Photos/Review: All Tomorrow's Parties End of an Era Part One @ Pontins Holiday Camp, Camber Sands, UK

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Lee Ranaldo & The Dust

Television

All Tomorrow's Parties End of an Era Part One @ Pontins Holiday Camp, Camber Sands, UK
November 22-24, 2013
Photos: Rhona (Wiglet Bill) Aquilina & Chris / Review: Chris

All things must pass. Even festivals that strive to provide an overwhelmingly enjoyable experience in addition to some of the best music lineups known to mankind. In the past thirteen years, UK promotors All Tomorrow's Parties have put on legendary festivals all over the world, but it's their original three-day series at Pontins Holiday Camp in Camber Sands that started it all, and set the template for what a music festival can and should be. And with good reason. Part one of their End of an Era series, curated by Primavera Sound and ATP, provided three of the most memorable days of my life.

Some background on our journey to our first UK ATP festival. My fiancee Jennifer and I decided to take the plunge and make a trip to London after finally meeting FN's London contributor Rhona and her wife Niki back in October, following a two year online correspondance with them. Of all the experiences I've had since creating this blog in 2011, getting to meet people as obsessed with music as I am has been the most rewarding. Rhona and Niki have been to numerous ATP Festivals, and considering the End of An Era series would be the last at Pontins, they were of course attending both weekends. Everything fell into place when Rhona informed me that there was room for the two of us in the 4-person chalet for Part One of End of An Era. Five weeks later we found ourselves on a red eye flight to London, the next morning driving to Camber Sands in a car packed with food, a couple cases of Sapporo cider and a big bottle of Apple Schnapps (more on that later).

Review: My Bloody Valentine @ Hammerstein Ballroom

My Bloody Valentine @ Hammerstein Ballroom – November 11, 2013

Review: Chris

 

A few days ago, in anticipation of my second time witnessing the spectacle that is a live My Bloody Valentine performance, I asked myself the question that any enthusiast of ear-shattering noise would ponder at some point. Who is the louder band: Swans or My Bloody Valentine? Both carry the reputation that seeing them live, and actually staying the entire performance, is something no sane doctor would ever recommend (even with earplugs). But they’re also very different bands, each with a different aesthetic and approach. Now that I’ve seen both bands twice, I can confirm that the winner of this battle make your ears bleed is Swans. But don’t let that fool you into thinking MBV have softened. It’s just that Swans’ music stings a bit more.

 

We entered the theater at Hammerstein Ballroom just as the opening band, Dumb Numbers, finished. I didn’t hear a note of their set aside from the two seconds between the time our tickets were scanned and the time I violently rushed down to the men’s room. Apparently Murph, drummer from Dinosaur Jr, is in the touring band, and Lou Barlow contributed to the band’s album. But that’s all I know about them at this point. And the audience, at least according to Twitter, did not seem too pleased. I wish I could shine some light on the subject.

 

My Bloody Valentine, who I last caught in Glasgow, at their second ever reunion show, took the stage at just about 9:10pm. Opening with what may be my favorite MBV song ever, and the song I credit with making me understand the band to begin with, “Sometimes,” was a pretty remarkable way to get things started. With each member, including drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig, strumming away on guitars along to that very simple drum track, the band created this long droning noise that, aside from breaks between songs, persisted throughout the entire show.

 

Other songs from the classic album Loveless, in particular, “When You Sleep” and “Come in Alone” were played much faster and heavier (somehow) than the studio recordings, sounding more similar to the band’s rawer aesthetic on their first album Isn’t Anything, which was interesting to hear live. The only songs that really stuck note for note to their studio recordings were songs like “I Only Said,” “To Here Knows When” and “Soon,” which of course all had the assistance of a drum machine. Songs from Isn’t Anything like “You Never Should” and “Feed Me With Your Kiss” were played at the speed and fury of an ‘80s hardcore punk band. It was incredible.

 

It’s also worth noting that keyboard duties are no longer handled solely by guitarist/vocalist Bilinda Butcher, who I don’t think touched a keyboard the entire performance. Adding an extra member to the band definitely seemed to fill things out a bit from the last time I saw them, which I assume gives Butcher and MBV mastermind Kevin Shields more room to focus on their extremely unique vocal harmonies. The new songs from this year’s m b v were particularly exciting to hear live from the first time, considering how stellar that album is. Songs like “New You,” Only Tomorrow” and “Who Sees You” stand right up there with the best of MBV’s catalogue, and hearing them live further proved that point. If there was any reunited band to set the blueprint for what bands should be doing once they reunite, it’s My Bloody Valentine. There is a purpose to the band now; a purpose that is missing from a lot of reunited bands.

 

The band, of course, closed with “You Made Me Realise,” the song that notoriously collapses into a wall of noise that can only be described as the most insane thing you will ever hear. It was loud, oh yes, it was loud, but it lasted nowhere near as long as the time I saw them in ’08 (which I believe hit the 20 minute mark). They cut it down to about seven minutes last night, and people were noticeably getting upset, even people with earplugs. I can’t exactly blame them, but I walked out of the show and my hearing did not feel particularly affected. Either way, it’s a scary thing to witness, but witness you must.

 

My Bloody Valentine plays Hammerstein Ballroom tonight with openers DIIV, the last night on their tour. Check out the setlist below.

