Man Man is an experimentalrock band from Philadelphia. Life Fantastic is their fourthalbum. They play a brand of alternative that is reminiscent of the mid-90’s. It all sounds very clever, as long as you don’t pay attention to the lyrics.
The album starts well with a keyboard and a drumbeat before a xylophone descends, and the song starts. It has a bit of a gypsy punk thing going on, and it sets the stage for the remainder of the album.
The best thing here is “Oh, La Brea”. It ends the album on a pleasant, quiet note. It’s a bit jazzy, and obviously Tom Waits influenced with its gruff vocals, and shout outs to Los Angeles streets. The song is something of a lullaby, and it wouldn’t be completely out of place on Waits’ Nitehawks at the Diner.
Another highlight is the druggy “Dark Arts.” The song is full of doom, or trying to avoid doom. It’s the sound of a man in a Mexican wrestler’s mask stampeding through a ballet. The song is about surviving, somehow living despite the crazy shit the narrator has lived through. It’s fast paced, and a little surviving.
That song ends, and the xylophone returns. That strange instrument guides the song, as the carnival sound continues. This song, “Haute Tropique,” contains the albums best line: “I eat my peas like a good boy’s supposed to.” The singer barks the lines. It’s a fucking carnival.
The best thing about this album is the variety of instruments. What at first sounds like Smashmouth, full of inconsequential nonsense quickly turns into a game of “name the sound.” By the time the song “Shameless” hits you’re on your knees with the band, and your head is in the clouds. Your brain is full of strange sounds, and you’re begging for more.
Track List:
01. Knuckle Down
02. Piranhas Club
03. Steak Knives
04. Dark Arts
05. Haute Tropique
06. Shameless
07. Spooky Jookie
08. Eel Bros
09. Bangkok Necktie
10. Life Fantastic
11. Oh, La Brea
The Temper Trap have been touring so much and in so many places in 2010, I’ve lost count. So I consider the Trocadero gig in Philadelphia the start of their “latest and greatest” North American tour, if you will. The Melbourne-based band played to an enthused crowd there Sunday night. It’s pretty uncommon for me to know about all three bands on a tour – usually I’ll know the headliner and probably one of the headliners peripherally, but on this tour, I was stoked beyond belief that two of the best electronic bands of the moment would be support for the Temper Trap.
Brooklyn’s the Hundred in the Hands have just released their self-titled debut album on Warp Records last week, and it’s an amazing effort. Definitely in my top 5 of albums of 2010, I think it would handily beat out LCD Soundsystem’s This is Happening in a head-to-head contest on the dance floor. You always wonder how electronic bands translate (or don’t) in the live environment, and I can say without a doubt the Hundred in the Hands passes with flying colors. The only issue I had was with some of the instrumentation getting muddled, which I think was more of a fault of the venue’s sound system and not a reflection on the duo. Weirdly, the front row of the standing crowd stock still for the entire night, and it was us and my new friends in the second row that were kicking up our heels to the Brooklyn duo (and the rest of the night for that matter).
Eleanore Everdell (lead vocals / synths) sings, at times, with a yelping howl not unlike Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes but I think Everdell does this better, because her disaffected voice is perfect for dance music. Check out the amazing “Last City,” the opening track on their album, with its “oh oh oh OH ohs” that will make this an earworm for sure, and even better live. “Pigeons,” a single getting a lot of airplay on British radio, is another gem. A fascinating sidenote: Hundred’s guitarist (and also beat master) Jason Friedman has the same model of Rickenbacker as Delphic’s Matt Cocksedge, so I was doubly blown away by equipment prettiness.
