Music Snobbery

I'm From Barcelona Releasing 27 Solo Songs

To prove that the Swedish mega-fun powerhouse I'm From Barcelona aren't just Emanuel Lundgren and his friends or people he found in the airport., the group is releasing singles from each individual member. Thus, the project is called 27 Songs. You never know, one of these musicians can be the next St. Vincent, who was part of The Polyphonic Spree.

They explain:

While touring around the world with their two latest releases “Let Me Introduce My Friends” (2006) and “Who Killed Harry Houdini” (2008) the members of I’m from Barcelona have been working on the upcoming “27 Songs from Barcelona”. Inspired by Kiss’ simultaneous release of four solo albums in 1978, “27 Songs from Barcelona” features one solo song for every member in I’m from Barcelona.

With 27 members in the band, I feel short changed because I counted 20 or 21 people on stage during two times I saw them. I feel a partial refund is in order.

In any event, you can download each member's track on their website everyday for the 27 days.

Previously:

• They managed to get everyone on stage at Maxwell's
• Good times in 2007 at Southpaw

Hesta Prynn / Work-Out @ Pianos

Made a social call tonight at Pianos to see my buddy Hesta Prynn kickin' on the Pianos stage. She's been working on her solo work for a good part of a year on both coasts with my homeslice Chuck Brody and Sara Quin. I'm  anxious to hear the final product, see the cover art, read the linear notes and see her entertaining the cool kids of America. Yes, I'm a little bias , but she's got funky tunage for your head. It's a lot more mature then her witty rappin' days, but still has a party vibe. It's good downtown, keeping it sexy music. She debuted a few new songs that has some of that New York disco rock 70s attitude that I find interesting.

Like many of the people I've known in the music scene, Hesta is a true personality and she puts that into her work. I've known her before I had this thing and she's a fountain of creativity. More importantly, she does the most twittering of any artist I know. She beats out Paloma Faith and The Grates. She manages to twitter while she's twittering. If she's not twittering, she's either sleeping or on stage. I kid her. I kid because I love.

Here's a free .mp3 for ya to tide you over, help the lady out, would ya? It's for the song "Can We Go Wrong"

 

 

I caught a little bit of the Chicago band Workout. They play exaggerated 70s glam rock. At first, I was underwhelmed, but then they got on my good side with some choice cuts at the end. They don't take themselves too  seriously (they wear retro workout outfits), but they managed to make their outlandish sound interesting.

What Cutesy Indie Song Will Be in the iPad Ads?

Image from Waxin N' Milking:

The reason you couldn't get any tech support today was because the Apple overloads unveiled its last product that will be obsolete be the end of the year. You know the deal -- the Apple tablet or iPad will help you loose weight, cure scurvy, let you stalk Christina Hendricks, help you find your pants and, most importantly, let you avoid contact with the outside world.

With the new product comes the ads, with the singing dancing young, ethnically diverse people of central casting. Tye last one for the video nano using a Miss Yi song is just about as annoying as you can get. It's like GAP ad annoying, but not as bad as Miracle Whip. These ads launched the many a music career, so I'm thinking that the ad folks won't go the poppy route. If you remember the old iMac ads, they used Spiritualized, "Ladies and Gentleman Were Floating in Space." So maybe along that route, something soothing or folky pop-- like Vetiver or Kings of Convenience. 

The last word on this, can you imagine if this iPad had a camera? It doesn't, but if it did, imagine going to a show and then seeing somebody put the thing over their head to take a picture, blocking everybody's view. Yeah, we should all be thankful.

Amy Macdonald Lines Up Sophomore Album ... and Wedding

Friend of this space Amy Macdonald didn't make much of a dent here in the States with her debut album, This Is The Life. It could be due to the fact that it took a year and some change to get a proper stateside release. Despite the lack of U.S. exposure, the album sold three million copies. With Amy's second album due to be released it on March 8, it should be available here in 2011.

In any event, A Curious Thing features all her self-penned new material, which was recorded in Paul Weller's studio in the UK. The Jam man also appears on the album. Here's the track-listing

1. Don't Tell Me That It's Over
2. Spark
3. I Got No Roots
4. Love, Love
5. An Ordinary Life
6. Give It All Up
7. This Pretty Face
8. Troubled Soul
9. Next Big Thing
10. Your Time Will Come
11. What Happiness Means to Me
12. Dancing in the Dark

And this is a little surprise, she'll be married this summer to Welsh football player Stevie Lovell. She's 22. I was still living at home and driving a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera at 22. 

