Laura Leebove

writing & stuff

New music feature (my first cover story!!!): Andrew W.K. November 22, 2009

Filed under: blog, music features — lauraleebove @ 1:31 pm
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But—you can’t read it online (at least not yet). Sorry! There are photos of it after the cut, though, and maybe that will get you to buy the magazine ;)

So, after covering Andrew W.K.’s presentation at CMJ for PompOnline.com, I was asked to write the cover story on him for the survival-themed issue of Pomp & Circumstance, which is out now! It’s my first cover story so, if you can’t tell by the way I’m typing this, I am SO excited. I’m still waiting to find out where you can buy the mag in New York, Chicago, and Michigan…so more on that soon.

Andrew W.K. will always make me think of being on drumline in high school, because all the guys in the grade above me loooved him and would always bang on shit while singing/yelling “Party Hard” (they did this at our band camp talent show one year). But now when someone mentions Andrew W.K. (which, if you live in New York, is ALL THE TIME), I’ll be more likely to think of a really freaking cool guy who has an amazing outlook on life and just wants to make people happy, even if he tends to do some really crazy stuff. Also, my interview with him—a couple weeks ago in Brooklyn, before the photo shoot—was one of the best I’ve ever done, not because of the questions I asked but because it wasn’t forced and actually felt like a conversation. Sorry for being super cheesy but the whole experience, the magic of everything coming together perfectly, helped reaffirm that this is really what I want to be doing right now and all of my hard (and sometimes unpaid) work will pay off sooner or later. Hopefully sooner rather than later…

Anyway, on Thursday night Pomp had a party for the issue release and there was a panel about survival with W.K., author Tony O’Neill, and comedian Lianne Stokes, which was filled with talks about hard drugs and losing jobs, and also involved W.K. sitting like a statue for what had to be at least 15 minutes. Many, many thanks to my amazing friends who came to hang out—I had so much fun!


My MSU buddies Nick and Robb flipping through the mag


Me and Andrew W.K. after the panel. My Michigan friends and I bonded with him over our accents.

Photos of the magazine + more from the panel and party after the jump!

 

Baby’s first CMJ November 14, 2009

Filed under: blog, concerts — lauraleebove @ 7:10 pm
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First, I know this post is wayyyy overdue. CMJ ended three weeks ago, but I’ve spent those three weeks catching up on real life and uh, going to even more shows because I’m a freak, and writing a lot (for things slightly more important than my blog). The next couple of weeks are super slow on the show front though, and I’m really not complaining.

Anyway, I survived my first CMJ! Hooray! It was a crazy, crazy week, but ultimately a lot of fun and a great experience. I went in not having a badge, so I just planned ahead and got on lists for the non-free shows I wanted to go to…and then all of a sudden I found myself with a badge, but didn’t really end up needing it! My apartment was pretty much a hotel: Four friends stayed here for almost the whole week, and the fellow Michiganders in the awesome band Frontier Ruckus (five band members + two significant others) were here for three nights. One night we had I think 15 people sleeping here including my roommates and me. That is probably never happening again.

Throughout the week I was doing daily write-ups and photos for Under the Radar’s Web site, and I also covered a panel for PompOnline.com (Web site for Pomp & Circumstance magazine) and did an interview for Heeb, which hasn’t run yet. So uh, I was pretty busy.

Stuff I wrote that week:


PRE-CMJ: The Syndicate/Rachael Ray’s The Feedback party + PHOTOS (The Union Line, Fanfarlo, White Denim [pictured])


DAY ONE: Sneak Attack day party/BrooklynVegan showcase + PHOTOS (Laura Marling, The Antlers, Love Language, Think About Life, Javelin, Walter Schreifels Band, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel [pictured])


DAY TWO: Mumford & Sons, Twenty Seven Media showcase, ABC News Amplified showcase + PHOTOS (Sleigh Bells, Phantogram [pictured], Mumford & Sons, Computer Perfection)


Life Lessons from Andrew W.K. (writeup about Andrew W.K.’s CMJ lecture/presentation)


DAY THREE: Quite Scientific Records showcase + PHOTOS (Lightning Love, Chris Bathgate, Frontier Ruckus [pictured])


DAY FOUR: self-titled magazine and Pop Mart Media showcase, Green Label Sound party + PHOTOS (Delorean, Holly Miranda [pictured], Cymbals Eat Guitars, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Amazing Baby, Chromeo)


DAY FIVE AAM Showcase/day party + PHOTOS (Dum Dum Girls [pictured], Headlights, the Dutchess and the Duke, Lightspeed Champion)

Artists I think you should check out NOW:


- Sleigh Bells: I know they hardly have any songs and have probably been a bit over-hyped… but whoa, Alexis Krauss (the singing and dancing half of the band, pictured above) is my new hero.


- Delorean: Freaking awesome dancey music from Spain. Would’ve liked to see a longer set and be in a setting where I didn’t have to take photos and notes because I would have much rather been dancing!


- Mumford & Sons: Gorgeous and fun British folk. Their debut LP is already out in the UK and they’re signed to Glassnote Records for the U.S. release.


