An updated list of Boston Concerts -
Tapes n Tapes & Oberhofer @ Paradise Rock Club - February 3rd
Chromeo @ House of Blues - February 3rd
Neko Case @ Wilbur Theatre - February 3rd
The Radio Dept @ Middle East - February 4th
Best Coast/Wavves @ Paradise Rock Club - February 4th
Wakey!Wakey! @ Brighton Music Hall - February 5th
Baths @ Brighton Music Hall - February 17th
Dr. Dog @ Paradise Rock Club - February 19th/20th
School of Seven Bells @ House of Blues - February 19th
White Rabbits @ Paradise Rock Club - February 24th
The Pogues & Titus Andronicus @ House of Blues - March 11th/12th
Crystal Castles @ House of Blues - March 19th
Cold War Kids @ House of Blues - March 22nd
DeVotchka @ House of Blues - March 26th
Warpaint @ Paradise Rock Club - March 29th
Jeff the Brotherhood & Juiceboxxx @ Great Scott - March 30th
Cults @ Brighton Music Hall - April 1st
The Mountain Goats @ Paradise Rock Club - April 1st
Cut Copy @ House of Blues - April 4th
Bassnectar @ House of Blues - April 22nd
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Antlers
An interview with Peter Silberman, lead vocalist of the Antlers, and Pitchfork -
Pitchfork: Did playing big shows while touring Hospice make you want to make "big" music with this album?
Peter Silberman: We definitely became a louder rock band on tour but we didn't want to do an arena rock record. Over the past couple years, we got into a lot of electronic music and post-rock that ended up coloring the new record. Stuff like Portishead, Boards of Canada, Dirty Three, Low-- I'm not listening to [Neutral Milk Hotel's] In the Aeroplane Over the Sea as much as I was when I was 19. To me, the new album sounds like an electronic, grooving record. There's less big, dramatic fanfare.
Pitchfork: After your success with Hospice, did you feel a need to hang on to fans by making something similar?
PS: For a while, I thought the next logical step from Hospice was to make some very sad, post-Hospice concept record. But thinking in those terms started to feel really manipulative and gimmicky. So I just let go of that idea and, from that point on, I was much happier.
In a lot of ways, this album is an easier record to listen to than Hospice; you can put it on and not feel like it has to be a severe emotional experience. It might be. But it could also be on in the background.
Pitchfork: Did you feel manipulative at all while playing those Hospice songs to so many people on tour?
PS: When I first started playing them, it really felt like I was just getting the message across. But, while the shows didn't become less important as time went on, my emotional intensity diminished. The record became much more real than the things it was based on. It was like I wasn't allowed to put the relationship Hospice was based on in the past. That's when I had to kind of separate myself from the songs we were playing. I'm not going to torture myself by trying to relive the songs over and over again. That'll destroy you.
Pitchfork: When I interviewed you about Hospice in 2009, you talked about how making it was a very solitary and harrowing experience. But now that you've toured a bunch and people like what you're doing, I'm guessing your life may not be so bad. Is that change reflected on the new album?
PS: That was the trickiest thing for me to figure out as far as writing this record. Hospice revolved around such a specific, crazy life event and, moving forward from that, I realized I wasn't in a position to complain anymore. I was really happy with my life. It was good because it meant that I couldn't just rely on misfortune or unhappiness to write.
This is not a sad record. It's sort of energetic and, in its way, psychedelic. It does have an emotional punch, but it's a little less desperate. There are no life or death situations on this record, no terminal illness, no abusive relationships. I felt like this album didn't necessarily have to be so directly based on my life-- it puts too much pressure on your life to be interesting. [laughs]
Pitchfork: I imagine it's tough to stay connected with the songs while not being miserable all the time, how did you figure out a way to balance that out?
PS: We went on tour with Frightened Rabbit a little while ago and I was asking [frontman] Scott [Hutchison] about this, and he said, "It's [the audience's] now. You'll sing it to them, but they're the one singing it. You can let it go and give it to them." That's how I managed to keep going.
Pitchfork: In our previous interview, you mentioned how Hospice was partly inspired by a rough breakup. Are you still in contact with that ex-girlfriend?
