Serena Maneesh/Asobi Seksu/Summer Lawns @ The Bowery...303s...New Buzzcocks CD

Last night I went to the Serena Maneesh/Asobi Seksu/Summer Lawns show at The Bowery Ballroom. I went mostly because Asobi Seksu's live shows just totally thrill me, but the other bands were pretty great as well.

Summer Lawns, whom I'd never heard of before the show, played a cool brand of slowed down and slightly fuzzy rock songs. Their line-up included a cello player, which for me is usually the sign of some band trying to Baroque-ify themselves for art's sake. And they usually suck because of it. Not the case with Summer Lawns, which used that normally cumbersome-in-a-rock-setting instrument to sound more like a cool fretless second bass. I can't wait to hear more from them.

Asobi Seksu killed as usual. They mixed in a handful of songs from their forthcoming "Citrus" album, all of which sounded fantastic. Guitarist James Hanna is a feedback and delay virtuoso, and when he punches the foot petals and singer Yuki throws her head back as if to lean into the noise, the sound that comes from the stage from them floors me everytime.

Serena Maneesh opened their show with a fierce feedback and layered noise attack that most bands of that genre could only dream about closing with. Somehow they kept that sonic barrage going for the entire set, and showed off a pounding set of heavy but groovy tunes that made them sound as if they were channeling The Stone Roses, Buckcherry, Sonic Youth, and Black Sabbath...all at once. Crackers United and Village Indian have reviews and great photos of the show.

Speaking of shoegazy fuzz, Jersey homies The 303s are releasing their debut album “Lines of Parallel Minds” next month, and have posted four deliciously dreamy tracks on their MySpace page. Ever wished The Cocteau Twins would cut a record with The Postal Service at Architecture in Helsinki's house? Then this album is for you.

And here's one to keep for your iPod:
The 303s - "Beyond The Lines" mp3 pre-order

Finally, there's a new Buzzcocks album out this week called Flat-Pack Philosophy, and it's pretty great for a bunch of old guys...Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle are the remaining original members, and Rhino has an audio player for the album here. I'm told they are pencilled in to play a run of dates on Warped this Summer. Perhaps the younger alleged "punk" bands on that tour will take the time check in with Shelley & Diggle and get schooled by masters of the trade of the under-three-minute song.