The Wrens Covering "Free Bird"

The Wrens live show is one I never tire of seeing. I've been lucky too as they've been really generous and always let me photograph many of their shows over the past couple of years, including their 20th anniversary show, as well as the show where they played The Meadowlands (best record of the 00's, hands down) in full. A Wrens live show is fun, joyful, powerful, energetic, goosebump-inducing, and often quite the laugh-riot. The band seems to share the same hilarious dry wit.

The video below is from that full play of The Meadowlands show, where they wound up partially covering "Free Bird." It's always obvious that they take performing seriously in that they want to play well, but they don't take it all too seriously. It's rather heartwarming that after 20 years they still find playing together, and for an audience, as much fun as when they started.

Springsteen's London Calling: Live in Hyde Park DVD out Tues

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band headlined the Hard Rock Calling Festival last June in Hyde Park, London, a festival which also included Dave Matthews and Gaslight Anthem. Springsteen's set was recorded and come Tuesday, it comes out on DVD titled London Calling: Live in Hyde Park. Bonus tracks include "The River," from the Glastonbury Festival performance that same year, and "Wrecking Ball," from the last show at Giant's Stadium in October.

A really cool part of the show was when Bruce called fellow New Jerseyite, Brian Fallon, lead singer of Gaslight Anthem, out to sing "No Surrender" with him and the band. The obviously genuine excitement on Fallon's face is goosebump-inducing for sure. Says Fallon about it, "...he [Springsteen] asked me if I wanted to sing with him during their set. I was just like, “Yeah!” We did “No Surrender.” The second day, he came out and did “The ’59 Sound” with us, and I did “No Surrender” again. It was unreal. I was in front of a hundred thousand people. It’s so weird, because you look and you see nothing but dots. I looked around and was like, “I can’t believe this is happening.”



Give a Listen: London Calling-Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Hyde Park, 4-28-09)/Buy London Calling-Live in Hyde Park DVD, out 6/21

Lights That Flash in the Evening: The Wrens @ Black Cat (11-20-09)

The Wrens came to the Black Cat last Friday as a little outing prior to their three big shows coming up the first weekend in December at Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ. Ever since discovering them at SXSW last year where I was knocked plumb off my feet from their incredible passion and power, I've made it a point to see them wherever I could. So them playing where I don't have to travel for it? Bonus!

As those Maxwells shows include a set of fan requests, a set of their entire amazing opus, The Meadowlands, and a set of new compositions, the DC show's set list was a little insight into what's to come, all tucked into their typical energetic and vigorous playing. I'm truly hoping "Leaves Ground" finds its way into the "new compositions" set at Maxwells; full of Whelan's piano, his brother's keening guitar and Bissell's loops, it's one I found on par with "13 Grand" from The Meadowlands " or "Safe and Comfortable" from Secaucus, utterly gorgeous.









While the show was great, there were a few mishaps. The sound was....well, I'll put it this way: I saw the Ramones in 1991 and the only way I could tell the difference between one song and the next was by the "1, 2, 3" that was yelled out. This show seemed a lot like that. The Wrens are a loud band, granted, and while not loud enough so that I didn't know what song was playing, their sound this night was somehow garbled enough that I couldn't tell you words at times (and I even inquired to people who were standing in front of the sound guy who said the same thing). "North to Nothing" is a favorite so I "knew" it, but at the Cat, it sounded like "khiuhiyhhihihaaaaa," I'm sad to say.

Lead guitarist Greg Whelan also had equipment issues onstage. Whelan's stage presence is the complete opposite to the human pogo stick that is his brother, singer/bassist Kevin Whelan, but when the jack on his baritone guitar cut out after the first chorus of "This Boy is Exhausted," the audience watched as the guitar went sailing to the back of the stage. (Happily, it survived to play another day.)

(The guitar just before it went airborne ...)

Probably the sweetest moment of the night was when lead singer/bassist Whelan pulled a young boy of about 10 from the audience to hit the keys during "This Is Not What You Had Planned," the last song on The Meadowlands.



At one point, Whelan asked the kid his name ("Theron") and asked the crowd to give him props. How cool must have this 10 year old kid felt hearing an entire club chanting his name? (I found out later though that his actual name was "Darren," and Whelan had obviously misheard him above the din.) Didn't matter though, the kid was beaming. $10 says you see this kid onstage somewhere in a few years.

(During "Exhausted" I think, I kept noticing singer/guitarist Charles Bissell standing up on his toes like this repeatedly as he sang. Maybe that's a new singing technique for extra power or...something?)






(See the rest of the photos from the show here)

The Wrens have been around for 20 years now and they exert more energy in three songs than many bands half that age exert in three shows. It makes you wonder how many cases of Red Bull their rider includes. Whatever it is, it's fantastic, and consistently makes for an incredible and explosive show.

Lifter Puller Catalog to Be Re-Released, Includes Live Tracks and New Compliation, Slips Backwards

Prior to coming to Brooklyn and starting up The Hold Steady, frontman Craig Finn and lead guitarist Tad Kubler were in a band together called Lifter Puller. What's interesting about LP is that you can definitely hear, in both sound and lyric, the beginnings of what become THS lurking in that noisy punk sound. (And have Craig Finn and Tad Kubler aged at all in the last 20 years? They look exactly the same. Kudos to good genetics I guess.)

