 |
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tom Waits's current "Glitter and Doom Tour" didn't come anywhere near the Boston area - or anywhere in the entire northeast, really (unless you didn't mind driving to Columbus.) But for those of you who still wanted to at least hear Waits's live show, NPR has graciously taped his July 5th Atlanta performance, which they will make available tomorrow in both stream and podcast form. Here's your setlist: Lucinda / Take me down to the well (or was it Ain't Going Down to the Well?)
Down in the hole
Falling down
Chocolate Jesus
All the world is green
Cemetery Polka
Cause of it all / 'Til the money runs out
Such a scream
November
Hold on
Black market baby
9th and Hennepin
Lie to me
Lucky day
On the nickel
Lost in the harbour
Innocent when you dream
Hoist that rag
Make it rain
Dirt in the ground
Get behind the mule
Hang down your head
Jesus gonna be here
Singapore
Eyeball Kid
Anywhere I lay my head
(Hat tip: the Fork)
Monday, April 28, 2008
High on Fire
Job for a Cowboy
Children of Bodom
In Flames
Megadeth
10th Anniversary New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Day One
April 25, 2008
at the Palladium, Worcester
All photos by Carina Mastrocola
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Dirty Projectors, "Rise Above (Live at Museum of Fine Arts)"
Few things about Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth. One: while he looks tall and remote and Thurston-like from afar, up close, he looks impossibly young and is incredibly friendly. Two: Like the Grizzlies, he's a New Englander moonlighting as a Brooklynite. (Did we really overhear him say he briefly lived in Jamaica Plain?) Three: for a guy who prizes live-show spontaneity, he was awfully eager that we not leak any of the four new songs DPs unveiled last month at the Museum of Fine Arts, on the first night of their tour behind Rise Above. We'll chalk that up to opening-night jitters, since despite the band's protestations that the new shit wasn't ready for prime time yet, we couldn't for the life of us figure out what exactly was so bad about it. So, that said: here's the two "hits," as it were, from an album that (famously, already) doesn't sound shit like Black Flag. His Yale-ness may have been the center of attention for the indie fanboys who seemed to bring Longstreth as many albums as new-converts bought, but like most others we were kinda knocked out by the accompanists, whose eerie birdcall harmonies floated us through Dave's oceans of skronk.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hallelujah the Hills, "Nurses Five Float Past (Live at Great Scott)"
It's not like either Hallelujah the Hills or Ho-Ag lack for members; and it's not like they're such natural collaborators that they were bound to appear on the same stage eventually. In fact, we're still not quite steady on why the hell HTH & Ho-Ag keep going all Voltron and forming the Hallelujah the Ho-Ag superband. (While we're on the topic, dudes, we hereby suggest that "Ho-Ag The Hills" rolls off the tongue a little more smoothly.) But all that aside, it's for shizzle that this is a formula for getting really fucking loud and weird, which is why we toted the cams up to Great Scott to capture this strange apparition in all its frazzled majesty. The pairing lost none of its spontanaeity by this being the second time they'd joined up, and it having been HTH's second show that day (the first having been a rare family matinee and the same venue). Our audio-recording device said fuck it and died at the beginning of the set, so double thanks to HTH for providing us with a backup track. Whew. What you get above: a standout track from HTH's headline set, drawn from their recent 100-percent-free-online-EP Prepare to Qualify, and a tag-team HTH/Ho-Ag pile-up on Tom Waits' "Rain Dogs," Tom Waits being one thing that intellectual folks-rockers and gonzo spazz-punk behemoths can still agree on. Speaking of which, this is probably a good time to suggest a Scar-Jo/Ho-Ag throwdown. Tell us in the comments which name they should go under: Scar-Ho or Jo-Ag?
If we had a Best Music Poll category for most-improved, Mike Fiore's FACES ON FILM would've had another notch in their belt, not to mention a pretty-much unimpeded cakewalk to the victory. As it is, he's up for best local singer-songwriter, for which we apologize because we didn't know quite where else to put 'em. The live show has gotten to the level of stunning motherfuckers, and it doesn't seem to matter whether he's onstage by himself, with a stripped down trio (we highly recommend their recent Flophouse Session over at Band In Boston), or -- see above -- with the full band plus friends, recorded live at the Middle East during one of our recent Best Music Poll showcase concerts.
Voting, of course, has ended for this year's BMP. Results will be released May 9, just in time to preview the Best Music Poll Concert at Bank of America Pavlion on May 10 with Death Cab for Cutie, Bob Mould, Amanda Palmer, and a couple of recently-announced BMP winners: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and Passion Pit. Tickets are still available, but not for long.
