A Blues For Detour (1995 - 2006)

New York's best live jazz bar for townies closed last night.

Detour * was not just a intimate venue with a strong rotation of talent, it was proudly local and for neighbors. I could count on seeing people from my building and around the neighborhood there that I would otherwise not see for months, if ever (it's just across the street from my apartment - a mixed blessing).

Considering the massive NYU-ification of the East Village - they are building another dorm on 13th between First and A! - I guess the fall of Detour could be viewed as unfortunate but inevitable. I've heard that the new owner plans to open a restaurant, and there is a rumor that there are plans to have giant wide screen plasmas on the wall. College kids love those giant plasmas!

I had the privilege of playing there a couple times just recently before it closed. Here's what it looks like from the stage - the snap was taken October 4.

(Some notes. Foreground couple are Naomi and Donnie, my next door neighbors. A klatch of kids behind them, my co-workers - including the captain of Volleyball Club. All the way to the right, glasses and goatee, standing: Paul Armstrong, the amazing pianist who I played with that night. Seated, stroking chin thoughtfully: Bill of Stuy Town. Behind him, at the bar: Kelly and Jim. Kelly has her back to the camera ... )

* P.S. One funny memory of Detour was constantly hearing the bartender on duty try to give the web address over the phone. If you check out the link you'll see what I mean. Let me know if you need help with this one

Hot Chip vs Mack

I have never spent much time listening to Superchunk which is surprising since I have lived in Chapel Hill for several years in the late 80's and early 90's.

I saw Portastatic play their first show and they covered Porno for Pyros We Make Great Pets which was excellent. Later on they gave us Eno's Kings Made Hat and Superchunk released a 7" with a cover of the The Magnetics Fields 100,000 Fireflies. Each made me want to jab a pencil in my ear.

Here is another that should have been left along.

Portatstic - Boy From School (Hot Chip cover)

Hot Chip version (in video)



What covers can't you stand?

UPDATE: I am not to happy with what I wrote earlier and feel that I am not getting my point across. Basically, this is a lame cover and is disappointing considering the quality of his past work, but hey, he can release whatever he wants.

Yo La Tango - Mr. Tough

I was watching The Office last night and at the end of a commercial for Chili's, I noticed that they listed their myspace page. Is does this signal the beginning of the end for myspace?

Yo La Tango - Mr. Tough
(via Bushwick is Beautiful)

Beirut

The NYTimes had an article on Piero Scaruffi's website a few weeks back. This guy's site is nuts. 'Best of' lists in about everything, some back to the 50s, along with music, travel and poetry reviews galore. I know nothing about Piero but as a self described 'free thinker' he seems to dabble in about everything and is pretty proficient.

Beirut's Gulag Orkestar is on his 'Best of 2006' list and the more I listen the more I whole heartedly agree.

Beirut - After The Curtain
(via i guess i'm floating)

Beirut - Postcards From Italy

John Vanderslice - Trace Manual

I have never listened to John Vanderslice before. My only exposure has been seeing his name listed in the "Listening To.." section of most people's blogs or MySpace pages.

That being said, I have no idea if Trace Manual is a good entry point to his work. It works for me.

John Vanderslice - Trace Manual
(via Barusk Records)

TV on the Radio's 17-second series

A quick elaboration on the earlier comment about silent tracks 12-25 in "Return to Cookie Mountain".

Crazy busy on this side also, not unlike Yasko

TVOTR - Return to Cookie Mountain (stream)

Here is almost all the songs from TV On The Radio's new album, Return to Cookie Mountain.

It was was up on Pitchfork a while ago but has since been taken down. However, the links are still valid. I think you will need Microsoft Media Player to make this work.

You can copy the following into a text doc, name it 'something.wpl' and import it as a playlist. OR you can just open each of the links listed.

BTW, The album is awesome.

