Sound Bites

New Radio Dept | "Freddie and the Trojan Horse"

Has it really been two years since The Radio Dept. released Pet Grief? The calendar says "yes." The only reason I noticed this was a missive from Labrador records letting me know that their new album, Clinging to a Scheme, will be out September 10. That's actually a year quicker than it took for these Swedes to follow-up their acclaimed 2003 debut. At this rate, we'll get Album #4 next summer.

According to the band, influences for the third album included "minimalistic post-punk, krautrock, repetitive 'motorik' beat and ambient noise." I don't hear any motorik beat on Clinging to a Scheme's first single, "Freddie and the Trojan Horse," though I do detect some '80s gated drums and less reverb than we're used to from these guys (which still means more reverb than most). It's definitely peppier than almost anything on Pet Grief, which was a disappointment around these parts. Catchier too.

MP3: The Radio Dept - Freddie and the Trojan Horse

Peter Moren + Tobias Froberg | Mercury Lounge | 4.21.2008

"Don't worry, I'm Swedish." Tobias Froberg was learning the problems of playing with a laptop as backing band -- namely if you flub an intro you have to restart the equipment. Which meant running around the amplifiers and such, over to his macbook.

It was early in his set -- second song -- but it could've been said at any point during the evening, a laid back, fun show featuring a couple Swedes and an American named Doug. Froberg was opening for old pal Peter Moren, who was taking a break from being in Peter, Bjorn & John to play some shows in support of his first solo album, The Last Tycoon, which Froberg plays on. Froberg was supporting his second album, Turn Heads, which Moren plays on. So not surprisingly they were both out there for each other's sets. They'd just come straight from a European tour together, they played Dublin last night. But for the US dates, they've got Dirty on Purpose drummer Doug Marvin as a third -- you might recall he played bongos for Peter Bjorn and John on some American dates last year.

Froberg not you typical Swedish indie rocker. His songs have more of a '70s feel, more emotional, many being piano driven. "Just Behind a Brickwall" has an undeniable Elton John feel. But not cheesy. He seemed excited to be playing to a semi-full room, making jokes inbetween songs, mainly of the "Thank you America!" variety. He was good, even though he didn't play "When the Night Turns Cold" off his first album which is my favorite.

MP3: Tobias Froberg - Slipping Under the Radar (buy it)

Moren's set was equally loosey-goosey. Though Doug -- whose name sounds like "dog" when spoken with a Swedish accent -- had played with Moren at Joe's Pub for a couple shows a few months back, Moren and Froberg kept throwing him curve balls, but he's a good musician and held his own, though when they put him on piano for one song, it was entertaining to watch him craning his neck to try and figure out what chords Moren was playing. He finally gave up and switched to tambourine.

Moren's solo album is pretty different from the pop he writes for PB&J. The songs are more obtuse, less obviously hooky, the lyrics much more personal. But he was much more a showman here than I remembered him being at either of the shows with Bjorn and John I caught last year. He was a real Chatty Cathy, and a charming one at that, with lots of stories about his songs, from his time in mandatory military training ("Reel to Reel") and as a teacher ( "Social Competence"). There was also a string section for three songs. In addition to most of The Last Tycoon, we also got two PB&J songs ("Sunday Morning," "Goodbye, Again Or") and a couple covers: A Ha's "Take on Me" (which had all the ladies in the crowd singing along) and Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy." Everybody was clearly having a good time.

MP3: Peter Moren - Social Competence (buy it)

This was the first date on their tour, and I can only imagine it's one that will be better at the end, when Moren and Froberg allow Marvin to get up to speed. Dates:

Apr 22     Middle East Upstairs, Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 23     Cabaret Musee Juste Pour Rire, Montreal, Quebec
Apr 24     464 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
Apr 25     Wexner Center, Columbus, Ohio
Apr 26     Schubas     Chicago, Illinois
Apr 28     Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 29     The Triple Door, Seattle, Washington
Apr 30     Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Oregon
May 1     Swedish American Hall, San Francisco, California
May 2     Hotel Café, Los Angeles, California
May 3     Troubador, Los Angeles, California

Euros Childs + David Kilgour + Peter Moren + Pseudosix | Union Hall | 11.09.2007

"This next song is 16 minutes long... and about every two minutes it sounds like it's ending. But it's not, so please don't clap. It kind of ruins the momentum." That was pretty much the only thing Euros Childs said all night I understood, apart from some of his lyrics, what with his thick Welsh accent.  Actually, for all I know he was speaking in Welsh some of those times. He has never shied away from his native tongue  -- his former band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci sang more often than not in his native tongue and one of the two albums Childs released this year, Bore Da, is entirely in Welsh.

