Yours Truly has posted a beautifully shot video of Fuck Buttons performing “Rough Steez” from their brilliant record Tarot Sport. It was shot in San Francisco from earlier last month at the Bottom of the Hill venue.
Watch and learn the true meaning of electronic performance:
This was Karin Dreijer Andersson’s first US show as Fever Ray and what a show it was. Andersson has not stepped on a stage in the States since her last visit to Webster Hall in 2006 with her brother Olof as The Knife. The stage was set with smoke machines, synchronized lamp shades of yellow incandescent light that contrasted the green laser beams bouncing off mirrors on the stage and ceiling. All of this was designed by none other than artist and director Andreas Nilsson, who has directed her spooky-short film videos as well as previous work on the Knife projects. With a much larger live band than expected, the stage was filled with three sampling stations in addition to an large percussion arrangement of tribal drums and Karin’s microphone and guitar setup.
The show opened with “If I Had A Heart” as the droning sample rung with Karin hidden beneath a large Indian headdress that engulfed her entire body. This went along with the primal imagery of Nilsson’s design that also included warpaint and American Indian hand crosses brilliantly juxtaposed by the beams of light, making the smoke look like a moving ocean above our heads.
The perfect sound mix added to what was a flawless show. The deep bass of songs like “Coconut” were heart-pounding. Lights even shined on Karin’s face as her impeccable voice crooned the lyrics to “When I Grow Up” and “Seven.” In addition to songs off of the self-titled record, Fever Ray played two cover songs recorded with Van Rivers and The Subliminal Kid. The tracks are available on a limited vinyl release. “Stranger than Kindness,” originally by Nick Cave and Anita Lane, and “Here Before” by Vashti Bunyan added to s seamless set.
The only awkward moment of the show ironically came when it ended. As Karin and company left the stage the house lights stayed off and the sold out crowd of 1400 clamored for an expected encore. After four minutes of darkness, its almost guaranteed that a band will return to the stage. But Karin Dreijer Andersson is the pinnacle of non-conformity and did not return. The house music slowly began to get louder until the house lights came on, leaving everyone confused but not unfulfilled.
This show was on our calendar for months and was easily the most anticipated of the year. Somehow our expectations were exceeded. To put it in plain English, it is was one of the best fucking performances I have ever seen in my life.
Setlist:
If I Had A Heart
Triangle Walks
Concrete Walls
Seven
Now’s the Only Time
Dry and Dusty
I’m Not Done
Keep the Streets Empty
Stranger than Kindness
When I Grow Up
Here Before
Coconut
Here’s a sample from the MELT Festival in Germany:
Radiohead released a new track called “Harry Patch (In Memory Of) today via their deadairspace website . The song was inspired by an interview with Harry Patch from a few years back that had a profound effect on Yorke. Harry Patch died at the age of 111 and was the last remaining UK veteran of WWI. They recorded the song just a few weeks before his death. It is available for download for £1 (around $1.70), with all proceeds going to a UK veterans’ charity. It can also be streamed via the BBC.
Here’s the full post from Thom:
Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111.
I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4.
The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me.
It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death.
It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny.
I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor.It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us.
I hope we do not forget.As Harry himself said
“Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims”.To peace and understanding.
Thom
Built To Spill took the stage at 7:40pm on the West 10th Street main stage at the 9th annual SIREN Music Festival on Saturday and played a mind-blowing set that even the indie snobs could not complain about. The free, all ages festival featured performances throughout the day on two outdoor stages in Coney Island. The 10th Street Stage was right next to the world famous Cyclone, and it swirled over the heads of the crowd as Doug Martsch and company played for 90+ minutes.
The band opened with “Liar” and tore through their expansive catalog. The last time I saw BTS they played Perfect From Now On from start to finish. Tt was a treat to hear classic tracks such as “Strange” and “Distopian Dream Girl” this time around. Aside from some technical difficulties, the overall sound was excellent for a festival. BTS did have its share of guitar/sound problems, especially during “Goin’ Against Your Mind.” That performance was marred by Martsch’s equipment failures to a point where the band almost stopped playing two minutes into the song.
