Has it really been four years already?? Man, time flies when you're... in relationships and also doing a grad degree.
Anyway, they released another LP, the dream and the deception, late last year, and now three-woman mermaid rock band is hitting the road starting in September:
Dates include 10/22 at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. Please go for me, because guess what, I'm not living in the US right now. 😢 (Why does this always happen??)
As your local former Ser Biz intern, it is my duty to inform you that disbanded as of I-don't-remember-when SBR band Man In Gray are back with a one-show reunion at Union Hall on 20 Feb. :
There's some other Business going on (upcoming shows and records) that I haven't quite caught up on, so you'll have to wait for that. In the meantime, feel free to download SBR's annual free compilation of last year's releases and hits, The Year In Business : 2009.
Tracklisting :
1) SAADI - "Bad City (Serious Business Remix)" 2) The Two Man Gentlemen Band - "Me, I Get High on Reefer" (live) 3) The Paparazzi - "The Rococo Tape" 4) The Octagon - "Suicide Kings" 5) Higgins - "What Don't You Want?" 6) Jack and the Pulpits - "Francypants" 7) Rocketship Park - "Spinning Globes" 8) Benji Cossa - "Annie Delia" 9) The Unsacred Hearts - "Fake Kisses" 10) The Two Man Gentlemen Band - "Drip Dryin'(Reprise!)"
So the world seems hell-bent on preventing me from seeing Tally Hall this year. So far, I've missed their Mercury Lounge show because I was too dumb to realise I could have parked somewhere that would have allowed me to take a later train back from the city. Last Friday, they played at the Bell House in Park Slope, and I missed that, too, because I thought it was on Saturday night and also I was at Northside.*
Now, they're playing a Rocks Off Concert Cruise show on 8th July, aboard the Half Moon, which is a Wednesday night and would be fantastic - if I weren't going to be in Florida that week. Bah!
More details :
Wednesday July 08th 2009 Rocks Off Concert Cruise Series TALLY HALL APRIL SMITH AND THE GREAT PICTURE SHOW * ROCKS OFF CONCERT CRUISE - Aboard the Half Moon * 7pm boarding / 8pm departure / 11pm return * $25 adv / $30 day of show This cruise is onboard the HALF MOON and will depart from Skyport Marina - 23rd & FDR Drive (EAST side). Boarding will begin at 7pm and the cruise will depart at 8pm SHARP. Don't be late - it ain't pretty to be standin on the dock, watching the party sailing away!
More information is here. For the record, I caught the last two songs of the amazing April Smith's set at the Cameo Gallery for Northside (for which Ross Federman of Tally Hall played drums, making it the third time this year I've crossed his path, including earlier that day on Bedford Ave. and at the OK Go show at MHoW where I was sitting RIGHT NEXT TO HIM and couldn't figure out where I'd seen him before - one day I'm going to actually go up to this kid and be like, "I see you EVERYWHERE" and then realise how creepy I sound), and was wholly disheartened that I didn't see more. Seriously, check the girl out.
*Speaking of Northside, I have three days of coverage to, um, cover, but my notes are currently stashed in my brother's iPod Touch and the photos in my other brother's Rebel XT. So when I get both elements I'll be sure to get that posted.
Just a reminder that I'm playing in Baltimore tomorrow night at 8pm as part of the Ottobar's open mic night. I'm only on for 20 minutes so I promise not to keep you out too late on a school night, and besides, I will definitely be worth the visit.
See you tomorrow!
RSx
Wilmington, DE-based Rachel Schain is one of my best friends, my co-hort, and an inspiration. She'll be making her Baltimore debut tomorrow at Ottobar, and if you're free, you should go support her. In fact, even if you're not free, you should break your plans and see her.
Here's one of her latest tracks, "Rockstar Bitch," live at Mojo 13 in Wilmington :
And here's a rock band, The Promise, doing a cover of the same song :
Hello, Some album news to come, very, very, soon...!!! A trip down south in the U.S. this summer....! Some NYC shows this month...! Europe this Fall... !? More details will arrive via pixels soon.... Thanks, NIS
Brooklyn-based (and rather quiet as-of-late, though I guess that's explained above) New Idea Society announced two New York shows for this month. The first was last night at the Delancey. The second is tonight at Public Assembly with USVS. New Idea Society is on at 8 pm.
