This is the band’s first album as a duo, as Alejandra Dehaza’s sister, Claudia, departed the band after Disconnect from Desire. From the start, it’s an impressive showing of what the band is capable of despite losing a member. “The Night” is a great way to start, with its guitars being put through a number of effects – echoed, delayed, and rather relaxed. Dehaza’s vocals remain the same throughout, dreamy and whisper-like, creating a ghosty ambience. However, that ghosty atmosphere can be a negative. For example, “Reappear” is an almost lifeless track, full of drawn out synth notes. I wouldn’t listen to it while driving on a deserted highway – your mind might wander and your vehicle might veer off the side of the road.

“White Wind” gets back on the right track, having a certain overall urgency for School of Seven Bells’ sound. It’s a personal favorite, along with “Lafaye,” dreamy, but seemingly different from the rest of its fellow tunes. “Scavenger” tends to favor non-vocoded vocals, which I’m totally in favor of – Dehaza’s voice doesn’t always need to be overproduced, and I wish more of the album was like is.

For what it’s worth, Ghostory holds its own in the dream pop department. While it seems like a lot of tracks don’t differentiate themselves from one another, I’ll let it slide. Also, it’s probably an album that is best experienced in the dark. I’d say feel free to lock yourself in a closet with your iPod, tune in, and dream on, dreamers of dream pop.

Bumbershoot 2011 Day Two

(September 4th, 2011 – Seattle, Washington)

**Atari Teenage Riot

Maybe it was a mistake to kick-off the second, glorious, sunny day of Bumbershoot (a fun, colloquial way of saying umbrella), Seattle’s annual international music and arts festival, by arriving at 6pm after seven hours on an airplane, and walking straight into the dark pit of the Exhibition Hall music stage. Watching Anti-Flag rage incoherently about social injustice to a group of half-interested, disaffected, fans who couldn’t be convinced to mosh or crowd surf despite the abundance of signs expressly forbidding such acts of rebellion, was a doomed endeavor from the start. Anti-Flag may be considered punk, but their Bumbershoot performance was more like preppy-hardcore. To their credit, all four members look impossibly young (they were playing shows in 1988—when I was six—a fact that you’d find impossible to believe if you’d have seen the way they skipped onto the stage and bounced about clutching their wireless electric guitars like Adderall induced teenagers playing Rock Band), but while the band’s physical appearance has made the necessary 21st century adjustments, their sound has not, and no amount of screaming or goading between songs, was going to turn the meager, apathetic audience into the thrashing punk kids to whom Anti-Flag owes their former glory. The sentiment—“This Machine Kills Fascists”—painted on the front of one guitar, suggests that the band believes their message still resonates with the protest music of previous generations, a fact that, unfortunately may only be true for fans who can manage to reconcile it with the freshly showered pop-punk-prince appearance of the band’s everlasting members; a feat I certainly wasn’t capable of in my surly, ripe-off-the-plane condition.

Bumbershoot is held in the Seattle Center, originally designed to house the 1962 World’s Fair, featuring a sunken fountain the size of a house, a monorail, and a phenomenal view of the space needle. The best decision I made in the first-formative hours of my time at Bumbershoot was to avoid (post Anti-Flag facto) most shows taking place in indoor arenas (with the exception of one event at Key Arena, which, maybe because it serves beer that can actually be consumed outside of a beer corral, manages to be a reasonably satisfying indoor venue). The impeccably clean open-air environment at Bumbershoot (I never once saw an overflowing garbage can or felt filthy sitting on the shag-rug soft grass that covers the lawns, and the bathrooms were stench free and stocked with TP) offered exceptional visibility and circulation, and allowed such an easy flow of traffic between sets that the decision to take any of these artists indoors would seem ponderous if it weren’t for Bumbershoot’s annual tradition of taking place under a cloudy, rainy sky.

**The Butthole Surfers

The Butthole Surfers on the Fisher Green Stage (one of three, large, outdoor arenas) provided a welcome counter-point to my Anti-Flag debacle. The air was fresh and warm, the breeze was nice, and whoa! Butthole Surfers are actually pretty awesome. They played to a remarkably young crowd, which reawakened my guilty feelings about hanging a Butthole Surfers poster up in my room as a teenager–not because I’d ever heard their music, but because I thought their name was cool and might piss my parents off. It was good to find out that this band might still be around because they’ve actually got a lot to offer, while they were once deeply rooted in hardcore punk, now the band seems to lean into a calmer, happier, more psychedelically inspired sound that suits them well.

