Locksley @ Brooklyn Bowl PLUS GFP showcase announcement!

Last Wednesday I went to see Locksley do a free show at Brooklyn Bowl. I haven't seen them in FOREVER, so I was quite excited. I was also VERY excited because Locksley is going to be part of the next GFP Showcase at Southpaw on Saturday, August 21st (in conjunction with CouchCrash NYC). The awesome local line-up is as follows:

Raccoon Fighter

Julius C

Locksley

It's going to be a great, high energy show so bring your dancing shoes and if you RSVP on the Facebook event, you get $3 off the cover! And feel free to stick around for the after party!

Anyway, on to the show at Brooklyn Bowl. I don't remember the opening guy's name. He was ok. If you like Muse, you'd probably like him, though he's not as metal or quite as dramatic as Muse. But Locksley was great as usual, though this was definitely the most "dressed down" I've ever seen them perform - the still-handsome boys were in t-shirts instead of their usual coordinated, stylish ties and suspenders and nice shirts. But their casual clothing obviously didn't affect their performance, which was super high energy as always. This was the first time I've seen them do a lot of their new stuff live. I was also quite happy that they did some of my old favorites, such as "Don't Make Me Wait."

My very favorite moment of the show was when Jesse was playing Kai's guitar (with Kai). I'd seen them do something similar before, but this time he played it a few different ways and it was just a lot of fun to watch (and it looked like they were having a great time too). They played a nice, long set, and they never stopped moving for a second it seemed like throughout their entire performance. I also have to say I think it's really cool that they all take turns singing lead on different songs. They're really just so cohesive as a band, and the show just made me look that much more forward to the GFP showcase on August 21st. Hope to see you there!

More pictures:

Locksley @ Brooklyn Bowl

The Whip [mp3] - ( iTunes / Amazon )

Free Locksley Show

Locksley is playing a free show tonight at Brooklyn Bowl with doors at 6:30 and the show at 8. Get there early and you'll make happy hour (can someone say $5 margaritas?!).

New music video from Locksley

Man, I wish I had been there for the making of this... It looks like it was a total blast!

Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008

Yesterday we brought you our list of Best Debut Albums of 2008, so today we thought we'd follow it up with our list of Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008, in no particular order. If you think we left something out, let us know what in the comments section! Or if you just want to add any thoughts on the albums we posted. Oh, but take note - there are still some lists yet to come (so much good music! We may have gone a little crazy with the lists this year...).

Best Non-Debut Albums of 2008

Nada Surf- Lucky
This seems to be the album that grows on people, slowly taking them over. At first listen, it seemed to be a collection of listenable and radio-friendly songs, but pretty soon we found ourselves craving to listen to those tracks again and again. The lyrics are great and each track has its own lovable element to it, whether it be the uplifting pulsing rhythm of Beautiful Beat or the sung narrated truth of "Everyone's right and no one is sorry" with perfect background "oohs" in See These Bones.
Beautiful Beat [mp3] - (iTunes)

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Sigur Rós came out with their 5th album this year and it started off on the right orchestrated foot with the now ever-popular Gobbledigook. The band's made-up etheral language of Vonlenska once again proves to be a bewitching characteristic of the group, but they proved that they could create the same emotional experience in English for the first time ever in the track All Alright. While the album lacks the cascading genius that 2005's Takk contained (Festival is simply no Glósóli), the overall feeling of the album is that it is wiser, older and filled with more emotion and drama. More emphasis on keys and guitar progressions, Sigur Rós has learned a thing or two over the years, and this rich, sparkling album is a beautiful example of combining silver with gold.

Gobbledigook [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Dresden Dolls - No, Virginia

A more pensive, slightly less playful album than the "brechtian punk cabaret" duo from Boston has come out with in the past, "No, Virginia" continues to showcase their talent and versatility, taking subjects as dark as rape or as mundane as teen angst and taking them in musical directions that I'm not sure anyone else would ever think of or could ever get away with. The Dresden Dolls remain truly one of a kind.

