Allie Moss

So I've been in love with this artist for a long while - I came across her myspace many moons ago when all she had was some rough demos and was still working on her album. "Passerby" was the first song that played on her myspace back then and it had me right away, so much to the point that I immediately scrambled to figure out how to play it on the guitar and would play it loudly in the kitchen with the doors open so all the neighbors could hear. Some of you may recognize Allie Moss from her touring stint with the amazing Ingrid Michaelson, Bess Rogers, or most recently, Ian Axel. She was also a part of the amazing lineup that the Hotel Cafe Tour had to offer this last year. At any rate, her brilliant debut EP Passerby is an absolute gem of gentle and soul-touching indie-pop and is not to be missed.

Passerby [mp3] (iTunes)

Little Boots Shows Her Hands

While updating the Upcoming Releases section, I came across news of Little Boots' latest album, Hands, which drops June 8th. The first single "New In Town" is a fantastic thumper with a glaze of gritty and synths that certainly grabs your attention and makes you want to hit that electro-disco floor with all the nonchalant sass you have to offer. It was produced by Greg Kurstin (The Bird & The Bee), who also recently did production on Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You album, and it sounds like tracks like "Stuck On Repeat" and "Meddle" will also be making their way on the blogosphere heavily throughout the next couple of months.

New In Town [mp3]

What's that sound? I like that sound. I love that sound.

I have a guilt free pleasure at the moment. It’s one of those ultimate gfp’s where I am borderline-giddy about this one yet at the same time horrified that I am so gleeful about it. I came across this song when my sister wanted my input on house music for a friend and thusly I was perusing the nets. The lyrics (which are nothing short of genius) hooked me into the song right away and pretty soon I went from being all like this to my actual SOUL feeling like this. Make sure to check out the original version's music video as well, because it lived up to my expectations of what a music video for this song should be like.

Shoes (Mr. Oizo Remix) - Tiga [mp3] (iTunes)

Almost and Always David Mead

David Mead is coming out with his fifth full-length release Almost and Always in late August and for those of you who need some new upbeat and easygoing music in your lives, check out this one. Mead’s pleasant vocals sail across the laid-back instrumentation of classical guitar, percussion, strings, piano, and my favorite, the ukulele, all the while containing intriguing chord progression and vocal tone that echoes the sound of the Beatles on tracks like “Little Boats,” “Twenty Girls Ago” and “Gramercy Vaudeville.” While the album never gets going enough to be considered danceable, it does allow for a little toe-tapping here and there, and Mead’s vocal talent soothes in such a manner that I’m inclined to label it all as “easy listening indie.” I’m pretty sure the amazing old folks that Lauren posted just the other day would also enjoy this one. He’s coming out with National Tour dates soon, so keep an eye out for that, cause talent like this in a live setting can only be amazing.

Rainy Weather Friend [mp3]

Gramercy Arms ft. Sarah Silverman

Here's a cheerful, poppy tune to get your heads bopping on this beautiful sunny afternoon. It's featuring Sarah Silverman. I have to say I'm surprised to hear her on something so... un-satirical (or maybe it's just over my head?). Gramercy Arms is playing here in NYC at Mercury Lounge on June 18th.

Looking at the Sun [mp3] - (iTunes)

YouTube Comedic Gold!

I have found that every once in awhile, I stumble across something on YouTube so blissful--so hilarious--that no matter how many times I watch it, it never fails to make me laugh so hard I cry. (Click here and here for examples.) When I find such a video, I immediately send them around to like-minded friends and we begin to quote them in everyday life.

Since we're all about what makes you feel good at Guilt Free Pleasures and (of course) music, I thought that I would post some comedic gold that a friend recently brought to my attention--Breakfast at Sulimay's. Now, I may be waaaay behind the times here, so if you already know about this awesome segment, sorry. For those of you who aren't already acquainted, let me lay out the plot: 3 old people (Joe, Anne and Bill) review today's upcoming music, mostly indie rock. Hilarity inevitably ensues. To this day, my favorite part of the whole thing is when Joe (the gentleman sitting all the way to the right) listens to the music, because his face goes entirely blank and his mouth hangs ajar and he just looks so...je ne sais quoi. But trust me, you'll know it when you see it.

One of my favorite episodes is below:

new Regina Spektor video

Here is the new Regina Spektor video for her song "Laughing With" from her upcoming album far, due out June 23rd (pre-order the album on iTunes).

Laughing With

What Decade Was This Music Video Made In?

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour made this video for their song "The Sun Ain't Shining No More," but I'm having a tough time narrowing down what decade its from. Thoughts?

Peter Bjorn & John @ 9:30 Club

I'm totally behind on posting about this, but a bit ago, I got the chance to see Peter Bjorn & John in concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.

The show was amazing. The 9:30 Club is standing room only, and we were fortunate enough to be standing right up against the platform at stage right, just beneath Bjorn. Literally. When the crew was setting up the lighting, a swooner with a British accent told me not to touch the light or else no one would be able to see Bjorn, and it would all be my fault. Then he winked and my knees went weak. But I digress.

I've never seen Peter Bjorn & John live before, but I have long been a fan of their 2006 album, Writer's Block, which makes me not at all special, because everyone fell in love with it.

Regardless, the happy-indie-folksy-ness of Young Folks made me love life (and Peter, too).

I have to say, I anticipated the show to be much more intellectual and introspective, and, boy, was I wrong! It was a rock and roll show through and through--complete with squealing girls screaming "Marry me, Peter!!!" and a fight here and there amongst members of the audience.

The band recently released its newest LP, "Living Thing," which I have yet to fall in love with head over heels (but I feel it coming). The band did a great job of mixing their more familiar hits with the nouveau jams. I was particularly impressed at how much they still enjoyed playing Young Folks, because it is easily their biggest hit and the audience was clearly filled with people who came just to hear it played.

