DAN DEACON - Paddling Ghost

"Paddling Ghost" is taken from Dan Deacon's amazing sophomore LP Bromst, released earlier this year. This video is so fun and amazing. I would definitely lump this into the best video of the year file. Puppets rule.

DAN DEACON debuts BROMST with 15-piece ensemble

by Matthew Dunehoo
Nikola Tesla’s landmark chorale recital at Royal Albert Hall in March of 1933 may serve as precursor to what might be experienced tomorrow at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

In anticipation of the March 24th release of his new album BROMST on Carpark Records, Dan Deacon has assembled a 15-piece live ensemble that will tackle the interpretation and ani(mania)tion of his new works. The debut of the material has left Deacon feeling “both excited and really nervous.”  

“Nervous,” would be one of the last adjectives to come to mind when describing a man whose live performances have a keen ability to incite a near-Pentecostal experience in the audiences that swarm to encircle his traditional multi-colored-steel setup of playback and manipulation devices.

For tomorrow night’s gig, Dirty Projectors and So Percussion round out the bill. So Percussion will serve in full as part of Deacon’s ensemble, leading one to believe that the show will possess at least a trace of the more reverent, recital-hall air of the quartet’s performances, as opposed to the more Deaconian “collective flail.”  However high or low Thursday’s performance will aim, it’s likely to hit with jubilance. Testify.

DEVO, TOM TOM CLUB, DAN DEACON @ McCarren Pool

Devo played a fantastic headlining show at McCarren Pool last night, showing us (and Elijah Wood, who was in the audience) that they haven't lost their punk edge with age. They ripped through all the classics, including "Whip It", "Gates of Steel", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Mongoloid", "Girl U Want", and "Freedom of Choice". At one point, lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh marched around the stage tearing pieces of his bandmates costumes off in what led to a steady "stripping down" metaphor that carried on throughout the set. Devo closed out the show with a rousing version of my personal fave, "Gut Feeling".

-Devo

*****


Tom Tom Club was a lot of fun as well, serving up their unique brand of art funk. Tina Weymouth was in good spirits, entertaining the crowd with her dry humor in between songs, like dedicating the track "She's Dangerous" to Condoleezza Rice. Other highlights of the set were "The Man With the Four Way Hips", "Wordy Rappinghood", and the timeless classic "Genius of Love".

-Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz

***


Dan Deacon kicked off the early show with his interactive performance style that had everyone doing a tag-team circle before forming human tunnels around the pool. Deacon is a character and his live shows never fail to entertain, whether you like it or not. The man is hysterical.

-all photos by Scot Bowman

Countdown to Coachella - 10 Days...

For me, Coachella is a very special experience. This year will mark the 5th time I've made the trek out into the middle of the California desert for the country's greatest music festival; my first being in 1999, the inaugural Coachella. Like last year, I'm counting down the days to the festival (like a geek) because I'm so damn excited I can't think about anything else. So, for the next 10 days I'll explore who I think are the most exciting acts playing this year. These acts are in no particular order of greatness or favoritism. But I'll start with four acts that I've already seen and can highly recommend.

SANTOGOLD, Brooklyn, NY


Santogold was awesome when she opened for Bjork last September. Now, her debut album is finally coming out and I think Coachella will be her official "coming out" party. Expect Spank Rock and Diplo to join her onstage (as they did at Madison Square Garden). This is gonna be a great, great show.

Santogold - LES Artistes (music video)


BATTLES, New York City


Battles blew my mind when they played South Street Seaport last summer. The energy these guys create with their bizarre sci-fi funk sound is at times transcendental. Most importantly, you cannot miss these guys rip through the live version of the phenomenally epic robot track "Atlas".

Battles - Atlas (music video)


BLACK LIPS, Atlanta, CA


Black Lips are known for creating a certain level of chaos at their shows, though the one show I went to was rather tame. Whether it be urinating onstage, kissing each other, vomiting, or launching fireworks, a Black Lips show is never simply boring. Check out a NSFW clip of the band playing in Tijuana. Raucous or not, these guys deliver tight, hook-heavy rock n roll that sounds almost better live than it does on record. In fact, the Black Lips' first few albums were all recorded live.

Black Lips - Katrina (music video)


DAN DEACON, Baltimore, MD


Dan Deacon is another artist who creates pandemonium, but rather than doing it onstage, he does it in the crowd. As far as I can tell, Deacon never actually plays onstage. He sets up his wacky table of electronic gadgets, mixers and funny props in the audience and the party ensues around him. Often he instructs the audience in a sort of excercise, pulling you into the mix and everyone somehow becomes a part of the show. So don't complain if you never actually see Dan, just close your eyes and enjoy the euphoric madness that he creates on that wacky table.

Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat (music video)

Save The Silent Barn!

