Author Archive

Parts and Labor “Brighter Days” – The beauty of Parts and Labor is simple — they write anthemic pop-punk tunes, but replace the standard textures and dynamics of the genre with warped keyboards, severe electronic effects, and wild, heavy, inventive drumming. Their first two albums were good, but their new record Mapmaker is most definitely the best, the one where they fully deliver on their promise/premise by pushing everything to an extreme. The melodies are catchier; the arrangements are more vibrant; the drums simulate an exaggerated sense of space and depth, resulting in a record that sounds like it’s coming out of your speakers in 3-D. Like a lot of other things I’ve been loving in this year, it makes me wonder why this sort of thing isn’t more normal. Is it really that hard to tweak winning formulas and put in the effort required to rule? I guess I already know the answer to that question. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Shapes & Sizes, Dandi Wind, and Dog Day.

Speaker Bite Me “Fistful Of Air” – This song feels just as weightless and intangible as its title implies. The beat creates a sensation of forward momentum that is countered by the stillness of the horns, which seem to float in mid-air like clouds of smoke. The song somehow finds a way to have it both ways — the feeling of endless motion, and the moment of perfect, motionless peace. It feels like running through cool air and having your mind go completely blank. (Click here to visit the official Speaker Bite Me site.)

Wir Sind Helden “Die Konkurrenz” – Wir Sind Helden sound like a band who probably have great, witty lyrics, but since I don’t understand German, I have no way of knowing for sure without resorting to running their words through Google Language Tools and getting an awkward translation that might be extremely confusing or misleading. Judith Holofernes’ inflections come across very deadpan and sassy, and there’s an exchange with a male vocalist that seems rather cute. All I know is that the title translates to “the contest,” and that the music gives me the impression that they would very much like to be its winners. (Click here to buy it from Amazon Germany.)

Von Südenfed “Fledermaus Can’t Get Enough” – I posted the first Mark E Smith/Mouse On Mars collaboration way back in October of 2004, and like a fair chunk of the music that I’ve written up over the past five years, it eventually sorta slipped out of my life. I dimly recall reading about their full-length as Von Südenfed a few months ago and being mildly excited about it in much the same way that I’m eager to hear most anything that Mark E Smith does at least once, but man, I was never prepared for the relentless excellence that was about to come my way.

When it comes down to it, Mark E Smith is just like a rapper — he may be capable of maintaining a baseline level of quality just by showing up in the recording studio, but the merit of any given recording depends greatly upon the talent of his collaborators. Smith’s two records this year are an extreme example of this: Whereas sounds as though he’s stumbled upon a bunch of amateurs on The Fall’s Reformation Post T.L.C., Mouse On Mars’ intense, nuanced tracks on Tromatic Reflexxions are top-drawer bangers custom-made for Smith’s unique vocal talents. The album’s opening cut “Fledermaus Can’t Get Enough” rides a beat that would not sound out of place on LCD Soundsystem’s most recent album, and amps itself up for a violent chorus that seems to repeatedly pistol-whip the listener with the full force of MES’ aggravated shouts. This may sound like hype, but I’m dead serious: Tromatic Reflexxions is aggressive, inspired, and easily the most consistently rewarding album featuring Smith since the late ’80s. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Erasure “Sucker For Love” – Like the rest of Erasure’s new record, “Sucker For Love” sounds as though Vince Clarke has not acquired any new musical equipment since 1991, but unlike most of the other selections, it actually sounds as exciting and overwhelmingly great as the duo did back during their creative peak in the late ’80s. (Okay, so maybe there’s a theme today.) At its core, the track is basically Erasure-by-numbers — bouncy beat, colorful synths, campy crooning — but they’ve blown it all out to an absurd, hyperactive extreme. The song is so incredibly jumpy and bombastic that it’s actually sort of like a self-drawn caricature of their signature sound. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Elsewhere: After a long hiatus, the second season of The Movie Binge began this week with my review of Lars von Trier’s The Boss Of It All and this group review of Pirates of the Caribbean 3. The All-New, All-Different Binge has the same mission as last year — we’re going to review every single movie that comes out between Memorial Day and Labor Day — but there’s a bunch of new writers in addition to a few original Bingers. This year’s new recruits include Dan Beirne, Erik Bryan, Lia Bulaong, Bryan Charles, Meghan Deans, Todd Serencha, and Kyria Abrahams. There will also be several really awesome guest writers joining in along the way. It should be a lot of fun, so please join us.