Young Folks [mp3] (iTunes)

Nothing to Worry About [mp3] (iTunes)

White Rabbits and The Antlers

Thursday night White Rabbits and The Antlers played a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom. Sadly, I was unable to attend, but I still wanted to write a little bit about both bands, as they are both semi-new discoveries for me and they have quickly risen to stand amongst my favorite bands.

I have to admit, for a music blogger, I'm a little less proactive in seeking out new stuff than I probably should be. I get so much stuff sent to me now, and I have enough trouble going through that, that I just haven't really had the time. So, even though I apparently had a few songs by them in my iTunes that I didn't realize, the first time I really discovered White Rabbits was when their awesome music video for "Percussion Gun" was emailed to me a few weeks ago. Ever since, I've become completely obsessed. For the hour between receiving their music video and receiving their album, It's Frightening (came out May 19th) via email, I played the music video on repeat in the background of my computer and listened to the song over and over. Their album has been at the top of my playlist since that day. "Percussion Gun" is aptly named, but all of their songs are very percussion-driven and dramatic, making this a great album to listen to when you want to get pumped up about something. I can't believe I didn't know about them before a few weeks ago and I feel like my life was not complete before I found them.

Percussion Gun [mp3] - (iTunes)

I first discovered The Antlers when I was going to go see them perform at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Here We Go Magic in early April. I really liked their album Hospice after the first few listens, but I didn't enjoy their performance all that much - largely due to the environment, which wasn't really their fault. However, I didn't let MHOW get in the way of my feelings for The Antlers. I kept listening and Hospice quickly climbed the ladder to land amongst my favorite albums of the year. There is more tragedy in that one album than I would hope anyone has experienced in an entire lifetime, much less a guy of Pete Silberman's tender age, but the album is also full of such astonishing, heartbreaking beauty that I literally get chills. I normally only truly enjoy sad music when I'm in a sad mood, but I Hospice is so breathtaking that I find myself craving it all the time, even when I couldn't be merrier. The song below, Sylvia, is my favorite song on the album. I love the dramatic choruses contrasted with the quiet, timid verses (which perfectly fits what the song is about if you're listening to the lyrics closely). The Antlers recently signed to Frenchkiss Records and they will be re-releasing a remastered version of Hospice on August 18th. Honestly, I think it's pretty perfect as it is... 

 Sylvia [mp3] - (iTunes)

Deastro gives away EP free!

Indie dance darling Deastro is releasing his new Grower EP for free. Check it out.

Grower EP (zip)

It's time for some Fun

Fun is Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff. They got together in the winter of 2008 and their debut album Aim & Ignite is coming out August 25th. The mp3 below is the first release from the band and they tell fans, "we are going on tour...and we need anyone (hopefully you) attending to sing the song live as loud as possible." Check out their song and the tour dates below - as an added bonus, they're currently touring with Manchester Orchestra.

At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be) [mp3] (iTunes)

Upcoming Shows
May 23 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
May 24 - Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
May 26 - Emo's Inside - Austin, TX
May 27 - The Loft - Dallas, TX
May 28 - Walter's - Houston, TX
May 29 - Spanish Moon - New Orleans, LA
May 30 - Proud Larry's - Oxford, MS

St. Vincent @ Webster Hall

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of seeing the immensely talented St. Vincent play at Webster Hall. Opening for her was Pattern is Movement, whom I had never heard before. They were... bizarre... but I always mean that in a good way. When the two lumberjack-looking men came onstage, I definitely did not expect the floating experimental music or dancing falsetto that came from them. They are really something else, so much so that I can't even really think of bands to compare them to. The vocals are kind of operatic and the music is dramatic, heavy, light, poppy, dark, and avant-garde all at the same time. It's what I imagine the soundtrack would be if Stan Brakhage were still alive and directed a modern rock opera, but happier. Can you tell I'm really having trouble describing it? They seemed to have a pretty decent fan-base at the show and they were pretty much the perfect openers for St. Vincent - very talented, weird and unique. I'm very glad to have found them to add to my music collection. The only downside of being right in front of the stage was that I was literally being assaulted by the bass drum, which got distracting. Since I had so much trouble describing it, though, take a listen for yourself (plus I found this great Beyonce cover).

Bird [mp3] - (iTunes)
Crazy In Love (Beyonce cover) [mp3]

St. Vincent was, of course, amazing as usual. She really is a virtuoso, playing complicated guitar parts and singing complex vocal lines with ease. Plus she's simultaneously gorgeous, adorable and a little goofy. She played mostly new stuff, and I will say that I'm sad she didn't play my two favorites ("Jesus Saves" and "Paris is Burning"). She did do a couple of old classics though, particularly for the encore. And she played all my favorites off her new album. She may have played almost the entire album, actually. The highlights for me are the darker numbers where she rocked out a bit, such as "Actor out of Work" and "Marrow." For those of you who haven't heard her new album, Actor (which came out May 5th), definitely check it out. At first I didn't love it as much as her last album, but it's definitely growing on me more and more. Now that I think about it, that's probably how her first album was too. I guess I'm just not quite genius enough to appreciate the album to its full extent without multiple listens. This album is supposed to be inspired by Prince, but I only hear that in a few songs really. Most of the album seems more whimsical and less dark than her last one. I think another thing is that I always love St. Vincent's music even more once I've seen her perform it live, because seeing her talent in person is so thrilling, so I am sure I will be obsessed with Actor within the next few days.

Actor Out Of Work [mp3] - (iTunes)

And in case I don't sound obsessed enough, here's tons of pictures as more proof.

Two exciting announcements: New URL and Merch!

