Animal Collective - "Brothersport"

via Animal Collective

I can admit when I'm wrong or when I've changed my mind. Well, in this case, it's both. I've been hating on Animal Collective since I first heard Strawberry Jam and wrote them off forever. Oh, and that All Points West performance when I was standing 5 people deep or so in the crowd. My ears may have bled a little that day, but the performance did intrigue me. Mostly, I was confused when I found myself paying attention to "House" (now "My Girls") and "Brother Sport" (now "Brothersport"). A couple days ago, a studio version of "Brothersport" was leaked. I knew the link would not be up for long, and I was really anxious to listen to it. So, I asked a friend (Thanks, A.) to download the track for me and send it to my personal email.

If I'd thought the live versions were catchy, they're nothing compared to the mastered version. "Brothersport" is one of the most infectious songs that I've heard in a long time. Compared to the live versions, it is definitely sweeter and even more accessible. It's so sweet that my teeth hurt when I listen to it. In the best way possible. Oops, I just got distracted and started dancing in my chair to this song. I have to admit that I miss Avey Tare's yelping, which is left out in the studio version.

So, folks, turns out that I don't hate Animal Collective. In fact, I very much like Sung Tongs (K., I finally got around to it), too. And, I've always been a Panda Bear fan. I like when Animal Collective sounds more like Panda Bear. I can't remember where I read it, but someone wrote that this track/upcoming album sounded as if AC took the best part of the group, Panda Bear, and just went in that direction. Well, it's working for me.

The studio version is up on Grizzly Bear's Blog at the moment. I'm not sure how long that will be up, so act quickly. Enjoy the live versions of "Brothersport" and "My Girls" below.

Merriweather Post Pavillion will be released on January 20. The release date coincides with the date of the NYC show at Grand Ballroom. Unfortunately, I did not act quickly enough to get tickets. But, I will be diligently looking for some as the date draws nearer. I've decided that Grand Ballroom doesn't have the sound capacity to get that loud, so I may actually enjoy the show.

Brothersport - Animal Collective

My Girls (Live at Hove Festival 06-23-08) - Animal Collective


Brothersport (Live on NPR) - Animal Collective

Girl Talk - Terminal 5 11.16.08

The remains of an inflatable basketball

I went to Girl Talk last night, and now I'm paying for it. My entire body hurts. Stiff neck, sore arms, pulled calf muscles. That's right, I've been limping around the entire day. People asked me what had happened to me. Too much dancing at Girl Talk. That's what happened.

The minutes before they left people go onstage, I thought that there was a possibility that I might die. I'd never been in such a packed crowd, and I've had my fair share of deathly crowds. When I was finally pushed up the stairs to the stage, three girls or so fell on top of me. I was legitimately scared that people would just start stepping on me, so I had to quickly squirm my way from under them. I made it out alive, and I danced my heart out. If you know me in real life, then you know that I consider myself to be a little shy and reserved. But, last night, I had no problems looking like a fool in front of 3000 people.

All in all, I would say this was the most uneventful Girl Talk show I've been to. In a way, that is a good thing since this was the first GT show that I'd been to that wasn't shut down by the cops or security. Rude Bear was at the Saturday night show, but he did not make an appearance yesterday. How disappointing since I've sorta been in love with him since I saw him at the Parenthetical Girls/Evangelicals show at Cake Shop. Also, no surprise guests made an appearance. I guess it was a very rare thing I witnessed at Pitchfork Music Festival '07 Grizzly Bear joined Girl Talk onstage for the mash-up of "Knife."

Regardless, Girl Talk is still hands-down the most fun dance show that I've ever attended. I just need to remember to stretch before starting to dance.

EDIT: I forgot to add that I noticed that Girl Talk covers his laptop in Saran Wrap. Does he do this to protect his computer from his dripping sweat and the sweat of the surrounding dancers?

Grand Buffet and Hearts of Darknesses supported Gregg Gillis at this show. Hearts of Darknesses is the solo project of Frank Musarra, who collabs with Gregg Gillis under Trey Told 'Em. Gregg also has a production credit for one of Grand Buffet's EPs. Both Grand Buffet and Hearts of Darknesses have been sampled by Trey Told 'Em on their In-DEED mix.

Dutch Hex (Trey Told 'Em Remix) - Professor Murder


Bounce That - Girl Talk


Legally download Feed the Animals here.

Girl Talk - "Give Me a Beat"

via Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good

It sucks to be home on a Saturday night with the beginnings of what I predict will be a nasty cold. The kind that will turn into bronchitis and force me to see a doctor. Knowing this, I knew that there was no way I could go to Girl Talk both Saturday and Sunday nights. So, I parted with my Saturday tickets via Craigslist a couple days ago so that I could rest up for Sunday night. Tomorrow night, I will be going with the same group of friends that accompanied me to the GT show at Webster Hall last Fall. That night, people in the crowd were giving us more room to dance because we were going crazy. A "before" picture here and "after" here to show how much dancing I did at the show. I hope the Terminal 5 crowd will be less violent than it was at the Ratatat show.

I just got off the phone with Trash For Your Eyes and Ears, and he had an amazing time at the show. If you've been to Terminal 5, then I'm sure you're aware that there is a gap between the gate and the stage. However, if you want to go onstage to dance, you must rush up the stairs (located stage-right left) during the first 10 minutes of Girl Talk's set. Gregg went on around 10:45 PM last night.