Guided By Voices “Buzzards and Dreadful Crows (Live in Austin 2004)” – Guided By Voices’ final appearance at Austin City Limits was just released on cd and dvd, and though the setlist is quite good and the sound quality is high, it’s a very disappointing live album. I realize that a lot of GBV’s charm comes from their ramshackle, who-cares-let’s-just-get-to-the-next-song nature, but what worked very well in person comes off rather badly when recontextualized for home listening. It would have been wiser to release a live record that compiled strong performances from multiple shows into an alternative version of a greatest hits album, but instead the Austin set alternates between quality performances and mediocre or downright awful readings of beloved classics.

The worst offender is “Cut-Out Witch,” a fan favorite that was normally a major highlight of any given show, but appears on the record as a sloppy mess that is made even worse by guest vocals by a clueless Pete Yorn. (Then again, what version of “Cut-Out Witch” could possibly top the Peel session version with the snippet of “Acorns and Orioles”? Surely that is the definitive version.) On the opposite extreme, there is a spirited take on “Buzzards and Dreadful Crows” that pumps up the song’s rock power considerably without actually changing much about it. Also, I kinda love that weird sound in Bob’s voice as he announces the title. Actually, the entire record is worth hearing just to hear him introduce the title of pretty much ever selection, usually along with a brief note relating to its place in the discography. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Battles, Dan Deacon, and Black Moth Super Rainbow.

Noonday Underground “Come One Come All” – Daisy Martey normally sounds as though she is attempting to blow holes through your speakers with the strength of her voice, but she’s relatively smooth and sedate on this number, which floats along like a light cloud of psychedelic funk on a sunny summer afternoon. The arrangement is a shifting, fluid structure of sweet, soft hooks — swirls of groovy organ riffs, mild electronic distortion fashioned into melodic hooks, miscellaneous samples that float in and out of the mix like a gentle breeze. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)

San Serac “That Obscure Object Of Desire” – I can describe this song in two words: Suave lunacy. The piano chords shimmer like the self-consciously “classy” hook in Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out,” but that nod towards elegance and sophistication is just a superficial ruse — at its core, “That Obscure Object Of Desire” is corrupt and unhinged. This might be what happens when you grow up wanting to be a debaser. (Click here to buy it from Frog Man Jake.)

Elsewhere: Baby, could you just get little pointy ears for me?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor “Love Is Here” – I’m not the type to dismiss lyrics for their banality, but “Love Is Here” pushes my limits just a little bit. The lovey-dovey “I was made for you” gushing comes on VERY strong, but I suppose it is rather well suited to the song’s bright Lite FM melody and brisk disco beat. I’ve got a major soft spot for this sort of groovy, upbeat balladry, and though I imagine that a great many of you will hate this song for its unapologetic corniness, I just can’t help myself. Interestingly, though song floats from hook to hook like a super-polished pop machine, it ends with a fairly counterintuitive move: The chorus runs through a few more times before the conclusion, and then everything drops out but the bass and drums, which shifts into an urgent dance-punk groove for a few seconds into the fade-out. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)

New Young Pony Club “Hiding On The Staircase” – “Hiding On The Staircase” fronts like a manifesto, but it feels more like a glossy fashion pictorial. The words never quite gel into a position, though the singer keeps telling us that “it’s the sound” of something or other like they are just learning how to push the buttons of their critics. It’s one of my favorite tricks: Make it sound smart and feel totally fantastic, and throw in just enough clever lines to make the audience piece together an idea much better than whatever the writer probably had in mind. (Click here for the New Young Pony Club MySpace page.)

Prinzhorn Dance School “Up! Up! Up!” – Since the artists associated with DFA have all been pushing toward an increasingly slick and sophisticated sound, it’s something of a surprise that the newest act on the label breaks the DFA aesthetic down into something so primitive and essential. “Up! Up! Up!” sounds like the burned-down remains of a punk song, and in that context, the vocals seem more like the calls of rescue workers stumbling through the wreckage. The music is extremely spare and bleak, but there’s just enough dark wit and campy horror film drama in the mix to keep it from getting too bitter and dreary. (Click here for the Prinzhorn Dance School site.)

Golden Bug “St. Tropez” – Okay. This song is called “St. Tropez” and it’s the middle of May — logically, it should follow that there will be no tan lines tonight. (Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I have no idea how many people will get that reference. It can’t be very many.) Anyway, this song has got nothing to do with obscure indie rock b-sides, although now that I think of it, its chopped up guitar riff has a similar sort of staggered swagger, and so I begin to wonder if that’s a coincidence, or something that suits “St. Tropez,” which is a place I’ve never been and will likely never see in person. (Click here to buy it from Juno.)

