i'm on the hype machine!

this week has been very exciting for me, blogwise. three massively awesome things happened: firstly, i got this nifty new map widget on the sidebar, and i have visitors who live in places where i don't know anyone! visitors, please consider yourselves my friends, and come and enjoy mr. mammoth whenever you'd like. to the person in what looks like holland, thank you. secondly, i got contacted by a promotions company, offering me free music! so fuck yeah! because, here at mr. mammoth, there is nothing better than free music (stay tuned for the report on the menomena show). thirdly, i got listed on the hype machine! true, they only have two tracks, from 9 days ago, but i have faith they will catch up and show all my mp3s soon. elbo.ws, why haven't you listed me yet?

i just wanted to share these exciting pieces of news with you. thanks everyone.

some brief updates.

i've had a hell of a time trying to blog this week, after last weekend's frenetic five-posts-in-three-days, even though you're owed a full detailing of the excellent tortoise show i went to, so hopefully these tidbits will tide you over. all three have been making the rounds, so you probably have seen them already, but it gives me something to do as i try to form the tortoise experience into words.

so, news item #1 - there's a free panda bear dvd coming out.

mike over at eattapes is generously putting together a dvd of live panda bear performances from his recent person pitch tour. including footage from new york, philadelphia, and baltimore shows. the dvd, entitled people party, has no present release date, but mike is obviously hard at work on it. personally, as a non-fan of animal collective, i would normally be totally uninterested in this, but person pitch is such a good album that i can't wait to get my hands on this dvd. while the dvd is free, and can be mailed anywhere, a $250 filming fee at bowery ballroom has caused mike to create a deluxe package, on a donation sliding scale (between $5 and 10). the deluxe edition contains a bonus disc with all three performances and bonus art, an interview with noah lennox (a.k.a. panda bear), and other fun stuff. rock on, mike!

2. new built to spill tracks (broken by stereogum)

like anyone with half a brain, i like built to spill (read my live review directly below this post). and i liked you in reverse, especially "mess with time." but i think the first new song goes a little too far. "they got away" is a straight-up dub song, albeit with some serious distortion, that doesn't really show promise for what bts does next. "rearrange," on the other hand, is just plain. it is always hard to hear one of your favorite bands move in a direction you don't appreciate, and i hope that if this is what built to spill chooses to sound like for the future, i can appreciate it. but listening to these two singles (especially with you in reverse as a reference point) just makes me yearn for the absurdity of a younger built to spill, that sang about brontosauruses and that would randomly insert a seriously rocking section in a song, for no other reason than it pleased them. "they got away" gets tired before the 3 minute mark, yet stretches past that for nearly another 4. and while "rearrange" does end on a distorted note (along with marimbas), it has that slow, sweeping sound of "else" that has never been as good as their heavier (relatively speaking) songs.

i just checked back at stereogum...apparently, warner music group (that bestial hegemon and built to spill's label) made a boo-boo by allowing stereogum to put the songs up for download. so, fuck warner, here are the songs:

built to spill - "they got away"
built to spill - "rearrange"

3. menomena is playing tonight at south street seaport, courtesy of citysol.

friend and foe continues to be one of my favorite albums of the year, and i'm thrilled at getting a chance to see them. a review of that album is on my perennial to-do list, and i'll crank it out sometime soon, i promise. but trust me - it's fucking awesome. opening is beat the devil, whom i've never heard of. citysol (in part sponsored by brooklyn vegan) continues all weekend, with a bitching show tomorrow that includes o'death, land of talk, and les savy fav. in addition, if you bring your con ed bill and switch to green energy, you get free brooklyn beer. and life does not get better than that.

check out brooklynvegan's schedule here.

menomena - "evil bee" (live at sxsw 2007)
beat the devil - "plea bargain"

built to spill 07/07/07 - in which the author learns a little lesson about livenation and acquires some serious saddles sores

prepare for an epic story of unanticipated heartbreak and unforeseen kindness.

