- I’m a Reatard, You’re a Reatard
Working hard to dirty garage punk is the best. Manic, frantic drums and filthy guitars. I should tell you guys all about how I got into Radiohead after all (remember my wheelchair debacle, oh loyal readers?), but I’ll save that for another post along with my high-quality concert photos. (I saw kids with camera phones taking better pics than me. Sheesh.)
Ian and I are going to the Roskilde festival in Denmark this weekend, and I am SO STOKED to see Jay Reatard (as well as Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Jay-Z, Lykke Li, Lupe, Battles, Band of Horses, Holy Fuck, Yeasayer, Mogwai…must I go on!?). This summer’s amazing festival season has made all of us resolve to handle festivals better on our site.
Anyway, sorry for the zero-content post. I know you guys come here for the free music anyway.
- Discovered tour of the day/week/what-have-you: Stevie Wonder
So I’m gonna try a new type of post, where I’ll write about artists I’m really digging who happen to be on tour, and who I JUST DISCOVERED are on tour, the very minute before I write the post. (Perhaps this occasion is interesting to no one other than me.) Running a live music site has made me totally cocky — I think I have my finger on the pulse of every worthy artist on the road and when people try to tell me so-and-so is on tour, I immediately make that snoring sound in my brain because, duh, I already knew that.
Every once in a while I’ll discover (or rediscover) a band or singer who totally knocks my socks off (all over again), and I’ll check our own site and be like, “WOAH. They’re on tour!” That moment of discovery reminds me of the selfish purpose Songkick served in the first place. We wanted a site that would aggregate all the concert info in one place and make it really easy to find. It can be easy to forget that as you’re arguing whether to make something a button or a link in the day-to-day.
My ex-boyfriend introduced me to Stevie Wonder. He’s really knowledgeable about the good old classics,and has a really anal connoisseur’s knowledge–this album recorded in that studio, with this equipment, produced by this guy, during that era of the musician’s life, which was annoying and impressive at the same time. Stevie Wonder’s Songs in they Key of Life is one of his desert island discs. When I learned that, I was like, “What? The blind guy with cheesy beads in his braids who plays on Sesame Street?” See, I’m naive and uneducated, and have a total dilettante’s depth of knowledge. I like what I like and sometimes I get obsessed and find out more and sometimes I don’t.
Well, yes, Stevie Wonder is the smiley guy with braids. But his songs have a sheer exuberance and generosity that shame me for every meager and ungrateful thought I’ve ever had. I’ve been listening to my iTunes on shuffle all day, when he came along, I didn’t even recognize who sang the song (again: ignorant dilettante), but I thought, “WOAH this song is amazing. Who is this?” Lo and behold, it was Stevie. Next thought: “Beads, braids, is he still alive?” (You would like a stream of consciousness of my every day, wouldn’t you?)
Not only still alive, but touring my friends. Sadly, not coming to London, but those of you in America are lucky. See his tour dates.
Stevie Wonder - I Was Made to Love Her (mp3)
Stevie Wonder - Joy (Takes Over Me) (mp3)
- Silver Jews at ULU, May 29, 2008
I went to see the Silver Jews play two years ago in San Francisco, only to leave before they ever came on. I was turned off by an unbearable opening act and a never-ending wait time between sets. (No, live music is not always magical. Sometimes you’re not ready for it or it’s not really what you hoped, and the disappointment can be numbing.)
So I was grateful for another chance to see them play live at ULU. The Silver Jews are one of those bands whose discovery is an undeserved surprise gift that makes you wonder what other hidden, bespoke treasures might be lurking out there in the musical cosmos. I had never heard of them, but a very dear musical friend of mine put them on a mix CD. I listened to them for the first time with absolutely no pre-hype bias, and I still remember my startled reaction to its poetry.
I usually hate comparisons between lyrics and poetry. It’s close, but not the same; it’s so easy to lend weight to a description of a song by calling it poetic. But Dave Berman’s lyrical economy completely startled me with its allusive grace.