Once they worked out their technical issues the band tore through a full set that had the crowd hanging from every surface available to catch a glimpse of the performance. West 10th was packed all the way to Surf Avenue, and many chose to watch from the perimeter, which was lined with barbed wire fences and wooden barriers. The band said little other than asking the audience to be patient as they focused on just playing the best they could instead of putting on some form of entertainment, sideshow banter. As the sun set, the band closed their set with a inspiring and literally explosive performance of “Carry the Zero” with fireworks erupting in the sky behind the famous Wonder Wheel.
BTS are currently mixing the group’s seventh record titled There Is No Enemy in L.A. The record is rumored to drop in early October. The always dismissive Martsch was recently asked about their new record and explained that there isn’t a need to rush and finish the record because “there are plenty of Built to Spill records– no one is in a hurry to hear something new.” This is the same man that said their near flawless 2000 record Live “was not very good” as he promoted the album. However, based on the adoring crowd that hung on barb wire fences, dodged the spinning rides more than 50 years old and watched from blocks away just to get a view of Martsch and company, there are plenty of fans awaiting the follow up to 2006′s You In Reverse.
Built to Spill will be back in NYC during the month of their new album release to play for more shows. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday. All tour dates and set list below:
2009 Tour Dates
Jul 25 – Capitol Hill Block Party Seattle, Washington
Aug 20 – Edge Field Troutdale, Oregon
Aug 23 – Sunset Junction Los Angeles, California
Aug 24 – The Casbah San Diego, California
Aug 25 – Galaxy Concert Theatre Santa Ana, California
Aug 26 – Belly UP Tavern Solana Beach, California
Aug 28 – Polo Field at Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California
Oct 12 – Webster Hall, NY, NY
Oct 13 – Webster Hall, NY, NY
Oct 14 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Oct 15 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
SIREN Set List:
Liar
Stab
Strange
Temporarily Blind
You Were Wrong
Goin’ Against Your Mind
Virginia Reel Around The Fountain
Distopian Dream Girl
Sidewalk
In Your Mind
Conventional Wisdom
Big Dipper
Carry The Zero
Trent’s farewell tour just got a bit more interesting and perhaps more fitting. After attending the NIN/JA show in at PNC in NJ, I was left disappointed. As the last note of “Hurt” was played, the writhing hard-hitting NIN that that I had seen more than ten times live seemed to have ended with a whimper, destroying my dream of hearing “Heresy” played live.
Now Trent seems to have agreed (citing short sets and large outdoor venues in daylight as not the way to go out). The announcement came today via Twitter, thanks to Trent’s recent return to the digital world. But just as he announced it, the servers crashed, delaying the official NIN.com announcement while they patched them up for some 45 minutes. Dates have yet to be announced.
Full Post from nin.com below:
Getting right to the point, we’re going to play a handful of shows in NYC, Chicago and LA starting August 22nd. They will be informal affairs in medium to small venues with longer set-lists, possible special guests, cool openers and other surprises. Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets due to a limited allotted set length and many shows were in daylight – it just didn’t feel right to end NIN that way. An offer to headline V-Fest in Toronto (being announced soon) set the idea in motion to play some FUN shows to end this up with. If we can get it together we’ll film these shows, too
In NYC we’ll be playing Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall and Terminal 5. In Chicago, the Aragon Ballroom. In LA we’ll be at The Wiltern, The Henry Fonda, The Palladium and The Echoplex. These should be cool, unusual and unique shows and I hope you come out – this is it.
So far, The Horrors will be joining us for some shows in NYC, Mew will be with us at other shows in NYC, Chicago and LA, and perhaps more.
Details and ticket info will be announced shortly, so check back.”Thanks,
Trent
Redemption awaits…
Bat for Lashes’ Two Suns shows unprecedented maturity and growth that few artists achieve in their sophomore effort (especially considering the high praise her first record Horse and I received). Such did not go unnoticed among her peers, as Thom Yorke asked her to open up for Radiohead in 2007. Bat for Lashes is the moniker for Natasha Khan, who was born to a Pakistani father and English mother, and currently resides in Brighton, England. In addition to being a multi-instrumentalist, she has produced multi-media work centered around sound installations, animations and performance. These talents lead to the fresh arrangements on Two Suns.