PREVIOUSLY:
COMING SOON!: Hallelujah the Hills, Big Digits
Monday, April 14, 2008
No Request Zone: Real Talk from Boston's DJ Elite
Not long ago, we teamed up with our sister mag Stuff at Night to bring together eight of Boston's finest DJs to shoot the shit about the state of dance music in our fair city. It turned out to be far more interesting than we had any right to expect it would be, and may even have squashed some beef in the process. Was kinda awesome to see the youngbloods pay respects to a 20-year vet like Bruno, who sat at the head of the table and dispensed knowledge like the Godfather. And it was also awesome to be able to make what we hope will be some lasting introductions. The conversation meandered from practical advice -- like how to handle obnoxious requests -- to big-picture shit, like Bruno and the Soul Clap dudes talking about the evolution of tastes and audiences, Baltimoroder dropping ready-for-dissertation paragraphs on the effects of technology on the profession, and DJ Knife lamenting his switchover to Serrato. You can watch the trailer above, and read the whole article over at StuffAtNight as part of their annual music issue.
But the best thing to come out of this whole meeting was a commitment to actually get everyone in the room on the same bill -- no small feat, and in our minds kinda historic in terms of bringing together a bunch of different scenes. Tonight, all eight DJs from the roundtable will be taking turns on the turntables at the Good Life, launching what we hope will become a regular everyone-and-the-kitchen-sink event. But on the off chance that never happens, you might want to stop by. It's free, with complimentary PBR for the early birds: but it's also list-only, so make sure to rsvp to RSVP@stuffatnight.com. 
Monday, April 07, 2008
The last time we tried to shoot Viva Viva, we made an ill-fated foray into infrared photography. This time, with the addition of actual lights, you may even be able to make out more than a Sasquatch-like outline. Which is good, because we love these dudes. Forget that VV grew out of two of our favorite early-00s bands -- the Lot Six and Officer May -- or that they've got this awesome Mutt-and-Jeff thing going on. Since the dissolution of those bands, their respective frontmen have taken their rock-and-roll hearts back to the classic shit: one second they sound like the Doors doing Beatles-in-Hamburg material, the next they're hybriding Stones/Stooges raveups in the manner of the first Verbena album. Here's the set opener, recorded March 29 at the Middle East as part of our Best Music Poll showcase:
COMING SOON: Faces on Film Live at the Middle East
Last week we scooped the news about Radiohead’s August 13 concert date at Tweeter Center (tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 a.m.) and set the music blogs abuzz. Today word from ye olde Inbox, via our friends at LiveNation, is that opening duties will be divvied amongst Grizzly Bear, whom Radiohead covered at their recent top-secret London gig, and Liars, who Thom Yorke raved about when he guess DJ’ed NPR’s All Songs Considered in February. So who’ll be gracing Mansfield with their Yorke-approved presence this summer? Grizzly Bear, those Brooklynite kings of fuzzy, buzzing, eerily quiet, then extremely loud indie rock. Their Friend EP was firmly lodged at the top of our "Most Played" list for a solid chunk of 2007, along with In Rainbows, to the point where we thought our iTunes might protest and throw whatever's at the top of their "Most Purchased" list at us instead. Which means that we’ve now progressed from excited about the show, to high on summer concert plans, Fitter Happier, Everything In It’s Right Place, shaking in our desk chairs excited. It’s notable that Pitchfork.tv launched today and, in a perhaps serendipitous, or perhaps expertly calculated move, posted some excellent live footage of Radiohead performing Disc Two’s "Bangers & Mash" in Nigel Godrich’s basement (that’s infinity times cooler than our basement, which mainly just has spiders and an old ping pong table). Of course that shit’s already on You Tube, so here you go: And, to get you all in the Radiohead/Grizzly Bear combo mood, here's the video for Grizzly Bear's "Knife," made by the San Francisco-based duo Encyclopedia Pictura, who also just released Bjork's astoundingly trippy/picturesque video for "Wanderlust":
--Caitlin E. Curran
Thursday, April 03, 2008
