am/fm

I wanted to do a little something special for post 500, and what's more special than a video interview? Well, lots of things. Cake, for example. But I'm not making you a cake.

Apropos of nothing, except that I really like them, I sat down and spoke with Christian Rudder of Bishop Allen. Fortuitously, they have a gig at Music Hall of Williamsburg May 16, so if you like what you hear, go see 'em.

Here we are in all our camera-shy glory:

Let me know what you think. If you like it, we may do more of these.

Also, a special thank you to One Brooklyn Bridge Park for the use of their location.

And here's "Click, Click, Click, Click," the best indie pop song about photography since Spoon's "I Turn My Camera On."

Happy 500! See you again in 500 more ...

eh.www.amNY.com

PS I'm on vacation next week, so I really hope you like this ... enough to tide you over until May 4 when I'll be back ... with tales of Jazz Fest in New Orleans!

I totally thought the Ocarina was an instrument made up by the folks who produced Zelda. I was wrong.

eh.www.amNY.com

499 ...

OK, it's been a while since I've done one of these, and I can't believe the theremin wasn't the first instrument I picked, but here is another exploration of non-traditional rock instruments rocking out.

Actually, tons of people use the theremin, these people even did a podcast about the theremin. So here's just a couple substantiated claims. Leave your own in the comments.

One Ring Zero - "The Ghost of Rita Gonzolo." This Brooklyn band is a big proponent of the theremin.

Muse - "Invincible"

Apparently Phish used to use a theremin regularly, but wading through the videos to find A/V evidence of it is beyond me right now.

The Decemberists use a theremin on the "Youth an Beauty Brigade" half of this song. You have to listen hard for it, but it's there. You can really hear it in the transition part of the song.

Pixies - "Velouria"

The Flaming Lips - "Crazy" (cover, but Wayne Coyne plays the theremin all the time)

Cornelius - random video

Portishead - "Humming"

Polyphonic Spree - "Hold Me Now." I'm kind of just guessing here, because it's hard to pin down individual instruments, but they have a full-time theremin player (Toby Halbrooks), so there must be theremin.

And this is actually really annoying to research, more so than the cowbell, because it's just so damn ubiquitous, that I'm just calling it quits now. Let me know what I left off. Point to videos or music files, or it doesn't count.

eh.www.amNY.com

PS For those keeping count (and I am), this is post 498.

eh.www.amNY.com

* OK, I do want to comment on this. I heard this song years and years ago, and it always creeped me out the way the people laughed in the background. The song's not that funny, and sometimes there seems to be no stimulus at all to what they're laughing at. Weird.

ETA: Oh.

• She and Him was on Conan last night, with Yo La Tengo as backing band. Zooey Deschanel's voice is really pleasant. Kind of old fashioned and almost Judy Garland-sounding.

• The Walrus Magazine has a list of the 30 Saddest Songs, and boy, is it sad. They include Joni Mitchell's "River, " which I agree is the most depressing Christmas song ever.

• Idolator has a list of the most popular ringtones downloaded in Spain. I was pleased to see Estopa on there. I studied abroad in Seville for a year, and Estopa was a band I really got to like, and I'm glad to see they're still around.

• Stereogum has a new video by REM. It's a cool take off, it seems, of all those videos people post where they just write out the lyrics of the song using MS Paint.

The 'Gum also has an interview with Elvis Costello.

Number One, on Page One of daft interview questions is, "Why is it called Momofuku?

Well, obviously the title is a tribute to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the Cup Noodle. Like so many things in this world of wonders, all we had to do to make this record was add water.

Now, I understand that there is also a fancy eatery in New York City that has made the same connection with Ando-San. So, just in case anybody is inclined to mistake our record for something edible, we've added a disclaimer to the record jacket. I like saying, "record jacket" again.

Thanks for the clarification.

• Scarlett Johansson has posted a few of her Tom Waits covers. They're ... interesting.

• New York Mag has Madonna's four worst videos. They're ... bad.

