New Blog!

As of right now, the new Mindset blog is up and running over at http://ndmindset.wordpress.com. Update your bookmarks and head on over.
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"They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said..."

"Sure. What the heck."

Good for you, Amy Winehouse. Good for you.

Unfortunately, summer has not been a time of music festivals and rock concerts for this little Floridian. But between jobs and trips I’ve been racing to my local Best Buy to purchase some tunes. Here’s what I think.

This CD is amazing. All around one of the best sophomore albums I’ve heard. It felt like it took a while for this little group to put out something new, and there are only ten songs, but I feel like they didn’t force anything. Each track is great.

One of my biggest complaints with bands is that they try to overcompensate for their inability to follow up previous hits (ct. Infinity On High). Eisley does add a chorus for “Come Clean,” but they keep their simple piano parts, and even their beloved toy piano at times. You can really feel the band’s growth in this track; the words and melodies are still enchanting and simple, but Eisley’s not afraid to rock out, either.
A+.

I can hardly bring myself to say anything negative about this band. It hurts, it really does. But I have yet to feel the need to listen to The Needles The Space over and over. I love Straylight Run’s originality—and of course you know about my thing with piano-driven music. Sadly, though, this CD’s success will surely fall short of its predecessor, except perhaps with the band’s more loyal following.

That said, this is not a bad CD. It’s got some catchy tracks, my favorite being “The Miracle That Never Came.”

One thumbs up.

Ah, The Starting Line. Feels like just yesterday I was a middle-school kid listening to “The Best of Me,” which will probably forever be these guys’ best (and only?) hit.

I’ve heard friends say this album is a return to the “good stuff,” as if Based on a True Story was straying from all that was decent TSL music. I hear it as a combination of the past two CDs, and additional maturation at the same time. It’s kind of like watching a little kid grow up: after they’ve grown, it makes sense that they look and act the way they do, but at the same time, you never could’ve predicted it years ago.

Ken, the lead singer, has finally gained full control of his voice. The lyrics are also slightly more mature (i.e. less bitter/full of angst). What amazed me most, though, was the quality of the accompaniment parts, which often take a melody all their own, sometimes better than the vocal line.

One smiley face.

I know you saw this one coming. Yes, Paramore’s sophomore album is out, and in my opinion, a bit misnomer-ed. These guys aren’t trying to start a riot. If anything, they’re consoling emo kids with tracks like, “We Are Broken.”

So now they’re all over MTV and the covers of magazines like Alternative Press. Why? First, their first CD developed a good fan base, and touring with the right bands (see above review) helps, too. In addition, however, this album is much more commercial. The songs are notably more catchy, and I’ve already covered the teen-angst anthem “We Are Broken,” so I won’t say anything more.

More commercial doesn’t necessarily mean bad. I was quite impressed at this young band’s ability to come up with a second CD of such good quality so quickly. Besides, you can’t blame them for knowing their audience.

Three gold stars. Out of what? Oh, I don’t know.

See you soon.

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Daft Punk ALIVE 2007 NYC

Last Thursday I took the bus up to NYC for my personal event of the summer, the Daft Punk show at Keypspan park in Coney Island.

Keyspan park is the stadium for the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones, and ended up being a great venue for this show. As we got onto the field, we caught most of the opening act, Kavinsky, an awesome DJ duo that were the surprise of the show. They didn't play on the stage, they had a little area to the right where they were DJing. This made the transition to the next act easier.


They finished abruptly, and second opener the Rapture started playing immediately after a brief introduction. I guess they were okay, but they didn't fit with the show at all, especially after the awesome-ness of Kavinsky. They finished their set and the crew put up a huge curtain in front of the set as the trailer for Daft Punk's new movie Electroma played. Then Kavinsky reappeared at their station at the side and DJed some more while the extensive light show Daft Punk is famous for was constructed. This took a little too long, and the crowd started becoming antsy. Kavinsky countered this by unexpectedly playing "Killing in the Name Of" followed by "99 Problems" then bizarrely "Holding Out For a Hero."


They ended their second extended set and the lights went out. The curtain opened and the duo was barely visible with fog streaming around them in their robot suits. They started with a ROBOT vs HUMAN argument that went into Robot Rock. It was an unbelievable light show. It started out fairly basic, just using white lights and strobes, then the pyramid with solid colors. As the show went on the complexity of the displays continued to increase until full high resolution images were flashing on the pyramid during "Human After All". When they came out for their last encore the pyramid was kept dark while HUMAN and TOGETHER flashed on the back wall. Then two orange lines slowly worked their way through the triangle lights until it got to where Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter were. Once this happened, the lights dropped and neon orange tubing around their suits glowed while they DJed the last song before once again stepping down from their pyramid to reveal the neon orange DAFT PUNK logo on the back of their jackets.


Setlist (taken from another blog):
Robot Rock / Oh Yeah -> Touch It -> Voyager / Technologic / Television Rules The Nation / Crescendolls -> Steam Machine -> Around the World -> Harder Better Faster Stronger / Burnin' / Too Long / Face to Face / One More Time / Aerodynamic / Forget About the World? / The Brainwasher / Prime Time of Your Life / Rollin' and Scratchin' / The Brainwasher -> Da Funk -> Daftendirekt -> Superheroes // Human After All // Together -> Music Sounds Better With You -> One More Time (reprise)

Crappy video I shot of the encore, check youtube for more:


Two other things: Daft Punk enlisted people with video camera and gave them film in order to use their videos to create a live DVD of this show. In addition, they are going to be releasing a CD from when they performed in France as well. So if my weak descriptions aren't enough, check these out.
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Lollapalooza Day 2 (no pictures, sorry)

Never has sitting down felt so good. That was a good sit.

The final four hours of the second day of Lollapalooza turned my legs to wax, standing, jumping, pushing, and fistpumping to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Muse.

But before we get to that, my day started with an impressive performance from Tapes 'n' Tapes, one of three scheduled Twin Cities bands on the day (c'mon Hold Steady, you're not really from New York--yet). Playing a satisfying set of tunes from The Loon and a handful of new, unidentifiable tracks, they blew away a strong showing at the Myspace stage, the third biggest stage at the festival.

Afterwards, lunch was in order, and I urged Kelly and Riley to hurry back for Cold War Kids.

Most disappointing performance of the day and probably most disappointing showing of the whole event.

The set was really mellow for a hyped up-and-coming rock band. They were scheduled on far too small of a stage, causing the crowd to block walkways and hang from trees. But the worst part was it wasn't even worth it. Sound quality was really weak, as the guitar had virtually no color to it, and the vocals were nowhere near as loud as they ought to have been.

They played "Hang Me Up to Dry" second to last and then complained when people left. Dude, most of the people watching you were only there to hear that song. Deal with it. Considering it was the highlight of their set, it wasn't even that great. It's two notes back and forth, they could have jammed it up a little, improv-ed, done something different. For a band that has been lucky thus far and had at least 2000-3000 people watching them, they failed. The rest of the set was really unimpressive, and the seemed like a band that didn't even belong there.

