It List: Wednesday 6/21/06

1. Man Man/ Lovely Feathers (The Cavern- $8): We're idiots. We pretty much had a phone interview with Man Man set up for yesterday afternoon, but Mavs games and blog designs and work and life and crap got in the way of what we were hoping would be a completely chaotic phone interview with a really great band. Yes, we're big Man Man fans, and their show at the Cavern tonight should be a real treat, considering the size of the venue and the potential for destruction that the band seems to possess. If you've read anything about them, you've heard all the proper comparisons: namely, to Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart. And while these comparisons are valid, the band also seems to bring their own elements of theatrical, post-punk silliness to the table that truly add to the whole thing. Their songs are sort of eastern folk influenced, a bit trashy ragtime, highly percussive, and addictive. Montreal's The Lovely Feathers also kick much ass, in case you didn't know, even if they do pretty much sound like a Montreal band (that also reminds me of the Dead Milkmen for some odd reason). I guarantee that they will be an opening band worth seeing. Shouldn't miss this one.

2. The Walkmen/ Richard Swift/ Talk Demonic (Granada $12): The new Walkmen record: I guess its pretty good, although its certainly not blowing me away after my initial excitement about it. And I've never seen the Walkmen live, but I've heard that they can be assholes on stage, which is fun. Their first record was especially fantastic in my mind, the second was very good, and the third is pretty good. I'm intrigued to see them live, and I might just do so in order to catch their wall of haze in person. Richard Swift writes some really great offbeat piano/guitar pop songs. Nothing fancy, but quite good (he's also playing a Good Records in store at 4pm today). Talk Demonic should also be worth seeing.


And something about the prospect of paying $40 to see Beck and Jamie Lidell at Nokia makes me yawn and say "who gives a fuck?"