Category Archives: Live

[video] Alabama Shakes // Boys & Girls (Live)

Recorded in the coat check closet of the Mercury Lounge, this is Alabama Shakes performing “Boys & Girls,” which is the title track from their upcoming album. All the buzz surrounding the band is not without merit; they’ve been on a hell of a press run the past few weeks, and every time I’ve heard them they seem to be better than the previous time. Their performance on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic was mind blowing.

Boys & Girls is out on April 10.

[stream] White Denim // Street Joy (Live at The Ghost Room)

 [stream] White Denim // Street Joy (Live at The Ghost Room)

With the Grammys generally celebrating the worst that the music industry has to offer last night, I found solace in White Denim. I went back and listened to Last Day of Summer and Fits, and dabbled in some Exposion as well. And then I ran across this live version of “Street Joy” (from their 2011 album D) on the band’s Soundcloud page.

I’ve been dying to see White Denim play live, simply because I imagine it to be a frenetic experience based on what the band puts out on their albums. (And frankly, I’m seriously considering making the trip to NYC to see them on Friday, April 13th.) In the meantime, this electric live cut of “Street Joy” recorded at The Ghost Room in Austin, TX will have to do. It’s pretty faithful to the version that ended up on D; the frustration in the lead singer’s voice is palpable here, echoing out over the silenced crowd.

In addition to the date the band has in New York, they have a bunch of other dates lined up over the course of the early Spring; head over to their website to see the full list of when and where they’ll be playing.

Connect with White Denim // Facebook | Twitter | web

[video] Bon Iver // Holocene (Live on Saturday Night Live)

Bon Iver brought their wares to the Saturday Night Live stage this past weekend, performing “Holocene” and “Beth/Rest” for the program. (I’m posting only “Holocene,” however, because I like that song better.) The performances themselves are pretty great, but I’m a biased observer because Bon Iver was my favorite album of last year. How many times do you think Channing Tatum had to practice saying “Bon Iver” to get it right?

Connect with Bon Iver // Facebook | Twitter | web

[mp3] King Krule // Has This Hit (Live at Converse Rubber Tracks)

king krule [mp3] King Krule // Has This Hit (Live at Converse Rubber Tracks)

“Has This Hit” isn’t a new track from King Krule per se, as it came out back in 2010 when he was still performing under the Zoo Kid moniker. But this version of the song, aged a couple of years and now recorded live in Brooklyn and Converse’s Rubber Tracks studio, showcases Marshall’s obvious talent, along with the band he plays with.

The track is wise beyond Marshall’s not-even-eighteen years lyrically, and displays a hurt that people his age shouldn’t have to feel, let alone be able to articulate. Musically, the band never gets in the way of Marshall’s emoting. The song is withering in its content, but shows off brighter influences as well, particularly in the extended instrumental section toward the end of the song.

King Krule’s self-titled debut EP was one of my favorite releases of last year, and hearing this cut doesn’t do much to diminish my excitement for an eventual album.

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King Krule // Has This Hit (Live at Converse Rubber Tracks) [mp3]

[mp3] SBTRKT // Blue Cassette (Friendly Fires Cover) (Live on BBC Radio 1)

sbtrkt [mp3] SBTRKT // Blue Cassette (Friendly Fires Cover) (Live on BBC Radio 1)

Friendly Fires’ 2011 release Pala wasn’t my favorite, but there were a couple of songs that I enjoyed off of it; the other day I saw that London producer SBTRKT (whose debut, self-titled album was one of my favorites of last year) had covered “Blue Cassette,” – one of those couple of songs I enjoyed from Pala, so I was forced to take a listen.

The cover was done for a BBC Radio 1 show called Live Lounge, in addition to a version of “Hold On” from SBTRKT. In this particular live setting, the artists are able to make their electronic wares seem more intimate; “Hold On” is stretched from its normal, 3.5 minute length on the album to over 7 minutes here, and while the Friendly Fires cover is fairly faithful lengthwise, it relies more on Sampha’s vocals than the blast of instrumentation of the original. Listening to the two play live, it’s obvious that the chemistry between SBTRKT and Sampha is undeniable.

The live version of “Hold On” is available for download through the Young Turks Soundcloud page as well.

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SBTRKT // Blue Cassette (Friendly Fires Cover) (Live on BBC Radio 1) [mp3]