Time Takes a Cigarette.

My show reviews of Fleet Foxes and TV on the Radio have been posted on Stories In High Fidelity (hopefully more to follow) so there has been a lack of updates recently. I'm working on some new projects, both writing and photos, so hopefully I'll have more to say in the near future. In the mean time keep it scene in the city.

Jeff Mangum Returns!

The Elephant Six Holiday Surprise show made its way to Pittsburgh last night and marked a historic event in indie music. The show's finale was Jeff Mangum playing Neutral Milk Hotel's "Engine" in the middle of the room accompanied by Julian Koster. This was the first time in ten years that Mangum has played a NMH song in public. Can we please have that reunion tour now?

Fleet Foxes played Webster Hall

Fleet Foxes have been getting a lot of buzz as of late due to the success of their self titled debut LP and great live shows and last night helped fuel the fire. The tremendous harmonies that these guys create translated from the studio to the stage with great perfection, even for the acoustic impaired Webster Hall. Along with great tunes, these guys are also just plain funny and had great interaction with the audience, which is lost among most performers. Before even launching into their first song, they shared some witty banter with the audience about how Webster Hall sounded more like a CW show then a venue. However when they finally kicked into music mode their voices melted the audience. I think these guys could blow away a crowd if they just did everything acapella and last night's show gave us more of that treat. Their voices and song writing ability are clearly their strong points, yet as soon as they jammed into "White Winter Hymnal" and "Ragged Wood" they showed that they clearly were just a great band and have the whole package. These songs are really where they shine and are able to put forth their best work. It just seems so cohesive and right when the melodies, harmonies, and lyrics just blend together. As their main set ended with "Mykonos" off the Sun Giant EP they broke down the ending into great vocal parts and really just set the mood for the entire evening and proved that despite their growing popularity these guys need to stick to small intimate venues where the audience can really be fully engulfed by what these guys are doing; something lost by bigger auditoriums.


new song

set list:
Sun Giant/Sun Rises
Drops in the River
English House
White Winter Hymnal
Ragged Wood
Your Protector
Crayon Angels (Judee Sill Cover)
Oliver James
Quiet Houses
He Doesn't Know Why
Mykonos
Katie Cruel (Traditional) - unplugged!
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Silver City - new song!
Blue Ridge Mountains

My Bloody Valentine played Roseland Ballroom

The last time My Bloody Valentine played in the United States I was 4 years old, so I thought I owed it to myself to see their first proper show of their reunion tour. Upon entering the show Monday night I had no idea what I was in for. I was aware that these guys were loud, but I did not know how loud. Well when the ear plugs specifically picked by the band were being handed out at the door, I knew what I had gotten myself into. From the opening notes these guys plowed through what they do best. Epic layers of sound that mixed brutal guitar distortion, hard drumming, and soft dreamy vocals. These legends pioneered the way almost every indie rocker uses distortion and they showed why they do it best. While the volumes were unbelievably loud, the music still sounded pure. This is how their music should be heard; live. While the band had little energy and the only words uttered were "hi" and "thank you" the band did exactly what they set out to do. Despite the fact that the band played to prerecorded samples and people complained of the vocals being too low, this is exactly what I wanted and expected from these guys. The sounds gave new meaning to the term shred and the apocalyptic end of "You Made Me Realise" will undoubtedly go down as one of the most legendary performances of live music. A twenty minute noise jam that had people hunched over and covering their ears. This was a brutal onslaught of music and noise mixed together so well that afterward I heard a fan utter "I couldn't think for the past ten minutes."



Setlist:
I Only Said
When You Sleep
You Never Should
When You Wake
Cigarette In Your Bed
Come In Alone
Only Shallow
Thorn
Nothing Much To Lose
To Here Knows When
Blown A Wish
Slow
Soon
Feed Me With Your Kiss
Sue Is Fine
You Made Me Realise

This Shit is Dope!

I'm pulling a Kanye. This shit is dope, someone buy me one. Modern Squid makes giant squid dolls that you can "adopt." I need one please!

New TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"

The follow up to the best album of 2006 drops next week and after a few listens I think this album will be pretty good as well. The more upbeat feel can definitely be heard on the first songs released but it really gets picked up on the rest of the album. These guys seem to keep pouring out awesome tunes and I can't wait to see them in October. Until then check out the video for the song "Golden Age" which has been all over the web today. It's got all the things you want: dancing cops, golden instruments, crazy animal heads appearing out of nowhere and the band dressed in all white perched atop a (cookie?) mountain.

M.I.A. Speaks Out

Despite the fact that this recent resurgence of "Paper Planes" blasting at every party as of late (this song came out a YEAR ago people) I still have love for M.I.A. So I thought I would go ahead and inform everyone what she recently posted on her myspace. Good for you!

I CAME ACROSS THIS MOVIE TODAY ,


http://www.snitt.no/mdtt/prints/movie.htm


http://www.oslodocs.com/product_pages/my_daughter_product.html

I HAVE JUST ORERED IT SO I HAVENT SEEN IT YET , BUT WITH SO MANY ONE SIDED VIEWS IN THIS WORLD IT IS ONLY FAIR WE STAY EDUCATED AND EXPOSE OURSELVES TO ALL OPINIONS. I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE BECAUSE
1. NO ONE HAS EVER ACCESSED THE AREAS THIS FILM WAS MADE IN, AND I ACTUALLY DONT KNOW HOW THESE PEOPLE LIVE.

2. ANY EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE ACCESSED THIS AREA , WHO INVESTIGATED THE TRUTH, HAVE BEEN SHOT DEAD BY THE GOVERNMENT, IN A BID TO KEEP THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE ONE SIDED .

3. I FOUND THIS STORY
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12934...

READING THE COMMENTS MADE ME WANT TO SPEAK OUT. BUT I WAS DENIED ACESS TO MAKE COMMENTS, ONLY THE WELL CONNECTED INSIDERS ARE ALLOWED TO COMMENT AND THIS IS THE CASE WITH SO MANY OF THESE BLOGS TALKING SHIT ABOUT ME. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TELL THE TRUTH, AND SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT. SO HERE IS THE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE!

THE TRUTH TO WHY I LEFT TO SRILANKA WAS ...
A. I COULD , I WAS BORN IN LONDON.

B. EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE MY MOTHER TOOK US TO WOULD GET BURNED DOWN BY THE ARMY. IN THE END EVEN THE TAMILS WOULDN'T LET US STAY THERE AND AFTER MY SCHOOL WAS SET ON FIRE BY THE ARMY, I HAD NOTHING TO DO THERE, AND WAS REALLY FUCKING BOARD.

C. FUCK YOU TO ALL THESE EVIL PEOPLE TWISTING THE TRUTH. YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN SPEAK FOR MY SELF.

D.WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO BE A TAMIL OR A LTTE SUPPORTER TO KNOW THAT BURNING DOWN A SCHOOL WITH 800 KIDS IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING TERRORISM IS NOT COOL. I AM NOT A LTTE SUPPORTER. I WAS JUST AN 8 YEAR OLD THAT DIDNT GET KILLED ON THAT DAY, THATS ALL. I'M A MUSICIAN WHO DOESNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE MUSIC PRESS.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING THIS

EVERYTHING IN ME WAS KILLED BUT MY ART IS NOT DEAD!

i love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx m.i.a
_ _ _

Way to speak up on shit and let people know who you are and what you're all about.

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

If you know anything about me it is the fact that I love music. It is my ultimate passion and I live it and breathe it to no end. It should then come to no one’s surprise that perhaps my most valued possessions are my records. Of course my music collection is my world, but even more then I care about my 15,199-song itunes library, I care about my vinyl.