I'm not sure I like the video, but I certainly like the song.
Brits Athlete are heading out on an extensive tour of their native land in June and July, supposedly in support of their fourth record which they are supposedly working on. (I say "supposedly" because I read that on Wikipedia, of all places, and we all know how reliable that is.)
5 June - M Club - Hull 8 June - Waterfront - Norwich 9 June - The Picturedrome - Northampton 11 June - Guildhall - Gloucester 12 June - O2 Academy 2 - Birmingham 13 June - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham 16 June - Concorde 2 - Brighton 17 June - Southampton University - Southampton 19 June - Cardiff University - Cardiff 20 June - Imperial College London Summer Ball - London 23 June - O2 Academy 2 - Newcastle 24 June - Cabaret Voltaire - Edinburgh 25 June - Ironworks - Iverness 26 June - BA Club - Fort William 28 June - Fat Sams - Dundee 29 June - Lemon Tree - Aberdeen 30 June - Oran Mor - Glasgow 1 July - Academy 2 - Liverpool 3 July - Central Station - Wrexham 4 July - The Duchess - York 5 July - Ruby Lounge - Manchester 6 July - The Cockpit - Leeds 8 July - The Fleece - Bristol 9 July - Phoenix Rooms - Exeter 10 July - Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth 11 July - Guilfest 2009 - Guilford 13 July - The Junction - Cambridge 14 July - Academy 2 - Sheffield 15 July - Rockhouse - Derby 16 July - Academy 2 - Oxford 17 July - Somerset House - London
If you recognise the name We Were Promised Jetpacks, then there's a good shot it's because you were at SXSW last month, as they were, too.
I, however, was not, so I stumbled upon them via Waved Rumor, which I rediscovered via my overcrowded inbox. (I pay attention to your emails, I swear! I just forget to, ya' know. Follow up.) Anywho. I like the sound of the a-side of their debut single, "Quiet Little Voices," out 4th May on Fat Cat Records with the b-side "Let's Call This A Map." Let's!
We Were Promised Jetpacks -
The band's debut record, These Four Walls, is out in June. In the meantime, you can see them live. If you live in the UK.
1 May - Hinterland Festival - Glasgow 14 May - Great Escape Festival - Brighton 15 May - Great Escape Festival - Brighton 9 June - Cabaret Voltaire - Edinburgh 10 June - Doghouse - Dundee 15 June - King Tuts - Glasgow 16 June - Night & Day - Manchester 17 June - Bodega - Nottingham 18 June - Lexington - London 19 June - Cockpit - Leeds 20 June - The End - Newcastle 28 June - Outsider Festival - Rothiemurchus – Cairngorms National Park 24 July - Wickerman Festival - Dundrennan
Are they putting something in the water in Glasgow...? Seriously.
So let's talk about this year's Festival des Inrocks and it's pretty amazing line-up and how, if I were living in France and had the money, I'd pretty much be going every night.
The whole shebang (did I really just write that?) started off last night with MGMT, Alela Diane, Fleet Foxes, and She & Him playing L'Olympia in Paris, and continues through the 18th.
Plus some other bands that seem to be on the poster but not listed on any of these dates that I'm seeing.
That's a lot to digest. Point is, there's a shit tonne of bands that I'd love to see (Franz, Mystery Jets, Cut Copy) and would be interested to see (The Ting Tings, Foals, Friendly Fires, The Virgins, CSS, She & Him) and, um. I can't go.
Luckily, les Inrocks and sponsors iDTGV will be posting videos and photos in their Festival blog over here, for those of us unable to swim across to Europe.
If you do happen to be in France, there's some ticket info over here, although a majority, if not all, of the Paris shows are currently complet. That's French for "sold out."
