Baby's Gang//Challenger

There isn’t a whole lot of information out there about Baby’s Gang, the artist behind today’s sweet song. Released on Memory Records in 1985, the titular track of their only album is, in fact, about the Challenger space shuttle. Yeah, that Challenger space shuttle. Talk about an ill-timed homage. But it’s sung by children… sweet, sweet, ESL children. Enjoy!

Challenger.mp3

There's a very special plane
People use to go in space
Challenger, Challenger
Challenger, you go so fast

Barbara Mason//Another Man

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oOoOO//Nosummer4u

Can you guys believe it’s already August? This is the time of year that New York City starts to smell like dreams deferred and baked garbage. That fleeting moment when our tough exteriors crack and all we want is for someone to take us away from it all. If there’s anyone out there who wants to sweep me off my feet, my preferred destination is the beach!

Today’s sweet song will be the soundtrack while I wait. oOoOO, the moniker of San Fransisco native Christopher Dexter Greenspan, paints a slightly melancholy but danceable vision of wasting the summer away waiting on that special someone. According to some sources, oOoOO is at the forefront of a new movement called, among other things, “drag”, “witch house” or “haunted house”.

Regardless of his classification, Mr. Greenspan has created a perfect summer track and I can’t wait to hear more from him.

Nosummer4u.mp3

Take me to the water
Summertime, summertime
Maybe we can fall in love

Danzig//Mother

Guys, as of tomorrow, I am going away again for about two weeks. I KNOW! I’m never here. I’m like a wayward drifter, a multi-vacationing bum, a deadbeat dad.

But wait! Someone else is going to take care of you! Someone with excellent fashion sense, a heart of gold and impeccable taste in music.

Meet Ethan:


(and never mind why he’s holding a plate of Thanksgiving food).

Here are some things you should know about him:

1. He has two (visible) tattoos—one is of a record and one is an artistic rendering of a line from a Modest Mouse song.
2. He is responsible for this.
3. He is also responsible for this.
4. He has worked on Law and Order, which means he has some hilarious stories about quirky celebrities that you probably want to hear.
5. I call Ethan, and a handful of other people, “Mom.” That is a story that is too long to tell here.

I’m telling you all this because Ethan is going to take care of you while I’m gone, so please be nice to him. Listen to him. Take out the trash when he asks, because he’s Mom to me and he’s going to be like a Mother to you. Which brings me to this:



Mother.mp3

"Ethan," sung to the tune of "Mother":

Ethan,
Thank you for taking over this blog,
Thank you for writing a post a day,
Ohhhhhhh, Ethan.

Swimsuit//Evaporation

The Water's Fine: Local Music Friday
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

Ypsi-based Swimsuit is the new(ish) project of Fred Thomas (SLGTM), Dina Bankole (Secret Twins), Amber Fellows and Shelley Salant.

There's the classic Fred mixture of interesting sounds, retro-pop vibes and fuzzy nostalgia going on here. There's also a little surf. Not too much.

Swimsuit takes Brooklyn tonight at Death by Audio and tomorrow night at Pizza Forest (which is an awesome name for anything). Hear more jams and get more info on those shows here. You can also get a whole demo here. Or you can get a tape here. An actual tape. Awesome, right?

Not sure which show I'll be heading to, since this weekend turned into an epically amazing music bonanza. Chad VanGaalen at South Street Seaport, two Swimsuit shows, free Grass Widow/Sonic Youth at Prospect Park. The summer's turning the corner. It'll start ending any minute now. On the plus side, the heat wave's over, for now. No boarding yourself up in your one-and-only air conditioned room. No excuses.



Evaporation.mp3

It's in your head,
Evaporation

Grass Widow//Shadow

Grass Widow: they might be your new favorite band...just sayin'... because I kind of think they might be mine. I'm hearing so many touches of things I already love in their sound. A little Breeders, a little classic 90s indie guitar sound, a little 70s proto riot grrrl/post punky stuff like Raincoats or Slits, a little Sleater-Kinney every now and then. And yet it's completely it's own thing. Yessssss.

I've been listening to their self-titled album basically on repeat for a week. It's so fucking good.

This song is from the SF-based group's new album, set to be released on KRS (duh) on August 24. If this is any hint of how sweet this album is going to be, it's going to mega-fucking-sweet.

