To Hell and Back.

Hello loyal friends and followers. We know how much you have missed us and longed for our return. Well, wipe away those tears cause we are working our way back and will soon be there to guide you through every thing that is cool again.

Life has kicked our asses a bunch this past year, but Nataly and I are hopping back on the vegan saddle to bring you what you so desire. We can’t be held down!

Bear with us as we get our shit together, and we will be bringing you plenty of content shortly.

Love and grease,

Andrea

Help Us Stop The Madness!

Philadelphia live music is being put at risk! A new bill, (Bill No. 100267), being introduced by City Councilmen Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee, will literally change the face of the Philly live music scene as we know it. You can read the actual bill here http://webapps.phila.gov/council/attachments/10044.pdf.

Basically the bill would require all show promoters to apply for a permit with the Philadelphia police 30 days before each show. Think of the shear number of permits that would be for places that have nightly or even weekly live shows. The permit would include detailed information about the event including security measures, expected turnout, business license number, even a copy of the contract between promoters and performers.

As you can see this would be devastating for promoters. It would put an end to last minute shows, changes in line-ups, changes in venue and hinder shows as non-profit events.

What’s really scary is that police can deny a permit up until 10 days before an event for whatever reason they see fit.

So as you can see, we need your help in getting the word out about this bill. You can make yourself heard by writing to the city council. PhillyMetal.com has a simple form you can fill out to send a protest e-mail to City Council President Anna Verna and the Councilmen who introduced the bill, Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee. http://phillymetal.com/protest/ .

Or you can sign the protest here http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/bill100267/

Here is a link to The City Papers article about the bill http://citypaper.net/articles/2010/05/13/a-million-stories

Thanks for your help! Spread the word.

Blur’s Free Download

Download Blur’s new track “Fool’s Day” for free from their site. http://www.blur.co.uk/

The track is a modern take on the classic Blur sound and feel. Recorded for limited edition sale on vinyl in the UK. It’s now available here for your listening pleasure!

The Dead Weather’s Sea of Cowards Out Tomorrow

Sea of Cowards is not a neat little package of an album. In fact it seems to be pulling at the threads left by The Dead Weather’s debut album Horehound, but this only makes it that much more appealing. Jack White and his second super group manage to take their mad scientist approach to blues-rock a step further in this album. Sea of Cowards doesn’t house radio hits or sentimental sing-a-longs, but it manages to contain a shit ton of attitude, frustration and unedited in your face rock’n’roll.

Alison Mosshart (VV of The Kills) sounds more at home in this album. “The Difference Between Us” fits her like a black leather fingerless glove. She then pushes the boundaries with no apologies in “Gasoline.” Mosshart and White share the floor each respectfully out for blood.

Not to be over looked is Queens of the Stone Age’s own, Dean Fertita (also toured with The Raconteurs) who’s guitar and keyboards set the tone for the albums ménage-a-trois of pop, blues and psycadellic rock.

This is definitely the darkest and most raw of White’s recent projects. For some it may feel unfinished and self-indulgent. To others it will feel honest, dirty and daring. It all depends on if  you like your music shaken or stirred.

Sea of Cowards will be released tomorrow (May 11, 2010).

The Dead Weather’s Sea of Cowards

I am so excited for this album! Listen free to Sea of Cowards today only (April 30th). It’s streamming all day click here to listen.

Hometown Hero Kurt Vile.

So Nataly and I are a little sadistic (as you know) and we sent out our brand spankin new writer, Dan Newman to a show at The Barbary. A show of two bands he had never heard of in his entire life. A hardcore show none the less. We told him to cover the show, get an interview and take some photos. What better way to get the young ones started? He did it all. Yay Dan!

When I showed up to see Kurt Vile and Fucked Up at The Barbary, I didn’t know what to expect. I was approached by HEFF and jumped at the opportunity. This was my first assignment and I was a bit nervous. I slowly filtered into the club along with the crowd from the sidewalk. I made nervous chatter with a random person in front of me, trying desperately not to look as if I just heard the names “Kurt Vile” and “Fucked Up” yesterday. I sat shyly in the back, doodling in my notebook, waiting for the show to start or for the oddly uncomfortable bench I was sitting on to swallow me whole. However, before that could happen, Kurt began tuning his guitars and I pushed my way front and center to get a better look.

