The Subjects

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! Even though I'm currently in MN, I'm going to write about a NY band today. Brooklyn band The Subjects released their single "Winter Vacation" a while back, but I feel like it's fitting for this time of year and it is catchier than the H1N1. Definitely a toe-tapper. All three songs from their Soft Shoe EP are bouncy sing-a-longs that are guaranteed to stick in your head for days. Despite having the word "winter" in the title, the song also has a bit of an easy-going, summery feel to me, which is a nice distraction from the cold for those of us who have to face the oncoming winter.

Winter Vacation [mp3] - (iTunes)

Urban Sun

Last weekend I spent a perfect Saturday evening on a sold out concert cruise on the East River. I was there to see NYC-based funk band Urban Sun, who managed within two sets in that one evening to jettison themselves up into my list of favorite local bands, even though I had only even heard of them a few weeks before.

A large band with two drummers, guitar, bass, a brass section, keyboard, singer, and probably more (I couldn't even see the whole band there were so many of them and the stage wasn't really elevated), they had people dancing all night long to their funk and sometimes disco tunes. They played two long sets - the first was about 10 songs and I lost track of how many songs the second was but I never got bored. I was too busy dancing my butt off! The lead singer, Joe Trombino, looks so unassuming and laid back when he's not on stage, but he has quite the presence and definitely knows how to work an audience. The whole band seems like a really fun group of people. Definitely check them out if you have the opportunity.

Practice Me [mp3]
Realize [mp3]
Purchase their album, Practice Me, on iTunes

The Phenomenal Handclap Band

The Phenomenal Handclap Band is a fabulous assemblage of eight musicians that intertwine the elements of indie rock music, electronica and the psychedelic disco funk vein of the 70s. The center of the imaginative group are DJs Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand, collectively known as Embassy Sound Productions (ESP). The whole group is fresh from New York, just debuting as a group not even a year ago. The debut self-titled album drops next tuesday, but take a listen to the awesome song "15 to 20," which features Lady Tigra, and try not to get the phrase "5 10 to 15 20, 25 30, 35 40, 45 50, all that money still riding the bus" stuck in your head.

15 to 20 [mp3] (iTunes)

Ravens & Chimes, Mia Riddle @ Joe's Pub

Saturday night I hit up Joe's Pub to see one of my favorite local bands, Ravens & Chimes. It's been way too long since I've seen them perform and I'd heard they'd been writing a bunch of new stuff. I was also very excited to see Mia Riddle because I caught only the very end of her set at the Deli Magazine Best of New York show and definitely wanted to hear more.

Mia Riddle was up first. She started out a little bit... nervous? Timid? I think she was a tad bit overwhelmed about playing at the infamous Joe's Pub. She kept saying how awesome it was to be there ("like a dream come true!"). As the set went on, she got more and more confident (as did her band), which was great to see. She has a very strong voice and a good stage presence, especially when she smiles and looks like she's having fun. The audience seemed to be really digging her particular brand of folk rock, as was I.

Echo [mp3] - (iTunes)

Ravens and Chimes also seemed a little nervous and warmed up as they went. I guess it's the Joe's Pub reputation for star-making. They played quite a few new songs, which is exciting. I am really looking forward to hearing even more when their next album comes out. Although, I was a little disappointed that they didn't play my very favorites (in their defense, I do love basically all their old stuff though. And they did play "General Lafayette! You Are Not Alone!" which is fitting since we were on Lafayette street). I was also not so impressed with the mixing for their set, but that's not their fault. And at least lead singer Asher's underwear didn't get stolen (apparently he used to perform commando and once his underwear got stolen during a gig at Maxwells, but he no longer goes commando). During the show, he also told a funny story about almost getting arrested but getting out of it by telling the cop he was in a band.

General Lafayette! You Are Not Alone! [mp3] - (iTunes)

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

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.

Here We Go Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Tuesday night I trekked over to Music Hall of Williamsburg to catch The Hymns, The Antlers and Here We Go Magic. I have to say, for me Hymns kind of stole the show and it's a shame more people weren't there early enough to see them. They're a New York band (by way of North Carolina and Texas), who play country-style rock. While they didn't always look 100% sure of themselves (maybe it was the fact that the bass player had joined them 2 days prior and they didn't have their whole band with them), I think they are definitely a band to watch over the next few years. Their music is solid and highly enjoyable. Considering the small audience they had, they did a good job of keeping us engaged and keeping their own energy up. I don't think I've ever seen someone jump around on stage as much as guitarist Jason Roberts, who accidentall spit his gum into his hair at one point (hot! haha). Definitely check them out if you have a chance. I bet they're even better with their full band.

St. Sebastian [mp3] - (iTunes)

Next up was The Antlers. While I really enjoy their music ("Hospice" is one of my favorite albums this year) and think they are incredibly talented, I have to say that I didn't think MHOW was a good venue to see them perform. I want to be sitting down with a glass of wine or something when I listen to The Antlers. Not standing up in a poorly mixed music hall with drunk people bumping into me as they try to dance to music that isn't danceable. Their wall-of-sound thing that they have going on would be great in a sit-down venue with a really stellar sound system where we could relax calmly and just absorb the beautiful music. Their music has an intense drama to it that I absolutely love. But I would prefer to see them in a different venue next time.

