Show Review: Pendulum @ Webster Hall

For those of you who don't know, Pendulum is UK based, Australian originated, drum and bass powerhouse. This was their first time touring in the US, aside from their brief Coachella appearance in April. More importantly, this was there first time gigging in NYC!

More pics on my Flickr

You might guess that American's can't get into this drum and bass stuff, and that is why Pendulum heavily toured the UK until now. Wrong. Pendulum fans flew from all over the country to come out for this rare opportunity. We met people who traveled from Boston, and even California. After the performance was over, we asked them, "was it worth it?" And there was no doubt in their minds.

The staggering awesomeness of Pendulum's sound; synth, guitars, bass, and drums, created a unique level of energy that night. The crowd was screaming for more as they completed their set of 13 songs. This included stuff from their old cd "Hold Your Colour", as well as material from their new cd, "In Silico". Concertgoers were disappointed they left out "The Tempest", a track highly regarded by fans. Because they forgot to play it, I'm going to include it in the post. Other than that, they had a solid debut performance, nearly emulating the magic of their studio recordings.

Support Pendulum and purchase In Silico.

Download:

Pendulum - The Tempest | (zshare)

Show Review: Eugene Francis Jnr @ The Studio

The other night, Antler Darts was invited to check out Eugene Francis Jr & the Juniors at Webster Hall's new underground venue: The Studio.

This was my first time in The Studio (which opened a week ago), and I have to admit, I was impressed. Be sure to keep your eye on this small venue that caps out around 300 people (standing room only). I have a feeling we are going to see a lot small acts broken here.

One of them could be Eugene Francis Jnr. They put on a fun and easy to digest show, while dressed up in naval-officer-esq outfits. As you can see in the picture above, Eugene was wielding Captain America's shield, an interesting addition to their untraditional outfits. Clothing aside, we had a great time rocking out to their clap-your-hands, stomp-your-feet, 30 minute set of synth pop. People were singing along to his catchy lyrics, which were also used a vehicle for Eugene's feelings on politics. Two female backup singers and an occasional xylophone melody gave a touch of charm to this band from Whales.

If you want more, please visit Legion Presents' shop.

For our friends across the pond, you can catch them touring with Coldplay in the UK, with dates throughout December.

We'll leave you with a quote from the performance, "In life, it's good to share." Download the track below for some EFJ goodness.

Eugene Francis Jnr - Electronic Hobo | (zshare)

Saturday Night Fever 5

Travolta's face can only mean one thing, it's SNF time.

We're really pumped about tonight's releases; two vocal-cutting tracks from two emerging artists.

Our first clip is from RiskoDisko, a Portugal based producer. His track features a heavy riff, matched with sliced pump-up vox. The second bit is from Andrew Friendly, representing London. If you like the track below, you can sign up for his newsletter and receive another download for free.

Download:

RiskoDisko - Kicker | (zshare)

Andrew Friendly - Bump And Grind (Remix Radio Edit) | (zshare)

Designer Drugs - Zombies

On October 28th, IHEARTCOMIX! drops the new single "Zombies" from Designer Drugs. As noted in the flyer, "Back Up In This" will be released as well, making this a 2-for-1 special.

With a title like "Zombies" you'd expect a Halloween-esque, spooked-out banger. This track is nothing short of that. Eerie vibrato synths, crushed by rampant kicks, makes this track sound like thriller gone wrong. If Designer Drugs were to spin in The Haunted Mansion, this would be the closer, and the crowd would go absolutely bonkers. We'll be sure to let you know when that happens.


Download:

Designer Drugs - Zombies
(Removed due to label's request)

Saturday Night Fever 4

We can't believe another week has already gone by, but we're stoked to share tonight's snf. It's a clash of the dance, with two Vs. tracks; goodies from Jochen Miller, as well as a new-comers Rank 1 and Ernesto Vs. Bastian.

Jochen's new jam is consistent with the old track we posted, taking heights from a memorable riff that is, well, hard to forget. The other fiesta of a clip, "Thrill", has a gunning bassline, overshadowed by air-like femme vocals. Huzzah.

Download:

Rank 1 Vs. Jochen Miller - And Then... (Radio Edit) (ysi) | (zshare)

Ernesto Vs. Bastian - Thrill (Radio Edit) (ysi) | (zshare)

Exclusive Album Download: SCA's "Oh Word?!" EP

...and when God said, "Let there be Rock" three young men from Port Chester, New York, came forwards wielding their instruments. These three gents, Dan, Mike, and Jake, make up the hardcore/punk trio known as Second Chance Attitude. The dudes were nice enough to hook us up with an exclusive release of their first EP, "Oh Word?!"

It is fully loaded with 7 tracks of scream-and-shout, punch your neighbor's cat, mosh pit anthems. Not the perfect CD for the family road trip, but it is sure to set the tone for the fight club in your garage. It's not all guts and glory though, with tracks such as "Where Do We Go From Here", the band pours out their emotions as they try to figure out the mysteries of relationships. So don't let the rage-filled music confuse you, these guys have hearts of gold.

