Treasure Island Festival (San Fran): Flawless Fun In The Sun

On Wednesday, we held a contest for a pair of tickets to catch Treasure Island Festival 2008. Matt Loving was our lucky winner. Here's his brief recap of last weekend's event: *We had a great time, they did such a better job with the set up than Outside Lands. Only two stages & there was no overlap. You could see every band you wanted. No trying to push through thousands of people a 1/2 an hour before the act you wanted to see started.

The bussing system was flawless too, only took about 15 minutes each way. While Okkervil River's set was only about 25-30 minutes long, they were one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I think Vampire Weekend's set has prevented me from ever listening to them again. They sounded fine, but after seeing The Raconteurs on the same stage about an hour later, it was painfully apparent that they are far too poppy and light for their own good. I feel like I lost a piece of my manhood with every song they played. Jack White, on the other hand, is as big a rock star as we've got on the planet today.*

MP3: Okkervil River - It Ends With A Fall

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Rock The Bells Festival @ Jones Beach (8/3)

This weekend we sent intrepid reporter Jed Garfunkel out to the wilds of Long Island to review the Rock The Bells Festival for us. Here's what he had to say:

Busta Rhymes joined A Tribe Called Quest and Jay-Z joined Nas at the Rock The Bells Festival at Jones Beach last night. The show was more like a big family reunion than your typical hip hop show. Other special guests included Pharoah Monch, Talib Kweli, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, Keith Murray and EPMD. At the end of the night I heard people over and over again exclaiming in disbelief that "everyone was here".

In fact, the festival brought something for everyone: a fan of Jazzy Hip Hop, New York Hip Hop, 90's Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop or just Hip Hop Culture. Sure there was the fair share of "yo, check out my next album dropping on the tip of the year" and "I am the greatest rapper ever, respect me". But something about the abundance of special guests, or the air thick with heavenly smoke lent itself to an over riding theme of "One Love".

Highlights from the day included Spank Rock with Amanda Blank, and obviously De La Soul, Mos Def, Pharcyde, Method Man and Redman, Ghostface and Raekwon. De La Soul played way early to a mostly empty venue, but they did bring out Black Sheep and Biz Markie and sampled "Just A Friend" at the end of their set.

Mos Def was joined by Talib Kweli for the second half of his set. This was one of the few sets not ruined by sound problems. Jones Beach was just not built to balance heavy bass. Even Nas sounded terrible, he had a full band backing him up and most of the set it was all drowned out. Method Man & Redman finally brought the crowd into a frenzy. The energy level jumped and after that point never really fell off. Slick Rick came out for the end of "Ladi Dadi". Keith Murray and EPMD also joined them, but it was all about Method Man, Redman the heavy clouds of blunt smoke and chants for the forthcoming "How High 2", which should be in theaters (or straight to DVD?) next summer.

After a half hour soundcheck which ended with the crowd booing to get started, Nas opened with "Hip Hop Is Dead" and proceeded through a greatest hits set spiced up with songs from his current number one album. Unfortunately at times it seemed he couldn't be bothered to remember all the lyrics and he even left epic lyrics from "If I Ruled The World" to be filled in by the audience. Late in the set Nas introduced Jay-Z by saying, "it's a tough world for a black man, hell, it's tough for any human being - bitch gotta catch a breath". To which Jay-Z burst onto the stage to do a duet of "Black Republicans". All in all I was very disappointed in Nas. His live band took away from the set and his trouble with lyrics kinda irritated me and took away from how awesome he spent half the set claiming to be.

Not to be outshined, A Tribe Called Quest brought all the hits and Busta Rhymes to show how it's done. The crowd went nuts for "Bonita Applebaum", "Check The Rhyme", "Electric Relaxation", "Oh My God", and on and on. It was their first NYC show in 11 years, since breaking up in 1998... and according to the rumors, Q-Tip has said it will be their last. Looking forward, Tribe's set also featured Q-Tip and his solo catalogue with a lot of lyrical assistance from Mos Def. But it was when Phife and Ali Shaheed Muhammad hit their mic's that the whole day really came together. I felt like the entire venue was experiencing true hip hop from its roots to its most modern expression. It seemed like everyone there, white, black, Philippino, Hispanic, entertainer and audience member was singing and dancing and experiencing that one love theme. By the time Busta Rhymes came out for "Scenario" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See", I was completely losing my shit. That's what a show should be. Well done, Tribe. Enjoy some photos from the event below.

