An all New York City bill went down at DC’s Red Palace Saturday night. The Postelles were in town to celebrate the release of their debut album on +1 Records on Tuesday. With them were their buddies Ambassadors and a band that surprisingly they had never run into back home, the Dig. I wasn’t about to miss a Postelles show; not counting this gig, I’ve seen them three times, and they never disappoint. Saturday’s show in Washington was as good of an excuse as any for the band to party with what lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk counts as one of his favorite cities to play in.
Ambassadors was the only act of the night I’d never seen live before. I try not to overuse the word “eclectic” in any of my writing, but I don’t know how else to describe this band’s music. Their song “Bodybag” could have easily fit in Fleet Foxes’ repetoire. In another song, lead singer Sam Harris was using a bow on his bass guitar: unusual, no? Their closing number sounded more MGMT. Lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh had a Nord in front of him, which seemed strange considering Harris’s brother Casey is their dedicated keyboardist. They have some good songs, but I think trying to focus on one general genre would probably serve them well, so they would have a better chance at hawking their debut album (to be released sometime in 2011) around to labels.
Having seen the Dig open for two great British bands (Editors and the Joy Formidable) last year, I knew I was in for a treat. Personally, I feel that the Dig should have a larger profile on the American music scene, already having released a very good debut album last year (Electric Toys, review here). Their hard rock yet fun sound is the kick in the pants that American rock stations need. In addition to playing “Two Sisters in Love,” “You’re Already Gone,” and “Look Inside,” the band also played some new material that I hope will be released on a new EP or album sometime in the very near future.
Then 11:30 rolled around and it was time for the main event. The Postelles’ debut album has 12 songs, yet they only played 8 of them, which was a little disappointing to me, since I love the entirety of The Postelles. “Sleep on the Dance Floor” was peerless, as were “1, 2, 3 Stop” and “Hey Little Sister,” the latter with Balk asking the crowd to sing along at the end on the “hey little sister!” refrain. I don’t know how it’s possible, but the band sound tighter each time I hear them play, and it’s been great seeing their progression from support to headliner. I can’t wait to see where these guys go.
My only complaint: maybe the band is bored of playing the songs off the album, because they played what I considered two completely non sequitur cover songs. In the middle of the set, they played the late ’70s Wreckless Eric hit “(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World,” a song by an English singer/songwriter than I’m sure very few patrons present had even heard of. This was later followed by a cover of the Rivieras‘ “California Sun,” which is a fun summer song for sure, but I never put surf pop and the Postelles in the same sentence, so it seemed a little out of place. Still, it was a really enjoyable show, and it was obvious that the crowd was enjoying it as well. Loud, drunk girls shouted as to how hot bassist John Speyer’s vest and drummer Billy Cadden‘s v-neck t-shirt were. Is this the kind of reception the Beatles got in their early days?
Oddly, the sets grew shorter as the night progressed, with the Postelles only playing about 35 minutes, including the encore. I found out after the show that this had to do with a curfew (rats) but I was promised by Balk that they would return. Whenever the Postelles do, they will have a fanatical crowd waiting for them, no doubt about it.
The Postelles Set List
Stella
She She
Sleep on the Dance Floor
Looking Glass
Hey Little Sister
(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric cover)
1, 2, 3 Stop
Running Red Lights
California Sun (the Rivieras cover)
Can’t Stand Still
White Night
//
Boy’s Best Friend
Tour Dates
Jun 15-16 – NXNE / Toronto
Jun 17 – Schubas / Chicago
Jun 18 – Summer Soulstice Music Festival / Milwaukee
Jun 20 – Tractor Tavern / Seattle
Jun 23 – Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Jun 28 – Echo / Los Angeles
Jul 07 – T.T. the Bear’s / Cambridge, MA
The Holy Ghost! story begins in 2007 – when Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser, childhood friends and mutual lovers of dance beats, released a song that quickly became a dance classic, “Hold On.” It’s hard to believe it took them four years, but here we are in 2011, and the dance duo is finally releasing their self-titled debut album. No surprise they’re releasing it on their good friend James Murphy‘s DFA Records. Actually, you can trace James Murphy‘s influence in this first release of Holy Ghost!‘s: Murphy asked Frankel and Millhiser to tour with LCD Soundsystem in 2010, which forced the duo out of their comfort zone (usually presiding over the decks at dance clubs as DJs, never playing live) to come up with a Holy Ghost! live show. Interview Magazine has called their sound, “Michael Jackson meetsNew Order at a 1979 disco.” Right up my alley.