To me there is nothing like putting the needle down, hearing the crackle, and then hearing a form of sonic pleasure. Nothing sounds as good as when you hear it on vinyl. Sometimes it’s like hearing a record in a whole new way. The gentle opening notes of “Everything In It’s Right Place” off of Radiohead’s Kid A almost transcend out of the speakers like nothing I’ve heard before as opposed to the almost trapped and compact sounds that come out of an mp3 or compact disc. Don’t get me wrong I love living in this digital music generation and I would not listen to nearly all or most of the music that I do if file sharing was not possible, but now I am going back to music at it’s roots.

Vinyl is truly for the real music fan. The space required and time that it takes to find such classics is not for everyone, but those who do it know its worth. Upon finding my favorite albums and classic gems I feel as if I am experiencing the album in a brand new way, free from the limits of digital media. Even major music magazine Rolling Stone has stated on several occasions the importance on this resurgence of vinyl. While I’m not saying it could save the music industry, despite the fact that vinyl sales are on the rise, it could save the way in which fans listen to music. It should be more of an experience. Music is not meant to be shuffled around. When listening to vinyl you are making a commitment. There is no jumping around between artists and songs. It’s side a, then flip to side b. Perhaps Shelby Lynne put it best: "It's about as real as you can get. You got your vinyl, your weed, your friends, and while you're rollin', they're pickin' out another record. We're all taking music for granted because it's so easy to push a button. I mean, come on - music should be fun."

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

In a year which I have been very challenged for good new music, Fleet Foxes has been a clear front runner. Their Sun Giant EP gave me a good first impression and now their self titled full length is in top running for my album of the year. The video for the second track off their full length has been a recent highlight for me and reminds me of Bjork's "Wanderlust" so check it out. They recently announced a fall tour, but the Webster Hall show is sold out.

All Points West

All summer lead up to last Friday night. A long summer of being at home and away from the city had been too much for me to handle, but on my last day as a teenager I made up for it. Friends from home and school all gathered together at Liberty State Park for the first day of the first ever All Points West festival. Despite the stellar headliner that was Radiohead, the rest of the fest left people wanting a little more. The location was beautiful yet difficult to get to, the rest of the bands were alright, and the festival just seemed to be a little under prepared. However I still had an excellent time.

The day began with Mates of State, who I have never listened to, but have heard quite a lot about. While I enjoyed their set and wished I had known some of the songs since they seemed really good, I was very distracted with trying to eat a quesadilla, rain, and wind. Nature did not seem to be on my side. Despite the weather the band held out and played their whole set. Fortunately seeing this show allowed me to get the very front position for Grizzly Bear who came on next. These guys were excellent. The band I was most looking forward to see all day did not disappoint. The harmonies, guitar work, and perfection drumming sounded great live. The band even played an astounding four new songs during the set as well as classics such as "Knife" "Little Brother (electric)" and "On A Neck, On A Spit." Whenever these new tunes get recorded and released I'll be very excited.

We took a little break after Grizzly Bear and chilled near some art while we enjoyed CSS from outside the crowd. These guys put on a great show. The costumes were great and the energy was strong. They even got us moving during "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above." After their set we moved over to the main stage to claim our spots for Radiohead. During the process we were able to catch the last half hour of Underworld, however our energy was consumed for the spectacle we were about to witness. Taking the stage about five minutes late was about the only flaw Radiohead performed that night. The set list was phenomenal. Pretty much every track from In Rainbows and all the other albums packed in between. Even though I had seen these guys before this show was still breathe taking. The lights alone would have made the experience worth it. The LED rods that seemed to show every color in the spectrum at some point in the show were hypnotizing. The band was perfect. They played the classics and took them to a whole new level. The greatest band in the world playing with the New York City skyline in the background was the perfect way to end my teenage years.

setlist:
01. 15 Step
02. There There
03. Morning Bell
04. All I Need
05. Lucky
06. Nude
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. The Gloaming
09. Optimistic
10. Videotape
11. Reckoner
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. You And Whose Army?
14. Idioteque
15. Climbing Up The Walls
16. Bodysnatchers
17. How To Disappear Completely
--
18. House of Cards
19. Pyramid Song
20. Paranoid Android
21. Dollars and Cents
22. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
--
23. Cymbal Rush
24. Just
25. Everything In It's Right Place