Noah & The Whale @ Mercury Lounge: Truly Truly Truly

I went into last night's gig with enormous expectations and a great deal of anticipation. Much to my chagrin, I would have to classify Noah & The Whale's show as a colossal disappointment. While the band's unreleased tracks (from their punk project, The A Sides) sounded intriguing, the bulk of the songs performed off of Peaceful The World Lays Me Down lacked any real flair or magic. In fact, had it not been for their brilliant single, '5 Years Time', monotony would have entirely ruled the evening. However, judging from the roars of the sold out crowd, I realize that my opinion easily places me into the minority. Check out Noah & The Whale at one of the remaining dates on their North American trek and form your own conclusions. Visit the band on MySpace. MP3 at bottom of post.



MP3: Noah & The Whale - 2 Bodies 1 Heart

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Friendly Fires @ Mercury Lounge: Something Must Break

Friendly Fires are young. Friendly Fires are British. Friendly Fires have spent the better part of the last few years perfecting their unique & jangly dance pop via repeated listens to !!!, New Order & LCD Soundsystem. Last night's show served as a teaser of what's to come (the band's self titled debut LP is out internationally on September 1st) and it was magnificent. Electrifying frontman Ed Macfarlane hops around the stage like a bizarrely magical hybrid of Ian Curtis (Joy Division), Luke Jenner (The Rapture) & Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode). Meanwhile, each & every FF track is concise, charming & absolutely addictive. To say that we're eagerly awaiting their NYC return would be a massive understatement. Visit Friendly Fires on MySpace. Photos, setlist & MP3 below.

(Setlist) Hospital. Your Love. White Diamonds. Jump. On Board. Strobe. Paris. Ex-Lover.

MP3: Friendly Fires - Jump In The Pool

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Chairlift @ Mercury Lounge: Black & Blue For You

Following a stunning set at ATJ Fest 2008 (video here), I had no choice but to check out the Brooklyn based trio for my second time in under a month. Highlighting eight tracks from their highly anticipated debut record, Does You Inspire You, Chairlift melded surrealism, melody & splendor into one giant indie pop rubber band ball at last night's gig. Frontwoman Caroline Polachek's divine vocal range lies somewhere between Chan Marshall (Cat Power) & Kate Bush all the while injecting a certain vigor that those aforementioned artists typically reserve. Chairlift's bittersweet & arresting instrumentation (courtesy of Aaron Pfenning & Patrick Wimberly) adds further layers of exquisiteness. Catch Chairlift this summer on their North American trek with Ariel Pink. Visit Chairlift on MySpace.

(Setlist) Garbage. Home. Deer. Evident. Earwig. Bruises. Make. Planet.

MP3: Chairlift - Evident Utensil

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Birdmonster @ Mercury Lounge: Fake Tales Of San Francisco

Considering my undying adoration for their 2006 debut LP (No Midnight), I was elated upon hearing the news that Birdmonster was set to premiere selections from their highly anticipated sophomore effort, From The Mountain To The Sea (due out in August), at NYC's Mercury Lounge. The 11 song set focused heavily on LP2 but wasn't totally void of early Birdmonster staples. The Cali based band soared through 'Spaceman' & 'Balcony' with as much finesse & exhilaration as ever. The newer tracks certainly broaden Birdmonster's range. Whereas nearly every tune on No Midnight was magically abrasive, Mountain's hymns tend to skew somewhere between ballad and fist pumper. A truly tremendous & rarely tackled median. Catch a video from last night's performance over at Q's Gigoblog.

Visit Birdmonster at their official MySpace page. Enjoy the full setlist & an MP3 below.

Setlist: Our Ashes. Lost At Sea. Greenland Sound. Balcony. New Country. Born To Be Your Man. I Might Have Guessed. Spaceman. The Only One. My Love For You. Residue.

MP3: Birdmonster - Spaceman

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Birdmonster Announces Free NYC Gig

All the info you need:

Wednesday, May 28th
Mercury Lounge
Invite-Only

To secure tix, head here.

Visit Birdmonster on MySpace.

MP3: Birdmonster - The Bar In The Back...