So the next two bands of the night I had been lucky enough to have seen last at Roskilde Festival in very sunny Denmark in July. Delphic released two singles, “Counterpoint” and “This Momentary,” in their home country in 2009. While these didn’t race up the UK singles chart, they generated enough interest such that when the Manchester, England band let loose their debut album, Acolyte, early this year on their own Polydor imprint Chimeric, the buzz was enormous. I was already a big fan of theirs after hearing Acolyte in January, and it quickly became the soundtrack to my cardiovascular workouts for the rest of the DC winter (read: shoveling during the second biggest snowfall ever recorded in Washington). The band have no idea of this particular reason for my great affection for their music. Interestingly, it became clear Sunday night that I, along with the aforementioned second row of fans at the Trocadero, were going to use Delphic to soundtrack quite a workout.
I should probably mention that despite it being autumn on the East Coast already, the inside of the Trocadero was hot. Steamy. Boiling. By the time Delphic started their second song, the synthtastic “Doubt”, the shirt of lead singer/bassist James Cook was already soaking wet with sweat. He seemed unperturbed by this, singing his heart out on tunes like “Red Lights,” complete with requisite red lighting and concluding with a monster synth outro – just what you’d expect from three English boys who are self-described “synthesizer geeks.” Keyboards/synths man Rick Boardman surprised me, singing his backing vocals with so much enthusiasm, I was floored. He sings in a higher register than Cook and frankly, you haven’t heard sexier high-pitched male vocals in a dance song since the Bee Gees days. “Halcyon,” the song that cemented my love for the band (used somewhat freakily for a UK mobile phone advert, I can’t be the only one who thinks James Cook singing “give me something I can believe in” has absolutely nothing to do with mobile phones), was fantastic, with guitarist Matt Cocksedge ripping his now famous guitar solo.
Even though it appeared that myself and one other guy next to me (clutching a Delphic press clipping from NME, no less) were the only people in the whole club to even know who they were and what they sounded like, by the time the set closer “Counterpoint”, with the swells of its guitar and synth and Cook’s upbeat yet sad lyrics of “but you don’t come back around / it seems to me that we will never be” and his emphatic declaration that “nothing’s wrong / nothing’s wrong with today,“ everyone was already on their side, pumping their fists in the air. See, Delphic may write songs about love and heartbreak like other bands, but they write and play them in a way you will force you to take notice, because you won’t be able to keep still. This is music that makes you want to dance.
Delphic Set List
Clarion Call
Doubt
Red Lights
This Momentary
Halcyon
Counterpoint
The way things are going for the Temper Trap, I think they could very well be playing stadiums in the near future. They have the swagger, they have the confidence, and they certainly have devoted fans. In Washington, maybe a quarter of the attendees show up before or around doors and the rest amble in at the appointed set time for the headliner. Not so with Sunday’s Temper Trap show. I have never in my life seen such a long line outside a venue before doors, going for what seemed like miles down Arch Street. Thanks to two wonderful openers, the Trocadero crowd was drenched in perspiration and ready for the headliner.
All too predictably, “Sweet Disposition,” the song on the “500 Days of Summer” soundtrack that made the Temper Trap a household name in America, got the loudest crowd reaction. But my buddies and I in second row standing had a good time pogo-ing to “Fader,” “Love Lost,” and even “Down River,” the latter with its unusually plodding verses but endearing, shoutable chorus of “Down river! Down river!” and odd spoken lyrics from bassist Jonathan Aherne. I think a lot of people went to this show knowing nothing but “Sweet Disposition” and maybe “Fader,” but they all came away with a feeling of euphoria, seeing a band close to or at its peak in performance terms. Dougy Mandagi grinned through the entire set, later reaching out to the crowd at the end to shake as many hands as he could.
The light show for their final song, “Science of Fear,” was a war between strobes and blue spotlights. This is the level of light show Museuses on tour. So it’s not a far stretch of the imagination to imagine envision the Temper Trap playing Madison Square Garden or the Meadowlands sometime soon. They won’t be playing clubs for much longer. Watch this space.
