It’s been a busy, hectic, productive and explosive year at R/GA. We have won many awards in 2005, but this one was the biggest one. Congrats to all. Read the nice article from AdAge.
Make Believe @ Northisx
My marathon of music concludes with Make Believe at Northsix. I was very eager to check these guys out ‘cuz I missed them during CMJ. The opening band Michael Columbia from Chicago were quite interesting. Although the duo were repetitive at times, their music kinda grew on me. It must have been the unique combination of live drums, saxaphone, and funky electronic loops.
Make Believe took ths stage and it was actually nice to see Tim Kinsella again. The last few Joan of Arc shows I attended were just awful and I had the hope that Make Believe would pick up the Joan of Ass pieces. Tim seemed to be in a trance for most of the show and gained more energy as the show progressed. The crowd (about 40) was into the squelches and bursts of energy coming from the stage. Slowly I got into the complex sounds as well. I felt that the music could have been more polished but I was happy with how far the band was pushing the boundaries of indie rock. I am excited for what this band has to offer in its next iteration. In the meantime, check out their video for We’re All Going to Die. and pictures
from the show.
Arcade Fire @ Union Square Station?!!
This is one of those random days that make you just love New York and its spontaneity. At around 2 AM a few musicians set up to play a few songs outside Union Square, and it was none other than Win, Will, and Regine of The Arcade Fire! They played a few New Order covers and “Boys Don’t Cry”. I wasn’t there but I do have this crappy video from a lucky witness. New York is magical sometimes.
Gratitude @ Southpaw
Jonah Matranga’a latest band Gratitude played an under publicized show near my apartment. The crowd was very small but everybody knew the songs and the band still played their hearts out. I was very surprised how much energy the band has and Jonah was truly amazing. Too bad I hear that the band will dissolve after this tour. Check out pictures from the show.
Dios Malos @ Mercury Lounge
As soon as Imogen Heap was done with her set at the Living Room I ran to the Mercury Lounge to catch these guys from Los Angeles. They were quite funny on stage and their music was a mix of indie goodness and surreal soundscapes. Very trippy stuff and the new album is quite good as well, Check out a video for “I Want It All” and some pictures.
Imogen Heap @ Living Room
Imogen Heap is the new solo effort by Immi from Frou Frou. I received an early demo of her album and instantly fell in love with it. She wrote, recorded, produced, and mixed everything. The songs are truly addicting and she played an initimate show at the Living Room. It was PACKED with fans and it was free! She will be back in ’06 so stay tuned. Check out a few pictures I was lucky enough to catch. On another note, this album is one of the infected copywrited CD’s SONY recently put out so don’t put it in your PC machines. Macs are ok (of course). And yea, fuck you SONY.