Misha “Crystal In Love” – It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but it seems like falsetto vocals have been slowly colonized by a macho yet passive-aggressive element — your Chris Martins, your Dave Matthews — and as a result, it has become a signifier of THE NARCISSISTIC HURT THAT DUDES FEEL. It doesn’t exactly ruin the technique across the board — it’s not exactly difficult to differentiate the merits of Keane and Radiohead, you know? — but it does make me a bit suspicious of young guys who adopt the style.

Misha’s John Chao stays within my personal falsetto comfort zone on this song: Drag camp, disco glamor, ethereal crooning, and R&B affectation. When the chorus kicks in, Chao sounds as though he’s trying to transform himself into a woman through sheer force of will. Not just any woman, mind you: I think he’s specifically attempting to morph into Alison Goldfrapp! (Click here to pre-order it from Amazon.)

Karl Blau “Kill The Messenger” – Karl Blau’s latest project sets the lyrics of his former D+ bandmate Bret Lunsford to radically new arrangements, but to be honest, I can’t really appreciate whatever changes were made since I’ve only ever heard maybe three D+ songs tops, and only one of them appears on Blau’s record. I mean, it’s obvious enough — D+ was essentially a rock band, and the sound of Dance Positive is heavily indebted to funk and reggae. The way he altered his ex-partner’s songs is ultimately irrelevant to my enjoyment of the record, which mostly comes from its understated vocals, super mellow grooves, and the way the album’s slightly washed-out production leaves its bottom end feeling exceptionally cozy and warm. (Click here to buy it from Marriage Records.)

Elsewhere: Do you like broccoli? Do you like cool British cartoonists? How about t-shirts? If you said “yes” to all three questions, or even just the first and third, you ought to head over to Threadless and vote for this t-shirt designed by my pal John Cei Douglas.

Ulrich Schnauss “Stars” – When I studied photography in college, I would often think of music in photographic terms, and vice versa. That said, I don’t remember ever relating depth of field to musical composition, which is actually sorta funny given how many artists intentionally simulate that sensation in their recorded work. Ulrich Schnauss’ “Stars” is an exaggerated example of this. All of the elements in its arrangement seem to be miles apart, with some sounds deliberately foregrounded while others are out of focus and blurred. The song implies a staggering scale, and plays out like the musical equivalent of a widescreen panorama. (Click here to pre-order it from Boomkat.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Lavender Diamond, Marnie Stern, and Gui Boratto.

Also: In the wake of my R.E.M. project, a new wave of music blogs are focusing on writing about every song in a single artist’s discography. So far we’ve got Hyper-Ballads (Björk), Emotional Karaoke (Mountain Goats), More Words About Music and Songs (Talking Heads), My Impression Now (Guided By Voices), Fragments of a Cale Season (John Cale), Too Many Words, Too Many Words (Low), I Got A Message For You (Robyn Hitchcock), More Than Ten (Pearl Jam), and Fridgebuzz, which is the first of what I assume will be at least 15 blogs dissecting the Radiohead catalog.

And: Which celebrity, who recently made the cover of People’s 100 Most Beautiful People, likes to remind you of that fact while you’re having sex with her?

Wilco “Walken” – Despite the fact that Wilco has always been a vehicle for Jeff Tweedy’s songs and that the new record is apparently more of a collaborative effort than the band’s last two albums, more of Sky Blue Sky has a distinct solo-album vibe. It’s mellow, quiet, and a lot of the songs seem to be deliberately minor in comparison to the far more ambitious material on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. This isn’t a crippling problem — at least half of the tracks are low-key gems that show of the band’s skill at building songs around inspired guitar solos — but it most certainly makes Sky Blue Sky the sort of record that needs a follow-up to provide the listener with a sense of context and direction. Is it a detour, or a new direction? It’s hard to say.

