Pretty Lights: all over Colorado this week
*Merry Swankster is far away on a much overdue vacation, for Denver listings this week we point you to Gigbot.
March 5th, 2010
Your racist uncle’s worst nightmare
Jay Z in the White House Situation Room
Jay Z visited the White House this week and got some face time with the Jigga in chief:
During the final moments of his performance at Verizon Center Wednesday night, Jay-Z casually dropped a gigantic boast: “I just came from the White House.”
White House officials were button-lipped about the visit Wednesday, but confirmed on Thursday morning that, yes, Jay-Z did indeed visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. An official said the rapper toured the White House on Wednesday and had a quick, unscheduled visit with President Obama. The POTUS did not attend the concert.
It’s a long ways away from the Marcy Houses.
March 4th, 2010
News: Phish likely to play Telluride shows this summer
Telluride - Photo cred
Not confirmed yet, but Phish is likely to play two huge Telluride shows this summer on August 9 & 10 following Telluride’s annual Bluegrass Festival. To call Telluride beautiful is an understatement. It’s like Earth porn. This should be interesting.
The band would play for 9,000 people, said Craig Ferguson, the organizer of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. He’s working with Phish’s promoter, AEG Live, on bringing the band here.
If 9,000 people show up, that would make the Phish concert one of the biggest events of the summer, up there with Bluegrass and Blues and Brews.
CCAASE members voted unanimously to put the concert on the calendar, and raised few serious objections.
“There’s clearly an economic benefit to having them come,” said board member Dawn Ibis.
Representatives from the Telluride Jazz Celebration attended. The Phish shows are on a Monday and Tuesday directly following the Jazz festival’s weekend. (via)
March 1st, 2010
Pavement: It begins!
Via Stereogum, we have the ultimate confirmation that Pavement is, in fact, touring. Rejoice!
March 1st, 2010
Fellow netizens, our long outdated design nightmare is over
Nothing says progress like a dressed monkey on a bike
Hi folks. As you can see things look different here today at Merry Swankster.com. Over the last year or so I’ve been working with the good people at DayJob, Inc to redesign our stale, moldy and outdated website and welcome some terribly needed modernity into the mix. I’ve always been the first to admit that our former storefront, so to speak, looked more like the dirty, downtrodden shop that one was more likely to pass by even though excellent service awaited just past the dusty windows. Like the neighborhood shoe repair owned by the heavily accented man that does incredible work despite the ash-riden and disorganized mess surrounding him, the old site was kinda like that.
I started this music blog in the early months of 2005. Back when it was nothing more than an outlet to toss irreverent thoughts on music. While a LOT has happened in that time – 2000+ posts, thousands of photographs and hundreds of shows later, the sad fact is the basic look and feel of the blog never changed. After several false starts and more than one aborted attempt at change, we finally arrive to where we are now and I couldn’t be happier.
For those of you interested in these types of things, we’ve migrated from Movable Type to WordPress, a publishing tool that is infinitely better suited for our needs. The entire site has been redone. Other than the obvious changes to the design, features including better search, functioning comment capabilities (!) and organizational items like more efficient categories were totally overhauled. A huge thanks from the entire Swankster crew to Todd & Sean at DayJob for their talents and hard work in getting things done. Folks may better know these gents as the warm bodied souls behind the Gigbot enterprise. (If you haven’t you must check it out! Gigbot is a great resource for music lovers.)
Before the orchestra music cuts me off — teleprompter says I have 20 seconds — I few things I need to get out of the way:
We’re still working out some kinks, so if things look funny or weird, this is why. All of our legacy content — a good 5 years worth — was imported and is available on the current platform. Most of it looks just fine, but some stuff suffered bumps and bruises from the trip. Again, we’re working on it. Categories are mixed up and pretty much all the bylines are wrong. I’m sure other things will come up as we continue exploring our new digs. Just like the first day at a new restaurant, even simple things like silverware settings tend to get botched, so if you get 2 spoons and no knife, we apologize in advance.
Well that’s it. As I communicated to the Merry Swankster staff — things moved from “happening, I promise” to “happened!” We’re very excited. Hope you are too. Glad to have you. Have a nice day.
-Merry Swankster
PS – Our RSS feeds are updated, thus you’ll need to do the same.
