When voting for melophobe’s top 10 Albums of 2008, if I had known the staying power of the Walkmen’s You and Me, I would’ve voted it number one (suck it, Fleet Foxes!). The lush, loungy tracks like “On the Water” and “Red Moon” combined with the passionate, pummeling stand-out song “In the New Year” make You and Me a lasting favorite.
Based on the sold-out Middle East crowd’s reaction to the Walkmen’s performance, however, most fans don’t share my sentiment. Using the gleefully inebriated guy standing in front of me as a barometer, the audience wanted to rock out, “the Rat” style; intimate, wistful performances are too boring for a Saturday night. Reactive yawns and restless leg shakes accompanied the first half of the set, heavy with You and Me tracks.
But the boys did not disappoint their ready-to-rock fans, blasting through the end of their set with “All Hands and the Cook,” “The Rat,” and “In the New Year,” each performed and received with increasing fervor. As the audience belted out “My sisters are married to all my friends!” I realized the effect of listening to Hamilton Leithauser’s passionate growl for an hour: the most banal of lyrics have great meaning when shouted in unison.
Despite my love of You and Me, even I was slightly restless during the show. Down to Leithauser’s black leather jacket and lovely horns during “Red Room“ and “Louisiana,” it felt exactly like the Walkmen’s show a year earlier at the same venue. Thankfully, the band tried out a couple new tracks (one Leithauser described as “75% finished”), promising both a return to the more raw garage sound of earlier albums and more languid, pensive, You and Me-esque pieces.
Preceding the Walkmen was Here We Go Magic, fresh off a tour opening for Grizzly Bear. Remarkably, the drummer, struck with pneumonia, was replaced by “Chad,” who according to the band stayed up until 4am learning the songs. For a band whose sound is crafted around quirky and complex rhythmic patterns, the sudden replacement was impressive. The previously described restless crowd struggled to focus on the opening set, but fell strikingly quiet for the haunting, hypnotic “Only Pieces,” which opens their self-titled album. Pounding tracks like “Tunnelvision” likewise received attentive head nods. I love the sound of Here We Go Magic’s debut, written and recorded by Luke Temple, and after hearing this strong set, I’m eager to hear what recent recording sessions and a new label (Secretly Canadian) bring for the band.
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This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
you’ll notice the author’s name under title.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.11 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.”
by HKD on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.10 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
i saw them open for the Cave Singers, not very original, the crowd was not into it either, frankly i think they suck
by rigamarole on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 11.30 am from the entry: The Dutchess & The Duke Tour Dates, Y'all
Beth, thems some good-looking photos. Hot damn.
Ari’s right, that them there’s the good stuff.