WTF does Grass Widow mean anyway? Here's what.

Also, GW opens for Sonic Youth for $3 donation (aka free) THIS SATURDAY in Prospect Park for Celebrate Brooklyn. OMG AMIGONNA SEE YOU THERE!?



Shadow.mp3

Incapacity,
Walls that spoke to me

MC5//Kick Out the Jams

The MC5 always remind me of this one professor I had in college who I totally fucking hated. He taught an American Cultures class on American Counter Culture: Beats, Hippies and Punks, which, in theory, should have been the best thing ever. Was it? No. Why? Because this dude was a sad washed up wannabe and all he could do was name drop his famous friends and tell us to REVOLT! AGAINST! THE! SYSTEM! while wearing expensive professor hiking boots and listening to a sparkly new ipod.

However, there were some high points (no pun intended) in his class and these always came when he decided to ditch the preaching and just tell us wacky stories from his youth. One of my favorites was the one about how he and a friend pretended to work for Con-Ed and blocked off a few key NYC exits, thus messing up the whole traffic grid of Manhattan. In another, which was very complicated but very awesome, he pretended to be a radio personality and got involved in all the controversy surrounding 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and John Sinclair’s arrest. It was wild.

I guess what I’m really trying to say here and not saying at all is that the MC5 rule. They were an amazing bridge between the end of hippie-era rock and the beginning of PUNK!. Their music sounds like a sponge for the political and cultural unrest that was happening at the time. It is fucking rad. KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS!!!



Kick Out the Jams.mp3

Let me be who I am
And let me kick out the jam.
Yes, kick out the jams!
I done kicked ‘em out!

Tennessee Ernie Ford//Sixteen Tons

Ok. Fess up. Who loves Mad Men? Who saw the first episode of Season 4? I only watched half of it on iTunes so, shhhhh, no spoilers.

This is song is one that I knew, because, hey, doesn’t everyone know it? But why? It’s not like we learned it in grade school music class…did we? Is it just one of those standards embedded in the subconscious mind of every red-blooded American? I don’t know. But I do know that I hadn’t thought about it for quite some time, until it was the credit music for a recent episode of Mad Men (Season 3, I think?).

There are many versions of this song, which is originally attributed to country singer Merle Travis. The guy who sang this version, which was a pop hit in 1955, is Tennessee Ernie Ford. Question: why don’t people have names like that anymore? Another questions: why don’t we have pop hits like this anymore?



Sixteen Tons.mp3

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;
I owe my soul to the company store...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.//Vocal Chords

It’s not NASCAR: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

I’ve got some good homies who release their jams on QuiSci, so I thought I’d give this one a listen. I was not disappointed.

Brooke at Big Hassle says:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., a project started in Detroit by two professional men of music and leisure (Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott), is offering an mp3 download for their single, "Nothing But Our Love," (in exchange for an email address) at DaleEarnhardtJrJr.com.

Building ground-up, recording in a basement without the benefit of expensive microphones or big-name producers, while also building top-down with the use of drum machines and samplers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. create what Real Detroit Weekly called "trippy, ethereal hip-hop/folk...it's a weird combination that is delicious to the ear." band's upcoming Horse Power EP, due July 17th on Quite Scientific Records.

That’s right—there’s another free song above, making today a twofur!!!

There’s a lot going on here. Something reminds me a little of Vampire Weekend, not in an annoying way. It’s that light, poppy goodness that drifts through the song all sweet and easy, until the chorus takes it up a notch, providing an almost-danceable energy. Not a bad way to start your week. Not bad at all.



Vocal Chords.mp3

No NYC dates in the immediate future, but keep your eyes pealed here.

The Sea and Cake//Midtown

The Sea and Cake makes music that is so pretty and, for lack of a better word, pleasant. Like a mellow breeze on a warm summer day, there's something calm and easy about their jazz-tinted vibraphone-soaked indie rock. It's perfect chill music.

A misunderstanding of a song-title, "The C in Cake" by Gastr del Sol, lead to their band name. Members include Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt, who have each also maintained successful solo careers in addition to their work with the band.

I love all the tracks on 2000's Oui, especially this one, called "Midtown," which also happens to be my all-time least favorite part of NYC.



Midtown.mp3

I don't let on that you done wrong.

