Ulrich Schnauss @ Bell House

The weather outside was frightful, but the music was so delightful.  Was it ever so delightful.  For those who trekked through the blizzard-like conditions to see Ulrich Schnauss perform at the Bell House, the music made all the difference in forgetting the Snowmageddon occurring outside and making the trip worthwhile.  The electronic whiz from Germany performed to about a hundred and fifty or so, a far cry from the potential crowd had the weather held up.  Nevertheless, the electronic shoegazer was not going to let Mother Nature ruin the evening and performed a masterful show at the Brooklyn venue.

Sitting behind his Macbook and in front of continuous loop of structures and landscapes, Schnauss sat comfortably and performed with relative ease a stream of songs made up from his heralded discography, including some new, unreleased material.  The set ranged from smooth, ambient tracks to those with enough melody and bass to bob your head into next week.  His musical spectrum is limitless, and whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual listener, his set offered something for everyone.  It was obvious that a fair amount of those in attendance came only for Ulrich and, having conversed with a few, have attentively followed his work and were thrilled to see a rare performance.  I would like to thank Ulrich and his management for sending over a set list of the show, which was as such:

Untitled New Song

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Ten Years

Her and the Sea

Love Forever

Never Be the Same

Untitled New Song

Look at the Sky

Untitled New Song

Ships Will Sail

Medusa

I Take Comfort In Your Ignorance

Encore

On My Own

Back Down to Earth

Goodbye

Overall, the show was fantastic and I really wish the weather would have held up because I think a lot of people will regret missing an opportunity to see this electronic wonder.  After the show, a couple fans had noticed I was recording his set and I explained that the content would be featured online and that it would be uploaded shortly.  Unfortunately, as I was trying to capture Ulrich's performance, I was continuously interrupted by a fan and his obsessive yelling.  So, I was only able to capture the first three-fourths of his set, sans encore, with decent audio and video.  Videos of the show are below:

Update: Below is the video for "Ten Years"; by request of Ulrich, I will not upload any untitled new songs. For those of you who were curious, the visuals were created by Mauritius Seeger aka Dr. Mo.

enjoy.

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The Uglysuit @ Living Room

The last time I visited the Living Room, located in the Lower East Side, was to see a  band from Oklahoma City perform during the CMJ Music Marathon.  Coincidentally, I returned to the Living Room to see the Uglysuit perform once again.  Named by Paste Magazine as one the 'Best 10 Bands we Discovered at CMJ 2009', the Uglysuit has been making big impressions on the music scene, playing festivals like CMJ and SXSW and creating a much-deserved buzz afterward.  Even before Wednesday's show, Time Out New York named their show one of the week's best.

With a capacity crowd on hand, the band performed a well-rounded set consisting of old standards and some newer material; the band also performed an all ages show earlier in the day.  They create some pretty fantastic music but what really draws me to them is their stage presence; some of the most energetic performers I've seen, they perform with a raw intensity that is drawn from their passion for making music.  I was impressed by their newer material as well, building on their sound from their self-titled debut album.  Really not much more I can say about this six-piece that I haven't said before, so I'll let the music speak for itself.  Do yourself a favor and catch them when you can.  Videos of the set are below:

enjoy.

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Nosaj Thing @ Le Poisson Rouge

I'm gonna be quite honest with you, by the time I got to Le Poisson Rouge to see Jogger, Nosaj Thing, and Daedelus, I was pretty drained.  I did my fair amount of walking to see Findlay Brown and Memory Tapes, respectively, before I trekked my way back to Bleecker Street.  Since my travels on foot cost me time, I only got to watch minutes of Jogger's set; I was so focused on moving through the crowd,  that I didn't even pay attention until it was over.  Maybe next time.  But after a nice refreshment and finding as good a spot I could, I set my sights for Jason Chung, otherwise known as Nosaj Thing.

Again, I'm gonna be quite honest with you, I thought he killed it.  From the eerie opening until the first bass-filled notes of "Fog", Nosaj Thing really brought his A-game, hitting every note right on cue.  I found myself really getting into the set, bouncing my head to the beat while he punched button after button and twisted each knob as he pleased; the music really took over the space.  I'm a big fan of live electronic music because artists do not simply just push 'play' and let the track go, they manipulate each sound and mold each track into something unique.  Unfortunately, I only stayed for about forty-five minutes before deciding to leave but his set really let an impression on me.  I simply cannot wait until I have the chance to see him again.  Videos from the set are below:

enjoy.