Also satisfying was the open air performance by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Leon Russell (who looked more God-Gone-Country than ever before) and his band of merry music makers at the Starbucks Stage. A cover of “Wild Horses” and Russell’s shimmering white beard were a smash hit combination, and the considerably older crowd danced with more enthusiasm to the countrified beats than any audience I’d seen before it.

**Toro y Moi

After the sun set, Toro y Moi stole the award for show of the day with a solid and exuberant set. All my praise to the Fountain Stage, easily the most accessible, beer drinker friendly of the three outdoor venues offered. The music on this stage was often some of the best available, but what really set it apart was it’s digital screen. Thanks to Chazwick Bundick’s post-chillwave musical gymnastics and the mystery figure in charge of the mesmerizing graphics displayed behind them, tantalizing the dance-ready crowd, Toro y Moi’s performance was the most enjoyed-by-all show of the day.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the biggest loser was not actually Anti-Flag or Carbon Leaf (who I saw last, and whose peace-and-love warblings left me feeling mildly nauseated), but The Kills who played a disappointing closing set on the Fisher Green Stage. Having heard live recordings of The Kills before, I knew their drums had a tendency to sound thin and their vocals too quiet, so I wasn’t looking forward to hearing them so much as I was to seeing them. Alison Mosshart, is usually one hell of a hot, hot mess, and the band’s video for “Last Day of Magic” promises that so much dynamic sexual chemistry exists between the two band members that I could hardly resist wanting to see what would happen on the live stage. Unfortunately, in a festival filled with mostly well behaved musicians, The Kills opted to play the divas, finally taking the stage thirty-minutes after they were slated to play (sure, blame the sound guy). The ultimate effect was thin and unsatisfying, as expected, but what’s worse, Mosshart seemed more strung-out than she seemed sexy, and there was something desperate about the way she was climbing up on the speakers and flinging her hair around so early in the set.

For a half-day of frantic music indulgence, I would have preferred a more tightly knit layout with less musical options, but having attended the sweltering, overcrowded Capitol Hill Block Party earlier in the summer, I was ultimately grateful for the spacious design and open accessibility of Bumbershoot’s stages, and with the sun pounding down even in the waning hours of daylight, I have to attest to the genius of organizing a summer music festival around an enormous, relief granting fountain.

** Photographs taken by Steven Smith

Bumbershoot 2011 Day Two Photographs

(September 4th, 2011 – Seattle, Washington)

All photographs taken by Steven Smith

The Kills

Carbon Leaf

Butthole Surfers

Toro y Moi

Das Racist

Atari Teenage Riot

Leon Russell

The Øya Festival/Oh My Rockness Showcase will be at the Habana Annex Backyard on Thursday 3/19 this year. The O’s collaboration has become a highly successful NYC-Austin tradition over the past few years, showcasing some of the best up-and-coming Norwegian and US talent around. Below is the full lineup.

THURS. 3/19 @ HABANA ANNEX BACKYARD
********Max Tundra
******Wavves
*****Casiokids (NO)
****Lemonade
***The New Wine (NO)
**Chikita Violenta

Arms – (Todd from Harlem Shakes) – [[Todd, guitar player for the Harlem Shakes will play with a full band in support of his solo effort, Arms' critically-acclaimed lo-fi debut album "Kids Aflame," available on Melodic Records UK in Europe. "impossibly catchy, yet artful." - NPR]
THURS. 3/19 I GUESS I’M FLOATING DAY PARTY

The Besties – [[Catchy 60's girl-group pop with a DIY-punk influence, the concept of being "Home Free" is a literal one, as the band gave up their apartments in order to be able to spend more time on the road doing what they love. They've booked several tours around the US and Europe, and were asked to perform at the Emmaboda Festival in Sweden (w/Dinosaur Jr. and Of Montreal). "heavenly: [The Besties] music could whisk away the cynical and melt the hardest of hearts…pop bubblegum…Marisa and Kelly swap sugary vocals like class-Mates of State.” – Magnet “First Exposure”]]
THURS 3/19 STARCLEANER RECORDS BIG TEXAS PARTY 2 – 12PM
SAT. 3/21 WATERLOO CYCLES – 1PM

Casiokids – [[This Norwegian group is not just an electronic act, they also include a shadow puppet group (and actually did a tour of kindergartens throughout the country). A Pitchfork favorite, the instrumentation includes cassette-recorder, cello, melodica, guitar, congas and of course lots of electronic quarks and quirks.]]
WED. 3/18 SXSW BLOG FRESH EVENT – 4PM
WED. 3/18 MOSHI MOSHI EVENT @ CLUB 1808 – 7PM
THURS. 3/19 MOSHI MOSHI EVENT @ THE RED HOUSE PIZZERIA – 1PM
THURS. 3/19 ØYA FESTIVAL SHOWCASE @ HABANA ANNEX – 8PM
FRI. 3/20 BIG STEREO PARTY @ CANVAS BAR AND GALLERY – 9PM
SAT. 3/21 MOSHI MOSHI EVENT @ LAMPERTS – 1PM
SAT. 3/21 DAY STAGE CONFERENCE CENTER – 4PM

