Come On Chemicals

[LIVE REVIEW] Andrew Bird in Milwaukee 10/16 & 10/17

2009-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have written many things about Andrew Bird over the years, releasing glowing reviews of both his live act and his recorded output, making it clear that I am a fan. I had already seen him in concert twice before last weekend, and I own –yes, own—more of his records than anyone else.

So as I was adding more candles to the Andrew Bird shrine in my room the other day, I started to worry that this form of worship simply makes it harder for me to write a legitimate review of the man. Since I’m fairly certain I will fall in love with anything he releases, what’s the point of giving my official “opinion” of it to any reader I may have, when they already know what I’ll say?

But after going to the much-anticipated two-night stand of Andrew Bird last weekend at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, I think I figured out a reason. Simply put, I have no choice. The man is not perfect, I have realized, and not everything he releases is gold – if pressed, I may admit to not liking certain songs on Noble Beast – but he’s one of the most unique and intriguing artists out there right now, and it’d be a crime to not try and share this with as many people as possible.

So enough with all that, let’s get to the show. The two-night stand was special for several reasons: Bird would be playing the first night with a full band and the second night by himself as a solo performance; the first night would feature Dosh as opening act, while the second night would give us St. Vincent in the first slot; and on top of all this, the shows were being filmed for an official DVD release of the live show.

With all of this up in the air, the first night had a sort of electricity in the air, as cameras rolled and Bird joked with the audience – “Just act natural, everybody.” Bird and his band ripped through a longer-than-usual setlist, which included several songs from his latest release, Noble Beast, along with some old mainstays like “Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left” and “Fake Palindromes.” For the encore, the group huddled around one microphone in the front of the stage and performed the rare “Some of These Days” before plugging back in to finish with “Don’t Be Scared.”

The second night started off with St. Vincent, who I was almost as excited to see as the headlining act. Annie Clark tore through several songs from her newest release, Actor, with her backing band, wowing the Pabst audience with her fuzzed-out guitar licks and angelic vocals. Laying the groundwork for the soon-to-be epic night, she retreated into the background as Bird took the stage all by his lonesome.

Bird’s solo set featured many songs that were not played the previous night, and it was peppered with new and rare songs, like the early version of “Dark Matter” called “Sweetbreads,” a song from his instrumental release Useless Creatures that now has lyrics, and “Lusitania,” a new song that he had played the previous night. In the middle of the set, Bird started up “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning” before stopping his progress as he confessed to not knowing the first line of the song, drawing laughter from the sold-out crowd. He stood there, gazing off into space trying to remember the line, before a helpful audience member called out the correct lyrics, and things proceeded as normal.

For “Lusitania,” Bird called out St. Vincent’s Annie Clark to come and play along with him, leading to an elegant take on the new tune. After this charming display of two talented artists working together, Bird announced they would play one of Clark’s songs next, and she launched into “Marry Me” as Bird played along on the violin. An instant show highlight, the audience was treated to a rare collaboration on the much-adored song from St. Vincent’s first album.

The rest of St. Vincent’s band came on stage to rip through some outstanding versions of “Scythian Empires” and “Tables and Chairs” before Bird and Clark once again took to the lone microphone at the front of the stage to perform Bob Dylan’s “Oh Sister.”

All in all, this was one of the most memorable concerts I’ve witnessed, with the excitement of new songs and new collaborations added to the fact that all of this would go down in history as a live film. I will readily admit that Andrew Bird is not perfect, but he’s closer than most.

[REVIEW] The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

2009-10-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I first heard that the Flaming Lips were planning a double album full of sonic freak-outs and sound experiments, I was a little nervous. I love the freaky side of the Lips as much as the next guy, but I've always thought that Wayne Coyne and company did their best work when they combined their weird, spacey freak music with more conventional pop structures, resulting in such gems as "Race for the Prize" or "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1."

After my first listen "Embryonic," their new album that takes up over 72 minutes of space, I thought that I was right to fear this new development. Where are the singalong choruses? The fake orchestras? The songs made to soundtrack a confetti gun gone mad?

After each subsequent listen, however, I've gotten more and more excited by "Embryonic," and now I can safely say that I'm a big fan. This album easily tops 2006's "At War With the Mystics," which tried a little too hard to appeal to a mainstream audience, and I believe it is close in quality to my previously favorite Lips albums, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" and "Soft Bulletin."

First of all, let's just get this out of the way: this album is weird. The sprawling work goes from fuzz freakouts to animal sounds to massive walls of noise like it's no big deal. There are a couple songs that veer closer to the traditional Lips song, like "If," which features Coyne singing, "People are evil, it's true. But on the other side, they can be gentle, too, if they decide."

"Embryonic" is one of the loudest albums the Lips have produced, both in instrumentation and in the way the album was mastered. But where this was annoying before -- "At War With the Mystics" - the loudness is now a crucial part of the texture. Songs like "The Sparrow Looks Up At the Machine," "Aquarius Sabotage," and "Worm Mountain" -which features guest artists MGMT - owe much of their existence to the distortion pedal, as huge waves of fuzz roll over the listener.

There is also a very loose and unrehearsed quality to the album, something that makes it stand apart from the last three albums. Studio chatter and throat-clearing is all over the place, and many of the tracks have a loose, improvised feel to them. It's quite refreshing to hear this kind of spontaneity out of the usually heavily arranged group.

Adding to the already-strange collection of songs, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs makes an appearance on "I Can Be A Frog," submitting animal growls and chirps over the phone, turning what could have been one of Coyne's childish, nonsensical songs into a much more intriguing track.

Overall I will say that this album will stand the test of time as one of the Lips' best. Even if you don't necessarily like it, you have to applaud the band for giving us something unexpected, taking a left turn when going straight would have been perfectly acceptable. To exist as a band for over 20 years, releasing 12 albums along the way, and to still have this level of unpredictability, is something to be admired.

[LIVE REVIEW] Wilco in Minneapolis 10/2/09

2009-10-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

If last Monday’s Sufjan Stevens concert was an example of a relatively young artist still finding his way, then Friday’s concert with Wilco in Minneapolis was just about the polar opposite. Starting the night with a song named after themselves, and then going for 2+ hours without letting up once, Wilco played with the utmost confidence and skill, making it clear that this band is the happiest it’s been in years, and we can all agree that the feeling is well deserved.

Many Wilco fans, myself included, may feel that the band has never quite matched the level of artistry they achieved with 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Their last album especially – Wilco (The Album) – has not met with the highest of critical approval. But as Friday night showed, the band could not care less, and is completely satisfied with where they are as a group. This level of confidence was overwhelming, and made the night a complete success. From jokingly adopting rock-star poses on stage to playfully goading on the audience, Jeff Tweedy and crew were extremely loose and relaxed, and it resulted in one of the more enjoyable “rock ‘n’ roll” concerts I’ve seen.

The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, but the one that Tweedy has settled on for the past few years is arguably their strongest on the concert stage – not necessarily in the studio, but the live shows are on a whole other level than their albums at this point. From guitarist Nels Cline, who dominates the stage with his exciting stage presence, to drum veteran Glenn Kotche, to Pat Sansone, who may not dominate the Wilco headlines but certainly won over a large portion of the crowd with his humorous stage antics, this group is filled with skilled musicians who are undeniably some of the best in the world at what they do.

The show was heavy on tracks from (The Album), but the set was long enough that this fact did not wipe out any of the other, more anticipated tracks like “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” “Heavy Metal Drummer,” and others. Opener Liam Finn put on an electrifying set and came back on stage in the first encore to strum and sing along with “You Never Know” and “California Stars,” the latter of which also featured guest guitarist Gary Louris of the Jayhawks.

Tweedy was relatively quiet for the first part of the set, as the band went through several of the new tracks, but as things got going he got more into the crowd, whether it was encouraging us to clap along during “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” – “It’s gotta be healthy for you” – or leaving the singing duties of “Jesus, Etc.” entirely up to the audience, as the entire Roy Wilkins Auditorium crowd sang along in unison.

Tweedy and the rest of the band injected energy into every single track, as the set came off as much more “rock” than their newer albums would suggest. Cline and Sansone even engaged in a couple of guitar duels, trading off virtuosic solos with grins on their faces, making it clear that they’ve done this before and have loved it every time.

Overall, this may have not been the single greatest concert I’ve ever seen, but it is definitely one of the more “fun” exhibits I have witnessed. Wilco may never release another masterpiece, but that would be fine with me as long as they keep touring and giving the audience these kinds of shows. As long as Wilco keeps loving us, we’ll keep loving them.

[LIVE REVIEW] Sufjan Stevens in Madison 9/28

2009-09-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wearing a Wisconsin t-shirt to the delight of a sold-out Madison audience, Sufjan Stevens strolled onto the stage of the Majestic Theatre on Monday night and declared "Sup y'alls, I'm 'Suff-jan' Stevens." And with that, he and his backing band were off to perform one of the best shows I have seen in a long time.

The world has not seen a proper full-length album from Stevens since 2005's "Illinois." Orchestral pieces and remixes have come since then, but this new tour seems to be the most promising bit of evidence yet that a new album will be coming before the end of time. Stevens and crew brought out four new songs Monday night, and all of them featured a much heavier and darker feel while pushing the boundaries of what an acceptable song length is -- most of these new songs pushed the 10-minute mark.

There's something electrifying about seeing bands try out new songs on the road. The audience knows that they aren't simply going through the motions, which may be true of the older songs that they've already played hundreds and hundreds of times on the road, and are playing more for the audience's sake than their own. These new songs are still fresh, they still have room to grow and improve. Things could go wrong, or they could take a turn into an unseen path that reveals something new.

Stevens and his band did not shy from bringing out these new songs, as they stretched each of them to its fullest length. Songs like "Too Much Love" and "Age of Adz" delved into noise jazz freak-outs, with the horn players belting out scattered hiccups of melodies as the rhythm section deftly moved between time signatures.

Introducing "Impossible Souls," Stevens said, "I've been accused of never writing a love song, and so this is my response." Building from a simple progression on his Wurlitzer, the song veers into a repetitive jam under the phrase of "don't be distracted" from Stevens and backup singer Nedelle Torrisi of opening band Cryptacize.

"All Divided People" borrowed lines from Simon and Garfunkel - Stevens' use of "Hello darkness my old friend" drew a whoop from the crowd - and traveled from quiet whisper to huge guitar freakout in a matter of seconds. These new songs showcased Stevens' guitar skills in a way unseen before, as he showed musical chops well beyond his already known composing and arranging skills.

Beyond the new songs, Stevens pulled from his back catalogue to give the crowd a mix of “hits” and lesser-known but still familiar songs. "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "John Wayne Gacy" were both performed alone by Stevens on acoustic guitar, and they brought as much intensity and focus as any of the more abrasive new songs. The band closed their set with a somber, acoustic version of "Chicago" that left behind the triumphant drums of the original version for a more subdued, reflective take that left the crowd slack-jawed in awe.