 

MBV – Hammerstein Ballroom – November 11, 2013

Sometimes

I Only Said

When You Sleep

New You

You Never Should

Honey Power

Cigarette in Your Bed

Only Tomorrow

Come in Alone

Only Shallow

Thorn

Nothing Much to Lose

Who Sees You

To Here Knows When

Wonder 2

Soon

Feed Me With Your Kiss

You Made Me Realise

Photos/Review: Nine Inch Nails @ Barclays Center

Nine Inch Nails @ Barclays Center - October 14, 2013

Photos/Review: Chris

The last time I caught Nine Inch Nails was in early 2006, an experience I’ll never forget. The first attempt to make it to that show at UMass Amherst, seven of us crammed into an SUV (two in the front, four in the back, one in the trunk) and drove all the way from New York City to Amherst with not much of a plan as far as what we were going to do once we arrived the night before the concert. We successfully tricked a Holiday Inn to give us a room for two people, though obviously we snuck the other five through the back entrance. All was going well until we stopped at a diner the next morning only to be asked by a couple guys next to us, “Are you going to the Nine Inch Nails show tonight?” We nodded. “Well the show is cancelled. Trent Reznor is sick.” That was a long drive back to New York City that day.

The second attempt came six weeks later when the seven of us drove back up to Amherst for the make-up date. We successfully got to the university (though I remember missing the first few songs), and Trent Reznor put on one of the most elaborate and thought-provoking arena shows I had seen up until that point. The imagery displayed on the screen behind the band (one particular image of George W. Bush dancing with his wife is still burned into my brain), gave me chills, but also made me want to crawl underneath my seat and weep. It’s seeing Nine Inch Nails live that truly makes you understand Trent Reznor’s vision. That show was a real eye-opener for me, musically and personally.

We drove back to some other hotel after the concert and attempted to pull off the same scheme of two of us asking for a room in the lobby, then sneaking the other five through a back entrance. It didn’t work this time. Within seconds of ushering in the group, the creepy guy from the lobby angrily knocked at the door, and when we opened it, he started screaming at us in this high-pitched wail I’ll never forget. “YOU LIED TO ME! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THAT! YOU ALL HAVE TO LEAVE, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WOULD PULL THIS ON ME!” I remember it being simultaneously horrifying and hilarious, and to this day, we still randomly yell “YOU LIED TO ME!” to anyone else who was there when that happened.

Flash forward to 2013, and Nine Inch Nails have been through several new albums, side projects, tours, and even a hiatus. But NIN is back, and with their new album Hesitation Marks, their first major label release since 2007’s Year Zero, Trent Reznor and company are on a lengthy arena tour to support it. The four year hiatus didn’t have much of an effect on Reznor’s ability to plow through a 26-song career spanning setlist, clocking in at just about two hours, with virtually no breaks aside from just before their four-song encore.

Older songs like “Terrible Lie,” “March of the Piggies” and “Piggy” were reminders of why people fell in love with the band to begin with, but the newer material from Hesitation Marks stood up surprisingly well amongst the classics. And the light show on this tour, though it may sound hyperbolic, is one of the most elaborate light shows I’ve ever seen on a stage. With two screens that stretched the width of the stage, one in front of the band that was apparently also transparent, and one in the back that would intermittently switch between band silhouettes, abstract liquid lights and video footage, not to mention these insane hydraulic lights above the band that were doing all sorts of wacky things throughout the show… it was a sight to be seen.

But it was the moment that the stage went dark and all you could hear were the synth sounds of The Downward Spiral’s “A Warm Place” and the wave of applause that slowly grew to a roar in the completely packed Barclays Center, that I remembered why I fell in love with Nine Inch Nails’ music so long ago. Underneath all that grinding, static noise is some of the most beautiful music written in the past twenty years. When the band closed out the show with “Hurt,” accompanied by imagery of war, executions and a GIGANTIC snake head, it was impossible to not be completely in awe of what Reznor has achieved since he decided to start noodling around a recording studio in the late ‘80s. Reznor himself took a brief moment before the encore to admit he couldn’t believe that he gets to do what he does, and the moment did not come off as contrived.

We unfortunately missed opener Godspeed You! Black Emperor because of my own stupidity, but also because there was some conflicting information on Ticketmaster and the Barclays Center website that printed different show times. Godspeed was a great choice for NIN to take on tour though, and I can only imagine how their sound comes off in a massive arena.

Check out some far away photos of Nine Inch Nails, the setlist and tour dates below…

Photos/Review: Meat Puppets @ Brooklyn Bowl

Meat Puppets @ Brooklyn Bowl - October 12, 2013
Photos/Review: Chris

First things first: it's been well over a year since a post has gone up on this here website. Here's a vague explanation of what happened: over the summer of 2012, life got a little complicated, all but forcing me to focus on things that were far more important than going to shows in New York City. I initially intended for the hiatus to be short term while I took care of shit, but I just never got it together enough to get full on back into managing Fucking Nostalgic. It was a full time job, and I already had one of those, plus a personal life that I needed to tend to. Keeping up a blog is not an easy thing to do, as many will tell you.

