Sunday 30 May 2010

New Age


As we've told you before, No Age's recent stay in Portugal didn't go that well. First, they were beaten up in Lisbon and the day after they had a tepid night in Porto. Anyway, the LA duo -- actually they're touring as a trio with a guy simply called William Kai Strangeland Menchaca doing some noise projections -- played three new songs, including, according to them, a really brand new one (the third one below). So, in case you're curious to hear what No Age are trying out on stage but you don't want to download the whole recording, have a sneak peek here.

No Age - New Song Live in Porto by ashtapes

No Age - New Song Live in Porto by ashtapes

No Age - New Song Live in Porto by ashtapes

Saturday 29 May 2010

No Age + Thee Oh Sees > Plano B > Live Recording


No Age + The Oh Sees

Plano B, Porto, Portugal
Recording Equipment: CA Cardioids > STC 9000 > Tascam DR-07
26.05.2010


I don't know if it was because of the tough night in Lisbon the day before, but I guess No Age's sound engineer Scott Cornish missed something during the band's first gig in Porto. The sound was a bit messy and it was difficult to hear Dean Spunt's voice. I wouldn't say it was that big of a deal, but apparently people here are kind of sensitive. The (small) room wasn't full from the beginning -- the fact that the incredibly dull The XX were playing a long-time sold-out gig that same night in Porto may explain something --, but at the end it was almost reduced to half. And that was a pity because despite all the setbacks, No Age were actually playing with intensity and devotion. Unfortunately, this is the kind of concert that needs to be fueled with sweat from the crowd, there has to be a physical connection between both parts, otherwise it doesn't work -- as it didn't. During "Miner", the last song of their short set, Randy Randall even passed his guitar to the crowd, probably expecting people to have fun with it, but all he got was a very shy reaction. I mean, it wasn't bad and of course there were a few people actually having fun, but it lacked the energy you're expecting in a No Age concert. Guess this trip to Portugal was just doomed from the beginning and I really hope they come back soon in other circumstances. Lo-fiers Thee Oh Sees, on the contrary, gathered a lot of sympathy from the audience, surprising everyone with a killer opening set of flippant psychedelic rock songs.
You'll get all this if you hear the recording.

Setlist - Thee Oh Sees
1. Enemy Destruct | 2. Meat Step Lively | 3. I Was Denied | 4. Block Of Ice | 5. Tidal Wave | 6. Ghost In The Trees | 7. Crack In Your Eye | 8. Mega Feast | 9. Dead Energy | 10. Warm Slide

Setlist - No Age
1. Losing Feeling | 2. Teen Creeps | 3. You're A Target | 4. [New Song] | 5. ??? | 6. Instrumental | 7. Sleeper Hold | 8. Every Artist Needs A Tragidy | 9. [New Song] | 10. Eraser | 11. Boy Void | 12. Depletion | 13. [New Song] | 14. Miner

Thee Oh Sees - I Was Denied Live at Plano B by ashtapes
No Age - Sleeper Hold Live at Plano B by ashtapes

Download: Thee Oh Sees Live at Plano B | MP3 | 73 MB

Download: No Age Live At Plano B | MP3 | 94 MB

M*ASHtape #8


Leave the city behind, let the time pass by...can you feel the sand under your feet?


sometimes_beach fossils | shore patrol_fluffy lumbers | saturday morning_real estate | medicine girls_shahs | right ting_toro y moi | miami beach_amen dunes | 8_weed diamond | endless sleeper_abe vigoda | konig_tonstartssbandht | teen angel_heavy hawaii | dont mind_spectrals | american smokes_lester brown | ocean city_kurt vile

Thursday 27 May 2010

Shellac + Mission Of Burma > Serralves > Live Recording


Shellac + Mission Of Burma
Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, Portugal
Recording Equipment: CA Cardioid > STC 9100 > Tascam DR-07
25.05.2010

Shellac don't tour a lot, you know, so getting the chance to see Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer play in my hometown, 5 minutes away from my house, is kind of pure luck (and persistence from the promoters). Now add to the lineup post-punk legends Mission Of Burma and I guess you can't really ask for more. This was my first Shellac gig and certainly one of the best ones I've been to. Mission of Burma were awesome, combining the rawness of punk with some more sophisticated elements -- somewhere between the Ramones and the Wire -- but Shellac are Shellac. All I can say is that if you've never seen them live and you happen to catch them, don't think twice, 'cause it's true what people say about them: they're the best live act around. Three immensely talented, eccentric guys improvising a setlist of fucked up minimalist rock songs, a mix of brutality and velocity, style and sarcasm, guts and brains.
As for the recording, it's probably our best one so far, the sound is very clear and natural. I'm missing 4 songs of the Shellac setlist, so in case you spot them, drop us a line. Also, if you're interested in the FLAC files of the audio recording, I will trade them for video footage of this night. Finally, I've included the traditional Shellac Q&A for streaming below plus two songs from each band. I guess this will whet your appetite.