Indeed, songs from their debut album are currently being played while the duo, with three additional musicians, are opening for Melbourne’s Cut Copy on their North American tour, now in progress. However, Frankel has said, “I didn’t want to limit myself to making an album that could only be played in clubs,” with Millhiser adding, “we were trying to make something that people would want to listen to, front and back, at home.” Their self-titled debut album is a testament that this can be done – and can be done well. Two of the 10 tracks on this effort (“Static on the Wire” and “Say My Name”) are from the band’s Static on the Wire EP released last year, and the aforementioned “Hold On” also figures on this album. All three are superb tracks; it’s not hard for me to imagine these being played for sweaty masses on a dance floor, albeit possibly in clubbier, more drawn-out versions.
But you’d be remiss to only focus on those tracks. The album opener, “Do It Again,” is mesmerizing, with its relentless driving rhythm and shimmery synths. “Wait and See,” which DFA is giving away as a free download on Soundcloud, is clear evidence of the band’s ’70s disco / ’80s new wave and electropop sensibilities. “Hold My Breath” is cut from a similar cloth. “Jam for Jerry” is an upbeat yet wistful tune, likely to be a loving homage to the late Jerry Fuchs, drummer of LCD Soundsystem and !!!, disguised as a dance love song.
The best track on here is “It’s Not Over” – here is where I’m guessing any New Order comparisons began. The synthesized bass line sounds like it was yesterday that Bernard Sumner was surreptitiously pushing Peter Hook out of the band with programming, only that with Alex Frankel’s soulful vocal delivery and tribal drum patterns, it’s something very unique that you won’t quickly forget. As a dance record, Holy Ghost! is not in your face, and that’s a good thing. Most dance recordings are overproduced, overwrought jumbles of sound with no direction. This one hits all the right buttons.
Tracklisting
01. Do It Again
02. Wait and See
03. Hold My Breath
04. Say My Name
05. Jam for Jerry
06. Hold On
07. It’s Not Over
08. Slow Motion
09. Static on the Wire
10. Some Children
Holy Ghost!‘s self-titled debut album will be released on April 12 on DFA Records. The band is currently on tour as support for Cut Copy. The band will also make appearances this month at Coachella on April 15 and at a headlining gig at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 29.
Tour Dates
Apr 04 – House of Blues / Boston*
Apr 05 – Club Soda / Montreal*
Apr 06 – Terminal 5 / New York City*
Apr 07 – Sound Academy / Toronto*
Apr 08 – Riviera / Chicago*
Apr 09 – First Avenue / Minneapolis*
Apr 12 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle*
Apr 15 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 16-17 – Grand Ballroom @ Regency / San Francisco*
Apr 20 – Granada Theater / Dallas*
Apr 22 – Stubbs / Austin*
Apr 23 – Republic / New Orleans*
Apr 29 – Music Hall of Williamsburg / Brooklyn*
*supporting Cut Copy
New York City’s folk pop band Freelance Whales (pictured right) and Oxford, England indie dance rock band Foals will be touring North America together in April and May. In several markets (San Francisco, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC) the two bands will be co-headlining. The support act for this tour is Auckland, New Zealand electropop band the Naked and Famous.
Tour Dates
Apr 10 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver*
Apr 11 – Showbox at the Market / Seattle*
Apr 12 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Apr 14 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco (Freelance Whales co-headlining with Foals)*
Apr 19 – Fitzgerald’s / Houston*
Apr 20 – Loft / Dallas
Apr 21 – La Zona Rosa / Austin*
Apr 23 – Firebird / St. Louis*
Apr 25 – Varsity Theater / Minneapolis*
Apr 26 – Metro / Chicago (Freelance Whales co-headlining with Foals)*
Apr 27 – Outland Live / Columbus*
Apr 29 – Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland*
Apr 30 – Phoenix / Toronto*
May 01 – Le National / Montreal*
May 02 – Paradise / Boston*
May 04 – Terminal 5 / New York City (Freelance Whales co-headlining with Foals)*
May 05 – TLA / Philadelphia*
May 06 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC (Freelance Whales co-headlining with Foals)*
May 07 – Ottobar / Baltimore*
May 08 – Met / Pawtucket, RI*
*with the Naked and Famous
Check out Holy Ghost!‘s new video for “I Know, I Hear”, one of the four tracks from their Static on the Wire EP released earlier this year. It features Caroline Polachek of Chairlift.
It’s been my experience that the 9:30 Club in Washington is not the ideal place to see a dance band. Or maybe I have been going to the wrong shows? Monday night the club played host to the first night of Montreal electro-funksters Chromeo‘s Business Casual Tour. One look at the keyboard stands – women’s bare legs with red heels – should have immediately told you this was going to be an unusual gig.