Night Reconnaissance [mp3] - (iTunes)

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Not traditionally our style, we've gotta give credit to the classic rock sound when it's due. This Americana-alternative rock collection is filled with good tunes that satisfies many an ear, with old-school guitar improvisations, sing-along choruses and that sweet home alabama taste. Some songs sport a different sort of flair, such as the Prince-like vocals on Highly Suspicious or the James Taylor-esque laid-back Librarian or Sec Walkin. Nevertheless, the album is classic rock at its soul, and it the large range and perfection of acheiving the sound intended really makes this album different from the rest.

Librarian [mp3] - (iTunes)

Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornados)

We couldn't resist posting one of our favorite Minneapolis bands. While some people have said this album is not as strong as their others, we have to disagree. So many of the songs from this album have remained on our playlists since the album came out in April, which is proof of the band's staying power and we certainly hope that means the rumors of a break up are false. Cloud Cult's music is always emotionally powerful, lovely, and they have developed their own style very well. It would be ashame for it to end now.

No One Said It Should Be Easy [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols

Is there a Dandy Warhols song that we dislike? Not that we can think of... This album is The Dandy Warhols' first self-released album, which is exciting as they have always struggled with the corporate side of the entertainment industry, some would say to their detriment, and they are the types of free spirits that probably work best when they feel uninhibited by "the man." This album is a highly enjoyable mix of their usual sounds - from psychadelic to country, and just about everything in between. One of our favorite things about them is that they can take any musical genre and make it their own.

The World Come On [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ladytron - Velocifero

When we think about this album, we think "Dance, baby, dance." Crunched drums, fast-tempo, synths, catchy club hooks flying every which way, this album is perfect for those nights that you just want to let loose, especially with the dark thumping drums featured on Predict the Day. The swinging rhythm of Ghosts became the hit track of the album and constantly on the rotation list at clubs, clothes stores and radios nation-wide. The whole album is a solid collection of dance hits that are sure to fit the bill for any night out.

Ghosts [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ane Brun - Changing of the Seasons

A positively haunting album, every song will make you shiver with how gorgeous it is. Ane Brun's effortless voice floats over her fluent music in a way that makes music seem as easy as breathing for her. The album also grows on us with each listen more and more, unlike some albums which you get sick of after repeat listening. Honestly, it's hard for us to describe how talented Ane is, so just listen to her music and hear it for yourself.

The Puzzle [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Hard Lessons - The Complete B & G Sides

Ok so technically it's not one album. But throughout the year, Detroit rock band The Hard Lessons has been coming out with 3-song EPs that they call "B & G Sides" (as in Boy & Girl - Ko Ko Louise writes one, Augie writes one and they write one together I believe). They released volumes 1-4, which is definitely a full LP's worth of songs, so we are still going to count it. Ko Ko and Augie have perfect rock voices and the rockstar attitudes to accompany them (in a good way). And their songs are catchy to boot. They put on a great live show, so if you have the chance to see them, do it.

See and Be Scene [mp3] - (iTunes)

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ

Wonderous, wonderous Scottish indie music, how we love thee, espeically Frightened Rabbit. You're honest, you're life is imperfect, you've felt tough pain - and you create smart indie lo-fi rock songs about it. Its hard to choose favorite lyrics of yours, whether it be the imagery of the hole in Keep Yourself Warm or the understandable "I'm not ready to see you this happy" in Good Arms vs. Bad Arms, but we know that any song of yours is practically perfect. Stellar sophmore album from this amazing group.

Backwards Walk [mp3] - (iTunes)


Best Re-releases

These albums are albums that were self-released by the artist before 2008 but re-released by a label in 2008. Or in a few cases, EPs were released before 2008 and the companion LP released in 2008 has most/all of the songs from the EP.

Meiko - Meiko

It seems like every time we posted Meiko here at GFP, fans would crawl out of the blogosphere woodwork and shout their praise for this artist. Indeed, when Lise first posted Meiko, she couldn't decide which mp3 to post because she loved them all and ended up posting an unprescedented 4 mp3s, so its no wonder that Meiko is on our list now. Technically, Meiko released her album in 2007 and met with tons of success - she landed at #35 for top 100 iTunes albums that year. In June 2008 she signed with a label and her album was re-released in August where it jumped to #14 on the list. Meiko is everything Lise loves- a folk/pop female singer-songwriter that has immense talent. This girl has just begun to outshine many, and we can't wait for her next album.

