YACHT: I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real
release: May 8, 2007 (Marriage records)
styles: laptop indie electronic experimental
similar: Capital K, Cornelius, Emperor X, Mixel Pixel
rating: ***1/2

Hey YACHT, *your* magic is real. This cd came with a magic wand so i can be just like YACHT (who of course is from Portland, OR). That is super rad. I Believe in You is what Beck would have been doing if he was starting out in 2007 with laptops. Primary person Jona Bechtolt (with guests, mostly people singing) is also now a member of cutie indie electronic act the Blow. With YACHT he's slightly more experimental. Only slightly. He's able to make simple statements about working the job and consumerism without being preachy in "We're Always Waiting" and says other profound yet simple things such as "if you say it outloud you can make it happen" and "love what you do, do what you love." It's bouncy and laptop-beat-driven and sometimes danceable! YACHT has stepped up his game. Which is good because he's got dates with LCD Soundsystem and Architecture in Helsinki. He's gotta take it to the next level and be grand master wizard. -Kenyon

Dog Day: Night Group (Tomlab)
release: June 12, 2007
similar: Versus, the Vaselines. rating: **

If Mute and Astralwerks can branch out and sign rock bands then so can Tomlab. Tomlab rules. I can't say the same for the music on Night Group. The boy singer's voice (the girl is underused) is so close to Built to Spill's Doug Marsch. That's fine. Lo-fi noise indie pop is super duper but the vocals here are sleepy and saggy and the songs are lacking excitement, which results in losing interest in lyrics that may contain something intelligent. There is some decent energy once in a while ("Sleeping, Waiting" is perky) with a nod to traditional classic indie rock from the early 90s. Along with wondering how Kevin Costner keeps getting work, it's also a mystery why Tomlab jumped on this. -Kenyon

you just never know what

will happen at metasin.

i guess that's why i've always got the blues. or...rock 'n' roll hates me.
the Jesus and Mary Chain at Webster Hall, NYC. May 22, 2007.
with a place to bury strangers and the comas.

set included: never understand, blues from a gun, happy when it rains, just like honey, some candy talking, head on, you trip me up, sidewalking, far gone and out, reverence, catch fire, snakedriver, between planets.

song they should have opened with: i hate rock 'n' roll. songs i was most happy to hear: blues from a gun, between planets, you trip me up. other songs they should have played: kill surf city, upside down, the living end, just out of reach.

i know this is new york. i know the jesus and mary chain haven't played shows in like 10 years. but come on, $50? they better be damn good. and they were not! they only played an hour and 10 minutes under lights that were truly mediocre. when you're real close to the stage, the sound isn't too great and you can't hear the vocals, but i was about 7 or 8 people from the stage and it still sounded muddy. i was at webster hall a year ago for elefant and they sounded fantastic. i f-ing love the jesus and mary chain, but they don't make sense. jim reid is so damn indifferent on stage and william reid is all the way way over on the side the whole time. that's they're style, i know, they've been like that from the get go. but if i was singing i'd be so into it. these are great songs. and they have so many of them! jesus. positivity: i had a good spot in the crowd, jamc had the bassist from lush and the drummer from ride, they played "you trip me up." opening band a place to bury strangers have the spirit of the jamc but not the songs. the comas were boring. the end. -Kenyon

a place to bury strangers, yo.

girl you know it's new. the Bravery.

i'm hearing the Verve's "Lucky Man" in there. how about you?

Happy Mondays in New York at Nokia Theatre June 13, 14. recent concert footage HERE.

2007 SKINNY PUPPY tour dates

2007 SKINNY f-ing PUPPY tour dates.

Thu 5/24 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
Fri 5/25 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom (Convergence 13 Fest)
Sun 5/27 Boise, ID The Big Easy
Tue 5/29 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Wed 5/30 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Fri 6/1 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Sat 6/2 Detroit, MI St. Andrew’s Hall
Sun 6/3 Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre
Tue 6/5 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
Wed 6/6 Montreal, QUE Le Spectrum
Thu 6/7 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
Fri 6/8 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Sat 6/9 New York, NY Nokia TheatreMon 6/11 Washington, DC 9:30 club
Tue 6/12 Baltimore, MD Sonar
Thu 6/14 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
Fri 6/15 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Sat 6/16 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Sun 6/17 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Tue 6/19 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
Thu 6/21 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Fri 6/22 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
Sat 6/23 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
Sun 6/24 Anaheim, CA House of Blues

kenyon DJing at Galapagos in Brooklyn friday june 8!

on the might of princes reunion show a few hours ago.

line-up for 2007 Village Voice Siren fest. am i going? no way!