It didn't ruin the day though. After CWC, I saw a few tunes from the Roots--a pleasant contrast to the Cold Bore Kids set. Probably the best instrumental performances of the day and one of the most fun atmospheres, even though we hung out towards the back for what we saw. But they definitely convinced me I should catch them another time. The highlight was a hip hop medley (with a subtle dig at Nas for his latest declaration that hip hop is dead) with tunes from Salt 'n' Pepa, Sugar Hill Gang, ODB, Vanilla Ice (debatable), Nas, and about four more I can't remember.

From there, it was time for Hold Steady to rock from the same stage Tapes 'n' Tapes worked it. Craig Finn sported a Twins jersey, and they played a fair amount of material from both Boys and Girls in America and Separation Sunday, as expected. But I didn't see much of it because Kelly, Riley, and I planned to get in position for a good spot for Muse three hours in advance. It paid off, but wait two more paragraphs for me to get there.

Karen O was terrific. I was a little nervous she wouldn't put on as much of a show because this wasn't a club gig, but she came out in a big silver gown, a strange leather zip-up half-sleeve corset, and black stockings. Jumping around for every song, singing with the microphone in her mouth, and screaming her brains out, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocked it.

They mostly played tunes from their latest EP and Show Your Bones, but they made room for the hits from Fever to Tell: Maps, Pin, and they closed with Date With the Night. Not sure if they performed any of their pre-Fever material.

Then came the big push forward to get to the front for Muse. Even though they weren't starting for at least another 60 minutes, there were easily 1000 people at the front of the lawn ready to go. Interpol was playing at the same time, and manipulation of all types came into play. Fans at the front spread rumors that Muse cancelled and this was Interpol's stage, all in an effort to get rid of some of the people. But to be honest, I don't think I would have wanted it any less crowded. Crowd surfing almost every song, jumping around, screaming, and the audience was louder than Bellamy on stage for most of the set. Easily the best experience of the festival so far. Hands down. Multiple balloon presentations, a light show probably more advanced than Daft Punk (which is saying a lot), and really great song selection and order. The set is from memory, so let me know of any inaccuracies.

JFK Intro/Take a Bow
Map of the Problematique
Hysteria
Supermassive Black Hole
Time Is Running Out
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Feelin' Good
Sunburn
Invincible
New Born
Starlight
Apocalypse Please
Stockholm Syndrome

Encore:
Plug-In Baby
Knights of Cydonia

The new songs sounded terrific live, and some mechanical problems between songs didn't hurt the experience at all. I even got to hear Dominic Howard's voice for the first time after seeing the band play several times.

I can't see Sunday topping this, but anything is possible with My Morning Jacket, Pearl Jam, and plenty more on the horizon.

P.S. For those of you who like the tune, Knights of Cydonia, I want to plug my friend's film project. If you like the song and have decent film taste, you'll enjoy this:
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Lollapalooza Day 1 (no pictures, sorry)

After a volunteer shift of "standing" from 9:30-1:50, I headed out to see some shows with fellow MINDsetters Kelly and Riley.

Ted Leo kicked off my lineup, and after taking an early spill in his set (not sure which song it happened during), he rocked a set consisting of mostly Living material. While Ted has a tendency to speed up even his faster songs live, some of the tempos increased ridiculously in the Chicago heat--notably "Timorous Me," perhaps the only song in every set I've seen him play.

early but unknown order (any help welcome): Me and Mia, Bomb Repeat Bomb, Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, Army Bound, Sons of Cain

6. Colleen.
7. Unwanted Things
8. Heart Problems
9. Timorous Me
10. C.I.A.

The big disappointment was that Ted ended the set 15 minutes early. Not sure if there was a misunderstanding in the schedule or if there was another factor. But 2-3 more songs were what the crowd wanted to hear, and instead he just ended with C.I.A. "Rappaport's Testament?" "High Party?" "Under the Hedge?" "Dial Up?" Bueller? Bueller?

After Ted and a lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern, Riley and I caught the tail end of Against Me!'s set on a sidestage. The crowd was way more into Against Me! at 3:30 on a sunny and humid day. Crowdsurfing and moshing in the front, anarchy onstage, and fans of all ages climbing to get a glimpse of Gainesville, Florida's finest. Really rough on the setlist, but I know for certain they played "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and plenty of stuff from their latest album, New Wave.

After a short break from the punkest show of the day, we met up with Kelly to catch a spot for The Rapture. I had seen them at Curiosa Festival a few years ago and was really unimpressed. Guitar effects and vocals were weak, and they didn't have much stage presence the first time around. First things first:

1. Down For So Long
2. Get Myself Into It
3. Sister Saviour
4. The Devil
5. Pieces of the People We Love
6. Killing
7. Whoo! Alright Yeah Uh Huh
8. House of Jealous Lovers
9. Don Gon Do It
10. First Gear
11. Olio

Opened with "Down For So Long?" They would have been more successful just skipping that and going straight to "Get Myself Into It." Maybe the sax wasn't ready. But there was a strong faction of shirtless Filipino men tearing it up next to me. Then a series of crowd surfers toward the middle of the set.

On a sidenote, if someone crowd surfed at a festival, would they mind sharing what happened when they reached security? If they got booted or just sent back in?

Anyway, the guitars were off (intentionally or not) for "House of Jealous Lovers," but everything else was really strong, and probably the best crowd on the day. The bass was exceptional, especially on "The Devil" and "House of Jealous Lovers."

That's it for now. Totally exhausted. Reviews and discussion of LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk will follow. For now, here is Murphy's set:

1. Us v Them
2. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
3. Time to Get Away
4. North American Scum
5. All My Friends
6. Tribulations
7. Movement
8. Yeah (extended, non-crass version)
9. wtf? not sure if this was a recorded song or not, any help welcome


Goodnight!

Tomorrow's picks: Matt & Kim, Ludo, Sam Roberts Band, Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Hold Steady, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, wait there (I'll see Spoon when they play a longer set), MUSE
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Interpol / St. Louis / August 1, 2007 (Upstrumming and palm muting are so unnecessary)

1. Pioneer to the Falls - opens their latest album, opens their set. I get it.
2. Slow Hands - definitely the biggest crowd reaction of the whole night.
3. Narc - what else would they play after Slow Hands?
4. C'Mere
5. Rest My Chemistry - eh
6. Mammoth (maybe)
7. Hands Away - interesting TOTBL choice, not a song I would expect to make the set... at least it hints that they'll play more from their best album later
8. No I in Threesome - obviously about how when you play golf with two other people, it's a team effort, even if it isn't a scramble
9. Heinrich Maneuver - not as big a reaction as I would have expected.
10. Evil
11. Not Even Jail
12. wtf interlude? - impromptu? sure seemed like it; just guitar and drums, lasted about 3 minutes.
13. PDA - please don't be the last song before the encore

3 minute break (main set = 55 minutes)

14. Leif Erikson - awesome
15. Obstacle 1 - boom goes the dynamite.
16. Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down - again, not about sex, about swimming

Overall, the show was way better than their appearance at Curiosa. Of course they didn't play as much from "Turn on the Bright Lights" as I would have hoped, but I'll take 5 tracks out of 16 when the last two albums were what made them rich. Cigarette count? Carlos D-2, Daniel-1.