But then I started going through some of posts and photo galleries and, well, I got pretty fucking nostalgic about Fucking Nostalgic. We covered some amazing shows, interviewed some iconic musicians, and threw some awesome parties. The contributors to FN are some of my favorite people on Earth. It would be really hard to make Fucking Nostalgic as constant a thing as it once was, but if we have something to share with you, we're going to try and share it.

Which brings me to last night's Meat Puppets show, which incidentally was a part of the ongoing CBGB Festival taking place in New York City this weekend. I'll just get it out of the way: HOLY SHIT, the Meat Puppets are great. The first time I saw the incredibly influential band was only a couple years ago at Le Poisson Rouge. I was blown away by how incredibly tight a band they were, considering how archaic and raw albums like II and Up on the Sun sound. Not to mention the well-documented hardships bassist Cris Kirkwood faced towards the end of the Meat Puppets original run (though Cris has been sober since for over a decade). I wasn't sure what to expect, but that LPR show ended up being one of my favorite shows of the year.

Last night was no different. Curt Kirkwood (who was recently the subject of a great interview by Marc Maron on WTF), Cris Kirkwood, Elmo Kirkwood (Curt's son) and Shandon Sahm played a little over 90 minutes last night to a rather ecstatic crowd -- plowing through well-known favorites "Up on the Sun," "Backwater," and "I'm a Mindless Idiot" in addition to the later-made-famous-by-Nirvana trio of songs, "Plateau," "Oh, Me" and "Lake of Fire." Plus a cover of the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" -- something I've seen them pull off each and every time I've seen them live. If it ain't broke, don't fix it I suppose. No encore, but Curt did return to the stage a cappella while his brother and son danced around and hugged each other. It was an adorable family moment we got to witness to close out the night.

If you haven't caught the Meat Puppets live yet, you're doing it wrong. They're easily one of my favorite bands to catch, and you owe it to yourself to witness a legendary band still somehow in their prime. Check out some more photos from last night's show below...

Review: Catalpa Festival @ Randall's Island (Day 1)

Catalpa Festival @ Randall’s Island - July 28, 2012
Photos: Geanna B. and James MacFie / Review: Geanna B.

Renaissance Fairs are great, we know this much is true. Where else can you eat delicious turkey legs while donning your favorite crushed velvet garments and lamenting the devastation of the Bubonic Plague? Probably nowhere, actually. But even in the midst of all this Humanist fun, there is one major thang that the Renaissance inarguably lacks: the presence of Snoop D-O-G-G and his historic album, Doggystyle.

Lucky for us, Catalpa NYC was there last weekend to fill the void. But what is Catalpa, exactly? And how did it get its name? And how are we to pronounce said name? And why were there no cats involved? AND WHERE WERE THE BRISKET TACOS?! All of these questions remain unanswered, but we did give it a Google, just for good measure:

Photos/Video/Review: 4Knots Music Festival @ South Street Seaport (Hospitality, The Drums, Archers of Loaf)

Archers of Loaf

New York City Firemen

4Knots Music Festival @ South Street Seaport - July 14, 2012

Photos/Video: Chloe Lee / Review: Geanna B.

The port! The port! The port was on fire! ... apparently. While I'm pretty sure I missed all of the action and excitement on that front, by the time I arrived downtown, the multi-alarm fire was the talk of 4Knots, causing Hospitality to cut its set short, with a bit of a delay later in getting the Crocodiles on stage.

After melting only slightly in the breezy heat, the Crocodiles got the show going again, kicking everyone into gear with their brand of noisy, distorted pop. The duo-turned-quintet from San Diego played an excellent set, chock full of fuzzy guitar riffs, droning vocals, and gritty, angsty lyrics.

Next on stage: The Drums. I started listening to this band at the urgent suggestion/demanding of Mr. James MacFie this past fall, and have pounced on every opportunity to see them live since. This kind of upbeat, surf pop still keeps a bouncy edge throughout every song, and it's always fun to watch lead singer Jonathan Pierce glide and twitch along the stage. It's true, there are heavy hints of The Smiths and New Order and even sometimes Joy Division, but the catchy sound and hum-worthy melodies cannot be argued against. Playing through "Best Friend," "Money," and "Days," the band closed with one of their earliest singles, "Let's Go Surfing," a kind of wistfully glee ode to summer, a perfect tune for a day by the water.

And finally, the main event. After The Drums skipped off the stage to eat ice cream sundaes, the majority of the crowd filed out, needing to replace their American Apparel tanks and tees that had been soiled by sweat and light beer. That gave us plenty of room to move up for Archers of Loaf, the quintessential 90's alt-rock band, complete with muscle tees and trucker hats to boot. It was an interesting change of pace to go from skinny-hipster-reverb to burly-man-guitar-anthems, but this is New York, and that's how we roll. Those who remained in the crowd were die hard fans, singing along with every note, and sometimes shouting out a very enthusiastic, "loooooaf!" The sound seemed to shake the entire Pier, giving us one driving, unforgiving song after another. Fuckin A.

Oh, NYC. Just when I think I can't love you any more, you give me an amazing free summertime show. I just want to hug the shit out of you. Forever.

---

Check out photos Chloe shot for us of Hospitality, The Drums and Archers of Loaf below, and also a video she got of Hospitality performing a brand spanking new song...

