MP3: Ducktails - "Killin' the Vibe"

Killer StyleQ: What song combines 3 of your favorite dude crooners on the indie scene right now - Ducktails + Dent May + Panda Bear?

A: Ducktails - "Killin' the Vibe"

The special edition of "Killin' the Vibe," which you get when you order Duckies' newest album, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics, on vinyl here.

And congrats to Matt, who finally moved back out of his parents' house.

MP3: Ducktails - "Art Vandelay"

"Everybody Knows"
Everybody knows... this song to be a Real Estate song. Well, you do if you've seen them perform it regularly in their sets from the last year or so. But it's a Ducktails jam, actually! Although this recorded version is decidedly more bedroom-y (a la old Ducktails one-man-band style), "Art Vandelay" definitely feels like a Mondanile-penned Real Estate song. (Though it should be noted it is not new or uncommon for them to play Matt Mondanile's solo project Ducktails' songs.) It's the one we'd leave their shows singing, Everybody knowwws, somethin somethin somethinnn...

Ducktails - "Art Vandelay"

And we still can not get it out of our heads. Seriously, it's been months.

SHOW: Julian Lynch, Ducktails, LA BIG VIC & More...

Microphone Memory Emotion Presents...

Georgia over at MME is throwing this rad show on Friday. We'll be there. So you should be, too.

VIDEO: Ducktails - "Landrunner" / "Don't Make Plans" Live

PIXELBOMB Presents...

"Matt Mondanile makes girls wet." This is what I overheard some girls saying during the Ducktails set at Shea Stadium during Northside Fest. Okay, MAYBE those girls were us.

Here are two videos of Ducktails we shot that night. One is of an old fave, "Landrunner," which is now being performed with a whole band, which is new and diff for Ducktails. You can hear Matt say, "This one's a doozy" before launching in:

This next one's a new song, a chillwave mantra if you will, called "Don't Make Plans":

Ducktails will be touring with Big Troubles the next month or so. You should catch their show.

PHOTOS: NORTHSIDE FEST 2010

PRESENTED BY PIXELBOMB

Coasting @ Matchless

Family Portrait @ Matchless

Real Estate @ MHOW

Dana Jewell @ Shea Stadium

Big Troubles @ Shea Stadium

Andrew Cedermark @ Shea Stadium

Ducktails (feat. members of Big Troubles) @ Shea Stadium

Shea Stadium...

Barge Park Dawgs

Keepaway @ BK Bowl

Photos by Elise Oh, Emilie Friedlander, and Lena Vee

Alex Bleeker, Julian Lynch & Ducktails @ Origami Vinyl

Tuesday evening, the marvelous Marissa Ross-curated show at Orgiami Vinyl brought Jersey a little closer to Los Angeles. Alex Bleeker, Julian Lynch, and Ducktails took to Orgiami's loft to jam out a free show before rocking the Woodsist fest at the Echo next door.

Ducktails played first, splitting his set between concise, low-key beach pop numbers (video of the opening song below) and a more expansive sample-oriented jam that dove into deeper musical waters. Fellow Real Estate agent Martin Courtney provided tambourine on the first set of songs.

Ducktails @ Origami

Next up was Alex Bleeker, with support from Lynch on electric guitar and Ducktailer Matt Mondanile on tambourine (tambourine was really key that day). Bleeker played all the choice cuts from last year's excellent record with the Freaks ("Summer Song/Epilogue", "Part 2", "Animal Tracks"), as well as "Never Goin' Back" (video below).

Alex Bleeker @ Origami

Julian Lynch closed out the evening with an extended, droning jam. Peppering the low-frequency hum with delay-ridden bursts from a multitude of instruments and the occasional feedback squelch, it was a great contrast to Ducktails and Bleeker and the perfect ending to the evening.

