New !!! Video - 'Yadnus'

Warp Records recently released 'Yadnus' as a digital single, taken from !!!'s most recent album "Myth Takes". The release features remixes by Scottie B, DJ Kaos, Emperor Machine, and Still Going, as well as a remix of previous single 'Must Be the Moon'. This provides good reason to go back and listen to the "Myth Takes" album, a really solid effort that I haven't listened to in awhile. At one point last spring I had 'Heart of Hearts' in every playlist I made. Such a great track.

epo-555 - "Mafia"

epo-555 are from Copenhagen and recently released their second album "Mafia" on Rykodisc in the US. The sound is a sort of infectious dreampop/melancholic electro that at times conjures an early 90's nostalgia, something I can never resist. Good stuff.

STREAM - epo-555 - Maid in China



epo-555 - Hyperschlieb (music video)

GLASS CANDY - 'Digital Versicolor'

Glass Candy has been consistently offering new tracks to download on their Myspace page in the last few months and now there's a whole new batch, including 'Life After Sundown' and 'Digital Versicolor', the latter of which also has a brand new video. Check out both mp3's and the video below.

DOWNLOAD - Glass Candy - Digital Versicolor

DOWNLOAD - Glass Candy - Life After Sundown

Glass Candy - Digital Versicolor
Uploaded by epb21

CMJ Report: Justice

Justice has quite a religious following, as was wildy apparent at Terminal 5 on Saturday night. From the moment the black sheets were pulled from the amp towers, to the now infamous light-up cross flicking on at the show's start, the crowd's sheer excitement was unparalleled - and that was just the beginning. The wall to wall crowd of hipsters, electroheads, and straight-up music lovers danced deliriously, many with glowsticks in hand, loving every mili-second of the duo's infectious electronic set.


It seems like a hard task for a pair of dj's to stand at their decks for an hour and a half and pull off an entertaining show. But Justice made it look easy with the help of flawless sound and lighting, which greatly enhanced the overall show. And when they finished their encore, the feverish crowd began singing the duo's most famous song in hopes that they would once again return to the stage.

"Because we are your friends
you'll never be alone again
well come on well come on
well come on well come on"

After many, many rounds of the chorus being chanted, the houselights finally came up and it was all over.



Justice - Phantom (part1 of 2) (live at Terminal 5)

-all photos by Scot Bowman

CMJ Report: The Secret Life of Sofia

The Secret Life of Sofia played the StereoactiveNYC/Hot Rocks official CMJ showcase at The Delancey on Saturday night. I unfortunately only had time to catch a few songs, but what I heard was quite beautiful. Their stage was adorned with the previously mentioned flourescent lanterns, but no projections this time. Still, these guys are a band to keep an eye on. Their forthcoming full-length will be released in 2008, but in the meantime you can get their self-titled EP at IQ Records.

Download - The Secret Life of Sofia - Hospital Inside Me (via the band's website)

STREAM - The Secret Life of Sofia - Various Tracks (from their forthcoming new LP)

-photo by Scot Bowman

NEW VIDEO FRIDAY

Bloc Party - Flux


Chromeo - Bonafide Lovin'


UNKLE - Hold My Hand


Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop


Prefuse 73 - The Class of 73 Bells


New Pornographers - Challengers

CMJ Report: M.I.A.

M.I.A.'s show at the brand new Terminal 5 was clearly the highlight of the CMJ Music Marathon this week. OMG!!!!!!!!!! It feels almost unfair to even review it, as the entire show was so full of energy, so completely entertaining...just wow!!! (By the way, this post officially marks the end of horrible photography on this site, new camera! Yeah!)

Firstly, Terminal 5, NY's new premiere Bowery Presents venue is so over the top - three levels, with bars and bathrooms on each one, the place is reminiscent of the bar in the 80's film 'Cocktail', you know when Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown are hitting it big time and land a gig at the hottest club in Manhattan. But, as big as this place is, the house was packed. When M.I.A. finally took the stage after 10:30, following an uproar of boos and violent shouts, people were scrambling around everywhere, trying to land a spot with an actual view of the stage.

But once she did take the stage all was forgiven. She opened with 'Bamboo Banga', the opener to her phenomenal new album "Kala". The temperature rose and the songs were tight, tight, tight, equally blending the set with tracks from "Kala" and her auspicious debut "Arular". The crowd was treated to freaked-out versions of 'Pull Up the People', 'Sunshowers', 'XR2', and the amazing '20 Dollar' which morphed into New Order's 'Blue Monday', before breaking anarchically into the current single 'Jimmy'. Mindblowing!

But the party had only just gotten started. Watch the video below of the "Arular" hit 'Bucky Done Gun', which preceded the crowd-shattering 'Boyz', wherein Miss Maya brought half the crowd onto the stage and the show was nearly shut down. This shit was outta control, yet somehow it was all held together magnificently by the enigmatic M.I.A. And lucky for us, the show went on. We were blessed with her best songs from there on out - the song of the year 'Paper Planes' and the hit that made her famous back in '05, 'Galang'.

I caught M.I.A. at Coachella a couple years ago and back then she was great. Now, she is a virtuoso - at once, staggeringly vital and wildy entertaining. Artist of the year for sure.

M.I.A. - Bucky Done Gun (live at Terminal 5, NYC 10/18/07)

CMJ Report: Deerhunter

No photos from Deerhunter last night. My camera died in the middle of Dan Deacon, blah. But I just bought a new one today, so the visual side of things here should be improving very soon.

This was my second time seeing Deerhunter live and they are definitely growing into their sound. The songs were full of layers, distortion, echo and meticulously layered vocals, enhanced by lead singer Bradford Cox's effects processor. The set was mesmerizing. They kicked things off with an amazing new song, then fleshed things out, highlighted by many of the bands greatest tracks - 'Cryptograms', 'Hazel St.', 'Spring Hall Convert' and 'Wash Off'. But the standout for me was the electric-fused rendition of 'Strange Lights'. This bittersweet song found a whole new level of urgency in the Bowery Ballroom set.

Outside of the music, things were sketchy. The encore found Bradford wining away in a desperate rant, repeating phrases like "I miss my family!" "I miss 1997!" It got sad. Especially when some guy tried to leave to take a piss and Bradford shouted after him, "Where do you think you're going?!" When he explained himself, Bradford drank half a bottle of water and demanded that the guy take a piss into the empty half. Once the next song got underway, the guy snuck out unnoticed by crazy Bradford. Then Bradford went into a monologue about how New York sucks because he can't smoke onstage. After a long explanation of his nicotine addiction, he finally lit up. No cops showed up. No one hauled him off the stage.

It was clear Bradford's bandmates were uneasy - the final moment of the show had one of the guys unplugging his microphone so he couldn't talk anymore. This was the ultimate in ironic live sets - the music is flawless, but the band seem to be held together by a weakening thread.

Antics aside, Deerhunter are a great live band. See them soon, before they crumble under their own staged drama.

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