The last time I saw Childs was, I think, 1999 when Gorky's was touring for Spanish Dance Troupe. Though I own every album he's released -- Gorky's, solo, or otherwise -- I would still call myself a casual fan. Watching his excellent set Friday night I realize I've been taking him for granted. Childs' solo material may lack the inventiveness and manic energy that made early records like Bwyd Time fun, but it is also absent of the Renaissance Fair embellishments which made them annoying. He's still a quirky songwriter (dig that 16-minute title-track to Miracle Inn, also released this year), but these days his songwriting abilities are given more of a spotlight, as are the harmonies and his mellow voice. Playing as a trio with Gorky's drummer Peter Richardson and Radio Luxembourg's Meilyr Jones on bass, those qualities were abundantly clear. Great set.

MP3: Euros Childs - Horse Riding (Buy Miracle Inn)

What wasn't clear is why he was headlining this show. This is not to knock Childs, it's just obvious that everyone came to see David Kilgour with whom he's been on tour. Half the room left after Kilgour's set, which was too bad. But Kilgour is an indie legend of 30 years. His band, the Clean, which he started in 1978 in Dunedin, NZ with his brother Hamish and Robert Scott (who would form his own influential band, The Bats) have influenced  loads of bands, perhaps most notably Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Superchunk. (Of the latter, Mac McCaughan's Merge label put out a Clean compilation, released Bats albums in the '90s, and has been releasing Kilgour's solo albums since 2002.) Ira and James of YLT (both of whom stuck around for Childs and were well into it) were in the audience, actually, as were Kilgour's brother Hamish, and Carl Newman.

Kilgour, who must be nearing 50 but looked much younger than that with a green military cap pulled down over his curly hair, and still sounds great. His new album, The Far Now, is pretty mellow but live, with his band the Heavy 8's, he's much more in the Dean Wareham (or Yo La Tengo to mention them again)  school of droney, jangly, blissed-out, VU-inspired rock. Full admission: I am a sucker for this sort of thing when it's done right, as it was Friday. I think it was the second guitarist playing a boxy-looking 12-string that really took it over the edge for me.

MP3: David Kilgour - BBC World (Buy The Far Now)

Kilgour and Childs were the main draw but the rest of the bill were notable too. Portland's Pseudosix opened, previously unfamiliar to me, but I left impressed. Breezy and just a touch country-ish in that early-'70s West Coast sort of way, they reminded me of druggy '90s band Acetone but with more melody and less reverb.

MP3: Pseudosix - Under the Waves (Buy it)

There was also a "special guest" on the bill, a badly-kept secret. (The real surprise came later that night.) Peter Moren of Peter Bjorn & John played a short impromptu set of songs he's working on for an upcoming solo album, working out arrangements in advance of his "real" solo show at Joe's Pub on November 19. Stress on "working them out." There were stops and starts, flubbed lyrics... but luckily Moren's a real charmer so nobody seemed to mind. Actually, I would guess half the people there didn't even realize this was the guy responsible for "Young Folks." Which is probably just how he wanted it, certainly different than his last appearance at Union Hall. He played maybe five originals plus a cover of Richard Hell's "Time." I shot video of one of the new ones that Peter said was about his time as a music teacher in Sweden. I knew the name of the song but didn't write it down and now don't remember...

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted was there too, but left after Moren's set, I think.

Elsewhere

I usually consider myself as being on top of the UK scene, but Obscure Sound has three tracks from a band I'd never heard before, Hidden Messages, and they are quite good. [Obscure Sound]

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Over at the AV Club, Comedian of Comedy Brian Pohsen interviews fictional, animated metal band Dethklok who tell him about the craziest thing that ever happened at one of their shows: "There were two guys who ran at each other full force in a mosh pit and exploded their brains and guts and donkey cum onto a bride who had just gotten out of a limousine at that exact moment."; Jason Schwartzman offers up his iPod for an exceptionally interesting Random Rules. My esteem for him went up by 24% after reading this; And Nathan Rabin finally tackles the inexplicable, horrendous, yet un-turn-off-able mess that is Dreamcatcher for his awesome My Year of Flops project. [AV Club]

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I saw both of Pelle Carlberg's NYC shows in May (one of which I reviewed) and in addition to his own songs, he covered Elton John's "Rocket Man" and Mika's "Grace Kelly" which were both great. I've been looking for MP3s ever since. (There's an EP that has them, somewhere, but you had to order the album online to get it. I already owned it at that point.) Quick Before it Melts comes through with the Mika one. [QBiM]

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Speaking of... in today's NY Times Dining section, restaurant critic Frank Bruni gives two stars to high-end tapas joint Pamplona. I'll have to take his word on the food, but Pelle Carlberg's song of the same name is at least a three-and-a-half, if not four:

MP3: Pelle Carlberg - Pamplona (buy it)

CMJ 2007 Day Four | Ida Maria | Galapagos

This year's CMJ was generally lackluster, from the variety of performers to the performances given by those I did see. But there was at least one wow-worthy show -- Norwegian-via-Sweden singer Ida Maria.