• Merry Swankster has an interview with Nick Thorburn of Islands. It's one of my favorite groups, but I've gotten the impression over the years that Nick may be a little difficult to work with (as evidenced by the departure of several band members). This interview does little to dispell that. To wit:

Jeff Klingman: How's your Pitchfork.tv VJ gig going?

Nick Thorburn: Um, didn't work out so well. It turns out Fred Armisen is a total asshole. I got fired.

• And finally, Les Savy Fav and Zach Galifianakis are the main attraction at NY Mag's forthcoming indie trivia night. Sounds fun.

eh.www.amNY.com

The Celebrate Brooklyn line-up was announced today, and Shaft himself, Isaac Hayes, kicks of the (mostly) free Prospect Park concert series June 12.

Cold War Kids (June 27), Brazilian Girls (July 11), Beth Orton (July 12), Deerhoof (July 18, playing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring with the Metropolis Ensemble) and Ghostland Observatory (July 26) are among the many giving free performances this summer. So far Feist (July 9) and Spoon (July 15) are on board for benefit concerts. It's gonna be a great summer. I can feel it.

eh.www.amNY.com

The Red album is due June 24, but single "Pork & Beans" is available for digital download today.

Cover Art:

It's pretty ... meh. More "Beverly Hills" than "My Name is Jonas." Is it fair to keep comparing the band to an album they made 14 years ago? Well, I'm just going to say it: Weezer Blue is the only album of theirs that I liked cover to cover. Yeah, Green had its moments, and I really love love love this video for "Keep Fishing" off "Maladroit" (but, you know, Muppets). But, I don't know. Maybe it's the Matt Sharp factor.

Anyway, I'm getting off track here. After listening to it, like, five times in a row ... I'm starting to get into it, but this line, "Oakley makes the shades that transform a tool," just totally turns me off. Way to use a self-conscious dated reference to sunglasses and mid-'90s slang, Rivers. Yeah, I don't care either.

eh.www.amNY.com

From my buddy Ryan ...

Hey, if you could use some AMFM fodder, I thought this video was really cool.

His name's David Ford. I've seen him play live before. He's opening for Sara Bareilles now. As you can see from the video, he's a master at looping sounds, and it makes for a pretty cool live show when he's playing all by his lonesome.

He's kind of pop/rock/folk. He's British, and maybe it's just me, but I find his melodies sometimes resemble Irish folk songs (not so much in this song, however).

Just thought I'd pass it on. Even if someone doesn't like his music, they might still think the above video is impressive.

No pressure, though.

Ryan Chatelain, www.amNY.com

They're there August 13.

On sale Friday: www.ticketmaster.com, (212) 307-7171.

Also, Jelly NYC should be announcing their Pool Parties line up soon -- the group throws free concerts at McCarren Pool most weekends in the summer, as an alternative to Live Nation's for-pay soirees. Although, IIRC, I think the slip 'n slide popped last year, so we'll see what other fun fun fun they cook up for us this year.

eh.www.amNY.com

You've seen the "Behind the Music," and now everyone's favorite lip syncing duo is apparently the subject of a forthcoming feature film.

From my inbox:

Tony Catania spent 3 years on the inside with German producer Frank Farian when the song "Girl you know its true" was written, produced, and performed by "Milli Vanilli". The world now knows that Milli Vanilli was actually lip syncing the songs America fell in love with, but what was going on behind the scenes? What were the performers, managers, and inside circle saying and doing in the days leading up to and following the most embarrassing outing in entertainment history?

Tony Catania is one of only a handful of people who know the real story. The subject is the plot on a new Universal pictures feature film currently in production directed by Jeff Nathanson, however your audience need not wait for the movie to hear the behind the scene secrets. Tony, who's currently putting the final touches to the upcoming album of Naples alternative Band sensation "Phoenix Block," is sharing his first hand account with fans across the country in a series of media interviews.

OK, the release is a bit sketchy, and seems to be as much for Catania's (which, BTW, who the hell is Catania? Some producer, as far as I can tell) new band as whatever film project is in the works.

