2. Glasvegas “It’s My Own Cheating Heart that Makes Me Cry” – Talk about anguish…this song really says something about that. If you can imagine yourself in an ice cavern, while mournful ’50s-influenced guitars strum resonate between the walls and a somber rockin’ hook, add a dash of self-inflicted heartbreak then you’re hearing what this song is about. Terrifyingly beautiful.

3. Phoenix “Fences” – This band surely compensates their French-ness with this easy going tune that reminds me of the best summertime activities – relaxation, dance, and sun. A lot has been said about this band and it’s pretty much right on. Guitar tickles under the skin while guided by a 4/4 thumping and a roving bass line. It’s sugary sweet. Drink.

4. Kelley Polar “Entropy Reigns (In the Celestial City)” – “Entropy Reigns” reminds me of last year but it has found its way into my summer playlist. There’s something very Long Island City about this song, the way that Polar croons side to side with a lovely sounding woman and bouncy bass line, catchy chorus, stabbed with touches of electronica. You can imagine partying with the city without actually being a part of it – just a long line of urban structure and that’s what this song is.

5. New Order “Regret” – An introduction to this tune is hardly needed. It is, however, one of those song titles that you look at and go, “what song is this???” but once you hear it, you’ll say, “Oooooh! That song!” Yes, that song. The song is about…err…regret but the lyrics aren’t the highlight of this tune, it’s the amalgamation of dance beat with an anthemic guitar riff that is done in a way hardly matched today (Deastro being one of the exceptions).

6. Joy Division “Sound of Music” – The origins of New Order are here with the same members minus the venerable voice of Ian Curtis – and yet the two bands couldn’t be more different if you pounded both styles into each other. “Sound of Music” isn’t what you think of in a summer song but there is something defiantly pleasing about the rollicking drums and shameless vocals of Curtis that can inspire some indecent dancing.

7. Ghostland Observatory “Cause a Scene” – If causing a scene means dancing on someone’s grave then I get it. Regardless of the strong electronic presence, the song remains rooted in a 1960s horror garage sound. The foot stomping beat and mean bass drops the gravity in your ears, making them pop. Fun, fun, fun.

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8. The Horrors “Gloves” – Yeah, I’m going back a few for this one but it doesn’t mean it isn’t fun anymore. Any prediction of the Horrors going the way of the Animals would’ve been moot if it wasn’t for the recent release of Primary Colours. The Horrors play their own horrible tricks and can be a soundtrack for a fun butcher who likes to roll around with his collection of cleaved appendages.

9. The Prodigy “Warrior’s Dance” – After years of searching for a new sound, the Prodigy are back with this year’s Invaders Must Die. The return of Liam’s gut-wrenching drum and bass sound, sped vocals, and rockin’ groove has proved that the thing he was looking for was there the entire time. “Warrior’s Dance” is one of the highlights of this collection filled with gems – and once you hear it, you’ll understand why it was given such a provocative title. This song is the declaration of an entire summer of dancing wildly around a bonfire with a bunch of strangers.

10. MGMT “Electric Feel” – Given the cabal of great music that has come out in the last couple years, sometimes you skip over some of its best albums. As I rediscover MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, I am finding why it’s such a lovable record. After being beaten over the head (willfully) with “Kids” and “A Time to Pretend”, I was glad to explore “Electric Feel” more; with its funky grooves, shoulder massaging chorus. The space of reverb between the wall of the recording studio and the vocals force a little karaoke session out of your soul. Enjoy.

