Review: Arcade Fire @ Greek Theatre, L.A.

Montreal's Arcade Fire are truly on fire, as far as sales and critical kudos and what-not. On the second night of a two-night stand at the beautiful Greek, the ten-some (dectet?) got off to an unusually slow start (worsened by the venue's seriously low volume). Likewise, the crowd seemed curiously aloof for the set's first section. Whether it can be blamed on tour ennui, or the unusually chilly SoCal evening, the band's usually explosive live show was simply great instead of MIND-BLOWING. Things picked up about halfway through and the crowd duly responded. Highlights included the half-dozen or so songs from their full-length debut Funeral, while a number of the newer tracks from Neon Bible don't seem to have quite the same impact. Stage banter was kept to a minimum until singer Win Butler recounted the band's recent trip to "The Price is Right." Later, after jumping down into the crowd, the band beckoned Butler back onstage with a hearty "Win Butler! Come on down!!!" and a glockenspiel take on the show's theme. It was fun. For all there semi-pretentious doom and gloom, Arcade Fire can be really FUN. Alas, they were just sorta fun on this night.

FOG WATCH 2007

Day 57: No sign of the new album, BUT the awesome dudes Fog have left a cryptic meesage on their website about their upcoming tour dates. "Stay tuned for details..."!!!

Review: Voxtrot/Sound Team/Au Revoir Simone

Austin's Voxtrot seem to be too ambitious. Previously playing small clubs on their last tour, the group is now pack-ing in theaters like L.A.'s El Rey (which fits maybe around 1,200?) and their sound can't fill the space. Nor can singer Ramesh Srivastava's limited range, which he is constantly pushing to the limit. Energetic and clearly enjoying themselves, the band often comes off as stuck in the mid-'90s shite rock of Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler (minus the harmonica THANK CHRIST). Other songs start interesting only to retreat to the safer sounds of tired Ben Foldsy territory.

Fellow Austinites Sound Team were less annoying, but offered strangely generic indie rock. Openers Au Revoir Simone ("Let's talk about your big 'but,' Simone...") are three cute NYC ladies riding a rising swell of hype, but their electro noodling and sometimes off-key harmonies recall Ladytron on a bad night.

At least it was cheap. Yes, I hate puppies and sunsets too.

Frank Black fans: Surrender yo' money

Hell yes: In the wake of the successful Pixies reunion of '04-'05, Frank Black's all: "Now turn your attention to my solo work." Last year the dude dropped one great double-album (Fastman/Raider Man) and one sweet, weird pile of sweet weirdness called Christmass. Now, he's raising the stakes with a best of that only goes through '03. Here's the official website. The best of is a two-disc affair, with the second platter holding some live cuts. Here's the part where you start selling blood: that second disc is different in Japan and the U.K. Meaning to get all three live collections, you gotta buy the best of three times, or download them or whatever. I'm doing it because F.B. is like the best ever. If you pre-order, you get a free lyric poster, and you get entered in a mysterious contest.

Download a audio on mp3 Festival

Check This: In case your brian hasn't exploded due to festival overload, some of youse peeps may wanna check out the Download Festival, traveling from coast to coast like Lewis and Clark or whatever.

Aug. 18 at Boston's Tweeter Center: Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade, Band Of Horses and Neko Case

Aug. 25 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington: Modest Mouse, Incubus, the Thermals, Nada Surf and the Heavenly States

Sept. 2 at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI: The Shins, Band Of Horses and Wolf Parade.

Oct. 6 at Shoreline Amphitheatre outside San Francisco: The Cure, A.F.I., Kings Of Leon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and 65 Days Of Static

Prince smells good...real good.

HELL YES: Achtung Minneapolitans! Prettyman is raising a positively radiant stink up in your area. PRINCE will be conquering the Target Center (The Target Center??!? Why doesn't he play a smaller place??!) on July 7 at 7 pm, but three hours before that, he'll launch his new parfume ("3121") at the downtown Macy's. On the 8th Floor. Is the 7th floor too small? What about the 7 1/2 Floor?

Tickets are only available at the Macy's perfume counter. I have no idea what's going on either. Don't forget, he's supposedly about to announce those L.A. dates soon.

Pipettes instorez

Hell yes: Those adorable Pipettes are adding some in-store action to their busy Shed-ule (UK pronounciation).

Ganked from Filter:

Sunday, June 3rd @ 2:30 PM
Mars RED Music
57A Kings Hwy E
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856.428.8255

Tuesday, June 5th @ 7 PM
Other Music
15 E. 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-477-8150

Tuesday, June 12th @ 7pm
Amoeba Music
1855 Haight St
San Francisco, CA
415-831-1200

Thursday, June 14th @ 7pm
Sonic Boom Records (Ballard Location)
2209 NW Market St,
Seattle, WA 98107
206.297.2666

Review: Brother Ali/Psalm One @ Troubadour

Brother Ali, the massive, intimidating Minneapolis MC swung through L.A. on Wednesday, with Chicago MC Psalm One in tow. Bashing through joints culled primarily from his 2003 "Shadows on the Sun" and the recently released "Undisputed Truth," Ali tempered his angry-sounding, booming voice with some truly personal lyrics and stage banter regarding his recent messy divorce and his undying love for his young son. He certainly wears his heart on his sleeve, and he has a likable "aw shucks" charm that contrasts with his blistering MC skills.