the evening began with a bike trip down to and across the brooklyn bridge to catch a glimpse of the boredoms BOADRUM performance with 77 drummers. i was seriously unimpressed. i only stuck around until 7.30, but it seemed to me to be pretty lame. here's a picture of the boredoms proper through a gap in the steel of the bridge.

then i biked as fast as i could up to mccarren pool to catch bob mould, cat power, and built to spill. i was feeling confident, because the mccarren website said that they show began at 7.30, and i figured i would only have missed a bit of bob mould's set. however, when i arrived, cat power was basically finishing up her set, at 8.05. the people around me said that mould had gone on at 6 and doors had opened at 5, and i was absolutely perplexed, disappointed, and upset. fortunately, cat power's last song was "willie," my favorite off last year's excellent the greatest, so that was some small consolation. however, i still felt robbed of at least 20 bucks, and, after cat power finished, i went to make a nuisance of myself with the live nation people. after roaming all over the pool, inside and out, i found a promoter, who said that, while he couldn't help me personally, he would try to find someone who could, and, in the meantime, i could have a free beer. so i drank my free beer (delicious brooklyn lager) and waited for built to spill, with instructions to come back in 20 minutes. in those 20 minutes, built to spill started their set, so i got a medium-good spot (i didn't want to wade in and then have to wade out) and enjoyed the first few songs before returning to the side of the stage (where the promoter hung out). there i met a lovely woman from live nation, who practically personally apologized for the confusing door times, and promised me two tickets to any live nation show at irving, warsaw, or luna lounge. i can't really express how significant this was without feeling like i'm being overly dramatic. i've always had the same perspective on live nation as i do on clear channel - that they're bloodsucking money grubbing corporate pig bastards - and this promoter's kind offer really threw me for a loop. i'm not going to retract my bloodsucking, etc. position, but, like everything else, i've learned that live nation is nuanced, and good people might actually be working for a "bad" company. it was a valuable lesson.

as for built to spill; seeing them always begs the question: why doesn't anyone use distortion anymore? built to spill, yo la tengo, dinosaur jr. - these are the bands we still have that write rock songs with great fucking distortion. sleater-kinney's last work, the amazing the woods, was blissfully heavy and grungy, and then they quit. is there no more audience for 90s esque rock? well, even if the only people who still make it are leftovers from the 80s and 90s, plenty of people still want to listen to it, as the large crowd last night indicated. built to spill played a lot of songs from you in reverse, unexpectedly. to be fair, this is the first time i've seen them since they had a recent CD out (i saw them in 2004 and 2006), so maybe they were more excited about playing new stuff than older songs. not that that prevented them from playing some golden oldies like "made up dreams, "nowhere nothing fuckup," a gorgeous, virtually doug martsch solo version of "car," and the two hits from keep it like a secret, "time trap" and "carry the zero," which ended the show.

built to spill has never really been one to do much interacting with their audience, and doug's comments were limited to saying "thanks" after every other song, and introducing an eno cover (i'm not sure of which song though...watch the video below, and if you know, leave it in the comments section). their songs, as always, were never quite the same live as they are on albums; though they played "in the morning," they left off the last verse, and "the source" was similarly squelched. however, they did a nice jam on "carry the zero" - there were 10 minutes left before the pool had to shut down, so they filled the time that way (which meant there was no encore, jackasses) - and on several other songs. however, the whole show had a rather stifled or expected feel to it - by which i mean, built to spill seemed to be going through the motions and the crowd just stood there and took it. their technical skill was high, as always, and (also as always), built to spill's ranks were bolstered by some unnamed guests on guitars, whose work on the fretboards merged perfectly with doug's own melodies to the point that you couldn't tell who was playing what. i'm not sure what i had been expecting - built to spill is one of my favorite bands, and i wouldn't pass up a chance to see them, but i think the big outdoor arena space isn't really the right one to see them in. i've seen them in two small venues (the paradise in boston and irving plaza), and it was perfect. in their quiet way, they fed on the crowd's energy and played two great sets. in mccarren, somehow lost onstage, some of the magic was missing.

