Last Night ; Tonight ; Tomorrow Night

Last Night:

Frankpollis / Hymns / Indyans @ Pianos

The sound at Pianos is severely flawed, but it didn't destroy any sets - except for Indyans, who were just...eeek. And I never dislike a Frankpollis set.

Tonight:

Driving to and from Saratoga Springs in a big SUV.

highlights:

K.D. Lang's entire Absolute Torch and Twang - That girl can sing.
The Creation - Making Time
Colloseum - The Kettle (listen back to back with the Fatboy Slim sample of this song in "Push The Tempo." You'll like the original better.)
The Beatles - Please Mr. Postman
The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy (over the Tappan Zee Bridge, this was just heavenly)






Tomorrow Night:





Nothing.

Gil Scott Heron @ SOBs

It was an absolute privilage:

The best part about this show, I think, wasn't even the music - which accentuated Heron's sage-lyness - It was his anecdotes about his tours with Stevie Wonder in the 70s and 80s. His first interesting tale was a story about how he was on the tour bus with Stevie and a couple of other guys, and they needed to make a show. They were coming from the west to the east, and they didn't take into consideration the time difference (losing an hour,) so their driver went way past the speed limit. They were eventually pulled over (Gah!) so their clever clever tour bus driver put on a cockney accent, charming the officer, and exclaimed desperately that he had the entire African Boxing team in the bus, and that they were going to be late for the fight. The cop, who happened to be an avid boxing fan, immediately dropped the ticket charge, and they not only arrived to the venue early, but with a police escort!

-and for the record, Stevie Wonder did mention John Lennon's murder in December of 198 at his concert in the South. Don't believe everything you read - in the words of Gil Scott Heron.

Blonde Redhead / The Raveonettes @ Terminal 5

I'll start by addressing the utter contradiction to my last post that I am about to spout at you - I walked into Terminal 5, having purposely missed the new Secret Machines band, and I was completely engrossed, even as I handed my ticket stub to the man at the door, by The Raveonettes. They were playing new stuff off of their soon-to-be-released Lust Lust Lust, including a finale with "Aly, Walk With Me," the song I accused of being listless and disappointing. Perhaps Terminal 5, a lacking venue, facilitated their ghost-surf sound. The chick drummer that was with them was, as well, was a good addition. She had such passion and vigor with the symbols and the snare, making the set sound like a thunderstorm. The Raveonettes conjured up a tempest, and it was damn cool.

Blonde Redhead, who always convey wisdom, misery and joy with their sets, came off as half-victims to a flawed sound system and half-sampling too much of the record; thus, it all peeled away at the illusion that there was this living euphoria being presented to you. Granted, this wasn't even 1/1000 as bad as the girls with cameras, taping entire songs for YouTube or some other purpose. Nothing pulled you out of the realm of a surreal concert setting more than camera screens capturing the entire thing in front of you. Our eyes are naturally dragged to the screen, so, stop! Highlights were Paul Banks's guest appearance, playing guitar on "23;" the melty sounds of "Dr. Strangeluv," "Falling Man," and by far, "Melody." As far as sampling goes, why would a band sample vocal tracks that doesn't need to. This isn't Disney - this is a band that used to collapse at the alter of Sonic Youth. As well, the sound, especially during my favorite song on 23, "Spring and by Summer Fall," was close to being baseless. The sound was too tinny to consume the audience in lush oohs and melodies.

This doesn't at all take away from my love for them. But, bands should just keep booking Webster Hall and not so much Terminal 5. Leave this venue for smaller bands and late night showings of World War II -era movies.

Blonde Redhead are incredible. Now I just feel bad.

The Raveonettes have a brother they didn't know about.

The new band Death Valley Sleepers, straight out of Denmark, who have managed to acquire a following, and who have managed to put out some ear-pleasers...sound exactly like the Raveonettes. And The Raveonettes' anticipated album Lust Lust Lust was even expected to be dull with their newest single "Aly, Walk With Me"--an homage to every other song they've ever put out on either of their past albums. Death Valley Sleepers beat them to a release date. Whoopee-dee-doo. The sound is a nice Raveonettey pumpkin loaf.

...and DVS's top friend on myspace is Andy Warhol......trying a little too hard, DVS?

Ehh, whatever, I'm listening to them right now, and I'm enjoying it.

Death Valley Sleepers - She's In Control

Death Valley Sleepers - Sweet End