Behind the music, Stevens was one of the most sincere performers I’ve witnessed. I wasn’t sure before the show, but now I know for sure – Sufjan Stevens is an actual human being, just a regular guy, not some sort of musical wizard that lives on a higher plane than us. His between-song banter revealed a very likable, modest guy who wasn’t afraid to make fun of himself. After one of the more ambitious new songs, he confessed “Well that was tiring, right?” and joked, “Tonight is basically going to be a live workshop setting at your expense. Don’t be surprised when we begin stopping and starting songs over again and practicing our scales.”

If anything, the show Monday night revealed that Stevens has found his new way forward, and we can only hope that these new songs will find their way onto a proper album sometime in the near future.

Ramona Falls releases Intuit, plays WI show

2009-09-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

You may remember a little interview I posted a few months ago with Brent Knopf, mastermind behind Ramona Falls and one of the three members of Menomena. The rest of the world is starting to catch on, as Pitchfork just gave Intuit, the debut Ramona Falls record that was just released, a glowing review and an 8.0 score.

Ramona Falls (which includes Menomena's Danny Seim on drums) will be in Wisconsin next Thursday, playing at Madison's High Noon Saloon. See you there!

Show info:

Madison, WI

High Noon Saloon

opener: Sleep Comes Down

7 PM

18+

$8 cover

official show link

Volcano Choir - "Island, IS"

2009-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Pitchfork got a hold of the first track from the newest project from Wisconsin's own Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Collections of Colonies of Bees. Take a listen:

MP3: "Island, IS"

I like it, it's a lot more driving and pulsing than any Bon Iver stuff. Definitely something different.

The track is featured on the upcoming debut album from Volcano Choir, Unmap, which comes out September 22 on Jagjaguwar.

Lolla Day Three: "Now that was a fucking concert"

2009-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Photo by Matthew Taplinger

Overheard by a festival goer after the explosion of energy that was Dan Deacon's set, the above quotation sums up Lollapalooza 2009 for me perfectly. The final day was a little slower for me, but it ended things on a high note and left me smiling and satisfied, as Jim Halpert would say.

The big headliner of Sunday was the weather, as temperatures soared into the upper 90s around midday. I arrived around 2, intending on catching the second half of Bat For Lashes, but quickly retreated into the shade of the Citi Stage to watch Cage the Elephant, who I had never really heard of before. The Kentucky group put on a raucous rock show, but didn't leave too much of an impression on me. The crowd surrounding the stage was packed, but I suspect this had a lot to do with the previously mentioned shade that the set offered. Also, jean shorts sighting #2 as the lead singer sported the jorts with pride. I'm picking up on a trend at this point.

After CtE I braved the sunlight to catch an old favorite, Dan Deacon. Deacon is renowned for his frenetic live shows that include many crowd participation stunts. I wasn't sure if he would attempt these activities with the huge festival crowd, but as Deacon himself said "This is gonna be fucking impossible, but we're going to try it." And it paid off.

But first there were numerous sound issues with the monitor mix, as Deacon ran back and forth across the stage, having intense conversations with crew members and performers, trying to fix whatever ailments the mix was suffering from. After taking a 5-minute 'break' to fix the sound levels, Deacon said "I know I seem like a total dickhead right now, but that's OK." The crowd seemed to be alright with this, as Deacon may have earned their respect by displaying the kind of perseverance and attention to detail that makes his music so enjoyable. After struggling even further, Deacon appeared more and more agitated, at one point saying "Jesus fucking Christ" into the mic before yelling "I can't hear shit" to one of his drummers.

But the show went on, and eventually the sound seemed to meet Deacon's satisfaction, as it picked up from there. The set involved Deacon's 15-piece ensemble, and towards the end he brought on even more people, adding a marching band that brought the stage numbers closer to 30 people playing instruments at once. And he pulled off his famous crowd stunts, including forming a huge human tunnel around his end of the park, and an interpretive dance involving the band's bus driver. Through all of these stunts, the music didn't suffer as the band pulled off a brilliant rendering of Deacon's songs.

Next I made my way over to Passion Pit, who were slotted on the smaller Citi stage, which proved to be a mistake as the crowd was crushingly huge for this much-hyped group, and the show would have been much more comfortable at one of the bigger stages. I've always had my qualms about the live performances of this group, and I wasn't proved wrong again as the lead singer's vocals strained to reach the high notes that he so deftly supplied on the album, and the band just seemed a little thin in general. But for Lollapalooza, this didn't matter too much as the majority of the crowd loved every second of it. When the opening riff to "Little Secrets" hit, the crowd exploded with pure glee, and the dance party ensued.

Photo by phototypical

My last band of the day was Deerhunter, my first time seeing them. Bradford Cox is even stranger-looking in person, and as he was under the influence of a B-12 shot because of, according to him, the H1N1 virus, his between-song ramblings ranged from dreamy philosophy to quickly aborted covers of the Velvet Underground and Neil Young. It was a strange show, as the band brought power and drive to quite fascinating songs, and then between songs they seemed a completely different group, as Cox joked and jeered with the crowd. But it was very enjoyable, I would definitely recommend checking these guys out.

That's all I got for Lolla '09. More posts will be coming soon, I've been slacking on this blog lately, but hopefully I'll remember to keep posting things.

Lolla Day Two: Animal Collective caps off a solid day

2009-08-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Day Two brought sunnier skies and dryer grounds, and the crowds were ready to rock. Up first was Miike Snow, the awkwardly named group that displays a electronic style of pop that wavers between Animal Collective-ish textures and more straightforward dance grooves. Overall I was entertained, but not really blown away. It just seemed like a solid electronic band, with shimmery vocals and pulsing rhythms. Also, all of the band members were wearing black-only outfits in +90 degree weather, which was either courageous or idiotic.

Next I made my way to the other end of the park for Los Campesinos!. Before I even got close, I could sense the amount of energy the group was giving off. The band seemed to be having a blast with their infectious blend of violin, guitar, glockenspiel, and yelping vocals, and the energy was transferred to the audience. Also, the lead singer was wearing jean shorts, which to quote from a previous paragraph, was either courageous or idiotic. But I'm leaning towards awesome.

After LC! I made my way over to the smaller Citi stage for Chairlift. Like most people, I really only know these guys because of their song "Bruises" that made its way into an iPod commercial ("I tried to do handstands for you"), but sound troubles seemed to mar this set and I left rather unsatisfied. The crowd seemed equally restless, waiting for the hit and having to sit through a muddy sound mix.

I then went to the smallest stage yet for Blind Pilot. I saw these guys open for the Decemberists and I was very impressed, so I thought I'd go see how they were doing since then. They drew a very impressive crowd to the small stage, going up against Arctic Monkeys across the park. They had the same stage presence as before, very bashful and respectful to the audience, grateful for their attendance, and the songs went down very well. The crowd seemed really into it, staying relatively quiet for this more acoustic group. Also, the preshow music consisted of the Flaming Lips' "Yoshimi" album played straight through, which was pretty delectable.

After Blind Pilot I tried to go catch a bit of the Arctic Monkeys , but the crowd was crushingly huge at the Budweiser stage, and I've never really gotten into the Monkeys anyways, so I headed back to the Citi stage for No Age. I've heard lots of things about these guys, but had never seen them, and I was very impressed. I stayed for the whole set, which was a little low on energy due to guitarist's Randy Randall's dislocated shoulder which forced him to sit on a chair for the whole set, but nonetheless they brought the rock. No Age is a drums-guitar duo, and the drummer handles the lead vocals, and it was an hour of pure rock. The first few rows of the crowd starting moshing early, and by the end it was a pulsating mob of sweaty dancers. One guy even ran up on stage, throwing the drummer a note before being forced offstage. A love note, perhaps? Wouldn't be surprising, the duo really know how to incite an energetic frenzy.

After No Age I headed over to catch the beginning of TV on the Radio. I've never seen these guys live, and they were pretty impressive, with a huge band that included 3 horn players up on stage. They started with a slow burner before landing on a big ball of energy on the second song. Very energetic and very comfortable on the main stage, but I had bigger fish to fry.

I headed over to get a good spot for my #1 show of Day Two: Animal Collective. I'll admit I'm a relatively casual fan of AC, not getting into them until this year's "Merriweather Post Pavilion" album. I came in tentative, and left blown away. The band played a very courageous set, opening with a brand new song "What Would I Want Sky", risky for both a) being a new song and b) being a song in 7/4, which means it's not the easiest to dance to. They waited until the third song to display a "Merriweather" track with "Guys Eyes" and the crowd responded with joyful glee. Crowd surfing was at an all-time high for this one.

The second half of the set featured a mammoth version of "Fireworks" that led into set-closer "Brothersport". One song was noticeably absent from the festival set, and that was "My Girls." The fact that they didn't feel pressed to play this song was very impressive in my mind, and they're probably sick of it by this point. Overall I was blown away by this group, and can't wait to see them in their own show.

Lolla Day One: of Montreal blows my brain

2009-08-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

I finally saw of Montreal tonight, and it was beautiful. Highlights included: covering Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" with guest Janelle Monae, the inclusion of hits like "A Sentence of Sorts", "Wraith Pinned to the Mist", "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider", all the crazy skits that went on, and just the band's attitude: they seemed to really be having a blast up there, which is fun to watch.

Some pictures:

Lollapalooza tomorrow! (OF MONTREAL TOMORROW!!!!)

2009-08-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Alright so I know it's been a while. But I'm going to Lolla tomorrow, and I'll try and post some reviews/thoughts. My planned schedule:

3 pm Bon Iver
4 pm Ben Folds
5 pm Fleet Foxes
7 pm OF MONTREAL
7 pm OF MONTREAL
7 pm OF MONTREAL
(Alright, I'm sorry)

I'll keep you updated. You can also get more up-to-date thoughts on my twitter: twitter.com/chemicalsblog.

SPIN Magazine to release Prince tribute album

2009-06-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

This doesn't look terribly exciting, but they got some good bands on the album (of Montreal, Sharon Jones) so it might be worth checking out.

From Spin.com:

Coming June 23:

PURPLISH RAIN
SPIN's tribute to the 25th Anniversary of Purple Rain

A copy of the July issue of SPIN will be your key to download the album, so pick one up today! Then, check spin.com/prince beginning June 23 for details on how to download Purplish Rain!Track listing:

1. "Let's Go Crazy" RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS
2. "Take Me With U" SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS
3. "The Beautiful Ones" FOL CHEN
4. "Computer Blue" OF MONTREAL
5. "Darling Nikki" CHAIRLIFT
6. "When Doves Cry" THE TWILIGHT SINGERS
7. "I Would Die 4 U" MARIACHI EL BRONX
8. "Baby I'm a Star" CRAIG WEDREN
9. "Purple Rain" LAVENDER DIAMOND

Beck is one sweet dude

2009-06-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

From his website:

We've been working on changes to the website for the last few months. We'll be adding new sections as they're ready. The first one to be added is called Record Club, an informal meeting of various people to record an album in a day. An album will be chosen to be reinterpreted and used as a framework. Nothing rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track will be uploaded once a week on beck.com as well as through the web sites of those involved with the project.