I enjoy shows most when I know the songs I’m going to hear. When I’ve played them repeatedly, turning over the emotions at different times in my life. Some great songs are inextricable from my memory of certain periods of my life, and The Silver Jews punctuated a time when I was desperately waiting for something to happen to me.
But these familiar patterns achieve sudden, new saturation by the live performance. That’s what it is for me, at the heart of it. I like going to shows when I barely know the band, when it’s something new and fun, when it’s something I’m not really committed to, but the shows that are formative (if you’ll let me be dramatic) are the ones where I come prepared. And to see a living, sweating human being sing something that is at the same time so painfully mine–well, I guess that’s the rare occasion when I shed my usual misanthropy and feel like two people who don’t know each other really can share something special just by being human, living life, and feeling the same things.
When the band stepped on stage, they opened with two of my favorite Silver Jews songs ever: “Random Rules” and “Trains Across the Sea.” Dave Berman was wearing a gray, vintage-looking blazer with a dark black piped pattern, paired with a hot pink dress shirt. He looked like spent Vegas lounge singer who had lost it, wearing the weird, plastic glasses of your eighth-grade science teacher, greasy combover and all.
I think he was wasted. I don’t know. Either way, he was captivating. He never played guitar, but instead availed himself of the mic stand as though it were a weapon, a stave, or a baton, swinging it around to his band members as they played their solos. As he swayed around, abruptly sat down, and leaned on the precarious mic stand, there was a strange reliable control in his movements. So instead of an uneasy anticipation, you felt you were watching a pro who would never fall.
Silver Jews - Random Rules (mp3)
Silver Jews - Trains Across the Sea (mp3)
- Interview with Bigstereo (San Francisco blogger)
San Francisco blogger: Bigstereo
He throws what I’ve heard are the best parties in SF!
Name? Rchrd Oh?!
Age? 26 going on 21
Occupation? DJ/blogger/promoter
How long have you lived in SF? I’ve been living in San Francisco since 2004, but feel like I was born here.
Favorite SF venue and why? I have way too many. It depends on the mood I guess. For people-watching 222 Hyde. For rock/indie shows, The Fillmore. For electro and dance stuff Mezzanine. For gaying out, Aunt Charlie’s. And finally, for a good-ass margarita, the Beauty Bar.
How long have you been blogging? For three years, if you count it as professionally.
How did you choose the name of your blog? It was Travis’ idea. It’s a song by Tracy and the Plastics
First concert? Smashing Pumpkins. I went alone cause the boyfriend I had then ditched me to sell the ticket for the drug money. Yeah that relationship didn’t last very long.
Most recent concert? Green Velvet. But is it really a concert if it’s a DJ? Probably not. [This is a question we debate all the time here at Songkick! What do you guys think?]
Most memorable concert? Why? Add N to (X). I saw them twice, and both times have been my favorite. They are the best band ever, and if they ever get back together for one show…fuck it they will get back together for one show and I will be DJing it. They’re amazing and all that noise makes every hair and cell in your body dance.
Most disappointing? Why? I’m so not gonna burn my bridges–you know I’m a promoter right? Geez. I can tell you that it involved a really good band that didn’t think being sober meant anything, and they left half way.
Dream line-up? Pulp, Add N To X, the old Rolling Stones, and Velvet Underground in the day.
What song would you cover if you were on stage? I have so many songs that seem like a good idea to cover, and then I realize I can’t compete with the original, so I would have to choose a not-so-well-known B-side or something. I really like the song “M” by The Cure, but how could I make that into a dance song?
- Jens Lekman and Bon Iver at the Scala
Last week Anthony and I caught Jens Lekman at The Scala. It was the 2nd time I’ve seen Jens - I blogged about my first Jens gig in Uppsala here, and seeing the same guy in the space of 6 months got me thinking about some things I love about live music that keep me coming back for more and more.
1. being starstruck. I rarely get that feeling, but at gigs I get it a lot. I’ve been blown away by Jens both times I’ve seen him, he’s just so charming.
