Line

We Barbarians, “Headspace”
Headspace

Jay Reatard, “Can’t Do It Anymore”
Watch Me Fall

Total Babes, “Be So True”
Swimming Through Sunlight

.

The Crayon Fields, “Graceless”
All the Pleasures of the World

Geoffrey O’Connor, “Proud”
Vanity is Forever

Portugal. The Man, “Head is a Flame (Cool With It)”
In the Mountain in the Cloud

Holy Ghost!, “Hold On”
Holy Ghost!

The Horrors, “Changing the Rain”
Skying

.

The Sky Drops, “Cut That Corner”
Making Mountains

The Breeders, “Cannonball”
Last Splash

.

Dominant Legs, “Where We Trip the Light”
Invitation

Tune in again next week for more tunes!

.

Music Video Mondays: Big Troubles

Jersey quartet/new Slumberland signees Big Troubles might be (comparatively) new kids on the scene -- but that doesn't stop them from tackling the big questions -- like love, sex, and getting your computer working (or not!) -- as they do in this video for "Sad Girls", off new release Romantic Comedy.

Like this song? Stream the entire album for free over at Stereogum -- then tune in to my radio show tonight from 6 to 8 to catch a cut from Romantic Comedy.


.

Best New Music: Geoffrey O'Connor

My freshman year of college, I had a crush on this guy who I think was obsessed with melodrama. Whenever he spoke, he'd leave these big, dramatic pauses between sentences, as if allowing the enormity of what he had just said to sink in. He'd also talk really quietly -- almost whisper (especially when he was drunk) -- so that you'd really have to lean close to understand him. And the reason I bring this up is because...crushing on this guy felt emotionally similar to listening to a Geoffrey O'Connor record -- such as the recently-released Vanity is Forever.

O' Connor, seeming O-so-nonchalant (see what I just did there?)

Like my college crush, O'Connor is fond of hushed, breathy vocals, dramatic pauses, and intense, simile-filled lyrics that unfold slowly over the course of a song. He's indebted to the '80s (my crush liked yacht rock) -- and knows smoothness is more important than all else. Listening to Vanity is Forever, one feels not exactly vain, but certainly indulgent -- check out my full review over at Phrequency.com, and be sure to watch the creep-tastic video for "Whatever Leads Me to You."

.

XPN2 Playlist, 10/3/11

6:00

Yuck, “Coconut Bible”
Yuck (Deluxe)

Smith Westerns, “Weekend”
Dye it Blonde

.

Wyldlife, “City of Inbreds”
Wyldlife

Sonny and the Sunsets, “Reflections on Youth”
Hit After Hit

The Rakes, “Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)”
Capture/Release

Jaill, “She’s My Baby”
That’s How We Burn

Harlem, “Be Your Baby”
Hippies

.

Best Coast, “When You Wake Up”
Summer is Forever

Surfer Blood, “Fast Jabroni”
AstroCoast

Veronica Falls, “Beachy Head”
Veronica Falls

The Beets, “Doing As I Do”
Let the Poison Out

The Subways, “Shake! Shake!”
All or Nothing

.

Bella Clava, “Ding Dong Ditch”
Holy Crow

I Monster, “Inzects”
A Dense Swarm of Ancient Stars

Sonic Youth, “Silver Rocket”
Daydream Nation

Revolution, I Love You, “Not So Sure”
We Choose to Go to the Moon

Passion Pit, “Little Secrets”
Manners

.

Jeffrey Lewis, “Cult Boyfriend”
A Turn in the Dream-Songs

1990s, “Cult Status”
Cookies


Google image result #7 for "Cult Status." Apparently, this is the
Cult Status Gallery in Minneapolis, MN. And it's amazing!


7:00

Brilliant Colors, “Cult Face”
Again and Again

Miike Snow, “Cult Logic”
Miike Snow

.

High Places, “Year Off”
Original Colors

The xx, “Heart Skipped a Beat”
xx

Junior Boys, “Ep”
It’s All True

Still Corners, “Cuckoo”
Creatures of an Hour

Marie Laforêt, “Les Vendanges de L'Amour”
CD Story

Revolver, “Balulalow”
Revolver

.

Bishop Allen, “South China Moon”
Grrr…

The Pretenders, “Brass in Pocket”
Pretenders

Dum Dum Girls, “In My Head”
Only in Dreams

En Tout Cas, “Wait a Long Time”
Dengue Fever

Crocodiles, “Hearts of Love”
Sleep Forever

.

Mazes, “’Til I’m Dead”
A Thousand Heys

The Vaccines, “Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)”
What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?

.

The Black Lips, “Modern Art”
Arabia Mountain

Tune in again next week for more sweet tunes!

.

Music Video Mondays: Male Bonding

What if photographs could talk? What would they say? And more importantly: what would they look like saying it? Male Bonding answer this crucial question, and more, in the video for "Tame the Sun," the opening track off Endless Now:

Like this post? See all "Music Video Mondays" posts here.

.