I’ve been meaning to write about “Walken” since it first popped up as a solo acoustic recording a year or so back. I’m glad that I held out for a studio recording. The full band arrangement highlights rather than crowds out Tweedy’s seemingly effortless melodies, and the production is light, sunny, and has a great bounce to its beat. Even though he’s built his reputation on crushingly sad songs, Tweedy really shines on the numbers that express a hesitant enthusiasm for love — “I’m Always In Love” and “I’m The Man Who Loves” you are the obvious precursors, but “Walken” is far less neurotic and more matter-of-fact. It’s not a song for new love, or troubled love, or a dying love. It’s for the people who’ve been together for ages, and keep remembering why their relationship works. I don’t know if the love expressed is unconditional, but it’s certainly not something that’s going to fade away any time soon. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Elsewhere: Gilmore Girls ended its seven season run last night, and I’m not going to lie to you — I got a little teary at the end. Here’s a brief article for the Associated Press about the end of the series that I filed two weeks ago. It was written very quickly on short notice and it’s not everything I wish it could’ve been, but it’s nice enough. I’m not really sure why I started watching the show — I kinda stumbled into the first episode by chance, and I suspect that I only stuck with it because Lauren Graham is super hot, but man, I am so glad that I did. Even if the first half of its final seasom was very painful to watch, Gilmore Girls is one of my all-time favorite television programs and I’m going to miss it a lot.

Also: Stosh “Piz” Piznarski has his first album review up on Pitchfork today.

LCD Soundsystem @ Webster Hall 5/14/2007
Us V Them / Daft Punk Is Playing At My House / Time To Get Away / North American Scum / All My Friends / Get Innocuous! / Tribulations / Movement / Yeah // Someone Great / Watch The Tapes / New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down

LCD Soundsystem “Get Innocuous!” – I’ve seen a lot of good live acts since 1995, but very few of them are in the same league as LCD Soundsystem. This was certainly the best show I’ve seen the band play — from start to finish, just relentless perfection. I’m afraid that I’m still too overwhelmed to describe it in any useful, thoughtful way.

I can tell you that last night’s performances of “North American Scum” and “Yeah” immediately rank among the most completely thrilling concert experiences of my life. I was totally lost within those songs. I felt totally alive.

I can tell you that my appreciation of “Time To Get Away” and “Watch The Tapes” has skyrocketed after having seen them played live. They both seem kinda minor on the album alongside the big epics, but they shine in the context of a concert.

I can tell you that even though “All My Friends” and “Someone Great” may be two of the most sublime songs to be released in this decade, the show was so excellent that they could’ve skipped them both and it wouldn’t have mattered very much.

I can tell you that LCD Soundsystem fans, or at least the ones in the front half of the room, are total fucking maniacs and I love them for it.

I can tell you that James Murphy has become a very good singer; he’s really put in the work. He has developed this great, controlled charisma — he’s not hamming it up, but he’s definitely putting on a show. The entire group is like that too; they hit this very rare sweet spot between session-player precision and “band of friends” comradery.

I can tell you that whenever my mind wandered (which was very rare), I just kept thinking “Why can’t this be normal? Why can’t everyone bring it like this? How long will it take before people start to learn from James Murphy and his bandmates?” At first I thought Nancy Whang’s vocal hook in “Get Innocuous!” was sarcastic, but maybe it’s actually a challenge to other musicians: “We can normalize / don’t it make you feel alive?” (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Yacht “Platinum” – Yacht was the opening act, and he put on a fun, silly show that actually gained something from earning the intense disdain of some of the macho jock types in the room. My friend kinda nailed it: Yacht is like Andrew WK if he was from Portland and never heard a guitar, went to the gym, or ate meat. (I don’t know whether or not Yacht eats meat, but he totally seems like a vegan to me.) He’s all about the good vibes and encouraging self-improvement via self-belief (“if you say it out loud, you can make it happen”), and the music is mostly cute and catchy even when he’s overworking his smirk or seeming as though he’s just setting passages from The Secret to fake Timbaland beats. (Click here to buy it from Marriage Records.)

Sloan @ Southpaw 5/11/2007
Flying High Again / Who Taught You To Live Like That? / Someone I Can Be True With / Ill Placed Trust / G Turns To D / The Lines You Amend / Fading Into Obscurity / Golden Eyes / Love Is All Around / Living With The Masses / HFXNSHC / Blackout / Money City Maniacs / Don’t You Believe A Word / Set In Motion / I Understand / You Know What it’s About / Chester The Molester / I Can’t Sleep / People Of The Sky / Something’s Wrong / I Gotta Try / Everything You’ve Done Wrong / Before The End Of The Race / Ana Lucia / The Good In Everyone / Another Way I Could Do It // Deeper Than Beauty / 500 Up / She Says What She Means

Sloan “Someone I Can Be True With” / “Right Or Wrong” / “Something’s Wrong” – When I saw Sloan play here in January, I left wondering what it was about their set that felt so familiar and comforting, and I think I figured it out on Friday night: A Sloan gig is essentially the same as a Guided By Voices gig, but without the cult of personality, fewer songs, a more competent band, and a bit less over-the-top drunkenness on and off the stage. Okay, that’s actually a lot of differences, but the key similarity is that they are/were both groups comprised of down-to-earth indie rock lifers who want nothing more than to play a marathon of super catchy tunes for an audience eager to sing along, bop around to the upbeat numbers, and buy into the band’s underdog mythology. (Click here to buy it from Yep Roc.)

