Central Village

After last night they're changing the name to Peter, John and Bjorn

I kid, Bjorn. You were fine. But all in all, it wasn't a great show. Pretty sure it was the most packed I've ever seen The Bowery Ballroom. Like sardines all the way against the back bar and into the stairway. There was lots of downtime between songs, sloppy screw-ups, Bjorn forgetting lyrics, backing whistling tracks and otherwise embarrassing moments, but looking back, the highlights were pretty sweet. Peter's voice is really quite perfect when it comes in at the right time. Young Folks came off almost magically, tho I'm a sucker for that guy-girl trade-off stuff (See: Stars, that Postal Service song with Jenny Lewis, etc.) The way they were looking at each other and bouncing lyrics back and forth was just fantastic. But overall, I left at the beginning of the encore fairly disappointed.

I think it's a really shitty situation for a band to have to play Bowery a day after playing Merc. That's a big step, and I don't think many bands, especially ones without much US touring experience can pull it off. Playing those two rooms are very different experience, and they are meant for two different points in a band's development. I have to imagine that making the jump on back to back nights is a tough one pull off well. Several times throughout the night, I was thinking that the show would seemed so much better in smaller confines. In a room where they could demand the entire audience's full attention.

Which brings me to my next point. Crowds. I'm a very tolerant guy about this stuff, and even if I am annoyed, I will usually keep quiet and not complain cause I really refuse to believe that the way I enjoy a show is the only way anyone should enjoy a show. So if you wanna dance or not dance or sing along or whatever, I don't really care. Or at least I don't blame you. The only unacceptable exception is if you talk while the band is on. I mean fuck. Seriously, just shut your goddamn mouth while the band is playing. If you need to say something, lean over and say it in your friends ear. And keep it short. If you don't like the band, don't like the song or really need to talk about something important, take it to the bar. Every venue I can think of off the top of my head, aside from Sin-e, has a separate bar/lounge area for this explicit purpose. I don't care how drunk you are, how loud your voice is normally, or what you have to say, but there is absolutely no excuse for holding a full conversation at a normal speaking tone while a band is playing in a room where people paid to see them perform. It is unbelievably rude. If you disagree, and I suspect a lot of people do because there was a ton of yabbering throughout the show last night, I would love to hear your reasoning. Please. Send me an email or leave a comment. I'd really like to know. Thanks.

More at Brooklyn Vegan, PSNYC, Ryspace.

On the bright side, perhaps this show will serve as a caveat for the next hot band coming through town considering the ol' Bowery Presents bait-and-switch?

Not too old for iTunes

It's a gauge of sorts when you hear the new iPod + iTunes commercial song and you don't instantly recognize it. This new one was a first for me. It used to be sort of exciting to hear that song being picked. This time I wasn't exactly sure who it was right off the bat, but I had my guesses. I figured unless the Libertines got back together and no one told me or The Arctic Monkeys have a new album coming out that I wasn't aware of, my money was on either The View or The Fratellis. Having not listened to either, I assumed the latter since the one thing I knew about The View was that they were superyoung, and this song sounded a bit older. Thanks to Stereogum today, and despite the deceptive post title which hinted otherwise, my suspicions were proven correct.

The Fratellis - Flathead (mp3)

I like the song just fine, but for God's sake, England, you've been exporting the same effing buzz band for the last 6 years. I like the sound just fine and all, but it's just the more or less jangly versions of The Libertines over and over and over again. You realize this, right? Lets mix it up a little next time, maybe.

16 Blocks is a really good movie

Who knew? It was on Showtime or one of those movie channels a few nights ago and I thought it might be a good action movie to kill a few hours. But it was really good! It was the kind of movie that everyone from the actors to the writers could have so easily mailed in and it probably would have done just as well/poorly at the box office, but every point that could have been awful and cliche seemed to work so well. Bruce Willis playing a drunk cop nearing retirement? C'mon! We've all seen that a million times. BUT! This character is much deeper and more fleshed out than anything you'd expect. Here, Willis is a completely despicable character. He's almost unrecognizable at times (the mustache goes a long way.) Looks like the kind of person you wouldn't want to stand next to in the subway. Just gross. Unlike the "aw shucks, but I've got a hangover" drunk from Die Hard 3, this guy is really depressing. Like Leaving Las Vegas depressing. But the character has enough going so that you get a glimpse that he was once something resembling a decent cop. It's not saying much, I suppose, but I can't think of a movie Bruce Willis was ever better in. He wasn't just keeping the movie going with his regular shtick, he really created something here and totally nails it.

Mos Def's character could should have been really awful and annoying, but he somehow manages to squeeze a great role out of it. I was really rooting for him! I don't know if I've ever seen anything else Mos Def's been in, but the consensus seems to be that he's turned into a pretty great actor and a lousy rapper. Gotta give him credit here for creating an such an engaging character out of basically nothing.