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Memory Tapes @ Tribeca Grand Hotel

After seeing Findlay Brown at Rockwood Music Hall, I trekked over to the Tribeca Grand Hotel to catch Memory Tapes perform once again.  Last time they performed in New York just happened to be their first show in the States, while Saturday night's performance was their first headlining show as a band; don't you just love the firsts of stuff?  With their last performance still ingrained in your minds, I won't elaborate much about the show, as it was almost a carbon copy of the one at the Bell House.

The crowd at the Tribeca Grand was young, which is always annoying, and it seemed that a lot people in attendance didn't really know much about Memory Tapes; it was a free show, so I really didn't expect anything different.  The set itself was pretty good, the guys were pretty comfortable with the packed room and large audience.  Standing against a projected movie on the back wall, the band strummed through five songs, all from Seek Magic.  The set included a rather extended version of "Bicycle", that saw the band play for more than ten minutes before ending with the backing track continuing to play.  The set list was as such:

Green Knight

Stop Talking

Plain Material

Graphics

Bicycle

Another good performance but I would really like to seem them perform in a few months to see how their live show evolves; hopefully they will diversify their set list and include other songs from Seek Magic or perform new or unreleased songs.  Still in their infancy, I sometimes forget that they haven't performed much yet but I cannot wait to see what the future holds for these guys.  Videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

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Findlay Brown @ Rockwood Music Hall

Every once and a while, you stumble upon something great.  I take pride in the fact that I love a plethora of music genres, so hearing an artist as talented and pleasingly retro as Findlay Brown, really makes my day.  My first reaction, along with many others, is his sound comes straight from the likes of Roy Orbison; pretty good company if you ask me.  The melodies are fantastic and his voice so powerful and smooth, the music speaks for itself and really grabs you.  It was by chance that I caught the Englishmen, now New York resident, play an acoustic set at Rockwood Music Hall.

The intimacy of Rockwood Music Hall really connects you with the music, as you are literally within arms length from the artists from almost anywhere in the venue.  Findlay played an acoustic set along with a few of his band mates, which put a really nice spin on his songs.  Whether playing solo or with the quartet of musicians, his voice really stood out and was very easy on the ears.  I was wowed by how well the whole set was put together.  Set list was as such:

Come Home

Teardrops Lost In the Rain

Loneliness I Fear

I Still Want You

Nobody Cared

That's Right

I Had a Dream

Love Will Find You

Moon River

I know he's not everybody's cup of tea but I would highly suggest seeing him if you get the chance.  He will be playing at Pianos this Tuesday (2/23) and will be touring along with Shelby Lynne this spring.  Videos of the show are below:

As an added bonus, I am also including a video from David Wax Museum, who played just before Findlay at Rockwood.  They were a pleasant surprise, their brand of folk has influences from south of the border, which made for a more diverse sound.  Here's the video for "Beatrice":

enjoy.

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Lightspeed Champion @ Sound Fix Records

First off, sorry for the pixelated photo of Dev; I will try harder next time.  On with the show.  Yes, that's Devonte' Hynes, aka Lightspeed Champion, the lovable Texas-born, English-raised, and now Williamsburg-resident, payed visit to Sound Fix Records for an intimate performance in support of his newly released album, Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You.

Life is sweet, I would agree, but that was not my first thought as the swelling crowd at Sound Fix waited for over an hour before Dev started his set; despite my initial annoyance, Dev addressed the crowd that the delay was on an account of a car accident involving the sound guy.  Hope he's doing well.  After some short banter, Dev and crew jumped into the album's first single, "Marlene".  The sound was pretty good, despite the minimal prep time and the lack of his full band.  Switching from guitar to bass, and vice versa, Dev showed his flexibility and provided the majority of the vocals with his signature voice.  The trio, along with a few Dev solos, rode though a few songs from Life Is Sweet , a couple oldies, and even a couple new ones.  Set list was as so:

Marlene

Faculty of Fears

There's Nothing Underwater

Dull and Boring (new)

Galaxy of the Lost

Heavy Purple (unreleased)

Devil In Disguise (new cover)

Madame Van Damme

I was surprised at the length of his set, as most in-store performances rarely exceed three or four songs.  Overall, a pretty good performance by Dev and another great in-store at Sound Fix Records.  On a side note, if you want to have a conversation with an artist, please do so before or after the performance.  You're distracting and nobody thought you were cool and clever but yourselves.  Yes, you two.  That is all.  Videos of Dev and company can be found below:

Videos of "Faculty of Fears" and "There's Nothing Underwater" can be seen at the MTC YouTube Channel.

enjoy.