I wasn't all that familiar with her music. I knew her mainly from her duet with Pelle Carlberg on his album In a Nutshell, "I Love You, You Imbecile," which is typically poppy Swedish jangle. But my friend Toby was really high on her and sent some MP3s my way, urging me to go see her. Her new single "Oh My God" is definitely more "rock" than Pelle's stuff. So I was expecting a pleasant, if sedate show.

Diminuitive, and dressed in a mint green school marm top, a dark teal leather skirt, purple tights and bright blue boots she looked pixie. But when she strapped on the guitar and opened her mouth, she transformed into a whirling, wailing little powerhouse that you could almost compare to early PJ Harvey (more Dry than Rid of Me) though her voice definitely has a certain Bjork-esque quality that is hard to deny. There were about 15 people watching when she first started but soon everyone (maybe another 20) filtered into the back room of Galapagos to watch her.

Ida Maria is a magnetic performer, pouring every ounce of energy and emotion into her songs to the point where she seemed lost in them some of the time. Mikes were knocked over, drums stumbled into and more than once she dropped to the floor onto her back where she continued to sing and play guitar. (About halfway through the show I also noticed her boots were off but I don't remember her removing them.) And though her presence was intense, it wasn't all anguish (though there was some of that). You also have songs like "I Like You Better When You're Naked" that are downright joyous and she beamed throughout that one.

Her band was ace too, skilled players who also got into the act though it was never anyone's show but Ida's. The set was average CMJ length, maybe a little more than 30 minutes but it was the only time I really wished anyone that week had played longer.

MP3: Ida Maria - Oh My God

MP3: Ida Maria - Queen of the World

Ida said her debut album would be out in April. Saturday, was in Williamsburg shooting a video for "Oh My God" with director Andreas Nilsson, the man behind all those creepy Knife and Jose Gonzalez clips. Speaking of...I also shot some video of Ida  doing "Stella & God," though it turned out to be one of her more restrained performances. Still pretty great. Please ignore the annoying early-90s Tony Hawk skate video they insisted on showing behind them throughout.

CMJ 2007 Preview: Friday Picks

Brooklyn Vegan Day Party w/ iLIKETRAINS, Fatal Flying Guiloteens, Other Passengers, Health, Mika Miko, Yeasayer, Black Kids, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Islands, Yo Magesty @ R Bar (12:15 - 8pm)

After the Jump w/ The Antlers, Nous Non Plus, The Silent Years, The Pendeltons, Cary Ann Hearst, Dead Confederate, Morning State @ the Annex (1pm - 6pm, FREE)

White Denim + The Broken West  + Polytechnic (w/ former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke) + iLIKETRAINS + The Shaky Hands @ Mercury Lounge (7pm, $12)

The Spinto Band + Sons And Daughters + The Maccabees + Alberta Cross + Sahara Hotnights + The 1900s + Drug Rug @ Bowery Ballroom (7pm, $16)

Crashin' In party w/ Shock Cinema, Miss Alex White & The Red Orchestra, Foals, Foreign Born, The Holy Hail, Chairlift, The Deadly Syndrome, Fatal Flying Guillotines, Blackstrap, Soft, Cadence Weapon, Ida Maria,  The Coast, Le Loup, Picastro, Cale Parks, Spirit Marines  @ Galapagos  (2pm - 2am, $5, no badges)

I SAY: Though I find vocalist David Martin a bit on the silly melodramatic side, I like iLIKETRAINS' music a lot, so I figure I'll check them out at the Gothamist House or the BV day party and, if they're good there, again at Mercury Lounge. Actually, again, Brooklyn Vegan outdoes himself with a killer bill of iLT, Yeasayer, Islands and Yo Magesty. But then there's the Crashin' In show, which I am definitely going to to see Swedish singer Ida Marina who my friend Toby is super high on. (She's on at 7pm.) Also worth checking out -- the After the Jump Fest's North Vs. South show. I'm especially anxious to see the South bands the Pendeltons, Dead Confederate and Morning State. Nous Non Plus and the SIlent Years are good too. As for the evening shows.... the Bowery show is tempting. I really like the 1900s and want to see the Maccabees, and Drug Rug do the Let it Be style (Beatles not Replacements) retro-rock.

