Nerve Insider : music

We’re Listening To...Grace Potter and the Nocturnals “Falling or Flying”

Nicole Ankowski — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:10:00 GMT

It’s rainy days like today that I enjoy listening to songs like this. Raindrops like tears, oppressive skies, and my clothes all wet and clingy — I can’t help but feel melancholy. Not in a completely bad way — if that makes any sense — because the water feels like a cleansing. It’s spring, pouring rain means new beginnings, and even if the water washes away something good…better things could always be waiting after the storm passes. This song is perfect for that, because when caught in a storm, we never really know if we are falling or flying. — Alexandra Godfrey

Here’s “Falling or Flying,” live and gorgeous…

The Twenty Worst Pre-Rock Star Jobs

Nicole Ankowski — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:33:00 GMT

This list gives hope to the aspiring actors/writers/pop-star divas/presidential nominees in all of us… For example, what pre-fame struggling dancer “worked behind the counter at a Dunkin' Donuts in Times Square” and “was reportedly fired for squirting jelly on a customer”?

Answer: her Madgesty, Madonna…that’s who. Reportedly. Though we wish there was video of the squirting.

Drug dealers, grave diggers, Mickey D hamburger-slingers, cotton pickers and more…check out the entire list here. And let’s all go home and make some art tonight. Even if Grey’s Anatomy is on…

[via Spinner]

We’re Listening To…Dolly Parton

Nicole Ankowski — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:18:00 GMT

We saw the divine Miss Dolly recently at Radio City Music Hall, and happen to agree with everything this dude says here. A lot of her stage banter from back-then is the same as now…though maybe a lil’ bit more polished. And she certainly didn’t tell this story about beating the tar out of anyone.

Though she looks more like this now…

As the Voice says, “No plastic surgery in at least five months.”
May we all be as feisty, beautiful, brilliant and bad-ass as Dolly!

[Photo via David Atlas via The Village Voice]

About Last Night: Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall New York

Nicole Ankowski — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Who Would You Rather: Bret or Jemaine? At last night’s Flight of the Conchords’ show at Town Hall New York, that fateful question seemed to be the main point of contention between audience members, and the boys themselves. And the guy next to me, and me. (What a hard life, huh?)

My personal dilemma: who was Jemaine’s new hairstyle most reminiscent of? Greg Brady? Farrah Fawcett? …but I’m getting ahead of myself.

I was lucky enough to have snagged one of red velour-covered seats at last night’s sold-out concert, though I wasn’t sure what to expect. As a fan of the HBO series, and a long-time deliberator between whom I would rather (Jemaine. Definitely Jemaine.), I still had never bought one of their albums. (Sorry, guys.) After the comedic stylings of Todd Barry warmed up the crowd (everyone loves a good Trader Joe’s joke) the lights went down, and the crowd’s energy went up. The hipster-esque crowd morphed into a humming, fidgeting vat of pheromones. Thank God the AC was on high or the place would have melted.

Then the Kiwi digi-folk-paradist gods came onstage to thundering applause…looking just like themselves. Hey, I’ll freely admit that I spent the first 20 minutes mentally going, “Wow, Bret (“Brit”) looks just like he does on TV! Only maybe his teeth are whiter. And his moustache is slightly more pronounced. And he’s not wearing an 80s sweatshirt emblazoned with an owl or a deer or any other woodland creature. And, he just said ‘fuck’! Oh my Lord, he just said ‘fuck’ again. Bret on the show wouldn’t say ‘fuck’!” (Yes, I have an MFA.)

I’ll also freely admit that for at least five minutes I thought a spider had landed on my head or back. I was a little distracted.

But I was soon drawn back in. The boys are as endearing live as they are on the show, and play basically the same characters. Bret told tales of his imaginary wife and children, and their children’s children, and their children’s children’s children…maybe you had to be there. The crowd loved each and every song, from the good ol’ classics like “Business Time” to new songs featuring women fleeing relationships via bus or coma. The theater was lush with soft Kiwi lust. The first woman to shout out “I love you Bret!” caused a mild ripple of sighing agreement. More fans shouted out to Bret, including the guy next to me who was about to jump out of his seat. (And who kept stretching his neck with head-rolling exercises. Understandable, but still disconcerting to see – out of the corner of your eye – a pale, slack face rolling slowly toward you, Exorcist-like. I wanted to give him a neck rub to make him stop it already, but I think he only would have accepted such assistance from Bret.)

