Nothing's on Telly: Teen Men have a party, tour with CYHSY, who are apparently still A Thing.

Oh, the mid-to-late-2000s. Listen, I sort of wax nostalgic for this golden period, when I was discovering new music right and left and actually dedicating time to writing about it. The age of Blog Rock. And speaking of Blog Rock, apparently Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are still a thing? I listened to their debut in 2005 or 2006 sometime and tried really, really hard to like it, but despite that perfect-for-Pitchfork 9.0 rating they got, I just couldn't get past the vocals. Sorry. Apparently they're still popular enough today that they booked two shows in Philly and two in New York for their 10th anniversary tour. Huh.

This post isn't about CYHSY. Although I went to Philly show one of two, my boyfriend and I didn't stay for the main act. (Not trying again 10 years later, not sorry.) We were there to see opener Teen Men, who released this video for "Adventure Kids" less than two weeks ago, and who are releasing their s/t record next week.



Rachel called it one of the weirdest videos she's ever seen. I don't really agree with her, but then again, she didn't see the visuals they show during their set, either.

Upcoming shows w/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah:
02 JUN - Radio Radio, Indianapolis, IN
03 JUN - Exit / In, Nashville, TN
05 JUN - Club Dada, Dallas, TX
06 JUN - The Mohawk, Austin, TX
08 JUN - Lowbrow, El Paso, TX
09 JUN - The Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
11 JUN - Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
12 JUN - Casbah, San Diego, CA
13 JUN - Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA
14 JUN - The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
17 JUN - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
19 JUN - Mississipi Studios, Portland, OR
26 JUN - Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE *

17 JUL - The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
18 JUL - Electric Owl, Vancouver, BC
19 JUL - The Bartlett, Spokane, WA
22 JUL - The Aquarium, Fargo, ND
23 JUL - Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN
24 JUL - Majestic Theater, Madison, WI
25 JUL - Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
26 JUL - Thompson House, Newport, KY
28 JUL - Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI
29 JUL - Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
31 JUL - Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA

01 AUG - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
02 AUG - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
* w/ Sin City Band

Hello, world. It's been a while. Here's what I've been listening to.

The title says it all. I always want to get back to writing on a regular basis, but I just haven't been in-tune enough with what has been going on, music-wise, for the past eleven months for me to write something, or anything, decent. This is probably a bad time to get back into things; every music outlet on the Interwebs is going to be flooded with top 10 lists for the next two months, and this time, it's not just top 10 of the year but top 10 of the decade. Ugh.

Well, in the meantime, here's a small smattering of what I've been listening to lately. None of it is new, but it's all good.



I came across this when somebody posted a comment along the lines of "here's some real talent and body paint" in response to this. (Why is Kim Kardashian even noteworthy, and why is she naked?) Weird, huh? Anyway, "I Am Not A Robot" and "Mowgli's Road" have been getting stuck in my head over the past few weeks.



Speaking of getting stuck in your head, how catchy is that one? I swear I heard this, in its entirety, in a dream last night. Is that normal? Um, they also have videos with the lyrics in Spanish and German.



And now for something completely different. This is the fifth of six videos made for their latest effort, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, which came out in January and I meant to write about and don't think I actually did. I'm not sure how much I like this new batch of videos. This is animated toast, which is either really awesome or really...weird. The animation is certainly pretty, but it reminds me of this, for some reason. They've also done a video with dogs, which I guess goes well with this lot.



Yeah, seriously. Fucking earworm.



Why didn't anyone introduce me to the Posies like, five years ago? I took it upon myself to watch the entirety of Daria and finished up, I dunno', a few months ago. The original version of this song played over the original TV broadcast of Is It Fall Yet?, and luckily that was the version that I came across. It's all I've wanted to listen to since then.

Stuck in my Head : My First Earthquake vs. MJ, "Billie Jean's Frenemies"

Way back in July (holy goodness, it's been that long...?), I was sent this video for My First Earthquake's first single of their debut record, Downstairs, called "Cool in the Cool Way." Given that it was released in mid-June, you may or may not have seen already.



It's subtitled "Invasion of the Hipster Bodysnatchers," and while I'm not usually keen on the whole "Those damn hipster kids! What's wrong with them?!" fist-shaking commentary, largely because a lot of those who make such commentary are eye-rolling hipsters themselves, this video seems to avoid falling in that pitfall because 1) it's self-deprecating, not eye-rolling, 2) it hints at the idea that "maybe we're hipsters, too," what with Rebecca's eyes flashing green at the end, and 3) it's damn catchy. I am not averse to damn catchy pop music.

