Seen Your Video: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver Shows Up to Play "The World Cafe" with Kathleen Edwards

Philly.com reported that Kathleen Edwards was joined by her beau, Justin Version of Bon Iver, for a few songs last night in Philly on "World Cafe."

Edwards latest record, Voyageur came out last month, which Bon Iver also produced. She is playing the here tomorrow at the 930 Club.



Kathleen Edwards - Wapusk (featuring Bon Iver) by Kathleen Edwards

Seen Your Video: Wild Flag Performs "Romance" on David Letterman Last Night

Wild Flag rocked the snot outta Late Night with David Letterman last night. I've now seen them twice (SXSW and the Black Cat a couple months back), and last night's performance was nothing compared to the power they bring during a full club set. Wow...

Seen Your Video: The Strokes Do Two Songs From Forthcoming Record, Angles, on SNL

The Strokes hit Saturday Night Live this weekend with two new tracks from their forthcoming record, Angles, due out 3/22. There are strains of Is This It? but it's...more evolved somehow. Nikolai Fraiture'a strong bass lines and Fabrizio Moretti's drums still drive the sound, but there's more of a change-up now in song structures and whatnot (great example, "Life is Simple in the Moonlight"). I'm praying they don't travel all the way to SXSW just for the single Auditorium Shores show, my Nikon is looking to love up on them up something serious.

"Under Cover of Darkness"


"Life is Simple in the Moonlight"

Seen Your Video: Tommy Stinson, Jesse Malin, and Billie Jo Armstrong Cover Johnny Thunders

Some friends attended this City Winery show of Tommy Stinson and Jesse Malin over the weekend, and said it was downright amazing. And yes, as you'll see in the video, Billie Jo Armstrong stopped by...

I'm kicking myself for not making the trip.

Seen Your Video: Arcade Fire Rocks SNL on Saturday

Arcade Fire brought their 45 members dressed as brightly as their infectious melodies to Saturday Night Live this weekend. Playing "We Used to Wait" and "Sprawl II" from the new record, The Suburbs, I was never a big AF fan, but after humming "Sprawl" all of Sunday, I think it's safe to say they've found their way into my brain matter. Win Butler is the thinking man's frontman, and I loved that he's so into connecting with the audience; Had he been able, I think he may have climbed through the camera and into our living rooms to sing to us personally.

But who dresses Regine I wonder, the Olympic Committe for Ice Dancing?

Seen Your Video: Superchunk Doing "Digging for Something" and "Precision Auto" on Jimmy Fallon

Superchunk rawked the tv on Jimmy Fallon last night for the first time in 16 years. The dude pogoing around to Mac's left like a maniac during the first video ("Digging for Something") is John Darnielle, lead singer of The Mountain Goats. Second video is a web-only performance of "Precision Auto."

Seen Your Video: "Digging for Something" by Superchunk

Majesty Shredding, the first full-length record since 2004 for Superchunk, drops tomorrow and it's so. effing. good. It took a listen or two to get to that point but I've listened to it so much in the past few weeks, I swear it's the soundtrack to my dream-life as well.

"Digging for Something" is one of the absolute standouts on the record. I heard this song when they did it at the Village Voice Day Party at SXSW last year and it's even better live. A video for "Digging" was released today and it's just as good as the song. I love a good quirky video and these guys did a bang up job (look for a guest appearance by John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats).

Give a Listen: Digging for Something-Superchunk/Buy Majesty Shredding (out 9/14)

Seen Your Video: "American Slang" by Gaslight Anthem

One of the greatest songs off of American Slang, the newest release from Gaslight Anthem, is its title track. Ringing guitar riffs, driving drums, and lines like "You told me fortunes in American slang," it's one of those great songs to drive to, one that's perfect for pounding the beat of the chorus on your steering wheel.

The band released the video for it today, a mix of concert footage and visuals of Brooklyn, where lead singer Brian Fallon recently moved. It even includes a cameo by Fallon's wife at about 2:44. Kevin Custer, who also did “The Making of American Slang,” “The ’59 Sound” and “Great Expectations" for them, directed.

