I recently got an internship at this really cool indie rock club in the Warehouse District here in New Orleans. I’ve always been a very big fan of everything and anything independent. Indie artists have so much more freedom that those on major labels. They can write and play whatever they feel, without The Man Upstairs being worried if “the folks are gonna love that”. So you get some really cool and interesting music, some of it infinitely better than what you’d hear on the radio, for the most part.
Anyways, I’ll be interning with the head of live music there. So that’s means I’ll help promote the shows and what not. And THAT means that I’ll be able to get into all the shows for free, and at least meet the band. Not a bad job, huh?
In preparation, I was told to start listening to some of the bands who’s shows I’ll be promoting. They’ve got a couple cool shows coming up. First up, they’ve got Architecture in Helsinki. They’re very cool. Listening to any of their albums? Now there’s an experience.
Then there’s Man Man. I don’t really know their stuff, so I’m going to have to check them out soon. But they’ve already got brownie points in my book for having one of the most interesting album titles, I think, EVER: The Man In A Blue Turban With a Face. It’s no I Am Not Afraid of You and Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo, but a solid effort from the Man Man Album Naming Department.
So those shows should be good. But then, I got INCREDIBLY excited when I found out that Rilo Kiley is doing a show there in September.
Don’t know who they are? Well that’s a shame. Listen to them.
They’re already one of my favorite indie bands. (Well, technically, they’re not indie any more. Now they’ve signed to Warner Brothers. But they’ve still got that whole ‘indie’ aesthetic to their music. So they’re still “indie” in my book.) I love love love More Adventurous. I also love the fact that I’ll get into their show for free, and meet them.
Plus, their guitar player was Joey the Rat on Boy Meets World, which was my favorite show back in the day.
And lead singer Jenny Lewis just happens to be the hottest woman in indie rock. I WILL fight anyone over that.
So now I’m even MORE pumped for this internship. I get to meet them, get into their show for free? Niiiiiice.
And this just gives me a reason to check out their new album, Under the Blacklight. It’s one of those albums that I’ve been meaning to check out, but just hadn’t gotten around to it, you know? There’s a lot of those albums for me, and this was one of them.
Alright, I’ll check it if i HAVE to.
And it’s awesome. Completely different from More Adventurous. That album was country and folk rock tinged, this one has a very sleazy sound to it, which complements the sleazy lyrics. I love this album.
And I love Rilo Kiley. Listen to Under the Blacklight, at least. But go ahead and listen to More Adventurous, The Execution of All Things, and Take Offs and Landings while you’re at it.
