The Jealous Girlfriends...Finally

By all accounts I should have heard of The Jealous Girlfriends before. Their song Lay Around played on Showtime's The L Word, two of their songs (off their upcoming album), Roboxulla and Something In The Water, were used on Grey's Anatomy, while the song Carry Me was on CSI: Miami (which I usually turn off after the sunglasses go on). Their music video for How Now even won the IPod music video contest. So how is it that it took me so long to hear and love them? I guess it's a thing called fate that brought me to them...or maybe it's the fact that they opened for Nada Surf (wait...that's probably it). The point is, if you haven't heard them, DROP EVERYTHING and take a listen. Aside from the fact that their live show is an intense display of sheer rock goodness, The Jealous Girlfriends self titled LP (due out on April 22nd on Good Fences) grabbed me, slapped me, then hugged me. Blending the soulful voice of Holly Miranda with the soaring guitar of Holly Miranda with the smooth deep voice and red hair of Josh Abbott with the lush bass and keys of Alex Lipson with the daringly great drums of Mike Faden, this wonderful quartet from New York puts together a hypnotizing selection of spirituous pop rock. Many would probably say they have a New Pornographer type of sound, but I'll take it a step further and say they are channeling the Pixies covering Fleetwood Mac. Decide for yourself when they play at the Rock and Roll Hotel with Sea Wolf on May 25th. Make sure you pick their album up on Tuesday.

mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - Secret Identity --> website --> buy
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - Something In The Water

Nada Surf @ 9:30 club - In Review

After making the commitment to road trip to New York for Nada Surf, of course it was a no brainer that I would make it to the 9:30 club Saturday night. It felt a little strange to be waiting in line while the sun was still up, as this was an early show, but there we were. Openers for the show were The Jealous Girlfriends and Kaki King.

TJG’s were up first. Although they seemed a little sheepish while taking the stage, possibly because of the early hour, lead singer and guitarist Holly Miranda soon surprised the crowd with her energy and gripping voice. She also proved to be a pretty kick ass guitar player. Their songs were frenzied yet still very tight. This was the last night of the tour for TJG’s with Nada Surf, but I’d expect to see them to be headlining shows very soon.

Next up was Kaki King, formerly a solo singer/guitar player, but now with a full band. Immediately clear was that King is an excellent guitar player, leading with a display of slapping and finger picking an acoustic guitar before her band joined in. Also obvious was that Matt Hankle is a fiercely talented drummer. He stole the spotlight several times through their set. Overall, the set seemed to vary a bit too much for my taste. I don’t really know how to describe their sound, because it changed every song. How do you go from acoustic jam band to covering German metal?

After a lightning quick set change, Nada Surf took the stage. Although a very similar setlist to the Terminal 5 show, this one had a unique feel. Of course, it was more intimate, but it also felt a little more loose. The crowd was more energetic and seemed better versed in their music. Everyone seemed to sing along to every song, whether prompted or not. The beginning of Fruit Flies was epic, with the crowd almost forcing Matthew off the mic because they were so loud. Speaking of Fruit Flies, Ira played these wicked cool glowing drumsticks. Watch the video below. The other amazing crowd moment was during Inside of Love, when Matthew asked that the crowd do a two step sway in time with the music, and we all happily obliged. It was very cool.

Anywho, Martin Wenk of Calexico joined Nada Surf again, adding wonderful depth to the sound. Keys, synth and awesome horns popped up all over the set. Seriously guys, you need to keep him. Or maybe clone him.

Ahhh, another amazing Nada Surf show. These guys just get better and better.

Blizzard of '77


Crazy Glowing Drum Sticks


Some pictures HERE

Setlist:

High Speed Soul
Happy Kid
Whose Authority
What is Your Secret
Weightless
Killians Red
I like What You Say
Inside of Love
Fruit Flies
80 Windows
Ice on the Wing
The Fox
Do It Again
Beautiful Beat
See These Bones

Blizzard of '77
Blonde on Blonde
Always Love
Blankest Year

The Run Down - Saturday April 12, 2008

The weekend is here and a swarm of shows have come with it. In Baltimore check out Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, These United States, Clue To Kalo, and The Cotton Jones Basket Ride at The Talking Head. In DC the 9:30 has Nada Surf, Kaki King, and The Jealous Girlfriends, while the Velvet Lounge has De Novo Dahl, Modern Skirts, and Parachute Musical. Finally in Philly the M Room has The cobbs, The December Sound, and Asteroid #4, The Fire has An American Chinese, East Hundred, Akudama, and Bebek, and Johnny Brenda's has Superdrag.