The Temper Trap Set List
introduction
Rest
Fader
Fools
Down River
Love Lost
Soldier On
Sweet Disposition
Resurrection
Drumming Song
//
Rabbit Hole
Science of Fear
Tour Dates (dates with all three bands except those noted)
Sept 29 – House of Blues / Boston
Sept 30 – Wellmont / Montclair, NJ
Oct 01 – Terminal 5 / New York City
Oct 02 – Le National / Montreal
Oct 03 – Capital Music Hall / Ottawa
Oct 05 – Phoenix / Toronto
Oct 07 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus
Oct 08 – DC9 / Washington, DC^
Oct 09 – Austin City Limits / Austin*
Oct 09 – MOTR Club / Cincinnati%
Oct 11 – St. Andrews / Detroit
Oct 12 – Metro / Chicago
Oct 13 – Turner Hall / Milwaukee
Oct 14 – First Avenue / Minneapolis
Oct 18 – Crocodile / Seattle%
Oct 19 – Woods / Portland%
Oct 21 – Popscene / San Francisco&
Oct 22 – Fox / Pomona, CA
Oct 23 – Club Nokia / Los Angeles
^ Delphic only
* the Temper Trap only (festival appearance)
% the Hundred in the Hands only
& Delphic and the Hundred in the Hands only
Another highlight of this past year’s Lollapalooza was Jukebox the Ghost. The piano rockers are releasing a new album, Everything Under the Sun, on Sept. 7. Bethany caught up with them at Lolla and asked them a few questions about their real biography, playing Lolla and the upcoming release. The full interview is below:
Bethany, PopWreckoning: Ok, first off, I was trying to find some information about you guys online and really all I could find is a biography of President Taft. What’s up with that? Tommy Siegel, Jukebox the Ghost: Haha. I think I have to answer this. Do you guys even know about this? I’m Tommy, by the way. I play guitar and sing sometimes. We set up the Facebook bio and instead of putting an actual bio, I put the Wikipedia entry for Howard Taft. So now when you search on Facebook for Jukebox the Ghost, it says Jukebox the Ghost – indie rock – and underneath it says, “Born in 1837″ or whatever. PW: You guys are anti-slavery under influences. It says that as well, so that’s good. TS: Yeah, that’s good.
PW: So what’s your real background story? How did you guys all meet? Ben Thornewill, Jukebox the Ghost: We met in college at George Washington University in DC. I lived next door to Jesse and met Tommy Sophomore year, so we started there. I’ve lived in Philly for three years. Some of us live in New York and some of us in Philly.
PW: How does the distance thing work with the band with practicing and touring? BT: We barely practice as it is. Touring is our practice. We would practice like two or three times a year, doing like a marathon: eight hour days for like a week and a half. We’ll keep doing that and it doesn’t really matter where we do it.
PW: Is this your first time at Lollapalooza? How does it compare to other things that you’ve done in the past like club shows? BT: This is our first Lolla and it is (a) way better than any other festival that we’ve done, for sure. And (b), it is sort of like a perfect show. We had like people as far back as we could see. It is the biggest show we’ve ever played.
PW: And you’re doing an after show for free. How is that going to compare what people saw already at Lolla? TS: It will be longer, there will be 1/100th the number of people, but it will be fun. We’re playing with two great bands: Skybox, whom we’ve toured with before from Chicago, and Spinto Band, whom we’re fans of but have not met.
PW: Lolla is an extreme festival compared to others. Do you guys have like a survival kit or anything that you’ve learned on how to make the most of it? BT: Not really. They have golf carts that take you, artists and others, from place to place. That’s the greatest thing. Tommy has advice. TS: My advice is just to act confident. Because anyone who is a security person, they might ask you a question, but they’re way less likely to if you just act like you know where you’re going. So act confident and you can get all sorts of free stuff that’s not really free here. Jesse Kristin, Jukebox the Ghost: This is Jesse. I play the drums. My Lollapalooza 2010 tip is bring your cell phone charger with you because there are outlets everywhere. You just got to find them. I was watching the Strokes and charging my phone. It was great. They actually have electricity in this wilderness.