Chairlift – [[Brooklyn dream-pop three-piece are currently touring with YACHT, Sebastian Tellier, and Peter, Bjorn & John this year in support of their forthcoming Columbia Records debut. Chairlift's song "Bruises" was also featured in the new iPod Nano-chromatic commercial ]]
THURS. 3/19 OTHER MUSIC SHOWCASE @ RED 7 – 12AM
THURS. 3/19 GIGOTRON/VIDEOTHING SHOWCASE @ CLUB 1808 – TIME TBD
FRI. 3/20 URBAN OUTFITTERS PARTY – 5PM
FRI. 3/20 SXSW – UNDER THE RADAR PARTY @ FLAMINGO CANTINA – 3:15PM
SAT. 3/21 SXSW – SIDE UP SOUNDS PARTY @ RED EYE FLY – TIME TBD

The Chap – [[UK band The Chap have become known and loved for their inimitable pop-improv disco rock with strings, sound and a furiously rocking live show, complete with dance routines. The Chap have been busy since their last remixing Beck and Bloc Party, as well as gigging intensively around the UK and Europe. They are making their US debut at SXSW. "Mega Breakfast is the Chap's superbly quirky coming-out party" (8.1) - Pitchforkmedia]]
WED. 3/18 CLUB 1808 – 8:30PM
WED. 3/18 MOHAWK (GHOSTLY/ANTICON PRESENTS) – 11:40PM
SAT. 3/21 URBAN OUTFITTERS – 2PM

Juliette Commagere – [[Rising LA songstress and Hello Stranger front woman is joined by Ry and Joachim Cooder and friends on her acclaimed solo album, /Queens Die Proudly/. Check out Juliette's KCRW "Morning Becomes Eclectic" In-Studio. "like a No. 1 chart-topper from another dimension, where remarkably memorable songs are given evocative musical twists via her classically designed song structures and sensual '70s synth stylings." - LA Weekly "Rock Pick," John Payne]]
WED. 3/18 @ SPACELAND PARTY – TBA
SAT. 3/21 @ MUSEBOX PARTY @ RUSTY SPURS – 8PM

Motel Motel – [[Brooklyn "Band To Watch In 2008" pair alt-country stylings with front man Eric Engel?s unusual vocals, complete with varying string and horn arrangements. "[Motel Motel's] record “New Denver” clocks in at an ambitious 72 minutes, and every single one of them is necessary listening. This is NYC’s best debut record of 2008.”- New York Press]]
WED. 3/18 C3 PRESENTS PARTY @ PARADISE CAFE – 6PM W/HARLEM SHAKES, MORNING BENDERS, ETC.
FRI. 3/20 SOUNDCHECK MAGAZINE PARTY @ EMO’S ANNEX – 12:55PM
FRI. 3/20 WESTERN VINYL PARTY @ PROGRESS COFFEE (ACOUSTIC SET)- 2PM
FRI. 3/20 THE REBEL GROUP SHOWCASE @ MAGGIE MAE’S – 8PM
SAT. 3/21 WHOOPSY DAY PARTY @ TROPHYS – 2PM
SAT. 3/21 THE PARLOR NIGHT PARTY @ THE PARLOR – 8:55PM

The Phenomenal Handclap Band – [[Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand (Embassy Sound Productions) have combined the best of the soul and indie worlds with a debut that includes Jon Spencer, members of TV On the Radio, Calla, Mooney Suzuki, Sí Se, Antibalis, and The Dap Kings among others. "...an impressive hodge-podge of various accomplished musicians simultaneously channeling the energy of !!!, Tom Tom Club, Can, Cerrone, and Giorgio Moroder in a surreal explosion of sound." - XLR8R]]
WED. 3/18 IODA PARTY OPENING BASH @ EMO’S ANNEX W/DEER TICK, ETC. -2PM
WED. 3/18 THE MUSIC SLUT and HYPE MACHINE/BLOGFRESH RADIO PARTY @ THE RUMBLER – 5PM
WED. 3/18 MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG SHOWCASE @ RADIO ROOM – 8PM
THURS. 3/19 MUSIC FOR LISTENERS @ RED HOUSE PIZZERIA – 2PM
THURS. 3/19 MINT RECORDS/VENUS MAGAZINE @ HEADHUNTERS – 5PM
FRI. 3/20 EVERLOVING @ DESIGN WITHIN REACH [200 W. 2nd at Colorado] – 5PM