Review: Patrick Watson @ South Street Seaport

Patrick Watson @ South Street Seaport - July 6, 2012
Photos/Review: John Dabrowski

There could not have been a more perfect venue for Patrick Watson to perform in New York City than South Street Seaport. The boats rocking effortlessly back and forth. The skyscrapers standing tall as the sun drowns into darkness. As part of The River to River Festival 2012, Patrick Watson and Loney, Dear captivated the audience with tremendous sets of wonder and lightness. What is particularly pleasing about this festival is its reach. Many in attendance had no idea of the genius that are Patrick Watson and Loney, Dear, yet happened to stumble upon the stage and were swayed by the sounds.

Sweden’s Loney, Dear uplifts, delights and startles listeners with its finely combed, delicate music. As the set emerged, I watched as a beautiful, blonde child danced with her father and then proceeded to perform karate moves in sync with the rising tone of singer, Emil Svanängen. It was truly special to watch. Loney, Dear was honored to be able to play for the crowd, who allowed the music to wash over and cleanse. The audience even provided a nice F note to accompany one of their songs.

When Patrick Watson came on the stage, I could sense something magical was about to ignite. I was right. Hailing from Montreal, Patrick Watson recently released Adventur es in Your Own Backyard and this performance was his only NYC date until the fall. Light bulbs draped his piano and among the stage, blinking and dimming and shining alongside the haunting and hulking sound. There is a playfulness to the band and I could immediately sense their closeness. What Patrick Watson unleashes allows for connection and closeness, and the crowd was enamored, wanting more until the 9PM curfew came.

Both Patrick Watson and Loney, Dear allowed for their sets to awake and rejuvenate. Below, check out check out both of their current releases and future tour dates...

Photos/Review: Roger Waters performing The Wall @ Yankee Stadium

Roger Waters @ Yankee Stadium - July 7, 2012

Photos: James M. Graham / Review: Debbie Chou & James M. Graham

The first chord of The Wall at Yankee Stadium will stay in my mind for as long as I live. Mind you, I only saw the film for the first time one week ago. "In The Flesh" has to be one of the best opening tracks of all time. Cue fireworks. Jaw drops and stays open for the remainder of the song.

I was probably five years old when I first saw the video for "Another Brick In The Wall." Mean teachers, students in a meat grinder, and rioting in the classroom meant nothing to me. And then I experienced public school in Taiwan. Let's just say I wish those teachers would leave us kids alone. The children in the choir was something I looked forward to seeing the most. It was a delight to see them in black t-shirts bouncing from side to side, clapping their hands, and air-punching the inflated "teacher" that was at least ten times bigger than they were.

Photos/Review: CBGB Festival Day Three (Cloud Nothings, The War on Drugs, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Guided By Voices)

Guided By Voices

CBGB Festival (Day Three) - July 7, 2012
Photos: Nadia Chaudhury / Review: Chris

Day three of CBGB Festival had two pretty huge options, both seemingly aimed at the same audience. How does one choose between Superchunk in Times Square and Guided By Voices at SummerStage? Theoretically, one could have attended both, as Superchunk took the Times Square stage at 1:20pm, but I didn't want to take any chances getting shut out of Guided By Voices, who weren't on until 6pm. I'm not entirely sure if I made the right decision, but we'll get to that in a bit.

Photos/Review: CBGB Festival Day Two (MxPx, Radio 4, Reggie Watts)

Reggie Watts @ The Bell House

CBGB Festival (Day Two) - July 6, 2012

Photos/Review: Geanna B. & Chris

Day Two of CBGB Festival had a lot of great options, but unfortunately our day jobs and inability to be in two places at once greatly limited what we were able to cover. Luckily, Geanna was game to check out pop-punk purveyors MxPx at Best Buy Theater, while I took a trip to The Bell House to catch one of comedian Reggie Watts' viciously unique sets. I'm happy to report that neither of us were stabbed throughout our excursions. Here's Geanna's account of the MxPx show:

Well, my ears are still ringing from Friday's MxPx show at Best Buy Theater for two reasons: 1. They totally rocked out, and 2. Because I might be getting old. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary as part of the CBGB Festival, this was one of the fest's shows that I absolutely had to see. Oh, Memory Lane, how often I visit thee. Who needs a DeLorean when nostalgia is just a subway ride away?

Photos/Review: CBGB Festival Day One (Krist Novoselic, American Hardcore, Agnostic Front)

Agnostic Front @ Webster Hall

CBGB Festival (Day One) – July 5, 2012
Photos/Review: Chris

CBGB Festival is in full swing here in NYC, which means thirty venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn are hosting music showcases, and the entire Landmark Sunshine Theater is holding numerous panels and film screenings. To kick things off, legendary bassist Krist Novoselic gave a keynote speech at Sunshine yesterday at noon, which was hosted and moderated by walking music encyclopedia Matt Pinfield.

Photos/Review: Amanda Palmer @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

David Byrne on stage with Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - June 27, 2012
Photos/Review: James M. Graham

She had her bass player open. He had a horn section and David Byrne. Good.

She had her guitarist open. He had a Scissor Sisters vibe and no David Byrne. OK.

She came on and played most of her new album, ----. A handful of Dresden Dolls songs ("Missed Me") and "Leeds United" from the very underrated "Who Killed Amanda Palmer."

Then she closed the show with David Byrne doing a full-on horn section Talking Heads "Burning Down The House."

