Whenever I listen to Kasabian, I always feel like I should be running on a European street, either away from the police or towards a party.  It doesn’t matter which one because the emotion involved is the same.

Their new album, The West Ryder Pauper, offers that same kind of adrenaline-laden rock with a sinister undertone with the opener “Underdog.”

By the third track, called “Swarfiga,” you’ll feel like you’re inside the soundtrack of a drug-induced film. The song has a rolling beat, and it’s easy to imagine it being played live, with hipsters repeating the same dance move over and over and over again. Even when you think a song is going to be slow, such as the single “Fire,” it picks up in the middle, sending you down another strange aural path.

And, as always, it makes me feel like running out and committing vandalism or, at the very least, causing a public disturbance all in the name of a good song.

Thankfully, the band appears to realize its power over the feeble-minded and incorporated the down-tempo song “Happiness” to end the album. Without it, some people may not be able to calm down.

It’s that kind of weird mixture that has always attracted me to this band. It’s as if they know when I want to hear the club rock mix and when I need the soft color and tones of a lounge.

Kasabian – Fire
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/11_fire.mp3]

May 29 2009 8:00P De Montfort Hall Leicester

May 30 2009 8:00P De Montford Hall Leicester

May 31 2009 8:00P De Montford Hall Leicester

Jun 4 2009 8:00P Heaton Park (supporting Oasis) Manchester

Jun 6 2009 8:00P Heaton Park (supporting Oasis) Manchester

Jun 7 2009 8:00P Heaton Park (supporting Oasis) Manchester

Jun 8 2009 6:00P HMV, 90 Market Street Manchester

Jun 9 2009 8:00P O2 Academy Newcastle

Jun 10 2009 8:00P Stadium of Light (supporting Oasis) Sunderland

Jun 12 2009 8:00P Millenium Stadium (supporting Oasis) Cardiff

Jun 13 2009 8:00P Oasis Swindon

Jun 14 2009 8:00P Spa Bridlington

Jun 16 2009 8:00P Caird Hall Dundee

Jun 17 2009 8:00P Murrayfield (supporting Oasis) Edinburgh

Jun 18 2009 8:00P O2 Academy Glasgow

Jun 22 2009 8:00P St Georges Market Belfast

Jun 24 2009 8:00P Rock City Nottingham

Jun 25 2009 8:00P University Liverpool

Jun 29 2009 8:00P O2 Academy Sheffield

Jun 30 2009 8:00P O2 Academy Manchester

Jul 2 2009 8:00P Guildhall Southampton

Jul 3 2009 8:00P Centre Newport

Jul 4 2009 8:00P Eden Sessions, Eden Project Cornwall

Jul 6 2009 8:00P Guildhall Portsmouth

Jul 7 2009 8:00P Corn Exchange Cambridge

Jul 9 2009 8:00P Wembley Stadium (supporting Oasis) London

Jul 11 2009 8:00P Wembley Stadium (supporting Oasis) London

Jul 12 2009 8:00P Wembley Stadium (supporting Oasis) London

Jul 16 2009 8:00P Brixton O2 Academy London

Jul 17 2009 8:00P Brixton O2 Academy London

Jul 22 2009 8:00P iTunes Festival – Roundhouse Camden London

Aug 24 2009 8:00P Civic Hall Wolverhampton

Aug 25 2009 8:00P Civic Hall Wolverhampton

It’s Memorial Day Weekend and everyone is starting to keep an eye out for their summer jam, the song that for most people will define the summer of 2009 for them, for better or for worse.

Enter Roman Candle, a breezy indie-rock group who enjoyed critical acclaim with their debut “Wee Hours.” They’ve returned with “Oh Tall Tree in the Ear,” which has the single “Eden was a Garden.”

It’s the first track of the new album and it opens with a Flaming Lips-sounding guitar strum, followed by lead singer/guitarist Skip Matteny going into a sort of rolling lyric: the kind that rolls so quick past you that you aren’t sure what he’s saying.

