On the plus side, this week's cover was done by famed street artist King of the Streets, who is probably the hottest name this side of Mr. Brainwash. As you may remember he's a staunch environmentalist (and suffers crippling agoraphobia), so all graffiti takes place via MS Paint. You can visit that turtle down at the South Street Seaport if you like. Musically, after a couple weeks of dancier fare, the guitars return for Summer Fridays 3.4. Please enjoy: 

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS 3.4 (new link!)

Tracklist:

1. The Jameses – Rat People
2. Blur - Fool's Day
3. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Trick Pony
4. La De Das - How is the Air Up There?
5. The Soft Pack – Pull Out
6. The Megaphonic Thrift – Talks Like a Weed King
7. Women - Narrow with the Hall
8. Jacques Dutronc – Mini, Mini, Mini
9. Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Gentleman
10. The Turtles – You Showed Me
11. Woods - Blood Dries Darker
12. Love - A House is Not a Motel
13. The Coral – Butterfly House
14. The Morning Benders – All Day Daylight
15. Film School – Waited
16. Asteroid #4 – Let it Go
17. Swervedriver - Birds
18. Bear Quartet – His Spine

Disclaimer: all the songs are actually mixed together, despite being separate tracks so, say it with me, no shuffling! Liner notes after the jump.

The Jameses – Rat People
As I wrote just the other day, this song's got almost a Spacemen 3 type riff — thick with keyboards, guitars and reverb — but with a distinct joyous party vibe. Hope we get more from these Floridians sooner than later.

Blur – Fool's Day
This was released as a single for Record Store Day, the first new song from Blur in seven years and easily their best, Blur-iest since "Coffee and TV." If they just want to release sporadic singles every six months or so, that's fine by me. Especially if they're as good as this.

Charlotte Gainsbourg – Trick Pony
This is about as badass as Charlotte Gainsbourg gets, great '60s-ish garage number from her mostly excellent album IRM, which was mostly written by Beck. It's better than any of his recent albums. Maybe they could just form a band?  

La De Das – How is the Air Up There?
One of the all-time great kiss-off songs that's been covered by a zillion bands, including The Bangles. The original is by The Changin' Times but I think this is the classic version, by New Zealand band La De Das. The corner of your lip goes up, Billy Idol style, just listening to this one.

The Soft Pack – Pull Out
Cheeky advocation of California succession, courtesy The Soft Pack. From their debut, that I think delivered on the promise of the Muslims' EP. This is probably the snottiest song on the album and feels like a truck with no breaks heading for the cliff. Pull out!

The Megaphonic Thrift – Talks Like a Weed King
Shoegaze, Norwegian-style. The Megaphonic Thrift don't mess with the formula laid down by Swervedriver in the early '90s, jazzing it up a bit with some male-female vocals. Sometimes you just want a fresh-baked version of the classic dish.

Women – Narrow with the Hall
There is a super catchy '60s style pop song hidden under the layers of reverb and noise Women like to put on their recordings. They don't really sound like this live, so not sure why they bury the good stuff as they do here. Still, I like this song which is from their new album, Public Strain, which is out in September.

Jacques Dutronc – Mini, Mini, Mini
Monsieur Dutronc makes his yearly Summer Fridays appearance this week. I don't have a lot to say about this other than it just oozes cool. You can watch a weird video/scopitone for it here. He's married to Francois Hardy. Just some trivia there.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Gentleman
Surely the only time anyone's ever segued from Jacques Dutronc into Eddy Current. The mighty Eddy Current, here showing their tender side. It's not all pile driving all the time. ECSR are currently on tour in the U.S. supporting their awesome new album, Rush to Relax. You should rush to go see them. Relax later.

The Turtles – You Showed Me
I felt a need, given KoTS' groundbreaking cover art, to include The Turtles on this mix and I think this actually flows really well out of Eddy Current. This song was sampled for a between-song skit on De La Soul's Three Feet High and Rising, which the Turtles sued over. It resulted in a huge settlement and set a precedent for the way samples were credited and paid for. Paul's Boutique woulda never happened if it had come out after this lawsuit. None of this diminishes this being a super groovy song.

Woods – Blood Dries Darker
I think I like Woods new album, At Echo Lake, more than the the last one even if there's nothing quite as good as "To Clean" on it. But this song comes pretty close. The album, overall, is catchier and less to prone to extended hippie jamming. I'm all for solos, they just need to go somewhere.