Setlist - Mission Of Burma
1. 1,2,3 Party | 2. 1001 Pleasant Dreams | 3. Good Cheer | 4. Donna Summeria | 5. That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate | 6. Them Two | 7. After The Rain | 8. 2wice | 9. Let Yourself Go | 10. This Is Not A Photograph | 11. Academy Fight Song | 12. Max Ernst

Setlist - Shellac
1. Ghosts | 2. Copper | 3. My Black Ass | 4. ??? | 5. Canada | 6. A Minute | 7. Squirrel | 8. ??? | 9. Steady As She Goes | 10. Prayer To God | 11. Killers | 12. Il Porno Star | 13. The End Of Radio | 14. ??? | 15. ??? Boycott | 16. Poke

Mission Of Burma - Let Yourself Go Live At Serralves by ashtapes
Shellac - Steady As She Goes Live At Serralves by ashtapes
Shellac Q&A Live At Serralves by ashtapes

Download: Mission Of Burma at Serralves | MP3 | 80 MB

Download: Shellac at Serralves | MP3 | 130 MB

Monday 24 May 2010

VideoTape #12

Moon Duo, "Killing Time"
Killing Time EP (Sacred Bones Records, 2009)
Director: Jaqueline Castel for Future Primitive Films

VideoTape #11

GR†LLGR†LL, "2200 Lullaby"
Director: Party Trash

Thursday 13 May 2010

M*ASHtape #7


And if looking always for fresh sounds will make us forget about what we really like, about what really makes us dance, sing, dream? This mix has no claim of collect the last music avant-garde. But it's about thoughtless, nostalgic, easy-listening and honest songs, the ones that will last in your mind, soundtrack of this passing time.


when i'm with you_best coast | oh modern girls_the art museums | babyskins_family portrait | tiny sioux_box elders | drink, fight & fuck_graffiti island | arm's advice_the fresh & onlys | left_kitchen's floor | possessed by someone else_jonny telafone | wandering soul_screen germs | bric jaz_sic alps | butt-house blondies_ariel pink's hanuted graffiti | cypress_magic lantern | rambling_the yolks | sun medallion_king tuff

VideoTape #10

Mater Suspiria Vision, "Pictures In The Dark"
Promo video - Drone Ghost Edit of Mike Oldfield "Pictures In The Dark" (2010)

VideoTape #9

Vibes, "Psychic"
Psychic EP (Not Not Fun, 2009)

Tuesday 11 May 2010

M*ASHtape #6


Melting sounds.


owls barning_peaking lights | heart in ribs_topaz rags | cult electric annihilation_wet hair | touch you_pocahaunted | apple walk_ducktails | invisible clock_bubonic plague | deep cover_sun araw | hard as it gets (chill sax mix)_psychedelic horseshit | utopia_high wolf | lush_lush cola | meltdown_vgina wolf | the notice_holy shit

Sunday 9 May 2010

The Intelligence > Sala Monasterio > Live Recording


As you've may noticed before, the two persons behind this blog are from -- and live in -- different countries. I am from Portugal, while charlie is from Italy. The reason why we (try to) write in english is because that's actually the way we (try to) communicate with each other, as my attempts to speak in italian are pathetic and charlie's portuguese is, well, funny. As if our communication problems weren't already enough, we met last week in Barcelona, Spain, spicing up our peculiar vocabulary with some lousy spanish and catalan.
We're still licking our fingers from those delicious patates braves, but here's a small recuerdo we brought to you. The Intelligence are one of our favourite lo-fi american bands and they played a gig in Sala Monasterio, a sort of basement near Port Vell, that we couldn't miss. There weren't many people there, but there was a great, sweaty atmosphere in the room with the crowd responding frenetically to their flipped out, incendiary garage songs. The sound was loud as it should be and we left the place with the feeling it was a very special night.

Setlist
1. Moody Tower | 2. Like Like Like Like Like Like Like | 3. The Universe | 4. Debt & ESP | 5. ??? | 6. Block Of Ice | 7. Dating Cops | 8. ??? | 9. Virgos | 10. The Unessential Cosmic Perspective | 11. Moon Beeps | 12. Tubes | 13. The World Is Not A Drag | 14. Thank You God For Fixing The Tape | 15. Universal Babysitter | 16. ??? | 17. Pony People | 18. Males | 19. Confidence | 20. Cheer Up Switch

The Intelligence - Universal Babysitter Live at Sala Monasterio by ashtapes

Download: The Intelligence at Sala Monasterio