March 1st, 2010
Denver/Boulder Shows this week: 3.1.2009 – 3.7.2010
The Knew
Monday March 1
Los Lonely Boys @ Boulder Theater
Tuesday March 2
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Gothic Theatre
Swollen Members @ Fox Theatre
Izzy and the Kesstronics @ Surfside 7
Wednesday March 3
Rose’s Pawn Shop @ 3 Kings Tavern
Dovekins @ Meadowlark
Calm @ Bluebird Theater
Eminence Ensemble @ Cervantes’ Other Side
The New Mastersounds @ Fox Theatre
Some Friends Of Mine @ Larimer Lounge
Thursday March 4
A Shoreline Dream @ Hi-Dive
Midnite @ Bluebird Theater
Birth @ Rhinoceropolis
Blooz Dogz @ Walnut Room
Circle Of Contempt @ Marquis Theater
Of David @ Gothic Theatre
2dbaii & Nc Tha Great @ Fox Theatre
Dorian Vibe @ Cervantes’ Other Side
Turn 4 @ Larimer Lounge
Friday March 5
Furthur: Phil Lesh & Bob Weir @ 1STBANK Center
Gregory Alan Isakov @ Fox Theatre
A Sunny Day In Glasgow @ Hi-Dive
Laura Veirs & The Hall Of Flames @ Larimer Lounge
200 Million Years (CD Release) @ Meadowlark
The Autumn Film (CD Release) @ Walnut Room
Young Dubliners @ Soiled Dove
Regret Night (CD Release) @ Marquis Theater
Midnite @ Boulder Theater
The Bridge @ Cervantes’ Other Side
Jes LIVE @ The Church
Dogmatic @ Cervantes’
Kill Syndicate @ Gothic Theatre
Slave To The Metal @ Bender’s Tavern
Sound Traffic @ Herman’s Hideaway
Clay Walker @ Grizzly Rose
Saturday March 6
Furthur: Phil Lesh & Bob Weir @ 1STBANK Center
The Knew (CD Release) @ Bluebird Theater
We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Hi-Dive
Bad Weather California @ Rhinoceropolis
The English Beat w/ Fishbone @ Gothic Theatre
Neko Case w/ Judy Collins @ Ellie Caulkins Opera House
The New Mastersounds @ Ogden Theater
Cevin Key @ Larimer Lounge
Frequency 54 @ Herman’s Hideaway
Flooded Basement @ Lion’s Lair
Slave To The Metal @ Bender’s Tavern
Wiz Khalifa w/ U-God @ Marquis Theater
The Bridge @ Cervantes’ Other Side
BaoBao Festival @ Boulder Theater
Jackopierce @ Soiled Dove
Aloft In The Sundry @ Oriental Theater
Slave To the Metal @ Bender’s Tavern
BT Laptop Symphony @ Beta
Michael Rose @ Cervantes’
Az & Cormega @ Fox Theatre
Sunday March 7
New Found Glory @ Gothic Theatre
Bocumast @ Hi-Dive
Cobra Skulls @ Moe’s
Zakir Hussain & the Masters of Percussion @ Boulder Theater
Pawn Ticket Trio @ Lion’s Lair
Move Along @ Larimer Lounge
Grayson Capps @ Walnut Room
Savage Machiine @ 3 Kings Tavern
End of Empires @ Marquis Theater
Baji @ Cervantes’ Other Side
Christian Night Out @ Cervantes’
February 26th, 2010
Video: Ssion ‘Clown’
Ssion – “Clown”
Here’s a vibrantly awesome video for your Friday afternoon. Super colorful, super catchy, super awesome, super glam, super. Go full screen on this one to fully appreciate it. Watching it brings back bad memories of missing Ssion’s set (pronounced like the 2nd syllable of passion) and instead suffering through Fischerspooner…//shudders\\.
February 22nd, 2010
Denver/Boulder: Shows this week | 2.22.2009 – 2.28.2010
[Fanfarlo]
Monday February 22
The Growlers @ Hi-Dive
Epica @ Bluebird Theater
Billy Joel & Elton John @ Pepsi Center
Tuesday February 23
Noodles Alexander @ Larimer Lounge
Bowline On A Bight @ Cervantes Other Side
Tyler Despres and Maria Kohler @ Meadowlark
Wednesday February 24
Chainsaw Love Affair @ Marquis Theater
Black Cat Ashes @ Larimer Lounge
Octopus Nebula & Papadosio @ Fox Theatre
Neverbreak, With Vengeance @ Herman’s Hideaway
Thursday February 25
Blacklisted @ Marquis Theater
Jesse Daniel and the Reckoning @ Larimer Lounge
The Widow’s Bane @ Hi-Dive
Matt Morris @ Bluebird Theater
Alkaline Trio w/ Cursive @ Gothic Theatre
Daisy May Erlewine & Seth Bernard @ Cervantes Other Side
Boulder Acoustic Society @ Fox Theatre
Kam Moye @ Walnut Room
8th ElEment @ Herman’s Hideaway
Backslide & Friends @ Lion’s Lair
Titwrench Presents: Sarabelle, Origami Hands, more @ Meadowlark
Friday February 26
The Sandwitches @ Rhinoceropolis
Alesana @ Marquis Theater
Taun Taun @ Larimer Lounge
Moonspeed @ Hi-Dive
The Swayback @ Bluebird Theater
Switchfoot @ Ogden Theater
Amy Grant @ Paramount Theatre
John Jorgenson Quintet @ Swallow Hill (Daniels Hall)
Orion’s Bow @ Swallow Hill (Tuft Theatre)
Switchpin @ Gothic Theatre
Lunar Fire @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Liebermonster @ Cervantes Other Side
Super Diamond @ Boulder Theater
Stockholm Syndrome @ Fox Theatre
The Stigmas @ Walnut Room
Opie Gone Bad @ Soiled Dove
The Epilogues @ Herman’s Hideaway
The Bad Engrish @ Lion’s Lair
Nightshark @ Meadowlark
Saturday February 27
Denver Noise Fest Benefit: Raven Chacon @ Rhinoceropolis
The Chariot @ Marquis Theater
Pitch Invasion @ Larimer Lounge
Adventure CD Release Party: Sonnenblume, Deadbubbles, Carbon Choir, more @ Hi-Dive
Stockholm Syndrome @ Bluebird Theater
The Kingston Trio @ Paramount Theatre
Bearfoot w/ the Hollyfelds @ Swallow Hill (Daniels Hall)
