I’ve seen this comedian a few times now and think he is quite funny. His skit about trying to pick up girls and going to California is hilarious. At his most recent stand-up he showed this video and luckily it was on his website. Check it out here, and Merry Christmikah.
We Are Wolves / Big Bear @ Sin-e
Yet another band with the word “Wolf” in their title and from Canada no less. I was very excited to see We Are Wolves play live and had no idea what to expect. They took the stage adorned with a haphazard quilted banner with their name barely embroidered in plaid. They had these enormous skull banners hovering over their heads. It was like an evil Pentecost. With the lights down they seemed menacing but as soon as the analog squelchs eeked through the speakers, I started to feel more at ease. The band was a riot. Speaking broken English and random French Canadian-isms they barreled through their set. I love the fact that despite only being a trio, they are capable of creating such a unique sound. They reminded me of a more absurd Trans Am (before they got all normal and stuff) and the beaty-ness of Out Hud. People were dancing and jumping along to their crazy sound, and I found it hard not to get carried away to their crazy universe. Go Wolves Go.
The next animal named band, Big Bear took the stage next and after their second song, the place cleared out. The sound was intense and menacing. Another decent performance by them but nothing ground breaking. We’ll see what happens next year.
Afterwards we went to newly opened bar Lafontane to catch a marathon of bands play, including the Holy Ghost and The Organ Donors. (14 or so bands in 4 hours). Needless to say, by 4 AM my ears had their earful….
I just love the We Are Wolves website: http://www.wearewolves.net/
Langhorne Slim / Richard Buckner @ Mercury Lounge
I was definitely in the mood to see Langhorne sing his fun yet bittersweet tunes again. He seemed to be more at home playing at Mercury Lounge than at Joe’s Pub. A lot of his fans came out for this show to add to the lively environment. It was also the birthday of Langhorne, the bassist AND drummer!
After a grueling wait for Richard Buckner to take the stage (about 35 minutes) he took the stage armed only with a guitar and various effect pedals all linked to another. The musician was quite a presence brooding onstage with his eyes closed singing his heavy songs. I was most impressed with the way he transitioned into the next song without ever stopping. Unfortunately I had to leave early in fear of the transit strike. Got lucky getting the F train at 11:50.
A few pictures from the show
2005 – The Best of
Although 2005 got off to a slow and boring musical start, it has wound up being one of the best year’s of music in quite some time. A flurry of great albums came out during the summer and CMJ showcased some great new bands. The hits just kept breaking through into the fall and winter. Looking back at September and October I can easily say that those 2 months were the best live musical experiences I’ve had my entire life (and that’s saying a lot).
2005 is drawing a close and there are STILL some great shows to come, and I’m sure it will end on a high note. So I am feverishly working on the SupaComp and hope to get it done by the 1st week of January, so stay tuned. So far it’s turning out to be a great collection of tunes. I can’t wait myself :).
So, as I’m working on the comp, it’s been hard to pick one album that stood out. I have a few in the competition, but I’d like to know what YOU think is the best album of 05. Leave a comment why don’t ya.
Explosions in the Sky @ Bowery Ballroom
So tonight’s Explosions in the Sky show was the complete opposite of last night’s folky Laura Veirs show. They band just plain rocked. Very very impressed. The show was very sold out and filled with many many fans. Awesome awesome show with a sprinkling of songs old and brand new.
And here’s an mp3 from the show. First Breath After Coma (live)
its over 15MGs. Go on kill my bandwidth.
Laura Veirs @ Mercury Lounge
Laura Veirs is an alt-folkster who comes from Seattle (I think). She sings upbeat country folk with flowing and catchy lyrics and her nerdish demeanor just adds to her charm as a musician. She has the range of singing whispery lullabyes to electric indie pop. Many of her songs reflect on human experiences and travelling. She was able to capture the sentimental qualities on her album live as well as rock out the heavier songs. When she played the catchy song “Galaxies” she passed around a bottle of body glitter and asked the audience to put some on their face. The show was really fun and she was just adorable on stage. After the show I was still humming her songs to the subway with a bit of glitter make-up on me.
some pictures of the show here.