Natasha Kahn // Bat For Lashes

#5 I’ve been taking it easy the last few weeks prepping for SXSW and recovering from getting my tonsils removed [read: tonsillectomy] so regular blogging has unfortunately been delayed. But like a big bowl of my mother’s chicken soup, music has been a great comfort food. Check out what’s been brewing me lately in today’s edition of Tasty Tunes, Bon Appetit!

If you know anything about me, you know that I have an extreme soft spot for Natasha Kahn. Last week Bat For Lashes supported the Thom Yorke side project Atoms for Peace at the De La War Pavillion in the UK, an awesome performance that included covers of The Cure, Peter Gabriel and Radiohead! Videos from that performance can be seen HERE and my favorite from the set All I Need by Radiohead can be enjoyed below! Come back to NYC ASAP Natasha, please!

• mp3: Bat For Lashes – All I Need (Radiohead Cover) [alt]

Foals‘ brand new single Spanish Sahara has already made it to Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record of the World list! The long awaited new track which Lowe called a “spectacular return for Foals..sounding every bit the future” comes from the forthcoming sophomore album Total Life Forever. Check it out for yourself!

• mp3: Foals – Spanish Sahara [alt]

The Drums shared the new video from their latest single Best Friend exclusively with Spinner yesterday. We hear the follow-up to their ’09 fall EP Summertime will be out in time for you to enjoy at the beach this summer as well!

• mp3: The Drums – Instruct Me [alt]

I’m not really one for speculating or making a decision on something until it’s been confirmed, but the new iamamiwhoami video was released yesterday and Brad over at MuuMuse has been doing the most entertaining job analyzing. Check it out HERE.

One of our favorite Swedish minimalists jj released a new video for Let Go from their upcoming studio album nº 3. Catch the elusive duo on tour this spring DATES. Thanks to Audio Muffin for the mp3 below!

• mp3: jj – My Life (The Game & Lil’ Wayne Cover) [alt]

Tracklisting for Two Suns Special Edition:

1. Wilderness (Unreleased)
2. Sleep Alone (909s In DarkTimes Mix)
3. Daniel (Lo Fi)
4. A Forest (The Cure Cover)
5. Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover)
6. Good Love (Recorded live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 19 April 2009)
7. Daniel (Recorded live on Radiohead tour at Nimes, 14 June 2008)
8. Lonely (Recorded live at Koko, 29 October 2007)

Check out our recent coverage of Bat for Lashes at Lollapalooza and at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Kangaroo (Big Star Cover) or zShare

Friendly Fires Budweiser Stage Sunday 12:30PM >>

Before Friendly Fires’ set, security and paramedics made sure to announce that concertgoers hydrate themselves, wear sunblock, take care of each other, and even passed out free bottles of water. When FF took the stage at 12:30PM, they were instantly dripped onstage through their sweat-soaked clothing. At one point during the set lead singer Ed MacFarlane warned that he might pass out onstage, which luckily he did not.

The heat slightly hindered EVERYONE who was in Grant Park in a sense of precaution but the energy, passion and unity that is music was 150% there. The boys pulled all the stops with an ultra dramatic entrance, extended versions of their tunes and a brass section playing live! We were astounded by the number faces singing and dancing along to the set.  Lollapalooza sadly marked the beginning of the end of our Friendly Fires, the bittersweet beginning of a career where no stage is too big for them.

<< Bat for Lashes vitaminwater Stage Sunday 1:30PM

It was a major clusterfuck to get over to the vitaminwater stage following FF’s set at the Budweiser but I made it JUST in time for one of my favorite tracks off of Two Suns, the intensely beautiful Siren Song.

Natasha Kahn was an absolute stunning sonic and visual live experience, as expected. I’ve seen BFL in smaller venues in New York such as Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg so the delivery on a festival stage during Lollapalooza was something I was looking forward to.

As previously noted, the temperature scorched at Lolla on day 3 leading Kahn to apologize in advance for any vocal mishaps resulting from the heat and wind  (there were none.) Bat for Lashes once again soared, entrancing fans into a silent lull of ecstasy — a great form of escapism in these harsh conditions.

After Bat for Lashes it was completely NECESSARY to take a hotel break from the heat but we returned for the tail end of Vampire Weekend followed by Passion Pit.

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Two Planets or zShare

Passion Pit Citi Stage Sunday 5:00PM >>

Many argued that Passion Pit should have played a mainstage instead of the side-Citi Stage. The hype surrounding Passion Pit over the past year has been huge thanks to Sleepyhead, and it was RIGHT after PP played it during their set that 30% of the crowd thinned out. Lame.

I’ve seen PP live a handful of times starting with their string of gigs at Pianos in NYC last summer, each set a little less intimate and bigger than the last. At each of those gigs, lead singer Michael Angelakos feverishly performed from behind his keyboard, but this time around he  worked the stage to his best ability with only a mic to hide behind. I was excited and pleased to hear the new material but I have to be honest that this new format left me feeling disconnected from what was happening onstage.

We took another chill break after Passion Pit and sat in the grass watching Cold War Kids and the beginning of Snoop Dogg before heading over to  Lou Reed. Cold War Kids set highlights included Hospital Beds and Red Wine Success, while Snoop caused an uproar with Gin and Juice and duets with old school hip hop special guest, Lady of Rage.

Lou Reed Budweiser Stage Sunday 6:30PM >>

The crowd for legendary Lou Reed was unsurprisingly huge. Instead of pushing our way through we decided to get a good spot for Band of Horses (PlayStation Stage was right nearby) and watch from the sidelines. The absolute highlight of the set was the closing combo of I’m Waiting For The Man (Velvet Underground!) and Walk on the Wildside.