Boys With Girlfriends [mp3] - (iTunes)

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This album was originally self-released in 2007 and re-released by the indie label 4AD in 2008. There's something about this album that is reminescent of the experience of listening to early Coldplay or Radiohead for the first time, and there is no other way to explain or describe it. There is something organic and natural about this music - something terribly sad and at peace all at the same time. Its a simply balanced work of art that easily creeps into the soul, and once it does, it circles around once or twice before hunkering down.
Flume [mp3] - (iTunes)

Locksley - Don't Make Me Wait

Locksley is shooting to stardom, opening for acts like The Bravery, Rooney and Ray Davies (of the Kinks). Now that they have a shiny new label behind them and a shiny new bass player (lead singer Jesse Laz-Hirsch's younger brother, Jordan), they've remastered the old tracks, added a few bonus tracks, changed the album cover and rereleased a shiny new version of their old album. Locksley is kind of like The Beatles reincarnate - screaming teenage girls and all. Or well, The Beatles before they went all psychedelic. You can't help but bounce up and down to they're obscenely catchy retro pop sound. And bonus points for the fact that they're all well-dressed, charming and handsome too.

Don't Make Me Wait [mp3] - (iTunes)

Frontier Ruckus - The Orion Songbook

Michigan folk band Frontier Ruckus self-released a six-song EP last year and it was quite a DIY affair in an 8.5 x 11" paper packet (no jewel case), with hand-written lyrics and hand-drawn album art. While that was actually rather charming and gave it a personal touch, they now have a label behind them and can afford jewel cases, which I think is a good thing. They re-released newly recorded versions of 5 of the 6 songs from the EP on an LP this year with a bunch of new songs too. Even though they now have a label, they're still the same old wonderful folk band, with their banjo, saw, harmonica and the arresting vocal harmonies that are some of the most natural I've heard of any band.

The Blood [mp3] - (iTunes)

Locksley and Ray Davies @ Hammerstein Ballroom

On Friday night I went to see Locksley open for Ray Davies (of The Kinks) at Hammerstein Ballroom. It was a much older crowd than I'm used to seeing Locksley play for, which was a nice change of pace in a way from the insane screaming teenage girls (although drunken adults start to act very similar...). However, I felt like maybe the lower energy was kind of hard for Locksley, who managed to keep their energy high despite it. They put on a great show as always, but it didn't look quite as easy for them as it usually does. It didn't help that the sound was awful (and in a nice venue like Hammerstein, I wouldn't think that would be a problem...). It was pretty cool that they got to play with a legend like Ray Davies though, and hopefully this tour has expanded their audience pool amongst people above the age of 22.

Ray Davies was great. He is your classic rock star - smooth British accent and all. He played song after song without any noticeable mistakes (and the set list was almost three pages long). He told witty stories in between songs and got the audience to sing along quite often (not that that was probably all that hard for him. The whole audience seemed to know every single song). I feel like he is the rock star every other musician else aspires to be. It made me excited for The Kinks to soon be reunited.

All Over Again [mp3] - Locksley - "Don't Make Me Wait" (iTunes)
Strangers [mp3] - The Kinks - "Lola versus Powerman and the Money-go-round" (iTunes)

Locksley with Ray Davies of The Kinks - Friday!

On Friday night, Locksley is going to be opening for/playing with Ray Davies of The Kinks here in New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom. They have been on tour with him for a while now. Exciting. Check out this video of them playing together and hope to see you at the show!

Locksley Tour Announcement

One of my favorite New York retro-pop bands, Locksley, is headlining MTV's Choose or Lose tour, which is a get out the vote type effort. The tour looks like it will be finishing up here in New York, but I think not all the dates have been announced yet. They are also re-releasing their album "Don't Make Me Wait" on September 9th. Exciting stuff!

