Man, you’d think after so many Phenomenal Video Saturdays I’d just run out of videos to share. But I’m an intrepid researcher, you see. Don’t fear. However, we’re going back to Radiohead territory this week; actually, more like Thom Yorke solo territory. This is a terrific performance of the hypnotizing “Cymbal Rush” from his album… Continue reading Phenomenal Video Saturday: Thom Yorke
Author: Jon
[MP3] Hammer No More the Fingers: “Shutterbug”
Do you ever listen to a song that is something you totally don’t normally like, and then inexplicably like it anyway? Yeah, me neither. What’s up with that? Poseurs, right? But seriously, that’s what happened to me when I heard “Shutterbug” by North Carolina’s kind of gory-named Hammer No More The Fingers (ouch!). The song,… Continue reading [MP3] Hammer No More the Fingers: “Shutterbug”
Phenomenal Video Saturday: LCD Soundsystem
Seeing LCD Soundsystem open for Arcade Fire in New Jersey years ago is still probably one of the best shows I’ve seen (also on the lineup that day? Les Savy Fav and Blonde Redhead). James Murphy brings so much energy to his songs, and makes even the most repetitive structures seem exciting. The fact that… Continue reading Phenomenal Video Saturday: LCD Soundsystem
The Gaslight Anthem impresses, but doesn’t amaze, on American Slang
After the release of The ’59 Sound a few years ago, The Gaslight Anthem unexpectedly jumped up the ranks of indie stardom. Suddenly, their New Jersey, Springsteen-inspired rock was the subject of as many conversations as The Hold Steady. So, then, the follow-up. American Slang is not as good as the band’s previous effort, but… Continue reading The Gaslight Anthem impresses, but doesn’t amaze, on American Slang
Phenomenal Video Saturday: Modest Mouse
Can you imagine that it was five years ago when this was recorded? I feel so old. And I’m not so old, which makes it weirder that I feel that way. Whatever. This is a live performance of Modest Mouse’s “The World At Large” that seems to have aired on PBS in 2005. It’s a… Continue reading Phenomenal Video Saturday: Modest Mouse
Wye Oak needs to step outside the music on My Neighbor/My Creator
Something about Wye Oak’s style — the sweet female vocals, the lush, strummed guitar, the odd bits of electronics — is instantly likeable. It sounds slightly left-of-center, but still feels familiar. After all, for all the duo’s interesting experiments, the song structures and vocals aren’t terribly hard to come by. That said, the band seems… Continue reading Wye Oak needs to step outside the music on My Neighbor/My Creator
Tokyo Police Club’s Champ is somehow weak because it is so well-constructed
How can an album be weak because it’s so well-made? It’s kind of weird to wrap your mind around, but Tokyo Police Club’s Champ manages it. The guitar riffs are appropriately angular, but the production is slick. The vocals — from Dave Monks’ drawl to the slightly hidden background chants that occasionally pop up —… Continue reading Tokyo Police Club’s Champ is somehow weak because it is so well-constructed
Phenomenal Video Saturday: A band covers Guided By Voices
Hey, anyone out there a fan of Guided By Voices? They’re pretty cool. They have a cool song, too, called “The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory” from 1994’s Bee Thousand. You should listen to it sometime. Aaaaand how about now? For this week’s PVS we have a surprisingly decent quality video of a band called Anathema… Continue reading Phenomenal Video Saturday: A band covers Guided By Voices
The National announce fall tour dates with Owen Pallett
Hey guys, guess what? The National rules. Besides the sure-to-be ridonkulous tour dates they have scheduled this summer with The Antlers (who are a truly phenomenal live act in their own right, seriously), the band just announced a slew of fall dates with Owen Pallett — the artist formerly known as Final Fantasy — as… Continue reading The National announce fall tour dates with Owen Pallett
Slow Six to go east coast tourin’
Slow Six is a NYC-based post-rock outfit that doesn’t rely on crazy climaxes as much as it does on an intricate combination of violins, rhodes piano and guitar. The songs don’t really follow the quiet/loud dynamic so prevalent in the genre, but instead establish a pace (usually pretty quick) and see how all the instruments… Continue reading Slow Six to go east coast tourin’