SBTRKT and Cubic Zirconia @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 11.1.11

Aaaaaaaarooooooooon! and Sampha 

Truth be told, we get blasted into hyperspace quite often at shows. Our addiction to this feeling is what keeps us attending concerts despite ourselves. So after a night of mind-melting dance madness hosted by SBTRKT we had a change of heart: there's no use in planning to skip shows and save money next year.
Hell, we can't even sit out on an opener when planned if the music moves us.

NYC's own Cubic Zirconia's got us up off the floor and shimmying with timbale-happy disco house bangers. Once we caught wind of what was happening on stage, the sassy singer Tiombe Lockhart won our approval. Fearless and sensual, it was difficult to keep your eyes off her. She reminded us of Buraka Som Sistema's resident dancing queen Blaya but left much booty shaking to be desired. We'll chalk it up to her dress being too tight for her to get down harder than she did. Shit did get dark real quick for the last track, a rocking finale with Lockhart rightfully screaming her ass off. It was totally out of left for CZ virgins like ourselves but cool all the same.

Our own cool was lost upon catching the dynamic duo that makes up SBTRKT live set up their stations. Seeing Aaron Jerome and Sampha slay at this summer's MoMA PS1 WarmUp did little to prepare us for the craziness of a proper headlining show. A short set sandwiched between acts in broad daylight was great but there's a different quality to the energy of headlining the night and we couldn't be more psyched about the possibilities.

After a brief introduction from Mr. Jerome, the guys went head first into "Heatwave" while we plunged into insanity from the sound. The sold-out crowd moved to tricked out versions of songs from SBTRKT's out-of-this-world self titled debut. Sampha's sweet yet melancholy honey-rich voice got the best of us during "Trails of the Past" and "Something Goes Right," grooving as we wept inside. The particularly awesome Drake mix of "Wildfire" and a sick extended mix of our favorite "Pharaohs" (which they didn't play the first time we saw them) were no cause for tears but a dream come true, it was absolutely mental. Also thrown in the loop was new-to-our-ears title track from the equally euphoric Step in Shadows EP. I kicked myself after listening to this live since the EP has been sitting in my computer for weeks, untouched. Currently it's all I listen to. Snail said it's better we didn't listen to the EP before or we'd whine about how they didn't play more of it. She had a point.

All night, Aaron jumped from drums to theremin to mixers and laptop like a mad scientist, frenetically fetching the right test tubes for this surreal dance experiment he and Sampha were conducting on the audience. The result was a hallucinogenic experience that left us all crazy for more. After a stunning encore with "Never, Never" and a purchasing of the vinyl, we left on a high. Refusing to believe it was over we were forced to ask "Where's the afterparty?" To our delight they're to return for Phase II of the experiment in March and we're counting the days! --Cheep

Photo from SBTRKT's Seattle date by David Lichterman

Metronomy / Class Actress / Caged Animals / True Womanhood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 10.20.11

With CMJ madness in full swing, we came out of hiding from it for our first  Metronomy show at MOHW. On this night the British band was the epitome of light-hearted fun, adorableness and, dare I say it, quirk.

Below borderline creepy painted portraits, hometown-proud mastermind Joseph Mount and co. brought his addictive dance pop ditties to life to a sold-out crowd, the jovial energy of the studio recording amplified tenfold. Metronomy got the place pulsating, much like the bulbs on their tops, to the beat of our favorite danceables like "Heartbreaker," "Love Underlined," "The Bay" and "A Thing for Me." The main set closed with the slow simmer of "Some Written" though the night ended after a two-song encore: starting with the sweetness of "Everything Goes My Way" and ending with a massive power up via "Radio Ladio."

On the stage, we admired from afar Oscar Cash's multi-instrumental awesome (epic sax, ftw!) and drummer Anna Prior playing like a crazy, working a green sequin catsuit like we never could. As mad lovers of Metronomy's low-end, the man of the night was bassist (and impeccable dresser) Gbenga Adelekan. This dude has been grooving from the womb and the evidence is in his infallible bringing of the funk.

It would have been an absolute flawless first time if we weren't in the back with the least enthusiastic part of the audience. Luckily, Joseph announced their return is set for March and we can indulge in a dancey do-over next year. --Cheep

Photo via

Portishead & Thought Forms @ Hammerstein Ballroom 10.4.11

Portishead being ridiculously dope

Despite shot nerves from the excitement surrounding Radiohead at Roseland just days before, senses were still a-tingling for our long-awaited first Portishead show at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Thought Forms started off the night with long-winded droning guitar rock that lost us from the get-go. Their only palatable song was their second of the night which a friend pointed out could soundtrack the manhunt for serial killer. At some point we wondered "are they playing the first song again?" and that was it. Thought Forms may have not impressed much but at least their loud, massive sound served as great indicator that our beloved headliners were bound to blow our eardrums out.