Tour Dates:

5 Oct - Boston, MA - Café 939

6 Oct - State College, PA - Lulu's

7 Oct - Pittsburg, PA - Rex Theater

9 Oct - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick

10 Oct - Madison, WI - Barrymore

11 Oct - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen (w/ Throw Me The Statue)

13 Oct - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville News

14 Oct - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

15 Oct - Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck

16 Oct - Denver, CO - Hi Dive

17 Oct - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon

19 Oct - Tucson, AZ - Hotel Congress - Patio Show

20 Oct - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour FREE show

22 Oct - Albuquerque - Launchpad

24 Oct - Austin, TX - Emo's Lounge

26 Oct - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

29 Oct - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl

1 Nov - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

Don't Make Me Wait [mp3]

Stream the Full Album
Pre-order the album on iTunes

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Locksley @ The Knitting Factory

On Saturday I went to see a small free show at The Knitting Factory, where Locksley was apparently taping some type of "get out the vote" like segment for MTV. While they were still wearing their usually tight pants, button up shirts and suspenders, this time they were decked out in red, white and blue instead of black and white. It was kind of nice to see them add a little color to their wardrobe, and they still looked as stylish as ever.

It was a nice, small, intimate show reminiscent of the first time I saw them not quite a year ago at After the Jump, despite the presence of video cameras and Locksley's new-found rock star personas. They've come a long way in that very short time and while they definitely deserve everything they've achieved, I hope that it doesn't start going to their heads. Then again, I guess I'm not surprised they would act like rock stars with the cameras and the screaming high school girls (it was an all ages show). It once again reminded me of a Beatles concert, not to mention people fighting over Jesse's tie that he threw out into the audience at the end.

Anyway, Locksley put on a great show with all their classic catchy pop tunes, despite the teeny tiny stage that left them very little room to move around. They had their usual insane amounts of energy and still managed to jump around plenty. Particularly bass player Jordan, who kept leaping off the drum set and leaning into the audience. But I have to say he went a little too far when he spit out a mouth full of water onto the audience. Gross. I don't care if you're freaking Bob Dylan or some other mega legend - I don't want your spit on me, thanks. I guess I'm just worried that they're getting too rock-starish. They keep adding little gimmicks to their performance, little rock star behaviors like Jesse covering Kai's eyes while he solos or spraying water all over the audience. I don't want them to lose the high energy pop simplicity of their original style that was so much fun to watch and didn't need gimmicks. So Locksley, please don't let the fame go to your heads. You're already a great band without all that flashy rock star behavior. And while I realize that's probably a lot of fun for you, at the very least, please don't spit on your audience, thanks.

More photos:

Why Can't I Be You (Why Not Me) [mp3]

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Locksley @ Irving Plaza

Last night I headed over to Irving Plaza to see one of my favorite NYC bands: Locksley. They are currently on tour with Rooney, so it was my last chance to see them until September or October. It was kind of impromptu that I ended up at the show, though, so I didn't have my camera with me (not that I wanted to try to fight my way through the shovey, squealy clumps of teenage girl Rooney fans to get to the front anyway).

The first band up was The Bridges, who were ok. The Alabama band is composed of 4 girls and a male drummer. I could tell that they're a relatively new band - their debut album came out relatively recently from the sounds of it - because they seemed a bit nervous and didn't really know how to work the crowd. While I think they show a lot of potential as a band, I have to say that they have a lot of work to do. The theme of my advice for them would be "unify." Parts of their songs were good, but their music a little segmented. By that I mean that for a lot of the songs, the parts didn't blend well together - the chorus sounded like it belonged to a different song than the verses. That's why I say "parts of their songs were good" because in some songs I'd really like the verses but not the chorus, or in another song I'd really like the bridge but not the verses, etc. And while they're all talented at their individual instruments, they didn't really interact much with each other and they lacked the energy necessary to be good openers (openers, in my opinion, have the responsibility of getting the audience's energy up and getting them psyched for the rest of the concert). There were also hints of country here and there (particularly in the vocals) that kind of annoyed me because I didn't think it fit quite right. And while I have to say that they looked a lot better than in the picture on the flyer that I was handed as I walked in - they're all very pretty - they could unify their look a little more too. Each of them seemed dressed from a different decade. I also didn't think they fit overall with Locksley and Rooney, who are both kind of retro-pop-rock.

