Fresh Bread

Lightspeed Champion / Hey Hey My My - Mercury Lounge 03.05.08

This show tonight...a sold out show by Lightspeed Champion at the Mercury Lounge...could be one of my most favorite shows in the city in a long time.  Maybe it is because Falling Off The Lavender Bridge is already gunning for top spot on my "best of 2008" list and as such has made me look forward to this show with great anticipation.  Maybe it is because "Midnight Surprise" can't be played enough recently by me; it is definitely one of the best 8 minute tracks of recent memory.  Could be both.  I don't know.  But I do know I will do my best to try to relive this experience next week at SXSW like 12 times.

Set list photo below.   Two covers, the Strokes "Heart In A Cage" and Olivia Newton John's (yes, really) "Xanadu." 

French band Hey Hey My My opened the show with their first ever set in the US (the first of three this week in NYC). 

Hey Hey My My is a superbly instinctive blend of enthusiasm and melancholy. Above all, it’s an explosion of energy and the deceptive lightness of simple folk, as if to give more space to the words, which go right to the heart… In all cases, their love of catchy ballads always has the same devastating effect. We leave Julien Garnier and Julien Gaulier with a smile on our lips and a tune in our heads. With the hope of savouring this tantalizing, irresistible folk pop once more and heading back to Merryland, the intimate and enchanting world of Hey Hey My My…

Their set was quite enjoyable; peep this track called "Celia" - which is actually about Kirsten Dunst (apparently "Kirsten" didn't flow very well).   

"Celia" - Hey Hey My My.mp3

Lightspeed Champion

I'm on the latest nme cover... when i was doing the shoot i didn't actually know it was the cover, i woulda shaved and not worn this silly hat and maybe tried to look presentable.. anf maybe worn a pair of jeans without a HUGE HOLE IN THE CROTCH""!"""""?"?/""?" (cmon... atleast 20 people MUST have seen that before it went to print..whatever dude..) ANYWAY.. it's crazy.. thank you to everyone, the album is number 25 in hmv and somewhere on the outskirts of the uk top 40 and number 5 on itunes!?!?!? next level.... (LC on his blog)

My new musical obsession is former Test Icicle Devonte Hynes' current band, Lightspeed Champion.  I never "got" the Icicles, but believe me LC's upcoming album Falling Off The Lavender Bridge (out in the US this Tuesday , Feb 5th) makes me want to sing its praises to anyone that will listen.  And you should...listen that is (you can stream the album in its entirety on his myspace page).  My favorite track is the 8 minute-plus jam "Midnight Surprse" - for me, an early contender for song of the year.  I will say the entire album is solid and as Devonte said on his blog, next level indeed.

I just picked up my tix for his acoustic show here in NYC on March 5th at the Mercury Lounge (also playing Union Pool on March 8th).  Until then, I'll be listening to the album...daily...multiple times.