Since Memory Tapes was born, New Yorkers can’t really say that New Jersey is uncool anymore. The (one man) band will take a break from work the second, as yet untitled, album to play some headline dates and festivals this summer, including Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 25 and a series of dates in Europe. Meanwhile, Jamie Harley has made a video for Seek Magic’s standout track, ‘Bicycle.’
NYC
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Katie Mullins plays residency at Pete’s Candy Store in July
Light and airy, with a soft acoustic guitar giving way to soothing, rich vocals, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Katie Mullins is sure to capture the attention of those who love the simplicity of chick indie rock with her latest album, Pastoral. At first listen the lyrics seem to be basic storytelling, offering anecdotes that remind you of easier, younger days, but Mullins has a way of catching your ear with a line that speaks straight to the heart. Her diverse background, spanning from acting to opera, is apparent in her experimental style, which comes across as strong as it is subtle. With a month-long residency quickly approaching at Pete’s Candy Store this July, Katie Mullins has seamlessly weaved her way through music, lyrics, and the Brooklyn indie scene. Katie’s next show will be at cozy Northeast Kingdom on June 27. – CM
Chicago
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Kind of Guy Video
Finally the much anticipated and very trippy new video from YAWN for their track “Kind of Guy” has been released. Don’t forget to download their debut ep and the remix ep for free at their website.
Chicago
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Wolfgang Hair
Sean Hernandez has released three vinyl projects in his career as Chicago Skyway, but these releases show a clear reverence for the history of house music in Chicago. His latest effort, Wolfgang Hair Ep, was released in March by Uzuri Recordings and is a fine mixture of deep house, acid, and experimentation. Hernandez is among a growing number of producers in the city working hard to preserve the sound and the history of house music.
Philadelphia
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The Spooks Release Sleepy Monsters 7” and Plan Summer Tour
I’m thinking if The Spooks don’t headline next year’s Zombie Beach Party, then I might have to boycott it. I’m just sayin’. Here’s a taste from their latest 7” Sleepy Monsters called "Sleepy Sleepy" that they’ll be touring nationally in support of this summer. Take a listen. You tell me if they should be playing at a beach party for the living dead. The Spooks will also be coming out with their debut LP which they are recording with Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs and will be releasing it on Trig Club, a new label started by the bloggers behind Yvnyl and Frightened By Bees. – H.M. Kauffman
Philadelphia
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U.S. Girls Opening for Pocahaunted at KFN June 15
With the reemergence of lo-fi muse Ariel Pink and his more polished work on 4AD, you might have pondered what U.S. Girls (a.k.a. Meg Remy, born Meghan Uremovich) would sound like with more resources behind her. Well, Remy has wondered that herself, but for now, I have to say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” She’ll be opening tonight at KFN for Pocahaunted (cool name, but get there early because I’m thinking the hometown girl will probably be the highlight of the evening). Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Portland
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PDX Pop Now! Announces Lineup!
Every Northwestern popster’s wet dream is back at Rotture July 30 – August 1 when PDX Pop Now! 2010 releases its aural assualt in the Southeast industrial district. Lo and behold, organizers have just released the lineup for this local music advocacy group’s 7th Annual festival. You ready? You sure? Okay, here it is:
Aan, AgesAndAges, AndAndAnd, Asss, Atriarch, AU, Autistic Youth, Ben Darwish, Billygoat, Blue Cranes, Blue Horns, Brainstorm, Cloudy October, Da’Rel Junior, Defect Defect, Eternal Tapestry, Fear No Music, Get Hustle, Grey Anne, Guantanamo Baywatch, Hockey, Hosannas, I Can Lick Any Son of A Bitch In The House, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Joey Casio, Joggers, Krebsic Orkestar, Kung Pao Chickens, Kusikia, Lewi Longmire, Luck One, Michael The Blind, Operative, Parenthetical Girls, Please Step Out of The Vehicle, Reporter, Rollerball, Shoeshine Blue, Skeletron, Soup Purse, SubArachnoid Space, Tiny Knives, Tu Fawning, The Tumblers, Typhoon, Wampire, Why I Must Be Careful, and Ylang Ylang.
It would take me damn near an hour to link to all those bands here, but rest assured; happiness is found in digging a little deeper, people. I know it.
