I still haven’t gotten my hands on this record for some reason, I need to. Such an amazing band;
Though I haven’t seen them in a while, I remember Polar Bear Club in a basement for like 20 people at North 6 (RIP!!) in Brooklyn with a ton of great bands. Always amazing to see live and listen to. Seriously, if you aren’t listening to this band, you should.
Person Place Or Thing LP
Friction (2009)
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I dig. Victor! Fix The Sun are crazy, experimental, all over the map, but still manage to maintain a sense of cohesion and melody in their songs. It’s a great mix of hardcore and post-punk sensibilities with straight rock and occasional almost soul-like leanings that kept me totally hooked all the way through. Even before the vocals on the first track kicked in, I knew that I was in for a treat, and V!FTS didn’t dissapoint at all.
I didn’t really know what this band would sound like other than the recommendation that I’d like them, and now I’m definitely on the lookout for more from them. Following in the vein of bands like Rapid Cities or Outclassed, combining technical prowess with raw emotion and hardcore anger, Victor! Fix The Sun are a band to keep an eye on.
The weather was wet and shitty as rain fell on and off, and the humidity was wreaking havoc on the world. It was dark and gloomy, the perfect weather for Halloween, in hindsight. At the time, it just soaked a lot of shitty costumes we saw on people trying to flag down cabs.
It didn’t matter though. And you know why? Because my girlfriend and I were trudging into Manhattan to Irving Plaza (apparently though now called “The Filmore at Irving Plaza”, but whatever), to go see a reunion of The Get Up Kids.
Also on the bill for the evening were Kevin Devine (who was wearing a wig, dress, and fake breasts…he got fondled by the Get Up Kids), and some band called The Life We Live or something like that, but we didn’t get to see them. Briefly running into artist/video game guru Allan Norico and his girlfriend (who was dressed as Kim Pine from Scott Pilgrim), we headed upstairs to see the band.
I forgot how small Irving Plaza is, I haven’t been there in a while and for some reason in my mind it was almost as large inside as the Hammerstein Ballroom or Terminal 5.
There appeared to be a Wizard of Oz theme for the night, which of course meant that there was lots of Munchin songs that creeped me out. Like, a lot. Before and during the set. But it’s OK, because I saw one of my all-time favorite bands that I NEVER thought I’d ever see perform live, with the girl of my dreams, on one of the greatest nights of the year.
The band, all dressed up as various Wizard Of Oz characters, not only sounded spot-freaking-on, and played the whole of Something To Write Home About through, which was amazing. The mid-set rendition of “I’ll Catch You” was pretty sweet, and life doesn’t get better than that, let me tell you. They also played “Man Of Conviction” off of Guilt Show, one of my favorite songs (I’m pretty sure I scared the shit out of everyone around me when I started screaming and dancing when that song came on), and a few great songs off of On A Wire.
It does seem a lot that these days that those 90’s bands are reuniting for tours and records and whatnot (I think that Jawbox reuniting for one night in December for Jimmy Fallon’s show is going to be the pinnacle of that).
I know to someone more jaded might think this is basically a train of bands cashing in on guys like me who either miss those bands or didn’t get a chance to see them on tour when they were initially around, but you what? I didn’t give a shit.
I had the time of my life. Tessa and I are huge fans of the Get Up Kids, listening to them around the apartment is almost an event. This was the best Halloween ever, managing to top last year when we saw Bruce Campbell.
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Daytrotter Sessions
Daytrotter (2009)
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Daytrotter’s a website that has sweet live recordings of all your favorite bands, including new songs never heard before. In connection with their recent spat of reunion shows, one of my all-time favorite bands The Get Up Kids popped by and recording a new song, a cover, and a few fan favorites.
The recording’s great, the songs all sound amazing, how can this not rule? If you’re obsessing over increasing your Get Up Kids collection then definitely check this out, and even if you’re not, this is a great way to be reminded just how much this band has stayed incredibly spot-on and fresh. I listen to this regularly, them doing “I’m A Loner Dottie,…” always gets me going.
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Who Goes There
self-released (2009)
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Spastic, anguished, angry, and almost angular without relying on heavy-metal tropes and stylistic tricks, Who Goes There are one of those bands that are, in my mind, bringing back all the great post-punk and emotional hardcore tropes from the late 80’s/early 90’s, managing to not rely on macho cliches when getting emotions across.
All in all, very cool. The band include former members of Outclassed, and it shows in letting their influenced bleed through with songs that sound like a creeping punch to the chest. And if you aren’t a fan of music that sounds like it’s gonna kick the shit out of you, well then I guess I can’t really help you.
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What We’re About
self-released (2009)
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Honestly, with me being as picky with “indie” music as I am I wasn’t sure how I’d like this, but it’s surprisingly fresh and twisted. From the really cool opening track all the way through, even though it didn’t blow my mind, I think I’m a Magnetic Flowers fan from now on.
There really isn’t much to say really, this is an interesting band that doesn’t seem afraid to experiment with different sounds while maintaining a good beat that won’t drive you into the sleep of utter boredom. Check ‘em out.
