Findlay Brown at Mercury Lounge 4/14/09

Last Tuesday I witnessed an excellent set from Findlay Brown and his band at Mercury Lounge. Having first seen them perform at Pianos back in February, with very limited exposure to their music prior to the show, I was completely blown away by their performance. While Tuesday night's show at Mercury Lounge didn't come with that initial feeling of exhilaration upon seeing a great band for the very first time, the performance was still very impressive.

Over the course of the show Findlay and his band breezed through 9 tracks of original material each showcasing one of the many different sides of the man from Yorkshire's music. From the poignant, whisper-soft vocals & guitar on "Come Home" to the upbeat, "That's Right" brimming with Southern influence, Findlay demonstrated not only his appreciation for artists like Elvis and Roy Orbison but also his ability to create a sound that harks back to such greats while still maintaining an identity of his own and bringing an element of originality.

The performance was so good (but concise), that when I start to think of highlights I end up remembering nearly every song in the set. The slows ones are so beautifully drawn out with classic sensibilities that they can't be dismissed as sappy. The more upbeat tracks contrast perfectly, bursting with energy that is stomped, strummed, and sung out in minutes.


Findlay's excellent and varied set ended on a wonderful note with Findlay and the band delivering a brilliant "unplugged" rendition of Elvis' "Mystery Train" right in the middle of the crowd...the perfect ending to a set ripe with influence but not imitation. Setlist below:

Findlay Brown at Mercury Lounge - April 14, 2009 Setlist

I Still Want You
Love Will Find You
All I Have
Nobody Cared
Holding Back the Night
Come Home
Teardrops Lost In the Rain
That's Right
Everyone Needs Love
Mystery Train

More on Findlay in this post.

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Modeselektor Start Record Label + Moderat Tour Dates & Album Release Info

German duo Modeselektor have started their own label, Monkeytown Records. According to their myspace blog:

On the occasion of the international financial crisis we decided to found our own label, Monkeytown Records, to create a platform for befriended artists.

Because: Anything Pharell Williams does, we can do better!

Our buddy Siriusmo personally invited himself to be the very first artist on Monkeytown Records and will be No. 001 of the still virginal label catalogue. Release date June 22.

Check it out: www.myspace.com/monkeytownrecords

Yours,
Bronnse and Perverseus

I assume the release date refers to the first of two EPs to be released by Siriusmo on the label with his debut album to follow at the end of 2009. The debut EP is titled The Uninvited Guest :



In addition to all of this, Modeselektor are currently touring with Apparat, performing music from their joint project - Moderat. Their self-titled album will be out in the near future on cd, cd&dvd deluxe, and vinyl (as early as April 20th, depending on location) on Bpitchcontrol. Album preview and tour dates below:





Moderat - 2009 European & North American Tour Dates:

Apr 30 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ CONNE ISLAND - LEIPZIG
May 1 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ L.E.V. FESTIVAL - GIJON
May 2 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ DONAUFEST - KREMS
May 8 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ DISSONANZE - ROM
May 14 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ WMF - BERLIN
May 15 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ ROUNDHOUSE - LONDON
May 19 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ NEUMOS - SEATTLE
May 20 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ HARRIET - SAN FRANCISCO
May 21 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ SALON COVADONGA - MEXICO CITY
May 22 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ PALADIUM - LOS ANGELES
May 23 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ BETA - DENVER
May 25 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ PARADISE - BOSTON
May 27 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ THE BOTTOM LOUNGE - CHICAGO
May 28 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ MUTEK FESTIVAL - MONTREAL
May 29 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ CIRCA - TORONTO
May 30 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ WEBSTER HALL - NEW YORK
Jun 4 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ LA BATACLAN - PARIS
Jun 5 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ SECOND NATURE FESTIVAL - AIX EN PROVENCE
Jun 6 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ KONGRESSHALLE - MUNICH
Jun 13 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ WILSONIC FESTIVAL - BRATISLAVA
Jun 19 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ ÜBEL UND GEFÄHRLICH - HAMBURG
Jun 20 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ SONAR FESTIVAL - BARCELONA
Jun 27 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ ARENALE ROMANE - BUKAREST
Jul 3 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ JAZZ FESTIVAL - MONTREUX
Jul 15 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ PARADISO / 5 DAYS OFF - AMSTERDAM
Jul 17 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ MELT! FESTIVAL - GRAEFENHEINICHEN
Jul 18 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ GLADE FESTIVAL - LONDON
Jul 31 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ NACHTDIGITAL FESTIVAL - OLGANITZ
Aug 7 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ AUDIORIVER FESTIVAL - PLOCK
Aug 21 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ PUKKELPOP FESTIVAL - HASSELT
Sep 4 2009 - MODERAT LIVE @ ELECTRIC PICNIC FESTIVAL - DUBLIN