I mean, frankly, whose idea was this whole "Atlantic Ocean" business, anyway...?
amazing, right? how long has it been? too fucking long if you ask me. i feel like a whole new person!!! a girl, in a band (that just happens to be really cool in my opinion), playing new songs, packing a suitcase with new stage clothes bought last year in hopes of going on tour, finally going on tour.
so thank you, conor oberst and the mystic valley band, for giving us this opportunity to play our instruments in front of people, wear outfits we would get (and have been) laughed at for wearing out in the real world, and for getting us out of this smog-ridden city for a week or so.
Dates as follows:
16th October - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO 17th October - Solar Center - Taos, NM 18th October - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ 19th October - SOMA - San Diego, CA 21st October - Music Box @ Fonda - Los Angeles, CA 22nd October - Music Box @ Fonda - Los Angeles, CA 23rd October - Fox Theatre - Visalia, CA 24th October - The Warfield - San Francisco, CA
The Like finished recording their follow up to Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? about a year ago, actually, but no word on when it'll be released. That I've seen, anyway.
Before playing a crisp, truncated set that mixed classics (“Take Me Out”) with one or two new songs, singer-guitarist Alex Kapranos and drummer Paul Thomson of Franz Ferdinand told me that they have settled on a name for their upcoming third album, which is due out in January. It’s gonna be called Tonight. (I had to ask Thomson to spell that, which gives you an idea of how thick the dude’s Scottish accent is.)
Tonight is supposed to drop in January of '09. You can listen to "Lucid Dreams" on their 'Space (or download it here until I get unlazy enough to delete it.)
Hello, my lovelies in both cities. Bored tonight? Here's what you should check out:
Higgins just dropped their second record, Zs, on Tuesday and they're playing their second of two CD release parties tonight (the first was yesterday at Maxwell's; details for tonight are below. (Ignore the fact that the above poster is actually for a couple of shows they did in August. Sorry.)
You can listen to "Write It Down" from Zs over here.
As for you other kids...
There's this Tom Petty tribute show going on at the Middle East up tonight. Nobody's really sure why there's a Tom Petty tribute show going on. I think they all just really like Tom Petty. Anyway, a bunchof reallygoodBostonbands are playing, so you'll probably want to go. Deets are on the poster, except for the fact that the music starts at 9:15.
So the boys of the BBB are going on this little mini-tour thinger, starting tonight, so if you're in any of the following cities I wholly encourage you to go throw produce at them buy them shots of Jameson's.
7th August - Monty's Krown - Rochester, NY w/ The Bailey Quarters 8th August - Roc Bar - Cleveland, OH w/ Bay State, Stonerelied, Royal Sub Sky, & Evanchuck/Lee 9th August - Ronny's Bar - Chicago, IL w/ Mas Trueno, Vamplifier, and John Greenfield & the Tasteful Nudes (there's a band name for you.) 10th August - Uncommon Ground - Chicago, IL w/ Gordon Wright
The boys of the New Scottish Gentry will be oot and aboot this summer, playing a smaller-venue mini-tour...in the UK. *shakes fist* Plus some European festivals.
Dates as follows:
21st June - Fibbers - York, UK 22nd June - Adelphi - Hull, UK 24th June - Thekla - Bristol, UK 25th June - Moles - Bath, UK 26th June - The Orange Box - Yeovil, UK 28th June - The Point - Cardiff, UK 29th June - Faversham - Leeds, UK 4th July - Ollesummer Festival - Tallinn, Estonia 12th July - Bands Apart Festival - Ferrara, IT 18th July - Latitude Festival - Southwold, UK 19th July - Melt! Festival - Ferropolis, DE 7th August - Skanderbourg Festival - Skanderborg, DK 8th August - Way Out West Festival - Goteborg, SE 30th August - Electric Picnic Festival - Stradbally, IE 31st August - Hydro Connect Festival - Argyll, UK
Oh, apparently they're almost done with their new record, too. Always good news.
I've just finished my last semester of college and moved back home, so you know what that means - I have a degree and I'm unemployed! Which, obviously, means time for updating and posting about all the stuff I meant to post about three months ago. Aren't you all excited?! Of course you are. Don't give me that.