For this first edition, after lengthy deliberation and coming close to covering Digital Underground's Sex Packets, all present voted in favor of the 'other' Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico. Participants included this time around are Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, Brian Lebarton, Bram Inscore, Yo, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Holmes, and from Iceland, special guest Thorunn Magnusdottir, and myself. Thanks to everyone who helped put this together, and to all of you for indulging in this experiment. More soon.

Check out his first song, the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning" here.

[ROUNDUP] June 8-15: What I've Been Listening To

2009-06-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been listening to this past week, was a bit slow since I had finals and then had to move again, but here's what I got:

Grizzly Bear (29 plays)
After seeing these guys in Milwaukee, I went back and found even more levels of appreciation for their studio work. If you haven't found a way to listen to Veckatimest yet, do it. Trust me.

of Montreal (22 plays)
Same as last week, but this week was focused on the Icons, Abstract Thee EP that came out after Hissing Fauna. The last song on the disc, "No Conclusion," is nine and a half minutes long, but it is worth every second. The last couple minutes is made up of one of the best-sounding string sections I've ever heard. It just sounds so nice and creamy.

David Bowie (9 plays)
Not much to say here, been listening to lots of Ziggy Stardust. "Moonage Daydream" is my favorite.

Dirty Projectors (6 plays)
Bitte Orca is definitely going to be in the top three of my favorite albums from 2009. Every time I listen it gets better.

The Fiery Furnaces - "The End is Near"

2009-06-11T08:46:00.001-07:00

The Fiery Furnaces have released the first single from their upcoming album, I'm Going Away. I've always been an on-and-off fan of the Fiery Furnaces, but this song is quickly growing on me. It's a lot more poppy than a lot of their old stuff, maybe they're going the same way of the Dirty Projectors by releasing a more mainstream pop song for the first single ("Stillness is the Move"). Let's only hope that I'm Going Away has half of the brilliance of Bitte Orca and we'll still be in for a treat.

MP3: "The End is Near"

[LIVE REVIEW] Grizzly Bear in Milwaukee 6/8

2009-06-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm conflicted about my opinion of last night's Grizzly Bear show. On the one hand, and probably the more important hand, the music was impeccable, the band showcased an amazing level of musicianship and talent, and I was blown away by the sounds coming out of the speaker. On the other hand, the show itself wasn't that memorable; the guys smiled maybe twice, there was little to no movement on stage, and they just didn't seem that into it. But we'll start with the first hand:

The setlist was heavy on songs from recently-released Veckatimest, and it was a smart choice, as tracks like "Ready, Able," "Southern Point" and the impeccable "Two Weeks" were outstanding in the live setting. Grizzly Bear does an outstanding job recreating the album in a live setting, with all the dense textures and layers that come with it.

Chris Bear was especially notable on drums, I just couldn't stop watching him all night. Same goes with Daniel Rossen and his guitar work. Beautiful tone.

Now to the other hand. I think this quote from another review says a lot:

"(Grizzly Bear) leaves almost nothing to chance—at this point, the New York quartet is so practiced and disciplined it can probably go days or even weeks on the road without being thrown off script." - Express Milwaukee

I know this may not be a popular opinion, but this is what kind of disappointed me about the show. When I go to a concert I want to see something special, something unique to that night that came out of spontaneity and chance. The only time that happened last night was when someone yelled "Fuck yeah!" during show closer "He Hit Me" and the band broke into smiles. Everything was just a little too pre-planned for my taste, and they went about it in such a business-like manner, without much excitement or energy, that I just left feeling a little underwhelmed.

But I shouldn't complain, seeing a band perform songs from my favorite album of the year, and perform them with such talent, is a rare opportunity and I'm glad I was there. Thoughts?

All photos by CJ Foeckler

Jack White to record new solo album

2009-06-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather (whose album hasn't even come out yet), and now Jack White says he's planning on recording a solo album this later this year. Is this bad news for White Stripes fans? Time will tell I suppose. Read more here.

[ROUNDUP] June 1-7: What I've Been Listening To

2009-06-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here's what I was listening to this past week:

Radiohead (145 plays)
I know that Radiohead will never leave my music library, but this past week I dusted off "In Rainbows" again, rediscovering the beauty like it was the first time. I've been working on a few of the IR songs in my guitar lessons, and it's really made me appreciate how deceptively complex some of these songs are. That's the thing about Radiohead, they can write seemingly simple chord progressions but turn it into so much more than it seems on paper.

of Montreal (91 listens)
Kevin Barnes is just an undeniable genius. "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" has slowly become one of my all-time favorite albums, and I've been listening to a lot more of "Skeletal Lamping" as well, which isn't as solid as "Hissing Fauna" but it's a grower.

Spiritualized (80 listens)
Unlike the first two, this band is a new one for me. I listened to a little of "Songs in A&E" back when it was released, but nothing really caught. But last week I got a hold of "Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space" and I was hooked. He has a great way of combining folk, drone, spirituals, rock, and ambience, as well as a knack for idiomatic sounds/effects, like the respirator/breathing effect in "Death Take Your Fiddle." Great stuff.

The Decemberists (27 listens)
After seeing these guys put on one of my favorite concerts ever, I've been spinning Hazards of Love ever since.

[VIDEO] Drunken Ed Droste crashes of Montreal interview

2009-06-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

I've been on Youtube all day, watching interviews of Kevin Barnes/of Montreal, and I just found this goldmine -- filmed back in 2007 at the Iceland Airwaves Festival, this features a cameo from Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, very drunk, talking about shark fins. Enjoy.

[NEWS] Update on Major Organ and the Adding Machine

2009-06-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pitchfork for this -- they just posted an updated story on the long-awaited release of the Major Organ and the Adding Machine DVD, now set to come out early this fall. It features Elephant Six heavyweights like NMH's Jeff Mangum (yeah, Jeff Mangum) and Julian Koster, of Montreal's Kevin Barnes and OTC/Circulatory System's Will Hart.

Official trailer:

The CD will also see a re-release with seven unreleased tracks. If nothing else, you have to be excited about an album/movie that has both Jeff Mangum and Kevin Barnes on it, two of my biggest musical heroes. While it leans a bit on the whimsical/experimental side of E6, the album is still one of my favorite of the E6 outputs, it's worth checking out.

[LIVE REVIEW] The Decemberists in Milwaukee 5/29

2009-05-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

All photos by Dale Reince (Pabst Theater)

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting of the Decemberists before I entered Milwaukee’s beautiful Riverside Theater last night, but I can say without a doubt that my expectations were far, far surpassed. Colin Meloy and company put one of the finest, most memorable shows I’ve seen in the past few years.

When talk starts up of the Decemberists, the words you usually hear flung around are “bookish,” “nerdy,” or “bring a dictionary.” These all may be true, but they are no longer the band’s defining characteristics. Hazards of Love, their newest release, is a tremendously ambitious album centered on Margaret, who is tricked by a shape-shifting deer, and then runs into a forest queen, an evil rake, and…oh hell, who even cares. What really matters is that the new Decemberists know how to bring the rock.

Listening to the album, I had a suspicion that this show may be a bit different than their past performances. Many tracks start off in the same vein as songs from Castaways and Cutouts or Picaresque, before drastically veering off into half time, head banging sections filled with delicious near-metal riffs. A perfect example of this is “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid,” which turned into one of my all-time favorite live experiences.

The band played Hazards of Love in its entirety for the first set, as they are doing every night of this tour. The album came off very well in a live setting, starting with Jenny Conlee alone on the organ and growing into a pulsing, head banging set. The highlights of the live performance were the riff-laden metal sections of songs like “Repaid,” “The Queen’s Rebuke” or “Won’t Want for Love,” but even the softer sections served well to provide moments of rest in between those high marks.

I think anyone who was in the Riverside Theater Friday night can agree that Shara Worden stole the show. Worden, of My Brightest Diamond, guested on Hazards of Love along with Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, and both women are accompanying the band on this tour to recreate the album. Stark was captivating in her own way, as she has a beautiful voice that she pairs with twirling, spinning dance moves that lead to a very convincing portrayal of Margaret. But Worden is something else. Storming to the front of the stage for “Repaid” in a short black dress, she absolutely dominated the song with her powerful vocals and fully assured stage presence. From there on out, she received a huge ovation from the crowd whenever she came out from her post in the back of the stage.

After playing the album through, the band took a short break before coming out for a second set. This section of the night served to please any remaining fans who weren’t convinced by Hazards, as they played old favorites “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect,” “Leslie Anne Levine,” “Yankee Bayonet” and “Sixteen Military Wives.”

The closer of the second set was a mind-blower. When the opening riffs started, I think the crowd had a collective, “Wait, no, is this…? Is it really…?” And yes, it was a cover of Heart’s “Crazy on You,” featuring both Stark and Warden on blistering vocals. Meloy seemed to be in awe of the two women as they belted out the vocals of this timeless classic.

Coming out for an encore, Meloy played a solo version of “Red Right Ankle” before getting the band out for one more song. Inviting crowd members on stage, over 100 people were on stage to sing along to “Sons & Daughters”, uniting on the “Hear all the bombs fade away” line from the Crane Wife album closer.

All in all this night was not one to forget, and I strongly encourage anyone who can to go see the Decemberists on this tour. If nothing else, at least go to see Shara Worden tear down the house.

P.S. Blind Pilot had one of the best opening sets I've seen. They had great songs, but even better, they created such a great atmosphere on stage, very charming and bashful, the perfect combination for an opening act.

The Dead Weather - "Treat Me Like Your Mother"

2009-05-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking forward to the full album from Jack White's latest project, The Dead Weather. So far we've just had access to a couple tracks, this being the latest. Featuring heavy drumming from Mr. White, and snarling vocals from Alison Mosshart, this is killer. Guitar solo at 2:25 or so is pretty great, being 4-5 seconds long and all.

MP3: "Treat Me Like Your Mother"

Other songs:

[INTERVIEW] Brent Knopf of Menomena/Ramona Falls

2009-05-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

I recently had the great pleasure of talking with Brent Knopf of Menomena about his upcoming solo project, getting Menomena's music into Hummer ads, and his love for Bon Iver. Check it out:

Brent Knopf: Hey, thanks so much for the call.

Come on Chemicals: Thanks so much for talking with me. So, I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but I’ve been listening to the two tracks, so far, off the Ramona Falls record, and I’m really liking it.