PS: No. One of the weirder moments of my life was running into her at our label's holiday party a couple of years ago. It was after our biggest show in New York and our Times review-- we were feeling really great. And while I caught up with her, people are coming up and congratulating me and being happy for us as a band. Meanwhile, this person who is responsible is standing right there having to see this whole full-circle thing happen. [laughs] I haven't seen her since.
Pitchfork: Did playing big shows while touring Hospice make you want to make "big" music with this album?
Peter Silberman: We definitely became a louder rock band on tour but we didn't want to do an arena rock record. Over the past couple years, we got into a lot of electronic music and post-rock that ended up coloring the new record. Stuff like Portishead, Boards of Canada, Dirty Three, Low-- I'm not listening to [Neutral Milk Hotel's] In the Aeroplane Over the Sea as much as I was when I was 19. To me, the new album sounds like an electronic, grooving record. There's less big, dramatic fanfare.
Pitchfork: After your success with Hospice, did you feel a need to hang on to fans by making something similar?
PS: For a while, I thought the next logical step from Hospice was to make some very sad, post-Hospice concept record. But thinking in those terms started to feel really manipulative and gimmicky. So I just let go of that idea and, from that point on, I was much happier.
In a lot of ways, this album is an easier record to listen to than Hospice; you can put it on and not feel like it has to be a severe emotional experience. It might be. But it could also be on in the background.
Pitchfork: Did you feel manipulative at all while playing those Hospice songs to so many people on tour?
PS: When I first started playing them, it really felt like I was just getting the message across. But, while the shows didn't become less important as time went on, my emotional intensity diminished. The record became much more real than the things it was based on. It was like I wasn't allowed to put the relationship Hospice was based on in the past. That's when I had to kind of separate myself from the songs we were playing. I'm not going to torture myself by trying to relive the songs over and over again. That'll destroy you.
Pitchfork: When I interviewed you about Hospice in 2009, you talked about how making it was a very solitary and harrowing experience. But now that you've toured a bunch and people like what you're doing, I'm guessing your life may not be so bad. Is that change reflected on the new album?
PS: That was the trickiest thing for me to figure out as far as writing this record. Hospice revolved around such a specific, crazy life event and, moving forward from that, I realized I wasn't in a position to complain anymore. I was really happy with my life. It was good because it meant that I couldn't just rely on misfortune or unhappiness to write.
This is not a sad record. It's sort of energetic and, in its way, psychedelic. It does have an emotional punch, but it's a little less desperate. There are no life or death situations on this record, no terminal illness, no abusive relationships. I felt like this album didn't necessarily have to be so directly based on my life-- it puts too much pressure on your life to be interesting. [laughs]
Pitchfork: I imagine it's tough to stay connected with the songs while not being miserable all the time, how did you figure out a way to balance that out?
PS: We went on tour with Frightened Rabbit a little while ago and I was asking [frontman] Scott [Hutchison] about this, and he said, "It's [the audience's] now. You'll sing it to them, but they're the one singing it. You can let it go and give it to them." That's how I managed to keep going.
Pitchfork: In our previous interview, you mentioned how Hospice was partly inspired by a rough breakup. Are you still in contact with that ex-girlfriend?
PS: No. One of the weirder moments of my life was running into her at our label's holiday party a couple of years ago. It was after our biggest show in New York and our Times review-- we were feeling really great. And while I caught up with her, people are coming up and congratulating me and being happy for us as a band. Meanwhile, this person who is responsible is standing right there having to see this whole full-circle thing happen. [laughs] I haven't seen her since.
Neon Indian
Rolling Stone Magazine described Neon Indian one of the hottest new bands of 2010. Their debut album, Psychic Chasms, was widely critically-acclaimed by Pitchfork Media and Spin Magazine. The album consists of songs called, “Should of Taken Acid With You,” “Ephemeral Artery” and their main track, “Sleep Paralysist.” Judging from the song titles, you can assume Neon Indian’s abstract and peculiar style of music. Their music is very feel-good dream-pop mixed with some grinding guitar. Neon Indian is currently on tour with Sleigh Bells and will be performing at the House of Blues on February 3rd with Chromeo.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Radio Dept.
"People see rock and roll as, as youth culture, and when youth culture becomes monopolised by big business, what are the youth to do? Do you, do you have any idea?
I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture."
- "Heaven's On Fire" by The Radio Dept.