So what the hell happened here? I'm not kidding when I say that these two were maybe the most interesting, multidimensional and well developed characters I've seen together in any movie in quite a while. And aside from them, There was some great on-location shots of NYC (always a plus for me), the story kept me into it, with some twists and some tense scenes and never seemed THAT over the top (all things considered.) Was the writing really that good? Can't be. I give credit to the actors for this one. Maybe I was just in a weird mood when I watched this? Rotten Tomatoes seems to think it was an average to below average, run-of-the-mill Summer action movie, which is exactly what I thought I was in for when I started watching. But it was so much better. I have a very particular taste in movies, and unlike what some may say about my music tastes, I'm not easily wooed by dumb, popular blockbuster stuff. I dislike far more movies than I like. This one, however, falls firmly in the good category. Am a really alone on this one?

Clap Your Hands Say it's 2:30 in the morning on a weekday, how about an encore?

Well that was fun. Not "Lets do it again tonight!" fun, or "wow, that totally changed my opinion on these guys live" fun, but more of a "it was good to see everyone out in such a unique type of situation" fun.

Super tired this morning, but a few quick thoughts. First, I think all the CYHSY guys are totally swell people and everything, but given the circumstances surrounding the show, it would have been nice to see the band a little looser and more casual. It felt pretty business as usual. And yeah, writing in an encore for a show like this was a bit much. Coming back out for 3 songs is just a tough sell at that stage of the night.

On the positive side, it was just really good times. Lots of friends were able to get tickets and it was so last minute nobody had a chance to second guess themselves and not show up. The one standout music-wise, as everyone always says but it needs to be reiterated because the Some Loud Thunder version does not do it justice, is Satan Said Dance live. It's almost seems like a different band. As if they were...possessed? I sometimes think that Alec's vocals dominate the live show a bit much, even moreso then on record, but this song just lets the band go at it. I don't have much patience for most jammy stuff anymore, but I could definitely get behind a 25 minute version of this. It just keeps chugging along. Kind of the way I felt about Lo-Fi-Fnk's 'City' when I saw them live.

So yea, great times. Brooklyn Vegan's got good pics. As does Stereogum, courtesy of Punkphoto. Qbertplaya has a video:

I think I know who this is.

I just looked at my sidekick and definitely sent a text at 2:16am to Jen stating "They're such a fucking jam band." They totally are. Wonder which song tipped me off?

What the hell happened to my buddy list?

I know last night was a rough one (more on that in a minute), but the last thing I expected to find this morning is my AIM buddy list missing. What the frig?

Go Find

In November, 2004, the Morr Music tour came to town with The Go Find, Styrofoam and Lali Puna. I don't think any of these bands have been close to America since, and I really feel that this was a special night. Even moreso in hindsight, considering I'm still listening to and enjoying the same records these guys were supporting then over 2 years later. While Styrofoam was the hot shit going in with Ben Gibbard, Andrew Kenny and other notables guesting on his latest album and Lali Puna was already fairly well established at that point, The Go Find was the one that stuck with me the most. I don't remember where I first heard about them (perhaps here?), but I knew I was excited for them going into the night, and I know I listened to that album a whole lot more afterwards.

I was happy and surprised to see this week that there is a new Go Find album coming out. 'Miami' is one of those albums that just never feels old. I listen to it every so often still and it holds up better than nearly everything else I was into back then. I've only given this new guy one run through so far, but I love love love this first song. Listen.

The Go Find - Beautiful Night (mp3, new album)
and for old times sake...
The Go Find - Over the Edge (mp3, old album)

Oscar

For the first time in a few years, I've actually seen a few of the Oscar nominees before they were nominated. Sure, most of them were on a 5 inch screen on my flights to and from Prague, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Some thoughts:

