Fiddle While You Burn

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I had no idea Editors already have such a big following. Webster Hall was packed!

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Editors - video: "Blood, live @ SXSW"

Labels: Editors, Webster Hall

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/30/2006 04:22:00 PM | Comments

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I made my way down to new Manhattan yupster hotspot Fontana's in Chinatown to catch an action packed set from UK future stars the Duke Spirit. I'd never seen them or heard anything they'd done before but I'd gotten a good tip that they were worth catching before they headed west to the Coachella Festival. Well I totally lucked out because this band Rocks!

Imagine a bluesier, British Metric and you'd be pretty close to their intense, hard rockin' sound. Sultry frontwoman Leila Moss has got a dynamic vocal range and commanding stage presence - it's easy to lose yourself in the tunes as she weaves her hypnotic spell. The pulsating soundscapes are provided by a confident band that seemed to be having fun pushing their material to a new level in this intimate live setting. No detached Brit shoegazing here, these guys thrashed & bounced through the whole set. I'm not sure about all the song names but "Cuts Across the Land" was a definitely highlight, as was Leila's smooth harmonica solo on another tune (is there anything sexier than a woman who can sing and play the harmonica?). By the time the band reached the roaring finale it was clear the positive buzz will continue. Definitely worth checking out for anyone who likes hot women or well written rock n' roll songs.

Related Posts
http://fwyb.blogspot.com/2006/04/04-20-duke-spirit-skylight-studios.html

Labels: Duke Spirit, fontanas

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/27/2006 04:25:00 PM | Comments

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****
Billbones always draws a fun crowd so this show was a good time but the strangest thing happened. I'm snapping some pics when I turn around and notice that the small crowd is made up almost entirely of cute college age blondes. I thought to myself "Good Lord - no one's gonna believe this!". So I snuck around and shot the pic above. Who knows maybe the guys are really big in Sweden.

Related Posts:
06-28 Billbones @ Lit
06-08 Billbones @ Sin-e
04-30 Billbones @ CBGBs
04-07 Billbones @ R n R
02-24 Billbones @ CBGBs
02-08 Billbones @ Crash Mansion

Labels: Billbones, Mercury Lounge, Young Things

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/26/2006 04:29:00 PM | Comments

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****
This city can be full of surprises. Take my friend Jonas' birthday party on Saturday night. I made my way past a velvet rope, a VH1 camera crew, through a crowd of models and celebs (Mike Myers, Jimmy Fallon, etc.) into the main music room of R&R where I was practically brought to my knees by a crippling blast of unbelievably LOUD rock. I spotted my friend Evan and screamed desperately over the music "Christ, this is insane!" but he cooly replied "Give it a minute, it's actually pretty good". And he was right, Up the Empire were really good.

Once my brain had time to adjust; I began to see how key the noise was to their sound and how adept Up the Empire is at controlling the sonic blasts and using them to create subtle textures. Their sound reminded me of a slightly faster, heavier My Bloody Valentine or Secret Machines. By the end those in the crowd brave enough to last through the set were impressed by their high energy performance & surprisingly catchy songs.

Labels: Up the Empire

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/25/2006 04:32:00 PM | Comments

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****
Webster Hall was completely sold out & packed wall to wall. So; just to switch things up a bit, I shot these pics from the nosebleed seats in the upper balcony. It was a nice change - you could really see the joy on faces in the crowd as the Arctic Monkeys played through their string of hits that have them blowing up all over the world. They were more energetic than the last time I saw them at Mercury Lounge, stumbling & flailing around for emphasis at some points - but still played it safe for the most part, letting the songs speak for themselves. They played almost their entire album and at least one new song. The crowd remained in high spirits throughout - the guys breaking into slurred Euro soccer chants & the girls shrieking desperately for the bands cover of "Love Machine" (also one of my Arctic Monkey favorites). The way things are going for this band their next show in NY will have to be at Roseland or the Garden to fit the crowds. I'd like to see them do an unplugged set though - the song writing on some of the tunes is so good they'd probably be better off Vox free.

