popwreckoning

Thursday night at the sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington was laid out like a three course meal at a fancy restaurant. First up was Springfield, Missouri band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, whose name has be one of the strangest yet oddly memorable ones ever invented. Their music has a jaunty, peppy vibe and a perfect appetizer to start off the evening. Classic guitar riffs, bouncy melodies, really engaging instrumentation – all you really need or ever want in a good indie pop/rock band, really. (I’ve never understood the appeal of the Morning Benders; Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is definitely more my thing.) A great example: “Sink/Let It Sway,” which like its name suggests, makes bodies in a crowd sway.

I always find it really cool when band members play musical chairs, and this happened with this band, as the original lead singer switched off with the drummer, who took over bass, while the bass player took over lead vocal and guitar duties. The result: a decidedly harder rock song, so hard that the guy drumming lost a stick in the first few seconds of hitting the skins. Hardcore. Other highlights of their opening set were “All Hail Dracula!” (appropriate for the “Twilight” fans, perhaps?) and the wistful “Pangea.”

Following some crazy techno pumping up the crowd and overexcited Two Door Cinema Club fans chanting “ah-oh-ah-ah-oh” off key, it was time for the first of the two co-headliners. A blinding light show ushered in the Northern Ireland band, but I can forgive them because they were on point their entire set. It was like enjoying the best Indian curry of your life – exciting, sweat-inducing, full of life, like you never wanted the experience to end. Second song in, at the start of “Undercover Martyn,” lead guitarist Sam Halliday flashed a broad smile at us in response to the “we love you Sam!” shouting and I knew it was going to be one stellar show. Earlier that day, lead singer/guitarist Alex Trimble visited one of the Nation’s Capital’s many fine pawn shops and scored a used yet gorgeous Fender for his guitar collection. After introducing the lone brand new song on this tour, “Handshake,” he thanked the 9:30 audience for being part of the first gig of what is sure to be an exciting musical history for his new baby. The new song didn’t disappoint, with its handclaps and intricate guitar lines.

It’s hard to believe that the band admitted to radio personality Tara O. in Ottawa last week that when the band co-headlined with Kitsune labelmates Delphic on a tour of the UK in late 2009, they felt unprepared and under rehearsed compared to the more experienced electronic band from Manchester. The days of Two Door Cinema Club feeling tentative are long gone. Songs like the forthcoming single “What You Know” and the perennial favorite “I Can Talk” resulted in widespread pogo-ing and a sea of arms in the air. Kev Baird‘s relentless bass line in “Come Back Home” proves Two Door does indeed rock out hard, and their sound has definitely won over Washington. The band were quick to show their appreciation for the adulation being given to them, with Baird saying at one point, “my friend told me this is the best venue to play at in the United States. And he was right!” Bring on album #2, guys.

Two Door Cinema Club Set List:
Cigarettes in the Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Hands Off My Cash, Monty
Do You Want It All?
Something Good Can Work
Handshake (new song)
Kids
You’re Not Stubborn
Costume Party
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
Come Back Home
I Can Talk

If Two Door Cinema Club was the entree, then Tokyo Police Club was the cooling dessert at the end of the meal, punctuated with hot fudge and a cherry on top. Funnily enough, one of the more memorable moments that can be attributed to the Canadian band happened before they even stepped foot onstage. I guess Tokyo Police Club are big Tom Jones fans, judging by the incidental music played before their set. “What’s New Pussycat” played on repeat at least four times, and I overheard one person behind me complain to his gigging buddy, “I seriously want to die.” As if someone was listening, “It’s Not Unusual” came out over the PA and everyone around me started singing along in approval.

The crowd reaction for Tokyo Police Club, at least in the beginning, seemed completely the opposite of the one for Two Door. Instead of responding physically, Tokyo’s fans seemed rapt with attention for lead singer/bassist Dave Monks, singing along to their idol. Overall, a much chiller vibe seemed to settle over the crowd. Later on though, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and “Breakneck Speed,” both from last year’s release Champ, went down a treat and upped the energy level back up again. But what was the pièce de résistance? The bands joining forces to do an unexpected encore of the Strokes‘ “Last Nite.” Doesn’t really get better than this on a cold winter’s night in DC, I can assure you.