Psalm One is likewise a mucho talented MC, but plays down the bravado in exchange for a friendly, accessible personality (she could be seen in the crowd enjoying Ali's set after here own).

Seattle's Boom Bap Project kicked things off right at the all-Rhymesayers show.

Prince, Prince, Prince

HELL YES: The greatest news EVER for Los Angeles Prince fans. According to this LATimes bloggy post, Prettyman is doing a big fat residency in L.A. at the Roosevelt Hotel. Shits sounds crazy: two-to-three hour sets, a fancy meal, 2 a.m. jam sessions. All in one haunted-by-the-ghost-of-Marilyn-Monroe place. It ain't official yet, but it will be...oh, it will be.

Sucker Free Pumpkins

Check it: The somewhat re-formed Smashing Pumpkins have added even more dats to their residency at S.F.'s Fillmore. Good luck getting tickets. Also, here's a link to their pretty bitchin' lead-off single "Tarantula." Tito not included, I guess.

Dates:

07-15 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-16 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-18 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-22 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-24 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-25 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-27 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-28 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-30 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07-31 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
08-01 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

Tapes 'n The Current

Man Man, Dinosaur Jr., The Annuals and Tapes 'n Tapes are among the bands raising some cashflow around the nation for FreeYrRadio.com, who promote non-corporate stations (like Twin Cities' The Current 89.3).

Tapes 'N Tapes hit the Urban Outfitters (um...what?) in Uptown Minneapolis on June 5. Go here to print out a free invite for the gig. TnT are playing the next day at Grand Old Day in St. Paul, which is fucking awesome. Some other cool MPLS bands are playing, like Coach Said Not To, The Alarmists, Dessa, and the Melismatics.

Get in the pool!

The McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn, Yo is offering some cool-ass FREE Sunday afternoon shows, sponsored by the good people at JELLYNYC.

Free at last:

June 24 - Superchunk, Oakley Hall
July 1 - Man Man, Dengue Fever and Illinois
July 8 - Octopus Project, Erase Errata and Dan Deacon
Aug. 5 - Blonde Redhead and I'm From Barcelona
Aug. 12 - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and the Thermals
Aug. 19 - Ghostland Observatory

Here are the awesome, NON-free shows:

Cat Power with Built To Spill and Bob Mould (July 7), Sonic Youth doing Daydream Nation (July 28) and, um, Erasure (Aug. 3).

FOG WATCH 2007

Day 29: Sheeeeit, the dudes in Fog don't need no one's help. But the Dude Jesu ignored their pleas and remixed the shit out of there hot new jam "I Have Been Wronged." It's on the ol' Myspace. If you don't listen to it, the you have wronged me. Horribly and irreversibly.

Smushing Pampkins

Hell Yes? Those supposed Smashing Pumpkins are treating fans in Asheville, N.C. and San Fran to some marathon-type action. The Orange Peel in Asheville will feature the Chi group June 23-24, 26-27, 29-30 and July 2-3 and 5. They then hike to SF's historic Fillmore for shows on July 22, 24-25, 27-28, 30-31 and Aug. 1. So, um, pack your bags I guess? Billboard's got the story.

Wilco on the Prairie

Hell Yah: You missed Wilco on "Prairie Home" because of "Loveline" or some shit? Take a way back machine ride with this link.

You can listen to the whole "program" or just the segments with Wilco performing.

New Go! Team...!

HELL YES: My man Pitchfork hooked us up with this little ditty.

Thas' right... New Go! Team action. Learn it. Know it. Love it.

!!!!

Riddle Me This: Is Gravy Train!!!! pronounced "Gravy Train Chk Chk Chk Chk"?

Doo Wop What?!

Hell Yes: Guess who belongs to these tour dates?

6/12 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Pepsi OnStage
6/27 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
6/29 Pala, CA - Palomar Starlight Theater
7/8 London, England - Apollo Hammersmith
7/9 Birmingham, England - Carling Academy
7/10 Manchester, England - Apollo

According to the 'fork, it's LAURYN HILL. That Pala place is like a casino out in the desert or something. And England is like another country or something.

Cool band alert! Seymore Saves the World

Check it: So this dude Shawn Neary who used to play bass for the great Tapes 'n Tapes started his own cool band in Minneapolis called Seymore Saves the World. And they sound like Ben Folds Five, but cooler.

