an open letter to matt johnson & kim schifino

dear matt & kim -

i was at your show ten days ago (10/20/07 @ music hall of williamsburg), the show that was your last in brooklyn for the year, the show that cost five bucks and featured your buddies flosstradamus. i just wanted to tell you about how much fun i had, and how grateful i was that i had a chance to see you on your home turf, and on such a special night. i've never seen you perform before, but the day i heard that you were playing at music hall of williamsburg, i biked down to mercury lounge to pick up a pair of tickets. the guy that sold them to me was shocked that they were so cheap, but i was shocked when the show wasn't sold out. i suppose you had some competition, but i'd much rather dance to tweaked-out keyboards than thumping bass. in any event, i think MHOW ended up full the night of, and i hope i speak for everyone who was there in telling you how special it was.

i first heard of you last year, though i wasn't on the ball enough to pick up a copy of to/from. i had to content myself with reviewing s/t for my college radio station, which is about the time i fell in love. matt & kim was blaring in my headphones for weeks, and i secretly danced to it during my radio show, which featured songs from that album at least once an hour. as the concert director of my radio station, i even emailed you to invite you to play in maine, but that didn't work out, and i was very sad. i missed your show in vancouver by one day (i was there on vacation), and wasn't in town for your first MHOW show, and i began to feel that i would never get to see you live. but then this show came along, and i jumped at the chance. if i hadn't been in such pain at the end of the night (too many crowd surfers jumped on my face), i don't think i could've stopped smiling if i wanted to.

when i first saw the lineup, i was a little surprised; i mean, everybody knows how bitching your collaboration with flosstradamus was, but i never suspected that you two would appear in concert together. i've really gotten into party djs this year, so i was excited to hear what flosstradamus had to show for themselves. despite my love for art brut, i hadn't known that art goblins were a manifestation of eddie argos and jasper future (along with five or six other people), and once i found that out, i was really psyched to hear what they had up their collective sleeve. i wasn't, however, excited for the hood internet. i know they're gotten a lot of press for their free mixtapes (which you can download at their myspace), but the whole mashup thing is totally played out, and i never thought their mixtapes were particularly ingenious to begin with. but still, three out of four isn't bad, especially during the constantly-unpredictable cmj.

unfortunately, the show had a bad start. eddie argos's plane was delayed, which meant no art goblins. a rumor going around the pit was that they would come on after the hood internet, but, sadly, they never made it on stage at all, though they did have a brief cameo appearance later. that led to the hood internet appearing earlier than expected (and playing longer than i hoped). their live schtick was the same as their mixtapes - verse samples lifted straight from hot 97, paired with beats that were far too often indistinguishable. i managed to catch a bit of "my moon my man" and a bonde do role song, but the rest was rather plain, to the point of being irritating - i'd managed to live my life before then without ever hearing "don't cha" in its entirety, a life bonus that i no longer enjoy. what made it a great deal worse was that it seemed like most of the crowd wasn't really into it either. there was a lot of attempted dancing, but the hood internet's beats were either too abrasive or the songs too short to get much of a groove on. even when they handed out lightning rod-shaped glowsticks, the energy never really had much of a peak, leaving me (and the rest of the crowd) to alternate between trying to dance and standing still. the hood internet frequently gave the impression that they far from being skilled djs, fluidly mixing songs together, but amateurs with some nice software and a little imagination. i felt the biggest indicator of this was that they almost never used the turntables onstage - like in the picture on the right, the hood internet spent most of their set looking into their laptop, merely segueing from one pre-mashed song to the next, rather than getting their mix on.

such was not the case with flosstradamus, thankfully. it was instantly apparent that these guys had skill. it is a tribute to them that i barely remember their set - i was dancing far too much to focus on much else, as was everyone else. from the moment they came onstage, the entire tenor of the show changed. no longer was the crowd trying to dance - they were dancing with abandon. flosstradamus flawlessly mixed songs, ranging from the mainstream to the unrecognizable with nothing short of serious ability. flosstradamus was no one trick pony, either - their visuals were as much a fluid part of the set as their mixing, ranging from absurd pixelated ladies to teeth-gnashing sharks. also, they sampled "sandstorm."

