Tag Archives: Phantom Planet
Watch Free Energy Perform Live on a Rooftop!
You may have been too busy at work or with a school project last night, but indie sensations Free Energy were working on something of their own. The band performed on a NYC rooftop during rush hour at 6pm to a handful of fans, and a worldwide internet crowd who got to make live comments as the band was performing.
Free Energy played a whole set, and don’t be sad if you missed it. You can very well stream the performance from yesterday! This way you’ll be able to watch over and over again. It it us or do they remind you a little bit of mid career Phantom Planet? That’s a compliment. The band will also be premiering their new video for the song “Bang Pop” on Myspace, first thing Monday morning.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE
Watch live streaming video from freeenergymusic at livestream.com
Get your Free Energy fix this spring and summer as the band plans on stopping every place possible. More tour dates to be added to this already successful stint. And yes! Our Miniature Tigers are heading on the road with them.
Free Energy Tour Dates
Fri 05/14 – Library Quad at Bates College Lewiston ME
Wed 05/26 – The Middle East Cafe Cambridge MA *
Thu 05/27 – The Space Hamden CT *
Fri 05/28 – First Unitarian Church Philadelphia PA *
Sat 05/29 – Bowery Ballroom New York NY *
Sun 05/30 – Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC Miniature Tigers
Tue 06/01 – Local 506 Chapel Hill NC *
Wed 06/02 – Snug Harbor Charlotte NC *
Fri 06/04 – Jack Rabbits Jacksonville FL +
Tue 06/08 – Bottletree Cafe Birmingham AL +
Wed 06/09 – Exit In Nashville TN +
Thu 06/10 – The Bishop Bloomington IN +
Fri 06/11 – The Club at Water Street Music Hall Rochester NY +
Sat 07/17 – Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago IL
Fri 07/23 – Seaport Music Festival New York, NY w/ Best Coast
* w/ Jukebox The Ghost, Miniature Tigers
+ w/ Jukebox The Ghost, Drink Up Buttercup
& Daytrotter.com presents… Barnstormer III w/ Delta Spirit, Ra Ra Riot, Nathaniel Rateliff, Pearly Gate Music
Miniature Tigers Announce New Tour Dates, Release New Songs
Ah, summer is actually almost over and we’re already thinking about the fall a bit. What better way to start off the season with a few concert dates with one of our favorite new bands, The Miniature Tigers. The boys will be hitting the road again starting on September 8th with indie band Fun. Jump on these tickets fast as the shows are selling out quickly!
In other news, Charlie Brand has been posting some B-Sides from ‘Tell It To The Volcano’ on his twitter. Wow, can these guys possibly get any better?
Give these new tracks a listen ‘Roaring Twenties’ and ‘River of Blood’
Sep 8 2009 8:00P
Kilby Court w/Fun Salt Lake City, Utah
Sep 9 2009 8:00P
Club 156 @ U of Colorado Boulder w/Fun Boulder, Colorado
Sep 11 2009 8:00P
The Shelter w/Fun Detroit, Michigan
Sep 12 2009 8:00P
The Intersection w/Fun Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sep 13 2009 8:00P
Club @ Water St. Music Hall w/Fun Rochester, New York
Sep 15 2009 8:00P
North Star Bar w/Fun Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 16 2009 8:00P
Great Scott w/Fun Boston, Massachusetts
Sep 17 2009 8:00P
Mercury Lounge w/Fun New York, New York
Sep 18 2009 8:00P
Jammin’ Java w/Fun Vienna, Virginia
Sep 20 2009 8:00P
The Drunken Unicorn w/Fun Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 22 2009 8:00P
Rocketown w/Fun Nashville, Tennessee
Sep 23 2009 8:00P
The Firebird w/Fun St. Louis, Missouri
Sep 24 2009 8:00P
Schubas Tavern w/Fun Chicago, Illinois
Sep 25 2009 8:00P
Triple Rock Social Club w/Fun Minneapolis, Minnesota
Secondhand Sunday
We’re starting something called ‘Secondhand Sunday’ around here. To give you a brief overview, basically we are digging back in the vaults of indie music videos from years ago. These can be as old as say, a Sloan video from 1992 or as recent as an Of Montreal video from 2005. Its all about remembering those great songs that some of us have forgotten. A blast from the past if you will.
