Author Archive

Humanity Is Erased

A Frames “Black Forest II” – If you’ve been watching Late Night with Conan O’Brien with any degree of regularity in the past year or two, you’ve no doubt seen Conan slip into a recurring gag in which he affects “cold, dead eyes” – his entire face goes limp and his eyes narrow into a creepy, thousand-mile stare. In some ways, A Frames’ brilliant, horribly overlooked album Black Forest is just like this bit – a startling expression of emotional emptiness and hopelessness affected for the sake of very dark humor. The members of A Frames insist that the extreme bleakness of lyrics is meant to be deadpan, but there’s no shaking the feeling of doom and pessimism in this music. If anything, the ironic nihilism only serves to deepen the despair by refusing to commit to any feeling at all, not even apathy. And somehow, this is a seductive sound, and an album that speaks to me even when I don’t want it to. (Click here to buy it from Subpop.)

The Chiffons “Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On (In My Mind But Me)” – There’s some beautiful echo in this recording, giving the sensation that the vocals are thoughts swirling around in the echo chamber mind of a stubborn teenager refusing to believe anything but her own irrational heart. (Click here to buy it from Rhino.)

Spoon @ Nokia Theatre 11/5/2005
Telamon Bridge / The Beast and Dragon, Adored / Someone Something / Lines In the Suit / Metal School / The Delicate Place / I Turn My Camera On / Sister Jack – I Could See the Dude / Paper Tiger / Jonathon Fisk / Vittorio E / They Never Got You / I Summon You / The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine / The Way We Get By / Anything You Want / 30 Gallon Tank / The Fitted Shirt // Small Stakes / Me and the Bean / My Mathematical Mind

This was my first show at the new Nokia Theatre in Times Square, and I’ve got to say that it’s an amazing venue, probably the best in the city. The room is laid out so that there is standing room in front of the stage, then a second tier of standing room above that, and then a large section of stadium seating in the back. No matter where you are (or who you are – it’s very wheelchair-friendly), you will have an excellent view of the stage. The sound is crystal clear, perfectly mixed, and at pretty much the ideal volume throughout the room. (I watched Mary Timony’s set from the front, American Music Club and Spoon from the stadium area, and the encore from the middle tier.) There are several bars, snack kiosks, lounge areas, and merch booths just outside of the theatre room. The restrooms are enormous and immaculate. It’s centrally located, and very convenient for Metro North and LIRR commuters. They clearly poured a lot of money into this place in an attempt to make a venue nearly devoid of common flaws, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Spoon “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” – When I say that many of Spoon’s songs sound better live, I want you to understand that I also believe that their last three albums feature some of the best rock production of the past twenty years or so. Unlike many other rock acts, this is not a question of engineering, but rather that in some cases (most notably “I Turn My Camera On,” “The Delicate Place,” “Vittorio E,” and “Small Stakes”), the band figured out a better arrangement for the composition well after they left the studio. So naturally, Spoon is a band that really ought to put out a proper live album. Not a dvd, though – they are not particularly interesting in terms of visuals. In fact, I think I enjoyed myself the most when I kept my eyes shut, as I did for most of “They Never Got You” and “Paper Tiger.”

Much like The New Pornographers’ “Sing Me Spanish Techno,” “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” is a song packed full of lyrics that I identify with very strongly getting mixed up between cryptic lines I haven’t deciphered yet (Is the title a reference to the Book of Revelations? If so, wtf?) and nonsense that doesn’t make much sense to me at all, but that only serves to make it seem like an accurate reflection of life, at least in my experience. Basically, it’s a song about inspiration, and what it takes to commit yourself to art, to life, and to the people you love. It’s also a deliberate call back to a recurring theme in the Spoon catalog – “Believing Is Art,” basically. (Or more simply: “You Gotta Feel It.”) I’d be hard pressed to find better advice for any kind of artist in the form of pop lyrics better than this song’s final epiphany: When you don’t feel, it shows / they tear out your soul / and when you believe they call it rock and roll. (Click here to buy it from Spoon’s online store.)