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Scion Party at Plan B tonight

Be about it:

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Scion Radio Event – NY
Jokers of the Scene
Super Viral Brothers
DJ Tameil
DJ Ayres (The Rub)
Blu Jemz
Plan B (Corner of 10th and B)
339 E 10th St
New York, NY 10009
11:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.
21+
Free! No RSVP needed.

These parties are great. Always end up staying until 3 or 4 with no regrets, even with work at 9 the next day.

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Favorite Tweets 4/14/09

Over the weekend I somehow got really into keeping up with all the people, blogs, etc. I am following on Twitter. Today there seemed to be a lot of good stuff so I figured I'd post about it. It would be nice to do this regularly, but I doubt it will happen. Ya never know though. Anyway...cool stuff on Twitter 4/14/09 (probably a few from last night too):

Michel Gondry draws your portrait for 20 bucks! (via asiandanblog)

Obamadog! (via thecultureofme)

Notable "New Yorkers" talk to New York Magazine about their first days in the city (via MarcSchil)

Daft Punk flash 2d platform game (via nedwin)

Soulwax radio show launching in June (URBMAG)

IF IT NOT FOR SITS (via ICHCheezburger)

Robots! (via ryanmuir)


Btw...in case you missed the post, I'm on Twitter.

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Findlay Brown in New York!

While this blog and what I've been listening to has become increasingly dominated by mainly electronic/dance music, every now and then something great grabs my attention and makes me remember that I used to (and still do) enjoy music removed from those genres. One who recently had that effect on me is Findlay Brown.

I don't remember how I even came across him or his music, but I found myself at Pianos on a Thursday night in February being completely wowed by Findlay & his band's somehow soulful, bluesy, and folksy performance. They channeled greats I didn't even realize I liked so much (Elvis & Roy Orbison) along with some I love (the Beatles), and did so in such a way that I was astounded rather than irritated by it.

Findlay is back in New York this week playing 2 shows - one at Mercury Lounge on Tuesday April 14th (tickets available at the door), and the other on Thursday April 16th at Union Hall (tickets available here). I highly recommend you check him out, but if you need some convincing:

A video of some footage from his time in the US in February (which includes clips from the show at Pianos) is below:




You can download Pilooski's edit of "Promised Land" over at RCRDLBL. You can also download some more tracks including "Promised Land" (Dimitri From Paris remix), "Holding Back the Night", and "I Had A Dream" (Solo Acoustic Version) from my original post about Findlay over at Brooklynvegan.


Findlay also recently compiled a mixtape of

...some of the stuff I was listening to while writing songs for 'Love Will Find You' my forth coming LP (out in June)...I started listening to a lot of stuff which I knew so well but almost took for granted - songs you never paid serious attention to because they are so well known. Songs like My Girl, Be My Baby, Stand By Me. I start listening to them in a different way, and working out what was so great about them. I’m not saying the songs I’ve written as a result can stand up next to them, but I’m not ashamed to try and aspire to those standards.

You can download the mixtape here.