i took several videos, which i'll be posting to youtube tonight and tomorrow, but check out the brian eno cover and "time trap" below the photo.

the polyphonic spree, warsaw, 7/1/07

there is nothing like the polyphonic spree to restore one's faith in...well, whatever one doesn't have faith in. ok, so the spree didn't restore my faith in america, but that's a tall order anyway. they did, however, make me astonishingly happy for near two and a half hours. yes, that was all concert time. and that's not counting the opener, jesca hoop. i made the "mistake" of arriving at 9.45 for a 9 show, not realizing that warsaw actually starts its shows when the ticket says, but i still caught three hoop songs, which were really good. some mp3s have been making the rounds lately, especially "intelligentactile101," which i heard, and "seed of wonder." "intelligentactile101" is on the upcoming kismet, hoop's first album, due to be released later this year. without even listening to her music, this quote will assure you that it's worth your while:

"jesca hoop's music is like a four sided coin. she is an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or a red moon. her music is like going swimming in a lake at night." - tom waits.

indeed, though i wasn't expecting much from a no name opener for one of indiedom's most well-known bands, jesca hoop pleasantly surprised and engaged me. i've reposted "intelligentactile101" below. you should definitely check her out, and wait with bated breath for kismet.

i sorta cheated in preparation for the 'spree, because i listened to part of the npr taping of their show the night before in washington and checked out the tracklist, but that didn't even begin to prepare me for the two solid hours of joy that tim delaughter and co. brought to brooklyn that night. it seemed a wonder in and of itself that 24 people could fit onto such a small stage, but fit they did, with room to rock.


they opened with "running away" and "get up and go!," the first two songs off their new album the fragile army, and then took a trip back in time to the beginning stages of... for "it's the sun," bringing the crowd to a level of excitement that didn't flag for the rest of the show. tim was the obvious focal point for the whole show, and was the only spree member to speak to the audience, but that was to be expected. clad in their new black uniforms, the spree did seem more vulnerable, as the title of their new album suggests.

mixing the old with the new, the polyphonic spree lightened hearts and minds with their rousing 50 minute set...i know a smile didn't leave my face for one minute the whole time. unfortunately, time blunts the details, so i can't remember which song they ended with, but it was long and slow, and the whole band filed out, bit by bit, until only tim was left onstage, serenading the crowd that sang along with him.

after tim had left the stage, the crowd kept singing the last lyrics of the song over and over, waiting, begging for an encore. there was no movement on stage, but the crowd didn't give up hope. and, indeed, the spree entered from the back of the auditorium, resplendent in their old white robes. the crowd went apeshit, cheering, smiling, giving everyone high-fives and handshakes. the band finally made it back to the stage, and played for another hour and a half. i swear to god, it was amazing. tim kept saying that he didn't want to stop playing yet, and no one argued with him. they played "lithium," "sonic bloom," "la la," "hanging around the day (pt. 2)," everything that you could possibly hope for.
"everything starts at the seams" into "when the fool becomes the king," when tim made the whole band stand still for least 10 minutes as he chatted up the crowd and teased the other 23 people on stage as much as he wanted. the night ended with a birthday celebration for mark pirro, originally a member of tripping daisy. we were told a story about a ship on the great lakes, whose name i can't remember now, for some reason, but the last song was tripping daisy's "ride captain ride," which the whole crowd sang along to, despite the fact that i'm sure only four or five people knew the words (it's an easy chorus). prompted by tim's exhortations that the polyphonic spree needs all the money we could spend on them, the crowd mobbed the merch table, and everyone else left in a glow of good cheer and happiness. a perfect night.


jesca hoop - "intelligentactile 101" look for kismet later this year.
the polyphonic spree - "get up and go" buy the fragile army here.

boy with a coin single

ah, the joys of qtfairuse. why, with this simple program, it is so easy for a mostly scrupulous (but firmly anti-drm) blogger like yours truly to purchase songs from the itunes store (bought with a gift certificate, no less), free them from their constraining drm bonds, and give them for all to share.