This is what Phoenix Block sounds like. Pretty crappy.

And, if you need a refresher, here's the Wikipedia history of Milli Vanilli.

And, below is what I thought was my favorite Milli Vanilli song.

... which is actually "I Wanna Be Rich," by Calloway. In my defense, it came out at about the same time as MV was hitting it big. And I was nine at the time.

eh.www.amNY.com

My previous post made me think ... why is it that I like that "Composure" song so much. And then, serendipitously "Lake Michigan" popped up on the old iTunes, and it hit me ... I really enjoy music written in 6/8. And it's cousin 3/4 -- I'm a waltz lover! But mostly I love the 6/8, the tripping over it of jamming two different meters in one. So I made you a mini-mux with some examples of the time signature I love.

Ok, the last one, "Bam Bam" by Rob Crow, is not exactly 6/8. As far as I can tell, it's written in x/8, where x = cosin of the degree heading of which way the wind is blowing AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

Anyway, find a list of more 6/8 tunes at Wikipedia.

eh.www.amNY.com

I meant to write about this a while ago, but never got around to it. I really love this album, in an almost irrational way. It's poppy and melodic and fun, but that in itself is nothing special. What makes this album great is its clever lyrics that teeter on the brink of novelty, but sustain multiple listenings without wearing out the joke.

I am a huge dork for wordplay, and they've totally hooked me with the album's title, which could be parsed thusly: Jesus [exclamaition] that looks terrible on you. But in fact, they're actually addressing Jesus the man as a subject. Brown robes are out, apparently.

These guys are huge dorks [said with love] as well, though, which is perhaps why I like them so much. Unafraid to be jubilant in their compositions -- which is rare for a Brooklyn band in this day and age, Matt & Kim aside -- they embrace a variety of styles, including the dreaded ska. Don't get me wrong, they're not a ska band, but they do employ that nasty two-tone beat in a few songs ... as well as some horns.

My favorite song on the album has to be "Composure," which you can hear on the band's MySpace page. A rolling ballad narrated by a man almost unhinged by his emotions. The lyrics keep driving forward, employing a sort of musical enjambment, each sung line overflowing into the next, and almost leaving behind the rest of the band.

Anyway, their internet presence is almost nil, but they are playing a few local shows in the coming weeks (they actually played last night): Pianos April 24, and Union Hall May 15.

eh.www.amNY.com

eh.www.amNY.com

The schedule is up!

In the most anticipated hipster event of the summer, Vampire Weekend plays a free show June 14 ... with Kid Sister, which is a surprisingly weird combination.

Other exciting shows: The Skatalites play July 30. Battles and Black Dice, August 16. It's going to be a good summer. I can just feel it.

eh.www.amNY.com

ScarJo's Tom Waits covers have started to leak. First up, "Anywhere I Lay My Head." This version of the song doesn't sound like Tom Waits was ever anywhere near it. The production (by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek) actually sounds like an early '90s lady ballad, something on the order of "Nothing Compares 2 U", only with a skosh more edge.

But Johansson's voice is kind of lovely, if a little overwhelmed by the production. The song is soothing and in no way offensive to the ears. The more I listen, the more I can hear the TVotR influence. Dark, synthy and bombastic with deliberately fuzzy vocals.

Here's the original.

I wonder when she's going to tackle this one ...

(Look at how much hair Fred Willard has!)

eh.www.amNY.com

(courtesy Erin Siegal and www.jellowrestle.com)

No, that's not the band. That's an action shot from Amateur Female Jello Wrestling, the event at which Flying Machines was playing last night.

They played a set to open the festivities; good, strong, bass-driven rock. Their songs are catchy and fun and tightly melodic.

Their lead singer looks kind of like Daniel Radcliffe (and his (model?) girlfriend is stunning, not that that's relevant), and, actually, if Harry Potter had time after defeating the Dark Lord, he'd probably love to be in this band. His voice (the actual lead singer's, not Harry Potter's) manages to be strong and lovely and delicate at the same time. He straddles the falsetto/baritone divide like a young Freddy Mercury.

