MP3: “Pigs” by Black Dice

After seeing Eric Copeland open up for Avey Tare late last year at Johnny Brenda’s, the new Black Dice album is something we’ve been greatly anticipating. The record will be called Mr. Impossible and releases on April 10 via Ribbon Music. In the meantime, the New York based trio provide a taste of the new album with “Pigs.” You can stream and download “Pigs” by Black Dice (click down arrow for download) below:

Black Dice – Pigs by Ribbon Music

Also, check out the self-produced video for the track below:

Avey Tare @ Johnny Brenda’s

While I have never big a huge fan of Black Dice, Eric Copeland’s opening set was a brilliant mindfuck. Drowned in almost indecipherable noise, each song flirted with melody, while maintaining a glorious and painful rough edge. I’m going to go back now and explore the Black Dice catalog and the rest of Copeland’s solo work immediately. Here’s a video from the performance of “Fun Dink Death” that liberateanimals5 took from the balcony:

Avey Tare’s (aka Dave Portner) set up was more basic than what he does for Animal Collective. The solo show featured some samplers, effects, a mixer, and, of course, his mic. There was no guitar or live drums, and Portner confirmed that he wouldn’t be playing any Animal Collective tracks when we passed him at the bar before the show. The result was an uber-emotional performance of tracks mostly from last year’s criminally-overlooked and intensely dark album, Down There, which was inspired by a few enveloping personal issues that Portner was going through at the time, including a divorce from his wife.

I’ve always enjoyed Animal Collective as a studio band more than a live band. While Animal Collective’s intricate collage of samples and loops has never been entirely engaging when recreated live, Portner’s energetic performances and vocal style have always been the exception for me. And it translated last night as well. There were distinct moments where Portner added textures, live loops and his signature and sporadic vocal yelps. Most Animal Collective fans seem to prefer Panda Bear’s solo work, but Avey Tare’s contributions have always engaged me more as a listener. Being able to check out one of your all-time favorite artists perform at your all-time favorite venue is not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening in the city. Check out a video of Avey Tare performing “Lucky 1″ from last night’s show:

Johnny Brenda’s Releases an iPhone App

Just when our favorite Philadelphia music venue couldn’t get any better, they release an app that allows music fans to search, share and buy tickets for shows right on their phone. You can read the description and preview the app here or search it in the iTunes store. I hope they release one for Android, since I just switched with the iPhone. In the meantime, I suppose I could use it on the iPad. Kudos to JB’s!

If you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you can always buy tickets directly from their site: http://www.johnnybrendas.com/.

Tapes ‘n Tapes @ Johnny Brendas

We finally made it back to our favorite music venue after a hiatus that lasted a few months. Saturday night’s Tapes ‘n Tapes show confirmed that Johnny Brenda’s is simply the best venue to check out your favorite indie band in Philly. With two bars stocked with local brews on draft, a capacity of less than 200, and sound that rivals Carnegie Hall, all the variables are in place for an epic night every time out. Add the severely underrated Tapes ‘n Tapes high energy live performance, and we’re talking about one of the best shows we know we’ll see this year (and it’s only February).

The brothers tapes (no, they’re not really brothers) landed at #4 last year on our favorite shows of 2009 list, so we arrived in Philly with high expectations. Following my glowing review of Outside, the band’s nearly flawless new record, the set list was a perfect mix of new favorites and old classics. Highlights included new tracks “One in the World” and “On and On,” while hardcore fans appreciated the rarely played “Lines” from Walk It Off.

The only complaint I had on Saturday, unrelated to the band’s performance, was that the crowd was too chatty. With steady talking throughout the entire show, everyone went nuts during the band’s breakout 2005 hit “Insistor.” Once the song ended, much of the crowd went back to their conversations, even after the band went into “Manitoba,” my personal favorite track from the band. Tapes ‘n Tapes left the stage after “Manitoba” and came back out to play an absolutely insane version of new single “Freak Out” for their encore. We got our vinyl signed by members of the band after the show and hung out for the “after party.” Shout out to the dudes from Ohio who drove out just for show. Thanks for the shots!