We're very pleased to announce 2 very exciting things:
1) While you will still be able to access Guilt Free Pleasures from its usual domain, you will now also be able to access it through GFPmusic.com, and our email has changed to info@gfpmusic.com.
2) Guilt Free Pleasures has opened its own online store, where you can buy cool merch like tote bags, t-shirts, stickers, buttons, mugs, and even underwear (it has our slogan "never feel bad about feeling good" on it). So, if you're a regular reader and you want to help us spread the word, please take a look at our shop. A percentage of the profits also goes to running this blog. Here's an example of what our stuff looks like:





We have even more cool stuff a-brewin' so expect more exciting updates soon!

Savoir Adore - Machines EP

Brooklyn indie rockers Savoir Adore have been on my mind for the past few days, since their new Machines EP dropped on Sunday -- it's a 3-song EP, and they're giving it away on their website for free download. Check it out!

If you live in New York you might've heard of them already, as they were just chosen as one of the L Magazine's "8 NYC Bands You Need To Hear In 2009," and they also had a stint at this year's SXSW Festival. Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer are the original mama and papa of the operation, coming from singer-songwriter backgrounds until they decided to hole up one weekend in Hammer's upstate New York recording studio. The outcome was a mouthful of a 4-song concept EP, The Adventures of Professor Pumpernickel and the Girl with Animals in Her Throat. Machines is their first release since then, and a precursor to their full-length that'll be out later this year on Cantora Records (also home to Rumspringa and MGMT).

Savoir Adore's frenetic and lo-fi "Les Grenouilles" is a staple of my workout playlist, but check out their more tame, beautiful side on "The Garden"...then go download the rest of the Machines EP.

Les Grenouilles
The Garden

Meiko @ The Varsity

Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons opened for Meiko this past Sunday at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Chisel, a Minnesotan native but now living in Appleton, WI, grew up on the folk-gospel music in his family’s Baptist church, an influence that one can hear a glimmer of in the band’s Americana-folk sound. Cory’s family and friends were in the audience that evening, so Cory seemed very at ease and upbeat, making jokes, dedicating songs to the guys in the audience wearing sunglasses indoors, and letting us know that they were not going to push any merchandise on the audience, although we could get their album on iTunes should we wish to (after collaborating a bit with the likes of My Morning Jacket, the band released a new EP not too long ago called Cabin Ghosts).

As for the music itself, Chisel’s voice is soulful in the country-folk way, with a worn-in feeling about it and slightly husky undertone that is incredibly soothing. Chisel vocals are often wonderfully paired with band mate Adriel Harris’ soft and sweet timbre, who plays the keyboard. Without some of the members of the full band (most notably the lack of a drummer), the set at the Varsity was laid-back and felt more like old friends crooning together on a southern porch at dusk.

Home In The Woods [mp3] (iTunes)

After Cory Chisel & The Wandering Songs closed with the homespun tune "Home In The Woods," Meiko, with a guitar and beer bottle in hand, got on stage and started things off with the indie-pop "Piano Song." I have to say that Meiko's live voice differs from recordings in that it comes across much more young-sounding, yet it is still undeniably impeccable, but I got to wondering just how old she actually is (google was no help on this matter, so I must remember to ask her later in an upcoming interview). One of the great things about Meiko's voice is that it sweetly glides without an ounce of strain or force. It is completely natural and beautifully true.

After the applause from the opening number, Meiko suddenly blossomed from a shy-looking girl holding a huge guitar in a darkened room to a genuine and sweet friend on a stage, sharing lots of stories and answering any fan's impromptu questions. Meiko admitted her nervousness of performing but commented on how the Varsity felt like a "big living room." Last Sunday night was her third time performing at the Varsity and marked a special occasion of sorts- the first time Meiko performed there someone took a photo for a Meiko poster ("that really showed off my pores") and to her horror she discovered on her second venture that the giant poster was pasted up in the green room. This time she found that someone had drawn a giant penis on her poster. Meiko quipped, "You haven't made it until you've had a giant penis drawn on your face."

Continuing on with the honest and laid-back evening, after performing "Under My Bed," a fan asked her what that song was about and she admitted that it was about a breakup and was suddenly was re-applicable in her life right now. When said fan asked, "Aw, what happened?" she wittily replied, "Um, well, our relationship was like the Presidency - his four years were up and... we decided that he didn't get a second term."

Meiko invited her bandmates (or as she called them, her "superdogs") up to join her on bass, mandolin and keys for a few numbers and went on to play songs like "Shitty Apartment," "Hawaii" and a new song about a good lookin' loser. Closing with a cover of "Superfreak," a choice I did not expect but found quite fun, I realized there was still so much in store for this young and authentic performer. The evening was a bit more low-key than expected, but when your encore song is called "Hot Dog," I think you can afford to keep things a bit chill.

Under My Bed [mp3] (iTunes)

Check out more photos below:

Meiko @ The Varsity

Prabir & the Substitutes dates

Check out this mp3 from Prabir & the Substitutes, a gritty folk-punk-rock band from Richmond, VA. If you want to catch one of their shows, they have some dates here on the East Coast:

Jun 9 2009, 8:00P - The Canal Club, w. Ted Leo!! Richmond, Virginia

Jun 25 2009, 8:00P- Rumba Cafe, w. The Orange Opera! Columbus, Ohio

Jun 26 2009, 8:00P - Mid City Grill, w. The Orange Opera! Fort Wayne, Indiana

Jul 9 2009, 8:00P - Taphouse, w. THE ORANGE OPERA Norfolk, Virginia

Aug 8 2009, 8:00P - JJ’s Bohemia, w. How I Became The Bomb Chattanooga, Tennessee

Aug 13 2009, 8:00P - Slim’s, w. How I Became The Bomb Raleigh, North Carolina

Aug 22 2009, 8:00P - Snug Harbor, w. How I Became The Bomb Charlotte, N. Carolina

Sep 19 2009, 8:00P - The Elevens Northampton, Massachusetts

Oct 4 2009, 1:00P - Takoma Park Street Festival Takoma Park, Maryland

Nov 6 2009, 8:00P - Rack and Roll Cafe Stamford, Connecticut

Who's Going to Love You [mp3] - (iTunes)

Sneaky Sound System announces US tour

Sexy Australian dance music group Sneaky Sound System will be touring North America. Check out the sexy video for their hit song "I Love It" and tour dates below.




