BLOC PARTY: SPECIAL SHOW NEXT WEEK!

Bloc Party at Le Nouveau Casino OCT. 14. This is the "indie" band that tore up the UK charts in 2005 after having pushed a demo on a BBC dj and the lead singer of Franz Ferdinand, and they hit Paris this month upon the release of their third studio album, Intimacy. They originally made their mark with choppy syncopated guitar riffs bearing comparisons to Gang of Four (as have a host of other recent bands--witness Forward Russia!). However, their second album mixed in more electronic layering over often Robert Smith-ish, mopey legato crooning. They claim the third album is a return to something rawer (by which one can hope they'll be exploring some bluegrass and jug music). Yet, the track they offer on Myspace ("Talons") sounds like its trying hard to seduce the electro crowd while maintaining the loyalty of their guitar rock phalanges. Take it for a ride yerself. This is a special barely announced concert. Tickets go on sale Oct. 13 on fnac.com for the concert the next day. Happy trails, hipsters!--J. Harsin

Rock & Soul, plus New Wave Djay Soirees!

That's right brothers and sisters, Djay Indie Eclectique/Grand Duc du Kansas is not just serving up some great Rock and Soul tomorrow (9/24) at PLANETE MARS (an opportunity for you to discover a cool new bar if you don't already know it), and Eclectic Indie Rock and its foundations Friday night at l'Orange Mecanique. He also announces the first of several
upcoming NEW WAVE SOIREES: Old Electro Pop vs. New Electro Pop. The first one will be at L'Orange Mecanique Sat. Oct. 4. Another one will follow at the new bar The UFO, also on JP Timbaud, as soon as it opens. Stay Tuned and see you soon!
JH

Gogoparis.com Djs at L'Orange Mecanique: July 24

This is the end! That's right, friends and neighbors,hipsters, mods and rockers, and indie Vespa honeys. Gogoparis music critics Jay and Channa spin you round for the LAST time this summer, this Thursday July 24 at the fabulous bar L'Orange Mecanique in sunny Oberkampf/Menilmontant. Get ready, as always, for an updated set list of just released stuff and some new-old gems! The exact address is 72 J.P. Timbaud, just off rue St. Maur, a couple of blocks from either Metro Parmentier or Metro St. Maur. From 8:30pm to 1:30am. Come hear live all the good stuff we discuss on GogoP. and a whole lot more--foundations of/and contemporary indie rock, that sprawling jenesaisquoi genre. France Gall to Of Montreal. Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, to the Clash and the Fratellis. Good, cheap drinks (2,50 demis, 5 euros pints, + Happy hour prices). Enjoy the flyers, spread the word, and mark your calendars.Get there early if you want a seat. (sample playlist)
xoxo-Jay

Tom Waits: The Legend, in Paris this week

Elvis, Johnny Cash, Willy Nelson, Bob Dylan—all icons of American music; none of them with as much gritty poet-capital as Tom Waits. Two-time grammy and many-time other award-winner, Waits has mastered, then stone-washed, and bourbon-soaked a range of genres from vaudeville to jazz and folk, often sung from personas who see life from the bottom up, and often with startling x-rays of the human condition. 58-year old Waits rides into Europe on a staggering corpus of 20 albums, 7 compilations, and at least 18 international tribute-albums. One thinks of the Charles Bukowski of music, but he's far better. One thinks of Nick Cave, but with permanent laryngitis and a penchant for surrealism and jazz. One thinks of Waits, not the admittedly talented Steve Earle, when Earle sings "Last of the Hardcore Troubadors." Can one even put a price on this ticket? (Oh yeah, does anyone want to get in to heaven and just GIVE me one?)
Thur and Fri 24 and 25 July, Le Grand Rex
tickets (or try Craig's List Paris)
p.s. Come to Soiree Djay Indie Eclectique thursday at l'Orange Mecanique as a pre- or post-Tom Waits party!
Evidence of his range and brilliance:

DJay Indie Ec. Set List, July 10 at L'Orange Mecanique, Paris

Set list from July 10, and C U tomorrow, thursday July 17! A jeudi, les amis!