You know how some people seem to have an aura around them? Kurt Vile is one of those people. Although not much taller than me, he seemed to loom like a giant over the crowd, his face rarely peeking out from a thick, messy mane of hair. A gruff, throaty voice checked the mic a few times, not quite content with the echo and reverb. Suddenly satisfied, Kurt began finger-picking his twelve string guitar, and his raspy voice cut through the notes like a ray of sun through fog; in this case audible but lingering. Sadly, I never got a chance to obtain a set list, so I can’t share with you what song he opened with, or closed with, but I can tell you that for about an hour, Kurt Vile wore his heart on his sleeve and shared it with a lackadaisical but interested crowd. His songs were drenched in a bucket of blues, poured into our ears and hung out to dry before our eyes. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it, but there wasn’t much movement, which was to be expected based on the mellow, almost melancholy, mood. The untrained eye would wonder if the audience was bored, but it was quite the contrary. I was lucky enough at the end of his performance to steal a quick picture of that ever-elusive face, which seems always to be hidden behind that lion mane of brown hair.

After Kurt left the audience mellowed and happily sedated, Fucked Up dosed us with some musical-cocaine. I had prepared myself to be dodging fists and reckless moshers, and was wondering how I was going to constantly be on my guard while absorbing the show at the same time. All of that prepping was in vain, though. I didn’t have to dodge a single fist or reckless mosher. Actually, I can sum up the entire Fucked Up set in one word… Unity. The crowd and the band were united, and it was beautiful. Damian Abraham, the lead singer, interacted with the crowd, cracked jokes and barreled through the crowd during one song. He was eager to share a story before each song, which gave me the nostalgic tingling of hairs standing up on my arms. This was music with purpose, these were audio samples of their every day struggles, not just songs thrown together in a few days for a label contract or some cliché emotional bandwagon. There were so many sing-alongs (they just never get old,) that I lost count, at least one per song. Damian was kind enough to tell the crowd the lyrics beforehand so they could participate if they didn’t know them (like me.) He even ended up on the bar for part of the set. A highlight of the performance was the crowd participation during “Crusades”. My camera phone sucks in the dark, but Damian was a great sport and took a picture with me. One lyric kept returning to me during the show, from “Pit of Equality” by Ten Yard Fight: “WE’RE ALL FRIENDS IN THE PIT TONIGHT”.

I was also fortunate enough to get five minutes with Kurt, despite the fact that the bar opened and I didn’t have an ID. I figured my baby face was going to be a problem, but the door guy was real cool about letting me stick around for a few minutes even though he clearly wanted me to go for fear of his job. Thanks, Kurt, and thank you random-door-guy.

Philadelphia sounds excited to have you back in town. How do you feel to be back?

I feel good…I’ve been on tour this time around with just my buddy Rob, who’s keeping me company. We were born on the same day, and we’re both kind of…wild people…so we’re a little tired. It’s good to be back, even just for a day.But yeah its nice to come home in the middle of the tour as opposed to coming home at the end. Today I slept until about 4, we played Baltimore last night and I just drove straight home, man. Woke up in my own bed.

Nice, that must have felt good.

Yup, felt real good.

I read that you were recently signed to Matador records, which was your first choice anyway. What are your new goals?

My goals I guess are relatively the same. I got all the business out of the way, at least for now, so it’s just keep moving forward and putting stuff out. You know we’re about to start on a new record, just keep doing it you know?

What direction do you see your new music going? Psyche stuff like “Blackberry Song”, or more rocking like “Monkey”?

Yeah, I mean there’s always pyschedelic undertones. I don’t see it going too far-out. Yeah, if you like “Blackberry Song”, going in that acoustic direction for the next record, sort of. You know, flesh it out a little, bring in the band. For the next record I don’t really have any like “Freak Trains” or “Hunchbacks”. Just kind of the prettier stuff, I’m going to see how far we can take that for the next record, you know? Just flesh out the pretty shit. Start with the acoustic shit and just take it out there.

Did you ever find that Neil Young album you’ve been coveting?

Yeah I did! I got three copies of that thanks to that interview, but nobody ever got me The Seeds record though. I’m waiting for somebody to find me the Seeds’ “Web of Sound”.

Maybe someone will read this and hook you up with it.

Yeah hopefully, but so far, no dice.

Can you describe the process of writing on the road as opposed to home?

Well, you’d imagine, and I’d imagine, that before I got so busy, that you write as you go…but maybe in Europe, or in a real nice place, and your feeling inspired, you’ll write a little bit. But usually the writing happens once you get home, and you let the set grow as you go on tour. But you know, they are both essential to inspiration. What I’ve found as that, especially lately, on tour you’re busy with a lot of things, and then when you get home, time is still…you start strumming out new tunes and stuff like that.

Which came first, the guitar or the lyric?

Uh that varies. I get that a lot, it varies. I guess a lot of times with guitar your just strumming, and some weird shit will just come out, one line and you just work around it. But other times, at least when I used to work a day job, I’d think up these weird lyrics. So really it depends. Or you’ll listen to a song on the radio and think of certain lyrics that are kinda far out, and you put it in a song you’ve been working on. But really, it varies.