LP broke up in 2000 and as of 2006, all their records were out of print, but that all changes next month...It was announced yesterday that their catalog will be available digitally for the first time on 12/1, along with a new collection of odds and ends titled Slips Backwards. Sans their self-titled debut, the rest of the re-releases will contain extras in the form of various live tracks culled from a 1998 7th St. Entry show in Minneapolis, a 2000 gig at the Black Cat in DC, and 2003 reunion shows at Triple Rock in Seattle.

A book titled "Lifter Puller vs The End Of" will follow, containing photos, lyrics, and an oral history of the band.

Lifter Puller Releases (all out 12/1)
New:
-Slips Backwards (New-contains two live recordings from D.C.’s Black Cat in 2000 – one of the band’s final shows)

Tracklist:
1. Secret Santa Cruz
2. Back In Blackbeard
3. Math Is Money
4. 4 Dix
5. La Quereria
6. 11th Ave Freezout
7. The Langelos
8. Mick's Tape
9. The Pirate And The Penpal
10. The Mezzanine Gyp
11. Star Wars Hips
12. Slips Backwards
13. Nassau Coliseum
14. Prescription Sunglasses
15. Emperor
16. Secret Santa Cruz (Live From The Black Cat 2000)
17. Math Is Money (Live From The Black Cat 2000)

Re-Releases:

-Lifter Puller

-Half Dead And Dynamite: Deluxe reissue, includes live bonus tracks from 1998 7th St. Entry performance in Minneapolis

-Entertainment And Arts: Deluxe reissue, includes live bonus tracks from 1998 7th St. Entry performance in Minneapolis

-Fiestas and Fiascos: Deluxe reissue of Frenchkiss 2000 debut and last studio album. Contains six live cuts from the band’s reunion shows at Seattle’s Triple Rock, June 2003)

Give a Listen: To Live and Die in LBI-Lifter Puller (from Half Dead And Dynamite deluxe reissue)

Bad Lieutenant's Never Cry Another Tear Drops Today, Announce Chicago and NYC Dates

It can never be said that ex-Joy Division and New Order member Bernard Sumner ever stops moving forward (in fact, I think the British version of the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game may be called "Six Degrees of Bernard Sumner"). You may recall that when Joy Division ended because of Ian Curtis' suicide, Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris, and bass player Peter Hook went on to form the 80s synth that was New Order. Along the way, New Order picked up guitarist/keyboardist Phil Cunningham, who was in the Britpop group, Marion. Jake Evens, from Rambo and Leroy, filled in on guitar for Marion for a few dates, and then Rambo and Leroy picked up the opening slot for a bunch of New Order shows after that. Hook eventually left New Order, Sumner then dissolved the band, and he and Cunningham hooked up with Evans to form Bad Lieutenant. (Whew!) Says Sumner, ""There is some continuity to the music I've made in the past. But this is very different - because different people are playing on it. This is just how I now want to make music - it feels right to me and I hope at least a few other people feel the same."

The debut record from Bad Lieutenant, Never Cry Another Tear, dropped today, and includes guest appearances by Morris and Blur bassist Alex James. The band announced four U.S. shows in support of Never Cry, two headlining shows in Chicago and NYC ( joined by Stephen Morris), and two as openers for The Pixies. New Order and Joy Division tracks will be played during the live shows I'm told, so stock up on your eyeliner and practice those goth pouts!

Give a Listen: Dynamo-Bad Lieutenant
(Buy Never Cry Another Tear)

Bad Lieutenant U.S. Tour Dates

Nov. 18: Park West, Chicago, IL (headlining)
Nov. 19: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (opening for The Pixies)
Nov. 21: Webster Hall, NYC (headlining)
Nov. 23: Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC (opening for The Pixies)

Come on Pilgrim! The Pixies Give Away Four Live Tracks for Free

The Pixies and their classic Doolittle was a seminal record in my music dork trajectory, so it was super cool to hear they were going out on the road to play the thing in full for its 20th anniversary. (DC dates are 11/30 and 12/1 at DAR.)

Now lots of folks are going out now and playing their records in full (why Springsteen just did The River in full last night at MSG), but the Pixies are taking it just a step further and selling the live shows.

The Pixies will once again be recording their live shows! Available starting on the Oakland leg of the tour, you can head to the web address below to order your CD set, a download of the show, or even a 2GB USB bracelet. For now the site will ship purchases to you, but starting in New York you will be able to pick items up after the show. Pixies site

What an innovative idea. I mean, most everyone enjoys a recording of a show they attended and loved, and it makes a little cash for the artist, so win/win yes? Something else unique about this is that there are options in which to receive your show, digital download or cd, which gets shipped to your residence. The cd "is high quality, individually numbered, collectible CD set (double disc) featuring the entire live performance. The Doolittle track listing is printed on each full color, UV coated DigiPak, along with the "Flying P" logo. There will only be 1000 of these CD sets ever made for each show." Not bad for only $23.50, especially as you know the quality will be soundboard, not the muffled attempts of some guy with a microphone under his jacket.

As well, they're selling 2GB USB Wristbands that contain four tracks from the Doolittle Live tour in Europe, and five bonus videos with a cool "dashboard" interface. Purchase of one also gets you $5 off the purchase price of a digital download of any Doolittle Live US Tour show. How's that for thinking outside the box to generate revenue? Now if the rest of the record companies would follow this lead...

(You can check out list of live cd's and wristbands here.)

