Author Archive for bodypaint
Photo Gallery: Recent Neon Concerts!
Neon American has been hitting the scene hard recently, so in an effort to keep our heads on straight, here is a photographic summary of some of the recent shows we have seen towards the end of the year. Click the photo to enlarge.
STARS Photo Gallery
One of the many side projects that have originated from within Broken Social Scene, STARS brought their collection of keyboards, trombones and French horns to rock out the 9:30 Club last Wednesday (and Tuesday, but a brother’s gotta eat). Below you can find a gallery of photos from the show, review to follow. Enjoy.
Fresh: Listen to Röyksopp’s New Album Senior
Röyksopp has been featured on Neon before for a collaboration with Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife and Fever Ray…
And now, courtesy of Hypem you can listen to the new album Senior right here. I am listening to it as I write this post and would describe it as an even mix of mellow electronica and… slightly more upbeat electronica. Great for listening in that cube you go to everyday. Give it a spin, it’s quality.
Radiohead Live in Praha (Prague, you n00b)
Here’s the deal… on August 23rd, 2009 several devoted Radiohead fans attended the show at the Výstavištĕ Holešovice Exhibition Hall in Prague, video cameras in hand.
They captured the concert from all over the venue, as the crowd sees it. Radiohead, a band notoriously devoted to its fanbase, decided to honor this effort by providing the fans with the master audio recording to the concert as the backdrop for the movie. This is “by the fans for the fans” (FUBU?) aka not for resale, as would be expected from the band who released their album “In Rainbows” online for free, or whatever peanuts you had in the bank at the time.
Radiohead’s music is multidimensional, and that complexity proliferates in their live performances. Every subtle baseline becomes a pumping beat, Yorke’s higher vocals become angelic and some of your favorite songs will be your favorites for entirely new reasons. Among other things, you will also see some incredible dancing during “Idioteque” and the neck of the bass may be used to play the keyboard… mid-bassline.
Here is the download page, the video is available is every format except .n00b.
Pete Yorn to drop Precious Stone Sept. 28th
Pete Yorn had me at “Strange Condition”, but that wasn’t the only gem on musicforthemorningafter. His debut album was relaxing, melancholy and completely perfect on a lazy Sunday. Ever since he has produced albums consistently and whether you know it or not, you have heard Yorn’s songs in passing on the radio, and in your favorite movies.
For “Precious Stone”, to be released September 28th, Yorn brought a power player into the mix. This latest album was produced by Frank Black AKA Black Francis AKA the lead singer of the Pixies. Welcome to bringing the heat 101.
In these first two tracks, I hear Yorn, I here tones and vocals reminiscent of mid 90s Seattle Grunge, and I hear potential. Both Yorn and Black appear to be excited about the album, says Black Francis,
“We headed down a path of realization I stripped Pete down a whole bunch. We battled in the best sort of way. I tried to get the session into a fearless and raw place, and to his artistic credit Pete took his songwriting to a fearless and raw place. This listener will find his or herself sitting right next to Pete on the couch. And the record totally rocks out.”
Full album review to come soon. Until then, these are the upcoming show dates and some audio and video to wet your palette.
The Roxy in LA – Sept 27
NYC’s Bowery Ballroom – Oct. 5
Austin City Limits – Oct. 9.
Two downloads off the new album, “Velcro Shoes” and “Precious Stone”, and a video with Scarlett Johansson, for obvious reasons:
“Velcro Shoes”
“Precious Stone”
Pete Yorn on Myspace
Pete Yorn featuring Scarlett Johansson – Relator Music Video by Jim Wright from BERNSTEIN & ANDRIULLI on Vimeo.
Fresh Videos
Local Natives – Airplanes
This song has been out for a while, its catchy and indie. Watch Local Natives perform this on the train tracks at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.
Hot Chip – I Feel Better
This song is a banger but in this video they take a slightly more modest tone. For a comparison check out there music video where the lead singer shoots lasers out of his mouth and a giant head destroys the venue with its laser eyes.
