Category Archives: Review

Bag Raiders: Live At Terminal Five Review

Despite torrential rain in NYC on Friday night I made my way to Terminal 5 to catch two of my favorite Aussies collectively known as Bag Raiders play live. I have mentioned many times that their debut album is quite frankly stunning, a collection of innovative electro tunes (you must have heard the epic Snake Charmer by now, right?!) that get constant play in my house.

I expected great things from their live set, and they certainly delivered them! It was packed to the seams with tracks from the debut album, all infused with the electricity only a live performance by such talented and passionate musicians can bring. From up in the VIP section (thanks Modular!) I had not only the perfect view of the band, but also the crowd, and I was surprised at the reaction even the album tracks received (after all it was a young crowd, and the band were opening for Ellie Goulding, which I considered a thrilling but rather random pairing)

If you are yet to check out these guys, I would highly recommend you do so ASAP and then take yourself along to see them live! U.S. dates are below, or check the international dates here

Mon Aug 1 – Kool Haus – Toronto, ON*
Tues Aug 2 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI*
Mon Aug 8 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO*
Thur Aug 11 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA*
Sat Aug 13 – Anaheim Convention Center – Anaheim, CA
Sun Aug 28 – Voyeur – San Diego, CA
Sun Aug 28 – Wavehouse – San Diego, CA

* with Ellie Goulding

My Gold Mask: Live at Pianos NYC

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When My Gold Mask come to town I make it my business to be there… and so should you. They passed though New York last week in the middle of what is their most extensive run of shows to date, a tour that has taken them from Ohio to Colorado and everywhere in between.

The very first time I saw Gretta and Jack play live during CMJ 2010, I was instantly blown away, and somehow every time I see them, their sets get better and better! They radiate such an intense passion for their music which is evident in every note they sing, strum of Jack’s guitar, and beat of Gretta’s drum (how she sings and ferociously beats away at the same time with such ease I have no idea!)

I loved the whole set, but I was particularly excited to see them sing the haunting Ghost In My Bed (which Robots With Rayguns remixed for us last month – with delightful results!) and it was remarkable! Another highlight of the night was the cover of Robyn‘s Dancing On My Own, which I had been dying to see live and was quite simply a perfect choice of cover!

My Gold Mask are a unique band truly worthy of your attention. If you are yet to check them out you simply must, and those of you that are familiar with them, I’ll reiterate the fact that you MUST see them play live as soon as you get the chance, the live experience offers a whole new dimension to their immense talent! Check the remaining tour dates here.

You can purchase/stream their records here!

Lykke Li : Live At Webster Hall Review

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Photo by Carina C.

Seeing Lykke Li live for the first time this week at Webster Hall took my love for her to a completely different dimension. I had heard great things about her live show, but I was not prepared for her to be quite as mind-blowing as she was!

I headed down to catch Grimes‘ set, who as I expected was phenomenal and an absolutely perfect opener for Lykke (be sure to catch her when you can.) After that there was a long break before suddenly the lights dropped to reveal a dramatic stage with intense strobe lighting, thick smoke and long black billowy curtains. Seconds later the shadowy, veiled figure of Lykke emerged, and she burst into Jerome, which I thought was an interesting choice for a set opener but was electrifying!

The setlist was a brilliant mix of a tracks from her debut Youth Novels and Wounded Rhymes and included a remarkable rendition of Kleerup‘s Until We Bleed. The crowd of course loved every song, but particularly flipped out over older tracks like Little Bit and Dance, Dance, Dance. Other highlights for me were Get Some,which saw her grinding up against her mic stand and sexing it up for the crowd, I Follow Rivers which unbelievable got even better live, and Rich Kid Blues during which red lights created a fiery atmosphere and Lykke pounded away on the drums and cymbals, eventually forgoing sticks and using her bare hands!

