Friday, January 30, 2009

abby's mix

at least once a year, typically for her birthday, i make my friend abby a mix cd. i rarely will do this for people because i feel like i have to know someone very well in order to make a mix that will be right for them. and few people really appreciate my mixes as much as abby does, so making her these cds is always a treat.

i just realized that the most recent one i just gave her the other day actually contains a lot of new music that i'm listening to or have gotten into and just never blogged about. since i don't have time to write about all of this, and a lot of these acts are slightly old news, i figured i'd just post most of the cd i made her here and let you guys have at it. this isn't ALL of the songs, because some of them are unreleased tracks and stuff, but it's a good general idea of what i've been listening to lately (plus Late Of The Pier, constantly).

The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Everything With You

Ida Maria - Keeps Me Warm

Ra Ra Riot - Suspended In Gaffa

Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Friendly Fires - I'm Good, I'm Gone (Lykke Li cover)

School Of Seven Bells - Chain

Hercules and Love Affair - Blind

Takka Takka - Coco

Nada Surf - See These Bones

The Antlers - Bear

Howlies - Chimera

Animal Collective My Girls

posted by n. @ 1/30/2009 01:35:00 PM

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Living Things : Let It Rain video!

Noted video director Floria Sigismondi (White Stripes, David Bowie, The Cure) has directed a video for "Let It Rain," the advance single to Living Things’ upcoming album Habeas Corpus (set for release on Jive Records Feb. 17).

Living Things played my show at Public Assembly last month and I have been enjoying this single for a while now. I'm curious to see what else Habeus Corpus has to offer.

Living Things - Let It Rain

posted by n. @ 1/13/2009 02:45:00 PM

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First New Wrens Song in 10 YEARS!!!!

The Wrens. Oh god... this band. I love them. In all seriousness, I have a google alert set up for "the wrens," which means i know far more about that bird species than anyone who is writing a music blog really needs to know. But I have been waiting and waiting and waiting - as have ALL of their fans - for the band to put out some new material. And tonight my inbox bliped or ding-ed or whatever it does and there i was... a totally psyched press release from Absolutely Kosher answering my wrens-related prayers and telling me that the band is releasing their first recording as a band IN TEN YEARS.

and even crazier is that this song was basically put together and recorded ON THE SPOT at the legendary ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS.

you can read all about the new single, "Pulled Fences" and the story of how this track came together (and buy it!) right over here.

the end of the email says:
The album is schedule for release in late spring. And by "scheduled," we mean...fingers crossed.
fingers most def. crossed here... (and there is something on their website about "eyeballing" SXSW 2009 for a live performance.... yay!)

posted by n. @ 1/13/2009 02:26:00 AM

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Monday, January 12, 2009

NEW! MONTHLY SPICY TIMES PARTY @ UNION HALL IN BROOKLYN!

Ya heard? That’s right, spread the word, Spicy Times is throwing a monthly party at Union Hall in Brooklyn, NY — starting Saturday, January 24! We are having The Kiss Off and Soundpool perform and Jinners and I will be spinning extra spicy songs!

Saturday, January 24
SPICY TIMES presents…
THE KISS OFF
SOUNDPOOL
SPICY TIMES DJS (Nora K & Jinners)

@ Union Hall
702 Union Street (@ 5th Avenue)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Directions: R train to Union Street / G train to Fulton Street

7:30pm Doors / $8 (tickets available at the door)

The Kiss Off - Amplify

Soundpool - The Divides Of March

posted by n. @ 1/12/2009 02:59:00 PM

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Friday, January 09, 2009

bird and the bee cover rihanna

you probably won't want to get up and dance this time... but i pretty much love this cover

the bird and the bee - don't stop the music (rihanna cover)

posted by n. @ 1/09/2009 07:40:00 PM

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TALLY HALL announce Union Hall residency!

TALLY HALL DATES

02.05.09
with Parlor Mob, Pretty & Nice Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
02.12.09
with Wheat, Seth Kallen Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
02.19.09
with My Dear Disco Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY

WOO HOO

posted by n. @ 1/09/2009 03:05:00 PM

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franz ferdinand "Ulysses" video

watch the band look sexxxy and disheveled and freak out in a laundromat. i'd totally let alex kapranos separate my whites. their new album Tonight drops on January 26th.

posted by n. @ 1/09/2009 01:17:00 PM

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get your hands on some cheap wine, and just-a move it 'til you... Share

Happy 2009! Welcome to year FIVE of I Rock I Roll. How crazy is that? It makes me feel so old. I remember when I started this blog it was basically just a recapping of my drunken antics, taking place mainly in the basement of Lit (where many drunken antics STILL take place for more than a few), and venues like Rothko and Sin-e and Motherfucker parties that have come and gone. A lot of my favorite bands have disbanded... 2008 saw the departure of my friends Morning Theft and the Gostation from the local music scene. For an even better comparison, back in 2004 when I started this blog, Brooklyn Vegan either didn't exist or was still posting photos of his dog, and now he is the king of all things NYC music with a full staff supporting him.

I know I don't update this blog as much as I should, but it is still something in my life that I am pretty proud of, and as long as I'm still getting super excited about bands, I don't see this blog stopping any time soon.

Anyways, here are two bands/artists that I'm currently unable to stop listening to. More to come!

Late Of the Pier is a quartet of spicy young boys who hail from Nottingham, UK. Their debut album reminds me of IMA Robot, except with less over the top mania and more blips and bleeps. But the basic idea of late nights, dark corners and sweaty packed times on the dance floor rings the same. Since I missed out on them during CMJ I am crossing my fingers and toes that they will be making a return jaunt to the US for SXSW in support of their debut album Fantasy Black Channel.

Late Of The Pier - Space And The Woods (deleted)

Late Of The Pier - Heartbeat (deleted)

I think that my partner in crime, Miss Jinners would certainly agree that Ida Maria is the epitome of what a spicy girl should be. She's essentially a great mash up of sass and sex with a rock n'roll attitude that puts boys in their place combined with a sensitive heart that makes her impossible not to fall in love with. She's the "Queen of the Night" but in the end she still wants someone to "Keep Her Warm."

I love it and I can't wait to see her next week when she has shows at Union Hall (1/16) and Mercury Lounge (1/15). Her album, Fortress Around My Heart is out now.

Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked (deleted)

Finally, on NYE I went to Mercury Lounge to see the last Dirty On Purpose show ever, which made me super sad. Why must all the really good bands break up? I took this photo downstairs after their amazing set.

The only silver lining I have so far though, is that a little bird told me that The Changes are going to be getting together to make a new album. Don't hold me to this, but if it's true you know I might be the happiest blogger on earth... stay tuned...

posted by n. @ 1/09/2009 11:46:00 AM

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