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The Babies @ Cake Shop

It's not often that I go to a show to see the opening band, but nevertheless, that's exactly what I did on Sunday to see the Babies at Cake Shop.  From what little is out there about the Babies, I knew I wanted to learn more and get a first-hand glimpse at this Brooklyn super group.  Consisting of Cassie Ramone of the Vivian Girls, Kevin Morby of Woods, Nathanael Stark of Bent Outta Shape and Justin Sullivan of Bossy, it's no coincidence that this band can create some pretty catchy tunes.

Their eight-song set was full of infectious garage rock with a twist of surf and pop.  Their music is pretty simple and straightforward, no gimmicks or complexities here; Cassie and Kevin share the duties on vocals, as well as guitars while Justin keeps the beat and Nathanael picks the bass.  Their set was fun and the building crowd at Cake Shop nodded their heads in approval.  I captured their entire set but have no clue what the names are to any of the tracks except for "Meet Me In the City" and "All Things Come To Pass" (which are featured on their Myspace); so if anybody could help with the song titles, I'd most obliged.  Videos of the two aforementioned tracks are below:

enjoy.

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Radio Happy Hour w/ Jolie Holland and Jessi Klein @ Le Poisson Rouge

After a brief hiatus, I found myself at Le Poisson Rouge for another chapter of Radio Happy Hour, the radio show that's not necessarily on the radio; though a video stream is available online.  A live variety show and the brainchild of host, Sam Osterhout, combines hilarious screenplays, funny Q & A's sessions, and performances by guest musicians.  This month's edition included the funny comedian/writer Jessi Klein and singer/song bird Jolie Holland; in my own personal opinion, this was the funniest of the Radio Happy Hour's that I've seen and that Jessi Klein is extremely witty.

This month's show, "The Curse of the Balls of Cupid", was set at Jessi Klein's singles party at a hotel next to the highway.  The cast was played by Sam Osterhout (Rod), Robin Reed (Martini), Matt Shibiak (Stupid Fresh?) and Jessi and Jolie played themselves.  As with all Radio Happy Hour shows, the cast is hurled into a murder mystery when a man stumbles into the hotel room and dies, having been shot with an 'archaic weapon' (arrow).  Everyone suspects everyone else, as each has a motive for killing the man but who is actually the murderer??  The screenplay was quite clever and I had a hard time steadying the camera at times as I had to control my laughter.  If you haven't caught one of these shows yet, I would highly recommend it.  Jolie Holland, accompanied by Grey Gersten, covered two Michael Hurley songs in between each act; the songs were gorgeous and perfectly fitting for Valentine's.  Videos of all three acts, along with Holland/Gersten performances, are found below:

Stay tuned for next month's show (3/13) as it will include writer Arthur Phillips, comedian couple John and Molly Knefel, and musical guest Cursive.  Additional information about Radio Happy Hour can be found here or at Le Poisson Rouge.

enjoy.

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Delta Spirit / The Willowz @ Union Hall

Most of you may know that I am originally from Oklahoma and have been in New York for less than a year, so it's no surprise that I have found myself finally making it to some venues I have failed to visit.  This was the case this past Friday when I finally made it to Union Hall in Brooklyn to see one of my favorite bands, Delta Spirit.  I do have to admit that if it wasn't for a friend of mine in Oklahoma, I would have never listened to Delta Spirit; I am very grateful as I have worn out their debut album, Ode to Sunshine,  over this past year but simply cannot stop playing it.  So, it was only by chance that I received the opportunity to catch their last show in New York on their brief Northeast tour.

Without knowing much about the opening acts, I was pleasantly surprised at how well each performed and how much I enjoyed their music.  Joey English, a folk singer/songwriter from Knoxville, TN, along with drummer Joe Bliffin, strolled through songs of memories passed.  They were quite good, showing some flexibility by kicking it up a notch on songs like "Black Cat".  Along with Joey were the Willowz, a band that I was very impressed with.  Their blend of rock and punk made for some very catchy tunes and for a very entertaining set.  During their set, Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit performed alongside the band on "Way It Seems" and "Everyone", which also included Kelly Winrich of Delta Spirit.  They concluded with the song "Repetition", which was one of my favorites and a pretty good bookend to their show.  Overall, I thought their set was great and I was very happy to see them perform.  I would suggest taking a listen to their latest release, Everyone, as the songs are pretty fantastic.

There's not much that can be said that hasn't been said before about Delta Spirit; I was expecting a high energy, high emotion set from the band from Cali and that's what they delivered.  Starting with "Bleeding Bells", the band slowly built up their sound and finished the song strongly as Vasquez's raspy voice soared over the capacity audience.  Their set was full of new tracks from their upcoming release, History From Below, which is due out in May and old standards like "Strange Vine", "Trashcan" and "Children".  I would have to say that their rendition of "People C'Mon" was one of the highlights of their set; the energy on this song was unmatched and they really fed off the crowd's reaction and vocal participation.  New songs like "911" and "Golden State" kept that same vibe while others, although great in songwriting and overall structure, drew long and toned down the  overall energy of the audience.

