Twitter Updates for 2008-07-31

Posted on July 31, 2008
Filed Under News | 2 Comments

DEASTRO: And you thought Kevin Barnes was freaky

@ santos party house #
Technical difficulties…live blogging resumes…now #
Enter in medias res. Sounds polished and poppy #
Was that a fiddle? Tunde’s singing like Paul Simon #
Go saxophone! Was that the last track. Weird ending #
Not sold on this yet. About 30 people here. They should all stop talking now #
Long pause … Ok this is def track 1…do I hear some beach boys influence #
This track rules, whatever it is. Tunde’s voice sounds rich and full #
Doesn’t have the wow of the last album. Maybe a grower? #
This song has some Prince in it…….a bit…… And now it doesn’t #
Overall everything has been very beat heavy. Guitars arent as prominent. #
This album is about tunde, jaleel and gerard # Read more

1MM: Sebastien Tellier @ Hiro Ballroom, 7.30.08

Posted on July 31, 2008
Filed Under 1MM, Media | 2 Comments

Photos by Andrew Parks

We’re still not sure what we witnessed at Sebastien Tellier’s Sexuality-shilling show last night (an elaborate, electro-shocked cabaret act? seduction via mimed guitar solos and pre-recorded Daft Punk beats?). What we do know is Tellier sure knows how to put on a show for a packed house. Find out more about the man behind the shades here, where he contributes a DJ set and such.

BUY IT: Takka Takka, Migration

Posted on July 31, 2008
Filed Under Buy It, Burn It, Skip It, Reviews | Leave a Comment

By Aaron Richter

As we all know by now, new releases hit record-store shelves and digital-download services each Tuesday. That’s why self-titled presents the following every week: a new release you’d be stupid not to own (Buy It), one worth checking out if you’re the curious type (Burn It) and something you might have heard about but probably should avoid (Skip It). Simple, ain’t it?

Except this week looks a little skimpy, so we’ll just give you one fancy Buy It and leave it at that.
Read more

Twittering For TV on the Radio

Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under News | 1 Comment

So Wired’s excellent Julia Allison cover story got the self-titled office thinking the other day … If a minor Internet celebrity can keep the public enthralled through ridiculously personal Twitter posts, why can’t we mainline live rumors and reviews to our readers?

Presenting s/t’s Twitter stream—the place to go when you’re wondering what’s going on right now, from whether or not the rest of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs showed up to Karen O’s solo show to tonight’s token example of what we hope to do with this little program in the coming months: live reporting from TV on the Radio’s private listening party for Dear Science. “Follow us” (yeah, we think it’s a little weird too) for updates on your cell phone or keep your eyes on the “s/t stalker” widget at the top of the middle column for refreshed Twitter posts every 15 minutes.

Ah, the Internet: Creepy Since 2008.

THE S/T INTERVIEW: Alan Vega of Suicide (Part I)

Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under Features, The S/T Interview | 3 Comments

Alan Vega, looking back through old Suicide bootlegs Who was my girlfriend? What was happening? Where was I? What was I thinking? How the fuck did I even dress like that?

[SUICIDE L to R: Martin Rev, Alan Vega]

By Aaron Richter

“These recordings are not for the fainthearted or casual fan” warns the back of Suicide: Live 1977–1978, a limited-edition six-disc box set out now on Blast First Petite. The collection documents the tour following the release of Suicide’s classic self-titled debut. It includes rough recordings of full shows at New York City venues CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City and The Palladium, as well as brutal sets from a European tour with Elvis Costello and the Clash.

Riots were incited. Bottles were thrown. Faces were cut with glass. The punks were royally fucked with. For singer Alan Vega and keyboardist Martin Rev, instigation and agitation were vital and necessary. Although it’s a difficult, monotonous listen, this box set (limited to only 3,000 copies) captures an anger, a frustration and an oppressive, pulsating sound that truly pissed people off. Here, Vega speaks candidly with self-titled about the death of punk, the art of confrontation and his biggest fear. Part two of our unedited interview—the one with the ax-wielding fan anecdote—will run tomorrow morning.

Hydra Head Preps Deluxe Melvins Box Set/Comic Book/4 x LP

Posted on July 29, 2008
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Depending on our mood at the moment, self-titled digs just about everything Hydra Head puts out, from Torche to that really twisted Pyramids disc from earlier this year—the one with remixes from Jesu, Birchville Cat Motel, and James Plotkin.

The label for “thinking man’s metal” may outdo themselves with the following Melvins set, however …

PEEP SHOW: The Presets, “Talk Like That”

Posted on July 29, 2008
Filed Under Media, Peep Show | 2 Comments

While K.I.M. of The Presets already told self-titled everything we need to know about Australia (remember, koalas are not cuddly; they’re STD-ridden), we couldn’t help but share the latest music video from Apocalypso. In the capable hands of some directorial duo named Jonas & François, “Talk Like That” is turned into a creepy meditation on obsessive dance-rock fans that may or may not look like cracked-out models.

As a bonus for paying attention, we’ve also include the Lifelike remix of “This Boy’s In Love” after the jump …

NOT ENOUGH DJS: Soulwax Toast the Lost Art of Mixing

Posted on July 28, 2008
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Soulwax is mostly known for their genre-jumping alter ego 2 Many DJs, so like most people, self-titled had low expectations for their live stateside debut a few years back.

Actually, let’s be honest: We went just so we could see their DJ set afterwards. And you know what? The living, breathing version of Soulwax didn’t let up one bit. In fact, it was nastier and gnarlier than 2 Many DJs at 2 a.m. Running through their Nite Versions (Modular Moods) record from intro to out—think a straight-banging DJ set with no sense of peaks and valleys—Belgium brothers Stephen and David Dewaele lead a full band and a packed Studio B through a healthy hour of hammerhead hooks and saw-toothed synths. An equally engrossing evening on the decks followed, proving the Dewaele’s can play both roles with equal aplomb.

“How do they do it?” we wondered. Steve-O offered some answers on the DJ mix tip …

1MM: Spiritualized @ Terminal 5, 7.27.08

Posted on July 27, 2008
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Photos by Andrew Parks

self-titled’s love for Spiritualized is no secret. After all, we devoted three pages to cross-examining J. Spaceman in the opening spread of our first issue.

The thing is, though, we haven’t seen the guy live since Spiritualized’s tour with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club seven years ago. A lot has happened since then: a new album (Songs in A&E), a brush with death, a Harmony Korine soundtrack. What hasn’t changed is Spaceman’s sense of psych-rock grandeur. Unlike the band’s beautiful but muted performances at the Apollo late last year, this weekend’s full-on electric revue seemed bent on blowing amps. It didn’t, but the misery-wallowing sadist in us left more than satisfied, especially after a rousing, riff-roasting rendition of “Come Together.”

Enjoy the fireworks after the jump …

I WAS THERE: Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Terminal 5, 7.25.08

Posted on July 26, 2008
Filed Under Reviews | 5 Comments

Photos/Text by Aaron Richter

Rarely, if ever, can self-titled watch a two-hour set and leave the venue wanting more. But as the Brian Jonestown Massacre was cut off at Terminal 5’s midnight music curfew, we found ourselves wishing for just … one … more … hour? Yep. For their only US appearance this year, Anton Newcombe and his band were absolutely mesmerizing, dosing out just enough bat-shit craziness to strike the right pose but never derail the show entirely.

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