Bloc Party @ Webster Hall: The Answer Is Here

Dazzling. Sweaty. Radiant. Official TMS Rating: 9/10. Photos, full setlist & MP3 below.





(Setlist) Hunting For Witches. Positive Tension. Waiting For The 718. Price Of Gas. So Here We Are. The Prayer. Once A Future King. Mercury. This Modern Love. Clay. Banquet.

(Encore 1) Like Eating Glass. I Would Die 4 U. Flux. She's Hearing Voices. Helicopter.

(Encore 2) Pioneers.

MP3: Bloc Party - I Still Remember (Sebastian Mix)

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Supergrass @ Webster Hall: Like Falling Masonary

Back in our college years, Jen & I saw an overly vapid performance from Supergrass at DC's beloved 9:30 Club. That evening came as a huge shock as it was my first experience with the band in a live setting and I was expecting nothing short of brilliance. It was also particularly upsetting since I was mildly obsessed with their self titled LP (released in 1999) and spun its singles regularly on my radio show. Thankfully, last night's set was a vast improvement from that disappointing soiree. Juggling tracks from their new release, Diamond Hoo Ha, with a series of older selections, Supergrass had the sold out crowd eating out of their respective palms. Particular highlights include 'Mary', 'Moving' & 'Diamond Hoo Ha Man', 'Lenny' & 'Caught By The Fuzz'. Photos & MP3 below.





MP3: Supergrass - Prophet 15

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The Duke Spirit @ Webster Hall: Dark Is Light Enough

Riding a tidal wave of SXSW buzz, earning a mountain of critical acclaim for their new album (Neptune) and donning a Christian Siriano approved ensemble, I had high hopes for Liela Moss and the gang that comprise London's The Duke Spirit. Sadly, last night's set seemed a little forced, a tad bit flat and quite uninspiring (much to my heart's chagrin). Perhaps I caught the band on an off night or perhaps TDS's magic is truly lost on me. Regardless, visit The Duke Spirit on MySpace and judge for yourself. Setlist & MP3 below.

(Setlist) Send A Little Love Token. Lassoo. Dog Roses. My Sunken Treasure. The Step. Into The Fold. Wooden Heart. This Ship. Red Weather. Love Is An Unfamiliar Name.

MP3: The Duke Spirit - My Sunken Treasure

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She & Him Cover Cher

Their fab take on 'Oh No Not My Baby' (from NYC's Webster Hall) has finally surfaced!


MP3: She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

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She & Him @ Webster Hall: Sweet Darlings

Ever since I got my hands on M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel's alluring debut collaborative effort, Volume 1, I've been itching to catch the duo's live show. I failed miserably during SXSW (in spite of a half dozen attempts), but last night I was fortunate enough to witness their first-ever NYC gig. Battling some sort of apparent illness, Zooey D. was null on stage banter and instead opted for a series of handwritten signs thanking, greeting and charming the 1400-strong crowd. For the most part, M. Ward kept to himself as well while the pair tore though the vast majority of their LP alongside a handful of American classics. The 55-minute set ended with a beautiful encore which included M. Ward's Post-War staple, 'Magic Trick'. Photos & MP3 below. Watch She & Him's performance on Conan here.







MP3: She & Him - I Was Made For You [alt link]

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The Gossip & Shy Child @ Webster: Heaven Is A Place On Earth

It's a difficult task to select a favorite moment from last night's spectacular Gossip gig.

The evening was a 75 minute musical cyclone that included (but was not limited to) an array of impromptu covers (Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy', Black Eyed Peas' 'My Humps', the Friends theme song & Chaka Khan's 'Through The Fire'), a handful of legitimate covers (Dolly Parton's '9 To 5', Wham's 'Careless Whisper' & Aaliyah's 'Are U That Someobdy?'), a full-on stage invasion and a finale which had every attendee smiling ear to ear with glee.

For those final few minutes of the show, Beth Ditto brought her crimped hair, yellow heels and magnetic voice onto the floor section of Webster Hall for an a cappella number (which included a brief dance off with yours truly). Frosting on the cake came in the form of a sly Pitchfork swipe plus a succinct diatribe about the state of the world. God bless The Gossip!

Visit The Gossip at their official MySpace page. One final photograph & MP3 below.