As I mentioned above, I have followed Delta Spirit for well over a year and was extremely eager to catch this show; I have missed the opportunity to see them perform at the Opolis in Norman, OK and the other New York shows leading to this one.  As this show drew to an end, Matt recognized me and noticed that I had been filming parts of the set and asked for me to put my camera away to have a good time.  Reluctant, I did as he wished and put it away and awaited the next song.  Unfortunately, they played "Streetwalker", perhaps the most played song on my iTunes and one of my favorite songs in general.  Missing the opportunity to capture this moment was somewhat bittersweet but in hindsight, I was able to enjoy the song and belt out every lyric at will.  I sometimes get so caught up behind the camera, that I miss those things that others get to enjoy.  So thanks Matt for telling me to have a good time, I sometimes forget.  Videos from the Willowz and Delta Spirit are below:

One or two more videos from the show might find its way here, so stay tuned for those.

enjoy.

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Let It Snow, Let It Snow

 Courtesy of 'Dj Poe'

Finally, the meteorologists of New York have finally got it right.  After a few false alarms over the past couple weeks, New York City is being hit hard by a snow storm with blizzard-like conditions in effect.  You knew it had to be serious when the mayor interrupted programming to announce school closings yesterday. I sometimes forget I live in New York, where school closings effect over one million children; being from the Midwest, school closings were based on individual school districts and would only effect a few hundred to a few thousand students.  Anywho, I have dedicated today to listening to music, updating a few things and planning out shows for the coming weeks.  Here are a few songs I'm listening to right now:

"Borderlands" by Tim Hecker**

"Sincerely" by the Moonglows

"Criminals" (Electronic) by Atlas Sound

"Better Things" by Magnetic Fields

"Childhood" by Beach House

"I Am the Cosmos" by Chris Bell

"Let Down" by Radiohead

"Streetwalker" by Delta Spirit

"Bicycle" by Memory Tapes

"Meet Me in the City" by the Babies

"Mansard Roof" by Vampire Weekend

"Shout Me Out" by TV on the Radio

**Tim Hecker is performing tonight (2/10) at Le Poisson Rouge as part of Unsound Festival.  Tickets can still be purchased here.

enjoy.

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The Soft Pack @ Cake Shop

Do you ever notice that some good things come from bad situations?  Example:  standing in a crowded bar, no bigger than my studio space, waiting with a hundred other people to see the Soft Pack perform a free show was not an ideal situation but it was a good choice nonetheless.  I give a lot of kudos to the staff at Cake Shop for playing the hand they were dealt; an overcrowded bar area with minimal space to move and an impatient crowd.  Yet patience is a virtue and those who stuck it out found a prize at the end of the rainbow.

The San Diego four-piece (formerly the Muslims) charged out of the gates, performing "C'Mon", the first track off their self-titled debut album that was released earlier this week.  With a surf-infused garage sound, it's no wonder how popular these guys are with their catchy tunes and memorable lyrics.  The band ended up performing seven of the ten tracks off of their debut release, excluding the tracks "Move Along", Flammable" and "Mexico".  Outside of The Soft Pack tracks, they also performed "Extinction", "Bright Side", "Right and Wrong" and "Beside Myself" from The Muslims EP; "Faith Man", from The Soft Pack 12", was also performed.  But the band also included a special treat for the Cake Shop faithful, covering Phoenix's "Fences" near the end of their set; for those who have heard it, it's different but still good.  Here is the set list for the show:

C'Mon

Down On Loving

Answer to Yourself

Extinction

Bright Side

Right and Wrong

Tides of Time

Beside Myself

More or Less

Faith Man

Fences

Pull Out

Parasites

With only having a modest amount of exposure to the Soft Pack's music, I was very impressed with their live performance.  Their sound was crisp and they seemed to have a good time; not only did the band have a good time but they embraced the intimate Cake Shop and tried their best to make sure everybody else did as well.  I speak for myself when I say 'job well done'.  Videos from the performance can be found below:

Update: All videos are uploaded for the time being. More might find their way onto the MTC YouTube Channel.

enjoy.

