"People on the subway are staring at my scabs"

Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, and Jim Carrey performed as "A Taste of New York" on Saturday Night Live this past weekend (on 1/8). A Taste of New York is an "authentic" band from "an area between Avenue B & Avenue C" in New York City. And though Holy Sons are from the West Coast, we have learned that the sketch/song was inspired by new Holy Sons song "A Chapter Must Be Closed" from the recent Survivalist Tales. Fred Armisen watched the video for the song and the rest is history. Compare/contrast the videos below.

Musical duo The Black Keys also played Saturday Night Live on 1/8, a few days before they appeared on the Colbert Report with Ezra. Video of both songs they played are below too.

Musical duo Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (ex Sleater-Kinney, current Wild Flag) go way back. Their Thunderant series of videos have been making the rounds online for years, and so it's pretty awesome that they've landed a "6-part IFC Original short-based comedy series" called Portlandia which premieres on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 10:30 PM ET/PT on IFC. "Each episode's character-based shorts draw viewers into "Portlandia," the creators' dreamy and absurd rendering of Portland, Oregon."

An assortment of guest stars inhabit PORTLANDIA, including Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Sex & The City), Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Selma Blair (Legally Blonde, Hellboy), Heather Graham (The Hangover), Edie McClurg (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Kumail Nanjiani (Michael & Michael Have Issues), Jason Sudeikis (SNL, The Cleveland Show), and Gus Van Sant (Milk). Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann also guest stars, alongside James Mercer (The Shins), and local Portland musicians Jenny Conlee and Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney).

Wild Flag is touring in March. Some very funny "Portlandia" videos, and everything else mentioned above, below...

Continue reading "Fred Armisen inpired by Holys Sons for SNL sketch, pairs w/ Carrie Brownstein for new IFC show 'Portlandia'"

photos by Brian Reilly

There's been a lot of buzz around the festival about Broken Bells, the new project of the Shins' frontman James Mercer and artist-producer Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton).

Now, reaction to the debut disc has been mixed (we thought it fell short of the hype), but seeing them live is making us think we need to take another listen. It's woozy psych-influenced pop, with a bit of hip-hop swing to the beats, and while their songs didn't initially hit us that hard, they're starting to grow on us.

We caught their final performance of SXSW Saturday afternoon, on the patio at Mohawks, which had been at capacity since at least 1pm, with a line up down the street bigger than the crowd inside, which should give you some idea of the attention they're getting. [Now Toronto]

After leaving NYC, Broken Bells ended up playing at least four times during SXSW. The first of those shows was this semi-surprise AOL pop up show in a parking garage on Red River (right down the street from the BV party at Emo's happening at the same time) on Wednesday, March 17th. The second Broken Bells show was that night Stubb's (right down the street from the BV show at Club DeVille). More pictures from the AOl show below...

Continue reading "Broken Bells @ an AOL pop-up show in a garage - pics, setlist"

by Benjamin Lozovsky

Broken Bells, the new collaboration between producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse and Shins leader James Mercer, did everything that was expected of them Wednesday (3/10) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. A roundly good thing, unless like most live music fans, you come to a performance expecting the unexpected.

For Mercer and Brian Burton (Danger Mouse's real name), it was only their fourth show (they already played LA, Paris and London) together after a whirlwind musical courtship and friendship saw them create a stunning record of golden nugget mining 60s pop and psych rock. Brimming with melodious texture and refined emotion, the self-titled album released the day before the show is nearly spotless and blatantly thought through. For the majority of their set at Music Hall, the same rang true. But in a live implication, that translated into sterile, almost medically scrubbed renditions of all the songs from their first recorded effort. It was no small feat to reproduce such a nuanced and instrumentally rich work note for note, and the musicianship all night was stellar. But rock concerts aren't held in ICUs; germs and other unaccounted irregularities are encouraged.

The venue was dark, with dotted, drug-induced projections making up the entire lighting scheme. The album certainly has gloomy leanings, especially in Mercer's sometimes tortured vocals, but there are also mounds of joy clumped in there. With the exception of the lead guitarist and bassist, it was almost as if the band was hiding their lack of sentiment, obscuring their unease with playing the music on purpose. It wasn't necessary; hopefully Mercer and Burton realize as more shows unfold that they are readily capable of playing with precision and thoroughness, and that their skill will only shine clearer with a little dirt thrown over their pristine looking glass.

There was some pleasant filth present though. Openers Plants and Animals plenty soiled up the venue with their exciting identity crisis of stoner sludge-rock meets tainted indie crooning.

And after completing their album, Mercer and Burton came out together for an encore and performed a brightly paired down cover of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down," followed by full band cover of Tommy James and The Shondells' huge hit "Crimson And Clover." They were faithful to both songs while taking thrilling liberties, with Mercer and Burton even showing uncharacteristic smiles throughout.

Coming up, both Broken Bells and Plants and Animals are heading to SXSW. Plants and Animals play six shows including a BV day party. Broken Bells play one big official NPR one at Stubb's with Spoon (3/17), as well as at least two more that have since been announced. On Wednesday 3/17 they're also playing an AOL pop-up day show with the location TBA that day, and they were added to the T-Mobile/Mog party happening March 20th at the Mohawk with the Black Keys also on the bill.

More pictures from Music Hall below...

Continue reading "Broken Bells & Plants & Animals @ MHOW in Brooklyn - pics "

"Broken Bells, the hotly anticipated new project between Danger Mouse and the Shins' James Mercer, had a coming-out-party Friday night, performing at the intimate Bootleg Theater for industry pals and those lucky enough to score some of the tickets that went on sale Friday morning. With a capacity of about 200, tickets didn't last long, and Pop & Hiss was forced to head home to watch some Olympic ice dancing instead.*

Nevertheless, plenty of amateur videographers were in attendance..."" [LA Times]

Multiple live videos from that first, and suprise, live Broken Bells show below.

And it was just announced that Broken Bells will perform at the NPR SXSW showcase at Stubb's on Wednesday March 17th. That's the same show that Spoon, The Walkmen, and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings are also playing. Luckily I've seen the last three bands live many times and Broken Bells are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on March 10th (tickets on sale this week), because that night in Austin I'll be down the street at the BrooklynVegan showcase at Club DeVille.

Broken Bells videos below...

Continue reading "Broken Bells played LA, playing SXSW & Brooklyn "

Bouncing Souls

today in NYC
* Nas @ Hammerstein Ballroom
* The Fab Faux @ Terminal 5
* Yo La Tengo & ??? @ Maxwell's
* Kimya Dawson & friends @ Bowery Ballroom
* Weston, Latex Generation, Catjaw @ Mercury Lounge
* Joe Jack Talcum & The Black Angels @ Rehab
* The Bouncing Souls @ Convention Hall in NJ

Tonight is the first of three Bouncing Souls shows in Asbury Park.

Tickets went on sale for the Cat Power Apollo shows.

You can win a Jazzmaster signed by everyone that played that Jazzmaster 50th anniversary show.

James Mercer was born today in 1970.

What else?