Author: Jennifer

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A Good Read a Good Listen and a Good Drink: Sivan Gur-Arieh, Everyone is Dirty

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It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Everyone is Dirty is: Sivan Gur-Arieh (vocals/violin), Christopher Daddio (guitar), Tony Sales (drums), and Tyler English (bass). They are from Oakland, and they mix fuzzy aggression with pockets of sweetness to create some of the finest grunge out there. Here they are with the video for Mama, No!!!, their first single:

Everyone Is Dirty – Mama No!!! from Dalton J. Rooney on Vimeo.

A full-length record is expected in April, and they’re playing shows all over the Bay Area this spring. The next one is at Slim’s, in San Francisco, on March 7. If you’re in town head down and rock out with them.

Meanwhile, here is Sivan Gur-Arieh to tell us about one of her favorite books, records and drinks:

A Good Read:

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe

This is the story of what happens when your drunk-ass friend convinces you to jump into a random empty boat on the dock and go sailing in the middle of the night. I love Poe’s descriptions of storms and the stillness of the sea. Get tossed around in the ocean for a while and read the whole book here.

A Good Listen:

Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg

Mesmerizing music even though I can’t really understand what he is saying. Sonically they’ve got some amazing players on this. I’m in love with Herbie Flower’s bass playing and all of those psychedelic orchestral string arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier. Um, and are you watching Jane Birkin dance in the movie version? This is a sexy fucking album. I must confess I’ve put it on to try and impress a boy ;)

Minute 11:05 of the video is especially fine:

Histoire de Melody Nelson – Serge Gainsbourg from LeGouter on Vimeo.

[ed note: you can also watch it on YouTube!]

A Good Drink:

Morning Sunshine! There’s nothing like an Italian Irish Coffee to set the right mood on a recording day, or any day for that matter. It puts together 2 of my favorite things . . . espresso and whiskey.

Italian Espresso

Johnny Walker Red

Whole Milk

Sugar

Whipped Cream

. . . add a few drops of Sativa Tincture for a dreamy work day.

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Postcards from the Pit: Fadeaway Records Friends Benefit 002, 1/18/14

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Better late than never, right? Or something like that.

Anyway, to back up a little bit, in early January Fadeaway Records reanimated first themselves, then The Gay Blades, and finally (and for one night only) Maxwell’s, for a benefit show for cancer charities. The following week they did it all over again (minus the reanimation) at St. Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. I was at both shows, but the pictures from the first one were supremely terrible, so I’m only posting the ones from Brooklyn.

In addition to the shows, there are also three, count them THREE, records being sold as part of a general “screw you, cancer” effort. On the records are over 30 previously unreleased tracks from Motion City Soundtrack, Frank Iero, Saves the Day, Judy Chong, Reggie and the Full Effect, The Gay Blades, Nightmare of You, Head Automatica and many more. The records are available in fancy vinyl as well as digitally.

Now onwards to the pictures.

Fred Mascherino (The Color Fred, Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea, Brody) is a man of many bands; his most current project is Terrible Things.

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States & Kingdoms (Members of Rival Schools, Thursday, Retisonic, Small Brown Bike and Atlantic/Pacific) are super-loud and like a big fuzzy drone-y hug for your ears.

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Geoff Rickly (Thursday) was actually having a lot more fun than this picture might suggest. He was so charming and low-key that the times he took two steps back from the mic, took a deep breath and pinned our ears back with his voice came almost as a surprise. Also, that link back there leads to his mixtape(s) which you should go and listen to right now.

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Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance, Pencey Prep) was the “surprise guest” for the evening. In addition to the song he contributed to the Fadeaway records, he also has a bunch of solo work out now, including what might be my favorite cover of Walk the Line ever, and B.F.F., a song he wrote with his twin daughters.

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I Hate Our Freedom (Members of Garrison, Thursday, Texas is the Reason and Millhouse) rocked so hard the bass player broke his strap and had to duct tape it back on mid-set.

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The Gay Blades started with a sweetly-sung show tune – On the Street Where You Live, from My Fair Lady – then pause for a moment before slamming into a crunchy punk riff. I don’t know if they do that all the time, but I hope so, because I think that would just never get old.

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Postcards from the Pit: The Dirty Nil / Weird Womb / Phone Home, Shea Stadium Brooklyn, 2/20/14

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Ok, so first I have explain the venue. Shea Stadium Brooklyn is, uh, not the ballpark, which used to be a few miles north in Queens, until it was demolished in 2009. It’s actually the opposite of a stadium: one cozy room with comfortable couches scattered around the edges and affordable drinks. The vibe is very punk-rock clubhouse, largely because that is what it is; it was founded by members of the SoSoGlos, also in 2009. It’s also unlike other venues in that every performance is recorded and made available on the internet for free. The process takes about a week, so if you’d like to hear the show I went to, check their website this weekend.

