After finishing my freshman year of college I knew I didn’t want to move back home to Minneapolis for the summer but I didn’t have the money to travel all summer or rent a place so instead I decided to live in the guest cabin of my family’s lake home in northwest Wisconsin. I found a job tending bar and waiting tables at a mexican jazz joint in the nearest town – the metropolis otherwise known as Spooner. I suppose I should clarify that they didn’t feature solely mexican jazz bands rather, they made mexican food and booked jazz bands. The owners had connections with some of the bookers in the Twin Cities so they were able to lure a number of excellent acts -wanting to write off a vacation to cabin country by playing a gig- up for a couple of shows a week. The only major problem was that there wasn’t much of a demand for jazz nor authentic mexican food in that part of Wisconsin and marketing budget was non existant so the shows were usually myself, the owners, a few curious vacationers and the bar regulars (who didn’t give a hoot what was playing as long as the Leinies was cold). While I failed to make much money that summer I did get to hear some incredible jazz and get my first taste of grilling musicians about their passion.
When I wasn’t working I was usually reading, lounging on the dock or kayaking around the lake. I brought my dog Al up to keep me company for the summer and we had some major bonding moments – he was particularly fond of the late night swims we’d do when I got home from work around 3am and wanted to wash off the smoke and greasy smell in the lake – as I learned what was, and will probably always be, one of the greatest lessons of my life – how to be totally ok with being alone. Naturally I also spent a lot of time listening to music. My mother kept her entire record collection at the lake so I often I threw on some of her LPs when I was in the mood. I also inhaled all the classic jazz recommendations my boss gave me which was a great way to learn more about what jazz I liked and what I didn’t. The rest of the soundtrack for that summer was comprised of classic country and oldies which were the only two radio stations I could bare to listen to during my 25 minute commute to work. Those three months were perhaps some of the more random three months of my life – going to a tractor pull/meat raffle, surviving a f5 tornado, cutting 15 lbs of celery for a massive batch of menudo (which imparts a scent so vile and pervasive it took me years to me ok with the vegetable), learning the danger of Long Island Ice Teas – but definitely provided me with a lot of amazing memories and fodder for mah memoirs.
Walk Like A Man – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Thats Life (Frank Sinatra) – The Eels
Cherry Bomb – John Mellencamp
Let It Be Me (Everly Brothers) – Reid Jameson
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright (Bob Dylan Cover) – Metric
Jackson – Johnny Cash
Cuerpo Y Alma (Body & Soul) – Esperanza Spalding
Night Swimming (REM Cover) – Coldplay (live at ACL)
Mood Indigo – Charles Mingus
This remix brings me nothing but pure unabashed joy. There have been a bazillion remixes of Feist’s work -all to varying degrees of listenability- and until now Britt Daniel’s version has been my fave. That may soon change with a few more listens of this incredible track. Escort gives it a big band treatment with horns that will make your worries melt away. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
[MP3] I Feel It All (Escort Remix) – Feist
I love me a bit of classic R&B and the PUNCHES brothers tease out all the greatest bits of this Jackie Wilson essential. They’re smart enough to know not to mess with it too much but instead they manipulate the breaks and original funk to build into an epic dance track. If I were responsible to get a group of people up and moving I would most certainly put this track in the mix.
[MP3] Higher & Higher (PUNCHES Remix) – Jackie Wilson
Continuing in the vein of playing around with well known tunes I give you Borracho’s retake of Ram Jam’s Black Betty. I personally never would have thought to pull out the disco from the base beats in the original. The result is a lot of fun and just when you think you know where they’re going that cock their heads a bit and take you on a spacey tangent. There’s lots to notice hidden in this remix, tuck in and enjoy.
There have been a ton of interesting snippets dropped in my lap lately – most of them awesome concert announcements- and I feel the best way to get them out there is to simply dump them all into one post. So, here goes….
There is buzz that the irish band The Frames will be touring North American this fall with stops in Philly, NY, Chicago, Washington, DC, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Frames are an incredible folk rock with a wealth of under appreciated albums in their catalog. Best known for their lead singer, Glen Hansard of the Swell Season & lead in the movie Once, their music is the nourishing in the ways that some of the classics (Van Morrison, Van Zandt, Knopfler) are nourishing; great arrangements, timeless lyrics and superb execution. This is a show you should plan on attending and I’ll be sure to let you know when schedules are announced.
[MP3] Listen girl (live)
TWIAPC favorite Frightened Rabbit has announced their return to Philly will be on October 28th at The Starlight Ballroom. They’ll be sharing the bill with Plants & Animals which is a strong match – and a promise of a night filled with stellar music making.
[MP3] Backwards Walk (Daytrotter session)
In honor of its 10th anniversary Philly dance party institution Making Time has bombarded this summer with an astonishing line up of shows – Delorean, Andrw WK, Rapture, Holy Ghost; today Dave P dropped news that LCD Soundsystem will headline the finale blowout to be held on September 24th at the Naval Cruise Terminal in the Navy Yard. This, I promise you, will be one hell of a party. Start early with the Urban Outfitters Backyard Pre-Party [DJs - Food - Drinks - Local Wares for sale] from 6-9 then the dance-y goodness commences at 9 and will include DJ sets from Dave P., Mike Z., Adam Sparkles, Broadzilla DJs, Rock Tits and Pink Skull before LCD takes the stage at some point late into the all ages event. Tickets will be the best $25 you can spend.
