April may seem like a weird month to kick off what we hope will become a monthly series of shows, but considering it’s the first full month of Spring and the whole rebirth thing that signifies we think it’s a pretty decent time to get started! We don’t yet have a name for our monthly showcase but hopefully one of those will spring forth at some point. For now it will be known as Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Presents, but really the only thing that matters are the kick ass bands that will be showing off their tunes!
This month we’re pleased to have ARMS, The Sundelles, and Sea Monster on board to help get things started right! Now you may know ARMS better as the new project from former Harlem Shake Todd Goldstein, but considering the outstanding FREE EP ARMS has just put out we’re banking it won’t be long before you know ARMS just as well. The Sundelles you should know about, they make some insanely catchy tunes, have a few genius videos, and have a live reputation that builds with each show. Sea Monster may seem like a newbie on a lineup like this, but really they had been kicking around the scene for years as A Brief Smile before splitting and starting this new beast of a project!
We’ll be giving away tickets and telling you more about the bands playing a little bit closer to the show, but for now you guys can add it to your Facebooks, your calendars, or wherever you happen to make a note of important dates! The show goes down Friday April 9th at Glasslands (289 Kent Ave., Bklyn., NY) with doors opening at 7:30pm! It’ll only set you back $6 so really it makes for the perfect cheap ass date! We hope to see you all there!
Who: Caribou Title: Swim Release Date: April 20th Label: Merge Records Thoughts: By kicking off his latest record with the incredibly captivating “Odessa”, Dan Snaith has all but guaranteed that he will have our undivided attention throughout the first listen. It is a song with such undeniable power and urgency, that simply sinks its teeth into and will not let go. The rest of the record pales in comparison to the first track, but I think that speaks more strongly to the power of “Odessa” than it does to the strength of the rest of the record. Snaith continues to pour on the electronic sounds as the record goes on, a feeling not unlike the rest of his back catalog, but one that captivates regardless. Swim kicks off with its highest note, but it never falls too far from that high water mark. Listen: Caribou – “Odessa” Caribou – “Found Out”
Who: Dum Dum Girls Title: I Will Be Release Date: March 30th Label: Sub Pop Records Thoughts: At this point the market for lo-fi leaning, garage rock reviving, girl bands is getting quite saturated and I have a feeling that it is going to weaken the overall memory of these bands in the long run. The sounds are so similar that it’s difficult not to immediately start comparing this band to Vivian Girls or Frankie Rose or any of the rest of this lot, but to do so and ignore it on that reputation would be a mistake. I Will Be is a kick ass record, one that would fit any period of garage rock you can think of. It’s a record that races out of the starting gate and never really slows down, but unfortunately it does come after the rest of these ladies have already paved the road of the current revival of this sound. That’s unfortunate, but hopefully there’s still room for more. Listen: Dum Dum Girls – “Jail La La” Dum Dum Girls – “I Will Be”
Who: She & Him Title: Volume 2 Release Date: March 23rd Label: Merge Records Thoughts: I am currently sitting here late on a Sunday night. I’m three tracks into the new She & Him record with the wholly original title Volume Two. At this point I am bored to death and regretting ever pressing play on this record, especially considering my awful reaction to the first single. I thought some of my readers would like to hear my thoughts on this record but at this point they range in the “meh” to *band my head on the wall* and really that type of reaction is worse than being totally offended by a record. If this was 100% awful I could just switch it off and write mean words till my fingers cramped up, but it’s just boring, not bad, boring. At this time that seems so much worse than if the record was just bad, I think it’s time to call it a night and delete this from my hard drive. Listen: She & Him – “In the Sun” She & Him – “Thieves”
Monday: Let’s Wrestle, Casiokids, The Wave Pictures, + Banjo Or Freakout @ Knitting Factory 7pm $8 [tix]