Now, onwards to the show. Note: the one thing Shea Stadium Brooklyn does not have is strong stage lights. So some of these postcards are very blurry postcards.

Phone Home was first, and they played what I can only describe as a torrent of heavy jammy-psychedelic noise. If you clicked on that link back there, and I encourage you to do so, know that they are 200% louder and more viscerally intense live. Here they are in action:
 

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Next was Weird Womb, who yanked our collective chains a little bit every time they told us their name, so towards the end I was briefly convinced they were called Pretentious Peach. (Which, how awesome is that name, for a punk band? I’d go to that show just to see what they did when they came out on stage.) Anyway, they were more on the garage-punk end of the spectrum, and heavy enough to cause a two person circle pit. There was also some vigorous head nodding and metal-swaying going on.

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And then: The Dirty Nil. They are from Toronto and this was their fourth (!) show in America and second in New York. I was at the first show, too, which was at a different tiny venue (Glasslands), and both times I’ve left feeling like I’ve been given a special treat/got away with something. They are so good, you guys. They also got the front row to dance. By “front row” I mean “two people” and by “dance” I mean “hard-core two-step/skank,” but still, dancing, it was happening. And the general rate of head-nodding and metal-swaying increased a notch as well.

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And then I slipped away into the icy night, thus missing Le Rug who played last. Perhaps next time!

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Late Night Listening: edapollo, Shallow Swell

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Late Night Listening: a home for things that might be fleeting, might be soothing, might be weird, might be soothing and weird. The blogging equivalent of sitting in the garage twiddling radio knobs just to see what might be out there.

shallow swell is the first ep from electronic producer/multi-instrumentalist edapollo (Ed Bidgood), of Bristol, England. And it is the perfect thing to put on to unwind in the evening after a long day, or at any other time you need just over fifteen minutes of sounds that are soothing, but definitely not boring.

I’ve included the whole thing below, mainly because the songs flow so neatly into each other, like movements of a symphony.

 

Like it? You can buy the EP from Bad Panda Records at bandcamp!

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Coming Attractions: Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This is Stones Throw Records

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Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This is Stones Throw Records is the story of DJ and producer Peanut Butter Wolf (Chris Manak) from his early life outside San Francisco to the founding of Stones Throw Records in 1996 to the present. Directed by Jeff Broadway and featuring appearances by Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Mayer Hawthorne, J Dilla, Mike D, Common, ?uestlove, Mad-Lib, Dam-Funk, DOOM, and Tyler, The Creator, it will officially premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March.

But – true to the label’s pioneering approach to the music business – it’s also going on a promo tour across North America, and most of the screenings will be followed by performances by Stones Throw artists.

Here’s the trailer:

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton: Official Theatrical Trailer [HD]

For updates, check out their Facebook page.

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Video: AJ Suede feat. Teck and Joey Shinobi, After Earth

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Some years ago I lived in rural north-western Pennsylvania, and spent a lot of time driving back and forth between there and Central Jersey. Which meant a lot of time in I-80. If you’ve never ridden through that stretch of countryside, know this: it can be beautiful, especially when the leaves start to turn in the fall; but it can also be the desolate and post-apocalyptic monument to dead industries and rural isolation shown in this video for After Earth by AJ Suede (FREEMINDS COLLECTIVE) feat. Teck and Joey Shinobi and directed by Omar Jones.

AJ Suede - "After Earth" ft. Teck & Joey Shinobi (Official Video)

AJ Suede bandcamp

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink, Adam Turla, Murder by Death

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It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon, the sixth record from Murder by Death, has pretty much everything I like: big roaring drums, delicate and occasionally super creepy string sections, and songs that double as good stories.

Such as Lost River – in which a husband begs a wife to drown herself to join him in the afterlife – for which they have made the dark and lovely animated video below:

Murder By Death - Lost River

They are, as we speak (type?), taking their show on the road, with sold out shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York next week, followed by stops in Baltimore and Cleveland. They’ll also be at the Wakarusa Festival in Arkansas in June.

