Mills!

Alkaline Trio based their career off this jam. Mid-tempo Ramones brah! HAHA, not their best, but still super catchy. How’d you guys do that?

Pop punk is back. They are just calling it something else. Chuck Taylors are like drugs, they sell themselves. Summertime rules!

rickyross - superhigh

bmf

We arrived a little late, so we did not get to see Imaad Wasif. Bummer cause the dude shreds. I saw him open for Dead Meadow a few months ago, and the former Yeah Yeah Yeah’s touring bassist can definitely hold his own. He is a rock guitar wizard and his set includes a variety of styles. The dude is quite versatile, all 90 lbs of him. Hope you got some deli tray on this tour brotha. Throw some slices of bread into those 3 square meals. Cocaine is not a food group. We did catch half The Dodo’s set which was rather boring. Talented as they maybe, two person melodic folk rock bands consisting of floor toms and xylophones are just not my style. The floor tom guy is pretty sick tho, and the singer has some nice chops.

Canadian super groups with old dudes. Wrecking balls! This past Friday I got to see what many consider as the best power pop act in the game. The New Pornographers lead by Niko Case, AC Newman, and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar are a spectacle to behold. I got to see them at a Canadian Music Showcase in Prospect Park about 4 years ago. One cannot help but become elated when experiencing the sounds that these neighbors from the north emit. Niko is a treasure. Her voice is so unique and beautiful. It’s very rich, soulful, original, and catchy as hell. Love that red hair girl. Her tambourine skills are matched only by Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit. I am pretty sure that she is my favorite female lead at the moment. AC Newman’s high pitched heady yelp is clutch. These fools can harmonize like no other. I am quite fascinated with AC Newman’s strumming hand and the technique he uses to play bar chords. I’ve always been a fan of the rhythm guitarist. Though I love solos, my favorite guitarist are not so much the technical beasts, but rather the ones that have supreme control and can create groove with despite limitation. The Bob Dylans, Lou Reeds, Jon Reis’, and so forth. I’d stick AC somewhere in there at the bottom of that list. He holds it down. They played a tight set picking and choosing the hits off each record; carefully saving crowd pleasers for last. The mix from the rafters was tricky, but over all very good. The drummer Kurt Dahle is one of the best in the game. It’s true kids, get a good drummer, and your band is made. This guy’s ability to contribute exactly what each song needs is astounding. I am not so much a Destroyer fan, but I did enjoy how wasted the guy got, and was amazed at his ability to sing and perform. All and all, a fantastic night of music.

photo by kate holden

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