Ponytail – [[Known for their energetic live shows, Baltimore art-school punks, Ponytail, have been on the road with High Places, Don Caballero, Joan of Arc in support of their sophomore release Ice Cream Spiritual on We Are Free (Yeasayer, Indian Jewelry) "an out-and-out blast" - New York Times, Jon Pareles "Ponytail make a joyful racket with an expressionist swirl of colorful noises, danceable grooves and howled onomatopoeia...Siegel's performance was more like a possession ritual than a rock show." - Rolling Stone "CMJ's 10 Buzzworthy Breakout Bands"]]
THURS. 3/19 URBAN OUTFITTERS – 5PM
THURS. 3/19 GIGOTRON/VIDEOTHING PARTY @ CLUB 1808 – 9PM
FRI. 3/20 TODD P PARTY @ MS. BEA’S – 3PM
SAT. 3/21 MYOPENBAR DAY PARTY @ TBA
SAT. 3/21 VIVA RADIO SHOWCASE @ CLUB DE VILLE – 12AM

School of Seven Bells – [[Ben Curtis from Secret Machines and the twin Deheza sisters from On! Air! Library!, their critically-acclaimed release 'Alpinisms' (Ghostly International) features a guest appearance from Simone Pace from Blonde Redhead and the band will be touring the US with Fujiya & Miyagi and Black Moth Super Rainbow.]]
WED. 3/18 KCRW NIGHT SHOWCASE @ BUFFALO BILLIARDS – 12AM
THURS. 3/19 RHAPSODY PARTY @ MOHAWK – 1:30PM
FRI. 3/20 MOJO PRESENTS GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL/FULL TIME HOBBY SHOWCASE @ RADIO ROOM – 11PM
FRI. 3/20 WINDISH-PITCHFORK PARTY @ EMO’S – 3PM
SAT. 3/21 URBAN OUTFITTERS – 5PM

The New Wine – [[The New Wine creates music for people to dance to. Part of the Telle scene out of Bergen, Norway (Erlend Oye, Lindstrom, etc.) they experiment in both electronic and acoustic sounds. Formed in September of 2007, the band is rapidly becoming a well-known name.]]
THURS. 3/19 ØYA FESTIVAL SHOWCASE @ HABANA ANNEX – 8PM
SAT. 3/21 A BLOG AND A BAND @ CLUB PRIMOS [1700 E. 6th St.] – 4PM

The Shys – [[Formerly on Sire Records, The Shys' music has been featured on shows such as HBO'S Entourage, MTV'S Fast, Inc. Their new album has been met with critical praise from NPR, XM Satellite Radio, UR Chicago and many others. Classic rock n' roll sprinkled with alt-country, blues & soul, drawing from influences ranging from The Rolling Stones and The Clash to The Kinks and The Beatles, The Shys recently returned home from a cross-country tour with the Von Bondies, The Takeover UK and Army Navy.]]
THURS. 3/19 OBSCURE MAGPIE SHOWCASE @ THE COMPOUND – 12PM
FRI. 3/20 LITTLE STEVENS UNDERGROUND GARAGE SHOWCASE @ RED EYED FLY – 7PM
SAT. 3/21 BRANDY VINYL SHOWCASE @ PRAGUE – 7PM

Slim Twig – [["A Toronto icon-in-the-making, Slim Twig is already well known in indie circles for his clutch of avant-rockabilly EPs, and a turn opposite Ellen Page in Bruce McDonald's 2007 film The Tracey Fragments. The ever-mysterious pompadoured troubadour couples his stylishly crafted persona with his Suicide-drenched, art-damaged country tunes." -- NOW Magazine (Slim Twig, Best Toronto Pop/Rock Artist 2008)]]
SAT 3/21 POP MONTREAL SHOWCASE@ BEAUTY BAR – 12AM

Woodhands – [[Woodhands is an electro-pop duo with a relentlessly energetic live-show and a total disdain for anything but balls-to-the-wall, dirty, sexy dance parties . The brainchild of Dan Werb (vocals, keytar, synths, drum machines) and Paul Banwatt (drums, vocals), Woodhands has gathered national press across the US and Canada and was tagged as one of 5 bands to watch in 2008 by Exclaim! Magazine.]]
WED 3/18 PAPER BAG RECORDS SHOWCASE @ HABANA CALLE 6 PATIO
SAT 3/21 M FOR MONTREAL SHOWCASE @ EL SOL (Formerly Emo’s Lounge) -1:45PM