The first time on a New York stage in years, the Bristol band made up for lost time with a life-affirming set mainly of the songs off their last album Third and a few lovely songs from our youth. Bearing witness to this band's prowess in person  --the vulnerability in Beth Gibbons' voice, Geoff Barrow going battlestar scratchlactica on the turntables, etc.-- cemented the realization that we've been listening to great music for most of our short lives and it was something to be proud of.

Some highlights of the night: The pulling of heartstrings during "The Rip," the near deafening greatness of "Machine Gun," observing drummer Clive Deamer in his natural habitat, fresh off playing with Radiohead, the crowd going into a frenzy every time Geoff Barrow worked the turntables and finally Beth coming down to the floor at the end of the set to shake hands with the front row. It was no crowd surf like at All Tomorrow's Parties but a sweet gesture all the same.

A brilliant performance left us awestruck and hungry. Luckily this was no reunion tour but a preparation for things to come and we can hardly wait!

Words by Cheep
Photo by Snail

Check out more pictures and the setlist at BrooklynVegan

Darkstar/Phaseone @ le poisson rouge 7.18.11

Photo via The Guardian

It seems that no matter how exciting the prospect of Darkstar's debut live performance in NYC was it would always be accompanied by the most metal gift of all: disappointment.

First concert announcement, yay! Then a cancellation, boo! New show announced for July, yay! Snail getting sick and not coming, boo! I go anyway, for both of us, yay! Stand outside for an hour and try to sell the extra ticket when the show is not sold out, boo! Meet someone new to hang with inside, yay! No one is biting and I'm nervous about how big the crowd is inside, boo! Small talk with (and initiated by) singer James Buttery, yay! Let my anxiety get to me, give up and go inside, boo! The set was short as heck, boo!

All the nervousness about the venue being full and being ready to hate people was in vain. I came downstairs to an empty floor, most people leaning against walls or sitting on couches in the perimeter. In the end, the crowd grew to about 1/3 of the capacity at most. Possibly hoping more people would come in, the 9 p.m. show started at 10. Opener Phaseone concocted some beats that I remember went well within a dream sequence where there was a party somewhere and people drove home in the dark riding on the chill of his conclusion. My new acquaintance Eddie was pretty psyched on him but one Swiss avant-garde electronic musician we met outside after the set, felt he was too much the amateur to be opening up for a band like Darkstar. I didn't mind it, didn't feel like I wanted him to finish as soon as possible so he was good enough.

Without a sound the elusive Brit trio came in from the darkness onto the stage, all in jackets more appropriate for mid-fall than the summer heat, prefacing their set with a continuous ominous thump. James Buttery softly cooed into a mic and played with his voice pushing buttons at his feet. Aidan Whalley and James Young remained silent, their attention focused on manipulating beats and twiddling knobs. 

The bare bones set was about 6 songs long of mostly somber jams including "Gold," "Two Chords," "Darkness" and a cover of Radiohead's "Videotape." Of course, this band would play the saddest song in the RH catalog. Refusing to check out videos online of past performances, this came as a total surprise. It was also the first time I've heard the track in a while, which we actively avoid in order to maintain composure while listening to In Rainbows, since we saw the band headline All Points West in 2008. I hoped I the waterworks wouldn't turn on in public as they always do. However, I was safe for as melancholy and soul wrenching James' voice can be, it lacks the Thom Yorke effect so I only got that tingling in the nose.

One song after that, it was over. Forty-five minutes. They said thank you and left the stage to be seen no more. I was confused and ultimately pretty bummed. I was dumbfounded. They surely have enough material, even if they had decided against cranking out their dubstep oldies, the whole of their debut North was enough for at least an hour-long headlining set. I wondered if they were discouraged by the small crowd or if that's just how they do their thing. Not used to headlining sets so short part of me felt kind of gyped. Frankly, if my jams "Dear Heartbeat" and "Aidy's Girl is a Computer" were in the setlist I wouldn't have cared so much about the length. Hopefully, there's a next time where those tracks are played and Snail can be there to experience it with me.

Everything Everything @ Arlene's Grocery 10.23.10

 

 Disclaimer: After boring myself with a linear, completely factual account of this day I took a page from Richard Lawson's guide to writing entertaining and comically (slightly) inaccurate reviews and came up with what's below.

As we illustrated last month with this excited Asian man, we were psyched one of our favorite UK bands was going to make their NYC debut during CMJ week.