Don’t forget that these sets are both indoors and outdoors, volleying audiences back and forth like some kind of fucked-up pop-rock pinball game. Only you get as many balls as you can handle for three straight days (SEXUAL INNUENDO OVERLOAD). Also, the whole damn thing is FREE, and ALL AGES.
The 2010 PDX Pop Now! compilation album is available for sale at local retail outlets and online here.
Press release excerpt (i.e. important stuff):
"Proceeds from sales of the album go towards funding the festival and the rest of organization’s activities. The 7th installment of the heralded compilation features 40 tracks, including music from Typhoon, Mean Jeans, Nick Jaina, Laura Veirs, A Weather and Tope, as well as rare or previously unreleased tracks by Menomena, Blitzen Trapper, Dharma Bums, Talkdemonic, Y La Bamba, and more."
There’s also a song called "City Morgue" on there by Kelli Schaeffer, which means you need to get it right now. Like now. Now now. Or you could listen to it at her MySpace site here. But would you really wanna do that when there’s all that other great music on there? Not to mention the fact that PDX Pop Now! is a volunteer-driven, 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to celebrating and promoting Portland’s vital music community? That’s what we thought.
– Ryan J. Prado
NYC
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North Highlands plays Rooftop Films on June 19
We somehow missed this gorgeous video by North Highlands, an unpretentious Brooklyn band that sounds way more original than many other pretentious ones. In one word, this stuff sounds "FA-RESH"!!! Don’t miss their en plain air show at Rooftop Films on June 19 at the New Design High School (350 Grand St. @ Essex).
NYC
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Best of NYC #36: Anamanaguchi
We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel and DJs).
Anamanaguchi’s primary instrument is a hacked 1985 Nintendo, manipulated into creating the group’s own brand of energetic electro-punk. These 8 bit blips are later layered with guitars and added synths so to rattle speakers as well as maintaining their retro charm. Their new record Dawn Metropolis utilises these simple instruments to create wistful melodies that evoke feelings of adventure and excitement. “I am a hyperactive and really positive dude”, leading man Pete Berkman assures me. “The music I write tends to be a headphone-out from my brain; all extremely frantic, hyper-melodic, and uplifting.” – Dean Van Nguyen
Philadelphia
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FYI on DIYs in PHL: PhillyMetal.com
As chief instigator of local black metal outfit Woe, Chris Grigg knows firsthand the lack of love metal feels in Philadelphia. “I have been playing music for what I think of as a long time and always felt that the metal scene in particular was simply overlooked and disorganized.” In response, Grigg launched his site, Phillymetal.com, this past September, with the intention of drawing attention to and unifying the local metal community. The minimalistic and monochromatic metal hub, modeled after the dial-up billboard services of yore, hosts a daily list of area shows and an extensive message board for metal fans, bands and promoters alike to trade opinions and information. For the Woe frontman, Phillymetal.com is about exposing metal and developing a constant “built-in” crowd, and once it was launched, he “got major support from pretty much every band and promoter in the city, and the rest is history.”
We had a chance to chat with Grigg about his website, the metal underground and why it deserves more attention.
The Deli: Why do you think Philly’s metal scene is barely recognized?
Chris Grigg: It’s hard to say. I don’t know if there really is one answer. Lack of communication, poor show promotion, limited venue support? Horrible egos? Bands that are simply… not that good?
Things have changed a lot in the last few years and it’s probably easier to talk about why things are getting better. I see it as a cumulative effect. The punk and metal scenes now have major crossover, which really got the ball rolling. My website launched, which gives promoters access to a much large number of metal fans than the city has ever had and encourages a community and networking. You have venues that are far more supportive of metal than anything we’ve ever seen, particularly Kung Fu Necktie and the M Room, but there are shows at the Barbary and an ever-growing number of DIY houses and warehouses all over the place.
TD: Does it shock you at all that the local music community doesn’t pay attention to metal all that much, considering Decibel, a well-known metal mag, is based here?
CG: It shocks me more that Decibel does absolutely nothing for the metal community more than anything else. They put their name on shows here and there, and I guess plug them on their message board, but if they want to help, they should do a report on our fantastic scene in their magazine. As for the local music community…metal and punk have always been somewhat segregated from everything else. It’s good in a way. It helps ensure that those who are there are interested in the music, not the social scene. I’d rather keep things small and dedicated than have adults who don’t know anything about the music trying to act like they do because it’s suddenly hip. On the flipside, there is a lot of value in underground metal that I think has appeal outside of our community. There’s a lot for other scenes to learn, just as there’s a lot our scene can learn from others.