BK: Thanks!

CoC: I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the whole process of recording the album, how it was done.

BK: Sure, let’s see, the intensive recording started in January, that’s when I got really serious about it, and I set out to record about 13 songs and I ended up finishing these 11 songs. I collaborated with a whole bunch of friends, and with each person, I would go over to their space, their home or church or practice room or whatever, and would record with them for about two and a half hours. So, I’d set up, and then for the first half, they would play along with whatever I had prepared, and then for the 2nd half of the time, I had pre-designed ideas that I was hoping to ask them to implement or interpret, or I’d have a beat in mind or a melody in mind. And so that was the collaborative part of it, but the rest of it was pretty much just me trying to conspire against my own procrastinating and perfectionist tendencies to try and make actual progress.

CoC: Did you record it on your own, with your own stuff, not in a studio?

BK: Yeah, it was really on a budget, so I did it on my own.

CoC: How much of the songs ended up being your ideas of what they should play, and how much was the players’ own ideas, that ended up being on the record?

BK: That’s a good question…I mean, the whole idea for asking people to come up with ideas is to try and create a space for happy accidents, and then to have those takes be amongst the takes to choose from when assembling composite tracks. So I’d say probably 20 percent was stuff that they had improvised, and 80 percent was stuff I knew I wanted, but they would often play off each other in ways I didn’t predict, so that was pretty cool. But for the most part I had a vision, I had a preconceived notion of what I wanted, but I also wanted to create a space for freedom, for some improvisation and some mistakes, because often in mistakes is where the best ideas are.

CoC: So were these songs things that you knew wouldn’t work with the band, or ones that you brought to them and they didn’t like? Why the solo project?

BK: Menomena has first dibs over what I write, and that’s of my choosing. So some of these songs I gave to them and there was no response to them, and so when it became clear that the Menomena record was going to take longer to record than we anticipated, I set about choosing a handful of songs that I was really interested in, that I decided to finish. So there were a few songs that the band had heard demos of, but didn’t really respond to, and so, that’s fine, you know, I don’t expect everything I write to be their cup of tea. And then there was a couple other songs that I kind of knew beforehand that they wouldn’t be interested in anyways.

CoC: Along those lines, is there a certain aspect to a song that makes it either a “Menomena song” or a “solo song”?

BK: There probably is some sort of subconscious mechanism where I kind of am secretly weighing what I perceive to be how they’ll react one way or another. Honestly I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason to it, I know that what makes a Menomena song is if all of us dive into a song. I think a lot of it is up to Danny (Seim) and Justin (Harris) and what they choose to dive into. So the fact that some of these songs were songs they didn’t choose to dive into, it just meant that since they’re not involved, its not Menomena. It’s a pretty fluid territory between stuff I write for Ramona Falls and stuff I write for Menomena. Its not like I put on a completely different writing aesthetic when I’m writing for Menomena. It’s pretty much straight from the heart, no matter what. I just try and write what interests me and I hope that it happens to resonates with them as well. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

CoC: Are you planning on playing shows with the Ramona Falls material?

BK: Yes, I’m hoping, it’s kind of short notice for our booking agent, but I’m really hoping to do some touring in August and September, and maybe beyond.

CoC: I just read the Pitchfork feature about the new Menomena album. Have you guys started pulling together stuff for it yet?

BK: Yeah, its an amorphous process, its hard to really put my finger on it and speak accurately, but, we’ve been working on it for the last couple years and I think that its agreed that the next few months will be the very focused time for us to work together.

CoC: Do you have any new toys that you’ve been playing with in the studio?

BK: (laughs) No, that would probably be a good idea. It never crosses my mind to buy new things. No, not that I know of, I know Justin was shopping for a triangle the other day, I think he was looking for an upside down one. (laughs) I haven’t made any big instrument purchases, I think we’re just dealing with what we have, if the need arises we can dive into other instruments.

CoC: What’s the next step you want the band to take, as far as certain things you still want to do?

BK: You mean besides having our music licensed in Hummer ads?

CoC: Of course, of course. (laughs)

BK: I think each of us has a different conception of what it means to be successful or living our dream or whatever. I already feel incredibly lucky, to me, the fact that I got fired from my day job and that I didn’t have to go get a new one makes me feel like the luckiest person on the planet, I already feel pretty happy. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t . . . I’m sure we all have our set of goals and ambitions of what’s next, for me I’d love to see Menomena be more fully integrated in our writing and recording process. There’s all sorts of interpersonal things I’d love to see, but in terms of artistically, I think I’d like to see an album that is, you know, challenging for us to make and an album that means something to us and feels authentic. It’s a whole bunch of mushy mushy speak basically, but honestly that’s it, I mean, I love playing shows and it is really gratifying when someone comes up to me or us and lets us know that our music has meant something to them, but I wont be depressed if we don’t play the halftime Super Bowl show by 2012 or something. I get more gratification from making the albums and the process of writing and recording the music. Then I think we’re really lucky that we’re able to tour and to do this.

CoC: Speaking of touring are you guys excited to play Chicago this weekend?

BK: We are, yeah, absolutely. The Do Division Street Festival, right? And the Empty Bottle, that is one of our favorite, favorite clubs in Chicago. Yeah, it’s the last two shows on our calendar, its always a little nerve-wracking because we’re going to be using a lot of borrowed and rented gear and our setup is so sensitive on things being just right, so I’m a little nervous but I hope it will, I’m sure it will work out.

CoC: Favorite band of the moment?

BK: Current or past?

CoC: Let’s do current.

BK: Seeing Bon Iver live, a couple times, was definitely . . . it was really enchanting. I feel really lucky that I got to see Bon Iver live. And then I think the band The National is another one that I just adore. And then there’s a band here in Portland , his name's Matt Sheehy, I like his last record. Then there’s a band from like 1979 called the Homosexuals, from England, and that’s been my favorite record of the last couple years. It’s this strange art-punk music and its kind of been my favorite record of the last couple years. They only released obscure vinyl back then and it got compiled into a CD in 1984. I only found out about it a couple years ago, and ever since I’ve been really into it.

CoC: Well that’s all I’ve got, thanks so much for taking the time to talk.

BK: Well hey , thanks so much for your time, I really appreciate your curiosity.

Brent's solo album under the Ramona Falls moniker, Intuit, comes out August 18. Read more about it here, and listen to two of the tracks here.

As mentioned, Menomena is in Chicago this weekend:

Sunday May 31st -Do Division Street Fest (w/White Rabbits) - Chicago IL
Monday June 1 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago IL

Grizzly Bear Day!

2009-05-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

Well the day has come. Veckatimest is released in the States today, May 26. Pitchfork got their say in quickly, giving the album a 9.0, and a Best New Music title. Obviously it's a high score, I was thinking they'd go even higher, but does it really matter? Clearly no.

Unless Radiohead comes out with another surprise release, or Neutral Milk Hotel reunites for “Aeroplane, pt. 2,” I don’t see any other album topping this one. Packed with rich, dense layers of sound, it showcases everything that was great about “Yellow House,” their previous release, while adding so much more. “Two Weeks” is bound to be the song of the summer, as the band takes on a more straightforward pop approach than usual, and it pays off, with glimmering vocals set over a bouncing piano theme.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Go buy the album here.

RIP: Jay Bennett

2009-05-24T20:03:00.001-07:00

Sad day for Wilco fans, past and present, as Jay Bennett has passed away. From Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Jay Bennett, a rock musician with deep ties to Chicago best known as a former member of Wilco, died early Sunday morning in downstate Urbana, where he had been running a recording studio, according to a spokesman for his family.

The singer and multi-instrumentalist was 45 years old.

"Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed," said Edward Burch, a friend and musician who collaborated with Bennett on the 2005 album "The Palace at 4 a.m." "The family is in mourning and is unavailable for comment at this time."

Born in the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows, Bennett began playing in bands as a teenager. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned multiple degrees in secondary education, math and political science. In between, he co-founded the Replacements-like power-pop band Titanic Love Affair, which released three albums during the alternative-rock heyday between 1991 and 1996, when it was dropped from its label.

Bennett was working at a VCR repair shop in Champaign when he was tapped to join Wilco as it toured in support of its first album, "A.M." A talented arranger and versatile musician who could play virtually any instrument he picked up, from mandolin to Mellotron, Bennett formed a fruitful partnership with Wilco bandleader Jeff Tweedy. His contributions over a seven-year period were key to the albums that resulted in the band's national breakthrough, including "Being There" (1996), "Summerteeth" (1999) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002).

Relations between Bennett and Tweedy, both painstaking perfectionists, soured during the latter recording, as documented in the film "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," and Bennett left the band. Earlier this month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Tweedy for breach of contract and unpaid artist's royalties, stemming in part from his role in the film.

In late April, Bennett wrote on his MySpace blog about dealing with intense pain from a hip injury suffered during a dive from the stage while playing with Titanic Love Affair. He was preparing to have surgery, but was concerned about his lack of health insurance. However, he also was looking forward to finishing his fifth solo album, "Kicking at the Perfumed Air," at his studio, Pieholden Suites, named after the song on "Summerteeth" that best encapsulates his talents as an arranger.

"This whole experience [with the hip pain] has really taught me to look both inward and outward for support, and I've learned things about myself that I thought I had completely figured out years ago," Bennett wrote. "Family and friends have helped me to keep faith in a future that will actually be much more carefree than my constricted present state. I encourage you all to tell me stories of recovery, as they really do help... All in all, I'm 'in a really good place' right now; I'm just waiting until I can make it all happen."

Bennett's former bandmates in Wilco are touring in Spain and could not be reached for comment. But Burch said he had spoken to bassist John Stirratt, and the band was "broken up" about the news.

"He was an extremely talented musician and a great person, and I'll miss him terribly," Burch added."

Sun-Times article

[VIDEO] Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks"

2009-05-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

If you were on the internet at all yesterday, you probably saw this, but it's too good to not post. One of the most interesting videos I've seen lately -- such a simple concept, but the effect/slow-motion that is used is captivating, you just can't look away until it's over. Enjoy.

Veckatimest is out on Tuesday.

A round-up - New of Montreal songs

2009-05-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been seeing more and more videos of new of Montreal songs popping up, so I thought it might help to try and gather them all into one place. If anyone knows of any that I'm missing, let me know.

First: "Coquet" as performed acoustically in the WTMD studio.

"Coquet" live, full-band:

From the WTMD sessions: "Like a Tourist":

From Rolling Stone's Smoking Section, "Tourist" has turned into "Teenage Unicorn Fisting"

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smokingsection/2009/05/of-montreal-enter-the-ss.php#

So far "Coquet" is my favorite, it's very grabbing from the start. Thoughts? Am I missing anything?

[ALBUM] Fanfarlo "Reservoir"

2009-05-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what would happen if you molded together the voices of Win Butler and Zach Condon? Here's your answer: Fanfarlo.

