Nu Rave Brain Wave

(photo by our own Miss Saraceno)

10. The Kills, The Horrors and The Magic Wands @ The Glass House, 5/21
Seriously, all 3 bands killed it. I’m not sure when The Horrors traded in their Haunted Mansion organs for HEAVILY Loveless-inspired fuzz, but the makeover works. And if any girl, hell maybe even a few guys, left not wanting to be Alison Mosshart, they weren’t paying enough attention.

(photo by _shade_of_blue on flickr)

9. Spectrum @ The Echo, 5/08
I can’t help it. I adore anything related to Spacemen 3. I can sit and stare into space for hours listening to them. But since seeing them live is apparently never going to happen, Sonic Boom’s Spectrum can help fill that void. This was awesome. He played Ecstasy Symphony/Transparent Radiation AND the MGMT dudes came on stage for a Devo cover. It was bizarre but I loved it.

(photo by donteatmeatnow! for reals! on flickr)

8. A Place to Bury Strangers + Darker My Love @ The Echoplex, 10/16
Loud, loud, loud, fuzz, reverb, loud, distortion, awesome, hearing loss.

(photo by rist photography on flickr)

7. Fitz and the Tantrums @ The Echo, 11/6
I don’t usually buy into the whole soul throwback thing, but something about F & the T’s really appeals to me. I mostly love the dynamic between the male and female singer, both equally talented vocalists that bounce vindictive words off each other with such convincing spite that you’re left wondering if you’re intruding on a private conversation. Throw in a talented horn section and totally danceable rhythms and you’ve got yourself a really, really fun show.

6. The Morning After Girls + Sweaters @ Hotel Cafe, 7/27
The members of these two bands probably weren’t too happy about playing the same night as Jarvis Cocker, but I was. Let’s just say it was a very… intimate performance. That sounds a little raunch, okay the place was practically empty. But neither band let that sway them! Sweaters are so much fun and never fail to bring joy into my little heart. Have you seen Sweaters? Do it. We love them. The Morning After Girls definitely slowed it down for a semi-acoustic performance of songs from their self-titled debut and (incredible) new album Alone. It was beautiful!


(both photos by Brianna)

5. The Growlers + Xu Xu Fang @ The Echo, 8/17
The Growlers and the Fang were easily my two favorite musical discoveries of the year. I saw both bands an embarrassing amount of times. And since the rock and roll gods love me, the two of them happened to play together at my favorite venue on a lovely late summer evening. So good.

(photo by slates81 on flickr)

4. The Sonics @ Echoplex, 8/21
Oh damn. THE SONICS!!! Duhhhh. What else do I really need to say? These dudes are decades older than us, and rock way harder than 99% of the bands around today. Legends.

(photo by benjamin hoste on flickr)

3. The Dandy Warhols + The Meek @ The Glass House, 6/5
I love Dandy Warhols shows because there are never any fair-weather fans there. If you like the Dandys, you probably LOVE them, know all the songs and dance like a moron (I definitely did this). Stage banter from Courtney Taylor-Taylor is ALWAYS hilarious, so you get comedy and music all in one. And I could not have been happier for my pals in The Meek opening for them. It was a perfect fit.

(photo by Chris Molina for the Scenestar)

2. Echo and the Bunnymen @ Nokia Theater, 10/24
Okay, might’ve shed a tear at this one. And that generally only happens to me at Oasis concerts. But Ocean Rain played in its entirety with a small orchestra? Wow wow wow. It was breath-taking. And there are few things in this life more enjoyable than dancing to “Bring on the Dancing Horses” in the aisles with a bunch of drunk strangers.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAND THE BEST CONCERT OF 2009 WAS

MY BLOODY VALENTINE AT THE EL REY

I don’t think I even need to explain this one.

Just kidding, I know who Lumina is. And by know, I mean I just found out when I was directed to the Pitchfork article that Lumina is Faris Rotter of the Horrors’ new moniker for things… covers and the like. Let me tell you a little story…. I got into the Black Lips because the Horrors liked them so much, and back in the day, I LOVED THE HORRORS so anything they liked, I definitely gave more than a chance. Thankfully for me, Black Lips are a most excellent band, one of my most favorites, one that I’d go anywhere/do anything to see. So hearing about them collaborating, albeit just for a split 7″, was like the most exciting news I’ve gotten ALL DIGGITY DAY LONG.

Lumina (aka Faris Rotter) covers the amazing Swilley-penned would-be-ballad-of-friendship ‘I’ll Be With You’ for … something… or other, it’s really not clear but what I do know is that Faris takes the song in a completely different direction, taking it from the kind of campfire singalong that it was on the Lips’ 200 Million Thousand to some kind of dark, twisted gothic entity. I gotta say that I like it, though. This just in, it’s for a Split 7″ for the Black Lips’ new single ‘Drugs’ due out in the UK on August 24th.

Meanwhile, the Lips are going on an EU/UK Tour and getting to Brighton … 2 days before me. WTF. But they’re also playing FYF Fest (still confusing) in LA on September 5th. Brb, killing myself.

mp3 | Lumina – I’ll Be With You (Black Lips Cover)

We here at Nu Rave Brain Wave are happy to introduce our top 5 albums of the first half of 2009. It’s been a crazy year for music. My first concert of the year was in Brighton. We travelled to Austin in March for Psych Fest and SXSW. In April, I went to NYC for some shows… I’ve heard a lot of amazing music and I now am proud to countdown my top 5 albums so far of this great year in music.