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Les Ardentes Festival (Belgium): Epic Stretches

The following review is courtesy of our delightful & wondrous guest blogger, Megan B. Photo by Kmeron. Parc Astrid near Liege, Belgium, is probably lovely and green at times (as all the web sites claim), but by the time I arrived for Day 3 of Les Ardentes, it was reduced to epic stretches of mud. Ankle deep in the stuff, I feared the Stella Artois/mud combo would eventually cause me and my jeans some major problems. Safely ensconced in my wellies, however, I managed to stay upright, and even got to race around the three different stages for 7 hours. Nothing, certainly not mud, could bring my 25000 fellow festival goers down! To me, Belgium's own Das Pop were over the top, ridiculous and cartoonish performers, but they infused everybody else by the main stage with a manic compulsion to dance and sing. The man has clearly never seen a speaker that he didn't want to jump on, and I did get a smile or two out of their set. Escaping one early afternoon cloudburst, I fell in love with the Belgian trio of electro rock ladies Legoparty; their swagger and joyful energy felt far more natural and inviting to me. Devotchka's early performance marked the third time I've swayed and stamped my foot to their gypsy cabaret indie rock, and although they played with their usual competency and passion, I longed for a different environment to indulge in their melodrama. A smoky bar would have suited them better, and the smoky bar in Baltimore, Maryland where they played to a tiny crowd a few years ago is still one of my favorite show experiences of all time.

I was on a quest and I got there around 5pm: Jason Pierce has plugged in again, and Spiritualized came on in a loud way: the opener 'You Lie You Cheat' is like a wave crashing, 'Shine A Light' is like angels soaring, and 'Sweet Talk' is like your mother swaddling you in comforting blankets. John Coxon isn't playing on this tour, but Doggen and Jason's guitars blazed around each other perfectly, and the rhythm section is at its peak, most notably during 'Sweet Talk'. Two gospel singers added sweet texture, especially to 'Sitting On Fire' and 'Come Together', and the closer, Spacemen 3's 'Take Me To The Other Side', was Immense. Capital I. 50 minutes was not long enough to comprehend what was hitting me, and when it was over, I walked dazedly through the mud. Until I realized I was late for the Kills, that is. Thus I ran clumsily to the other stage. Earlier in the week, I checked out the art exhibition It's Not Only Rock N Roll, Baby! at The Centre For Fine Arts in Brussels. The Kills participated in the exhibit, their work underlining the fact that they are also a compelling band visually. Watching VV & Hotel's chemistry, as they joined & parted in the middle of the stage, the time kept by the tick tick of the drum machine, it's impossible not to dance & let their intensity fill your head. The huge crowd they attracted was obviously intoxicated by their set, a major highlight of this sprawling and diverse festival.

MP3: The Kills - Live On WOXY

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My Bloody Valentine @ Glasgow's Barrowland: Dazed & Amused

Check out an extensive review, courtesy of our endlessly entertaining guest blogger, Megan B, below. Enjoy her analysis of PJ Harvey's recent Moscow performance here. All accompanying photos (from MBV's June 20th London show) courtesy of Freekorps.

It was one of those gigs where you had to isolate yourself from all reviews beforehand; if you caught snippets, it sent a wave of trembling into your gut. Too many of those waves and the anticipation would shake you out of existence before the show even started! Then it was one of those gigs you almost disbelieve as soon as it ends. Did four people really just do that?! By now the legends of how MBV ends their set has spun around & pushed everyone's descriptive powers. I like to keep things simple: they ended with a giant force of noise which they melded together seemingly effortlessly & the shocks of which shake the floor and start creeping up from your boots, to your knees, all the way to your face.

A glance over the setlist still won't prepare you for the fact that you will never listen to Loveless or Isn't Anything again without remembering how this music is supposed to sound and at what volume. Every bit was so exquisite, you have to wonder if they waited over a decade to ensure that each particle of air in the atmosphere was in peak condition to conduct their sound waves from the tower of amps to your protected eardrums. Well, at least all but the vocals were perfectly transported. Dazed fans spilled out of Barrowland and onto the streets of Glasgow, most with punch drunk looks of bliss etched on their faces. This scene will repeat itself in every city they choose to play. No other reunion has been this glorious & perhaps the things to come from MBV will be just as heavenly.