Want to know if you'll la la love it in advance? They've blessed me to share with you four tracks from their recent show in Paris for your listening pleasure. I'm amazed baby, and you'll be too.

Pixies Live! 20th Anniversary of Doolittle Sampler
Crackity Jones
Dancing the Mantra Ray
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Gouge Away
Zip

Pixies 2009 Fall U.S. Tour Dates:
NOV 9, 10: Fox Theater, Oakland, CA
NOV 12, 13: Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
NOV 14: Hult Center, Eugene, OR
NOV 16, 17: Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
NOV 19, 20, 21: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
NOV 23, 24, 25, 26 (special 1:00 AM show): Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC
NOV 27, 28: Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
NOV 30, DEC 1: DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC

Off to New Orleans for the 2009 Voodoo Experience Festival!

Things will be quiet here at BL&L for the next couple of days as we're leaving today for New Orleans to cover the 2009 Voodoo Experience Festival. This will mark my first time going to NOLA so I'm over the moon excited. I'm also shooting the Fest-which will make me the only sober person there (heh). Given the vast amount of great acts performing (Flaming Lips, Silversun Pickups, Drive-By Truckers, Mates of State, The Pogues, The Meat Puppets, tons of local acts), plus the amazing scenery that is just NOLA itself, I may come back with a sprained right index finger from all the shutter-clicking, but it's so going to be worth it. If only for the photos of KISS on Halloween!

Some tickets are still available (here). And if you go, come help us break the Guinness World Record for "The Largest Gathering of Zombies!"




Lineup includes:
KISS / EMINEM / JANE'S ADDICTION/ WIDESPREAD PANIC / LENNY KRAVITZ/ THE FLAMING LIPS / JUSTICE (DJ SET) / GOGOL BORDELLO / WOLFMOTHER/ THE BLACK KEYS / THE POGUES / WEEN / SILVERSUN PICKUPS/ JANELLE MONAE / THE COOL KIDS / MEAT PUPPETS / MUTEMATH / Q-TIP / FISCHERSPOONER / BRAND NEW / D12 / AMERICAN BANG / GENERATIONALS / EARL GREYHOUND / SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS / BLACK LIPS / DOWN / MATES OF STATE / ALL TIME LOW / ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND / the knux / george clinton and parliament funkadelic / jj grey & mofro / Alejandro Escovedo / sarah quintana / shooter jennings / drive-by truckers / eric church / ledisi / irvin mayfield / New Orleans bingo! show / rebirth brass band / leroy jones / trombone shorty and orleans ave / Big Sam's Funky Nation / Benjy Davis Project / Papa Grows Funk / marchfourth marching band / dj soul sister / rotary downs / andrew duhon and the lonesome crows / amanda shaw / cyril neville's blues revue with tab benoit, big chief monk boudreaux and johnny sansone / beausoleil / leo jackson and the melody clouds / john mooney and bluesiana / quintron and missy pussycat / fleur de tease / suplecs / little freddie king / preservation hall-stars with special guests / the happy talk band / lil brian & the Zydeco Travelers / why are we building such a big ship? / ratty scurvics / mynameisjohnmichael / loose marbles / luke winslow-king / dan dyer / Sam & Ruby / walter "wolfman" washington and the roadmaster with dirty horns / new orleans klezmer all-stars / glasgow / mas mamones / zydepunks / the white bitch / Kristin diable / New orleans jazz vipers / the vettes / lucy's walk / erick baker / tbc brass band / bones / mc trachiotomy / from legends to nancy / brother taisuke mass choir / r. scully rough 7 / katey red & dj papa, big freddia, sissy nobby / davis rogan / and more

A little history on the Fest:

The Voodoo Music Festival was first held on 30 October 1999 at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park. Planned and executed by Steve Rehage, CEO of Rehage Entertainment, the festival consisted of three stages and many local and national acts.

The Voodoo Festival started with very humble beginnings in 1999 as a one day music festival in Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans with an attendance of about 8,000 people, the headlining artist was Wyclef Jean and The Fugees. The following year expanded to 2 days and drew attention with a performance by Eminem, whose fame had exploded just before the festival, this brought Voodoo to the attention of music fans from around the world. In 2006, Voodoo separated the show into 3 distinct areas (Le Ritual, Le Flambeau and Le Carnival) on six stages. Each area was designed to showcase uniquely different sides of the personality of the festival and New Orleans. “Le Flambeau” features music and sounds consistent with the hometown style of The Big Easy. “Le Ritual” features more mainstream music we’re all familiar with, and finally “Le Carnival” features indie bands, burlesque, and circus acts. In 2007, The festival expanded to 3 days and broke all previous attendance records with an estimate 100,000+ fans.

Show Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars @ BU Central, Boston, MA (10/17/09)

by Dave "Scout" Tafoya

If you had given me the Cymbals Eat Guitars record after their show last Saturday at Boston University Central, I probably would have laughed and said you'd made some sort of mistake. Don't take offense just yet, their record Why Are There Mountains is a heavily produced, oft serenely languorous, oft slackerish and crunchy rock record that strikes a near-perfect balance between its disparate elements. The show that I and a few dozen others saw on Saturday, however, was quite a bit different from that. Throwing their dynamics almost entirely to the wind, the Staten Island band came out screaming and left in a hale of distortion. It was all fury and dizzying guitar athletics, and I know I wasn't the only one who was blown out of the front row. Rock this intense requires a break.