The light show featured more professional looking lite-brites on stands that displayed monochromes for various songs. Appropriate since each Interpol doesn't display a whole lot of personality, but (for the most part) you can still tell them apart.

The crowd was pretty solid. The floor was a heavy mix of older teens, about as packed as it gets. Higher up you found more people in their late 20's, 30's. Overall way more men than women, maybe even 2-to-1, yet not much aggression or moving around (except to Slow Hands).

The big disappointment was how short the set was - 75 minutes for $30. I expected closer to 20, 22 tracks, maybe "Wrecking Ball," "Say Hello to the Angels," or their latest closer - "The Lighthouse."

Seriously though, how can a guitarist only strum down and never palm mute? I know it's their trademark sound, and it's really cool how every note rings with the dual guitars, but when is he going to break his right wrist? (Strumming up is for those Rastafarian types!) Carlos' bass was so smooth. He never plays fast, and he never gets fancy, but it's flawlessly done.

Opener Calla started out strong, performing some of their shorter, upbeat tracks. But then... not so much. No setlist, and I didn't take any notes. If Riley and I would have been stuck at will call waiting for the Pageant staff to figure out our situation another 20 minutes, I wouldn't have been heartbroken.

Interpol vs. Muse at Lollapalooza? I still recommend Muse for the festival setting. Riley and Kelly second and third that opinion.
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Getting to Know You

I had a chance to speak with Carl Broemel about his summer, Price Is Right, and the future of My Morning Jacket. Continue reading below to check out the full article.

So what have you and the band been up to all summer?
We did some rehearsing and working on some songs actually just last month, but we’re going to actually record later this year.

I’m home for the week and then we’ll head up to Chicago on Thursday.

In past years, MMJ was one of the bigger acts at Bonnaroo. Any particular reason why you didn’t play at that festival in 2007? Do you think you’ll play there in the future?

It was kind of a culmination of scheduling and [spending time] working on songs, taking a break. We love playing Bonnaroo. I imagine we’ll be playing many Bonnaroos to come. Some people say it’s not sane for us not to be there, which is flattering, but I think it’s good for that festival to fluctuate and change every year. I think it’s a healthy thing. That’s what’s fun, you never know what you’re going to see, you could have a varying experience from year to year as audience and performer. There’s a pretty good chance we’ll be back there next year.

All set for Lollapalooza? You are performing live with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. How did that happen?

It came together last time we played Chicago. We played the Riviera and somebody from that organization contacted us and I think they may have heard that we did a show with the Boston Philharmonic. So they called us and they actually sat in and did a few songs at the end of that show. It was really fun and we had a great time. It seemed like everyone enjoyed something different, and they really added something new to the show. Playing Lollapalooza we’re trying to do something interesting. We’re going to go up and be a little more organized. Last time we did it with no rehearsals. We’re going to hang out with the orchestra the day before the show. That should be really fun

Does playing with the orchestra change up your set?

Yeah, I mean, sometimes it’s just a sonic and logistical thing with sound systems. Sometimes it seems like a quieter sound works better, some of the bombastic songs work better. I think both can be done. Pretty much anything can be improved—we’re open to breaking the mold with any song that we’ve been playing for a while. We have some tricks up our sleeve for the show, too.

With the success of Z, you probably reached some younger audiences than you’re used to. Have you noticed the average age of your fanbase vary from 2003 until now?

It’s kinda hard to say, I haven’t done any scientific experiments. I’ve been lazy on my polling. But as a general feel there are some younger people in the audience. Some of the venues have gotten bigger so it’s hard to tell unless someone is in the front row. A lot of times we’ll notice certain people at the shows and sometimes I’ll notice an older gentleman or a young kid, and I’ll be like “how did he get into this club?” I think probably by the pure exposure of radio there are younger people than last time, more girls than guys than in the past.

You wrapped up a tour with Pearl Jam last year. How did the tour with Pearl Jam go for the band?

The last two years seemed like they went by in about three months. We got to play a bunch of venues and places that we couldn’t on our own, and then we played Itlay, Spain, places like that.

Any specific impressions or any lessons learned from Eddie Vedder?

Nothing super specific. I think the main thing is they’re very conscious of what it’s like to be an opening band and what are the things that make the tour fun for the opening band—just availability from some of the guys. We collaborated with Eddie a couple times on songs, and it was very endearing and cool that they acknowledged us and asked us to go at all. That’s a good lesson—more often than not, when we’re doing our own shows and we have opening bands, we try to follow Pearl Jam’s example of being cool and considerate of them.

Looking at the schedule, I don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but you are actually opening for Pearl Jam again—playing before them on the same stage on the last night.

Maybe they changed it because they knew we toured, but I don’t know. There’s a lot of places they could have put us in the schedule, so it’s strange.

You guys have also made a name for yourselves in your performances on various late night television shows—Conan, Letterman, and Craig Ferguson. What is it like being onstage in front of a small group of people face-to-face but millions of people you can’t see?

Haha, well the whole thing ends in like two seconds. Since you’re only playing one song, you have so much energy pent up for one moment, and you hardly notice anything beyond that audience and that kind of weird camera flying around in front of you. I don’t think about it too much. You deserve to be up there for some reason.

The 2-night prom was also an interesting event. Do you guys think you’ll do something like that again? Any stories from those nights?

We had a great time, I’m not sure we would do exactly the same thing, but we love playing at the 40-Watt, just as a general rule. It was really fun to park there for a couple days and hang out with everybody that works there.

I think the craziest thing that happened was the second night when we crowned the prom king and queen, and we learned our lesson about bringing people on stage. The first night it worked really well. We crowned them arbitrarily, and they came up and danced and we played “Wonderful Tonight.” But the second night, I think the crowd was a little bit more unruly, and the prom king was shirtless. He did a somersault onto the stage and he was subsequently pulled off. He had to watch his date dance with somebody else. (laughs)

Did you ever have a high school prom? Did actually playing one bring back any memories from it?

The theme of my high school prom was “Wonderful Tonight,” but I think I stayed at my prom for about 15 minutes and left. This one lasted over two hours. And it was two days. They were not like each other.

I know “Mahgeetah” was originally used in a Coors beer commercial a while ago, and the band was upset about how it was used. Do you think the band will allow any new material to appear in commercials?

I don’t really have an answer for that, it just depends. We haven’t made a blanket statement, but I think we’re pretty careful and sensitive to use a song for something other than our record and our shows. The music industry has changed a lot in the last five, ten years in terms of getting exposure for a band. Whether it’s good or bad that you learn about Nick Drake from the Volkswagen commercials is a discussion.

But to be always associated with a product for the rest of your career—we would prefer not to happen to us. It’s a long detailed, case by case discussion. It is frustrating for people we know to try to get their music seen and heard as far as distribution. I don’t feel like we’re a radio band. We would love to have that exposure on the radio, but I feel like people are getting exposed to us from us going out and touring. But it’s a strange world we live in right now, getting your music out there other than through the internet.

I’m pretty sure I have heard some of the singles in sports highlight packages and other non-commercial TV programs. What do you think when you hear “Gideon,” “What a Wonderful Man,” or “One Big Holiday” in a commercial?