MP3: My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow

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PJ Harvey @ Moscow Arts Theater: Bringing Her Love

Check out the following review & autographed setlist courtesy of our endlessly entertaining guest blogger, Megan B: It was STUNNING. She is just... this tiny graceful beautiful woman, all by herself she filled the stage, going from guitar licks to piano to that thingy that you hold on your lap and strum to drum machines. And her voice!!!! MY GOD!!!! Easily the best show I've seen next to J Spaceman in London! I brought a PJ novice to the show as well, she turned to me about halfway through and said "oh my god, she is a genius!".

Above photograph from gig taken by Russkie. Download a PJ tune at bottom of post.

MP3: PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me

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Final Fantasy @ Schuba's (Chicago): Seize The Opportunity

*Many thanks to our fabulous guest blogger, Driouxcipher, for the recap of last week's (seemingly amazing) show. Download a FF MP3 at bottom of post.

The ever-adorable Final Fantasy (with his cryptic overhead projector chick, Stephanie Comulang) played an astonishing set Friday night (10.12) at Schuba's in Chicago. Roughly the size of Mercury Lounge with the layout of the Bowery, it had both an intimate vibe & a slightly church-y feel that complemented the music beautifully. Adding a Yamaha CP-70 vintage electric piano on-stage (& running it through the loop pedals with his trusty violin) lended the evening a striking accessory, imbuing many familiar favorites w/ surprising new tone colors ('CN Tower' being a stand-out). In the middle of the set, Owen sat at the piano & played 2 or 3 beautiful songs that he said he hadn't played live before (frankly, I had never heard any of them). Needless to say, his florid, pristine piano playing proved to be a stunning bonus for the already enthusiastic crowd. The majority of the evening consisted of his usual "greatest hits," but the sound in the room, his voice, & especially, his playing, were all exemplary. I've never heard him sound better! Also, his encore performance of 'Peach Plum Pear' should cause Ms. Newsom to just stop performing it ever again. Breathtaking!

His opening act, Basia Bulat with her band, read like a cross between Feist and The Dixie Chicks. The Toronto-native, enjoying her first trip to The States, was quite good, as were her musicians, but the songs were immediately unmemorable. About the first opening act, another one-guy-with-a-loop-pedal act called "Nifty," the less said the better. I believe my concluding opinion on him was that it was roughly 4 minutes of interesting squeezed into a half-hour of terrible. Owen, however, has never been better, and fans everywhere should vigorously seize the opportunity to catch his solo act.

Setlist: He Poos Clouds. Many Lives For 49 MP. Butcher(?). Cliquot(?). Horsetail(?). I'm Afraid Of Japan. Hey, Dad. The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead. This Is The Dream Of Win & Regine. Took You Two Years To Win My Heart. This Lamb Sells Condos... Peach Plum Pear (Joanna Newsom cover)

Photo courtesy of Kirstiecat.

MP3: Final Fantasy - Took You Two Years To Win My Heart

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M.I.A. @ Amoeba Music (San Fran): Guest Blogger Love

Eternal thanks to our dear slutty friend, Samra, for recapping MIA's Amoeba in-store this past weekend. Here's what she had to say about the show, in full. It sounds like it was rather amazing! We're jealous.

*MIA played a sold out show at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on Saturday, July 28th. This Slutty Guest Blogger was inconsolable in her grief because she had not been able to acquire tickets (by hook or by crook!) to said show. Nevertheless, the sun god Ra shone down and it was revealed to this blogger that MIA was performing a free show at the Amoeba Store in Berkeley that same day at 2pm.

The Bay Area loves them some MIA because the place was packed. I heard one of the Amoeba employees saying that this was the biggest event the store had ever seen and it showed because they were not at all prepared for the onslaught of people. MIA looked cute in purple overalls and a purple hat. The set was short and she performed 'Bamboo', 'Boyz', 'Bird Flu', 'Paper Planes' and 'Galang'. The new stuff is softer--dare i say more melodic--and more mature than Arular. Since it is Berkeley, the hippies brought their kids along and during 'Paper Planes', MIA mentioned that the song had gunshot sounds and she was unable to edit them with "squeaky bear noise." It was a fantastic show albeit too short and as usual she left us wanting more. She also stuck around for signing after the show but this blogger hates lines and had to bounce.*

(Rickshaw photo via Neerav Mehta; check out a complete collection of pictures from the actual Amoeba gig here at the record shop's official site)

MP3: MIA - Bird Flu

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The Good, The Bad and The Queen 3/14: Hope is Found in a Sound at the 9:30 Club in DC (Guest Blogger)

We had avid DC concert-goer, and friend of this site, Sadie, hit up The Good, The Bad and The Queen show at The District's 9:30 Club this past Wednesday. We could almost see her jumping up and down with joy as she wrote us all about it.


