Those Darlins Back in NYC

[mp3] Those Darlins: "Night Jogger"

There's not much that can keep this band down. After a debilitating arm break (when's the last time you broke a bone? It sucks. Check out the X-ray above.) Those Darlins have rebounded with a new 7" and a slew of tour dates with The Strange Boys, and Gentleman Jesse. The gals, and Linwood, return to NYC undaunted this Thursday for a headlining slot at Bowery followed up by a return engagement on Saturday at Brooklyn Bowl, where Stark will be on-hand to partake in the revelry. The 7" features two live staples, "Night Jogger" and "Funstix Party." We've only seen "Funstix Party" played live once though -- an impromptu opener at Mercury Lounge while waiting for a lost Darlin', perhaps Nikki, to make her way to the stage from the bar. Fun times always, Funstix, hopefully not. At least for these editors.

10 Best Lessons Learned at This Year's Jelly NYC Shows

Photo Credit - Our good friend Sheena Beaston

We have thoroughly enjoyed a whirlwind summer of Sunday concerts brought to us by the fabulous folks at Jelly NYC and Tell All Your Friends PR. ONE MORE LEFT?! We learned a few things. Did a few things we regret. Looked at a lot of pretty things. Heard some good music and some shit music. Found ourselves needing an agent to approve candid press photos. Chewed some things that energized us briefly. Learned that publicity is a fine art and rain is a bastard. And that we would never wish working the door at the All Saints Lounge upon anyone (Shelly we solute you.) This year's Jelly shows were the equivalent of going to day camp -- good times, noodle salad.

And for all that, we've decided to compile our list of the 10 Best Lessons Learned at This Year's Jelly NYC Shows:

10. Vita Coco trumps all.
9. Energy drinks should be relegated to liquid form only!
8. Lee Fields can still bring the funk and soul even in the rain, so can Chromeo?
7. The @Allsaints_ Lounge will turn you on to fashion and make you desire to date models exclusively if applicable...thanks for that.
6. The Strange Boys record well. Period.

Check out the Top 5 after the jump! Cumulative summer photos to come. Retweet this! Again, special thanks to @tayfpr and @jellynyc!


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5. Everyone we know is a lush, including us and we love that.
4. Plastic Adirondack chairs can only support a certain size person.
3. Grog gets you drunk while protecting from scurvy.
2. Even the rain doesn't keep the New York Times away.
1. Mad Men is much much better when drunk.

Tour Alert: The Strange Boys

[mp3] The Strange Boys: "Heard You Want to Beat Me Up"

Slyly waiting under the radar since a big break-out SXSW The Strange Boys launched a huge tour over the weekend. Their debut record The Strange Boys and Girls Club (In The Red) has received accolades in all the right places from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone. The record manages to channel older southern blues and country through the filter of modern, garage rock and classic In The Red-style guitar noise yielding one of the finer debut albums of the year. The Strange Boys are playing three New York shows, including a highly anticipated Todd P BBQ party at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens. For the less motivated city folk (cough, us) they are also playing the Cake Shop. See after the jump for a video and full tour dates.



THE STRANGE BOYS

06.05.09 Fri Denton, TX Rubber Gloves *
06.06.09 Sat Austin, TX Red 7 *
06.07.09 Sun Houston, TX Mangos *
06.08.09 Mon New Orleans, LA Saturn Bar *
06.09.09 Tue Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn *
06.10.09 Wed Greensboro, NC UNCG / Square One *
06.11.09 Thu Washington, DC Comet Pizza and Ping Pong *
06.12.09 Fri Baltimore, MD Sonar*#$
06.13.09 Sat Brooklyn, NY Market Hotel *#
06.14.09 Sat Queens, NY Todd P Unamplified Acoustic BBQ / Fort Tilden Beach
06.14.09 Sun New York, NY Cake Shop *&
06.15.09 Mon Philadelphia, PA Danger Danger Gallery *
06.16.09 Tue Worcester, MA Ralph's Diner *
06.17.09 Wed Rochester, NY Bug Jar
06.18.09 Thu Cleveland, OH Now That's Class
06.19.09 Fri Fort Wayne, IN Brass Rail
06.20.09 Sat Columbus, OH Cafe Bourbon St *
06.22.09 Mon Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen *
06.23.09 Tue Minneapolis, MN First-Avenue *
06.24.09 Wed Iowa City, IA Public Space 1 *
06.25.09 Thu Lawrence, KS Jackpot Music Hall *
06.26.09 Fri Denver, CO Hi-Dive *
06.27.09 Sat Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court *
06.29.09 Mon Los Angeles, CA The Smell *
06.30.09 Tue Los Angeles, CA The Echo
07.02.09 Thu San Francisco, CA Hemlock #
07.03.09 Fri San Jose, CA Nickel City #^
07.04.09 Sat Los Angeles, CA Videothing Party
07.05.09 Sun Santa Cruz, CA The Crepe Place
07.06.09 Mon San Diego, CA Casbah #
07.07.09 Tue Tucson, AZ Plush #
07.09.09 Thu Lubbock, TX Bash Riprock's #
07.10.09 Fri Dallas, TX The Lounge on Elm St. #
07.11.09 Sat Austin, TX Stubb's (SPOONX3) +

