Fabolous//You Be Killin' Em

I'm not sure how this one slipped through the OSS cracks, but this song was IT right around when I was leaving NYC. I first heard it while driving to a gig at Party Xpo in Bushwick with Karl and Patrice. Everyone knows that the only station to listen to when driving to shows is Hot 97. I suppose I'll have to find a West Coast replacement soon.

The second the song came on we were fucking entranced. Oh, that glorious synth line. Oh, that incredible flow. Oh, that hilarious line about shoe-i-cide. Oh, Fabolous, be still my heart. You truly are fabolous.

From that tender moment, this song became a staple at basement dance parties and divey bars with those shitty digital jukeboxes. People flocked to dance to it at the final 50/50 show. I also unabashedly still listen to it when I get homesick for NYC.

Let me note here that even a cursory read of the lyrics reveals a number of things I find generally deplorable ie. this is not a feminist-friendly anti-capitalist rhyme, if you know what I'm saying. Still, let's just try to let that be what it is and love it for how catchy and clever certain lines are. OK?

Fabolous aka John David Jackson was born in the late 70s in Brooklyn. In addition to being a rapper, he now also has his own clothing like called Rich Yung Society. In case you're wondering where you can score some Fabolous swag... I mean, hey, who wouldn't want that necklace?



You Be Killin' Em.mp3

Looking good has its sacrifices:
Chilly weather bring four figure jacket prices.
Her body nice, face dime.
Give me that iPhone 4, Face Time.

Joy Zipper//Check Out My New Jesus

OK, so I know I'm a few days late on this...ok...a week and a half. But I really wanted to post this song in honor of Easter. Because I think we all deserve a new Jesus at least once a year, regardless of our religious upbringings/beliefs.

As a person of Catholic and Jewish lineage, I have the maximum amount of guilt humanly possible encoded into my DNA. This is why one year I gave up guilt for lent. This year though, much like this Jesus post, I totally messed up my give-up-something-for-lent timing. Anika and I are currently not eating processed sugar, which is proving to be...let's just say...rough.

Seriously, did you know that there's sugar in EVERYTHING? I mean everything. Yogurt? Sugar. Tomato sauce? Sugar. All breakfast cereals besides Shredded Wheat? Sugar.

Back to Jesus, this song is about...well...it's about getting a new Jesus. Joy Zipper is a sweet little couple band from The Island. I guess someone compared their songs to a candy apple with a razor blade inside, which seems about right to me. Actually, most of my favorite music falls into this variety, or something like it. If it's not a candy apple/razor blade then it's a something else with a something else inside. Catch my drift?

Anyway, now I've waited so long to post this that another holiday has eclipsed the holiday about which I've been writing. Thanks, Cinco De Mayo. I hope you have fun drinking Coronas and eating Churros, two things I can't have due to obvious sugar content.



Check Out My New Jesus.mp3

Check out my new Jesus.
He talks and he walks if you want him to.
Nevermind the thorns.
They're only there to confuse you.

Nicki Minaj//Did It On'em

A big weird hello from Los Angeles! I can't even begin to tell you how strange this city is. I've spent the last two days driving around checking out apartments with various levels of awesome and odd in differing combinations. The highlight was definitely the one that contained the mixing board that was used to do "We Are the World." I shit you not.

Yesterday I hit kind of a breaking point in my searching, feeling like a beat up, busted car blocking miles of traffic on the 405. I did not understand how I could go on...how I could continue to drive from the Eastside to the Westside down Santa Monica Blvd and on various numbered highways and byways. I am pleased to say that Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday got me through it.

Loving Nicki Minaj puts me in a slightly awkward position as a die-hard Lil Kim fan. That said, you really have to give it to her. Her rhymes are so clever and so hilarious. The things she can do with her voice are totally amazing. Even if I actually do have to "skip a track..." or many tracks (the cheesy sincere ones, as it turns out), the bangers on this album are just unreal. Last night, I'm pretty sure "Massive Attack" over and over was what got me from Echo Park back to Santa Monica. Looking forward to going back into the mixtapes for more awesome jams.

Basically what I'm trying to say is if you're finding your life troublesome, difficult,, etc., I would suggest listening to this song on repeat starting now:



Did It On'em.mp3

She ain't a Nicki fan,
Then the bitch deaf, dumb.
You ain't my son,
You my mfn stepson.

