Lara makes her annual W♥M Radio appearance. In part one, she tells us about CMJ Music Festival that took place in October 2011. Read her full CMJ report here.
Things covered on the show:
Advice: Don't be so strict on planning
Thursday: saw Silver Swan
Friday: Failed show at Pete's Candy Store, some of Riot Media's bands were playing that night. We used Sea of Bees' music.
Saturday: "Lonely/Lovely Hearts Club" and "Paper Garden/Hearts Records" relationship. Lara's undying love/stalker/obsession for Team Genius.
Sunday: Day of rest, but there was that big Slate Magazine party that was tempting.
Disappointed that En Vogue didn't play CMJ
Dum Dum Girls - too cute and popular for this earth ... and CMJ (yet they played some shows).
CMJ pricing is way too ridiculous
Lara's advice: couch surf and pick free shows and loads of coffee! Don't forget to have fun!
Snowmine is one of Lara's top pick from CMJ.
Song of the show is Snowmine's "Curfews", which is available as a free download via wvmusic.bandcamp.com.
The College Music Journal’s (CMJ) annual showcase of rising talent in both music and film is a veritable wet dream for musicians and pop culture nerds alike.
CMJ Music Marathon Wrap-Up Day 2: Part II
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Lovely Hearts Club showcase continued…
Let’s get right to it. Swear and Shake is a newly-formed band based out of New York. When I say ‘new’ I mean really new; like, still covered in afterbirth ‘new.’ The band debuted in 2010 and released their first full album, Maple Ridge, a year later. Within that period, they earned mega praise from notable sources including Newsday and The Deli, not to mention countless gigs at prime NY real estate like Arlene’s Grocery and the Knitting Factory. Not bad for a band trying to make good in a city of 8 million.
I’m glad I didn’t have this information on hand when I saw Swear and Shake perform, because often prior knowledge taints the experience. I was impressed by the band’s easy rapport, even more so after learning of their late bloom. While I wouldn’t call the music innovative—they don’t do weird things with electronics or whip out a didgeridoo on stage—I’d be hard-pressed to label them as ‘sweet,’ which is generally my sentiment when it comes to boy-girl folk pop. At its roots, the music fits comfortably within the boundaries of folk pop, yet perhaps it’s Kari Spieler’s smoky, wise-beyond-her-years voice that keeps her band this-side of twee. “Johnnie” sounded great live—at once heartbreaking and familiar; I especially love the lyrics “You could be the stronger man, to sleep between these sheets. But never with your lips sewn shut, I can only do so much.” Preach it, sister. Listen to a live recording of “The Promise” here.
Only in New York is a folk band followed by a super-hipindie pop outfit. Fellow NYers Snowmine were certainly the wild cards of the night. Looking like they were fresh off the plane from 1980s Berlin (post-Wall of course), these guys oozed cool. I felt cooler in their presence, which is a sad sort of reality. And okay, they’re not just a band of pretty faces; judging by the complexity of the live show, I’d say they are also major tech geeks. Frontman Grayson Sanders calls himself a “new-classical composer.” It’s difficult to type that out and not loathe his being, but actually, the title fits. The songs on Laminate Pet Animal contain intricacies that were probably not discovered by strumming a guitar in the coffee shop. Snowmine are very much 21st century musicians in that they mix multi-genre beats with stylized niches like electronica, funk/dance, tribal, classical; the result is highly schizophrenic, but they pull it off (listen to the fabulous “Beast in Air, Beast in Water” for example). Live, this was quite a spectacle to behold. Armed with a giant keyboard/mixer thing, Sanders, resembling something of a soundman gone rogue, dazzled the audience with his deft hands and psychedelic white-boy soul. Listen to a live recording of “Hologram” here.
“Take Me Home” is absolutely tits: snappy electro-funk-meets-downtown dance dive, as realized by a hip suburban jazz choir.