Sloan “Money City Maniacs” – Whereas GBV always had the “these songs should be hits, man!” thing going for them, Sloan borrows a page from American Britpop appreciation by having loads of actual hits….in Canada. Whenever the band launches into one of their old singles, the audience flips out as if they are collectively attempting to will “Money City Maniacs” and “The Lines You Amend” into retroactive American smashes. But nope, sorry, we never had a rock radio hit in 1998 with a chorus as maddeningly catchy as “and the joke is / when he awoke his / body was covered / in coke fizz.” Maybe that was for the better, though — I’m not kidding when I say “maddening,” “Money City Maniacs” will get stuck in your head for hours days weeks months LIFE. (Click here to buy Navy Blues used (it’s currently out of print in the US), or here to buy the singles collection A-Sides Win, both via Amazon. I recommend Navy Blues.)

Elsewhere: Chris Conroy has created the very best LOLCorgs on the internet.

Differnet “Patterns of Parklands” – Most of the tension in Differnet’s new single comes from the way it seems to continuously rise up as the world bears down upon it — the sky is falling, the ceiling is collapsing, the foot of God is stomping down upon our heads. Is this a feeling of defiance, or is it just rushing into doom? There’s a distinct sci-fi aesthetic in this track, and so it also feels a bit like being buried alive in the debris of some futuristic super-city. (Click here to buy it from Beatport.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Sarolta Zalatnay, The Hellers, and the Hide And Seek compilation.

Also: Bryan Charles on Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape,” Mike Barthel on Ugly Betty, the Hamburglar, West Side Story, and other stuff, Andrew WK is nuts/loves nuts, and um, here’s a bunch of guys listening to Pretty Ricky and humping…something…but DEFINITELY NOT EACH OTHER.

I did something with Björk‘s new album Volta that I haven’t done in a long time: I didn’t download a leaked copy or receive an advance cd, and I bought it the day it came out in a record store. I did that for three reasons:

1) Novelty and nostalgia. I still buy cds here and there, but it’s been quite a while since I purchased one without being extremely well acquainted with its contents. In fact, Björk’s 2001 album Vespertine was among the last that I experienced without knowing exactly what I was getting into. I suspect that my disappointment with that record had a lot to do with feeling burned by my monetary investment — for the longest time, I only really liked “Hidden Place,” “Unison,” and “Cocoon,” but I’ve recently discovered that I do enjoy at least three or four others from that album, and hey, Medulla isn’t so bad either. It’s my fault, really — I was being arrogant and stubborn, and I made no effort to meet her halfway when it became clear that she wasn’t going to give me exactly what I wanted.

2) It didn’t leak in full until very late in the game. I can hold out for a couple weeks, but ultimately, my will is not very strong.

3) I was thoroughly wowed by the songs I heard in advance of its release. Since I wasn’t very into Medulla or Vespertine, my expectations were fairly low — all I was hope for was at least a couple good upbeat dancey numbers. My wish was granted immediately: “Earth Intruders” rekindled my faith in her and prompted me to reexamine the previous two albums, and “Innocence” surpassed my wildest dreams by being more or less EXACTLY what I’ve been wanting from her for all this time. “Wanderlust” didn’t leave a strong first impression when I saw her perform it on Saturday Night Live, but the youtube clip of the aggressive electro-punk number “Declare Independence” from Coachella kinda blew my mind.

Now that I have the record and have been listening to it for a couple days, I’m fairly certain that those are the four best cuts on Volta, but I’m not at all disappointed about that. How could I be? Those four songs are brilliant, and some of the best material that anyone has released this year. The other selections aren’t bad, either — “Vertebrae By Vertebrae” and “I Know Who You Are” have their charm, and I’m learning to appreciate “The Dull Flame Of Desire” and “My Juvenile” despite the mildly aggravating presence of Antony Hegarty. Volta may not be on the same level of consistent greatness as Debut, Post, or Homogenic, but it’s a strong piece of work, and a welcome return to eclecticism after two albums that were weakened somewhat by their adherence to gimmicky high concepts.