MP3: iLIKETRAINS - Twenty Five

MP3: Ida Maria - Oh My God

iLIKETRAINS pic swiped from stellabrightlight's Flickr photostream.

The Hives | Webster Hall | 10.09.2007

You are pretty much guaranteed a good time at a Hives show. The finely-honed riffs, the expertly tailored suits, the flying scissor-kicks and unwavering bravado of frontman Pelle Almqvist. And all he demands in return is your undying adoration and worship.

Almqvist got what he was looking for at Webster Hall on Monday night, with most, if not all, of the packed audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Like everything else The Hives do, his persona is finely-tuned schtick but the act is so seamless, performed with utter conviction (it's real funny too), that it never gets old. Plus, at barely 75 minutes, their stage show doesn't give you a chance to look at your watch.

It was a short show for "An Evening with the Hives" (industry-speak for "no opening band") but I these Swedes understand the concept of "leave 'em wanting more" and didn't overstay their welcome. No opener should've meant that the show started early, but when we got there at 7pm, they informed us that the band wasn't going on till 9pm. My friend Dorrit, a Hives superfan, wanted to get a good spot so we decided to go in anyway. You haven't lived till you've spent two hours not watching a band at Webster Hall, let me tell you.

Actually, time went by pretty quickly as we drank $7 Buds and the Hives' show went by quicker. Decked out in new Ivy League blazers, and an '80s-style neon logo behind them, the band looked more dapper than ever, and tore through the high points of their three albums, and about half of their upcoming fourth, The Black and White Album. (Some of which was produced by the Neptunes. Consider me curious.) I can't say that any of the new songs, apart from single "Tick Tick Boom," had the immediate rush of "Main Offender," "Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones" or "Diabolic Scheme" but didn't have me running for the bathroom either. It's not like there's ever been a big difference between any of their songs (there is a definite Hives formula), maybe they're starting to run out of riffs. Maybe I just need to hear them a few more times. Luckily, the Hives' manic energy is in no risk of depletion.

MP3: The Hives - Tick Tick Boom (Pre-order The Black and White Album)

The Swedes really understand the importance of showmanship. The Hives are the whole package -- the songs, the look, the attitude, the stage show, Pelle who sells it 100% all the time. (Electric Six would be so much more awesome if Dick Valentine personified on stage the character he plays on the albums.) The Hives are the faster, better-looking, more compact version of The Soundtrack of Our Lives, who are similarly talented. I wish more American bands placed as much emphasis on songwriting and being entertaining.

The Hives play Webster Hall again tonight and are heading out on tour with... Maroon 5. Very brave of Adam Levine to book such a kick-ass live powerhouse to open for them.

Utterly awesome photo swiped from Alexistheo's Flickr photostream. Punk Photo was there too and got some awesome shots. Tour dates after the jump.

Polyphonic Swedes

Tim Delaughter, you now official have competition for title of Biggest, Happiest Band on the Planet. Flying in from Sweden, all 23 (that was my count, though they top out at 29 back in Jönköping) of them, I'm from Barcelona were a perfect choice for the Sunday Pool Parties, especially on a sunny, breezy, relatively-non-humid day like today. Their weapons of joy? Kazoos, glockenspiels, La La's, Bah Bah's, Doo Doo's, dancing, hugging, arm waving, and a World Series Championship parade's worth of confetti. And at at 30 minute set, not wearing out their welcome.

Like the 'Spree, these Swedes are better experienced live when you can get taken by the moment (and the confetti) -- I find their album, Let Me Introduce My Friends, a bit too Up With People for casual listening. (Though I like Jens Lekman and Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, both of whom are not unlike IFB in their incessant upbeat-ness.) But live, the band are pretty irresistible, even with all the hugging and one guy dressed in Team Zissou garb. Most of them were more crusty than you're average Scandinavian indie band (though even the dirty hippies are better looking than your average American), but ecstatic with the love-in vibe, kind the musical version of Lukas Moodysson's Together, at least the first half before the dream goes South.

Shockingly, as of this writing there are still tickets for Monday's show at Southpaw -- worth checking out just to see how they're going to fit them all onto the stage.