The first of two opening acts was New York City-based Telephoned, a duo comprising of the mustachioed Sammy Bananas (that’s got to be a stage name, surely?) on turntables and electronics and the prettily coiffed Maggie Horn. It turns out Horn is a local D.C. girl, so the duo had plenty of friends on hand to cheer them on. The two take popular songs and give them their own spin. I’m not really a fan of the songs they “spun” – to give you some idea, their set included mishmashes of Rihanna‘s “Rude Boy,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ “Runaway,” and even their tour host’s, Chromeo‘s, “Night by Night.” Not really my thing, but there were plenty of people on the floor who disagreed. At one point, I was nervous as a man in a Don King outfit got into an argument with a girl who is a big fan of Telephoned as the two discussed their merits (or lack thereof). People: whatever floats your boat, to each his own, etc…
The second opener was Holy Ghost!, a band near and dear to my heart. Having seen them in June play to their fans at the U Street Music Hall, a venue specifically designed for dance music, I did not have high hopes for the 9:30. First there was a problem with the bass levels. Then there was a microphone wire problem. All in all, I have to say Alex Frankel(lead vocals / keyboards / additional percussion), Nick Millhiser (drums) and their two backing band members on guitars and synths did an admirable job despite the technical cock-ups that weren’t their fault. When it came time for “I Will Come Back,” all those equipment issues were forgotten as gig-goers gave themselves over to the beat. In the coming months and years, this will become every bit of a dance anthem as “Hold On” did for them at the start. Trust me. Dance bands often have too much in the way of exciting lighting going on around and behind them, and in the case of Holy Ghost!, less is definitely more. They didn’t have an elaborate stage set-up with them on Monday night, and they didn’t need them.
Holy Ghost! Set List
Say My Name
Hold On
It’s Not Over
Static on the Wire
I Will Come Back
New song (title unknown)
But Chromeo was who everyone had come to see at this sold-out show. My knowledge of them was limited to “Night by Night,” which had a very sexy promo video released last December. Appropriately enough, the focus is on the dancing. I knew they had two members – David Macklovitch (Dave 1) on guitar and lead vocals and Patrick Gemayel(P-Thugg) on synths and talk box – but assumed live they had to have more members, like Holy Ghost! Wrong. Gemayal had so many synths, even I lost count. For several songs he also wailed on bass, something I really appreciated. Macklovitch may be “the cute tall one” but Gemayel is the master onstage. Something I found strange: most of the duo’s songs are short, not what I would have expected for a dance band. It’s too bad they haven’t found more mainstream commercial success.
At the start, I wondered why Macklovitch was wearing sunglasses. Um, we’re in a dark nightclub, what gives? With a guitar, he had the opportunity to move around more than his synth-playing counterpart. I quickly learned that the sunglasses were to shade his eyes from the powerful light show that was going on directly behind the two of them. There was enough wattage on the 9:30 Club stage to land a jumbo jet. My eyes hadn’t been through such a workout since the Phoenixshow at Constitution Hall in April. They granted us a short reprieve with “Momma’s Boy,” a tender but funny ’80s-sounding song that begins with keyboard effects and Macklovitch’s sweet vocals.
“Fancy Footwork,” the title track to their 2007 album release, had a bass effect so strong that I could feel the insides of my face vibrating. Not kidding. I tried holding on to the barrier, thinking this would dampen the effect. No such luck. Between this, the strobes, and the dancing-induced claustrophobia (including people’s limbs in your body and face), it was not a comfortable situation. Definitely not for the faint of heart. But if you’re in the mood for cutting a rug and don’t mind moments of temporary blindness, this would be the show for you. And good news for Chromeo fans: they do preview songs from their new album coming out in September, Business Casual.
Tour Dates
Jul 29 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City*#
Jul 29 – Love / New York City (afterparty / DJ set)
Jul 30 – House of Blues / Boston*#
Aug 02 – Capital Music Hall / Ottawa*#
Aug 03 – Phoenix / Toronto*#
Aug 05 – Majestic Theater / Detroit*#
Aug 06 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 06 – Official Lollapalooza Afterparty / Chicago (DJ set)
Aug 07 – First Avenue / Minneapolis*#
Aug 10 – Flames Central / Calgary*#
Aug 11 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver*#
Aug 12 – Showbox Market / Seattle*#
Aug 13 – Roseland Ballroom / Portland*#
Aug 15 – Outside Lands Music Festival / San Francisco
Aug 16 – House of Blues / San Diego*#
Aug 19 – Twilight Concert Series / Salt Lake City
Aug 19 – W Lounge / Salt Lake City (afterparty / DJ set)
Aug 20 – Ogden Theater / Denver*
Aug 24 – Stubb’s / Austin*#
Aug 25 – Palladium / Dallas, TX*#
Aug 26 – Cannery Ballroom / Nashville*#
Aug 27 – Masquerade / Atlanta*#
Aug 29 – Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles^
* with Holy Ghost!
