Conor Oberst is one of the more divisive characters in indie rock, deeply, madly loved by so many, and probably hated just as vehemently by quite a few as well. It’s hard to put a finger why his music causes such intense feelings. His songs are intimate and heartfelt, that much is undeniable; beyond that, I guess it depends on how you look at things. Oberst’s recent “solo” album was released on Merge Records, a step away from both the Bright Eyes name that has defined him and the Saddle Creek label that he has been closely tied to for years, and it is one of the most direct looks at the music of this icon and iconoclast, a beautiful and emotional record that is sure to top many best-of lists this year. The band rolled into the shop during a short promo tour when the album came out this summer. We raffled off 100 tickets, and hundreds more fans showed up on the off chance that they could sneak in, or even just sneak a peak at their hero. For a shop like Other Music, where fans and artists tend to casually mingle on a daily basis, it was more than a little overwhelming, as Oberst was mobbed at every turn.

But that is just hype, the real story was the performance, which, especially in the confines of our tiny space, was simply stunning. Raw and passionate and hauntingly beautiful, that band ran through much of their new album and added in a few surprises, and I don’t think that anyone who saw the show could have been unmoved. I for one was converted into a believer, and I hope you enjoy the film as much as we all do. Let us know what you think, and thanks for watching!

-Josh Madell

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We had hoped to host the Magnetic Fields in the shop when they were in town supporting their recent pop masterpiece Distortion, but considering how rare their performances are these days, we were not surprised when the band politely declined. But we were THRILLED when Stephin Merritt invited Other Music and our friends, Dig for Fire, to drop by the green room at their Town Hall stand for some relaxed small talk and solo performances of “The Nun’s Litany” off of Distortion, and “This Little Ukulele,” from Merritt’s soundtrack for Eban & Charley. Even a record clerk has to step out now and then, and we hope you enjoy the two-part premiere of Backstage with Other Music.

-Josh Madell

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Underground hip-hop legends Antipop Consortium will always be close to our hearts at Other Music, as they are one of the many amazing bands that have sprung from the minds of OM employees. Beans worked at the shop for several years as Antipop came together and found its sound. We’ve probably sold more of their records than any store in the world, and some of their best shows were at Other Music events, like the Frying Pan party in 2001 with Handsome Boy Modeling School, Squarepusher, Alec Empire and the rest, where APC debuted their amazing live/improv set. Fans always hate to see their favorite groups break up, but when APC imploded, I think a lot of people felt they had been robbed of the surely groundbreaking music that the band’s evolution had promised. Now back together after several years, this film shows Antipop Consortium living up to all the expectations and more, with some of the best new songs of their career and a dynamic, explosive stage show. Call me biased, but APC are one of the best hip-hop groups around and they are on the move!

-Josh Madell

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Detroit’s Dirtbombs are a two bass, two drum set squall of a rock and roll band, fronted by Mick Collins who’s not only one of the best voices in rock, but also a stellar songwriter and an all-around musical iconoclast. The group has spent a long career shrugging off the “garage rock” moniker that lazy critics always try to pin on them, with a series of adrenaline-fueled singles and albums of furious soul, punk, R&B and yes, even raw (garage) rock. But their live show has always been where their legend was made, so we were thrilled when the band agreed to stop by the store when the passed through NYC touring behind their dark new album We Have You Surrounded, on In the Red. They played the record from start to finish, climbed on the racks and swung from the light fixtures…really! Afterwards, Collins sat down to talk about the album, his belated entry into the Detroit Techno scene, and a few other things that were brewing behind those wrap-around shades. Check it out!

-Josh Madell

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Shara Worden first came to the attention of the masses as a collaborator of Sufjan Stevens on his Illinoise album and tour, but in her own right this classically-trained singer and talented multi-instrumentalist has gotten much acclaim as My Brightest Diamond, a shifting orchestral-pop experiment revolving around her intensely personal songs and stunning voice. During a record-breaking heat wave this week, and on the eve of the release of MBD’s second full-length, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (out next Tuesday, June 17 on Asthmatic Kitty), Shara performed a set of the new songs with just her guitar, voice, and string quartet, and we were mesmerized.

