These are two of my favorite photos to come from my photographing concerts ever.

They were also taken during Northside Fest while the Fiery Furnaces played Brooklyn Bowl, but I was using a full sized Diana loaded with medium format film.

The show itself was as awe inspiring just as the result of the pictures were (there is so much room for air in analog film, specifically lomography). The Fiery Furnaces hammered through an intense non-stop set digging deep into their back catalog, and really bringing the hits. It seems like I’m on track to see the Furnaces once a year for the rest of my life, or that is how things have been going for quite some time now, and each time those Friedbergers amaze me.

While looking for some media to post with these photos I found a live version of “My Dog Was Lost But Now He’s Found” recorded with KEXP on the Free Music Archive. This version is stripped down, basically acoustic, and you can really feel the dynamic between the brother and sister team.  I’m very fortunate that my dog has never been lost, but then again he is so big it’s hard for him to get away from me (see Special Agent Dale Cooper to the right).  This song is a great way to start the morning, or at least it was for me.

[mp3] Fiery Furnaces- “My Dog Was Lost But Now He’s Found (Live on KEXP)”

• the studio version of this track appeared on Blueberry Boat.
  • Buy Blueberry Boat here.

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• This track is licensed under the FMA. More details click here.

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• more on the Fiery Furnaces can be found here.
• These photos are from the White Lodge. If you would like to use these photos please link back to the flickr page, and credit the White Lodge. More posts featuring photos from the White Lodge can be found here.
  • more specifically these were taken with a Diana.
    • except the picture of Cooper…it was taken with a Diana Mini.
• more on Northside Fest 2010 can be found here.
• more posts featuring music from the Free Music Archive here.

This past June Greenpoint and Williamsburg held the second annual L Magazine Northside Festival.

Last year seemed to showcase local Brooklyn and New Jersey based acts while Year two brought some slightly bigger nationally known acts.  Year two showed progress from year one with better organization, but there was one problem on Friday when all the venues “were at capacity for badge holders” and a lot of Northside badge holders were left on North 6th wondering what their pass was good for (as the festival gets bigger and bigger I’m sure that this issue will be fixed).  Dispite this small set back Northside was successful, and I got to see a lot…as I’m sure was the case with everyone who bought a badge.

Here is a photo diary of some of the bands that I saw…you know better late than never:

Wavves

People hate on Wavves all the time, but they are pretty fun live (and not bad at all).  The only thing I can say is that Cloud Nothings were the champions at this show…they got so tight. Another great show at the Knitting Factory…although the crowd was sketchy…I guess that is what you expect from Wavves.   King of the Beach is a great album by the way…have you heard it?

[mp3] Wavves- “Post-Acid”

• buy it here.

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Eternal Summers

Eternal Summers are the recent Kanine Records signees played Cameo.

[mp3] Eternal Summers- “Pogo”

• buy it here.

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white hills

White Hills played the Raven Sings the Blues showcase at Public Assembly.  Overall a killer show.  White Hills feature a member of Oneida, and play mind melting heavy psych.  A great live show…to get a taste check out their set from last May on Evan Funk Davies show on WFMU that is available for free download courtesy of the FMA!

[album download] White Hills live on WFMU’s Evan Funk Davies Show 5/4/10

• buy White Hills releases here.

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parenthetical girls

Nothing more needs to be said… the video does it all.

• buy Parenthetical Girls releases here.

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In addition to these acts I got to see Floor play loud heavy doom metal (no stoner grooves to my dismay), Fiery Furnaces bring a phenominal live show to Brooklyn Bowl opened up by John Mulaney (pictures of the Furnaces to come…ie not Diana Mini pics), and about two songs of Polvo before I decided it was too hot to stand in the sun.  A great four days of music, and if you didn’t pace yourself enough to burn a person out.  Northside is a welcomed event in our neighborhood, and I look forward to it again next year.

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• more on Wavves here.
• more on Cloud Nothings here.
• more on Parenthetical Girls here.
• These photos are from the White Lodge. If you would like to use these photos please link back to the flickr page, and credit the White Lodge. More posts featuring photos from the White Lodge can be found here.
  • more specifically these were taken with a Diana Mini.
  • picture at the top of the post taken at the Diamond.
• more gprecs video can be found here.
• more on Northside Fest 2010 can be found here.
• more posts featuring music from the Free Music Archive here.