Labels: Arctic Monkeys, Webster Hall

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/25/2006 04:15:00 PM | Comments

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****
Ever since catching them at Pianos a while back, I try to check out Groupsounds shows whenever I can. Unafraid to mix it up with the crowd; they normally get the party going at the bar before hitting the stage, and then when it’s show time – look out. Their songs are non-stop fun Clash/Jam influenced party rock (“Things Fall Apart” will stick in your head instantly), they aren’t afraid to demand that you dance (but you probably already will be) and in true Iggy Pop/Libertines style their sets almost always end with the crowd rushing onstage smiling & dancing. At R&R they even got Mike Myers bobbing along in the shadows. If you’re looking for the perfect dance rock party band Groupsounds is it.

#

Labels: Groupsounds

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/25/2006 04:08:00 PM | Comments

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****
Foreign Islands is one of the few bands underground bands in NYC where people actually dance at their shows. It’s hard to resist because they consistently bring tons of energetic, catchy songs, and the crowds totally vibe off them. I managed to bob, weave, elbow & crawl my way through the packed crowd at the Lyceum to the get these shots. But it was so pitch black in the room I didn't notice some flying beer had landed on my camera lense. So there are spots all over the shots - but I like the effect.

Related Posts
07-17 Foreign Islands @ Union Pool
04-06 Foreign Islands @ Rothko
03-03 Foreign Islands @ Cake Shop

Labels: Cake Shop, Foreign Islands

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/24/2006 04:13:00 PM | Comments

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I'm still trying to wrap my aching head around everything that went down at South by Southwest '06. There was so much music & endless free booze that while I was down there I felt like I was slacking but I actually wound up seeing alot of great bands (31 in three days!). My camera got stolen at this crazy party Saturday night but one of my friends down there loaned me a backup and I powered on. Wu Tang killed it as always but this time with a live band Roots style (people forget but Wu's an indie band); Editors looked unstoppable - definitely future stars; Voxtrot were the most consistent (it seemed like they were at every party), We Are Wolves made alot of new fans rocking the late night VIP parties, Silversun Pickups we're my favorite new discovery (amazing!) and DMBQ completely blew everyone's minds - it was the stuff of legend. They ended their insane set by throwing their drum kit into the middle of the crowd at this mexican roadhouse and the smashing it to pieces with a cinder block!! It was even more nuts than it sounds. So despite some setbacks and bad weather I had a blast and met a lot of cool people. Austin is great and you should all try to make it down next year.

Cheers to all my friends & thanks for your continued love & support,

- FWYB

(and bumps to Stolen Transmission, Fixed NYC, Todd P, Fader, Vice, Spaceland, Southpaw, Diesel, Adult Swim, Glurp & Little Radio for throwing the best parties of the week)

Labels: Editors, Ghostface Killah, QOTSA, Queens of the Stone Age, Silversun Pickups, We Are Wolves, WuTang Clan

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/22/2006 10:15:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/21/2006 10:06:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/20/2006 10:17:00 PM | Comments

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My neighborhood rock club Southpaw came through with one of the best parties of SXSW. Big Daddy Kane cancelled but Baltimore's Spank Rock filled in with an excellent live set that had the crowd bumpin'.

Labels: Southpaw, Spank Rock, Spankrock, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 11:17:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: Gossip, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 11:09:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: Love Is All, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 11:09:00 PM | Comments

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***
The band looked and sounded a bit worn down after what must have been a grueling few days at the Festival. Tensions were running high as the singer and lead guitarist shot dry lines back and forth.

Labels: Envelopes, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 11:01:00 PM | Comments

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Long story but some asshole swiped my camera at this late night party and I lost an entire days worth of pics including:

Foreign Islands
Lady Sovereign
Damone
Boy Kill Boy
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Deathray Davies
Grand Champeen
Guillemots
Mystery Jets
Man Man

Thieving sux, all you do is create bad karma for yourself. Luckily some friends in Austin looked out and hooked me up with a decent backup camera.

Labels: Foreign Islands, Man Man, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 10:58:00 PM | Comments

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Unfortunatley due to tech difficulty I couldn't really capture it (my camera was stolen the night before so I had to shoot with my crappy backup camera), but Silversun Pickups were by far one of the best bands I saw during SXSW. The music was simply great - it had sort of a grungy, almost surfy feel with catchy vocals and they seemed to be in good spirits laughing and joking with the morning crowd. Other bands had more hype going into this party but everyone was talking about Silversun after.

