Computer Perfection

Entries tagged with: Computer Perfection

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DOWNLOAD: Zoos of Berlin - Electrical Way (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Computer Perfection - Able Archer (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Christmas Party with Computer Perfection & Friends (Zip)

Zoos of Berlin @ Market Hotel in September

Detroit's Zoos of Berlin are coming back to NYC for two shows this month: they'll play December 18 at Matchless and December 19 at Cake Shop. They were great when they played Market Hotel back in September. Here's what I wrote on Soundbites:

Zoos of Berlin are from Detroit and are fronted by Trevor Naud who also spent time (maybe still does) in the notoriously unprolific but occasionally awesome Pas/Cal. Unlike that band's sunshine pop, Zoos of Berlin are more buttoned up and immaculate, like a high society tea... but one that desperately wants to be disco-fest. Naud and turtleneck-wearing bassist Daniel Clark keep it regal, but drummer Colin Dupuis and, especially, keyboardist Will Yates are there to party. The result is like a weird mix of Cardinal and Steely Dan, a combination that is perfected on "Electrical Way" which has Yates laying down a super-funky Clavinet part over most of the song, with a breakdown which is straight out of "Peg." And it just sounds awesome, such good musicianship overcoming the deficiencies of Market Hotel's PA, where they played a few weeks ago.

You can download "Electrical Way" at the top of this post. Zoos of Berlin also have a Bowie thing going in there somewhere (yes, his Berlin period if you must know), and there's really nothing like them in NYC right now, which is why you should go despite it being so close to Christmas that you'll probably show up to the gig with shopping bags in tow. (Make room for their album, "Taxis".) They're good so go see them.

Computer Perfection

While we're on the subject of Pas/Cal offshoots, I would be remiss to not mention Computer Perfection, the fairly new band that features most of Pas/Cal (minus main man Casimir) and who released their debut album last month which fans of their old band will probably like too. I caught them at CMJ and thought they were quite good, despite playing in a room smaller than my bedroom. I will admit being swayed by their spot-on cover of The Flowerpot Men's "Beat City" from the Ferris Bueller's Day Off soundtrack, which was enough to help them lug stuff to their van after the show and buy a copy of their CD. They're not touring right now, but keep an eye out.

Computer Perfection released a Christmas record last year that came out so late it almost missed the holiday, but you can still download it -- for free -- from their website. It's like fruitcake, it's just as good a year later. It also features contributions from Chicago's 1900s, Computer Perfection member LTD, and more. It;s worth the disc space of downloading alone for Aunt Beru & The Juicers' "Santa Brings It" which melds "Here Comes Santa Clause" onto Beyonce's "Single Ladies" which is sure to be a hit at any holiday office party. Grab the Zip file above. Cover art below.

Video from Zoos of Berlin's show at Market Hotel in September, plus upcoming tour dates , after the jump.

Continue reading "a free Christmas album by Computer Perfection & friends, Zoos of Berlin dates, MP3s, videos, Pas/Cal & more"

posted at 9:47 AM on December 1, 2009 in MP3 | music | tour dates | Comments (3)

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Freddie and the Trojan Horse (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - The Worst Taste in Music (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - A Window (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Pulling Our Weight (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Radio Dept - Why Won’t You Talk About It? (MP3)

The Radio Dept.

"The Friday night show at Don Hill's was advertised as a "warm-up show" but it was hardly a dry run. [The Radio Dept.'s] eight-song set ran over half an hour - a full showcase at some festivals - and even though they had no drummer, no bassist and played over a significant amount of pre-recorded backing tracks - usually things that'd put me right off - they still grabbed the heartstrings. It's the songs. It didn't matter how they did it, but they came off with all the beautiful melancholy the records carried without sounding like a karaoke act. Favouring the cleaner sonic aesthetic of their more recent works, both Martin Carlberg and Johan Duncanson reproduced their surprisingly intricate guitar parts flawlessly, Carlberg's vocals were resonant with yearning and resignation and the feeling of being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of sound very much in effect. True, their onstage charisma was nearly non-existent - they seemed awkward and uncertain how to respond to the enthusiasm of the audience - but even that fit perfectly with their persona." [Chromewaves]

Day Two of NYC Popfest (Friday, May 15, 2009) moved from local and stateside bands to The Scandavian countries. Sweden's The Radio Dept. (in a warm-up to their headlining show the next day) and Lichtenstein both performed ahead of the excellent Cats On Fire. Cats' lead-singer, Mattias Björkas, looks like David Bowie, sounds eerily like Morrissey and coyingly moves and postures like Rhett Miller. Their set at Don Hill's put everyone in a proper mood for the Mondo indie dance party that followed. Early on, local-boy Don Lennon and L.A.'s The Tartans also performed.

Cats on Fire and Lichtenstein shared a bill again, last night (5/19) at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn. More pictures and videos from the Don Hill's show below...

Continue reading "NYC Popfest - night 2 pics & video (The Radio Dept, Cats on Fire, Lichtenstein & more...) "

posted at 10:41 AM on May 20, 2009 in music | pictures | Comments (18)

by Bill Pearis

The Radio Dept

Enigmatic Swedish band The Radio Dept. are to play their first U.S. show since 2003 (which was in San Francisco), as part of the third-annual NYC Popfest which happens this year from May 14 - 17. Whether or not the band will have finished their delayed follow-up to 2005's Pet Grief remains to be seen, but there are lots of folks who've been waiting years for Radio Dept to play here and, so far, the Popfest date is the only one they're doing.

While the Radio Dept will no-doubt be the biggest draw, NYC Popfest has put together a pretty great lineup including a few other notable acts, more Swedes: all-girl trio Liechtenstein, who've put out a bunch of great 7-inches and will have a new EP out on Slumberland in May. We'll also get two bands from Finland: Cats on Fire, who made their U.S. debut at last year's fest; and the lovely synth-acoustic pop of Burning Hearts whose debut album, Aboa Sleeping, was released last month.

North America is well represented as you might expect. Detroit gives us Computer Perfection (who are not synth pop despite the name), and offshoot band Hidden Ghost Ship, whose very good debut album you can download for free. (The link is at the top of this post.) There's also Grand Rapids' The Icicles whose song "La Ti Da" you might know from a Target commercial; Boston's awesome Pants Yell! who were one of my favorites from last year's event; Ohio's The 1959 Hat Company and Afternoon Naps; California brings us L.A.'s The Tartans (12-strings and glockenspeil pop) and San Francisco's Eux Autres (janglepop); Vermont's Smittens (who remind me of '90s indie pop band Small Factory); Athens, GA's great power popppers Casper & the Cookies; Chicago's Very Truly Yours (classic twee pop) and Canada's Rose Melberg.

The bulk of the bands are from NYC, and include: My Teenage Stride whose new Emusic single "Creep Academy" is one of my favorite songs they've ever done; Knight School (who I've written about before); Boy Genius (ditto) and The Secret History (double ditto); plus the newly-quintet-ed The Metric Mile, Soft City, Dream Bitches, The Ballet, Strega, and Don Lennon.

Most of the Popfest shows will happen at Cake Shop, with a Friday night show at Don Hill's in conjunction with Mondo! and the Radio Dept. show at The Bell House. Unlike the two previous years, there's no BBQ/day show at Union Pool. Pricing and that sort of thing hasn't been ironed out yet, but the individual night's lineups are below:

Continue reading "NYC Popfest - 2009 lineup, The Radio Dept. included "

posted at 5:08 PM on March 24, 2009 in music | tour dates | Comments (14)