The So So Glos//My Block

Hi friends. Sorry it's been more radio silence here than radio OSS. To be fair, I have good excuses. I always do, don't I? Last shows. Holidays. Moving out. Moving away from NYC, which I am doing in a few mere hours (ACT QUICK!).

But, I wanted to remind you that I'm still here and still checking out new music/compiling an awesome list of jams to share with you once I actually have the time to share them again.

For now, I'll leave you with a band I recently felling in love with, Brooklyn's own So So Glos.

I think it's an appropriate song to go out on and features tons of proper NYC love and pride. Please enjoy this (mostly) one take video:

My Block.mp3

But it's the same routine.
It's been the same since 19AD (80?).
The rich kids in the hungry neighborhoods
Are looking for something to eat.

Nickodemus and Quantic featuring Tempo and Candela All-Stars//Mi Swing Es Tropical

By the explicit request of my righteous sister, I present this song, "Mi Swing Es Tropical," a collab between Quantic (AKA Will Holland, a British expat now based in Colombia) and New York DJ Nickodemus.

I'm not sure how the song first came to my attention. It was featured in an iPod ad with a particularly Latin flavor. It was also included on a mix that was given to me.

It really is a sweet song, proven by the fact that everyone I play it for instantly loves it. The drums, the trumpet, the sweet guitar lick, the general groove--it's the kind of song that makes you long for the beach, which is a bittersweet kind of song to listen to as the weather turns chilly.

Considering how awesome this track is and all the incredible hype it received, it is remarkably difficult to find information about it. It features Hector "Tempo" Alomar, presumably on vox and The Candela All-Stars (a Latin music collective), who I can only imagine supplied the original music.



Mi Swing Es Tropical.mp3

Google Translate comes up with this for the meaning of the chorus:
You dance well, he rejoices more.

The song seems to be about someone trying to teach someone else to dance and imploring them to do with with a little more passion. Within that context, it makes sense. Although I do think it sounds better in Spanish.

The Lemonheads//It's A Shame About Ray

So, funny story.

Last night dear friend Michael Beauchamp came to town to play a show with his new band, Red Tail Ring (more on that later). The show was fun. We hung out for a while and then went to fetch the band's van. Problem: they couldn't exactly remember where they'd parked.

We walked around Alphabet City for a solid 40 minutes with a shitton of equipment searching for it. No luck. Finally, I said that I would watch the pile of gear we had stacked on the corner of 4th and A while they searched for the vehicle unencumbered.

A few minutes passed before a dude and some ladies drunkenly stumbled by.

"HEY!" he exclaimed, "you're in a band! What do you have here? A banjo? A hammer dulcimer? COOL!"
He's checking out the gear.
"Yeah," I say, "I am in a band...but not this one--I'm just babysitting gear while the band finds the car."
"Oh, awesome," he says, "I'm in a band too. We just played Mercury Lounge...we're called The Lemonheads. Hi. My name's Evan."
He shakes my hand and jauntily skips away as I yell, "The LEMONHEADS!? Evan Dando!? I know your band!"

A few minutes, Michael and Laurel return.
"Hey," I say, "you just missed The Lemonheads. They like your gear."
"Like...Evan Dando!?" says Michael.
"Yeah, Evan Dando."
"Shit."

So, as I desperately try to find cool things to look forward to in LA, let's not discount the awesomeness that is the quintessential New York moment.

Also, you guys do realize what this means, right? Evan Dando just got a bit part in my life!



It's A Shame About Ray.mp3

I've never been too good with names,
But I remember faces.

Splendora//You're Standing on My Neck

After a hectic day of U-haul pickup trucking around and one last minute wedding venue peek, A. left this morning. Yeah, I’m bummed. But trying to make the best of it. Stay distracted. Be productive. All that fun stuff.

Last night, we started watching some old episodes of Daria. This show was always a favorite of mine and A. had never seen it. We watched the first two episodes in the first season. Daria starts Lawndale High! Daria gets invited to a popular party! Oh, the 90s of it all.

So, I thought in honor of my love of Daria and the (FINALLY!) recent release of the DVD box set, I’d highlight the fantastic Splendora theme song for you today.

I remember looking up Splendora a few years ago during another Daria downloading craze. I didn’t love their other songs, but this one is a real gem. I don’t know much about the band, except that they’re from NYC and that one of their members was also in this band.

In closing, ha ha.



You’re Standing On My Neck.mp3

Excuse me, you’re standing on my neck.