Björk “Innocence” – As I mentioned earlier, “Innocence” is the song I’ve been wanting from Björk for a long time now, and I suppose what I mean is that musically and lyrically, it is basically the third part of a trilogy which also includes my two favorite tracks in her discography, “Big Time Sensuality” and “Alarm Call.” This is the Björk that I love the most: Upbeat, courageous, optimistic, and in full control of her neuroses. “Big Time Sensuality” confronts the future with enthusiasm, “Alarm Call” is defiantly unafraid of the world and its inhabitants, and “Innocence” conquers fear by embracing its thrill. The message is essentially the same in each song, but her authority increases as she goes along — “Big Time Sensuality” is a youthful song about faith and risk, and “Innocence” has the perspective to understand the mechanics of overcoming anxiety. Whereas her declarations in “Alarm Call” seem like surprising self-revelations, her words in “Innocence” seem directed outside of herself, as a bit of advice for the listener. It’s Björk in life coach mode: “neurosis only attaches itself to fertile ground where it can flourish;” “fear is a powerful drug — overcome it and you think you can do anything!;” “fear of losing energy is draining.” The best thing is that she’s absolutely correct, and though she is extraordinarily hopeful in her encouragement, she doesn’t lose sight of the immense difficulty and painful work involved in fighting our worst impulses. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Scout Niblett “Dinosaur Egg” – The most consistently inspired and entertaining part of DC Comics’ otherwise erratic weekly series 52 was a subplot written by Grant Morrison in which most of the mad scientists in the DC Universe are held captive on Oolong Island by the enormous egg-shaped “mutant flesh machine” Chang Tzu. They aren’t exactly prisoners — it’s an island paradise, and they are all “given an unlimited budget and encouraged to let their imaginations run wild on the finest mind-expanding narcotics available to man.” The scientists are, as another character describes them, “groping, stumbling, self-conscious man-boys…autistic midget savants.” They aren’t exactly evil, but they are all twisted by their enormous egos and total lack of social grace.

Scout Niblett’s “Dinosaur Egg” sounds as though it is being sung from the perspective of one of these cowardly, emotionally damaged creeps. Niblett’s character impatiently demands a dinosaur egg to hatch, bosses around her robot slave, and calls upon a “tortured spirit” to help her frighten her guests at some sort of bizarre social gathering. (I kinda get the impression that the “guests” will all be there under duress.) The music is stark and fragile like an old school Cat Power tune, and Niblett manages to express her character’s petulance, insecurity, and impotent rage in a way that’s at least somewhat sympathetic. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)

Gui Boratto “Beautiful Life” – This is another fine example of a song with lyrics that simply offer a subtitle for the feeling expressed by the music — “what a beautiful life, what a beautiful life, what a beautiful life.” Boratto’s track simulates and stimulates a state of calm bliss that feels almost unnatural. The beat snaps with just enough aggression to trigger physical movement, but it mostly just guides us through a succession of keyboard hooks that wash over the listener like cool waves of pleasure. (Click here to buy it from Amp Camp.)

Arcade Fire @ United Palace, 5/7/2007
Black Mirror / No Cars Go / Laika / Haiti / Black Wave/Bad Vibrations / Neon Bible / Windowsill / The Well & The Lighthouse / Ocean Of Noise / Keep The Car Running / Antichrist Television Blues / Power Out / Rebellion (Lies) // Tunnels / Intervention

I’m not crazy about the United Palace. For one thing, the acoustics leave a lot to be desired, and the band was never loud enough. I realize that the volume thing may be an Arcade Fire issue — they have a bazillion instruments going all at once, and the sound people are clearly making an effort to balance it out so that the more delicate instruments can be heard with some detail. Sarah Neufeld may disagree with me on this, but I think that’s ultimately a bad idea. At least half of the reason why we go to see live shows is to hear the music really loud, so that we can FEEL the music vibrate through our bodies and enjoy a physical sensation that we can’t get from playing the records at home unless we happen to have extremely forgiving and/or passive neighbors. The mix and the acoustics of the room flattered slow, quiet numbers like “Neon Bible” and “Ocean of Noise,” but the majority of the set focused on the driving, enormous rock songs that are the band’s specialty, and something was lost.

Maybe it was because I was so far in the back? My other issue with the United Palace is that I resent the fact that I bought my tickets within 40 seconds of them being put on sale, and yet I was still stuck in the last row of the highest balcony, and the people who bought the tickets released on the day of show got to be in the front. How on earth is that fair to anyone? Shouldn’t the worst seats be reserved for the day-of-show tickets?