TD: Going through PhillyMetal.com, it’s a very simple site, visually and content wise (only show listings and a board). Why is that? Why keep the site to the bare minimum?
CG: There are a few reasons. A lot of reasons. First and foremost, I designed the site to fill very specific needs: reach the area’s metal fans to promote shows, help bands, and build community. Any needs beyond that are already filled by another site, meaning that if I waste my time doing it, it probably won’t be used because someone else is doing it better. It’s like… I could add the ability to upload videos of bands playing and then have a Videos section of the site… but it would never be as good as YouTube, so you know what? If you want to share a video, go to youtube.com and then post the link on our message board. Don’t waste my bandwidth.
TD: What do you hope for the future of Philly Metal and metal in Philly?
CG: The website is not important. Sooner or later, something will come around that does it better and my site will be replaced. I want Philadelphia to make a mark. I want people to talk about Philadelphia (I’d settle for East Coast Metal) the way they talk about Sweden or the American Northwest. We are on our way but still need more quality people involved, more quality bands appearing, more shows, more noise, more art, MORE CHAOS!
TD: What’s your favorite thing to get in the deli?
CG: Oh…Uhh…Matzo Balls, if it’s a Jewish deli.
– The Deli Staff
Chicago
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Rabble Rabble on Giant System
This week’s installment of Giant System Chicago features the music of Rabble Rabble.
Rabble Rabble is playing a free show on June 21st with Jeff The Brotherhood, Natural Child, and State Champion at Empty Bottle.
New England
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Review – Jeff Gaynor – 6/10 @ Lizard Lounge
No one can say that Jeff Gaynor isn’t a team player. On any given night of the week, he’s either backing up wunderkind Samantha Farrell in her band, the Love Society, or trading songs with Tom Bianchi and Hugh McGowan, among others, in the all-star mash-up Baker Thomas Band. Oh sure, the spotlight occasionally washes over Gaynor as he drops a honky-tonk piano solo here or throws in a vocal harmony there, but when he plays a solo show, it becomes clear why everybody wants this guy in their band.
Piano-key necktie swinging, Jeff Gaynor played eleven songs at the Lizard Lounge on Thursday night, ranging from the bouncy, anecdotal "Teddy Came In" to the soulful, gospel-tinged "Keep It Off" with some ragtime, blues, and boogie mixed in between. There is something unmistakably macabre about Gaynor; invariably, you find yourself musing, oh gee, I didn’t know Tim Burton wrote music. Eyes wild and hands perfectly arched, yet frantic, Gaynor commands the room with a Beetlejuice-like mystique that permeates even his more streamlined pieces (like the Meatloafy "Toothpick Foundation.") Tart-tongued and laced with observational humor, songs like "How’s That Workin’ Out For Ya?" and "Runner Band Boob Job" display Gaynor’s great aptitude for Ben Folds-style sarcasm, expertly straddling a razor-thin line between good-natured ribbing and embittered last-laughing. Gaynor is clever and spunky with lyrics that will appeal to people who were picked on in high school, people who take a principled stance against words like "bro," and people who mumble funny comments under their breath during a play instead of buying into the melodrama unfolding on stage. Bass-heavy and theatrical (Liberace’s rapidly undulating wrists come to mind), Gaynor’s arrangements sound so fleshed-out that it’s almost hard to believe he’s playing alone. His charming, oddball brew is steeped heavily in the eighties, with influences ranging from Billy Joel to Journey; in fact, his latest piece, "Wan’drin’," sounds like a distant cousin of "Faithfully" with melancholy piano and an emotive chorus ("Where do you go when you go wandering?").
Most left Jeff Gaynor’s show at the Lizard Lounge realizing that he is one hell of a piano player. While it’s impossible not to ooh and aah at Gaynor’s intricate jazz riffs and thunderous left-hand power, his versatility as a songwriter is truly the thing to admire here. It’s no wonder Jeff Gaynor is so comfortable juggling his time between bands that play vastly different styles of music–sticking to only one genre would just bore him.