MP3: The Gossip - Careless Whisper [alt link]

Opening duties came from New York based keytar & drums duo, Shy Child. Some may be eager to lump Shy Child into the nu-wave pool. Others wish to categorize the band as a post punkers. Additionally, I've seen Shy Child's name paired with 'indie dance' countless times. The truth is that their sound encompasses all of those genres and transcends each one. The hybrid force that the twosome emanates is both ardent & delectable.

Learn all about their sophomore LP, Noise Won't Stop, here. Visit Shy Child on MySpace.

MP3: Shy Child - Summer

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The Sounds & Morningwood: Surprise NYC Show!

Here's all the info for 'XmasKwanzikah':

Thursday, Dec 20th
8pm
Webster Hall
18+
$20

Purchase a pair of tickets here!

MP3: The Sounds - Rock 'N Roll

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!!! @ Webster Hall: Sha Sha Sha Doobie

Last night marked my third time witnessing the genius that is !!!. My previous rendezvous with the band took place at Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, respectively (review of the latter gig can be read here). Thankfully, in spite of their latest show being hosted at the much-dreaded Webster Hall, the band put on a brilliant & energetic hour-long encore-less set. !!! chose to highlight the majority of their best-of-'07 release, Myth Takes, while closing the show with a blustering version of 'Intensify', from their debut LP. Learn more about !!! here at their MySpace page. Enjoy some photos from the show + a !!! MP3 below.







MP3: !!! - Myth Takes

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Patrick Wolf & Bishi @ Webster Hall: Silver & Gold

Donning a Rapunzel-esque blonde wig and a blue burka-like top, Patrick Wolf serenaded Webster Hall with unrivaled passion and beauty over the entirety of his eighty-minute set. Whereas the last few times I've seen P. Wolf he's focused on his current masterpiece, The Magic Position, last night's show highlighted his earlier work, in particular, his breathtaking sophomore LP, Wind In The Wires.

For the majority of the gig, Patrick seemed to be in an introspective and/or melancholic state of mind. Sharing detailed stories behind each song's origin, the troubadour bounced back and forth between his keyboard, ukelele and violin. The night felt like a invite-only reading into Patrick's personal journals during the last ten years. Having fallen in love with Wind In The Wires prior to TMP (I had to backtrack to capture the genius of his debut, Lycanthropy), I was immensely happy to hear 'Wind In The Wires', 'The Gypsy King' and my personal favorite, 'This Weather' - which sounded unmistakably flawless. Check out Patrick's full setlist plus some more photos from the evening, below.





Check out my interview with Patrick Wolf, dating back to late May, here.

Setlist: Wind In The Wires. Teignmouth. Overture. Jacob's Ladder. Accident & Emergency. Paris. Peter Pan. Bluebells. The Gypsy King. The Libertine. The Stars. Magpie (w/ Bishi). London. This Weather. Tristan. The Magic Position... A Boy Like Me [aborted]. Lycanthropy.

Opening the show was Patrick's good friend and future collaborator, Bishi. Bishi's sound reminds me of a musical experiment involving Bollywood, '70s disco and modern-day dance pop (a la Kylie Minogue). In other words, absolutely brilliant! Surely one of the best openers I've seen in quite some time. Judging from the roars and cheers after her set, it's fair to say that the bulk of the crowd ate it up as well. Learn more about Bishi and sample four of her tunes here at her MySpace page.

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Animal Collective @ Webster Hall: Fireworks.

With looming reports of a lackluster gig on Sunday evening (the first of the band's 2-night residency at Webster Hall), I wasn't sure if I should lower my expectations for last night's show. Thankfully, my trepidations were quickly demolished roughly ten minutes into Animal Collective's hypnotic tour-ending gig. If I declared their summer Seaport gig as 'magical' (review here), then this show was positively transcendental.

While the trio scattered their set between their last few albums, there's no denying that tunes from their latest LP, Strawberry Jam, were met with the greatest approval. Geologist, Panda Bear & Avey Tare unveiled the album's strident opener, 'Peacebone', early into the set, and it remained one of the evening's highlights throughout the 100+ minute show. Other standouts include 'Fireworks', 'Chores' and Sung Tongs favorite, 'We Tigers'. View more photos and an AC MP3 below. Check out The Village Voice's take on the gig here. Learn more about Animal Collective via this link.







MP3: Animal Collective - We Tigers

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Webster Hall: The Sound Of Silver

Decked out in her (now pseudo-standard) S&M meets Cher-'Turn Back Time'-era get-up, Karen O and the boys stormed into Webster Hall for a rousing and raucous 80-minute show. The band split the set between new ditties from the Is Is EP, and a parade of tunes from all other releases to date. Everything sounded absolutely superb all evening long.

