The Next Round - Episode 54: Elizabeth & the Catapult

Usually I buy the drinks on The Next Round, but when the coffee shop we were supposed to go to was unexpectedly closed, Elizabeth Ziman improvised (She is a musician.) and invited me into her apartment for tea. We had a great talk, starting with her childhood in the Village and ending with the release of her fantastic fourth record, Keepsake, an album so good, you'd never guess it was the result of mashing up old journal entries with NyQuil-influenced fever dreams.

Stream below, download directly, or subscribe on iTunes (and rate it 5 stars).


Elizabeth is on tour now. Check here for dates.
Read my review of her release show.
Buy Keepsake on vinyl/CD/digital.

Listen to "Ambrosia" and a song from every guest on The Next Round Companion Playlist.

The Next Round - Episode 53: Matthew Logan Vasquez

It's that time again, when rock critics start posting their best-of-the-year picks. While I still like to give December its fair shot, my album of the year (so far, and since April) is Matthew Logan Vasquez's second LP, Does What He Wants. I got the opportunity to interview MLV back in April for the podcast. It was a great talk, but his tour ended before I was able to schedule the episode. Now that he's about to go on the road again, it's finally time to hear what Delta Spirit's frontman has to say about fatherhood, stage presence, and the sound of discovery.

Stream below, download directly, or subscribe on iTunes like the good person you are.


Click here for MLV tour dates.
Order Does What He Wants on vinyl.

Alex Lahey Music Hall of Williamsburg Setlist

NERVOUS DATER - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (28 minutes)

SET -
Fun Dumpster / Vominos / Run Home / Bad Spanish / Pigeon Language / Serenity / Don't Be a Stranger

DUDE YORK - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (34 minutes)

SET -
Black Jack > Lonely Girls* / Something in the Way > Tonight / The Way I Feel > Love Is / Twin Moons / Paralyzed

ALEX LAHEY - 11.16.17 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (1 hour, 11 minutes)

SET -

Every Day's the Weekend / Wes Anderson / Perth Traumatic Stress Disorder / L-L-L-Leave Me Alone / Awkward Exchange / I Want U / Ivy League / Let's Call It a Day / I Love You Like a Brother / Lotto in Reverse / Backpack / Torn / I Haven't Been Taking Care of Myself

ENCORE -

There's No Money / Let's Go Out / You Don't Think You Like People Like Me

White Reaper Le Poisson Rouge Setlist

Review to come.

WHITE REAPER - 11.10.17 - LE POISSON ROUGE (1 hour, 1 minute)

SET -

Wolf Trap Hotel > Last 4th of July > Pills / Little Silver Cross / I Don't Think She Cares > Crystal Pistol > Sheila / Eagle Beach / Friday the 13th / The World's Best American Band / The Stack / Judy French / Make Me Wanna Die > B.T.K. / Tequila Crowdsurfing Jam*

ENCORE -

Half Bad

Elizabeth & the Catapult Shares Her Keepsakes at Le Poisson Rouge

Last night at Le Poisson Rouge, Elizabeth & the Catapult (Elizabeth Ziman) performed an intimate album release show for her fourth LP, Keepsake. The collection of songs is aptly named. It's a sophisticated pop record that travels effortlessly through styles while still packing a melodic punch. I've already listened to it multiple times, and it hasn't even come out yet.

The subterranean space was arranged in a way I hadn't seen there before, with the stage in the center, surrounded by a flotilla of tables. My view of the stage was bisected by a column, but I was able to see Elizabeth take a seat at the piano in the right half. She began with LCD Soundsystem's sombre "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" before brightening things up by segueing into her own "Mea Culpa." With an intrusive squeal, the noisy air conditioner above the stage kicked on right after the song's final lyric, "More bad mistakes for us to make before we fuck it all up," which was actually kind of endearing in that moment. Elizabeth thanked the audience and promised, "I'm just gonna give you everything I've got tonight until until I burst into a million pieces, and then I just have to lie down." A five-piece band materialized onstage to back her on the chorus of "Magic Chaser." After a pair of tunes from her previous LP, Ziman got on her feet and moved to keyboard to her right for a breakneck "Less Than You Think." Despite a technical issue with the keyboard that required Elizabeth to switch to the piano during "Method Acting," the song was one of the evening's best performances, culminating in a beautiful vocal harmony that included Secret Someones' Hannah Winkler. Ziman conceded the keyboard to Winkler and took a handheld mic to the center of the stage. The band proceeded with Keepsake's first single/track, "We Can Pretend," with its lush, Polynesian sounds evoking imagery of Technicolor musicals. They followed it with the album's peppy second single/track "Underwater" and then the band scattered, leaving Elizabeth alone. She performed a solo vocal rendition of Greg Laswell's "Embrace Me" and then shared acoustic guitar duties with Jonno Linden on "Let's Make a Mess of Our Love," a number new enough to not even be on the record.

