Think About Lofts / / / Think About Life
here’s something to think about before making plans for this weekend…
we’ve all been to a good show, right? and we’ve all been to a good party too right? in the best of times, a good show can also be a good party - as i experienced once again last weekend at a show/party celebrating the 7th anniversary of the Wavelength music series in Toronto.
lately I’ve been really into going to bars/shows in different types of alternative venues… I really kind of like the less formal vibe and typically find a greater comfort and camaraderie among the goers – and well, it just kind of feels more like a party. so this jam last Saturday took place in this awesome loft, just sort of off the beaten path. adorned with cup-art chandeliers and cut-out hearts (how cute), it really had a welcoming feel - plus the place wasn’t cold to my hombres' illicit cigarettes.
there were a handful of bands on the bill… we arrived in time to catch a few including this killer electronic dude that goes by the name Animal Monster. dude had awesome beats, great sequencing and breaks and just lovely electronic sounds in general (fair enough?). totally worth myspacing…
also awesome was this completely shredding, post-rock/new wave band from Montreal, Think About Life. i can’t really prop up their performance enough… absolutely danceable, frenetically energetic, catchy and totally engrossing. they’ve got a real artsy and punk rock aesthetic to their music that gets your blood moving, your head bobbing and if you’re a real gamer - your fist pumping. some kids even started pushing each other (crazy!). grab one of their tracks here:
Think About Life – Paul Cries.mp3
and head over to the alien8 website to stream their record (or buy it for 8 bucks, its totally worth it!):
stream Think About Life – (self titled)
PS - i just discovered this! check out this guy's interpretations of the songs on Think About Life's debut in animated GIF form. cool bloody project man!
Think About Life in moving images by Dan Bodan
Posted by Geoff M at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2007New York State Of Mind
So last weekend I decided to escape the bitter cold for the slightly less bitter cold. Jumped on a flight down to New York City so I could attend Designers For Darfur. It was a little gem of sanity in the superficial (yet quite intoxicating madness) that is New York Fashion Week. The show asked many prominent designers to donate a piece in the traditional colours of Africa (red, yellow, black and green) that will be auctioned off on eBay. It was a breath of fresh air to see so many talented people donating their time and artistic energy to create a positive impact. 100% of the profits go to the Save Darfur Coalition. We will be running a clip of the show on MuchNewsWeekly this Sunday at 4pm and 10:30pm ET if you are so inclined.
On the flip side, the following day I decided to wander Soho. I came across two things of interest. First, Kid Robot. Peeked into the store because they had supercool hoodies in the window only to find Dunnys inside! If you watched our last episode of the NewMusic you will know what I am talking about. So I bought my mystery Dunny and it turned out to be the cute little pink and green cactus Dunny. But super awesomely was the store across the street. I think this picture says it all.
Though, little advice, don't go inside. Worst store ever. Cruel irony that is my life.
Till next time,
hx
Posted by Hannah Simone at 04:11 PM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2007heads up: Aqueduct - Or Give Me Death
hey guys… sorry for a bit of a slow week on the NewMusic blog. Some kind of winter plague swept through headquarters here and knocked out numerous VJs, camera-ops and even our own Manny for two days(!). but we're pretty well back to business now.
a few words on a killer new record that landed on my desk earlier this week, the new one from Seattle based pop maestros Aqueduct. holy smokes, I can’t remember the last time I heard a record that was so instantly hooky and accessible. Sure, I probably say that all the time, but I’m serious- no work required whatsoever. Just two ears and a stereo… even one ear for crying out loud.
the album’s called Or Give Me Death and it drops February 20th on Barsuk records. It’s jam-packed with catchy melodies, warm synths, clever heartfelt lyrics and smiley toe-tapping hooks. Love it!
the kind folks at Barsuk are offering a free full album stream right here (how easy is that!?!):
stream Aqueduct – Or Give Me Death
or if you want something for keeps, download this fantastic track right now... its so damn good!
Aqueduct – Living A Lie.mp3
Posted by Geoff M at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
February 06, 2007Hitting shelves at a record store near you…
I was cruising absolutepunk this morning when I came across a list of albums that are coming out today. I was seriously blown away by the list.