Previously:

• Amy stopped by to talk about starting out in Scotland.
• Amy Macdonald played Mercury Lounge
  

Husky Rescue To The Rescue With New Album

To be filed under, "What Ever Happen to Them" -- Finish indie band Husky Rescue have been M.I.A. since 2007. They quietly breezed through NYC in 2006 to promote the album that Minty Fresh put out, Country Falls. Other then that, they've been gone from my memory.

Not for long as the group, led by sultry-voiced Reeta-Leena Korhola, have put the finishing touches on their third album, Ship of Fools.Get It? Finish -- finishing. sigh

It has their signature brand of hushed vocals, slight dance beats and understated sexiness. This Is Fake DIY calls it "an understated masterpiece." The goodness comes out Feb. 1. Here's the tracklisting:

1. First Call       
2. Sound Of Love       
3. Fast Lane           
4. Wolf Trap Motel               
5. Man Of Stone       
6. When Time Was On Their Side           
7. Grey Pastures Still Waters           
8. We Shall Burn Bright               
9. They Are Coming           
10. Beautiful My Monster

Here's a sample of their song, "We Shall Burn Bright"

We Are Scientists / Bad Girlfriend @ Maxwell's: Freeball

I hadn't seen We Are Scientists in 2009. Heaven's to Betsy, how can I go that long without seeing them in live form? I'm slipping going into my fifth year of blogging.

Once again, this space chronicles the further adventures of Keith "EPMD" Murray and Chris "Young Guns" Cain. They are still in duo form with a rotating array of drummers. For this show, they have Danny Lee Allen of Youth Group on the sticks. On the new album, Andy Burrows of Razorlight fame does the heavy lifting on drums. This makes you think that Burrows likes to play for handsome fellows.

As they have done in the past, the guys book a few small shows to road test new material for their almost completed third album. The majority of show was dedicated to the hit singles and fan favorites. The couple of the new songs were very much in the W.A.S. vein. I was hoping they would go into industrial metal or zouk, but they are sticking with the indie rock thing.

If you haven't been to the We Are Scientists Experience, you know that they like to chat it up between songs with stage banter that would rival Prairie Home Companion. They revealed on Saturday that "Chick Lit" was written about the far off world of the Na'vi. For about five minutes, Keith and Chris went into a long dissertation about mistaken somebody's shout for "Freebird" as "Freeball." I'm ready to take side bets as to how long they banter between songs.

Joking aside, there's a reason I've traveled across the globe for these knuckleheads. They crank out catchy, up-tempo songs one after the other. Whether they are playing for 10,000 people in Madrid or filling in a room of 200, they're going to make the place rock. Although, I do admit that seeing them opening for R.E.M. and seeing them share a stage for an encore is never going to be topped. Keith did try to end it with a bang, by jumping into the crowd and making a running leap over their drummer.

As a side note, it must have been kid's watch free night because the average age of the crowd might have been 11. I saw a dad standing in the back as their kids rocked out up-front -- completely un-enthused to be there. "Like dad, can you not stand near us."

 

Taking opening duties are my new buddies Bad Girlfriend. Keith filled-in as the drummer for the night. The local ladies kick out some classic 50s rock chick tunes with echo effects galore. Girls, guitars, twangy classic rock -- I declare this band full of win. The nice thing that three did was invited the crowd on stage to jam out on some toy tambourines. 

The Temper Trap Throwing Tantrums Towards 2010 Tour

Hells yeah! Now that's a headline. Top that, bitches! 

If you're not tired of hearing The Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition" on ABC's promos their new show, Good Looking Rich White People Discovering Life Lessons, the Aussie group lined up an extensive U.S. tour for the Spring. As with every band in the U.S. touring in April, they'll be stop by Coachella. I must admit, they got a damn fine line-up. Anybody got $1,000 and 125 spf suntan lotion?

• March 10: Henry Fonda Theatre -- Los Angeles
• March 12: The Filmore -- San Fransisco,
• March 14: Peter’s Room at Roseland -- Portland
• March 20: Fox Theatre -- Boulder
• March 22: Turner Hall -- Milwaukee
• March 23: Varsity Hall -- Minneapolis
• March 24: Metro -- Chicago
• March 26: Newport Music Hall -- Columbus, Ohio
• March 27: TBA -- Cleveland
• March 30: The Mod Club -- Toronto, Ontario
• April 2: Webster Hall -- New York
• April 3: Theatre of Living Arts -- Philadelphia
• April 6: 9:30 Club -- Washington DC
• April 12: Pontiac Garage at House of Blues -- Dallas
• April 13: Emo’s -- Austin
• April 15: Clubhouse -- Tempe, Arizona
• April 17: Coachella -- Indio, California

This is their latest video, it's for the song, Fader.

