DC Rises

Since Fugazi and Q & Not U stopped making records, it's been hard out there to rep the DC music scene (The French Kicks don't count, Adil), but finally I see hope, promise and excitement for my little burg.

I give you: Le Loup

They've been called DC's Arcade Fire, but I think you have to cut that with a touch of Animal Collective and Sufjan-esque banjo + strings affinity. But as the truism goes, writing about music is like dancing about architecture, so check the track:

http://pitchforkmedia.imeem.com/music/upNyqAgu/le_loup_fear_not/

Adding to the excitement, their forthcoming album is called The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' General Assembly, which is the name of a giant aluminum foil altar constructed over four decades by a janitor in his garage on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It's one of my favorite parts of DC.

Radio Indie Pop

Oh hi. Did you have a good weekend? Good to hear that.

Listen, you need to stop what you're doing right now and go to Radio Indie Pop. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "what's that website, I've never heard of it." Well stop fucking thinking and just go to the website. Remember a second ago when I told you to stop what you're doing and go? Yeah just fucking listen to me and do that.

Alright here's the premise. It's a website (you've gotta register for it, but it's free) that plays streaming music. It's got 7 different radio stations (one for each day of the week) along with album of the month (which is updated yearly, but it's how I heard of The Comas), and Alt Country radio station, and some other stock radio stuff. The mixes on the daily radio stations are fantastic with different moods for each day of the week. Definitely not like any other streaming music I've ever heard. The guy who runs it is clearly a He Man Woman Hater.

Radio-Indie-Pop.com

Half of my justification for getting HBO

Believe the hype.
After two episodes, I can say that Flight of the Conchords is amazing. Figuring that I would buy every episode on iTunes for $2, that's $8 a month justifying 1/2 my HBO bill. Plus I don't have to watch on my crappily-speakered laptop.
Seriously, the show gives us a weekly dose of Wes Anderson-like humor (Tenenbaums-era, you Life Aquatic haters) plus two or three amazing parody songs. Actually parody doesn't seem appropriate, since they have a true appreciation for the original form. Weird Al isn't the closest analogue - it's Ricky Gervais singing "Freelove on the Freelove Freeway" in The Office. Anyway, check it:
[My embedding skills are wack. Check out the videos for "Inner City Pressure" and "Robots" on HBO's website].

The Liars -- The Other Side of Mount Heart Attack

I'm really feeling this track by the Liars.

Gamer T's

I know what we're getting Victor for his birthday.

Nintendo Power

I love indie rock's recognition that the NES shaped our brains and ear canals, to this effect:


Also in on this goldmine of sonic referencing: Crystal Castles & Best Fwends (check out "Skate or Live").
Please use the comments to point out other jams that remind you of playin' Intendo.

Bat For Lashes - What's a Girl To Do

Speaking of cool new videos that are worth passing along: here's the video for the new Bat For Lashes video which is pretty remarkable. You've got sweet night-time riding, BMX tricks, a hot girl riding a bike, great special effects, and of course . . . Furries! The video is directed by Dougal Wilson and it's supposed to be a tribute to Donnie Darko. I like Wilson because he does these bizarre stylized videos (like this one). Oh yeah, and this song by Bat For Lashes is pretty sexy.

Bat For Lashes - What's a Girl To Do (Direct Video Link .mov file)

Common - The Game (new video)

I assume that most people have seen the new Common video for "The Game" but I'm the guy who usually misses music videos for some reason. This video is really nice though so it fell into my hands. Beats by Kanye. Cuts by DJ Premier. Erika Badu is no where near this track so Common has a great flow and clever lyrics. What more can you ask for?

The Cribs

Have you seen the very NSFW Cribs video? Wtf? It's a very good song--though I'm still not sold on the band or their underlying concept (having listened to the whole of the new album)--but shouldn't the video add to the musical experience, not, umm, distract from it? Again, it's NSFW, and probably not safe at home either, so proceed accordingly.

The sweet spot for concert-going

After a steady six months of Alligator and Boxer in heavy rotation on all my musical devices, I saw The National last night at the 9:30 club in DC. It's a great venue and I was happy to put faces to some of the most evocative music of our generation. The show was also being recorded and broadcast on NPR.

I preface with these details to remark that I loved the show, but it didn't break into my all-time best concerts pantheon for reasons that I think have nothing to do with what was onstage. I think that my heavy listening may have pushed me passed the sweet spot for concertgoing to an overfamiliarity with each chord and vocal warble such that the show was being checked against the LPs constantly in my mind.

When I think back on some of the best shows that I've seen, most were bands that I had just gotten into and didn't know front to back before I saw their show. It makes me think there is a perfect time to see a band, from a familiarity standpoint. You can't have listened to the most recent album more than say, four times, but you must have latched on to at least one banger, so that you can lose your shit at the opening riff.

I think this sweet spot calculus is largely unexamined in the hyper/hater cycle of music conversations. What say you?

The Worst Best Albums

The Worst Best Albums.

Au Revoir Simone/Voxtrot

As promised in the comments section to the post below, here's Au Revoir Simone's "Sad Song." I saw them last week at the Magic Stick--and by "saw" I mean I missed their set, but saw them checking their email on their Macs at the bar downstairs. The headliners, Voxtrot were quite good, considering especially how disappointing the LP they've released actually is. I know I am the tweeest of the lot here, and I put a lot of stock into Voxtrot, and was pretty down when the boundless promise of their EP's was squandered, but it was good seeing them live, if only to be reminded that they're just kids, and they haven't figured out yet how to be a great band. Alright, my bitches, au revoir...

Dear Mr. Streets

In a short while you will receive an invitation to something in a certain place. And when that happens, you, along with the other he men, will say, "I was right allll along." I know as well as anyone that smugness is sometimes deserved.

Here is something to sink your teeth into, all. Devour its content and question its substance.
http://biffhop.blogspot.com/2007/06/finally-my-top-25-or-so-n-so-list.html

Fucking lawyers - the Big Challenge

So a good friend of mine has this boomer asshole at his firm (homeboy's favorite band is Cream), and this man, so I am told, has issued a challenge. He, like so many of his enormous voting block of Beatles-loving compatriots, thinks that their generation has created the only credible music of the modern era, and he has asked me to back up my disagreement with five albums. He has promised to listen to all five, and I, or rather my good friend, would like your advice. Which albums, my dearest men, do you think embody the intrigue of our wayward generation? How can we make this man say, "I was SO wrong... how can I go on living such a lie?"