Two [mp3] - (iTunes)

Headlining was Here We Go Magic, a band that I'm not sure what size they are, as new members seemed to appear out of thin air at times and then disappear again. I believe it's spear-headed by Luke Temple (see right). Here We Go Magic tied together the first two bands well, as they were a little more upbeat than The Antlers, but still had a wall-of-sound, semi-experimental thing going on. Listening to their self-titled album, I have to say I love the music. It's different enough to stand out, but catchy enough to be pallatable to many different people. Unfortunately, the sound mixing got even worse when they went on and so I can't say I enjoyed the show as much as I thought I would. First, I couldn't hear the vocals at all. Then the vocals were all too loud and unevenly mixed amongst all the singers. So once again, we have a venue problem (although I think the venue size/setting was appropriate for Here We Go Magic). But I would say that they're definitely worth seeing again, hopefully in a venue with better sound mixing.

Tunnelvision [mp3] - (iTunes)

More pictures HERE.

Ra Ra Riot @ Webster Hall

Saturday night I had the privilege to attend the closing show of Ra Ra Riot's headlining tour (now they go on tour with Death Cab). It was their biggest headlining show thus far - it took place at Webster Hall and it sold out. I was so excited for them, and it's been great watching them, and in turn their audience, grow since I first saw them play for a small audience at Studio B in August of 2007.

First up was Jon Moses, who I don't think was originally on the bill based on the fact that I never saw anything with his name on it besides the piece of paper on Webster Hall's front door. In fact, I can't seem to find anything about him anywhere so I'm kind of wondering if he even really exists. He seems like a sweet kid and he played some nice music, though it had a few too many hillbilly-yeehaw moments for my personal tastes, and I felt it distracted from the music because you couldn't help but laugh and most of the music was more somber than that.

Next up was the sexy New Zealand band, Cut Off Your Hands. I have to say, they rocked it. They had enough energy to power all of New York City, and their music had everyone dancing (or at least bopping along, as in some areas it was a bit too crowded to dance). These guys are exactly what all indie dance rock musicians should aspire to be: hot, hip and high-energy. They really nailed it and I know all the teen girls in the audience were drooling all over themselves (not that I wasn't, as well...). I also have to give props to Webster Hall and to Cut Off Your Hands because they took the stage exactly on time, which pretty much never happens.

Still Fond [mp3] (iTunes)

And then Ra Ra Riot came on, looking even more beautiful than usual. I mean, they're a pretty attractive bunch of people, but the girls were all glammed up and lead singer Wes Miles confessed to the audience that they'd all just gotten hair cuts. I can see why they'd want to dress to impress though, what with this being their biggest headlining show thus far. And it was a beautiful show, too. The lighting was beautiful, their music is always beautiful (they played all my favorites, plus a new song!). As I've said before when I've been to their shows, I love how they have fun together on stage. You really get a feel for them not just as band members, but as friends. They smile and laugh, they come nudge each other and play around. It makes you want to be on stage with them and sharing in the good times. It also makes you totally love them as much as they love each other. And this is totally random but I have to say Alexandra Lawn is the hottest cellist I've ever seen (and I'm a straight female). She's just gorgeous and she is the only person I've ever seen make playing the cello seem bad ass and glamorous at the same time - I love that she plays standing up and she can rock out or dance around accordingly.

Ghost Under Rocks [mp3] (iTunes)

More pictures HERE.

New video from The Virgins!

I feel like it's been a little while since I've posted any rock music, so for your viewing pleasure today I have a new video from The Virgins. While I've found most of The Virgins' other stuff a little more funky/80s (which is a good thing), this song remind me that sometimes you just can't beat some good straight-up ol' rock 'n' roll to get you energized for that night out, and it's also got just the right hint of pop to keep the song stuck in your head long after you've headed out and about. The Virgins are a lot of fun for everyone, and they're just awkward enough to appeal to even the disinterested uber hipster set. Speaking of fun and hipsters, I'm not sure I can say that this video is really anything particularly special or unique, but it did look like they had a lot of fun making it and I kind of wish I had been their in my best hipster hat with them.



The band has just announced a spring North America headlining tour with guests Lissy Trullie and Anya Marina (she seems like a lot of fun too, so it should definitely be a worthwhile show). Tour dates below with more to be added soon:

May 11 - Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO
May 12 - Kilby Court Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT
May 14 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA
May 15 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
May 16 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
May 18 - Harlow's Night Club - Sacremento, CA
May 20 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
May 21 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
May 22 - Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA
May 23 - Beauty Bar - Las Vegas, NV
May 26 - The Loft - Dallas, TX
May 27 - Emo's Alternative Lounge - Austin, TX
May 28 - Rudyards - Houston, TX
May 30 - Alabama Music Box - Mobile, AL
June 1 - The Social - Orlando, FL
June 2 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Album Review: Emanuel and the Fear

Emanuel and the Fear is a 11-piece Orchestral Dance-Rock band fronted by Emanuel Ayvas and in February their self-titled debut EP was released. Since then, they’ve been labeled Deli Magazine’s artist of the month, played to sold-out shows, toured with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Spoon and the National, and are playing at SXSW next week. Their 5-song EP is an eclectic piece of work that is impressive on all musical levels, which is not as surprising once you find out that Emanuel and the Fear list a large range of musical influences, from Beethoven and Rachmaninoff to Arcade Fire and Daft Punk.