***
PS: if anybody wants to buy this for me, I would definitely accept it.

Little Gold//Completely Fucked!

Starting the Week Off Right: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

It’s Monday and completely fucked is how I feel. You guys?

Jessi from Goldest Egg wants you to know:

Former Woods songwriter and Meneguar member, Christian DeRoeck is back with the Completely Fucked! 7", his second release as Little Gold. Vastly different from the melancholy country of debut LP On the Knife (2009), these two songs are brimming with fuzzy guitars, sweet harmonies, and what sounds like youthful exuberance. DeRoeck's lyrical content is morose as ever, but on this record it comes packed in two and a half-minute pop songs. The most immediate difference is the addition of Brian Markham on bass and Pat Broderick on drums, both of Brooklyn psych-rockers Ancient Sky, and Broderick of beloved DC hardcore outfit Majority Rule.

Released in an initial run of 300 on NYC label Heart Break Beat (Beach House, Vincent Black Shadow, Virgin Forest) this record is a taste of what’s to come. Little Gold heads back into the studio this year to record the follow-up to On the Knife.

Remember Expletive Week? Maybe it’s time for Expletive Week Redux. But seriously, any song called “Completely Fucked” that can sound as shiny and happy as this is a winner in my book. Now, Tuesday, can we get on with it?



Completely Fucked!.mp3

Little Gold’s on tour. Tour dates here.

The Velvet Underground//Stephanie Says

Hey sweeties. I’m going on a little hiatus. Until July 19th, this blog will be quiet, as my internet supply will become spotty and/or borrowed. I’ll be in Alaska. And you know what Lou Reed says about Alaska.



Stephanie Says.mp3

But she's not afraid to die.
The people all call her Alaska.

Duke Ellington Orchestera//Take the 'A' Train

I have a nine-year-old brother who is learning to play the saxophone. It’s awesome. Last week, I walked into my parents house and he was totally playing this song…and playing it really well, at that—almost flawlessly! My mom was taking him through it, making him practice it over and over. Suddenly, I had a flashback to when she would help me practice clarinet. I would always end up in tears by the end of the night. Not fun. Your turn, buddy!!!

“That sounds great,” I said. “I took the A train today.”
“You did?” he asked.
It’s true. Actually, I pretty much take the A train every day. It’s one of my trains, along with the C and the G. If you live in NYC, you will know to feel sorry for me now.

Coming home from work last night, I had to wait extra long for the A to arrive. When it finally pulled into the station, just before I angrily jammed myself into the front car with a bunch of other sardine-like commuters, I saw that white “A” encircled by that special blue on the front of the car and thought about my little bro’s practice session. Take the A train! I will, if I can just get on. Mmmmmm nothing like ending the work day by being crammed in-between a smelly guy with creepy eyes and a girl manically playing Bejeweled on her PDA.

Back to that blue hue, today, I stumbled upon this article about the colors affiliated with the subway lines. Turns out, the official name for that color is “vivid blue.” Is it vivid? I don’t know.

The song “Take the A Train” is a jazz standard that was the signature song of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. It really is about the A Train, which still runs from Northern Manhattan to Brooklyn. Apparently there are lyrics, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard them. From The W Train:

Over the years the lyrics have contained many variations, as is not unusual for songs of this era. Those below are representative only, and may not be the original Sherrill lyrics:
You must take the A Train
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the A Train
You'll find you've missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now, it's coming
Listen to those rails a-thrumming (All Aboard!)
Get on the A Train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem

Maybe things were different back in the 40s, but nowadays, when the conductor can’t close the doors, no one’s going anywhere very fast. Not Inwood. Not Harlem. Not Cli-Stuy. Not Rockaway Beach. My updated proposed lyrics:

You must take your bicycle to go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem.
If some petty thief stole your bicycle
You’ll find yourself very angry and not in Harlem
Hurry, get on, now, try something else
A bus will undoubtedly be much slower
If you want to a avoid a transfer or spotty late night service
I would recommend sucking it up and paying for a cab



Take the 'A' Train.mp3

Also, I assume you already know about this, but it’s pure comedy.

Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings//Make It Good To Me

I'm sure everyone knows how much I love Sharon Jones at this point. In my mind, she is the ultimate definition of "good."

