Muse Photo Blog (Prudential Center - 10/24)

I know it's almost a week later, but here are some of the many photos I took when I went to see Muse at Prudential Center this past Sunday. In total I took 175 photos. These are just some of the best:

Metric opens

 Muse starts their engines

 There were great light displays the whole night

 Rotating platform

 More lights

 Finale

Kids of 88 - Sugarpills Album Review

 Kids of 88's album Sugarpills opens with electronic beats that tell you immediately this is going to be more of an upbeat dance album. In taking a closer listen, I found a lot of the songs seemed to focus on getting pleasure from different things, usually with another person involved. This is seen from a number of different angles, from the song "Everybody Knows," which is about sado-masochism (although the boys have said they themselves are not into those sorts of things) to the more wholesome-seeming track "San Fran," which paints a picture of happiness in a "Full House" type setting. Then there is the song "Downtown," in which the singer says he wants to get dressed up, go downtown, and have a good time. The song paints a picture of a person going to a club or bar and making a night of it, both with the lyrics and backing music. The album as a whole is short in length (about 37 minutes total) and goes by rather quickly. I enjoyed it immensely, however. If you are looking to dance but don't like generic club beats, this album is for you.

Authors note: When listening to this album I struggled to find the words to convey what I thought the band was like. I eventually settled on new wave/electronic. After listening to the album I checked their website to see how they described themselves, and was pleased that our descriptions matched exactly. I guess I found the words after all.

Live Review/An Open Letter to Muse

There are lots of really great things I have to say (and have said before) about the band Muse. I have seen them twice now, and they put on very good performance that involve lots of technical pieces, including great lighting/effects and a very good use of the entire stage. To date, they are one of my favorite live acts, mostly because I think their music is great and they do an excellent job converting that into a live show. I do have one complaint though that I would like to address at this time.

*ahem*

Dear Muse,

I love you and your music, but something needs to change if we're going to keep seeing each other. I have seen you perform live twice now, and both times have been very good (the first time in Boston will always be the best for me). There is one thing that bothers me though, and it comes with a story. My first technical experience of one of your live shows was the recording of the HAARP performance. This album has always been my favorite for two reasons: 1) it has most of my favorite songs up till the point it was released, and 2) it is one of the best live recordings I have heard of any band. I love every song on the album, but one of my favorite moments is when you start playing "Invincible". I have seen you live and in person twice now, and both times you have not included this song in your set list. I understand that you have too many songs to play all of them and that you can't try to please everyone, but I believe this is one of your greatest songs and should be a staple in your repertoire. I doubt anyone would be disappointed to hear this song played live, just as I'm equally sure that many people are disappointed when it is not included. I always try to predict the encore of any show I go to (especially when I love a band's music as much as I do yours),  and I have to say I was very disappointed I didn't get the chance to hear this song live for myself. Would you please please please consider adding this song to your line-up for future performances? It would be especially nice if it were added the next time you play the NY/NJ area, since that is where I'm from. I (and many other fans, I'm sure) would really appreciate it.

Thank you, and good night.

PS - it really was a great show (besides my one complaint mentioned). You were, are, and always will be one of my favorite live acts. Just do this one little thing and we'll be good.

Thanks!

Love,
A Passionate Fan

Back to you, wonderful reader... assuming you actually are still reading. I took a lot of great pictures from this show that I will try to post sometime tomorrow. Also, in case you have no idea what I was just rambling about and why I care so much, check out this video of the song in question.

No really, go. I'll wait...

See what I mean?

But enough about the one song they didn't play. Let's move on to what was included.

Set List:
Uprising
Map of the Problimatique
New Born
Supermassive Black Hole
The Resistance
Hysteria
Citizen Erased
United States of Eurasia
Feeling Good
Undisclosed Desires
Time Is Running Out
Starlight
Plug In Baby

Encore:
Exogenesis Symphony
Stockholm Syndrome
Knights of Cydonia

Follow-up: One thing I do appreciate is that they have a good balance of old and new material here. In fact, it makes me very happy that "Feeling Good" and "New Born" still make the cut after all this time. I just wish I could hear Invincible once live before I die...

CMJ Day 5 in Photos

This morning I gave you my recap of the final day of CMJ, thinking I would not be able to get around to posting photos until earliest tomorrow morning. Well, folks, I was kinda wrong there (alright, technically it's 12:30am, but I wrote most of this before going to Muse. Just had to add labels). I've gotta say, I am really impressed with how on top of things I've been this week. The version of me that first started this blog would have just done a very short post at the end of CMJ instead of the daily recaps I ended up doing. I have enjoyed getting more of an opportunity to write about the things I love the most, and only hope I can keep doing it in the long term. So - without further ado - here is the final installment of my continuing coverage of CMJ from this week.