 What do these two have in common? $$$$$$$$$$$As you may have heard by now, today's New York Times reports that Jay-Z is "on the verge" of closing a multi-million dollar deal with Live Nation, which would tie albums, concerts, and any other business ventures that Jay-Z has the slightest desire to carry out into one neat, Live Nation-financed package (“I’ve turned into the Rolling Stones of hip-hop,” Jay-Z says). Now, we're all for Jay-Z, especially now that he's in cahoots with his old pal Mary J, on a tour that hits TD Banknorth tonight, but his tone in the article is borderline annoying. From the article: "The overall package for Jay-Z also includes an upfront payment of $25 million, a general advance of $25 million that includes fees for his current tour, and advance payment of $10 million an album for a minimum of three albums during the deal’s 10-year term, these people said. A series of other payments adding up to about $20 million is included in exchange for certain publishing, licensing and other rights. Jay-Z said Live Nation’s consolidated approach was in sync with the emerging potential 'to reach the consumer in so many different ways right now.'" Wow, that's, like, a mind-boggling amount of money. Then, flip to page two for these follow-up statement: "In a way I want to operate like an indie band," [Of course you do! Indie bands are SO HOT right now. -Ed.] he said. "Play the music on tour instead of relying on radio. Hopefully we’ll get some hits out of there and radio will pick it up, but we won’t make it with that in mind."...Jay-Z, for his part, suggested that the string of stars to exit the major-label system would also signal to younger acts how to plot their careers. Oh, okay. So, hey, all of you struggling indie bands out there! You've been going about this all wrong! Follow in Jay-Z's steps! Just pick up the phone and give a concert promoter behemoth a call, and boom! you'll be on your way. -Caitlin E. Curran
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Caribou (aka, Dan Snaith, the self-taught, math pro, psychedlic-obsessed Canadian musician we interviewed recently) loves his light projections. Below, see photos from last night's Caribou show at the Dise. Snaith's self-created, kaleidoscopic light projections led to even trippier photos, and I increased the level of color-smashed artiness in Photoshop to make 'em extra far out for ya. Enjoy, and watch for Will Spitz's review of the show, coming soon.           Caribou at the Paradise Rock Club, March 26, 2008
All photos by Caitlin E. Curran
--Caitlin E. Curran
3/27/2008 1:20:09 PM by Will | |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Ontario-born, London-dwelling, math-whiz musician Dan Snaith has been kicking around the electronic music world since 2000, when he released an EP called People Eating Fruit, under the moniker Manitoba. Originally, music was a part-time gig, pursued on the side while Snaith taught and pursued a PhD in math. Just before earning that degree, he was forced to abandon his musical claim on Manitoba, when former Dictators frontman Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba decided to sue... even though, you know, Manitoba is the name of a Canadian province, and not just Handsome Dick’s. Luckily, Snaith got over it, and switched to Caribou after a meaningful LSD trip, then ditched math to make music his full-time job. His excellent, multi-instrumental 2007 album, Andorra (Merge), saw Snaith confidently wading into the world of 60s-referencing psych-pop music, and not in a bad way. He’ll play the Paradise with Fuck Buttons tonight, and he chatted with us last weekend, from the snowy roads of Canada (we meant to post this earlier, but we were held back by technical snafus - bummer!).
When asked about his political preferences in a recent interview with XXL magazine, DMX admitted he didn’t know who Barack Obama was. Do you consider yourself well-informed, in terms of world news?
That’s definitely shocking to me. I’m not the most informed, but I definitely can confirm I’ve heard of Barack Obama. If he hasn’t heard of Barack Obama he probably hasn’t heard of previous political leaders in the past decade or so.
You may be sick of this question, but there’s an obvious transition from psych-electronica to psych-pop on your latest album, Andorra. How did this come about?
It was one conscious decision to switch styles. In the past my music has been made by building loops on top of one another. I wanted to make pop songs with big melodies and not just a hypnotic kind of music. The last 3 of the 4 albums have been psych influenced. I like the ambition and the scope, big headspace music, rather than the stripped down post punky kind of sound. Im kind of a record nerd, so I’ve got piles of obscure psych rock bands that I might only like one or two tracks from. This last record, the Zombies were a big influence – they do this baroque psych pop – and they embodied a lot of what I wanted to do. That’s probably something that won’t continue. I’ve done what I wanted to do with that.
You studied and taught math for several years, but now you’re a full-time musician. Have you always juggled the two? Now that music is your full-time gig, do you ever miss math?
I‘m a nerd, and I just love learning about things so I ended up learning about both music and math. But there came a time when I had to make a decision. I’ve always wanted to be a musician. I don’t really miss math – I never do mathematics at all since I got my PhD. I grew up in such a mathematic environment - almost everyone in my family has a math degree - so I don’t feel entirely away from it.