Tune Yards Bird Brains

1. tUnE-yArDs “Fiya” – There’s a little Led Zeppelin in this song by tUnE-yArDs Merrill Garbus. It’s a beautiful tune that had people gasphing after she performed it at Glasslands last weekend. A little ukulele + ass-shaking beats + love = hot fire! And to think that she recorded the whole album, Bird Brains on a Sony digital voice recorder. Not bad.
2. Deastro “Biophelia” – Once in a while, you capture a snapshot of an artist’s rise and you can’t get their music out of your head so you can’t do anything but write and write and write about it until your readers are just so fed up that they finally go and check out the album. Well, this is one of those artists. Sometimes you hear what sounds like pure talent but it’s really just a lucky hit. Deastro is not one of these examples. His album, Moondagger just keeps getting better with every listen. There’s a little post-punk, a little electro, a little pop, and a little indie.
3. Michna “Swiss Glide” – Now this is different. Electro-jazz from the Midwest. Now that almost sounds scary but it’s not. After your prototypical breakbeat bassy grooves, there’s the introduction of brass horns. It’s not distracting at all. It’s just groovy.
4. Emanuel and the Fear “Jimme’s Song” – This song sounds “good” on the EP. It definitely doesn’t compare to the live version. The potential this song has as an anthem (that’s right, you read right) for a generation of rock and roll fans is tamed on the CD and that’s a shame. Either way, it’s a good listen from a band that really pulls off a striking set live. Hopefully the full length album they are currently recording will match their live sound. If you are reading this, please change the production theme for the next album. It’s ok to sound like a rock and roll band.
5. Anima Anonima “IA Electric” – Now it’s true that they did not play at Northside Festival, however they did play this past Thursday at Public Assembly — the scene of many lost bands sucked into the cavern of the back room. This band transcends trip hop and fills that void between pop and trip hop. This is from their latest album entitled, Mechanic Organic. It’s a gas. Also, check out our upcoming profile about this band from Ellen Donbeck.
6. Wakey! Wakey! “Take it Like a Man” – This piano heavy somber little tune has some nice erratic moments that exhibits the lead singer’s great voice and musicianship as he horrowly declares an inside prolcamation. They also played in the back room of Public Assembly this past Sunday for Northside Festival.
7. Wild Yaks “I’m Crazy but Not Afraid” – I wrote something about them in the festival review and what I wrote was that these guys really rocked something wonderful. It was full of energy, hype and destruction. One of my own favorite quotes (yeah, I have a list of favorite quotes I’ve coined…egotist? Maybe) is “Destruction is my currency”. Well, if that’s what Wild Yaks might think, then they spend their “currency” well. There are some hints of Misfits in this so enjoy.
8. Bob Dylan “They Times They Are A-Changin’” – Of course Bob Dylan didn’t play Northside Festival last weekend — but he should have. I’m not 20 years old anymore nor do I wish I was but this song always affirms my idealism. Every generation should use this tune as its anthem to remind us of our responsiblity to change the ways of the previous generation and to make the future better. OK, I’ll shut my idealism down for now. I created a whole website based on this anyway so if you’re here then maybe you agree with this philosophy.
9. Led Zeppelin “Travelling Riverside Blues” – This Robert Johnson cover is not only fair but was necessary to create and exhibit the power of Delta Blues.  This is one of my favorite Zep tunes. Sure, these guys covered everyone from Muddy Waters to Howlin’ Wolf but let’s be honest – these remakes are better than the originals. I said it. So, if you want a trip down to the muggy swamp lands of the South, just hit play on this one and take a needed sojourn.
10. The Doors “Not to Touch the Earth” – Psh…I wish. When the Doors meditated on their sound, their vision, they hit the studio and created, Waiting for the Sun. An album that is rife with southwestern indian influence, from the hypnotic beat to Morrison’s trippy lyrics shouting into the well of our depravity and carnality. How this song always misses inclusion in any of their Greatest Hits is a fuckin’ mystery to me because it truly is one of their best. Light a bonfire, eat some peyote, and dance around with your doppleganger and see what the mirror reflects…uh oh…it’s already starting to take effect. brb…

Deastro @ Studio B

What felt like a world away from Manhattan began with a little swarm of clouds hanging in the sky, intermittently drizzling some rain on the sidewalks of Williamsburg. Nevertheless, across two towns, revelers descended upon the north side of Brooklyn to attend the manifold shows that stretched from Williamsburg to Greenpoint. On these sidewalks, stray musicians grabbed guitars and played for an audience who wandered around from venue to venue for what was to be the revelation of the first L Magazine’s Northside Festival.

This is the first festival of at least three that will be covered this summer. Everything you can imagine happened and, with the permission of Consequence of Sound, I present to you the performance details that occured during this four day festival.

