PAPERMAG: WORD UP!

Yeasayer Live at the Cakeshop

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:44:02 -0500

Brooklyn buzz band Yeasayer played at The Cake Shop last night. Whenever someone asks me what they sound like I say, "Well, if Queen hadn't done the soundtrack to the 1986 masterpiece, Highlander, Yeasayer would've been my second choice." The show was amazing, and a real who's-who of bloggers and musicians. Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear was there, along with Brooklynvegan Dave, and Stereogum Amrit. Coincidentally I also ran into TV on the Radio drummer (and my favorite Max Fish bartender), Jaleel Bunton, but he was just riding his bike home. I also ran into him at the Bjork show at MSG. But going back to the boys of Yeasayer -- expect big things from these guys. I mean, just look at how passionate they are in their photos!

Bjork Live at Madison Square Garden

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:24:51 -0500

This last Monday I saw my very first MSG concert.. and it was Bjork! Who doesn't love this spritely Icelander, can you answer me that? I'd seen her already this year and her set list was exactly the same but I didn't care one single bit. She is incredible and I'll have words with anyone who says otherwise. Her outfit was amazing as well. It reminded me of a dilophosaurus. Here she is in her golden glory. Down below you can see surprise guest (and PAPER favorite) Antony Hegarty who appears on her new album as well.

Les Savy Fav Live at The Music Hall

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:35:58 -0500

This last Friday everyone's favorite idiosyncratic, erratic, never-fails-to-put-on-a-good show, Brooklyn-based indie rock band, Les Savy Fav played The Music Hall (of Williamsburg). It was insane. Tim Harrington was up to his usual tricks, including numerous costume changes (notice the trash can he adorns here), climbing up along the balcony (don't try that at home!) and jumping into the crowd. I jumped around quite a bit myself and had to throw out my favorite shoes the next day due to the incredible amount of dirt and grit that was caked on them. The tops of my feet were also black from being stepped on while jumping around. But, as Travis Birkenstock would say, "It's a small price to pay to the party gods." If you haven't seen this band yet, what are you waiting for? Photo from aaargh's Flickr page

Music Hall of Williamsburg: Everyone's New Favorite Venue!

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:13:00 -0500

It's been a while since I posted but I figured that since it was Fashion Week, most people wouldn't notice a lack of music blogs. But for those that still care, The Music Hall Of Williamsburg opened last week. Yay! I've been there twice already and it's fabulous. I saw the venue openers, Against Me!, and then Patti Smith the following night. Smith was set to open the venue last Tuesday, but due to construction set-backs and an overabundance of dust, she decided to wait a few nights.

"Dick in a Box" is an Emmy Award Winner!

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:33:00 -0500

This past Saturday, SNL's Andy Samberg (along with SNL writers Katreese Barnes, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) won the Creative Arts Emmy Award for best original music and lyrics for their hilarious song (and YouTube sensation) "Dick In a Box," which Samberg performed during the Christmas episode of SNL with Justin Timberlake. When receiving the Emmy, Samberg said, "I think it's safe to say that when we first set out to make this song, we were all thinking 'Emmy!' ...The other thing we were thinking was, 'Hey! Here's this young up and comer, Justin Timberlake, who is clearly very talented and could clearly use a break. So, Justin, if you're out there, congrats to you, kid." Excellent. And here it is again, after the jump, for your viewing pleasure!

Menomena and PF Flyers: What a Great Pair

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:14:35 -0500

Get it? "What a great pair?" PF Flyers is no stranger to partnering with musicians. Not too long ago, in fact, PAPERMAG gave away a free pair of the Johnny Marr for PF Flyers collaboration. However, they recently partnered with a band to create a video entirely free of branding. In Menomena's newest video, "Evil Bee," the shoe company produced the video for those cute but shy boys from Portland by bringing in Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Stefan Nadelman. The video is quite unique and beautiful. It's all part of PF Flyers' latest endeavor of supporting musicians that share their same passion of design and creativity. Not too shabby.

Mika Miko and The Death Set Live... in Baltimore!

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:33:59 -0500

The final stop on my grand road trip was Baltimore, Maryland. I hadn't been there since college and the only thing I remembered was that 1) John Waters lives there, and 2) the local brew of choice, National Bohemian (aka "Natty Bo") costs roughly 50 cents a can. This time around, however, I was most interested in the music scene. It's pretty awesome. Imagine if the entire music scene for NYC was that of East Williamsburg -- i.e. the loft party/punk band/crappy sound/sweaty kids scene -- and you'd hit the nail on the donkey for what the entire scene in Baltimore is like. It's cool, but it definitely made me appreciate the diversity of NYC a bit more. Anyhoo, while I was in town I went to a loft space called Floristree and caught The Death Set (pictured below) and the amazing all-girl punk rock quintet, Mika Miko. They kicked ass! I only have one decent photo (pictured above) of one of the lead singers shaking it while shouting into her phone mic. They're amazing. Seriously. Go see them!

50 Cent's New Single "Ayo Technology": My Favorite Song Right Now

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:59:06 -0500

Well hello there, PAPERMAG blog readers! I've been absent the past two weeks due to a cross-country road trip adventure. I saw many fabulous shows while on the road and will regale you with stories shortly. But while I gather my thoughts, let me share with you my favorite song of the moment. It's 50 Cent's new single with Justin Timberlake (produced by Timbaland, of course). It's quite fantastic (and pornographic) and caused my boyfriend many headaches as I insisted on playing it over and over whilst on the road. Enjoy!

