Entertainment - Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:33 - 0 Comments
Track Review: Yeasayer’s “Ambling Alp” and its Remixes
The It Came from Brooklyn concert series, also known as the “We’re hip, We’re with it Concert Series,” is the latest attempt from the Guggenheim to reimagine itself as more than just some dead guy’s architectural opus. And for $45 a ticket, what better place for Brooklyn’s Yeasayer to premiere their new single, “Ambling Alp?” (A song Entertainment writer Samantha Moore introduced Local readers to in a Tuesday Track installment).
A little more than a week after announcing their upcoming sophomore album Odd Blood, Yeasayer played the Guggenheim show and released the single “Ambling Alp” for free download on their website. Since then, two remixes have been released, both of which are on the released single available by digital download or on a limited edition 12”.
As for the songs, I heard the Memory Tapes remix first and as such I’ll begin there. In this remix, the better of the two, Memory Tapes takes the original and makes it into an inspirational message you can dance to. Memory Tapes dissects the Yeasayer song into three separate parts all to the refrain of “Stick up for yourself, son, / Never mind what anybody else done.” Each part of the Memory Tapes song takes a distinct sound from the original and highlights it for the dance floor.
Entertainment - Thursday, November 19, 2009 11:06 - 9 Comments
Music Apps for the Unpretentious
‘Tis the season for music snobs to compile annoyingly exhaustive “best of the year” lists, with tons of tracks/bands we’ve never heard of. But this year is different. As the end of the 00’s (has anyone come up with a decent nickname yet for the past ten years?) approaches, we’re seeing not only best of the year lists, but best of the decade. Pitchfork, Paste Magazine, and the Onion’s AV Club have all put ‘em out.
For those feeling a bit inferior and ignorant after this browbeating, we’ve enlisted the help of the internet to put together the top three web apps that expand your musical horizons in a gentle, non-patronizing way. If you decide you want some Jack Black-style (see above) tough love, though, allow me to steer you in Pitchfork’s direction. Continue…
City - Monday, November 2, 2009 7:30 - 8 Comments
NYC Shows of the Week
Monday
Electronic experimental punk. And it’s British.
Tuesday
Brit-Indie folk, reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel.
Drummer of Battles against the lead singer of Jah Division.
Wednesday
Generic but decent indie rock from a brother-sister duo.
City - Monday, October 26, 2009 7:45 - 2 Comments
Post-CMJ Shows of the Week
Concerts this week are noticeably scarce as everyone recovers from CMJ and prepares for Halloween. But if you are a trooper who won’t rest till your ears bleed, here are a few shows worth checking out.
Monday
The man performs anachronistic dance music in tighty-whities.
Tuesday
The folk-rocker manages to pull off playing acoustic guitar despite being paraplegic.
Wednesday
Twins who play bass and guitar for The National. Expect from them what you would expect from The National ensemble — mellow, easy listening rock
Folk-pop with charming female vocals
City - Monday, October 12, 2009 7:45 - 2 Comments
NYC Shows of the Week
Monday
Headlined the Pitchfork Festival this summer. For fans Death Cab For Cutie.
Tuesday
This woman is insane — expect yelping and hollering galore — and plays a mean keyboard.
Swedish dark dance electronica.
Wednesday
Named after the Shakespeare play. Lit-Punk (if you can imagine that).
This indie darling is certain the command the big stage, but it will be odd sitting down for Jupiter One’s set.
City, Featured - Monday, October 5, 2009 7:20 - 2 Comments
NYC Shows of the Week
Monday
Sunday’s show was as close to a religious experience as I’ll ever have. The will-call tickets mean no scalping, but you could prostitute yourself outside BB and be the date of that creepy guy who bought a +1 without ever looking like he’d need it.
Tuesday
Alternative rock, but with Scottish accented vocals.
Classic punk from a Brooklyn band performing in Brooklyn (surprise).
Wednesday
This Welsh band are absolute legends. If you can’t make it to the show I still recommend you pick up their 1996 album, “Everything Must Go.” Alternative rock at its very best.
Brazen acoustic punk from a Philly native.
City - Monday, September 28, 2009 8:01 - 3 Comments
NYC Concerts of the Week
For those you lucky enough to be spared morning classes or are unopposed to skipping them, here is a run down of the best shows in New York this week:
Monday
Mono @ Bowery Ballroom. 18+ $15
Tuesday
Fever Ray @ Webster Hall. 18+ $33
Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Music Hall Williamsburg. 16+ Sold Out
City - Monday, September 21, 2009 11:35 - 6 Comments
Go To A Kick-Ass Concert This Week
For those of you who can’t be bothered to scan OhMyRockness, the NYU Local concert whores have compiled a list New York’s best musical performances for the coming week. Do yourself a favor – skip that 8am Calculus recitation, risk missing your 11am Intermediate Microeconomics lecture, and go relish one night of your waning youth at any of these shows. (Note: make sure to watch the Julian Plenti/Emily Haines music video embedded at the end of the post – hot.)
MONDAY (uh, that’s tonight so act quick)
Otherwise known as the only reason anyone watches Jimmy Fallon.
These silver-suited spacemen opened up for the Dan Deacon show at NYU show in April.
Solo stuff by Kyp Malone, the lead guitarist of TV On The Radio. Go for the show just to see his beard IRL.
Entertainment - Friday, September 11, 2009 11:30 - 4 Comments
NYU Student Pike Directs New The Kid Daytona Video
Ex (nationally ranked) snowboarder and Tisch student Derek Pike made it into Time Out New York today with his freshly directed video for rapper The Kid Daytona entitled “Air Born,” featuring Bun B. Pike has also directed a video starring Raekwon, who performed at NYU’s mystery concert at Le Poisson Rouge last night. Check out the awesome “Air Born,” embedded below.
Correction: Derek graduated early! So he’s an alum, not a senior. Thanks to Mo for the heads up.
Entertainment - Tuesday, September 8, 2009 9:33 - 3 Comments
The Coolest Summer Job in History
For music snobs everywhere, Superglued’s 50 Shows in 50 Days challenge might seem like the sort of dream job conjured for romanticized indie flicks featuring pale and quirky leads, but NYU alum Nick Haycock can attest to the challenge’s veracity. This summer, after being tapped by the site through NYU’s CareerNet (sidenote: I had no idea CareerNet offered jobs so awesome), Haycock and his fellow show enthusiast, Katharine Sloss Hartman, took to the streets of every borough to explore what free music the city had to offer. Braving a horrendously rainy June and still managing to balance a part time job at a tech company, Haycock completed his mission on August 14th with a final show at Pier 54. After the jump, an interview with Nick about his sometimes awesome, sometimes grueling 50 in 50 experience.