MP3: I'm from Barcelona - Oversleeping



The real stars of the day, the reason for the insane lines to get in (in which there were a lot of delusional people standing), was headliners Blonde Redhead, who have somewhat quietly become one NYC's most popular bands. When I say quietly, I mean that figuratively, as sonically they are somewhere between Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, all the more impressive as they're just a three-piece. I think they've just gotten better and better, and their latest, 23, is shoegazer perfection, especially the hypnotic title tracks. That was the highlight of their set too, with singer Kazu Makino going into a trancelike state with looped vocals that whirlpooled into the Pace brothers tremolo-heavy guitars and jazz-trained drumming. This is a band who are better at night, with a light show, and probably smoke machines, but it they were magnetic  at 6pm nonetheless.

MP3: Blonde Redhead - 23

It was a full day in the sun for me. Previous to McCarren Pool, I spent the day at the Red Hook Ballfields, where some first-timer friends and I hit nearly every food stall. The standouts, as usual, were the tacos de barbacoa at Perez Tacos, the hurraches de enchilada at Hernandez Hurraches, and the ceviche mixtos at Rojas Ceviche. Fatty Crab owner Zak Pellaccio and recent Top Chef expellee Lia Bardeen were among those enjoying the many delicious things available. Some pictures after the jump.

Shout Out Louds | Luna Lounge | 7.17.2007

Shout Out Louds fans are intense and loyal which makes a show that much more fun. Dancing, singing along, and one girl in front of me seemed to be, um, living the songs if you know what I mean. I'll take that over cool detachment any day.

It was also the biggest crowd I've ever seen at Luna Lounge, and the best sound (maybe it sounds better with all those bodies). Tuesday was a longer set than at Spiegeltent, with more songs from the new album, including "South America" (accordion fixed or new one purchased) and "You Are Dreaming" but no "Hard Rain." Less Howl Howl Gaff Gaff songs too, but different b-sides, with "Hurry Up Let's Go" dedicated to Merge label-mates the Essex Green who were in the audience.

No doubt, Spiegeltent was better. But I was home at 11:30, which was before I was even allowed into Spiegeltent the night before.

I managed to get a video of the latter half of "Very Loud" when they kick into "Train in Vain," through to the end of the song/set. I missed, however, the start of it where some dude jumped onstage and decided to stage-dive, but no one was prepared so it was literally headfirst into the floor. (Audible gasp!) But he was OK, folks. Singer Adam Olenius warned the crowd, saying either "Don't dive" or "Don't die." I would like to think it was the latter as it would be funnier. Anyway, the clip:

Openers were Philadelphia's Saturday Looks Good to Me. I know people who like them, but I just don't get it. Last night they didn't even sound like a band, more like a bunch of people who decided to get onstage and play music together. Maybe it was inferior equipment, or the mix was bad, or maybe it was just them. Utterly unimpressed.

Shout Out Louds | Spiegeltent | 7.16.2007

The show ground to a halt with these words: "I'm afraid she's dead." Bebban Stenbourg was talking about her accordion, broken beyond repair, which meant we wouldn't be hearing "Parents' Livingroom," one of the best songs off Shout Out Louds' great new album, Our Ill Wills. It was the only misstep in what I'd have to call a truly magical show, one of those times where the setting, the crowd and the performance came together to make something special.

Spiegeltent is a very cool venue, and if there's someone you want to see there, it's worth the otherwise deadly combination of remote location (South Street Seaport), late set times (for rock shows, doors don't open till 11:30 if you're lucky) and overpriced drinks (beers are $7). The intimate venue, decorated with mirrors and brocade, holds only 350 people but I'm guessing only half that braved a late monday night to see Stockholm's Shout Out Louds, here on a short US tour two months before Our Ill Wills hits the shelves. But those who did were genuine fans, there to sing along, dance, and have a good time.

The set was about 50-50 old and new with well-worn favorites like "The Comeback," "Please Please Please" and "Shut Your Eyes" mixed in with new tracks "Tonight I Have to Leave it," "Suit Yourself," and the Bunnymen-esque "South America." Instead of "Parents Livingroom," we got a stripped-down, drum machine-driven "Hard Rain" while real drummer Eric Edman tried to fix Bebban's accordion.

The two best moments for me were new song (and current Swedish single) "Impossible" and show-closer "Very Loud," in which they worked in a cover of The Clash's "Train in Vain" for good measure. (Though singer Adam Olenius rocking the agogo on "Tonight I Have to Leave It" was up there too.) They sounded great too, as you can tell from the video below. There was a PA but to my ears it sounded like they just mainly used it for vocals, letting their amps alone which meant I didn't have to wear earplugs. This and the Peter Bjorn and John show at Union Hall are maybe the two most perfect shows of the year so far.

MP3: Shout Out Louds - South America

MP3: Shout Out Louds - Impossible (Possible remake by Studio)