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Joan As Police Woman @ Mercury: Feeding The Light

Roughly 250 people were presented with a sneak peek of Joan Wasser's sophomore LP, To Survive, last night at NYC's Mercury Lounge. Interspersed with two tracks from her debut record ('The Ride' & 'Eternal Flame'), Joan and her bandmates tackled the vast majority of the forthcoming release with sheer elegance. Whereas Real Life was reminiscent of a bashful diary entry, To Survive is more akin to an intimate yet seductive love letter. Judging from her glorious fifty minute performance, there seems to be a strong sense of romanticism and tenderness throughout the album. A perfect companion for a passionate summer soiree! It hits shelves on 6/10 via Cheap Lullaby. Further info can be found here.

Visit JAPW at her official MySpace page. Download an MP3 of 'To Be Loved' at bottom.

MP3: Joan As Police Woman - To Be Loved [alt link]

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The Virgins Cover INXS In NYC

Watch last week's performance of 'Devil Inside' (shot by Abbey B for Sup Mag) below.


MP3: The Virgins - One Week Of Danger [alt link]

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The Dodos @ Mercury Lounge: Thunder On Their Backs

What a difference ten weeks can make. Late January marked my first encounter with the Cali based buzz act. On that evening, the duo soared and I became an instant admirer (full review here). Fast forward to last night - riding a tidal wave of well deserved acclaim, The Dodos managed to easily sell out Mercury Lounge and magically outshine the phenomenal aforementioned winter gig. With added help from a part time xylophonist, guitarist Meric Long & drummer Logan Kroeber performed a passionate, intense and blustery 60-minute set highlighting the vast majority of their new LP, Visiter. Favorites of the evening: an extended saxophone friendly take on 'Fools', a tender rendition of 'Ashley' & the spry opener, 'Red & Purple'. Visit The Dodos at their MySpace page. Photos & MP3 follow.









MP3: The Dodos - Ashley [alt link]

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The Teenagers @ Mercury Lounge: Welcome To Gotham City

The Teenagers' NYC Debut In 11 Words/Phrases: Sex. Paris. Moustaches. 'Special' Dance Moves. Accents. Coyness. Smiles. Naughtiness. Flailing Arms. White T-Shirts. Brilliance!

Check out 'Fuck Nicole' (as recorded by Abbey B) below. Photos, setlist & MP3 follow.



Sample some tunes from their forthcoming LP, Reality Check, at the band's MySpace page.





Setlist: Starlett Johansson. Feeling Better. III. Make It Happen. Trouble. Sunset Beach. Love No. Fuck Nicole. Homecoming. Streets Of Paris.

MP3: The Teenagers - Streets Of Paris [alt link]

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The Dodos @ Mercury Lounge: 2 Is A Magic Number

It was a little over a month ago that I discovered the brilliance that is San Francisco-based duo, The Dodos. Armed with just a 4-piece drum set, a sampling pedal, tambourine and alternating acoustic/electric guitars, The Dodos performed a truly awe-inspiring set, showcasing numerous tracks from their forthcoming record, Visiter. Their songs are primal, raw and ferocious. In similar fashion to Animal Collective's landmark LP, Sung Tongs, The Dodos provide their listener with a roller coaster of sound, melody and emotion. The band's intensity in a live setting brings to mind O'Death, The Secret Machines & Low. Fantastic! To witness the magic face to face, catch The Dodos at one of these upcoming gigs.

Enjoy a clip of 'Joe's Waltz' (courtesy of Abbey B) below. More photos & MP3 follow.





Are you intrigued? Learn more about The Dodos at their official MySpace page.

Setlist: The Ball. Fools. Joe's Waltz. Winter. God. Men. Trades & Tariffs. Time. Paint. Jodi.

MP3: The Dodos - Fools

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O'death Residency At Mercury Lounge Starts Tonight

O'death is one of our all time favourite bands around here and for the holidays they are giving us the present of two nights in a row at New York's Mercury Lounge. It kicks off tonight with the stellar, Salt & Samovar, opening. Also on the bill is the relentlessly kick-ass, Goddamn Rattlesnake. Hoots And Hellmouth are playing as well and though we've never seen or heard of them, we're expecting good things from the Philadelphia-based band.

Tomorrow night's show is looking great too with our new CMJ discovery, Meowskers, opening. Tickets are $10 advance, $12 at the door and O'death is slotted for 11:30pm (expect midnight).

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Calvin Harris @ Mercury Lounge: Gimme Gimme More

Let me begin this review by sharing Calvin's take on the show, as explained in a MySpace bulletin posted at 4am this morning: *Just did our New York gig, it was CRAZY. That means 'good' in American, i am learning the language. Thanks to anyone who came and is reading this. I am very grateful.* We're grateful too, Calvin. Very grateful, indeed.