there were two sincere highlights of flosstradamus's set, the first coming in the middle and the second at the end. when they announced that the next song would be the remix of "yea yeah" - matt & kim, i have to tell you - the place went apeshit. the pit hadn't yet turned into the pulsating mob that it would be for your set, but the crowd was seriously digging what flosstradamus was spinning. like i said, i can't remember most of it, but the ending was surely the night's biggest climax thus far. even as your stagehands set up your keyboards and drums, flosstradamus was leading the crowd in an amazing singalong to weezer's "say it ain't so," our voices not yet as hoarse as they would be after your set. as we stood there, singing along, i began to get a sense of the real connectivity and positivity in this space - and then you came on.

(before i write about how mind-bogglingly amazing and happy your set was, i want to apologize for the delay in this letter. i picked up a lot of work these past two weeks, and i've been struggling to keep up. also, i didn't go to the show to report on it; i went to enjoy myself. and lordy lord, i did. i hope you don't mind the wait.)

i know i don't need to tell you how amazing the show was. after all, you were there, and your excitement and joy fueled our passion, and it's because of you that i and everyone else who was there had a simply fantastic time. it was such a perfect end to such a great day - i started off seeing todd p's free show with islands, had dinner at a swell place in the neighborhood, and watched the red sox kick some serious ass, but, honestly, that paled in comparison to your performance. from the get-go, it was clear that this was going to be more like a house party than a performance - your modesty, energy, and overwhelming joy made the 750-person venue feel like a cramped basement (in nothing but a good way). maybe that was an illusion, because i was (literally) smashed in the front, but there was no distance between us - you even set up your keyboards and kit on the very edge of the stage, as close to us as possible. there was no posturing or pretension, just uninhibited joy, and we were right there with you.

the first thing that attracted me to you was the happiness and simplicity that was abundant in matt & kim, the same elements that made your live show so appealing. i'm smiling as i write, remembering how unique the show ten days ago was. no offense to you, matt & kim, but i have only the vaguest memories of your set - i was a little preoccupied with dancing my ass off, and saving my glasses from getting snapped in half! (matt, next time i'm taking my cues from you, and wearing one of those glasses straps.) some gig facts that i recall: kim got a mic for the first time ever, in over three years of performing; you're taking the winter off to record a new album, woop woop; matt introduced the song "frank" as being about kim's dad; the set ended with "silver tiles;" there was some dude in a mask who kept crowd-diving, all over my face; and matt read multiple excerpts from letters to e.t., which was probably the evening's best moment. we were all giddy with laughter and endorphins, and the fact that both of you kept talking about how happy you were, and how exciting it was to be playing to us in such a good space, for your last brooklyn show of the year, and how honored you were to be here with us, but, honestly, the honor was all ours. matt & kim, you played one of the best sets i've seen all year, which is no mean feat. i feel lucky to have been there.

that's it. kinda lame after ten days, sure, but like i said - i wasn't there as a blogger, i was there as a fan.

matt and kim, thank you.

sincerely,

mr. mammoth

flosstradamus - "yea yeah (remix)"

matt & kim - "silver tiles"

the photos used in this post were taken by mr. mammoth and xiaoyi.

mr. mammoth's free guide to a nearly free cmj - day four!

