The Hold Steady

Go listen to some real music you techno-slave, post-punk whore, too hipster for your own good, little bitch.

http://www.theholdsteady.com/ths_stuckbetweenstations_live_current.mp3

http://www.theholdsteady.com/the_hold_steady_-_your_little_hoodrat_friend.mp3

http://www.theholdsteady.com/ths_killerpartiesremix.mp3

Website:
http://www.theholdsteady.com/

From Brooklyn and on Letterman:


Deep lyrics and songs of import:


No, damnit. He doesn't remind me of Elvis (Costello you fools):

Ben Folds saved my masculinity

One of the disadvantages to marriage is the inevitable situations of unavoidable imasculinity it heaps on you. There I was, last night, in the midst of 20,000 screaming 17 year old girls, along with my wife, at the John Mayer concert. The saving grace was the special guest, one Ben Folds. Not only was he probably the only person in the entire stadium older than me, but he rocked out with a wit and cynicism that only Elvis (Costello you fools) himself could have replicated and with a piano virtuoso that is second to none.

So, to celebrate, let us recap with some oldie but goodie Ben Folds.

There is the cover of the Postal Service song "Such Great Heights"


And the terrific remake of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit"


And just to prove he isn't a cheap party trick, some samples of his terrific lyrics






I, for one, slept quite satisfied with myself last night, thank you very much.

Mash-up Madness - good plain fun or plain evil?

So I'll admit, these are a completely "mixed" blessing or curse - there is nothing worse than a badly made mash-up, but a good smart one can make you, dance, think and even transport you back in time - and often even if it hurts your indie cred they are just plain fun. There is a favorite fun DJ I like from LA, who is responsible for the Smash Mix on Indie 103 in LA. His name is DJ Paul V, and he hosts some varied interesting nights out on the Left Coast( Dragstripp 66, Miss Kitty's Parlour & Bootie LA)....

Take a listen at The Smash Mix and let me know what you think...They also host a Bootie NYC, like bootie LA & SF - good fun, but the moratorium of mash-ups at a club is exactly 90 minutes!

smalltown america

While surfing the web, I discovered this independent record label called "Smalltown America." It's based out of London, which I love because London's neither a small town nor in America. But they have a cool website where you can discover a number of new bands. Plus it has an interesting business model to help young undiscovered talent get their music out.

leila zerai

I ran across this singer/songwriter from the UK, Leila Zerai, on The Hype Machine. She's a bit raw, but shows promise. Her songs are small gems; soft and melancholy in the style of someone like Keren Ann. I rather like them. You can find out more about her and hear her song "This is a Song About Horses" here. You can also hear more tracks here.

Wussy Singer-Song writers - but their songs are sweet!

So being from SF you might have heard of this one - this here is a local boy, Sean Hayes (not from Will & Grace fame), but of Oakland..He's got that folky dreamy sound going, which was a great respite after all the Electroclash I had been gorging myself on.. He's been around for a while, and what put him on the Map was Mark Farina's remix of Dream Machine....Can't find that sample online...

but this might give you an idea -Haven't quite figured out how to embed audio

All For Love

It's was a good show at Joe's Pub on a nondescript Monday, it was sold out, and the acoustics were great - the silent hipsters helped (a la ani defranco style)...He's playing again tonight at Rose Live Music in Brooklyn - supposedly a secret show - but someone was giving flyers to everyone in line...

I think this is a clip from the show i saw on Monday --

the ladybug transistor

The Ladybug Transistor, an indie-pop band from Brooklyn, released their latest album, Can't Wait Another Day today.


I heard them for the first time when I saw them open for The Rosebuds on May 24th, less than a month after their drummer, San Fadyl tragically passed away. (The actually played a tribute show today.)

I liked them the instant I heard lead-singer Gary Olson voice over melodic hooks punctuated by Olson playing the trumpet on the bridges. (I've always had a soft spot for the trumpet since it was the only instrument I ever learned to play -- albeit half-heartedly and very badly.) Their sound beckons back to 60s-era surf-rock, but with a harder edge and an 80s vibe. I know that sounds strange, but it works.

Below are some videos of them in action:

"Reclusive Hero"


"Burial at Sea"


Definitely check them out, and of course, if you like them, show them some love by buying their album.