Other than the novelty of having Charlotte Gainsbourg sing for you in a modest place like the Bell House, there wasn’t much to this show. If she sang a few tunes at your dinner party, her soft voice, likable personality, unpretentious approach would provide endless delight, but put a price tag of $30 at a sold out show, and the whole thing falls apart a little. I started to think about the Regina Spektor show at McCarren Pool and how that single woman was able to captivate a whole field of people totally soaked in rain—I have my issues with Regina, but it’s evident that she breathes and lives her music; with Charlotte, adorable and likable as she is, it’s hard to believe that she’s moved by these songs, most of which she didn’t write. The only exception was “Just Like a Woman”, where I felt the connection between performer and music — but then that’s a Bob Dylan song in all its poignancy.
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A mix of light rain and resolute sunshine led to a rainbow over Brooklyn while These United States was playing. Back home this kind of weather means a fox wedding. It was kind of perfect. Lots of people were out. Someone lent me a towel to wipe my wet chair with. That was nice.
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Not having fallen in love with her new album, Actor, I decided to catch St. Vincent live to see if it would help me appreciate the new music better. I concluded that I prefer the older work after all: Marry Me is a better album because it’s a better showcase of essential songwriting might, which gets lost, or at least takes a back seat, in the newer heavily-produced aesthetic; and St. Vincent the solo act (just Annie on stage) is a more interesting live act because once again I’m a fan of the essentials, the bare minimum that takes an awesome flight under the right hands and the right mind.
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Download “The Strangers”
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Philly’s Drink Up Buttercup has a new 7″ for “Farewell Captain”. It’s made in Czechoslovakia and it’s red, and you would know this firsthand too if you owned it for $7. I feel like the band has an identifiable sound that can grouped into light and dark. “Farewell Captain” belongs to the dark, and with its jolting thrusts of everything (keys, bass, guitar, drums), a quirky change of tempo that takes you to rolling dark waves of the ocean sweeping across drowning sailors (quite possibly), and an echoing, semi-operatic, haunting refrain that closes the whole thing, it’s been a staple at Drink Up’s live shows. In a way, it’s in itself a portfolio of the band’s sound. For now you’re either going to have to buy this 7″ or head over to myspace in order to listen, but posted here is the b-side, “Sosey & Dosey”, which is a fair representation of their light sound. After listening to various live versions, it’s pretty exciting to have a proper mp3 of it to yourself (which comes with the 7″ of course). I love the lyrics, too: “Sosey” and “Dosey” are the names of the characters involved, and they “keep on falling”, to the rolling beat of that song thaf feels like one long tumble.
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Download “Sosey and Dosey“
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Glasslands seems like the kind of place where interesting things are just waiting to happen, like some hippie collective’s tree house where you build your own furniture and create things all day; and there’s something warm about its minimal appearance. But when it’s super-packed, like it was yesterday at the Suckers and Heeb Magazine’s release party, its eccentric layout can be quite a challenge to mobility, which is probably just as well, but if you were by the merch table, which was at the inside end of the room, and you wanted to head to the bathroom, which has a shower and hangs from the wall on the opposite side of the room, wading through that sea of people was going to be a decision you want to toss in your head for a while. I know, it add charms to the whole experience. By the time Suckers ended their set, though, shoving yourself out on the street seemed like a terrific idea, even though Chris Keating from Yeasayer, a band I like so much, was about to DJ.
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Download “Easy Chairs“
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Last week I finally headed out to Bruar Falls in Williamsburg, a new venue by the folks who run Cake Shop. The occasion was a release party for multiple releases, with friends Ladyfingers, Sister Suvi, Afuche and Tune Yards all celebrating a newly available body of work, though Ladyfingers pointed out he had nothing to sell at the venue since his release was digital-only (with suggested donations).
It was somewhat of a family affair, where everyone seemed to be fond of every one, except that one guy in reddish leather jacket with a penchant for experimenting on his point-and-shoot camera. I think I saw Phosphorescent. I’m 98% sure that only he can be the bearer of that longish face with hair and beard that are a burst of golden curls. Also, it was Charlie Chaplin’s birthday, and several (but not enough) people had followed the direction to wear only black and white. Sister Suvi, Afuche and Tune Yards ran a projection of a Charlie Chaplin film throughout their sets.
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hooves on the turf is a mostly-music blog based out of brooklyn. i can be reached at hoovesontheturf [at] gmail [dot] com - please send me your lovely music as an attached mp3 or an mp3 link. if i like what you send, i'll be sure to ask for more.