Findlay Brown Mixtape Tracklisting

I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingos
Comin' Home Baby - Mel Torme
Stamping Ground - Moondog
Be My Baby - The Ronettes
Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny
Borne On The Wind - Roy Orbison
Fool for You - The Impressions
I'm Your Witch Doctor - John Mayall's Blues Breakers
Born To Be With You - Dion
Baby It's You - The Shirelles
Please Stay - The Cryin' Shames
The Night - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton
Wishing for Your Love - The Voxpoppers
Deborah's Theme - Ennio Morricone
Mystery Train - Elvis Presley
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
Be Not So Fearful - Bill Fay
Just for You - Sam Cooke
Born Free - Matt Monro
Who Has the Last Laugh Now - Bloodstone
Ballade De Melody Nelson - Serge Gainsbourg
Haunted Feelings - Rahsaan Roland Kirk

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Updated Shows List!

I added a bunch of shows to the list this week (that you might not have seen if you just read this blog using RSS). It's a good time to be in New York...especially this summer (Pilooski, Trus'me, David Byrne, SMD!) Here's the entire list:

April 10 - Crookers, Congorock, and Annie Mac at Webster Hall

April 10 - Rusko at Studio B

April 10 - the official Ladytron/The Faint afterparty with Tommie Sunshine at Le Poisson Rouge

April 11 - Mutek 10 Brooklyn Preview with Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts (live), Claro Intellecto (live), Andy Stott (live), MLZ (dj set), Pangaea (dj set), and Ezekiel Honig (dj set) at Studio B

April 14 - Findlay Brown at Mercury Lounge

April 14 - The Tallest Man On Earth at Union Hall

April 15 - The Tallest Man On Earth at Bowery Ballroom

April 17 - Etienne de Crecy and Feadz at Webster Hall

April 17 - the Juan MacLean (live), Black Meteoric Star (live), Holy Ghost (dj set), and Matt Cash (dj set) at Le Poisson Rouge

April 23 - Simian Mobile Disco (live and dj set!) at Highline Ballroom

April 23 - Alex Gopher at Studio B

April 24 - Moby (solo electronic/ambient performance) at Issue Project Space

April 25 - Mister Saturday night with Larry Heard and Justin Martin at Santos

May 1 - Discovery with Mowgli at Studio B

May 8 - Fixed with Aeroplane and JG Wilkes (Optimo) at Studio B

May 8 - One Step Beyond with Peanut Butter Wolf, James Pants, Mayer Hawthorne & Dam-Funk at the Museum of Natural History

May 9 - Stones Throw Party with James Pants, Mayer Hawthorne, and Dam-Funk at Le Poisson Rouge

May 15 - Trouble & Bass deejays (Drop the Lime, Star Eyes, The Captain) with DJ Class and B. Rich at Studio B

May 16 - Finger on the Pulse present Yikes! with Louis La Roche and Justin Faust at Studio B

May 29 - Disco 3000 with Trus'me & special guest at APT

May 30 - Moderat (Modeselektor & Apparat) at Webster Hall

May 30 - Mister Saturday Night with Pilooski at Santos

June 4 - 2020 Soundsystem (live) and Ralph Lawson (dj set) at Studio B

June 8 - David Byrne at the Prospect Park Bandshell

June 12 - School of Seven Bells at Bowery Ballroom

June 19 - Disco 3000 with Trus'me & special guest at APT

June 27 - Mister Saturday Night with Claude Von Stroke at Santos

August 9 - Simian Mobile Disco (dj set) at Williamsburg Waterfront

August 12 - Friendly Fires at Le Poisson Rouge

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In 3 Weeks Exactly

I am going to Paris with my best friend Eddie. We will be bugging out on various dancefloors at night...wandering all over during the day. We're arriving the morning of May 1 and heading back here on May 10th. Tell us what we HAVE TO do! Either leave suggestions in the comments or shoot an email to - showtrotta at gmail dot com

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Erlend Oye Leaves The Whitest Boy Alive!

From the Whitest Boy Alive's myspace blog:

erlend oye leaves the whitest boy alive
erlend oye has left the whitest boy alive today.
don't worry the tour goes on.
the singer from the new wine will quickly learn all the lyrics and will sing instead of erlend. he also is a very good guitar player so you won't hear the difference. actually he even is a better guitarist then erlend, all in all a big improvement.

message end

Pretty good April fool's joke...

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