Central Village

Our Song

Much thanks to Jeff at Cornerstone for helping me get this MP3.  With the OC going away till after the baseball playoffs, this song will be the lasting memory of a show that has made a remarkable turnaround since the disaster that was last season.  I really hope they keep it up.  Be sure to check out Spinach Dip's extensive recap of last night's drama.  *Spoiler Alert*  I totally called Taylor Townsend hooking up with the Dean last week!

I've had mixed feelings about Youth Group since I first saw them play at the Delancey in June.  I guess I've always wanted to like them more than I actually do.  They have a couple of really good songs, but I've never been able to get over the hump with them.  Their Alphaville cover from last night was on point, however. (It's from the upcoming soundtrack)  Strong end to the first part of the season.

Youth Group - Forever Young

Previously on the OC:
The Season 2 Finale (Imogen Heap)
The Season 3 Premiere (Bloc Party Remixed)

But I don't like to dance...

So I know people were talking about Doveman a lot for a while now, but for me they kinda got lost in the mess of CMJ.  I got their CD right before seeing them at Brooklyn Vegan's Tonic show, and then with all the other stuff going on that weekend, I kind of forgot to mention it.

First off, I loved seeing them at that show.  It was so pleasant to be able to sit there and watch them play.  They're at Mo Pitkins tonight at 10:00.  If you're looking for a laid back evening, I highly recommend checking them out.

Second, the album is absolutely breathtaking.  One louder calls it one of the best of the year.  Pitchfork gave it an 8.0.  It's really quiet stuff so it's hard to instantly jump into, but there's nothing better to put on when you're lying on your bed, staring at the ceiling.  This is music made for complete silence and it rewards the attentive listener with with almost a hypnotic effect.   And I mean that in the best way possible.  I've become a huge fan of it, and sincerely regret not mentioning them sooner.

This track is my favorite.  If I was gonna make a Autumn playlist, this would be one of the first three tracks.

Doveman - Dancing

Spin20

Really good time last night.  All the bands were great.  Despite it's many faults, Webster Hall is the best venue in New York to photograph bands.  The bright, dramatic lights make it really easy on an amateur like myself.  Pictures below.  More on flickr.

Drive-By Truckers

Nightmare of You


LCD Soundsystem


Lady Sovereign


Death Cab for Cutie


Public Enemy

Get Yourself Together

Today is the first day of Fall.  I think the official cutoff was a week or two ago, but today was the first day I got out of bed and felt like it was a new season.  Walking to work this morning while listening to The Rapture on a perfectly clear, brisk morning.  That's Fall.  I've been looking forward to this for a while.  That summer was too long.  Too hot.  I was over it by mid August.

Anyway, I've always associated The Rapture with Autumn.  They're just that kind of band.  The big news this morning is that they're back, playing small shows around the city next month.  The first is next Thursday at Crash Mansion, then at Bowery on the 21st.  I'll be out of town for the latter, so I'm gonna roll the dice on CM and hope the band goes on before 3AM.  It also means I'll probably have to pass on Metric and Stellastarr* the same night.  I haven't seen this band since the Summer of 2004, so they take priority for now.  It's the proper season.

Graduation Mix

The new OC soundtrack is coming out soon.  Rather impressive tracklist, too.  Bands like The Kaiser Chiefs (pictured above), Gorillaz and LCD I suppose are expected by now, but The Subways?  Of Montreal?  Youth Group?  Shout Out Louds?  I feel like these bands have barely scratched the surface.  Good for the OC for actually keeping ahead of the curve somewhat here.  The Subways will apparently make an appearance on the show later this season.  Is the bait shop even still open?

Also, If you haven't read it, check out these emails between Josh Schwartz and "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons.  He actually asks some tough questions.  There's some pretty good stuff in there.  Jen last night also went through all the old Gothamist band interviews to see who said they'd perform on the show if asked.  Surprise surprise, most bands wouldn't pass up the op.  Ashlee Simpson wouldn't either.

Anyway, here's the tracklist for OC Mix Vol. 5.  The album drops November 8th.

