Monday, September 27, 2010
Punching Out: Streaming Sufjan
Interlude: Stars Played Terminal 5, Sept. 24
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Stars returned to Terminal 5 on Saturday, bringing their unabashed romanticism to one of the city's largest venues. Their set began in force, the venue's lights saturating the stage and bathing the band in color. The first few songs were equally vibrant, with "Elevator Love Letter" filling up the venue and thrilling the crowd.
Then, things got quiet, as noted elsewhere, with Amy Millan and Evan Cranley (whom I interviewed a while back) playing an acoustic version of "Ageless Beauty," with, alas, suboptimal crowd participation. But with such an immense back catalog - five full lengths, a few EPs and side projects - they came back strong, extending out to an almost two hour set.
The encore began with Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell speech, as he warns of the "military industrial complex," which transitioned in the anti-war "Celebration Guns." But most of Stars' songs are about love, rather than politics, although themes of mortality always loom above the giddiness of romance. Without one, there cannot be the other, and Star's core is built on another couplet, the dynamic between singers Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell, who harmonize and trade verses beautifully.
Opener Wild Nothing played a pleasant, jangly set of indie pop, reminiscent of Beach Fossils (with whom they share a label, Captured Tracks). Although their live sound seemed pretty straightforward, their recordings have more texture and reverb, reminiscent of shoegaze. Definitely worth a second listen.
Stars also played Littlefield on Sunday and are doing another show at the Studio at Webster Hall, but it seems to be full. Hopefully they'll be back soon. Rest of the pictures after the jump.
Feist Emerges With Look What The Light Did Now
Where art thou, Leslie Feist? The Canadian chanteuse hasn't released material since 2007's The Reminder, but NME brings word that she'll be the subject of a new documentary, Look What The Light Did Now. (Pitchfork had it last week, somehow missed it.) Feist will appear "across an array of scenery, stadiums, puppet workshops, the red carpet, at a crumbling French mansion, in concert and being interviewed." Sounds great.
The film will be screened at Raindance in London on Oct. 3. Trailer here, and one of my favorite songs below.
Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitchfork's Nitsuh Abebe to New York Mag, Vulture; Observer's John Koblin to WWD
It's a rainy Monday here in New York, but the droplets aren't the only things in motion.
Nitsuh Abebe, a Pitchfork staffer, has been named pop music critic for New York magazine and its recent culture spin-off site, Vulture.com. Abebe had been with Pitchfork since 2003, and already has a couple items up for his new gig. Best of luck.
Speaking of New York, this week the site looks at what it calls the "Establishment" of the city. Not much in the way of music - there are a few names in a pretty cool flow chart - but lots of juicy real estate and other stuff. Hopefully Abebe will bolster their music coverage, which is one of the few things that NY Mag isn't known for.
Meanwhile, the Voice's Foster Kamer reports that the New York Observer's incredible media reporter, John Koblin, will reunite with former editor Peter Kaplain at WWD. (Disclosure: I was a freelancer at the Observer until July.) Big, big loss for the already decimated paper. I really hope it pulls through, the new design looks good.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Punching Out: Long Form Edition
Choose Your Own Chillwave (Band Name) Adventure!
Here's a pretty entertaining Witch House and Chillwave band name generator (via Gorilla vs. Bear). It appears to have been developed by graphic designers Matthew Müller and Scott Henning, and does a good job encapsulating (and subverting!) that whole aesthetic.
I've gotten ironic (Positive Downers, Smile Anger), genre-bending (Young Hood), painful-sounding (Tight Ankle, Tender Tendons) and bizarre (Today's In Furs) names. Good times.
Hyperlocal Party, Playlist at 20 Cooper Square Tonight
The Times and NYU recently launched the Local East Village Blog, and to celebrate, journalist Pete Hamill will speak at NYU's journalism building at 20 Cooper Square at 6 pm. There will also be food, drink, and Local contributor Jenn Pelly (who just had an awesome night and hosts the New Afternoon Show on WNYU) will be spinning geographically appropriate songs. It's apparently open to the public, so stop by!(Disclosure: I'm working on a story for the Local, and I'm an NYU alum.)
Eisley Announce Huge Fall Tour, Play Gramercy Theatre Oct. 21
Eisley at Joe's Pub, August 2007Eisley will hit almost every state on a two-month fall tour beginning in October, according to Mog. They'll be playing Gramercy Theatre here in New York on Oct. 21.
As one of the first bands I really got into, Eisley will always hold a special place in my musical heart. Their debut full-length, Room Noises, was a unique take on dream pop, with Sherri and Stacy Dupree's crystalline voices tracing fantastical narratives and soaring hooks. Alas, they never really seemed to break out, caught between mainstream pop (they're on Reprise) and the indiesphere.
Here's hoping their third album, which follows 2007's Combinations, expands their fanbase and gives them the recognition they deserve. Below, three-fifths of Eisley playing an acoustic "Golly Sandra" on UGO, from a while ago.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Punching Out: Sleater-Kinney's Successor?
CMJ Adds Phoenix, Ghostface, UNKLE, Vanderslice
Word from BrooklynVegan that CMJ, the week-long music and media extravaganza, has added a few high-profile acts to its annually ginormous roster, including Phoenix, Ghostface, UNKLE and John Vanderslice. The way the festival works is sort of weird - instead of being an enclosed series, most CMJ showcases are also normal shows, with fans having the option of either buying a ticket normally and being guaranteed entry, or getting an (expensive) badge and getting in on a first-come, first-served basis.
For especially hyped shows, getting in can be challenging for badges, and there's always a bit of uncertainty. The Pheonix show, at Madison Square Garden, is probably going to be really tough to get into.
CMJ runs from Oct. 19 to 23
Rough Quarter For Major Labels
The other three - Warner, Universal and Sony - reported drops or slight gains in revenue, and Warner has a $1 million operating loss, although that's much better than $25 million lost in the year before. Even Live Nation saw a drop in concert sales, with what was reported as a sluggish summer for many big-name bands.
Thank goodness for the Internet!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Punching Out: Glee Meets Simpsons
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