Also check out these cool dudes on Myspace:

Rebels of San Jose (way cooler than their name makes them sound, plus they're from Japan not San Jose).

Sticky Yeti (I just saw these dudes on Monday, and it was one of the funnest (most funnest?) shows I've been to in a while. They're not that sticky at all -- unless "Sticky" means "Awesome").

Review: Los Abandoned/Audio Club @ Safari Sams

The bilingual L.A. foursome Los Abandoned proved a disappointment live, although their ever-growing fanbase seems intent on making them live icons. Too many long songs, faux guitar shredding and seemingly forced audience participation takes away from their simple, new wave throwback sound. Imagine Blondie crossed with X in Spanish, and you got it. Not that it's too hard to imagine that. The X influence was made all too explicit when the band covered "Los Angeles," though Lady P's vocals couldn't match Exene's desperate and exhausting vocals found on the original.


Openers The Audio Club are cut from a completely different cloth -- a tight, hot pink halter top most likely. Walking the veeeery fine line between straight-laced homage and cutthroat spoof, T.A.C. is fronted by a Britney lookalike (complete with onstage fan to blow her blonde hair around) and K-Fed doppelganger, both of whom actually have talent. DJ/producer T-Bag plays straight man, dressed in all black and looking like an Interpol refugee. Some talented dancers completed the illusion, and the space afforded by the tiny stage provided for some hilariously cramped hijinks.

Photo of Los Abandoned's Lady P by Chinapixie.

Calling all Austin City Drifters

HELL YES: This year's Austin City Limits Festival (Sept. 13 - 15) has finally unveiled its Texas-sized lineup. We got your Dylan, your Bjork, your Wilco, MY Amy Winehouse, your Arcade Fire, your etc... check out the full list. Don't mess with Texas (above). But feel free to color it in. Goddammit, Billy, STAY IN THE LINES!

On the drums: Dwight Lightning!!!

HELL YES: I peeped this on Variety: Rainn "Dwigt" Wilson from THE OFFICE is set to star in a music comedy called "The Rocker" about a Pete Best-like drummer who gets a second shot at rock superstardom. Peter "Full Monty" Cattaneo is directing, and the script was co-written by "Simpsons" vet Wally Wolodarsky. So...funny, I hope. Funnier than "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" at least.

Open letter to everyone in the WORLD

SHAME ON YOU: Why the Hell didn't anyone tell me how fucking awesome BORIS is?!?!?! I'm like six months late to the bandwagon. Screw you guys. I haven't stopped listening to them for weeks. I haven't craved a band this much since I first heard Go! Team. Thanks for nothing, world. I'm moving to Endor. Where I can rule as a king and Boris will be my court performers.

Review: Coachella (laziest review ever)

Yeah, I went to the Coachella again this year. it was sweet, and like a million degrees. Here's my review of Day 3 for another publication. And here's my weekend wrap up. The mysterious Chinapixie snapped those Amy Winehouse and LCD Soundsystem photos.

Review: Sonic Youth/Boredoms @ Studio Coast

4/20, Tokyo: A few weeks ago I was in the Japan for PERSONAL BUSINESS. But I peeped Sonic Youth and the Vooredoms (code for the Boredoms) at Studio Coast in Tokyo. Boredoms stomped ASS. Three drumsets. One crazy, 4-guitar contraption. All Japanese stage banter. Maybe three long pieces of music. Fucking awesome. Then Tokyo resident Jim O'Rourke (previously of SY, also Wilco producer) spun some weird found sounds and experimental rock, which was cool. Then, Sonic Youth came on and pulled out "Candle" from Dayream Nation. They followed it with a few Rather Ripped tracks, "Mote" and a few other oldies, before slowly sinking into some kinda boring slow jamz. Two encores! The Japanese crowd went nuts during the music, but stayed very quiet in between tunes. The loudest peeps there were all Westerners. Studio Coast fits about 2,000 and is in a danky, industrial part of town. Sorry I don't have any photos. Just use your imagination. It was Tokyo, so there were giant robots and maids everywhere.

Special shout-out goes to "Scott" from Kirkland, WA. He helped me out with the Japanese instructions, plus he was at the same Argo/Architecture in Helsinki show I went to at Chop Suey in May, 2005. In Seattle. Where I'm not from. Strange things are afoot at Studio Coast.

Review: Surprise Spank Rock @ Safari Sams

5/1/7, Los Angeles: Safari Sam's held the one-year anniversary party for the club Check Yo Ponytail last night. Flosstradamus, Spank Rock and a pretty cool chick named Amanda Blank showed up to perform. It was hot and crowded, but pretty tight. Especially since Spank Rock had to play opposite the Rage Against the Machine juggernaut at Coachella two nights before. Spank Rock rules. Worst post ever, I know. I'm not even gonna bother linking anything. Just google them shits.

Photo of Spank Rock by Chinapixie.