Guilt Free Pleasures

Welcome Anthony! Our new GFP contributor!

2009-12-16T17:23:00.000-05:00

I'd like to personally welcome my friend Anthony as a new contributor to Guilt Free Pleasures. Like myself, Anthony also lives in Brooklyn and I'm so happy to have him on board to help me cover the tons of wonderful NYC bands and shows that I can't seem to keep up with on my own. Anthony's been based in New York City since 2003. After working in a hodgepodge of industries, he currently does sound

Album Review: Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring

2009-12-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Here we are at the end of 2009, and I haven't even written about my favorite album of the year. It's not on many people's (or anyone's) lists that I've seen so far but I love it. It's British indie quartet Noah and the Whale's The First Days Of Spring, released in the States back in early October as an 11-song album with a bonus 45-minute film carrying the same name.I can never quite explain

Clare & The Reasons and Keren Ann @ the Knitting Factory 12/14/09

2009-12-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

Last night I mosied on over to the new Knitting Factory (which, while a very nice venue, is much too posh in my opinion to maintain it’s old name that has implications of grit, punk rock and graffiti) to see Clare & the Reasons and Keren Ann. Clare was up first, and she was just so delightful. Both her clear, heady, vibrato-filled voice and her bright, smiling face remind me of various 1930's

Galapaghost

2009-12-14T16:55:00.001-05:00

Galapaghost, aka Casey Chandler, is a singer/songwriter fresh out of college with his first EP Our Lost Generation, an indie-pop concoction swirling with ukuleles, wiry Thom York-esque vocals and familiar-yet-intriguing tunes. The EP was written, produced and recorded by Chandler, and although its clear that he's starting out and has some edges to polish, there's still something oddly comforting

Student Killed From "Loud Bass Music" At Concert

2009-12-14T16:14:00.004-05:00

Tom Reid, 19, was taken ill in a crowded London club after standing close to the speakers and telling a friend: ‘The bass is affecting me.’There was no trace of alcohol or drugs in his body and his heart was in good condition.A coroner recorded a verdict of natural causes, saying the straight-As student was killed by sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), a heart disorder which kills 12 young

Interview with The Antlers' Peter Silberman

2009-12-14T13:42:00.002-05:00

For those of you not lucky enough to have purchased a ticket to their sold out show at Bowery Ballroom tomorrow night, here's a way for you to get your Antlers fix until they're back in January and February with Ra Ra Riot and Editors respectively: an interview with The Antlers' Peter Silberman. Peter wrote Hospice on his own, as it started out as a solo project but then in the recording process

GFP Holiday Hash Vol. 1 : The Classics

2009-12-13T14:57:00.004-05:00

YES! Whip out the cocoa and gather the grandparents, cause its time for the Holiday Classics to begin the GFP Holiday Hash season.Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms [mp3] (iTunes)Baby It's Cold Outside - Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting [mp3] (iTunes)You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Thurl Ravenscroft [mp3] (iTunes)Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Frank Sinatra [mp3] (iTunes)Donde Esta Santa

Flashback Friday: Brad Mehldau

2009-12-11T11:53:00.004-05:00

Brad Mehldau is an amazing jazz pianist who, despite his creative originals, is quite well known for his fantastic covers. Recorded in 1998 on his The Art of the Trio Volume 3: Songs album, Mehldau's cover of Radiohead's "Exit Music (For A Film)" remains to be my favorite Radiohead cover of all time.Exit Music (For A Film) Brad Mehldau Cover [mp3] (iTunes)

RIP Bruce Allen

2009-12-10T12:45:00.000-05:00

This post is in memory of Bruce Allen, guitarist of the Minneapolis punk rock band The Suburbs, who died on Monday, Dec. 7th. Apparently he also designed the band's logo (above). His photo is the one in the lower left corner. He was only 54 years old. You can read more about him and his death here. Love is the Law [mp3] - (iTunes)

Evening Hymns

2009-12-09T17:24:00.004-05:00

While I could tell you that Evening Hymns is the moniker for one man with a guitar named Jonas Bonnetta, and that this song hails from his gorgeous album Spirit Guides, allow me to instead simply tell you this:I'm sitting next to the giant picture window of my house, overlooking the freshly snow-encrusted trees of the forest and the white winds that weave through them, sipping hot chocolate. I

Burning Hank - "Oh Joseph"

2009-12-08T16:32:00.004-05:00

The music video was made on a zero budget by the UK band Burning Hank. I like. If you're in the UK, you should see them perform at their Christmas Launch Party Extravaganza at the Packhorse on the 20th.Oh Joseph [mp3]

International Finds: Patrick and Eugene

2009-12-07T19:45:00.001-05:00

Normally I don't like covers, especially when they're pretty darn similar to the original. However, I do tend to like covers when an artist takes a song in a completely different direction. Like this cover of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Outta My Head," by UK duo Patrick and Eugene. Though this cover is from their old album, which I haven't heard in its entirety, in listening to their album

The making of OK Go's WTF video

2009-12-07T17:22:00.001-05:00

The other day Lise posted OK Go's WTF video. Today, I got an email with the behind-the-scenes video. Not that it's all that unclear how it was made (although maybe that's because I work in film) but it's cool to see cutting back and forth between the effect and the blank green screen. I also wish they had filmed the actors talking, though the still images over voiceover are amusing at times.