Oh, plus their video for "Sweet Frowns" takes a stab at that favourite hipster girl obsession, Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette :



Wow, that's two videos. Maybe I should have called this a "Nothing's On Telly" instead of a "Stuck in my Head." Back on topic :

So, back when Michael Jackson died at the end of June (link for journalistic integrity and in case you've been living under a rock for the past five months), I feel like a whole load of people did covers and "tributes" and remixes and all sorts of things in his honour, justifiably so. Let's Sexy Fighting mashed up My First Earthquake's "In The Forest With Frenemies" with MJ's "Billie Jean" to get "Billie Jean's Frenemies." I think I had this song on repeat for the entirety of July and August. It's an odd combination ("Frenemies" is about, um, animals fighting and forest fires), but with "Billie Jean" taking a back seat lyrically and lending its slinky beats, it actually works pretty well without feeling ridiculously forced or particularly inappropriate.

Let's Sexy Fighting - "Billie Jean's Frenemies" (My First Earthquake vs. Michael Jackson) [link]

If you're not dancing by now, um. I don't know what to tell you.

My First Earthquake - "Cool in the Cool Way" [link]

Hello, world. I'm in France.

They won't stop playing this song.




Last time I was here, it was "Smile." Gah.

Ta da. Now that I'm more or less settled, expect some updates. How y'all doing out there?

Stuck In My Head : The / Les Plastiscines, "Barcelona"

So the only song I had by The Plastiscines (otherwise known as Les Plastiscines in their native pays) was a remix of "Loser" by Les Petits Pilous that I grabbed from some place around the webbernets and that has seriously been making me dance for...however long I've had it. Over a year, at least, because I put it in this mix a while back.

Anyway, so, Nylon magazine has recently launched Nylon Records because...I don't know why, but they handpicked ces filles to be their first act signed, which makes sense as Nylon seems to be generally obsessed with things that are French, perceived as "hip," and / or both (see also : Phoenix, but that's totally warranted). (Not that I'm saying this is a bad thing, in and of itself...)

All right, point is, The Plastiscines, who seemingly dance around in heels and like to channel Brigitte Bardot, are now "on" Nylon, they've released both an EP and an LP (titled About Love), and the lead single is stuck in my head. That's my whole point. It's catchy. It makes me want to dance. And songs about Barcelona are good for summer mixes. Sometimes I'm not really picky about this sort of thing.



The rest of the above-mentioned LP can be streamed over here.

Sounds Like... : Run Toto Run covers "Sleepyhead"

Oh goodness.



And I thought the original version was really stuck in my head.

Rachel Schain is playing in Baltimore tomorrow.

Hey guys,

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 :

Athlete are on Fiction Records now, new record out on 4th August.

Hi all,

As you may know a while back we parted company with EMI Records. We are now pleased to tell you that we have signed a new deal with Fiction Records, the home of Elbow, Snow Patrol, Ian Brown, The Maccabees, Kate Nash and White Lies as well many more. This feels like a great home for us and we're excited to be part of this label.
Lots of love goes out to the people that we have had the pleasure of working with at Parlophone/EMI over the years (you know who you are).
Our Fourth album which is called Black Swan will be released by Fiction on the 10th August.
Smashing, Sorted, right then what's next...
Steve

Athlete are currently on tour in the UK. Tracklisting for Black Swan is as follows:

1. Superhuman touch
2. The Getaway
3. Black Swan Song
4. Don't Hold Your Breath
5. Love Come Rescue
6. Light The Way
7. The Unknown
8. The Awkward Goodbye
9. Magical Mistakes
10. Rubik’s Cube

Stuck In My Head : Pony Pony Run Run, "Hey You" (Mondkopf remix)

I don't know why I don't read FluoKids more often, because every time I hop over there, I think, "I wish I was writing this blog." Or like, I would have found out that La Fleche was closing down way earlier than I did find out. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I cannot tell you how HEARTBROKEN I am over that. IF YOU MOVE IN NEXT TO A ROCK CLUB, IT'S GOING TO BE LOUD, OKAY? DEAL. putain de merde quoi.)

Anyway, in one of the two times a year I look at Hype Machine (my blog apparently isn't cool enough to be listed there so like, whatever), FluoKids' post of the Mondkopf remix of Pony Pony Run Run's "Hey You" (I posted the teaser over here) was at the top of the latest post lists. Okay, well, thanks hypem, I think.

Actually, thanks to FluoKids, 'cause I haven't even listened to the whole thing yet, and I love it already.

Pony Pony Run Run - "Hey You" (Mondkopf remix)

Actually, the original has been pretty stuck in my head, too, so, uh, here's the video:

PONY PONY RUN RUN - HEY YOU [OFFICIAL VIDEOCLIP]
by 3emebureau

You Need Pony Pony Run Run is out on 15th June.
Mondkopf just released a new LP, titled Galaxy of Nowhere.