2. something unique. I love the fact that his Scala show was totally different to his Uppsala show - when a musician is on the road for months on end, it still amazes me how much character and individuality each gig can have. (There are of course exceptions - I remember seeing De La Soul twice in 6 months back in the day and getting a practically identical show both times, even down to the jokes they told between songs.)
3. liking everyone a bit more. I don’t know if you have this feeling - but sometimes you can walk into a gig and the people in the queue look so different to each other and to you. It’s nice to feel that everyone from the indie kids to the people in suits straight from the bank, to the old guys with pints of ale are all there because they love Jens.
4. falling in love with a song for the first time. This time for me it was “Your arms around me”. I’d heard it before - but this time I just stood there blown away by it, wondering why I’d been so late to the party. It’s below for your listening pleasure.
5. the backstory. I LOVE it when artists tell the story behind a song when introducing it. Jens spent 5 minutes telling us the entire story to A Postcard to Nina before finally launching into it. He made me want to get on a bus to Berlin.
6. intimacy. The Scala felt just the right size for Jens right now - packed out, but still intimate. On a random note I love the way they didn’t stop people from standing on the steps, it felt like there were people on every square foot of space, but still enough room to dance.
7. An awesome support act. More about Bon Iver in another post - enough to say that I’ll be listening to a lot more by him over the next month, and catching his next London gig.
After the gig I mentioned to Anthony a few of the things off this list and he added another great one:
8. When you really appreciate the effort they’ve made to be there. Whether it’s traveling miles or getting over a fear of performance, sometimes you really feel incredibly grateful they’ve decided to play for you. He said he’d felt that really strongly recently at a Cat Power gig.
Those are some of the reasons I love live music, why do you?
Jens Lekman - Your Arms Around Me
- Signal IS noise: New York’s No Fun Fest
Songkick New York was lucky enough to get hooked up with some passes to the No Fun Fest this past weekend, fresh off a move from its old home in Brooklyn to the Knitting Factory. For those who don’t know (no judgments!) it is the seminal noise festival that happens over three days every year in New York City. It’s generally recognized around the world as the preeminent go-to event by most of the noise community — although, given the nature of said community, the very existence of those words in print will probably send them all scattering, searching for the next unknown thing.
For the uninitiated, it is an elusive scene, as difficult to enjoy as it is to define. But if approached with an open mind and guarded ears (thank god I remembered ear plugs!) you will not be disappointed. The festival aims for a survey of the genre with everything ranging from white noise, to long scratchy sequences of found audio samples, to more “traditional” (dare we use the term) arrangements of drums and bass with other instruments layered on top (”other instruments” in this case often being shaken chains, broken violins, or sustained screams). The vibe ranged from quiet meditation, to violent fist-pumping in a storming mosh pit brocean.
Partaking in three full days of this sonic bombardment may seem like a daunting task — even for the die-hards — but we attended Friday night and enjoyed a pretty choice sampling: Thurston Moore’s distorted droning with Nancy Garcia interweaving modern dance between brief engagements with every other instrument lying about; event founder and organizer Carlos Giffoni knob-twiddling screeching feedback loops with Burning Star Core violinist C. Spencer Yeh; and the legendary Tony Conrad with MV Carbon.
Overall it was a pretty amazing introduction to a vast and diverse culture … and a great night out!
Check out the flickr pics — some of our favorites here, here, here, here, here and here. A full line-up and contact info is available on their website.
- Interview with Live Music Blog (Chicago blogger)
Chicago blogger: Live Music Blog
A man after our own heart! A blog entirely devoted to live music. While founder Justin Ward responded to these questions, he stressed that the blog is a group effort, with writers across the country writing great show/festival reviews and reporting on upcoming concerts.
- Name? Justin Ward
- Age? 26
- Occupation? Sales Tech Support at Google.
- How long have you lived in Chicago? Most of my life, until very recently.
- Favorite Chicago venue and why? Metro. Super-diverse lineups, great neighborhood, and great balcony.