Seen Your Video: "Baltimore Blues No.1" by Deer Tick on Letterman

Seen Your Video: Gaslight Anthem Cover Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Seen Your Video: "Slack Motherfucker" by Superchunk at the Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona (5-27-2010)

Ever since I saw them live for the first time at SXSW this year, my Ipod has been playing a whole bunch of Superchunk. I'd dug them before, but it was the unbridled and raw energy of their live show that made me fall in love all over again.

'Chunk doesn't tour as much as they used to, so when they do, one should not miss the opportunity. We recently posted about 'Chunk's new record (!!!) Majesty Shredding due out this fall, as well as their tour dates around the same time. Prior to these, they are playing some festivals here and there, including the Primavera Sound Festival which was last night in Barcelona. The crowd's response to the anthemic "Slack Motherfucker" is always such a joy to behold.

I think it's safe to say that even if I live to be 100, "Slack Motherfucker" will still make me want to pogo like a crazy person.

Seen Your Video: "123 Stop" by The Postelles

I first saw Brooklyn's The Postelles at SXSW a couple years back and loved their lo-fi do-wop sound. I got to see them open for The Wrens in Baltimore on Saturday and as usual, their high energy enthusiasm live made me wish I could dance AND hold a camera still at the same time. It's also made me listen to nothing but their EP, White Night, that came out earlier this year, and "123 Stop," which came out on their earlier self-titled EP.

The band is off to Bonnaroo again this year but the video below is them doing "123 Stop" acoustic at Bonnaroo '08. Lead singer Daniel Balk's voice seems so effortless.



The Postelles first full-length release comes out 7/27 on Capitol/Astralwerks.

Give a Listen: 123 Stop-The Postelles

Seen Your Video: "The Weekender" by The Hold Steady on Late Night with David Letterman

The Hold Steady's new record comes out this week (oh it's soooo goood), and they're starting the late night show circuit accordingly. They're playing and sitting down to talk with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report on 5/13 (Craig Finn chatting with Colbert? Two of my favorite witty Catholics go great together), and played David Letterman this past Friday. "The Weekender" is, by far, one of my favorites on Heaven is Whenever and I cannot wait to see it all live and in person myself (July! Memphis! With The Whigs!)

Seen Your Video: "Hundred Million Miles" by The Whigs on Jimmy Fallon

Call it a late April Fool's prank I guess (or maybe just to get folks to stay up late and watch)...We were told yesterday that The Whigs were covering an old Meat Loaf song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, but what they played was "Hundred Million Miles" from the new record In the Dark....weird. Maybe the same hacker who unleased all those new releases last week from PlayMPE was at it again? Maybe the band was drunk emailing in some NYC bar yesterday? Doesn't matter though, live, The Whigs can rock (or RAAWK if you're Whigs lead singer Parker Gispert) whatever they play with gusto.

Seen Your Video: Fitz and the Tantrums do "Breakin the Chains of Love"

SXSW 2010 Day 1: Fitz & the Tantrums (3-17-2010)-4611, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

A lot of the "blue-eyed soul" or "white soul" I've heard is good; a majority of it is borderline boy-band dreck. But stop the presses, I have found a band that does white soul with heavy dollops of 60s Britpop, and booooy, is it gooood.

As I mentioned yesterday, I discovered Fitz and the Tantrums after seeing their name as the opener for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' New Years Eve show here in DC. Armed with a Hammond B3 organ, a killer combo of horns/bass/drum, and a knockout voice in his backup singer, Mr. Fitz and company put on quite a show. His voice, ladies and gents, is truly live and not Memorex.

Upon reading about my seeing Fitz and the Tantrums at SXSW this year, and listening to the track I included, a friend proclaimed "I think my ass just became self-aware and started moving all on its own." This band from LA has a wonderful energy, and is reminding people that blue-eyed soul can be hip and modern, not sequestered to the wasteland of soft rock radio and Hall and Oats records from the 70s.



