WIRE at Black Cat this Saturday!

Come rock out with me to British punk/post-punk icons, Wire, at Black Cat this Saturday (6/6).



If you're unfamiliar with Wire, they're pretty much one of the most important bands of the 1970s and 80s. It's not that often that millenials such as myself get the chance to see bands who had such a formative influence on multiple genres of music, particularly punk and rock 'n' roll. So take advantage of it!

You Say Party! We Say Die!

Just in time for the Olympics, You Say Party! We Say Die! is a five-piece British Columbian (that means Canadian) dance-punk band that brings the noise like their Yankee neighbors to the immediate south - Seattle's Pretty Girls Make Graves - once did. And it's nearly the same setup bringing the hooks you can lean and rock with: two women (one vocals, one keys), three men (everything else).

While both are equally danceable - i.e., provide formidable acronyms - YSP!WSD! is more catchy/synthy while PGMG brought more direct rock - i.e., less exclamation points. (How I miss your Good Health riffs, Jay Clark.) But adding to YSP!WSD!'s intrigue is the fact they've been barred from performing in the U.S. since 2006, as their bassist Stephen O'Shea was served with a five year ban from entering for not presenting the proper visas at border control. But this isn't stopping them from embarking on an American swing in March, punctuated by their SXSW debut. Will O'Shea be McCallistered? Can this lead to potential New York Post-esque headlines like "Cops Stop Pop?" It's an indie-mystery that can only be solved by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Their third album, XXXX, has had Canucks swooning since late September, and will finally get its U.S. release on February 9th. Another important date: January 22nd, which finds a homecoming show in Vancouver with Phoenix as part of some Winter Games commencement cultural ceremony that - along with assuming another world hockey championship in the sport's frenzied motherland is a birthright - promises to be the first of several gold medal-winning performances from Team Canada. (But at least we won the World Jr. tournament, right? Right?!)

Laura Palmer's Prom [mp3] - (iTunes)
Downtown Mayors Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule! [mp3] - (iTunes)

March 2010 U.S. Tour:
March 9 Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey
March 10 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
March 12 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
March 13 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
March 15 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room
March 17-19 Austin, TX @ South By Southwest Music Festival
March 21 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
March 22 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
March 23 Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
March 24 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
March 26 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
March 27 Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's Place
March 29 New York, NY @ Pianos NYC
March 30 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room
March 31 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle

Slingshot Dakota

Slingshot Dakota is a two-piece indie-punk band from equal parts Brooklyn, NY and Easton, PA, and you might recognize their work from elsewhere already. Sort of.

That's because lead-singer Carly Comando's piano-work for the instrumental piece "Everyday" was featured in the now infamous YouTube video where that dude Noah takes a picture of himself (wait for it!) "everyday" for six years as some sort of narcissistic visual art composition, or something.



That music was then picked up for use by the NBA's "Where Amazing Happens" ad campaign. However, neither Comando nor Slingshot Dakota have managed to blow up, which is surprising considering they are linked to a monolithic internet phenomenon. Maybe this is for the best.

At any rate, using the phrase "bubblegum-pop" to describe their upbeat organ-laden hooks might make you think Mates of State, and that's somewhat fair. Comando controls the vocals with similar enthusiasm and demonstrates similar mastery of the keyboard as Kori Gardner, if not more so. Yet what sets this band apart from other "aw, shucks" duos is their undeniably punk energy, simultaneously driven by Comando's confident, hollering vocals and the indefatigable drumming of Seth Rogen deadringer, Tom Patterson.

The combination of these elements alone - and the fact they remain unsigned - make for a great live set that reminds me of the DIY scene and celebratory-emo shows at the height of my teenage angst. (i.e., Yep. I was one of those.) But upon recognition that somehow, only two mere mortals are creating such a resounding sound, it becomes a much more interpersonal listening experience.

Overtly cutesy? Sure. Raucously passionate? Absolutely. Be sure to check them out if they come to your city during their fall tour. (Dates are found below, and are continuing to be added.) And make sure to head over to their MySpace page for a new demo and some more streaming goodness. For the time being, enjoy the title track off of their 2008 full length, Their Dreams are Dead, but Ours is the Golden Ghost, aptly titled "The Golden Ghost."

The Golden Ghost [mp3] - iTunes

Fall 2009 Tour:
9/18 Lehigh Valley, PA
9/19 Brooklyn, NY
9/24 Philadelphia, PA
9/25 Baltimore/Frederick, MD
9/26 Washington DC
9/27 Richmond, VA
9/28 Charlotte, NC
9/29 Greenville, SC
9/30 Columbia, SC
10/1 Atlanta, GA
10/2 Birmingham, AL
10/3 Memphis, TN
10/4 Little Rock, AR
10/5 Dallas, TX
10/7 Tulsa, OK
10/8 Independence, KS
10/9 St. Louis, MO
10/10 Louisville, KY
10/11 Cincinnati, OH
10/12 Bloomington, IN
10/13 Chicago, IL
10/14 Valparaiso, IN
10/15 Grand Rapids, MI
10/16 Columbus, OH
10/17 Cleveland, OH
10/19 Buffalo, NY
10/20 Rochester, NY
10/21 Syracuse, NY
10/22 Plattsburgh, NY
10/23 Winooski, VT
10/24 Boston, MA
10/25 Providence, RI