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 They originally made their mark with choppy syncopated guitar riffs bearing comparisons to Gang of Four (as have a host of other recent bands--witness Forward Russia!).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

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:

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: