Ringing In The New Year

Don't settle for some champagne toast at some dress-up ball or some crappy cover band at your local dive bar. Bring in 2009 at a show this year. Quite a few good one's to choose from.


Two shows are in Philly this year, both a little quirky and a bit geeky, but worth seeing. The Grand Poobahs of geek rock are coming to the TLA. John and John of They Might Be Giants will be performing all of your old favorites and some new songs from their latest in two different shows. Of course, the late show (11:00) is the place to be for the celebration, but those not able to stay out past midnight or just have stuffy parents can catch the early show (7:30). Opening the first show is .357 Lover. Basically take late show opener Corn Mo and put a band around him. Ben Folds and Andrew W.K. have good words for them and you will to.




Up in Fishtown at Johnny Brenda's is local band made good, Pattern Is Movement. Opening is The Mural and The Mint. While celebrating the new year, take time to bid farewell to Philly Weekly writer Doug Wallen, as he moves on to Australia. Here's a snippet of his writing about Pattern Is Movement.

The combination of Thiboldeaux’s swooning, near-operatic singing style and Ward’s fierce yet deconstructive drumming, surrounded by flurries of shimmering keys and sometimes strings, makes Pattern Is Movement more unusual than ever.

And TM&TM

The single ‘Builders’ is precisely that—a breezy standout that brings us into the album while making the most of Jones’ backing vocals. Like the rest of Private Pockets, it twinkles gently but burns with sincerity, romantic and critical at once.

mp3: Pattern Is Movement - Bird
mp3: The Mural & The Mint - Private Pockets (entire album for free on website)

For the big night in the District, Rock & Roll Hotel is also getting in the party mood with local favorites. Catch US Royalty along with Pash, Lode Runner and a ton of DJs for a festive night.

mp3: US Royalty - Every Summer
mp3: Pash - Four Straight Days
mp3: Lode Runner - Dirigibles

The big ticket in Baltimore is Wu-Tang at Sonar. This place is going to be a mad house. After a night like that, you want more Wu? 9:30 Club is hosting a New Year's Day show.

The Area Weekend

Black Kids (photo from band's myspace)

The weekend is finally here and it is loaded with shows to see.

Rachael Yamagata is set to release a new two part album A Record in Two Parts: Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Hear. After playing a few shows in the area recently, she is at the World Cafe Friday for XPN's Free at Noon.

Weezer is back on tour for the Red Album. Opening is Canadians Tokyo Police Club. Friday they are at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Maybe after the show you can catch them on the gaming floor. Saturday, they make the short trip to Camden and the Susquehanna Bank Center.

mp3: Tokyo Police Club - In a Cave

Three cities, three shows, Black Kids don't stop. Joined by The Virgins and Magic Wands, they are playing Black Cat Friday, Ottbar Saturday, then First Unitarian Church Monday.

mp3: Black Kids - Hurricane Jane
mp3: The Virgins - Private Affiars (Daytrotter)

Local folk-jam band Hoots and Hellmouth head west to the Capitol Theater in York for a Friday night show, then head back home to Philly for a Saturday show at Johnny Brenda's with troubador Jim Bianco.

mp3: Hoots and Hellmouth - It's Close, I'm Undone

Friday

Geek rock is alive and well and the high priests They Might Be Giants are still going strong. I believe they have some of the most entertaining shows around. Catch them at The Chameleon Club in Lancaster.

Lancaster's Kheris heads across the river with The Thrives for a show at the Harp & Fiddle in downtown York.

Danger Danger Gallery has an interesting line-up featuring Virginians Hot Lava joined by Philly locals Gang, Reading Rainbow and Hermit Thrushes.

The district's own Five Four is playing a hometown show at DC9.

mp3: Hot Lava - Blue Dragon
mp3: Five Four - Crazy

Saturday

Dressy Bessy just released a new album, Holler and Stomp and is out on tour. Opening for them is Squaaks at the Talking Head in Baltimore. Hot Lava joins the line-up for a Tuesday show at the Black Cat.

Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships and The High Strung join forces for a show at the Black Cat. Philly fans, you can catch them Monday at Johnny Brenda's.

Chicago-based The Interiors is in the midst of an East Coast swing. They make a stop at The Red & The Black. The North Star in Philly has the honors on Wednesday.

mp3: Dressy Bessy - Just Once More (Daytrotter)
mp3: Squaaks - Fire
mp3: The High Strung - Beautiful Summer (Daytrotter)

Sunday

Indie hip-hop is a breath of fresh air into a genre that has become way too corporate. Sunday, The Fire in Philly is guaranteed to be raucous when Mr. Lif takes the stage.

Kerr Park in Downingtown is hosting Karmafest. What is karmafest? Don't ask me, check out the website for more answers. Anyway, Philly's musical siblings Sisters 3 and the always playing Cheers Elephant just so happen to be performing.

Later that evening, Cheers Elephant makes another appearance, this time in Fishtown at the Manhattan Room. Creeping Weeds and Butane Variations add to the fun.

Down in Baltmore, The Dodos are playing Sonar with Au and local darlings Wye Oak.

Prabir & The Substitutes are in Arlington at Galaxy Hut.

mp3: Sisters 3 - Bermuda Triangle
mp3: Cheers Elephant - Wide Eyed
mp3: Creeping Weeds - Long Way Down
mp3: Butane Variation - Jackie
mp3: The Dodos - Fools
mp3: Au - Are Animals
mp3: Wye Oak - Warning
mp3: Prabir & The Substitutes - Slow

And be sure to check out the other posts about those playing this weekend

Theresa Andersson
Throw Me the Statue
Multiple Shows

Philly Post-Turkey Day Blues Be Gone!

Get out of that food coma, people! Saturday night in Philly will wake you up. Come join me as I check out the latest installment of Geek Rock Gods, They Might Be Giants at The TLA. They have a new album out, The Else, which harkens back to the older albums. That is to say, do these songs really make sense? Did he really use that as a song lyric? I say, Who cares? The live shows are always a treat, you never know what antics John and John will pull out of their collective brains. Opening is Oppenheimer, a pure electronic pop duo from Northern Ireland with catchy melodies and danceable songs.

Something equally as strange at The Tower are Philly's own Ween, also supporting a new album, La Cucaracha. Check out what craziness Dean and Gene will do.

They Might Be Giants - The Mesopotamians
They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng (live)
Oppenheimer - Saturday Looks Bad To Me
Ween - Your Party

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants are out on the road, yet again. For fans of their brand of geek rock, you will have plenty of opportunities to see them. They will be in the area this week and then they'll be back around in late November, as their latest tour winds down.

9/12/07: Rams Head Live, Baltimore
11/23/07: 9:30 Club, DC
11/24/07: TLA, Philly

Ana Ng (live)
Birdhouse In Your Soul (live)

Photo credit

They Might Be Giants

Get yourself down to the Bottle and Cork Thursday night to start your weekend at the beach with They Might Be Giants. They are supporting a new album, but you know that all of the old favorites will be there. Always a good show. And for a small side note, they are also at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA on Friday night, but I know that all of you will be at the preview show for Joe's new indie @ the abbey showcase. That will be held at The Abbey at ABC in Harrisburg, PA and features The April Skies and DC's latest sensation, Le Loup.

Ana Ng (live)
Birdhouse In Your Soul (live)

Throwback Thursday: They Might Be Giants

For this week's Throwback, we are going to discuss one of Mike's favorite bands to see live, They Might Be Giants. Some call them eclectic, some call them the kings of "geek rock." One thing is for certain, they have been making music for over 20 years. While they are not one of my favorite bands, I have to admit that they bring it live. How many bands surf the radio during their shows and start playing along to random songs? It is definitely a spectacle, and their fans adore them. They even have their own phone line, where you can call for a new song daily.

It was certainly a challenge to make a few selections from their rather large body of work, but I hope that you like what we came up with.

They Might Be Giants (1986)
Don't Let's Start
She's An Angel

Lincoln (1988)
Ana Ng
Purple Toupee

Flood (1990)
Birdhouse In Your Soul
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Apollo 18 (1992)
I Palindrome I
The Statue Got Me High

John Henry (1994)
Meet James Ensor

Factory Showroom (1996)
New York City
James K. Polk

Mink Car (2001)
Bangs
Older


I also found a concert from 1992, over at Kwaya Na Kisser. It was recorded on July 4 at Grant Park in Chicago.

Intro
Frankenstein
I Palindrome I
Twisting
Particle Man
The Guitar
The Statue Got Me High
The Famous Polka
Ana Ng
Your Racist Friend
Whistling in the Dark
Narrow Your Eyes
Birdhouse in Your Soul
Don't Let's Start
Dig My Grave

Check out yesterday's great mutiny and a contest. All you have to do is leave a quick comment to win, so check it out.

Past Throwbacks:
10/12/06: The Psychedelic Furs
10/05/06: The Clash
09/28/06: The Smiths
09/21/06: A Tribe Called Quest
09/14/06: R.E.M.
09/07/06: The Cure
08/31/06: Morphine
08/24/06: The Lemonheads
08/17/06: Depeche Mode
08/10/06: New Order