Tonight New York’s various venues have jam packed their schedules in an effort to get the most out of a very light week. With SXSW taking place the starting Tuesday most of the best bands in the world will be in Austin, TX so you had better take advantage of the strong lineups tonight, or face the possibility of going show less the rest of the week. Tonight’s pre-SXSW party is presented by Brooklyn Vegan and feature four fantastic bands that will be raved about in the coming days from Austin. Don’t miss it! Let’s Wrestle – “We Are The Men You’ll Grow To Love” Casiokids – “Fin Bijkken!” The Wave Pictures – “I Love You Like A Madman” Banjo Or Freakout – “Upside Down”
Tuesday: Andrew WK (full band show!) @ Irving Plaza 7pm $18.50 [tix]
It has been nearly five years since Andrew WK last hit the stage with a full band backing him! Tonight marks his triumphant return to full bands shows and of course he chose to do the first one in New York before spending a week partying at SXSW! Make sure you’re here if you happen to still be in the city and please make sure to party hard all night long! Andrew WK – “I Want To See You Go Wild”
Wednesday: White Suns, Weasel Walter Trio, + Buckets of Bile @ Silent Barn 8pm $tba [info]
Scanning through the show listings for Wednesday night it’s pretty easy to see that all the good bands are somewhere else right now as there really isn’t a single band I’ve heard of playing the city tonight! Oh wait, The Scissor Sisters are playing but it’s SOLD OUT so that doesn’t help you much! Here’s the cheapest of the shows listed so check out the band’s MySpace pages and see if it’s worth heading out for! White Suns on MySpace Weasel Walter Trio on MySpace Buckets of Bile on MySpace
Thursday: Joanna Newsom @ Town Hall 8pm $30 [tix]
When it was announced that Joanna Newsom was making her only scheduled New York City appearance during SXSW I almost shed a tear! I adore Joanna and her fantastic new album, but I’ll still be having a blast at SXSW even if it means missing her. For you fortunate souls that have tickets enjoy, her performances are positively breathtaking! Joanna Newsom – “Good Intentions Paving Company”
Friday: Oneida @ Knitting Factory 8pm $10 [tix]
Oneida is one of those bands that feels new no matter how many times you see them. Each performance seems so much different from any other one you may have seen from them, and that fresh feeling is exactly the reason you must get out this Friday and go see them! Oneida – “I Will Haunt You”
Saturday: Uffie @ Brooklyn Bowl 11pm $5 [tix]
Is there a better way to spend your Saturday night than by going nuts and dancing your ass off??? Probably not, which is why you should make plans to spend it at Brooklyn Bowl with Uffie! These tunes are inescapable dance anthems, plus you could bowl if you don’t feel like dancing! Sounds like the best of all worlds if you ask me! Uffie – “First Love”
Sunday: Black Lips @ Maxwell’s 9pm $15 [tix]
We have an inner list of bands that are always worth seeing live, no matter how many times we may have seen them before. There’s about a dozen bands on this list and Black Lips happen to be one of them. Their live show is like a car crash, you just can’t look away, but the band has actually gotten better over recent years and it’s not just about their ability to put on a show anymore! They can also play now which makes it all the better! Black Lips – “Short Fuse”
Update!!! We’re closing the RSVP list on Monday, March 15th at 12pm! If you want to attend you must RSVP, and plan on arriving early as we’ve gotten close to 1,000 RSVP’s for this!!!
You may have noticed some issues with Pop Tarts Suck Toasted over the past week or two. Unfortunately the issues were problems with my web host and I had to make a move to a new host. That means that I lost all the e-mails you good people have sent to me RSVP’ing for the SXSW show! If you would be so kind as to re-RSVP sometime before next Tuesday we’d really appreciate it!
The show is completely free whether you have a SXSW badge or not, you just have to RSVP to it by sending an e-mail with your full name to RSVP@poptartssucktoasted.com. Please note, due to limits of space entrance will be on a first come first serve basis and we will not be able to honor any requested +1’s! If you know someone who wants to go please get them to RSVP as well! Below you can check out the full lineup, more details will be emerging soon, and we hope to see you all in Austin!!!
