The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Keeping things on a local tip, I’d like to introduce you to Sean Allen Fenn, the poet laureate of Williamsburg. His band, The Eidolons, have regaled us with their bittersweet tunes and earnest lyrics over the last couple of years. Coming off a brief hiatus, the band is back with a brand new edition and I had a few words with Sean about the band, his solo work and of course, the Digital Heroine empire!

BS -  Introduce yourself to your audience, Mr. Fenn

SAF -My name is Sean Allen Fenn. I am an artist who wants to make this world a better place.

I become enamored with a band every day. You can read about them on my blog.

Remember to catch The Eidolons tomorrow night at the Delancey. They deserve your support!

Hello Brooklyn!!! Fresh off a successful tour with a fellow Suede-approved act in Delphic and an acclaimed appearance at this year’s SXSW festival, Chew Lips are finally coming to NYC! Littlefield Art Space, to be exact. They’ll be here on Monday, the 12th of April. Show starts at seven and it goes without saying that you shouldn’t be late. You can get tickets here.

Well? What are you waiting for?

“Play Together” by Chew Lips, taken from the Kitsune release “Unicorn”

I was in a room full of diamonds last night. Le Poisson Rouge, one of my favourite venues located on the famed Bleecker Street, was simply electric last night. Marina & The Diamonds performed on the second night of a back to back NYC stop as she puts the US on alert of her immaculate presence. The reports from Sunday night’s show at the Bell House were promising so I must say that my heart skipped a couple of beats as I hopped off the 6 train and down Bleecker Street until I arrived. Unfortunately for me the show was already underway but once I walked through the doors, I found myself floating towards the performance space with my eyes closed being serenaded by the dulcet tones before landing in the back amongst the throng of the devoted.

It’s one thing to say that Marina Diamandis is a wonderful singer but she also commanded the stage with style and grace. With every turn, every smile, she converted the uninitiated and to  those of us who were swooning to her every breath, we found ourselves falling in love all over again. Her backing band, consisting of a bassist, a drummer and two keyboard players, were on point and looked like they were enjoying every minute on stage. Marina simply had the crowd eating at her hand. We knew every word. We marvelled at her charm and she gave it right back.

Marina performed the majority of her debut record The Family Jewels and threw in a personal fave in Seventeen from her The Crown Jewels EP. The show lasted for roughly for 75 or so minutes but it could have been 175 and still we would have wanted more. For her first go-round through the US, Marina handled the attention with aplomb. Perhaps she really is obsessed with the mess that’s America? If so, that’s okay with me and I’m sure those in attendance would concur. With a little bit of luck, it won’t be long before the rest of the country falls in line as well.

N.B. I apologise for the lack of photos to document my experience. Mine turned to be pretty craptacular give my position in the back. For some really good shots, check out The Music Slut for she always delivers…

The set list was…

Girls.
Seventeen.
The Outsider.
I Am Not A Robot.
Oh No.
Numb.
Obsessions.
Rootless.
Hollywood.
Shampain.
Guilty.
-
Mowgli’s Road.

“Seventeen” by Marina & The Diamonds, taken form the Neon Gold release, “The Crown Jewels EP”

Oh these crazy kids and their silly sub-genres to escape being outed as pop music fans. The endless and ultimately fruitless quest to reinvent the wheel by members of the hipster cognoscenti and many in the blogosphere and “create” a genre out of thin air which only serves to muddy the waters and seep away the ability to enjoy music. The current catchphrase these days is Chillwave. If you guys can give me the heads on what the difference between Chillwave and the goth offshoot Coldwave is, I’m all ears. Maybe I’m just splitting hairs, who knows?

In the case of a talented artist like Neon Indian, the brainchild of Brooklynite via Austin, Alan Palomo. What I hear is a solid electronic pop tune which wouldn’t sound in the least bit out of place on the soundtrack for the upcoming Tron:Legacy movie. A darker sounding tune with a chorus that sneaks up from behind and smacks you upside the head makes Neon Indian a winner in my book.

Neon Indian on MySpace
Neon Indian on Facebook
Neon Indian on Twitter

“This is a coin for the well
I wish my wrongs were righted
Just want to be reunited”
I had to face the world
and go from blind to sighted
For us to be reunited”

To a South Korean, Fan Death is an urban legend in which one one dies through suffocation  from overexposure to fans operating for a long period of time in a closed room. Elsewhere and hopefully soon the whole world over, Fan Death will simply be the name of an outstanding electro-disco duo from Vancouver by way of Brooklyn who hit the ground running through hipsterdom with the outstanding singles Veronica’s Veil and Reunited which I present to you in this here post.

Fan Death , comprised of Dandi Wind Opaine  and Marta Jacuibek, have a sound that is so seductive and so clean that one can’t help but fall prey to the hypnotic beats. The sound is very familiar as it’s very much rooted in italodisco and mid 80s pop but it still sounds fresh now. They almost come across a less flashy, more direct version of Bananarama…but a lot more dangerous. This is perfect music for dancing alone in the late hours of the night at the club when you know closing time is right around the corner but it’s the captivating rhythm that overpowers you.

Like what you hear? Be sure to pick up their next release A Coin For The Well when it drops on the 23rd of this month via Last Gang. Pick. This. Up.

Fan Death on MySpace
Fan Death on Facebook
Fan Death on Twitter

“Reunited” by Fan Death, taken from the forthcoming Last Gang release, “Coin For The Well”

Oh happy day…

Marina’s coming to New York! It’s about time too! With The Family Jewels due to finally see the light of day later this month, it’s time for Ms. Diamandis & co. to begin her assault on American soil. I really don’t think I need to tell these shows are NOT to be missed!

