Happy Antlers (and lots of others) Release Day!

mp3s

The Antlers: "Two"

Joe Henry: "The Man I Keep Hid" 

The Cave Singers: "Beach House"

Brendan Benson: "Feel Like Taking You Home"

Mount Eerie: "Stone's Ode"

Jay Reatard: "Wounded"

To celebrate the official widespread release of The Antlers' Hospice, they released a video for their fantastic song "Two" which debuted today on Pitchfork. While not enough time to fully cover all of these records, we at Stark strongly recommend you pick up the new records from Joe Henry, The Cave Singers, Brendan Benson, Jay Reatard, Simian Mobile Disco, Mount Eerie, Pissed Jeans, and maybe Jack Penate, depending on your taste really. 

We're Back.

Yeah that's right. We're back. Full of caffeine, energy, and an undying desire to bring to you, our most beloved reader, all the cool, fashionable, and downright tantalizing music coverage available on the web today. We also now have T-Shirts. Thanks Tim! While all of the above is decidedly not true (we don't cover that much cool stuff), we are back and do have a litany of things ready and waiting for us to dispel via blog. Below are some things we hope to get to this week. Not bloody likely though.    

We're going to continue to bring you news, updates and profiles of bands that are playing the fully stacked and undeniably awesome After The Jump Fest happening at Littlefiled August 28th, 29th, and 30th. Bring it. 

We've never loved the Black Crowes as much as other folks have. Yet, our ears perked when we heard they recorded their newest album (a double) at Levon Helm's home studio in Woodstock. Amidst the cliched, flower-power revival gongshow that has been this anniversary of the Woodstock festival, it will be interesting to see where the legacy of that generation stands today, and how it translates through the rock of some of 2009's most willing disciples. 

Our sites are set on Friday for what promises to be a spectacular evening with the epic, melancholy rock of The Antlers. While we've seen them numerous times this year, and their record Hospice will be in my Top 5 of the year, we've never seen them in an intimate venue like Mercury. See you there. Be sure to get your tix early. 

Furthermore to the point of our reemergence from the land of cocktails, fish, and sun, we will have coverage of new releases from HEALTH, Taken by Trees, Port O'Brien, Lissy Trullie, Mayer Hawthorne, Brendan Benson and Band of Skulls (not so new). 

This is only the tip of the iceberg of what we may or may not be covering. Not to mention all the new stuff coming in this week. We'll do our damnedest though. It will be nice to see all of you music people again around the citay. So, until then...

Brendan Benson: My Old Familiar Friend

[mp3] Brendan Benson: "Feel Like Taking You Home"

We haven't gotten to hear Brendan Benson's new record My Old Familiar Friend (August 18, ATO) in its entirety yet, even though it IS streaming at NPR, but what we have heard is more high-grade, 60s inspired rock and roll songwriting from one of the genre's most underrated stars. Best known as the co-front man and resident heartthrob for The Raconteurs, Benson's presence in the band is oft overshadowed by the massive stature of Jack White. Yet, without Benson's full-bodied vocals and well crafted tunes, the two Raconteurs records would not even exist. On the other hand, the notoriety gained from the band has shed light on Benson's solid solo catalog, and has set up his newest record quite nicely in the press. The true gem of the catalog is Lapalco, pick it up, like, today. Looking forward to the new record for sure. Benson has announced a string of US dates including the Bowery Ballroom on 8/17. See the rest of the dates and the cover art after the jump.


Confirmed Dates:

8/17/09 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

8/20/09 Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s

8/22/09 Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig

9/10/09 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

9/11/09 San Diego, CA @ Belly Up

9/12/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

The Raconteurs - Terminal 5 - NY - 5/30/08

CONCERT REVIEW by Tara McCarthy

Meh to you, Jack White.

So here it is. I didn’t think the Friday Raconteurs show at Terminal 5 was that good. Don’t get me wrong—it was good. It just wasn’t that good. I left feeling disappointed. Perhaps it’s because the past two times I’ve seen them, I’ve been blown away. Or maybe I’ve just never seen a show at Terminal 5 before. Really though, the bottom line, at least for me, is that Jack White makes or breaks a Raconteurs concert...

The first time I saw them, Jack White was practically shitfaced off the crowd, giddy, grinning, ripping into every solo with nearly-carnal appetite, looking expectantly at the other four as if encouraging them to dig in. On Friday, it felt like he was going through the motions. The solos were lackluster. The vocal distortion on “Steady As She Goes” was depressingly superfluous. They didn’t even play their sick live arrangement of “Store Bought Bones”. They essentially stuck to the studio recordings, presumably relying on their characteristic energy to carry the day, and for me, it didn’t.

The second-worst part was the bizarre mirror set up on stage presumably just for Jack White; the worst part was how he kept gazing into it. I’m praying there was some sort of intended irony there? Or maybe he was more in the mood to noodle around in his bedroom in front of the mirror, playing with his new toys and practicing his rock face, than to actually play a rock show. (Wouldn’t blame him.) Either way, I found it utterly baffling. If you think I’m being harsh, I am. The concert had moments of greatness. The keyboardist’s fiddling on “Old Enough” gave me rockshow goosebumps. Brendan Benson nailed “Shades of Black” with that voice of his. I even managed to find my 5’2” self a step by the bar to stand on, so I could actually see. It just could have been better. I love the Raconteurs, and they’re a kickass band. Is there really anything so wrong with expecting the world?

Tara McCarthy Contributing Writer to Stark

Photo Credit: Ryan Dombal, Play Vicious.