Tour Dates:
June 17 - LIV (Fontainbleau) - Miami, FL
June 18 - The Church - Denver, CO
June 19 - Celebrities - Vancouver
June 20 - SPIN - San Diego, CA
June 23 - Cinespace - Los Angeles, CA
June 24 - Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL
June 25 - Tattoo - Toronto
June 26 - Webster Hall (GBH & Webster Hall Presents) - New York, NY

Bob Dylan: The First Rapper?

The other day I had to take my car to the shop to get repaired and I met a gentleman who worked there who was quite knowledgeable about music. So of course, we got to talking and he voiced his opinion that he thought that Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" may be in fact the very first rap song, or at least the first real precursor to the rap genre. I've taken a listen to it and I'm still not quite sure what I think...

Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan [mp3] (iTunes)

Now we at GFP aren't heavily into the rap scene, but at the very least its interesting to consider the origins of the genre. Dylan's song came out in 1965, and I would go as far as to call it slightly rockabilly, with its mixture of blues and country, but one wonders when rockabilly ends and rap begins. If a spectrum of rockabilly can be considered a precursor to rap, then could "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Charlie Ryan (1955) also be a possible first-rap song? At the very least, his rhythm on "We was drivin' up Grapevine Hill, Passing cars like they was standing still" is identical to the way I sounded when I was 12 and trying to rap.

Hot Rod Lincoln - Charlie Ryan [mp3] (iTunes)

Upon further inspection, there is a wikipedia page about Dylan's song and its history, in which it states that the song was a "three-way amalgam of Jack Kerouac, The Guthrie/Pete Seeger song 'Taking It Easy' and the riffed-up rock'n'roll poetry of Chuck Berry's 'Too Much Moneky Business.'" Its an interesting read, as far as wikipedia pages go, so check it out.

What do you think is the first rap song, or what genres do you think had influence over the creation of it? Let us know in the comments section.

One Crazy (awesome) Line Up...

Seems to me like I've been seeing some great lineups at Southpaw lately and Friday night was no exception. I went to the show on a whim, having never even really heard any of the bands' music and I was quite glad that I went.

The first band up was Holy Ghost Tent Revival, from Greensboro, N. Carolina, who totally stole my heart. They're a pretty good-looking group of guys and they're the first band I've ever seen with headbanging banjo and trombone/brass players. They all did quite a bit of headbanging, actually. Their frenzied brand of rock bluegrass (with a hint of ragtime and big band among other sounds) was quite infectious and it wasn't long before they had some members of the audience dancing like crazy. I have to say, I have a bit of a crush on bass player Patrick Leslie whose strong voice alternated between angelically clear and devilishly raspy at the drop of a hat with his stellar vocal control. In my honest opinion, Holy Ghost Tent Revival stole the show. Not to say that I didn't immensely enjoy the rest of the bands. But these guys are the ones that I walked away wishing I could see them again the very next day, if only they were staying in NYC longer (they were headed to Scranton, PA yesterday).

Getting Over Your Love [mp3] - (iTunes)

Next up was the Wahoo Skiffle Crazies, a large DIY bluegrass band from Staten Island, with homemade instruments, washboard, saw, jug and all. The stage was barely big enough to hold all of them all but I was quite impressed by what they did with some of their more homemade instruments, particularly a bass made out of one string, a large stick the the bass player moved to stretch the string to different tones, and a wash basin. It sounded just like a regular upright bass! The things people can do with so few tools... While they were certainly more gentle-mannered than HGTR (no headbanging for this set), they were still great fun and also had the audience dancing up a storm. On top of the mp3 I have posted here, you can download 2 more for free off of their website.

Take Your Finger Off It [mp3]

Third was Drink Up Buttercup, from Philadelphia, and I have to admit that I didn't think I was going to like them. Their first song was kind of standard rock that didn't strike me as anything particularly unique or interesting and didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the set (or the band name...). But after that, their music got more and more bizarre (especially for a group of such normal looking guys) and that's when I really started to dig them. It was like rock 'n' roll meets haunted house/creepy circus soundtrack. Very surreal yet poppy at moments, but always rock-out-able, and rocking out people were. Actually, going back and listening to their EP now, they kind of remind me of the Beatles in their more experimental stage. They also had some DIY instruments like trash can tops and a tool box. By the end of their set, I really liked them a lot. I do have one criticism that might seem silly, but it was just kind of awkward to watch after a while and I feel like I have to say it: the bass player hardly ever stood up straight so he always looked like he had to pee.

Sosey Dosey [mp3] - (iTunes)

Lastly was Skeletonbreath. No, they're not a deathmetal band, though they do have some metal-sounding songs. They're a violin-bass-drums trio from Brooklyn who plays fast and furious jams that take hints from all genres, including but not limited to metal, rock, pop, klezmer, Eastern European, funk, and more. For those of you Consider the Source fans that might be reading this, definitely check out Skeletonbreath. These guys have a similarly intense instrumental jam trio thing going. They're great to watch live, as they're quite talented and have a lot of energy, particularly the violinist, who must have to replace his bow quite often as he kept ripping hairs off it throughout the performance and it looked like it was getting a little thin toward the end.

More pictures (albeit crappily lit ones) here.