We have a winner! Liz Suburbia, who is incidentally also a friend of Fistfight At The Arthouse (no bias here, I swear), submitted this peculiar gem. She wins the stack of CD’s that are sitting on the table next to the couch in my living room. Thanks for playing, posers, and here’s her story;
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My most eventful Halloween memory took place in 2005. I was invited to a big party in my hometown, about an hour north of where I was going to school. At the time I had a big mohawk going on, so I decided to go as Zombie Brody Dalle (Sing Sing Death House era), meaning I dressed up like I usually did, only with zombie makeup and a fake lip ring. I ended up pulling into the the Alexandria city limits a little early, and so decided to swing by the home of a good friend. We’d gone to high school together but I didn’t realize he lived in the (crime-ridden, run-down) neighborhood right by the school. We shot the shit and watched a few episodes of Clone High, and he introduced me to his mom- I was a little nervous that she wouldn’t want me around with the way I looked (most of my friends’ parents didn’t), but she welcomed me with open arms and petted the shaved part of my head for the rest of the visit. She claims she knew from the moment we met that I’d marry her son one day, but at the time I had no idea, heh. Anyway, I bid John later and went to the party: full of people I didn’t know, all of them drunk. I was still straight-edge at the time but had fun, considering. At the end of the night I got about 3 miles out of town before I realized I had no gas in the car and had left my wallet at school. D’oh. Called up the friend who had invited me as his guest to the party; he took pity on me and let me crash at his place, and gave me ten bucks to get back the next day. I woke up facedown on his living room floor, boots still on, makeup smeared all over the rug, mohawk collapsing, his dad standing over me dropping cigarette ash on me and asking “And what the fuck are you supposed to be?”
Not quite as funny as the time I pissed my cat costume at an animatronic Freddy Kruger (I was 6), but that one is less of a “story” and more of a “hey, I pissed my cat costume at an animatronic Freddy Kruger. I was 6.”
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Stay tuned for more stuff goin’ on here. If I can stop drinking coffee and eating chicken wings long enough to write anything, that is.
So I’m bored and since it’s October and almost that magical Halloween, I have decided to have a little contest. Here’s how it goes;
Write a short paragraph about what is your favorite Halloween memory, and send it to me via email at;
costakout (at) gmail (dot) com
Be sure to include “Halloween Contest Entry” in the subject line.
The ones I like the most and think are the most entertaining, I will post on here for everyone else to read. and the ultimate winner will get a care package of some random CD’s from the likes of Title Fight, The Reptilian, Shuteye Unison and Esprit De Corps, which I have layin’ around the apartment.
Pretty sweet, right? I know, I’m stoked about it too.
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Anyway, it starts today and will run for a week. Have fun, don’t be ashamed to admit to really embarrassing stuff, and GET READY FOR THE THUNDER!!
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Where To Swim
Parks And Records (2009)
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It’s like an indie-esque lounge record, basically. And I guess if you’re into that sort of almost free-form folk/indie rock with horns and keys interlaced with the guitars, then go for it. Otherwise, I have to say that Carcrashlander’s album is a little bit forgettable, less an album and more a free-for-all list of tracks that came out of random experimentation. Tracks that unfortunately, all seem to just meld into one long song after a while.
At one point while listening to this I really did forgot what song I was on, and not in the good way. There’s potential, but it’d need a lot of tightening up music and lyric-wise to become an actual “album” as opposed to just a collection of songs, or an ambient background soundtrack. I understand the need for openness in music to allow for creativity, but unfortunately, it didn’t really work out here.
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Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)
What It takes To Move Forward
Count Your Lucky Stars (2009)
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This band could be really really incredible. Ambient and soft without falling into the spinelessness and limpid end of the emo pool that swallows a lot of other similar bands, E! E! instead manage to maintain a bit of an edge with occasionally upbeat and uplifting guitars that are jangling and ripping at you in a very cool bittersweet way.
My only real complaints? No one really needs an 8-minute long song. Also, the vocals occasionally got on my nerves when it came down to whispering and almost-talking out the lyrics in what I’m assuming is meant to be emotionally heartfelt but just sounds off-tune, though when vocalist Keith Latinen just lets go and straight-up wails on that mic, it’s way better. If you’re interested in mature and thoughtful indie/emo, then definitely check out E! E!, this album is something I’ll be keeping around.
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Judge Us By How We Lived Our Lives Not By How We Made our Living
self-released (2009)
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OK. So, from what I understand, Judge Us… is basically a concept album about a family falling apart, telling the story from a different point of view with each song.
I have to admit I’m super-duper iffy about ideas like this. Even Zen Arcade is a monster that’s handled carefully through occasional listens, as amazing as that concept album is. But anyway…
Lyrical content notwithstanding, Sleep Bellum Sonno give an almost twisted soul take, not unlike These Arms Are Snakes, to angular post-hardcore influenced rock. I don’t know how I feel about it, honestly. It sounds a little confused and unsure, like the band don’t know if they want to be Sparta or just emulate their favorite soul and 70’s rock records. While I don’t like it, it’s not BAD per se in terms of content, it just sounds to me like SBS are trying too hard.
New favorite site? The Pink Couch Sessions, where great punk/indie/folk bands will do a few songs on a literal pink couch over at the DIY collective If You Make It. That’s basically it, and it’s pretty awesome.
There’s performances from Lemuria, Heathers, Monikers, Attica! Attica!, and there’s one by The Measure (SA) coming up I think that I’m looking forward to. The whole site in general has show listings, video performances, stuff like that, but the Pink Couch stuff is really great stuff, the sort of quiet and honest acoustic stuff I dig a lot on occasion. Especially lazy as fuck Fridays like today.