Actually, I haven’t heard it really. I think I heard that they used something on SportsCenter. I love how on NPR they do musical segues and I’ve heard a couple of our songs, just instrumentally, on that format. Stuff just happens, and I think that’s an example of good under the radar exposure—kind of like how it really seems to fit to have songs in movies at appropriate points. That to me seems like it’s serving a collaborative purpose—like a visual image and the music combining to become more poignant or intense.

I want to do some rapid fire questions because I feel like America doesn’t know enough about Carl Broemel…
So,favorite movie?

Favorite movie of this moment is Sicko. I thought it was amazing.

Least favorite movie?

I thought the Transformers movie was terrible. It was hilarious. It was so bad it was really fun to watch.

What is one thing you do that you wish you did less of?

Watch less television.

What is one thing you do that you wish you did more often?

Golf. You gotta think about the future when you’re going to be sixty—some skills for the golf course so you can make a little money from your friends.

What is with the band’s obsession with Ted Nugent?

I have no soul connection to Ted Nugent. I cannot speak for anyone but myself.

What is the best part about being from Indiana?

I don’t know, I guess one of the best things is being able to be hot and miserable in the summer.

If you could be a contestant on a game show, which one would you pick and why?

Definitely the Price Is Right before Bob Barker left. That’s just the ultimate game show. The most fun and the most fun to watch consistently. I recently went to the Craig Ferguson studio, and you can actually spin the wheel. It’s in the hallway of the studios. The mystery was that the Price Is Right was like a mini-Vegas with so many bright lights and bells like slot machines going off. So if you actually go to the set of pretty much any show, the carpet smells a little weird, everything looks kind of small and dingy and old. But on TV they make it look like this magical world.

Do any of the presidential candidates stand out as the best choice for you in 2008?

In the last month or two, things are starting to heat up. I had a commission to not paying attention at all, but it’s certainly going to be interesting. It’s wide open right now.

What is the best part about being a member of My Morning Jacket?

The best part is… (everything I’m thinking of sounds really cheesy). Getting to play music everyday for a month is fantastic. The last month, it was just awesome to hang with the guys and just get to play with no distractions, and that makes me pretty thankful.

If there is a musician from the past that you could have a conversation with, who would you pick and what would you want to talk about?

I’ll see Ted Nugent in my dreams now. But one of my favorite guitar players is Clarence White, he’s one of my absolute favorite guitarists. I don’t think he’s much of a talker, I’ve never seen any interviews with him. But I would love to just play guitar with him.

What is one thing about Carl Broemel that most people don’t know?

Most people don’t even recognize me first of all. They think I’m the sound man, or they think our sound man is me.
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Vanderpalooza!

How does a performer stand out at a festival as large as Lollapalooza?

“It’s not like we’re going to shave our heads and put on a bunch of costumes,” Holland, Michigan native and singer/songwriter David Vandervelde said.

The 22-year old released his full-length debut “Moonstation House Band” on indie label Secretly Canadian earlier this year. Although the album has earned the attention and praise from internet authorities Pitchfork Media and All Music, Vandervelde has yet to perform on a stage with figurative lights this bright.

“We’re going to have a keyboard player and some more guitar players,” Vandervelde said about playing “in front of a lot of people.”

Lollapalooza 2007 features veterans and popular artists from a variety of movements including Pearl Jam, Interpol, Muse, Daft Punk, and Ben Harper.

“The best part about it is the exposure in front of a lot of people who can hear what we’re doing,” Vandervelde said over the phone in a van headed for a gig in Wilmington, North Carolina. “I think that’s the obvious plus."

Vandervelde said he landed on the bill when a critic from Chicago’s The Onion recommended him to the festival’s committee “a few months ago.” His relationship with the city of Chicago might have earned him extra points with getting a spot on the three-day festival’s schedule, he said.

“I lived in Chicago for a while,” Vandervelde said. “That’s where everything came together, and that’s where I made my record.”

He is scheduled to take the stage with his band at 1:00 PM on the Citi stage on Sunday, the final day of the festival.
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Bored of South Bend just thinking about it?

Well... here are some shows coming through the Chicago area this August and September to keep you entertained:

25 Aug: Rufus Wainwright -- Highland Park
31 Aug: Stereo Total & The Octopus Project -- Abbey Pub
4 Sept: VHS or Beta -- Subterranean
7 Sept: Flaming Lips -- Aragon Ballroom
10 Sept: Animal Collective -- Vic Theatre
11 Sept: Editors -- Park West
12 Sept: Arctic Monkeys w/ the Coral -- Aragon Ballroom
12 Sept: Wilco -- Pritzker Pavilion
15 Sept: Rilo Kiley -- Riviera Theater
18 Sept: Simian Mobile Disco -- Empty Bottle
29 Sept: The Cure w/ 65 days of static -- Allstate Arena (Rosemont)
29 Sept: Amy Winehouse w/ Paolo Nutini -- Aragon Ballroom
30 Sept: Hanson -- Empty Bottle

Well, that gets us through September. A good start for now. Hopefully we'll be able to update the show listing on the mindset webpage soon as well so this is somewhere more permanent. I'm sure there are things I've left off as well - my apologies.
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Trapped in the Closet... again

R. Kelly has made it known that he will be adding an additional 10 chapters to his epic "Trapped in the Closet" saga... bringing the total number of chapters up to 22. I don't know about the rest of the Mindset staff, but I am beyond excited. Read more about this incredible news over at pitchfork.

In lesser music news, Wilco has announced some fall dates in the States to promote "Sky Blue Sky." Jeff Tweedy and company will be in the Notre Dame area (read: Chicago) on Sept. 12th at Pritzker Pavilion.
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Break Up!

Bullz-Eye has posted a list of bands who should "break up already." According to them, Oasis is one such band, and since I'm the new Mindset co-editor, I guess that means I have to condemn the list.

I condemn the list.

However, I think Bullz-Eye does make a good point calling for Creed's reunion. At the very least, it would give us something to write about -- a band to hate universally. After all, there has to be a limit to how much I can make fun of Panic! at the Disco and The Fray, right?

And as a reminder, next weekend is the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago's Union Park. If you're planning on going, let us know. I'll be there along with several other WVFIers.
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Hey, Hey, You, You...

Read here: Avril Lavigne Sued for Stealing Tune

Say it ain't so, Avril! You are one of the most original, most creative, and most down and dirty punk musicians of our generation. I, for one, believe that you are being framed. Details for the "Save Avril Fund" will follow shortly.
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25.06.07 -- Owen and The City on Film @ Arena Wien

After spending time in multiple bands that helped shape the American indie rock scene, Mike Kinsella (Owen - above top) and Bob Nanna (The City on Film) find themselves now touring with nothing save an acoustic guitar (and a loop pedal in the case of Nanna). This summer the two set out on a tour of Europe, and this past Monday I caught their performance at the Arena here in Vienna.

The night began a bit early as the venue's website claimed that doors were at 7pm with an 8pm start time, so I got there around 7:15ish. Instead the show actually began around 9:30. So for a while I sat outside and watched as Mike and Bob attempted to knock a can off a fence with a ball. It took upwards of 50 throws (probably closer to 75) but finally a toss by Bob hit the can. After the show he told me it was one of his most rewarding moments then quickly relived it in his mind.