Of course, to a Jemaine supporter such as myself, these Bret-oriented catcalls smacked of insult. I was just about to shout my support of Jemaine’s body when another woman to the left of the house did it better, and louder. Though it did come off like a sad condescension, after the myriad pro-Bret catcalls. “We love you, um, too, Jemaine!”

Even when Bret had all the men in the audience shout “We love you, Jemaine” … the taller and more myopic Conchord still seemed a tad despondent. Only one person shouted Murray’s name; but wouldn’t we all have liked to see some Ginger Balls?

The show went on, with myriad audience requests – only five or so for “Freebird” – which Jemaine happily obliged, singing the one line he knew. By the end of the night, the tide had turned and women were screaming for Jemaine’s body. (His tight white shirt, unbuttoned one daring button past what most American dudes allow, did show it off in all its hulking glory.) After a two-song encore, the boys sadly disappeared…despite their onstage banter (promise?) of hanging out and receiving kisses from fans.

I would totally have had them sign my breasts and get a pic. Just for you guys. Alas, we were all left to wander into the night, singing their songs in our heads and carrying love in our hearts…

Oh yes. And the one remaining, vital question of the evening: how best to describe Jemaine’s new, slightly longer hairstyle? I will grant you that he has dark hair, was sitting in front of a black curtain, and that I am probably legally blind…but with my smudged glasses I studied him. Oh how I studied him. The thick curls of Patrick Dempsey? The lush brunette glory of Greg Brady? The way the sides of his bangs flipped back: a new (utterly masculine) take on the Farrah Fawcett flip?

But then it hit me, like a vision of David Bowie a-glitter and a-glow, above my bed: Andy Samberg.

Wait till the new season. You’ll see.

Unless he gets a haircut. Or, I need new glasses.

— Nicole Ankowski

ScarJo Sings! And It Is…Good?

Nicole Ankowski — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Over at the Nerve Video Blog, Oliver was startled and pleased to discover that, “In a stunning reversal, Scarlett Johansson's new album is actually good.”

Yes, he’s downloaded the title track…and wants to show you how. And I want to show you pictures of Scarlett singing at Coachella. It just makes me feel better that, without all the Photoshop finishing, her knees look like mine. (Is that so wrong?)

“Well blow me down! I haven't been this surprised since, well, it's been a while. Non-very-good-at-acting actor Scarlett Johansson's new album, covering a bunch of Tom Waits songs, is apparently really good. Don't believe me? That's okay. I didn't believe me at first either. But here, you can download the title track from her album right...here. It won't destroy your computer with a really horrible virus; I know this because I downloaded it myself already. Unless it's a really slow-acting virus. In which case I'm screwed,” writes Oliver.

Check out Oliver’s write-up, links, and videos here.

And here’s ScarJo at Coachella, rocking out (?) with the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Doesn't this make you feel better, too?

We’re Listening To…Matt White

Nicole Ankowski — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:55:00 GMT

Matt White’s songs are the kind of tunes I like to listen to on my pod when I’m walking the streets on an unusually sunny day — kinda like yesterday — because, well, they just make you feel good. His lyrics may be simple but they are damn catchy. And it can’t hurt anyone to enhance the euphoria that comes with a summer day in April. Today may not be so balmy but check out this live performance of “Play” anyway – you may just be inspired to do a little playing yourself…

In case you were wondering, my particular favorite line is: “Went down to Prince Street to try to change your mind…”
…but that’s pretty much just because our offices are one block away from Prince Street and I’m the kind of dork that gets excited about those sorts of things.

— Alexandra Godfrey

We’re Listening To…Beirut

Nicole Ankowski — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:52:00 GMT

Beirut is what it sounds like when you drop out of high school at age sixteen to travel Eastern Europe by yourself – or, at least it’s what happened when front man Zach Condon did that. Welcome to Balkan-inspired folk awesomeness, with a voice that soars like a trapeze act and music that lifts and leaps like it’s going out of style. I don’t know. I listen to them and think, circus? Cabaret? Moonlit boat ride? Solo strut down a rainy foreign alley? Whatever it’s reminiscent of, they’ve got something sexy and timeless about them. I have honestly listened to nothing else the past few weeks. Except for a healthy dose of Sinatra. But that’s another story completely.

What the rest of the office is listening to: the sound of snot percolating all up in my sinuses. Sorry, everybody.