Track of the Week: RAAAAAAAANDY – “AAAAAAAANGRY”; In the lead up to the movie Funny People we were treated to a new character named RAAAAAAAANDY (with 8 A’s) played by Aziz Ansari. By most accounts this character and his 10-total minutes of screen time was the best thing about the whole movie (I disagree) and anyone that’s seen the end of Aziz’ new comedy special knows how funny this shit can be. Well Aziz is making a mixtape for RAAAAAAAANDY with Dave Sitek producing and the first tune from it is fucking amazing! Seriously this is hysterical. Try not to love it. Grade: A++ (probably gonna be #1 at the end of the year)
Sounds Good: The New Pornographers – “Your Hands (Together)”; Based on the track record of their first three records we expected a lot more of Challengers, and were surprised and disappointed when it didn’t materialize. What we were expecting was the triumphant, catchy indie pop we had come to adore, something more like “Your Hands (Together)” a tune that immediately recalls the high points of Twin Cinema while setting the tone for what will hopefully be a triumphant comeback. We are even further buoyed by the fact that this is a Carl and Neko number which means we have yet to taste what Dan Bejar has in store for us on the new record. You can consider us officially excited! Grade: B+
Devo – “Fresh”; There is always a modicum of trepidation when a band that has been away for ages opts to comeback and release a new record. Sure, seeing Devo perform their hits on stage is still exciting and fun, but who would expect the band’s first record in 20-years to be worth hearing? Well based on the first taste, “Fresh”, we are in for a full on 80’s revival here in 2010. The band has returned and it’s almost as if nothing has changed for them, and that is kind of what you would hope for in this sort of comeback. Grade: B
Roky Erickson & Okkervil River – “Goodbye Sweet Dreams”; Every time Roky Erickson sings “Goodbye sweet dreams” on this song or mind wanders to the unforgettable documentary on Erickson from a few years ago – You’re Gonna Miss Me. That film portrayed an artist that was so far removed from the world that no one could ever have predicted this sort of comeback for a man so far gone. So these lyrics seem especially poignant for that time in the man’s life. Okkervil River would make an incredible backing band for pretty much anyone, but with Roky Erickson’s raspy vocals leading the way it gives us chills every time we hear it! Grade: A
Friendo – “Counter/Time”; Just to prove that everyone and their mother have side projects these days we present to you Friendo, a Canadian trio featuring Mike Wallace from Women. Yep, dude’s band just got noticed by bloggers and he’s already out here hyping some new project. Good thing for Wallace and his fellow band members that they manage to do a solid job of mining the lo-fi aesthetic and mixing it with their own little twists, most notable the unsteady guitar riff playing through the whole track and the half spoken, half sung lyrics found on the tune. That gives this track it’s own personality and we happen to be enjoying what they’re doing with it. Grade: B
Free Energy – “Hope Child”; As the buzz surrounding the latest product of DFA Records has gone deafening we have had very mixed opinions on the band known as Free Energy. We’ve seen ‘em a couple times with mixed results, listened to some of their songs with the same result, so we’re right on the border between liking these dudes and being able to ignore ‘em. This first tune off their upcoming record is definitely one that will help push us closer to liking them. It’s a rocker and a stomper, the type of song that will get kids going crazy in the front row. Grade: B
Cloud Nothings – “Morgan”; We have reached the point where all these lo-fi rock bands are like an aural version of heroin for us – we are plumb addicted to all of them and can’t seem to get enough of them. Cloud Nothings are just the latest in the series but this tune is so damn good they may quickly ascend the ladder of our favorites. You may be tired of it, but we say bring it on! Grade: A-
Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead (Starsmith Remix feat. Ellie Goulding)”; Anyone who follows the internet probably already knows that Ellie Goulding’s highly anticipated debut leaked to the internet this week and is getting a very mixed response thus far. We’ll have our thoughts on the record Monday, but at least this cover of one of the catchiest songs ever is adorable and as enjoyable as the single that propelled her to being so anticipated “Under the Sheets” Grade: B+
Garotas Suecas – “Condimone Dinamite”; There really is no way to deny yourself while listening to this song, you simply must “dance to the music” and that’s a good thing. This Brazilian crew is proudly carrying the torch for their famed fore bearers found all over the Tropicalia compilation of a few years ago. It sounds like they bring the party wherever they go and we are psyched about seeing them at SXSW! Grade: A-