The venue is surprisingly large, relatively well managed, and ridiculously ornate, but it lacks the charm and exceptional sound quality of the fairly similar Landmark Loews Theatre in Jersey City. I’m more than a little ambivalent about the prospect of the place becoming the go-to venue for medium-large acts in NYC for the foreseeable future, but I suppose that it might be a nice thing for Columbia students or people in Washington Heights.

Arcade Fire “The Well & The Lighthouse” (Live @ Judson Memorial Church 2/17/2007) – Anyway, the Arcade Fire, right. They played a show. It was a good show — I think. They definitely played good songs, and it seemed like they did a pretty nice job of it. I was definitely really into that stretch in the middle from “The Well & The Lighthouse” on through “Antichrist Television Blues.” Like I said, I felt a bit removed from the performance. I’ve been much further away from the stage and felt more physically engaged, so I’m not going to blame my proximity. There was something kinda odd about my vantage point — I was peering down over them from an angle that somehow flattened everything so that it looked sorta like a puppet show. Everyone on the stage looked like tiny toy replicas of themselves. That skewed perspective benefited “The Well & The Lighthouse,” a song that sounds as though it should smell like a musty old book, and seems exceptionally well suited to being played in miniature on an fancy, old timey stage. Just as when I saw the band back in February, the slow, elegant fade out at the end of that number was the single loveliest moment of their show, though this time the audience started clapping a bit too early. (Click here to get the full Judson Memorial Church show from NPR and here to buy Arcade Fire music from Merge.)

Barry St. John “Turn On Your Light” – Barry St John belts out every line of this peppy bit of late 60s Glaswegian “Northern Soul” as though she’s trying to slap us in the face with the sound of her voice. The song is overwhelmingly upbeat and assertive to the point that it’s shouting out its own negativity — “you treat me so bad, but honey, it’s alright” — and creating a positive outcome by sheer force of will. (Click here to buy it from Soundlink.)

Paul Haig “Runnin’ Away” – Paul Haig’s 1982 version of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Runnin’ Away” has a slightly kitschy charm to it without pushing too far into obnoxious novelty or cheap irony. It’s a very smart song selection — though most Sly songs require a certain fire and passion, the clipped and somewhat deadpan delivery of the original lends itself well to being covered by post-punkers. That said, the reason Haig’s arrangement works mainly comes down to the way he transposed Sly’s brass hooks to a colorful synthesizer tone that sounds cut-rate, shoddy, and inexplicably comforting. (Click here buy it from CD Wow.)

Elsewhere: This will probably make absolutely no sense if you did not read 52, but the final entry of The Diary of Ralph Dibny is a classic, and definitely one of the best things you’ll find anywhere on the internet this week.

Life Without Buildings “Liberty Feelup (Live)” – Life Without Buildings recorded a fantastic and distinct album, toured a little bit, and split up all in the span of a couple years at the beginning of this decade. They quit while they were ahead and can claim a spotless legacy, and while that’s quite cool and sorta romantic, it’s incredibly frustrating just the same. There’s a certain magic to the sound of Life Without Buildings’ music, but there’s no good reason for the audience, much less the band themselves, to imagine that they weren’t capable of topping or at least matching that sort of inspiration. As a fan/consumer, it’s awfully convenient when an artist’s body of work is a one-stop-shopping deal, but how do we know when we couldn’t have it so much better? Why are we all so frightened of the valleys that accompany the peaks of the creative process?

“Liberty Feelup” (or as Sue Tompkins speak-sings it, “Liberty Feeeeelup”) is the one “new” song on the band’s forthcoming live album, and it’s so good that it breaks my heart all over again. It sticks to the basic formula of Any Other City, but it doesn’t seem at all like they were lacking in ideas. If anything, it suggests that they abandoned their brilliant personal style a bit too soon. Tompkins still seems as though she’s communicating the breadth of the human experience with every cryptic, repeated line, and the music ebbs and flows with their characteristic blend of serenity and urgency. Like the rest of their work, the song sounds tossed off but incredibly passionate and brave as Tompkins seems to stare down the inevitabilities of life and death while grinning like a loon. (Click here for the official Life Without Buildings site.)

Au Revoir Simone @ Webster Hall 5/2/2007
Sad Song / A Violet Yet Flammable World / Dark Halls / Fallen Snow / Through The Backyards / Lark / The Way To There

I have not been entirely forthcoming about this in the past, but if I’m going to mention Au Revoir Simone on this site, you ought to know that Heather, one of the band’s three members, has been one of my closest friends for nearly a decade now. As a result, it’s sort of impossible for me to hear their music without feeling incredibly proud of what she’s accomplished with her band mates in the past two years. I’m reasonably certain that I’d be a fan of the group whether I knew them or not, but you know, it’s kinda hard to describe just how cool it is to see someone you’ve known and loved for so long finally find herself as an artist and then go on to become internationally famous for her work. It’s not just Heather — her partners Annie and Erika are two of the loveliest women you could ever hope to meet, and watching them evolve as musicians and performers has been just as inspiring.