Just an FYI (bitches), a new album came out yesterday (a good day in a Good Week). Will be purchasing at an independent local music store ASAP. Suggest you do the same. Also, if you're feeling especially poor (cough, cough, like me) you can buy it for a measly 7.99 at Amazon. Go without coffee for three days. No excuses.

This song actually isn't from that album. It appeared instead on the completely awesome Daptone Gold record.

In addition to the signature smooth sound, this song has a great groove. We can also ponder what "making it good" really entails. Sure, it could be innocent...but presumed innuendo abounds. Not that that's not good.



Make It Good To Me.mp3

You see the hour's getting late,
So take some direction.
You see it's half past making up time
And a quarter to affection.
But if you ain't got no new thing to say,
You better go on and fix it the old fashioned way
And make it good to me, baby,
The way it used to be.

Did you know that there's a Good Magazine? According to their site, it's "collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward." Of course, there's also Good Housekeeping.

Television//Venus De Milo, Friction

Homeboys and homeboyettas, I have a confession to make. My confession is that I am going to abandon you. It won't be forever. I would never do that to you. But it will be until Monday. See, way back in December, I got a present from my girlfriend for our anniversary. The present was spending a night out of the city in a quaint bed and breakfast in the country with fireplaces. And at last, that day has come.

I know it's not cool to walk away from my one-a-day promise, so now I'm giving you two extra good songs by an extra good band to make up for it. That band is Television and they are amazing.

Of course, I think Ali introduced the band to me. From the almighty:

Television is an American post punk band, formed in New York City in 1973. Although Television have never had more than a cult audience in their American homeland, they have achieved significant commercial success in Europe. Today, they are widely regarded as one of the key founders of new wave music and seminal influences on punk rock.

Television was a part of the early New York underground rock scene, contemporary with bands like the Patti Smith Group and the Ramones. In contrast to the Ramones' focus on rock 'n' roll minimalism, Television's music was much more technically proficient, defined by the dueling guitars of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd.

Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd actually ran away from school in the 70s and "moved to New York to be poets." If that isn't a solid foundation on which to form a band, I don't know what is.

Although it is my understanding that they have some less-than-stellar albums, in my opinion, Marquee Moon is an all-time classic. Not a bad track on it. It's tough like punk but the musicianship is extra proficient. Tom Verlaine's voice comes across with the perfect mix of sensitive-guy contemplation and I-don't-give-a-fuck rock and roll sex appeal. The guitars are extra jamming, leading some critics to call them The Grateful Dead of punk. They used the comparison positively and negatively, but the title track is almost 11 minutes long. That's kinda jammy, guys.

The band got back together for a show in Central Park in 2007 on my birthday. I was there! It was awesome. DUH.

Have a wonderful weekend. Fall into the arms of Venus De Milo. See youse on Monday.



Venus De Milo.mp3

Friction.mp3

Richie said,
"Hey man let's dress up like cops, look at what we can do!"
Something, something said
You better not.

Modern Medical Miracle//Right By Your Side

Stop Motion. Fridaytime. Local Music Friday.
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

Alan Markley, a friend of a friend, has a band called Modern Medical Miracle, who we played a show with at one of my least favorite (and now thankfully defunct) NYC spaces, The Annex. Of course, the crappiness of the venue doesn't have anything to do with Markley's songs, which are fun and upbeat.

Alan sent along this video last week and it's really too cute not to put up here. The video and the song correctly capture that rapturous moment when you feel yourself falling in love. It's impossible to avoid being precious, saccharine and a tad cheesy when venturing into this subject matter, but MMM embraces it (think: that ridiculous but perfect Hall and Oates-backed dance sequence in 500 Days of Summer) and comes out on the other end endearing and intact. Besides, it's hard to take a stop-motion stick figure made of bent paper clips dancing around in a teacup TOO seriously.



Right By Your Side.mp3

It's feeling right,
Right by your side.

Patti Smith//Gloria

I would like to introduce a brand new tag to the OSS tag universe today. Joining the ranks of such classics as Animal Band Names and Superlative Band Names, please welcome Classic Rock/R+B Songs Covered by Punk/Post-Punk Girls. There are more of these then you'd think there'd be.

From my perspective, Patti Smith is the crown jewel of New Jersey cultural exports (move over, Bruce). There's been quite a resurgence of interest in this poet/musician/artist/activist/general queen-of-the-downtown-scene recently thanks to a new documentary about her.