-Josh Madell

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Onetime Brooklyn mainstays Blood on the Wall (now a Kansas/Los Angeles hybrid… a typically obtuse BOTW move) made a recent swing back through town touring behind the great new Liferz LP on Social Registry, and we were excited to have them by the shop. The band are often tagged as indie-revivalists, reveling in the sounds of ’90s heroes like Pixies, Sonic Youth and Pavement. While on some levels these comparisons are obvious, the most striking and most thrilling thing about this brother/sister miasma is their unhinged, sweaty rock and roll stage show, which you’ll see was in full effect at Other Music. We followed the gig with one of the loosest and most hilarious interviews yet.

-Josh Madell

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Yeah, we were a little bit scared when we booked Black Lips to play an in-store. Would they (and their combat ready fans — check the army helmet in the front row) tear apart the store? Would they blow the sound system? Would they pee on us? But our passion beat out our terror, and anyway, they wanted to play acoustic, so what could go wrong? And despite a reputation for alcohol-fueled mayhem at their gigs, by all accounts these guys are sweet, silly and a ton of fun, and they did not disappoint on any of these fronts. The band delivered a (vaguely) acoustic set of raucous songs from their recent Good Bad Not Evil album, as well as some classics. Afterwards our super-fan Pam sat down in the back room with Cole and Jared to talk about life on the road, dressing like ghosts, and their impending expedition to China. Don’t be frightened, enjoy!

-Josh Madell

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We have been big fans of Victoria Bergsman since her days with the Concretes, and when she left that band, and then turned up on Peter Bjorn & John’s breakout single “Young Folks,” you had to wonder what was in store next for this shy Swedish chanteuse. Open Field by Taken By Trees, Victoria’s stellar solo debut (disguised as a new “band” project, and produced by Bjorn Vittling), fulfilled all the promise of this talented artist, and when we heard that she was going to be in New York on a rare U.S. tour, we insisted that the band come by to play some songs. Honestly, I had a pit in my stomach throughout this entire performance. Victoria is notoriously reluctant to take the stage, and in the close quarters of the store, her squeamishness was palpable; add to that her soon-to-be-legendary admission in our interview that she does not like humans, and I just wasn’t sure WHAT we had. You can take a look and decide for yourself, but in the end I think we have a stellar performance and revealing interview with a talented and iconoclastic artist. We hope you agree.

-Josh Madell

Listen and Buy Taken by Trees on Other Music Digital»
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We try to keep mixing things up with our ongoing Live at Other Music series, featuring a broad selection of our favorite artists from a variety of genres, performing and chatting about their music and their inspirations, reflecting varied musical passions for the artists as well as all of us at Other Music. As such, we’ve seen a variety of different approaches to making music and how these artists fit into the broader community. Still, when we’re lucky enough to host a musician with the singular vision and dedication of Malian griot and kora prodigy Toumani Diabate, it makes us all take pause. Diabate traces his musical heritage back 70 generations. His instrument, the kora, is more than 700 years old and is an integral part of his traditional culture, and this history is central to Diabate’s music and his life. He is both a musician and a teacher, a traditionalist as well as an innovator, and while many in our circle may have first taken notice of Diabate from his recent appearance on Bjork’s Volta album, or know his name from his Grammy-winning recordings with Ali Farka Toure, despite many high-profile and innovative collaborations, Diabate sees his primary mission as an educator and champion of traditional Malian culture. It was an honor to have him play for us at Other Music, and even more so to sit with Diabate and learn. The first film is centered around our interview with Diabate and is interspersed with highlights from his set. We’ve also included a second clip which features a full song performance. Both segments are truly stunning, we hope you enjoy.

-Josh Madell

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Joe “White” Williams started to make a name for himself late last year with a couple of high-profile tours with Girl Talk and Dan Deacon, and the release of his stellar Smoke album on Tigerbeat6 (soon picked up by Domino). His music comes off as an updated electro take on the classic ’70s-era glam of T-Rex and Eno, but other than that, we didn’t know much about him. Turns out the reason why is that he recorded and mixed his debut album in the isolation of his home studio, and had never played a single live show as White Williams until after the album was released. A scant few months into the band’s career they dropped by the store for a short set and a few questions on music history and the band’s future. Enjoy!

-Josh Madell

Listen to White Williams on Other Music Digital »

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