Tour Dates:
Jan 22 – Trocadero / Philadelphia^&*
Jan 23 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus^&*
Jan 25 – Masquerade / Atlanta^&*
Jan 26 – Crowbar / Tampa^&*
Jan 27 – Social / Orlando^&
Jan 28 – Culture Room / Ft. Lauderdale&*
Jan 29 – Jack Rabbit’s / Jacksonville&*
Jan 31 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge&*
Feb 01 – Granada Theater / Dallas&*
Feb 02 – La Zona Rosa / Austin&*
Feb 03 – Warehouse Live / Houston&*
Feb 05 – Exit-In / Nashville&*
Feb 07 – Blue Note / Columbia, MO&*
Feb 10 – Mad Hatter / Covington, KY&*
^with Two Door Cinema Club
& with Tokyo Police Club
*with support from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Two Door Cinema Club: website | myspace | Two Door Cinema Club To Tour with Phoenix in Spring, Headline First North American Tour | “Something Good Can Work” video | @ Constitution Hall | Interview with: Sam Halliday of Two Door Cinema Club | @ Johnny Brenda’s | Two Door Cinema Club Announce Fall North American Tour | “Come Back Home” video | Two Door Cinema Club to Re-Release Debut Album with CD of Remixes and Special Documentary | Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Deluxe Edition) | Tokyo Police Club and Two Door Cinema Club Announce January 2011 Co-Headlining Tour | @ Neumo’s | Two Door Cinema Club – “What You Know” video
Tokyo Police Club: website | myspace | ‘It’s Good to be Back’: Tokyo Police Club – Champ | Bonnaroo 2010, Day 2 | @ Record Bar | @ Neumo’s
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: website | myspace | @ Neumo’s | SXSW 2011 2nd round of announcements

Local singer-songwriter Jenny Carr is as seasoned as local artists come. With stops fronting the bands The Afternoons and The Waiting List, as well as playing bass for the like of The Sunday Paper, Lights and Sirens and Anvil Chorus, the road leading Jenny Carr to the release of Maybe Definitely Really For Sure has been as winding as they come. However, the growth experience along the way can be heard clearly in the lines of her debut studio album which you can hear in its entirety here.

In addition to the full stream, Carr has opted to release a digital version of the album with a “name your own price option.”  This way a buyer can choose to donate whatever proceeds he or she believe seems fair while also helping provide funds that support local music. The name your own price option will only be in place for a limited time before rocketing back up to the minimum of $5 for a digital copy.

Compact Discs, which were released at Carr’s cd release party December 16th at the Czar Bar, will also be available for purchase on the site for those who demand physical copies. Their cost will be $9 before shipping. They can also be purchased at any of Jenny Carr’s upcoming shows to avoid shipping costs.

I really didn’t know what I was getting into when this came across my desk(top). I had heard of The Aquabats, as this was one of the bands Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame had drummed for before joining Blink in 1999. I had also heard that they had a fan base as to the likes of Reel Big Fish had, which after listening to some of their older albums, makes a little more sense since they sound kind of like RBF, except with a superhero motif complete with costumes and crazy names like “The MC Bat Commander”, and my personal favorite, “Ricky Fitness”.

So after 5 years, those crazy guys known as The Aquabats have released Hi-Five Soup!, after many delays due to record label issues and late promotion. However, if you are looking for old school Aquabats record, you’re going to be very disappointed. It seems the band has gone in a different direction and made an album directed towards kids. Yes, I admit I was a little shocked when I heard songs like with colorful titles such as “Poppin’ a Wheelie,” and who couldn’t forget “Food Fight on the Moon!” Sitting through this was a bit different for my tastes and didn’t feel like the typical “Punk album” you would be used to by today’s standards. As a matter of fact, I was hoping to get something from the likes of “Reel Big Fish,” and “Blink-182″ but instead got something that would be heard on “Yo Gabba Gabba.” Now that’s not a bad thing, as “YGG” has had an impressive list of bands that have been featured on the show (Of Montreal, The Shins and Weezer.)