KaiserCartel, Jeremy Messersmith @ First Ave

2009-12-06T16:07:00.013-05:00

KaiserCartel performed in between Zoo Animal and Jeremy Messersmith this last Thursday evening during an intimate performance at the 7th Street Entry of First Ave. The show started late, and Zoo Animal, a 3-person grunge-pop band that I knew nothing about other than the fact that Jeremy himself asked them to play, kicked things off. As a fan of Jeremy's ability to clearly deliver his words and

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

2009-12-04T21:42:00.006-05:00

This song will NOT get out of my head. From the latest release from Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Know Better Learn Faster, swing your hips a little this friday evening.When We Swam [mp3] (iTunes)

Erin McKeown

2009-12-03T22:59:00.000-05:00

Erin McKeown is an indie pop artist who's joining the likes of Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Sollee on tour this February. Other artists she has toured with in the past include Ani DiFranco, which gives her mega points in my book. Her latest release is Hundreds of Lions, which includes a romping mix of folk, swing, rock and carnival-noir pop. While I really enjoy her song Santa Cruz, take a listen to

Editors announce tour dates

2009-12-03T15:35:00.000-05:00

Editors have announced North American tour dates starting Feb. 2010. Feb 05 || Seattle, WA || Showbox at the Market Feb 06 || Vancouver, BC || Commodore Ballroom Feb 08 || San Francisco, CA || The Warfield Theatre Feb 09 || San Diego, CA || House of Blues Feb 11 || Los Angeles, CA || The Wiltern Feb 13 || Denver, CO || Ogden Theatre Feb 15 || Chicago, IL || Victoria Theatre Feb 16 || Toronto,

Ok Go's Newest Music Video!

2009-12-02T14:39:00.004-05:00

OK Go - WTF? from OK Go on Vimeo. This is the single entitled "WTF?" from their upcoming album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, which drops January 12, 2010

Reminder! First GFP showcase Dec. 5th!

2009-12-02T09:38:00.001-05:00

Here's a reminder that our first ever Guilt Free Pleasures showcase is THIS SATURDAY, Dec. 5th, here in Brooklyn: Dec. 5th - 7:30pm doors, 8pm show - $5 An intimate night of folk/alt-country performances at a private art space in Brooklyn, NY, hosted by Guilt Free Pleasures (www.gfpmusic.com) and featuring: MATT JONES (MI) Matt Jones immediately sets himself apart from the other throngs of

Chris Garneau is weird

2009-12-01T19:33:00.001-05:00

Chris Garneau is bizarre. Quite bizarre indeed. But, coming from me, that's typically a compliment. In this case, it definitely is. In fact, I'm about to compare him to basically my two favorite artists of all time: it's like the orchestral and vocal whimsy of Matt Jones meets the dark, playful, genre-bending cabaret of Amanda Palmer. For example, in the third track from his sophomore LP, El

Gorillaz New Album Plastic Beach feats. Snoop Dogg, seagulls, Barry Gibb

2009-12-01T12:22:00.008-05:00

The Gorillaz are back, ladies and gents! Despite Damon Albarn declaring that Gorillaz wouldn't make any more pop records, they are working on a new album entitled Plastic Beach. Set to release sometime next year, Plastic Beach is supposedly going to be the "most pop record" in Albarn's career. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Albard informed the world of all the nifty gifts this latest LP

Predictions: Mad Men Music

2009-11-30T16:27:00.003-05:00

I spent my thanksgiving holiday watching all three seasons of Mad Men so I could finally understand the hoopla over season 3's finale (and to appreciate BWE's brilliant recaps). After countless hours watching Jon Hamm being a terrible human being but not hating him because he is still f'in Jon Hamm, I realized that I very much enjoyed the show's credit music. It stands out in an almost eerie way

Cloud Cult releases double disc re-issue

2009-11-28T13:38:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite MN bands, Cloud Cult, is releasing a double-disc reissue of two of their earliest albums: They Live on the Sun (2003) and Aurora Borealis (2004). Although this isn't just a straight reissue. The two albums have been "re-envisioned, remixed and remastered for the first time by Cloud Cult's Craig Minowa" and will contain previously unreleased bonus tracks. For a long time, the

The Subjects

2009-11-27T09:41:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! Even though I'm currently in MN, I'm going to write about a NY band today. Brooklyn band The Subjects released their single "Winter Vacation" a while back, but I feel like it's fitting for this time of year and it is catchier than the H1N1. Definitely a toe-tapper. All three songs from their Soft Shoe EP are bouncy sing-a-longs that are guaranteed to

The Get Up Kids @ Emo's [11/18], First Batch of SXSW '10 Artists Announced

2009-11-25T20:21:00.009-05:00

Kansas City isn't often known for producing successful things as of late. (There's that Zack Greinke fellow, I guess. And they'll always have barbecue.) But in the mid-90s, the second wave of emo was bourne out of the heartland, and was led by KC's own Get Up Kids. [Other area emo acts include The Appleseed Cast (still around) and The Anniversary (not so much). Somewhere, there's irony in knowing