Brooklyn Vegan party @ Public Assembly

Wild Nothing

 Titus Andronicus

 Say hello to an unbelievable crowd

 A Million Years @ Spike Hill

 TJO Presents showcase

Sydney Wayser

 Matt Koziol

Endway

 In Cadeo

 Like Trains and Taxis

 Alyson Greenfield

 Hank and Cupcakes

CMJ Day 5 - The Conclusion

The last day of CMJ for me began with another Brooklyn Vegan party at Public Assembly. Unfortunately I arrived too late for Ted Leo, but I heard the line for that was out the door. Saw Wild Nothing for the second day in a row this week, and they were really good. I knew I liked them from the first time I saw them at Pianos, but I wasn't sure how much until I heard them here again. After they finished, Titus Andronicus began to set up to play to a very packed house. It's amazing to me how far they've come this year. Between this and headlining Webster Hall, I am very impressed. The band was possibly the biggest draw on the line-up, at least in my opinion. This is why it surprised me when the band was given an incredibly short set of approximately 20 minutes. They weren't even really given much of a warning, simply told they were done and had to get off the stage. I thought the whole situation could have been handled much better, but I'm just a humble blogger...

I lost my interest in the BV party after the Titus incident, so I didn't stay for the whole thing as originally planned. Instead, I hung out in Spike Hill for a bit to see this band called A Million Years. I couldn't stay for their whole set, but what I heard I really liked.

The final act of my CMJ experience was the TJO Present showcase at Bar Matchless. This is the one I mentioned before that my friend was running. The turnout for this one was really good, as was the response from audience members about certain bands. I was the photographer for the evening, so I have a ton of pictures to sort through before I post anything.

Yesterday was a great end to a fantastic week. Pictures from the final day will be posted (hopefully) soon. Tonight I'm going to see Muse at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, so look for a review of that soon as well.

CMJ Day 4 in Photos

I didn't get a chance to add photos yesterday, and I had enough that it was worth just doing a separate post. This is just a sample of some of the things I experienced on Friday.

Brooklyn Vegan party @ Public Assembly

 Dark Dark Dark

 Violens

 Wild Nothing

 So So Glos

CMJ Day 4 - feat Brooklyn Vegan & Force Field showcses

Yesterday included a bit of borough hopping between Brooklyn and Manhattan. First up was the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Public Assembly. This included two rooms of free music and free alcohol (if you like Blue Moon or Firefly). There was also a table selling BV shirts, proceeds of which go towards "Music Has Power" (The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function). Good music + a good cause = good party by the Vegan. There's another one today that has a sick line-up. Gonna head there first thing today.

One other thing worth noting about that BV party is one of the bands: Shrag. This band was from the UK, which got me thinking about how many bands travel from all over the world (especially places like the UK and New Zealand) just to come to CMJ. I think it's really cool how this festival gives people a chance to experience music from not just all over the country, but from different parts of the world as well. Because let's face it, how many of us are going to be visiting New Zealand any time soon?

Next stop was the Impose showcase to catch the band Dark Dark Dark. They were really fun, and had lots of different instruments (including accordion, trumpet, and clarinet). I really enjoyed this band and would definitely want to check them out again.

Final stop for the evening was the Force Field showcase at Pianos. The line-up included Lord Huron, La Sera, Violens, Woven Bones, Wild Nothing, and The So So Glos. I really went to see Violens and So So Glos, but all the bands did a pretty good job (although I definitely enjoyed some more than others). Wild Nothing are playing that Brooklyn Vegan showcase today, in case anyone is interested in checking them out. If you're looking for a recommendation, consider this it.

One more thought before I bring this one to a close.

You all know how much I enjoy talking about my favorite band, Jukebox the Ghost. Well, I found a great conversations starter for this topic has been the tote bag I bought from their Music Hall show last month. It was because of this bag that I met someone from The Wild Honey Pie and got a great conversation about blogging and the band and music in general. Later that same night I got another comment from someone who knows the guitarist's sister. So there are two lessons we can take from this: 1) a band's merch makes for really good promotion and conversation starters, and 2) it is a small little world that Jukebox the Ghost is slowly taking over.

Speaking of promotion - let me take this final opportunity to invite you to Bar Matchless tonight for the TJO Presents showcase, featuring Matt Koziol, Sydney Wayser, F. Stokes, Stuedabakerbrow, Incadeo, Like Trains & Taxis, Alyson Greenfield, and Hank & Cupcakes. It's going to be a great night, and it's FREE. Two reasons you should come out and party with us.

CMJ Day 3 - feat. Yep Roc Records showcase @ Bowery Electric

Last night was a late start for me, since I had to wait till after class to get to the city. Once I got in I met up with a friend and we walked over to The Living Room to check out McAlister Drive. Got the tail end of their set, but liked what I heard. It was after 11pm at this point, so I headed over to Bowery Electric for the final two bands on the Yep Roc Records showcase: Drink Up Buttercup and Jukebox the Ghost. I knew I dug Drink Up Buttercup from seeing them before, but I had forgotten just how much I love them. They have a ton of energy when they play and are incredibly fun to watch. I had been feeling sick with the allergies all day, but I totally forgot about that once they got into their set. Funniest moments included the addition of a trash can as an instrument for one of their songs (which immediately reminded me of Stomp and how they use lots of things like that to make music), and the drummer's obvious enthusiasm through most of the night (especially the last song). I think I mentioned this from the last time I wrote about this band, but dude gets really into his playing. You can say that about all of the members, but it's especially true for him.

