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June 30, 2008
Richard Marx is playing Denver
Remember this guy? He had a a string of mostly inescapable hits in the late 1980s. You can probably see them in the 'monster ballad' category in those late night commercials, but he is actually also on the road. Fun fact: Marx is the first solo artist to have his first seven singles chart in the Top 5 in the US. This week he play's Denver's Soiled Dove.
Here the most monster-y ballad of them all:
Richard Marx - "Right Here Waiting"
Rawk.
PS - Denver has been slow this summer...
Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Denver/Boulder: Shows this week | 6.30 - 7.6
[Stevie Wonder]
Monday, June 30
Fair To Midland @ Marquis Theater
Natasha Bedingfield @ Gothic Theatre
Richard Marx @ Soiled Dove
Tuesday, July 1
311/Snoop Dogg @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
The Beautiful Girls @ Fox Theatre
Degrees Of Sanity @ Larimer Lounge
El Olio Wolof @ Hi-Dive
Leon Russell @ Soiled Dove
Marie Digby @ Bluebird Theater
Stevie Wonder @ Coors Ampitheatre
Wednesday, July 2
Maria Taylor/Johnathan Rice/Nik Freitas @ Hi-Dive
Powerglove @ Marquis Theater
Stone Temple Pilots @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Voxhaul Broadcast @ Larimer Lounge
Thursday, July 3
A Skin, A Night Film Screening @ Hi-Dive
Danielia Cotton @ Soiled Dove
Devin The Dude @ Fox Theatre
Gilberto Gil & The Broadband Band @ Boulder Theater
Kingdom of Magic @ Bluebird Theater
Monofog @ Larimer Lounge
Sleeper Horse @ Hi-Dive
Friday, July 4
Action Figure 8 @ Larimer Lounge
Blues Traveler @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Noche de Rock @ Hi-Dive
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Fox Theatre
Rusted Root @ Gothic Theatre
thiC @ Bluebird Theater
Saturday, July 5
Band Du Jour @ Fox Theatre
Dan Craig Band @ Hi-Dive
Only Thunder @ Larimer Lounge
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Bluebird Theater
True Colors Tour @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Twista And The Speedknot Mobstaz @ Gothic Theatre
Sunday, July 6
Colorado Symphony Orchestra @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Dykotomy @ Larimer Lounge
Filter @ Bluebird Theater
Jonathan Bryant @ Soiled Dove
The Messengers @ Hi-Dive
Schedule appears courtesy of Mystik Spiral.
Posted by Merry Swankster at 09:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
M.S. Pick: "Where Do You Run To?"
Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To?"
Burning through 10 songs in 22 minutes, Vivian Girls' self-titled debut doesn't offer much space to get comfortable. The Brooklyn fuzz-maidens' general M.O. is haunted C86 pop, with loose limbed drumming and clenched fist guitars. It may not be the most inventive configuration, but it's hardly a cynically retro fashion construct either. The band's convicted songs carry enough mumbled melody to charm on first listen and the judicious brevity to avoid a worn welcome on repeated spins. But of all the blinks and snaps this tiny album offers, it's "Where Do You Run To" that feels assured enough to demand some quality time. The vocals elsewhere on the record have a wobbly post-punk skittishness to them. You know, that appealing '79 spark when women without practiced sheen were nonetheless determined to cut a record, like, now. "Where Do You Run To" has an easier glide than the DIY divas that provided its probable influence. The song's bass and drum lines are too lively for "ballad" to be an accurate descriptor, but it's no pogo dust-up either. Three voices meld into a foamy-sweet siren's call, luring surfers to a lovely braining on the rocky shore. It's one of a few places where the group's ramshackle components aren't content with plucky cohabitation, and actually combine towards a tough but gentle tune that's bigger than pocket-size.
The record's miniscule first pressing sold out everywhere it was stocked within a week, though a wider release is planned for the fall. This is the first among several mixtape keepers 'til then.
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 12:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 27, 2008
Denver shows addendum: Gnarls Barkley, Blonde Redhead, Hot IQs, others playing free @ Coors Field (sorta)
[Photo cred]
Mystik Spiral and I both missed this show for the weekly listings. Probably because the Southern Comfort website is completely useless and the local media is not much better in ferreting details besides telling us what we already know: "Crazy" was a big hit. Thanks.
Saturday, June 28
Soco Music Experience @ Coors Field, central parking lot A - FREE (21+)
-Gnarls Barkley, Blonde Redhead, Eagle Seagull, Dead Confederate, Hot IQs, the Swayback, Bassnectar, others (?)
Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Holy Hell!
Devo, despite the ravages of time, were just flat out amazing last night. I'll probably articulate it all further, but for now, here's some verite footage courtesy of Abbey and 'Sup Magazine.
Devo - "Girl U Want"
(live @ McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, 06.26.2008)
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 11:40 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 26, 2008
Deerhunter, Live in Berlin...
With its release date still over a quarter year away, Microcastle continues to impress. Perhaps the era of long lead times and careful marketing strategy should just succumb to the grubby immediacy of the present day? Speaking of grubby immediacy...
Deerhunter - "Nothing Ever Happened"
(live in Berlin, 06.07.2008)
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 08:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 25, 2008
Out of context files: Kanye West is a professional
[Photo Cred]
Kanye unleashed his fury in the direction of Bonnaroo organizers on his blog:
"WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH FUCKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY."
The angry diatribe (CAPS LOCK!) is full of name calling, excuses for his perfectionism and not surprisingly, completely out of touch with perspective. I get that the guy has incredibly high standards and all, but in the interest of common sense, you should have just gotten on with the show man. Shit happens, you know? In short, Kanye wants us to know that he works really hard on his tour set, cannot perform many songs, especially "Stronger" in daylight, and ends with a sympathy grab that only an oil executive may find solace with:
"I'M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO. I'M SORRY... SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE... I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT... HAVING AN EXPENSIVE STAGE CUTS MY PAYDAY IN HALF... CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN'T GIVE MY ALL!!!" (via)
Endquote.
A bunch of disgruntled 'roo goers took out there frustration with um, creative artistic expressions to convey their feelings towards West. Check out the first page on Flickr for a taste.
Previously from the files:
50 Cent no longer following US Election
Anita Baker is not a rapper
Indie crowds discover dancing
Shilling funds Honda, terrorism
Pitchfork prefers Britney to the Strokes
Posted by Merry Swankster at 01:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Retrohump: Q: What'chu Gonna Do When You Get Out of Jail? A:We Are Devo!
Hey, so I woke up this morning to discover that the Idolator contest, that I entered on a whim and basically forgot about, netted me two tickets to go see Devo, the Tom Tom Club, and Dan Deacon tomorrow at Brooklyn's McCarren Pool. So...awesome!
