Central Village

So that's what you call a getaway?

I'm getting on a plane for wet and lukewarm Los Angeles in a few hours, then on my way to Coachella this weekend. A few parting notes:

Don't wanna go any further without mentioning Sam Champion (above), who really impressed me on Monday night. I love the Two Gallants, but it was not the best show I've seen them do. SC opened for them and were really solid. Much much better than the last time I saw them, which was sort of out of place at Mercury last Summer with a bunch of English bands. Superupbeat and tight as hell. I couldn't believe it was the same band. If you, like me, haven't seen them in a while, go catch them soon. Ferreals

Taking Back Sunday was quite a trip last night. I feel like I say this a lot, but I have NEVER seen Irving this packed. The kids were moshing and crowdsurfing and pumping their fists and singing along like none other. It was all quite surreal. Not really a fan of the band...only even know two or three songs, but they're about to have huge year. Was fun to see them on the cusp of their major label breakout. Miss Mod sums it up nicely. She also took a perfect pic with her cameraphone. The fact that you can't see the band in it is pretty irrelevant. The crowd was the show for me.

Brand New stole my attention last weekend, but The Dresden Dolls 2-hour set at Webster Hall Saturday night was pretty special as well. These guys have the best fans. There were art and photo installations all around the club, kids were out in full goth-y costume and hung out on my little leftside landing waltzing their little twisted hearts out.

Still no hour-to-hour schedule for Coachella up. Curious to see how it all plays out. Everybody complains, but there are a LOT of bands playing this thing I'm excited to see. Haters be damned. Also can't wait to check out Sunset Rubdown in LA the Monday after. One of my top 3 or 4 most listened albums of the year so far. Should be good.

Off for now...be back sometime next week. Maybe a post or two if I get bored or something interesting happens. Peter over at Spin.com is gonna be liveblogging the whole weekend I think, so be sure to check in on that if you're itching for up to the minute Indio gossip.

Poor Tech Purchaces

This year hasn't been a good one for me as far as buying myself fancy toys. It started with Xbox 360 right before New Years. I like the thing, but there really aren't that many games out for it. And the ones that they have are really expensive aren't that great. I just bought a baseball game for my old reliable PS2, which I'll prolly be playing for the next 6 months pretty exclusively. I don't even play that many videogames to begin with anymore. oh well.

Next was a DVD player that upconverted regular DVDs to look Hi-Def on my big HDTV (which was a great purchase...2 years ago). It's not that it was broken or didn't do a pretty good job doing what it was supposed to do, it's just that I don't really watch movies in my living room, um, ever. I have enough TV to catch up on my DVR. When I do watch a movie these days, it's usually whatever's on HBO, Showtime, etc on-demand in bed while I fall asleep. So this was a pretty big waste of money.

Finally was my new phone/PDA device thingy. Huge mistake. Dumped my perfectly good sidekick for a fancy PDA device (Sprint PPC 6700) that looked great on paper but was a disaster in execution. Windows Mobile 5 didn't work right, the Wi-Fi was a headache and a major battery drain, my email never synced up right and no native AIM support, with the 3rd party apps barely being functional. I couldn't get back to my Sidekick soon enough. Yesterday, after waiting the 90 days required to return to T-mobile, I ate the investment on the phone and the contract termination fee and switched back. Now today I'm with my trusty Sidekick II for the first time in three months. It's very touching. The guy's not perfect and ideally I should have waited a few months till the Sidekick III came out, but I really couldn't deal with it any longer.

No point or moral to this story, just venting. I've already spent most of my upcoming disposable income on travel...Coachella this weekend, Chicago for Pitchfork, Nashville for Bonnaroo. Hopefully my redistribution of funds will prevent me from also splurging on a Plasma TV or God knows what else entices me for the moment.

