LOS ANGELES
Five music-related events have occurred recently, of varying degrees of importance but all wonderful. Let's do this in order.
First, my sister introduced me to a serious summer jam. Yeah, I'm late, but whatever. Remember how I liked Lily Allen's "LDN"? This is a little more typical, but so terrific it deserves summer jam status: Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous." I haven't even heard the entire song, as I've only been exposed through TRL's ever-shortening attention span, but that's all it's taken to fall in love. Furtado and Timbaland exchange lines and verses, the positively sick production working, rubbing up to a chorus that's all sweet release. And, finally, Steve Nash gets the recognition he deserves: namedropped in the summer's sexiest single.
Second, I saw the Mountain Goats. Back to that in a second - I need to mention the opening act, Berlin native Barbara Morgenstern. Genuinely and refreshingly happy to be in LA, she shared her electronics with the audience, who sadly weren't ones for dancing, despite the prevalence of some very dance-able beats. The title track from her latest long-player, The Grass is Always Greener, seemed to capture the room, the entirety of the air and space, with the rare sense of stature and importance that pierce and fill you, the same way lumps start in your throat for no clear reason, or the way you're proud of something you don't understand.
First, my sister introduced me to a serious summer jam. Yeah, I'm late, but whatever. Remember how I liked Lily Allen's "LDN"? This is a little more typical, but so terrific it deserves summer jam status: Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous." I haven't even heard the entire song, as I've only been exposed through TRL's ever-shortening attention span, but that's all it's taken to fall in love. Furtado and Timbaland exchange lines and verses, the positively sick production working, rubbing up to a chorus that's all sweet release. And, finally, Steve Nash gets the recognition he deserves: namedropped in the summer's sexiest single.
Second, I saw the Mountain Goats. Back to that in a second - I need to mention the opening act, Berlin native Barbara Morgenstern. Genuinely and refreshingly happy to be in LA, she shared her electronics with the audience, who sadly weren't ones for dancing, despite the prevalence of some very dance-able beats. The title track from her latest long-player, The Grass is Always Greener, seemed to capture the room, the entirety of the air and space, with the rare sense of stature and importance that pierce and fill you, the same way lumps start in your throat for no clear reason, or the way you're proud of something you don't understand.
After joining Morgenstern for a song, the Goats geared up for their set, and despite Darnielle having a cold, played on a damn fine set. I realized, sitting in the balcony, watching him intently, how much differently I regard him than I do most rock frontmen. This wasn't a show as much as it was a sharing, something intensely personal and beautiful and outright special, and I felt lucky. They played songs I wanted to hear ("Your Belgian Things," "The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton," oh, God, yes), and they played songs we hadn't heard before. Let me tell you: this new album, Get Lonely, is going to slay. Not in the rocking sense, but in the break-you-down-to-nothing sense - even more than the last two albums, which are by all means absolute slayers. These songs were quiet and he sang , and the lyrics hit square and hard from the outset, and I've never wanted to cry so badly. Fortunately, incredibly, eMusic's made available some sort of Pitchfork Festival promo EP, featuring one of the night's best, a new song called "Woke Up New," one which doesn't need me to explain or describe anything to you. It's pure heartbreaker.
Third, I went to Amoeba, as planned, and picked up some sweet stuffs. The JagJag powerhouse duo of Wilderness and Ladyhawk, The National's Cherry Tree EP (finally!), (((GRRRLS))), and Boris' Pink. The last two are what I'm most excited about, having heard a particularly fantastic song from each and noting more. I'll let you know how it goes, here's the track off (((GRRRLS))) tune that I love so much:
I first heard it at Catbirdseat, apparently they've got a Part II now. But this is just how I like it, weird and glorious and not ashamed, not in the least.
Fourth, and for the fourth time, I saw the Walkmen. And just as I had hoped, the new songs slayed (this time in the rock n roll sense). Everything - Ham's bulging vein, the levels, the drum solo in "Tenleytown," the ragtag horn section in "Louisiana" - it all came together in a set that kept its momentum beautifully, and left me wanting more. The Walkmen are a lot more punk than we ever gave them credit for, with more sneer and energy and sheer badass-ness than any group I've ever seen. They just happen to be able to play far more interesting music than the bands who seem to focus exclusively on these things.