It doesn’t matter. The rhythm is easy and the perfect song to come in midway through the summer roadtrip, the point when you aren’t quite sure if the trip is going to be cool. Then this song comes on and you suddenly feel like you’re in an indie film and that the path you’re on is leading you to something crazy and memorable.

Much of the album feels the same way, injecting an easy lyric and sound and getting out before you realize what just happened (which also makes it the perfect roadtrip album since it reveals itslef through multiple listens.

And even though it’s early, there’s an optimistic feeling after listening to the entire thing that this is merely the beginning to a summer of worthy music.

Roman Candle “Eden was a Garden”
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/01-eden-was-a-garden.m4a]

(though these are it for now, according to the band’s MySpace, I have to believe more shows are coming…)

May 26 2009 8:00P PASTE MAGAZINE and WOXY PRESENT: Roman Candle and The Deep Vibration at The Summit Columbus, Ohio

May 27 2009 8:00P PASTE MAGAZINE and WOXY PRESENT: Roman Candle and The Deep Vibration at Club Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jun 20 2009 8:00P City Stages Birmingham, Alabama

Jun 25 2009 7:00P Turley Park – Sunset Series – SIU Carbondale, Illinois

It’s refreshing to hear a band dedicated an album about a certain area and not actually be from that area. So instead of getting songs about how rainy and depressing Portland, Oregon is from The Dimes, we get something soft and lush about Boston, Massachusetts.

Their one sheet describes them as being close to the sound to Death Cab for Cutie and says the band’s influences range from The Beatles to The Decemberists. If you like any of those bands mentioned, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll dig this band.

And though I like those bands too, there’s something else that draws me toward The Dimes. I can’t tell you what it is exactly except that i’m writing this late on Sunday night after watching Breaking Bad because they made me sit up in bed.

The New England EP has four songs, one of which is the John Lennon cover “Watching the Wheels.”

As mentioned before, they have a familiar sound, which is apparent on “The Ballad of Winslow Homer” and could have been a B-side to a Wes Anderson film (it would have been played in full during the movie during the character’s “moment of clarity” scene).

The Dimes – The Ballad of Winslow Homer
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/03-ballad-of-winslow-homer.mp3]

Then there’s “Clara,” which sounds nothing like Ballad, and yet has the same kind of laid-back tone. Again, you feel like you’ve heard these guys before and though you can’t pinpoint where and how, it feels good, which makes you assume it was a good memory.

This is your rainy day music, the EP you have on that you will listen to in full over and over again, either because it’s calming or because you’re in your own personal Wes Anderson film and you’re just waiting for your moment to arrive. And when it does, at least you’ll have the right song lined up.

Though the concert tour appears to a bit light, these guys may be expanding their live shows soon.

May 29 2009 12:00P    Seattle University Seattle, Washington
Jun 5 2009 9:00P          Doug Fir Portland, Oregon
Jun 6 2009 8:00P          Crocodile Seattle, Washington

The Concert Stranger attends shows in NYC and, from time to time, reports on what he saw in the least amount of words possible because when people use too many “they just get in the way.” Here’s what he did in March.

3/4 Manchester Orchestra @ Mercury Lounge

This 5 piece from Atlanta, GA have a new record called Mean Everything to Nothing dropping on April 21st. It is hands down the best record I have heard this year. My only complaint about their set at the Mercury lounge is that it was too short- can’t wait for their gig at Bowery next month. This is the band to watch in 2009.

The Only One

3/11 The Airborne Toxic Event @ Bowery Ballroom

How is “Sometime Around Midnight” a hit song when it doesn’t have a chorus? The answer was illustrated to me live: it starts slow and builds to a massive frenzy. LA’s indie darlings recently signed to Island Records and are headed to Europe- but catch them in May at the Sasquatch Music Festival. Bonus: the band takes their name from a Don DeLillo book- got to like a band that can read.

Sometime Around Midnight

3/20 Richard Buckner @ Mercury Lounge

Buckner needs no stage show- he is mesmerizing solo and seated with only a trusty looping pedal to fill out the accompaniment. But the show started at 12:30 in the morning- I had been drinking since 6. Richard I’m an old man- how do you feel about the early bird special next time around?