The Icicles: Arrivals & Departures (Microindie)
release: April 9, 2007
styles: tweeeeeee, indie pop
similar: All-Girl Summer Fun Band, Heavenly, Dressy Bessy, Camera Obscura
rating: ***1/2
More twee please. What rules about the Icicles is that, well, they're not young. At least most of them do not look younger than 25. Sorry! This gives me faith that although i'm getting older maybe i can still be in a twee/indie pop band one day that is as sunny and carefree as the songs on Arrivals & Departures. I don't think i can identify with "Snowbird" though. It's about yearning for the summer. Fudge that, give me winter! More songs about the goodness of winter! "Gedge's Song" is an adorable few minutes about a cat that wants to go outside. And you know how i hate when songs are about cats. i don't even hate this! It's the girl-group style harmonies and easygoing breezy melodies that make me love this to pieces. -Kenyon
myspacey. stream.

and now for the complete opposite of Joy Electric.

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero (Nothing)
release: April 17, 2007
style: NIN
rating: **1/2
Oh yes, cause i'm hardcore NIN since 1992. when you were in elementary school. werd. you can't touch this. the future-themed Year Zero was kicking ass for the first 25 minutes. After that, all the clanky noises and typical Reznor lyrics/vocals were resembling "Terrible Lie" mashed up in various ways. A lot of people are saying it's the best NIN album since Downward Spiral. Perhaps i need to listen to this 30 more times to agree. The best thing about Year Zero is that it still sounds like NIN. i think that's what i said about With Teeth. wow, i'm a snob! -Kenyon

girl you know it's NEW. while we're on the innocence of the Polyphonic Spree and Jumpman Junior, here's more.

Joy Electric: The Otherly Opus (released March 27 on Tooth and Nail) The fifth and final installment in Joy Electric’s "Legacy" series of concept albums. JE lost me after those two fantastic albums Robot Rock and Christian songs. Finally i'm hearing something i can "heart" again. It's once again entirely analogued synth but this time the mood is darker and there's more vocal tracks. 4 songs from record at the myspace. Synthesize me. -Kenyon

girl you know it's NEW.
Polyphonic Spreeee!!!! i'm bursting with joy.
The Fragile Army out June 19.
myspace songage HERE.
sample the whole album HERE.

The we're not really dark electro, we're symphonic sunshine pop Polyphonic Spree.

tour dates
May 7 - Nashville TN - City Hall
May 8 - Asheville NC - The Orange Peel
May 11 - New York NY - Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom
May 12 - Norfolk VA - The NorVa
May 13 - Carrboro NC - Cat's Cradle
May 14 - Athens GA - 40 Watt Club

The Go Find: Stars on the Wall (Morr)
release: April 24, 2007
style: indie electronic
rating: ***
Ever since the Postal Service's essential indie electronic pop record Give Up, it's been terribly difficult not to compare subsequent artists that bypass the rock for soft vocals, twinkly synth and sputtering beats. While discovering the entire album, you won't have to. A good portion of Stars on the Wall is guitar based and acoustic, treading into Elliott Smith territory. Plus, the Go Find is more reserved and gentle than the Postal Service anyway. By the last track "Kid OK" (i smell Radiohead), acoustic and electronic are brought together like two tribes merging in Survivor. And neither the acoustic nor the electronic should be voted out. -Kenyon

FOX 11 Investigates "emo scene kids".

Morrissey, the White Stripes and Muse are each playing at Madison Square Garden. what's up with that? bad ideas. Albert Hammond Jr of the Strokes is playing FREE at the launch party for going.com at the Hiro Ballroom, May 10. good idea. you gotta go to going.com and register for that.

girl you know it's NEW.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club suckerrrss! 4 tracks from Baby 81 (released yesterday) at the myspace. 4 tracks that are kicking rock n roll ass. US tour May/June with the Horrors. yeeooww! oh wait. Horrors cancelled. darn.