Listening to their tracks on MySpace (see link above) today, the parallels between Flying Machine and Queen seem even more clear. Bombastic glam rock with lush harmonies and a relentless beat. Just less flamboyant. But a whole lot of fun.

More after the jump...

• Cat playing theremin! (via weekend Gawker)

• Ugh. This is painfully awful. The All for Nots are a fake Brooklyn band with an internet television show. It's as terrible as it sounds.

• The Hater hates on new New Kids on the Block.

Stronger Revisited from Kanye West on Vimeo.

• Some music that doesn't suck ... the above video is a mini-doc on Kanye and the production of "Stronger," a song they mixed and remixed, evidently, 10+ times. It may be that Kanye is a little difficult to work with ...

• Also, Gnarls Barkley was on SNL last night. I can't find any video, but you can download "The Odd Couple" backwards here. It's kind of hypnotic.

eh.www.amNY.com

I love this! Paradise by the GoPhone Light, starring Meatloaf. And, um, Tiffany.

This is the short version, which I like better, but you can see the long version here. I especially enjoy the part where the son starts grooving while papa Loaf is singing.

eh.www.amNY.com

Here's a tip: If you sing out, "Oh Baaaaaaby, you, you got what need ..." someone WILL sing back "but you say he's just a friend ..." This honestly happened to me one night down on the LES. It's like our "Deep in the Heart of Texas." My favorite part of this song is how disgusted he is in his throw away asides. Don't gimme that.

eh.www.amNY.com

eh.www.amNY.com

First off, that's what Hoboken is like? I had no idea! It's kinda cool ... very un-New York.

Maxwell's itself kind of reminds me of a dank little room where we used to go see shows in college (which, and, a cursory search shows Traxx is closed! As is Star Hill! Aw, this makes me a little sad.), cozy and unpretentious, and hipply rundown. The band came on stage one by one through the crowd, with drummer number one (they have two) ascending first and commencing a tribal beat that ceased at few times during the night. There was no preamble, just rock.

Their sound is noisy, punk/funk, garage rock, with undertones of equal parts paranoia and fun. Lead singer/guitarist Mick Collins was clad in a T-shirt reading "You Are Being Watched."

more after the jump ...

• New Tokyo Police Club video. Those Canadians are so cool.

• Alright, this game is awesome. "You Have to Burn the Rope." I love it when things are named exactly what they are. Music blog connection? Get all the music (by Henrik Nåmark, who totally Rickrolled me, btw) from the game here. (Do you need more dorkitude? Chamber rock sextet Estradasphere plays video game theme songs.)

• Gothamist talks to Shirley Braha, one of the coolest kids on the scene today, and the creator of New York Noise, which just kicked off its latest season.

• Via Brooklyn Vegan, Radiohead just announced their North American tour dates. The closeset they come: All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Liberty State Park - Jersey City, NJ, August 8 & 9. I just learned last night that Jersey's not as far as you think (more on that later), when I went to see the Dirtbombs at Maxwell's (though Hoboken may be closer than Jersey City ... I'm sorry, I have a Manhattanite's grasp of geography), where coincidentally, they were playing the latest Radiohead between sets. I always kind of forget how good Radiohead always is. My loss, I guess.

eh.www.amNY.com

(via)

I got a last minute invite to see Spinto Band last Thursday, which I jumped at, because these guys are superfun live. The last time I saw them, they went on at 2 a.m. and they were the seventh band I had seen that evening. But they still rocked it.

A quick nod to the Epochs, who opened; you were serviceable and minor key-ish.

Spinto Band took the stage and my friend CD marveled that there were "so many dudes" on the stage. They're a six-piece with the energy and stage presence of a twelve-piece and a median age, evidently, of 14. Seriously, these kids are young.

From the get go, hand claps and all, these kids are jazzed to be performing. They're playful and vibrant onstage, and everyone is moving just about all of the time. The lead guitarist in particular has a funny technique wherein he does the Pete Townsend windmill, but moves his arm only below the elbow. "Demented Buddy Holly," is how my friend describes him. The bassist (who is also one of the main vocalists!) also makes the craziest faces.

