After The Jump Fest - Noise Stage!

2008 Noise Stage Lineup
@ Galapagos
June 21st, 2008 Noon

Featuring: Ponytail, Power Douglas, Fiasco, The Shackeltons, Extra Life, The Austerity Program, Cursillistas, Monotract, Dinowalrus, Autodrone, Alex and the Horribles, Noveller, Brilliant Sweater, and more!!!

After the Jump is the joint effort of 20 New York City music bloggers whose sites attract over one million readers a week. Founded last year in support of underfunded city school music programs, After the Jump has planned and staged concerts in association with the massive South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City as well as our own all day and night festival last summer in Brooklyn. This summer, on June 21st, After the Jump will be partnering with Make Music NY to throw our second annual festival, taking over the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Galapagos Art Space, and the North 6th Street itself with four stages and over 40 bands.

After the Jump Fest 2008 is brought to you by our awesome sponsors:
Metromix.com
Stereofame.com
Snoozer Loser
Gen Art Pulse

AFTER THE JUMP IS ORGANIZED BY:
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . musicisart . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners

For press opportunities such as interviews with the organizers or bands, please contact publicity@afterthejumpfest.com
For sponsorship and all other requests, contact producer Jennifer Kellas: jkellas@afterthejumpfest.com

If you don't love me now, you will never love me again

Dear friends,

If you're prone to feverish, fan-fictionesque flights of fancy about the rock bands in your life, then you must be a Fleetwood Mac fan. It's practically mandatory. They make it so easy. Everyone WAS sleeping with each other and busy as beavers being bitter about it. No projection necessary; most of the songs were meant as nasty little messages. To one another, old lovers, new lovers, rivals, to the listener.

The Chain/Fleetwood Mac (mp3)

McVie is talking MAD shit about your outfit.
Everytime I hear The Chain* it has such satisfying snap. Lindsay Buckingham is seemingly leading the recrimination charge with the lead vocal but since everyone else comes in and out on the singing as well, his attack doesn't quite land as it should. There's no clear injured party. Everyone is claiming the role of righteous victim. You wronged me, see? No, you wronged ME! And so on, and so on. Of course the song is smart too. It knows that because no one is willing to accept responsibility or see anyone else's point of view but their own, they will never be able to part. They are stuck with each other forever; a figure 8 of pointed fingers.

Purchase Rumours by Fleetwood Mac on Amazon Digital.

Love, D

* In fact, it's so fa-fa-fresh that I'm confounded as to why it wasn't Track 1 on Rumours. I never heard this album on vinyl, can anyone tell me if this was at least the first song on the second half of the record?

Fugazi Covers Project (A Benefit)

Hello All,

Just wanted to draw your attention to The Fugazi Covers Project, which a fundraising effort for Braking the Cycle - proceeds go to benefit the HIV/AIDS services at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of NYC.

Aside from the fact that the project benefits a really important cause, anybody who's participated in d's covers projects before knows that they're a lot of fun, not to mention a good opportunity for those of us who don't play in bands regularly to have some musical output. Plus, an exciting twist in this case is that Fugazi has actually approved the project and asked for a couple copies of the final product.

If you're interested in participating in the project (or just want to see what it's all about), just follow the link above.

Let's go out tonight!

Dear friends,

It's been so long since I've felt that going-out excitement. Like the jittery teenage nerves that I'd manage while getting ready to see friends somewhere out there in big bad NYC. I've always equated that feeling with a particular sound. The skeletal, echoing skitter of Robert Smith's guitar. No joke. Some people get their party up to dance music, not I. I like nothing more than cranking Primary on the headphones and pretending I'm putting on makeup in a speeding car. It matches the nerves perfectly.

Social situations terrify me, see?

So yeah, I don't know if I've gotten better with groups of people (doubtful) or if the fact that putting on nighttime make-up nowadays makes me look more like a cabbage patch doll than a siren (possible) but the feeling is dormant for now. I walk through the streets of my neighborhood looking at other people's homes and miss the party on purpose.

On the plus side, this song makes me feel like I'll get out there again.

Ghost Train/Thrushes (mp3)

photo by Jamie Onderdonk
Ghost Train by Thrushes starts out with what is probably a completely unintentional homage to the classic Cure intro and quickly dovetails into a jubilant celebration of GETTING THE FUCK OUTCHA HOUSE. The give and take of those opposing parts create a striking balance between anxiety and joy. For those that like girl-shouts, sonic uplift and pure, naive rush to their pre-game. What are you waiting for? Go pick out your outfit.