Amazing. For forty-five minutes, the buzz-worthy Scot floored a sold-out crowd at New York's Mercury Lounge. With ample sing-alongs, a series of infectious beats and a general aura of glee, Calvin's premiere US show was everything I was hoping for it to be plus more. Running through a little more than half of his debut record, I Created Disco (review here), he left attendees craving much much more. Luckily, Calvin will be returning to the States for a proper tour later this fall. We'll be sure to share info as it is released. For now, learn more about Calvin here at his official site. Download a Calvin MP3 at bottom.

Setlist: Disco Heat/Colours/Merrymaking At My Place/Acceptable In The 80s/Neon Rocks/This Is The Industry/The Girls/Vegas

MP3: Calvin Harris - Colours

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Benni Hemm Hemm @ Mercury Lounge: Greetings

'That song was about snow and light, this next one is about hills'. Not your typical between-song stage banter, in the slightest. Last night marked (Iceland's own) Benni Hemm Hemm's first show this side of The Atlantic. And they were irrefutably glorious.

I've read that Benni Hemm Hemm's concerts can run the gamut between eleven and seventeen total members. At last night's gig, there were ten men on stage - 5 with varying brass instruments, one electric guitarist, one bassist, one drummer, one frontman with an acoustic guitar and one xylophonist with a few tricks up his sleeve (a la the triangle, a flute, an ultra-mini set of keys and a tambourine).

The band's 45-minute, 9-song set sounded like a crowded house party with all members of the following acts in attendance: Beirut, Sigur Ros, The New York Philharmonic, Sufjan Stevens, Stephin Merritt & Spiritualized. As you can imagine, the music was consummate, loud, triumphant and radiant all the same. I wanted the troupe to play into the wee hours.



Learn more about Benni Hemm Hemm (including a full list of each band member & English lyric translations!) here on the band's official site. Check out a stellar BHH MP3 below.

MP3: Benni Hemm Hemm - Skvavars

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BrakesBrakesBrakes & Pela & Electric Soft Parade @ Mercury Lounge: Three Is A Magic Number

It's not very often (in fact, it's almost never) that I attend a gig with intentions of seeing every band on the bill. Last night was the anomaly. With a strong desire to finally encounter BrakesBrakesBrakes in the flesh, a perpetual love for Brooklyn-based Pela, and an intense curiosity to check out one of Thom Yorke's favorite modern bands, Electric Soft Parade, I had no choice but to stay for the entirety of the evening.

Brighton natives, Electric Soft Parade, opened the show with their unique and adoring blend of mid-'90s Britpop and straight-up indie, alongside hints of atmospheric post-rock. For a reference point, attempt to imagine Super Furry Animals, The Strokes, Badly Drawn Boy, Doves and Damon Albarn all trapped in the same room working on a charity single. Good pick, Thom. Learn more about ESP here on the band's MySpace page.

MP3: Electric Soft Parade - If That's The Case, Then I Don't Know

Second on the bill was Pela. The last time I saw the quartet was at their record release show, also at Mercury Lounge, for, Anytown Graffiti, roughly a month and a half ago (review here). The energy that the band brought to Houston Street that evening in April was met, if not surpassed, with last night's remarkable hour-long set. Highlighting the majority of their debut, the sold-out crowd was insatiable, shouting and pleading for the band to keep playing well past their slotted set time (much to the chagrin of BrakesBrakesBrakes' tour manager). The group will be traveling endlessly for the second half of the year. Keep up to date on all things Pela here on their official site.

MP3: Pela - Lonesome Hearts (Cassettes Won't Listen remix)

Closing out the evening was the folk-punk sounds of BrakesBrakesBrakes. It's worth noting that two members of ESP are also in BrakesBrakesBrakes; much kudos to the White brothers for working double duty all tour long! Quite impressive (and presumably exhausting). BrakesBrakesBrakes is a particularly difficult act to describe. For every tongue-in-cheek sixty second (or under) track, the band has an equally exciting selection of full-length tunes ranging in topic from spring chickens to American politics to name-dropping hipsters. Last night's set was the perfect combination of the band's debut LP, Give Blood, and their sophomore release, The Beatific Visions. For some reason, I am eager to describe BrakesBrakesBrakes as a sort of unmasked version of (my beloved) Clinic, if the Liverpool rockers removed their surgical outfits, threw on a pair of jeans and picked up an acoustic guitar. Both bands achieve the rare feat of perfected randomness. Learn more about BBB here on their label (World's Fair)'s site. Setlist & MP3 below.

