Well Well Well

Cold War Kid's cover of the John Lennon classic. Tight!

All the Way Live

It's been a great week for live music. Last Tuesday I saw The Walkmen play at The Independent, and man, was it an inspiring scene. They played a mix of old and new material - there has to be an album coming out soon - and just sounded awesome. Was disappointed they didn't play The Rat or Danny's at the Wedding or even Brandy Alexander, but I got over it. For a better description of the festivities, complete with photos and a few audio/video clips from the show, please check out Hippies Are Dead.

Have now seen The Walkmen three times since I moved back to the bay, and just that alone has made the decision to return here worthwhile.

And this past Saturday I saw Cold War Kids at the Warfield for the second time. Last year they played at Mezzanine, and their album had yet to drop, so they weren't nearly as popular as they are now (I couldn't talk a single friend into going), which made for a more intimate experience. With that said, they've been touring non-stop ever since, and you could tell by their electricity and stage presence that they've grown more accomplished and confident as musicians. They played a beautiful set Saturday night, closing things with a powerful extended version of Saint John, complete with several friends joining them on stage to shake their tambourines and dance with the band. We came out the doors onto Market Street still singing the finale, along with everybody else, and it's communal experiences like this that make shows such a vital part of my life these days.

As a side note, We Barbarians were the opening band and they just killed it. They're also from Long Beach, and fuse indie rock with a more soulful sound, like CWK's, and I dare you to listen to Black and Crooked and not see the cinematic possibilities.

Your Smile

It gets me every time.

She's Lost "Control"

Saw this film the other night, and man, it was so beautiful. Might not be for everyone, but if you love black and white photography, and you remember what it was like to be 16 and alienated and certain that the world is composed almost entirely of twats, and you appreciate good music, particularly art school post-punk, you'll love this.

What's remarkable to me, though, is just how authentic the footage is, which makes sense since Anton Corbijn was actually around during this period and directed the video for "Atmosphere." But more than that is the fact that Sam Riley looks exactly like Ian Curtis, and had all of his mannerisms down, especially his moves on stage, which are both cool and hilarious at the same time.

You should also check out Corbijn's photography, which is just amazing.

The clip below is from September 15, 1979.