NEW KAREN O NATIVE KOREAN ROCK VIDEOS Our friends over at The Modern Age managed to capture some excellent videos of KO and the Native Korean Rock crew performing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman’s stripped down songs of romance and desire lost at sea.
Here’s there show review:
“The stage was set up like a kid’s school production of “South Pacific”, with a nautical extravaganza situated on the stage. A ship bow dead smack front and center, silver cellophane covering the floor, reflecting the blue and purple clear cellophane positioned by the monitors and drum kit–giving the impression of a dreamy sea. A foamy seascape hung as a backdrop.
When the band came out, they were all clad in white, with little sailor’s caps donning their heads. As the ship’s leader, Miss Karen was decked out in a checked button down shirt, black poofy skirt with pockets, and a captain’s hat with “Native Korean Rock” written in the band.
The subdued, 30-minute set was charming way to spend the evening. The songs were quiet, sweet, and whimsical–perfectly showcasing Karen O’s uncanny ability to sing songs with an intimate vulnerability that always rings true.“
And of course, here are the videos of the songs “Days Go By” and “Comes the Night”. Check it people!
Native Korean Rock – “Rapt” ******************************************************************** SCAR-JO POSTS ITUNES PLAYLIST Our favorite Tom Waits-covering A-list actress Scarlett Johansson recently had her music tastes prodded in the iTunes music store. The 20-song mixtape, which leaned heavily on classic singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and showmen like Frank Sinatra, featured a few left-field choices as well, including the Arcade Fire and one of our personal favorites, Celebration, of which Johansson states “I love the female vocals by Katherina. It inspired me to explore a new realm for my own vocals.” Come to think of it they do sound pretty similar – perhaps a ScarJo album covering Celebration is in order? You can view the list by clinking on this link or by going to Scarlett’s music Myspace. In other news, Scarlett Johansson has a music Myspace (who knew?)
Scarlett Johansson – “Innocent When You Dream (Live)” ******************************************************************** NEW COLD WAR KIDS There’s a lot going apparently in the world of The Cold War Kids who last we heard were entrenched deep beneath the earth at work on their sophomore LP. Well the Kids have emerged into the sunlight and the result is Loyalty to Loyalty which comes out Sept. 23rd according to Stereogum. They’ve also got a new track up on their Myspace called “Something Is Not Right With Me” which retains the yelping, carnival-esque noodlings of their past sounds but adds a little bit more bounce and a harder edge that we hope hints at an album of soul-shaking rock and roll from these guys. Also, it looks like the troupe will be swinging through Austin on Oct. 24th at Emo’s so be sure and check that out as well. Here’s the tracklist for L2L:
1 Against Privacy 2 Mexican Dogs 3 Every Valley Is Not A Lake 4 Something Is Not Right With Me 5 Welcome To The Occupation 6 Golden Gate Jumpers 7 Avalanche In B 8 I’ve Seen Enough 9 Every Man I Fall For 10 Dreams Old Men Dream 11 On The Night That My Love Broke Through 12 Relief 13 Cryptomnesia ******************************************************************** NEW GNARLS BARKLEY VIDEO Not much to be said about this Odd Couple standout except, why are Gnarls Barkley so damn clever? Great tunes, great videos, great pairing. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse 4 lyfe.
SOUTHERN DRAMA IN AUSTIN Performing at Austin’s own Beauty Bar last night, Southern Drama managed surpass all our expectations and capture a refreshing slice of retro-country rock with a subversive edge that proved both genuine and engaging. There exists a level of underlying difficulty when playing any version of country music – the danger of the tunes seeming kitsch or even worse, too poppy is ever-present. However, Southern Drama plowed through such criticisms with instrumental virtuosity, care of their brilliant violinist Naomi Cherie, and with the captivating howl of lead singer Clarissa Ysel. With a voice more reminiscent of a riot grrrl act than a gypsy-country band, Ysel brings a level of emotion to songs steeped in evocative imagery, pulling the listener into the band’s complicated world. Worth mentioning is of course the care the band seems to take with their presentation, dressing up in psycho-carnival wares, instantly inviting and absurd all at once, proving to us here at Cannibal Cheerleader that Southern Drama is not only deserving of our close attention for their music but for their whole visual and performance formula. We’ll definitely be keeping up with these ladies, check in for more details this week! Southern Drama – “French Song” ******************************************************************** KAREN O PLAYS NATIVE KOREAN ROCK IN NYC Here’s a little show review by our friends over at the Music Slut in NYC who were lucky enough to be able to attend the debut of Karen O’s side project Native Korean Rock Monday night.