Eddy Grant//Electric Avenue

I think this song, a radio hit from the 80s, is really good for the summer. Something about it feels…sweaty? Is that ok to say?

This song is named after an actual street called Electric Avenue, which is in Brixton, London. It's so-named, presumably, because as the main drag, it was the first to have electricity in the neighborhood. I remember going to Brixton for the first time and immediately making the correlation between the street and the song…then having the song in my head for the rest of the night. Perhaps the tune's only flaw is that it's a tad repetitive. Sorry in advance.

On second thought, maybe the reason this song reminds me of summer has something to do with warm weather black-outs. We haven’t had one yet this year in NYC, but I hope you all have candles or charged flashlights or something like that ready and waiting.



Electric Ave.mp3

We gonna rock down to
Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher.

Martha and the Muffins//Echo Beach

About a year ago, on a trip to Chicago, I got Ali to give me a copy of a summer mix she had made. Filled with lots of new wavey relatively obscure late 70s/early 80s stuff, I still return to it every so often, especially in warmer months. This song is the first on the mix and it’s a great thing to listen to in a crowded subway train while on one’s way to work.

This was the band’s only hit, although they were quite prolific under their original name and a later (more 80s sounding) name, M+M.

The narrator of the song has to work a shitty office job, but she manages to make it through by falling back on the knowledge that she’ll one day return to her favorite nostalgia-drenched spot, Echo Beach, which, judging by the song’s lyrics, could actually be some kind of code word for heaven. Still, whether it’s just a favorite vacation getaway or the afterlife, there’s nothing worse than sitting in an office all day when you could be watching the sun go down on Echo Beach, amIright?



Echo Beach.mp3

From nine till five I have to spend my time at work.
The job is very boring. I'm an office clerk.
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day.

Al Lover//What Goes In Circles Remix (The Fresh & Onlys)

A New Take on Woodsist: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Hi. Been a while. Time to get back into the ol’ routine with some mail.

Alex (aka Al Lover) says:

I recently put together this remix album of songs off the Woodsist label for free download and thought you might be interested in checking it out. It's basically parts of different songs off their catalog sampled, chopped up on an MPC 2000XL, ran through effects petals and an old Tascam 4-track, then sequenced in somewhat of a instrumental hip-hop fashion. Lots of fuzz and delay, grimy stuff. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think if you get a chance to check it out.

Here's a direct download link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ct4jevzyyam

and a link to my site:

http://coolallover.blogspot.com/


By now, between my strong love rants about Kurt Vile and all that crazy Northside coverage, you’ve probably gotten your fill of me going on and on about how awesome Woodsist is. But seriously, they’re awesome. In addition to checking out the releases from which these tracks come, I would highly suggest going over to Alex’s blog and downloading his full remix, because it’s a totally interesting take. Unlike much of what the remix world can represent, these tracks retain the dirtiness of the originals while also adding a new spin.



What Goes In Circles Al Lover Remix.mp3

More from Al Lover 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.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring//Cool Ice Cream

I'm hoping that by posting today, you'll excuse me for my mp3 silence on Friday.

There's also this: did I tell you guys I'm getting married? Whoa. I am. Kind of a big deal, especially for someone who's been badmouthing the concept since childhood. But my fiance has really changed my life and my world view on this one. And, even though this likely isn't going to happen for a full year and a half, we have to start planning now. So, if you're wondering, that's where my Friday went.

Moving on, there are few things I want to say about this song:

The first is that it's summer--the day after The 4th in fact--and that summer, for me, is all about ice cream, which becomes so much more justified when it's hot out. This song is also all about ice cream. Well, it may not be exactly about ice cream. But it is about getting something you want and deserve after putting your time in...which is also kind of like summer. I consider living through the months of Novemember through March to be the equivalent of putting one's time in, which is the role of eating one's veggies in this song. Is this making sense? I was at the beach all day yesterday and I think the sun fried up my brain cells.

The second is that this is what The Hives would have sounded like if they were actually good and not a creepily engineered garage punk group designed to make Swedish teenagers part with their parent's money.