A few songs in, they break into "Brown Boxes," a kazoo classic and one of my favorites. The herky jerky robot movements of the band perfectly fit their quirky, off-kilter sound. They play a lot of their newer songs (there's a new album coming out soon-like), which are just as frantic and peppy as their old stuff. The mood coming from the stage is so joyous all night, even when the subjects they're happily chirping about veer into the dark.

Early on in the night, there isn't a whole lot of banter, but the band gets chattier as the night goes on. At one point, we take a moment of silence for Brooklyn Lager. Apparently, while Bowery Ballroom had the local beer on tap the night before, they had run out Thursday night, and replaced it with Blue Point Toasted Ale. Which I must say is as tasty.

Wait a minute. Are these kids old enough to drink?

Back to the show. The extended beer talk was to fill up time while guitarist Nick Krill (the very same "demented Buddy Holly" referenced above) tuned up his mandolin for "Oh Mandy." My buddy CD raised the possibility that Oh Mandy = mandolin, which I had never thought of before, but I like it, so I'm going to accept it as truth.

What I love about the Spinto Band is their really interesting, tight harmonies, which give off a gleeful feeling of psychosis. And they toss it all off effortlessly in their live show, belying the fact that they must practice, like, ten hours a day to be able to play that tightly and make it look effortless.

They end their set with, and I'm quoting directly from my notes here, "that one song that I can never remember the name of with the fast part but I love it." In other words, "Direct to Helmet," which is quite clearly the first line of the song.

eh.www.amNY.com

Mixtapes online! Check out Muxtape.com to listen to others or create your own.

This guy's is pretty cool.

And this one is mine! I made it for a friend for her birthday. The first track is kind of an inside joke, because she claims no recollection of the Pinball Number Count from Sesame Street. I think that means that she wasn't really ever a child. You guys remember it, right?

Expect more mixes in the future.

Also, enjoy some gratuitous David Bowie photos here.

eh.www.amNY.com

• Colbert interviewed R.E.M. last night, calling them "the first bona fide rock band we've had on the show." Really? (OK, I guess that was only Chris Funke, The Decemberists' guitarist, not the full band; but Peter Frampton was there! As was Eliot Spitzer!) "People are calling this your 'come back album.' When you hear people say that, do you want to tell people to go f[beep] themselves?" Also, Colbert uses the album as a "codpiece."

• Best of Radiohead

• NY Mag was at the Stephen Malkmus show last night. I'm jealous, though I don't much care for the Music Hall of W'burg. Apparently they brought down the house with "Baltimore."

• Also, I love Will Arnett so I was delighted to discover him talking about music so that I have a chance to post this interview with Radar. He even quotes Ben Folds!

eh.www.amNY.com

Bret and Jemaine are coming at you in full-length form this month.

Other Emily here.

I'm very excited to tell you that Flight of the Conchords is making its full-length album debut after their eight-track work won a Grammy. Looks like it'll be released on April 22. If you can't wait, watch the DVDs or check out the videos on YouTube. My favorite songs from this New Zealand-based comedy duo are "Ladies of the World," "Robots," "A Kiss is Not a Contract" and "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)."

Get pumped.
— Emily Ngo

• Kanye's video for "Homecoming" -- the song he did with Coldplay's Chris Martin -- is out. Idolator hates it.

• Over on Gawker, they discuss the ubiquitous reggaeton IO digital cable ads. There's one in Spanish as well. I kind of love these ads ...

• Best Week Ever question's Morrissey's habit of releasing a "Best of" album every two years.

• The Onion's Noel Murray continues his record collection examination in his Popless column. I don't know what it is, but I really enjoy his writing. Also, he's dead on about the press kit thing. I don't even read them any more.

• Oh no! Kim Deal and Stephen Malkmus, two of my musical heroes, are in a feud, kinda.

• NKOTB reunite. For reals!

eh.www.amNY.com

eh.www.amNY.com