I just discovered this wonderful band from England. They've got the triumphant anthem feel of Arcade Fire, the indie pop joy of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and the soaring vibrato-ful vocals of Beirut. Yeah, yeah, if you've read a review of Fanfarlo, it probably said something very similar, but it's really, really hard to not hear the Arcade Fire + Beirut thing.

But none of this is meant to be negative. The fact that they pull from other established sounds is not a detriment, it is a strength. In my opinion Fanfarlo is taking all the best parts of the above-mentioned bands, and adding their own touch.

"The Walls Are Coming Down" is the most Beirut-y of all the tracks, with a mandolin strumming next to a shuffling snare and a high, clear vocal line, all of which are old standbys of Cordon's, but they work well for Fanfarlo as well, as he takes what would seemingly be a Beirut song and adds more of a pulsing drive to it with the percussion.

The album closer, "Good Morning Midnight", is only 1:26 long, and has no vocals, but it is an extremely pleasing closer, as it showcases a little of the experimentation that I would have liked to see more of throughout the album.

At times this leans into a little more soft, Snow Patrol-like vibe than I would prefer, but overall it is a very strong collection of songs. It is skillfully produced, it is a very warm album. Overall, well worth the buy.

Score: 86/100

MP3: I'm a Pilot

Buy the album
Official website

[LIVE REVIEW] Kid You'll Move Mountains

2009-05-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

People don’t usually think of Rockford, Illinois, when they are talking about the hot music scenes of the Midwest, thinking instead of places like Eau Claire, Minneapolis, or Chicago. But unbeknownst to many, Rockford is turning into a hotbed of quality music.

I saw one such group, Kid You’ll Move Mountains, last weekend, and they did not disappoint. The band has been growing in momentum lately, with a positive review from the Chicago Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis capping off a stream of good press from their latest release, “Loomings.” Like any good band, the music is not easily categorized by one or two words, but it is undeniably energetic.

Corey Wills, the lead singer of Inspector Owl, steps back from the microphone in KYMM, instead creating walls of dense, unpredictable sound with multiple effects pedals that form a textured layer that surround and envelops the rest of the band. Lead singer Jim Hanke sings every word like it’s his last, and the rest of the band matches his intensity, including powerful, unorthodox drumming from Nate Lanthrum.

The song structures that KYMM comes up with are the most interesting aspect of the group. They use dynamics to a large degree, forming multiple peaks and valleys within each song, shying away from the “quiet verse-loud chorus” cliché that so many songs fall into. They also excel at the slow-building groove song, dropping out almost everything only to bring it all back in one by one to a most satisfying climax.

The band is not afraid to create walls of noise, which can sometimes be self-indulgent in the hands of other bands, who crouch over their pedals, noodling with various knobs to create subtle changes to already-monotonous drones. But KYMM embraces these experimental sounds, using them to create tension between the more-conventional upbeat sections. They use both experimental and conventional techniques in combination to create a truly unique sound.

KYMM has several shows over the next few weeks, bringing their new tunes to as many people as possible, before playing at Summerfest on June 28, which is a must-see set. The new album “Loomings” is available from their official website.

Official Myspace

Ramona Falls - new side project from Menomena

2009-05-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

From an email:

Dear Menomenauts, Brent here. I'd like you to be the first to know about Ramona Falls. It's a "solo" project, but not really because I collaborated with dozens of friends. The debut album will be called "Intuit" and is 11 songs long. You can stream two songs now, if you're curious. Your support of Menomena has enabled me to do what I love, so thank you. I also want to thank Danny and Justin for their encouragement. Speaking of D+J, we'll be recording the next Menomena album together this summer. I'm so excited. Only two concerts on the Menomena calendar, both in Chicago : - May 31 : Do Division Street Festival w/ White Rabbits - June 1 : Empty Bottle w/ Pomegranates Love, Brent / Menomena

I really like the tracks he has up on the myspace, check them out for sure. Not as pulsing and rocking as Menomena, a little more instrumentation maybe, but it's got Knopf's signature melodies, definitely enjoyable.

[TV Thoughts] '24' season finale (SPOILERS)

2009-05-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Right around the time that season 3 of Fox's "24" ended, I became hooked. One summer back in highschool I watched 4 seasons' worth of DVDs with my best friend, often devoting 6-7 hours a day to the trials and tribulations of one Jack Bauer. I kept this going strong through five seasons, but the sixth almost ruined it for me. Whatever it was about that season, it turned me off from the series and I almost wasn't going to watch season 7.

I'm glad I did though. This isn't the strongest season by far, but it is a noticeable improvement from last season, and managed to surprise me well after I thought I had figured out every possible twist.

That brings us to tonight -- what did you think? I thought that the episode ended rather abruptly. One could applaud the subtleness that the writers employed; hinting at the ending rather than spelling it out for us. Jack will be saved by Kim; Renee will torture Wilson for answers. But I thought it could have used a little more solid of an ending than they gave us.

Also, I would have bet my life savings that Tony would not be breathing at the end of this season, but somehow he survived. Thoughts?

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

2009-05-18T18:33:00.001-07:00

I had never really listened to Dirty Projectors before 2009. When the Dark Was the Night compilation came out, I really dug their track with David Byrne, and caught wind of all the pre-release hype for Bitte Orca. A couple weeks later, and I'm sold.

Bitte Orca is a masterpiece. There are a few hiccups; the closing tracks, "Remade Horizon" and "Florescent Half Dome" are the ones that still have yet to grab me, but I'm sold on the rest. The song structures are just so unique to this band. I can't imagine sitting down and writing a song like "Temecula Sunrise," I'd love to learn more about lead singer/songwriter Dave Longstreth's writing process.

Anyways, here's a track. Hope you enjoy. The album is officially released on June 9, this is definitely worth buying.

MP3: Stillness is the Move

Pre-order the album (on CASSETTE, vinyl, or CD)

Wilco (The Album) streaming now

2009-05-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally slipped out - the album leaked late last night, and Wilco quickly launched the full-album stream from their website hours later. Listen to the album here.

First thoughts? I think it's solid. Nothing really grabbed me on the first listen through, but after subsequent spins I'm more impressed. The Feist duet of "You and I" is pretty nice, not as good as I had hoped but I like it. Favorite songs so far: One Wing, Bull Black Nova, Sunny Feeling.

What do you think?

Vetiver : "Everyday" video

2009-03-06T11:20:00.001-08:00

I posted this song a while ago, but now they just released a video for it. Check it out:

New St. Vincent - The Strangers

2009-03-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

A new track has surfaced from St. Vincent's upcoming release, Actor, coming out on May 5th. I like this one, it's driving and atmospheric with some surprising distortion in the middle. I'm looking forward to the new album.

MP3: The Strangers

St Vincent's official website
Pre-order Actor

New Andrew Bird video

2009-03-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Check out this video for "Fitz and the Dizzyspells" off of Noble Beast. One of my favorite tracks on the album, and this is a great, charming video. It's not the standard video of using the recorded version, it's actually more like a live show video with more actors. Showcases lots of Chicago, most obviously in that it is shot at the Hideout, one of Chicago's best tiny venues, one that Bird just played at a few months ago, and surely packed the house for. Check it out:

Buy Noble Beast
Andrew Bird's official website
Andrew Bird on Myspace

Grizzly Bear announces tour

2009-03-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

So I've gotten my hands on the new Grizzly Bear, and let's just say it's awesome. My album of the year so far, and I don't see anything surpassing it, unless Radiohead comes out with a surprise disc. But even then, this is just that good. "Two Weeks" is the song of the year.

Here's some dates, thanks to Brooklyn Vegan:

5/24 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
5/25 George, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
5/26 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
5/28 NYC @ Town Hall
5/29 NYC @ Town Hall
6/01 Washington DC @ 930 Club
6/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
6/03 Boston, MA @ Berkley Performance Center
6/04 Montreal, QUE @ Le National
6/05 Toronto ON @ Phoenix
6/07 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
6/08 Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
6/09 Bloomington, IN @ Buskirk- Chumley
6/11 Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
6/12 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/13 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle (With TV On The Radio)
6/15 Dallas, TX @ Grenada
6/16 Austin, TX @ The Parish
6/19 Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern
6/20- Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern
6/21 San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
6/22- San Francisco @ Fillmore

Bowerbirds plan tour

2009-02-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

I just got into Bowerbirds like, five days ago, and I've already played their album through about 20 times. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. The vocals remind me a lot of Andrew Bird or Jeff Buckley, but placed over a very organic blend of acoustic guitars, accordion, and bass drum.

Feb 28 2009 8:00P | Bull Dog Alley w/David Karsten Daniels & The Reconquista | WASHINGTON, Washington DC

Mar 26 2009 8:00P | Canopy Club | Urbana, Illinois

Mar 27 2009 9:00P | University of Wisconsin w/ Daredevil Christopher Wright & The Wars of 1812 | Madison, Wisconsin

Mar 30 2009 8:00P | Bilikin Club | St. Louis, Missouri

Mar 31 2009 8:00P | Jackpot Saloon | Lawrence, Kansas

Apr 1 2009 7:00P | The Mill (Mission Creek Festival) | Iowa City, Iowa

Apr 3 2009 8:00P | Court Square Theatre (MACRoCK) | Harrisonburg, Virginia

Apr 25 2009 8:00P | Rock & Roll Hotel w/ Bell | WASHINGTON, Washington DC

Apr 26 2009 8:00P | First Unitarian Chapel w/ Bell | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apr 27 2009 8:00P | Mercury Lounge w/ Bell | New York, New York

Apr 28 2009 8:00P | Monkeytown w/ Bell | Brooklyn, New York

Apr 30 2009 8:00P | TT The Bearâ€™s Place w/ Bell & Sarah Rabdau | Cambridge, Massachusetts

May 1 2009 8:00P | Il Motore w/ La Strada | Montreal, Quebec

May 2 2009 8:00P | The Drake Hotel w/ La Strada | Toronto, Ontario

May 4 2009 8:00P | Schubas w/ La Strada | Chicago, Illinois

May 5 2009 8:00P | Bearâ€™s Place w/ La Strada | Bloomington, Indiana

May 6 2009 8:00P | The Southgate House w/ La Stada | Newport, Kentucky

May 7 2009 8:00P | The Rocket Club w/ La Strada | Asheville, North Carolina

May 8 2009 8:00P | Local 506 w/ La Strada | Chapel Hill, North Carolina

MP3: In Our Talons (I've played this song about 12 times a day for the last 4 days)

Ben Folds announces tour

2009-02-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Ben Folds is back on the road, for no specific reason that I know of, no new album coming soon, but it will still be fun. I've seen him six (?) times, I probably won't be able to make this one though.