Jeppy41's liveournal entry

On Saturday I posted a plea for anyone with an extra ticket to the secret/last minute Brand New show at Sin-e yesterday. I didn't hear from anyone. Considering they sold out Webster Hall in an hour, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them headlining Jones Beach or even Nassau Coliseum by the end of the summer, I really wanted to get in to this show, knowing there wouldn't be very many chances in the future that I'd have to see them in such a comfortable, intimate and convenient setting. Despite a very kind heads up by Marc (Thank you!) right before tickets went on sale, I still missed out on getting one. After exhausting every trick and tactic I could think of...emailing everybody I could think of that might have even a vague connection to the band and even resorting to Craigslist with no luck, I was pretty bummed. Quite simply, this was too short notice for anyone to find out about and hatch a plan to sell. Everyone who bought a ticket was going.

Despite my failed attempts, I walked down to Sin-e anyway in the hopes somebody would show up with a spare. As I stood outside, I watched pairs of fans, two by two walk in. Nobody hesitating for a second to to try and dump an extra. Finally, after about a half hour of hanging around outside, this guy came up to me and asked if I was trying to get into the show. I was. He turned out to be the manager, and considering I was the only dipshit tooling around by myself outside all that time, prolly felt bad for me and walked me into the show. Very nice guy and was a great gesture, but I was somewhat embarrassed to accept at first. 24 year old kid going to a Brand New concert by himself and all. But in hindsight I can't complain.

It was somewhat of a relief to see that, despite the show being all ages, the crowd seemed generally older. Lots of college kids, many others my age. I gotta imagine since the band has been away for like 3 years, most of their fans who were in HS or college when they first started playing are now older. It wasn't like that FoB show at Knit where I really felt like a creep standing in the back trying to stay out of the way. This was better. I also liked the band a whole lot more, which helps.

So as for the show...They were pretty great. Rusty, to say the least. Jesse's voice was pretty ragged and there was a lot of bumping into each other, but it still worked. The crowd was rather sedate. Quiet between songs, which I know bands don't like, but I always take it as a sign of respect. Better than chatter. Shows the fans are really into the show. They played for about 90 minutes, almost entirely old songs, which I was happy to hear. At least one new one, maybe more. There were a few I didn't recognize. They ended the set with my favorite song off Deja Entendu (Tommy Gun) and the encore with my favorite off their first album (Jude Law). Covered pretty much everything else they've got before that.  A few acoustic jams, a few epic sing alongs, a few vain-busting screamers. I don't need to go into again how legit these guys are. They've got a collection of amazing post-emo gems. It was great to finally hear them live.

One more note...Seeing that I've been to a few of these "secret" shows for big bands playing small clubs over the years, this was far and away the most natural. Perhaps you could chalk it up to the fact the band hadn't played together for a long time in front of people, or maybe they're just completely down to earth guys, but I don't think they mentioned once that they were playing a venue too small for them. Not once did they make a big deal about how lucky the crowd should feel that they're getting to see them play in such an ideal situation. They didn't treat it as a testing ground for their new songs. It was just another show. They were grateful that people were willing to make plans at the last minute and come out early to see them play. It was really a treat not to be beaten over the head by pretentiousness.

They'll be back in town at Webster Hall at the end of July. That show sold out in an hour, and I haven't seen for myself, but I've read tickets are going for $300 on eBay. I don't think they're quite ready for anything bigger than that just yet, but after a few months of steady touring, they'll get the feel back and keep going up.

More 'reviews':
Jessica: "I can't even describe how fucking back Brand New is...it's so serious."
Mike: "brand new owns me, forever and ever and ever and ever."

We've Been Had

My friend Erin is working on this viral marketing campaign for Mark Ecko that involves a video of Mark tagging up air force one that's been floating around the internet the last week or so. It's not real, but it's a pretty remarkable hoax. Of course, I doubt something like this could have gone down without getting massive mainstream media attention, which is always a big tipoff to these internet spread urban legends and whatnot. They've gone down to the details of the proper decals in the right place, and even having the vandals fun through a golf course (which there is apparently one right near the runway to Andrews AFB) The most minor of inconsistencies turn out to be the most glaring in hindsight, as the ones detailed in this article point out. Nonetheless, people seemed to had been genuinely fooled by the stunt for a while. Well played.

I think the most remarkable thing about this whole ruse is that the state of our military has become such a shadowy sham, that official denials are just assumed as bogus coverups. Which obviously plays perfectly into the marketers hands. Silly government.

