Feist Rules, Matt Pond Rules too.

So I saw two shows in the last week that ruled. Feist and Matt Pond PA. I think you wouldve guessed that they ruled. Should I blog about it? No, just know that they ruled.

Broken Social Scene Wants Sean Penn

I was a bit miffed when I found out that the three Broken Social Scene shows at Webster Hall were sold out, because (though I am a bit late) I just began really getting into their music. I'm a huge fan of Feist, and had always loved that tune "Lover's Spit (Redux)", but the new self titled debut was finally beginning to get heavy rotation on my iPod sometime last month. So of course I wanted to check out this hypnotic and chaotic Toronto collective in their triumphant return to NYC! But though i didn't get to go to the show, I was able to squeeze in an interview with Justin Peroff (drums) and John Crossingham (guitar) on one of their days off. We talked about everything from the state of the music industry, how the band got its beginnings, to how they feel about selling out Webster Hall three nights consecutively. And of course, I had to be a loser and ask the question "if you could add 5 more members to the band, who would it be...?" My personal favorite answer... "Sean Penn." (We can all thank Justin Peroff for that clever answer) Now wouldn't that be amazing? Make sure to check out the next issue of Underrated Magazine for the full article, but in the meantime check out the pic of us below! woo hoo!

Underrated Magazine Turns Two! Hoorah!

Rachael Darmanin is the shit everyone. No really she is awesome. For the past two years she has been running a little magazine (which I write for now) called Underrated Magazine. What started as just a little way for Rachael to meet her favorite bands has grown into a truly awesome blossoming magazine, and this totally showed at Friday night's Two Year Anniversery Bash for the magazine. There was great music, lotsa alcohol flowing, hugs, and dancing...The night started off with MYTV's who blasted through their set with some danceable arty post punk. Then, the room got packed for The Head Set who got the room pumped with their Strokes-ish snarl garage-rockin' tunes (Rachael will argue me and say they don't sound like the Strokes...but that seemed to be the consensus. It's not a bad thing though! They were fantabulous) Third came the band that I was really there see...A Brief Smile. Everytime I see these guys they just get better and better. I mean ok, it's easy to describe a band from NYC as mixing the sounds of Interpol and The Walkmen (alot of bands here seem to do that) but there really is something about A Brief Smile's sound that seperates them from the rest of the NYC bands. For me, it lies in the SONGS. Really, truly, beautifully arranged songs.




I almost left the room after A Brief Smile's performance (come on, I mean..the open bar was over by now!) but I got stopped by Jeremy of New York Underbelly, the promoters for the night and we and his partners had a lovely chat about music, etc, while in the background The Five O'clock Hero's got everybody on their feet...and to tell you the truth, I don't remember what they sounded like, but just that I liked them a whole lot. So anyway...well done Underrated Magazine! Congrats on turning two years old...and thanks to everyone for coming out to the party.


The next show I hit up with this weeked was a guy named Alan Astor & The Lions of Rome over at The Knitting Factory on saturday night. It was early in the evening, so there wasn't too big of a crowd there (though a big portion of the crowd was there to see the band's new lead guitarist, Jesse Lauter) but the crowd that was gathered in front of the stage were taken by Astor's mash up of hectic electro-pop and epic rock grandeur. Think...if Meatloaf lost 50 pounds, grew a kickin' beard, and decided to play with synths and drum machines. (Once again, much like my Strokes comment about The Head Set, this is a good thing!) At the beginning of Astor's set I was a bit taken back and confused, but by the third song I had myself dancing, singing along (the choruses of his tunes get stuck in your head VERY quickly) and enjoying the breath of fresh air that Astor has given to the phrase singer-songwriter.




So all in all...great weekend with some great music. Go out and see some live music!