Feb 22 2009	Valarium- Knoxville, TN
Feb 23 2009	Orange Peel- Asheville, NC
Feb 25 2009	Durham PAC- Durham, NC
Feb 26 2009	N. Charleston PAC- Charleston, SC
Feb 27 2009	Tabernacle- Atlanta, GA
Mar 1 2009	Ovens Aud.- Charlotte, NC
Mar 17 2009	Music Hall- Omaha, NE
Mar 18 2009	Val Air Ballroom- Des Moines, IA
Mar 19 2009	Eagles Ballroom- Milwaukee, WI
Mar 21 2009	Murat Theatre- Indianapolis, IN
Mar 26 2009	Wellmont Theatre- Montclair, NJ
Mar 27 2009	Boston College- Chestnut Hill, MA
Mar 30 2009	Univ of Mary Washington- Fredericksburg, VA

Wilco announces Milwaukee dates

2009-02-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

Rejoice, Wisconsin! For Wilco is coming. Twice. They just announced two shows at the Pabst to kick off a few dates in the U.S. before going over to Spain.

Dates:

April 14th - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst
April 15th - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst
April 16th - Bloomington, IN
April 17th - Athens, OH
April 18th - Knoxville, TN
April 20th - Athens, GA
April 21 - Asheville, NC
April 22 - Birmingham, AL
April 23 - Oxford, MS
April 25 - New Orleans, LA
May 23 - Tenerife, Spain
May 25 - Malaga, Spain
May 26 - Madrid, Spain
May 29 - Seville, Spain
May 30 - Oporto-Braga, Spain
May 31 - Lisbon, Spain
June 1 - Santiago De Compestela-Galicia, Spain
June 3 - Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain
June 4 - Barcelona, Spain
June 11-14 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
July 22-25 - Detroit Lakes, MI - 10,000 Lakes Festival
August 21 - Erfurt-Hohenfelden, DE - Highfield Festival

Official site

What I Missed: Department of Eagles

2009-02-15T10:34:00.001-08:00

What I Missed is a new series devoted to music from 2008 that I for whatever reason neglected to pay attention to until now. The first installment is dedicated to Department of Eagles, and their 2008 release In Ear Park. The band was formed in 2001 by Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear). You can probably connect the dots yourself, but what led me to this band is Rossen, as I love his work in Grizzly Bear so I quickly obtained what I could of his other projects. I don't usually fall in love with specific guitar tones, but Rossen's guitar in Grizzly Bear is one of a kind, and his vocals are the perfect compliment to lead man Ed Droste.

In Department of Eagles, Rossen takes on the lead role and it pays off very nicely. The music is very similar to Grizzly Bear, but In Ear Park has more melodic, theatrical qualities - taking the texture of Grizzly Bear and applying it to more conventional structures. There are more suite-like songs, with more specific sections and themes than in Grizzly Bear, and I think some songs reach more grandiose heights - a few songs have the tendency to start off quiet and suddenly lurch into a bigger, off-tilt section (Phantom Other, Classical Records).

Be sure to check out In Ear Park if you haven't already.

MP3: Phantom Other

Official website
Buy In Ear Park here

Grizzly Bear!! Cover art!! Tracklist!!

2009-02-13T15:26:00.001-08:00

Big day for Grizzly Bear news. Above is the newly revealed cover of Veckatimest, to be released May 26 on Warp Records. And we have a tracklist!

01 Southern Point
02 Two Weeks
03 All We Ask
04 Fine for Now
05 Cheerleader
06 Dory
07 Ready, Able
08 About Face
09 Hold Still
10 While You Wait for the Others
11 I Live With You
12 Foreground

Thanks to Pitchfork for the info, who will have an interview with Ed Droste next week sometime.

Feist "1234" on Letterman

2009-02-13T13:02:00.001-08:00

My recent Grizzly Bear kick led me back to this video -- Feist doing "1234" on Letterman back in 2007 with an indie all-star backing choir -- members of Grizzly Bear, the New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, The National, and Mates of State fill in behind Feist to add claps and backing vocals.

If this isn't one of the finest late-night performances ever, then I don't know what is.

And...yes, it was awesome

2009-02-08T20:36:00.001-08:00

No words needed. Although, was it just Thom and Jonny? I didn't see the other guys.

Tonight - Radiohead at the Grammy Awards

2009-02-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to YANP for the tip - Entertainment Weekly posted about Radiohead's rehearsal for the show tonight -- they are performing "15 Step" with the USC Marching Band behind them. Sounds awesome.

From Entertainment Weekly:

“At 9 a.m. they did a rough run-through with crew and directors clustered on stage, after which Yorke politely asked, “Can you make my voice sound a little less shiny? I like the idea that I’ve got to belt it out over these guys, you see.” Between takes, he beatboxed a bit into the mic; the band kids sat on the risers and mostly just grinned in disbelief. Yorke wandered down to the lip of the orchestra pit and asked a nearby stage manager, “Is it okay if I stand here?” Sure, said the guy, “but just so you know” — he gestured to the floor beneath Thom’s feet — “this is a wall that comes out of the ground.” Thom took a step back. “All right! Here we go! Standby!” said another stage manager, and the wall did indeed come up. The band members stirred with excitement. A stand-in who was not Gwyneth Paltrow began reading the intro off the teleprompter, and by the time she got to “Nominated tonight for Album of the Year…” the wall had lowered again to reveal Thom making a my-head-is-exploding gesture to Jonny, I assume because even Thom Yorke still gets jazzed about the Grammys. And then a snare drummer in the front row counted things off, the bass players raised their sticks, and the awesomeness began.”

The Grammy Awards start at 8 pm ET on CBS.

Coldplay blogs about new album

2009-02-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

Yeah, yeah, I know. You, my average Come On Chemicals reader, probably aren't the biggest Coldplay fan, rabid and eager to hear any new news of the 'Play (yeah, I did). Viva La Vida won me back a little bit, but I'm still bitter. But I saw that they put up a long blog about the new recordings, and there were some interesting tidbits. They're teaming up with Brian Eno again, which clearly can't hurt. I found these parts interesting:

"Regular readers will remember that whilst we were in Miami a couple of months ago, Chris spent some time in a studio putting down new song ideas. Well, for the past couple of weeks, the fellas and Brian Eno have been working their way through these sketches.

When I say "the fellas", there is one person notably absent from these sessions. Chris has been banned from the studio for these first two weeks. Now, before the rumour mill cranks its way excitedly into life, this does not indicate any kind of split in the camp. This is an experiment of Brian's (a phrase I feel I may have a hard time not over-using as the project progresses). Rather than have Chris's demo recordings come in fully-formed, leading the songs in a particular direction, Will, Guy and Jonny are constructing their own musical underpinning with little idea of what Chris had in mind. For many of the tracks, they hear nothing but the vocal track."

I like this kind of experimentation, so who knows, maybe something good will come out of it. But, let's get real here, it probably won't.

Read more at their website.

Live Bootleg: Grizzly Bear 8.14.08

2009-02-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, I just posted about Grizzly Bear, and I promised myself I'd wait for the next major update, but I just got this bootleg off of YANP, and it's just too good to keep to myself. A high-quality live recording, this is from a show in Boston, and it has 4 of the new songs on it - "2 Hud", "Fine for Now", "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait for the Others." This is one of the better live bootlegs I've heard, so check it out.

ZIP: Grizzly Bear 8.14.08 (98 MB)

New Coldplay b-side

2009-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Stereogum for this one. Drummer Will Champion takes some vocals on this one - "The Goldrush"

Bonnaroo lineup announced

2009-02-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

I do declare, it looks rather good. If only I had the money.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Phish (2 Shows)
Beastie Boys
Nine Inch Nails
David Byrne
Wilco
Al Green
Snoop Dogg
Elvis Costello Solo
Erykah Badu
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gov’t Mule
Andrew Bird
Band Of Horses
Merle Haggard
MGMT
moe.
The Decemberists
Girl Talk
Bon Iver
Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Galactic
The Del McCoury Band
of Montreal
Allen Toussaint
Coheed and Cambria
Booker T & the DBTs
David Grisman Quintet
Lucinda Williams
Animal Collective
Gomez
Neko Case
Down
Jenny Lewis
Santogold
Robert Earl Keen
Citizen Cope
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
The Ting Tings
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Kaki King
Grizzly Bear
King Sunny Adé
Okkervil River
St. Vincent
Zac Brown Band
Raphael Saadiq
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Crystal Castles
Tift Merritt
Brett Dennen
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Toubab Krewe
People Under the Stairs
Alejandro Escovedo
Vieux Farka Touré
Elvis Perkins In Dearland
Cherryholmes
Yeasayer
Todd Snider
Chairlift
Portugal. The Man.
The SteelDrivers
Midnite
The Knux
The Low Anthem
Delta Spirit
A.A. Bondy
The Lovell Sisters
Alberta Cross

Grizzly Bear update

2009-01-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

According to Ed Droste's Twitter, the final mix of the new album is coming next week. Rejoice!

MP3: He Hit Me (from the Friend EP)

Andrew Bird on Letterman + my album review

2009-01-28T19:37:00.001-08:00

Pretty good performance on the Late Show last night, the sound wasn't the greatest (can't really hear the backing vocals as much as I'd like) but man does this man have a lot of energy.

Secondly, here's my review of "Noble Beast":

Many things in life come and go. Relationships, the weather, the quality of Fox’s “24”: these things are variable and unpredictable. But some things are constant and reliable. A prime example: Andrew Bird. Very few modern musicians have matched his level of consistency in terms of turning out a solid release every time he ventures into the studio. From 2001’s “The Swimming Hour” to 2007’s “Armchair Apocrypha,” Bird has maintained a high level of critical acclaim for each of his releases while resisting the temptation to become more “commercial” and “accessible” as time goes on.

“Noble Beast,” his newest offering, proves his consistency and then some. Not only does it prove he is still capable of releasing albums that are highly acclaimed by both the critics and the public, but it shows that he is still on the upwards arc of his career, rather than descending from an unmatchable high. Is “Noble Beast” his best work yet? That may be debatable, but it cannot be easily argued that any other work is objectively, without question, better.

On “Noble Beast,” Bird displays many of the traits that have gotten him this far: the pizzicato violin lines layered over beds of strings, the whistling, and the imaginative and thesaurus-defying vocabulary, while pushing forward and creating sounds and textures that are new and unfamiliar to even the most rabid of Bird fans. “Oh No” starts off the album as an instant classic, bringing his whistling to the front right off the bat. It is also the catchiest song of the album, making it an obvious selection for the first single. Bird examines the admirable privilege that children have of being able to freely and unabashedly express their emotions out in public, while the more mature of us are forced to stifle any emotions we have until we are alone and in private.