* = w/ Mika Miko
# = w/ The Coathangers
$ = w/ The Death Set
& = w/ Silk Flowers
^ = w/ Nodzzz
+ = w/ Spoon, Atlas Sound

On Our Radar: The Strange Boys, The Faraway Places

The Strange Boys

[MP3s]

The Strange Boys - "Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up"

The Faraway Places - "The Sun Goes West"

Austin, TX's The Strange Boys are a tantalizing musical hybrid; evoking the inner-badassness of The Black Lips, coupled with nasally, falsetto vocals, and the grunge-pop arrangements of The Soft Pack, well, that should be just enough for anyone. "Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up" is snarky with teen angst, lamenting the fact that the song's subject is, "In trouble with another man..." and "did something he shouldn't." We never find out what HE did, but we can hypothesize. Their low-fi vocal sound is in right now (see: successes of Wavves.) Look for more from The Boys soon. They are a product of In The Red Records, can't you tell? They set to tour behind their new album titled, The Strange Boys...And Girls Club.

For Strange Boys tour dates and review of The Faraway Places, continue after the jump.

The Faraway Places

You can tell that The Faraway Places are a product of L.A.; by no means is this a bad thing, but there is that glittery shine sometimes bestowed upon some Westcoast rockers. Gearing up to release their sophomore album, Out of the Rain, the Thunder & the Lightning (May 12 on Save It Records), The Places (better name?)beam with pop-radiance, harnessing harmonized choruses and verses. Wielding hard-driving guitar riffs, prog-sythn piano lines and call-and-response choral lines, "The Sun Goes West," is masterfully crafted for repeat plays. Their 60s sonic-sound never really fell out of style, unless you really blew ( see: late Donovan.) The Faraway Places miss cliches, keep things sprightly and jingle in your head all day.

The Faraway Places Tour Dates:
May 02 Pioneertown, CA Pappy & Harriet's
May 11 Los Angeles, CA The Echo

The Strange Boys Tour Dates
04.02.09 Thu Dallas, TX Doublewide
04.03.09 Fri Memphis, TN Murphy's
04.04.09 Sat Oxford, MS The Blind Pig
04.05.09 Sun Athens, GA Farm 255
04.06.09 Mon Atlanta, GA The Earl
04.08.09 Wed Asheville, NC The New French Bar
04.09.09 Thu Tuscaloosa, AL Little Willie's
04.10.09 Fri Baton Rouge, LA The Spanish Moon
04.11.09 Sat Houston, TX House Show
06.05.09 Fri Denton, TX Rubbergloves *
06.06.09 Sat Austin, TX Red 7 *
06.07.09 Sun Houston, TX Mangos *
06.08.09 Mon New Orleans, LA Saturn Bar *
06.09.09 Tue Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn *#
06.10.09 Wed Greensboro, NC UNCG / Square One *
06.11.09 Thu Washington, DC Comet Pizza and Ping Pong *
06.12.09 Fri Baltimore, MD Sonar *#$
06.13.09 Sat Brooklyn, NY Market Hotel *#
06.14.09 Sun New York, NY Cake Shop *
06.15.09 Mon Philadelphia, PA Danger Danger Gallery *
06.16.09 Tue Worcester, MA Ralph's Diner *
06.18.09 Thu Cleveland, OH Now That's Class
06.20.09 Sat Columbus, Ohio Bourbon St *
06.22.09 Mon Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen *
06.23.09 Tue Minneapolis, MN First-Avenue *
06.24.09 Wed Iowa City, IA Public Space 1 *
06.25.09 Thu Lawrence, KS Jackpot Music Hall *
06.26.09 Fri Denver, CO Hi-Dive *
06.27.09 Sat Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court *
06.29.09 Mon Los Angeles, CA The Smell *
07.02.09 Thu San Francisco, CA Hemlock #
07.03.09 Fri San Jose, CA Nickel City #
07.06.09 Mon San Diego, CA Casbah #
07.07.09 Tue Tucson, AZ Plush #
07.09.09 Thu Lubbock, TX Ash Riprock's #
07.10.09 Fri Dallas, TX TBA #
07.11.09 Sat Austin, TX Mohawk #

* = w/ Mika Miko
# = w/ The Coathangers
$ = w/ The Death Set