Tapes 'n Tapes @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC | pics

am i the only one who really doesn't understand what's so special about this band?
they sound like something I'd hear as I walk by Arlene's Grocery

awesome shots!

awesome shots!

i still havent been able to read that NY Sun article. does anyone have it anywhere not behind a subscription?

why is the nysun article "nonsense?" it's an opinion and it doesn't match yours and that's ok.

It was my first time seeing (or hearing) Tapes 'N Tapes and I was really impressed. I loved the varied song structures and the band's ability to play some enjoyable semi-hard rock. On my way down Delancey Street after the show, a girl behind me summed it up pretty well, "If only they'd put that drummer front and center, he is fucking awesome." I couldn't agree more. I was disappointed by Figurines though. Kind of a flat line set. They started to jam a bit in the set closer but it never took off. Sort of a very boring version of We Are Scientists, imo.

in my opinion they didnt sound that great! I've been digging the album for awhile, this was my first time seeing them live. i thought it was really sloppy sounding, and not in a charming way either. Figurines sounded way better all around.

I def thought the real treat of the night was the Cold War Kids....talk about sounding raw and having energy....for an opening band (the first of two) they brought the heat. In my opinion I found their performance more inspiring than T n T...thats not to say they were bad...the insistor obviously had the crowd rockin and the 10 gallon ascot to end it was terrific...I was just really impressed by how strong the cold war kids were.

Figurines a boring version of We Are Scientists????

seriously??

"why is the nysun article 'nonsense?' it's an opinion and it doesn't match yours and that's ok."

Of course opinions that don't match mine are OK (hence the commenting system), BUT the review seemed like another journalist's excuse to bash the blogoshphere/Internet/Pitchfork. Bands sell out Bowery Ballroom every week - I'd be interested in knowing how many of those shows this guy reviewed, but more importantly it's these questionable quotes that inspired the "nonsense" label....

ON THE BAND SOUNDING LIKE PAVEMENT AND ARCADE FIRE:
"They situate the band in tradition (or several), meanwhile reassuring the blogosphere (writers and readers) of its good taste and the adequacy of its MP3 collections."

AND THIS POMPOUS-SOUNDING ARTICLE ENDING:
"After all, isn't being in the know what indie rock is all about? At the show, I struck up a conversation with a couple of fans who were able to rattle off not only all sorts of obscure information about Tapes 'n Tapes but also about the far-more-obscure opening acts Cold War Kids and Figurines. (Brooklyn Vegan, another popular music blog, posted an item earlier that day precisely so that loyal readers could discourse intelligently about the opening acts.) "Really, you haven't heard of either of them?" they asked me with equal parts pity and condescension.

If the Internet has democratized music criticism, it seems it's also spread its penchant for uncritical hype. "It's the best $14 I ever spent," said one of the blog-suckled fans I talked with. He simply couldn't believe the top-to-bottom quality of the bill. In fact, he was so confident of Danish opening act Figurines' talent that he offered to buy me a beer if I wasn't blown away. I wasn't. Far from it, actually. (After a reasonably promising classic rock opener they settled into hum-drum art punklike Les Savy Fav without the amusing stage antics.) But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to collect."

----

On a related note, if the referenced "fans" that were unknowingly profiled by this superior author would like to come forward and tell their side of the story, get in touch. (assuming they exist)

Glad to hear other people were disappointed. Frankly, I thought the Figurines were ten times better than T'n'T. "Cowbell" was pretty solid, but other than that, pffftt.

Actually, the highlight of the show was seeing David Cross in the crowd.

I definitely agree with the comment above me.
Cold War Kids tore it up.
I thought they were far better than Figures and T'nT. It's not surprising they sold out Piano's three nights.

Figurines were SO BORING.

Tapes 'n Tapes were great!

i just dont get the interest in these absolutely mediocre bands.

Can someone post the article? Can't access it online.

i agree - Cold War Kids stole the whole night. Tapes n' Tapes gave a more emotional performance at Mercury Lounge earlier in the year. Last night they seemed castrated by comparison.