My final point is that as a younger person, I really enjoyed punk rock. Many of my friends were in bands and I went to all ages shows at a local firehouse that hosted hardcore, ska, metal and (what were the beginnings of) emo. As you get older, it can be harder to justify listening to punk or even rock music with a lip-curly punk edge (which these guys definitely are). You're...making a sandwich, listening to punk music. You're...cleaning your bathroom, listening to punk music. There's just something that feels weird about it. But after thinking about this for a while, here's what I say to that: FUCK IT. You should listen to loud awesome music whenever you want, because life is short and punk rock is rad. So, you're not 17... So, you have a bank account... It's ok. TURN IT UP EVEN LOUDER. Shock your neighbors. Cool ice cream.



Cool Ice Cream.mp3

Ate all my veggies,
Ate all my soup--
Now can I have just one scoop
Of that cool ice cream?
I deserve my dessert.

Julian Cope//All The Blowing-Themselves-Up Motherfuckers (Will Realise The Minute They Die That They Were Suckers)

Never been a huge Julian Cope fan, not because I don’t like his music, but mostly just because I’m just downright unfamiliar. This song (and good words from friends/fellow musicians) is probably going to make me go out and invest in some of his stuff.

I saw The New Pornographers (whose new album is one of their best in years, by the way) cover this song a few weekends ago and honestly, I haven’t really been able to get it out of my head since. It’s definitely the catchiest pop song about suicide bombers ever. I’m actually astounded by the sheer amount of syllables he’s able to cram into that chorus.



All The Blowing-Themselves-Up Motherfuckers.mp3

All the blowing-themselves-up motherfuckers will realize the minute they die that they were suckers.

Sarah Vaughan//Lullaby Of Birdland

All that indie rock coverage of last week really put me in the mood for some solidly brilliant old timey shit. Enter: Sarah Vaughan.

Here's a controversial statement about Sarah Vaughan that I hold true: I think she's as good as Ella Fitzgerald (who she opened for at The Apollo in 1943, after winning one of their famed amateur nights). Some music fans would probably consider physically harming me for that one, but there it is. Don't get me wrong, she's completely different. But she's definitely as good.

Just listen to that tone. It's deep and rich and dark. While Ella has a smoothness to her voice which is completely unrivaled (and while she would definitely win in a scatting contest), Sarah's got this richness that's all kinds of magical (not to mention that she can also hold her on in scatting, which is evident in this track). Her nickname, "The Divine One," was well-earned.

Vaughan was also from Newark, which is kind of a soft spot for me. I often walk by the street named for her by NJPac on my way from the office to Penn Station. It makes me smile. In fact, as noted on Wikipedia (and verified on my commute):

In 2004-2006, New Jersey Transit paid tribute to Miss Vaughan in the design of its new Newark Light Rail stations. Passengers stopping at any station on this line can read the lyrics to one of her signature songs, "Send in the Clowns", along the edge of the station platform.

There's also the matter of the slew of jazz greats that she freqeuently had behind her, including Dizzie Gillespie, Art Blakey, Miles Davis and Charlie "Bird" Parker. Of course Birdland, the club named after Parker, is the subject of this song.



Lullaby of Birdland.mp3

Lullaby of birdland,
That's what I always hear,
When you sigh.

A Tribe Called Quest//Jam

Every so often, I’ll think to post a song by a group and be thoroughly baffled about which track to choose because so many qualify.

This is definitely the case with 90s hip hop phenoms A Tribe Called Quest. I can’t help but feel like there isn’t a single ATCQ song that would be a bad choice for this blog. Then, the problem becomes a common one for me: go with the obvious hit, which is often fantastic (and in this case would be “Can I Kick It,” complete with Velvets sample…or maybe “Bonita Applebaum”), something slightly more obscure (like, for example, “The Hop”) or the one that all the other artists/critics like (ie “Electric Relaxation”)?

In this case, I’m choosing to veer a little more toward the obscure, but mostly because I just can’t resist this guitar sample that serves as the hook in this song in combination with the plotline of the rhyme, which is a very well-crafted narrative.

Here’s what’s going down: it’s summer in the city and there’s a party. Oh, did I mention, you’re a teenager…and you just smoked weed for the first time? The party is awesome, but of course, the cops (ie “Jake”) show up. Shit. But it’s ok. You end up goofing off with your friends in a car at the end of the night.

Even though this song came out 15 years ago, it’s timeless. The season is right. Enjoy this at your next party, in your Jetta or while sipping a Heinken in your backyard/on your roof.