Blue and Wonder (live)

3/26 White Lies @ Bowery Ballroom

These fine gentleman are from London and they are hot there. The band’s debut record To Lose My Life was the first (debut) to hit #1 on the UK charts this year. Singer Harry McVeigh claimed his voice was shot this particular evening at the Bowery- but they sounded good to me regardless- set was short and sweet- look forward to seeing them again.

To Lose My Life

3/30 The Hold Steady @ Irving Plaza

The sound was sub-par, the band did a lot of old material which is not my favorite (i know- sacrilegious- screw you hipsters) but still one of the better shows I’ve been to this year. The Hold Steady have a positive energy that is infectious and undeniable. A re-affirming musical experience.

Stay Positive

Up next Bow Wow…

From the band’s Myspace

The Brian Jonestown Massacre is the biggest traditional rock band I’ve ever seen live.

Not in popularity, but literally the biggest band I’ve ever seen.  With nine touring members crowding a stage, they dwarf even Skynyrd.  And the recession doesn’t seem to be cutting into their payroll at all, since they have a guy who stands front-and-center for the whole show playing only tambourine and maracas.  A little excessive maybe, but he is definitely one of the more animated members up there.

Enough about that.  The band is known primarily for their neo-psychedelic sound that is straight out of 1968.  With five guitars on stage (two or three electric six-strings, an acoustic, and an electric twelve-string…not to mention the occasional sitar), they create a sonic blast that washes right over you.

However, the band was plagued by bad sound that night and I didn’t get to experience the wall of sound I was expecting.  Riffs tended to be rather muddy, but it lent itself to the genre they were trying to ape.  Fidelity wasn’t the biggest attribute in late 60′s psychedelia.

What they do do really well is create a textured, mid-tempo sound that builds and swirls all around you.  Vocals are rather limited to simplicity, shared between leading members Anton Newcombe and Matt Hollywood.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a damn word all night so I don’t really know what they were trying to say.

Outside of the drummer and Mr. Tambourine Man, the band didn’t exude much energy at all.  Of course, there wasn’t much room left up there for acrobatics.  But still, they looked rather bored and jaded and didn’t seem to be enjoying much of anything.  They vocalized their beef with the sound, but it didn’t get much better throughout the night.

The more Jager and beer I drank, the more I tended to enjoy myself.  I could expect that it would be a helluva show if you were on an acid trip.  In fact, one guy there seemed to know this all too well.  He was definitely altered out of his mind, kept bumping into people, and had a tic that made Robin Williams seem calm.

At the end of the show as people were leaving, one of their guitar players got into a pissing match with an unruly male audience member.  Both of them screamed back and forth for a while before the bouncers threw the guy out.  I don’t know what the fight was about, but it definitely was not the best note to end on.

photo by hugh twyman

If Keith Moon were still alive and didn’t play drums for the Who, he would definitely play for Meeting of Important People.

I caught them for the first time at their CD Release show this past Saturday in Pittsburgh.  I’ve heard the name mentioned in musicians’ circles around town before, but never got to hear them live or on disc.

Normally when you hear Garage Rock, it can easily go either way.  More often than not it’s the not-so-good kind.  But not this time.  The band opened up with an instrumental piece that had a bad-ass guitar and bass groove that wrapped itself around a raucous beat.  Definitely got my attention and the crowd of hipsters dancing around.

Their songs are simple and catchy, yet not forced or annoying like so many indie bands these days.  It reminded me of “I Can’t Explain”-era Who.  Simple, delicate melodies, in-your-face guitar riffs, bouncing bass, and crash-bang-boom drums.  A really well-executed, deconstructed sound that a lot of bands go for but just can’t pull off.  Meeting definitely has it down.

Every song I heard that night had energy and attitude.  On the record, everything comes together to really nail the vintage sound-even with the production values-without sounding hokey or fake.  Doubled Byrds and Kinks styled vocals = Killer.  This could easily be 1966.