Perhaps it was my proximity to the band but I simply wasn't prepared for the sheer volume and energy from a band whose debut was so calmly assured. Singer Joseph D'Agostino told me beforehand that this was effectively their 'melting faces' tour. They were making a short stint around the country to hook fans in little venues like BU Central (a pool hall and game room when not hosting bands) before embarking on a more serious headlining tour that will start with their impending trip to Europe; hittin' em hard and low, as it were. Their all-out aural attack was quite a surprise. D'Agostino roared like a lion for most of the show, turning songs like "...And the Hazy Sea" from psych-gaze into a song Dinosaur Jr. might have written in their heyday; blistering yet lackadaisical. D'Agostino's guitar playing, incidentally, is absolutely stunning; he has the chops of James Iha and the inventiveness of Jonny Greenwood or Will Sergeant. His shredding and screaming were the two definitive features of that night's show. And powerful though they were (he was like a one-man metal band), they did occasionally undercut the brilliance of his songwriting, drawing the audience away from the little things that make Why Are There Mountains such a powerhouse. Take for example "Wind Phoenix." On the record, it's a playful and slightly noisy Pavement-esque track with skipping guitar lines and an overall pleasing feel; live the song became their raucous, solo-laden closer, the one meant to keep the ringing in your ears long after you've gone home.

After getting used to the volume I started to focus on the rest of the band. The volume was, of course, helped by Matt Miller's assured drumming and together with new bassist Matt Whipple, they make quite an impressive rhythm section. Whipple's fingers were almost as taxed as D'Agostinos, constantly running Specials-style ska riffs, and Whipple and Miller did a most excellent job supplying the fast-and-furious changes in volume and speed to keep up with D'Agostino's ear-splitting charge. Each band member had his own personality on stage and it's both awe-inspiring and more than a little overwhelming. With everyone essentially playing lead even as they anchor the song, the group projects enough energy and ferocity to power an entire town (D'Agostino doesn't call himself Joseph Ferocious, for nothing, I guess). But it can be hard to keep up with them. I had to take myself away from the PA and hang back for a bit to avoid hearing loss and whiplash. Consider my face melted.

(CEGs is currently on tour and heading to Europe in November. Tour dates can be seen here)

The Whigs Set Release for Third Record,"In the Dark," Announce Fall 2009 Tour Dates

I've had a special spot for anything out of Athens, GA for years now. It's got a soul and a kitch and heart that rocks with a unusual sense of style that I've long found fascinating. I'm sure you already know how cool its music scene is, and have heard more than a few of the various types of great music that various great bands have brought out from its 117 square miles over the years.

One of its more recent exports, The Whigs, blew the doors and the eardrums off of 2008 with their incredibly powerful and intense second release, Mission Control. They then spent the next 18 months blowing the eyes and eardrums off of everyone who saw them live. Drummer Julian Dorio is so amazing to watch, he's kind of like skydiving, you definitely have to experience it just once.

Well, drummers, lay down your sticks because Dorio is reentering the building. The Whigs are heading back out on the road next week in support of their third album, In the Dark, which is out in late February/early March 2010. The headlining tour covers 29 cities in seven weeks and The Features, The Dead Trees and Mean Creek will open.

Give a Listen: In the Dark-The Whigs

The Whigs Fall 2009 Tour
October 28th Middle East (Downstairs) Boston, Massachusetts
October 29th Funk & Waffles Syracuse, New York
October 30th Mohawk Buffalo, New York
October 31st Musica Akron, Ohio
November 2nd Mad Hatter Cincinnati, Ohio
November 3rd Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
November 4th Birdy's Indianapolis, Indiana
November 5th Cannery Nashville, Tennessee
November 6th Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
November 7th Triple Rock Minneapolis, Minnesota
November 10th Bluebird Theater Denver, Colorado
November 13th Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia
November 14th Tractor Tavern Seattle, Washington
November 15th Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
November 17th The Independent San Francisco, California
November 18th Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
November 19th The Troubadour Los Angeles, California
November 20th Beauty Bar Las Vegas, Nevada
November 21st Soma (sidestage) San Diego, California
December 1st Emo's Austin, Texas
December 2nd The Loft Dallas, Texas
December 4th The Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
December 5th Rhythm & Brews Chattanooga, Tennessee
December 8th Visulite Charlotte, North Carolina
December 10th Black Cat Washington, DC, Washington DC
December 11th The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza New York, New York
December 12th North Star Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 14th Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
December 15th Pour House Charleston, South Carolina

With The Features (from October 28th - December 15th)
With The Dead Trees (from October 28th - November 21st)
With Mean Creek (October 28th and December 5th - 15th)

The Wrens Announce a 3rd Maxwells Show, Will Play The Meadowlands in Full

As we announced last week, The Wrens are playing an couple of "themed" dates at NJ's Maxwells in December. December 3rd will be an "all-request" show and December 4th will be an "all new songs" night. Today, they announced an additional early show for December 4th, where they'll play "The Meadowlands from start to finish."

Turns out December 3rd is also bassist/vocalist Kevin Whelan's 40th birthday as well. They proclaim that there may be cake because of this, and possibly sherry, and in addition to requests, stories from Wrens' days of yore. (It all sounds very "Masterpiece Theater" doesn't it? I wonder if their stage clothing will include smoking jackets and pipes and Alistair Cooke accents.)