Skip It: Sweet Apple – “Do You Remember”; By combining J. Macis with anyone you all but guarantee yourself a lot of attention, but the first single from this brand new side project/”super group” is lacking in a lot of ways. “Do You Remember” spends most of it’s time sounding like the uplifting soundtrack to the credits of some cheesey 80’s movie, with it’s over played chorus and generic riffs. Yeah, J. Macis rocks the fuck out during the solo, but it’s just not enough to win over anyone especially not the people that own his Dinosaur Jr. catalog. Grade: C-
Bonnie “Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang – “Play, Guitar, Play”; The good news is this tune won’t be on the new album from this new variation from Bonnie “Prince” Billy. While this somber little ditty follows suit in what Bonnie “Prince” Billy does we’ve started to fade a bit on the whole acoustic guitar, sad bastard lyrics motif and so we’re gonna dock this one a few points. Hopefully Will Oldham and his new company can spice things up a bit more for the new record. Grade: C+
She & Him – “Thieves”; M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel have joined forces once again to bring us Vol. 2 of their She & Him project. Considering we weren’t big fans of Vol. 1 it should come as no surprise that we’re not particularly digging on the first tune off the new record. Once again Deschanel’s voice dominates the landscape, and while it’s not bad for an actress it’s not really the type of voice we can absolutely swoon over, though I’m sure more than a few of you will be. We tend to prefer M. Ward on his own with no folk monsters, no she’s, just him and his tunes. Also does this remind anyone else of a country version of The Pipettes? Grade: C
Names of Stars – “Siren”; Listening to this tune is anyone else reminded of The New Radicals? You remember the band with the stupid hats that ran around the mall in that one video. Yeah, we’re reminded of it and we’re not enjoying the reminder all that much. Grade: D+
Ellie Goulding – “Sweet Disposition” (The Temper Trap cover, via The Music Slut); Lately we feel we have abandoned our indie rock roots and given a front seat to the sweet sounds of pop that have been filling the web lately. We’re sorry if you haven’t enjoyed it but we’re not done with it just yet. On this little video, Ellie Goulding takes The Temper Trap’s radio friendly anthem and totally makes it her own, allowing her cute little voice to caterwaul through every minute of it and taking it to heartbreaking new levels. We dig it. Grade: B+
El Perro Del Mar – “Shelter” (the xx cover, via Pitchfork); When it comes to the minimal pop of the xx I have made no grand secret of my dislike for their music. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not the type of thing I’d like to listen to over and over again. Adding El Perro Del Mar’s immaculate voice doesn’t really add much to my opinion of this tune so really it’s a take it or leave sort of thing and I think I’m gonna leave it. Grade: C
Princeton – “Sugar Cube” (Yo La Tengo cover, via Daytrotter); Listening to the summery indie pop of Princeton I never would have pegged them for big Yo La Tengo fans, but I guess at this point everyone who happens to be in band has some positive vibes towards the indie rock mainstays. The band’s cover of “Sugar Cube” could not be more on if they tried. This song is a perfect rendition of one of my own favorite YLT tunes! Nice job guys! Grade: A
Girls – “End of the World” (Skeeter Davis cover); Country has never really been my thing, but this cover of Skeeter Davis’ dreary, death obsessed little tune is so freakin’ awesome it may quickly move up the ranks as one of my favorite covers ever. Offered as the B-side to their UK single for “Morning Light”, this offers quite a stark contrast to one of Album’s more excited songs. Grade: A+
Cymbals Eat Guitars – “Ballad of Big Nothing” (Elliott Smith cover); Speaking of bands making a B-Side from a cover tune, here we have Cymbals Eat Guitars doing an honest version of Elliott Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing”. The band keeps things pretty close to Smith’s original version, adding just a touch of keyboards and horns to the mix. Since we like Cymbals Eat Guitars and adored Elliott Smith it should go without saying that we’re totally enjoying this. Grade: B+
Fucked Up – “Bodies” (Sex Pistols cover, via NYC Taper); Last Thursday I went to see Fucked Up at Maxwell’s but didn’t bring along my camera so there was no review of the show, but hey we’ve covered their live show a lot in recent months. The band did unleash an outstanding cover of The Sex Pistol’s “Bodies”, but we’re a little peeved about it now. Turns out Ted Leo showed up in Boston (?!?!?!) to help them sing this cover and we have searched high and low for evidence of that but have yet to come across any! If you have some please get in touch!!! I suppose we’ll have to make do with this solid bootleg of the song from Ted’s normal stomping ground for now. Grade: B
Duo’s are nothing new to the world of indie rock, nor are lo-fi bands from San Francisco, but whatever The Art Museums are currently doing is working for them. Having just released their new mini-LP, Rough Frame, on Woodsist the band is starting to get their legs under them and starting to reach a much wider audience than they have thus far. Listening to the new record it all makes sense why these guys are poised to blow up in the next few months.