Purchase Sun Come Undone by Thrushes.

Love, D

A brief interlude involving Kids in the Hall

Kids in the Hall are in the midst of a North American tour, and I'm swept up in the madness. Their NYC shows were this weekend, and now my personal tour with them is over (unless I go completely insane and decide to go to Philly in the middle of the week, which is extremely unlikely.)

As I ease back into the stresses of work and moving to a new apartment, I am still finding myself insanely distracted by this tour. Maybe because I add a thousand people a day as their Myspace friends, or because I'm Tavie.

Anyway, their director, Jim Millan, was kind enough to provide me with a track list of the music for this current show. The preshow music is in no particular order (the cue music, of course, is.)

Preshow music:
Pump - B-52's
Rockferry - Duffy
Warwick Avenue - Duffy
03 03 A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
How Long Do I Have To Wait For You? - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Everything Is Average Nowadays - Kaiser Chiefs
Most Exalted Potentate Of Love (The Cramps Cover) - Queens of the Stone Age
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
la la her madly - ruff muff
ageless beauty - Stars
take your mama out - scissor sisters
Let it Ride - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Everyday Should Be A Holiday - The Dandy Warhols
Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
Filthy and Gorgeous - Scissor sisters
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
My Doorbell - The White Stripes
Highway 61 Revisited - Karen O & The Million Dollar Bashers
Stuck In The Middle - Mika
I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor - Arctic Monkeys
Gay Bar - Electric Six
Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
Me And Mr Jones (Fuckery) - Amy Winehouse
Bodysnatchers - Radiohead
Tear off our own head - Elvis Costello
Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
Rollover D.J. - Jet
Hey Ya! [Outkast Cover] (Live (BBC Live Lounge with Jo Whiley) - Razorlight
Just Because - Janes Addiction
Big Sur - The Thrills
Heterosexual Man - Odds
The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Shut Up & Drive - Rihanna
-

And this is the cue list in the show with interstitial music
Having an Average Weekend - Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
Here I Come - - The Roots (Feat. Malik B & Dice Raw)
take your mama out - scissor sisters
Get Out of My Dreams, Get into My Car - Billy Ocean
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) - The White Stripes
Cheap And Cheerful - The Kills
Everyone's A V.I.P To Someone - The Go! Team
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1 - The Flaming Lips
LA Woman - The Doors
Dragonballz - Dragon Ball Z scary fight music(1) - Dragon Ball Z
Male Pee - Kids in the Hall
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
Superman Theme - John Williams
Ever Fallen In Love - Nouvelle Vague
Ask Me Nice - Mose Allison
Theme From The Tiki Wonder Hour - Combustible Edison
Salma Dance - Los Lobos
Hey Little World - The Hives
The Doorbell Encore - team9 - white stripes vs jayz vs queen
Ballad of Mack the Knife - Three Penny Opera
Grade 8 Dance - Kids in the Hall
Brokeback Mountain Theme - Wings - Gustavo Santaolalla
Meeting Paris Hilton - CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
la la her madly - ruff muff
Music Is My Hot Hot Sex - CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
Teenagers - My Chemical Romance

After The Jump returns!

In a few short months, it will be Summer and that means the second annual After the Jump Fest! Bigger, better with even more acts and surprise guests, this year the festival takes place along side the city wide music event, Make Music New York (which itself is a part of the worldwide music phenomenon that takes place in 300 cities in 108 countries) on the first day of Summer, June 21st.

After the Jump Fest is the effort of 20 New York City music bloggers whose goal is to help new artists gain exposure while raising money for struggling school music programs. This year, After the Jump is teaming up with The Music Hall of Williamsburg and Galapagos Art Space for a festival stretching from noon until last call. In the next few months, After the Jump blogs will be making more announcements about the festival including new artists and pre-parties. Stay tuned and in the mean time, check out AftertheJumpFest.com for information on our past events and mark your calendars! It's going to be a doozy.