Free Cross-Pollination Mix

Cross-Pollination is offering a free downloadable mix that they've created. Check it out below. I was particularly excited to see Jukebox the Ghost on the list.



To download the whole album, click here.

Faded Paper Figures @ Dakota Lounge, 5-13-09

This past Wednesday, while the rest of the city found out what lies in the shadow of the statue, I headed to Santa Monica to catch a set by Orange County's own indie/electro poppers, Faded Paper Figures. From listening to their songs ahead of time I expected it would be like the Postal Service show I never got to see, all blips and beeps and sensitive dudes with glasses.

The bar was about half full when I arrived, a much better turnout than I thought for a weekday on the Westside. The band took a few minutes to set up a keyboard, a synth, 2 Apple laptops, an electric guitar and a bass, then got right into their 40-minute set. It took a little while for the members to get comfortable playing, and it probably didn't help that the audience was standing far away from the stage or sitting down while lead singer R. John Williams and bassist Kael Aiden danced away in their button down shirts with an endearingly awkward shuffle.

The best songs had touches of added keyboard layers in all the right places, courtesy of backing vocalist Heather Aiden, and made really great use of intricately programmed drumbeats. But some of the more rock-leaning tunes sounded canned and forced with electronic drums, and definitely could've benefited from a live drummer. The beat on one song sounded almost exactly like "Such Great Heights" but for the most part Faded Paper Figures wasn't as Postal Service-esque as I assumed, and Williams' voice had more in common with Colin Meloy or Jeff Mangum than with Ben Gibbard.

Towards the end of the set, Williams and Aiden excitedly announced the addition of a member to the Faded Paper Figures family -- the ever-popular analog lover's dream, the Moog synthesizer. The show ended with a synth-heavy song, Aiden bent over his new toy and pulling out warm, trippy sounds. But the synth overpowered the rest of the music and vocals, rather than working together smoothly, and it detracted from the big ending rather than making it.

I have to give the band lots of credit though for pulling off an entire set with just a couple computers backing them up -- if nothing else, they sound really good on recording even if their live show was a bit lacking.

Jeremy Messersmith & KasierCartel @ The Cedar

Jeremy Messersmith and KaiserCartel came together for an evening of folk-pop nourishment last Saturday night at the Cedar Culture Center, which was hosted by The Current and CultureBully.com.

KaiserCartel, a longtime GFP favorite, took the stage alongside their drum-puppetcat Daniel and asked the eerily quiet audience, "Can you guys keep it down?" which emitted chuckles throughout the crowd and set the mood for the easiness of the evening. After seeing two sit-down concerts at the Cedar this last week, I must say that Minnesotan audiences can be wonderfully respectful and I really appreciate it, but it is so weird when everyone is immensely quiet in that moment between an artist getting on stage and the first note of the first song.

At any rate, KC quickly got the crowd whooping and performed favorites like the catchy upbeat "Season Song" and mixed in some new songs from their upcoming album, which sounds like its going to be a full of the organic and honest pop-folk we've come to expect from the likes of KC. Throughout the show, Courtney Kaiser whipped out some nifty instruments, such as a mini accordion organ and a mini glockenspiel that was played with a buzzing milk frothier while Benjamin Cartel accompanied on the guitar and the drums at the same time. Jeremy Messersmith and his guitarist Andy were invited onstage for "Okay" to man the tambourine and drums, and luckily for us all, that wasn't the last jam session between the two bands.

Season Song [mp3] (iTunes)

After a satisfying set from KaiserCartel, Jeremy Messersmith came on. Jeremy is a local MNer, and if you didn't know that straight off, his songs "Franklin Avenue," "Light Rail" or "35th & Bryant" might clue you in. Jeremy's first full-length release The Alcatraz Kid came out in 2006 and songs like "Novocain" and the gorgeous guitar ballad "Beautiful Children" quickly gained attention through local radio play, including that of legendary Dan Wilson, who offered to produce Jeremy's next album, The Silver City, which was released last year.

Jeremy initially comes across soft-spoken, but throughout the night his voice carried strong sure and he seemed to get more comfortable and jovial with the audience. Jeremy's sound is often compared to Sufjan Stevens and Elliot Smith, but there's something undeniably wonderfully troubadour-esque about seeing him live, despite the use of electronic boxes (of which guitarist Andy manned like it was a computer keyboard, he was a pro). During the evening, something remarkable happened: I found myself getting so lost in the lyrics, I had to snap myself out of it when the song came to an end. I kept thinking to myself, "wow, that was a short song" when in reality it really wasn't. The songs are heartbreakingly honest with soothing electropop smart melodies, but its really Messersmith's vocals that I fell in love with. As soon as I got home from the concert, I wanted more. I googled and youtubed my heart out, I just couldn't get enough of his natural and easy tone. Ladies and gents, I'm officially infected with a serious case of the Messersmith.

Jeremy invited KaiserCartel back on stage and Andy ventured over to the Cedar's resident beat-up piano for an awesome rendition of "Don't Bring Me Down" by the Electric Light Orchestra. Since they obviously enjoyed playing with one another, I asked Jeremy after the concert how this pairing happened to form. Jeremy he said he really loved their album and when they were both at SXSW this year he told them that the next time they were in town they should perform together. The pairing is genius and the two groups really compliment each other. All in all, it was a wonderful night filled with upbeat dispositions and beautiful music.

Franklin Avenue [mp3]
Beautiful Children [mp3] (iTunes)

Exclusive interview with Previously on Lost!