# with Telephoned
^ with the Chemical Brothers and Yacht
Alex Frankel, one half of New York City electronic act Holy Ghost!, was kind enough to lend his typing fingers and answer some questions for me while he and his partner in crime Nick Millhiser are busy touring North America as support for LCD Soundsystem. The duo recently released their first “album” of material, the Static on the Wire EP, and they’re set for a summer full of shows and festival appearances. I ask him about how they got into recording music, his philosophy behind “good” dance music, and their recent cover of Friendly Fires‘ “On Board,” amongst other things. Have a read.
Mary Chang, PopWreckoning: I’ve read that you two met in grade school. Did you bond immediately over music, certain bands, in band class, etc.? How did you become friends? Alex Frankel, Holy Ghost!: Nick was more skateboardy and I was more, sweat pantsy? We did play in a band in 5th grade (ages 9/10, respectively) that practiced in “The Cage” [a storage space in their elementary school] and was instructed by our social science teacher, Mrs. Preston, who was a very cosmic lady seemingly stuck in the late 1970s. But yeah, we always were doing some music here and there together.
MC: I’ve also read that you were members of a short-lived teen hip hop act in the ’90s called Automato. What instruments did you play, did you sing…? What happened with it? AF: Nick played drums, I played keys. It started when we were 15 but we did it until 2005 actually. It’s how we met James [Murphy] and Tim [Goldsworthy, founders of independent label DFA Records], who produced the record. It faded out, too many cooks in the kitchen, too long spent on the same bunch of songs…we’re all still friends.
MC: How did you get involved with spinning and the making of dance music? Do you each have a personal philosophy towards dance music and what makes it great for you? Is this philosophy different when you yourselves are enjoying the beats in a club vs. when you’re DJaying or performing live? AF: I like music that I have a pleasurable physical response to. I usually go “oooooooohhh” if I like something. And that means some wiring in my brain has been stimulated by the sounds or chords or whatever. But I guess what makes it GREAT is when the physical thing is there, but additionally there is also something emotional that I relate to on top of the music…like lyrics. Like LCD Soundsystem. Or Chic. Or David Bowie. Or Talking Heads.
MC: There are so many great clubs in New York. What are your favorites to spin at? What about when you’ve got a day off and you just want to hear good music and/or dance? AF: This is such an interesting question because everyone asks it and here’s the deal: New York clubs rotate their musical style on a night to night basis these days. Meaning, one night the same club has techno, the next night is ska-fusion night. So, there are no clubs that are ALWAYS good. Like Paradise Garage once was. So I don’t know anyone who just “goes out to dance” and “hopes it’ll be good.” We go to places we know our friends or artists we like listening to will be at. But that venue changes every night. Places of interest are le poisson rouge, Santos Party House, Glasslands.
MC: As for dance scenes, do you each have a favorite? London? Ibiza? Berlin? AF: I’m not sure how to answer that, I guess every place is different? I really love the classic sounds of New York City and Chicago and Detroit. The grit. But I also love the clean, sharp music from Germany, starting from Kraftwerk all the way up to today. We’re pretty open-minded.
MC: Your 2008 single “Hold On” has really taken on a life of its own. During an informal trawling of the Web, I found evidence that fans of dance music think it’s one of those tracks that will live on in dance music history forever (for one, check this link out). Did you have any idea that “Hold On” was going to blow up as big as it did? AF: Absolutely no idea it would go beyond our circle of friends!!
MC: When you started writing and recording music as Holy Ghost!, did you already have an idea of where you wanted to go musically? Did you / do you feel influenced by any artists past or present, dance or not? AF: We wanted to make something that didn’t embarrass our friends, and we wanted to make something that sounded like the music we liked. We wanted to make music that people could dance to but that also was in line with our love of pop music structures.
MC: Let’s switch gears and talk about your releases for this year. In March, you put out a split single with one of PopWreckoning’s favorites, Friendly Fires. The BBC and British music media did a pretty good job of covering their side of what happened on this came about. Is it true that the idea came up over a drunken haze at Calvi on the Rocks in Ibiza last summer? How do you guys know each other? Tell us more. AF: Haha! Yeah, me and Ed [Macfarlane] met at Calvi last year during our DJ set, and I think about 30 minutes later we had agreed on a cover swap. Just clicked right off the bat. Good bloke.