After being forced inside by a thunderstorm, the show began. The City on Film started things off and offered a set of new songs as well as songs from Nanna's previous bands (Braid and Hey Mercedes) which sounded surprisingly good acoustic. In between songs there were some entertaining sound clip loops and Bob frequently shouted "oww/whoo" (or some variation thereof). On the whole it was an enjoyable set. The set list looked something like this:

Never Will Come For Us
Fahren
Stay Six
Secret
Come on Eileen
For Holly
Short Song**
How a Helicopter Sounds
A Dozen Roses
I'd Rather be Wine Drunk

**This short song is one of many that Nanna has recorded for threadless.com, which will be releasing a collection of about 100 songs by Nanna sometime soon.

After a short pause Owen took the stage and got things going. I saw Owen last April in Chicago (his hometown) and this show was very much different from that experience. Mike still tried to talk to the crowd between songs, but the crowd wasn't very cooperative. I brought up a few things such as Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High" (he informed us that "those guys are super rich") and covering Metallica (unlike in Chicago, he passed this time). Finally, Mike said that when he gets home he'd have nothing to remember Vienna by, so one concertgoer asked if he'd like a beer thrown at him. He told her to go for it, but nothing happened. Oh well.

A highlight of the set was a bit of tuning during "Bad News." After stopping mid-song a couple times to adjust the tuning (something which happens frequently at Owen songs -- it never ceases to amaze me how he just picks back up), a crafty lyric change was made to make light of the situation. "Whoever you think is watching you tune (normally 'dance') from across the room, they aren't / If anything they feel sorry for you cause you try so hard." I guess the word "tune" was lost on the Austrians though, as Siegel and I were the only ones who laughed.

Despite the lack of the usual banter of an Owen show, the performance itself was still really good. He played a pretty wide variety of songs (although not "A Fever Analog" -- my request received the answer of "I'd have to figure that one out again... and I don't think you all want to see that.") The set list was as follows:

Breaking Away
Playing Possum for a Peek
Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi
Good Deeds
New Song
Bag of Bones
New Song (possibly just a new intro to Bad News)
Bad News
She's a Thief
A Bird in Hand

Afterward Siegel and I were invited to hang around, so we chatted with Mike, Bob and their better halves (if you will) for a while. A great show and definitely a highly memorable night for yours truly.

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15 June 2007 -- The Horrors @ Triple Rock Social Club (Minneapolis)

(all photos by yours truly, KD)

After punch-ups in NYC and sizable fame in the UK, the Horrors scrapped their May plans of opening for a BRMC tour and are finally doing a proper headlining tour of the U.S. The tail end, luckily, included a stop in humble Minneapolis, at the Triple Rock Club.

School Yard Heroes (above and right), the touring opener, began the night off right and pleasantly surprised all those in the audience who had never heard of them (and equally satisfied a surprising number of their own fans who had come just to see them). After talking to the guy at the merch booth and hearing a little about them (they're from Seattle, have been together about 5 years, have a really unique sound and live show), I was pumped to check them out. And they definitely did not disappoint! Reminded me a lot of Dandi Wind with the kick-ass front woman and electro-ish sound, but were far more rock-oriented than the Canadian trio. The bassist and guitarist both had HUGE hair which was sweet, and the singer was energetic, intense, pretty, and rather dark-sounding. She had the cutest dress on as well as high top converse!

And of course -- the Horrors!! What can I say, these guys are a vision. Arriving at the club, I walked in right as Faris (lead vox) was walking in carrying something that looked kinda like a toolbox / caboodle, so I held the door for him, said hi, and then he tries to just walk in past the bouncer. But the bouncer stops him -- only after pointing to the top of the guestlist (where "THE HORRORS" was written in permanent marker) was he admitted to the club.

Before the band took the stage, the first thing I noticed were the two rather gorgeous Fender Jaguars which were situated right in front of me. I'm not sure I even saw the band come out, but all of a sudden, there they were ... Faris Badwan, Tomethy Furse, Joshua Third, Coffin Joe, and Spider Webb combined to form a well-groomed mess of vests, belts, dress shirts and shoes, skinny jeans, eyeliner, and - oh - the hair! All items of course being in black with a white accent here and there for drama: Faris' shirt, Joshua's blonde shock, a belt, shoes, etc. The band chose to open with a cover of Joy Division's "No Love Lost." I'm not sure why you would open with a song other than your own, but hey, they call the shots. And that's fine with me because after that, they launched into one of their strongest songs, "Count in Fives." What's funny is that the only two band members with a significant stage presence were Faris and Spider Webb (keyboard and vocals). I had expected lead guitarist, Joshua (above right), to command an bit more attention that he did, what with that hair and all. But mostly, he looked at his feet the entire show. Can you blame him? If I were wearing these shoes, I would probably be admiring them the whole time as well.

The show got more and more intense as the set continued, Faris pacing in circles like a dog on the stage, yowling into the mic, hair perpetually in his face, invading the crowd, perching on a speaker and yelling right into people's faced, then coming down only to sing half the song while stalking about the audience, pushing and shoving amongst the fans, the fans shoving back just as hard. With the vocalist wandering off many times, Spider Webb managed the stage in his absence, providing haunting backing vocals, and eerie organ-sounding musical accompaniment, and dramatic effect via eyeliner! Overall, it was a beyond-entertaining gig with very excellent music; and the set actually seemed longer than would be required by a mere 10 songs! (However, I'm convinced they played an unreleased song in between "Sheena Is a Parasite" and "Gloves.") Here is what the setlist looked like:

















Closing with "Gloves" was absolute genius because not only is it my favourite song of theirs, but also provides a good climax to the set and allows the band to leave the stage with a powerful finish. During this song, Faris spent the whole time singing from different places in the audience before disappearing to grab a clock off a wall (from somewhere in the bar) and fitting it down the front of his shirt which allowed him to strike himself in the chest with the mic. Finally, at the end of the song, he is at the back of the bar (and yes, his mic still has a cord swinging from it) and approaches the glowing, brightly-colored pinball machine and, instead of singing the words to the song, yells for someone to get him a quarter! Anybody get me a quarter for the pinball game! He then gets up on one of the counters at which patrons are sitting, stomps about for a while before leaping onto the top of one of the other games in the bar (I am directly under the mic cord at this time and its swinging rather invades my head-space!). The band finish the song with Faris singing the lines, "I've gotta go / I've gotta get out of here /I've gotta go." And then, all of a sudden, the band are gone as quickly and mysteriously as they had arrived.

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Ted Leo @ Chelsea (06.10.07) -- The Hoodie Saga Comes to its End

The beginning of this tale can be found in Joe's post from May 24th in which he gives a full summary of the events leading up to what took place in Vienna on June 10. However, there are a few other details that must be provided before describing that evening.

Mid-April 2007
MINDsetters Siegel and myself find out that we will be studying in Vienna for six weeks of the summer. Immediately we begin researching the music scene in Vienna. While doing so we discover that Ted Leo will be playing somewhere in Vienna while we are there.