- Laura Marling: I adore Laura Marling. She’s 19 years old and blows my mind. She was my No. 1 artist I was looking forward to seeing all week and did not disappoint (also British folk). So charming, such a beautiful voice, great lyrics, just love her. She has an album coming out sometime next year and I’m sooo excited to hear it.


- The Antlers: It honestly took me a little while to get into the Antlers, even though I’ve had their record, Hospice (Frenchkiss), forever, but seeing them live definitely helped that. “Bear” is absolutely one of my favorite songs of the year and live it was phenomenal.

A few others: Dum Dum Girls, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel, The Union Line

 

New live review + photos: Noah & the Whale @ Mercury Lounge November 9, 2009

Filed under: concerts — lauraleebove @ 6:27 pm
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The Noah & the Whale I saw last week = totally not as happy as the Noah & the Whale I saw in Ferndale last April.

Review of Noah & the Whale’s Nov. 2 show @ Mercury Lounge on self-titledmag.com

Noah & the Whale’s MySpace (new album, The First Days of Spring, out now on Cherrytree)

 

New music news feature: Pink Martini November 9, 2009

Filed under: music features — lauraleebove @ 6:15 pm
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Woooo, last-minute, quick turnaround story! Last week was full of them between two show write-ups, a big, super-exciting story TBA very soon, and this.

Pink Martini feature on Billboard.com (and in Happening Now section of the Nov. 7 issue of Billboard)

Pink Martini’s new album, Splendor in the Grass, is out now on the band’s label, Heinz Records.

 

New album review: Thao With The Get Down Stay Down’s “Know Better Learn Faster” November 6, 2009

Filed under: albums — lauraleebove @ 11:12 am
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Review of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down’s Know Better Learn Faster on UnderTheRadarMag.com (album out now on Kill Rock Stars)

I also went to Thao’s show on Wednesday at Bowery Ballroom and am finishing up my review now… should be running on self-titledmag.com later this week.

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down’s MySpace

(Also coming soon: CMJ stuff is still on its way because I’m still hardly caught up from it… plus reviews of Florence & the Machine at Bowery, Noah & the Whale at Mercury Lounge, feature on Israeli electro-rock group Terry Poison, and maybe stuff I’m forgetting)

 

New music feature: Dashboard Confessional November 4, 2009

Filed under: music features — lauraleebove @ 12:44 pm
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Music news feature on Dashboard Confessional on Billboard.com (and the lead music-section story in the Oct. 31 issue of the print magazine)

I can’t say I’ve really listened to Dashboard since I was in high school, but at least Chris Carrabba was a really good interview, and I truly appreciate that more than whether or not I like the music (in cases like this at least).

Dashboard Confessional’s MySpace (I think the new album, Alter The Ending is streaming right now)

 

New live review: Sufjan Stevens @ Bowery Ballroom October 28, 2009

Filed under: concerts — lauraleebove @ 9:52 am
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I’m late on posting this, but it just got posted online last week anyway.

Review of Sufjan Stevens’ Oct. 5, 2009, show at Bowery Ballroom on UnderTheRadarMag.com (photos here)

Anyway, this was my first time seeing Sufjan Stevens and he was just…mesmerizing, even though he kinda looked like a bro. He was so, so good and this is one of my favorite shows I’ve been to recently (and that says a lot). It was one of four sold-out gigs in NYC (two at Bowery and two at Music Hall of Williamsburg), all at 550-capacity venues. It was also my first night with my Canon Rebel XS, my first DSLR, and I’m loving it.

 

New music feature: Steel Panther October 17, 2009

Filed under: music features — lauraleebove @ 9:35 am
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I’ll spare you the photo because I think it might scare people away from my Web site, but you can find plenty of photos here.

Steel Panther story on Reuters.com (full version in the Oct. 24 issue of Billboard)

A couple of quotes surrounding my being assigned this story:
“I know this isn’t really your thing but…” (editor)
“If there were ever band on god’s green earth that spelled out ‘Laura Leebove’s Worst Nightmare,’ Steel Panther be thy name. They appear to be antithetical to you in almost every way.” (friend)

Ain’t that the truth. I know it’s supposed to be funny, and it is funny in a “Wow, I feel sad that there are people who can objectify women to this extent, even if it’s a joke” kind of way…but it’s too much. Among their song titles: “Asian Hooker,” “Fat Girl (Thar She Blows),” “Stripper Girl,” “Community Property,” and “The Shocker” (yes, it’s about what you think it’s about)…

 

New live review: Mayer Hawthorne @ Brooklyn Bowl October 14, 2009

Filed under: concerts — lauraleebove @ 9:09 am
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This was a little while ago but…one of my favorite shows since I’ve been in New York. So much energy, soooo much fun, and I am so proud that he is a Jewish dude from Michigan. Mentioned it already but his album, A Strange Arrangement (out now on Stones Throw) will absolutely be near the top of my best of ‘09 list…I should probably start making that, eh?

Review of Mayer Hawthorne’s Oct. 3 show at Brooklyn Bowl on UnderTheRadarMag.com
You can check out my photos from the show here.

Mayer Hawthorne’s MySpace