MC: I really liked what you did with “On Board”, the DFA Celestial Choir was a nice touch, as was the bounce of “don’t stop, don’t stop” in the middle. How did you choose that track, and how did you approach doing this cover? AF: Thanks!!! It took forever. There were a bunch of huge personal and technical setbacks during the recording, and it took about 6 weeks. In the end we were really happy with it, felt like we made it our own but kept their original ideas relatively intact. Really fun project.
MC: It must have felt really different doing a full-fledged cover than a remix, being so famous for doing remixes for such high-profile friends like Moby and James Murphy / LCD Soundsystem. AF: Eh, not really. Our “remixes” are often times covers. See the Moby remix (“I Love to Move in Here”) for evidence, where not one sound from the original was used, including vocals.
MC: Your first album-type release, the Static on the Wire EP, was released last month (May 18) on DFA Records. Only four songs but I think it’s a great taster to get people into what Holy Ghost! the recording act is all about. How long did it take to record them? Was it quick from start to finish or have these ideas been percolating since the days of “Hold On”? AF: I don’t know, it’s hard to distinguish things in retrospect. But we’ve been working on a batch of about 13 to 14 songs for 2 or 3 years. These are four. The rest are on the album.
MC: Last month you played your first live, non-DJ gig at Under 100 on May 15. I didn’t have the privilege of being there but some friends were there and really enjoyed the show. What was going through your mind before you went on? AF: STAGE FRIGHT!!!! (Alex provided us with the below YouTube link)
MC: What’s it been like touring with LCD Soundsystem on your first “tour” of the continent? AF: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. BEST BAND IN THE WORLD. WE WAKE UP SO HAPPY EVERY DAY.
MC: You have some high profile appearances in Europe coming up this summer – Calvi on the Rocks to do a live set, London appearances at [the now endangered] Fabric club and the Groove Armada-founded festival Lovebox, and a festival slot at Germany’s Melt. Are there any particular shows that you are most looking forward to? I know I’m looking forward to your appearance in DC at the U Street Music Hall in less than 3 weeks. AF: Actually, aside from Calvi, I’m most psyched for U Street. I’ve heard unbelievable things about the club! Oh, and Summerstage in Central Park because my mom and dad can walk from their houses.
MC: When will your first full-length album hit store shelves? (Or maybe “available for electronic download” is a more appropriate phrase.) Anything you can tell us about it now? AF: It’s not dissimilar from what you’ve heard already. Some shorter, “poppier” songs, but not really. It’s funky. I hope. January [2011 release]?
MC: Some last questions. Your name Holy Ghost! with the exclamation point – who came up with it? Were you ever concerned about the obvious religious connotation? AF: It’s from a Bar-Kays‘s song [a soul, r&b, and funk band founded in the mid-60s that had a single called "Holy Ghost Pt. I / Holy Ghost Pt. II" in 1975], we needed a name. We think it looks cool too.
Holy Ghost!‘s Static on the Wire EP is available from DFA Records now.
Tour Dates
Jun 04 – Hollywood Palladium / Los Angeles*
Jun 05 – Standard Hotel – Los Angeles
Jun 08 – Stubb’s / Austin*
Jun 09 – Palladium / Dallas*
Jun 12 – 88 Palace / New York City (DJ set)
Jun 18 – Sonar / Baltimore
Jun 19 – U Street Music Hall / Washington, DC
Jun 25 – Making Time / Philadelphia
Jun 25 – Vinyl / Denver (DJ set)
Jul 26 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC#
Jul 27 – Trocadero / Philadelphia#
Jul 29 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City#
Jul 30 – MEG Festival / Montreal#
Aug 02 – Capital Music Hall / Ottawa#
Aug 03 – Phoenix / Toronto#
Aug 04 – Central Park SummerStage / New York City^
Aug 05 – Majestic Theater / Detroit#
Aug 06 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 07 – First Avenue / Minneapolis#
Aug 10 – Flames Central / Calgary#
Aug 11 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver#
Aug 12 – Showbox Market / Seattle#
Aug 13 – Roseland Ballroom / Portland#
Aug 16 – House of Blues / San Diego#
Aug 19 – Twilight Concert Series / Salt Lake City
Aug 20 – Ogden Theater / Denver#
Aug 24 – Stubb’s / Austin#
Aug 25 – Palladium / Dallas#
Aug 26 – Cannery Ballroom / Nashville#
Aug 27 – Masquerade / Atlanta#
* supporting LCD Soundsystem
^ with Hot Chip
# with Chromeo
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