To start off our first Secondhand Sunday, we are posting a video of Phantom Planet’s ‘California’. Lately I personally have been on a PP kick,going back listening to their older stuff as well as getting into Jason Schwartzman’s most recent project as Coconut Records. When I first saw the video for ‘California’ I remember it was right when our Cable company started giving MTV2 out for free. This is also a time when MTV2 actually played nothing but music videos. The tune was in heavy rotation at the time and I couldn’t get enough of it. It is one of the defining songs of my college years.
The Miniature Tigers *Music Hall of Williamsburg* June 7 2009* Brooklyn, New York*
Its always a fun time with The Miniature Tigers come to town. The band has currently been on tour with Kevin Devine and Brian Bonz, and their stop at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this past Sunday was the last night of the tour. You can see that these bands have become like old friends in such a short period of time. The Miniature Tigers took the stage and Brooklyn gave them a very warm welcome as the venue was packed. The word about the band is really getting out there and they deserve it.
They opened with ‘Last Night’s Fake Blood’which is a personal favorite of mine. The band had everyone dancing before they were even done with the first verse. This time around, the band has a few lineup changes, recently losing bass player, Lou Kummerer and temporary guitarist Darren Robinson (also of Phantom Planet). The new members of the band Alex Gerber and Algernon Quashe seem to work perfectly into the lineup, and didn’t miss a note. Even though they didn’t have a lot of time to practice with each other before the tour started, you would never know it. The Miniature Tigers played incredible as always.
Like prior performances we have seen from the band, Charlie Brand and Rick Schaier are dead on. They play together like a band that is beyond their years. They are flawless and it is obvious they have a passion for what they are doing. Rick has also seemed to be doing more harmonies which blend perfectly with Charlie’s voice. Its a nice little addition to the songs.
Other songs of the night included not only tracks off their highly acclaimed ‘Tell It To The Volcano’ , but also new songs like ‘Egyptian Robe’ and ‘There’s a Japanese Woman in My Closet.’ Both incredible new songs that already have fans craving for the new record. On the album the band is perfect but onstage they bring a whole new life to the songs, filling them with astonishing little surprises and a giant burst of energy. Its amazing what they can do and I’ve seen very little bands be able to put so much heart and soul into their live set. For the last song, The Miniature Tigers brought Brian Bonz, Kevin Devine and their band members onto the stage. They first started with a short and surprising version of Reel 2 Reel’s ‘I Like to Move It’ which oddly enough sounding really good! The band then launched into the most unbelievable version of ‘Cannibal Queen’ the world has ever laid it’s ears upon. It was like one giant party and everyone was singing along.
The Miniature Tigers have a few more dates minus Kevin Devine before they head home so if you haven’t caught them live yet, I suggest that you do so. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t.
More Photos from the Brooklyn Show AFTER THE JUMP
WATCH OUR VIDEOS OF ‘TELL IT TO THE VOLCANO’ AND ‘CANNIBAL QUEEN’ with Kevin Devine and Brian Bonz HERE
Alvin Band ‘Temple Pressure’
Miniature Tigers’ Rick Schaier is more than just the man behind the drums of one of the greatest new indie bands out there. Schaier is also paving his way as Alvin Band, his solo project of avant garde proportions. Just releasing the first video for ‘Temple Pressure’ a catchy song that will have you up and dancing to say the least, Schaier really brings out his witty personality. Alvin Band’s ‘Mantis Preying’ will be out this year via Intelligent Noise Records. This will be a must have for 2009, trust us.
Watch Alvin Band’s ‘Temple Pressure’ HERE
Check out Alvin Band on MYSPACE
Modern Mystery 