The Walkmen

"In the New Year" holds a special place with me because the one and only time I've seen it live was the last time the Walkmen played the Fonda, on Inauguration Day last year. And it was just a really really happy day, a great vibe in the air.

I also really like Angela Surf City. The songs where Hamilton reaches for the extreme heights of his vocal range are the ones I really dig. And, I didn't really get into them until You & Me.

But bleep, buddy - I really wanna meet up for a drink with you two tomorrow. I'll be the only really tall guy wearing a brown shirt and gray shorts.

Set times for tomorrow:

9/15 @ The Music Box
The Walkmen 11:00 PM
Japandroids 9:45 PM
Dan Mangan 9:00 PM

i'll look out for you, Tall.

set times adjusted.

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2nite@TheMusicBox: THE WALKMEN. Doors@8pm, Dan Mangan 8.15pm, Japandroids 9pm, The Walkmen 10pm (All Ages) Tix avail@door4 23bucks cashonly

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Oh shit. I wasn't planning on getting there until 9. THANK YOU!

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Originally Posted by bleep

is it true that they opened their Portland set w/ "Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone"? i read that bit in a review but don't quite believe it because, per an interview, Matt has apparently forgotten to play the beat to that song. that's the one oldie i'm dying to hear and i don't wanna get my hopes up if it ain't true.

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I cannot confirm or deny. I recall the first song was not a song I knew well, nor was it very upbeat. You'd have to be an extreme asshole to make up something in a live review though, so I'm going to guess yes. I apologize, I've only been a Walkmen fan for about 18 months, and have barely dove head first into their older material.

Make sure to see Japandroids. They are a lot of fun live, and have probably gotten better since I saw them last August.

sorry love, i wasn't feeling the Japandroids. loud yes, but mostly dull i thought. the stacks of amps on stage was humorous though, as was the fan blowing the guitarist's hair and his uber skinny jeans!

Chris and Rey, nice meeting you boys. Rey, hope your lengthy drive home was a safe one, and thanks for the drink!

know ID ya, they did open w/ "Everyone..."! i was grinning from ear to ear.

Setlist:
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
Blue As Your Blood
In the New Year
Angela Surf City
Victory
We've Been Had
All My Great Designs
Four Provinces
Woe is Me
Juveniles
While I Shovel the Snow
On the Water
Canadian Girl
All Hands and the Cook

Encore:
New Country
The Rat
I Lost You

Great meeting you as well bleep, as well as buddy. Fantastic show tonight. Even better than last year's Fonda show.

I thought they prob should have closed with The Rat. It was so upbeat and everyone went nuts, it would have been a torching way to end the show. No complaints though.

I forgot how ridiculously good All Hands and the Cook is live too, Hamilton's voice just soars.

nice to meet you folk, too. had to return the favor on the drink bleep. by the way, if you buy the new album on cd at amoeba it comes with a free 7" with two more bonus songs ("weight on my shoulders" and "good days carry on"). both are excellent.

FUcking lame, I wanted to be there so bad but had class. I was seriously considering saying fuck it and leaving school around 6 to get in there somehow

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Originally Posted by buddy

by the way, if you buy the new album on cd at amoeba it comes with a free 7" with two more bonus songs ("weight on my shoulders" and "good days carry on"). both are excellent.

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these two almost never saw the light of day! it was only after being informed by family members that fans were most upset about these two songs not making onto Lisbon that the boys finally decided to release 'em on a 7". i personally think these two cuts are stupendous. funny how they've chosen to distribute 'em in such a limited fashion.

here's my rip of the 7":
Weight On My Shoulders/Good Days Carry On [7"]: http://www.mediafire.com/?sxu5zz2q1naxwdb

Here are the videos I took from their in-store show here.

Woe Is Me


Juveniles


While I Shovel The Snow

those are great clumsy

thanks. you're a peach.

I wish I had taken more video, but it was kind of awkward already. they just kind of ran through a handful of songs really quick, so I didn't want to just have my camera out the whole time. I mean, they could clearly see me. it was basically 1 and a half rows of people on the opposite wall from the band. maybe 30 people total? so yeah, I felt weird already taking what I took. pretty sweet though!