MICRO-PIXEL-RITES' PRE-SXSW PUMP-UP SHOW

Party At My House
The ladies of PIXELHORSE, Visitation Rites, and Microphone Memory Emotion present you with an exclusive pre-SXSW house show this weekend. Alex Bleeker and the Freaks will be there, freakin' out, playing first. Family Portrait will follow, kicking off their tour and playing with their recently restored, stellar lineup. Finally, there will be a suuuper special secret surprise guest performance. (We're so excited about this we could pee!) Come party with your fave bloguettes, bros and bands, and help fuel their trips down to Austin, TX for SXSW 2010 so thousands can benefit from their beautiful jams.

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks 8:00
Family Portrait 9:00
Surprise Guests* 10:00

Saturday, March 6th 8pm
59 Jefferson St, #402
Brooklyn, NY
21+ $8

*(feat. members of Ducktails, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks, Predator Vision, and more...)

CMJ Tonight: Group Tightener Showcase @ Monster Island

As I always do, without fail, I threw away all regard for plans the next day and totally overdid it last night by raging til 3:00 AM. After waiting twenty minutes for the G train, I glimpsed two lights down the tracks in the distance but was horrified to realize it was two surly-looking MTA employees with flashlights, casually lumbering down the tracks. Took a cab. Feeling pretty heavy at work today. Business as usual. Let that be a lesson to ya.

Uhh point is, I'm counting on this funtastic show tonight at Monster Island to totally revive me. Alex Bleeker, Ducktails, Best Coast, Highlife, Fluffy Lumbers! You know, Todd P and the gang. Don't skip it to go see some other shit. Unless maybe you're at the OMR showcase securing your spot to see Real Estate. Even still, you could just suck it up and see them at one of the other umpteen rad shows they're playing this week. Don't fuck it up.

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks - "Never Goin' Back" (via Bobka)
(video here. This jam was formerly "King of the Mountain.")

Best Coast - "Wish He Was You" (stream)

See ya later skaters!

VIDEO: Alex Bleeker and the Freaks -"Animal Tracks" @ Union Pool

More goodies from that maaagical night at Union Pool. Man, never thought I'd see those terms all in the same sentence. At least not since that one summer night when I witnessed a group of kids shotgunning PBR's, making out, and vomiting all over the backyard fountain. Oh, Union Pool, how we love to hate thee.

Er, anyway. Here's Bleek and the Freaks makin' magic, makin' magic magic. Watch the Freaks cover "Animal Tracks" by the lovely women of Mountain Man. Martin Courtney from Real Estate is chillin on bass, Alex "the Gator" Steinberg on guitar. See Matt Mondanile (Ducktails, Real Estate) frrreak on drums. In the farers he reminds us of Guy "Shades" Patterson. (It's pronounced "oh-need-ers" remember?) And of course, feast yer eyes on Bleek-the-Freak Bleekalicious Bleekditty himself.

Woo... is it hot in here or is it just us?

VIDEO: Underwater Peoples Showcase

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks! Lo-fi Neil vibes. Jersey lovin to the max<3.

Family Portrait. Oh man oh man oh man... These dudes are the ultimate in face meltery.

Beach Fossils with the jungle pop heat and psychedelic surf-rock energy!

Ducktails was there. Oh man! The scene leader himself! It was suuuper hypnagogic.

OKAY, so, silly labels aside, this was the best NYC show evz. Those who stuck around and braved heat stroke can/will attest. The highlights were the super sexy sweaty smokin set by Family Portrait, some sweet-ass covers (Fluffy Lumbers on the Cranberries' "Dreams," Liam the Younger on Nirvana's "Territorial Pissings," Real Estate on Weezer's "Sweater Song"), a v-chat sesh with Julian Lynch live on clarinet from UW in Madison... Underwater Peoples has stolen my heart. Stay tuned!

Shooting at Market Hotel is hard, man. I wish the image quality was better. All videos will follow in the coming days. 9 hours of footage... I've been up for days running on just cigarettes and blueberries... pplz bear with me!