“Saturday Mourning” by New Jersey’s Slow Animal made it’s way to me sometime ago, and their up beat guitar driven pop rings out in the air.  It’s an almost  youth anthem for twenty somethings that are disenchanted with the state of society or life in general and when the chorus is sung: “I don’t want to change the world” it not only makes you feel small and unable to bring about good or just the feeling of being stagnate, but also a feeling of being connected to those around you in a similar situation.  It’s a song for those of us looking to move forward, but are stuck the current situation.  We don’t need something monumental…we just need something.

[mp3] Slow Animal- “Saturday Mourning”

• Buy the 7″ here from JAXART.
  

“Saturday Mourning” is a single not off of Slow Animal’s demo, but you can get that as a free download…I highly recommend it:

[album download] Slow Animal- Demo

Slow Animal’s video for “theFUNsun” (the mp3 appears on the demo!) also just premiered on Pitchfork TV!

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This weekend is a great opportunity to catch Slow Animal at Glasslands with some other awesome bands:

Sunday September 5th, 2010
Cloud Nothings
Psychobuildings
Slow Animal
and
La Big Vic
live at Glasslands!
8pm//$8 in advance

Clound Nothings gave Wavves a run for their money when I saw them together back in June (Cloud Nothings stole the show in my opinion), but it’s no secret that I’m a fan of CN’s music.  Cloud Nothings are about to release a split CD/tape with the the magical Kevin Greenspon!  Pick that up on CD from Bridgetown or from Cass/Flick on cassette.Can’t wait to hear the new material from both bands!

Psychobuildings is a collaboration between members of Silk Flowers and Small Black  making funky electro dance music that has strong head nods to David Byrne, and is sure to get a room moving.  Another fast rising brooklyn dance acts.

La Big Vic got put on my radar when Chocolate Bobka posted the track below, and is another reason to be excited about the show on sunday.   Beautiful spacey electronica with mellow understated vocals that appear to be more of an instrument than actual words.  A great first single from this young Brooklyn band.  The band also recently played on WNYU’s New Afternoon Show with Jenn Pelly, and you can snag that full set download below.  Lots of good things coming from these guys, and definitely an act to watch out for… they have some great shows lined up (check out their myspace for details… including a show with Burning Star Core!), and get to GLASSLANDS EARLY ON SUNDAY…they GO ON FIRST!

[mp3] La Big Vic- “LYNY”

[Live Set Download] LA BIG VIC live set on WNYU, 8/12/10

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• this is part of my singles series called Speed Dating.
• more on Cloud Nothings here.
• more on Kevin Greenspon here.

That is not to say the meatball can’t be perfected, or that there can’t be many varieties…and that is exactly what the Meatball Shop brings to the table.

The Meatball Shop offers five types of meatballs.  Classic Beef, Spicy Pork, Chicken, Vegetable, and a Weekly Special.  You pick your meatballs, your sauce (Tomato, Meat, Mushroom, or Parmesan Cream), and then have to choose if you will have them on a sandwich (white or wheat) or in a bowl over a bed of something delicious.  The menus are all dry erase, and you check what you want and give it to your server.  Check out the menu here.

Anoop took me the Meatball Shop back on my birthday, and I’ve been dreaming of going back ever since.

I ordered Spicy Pork Meatballs w/classic tomato sauce, provolone cheese, on a whole wheat bread (sliders are also available, and they look adorable).   The sandwich was exactly what you would expect.  The meatballs were tender, cooked perfectly, and the combination I chose was just what I wanted.  Exactly what I expect when I order a classic meatball sandwich (something that I grew up eating).  I would be interested in trying the same combination with the beef meatballs, especially since I was inspired recently to take a stab at making my own.  There were so many combination that I don’t think eating meatballs could ever get old.

On top of it being a top notch sandwich you get an amazing side salad too!  At many restaurants the side salad is an after thought, but at the Meatball Shop I got delicious greens topped with Italian cheese, and a light but wonderful dressing.  This place gets points for presentation too.  It’s a $9 sandwich and salad, but it’s a lot of food…you won’t leave feeling hungry.

The Meatball Shop is a place you can bring just about anyone.  I mean it has vegetarian options, and it can satisfy even my picky family.  It’s comfort food, it’s Italian, and it’s unique.  Definitely worth a try, and after you go you will probably deem it worthy of at least a second or third visit  (I’m really into the idea of the meatball sandwich as comfort food).

Not only did this lunch prove to provide me with one sandwich…but actually two:

There is a much smaller desert menu, but it features a desert sandwich not to be missed…the ice cream sandwich.  This desert menu is set up the same way…pick your ice cream…pick your cookie.  We got Espresso ice cream smashed between chocolate chip cookies.  Perfect size for two people to share, and completely delicious.  A great way to end an already perfect lunch.