Under these fortuitous circumstances it seems kind of inappropriate to do anything for today's Retro other than offering the respective legends' greatest hits. As the Byrne-less Talking Heads of Tom Tom Club always seemed like more of a conceptual goof than living, breathing band to me (an impression that is hopefully altered tomorrow), I opted for the iconic cartoon representation. As Devo were a conceptual goof AS a living, breathing band, we go with some grainy but amazing French concert footage from back in '78. I hope that the boys can still muster that ever accumulating speed and fire of olden times, but I'm not sure anyone is on board for the classic shorts at this late date...
Tom Tom Club - "Genius of Love"
(1981 Animated video by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel)
Devo - "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy"
(live in France, 1978)
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 24, 2008
My Morning Jacket, Live @ Radio City Music Hall 06.20.08
Two Friday nights: two concerts. One stretched its sound out for four hours in the home of Andrew Jackson and Jack Daniels under the on and off percussion of rain. The second show: compact raucousness under the plush curtained luxury at the very epicenter of the capitalist world. One had a cinema tent; the other once held the opening for To Kill a Mockingbird starring the building’s former usher, Gregory Peck. To paint a perfectly blunt picture, one had a desperate line for the porta-potties; the other had a “gentlemen’s lounge” in the men’s room. True, scene changes do not get much different than going from the 700 acres of dirt at Bonnaroo to a place nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation," however, the determined aural output of My Morning Jacket at both of these shows is solid evidence that they are well on their way to proving that they are a very different band.
Sometimes you get to catch a concert in which it is obvious to both band and audience that they are being propelled forward. Stellar performances that were once small steps up the musical ladder have turned into a walk up a spiral staircase. If this metaphor for upward mobility still holds true then MMJ’s four hour late night set at Bonnaroo put the band on an escalator... and if Bonnaroo was an escalator then Radio City certainly has to be classified with elevator status... and if MMJ at Radio City was an elevator then the recently announced New Year’s show at Madison Square Garden has the potential to be the “Great Glass Elevator” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a single show that can take the band through the ceiling and into the upper echelon of musical touring acts (and yes I did pay a boatload of literary bucks for this "elevator metaphor").
What is strange about My Morning Jacket’s rise is that it has been so clearly defined. The festival circuit has gone a long way in giving the band characterization and recognition. 2008 capped off their fifth appearance at Bonnaroo. This in addition to stellar Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza performances make it safe to say that millions have been wowed by this band without ever buying a ticket to an individual MMJ show. Yet, the fact that 6,000 seats to Radio City sold out in 22 minutes should be a signal that all of this is changing. Striving for success while keeping a band together can take a Greek mythological level of persistence (even the Spartans in 300 could have ended up like Guns N’ Roses). The New Year’s concert at MSG shows that the next level from Radio City is fully within distance, it is only 17 blocks and an avenue over to be exact.
At Bonnaroo, My Morning Jacket had four hours to play into what Jim James referred to as the “golden rain.” As a result they took every inch of opportunity to showcase the band’s eclectic range and mix of power. In four hours they went from the spectral planes of reverb in which their following was built to a slew of covers including Sly in the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone," James Brown, Kool and the Gang, Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” The Velvet Underground’s “Oh Sweet Nuthin,” and of course ending with Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home.” Add a guitar duel with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and a Nashville horn section to a show ending an hour before sunrise and it is easy to see why MMJ’s Bonnaroo performance was seen as such a stepping stone.
At Radio City the band concentrated much more on delivering a single knockout punch with original material. Each song was delivered with full power as it was clear that the band was moved by playing in what Jim James described as “one of the most spiritual places on earth.” While witnessing the band rage through a catalogue of southern hair band rockers, subtle moments of gentle calmness, newly released dance floor thumps, and three occasions where Jim James charged up a staircase to the mezzanine level from the stage, it became vividly clear that MMJ should be able to fill MSG as if it were the Patrick Ewing days.
Though the flashes of radiant lights add a level of aura to the show, there are no cheap tricks in this act. Instead, their success is simply the result in the fact that front man Jim James has a one in a kind rock n’ roll voice which could fill out the Roman Coliseum and smooth out every inch of stone. Add in the drummer Patrick Hallahan who’s head banging hair alone could play a snare solo, the burly bass lines of “Two-Tone Tommy,” the layered texture of keyboardist Bo Koster, the onslaught of power of lead guitarist Carl Broemel, and it is no surprise that My Morning Jacket stands out alone in a closet full of overcoats (I had a couple of literary bucks left for that one).
By now it has been well documented that MMJ’s new album, Evil Urges, has caught many by surprise due to the sharp turn away from the walls of reverb to a sound that has forced every critic to use a reference to Prince. The truth is that if Jim James has the ability to hit the upper vocal registry with as much power as he has proven then I would be a bit disappointed if he did not take the opportunity to do a wheelie on the same motorcycle used by Prince in Purple Rain.
After seeing a good portion of the new material live, some of the new songs are quickly becoming favorites. Off the new album, “Smokin From Shootin” and “Touch Me Part 2” have enough emotion to lead the entire cast of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly to start writing poetry under a tree (I ran out of literary bucks for that one).
My Morning Jacket’s road to Radio City Music Hall has of course been much longer and more arduous then the quick cab ride up 6th Avenue in which I made it seem. What happens after the band plays MSG is anyone’s guess though the band clearly has enough power and variety of sound and songwriting to reach the next level. This mixed with the fact that they left the Everlasting Gobstopper on Wonka’s desk; a ride on the glass elevator may only be the start of things to come.
// stream of the Radio City show
MMJ Looking Forward:
06-25 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
06-26 Bristol, England - Academy
06-27 Manchester, England - Academy
06-29 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
07-01 Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
07-02 Cologne, Germany - Luxor
07-04 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07-06 Kent, England - The Hop Farm
07-08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
07-09 Paris, France - Le Trabendo
07-11 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
07-12 Naas, Ireland - Oxegen Festival
07-13 Balado, Scotland - T in the Park
07-15 London, England - The Forum
07-19 Benicàssim, Spain - Benicàssim Festival
07-26 Pemberton, British Columbia - Pemberton Festival
08-01-03 Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival (Jim James solo acoustic)
08-15 Nashville, TN - Riverfront Park
08-16 Louisville, KY - Waterfront Park ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-18 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-19 Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-21 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater *
08-23 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-24 Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-27 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-29 Miami, FL - The Fillmore ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-30 Orlando, FL - House of Blues ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
08-31 Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-02 Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-03 Washington, DC - Constitution Hall ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-05 Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-06 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-19 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-21 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-23 Tempe, AZ - The Marquee ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-24 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-25 San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theater ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-27 Portland, OR - McMenamins Edgefield ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
09-28 Seattle, WA - McCaw Hall ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
10-02 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
10-03 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
10-04 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
10-09 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
10-10 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
12-31 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden ("An Evening With My Morning Jacket")
* with the Black Keys
Posted by Yonah Korngold at 05:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Postcards from the Festival
Mollie from Ponytail looks unsure of that guy's "pants"...