The opening track “Glass” sets the tone for the record with its dark, ominous drums playing behind the soft strum of guitars. The first single “Daniel” is a traditional love song and perhaps the only straightforward song on the record. “Pearl’s Dream” is a standout track with addictive melodies. Musically, the record is rich with subtle synths and soft piano that juxtapose the grinding drums perfectly. However, it is Khan’s brilliant vocal range that stands out on this release. Her vocals are dynamic and become the lead instrument.
Lyrically, Two Suns tells mystical stories of the chaos of the universe and the parallels to everyday life. On “Pearl’s Dream” she sings, “Hear the desert sigh/Sing the city’s lullaby/The giant iris of the wide blue sky/Showing me the way.” She leads the listener on a voyage through the kingdoms beneath the sky, the moon and stars. The vocal comparisons to Bjork are obvious, but Khan’s songwriting puts her in a league with current female songwriters such as Lykke Li and Karen Drijer Andersson (Fever Ray).
Natasha Khan does not strive for accessibility with this record, bringing us into a her world of bright, cosmic chaos to the darkness of loneliness. Two Suns will end up on many end of year lists and will thrust Bat for Lashes further into a well deserving and brighter spotlight. This record adds to an already amazing year for indie music.
http://www.batforlashes.com
http://twitter.com/Bat_For_Lashes
http://www.myspace.com/batforlashes
The crowd that greeted Great Northern last night at The Bowery Ballroom was quiet and modest. Vocalist and keyboardist Rachel Stolte introduced herself, and I commented on the strength of their new record Remind Me Where The Light Is. As I watched fellow guitarist/vocalist Simon Bixler set up his impressive rack of guitar petals and effects, Fishpork received a tweet from Great Northern indie label Eenie Meenie Records that read “Awww . . . You’re (at) the show. We’re jealous.” “Jealous” is certainly an accurate word for anyone not able to make it out to see this band play in one of the best venues around. This show was the third on their current tour, and it did not take long for the band to win over the crowd.
While Stolte’s keyboards are prominent on the record, she plays guitar alongside Bixler for this tour, accompanied by bassist Michael Regilio, touring keyboardist Marissa Micik and Dusty Rocherolle on drums. With the dueling vocals and guitars, Great Northern played almost every track off their new record. The natural interplay between Bixler and Stolte’s unique layering of the male and female vocals gives their live performance the depth and breadth that few bands can achieve. With such a large guitar effects rack some guitarists can drown out the vocals, yet Bilxer uses his with subtle mastery. 
His warm guitar tones and the transonic keyboards round out a sound worthy of tremendous praise.
Great Northern’s performance was as tight as the record, and the raw power of songs like “33,” “Numbers,” and “Warning” (one of my favorite tracks of the year) came across live brilliantly. The 45-minute set was squeezed between openers Eulogies and headliners The Dears. Their sound was polished and mixed to perfection. Great Northern is not a studio band, and they made this clear last night. The band is ready for that next step that is undoubtedly before them. With one of the best records of the year in their pocket and an impressive live set, this band is ready to burst into the spotlight. It is well deserved.
http://www.greatnorthernmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/greatnorthern
http://www.eeniemeenie.com
Morrissey has already put out one of the best records of 2009, and the opportunity to see him at one of the most prestigious halls in the world was overwhelming. He took the stage in his tux Thursday night at Carnegie Hall, backed by his band who were dressed in matching black button-down shirts with white ties decorated with a James Dean decal at the bottom. Moz bowed to a standing ovation and confided, “To think I sat down by Grand Central Station and wept” before going into the opener “This Charming Man” from The Smiths self-titled debut released some 26 years ago. It was fitting that Morrissey then went into “Black Cloud” from his 2009 release Years of Refusal. Moments earlier he quipped, “It’s a great privilege to be in this hall. Leonard Bernstein, the entire cast of Lost in Space, James Darren. It’s a privilege.”