You're Such A Tease : Cassettes Won't Listen offers new album preview

Cassettes Won't Listen's upcoming, all-instrumental record, entitled Into the Hillside (see cover art above...obvs...), is due out on 16th June. Here's a "preview" (read : teaser!) :



In the meantime:

Cassettes Won't Listen - "Freeze and Explode" (acoustic) [link]

Sounds Like... / MySpace It : The Go Find cover The Chills' "Pink Frost"

Are sounds sent on a journey they come back in echoes. This compilation is widely traveled - around half of the world and to another time. To the 1980ies when just in New Zealand the archetype of what was called Indie Pop later on was pressed on vinyl and soon defined a new way of how Indie pop has seen itself, concerning sound as well as attitude. "Flying Nun", "Xpressway", "IMD" or "Corpus Hermeticum" were the names of the labels, The Clean, The Chills or Tall Dwarfs the names of the bands. Pop songs or rather hits were born in garages and pressed on screen printed seven inches. A relevant music culture beyond a big and global music industry was thought and lived. Maybe just because it has not reached New Zealand before.

Yesterday, Berlin-based label Morr Music put released Not Given Lightly - A Tribute To the Giant Golden Book Of New Zealand's Alternative Music Scene, a concept compilation of Kiwi pop covers from Morr's roster.

The Go Find, who, as I mentioned a week ago, are in the studio working on album number three, contributed a cover of The Chills' "Pink Frost." (Funnily enough, "Pink Frost" is the only song to be covered twice on the 34-track comp, also being sung by Masha Qrella).



You can hear The Go Find's cover on their 'Space. (I'm having trouble tracking down / getting an mp3 to work, otherwise I'd toss that in for you.) Their version of "Pink Frost" is pretty and ethereal; the bits and bobs I've heard of the rest of the compilation (in between my computer deciding to shut itself down three times) sound gorgeous as well. Some of the other tracks are up for listening on Morr's site, although if you can get the links to work, please let me know how you did it.

The Go Find's next record is expected sometime early next year.

ETA: re: Tally Hall

ETA regarding this post from last night - I originally said "I don't think they've really been doing much lately, aside from wrapping up the T.H.I.S. (Tally Hall Internet Show). Although I could be mistaken."



Happily mistaken, then.

You can follow Tally Hall on Twitter here. Also, this :

Sounds Like... : Tinted Windows covered the Buzzcocks live.

They played "I Don't Mind" at the Fader Fort at SXSW :



Tinted Windows just released their self-titled debut. Given that the band is fronted by one Taylor Hanson (with some other cool dudes, like, say Adam Schlesinger and Bun E. Carlos, in case you've been under a musical rock for the past few months), and given that my former love for Hanson has not gone unprofessed, and that the whole record makes me think of, um, a bunch of Hanson-like songs in a throwback to late '90s nostalgia, you'd probably assume that I'd be in love with it. Such is not the case. Pitchfork gave it a 3.5, and I'm wholly inclined to agree with them. It's not terrible, but nothing stands out; the effort is mediocre at best. If you're going to be a "supergroup," you better be doing something "super."

le sigh.

(Kudos to Popshifter for sharing the link.)

Nothing's On Telly : Deer Tick at SXSW '09, new track and new record soon.

UMass, Amherst, MA

So Deer Tick is this band (project? songwriter? I'm not sure what label to slap on this guy) that I sometimes really like and sometimes forget I really like. I remember having heard "Art Isn't Real (City of Sin)" over the summer of 2006 and liking it well enough, but not necessarily falling in love with it.

And then I saw him / them play at UMass in May of 2008 and was blown away at how lovely and fun the performance was and made a mental note to "listen to this band more."

Then recently, the track "Easy" off upcoming Born On Flag Day, due out on 23rd June, was released and I thought, "Okay, I like it but I don't think I'm in love with it," yet again. (Although now that I'm listening again, I'm immediately rethinking my initial opinion.)

Deer Tick - "Easy"

And then, I came across this acoustic performance of "Cake And Eggs" from this year's SXSW, courtesy of KEXP, and I'm enchanted again.



So I guess maybe what I'm trying to say is that this is a band that really needs to be witnessed live, the sort of thing that is lovely to listen to but makes me clutch my heart and smile like a fool in person.

Luckily, John & co. will be on the road all summer, affording you every opportunity to do the same. Dates include 24th July at Bowery Ballroom and 3rd October at Austin City Limits. All of their dates are listed here.

New Tour Dates : Tally Hall on the road in May.