Day photos by Devon Banks
If you're still tired from a concert that happened four days ago, is that a testament to the quality of the day or to the deterioration of your body in general? I'm inclined to say both. But my creeping decrepitude aside, 36 bands in 14 hours would take a toll on anyone. OK, so that's how many bands played the 2nd annual After the Jump Fest, but we've got to dial that down a bit. With periodic bouts of frantic troubleshooting and general laws of physics, I probably personally witnessed 20 (in full, or more likely in part) at most. But the beauty of teaming together with 19 other documenting web sites is that the Rashomon effect of numerous overlapping accounts provide the definitive composite that one fragile recollection could not. You can ask Spin Magazine even.
Here's how I remember it, anyway...
Bell
Olga and her boys kicked off the fest in the dark and cozy confines of Galapagos' main stage. The band's live show has evolved beautifully from the first time I saw them play, on the inaugural Neon Lights bill. She began seated on the floor with laptop, as drummer Jason Nazary coaxed some engaging clicks from his digital set up. Two intimidating long haired giants snuck in behind her to add some heft and crunch eventually, but as the band name suggests, it's Olga's show. She's compared to Bjork more often than anyone else, which is understandable. That allusion has more to do with "bigness" of voice than strangeness, though. For a small girl, she can certainly fill a room.
Hiding From the Sun in Galapagos
Lissy Trullie & the Fibs
I think the entirety of Lissy Trullie's rooting section was girls over 6 feet and under 115 pounds (and if that's not an endorsement for attending the next Fibs gig...). But that signifies nothing but the fact that fashion stylist/burgeoning rock star Lissy Trullie is well-known in New York style circles and a bit of a mystery still to the indie rock unwashed. The sharp pop songs that accompany her intriguing tomboy style should easily correct the disparity. Probably my outdoor stage highlight for the day, though truthfully I mainly kept to the dark.
Dinowalrus
OK, so I missed the majority of the drone Valhalla conjured by Dinowalrus, but my girlfriend/photographer classified it as "bitchin' " and I've no grounds to contradict...
Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band
The polite and cheerful Danes whose gear I helped unload early in the day bore little resemblance to the two man dance party that later took the Music Hall stage. The drummer's six-paneled digi pad was surprisingly heavy, and the singer (Snake? Jet? I should have researched...) had dozens of impressive rock star maneuvers somehow hidden in the back pocket of some dangerously tight pants. On a scale of one to delightful, they were wildly amusing.
Monotract
A sleeper pick for the most underappreciated band of the day had to be Brooklyn's Monotract. Nancy Garcia and Roger Rimada made a glorious racket in the cave-like confines of Galapagos, while most of the boots on the ground had migrated to catch Bryan Scary or Chairlift. Fine choices, both, but I wasn't moving--spellbound by frontwoman Garcia's PJ Harvey-esque intensity. It was occasionally obtuse, I'll admit, but with enough songcraft and stage presence to remain continually compelling.
Power Douglas
I couldn't make it over to the Music Hall in time for Power Douglas, but there's at least one cameraman in the world who will never forget it.
Fiasco
Fiasco's main selling point is teenage abandon, and there were no disappointed customers during Saturday's set. I like the above picture especially, as it seems Lucien Buscemi is receiving psychic guidance from the Norse God of rocking out. The Sky Father has counseled his charges well, as sacred head banging abounded.
Ponytail
Ponytail's feel good set of the festival also drew the biggest crowd of the free day fest (with Pela's N. 6th Street performance coming close). There had been an ever shifting mass of people cruising in and out of the venues at a whim all day long (just as we'd envisioned), but once the magnetic Maryland band started screeching like they meant it/they were on fire, the Music Hall filled and stayed filled.
As tight as the band was, as fierce the guitar shifts, as thudding the beats, it was impossible to watch them without giving the majority of your focus to possessed pixie Mollie Siegel. She was dressed like she just came from 5th period gym class, and spent the entire set hopping around the stage with body language that translated roughly to "I am a gorilla, and I will grab your balls." Her insane yelping vocals were animalistic as well. The pithy quip around my immediate circle of smarties was "Liars meet the Lion King." Which is not to say that everyone didn't have a great time, just that we like pithy quips. Just a pleasure of a set, really.
Night photos lovingly Flickr napped from Bryan Bruchman. You Tubes from here.
Hoo boy, by the time the night show rolled around, I was fairly possessed by the Christmas cheer, and thus unlikely to do much but unspecifically gush and hurt my head trying to remember what was actually happening...
Pattern is Movement
Pattern is Movement look like a pair of beet farmers, yet rock out convincingly and sing like choir girls. It was a pretty confusing ear to eye conversation. But they were quite impressive. I mean, you can't pull of something like the pitch-perfect cover of Kid A's "Everything in its Right Place" below without some serious technical chops. The originals were pretty stellar as well. A band to investigate...
Pattern is Movement - "Everything in its Right Place
Titus Andronicus
If you're planning on seeing Titus Andronicus on their impending cross-country tour, I'm gonna go ahead and advise that you just get piss drunk ahead of time. I'm in no way suggesting that alcohol is a precondition for enjoying the band's music. Really, I feel like it would be tough not to, with as much energy as these guys bleed out. But there's something in their reckless abandon on stage and the ready-made scream alongs of their lyrics that just seems weirdly perfect if you're a bit unhinged yourself. Also you can pogo without feeling totally embarrassed about it (whether you should feel embarrassed or not).
HEALTH
On record, I have a bit of trouble fully committing to the aural assault of L.A.'s HEALTH, but man, that was quite a show they put on. Bodies flailing, guitar strings abused, beats completely relentless--THIS is how you put on an avant-garde rock show without demanding your audience just nod politely and acknowledge your genius. This show was all about moving your body. It was viral, and aimed right at the gut. The clip below will probably be better illumination than I can muster...
HEALTH - *Man, I Don't Even Know*
At this point, it was for everyone's safety that I usher my self home, I hear Project Jenny, Project Jan were some tasty frosting on an all-day cake, but there are other sources to fill you in on that front, I'm sure.
Sincerely though, thanks to every band who played, every sponsor who contributed, and every person who showed. It was a quantum leap from last years' show, and it'll only get better from here. Exciting times, friends...