Last night I headed over to the Lost season 5 finale party at Bell House, at which my favorite recap band was playing. That's right, Previously On Lost. I had the pleasure of seeing them at the season 5 premiere party, also at Bell House, earlier this year. This time they obviously had a few new songs from season 5, so that was fun to see. Man, I really wish that I could see them perform before every episode of Lost that I watch. Anyway, I got the chance to ask the boys a few questions beforehand and here's what they had to say:

What made you decide to form a Lost recap band?
We're wholly dedicated to all JJ Abrams' earthly creations. We could have easily been a band devoted to Felicity as everything JJ touches becomes equal and "as one." But Lost was in our present, so we had to go with it. People think Lost is full of puzzles and unclear plot trajectories, but really it's all pretty simple to explain: they're havin' a blast on an island vacation retreat of a lifetime! Some people feel the need to speculate about things that haven't happened yet, but we like to focus on what's already happened and tell people about it with kazoos and casio keyboards. And we like the leisure luau lifestyle.

If you're wholly dedicated to JJ Abrams, are you going to do some Star Trek songs?
We completed a sci-fi opera about deep space travel last year called Champollion, so Star Trek is territory where we've already boldly gone. Listen to it at myspace.com/champollion. Star Trek is one of the greatest TV shows of all time and it would not be surprising if JJ becomes the first to successfully present a chapter that will be treasured beyond the loyal Star Trek fan base. If Michael Giacchino wants to team up to do Star Trek the animated series with us, we'd have to say "yes." Or Lost the animated series for that matter.

What are your plans for the band when Lost ends in May 2010? Are you going to dissolve the band, live on as a tribute band, or start recapping episodes of a different show?
I think you've received some incorrect information. Lost lives on. Always. If my sources are right, Lost will be the first show ever to run for 300 Seasons. Needless to say, we'll be in business for QUITE some time. Recap rock will always survive, we've got major plans to recap the 2010 World Cup, as possibly some historical educational recaps. We aim to push the boundaries as to what can and can't be recapped. Lost will likely be our only televised fictional subject matter, but anything is possible.

Who are your favorite Lost characters?
Let's start with our LEAST favorite: Jack. He's a crier and his hands are shaky. Dan Farraday is the greatest hero of Lost. Sawyer and Juliette are the smoken-est couple on the show (way hotter than Desmond and Penny no question). Kate and Jack don't deserve true love. Miles and Hurley have the best superpowers. Locke has the oldest soul and the baldest head.

If Dan Farraday is your favorite character, how did you react to his being killed in the second to last episode?
It was sad, for sure. But, as many already know , the sixth season will be the "zombie season" where every deceased character comes back to life for a series of challenges on the island. Whoever has Mr. Eko on their beach volleyball team is going to win for sure.

What do you think the deal is with the smoke monster?
I think she probably has one of most lucrative deals in show business, the first of it's kind for a cast member that is neither human nor animal. It's definitely one that's locked her in for the duration of the show, and really maintains a mandatory character development, which is awesome for her since the back-story is huge and it would be a shame to shortchange such a significant smoky history. I'm assuming there's a pretty solid rider that caters to the smoke monster's daily intake of trees and Lost extras, which craft services no doubt has under control.

How do you know the smoke monster is a "she"?
As with iguanas, it is difficult to tell smoke monster's gender at a young age, so when we first got her we weren't sure. But we started taking her on walks to the park and her behavioral patterns developed among other smoke monsters. People would ask us questions - "Oooohhh, how big does she get?" and "Have you had her fixed?" Finally, we took her to a vet, and had the sex determined for sure to be female. We would never get her fixed though.

What would be your ideal way for Lost to wrap up it's last season?
JJ ended Felicity by sending the college students back in time and reviewing an alternate chain of events, but with Lost...that already happened. So whatever JJ forsees will be done and treasured by all viewers without qualm or question (Carleton and Damon too I guess). For them to bust the space-time continuum beyond repair and have everything dissolve into abstract tropical dream where everyone rides polar bears while drinking Coronas would be fine. They don't have to explain the 4-toed statue. It's ok with me.

I know you guys have other side projects that I've heard are equally hilarious. Talk a little bit about those.
There's nothing funny about a space opera titled Champollion, inspired by the musings of Carl Sagan. There's something a little funny, but mostly endearing about a band dedicated to re-imagining old Disney and children's music, titled Long Live King Richard. There's something really funny about an absurdist hip hop group titled Berzerkulosis, with a single all about Big League Chew.

And on one final note, I (Em) have to say that I am both intrigued and slightly annoyed by the season finale. I can't wait for the new season to start, but that's mostly because they keep posing questions and not answering most of the millions we already had. Great cliffhanger though. Props for that.

LA Love: Collisions

On the map today is Collisions -- a 4-piece indie rock/shoegaze band out of Azusa, CA (they play in LA a lot, so they still qualify for LA Love...). I first met the guys last year when we played a show together in downtown LA, and they were awesome. And while they follow the standard guitar/bass/keys/drums setup, each member does double duty on another instrument, so their live shows are an endless rotation of talent and I imagine nobody in the band gets bored. Drummer Greg Black is something you gotta see to believe, I can't paint a picture of his drumming style in words...think Animal from the Muppets, but with impeccable timing.

For only being 18-20 years old, Collisions are doing fairly well for themselves -- they've been together about 4 years now and just got signed to Santa Cruz label S.A.F. Records; their debut full-length Villain's Spirit is due out on July 7th. Check out a couple tracks below, and visit their Myspace for the show calendar.

"Japan 1945" [mp3]
"Triangle" [mp3]

Headlights and Loney Dear @ The Cedar

Sunday night I had the pleasure of seeing a show with my co-writer Lise at the Cedar here in Minneapolis. The Cedar is a nice space and I think it's really cool that it's a nonprofit, though I wished that this show hadn't been a sit-down affair since Headlights' music is very danceable.

