Songs About Knives

Future Islands MP3s From The Past

August 28th, 2008

New York’s own WFMU has a six song live set from Baltimore’s Future Islands that was recorded but a few scant weeks ago. This vintage vid captures them back when they had a drummer (but your SAK correspondent really digs the electronic beats they currently rock on the road as captured in the ‘FMU set):

Someone’s Listening In: No Puns On Islam

August 27th, 2008

Your SAK Correspondent argued against “Allah Board!” but he didn’t get very far.

Team Robespierre (Predictably) Book Another Show With Ninjasonik

August 27th, 2008

You SAK Correspondent uses “spazz” as a hyphenate adjective pretty regularly, as there seems to be an entire indie subgenre (see Matt and Kim) that it accurately describes. And so: Team Robespierre have a show this Sunday, the 31st, with sonikfuckingnihilists Ninjasonik on the roof of OfficeOps. Bikes In The Kitchen (who else?) says it’s happening at 3 PM, whereas no one else cares enough to list what is, presumably, the right time, and there’s no word as to whether or not it is free.

The Team also list a hometown Brooklyn gig on September 27th as the “best show of all time with 8 bands,” which may or may not be the already-mentioned Awesome Vistas Festival (although your SAK correspondent somewhat hopes it isn’t, so he can enjoy Thee Oh Sees in [relative] peace).

September 6th: East Village Throwdown!

August 26th, 2008

Your SAK Correspondent would say he blogged about the East Village Radio Fest too soon, but that would mean he wouldn’t have scooped all those other music blogs that waited for the official announcement (with rounded out, awesome lineup included).

But now here SAK is–first again with news that you’ll have to make a choice on Saturday the 6th, as the kids at Showpaper are teaming up with The Howl! Festival to bring Fiasco, The Crayons, and more to Tompkins Square Park on that very same day (so a bunch of Brooklyn kids are playing in the East Village; and EVR is having their show at the tourist-friendly Seaport. Uh, right).

If there’s one contest too close to call, it’s whether EVR or Howl! has an uglier website.

What The Fuck Is The Awesome Vistas Festival?

August 25th, 2008

Throw quotation marks around the multi-word noun in question, like your SAK Correspondent did, and plug it in to Google, and, as of this writing, you’ll see exactly nine search results. What is known is that said festival will be bringing the San Francisco one-two-crunch of Thee Oh Sees and Sic Alps to New York City on Saturday, September 27th. What isn’t known: where it is, or, what it is exactly. It’s a pretty serious bet that it will rock, though.

Blue(Grass)Berry Boat

August 24th, 2008

If you ever wanted to hear The Fiery Furnaces play your fav Friedberger jams with a banjo, WNYC wants to hook you up. Promoting their newly-released live album, Remember, they stopped by Soundcheck to further muck up their joyfully convoluted live legacy.

Someone’s Listening In: A Gamma Set From Aderbat

August 20th, 2008

You SAK Correspondent thinks its a worthwhile gamble to scope out a free set from Aderbat at Pete’s Candy Store on one of this waning August’s latter Wednesdays, even if it hasn’t always worked for him in the past. 

Future Islands Have Future Shows In Brooklyn

August 19th, 2008

Your SAK Correspondent was bummed about missing The Dirty Projectors on Friday, but was lifted out of his funk sooner than expected during a Silent Barn performance by Baltimore’s Future Islands. He had no idea who they were as he wandered in at the start of their set, but was completely wowed over by the way the group’s sincere/theatrical vocals are layered atop a high-pitched, chugging electronic assault (and it’s not often that he’ll listen to an entire album immediately upon arriving at home around 4 a.m., then replay certain tracks before going to bed).

They’re at it again this weekend with bookings at the TreeFort and Union Pool on, respectively, Saturday and Sunday.

Daedelus Will Dress Old School, Rock New School

August 18th, 2008

Your SAK Correspondent doesn’t understand why someone named Alfred Darlington–basically the coolest name ever–would need to record and perform under a different moniker, but that’s what Los Angeles sample maestro Daedelus does. And he’ll be playing under said appellation at two upcoming NYC dates: Le Poisson Rouge on September 7th and then at Crash Mansion on the 9th. The former is part of the Wordless Music Series; the latter is probably the best show Crash Mansion has had in a long time.

Get Yr Tweed On

August 14th, 2008

Your SAK Correspondent was telling a friend of his, just a few hours ago as they exited the Wilco concert at Brooklyn’s McCarren Pool, that the old arrangement of “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” that Wilco debuted on the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot tour was far superior to the Krautrock Extended Remix thing that ended up being on A Ghost Is Born. And Lo! The Tweedman leads a 2006 two hour solo set with that cherished arrangement. Let it be downloaded and multiply. Thank you, Aquarium Drunkard.