Monday, September 28, 2009

popwreckoning updates

popwreckoning updates

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Remix Monday: Au Revoir Simone “Another Likely Story”

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 11:30 AM PDT

Au Revoir Simone is a three-piece female group from Williamsburg, New York. Their name comes from a line spoken by Pee Wee Herman to a character named Simone in Tim Burton's Pee Wee's Big Adventure. The group formed in 2003, putting out songs that were recorded in a basement shower stall. They've moved up in the world since.au-revoir-simone

.Au Revoir Simone – “Another Likely Story”
"Another Likely Story," like much of Au Revoir Simone's material, is soft and ambient. It feels like a cloudy dream one floats right through. The vocals are precious and ethereal, the music touched with soft synthesizers, hints of glockenspiel, and a trasient percussion.

. Remix
Probably the most popular mix of this song. It just starts with a beautiful bounce. The synths added to the intro pop and bubble like a mid 80s new wave track. With the remix work, the ethereal and atmospheric feel of the song is replaced by a happy melody, which isolates the vocals so that the words are more direct soft. A great song for a sunny, summer day.

.NeonIndian Remix
This mix beings with significant attitude. It's gritty through the use of distortion and cut up beats and a thick bass line. It feels like Stallone's movie Nighthawks or Cobra. The new sound is a sharp contrast to the blissful vocals, but at the same time brings a uniqueness to the song. The best moments are without the vocals, of course, because the complete reworking of the music is extremely original.

. Remix
An ominous starting mix that leads into a bare boned track. It doesn't feature much except for a few programmed drumbeats, one intermittent bleep and vocals with a break on them.

Au Revoir Simone: website | myspace

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Lebowski Fest Philadelphia, Movie Party

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 10:30 AM PDT

Lebowski Fest PhilaHaving gone to the 8th Annual in its mecca of Louisville, I was stoked that creators Will and Scott would be stopping in Philadelphia on the Speed of Sound tour — a cross country tour bringing all the things Lebowski to major cities including New York, Denver, Boston, Austin and many more. The two-day party started Friday at the Electric Factory with a performance by the semi-raucous Black Diamond Heavies and a very of the fest’s namesake film. Typically a standing room only venue, the Electric Factory had set up row after row of plastic chairs so as to make the Achievers (fans of The Big Lebowski) more comfortable for the 117 minute duration of the film.

White Russians flowed freely and many Achievers showed up in grungy robes, sunglasses and boxer shorts as an homage to the Dude, bobbed red wigs and green robes as the eccentric Maude Lebowski, and cargo shorts and vests with yellow aviators taking on the quasi-explosive persona of Walter Sobchak. The Factory was fairly empty when I arrived about a half late, in time to see Will and Scott wrapping up an opening chat decked out in their Pin Head costumes. Black Diamond Heavies followed with a short set consisting of some dynamic originals and two covers straight out of Lebowski, ‘ “Just Dropped In” and closer “Man In Me” by , both of which received wild applause from the crowd.

Black Diamond Heavies – “Just Dropped In” ()

Black Diamond Heavies – “Man In Me” ()

Tonight marks the last stop of the Speed of Sound Tour East Coast dates down in our nation’s Capitol, Washington DC. Tonight you can catch Black Diamond Heavies, the Pin Heads and a viewing of The Big Lebowski at the 9:30 Club. $20 admission, 7pm doors. Tomorrow night, the bowling party will take place at Strike Bethesda for those 18 years and older. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of. Don’t miss out, buy your tickets now!

The final stop of the Speed of Sound Tour is Austin where on October 9th and 10th.

: website | tickets

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Win tickets to Lights in Philly!

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 09:39 AM PDT

She can sing, play several instruments and draw. You’ve probably heard her song “Last Thing on Your Mind” in commercials, in which case, you know how talented the Canadian artist Lights is. lights 1

If you live in the Philadelphia area and would like to see the pop rock singer, simply comment in the replies with why you should win by 9 a.m. EST on Sept. 30. We’ll pick a lucky winner to get a free pair of tix to the show.

The show is Oct. 2 at the North Star Bar. Please enter only if you can attend the show.