Locksley was up next, and I have to say this was probably their best performance that I've seen. They're always high energy, but I think that touring with stars like Rooney has boosted their confidence (as well as their fan base, though unfortunately only in the 14-17 age group...). The most notable (and understandable) gain in confidence was in wee Jordan Laz-Hirsch, who is their new(ish) bass player and is lead singer Jesse's younger brother (he's not in the picture left, which is an older picture, my apologies). The last time I saw them was his first performance with them and he seemed a little nervous. Now he seemed much more at ease and confident. But they all seemed much more confident, pulling rockstar moves all over the place - leaping off of amps, spraying water everywhere, throwing their bodies all over the place and tossing things out into the audience. As much as the teenybopper crowd annoyed me, I have to say that the one good thing was how Locksley fed off their energy. I think the last time I heard that amount of screaming was when I myself was a teenybopper going to concerts like The Backstreet Boys. Ah, youth... But that screaming seemed to be very motivational for Locksley. The longer they played, the better they got and they seemed like they were having so much fun. The best part about it is that even though they're on their way to fame, it hasn't seemed to have gone to their heads yet (and I hope it never does). They were very sweet after their set, talking to people and signing autographs and taking photo after photo with teenage girl after teenage girl. They seem like very nice, down-to-earth guys.

The nostalgic former teenybopper in me kind of regrets not staying for Rooney. I liked them when I was 17, when they first came out - before they were played on The OC... Not that I'm one of those people who doesn't want the artists I like to become popular. On the contrary. I just wish they had become popular with a slightly more... mature... audience - an 18 or 21+ audience for example. But alas, I was exhausted and not feeling so well, and my friend wanted to go home because he had to take the LSATs today, so my nostalgia lost that battle.

All Over Again [mp3]

Purchase their music on iTunes

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Locksley @ Mercury Lounge

Despite having recently contracted the plague, I headed out to Mercury Lounge Thursday night to see Locksley. They were the first to play, which I have to say surprises me because the last time I saw them it seemed like they had just as many fans in the audience as The Bravery did. Plus I had never heard of any of the other bands playing that night. But seeing as I'm sick as a dog, I guess I was glad they were up first. And while I wanted to stay for the other bands, I just didn't have the energy. One of the other bands canceled anyway.

Thursday night was Locksley's first performance with new bass player Jordan Laz-Hirsch (see left), who is the younger brother of lead singer Jesse Laz-Hirsch. Aaawwww... I thought he was very cute until his older brother announced that he was jail bate (and apparently skipping school to perform with them?), which I'm guessing Jordan didn't appreciate too much, haha. While Jordan seemed a little nervous - it was his first performance with them after all - he fit well with the band and he did a good job. There were some very adorable brotherly love moments and Jesse seemed really happy to have his little brother on stage with him.

In fact, everyone seemed pretty happy just to be up on stage performing. This was Locksley's first performance in about four months. I guess they've been busy finding a new bass player and working on new songs. They played some new material from an album that should come out later this year, after they tour the US this spring/summer as the opener for Rooney (I believe they mentioned something about a show in New York in early June). The new stuff sounded great and I'm very excited for that album to come out.

One other thing I noticed was that it seemed like Jesse Laz-Hirsch and Kai Kennedy (lead guitar - left) were occasionally switching roles a bit. Kai - who sadly was not wearing the white patent leather shoes that he wore at both of the other performances I've been to - sang lead on a few songs, which was cool because I have a massive crush on him. And it's just nice to see bands where everyone gets to share the spotlight. Even drummer Sam Bair got to enjoy the spotlight a bit being front and center on Mercury Lounge's small stage. I was glad to actually be able to see him for once because at a lot of shows the drummer gets shoved way back on the stage, out of the light.