Speaking of drummers I enjoy - nice segue - Jesse from Jukebox the Ghost is possibly one of my favorite drummers ever. I have had a couple conversations with different people this week about how he really adds something to the band and isn't just a beat in the background. It's more like he adds the heartbeat to them, and he deserves a little shout-out for that.

Moving right along... I thought Jukebox had a much better set here than they did the night before. That's not to say the previous show was bad, it just wasn't as good. For one thing, last night's set was a lot longer. For another, I like the sound at Bowery Electric much better than at The Delancey. There also seemed to be a lot more energy from both the band and crowd at this place. The band played mostly songs off the new album, but upon request ended with a few older one's, including "Beady Eyes" and the fan favorite "Good Day," which had a little something special about it this time around (again, I mean more so than usual). They also called Drink Up Buttercup on stage for a cover of one fo their songs. Afterwards I made my usual rounds to catch up with people. I mentioned on Twitter last night that Shervin asked me if I was their biggest fan. Said person would be their tour manager/go-to-for-just-about-everything person. He was the first person I met who was connected to the band, and I always enjoy seeing him at shows.

That about wraps up my coverage of CMJ Day 3. All that's left is a few thousand words in pictures.

Drink Up Buttercup

 Jukebox the Ghost

Jukebox the Ghost Set List:
Schizophrenia
Interlude/The Stars
Nobody
The Sun
Popular Things
Summer Sun
Empire
Half Crazy
Hold It In
Drink Up Buttercup cover
Beady Eyes
Good Day

April Smith "Terrible Things" Video Premieres Today

Some of you may remember my review of April Smith and the Great Picture Show's album "Songs for a Sinking Ship". Here is the new video for the song "Terrible Things" off that same album. It's creepy and awesome and I love everything about it.

CMJ Day 2

Day 2 of CMJ was packed with enough cool things for two people to go too... and then some. I chose to spend my afternoon at the Sneak Attack Media showcase at The Delancey. The line-up included Kitten, PVT, Kids of 88, Cassette Kids, and Jukebox the Ghost. Unfortunately I was running errands in midtown that took longer than I thought they would, so I missed the opening act. A friend told me they were good though. Not surprised, the whole line-up for this show was exceptional. I especially dug Kids of 88. They have a ton of energy. I got my hands on a copy of their cd and hopefully will get a chance to review it soon. Of course it goes without saying that I enjoyed seeing Jukebox again. They didn't play for that long, but it was still a fun little set. The real news with them though is I got a chance to interview Ben, so look for that to be posted sometime next week. The only reason it has to wait that long is because I'll be too busy giving you the latest CMJ news (and helping on one showcase Saturday).

                                           PVT

 

                                           Kids of 88

 

                                          Cassette Kids

 

Jukebox the Ghost

After the Sneak Attack showcase finished we got dumpling from Vanessa's (highly recommend - cheap but good eats) and moved on to Fontana's to catch a few minutes of Fort Wilson Riot. From there I was lucky enough to get into the sold out Bad Books show at Bowery Ballroom. The band was dressed to impress, and boy did they impress me. It's worth noting here that I have not had a chance to listen to their recently released album yet (although it is on my laptop waiting for me to do so). This meant I was experiencing the band in much the same way as my first experience with Kevin Devine - not really knowing what to expect but being really impressed within the first few songs. It is also worth noting that there was much more banter at this show than there was for Kevin's show at Music Hall last night. They announced they "are not a one time band" and will be releasing another record at some point. That was one announcement that was music to my ears. The set ended with most of the band filing off stage, leaving Devine and Andy Hull. Things I learned on this night: Kevin Devine knows how to play the drums. They performed one last song before ending their main set. The encore was a combination of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra songs, Hull picked the KD songs and Devine picked the Manchester material. Another thing I learned on this night - "Just Stay" is equally good the second day in a row. Same goes for "Cotton Crush".

Bad Books Set List:
Highway of Death
Baby Shoes
Holding Down the Laughter
How This All Ends
Wouldn't Have To Ask
Please Move
The Plan
Mesa, AZ
I Begged You Everything
Texas

Encore:
Just Stay
Now That You're Home
Cotton Crush
Your A Mirror

I'm not sure which part of this night was cooler - seeing Kevin Devine two nights in a row, or seeing him and Jukebox the Ghost on the same day. All I know is CMJ has been a blast so far, and it is just getting warmed up. Tonight is the Yep Roc Records showcase, where I will see Jukebox again as well as Drinkup Buttercup.