You might not know what to expect when you hear the dialogue in the introduction of this song. Is it about our generation? About the government? Is he really talking about capitalism? However, as you keep listening, you lose yourself to the feel-good piano and upbeat guitar giving the song an ambient yet dance-pop beat. Though the lyrics are about the hideousness that is the girl, the music is suitable to a "wake up in the morning (feeling like P-Diddy?)" type-song.
02 Heaven s On Fire by greenshoelace
The Radio Dept. will be playing at the Middle East on February 4th. I best see you there.
I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture."
- "Heaven's On Fire" by The Radio Dept.
You might not know what to expect when you hear the dialogue in the introduction of this song. Is it about our generation? About the government? Is he really talking about capitalism? However, as you keep listening, you lose yourself to the feel-good piano and upbeat guitar giving the song an ambient yet dance-pop beat. Though the lyrics are about the hideousness that is the girl, the music is suitable to a "wake up in the morning (feeling like P-Diddy?)" type-song.
02 Heaven s On Fire by greenshoelace
The Radio Dept. will be playing at the Middle East on February 4th. I best see you there.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Trent Reznor
Skream & Example
Big dubstep artist Skream is most likely known for his remix of La Roux’s “In for the Kill,” which was in the commercial for the videogame Bayonetta. The song is personally not a favorite solely because he has produced better songs. He recently released a new single with electronic artist Example called “Shot Yourself in the Foot Again.” If you like short and simple vocals over some dirty and filthy grime, this song is just for you.
Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog. You can call them indie-rock, psychedelic rock, or pop-rock. You can call them “a cross between The Beatles and The Beach Boys” such as iTunes did on their review of their most recent album Fate, but whatever genre you label this band, you cannot deny their talent. My favorite Dr. Dog songs are “Shadow People” “My Old ways” (do not listen to the Chiddy Bang’s remix of this song), and their cover of Architecture in Helsinki’s “Heart it Races.” Dr. Dog is currently on tour with The Head and the Heart and will be performing at the Paradise Rock Club next month, so look for me at the front of the line.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Coachella 2011 Lineup Finally Revealed!
Let's get real, people. I am not truly and honest to god-ly not saying this because I am trying to undermine anyone, but people who say Coachella's lineup this year is sub par, do not know half of the artists playing. Sure, some of the headliners might be too mainstream and all you pretentious people only look at Arcade Fire or Kings of Leon, and think to yourself, "What? Sex on Fire? Lame."
But really give a listen to those below. I am not talking about that indie-folky-hipstery band called Mumford and Sons or Animal Collective or even Ratatat (Hey, have you heard of this song called "Seventeen Years?). Nosaj Thing, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Titus Andronicus, Breakage, Mount Kimbie, Daedelus, Delta Spirit, Two Door Cinema Club, The Radio Dept., SBTRKT, Mary Anne Hobbs, Best Coast, Angus and Julia Stone, Phantogram, HEALTH, Trentmoller, Delorean, TOKiMONSTA, Tallest Man on Earth, Foals, Joy Orbison, Klaxons, are all bands/DJ's that really will be worth spending all that X-Mas, B-Day, Jew-Day $ on. They are too underrated to be the big, bad, and bold in-your-face font that catches your attention, such as my boy Kanye (Bro-yay?), but just as talented and worth seeing. The lineup this year, really more last year and even the year before, embodies every aspect of good music out there.
Here is the full lineup my friends -
But really give a listen to those below. I am not talking about that indie-folky-hipstery band called Mumford and Sons or Animal Collective or even Ratatat (Hey, have you heard of this song called "Seventeen Years?). Nosaj Thing, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Titus Andronicus, Breakage, Mount Kimbie, Daedelus, Delta Spirit, Two Door Cinema Club, The Radio Dept., SBTRKT, Mary Anne Hobbs, Best Coast, Angus and Julia Stone, Phantogram, HEALTH, Trentmoller, Delorean, TOKiMONSTA, Tallest Man on Earth, Foals, Joy Orbison, Klaxons, are all bands/DJ's that really will be worth spending all that X-Mas, B-Day, Jew-Day $ on. They are too underrated to be the big, bad, and bold in-your-face font that catches your attention, such as my boy Kanye (Bro-yay?), but just as talented and worth seeing. The lineup this year, really more last year and even the year before, embodies every aspect of good music out there.
Here is the full lineup my friends -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