Hurrah! Saw The Good, The Bad and The Queen come alive on stage Wednesday night, top hats and all. What an amazing show! Instead of an opening band, there was a cheeky burlesque show with a naughty monkey and club dancing Grim. It was HILARIOUS. The crowd was a bit younger than we expected, but it didn't matter because the group put on a fucking brilliant show. It was simply gorgeous, storytelling music that gave you goose bumps and made you sweat at the same time.

Against a beautifully designed set, with a cityscape of London in the background, Paul Simonon instantly became the coolest guy I have EVER seen on stage. He was the shit and he knew it. Damon Albarn's signature jazz hands made an appearance more than once during the evening and consequently, Shirmz [her friend] and I ended up squealing A LOT whenever he did anything remotely amusing. Simon Tong was a comic assassin and by the end of the show I was finally able to figure out who he reminds me of - that side-kick guy from Punked. Tony Allen was low key but steady on the drums all night.

The last song before the encore, the title track, was one of my favorite performances of the evening- Damon had to take a swig from the bottle of rum (Mount Gay?) while sitting at his piano, he was jamming so hard. If he meant to get us all hot and bothered, mission accomplished. I was selfishly hoping for 'Guns of Brixton' for the encore, but it was not to be. Le sigh. They played this awesome song called 'Doghouse', which didn't make it on to the album, and then one of their b-sides with this Syrian rapper [Eslam Jarwaad]. OH and it turns out NPR was at the show so you can download the entire show online! Raaad. If you strain your ears enough, you might be able to hear Shirmz shouting things like "Parklife!" "Country House!" and me shouting endearments to both Damon and Paul.

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X-Wife @ Mercedes in Porto, Portugal 2/23: Guest Blogger, Neat and Polite

Last month, we sent Isabel from the Portugeuse based blog Neat and Polite to report on the X-Wife show in Porto, Portugal. Here's what she had to say:

X-Wife are a kind of synch-punk band from Porto, lead by vocalist João Vieira, also known as DJ Kitten.

The stage at Mercedes is small, as is the whole venue, and it's apparently filled with friends, which is not surprising, being that X-Wife are a local band, and this is a place where they've played several times, even before they were a relatively well-known band (with two albums under their belt now).

Following an opening act by a friend who has 4 songs in his repertoire, X-Wife take the stage. Their music is a catchy mix of punk and electronic, to say the least. Even to someone who hasn't listened to them yet (I'll be honest, I had listened to their first album once), it's pleasant and not hard to get into. And all 4 members (there's a drummer there, even though he's not on the original line-up) seem quite amused at playing. There's the occasional 'dropping to his knees' by the lead vocalist and the constant twiching of the bass player, that clearly shows they're having fun - even if it gets slightly rockstarish after a while. The songs are good, even though to someone unfamiliar with them, they seem quite similar.

The music is quite well balanced, except for a slight negligence of the importance of the rhythm section, especially the bass. Sometimes, the basslines are quite good, but for the most part, they're nearly inaudible. It doesn't mean the songs are bad; just that they could be that much better.

Anyway, they're still at the debut of their career as a band, but you won't regret seeing them, cause they do put on a good show.

X-Wife is about to storm New York and SXSW:
Mar 9 2007 10:00PM, Ruff Club New York
Mar 10 2007 10:00PM, FIXED meets Modular @ Studio B w/ Simian Mobile Disco,(JDH & Dave P) Brooklyn, New York
Mar 11 2007 8:00PM, Club Midway with Metronomy and The Flesh New York
Mar 14 2007 9:00PM, SXSW, Friends (208 E 6th Street) Austin

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Her Soul Has Been Spiritualized

Our good friend, Megan, had the pleasure of flying to London last week and seeing Spiritualized on their (very short) UK tour. She has a great recount of what went on that night that she so generously is sharing with us, exclusively. Seems like it was just magical. We are ridiculously jealous.

Fall colours seem richer and the air feels poignantly crisper. The sun is subtly enhancing everything with a lovely golden sheen. It's like being in love. The beauty of life is all around and I am feeling the harmony of the universe with each step. Intoxicated and euphoric, typing words is impossible and trite. I just want to float into space. Music has done this to me! But I must tell you, somehow, about the perfectly sublime J Spaceman "Acoustic Mainline" gig I experienced in London last Monday at the Queen Elizabeth Hall!

