December 21, 2004
New York Music Bloggers Help You Stuff Your Stockings
So it's almost time to go home for the holidays, and you as a New Yorker have to bring the best presents. You know that right? The rest of your non-New Yorker friends and family look to you for your urban hipness, don't let them down.
We, of course, suggest the gift of music. Local music. Music that isn't on MTV, because they get that outside of New York. We went to the local music bloggers for their local music picks and here's how they suggest you stuff the stockings of loved ones...
Catherine's Pita suggests: The Hold Steady [available online or in store at Other Music]
Karen Plus One suggests: Saints + Lovers, you may have known them as the Sons of Sound before the name change. [Music available here]
Stereogum suggests: Hem [Their cd is available here]
Coolfer suggests some solid choices: TV on the Radio, Secret Machines and the Walkmen [you can get these cd's at Other Music, Virgin Megastore, and we're betting on the next OC soundtrack]
Melody Nelson suggests: Asobi Seksu [available at Insound]
Brooklyn Vegan suggests: Other Passengers, although we think given the chance at suggesting a non-local band he'd say Arcade Fire. [Other Passengers EP is available here]
The Real Janelle suggests: Sea Ray who will play their last show on January 21st [cd's available here]
Still need to get in the holiday spirit? Listening to the following will surely help, that, and egg nog:
Pas/Cal & Asobi Seksu Christmas 12" available here.
Snowden isn't a local band, but we want them to be. They have a Christmas EP that's free on their site! Download, listen and get jolly [their EP is also available in the music section of their site.]
As for us, Gothamist loves mix cd's! [Yes, we'd prefer a mix tape but...they won't fit in our iPod, we tried.] So why not be a little original and make one, we suggest throwing some of these local bands on there: The Cloud Room, Elkland, Morning Theft, Sam Champion, Dirty On Purpose and Inouk. Comment with your suggestions...
Related: Karen suggests gifts for the movie nerd. Combined, consider this something akin to the Seth Cohen Christmukkah Starter Pack.
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My Teenage Stride is a great local band for your mix cd. Gothamist word the other day:
http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2004/12/17/my_teenage_stride_in.php
Also, I personally prefer the high school-style mix *tape* -- the only way to go.
I didn't know you were asking me about local music for this post. I gave safe, OC-friendly albums that don't represent the scope of NYC's music. I'd like to add a few titles, if I may:
- Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Across 110th Street. Great salsa record.
- Vinicius Cantuaria: Horse & Fish. Brazilian now living in New York. Jazz and bossa nova, good for those who find Bebel Gilberto too lite-n-fluffy.
- Morgan Geist: Unclassics. Lost European disco and funk from the late '70s and early '80s.
I agree with Glenn on Vinicius Cantuaria, but if you want to check out the next big thing out of Brazil, that would have to be Maria Rita.
does the Seth Cohen Christmukkah Starter Pack come with my very own Seth Cohen? that and an Edna talking doll, would make for a very merry new year indeed!
For more along the lines of Geist's great Unclassics mix, there's the excellent mix Italo DeRuggiero put out by APT's music director Alec D. Two volumes are available at Other Music.
Glenn, thanks! You're SO knowledgable! You mean there's more to NYC music than OC bands? I love that show!
Music recommendation:
Gentlemen Never Tells by the Giraffes.
real music. for non-pusswah's. as for "lost euro disco funk" has one considered that there might be a reason for it being lost. Like, it was tasteless garbage that defiled the very instruments it came from?
New York's music scene needs to stop redefining old, crappy music genre's - stop trying to polish them into new hipster coolness and start looking at real music, made now, defined by the present, not the rose-colored hipster-wanna-be glasses so much of the scene is handicapped by.
Lets hope for a better, more genuine 2005 for New York's music. More balls, less pusswah.