Jam.mp3

It was Friday afternoon in the middle of June,
Heineken bottle caps and the aroma of boom.
Around the time everybody had just got home from class,
Shootin dice, talkin shit, hopin the cash would last.
Yo, this was around the time when I didn't know no better.
Juney moved around in a tinted out Jetta.

Then he introduced me to that hydro smoke,
And I took one toke, yo, I almost choked.
See, I never smoked before and my nerves got shot.
Then he told me about the party at the spot jam rock.

Class Actress//Careful What You Say

Back to your regularly scheduled program: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Is it just me or have the 80s come and gone a few times in the last 10 years? Maybe it’s just the end of history, but it seems like they’ve been back, then gone, then back, then gone at least three or four times since I entered college. I can never exactly decide if I like it.

Also, I bet you’re really ready for me to stop blabbering on and on about Northside, especially if you don’t live in the general NYC area (SORRY!), but Class Actress, who I caught at the fest, is delightfully 80s in the way I do like—synthpoppy somewhere between some choice Magnetic Fields albums and actually wearing shoulder pads.

Brooke from Big Hassle says:

Class Actress is led by Elizabeth Harper, the second artist to sign to Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear and Ethan Silverman's Terrible Records. Harper is joined by producers Mark Richardson and Scott Rosenthal for their debut, Journal of Ardency, which also features guest production from Jorge Elbrecht of Violens/Lansing-Dreiden.

Also worth noting, this quote:

Brooklyn's very own Madonna-New York Press

Although it might be slightly overstated, I think you’ll find this track in keeping with that sentiment. Actually, you know what it really reminds me of? Y Kant Tori Read. That’s what. And that in itself is really kind of amazing. What reminds you of THAT?

Finally, to wander back to Northside for one last hot minute, I had such an awesome time at the fest—although in combination with Pride, I am completely worthless today. I saw a million bands, hung out with friends and, of course, had so much fun organizing and playing last night’s show, which was a total blast in general. Thanks to Karl, The L, (festival buddies) Dana and Alida, Scott, Patrice, Ribbons and the rest of Palmyra (with an extra shout out to Kenny who made it through our set with a fever) for making it such a memorable night/festival.

Now, Class Actress, who I saw at the CLASSY new Knitting Factory space:



Careful What You Say.mp3

You just keep repeating the same thing.

Les Savy Fav//Yawn, Yawn, Yawn

Northside Week! : It's almost over because it's just beginning!!!
Northside Week: What does that mean?

Northside kicks off tonight and thus, I will leave you to your weekend of frolicking in the streets of Williamsburg, eating Endless Summer tacos and swilling dollar-off beers while listening to Brooklyn's finest indie rock. Before I do that, let's just do a quick lowdown on Sunday.

Chances are you've been running around like crazy all weekend, so why don't you take this one easy:

+++
1:30 PM
ARMS @ Newtown Barge
DMoM: 5

ARMs knows how to write 'em. Live show's not shabby either. And it's a good excuse to attend an outdoor show.
OSS posts about ARMS.

+++
8:30 PM
Les Savvy Fav @ Newtown Barge
DMoM: 7

Raucous. That's all I'm gonna say.



Yawn, Yawn, Yawn.mp3

If we get lucky, we'll be dead by dawn.

+++


OSS Northside Showcase at Public Assembly
Finally, where would we be without shameless self promo:
Ribbons (last NYC show) 11PM
Palmyra 10 PM
The Long Eye 9 PM
Drunken Barn Dance (Scott Sellwood of Saturday Looks Good to Me) 8 PM
We will see you there!!!!!!!!!*)!

Parenthetical Girls//Puritanically Yours

It's Northside Week!
Northside Week: What does that mean?

Saturday's Northside events are filled with friends and indie rock. Oh, yes.

+++
2:00 PM
The Senors of Marseille @ Glasslands
DMoM: 3

TSoM serve up cute pop songs. Stick around for the interesting sounds of DC's True Womanhood at 6.


+++
4:00 PM
She Keeps Bees @ Matchless
DMoM: 7

She Keeps Bees kill it with their perfectly paired-down sound. They're also super sweet kids.
OSS posts about She Keeps Bees.