In a live setting she has such an intensity about her that her energy just vibrates through the whole room, and engulfs everybody right from the very first sight of her. The show was an incredible experience start to finish, you simply see her live if you get the chance (see the dates here) Be sure to check out these links for more photos and videos from the show! – Camille

SETLIST
Jerome
I’m Good, I’m Gone
Sadness Is a Blessing
Velvet
I Follow Rivers
Dance, Dance, Dance
Made You Move I Know Places
Little Bit
Love Out of Lust
Rich Kid Blues
Until We Bleed (Kleerup cover)
Get Some

Encore:
Youth Knows No Pain
Possibility
Unrequited Love

Janet Jackson: Number Ones Up Close & Personal Tour Review

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On Saturday night I excitedly raced down to Radio City to see Janet Jackson live in concert for the very first time. I was expecting to be thrilled after my friends who attended the previous night told me that I would love the show. They certainly were not wrong!

From the very first notes of Pleasure Principle, which was starting as we rushed into our seats, she had me won over! The Number Ones Up Close & Personal Tour, saw her rapidly work her way though hit after hit, singing and dancing her heart out. At first I was caught of guard by the medley format when I realized she got through the first 4 songs including the classic Control, in what I think I was less than 10 minutes from the start of the show. I found myself longing for more of each song as it felt a bit rushed, but I quickly realized we would be getting to hear a lot of hits at the rate she was going through them, so that was good news!

Although she had a large LCD screen up on stage behind her, most of the time it did not serve much purpose, but it was put to good use every now and again! During one interlude, much to my surprise they played a video of the best of Janet’s on-screen performances ranging from her as a child in Good Times, her memorable line in Poetic Justice, that yielded rowdy applause and cheering (sickos! haha), right up to her smashing up the furniture in Why Did I Get Married Two.

A great moment was when the Scream video came on an and Janet looked up at Michael and mouthed “I miss you”. Michael appeared again later in the show when pictures of him and his sister showed up on the screens during Together Again, in what was a touching and somewhat surprising number to close the show with.

This show was all about Janet’s voice, complimented by the fantastic live band, and her choreography which was, as always, on point. Janet proved she doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles to send the audience into a frenzy. I really loved the show, although I’m sure some of the fellas in the audience were disappointed she didn’t bring along the harness!

NUMBER ONES UP CLOSE & PERSONAL (LIVE IN TORONTO)

SETLIST

Pleasure Principle
Control
What Have You Done For Me Lately
Feedback

You Want This
Alright
Miss You Much
Nasty

Nothing
Come Back To Me
Let’s Wait Awhile
Again

Doesn’t Really Matter
Escapade
Love Will Never Do (Without You)
When I Think Of You
All For You

That’s The Way Love Goes

What About
Black Cat

Medley
If
Scream
Rhythm Nation

Make Me
Together Again

Major Lazer, Miike Snow & Santigold: Downtown Music Festival (Live At Terminal 5) Review

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Photos by Thomas Fricilone & Louise Tillery

Hard Candy teamed up with Downtown Records and sent our guest reviewer Daniel Feldstein off to the Downtown Music Festival at Terminal Five on Friday night to see Major Lazer, Santigold, Miike Snow and a whole host of other talent perform. We love his review of the event and hope you do also!

Going into Downtown Records’ 5th Anniversary bash at Terminal 5 Friday night I had high expectations. For one night Major Lazer and Miike Snow would be performing back to back sets along with support from the French DJs from Ed Banger records. The musicians all came in top form and were matched by the sold-out crowd’s irrepressible energy.

Normally opening acts can be hit or miss, but So Me and DJ Mehdi delivered back-to-back sets that got people dancing and jumping as soon as they stepped on the dancefloor. So Me dropped a set of fresh electro that sounded Miami-ready, while Medhi dug up some house classics!

Major Lazer brought their Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do manifesto to life with a killer light show and even more lethal performance. The setlist mixed gems like Swedish House Mafia‘s One, Ace of Base‘s The Sign and Duck Sauce‘s Barbra Streisand with Major Lazer‘s trademark techno and reggae fusion, with stage entertainers ranging from the trademark hip-hop MCs to mimes and dueling Jedis. Santigold stuck to her “special guest” billing, coming out for one song and to hype the crowd, but the New York audience loved her anyway. The audience truly exploded every time Major Lazer dropped one of their album cuts, from Pon de Floor to Keep it Going Louder, and they closed strong with the Ricky Blaze track Just You and I.