• The Departed vs. Little Miss Sunshine is gonna be a tough pick for me to root for. Both really enjoyable movies, obviously in completely different ways. Thought the Queen was swell as well, but I'd like to see one of those other two get it.
• I'm rooting for Helen Mirren for best actress because it's the only one I've seen out of all the actor/actress movies. I really liked the Queen. I think Notes on a Scandal is my next movie to watch. I've heard nothing but great things.
• Wahlberg vs Arkin is tough, but Marky gets the edge. Every time he was on screen, he dominated the scenes with far more accomplished and respected actors beside him. It's like a guy coming off the bench for the '96 bulls and consistently outplaying Jordan and Pippen every time he was out on the court (even if he only got 15 minutes per game.) How could you not root for him to get the 6th man award? I'd take him over a veteran who put in solid minutes and great stats on a younger team. Probably, right?
• I really still don't have any interest in seeing Dreamgirls.
• It's cliche to say it, but this is the movie Scorsese deserves to win it for. No Oscar-pandering period epics, just a perfectly executed crime drama. He'll be remembered for ones like this, not the the dumb Aviator.
• I made a comment to a friend about a month back that Borat was the kind of movie that always got a cursory "Best Screenplay" nom and not much else. In this movie's case, however, that wouldn't make much sense. Of course, it still inexplicably gets the nom.
• Having seen Infernal Affairs years ago and loving it, I feel very strongly that The Departed should win Best Adapted, since it really made a great movie even better by adding characters, manipulating their importance and making it feel like a genuine American crime movie rather than the Hong Kong remake that it is.
• It's odd that I've heard nothing but blah things about Babel for the last 3 months, and all of a sudden it's the hot shit movie of the year. I really had zero interest in it, and still do, but what gives?
• Update I can't believe I left out: Where the hell is Children of Men???? Just watched that the other night. One of the best movies of the year, IMO, if not THE best. Certainly up there with The Departed. How'd this one miss???

Coachella 2007 thoughts

• Faithless! I never thought I'd get to see them in the States.
• My favorite tradition of 1 shitty screamo/emo band thrown in there for the hell of it: Circa Survive. (Last year was Coheed, year before, Thrice)
• Friday is the best, top to bottom. Saturday has the strongest core of smaller bands and DJs and Sunday has some ace headliners, but not as much I need to see during the day.
• I'll be at the grounds all day Friday, maybe leave a bit early on Saturday (don't need RHCP in my life these days) and get there a little later on Sunday for the big names. I'll be a much happier person if I pace myself this year, and the way the bands look to shape up, it might work out without too many regrets.
• Find it funny that Rufus is buried under the likes of Brazilian Girls and Peaches, when that dude could probably sell out the garden on a good night and they each have trouble filling Irving. But maybe it's different out west...
• Aside from Faithless, JAMC, Bjork, Rage and TAF (always, even if I had just seen 2 or 3 times recently) are all wouldn't-miss-for-the-world sets.

I am quite excited for this year.

Crowded House Reunion at Coachella 2007

Also, Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, others.

So...do you think when the Police fell through, was this their idea of the next best thing? Gotta draft the best available, Coachella! Just because you need a punter, doesn't mean you have to burn a first round pick on one.

The article requires an annoying and painful registration process, so here it is in full. I feel like there's something like this every Sunday before the lineup is officially announced, so heads up tomorrow morning...

Rage Against the Machine, the seminal L.A. band that made heavy music into political manifesto, will reunite after a seven-year lull for one show as the headliners at the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Sources say Rage, which played the main stage at the first Coachella in 1999, will be joined by other familiar faces for the eighth edition of the festival, which covers three days this year and begins April 27: Red Hot Chili Peppers, which headlined in 2003, are back, as is Björk, who topped the bill in 2002.

Organizers were mum this weekend and it was not clear which day Rage or the other acts were slotted to play; that announcement is expected in the next few days. Other acts expected in the eclectic lineup: Arcade Fire, Interpol, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Manu Chao, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Crowded House, Air, Tiësto and Kings of Leon.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, via Ticketmaster. Three-day passes will cost about $250 and there will be a limited number of single-day passes available.

The headliners are not novel, but they are potent. The Peppers are up for their first best album Grammy right now, and Björk remains a mesmerizing figure to fans of avant pop. But in Southern California rock circles, there is very little that could compete with the excitement of a Rage Against the Machine reunion. The quartet's hybrid of funk, rap, metal and leftist ideology was as subtle as a Molotov cocktail; in the 1990s, its aggro-anthems made it the only band that mattered to a fan base that included East L.A. protest kids as well as those in Hollywood punk circles, college dorms and mainstream rock festival mosh pits, where politics were secondary to the group's feral energy.

The band is vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Their split came amid rumors of bad blood between De la Rocha and his mates, who went on to work with Chris Cornell in Audioslave. However, Morello and De la Rocha appeared together at a 2005 rally for the urban farmers of a South Los Angeles community garden.

(Thanks, Jack)

A Teddybears Video

I don't think I'd normally post a video that just shows up in my inbox unannounced like this, but...

A. I was just talking about Teddybears this week. Sort of.
B. I've had this song stuck in my head because of that dang car commercial for a couple weeks now.
C. It's a pretty rad song.
D. It's a pretty sweet video.
E. The publicist who sent it was smart and kind enough to include the embedding code right there in the blast. (even tho the player is too wide for this site by 13 pixels and I can't seem to correct it without tanking the whole thing.)

So enjoy. Here's the mp3, too.
Teddybears (feat. Iggy Pop) - Punkrocker (mp3)