Other highlights include the more conventional rocker “Fitz & Dizzyspells,” the electronic percussion and driving beat of “Not a Robot, But a Ghost,” and the brooding yet joyous “Masterswarm.” But one song stands out from the rest as exceptional, and this is the tenth track, “Anonanimal.” Starting with his trademark pizzicato loops, moving into an odd-meter bridge, and going back into a reverb-drenched finish, the song gives us Bird at his best, mixing clever lyrics with virtuosic playing.

Speaking of lyrics, Bird does not disappoint. He has said in many interviews that he often uses words more for the sound of them, rather than what they mean. Not that the songs are devoid of meaning, but the meaning is found later, after the rhythm and feel of the often multi-syllabic words is processed. Lines like “From proto-Sanskrit Minoans to porto-centric Lisboans” from “Tenuousness” or “I see a sea anenome/The enemy/see a sea anenome” from “Anonanimal” are lines that turn off some people that see Bird as trying too hard to be “literate” and interesting, but it is admirable to see someone take a different approach to writing lyrics. I’d much rather hear lines like those than, say, “Baby, who turned the temperature hotter?/’Cause I’m burnin’ up, burnin’ up for you baby” from a certain brother-led band.

All in all, it is going to take something outstanding to knock this off as an early favorite for 2009’s Album of the Year, especially when paired with “Useless Creatures,” an instrumental album that he released on the same day as “Noble Beast.”

I'm sorry, I'm sorry

2009-01-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

I've been really bad at updating this the past few days, but things have been busy. To make it up to you, I present you with a track from Beirut's upcoming release, the double EP release of March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland.

This is from Realpeople Holland, the more electronic, bedroom-y album. Apparently this track has been released on a compilation before, but this is the first I've heard it, and I love it. The electronic beat/synths border on 80s cheesiness, but his vocals save the piece, and lift it higher than what I was expecting.

So please accept this with my humble apologies, and I'll try to keep up better.

MP3: My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille

Radiohead to play the Grammys!

2009-01-25T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I'll probably be watching this year for once...from Pitchfork:

"They're up for five awards-- including Album of the Year-- at this year's Grammys. Thom Yorke is promoting the show on billboards and TVs near you. And now sources tell us Radiohead are set to perform at this year's Grammy Awards ceremony, taking place February 8 in Los Angeles. While they've already won two golden gramophones (Best Alternative Album for Kid A and OK Computer), this is the first time they're actually playing the show.

Thom and co. join previously announced performers Coldplay, Lil Wayne, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, the Jonas Brothers, and Katy Perry. What we would give to have some sort of spy cam installed in that backstage area. Knowing Grammy's penchant for batshit artist pairings, it seems like that Radiohead/Wayne blowout we hallucinated about last week is closer than ever to reality."

Looking forward: Grizzly Bear

2009-01-25T13:28:00.001-08:00

So I've recently fallen in love with Grizzly Bear, and I can't wait for their new album. They played one of the new songs last year on Letterman, enjoy:

Loney Dear "Airport Surroundings"

2009-01-22T14:38:00.001-08:00

I saw these guys open for Andrew Bird in London last spring, and now they're back out on the road with him again. This is their new video for "Airport Surroundings" from Dear John, due out 1/24 on Polyvinyl.

01/29 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse
01/30 - Boston, MA @ The Orpheum *
02/02 - Richmond, VA @ The National *
02/03 - Washington, DC @ The 930 Club *
02/04 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
02/06 - Orlando, FL @ The Plaza *
02/07 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues *
02/09 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
02/10 - Houston, TX @ Rudyard's British Pub
02/11 - Denton, TX @ Hailey's
02/12 - Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theater *
02/13 - Albuquerque, NM @ The El Rey *
02/14 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto *
02/15 - San Diego, CA @ Soma San Diego *
02/17 - Visalia, CA @ Howie and Son's Pizza
02/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Orpheum *
02/19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
02/20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore *
02/21 - Portland, OR @ Roseland *
02/23 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore *
02/24 - Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory *
02/25 - Murray, UT @ The Murray *
02/26 - Denver, CO @ The Ogden *
02/27 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown *
03/01 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
03/18 - 03/21 Austin, TX @ SXSW

* = w/ Andrew Bird

New Sufjan song (!!!)

2009-01-22T10:09:00.000-08:00

So this "Dark Was the Night" compilation is turning out to be one of the greatest things...ever. I just got Sufjan Stevens' song on the disc, and it is nothing like the Sufjan I thought I knew. It's like he started listening to a lot of Radiohead, a little bit of Bon Iver, and...Chopin? I knew he had an electro side to him, but this is a perfect mix of his Illinoise-folk and his techno side.

Check it out (it clocks in at 10:14, it's a long one):

MP3: "You Are the Blood"

New Animal Collective video - "My Girls"

2009-01-21T21:46:00.001-08:00

This will put a smile on your face

2009-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Unless, of course, you're some sort of heartless monster.

Animal Collective announce tour, Milwaukee date

2009-01-20T11:53:00.001-08:00

Coming off their release (today!) of Merriweather Post Pavilion, which has been growing on me lately, Animal Collective announce additions to their world tour, including a stop at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee.

Dates:

01-20 New York, NY - Grand Ballroom
01-21 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
01-22 Chicago, IL - Metro
01-23 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
01-24 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
03-04 Oslo, Norway - Rockerfeller
03-05 Lund, Sweden - Mejeriet
03-06 Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio
03-08 Cologne, Germany - Gloria
03-09 Heidelberg, Germany - Karistorbahnof
03-10 Fribourg, Switzerland - Fri-Son
03-11 Luzern, Switzerland - Konzerthaus Schurr
03-12 Florence, Italy - Viper Room
03-13 Rome, Italy - Teatro Studio
03-14 Milan, Italy - Rolling Stone
03-16 Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
03-17 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
03-18 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
03-19 Lille, France - Aeronef
03-20 Nantes, France - L'Olympic
03-22 Bristol, England - Trinity Centre
03-23 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
03-24 London, England - The Forum
03-25 Leeds, England - TJ’s Woodhouse Club
03-26 Liverpool, England - Static Gallery
03-27 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod
03-28 Belfast, Ireland - Stiff Kitten
05-11 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
05-12 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
05-13 New York, NY - Terminal 5
05-14 Boston, MA - House of Blues
05-15 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
05-16 Toronto, Ontario - Sound Academy
05-18 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Hall
05-19 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
05-20 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
05-24 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
05-25 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
05-26 Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre
05-27 Big Sur, CA - Henry Miller Memorial Library
05-29 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
05-30 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
05-31 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
06-01 Albuquerque, MN - Sunshine Theater
06-02 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre
06-04 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
06-05 Austin, TX - Stubbs
06-06 Oxford, MS - The Library
06-08 St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
06-09 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
06-10 Orlando, FL - Club Firestone
09-12 Monticello, NY - All Tomorrow's Parties

Tickets for Milwaukee go on pre-sale this Friday...I'll be there for sure.

It's Andrew Bird Day!

2009-01-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

Rejoice, rejoice! For Andrew Bird's double release of Noble Beast and Useless Creatures comes out today. I haven't heard anything but "Oh No" yet, so this better be in my mailbox today as it is supposed to be. The wonderful AV Club just posted a great interview with the master himself, check it out:

AV Club: Andrew Bird

Neko Case tour date announced

2009-01-19T09:07:00.001-08:00

I can't find any other dates, but I know she's coming to Milwaukee on April 24th, to the Pabst Theater. Presale starts this Wednesday. Her new album "Middle Cyclone," which I think I posted about earlier, comes out March 3rd.

Finally: Fleet Foxes SNL videos

2009-01-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here they are, from last Saturday night:

"Mykonos"

"Blue Ridge Mountains"

New Bon Iver song - "Brackett WI"

2009-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Following up on my post yesterday about the "Dark Was the Night" compilation - today the Bon Iver song is streaming on their myspace. Check it out today before it gets taken down.

Dark Was the Night (whoa)

2009-01-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

This looks amazing. Most of the songs, at least the Bon Iver & Andrew Bird ones (the ones I'm most looking forward to) are new compositions, it looks like:

DARK WAS THE NIGHT - (A Red Hot compilation)

On the occasion of WORLD AIDS DAY today, December 1st, we are very pleased to announce the official release date, complete list of participating artists and cover art for the upcoming 4AD release DARK WAS THE NIGHT.

Dark Was The Night will be released on February 17th, 2009. Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National produced the album, and John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot Organization was the executive producer. A total of 32 exclusive tracks have been recorded for the compilation. It will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download and will benefit the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Red Hot was founded on the premise that even without a cure, AIDS remains a preventable disease - and music is a great vehicle to raise money and awareness for it. This is the 20th year of Red Hot, and this is the 20th release!

The Tracklisting in Full:

Disc One:
1. “Knotty Pine” by Dirty Projectors & David Byrne
2. “Cello Song” by The Books feat. Jose Gonzales
3. “Train Song” by Feist & Ben Gibbard
4. “Brackett, WI” by Bon Iver
5. “Deep Blue Sea” by Grizzly Bear
6. “So Far Around the Bend” by The National
7. “Tightrope” by Yeasayer
8. “Feeling Good” by My Brightest Diamond
9. “Dark Was the Night” by Kronos Quartet
10. “I Was Young When I Left Home” by Antony & Bryce Dessner
11. “Big Red Machine” by Bon Iver & Aaron Dessner
12. “Sleepless” by The Decemberists
13. “Die” by Iron and Wine
14. “Service Bell” by Grizzly Bear & Feist
15. “Blood” by Sufjan Stevens

Disc Two:
16. “Well-Alright” by Spoon
17. “Lenin” by Arcade Fire
18. “Mimizan” by Beirut
19. “El Caporal” by My Morning Jacket
20. “Inspiration Information” by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
21. “With A Girl Like You” by Dave Sitek
22. “Blood Pt. 2″ by Buck 65 Remix (feat. Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
23. “Hey, Snow White” by The New Pornographers
24. “Gentle Hour” by Yo La Tengo
25. “Another Saturday Night” by Stuart Murdoch
26. “Happiness” by Riceboy Sleeps
27. “Amazing Grace” by Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues
28. “The Giant of Illinois” by Andrew Bird
29. “Lua” by Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch
30. “When The Road Runs Out” by Blonde Redhead & Devastations
31. “Love vs. Porn” by Kevin Drew

Check out the myspace (today it's streaming the Ben Gibbard/Feist song)

Watchmen = ON

2009-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Rejoice! They finally cleared up all the legal nonsense surrounding the release of the Watchmen movie, and it is on, to be released March 6th, as planned.

"Warners, Fox, settle over Watchmen"

The Decemberists release new track

2009-01-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

From their upcoming album, The Hazards of Love, due out March 23rd, you can go to their official website for a free download of "The Rake's Song." It's quite nice, pretty classic Decemberists, a little more rocking than their stuff as of late.

Dan Deacon - Snookered

2009-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Check out this video (from Pitchfork.tv), amazing stuff.