Friday night we missed their initial gig at our favorite venue the Music Hall of Billysburg. We were tempted to attend after Four Tet but rationalized that if we planned to have any semblance of energy on Saturday our losses should be cut and some much needed sleep should be got. Although a bit bummed, it was true, zombitude was unacceptable!

Saturday we got gussied up with such intent we looked like we stepped out of a lookbook.nu profile and went into the city for their 4pm set at Arlene's Grocery.

Some band from Toronto whose name escapes me was on when we got there, Snail got all hot in Topeka about the tall and slim bass player because that's what she does and we were perplexed by the lack of people close to the stage, like they were afraid of catching something. That's the trend at CMJ showcases I've noticed but yet know why it is.

As we waited for Everything Everything to set up, to let out some of our nervous excitement we did our T-Rex thing, we joked about me stealing a mic from the stage and lip-syncing the Motown songs playing in the background and a "DIOSSSS" was exclaimed at some point. Then shit got real.
Snail, Moz and I all had setlist wishes for "Tin (The Manhole)" "Photoshop Handsome" and "Final Form," respectively. I voluntarily decided I couldn't look at the setlist but as soon as Snailentina said I was going to enjoy the first song, I knew they were opening with my jam haha. We all got what we wanted out of this trip including every song on Man Alive minus "QWERTY Finger" "Come Alive Diana" "Two for Nero" and "NASA is on Your Side," I think. The set felt like a half-hour, maybe 40-minute cocktease (damn you, CMJ and yer short set times!) pero better that than nada.

Snail and I sang (appropriately loud and obnoxious during "Photoshop Handsome") and danced a lot, of course. We did this better than everyone else because that's how we do. Moz sat/leaned on a stool due to residual tiredness and did his photography magic via iPhone.

Although I'm super protective over this band --as in I don't want douchebags liking them-- it was nice to see people enjoying them. A group of fanboys and a fangirl next to us knew the words to the songs, too so I gave them the stink eye (not really...well, okay, a little). Frankly, as far as we were concerned they were playing this set for us and us only. We only need other people to get into them here so they'll come over more often but doesn't mean we have to like any of 'em! Baleedat. *haters gonna rotate*
We went upstairs to do that which I was too chickenshit to do before the show, talk to the band. I asked the other two-thirds of the tripod if they were to join me in a crusade not to die old men filled with regret. A newly revitalized Morrissey lifted a fist in the air and said "Aye!" while Snail watched on in the background, feeling like a proud mother.

El Moz y La Cheep ended up talking to super nice guys guitarist Alex and singer/other things person Jonathan. We had "conversations" from which came an invite to their show that night at Bowery Electric, my infamous message to the band about a half-remembered dream and me mentioning Snail and I's favorite city homeless, Dress Vest who likes to taunt upper middle class white people and wears stylish dress-length vests styled from crochet, random color fabrics or toilet paper (we miss him). Morrissey got to business, all angry like "FORGET THAT NOISE, WHERE IS YOUR CD? WE WANNA BUY IT!" and Jonathan was all yelling back, "Hold your horses, mate! We got gear to haul you'll get your damn CDs when we can get to it! STAND OVER THERE AND WAIT" Like I said, the nicest guy.

So we reported our findings to Snail and did the waiting thing, bassist Jeremy came with the CDs and we handed over our sack of pennies equalling the price of three Man Alives. On our merry way we then went to stuff our eyes with macarons and those pretty overpriced dresses. Later, we killed time at Whole Foods on Bowery and ate macarons (the Espresso flavor won) but not the dresses with Snail until she went home on sick leave and domestic duty.

Being all young and restless and lacking any kind of responsibility, we went into the night and enjoyed Everything Everything live 2.0 at the West Rocks party. This time we got the same setlist BUT in a different order and "Weights" was replaced by "QWERTY Finger." I liked this set better but I enjoyed dancing at Arlene's more. Morrissey danced with one leg but didn't do the Lazy Susan which upset me terribly somewhere. I kicked everyone's ass dancing again and I think some guy took unsolicited photos of me which felt like the equivalent of getting my underwear smelled by a pervy home intruder while I'm out, mad creepy.

After this giant le sigh-worthy awesome, we stood outside surrounded by British accents and cigarette smoke waiting for the band to come out to thank them for everything. Morrissey dreamed of topping the night with their midnight DJ set thing but I was feeling kinda tired and unsure that it would be kosher to ask them to let us in to yet another event. After staring at their gear for 5 minutes, I found out how wrong I was!

When I told Jonathan thx, we're out! he told us all articulate and English, "You ain't going nowhere but to this damn party with us!" and I thought, "FUCK SLEEP!" and off we skipped holding hands to the PureVolume House where the boys were scheduled to press play on numerous CDs of their choice for less than an hour. For some reason the band ended up being hassled by a abnormally large-calved bouncer with bad 'tude who harshed everyone's mellow. We retaliated by making fun of him at random intervals during the night. When everyone finally got in, there were only with less than 20 minutes for Jeremy and drummer Mike to do the button-pressing and in that short time I discovered they have great taste in sounds they don't create.