I was at the show on Sunday, but am I the only person who enjoyed all three? Figurines may have been my least favorite, but I still liked them.

Cold War Kids shone in the opening slot. Really enjoyed them, a little more each time out! Figurines were good -- not as good as I wanted them to be, but good. Tapes 'n' Tapes = Meh 'n' Meh. Overrated, IMHO. Though I agree with BV, that article is a little silly. Print media is feelin' a little insecure these days...

We Are Scientists = SUCK

I love the disk, but they need to work on their live show. There were certainly highlights, including the last song and encore, but overall I thought they were at best inconstant, and at worst mediocre. In my opinion they grew up too fast as the result of the blog hype machine. These guys would have been best suited quietly rocking Mercury for a few years while they got themselves figured out. So sick of “energetic and fun” key board players a la Arcade Fire too. I am willing to bet 10:1 that their sophomore album is a bust.

I didn't see the show (haven't seen them, don't care a whole lot for their music) but the Sun article brings up a good point. We've seen this kind of disappointment/backlash from the media before. Recall all the horrible press the Arctic Monkeys got when they toured the States? Critics were pretty merciless.

Blogs are good at hyping up a band, but to a lot of people who follow the buzz and check out a band it ends up being disappointing. I imagine music journalists *especially* are used to a fair amount of expertise and polish, two things you don't always get with a band that came out of nowhere via blogs. And don't think for a second there's not a bit of animosity because trad journalists aren't the ones breaking bands any more.

Here's what jaded music writers need to remember: We don't care if they can put on a good show (not a bunch of songs, but an entire performance that flows from start to finish). We don't mind if they can't really play their instruments. We don't mind that they sound unrehearsed. We love them and -- this is important -- we love them because we found them.

(I saw "we" as in we bloggers, because I'm a blogger, too, and I say this kind of tongue-in-cheek. Bloggers *do* want a band to put on a good live show, but honestly I think blog favorites too often get a free pass. Personally I want to see a band that knows how to play live, and blog favorites don't always live up to that. Often they're just too green. And it makes sense. Many of these bands didn't get buzzed about because of their live shows. It was because of a few free MP3s and maybe a CD.)

Reminds me of all the criticism British bands would get when NME and Melody Maker would hype them up as the best band on the planet, and then they'd come over for some Stateside shows and people would think they sucked. (Anybody remember Menswear?) This is the same kind of phenomenon, except it's home grown.

I only caught two Cold War Kids songs and didn't like them. My main complaint was that he vocals were way too loud.
I thought Figurines were good and fun. I wouldn'trush out and buy their albums, but they were a very solid opener that helped get the crowd into the night. The second to last song was great
I was plesantly surprised by TNT. After hearing they were less than inspiring at the first show, i was prepared to be disappointed (obviously, i'm a big fan of the album). I thought they quite good. I liked the drummer's sound, but thought he was a bit annoying and, contrary to other commenters, was glad he was in the back. The keyboardist is the most 'expendable' musician i've ever seen. Unless he's writing all their stuff, i don't understand why he doesn't try to get a bit more involved (besides playing the drummers crash cymbals with a tambourine). Despite these minor complaints, I was impressed. If they can write some more good material, i think they're next round of shows will be great.

One last thing, this show cost less than $15 bucks. For 15 bucks, I don't know how you could be dissappointed. i bought mine off craigslist for $37 a piece and went home with a smile on my face...

I only caught two Cold War Kids songs and didn't like them. My main complaint was that he vocals were way too loud.
I thought Figurines were good and fun. I wouldn'trush out and buy their albums, but they were a very solid opener that helped get the crowd into the night. The second to last song was great
I was plesantly surprised by TNT. After hearing they were less than inspiring at the first show, i was prepared to be disappointed (obviously, i'm a big fan of the album). I thought they quite good. I liked the drummer's sound, but thought he was a bit annoying and, contrary to other commenters, was glad he was in the back. The keyboardist is the most 'expendable' musician i've ever seen. Unless he's writing all their stuff, i don't understand why he doesn't try to get a bit more involved (besides playing the drummers crash cymbals with a tambourine). Despite these minor complaints, I was impressed. If they can write some more good material, i think they're next round of shows will be great.