But Songs for a Breakup/iTunes

Seen Your Video: "Kill Me Carolyne" by The Whigs on David Letterman

Last night was quite the night for good music on late night television...Drive By Truckers on Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with David Letterman had The Whigs. The Whigs have long been a favorite of mine to see live due to their powerful stage show...plus, that reverse duck-walk thing that lead singer/guitarist Parker Gispert does always makes me marvel at his balance. Someone get that boy on "Dancing With the Stars" already!

If you haven't yet heard their recently release, In The Dark, yet, you can download a few tracks and listen to its entirety via stream (info here). The songs definitely take on a new and amazing shape live so if you're around Sunday, tickets are still available for their show with with Band of Skulls and 22-20 at Baltimore's Ottobar.

Seen Your Video: "Birthday Boy" by Drive by Truckers on Jimmy Fallon

You probably wouldn't think Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer) from "30 Rock" and the Drive By Truckers have anything in common other than southernality, but surprise, they do! It seems DBTs keyboardist Jay Gonzalez is Kenneth's brother-in-law. "30 Rock" has special guests all the time, could a special appearance by DBTs be far behind??

Kenneth introduced the band last night on Jimmy Fallon's show where they played "Birthday Boy" from their latest, The Big To-Do.

(Scroll over to 36:52 on the counter to start the clip)

Give a Listen: Birthday Boy-Drive By Truckers/Buy The Big To-Do

Seen Your Video: Silversun Pickups Rock "The Royal We" on Jimmy Fallon

Voodoo Experience Festival, New Orleans, LA (10-30-09)-1466, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Admittedly, I wasn't crazy about the Silversun Pickups song "The Royal We" when I first heard it on their latest, Swoon. But live, live the song is an effin' force of nature. The energy that exudes from lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert alone could blow a house down; add the power of drummer Chris Guanlao, and it's a full-on hurricane. That sort of band is a blast to photograph.

This is the Pickups playing "The Royal We" on Jimmy Fallon last night. It was sedate compared to a normal show, honest. If you ever get the opportunity, be sure you see this band live just once.

Seen Your Video: "Hard Times Come Again No More" by Mary J. Blige on Hope for Haiti Benefit

I feel silly even writing what I'm about to write, but the beauty of a voice carrying a piece of music made me weep this weekend. Sure, music is a big part of my life and sure, I've been "moved" by music, like getting goosebumps or not breathing for a second when a song or a lyric has especially hit home. But never, ever, have I been moved to tears by the beauty of a voice. And oddly, it happened by way of an artist whose music I never follow-Mary J Blige.

Though I'm not a fan of her music, I have always thought that Blige had an amazing voice; how could you not? The power and emotion that she employs makes a listener feel like you and Mary are having a heart-to-heart, like she's really feeling everything she's singing. Blige also doesn't seem to employ vocal gymnastics and go all over a register to be impressive (I'm looking at you Beyonce).

But this weekend I was watching clips from Friday's Hope for Haiti Benefit broadcast and I randomly clicked on hers. The waterworks weren't immediate, but about half way through her version of "Hard Times Come Again No More," I felt myself getting choked up. The song, written in 1854 by Stephen Foster, is a song of endurance, of sympathy, and of strength of character. The song has been done wonderfully by a good many others, but the stunning magnificence and grace that is Blige's voice, coupled with a song about perseverance and appreciation of life itself, just put it over the edge. It seemed so silly at first, having tears fall over a singer's voice. But it gave me a great reminder that music can (and has) moved people to move proverbial mountains, as well as make one's heart sing if you just listen.

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.

Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.

Seen Your Video: The Ting Tings Do "That's Not My Name" on Saturday Night Live

Normally, bands go on Saturday Night Live when a new record is out or about to come out so I was really interested in catching The Ting Tings performance this past Saturday. The duo's last record, We Started Nothing was out in 2008, so they are about due.

No luck, they wound up doing two of their previous hits, "That's Not My Name" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go," instead, but they rocked the snot outta them so it was still great. It's so utterly bizarre to me to imagine dance tracks holding up but these really do. Maybe it was to celebrate their signing with Jay Z and his Roc Nation label, which is based out of NYC, which will put out The Tings' forthcoming second record, titled Kunst. Named for a massage parlour near their Berlin studio, the record is due out this summer.

Give a Read: The Ting Tings at 930 Club review