When Washington DC’s Middle Distance Runner was in town to play The Annex, they were staying at their friend’s hotel room at Times Square, though they told us it was really their label who’d put them there. In preparation for songs they were going to play for us, they’d recruited a few things lying about the room, including a towel, an ice bucket (?) and a tray. We decided to leave the TV on, though muted, to faithfully honor the Times Square hotel room atmosphere. Between gulps of coffee and screwdriver, the band also gifted us with an impromptu song that involves wearing a skirt and stealing a checkbook, amongst other things. All that and more in the video we bring you here. The band will be playing Union Hall with Pretty & Nice on May 14th.

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A new collection of Secret Garden performances will resume tomorrow, April 29th. Here’s a schedule of what’s in store. If you’re unfamiliar with this ever-changing magical garden, it is a mini-documentary series in which I film bands performing a few songs outside the context of a regular show. Along with the schedule you’ll also find some “candid band photos” that, as a tradition of my own, I take after each shoot.

If you’re a blogger who’d like to write a preview for any of these episodes before they release, just email me at hoovesontheturf [at] gmail [dot] com

2009 Spring/Summer Dates for Secret Garden Video Series

Arp 29 – Fanfarlo

Download “Harold T Wilkins“

May 05 – Cotton Jones

Download “Blood Red Sentimental Blues“

May 12 – Middle Distance Runner

Download “Brother John“

May 15 – Revival Times

Download “Curious Storm“

May 19 – Balmorhea

Download “San Solomon“

May 26 – Floating Action

Download “Absolute Sway“

Jun 02 – Sprengjuhöllin

Download “Worry Till Spring“

Jun 09 – The Tallest Man on Earth

Download “The Gardener“

Farzad Houshiarnejad of Drink Up Buttercup was found taking a nap.

At this strange place:

But he woke up to set the stage with the rest of the band.

He got on his knees and got right into it. This was one of my favorite shows I’ve seen in Austin so far.

These guys are known to get crazy on stage, but they do so without trying. An “instrument” like a trash can easily come across as a gimmick, or a prop, but when Drink Up plays it, the sound of smashing tin makes complete aural sense. That’s probably because unlike a lot of bands who’re great at putting on a memorable show but don’t have songs you’d want to listen to at home, the inherent design of Drink Up’s songs define all the signature qualities of their live shows. Nothing feels out of place or like an afterthought.

Ben Money has one of my favorite stage presences ever.

I love Mike Cammarata.

And James Harvey’s opera-influenced voice.

Then I headed out to the DCist party to see These United States at Friends Bar. Middle Distance Runner was playing when I got in.

After their set we stepped out to catch Joe Pug down the street at Paradise. There was music everywhere.

Joe Pug is from Chicago and he’s fantastic.

Back at Friends Bar, US Royalty was playing.

Then came These United States!

Middle Distance Runner watched intently.

We were back on the streets.

Musicians everywhere.

We headed to Ms. Bea’s for another of Todd P’s patio parties.

This time around, it was a New York Noise get-together. Box Elders were playing.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart was already there, in anticipation of their 9:00 PM set, but mostly to relax, I’m sure, since Ms. Bea’s seems perfect for a little break from all of the downtown madness.

I was there to see The Beets, from Jackson Heights, Queens, but it was impossible to judge. The sound at the venue was too washed out and muddy.

Someone hated haters:

Still Flyin’ played next.

Their guitar was broken in the course of their flight, so they played a borrowed one. They had a fun presence, and a lot of people were digging their music, but it’s not my thing.

Some people drew on the ground with chalk.

Let’s Wrestle played next.

Then we headed to Club 1808 to catch Suckers. Our cab driver told us that we were getting off at “crack central” and that he couldn’t believe we were being asked to come to this place. I don’t know where he was getting his information from. Club 1808 had a pleasant backyard with a nice stage, and the only person mean was a clean-looking white boy in a baseball cap who exited the premise yelling, “If you ain’t from Austin, you’re shit!” He was furious.

The Chap was playing. They’re British. They were really into poses that were synced with the lyrics and the music. Like this one:

And this one:

Or this, which they froze in at the end of their set for a full minute I think. Their songs were silly but their performance was really tight.

The schedule was kind of all over the place. Dark Meat wasn’t even supposed to play, but they did.

Their band members were sprawled all over the lawn and the stage.

Slow Club came on next.

They started with acoustic songs and tried out electric ones.

They ended with an unamplified song amongst the audience.

Casio Kids from Norway played next. Even though their music isn’t my type, their sound was crisp and every detail was a fine cut. They were dorky in that Norwegian dance band way, but they were fun.