The show started rather late because apparently Headlights' van broke down on the way to the show. They seemed a little stressed about it still when they performed, but they managed to have fun nonetheless and I had a lot of fun watching them. They played a very upbeat set with a lot of energy (maybe it was adrenaline left over from rushing to the show) and danced around, which made me wish that I could get up and dance but the audience was pretty laid back and I didn't want to be the only one. As much as I prefer a too quiet audience to a too loud audience, I kind of wished this audience had more energy and had thrown the chairs to the side to dance. Or had at least been moving around in their chairs a little more. Oh well. Headlights played all my favorites, including an old favorite ("Put Us Back Together Right") that I had kind of forgotten about since their new album came out, so that was delightful. They seemed like really cool, chill people who seemed really grateful (and relieved) to be there and be performing for us.

Cherry Tulips (TJ Lipple Remix) [mp3] - (iTunes)

Next up was Swedish band Loney Dear. I have to say, after the Headlights' dancing, high energy performance, Loney Dear seemed a little stiff. They still put on a good show though. Their music sounded really good and they masterfully played songs both calm and quiet (which sometimes started out without microphones) and full and fast. Frontman Emil Svanängen looks like a a big ol' teddy bear but he's got a memorable, powerful voice. And as for his band, you can tell these guys are all very talented musicians, despite the trouble they seemed to have keeping their guitars in tune, and they're very humble about it.

Airport Surroundings [mp3] - (iTunes)

More photos HERE.

Cherry Tree Parade

Here's a track from Kansas City band The Cherry Tree Parade, called "Perfectly Polyphonic," which is simultaneously chaotic and pretty. I have to admit that it took a little while for me to warm up to the track, but now it is growing on me with each listen and I find I'm really liking it. I think the band has a lot of potential, and they've been getting a fair amount of buzz in Kansas City, despite only living there for about 2 years. I'd say you should keep an eye out for them, as I can easily see them becoming indie blogosphere darlings within the next year or so, with their danceable dissonance and down-to-earth midwestern charm.

Perfectly Polyphonic [mp3]

The Gossip

Gossip is coming out with a new album on June 23nd entitled Music For Men and it sounds like its going to be another perfect merger of indie-rock, punk and a little thrown-in flair. One hopes that the rest of the album will be filled with the same amount of energetic fury to grab our ears and move our bodies, but until then, enjoy the first single:

Heavy Cross [mp3] (iTunes)

Previously on Lost contest still going on!

Congrats to Ash, our ticket winner for the Americans show at Joe's Pub tomorrow night! And just a reminder that the contest for Previously On Lost is still going on (Wednesday, Bell House, Lost season finale party).

Exclusive Interview with Elizabeth & the Catapult!

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the adorable Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth & The Catapult. Here's what she had to say.

Where does the band name come from? The Elizabeth part is obvious but I'm sensing a story behind the "and the Catapult"... I just wanted to incorporate something whimsical and a little off kilter- and I really liked the image of a little girl with a slingshot wandering around looking for trouble.

How does it feel to be releasing your first full-length album? And what has it been like to watch your fanbase grow and expand? Please talk about your "rise to fame" so to speak and what that's been like to experience...
It makes me a little sleepy thinking about it, but it's a wonderful feeling. We're all super grateful. We only had an EP floating around for sometime there, so it's nice to know our fans can finally sit down and enjoy a bit more than just 25 minutes of The Catapult....

You said this album was for adults who just never quite figured out how to grow up. Do you think that growing up in NYC, where people simultaneously grow up too fast and don't grow up at all, was a heavy influence for you when you created this album? NYC is a very odd and unpredictable monster. I've been here so long I don't even notice how much it's hot headed temperament creeps into the music....but it really does. There's just so much zany material to go on! When I'm in a good mood I idealize the city, the energy, the amazing people, the opportunities. When I'm in a so-so mood I lock myself in the house, close the window shades and sit down to write a song like "Taller Children".

Elizabeth, how do you feel your classical background has influenced your current sound? Do you try to incorporate classical music into your life/work still?
It's really plays a huge influence on what I do. When I was a kid my favorite "artists" were Ravel, Debussy and Chopin. So whether I like it or not, it's deeply imbedded in the harmonic character of the songwriting. I always try to build an element of surprise or ambiguity in the music, so that it's not always your basic 4 5 1 chords. Although, once in a while, the lyrics will really call for that too:) We had a demo up on myspace recently of a Chopin spinning song that I had set some lyrics too--- I basically took the left hand of the piece and started improvising over it---weaving in and out of the original song. Some people like to improvise over Ellington, I like Chopin.

On your myspace blog, you wrote that some demos posted wouldn't probably make the final album. What is it like to have to cut your own songs? How difficult is that?
It was really difficult. But a great problem to have. We tried not to deliberate too much about the song choice before we recorded with Mike Mogis- but after the sessions there was one song that never made it to the album that was a real heartbreaker...luckily there's always our sophomore attempt!

What's the best/most important thing you've learned on your journey so far?
To keep your music close and your inspiration closer.

What has been the funniest/most outrageous moment on your journey so far? We once played a gig at an installation art show in LA called the Black Pussy- we didn't realize what we were walking into at the time, but when we started playing our song "Devil's Calling" suddenly a bunch of women started taking off their clothes. I think I peed my pants on stage from laughing so hard.

Lastly, what is your ultimate "guilt free pleasure"? Haribo Gummy bears. Sooooo good. I can eat a truckload in about a half hour.

And for those of you who didn't catch it, check out the write-up of their performance at the Deli Magazine Best of New York show at Southpaw on Wednesday for a free mp3 of the title track from their new album, Taller Children.