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The meatball sandwich and salad run $9, and the ice cream sandwich was $4.  Both well worth it.

The Meatball Shop is located
84 Stanton St
(between Allen St & Orchard St)
on the Lower East Side
New York, NY

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• this post is part of This Week In Sandwiches
  • all my food posts can be found here.

If you haven’t see this yet, watch it and have a great weekend.

Big Troubles also released the video for “Modern Intimacy” today! This one is all about skydiving…I’m not into adventure sports, but the LP version of this song is super rad.

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Big Troubles WFMU set has been rocking my world (since May!)…if you don’t already have it check it out the live mp3s of the songs above, and then snag the whole thing:

[mp3] Big Troubles- “Modern Intimacy (Live on WFMU)”

[mp3] Big Troubles- “Bite Your Tongue (Live on WFMU)”

[album download/stream] Big Troubles Live on WFMU’s Talk’s Cheap with Jason Sigal

then…..

Go Pre-order Big Troubles debut LP Worry!  Get it on iTunes here, or on LP here.

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Creative Common Copyright credits:

• more on Big Troubles here.
• more from the Free Music Archive here.

Back To the Future the Ride (BTTFtr) is the solo exploration of sound by the one and only Brian Miller.  One of the people responsible for Friends Forever (if you haven’t seen the Friends Forever documentary, it’s one of the best rock n roll docs ever), as well as  the unearthly power that is Foot Village.

BTTFtr is about ambient tones, sound exploration, and constructing massive soundscapes to consume the listener into dark and  land that even in the heat and sun of the summer can make you feel cold and alone (and I mean that in the best way possible). BTTFtr is a band that is perfect for those days of deep meditation, contemplative reading, and as the case was yesterday a long dark subway ride that never ended.

Brian recently sent over this expansive track that is set to be released on his upcoming cassette , Neutrino Based Lifeforms for 5nakefork Records. It’s titled “When Jupiter and Saturn Align” that is sure to bring you to a place in time and space that you have yet to experience.  Using Windows 95 MIDI and other electronics to a construct dark oscillating, yet minimally melodic desolate landscape…beautiful noise rising from deep dark space.

I’m extremely happy to premiere this track on the Great Pumpkin:

[mp3] Back To the Future The Ride- “When Jupiter and Saturn Align”

• buy it, eventually, here.

BTTFtr have another release set to come out titled Pronoia Sunsets.  This cassette overall carries a lighter vibe than the track above, and the initial track “Zero Ghosts” shows a slightly more melodic side of Miller showcasing warm tones to creating a soothing dissension into the darkness that is a monster of a second track, “Sanity,” which boasts a run time of over ten minutes.  Pronoia Sunsets has be the sound track to my philosophical meditations since it was sent to me, and I hope it can do the same for you.

[mp3] Back To The Future The Ride- “Zero Ghosts”

• out soon on Accidie Records.
  

“Black Bones Inside the Sun Pink Bones Encircling the Sun” is also from the upcoming Pronoia Sunsets tape, and the video for the song was directed by Angie Meng:

If these teasers aren’t enough BTTFtr for you Death Bomb Arc is offering a free EP for your consumption… you can snag that here:

[album download] Back to the Future the Ride’s BTTFtr

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BTTFtr is going on tour with Universal Studios Florida this October!  (get it? it’s awesome!)

• Fri Oct 1 – at Cairo in Seattle
• Sat Oct 2 (daytime) at The Chapel on Reed Campus in Portland w/ Ghost Animal
• Sat Oct 2 (nighttime) – at tba in Portland
• Sun Oct 3 – at Heco’s in Oakland
• Mon Oct 4 – at Pehrspace in Los Angeles w/ Kevin Blechdom
• Tue Oct 5 – at Origami Vinyl in Los Angeles
• Wed Oct 6 – at UCI in Irvine
• Thurs Oct 7 – at Pomona College in Pomona
• Fri Oct 8 – at The Smell in Los Angeles w/ The Urxed (member of High Places)
• Sat Oct 9 -  at tba in Oakland (USF only)
• Sun Oct 10 – at Hemlock in San Francisco (USF only)
• Mon Oct 11 – at tba in Portland (USF only)

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• BTTFtr’s Tumblr
• follow Brian Miller on Twitter.
• Buy the Friends Forever Documentary here.
• Also check out Foot Village and Death Bomb Arc!
• picture of Jupiter via here.