this one, folks, is a doozy. you got iLIKETRAiNS @ r bar, part of brooklynvegan's awesome day party, starting at 12.45, simian mobile disco @ the apple store at 2 or illinois @ the gothamist house at 2.15, and then back to brooklynvegan for black kids at 4.45 (get there early! or don't bother leaving!) and stick around for islands and yo majesty, 6.15 and 7.15 respectively. if that ain't your thang, head to galapagos for an anti-cmj crashin' in party with cadence weapon, foals, a place to bury strangers, le loup and jay reatard. that's $5 before 6, $10 after. i'm gonna shill out $10 for the ernest jennings showcase @ union pool featuring o'death, since i haven't seen them this week, and this is probably the best time to catch them. again, if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, soundfix once again hosts a great lineup tonight, featuring the brunettes and georgie james.

mr. mammoth's free guide to a nearly free cmj - day three!

i hope everyone's wednesday was lovely, despite the weather. thursday's free/cheap show offerings are somewhat limited and a little bit disappointing, especially after wednesday's bevy. you can check out vampire weekend at an instore at other music, which starts at 11 am, and then going to wander over to the apple store soho for a performance by q-tip at 2 pm. there's not much until this evening after that - galapagos for beat the devil @ 9.30, and walk up to soundfix for o'death afterwards. then it's off to cake shop for a set from jay reatard at 1 am.

there are two outstanding pay shows tonight, the kork & biz3 showcase @ highline, featuring islands, enon, and ...and you will know us by the trail of dead, and club nme @ the annex with mates of state and black kids, but that's sold out.

11 am - vampire weekend @ other music
2 pm - q-tip @ apple store
9.30 pm - beat the devil @ galapagos
10 pm - o'death @ soundfix
1 am - jay reatard @ cake shop

all free.

the brunettes @ the delancey, 10/17/07 (cmj)

i was happy to catch the brunettes at the delancey earlier, since i've been grooving to structure & cosmetics, the new zealand band's third LP, pretty much since it was released. their brand of post-modern pop is particularly appealing, the sugar-coated melodies a delicious antidote to an overabundance of lo-fi rock. drawing much of their inspiration from brill building stars and spector assembly-line groups, the brunettes are sweet and overpoweringly schizophrenic. "her hairagami set," one of the songs in the brunettes' five song set (and an outstanding cut on structure & cosmetics), is probably the most obvious example of this; here, the brunettes abruptly switch from a bouncy piano and angular beat to shimmering vocals and effervescent white noise. "her hairagami set" is perhaps one of the most telling points of departure between jonathan bree and heather mansfield, the brunettes' founders and songwriters, though not the only one. the two often combine their disparate songwriting styles into the same tune, creating the schizophrenic effect that characterizes their music.

without a doubt, "brunettes against bubblegum youth" is the best song on structure & cosmetics, breezy prog-pop that builds from its wind and brass foundation, adding a guitar and chorus part so infectious that it practically dares you not to dance. for their u.s. tour, bree and mansfield have recruited four additional bandmates, all of whom multitasked, like when the bassist did double duty on triangle or the drummer broke out the occasional saxophone riff. one of the brunettes' strongest points is their instrumental diversity; between the six people on stage, there must have been at least eighteen instruments, from the mundane (guitar) to the unique (maracas). one thing that sets the brunettes apart is their inimitable supply of noisemakers, props that many bands would leave in the studio. but the brunettes are clearly devoted to replicating their sound as honestly as possible in a live environment.

you can catch the brunettes at soundfix tomorrow or opening for band of horses @ bowery ballroom as part of a sub pop showcase.

i should also mention that i'm 99% sure daytrotter was at the show, since i saw a guy sketching in the distinctive daytrotter style, and the set was being recorded. so look for that whenever it goes up.

the brunettes - buy structure & cosmetics from sub pop.