All in all it was a great show, albeit a rather short one. They probably played for 35-40 minutes I would estimate. Because it was so much fun, I wanted them to play more. The fact that it felt so short is actually a good thing I guess - it meant I was never bored. Here are a few more pictures:

Drummer Sam Bair

Brotherly love... aaawwww...

Lead Guitar player Kai Kennedy

And a sample for you:

All Over Again [mp3]

iTunes them
MySpace them

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Lists lists lists

This is the time of year when music bloggers compile lists - best albums, best songs, best new artists, etc of 2007. But I'm not going to compile these lists because I didn't start doing this until July. So next year I will compile more extensive lists, but this year I will just rattle off a few albums from 2007 that I really liked in no particular order.

Awesome Albums from 2007
"Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge" - The Pierces (iTunes)
"The Reminder" - Feist (iTunes)
"Balance Between" - Ippazzi (iTunes)
"Marry Me" - St. Vincent (iTunes)
"im on to you - EP" - Ian Axel (iTunes)
"Baby 81" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (iTunes)
"Kala" - MIA (iTunes)
"Don't Make Me Wait" - Locksley (iTunes)
"Random Spirit Lover" - Sunset Rubdown (iTunes)
"And End Has A Start" - Editors (iTunes)
"Get On With It - EP" - Shoot the Messenger (iTunes)

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"Unconditional" Fun

Thursday night I hit up the Fujifilm Z10 Finepix launch party at Irving Plaza. Two bands that I really like were playing: Locksley and The Bravery. And the best part of all - it was free. There was free beer and wine, and free little snacks. Granted, you get what you pay for with the food & drink, but it was still nice. And they gave away free cameras, of which I got none. I was sad about that since my camera is kind of on its last legs and I need a new one really badly. Oh well. It was still a blast.

Locksley went on first. I was surprised by the number of people that were there to see them since the last time I saw them (for free at After the Jump) there weren't that many people there. But people seemed to know them - at least the people who were up front where we were. Locksley still puts on a great show. They still looked cute and well-dressed as ever. And I'm still in love with guitar player Kai Kennedy. The show was actually very similar to the last time I saw them except there was a much bigger audience. They even played a cover of The White Stripes' "Hotel Yorba" again, but this time they didn't bring people up on stage "in the spirits of music education." I suppose that wasn't the point of this show this time though, so that's forgivable.

The Bravery went on second, after a bunch of hulabaloo in between of giving away things and pulling people on stage to embarrass themselves in various ways (that I could've done without). I had never seen The Bravery perform before and they were pretty awesome. Lots of energy. The two guitar players liked to get as close to the audience as they could without actually leaving the stage, which was cool for those of us up front and for taking pictures. The audience was dancing but for the most part not getting rowdy. The only downside was when a fire alarm went off and they stopped the show for a while (not like they evacuated us or anything, but The Bravery left the stage for a while). That was kind of annoying, but oh well. When they came back on, they played a few more songs - of which my favorite "Unconditional" was one of them - and ended the night on a good note. They also played one new song that is not on any of their albums thus far, which was good.

The more I think about it, whoever paired these bands was pretty genius. They are a lot alike - at least looks wise. They have similar fashion sense (I think almost every single member of both bands was wearing a button up shirt with some accessory, be it suspenders, a tie, a vest, etc), a similar make up (all guys, 2 guitar players/singers - the lead singer being the rhythm guitar player, and the lead guitar player singing backup - and even taking the lead to sing for a song or two). It made the night seem like everything tied together quite nicely.

And some more pictures of Locksley:

I'm a little jealous of that microphone... Not gonna lie..

So cute...

And more pictures of The Bravery:

This would be my favorite pictures if I hadn't cut off his head...

More photos HERE. And some songs:

Don't Make Me Wait [mp3] - Locksley - "Don't Make Me Wait" (iTunes)

Honest Mistake [mp3] - The Bravery - "The Bravery" (iTunes)

Tyrant [mp3] - The Bravery - "The Bravery" (iTunes)

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