Things are back on track

Anyway, things have been pretty hectic and all with CMJ craziness and being sick, but I am going to get back to regular updates and all of that fun stuff. I've got a CMJ wrap-up to post, an M.I.A. show review to post and a weekend full of great Nemo shows to check out. Actually, I wanna run through some of those first.



First off, I pumped for two great shows at the Middle East on Friday night. Upstairs, Nine Blacks Alps is returning from the UK, which is a good thing. Their EP is off the chain, and although I have yet to drop 25 bucks for the import album, I am sure it is just as good.

Check out "Over the Ocean"



Saturday night at the Middle East, Oranger gets down with The Posies. These bands are a good match with a great fuzzy pop feel and it probably doesn't hurt that they share two members. Check out Oranger's great new album "New Comes and Goes" before everyone is listening to it.

Check out "Crones"

CMJ 2k5 [part two]

In case you guys weren't aware, I am a huge Lady Sovereign fan and she is playing not once, but twice at CMJ. Thursday night, she takes the stage at 9 PM at Webster Hall, getting down with Diverse and Aesop Rock. Saturday night she goes on around 1 AM at the All Indies Party. You can also peep her in the latest issue of The Fader.



The Rakes, another great band from the UK who harness the best elements of The Killers and Bloc Party, go on at North Six at 11 PM on Friday. DJ Paul Epworth/Phones is spinning, too. Now let's tie this together.

The Rakes "Retreat" [Phones Remix]

California

Season three of The O.C. premieres tonight and all of those questions that have been bugging us all summer will be answered:

How is Seth doing?

How is everyone handling Trey's death?

Is Kirsten still hitting the bottle?

Man, I am so pumped for tonight, except that I am going to see Bloc Party at The Avalon. It was a really tough choice, but I figued that BP wouldn't be back for awhile.

CMJ 2k5 [part one]

So guys, CMJ 2k5 is right around the corner. It goes down from Sept. 13th-17th. As I was surverying the schedule last night, there are a ton of bands that I am excited for. Here are some to start off the day:



Idlewild opens shit up on Tuesday the 12th at The Syndicate's annual "Conflict of Interest" party. Some other bands are playing, including Nightmare of You, but really all you need to know is Idlewild, who just dropped their great fourth album Warnings/Promises.

Their show Tuesday night here in Boston at The Paradise was great despite Roddy Woomble souding a little off for the first few songs. He hit rock bottom on the normally great "These Wooden Ideas" with certain lines being way flat. Woomble was able to pick things up later in the set as the band started to gel more. I am guessing a lot of this had to with them not playing for a few weeks. Seeing the band interact with a crowd that is much smaller than what they are used to in the UK was interesting: no rock star attitudes, just a simple, at ease demeanor.



On Wednesday night, East London group Boy Kill Boy will be getting down at Sin-e in the East Village on Wednesday at 9:15. They are generating a lot of buzz back home, including the requsite NME spazzouts.

Barfly has this to say about them: "This brand spanking new band from East London have been causing quite a stir these days. Their first single Suzie was released in May on Fierce Panda Records, and since then has helped the band gain the notoriety they deserve. Boy Kill Boy are anthemic pop rock at its finest. The band infuses keyboard sounds in a way that is similar to the Killers or the early days of Supergrass, with their own flair. They can be seen touring this summer with Hard-Fi, and on their very first stint at the UK festival circuit."

Bush doesn't care about indie kids

Hey guys, maybe I should talk about Lady Sovereign this week, cuz like you know I haven't and like yeah I usually do. She will have a single and an EP out by the end of the year and an album out early next year and it looks like HOV is going to sign S-O-V. Sweet!

"9 to 5" [Ordinary Boys Remix]




I am not much of an indie rock guy anymore, but the new Oranger album is ridiculously good. Think of Beulah, old Weezer or Spoon. It's a perfect concoction of lazy vocals and fuzzy guitars that I can't seem to get enough of right now. Check it out on Insound, it's called "New Comes and Goes."

"Crones"

Labor Day Weekend 2k5

Thank you, this needed to happen in the biggest way. I am so sick of hearing about this CBGB nonsense. Hilly Krystal is a shady motherfucker and most likely has bank accounts in Switzerland or some shit. How much money does he make off of CB's?



Rainer Maria completely ruled the shit last night at The Middle East. Kyle has lost the hipster hair and get-up, Bill wailed on the drums like the very first time I saw them in 1998 and the crowd was fun. Their new songs are great--the fifth album should be pretty hot with a very "Ears Ring"/"Connecticut Catholic" vibe and show ender "Tinfoil" hurt my hands.

"Black in the Eye" [a classic from the Post-Marked Stamps comp]

Oh yeah, what's going on this weekend?