5. Wavves by Wavves – I realize that after his meltdown at Primavera Sound, and Pitchfork’s subsequent coverage, Wavves kind of imploded on themselves. I also realize this is why it is such a controversial choice. However, when you strip away the hype, the blogs, AND the fact that he may well be a jerk, I think Wavves are pretty great. Great in an accidental way, I mean. As someone who has grown up in California, I think that his record just has all the awkward/wonderful moments about youth, and just feels very nostalgic and like sunshine of living in So.Cal.  I also really just enjoy the organic-ness of the record, the lo-fi, the Garage-band quality to it all – it just feels very natural. And Weed Demon is a great song.

DOWNLOAD -> WEED DEMON by WAVVES

4. Primary Colours by the Horrors - The Horrors are everybody’s favorite reinvention. They shunned the NME-hype scene and locked themselves into a room and created a damn good record. People may criticize it it for overtly wearing it’s influences on its sleeve, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s a good record. Not only are the songs great, but they translate incredibly live. “Three Decades” is fantastic. Somebody, somewhere put Tom and Rhys in charge and it worked out fantastically for them.

DOWNLOAD -> THREE DECADES by THE HORRORS

3. Hey Everyone by Dananananaykroyd - I have never hid my love for Dananananaykroyd. I literally love everything about their band. They’ve got an amazing ethos about them, and I think they have, collectively, an amazing sense of humor. The re-recordings of the songs added something totally new and fresh to them, and the brand new songs blew me away. “Some Dresses” is my favorite song and has been since March of 2008, it’s hilarious and really fucks with the typical son structure. “Black Wax” is one of my top songs of this summer, it’s great to yell along to on a sunny day. I won’t even go into how epic they are live and how everybody in the world needs to experience a wall of cuddles.

DOWNLOAD -> BLACK WAX by DANANANANAYKROYD

2. Primitive World by Littl’ans -I wasn’t sure whether to put this album on my list, but I think it deserves the praise I’m about to give it. Although it came out in the UK in 2008, and I’ve had it forever, it just came out in the US this year. I think Littl’ans are a very special band. They just have the ability to span so many emotions so eloquently in such a short period of time. They’ve got the melodic, romantic thing going for them quite well, and I think depending on your mood it can be a joyful record in some places and very morose in others. Lyrically, it’s a masterpiece. The songs are amazing live and the only two b-sides I’ve heard off this album are top quality as well. In one word, this album is ‘sublime’.

DOWNLOAD -> DON’T CALL IT LOVE (ACOUSTIC DEMO) by LITTL’ANS

1. Strange Boys & Girls Club by The Strange Boys – How can I put this? I think the Strange Boys are incredibly brilliant. Like, I really can’t articulate how much I love their music and think they are the way forward. Yes, they do throw-back to the old blues style, they throw a little Texas charm into the music, but I really think its thoroughly modern. Yes, they do, technically, garage-rock, but they also delve a little into psych music, too. I guess they’re renaissance men of the best genres of music. I love Ryan’s dying-cat-wails, I love the guitar freak outs, I love the heavy, thumping bass. It’s angular, it’s melodic – this album honestly has it all. And live, they are even better, if that is even possible. This album is a 10/10.

DOWNLOAD -> A MAN YOU’VE NEVER KNOWN by THE STRANGE BOYS

Honorable/Obligatory Mention:
200 Million Thousand by Black Lips - Black Lips have the most control over their chaotic madness and I think it comes out a little restrained compared to what we’ve gotten used to expecting from them. It’s a good mix of the whirlwind of “Let it Bloom” (a true classic) and the sensible, accessible “Good Bad Not Evil”. But, I do think ’200 Million Thousand Bajillion’ is the least accessible of their material, save the first album where they literally couldn’t play instruments.

Just like I said, the Horrors ARE returning to the US this fall for a headline tour all their own. Primary Colours is fabulous and everyone knows it.

Annnnd the dates are:
9/15 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
9/16 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
9/17 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
9/18 Baltimore, MD Sonar
9/19 Washington, DC Black Cat
9/21 Atlanta, GA The Earl
9/22 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks
9/24 Houston, TX Walter’s On Washington
9/25 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
9/26 Austin, TX Emo’s
9/28 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse Music Venue
9/29 San Diego, CA The Casbah
9/30 Costa Mesa, CA The Detroit Bar
10/1 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theater
10/2 Pomona, CA The Glass House
10/3 San Francisco, CA The Independent
10/5 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
10/6 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
10/7 Vancouver, BC Venue
10/10 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
10/11 Chicago, IL Double Door
10/12 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
10/14 Toronto, ON Lee’s Place
10/15 Montreal, QC Petit Campus
10/16 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall
10/17 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s

Indio, CA Coachella (4.19)
Tucson, AZ Club Congress (4.20)
Boulder, CO Fox Theater (4.22)
Lawrence, KS Bottleneck (4.23)
Austin, TX Emo’s (4.24)
Dallas, TX Granada (4.25)
Atlanta, GA Lenny’s (4.27)
Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle (4.28)
Washington, DC 9:30 Club (4.30)
Philadelphia, PA TLA (5.1)
New York, NY Webster Hall (5.2)
Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg (5.4)
Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club (5.5)
Montreal, Canada La Tulipe (5.6)
Toronto, Canada Phoenix (5.7)
Detroit, MI Magic Stick (5.8)
Chicago, IL Metro (5.9)
Minneapolis, MN First Ave (5.11)
Seattle, WA Neumo’s (5.15)
Vancouver, Canada Commodore (5.16)
Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom (5.17)
San Francisco, CA The Fillmore (5.19)
Pomona, CA Glass House (5.21)