Deli Magazine Show @ Southpaw

Hello from Minneapolis, where I have just arrived to some beautiful weather (suck it New York!)! Last night I had the privilege of attending one of the Deli Magazine Best of NYC Festival shows at South Paw in Brooklyn. It was a pretty phenomenal line-up, I have to say. While I missed most of the first act, Mia Riddle, I liked the little bit that I heard. Gotta love girl-powered folk rock. I'm sad that I didn't get to see more of them, but I'm sure I'll be seeing them around.

City Song [mp3] - (iTunes)

Next up was KaiserCartel, who I am unwittingly seeing twice in 4 days in two different cities. They're the real thing. What I mean by that is that they sound just as beautiful live (if not more) than on their recordings. Those harmonies literally gave me chills. Plus they seem like really down-to-earth, cool people (for their last song they got off the stage and came into the audience to "look into our eyes"). Even completely unplugged and wandering the audience, they sounded spectacular.

Okay [mp3] - (iTunes)

After KaiserCartel was April Smith and the Great Picture Show. I was blown away by her powerful voice and I loved her playful music. It seemed to me like she really had a lot of fun writing and performing it, and her music combined all sorts of genre and time period influences - jazz, waltz, showtunes (seriously, this girl should be on Broadway, I can totally see her in Chicago or something), pop, doo-wop, and more. Plus I really like her style and she seems like a really sweet girl.

Wow and Flutter [mp3] - (iTunes)

The last act I managed to catch (I wanted to stick around for Lowry but it was just too late and I had to get up super early for my flight to Minneapolis) was Elizabeth & the Catapult, who have just come out with their first full-length, label-backed album, Taller Children. On a total tangent, if you google them, their extension on CD baby is "eatcatapult," which makes me giggle. But back to the show. Elizabeth is adorable. Her smile totally lights up the room and she her voice always sounds at ease. She seemed really grateful to be there. She even baked the audience cookies (though they were gone by the time she announced this so I missed out on that... sadness...). And I love Taller Children. It really resonates with me right now, as I am entering the adult world (and dreading it). I think most people can really relate to being in this stage of life that is really a duality. The music reflects this as it alternates between youthful/playful and serious/sober/nostalgic. Check back soon for an exclusive interview with the band!

Taller Children [mp3] - (iTunes)

More pictures HERE.

New video from White Rabbits

Loving this new video from White Rabbits for their song "Percussion Gun" (and loving the song too, from their new album It's Frightening, due out May 19th). I like how they took a simple concept and made it look really cool.

TWO MORE NYC TICKET GIVEAWAYS!

Ok, so I have two more awesome ticket giveaways for our NYC readers:

1. The Americans at Joe's Pub this Saturday, May 9th. The Americans are a funk(ish) group and Joe's Pub is a pretty chic venue, so treat yourself to a fun night out with 2 tickets to this awesome show. To enter, email us with "Proud to see The Americans" in the subject line (cheesy, I know but that's what my brain is coming up with today) by Friday, May 8th at 12pm (noon) EST and we will draw the winner at random.

2. Previously on Lost for the Lost season 5 finale party at Bell House on Wednesday, May 13th. For those of you who don't know, POL is the world's first television show recap band and they are quite hilarious. Plus I think there's free "Sailor Jerry's Orchid Station Punch" from 7-8pm (and it's $3 all night). NYC Lost fans, don't miss this! To enter for 2 tickets to this show, email us with "I wanna get Lost" in the subject line by 12:00pm (noon) EST on Tuesday, May 12th, and we will draw the winner at random. And check out this 2 minute recap of the entirety of Lost by POL.

Lost in 2 Minutes [mp3]

And for those of you wondering, yes you can enter both contests, but you if you do, you will only win one of them.

LA Love: Local Natives

Hello hello!

It's the first Tuesday in May, so don't forget to head to the Echo tonight and check out the first night of Avi Buffalo's residency...

Today we're talkin bout Local Natives, a 5-piece indie band in the vein of Arcade Fire or Fleet Foxes (and that's not just because they have a girl who plays violin at their shows sometimes). I ran across them by accident in April, when they filled in a last-minute opening slot for The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, and ever since have been addicted to their 3- and 4-part harmonies, heavy floor toms, lead singer Kelcey's plaintive yet restrained vocals, and the general goodness that is Local Natives. I think their tune "World News" is a dead ringer for Fleet Foxes (not a bad thing!) but I've been obsessed with "Airplanes" -- have a listen and decide for yourself, and if you're in LA head to Spaceland this Friday night to welcome them back to LA after their recent West Coast tour...

"Airplanes" [mp3]

Sliimy

So my Phoenix post a while back encouraged me to check out more Parisian artists, and I came across Sliimy, the up-and-coming French phenomenon. I guess Perez Hilton posted about him back in December and is thus strangely accredited to "discovering" Sliimy, but I don't really read Perez Hilton and I'm going to assume that you don't either. Sliimy is from Saint-Etienne and sounds like a perfect mesh of Kate Nash, Mika and Little Jackie. His first single is the catchy "Wake Up" from his debut album Paint Your Face, and it's been THE song of the week for me. His cover of Womanizer is also fabulous and has gotten a lot of love - it can be heard on his myspace. This is energized and inspired pop ensured to perk up your day, so check out this Parisian who no doubt is going to be the talk of the international town this summer.

Wake Up [mp3] (iTunes)

Also, for all those in the NYC area - check out our ticket giveaway if you are interested in attending an awesome show tonight!

Ólöf Arnalds ticket giveaway! (NYC)

Here's a contest for our NYC Guilt Free Pleasures readers - 2 free tickets to Icelandic singer Ólöf Arnalds' show at Union Hall tomorrow night. To enter, email us with "I want Ólöf tickets!" in the subject by 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday). Check out a video of her live below.

And congrats to Judy and Michael, our two Beast CD winners! Thanks to everyone who participated.

Við og Við [mp3]

Ólöf Arnalds from Dig For Fire on Vimeo.