Finally, closing the show, were our friends in Team Genius. I’ve been following this band since their inception more than three years ago, but since they rarely tour and never respond to invitations for chili night at my house, this was the first time I saw them play live. What I love about these guys and gals is that they are truly skilled at the art of writing pop music, even if they pretend to be a clown-car full of buffoonery. Their latest EP, Pop Songs, contains a Ronald Reagan shout-out but is otherwise a mature effort. I think. Let’s just say, if they were only concerned with producing bouncy, synth-heavy dance tracks without attention to lyrics or meaning, they would be the J. Geils Band and have a downloadable ringtone. Of course, the music they make is always fun, and the Lovely Hearts showcase was a fitting venue to flaunt the positive group aura. “Ronald Reagan’s Cousin” was a proper party on stage; Drew Hermiller‘s falsetto on “Take Me Home” (from their self-titled 2008 release) was a proper balls outoccasion. Listen to a live cover of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” here (Chad on vocals!).
As my time at CMJ came to an end, I realized I knew exactly what Joey Tempest felt when he boldly declared to the world of Swedish glam rock: “We’re leaving together, but still it’s farewell. And maybe we’ll come back to earth, who can tell?” I think he was saying “don’t be sad, college music fans. There’s always next year.”
The College Music Journal’s (CMJ) annual showcase of rising talent in both music and film is a veritable wet dream for musicians and pop culture nerds alike.
CMJ Music Marathon Wrap-Up Day 2: Part I
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday’s CMJ adventure was a bit of a bust. Riot Act Media presented a happy hour showcase at Pete’s Candy Store—a hip bar in Williamsburg, roughly the same size and shape as your average Williamsburg apartment. Unfortunately, due to popularity (which is not a bad thing), it was impossible to squeeze into the tiny backroom where music was happening. Instead, we bemoaned our defeat by sampling the “happy hour” portion of the evening. If you’re at all curious what was missed, check out the following musicians that were in attendance, or visit Riot Act’s website (linked above): Brooklyn crooner Patrick Bower; the moody, orchestral Gabriel & the Hounds; Julie Ann Bee’s whimsy project Sea of Bees; and the waltz-lovin’ Robin Bacior.
I missed Belgrave's first song. I’m hoping it was good but not too good, you know? I wouldn’t want to journey through life feeling as though I missed that one time when the clouds parted and God emerged to reveal some heavenly secrets (like why the Virgin Mary appears in pancakes but not breakfast burritos. Surface area?). However, if anyone could coax Him to play an encore, it would be Montreal natives Belgrave, as they specialize in the kind of soaring chamber pop that shoots for the stars, so to speak. “Tokyo” is a perfect example of a song with big dreams—rich, melodic layers, Trevor Boucher’s agile vocal chords, lovey lyrics; it all culminates with a head-thrown-back-arms-spread-wide chorus thatdelivers a romantic punch right to your cynical, beer-filled belly. How’s that for an out of body experience?
If Belgrave succeeded in transporting their audience to a Canadian dreamworld, Ann Arbor’s Gun Lake brought us back to earth in true Midwestern fashion. The beauty of Midwest music is that it always captures a certain mood that must be unique to the region; a strange brew of nostalgia, melancholy, reserve, and a pinch of self-deprecation thrown in for good measure. Not to be confused with the Pacific Northwest mood, which often contains more melancholy, less self-deprecation. However, they have mountains to dwell on; we have large areas of grass; let’s call it ‘topography psychology.’
I’m happy to report that Gun Lake met—then surpassed—all region-specificexpectations. Besides a knack for crafting interesting prose, every singing member has a voice like a rugged, Liberal Arts-educated angel. You know you’re in the presence of skilled musicians when they can jump from verse to flawlessly harmonized chorus without breaking a sweat (or breaking in pitch). Gun Lake provedfaithfulto this technique on their debut album Balfour; notably on the dusky ballad “Cliffhanger.” Live, the band didn’t really deviate from their pitch-perfect formula, and why would they? Highlights included “Cliffhanger,” which opened their set if I’m remembering correctly, and my favorite of the evening, “Trees,” a subtle waltz that almost reads as modern folklore. Listen to a live recording of “Trees” here.
Team Genius is back! They got drunk and recorded a video for “Ronald Reagan’s Cousin.” In typical TG fashion, the video is a loony bin of dancing, smiles, beards, hip shoes and boat shoes, confetti, and of course, that lovable, fiscally conservative Gipper(RIP). But don’t take my word for it:
“Ronald Reagan’s Cousin” is off the band’s current EP Pop Songs (released August 2011). Stream or purchase the album here: teamgenius.bandcamp.com. For more information, visit teamgeniusmusic.com.