AFTER THE JUMP IS ORGANIZED BY:
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . theunderratedblog . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners

For press opportunities such as interviews with the organizers or bands, please contact publicity@afterthejumpfest.com
For sponsorship and all requests, contact producer Jennifer Kellas: jkellas@afterthejumpfest.com

In a few short months, it will be Summer and that means the second annual After the Jump Fest! Bigger, better with even more acts and surprise guests, this year the festival takes place along side the city wide music event, Make Music New York (which itself is a part of the worldwide music phenomenon that takes place in 300 cities in 108 countries) on the first day of Summer, June 21st.

After the Jump Fest is the effort of 20 New York City music bloggers whose goal is to help new artists gain exposure while raising money for struggling school music programs. This year, After the Jump is teaming up with The Music Hall of Williamsburg and Galapagos Art Space for a festival stretching from noon until last call. In the next few months, After the Jump blogs will be making more announcements about the festival including new artists and pre-parties. Stay tuned and in the mean time, check out AftertheJumpFest.com for information on our past events and mark your calendars! It's going to be a doozy.


AFTER THE JUMP IS ORGANIZED BY:
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . theunderratedblog . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners


For press opportunities such as interviews with the organizers or bands, please contact publicity@afterthejumpfest.com
For sponsorship and all requests, contact producer Jennifer Kellas: jkellas@afterthejumpfest.com

He'll want your biography and pictures of you in lace

Dear friends,

As far as songs that fall under the category of "I'm not your dreamboat but I can pretend to be" (and I feel like there might be a few) Sherlock Holmes is a peculiar one. The original, as performed by the kooky Mael brothers aka Sparks, was a confusing little number that came across like a man more interested in his fantasy of masculinity, the brainy, fog dwelling super sleuth Holmes, than the woman he was trying to woo. In the hands of The Dirtbombs things get more interesting. Lead singer/guitarist Mick Collins has always specialized in confident growling, even if you didn't know what he looked like you'd still get a sense that there was an easy, wolfish grin behind that voice. Not that the smile should put you at ease, especially not here. As he slides around the melody and snakes around his intended, you get the feeling that the lady is in far more trouble than she thinks. Perhaps this destroys the story behind the song (namely, he can approximate what she wants but won't be believable in the role) but it does suggest something more daring, which is while he "can dance like Sherlock Holmes" he will NEVER be Sherlock Holmes, and she won't mind one bit.

Sherlock Holmes (Sparks cover)/The Dirtbombs (mp3)


Purchase We Have You Surrounded by The Dirtbombs on Amazon Digital

The Dirtbombs play The Bowery Ballroom this Friday, April 11th and I am jealous of every single person that is going to that show.

Love, D

For I will weather the storm

Dear friends,

I was waiting for the F train a couple of days ago. When I got on, I eyeballed the car looking for that elusive morning commute seat. I saw a disheveled redheaded man in his late 40s with an empty seat next to him. He saw me look at it and him. He narrowed his eyes and shifted slightly in a way that I recognized as psychic projection of DON'TSSITHERE DON'TSITHERE DON'TSITHERE. Tough. I made my way over, gave the loud "Excuse me" and settled into the corner seat. He smelled strange, a mixture of cigarettes, old newspapers and mints. After a couple of minutes of slightly embittered fidgeting, he put his hand in his expensive looking leather bag and slowly pulled out a plastic wrapped comic book. He handled it carefully but made sure to keep himself compact, his reading hands spaced just so, so that the pages were barely open. This way no one could look over his shoulder and see anything other than the words FLASH! and POW! I had to look. I couldn't help it. I'm a voyeur.

A little later a couple got on and came and stood over the man. The girl had great tousled 60s sex kitten hair and large sunglasses. Her large leather purse swung haphazardly as she draped herself over her stylish counterpart. Red headed comic guy tensed again. This time I felt his pain. The bag kept swinging closer and closer to his face and his comic book. I waited to see if he'd snap. He didn't but his mind was clearly at work. Trying to keep himself together. I closed my eyes and imagined him in the middle of the sea in a tiny rowboat with his comics, some ham sandwiches and maybe a Victrola. It would be playing this song.