Overall, this isn’t a bad little record and if you have kids, it’s definitely worth it- and is a better substitute than having to suffer through Raffi or some other crappy children’s singer that would probably turn your kid into a mindless zombie who gets picked on constantly in school and ends up having bed wetting problems because of the overdosage of Sharon, Lois and Bram’s Elephant Show (or any other crappy children’s entertainer that is popular now) in their life. However, if you’re a hardcore punk fan and are hoping for something like “Reel Big Fish,” you might want to pass on this as you will be greatly disappointed.

Track Listing:
1. “The Shark Fighter!”
2. “B.F.F.!”
3. “The Legend Is True!”
4. “Radio Down!” (Featuring Biz Markie)
5. “Poppin’ A Wheelie!”
6. “Hey Homies!”
7. “In My Dreams!”
8. “Just Can’t Lose!”
9. “All My Money!”
10. “Pink Pants!” (Featuring Strong Bad[3])
11. “Food Fight On The Moon!”
12. “Luck Dragon Lady!”

Yellowcard has made a blazing return to music with the release of “For You, And Your Denial” off the upcoming When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. If this is a taste of what to come, fans will not disappointed.

With an opening violin riff that trumps some of Sean Mackin‘s fast finger work on Ocean Avenue, the intro alone could rival the best of Mozart. But those wary of classical music can relax. Shortly after Mackin kicks off the song, guitars and drums come blazing in and Ryan Key‘s signature vocals take the song to a whole new level for Yellowcard.

In this one tune, the catchiness and the instrumentals that made Ocean Avenue so great are mixed with the maturity and emotional depth that made Paper Walls and Lights and Sounds what they were.

You can check out “For You, And Your Denial” below.

When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes will be released March 22. “For You, And Your Denial” is available now on iTunes and Amazon. You can also catch the band on tour this Spring with Hey Monday, All Time Low and The Summer Set. Tour dates are here.

*Oh, and if any of you want to hook me up with a tab to that killer violin riff, my roommate will be eternally grateful because otherwise he’s going to have to deal with me spending all my free time roaming the apartment with my violin trying to figure those notes out myself.

New York City’s twee pop band the Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be touring with new wave artiste Twin Shadow and several other bands come the end of March. They also make their first appearance in Mexico, ever, at the Indieofest on March 12. The band’s second album, Belong, is expected to be released in late March on Slumberland Records. For a taster of the album, check out the already released singles for “Say No to Love” and “Heart in Your Heartbreak.”

Tour Dates:
Mar 10 – 35 Conferette / Denton, TX
Mar 12 – Indieofest / Mexico City
Mar 31 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia
Apr 01 – Black Cat / Washington, DC*
Apr 02 – Cat’s Cradle / Carrboro, NC*
Apr 04 – 40 Watt Club / Athens, GA*@
Apr 05 – Earl / Atlanta*@
Apr 06 – Bottletree Cafe / Birmingham*
Apr 07 – One Eyed Jacks / New Orleans*
Apr 08 – Fitzgerald’s / Houston*
Apr 09 – Emo’s / Austin*
Apr 12 – VFW / Santa Fe*
Apr 13 – Club Congress / Tucson*&+
Apr 18 – Cellar Door / Visalia, CA*&
Apr 19 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*&
Apr 20 – Doug Fir / Portland*&
Apr 22 – Crocodile / Seattle*!
Apr 25 – Triple Rock Social Club / Minneapolis*
Apr 26 – Turner Hall / Milwaukee*
Apr 27-28 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago*%
Apr 29 – Rhino’s / Bloomington, IN*%
Apr 30 – Basement / Columbus*%
May 02 – Daniel Street / Milford, CT*
May 03 – Paradise / Boston*#
May 06 – Webster Hall / New York City*^
* with Twin Shadow
@ with Gold-Bears
& with Catwalk
+ with Warpaint
! with Seapony
% with Weakness
^ with Big Troubles

Sometimes, usually when I have too much time on my hands, my mind drafts off to the land of make-believe where I ponder situations such as this – if The Beatles had formed today, what would they sound like? Who would’ve inspired them? How would’ve the updated technology change their playing styles and instrument choices? Would they still matter?