Love – A House is Not a Motel
That said, there is some hippie jamming at the end of "A House is Not a Motel," but love were first generation flower children so I'll cut Arthur Lee some slack. Actually, the last minute of this song, kicking in after an extended drum fill, is all acid hippie jamming and maybe the best part of the song. So I take back what I said. Jam all you want, hippies! Just do it with gusto.

The Coral – Butterfly House
The fingerprints of Love are all over this new song from The Coral which is the title track from their new album, Butterfly House. I'd sort of given up on these Liverpudlians but damn this song sounds great. Produced by John Leckie, knob twiddler on some of my favorite albums of all time (This Nation's Saving Grace, The Stone Roses, A Storm in Heaven, The Bends), which bodes well for it.

The Morning Benders – All Day Daylight
With production by Chris Taylor, The Morning Benders' some are trying to position these guys as the friendly version of Grizzly Bear which I don't think they are. They're a straight-up pop band, closer to the Shins than anything Williamsburg, which is fine, they're good at it. We all can't be efete hipsters. But Taylor's production keeps thing interesting without masking what they do. But this one's just a straight-up, big obvious pop song waiting for a convertible to play it in.

Film School – Waited
I was disappointed with Film School's last album which to these ears was overly murky and lacking in hooks. Not so with their forthcoming Fission which is maybe the best thing they've ever done. There are still the moody basslines and effects-heavy guitars, but the songs great this time out, and the production feels modern. Also, bassist Lorelei Plotczy shares lead vocals on many of the tracks, including this one, which is welcome.

Asteroid #4 – Let it Go
Lot of 12-string guitars on this mix. Philadelphia's Asteroid #4 remind me a lot of Ride during those first couple EPs when the Byrds influence was as strong as My Bloody Valentines. The drums sound great here, big and boomy, which is as important as those ringing Vox and Rickenbackers. 

Swervedriver – The Birds
I mentioned Swervedriver before in reference to the Megaphonic Thrift but this is Swervedriver who'd moved on a bit from just being in love with Dinosaur Jr. From their 1995 album Ejector Seat Reservation, this one just soars. One of my favorites. Lightning strikes angels wings not once but twice.

Bear Quartet – His Spine
Long-running Swedish band who are barely known in the U.S. but have made some absolutely amazing album, none more so than 1997's masterpiece Moby Dick. "His Spine" is just gorgeous, especially in the expansive, string drenched chorus. Swoon. 

The Fresh & Onlys

Ganglians

Woods

Some people spent their Fourth of July watching fireworks. Others barbequed with friends. One guy spent his eating 68 hot dogs in ten minutes. Me? I hang out in an empty lot underneath the JMZ line in Bushwick Brooklyn watching a whole bunch of awesome bands on the Captured Tracks and Woodsist labels. I skipped out on the first night of the Fest after, due to threat of rain, it got moved from the empty lot to adjacent Market Hotel which by all accounts was like being in a bbq smoker. (I ended up at the Seaport instead watching Here We Go Magic and Bachelorette.) Saturday, however, couldn't be more idyllic — upper '70s, mostly sunny and no humidity. Despite some technical and sound issues throughout the day, the vibes stay positive throughout.

I go with my friends Don and Kelly and their 5-year-old daughter Diaz, who wears pink sound-blocking earmuffs the whole day and thinks there aren't enough girls in the bands. I also try to get her to be an on-camera reporter, reviewing the show via fed lines like "I'd rather have German Measles than watch German Measles again." But she's not having it. German Measles aren't actually that bad, I just thought it would be a funny line. But they're also not very good. And that kind of seems to be the point. Shambolic is an understatement, like "why rehearse when we can just play shows?" They played a couple night before, opening for Thee Oh Sees at Glasslands and Don asked me if the songs were all improvised on the spot. No, they've got some songs and if you see them more than once you might remember some of them, like "Patty Girl" which they almost play with something approaching competence. Or maybe they're just totally wasted. The singer sure was, having finished a bottle of red wine while his bandmates set up and moving on to Budweiser by the time they first note is played. 

Real Estate probably sound the best of any of the bands that day, their dreamy Greatful Dead meets New Zealand good vibe noodling that is not all that far from the Meat Puppets at times too. They play through PA problems like it's doesn't matter, and you know… it doesn't. They're good. When they stick to the a-sides, it is sunny day perfection. When they start jamming, they lose me. It's festival, you've got 25 minutes, please stick to the hits.