The Mary Timony Band @ Nokia Theatre 11/5/2005
On The Floor / Friend To J.C. / Silence / song with lyric “in the kitchen every day” / I’m Your Man (Richard Hell cover) / Rider of the Stormy Sea / song with lyric “why can’t you see” / 9 x 3 / Backwards/Forwards

Mary Timony “Silence” – Interestingly enough, a majority of the audience for this show was very young and comprised mainly of very preppy, clean cut college kids. It was almost as if they’d all been tricked into believing they were going to a Coldplay show. I heard many teenage girls complaining about the very concept of opening acts as though they’ve never been to a rock show before in their lives, and it was very clear that I was one of the few people in the room that had a strong familiarity with Mary Timony, which is not something I would have ever expected from a Spoon crowd. I suppose Spoon really has hit the big time, and that the indie rockers who would typically come out for their shows all opted to hit the Sunday night show in Brooklyn. (Did that show sell out, by the way? The Nokia Theatre is very large, and I’d be very impressed if they could fill out both venues in the same weekend.)

This was the first time I’ve seen Mary Timony perform since she was entering her solo Renn Faire period in 2000, so it was exciting to see her playing to her strengths as a guitarist once again. The name Mary Timony Band is somewhat misleading – it was only Mary and fill-happy drummer Devin Ocampo. (Is the increasing commonality of guitar/drums duos in indie rock a purely economical consideration? With the possible exception of The White Stripes, I’ve never seen a rock duo play without the absence of bass or guitar being very conspicuous.) Timony’s current sound is a clear throwback to her time in Helium, but with a cleaner tone and a greater emphasis on sweeping dynamic shifts. Her thin voice continues to be a weakness in live performance, but she is still clearly one of the most criminally underrated guitarists in rock music. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Also!

Check out the Shrag video made by reader Scott Bateman.

We Hardly Saw A Spark

Kapow! “Make You Mine” – Unfortunately, I will not be seeing the Fiery Furnaces show at North Six this weekend due to a scheduling conflict. This isn’t such a big deal in terms of the Furnaces – I’ve seen them several times now, and will see them again before too long – but it’s disappointing in that I will miss the proper debut of former Furnace Toshi Yano’s new band, Kapow! Yano has a knack for ’60s style pop rock, and though that genre’s been strip-mined by a few generations of indie rockers by now, he manages to keep his songs sounding fresh, vibrant, and lacking that icky retro aftertaste. (Click here to buy it from Kapow!)

The Mendoza Line “Golden Boy (Torture in the Shed)” – This is a perfect song for Shannon McArdle’s voice – the guitars seem like a wall of fire, the drums feel urgent but strangely still, and the lyrics about oppression and stifled desire are ideal for a singer who so easily communicates simmering passion and quiet grace. (Click here to pre-order it from Misra.)

You Can Do Anything You Want As Long As It Makes Sense

Mystery Jets “You Can’t Fool Me, Dennis (Justice Remix)” – I would like to think that this is the result of the band sitting down and attempting to compose the most British song they could possibly imagine. This remix isn’t quite what you might expect from Justice (ie, you’re not going to be playing this for a dance floor unless you’re very perverse), but he tightens the song up considerably, dropping out the guitars entirely and adding more pop oomph to the bridge and chorus. (Click here to buy it from Juno.)

Voluntários Da Patria “Io Io (Tim “Love” Lee Edit)” – This selection is taken from Man Recordings’ new Nao Wave Revisited EP, a set of remixes and edits of cuts from their compilation of 80s Brazillian post-punk released earlier this year. This track is certainly more edit than remix as it keeps the original track more or less entirely intact, but extends the “Brand New Cadillac”-ish intro and adds a liberal amount of echo, which washes out the sound and ironically makes this new version seem much older than its source material. (Click here to buy it from Forced Exposure.)

Waddling Under The Beat

Edu K “Popozuda Rock N’ Roll (Original Version)” – The “original version” tag seems to only be in relation to the remixes on the same single. As far as I can tell, this is a cover of a cover of a cover. But let’s not get caught up in trainspotting – this is a celebration, full of cheesy pop metal riffs, favela funk, and lyrics offering words of encouragement to women with large asses. (That’s what “popozuda” means.) There’s even a strange nonsequitor reference to Star Wars! (Click here to buy it from Forced Exposure.)

Nous Non Plus “Fille Atomique” – Power jaunt au français! NYC-based RISD-educated Frenchies bop on a new wave guitar vamp like it’s a pogo stick, musically approximating the sound of exclamation points! EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! (Click here to buy it from Aeronaut Records.)