One last thing, this show cost less than $15 bucks. For 15 bucks, I don't know how you could be dissappointed. i bought mine off craigslist for $37 a piece and went home with a smile on my face...

I thought it was a great show. My first time seeing TnT, and I really liked 'em! I thought the Figurines were a good time as well. I can't believe how good your pictures came out? Where were you, because I was upfront next to a "freelance photographer with a sweet camera rig, was that you?

I did see David Cross as well, he was definitely out and about, and drinking it up downstairs at the bar.

Why does every new band have to be the savior or overhyped shit? Can't they just be another of many solid bands that some but not all people enjoy? I don't like them enough to have gone to this show, but they are welcome in my cd player. jeez.

Are you sure it was the real David Cross and not the impostor?

Glen your post is SPOT ON

bloggers are hardly EVER critical of their own darlings...they all seem to get free passes...

What I don't get really is why a band like T n T get hyped and there are about 100 other bands EXACTLY like them that don't

They aren't particularly cute, is it luck? Because from what I can tell they aren't doing a si ngle thing much different than the majority of bands out there

Rocking out in a mediocre, recycled manner

Glenn,

What the hell are you talking about?

"One last thing, this show cost less than $15 bucks. For 15 bucks, I don't know how you could be dissappointed."

Well, I'm sure some people still could be, but that's kind of how I feel about it. I really enjoyed Cold War Kids and TnT, and found Figurines pleasing enough. And all that for only about three more dollars than it would cost to go to a movie. Works for me.

Yo Dre, saying you'll bet 10:1 it'll suck means you think it's likely to be good. You should've said you'd bet 10:1 it'll be good (which would imply there's a 1 in 10 chance it will be good). Just sayin'.

"Print media is feelin' a little insecure these days..."

Word to that Amrit. I've been noticing it more and more in each print article I read that mentions bloggers or online music writing in general.

Did anyone go to both nights (Sun/Tues)? Curious if they were better last night or about the same. My opinion about Sunday night was that TnT was very good but didn't quite hit the fantastic level. Still, I have NO CLUE why people get so fussy about bands like TnT or CYHSY getting tons of online love.

"Still, I have NO CLUE why people get so fussy about bands like TnT or CYHSY getting tons of online love."

1) They are/were in a less successful band
2) They are/were a mainstream journalist that writes for paper nobody reads like the NY Sun

i thought the set was very good, but was mildly disappointed at how short it was, and that there weren't any new songs. but overall it was still a lot of fun. cold war kids were terrific, but figurines were kinda boring i thought, most of their songs sounded pretty much the same. Pics from TnT here: http://indie-licious.blog.com/796684/

Come on people. Does anyone care what a blogger has to say about a band unless you know them personally? They are similiar to every other stranger giving their opinion whether it be movies, books, art, etc. They are merely commenting on what they like and hear. What the reader does after that is up to them. If it comes across as bashing blogging, I'm not,kinda. I don't know any of them personally, so I can't talk about them. Though there are WAY too many blogs and many are all the same, they serve a purpose in providing people interested in music with information. God knows I don't have the time to do all this, so somebody has to.

i look forward to this continuing debate about Tapes n Tapes 10 years from now.

>Yo Dre, saying you'll bet 10:1 it'll suck means
>you think it's likely to be good. You should've
>said you'd bet 10:1 it'll be good (which would
>imply there's a 1 in 10 chance it will be
>good). Just sayin'.

But dre actually wrote, "I am willing to bet 10:1 that their sophomore album is a bust." That means he or she is willing to put up $10 to $1 put up by someone who thinks their sophomore album won't be a bust.