“I was simply ecstatic when word spread last week that Karen O would be debuting her new side project, Native Korean Rock, at one of Brooklyn’s most beloved & miniscule venues. For just about a half hour, she showcased a collection of love songs on par with the latter tracks from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Show Your Bones (most notably ‘Warrior’ & ‘Sweets’), backed by a quintet comprised of strings, drums & guitars. While we all know and love Karen for her gravelly howls and mighty stage persona, it’s sometimes easy to forget that her demure side is just as impressive & captivating. The stage was adorned quite eloquently with a Korean flag, ample blue cellophane & a partial ship bow (which read ‘Seoul’). Key elements of Karen’s outfit included roses, fringes & a spectacularly detailed navy blue cap. All in all, an immensely beautiful & touching evening.”
Here’s the setlist and encore:
Setlist Ooo. Body. Visits. Beast. Rapt. Sunset Sun. Comes The Night. Day Go By.
Encore Indian Summer. Day Go By [Reprise]
******************************************************************** TV ON THE RADIO REVEAL LP3 DETAILS That’s right, hot on the heels on one of our favorite records of yesteryear, Return to Cookie Mountain, art-punkers TV on the Radio will be releasing their third LP Dear Science, on Sept 23rd according to Pitchfork. Further details such as a tracklist and cover will obviously be forthcoming so stay tuned for further details!
TV on the Radio – “Blues From Down Here” ******************************************************************** BLOC PARTY VS. SEX PISTOLS?? Looks like the battle between post-punk and punk ‘77 is on as Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon became involved in a heated confrontation with Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke over the weekend at the Summercase Festival in Barcelona. You can read all of the details here but apparently things got nasty when Okereke asked the Rotten one if his other former band, Public Image Ltd., would ever get back together, prompting Lydon to apparently go on a racist tirade. Both parties were separated by their respective entourages but details are still blurry as to what was said or inferred by either party. Still, to say that Johnny Rotten isn’t crazy is pretty much a guarantee that you’ll be on the wrong side of the argument, at least, that’s our two cents. Any more news and you’ll be sure to hear about it from us!
Our friends over at The Modern Age managed to capture some excellent videos of KO and the Native Korean Rock crew performing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman’s stripped down songs of romance and desire lost at sea.
Our favorite Tom Waits-covering A-list actress Scarlett Johansson recently had her music tastes prodded in the iTunes music store. The 20-song mixtape, which leaned heavily on classic singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and showmen like Frank Sinatra, featured a few left-field choices as well, including the Arcade Fire and one of our personal favorites, Celebration, of which Johansson states “I love the female vocals by Katherina. It inspired me to explore a new realm for my own vocals.” Come to think of it they do sound pretty similar – perhaps a ScarJo album covering Celebration is in order? You can view the list by clinking on this link or by going to Scarlett’s music Myspace. In other news, Scarlett Johansson has a music Myspace (who knew?)
There’s a lot going apparently in the world of The Cold War Kids who last we heard were entrenched deep beneath the earth at work on their sophomore LP. Well the Kids have emerged into the sunlight and the result is Loyalty to Loyalty which comes out Sept. 23rd according to Stereogum. They’ve also got a new track up on their Myspace called “Something Is Not Right With Me” which retains the yelping, carnival-esque noodlings of their past sounds but adds a little bit more bounce and a harder edge that we hope hints at an album of soul-shaking rock and roll from these guys. Also, it looks like the troupe will be swinging through Austin on Oct. 24th at Emo’s so be sure and check that out as well. Here’s the tracklist for L2L:
Not much to be said about this Odd Couple standout except, why are Gnarls Barkley so damn clever? Great tunes, great videos, great pairing. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse 4 lyfe.