- How long have you been blogging? Almost four years.
- How did you choose the name of your blog? When I started, nobody had a dedicated blog about live music. It seemed fitting.
- First concert? UB40 with Gin Blossoms.
- Most recent concert? Tapes ‘n Tapes with White Denim, Fillmore SF
- Most memorable concert? Why? My Morning Jacket at SXSW 2008. I was second row and surrounded by friends and pure excitement.
- Most disappointing? Why? The Shins at Lollapalooza, then subsequently in Chicago. For the first, the sound was horrible enough that the crowd was chanting to “turn it up” to no avail. Then, in Chicago, they played an all-ages show where a lot of the crowd was younger, inexperienced, and overall just not into it. Bummer on both times.
- Dream line-up? Phish, Tortoise, and The Mars Volta sharing one stage in one night, then coming together for a superjam at the end. I can picture the five or six drummers onstage right now…
- Nick Cave in London
Half of the Songkick team recently hit the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds show at Hammersmith Apollo.
credit Snap Punk!It was my first Nick Cave gig after years of loving his records, which was unusual - most of the bands I see live for the first time are those I’ve only just got into.
First up the show was brilliant. He played a ton of my old favourites (Into My Arms, Stagger Lee, Red Right Hand, The Ship Song) as well as tracks from the new record Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! One of my favourite tracks from it is More News from Nowhere for you to enjoy below.
One of the oddest things for me about seeing Nick live was that I’d built him up in my head to be some sort of weird combination of a gunslanging cowboy pimp (Stagger Lee) and the kind of guy you’d find at the back of an old country church on Sunday (Into My Arms). After watching him play I think I’m not so far off…on stage he flips incredibly naturally between those styles. One of a kind.
- Songkick fans go crazy on the streets of London.
More spotted vandalism just off Liverpool Street station in London, courtesy of Anthony from the Hype Machine. I didn’t confirm whether this was his doing or his seeing only, but either way he sent it in. (OK, yes this is close to our office, but no it was not one of us. We haven’t reached that level of pathetic desperation. Yet.)
Come on guys, London and San Francisco? Is that the best you can do? Where’s Tokyo? Where’s Tuvalu? I’d even settle for Atlanta at this point.
Email me (michelle AT songkick DOT com) for stickers and I will mail you a special package, as long as you agree to plaster and document the act. These are limited edition I tell you!
- Interview with PopScene (London blogger)
London blogger: PopScene
This Dutch transplant goes out more than any Londoner I know! Perpetually on the hunt for the perfect party, follow her blog to watch her exploits and find great gigs in London.
Name: Nicole Blommers
Age: 29. A message for my dad: I will be 30 next year!!
Day job: Secretarial music writer and blogger, who sometimes takes photos at random gigs.
How long have you lived in London? Since 25th October 2005.
Favorite London venue? After giving my brain some exercise to think about what my fave venue is, I can only say that I don’t have one. I like going to as many different venues as possible to see bands. I do prefer the venues in East, North, and Central London.
How long have you been blogging?? August 2002.
How did you choose the name of your blog? PopScene is a blur song and a London indie club night that was hip and hot in 1999, around the time that I started my website.
First concert? Must have been Take That. Before you ask, Robbie was my favourite.
Most recent concert? Last night I went to see Untitled Musical Project at Buffalo Bar. It’s perfect music for anger management.
Most memorable concert? Too many to mention. As in this year, I enjoyed seeing Vampire Weekend @ Hoxton Bar, Holy Fuck @ 100 Club, Mystery Jets @ Durrr, and Gonzales @ ICA.
Most disappointing concert? I’d rather forget about the most disappointing concert.
Dream line-up? Lots of bands with men and beat machines (Holy Fuck, Zombie-Zombie, Slagsmalsklubben etc.) + The Faint + Yeah Yeah Yeahs + Sigur Ros, with Erol Alkan + Justice + Tiga doing the after-party. Preferably I want the DJs to do a le grande DJ battle. Exciting!
