Love's Labours Won

Holy horses there's a lot going on this weekend.  Pitchwho?  Festwha?  There are a couple obvious and worthwhile shows, and a few other things that don't fit so squarely into the hipster box.  Screw the box.  And the tube.  Don't stay home watching Doctor Who.  That Shakespeare episode sucks.

Friday.  The 13th.  (Chh-chh-chh Haa-haa-haa.)

* The most interesting thing on the schedule, to me at least, is the first-ever performance by noisy, artsy Book of Knots (myspace) at the Gramercy.  Awful $$ for a first-ever show, I know.  But they're pedigreed, and promise all sorts of guests - they're sort of a collective, so, duh - though I somehow doubt Tom Waits will be one of them.

The Book of Knots - Pray (Featuring Tom Waits) (mp3) (buy)

The Book of Knots - Midnight (mp3) (buy)

Opening/collaborating with are Mekon/Waco Brother Jon Langford (myspace) and Carla Bozulich (myspace).  (I know, I owe you lots of stuff on Bozulich.  You'll get it.  Just maybe not in time for the show.) (tix)

* The Latin American Music Conference wraps up this weekend, and it's always a bad idea to ignore this.  The past few days have seen shows at the Bowery, Mercury Lounge, SOB's, and up in Spanish Harlem.  Tonight's the annual Free! show at the Prospect Park Bandshell with Zoé (myspace), The Pinker Tones (myspace), and Chetes (myspace).  People in the audience will likely be moving.  Don't be afraid.

* The best Pool Party performance I saw, last year, was The Mighty Hannibal's (I missed Les Savy Fav).  It was also the most sparsely attended show I saw, there, because Hannibal's not white, not young, and not hip.  Whatever.  I think we all know that young, white, hip people suck.  Hot, intense, yowza, that's what Hannibal is.  I ran right back and bought his record.  Anyway, if you missed out on that free show last year, now you have to go all the way out to Red Hook, and you gotta cough up a chunk of green.  Once again, he'll be backed by The Dansettes.  And once again, he'll probably be awesome. (tix)

The Mighty Hannibal - I Need a Woman (‘Cause I'm a Man) (mp3) (buy)

The Mighty Hannibal - Hymn No. 5 (mp3) (buy)

* A kinder, gentler spazz attack:  Dan Deacon's Baltimore brothers Videohippos (myspace) are playing a Todd P show at Dead Herring

Videohippos - Koolshades (demo) (mp3)

Also there, Abe Vigoda (not THE Abe Vigoda - I know, I was excited, too) and High Places, who should be napping right now after their daybreak performance for...

* Citysol, which started yesterday.  The sun-powered arts and music fest makes its presence felt at the South Street Seaport tonight with Menomena (something like a menomena, baby, something like a...) (myspace) and locals Beat the Devil (myspace).  I saw Menomena open for The Long Winters at the Bowery a while back; they bored the fuck out of me.  Right out!  Devil sounds like they might bring some dark, rough-around-the-edges coolness, though.  It's free!  Green Power!  Change Your Lightbulbs!  Unplug Your Chargers!  Legalize It!

Beat the Devil - Plea Bargain (mp3) (buy)

Beat the Devil - Shine in Exile (mp3) (buy)

* The other hipster choice tonight - and it's a good one - would be the Mercury Lounge show with Canucks Besnard Lakes (myspace) and Aussies Dappled Cities Fly (myspace).  I saw the latter a couple years ago at a post-SXSW show in the same room, and they were a pretty exciting take on the Flaming Rev sound.  Their latest, Granddance , has gotten some good notice.  But Besnard plays for free tomorrow, and Dappled's back in August.

* Lord of the Yum Yum (myspace) is playing The Creek and the Cave.  I've always wanted to say that.

Lord of the Yum Yum - Overture from Carmen (mp3)

Saturday the 14th

*This day pretty much belongs to Brooklyn Vegan and CitySol.

Frankpollis 1:30
The Budos Band 2:30
These Are Powers 3:30
OCDJ 4:30
O'Death 5:30
The Besnard Lakes 6:30
Land Of Talk 7:30
Les Savy Fav 8:30

That's only really awesome, and really Free!  O'Death, Besnard Lakes, Les Savy Fav.  I wish I could end every sentence with Les Savy Fav.

Get there early, so you don't get crowded out Les Savy Fav!  And if you do get crowded out, there are options.

*Travis is at Irving Plaza!  No, wait, that's not an option unless you've got milk for blood.

*One of these days I'm going to get to a Yeasayer (myspace) show, because they're the sort of band I really need to make my mind up about in person.  It probably won't be this Union Hall performance, though.  Because, Les Savy Fav.

*Fat Worm of Error (myspace) (pictured, right) is at Cake Shop.  Seriously, before you die, you have to see Fat Worm of Error.  You don't necessarily want to hear Fat Worm of Error, and you won't necessarily be able to see shit at Cake Shop unless you're right up front.  But holy sugar bombs, Batman Les Savy Fav.  Actually, this is probably your best Les Savy Fav substitute.  There will be costumes.  With:  Soiled Mattress and the Springs and five other bands.

* LAMC at Summerstage:  Café Tacuba (useless official myspace/unofficial myspace), Pacha Massive (myspace), La Sista (myspace).

* Oh, right... At the Prospect Park Bandshell (Adopting hushed classical announcer voice)  Michael Christie conducts The Brooklyn Philharmonic  in a program which includes Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite, and, featuring the composer as guest soloist, Mark O'Connor's Save the Cheerleader, Save the World.  Also with "fiercely sexy, attitude-driven" Maya Beiser on cello.  Free!

* The Ponderosa Stomp (myspace) hotdiggitydogs it into Maxwell's ass.  Swell!

* Lord of the Yum Yum (myspace) is playing Dominies Hoek.  I've always wanted to say that.  But really, we shouldn't encourage him.

Lord of the Yum Yum - Flight of the Bumblebee (mp3)

Sunday the 15th

* This week's Pool Party, duh, which has the most intriguing line-up of the season, and therefore will probably be the most spottily attended.  Unless Yo La Tengo fans gather en masse to watch their faves play back-up band.  Come!  Stomp (myspace)!  Frolic with the Mystic Knights of Mau Mau!

* Travis is also not an option, tonight.

* In Prospect Park, The Klezmatics' Frank London curates a "Yiddish Carnival" that includes two of his own bands and the elderly lawyer from Picket Fences.  And many more!  Free!

* Lord of the Yum Yum (myspace) is playing Goodbye Blue Monday.

*

Another reason it's safe to leave the house:  Fall Out Boy is Officially, Like, So Over.  Phew!

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