Here’s the final set list:

1. Beach Girls
2. Conquest
3. Just Drums
4. Demon Apple
5. 10 Gallon Ascot
6. Hang Them All
7. Hi Dee Ho
8. Cowbell
9. Outro
10. One in the World
11. On and On
12. Lines
13. Omaha
14. Badaboom
15. The Dirty Dirty
16. The Saddest of All Keys
17. Insistor
18. Manitoba
19. Freak Out (Encore)

MP3: “Freak Out” by Tapes N Tapes

Fishpork faves Tapes N Tapes have a new record Outside coming out on January 11. The band will follow up the release with a three-month U.S. tour that will stop in Brooklyn and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly. In the meantime, their first single “Freak Out” is available as a free download. You can download “Freak Out” by Tapes N Tapes here or stream it below:

You can aslo check out a performance of another new song called “SWM” from earlier this year for Radio Happy Hour in their hometown of Minneapolis:

Enon @ Johnny Brenda’s

Last night, one of my favorite bands officially became irrelevant. What seemed like a setup for the perfect show quickly turned into a disastrous evening and one of the worst shows I can remember (David Bowie at PNC Bank Arts Center takes the cake). Enon took the stage around 11:30 after two DJ sets in front of one of the smallest Johnny Brenda’s crowds I can recall. There couldn’t have been more than 40 people in attendance of a venue that holds 200+ at full capacity. The band opened with an incredible version of “Rubber Car,” a personal favorite. John Schmersal’s distorted vocals and stage antics quickly brought out the schizophrenic side of the front man that he exhibited years ago with Brainiac. Shortly after the opener, Schmersal began asking why toilet paper was white and the wheels fell off.

Earlier in the day, I had caught a few songs from a live stream of Holy Fuck’s Amsterdam gig. Holy Fuck is now highlighted by the relentless Matt Schulz on drums. We were lucky to catch the group’s impressive performance at Brenda’s last year with Schulz. Schulz’s departure from Enon last year has left a big hole that the band has not been able to fill. Initially, we were impressed by the ability and energy of the new drummer and assumed the band was back at full strength. Unfortunately, Enon was caught with their pants down when a pre-recorded drum track began playing before the new drummer started playing over it. It was an embarrassing Ashley Simpson moment that had the crowd wincing. After a while, the band made no effort to hide the fact that the show was, in fact, a rehearsal session for a new drummer. The drummer even triggered the programmed drums in the middle of one of Schmersal’s uncomfortable rants to the crowd. It was one of many awkward moments throughout the night. The band even used some pre-recorded backup vocals.

Toko Yasuda, Enon’s female vocalist and bass player, suffered several technical difficulties and was under the weather due to allergies. During a break in the show due to a technical glitch, Yasuda even asked the crowd what she should to take for her allergies. A careless sound check led to several problems for a frustrated Yasuda, who’s mic went in and out all night. A tech spent much of the show near the stage trying to troubleshoot the problem. At one point, Yasuda went over and sang into Schmersal’s mic. She apologized to the crowd for all the issues. Schmersal quickly reacted by telling her that she should never apologize. The mix was the worst I’ve heard at the numerous Johnny Brenda’s shows I’ve been to over the past few years. This is a venue that has gained a reputation for great sound, which was most recently confirmed with an inspiring performance by Tapes N’ Tapes a few weeks ago.

Schmersal seemed to be in a strange mood. His conversations with the crowd were uncomfortable, as he joked about the light crowd giving off the proper amount of carbon dioxide in the room during Earth Week. He also asked the crowd why toilet paper is bleached white. The crowd seemed puzzled and wondered how motivated Schmersal was to play after all the calamities during the night. After the band finished their short set, we wondered if a small and unenthusiastic crowd warranted a curtain call. After minimal applause from the confused crowd, Enon took the stage for a very awkward encore. After the first song of the encore, Schmersal’s discussion with the crowd had us shaking our heads, and we left early. It was obvious that the band was not prepared and was using the small venue to warm-up, keep sharp and test some new material. The new material did sound great and adds some promise for the band’s return to true form. Fortunately, the tickets last night were only $10.

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Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brendas

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

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Vic Chestnutt & Elf Power @ The Bowery Ballroom

Not knowing exactly what to expect from this show, it was certain that two of my favorite albums of 2008 were going to be highlighted on this cold Friday night in New York City. When Elf Power frontman, Andrew Rieger, emailed me with the news that Elf Power would play an entire opening set before supporting the album they recorded with Vic, my anticipation grew. We got there while Elf Power were setting up, and Pete had a quick word with Andrew. Mr. Elf Power also commented on the Neutral Milk Hotel t-shirt I was wearing, one he sold me via Orange Twin Records a few weeks back.