It's as close as you're gonna get to a Talking Heads reunion EVER, I think - I hope, so dig it hard.

Me: I saw you in 1982
David Byrne: Where?
Me: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
DB: My parents live there. I mean they used to.
Me: With Adrian Belew and Steve Soles
DB: Right.

Amanda's fans are rabid. Doors at 8pm/show at 9pm - observation at 8pm: floor full and packed.

And she just raised a million dollars (1.2, actually) on Kickstarter. The first to do so.

Her fans are rabid.

Her show rocked my world. Her enthusiasm rocked my world. You could not help but smile. And for god's sake she did a Motels cover???!!!

And that voice...

I love Amanda Fucking Palmer.

---

Photos from last week's show are below...

Photos/Review: Codeine @ The Bell House

Codeine @ The Bell House – June 29, 2012
Photos: Jennifer Harmon & Chris / Review: Chris

On Friday night, slow-core progenitors Codeine played their first NYC-area show in nearly two decades to one of the most focused and dedicated crowds of recent memories at the Bell House in Brooklyn. That is to say, during the band’s hypnotizing hour long set you could hear a pin drop during their most quite parts, and you could feel the energy utterly immerse you as they hit their most powerful moments. Many audience members in the front row stood with their heads bowed down and eyes closed, but make no mistake… no one was sleeping. Deeply concentrating on every strum of John Engle’s guitar, every whisper of Stephen Immerwahr’s lyrics, and every crash hit of Chris Brokaw’s drum parts just may be the best way to experience a live Codeine show. The set was absolutely beautiful.

The band’s reunion is somewhat of a celebration of the reissuing of the band’s discography, which includes two LP’s, an EP, and a smattering of demos and Peel Sessions--all of which are included on the deluxe box set which is finally on sale--earning the distinction of Pitchfork’s “Best New Reissues” title. Having seen the box set myself, it’s a beautifully packaged and comprehensive set. The band performed songs from all of their releases, even though current drummer Chris Brokaw (a singer/songwriter in his own rite) only played drums on the band’s debut Frigid Stars (I myself didn’t know if Brokaw or other drummer Doug Scharin would be playing that night until I saw Brokaw behind the merchandise table).

Opener Stephen Brodsky, openly a huge Codeine fan himself, seemed to have his greatest dream come true when he was invited onstage to perform “Cave-in” with the band towards the end of the set. It was a cathartic moment for the guitarist, who thrashed his head around on stage to the song a he played, making it one of the most exciting moments of the night. After the band’s set, which included a two-song encore, Immerwahr and Engle stuck around onstage and chatted with excited fans (myself included). When I asked Engle why they decided to put cats on their most recent tour t-shirt, he just grinned at me and said, “…that’s my cat.”

Codeine will return to New York City on July 15 when they play our other favorite venue, Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are still on sale. In the meantime, check out the band’s reissues over at the Numero Group, and take a look at a set of photos Jen and I took on Friday below…

Review: Governors Ball 2012 @ Randall's Island (Day 2)

Fiona Apple

Governors Ball 2012 @ Randall's Island - June 24, 2012

Photos: Chris / Review: Damien & Chris

Damien's Thoughts:

It says a lot about my sense of optimism when I wake up on the morning of any music festival and assume that it's going to be a maaaaaassive shitshoooooow, but as it turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about when I got to Randall's Island for Day 2 of Governors Ball 2012.

Transportation from my uptown lair to the island itself was a breeze (in the form of a hipster-filled X80 bus to Randall's), and upon retrieving my VIP wristband ably provided by VIP Of Life James MacFie, I found myself staring down into a field containing two massive stages and dozens of tents full of swag and tacos and tacos (and tacos). I lowered the elbows that I was expecting to have to throw on my way in and strutted off to the VIP area at the Hype Machine stage to meet up with Jamie and Chris to chill on beers and air-conditioning before checking out Freelance Whales. Yes, that last sentence sounds bougie, but damn if I don't love some VIP treatment.

Freelance Whales put on a good set for sure, but I quickly forgot about it as we were using the area essentially just to meet up before heading to the other side of the Ball to get our minds rocked by NYC-via-Saratoga Springs indie rock / electronica duo Phantogram on the Honda Stage. I'd seen Jamie rocking their album and EP on Spotify and been intrigued, but their live set took their shoegaze-meets-J. Dilla beats musical style to a completely different level. Perhaps benefitted by the Honda Stage's intense bass setup and touring drummer Tim Oakley, tracks from the Eyelid Movies LP like "Running From The Cops" and "Mouthful of Diamonds" took on a slinky and infectious life of their own. The beautiful Sarah Barthel let her vocals soar over the near-chiptune stylings of Nightlife''s "Don't Move," and by the time the band ended the set with "Futuristic Casket" the crowd was in full dance party mode. Definitely a band to catch when next they rock a venue or festival near you.

As evidenced by the number of beards sported by the crowd, Sunday's audience was definitely here to catch the '90s indie power players that were set to rock the stage: Built To Spill, Fiona Apple, and muh-fuckin' Beck. And really, how many different ways can I affirm the inevitability that YES, THEY ALL COMPLETELY KICKED ASS? I saw BTS rock through "Virginia Reel Around The Fountain," I saw Fiona kick her absolutely electrifying set off with "Fast As You Can" and end it with "Criminal," AND I saw Beck - who we honestly had no idea what he was going to do - rock through the bulk of Odelay and get thousands of people chanting the lyrics of "Loser" into the summer night sky.