South Carolina.  My home state, and a place you can readily find fresh seafood, boiled peanuts, Cheerwine, mustard based bbq, Krispy Kreme, and pimento cheese.  According to my friends raised in other part of the country pimento cheese isn’t something that is common knowledge.

Pimento cheese is a common food in the Southern United States. The basic recipe for most pimento cheese spreads has few ingredients: sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, salt and pepper, blended to either a smooth or chunky paste (via)

So simple and delicious, but almost completely absent in other parts of the country.  Of course there are variations, but you basically get the idea.

Another restaurant that I’ve been going to, long before my foray into carnivorism, is Sesame Burgers and Beer in North Charleston, South Carolina.

At Sesame you pick your type of burger (beef, chicken, turkey, or black bean), and an unbelievable amount of toppings, both for you to choose from, or to try one of their carefully thought out combination, that can make pretty much everyone happy (including my grandparents, who are a tough sell at a restaurant).

The South Carolina Burger is simple.  Just pimento cheese thickly slathered on the bun and a burger cooked to your liking.   Sesame say it in their name…burgers and beer…and they do those things well.  The burger was delicious (not to salty, and cooked perfectly), and with a topping like pimento cheese you don’t need much else.  The meat is ground in house daily, and it’s served with bread and butter pickles…a steal for $6.50 (and a side of fries will only cost you $1.50 extra, or $2.50 if you want the sweet potato variety).  While you are there get a pint of the local, and wonderful, beer from Coast Brewing…the 32/50 Kolsch was the perfect accompaniment for my lunch.

This burger was an amazing first meal for me when I landed in Charleston, and I’ve been thinking about it since.   There were so many sandwiches here that looked amazing that it was really hard for me to decide…I wish I could have eaten here a couple of times, but sadly my trip was only for a couple days.

Luckily I’m in Brooklyn where there are no shortage of wonderful burgers…I just haven’t found one yet that has pimento cheese on it…yet (I know someone has to be listening).

If you are in Charleston, or visiting…check out Sesame:

Sesame Burgers and Beer
is located at
4726 Spruill Ave
North Charleston, SC

Sesame has also opened a second location
in the Citadel Mall
2070 Same Rittenburg Blvd
Charleston, SC

Follow Sesame on Twitter and Facebook!

Check out their full menu here.

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• this post is part of This Week In Sandwiches
  • all my food posts can be found here.
• as well as my Going to Charleston series.
  • the rest of my going to… series can be found here.

West Palm Beach’s Totem Pole make haunting 60′s influenced pop music.  Totem Pole is the music of Kevin Williams, and he is backed up by Sam Lang with additional vocals from Tess Bass.  Totem Pole played their first show about two years ago, and just last month the band released their first EP titled Caves and Tunnels, Mountains and Stairs, and once again I have Jheri at Get Off the Coast to thanks for posting it!

Caves and Tunnels, Mountains and Stairs is a 6 song EP that oozes psychedelic folk, conventional pop, 60′s nostalgia, and delicately layered vocal melodies.  Initially the stand out tracks for me were”Pointless/Love Gallery” and “The Rain Chasers.”  “Pointless/Love Gallery” is a delicately layered pop number that shows off Williams’ ability to craft perfect pop which is bridged by the lovely vocals of Tess Bass into an eerie  instrumental using found sounds and loops as underlying noise.  “The Rain Chasers” starts off with long tones, the subtle ring of tambourine zils, and then the cadence of Williams crystal clear vocals kicks in  as well as the occasional understated wail of the guitar.  Just as the song title suggests this track would be even more magical than it already is during a thunderstorm…the tape hiss and found sounds of rain and bird caws at the end of the track bring that even closer to home.

[mp3] Totem Pole- “Pointless/Love Gallery”

[mp3] Totem Pole- “The Rain Chasers”

With each listen of the EP all of the songs seem to mesh closer together, and flow more perfectly than the time before.  It’s  something that I’ve literally listened to at least once a day for the past month.  Check out the other hits like “Stained Glasses On” and “Voyeuristic Tradition” here:

[full album download] Totem Pole’s Caves and Tunnels, Mountains and Stairs

On that note I happy to announce that Totem Pole is working on a brand new EP for  Fight the Future Cassettes! This EP will be taking shape over the next couple months and we are looking forward to bringing it to you late this fall.  As the release takes shape there will be more information posted here, and on the Fight the Future blog.  It’s exciting times here at the Great Pumpkin and Fight the Future, and we couldn’t be happier to be sharing it with you!  More to come soon for sure!

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• more on Fight the Future Cassettes here!