A little heads up, the Walkmen will be on Morning Becomes Eclectic with Jason Bentley tomorrow, Monday, around 11:15am PT on 89.9 KCRW. If you don't live in the LA area, you can listen live on kcrw.com.

clumsy, those vids are fuckin' A!

vid of 'em playing "Angela..." @ the recent LA gig will air tonight on Carson Daly.

finally, this A.V. Club interview w/ Ham is pretty neat. especially got a kick out of this little gem...
http://www.avclub.com/articles/hamil...walkmen,45343/

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AVC: You guys have talked in the past about doing a “straight calypso” record. Do you feel that you’ve reached a place yet where you could finally do something like that—or maybe a straight R&B record—and nobody would think twice about it?
HL: [Laughs.] People might bat an eye if we put out an R&B record. Actually, we were in L.A. recently playing at a party, and this is the greatest compliment I’ve ever gotten: We were playing and this girl came up to me afterwards and said, “I really like your voice,” and I said, “Well, thanks a lot.” And her friends came over and she said, “Me and my friends, we just really love the way you sing. We had this band for a long time. We’re called En Vogue.” And I was like, “What did you say?” Three of the girls from En Vogue were at the party. It was really, really cool. Maybe we should break into the R&B world. I’m gonna give them a call.

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The boys were great on MBE just now, sleep or no sleep. Apparently they drove through the night to get here after their show in Vegas last night, still sounded great though.

I haven't listened to a full album from these guys in forever. Probably not since Bows + Arrows. I am listening to their discography in order over the next couple of days as a project.

Lisbon debuts @ #27 on the Billboard charts. ha ha, that's the highest the boys have ever made it on the Billboard!

Pete & Ham just wrapped up an amusing live chat over @ ESPN. talked 'bout sports, the tour, Lisbon, sucky opening bands, etc.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat...ton-leithauser

here's a tidbit:

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Matt (Houston, Tx)

Favorite album of 2010? What's your opinion of this "chillwave" stuff the kids are loving so much these days?

Ham (2:13 PM)
The kids need to grow up. I've never heard of chill wave, but it sounds pretty lazy to me.

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Three albums into my Walkmen journey. To be honest, none of them have really stuck with me, though all have been enjoyable. I think A Hundred Miles Off is my favorite so far. They are very good at atmosphere. Nothing has floored me so far though.

i love the shit out of their first two albums. those two are the genesis of the "Walkmen sound", a sound unique to 'em and one that few bands later down the line have struggled to imitate. Everyone has its faults (it is convoluted for one), but it is also an ambitious debut. i adore how its soundscape shifts from quiet to loud, boozy warmth to wintry cold; there’s a vintage feel and almost whimsical glow 'bout it. Bows is them at their most urgent, heavy and passionate…that's where their anthems are housed. 138th Street, That's the Punchline, We've Been Had, The Rat--these and a few more songs from their first two records make up close to one-half of the Walkmen's "greatest hits".

A Hundred Miles Off is my least favorite record of theirs. it has some gems, but it was mostly them being content w/ how they have sounded like up to that point and just treading water really.

This record is so god damned terrific.

I wish the fuck I had some bourbon to wash it down with.

Also, not to be "that guy" (not an audiophile I swear - axe anybody) but the vinyl version crushes the mp3s (even the mp3s that come with the vinyl) like a grape.

So ace.

Bumping this because everyone should like what I like when I tell them to.

the ever so stubborn "Paper House" (so pretty!) finally surfaced.

here's a ZIP file containing all the Lisbon B-sides (all HQ mp3s/m4as, no shoddy rips in this ZIP). also placed the link in group.

Code:

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http://www.mediafire.com/?4pzklaghdvo2d9y
All Black and White
Good Days Carry On
Grateful
Orange Sunday
Paper House
Weight On My Shoulders

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The Walkmen are on Carson Daly tonight! It'll most likely be a song from their Fonda show a few months ago. My prediction: Angela Surf City.

it's going to be "Woe is Me". despite the title, i've decided that's the most happy-go-lucky song they've ever written.

Walkmen on Letterman this Thursday (1/6). it sure has been a while.

happy new year, all.

very cool. i've always loved that song.

New album is finished. And here is a medley of U2 covers to celebrate.

I don't know how I missed this thread. Can't wait to see these guys at the Gorge.