-Bradford Cox & Karen O at Silent Barn

It was reported by Brooklyn Vegan today that The Silent Barn could be on the verge of shutting down as a result of a Con Edison bill. The Silent Barn is a house that serves as a DIY venue in Ridgewood, Queens, closely bordering my neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Many great shows have occured there in the past year or so, including Black Lips, Deerhunter (the one where Karen O got onstage), Dan Deacon, and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

If you live in Brooklyn (or Queens) it is crucial that you read the article over at Brooklyn Vegan.

CMJ Report: Dan Deacon

About half way through the No Age set last night, I suddenly became aware of some mild commotion going on right behind me. As I looked over my shoulder, I noticed the table that was up against the wall, on which was the crazy audio contraption you see below. Still trying to find the cause of the commotion, I looked down to the floor to discover a pair of legs sticking out from under the table, squirming around on the floor. I thought it was odd, but without much thought I turned my attention back to No Age.


A few moments later, a crazy looking man with huge glasses turned to me with his hands extended and said, "Man, I just started a fire and electrocuted myself!"

Just as I started to smell the smoke from said fire, it dawned on me who this crazy looking man was. It was Dan Deacon!

The fire got put out and Dan was okay, albeit a tad jumpy after electrocuting himself. The whole episode was just so comical. Much like his live show that erupted moments later.

From where I was standing you couldn't see Dan at all - just a glowing green skeleton head, marking his place in the crowd. At set's start Dan instructed people to join the photographers onstage, creating a sort of paparazzi hovering over him. Then, after a bizarre "Ethan Hawke" chant, the music started and a whole room of New Yorker's actually danced like it was the end of the world. It was fantastic.


At one point things got so rowdy that Dan stopped the music and mock-complained that, "The level of shoving is just ridiculous". He proceded to instruct the audience to spread out and create a giant gap in the center of the room, complete with pathways to each of the two mezzanine stairways. Then, like a P.E. teacher, ordered various fans to pretend like they were Diplo and run up and down the stairs greeting their fans. It was mildy hysterical, but what's more is the way in which Dan creates his environment. He talks. People listen. He should run for President!

Catch the video over at Stereogum.

CMJ Report: No Age

No Age took the Bowery Ballroom by storm last night, demanding attention and damn well getting it. With just two guys, one on drums, vocals, and sampler, and the other on electric guitar, these guys rocked the living daylights out of the crowd. Wow! Like my friend Tatiana said, "If these guys stay together for another five years, they'll be huge!"

This was a balls-to-the-wall punk extravaganza, complete with chaotic moshing in the crowd, guitar legend leaps from towering amplifiers, and a final song that sounded like the last three minutes of a feedback-laden finale to a concert ala 1970 by say, The Who. These guys fucking rock!


I have to admit that, at times, I was a bit distracted, as Dan Deacon was right behind me, setting up his equipment and in the process starting a fire and electrocuting himself, but more about that later.

At one point near the end, the guitarist pulled many of the young moshers onto the stage, for an all-out frenetic dance-punk off, that had the place combusting. Those lucky young bastards - particularly the blonde guy who ended up with the guitar and was lifted into the heavens, ad-libbing a dramatic solo; his face literally beaming with excitement at his fifteen minutes of fame. Hell yeah.


Purchase the new album "Weirdo Rippers" here.

-All photos by Scot Bowman

WHITE WILLIAMS - "Smoke"

Joe Williams, aka WHITE WILLIAMS is about to blow up huge. After touring with DAN DEACON and GIRL TALK for the latter part of the summer, he has gained quite the momentum via the blogosphere as he prepares to release his debut album "Smoke" on November 6th. And the fun doesn't stop there, as he will join BATTLES for five dates in the days following the album's release. If that weren't enough to get some hype brewing, White Williams will also be on hand for the CMJ Music Marathon, sharing a bill with DEERHUNTER, Dan Deacon, NO AGE, and PONYTAIL on October 17th at the Bowery Ballroom, and yes...I will certainly be there.

The first single from "Smoke" is the infectious 'New Violence', which is now available in digital form on iTunes.


STREAM - White Williams - New Violence



Smoke tracklist:

01 Headlines
02 In the Club
03 New Violence
04 Going Down
05 Smoke
06 The Shadow
07 Danger
08 I Want Candy
09 Fleetwood Crack
10 Route to Palm
11 Lice in the Rainbow

DAN DEACON - 'The Crystal Cat'

Not one for feeling left out, I couldn't resist joining the hoopla surrounding DAN DEACON right now. In a matter of two weeks, this guy has become a bonified blog star.

Deacon is from Baltimore, where he is part of the artist collective WHAM CITY. His latest album "Spiderman of the Rings" was released last week and is taking the world by storm. Well, at least the world that is Pitchfork Media. It is pretty f-ing brilliant, I must say.

Dan Deacon - 'The Crystal Cat' (video)