Watch & Listen:
Silversun Pickups - video: "Lazy Eye (live)"

Labels: Silversun Pickups, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 10:55:00 PM | Comments

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By the time I got out to Todd P's jam at Aunt B's SXSW had left me with a "ehhhh" feeling. I had seen some good stuff but nothing really Rocking or mind blowing. Some asshole had stolen my camera, my motel was shamefully horrible, guest list craziness everywhere, Sixth Street was honestly like a lame Bourbon St. rip off, the weather was crappy, and in general the festival had been a bit of a disappointment.

Everything changed when DMBQ hit the tiny stage at the back of Aunt B's Mexican road house. The party was in the wilderness on the east side of I-35 and way off the beaten path, but I knew Todd P would come through with something special - he's been throwing some of the best underground rock parties in NYC for years.

DMBQ had everything I live for - hard rocking tunes, unbelievable intensity, fearless showmanship. It was pure fire from the first note and the crowd was totally vibing off their unrestrained passion. For me it was especially great because I caught one of Guitar Wolf's last shows (if you don't know who they are - they are GODS) and this band is definitely a descendant of that same "Jet Rock" spirit. At one point the drummer hung upside down from the ceiling and banged his drums, the singer strapped the microphone to his face and screamed into it while shredding on his guitar until he started to gag. The bass player jumped up and started to do this smooth Chuck Berry duck walk along this rickety wood beam right next to my head then dove back onto the stage without missing a beat. For the "finale" they flung the entire drum kit into the middle of the crowd, then smashed it to pieces with a giant cinder block. It was even more nuts to see than it sounds and the perfect ending to the perfect show.

The crowd screamed and thrashed through the whole set and by the end was totally blown away. I kept bumping into people who were there over the next couple of days and every single one said it was the best set they saw of the fest. I'll remember it for the rest of my life and it was just the kick in the ass I needed. Because up next was Ghostface Killah...

Watch & Listen:
DMBQ - video: "DMBQ's Explosive SXSW Finale"

Labels: DMBQ, SXSW, Todd P

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/19/2006 10:21:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: SXSW, the Giraffes

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 11:11:00 PM | Comments

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Fair or unfair, Editors have a ton of expectations weighing on them every time they hit the stage due to singer Tom Smith's striking vocal & physical resemblance to Joy Division legend Ian Curtis & the strength of their debut album "the Back Room" (one of the best noir rock albums of the past year). Factor in a string of talented opening acts (Boy Most Likely to, Voxtrot, Spinto Band) and a small but rowdy crowd of roaring drunk, jaded, SXSW industry types and it was clear the boys from Birmingham would have to dig deep.

Well they certainly came through with an intense performance. I'd never seen them before but it felt like this show was something special in terms of energy, delivery, and chemistry with the crowd. They avoided the slower album tracks focusing on their harder material. Standout tracks like "Munich" and "Bullets" ring out with a surging intensity that takes the songs to new heights in the live setting. It's clear that this band has both the songwriting & performance talent to go a long way. This was one of the first parties I hit during SXSW week and thanks to a great line-up highlighted by the Editors, and a fun crowd it turned out to be one of the best.

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Labels: Dig the Well, Editors, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 10:47:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: SXSW, Voxtrot

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 10:44:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: Boy Least Likely To, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 10:37:00 PM | Comments

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I normally try to stay impartial when I do this photo blog stuff but I won’t bother with Wu Tang Clan, Wu is my very favorite group ever. Why? Their sound combines elements from the entire Diaspora of contemporary black music and adds completely unique modern touches to form a brand of hip-hop that is really it’s own genre that exists parallel to say, Southern Rap, or Gansta Rap, or East Coast Rap. When you hear a Wu song, you know its Wu. Listen closely and you’ll hear elements of Jazz, Soul, Blues, Funk, Rock, Doo Op, Reggae and R&B. Combine that with a stream-of-consciousness, cinematic, lyrical style that constantly pushes the art of rap to higher, sharper levels. It’s a level of originality, individuality, and ingenuity all artists should strive for.