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 02:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 23, 2008
Denver/Boulder: Shows this week | 6.23 - 6.29
Monday, June 23
Alien Sex Fiend @ Gothic Theatre
Dilated Peoples @ Fox Theatre
Tuesday, June 24
Fighting For The Universe @ Larimer Lounge
Idiot Pilot @ Marquis Theater
Mark Knopfler @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Rose Hill Drive @ Fox Theatre
Wolf Eyes @ Hi-Dive
Wednesday, 06/25
Leftöver Crack @ Marquis Theater
Oakhurst @ Fox Theatre
RTX @ Hi-Dive
Rush @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Vitamins @ Larimer Lounge
Thursday, June 26
Dead Ringer @ Bluebird Theater
Israel Vibration @ Fox Theatre
Jane Lane @ Larimer Lounge
Merlot @ Marquis Theater
MotorHome @ Walnut Room
Richard Thompson/Loudon Wainwright III @ Denver Botanic Gardens
Stepsonday @ Hi-Dive
Friday, June 27
Achille Lauro @ Larimer Lounge
Disco Mountain @ Bluebird Theater
Dysrhythmia @ Hi-Dive
The Fong Jones Band CD Release @ Gothic Theatre
Midnite @ Boulder Theater
The Motet @ Fox Theatre
Terry Quiett Band @ Walnut Room
Vices I Admire @ Marquis Theater
Widespread Panic @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre
Saturday, June 28
The Ato 5 @ Larimer Lounge
The Classic Crime @ Marquis Theater
Less Than Under @ Bluebird Theater
Moonspeed @ Hi-Dive
Mystic & Macklemore @ Fox Theatre
Richie Havens @ Soiled Dove
Strange Condition @ Gothic Theatre
Sunday, June 29
13 Bullets@ Larimer Lounge
Calamity Magnet @ Walnut Room
Vans Warped Tour 2008 @ Invesco Field at Mile High
Schedule appears courtesy of Mystik Spiral.
Posted by Merry Swankster at 09:48 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Video: Okkervil River - "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"
Okkervil River - "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" - NYC Rooftop - Pitchfork.tv
Beautiful cinematography only increasing the irony of song title. Slowed down version lovely, sepia drenched Manhattan backdrop, lovelier.
Posted by Merry Swankster at 02:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 20, 2008
A Planner's Guide to After the Jump! (Or, Let Me Tell You How to Spend Your Saturday)
So after weeks of planning in smoky back rooms, tomorrow is finally the day that the second annual After the Jump Fest offers its free wares to the music loving citizens of Brooklyn. With 36 bands spread out over four stages within a two block radius, it's confusing even for someone who did a bit of the booking. With such a carnival of over-stimulation to tend to, my individual schedule for the day is likely of my own control. But, for the baffled I can provide some guidance. The best course of action is to peruse the full schedule at the festival Web site yourselves and then make some informed decisions. But for the time-impaired, I offer my would-be plotted course of action were I a simple music fan wandering on to North 6th street. As it stands, I'm a simple music fan with tons of shit to do. Live free, children, and I will live vicariously through you...
--
Noon: (Galapagos)
Bell
The day's events kick off around noon, with the winner of our sponsor Sterofame's band search, L.A.'s Evil BBC, taking the stage on No. 6th street to reap their reward. As Monday's profile foreshadowed, though, my heart belongs to Bell. Sure, you'll be shaded inside Galapagos instead of basking in the mid-day sun, but there'll be swoon-inducing swell of music to provide some heat in your chest, anyway. Also, and I'm not promising anything, but she did sort of hint that she unveil a Bell Biv Devoe at any moment. This could be that moment, friends.
Bell - "Brown Bear"
Bell - "It's Oh So Quiet"
12:30: (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens
Once Bell has rung their last, you can soak up a half-block's worth of sun on your way into the Music Hall to catch Staten Island surf rock mateys, Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens. I'd be lying if I claimed that I was intimately familiar with the band, but I think sailor's caps and Dick Dale riffs can only help shake off whatever trouble you got yourself into the night before. Salt air in your lungs, sea legs granted, um, energetic rock music played. All of it. Check.
Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens - "Runnin' Late"
1:00: (Galapagos)
the Bloodsugars
Once, you've gotten your fill of the shore, you're perfectly welcome to go see if big brother Joaquin has come out to check his little sister Summer's band the Papercranes on the outdoor stage. Despite the draw of powerful Hollywood genes, I say saunter back over to Galapagos to catch the sharp songcraft of Brooklyn's own synthy popsters the Bloodsugars. It's decisions like this that have left me a man close to thirty, at home writing about underground rock music on the internet, and not attending some gala premiere right now, but I'm just gonna own it. Indie-pop over celebrity sightings, 4 eva!
the Bloodsugars - "Purpose Was Again"
1:40: (Metromix No. 6th Street Stage)
Lissy Trullie & the Fibs
And now a nod back to the gods of glamor, to excuse my previous apostasy. Lissy Trullie is already a bit of a fashion star but with songs as infectious as "Self-Taught Learner" lying low for an impending debut, her fame is likely to cross a few mediums. To dissuade any skepticism Lissy's pin-up status might breed in your cynical heart, here's her greatest hit to date soundtracking a promo vid for a recent gig. Theeere's partial nudity...
Lissy Trullie - "Self-Taught Learner"
2:45: (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
the Austerity Program
OK, at this point, I know what you're thinking. "I appreciate the pretty girls, I'm secure enough in my own self-image to fully enjoy the pop parade, but man, I came here to be rocked! Why won't you rock me?!" Fair enough, back to the Music Hall, metalheads! The Austerity Program awaits. The Astoria band's 07 album Black Madonna forced Pitchfork pull out the old "skull-crushing" adjective, so you don't want to miss that. Your skull had been waiting to be crushed all day, right?
the Austerity Program - "Song 17A"
3:30: (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band
As your skull has now been crushed, my suggestion is that you park it right there for a second and take in Copenhagen import, Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band. Always in search of personal balance, I just like to follow my metal with goofily-suited Scandinavians rocking out at sharp angles. Here, on the television programming of their native land, you can gauge whether or not that's a prescription that might work for you as well. The Antlers should be warming up outdoors, if you'd prefer the more soothing option of ambient shoegazing...
Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band - "Favorite"
(live on Danish TV)
Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band - "Ten Cities Beyond"
4:15: (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Chairlift
The stay-in-one-venue party continues as art-pop trio Chairlift next take the stage. Accessible and interesting both, the band has been steadily accumulating high profile gigs and plaudits in reputable publications, also the NME.
Chairlift - "Planet Health"
Things are really accelerating now, there's the option to go soak in some tribal drone menace with Cursillistas over at Galapagos, or wrapping your head around the piano prog overkill of Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears, but I think you want to soak in the Chairlift set, and then book it over to Glpgs to catch the evil ends of...