The Beets have bass amp problems so the other two dick around with Beatles covers till equipment is switched out. "Thankyouverymuch" mumbles guitarist Juan Wauters which is the only banter you ever get from The Beets, before he kicks his amp again to unleash a squal of reverb. The Beets don't sound that loud on their records, but they can be deafening live, with the kind of feedback not heard since the early days of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Thier songs don't so much end as stop, but they've got some really good tunes, rooted in '60s party rock, making them perfect for an outdoor show like this. Do they still make Sun Country wine coolers?

I get burgers and check out the merch table while The Great Excape play. It is some kind of reunion but I don't remember them so I didn't pay much attention. Ganglians are up next, one of many California bands in town for the fest. They've got two good new records out: An mini-LP which rocks, and an LP of lovely Brian Wilson-influenced acoustic psychedelia. We get strictly the former today, which is too bad as "Lost Words" or "Candy Girl" would sound great here, though I guess when the M train rattles by every ten minutes (with confused conductors craning their necks to see what the hell is going on down below) you gotta battle that with full-electric mayhem. Their guitarist, who kind of looks like he's 14, does some amazing things on his instrument and is like, totally into it, man. He's a lot of fun to watch. But I prefer the poppy stuff over more drony material like "Never Mine" which there is video of below. I imagine seeing them indoors is a different experience.

As all-girl, C-'86-influenced trios go, San Francisco's Brilliant Colors might just be the best of the bunch, writing songs that rival Vivian Girls' catchiest, and keeping it tight like Sweden's Liechtenstein and more attitude than either. (Check out "I'm Sixteen" for serious snarl.) They might lack a little in stage presence but playing in the heat of the sun can drain even the most charming performers.  But these ladies are quality, one of the day's best. Am really hoping another NYC show will materialize before they go back.

Budweiser is delicious when drunk fast and often. Even when it is lukewarm, like it is today. Just putting things in perspective.

Next up, the band I am most excited to see today: The Fresh & Onlys. They wowed me at the Woodsist/Todd P party during SXSW and have since becoming a superfan. Singer Tim Cohen broke his wrist a couple weeks ago punching bassist Shayde Sartin in a particularly drunken and violent bit of horseplay, so here he's playing keyboards instead of guitar. Not tied to his instrument, he now makes a lot of operatic gestures with his arms, leaving the guitar heroics to slickly-dressed Wymond Miles who pulls out all the rock moves. I am biased, but they sound pretty amazing, rivaling Real Estate for best sonics of the night. I think they won for stage presence too (the only band of the day to attempt audience participation), though if I'd stayed for Thee Oh Sees I might be saying second-best. (Oh Sees were phenomenal at Glasslands two nights previous.) F&Os have three records out now, and like seven more things coming out this year on nearly as many labels. To date it's all been home recordings which gives things a vintage feel, but live they sound more in the now and less like a group in love with 1966. "Invisible Forces," which is on their upcoming Woodsist LP Grey Eyed Girls, is a minor chord stunner. 

Following  their performance I finally meet Shayde face-to-face — he participated in an email-interview for this blog you may remember. "You're Bill Pearis? I pictured you as a fat, bearded 50-year-old dude." Um, thanks. I buy cassette-only release of theirs, Bomb Wombs, and then remember I don't own a cassette player anymore. I'll figure something out.

I spy Crocodiles' singer Brandon Welchez with his guitar at the grocery store around the cornerand think maybe they're going to play in the "???" slot on the schedule scrawled on a piece of cardboard that's tied to the stage. But then I remember that he's got ties to Dum Dum Girls' Dee Dee (tied the knot in fact, it turn out) so it's no real surprise to see him playing guitar in DDGs' first ever show. The band also included Captured Tracks head honcho Mike Sniper on bass and Frankie Rose of Crystal Stilts on drums. Dee Dee, is decked out in a a black dress with fringe, and black tights, which would've probably looked more appropriate in a dark club with smoke machines and strobes. Here, it seemed a bit silly but damn if the four of them don't look like a real band, not some pick-up match. Black and denim, the shades, they are classic cool. And they sound like a band too, and a good one too. Dum Dum Girls got it together. Shirley from NY Noise uses the term "twee goth" and that's pretty much right on the money. Or maybe a little like Siouxsie fronting Tones on Tails, whose hit "Go!" comes to mind during DDGs' final number. It seems a shame this may be the only show these four play together.

