I didn’t party to hard last night, but my body is aching like it just went for a jog after 2 years of never jogging. Maybe it was the mini-marathon evening that was had, but at this rate Friday night may never happen. Following work Kyle and I sat around talking about the Styx record before I resigned to making a mix. Around 8pm Cara and I met on Ludlow and popped into Paladar for some delicious grub. They sat us at a strange little table off in the corner which reminded me of the Max’s mishap a couple weeks ago, but I wasn’t going to burn this bridge. The good company got me past it. After dinner we met with Noah and Jin at San Loco for some margaritas. Their drinks are cheap and delicious, but totally not worth smelling like nachos for the rest of the evening, (though I know one jackass who’d love it). We were entertained by some dickhead customer who was cursing out the register girl and telling her that he was, “Going to bring down his sister so she can beat your WHITE ass!” After reject central was down the block we rolled over to 186 for a brief session.
We said later on to Cara and popped into the Mercury where Bloodthirsty Lovers just took the stage. Greg hooked Noah and me up with beverages before we slid to the back corner for the show. Bloodthirsty Lovers are a four piece featuring Dave Shouse formerly of the Sub Pop standout, Grifters, (a fact Noah pointed out). The band pulls from a lot of different styles, but they coalesce into a unique sound that could be the poster child for Indie Rock. There are certain aspects I could do without such as the more often than not Bono esq vocalizing. This isn’t always a negative, but it was so blatant last night. In pushing that to the wayside, you are able to hear the great mesh of pop and psychedelic. There were also songs that sounded like the bass line was ripped straight from Fugazi’s studio floor. When Dave took off his guitar and paid more attention to the keys, the band became more foot tapping accessible. Bloodthirsty Lovers aren’t an instant favorite, but they certainly could be considered a grower rather than a shower.During change over, Noah and I crept downstairs to say hello to the likes of Nate SF, Amy, DTL and Haley who had Jin in tow. When Jimmy from the Album Leaf walked by, Nate introduced us by saying, “You remember Jay,” (we had played pool at Max Fish during their last stop in town). Jimmy replied, “Oh, yeah, Nate what’s up.” Damn you Nathan Martin. Why must we look switched at birth? Anyway, we got back upstairs with a few minutes to spare. Beach and Daylen had showed up and the room was getting ridiculously packed.
Last night was my first Album Leaf show and they completely surpassed my expectations. After only listening to the record a couple times through, my preconceived notion was this show would be a total snooze. It just didn’t seem like my cup of tea. Thankfully I missed the mark. In fact I never even saw the target. The Album Leaf was captivating despite the fact I could only see one person most of the time. Their electronic pop sound was accompanied by some highly stimulating visuals. At times I felt a little weepy because this band would have made a great touring companion for the now defunct Sea Ray. The tunes are composed by Jimmy and encompass a wide range of experimental leaps. It was extremely entertaining.If you are without plans for tonight, get over to the Northsix where Bloodthirsty Lovers and The Album Leaf will perform. At this time tickets are still available, (Tickets).
Noah and I ducked out of the club a few songs before the end and stumbled over to The Delancey. The plan was to catch a set by Trick and the Heartstrings which is a band Builder has hyped for the past couple weeks. We stepped downstairs and were greeted by Josh, Chris and Sky. As the DJ brought down the music, three guys took the stage. At first they looked as though they stumbled down the wrong NYC block, but after the first note, they knew their exact location. I’m not going to sugar coat this; they sound exactly like The Police. They have the soulful sex fueled vibe that made Sting such a player. The baseline was heavy. The guitars were sharp. The drums were there to validate everything. In an effort to see the band I propped myself on top of a stool in the back of the room. The bassist/singer and guitarist had choreographed moves that revved up the sizeable crowd. I was eventually coaxed off my perch by KariBomb who hooked up a beverage. Noah and I found a better look out and watched the lead singer do his best Michael Jackson meets Prince impression. These guys are definitely worth a gander.
*** Thanks to Mr. Yaps for turning me on to this event featuring an idol of mine, Greil Marcus readings from his new book, Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads. From the Press Release:
GREIL MARCUS' "LIKE A ROLLING STONE: BOB DYLAN AT THE CROSSROADS" PUBLISHED
Greil Marcus' new book, Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads, has just been published by PublicAffairs, and he will be making appearances in several U.S. cities to talk about his book.Publishers Weekly reviewed the book recently: "Marcus's engaging exegesis on the musical and cultural ramifications of Dylan's 1965 six-and-half-minute hit is not just a study of a popular song and a historic era, but an examination of the heroic status of the American visionary artist. Recorded when American popular music was 'like a running election,' Dylan's 'music of transformations' induced a conflicted, confused America to look at its social disasters of racism, drug abuse and Vietnam, Marcus says, while simultaneously permitting it to strip away its illusions and hope for a better future. Ostensibly about a rich young socialite's fall from grace, the song's lyrics are open to many interpretations, which may have helped make it such a phenomenon. Marcus displays a comprehensive knowledge of American popular and political history, tracing the song's roots back to Robert Johnson and Hank Williams and spotting its influence on such disparate artists as Frank Zappa, the Village People and various contestants on American Idol. Part scholarly discourse and part beatnik rambling, the book is chockfull of lively metaphors and includes 20 pages of studio outtake banter. Marcus successfully convinces readers that (in the words of hit songwriter Gerry Goffin), 'Dylan managed to do something that not one of us was able to do: put poetry in rock n' roll and just stand up there like a mensch and sing it.'
Marcus’ will be in New York on Thursday, April 7th. His itinerary includes: WFUV “City Folk Morning” (10-11am); Makor Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y at 35 West 67th St (12:30pm); New School University at 66 West 12th St, Room 510 (6:30pm). This is a good chance to hear an expert on all things cool. If you've never read Lipstick Traces then please do yourself a favor in picking up a copy.
*** Gang of Four reissues their ground breaking album, Entertainment. The disc will include 8 new songs including The Yellow Ep cuts and a live cover of The Velvet Underground’s Sweet Jane.
*** John Convertino of Calexico refuses to make an appearance on The O.C., but the band will make an appearance without him. Sam Beam of Iron and Wine will stand in during the taping.
*** Snow Patrol quickly fills their bassist position after parting ways with Mark McLelland last month. On further inspection, Gary still twitches worse than that character on The Wonder Years who got his girlfriend pregnant and ruined poker night.
*** E-40 wants his props. He popularized everything from scratching your butt to saying words like ‘fo shizzle’.
*** It’s nice to see local band We Are Scientists getting some love on their trip across the pond.
Ok, that’s all for now. If you don’t hear from me, have a kick ass weekend despite all the rain that’s expected. If you are going to the LCD Soundsystem show, come to the back and dance with me.
Also, word up to my little sister who just played a solid April Fool’s joke on her gullible older brother. I’ll get you back!
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