Au Revoir Simone “Stars” – I’ve had a copy of “Stars” for quite a while now, and for a lot of that time, it was kinda driving me crazy that I couldn’t share it with all of you. Then the album leaked, and it was released in Europe, and though I had permission to post it, I kinda froze up because I don’t know how to write about this music in an honest way without being sappy and sentimental. In fairness, it’s kind of a sappy, sentimental song — it’s essentially about the sort of intense fascination and excitement you feel when you meet someone new and inspiring. It works very well as a love or crush song, but it was written about platonic friendship, and that’s a lot to do with why the tune has this wonderful innocent quality.

“Stars” has a gorgeous, sparkling arrangement and one of the catchiest melodies of anything I’ve heard this year, but I suspect that it’s my favorite of their songs because it’s the one that is the most Heather-ish. She’s the primary author of this particular track, and whether she intended it or not, it sums up so much of what is great about her — the wide-eyed enthusiasm, the intellectual curiosity (it might help to hear this song with the knowledge that she studies astrophysics at Columbia), the suburban roots, the romanticism, the mix of self-possession and unapologetic girlishness. Seriously, I just can’t hear it without feeling sappy. I wish that all of you had songs written by your friends that could remind you just why you like them so much in the first place. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Peter, Bjorn & John @ Webster Hall 5/2/2007
Roll The Credits / Let’s Call It Off / See Through / The Chills / Start To Melt / Amsterdam / Paris 2004 / Tailormade / Young Folks (with Heather D’Angelo) / Objects Of My Affection / Up Against The Wall // Poor Cow / Far Away, By My Side / Teen Love

One more thing to be proud of: Heather sang Victoria Bergsman’s part in “Young Folks” with Peter, Bjorn and John last night, and she did a rather fantastic job of it. She went from obsessing over the song on tour to singing it every night with the band a few months later. There’s no denying it: She has a very charmed life. You don’t know the half of it!

Peter, Bjorn & John “Up Against The Wall” – Oh, and yeah, Peter, Bjorn and John played a show too! Though it wasn’t the exciting experience that I had when I saw them at the Mercury Lounge back in January, it was certainly a solid and entertaining gig. Peter dialed down his charisma a bit for this show, but he was still very magnetic and amiable throughout the performance. Aside from “Young Folks,” the highlight of the set was an extended version of “Up Against The Wall” that kept going through at least three false starts before finally ending with just Peter strumming his guitar and plaintively singing the title. A PB&J concert album might be a bit redundant, but they really ought to release a live recording of this particular number. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Elsewhere: My new Hit Refresh column is up on the ASAP site with mp3s from Wild Beasts, Lucky Soul, and Good Shoes.

Matthew Dear “Don and Sherri” – Am I crazy, or does this song include a small sample from Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World”? I honestly have no idea — the promo packaging does not include any detailed songwriting credits, and so I’m not sure whether or not the suspiciously familiar keyboard pulse is lifted directly from her song, or is just rather similar in tone and attack. Aside from that bit, “Don and Sherri” isn’t much like a Kylie tune at all. Whereas her material tends to move on to a huge, glorious hook and/or a grand release, Matthew Dear’s song is stuck in a paranoid, frustrated groove that presumably extends well beyond the point where the track fades out. (Click here to pre-order it from Ghostly International.)

DJ Blaqstarr featuring Rye Rye “Shake It To The Ground (Pistol Pete Remix)” – Though it’s not quite as intense and mindblowing as his Clipse remix, Pistol Pete’s latest track continues to push in an electro direction that’s one part cheesy and three parts awesome. Pete’s arrangement fleshes out Blaqstarr’s song without totally betraying the stark beauty of the original version, which was so focused on Rye Rye’s rap that it sounded almost like a glorified a cappella. Rye Rye is still front and center in the mix, but she’s carried along by a track that emphasizes and accentuates her hooks rather than just prop them up. (Click here for Pistol Pete’s MySpace page.)

Elsewhere: Fast Hugs on the weirdness of Natasha Bedingfield, Cokane’s Bloggery revisits the denim rock jacket, and Ruined Music returns from a brief hiatus.