The Indie Rock trend in this town has become much more good-times oriented over the last few years.  But not many bands could really make it believable, until now.  The old dark and brooding hipster sound has been replaced with upbeat rhythms and catchy melodies.  It’s Indie Pop Music done right for once.  And MOIP are bringing back the fun and rebellion of the 1960s British Mod Invasion.  Listen to “Dead Man” on their Myspace page for a taste of what they do.

I dare you to not like it.

Upcoming Dates

Apr 23 2009        10:00P
Sierra Grille       Northampton, Massachusetts

Apr 24 2009       8:00P
51 3rd       Troy, New York

Apr 25 2009       8:00P
Modern Formations **All-Ages**       Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

May 23 2009       9:00P

Lit Lounge       New York, New York

Against my better judgement, I clicked onto Hesta Prynn’s Myspace page to get a taste of her solo project away from Northern State. Like most music fans who were initially sucked into the “OMG, it’s a girl version of the Beastie Boys” hype back in 2002, I’ve constantly expected better things from this band aside of the hip-hop shrieking that took place on records and on stage.

They were like the Beastie Boys in rhythm and style, but you always felt they never grew past that. The last album I heard was “All City,” which was All Crap, save for one song at the end called “Summer Never Ends,” a strange hybrid of NS’s style, but with the added element of a low, monotone lyrical sense that, when compared to everything else they had done, sounded fresh.

So here, almost 7 years later, I’m giving one-third of the band another chance with Hesta Prynn’s forray into the solo world with three songs off her Myspace and some gigs at the upcoming SXSW.

The word? That sound from “Summer Never Ends” is back.

It isn’t all hip-hop, nor is it all pop. Prynn’s managed to strip down the music to its essentials and released tracks that sound honest and genuine. Maybe a laid-back Tegan and Sara if you’re into that sort of comparison (which may make sense since she wrote them while on tour with the band).

Prynn, who’s being billed as her being “in” Civil Shepherd, will be dropping down at the SXSW on Wednesday March 18 at 1 a.m., which is  a prime spot for a gig.

Check out the song. Yes, it’s partly hip-hop, but sans shrieking.

Hesta Prynn in Civil Shepherd – Seven Sisters
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/hesta_prynn_in_civil_shepherd-seven_sisters.mp3]

March 5, 2009

Revving myself up to see this pop-rock sextet, I streamed Lydia’s latest album, Illuminate, from the band’s website all week and, I’ll admit, the tunes have grown on me in that pleasantly infectious-but-not- nauseatingly-poppy kind of way.

Thanks to some train troubles, I missed opening act Black Gold, but Lydia leapt into their set promptly on time (early?) to a comfortably full and attentive crowd of head-bouncing, bootleg-video-shooting, singing fans.

Knowing next to nothing about this band, I soaked up the show at face value and found no pretenses, no dramatization in their performance. These guys were having fun without relying on cheap ploys and props for added silliness; lead vocalist and Leighton Antelman chatted with the crowd without that forced stage banter many bands awkwardly recite; and each member behaved with a focus that never seemed contrived. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Leighton and the rest of the band were a bit under the weather (requisite of any band’s first headlining tour, after all). I wouldn’t have noticed had Leighton not apologized three or four songs into what he said would be a short set. (It came to a satisfying half hour.)

The performance was cozy and fitting in the small, brick-lined walls of the Mercury Lounge. The stage looked to be at max capacity with the six musicians (and, might I add, all twelve of their impeccably chiseled cheekbones) and their respective instruments. Perhaps embracing the intimacy, Leighton beckoned the beer-sipping crowd of twentysomethings to move closer.

The band alternated between selections from Lydia’s debut This December, It’s One More and I’m Free and Illuminate. Leighton sipped a paper cup of tea between songs, and his soft, scratchy vocals balanced beautifully with keyboardist Mindy White’s haunting, milky smooth verses in songs like “Now the One You Once Loved is Leaving”; one voice never overpowered the other.

Mindy helmed the keyboard for the bulk of the show (trading spots with Leighton toward the end), and the melodies danced lightly around rhythmic guitars and subdued drums characteristic of such catchy, yet melancholy, indie-pop stylings. (During various songs, I was reminded momentarily of Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, and Brand New, among others. I mean that nicely).