PW: So, the Strokes must have been a must-see for you, but were some of the other acts that you were excited for this year? JK: Miniature Tigers. They’re one of our best band friends and they just put out a new record. It’s just phenomenal. They’re small for the festival, but we’re pushing them really hard because we love them and they’re going to be huge. We have other friends that have played and are playing. These United States, Freelance Whales, Skybox, so a lot of friends here and we’re pushing for them. The big ones are fun, but it is special to see these small bands play on these big stages.
PW: What are your plans post-festival? BT: Post-festival we’re just driving back to the East Coast and playing some small album type stuff. The album comes out Sept 7 on Yep Roc Records. Then we’ll go on tour after that for like five weeks. So until Sept. 3, keeping it easy, practicing and maybe learning a new cover.
PW: For people who didn’t get a chance to hear the new songs here, on the upcoming album, what can they expect? TS: They can expect a more mature version of what we had done before. It’s nothing wildly different, but it is definitely moving in a new direction. There are some prog rock elements, but there are a lot of just straight retro pop elements. We got into a very Beatles-y phase. There are a lot of songs that reflect that aesthetic. We’ve been playing a lot of these songs live though for awhile. Most of our hardcore fans will already know what’s in store. PW: Sweet.
LIGHTS is an incredibly talented girl who plays the guitar, piano, drums, and even a keytar. Her music is very electro-pop and she describes it as “intergalactic” on her MySpace. But LIGHTS has recently released an acoustic EP simply titled LIGHTS. ACOUSTIC. In support of this new release, LIGHTS is doing a string of sold out acoustic shows. The first show in Philadelphia, PA, was packed; you had to get there early in order to get a table or even get a spot in order to see. The second she walked on stage, the crowd began yelling compliments at her. She giggled, she responded politely, and she did it very well. She immediately began playing “February Air” on her guitar and the entire crowd quickly started singing along. Between each song, LIGHTS told a story to go with the song she was introducing. She talked about songs being written for boys (or the same one), where she writes her songs (alone in her bedroom but she gets her ideas in the bathroom for those that want to know), and moving out of her parent’s house (which was 500km away but then she quickly realized we use miles and could not figure out the math). She is funny. She is witty. And most of all, she is charming.
Throughout the evening, LIGHTS went back and forth playing her guitar or a keyboard that had been set up on stage for her. She played both flawlessly. Twice she said she was going to play a song that she had never played live before and that this particular show was a very special one, thrilling the crowd even more. She played all of the songs off her new EP and ended the set with “Savior” which based off the crowd’s reaction, is one of her more popular songs. Even though she only played for one hour (plus two songs for an encore – “Fall Back Down” and “Ice”) it was just the right amount of time for an acoustic set.
Her music has a very has a singer-songwriter quality to it that raises its standards from the normal “girl pop” you hear on the radio. Having been impressed by LIGHTS’ acoustic performance, it makes seeing her live with her full band much more intriguing. Neither would be a show to be missed.
Having heard of Rooney about eight years ago or so (and being on their mailing list since then), I was intrigued to see them live for the first time. I was a little unsure of what to expect from them exactly, but since Rooney is currently on tour with Hanson to promote their newest release Eureka, I rightfully assumed it would be a fun show. And though the tour has only just started, they’ve already hit major cities such as Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia, PA.
The sold out Philadelphia show Sunday night was very entertaining. Though the majority of the fans were in attendance to see Hanson, Rooney, who happens to be very engaging, had the crowd singing right along with them. Lead singer, Robert Schwartzman, encouraged the crowd to clap along to the beat several times throughout the night. The band impressed me and had very good stage presence. They personalized the show by talking about the Phillies baseball game they attended earlier in the day, and about the storm that delayed the game, drenching the band in the process. At one point, Robert even threw his Phillies baseball cap out into the crowd.
Rooney’s music is very guitar based with the occasional keyboard used in their songs which of course keeps the energy level high throughout the night. They played songs from their newest release Eureka such as “Holding On” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” They even played a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young with Robert playing drums and Ned Brower, their drummer, singing lead. Their adaptation stayed true to Neil Young’s version of the song and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. Overall, Rooney has very upbeat music that encourages the audience to sing and dance along. If you are looking for a good to pop show to see, don’t pass up the opportunity to see Rooney. You won’t be disappointed.
