Secondhand Sunday: The Strokes ‘Last Nite’

I’ve been talking to a lot of people about The Strokes this week. We all wish they’d record their new album already and set out on tour together. While that is on hold apparently with Julian Casablancas is releasing his first solo record in a few weeks, and playing to a sold out Tokyo crowd, we can’t help to remember where it all started.

I recall seeing The Strokes in a copy of Rolling Stone magazine (hey it was free and came to my house) the summer I graduated from high school. They were like nothing I had ever seen at the time. They looked normal. They dressed how my friends and I dressed. They looked like they made good music. They didn’t look like Fred Durst (ick).  A week after, I caught the band on MTV2 one morning and was completely blown away. From then on it was love. They completely restored my faith in rock and roll.

Enjoy The Strokes ‘Last Nite’

Secondhand Sunday, Interpol ‘PDA’

It seems like only yesterday when we first heard of a little band from New York called Interpol. The band exploded onto the scene in the wake of the ‘NY Garage Revival’ that started in 2001 along with other bands like The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Always compared to Joy Division, Paul Banks and the boys make a sound of their own free of imitations. Interpol, still going strong, haven’t changed much in sound throughout the years, but we can’t help but go back and see where it all began. “PDA” was the band’s first single on Matador Records and gained the band instant success making them known as indie rock staples and artsy fellows.

Enjoy Interpol’s “PDA”

Wyldlife: They’ll Leave You Screaming for More

Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you may have heard about a little band called The Pains of Being Pure of Heart. Yes, they are one of the most attention grabbing bands that have come out of New York City in a while, but the buzz on the street is starting to point to another upcoming indie act called Wyldlife. Wyldlife singer Dave Feldman has music flowing through his veins, as his brother Kurt Feldman plays drums in both The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Depreciation Guild. Even though Wyldlife has barely broken into their twenties, the band has been together more than half their life and it shows. Fresh off their summer tour, the band who is already working on songs for album two, have just released their new EP titled Now We Are Gentlemen. Once you grab ahold of this record you will not want to let it go. Every song seems catchier than the one before and it somehow gets better with every listen. With killer guitar licks from Sam Allen and Jon Rick alongside the brilliant rhythm section of G Scott Corey and Spencer Alexander, the band manages to create a sound that hasn’t had me this excited since I first heard The Strokes who they share a degree of likeness to. Feldman’s voice is smooth with a slight rock edge and a lot of soul which is hard to pull off. This combination makes Wyldlife nearly flawless and extremely memorable. Watch out New York, there’s a new buzz band in town.

 Download Wyldlife’s “I Can’t Stand Standing Around”

Julian Casablancas to Release Solo Album

Just when we thought, or were promised really, that a new album by The Strokes was on the way, it was recently released that frontman Julian Casablancas is releasing a solo album of his own. I guess the big question here is, ‘What took so long?’ since nearly all of the other members have been working on other projects. With all of that aside, I have a feeling that this  will possibly be the most popular of The Strokes’ side projects. The album will be titled ‘Phrazes For the Young’  and include songs such as ‘Brake Lights’  and ‘Ludlow’.  It was produced by Jason Lader with additional work by Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis (who oddly just produced the new Pete Yorn album. Guess he is settling in since Bright Eyes is only making one more record together before Conor goes solo for good). Casablancas will hit the road this year with a series of special show dates and then a mini solo tour to follow at the end of 2009. I’m going to take a longshot and say he will probably appear at CMJ. Will we finally get that new Strokes record this year? Guess we’ll have to wait and see. They said they were working on it. Sigh. Quite frankily, I just miss The Strokes.

Get a taste of Julian solo at www.juliancasablancas.com

Secondhand Sunday, The Natural History

This edition comes a little late, as I have been getting ready the review and interview from the Robbers on High Street show on Friday night to post within the new few days.

 Today’s secondhand Sunday is a band we haven’t heard from in a very long time, The Natural History. The Startime International band broke around the time of The Strokes and and were even featured on the ‘Yes New York’ compilation.  Sadly the band broke up in March of this year after looking for a new label and not being able to really work with a band member shake up.  The Natural History did make some amusing videos though that certainly reminded me of my college days.

Here is one of my favorites, watch The Natural History’s ‘Watch This House’ HERE

‘Indie-pendance’ Day Mix!

Ah yes its already the 4th of July tomorrow and let the picnics  begin. The crew here at Modern Mystery put together a mix for your ‘Indie-pendance’ day. Whether you are heading to the beach, barbecuing some hamburgers or getting drunk by your pool, we hope you listen to it on your celebration. We tried to keep the songs ‘summer’ feeling. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

Animal Collective-Summertime Clothes (Dam-Funk Remix)
The Phenomenal Handclap Band- 15 to 20
Empire of the Sun- We Are the People (The Golden Filter Remix)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-Young Adult Friction
Passion Pit- Moth’s Wings
Sunset Rubdown-Idiot Heart
Little Joy- No One’s Better Sake
Yacht-Summer Song
Wavves-Gun in the Sun
Pepi Ginsberg (Featuring The Spinto Band)- In My Bones
Los Campesinos!- How I Taught Myself to Scream
Takka Takka- The Takers
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin- Think I Wanna Die
MGMT- Time to Pretend