I have to believe their updated sound would end up somewhere in the range of Smith Westerns. Heavy with vintage overtones, Smith Westerns take an approach to album creation that few bands are currently attempting. On Dye It Blonde, they simply playing the hell out of their instruments. Refusing to hide behind the trendy wall of computer generated hooks the indie movement has currently adopted, the band’s gutsy guitar solos and swooning vocals combine for a glam rock meets the white album sound if it were produced in the highlight of the 1990s. While looking in the rear view mirror and using the road map left for them by their founding fathers of music, somehow Smith Westerns manage to not only be relevant today, but turn out to be pretty vital.

With scruffy but danceable numbers like “Imagine Pt. 3” and “Dance Away” placed on an full length that is listenable from start to finish, Smith Westerns has succeeded where MGMT could not. They’ve managed to be more than just a throw back synth-pop band producing a spin-able single and a bunch of album filler. Hell, just give “Weekend” a spin and try to tell me that it cannot go toe to toe with “Time to Pretend.”

It needs to be stated just how extreme of a cleansing process it has been for Smith Westerns to get where they’re standing now. Just over a year ago, the band released a lo-fi, do-it-yourself garage rock release that yielded a limited future and limitless possibilities of failure. However, the obvious growth between releases is not only worth a listen, but worthy of praise. Keeping in mind that these kids are 21 at their oldest, one should be pleased with the unquestionable amount of maturity blasting through your headphone speakers. Hopefully that pans outward into a long and fruitful career. If it sounds anything like Dye It Blonde, I’ll happily add the catalog to my shelves.

4.5 out of 5 stars

I had no idea what to think as I started listening to The Memorials Self Titled album, but I believe I have come to a conclusion now. The whole album never really has a focus on any one of the members or instruments, it is very evenly dispersed as far as when and what instruments are played or heard. The near legendary drummer Thomas Pridgen, and in talking about him, there is no way to describe how spectacular he is at drumming, goes from standard beats to complex fills and uses them continually throughout the song without losing time, and is mind-blowing. Pridgen with Viveca Hawkins, whose voice is unique but feels familiar and likeable without having to try and convince yourself; and Nick Brewer, whose guitar is placed well in every song, no matter how simple or complex the part, the sound fits like it should have always been there. They have done an excellent job in making such a unique sound in so little time. There is also a good blend of metal influenced breakdowns and classic rock solos, as well as multitudes of other elements throughout the songs and album.

Throughout the album there is high energy background music, whether it be yelling or complex guitar riffs. Even though it sounds good for the most part, during some of the songs, you can easily get lost because of the sheer amount of noise that is going on at any one part. The synthesized keyboard in the background of “Day Dreamer” gives the song a strong feeling of day dreaming because the noise itself is something you want to focus on but blends so well with the song, leaving you in a state of absent-mindedness if you try to follow it too long.

“GTFOMF” (Get the f*** out my face), starts off hard but as it goes into the verse, it turns more into flowing rhythmic and calm vocals, and continues to build as it gets closer to the chorus before the tempo slams back to the hard styled intro music with driving lyrics and the finale to the chorus is “Get the f*** out my face!” The bridge is one that you would expect out of a rock ballad but then moves into a phenomenal build from the drums and back into the chorus and into a solo that is in the same style sound as the bridge.

There is something for everybody on this album, between the Hard-Rock/Thrash sounds to the Pop/Rock melodies, you will find it and instantly love it.

Track Listing:

1. We Go To War
2. Natural Disaster
3. Day Dreamer
4. Westcoast
5. Give Me The Stuff
6. Enough
7. GTFOMF
8. Real
9. Lets Party
10. Dream
11. Why Me?
12. Born to Shine
13. I Remember You

Here we go- another band with an abstract name. I’m really curious to know why Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley (yes, they are married to each other) named themselves “Tennis?” Did they get tired of being creative and just thought “Hey, let’s call ourselves Tennis!” Here’s an idea, lets all change our band names to sports. Instead of something cool like “After School Special” we will call ourselves “Baseball.” That will get us a record deal! Alright, enough of my ranting for the day.