Woods suffer the same problem that Real Estate do: they are quick to delve into the extended jam, though their version is a little more Crazy Horse and less blissed-out stoner noodles. But like Real Estate, when Woods stick to the songs, like the great "To Clean," it's absolutely lovely. (Their album Songs of Shame comes highly recommended by me.) As singer Jeremy Earl runs Woodsist, he can do whatever he wants. It's his festival. (Well, half his.) But that doesn't mean I gotta pay close attention.

I have seen Woods now upwards of seven times and I still can't figure out what the one guy in the band does. He's always off to the side, fiddling with some piece of homemade equipment involving cassette tapes, and sings through an old pair of headphones that are put on sideways. Using phones as a mike I guess gives a tinny, "old timey" sound to the vocals but it also kind of looks like he's wearing a ball gag that is tethered to the floor. Every time I see them I think of the gimp in Pulp Fiction. Maybe this is the look they're going for but I doubt it. Still, some lovely songs.

The sun is now setting and I am losing steam. (So is my camera battery and the flash card is full.) As Kurt Vile takes the stage, I take my leave, also missing Vivian Girls and Thee Oh Sees (who I already saw this week). I'm gonna need a nap if I'm gonna make it to the afterparty.

Also there: Stereogum, PopJew, StarkOnline, The Pop Filter , The Village Voice and, of course,  John Norris.

My Canon Powershot has turned out to be a much better video camera than a regular one. I shot every band of I saw, but ended up deleting German Measels for space reasons only. Video and a couple more pictures after the ol' jump.

German Measles

 

Crowd watches while the M rolls past
 

The line-up


Dum Dum Girls
 

The Fresh & Onlys – "Invisible Forces"

Brilliant Colors

Ganglians

No need to feel like a second class NY-er for not going out of town for Independence Day this year. If you're around, might I suggest the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival? Two of the city's best vinyl-centric labels (with help from Todd P) are bringing together some of the best garage/lo-fi/psychedelic bands in the country, playing over the course of two days.

A combined two-day ticket is $25 and on sale now via PayPal. But if you had to choose one day ($15) I think you'd have to go with July 4, what with Ganglians, Woods, Beets, Real Estate, Thee Oh Sees, Dum Dum Girls, Brilliant Colors and the NYC debut of San Francisco's amazing Fresh & Onlys. All the fireworks you'll need are right here.

Here's how it breaks down, with MP3s for most of the bands:

Friday July 3rd @ 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD

:: WOODSIST / CAPTURED TRACKS FESTIVAL

9:45pm : CRYSTAL STILTS (MP3: Love is a Wave)
9:00pm :: Blank Dogs (MP3: Setting Fire to Your House)
8:15pm ::: Psychedelic Horseshit (MP3: New Wave Hippies)
7:30pm :::: caUSE co-MOTION! (MP3: You Lose)
6:45pm ::::: the Mayfair Set (MP3: Desert Fun)
6:15pm :::::: Gary War (MP3: Bounce Four)
5:45pm ::::::: Little Girls (MP3: What We Did)
5:15pm :::::::: Kid Romance
4:45pm ::::::::: Beachniks (MP3: Coney Island)
4:15pm :::::::::: the Gutsies (MP3: Surfer Body)

Saturday July 4th @ 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD

:: WOODSIST / CAPTURED TRACKS FESTIVAL

9:45pm : THEE OH SEES (MP3: Meat Step Lively)
9:00pm :: VIVIAN GIRLS (MP3: Lake House)
8:15pm ::: Kurt Vile (MP3: Freeway)
7:30pm :::: Woods (MP3: To Clean)
6:45pm ::::: Tyvek (MP3: Hey Una)
6:00pm :::::: Dum Dum Girls (MP3: Ship of Love)
5:15pm ::::::: the Fresh & Onlys (MP3: Love and Kindness)
4:30pm :::::::: Brilliant Colors (MP3: Should I Tell You)
3:45pm ::::::::: Ganglians (MP3: Hair)
3:15pm :::::::::: the Great Excape —— reunion, pre-Home Blitz
2:45pm ::::::::::: the Beets (MP3: Devil)
2:15pm :::::::::::: Real Estate (MP3: Fake Blues)
1:45pm ::::::::::::: German Measles (MP3: Patty Girl)
1:15pm :::::::::::::: Beach Fossils (MP3: Vacation)

| 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD |

979 Broadway btwn Myrtle Ave & Ditmars St | Bushwick, Brooklyn

JMZ-Myrtle, L-Jefferson, G-Myrtle-Willoughby | 

RAIN OR SHINE