Well I appreciate you taking the time out to talk with me…is there anyone you’d like to give a shout out to?

Sure, its no problem. Uh yeah, I’d like to give a shout out to Fucked Up, who’s standing right next to me.

BY DANIEL NEWMAN

Happy Hollows Haunt The Rock Scene

I am a major sucker for bad-ass chicks with guitars. Happy Hollows, a three piece LA band, just happens to have one. Sarah Negahdari has an airy, haunting voice. It reminds me of being cozy in an oversized flannel, listening to Belly in the 1990’s. Similarly to Tanya Donelly, Negahdari’s voice transforms from an angel one minute to a melodic banshee the next. While Negahdari sings her heart out in their full-length album Spells, she rips you from track to track with some pro guitar sounds.

At times the tracks on Spells are noisy. You have to brace for a choppy voyage with Happy Hollows. The song “Tambourine” turns form Deerhoof to 7 Year Bitch, in a matter of minutes. But if you’re up for the ride it’s a trip worth taking.

Their catchiest tune “High Wire” has already made it to your TV selling you Samsung cell phones. If you have read me before you know how much that gives me a stomachache, but I’m willing to forgive because “High Wire” is the star of the album. “We Will Find You” adds a girly touch, cute and creepy, it fits Negahdari’s voice perfectly. Another standout track “Death to Vivek Kemp” could just as well be a completely stripped down Karen O hidden track. Spells as a whole has a very naked quality to it. There is no glam or pretensions.

Tracks like “Delorean” and “A Man, A Plan, A Canal” cut the album up, adding a different feel with bassist Charlie Mahoney taking led vocals. It makes for an interesting bump in the road, but the album could live with out it.

Currently, Happy Hollows are the talk of the town in L.A. As painful as it can be for West coast rockers to test the East coast waters, I think we can make room for some California sounds that don’t evoke sunsets, surfboards and hallucinogens.

What you really take away from this album is that their live performance could make or break them. Rumors have it that seeing Happy Hollows live is the real payoff. It’s said that Negahdari, Mahoney and drummer Chris Hernandez refuse to take it down a notch while on stage. I’m dying to see for myself. A tough,wispy, rocker chick with guitar in hand, shoving her songs around the stage with two talented men behind her is the stuff dreams are made of (my dreams at least.)

Happy Hollows takes the stage at North Star Bar March 4.

What’s Going on?

Philadelphia has an amazing amount of fantastic live shows coming our way in the next couple of months. Scroll down to find a comprehensive list of our favorite event calendars for around the area.

We wanted to highlight some notable shows coming up.

Kurt Vile and The Violators Philadelphia’s favorite long haired lo-fi experimentalists are playing Wednesday, February 17 at

TheBarbary with Fucked Up: hardcore punk at it’s best.

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Mission of Burma may be old but they are still ridiculously good and pretty much historical figures when it comes to rock as we know it.  Mission of Burma should be on everyone’s bucket list. They will be at The Church Thursday, February 18 with Sleeper Agent.

St. Vincent will be bringing her painfully pretty songs to a seated sanctuary show at The Church Thursday, February 25 with Wildbirds and Peacedrums who also put on a spectacular show.

We are all about Surfer Blood right now! They will be playing The Barbary Monday, March 1. They bring their warm weather, 1990’s pop sounds to our cold, modern, Philadelphia ears.

Rouge Wave will be putting on a seated Sanctuary show at The Church Thursday, March 4, full of harmony, melodies, and choruses to sing to. It’s goose pimple music.

Our muse, namesake  and favorite showmen ever, Man Man, are doing a long overdue hometown Philadelphia show. Oh how we’ve missed them. No more crossing state lines for our fix! They will be debuting new songs galore at the their Troc show on March 5.

Henry Rollins?! Yep, really Henry Rollins is coming to the Sanctuary Thursday, March 11. Sounds nuts but it’s true. The Church is just one of many stops he is making on his Frequent Flyer Tour.

The Ruby Suns invoke big sunglasses, psychedelic swirls, and songs like “Let the Sunshine In“. Check out their 6-piece band at Kung Fu Necktie with Toro Y Moi and Power Animal, Philly’s own experimental wonders on Thursday, March 25.

The xx is sold out and we don’t have tickets and I am pretty much too mad to even comment on this one. If your going and want to do a review or interview for us, e-mail me at andrea@hipsterseatforfree.com The show is at The Church Monday, March 29. We will probably be there begging for tickets.