I’ll be brutally honest, I had heard so many great things about this group and so much hype about this album that I, myself, got caught up into it. However, after listening to this I am greatly mixed, but still very impressed. Most of Cape Dory is very enjoyable with tracks such as “South Carolina,” and “Seafarer” being some of those. I really dug the sound Tennis puts out as they have that indie meets oldies sound that you don’t normally find in bands that are out these days. Lead singer Alaina Moore’s vocals are a breath of fresh air at times and also give a haunting overtone that gives you goosebumps when heard. However, this album can come across a bit boring at times, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying this. I know it took me a few times to actually enjoy this and see what the big deal about Tennis is and why people are talking about them so much.

The bottom line is, this album isn’t for everyone. Yes, it has moments where it’s enjoyable but it can be seen as hum-drum- but don’t let that fool you. I have a feeling these guys are going somewhere with this but I do feel the hype that this band is receiving is a bit premature.

Track Listing:
1. Take Me Somewhere
2. Long Boat Pass
3. Cape Dory
4. Marathon
5. Bimini Bay
6. South Carolina
7. Pigeon
8. Seafarer

9. Baltimore
10. Waterbirds

If you haven’t yet educated yourself about Seattle’s own the Head and the Heart, do it. Well, read this first and then go watch their videos, buy their album, see them live, etc.

After hearing so much good stuff about the Head and the Heart from many of my friends around Seattle, I finally got to see this marvelous band on Friday at their first headlining show at Neumo’s – which was 21+, and sold out. To say that I was proud is an understatement. You see, the Head and the Heart just officially signed to Sub-Pop Records on Jan. 11, even though it was worst kept secret around Seattle for at least a few weeks. You can actually buy their debut album on iTunes now, and it’s being re-released in physical form under Sub-Pop in April.

But enough background. Let’s talk about the awesome night of local music I had on Friday!

Opening the show was Lemolo, a girl duo made up of Meagan Grandall on keyboard and guitar and Kendra Cox on drums and also keyboard. It was Cox’s grandfather’s Casio- I came to find out because her father was standing next to me in the crowd and he could not stop gushing about the band. “That’s my daughter up there,” he kept telling people around us. It was cute.

Lemolo surprised me. You definitely would not expect that much sound to come from just two girls, but the girls’ stage presence is full of so much passion that once you see them, you get it. With Grandall’s sultry voice and confident stance, Cox’s infectious energy at both the keyboard and drums, and their impeccable harmonies, Lemolo brought the house down, even if it wasn’t full at that point. Grandall even said, “Tonight Kendra is playing drums for the first time in heels. I’m proud of her.”

“They’re really tall, see?!” Cox shouted back with glee.

Lemolo played through a strong set of songs off their couple EPs, including the incredibly catchy “Open Air” and the understated and sexy “Whale Song.” It was both Lemolo’s strong local connection and their obvious friendship that made their performance so enjoyable, and that theme led throughout the night as Curtains For You took the stage.

Turning up the energy, retro-pop band Curtains for You brought smiles across the faces of the whole crowd, most certainly. Fronted by brothers Matthew and Mike Gervais, Curtains for You has a sound familial to Kay Kay and the Weathered Underground, Rufus Wainwright, perhaps the Beach Boys, and even a bit of vaudevillian charm in there.

Seriously, during toe-tapper ragtime track “Small Change,” we not only had the drums, guitar, bass, and keyboard on stage, but also the saxophone and sousaphone. It’s a wonder that Curtains for You has been around since 2004 and I’ve never heard of them, because they have enough energy for venues three times the size of Neumo’s. They played songs off their 2009 album What A Lovely Surprise To Wake Up Here as well as their 2010 EP Heaven’s Waiting, all of which had earnest and lovely lyrics but powerful arrangements that filled up the crowded room.

Just when I thought the night could not get any better, guests of honor the Head and the Heart took the stage to a wild round of applause, and jumped right into the sweet little ditties “Popsicle” and the gospel-tinged “Cats & Dogs.” I can say, I’ve never seen so much love in one room before. It made me proud to be a Seattleite, seeing how much this band had accomplished in less than a year and how much the Seattle music community supported them.

“Some of us are from Virginia, and every time we leave, it makes us realize how fucking lucky you are,” said guitarist Jonathan Russell, which was met with more applause. “I mean, we like Virginia too, it’s nice.”