This Is How It Was Meant To Be

Rah Bras “Venis” – Video treatment: A small club is filled with attractive, self-conciously wild Last Night’s Party-ish people who are all dressed in costumes that are either directly lifted from or inspired by Rob Liefeld comics. It’s a nonstop barrage of bulky pads, metal nubbins, enormous boots, gratuitous pouches, weird face paint, complicated hair, skin-tight lycra, and super-hiked thongs, all on partygoers striking improbable poses and swinging around gigantic laser cannons and swords like maniacs. (CGI may be necessary in post-production.) (Click here to buy it from Lovitt.)

Crazy Penis “Lady T” – Let’s just ignore the Crazy Penis name, okay? Set to a bouncey funk groove, a smooth disco boy emulates (and name checks, and interpolates) the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson while setting up a sleazy party scenario that falls someplace between the glamorously fucked-up fantasy that is often imagined, and the reality that some people manage to create from that blueprint. (Click here to buy it from Shiva Records.)

The Pipettes “Dirty Mind” – If you were with me this weekend, you surely would have freaked out at some point and begged me to stop playing this song over and over again. But you weren’t, and I did, and I loved every moment of it. In fact, I’m fairly certain that I only love this song more every time that I hear it. This is modern “Northern Soul” girl-group pop performed by three beautiful Brits from Brighton, but as twee as the lyrics get, it avoids tackiness through total mastery of the subgenre’s form and elegant touches such as the sparkling piano that enters the arrangement on the breakdown. Sublime. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK and here to watch the very adorable video for the song.)

A Heart That Hurts Is A Heart That Works

North American Hallowe’en Prevention, Inc. “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en? (Cadence Weapon Remix) – By now, most of you have probably heard the original version of this benefit single featuring a host of indie rock stars and hipsterish celebrities, but here is a fresh new mix of the track by Fluxblog favorite Cadence Weapon. The mix was commissioned by Vice, but has yet to be officially released. As with the original version, David Cross is the highlight of the production as he sings “our babies are sobbing” with maximum melodrama. Actually, I like to think that he’s doing that part in character as Tobias Funke, wearing nothing but cut-offs and blue paint. (Click here for Vice’s NAHPI site or here for the Cadence Weapon site. To contact Cadence Weapon for remixes and parties, please write to razorbladerunner @ gmail.com)

Juliana Hatfield “Universal Heartbeat” – The very tragic thing about this song is that if it came a decade before or after 1995, it’s possible that it could have been a real pop hit, but it’s also very hard to imagine this song being written and produced in a time other than the mid-90s. The other thing is that it seems to be damned to the sidelines of pop if just because of the fact that it is written and performed by Juliana Hatfield, a woman who at the time of its release was already seeming like a curious relic of cutesy early 90s indie culture. In spite of some solid pop chops and an appealing appearance, Hatfield has never seemed able to overcome that strange Sassy stigma, and it’s a shame. Anyone who can write a tune as charming and catchy as “Universal Heartbeat” deserves so much better than to end up as a footnote to Evan Dando’s wikipedia entry. (Thanks to Matty!) (Click here to buy an out-of-print copy of the original album for less than a dollar from Amazon Shops or here for the significantly more expensive Juliana Hatfield greatest hits compilation.)

Also! Bobby Sherman!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written about comic books on this site, but I feel compelled to recommend Michael Allred’s issue of Solo, which is easily one of the most joycore comics that I’ve ever read. In 64 pages, Allred (along with his brother/co-writer Lee and his wife/colorist Laura) runs wild with a heartfelt homage to the DC Comics of his 60s youth. The highlights are “Doom Patrol Vs. Teen Titans,” in which the original Teen Titans have a dance party in Bruce Wayne’s loft, disrupting the Doom Patrol’s rest on the floor below, and the brilliant “Batman A-Go-Go!,” an ambitious story that makes a strong case for the upbeat, flamboyant Batman of the 60s over the dreary, oppressive Batman of the past twenty years. The story is as much about Batman’s cultural evolution as it is about Allred’s pro-joy philosophy of art. He totally nails it on this page, as Alfred Pennyworth challenges the popular notion that the only valid depiction of reality in art is ugly and relentlessly negative. It’s an incredible piece of work, and I can’t possibly recommend it highly enough.