4:45 (Galapagos)
Monotract
Now, I know that these mighty lady-fronted Thurston Moore cohorts (whose songs actually have a bit more Lee Renaldo to them) can absolutely shape their experimental leanings into sharp compositions, but live there's always the possibility that they'll just say the hell with that and try to make sounds that no one's ever thought of before, pretty or not. Monotract is a bit of a live wire, sparking erratically the middle of the Festival day.
5:00 (Galapagos)
Extra Life
5 o'clock brings a grave decision for art-rock aficonados. Do we give greater trust the affiliated project of TV on the Radio or the Dirty Projectors. If it was a straight up brawl between those two bands, I'd give the nod to TVOTR, but that's not the contest, and I'd have to counsel you towards ignoring your instinct to hop towards the Music Hall for Power Douglas and just staying put for Extra Life. The complex dynamic shifts ex-Dirty Projector Charlie Looker brings to his band prompted Stereogum to publicly keep an eye on them, and confusing or no, you have to admit that the below clip's got a compelling edge to it...
Extra Life, live @ Silent Barn, Queens
5:30 (Galapagos)
Fiasco
Poking your head into Galapagos' second room will let you witness the charming teen rambunctiousness of Fiasco. These underage hellions have played shows with some of the underground's elite, most recently opening for High Places and No Age at the famed Bowery Ballroom. Their affection for the high water mark of the good old fashioned ragged indie rock of my own teen years is endearing enough to push the fact that one of the members is Steve Buscemi's baby boy towards the bottom of any explanatory paragraph.
Fiasco - "True Story (the Aquarium)"
6:00 (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
Ponytail
If you follow a single direction I give you in this entire post, it's this one. For fuck's sake, be at the Music Hall for Ponytail! Their rep as one of the finest, most energetic live bands in Baltimore and beyond has been repeated so many times that it's become documented fact rather than subjective judgment. Hermetically tight shredding from the boys, ridiculously unhinged female vocals from pint-sized Mollie. A sight to behold, at the very least...
Ponytail - "7 Souls"
Ponytail - "Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came From an Angel)"
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HEALTH - "Heaven"
Once the sun sets, your options decrease, it's true, but it's not like you'd want to be anywhere other than the Music Hall of Williamsburg come 8:30, anyway. The line-up is sick, the ticket is cheap, and proceeds goto help city school music programs. I think it's an airtight case...
HEALTH - "Crimewave"
Titus Andronicus - "Arms Against Atrophy"
Project Jenny, Project Jan - "320"
Pattern is Movement - "Right Away"
Santogold - "LES Artistes" (XXXChange remix)
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And hey, let us know you are coming! RSVP here ny@metromix.com for your chance to win a free Ipod Shuffle courtesy of Metromix.com.
After the Jump would like to thank its sponsors for helping make this year's festival possible:
Metromix.com
Stereofame.com
Snoozer Loser
Gen Art Pulse
Brooklyn Brewery
Vitamin Water
Snoozer Loser
Uncensored Interview
Blog Fresh Radio
CMJ Music Marathon
The Musebox
Rize
After The Jump is Organized By:
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Posted by Jeff Klingman at 11:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 19, 2008
New Things in Cartons
Love is All - "I Ran (So Far Away)"
Love is All's Flock of Seagulls cover--the surprising centerpiece of their tour's Love is All Play 5 Covers EP--starts like a nervy deconstruction, akin to the Cure skittering through Hendrix's "Foxy Lady." But I should have known that the excitable Swedes wouldn't pass on such a readymade soaring chorus. When Josephine's waiting sidemen chime in with "A giiiiiirl liiike yoou-oooo" it immediately brings a smile to the face, but not because it's being particularly clever, or ironic, or anything. They're just earnestly belting it out like a couple of pals with a few beers under their belts. As with all of the band's original compositions, the energy is infectious. The backing track is still full of all the post punk tics, the horn honks, the guitar scrapes, that we've come to expect, but not once does it ever detract from the undiluted anthemic fun that's kept the song in near-constant radio rotation, long past other one-hit wonders of its time. The scrapes and scratches on the edges just construct an alternate 80s pop landscape where the no wave pioneers of the decade's early years felt confident enough to throw some huge hooks in the middle of their experiments. It's a lovely alternate reality to visit for 4 minutes (though please, please throw us a few bones about the status about the upcoming record, guys...).
High Places - "Vision's the First"
It's increasingly hard to describe the music of local favorites, High Places. Take Rob Barber's backing track to new UK single "Vision's the First" (available through Upset the Rhythm). I mean, I know that it's mostly constructed and manipulated with samplers, but sampling what? I realized I had no clue when I started to type, "Barber's shimmering..." with no idea how to accurately finish that sentence. "Soundscapes"? Blech. Well, whatever it is, it's shimmering, all right? At least Mary Pearson's plain, adorable vocals are easier to pin down. Her singing is modest and hopeful, gelling with the beat, but never dressing up to full diva proportions. This is a band who speaks to quiet moments, small victories, treasured personal discoveries. "The picture's clear, but it's going black/ and your favorite song's still the hidden track," she sweetly sings. She might have said "..still the limited release UK single," if that weren't such a horribly awkward lyric.
I've also been lusting after its 7" b-side, "Namer," since I saw it at the Market Hotel show earlier this year. Thankfully preserved by Pitchfork.tv...
High Places - "Namer"
It's modest dance beat is strong as usual, but what really sells it is the soulful delivery Mary gives to the leaving home lyrics. It suggests that she might morph from a wide-eyed naif to a multi-faceted performer sooner than later. The full-length cannot come soon enough. September, via Thrill Jockey, is the word on the street.
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Also:
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - "the Cemetery Flowers" (streaming on MySpace)
Our old friends from A Sunny Day in Glasgow have posted a new track, soon to be the a-side for a 7" single distributed in a tiny batch of 300 from mail order label, Geographic North. As usual with an ASDIG song, the beguiling component parts of "the Cemetary Flowers" aren't easy to decipher upon first blush. As a wildly important man with no time for headphoned guesswork (blatant lie-ed), I dropped Ben Daniels a line to clarify. Turns out that Ben plays all the instruments, though the key item is the stately electric mandolin. His mandolin has a rich tone that lies somewhere between an electric guitar and a modest string section. He described it as one of the hardest songs they've ever recorded, a process that took from November of 07 all the way through this past spring. It does sounds labored over, more structured and refined than early compositions. His sisters' vocals are still lovely wisps of smoke, dissolving on touch, but also peppered with cute "ooo-ooo" disco whistles that ground their mysterious qualities with a more a playful air. Be still my heart--it even culminates in a handclap and synth workout! Ben swears that the arduous construction of the song lead to a svelte and concise b-side that surpasses this high bar. Only about 300 of you will be able to confirm or deny the claim, so you might want to get on that sooner than later...