When I first got Horses, I listened to it obsessively on repeat. It is a beautiful, beautiful masterpiece of an album that sounded completely different than anything that had come before it at the time. Additionally, Smith is an incredibly influential songwriter/musician, especially to other female artists, with a legacy that stretches from Cat Power to REM to Kate Bush to Tori Amos to The Smiths to (no matter how much she denies it) PJ Harvey.

Smith has also worked with a to-die-for list of collaborators and punk greats, including John Cale (see: yesterday), The (aforementioned) Boss, Alan Ginsberg, Michael Stipe, Robert Mapplethorpe and Tom Verlaine (of Television; look forward to that post, guys). She was also married to Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5. OK. I'm totally done now. Patti Smith is basically the coolest person ever. Over.

This song was written by Van Morrison for his band Them...but honestly, who even cares? It's not that it's bad, but the sheer energy of this version knocks the original out of the park.



Gloria.mp3

Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine.

The Velvet Underground//There She Goes Again

Since we're just taking the obvious route this week, here's a song by The Velvet Underground, who everyone said The Strokes copied/sounded like when they came out. I'm not sure that that's actually true. The Strokes met in prep school in the late 90s. The Velvets were formed in the mid-60s by Lou Reed, a heroin addict who was interested in avant-garde classical music and received electroconvulsive therapy to cure him of his homosexual tendencies as a child. Uhm? Casablancas kind of tries to sound like Reed sometimes. The Strokes drew on punk influences; The Velvets helped to create punk. They both formed in New York City, I guess. I'm out of ideas here.

My uncle gave me a homemade Velvet Underground mixtape in high school. Sometimes I played it in my room. My dad would come up and tell me that "they were bums!" but then, he would still admit to liking them anyway.

Also, for some reason, at the beginning of college, my friends and I all became obsessed with "I'm Sticking With You." I guess that reason is just because it's hilarious.

According to Wikipedia, "There She Goes Again" is pretty much lifted:
The syncopated guitar riff is taken from the 1962 Marvin Gaye song, "Hitch Hike", but is most likely influenced by The Rolling Stones' cover version, from their 1965 album Out of Our Heads.

There's a lot more I could write about The Velvet Underground here, but I'm sure you already know it. Right?



There She Goes Again.mp3

Take a look,
There's no tears in her eyes.
Like a bird,
You know she will fly.
What can you do?
(There she goes)
You see her walkin' on down the street.
(There she goes)
Look at all your friends that she gonna meet.
(There she goes)

The Strokes//Barely Legal

Ok. I just don’t know how not to do this. So, I’m going to do it. Let’s disregard the fact that, with a few little exceptions, I’ve pretty much hated everything The Strokes have done post Is This It?

Yesterday’s song just made me think and think about The Strokes and when I think and think about The Strokes, I think and think about this certain time and this certain little EP that my highschool boyfriend gave me in the summer of 2001. Class? Paying attention? We’ve covered this before. I’LL WAIT!

This 3-song EP has rawer, badder and just plain better versions of songs that would all end up on the band’s debut album, Is This It?, which arguably ushered in a new era of mainstream rock (one that at first would make stars out of previously smalltime garage and punk outfits like The White Stripes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and later (read: now) would pave the way for the not-so-great “fuzzing of everything” trend).

Play these tracks alongside their Is This It? almost-twin sisters and you might not hear a huge difference…but listen closely. For example, in this song, the tempo’s slower. The production’s shittier (in a good way). The guitar’s sitting closer to the front in the mix. That I-really-don’t-give-a-fuck-at-all attitude is also sitting closer to the tip of singer Julian Casablancas’s tongue. The difference between MA and ITI? and all that followed: he really didn’t give a shit then. And hey, that’s just cooler. It’s fucking rock and roll, right?!



Barely Legal.mp3

I didn’t take no shortcuts.
I spent the money that I saved up.
Oh, mama, running out of luck
But like my sister don’t give a fuck.

World Atlas//Girl on a Boy's Bike

So Twee, So Local: Local Music Friday.
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

We played with World Atlas at the same show we played with Knight School and they were equally awesome. It just so happens that friend Fred Thomas also used to play with them. AND! Palmyra is playing again with them and Zoos of Berlin tomorrow night at The Cake Shop.

I really enjoyed this quote, from The L Magazine:
“Some might say they sound too much like Belle and Sebastian, but we think they sound just the right amount like them. By which we mean, well, exactly like them."

