simian mobile disco @ the apple store, 10/19/07

the point of cmj is, basically, to hear music from bands whose names you recognize, but don't actually know anything about. such was the case at the apple store earlier today, when i went down to check out simian mobile disco. their name has been plastered everywhere as progenitors of a "new" dance music, so i was eager to check them out. plus, the apple store has super comfy chairs.

my rather relaxed cmj had been quite good, with lots of new discoveries (le loup, liam finn, yeasayer), but sadly, simian mobile disco neither shocked nor awed me. their beats seemed rather basic, especially considering the sweet assload of gear they had on stage. with all that electronic hoopla, surely they could've come up with some better sounds. they used only a few samples (one was ninja singing "the fantastic is the romantic; the romantic is the fantasic"), and resorted far too frequently to that dance music standby of letting the music trail off, waiting a beat, and then coming back in loudly. also, i caught myself yawning widely a few times, but that could've been the comfy chairs.

simian mobile disco did have some cool shit going on, but, unfortunately, it mostly had to do with their set. first of all, the lights. smd's eight freestanding LED blasters have become something of a trademark and are pretty cool, though they were so painfully bright that i was extremely thankful not to be in the front row. i have personal beef with LED lights, and find them very unflattering. the colors are always tinged with a really unnatural tint, and they don't illuminate people very well. that being said, smd's blasters were pointed at the audience, so it didn't affect them all that much. the second supercool thing about simian mobile disco's setup was the round table they used. all of their gadgets were arranged around its edge, eliminating any sense of exclusivity. both band members, james ford and james shaw, played everything on the table, despite ford's arm sling. there was a really tangible sense of fluidity in their performance, and it was fun to watch them scurry around the table, pressing buttons, flicking switches, and putting wires in sockets.

the music, though, is what counts, and it didn't excite me, to say the least. the ordinary beats, the typical crescendos; simian mobile disco's performance really confirms my hidden belief that most dance music isn't really good music, it's just fun to jump around to. the sad thing about simian mobile disco's set was that it didn't even make me want to dance.

simian mobile disco jam @ the apple store, 10/19

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Now playing: Out Hud - How Long
via FoxyTunes

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"

land of talk @ soundfix, 7/15/07

land of talk two times in two days! a dream come true. after hearing my fave new distortion rockers at citysol on saturday, i found out about their instore appearance at soundfix, so i hustled on over there to see them again (why not, eh?). though the sound was not so good this time around, one can't really complain - after all, the bar/soundfix lounge probably wasn't built for bands with the kind of big sound that LoT has. however, land of talk amazed and pleased me again, and i'm now doubly anxious for their full-length, which has no announced details yet (with all their touring, i doubt they've even hit the studio yet). the set was shorter than at citysol, with fewer "hits" (i.e. songs off applause cheer boo hiss, which fucking rocks) and more new songs. i was a little sad not to get another kick-ass rendition of "all my friends," but we got what i believe is a rare performance of "street wheels," in addition to "yuppie flu" and "young bridge," like the day previous. a special treat was the set closer, "death by fire," the b-side to their recently released 7", and guaranteed to be on their next album. unfortunately, my camera died just as "death by fire" started, so there are no movies of that to share, but i've uploaded a version from the lullabyes show for your listening pleasure. i did get some movies, which i'm in the process of uploading to my youtube account, and i've put "breaxxbaxx" below for your viewing pleasure. as always, your pleasure is our foremost concern, here at mammoth HQ.

i got a chance to talk (read: ask for autographs) from the band after the show, and i learned that the present drummer, eric, only joined LoT some three months ago, but that he's here to stay. for my part, i thought eric was an excellent drummer, and really led the band in being a little more relaxed and organic at the soundfix show, laughing and changing beats mid-song, mindful of the heat and the just-there-for-a-good-time crowd. both land of talk performances have been great, and i won't get tired of their music anytime soon.

land of talk - "death by fire." it's a live version, so there's some (understandable) dead air at the end of the track, but don't let that deter you.

land of talk - "breaxxbaxx." buy applause cheer boo hiss here.