No Matter How Well Done Or Rare

My DJ set @ Scenic 10/26/2005
Spektrum “May Day” / Cristina “Mamma Mia” / Ludus “Breaking The Rules” / Dolly Parton “Baby I’m Burning” / Klaus Nomi “After The Fall” / Rachel Stevens “I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)” / Papas Fritas “Sing About Me” / Lo-Fi-FNK “Unighted” / United State of Electronica “La Discoteca” / Erasure “Stop” / Robyn “Konichiwa Bitches” / Junior Senior “Take My Time” / Out Hud “It’s For You” / Gene Serene & John Downfall “U Want Me” / Ladytron “Destroy Everything You Touch” / Kelly Clarkson “Since U Been Gone (Jason Nevins Dance Edit)” / Hollertronix “Tippin’ Toxic” / Girls Aloud “Biology” / Gold Chains “Rock The Parti”

Klaus Nomi “After The Fall” – This is certainly one of the more optimistic songs about an impending Apocalypse. Taking off from his previous hit about nuclear annihilation, “Total Eclipse” (both songs were written by Kristian Hoffman), Nomi sings reassuringly about the bright side of doomsday, insisting that the surviving freaks can build a better world upon the ashes of civilization. The verses sound quite a bit like early B52s, but once Nomi kicks into the soaring chorus, he reveals an operatic range far beyond Fred Schneider’s reach. Unquestionably, this is exotic glam pop at its best. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Papas Fritas “Sing About Me” – How can I possibly resist a song so relentlessly joyous, casually self-confident, and unapologetically vain? There’s so many songs about girls out there, but this is the only one that I know of about a girl demanding to have songs written about her. With its unyielding pace and insistent beat, the music sounds like nothing so much as the girl willing her romantic fantasies into existence. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

It Feels Funny In My Tummy

Noblesse Oblige “Daddy (Don’t Touch Me There)” – Incestuous child abuse isn’t a common topic for dance music, but I suppose this works if you’ve really got some heavy issues to work through on the dancefloor or just have a very wicked sense of humor. It’s not as though this is some kind of euphoric happy hardcore track – there’s certainly an undertow of dread in the music itself – but there’s a creepy incongruity to this song that is hard to ignore, and I am certain that makes the piece a success in terms of its author’s intentions. (Click here for the official Noblesse Oblige site.)

Consequence (featuring Mike Jones) “Been Robbed” – Though I never posted it here (mainly because it’s on one of the year’s top selling albums), Kanye West’s “Gone” is easily one of my favorite tracks from 2005. There’s a lot to love in that song, but among its many highlights is the verse by Consequence, a somewhat blandly named MC who raps like a lighter, more graceful version of Kanye. He continues to show promise on this mix tape cut with Mike Jones (Who?) (MIKE JONES!), though his flow isn’t dramatically different from his lines on “Gone.” As for Mike Jones (Who?), he’s (MIKE JONES!!!) just one of those guys who can add a lot to any track just by showing up. (Click here to buy it from All Mix Tapes.)

The Beat Gets Closer

Girls Aloud “Biology” – If only the American pop market would allow for this sort of bizarro assertive hyper-pop. Every great Girls Aloud single is overflowing with energy to the point of seeming entirely restless and fidgety, as though the girls are hopped on megadoses of caffeine and are overeager to get to the next hook or wtf?-inducing lyric. (“We’re gift-wrapped kitty cats” from “Love Machine” is the all-time best, but this song’s cappuccino tangent is a pretty solid nonsequitor.) In their own way, they are like the Ramones of UK girl pop groups. (Just go with me on this.) (Click here to pre-order it from Amazon UK.)

It Runs Like A Cheetah, Jerk

Kelley Polar “My Beauty In The Moon” – This track achieves an amazing balance that I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered before – stunning, immaculate beauty mixed with a distinct feeling of anxiety and discomfort. It feels so wonderfully alien and enigmatic, as though it’s a gorgeous sound that we were never meant to hear. It’s romantic and soothing, but also sort of terrifying. (Click here to pre-order it from Environ Records.)

Tom Scharpling & Jon Wurster “The Jock Squad” – In this recent Best Show On WFMU instant classic, Tom deals with Horse, a representative of Radio Hut’s new in-house computer repair specialist center who has called in to let him know that his computer has been washed out and is ready to be picked up at the store. Unfortunately for Tom, Horse and the Jock Squad combine all the arrogance of a tech geek with the raw aggression of a jock on a steroid rampage. (Click here for the Best Show On WFMU Archives, here for Friends Of Tom, and here for Stereolaffs.)