The openers, Simon-something (not entirely accurate) and Mazarin were good and kind of uninteresting, respectively. The former played songs not unlike the Walkmen, though they clearly knew how to wield their influences smartly and never sounded derivative. Unfortunately, for all the times I was told their name, it never came in clear. Simon-something. Mazarin had the energy and the melodies, but sounded too much like an Indie Rock Band. I don't mean to be a jerk, as I can't pick out anything particularly wrong with the band, but really, nothing stood out, and worse, everything blended. Beards, guitars, noisy pop: name that group - sorry.
Fifth, my Regina Spektor album came, and it's been spinning nonstop since. Taking away from my time alotted for the albums I just bought - it's that good. Also, I TiVo-ed her performance on Conan and, boy, is she cute. Cute, cute, cute, and I'm in love. Oh, and she played "Fidelity," the third song in my special summer jams series, and did a marvelous job, earning high praise from the host himself.
Visit Barbara Morgenstern online, and buy The Grass is Always Greener here.
Visit The Mountain Goats online, and buy things here. Check out that free EP here!
Visit Parenthetical Girls, and buy what I bought here.
Visit The Walkmen online, and buy their latest here.
Visit Regina Spektor online, and buy the special edition of Begin To Hope here! With a bonus EP!
Pictures from the shows: they will, maybe, come later (this is what happens when I rely entirely on other people's cameras).
Marathonpacks' guest talks about the Mountain Goats better than I talk about the Mountain Goats.
Third, I went to Amoeba, as planned, and picked up some sweet stuffs. The JagJag powerhouse duo of Wilderness and Ladyhawk, The National's Cherry Tree EP (finally!), (((GRRRLS))), and Boris' Pink. The last two are what I'm most excited about, having heard a particularly fantastic song from each and noting more. I'll let you know how it goes, here's the track off (((GRRRLS))) tune that I love so much:
I first heard it at Catbirdseat, apparently they've got a Part II now. But this is just how I like it, weird and glorious and not ashamed, not in the least.
Fourth, and for the fourth time, I saw the Walkmen. And just as I had hoped, the new songs slayed (this time in the rock n roll sense). Everything - Ham's bulging vein, the levels, the drum solo in "Tenleytown," the ragtag horn section in "Louisiana" - it all came together in a set that kept its momentum beautifully, and left me wanting more. The Walkmen are a lot more punk than we ever gave them credit for, with more sneer and energy and sheer badass-ness than any group I've ever seen. They just happen to be able to play far more interesting music than the bands who seem to focus exclusively on these things.
The Walkmen - Tenleytown [mp3]
The openers, Simon-something (not entirely accurate) and Mazarin were good and kind of uninteresting, respectively. The former played songs not unlike the Walkmen, though they clearly knew how to wield their influences smartly and never sounded derivative. Unfortunately, for all the times I was told their name, it never came in clear. Simon-something. Mazarin had the energy and the melodies, but sounded too much like an Indie Rock Band. I don't mean to be a jerk, as I can't pick out anything particularly wrong with the band, but really, nothing stood out, and worse, everything blended. Beards, guitars, noisy pop: name that group - sorry.
Fifth, my Regina Spektor album came, and it's been spinning nonstop since. Taking away from my time alotted for the albums I just bought - it's that good. Also, I TiVo-ed her performance on Conan and, boy, is she cute. Cute, cute, cute, and I'm in love. Oh, and she played "Fidelity," the third song in my special summer jams series, and did a marvelous job, earning high praise from the host himself.
Visit Barbara Morgenstern online, and buy The Grass is Always Greener here.
Visit The Mountain Goats online, and buy things here. Check out that free EP here!
Visit Parenthetical Girls, and buy what I bought here.
Visit The Walkmen online, and buy their latest here.
Visit Regina Spektor online, and buy the special edition of Begin To Hope here! With a bonus EP!
Pictures from the shows: they will, maybe, come later (this is what happens when I rely entirely on other people's cameras).
***
Marathonpacks' guest talks about the Mountain Goats better than I talk about the Mountain Goats.
by brian at 6/17/2006 02:38:00 AM
2 Comments:
I love that (((GRRRLS))) song, - the line "I'll start watching my weight again" just stuns me. Casiotone did a pretty good cover of it too.
You should hear this band Fishboy that I'm going to go see with Mountain Goats in August in Athens. I think they even are from Denton too!
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