Deep Water/Portishead (mp3)


Back in the day, I was quite the Portishead fan. Dummy was certainly the soundtrack to some turbulent emotional times and who could ask for better background music than Beth Gibbons splintered warble and some well placed wickety wickety scratching. It was James Bond music for people whose sole dangerous mission was to get through their week. It made day to day drudgery profound and thrilling. Romantic disappointment quivering and grand. Nobody loves me? No one but you? Great, because it sounds fabulous and L-U-S-H and therefore has MEANING. Eh, I was young. Anywho, I haven't given Third enough of a thorough listen to deem it as powerful, it isn't First so how could it possibly compare? It's a harder edged beast, less atmospherics, more confrontational. Deep Water sticks out from the other tracks by virtue of its very otherness. Like the metaphoric scenario it presents, the song sounds utterly alone, adrift in the middle of the ocean. Gibbons sings quietly to soothe herself from the terrors and is joined on the chorus by disembodied male voices that repeat her lines. Are they mocking her? Or reassuring her? I can't help but feel, despite the fragility of this brief little tune, that there is hope on the horizon. Another boat? A waiting friend? Or perhaps, at long last, land.

Pre-order Third by Portishead.

Love, D

I'm giving it all in a moment

Dear friends,

Things will really get all dear diary up in here today I think.

I was very tired. The kind of tired where it seems like exaggeration. My head kept falling down towards my desk. I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't. I was at work. But I really wanted to turn off the monitor and close my eyes. Instead, I stared stupidly ahead, weaving slightly, eyes half-closed, until I could leave. When I got home, I ate dinner, drowsily touched J on the cheek, got up and went to bed. It was 8:30. I haven't gone to bed that early my entire life. Not even as a child. I'm just not a sleeper.

That was the first sign.

For some women finding out they are pregnant is this giant hip hop hooray type of moment. For me it was sheer abject terror. It was unexpected and I was unprepared. I thought about all the holiday drinks I consumed, all the jumping and running I'd been doing, the spinal meds I'd been poking into my stomach with a syringe and godknowswhatelse. I went to see my doctor and he looked at me with bemused, basset hound eyes. "You want this baby?" he asked. I started laughing nervously for what was probably too long. "Yes. Of course I do." And as soon as I said it, I knew it was true.

We were told we should wait the requisite three month period before telling people. "It might not take" was what we were told. I thought about the taking and not taking. I stopped running. Started walking (when I wasn't busy being ill) and stopped taking my medicine against my doctor's advice. No twenty year study on Humira, eh? No thanks, I'll pass on the needle action. Developed overnight superhero sense of smell, which is the crappiest superhero power imaginable. Started reading alarming books about fetal development that delineated everything that could possibly go wrong. Cried a lot. Laughed a lot too. It's just too ridiculous. I'm not a baby person, never have been.

Going out was unbearable, not only did I feel like shit but suddenly I was without the magical elixir that made it possible for me to talk to people and not hide in the shrubbery: alcohol. I found myself squirming through conversations that I could've previously handled with some well placed backslapping and arm punching. I discovered that most of my friends really only like to meet in bars. I rediscovered that more than half the people I know despise children. Very vocally and loudly. I thought about how often I heard these discussions in the past and shrugged uncomfortably. I didn't want any kids but who am I to judge another's joy? Now I listened and felt guilty. Like an intruder. An undercover breeder coming to bring more caterwauling infants into the world. I felt angry because what I really wanted was to be past the three month wait so I could scream out "I AM THE ENEMY AND I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE MY SPAWN PEES ON YOUR FLOOR AND PUKES PUREED BANANAS ON YOUR COUCH!"

Not really. C'mon, I got more class than that! The thing is I am ambivalent about most things. Except for one. I love the baby daddy. He is the best person I have ever known. If I can help out the world by bringing some more of him into it then I figure I'm not such a fuck up. Besides I am very excited about acquiring a brand new encyclopedia set and reading out loud about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Because babies need to know about the ancient wonders of the world.

Anywho, as of today, we are finally past the three month mark and all our tests have come back with desired results. My family in Chile has been alerted prompting several hilarious phone calls from relatives who are appalled by my Spanish but overjoyed at the news. To those of you J and I couldn't tell in person this past week, we are sorry. Setting up these conversations is harder than you think, it's not like we were buying a car or taking a trip, an IM just wasn't going to cut it. Also, personal circumstances have been difficult. All those lay offs you keep hearing about? They're coming your way, best believe.

To those of you that were expecting wedding invites, you'll get them but not for a while. We need to find new jobs first. Perhaps in a year? Our nuptial BBQ will happen. We promise. We hope. Fingers crossed.

I continue to be terrified by the way. Things could still go wrong. The birthing books are scarier than the pregnancy books. BUT I'm less scared at the thought of being a mother and I never thought I'd get there. 2008 is definitely my sea change year. The future is here.

The Kick Inside/Kate Bush (mp3)

Ms Bush writes about ladies things.
Purchase The Sensual World by Kate Bush on Amazon Digital.

Love, D

* The Monkey thinks this is ridiculous, who needs actual Encyclopedias when you have the internets! Kinda takes away the magic a bit though, doesn't it?

Whatever happens do the dance

Dear friends,

A dream:

I am dressed in medieval garb. I am me, I am not me. It's hard to say, but judging from my outfit and surroundings it would appear I'm on the pilgrim's path and the pilgrim's path looks a lot like the 9W next to the Hudson. It's no highway though, it's a road, glassed over like a mall walkway, lined with diversions. I know that at some point I should stop or take a detour, I have vague-ish plans to visit the Woodbury Outlet Mall (?!?) but I keep walking. It's important to note that every time I encounter someone on this road (an old man, a woman and her toddler, a teenage boy, a group of Japanese school kids) I have to put down my staff and backpack and burst into dance. They're dancing too. Our soundtrack is this song. It blares out from nowhere. We dance for a chorus and when the music stops, we simply go on our way.

D.A.N.C.E./Justice (mp3)

Justice n'approuve pas ce rêve
Purchase Cross by Justice on Amazon Digital.

After miles of walking and several dance-offs, I notice a church entryway. I peer in and admire the vaulted arches and stained glass windows. No one is inside. I notice a woman sitting to the right of the entrance who looks a bit like Blaire from the Facts of Life and ask her if she's waiting to go in. She tells me that it's open, she's already been inside because "she's been to Europe" and that now she's just waiting for her friends to catch up. Right. I have friends too. They're lagging behind. Should I wait for them here? I could use a rest. I'm in the middle of making my decision when my alarm goes off.

Love, D

My eyes were blind but you turned on the moon

Dear friends,

I'd like to draw your attention to something lovely.

(photo by Lars Stephen)
Last week, Stereogum* debuted the fabulous new video to Dean and Britta's cover of Ann-Margret and Lee Hazlewood's You Turn My Head Around.

You Turn My Head Around/Dean and Britta (video)


DISCLAIMER! I am SO biased because I am friends with the clip's talented director, Sera Rogacki AND I had a hand in casting the video. I wear many hats. Anywho, I'm loving the way this Jacques Dutronc inspired mini-movie turned out! Check it out and bask in the cameos by Oweinama from Madam Robot and The Lust Brigade, Lady Byrd from Who Needs Radio, Demetri Martin, Olga Bell from Bell, George and Jess from El Jezel and Sammy and Cesar from The Lisps!

(photo by Lars Stephen)
Here's the original version for the purists...

You Turn My Head Around/Ann-Margret and Lee Hazlewood (mp3)

Purchase The Cowboy and the Lady by Lee Hazlewood and Ann-Margret from eMusic.


Do give the cover a listen. Britta's vocal is effortless which is no small feat given the song's tonal-shift demands. From pretty and soft to soaring and exuberant, that drawn out shout of "Baaaabyyyyyyyyyy!" sounds like love in all its Springtime hues.


Purchase Back Numbers by Dean and Britta on Amazon Digital.

Love, D

* The 'Gum video player was giving me issues, freezing repeatedly, so rather than link, I embedded this one from You Tube instead.

After The Jump @ SXSW '08!

After the Jump is headed to SXSW for the first time ever with four outrageous shows, including our very own official showcase (not bad for an organization under a year old huh?).

Each show has some incredible tricks up its sleeve, so if you are headed to Austin, don't miss out!

Friday 3/14, 7pm
The After the Jump Backyard @ 1204 Salina St. - East Side
Free and open to the public + Free beer and bbq!
7 Laura Palmer
745 Senryu
830 The Physics of Meaning
915 Salt and Samovar
10 Oliver Future
1045 These United States
1130 The Lisps

Saturday 3/15, High Noon
ATJ/Indie Outlaw/Paper Garden Day Party @ Lucky Lounge 209 W 5th St,
Free and open to the public, Open bar + bbq and free shirts and bags courtesy of Speakerheart!
1215 Peasant
100 The Pendletons
145 Darla Farmer
230 The Answering Machine
330 LoveLikeFire
415 Morning State
5 Cloud Cult

Saturday 3/15, 2pm
The After the Jump Backyard @ 1204 Salina St. - East Side
Free and open to the public + Free beer and bbq!
215 Bell
3 Laura Gibson
4 Luke Temple
5 The Lisps
6 White Ghost Shivers
7 Jukebox the Ghost

Saturday 3/15, 7:30pm
ATJ Official SXSW Evening Showcase at Lambert's BBQ
401 W 2nd St - badges and limited tickets @ door
8 The Teenage Prayers
9 Care Bears On Fire
10 Neimo
11 Tigercity
12 Cassettes Won't Listen
1 Project Jenny, Project Jan

Find out more about us and our causes at www.afterthejumpfest.com and stay tuned for some big announcements in 2008!

Make sure as well to check out our sponsors whom have devoted time and money to aid After the Jump in their efforts. Without them, this would not be possible:

Trak Image
Speakerheart
ASCAP
WOXY
BlogFresh Radio
BuzzFeed

AFTER THE JUMP IS ORGANIZED BY:
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . theunderratedblog . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners

I'll Take the Green, please.

Reiko remembers 尾崎豊 Yutaka Ozaki:

"God, the things I wanted to do to him when I was 12!" She bites her glossed lip and smiles.

"I bet."

"He was terribly good looking," she moans. "I mean he was beautiful enough to convince you that he wasn't even real, you know those impossibly good-looking people. On the poster he was an idol but when he sang, he turned into an idol with a beating heart. Do you get what I mean?"

Sure.

"Not really. Go on."

She is more than glad to. Yutaka Ozaki devastated Japan at the same time the New Kids were the right stuff and Johnny Kitagawa hit his stride. Kitagawa spearheaded the boy band scene in Japan. Asia's answer to Menudo, he's been marketing and packaging musical eye candy since the 60's. Nearly everything he touches turns into (a lawsuit) gold. Man loves his job. He finds clean young Ganymedes and trains them, as only the Japanese can, to be beautiful, flawless and forever under 21. Then he makes a killing. Johnny's Entertainment Media and its proteges are still in rotation, of course. There's a lot of want out there.

Yutaka Ozaki was a bounty. Impeccable looks, great voice, marketable teeth (rare!) But he was no Johnny Boy. For one thing, he didn't dance. For another he wrote his own songs.

If Joey Mycintyre had suddenly stopped "Please Don't Go Girl"-ing to sing about his depression. If Justin stopped bringing sexy back and started regretting getting that girl pregnant. If Britney started singing about moral degradation and lack of freedom, we might get a taste of what Ozaki was about. Nothing is sexier than a rebel, non?

Particularly in Japan. Particularly in the 80's.

That's ヤバい yabai; multi-faceted word meaning essentially "dangerous", "badass", "not good in a good way". Someone willing to do the unthinkable. Pierce their tongue. Speak out. Get notice beyond expectation.

"It drove me crazy!" Reiko laments. "He wrote songs about love, of course, but more about its consequence. How it made you doubt and examine your nature. He sang about loneliness as though he'd never had a friend. He wrote about anger and how good it was. He wrote about what it feels like to have no voice at all. He would get enraged when he sang, genuinely pissed off. I felt really close to him then. No one else ever sang about stuff like that! It was like he was speaking for us rather than to us sometimes. "

In 1992 Ozaki was found dead, half naked in a Tokyo alleyway at age 27.

In 2004, two tribute albums were released. BLUE & GREEN. BLUE consisted of contributions from major label breakers--Mr. Children, Utada Hikaru, Cocco, among others. I listened to this album once and liked it. The top sellers sang Ozaki's songs poised and melodic. A cleanly arranged thank you. Not bad.

The GREEN album was better.

The guys in green, ya know they doin' alright. The Indies and Unknowns. Chords allowed to go raw, to rage, swerve off kilter a bit. Take the contribution from 熊谷 和徳 Kumagai Kazunori, 米軍キャンプUS Armed Force Camp. It opens with a delirious plastic tub drum staccato trying frantically to escape. Or feet. It's what will play when credits roll. Kumagai speaks the lyrics like a requiem.

"Alone on the street with nowhere to go. Industry washed up and friends all gone out one by one like the ash on my cigarette. My soul made a tiny noise the night the heart within you died for the first time. You were so refined in the ways you never smiled. In a crowd of people, never saying a single thing. Tonight let's come together and lick our wounds. We'll fuck them all, mock the world and find love as a blanket to curl up in."

Reiko sighs.

"Maybe I'm just getting older but when I see Kamenashi Kazuya's eyes fill with tears and beg me not to leave in a video, I don't want to hold him because I know when the song is over, he'll be alright."

After the Jump Official SXSW Showcase & Day Party

Dear friends,

Czech it...



After the Jump is throwing TWO shows on March 15th. Pertinent details below...

After the Jump SXSW 2008 Party at The Lucky Lounge
205 W 5th St
Austin, TX
March 15, 2008
Starts at Noon
* Free

AND

After the Jump Official SXSW 2008 Showcase at Lambert’s BBQ
401 W 2nd St
Austin, TX
March 15, 2008
* Badges and limited tickets at the door

Love, D

Neon Lights presents...Eamon Hamilton

Dear friends,

Behold Jeff K's wise words about Eamon Hamilton, our headliner tomorrow night at Neon Light presents... at Galapagos.



"The final performer on Saturday's kick off to the 2008 Neon Lights calendar is Eamon Hamilton, better known to the blog-music devotee as singer and songwriter for Brakes (you can triple that if you feel so inclined). The Brighton, UK band is signed to Rough Trade in the UK, which has brought us such flashes in the pan as the Smiths. He wrote one of the most laser focused political songs of these dark days containing only the lyrics, "Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Cheney/ Stop being such a dick." Their latest record, 2007's The Beatific Visions drew Trans-Atlantic praise that most bands would murder for in publications like NME, Spin, Pitchfork, and the BBC. With that record's successor on his mind already, Eamon's solo set will see some newbies mixed in among the proven oldies. He's been touring this set around the UK, opening for his old band mates British Sea Power, and occasionally wrestling behind them on national television. This will be the first time this material will be played in this manner, for US audiences. Not too bad for our first ever European import.

A smattering of audio-visual evidence for review:

Brakes - "Hold Me in the River"


In which our man, the pugilist, tries his hand at suburban boxing and gratuitously mentions Scarlett Johansson.

Brakes - "Hold Me in the River"

Brakes - "Hi How Are You?/"Heard About Your Band"
(live @ Trash, London)


This first rant against mid-song audience chatter will likely greet any patrons whose late night drinking has effected their internal volume control. And the second war against incessant self-promotion likely applies to Williamsburg in even greater depth than in did to London.

Brakes - "Beatific Visions"
(live @ Chop Suey, Seattle, WA)


You'd think that the song above, a sweet melodic pop song, would translate best to a man-and-his-guitar revamp. Or perhaps it'll be the tender country winders such as the one below that are best suited to the troubadour act...

Brakes - "Be On Your Side"

We'll all find out together on Saturday night/ Sunday morning, I suppose.

And even though I don't think he was with them at this point, how about a song from Eamon's running buddies British Sea Power, just for kicks.

British Sea Power - "Fear of Drowning" (early single version)

Remember folks that you still have a pair of opportunities to gain free admission to the extravaganza, and see Eamon along with Crystal Stilts and Titus Andronicus. For the first, check the details at Prefix, and for the second just avert your attention to a previous post on this very site. Your reasons for resistance are looking ever thinner..."

Sounds good eh? I think so. Also, our DJs for the night, Cindy Hotpoint and Pinkie Von Bloom of the fabulous (and newly resuscitated - yay!) The Rich Girls Are Weeping and David Klein, Merry Swankster contributor and mad genius behind their Numerology series, are sure to delight and thrill the ears of our discerning audience. See you there!

Love, D

Neon Light presents...Titus Andronicus

Dear friends,

A little information on Titus Andronicus, courtesy of Jeff K...



"As you know, the first Neon Lights show of 2008 is going down this Saturday, at Galapagos in Williamsburg. The second in our slate of Saturday night bands, in Shakespeare's/New Jersey's vicious Goth-slayer, Titus Andronicus. This slightly folk, sort of punk, definitely crowd-awing band of youths has been playing all around the Tri-State area in advance of the moment when indie stalwart Troubleman Records releases their debut, The Airing of Greivances, and they can seriously blow us all off for good.

For the here and now, a couple:

Titus Andronicus - "Titus Andronicus"

This self-mythologizing number sounds like a drunken fistfight between two long time friends that briefly becomes a teary-eyed man hug, before returning to sloppy haymakers. Also, kind of like Wolf Parade being tricked into playing a St. Patrick's Day Parade. And why is it so perversely fun to chant along to the climactic hand-clap accentuated breakdown? Maybe because screaming "Your life is over!" at anonymous members of the crowd implicitly suggests that yours is still chugging along quite nicely. So why's everyone else chanting it in your direction as well?



Titus Andronicus - "Upon Viewing Bruegel's "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" "

I'm not certain how Dutch Renaissance man (as in a man who lived in the Renaissance, I don't know if he could do a lot of other stuff) Pieter Bruegel reflects the exalted Jersey ennui of this 2006 EP track. Are there mythic beings drowning to general indifference in the Passaic on a regular basis? It's another raggedly melodic punk basher whose lyrical dread is performed with enough cymbal bashing brio to trick you in to believing that the whole sun-buzzing endeavor might not melt your wings this time, if you want it badly enough. Or maybe it's an expression of the dread resulting from lugging that god damn plow around everyday while golden boys in the distance get to splash around in the water all day. William Carlos Williams was a fan of that painting too, and he was a bitter man who ate others' cherished fruit for kicks. So maybe it's just a favorite among artistic types with issues to work out. Thrash therapy was the pharmacist's prescription here.

My biased words are echoed by triumphant trumpeting of the band that is starting to filter in from all corners:

- Pitchfork: "...perfectly clangorous pop songs..."

- Brooklyn Vegan (in fairness, more of a spare, sorta neutral mention that prompted the band to post about it on their MySpace under the title: "Brooklyn Vegan to Titus Andronicus: "You Exist")

- Said the Gramophone: "...shirtless, jangle-barking..."

- Oh My Rockness: "...so damn delightful, it's enough to soften even the shells of die-hard Spiderland fans."

- Breakthru Radio: "...about to explode."

Preceding Titus into the void will of course be Crystal Stilts, to whom you've recently become acquainted. After them will be Brakes' Eamon Hamilton who we've yet to discuss at length. If you're the find your Christmas presents early type, you can get all the info you need right now, right here. But I'll be filling in the gaps very soon because, as you know, it goes down this Saturday."

Two down, one more to go...

Love, D

Neon Light presents...Crystal Stilts

Dear friends,

I'm sick as a dog and more. I'll be back soonish. I swear. In the meantime, Jeff K is here to save the day with some words about the bands that will be playing this Saturday at Galapagos as part of the first Neon Lights bill of '08! First up is Crystal Stilts...



"As previously threatened, this is the week in which I go over the bands playing Saturday night's Neon Lights show at Galapagos in minute detail. The first and only group of native Brooklynites on the the bill for Saturday's show will be the great, gloomy Crystal Stilts. I was unaware of the band when I stumbled into their coveted slot as an opening act for Kiwi legends, the Clean. They are sort of a conundrum. There's lots of space surrounding everything in the mix, but it's still urgent and vital. It just sounds like that vitality is happening in occurring in the direct center of a very large cave or something. It was glibly suggested to me at the show that they were "the Jesus and Mary Clean," combining the echoed legend of the Brothers Reid with the immediacy of the Brothers Kilgour. I'm not sure I'd be so reductive but even conceding the point, you'd have to admit that it does sound like a tasty recipe.

Also, Swedish people like them, and you know you need to be on the ground floor when that happens...

Crystal Stilts - "Converging in the Quiet"

The steady drumbeat that starts this track gains is given more power by a sparse set up that's all kick drum and no rattling cymbal. The vocals are far away, delivered in a dreamy accent that seems to come from a more world weary place than modern day Brooklyn. The winding guitar line that forms the song's spine is where that errant Clean comparison really rings true. I'm thinking inspired '82 stuff like "Fish" or "Point That Thing Somewhere Else." Good company.

Crystal Stilts - "Crippled Croon"

This one has a bit more spring in its step, though the regally detached voice could still coming from a chilling radio program, revealed to be emanating from beyond the grave in a Twilight Zone episode's final minutes. And none of this really suggests the spark that their very active, usually standing drummer brings to their live show.

For exact details, like right now, go here. More to come on the full night in the next couple days. You won't have to look very hard for it, trust me."

More to come...

Love, D