Yeasayer – Madder Red
In true yeasayer fashion, this video is the wierdness. Starring Kristen Bell (hottie) and an alien blob? watch this heartrenching tale of love lost. This is one of my favorite songs off Odd Blood, check it out.
Multi Touch Light Table
The Multi Touch Light Table created by Gregory Kaufman is brand new technology that will allowed DJs to show up to a venue with only a USB drive in hand. All the functions of the table are operated by touching the flat screen with certain hand gestures, resulting in a clean design that has no buttons or switches protruding. There will always be a large population of DJs who oppose abandoning vinyl as their medium, but the functionality and convenience of this table will give it a place in the market. Peep the video for a cool how-to.
LCD Soundsystem Poster
This is the limited edition concert poster for LCD Soundsystem’s show at the Fillmore this year in San Francisco. Really nicely done. 
The Legwarmers at State Theatre (8/27,28)
The Legwarmers, The Ultimate 80s Tribute Band, will be laying siege to Falls Church on August 27th and 28th. Hair that doesn’t quit, ample spandex, and “more moves than a rubix cube” will have the crowd pumping to 80s classics and undoubtedly raging their faces off. Pregaming is required. It is the weekend so blacking out is encouraged. And of course if you bring someone home make sure to ID, the cougars will be out.
Here you will find the top 10 80s fashion trends. Dress recklessly.
Wavves – King Of The Beach
The symbol crashes in the trough of a low steady beat, and for a second, it sounds like they recorded waves breaking on the sand and concussing down the coastline. Beach bands have always walked a fine line between capturing the bohemian lifestyle that binds them and exerting there individuality, but often they fall by the wayside to one direction or the other. King Of The Beach takes you into the surf, through the pain of a sunburn and into blue collar San Diego and everything that comes with it. Lo-fi with euphoric vocals that intertwine with an upbeat rhythm and a dosage a punk angst, King Of The Beach gives you a little of everything. They have versatility, but to draw a couple quick comparisons, Wavves is like the love child of Animal Collective and The Beach Boys, who at an early age started smoking jacks with Sid Vicious under the boardwalk. Now he does ecstasy.
Wavves, releasing its first album (bizarrely titled “Wavves”) in 2008, its still in its infancy. It put out its second album, Wavvves(wtf?), in 2009 making King Of The Beach their third album in as many years. That output was not without consequences as the band went through a “public breakdown” at the 2009 Primara Sound Festival in Barcelona. The leader singer Nathan Williams fought with the drummer and insulted the Spanish/Catalan crowd, who in an act of true Catholic justice threw bottles and a shoe at the offender. Later Williams said, “mixing ecstasy valium and xanax before having to play in front of thousands of people was one of the more poor decisions I’ve made (duh).” (Pitchfork) Luckily it’s all caught on tape (bottom video).
Fucking up is so rock and roll.
Here at Neon American we never let a little drug abuse get in the way of the listening experience. King Of The Beach plays like a mature, very listenable album, front to back. Moments of upbeat, at times aggressive, lo-fi punk are complimented perfectly with slower atmospheric sounds that guide you through the album track to track. Songs like “King Of The Beach” and “Post Acid”, which will cause involuntary mosh-pitting, abut songs like “Green Eyes”, which you can move to but don’t necessarily require a closed fist. The transitions don’t stop there; “Mickey Mouse” and “Baby Say Goodbye” are where the mature, euphoric vocals come in, pulling in tow a catchy melody and appealing lyrics. This album gets the official stamp of approval.
Wavves – King Of The Beach is released TODAY. So check out the tracks below, watch them perform on narcotics, and then go buy their album. Rehab doesn’t pay for itself!
“Green Eyes”
“Mickey Mouse”
Yourstru.ly Presents: Wavves “King of the Beach” from Yours Truly on Vimeo.