Anyway, seeing this can't help but draw me back to think of those Viral Secret Machines and Morningwood comment spammers that got called out last year. The toughest line these campaigns have to walk is that when you target tech savvy bloggers to push your wares, it's safe to assume that these people know more than you. If a blogger sees 10 comments from the same IP on the same post, something's up. If the font of the letter matches times new roman, not old fashioned typewriter face, somethings up. You're never gonna out-geek the people who actually care about this, and nobody wants to be taken for a fool. Especially when given an opportunity to call out the people trying to take advantage of their service for personal or financial gain.

Anyway, all pontificating aside, the video's pretty great. Watch below:

Brand New at Sin-e

Tomorrow night. Just missed out on getting tickets, would really love to go. If anyone happens to read blogs on the weekend and has an extra, please let me know. Thx

I Blame the Postal Service

If you ask anyone I know, they'd agree that I've got a pretty high tolerance for what most consider shitty popular music. I listen to the Get Up Kids and My Chemical Romance somewhat regularly. I've seen (and, for the most part, enjoyed) Fall Out Boy play live recently. Panic! on the Disco even makes me smile a little, and I've never hidden the fact that I'm a fan of The Killers.

So I get an email from the publicist for the band Say Anything. Lets forget about the band name for now. That's a debate for someone slightly older than me. I had heard of them. Am pretty sure they're aiming for the under 18, FUSE crowd. AKA my wheelhouse. I know they've sold out Bowery fairly quickly and I'm pretty sure they're on a major label. Prolly primed to be real big someday. I thought I owed it to myself to at least listen to the song they sent, titled "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too."

This song literally made me sick to my stomach.

I've had music give me an instant headache (Hi Dillinger Escape Plan!) but I really can't remember the last time a song made me physically ill. And it gets even worse after the first verse. Yes, it goes downhill after the lyric "I'd be chatting on the Interweb." The chorus, my god, the chorus. If you don't get any further than that, there's also some mention of shul and a Rabbi. I think. Maybe I had just become completely delirious by that point.

Anyway, I dare you to listen. Maybe the rest of their stuff is descent, maybe they're alright guys, but this song is the absolute worst. Makes LFO's 'Summer Girls' sound like a lost Pavement b-side.

Say Anything - Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too (mp3)

If somebody has the ability to mash this up with the new Mets theme song, please let me know. Thanks.

A followup on The National Outrage...

(This post started out as a comment on Brooklyn Vegan, but it got too long. And I felt bad using a meat analogy on his post.)

As someone who actually LIKES seeing shows at Webster Hall, I still prefer Bowery for the obvious reasons. I like hamburgers too, but if I order a steak, I don't want a hamburger. No matter how high quality the ground beef is. Furthermore, I don't want to have to jump through hoops by calling the food distributor in San Fransisco to ask for an explanation or my money back. Follow? Plain and simple, this should not happen, except under very very extreme circumstances (AKA The Arcade Fire.) Almost every show sells out at Bowery. This cannot become commonplace.

For those who say it's ALL about the band, not where they play...come on now. I've seen this band several times in the past, and the one thing that made me really wanna see them again was that this show was at Bowery. That was the deciding factor for me. Plain and simple, I would not have bought a ticket to see them at Webster (where I already saw them two months ago.) The issue isn't my fickleness, and it really doesn't matter if you think I shouldn't care where I see a band. I'm not spending your money.

That all said, the band's explanation is satisfactory. They are nice guys and a great band and I seriously doubt that this was an intentional screwjob. However, if all this bitching and moaning draws attention to how unfair and unpopular a move like this is, than I'm glad for the outrage. I hope publicists, bands and booking agents read these comments and the ones left on Brooklyn Vegan and will think twice before pulling the same stunt again. That is all.

A Banner Year...

So...the Mets are 9-3. Season's going great, right? Well, not so fast to celebrate. They just debuted the 2006 theme song! Think MSTRCRFT remixing Forward Russia...