Meanwhile, here is Adam Turla (vocals) to tell us about his current favorite book, record and drink:

Murder By Death, l-r: Matt Armstrong, Scott Brackett, Adam Turla, Sarah Balliet, Dagan Thogerson. Photo by Greg Whitaker

Murder By Death, l-r: Matt Armstrong, Scott Brackett, Adam Turla, Sarah Balliet, Dagan Thogerson.
Photo by Greg Whitaker

A Good Read

Last year I read Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History [by Robert Edsel] – a great book that turned into a pretty weak movie. The book is the true story of the World War II division of the US Military that was assigned to protect, locate and retrieve art stolen by the Nazis. I’m not usually a WWII buff, and I was shocked and horrified by the idea that Hitler was not only trying to eliminate a race of people, but also wanted to erase their culture and history.

And what was so fascinating and nightmarish (like the movie Brazil or something), he did it all by creating legislation that revoked the Jews’ right to own art, then had the Nazi state forcibly seize their property for “safekeeping” as part of a fever-dream vision of a massive museum full of looted masterpieces to be built in his hometown. What they deemed “too Jewish” or grotesque/modern (for example, Picasso) they would burn. An incredible read for both the terror and the triumph of crushing Hitler’s dreams of a shitty future.

A Good Listen

Lately I have revisited Massive Attack’s Mezzanine. It’s a wintery album that really gets you in a mood. The song that’s always knocked me out was Teardrop – kind of an obvious choice but I love it. Great record for sexy times.

Massive Attack - Teardrop

 
A Good Drink

Funny, I’m taking it easy on drinking this month. But lately I have enjoyed a Boulevardier, which is basically a Negroni with bourbon instead of gin. I love gin, but our drummer left a bottle of Ancient Age at my house and I’m happy to relieve him of it. It’s 1 1/2 oz bourbon, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz Sweet Vermouth, stirred in a tall glass with ice, then pour into a tumbler on or off rocks. Garnish with orange slice if you’re feeling like a fancy lad.

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Jesus Sons, Jesus Sons

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Jesus Sons

Jesus Sons began life in a motorcyle garage in San Francisco in 2011; the initial line-up was Brandon Wurtz and Shannon Dean with Rob Good and Ian McBrayer of Warm Soda. In 2013, Wurtz and Dean decamped for Los Angeles, and Chance Welton, Bert Hoover, and Erik Lake joined the band.

Jesus Sons, their first, self-titled record starts with a burst of bluesy harmonica that expands into a supple country-blues guitar riff, all of which caused me to sit back in my chair and smile in hopeful anticipation.

Ladies and gentlemen, I was not disappointed. If you like country-blues with ragged garage rock edges (all of them, but especially Ain’t Talkin’ Homesick) and the occasional burst of surfy shimmy (Out of Time) and/or suggestion someone may be conducting a punk rock exorcism (Melt/Going Down), you need this record in your life. Also, amid all the swagger, there’s a six minute instrumental – You Put a Spell on Me – which is, dare I say it, kind of sweet.

Here, as an enticement, is the video for All These Furs, in which they play a show at Salvation Mountain. It passes my “could I watch this with the sound off and still enjoy it/follow what was going on” test and also makes me want to be at the show, because those people look like they’re having fun.

Jesus Sons “All These Furs” A Carey Quinton Haider Film from carey haider on Vimeo.

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Late Night Listening: Twang Darkly, Modal Creatures

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Late Night Listening: a home for things that might be fleeting, might be soothing, might be weird, might be soothing and weird. The blogging equivalent of sitting in the garage twiddling radio knobs just to see what might be out there.

twangdark

Twang Darkly is Michael Futreal (dulcimer, guitar, banjo, gourdtar, harmonica, flute), Joel Boultinghouse (bass, guitar) and Troy Messina (drums) and they are based in Shreveport, Louisiana. You’ll notice there are no “vocals” in there; they are, indeed, a purely instrumental trio.

And they are really great. Their sound takes elements from multiple traditions, including mountain music, jazz, and folk, and fuses them all together, with delightful results. All of their songs are excellent; I picked these three to share because I liked the titles.

Skinwalker: This one adds some “horror movie” shine to the proceedings, and is both eerie and lovely:

Close to the Spark: For when the autumn nights begin to draw in, or any other time a fire must be built:

Sea Glass is pretty and smooth, and so is this song:

Twang Darkly on Facebook

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Video: Hair, Tom Oakz

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Tom Oakz (Tom Oakes; More Amor, The Higher) has recently struck out on his own, and released a two-song EP entitled Hair. This is the video for the title track, which is an adorable stop-motion masterpiece. And I really enjoy the song, too. Team Long Hair Don’t Care forever!

To hear the other song / to buy both of them: stop on over to his bandcamp page!