However it was during these two tunes that Lou Reed went almost 20 minutes over his set time inducing a terribly disrespectful chant from Band of Horses fans “F**k Lou Reed! F**k Lou Reed!” If I were thinking at the time these boys would have been on our Concertgoer Wall of Shame!

MP3: Beck – I’m Waiting For The Man (Velvet Underground Cover) or zShare

Band of Horses PlayStation Stage Sunday 7:30PM

Beside the douchey crowd, Band of Horses delivered a hypnotic set including the sing-along friendly Is there a Ghost and the heart-wrenching No One’s Gonna Love You. I skipped out a few song early to meet a friend at MSTRKRFT (pictured left) and get a spot for Jane’s Addiction, while Jess made her way to the Chicago 2016 for The Killers shortly after.

The Killers Chicago 2016 Stage Sunday 8:30PM

I haven’t seen the Killers in a long time mostly due to the fact that I thought their first album was an early indie electro masterpiece which was followed up by albums containing mediocre facsimiles of the songs they had once written. Pushing my more personal views aside, however, the Killers impressed me with how they have managed to become a formidable stadium/festival band with all the bells and whistles of a fancy stage and pyrotechnics and Brandon Flowers’ performance full of consummate careening and posing. Highlights included Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, Mr. Brightside, and When You Were Young. [Jess]

MP3: The Killers – Joy Ride (Night Version) or zShare

Jane’s Addiction Budweiser Sunday Stage 8:30 >>

The on-again off-again rock superstar line-up of Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery reunited this year to join Nine Inch Nail’s farewell tour and closing night of Lollapalooza 2009. Due to Lou Reed’s extended set, Band of Horses’ set went long. But in pure headlining manner Jane’s Addiction played louder and harder unapologetically.

Although I’m not the biggest Jane’s Addiction connoisseur, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the core line-up rock the stage in all their nostalgic glory. It was great seeing Perry’s flamboyant antics and the onstage chemistry with Dave Navaro and Co. once and for all! Jane Says was the epic closer of the night, followed by a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved. I feel it was the best way to end this 3 day journey. Can’t wait for next year!

MP3: Jane’s Addiction – Jane Says (Steel Drums Live Version) or zShare

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Siren Song or zShare

Tickets go on sale this week and the full itinerary can be seen on her Official Website. See ya there!

MP3: Bat ForLashes – Wilderness or zShare

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Wilderness or zShare

Lashes at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 5.2.09

I had the pleasure of catching Bat For Lashes‘ 2007 gig at Bowery Ballroom in support of her eerie debut masterpiece, Fur and Gold. That show resonates as one of my favorite experiences in serious art music, a captivating and stripped down performance that couldn’t have been more perfect — beside the incredibly out of place men who shouted absurdities to Natasha about ‘how damn good [her] ass looked.’

Last year when the news broke of the sophomore record and her supporting slot on Radiohead‘s UK Tour, I was crushed with anticipation. Last month the Two Suns was released, an album that entrancingly chronicles the internal battle between Natasha and her evil blonde bombshell alter-ego Pearl. Saturday night Miss Kahn returned to Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg to share her magic with Bat for Lashes!

The collaborative Pennsylvania-based Lewis and Clarke headed by Lou Rogai opened the show with their movie score-like melodic folk. The set ranged songs from 2007′s Blasts of Holy Birth and this year’s Light Time EP and L&C graciously bowed out before before Bat For Lashes took the stage after 10. Their transient and moody tunes are perfect for mellow Sundays and are great catalysts when I’m having a bout of writer’s block.

Bat for Lashes’ set list tackled all of my favorite tunes from Two Suns and Fur and Gold, setting the mood with the haunting opener Glass. The raw and emotional performance I’ve come to love was ever present with Natasha pouring herself out as she ran from either side of the stage switching between the harpischord, piano, tambourines, accordion, guitar, maracas, and at some points almost in tears. The absolute highest points for me were Siren Song, Horse & I, Daniel, Good Love, Two Planets and the “Big” version of Daniel which closed out the set. The crowd (including Agyness Deyn, Keith Murray, Matt and Danielle) was really cool and definitely seemed to enjoy the set. The only shouts this time around were encouraging her to “go on girl,” which induced laughter in the crowd, including Natasha. As expected, Bat For Lashes at Music Hall of Williamsburg was pretty much a religious experience for me and I hope that I don’t have to wait another two years to be saved.

MP3: Lewis and Clarke – Beofre it Breaks You or zShare
MP3: Bat For Lashes Daniel (Edwin Van Cleef Remix) or zShare
MP3: Bat For Lashes – Kangaroo (Big Star Cover) or zShare

Bat for Lashes Live 4.9.09, Picture Courtesy of BBC Radio 1

This has been a big week for Natasha Khan  aka Bat for Lashes. Along with having her second album Two Suns released this week, the record has been rightfully lauded by critics and fans alike!

Natasha also stopped by BBC Radio 1′s live studio to perform ‘Suns’ first single Daniel and a cover of Kings of Leon‘s Use Somebody. Click HERE to watch the performances. Two Suns is in stores now, run to your record shop!

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover) or zShare

“They’re writing the script and I think they’ve got the go ahead of using the music but now they just have to get the funding. I think there’s kind of a plan to make this beautiful musical which takes the narrative from the chronological order of songs from Fur and Gold.”

She went on to describe that the film would be “a bit like Neverending Story.” She also added: “If it happens it’ll be amazing but we don’t know yet if we can afford it. It’s always money I suppose, but who knows, it’s in the pipeline.”

Sounds amazing, let’s hope this project takes off! Natasha Khan is currently on the cover of Fader Magazine, Two Suns is out on April 7th in the US.

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Daniel (Death Metal Disco Scene Remix) or zShare

MP3: Bat for Lashes – Two Planets or zShare