Julia Wilde/Eren Cannata @ The Bitter End

You know...most of these blogs that I've been reading, well...they only seem to cover the hippest of the hip, the scenest of the scene. It's like...you can't get covered it these online blogs unless you have combed over black hair, super tight pants, and wear ties at every show...so what's the deal? How about reviewing some good 'ol pop music huh? Well, I decided to do just that and ventured to The Bitter End last night to check out two up and coming singer-songwriters, NYU students, named Julia Wilde and Eren Cannata...and I must admit, I was thoroughly impressed.

Julia was fantastic...really. Her band was tight, her songs were beautiful, and she had an amazing stage presence. She opened her show with "ready", went into a tune called "rush", and even threw a little cover called "China Grove" into the mix. It would truly be hard for anyone to have walked into The Bitter End and not have left Julia's set smiling...



Then came Eren Cannata...and, well, I almost didn't stay (but I'm glad I did). I've heard the guy writes great songs, but sometimes I get a bit put off by performers who...well have a bit of some "famous" family heritage (Cannata's father Richie has notably played with Billy Joel's band for quite a long time, therefore alot of Cannata's backing band are some pretty amazing musicians) But honestly, he really had the crowd in his clutches. (He even had a certain Gavin Degraw in the audience boppin' his head) Not only was his band very together and professional, but his songs were catchy as hell, and alot of fun. (and the ladies were screaming) So I went in with my guard up, and came out smiling enjoying both sets immensely. So to all of you Eskay Everyday readers...go out and see some good 'ol pop rock once in a while! You'll have a good time...I promise.

My Top 20 Songs of 2005 (in no particular order...)

Well...Here's my advanced warning to all of you bloggers. CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH does not appear on this anywhere...I'm sorry, they are a fun band and all, but I don't truly see what all the hype is about (I'm sure I'll get attacked though for totally buying into the hype of a few of the other artists on this list...) But anyway, I've always read these pseudo-annoying "Top" lists in December/January and thought "man...these are a bit stupid and repetitive...but I want to make my own" so here is my attempt at it.

1. Josh Rouse "It's the Nightime": a beautiful alt-country pop song from Nashville's finest.

2. Feist "Mushaboom": catchy, cute, perfect. Leslie Feist...I think I'm in love with you.

3. Arctic Monkeys "Fake Tales of San Fransisco": These boys may be the first brits in a while to live up to the hype...

4. Oasis "Lyla": Get drunk, put your arms around your mates, and blast this song. I promise all you hipsters will smile.

5. Animal Collective "Did You See the Words": Mesmerizing...

6. Editors "Munich": This is what we needed...some legit danceable, melodic rock.

7. Ryan Adams "Let it Ride": Fuck you Ryan Adams for hating the world and never playing your fantastic singles at shows.

8. Stateless "Bloodstream": Balladry meets electronic, and I promise you its no Postal Service rip off.

9. Kanye West "Heard 'Em Say": We all hate Maroon 5...but admit it, Adam Levine's duet with Kanye here is super catchy.

10. Bloc Party "Blue Light": Our dance/art rockers take a deep breath and chill out...

11. Honor By August "Only In Photographs": Exceptional pop rock tune. It will not leave your head, and you won't want it to.

12. Gabe Dixon Band "Five More Hours": Undeniable piano rock.

13. Gorillaz "Dirty Harry": THIS SONG IS NUTS!

14. Imogen Heap "Hide and Seek": The best acapella song since "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego"...I mean..uh...

15. Kasabian "Club Foot": Can anyone say, "the brits are back and ready to rock our faces off?"

16. Little Barrie "Free Salute": Jazzy-poppy-funky-british rock. A little break from all the new wave revivalists...

17. M.I.A. "Fire, Fire": My booty won't stop shaking I swear.

18. Matt Pond PA "Halloween": Let's give the PA boy some props.

19. Nickel Creek "When in Rome": Catchy new-grass at its best

20. Fall Out Boy "Sugar We're Going Down": Ok I said it. Shoot me. ITS FUCKING CATCHY AS HELL.


As of today this is my list, but I am fickle. I change my mind alot. But if you want a good mix...go find all these songs ASAP!

Coachella Movie: sold out...damn it.

Last night I almost bought tickets for the Coachella Movie that was being premeired at NYC's United Artist Union Square movie theater, but decided against and figured I would just buy tickets on my walk home around 5pm. To my dismay...the one and only showing was sold out! What the hell...when do movies sell out on Tuesday nights? Am I the only one who was a bit surprised by the fact that the film was sold out? Well...if anyone out there has tickets and is going tonight...enjoy it. Make sure to rub it in my face at how awesome it is hearing the performances in Surround Sound.

Editors @ Rothko :: The Inside Scoop

{{pics via The Modern Age}}


Well, the unhippest guy in NYC (yes, that's right, me) was let in to have the inside scoop straight from Editors' Tom Smith himself. See...here's what happened.


I began my day heading over to meet up with the rest of the staff from Underrated Magazine to discuss our next issue. For those of you who don't know Underrated, its a small publication put out in NYC by the lovely and superbly suave Miss. Rachael Darmanin, who also runs The Underrated Blog. We met up and took over a large section of the Virgin Megastore cafe, and Rachael eventually asked me to do the interview with Editors later that night at the Rivington Hotel that was to be a feature article in the next issue. At first, I was a bit hesitant because I had other plans...but then I realized, "what the hell am I thinking?! Of course I'll do the interview!"


Around 7:00pm Rachael and I walked over to the hotel, got some $12 wine (come on we had to, that place is super swanky) and waited around for Editors' publicist who seemed to be nowhere in site. Rachael dialed her phone, and we heard a ring across the room...so as you can see, we felt a bit stupid as we saw the publicist sitting right in front of us. We were told that the soundcheck was running a bit late, so we'd meet the band at Rothko and do the interview there. But then after sound check, going along with the theme of the whole show (you know, how they kept moving the damn thing from venue to venue) we were escorted back to the hotel and up into a quieter room to do the interview.



I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. Brits wearing all black who play dark, melodic, pounding music, and me...a Jewish kid from suburban Pennsylvania with a tape recorder and a shitty backpack...in one room. How was I not going to lose my cool seeing as I am a bit of a dork? Well, Tom Smith made it easy in his interview as he was one of the friendliest guys I have ever interviewed. As we talked, Tom told me his thoughts on the position they are in as a bit of a "hyped" band. He told me all about how the band was more concerned with having longevity and true timelessness in their music then simply being a passing fad and the "next big thing" (as NME occasionally has hinted at) Tom Smith's head is level. He doesn't fall for the hype. (He even seemed to be a bit confused, wondering who put the children of Sir Mick Jagger on the guest list for the night's show at Rothko...) As I closed the interview, the band members looked excited to play yet another sold out show in NYC...and as I left, in came Spin magazine...


So eventually I made it to the show...the line was rediculously long. We got there about 2 hours before their set time, but eventually Rothko was PACKED. The band came on at about 11:30 and had the audience in their clutches the entire time, blasting through such anthems as "Camera" and "Munich" with efficiency, energy, and grace. Tom Smith looked like a frontman ready to take on the world...humble, focused, and ruling the stage with his presence. But maybe the whole time he was really just wondering "I wonder where the Jaggers are?"....I guess we'll never know.


Read the rest of the story in the next issue of Underrated Magazine.

Editors - Camera [via Tonight Let's Dance]

Blog post Numero Uno

So this is it...the beginning of what I can easily see as a stressful new addiction. Welcome, to Eskay Everyday, my new blog where I am going to talk about...shit, well, I don't really know what I am going to talk about. But hopefully if you are reading this, you will find my thoughts, experiences, and debacles interesting. I must admit, I am not the hippest Blogster in the world, but hey...maybe you'll still trust me and follow my stories and enjoy them. So, bon appetite, and leave some comments if you feel so inclined...