Thursday, June 11: Day 1

Marie Sioux

Studio B

Studio B is a large building, most likely converted from a warehouse in the industrial section of Greenpoint on Banker Street. Once inside the large club, a serene sound whispered from the halls that came from Marie Sioux, who was sitting on a stool on the center of the stage. This dark-haired folk singer sang softly and strummed an acoustic guitar, while her guitarist stood offstage amongst the audience.

Marie’s songs had a tinge of aching in them, which was accented by her guitarist’s slow and rhythmic strumming. The sound of the guitar warbled throughout the room, issuing a calm vibe that sank the audience into her lyrics. But then came along the last song. After a lengthy applause, Sioux mentioned that she had just written a new song but it seemed as if her guitarist wasn’t notified. She began to sing off key a bit and the error leaked into rhythm guitarist’s playing. It must also be suggested that the sound issues she had experienced throughout the set finally took effect, and unfortunately the gaffe was jarring.

Brightblack Morning Light

Studio B

The headliner of the night was Brightblack Morning Light, a band from New Mexico with a mystical, freak folk sound that bled heavily into the realm of psychedlia. Strangely, their brew of sonic mysticism fit into this hole of Brooklyn. The crowd, which had dispersed immediately after Marie Sioux, had returned to watch one of Matador’s finest offerings. The five piece band wrought a hefty amount of hypnotic peace that was built from rich instrumentation with singer, Naybob Shineywater breathing words into the mic.

Just because they’re psychedelic, doesn’t mean that they can’t funk either. The loping beats from the drummer added to the intensity of Brightblack’s performance, revealing a depth to their music that most bands in this genre miss. A very passionate keyboardist, Rachel Hughes, worked her keyboard, swaying and pounding her feet onto the stage. When they finished, the whole room was ready to discuss transcendentalism. Good times.

Friday, June 12: Day 2

Well, it was back to Brooklyn…and back to Studio B for Ghostly International’s Ten Year Anniversary Bash. A little splatter of rain didn’t take away from the draw of this night’s evening of musical performances.

Deastro

Studio B

Ranolph Chabot, the 22 year old behind Deastro, was back on stage in New York for the second time in a week (the first was at Mercury Lounge on 6/10). Having just released his latest album, Moondagger, he was ready to throw down a fresh set of tunes and deliver what many had been waiting to hear as a live performance. And guess what? He threw down hard.

Deastro’s set was draped with a sheet festooned with little cartoon images of Batman but once it was removed, Chabot walked onto stage wearing a Daisy Duck hat. At first, he was focused on a laptop, singing into the mic as if his hands were unoccupied by his stabs at the keyboard or clicks on a mouse. Electronic-pop music swirled through the room and the band played a flawless set that consisted mostly of songs from the new album, like “Vermillion Plaza” and “Biophelia”. There was one exception, however – an ambitious effort of covering “I Would Die For You” by Prince. But he can be forgiven. It’s Prince, you know?

Michna

Studio B

A common occurrence during Northside Festival was the appearance of genre-busting artists and Michna was evidence of this trend. So, what do you get when a saxophone and a trumpet is introduced to bass-driven electro beats? A rich and heavy sound exuding a slight touch of jazz and a lot of dance generating music. Michna walked that fine line, pumping the room with energy; however it still was a difficult task following up Deastro’s near perfect performance.

The mostly electronic set was backed by a hard-hitting drummer who often sped up the tempo, blasting drum and bass beats. The camaraderie of the band was apparent as they often smiled at one another and breaking out into short bursts of laughter. After a while, the music gained a hypnotic momentum, so much that by the end, its effect was awash. Unfortunately, the tweaky sounds and rumbling bass lines eventually left the audience kinda sleepy.

