Posted on 19 April 2010
Late last week in Philadelphia, Titus Andronicus and Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone gave the Barbary a spirited cover of Weezer’s beloved “Undone – The Sweater Song.” Ramone was there because the Babies, her project with Woods’ Kevin Morby, opened. Titus main man Patrick Stickles nails and ably improvises the guitar solo because he loves Weezer. The kids in the audience are surprised and appreciative, but it’s not as triumphant as this.
(Via The Styrofoam Drone)
The Monitor is out via XL.
Posted on 02 April 2010
Today’s episode of WBEZ’s Sound Opinions features an interview and in-studio performance from Vivian Girls. The Girls did “Other Girls,” “Surfin’ Away,” and “When I’m Gone” for the show, as well as this cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” London’s Male Bonding help out — or, really, kind of hurt — in the beginning, but the song gets better as it progresses.
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Posted on 19 March 2010
On some nights you can fool yourself into forgetting that industry weeks like SXSW have shifted from being about discovery to being full-on music festivals. Yesterday was not one of those days. Aside from the always-on-point imprint True Panther Sounds’ top-to-bottom burner at Ms. Bea’s — giving us our first look at Hunx and His Punx (“aka The Punkettes”), the tabletop DJ jams of Teengirl Fantasy, and the throwback jitter pop of Magic Kids, along with those previously loved (the always excellent morning benders, glorious tropically percussive synth dance jams via Tanlines’ best set yet and the straight-up crowd surfing at Delorean’s unforgettable 2AM closer) — Thursday brought us big names you’ve known for years, here in Austin with little to prove: Liars, Broken Social Scene, Band Of Horses, and a 4AM Andrew W.K. set among them. Discovery? No. Photogenic good times? Here’s a slate of shots from photographers Ryan Muir and Graeme Flegenheimer to that point.
Oh and hey, follow along on Twitter if that’s your thing: @stereogum, @scottgum, @brandonstosuy, and I’m at @amritsingh. Hope to see some of you at Range Life? If you’re coming, here’s a PRO TIP: Get there early, Ben Gibbard has more fans than we have room. Doors at 1PM. Free vodka, food, laughs, and jams. Quite stylish.
Posted on 03 December 2009
All those “girl group” references make even more sense after the Vivian Girls’ cover of the Bronx-born Chantels’ 1957 single “He’s Gone.” Remember, the Chantels are on the 2010 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominee list. It’s good to be the Chantels.
Posted on 17 September 2009
When Brandon first put his ears on “When I’m Gone,” Vivian Girls’ lead single and runaway standout from their sophomore set Everything Goes Wrong, he heard echoes of Black Tambourine in its “starry, dusky fuzzed-out sounds” and “semi-buried spectral harmonies.” The Girls’ bittersweet lo-fi pop track has a video to follow suit, the trio performing in a sun-streaked room as their likenesses are superimposed in hazy, softly defined layers suiting the sound, and the sentiment. It’s no joy ride, but it’s simple and effective.
Continue reading New Vivian Girls Video - “When I’m Gone”…
Posted on 12 August 2009
First Brooks & Dunne and now these blokes? A source tells The Mirror, “As far as Nick and Simon are concerned The Verve no longer exists” so they’ve started a new band called The Black Ships.
Posted on 10 August 2009
“When I’m Gone,” the first song we heard from Vivian Girls’ forthcoming sophomore album Everything Goes Wrong, found the trio digging into a denser sound with additional vocal polish in those still decidedly unpolished three-part harmonies. Two additional samples of the new stuff — the clattering, dusky “The End” and the sweeter “Can’t Get Over You” — are streaming at MySpace. Both make a nice racket.
Everything Goes Wrong is out 9/8 via In the Red.
Posted on 17 July 2009
Coachella is already the most fashionable of the summer festivals by virtue of its proximity to Los Angeles, so this year the NYT ran with the glam, taking a bagful of high fashion garments and draping them on a bunch of rock stars for a fun little photo gallery. The spread runs in this week’s T magazine, but can be viewed now in this collection of shots by photographer Sebastian Kim. Included: elders Moz and Robert Smith, along with pics of Beirut, Girl Talk, Lykke Li, Gang Gang Dance with Public Enemy, and No Age with Vivian Girls. If you like Jenny’s look in that photo with Brandon and Conor, click here for detailed info on where to purchase each item. Total outfit for only $5,885! (Sandals not included.)
Posted on 12 May 2009
The video for “Tell The World” found the Vivian Girls driving a convertible in front of a green-screened forest and battled bats, among other things, but mostly staring ahead at the road unblinkingly until they stopped to belt out a few lines in a faux forest. This new Brady Hall-directed clip for “Moped Girl” also involves a bunch of disengaged staring — it’s their thing — but the Girls also show us they have a sense of physical humor via pies and bass guitars in the face, brown bags and spilled milk over the head, and broken arms, popped balloons, a recurring cute cat, an Olympic medal, and various other site gags. If the song sounds new, it’s because it’s from a limited edition 7″.
Continue reading New Vivian Girls Video - “Moped Girls”…
Posted on 21 February 2009
A few days ago we posted “Zero,” the first single from YYY’s forthcoming It’s Blitz!. This second track (literally, it follows opener “Zero” on the LP) is cut from the same new wave cloth. Layers of spectral synths, an urgent house beat, and Karen’s commands to “Dance, dance, dance ‘til you’re dead” show how desperately these former punks want you on your feet. It’s their “Blue Monday.”
Continue reading New Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Heads Will Roll”…