Vetiver : "Everyday"

2009-01-13T12:39:00.001-08:00

From IGIF, I found this track from Vetiver, a band from San Fransisco that I had heard of but never really listened to. This is off their upcoming album, Tight Knit, due out February 17th on Sub Pop.

MP3: Everyday (Stream on Myspace)

New Neko Case track

2009-01-13T12:29:00.001-08:00

From her upcoming album (awesome album artwork) "Middle Cyclone", out in stores 03/03.

Stream "People Got A Lotta Nerve" at her Myspace.

Stream M Ward's new album

2009-01-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

NPR is streaming M Ward's new album, better known as the 'Him' in She & Him. I saw him in Green Bay a couple months ago, and was pretty impressed, so I'm about to give this a listen.

Go here to listen.

New of Montreal video

2009-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

My favorite song from one of my favorite albums of 2008.

"An Eluardian Instance"

Of Montreal ~ An Eluardian Instance (2008) Dir: Jesse Ewles from jesse ewles on Vimeo.

Oh God (Microsoft Songsmith)

2009-01-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

This looks like one of the worst products ever. You sing into the computer, and the computer makes up music to go along with what you're singing. The worst part is, this commercial would be funny if it were a skit on SNL (check that, no it wouldn't), but they are TOTALLY SERIOUS with this. I would give anything if this were done in irony or anything other than what it was. Worst commercial ever.

Radiohead helps the homeless

2009-01-12T13:26:00.001-08:00

Radiohead's "MK 1" from the bonus disc to In Rainbows is in a commercial for the National Coalition for the Homeless:

Band to Know: The Scarring Party

2009-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

MP3: After the War

(This is my review of the Scarring Party show at Lawrence University last weekend, to be printed in The Lawrentian newspaper)

Imagine you are in some nondescript Western town, back in the 1920s. You’re just hanging out down the street, the same old thing that you did last week. All of a sudden a man with black suspenders and a candy cane hat steps off the train with a big briefcase, and looks around mischievously. “Gather ‘round, gather ‘round!” he says with a wink. “I’ve been all over this fine world, and I’m a-gonna sing you some songs.”

This is where the Scarring Party comes in. Hailing from Milwaukee, they describe themselves as a quintet that performs “tuba, accordion and banjo driven end time music that draws on the influence of 20's and 30's music hall, Lomax folkways recordings and 70's punk.”
The group played in the Coffeehouse last Saturday night to a wide-eyed crowd that started off confused but quickly warmed to the band’s music. The instrumentation of the Scarring Party is the first thing that turns heads. Daniel Bullock, the lead singer, had an accordion as his instrument of choice, and he was backed by a banjo, non-traditional percussion including a huge cast iron bell, and hey, who needs a bassist when you can have a tuba instead?

The next thing that sets you back is Bullock’s vocals. Using a special condenser microphone, he drawls and spits out vocals with a thin sound that resembles an old Victrola, a voice meant to be listened to on an old, crackly record player. The group opened with “After the War,” which showcased their vaudeville lyrics right off the bat, with such lines as “With a switch knife he cut his lip/And gave me a rubella red kiss.” They played heavily from their latest album, 2008’s “Come Away From the Light.” Another highlight came with “Leslie Ann Merrimac,” as Bullock crooned about an abusive, loveless marriage – “Leslie Ann Merrimac had bruises all around her neck/ And a silver trail of latch-hooks down her back."

Most of the songs are character studies, filled with violence, hopelessness, and despair, but delivered with a cunning grin and wink that lets you know it’s all just a laugh. The stories that Bullock told between songs were worth the attendance alone, as he talked about dog-boys, vampires, and other oddities. The most memorable introduction went something like this: “This song is about your life. And a little bit about mine. Also it’s about necrophilia…and the downside to it.”

The Scarring Party has shared the stages with some well-known bands, like Margot & the Nuclear So-and-So’s, Tilly and the Wall, Why?, and Daniel Johnston. Last weekend they were introduced by Lawrence’s own Sturdy Beggars, who played a solid opening set. Making it through a few technical difficulties, they showcased their own unique style while playing several songs from their new album “The Saint.”

Even if you don’t like the Scarring Party, and I expect there may be some people out there that don’t, you have to admit that they are original. And in the current music state of everyone striving to sound the same in order to fit in, it is refreshing to hear a group that tosses off expectations and creates their own unique sound. “Come Away From the Light” is for sale on their website (www.scarringparty.com).

Blitzen Trapper go on tour

2009-01-12T09:32:00.001-08:00

I really like this band, and so should you. They are on tour soon, stopping by Chicago on Feb. 19th.

From Pitchfork:

01-25 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom !
02-18 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Centre *
02-19 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
02-20 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
02-21 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern *
02-22 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rosa *
02-24 Rochester, NY - Bug Jar *
02-25 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street *
02-26 Boston, MA - Paradise *
02-27 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *#
02-28 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *#
03-01 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
03-02 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
03-04 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *
03-05 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel *
03-06 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge *
03-07 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
03-08 Memphis, TN - High-Tone *
03-09 Norman, OK - The Opolis *
03-10 Lawrence, KA - Jackpot Saloon *
03-12 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
03-13 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *

! with Blue Giant
* with Alela Diane
# with Plants & Animals

MP3: Furr

Fleet Foxes to play SNL

2009-01-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

The crew behind my favorite album of the year will be appearing on Saturday Night Live on January 17th, and they are planning on playing "Blue Ridge Mountains" and "Mykonos." "Blue Ridge Mountains" will be worth watching the whole show, I promise you. Rosario Dawson, from the movie "Seven Pounds" will be the host. Fleet Foxes joins the short list of independent-label bands that have appeared on the show, but this is not surprising news, after they have played almost everywhere possible and appeared on many best-of lists in 2008. Tune in!

MP3: Blue Ridge Mountains

Jeff Tweedy + co. "Fake Plastic Trees" "Bodysnatchers"

2009-01-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought the Phil Selway video was great, and then I found more videos from the 7 Worlds Collide project. As close to my version of an "all-star band" as I've seen - Jeff Tweedy, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, John Stirrat, and Johnny Marr playing two Radiohead songs. The Bodysnatchers seems a little rough, but FPT is beautiful.

"Fake Plastic Trees"

"Bodysnatchers"

Bon Iver in the New Yorker

2009-01-07T16:47:00.001-08:00

Great article about Wisconsin's own in the New Yorker - check it out.

Into the Woods

Phil Selway sings

2009-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

I found this video at Stereogum, it is from last night, and it showcases Radiohead's Phil Selway on guitar and vocals as part of the 7 Worlds Collide project. I'd never heard him speak, much less sing before, so this is neat.

A Band to Know: Collections Of Colonies Of Bees

2009-01-07T09:59:00.001-08:00

Collections Of Colonies Of Bees is a well-established band from Milwaukee. They have yet to be mentioned much in the mainstream press, even after Justin Vernon of Bon Iver gushed about them in his interview with Pitchfork, but those that know them know that the respect is well deserved.

Their latest album, Birds came out last year, and was very well received. Consisting of only four tracks (Flocks I, Flocks II, Flocks III, and Flocks IV) the album is a fine example of post-rock experimentalism, while keeping a foot in conventional instrumentation. Pitchfork (hey, why not reference them when they're right for once?!) gave the album a 7.8, saying "Organic and intricate as their compositions can be, the Bees clearly appreciate the emotional power of simple, thoughtfully tiered rhythms, as the opening movement "Flocks I" attests."

Usually I get bored easily by instrumental albums - nothing against them, I'm just big on vocals. But this collection (pun! right?...) of songs keeps my interest, as the rhythms and repetitive figures mold together to create a pulsing, driving atmosphere of sound. It's not ambient music by any means, think of it as if Sigur Ros moved to Wisconsin and lost all of their reverb on the way over.

MP3: Flocks I

The band is touring Japan in February according to their Myspace, but hopefully they find their way back home to play some more shows in the Midwest.

Phish reunion tour?

2009-01-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

It is inevitable, and it looks like it might happen this summer. From Billboard:

" Although an official announcement is pending, Phish's first tour in five years is beginning to take shape. LiveNation.com is listing a Jan. 30 on-sale date for a Phish show on June 18 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion outside Pittsburgh, which lines up nicely alongside rumors of an appearance at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn., the previous weekend. For now, the only confirmed Phish shows are March 6-8 at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va., the band's first since August 2004."

New Dan Deacon track

2009-01-06T07:16:00.002-08:00

This track has just surfaced on the internet, from Dan Deacon's upcoming release, "Bromst." I honestly haven't listened to him much before this, but I really dig this tune. It's a burst of energy from the start, mixing electronic blips with digitized vocals midway through the song. Deacon is known for his live shows, where he doesn't use the main stage, instead setting up his equipment among the crowd. Take a listen to this tune, and you'll probably be as excited as I am for the new album. "Bromst" is due out March 24th.

MP3: Get Older

Looking forward: Menomena

2009-01-05T19:57:00.001-08:00

One of my most highly-anticipated records to come in 2009 is the newest from Menomena. 2007's Friend and Foe is one of my favorite records lately, and I can't wait for the new one.

The production of Friend and Foe is just outstanding, especially since the band recorded and mixed on their own. The drums stand out from everything else, which usually isn't a good thing, but Danny Seim is an exceptional drummer, always shying away from convention while keeping the groove steady. It's just one of the better-sounding records I've been listening to lately.

Not much info is out there about the new record, this is from Wikipedia:

"Danny Seim stated in a recent interview [26] that a new Menomena album is presumably expected in the beginning of 2009. "In a perfect world, we would have been done with a new record. Fall ’08 would have been great. But then that’s moved to January ’09 … we hadn’t seen one another in awhile and we’re seeing each other for some European dates, and a festival date here and there. We’re moving on a U2 time frame......... We have a ton of material to use and we have to structure the stuff, pick up instruments and find songs. I’d love to say January ’09 but maybe I just like the way those words sound."

MP3: Muscle N' Flo (from Friend and Foe)

Video for "Wet and Rusting" -- amazing video, keep watching past the first 30 seconds, which is not as promising as the rest:

Pitchfork loves Animal Collective (surprise!)

2009-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Pitchfork gave the new Animal Collective record a 9.6 rating today, confirming their love for all things AC. Merriweather Post Pavilion is the newest release from the freak-folkers, as they create layer upon layer of sound. This album is distinguished from the others by its dance focus, keeping the ambient layers of sound that they are most noted for, but adding some undeniably catchy beats, and giving us more straightforward vocals and song structures.

Pitchfork's rating gives Animal Collective a clear lead for the 2009 Album Of the Year. You know what I say to that? Just wait for Andrew Bird, people. (And Wilco)

MP3: My Girls

Music video for "Fireworks", from 2007's Strawberry Jam.