“We love Virginia!” Chimed in violinist Charity Rose Thielen.

There was not a down moment during that performance, as they started the unbelievably catchy “Ghosts,” which ended in a giant sing-along of “ba-da-ba-da-ba-ba! I’d seriously never been to a sold-out 21+ show, but it may be my new favorite thing. You’ve got all the love and energy of an all-ages show without all the precocious teenagers stinking up the place with their bad weed.

The middle of their set was the so-called “low-energy” songs, but they were no less beautiful, with “Sounds Like Hallelujah,” “Lost In My Mind,” “Seat Beside Me” and “Winter Song.”

“You see, what’s great about headlining is that the stage is for all intents and purposes yours for the night. You get to choose the awesome bands to play with, and because of Derek right over there,” and Josiah Johnson pointed over at a tall man shoved in a corner of the room and he waved, “you get to have people come up on stage with you if you want.” So instantly the women who were crowded up front near me shuffled their way to the tiny staircase and I’d say at least a couple dozen people on that stage singing and dancing along to “Lost In My Mind.”

What I love so much about the Head and the Heart is that they mix southern charm, northwest passion, and a whole heck of a lot of talent between the five of them. Seriously, I will drive up to Ballard on Sunday nights just for a chance to see any of them play at the Conor Byrne open mic night, which, from what I’ve heard is quite a good time.

After Johnson inquired if anyone in the audience was from a state that started with “T” and people started spouting out random states, the band played a great cover of Johnny Cash’s “T is for Texas.” As the hour passed midnight, I was already on a musical high, but then they closed the night out with a goosebump-inducing performance of my favourite song “Down in the Valley,” and an even more moving version of “Rivers and Roads,” which wasn’t even on the first printing of their debut album.

After the amazing extended version of “Rivers and Roads,” the band exited the stage while the crowd already started chanting for an encore. But the problem was this – they’re a new band. They’d already played all their songs, so they were out of songs to play for an encore, and it took the audience quite a long to figure that out. Honestly, they wouldn’t leave.

But who would, really? You wouldn’t want to leave that high behind. The Head and the Heart was that good, so good that you didn’t want to leave even when the show was over.

Setlist: (There was one song they added in at some point that wasn’t on the setlist, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was.)

1. Popsicle
2. Cats & Dogs
3. Coeur d’Alene
4. Ghost
5. Love You Long Time
6. Sounds like Hallelujah
7. Honey
8. Seat Beside Me
9. Heaven
10. Lost in my mind
11. T is for Texas
12. Winter Song
13. New Jam
14. Down in the Valley
15. Rivers and Roads

Friendly Fires, the St. Albans, England electropop band that got bodies moving with “Paris” and “Skeleton Boy,” have announced they will be appearing at South by Southwest in March and will be embarking on a North American tour starting in May. They will be playing two dates in February: February 7 at New York’s Bowery Ballroom and February 9 at the Roxy in Los Angeles.

The dance band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, tentatively titled Pala, is expected to drop sometime this spring on XL Recordings.

Tour Dates:
Feb 07 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Feb 09 – Roxy / Los Angeles
Mar 15-19 – South by Southwest / Austin
May 24 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia
May 25 – Webster Hall / New York City
May 26 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC
May 27 – Paradise / Boston
May 28 – Corona Theatre / Montreal
May 30 – Phoenix / Toronto
May 31 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Jun 01 – Varsity Theater / Minneapolis
Jun 04 – Venue / Vancouver
Jun 05 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Jun 06 – Doug Fir / Portland
Jun 08 – Independent / San Francisco
Jun 10 – Music Box @ Henry Fonda / Los Angeles

Friendly Fires: website | myspace | Friendly Fires review | Remix Monday: “Skeleton Boy” | @ Black Cat | @ Dot to Dot Festival | interview with pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 | Mercury Prize Nominations Announced | New Video on MTV, To Play Jimmy Kimmel and Winter Nylon Tour, Release Expanded Version of Debut Album | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | @ le poisson rouge | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | on Jimmy Kimmel | Remix Monday: “Paris” | @ Paradise | Friendly Fires / Holy Ghost! – 12″ Split Single | Friendly Fires to Release Mix CD Including New Collaboration with Azari & III