Mixing the sounds of 80’s pop and the lo-fi indie stylings of one Robert Pollard, The Art Museums sound familiar and different all at the same time. Their music hums along just like the early sounds of Guided By Voices, recorded with lots of fuzz and noises thrown in to hide the pop sensibility the band has. Luckily for the band all those pop senses can’t be hidden no matter how much fuzz is thrown on top of them. The music is catchy and sing-a-long worthy, and bubbling with the vibrant energy of San Francisco’s burgeoning indie scene.
Last year San Francisco gave us the inescapable sounds of Girls to pour over and fall for, this year it seems The Art Museums are poised to follow in their footsteps. If their live show comes anywhere close to the sound found on their record I think we’re in for a real treat. Unfortunately we won’t get to find out for a bit as it seems the band won’t be hitting SXSW and only have one current date (in San Fran) on their itinerary. Bummer, but at least we have their short little LP to keep us company until they finally decide to hit the road.
Following two records of solid indie rock, Parenthetical Girls opted to change things up for their last release Entanglements. On that record they went for a more orchestral sound, recording big compositions that were a little bit more daunting for the casual indie listener. To make it even more intense the lyrical content was mostly Joycean tale laid right out over the music. It was quite the departure, but it was certainly an amazing listening experience in its own right.
To follow that up Parenthetical Girls have returned to the more straight forward indie rock sounds they originally built their reputation on, but they are doing it once again in their own style. Rather than just release the record as one cohesive unit, Parenthetical Girls have chosen to put out the record in in 5-piece set with one section following the other every quarter for the next 15-months. It’s a unique way of getting your record out there, but by putting it out on their own Slender Means Society label they are making it abundantly clear that Parenthetical Girls fly by their own rules.
The first part, Privilege, Pt. 1: On Death & Endearments, was released yesterday as a limited edition (only 500-copies) piece of vinyl or as an infinite supply of mp3’s. The record kicks off with the tale of the famed Empire State Building jumper “Evelyn McHale”. Like the almost serene image of her lying on top of crushed checker cab, “Evelyn McHale” is a gentle work of pop perfection. The lyrics seem to romanticize her legendary fall and the music plays that notion up to epic levels. From there the band continue to push the envelop of indie pop with quiet orchestrations and subtle lyrics that bristle beneath the surface, barely holding back the potential to jump out and attack at any moment. They never quite explode, but they do offer a beautiful glance at the brilliant pop oriented minds of the band making them.
If you’re looking to collect all 5-short players and the fancy box that will accompany the fifth and house the other four you had better jump on that quickly. With only 500 copies being sold they should be gone before week’s end, especially when you consider the level of the music found within the first one. Now we just have to wait three more months for Privilege, Pt. 2.
Yep it’s time for a corny, holiday related Blast from the Past! I know you guys love it when I act all seasonal, even if it is a week late. Yeah, I completely forgot that last week marked the national holiday known as President’s Day and that I wanted to take a look at the funky jams of The Presidents of the United States of America to celebrate. It’s a good thing George Washington’s birthday was only Monday or I’d look downright foolish! Anyway, on to the music!
Back in 1995, as a teenager, there really could not have been a better soundtrack to my sex addled brain than the funky, innuendo soaked sounds of The Presidents of the United States of America. Their tunes were immediately catchy, sing-a-long friendly, and loaded with references to vaginas. It makes all the sense in the world that a band like this would go one to be as big as they were despite never quite reaching the heights they did with their self-titled debut, hell they are still a damn good karaoke fall back for more than a few of us.
The word that gets kicked around when talking about The Presidents of the United States of America is novelty, and I guess that fits what they did but these songs were so much more than just novel hits to youngsters like myself. These were tunes that allowed us to sing at the top of our lungs about petting kitties or sticking our fingers into cans of peaches. It was the kind of tongue-in-cheek references we needed at that age and honestly I still get a kick out of singing along with all of these tunes.
As the years have gone on the band may have faded to a slight glimmer of what they once were but we should never forget the classic nature of these tunes. While some critics might place them in a low regard we’re gonna keep on remembering them as one of our favorite bands, even if it was all just some sort of sex fueled joke.