The talented alternative rockers Stars of Track and Field are opening.

Lights: website | myspace | @ the slowdown

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Photo Essay: Sunny Day Real Estate @ Terminal 5, NYC

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 08:47 AM PDT

Perhaps you are one of the lucky few to catch a Sunny Day Real Estate 2009 reunion show. If you’re unfortunate enough to live in a city skipped by the 90s emo frontrunners, don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Our photographer Dese’Rae L. Stage is kind enough to let you experience the show through her photographs taken at in NYC on Sept. 27, 2009. Enjoy:

Photos by Dese’Rae L. Stage.

Sunny Day Real Estate: website | myspace

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AFI – Crash Love

Posted: 28 Sep 2009 07:30 AM PDT

I've never been a huge AFI fan. Back in my early teens when I seemed to think that I was "hardcore," I listened to their major label debut Sing The Sorrow, mainly because they looked punk rock. Then again, I also listened to in my early teens, so I wasn't necessarily thinking straight. But now, after growing up hearing AFI evolve, I realize that back then, I had the right idea listening to them when I did.afi-crashlove

It's been three years since 2006's Decemberunderground, which received mixed reviews, however strictly musical sources had a shared attitude of "meh." The only songs I can remember from Decemberunderground were "Miss Murder" and "Love Like Winter" because by that time, I'd come out of my punk rock, black nail polish stage. Decemberunderground had a much different feel than Sing the Sorrow, and AFI's newest album, Crash Love, has a far different feel than both of its predecessors – better than Decemberunderground, but not as good as Sing the Sorrow.

AFI's sound seems to be going in the same pattern as front man Davey Havok's hairstyle. First is was long, dark, lush and wavy, like Sing the Sorrow, then sharp, smooth and highlighted like Decemberunderground, and now it's a commercial-friendly bouffant-like coif.

Not to say that all of Crash Love is bad. We do get to hear Havok's strong vocal layering more prominently here than on Decemberunderground, which could have been attributed to the heavy synth influences on that record. Lyrically, this album is still dark like we expect AFI to be, but musically, Havok and co. appear to have gone soft. The first three tracks on the album, "Torch Song," "Beautiful Thieves," and "End Transmission" are three of the best the album has to offer, as well as the short 2:39-long "I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here." "Torch Song" sounds just familiar enough to please the diehard fans without throwing off new fans, with the heavy goth rock undertones and the irrefutably AFI lyrics, "I saw you / left, so pail and weak / when I look through / you and I, decline to speak." The first single, "Medicate" was a good choice, as it has just enough mass and fan appeal to do well on the radio without annoying people. Guitarist Jade Puget's driving guitar riffs make up the strength of the song, even if Puget's guitar isn't as prominent on the rest of the album.

But other than those songs, the rest of the album sounds kind of like filler, scrapped b-sides from Sing the Sorrow, or CW-friendly background tracks for teen dramas. Specifically "Veronica Sawyer Smokes," and "Darling I Want To Destroy You" sound so watered down, you almost expect to hear them on actual commercials. Crash Love desperately needs original hooks and more of Havok's shouting. It's just too bad b-side "Fainting Spells" only made it on the deluxe edition, because everyone should hear it. It doesn't really fit with the rest of the album, but it's amazing nonetheless. It's online, so go and listen to it. Now.

Vocally, and musically, Crash Love blends in too much to the rest of today's pop punk fair. And what sucks the most is that AFI wasn't originally classified as pop punk. They've just slowly slipped into that direction. AFI fans don't want AFI to blend in. That was the majority of their appeal in the early days. I'm all for change and progression, but this didn't seem like the right direction for men in their 30s to move towards.

AFI’s Crash Love is available September 29th on Interscope.

Tracklisting:
01. Torch Song
02. Beautiful Thieves
03. End Transmission
04. Too Shy to Scream
05. Veronica Sawyer Smokes
06. OK, I Feel Better Now
07. Medicate
08. I Am Trying Very Hard to Be Here
09. Sacrilege
10. Darling, I Want to Destroy You
11. Cold Hands
12. It Was Mine

AFI: website | myspace

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at 6:16 PM