I got a heads-up a few days before the show to check out openers The Republic Tigers, who have been getting loads of good press as of late, thanks to their showings at SXSW and their debut LP, Keep Color, released 6th May on Chop Shop. (Not to mention a recent showing on Letterman.) I usually show up for opening bands anyway, so I made it a point to see them.
The Republic Tigers find themselves sitting somewhere between the organic and synthetic, creating a something that is cinematic in scope and yet homespun and earthbound. It's not necessarily a sound towards which I, Queen of Hooks-and-Harmonies, would gravitate, but they've layered all this on top an audible pop foundation. ("We’re not ashamed to say we love pop music; it’s not something to be embarrassed of.")
The band has already garnered a myriad of comparisons to The Shins ("Weatherbeaten," "Made Concrete," "Fight Song") and Mew, and I some hear Interpol ("Golden Sand", "The Nerve"), but there's a lot more to it than just their sum of "they-sound-like-so-and-so." Keep Color is the sort of record you can let wash over you, but also hone in on and find its details and introspective wisdom. ("We've been searching all our lives for something we've always had but have no eyes to see..." ; "Don't believe the scientists that tell you what to think...") The record starts with the melodic "Buildings & Mountains" and unfolds into the space around you, revealing haunting vocals, carefully constructed syncopation, and beautiful production, all while keeping you on your toes with unexpected chord changes and songs that open with "It's time for the party to make some sound" and then demand "How much responsibility do you bear for the uses others might make of your ideas?", songs that command "Evacuate now!"
Back to April: The Tigers played a low-key show at the Iron Horse. It was a late show, there was a small crowd, and the sound wasn't exactly spot-on for their set. But they kept up their charm, on-stage and off. (They're all terribly nice guys.) More importantly, they have manged to translate their cinematic sound with a five-piece band. Says Adam McGill, "If there are 12 keyboard tracks in a song, you can’t really play that many parts in a live setting...So we’ll pull the essential tracks and play our live instrumentation along with them."
A few weeks after I saw them, Keep Color and the video for "Buildings & Mountains" were both released:
It's a gorgeous visual work, and the ending image of the band, adrift in a desert, is wholly appropriate. We are, after all, doing battle with modern life: adrift in these cities that arise, this age of industry, the very same modernity that makes the band's partially synthetic sound possible. We should remember to stop and breathe the air while we can.
The Republic Tigers - "Buildings & Mountains" [link] The Republic Tigers - "Fight Song"
Oh, and to top it all off, the lucky ducks are touring with Nada Surf this summer. Catch them if/when you can.
Upcoming shows: 25 May - The Spazzatorium Galleria - Greenville, NC 27 May - The Soap Box - Wilmington, NC 28 May - Village Tavern - Mt. Pleasant, SC 29 May - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC 30 May - Center Stage Theatre - Athens, GA* 31 May - Jack Rabbits - Jacksonville, FL* 1 June - The Social - Orlando, FL* 2 June - Studio A - Miami, FL* 3 June - State Theatre - St. Petersburg, FL* 5 June - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN * 6 June - TBA - Memphis, TN * 7 June - St. Louis, MO - Bluebird * 8 June - Ribfest Chicago - Chicago, IL* 9 June - The Music Mill- Indianapolis, IN * 10 June - The Basement - Columbus, OH * 11 June - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern - Cleveland, OH * * w/ Nada Surf 29th May w/ The Helio Sequence
It's a late one. The Hearts' set is at MIDNIGHT right in the middle of the Delancey's 2-for-1 drink special hour (12-1). Show details below.
The Unsacred Hearts Live at the The Delancey Friday, May 16 Hearts @ midnight with Superfortress, Blip Blip Bleep, The Picture, The Diggs.
168 Delancey St (btwn Clinton and Attorney)
Also, free songs:
The Unsacred Hearts - "Stuck Inside a Mobile Home With the Mansion Blues Again" [link] The Unsacred Hearts - "Point of Pride" [link] The Unsacred Hearts - "I Am Joe" [link]
Be sure to catch this show, because they probably won't play another one for a good while.