Elf Power left the stage for just a few minutes before making their formal entrance. They opened with “Step Through the Portal …” and then went right into their newest LP, In a Cave (#6 on Fishpork’s Favorite Albums list). Rieger and company played effortlessly through songs like “Owl Cut,” “Spiral Stairs” and “Softly Through the Void.” You can’t say enough about the sound quality at the Bowery. It’s just flawless. I would prefer the Music Hall of Williamsburg (adjacent to a great bar scene) and Johnny Brenda’s (IPA on tap with only 200 person max), but the Bowery is near the top. Elf Power finished their set with an epic version of “Back to the Web” from the LP by the same name and left the stage promising to be back shortly with Vic Chestnutt. The crowd at this point was still only about half of the 600 maximum capacity. Shame on you, New York!

The band returned just minutes later, this time carrying the legend himself and his wheel chair to an area right in front of us. The crowd finally filled up most of the venue at this point. For those unfamiliar, Vic was injured in a car accident when he was 18. The accident left him partially paralyzed. His ability to play guitar was not altogether lost, although it does take a lot of energy for Chestnutt to set up his leg on his array of guitar pedals, a process that he joked about with the crowd. His set up included an undersized acoustic guitar with five effects pedals below and a harmonica. When Vic was younger he played regularly at local shows in Athens, Georgia before being discovered by Michael Stipe of REM. Stipe went on to produce Chestnutt’s first two albums in the early 90s.

Chestnutt’s newest album was a collaborative effort with Elf Power called Dark Developments, an altogether catchy, scathing and lyrically high brow effort. Vic announced he and the band would play the album in its entirety, a concept that has been popular in recent years with established bands. Chestnutt began the “la la la” opening of “Mystery,” and the crowd became catatonic. This man has more passion in his broken down body than any musician alive today. He told the stories behind many of the tracks and interacted with the audience all night. He explained, “I wrote this song. It’s called ‘Little Fucker.’ I wrote it about myself.”

The highlight of the night was an angry rant about recent campaign hero, Joe the Plumber. Vic explained that he worked on the concept for the song “Phil the Fiddler” for two years before Joe the Plumber came along. “Fuck Joe the Plummer,” he yelled before going into the album’s closing track. Vic ended the show with two older tracks that have me scrambling to download all of his older stuff. The show was a long one, as Elf Power played for almost an hour, and Vic played for close to 90 minutes. It was all worth several times the $15 ticket. The show will, without a doubt, end up on our list of favorites for 2009.

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Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008

As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:

1. Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
2. Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
3. Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
4. Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5. Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
6. Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
8. Radiohead @ APW Festival
9. Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
10. Battles @ Johnny Brendas

Honorable Mention:

Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory

Least Favorite Show of 2008

The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory

Favorite Live Venue of 2008

Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

Least Favorite Venue of 2008

Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

Battles @ Johnny Brenda’s

June 15, 2008- Philadelphia, PA

Battles took the Sunday stage at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly with John Stanier at center stage. That position was appropriate as Stanier’s intense set drove this show into one of the more memorable show’s for an unusually large Brenda’s crowd. The place was packed and the IPAs were flowing as the opening band Thank You took the stage. The few songs I had heard online didn’t make me want to arrive early, but as I arrived midset, I was impressed with their performance enough to garner a second listen. But as Battles began to set up their equipment, the level of intensity of the sold out crowd to new level. Stanier, who at times seems more like an extremely focused, rigorous machine, gave a nod and with that, the stage pulsated with the surging drum pattern of “Leyendeker” (from Battles’ debut on Warp Records “Mirrored“).

As the crowd settled into what was sure to be a true experience rather than just another show, the knockout blow came from ex-Lynx guitarist Dave Konopka’s opening live-sample fustion riff of “TRAS.” This track is a personal favorite of mine, oringinally released as a single, but can now be heard on Warp’s re-release “EP C/B EP.” This release combines the 2004′s “EP C” and “B EP” EPs (say that 10 times fast.) The updated version of this classic blew away the crowd and opened the flood gate to the Battles full catalog of songs. To no disappointment of new fans, they ripped through more familiar songs, “Atlas” and “Tonto,” while ramping up to a intense version of “Race In” which begins with the sweat flying off the arms of an already soaking wet Stanier, as he sat with his head resting only slightly above his kit for the concentrated snare rim click intro.

Not to be overlooked is the architect behind many of the tracks, ex-Don Cab guitarist Ian Williams. William’s masterful use of finger picking and keyboard playing defies ambidextrous logic. Rounding out the quartet perfectly is Tyondia Braxton (son of avant-garde jazz musician Anthony Braxton), who also plays guitar/keyboard and creates live voice samples through a multitude of effect pedals (as seen above). Battles is a must see live set, not to be soon forgotten by me or the crowd at Johnny Brenda’s.

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