The band just released their self-titled sophomore album on June 1. GOW also just recorded a World Care Live session that will be broadcasted on NPR affiliates on June 29.
Tour Dates:
July 25 Kent, OH Kent Stage w/ Brandi Carlile
July 28 Rutland, VT Paramount Theatre w/ Brandi Carlile
July 29 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre w/ Brandi Carlile
July 30 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
August 1 Westhampton Beach, NY Westhampton Beach PAC
August 19 Schwenksville, PA Philadelphia Folk Festival
August 25 New York, NY Irving Plaza w/ Xavier Rudd
August 26 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts w/ Xavier Rudd
August 27 Cleveland, OH House of Blues w/ Xavier Rudd
August 28 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre w/ Xavier Rudd
August 30 Nashville, TN Exit/In w/ Xavier Rudd
August 31 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse w/ Xavier Rudd
September 1 Isle of Palms, SC The Windjammer w/ Xavier Rudd
September 3 Orlando, FL House of Blues w/ Xavier Rudd
September 4 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room w/ Xavier Rudd
September 5 St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre w/ Xavier Rudd
September 7 Asheville, NC Orange Peel w/ Xavier Rudd
September 8 Louisville, KY Headliners w/ Xavier Rudd
September 9 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre w/ Xavier Rudd
September 10 Clarks Grove, MN Harvestfest w/ Xavier Rudd
September 11 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre w/ Xavier Rudd
September 13 Burlington, VT Higher Ground w/ Xavier Rudd
September 14 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre w/ Xavier Rudd
It’s one of the biggest tours of the summer: The Bamboozle Roadshow. PopWreckoning wants to help you go free (or at least go cheap if you don’t win our contest).
We’ve got a pair of tickets we’re giving away to the PhiladelphiaBamboozle Roadshow on June 20. To win, all you have to do is comment and tell us what Bamboozle band you’re most excited to see and why. Then, on Wednesday, June 16 at 12 p.m. EST, we’ll pick a winner to put on the guest list with a plus one. Make sure you comment with your real first and last name and make sure you are able to attend the show.
If you don’t want to risk winning, there are $10 tickets available for the show thanks to the kind folks at Coca-Cola. To get the discounted tickets go to www.livenation.com/cokesecret and use the password: cokesecret.
At the show, be sure to stop by the Coca-Cola “Swelter Stopper” tent to cool off and for your chance to win meet and greet passes from the DJ. They’ll even be stocked with ice-cold Coca-Cola.
*The prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.
Irish trio Two Door Cinema Club was pretty much universally hotly tipped by British music critics last year even before their debut albumTourist History even made it to store shelves in early March 2010. The band received further validation as a one of only of 15 acts to make it on the BBC Sound of 2010 long list. Despite accolades like these, the band have not rested on their laurels, relentlessly touring and easily gaining new fans with their brand of pop / punky hybrid rock, first across Britain and the rest of Europe. Now it appears North America has caught the Two Door bug, with many of the dates on their first-ever headlining tour of our continent selling out. High off playing a great gig the night before at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, they performed at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood last Thursday with two opening acts, Million Young andBad Veins.
Florida’s Million Young took to the stage first. Frontman Mike Diaz (guitar, programming) sings dreamy lyrics but is backed by synths and Afrobeat. They sound like what you might imagine would result if Beach House went to the islands and decided to make a record. That’s my impression anyway – other people have compared the band’s sound to South Carolinan Toro y Moi. The vocals are too new age-y for me, but I was really digging the synth and drum sections. Songs like “Mien” and “Cynthia” set early gig-goers gyrating.