[MP3] All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem cover) – Main Drag
Other important shows to be aware of…
July:
Dinosaur Feathers are returning to Danger Danger Gallery Friday – a day after opening for The Antlers in NY- on their first stop of their summer tour. If you haven’t seen them yet be there.
La Roux is bringing her synthpop jam to the Trocadero on the 29th and in the spirit of gingers supporting gingers I highly recommend you nabbing a ticket.
August:
Phosphorescent is the big name in this summer’s PW 20th Annual Concerts in The Park. Held every Wednesday in the month of August the series brings free shows to Rittenhouse Park. They’re playing on the 1tth and it will surely be packed but sort out a picnic and get there early.
Local Natives are doing a show in the sanctuary of the Church on the 6th. After seeing them at SXSW this spring I can only imagine this set will be breath taking.
Gosh the more I dig into the calendar the more I realize there are a whole slew of incredible shows stopping in Philly in the next few months. Why don’t you take a trip on over to the TWIAPC shows calendar, hell even subscribe to its RSS feed, and I’ll do my very bestest to keep it chalk full of new announcements as soon as I get them.
First week at the new job is complete, the little loose threads that remained from previous gig are all tied up and I am almost half way through the musical niblets that have made their way to my inbox in the last seven days. It was a nice little break from TWIAPC (mostly in that I was productively able to get a lot of things sorted) but I’m now happy to find myself tucked back in to posting. Thank you for your patience and the nudges of support I have received.
These two bands immediately grabbed my attention and I’m happy to be able to bring you into their magnificent fold.
In the mood for some intensely awesome rock & roll with electronic leanings? Then you need to hear Funeral Party. They go hard and you’ll follow right along as it is nigh impossible to resist the danceable beats. The LA trio has a healthy appreciation of cow bell and the power of a tight bass line. Both contribute to the vigorous currents flowing through their work. Lead singer Chad Elliot has the perfect voice – melodic but raw enough to hit the shouty bit convincingly- for this punkish group and is really the cherry on top of an addictive music sundae. They’ll be at the Northstar Bar on August 11th getcher tickets!
[MP3] Finale
Canada continues to plump up my playlists with the superb addition of Montreal’s Parlovr. Self professed sloppy rockers pack a powerful punch and ruthless musicality that envelops you. Their arrangements are guitar heavy with distinct percussion that serves to keep the beat stumbling forward but also to grab your attention. The songs consist of dense layers revealing various musical flavors -punk, garage rock, pop, psych rock – as they unfurl and get more and more entrancing with every listen. They’ll be blowing up Danger Danger Gallery on Thursday (22nd) which I would strongly suggest you get yourself to.
[MP3] Pen To The Paper
Heya folks, I started a new job this week and with the major shift from self employed flexible schedule world to 9-6 lots-to-be-done land I need to take a bit of time to adjust and calm my head a bit. If you need something awesome to get you through the next few days might I suggest…
Sheenabeaston’s stellar Siren Music Fest preview for East Village radio
peruse the blog roll ————>
Check out the incredible work over at Strangers In Stereo
I’m hoping to be back in action by Sunday after a good bit of napping and catching up on email.
This Austin band has captured all that was feel good about early 70′s pop fuzzed it out and given it the garage band treatment. Their new single “Be Brave” wears the shine of a well defined sense of sound and allows their shouty group vocals stand out perfectly. A slow weedely guitar sets the attitude and a few fantastic sax solos provide the sparkle. Strange Boys will be stopping through Philly on September 19th at Kungfu Necktie for two shows with Those Darlins, Gentleman Jesse and His Men.
I’ve been visiting One Happy Island nearly daily since I got my hands on their first album -which dropped July 5th- a few weeks ago. The Boston trio creates unabashedly cheerful twee tunes out of whip smart word play, quirky instrumentations and a good bit of awesome. The 15 songs you’ll find on One Happy Island intrigue the ear, each in their own way, some for the interesting subject matter – if you ride bikes you’re gonna love OHI- others for the distinctly light hearted perspective on love and the realities of relationships. It’s a great romp of an album perfect for a day when you might need a pick me up.
Man do I love this amped up edit of the Drum’s single Let’s Go Surfing. The Raveonettes add a touch of scuzz and push the mix a little louder. It is a sweet and salty mix as the retro fun of The Drums original are dirtied up a bit at the Raveonettes touch.
[MP3] Lets Go Surfing (The Raveonettes Remix) – The Drums
This remix takes the Cosmic of the title to a synth tastic level. It doesn’t try to force the grandness of the original into an agressive dance beat but plays up the spacier elements to simply enhance the flavor. This is a must add for your “spinning in circles in a field with headphones on” playlist. Cause we all have that one, right?