All that and I ate nearly a half-dozen Hill Country BBQ brisket tacos. Props to the Governors Ball staff for near-flawlessly pulling off a Sunday in NYC that I won't soon forget.

Review: Governors Ball 2012 @ Randall's Island (Day 1)

Governors Ball 2012 @ Randall's Island - June 23, 2012

Photos: Chris / Review: Geanna B. & Chris

Geanna's thoughts:

Did you guys know that neon is back? Well, it is. It's back in a big effing way, as was evidenced by the slew (yes, SLEW) of mutants rockin' some neon at the Governor's Ball on Saturday. Now in its second year, the Ball offered two days of festivities on Randall's Island, having since moved from their Governor's Island location of yesteryear. There were blow-up monkeys, brisket tacos, Native American headdresses and lots and lots of shirtless bros. And the icing on this summerlicious cake? Chris bought a $15 souvenir water bottle, making this his most successful trip to Randall's Island to date!

We would be jerkfaces if we didn't give a shout-out to our benefactor, James MacFie, who so generously dished out some free VIP passes to our rag-tag team of FN editors. Did we mention the clean, AC-ed, VIP bathrooms? The very large cans of Miller High Life? The strippers?

Putting together two very different days of music, Saturday and Sunday were clearly geared towards different audiences... of very different ages. Saturday's line-up of Kid Cudi, Passion Pit, Duck Sauce and Chromeo brought out all the kiddies in various forms of as-naked-as-you-could-get attire, ready to dance and scream and rage. Despite the rave-ish aspects of this mixup, the day was still pretty hassle free, leaving plenty of time to drink the champagne of beers and devour many tacos, pizzas, and teriyaki balls, oh my! Another plus - there were only two stages with no overlapping sets, allowing everyone to ping-pong themselves back and forth without missing a beat (pun intended! yeah!) all day.

A few choice moments included Major Lazer literally telling everyone to "TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRTS!" and whip them around in the air! Honestly, I have never seen a crowd so eagerly remove their neon tanks in order to obey the Laze. Seeing this shit go down was mesmerizing and hilarious. Beats were dropped. Steps were dubbed. A naked girl danced on stage. It was a very Jerzy moment. Across the way, the Duck Sauce stage featured a large inflatable duck sporting a fancy jacket. They did keep the party going in between posing for photos and readjusting their hats, but all I could think of was that disturbingly addictive video for "Big Bad Wolf." It's Big Bad Terrifying.

The highlight of the day's festivities was by far and away was the DJ set from Special Disco Version - LCD's James Murphy and Pat Mahoney - who were so chill and happy and enjoying themselves that it just set the tone for an extremely satisfying good time. In a perfect summer moment, it was exactly the self-proclaimed "block-party" that Mr. Murphy wanted, without the angst and intensity of basically every other performance that day. Giving us sounds of the 70s and 80s (and a little bit o'Harvest Moon, hollaaaaa!), I probably could have listened to this all day and been perfectly content.

More brisket tacos, please.

Review: Los Campesinos! @ LPR

Los Campesinos! @ (le) poisson rouge - June 22, 2012

Photo/Review: John Dabrowski

“That circle pit is lame,” Los Campesinos! frontman Gareth Campesinos! cooed to the fiery crowd at (le) poisson rouge. Earlier in the set, he tried to simmer the audience’s physicality, “Bear in mind there are a lot of delicate, attractive girls in the front.” However, those messages were largely ignored. Arms outstretched, bodies pulsing, voices galloping, the crowd could not handle itself. 

The addictive, bratty music of Los Campesinos! activates one’s body to dance and sweat and toil. One cannot merely stop. The Welsh seven piece performed tracks off their underrated 2011 effort Hello Sadness as well as favorites like “There Are Listed Buildings.” This caused an onslaught of crowdsurfers, attempting to swelter over those delicate, attractive girls. Those poor girls never had a chance. The final act of the night was beautiful. Gareth parted the crowd, dug himself through the mass, and submerged into the energy of the room for “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks.” Los Campesinos! executed a dazzling display of rowdy pop. Get wild with them next time they are in the area.

Alex Schaaf of Yellow Ostrich desired his latest release Strange Land to escape the bedroom sound that The Mistress held. With rousing numbers like “Marathon Runner” and “Elephant King,” Strange Land does succeeding in being richer, louder. Yellow Ostrich’s live performance is just as boisterous as their latest release. While Schaaf is a wiry fellow, his voice stands tall. On “Slow Paddle,” as Schaaf belted “Come out from where you are,” I felt him metamorphosing onstage, growing more confident with each song. Together, Yellow Ostrich and Los Campesinos! gave an audience access into their worlds by exposing themselves unabashedly.

Both bands will continue their tour together through the end of June. All tour dates are below. While you're down there, listen to Los Campesinos!' Hello Sadness and Yellow Ostrich's recently released Strange Land via Spotify below...

