Interview

Dead Leaves is actually the title of a great old album by Versus, which I've been listening to a lot lately. In addition, I've been sweeping up lots of dead leaves in my garden and watching a lot of dead leaves fall to the ground all over New York City. Having been so busy falling into fall, I've barely had time to pay attention to the ever-growing pile of promos on my desk. However, I did manage to pull a few seasonally-appropriate records to brighten my daily autumnal strolls around Brooklyn.

The Middle East Self-titled EP
This band actually isn't from the Middle East at all, but from somewhere down under (Brisbane, Australia). Sonically, however, they come from the same folky, pastoral universe as Fleet Foxes or Midlake. Gorgeous harmonies and gently strummed guitars that go on for days and days. You can also download the band's 5-song debut for the bargain price of $1 by visiting their Myspace page. Every song is a winner, so consider it a bargain.

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Summer officially ended this week, which means it's time to break out the autumnal records and start listening to music that is less about dance jams and guitar riffery and more about the cozy, wistful feeling that comes just before everything dies and everyone goes into hiding for the winter:

Palms Boundary Waters Remixed EP (Rare Book Room)
One of 2008's most unexpected surprises was It's Midnight in Honolulu, the debut album from Palms. Equal parts moody indie-rock and atmospheric art-school weirdness, the record elicited strong reactions–both positive and negative–from everyone I shared it with. For this EP, the band took one of that albums standout tracks, "Boundary Waters," and let four different artists take a stab at a remix. Members of Animal Collective, Bloc Party, and Deerhunter all contributes reworkings of the song, as does DFA's Gavin Russom. These tracks all make for excellent "walking around" music, especially now that there's a certain crispness to the air.

To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie Marlone (Kranky)
If you can get past the band name, this Minneapolis duo will reward you with a beautiful sampling of bedroom electronica and shoegazery post-rock. There are tracks on hear that stretch past 10 minutes long–perhaps more fitting as mood music than for concentrated listening.

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Launch Mediaplayer »

Having attended New York's version of All Tomorrow's Parties last year (and seriously damaging my hearing watching the My Bloody Valentine reunion), I had a good idea of what to expect when I arrived for this year's installment. The location–Kutsher's Country Resort in Monticello–is charmingly decrepit, the festival stages are an easy walking distance from pretty much anywhere, the beer is cheap and plentiful, and the place is crawling with a lot of dudes in their 30's (much like myself) who are high on 90's indie-rock revivalism and eager to bro down and talk at length about how great The Jesus Lizard used to be, or what it's like to play poker against Steve Albini (which happened nightly in a special "gambling room" in the hotel).

I started my Sunday (read about Friday and Saturday) at ATP the way any hungover person logically might–by watching the Boredoms basically destroy the Starlight Ballroom (and my un-plugged ears) by playing Boadrum with 9 drummers onstage and one drumset that actually moved through the crowd. Happy from having been auditorially assaulted first thing in the morning, I spent the afternoon drinking beers and catching bits and pieces of various band's sets. Caribou Vibration Ensemble were great, but Crystal Castles continue to boggle my mind. (At one point, the singer's mic was unplugged, though no one seemed to notice).

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Kutshers Country Club

One of the perks of being a music journalist (aside from accumulating my body weight in CD promos on a weekly basis) is traveling to music festivals at various points around the globe. While live music is, at least for me, almost always a good thing, the sad truth is that once you've been to anywhere from three to three hundred festivals in your lifetime, they all start to look/feel/sound kind of the same. In any given year it's a pretty safe bet that the same handful of bands will be making the festival rounds, so whether you're going to Coachella or Glastonbury, you're likely to see the same dudes (and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) play basically the same exact set.

This is what makes All Tomorrow's Parties so special. The ATP festivals, which take place all over the world, generally always involve a guest curator, a special location, and an assortment of bands and performers interested in doing something extra special.  This year's version of ATP New York–which takes place at the charmingly run down Kutshers Country Club in Monticello, NY–is guest curated by my fellow Oklahomans The Flaming Lips. When I asked the Lips' Wayne Coyne what kind of special treats the band had in mind for ATP, he suggested that they would like to invite Muhammad Ali to come to the festival, then allow festival goers a chance to punch him. ("Not a hard punch or anything, more like a tap on the shoulder or something.") Everyone could leave the festival having not only seen The Flaming Lips (and Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Boss Hog, and a bunch of other great bands), but also with a story about punching one of the world's most iconic athletes.

Sadly, I don't see any mention of Muhammed Ali on the ATP website, but there's still a lot to see and do. Having gone to this festival last year, I can honestly say that it's well worth the trip. Being at Kutschers Country Club is a bit like being in Dirty Dancing, except you have really loud art-rock for a soundtrack and your dance-instructing love object is probably some dude with a beard who plays bass in Dead Meadow.

There will also be a screening of the new ATP Documentary, which just happens to be written up in the current issue of this very magazine. Trailer below:

All Tomorrow's Parties New York will take place September 11-September 13 at Kutshers Country Club in Monticello, NY. Tickets available here.

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