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 02:30 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 18, 2008
Retrohump: Boston
For certain, MerrySwankster.com is a decidedly music-oriented website, yet we are not without our sporting allegiances. In fact, this is perhaps the one forum where Mets and Phillies fans interact with one another without spilling beer and mustard on themselves. Perhaps most surprisingly, Jeff Klingman is the most diehard Portland Trailblazers fan you’ll ever meet. For that matter, he’s maybe the only Blazers fan you’ll ever meet. Most of this stems from the Rip City days of his youth, just as my Boston Celtics fandom was cultivated during my formative youth. While I was (am?) much too young to remember much of anything pre the 1986 title, I’ve heard more than my fair share of stories and seen enough videos to keep me dedicated even through the worst moments of the twenty or so years that followed.
Arguably the highlight of those lean years was Celtics’ TV color man (and eight time NBA Champion) Tom Heinsohn’s, shall we say, less than objective perspective. Tommy’s favorite player during the ‘90s was career role-player Walter McCarty, whom Heinsohn would serenade with shouts of “I LOVE WALTAH!” whenever the captivating Number 0 would grab a loose defensive rebound or unexpectedly nail an ill-advised three-pointer. But don’t think for a minute that Walter was some was ever the unreciprocal lover.
Just as Walter McCarty was a multi-dimensional baller, he is now a multifaceted slow-jammer. He’s capable of velvety smooth, like on “Moment For Love”, the title track of his 2003 solo debut, and he can do the Al Green-inspired sex-jam, such as “Freaky Wit Me”. In both cases, you’ll notice that McCarty employs the same reckless abandon for grammar that he usually reserves for the playbook.
Walter McCarty - "Moment For Love"
Walter McCarty - "Freaky Wit Me"
But back to our Retro focus. The ‘80s weren’t just the glory days of Celtics basketball in my lifetime; it was also the high water mark for music in Boston, which played an integral role in developing what was once known as "college rock" and would later become known as “alternative rock”.
Any self-respecting Hub-centric Retro post needs to begin where the Boston music conversation begins: Pixies. Here's the video of the lead track off of my all time favorite album, 1989's Doolittle:
Pixies – “Debaser”
Before reaching Buzzbin success with the unstoppable "Cannonball", the Breeders, which at this point you surely know was fronted by ex-Pixie Kim Deal and her twin sister Kelley, released Pod, from where we get "Safari". This album saw Kim expand upon the more harmonious aspects of her former band's repertoire.
Breeders – “Safari”
The development of J. Mascis is a long and Uma'd one, and his legacy as a guitar player remains as lauded as it is well-deserved. Although most of Dinosaur Jr's commercial success came during the '90s. Fans know that their better years were when Lou Barlow was still a part of the band and Mascis was intermittently screaming his lungs out.
Dinosaur Jr – “Furry Little Things”
Next on our list of the "all good things must come to an end" role call is Galaxie 500. For those of you unfamiliar with Dean Wareham's (of Luna) first band, this is what music critics are talking about when they claim that an artist sounds "atmospheric".
Galaxie 500 – “Blue Thunder”
The recently reformed Mission of Burma recorded some absolutely integral post-punk in the scant four years they were together during the early '80s. "This is Not a Photograph" comes from their debut EP, Signals, Calls, and Marches, which, thanks to Matador, recently received a splendid reissue treatment. The following video was recorded at that staple of the local Boston music scene, the Paradise.
Mission of Burma – “This is Not a Photograph (live at the Paradise, 1980)”
Make sure you turn this last one WAY up.
Scotch & Sirloin
Posted by Randall Monty at 01:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Numerology: Aria 51
The top-secret military testing ground in the Nevada desert known as Area 51 holds a place in the collective imagination as a hotbed of extraterrestrial life. Will Smith ends up at the site—which the government only admitted existed in 2003—after crash-landing in Independence Day, and the scores of songs with “Area 51” in their titles attest to the site’s enduring inspirational qualities. The post-Gram Parsons Flying Burrito Brothers, the Charlatans UK, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Graham Parker have all mined Area 51 for subject matter, and so have lesser-known acts like Paddle Cell (purveyors of Teutonic psychobilly) and stalwart Portland thrash-mongers (no, not trailblazers) Dead Moon.
“Dick Butkus #51” is Dillinger Four’s ode to the legendary Chicago Bears defensive end who once said, “When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately—unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.” “51%” is a dreamy morsel of muted optimism from Mark Sandman, the leader, singer, and sax player of Morphine, who died after collapsing onstage during a performance in Rome in 1999. Sandman’s husky whisper—somewhere between Mark Lanegan and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam—rides on a cool stream of sax, two-string bass, and plucked slide guitar, and the sound is plain gorgeous. The title track of 51 Phantom by the North Mississippi All-Stars has a swampy flavor that sounds right at home next to the Sandman’s heavenly drone.
Twenty of the 50 states have a Highway 51, so a mess of Highway 51 songs is to be expected. On his 1962 debut record, called simply Bob Dylan, the toast of Hibbing, Minnesota covered “Highway 51 Blues” by Curtis Jones, in the urgent Woody Guthrie style that marked his early work. The Jones version makes clear that the highway in question is U.S. 51, which runs from Wisconsin to New Orleans, but John Lee Hooker doesn’t pay much mind to the road on “Goin’ On Highway 51”—he’s too busy lamenting the recently departed Miss Fannie Mae, who wouldn’t even shake his hand when she left. All she said was, “Someday I will meet you when you’re troubles are like mine.” Now that’s a good highway song.
“Come in Number 51, Your Time is Up,” is Pink Floyd’s rewrite of “Careful With That Axe, Eugene,” a slow-building freak-out that went through several incarnations before a monster live version ended up on the band’s half-live, half studio Ummagumma (1971). Lacking the original song’s whispered warning to Eugene, and in a different key, “Come in Number 51” served as the background music for the incendiary denouement of Zabriskie Point (1970). This attempt by Michelangelo Antonioni (fresh from his acclaimed Blow-Up) to create the definitive ‘60s counterculture movie kept audiences away in droves, but in its favor, the movie boasted trippy incidental music by Jerry Garcia, an uncredited Harrison Ford as a student agitator, and a tagline that sounds like it was coined by Matthew McConaughey’s character in Dazed and Confused: “Zabriskie Point. How you get there depends on where you’re at.” (Not to mention a notorious orgy scene, set in Death Valley.)