One can only imagine the madness these nights will bring. But if you ever wanted to see if the stories about Hoboken were true, or catch The Wrens at their best, this series of shows will be the best excuse to go for both.

Just dropping to our own electronic ghost town to say that we’ve added a third show for our 20th anniversary / mirthday shindig – an early show for Friday, Dec. 4th at 7:30. In keeping with our theme of…um, having themes, this show will be the Meadowlands record, top-to-bottom. We’d tried setting this up last year to put that baby to bed, but it never really came together. This will be the one time you’ll probably ever hear ’13 months in 6 minutes’ or whatever it is and ‘ex-grille confection’, although I think we tried that one live once. Anyway, thanks to the folks that requested this - very flattering.

Tickets here. More info on the other two shows here (two posts down).

And if you come by, maybe we’ll pour some sherry and regale you with the story of the time we walked one end of Hoboken to the other, handing out demo tapes to every bar & club in town – including Maxwell’s – in the hopes of securing one of the many lucrative live concert bookings that seemed just a lucky break away in the big city (that’s Hoboken in this story). And how we were surprised to find most of the bars closed.

It turns out both that it was the evening of January 1st – you know, the day after the busiest tavern day of the year – and that we were jackasses.
(It was also New Year’s Day 1990 but that part of the story is more about how old we are, not how dumb we were.) And come to think of it, that pretty much is the story.
Gaston, my son, it’s not much of a story, true, but hey…

And forgot to mention that if you’ll be attending the Dec. 3rd show, that also happens to be Kev’s special birthday (starts with a ‘four’, rhymes with ‘sporty’). And hilariously or sadly, depending, he’s the baby of the band. Tempted to say BYOCake but if we get it together we’ll have some there. (Wrens.com)

The Wrens Playing All-Request and All-New Nights for Maxwells' December Shows

As we announced earlier this month, one of our favorite bands, The Wrens is playing two shows in Hoboken, NJ in early December. News out today shows that while they may smell of Ben Gay and moth balls (Hi Charles! Hi Kevin!), they aren't curmudgeonly stuck in their ways after 20 years, they're letting the audience run the show (literally) for the Thursday, 12/3 show. The Friday, 12/4 show, they'll be playing all new tracks. Audience members are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite aging grape...or a bird who plays an instrument...or they just come as themselves.

Opening bands for each night will be "friends from days of yore." As these guys are known and liked by everyone from The Henry Clay People to Mates of State to The Hold Steady, one can only imagine who said openers will be.

For the Thursday, 12/3 show, you make the play, armchair Quarterflash. You write the set list. Yep, whatever obscure ditty from our vast catalog of 3.5 albums in 20.5 years that we normally wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot Kevin, you vote ‘em in, and we’ll…probably make you regret it.

Nope, you don’t have to be going to the show. How would we even know? And yes, you can vote more than once. Why would we care? The New Math that will be used to calculate your vote and compute our oldies set, exists where the plane of imaginary numbers is bisected by the tangent of nano-technology and will weed out your shabby attempts at rigging the system.

So tell us what songs to play and whichever get the most votes, go in the set. To do that, go to our contact / email the band page, drop us a message with a tune or two or even a whole set that, given an infinite space-time and a merciful god, you’d wanna hear us try to play. Maybe put ‘Play Drunk’ in the subject line since we’ll probably have to that night.

Voting will end…let’s say, a little over a week from now, October 3rd. Gives us two months to get it together.

As for Friday, 12/4, come dressed as your favorite wren. Balding, middle-aged Paunch Men are automatically disqualified per competition guidelines. Bird costumes, encouraged.

Kidding.

For that show, we’re doing all new songs. Or as many as we can muster.

Oh yeah, we’ll have some as-yet-to-be confirmed friends’ bands from the days of yore playing both shows as well. (Wrens website)

"Raise the Roof" Benefit for Brooklyn Cultural Center Announced; Charles Bissell (The Wrens), TMBG, and Nada Surf to Perform

They Might Be Giants, Charles Bissell of The Wrens, and Nada Surf (acoustic), will play a "Raise the Roof" show on Wednesday, 10/28, to benefit the Northside Town Hall Community & Cultural Center in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

From The Wrens' site:

People often think of Williamsburg as full of trust fund hipsters, but the reality is that a significant percentage (about a third) of Community Board 1 is under the poverty level, and there are other major challenges -- displacement due to gentrification, out of control development, no infrastructure to support the influx of new people, environmental and open space issues, just to name a few.

The Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center is a joint project of two longtime North Brooklyn neighborhood groups, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) and The People's Firehouse, Inc (PFI.).

In the fall of 2008, after a comprehensive proposal process with New York City, NAG and PFI were awarded the rights to re-develop the former Engine Company 212 firehouse. The firehouse will now be reborn as the Northside Town Hall Community and Cultural Center and serve as home to both NAG and PFI, as these organizations continue to serve, organize, and advocate for the community.

Regular tickets are $25, VIP tickets are $75, and both can be obtained here.

Seen Your Video: Mates of State Cover Tom Waits at Virgin FreeFest 2009

Photos and text from Sunday's Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2009 are coming right up but one great thing from it was that I finally got to see Mates of State live. The Mates ended their set with a cover of Tom Waits' "Long Way Home" that was just lovely.

