As Tall As Lions at The Station - 12/15

I just recently discovered As Tall As Lions through a friend at school and two free MP3s from Stereogum.com. I got a chance to see them this past weekend, and it was a great way to finish the 2007 concert year.

Gift ideas for your musical holiday!

'Tis the season to give your friend or relative a nice gift of musical delight. I made my own little list of recommendations for music buying this holiday season, a gift guide per se... Come on in to take a look!

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at The Space - 12/2

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists filled The Space to the brim last night. The place was packed, and as soon as Ted came out with the rest of his band, the crowd went wild. Ted's band was supported by two opening acts, punk group The Gang and glam artist Kristeen Young.

The Gang came out first with their anthem-y drone punk. They were fun, but they didn't offer anything real unique. They had a lot of energy, and they were having a lot of fun, but overall, I didn't find myself too interested. Granted, there were a few songs that I found really catchy, so they have some promise.

Kristeen Young came out afterwards wearing a very punky outfit with her drummer/tough guy Baby Jeff. When she first started belting out dissonant chords on her synthesizer and singing in a creepy soprano voice, I didn't quite know what to think. But as soon as the second song came on, I started to grasp her music a lot more. I'd say she played dark pop music. It was so good, though. The way she mixed those dissonant chords with her beautiful, eclectic voice really appealed to me. She put on a really good set.

As soon as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists came out on stage, their presence commanded the entire audience. Ted was very charismatic with the audience. Before him and his band started to play, someone in the audience yelled, "Play (unintelligible) eventually!" and Ted remarked upon the politeness of the individual in a joking manner. Though he was a good talker, the night was starting to get a little late, so I was hoping that he wouldn't push back his set too much.