14.03.2010 – The Bell House – BK

15.03.2010 – Le Poisson Rouge – Manhattan

Fist pump to the Big Matt On Campus from The Music Slut for the hookup.

“Mowgli’s Road” by Marina And The Diamonds, taken from the forthcoming 679/Atlantic release, “The Family Jewels”

It’s a good time to live in the Brooklyn area these days. A wealth of talent just seems to be springing up from every crack in the pavement from Bushwick to Red Hook to ’round the corner from the Kellogg’s Diner in my dear Williamsburg. There just seems to be a new solid local band doing their thing and better than most that have come down the pike. This is especially true in the electro genre. The rest of New York City better step its game up because right now BK is the spot thanks in no small part to bands like Infernal Devices.

This Brooklyn duo writes ab fab electronic pop ditties that are both danceable and head-boppers. Theirs is a sound that is rooted in 80s electro but is also bursting at the seams with classic songwriting sensibility. The song featured here called Fast Enough illustrates their sound to a T. Put this bad boy on in dimly lit room or dance floor, close your eyes and let your body sway. Almost as if it were the result of a mix of Technique-era New Order and Kavinsky fronted by Jeremy Greenspan of the Junior Boys, Fast Enough has already found itself burrowing a hole in my head for the next month. Not like it’s a bad thing, mind you.

If you find yourself loving this song as much as I do, It needn’t be said that I had better see you at their next gig which is next Wednesday the 21st at Union Pool in Williamsburg as the Devices play the CMJ Music Festival.  Word.

Infernal Devices on MySpace
Infernal Devices on Twitter
Infernal Devices on Facebook

“Fast Enough” by Infernal Devices

Another one straight from the mailbag! By now, it’s safe to say that you all have heard the glorious sounds of the Temper Trap and their single Sweet Disposition. Allow me to present a pretty luscious remix done by Brooklyn’s own Alan Wilkis. A little less fist-pumping and a little more booty-shaking is the order of the day here. What I like so much about this remix is that it retains the integrity of the song. The original progression of the song including lyrics remains the same, Alan simply does a fine job of fitting the original into some newer and sharper threads. Recommended!

Don’t forget! The Temper Trap is playing CMJ this year as part of the Blue Showers Showcase w/ Golden Slivers, Mumford & Sons and Goldhawks at the Music Hall of Williamsburg 22 October! The debut record Conditions is out tomorrow via Glassnote!

Alan Wilkis on MySpace

Alan Wilkis on Twitter

“Sweet Disposition” (Alan Wilkis Remix)

Back from my near week-long sojourn into the ether, I have indeed returned, my dear friends!

Early last week, I witnessed a truly fun show put together by the members of the band, Electric Chariot to appreciate and highlight local female fronted bands. When I was told of this idea, I thought it was definitely a show that I should check out and so I did!. The show took place at Public Assembly here in Williamsburg and it was a fun time had by all who chad come down to support the bands and the concept itself.

Leading off were the Psychedelic Disco Angels.  They are a local duo whose sound was an interesting blend of Mazzy Star and Portishead. The eye-opener during their set lay in the fact that the male guitarist seemed to have a greater role than the female bassist. Aside from that minor quip, theirs was an enjoyable set and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

Next up were a band called Audio Fiction. Theirs was a fun set if you enjoy hearing straight-forward pub rock.  I’m not saying this is a knock to the band’s sound at all as they do have the pieces intact to be a fine act and they excuted quite well. It just left me with a feeling where if one were to close their eyes, it would be feasible to imagine this sound emanating from any given band playing in any given bar in any given region at any given time.

Next up was my discovery for the night, a band called Hank & Cupcakes.  A bass and drums duo made up of Cupcakes on drums and vocals and Hank on the bass with help from really cool synthesizer effects.  Their set was definitely an eye-opener and so much fun as they truly had the audience eating out of their hands with the band’s brand of infectious tunes. They even threw in a great rendition of Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control for good measure. The band recently had a party this past Friday at Piano’s to celebrate the release of their EP, Pleasure Town. I regret that I was not able to attend but this is definitely a band to keep your eyes on. Remember the name…Hank & Cupcakes.

Last but most certainly not least, the headliners, Electric Chariot. The alt-rock outfit is simply getting better every time they hit the stage and it’s simply a pleasure to watch them as they evolve. Led by the siren of New York rock, Victoria Schwartz, the band blistered through their set of head-bashers and even premiered a newly penned track, Cheshire Cat.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening.  Some quality tunes, some promising new talent and a good time had by all!

Earlier this evening I did a wee hop, skip and a jump to a brand new DIY venue here in Da ‘Burg called Live From Shea Stadium affectionately titled after the recently torn down monstrosity in Flushing, Queens where my dearly beloved Metropolitans now play in Citi Field. Yes, I’m a jock. Deal.  So…the venue is very cool. It’s pretty spacious and is set up to record live performances so it’s definitely a place that local bands in the area will want to check out for small shows and what not.

Tonight’s visit was to bear witness for the first time to Clinical Trials in a live setting. I’ve already gushed over their sound so I was excited to see them play out. I’d say they delivered quite handily.  A frenetic and shambolic set featuring faltering microphones, a flying bass and loads of LOUD! It was everything one could want in such an intimate setting. The band was tight and lead singer/guitarist Somer Bingham did not disappoint as she ensnared the crowd in her wall of wail in songs like Disco Headphones and Polly Got Away. The band definitely brought the force as they pummeled the audience with tons of energy and sweat.

Check them out…now!

“Polly Got Away”, from the forthcoming release, “In The Wake Of The Digital Afterlife”