02/19/09 M Room Philadelphia, PA 02/20/09 Blue Nile Harrisonburg, VA 02/21/09 James Madison University - Cool Aid 09 Harrisonburg, VA 02/22/09Glasslands Gallery Brooklyn, NY 04/09/09 Cake Shop New York, NY
The fellas (and ladies. Sorry ladies) in Team Genius sound like giant dorks. Their loose-cannon...
Hi. It's just me, Lara (the 'we' is singularly inclusive). I thought I'd start this week talking a bit about awesome things like impromptu street jams and hot pants, and non-awesome things like Ryan Adams quitting music (which is old news but still totally funny-sad!).
Team Genius in the streets of Brooklyn
Brooklyn blog Hooves on the Turf recently filmed the kids of Team Genius being all silly and adorable.
Credit:Sarahana @ Hooves on Turf
Clubhouse Jäger (Minneapolis, MN) / DJ Hot Pants / HOMG! (OMG, hot pants!)
Saturday was VD (Vu hates VD).What better way to celebrate love things than by dancing to some funk (music that stimulates many a love thing), courtesy of Hot Pants.
Hot Pants is a collective of DJs that spin under the single moniker.I recently learned that real DJs never choose their own name, they earn it (HOMG!).How do you suppose the DJs Hot Pants earned their name?Did they fight for it?Maybe they engaged in some sort of musical rumble (much like the dance-off in “West Side Story”)?My sincere guess is that ‘hot pants’ relates to the style of music they spin—groovy, bootylicious, makes-a-girl-wanna-pull-on-a-pair-of-short-shorts-and-shake-it music—but I could be wrong and it could have involved some serious ownage.
See Hot Pants, second Saturday of the month, at Club Jäger in downtown Minneapolis.Music starts at 10pm (no cover).Info here and here.
Ryan Adams blogs about being misunderstood in music, then quits music
I wish I read celebrity blogs.Celebrities are people too, but better people, and they have sadness just like you and me!Recently, I discovered via Stereogum, that Ryan Adams blogged about his decision to stop making music (and to stop blogging) and then later went back and deleted the blog.Fortunately, the Internet preserves everything, and thanks to Stereogum, you can read about Adams’s soul searching/destroying here.
Back already?I know.It’s long and (mostly) uninteresting.Here are the highlights:
“i won't be blogging here anymore either- but not for effect- it just is not being kind to myself- i need a life that is mine- i need to grow up and grow in to who i have subtly been working back towards since i stopped all that nonsense and i know also no matter what i choose to do in the music world, because i chose to do things my way and never lie i will always be viewed as an "asshole" ( i hear and have seen things in the past) and i am not, and i know the truth and i know who i am.”
“…no it is not monetarily as rewarding as people would like you to believe and yes, it is soul destroying. especially when you spend your life trying to write about the really difficult stuff and you stand there losing your way and people yell at you like you were in a circus. when it was your dream to matter and you realize one day, it never mattered- i mean, i am a punch-line and a footnote in what is worse to yell at someone besides "free-bird". i mean, i lost…”
Honestly, I feel for the guy.It must be hard when even the career eulogy he wrote for himself is accidentally amusing.But then you wonder why is it amusing?Because it’s Ryan “Worse than ‘Free Bird’” Adams?Or because he publicly declared his retirement by writing a very, very long blog about it (with no capitalization and minimal punctuation, which basically screams “I’m too depressed for grammar”)?Call me a softie, but I’m going with the latter.
12/18/08 Union Pool - Jezebel Music Feature Brooklyn, New York 01/10/09 Lit Lounge New York, NY 01/16/09 Monkeytown Brooklyn, NY 02/21/09 James Madison University - Cool Aid 09 Harrisonburg, Virginia
The fellas (and ladies. Sorry ladies) in Team Genius sound like giant dorks. Their loose-cannon...
Just in the (Saint) nick of time…(Zing!)
Team Genius releases music video for “Take Me Home”
Let’s recap:indie pop band from New York (by way of the Midwest); two brothers, two sisters, and some unrelated friends; dance-friendly nerdy beats, fun-to-frank (but never derisive) lyrics, merriment, tomfoolery, beers, and, apparently, bears.
The Team recently released a video for “Take Me Home,” off their self-titled debut album.I sat down to watch it and these are my thoughts.