Previously:

• Temper Trap played during CMJ

Dizzee Rascal Rocks a Tux and Raps Over Nirvana

This clip is damn crazy. I have no idea what he's saying in "Stand Up Tall", but him performing over "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is leaving my, well, dizzy. He did this on Jools Holland's Hootenanny 2009 a.k.a. Jools Holland Rockin' Eve.

What did Americans get for musical entertainment on New Year's Eve? I refuse to type the kid's name. I just read about that kid in Rolling Stone. We're all going to hell.

Handsome Furs / Eugene Mirman @ Maxwell's: Earrings of Fury

And you can't see what that hand is doing in that picture.

The husband and wife team of Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry made their presence felt in Hoboken for a one-off show at Maxwell's. The duo played like they were meant to be on that stage all along. Their sexually charged electro punk had people bopping along and screaming for more. They played frantically for an hour and you felt that they spent every ounce of energy on stage.

This is my first time seeing them, so when I watching their dynamic, I noticed a few things. First, these two are made for each other. When you think of husband-wife teams in music, you go with Paul-Linda, then in modern music, you think of Korin-Jason or Brody-Josh. With Dan and Alexei, they are cut from the same cloth. Both are enthusiastic performers who acted out with their guitars and drum machines. Then, when the songs are done, they are cracking jokes, trading smiles and finishing each other sentences. I wouldn't mind having these people over for dinner. They seem like nice people, rock 'n' roll without being assholes.

Musically, they rely on keeping things hard, spunky and tight. I like how they keep things steady with fun and catchy electro beats with jarring guitars and Dan's strong rock voice. Alexei works the drum machine and keyboard on every song or maybe the drum machine and keyboard are playing her. She stomps her legs, pounds her chest with her palm, kicks it over her head in some weird yoga pose and thrashes her head around. Those lo-fi beats can have that effect. Dan, as you know, is an indie rock guitarist supreme. For his Handsome Fur hat, he trades the flannel for the obscure punk band t-shirt (The Dead Ceausescus). He's a little more loose here then from his Wolf Parade career. He's got that Joe Strummer demeanor when he plays -- rocking back and forth and kicking his amp to close the show.

The two were highly appreciative tonight of the crowd. The night before, they played a weird private party held by CNN and Vice Magazine held at Public Assembly. The couple made a documentary for CNN about their tour of China. Alexei made the observation that the crowd was a strange mix of corporate and too cool for school. Dan mentioned the coked up Vice Mag people he had to pass by to get his coat. Yeah, Vice! That's so Miracle Whip, yo.

Anyway, perfect show from the Furs tonight. While I think, for Dan, Wolf Parade may pay the bills, but the Handsome Furs is the most fun. 

As a side note, Alexei had these huge earrings that were flopping all over the place. Five seconds into their set, she poked herself in the eye with one of them. You think you're a rock star one second, you've got an earring stuck in your eye socked.

Eugene Mirman hosted that CNN/Vice party and did stand-up tonight. Hey, Flight of the Conchords is off the air, you need some cash flow somewhere. His subject included the awkward talking points CNN gave him, weirdos who hang out in book stores, Jason Bourne is he used twitter, prank cocktail napkins and in his funniest bit, Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood trying to use Netflix customer service. You had to be there.

It's Official -- Man or Astro-Man? Reunited, Playing SXSW

You may begin freaking out...

Just got this in the MusicSnobbery inbox:

The slumber is over and Man or Astro-Man? must see what has become of earth in the wake of their absence. So indeed, for all of humanity, 2010 will be the year of contact, or, at least re-contact with the original space cadets themselves: Starcrunch, Birdstuff, and Coco. In addition to all the scientific experiments and live music demonstrations, MOAM? will host a variety of benefits and charities for earth specimens, predominantly in the human or animal form.

The first opportunity to see them perform will be on March 6th at The Bottletree in Birmingham, Alabama. Later that month, MOAM will play several shows at the SxSW music festival in Austin, TX (March 17-21).