[MP3] Cosmic Love (Short Club Remix) – Florence & The Machine
Yap, I have become thoroughly smitten with Ms. Monae and this remix simply gives me another track to loop to scratch the Monae itch. Organized Noize is the production team who have had their fingers in some of the more iconic hip hop moments – TLC’s “Waterfalls”, En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go” as well as a big chunk of Outkast’s work – and their tweaks here are deft. Categorize this as other way to appreciate the wonderful Janelle Monae.
[MP3] Tightrope (feat. Big Boi) (Organized Noize Remix) – Janelle Monae
When I saw the Futureheads last month they mentioned this song was inspired by cartoons of their youth so, it comes as no surprise that they would go for the toon treatment for the video. I love the song and the video even more. Both capture the cheeky riled up essence of the British pop/punk group. I’d highly recommend you get a copy of their new album The Chaos.
I really love the spirit of this video. It is right on par with Sean Bones’ laid back but good spirited music. I was a big wheel fanatic as a kid so I guess I have a soft spot for the video for that reason too. Sean Bones new album Rings is out now on Frenchkiss Records. It is a superb stroll through a number of musical flavors from rocksteady to retro pop.
The Mynabirds – Let The Record Go from Saddle Creek on Vimeo.
Never before has a girl fight looked so stylish and vivid. Flexing their retro muscles once again to tell a story of revenge the Mynabirds prove they’re not only talented musicians but also otherwise artfully inclined. If you haven’t listened to my previous praises of the group maybe it’s time to heed the call.
TWIAPC: Ok so, what’s your story? How’d Yawn come to be?
Y: YAWN essentially grew out of our friendship throughout high school and our mutual love for music. We started playing punk/rock music together a few years before we became YAWN and through natural expansion of musical influences and desire to experiment, we slowly progressed into what we are now.
TWIAPC: Your music has an undeniable tropical feel, something one doesn’t immediately associate with a band from Chicago, where did that influence come from?
Y:It’s really a combination of a lot of things. The music we were listening to when we made the E.P. had a large influence on the overall sound. Tropical sounds from bands like AC, El Guincho, Ali Farka Toure, Brian Eno…lots of african and bollywood records too. You can hear them in the samples we use. Summer time in Chicago can feel pretty tropical as well, and recording our music during that particular season had an influence on the sound as well. I don’t think it was something that was done intentionally, or discussed as a band that we wanted to sound like that. Hopefully we can sound completely different on the next set of songs.
TWIAPC: Your video for “Kind Of Guy” is one of my favorites this year. How’d you decide on such a random but AMAZING concept?
Y: Thanks, really glad you like the video! The concept of the video was completely the idea of the director, The Druid Beat. He lives in LA, and we randomly met by chance. He heard our music, and sent us this ridiculous description of a neon-space nativity scene with full of colors and sexual imagery. After seeing his other work, we knew it was gonna be awesome. During the shoot, we sort of bonded with him over an appreciation for public access tv, and he just sort of added the beginning and ending parts, which took the whole thing to an even weirder place. He’s the man in the blue snuggie, and he’s amazing.
TWIAPC: I understand you guys identify strongly with the DIY music scene. How does this effect your music and approach to “making it.”
Y: I’d say for us it specifically applies to the way we make music. We’ve been in studios before, and worked with others. We wound up with a rushed product that didn’t sound the way we wanted due to outside input from producers, not to mention the complete waste of time and money involved. Luckily, we learned from those mistakes and picked up general knowledge on recording. We sort of then decided it would be best to just record ourselves so that we could take unlimited time to tinker away as we wanted, and spend our money on buying recording equipment for ourselves instead. This also helped contribute to our sound, since we could write and record at the same time without outside constraints and opinions. I think it effects our approach to “making it” in a strong way, since we are completely satisfied with the finished product and feel good about others hearing it and getting exactly what we intended them to.
TWIAPC: You have a second EP due later this summer. Can we expect an expansion on what you included in the first EP or will you be toying with some new sounds?
Y: A little of both i think. There are songs that have a tropical feel to them still, but there are others which sort of stray away from the feel of the first E.P. It’s still all very up in the air, and we’re deciding which set of songs to finish and put together for people to listen to.
[MP3] Kind Of Guy
There are bands that spend a lot of time looking too cool to be playing a small show or too focused on trying to achieve perfection to really look comfortable on stage. Then there’s Poison Control Center. These guys are far more interested in getting really into their jams and making sure everyone is having a good time. During their gig at the M Room last week they brought nothing but their best to every song. Every member vibrated with such energy during the performance of their slightly maniacal music that it literally burst out of them. They interrupted nearly every single one of their songs with summersaults and shoulder stands, all without ever loosing the flow of the music. The band is made up of veteran performers, all capable of puching themselves just enough in terms of stage presence without allowing the arrangements crumble into chaos.
The Poison Control Center sound they were there to display is brash, catchy and energizing. As I was expecting there was a freshness in their live set that gets polished out of the recorded versions and it was exhilarating to see an entire band uniformly bliss out on stage. All the elements of their sound -punk, rock & roll, pop, psych rock – came together on that stage leaving me feeling incredibly satisfied by their awesomeness. PCC is in a van criss crossing the country for what appears to be the rest of the year so each and every one of you should have a chance to catch them. Do NOT miss out.