Karen O's stage antics of the evening included but were not limited to: a spitfire of fresh roses, use of a mechanic's light fixture to dangle and ultimately sing into (see below), and of course - some full mouth-on-mic shouting during 'Art Star'; not to mention her silver tinsel to top off the outfit. Fantastic, as always. Enjoy an acoustic YYY MP3 at bottom.

Setlist: Sealings/(New Song)/Honeybear/Rockers To Swallow/Phenomena/Cheated Hearts/Gold Lion/Pin/Kiss Kiss/Down Boy/Art Star/Maps/Turn Into/Date With The Night//Y Control/Black Tongue/Our Time/Tick

MP3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts (acoustic)

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The Maroon Effect @ Webster Hall

Cheers to Webster for hosting this event. No word yet on bands playing, but this should be a great night to go out and support.

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Ratatat @ Webster Hall: Wildcats!

Ratatat stormed into Webster Hall last night with a handful of guitars, a multitude of basses, a kickass projection screen and enough dry ice to fill Giants Stadium eight times over. The gig marked the band's largest NYC show to date and it was incredible.

The duo's combined use of electric guitar, pre-recorded beats, heavy bass, and a pounding keyboard/synthesizer will get even the most taciturn of concert attendees to shake their respective tailfeathers. And that's exactly what happened - even the 'official photographers' of the evening were smiling ear to ear by the time the band busted out their signature track, '17 Years'.

The hour-long set featured tunes from the band's spectacular eponymous debut as well as last year's sophomore effort, Classics. Although select tracks from the latter album (the less abrasive ones) fail to fully take off on record, they work wonders in a live setting. Not a single song sounded off last night. I can't believe I've let so many years slip since I last saw Ratatat (all the way back in early '04 opening for The Stills @ Bowery Ballroom) - I surely won't let that happen again.

The instrumental pair will be joining CSS for a trio of dates next week before embarking on their own headlining tour throughout Europe and Japan. Check out all those dates here on the band's MySpace page.

MP3: Ratatat - 17 Years (via Better Propaganda)

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Sondre Lerche & Willy Mason @ Webster Hall: Casting Your Spell, So Arresting

Last night marked the eighth time I've seen Sondre Lerche since his debut, Faces Down, got its US release, roughly five years ago. The gig at Webster Hall was considerably shorter than last year's Bowery Ballroom show (which went on for two and a half hours), but just as fantastic. It's always exciting to see Sondre and last night was no exception.

The 19-song set focused mostly on his latest release, Phantom Punch, but included various old favorites as well, including 'Modern Nature', which featured the usual singalong it garners from the majority of last evening's attendees.

Sondre was slightly less verbose than previous gigs, but I gather that was due to the tight curfew of 10:15. He did manage to throw in a few impromptu dance moves during some guitar solos/tech difficulties and even convince the rest of his band, The Faces Down, to do the same. Adorable.

The Webster Hall gig was Sondre's homecoming as well as the final date of the tour - good spirits were flying high in the air. With four full albums under his belt, Sondre has truly carved out an impressive range of songs; jazz-centric to acoustic to electric-driven tunes - and they all sounded superb last night alongside one another.



To hear samples from each of his albums and to learn more about the Norwegian wonderboy, check out his official site ASAP.

Setlist: Airport Taxi Reception/The Tape/The Curse Of Being In Love/All Luck Ran Out/Well Well Well/Minor Detail/Dead Passengers/Tragic Mirror/Modern Nature/Everyone's Rooting For You/Face The Blood/Hello Headphones/Track You Down/She's Fantastic/Phantom Punch/Say It All//Sleep On Needles/Two Way Monologue///John Let Me Go

MP3: Sondre Lerche - The Curse Of Being In Love

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While I unfortunately missed the first opener, Thomas Dybdahl, I did manage to catch the second opener, the much-buzzed singer-songwriter Willy Mason. With opening slots for the likes of Death Cab For Cutie, Ben Kweller and Radiohead as well as a record deal with Conor Oberst-owned, Team Love, I was very curious to check out Willy and his band.

While Willy isn't exactly the most engaging live performer, there's something rich about his music and vocal stylings that brings to mind a young M. Ward, or even Willie Nelson. Quite impressive, indeed. 22-year old Willy just released his second full-length, If The Ocean Gets Rough. You can hear the album in ints entirety and judge it for yourself over at his MySpace page.

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