Everyone is Everywhere

I think the best part of living in the city is being able to do things on a whim. For example, I heard about this house show in West Philadelphia yesterday, scheduled for earlier tonight. So it was last minute, but I didn't have any plans... so I could go. Just took the subway there with Scotty and Amanda like usual; was able to procure alcohol which is no big deal because there's no driving involved. It's just so easy. But yeah mostly I want to talk about the show.

Everyone Everywhere is this great bunch of dudes (3/4 Temple kids and I see them around all the time) that play just like, this really happy, Promise Ring-style pop-punk. Like (old) TPR, they sing about pretty mundane (or maybe just really specific?) things; partying because an old friend is back from a semester abroad, bike rides, um, houses with no basements. It's really simple stuff. Not really a retread but it's not breaking new ground either, but for some reason I can't get enough of them. They just make me really happy. I got to see them for the first time tonight at the brand new Breakfast and Dessert House (awesome space, but will probably grow into a really whack scene.) On stage they give off this really lovable vibe... like those really nice guys from back home. And they're back in town for like, Thanksgiving or something. And they're all really into it and like me, sometimes say too much (actually that's really just guitarist Tommy Manson but really, for some reason, this band can't do any wrong in my eyes. Why is this?!). The set was great. They have a seven-inch coming out sometime on Flightplan Records... it's been in the works for like, fucking ever. Should be available by the time they play with Lemuria (November 12, Circle of Hope. Cannot waiiiiit.)

Johnny Foreigner headlined. They're from England and are apparently pretty big (10/10 on Drowned in Sound for their debut) over there. I'd never heard them until I heard about the show and I checked them out. It's like, good spazzy pop but I didn't really delve that deep. Tonight, watching them play, all I could think was Los Campesinos!. I mean, their sound, for one, has the same restless, on-edg-and-still-kinda-twee feel to it. Their singers have the same haircuts. They both wear too-small, girl-cut shirts. This whole Campesinos/Foreigner thing was really bothering me for the first part of their set... I just couldn't get into it. LC! have released one of my favorite records of the year and I just kept wishing it was them I was seeing instead of Johnny Foreigner. But like, there was a tipping point somewhere and I really started to feel it. Johnny Foreigner are actually probably the better of the two bands. They're only a three-piece so there's a lot less bullshit and they're not as stylized as LC! can sometimes seem. What I'm saying is is this: they play the same kind of awesome, glitchy, Pavement-centric twee shit I love but it's only the essentials; no glock, no violins, no group-shouts etc. Also, Alexei (vocals) never called me out on Myspace.

Everyone Everywhere
Johnny Foreginer
Septa Green Line (West Philly trolleys=whackest shit ever. Why can't we have a transportation system fit for the 21st century?)