"brunettes against bubblegum youth"

mr. mammoth's free guide to a nearly free cmj - day two!

well, i hope you all had a lovely day yesterday, whether you saw le loup, st. vincent, the OM showcase and james murphy or not. today is a hectic mix of everything - it's got some of cmj's most hyped shows, some anti-cmj shows, and one show that probably couldn't care less about cmj. i'm going to kick the day off at cake shop, located at 152 ludlow street. starting at 1 pm, xl recordings is hosting a double bill of vampire weekend and jack penate. you can get to cake shop by taking the F/V to 2nd avenue or the F/J/M/Z to essex street. after that, you can walk up to houston and catch the M21 bus across to broadway and walk a block south and west to 103 prince street, where the apple store soho has a 2 pm performance by thurston moore. i'm only sticking around for 45 minutes though (don't know how long the show will last), because the brunettes go on at the delancey at 3 pm. now, it's not easy to get from 103 prince street to 168 delancey - it's a crosstown trip, so your best bet is to walk, briskly, or try and catch the M21 bus to essex or suffolk street and walk two blocks down to delancey street. then again, if you're walking up to houston, you might as well take the F train to essex street and walk to the delancey from there. or, you could go see o'death at the gothamist house at white rabbit at 145 houston. they also go on at 3 pm. i'm gonna see o'death later in the week, and i'd rather catch the brunettes. there are a lot of places you could go for the rest of the day - there are day parties everywhere, but i'm gonna take a break until 8 pm, when i'm heading back down to galapagos for an insound party featuring oh no! oh my!, holy fuck, and mr. mammoth fave cadence weapon. this is the only show that costs money; it's 5 bucks at the door. galapagos is located at 70 north 6th street in brooklyn, which you can walk to from the bedford avenue L stop, if you go west until wythe, go one block south, and continue west.

the highly touted options for this evening are deerhunter and dan deacon @ bowery ballroom, the walkmen and mates of state @ avalon, the after the jump showcase @ music hall of williamsburg, featuring yeasayers, cadence weapon, and a place to bury strangers. those all cost money though, and at least one is sold out.

so, today's free-or-cheap schedule looks like this:
1 pm - vampire weekend @ cake shop
2 pm - thurston moore @ apple store soho
3 pm - the brunettes @ the delancey OR
3 pm - o'death @ the gothamist house

8 pm - insound party @ galapagos

total cost for wednesday, oct. 17? 5 dollars.

st. vincent @ other music, 10/16/07 (cmj)

i wasn't really in love with what i heard of marry me, st. vincent's debut album, released over the summer, but i decided to stick to my strict "free music" regimen and catch her instore at other music. good thing i went straight there from soundfix; by 8 pm, the line was around the block, and some people even got turned away at the door. annie clark, whose "superhero name is st. vincent," took the block (stage would be too generous of a word) for an acoustic performance that clark likened to a campfire ring. explaining that she usually performs with "a ton of pedals," as she did for the national show recently, clark decided to go acoustic for this instore and create an intimate, homey vibe. and she did. her songs were each intensely different, borrowing from genres as diverse as southwestern folk and jazz, concluding her set with a husky ballad, a tribute to john coltrane, instantly evoking images of smoke-filled bars of the 50s.

the best word to describe st. vincent is quirky, in both her music and persona. she chatted up the crowd, telling stories about her sister's recent wedding and making lighthearted banter between songs, all of it tinged with a distinctly odd vibe. not in a bad way, but in a sincere and honest way; you know clark is being herself. no stranger to the stage, clark repeatedly called the performance "superfun," and appeared to have a great time. her music is still not something i find particularly appealing, but the show was pleasant (and free), and who needs more than that?

st. vincent - buy marry me from beggars.

"paris is burning"

le loup @ soundifx, 10/16/07 (cmj)

though the d.c. scene is often a little too hardcore for my taste, it does have an overarching and commendable DIY ethic that virtually every band that emerges from d.c. shares. le loup, one of the district's newest exports, certainly has that in spades. the seven person army (any band with more than six members if henceforth an army) wielded three guitars, a french horn/keyboardist, and a banjo/singer/programmer, in addition to bass and drums. le loup's origins are as true to the d.c. DIY ethic as anything; frontman sam simkoff recorded a collection of songs solo, then posted on craigslist, looking for bandmates. the full band coming together less than a year ago, yet the cohesion they displayed was remarkable. with the kind of sweetness shared by fellow armies los campesinos and you say party! we say die!, le loup played songs from their impressively titled debut album, throne of the third heaven of the nations' millenium general assembly. le loup was energetic and infectious, four out of their five songs rambunctious and exhilarating, causing near-universal toe-tapping (a serious dance move in a sit-down venue). too ramshackle and fast-paced to worry about anything as pedestrian as harmonies, all seven members sing (loudly) and in boisterous unison, bellowing into their mics with joyous abandon.