A stream of consciousness stream of “Take Me Home”:
There’s Chad.He looks like a character from Zoobilee Zoo.
Chad’s waiting for the train.He’s just a bear underground, trying to get out of Brooklyn (is that not an existential dilemma we can all relate to?).
People are staring.A man dressed as a bear hardly seems worth a New Yorker’s attention.I would be thankful that he isn’t wiping his bum with a used surgical glove or performing a one-man interpretation of Annie Get Your Gun.
I love that view from the bridge.See it at night and you’ll understand why a rational, college-educated professional would share a pantry-sized apartment with seven music interns just to be in this city.
Chad is in Times Square. I just noticed that his bear hands have thumbs but not fingers, which makes me wonder how he buttons his shirt.Also, is he hairy underneath the shirt?These are serious, important questions.
The mood is exciting at first—Manhattan adventures!Then it becomes somber when Chad gets his camera stolen and is unable to hail a cab and has trouble with a map.What does a man-bear do when he’s feeling down?Does he find a place where everybody knows his name?
“Take Me Home” (the song) is a little world weary and jaded.It seems to be about wanting comfort, sanity, someone to share in the apathy, and escape from the terrible distaste of youth.I get that (high five).The video is a little absurd and (so!) cute, but it doesn’t stray from the song’s message about finding a “home” that fits.In the end, bears need families too! (Even though they are not social animals and are often mean and scary.)Bears, bees, hipsters, whatever, we’re all the same inside (guts and feelings).Thanks, Team Genius!
An invitation:
Did you know that Team Genius is the Monthly Featured Artist at Jezebel Music?Indeed.For a chance to see the members dressed biblically, check out Jezebel’s holiday show Dec. 18 at Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY.While Team G may not officially endorse Christmas, they do encourage the wearing of festive sweaters, moustaches, and large adult diapers.More info can be found at the Jezebel website.
10/11/08 Public Assembly , NY 10/21/08 OS Art House (CMJ) NY, NY 10/23/08 Knitting Factory - (CMJ) NY 10/24/08 CMJ Showcase - The Charleston Williamsburg 11/05/08 Glasslands Brooklyn, NY 11/13/08Monkeytown. Boosh! Brooklyn, NY
The fellas (and ladies. Sorry ladies) in Team Genius sound like giant dorks. Their loose-cannon...
Team Genius still sound like big fat dorks (minus the ‘fat.’They are probably very svelte).Only now they sound like grown-up dorks, with fancypants studio polish and cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape album artwork.Where the Hooray EP lacked in vocal brawn, Team G’s self-titled release has plenty of chub in its gut.It’s possible that Drew Hermiller’s a man now (often puberty is late); it’s also possible that Team Genius is actually a team of geniuses (possible but not probable).Genius or not, they certainly are—prepare yourself for a music pun—hitting the right notes with the boy-girl harmonies and the toe-tappin’ jangle pop.Let’s delve further, shall we?
Upon further observation, the cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape is actually a cool thumbprint-made-from-mixtape-tape, which is obviously a reference to season 2, episode 6 of the popular Nickelodeon show “Salute Your Shorts,” when Budnick develops a sad crush on Dina and (presumably) makes her many Slayer mixtapes; unfortunately she is unable to return his love because he has long hair.Eventually Budnick tries to change himself for Dina, who is a rich bitch and incapable of feelings; the pinnacle of this transformation is his decision to cut his hair.I think Team Genius is at a similar crossroad as Budnick, trying to find that balance between silly and serious, spontaneity and control, fun and work, long hair and Super Cuts crew cuts.The fellas (and ladies) may have one foot in the sticky mess of youth, but it’s clear that they’re making a genuine effort to explore broader avenues beyond the nerd-core limits.
“Take Me Home” is absolutely tits:snappy electro-funk-meets-downtown dance dive, as realized by a hip suburban jazz choir.Interestingly, the song is not about gettin’ bizay in da club and going home with lots of shorties; the lyrics, in fact, are “reflective” and serious (but still fun).Although they maintain some of the low-tech unfussiness that made Hooray enjoyable, the Team’s lyrical psyche has definitely evolved (“Let’s All Sleep Together” and “I’m Just an Idiot” have been replaced with “The Wise Ones All Give Up” and “Meanderings and Musings”).Even “Sing Song,” a cheeky little ditty-bop about singing and being loud but not sorry sounds better post-studio magic (and this was one of the standout tracks of Hooray).