Technically Caribou is your solo project; music created while you were holed up in your bedroom. But for live shows, you perform with other musicians. Why?
There’s four of us on stage. I do everything on the records myself. Doing it all day everyday is sort of something that makes more sense on my own, but the live thing is different - it’s better when it’s very much a collaboration.
Your albums are amalgams of instruments and sounds. How many instruments do you play personally?
I’d probably only say that I play piano well, but that’s an open ended question. Other instruments [on the album], I learn enough to get what I want out of them.
When did you start writing music?
I started playing piano when I was 5 but it didn’t really consume me till I switched teachers at 13 or 14, and they started to emphasize improvisation, and understanding how music fits together. It was a weird little town that I grew up in. The kids were into Rush and Yes, or the Grateful Dead so I was into that. But I was also into Aphex Twin, so my high school band was this terrible car crash of the two things. It sounded like a teenage misindulgence in music. But it was a good starting point in learning how to make music.
LISTEN: Caribou on MySpace
--Caitlin E. Curran
3/26/2008 6:02:57 PM by Will | |
Friday, March 07, 2008
Today, YouTube has baptized itself as Sigur Róstube: all Sigur Rós, all day. The whole darn homepage is all Sigur Rós videos. So, you can take a break from watching Cat of 1000 Faces, Chris Crocker looking more and more bonkers, and that whole viral Yes We Can thing, and get all contemplative and dramatic with everyone's favorite Icelandic band (tied with Björk/The Sugarcubes, obv), staring into space and pondering life's worth to fan-made videos for "með blóðnasir." Take that, Barack! And you thought St. Patrick's Day was the next big holiday! As an added bonus, if you missed the December Kendall screening of Heima, which Sigur Rós describes thusly: " Filmed over two weeks during the summer of 2006 when the band
undertook a series of free, unannounced concerts in Iceland. They
hauled 40-plus people round 15 locations to the furthest flung corners
of their homeland for their debut venture into live film, to create
something, well, inspirational," you can catch all 97 minutes of it on YT today as well. We'll get you in the mood with a few choice Sigur Ros clips:
Friday, February 15, 2008
 They also like kittens, apparently. We’ve seen the Brooklyn-based band Yeasayer live at Great Scott before (see our previous, gushing post), so we thought we knew what to expect at Tuesday night’s gig at the same venue, with MGMT. WXPN’s World Café recently described Yeasayer as purveyors of “haunted robotic gospel” music, and that seems totally on target. There’s a combination of factors that makes their live performances seem vaguely spiritual: all four members sing, sometimes silencing their instruments completely in favor of a four part harmony; they also all throw their entire bodies into their performances. They kneel and bang tambourines on the ground; they have a mangled crash cymbal, nearly falling to pieces because they like to smash it with a maraca mid-song; they sweat and scream and shout and moan lyrics which, even from eight or so feet away, we still can’t tell what they’re saying, but we feel like we should be raising our agnostic hands and yelling "Amen!" Here’s an audio example: some live tracks from their recent Daytrotter session. The Yeasayer boys have been touring across the U.S., so they’ve spent the past few months polishing their live act, whereas MGMT, who seem right behind Vampire Weekend as the indie music community’s latest cause celebré (as evidenced by the shivering fans in front of Great Scott, begging for extra tickets, and lots and lots of blog coverage), are still rough around the edges. We went into it thinking at least we’d see "Time to Pretend," and "Kids," two obnoxiously addictive tracks from their debut, Oracular Spectacular (Columbia), and we got a semi-decent live version of the former. The latter, "Kids," which we’re told is an MGMT classic from their days playing to packed dorm rooms at Wesleyan, was the last song they, um, "played." We say that with hesitance because it was actually just two MGMT members singing along with the album version, which was played over the loudspeakers. Half the crowd was dancing (possibly fueled by Tuesday night PBRs - especially the falling over/making out couple in front of us, awesome), seemingly unfazed, and the other half was scratching their heads, thinking "WTF?" We may not know everything about being in a band, but we’ve been too a solid number of shows in our time, and that’s not a concert. That’s just karaoke.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Best of Both Worlds: Behind the scenes with Miley Cyrus's musical director
We caught up with our old friend Stacy Jones (Letters to Cleo, Veruca Salt, American Hi-Fi) at the tail end of his current freelance gig, which just happens to be the biggest pop tour in the universe -- let's just say he's now the Tommy Lee of tweenpop. Click above for the video; but note that our web-size screen doesn't even begin to convey the insanity of Hannah Montana's digital-3D movie. More soon on the film, which is legitimately ridiculous. (Our favorite pop critic weighed in with a pretty great review of the tour here.) For now, maybe it's enough to say it's a new high-water mark in hyperreality, and it's even more of a mindfuck to see Stacy and Kay Hanley in larger-than-life dimension-bending action. (Note: now extended for another week!) After the jump: the full text of the interview, plus links to the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tourblogs that Kay and some of the other band members kept.