Fanfarlo is the kind of indie pop that can take over. It sticks around a while and the pay off is more then instant grat. The show is Wednesday, March 31 at The Church. I am guessing this one will sell out.

The forefathers of indie rock Nada Surf will be playing at The Church Thursday April 1. If you haven’t been paying attention since the 90’s, it’s time to see just how much perfection these guys put out this decade.

The Thermals will be giving us an excuse to jump around like madwomen in what is sure to be a sweaty packed Church on Thursday, April 15.

Check out other event calendars here:

• R5 Productions Event Calendar
• The Electric Factory
• Kung Fu Nectie
• Johnny Brenda’s
• Y-Rock
• Tritone
• The Trocadero
• World Cafe Live
• Phrequency

Los Campesinos! Still Annoyed and Articulate

Los Campesinos! release their third album, Romance is Boring. In fact it may be, but this album is not. The six-piece indie-pop band from Wales proves that it’s been growing up, and not in the bad “mom jeans way,” but in the “starting to master their talent way.” The production value this time around is noticeably pumped up making the slightly off-kilter sound easier to trust. Do not fret, the 15-track album still has Los Campesinos! fingerprints smudged all over. It is still stuffed to the brim with whiney back-alley-honesty through Gareth Campesinos! incredibly, wordy, english-major-gone-awol lyrics. Lyrics that live only to ponder, lousy sex, drinking induced vomiting, corpses, godlessness and soccer. Only a writer like Gareth could take themes that tend to induce images of, sweaty, half drunk 20-somethings, scratching their balls and spin it into beautifully unpredictable sentences that make you want to study their structure.

Some songs are melodic and sing-a-long approved like, “The Sea is a Good Place to Think About the Future.” Others like, “Medias Res,” are glorious noise taking you out of your comfort zone and forcing you to contemplate such things as death and vomit from vodka.

If you like feeling smart and well read while rocking the hell out to your indie-pop picks, then adding Romance is Boring to the line-up is a must.

“If You’re Right, You’ll Agree:” A Few Fashion Tips.

Ok Hipsters its time to have a talk. The whole point and saving grace of being a “hipster” is that you have good taste in alternative art. You are supposed to be naturally drawn to what is a-typical. You are supposed to have an eye for things that may not be obviously appealing to others. You find beauty in unlikely places. This of course should include style and fashion. Now, I am not the fashion police by any means whatsoever. I have made my mistakes, by the dozens. Just ask Nataly, she has an opinion on just about everything I’ve ever worn (although most of the time she is wrong.) However, lately I have noticed that in “the scene,” some of you are making some pretty bad choices and they’re spreading  faster than the swine flu.  Some of the accoutrements that I have seen out and about just look fucking dumb.

Now there are some pieces that others out there may have a problem with. A lot of people bitch about Skinny Jeans. That’s just silly. Skinny Jeans are hot. What looks hotter than jeans that are painted on to your ass? Nothing. Another favorite to complain about among the haters, are high wasted skirts. Please, its adorable, girly and retro. Go for it. I say yes. See, I am not a hater. I’m just trying to stop you from looking like a total idiot.

If you really know what you are doing and feel you can pull of the feathers-in-hair thing, keep them to a minimum, one or two at the most. Also it would be preferable if the feathers you chose were actually pleasant looking and not like they came from a crow with Avian Flu.

Now a case where less isn’t more: Mens shirts as dresses. If you do this right, it’s a go. However, a lot of you out there apparently don’t own mirrors because, you are wearing shirts so short that, I can see your bloomers. I know that a lot of you think the shorter the dress the sexier, right? But can’t you see, if your wearing a shirt that is not covering your ass, then you simply look like you forgot your pants. Do you really want to be walking around in a shirt and shoes? This looks like your drunk or stupid.

Last but definitely not least, why are you guys trying to kill flannel?  Flannel has had its place in alternative culture for decades. From hippies to grungies, flannel is part of our roots, it’s deep with history. Now every time I go to Kung Fu or Johnny Brenda’s it looks like Paul Bunyan threw-up in there. Perhaps we could have like a raffle system to determine who can wear flannel on what day? Maybe it’s too late for flannel. Maybe we just can’t wear it for a while. Should we do it cold-turkey? I don’t know, I am open to suggestions. For now I know I can’t go near the stuff without feeling like I’m putting on a uniform.

That’s all I got for now. Ok that’s not true, there is more. But I will stop here to make sure that you really let these suggestions sink in. Think about our reputation. Popular culture hates us. I’m cool with that, because mostly it’s just envy. Who doesn’t like being envied. But lets not give them fuel for the fire. Going out with a birds nest on our heads is never gonna work in our favor.

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