April 30, 2007
While working in the Riley lab to put together the next print issue of MINDset (due out next fall -- no thanks to Kinkos), I get the full story about the Ted Leo show and the hoodie saga from kd. Knowing that I will be seeing Ted in Vienna in a few short weeks I make a mental note to bring my hoodie -- just in case.

June 10, 2007 -- 8:00pm
The day of the show. Despite the fact that it is a balmy 80+ degrees outside, I head out the door in my hoodie. I get a puzzled remark from our mate Dillon who is going with us, and I cast a knowing smirk in reply.

10:00pm
The evening begins with The Flesh from New York city. Here's a photo:


I had not heard of this band before, and neither had anybody else at the club as far as I could tell, but I was impressed by them. The rhythm section was really solid, particularly the bass parts. The thing that struck me the most about the band was the bassist's shoes though:

Yeah, i want me some of those. So after a solid 30 minute set the Flesh wraps up and I begin making my move to try and get Ted a hoodie.

10:45pm
John, Dillon and I make our way to the front of the stage where I position myself right in front of Ted's mic. I take off the hoodie, fold it just right so that WVFI is in plain view, and then put it right on top of the monitor that Ted will be using. Next Ted comes up to the stage and starts setting up pedals and whatnot and after a double take he says, "Alright, whose VFI hoodie?" I guiltily raise my hand and immediately receive a hi-five. He tells us that he's wanted one of the hoodies for a long time, so I tell him it's his provided he can fit into a small. "Seriously?!" he says. I toss it to him, and he immediately goes to show Dave (bass) and Chris (drums). He then comes back and we chat a bit. I offer him a few German tips for the evening and he tells us to find him after the show to chat.

11:00pm
The band is ready and the crowd is anxious for them to start. However, their sound guy is mysteriously missing and none of the vocal mics are on. So the band launches into the beginning of "Spirit of Radio" by Rush. Needless to say, I'm impressed. Then the sound guy appears and the set begins. Not having anything to take notes on I don't really remember what the full setlist was but some highlights include:
Little Dawn -- I counted 187 "it's alright" at the end of the song, although for a little while they launch into a cover of Daft Punk's "One More Time" so my counting may have been a bit off.
Timorous Me -- just a great song
Walking to Do -- personally one of my three favorite Ted Leo songs... it also appeared to be Vienna's favorite Ted Leo song.

After the set ends, the crowd refuses to let the night end. Ted obliges and plays "Bleeding Powers" by himself. And then after that he leaves stage again only to return once more and sing a song a cappella (not sure what it was though).

12:00am
After the show, we head outside and find Ted. We chat for a while about VFI, Notre Dame, and an infamous incident involving a straight razor, Ted's scalp, and an ill-fated haircut during a Men of Stanford pageant. Then before Ted has to depart to pack up we get some quick photos with him in the VFI hoodie. So without further delay here is the man himself in the hoodie (finally!):

"Run DMC style!"

And here a few other photos from the show:

and last but not the least... the WVFI gang "hanging" out in Vienna:


And... that's all folks.

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Even more last.fm fodder for KD on the way?

If NME's website is to be believed (which it isn't!), the next Gallagher Brothers album is set to start recording this summer! But believe me, NME has been all too wrong about this kind of thing in the past...

check it out here, anyway.
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Another Album Stream: Spoon

You can now stream the new Spoon album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, here. The album is the follow-up to 2005's Gimme Fiction.

In other news, Sasha Frere-Jones says it's the best Spoon album yet. At least, I think he did. Where's my copy of the New Yorker?
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New White Stripes Album

Everyone's favorite Detroit-based fake-brother-and-sister rock duo is back with Icky Thump, their sixth studio album. Unfortunately for candy cane children everywhere, it doesn't come out until next week. Until then, you can stream the album from MTV here. The US portion of their current tour begins next month.
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On Sunday, Twin Cities' own Tapes N Tapes played Grand Old Day block party in St. Paul. There were 5 stages or so and about 5-6 bands per stage throughout the afternoon. I have to say that Tapes were the main event and they played a good 75 minute set. Mainly I just enjoyed myself and the people watching without worrying too much about setlists, analysis, etc. Good tunes, good hipsters, decent weather... But I did take some good photos, so please enjoy those!








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Singen auf deutsch? Nein, auf englisch!

(translation: sing in german? no, in english!)

so i'm currently abroad in vienna, austria and my second night here i had the privilege of attending a cd release party for a local act, gasmac gilmore. the band itself was okay. not up my alley - they struck me as a mediocre system of a down with randomly inserted ska guitar parts. they did put on a pretty good show though, which included having a slide on stage and allowing people to slide down it which i thought was clever.

however, i don't really mean to do a review of the show as i knew zero of the songs and wasn't really all that into it. however, one thing struck me as odd during the show. gasmac gilmore sang everyone of their songs in english. this got me thinking, why do so many bands in non-english speaking countries sing in english? gasmac gilmore is obviously one example, but think about kings of convenience (norway), air (france), i'm from barcelona (sweeden)... i could name plenty more. so i spent the better part of my saturday evening wondering about this and i've got two potential theories:
(1) english simply lends itself to song better. i'm not an expert in languages so i don't know if this is true or not. maybe a linguistics major out there can help me out. but i mean there are obviously bands that do sing in other languages. rammstein sang in german and that worked out for them. so why shouldn't gasmac gilmore do so as well?
(2) bands go with english hoping that it will open the door for them to the larger music market of america (and perhaps britain as well - although someone mentioned that 'making it big' for a band from the uk might be considered making it in america. i'll defer on this to mindset's uk expert... kd, thoughts?) but i could see the dream of cracking the american market as a legitimate reason. i think it's safe to say america is one of (likely the) largest music market in the world, so bands likely dream of making it big there. and if you're going to do so, you're gonna have to be singing in english (at least most of the time, los del rio aside).

another reason was suggested to me by j siegel who is also across the pond with me, he says perhaps it is a way of groups paying tribute/honoring the fact that rock n roll is an american invention. maybe? but something tells me that gasmac gilmore doesn't care where rock is from...

please add some comments on this if you've got thoughts as i'm certainly interested to see what other people think. aufwiedersehen!
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Under the Covers....

(was there a wet t-shirt contest I didn't know about?)

What is it about today's music scene that encourages, nay, forces consumers as well as artists to pay such respect to the cover song? Here are a few recent/ recently discovered ones I just had to share. All the links lead directly to the blogpost the music can be found on...just hit the link, scroll down, and you'll find what you're looking for =)

Kanye's pseudo-cover of PB&J's "Young Folks" can be heard on All Things Go.

Ryan Adams doing classic Stones' tune "Brown Sugar"? Sorry Christine, but the only thing I can compare it to is what I imagine the Stones would sound like if Mick Jagger lost his vocal edge and the band were playing a casino in rural Minnesota circa 1987. (The Music Slut)

Or what about Snow Patrol's rendition of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love"? It's on Sound Gymnastics.

This one should take the cake: Marilyn Manson doing JT's "What Goes Around Comes Around." I can't link to it, but if you go on http://hypem.com and search for it, trust me, you'll be rewarded. However, it'a actually a pretty mellow acoustic version, but entertaining none the less.

Um, and this Panic! one is for Riley... Again the link doesn't work but search on http://hypem.com for Maneater. Yes.