Lusine

Studio B

Those who stuck around for Lusine’s set were treated to some fantastic techno. This was one of the few instances in which the live performance sounded better than the original recordings. Geared with nothing but a laptop, Lusine, tweaked his grooves and beats with knobs and clicks. The crowd gathered onto the dance floor, looking for action and were swept up in the techno vet’s minimal bass lines. It was the style of music that has burrowed under the streets of Brooklyn and it was all familiar ground for Lusine’s music.p>

Saturday, June 13: Day 3

So, not only was everyone celebrating music inside these venues but they were also out in the street, drunkenly passing each other high fives and smiles. Book sellers, designers, food vendors parked out in a closed section of Bedford Avenue and suddenly we had Shakedown Street right in the middle of Williamsburg’s bloodline.             And all of this would be fine and good except for the goddam rain, again. Nevertheless, the people were out, even if they had to duck under awnings to enjoy their “coffee” and “smoothies”.

Dave Paisley

Union Pool

Ernest Jenning Record Company presented an event at Union Pool that was abundant with folk artists but unfortunately for this writer, due to a previously scheduled event, only Dave Paisley’s performance was attended – but what a performance. It’s not often that you get to see a large crowd of people in a tiny room, ecstatic about traditional American folk music but there they were, rocking their bodies along Paisley’s pained rhythm and heartbreak lyrics.em>

The man stood alone, framed by a string of yellow lights to illustrate pictures of his life in the words of a talented songwriter. Paisley weaved stories about isolation and despair into his handy guitar craftwork, singing about all those sad, terrible things you expect out of a folk song. Folk music has that timelessness to it and it was interesting to note that all of the music heard at Northside Festival had its beginnings rooted in this genre. Bob Dylan said, in response to accusations about copying much of Woody Guthrie’s style, that folk music is storytelling. You continue telling it. So, Dave Paisley told his version of the human experience.

2. Talk Talk “It’s My Life (Remix)” – I believe this remix was released in the ‘80s. Although No Doubt did a justifiable cover of this song, it still doesn’t compete with this remix. It’s pretty much the same song but with a pumped mix that is dance floor ready.

3. Joy Division “Transmission” – This band, who is arguably the Beatles of post-punk, have influenced a wide range of artists, including Bono, who has stated in the past that there would be no U2 without Joy Division. This is a good sample of Joy Division’s work but it’s not their best, which is not saying a lot because so much is so good.

4. Pavement “Serpentine Pad” – Quirky antics, loud guitars, cha-cha-cha interstices? Nice. Corporate angst at its most fun.

5. Teddybears “Punkrocker (featuring Iggy Pop)” – I wish I cared enough to investigate this band further but I don’t have it in me, oddly enough. This song is one of those tunes you crank while driving on an endlessly open road, with the headlights off at night, using the moon and stars to guide you to oblivion just like Columbus.

6. Deastro “The Green Harbor” – I also wrote an article about this 22 year old from Detroit for Consequence of Sound, which was a unique opportunity to catch a talent on the rise. There are not many things more satisfying than discovering new music and I hope that you get to find this tune somewhere for your listening pleasure. This airy, indie-electronic pop (whew) is an example of what you can look forward to.

7. Led Zeppelin “Houses of the Holy” – Yeasayer’s Anand Wilder is pissed. Why’s he pissed? Because his band gets included with a lot of shitty indie bands who receive more positive reviews than they deserve. He said that bands like Led Zeppelin were bashed for putting out music that would be considered prodigious today. Very true and here’s an instance of what he was talking about.

8. Cut Copy “Out There On The Ice” – Sure, they aren’t that original when considering ‘80s pop and ‘90s house music but goddam, they’re good. This track was released on In Ghost Colours and it’s only a little gem amongst gems. This dance-star hit is festooned with a riding bassline, cheesy lyrics, and organ stabs – welcome to neue new wave.

9. Ministry “Burning Inside” – Heroin riddled Al Jourgensen and co. when they were at their pinnacle of creative zeal. It’s amazing that you can still plug this song into any stereo, crank it to 11, and can still feel the same burn you felt the first time, except on this go-round, you know the chorus. Set the world on fire.

10. The Horrors “Draw Japan” – OK, I had a case of the ethical blues while considering whether or not to include this song. It may seem that I’m on these guys’ dicks by posting a favorable review of their latest effort and including them on a previous top 10 but I can’t help it. This zombie rock tune was from their debut, Strange House. Pick up this album and their latest and write me in the morning.