Moz’s voice was flawless throughout the set, and he was quite talkative in between each song. After introducing the band he said, “And who am I? I’m the great and filthy tide of life.” Modesty has never been his strong suit. He even went on to a bit of trash talk, asking the audience, “Well, you didn’t make it to the Bowery Ballroom? Well, you’re quite wise.” The grand hall is a magnificent venue, with its tiered balconies overlooking the floor seats that are separated by two aisles. The first row and the front of the aisles became a crowd of hands, longing for a touch of Moz throughout the show. He put the microphone in front of one girl who screamed “I love you!” He replied with what would be the line of the night: “No, no I’m like a dog from a rescue home, I can’t be loved.” Seconds later, as he walked to the other side of the grand stage toward a sea of hands, a man screamed out “I broke my neck at one of your concerts.” Unmoved, Moz replied, “It was worth it.”
The set was well balanced with his solo work and a smattering of Smiths songs, including the crowd pleasing “How Soon Is Now.” At 49, Moz still rips his shirt off (twice), throwing it into the audience as fans scatter to get a piece of a living musical legend. With the raw power of his latest release, he has proven to be viable in the modern day music scene. 
He approached the end of his set with new songs “I’m OK by Myself” and “Something Is Squeezing My Skull.” The energy in the Hall was electric, and the audience included a mix of longtime fans and a younger crowd that was there to show respect for arguably one of the most influential recording artists of all time.
For the encore he played “First of the Gang To Die” from his 2004 album You Are the Quarry. The tradition of fans running on stage began shortly thereafter, and two fans were successful before bouncers carried them off the stage and out the door. The highlight of the night came in the middle of the show when Moz went backstage and came out holding his tour manager’s son in the same position as the cover of Years of Refusal. He said, “This is Sebastian, the star of Years of Refusal.” This moment in the show sent chills down my spine and sealed the perfect unforgettable night.
Setlist
This Charming Man
Black Cloud
When Last I Spoke To Carol
How Soon Is Now
Irish Blood English Heart
Let Me Kiss You
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
How Could Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel
Seasick Yet Still Docked
The Loop
I Keep Mine Hidden
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Ask
Best Friend On The Payroll
Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Sorry Doesn’t Help
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
I’m OK By Myself
Encore:
First Of The Gang To Die
Morrissey-First of the Gang to die (Live from Jools Holland 2004)
Tapes N’ Tapes is a band that we have been waiting to catch for a while, and they blew the doors off Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday night. Johnny Brenda’s is our favorite venue in Philly. The intimate setting and mix of good beer and great sound makes for memorable shows. And this one even topped last year’s stand out performances from Battles and Holy Fuck at the venue.
The set featured a great mix of songs from both of their full length records, The Loon and Walk It Off. They even showcased two new songs that seamlessly fit into the 15-song set. The second new track, tentatively titled “Hideeho!” according to the set list that I snatched up, was probably the highlight of the show. Lead singer and guitarist Josh Grier mentioned he was under the weather and his voice might be off, but I would never have noticed. He sounded flawless as they opened the set with a tight rendition of “George Michael.”
One of the most notable aspects of the show was the sheer energy and power of the songs from the quartet. Drummer Jeremy Hanson, who joined the band in 2005 while still a senior in high school, is the glue that curates the raw power of Grier’s ever-changing riffs. Altering between traditional sticks and drum mallets, Hanson gives the band a sonic tightness that makes start/stop songs like “In Houston” so powerful. His jazz/rock drumming style mixes well with Matt Kretzman’s keyboards and the occasional trumpet.
As always the sound at Brenda’s was mixed perfectly, while still allowing the band to show off some of its rawness in songs like “The Dirty Dirty” and “Headshock.” Tapes N’ Tapes sounded even better live than on their records, and the LPs are fierce. I can imagine this is what Modest Mouse might have sounded like back in 1998 while also touring for their second full record The Lonesome Crowded West.
After hearing the new songs, anticipation for their 3rd record has begun. This is a band that you don’t want to miss while they are still playing such intimate shows at places like Johnny Brenda’s with a capacity of only 300. Don’t miss this band on their next tour. The sheer force and energy of the songs was simply awe-inspiring. Another great night at Johnny Brenda’s, and another amazing show.
The band is wrapping up the tour this week and have video blogged their travels on their YouTube page. Below is the one from Philly:
Tapes N’ Tapes – Hang Em All
http://www.tapesntapes.com
http://www.myspace.com/tapesntapes