I’d seen Bad Veins before, also in the second spot on the bill; they supported We Were Promised Jetpacks in DC in February. Thankfully, singer Benjamin Davis still rocks the telephonic vocals, and drummer Sebastien Schultz is still pounding out the militant beats that pair so well with Davis’ style of sometimes drawn out, sometimes disaffected and Beck-ish, and sometimes theatrical rock singing style. Their tape player, Irene, was employed to add further warmth to the music with strings and brass. Davis commented that “her” location stage right was unusual (usually the tape player is set up in the middle of the stage between them, so that Schultz can reach the play and stop buttons).
However, their set did not seem to be affected by this at all. Songs like the yearning “Gold and Warm” and the groovy “Crosseyed” and “Falling Tide” captivated the audience so much that the crowd was won over, with several fans on the floor and in the balcony shouting with much displeasure when Davis announced they only had one song left. I’m impressed by all that these two guys from Cincinnati can musically and their performance in Philadelphia was no exception. Watch this video of “The Lie” below from South by Southwest 2009, just gorgeous. Definitely check them out. Really, they should be much bigger in America than they are.
For most of the bands I like from overseas, it takes a long time for America to catch on and to ever see them on network television, so I take Two Door Cinema Club‘s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this month as an excellent sign that they’ve already been recognized in America as a good bet. (Catch one of the songs they performed for Kimmel below.) When it came time for Two Door’s set on Thursday, there were several teasing moments where the lights went down and went back up again as guitars and gear were checked and re-checked. This gave ample time for latecomers to fill in on both floors when the band finally took the stage, beginning with the engaging love song “Cigarettes in the Theatre,” which I imagine will be their trademark set starter for the foreseeable future.
Listening to a record in the comfort of your bedroom or car is different than seeing that band live, and this can’t be stressed enough in the case of Two Door Cinema Club. Watch for the frenetically played, flying guitars being played by the principal members, bassistKev Baird, lead guitarist Sam Halliday, and lead singer / guitarist Alex Trimble. Drumsticks also fly courtesy of Brighton, England touring drummerBen Thompson, personally chosen by the band in October to replace the Mac programming employed on their recordings. This is just fun, fast-paced guitar pop with good lyrics. Watching gig-goers go into near trances over the great music made me smile.
The surprises of the evening were the playing of two little-known b-sides, “Hands Off My Cash, Monty” (introduced by Baird with the warning, “you won’t know this one, unless you are a super fan or something“) and “Kids,” which wasn’t the MGMT cover some of us at the front had guessed jokingly when the set lists were first laid out on the stage floor. Both of these sound great live and in truth, either of them would have felt right at home on Tourist History. The crowd enthusiastically clapped in time to the bridge of “Costume Party,” leading me to believe that many of them had already gotten their free mp3 of the song from joining the band’s mailing list.
But if I were to pick the highlights of the night, hands down they would be the songs from the encore. The printed set list did not indicate there would be one, but a big fan at the front commented loudly to the rest of us, “They have to come back. They haven’t played ‘I Can Talk’ yet!” Wise words. After the audience’s insistent chant of “one more song!” the band returned to play “Come Back Home” followed by “I Can Talk.” By then, these lads from Bangorhad the Philly crowd eating out of their hand. World domination is next.
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
This is the Life
Kids
Costume Party
You’re Not Stubborn
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
//
Come Back Home
I Can Talk
New York City’s Jupiter One roared through an energetic set, playing to an enthusiastic crowd at Philadelphia’s North Star Bar. They powered through a strong set comprised of a mix of songs from last year’s Sunshower and 2008′s self-titled release.
Front man K Ishibashi seamlessly transitioned between a Roland, his electric guitar and an electric violin while band mate Zac Colwell switched it up with a Roland, guitar and flute. Van Pilates guru Dave Heilman pounded out catchy beats on the drums and Pat Dougherty slapped the bass.
The Extraordinaires, Dangerous Ponies, The Lisps
Johnny Brenda’s
1201 N. Frankford Ave., Phila PA
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
doors @ 8PM | 21+ | $10
Advance tickets for the show are on sale now.
You can also catch The Extraordinaires at this year’s SXSW in Austin, TX.
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