Setlist: Hi How Are You?/Hold Me In The River/Margarita/Ring A Ding Ding/On Your Side/Spring Chicken/Pick Up The Phone/I Can't Stand/Cheney (x2)/All Night Disco/Shut Us Down/What's In It For Me?/Beatific Visions/Cease + Desist/Porcupine Or Pineapple/NY Pie/No Return/Jackson/Huevos Rancheros (x2)

MP3: BrakesBrakesBrakes - Ring A Ding Ding

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Chris Garneau @ Mercury Lounge: Careless Whispers

For the past few weeks, Chris Garneau's debut LP, Music For Tourists, has seen some heavy rotation on my iPod (evident by my initial post on the album here). The record is whimsical, sensual, morose, and sanguine all the same, throughout its fourteen tracks. While at first I was eager to compare Chris to 'a male Regina Spektor', after witnessing his live show last night at Mercury Lounge, I'm much more keen to describe his sound as a rare hybrid of Cat Power's The Greatest, Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens' Seven Swans, Jason Lytle (a la Grandaddy fame), The Johnsons (minus Antony), Jeff Buckley, with a tinge of my personal favorite guilty pleasure: piano-heavy Britpop.

During the course of Chris's (all too brief) 35-minute set, his undulating falsetto was showcased beautifully, as was his accompanying band highlighted by two graceful cellists and his multi-instrumentalist drummer. When Chris wasn't belting, his vocal was reduced to a near-whisper for nearly half the other songs in the set. Here's hoping his next visit to NYC includes a stop at the super-intimate Rockwood Music Hall, where his gentle voice could shine even brighter.

Chris will be touring all over the States through mid-June. Check out those dates here on his official site.

MP3: Chris Garneau - Blue Suede Shoes

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Pela @ Mercury Lounge: Hometown Waltzes

I guess Pela won't be New York's dirty little secret for much longer. With last night's record release show for the band's debut full-length, Anytown Graffiti (our review of that album here), the foursome proved that they are not only one of this city's brightest shining stars but also that they are truly ready for the big time.

The hour-long set showcased nearly all of the new LP, alongside a few old favorites for the Pela loyals in attendance. Pela's sound, stage presence and overall musicianship has graduated from the junior to senior level, as displayed with last night's near-perfect show at Mercury Lounge.

Music Slut readers from outside the tri-state area - THIS is the band to keep an eye out for. Check out one of our favorite tunes from Anytown Graffiti at the bottom of this post.

The band will embark on their first national tour with BrakesBrakesBrakes and Electric Soft Parade in just a few short weeks. Those dates can be found here.

Setlist: Waiting On The Stairs/Tenement Teeth/Drop Me Off/Trouble With River Cities/Song Writes Itself/Philly/Cavalry/Cut/Clyde/Your Desert's Not A Desert At All//Lost To The Lonesome/Buffalo

MP3: Pela - Trouble With River Cities

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The Noisettes @ Mercury Lounge: Breaking Free

"Shingai howls and soothes, gives you goose bumps and shoots soul into your main arteries." This is the desciption of Noisettes frontwoman, Shingai Shoniwa, that the band gives in their online bio. Those fifteen words couldn't be any more on target.

For forty-five minutes, The Noisettes injected fire into the packed house at Mercury Lounge yesterday evening. Highlighting most of their debut LP, What's The Time Mr. Wolf? (check out The Music Slut review of that album here), The Noisettes achieved a rare feat - amping up a stereotypically indifferent crowd into a total frenzy.

The energy last night reminded me of those very early Yeah Yeah Yeahs shows right around the time that their first EP was making the rounds.

It's hard to believe that all the raw power and intensity that emanates from The Noisettes core sound is attained with just 3 members. The trio's simple combination of guitar bass & drums somehow allows The Noisettes to outshine nearly all other buzzed-to-exhaustion post-punk bands this side of their fifteen minutes.

The band will embark on a summer tour around North America with Bloc Party. Check out all those dates and learn more about The Noisettes over at the band's MySpace page.



MP3: The Noisettes - Don't Give Up

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