"So the experiment continues," Ziman said, returning to the keyboard. "I had a children's choir sing on this song on my album, but I couldn't get them in here 'cause they're children." "We'll sing! We'll sing!" offered an eager crowdmember. "Will you be my children?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh. Looping her breath as percussion, she pressed on with "Ambrosia." While it may have been a lot to ask the audience to sing along on a song that they'd never heard before, its hopeful lyrics over a plucky, staccato refrain just beg for audience participation, and I have no doubt that over time this will become an Elizabeth & the Catapult concert staple.  At its denouement, Ziman held up a paper to read a list of thank yous, as well as a political speech in which she encouraged the crowd to "keep spreading love however you know how."

Elizabeth welcomed a mustachioed Jeff Taylor to the stage for his clapper "Kadoka," which was followed by a quick round of "Happy Birthday to You" for Wiman's mom and a "Better Days" bouncier than its studio version. "I just threw the setlist out the window," Ziman announced as she invited Emily Mure and Jeff Taylor to help close out the set with "Where Were You the Night," her reaction to last year's surprising election results. The elegy crescendoed into a chaotic jam, the vocalists' haunting wails intertwining to suggest a ghostly choir of past presidents spinning in their graves.

ELIZABETH & THE CATAPULT - 10.18.17 - LE POISSON ROUGE (1 hour, 26 minutes)

SET -

New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down > Mea Culpa > New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down > Mea Culpa / Magic Chaser / Salt of the Earth / Happy Pop / Less Than You Think / Method Acting / We Can Pretend / Underwater / Embrace Me / Let's Make a Mess of Our Love / Ambrosia / Thank You for Nothing / Kadoka (feat. Jeff Taylor) / Happy Birthday to You / Better Days / Where Were You the Night (feat. Emily Mure & Jeff Taylor)

ENCORE -

Go Away My Lover (feat. Jeff Taylor)

Afropunk 2017 Sunday Setlists

Review to come.


SON LITTLE - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (25 minutes, 30 seconds)

SET -
Alice / Blue Magic (Waikiki) > Go Blue Blood Red / Your Love Will Blow Me Away / The River / Charging Bull

GARY CLARK, JR. - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (53 minutes)

SET -
When My Train Pulls In / Next Door Neighbor Blues / Ain't Messin' 'Round / Our Love / Cold Blooded / Bright Lights / Things Are Changin' / You Saved Me

RAPHAEL SAADIQ - 08.27.17 - COMMODORE BARRY PARK, AFROPUNK FESTIVAL (1 hour, 23 minutes)

SET -
Intro > 100 Yard Dash > Heart Attack > Be Here > Will It Go Round in Circles / Movin' Down the Line > Good Man > Get Involved > I Chase You* > Dance Tonight > Don't Mess with My Man / Let's Get Down > Still Ray > Blind Man / Oph > Charlie Ray / You're the One That I Like > Never Give You Up > Just One Kiss / (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow > Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop) > Anniversary / Kissin' You > It Never Rains (in Southern California) / Soul Sista (feat. Bilal) / Ask of You / Lady > Just Me & You > Cranes in the Sky > Skyy, Can You Feel Me > Outro

Nicky Francis Pete's Candy Store Setlist

Review to come.

NICKY FRANCIS - 05.18.17 - PETE'S CANDY STORE (35 minutes, 30 seconds)

SET -
Meant to Last / Don't Push Me / Crooked Path / Did Her for the Love / Tattoo / Nobody Knows / Talking / The Way That We Are

The Next Round - Episode 52: Caleb Caudle

Caleb Caudle is in a never-ending battle to improve himself, whether that means quitting alcohol to increase his productivity, or expanding his sound by exploring new musical styles on his upcoming LP, Crushed Coins. After receiving accolades last year for his seventh record, Carolina Ghost, it would be easy for someone in his position to rest on their laurels. But the battle rages on inside in Caleb. Thankfully, we get to hear it.

Stream below, download directly, or subscribe on iTunes like a decent human being.


Read a review of his Rockwood concert.
Listen to "Tuscaloosa" and more on The Next Round Companion Playlist.
Go see Caleb on tour now!