BUMMER ALERT: This is a total hack job. Blogger hates the tags I was using to preserve the playlist code. The links are in this below but you are on your own in figuring out how to get them to play. I will try to fix it later.

wolflikeme.asx
iwasalover.asx

hours.asx
province.asx
letthedevilin.asx
dirtywhirl.asx
bluesfromdownhere.asx
tonight.asx
washthedayaway.asx
snakesandmartyrs.asx

Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You

I have been getting killed lately so the posting have suffered (anyone help me out? Yasko? Yasko? Is this thing on?)

For some reason this is the most played track in my itunes. I am not even sure how it got into my library. More info and orther songs can be found at Aquarium Drunkard and her site.

Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You

The National - Cold Girl Fever/All the Wine

I can't decide what in the hell to write about these guys. I am sure that every post about The National has encluded a reference to the Tindersticks. However, since the Tindersticks haven't put out much in the past 5 years they fill the hole well.

The National - Cold Girl Fever
(From The National Webpage)

The National - All The Wine
(From Largehearted Boy's best of 2005)

Air - Alpha Beta Gaga (Mark Ronson, Rhymefest remix)

I have been trying to find this remix online so I could post it. Success!

Air, "Alpha Beta Gaga (Mark Ronson remix featuring Rhymefest)"

Peter Bjorn And John

You know how you sometimes listen to a song so many times you really, really like it yet that song really really sucks and you have just forgotten? That could be the case with Peter Bjorn and John but I am immune to the fact. I am having trouble deciding which song to post since I like them all. Maybe you can help me decide.

"Young Folks" has gotten a lot of blog buzz (blozz?) lately and been remixed.

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
(from Pound for Pound)

Peter Bjorn and John - Up Against the Wall
Peter Bjorn and John - Amsterdam
(From Central Village)

Peter Bjorn and John - Object of My Affection
(From My Old Kentucky Blog)

New Yorker Festival: James Surowiecki vs. The New Pornographers, Oct 7

From memory, some notes from the interview / performance Saturday evening. James Surowiecki (author of "The Wisdom of Crowds") was the interviewer.

--

Dan Bejar ("Destroyer") was not present.

--

First question. JS: "Why are you called 'The New Pornographers'?"
Carl Newman: "What an awful question!"

--

There have been a number of explanations given regarding the origin of the name. For this particular evening, Newman offered up one of his common ones: someone told them that Jerry Falwell had written a book called "Music: the New Pornography". Whether this is true, or if the book actually exists, is unknown to the band.

--

Kathryn Calder is Carl Newman's long lost niece (I was not aware of this).

--

On Kathryn Calder's YAMAHA keyboard, the letters "M" and "H" are scratched off (or taped over) so that it reads "YA A A".

--

You can probably find a setlist elsewhere on the internets. What do I look like, a professional?

Fun with album covers

Fun with album covers

(from Motionographer via Stereogum)

Brian Eno

I was search through You Tube tonight and found some cool Brian Eno stuff.

First with Roxy Music. Not the best of songs but it goes freaky around the three minute mark when Phil Manzera starts shreading his guitar and Eno, wearing gold gloves and a leopard print shirt (dig the hair), starts playing the radio.

Then some video for Music for Airports with another of Eno describing the inspiration for the album.

And best of all, a tribute to Can by Eno.

Can - Oh Yeh

Cavemen, juggling umbrellas, MTV2, DAMO SUZUKI!!!!!!



There is so much great Can stuff like this and this and this

Wait Wait! One More with Jaki killing the skins.

Film School - Activate

I know nothing about Film School. H Low turned me on to them so maybe he knows something. I am not even sure this is the correct name of the song (Activate?, Activated?, Activation?)

Film School - Activate
(might require Windows media player)

Oops, that was a short clip. Here is a video for 1111

What tha?

One jab at Ben Folds and everyone runs away?

Yasko, I hear you are ready to show us what you got.

Can - Tago Mago

Much not to report since I spent Monday's post on Friday.

Here is some Can from Pound for Pound.

Can - Tago Mago