1. People Get Ready--Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
2. I Go Out Walking After Midnight--Patsy Cline
3. Rivers of Babylon--Steve Earle and Emmy Lou Harris
4. Tear-stained Eye--Son Volt
5. When You Were Mine--Crooked Fingers
6. La peintre a l'huile--Bobby Lapointe
7. Our Way to Fall--Yo La Tengo
8. This is the Day--The The
9. Free--Cat Power
10. Girlfriend in a Coma--The Smiths
11. Hang Me Up to Dry--Cold War Kids
12. Mission Impossible--Laika and the Cosmonauts
13. La Vie En Rose--Emilie Simone
14. Al Capone--Prince Buster
15. Seven Nation Army--White Stripes
16. I Don't Think So--Dinosaur Jr.
17. Mrs. Robinson--Weezer
18. The Loveless--Heavy Trash
19. Ces Bottes sont faites pour...(These Boots Are Made For Walkin')
20. Rich--Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
21. Rush--Big Audio Dynamite
22. Bubblegum--The Raveonettes
23. I Want Candy--Bow Wow Wow
24. The Magnificent Seven--The Clash
25. Electricity--OMD
26. Fire Below--Midnight Juggernauts
27. Ever Fallen in Love?--The Buzzcocks
28. Punk Rock Girl--The Dead Milkmen
29. This Little Girl's Gone a Rockin'--Ruth Brown
30. Chercher le Garcon--Taxi Girl
31. King Tut--Steve Martin
32. Hawaii Five-O--The Ventures
    
33. White Light White Heat--VU
34. Miss World--Hole
35. I Don't Like Mondays--Boomtown Rats
36. Chicken Walk--Hasil Adkins
37. The Bird--Morris Day and the Time
38. Can Your Pussy Do the Dog--The Cramps
39. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On--Jerry Lee Lewis
40. I'm the Man--Joe Jackson
41. I Love Paris--Sreamin' Jay Hars-- er Hawkins.
42. Surf Rider--Dick Dale
43. Somebody to Love--Agent Orange
44. Do Me No Wrong--Pat Cupp and his Flying Saucers
45. Est-ce que tu le sais--Dick Rivers et les Chats Sauvages
    
46. Goodnight, Goodnight--Hot Hot Heat

Eli "Paperboy" Reed: Soul Revival at La Maroquinerie

July 15, 2008--Eli Paperboy Reed, the sensational 24-year old Soul Man from Boston the whole internet is buzzing about, made his first appearance in Paris last night at La Maroquinerie. Reed was pushing his fabulous new record Roll With You. Just as on the record, last night his perfectly pickled soul vocals moved effortlessly between slow Sam Cooke-d croons and sharp James Brownesey yelps, giving him the unchallenged title of best new indie artist of the retro soul genre (but hey, he could simply take Best New Indie Artist, period). He belted out songs that made the more casual soul fan blink, "Is this a Sam, uh, Cooke cover? Was that Wilson P-Pickett?" Alas, no, he treated the audience to few covers, but the fact that the Amy Winehouse-led soul revival even wonders about it suggests the Paperboy is the Shit. This ain't no Blues Brothers cover band. And this ain't another Vanilla Ice. And the live performance is as lively as it should be: a demi-Black Baptist Sunday sermon. No minstrelsy. Just true love. This guy has been studying the soul tradition for years, singing along, letting the spirits stake out a claim in his head and heart. He promised to be back soon. Keep your ears glued to those CBs, truckers...
--Jay Harsin
In Paris last night, keepin-it-real-low-quality cell phone version:
Fancy pants higher tech version from Houston:

Gogo Hat Party at Andy Wahloo (May 22nd 2008)