— Caitlin MacRae

We’re Listening To…Ghetto Gospel

Nicole Ankowski — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:21:00 GMT

File this under: collaborations that never should have happened, but now they’re here, so. Sir Elton John + Tupac Shakur = Ghetto Gospel. I have tried not to love this song, because I love Pac and am not a fan of posthumous mashups as a rule, but I can’t not. When the song first opens I can’t help but chuckle, because… it’s f*cking Elton John. But eventually I find myself nodding my head during the choruses thinking, yeah, man, Elton, you do understand. Anyway, this one’s come up on my ‘Pod a lot lately, partly because of that L.A. Times story about Diddy being behind Tupac’s murder, partly because I’m going back to L.A. soon, and like to have little reminders of home here and there when I gear up for the visit. — Caitlin MacRae

Here’s the video for y’all…

New on Nerve, 1.14.08: Sunshine State

Nicole Ankowski — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:55:00 GMT

Ever wonder what it's like to go from a high-school garage band to the mystic muse of a famous film director? How it feels to start said band with your high-school boyfriend and girlfriend…and then break up? Or where the best place to get soft-serve in Little Rock is? Learn all of this and more in Gwynne Watkin’s Q&A with the Willowz, wherein the band discusses Kirsten Dunst, Michel Gondry, Dairy Queen and illuminating dreams…

We're listening to. . . Kate Nash

Sarah — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:00:00 GMT

We cannot stop listening to this song “Foundations” by Kate Nash. It’s a bright and bouncy-but-with-a dark-side pop-song about a girl who is fighting with her boyfriend. At her best, Kate Nash creates songs that the perfect mix of sugary and tough, upbeat and sad. She’s also funny; my favorite line from this song is “You said I must eat so many lemons, cause I am so bitter / I said I’d rather be with your friends, mate, cause they are much fitter.” She pronounces it “bittaah” and “fittaah,” with a delightful London accent. (That’s where she’s from.) The video for foundations is below.

Visit her official site here.

Visit her MySpace page here

We’re listening to…Celebration

Sarah — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:30:00 GMT

Celebration is a three-person band, two guys and a girl, from Baltimore. Modern Tribe is their second full-length, released in October. The trio, including a husband and wife, produces ecstatic, hard-driving noise-chimera; their music could be a soundtrack to a confusing, magical, colorful dream. The female vocalist alternately sings, wails and trills over syncopated rhythms and layers of instruments including guitar, drums and percussion, organ, Wurlitzer and Moog.

Watch a video for “Evergreen,” the first song on Modern Tribe, below, and then check out their MySpace where you can listen to eight of the eleven songs on their album. “Heartbreak” is the most accessible, and a good place to start. (Or just start at the beginning, since the new MySpace player no longer stops at the end of a song.) Their official site is here.

We’re listening to… The Deadly Syndrome

Sarah — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT

No, they’re not a goth punk band. The Deadly Syndrome is four guys from LA and their newest album, out this past September, is The Ortolan. The band has a drum, guitar, bass and keyboard and sometimes an accordion, xylophone and falsetto singing and the sound range from ethereal folk to full, swelling rock.

Deadly Syndrome official site here.

Myspace here.

The video below is for one of their slower songs, "Wolves in the Garden." For a faster sample check out "Emily Pants" on MySpace. And while you're there listen to "Eucalyptus."

Today in Music: “I kind of write with my heart, and Dan writes with his dick.”

Sarah — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:52:00 GMT

Choice excerpts from today’s interview with A.C. Newman, of The New Pornographers.

Anyone who is doing something creative, they're always chasing something. And a lot of the time you're not even sure what it is you're chasing. That's the best explanation I've ever found for that.

What have you been chasing?
I don't know, maybe some sort of formless happiness? If I could put it into words I would have a number-one hit.

You’re not a porn fan?
No, not particularly. It usually looks like they just fell out of a Skid Row bar. You might as well be jerking off over an anatomy textbook. Which people probably do.

Do you find that married sex is better?
Sure. Infinitely better. What possible answer would I give? Like I'm really going to say, "Things aren't going too well in bed for me now." That'd be the pull quote, right?

We’re listening to… Palomar

Sarah — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Yes, Palomar is a great band. They’re from NYC, three women one man, they play melodic, guitar-filled rock that’s great for cruising around with the windows open.

Mp3 of "Our Haunt" here.

Also check out their MySpace page for the excellent songs "Bury My Closer," "Beats Beat Nothing" and "Knitting for Pleasure."

Palomar's most recent, and most excellent album is "All Things, Forests" and was released on March 20, 2007 on Misra Records.

We’re listening to … Voxtrot

Sarah — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT

This Austin, Texas band has been hyped by music blogs since its first EP came out in 2005. Luckily they’re equal to all the praise. The band has released three EPs and one full-length album, out this past May, all of which are terrific. Check out the mp3s and video below.

Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives
Kid Gloves
Trouble
The Start of Something

We’re listening to… Au Revoir Simone

Sarah — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Three keyboards, three women, three heads of long, straight hair and six long, thin legs. One drum machine.

Check out their Myspace and official site.

We’re listening to…. The Avett Brothers

Sarah — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:00:00 GMT

They’re a bluegrassy indie rock band from North Carolina whose latest album, Emotionalism, (ignore the name, it's a great album) is about broken relationships, betrayal and learning to share yourself with people in order to love them. The brothers sing and play banjo and guitar and a third member plays upright bass. There’s some beautiful falsetto harmony at the end of this clip.

Check out their myspace

And their official site.

New on Nerve, 9.18.07: "It's my duty to talk about sex."

Sarah — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:31:00 GMT

This morning we have an interview with Will Sheff, lead singer of Okkervil River by Sarah Hepola. The Nerve Insider is a huge fan of Okkervil River, and the interview does not disappoint. Sheff is thoughtful, insightful and extremely appealing.

At the beginning of the piece Sheff orders a sandwich from Subway. Sarah didn't put this in the article, but he told her, “I want this interview to be really good, let me finish this sandwich and call you back.”

Other tidbits that didn't make it in the piece:

"One thing about will is that he's a movie fanatic, and he's pretty encyclopedic in his knowledge. I used to write about film for The Austin Chronicle, and we actually asked him to contribute to the film section. The articles are published under his full name, Will Robinson Sheff. Here's a link to the archive of his work.

Also, during the interview, we had a funny conversation about his working at video stores. He told me he'd been fired from his job at I Love Video, another famous indie movie enclave in Austin, and I asked why. This is what he said:

WS: Because I was incompetent. I forgot to open the store one day. What can you do? Musicians. But this one girl was really gunning to get me fired, too. She wanted to see me go down.

ME: Do you think she just wanted your space on the employee pick's wall?

WS: Yeah, she wanted to fill it up with vampire movies.'" -- Sarah Hepola

From the interview, Will Sheff on...

Trashy TV:
I think low culture is all culture. Rock and roll is low culture that has been elevated to high culture. There is something so boring about the idea that something must be an opera or an etching to matter. It's all human beings trying to connect, trying to understand one another.

Porn:
It's the most simple art imaginable: It's people and sex. You might throw in costumes and a storyline, but that's not what people rented it for, or downloaded it for. They downloaded the porn to see people fucking. There's so much debate about what it means. All it means is what it is.

I think rock and roll is supposed to be about sex. It's my duty to talk about sex, just a little bit. Especially in indie rock, because there's this trend toward kind of fetishizing childishness and being freaking out by sex. But the songs that I loved, the David Bowie and Iggy Pop, those songs were all about sex.

Groupies:
That was a big theme, yeah. I guess I'm trying to look at people who are such big fans of art that they would throw their lives away. And they're such big fans that art becomes sexual. This is your way to interact with this person, that you want to have sex with them.

His sad songs:
I don't think of the songs as being sad. I think of them as being ecstatic. Like having a blended sadness and happiness and poured on in enormous quanities. I like the idea of these strong emotional states, for those things to be present at once, that there is something jumbled in the way they co-exist.

We're listening to... Ra Ra Riot

Sarah — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:30:00 GMT

Ra Ra Riot is a band from Syracuse who play upbeat, joyous, full-sounding pop with violins and keyboard. Their six song self-titled EP came out this July. They're touring with Editors, and while both are fast and danceable Ra Ra Riot is more lighthearted than Editors, who can be somewhat angry.

They haven't made any videos but their myspace is here. The first song, "St. Peters Day Festival" is a little misleading. Check out "Dying is Fine."

We're listening to... Calvin Harris

Sarah — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Calvin Harris is an electo-pop artist from Britain. Check out his wacky-awesome video for "Acceptable in the 80s." This blogger is relieved that she was born in the 80s.

Myspace here.

Official site here.

New on Nerve, 9.13.07: Music! Frankel!

Sarah — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:00:00 GMT

Check out Gwynne Watkins' interview with Frankel, a California singer-songwriter whose album Lullaby for the Passersby came out this summer. According to Gwynne, “The album’s hummable melodies and sunny harmonies, shadowed by layers of strange instrumentation (theremins, electronic feedback, children's toys), create a lush sound that you want to crawl into, like a hammock.”

Frankel’s MySpace is here.

His website is here.