Virgin Mobile Free Fest 2009 Schedule Announced

The schedule for the 2009 Virgin Mobile Free Fest was announced today:

Pavilion Stage
1:30-2:25 PM: Mates of State
2:50-4:00 PM: Taking Back Sunday
4:20-5:30 PM: Jet
6:00-7:15 PM: The Bravery
7:45-8:45 PM: Weezer
9:15-10:45 PM: Blink-182

West Stage
11:15-11:45 AM: Sunday's Roulette
12:00-12:30 PM: The Birthday Massacre
12:45-1:35 PM: St. Vincent
2:00-3:00 PM: Wale
3:35-4:45 PM: The Hold Steady
5:15-6:30 PM: Public Enemy
6:50-7:50 PM: The National
8:10-9:20 PM: GirlTalk
9:50-11:00 PM: Franz Ferdinand

Dance Stage
1:00-2:00 PM: Holy F*ck
2:45-5:30 PM: Lee Burridge
5:50-8:15 PM: Danny Howells
8:15-11:00 PM: Pete Tong

An Ode to Oration and its Loss

We're not known to spout politics here at BL&L but today, we feel it's essential to make an exception. Our country lost someone, and something, very important overnight. And besides, this isn’t really about politics. Although so many would like every conversation to be about ‘politics’, sometimes it has to just be about the way it is, and the way it should be...

After a long fight with brain cancer, Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away at age 77. Say what you want about the man, like him or dislike him, agree with his beliefs or don’t...but in this day and age, with the art of oratory so poorly displayed by so many, especially rampant amongst those whose job it is to use speech to inspire or change minds, hearts, and ideas, it was a pure joy to hear Ted Kennedy make a speech to the people.

Even just after surgery for his brain tumor, he left his sick bed to go up in front of the Democratic Convention last year to deliver what some of us couldn't give on our best day. Or go back to the eulogy he gave at his brother Bobby's funeral. He was a man who could, and would, speak to the people, no matter the condition, and make you believe.

A good speaker says the words clearly and effectively so as to be understood, but a great speaker makes the listener believe the words as well, believe they are coming from the depths of the speaker’s heart, or the speaker is somehow pulling them right from the listener’s own soul. This is what a great speaker can do. This is what Kennedy could do. This skill, some might say trait, along with his ability to effectively work with those in his own party as well as across the aisle, should be something those currently in power openly seek to emulate daily, not just when the moment best suits their needs, and bring the beliefs to fruition...make the words reality.

Whether you liked him or disliked him, agreed with his beliefs or not, it cannot be argued that our country lost a very special asset with the passing of Ted Kennedy.

"Some men see things as they are and say why. He dreamed things that never were and said why not."

Indeed; Why not? Words, a spirit, I’d like to see our current leaders serve...today...now...more than ever before...and dedicate their professional lives, as Ted Kennedy did, to answering that question and fulfilling those beliefs.

Rest in Peace Teddy. May your work here be done.

Outside Lands Festival to be Streamed Via Youtube

Can't make it to the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this weekend? No worries, Youtube loves you like Wilco baby. YouTube will be live-streaming some of the festival to viewers in the US from Friday, 8/28 - Sunday, 8/30. Coverage will include performances from Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, Thievery Corporation, The Dead Weather, Silversun Pickups, Raphael Saadiq, Cage the Elephant, Atmosphere, among others.

The live webcast link is here.

Sound and Vision: My Talk with Charles Bissell and Kevin Whelan of The Wrens

Ever since seeing them at SXSW this year, my fingers have found themselves choosing The Wrens on my Ipod pretty consistently. Their live show was a total force of nature, a tsunami of hooks and energy, that left me slackjawed and thrilled; it had been a long time since I had a band knock me on my backside like that. Their history is one of music-industry legend, similar in some respect to YHF-era Wilco, so although they've been around some 20 years now, they've only put out three full-length records and a few EPs. But those few are mind-bendingly good. The last one, 2003's Meadowlands, is comprised of 13 songs that are catchy and hang together perfectly, creating an emotional opus that's an embodiment of the phrase, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger." The Wrens may be the Halley's Coment of indie rock-JD Salinger's next book may come out before their next record-but somehow, it's ok because you know what you'll hear will be truly worth the wait.



I knew I definitely wanted to get an interview with The Wrens on camera. They rarely do video, but after almost hyperventilating from laughter reading this, I was pretty sure that getting at least two of them together on camera would be hilarious. It took awhile coordinating schedules and whatnot, but we finally met up in a great little Irish bar in NYC. In a dark little corner (so forgive the lack of lighting), over pints of Guinness, bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Kevin Whelan and guitarist/vocalist Charles Bissell talked to BL&L about influences, collaborations, 20 years as a band, and how they made it together that long. That is, when they weren't cracking jokes...And I know it seems like a whole lot to watch, but I totally promise you, it's worth it.