+++
8:00 PM
Grandchildren @ Berry Park
DMoM: 7

Once I played a show with Grandchildren in an overgrown Philadelphia backyard, with the sun streaming down and PBRs in cans flowing freely. I challenge you to recreate my near perfect experience here, although you'll probably have to pay for the PBRs. Sorry.
OSS posts about Grandchildren.


+++
11:00 PM
Parenthetical Girls @ Coco 66
DMoM: 6

I fell in love with these guys from their song on the Bro Zone comp (which I have lost--why!?). I hear their live show is...dramatic...which you can imagine from the mp3 below.


+++
11:30 PM
Memory Tapes @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
DMoM: 7

Chillwave darlings Memory Tapes will make you feel blissed the fuck out.


+++
1:30 AM
The Beets @ Knitting Factory
DMoM: 4

Everybody here in NYC loves The Beets and it's easy to see why. Solid garagey fun.



Puritanically Yours.mp3

More about Parenthetical Girls.



OSS has a Northside Showcase!

Real Estate//Beach Comber

Northside Week continues. This time we’re outlining how to spend your Friday night at the festival.
Northside Week: What does that mean?

+++
8:30 PM
Netherfriends @ Europa
DMoM: 4

Chicago psych pop at its finest.

+++
10:00 PM
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
DMoM: 10

This is my current favorite band and has been for the past 4-5 years. They are amazing live. I have nothing more to say.
OSS posts about The Fiery Furnaces.

+++
10:30 PM
Dinosaur Feathers @ Public Assembly
DMoM: 3

The sadly dead dying blog Pop Tarts Suck Toasted gives you another chance to see these guys.
OSS posts about Dinosaur Feathers.

+++
11:00 PM
MEN DJ Set @ The Knitting Factory
DMoM: 5

Le Tigre’s awesome butchy JD Samson gets on the decks for this DJ set. Expect Pride spill-over.

+++
11:15 PM
Woods @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

12:15 AM
Real Estate @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
DMoM: 7

Two Woodsist bands bring you classic lofi Woodsist sound. Woods (let's say Woods one more time) is denser, weirder lofi love. Real Estate is lighter, sweeter pop—a cross between Belle and Sebastian, The Beach Boys, Beulah and a touch of Bends-era Radiohead. Worth it, definitely worth it.


Beach Comber.mp3

What you want is just outside your reach.
Keep on searching.
…
You’re stealing from the lost and found.
What you find ain’t what you had in mind.



OSS has a Northside Showcase!

Dinosaur Feathers//History Lessons

As promised, babies, it’s Northside Week!

What does that mean? Here’s what: to count down to this weekend’s Northside Fest, we’ll be giving you a daily listing of the shows you CANNOT miss, telling you why you CANNOT miss them and, of course, throwing in a tantalizing track to accompany the selection. After all, a badge to the entire festival costs but $50. This is a serious deal for how many shows you are going to joyfully CRAM into the (long) weekend. Details on how to get badges: here.

Also, if you find yourself sprinting from one venue to the next, pressed for time, consult the Don’t Miss-o-Meter (here-to-for referred to as the DMoM). We’ll tell you on a scale of 1 (Good Distraction) to 10 (MUST SEE) how fast you should run to get in the door.

Let’s kick it off with Thursday, the first day of the fest and just three short days away:

+++
9:30 PM
Dinosaur Feathers @ Public Assembly
DMoM: 3

Hella smart, harmony-flecked truly unique pop with a beat--do not miss these local good guys.

+++
10:30 PM
Thao and Mirah w. The Most of All @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
DMoM: 8

Two of my favorite indie rock ladies have apparently joined forces to form a suburb super group.
OSS posts about Mirah.
OSS posts about Thao.

+++
11:00 PM
Wavves @ The Knitting Factory
DMoM: 6

Wavves, purveyor of perfectly crafted fuzzy surf punk, has a rep for being an unpredictable stage show. Who knows what you might catch. Bonus: if you haven’t been to the new Brooklyn Knitting Factory, now’s your chance.
OSS posts about Wavves.

+++
11:30 PM
?uestlove DJ Set @ Brooklyn Bowl
DMoM: 6

Legendary Roots drummer ?uestlove rocks a DJ set. No doubt we'll hear all kinds of delicious obscurities from his record collection.