Of course, no WVFI-related list of cover songs would be complete without Ted Leo's (okay, Kelly Clarkson's) "Since U Been Gone" (on The World Forgot)

Finally, my favourite I think, is a band I've never heard of (I just sacrificed indie cred for this, so appreciate it!) Je Suis France kinda covering LCD SoundSystem's "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" but the alterations are genius. Pure Genius. (on Culture Bully)

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The Blow Were Out Of My League

On May 15, minimalist pop duo The Blow performed at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, opening for Electrelane. Of course, with half of the group (Jona Bechtolt) off doing his one-man YACHT thing, Khaela Maricich was left to perform by herself, as she often does. However, despite the fact that it was just a woman alone on stage with nothing except a microphone and a backing beat, The Blow did not disappoint.

For her first song, Khaela ushered in an evening of intimacy with the song "How Naked Are We Going To Get?" She stood on stage, solitary and vulnerable, an apt opening to her set. The song was sparse, even by The Blow's standards, an invitation to the audience, bringing them into a pact with the performer, hinting at the emotional tension that underlies her otherwise poppy tendencies. For the remainder of her set, Khaela playfully danced around on stage, devoid of self-consciousness, with a kind of in-front-of-the-bedroom-mirror innocence. Her fragile voice sang about the allure of the unattainable, those things that are always just out of reach yet constantly beckon to us. In between songs, she offered lengthy anecdotes about the lyrics-writing process, providing a humorous version of her personal life.

The set formed a sort of narrative, a linear progression detailing one woman's path to empowerment and emotional well-being. From the opener to the middle songs, Khaela sang of a lonely soul, someone seeking but never truly finding love and connections. By the end, happiness appears in sight. With "Parentheses," Khaela seems to have found her elusive partner in punctuation, singing "I know I’ll be safe in these arms." While things do not turn out perfectly, she's finally okay with it. The love was real, but it's over.

After The Blow finished, I left. Today, Electrelane got a "Best New Music" label from Pitchfork. Who knew?

Setlist:
How Naked Are We Going To Get
Big U
Knowing The Things That I Know
Hock It
Hey Boy
Eat Your Heart Up
Pardon Me
Pile of Gold
Parentheses
True Affection
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P4k Fest '07

For rock-loving Europeans, the summer means one thing: festival season. The best bands in the world (plus the Goo Goo Dolls) descend upon the Old World in droves, bringing good times and good tunes to all the boys and girls. Meanwhile, the US is stuck with things like Bonnaroo, Ozzfest, and Lollapalooza. I mean, I love 3 Inches of Blood as much as the next guy, and Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole" is, like, the best song ever, but sometimes I just want something a little more substantial and state-subsidized. Well, I don't think the government is going to be tossing money to The Killers anytime soon (like they need it), so the Pitchfork Music Festival will have to do instead. Today, the final lineup was announced. In addition to all the great acts already linked to the festival, Pitchfork is now bringing Mastodon, Junior Boys, Voxtrot, Cadence Weapon, Brightblack Morning Light, the Field, Cool Kids, and William Parker Quartet. Earlier this week, I purchased my ticket. Now that I know Mastodon and Voxtrot will be there, it appears that my money was well-spent.

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Bloody Pirates...

Just got back from the 8 PM showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At the World's End. I will not give any spoilers right now, I promise. I will, however, say that it is good, though I can tell you right now it was not my favorite of the series. (I'm not sure which of the first 2 is my favorite, but nonetheless...) I literally got home 5 minutes ago, and usually I have to stew about things more before I can give a proper review, which is why spoilers will wait until later, but I can tell whether or not I like a film by how I act on the ride home. After I finish watching a movie for the first time, I'm typically silent for the first 10 minutes or so following, but my silence has no bearing on how I feel about the movie. You can tell that based off whether or not I smile on the way home, and indeed I was smiling after this one.

I'll admit, without giving away anything, that there were definitely portions of the film that made me raise an eyebrow or question how well it flowed from the the first 2 movies, and I feel it was a little slow to pick up from where it left off (considering how Pirates 2 stopped in this gigantic action sequence), but I feel like other elements--Like the amazing action sequences--balanced out those moments. Plus, it's definitely better than certain other trilogies that came out this summer *cough*Spiderman 3*cough*.
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!!! at the Metro

March 23, Carolina and I headed to the Metro to see !!! live without any real expectations of what their live set would look like. Seemingly nothing more than a dance and funk outfit, the possibility of an all-out 2-hour dance marathon appeared most likely. But at the end of the night, the crowd was a stew of b.o., junkies, and stripping. Oh, and Jeff Albert was there. Hey, Jeff!

Toronto's Holy F*** took the stage in punctual fashion at 9:00 PM. And while I expected the band to just repeatedly seek attention by announcing their ridiculous name, their performance was an exciting and interesting electro-dance, mostly instrumental set of short tunes. Kevin O'Sullivan had described the band as "drum and bass with some f***ed up electronic s***." I didn't know whether to expect fun and energetic (IQU) or flat out disorganized noise (World's End Girlfriend).

Pet peeves about live electronic acts? Songs that drag. Nothing to see on stage. But H.F. avoided both of those trends.

Beats were smooth and catchy and songs ended just before it felt like they were dragging. The drummer was in clear view next to a bassist who didn't seem to add much to the performance except some type of conventional stage performance aesthetic. Two mix and electronic artists were the focus on opposite sides of the stage with all sorts of film reels, melodica, vocoder, turntable, and effects. A lanky feller in a t-shirt that had some joke about interpretive dance was really into it, and Carolina shot me looks to his head-bobbing, shoulder-twitching dance moves.







After H.F., !!! took the stage around 10:15, and here's a rough setlist for ya'll (any help with this is appreciated):

1. Myth Takes
2. All My Heroes Are Weirdoes.
3. KooKooka...
4. Must Be the Moon
5. Pardon My Freedom
6. Yadnus
7. A New Name
8. ???
9. Heart of Hearts
10. Break in Case of Anything
11. ???

Halfway into the first song, interpretive dance dude gets shoved repeatedly by some junkie with long blonde hair. Apparently fragile and not realizing that tends to happen when people get excited at crowded club shows, Kevin Bacon decides to summon the Metro's security. Three times.

But the mosh was inevitable, and it lasted from the front to the end of the set. Carolina and I set a goal of discovering who was the most worthless member of !!! The award might go to one of the players that 'helps out' on percussion and plays saxophone on one song. Nic Offer danced to every measure, like a cleaned-up Mickey Avalon. Shaking hips, jumping around, and free to do whatever he pleased with the mic, he never looked bored--even during the !!! tunes that are mostly instrumental.

Mario Andreoni's guitar sounded as crystal clear live as it did on Myth Takes (which might be their best 'album' to date). But the intricate bass lines and percussion are what drive the live music, and they did not disappoint.

Some unknown black female vocalist was just as entertaining on stage, dressed like Linnell from the Borat movie, she fired up the crowd and danced crazier than a Springer guest, adding more of a club dimension to the scene.