The Submarines are set to release their latest record, Honeysuckle Weeks (that's such a pretty title!), on 13/5, although if you're really impatient, you can download it from iTunes right this second.
They've also just announced their spring tour:
22/5 Schuba's - Chicago, IL* 23/5 The Crofoot - Pontiac, MI* 24/5 The Drake Hotel - Toronto, ON* 25/5 Le Divan Orange - Montreal, QC* 27/5 Iron Horse - Northampton, MA* 28/5 Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA* 29/5 Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY* 30/5 Mercury Lounge - New York, NY* 31/5 North Star - Philadelphia, PA* 1/6 Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC* 6/6 Chop Suey - Seattle, WA 7/6 The Bourbon - Vancouver, BC 8/6 Doug Fir - Portland, OR 10/6 Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA 12/6 Beauty Bar - San Diego, CA 13/6 The Echo - Los Angeles, CA * w/ Headlights
Oh, look, they're playing itty bitty Iron Horse. OH LOOK IT'S WHEN I WON'T BE HERE. What bad timing.
That's okay. Let indie rock be your Valentine instead:
Obviously, I think you should go heckle support the boys of the BBB (abuse of alliteration!) on Wednesday night. Sources say that a certain Joe Welsh is playing, too, which I'm told is sort of a big deal. Sources also say that Okay Thursday is pretty awesome as well. I've already expounded my thoughts on the aptly-named Toothaches. (TWEEEE!)
Both Looker and The Red Romance have posted brand-spanking new songs on their respective 'Spaces today.
Looker's "Gates of the Old City" and "Help Me Roada" come from their upcoming "Gates of the Old City" single, out on Serious Business on 4 March. "Roada" feels like the sort of summery pop song that belongs floating through your car speakers as you drive nowhere on the interstate, while I really adore the harmonies on the second and third refrains in "Gates". They don't incite the same emotional attachment for me as the "After My Divorce" single did, but then again, that's a very particular case, and these are two very lovely tracks. (Also, a live version of "Spit For Your Shine" live from BBC Radio 1 is up as well.)
Meanwhile, the Red Romance is offering up three cuts from their upcoming self-titled debut LP, due out this year sometime. You know me, I'm a sucker for that '80s throwback feel, and while I don't particularly care for the "oh-whoa-whoa" bit in "Kinda Feels Right," I'm really taken by "Hesitate."
Both bands are playing the Mercury Lounge (with The Orion Experience) tomorrow, 31 January, and again at TCNJ on 1 February and Luna Lounge on 7 March. I would be heading out to see them this weekend, but I've got some other business to which I must attend*, so I'll have to hold out for this bill at a more convenient point.
(*Speaking of which, Nate has been writing some really nice things about his soon-to-be former fellow bandmates, so any of you who are actually reading** this are totally encouraged to go read said posts. Also, I know I said I'd do some updates last week, but, ya' know, life, so don't hold out for anything until I get back from Boston this weekend, 'kay? 'Kay.)
As previously mentioned, Nada Surf's new record Lucky drops 5 February, but as of tomorrow, 25 January, you can stream the whole thing on the 'Space. Good times.
.....
Also, We Are Scientists have announced some tour dates- in the UK. Rawr.
.....
Don't forget to vote for Rocketshp Park! Because more money for Josh means more SDR for us.
I've been wasting my vacation Flipping through these hundred stations And my body's fine But my head's seen better days
About t1p!g
A former mp3 blog started in 2007 on a whim, wherein I pretend to know things about music. I write about what I like and what catches my attention. Expect powerpop, indie rock, guilty pleasures, and stuff by people I actually know. No
year-end lists, plenty of corny analogies and ridiculous vocabulary. Welcome!
Disclaimerish Stuff
If you think I should be listening to a particular band or artist, feel free to contact me and share, but not if you're a spambot. that1popgem [at] gmail [dot] com
Everything here is by me, unless it's by someone else.
Blog title and lyrics from "That One Pop Gem" by We Are Scientists. Credit where credit is due. I'm not affiliated in any way with WAS, though I've seen them a lot of times and lost count.
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