For the Love of Pets @ Swallow Hill (Tuft Theatre)
SubCity Take Action Tour: We The Kings @ Gothic Theatre @ Gothic Theatre
Lazer Sword @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Great American Taxi and Steep Canyon Rangers @ Boulder Theater
James McMurtry @ Fox Theatre
Backyard Tire Fire @ Walnut Room
Angus Mohr @ Herman’s Hideaway
Sun Red @ Meadowlark
Sunday February 28
Swollen Members @ Marquis Theater
Fanfarlo @ Larimer Lounge
Cracker, unplugged @ Swallow Hill (Daniels Hall)
Sevendust @ Gothic Theatre
EdbE @ Lion’s Lair
Return of Bracket Fever
Posted by Randall MontyAfter giving ourselves a couple of months to re-asses the previous decade’s worth of music, we at the new and improved Merry Swankster dot com are finally throwing our collective hat into the ring of retrospective. Over the next few weeks, all of you will help us determine the best album of the first ten years of the twenty-first century using a handsome tournament bracket. By this point, we assume that you’ve had the opportunity to listen to most, if not all, of the music listed in this tournament, so we’ll presently keep our analysis to a minimum.
The rankings and match-ups are done in a similar style as the actual NCAA selection committee, meaning we pick the most recognizable names regardless of actual performance we collaboratively hashed out what we believed to be the albums that most accurately represent the previous decade’s best work. Combining the varied tastes of our writers provided a roster of albums that span genres and commercial success without sacrificing the under-the-radar and off-the-reservation perspectives you’ve come to expect from Merry Swankster.
Starting next week, you’ll be able to vote on each round of the tournament. Below are the complete seeded regions; in an attempt to be as inclusive as possible, we purposefully capped the albums at one per artist (with two exceptions). You can also download a printable PDF of the whole bracket: Albums of the 00s Bracket
DJ Shadow Region: (1) Radiohead, Kid A; (2) The Avalanches, Since I Left You; (3) Sigur Ros, Agaetis Byrjun; (4) Jay-Z, The Blueprint; (5) Panda Bear, Person Pitch; (6) Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?; (7) Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca; (8) Deltron 3030, Deltron 3030; (9) Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary; (10) The Mountain Goats, All Hail West Texas; (11) Portishead, Third; (12) Madvillain, Madvillainy; (13) Cat Power, You Are Free; (14) Titus Andronicus, The Airing of Grievances; (15) The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow; (16) The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
Nirvana Region: (1) LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver; (2) Arcade Fire, Funeral; (3) M.I.A., Kala; (4) Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; (5) The Knife, Silent Shout; (6) Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele; (7) The National, Boxer; (8) Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell; (9) The Rapture, Echoes; (10) Brian Wilson, Smile; (11) The Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury; (12) …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Source Tags & Codes; (13) The Thermals, The Body, the Blood, the Machine; (14) Low, Things We Lost in the Fire; (15) LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem; (16) Sonic Youth, Sonic Nurse
Neutral Milk Hotel Region: (1) Outkast, Stankonia; (2) Daft Punk, Discovery; (3) The Strokes, Is This It; (4) Animal Collective, Merryweather Post Pavilion; (5) Interpol, Turn On the Bright Lights; (6) The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat; (7) Sufjan Stevens, Come On Feel the Illinoise; (8) The Walkmen, Bows & Arrows; (9) The Decemberists, Her Majesty the Decemberists; (10) Sunset Rubdown, Shut Up, I Am Dreaming; (11) Belle & Sebastian, The Life Pursuit; (12) Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand; (13) The Long Blondes, Someone to Drive You Home; (14) The Liars, They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top; (15) Mastodon, Leviathan; (16) Bloc Party, Silent Alarm
Pavement Region: (1) The White Stripes, White Blood Cells; (2) Kanye West, The College Dropout; (3) Modest Mouse, The Moon and Antarctica; (4) Spoon, Kill the Moonlight; (5) Broken Social Scene, You Forgot it in People; (6) TV on the Radio, Dear Science,; (7) Sleater-Kinney, The Woods; (8) Okkervil River, Black Sheep Boy; (9) Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend; (10) The Microphones, The Glow Pt. 2; (11) Fugazi, The Argument; (12) Deerhunter, Cryptograms; (13) The New Pornographers, Electric Version; (14) Radiohead, In Rainbows; (15) Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven; (16) Annie, Anniemal
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