But the funk band had more of a punk crowd, and the pushing and jumping continued for 80 minutes. Tremendous energy on the whole floor, and !!! delivered big time. The night ended on somewhat of a disappointment though. The set was shorter than it could have been (especially for a $16 ticket), and I had never heard a crowd cheer louder for an encore and not receive it. Clapping and screaming continued for 15-20 minutes until almost all instruments were carried off stage and the finality of the show was obvious. No performance of "Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard."

Definitely check out !!! if they're in the area, but expect a little violence and intensity along the way.
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Ted Leo and the Hoodie Conspiracy: A Timeline

October 2006
Ted Leo performs at the LaFortune Ballroom. Suddenly, then-Station Manager Catherine McGeeney realizes that Ted Leo worked at WVFI yet has no signature WVFI hoodie. The troops rally for a change. Unfortunately there are no hoodies to be had at the time of his visit.


Spring 2006
A fresh order of WVFI hoodies arrives at the station, yet no one has Leo's contact info. He remains without hoodie.

March 12, 2007
The first exclusively Leo MINDset post is made about a video on AOLmusic. If Leo would have owned a hoodie at the time, surely a WVFI plug would have made it past the video editing board.










March 20, 2007
Release of Living With the Living, Leo's fifth full-length album without possession of a WVFI hoodie. Meanwhile, MINDsetters Chris Wodicka and Joe Lattal decide to buy tickets (actually Chris bought them) to see Leo perform in Chicago later that season.





ca. April 25, 2007
An attempt at myspace message correspondence is made, notifying Leo that WVFIers will be attending his Chicago gig, and we hope to deliver a hoodie to him personally.


April 28, 2007, 6:30 PM
Plans to eat at a Giordano's on Belmont are screwed up by impossible parking conditions in Boystown and poor service (despite a perfectly executed order-ahead). Not only does the group head to Leo's show late (which now includes fellow MINDsetters Kelly Duoos, Christine Nguyen, and Steve Fabian), missing the openers Love of Diagrams, but they miss any chance of handing off a WVFI hoodie directly to Leo before he takes the stage.


8:00 PM
The group arrives at the venue only to find that the Metro floor is already packed, and the MINDset group will have to reside near the back. Ted takes the stage and opens with the closing chords of "My Vien Ilyn" before going into "Sons of Cain."

9:58 PM
Realizing that it's now or never for the hoodie, Duoos and Nguyen push me through a crowd to the front to attempt a hoodie launch. With only a few measures left of "Walking To Do," I heave it over his head, between Leo and his second guitarist, in an attempt for the hoodie to be seen but not interrupt the performance. Only one of those goals was met. No one seems to notice the hoodie on the stage. Leo continues with a cover of Chumbawumba's "Rappaport's Testament," while the second guitarist glances at the hoodie like a rag.

10:08 PM
The band leaves the stage, no one picks up the hoodie. But hope springs that someone will discover it, realize its intent for the upper half of Leo's body, and return it to its rightful recipient.

10:15-12:00 PM
Several phone calls are made to multiple contacts in my cell phone saved as "Ted Leo." No response. I leave several stress-saturated messages that there is a hoodie for him back at the Metro.

April 29, 2007
Phone calls continue in the afternoon, but now the calls go straight to voice mail.

May 23, 2007, 8:50 PM
Waiting for Holy F*** to take the stage before !!!, Carolina Surla suggests that I call Ted one more time to follow up on the hoodie. He answers on the third ring. I explain the reason for my call. He says, "oh, man. I didn't see it [the WVFI hoodie] there. I really want one of those." Leo tells me he will send me contact info to mail him one.

The legend continues.
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The Used: Lies For the Liars

Poor The Used... They peaked so early what with Warped Tour cred and a lead singer that could date a reality TV star (though probably not anyone's first pick). They had a 'Taste of Ink' and TRL fame, and now? Well, there really isn't a place for The Used in pop or punk. My Chemical Romance and Panic! at the Disco have filled in the pop gaps, both enjoying major success in their young careers. Bands who have paid their dues are also starting to get their time in the sun as well--groups like From First to Last, etc. Then there are the other bands who have enjoyed consistent success, such as AFI. Never taking over the rock and roll world, but when their new material came out, it gained some hype.

So what about The Used? Since their big bang in the beginning of the decade, the group has little to show for their success. Starting out as a mainstream punk band in the vein of My Chemical Romance, The Used have repeatedly sought to reinvent their sound on each release. Their last album, In Love and Death, sounded a little heavier than their typical 10-14 yr. old fans might have enjoyed. These were the same kids that made mix-CDs with Simple Plan and Sugarcult juxtaposed alongside their beloved The Used--not Between the Buried and Me and Killswitch Engage tracks.

Now on their latest, Lies For the Liars, the band has taken this edgy approach to their old sound to produce a poor substitute for an uber-electro-AFIish, post-Refused, washed up, overdramatized, and unoriginal record. The only plus on the whole album is, believe it or not, some of McCracken's vocals. Although he has a tendency to overdo it (like every song is performed in the rain at the funeral of a beautiful woman), he has more vocal talent than the usual players in the genre. But the music? It's a sad attempt at incorporating mechanical and industrial elements into a punk melody that has little substance to begin with. On several tracks, the production plays with computerized noise, soundtrack-like editing techniques, and other quirks. But the result is as weak as a WWF entrance anthem. There isn't much worth talking about here because it's more of the same. Imagine the 3-4 worst tracks off the worst AFI, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, and other comparable bands' albums. Add them all together, and what do you get? Lies For the Liars!

When the time comes for another album, what won't The Used try next? Panic! has license on the orchestral arrangements. My Chemical Romance has the fashion ("They stole from Green Day." "No, Green Day stole from us!"). The Used need to find their own trademark even this late in the game. Fortunately, their loyal fanbase keeps giving them second chances (for some reason). Fortunately there is enough organization in the genre that no one really needs to be original either.

Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
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My city's summer festival can beat up yours.

The lineup for Coney Island's Siren Festival was just announced, to the delight [and jaded scorn] of NY hipsterdom. The annual Village Voice-sponsored concert, which also happens to be free, enters what might be its last year, as the famous Astroland is set to be destroyed and replaced with evil symbols of capitalist wealth (read: condos and stuff).

According to Brooklyn Vegan, the initial lineup consists of New York Dolls, We Are Scientists, Matt And Kim, The Black Lips, Dr. Dog, Lavender Diamond, The Detroit Cobras, Elvis Perkins, and The Twilight Sad.

I mean, I like the new-wave-revival as much as anyone else, and who can go wrong with Matt and Kim (seriously), but I still hope they add some other cool acts. For example, last year, they brought in Interpol -- sort of. Actually, it was just She Wants Revenge. Nevermind.

Sometimes I look at past Siren lineups and cry.

2004: Death Cab, Blonde Redhead, Trail of Dead, TV on the Radio, The Fiery Furnaces, The Thermals
2003: Modest Mouse, Ted Leo, !!!, other bands I don't listen to
2002: The Shins, Sleater-Kinney, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savy Fav

I blame Pitchfork for this and most of the problems of the world. Obvi!

Sometimes I wish I lived close to Seattle, Chicago, or Austin.

Coming next: A review of The Blow @ The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza (worst venue name ever).
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