Live versions stayed relatively true to their recordings; generally I prefer bands throwing in jams, solos, and variations on studio tracks I’ve listened to countless times, but my unfamiliarity with the band kept me captivated—a separate challenge in itself, as it’s pretty tough to get wrapped up in the live performance of a band for which you have no predisposed affinity. This is as much a credit to Lydia’s crisp performance as to the music’s enchanting harmonies and a distinguishable sound.

As the final tune wrapped up, one by one each member set down his/her respective instrument and solemnly stepped off stage, one by one, walking through the standing audience whose attention was fixed to the stage until only Leighton and drummer Craig Taylor remained; they played a few last notes, and then smiled and thanked the audience. All in all, a solid show. Check them out.

A friend of mine asked me last week if I wanted to check out a band called The Old Ceremony at the Mercury Lounge. I hadn’t heard of them, so I went to the Mercury Lounge Web site and read, “The Old Ceremony draws their water from a deep well of music ranging from the Beatles to Beck, Leadbelly to Led Zeppelin. Unorthodox instrumentation meets superb songwriting to create a unique interpretation of brooding, orchestral rock’n'roll.” Sounded good enough to me. I was excited about checking out a new band, but as Sunday night approached, I began to regret my decision. Not because of the band, but because it was snowing and cold out, I had to get up really early on Monday, and I did not get enough done over the weekend. Once my friend decided not to go because of the weather, I also considered staying in, but I decided to go anyway. I said I was going to review it for this site, and I like to follow through.

I made it to the show right before the second band started their set (I missed out on Backwords). The Mercury Lounge is a pretty small venue, with some couches along the walls. I guess the snow detracted a lot of people, because there was barely anyone standing, most people taking up the few seats. I sat down and found it hard to concentrate on Two Dark Birds. I had a lot of other things on my mind, but their music is pretty mellow, and it started to relax me. The audience was warm, but not overly enthusiastic, and a few people were talking more than listening. During a song called “23,” I overheard someone near me saying to his companion, “That song is for you,” which made me feel old, but the crowd was pretty disparate in terms of age.

As more and more people started filling the venue, I noticed they would congregate in the back, which struck me as odd, but I figured it was so as not to block the view for those sitting on the sides. The next act was The Chris Stamey Trio (though at some points there were four of them onstage). Stamey was pretty quiet between numbers and he later said he didn’t want to talk between the songs because people would rather talk to each other than listen to the artist talk. Good point, although it probably depends on the artist.

Finally, The Old Ceremony came on. By this point, the place had filled up substantially and the audience had moved towards the front of the venue, but it was by no means full. The crowd was pretty into it–singing along and even dancing (real dancing, not the typical head bop). I assume they were all pretty big fans or they wouldn’t have trekked out in the snow. I did like the band, but I could never fully get into the show, which was not the fault of the musicians. They were talented performers and endearing personalities, joking about how we all had to spend the night as we were snowed in.

Should I have skipped out on the concert? Maybe, since I was barely present enough mentally to write a review of it, but I did like The Old Ceremony enough to check them out again under different (warmer) circumstances. I’d recommend catching their tour. Check out some of their songs on their site, especially “Plate Tectonics” and “Get To Love.”

It’s snowing again here in Boston, for the 134th time this season, and it’s affecting my mood. So it’s good that I’ve discovered Caroline Herring today, from the infamous Decatur, Georgia. She’s on the cusp of releasing her third album and will be heading to Austin on Wednesday, March 18.

Most people may be able to figure out everything about Herring from the above pic: cute singer songwriter who plays the guitar and looks like an indie-rock Pam from The Office.

And on this threatening Boston day with the bitter cold and high winds, it’s exactly the kind of sound I need to calm the rage and anger inside of me (and don’t get me started on the cell phone I accidentally washed the other day).

Bottom line: You’ve heard this before, and if you liked it then, you’ll probably like this now.

Caroline Herring – Paper Gown
[audio:http://www.52shows.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/paper-gown.mp3]