+++
LATE ADDITION:
12:00 AM
Anni Rossi @ Matchless
DMoM: 6

Quiet Color has been hyping up their secret closer for a bit now. Pleasant surprise: it's friend Anni Rossi.



History Lessons.mp3

There must be something in the story of our history.


OSS has a Northside Showcase!

One Sweet Song//Northside Showcase

Local Music Showcase
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

I know what you're thinking: SLACKER!!! For once, it's not true! Au contraire, OSSers, I have been busting ass to organize something VERY COOL with Karl Sturk and today we are kicking if off with four, COUNT 'EM, FOUR sweet songs. Read on:

One Sweet Song and the ever-awesome Karl Sturk are curating a showcase for next week's Northside Music Festival. Guys, this is going to be a really, really good time. As FIPS says, you've gotten really good at this whole blog-reading thing--maybe it's time to try coming to a show. Shake hands, drink beer and hear awesome music. Oh, by the way, tomorrow's my birthday...this gives you the perfect opportunity to buy me a drink!

The Glorious Details:

One Sweet Song and Karl Sturk Showcase
Sunday 6/27
Public Assembly in Williamsburg
Doors 7:30, Music at 8
$7

Featuring the Amazing Sounds of:

11 PM :: Ribbons [Myspace]



Jenny Logan, Sam Roudman and Jeff Ciprioni tear it up with a sound that's fast and energetic while also retaining something dark and brooding. This is their last-ever NYC show, so catch them while you still can.

"...delightfully reminiscent of the golden age of that dark weird post-punk." - OSS

"...the stripped-down fever-shivers and uneasy fidget of classic post-punk--think Joy Division, Orange Juice, Durutti Column, etc. But these two Cali transplants can also play the shit out of their instruments." - The Village Voice

Mp3: Screens.mp3


10 PM :: Palmyra [Myspace] [Official]



The unlikely combination of a fuzzy acoustic guitar, a retro analog synth, a trumpet, a jazz drummer and a detroit-style garage rocker take on well-made rock and pop songs.

"100% shameless self-promotion" - OSS

"The City, On Repeat, is a gorgeous set of songs with a warm, homey feel. " - Tandem Shop

Quiet Color

Mp3: Suicidal Female Poets.mp3


9 PM :: The Long Eye [Myspace]



Karl Sturk and Patrice Scinta expertly combine finely crafted songs with a gritty, lofi garage sound.

"Karl’s songwriting talent, ear for arrangement and musical ability more than speak for themselves." - OSS

Mp3: Palisades.mp3 (Demo)



8 PM :: Drunken Barn Dance [Myspace]



Scott Sellwood's delightful sometimes solo, sometimes full band highlights his songwriting and always promises a rollicking good time.

"Scott Sellwood, in addition to being a truly sweet dude, is a master of melody." - One Sweet Song

"Drunken Barn Dance evolved from a solo folk project of Scott's into an epic multi-guitar attack band reminiscent of Television, Wilco and the Grateful Dead." - Metro Times

Mp3: A Winter's Tale.mp3

Also, look forward to Northside Week next week. I'll be counting down the days to the festival's start and giving you tips on which shows you HAVE to see.

Blitzen Trapper//Furr

Listen, don't judge a song by its title. When James and I rode to work together, we used to hear this one a lot on the indie rock satellite radio station. I was pretty much hooked the first time it played, although I haven’t thought about it in a while.

Reading that Blitzen Trapper has some shows coming up (tonight and tomorrow at Webster Hall) reminded me to relisten. I’ve actually heard some other Blitzen Trapper songs and was not wild about them, but they got this one so right…and lucky for you, they’ll almost certainly play it live.

The lyrics seem to revolve around a boy being raised by wolves or some other kind of wild dogs. The narrator embraces the primal nature of running with the wolfpack, but eventually is re-civilized and settles down with a girl on a farm. Maybe the whole thing is just some kind of elaborate metaphor for entering and passing through adolescence, but it’s plenty poetic along the way. Think: The Jungle Book + Creepy Magical Realism + Country Friend Indie Folk = Fur with Two Rs.



Furr.mp3

I was drawn into the pack and before long,
They allowed me to join in and sing their song.
So from the cliffs and highest hill, yeah,
We would gladly get our fill,
Howling endlessly and shrilly at the dawn,
And I lost the taste for judging right from wrong.