Jason Pierce (known as J Spaceman from Spiritualized) has come back from a near death illness last year, and the first new shows in three years are stunning. With strings and gospel singers, he has completely transformed the aesthetic of old Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized songs, and blended in Daniel Johnston covers and new tracks from the anticipated 2007 Spiritualized release. Perfectly brilliant versions of "Cool Waves," "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" naturally shone in this setting. The classic fuzzed out guitars of Spacemen 3's "Amen" were replaced by the hypnotic voices of the gospel singers, and Jason's vocals affected everyone when he reworked the old line into "I don't mind dying, Lord, but I'd hate for my children to cry."


I couldn't quite cooperate when Jason sang Let It Come Down's "Stop Your Crying!" Glancing through my copy of the setlist, I am pretty sure I had tears in my eyes the entire time. His voice was magically both powerful and fragile, and his performance was as intense as ever. He looked healthy and happy, and his energy flowed into all the musicians and the ecstatic audience. Spiritualized guitarist Doggen accompanied him on keyboard, the only other current member on stage. It's unclear whether or not this line-up will make it to the US, but it is rumoured a live recording will! I've snagged some bootleg mp3s (an official release will sound a thousand times better) from the Spiritualized messageboard, so enjoy!!

Setlist: Sitting on Fire, Devil Town, Lord Let It Rain on Me, True Love Will Find You, The Straight and the Narrow, Cool Waves, Amen, Hold On, Soul on Fire, Walking with Jesus, Going Down Slow, All of My Tears, Stop Your Crying, Anything More/ Ladies & Gentlemen, Lay it Down Slow, Baby I'm Just a Fool, Goodnight Goodnight, Funeral Home, Lord Can You Hear Me… encore: Oh Happy Day

MP3s: 'All Of My Tears' + 'Anything More/Ladies And Gentlemen..."

*Pics of Megan with Jason Pierce on their way!!!!*

Posted on 7:54 AM / 0 comments / Read More

Her Soul Has Been Spiritualized

Our good friend, Megan, had the pleasure of flying to London last week and seeing Spiritualized on their (very short) UK tour. She has a great recount of what went on that night that she so generously is sharing with us, exclusively. Seems like it was just magical. We are ridiculously jealous.

Fall colours seem richer and the air feels poignantly crisper. The sun is subtly enhancing everything with a lovely golden sheen. It's like being in love. The beauty of life is all around and I am feeling the harmony of the universe with each step. Intoxicated and euphoric, typing words is impossible and trite. I just want to float into space. Music has done this to me! But I must tell you, somehow, about the perfectly sublime J Spaceman "Acoustic Mainline" gig I experienced in London last Monday at the Queen Elizabeth Hall!

Jason Pierce (known as J Spaceman from Spiritualized) has come back from a near death illness last year, and the first new shows in three years are stunning. With strings and gospel singers, he has completely transformed the aesthetic of old Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized songs, and blended in Daniel Johnston covers and new tracks from the anticipated 2007 Spiritualized release. Perfectly brilliant versions of "Cool Waves," "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" naturally shone in this setting. The classic fuzzed out guitars of Spacemen 3's "Amen" were replaced by the hypnotic voices of the gospel singers, and Jason's vocals affected everyone when he reworked the old line into "I don't mind dying, Lord, but I'd hate for my children to cry."


I couldn't quite cooperate when Jason sang Let It Come Down's "Stop Your Crying!" Glancing through my copy of the setlist, I am pretty sure I had tears in my eyes the entire time. His voice was magically both powerful and fragile, and his performance was as intense as ever. He looked healthy and happy, and his energy flowed into all the musicians and the ecstatic audience. Spiritualized guitarist Doggen accompanied him on keyboard, the only other current member on stage. It's unclear whether or not this line-up will make it to the US, but it is rumoured a live recording will! I've snagged some bootleg mp3s (an official release will sound a thousand times better) from the Spiritualized messageboard, so enjoy!!

Setlist: Sitting on Fire, Devil Town, Lord Let It Rain on Me, True Love Will Find You, The Straight and the Narrow, Cool Waves, Amen, Hold On, Soul on Fire, Walking with Jesus, Going Down Slow, All of My Tears, Stop Your Crying, Anything More/ Ladies & Gentlemen, Lay it Down Slow, Baby I'm Just a Fool, Goodnight Goodnight, Funeral Home, Lord Can You Hear Me… encore: Oh Happy Day

MP3s: 'All Of My Tears' + 'Anything More/Ladies And Gentlemen..."

*Pics of Megan with Jason Pierce on their way!!!!*

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