Zabriskie Point (trailer)
I bet even Aimee Mann, whom reviewers never fail to describe as “acerbic,” would appreciate the irony of seguing from “Fifty Years After the Fair”—one of the bounciest things in her oeuvre—to the lethal comedown of “High on Sunday 51.” In the former song, she proclaims, “We’ll get it right, I swear” while “Sunday” takes the grim view of mankind that is Ms. Mann’s most common mode of expression. Just as Elvis Costello is apt to depict relationships in military terms, Ms. Mann has a preferred metaphor: namely, addiction. In a few strokes, the refrain of “High on Sunday 51” conjures the fool’s bargain made by the enabler: “Hate the sinner but love the sin/Let me be your heroine.”
Aimee Mann - "High on Sunday 51"
The following modern locution, which I spotted in a recent New York Times Sunday supplement, has yet to find its way into a song, but I bet the Flight of the Conchords would do justice to it:
Fifteen/fifty-one – adj. ‘a numerical neologism used to describe the optical illusion created by “cool mom” 50-something women who resemble their teenage daughters from behind, but from the front look like members of the First Wives Club, e.g., ‘from a distance she looks like jailbait but up close she’s a cougar—it’s beyond fifteen/fifty-one.’
Like earbuds and celebrity chefs, the 15-51 phenomenon is a thoroughly modern development. Just ask Merle Haggard, whose “The Way it Was in ‘51” sings the praises of an era when Truman was still president, the jukeboxes were crowded with Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, and rock ‘n’ roll had yet to be invented. (And obviously, long before women were routinely confused with their daughters from behind.) A few final 51-related things kicking around: the brief, feedback-only “Orgo 51” by the Descendants and “51-7” by Camper Van Beethoven, who have sounded better,
Since the Strokes already picked up the 12 trophy for “12:51,” the 51 contest comes down to a matchup similar to one we’ve recently encountered: a decent song by an iconic act vs. one of the best by a lesser act. In the 48 contest, it was the Clash over the Crash (Suzi Quatro’s “48 Crash,” to be exact). This time, Goliath falls.
Jimi Hendrix - "51st Anniversary"
The big gun here is a once-obscure Jimi Hendrix song called “51st Anniversary.” Reissued on the 1994 CD rerelease of his monumental Are You Experienced (1967), the song was the B-side of the “Hey Joe” single and did not make it onto the UK or American album versions of the record. And I have to say, it’s not hard to see why this was slapped on the back of a single and forgotten about; it just isn’t that good. In fact, it has about as little going for it as any Hendrix song I can think of. The chord progression feels pedestrian, the lyrics have first-draft written all over them, even the spoken-word section sounds like something Jimi did a lot better on “If Six Was Nine.” I’ve played the song a few times and it just hasn’t taken hold. No, it’s not terrible, but compared to the rest of Hendrix’s audacious debut, it’s really weak. Most people hold Hendrix up as key figure in rock, and I’m squarely in that camp, but the idea of this list is not to confer lifetime achievement awards; each song has to stand up tall and be the best, and “51st Anniversary” just doesn’t cut it.
I was lucky enough to have an older brother who didn’t believe in buying an album or two at a time; he saved up and bought them in stacks. The Ghost of Cain (1986) by New Model Army came from one of Jonny’s stacks. After playing me “51st State,” (already a hit in the band’s native Britain), he must have caught something in my crazed eyes that told him he would never love this record as much his brother already did, and so he gave it to me. I still cherish the LP, even though now it brings a snicker and not even a shred of awe to see those three men on the back cover, pictured under ominous skies, glowering in black-and-white. The middle one—the one with the most scornful expression —went by the nom du rock Slade the Leveller. That made a big impression on me. What a guy in his 20s could dig about New Model Army (named after Cromwell’s antiroyalist militia) isn’t hard to determine: the music was dark, precise, unforgiving—and catchy. They traded in politically charged anthems with lyrics as much spat-out as sung, and their lack of a sense of humor was not something I viewed as detrimental.
“51st State” (actually a cover of a song by a really, really obscure group called the Shakes) was NMA’s biggest British hit. Aided and abetted by a rousing football-chant chorus, the song takes aim at Yankee imperialism and pulls no punches: “We’re W.A.S.P.s/proud American sons/we know how to clean our teeth/and how to strip down a gun.” Not surprisingly, members of the group have had enormous difficulties obtaining visas to play in the U.S. ever since. Personally, I never had a problem singing along, sometimes even beating my chest in sympathy, with the triumphant chorus: “Cause we’re the 51st State of America!” I was no W.A.S.P., but I was an American, and I dug the fury that New Model Army hurled our way, in much the same way as a baby monkey prefers being beaten by his mechanical mother to being ignored by her.
New Model Army never made much of a dent in the U.S. market, although, closer to home, they maintained an extraordinarily devoted fan base. Main dude Justin Sullivan retired Slade the Leveller long ago, while continuing to lead various incarnations of NMA into the ‘00s and remaining fiercely committed to the pursuit of global justice. All politics aside, “51st State” still sounds great. It’s proof positive that the worst song in a great man’s catalog is no match for a good band’s best. And there’s some justice in that.
Numerology is our pal Dave's ill advised quest to find the definitive song for every number from one to a hundred. The higher the digit, the lonelier the climb.
Previously: No. 1, 2-4, 5-7, 7 (counterpoint), 8, 9, 10/11, 12/13. 13 (counterpoint), 14/15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26/27, 28 , 29 , 30, 30 (counterpoint), 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 , 47, 48, 49 , 50
Posted by David Klein at 09:25 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 17, 2008
Video: Hercules & Love Affair - "You Belong"
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 04:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Long Nights and Early Mornings- Bonnaroo 2008
Though another trip into the home of Jack Daniels and Andrew Jackson may have come to an end, certainly a few lessons had to be learned other then the fact that my fake Southern accent needs a little less Forrest Gump and a little more Nashville. Here are a few quick tidbits I picked up sometime after learning that you could bbq buttered Oreos.
Kanye: Moving to a late night set so that you can do a glow in the dark show is not the best idea if you wait until sunrise to start.
Pearl Jam: The perfect festival headliner feeding non-stop energy to the crowd. As long as Eddie Vedder continues to be angry, in love, or broken hearted, I’ll listen just like it was 1991.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: Who knew James Brown could be out James Browned in the same place he performed two years prior?
My Morning Jacket: Covering the Velvets “Oh! Sweet Nuthing” in what Jim James refers to as the “golden rain” could be perfection.
Raconteurs: Jack White somehow is able to simultaneously front two powerhouse bands that can equally make 700 acres of damp dirt vibrate.
Sigur Ros: These guys might prove that aural beauty may be stockpiled somewhere around Reykjavík
Amazing clips from the Bonnaroo simulcast (and the clips from someone screaming “Even Flow” into a camera phone) are beginning to circulate on YouTube. Here are a few...The entire sets of the Raconteurs, Sigur Ros, Metallica, Cat Power, and much more can be found here at Glide Magazine.