Also: Au Revoir Simone fans in the UK should take note – they are playing their first set of shows in Great Britain this week, starting off with a gig at the Dublin Castle in London tomorrow evening. Information about specific performances can be found on their site, along with two mp3s which have both been featured on Fluxblog in the past. If you live in Scotland or Sweden, keep your eyes open because there is a strong chance that they will play a show on short notice in your area while they are in Europe.

Elsewhere: PopText relaunched yesterday with a brand new look and a track from The Veronicas.

Who Gives A Damn About The Prophets Of Tesco?

Franz Ferdinand “The Fallen” – It’s a good thing that I have a site like this so that I can shed some light on obscure artists such as Franz Ferdinand, U2, and Fiona Apple. Who knows how you might find out about these hidden gems any other way, right? (I kid, Sony and Interscope!) My feeling for Franz Ferdinand has been consistently lukewarm in spite of some sharp singles, but this is the first song in their catalog that I can say that I love without hesitation or qualification. Though twitchy funk is their bread and butter, I definitely prefer them with their Franz-o-meter set to Ultra-Jaunt, which makes them sound vaguely like late period Grant Lee Buffalo decked out in Dior. (Trust me on this, or check the used bins for a copy of Jubilee.) The lyrics conflating Jesus H. Christ and Tyler Durden only sweeten the deal, really. Nicely done, boys. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Jarvis Cocker “This Is The Night” – Jarvis Cocker and Harry Potter are an inspired match, and it’s not just due to the obvious resemblence. Thumbs up to whoever it was at J.K. Rowling Inc. that tapped him (and some members of Radiohead) for this soundtrack. The lyrics seems to be sung from Harry’s perspective, but I prefer to think of it as being a song that Harry would deeply relate to (you know, one of those songs where every single line seems to directly refer to something going on in your life) and play on repeat while moping around the Hogwarts campus. (Click here to pre-order it from Amazon.)

I’m Getting Married To The Music

Masha Qrella “My Day” – Ah, poor underrated Masha Qrella. Unsolved Remained is too chilly and remote for AAA, too guitar-centric for ambient fans, and not nearly tuneless enough for the freak folk crowd. It’s an album full of songs more appropriate as a soundtrack to a field of melting snow rather than an accompaniment to lattes and wi-fi. Oh misfit album, I love you so. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Kevin Blechdom “What You Wanna Believe” – Also sadly overlooked, but less surprisingly so given its intense weirdness, is Kevin Blechdom’s concept album Eat My Heart Out. The record is a bizarro bipolar off-off-off-off-off-Broadway one-woman-show documenting the singer’s seemingly insurmountable neuroses following a bitter break-up. There are many “confessional” records out there, but few that sound as much like the product of a particularly grueling therapy session, much less homemade musical theatre. Blechdom rapidly cycles through her emotions and rationalizations, sometimes hitting upon moments of clarity, but more often settling into shame, self-flagellation and intense self-loathing. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Illusions Cause Confusion In Our Big Red Bleeding Hearts

Tiger Tunes “Pancake America” – It’s amazing how well this lyrical narrative holds up, though it comes off as a stream of nonsequitors at first: Lovesick guy goes on a mescaline trip, travels to America, has trouble with insomnia, takes some more drugs and freaks out a bit, admits to himself that he wants his ex back for “comfort and sex,” and decides to try to work it out and make some pancakes. Not just any pancakes, mind you – these flapjacks are made of love. (Also, they are made in America, which I suppose is kinda special if you live in Denmark.) It all makes intuitive sense to me, anyway. (Click here for the official Tiger Tunes website.)

The Double “What Sound It Makes The Thunder?” – The majority of the songs on The Double’s first album for Matador are not far off from what passes for mainstream-ish indie rock in this era – vague hints of new wave, atmospheric keyboards, and thin but polite vocals singing jaunty if not particularly memorable melodies that wouldn’t seem out of place on the KEXPs of the world. It’s decent stuff, but it doesn’t move me like this song, which is more in line with the raw, shambling indie of my 90s youth. This track sounds like Chavez barely holding it together after a weekend bender but still managing to hammer out a huge riff that drags the rest of the song down into its powerful undertow. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Welcome To The Prime Of Your Life

