As seen on the streets of Brooklyn, NY

A few fun Brooklyn things...

:)

Cocorosie: Grey Oceans

CocoRosie has never ceased to push the limits of what a delicate, little female voice can make as far as a mix of feelings go. Grey Oceans is absolutely no exception to this, if not, is the best example of it. The eeriness of their tracks can be off-putting to a first-time listener, and seems boring, but upon further time spent, one will usually figure out that it’s actually a very friendly sound, and doesn’t get stale very quickly or with ease. Also, their choice of lyrical subject can often draw a distinction from the sounds that are actually coming out of the speakers, which is one of their best qualities. A good example of this is “By Your Side” from their La Maison de mon Reve record, which sounds too delicate and quirky to be an anthem of domestic lifestyle, but is nonetheless.

Grey Oceans starts off solemn and quiet, maybe even a bit tiresome, but what’s lost in “Trinity’s Crying” is made up for throughout the whole album, or perhaps it’s better to say, the first track is only there to warm up the ears. “Smokey Taboo” cuts in with jungle-esque hits, very reminiscent of several tracks from La Maison de mon Reve, but in a new, and more refreshing way. Bianca Casady tears through this track with authoritative rhymes and melodies, which are about as abrasive as CocoRosie has ever been. Dynamic track qualities can also be found in “Hopscotch,” which features Sierra Casady’s infamous humming, buzzing, whining solos that’s become a CocoRosie staple, but then surprises it’s listener with a jumpy piano chorus. Both “Hopscotch” and “Smokey Taboo” manifest age-old CocoRosie sounds with bracing, more buoyant individuality than seen before in Noah’s Ark or La Maison de mon Reve.

The closing track “Here I come,” ends the record, for lack of a better word, quite nicely. To compliment use of a shoegazey voice to set a haughty rhythm, “Here I come” is sounded out and balanced nicely by Sierra Casady’s gentle whims and vocal quirks, and then rounds out with a calm piano gallop at the end. Bianca and Sierry Casady have done with Grey Oceans what they’ve always done, a very playful yet eerie sound. Another great album the Casady sisters have put out, and their music has remained what should be a doctored treatment for insomnia. No sounds will relax and excite so eloquently as these. Their sound as always, but thoroughly with Grey Oceans, will pay off tremendously.

The Whip of Pete. Pete o' whip.

Made some fun photographs from Pete's shop last night. Don't look at the blue light.

Getting there.

Panda Bear: Tomboy

Noah Lennox, better known by his stage name, Panda Bear, has stuck to his guns on his new single, Tomboy, straying not far from the droney, stirring vocals his listeners have previously become familiar with in Person Pitch, such as tracks like "Bros," "Good Girl," and "Take Pills." Tomboy uses a repetitive guitar sample to back up Lennox’s reverberating voice, which plays with the listener in a fun way, but only briefly and with little depth. Similiarly to "Comfy in Nautica," what Tomboy fails to do is provide a contrast from the beginning of the track, to the middle, and on to the end. The same guitar sample and customary synth beat repeat and loop, which does create a somewhat therapeutic characteristic to the track. Adding to this, too, is the collection of (repeating) lyrics such as, “What’s my life like?” and “No matter what it takes.” Lyrics that have a self-studying quality to them are no stranger to this track, which go hand in hand with the almost remedial feeling it has.

When it’s all said and done though, Tomboy provides the listener with very little contrast in feeling and sound throughout it’s entire four minutes and nineteen seconds. Unlike Person Pitch’s Good Girl, which gallops, trots, climbs, and descends throughout almost thirteen minutes of different sounds and feelings. Good Girl completely contrasts it’s opening two minutes of overbearing synth hits at ten mintues, when the listener is hearing Lennox’s soft voice singing words like “I want you to know, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” A distinction that will make the listener want to play the track again, or force the listener to play it more than once to even realize that it’s there.

More of this contrast and lengthiness would have been pleasurable with Tomboy, but Lennox’s freightliner melodies and vocal ideas are of their own. Which, as unfortunate as it is to say, makes listening to this track once or twice sufficient. It’s obvious repetitiveness is never a quality, nor is an overbearing attempt at being original one either, so it was pleasing to hear Lennox keep that middle ground and give his listeners what they were hungry for. With Tomboy, don’t expect any curveballs

You can find the track on stereogum here

Little Big Kitty

Plopped this kitty down here just for the he' of it. Maybe it'll find a new home.

Acrylic/Paint Marker/Solid wood panel.

Taxi Driver

How have I not watched Taxi Driver until now? Robert De Niro is bossy as hell and Cybill Shepherd is the Reese Witherspoon of the 70s, not to mention you get to see a mafioso's hand get blown off... Highly recommended.

NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC NYC

Here is a random assortment of images from the past week in NYC. There are a few cool pastes and stencils in there, others are just random images. I'm still on sensory overload from this place so taking seemingly pointless photos is one of my favorite pasttimes.

Little Italy

There's that spot

Hyped I got to push around the banks before they're shut down.

BK Bridge

BK Bridge

The windows of all these Chinese fish markets were lined with these tanks, they had eels, tuna, lobster, and tons of other random fish swimming around.

Little Italy

Soho

Soho

Soho

Soho

Bowery

Bowery

Williamsburg

The most hungover breakfast I've ever eaten in my life was at this Chinese bakery called Natalie.

The spot in Williamsburg

East Village

Skier Pete fiberglassing a side panel at his shop in Chelsea

These buildings seemed way bigger in real life.

Williamsburg - R.I.P. Harold Hunter

ROA Interview!

Click the bird below to a read an interview with one of my all time favorite street artists, ROA, whose solo show is opening at Factory Fresh in NYC on May 14th.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Feliz Cinco de Mayo con Big Kitty y amigos!!

ROA's Pure Evil show opens in London

Ok, ok, ok I know I have been on a blogging hiatus for the past month or so. I finally have a minute to breath, and I thought there's no way better to break the blogging fast than to share a link to images posted by Brooklyn Street Art of ROA's opening night. His show, "Pure Evil" in London is filled with absolutely thrilling imagery.

Click the rat below to peep game.