STARS live at Littlefield

Stars - We Don't Want Your Body (buy)

Photos follow.

LCD Soundsystem Live at The Wellmont 9/23

Try to listen to that build up without losing your shit before the beat crashes tidal. Imagine that times ten, because that's how much bigger it feels when you know it's never been performed before, and all you've done since that record came out was tell DJ's to play it. Because you can't believe the song of the year which is potentially the greatest set opener in the history of dance music, has never been seen.

You get excited, so excited that time blurs and the sound becomes so big it feels like you're inside it. You don't know if you feel high or if you are. You're holding onto someone's finger, not their hand. Everything is moving too fast for disbelief to set because the first time LCD Soundsystem ever played "Dance Yrself Clean" you were there.

Broken Social Scene Live at Central Park SummerStage

Broken Social Scene - Sentimental X's


My introduction to Broken Social Scene came shortly after my musical twin introduced me to Feist's Let It Die. They never became as adored as Ms. Feist, but their show is bigger and in many ways better than hers. On Saturday they adroitly maneuvered between their three albums of material, an especially important accomplishment since at the beginning Kevin Drew announced that they would play every minute of their two allotted hours.

Undertow -- More New Warpaint

Warpaint - Undertow (free)

I was instantly in love with the breathy vocals that reminded me of my favorite mercurial singer, and for once a band was as good as the buzz-wave they rode (to borrow from HRO). That wave has gotten substantially bigger since they played Knitting Factory in June thanks to superlative reviews of their live sets at Lolla and Bonnaroo. Seeing them at The Whitney this summer was as great as possible considering how packed it was, and the lack of a stage.

Interpol Live at MHOW

Interpol - Summer Well (buy)


The first time I heard Paul Banks' voice I didn't understand it; it didn't sound real. That's why it was so surprising that their live show didn't hugely impress. Interpol sounded great but lacked the showmanship that their lighting vacuously provided. Friday felt like a warm-up show without the spontaneity of a James Murphy in April. Not to call it a disappointment, but the performance didn't bring to life its beloved material.

Commotion

Hundred in the Hands - Commotion (buy This Desert)

The Hundred in The Hands have an LP coming out this Fall. This is presumably on it, and comes courtesy of KCRW. I have been digging these guys since "Dressed in Dresden" fell out of the sky in 2008, and I love [the first half of] their EP This Desert. I stalked the duo to one of their first shows back in March when they had a single song to their name, and interviewed them ahead of their following show, so it makes me happy to see them getting plays from one of the few great radio stations out there.

I have never heard "Commotion" played in their show, so this is some frontline stuff. I'm too excited to say anything else except that this is not up anywhere else!