WA does sound A LOT like B+S, but it's still quite enjoyable. Also, I'm a girl who rides a boy's bike. That's cool.

ANYWAY, I'm going to step out now. It's my anniversary and I am taking my girlfriend out for a "night on the town." Where are we going? It's a secret. See you (and World Atlas) tomorrow, perhaps. Snowball fight to follow.



Girl on a Boy's Bike.mp3

Girl on a boy's bike,
What do you feel like
Waiting for the other kids to catch you up?

Knight School//Pregnant Again

I wear my sunglasses at knight on Local Music Fridays.
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

We got to play with these guys last summer for the Northside Festival at Public Assembly (where my friend Tim is Djing tonight, coincedentally). I don't think I got to talk to them much, but their show was super fun.

I've got mixed feelings about this “fuzz on everything” trend that seems to somehow still be the hip thing to do. I don't think that fuzzing the hell out of something makes it instantly good. That said, sometimes it is good. Knight School has a retro punk sound with a just hint of pop. They really get it right and pull it off.

If you're in NYC, catch them in exactly a week at Silent Barn. If you're elsewhere, check out this compilation because our friends City Center are also on it.

Finally, I would like to mention that I think "Pregnant Again" is a really good name for a song.



Pregnant Again.mp3

Listen to more Knight School.

PJ Harvey//The Mess We're In, This is Love

Angelina recently reminded me of the awesomeness of Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea (a quintessentially New York album), thanks to her recent re-obsession with "The Mess We're In," featuring our favorite depressing British man, Thom Yorke. I've been playing it a lot again. It's a fantastic album.

I really like PJ Harvey, even though she's a total Patti Smith rip-off (she denies this over and over, but I don't understand how it could possibly not be true). Although the two can be sonically and vocally very similar, her stuff often has a slightly different energy. I'll never tire of songs like "C'mon Billy" and "Yuri G." Like Smith, everything's raw and tough.

With gobs of buzz and critical acclaim, SotC,SotS was really Harvey's mainstream breakout. For me, it will always represent this very specific time of life. I bought it just before I went on vacation with my family the summer after my senior year of high school. My boyfriend and I had just gotten back together and he came along for some of the two weeks in Maine. My dad's blue Acura was on it's way out at the time, but this unofficially became our car on vacation and I drove it much too fast on tiny winding island roads. We'd go out after everyone would go to sleep and smoke cloves by the dock. We dyed our hair with henna and madeout a lot, all the while spinning the hell out of this album, Amnesiac and a short EP Nick bought me called The Modern Age, put out by a band no one had heard of at the time called (haha) The Strokes.

That summer was perfect, golden. In a few months, I would go to college. Nick and I would break up again, this time for good. 9/11 would happen. Life changes. But I can almost taste the cloves and feel the cool New England air of the summer of '01 on my skin when "This is Love" comes on.



The Mess We're In.mp3

This is Love.mp3

I can't believe
Life's so complex,
When I just wanna sit here
And watch you undress.

Hurricane Bells//The Winters in New York

BRRR: Monday Mail.
What is Monday Mail?

The winters in New York are cold, but not as cold as the ones in Chicago, where it is always at least 10 degrees colder. I’m back from there now and that said, we actually had pretty awesome weather this time around. It was warm enough to be outside without scarves and hats much of the time.

Neha, from Vangrant, says:

Vagrant's latest signing is a band called Hurricane Bells which was created by Longwave vocalist, Steve Schiltz. The band's debut album, Tonight Is the Ghost, was released on Nov 11th… The band gained attention by earning a spot on the highly credible Twilight: New Moon soundtrack released last month.

While I highly DON’T CARE about their Twilight slot (if anything this makes me NOT want to listen), I have to say, I’m glad I did because this band is nice. I hear a lot of subtle influences in the sound: vox that are reminiscent of The Shins, drums/ guitar/keyboard combo actually sounds a bit like Varnaline, electric guitar tone that reminds me of vintage 10KM. All good except that weird overdramic guitar solo, which I am not sure if I like yet.

Doing a bit of research, it seems as though this band/guy (Bells is really just the solo project of Longwave’s Steven Schilitz) was relatively unknown until his not-much-viewed myspace page led him to the Twilight gig. That’s some serious luck, huh? Of course, having talent certainly doesn’t hurt.



The Winters in New York.mp3

The winters in New York are hell
With bitterness and cold.