Moz and I spent most of the night/early morn talking with Jonathan about intellectual things like candy, douches, Beyonce, TV shows, inappropriate toy brooms, my name and bad accents. We also talked to their charming, half French manager Duncan who gave Morrissey valuable life advice and read us poetry and Alex, who was probably the most effected by those odd, black-hearted calves, about things like Pixar films (saddest films in the world) and losing his innocence during Irreversible. A cultured night out with a bunch of down-to-earth English dudes that tickle our ears for a living, who knew? NOT US! But it was a good time (even though I missed Snail). Everyone we know is super jealous now.

Find out why we love this band here
See more pictures from the shows here
Read the rest of the Epic October saga aquí y aquí

Massive Attack @ Terminal 5 05.11.10

Massive Attack by Ryan Muir

It happened. Cheep bought Massive Attack tickets on a whim and we went to see them at their first date in NYC at the awful Terminal 5. It certainly makes me feel like a jerky, bitter old lady to complain about venues but we must get out of the way that T5 doesn’t always sound the best in comparison to getting spoiled by the sound engulfment that are little venues like Bowery Ballroom and MHOW. Regardless, we danced, we endured the little annoyances of being semi-close and we loved it!

It was my first time seeing them and Cheep’s second. Our bestie Mr. Amaral also joined the drool party over Robert del Naja and Daddy G and the slew of awesome happening on that stage. Their light show and quote overload really guaranteed elation. I was seriously hoping for Tunde Adebimpe to show up and sing one of my favorites from Heligoland, ‘Pray for Rain’ but it didn’t happen… maybe next time.

Four Tet, Nathan Fake @ (le) poisson rouge 2.17.10

Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet & Nathan Fake (press photos)

Last week we saw these two English electronic music masters at one of our least favorite venues where we had to deal with some major duality: the awesomeness going on onstage and the pathetic war zone of being in front row center with obnoxious concertgoers lacking concert etiquette.

Some guy who twiddled knobs for about 10 minutes opened the show. He looked super into it but it started to get a bit redundant. Things started to get interesting (i.e. awesomely creepy) when he started to channel 2001: A Space Odyssey’s monolith with this loud reverb sound. We geek-freaked of course and then he just finished and left us hanging haha.

In between sets as it began to get tighter we griped about the annoying things going on around us hoping it wouldn’t get any worse (it did). We switched our focus to he adorableness that is Nathan Fake who dazzled us with his bleeps and bloops. We hadn’t listened to him prior to the show so it was pleasant to just love the shit out of an opener right off the bat. It was banger after banger and the longer he played the more we fell in love. We just love our minimalists! The set was comprised mostly (if not all) of songs from his most recent mini-album Hard Islands (Border Community) which rules from top to bottom. We’re hoping in the near future he opens for Modeselektor in NYC! *crosses fingers*

This set was flawless but the experience was tainted by the first of many a retarded incident: Tall Guy with Puffy Coat. Though it sounds fine all by itself, when its standing in the front row squeezing Snail out of her spot, it’s not so cute. I told the dude a thing or two, the way he responded to me seemed like he wasn’t going to move but I guess he felt guilty and before Nathan finished he let her move in front of him. This would only be the battle we would win tonight.

We were left a bit sad again at the end of Nathan Fake’s delicious set but he just geared our fangirl-selves up for the main course, Kieran Hedben aka Four Tet aka one of our links to Thom Yorke haha. He kicked off the set with “Angel Echoes” the opening track from our favorite album of the year-so far There Is Love In You which followed with the rest of the album and some oldies thrown in. Honestly, we were so pissed due to drunken youths acting a fool (Cheep got her ass grabbed by an Asian girl talking shit language) that we couldn’t enjoy Four Tet’s set as it should be. He was very awesome and blew our minds when he was making beats via what we believe is an iPhone *BOOSH* but no matter how hard we tried to keep our happy bubble up and ignore the crap, it was too much and we got the hell out of there.

After hanging round the merch booth and purchasing some albums, we enjoyed the encore from TV screens in the second bar area and escaped before the wolves were released and cabbed it —albeit very very pissed that a magical show was tainted by an idioteque first few rows — to 42nd and headed home. The anger lingered into the next morning but was quickly soothed once we listened to the guys.

We wish we could’ve at least hugged our boys in appreciation after the show but there will be another time for such sweet things. No more front and center for us, though, we’re getting too old for this shit.