After a hiatus, (break up?) Lifetime are back, thanks in part to Pete Wentz’s persuasion and his super label, Deycadance. I don’t have to give you an oral history of the band and if you’re a fan of any band from the Jersey area (think Saves The Day, Midtown etc.) then you know they wouldn’t exist without Lifetime. I actually asked Chris Conely of STD when I interviewed him last year about his thoughts on their reunion and he didn’t seem too hopeful. He basically told me that he isn’t going to see them perform because he doesn’t want to tarnish his great memories of the band. Fair enough.
As of now, I have only heard one track, Airport Monday Morning, and I have already added it to my MySpace profile. These guys are professionals now so don’t expect a full return of the group. However, us Canadian fans eagerly await a tour on this side of the border. I’m not going to hold my breath and let’s face it, I’m getting too old for road trips.
Also released today (and I really didn’t want to mention this group on here ever again) is Fall Out Boy’s Infinity on High. My expectations have already lowered since I hate the first single in addition to the fact that my friend, (who’s a super-FOB fan) said that the album “is no From Under the Cork Tree”. Fine, I expected that. I guess I’m still moderately stoked to have it in my hands sometime this afternoon. Oh yeah, and one more thing: Pete Wentz calling the leak of his album the worst leak in history is completely laughable. This guy needs to come back down to Planet Earth and stop hanging out with people like Ashlee Simpson. Seriously, Pete, get a grip.
Also out today:
Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City
Loney, Dear – Loney, Nior. My co-worker Geoff let me have a listen to this a short while ago and I have to tell you, I sincerely dug it.
Boys Night Out – Fifty Million People Can’t Be Wrong EP. You can only get this online, but if you’re a fan of their older material, you’ll be pleased to know that they re-recorded three old songs. Plus, for $4.99 you can't go wrong, so go get it.
Sondre Lerche – Phantom Punch.
Tim Armstrong – A Poet’s Life. I’m really curious to hear this. Even though you can barely make out a word when he speaks, the guy is an excellent lyricist. Remember that time he wrote songs with Pink? Let's see if he can get anyone to pat attention.
The End - Elementary
Posted by anto+nella at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)
February 05, 2007Today was good day
Got word from our friends over at Magic Pony that the Madvillain figure came in. As you can see from the pic above I was extremely excited.
Speaking of figures/toys, we’ll be featuring a small story on the cute little Dunny. These guys are really popular and come in a wide variety of styles and design by different artists. On our Feb 26th episode we crash a Dunny release party at Magic Pony and get the scoop on these little guys.
Ok, lastly here are a few stories we’re working on for our late February and March episodes:
The Hundreds- We hook up Bobby Hundreds while in sunny LA and he gives us some insight to the popular clothing brand and online magazine.
Enter The Babylon System Unpacking Gun Culture – Hannah Simone sits down with the authors of this book and chat about guns, hip-hop, and gun violence. By the way, this book is really amazing and the facts are bit shocking. Hannah Simone and I highly suggest it.
Grizzly Bear – The Brooklynites from Grizzly Bear are in town tomorrow night. We’re hoping to hook up with the guys for some hi-jinks
I’ll throw out another update later this week.
Posted by Manny at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
February 01, 2007Birds!!!
though titled “Birds!!!” this entry actually has nothing to do with birds – BUT everything to do with a talented multi-instrumentalist named Andrew Bird and a fantastic short film called Birds with dogs flying through the air in slow motion with neon lights. first birds first, Andrew.
my good friends jer + sarah turned me on to Andrew Bird’s last record The Mysterious Production of Eggs and it struck me right away as being a totally unique pop album. Bird’s got an awesome, warm and comforting voice and an incredible knack for writing smart pop songs with perfect arrangements. Have a listen to the mind-blowing A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left.
Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left.mp3
As I just learned this morning, Andrew Bird is releasing a new album on March 20th called Armchair Apocrypha. (what's apocrypha you say... our friends at wiki say apocrypha “are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned.” cool). anyway, ive been listening to the first single/download called Heretics on repeat for about a ½ hour now. (i’m kind of back into listening to songs on repeat, like when I was 12). pop songcraft at its absolute best… its haunting, beautiful and enthralling with moments so good that you just might skip a breath. check it out...
right, the other birds.
I kind of explained it already – dogs flying through the air in slow motion with neon lights. In a word, stunning. Check it out over at the Pleix films website.
Posted by Geoff M at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
