Simian Mobile Disco Videos @ Webster Hall

Here are a few of the videos taken of SMD's set at Webster Hall:







enjoy.

Simian Mobile Disco @ Webster Hall

Courtesy of Melissa Dex Guzman

Every now and then, you are pleasantly surprised.  Not to say that I was floored but I was definitely impressed by the electronic duo, James Ford and Jas Shaw, of Simian Mobile Disco.  With their fascinating light show behind them, the duo shredded through a set that included bangers from their debut Attack Decay Sustain Release and their sophomore release Temporary Pleasure.  Standing onstage for the the better part of the first half the show, I was in awe by the sights and sounds of their live show.  It was incredible.

Opening with the sonic explosion of "Sleep Deprivation", my personal favorite, I knew I was in for a treat.  These two guys produce a massive sound with their roundtable of equipment including mixers, synths and pedals; as they performed, they moved from instrument to instrument, rotating as they pleased.  After about half the set, I left the stage to watch the rest of the performance from the balcony; it was just as good since I could see the entire setup and enjoy the sound just a bit more.  All in all, it was one of the best shows I've seen all year.  If you're a fan of electronic music, or any music for that matter, and love great live shows, I highly recommend you check them out when possible.

I am in the process of editing a few videos taken from the stage and I have will have those uploaded as soon as possible.  Also, I will be traveling to Oklahoma this week where I hope to capture and interview Deadmau5 from the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City.  Until then, stay tuned for the SMD videos.

enjoy.

Blood Orange @ Pianos, CMJ Music Marathon

Devonte' Hynes is Blood Orange.  He is also Lightspeed Champion.  Regardless of his stage name, Dev is a multi-talented songwriter, composer and musician from the UK whose new moniker, Blood Orange, is a fresh sound of pop and surf.  Apparently a photographer and two older attendees, clearly there for the alcohol and not the music, were questioning Dev's appearance and instantly wrote off his abilities.  Dev proved them wrong.  His show at Pianos, as part of the Terrible Records showcase, was an energetic display of melodramatic lyrics and bouncy beats.

Equipped with his guitar and black Macbook, Dev seamlessly guided through a storybook of songs, most of which would cause one to dance; he did take the time to ask for the lights to be turned down for a more tender song.  Overall, I was very impressed with his new sound, which is a clear departure from the folky, complex Lightspeed Champion.  Unfortunately, since another organization was already capturing video of the CMJ shows at Pianos, I did not get any video of the performance; next time.  But do check out the Blood Orange videos, here and here, from my good friends at 'Sup Mag.

Below are some pics from the Blood Orange show and a video from the Lightspeed Champion set at the Music Hall of Williamsburg as part of the AAM Day Party:

 

enjoy.

The Uglysuit @ the Living Room, CMJ Music Marathon

Oklahomans are known for their big hearts, honesty and integrity; overall, being a good brand of people.  This is very true about the band, the Uglysuit, hailing from Oklahoma City, OK.  The band was in town for the CMJ Music Marathon where they performed five shows over the course of four days; I attended their show at the Living Room as part of Paste Magazine's Day Party.  I had the chance to record their set and have a small chat with the guys upstairs at Googies Lounge, all of which will presented on here.

Upon arriving at the Living Room, I saw two guys and two girls pulling equipment out of a van parked outside.  Seeing the amount of equipment to be moved, I offered my services and helped unload what remained inside; my arms thanked me the next day.  Not too long afterward, the band arrived and were curiously checking out the venue space.  The Living Room reminded me of a few venues back home in Oklahoma, a very intimate feel and someplace you could always hang out and have a good time.  As the band setup and started their sound checks, I tried to find the perfect place for a static camera, only to find out that if the tripod wasn't seven feet tall, I was going to catch some floating heads; no worries,  I shot with another camera up close, unobstructed.

The band's set was delightful.  A combination of elegant, somber melodies and raw,  powerful shoegaze created a nice spectrum of sound that showcased the band's flexibility.  From the opening "1902 Deep Sea" to the closing epic "...And We Became Sunshine", the band never missed a beat and performed with an intent to make their act hard to follow.  As discussed in my interview with the band, there seems to be this transformation from the laid back guys joking around as they setup their equipment to this intense collective that performs with passion.  It's always great to see such a young band take pride, not only in their songwriting and creativity, but also in their showmanship and presentation; "...And We Became Sunshine" is a prime example, such a great performance.  They were all very humble and very gracious for my interest in their band.  The pleasure was all mine, I got to spend my Wednesday afternoon with some fellow Oklahomans, listen to some great music, enjoy a beer and  casual conversation afterward.  It was a great time.

enjoy.

Atlas Sound @ Le Poisson Rouge/MHOW, CMJ Music Marathon

Atlas Sound = Bradford Cox.  Bradford Cox is most notably the lead singer of the Atlanta-based ambient/shoegaze outfit, Deerhunter.  On occasion, he records and performs as the solo act named Atlas Sound.  As for my first show of my CMJ experience, I attended the Selmanaires/Atlas Sound/Broadcast show at Le Poisson Rouge; I also went to his performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg the following night.

At Le Poisson Rouge (LPR), I stood and watched as he and the Selmanaires, another Atlanta-based group and personal friend of Bradford's, sound check and perform a few songs; "Shelia", Untitled Jam and "My Halo".  Donning his 'Neil Young' attire (a green-plaid long sleeve button up, jeans and his 'big boy' boots), Bradford was joking around with his band mates, the sound crew and himself; he commented on the smell of garlic and cheese.  In all, the band rushed through a few rehearsals before the doors were opened.  At that point, the Selmanaires took the stage.  Without any previous knowledge of the band, I went blind into this performance with no preconceptions or expectations.  Truth be told, I was very impressed; by the number of heads nodding during their performance, most of the crowd was impressed as well.  Their sound was well constructed and sounded extremely well through the LPR soundsystem.  Great job guys.

As for Bradford's set, I couldn't have been any more pleased.  As he towered at center stage, he strummed through song after song, changing every now and then from his acoustic to electric (a Gretch, complete with a leather circle on back in case he wants to wear a big belt buckle) guitar.  For me, these were some of the highlights from his set (videos featured below):  Untitled Jam, "Walkabout" and "Shelia".  The untitled jam clocks in just over nine minutes long and includes Bradford drumming during the middle of the song; the slower "Walkabout" featured Cox's soft vocals that wrapped around the Selmanaires' warm sound; and "Shelia" was more for the head-nodders, more uptempo and bouncy than the rest of his set.  This wasn't the one-man-show, all electronic Atlas Sound show, people have accustomed to seeing; overall, it was more folky in sound but they definitely displayed their boisterous, shoegaze side when the time arrived.  It was a fantastic show.

The following day, Bradford agreed to do an interview with me after his show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg; Round 2.  This particular set wasn't as polished as the previous day's but was still a great time.  With a packed house, Bradford broke the tension with jokes, conversations and hysterical 'artist' poses; the crowd was very responsive, much more than the LPR crowd.  Again, another great show but with a few mishaps.  Along with my interview with Bradford (and friends), I included a bonus clip from the Music Hall show of their cover of the Velvet Undergrounds' "What Goes On":

Eventually, all of the LPR show will be uploaded (quality pending).  Please stayed tuned to Music Taster's Choice, as I will be featuring concert footage and an interview with Oklahoma City's the Uglysuit from the Living Room as part of the CMJ Music Marathon.

enjoy.