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Atlas Sound / Memory Tapes @ Bell House

I was giddy with excitement the moment I knew I was going to this show.  Honestly, Bradford Cox is a musical talent and it shows on stage.  Memory Tapes released something mesmerizing in Seek Magic and have burst onto the indie scene; not to mention this was Memory Tapes first performance in the States.  Slowly, the masses descended upon the Bell House in Brooklyn and filled up the main hall in anticipation for Memory Tapes, as there were no local bands on the bill.

Memory Tapes is the moniker for Jersey's own Dayve Hawk, who also has gone by Memory Tapes and Weird Tapes.  Pegged as a one-man band, Hawk actually performs onstage with a live drummer and a backing track from a trusty MacBook.  I was very impressed in how the songs from Seek Magic turned out live, though it was apparent that the tempo and transitions of the songs were dependent on the backing tracks.  Not a big deal, it's just something I noticed.  The crowd was very into the set, bobbing heads in agreement with the music and giving strong applause to each performance.  Overall, their set was pretty solid and with only a handful of live shows under their belt, I would say they're onto a very good start.

After the Bell House crew cleared the floor of Memory Tapes' gear, alone sat a solitary chair in the middle of the stage.  Bradford Cox, who goes by Atlas Sound and is the frontman of Deerhunter, took his seat and happily greeted the capacity crowd and began playing "The Screens", a song from his self-released Virtual 7" No. 8.  He then began playing another newer song, "Te Amo", previously known as "Untitled" or "Untitled Jam"; his first effort was defeated by his failing looper, causing him to replay the song.  Unfortunately, six minutes into the song, the looper again stopped and the song came screeching to a halt; the crowd applauded regardless, as the song to that point was top notch.  The next three songs were "Walkabout", "Shelia" and "An Orchid", all from his latest release, Logos.  The following two were new songs, the first entitled "Come Home"; a lengthy, emotional song.  Secondly, "Flagstaff" was a folk number that was very minimal outside of the effect-laden beginning and end; it also tested Bradford's high notes on occasion.  Both were very good.  He then ended his set with "Attic Lights", another song from Logos.

After a brief step offstage, Bradford walked back towards the cheers to play an encore that included a rendition of "Criminals", a surprise performance of Deerhunter's "Spring Hall Convert" and finally ending his show with "Logos".  Afterward, Cox was humbled by the crowd and graciously thanked everybody was attending, stating that playing New York is something everybody wants to do and that every time he plays here, it's like the first time.  He was also very impressed with the Bell House, acknowledging the great atmosphere and said that he would like to come back.  After seeing him twice during CMJ, I would have to say that this was my favorite show of his that I've seen; I prefer the solo performance.  It was an excellent show.  Thanks again Bradford.  Videos of Memory Tapes and Atlas Sound can be seen below:

Update: All videos have been uploaded and posted.

enjoy.

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The Family Band Show @ Rockwood Music Hall

 

It was very crowded at the Rockwood Music Hall, a small yet comfortable music venue on the Lower East Side, where a trio of bands and friends were set to perform.  Bear Man Gun, formerly the Lion's Share, Zach Williams and Brian Elmquist are all friends from previous experiences yet all converged onto this space for a night of friendship and music.

Bear Man Gun led the way with their brand of melodic sing-alongs, complete with memorable lyrics and bouncy tunes from start to finish.  Fronted by the energetic Caleb Clarty, the band definitely had a swagger about them and their showmanship really showed.  Despite not being my cup of tea, they put on an entertaining show and had the crowd going their whole set.

Following Bear Man Gun was Zach Williams and his entourage of band mates.  Consisting of six members, the band engulfed the small stage and at times were pouring off the stage.  Zach was very soulful yet melancholy, often taking the time to slow things down and really engage the crowd with heartfelt lyrics, so soft they were almost whispers.  I was very impressed by Zach's intensity and his powerful vocals.  At the end of his set, he gathered Caleb and Brian onstage where they jumped into a cover of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down"; definitely one of the highlights of the night, the entire crowd sang boisterously along and enjoyed themselves 'til the very end.

Capping off the trio of performances was Brian Elmquist, a Georgia native who calls Brooklyn home and whose voice, please pardon the cliche', is as smooth and rich as honey. Brian plays a brand of folk rock with twist of southern soul, easy to listen and easy to enjoy.  With his bassist and drummer, Brian played through most of his recent release, Situation Unknown, having a little help along the way.  During "Funny Thing", Williams came onstage and sang alongside Elmquist, making for another highlight of the evening.  It's very apparent where Elmquist gains his inspiration for songwriting; heartache, lost love, new love, friendship and an importance of being true.  And for him, it makes for some beautiful songs and something we can all relate to.  Videos of Williams and Elmquist are below, along with the trio covering "Don't Let Me Down":

enjoy.

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