Ducktails...wooo-oo!

I know you remember this cartoon. It came on during that after-school Disney marathon that we all loved to watch while avoiding homework... Scrooge McDuck? With that great Scottish accent? And the top hat and tails??? I loved that show!

BUT! That's not what I'm talking about here today. I'm late to this party, but the blogosphere has been lightly and intermittently buzzing (since 2008) about a little outfit called Ducktails out of Jersey City under the LA label Not Not Fun.


Cover of Ducktails' S/T LP - out now!

This solo project by Matthew Mondanile presents pretty, shimmery, psych summer pop that makes me want to put on my bikini, run to the nearest beach and have a party.

Check Ducktails out for yourself at The Market Hotel (JMZ to Myrtle for my fellow MTA riders) tonight, with Andrew Cedermark, Julian Lynch, Real Estate (Matthew's other project), and Family Portait.

Philly - The 6th Borough

Brooklyn has gained a significant amount of notoriety through the years as the borough of music, especially indie music. Nice title to have, I tell you what, but Philly is gaining attention. Take a look at Kurt Vile or Free Energy.

Vile channels Dylan or Cohen, but in a dreamy way, like each song was mixed by Animal Collective. (Listen to "Overnight Religion" here). Free Energy (Listen to their track "Dream City" here) are bringing back '70s power pop (think Thin Lizzie's "The Boys are Back in Town"). By the way, both these bands have earned Best New Music nods from Pitchfork. And lets not forget good ol' Dr. Dog. We like them a lot, too.

It gets you thinking: where will the indie scene move next?

What's in the Water at Wesleyan?

MGMT +
Das Racist +
Boy Crisis +
Amazing Baby
=
The Wesleyan Mafia

Or so says Cristina Black over at the Village Voice.

True, these bands are great. But what about Francis and the Lights? (Playing Zebulon September 1st and 2nd, btw). We love him, too!

Is there something in the water over there in Connecticut?

P.S. September 1st is my birthday! 29 years young!

What Sucks and What Doesn't

Photo from http://www.thetripwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/holly3d.jpg

You know what sucks? When you are totally psyched to see a new band you love perform live - and your editor tries to get you on the list, too - and when you get to the show you hear that a) it's sold out and b) the only press on the list are from Fader. Sigh...

You see, I really wanted to see Holly Miranda at Monkeytown on Monday night, but it was not meant to be. So, instead I had to listen to her on MySpace all day yesterday. I think I like what the NY Times has said about her. Due to the events of Monday night, though, I can't say whether she is "ferocious" live. (I'm looking at you, Fader!) And when I wrote to her PR folks asking whether she had any more shows planned in the New York area the response was: "soon :)". I'll be waiting, I guess. In the meantime, can I say that she is transcendent? Or enigmatic? Like Feist, but maybe more gritty? Take a listen and hear for yourself. I for one, have got the Miranda bug.

A few more things that don't suck: Das Racist and Ear Farm.



From http://thenightbirdcalls.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/das-racist.jpg

Das Racist, if you haven't heard the buzz about them from here or here, are a Brooklyn-based hip hop duo. Yes, yes we love "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell", but what I also really like are the following: this video, and they seem totally smart and socially conscious. (I like that stuff...)


From http://earfarm.com/post/earftpreview.jpg

Ear Farm is a musiczine and I can't believe I've gone this long without talking about it. It's really very good. Please check it out, make comments and give those dudes props. Check out my work there, too!

Oh, also, Fader doesn't suck. Fader, if you are reading this, please know that I wasn't angry at you for being on the Monkeytown list Monday night. Rather, I was angry that you got on the list before me. Promise.

Nostalgia, The New Yorker and Why We Still Go to Concerts Today

Ever since I was a child I can remember wishing that I'd been born in the 1950's. No. I was not and still am not really a fan of DooWop. Rather, I realized then that if I'd been born in the '50s I would be a teenager in the '60s...when music really began (at least in my opinion). Live music began long before the '60s, but it was in that decade--ripe with drugs, radicalism, activism, youth-culture and free love--that it really took hold in a way never before seen or documented by our society.


If you read The New Yorker you may have noticed that the August 10-17, 2009 issue included a piece by John Seabrook called "The Price of the Ticket". I won't get into all the details, but the article gives some insight into the state of live concerts, Ticketmaster, LiveNation. The piece also delves into scalping and how, due to the internet, this formerly criminal act is basically legal and making millionaires out of lazy schlubs who don't want to leave the house.

Aside from its enlightening content, the basic message of the piece was this: there is nothing quite like live music. Even when tickets are posted for $400-$1,500, fans--eager for the thrill of a live concert with their favorite band--will pay.

I liked Seabrook's statement that cheap tickets mean concerts sell out and are "the price the industry pays to preserve the illusion that the '60s never ended." It's funny, because I am a child of the 1980s. I grew up during the era of Debbie Gibson, acid wash jeans and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". I was 20 years too late for the '60s; yet that era holds such enormous meaning for my friends and me. It's part of the reason why I go to concerts today: to get that unmatched thrill that ignited way back when.