See you tomorrow! I've seen Gregg Gillis three times in the last year or so, and his shows are always so much fun for me. I hope there's a mix of Night Ripper, Feed the Animals, and some new stuff. For now, enjoy "Give Me a Beat." Gregg is a genius for mashing up Of Montreal's "Gronlandic Edit" and Ali's "Breathe In, Breathe Out." Yes, I listened to the St. Lunatics. I'm from the Midwest, what do you expect?

NOTE: Tickets for tonight's show (11/16) have gone back on sale!

Give Me a Beat - Girl Talk


And my favorite off Feed the Animals:

In Step - Girl Talk


Legally download Feed the Animals here.

Little Joy - Mercury Lounge 11.13.08

There's been quite a bit of Little Joy coverage on here, especially since I put up a post on "Next Time Around" a few days ago. Like I said before, I don't think that Little Joy's music is mind-blowing in any way except that it simply puts me in a good mood. After hesitating to buy tickets to the Mercury Lounge show last week, I decided that I could use a bit of feel-good live music in my life. Thanks to Craigslist (and Noah), I managed to get a pair of tickets to the Mercury Lounge show at the last minute.

As this was their first show in New York, Little Joy was visibly nervous. Although they've been professional musicians for years, I guess a small venue in the Lower East Side can still refreshingly phase them. Fabrizio and Rodrigo both managed to knock over their beers within the first ten minutes of the show. As much as their past musical reputation has been used as a marketing tool for Little Joy, it was endearing that they didn't expect to ride on the Los Hermanos/the Strokes wave alone.

For the most part, I really enjoyed being at the Little Joy show and listening to the songs that have put a smile on my face the past few mornings. Musically, my only complaint was that Binki Shapiro's mic was turned down too low. She really has a fabulous voice, but I could barely hear her, even during her solos. Maybe it was because I was standing right in front of Fabrizio? Either way, it was such a shame that I couldn't hear her during her brief part in "Next Time Around." Also, I hadn't been to Mercury Lounge in about 8 months, and I'd forgotten how loud their system can be. My ears are still ringing from last night, and that makes me feel old.

So, I've been reading in other places that Albert Hammond, Jr was indeed at the show, along with Aggy. This leads me to conclude that, yes, the tall obnoxious photographer that was standing behind me was indeed Albert Hammond, Jr. The one who hit my head and shoulder multiple times with his lens. Yes, I may have snapped on him, but I don't think he heard me, unfortunately.

Check out my past post for more songs.


Setlist
Evaporar
Unattainable
Play the Part
Shoulder to Shoulder
Brand New Start
Next Time Around
Happiness
With Strangers
Don't Watch Me Dancing
How to Hang a Warhol
No One's Better Sake
New Song
Keep Me In Mind



Evaporar - Little Joy

Someone please put up the guitar tabs for this one

Brand New Start - Little Joy


With Strangers - Little Joy

Little Joy - "The Next Time Around"

via gorillavsbear

Okay, so I've found my new Vampire Weekend. My current guilty pleasure is Little Joy, a band with Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes, Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos, and Binki Shapiro. Yes, it seems like the band's major marketing blurb is "Little Joy with the Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti," but Little Joy is probably the best effort involving any member of that band. I have to admit, I was reluctant to listen to the Little Joy album at first because of the Strokes association. Although I am a fan of the Strokes (Only music haters don't like "Reptilia" or "Alone Together"), I wasn't enthralled by the projects of Albert Hammond, Jr. or Nikolai Fraiture. But, Obscure Sound's review finally convinced me to give Little Joy a spin.

One of my favorite tracks is "The Next Time Around," an upbeat tune complete with a ukulele intro and barbershop harmonies. The melodies are so sweet that you can't help but uncross your arms and maybe tap a foot or your fingers along. Clocking in at barely over two and half minutes, the song is a very quick listen. It's over before you know it, so you hit the back button so that you can hear all the pieces again, like Binki Shapiro's voice that comes in, very briefly, near the two-minute mark. I'm getting my ukulele in a couple weeks, and you bet I'm going to be attempting to learn this one.

And, so, Little Joy has become my routine morning listen. While Little Joy's self-titled album is not groundbreaking, I have to (reluctantly) agree with Pitchfork's review of the album; Little Joy's music is very accessible and rather enjoyable. And, that's why it's a guilty pleasure for me. I like these tracks simply for their ability to pick up my mood and plant a smile on my face. Life doesn't always have to be so serious, n'est-ce pas?

Try not to be in a good mood while listening to "The Next Time Around," I dare you. I've also posted another favorite, "Keep Me In Mind," which has a very Strokes-like intro and overall feel.

Little Joy will be performing at Mercury Lounge this Thursday, November 13. If you have an extra pair of tickets, please send them my way! See you there!

The Next Time Around - Little Joy


Keep Me In Mind - Little Joy

Metric - "Help, I'm Alive"

via Riaz

According to iTunes and Last.fm, I've listened to the new Metric song nearly 100 times in the last five days. That's about 20 times a day, which adds up to over an hour devoted daily to this one song. What can I say, I really like "Help, I'm Alive."

"Help, I'm Alive" is not a complex track, but it's got something that has me mindlessly hitting repeat every single time. Essentially, this song is a very listenable rock-pop song with simple lyrics. But, whenever the song ends, I'm left wanting to hear more. So, I hit the back button on my iTunes/iPod. If "Help, I'm Alive" is any indication of how the new Metric album will be, then it definitely makes my list of most anticipated albums. The album is expected to be released in early 2009.

I have writer's block, so I'm going to keep it short so that I can play around on the guitar for the rest of the night. Love that Tuesday is Veteran's Day.

Enjoy!

Help, I'm Alive - Metric