Author Archive
Ratatat: LP 4 Review
June 14th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
LP 4 is the new album by New York City electronic duo Ratatat, and the bland title doesn’t shed much light on the electronic symphony that it encompasses. The album is a patchwork soundscape of infectious beats, strange vocal samples and shredding guitars, which results in a strange but beautiful beast of a record. Read the rest of this entry »
Deer Tick Interview
June 8th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
Deer Tick’s latest album, The Black Dirt Sessions, was released today.
Peter Pan has the Lost Boys, and lead-singer John McCauley has Deer Tick. The first thing I notice about him is his gold tooth. It glints in the sunshine of the cold March afternoon I spent with the band at Coney Island in New York City.The second thing I notice is his roadworn voice, and his strange way with words. Read the rest of this entry »
Central Park SummerStage: Living Colour Review
June 7th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
As the weather warms up to a humidity level like that of warm jello covering our entire bodies, the perfect solution for the weekend warrior is to take a trip up to Central Park and chill out to live music and a cool breeze. I did just that this past Saturday, all to a soundtrack of Living Colour at Central Park SummerStage. Read the rest of this entry »
Apartment Gardens: Hipster Trend or City Zen?
June 3rd, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
Few things scream “Hipster” like an apartment garden. But this Spring, when visiting my family in a small village about twenty miles due east of Albany, New York, I found something in the garage that struck my interest. A small cardboard box with a monsterous tomato plant hanging out of an upside down vinyl bag which is “as seen on TV.” It’s called a Topsy Turvy, and I was intrigued. And just like that, the seed was planted in my mind as the frost began to subside in late March. After placing the nearly pristine Topsy Turvy in with my bag of clothes, I had this sudden excitement bubbling up within me: “No more buying tomatoes!” I quietly thought to myself. Read the rest of this entry »
Gary Coleman 911 Call Released
June 3rd, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
There’s a lurid aspect to celebrity deaths: the 911 call. This spring has already been the start of a monumental death march, with the loss of iconic Easy Rider Dennis Hopper (also had a great cameo on “Demon Days” as the narrator of the Gorillaz track “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head”), and the bite-sized actor/security guard Gary Coleman. In the latter case, the 911 call has been released in relation to his death, but the details are a bit fuzzy. “There’s blood everywhere!” his ex-wife Shannon Price screams to the operator, according to Associated Press. Read the rest of this entry »
Hooray For Earth: MOMO Review
June 1st, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
Hooray For Earth’s new MOMO EP is a taste of what’s to come in the current music landscape, and it’s out today. Broadly inspired by the classic 80′s new wave movement, the album is poppy and relevant. The album is considerably layered, and the band put the two strongest tracks at the beginning. “Surrounded by Your Friends” and “Comfortable, Comparable,” are both inspiring tracks that will be a great addition to your roof-top afterparty mix this summer. Read the rest of this entry »
Camera Obscura To Play Obscure Show at Brooklyn Flea
May 27th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
When researching for a book I wrote last year, I made it a point to go to every Flea Market around New York City. Hands down, Brooklyn Flea is my favorite. It’s got all the charm and panache of Hell’s Kitchen, but it’s closer to my house and they sell McClures pickles, and have amazing Asian hot dogs. But now, it looks like I’m gonna have to make my way back because Camera Obscura will be playing a free 2pm show on Sunday, June 6th. If you don’t have the $30 for their Grand Ballroom show the next night, you might want to make your way over to the Flea. Read the rest of this entry »
Arcade Fire Debut Two Tracks from New Album Today
May 27th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
Few bands have inspired the cult-like status that Arcade Fire has in just two full length albums time. With the release of Neon Bible in 2006, it’s been four full years since fans have heard a shred of new material, aside from the acoustic version of “Wake Up” on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. That is, until today. At 12pm Eastern time, NPR will be hosting a live discussion, via this link. Music maven Bob Boilen will talk to Arcade Fire’s Win and Will Butler about their new record, The Suburbs, and offer a special preview of the songs “Month of May” and “The Suburbs.” The new album will be out August 3rd, 2010. Updated! Read the rest of this entry »
The Case For a B.P. Boycott
May 26th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
The pink shrimp in the room is covered in oil. More specifically, British Petroleum. It was April 20th, 2010, (37 Days ago) that the explosion on a B.P.-Leased oil rig exploded, killing eleven workers in the Gulf of Mexico. Initial reports of the incident focused mainly on the search and rescue operation, and briefly mentioned that there was a shit-ton of oil pluming into the Gulf’s pristine waters. Read the rest of this entry »
Bonnaroo Donates to Nashville Flood Victims
May 25th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
In an effort to speed the recovery of Nashville’s flooded streets, the organizers of Bonnaroo will match donations dollar for dollar (up to $50,000) for those who donate to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The three-day festival that showcases indie rock, bluegrass and jam bands will go on as scheduled from June 10th-13th, as it was not affected by the flooding. Read the rest of this entry »
Stream Ratatat's New Album on NPR
May 24th, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
Get ready for a mental boner if you’re a fan of glitch pop, because you can stream Ratatat’s new album LP4 a good two weeks early on NPR. As I write this post, I’m listening to the great new single, “Party With Children.” The album is full of unexpected turns and musical oddities. Check it out here.
Pearl Jam Leaves Cloud of Ash Where MSG Once Stood
May 21st, 2010 by Johnny Sanford
The lights go black. It’s been seven years since I’ve seen this “touring band,” and it might be another seven before I see them again. Added up, this might only be a thrice in a lifetime experience. I looked around at an incredibly diverse crowd of Girl Scout moms, frat boys, Wall-Street alcoholics, and aging grunge-sters all under the same roof to witness the chemistry of Pearl Jam. The energy is electric as they tear into their first song. Read the rest of this entry »