mp3: Nada Surf - Treading Water --> website --> buy
mp3: Kaki King - 2 O'Clock --> website --> buy
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - How Now --> website --> buy
mp3: An American Chinese - Panic Pilgrim, Quick Grab Your Suitcase --> website --> buy
mp3: East Hundred - Climbing Up The Walls --> website --> buy
mp3: De Novo Dahl - Marketplace --> website --> buy
mp3: These United States - Burn This Bridge --> website --> buy
mp3: Asteroid #4 - Outside --> website --> buy

Whole Lotta News

Lot's of news to report and not a lot of time to do it. So here we go. Destroyer, everyone's fave, has just released the dates for a spring tour! Here they are:

03.14.2008 Austin TX The Parish (Merge Records SXSW Showcase)
04.16.2008 Minneapolis MN 400 Bar*
04.17.2008 Chicago IL Logan Square Auditorium*
04.18.2008 Detroit MI Pike Room*
04.19.2008 Toronto ON Lee's Palace*
04.20.2008 Montreal QC Club Lambi*
04.22.2008 Brooklyn NY Music Hall of Williamsburg*^
04.23.2008 New York NY Bowery Ballroom^
04.24.2008 Philadelphia PA North Star Bar^
04.25.2008 Washington DC Black Cat^
04.26.2008 Asheville NC Grey Eagle^
04.27.2008 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle^
04.28.2008 Atlanta GA The Earl^
04.29.2008 Nashville TN Mercy Lounge^
04.30.2008 St. Louis MO Blueberry Hill^
05.01.2008 Kansas City MO Record Bar^
05.02.2008 Omaha NE Waiting Room^
05.03.2008 Denver CO Walnut Room^
05.13.2008 Edmonton AB Starlite Room$
05.14.2008 Calgary AB #1 Royal Canadian Legion Hall$
05.16.2008 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge$
05.18.2008 Phoenix AZ Rhythm Room$
05.19.2008 Los Angeles CA Troubadour$
05.20.2008 San Diego CA Casbah$
05.21.2008 San Francisco CA The Independent$
05.23.2008 Portland OR Aladdin Theater$
05.31.2008 Vancouver BC The Commodore

* with Colossal Yes
^ with Andre Ethier
$ with Devon Williams

mp3: Destroyer - Foam Hands

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Speaking of tours, Shout Out Louds are pitching in with a couple of dates to go along with their new EP, Impossible. Here's the dates and the track listing:

03.09.2008 Big Cypress Indian Reservation, Florida Langerado Festival
03.11.2008 New York, NY Joe's Pub (2 shows! 9:30 and 11:30)
03.14.2008 Austin, TX The Parish (Merge SXSW Showcase)

Track listing:
Impossible (radio edit)
Impossible ("It's Possible" remix by Studio)
Impossible (Van Rivers & Subliminal Kid remix)
Hard Rain (live from Haldern Festival)
December (b-side)
Video: "Impossible" directed by Ted Malmros

mp3: Shout Out Louds - Impossible

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In other tour news, Nada Surf announced today that the supporting bands for their US tour has completely changed. Sea Wolf will be opening from March 17-April 3.
Brooklyn's, The Jealous Girlfriends (www.myspace.com/thejealousgirlfriends)
support from April 3-April 12 (except for April 11). Illinois support on
April 13.

mp3: Sea Wolf - I Made A Resolution
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - How Now
mp3: Illinois - Screendoor

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Local favorite, Orion Rigel Dommisse has also scheduled a bunch of dates including one at Maxwell's in NJ with THE LISPS!!!!

2-2 Recess Coffee Syracuse, New York
2-3 liz’s house 116 w clinton st Ithaca, New York
2-5 SUNY Purchase
2-6 PA’s Lounge Somerville, Massachusetts
2-8 Chris Sadlers's house in providence, rhode island
2-9 Teahaus at Sarah Lawrence Bronxville, New York
2-10 a house in New Milford, Connecticut
2-12 The Chicken Coop 120 s manheim st Annville, Pennsylvania
2-20 The Boot Norfolk, Virginia
2-22 Twisted Tea Bazaar Charlottesville, Virginia
2-28 Maxwell’s (with The Lisps) Hoboken, New Jersey
3-2 Union Pool Brooklyn, New York
3-3 Cake Shop New York, New York
3-6 house show Nashville, Tennessee
3-13 SXSW at St. David’s Church Austin, Texas

mp3: Orion Rigel Dommisse - Fake Yer Death

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Speaking of the Lisps, they just put out a new video. Here's the Lisps and their political agenda! Woohoo!



mp3: The Lisps - Pepper Spray

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Speaking of videos, Thrushes just put out a video for the song 'Aidan Quinn' off of last years LP Sun Come Undone. Enjoy!



mp3: Thrushes - Aidan Quinn