I got hold of the EP and consequently wrote the following as I listened to it for the first time. Instead of doing a re-write of my take of the album in a more professional tone, I decided just to post the initial thoughts I had, because each song is so distinctly different there's no way to comprehensively evaluate the EP as a whole unless each song is described. Once again, this is raw, first impressions, but now that I’ve listened to it all, I gotta say, if there was any reason to advocate for a return of the entire album listening experience that has been damaged by the downloading of a single here or there by today’s technology (I mean really, people don’t appreciate albums the same way anymore), this would be it. This thing is beautiful to listen to in its entirety.


The Rain Becomes the Clouds [mp3] – The first selected track for release. We start off with drums, then synth, and then soon a muted electric piano arpeggios in juxtaposition to the beat of the drums as the warmth of trombones and strings emerge alongside both male and female vocals in this multi-layered song. Certainly not a bad way to begin, but I’m hoping for something a bit more to come along.

Comfortable Prison- A simple calm acoustic guitar with an echo-y sliding guitar is not what was expected after the previous instrument-rich track, but the ballad is well produced and constructed, perfect for those moments when you just need to chill, and finishes nicely when the drum kicks in and the female/male harmonies really start belting at the climax of the piece.

Jimme’s Song- After listening to the last two songs, if I didn’t know that this was by the same people, I wouldn’t have suspected it. *That’s* the range on this EP. A beautiful whistle opens an odd combination of electronica and beats before an acoustic guitar comes in. The song starts out a bit sparse but builds energy to the chorus when it seems to lift up from the air and stomp along with an added flanged synth, making my toes tap. This 8-minute songs ends with an electronica breakdown.

We’re All Alright Tonight – I’ve never listened to an EP like this. I don’t even know how to classify this anymore. Dare I say this song has a hint of Devo? Omg, is that autotune? And now a flute is playing alongside a soft synth that sounds stolen from an old 8-bit Nintendo game. At the same time, this song is so orchestral, my brain really doesn’t know what to make of it.

Two – Annnnd we close with a soft piano playing a classical piece. I thought it was merely a sample of a classical song at first being used as an intro, but oh no. This track is purely piano, and purely a beautiful way to pay homage to the classical side of the musical world. Nicely done.


Conclusion: This is a fantastic debut EP that takes all sorts of unexpected twists and turns down all different kinds of genres, constantly converging the new with the old. Sophisticated orchestral rock/pop indie is the only way to begin a description of this diverse album and makes one very excited for the upcoming full length album. If you like your music to sparkle, pick apart your mind and throw you up in the air only to catch you and set you gently back down on the ground again - don't just grab one song, get the entire EP.

Get the EP on iTunes

Also, don't forget that we still got a giveaway contest going on! For more info, click here.

School of Seven Bells

Despite being in Minnesota on Minnesota Monday for once, I am going to represent my 'hood by posting a Brooklyn band today - School of Seven Bells. Their new album “Alpinisms” is an interesting mish-mash of genres – electronic, experimental, pop, rock, and various influences from around the world. What comes to mind is The Cranberries meets Evanescence meets MIA. I have to say I didn’t expect to like it at first, but it’s grown on me with each listen. Their music is fairly dramatic, a little bit haunting, but still catchy, and has some great complex layering. It’s always a very full sound that they maintain throughout most of their songs.

Connjur [mp3]
Purchase "Alpinisms" on iTunes

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Ra Ra Riot @ Soundfix

Tuesday night, Ra Ra Riot did an intimate performance at SoundFix Records to promote their new much-awaited (by me at least) album, "The Rhumb Line." The first time I saw them was at the After The Jump festival in summer of 2007, and boy have they come a long way since then.

One thing I love about Ra Ra Riot is that they always seem like they're having so much fun on stage and they really seem like they get along. I got to SoundFix kind of early and the band was hanging out the whole time before the show, and they always seem to have a good chemistry on stage. I was also pleasantly surprised at the mixing at SoundFix, which wasn't nearly as terrible as I expected it to be for the 6-person band (though I have to say I was disappointed in the nonexistent lighting). Or maybe I was just standing close enough that it didn't matter?

Anyway, "The Rhumb Line" is great and it has all of my favorites that I've heard them perform over the last year and a half. It's a beautiful, poppy, catchy album. Lead singer Wes Miles' smooth vocals blend seamlessly with the rich string instruments as the poppy drum beat pushes each song forward. I think I can say with relative certainty that this will make my favorite albums of 2008 list.

Each Year [mp3]
Purchase "The Rhumb Line" on iTunes

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