highly hyped, le loup has been tipped for five additional cmj shows this week, including a brooklynvegan party tomorrow afternoon at 1.30 pm (at pianos), two separate sets at galapagos, and a highly exposed spot as openers for band of horses at bowery ballroom. you would do well to catch them there, or on their upcoming tour with georgie james. this is a band that beats expectations.

le loup - buy throne of the third heaven etc. from hardly art.
"outside of this car, the end of the world!"

"i had a dream i died"

mr. mammoth's free guide to a nearly free cmj - day one!

this day is rather low-key, what with it being the beginning and all. most of the serious bands won't have arrived yet, but things are off to a good start around 6 pm. that's when amorphous d.c. experimento-rockers le loup take the stage at soundfix records, 110 bedford ave. in williamsburg. then you gotta hop back on the L, transfer to the F/V at 6th ave and take it to 4th street to see st. vincent at other music at 8 pm. other music is located at 15 east 4th street. you can also get there by taking the L to union square and transferring to the 6, getting off as astor place. from other music, it's just a short walk to the lion's den, where OM records is having their early showcase, featuring zion i and the grouch. from other music, simply walk west to sullivan street, and a block and a half down. if you hit bleecker, you've gone too far. the OM showcase is free with an rsvp at going.com. that starts at 10 pm. if OM ain't your thing, james murphy (of lcd soundsystem) and dj annie mac (of radio 1) are spinning at the hiro ballroom come 10.30 pm, located at 363 west 16th street. if you're in the mood for a walk, you can stroll up to 16th street and over to 8th (hiro is between 8th and 9th avenues); otherwise, hop on the A, C, or E at west 4th and take it one stop to 14th and 8th, then walk two blocks up and one over. this show is free with a going.com rsvp before midnight, including a bass ale open bar from 10.30 -11.30 pm. after midnight, the show is $5.

so here's the schedule:
6 pm - le loup @ soundfix
8 pm - st. vincent @ other music
10 pm - OM showcase @ the lion's den
10.30 pm (doors) - james murphy @ hiro

total cost: free, or $5 if you arrive at hiro after midnight

mr. mammoth's free guide to avoiding cmj and seeing tons of nearly free music

cmj: who needs it? all it means is that a million billion people with these fancy badges will be strutting their thing on the streets of new york, flashing their pass and getting into any show they want. bastards. but it's okay - i'm really not bitter, because i happen to think that the cmj lineup is mostly crap. don't care about m.i.a., band of horses are crap, don't like deerhunter. but what cmj is doing for me (and my fellow cheapskates), is creating a sub-culture of free shows that cop off cmj's popularity, of which there are, approximately, a whole fucking lot of every day. my goal for this week is too see as much as i can without paying more than $50 (not counting an unlimited metrocard), which shouldn't be a problem at all. using the handy show calendar to your right and a walking map of new york (and brooklyn), you should be able to see at least 3 shows a day. obviously, mr. mammoth is interested in some bands more than others (o'death, cadence weapon, the brunettes), partially cuz they rock!, but also because they are among the bands that are going full fucking throttle, and playing at least 6 times over the week, often for free/cheap. cmj proper starts tomorrow, but that isn't stopping o'death, who kick the week off in style tonight at death by audio. keep checking mr. mammoth daily for a best way to see cmj fo' cheep, including directions from show to show.

tomorrow, let the games begin!