Putting the star on top of the christmas tree is a cover of "Fight For Your Right." It pays true homage to the roots of the Beastie Boys, and does it in a way rock and hip-hop fans alike can appreciate.

Download entire EP as a rar: Second Chance Attitude - Oh Word?! EP (22.3mb)

1. Not For Me (ysi) | (zshare)
2. Too Late (ysi) | (zshare)
3. Where Do We Go From Here (ysi) | (zshare)
4. Better Things (ysi) | (zshare)
5. Line-O-Death (ysi) | (zshare)
6. Step Back (ysi) | (zshare)
7. Fight For Your Right (Beastie Boys cover) (ysi) | (zshare)

Saturday Night Fever 3

Tonight we are featuring two notable artists, Groove Generator and Nathan Fake.

Groove generator can be noted for their diverse style, taking influence from traditional dance music and r&b, while infusing their own flare. The track we have for you this evening is a down-tempo woofer-shaker, sure to make things loose.

UK bred Nathan Fake takes the formula for house music and slaps it with 808's to create a unique and trippy, space-like sound. His song is an adventure of consonance and dissonance, with tension to boot.

Download:

Groove Generator - Groove Party Deluxe (ysi) | (zshare)

Nathan Fake - Bored of House (ysi) | (zshare)

Also, be sure to check out our previous snf's:

Saturday Night Fever 2

Saturday Night Fever 1

Get Your Rock Fix: The Hush Now

Because we've been posting too much dance music (which isn't a crime), The Hush Now, a Boston based pop-rock four-some is here to relieve you. This roller-coaster of a track titled "Traditions" will recharge your Tuesday.

Coming on with a mellow vibe of guitars and vox, these guys kick right into the chorus, complete with plenty of ride, hat, and cymbal action. This spectacle of a clip will leave you wanting more, but hey, whats wrong with that?

Download:

The Hush Now - Traditions (ysi) | (zshare)

Saturday Night Fever 2

Because we had such a positive response to snf numero uno, we're bringing it back full throttle this week, with three more tracks.

Tonight we're going to venture into the smooth sounds of The Brothers Johnson, a sweet cover/remix of Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At?", and a thumping club track, "Cocoon" by Moonbeam.

Download:

The Brothers Johnson - Brother Man (ysi) | (zshare)

Jean Elan - Where's Your Head At (Radio Edit) (ysi) | (zshare)

Moonbeam - Cocoon (Original Mix) (ysi) | (zshare)

"Dear Science" Pulses with Power

Two years ago next week, TV On The Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain was released to critical acclaim and fan appreciation. The album was dark and rather isolating, and it took quite a few listens to warm up to the sound - which was good, but viscous and unrelenting.

Dear Science, which leaked shortly before its release on September 23, is almost the polar opposite of Cookie Mountain - it doesn't take any warming up, arriving in front of you like a sizzling plate of fajitas.

Ridiculous food analogies aside, Dear Science just might be the best alternative rock album of the year. What we've got here is a streamlined Cookie Mountain - sounding more reminiscent of the catchy, dance-inducing 2006 single "Wolf Like Me" than "I Was A Lover," the cold, brooding opener on the same album.

The highlight of Dear Science comes in the form of a trilogy in the record's second half. "Golden Age" is a throwback to 80s dance-pop, "Family Tree" sounds like a meditative Coldplay track filtered through the generators of a power plant, and "Red Dress" is a smarmy blitzkrieg of instrumentation...instantly catchy and pulsing with excitement.

Dear Science is frighteningly immediate and impossible to escape. Whether or not it'll hold up over time is another story entirely. Cookie Mountain steadily grew over time, its haunting lyrics getting a bit more mature with each subsequent visit. Dear Science is charming, but it runs the risk of deteriorating because of its brilliantly produced pop sensibilities. It's potentially short half-life is certainly not a reason to skip out on one of the loudest and invigorating albums of the year.

Chromeo, The Bloody Beetroots, and Peanut Butter Wolf @ Webster Hall on 10-2-08

On March 11th, 2008, I witnessed Chromeo electrify nyc's Madison Square Garden. Who would have thought today's youth would dance to 80's synth pop? Besides for the venue being packed with pompous hipsters, Chromeo couldn't have played a better show. If you want to check out the pics I took that night, head over to my flickr.

Now that they are gigging at one of our favorite venues, Webster hall, it's clearly a no-brainer. We'll be there, 2-stepping to Chromeo's addicting funky jams, and you should be there too.

Big shout to Fool's Gold Records!
Website: http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/
RCRD LBL page: http://foolsgold.rcrdlbl.com/

In addition, Peanut Butter Wolf will be opening. As if it couldn't get any better, famed Italian banger duo, The Bloody Beetroots take the stage for a free show at midnight. Tracks below.

Download:

Chromeo - Destination Overdrive (ysi) | (zshare)

Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin' (Yuksek Remix) (RCRD LBL)

Shitdisco - 72 Virgins (Bloody Beetroots Remix) (RCRD LBL)