The 2006 Mets Theme (mp3)
(mp3 via NYO, via Deadspin)

Proof that no matter how good the team is on the field, they'll always find a reason for you to be ashamed of them. God Bless.

Pretending there's a problem...

I've been listening to one album for the last 36 hours or so. Pretty much on repeat. Over and over. And it's not the band I've seen twice in the last two days (Cloud Cult) It's Land of Talk's short LP/Long EP  called Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. I grabbed it at Movable Hype in a cute little handmade cardboard foldout case. I dunno what it is exactly about them, but the songs...my god, the songs. I wish there were more. Lizzie's voice is phenomenal as well. I imagine they'll get a lot of Rilo Kiley/Feist comparisons as they gain more exposure, but to be honest these songs struck me harder than anything those two ever did when I first heard them. And, considering Feist and Rilo had two of my favorite albums a couple years ago, that's saying a lot. Big, big things, my friends. Wait and see.

I admire that they've been to New York so often, especially since they never fail to mention how much of a pain in the ass it is to get down here from Canada. They've been here three separate times recently, and will be coming down a fourth on May 19th to do a KEXP in-studio and play Mercury Lounge. Go see them. Their live show is only getting better and better...

On a mostly unrelated note, (same date...) The Strokes sold out three nights at the 3,500 cap. Hammerstein in less than a minute. Those shows got universal rave reviews. It's been announced (and widely reported) that they will be playing one night at the 1,000 cap. Irving Plaza on May 19th for the Joey Ramone Benefit. Why on earth are tickets not sold out yet???

A Straight Up Scam?

UPDATE: BV's got the whole story. Sounds legit. Still kind of upset tho.

I sometimes feel like the Bowery Presents people's biggest defender, with all that unwarranted Webster-hate out there. But this is really inexcusable. The National/Baby Dayliner/Doveman show on 5/21, which went on sale a week or two ago and since sold out, has been moved to Webster Hall. This has happened twice before, to my knowledge. Once, When the Arcade Fire were on the up and up, and a few months after playing Bowery, booked another show at the club. The next was when the Fiery Furnaces got bumped. Both moves caused a justified outrage from fans. 

At least the Arcade Fire were growing in popularity in an unprecedented way, and the demand to see them was so high (with craigslist ticket scalpers taking advantage) that it was the wise thing to do. The Fiery Furnaces move was a little more curious, since the show hadn't even sold out at the time, but the band had just played the same venue not too long ago, so it seemed like the appropriate move.

I'm not sure why this is any different than the FF show, but it feels that way. I feel duped. Maybe because the National had their Bowery Show politely hijacked by CYHSY fans. This show felt, in a way, as a make-up show for people who wanted to see them at Bowery but couldn't. Maybe it was because the main reason why I bought a ticket for this show was to see this band at Bowery. For the FF, I wanted to see them again no matter what. Here, I just saw the National at Webster in February for the Plug Awards. This had the feel of a special, one-off show with great and interesting local supporting bands. Now it's just another concert from a band I've already seen a few times. Plain and simple, as much as I think Webster is a perfectly fine venue to see a show, I would not have bought a ticket for this show had it been announced originally there. I don't think I'm alone here.

This is not about Webster Hall sucking, no matter your opinion on the club. Lets not make it about that. It's about a bait and switch, plain and simple. And it feels almost premeditated this time. It's not like anyone would be suprised that The National could sell out Bowery. Like they were overwhelmed and suprised by so many ticket sales that they had to bump it up to accomidate the fans. Likewise, without anything new out since their last album (which came out nearly a year ago), I suspect that selling out Webster Hall would have prolly been stretch as well. Is there a chance they put this show on the calendar at Bowery with no intention of ever having the show there, but spicifically as a selling point? I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it doesn't seem so out there.

I feel taken advantage of. They didn't even offer a half-assed refund option, as they sometimes do when dates or venues get moved around. As somebody who spends at least 2 or more nights most weeks at the Bowery Presents clubs, I'm not about to boycott them or put up too big a fuss. Like I said, I generally like what they do, and creating a Clear Channel alternative in a city like this is an admirable task. I'd just like an explanation.