Team Genius is still a Brooklyn band (but not the sucky one).They buy things at stores (just like us!), have Myspace pages (just like us!), and play live shows (not like us).They’re debut full-length album will be available tomorrow (Oct. 7).You can get it somewhere (the ‘where’ is TBD; check their website for more info).
09/12/08 Andyman’s Treehouse Columbus, OH 10/11/08 Galapagos NY
The fellas (and ladies.Sorry ladies) in Team Genius sound like giant dorks.Their loose-cannon yowls are less punk than glee club mayhem and I’m 99% sure that at least one band member sports a questionable/lame hairstyle (Myspace confirms this).Despite the dorkiness (or perhaps because of it), the songs are curiously infectious—short anthems that are neither sweet nor sour.Singer Drew Hermiller’s brand of unintelligible wit is obnoxiously charming, like a cruder more pubescent Weezer (without the endless self-doubt).It’s music that refuses to take itself seriously, sometimes with consequences (“Must” sounds like a mixtape reject) and other times with near-perfect clarity (“Sing Song”).
Team Genius hails from the indie rock holy land—Brooklyn, NY, which is both unsurprising and mildly disappointing (I really wish they came from somewhere funnier, like a fennel farm or a mother’s basement*).The band consists of mostly boys and two girls.Someone plays the trumpet.Someone is named Chad.Unrelated:is ‘Chad’ not the douchiest name ever?I’m reminded, unfortunately, of a piece of shit “Road Rules” road ruler named Chad (Chadwick, actually—he chose not to abbreviate); because of this, whenever I meet a Chad I have a reckless, Pavlovian urge to punch him in the face.Related:I have no desire to punch Team Genius Chad in the face.
All that being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one band member has been, at the very least, elbowed hard by flailing arms during a crazy, dancetastic show.Having never been to a Team Genius concert, I can only imagine:lots of fake nerds, a few hot fake nerd girls, one or two real nerds that accidentally showed up (possibly confused by the combination of ‘Team’ and ‘Genius’), and some Asians.Dancing occurs.A misguided youth attempts to start a pogo circle; everyone ignores him.I’m not a betting woman, but I bet when the band plays “Hand Claps in E Major” there is hand clapping.
I digressed too much.What I’m trying to say is this:Team Genius is FUN.Maybe some day they’ll be serious, but for now, fun is enough (and really, how can you hate on a band that titles one of its songs “I’m Just an Idiot,” promotes counting, and is mostly unintelligible, save for a few choice lines like “Once I had a chat with God / but it was not really all that odd / I said hey he said good day / in a classic way”).
Team Genius is on Myspace! Stalk them elsewhere at www.teamgeniusmusic.com or send love e-letters directly to info[a]TeamGeniusMusic.com.Hooray was self-released and can be purchased at cdbaby.com.It doesn’t look like the band is touring much outside of New York and Ohio, but check their websites for the deets.
Matt Pinfield recently let on that his friend and ex-Hüsker Dü frontsman Bob Mould will be playing Sugar's Copper Blue album in its entirety live. It's only fitting since this year (2012) is the album's 20th anniversary!
You can grab the first three songs ("The Act We Act", "A Good Idea", and "Changes") at official.fm. The live recording was done at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco at Noise Pop Festival (2/24/12).
Copper Blue tour:
06/01 London @ Shepherd's Bush Emp
06/03 Brussels, BE @ AB
07/03 Milwaukee @ Summerfest
08/04 Ireland @ Liss Ard Fest
08/06 Helsinki, FI @ Tavastia
08/08 Norway @ Oya Festival
08/09 Sweden @ Way Out West
08/11 Amsterdam @ Paradiso Grote
08/13 Italy @ Villa Mainin
08/15 Prague @ 02 Arena
08/16 Austria @ Frequency Fest
08/18 Belgium @ Pukkelpop Fest
09/21 Pensacola Beach @ DeLuna Fest
Update May 8th: ASIA 69 DVD and Bluray, features a special tribute to Việt Khang's two instant classic songs: "Việt Nam Tôi Đâu" and "Anh Là Ai" as performed by Đan Nguyên, Lê Quốc Tuấn, Hợp Ca Asia... and featuring five-year old drummer Ngo Minh Ky!
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