iron & wine has gotten a good amount of press lately, considering the fact that his third full-length, the shepherd's dog, isn't due until september 25 on sub pop. the album's first single, "boy with a coin," has been making the rounds, but i haven't seen its accompanying b-side, "carried home," so i'm offering both of those up for download (along with the cover art, reproduced above. as sam beam has matured, his songsmithing has changed, from the dusky verses of "lion's mane" to the cleaner, fleshed-out sounds on woman king, his 2005 ep. "boy with a coin" picks up almost directly from where woman king left off, with beam's lilting melodies buttressed by muffled rhythmic handclaps, while "carried home" is an epic, more like his endless numbered days material. in any event, this album will definitely be a treat, especially after this long dry spell.

"carried home"
"boy with a coin"

the shepherd's dog tracklist

1. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
2. White Tooth Man
3. Lovesong of the Buzzard
4. Carousel
5. House by the Sea
6. Innocent Bones
7. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
8. Resurrection Fern
9. Boy with a Coin
10. The Devil Never Sleeps
11. Peace Beneath the City
12. Flightless Bird, American Mouth

buy all your favorite iron & wine merchandise here.

for some bonus live previews, the rawking refuses to stop still has nine tracks recorded at the pabst theater in february.

fujiya & miyagi, south street seaport, 7/6/07

as even the most casual reader of this site (or resident of new york city) will know, the number one thing that makes new york habitable over the summer (list of grievances begins with the stifling humidity and tourists with a fourth grade reading level) is its inestimably awesome collection of free live music. the list of artists runs the gamut from battles and dan deacon (and similarly new/unheard names) to old standards like joan armatrading. but, as awesome as all this free live music is (and it's pretty awesome), it's not my favorite thing about new york in the summertime. my favorite thing is being able to bike to and from these shows, as i did tonight for the fujiya & miyagi/black moth super rainbow show at south street seaport. biking, even on the specially designated bike path on the hudson river, has become the most dangerous activity in new york, having claimed the lives of at least 18 people last year, so now i always wear a helmet and miss the feeling of wind in my hair, but i still love it. the knowledge that i get to ride home at the end of the night, no matter whether the show was good or bad, is always a great feeling, and keeps me in a good mood, even when a bunch of prepubescent chain smokers burn me with their cigarettes and hoist each other onto their shoulders during the concert (not that i'm bitter or anything). anyway, enough of my drivel. here's the dirt on fujiya & miyagi and black moth super rainbow.

black moth super rainbow. i was automatically prejudiced against this band because of their absurdly unnecessarily stupid name, and the fact that pitchfork likes them. and, to be honest, i think my preordained shoulder chip was justified. here's a photo of the band:


i kid you not. i got off my bike, waded through the crowd, and realized that it seemed the band was missing. either that, or that bass player had some strange shit coming through his amp. well, shiver me timbers, but the whole band was sitting on the stage. what were they doing? i have no idea. why couldn't they get tables? who knows. i'm okay with the fact that i missed the first half of their set, and, while the last song wasn't too bad, rivertoriver's claim that they sound like an early pink floyd is way off the mark. the sound was heavily layered, with occasional vocals coming through, though i couldn't see anyone singing (to be fair, i couldn't see three-quarters of the band). with standard crescendos and climaxes, glitchy electronic swells and sinks, and the occasional too-loud sounds (that were also the best part of their set), black moth super rainbow is definitely NOT worth spending money on, in any context. what kind of band can't stay vertical for their set? further proof of their sedentary laziness ->

dude couldn't even stand up for half an hour.