After the high of the Major Lazer set, the crowd waited impatiently for Miike Snow to arrive on stage and the band rewarded the waiting throngs with an electric rendition of Cult Logic. They ran through Burial and an extended Black and Blue complete with dance-breakdown before removing their trademark masks and tearing through five more songs in their main set, including audience favorites Sylvia and Animal. The band proved they deserve their reputation for incredible musicianship and live gigs; songs featured new arrangements to bring the crowd to life and lead singer Andrew Wyatt matched the enthusiasm by bouncing from just singing to playing guitar and piano along with his band mates. After announcing that this would be their last gig before going back into the studio to finish their second album, the band came back for an encore of In Search Of and an electronic version of Vampire Weekend‘s The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance, performed wearing Tron-like LED light up vests.

The lights came up close to one and the sweaty, exhausted crowd left in search of food, cabs and the rest of their Saturday night. Downtown Records marked five years of influential music in style with a kinetic night that, even for those of us who have seen the individual acts perform on their own, won’t be forgotten anytime soon! – Daniel Feldstein

Oh Land: Live at PopShop Tammany Hall NYC (Review)

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On Thursday night I excitedly headed down to see Oh Land live for the first of what I’m sure will be many times at the new Neon Gold hosted monthly club night PopShop held at Tammany Hall here in New York. I am happy to report that her live show is just as brilliant as I imagined it would be, I guessed that she would be a spirited performer and I was proved right!

She worked the stage expertly moving between banging away on her drum pad machine and taking center stage with just the mic letting her powerful voice be the focus of all attention. The hour-long set included the songs from the EP like White Nights & Sun Of A Gun that apparently a lot of people now know and really love (the crowd was going wild for her!) She also dropped several from the full length album, which I have been listening to for a few weeks now since the label shared it with Hard Candy in advance of the March 15th release. One song that particular came alive for me seeing her perform it live was Voodoo, it’s now firmly stuck in my head and I have not stopped playing it! I also loved the energetic We Turn It Up which she closed the show with.

Seeing her live for the first time confirmed that she really is the total package. She has successfully created songs with interesting production, which in places remind me of greats like Bjork, but she has managed to keep her music accessible and fun to sing along to! She also excels with her fantastic live show – the inclusion of the fabulous visual elements (see above pictures and in the videos), tremendous live vocals and a friendly persona make her the real deal on every level! Catch her live and pick up her album! – Camille

VOODOO

WOLF & I

Adele: iheartradio live at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater

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Photos by Chris Owyoung for iheartradio

When our friends at iheartradio hooked us up with the opportunity to attend the Adele show at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater, we could barely contain our excitement! We first got hooked on the lovely lady with her debut album 19, and now with her sophomore effort 21, our love for her has solidified!

On Friday, we headed down to the show with our friends in tow and excitedly waited for her to take the stage. Having met her outside the Sony building a few months prior, and having had a great but albeit brief conversation, we expected her to be instantly likable on stage and she certainly was! As soon as she wandered out smiling, waving and admitting she was slightly nervous, she had us in the palm of her hand (and we hadn’t even heard her sing yet!) She remarked that since she was nervous she’d better get on with singing and would chat to us later before breaking into Hometown Glory. After just a few notes we were floored, she sounded even better than the record!

After Hometown Glory, true to her word and feeling more relaxed, she launched into a story about giving up smoking (yay Adele!) and erm tomatoes on the advice of her vocal coach, this sounds rather boring as she herself remarked “I can’t believe I just told that story, how boring!” however, it was anything but, she was so chirpy and funny that we loved it!

It was a night of perfect parallels, on the one hand we had the funny and irreverent girl having a laugh with us, telling jokes about fans wanting Beyonce‘s sweaty tissues, and on the other she had us speechless with the power of her vocal ability and poignant lyrics that could move a girl to tears!

21 is released in the U.S on February 22nd and Adele will be embarking on a Spring tour in the U.S (hit more to see the dates) which you just can’t miss! - Camille

SETLIST

Hometown Glory
Don’t You Remember
Turning Tables
Chasing Pavements
Lovesong
Make You Feel My Love
Someone Like You
Rolling In The Deep