Los Campesinos! 2012 Tour Dates
June 26 OTTOBAR, BALTIMORE MD (ALL AGES)§
June 27 CAT’S CRADLE, CARRBORO NC (ALL AGES)§
June 28 MASQUERADE, ATLANTA GA (ALL AGES)§
June 29 BEACHMAN THEATRE, ORLANDO FL (ALL AGES)§
June 30 BARDOT, MIAMI FL (21+)§
July 14 LATITUDE FESTIVAL, LAKE STAGE (HEADLINE SLOT)
July 21 DEER SHED FESTIVAL, NORTH YORKSHIRE
August 3 ARENAL SOUND FESTIVAL, CASTELLON, SPAIN
August 25 READING FESTIVAL, MAIN STAGE
August 26 LEEDS FESTIVAL, MAIN STAGE
September 4 MUSIC HALL, BARCELONA *
September 6 COPERNICO, MADRID *
September 8 KUTXA KULTUR FESTIBALA, SAN SEBASTIAN
October 12-14 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL

§ with Yellow Ostrich
* with Dry The River

Yellow Ostrich 2012 Tour Dates

Jul 31 Drake Hotel (w/ GIVERS) Toronto, Canada
Aug 02 Turner Hall Ballroom (w/ Sharon Van Etten + Tennis) Milwaukee, WI
Aug 03 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL
Aug 04 House of Blues (w/ Of Monsters and Men) Chicago, IL
Aug 06 Triple Rock Social Club (w/ GIVERS) Minneapolis, MN
Aug 07 The Riot Room (w/ Givers) Kansas City, MO
Aug 09 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Aug 10 Outside Lands San Francisco, CA
Aug 11 Outside Lands San Francisco, CA
Aug 12 Outside Lands San Francisco, CA

Review: The Smashing Pumpkins @ iHeartRadio Theater

The Smashing Pumpkins @ iHeartRadio Theater - June 19, 2012
Review: Damien

I can barely believe it myself, but I'm about to write an extremely positive review. Of The Smashing Pumpkins.

Longtime Fucking Nostalgic readers are well aware of my previous and - to put it mildly - EXTREMELY vitriolic stance against polarizing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. Back during the Great Reissues Rush of 2011, I chastised Corgan for re-releasing the classic Gish and Siamese Dream while in the same breath criticizing his contemporaries like Sonic Youth and Pavement for appealing to fans' nostalgic sensibilities by playing their classic hits during their live shows. Basically, I called Billy Corgan a douche and told him to go fuck himself, a sentiment that was pretty well solidified by the fact that we created a "Billy Corgan Is A Douche" tag so that readers could easily find other posts in which I called the man a giant douche.

But then a funny thing happened: the world dished up some interesting and hilarious irony that would make me eat my words. The relatively new Smashing Pumpkins lineup released one of their strongest albums in years in the form of Oceania yesterday, coinciding with an enlightening and sincere interview with Corgan on Howard Stern that painted the '90s icon as less of an everything-hating curmudgeon as he'd been depicted prior than a once-revered artist who wanted everyone to shut the hell up about how he hasn't done anything worthwhile since the 1990s. Both the new album and interview are well worth a listen or several, as they drive home a point that Corgan - however directly or indirectly - has been trying to make for a long time: Yes, the Pumpkins had a lot of amazing songs that we'll always treasure, but to hold them up as an unimpeachable standard for a band - hell, for any kind of artist - leads to the damning assumption that their best days are behind them and that there's nothing left for their future.

Admittedly, we can all cross a line in our nostalgic leanings where we go from fondly remembering songs and albums that had a special place in our formative years to obsessively "protecting" that past from any sort of change. And with all of the changes The Smashing Pumpkins have gone through - particularly during this past tumultuous decade - listening to Oceania made me damn excited, for the first time in a long time, to hear what Billy Corgan and the new Pumpkins could do.

And then I won tickets from P.C. Richard & Son to go to the band's private record release show at the iHeartRadio Theater in Tribeca last night. Kudos to whoever turned the Irony Hose on full-blast there.

Review: Phish @ DCU Center

Phish @ DCU Center, Worcester, MA - June 7, 2012
Review: Christopher Dodge

The air was hot and smoky and the blue lights on the stage illuminated the four instruments that were waiting for their players: Piano, guitar, bass, drums. Take these, throw in musicians with nearly three decades of jamming together and top it off with an eager crowd that had been without its beloved band for far too long, and you’ve got the makings of a good Phish show.

The lights went down and the band came up - amid the welcoming roar we heard the faint beating of Fishman’s snare drum. Trey’s wailing guitar, sounding similar to the screams that must come from a spaceship as it enters earth’s atmosphere, drew cheers as the melody of "Buried Alive" rung loud, and soon after we were treated to light-wizard Chris Kuroda’s new LED system perched above the band. The guys then went right into a bouncy "Runaway Jim" that had the crowd singing along, smiling and throwing high fives. The band then played The Rolling Stones’ "Torn and Frayed," but unfortunately it didn’t have much of a place in the first set of a tour opener. The subsequent "Funky Bitch," however, hit the spot, and sent us all into dance mode. Then, quietly, sounds swirled around and the funk was kept alive with a sexy "Moma Dance." Though it didn’t peak quite like I’m used to, the song was as solid as they come.

By this point we had danced and sung along, and it was about time for an epic composition – one that would prompt us to marvel at Trey’s virtuosic composing abilities that create movements played by an orchestra of four. While a "Reba" or "Fluffhead" would have fit nicely, when "Rift" came on, DCU erupted. It would certainly do. The band navigated through the eerie cobwebs of ping-ponging solos and vocals, and arrived at the ending vocal howl that sent hands skyward while goose bumps abounded. When "Nothing" came on, it was time for a bathroom break.

I returned as "Ocelot" sauntered lightly around the arena. A good song, I thought, but not worthy of exploring with a jam. I was mistaken. What started out as a light guitar solo slowly devolved into an unsteady dissection of the seemingly simple. The jam, dirty and clanking, sounded like it was gasping for air, and when it caught its breath, took off. It was like a polio patient taking her first steps after leaving the iron lung. Shaky, uncertain, but so jubilus. Phish still has it, we all thought to ourselves.

Review: Sandro Perri / Destroyer @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

Sandro Perri / Destroyer @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple - June 18, 2012
Photos/Review: John Dabrowski

Typically, Mondays are feared. They mark the start and continuation of responsibilities that builds until we crave solace. Fortunately, Vancouver’s Destroyer cooled the sting by performing an inspiring set at Brooklyn Masonic Temple to a hungry, generous audience.

Dan Bejar’s demeanor onstage verges on meditation. Crouching multiple times during the set, Bejar peeled his eyes shut and allowed his band to carry their sound into the swaying arms of the audience. He was transfixed with the spirit of the music that climbed so naturally from his band. There was a deep focus by all members of the outfit, trying to precisely carry the meticulous creature, 2011’s effort Kaputt, into euphoria. They succeeded in producing a mesmerizing experience by launching into numbers like “Savage Night at the Opera” and “Kaputt.”

Opener Sandro Perri allowed his songs to bleed into one another, creating a set that made the majority of the audience dial into their dreams. Sitting in the balcony, I watched the majority of the audience start to unravel in the palm of Perri’s magic. Perri, like Bejar, was a man of focus, attempting to perfectly articulate his delicate works into fruition.

The spectacular Impossible Spaces came alive at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. It is difficult for an opener to gain a warm approval from the crowd. Some acts crack, exaggerate their motions and get lost in the pressure. However, Perri navigated this challenge with grace. His genre-jumping sound cascaded into the decaying gymnasium, transforming the space into something mystical. There is a serenity in the way Perri and his band performs. Everything is done with care and without rush.

Ultimately, Destroyer and Sandro Perri exuded a serenity that Mondays rarely offer.

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Sandro Perri will continue his tour with Destroyer for the remainder of June before playing some scattered dates throughout the summer (all tour dates below). Yesterday it was announced that DFA will be releasing his "Changes"/"Love & Light" Remixes EP, which is now available via 12" and digital. You can watch the official video for Zongamin's remix of Sandro Perri's "Changes" below, along with a set of photos from Monday's show...

Photos/Review: Mogwai @ Webster Hall

Mogwai @ Webster Hall - June 15, 2012
Photos: Chris / Review: Trista Hou (Bingshu Hou)

If fans were upset with Mogwai for canceling their scheduled shows in NYC last year, than they were probably blown away by the band finally coming back on June 14 and 15 at Webster Hall. Clearly, I was one of those fans. On Friday, the Scottish post-rock legends played songs that spanned two decades worth of work, including tracks from their sophomore effort Come On Die Young and their latest album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

I have to admit that Mogwai’s live show is one of the plainest I’ve ever seen: no ostentatious costumes, no delicate stage setup, and very sparse interaction with the audience. However, it didn’t affect us being completely enticed by their music. Using their lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces and typical sound distortions, they brought you into their world. The advantage of being plain is that the audience was made to give its full attention to the music itself, and also conjures up our intensified nitpicking of the band’s songwriting. 

Mogwai didn’t let us down, at least me. I was immersed in the wall of sound and sea of noise they created, from the beginning till the end. It was like a journey to a dreamland... they did their best to balance their performance, so as their instrumental metal wouldn't be too heavy, and their shoe gazing not too drowsy. When a familiar keyboard gently began, I knew it was the symbolic track “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” from The Hawk is Howling. Its high pitched sound penetrated through all of their instruments and stayed at a position, knitting melodic strands, creating an outpouring of sadness that more or less invaded you. 

As “We’re No Here” was about to end the show, the sound effects seemed to take us to the top of a mountain overlooking an entire dreamland. Joy mixed with exhaustion after this arduous trip, and it was time to seize the last moment of enjoyment, for we knew that after this, we'd have to return to the disappointing and mundane reality of repeating days and nights. Mogwai is fantasy; or they're a hallucinogen that can temporarily take you to a world of fantasy.

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Mogwai will play several more dates this summer, mostly in Europe. In the meantime, the band recently announced plans to release a remix album (a first for the band) titled A Wrenched Virile Lore, which will include remixes of songs from Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. You can download to the first released song from the album, which is Xander Harris' take on "How To Be A Werewolf."

Also check out a full set of photos from Friday's show, in addition to their setlist below...

Mogwai @ Webster Hall - June 15, 2012 Setlist
Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
White Noise
I Know You Are But What Am I?
San Pedro
Mexican Grand Prix
Stanley Kubrick
Stop Coming To My House
Cody
Ex-Cowboy
How to Be a Werewolf
2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
Ratts of the Capital

Encore:
Rano Pano
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
We're No Here