The Fiery Furnaces @ The Town Hall, 10/14/2005
I’m Gonna Run / Crystal Clear / Straight Street – Tropical Iceland / Quay Cur / Does It Remind You Of When? (brief instrumental intro) / The Garfield El / The Wayward Granddaughter / A Candymaker’s Knife In My Handbag / Forty Eight Twenty Three Twenty-Second Street / Guns Under The Counter / Seven Silver Curses / Slavin’ Away / Rehearsing My Choir / Does It Remind You Of When? (brief instrumental outro) / Bow Wow / My Dog Was Lost But Now He’s Found / Up In The North / Asthma Attack / Evergreen / Chris Michaels // Chief Inspector Blancheflower / Blueberry Boat / Two Fat Feet

The Fiery Furnaces “The Wayward Granddaughter” – This was sort of a middling Furnaces show. The highlights – a thrilling start-to-finish version of “Chris Michaels,” the return of “Crystal Clear,” the reworked versions of the first three songs from the new record and especially “Slavin’ Away,” Matt’s hilarious Bob Dylan impression on the first section of the stripped-down “Chief Inspector Blancheflower” – were all very inspired, but too much of the show was muddy and awkward. This is most obviously due to the new rhythm section (former Sebadoh bassist Jason Loewenstein and Bob Dimico), who favored thick distorted basslines and overly busy drum fills to the point that it crowded out the songs. This was especially ineffective for the latter half of the Rehearsing My Choir songs – Eleanor’s spoken vocals were mostly obscured or rendered entirely unintelligable. I just wish the band would feel confident enough to slow things down and embrace nuance in a live setting. The Eleanor-and-Matt-only versions of “Chief Inspector Blancheflower” and “Blueberry Boat” in the encore were a welcome change of pace, and far better suited to a sit down venue like the Town Hall.

Some notes for Furnaces fanboys: Eleanor played guitar for the majority of this set, and Matt mostly played keyboards. The only medley in the set was “Straight Street” into “Tropical Iceland,” everything else was played as an invidual track. Both songs were rather radically altered, and Matt sang the “we’ll meet in Christiania next summer…” verse of “Tropical Iceland.” “Quay Cur” was more or less played straight through, though Eleanor sang all of Matt’s parts. “Chief Inspector Blancheflower” cut off on the line “I was going to stay with my young brother Michael,” and “Blueberry Boat” was just a fragment with the main verses, as per usual. Matt sang some of the Olga Sarantos parts for the Rehearsing My Choir songs, but most of her parts were omitted from the live versions. Of those songs, I’d be happy to see “Slavin’ Away,” “Garfield El,” and “The Wayward Granddaughter” stick around in future sets, though they would be wise to never play the songs from the middle of the album ever again, especially “Guns Under The Counter.”

Also, I’d be very happy if Matt sang more in the shows and on the albums. There’s plenty of him on Blueberry Boat, of course, but it seems that the tendency overall is to defer vocals to Eleanor, which isn’t a horrible idea since she is so gifted and charismatic, but I certainly feel that his voice and persona is just as compelling. (Click here to pre-order it from Insound.)

The Childballads “White Chocolate Tea (aka The Onion Domes of Tallahassee)” – Former Jonathan Fire Eater frontman Stewart Lupton has been an enigma to me for so long that finally getting to see him perform was slightly surreal, since he was more like a mythical creature in my mind rather than an extremely thin grad student in a plaid shirt strumming a vintage acoustic guitar. Lupton is a tremendously magnetic character onstage, blurring the line separating strung-out crackpot and jovial poet, and generally coming off like the most charming dinner party guest imaginable. Lupton’s new songs are clearly indebted to early Bob Dylan, and he was not shy about inviting that comparison as he invoked the man twice during his stage banter and seemed genuinely elated to be playing in a venue that figured so prominently in Dylan’s early history. His band (which includes Judah Bauer of the Blues Explosion) is very strong, especially singer/multi-instrumentalist Betsy Wright, who is an ideal foil for Lupton with her soulful drawl and stunning appearance. Seriously, this Childballads record can’t come out quickly enough – I’m already figuring it to be one of next year’s best releases. (If you’re involved with the band, please drop me a line!) (Click here for the official Childballads site.)