Sigur Ros- Hoppípolla
Raconteurs- Blue Veins
Cat Power- Aretha Sing One for Me
Metallica- Enter Sandman
Death Cab- I Will Posses Your Heart
Broken Social Scene - Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl
Posted by Yonah Korngold at 12:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 16, 2008
Bell's Jukebox
The New York City five-piece Bell, lead by singer Olga Bell, was the first act to ever grace the stage of D's and my little Neon Lights concert endeavor. I use "grace" purposefully. Olga's soaring vocals and her band's sharp musicianship even managed to render Skee-Lo's "I Wish" a tender and moving ballad that fine December evening. Of course we knew (or more accurately D knew and I was quickly schooled) that she'd not be our secret opening act for long. Web influence mongers Pitchfork and Stereogum soon took up the band's side, with the latter site placing Olga's laptop version of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet" alongside acts like Liars and the Dirty Projectors on the tracklist of their Post cover project.
Well, this Saturday, at the much-mentioned After the Jump Fest, New Yorkers will have a chance to catch up, as the lovely Ms. Bell and her (also quite lovely) companions will take one (of four) festival stages, noon sharp at Galapagos on Williamsburg's North 6th Street to play a free set. For now, I asked Olga to fill us in on the songs currently dominating her headspace and she graciously obliged. It's less creepy than reading the iPod screen over her shoulder on the subway, anyway.
Her list, some brief chatter, and a track from Bell's self-released debut EP follow...
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Olga Bell: So, I love being just a few yards behind the bandwagon, that's sort of how I love to be. That said, since...oh...last March, or even earlier, I've been listening to that ol' Yeasayer record non-stop. My current favorite track from that wonderful album is "Forgiveness." So that's 1) Yeasayer, "Forgiveness." Because it builds these delicious little polyrhythmic labyrinths in the guitar and bass and drum parts. A'ight?
JK: Do you secretly want to be a drummer sometimes?
OB: Yes, but I more often secretly want to be a bass player. More specifically, THAT bass player.
Nexto...
This is a song which i think I'll be covering very soon. Through a series of very bizarre associations, which I can't explain, nothing says "summer vacation" to me like early 90s raps about basketball...
Bell Biv Devoe - "Above the Rim"
...and it's not just the Bell thing, I swear!
JK: How's your jump shot?
OB: I'm lousy at basketball. I used to be OK when I was the tallest person in the fifth grade, but then I jammed my finger, and was never allowed to play b-ball again. But it remains an awesome song, with an amazing bass sample.
JK: So are the basketball songs like a "Rosebud" thing for you? Commemorating something you left behind in youth?
OB: Yeah, maybe. Basketball was pretty huge at my high school, and a lot of my family went to Duke. So, hooping just makes me happy, even just as a spectator. And it's one of the more positive things you could rap about... nobody's ever pissed off in songs about basketball.
JK: Very true. # 3?
OB: #3 is a trio of remixes...
Bjork - "Innocence" (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)
Aphex Twin - "Richard's Hairpiece" (a reworking of Beck's "Devil's Haircut")
Fleet Foxes - "Sun it Rises" (Jason Nazary Remix)
OB: Remixes are the only thing I habitually slurp up right as they come out. In other words I'm a little more hesitant with new bands or new records, but new remixes I love. Rather, I love to be the first to hear them even if eventually I don't love the track per se. Remixes are really just covers, right? It's an electronic musician or DJ covering something.
JK: Is there a bar you think a remix has to clear to count as a new piece of art? Or can a subtle variation be just as compelling as a complete re-imagining?
OB: Hrmm...I think there's a spectrum there, as there would be in visual art, but I think it would be silly to demand a certain percentage of the music 'changed' in order to make it legitimate.
JK: in light of your remix affinity, I wanted to ask you about "Echinacea" off of your EP. The demo that was floating around was sort of spare, if I remember correctly, just piano, voice, and beats. The finished version seemed like a bit of a remix of that original, with the sampled elements added in. Was the production a way of reinterpreting your original song? Or was the final a realization of where you'd always hoped it would go?
OB: I think that nearly all production, for those whose first instrument isn't laptop, is interpretation...and the ideas weave themselves together as you go. The original demo of "Echinacea" consisted of me playing around with my friend Chris' laptop, specifically with Redrum. I already had this little progression of chords I loved, but the lyrics and everything else came together on the spot, just over the beats I was building on a morning when Chris was feeling sick...it became a little serenade for health.
When I got together with (band members) Jason and Mike and Grey, and we put the electronic version into parts, the song changed some more. We recorded our respective parts, I took them and tinkered around with the pieces some more, added sprinkly synths and clapping and crowd noise and buckets of vocals, and it changed again.
It must be good for your brain to keep mixing and remixing ideas, right?
--
Order Bell's debut EP here, and we'll both see you at After the Jump this Saturday. A sample before we go...
Bell - "Chunk"
(Live @ SXSW 2007)
Via Earfarm
Posted by Jeff Klingman at 10:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Denver/Boulder: Shows this week | 6.16 - 6.22
Monday, June 16
Dave Barnes @ Bluebird Theater
Indigo Girls @ Denver Botanic Gardens
Sevendust @ Gothic Theatre
Tuesday, June 17
Bad Flirt @ Hi-Dive
Gary Allan @ Ogden Theater
Jonny Lang @ Boulder Theater
Mumbouli @ Fox Theatre
NonPoint @ Gothic Theatre
Ryan Flick @ Larimer Lounge
Wednesday, June 18
The Casualties @ Gothic Theatre
Jeremy Ashida @ Marquis Theater
Little Pieces @ Hi-Dive
Reverend Horton Heat @ Ogden Theater
The Stigmas @ Larimer Lounge
US Air Guitar Championship @ Bluebird Theater
Woodbox Gang @ Fox Theatre
Thursday, June 19
3AM @ Marquis Theater
Mansfield Ghost @ Larimer Lounge
Matthew Santos @ Soiled Dove
Papa Grows Funk @ Fox Theatre
Singer @ Hi-Dive
Split Second Massacre @ Bluebird Theater
Friday, June 20
The Fluid @ Bluebird Theater
Jesse Colin Young @ Soiled Dove
Mad Caddies @ Marquis Theater
The Presidents Of The United States Of America @ Gothic Theatre
Raq @ Fox Theatre
Red Cloud West @ Hi-Dive
Sleepercar @ Larimer Lounge
Teddy Geiger @ Ogden Theater
Saturday, June 21
Adele @ Fox Theatre
Broken Spindles @ Larimer Lounge
Come Forth By Day @ Marquis Theater
Corey Smith @ Bluebird Theater
The Frozen Movement @ Walnut Room
Opie Gone Bad @ Soiled Dove