**1/7: A 23 year-old bass guitar, Liberace, and Charles Bissell Kennedy**

References: Liberace, the Mummers

Give a Listen: North to Nothing-The Wrens (from Abbot 1135)

**2/7: Beginning as a cover band, their 20th anniversary, and mammoth Bissell fingers**


Give a Listen: Z (2007 demo)-The Wrens

**3/7: Song backstories, writing, author recommendations, and the Guinness kicking in**

References: Robert Lowell, John Berryman, Kenneth Patchen

Give a Listen: Life Stories of the Union-The Wrens, Brightest New Year-The Wrens

**4/7: More about songs, the power of Jameson, and Kevin calls out Bon Jovi for a street fight**

References: Maxwells

Give a Listen: This is Not What You Had Planned-The Wrens

**5/7: Changing band dynamics, crazy drummers, and making records opposed to songs**


Give a Listen: This Machine-The Wrens (from Abbot 1135)

**6/7: Thoughts on licensing, connections to Okkervil River, and love for KEXP**

References: WKEXP

Give a Listen: It Ends with a Fall-Charles Bissell covering Will Sheff, Black Boys On Mopeds-Charles Bissell (live, Maxwells, 9/26/04)

**7/7: Brainiac and Tim Taylor's influences, next tours, and why they consider themselves lucky**

References: Brainiac

Give a Listen: Vincent Come Down-Brainiac

The Wrens Announce Three Midwest Dates

Our favorite recluses around here who hail from the land of refinery towers, The Wrens, have announced they're playing three shows this summer (yeah!), all in the Midwest (boo!).

The two Chicago dates are in conjunction with the club Shuba's 20th anniversary celebration.

Jul 24 2009: A Schubas 20 Event, Schubas, Chicago, Illinois
w/ the Biltmores (sold out)

Jul 25 2009: A Schubas 20 Event, Schubas, Chicago Illinois
w/ TBA Guest (sold out)

Aug 14 2009: MPMF Indie Summer, Fountain Square, Cincinnati OH
w/ Goose, The Harlequins, and Hot Pipes (Free, go here for more info)

Rothbury Festival 2009 Happening This Weekend

by Dave "Scout" Tafoya

The Rothbury Festival is this weekend and were it not for a few names, it could almost be called "Bonnaroo North." Sun and jam bands abound, but the reason I'm interested in covering the event is the little bands, the folk rockers with no marquee value. To make it to a festival like this on the bottom half of a bill that includes Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson is no small feat, and I'm curious to know who we'll look to for our smoldering acoustic indictments of society in the future. With a handful of Canadian indie rock bands and some little guys with big hearts, the festival promises to be one of unforgettably intimate performances, even to standing crowds of a few thousand people.

Some of my favorites include...

--2020 Soundsystem: Anglo-Argentine electro rock thats half Daft Punk and half Happy Mondays. They've been filling Europe with satisfied club-goers and have recently migrated to the states to see if their drug-addled magic is transcontinental.

--Underground Orchestra: Not your average jam band, pulling from the distortion heavy, latin-tinged tradition of bands like The Mars Volta, Underground Orchestra can play 20 minute songs. But unlike the competition, they fill every corner with something interesting and rarely rest on their laurels. They can shake up a groove and they know how to use it once its alive.

--White Buffalo: Jake Smith, White Buffalo's singer/songwriter, looks he fell out of a George Romero film and sings with a voice that suggests that Eddie Vedder and Robert Fisher had a secret lovechild. His achy ballads, southern bar rock and slow-burning arrangements break hearts and make fans daily.

--Wendy Darling: Led by singer Cori Rush, San Diego's Wendy Darling play sun-baked indie country like nobody's business. Rush, whose a little bit June Carter, a little Natalie Merchant, and a lot of attitude, sounds just as capable over lazy guitar arrangements and plucky country tunes. Endearing to say the least.

--Parlor Mob: If The Veils had listened to The Guess Who instead of Madchester bands, they might sound like Parlor Mob. Kickass blues rock a la Wolfmother (but with a touch more staying power, not to mention some killer guitar solos), Parlor Mob kick and scream like few other bands as youthful. There's some Led in there, some Allman Brothers, but mostly they're a rock band I don't feel bad about liking.

--Man Man: We now arrive at the hometown pride portion of this piece. Philadelphia's zany-as-all-get-out Man Man have been charming audiences and indie rock arbiters with their quirky, baroque indie music for three or four years now. There's gypsy jazz in there, there's archaic literary references, there's a feeling I can only describe as slapstick. A unique band to be sure.

--Guster: Boston-based Guster is the one thing that hippies and I tend to agree on. They like their laid back sound and pro-environmental stance; I like that their pop songs don't last for hours on end. One of the first bands that ever made an impression on me (their third album Lost & Gone Forever = 5th grade birthday present), I've seen them when they were small, and seen them now that they're big, and I'll keep seeing them just to see what directions they head. An infinitely capable live act, Guster ensures a good time is had, but I'll be stopping by to make sure they're still doing their best.

Cold War Kids: A California band that sounds less like Brian Wilson and more like they've spent the last ten years in the brig of a 17th century pirate ship, Cold War Kids' tortured, percussive rock sound caught my attention with their three now-forgotten EPs, more so than with their debut album, 2006's Robbers & Cowards. Everything, the guitar, the bass, even Nathan Willet's voice, resemble their jagged percussion sounds, and their live shows are triumphs of atmospherics and energy.

Sam Roberts: The closest thing we have to a modern day Dylan or Lennon, Sam Roberts has been preaching positivity and love in apocalyptic times for a few years now, and his mightily impressive band have made sure that he's at the proper decibel level to be heard. Old psych rock from an old soul with very modern angst, Roberts wants everyone to drop what they're doing and question whether our hatred is worth whatever its buying us now. And if that's too much, he's got this infectious rock music you might be interested in. (Read our review on his latest here)

--MSTRKRFT: One of the more prolific DJ teams working today, MSTRKRFT have touched everything from John Legend to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I missed their live set at Coachella a few years ago, but I'm hoping their pulsing electronic set will make up for the fact that Jesse Keeler's tenure in this band means Death From Above 1979 won't be making new records anymore.

