October 28 2009: I Like the Night Life Baby

The last week of October was pretty hectic and, unfortunately, I didn't have time to plan a whole lot of my show out, it sort of veers strange directions toward the end. I was in New York from the 21-25 for CMJ, which was fun. A little more relaxed than last year. I tended to go to more of the parties/socializing events instead of hopping on the subway every hour to get to the next show. That method of attacking CMJ is very draining. Also, this year's lineup wasn't as... in your face as last year's lineup, there weren't too many big names. Everyone was going to see The xx. I think they played somewhere between 2 and 37 times over the week or so that makes up CMJ and almost everyone I talked to either had seen them the night before, couldn't get in the night before, or were going to see them that night. I don't know first hand how they were live (I got mixed reactions. Apparently they sound fine, they're just not too lively. Comparisons to Interpol came up more than once), but I was lukewarm on xx. I can see the appeal, I would probably be all over it a few years ago, but its just not really my thing anymore. A couple of my associates (Tiff, she's on Sundays and Steph) made it to Ted Leo, but apparently that was mobbed and getting in was an issue. Still kind of kicking myself for not going to that. I missed Pissed Jeans too. They were playing at the Mercury Lounge during the Sub Pop/Hardly Art showcase at midnight, or 1 AM or something late, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but the show started at 7 PM and it was a showcase that was difficult to get into. Real Estate played a few times too, but I didn't make it a priority to see them (sorry guys) because they were playing the WHUS Halloween show the week after, and I saw them in August. Even though I didn't see them, I did hang out with a couple of the guys in the band for a bit before their show. Coincidence more than anything else. Another WHUS staffer traded Matt Mondanile a gin and tonic for a copy of a Ducktails LP, which was pretty rad. Speaking of free records, I did manage to find a copy of the new Soft Black album in the bathroom at NYU between panels. As far as I could tell, it was clean, as it was still wrapped in plastic. Oh, and Tiff won some free records at the Vampire Weekend listening party. Some guy at the party was snapping pictures, getting a few of me and Dave (no show right now) so there's a picture of me in my Silver Surfer t-shirt floating around on the internet somewhere. This happened right before some guy passing through offered me some cocaine. I politely declined as some drunk dude behind me began to vomit (it was one of those nights). Aside from debauchery, free shit, and shows I did not go to, I did actually see some bands last month. 

Wednesday night I  went to the Fuck Buttons listening party at (le) Poisson Rouge where I met Marty McSorley from WFMU, who was doing a couple sets before/between/after playthroughs of Tarot Sport, before heading to Arlene's Grocery for the M for Montreal showcase. I was there for most of the second half of the show, which included Think About Life (incredibly fun and energetic), We Are Wolves, Malajube (both weren't bad, but a bit of a jarring shift from Think About Life), and Duchess Says. Duchess Says were supposed to play last year, but apparently ran into some visa issues, much to my disappointment. I would say in retrospect, that it was well worth the wait. It was insane. The singer, A-Claude, was incredibly intense. To be honest I'm kind of dumbfounded, I can't think of anything else to say (I have a little bit of video that I will link to once I post it on the 'ol YoTubed). Mesmerizing? I don't know, she had me in some sort of trance. A fitting cap to the rest of the evening. Friday was cool because I got to hear the new Beach House record (the one due in January) and I have to say, it's pretty good. So keep an ear out for that. Saturday was the Dutchess and the Duke (two different bands with two different spellings of the same word. Strange.) and the Dum Dum Girls in Williamsburg. Someone else too, but I forgot. Saturday night saw me and DJ Tanner (Thursdays 3-5 pm, the dude who got the Ducktails record earlier in the story) having birthday cake with the Vandelles. After playing an awesome set at Trash in Brooklyn we were talking with them a bit and it was the Jason, the singer's, birthday. They were playing another show later that night but chose the time between sets to have a little bit of cake, inviting us to join and to meet up with them at the next bar. We had to decline and I can't really recall why. Dead tired maybe? Regardless, that basically sums up the live music that week, or at least everything worth mentioning.

Here's this week's playlist, a lot of the Vivian Girls and Real Estate because of the WHUS Halloween show (see the post for the November 4th show for details), FYI.

** = Plucked from the WHUS new bin, for your listening pleasure.

#. title - artist - release - label - year (this is specific or vague as the information I have at hand)

1. Olympians - Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport - ATP/R **

2. Beach Comber - Real Estate - Summertime Showcase - Underwater Peoples **

3. Tornado Love - Blacktop - I've Got a Baaad Feelin' About This [Reissue] - In the Red

4. Which Way to Go - Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours - Goner - 2008

5. Eileen - Spider Bags - Teenage Eyes 7" - Odessa **

6. Trouble! - Turbo Fruits - Echo Kid - Fat Possum **

7. Sweet Sixteen - Think About Life - Family - Alien8 **

8. Cristobald - Malajube - Labyrinthes - Dare to Care - 2009

9. Ccut Up - Duchess Says - Anthologie Des 3 Perchoirs - 2008

10. Sunrise/Sunet - Dutchess & the Duke - Sunset/Sunrise - Hardly Art **

11. Tell the World - Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls - In the Red - 2008

12. Blind Spot - Vivian Girls - I Can't Stay/Blind Spot 7" - In the Red - 2009

13. The Desert - Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong - In the Red **

14. Suburban Beverage - Real Estate - Suburban Beverage 7" - Underwater Peoples - 2009

15. Blackberry Song - Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy - Matador **

16. Curse Words/Close Chorus - A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar - Mis Ojo Discos **

17. Deadbeat Summer - Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms - Lefse **

18. My Two Hands - Junk Culture - West Coast - Illegal Art **

19. Gorilla Meat - Jogger - This Great Pressure - Magical Properties **

20. I Walk Alone - Music Go Music - Expressions - Secretly Canadian **

21. Let's Go - The Cars - Greatest Hits