Furthermore, when the odds are 10:1 against an event occurring, it means that the event has a one in eleven, not one in ten, chance of occurring. When the odds are 1:1, the event isn't a certainty, it's a fifty-fifty proposition.

I was at the Bowery show last night and thought that TnT were pretty impressive live (more like VERY IMPRESSIVE). The songs are interesting and varied. And the frontman Josh Grier is smart enough to have interesting performers surround him. The keyboardist is minimal but his contributions both vary the sound and vary the visuals. He seems like an eccentric, mischievious guy and he brings that to the show. The drummer Jeremy is very good, And I like the new bassist. Josh's songs are really good and he gives it his all and he will probably only get better as a performer. He could possibly a MAJOR talent. Time will tell. But so far so good.

The Figurines were also excellent. Really like the record though I wish the sound was slightly more varied. And that's how I felt about thenm live. I am 43 years old so they remind me of early 80's New Wave, some Clash, some Neil Young. Not a band combo for a geezer like me.

Though I liked the Cold War Kids, they are the ones that left me somewhat cold....I don't know...they are going for that early Animals/Garage sound...they put a lot in to the music and I liked some of the songs. But I was relieved when that set was over. I am perplexed that some people liked them more than the other two bands. But hey this is all subjective. Though they are raw (which is not a band thing) I also feel like they are somewhat unformed. It will be interesting to see where they go.

But a great show last night. All of this backlash is bullshit to me. I welcome good new bands. And bloggers like the Vegan here are turning me on to a lot of good new music. THANKS!

I was at the Middle East and got some shots too - but no where near as good as yours! Amazing... I was thoroughly impressed with Cold War Kids. Nate (voice) must have been raw by the end of the night! CWK's energy - the raw excitement, translated well to the Boston crowd. Tapes were insane. I am very impressed with Josh Grier. This band sounds better with every show based on the recordings I have heard. Figurines were good, but everything slid just a bit after they played "The Wonder." It was easily the best in their set. They are good, but their star dims a bit when contrasted with the two aforementioned groups.

Cheers - Ryan

I was at the Middle East and got some shots too - but no where near as good as yours! Amazing... I was thoroughly impressed with Cold War Kids. Nate (voice) must have been raw by the end of the night! CWK's energy - the raw excitement, translated well to the Boston crowd. Tapes were insane. I am very impressed with Josh Grier. This band sounds better with every show based on the recordings I have heard. Figurines were good, but everything slid just a bit after they played "The Wonder." It was easily the best in their set. They are good, but their star dims a bit when contrasted with the two aforementioned groups.

Cheers - Ryan

I was stumbling through my weekly web check of upcoming shows and I think I found a gem on Friday July 7. I know, it's a long ways off, but I have to plan my show going ahead of time to make room for work committments at my campaign job. Piano's has become one of my favorite spots to see shows since moving to the city. There's space to escape, and it's small enough to get sweaty.

I don't know how many folks remember Kleenex Girl Wonder but they were one of my favorite bands of the late 90's and early 00's and made some of the best pop this side of GBV, in my opinion. Anyhow, they are playing on July 7th at Piano's with this scrappy band from Minnesota (obligatory shout out to tapes n' tapes here) called THE SLATS. I did a quick search and found these two MP3's ....they don't seem to be on their discography, so I'm guessing they are from an upcoming record they talk about on their news page....anyhow, I'll be there.

Call My Telephone
(http://theslats.com/files/HiddenMp3s/The_Slats_Call_My_Telephone.mp3)

Erase You
(http://theslats.com/files/HiddenMp3s/The_Slats_Erase_You.mp3)

"What I don't get really is why a band like T n T get hyped and there are about 100 other bands EXACTLY like them that don't."

the idea here is that for this type of band, we can call them the "non-innovator", the band that though in some ways idiosyncratic does not struggle to develop a trademark sound, can nonetheless be appreciated because of the songs themselves. it is reductive to listen to a band and dismiss them as sounding like everyone else when you're not actually listening to the melodies, the words, the details.

It was the real David Cross?

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