1990s: Band To Watch

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:19:26 -0500

It's been a while since something has really caught my fancy (aside from obscene clothing), but the 1990s have gone and done just that! And no, I'm not talking about the best time period EVER, I'm talking about the adorable power-pop trio from Glasgow. I love Scots in general, but these boys take the cake! They've been compared to everything under the sun from Franz Ferndinand (surprise, surprise) to the Arctic Monkeys and The Gossip. Check out their video for my favorite song, "You're Supposed To Be My Friend," off of their debut album, Cookies. You can listen to more on their MySpace page and then you can even see them live tonight at the Mercury Lounge as they play their second show in a three-night New York stint.

Eat My Pucci

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:14:47 -0500

I'm not a fashion maven by any means, but some things do tickle my fancy every now and then that I must share with the world. Case in point: Darkhorse. It took me quite a while to track down this designer from Toronto. It all started when I was reading an LA blog and happened to notice a girl in a photo wearing what quickly became my obsession -- a t-shirt reading "Eat My Pucci." I decided that I had to have it. After a month (I kid you not) of scouring the Internet I finally found it, met the man behind the shirt and got myself one. Phew! And that's my story. Check out his website for more amazing clothes.

Devotchka Live at Spiegeltent

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:29:37 -0500

Last week I saw Devotchka play live at the Spiegeltent. This venue seem to be a perfect fit as this is the second year in a row they've performed here. Perhaps it's because they were originally a backing band for burlesque shows, or perhaps it's because their music (to quote from Wikipedia) "fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, and Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots." Both characteristics fit the Spiegeltent ideology, but who cares, really, because it's a perfect fit -- period. Their show was exuberant and quite delightful. Go see them if you ever get the chance, otherwise check them out on their MySpace page.

Harry Potter Naughty Shirts: Yes Please

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:29:58 -0500

I'm not sure if House of Holland is making these or if some other witty person made these mock-ups, but I want one! My good friend pointed these out to me on Fashionista.com, and ever since I've been obsessed. They're probably easy enough to make myself, right?

Absinthe Is a Gem!

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:44:44 -0500

Last night I headed down to Spiegeltent (otherwise known as the Fulton Fish Market) to see Absinthe, the spectacularly crude acro-burlesque show that is currently making its second Summer time run. The tent is resplendent but surprisingly small. I have to admit that as I sat down and took notice of the tiny circular stage (no more than 15 feet in diameter) I was a bit perplexed. I couldn't imagine any jaw-dropping performances being seen on such a stage -- I was, however, quickly proven wrong. The acrobatics performed were incredible and even a bit frightening. The Willers (pictured above), a skating duo, were especially horrifying and brilliant. A testament to the talent of the performers, I thought that I was going to be hit in the face numerous times thanks to my front-row seat. Moreover, the burlesque and comedic acts were perfectly over the top and hilarious to the point of being offensive. My favorite was the "Gazillionaire" (Volki Kalfayan, pictured here) pushing the head of a curly haired gentleman to his sock-stuffed crotch while exclaiming, "This reminds me of bush, and boy do I miss full bush." Do yourself a favor and go see this show!

Oxford Collapse, Band of Horses and Babies at McCarren Park Pool

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:59:07 -0500

After a long day of standing in the sun on Saturday for the Siren Festival, I decided to spend yet another day doing the same thing. Only this time at McCarren Park Pool. I was tempted to ditch it and stay home to read HP and the Deathly Hallows, but I decided fresh air was better (and in the end I finished the book that night anyway). I arrived early to catch the Oxford Collapse (a highly underrated Brooklyn band). They totally killed it! Up next were The Annuals, who I'm not a fan of so I didn't pay attention. But Band Of Horses, the headliners, I definitely paid attention to. I thought they were awesome, playing a great mix of gems from Everything All The Time and their soon to be released sophomore album. And from what I heard, the new album is going to be fabulous! Aside from the good music, another interesting thing that I took note of were all of the babies in attendance. It seems like JellyNYC's Pool Parties is the place for hipster parents and musicians to bring their adorable babies. The little tyke pictured here was too adorable for words. And guess what? He's non other than the child of Les Savy Fav frontman, Tim Harrington!

Siren Festival!

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:06:25 -0500

This Saturday I headed to Coney Island for what could quite possibly be the last ever Village Voice Siren Festival. PAPER chum Alexis Swerdloff joined me for what was a delightful variety of bands. My favorites were Scotland's The Twilight Sad, Atlanta's The Black Lips, and Brooklyn's very own Matt and Kim. Alexis here: I joined MY PAPER chum Shanon Kelley on Saturday for a lovely day on Coney Island for the Siren Fest... while we weren't able to finagle our way in to see MIA (they weren't letting press people in after a certain point cause it was so crowded -- boooooo), there were other bands that were wonderful. Notably The Noisettes, Lavender Diamond and Matt and Kim. The Noisettes' lead vocalist Shingai Shoniwa is the hottest thing I've seen recently. She jumped around the stage like a crazy person, which was refreshing. Becky Stark (of Lavender Diamond)'s cooing didn't quite translate to the big outdoor Siren setting, but she still managed to put on a good show, and she didn't let the bad sound interfere with her trademark inter-song banter. During this show, she went on and on about starting an eco-friendly amusement park. The Matt and Kim show was insane, with rabid fans jumping the barriers and getting shaken up by security. It was pretty rock 'n' rollin. There is something just so picturesque and soothing about watching a good show as the Cyclone looms overhead. I've been to the Siren Fest every year since 2002, and it's always such a wonderful way to spend a Saturday in mid-July!