01. Rock & Roll Queen...........................The Subways
02. Reason is Treason............................Kasabian
03. Wish I was Dead Pt. 2......................Shout Out Louds
04. Daft Punk Is playing At My House....LCD Soundsystem
05. Publish My Love...............................Rogue Wave
06. Forever Young.................................Youth Group
07. Requiem For O.M.M.........................Of Montreal
08. Kids With Guns................................Gorillaz
09. NA Na Na Na Naa............................Kaiser Chiefs
10. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead.....................Stars
11. California 2005 (Whistling)..............Phantom Planet
12. Hide and Seek................................Imogen Heap

Verdict: 9.2

I'm glad they they too the high road on this one.  The final line of Pitchfork's review of Wolf Parade's debut LP reads: "In a few years, other folks will still remember where they were when they first heard Apologies to the Queen Mary."

I don't, to be honest.  For me, It'll always be their CMJ show, which is what excelled me into a true fan.  I remember Joey downloading the leak (pictured above, from flickr) and then getting it from him shortly after.  Didn't really listen to it obsessively till after that show, however.

Here's my favorite track of the moment, which is the latest of about 5 different songs I've labeled as the best since July:

Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything

Tickets are still available for their show on October 24th at Bowery.  As Bill P points out in the comments, the show's now sold out.  Tix for their show at Northsix will go on sale tonight at midnight.

Going Missing...

I really don't get it.  Maximo Park came out with one of my favorite albums of the last year (Top 10 for sure, potentially top 5), but I've now seen them all three times that they've been to New York, and have been completely underwhelmed at each show.  I get excited at the beginning of each song, but am bored by the time the second verse comes around.  It's certainly not for lack of effort, because Paul Smith is a lively and entertaining frontman, but there is something very lackluster about their show.  Can't put my finger on it.  I don't know of any other band that is so amazing on record, yet so inexplicably boring live.  Strange.

On a positive note, The Cloud Room were excellent.  That new song they played was one of my favorites.

Friday Cat Blogging

On Wednesday night I had to briefly dip out of Jenny Refill's birthday party to head over to Bowery The Mercury Lounge for Thunderbirds are Now!.  So good.  So much fun.  I only caught the second half of their set, but was OK with that since I saw them open for Les Savy Fav at Bowery not too long ago.  I really just did this post to throw up that picture above, when the manic keyboard player donned a really creepy cat mask and started throwing rolls of toilet paper into the crowd.  They make me smile.  And bounce around a bit.  Certainly a band not to be missed when they're back in town.

You should be in my space...

I hate to say it, since it's nobody's favorite, but Webster Hall is home court for me.  It's tough admit that, since when growing up, the club was the laughingstock of nightlife in a neighborhood already lacking an interesting scene.  When a band's not playing, it's still as bad as it ever was.  But the fact remains that it's the closest venue to home and part of me is always appreciative that I don't have to take two cabs just to go see some music.

So for a Sunday night, the day I usually have the least motivation to get up and go anywhere, it's not that big a deal just to go over and see a band I love at Webster Hall.

The point being, tickets for Interpol on 10/2 go on sale today at noon.  If you missed out on the presale yesterday, I'd act fast this afternoon, since the last time they headlined a show in NYC, it was two nights at Radio City, which is 6 times the size of Webster.  I said earlier in the week that the Spin party was the first time I felt Webster Hall was an intimate venue since Modest Mouse played a secret show there last year.  This should have an equal feel.

As an extra added bonus, Child Ballads is opening.  Productshop has their story.   I definitely wanna get there early and check them out.

Howl at the moon...

Yeti's taking bets on Pitchfork's Wolf Parade rating for Apologies to the Queen Mary.  I wanna say they'll love it, but this is one of those bands that got lots of buzz without Pitchfork pushing them, and I feel like they may resent that sort of thing.  Remember...the teaser EP only got a 7.1.

I think 8.4 is probably a safe prediction.  I could totally see it with a 9.8 or a 5.8 tho, depending on how they wanna go.  I think the album's biggest fault is that the songs from their first EP that are re-rerecorded on the LP are so far inferior this time around, so if they're looking for ways to bash it, this may be where it loses points.  On the other hand, The Kanye 9.5 was way overrated and seemed a bit rash, so this may be their best shot at topping that score before the end of the year.

And if you think I'm crazy for giving this big a shit about what Pitchfork thinks of an album, the fact is that the number they assign to an album is in the grand scheme of things has become very important.  I hate to admit it, but it's so true.  I don't think they can kill an album (a low score wont ruin anyone, thankfully), but a high score automatically gets everyone's attention.  That's just the way it is.

So lets play over/under at 8.4.  I'm gonna play the optimist and bet it's over.  Well over.

9.6