My DJ set @ Cake Shop 10/15/2005:

Spektrum “May Day” / Cristina “Mamma Mia” / Ludus “Breaking The Rules” / Dolly Parton “Baby I’m Burning” / The White Stripes “My Doorbell” / Hank “Ferox” / Hollertronix “Tippin’ Toxic” / Helen Love “Debbie Loves Joey” / Queens of Noize “Indie Boys (Don’t Deserve It)” / Le Tigre “Deceptacon” / Rinocerose “Bitch” / Robyn “Konichiwa Bitches” / Junior Senior “Take My Time” / Bjork “Big Time Sensuality” / Maxi Geil! & Playcolt “Making Love In The Sunshine” / Ladytron “Destroy Everything You Touch” / United State of Electronica “It Is On!!!”

Dolly Parton “Baby I’m Burning” – Thanks to everyone who came out to this party, especially the people who came up and said hi to me while I was on. I’m sorry if I was a bit abrupt, I was trying not to screw up any transitions. I felt that this set went pretty well, and that there was a good energy in the room. Since this was an Indie Pop party, that is mostly what I played, though I never got the impression that people wanted to kill me when I played the more disco-ish stuff, much less the Mike Jones/Britney Spears mash-up, which I had been vaguely worried about. I was glad to finally play some of these songs out, particularly the first four songs, which flow together beautifully. Someone came up to me while this Dolly Parton song and asked if it was Huey Lewis, which I find sort of funny and puzzling, especially since the track was pitched up a bit. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

This Boy’s Life Among The Electrical Lights

The New Pornographers @ Webster Hall 10/13/2005
Twin Cinema / Use It / Three or Four / Mass Romantic / Jackie Dressed In Cobras / These Are The Fables / The Bleeding Heart Show / Testament To Youth In Verse / The Laws Have Changed / The Fake Headlines / It’s Only Divine Right / Stacked Crooked / All For Swinging You Around / The Body Says No / Sing Me Spanish Techno // Streets Of Fire / Slow Descent Into Alcoholism / Electric Version /// Execution Day / Letter From An Occupant

The New Pornographers “These Are The Fables” – When am I ever going to learn to be a normal person and not keep tabs on band’s setlists before I see them live, thus leading to an inevitable reaction of “that was good, but we kinda got shafted in terms of song selection compared to ______”?

Though this was certainly not the most fun I’ve ever had at a New Pornographers show, it was undoubtedly the finest performance by the band that I have witnessed, mostly thanks to an inflated line-up featuring every member of the band aside from the elusive Nora O’Connor. The band took full advantage of the situation, giving extra strength to the harmonies on “Three Or Four” (they totally nailed that middle eight) and the rounds at the end of “Testament To Youth In Verse,” and giving “The Laws Have Changed” the sort of punch that it can sometimes lack in a live setting.

Predictably, “Sing Me Spanish Techno” was a highlight of the set, and though it satisfied my desire to hear the song with more prominent backing vocals from Neko Case, it ended up reinforcing my recent realization that the song makes more thematic sense when sung by a single voice, and of the vocalists in the band, good-natured, affable Carl Newman is the best choice. Neko would give the song too much confidence; Kathryn would make it seem too fragile; and Dan Bejar’s voice can’t help but seem cynical and sarcastic, which is all wrong for a song that switches from the character earnestly declaring “I won’t let this happen to you” to castigating himself for refusing his call and being punished by the passing of time.

Of the five songs peformed last night that I’ve never seen played live (sob, no “Jessica Numbers” or “Bones Of An Idol” for me!), “These Are The Fables” shined the brightest, fully realizing its Andrew Lloyd Webber-ness with a modified arrangement that gave plenty of space for Neko’s gorgeous voice, but added extra emphasis to the bombastic bits. The first time the rest of the band joined in and sang the words “my street!” in unison, I had to laugh to myself, because they were seriously *this close* to throwing out some jazz hands. Needless to say, t was a great moment. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Destroyer @ Webster Hall 10/13/2005
Queen of Languages / I Want This Cyclops / No Cease Fires / To The Heart Of The Sun On The Back Of The Vulture, I’ll Go / Streethawk I / Beggars Might Ride / The Sublimation Hour / Farrar, Straus & Giroux / The Very Modern Dance