The Mae-Shi were supposed to be the headliners but they played before other bands. To put on an unforgetable and engaging show is their practiced art, even though they’re a little show-off-y for my liking, and sometimes some things can feel like tricks being pulled out of a bag. But if you’re looking for an amazing concert experience, you should see the Mae-Shi.

Rebecca of Slow Club, who performed her version of The Mae-Shi’s “Run To Your Grave” later on, watched on.

There were more guest performances.

The band I went to see was Suckers, even though I’d promised myself to not run after bands I already like, let alone bands I already like that are from Brooklyn. I’m glad I went to see them though, they provided much-needed nourishment for the overworked musical sensibilities. They also played a song they’d just written on their 3-day-old tour, which happens to be their first tour ever.

Quinn Walker’s voice isn’t quite fully back yet, but he was fearlessly pushing it, and it sounds awesome even in its injured form.

After this I headed back to Paradise to catch The Tallest Man on Earth, who was set to go on at 1AM, but he never showed. I found out the next day that the schedule was all backed up, and he would’ve had to go on at 3AM if he were to catch up, so he cancelled his performance. Instead of his goodness, I was stuck with this band from LA. They played pretty good and they seem well-intentioned, but most LA bands live in a world I can’t relate to, so I was extremely bored.

Where I take a 10-minute break from everything else and bring you three fine bands. Pictured above is view from my window seat on the way to DC.

“As April Is to May” by Luke Winslow-King

Last Friday I met with Luke Winslow-King and his friends for another installment of Brutal Winter in the Secret Garden. It was a challenging morning but eventually a lot of fun. The performances will come soon. For now here’s a song off Luke’s latest, Old / New Baby. Pictured is that morning’s line-up in a warm kitchen in Brooklyn after the shoot.

“Brother John” by Middle Distance Runner

Apparently this song’s used in a Harley-Davidson commercial I’ve yet to see. Pretty different from the last song I posted of them. Pictured are two members of the band lounging at a lobby after playing Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington DC.

“Blood Red Sentimental Blues” by Cotton Jones

I’ve been listening to their upcoming album, Paranoid Cocoon, from which this song is taken, and it sounds so fabulous. I love it! Pictured is the band playing CMJ last year, and this one was taken by Kashish.

Speaking of sharing:

Joe and I also bought the two albums available from “These United States” since we were both so impressed by their performance. The lead singer was awesome when we talked to him, too. When Joe decided to get a CD, I figured I’d get one too. Joe got the newest album and I was going to follow suit, but the dude said “Why don’t you get the other one then you can burn each other a copy? Go for it, man.”

Download “Rough and Ready” by These United States | Though I didn’t catch the entirety of the Songs for Presidents show, it seemed on the whole that none of these 44 songs were particularly amazing–nothing like Sufjan Steven’s “Jacksonville” that alludes to the 7th American President, Andrew Jackson. But awakening this series of neutral-sounding songs–built on the repetitive task of celebrating an American President–to a more colorful life seemed easy to some of the artists who played that night: Jukebox the Ghost, Tim Fite, Middle Distance Runner and Laura Burhenn were some of those, amongst the ones I saw, but my absolute favorite was These United States’ version of “Rough and Ready”, which was written for the 12th American President Zachary Taylor, and which you can watch after the jump. Along with Tim Fite and Jukebox the Ghost, both of whom I unfortunately didn’t film, it was a rare instance where the performers seemed capable of wholly investing themselves in an okay song and making it sound just as good as their own (gorgeous). Go on, watch the video(s).

The acoustics at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue was a bit weird for this kind of show–everything somehow thinned out, making it sound like we might’ve been in a school gymnasium.

These United States, “Rough and Ready”
I loved it as soon as they started playing it. From the very first stomps, and then the very first word, Mexico…

Middle Distance Runner, “Such a Marvelous Dream”
I was surprised by the choice to make this song a quiet one, and it turned out really pleasant and sad! It kind of reminded me of “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens–I’m not sure where all these Sufjan comparisons are coming from, but in this case it may have been the immensely loving treatment of figures you normally wouldn’t think of as entirely lovable or vulnerable. There’s one part where the way the word “marvelous” is sung just sounds heart-breaking.

Laura Burhenn, “When Ike Walked the Land”
This version isn’t much different from the original, but Laura’s voice sounds great. And those old animations look adorable.

All photos (These United States) by Kashish

I’ll post the opening set from These United States at a later date.

Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
Washington DC
Jan 17, 2009