fujiya & miyagi, on the other hand, delivered everything that was expected of them. i'm not a huge lover of electronic music, but their songs (both the studio and live versions) have the thoughtfulness and precision that makes the genre (occasionally) listenable. i'd played transparent things through once or twice, in preparation for the show, and, as far as i could tell, their live set was virtually indistinguishable from the studio. just to clarify, that's not a bad thing. the measured rhythms and whispered onomatopoeias got the crowd to sway, but not to dance outright, which wouldn't have suited the music anyway. their stage presence was calm and professional, with only "thank yous" being spoken - i liked their reticence. i was also impressed with the abundance of "real" instruments in a electronic band - the only programmed sounds were that of the drum machine. and with the exception of the encore, the 6 minute instrumental "cassettesingle," where all three members rocked out and imbued the song with a rawness unheard on the album, the band's physical presence spoke to the simultaneous activity and stillness of their work, the duality of the songs that can make a crowd of new yorkers dance and make me want to go to sleep as i write this post. the gentle repetition of the vocals and melody soothes and calms, while the bass and drums keep up the beat and inspire booty-shaking (albeit subdued). my favorite part of the show were the multiple times that frontman david best (alias miyagi) sputtered, clicked, or made sounds that wouldn't be out of place at a rahzel show into the mic, best heard on tracks like "collarbone," posted below. now that i re-listen to transparent things, it is obvious that the studio and live tracks are not identical...for one thing, the live versions were significantly longer, though just as meticulously rehearsed, so that not one iota of the performance seemed improvised or unexpected. also, in the live version of "collarbone,"
fujiya & miyagi whisper-sung "the foot bone is connected to the anklebone" etc. in the middle of the song, which i was disappointed to find out is not on the album. all in all, i was soothed by fujiya & miyagi - i wouldn't have paid to see them, nor for the album, but as a free show, it was really good. the whole time i couldn't stop thinking about how much it reminded me of massive attack - another band that i can't really justify spending money on, but whom i enjoy nonetheless. i hope you like the photos.


black moth super rainbow - "forever heavy" if you need to, buy dandelion gum here.
fukiya & miyagi - "collarbone" purchase transparent things here.

radio is only dying in america.

conventional radio sucks, stateside. as idolator reported yesterday, some economists are proposing to axe it - not for the compelling "it sucks" reason, but to encourage consumers to buy more CDs. idolator takes stan liebowitz to task for pandering his absurd notion, thankfully, but there's no denying that a cancer has taken over our airwaves. i toiled diligently for my college radio station, and love and cherish community radio, and only listen to three radio stations in new york - wnyc, wkcr (columbia university radio), and wfuv (fordham university radio). you know the disgusting statistics about clear channel, and how they own some absurd percentage of america's airwaves, and the payola scandal that elliot spitzer rode to new york's governorship, and the mandated playlists, and how radio is dying a long and painful death, especially with soundexchange's enthusiasm for collecting ginormous royalties from mom-and-pop net radio stations.

anyway, enough of my diatribes. the point of the matter is, this is endemic primarily in america. radio THRIVES in the uk and europe, and plays new and exciting music - blogging doesn't have to be as popular in britain, because they hear the new art brut single on the radio, when it seems likely that no one at clear channel has even heard of the artistic art brut, much less the musical variety. but i'm not here today to talk about art brut. i'm here to talk about the long blondes and france. seemingly unrelated, the long blondes (someone to drive you home, their debut, is definitely WSMO) in fact took a trip to paris on december 4 of last year to play a set on France Inter radio, which often broadcasts performances live on the air (the closest we get to that is bob boilen). these performances are black sessions, and the long blondes' was made available on dime a dozen not too long ago. i've been meaning to post the whole set, but my computer died and my file hosting server is taking forever, so, sadly, i've put up all the tracks on zshare, where you'll have to open their window first. the french announcer translates kate jackson's comments from time to time, which is neither irritating nor intrusive, so they have been left in the mix.

i was also able to pick up an art brut black session, and i'll be posting that when i get my computer back.

the long blondes - maison de la radio, paris, france - december 4, 2006

1. lust in the movies
2. weekend without makeup
3. company of women
4. madame ray
5. fulwood babylon
6. giddy stratospheres
7. only lovers left alive
8. you could have both
9. once and never again
10. five ways to end it
11. separated by motorways

you can purchase the excellent someone to drive you home directly from rough trade here.


this just in: waves and wires has converted a long blondes show from june 16 into mp3 format, and is available here.