--Broken Social Scene: If you've spoken to me about music in the last six years, chances are I've brought up Broken Social Scene. The Canadian indie collective that has featured everyone from Feist to Isaac Brock at some time or another, features some impressive guitar riffs, an effective use of 'noise', and lyrics that deal with social politcs more adeptly than just about any other band to date. The only band that can examine sexuality without artifice or pride and still end in a blistering guitar solo (or two...or three).

--Willie Nelson: After I saw Phosphorescent go to town on some of Willie's better tunes, I'd been dying to catch the old master live again to compare. I've seen Willie once before, but I was too drained and distracted to give him my full attention. That won't be the case this time around, I'll be sure of it.

--Toots and the Maytals: Reggae's living legends. If you don't know them, go buy as many early Maytals records as you can. While Damian Marley seems content to sink into hippie hip-hop oblivion, Toots, the old guard, stays true to reggae's transformative power after all these years. I've been a fan since I saw Perry Henzel's reggae film The Harder They Come when I was 11; to finally see them live will be an honor and a privilege.

--Femi Kuti: Fela's son, Femi captures that same group ethos and funky music for change that his father did so well, except without the extremist undercurrent. With slick production and massive stage presence, Femi's been charming stadium crowds with his unique afro-beat sound globally since 1991.

--Bob Dylan: It's Bob Dylan, do I need a reason? I know people who don't like him who'd still like to see him live. I'm not a committed fan or anything, but a legend is a legend.

News: Virgin Fest to Go "Free," Move to Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Baltimore Sun wrote today that the Virgin Festival is indeed going to happen this year, but in Columbia, MD instead of Baltimore, and not charge for tickets.

In theory, a free Virgin Fest sounds like a cool idea. In practice? Not so sure. How many free festival shows with decent lineups (this one includes Public Enemy, The Hold Steady, Girl Talk, Franz Ferdinand for example) have you been to that haven't been either a total zoo or a total clusterf*#k? And Aug. 30th? I so wish that festival organizers here would get that doing anything outside like this in August around here is the equivalent of breathing through a towel soaked with hot water. We gave up our tickets to the second Fest as it was around the same calendar date and 97878686 degrees Calvin that day.

But I could see this time round changing my outlook on all that. The one thing that Merriweather has that Pimlico didn't though is shade, which will be a plus. And I will say that when I attended the first Virgin Fest at the Pimlico track, the organizers seemed to be really together in terms of set up and whatnot. So what do I know, maybe they'll pull off "free" properly as well? Given the lineup, here's hoping!

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UPDATE (11:34 am):
Apparently, the Sun reporter either didn't do the research or has the same crummy internet browser I do that doesn't show links across the top of the Virgin Fest site page. A friend (with Firefox) just sent me the following info:

-The June 25 and 26 dates are not for the free tickets but more of a "presale" if you purchase one of two "karma packages" ($30 and $55): Karma Packages

-The "free ticket onsale" is actually June 27: Free Ticket 'Onsale'

-There is no mention on the Virgin Fest site of any "first pick" tickets allotted for Virgin Mobile customers or for attendees of previous Virgin Fests.

-Nothing on the site confirms/denies the free parking and no convenience charges for tickets picked up at Merriweather or the 9:30 Club in Washington stated in the article.
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Weezer, Blink 182 to headline a smaller, but free, Virgin Fest

Rock bands Weezer, Blink-182 and Franz Ferdinand and hip-hop group Public Enemy will headline a downsized Virgin Mobile Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion, organizers announced Tuesday.

The festival, formerly a two-day affair held at the sprawling Pimlico Race Course, has been scaled back to one day, Aug. 30, and moved to the smaller Columbia amphitheater. But, in a surprising change of course for the four-year-old even t, this year's festival will be free, officials said.

"In a time of economic challenges and daily sacrifices, we wanted to throw a fantastic party so people could let loose and have a great time -- on us," said Sir Richard Branson, founder and president of Virgin Group, in a statement.

To accommodate the Virgin Mobile Freefest, Merriweather will be outfitted with multiple stages and a dance tent and expanded to hold nearly 35,000. Other performers include Jet, Girl Talk, the Hold Steady, St. Vincent, Taking Back Sunday and more.

Virgin Mobile customers and previous Virgin Mobile Festival-goers will get first pick at the free tickets, which will be distributed through Ticketmaster June 25 and 26. Parking will also be free, officials said, and there will be no convenience charges for tickets picked up at Merriweather or the 9:30 Club in Washington.

"I suppose people will think that there must be a catch, but there really isn't," festival producer Seth Hurwitz wrote in an e-mail. "We just wanted to put on a show that would make people happy."

When it debuted in 2006, the festival boasted headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Who and drew about 40,000 to Pimlico. Since then, attendance has steadily slumped at the festival, which was expanded to two days in 2007. Last year's festival featured an eclectic lineup of more than 40 performers, including Bob Dylan, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails and the Foo Fighters.

"When Virgin Mobile first suggested to me that we throw this year's festival for free, I was like, 'Um ... OK,'" Hurwitz said. "I thought they were crazy. But then again, Virgin's always done things a little differently."