For years, only the Roots have been more dynamic or consistent live Hip-Hop group than Wu. So for this show the GZA, U-God, Inspector Deck, and Raekwon snatched a page out of the Philly band’s play book by dropping their classics backed by the El Michaels Affair. It came off much better than either band must have expected as the live set up gave the MCs flexibility to quickly rework and rearrange their songs on the spot to suit the moment. The band was clearly having fun watching the packed Austin crowd go bananas as they weaved through ten years of solo & group hits. “Protect Ya Neck”, “Liquid Swords”, “It’s Yours”, “Pinky Ring” all had the packed Austin crowd going bananas.

Even though it was only four of the remaining 8 original members they rocked the crowd with one classic banger after another. At one point GZA paused and ask the crowd to pay a silent moment of respect to the late Old Dirty Bastard. After a short pause a few twinkling piano keys dropped and he busted into OLB’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”. A packed crowd of lucky hipp-hoppers screamed along to the heavens “Oooh baby I like it Raaaaaw!”. It was classic Wu. Hopefully Dirty could hear ‘em.

Watch & Listen:
Wu Tang Clan w/ El Michaels Affair - video: "Bring
The Ruckus (Live)"

Related Posts:
Best of South by Southwest 2006
From the Archives: SXSW: 03-19 Ghostface Killah @ Fader
SXSW: Day 1 El Michaels Affair @ Stubbs
11-22 Genious / GZA @ Crash Mansion

Labels: El Michaels Affair, GZA, Raekwon, Stubbs, SXSW, WuTang Clan

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 10:34:00 PM | Comments

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Watch & Listen:
Wu Tang Clan w/ El Michaels Affair - video: "Bring
The Ruckus (Live)"

Related Posts:
Best of South by Southwest 2006
From the Archives: SXSW: 03-19 Ghostface Killah @ Fader
SXSW: Day 1 Wu Tang Clan @ Stubbs BBQ
11-22 Genious / GZA @ Crash Mansion

****
I arrived in Austin, ran immediately from my plane - hopped into a cab - sped to the “luxurious” motel where I was staying - threw my bags into my room – immediately jumped into another cab and sped off towards Stubbs in downtown Austin. Why all the rush? Well, word on the net was that Wu-Tang Clan was doing a private day show backed by a live band.

I wasn't sure what the line-up would be but when I spotted the name El Michaels Affair on the flyer I knew it would be On. Everything I had heard about this Brooklyn band had been overwhelmingly positive and the buzz was right. It was non-stop cool soulFunk - the kind that'll have your mind drifting away to dreams filled with pimped out caddies, fly sistas with afro puffs stroking your cape, or summer BBQs with family & friends. And no cheesy 70’s sweatro, glitter sunglasses, diapers and spaceships stuff - just laid in the cut Soul that lets the music do the talkin’. Kinda like Mayfield on "No Place Like America Today" but all instrumental.

This band was the perfect start to SXSW, the crowd was sippin’ their beers smiling and dancing along and every few seconds you’d here someone ask “Who’s this?”. When Wu-Tang was announced and the El Michaels Affair didn't leave the stage a huge cheer went up and I thought to myself “This is why I love Wu, they really understand MUSIC!”...

Labels: El Michaels Affair, GZA, SXSW

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/18/2006 10:29:00 PM | Comments

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Related Posts:
10.07.05 Metric @ Southpaw
09.17.05 CMJ Metric @ Hiro

Labels: Metric, Webster Hall

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/11/2006 04:06:00 PM | Comments

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Labels: Cake Shop, Mixel Pixel

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/04/2006 03:59:00 PM | Comments

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After a long evening of hard LES partying, I popped into Cake Shop and was lucky enough to catch Foreign Islands. The band gave an excellent performance filled with great energy & catchy dance-rock tunes. The late-night hipster crowd was bopping around, singin' along and totally loving it. Can't wait to catch these guys again...

Related Posts
07-17 Foreign Islands @ Union Pool
04-06 Foreign Islands @ Rothko
03-24 Foreign Islands @ Brooklyn Lyceum

Labels: Cake Shop, Foreign Islands

Posted by Nev Brown for FWYB at 3/03/2006 03:55:00 PM | Comments