And now with venues noted:

15 May - The Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI
16 May - Subterranean - Chicago, IL
18 May - The Intersection (Front Bar) - Grand Rapids, MI
19 May - Mac's - Lansing, MI
20 May - Mr. Small's Theatre - Millvale, PA
21 May - DC9 - Washington, D.C.
22 May - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
23 May - Middle East (up) - Cambridge, MA
24 May - Toquet Hall Student Coffeehouse - Westport, CT

I don't think they've really been doing much lately, aside from wrapping up the T.H.I.S. (Tally Hall Internet Show). Although I could be mistaken. From T.H.I.S. (episode seven) :

In The Studio : The Go Find

If you do not know about The Go Find, fronted/founded by Dieter Sermeus, it is my fault because I have neglected to write about them for a rather long time. I am sorry. But! They're in the studio, making their third record.

So we are recordig the new album.
So we are nervous.
We think it’s going to be reaaaaaaaaally good.
Sometimes we think we better stop the music all together and start a real life?
But most of the time we think we are making the best go find record ever and are very happy with it.
I hope...

d

Pfft, who needs a "real" life anyway? Please keep making music.

Here's a video of them at la Flèche d'Or back in October 2007, taken by Grandcrew (troll their archives for more gorgeous live videos):

New Idea Society playing Brooklyn TONIGHT.

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.

Out of the Studio: Oh, hey, Kasabian's made a new record? Where was I?

I started listening to Kasabian during my junior year of college when I got hooked on their sophomore effort, Empire - okay, that's not entirely true. I got hooked on the singles "Empire" and "Shoot The Runner" (still a great video), while the rest of it just became a vague jumble of Britrock in my mind. The mental association is so strong it still makes me think of running around rue Gay Lussac and trying to get my Sorbonne classes sorted.

So, I guess it took them a long time to get it together, but on 8th June, they'll be releasing their much-delayed third record, The West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. First single, "Vlad the Impaler," was (until recently) available for free download via the band's site. Not that you should let that stop you from finding it, because it's...well. Watch the video :



I think "fucking good" was the adjective I was looking for. Also aptly describes that video cum mini-grindhouse horror flick. (And yes, that's Noel Fielding.) Says the band on WRPLA,

"The album was inspired by movies like (Alejandro Jodorowksy's) Holy Mountain," says Serge. "It's the soundtrack to an imaginary movie. We want to encourage people to listen to it as whole. At the moment people are being encouraged to pay seventy nine pence to download one song, and I think that really underestimates what genuine music fans want to listen to. We wanted to make an album which takes the listener on a journey."

Those are sentiments I can get behind.


The band also just unveiled the second single, "Fire," which you can hear over here.

New Video / New Tour Dates : Phoenix, "Lisztomania"

OH EMM GEE HEY EVERYBODY GUESS WHAT PHOENIX PUT OUT A VIDEO TODAY!

Okay, yeah, I feel like I'm about twelve hours late to the party. (And only in today's blogosphere world is it possible to feel "late to the party" the same day a video is released.) Evs. Pitchfork TV unveiled the video to Phoenix's "Lisztomania" from their upcoming Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.



They also announced their upcoming US/Canada tour dates :

13 June - Park West - Chicago, IL
15 June - Phoenix Concert Theater - Toronto, ONT (lol really?)
16 June - Les Saints - Montreal, QC
17 June - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
19 June - Terminal 5 - New York City, NY
21 June - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC
23 June - Varsity - Minneapolis, MN
25 June - Bluebird - Denver, CO
27 June - Regency Center - San Francisco, CA
28 June - Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA

So...Boston gets the 'Dise, but NYC gets Terminal 5? If it wasn't so damn impractical, I'd be on a bus for Boston. Guess I'll have to wait it out 'til they (presumably) play Paris again in the fall (hopefully at La Cigale, which is roughly half the capacity of Term 5).

Nothing's On Telly : Bishop Allen acoustic at Art in the Age

Discovered hot on the heels of their Bowery performance last Sunday is a three-song, in-store set by Bishop Allen at Philly's Art in the Age, wherein they (acoustically) rocked some of the songs they've been rocking (not acoustically) live on their tour. Included is "Penitentiary Bound," a cut from their debut Charm School which has been pretty stuck in my head since I heard it live:


Art In The Age Presents...Bishop Allen "Penitentiary Bound" Live. from Art In The Age on Vimeo

Also included is "Shanghaied", a track I really don't care for on the record but which I thoroughly enjoyed live, so I highly recommend the video for comparison.

(via You Ain't No Picasso, thanksss.)

Interesting but unrelated : Art in the Age's video log also includes this amusing, short interview with No Age in which they discuss "veganaise."