Destroyer “To The Heart Of The Sun On The Back Of A Vulture, I’ll Go” – I hadn’t listened to any of Destroyer’s records in the past year or two, mainly due to my extremely poor reaction to the Your Blues album, but after seeing Bejar perform his songs last night, I think I’ve made a huge mistake. Though their set was not devoid of lagging, the quality was generally high, and I was moved to scribble down key lyrics from some songs in the hope of finding them later. For this song, I jotted down the words “throw yourself away, don’t save yourself.” (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Immaculate Machine “Broken Ship” – Immaculate Machine (Kathryn Calder’s regular band) were very enjoyable, but it seems clear to me that they are still very young and maybe a few years away from finding their voice. At their best, they seem like a hyperactive version of Suddenly, Tammy! (maybe it’s just her voice and cadence) backed by a drummer who would be a far better candidate for the lead role in an Iggy Pop than Elijah Wood. (Seriously, who makes a casting decision like that?) Incidentally, Calder made a rather dramatic costume change between sets, starting off in very casual indie-girl attire, but returning with the New Pornographers in a flowing baby blue gown that made her look like some kind of mystical space princess. It’s a good look for her! (Click here to buy it from Maple Music.)

Who Do You Love When The Dancefloor Calls?

Maxi Geil! & Playcolt @ Pianos 10/12/2005
Here Comes Maxi / Teenage Extreme / That’s How The Story Goes / Sunday Morning / Paying For Something New / You Can’t Kill Us Man / The Love I Lose / Making Love In The Sunshine / Please Remember Me

Maxi Geil! & Playcolt “Making Love In The Sunshine” – Yet another hot show from Maxi Geil & Playcolt. Seriously, you’re all missing out. As good as the studio recordings are, the songs come alive with greater intensity, theatricality, and raw sexuality on the stage, and I am certain that many of you who may be on the fence about this band would be converted if you only just came out to one of their shows. This particular show was in celebration of the band’s new limited edition picture disc featuring “That’s How The Story Goes” and “Making Love In The Sunshine,” so it was appropriate that those two songs were the highlights of the set, along with an urgent and instantly catchy new song called “You Can’t Kill Us Man,” which seems to be a sort of lament for the weakness of the left in America. (Click here to buy it from the official Maxi Geil site.)

Harald ‘Sack’ Ziegler “Bungalow” – I don’t speak German at all, but I’m reasonably certain that this song is in favor of bungalows. Either that, or it’s extremely ironic. There’s something lovely and exotic about this track, especially when Ziegler hits those high notes. It’s strange enough that my roommate walked in while it was on and had to ask “what kind of music is this?” I guess the answer would have to be “DIY quasi-Dadaist German new wave from the 80s,” though it seems somewhat plausible that this could be the indigenous folk music of the moon village in the original German version of Münchhausen. (Click here for the official Harald “Sack” Ziegler site.)

How Can I Describe A Place So Dark That Life Has Lost Its Face?

Beastellabeast “Clean On The Dirty” – All I know about Beastellabeast is that they are a duo from London, and they put out a 7″ single on Horseglue Records. This song is not from that single. I have no idea what this song is from, actually. The one thing I know is that I’m a sucker for a song that sounds like The Kills dressing up like The Slits for Halloween. (Click here for Beastellabeast’s label’s site, although it is totally uninformative.)

Cobra Killer & Kapajkos “Heavy Rotation” – Cobra Killer unplugged? Ah, not realllllllly, but an album that recasts their back catalogue with Eastern European-style folk arrangements is about as close as they are likely to get. Overall, the songs are much less harsh and leaden, and gain quite a bit from an added jauntiness. Very clever. (Click here to buy it from Boomkat.)

We All Know We Died

Celebration “China” – Video treatment: Everything in the clip is shot from the perspective of some unknown person. We begin by shuffling up a cramped escalator from underground and stepping out into the light. It’s a cold, grey day in an urban environment. (I’m picturing the Upper West Side around Lincoln Center.) The camera shifts rapidly, as though the character’s eyes are darting around nervously. We dodge pedestrians and oncoming traffic, and duck into corners and shops as though we’re trying to lose someone. It begins to rain. We move faster, knocking into someone and rudely rushing onward. As if to settle a karmic balance, we trip over and fall. It’s raining harder now. We try to cross the street, nervously waiting for the cars to stop. Finally, we make it across the street, and back down into another escalator, fading to black as we go down. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Vivi Bach & Dietmar Schonherr “Molotow Cocktail Party” – Bach and Schonherr were the hosts of a controversial German television program in the late 60s famous for nearly drowning an entire family is a staged car accident but nevertheless managed to score a chart hit with this bizarre, cheerfully arranged single endorsing radical leftist politics and terrorist tactics. It’s a pretty fascinating relic from the era, to say the least. (Click here to buy it from Marina.)