TV Smith and Jay Reatard Play the Music Hall of Williamsburg

After some problems obtaining a visa, TV Smith, from The Adverts, hopped on a plane in time to play The Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday July 2, kicking off his scheduled tour with Jay Reatard. TV Smith (aka Tim Smith) wasn't the headliner - Jay Reatard filled those shoes. But, in this lady's opinion, the former stole the show.

It's kind of amazing to me that after being in The Adverts, a band that really only enjoyed three full years of success (from 1976-1979), TV Smith has been able to retain so much of his talent and credibility. It also seems, from listening to him on Thursday night, that TV still holds on to much of his original punk outlook.

That was a great part about this show, because Thursday night felt like stepping back into history to witness the message of a now-defunct movement. It was a change of pace from the current wave of post-punk, whose iterations sometimes share messages, but ultimately do not encourage protest.

Sticking to his roots, TV Smith delivered a solo set that was stark and full of purpose. Only a man and his guitar, TV offered a big sound, with feeling that he maintained throughout, even for songs originally debuted over thirty years ago, like "Great British Mistake", a loud, rollicking piece of punk. I especially loved how TV layered his moments in between each song with a bit of thoughtful musing, like a philosophy sandwich.

In fact, it seems that TV has had some time to reflect on, and be at peace with, his purpose and he was happy to share with the crowd. For instance, in one anecdote, he spoke of a journalist questioning him and The Adverts about making fun of the Bible Belt in one tune. The journalist thought it might get some people riled up - especially fans in the United States. TV Smith replied: "Well, isn't that the point?"

Topping off the set, TV Smith played the title track off his new album "In the Arms of My Enemy", a tough, raw song with strong messages about wealth vs. poverty and the struggle for power. The crowd of mostly men stomped and roared along with the last dying chords of his set, sending their mentor off the stage with massive applause.

From inspired elder, the night moved on to post-adolescent frustration. Jay Reatard's set was all hair and noise, with lyrics reflecting angst and anger. I couldn't help dancing as Jay manipulated his voice from a high, almost bratty whine to a low, guttural roar through songs like Blood Visions or Missing You. Actually, it would have been impossible not to dance due to the fast-paced guitars, drums, and sheer frenetic energy that flowed, unstoppable, through each song.

JR's set was vastly different from TV's. The former mostly mumbled the name of each upcoming song, hair in front of his eyes and hands attached to his guitar, occasionally spitting on the stage or at the audience. It was an interesting contrast to what we had seen earlier, and I felt it represented perfectly the difference between punk and post-punk.

All in all, an enjoyable show. TV Smith and Jay Reatard gave a joint encore that made the crowd crazy. If you've never heard of him, please do yourself a favor and check out TV Smith's "In the Arms of My Enemy". Also, check out Jay Reatard's new album, "Watch Me Fall"(Matador Records) dropping August 18th. You won't be sorry.

Five Questions for Allison Busch of Awesome Color

Allison Busch, drummer extraordinaire of Awesome Color, took a few minutes to talk to me while waiting to perform with her new band, Red Dawn II, at Sodafine as part of the third annual Make Music New York festival on June 21st. I learned--after some uncomfortable gushing (from me) about how much I love their band--that Allison does not take praise lightly. She is truly grateful when she hears that fans dig Awesome Color. Watch for them on tour this summer with none other than the venerable rockers from Sonic Youth. Yes, awesome indeed.

1. How did you guys meet and what are your influences?

We met skateboarding in Ann Arbor, MI. Michael [Troutman] (bass) came to my house to skateboard and we became friends. At the time he was in a band called the Violent Ramp. Then we met Derek [Stanton] (guitarist/vox] at one of their shows. Our influences are Wolf Eyes, USAisaMonster (they actually gave us our first show)...

2. How has the skateboarding scene influenced your music?

I learned a lot about music skating. I really liked the music I heard in skate videos or in Thrash [magazine]. I also got into Sonic Youth, Black Flag and Dinosaur Jr. through the skate scene.

3. What is your goal for Awesome Color going forward?

To play with Hair Police: the best band in Lexington, KY. We love playing with them. We had other goals, too, like to play the Elbow Room in Ypsilanti, MI, as a touring band. We did that.

4. Have you signed with a label?

Yeah, we signed with Ecstatic Peace a few years ago [2005]. They have put out all our albums [a self-titled debut and then "Electric Aborigines", most recently]. They are putting out our [third] album this fall, too.

5. Who are your favorite bands to play with, aside from Hair Police?

There are a lot of bands in New York right now that I like: Oneida, Tall Firs (Aaron [Mullan] recorded our first album), Knyfe Hyts. We like playing with Wolf Eyes [also from Detriot]. We just finished touring with the Black Dice; we like playing with them a lot. We also did a tour with Sonic Youth and will be going on another one with them. We toured with Radio Birdman when they reunited for a bit...

Bonus question: What is happening with your new band?

Red Dawn II? We are playing today (Sunday June 21st) in a few minutes. The band is me and Wolfie, on guitar. It is raw punk. We sing about horror movies.