Topics covered:
- How Stacy nearly fought Billy Ray Cyrus!
- What Miley rocks when she's playing Guitar Hero!
- Which reality-show band Stacy ghost-guitared for on TRL!
- Random other shit involving the Smashing Pumpkins, AFI, Cheap Trick, the rebirth of Hi-Fi, and, if you read between the lines, the realization that the secret thematic glue between Stacy Jones and Miley Cyrus is basically the Foo Fighters!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Mission of Burma, 1001 Pleasant Dreams (Live at Great Scott, 2008)
Mission of Burma, 2wice (Live at Great Scott, 2008)
As Justin Timberlake says, what goes around comes around: as the story goes, Mission of Burma took their name off a consulate building they happened to pass in New York. Twenty years or so later, the actual country of Burma is in turmoil. (If you haven't heard about it, that's because it's a particularly crappy time to be a non-oil-producing country in turmoil.) And so, with Roger Miller railing against facism and speakers from the US Campaign for Burma on hand to fill in the blanks, MOB embarked on an actual Mission. Involving Burma. Perfect.
Even perfecter, this one took the form of a fiery, sold-the-hell-out show at Great Scott, the most intimate venue they've played in Boston since reforming (unless you count the unofficial warm-up gig they played in Somerville the night before their proper reunion gig). And to top it off, they debuted at least four new, as-yet-unrecorded songs -- one of which we'll be posting soon. (Asked if there were plans for a new album, Miller said there were not, but didn't rule it out, adding that they hadn't really properly planned anything, ever.) For now, check out these fantastic performances of some recent and classic chunes. And stop by the US Campaign for Burma's website to get the lowdown on Burma. We've sent off our tapes to the Campaign folks, who are planning on clandestinely beaming the full show into Burma sometime soon.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
1/22/2008 11:57:44 AM by Caitlin | |
Monday, January 07, 2008
Belated big-ups to the Karmaloop dudes for doing a holiday party the way holiday parties need to get done: grab the biggest club-rap phenomenon of the year, bring her to town for her Boston debut, and allow her to play her Kanyeezy-approved underground hit not once but twice. (Well, more like once and a half, but you get the picture.) From the balcony, in sub-YouTube quality, here's KID SISTER performing her Fools' Gold smash "Pro Nails" at the Estate. We saw Karmaloop's cams there, so we expect there'll be some better documentation of this on their site soon. In the meantime, we recommend their man-on-the-street interviews about how dope The Wire is. Almost as good as the show itself.
CONSUME: Kid Sister remix single on iTunes. (Bag Raiders remix = essential)
Monday, December 17, 2007
 The original, fluffy-haired foursome. This looks like an ad for Pert Plus.And speaking of Led Zeppelin - which was the most recent blog post on OTD for way, way too long - sorry about that, dudes, it's been a busy few weeks over here at Phoenix HQ, and we've been mulling over, rethinking, and rewriting our lists (for top albums of the year, not for Santa) - SFJ weighed in on the reunion gig in this week's New Yorker. As you probably know, we don't always agree with what the "There's no black in indie rock" proclaimer has to say, but this week he might be dead-on. An excerpt: "In November, the English rock band the Cult announced that it planned to tour in 2008 with a band whose name starts with an 'l' and has a 'z' in it, and rumors have floated that next summer Led Zeppelin is going to play at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, in Tennessee. This might seem like a good idea, but Led Zeppelin is a cover band now, covering its own material. Without John Bonham, the band can only sound like Led Zeppelin; it can’t be Led Zeppelin. The band should turn down the money and let its record stand. The failed gigs of the nineteen-eighties and nineties have been supplanted by a triumph, and the band should be pleased to have done Ertegun proud with such a spirited performance. I look forward to any chance I get to see Plant, Page, or Jones play live. But let the songs remain." It's a solid point - if Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic got together with a new lead singer (Kurt Cobain's long-lost second cousin or something) to
play Nirvana songs, it'd be "Nirvana," not Nirvana. Same with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - if they ever attempted a Beatles reunion, could anyone really call it The Beatles? Yet some bands - Journey, we're looking at you - continue to assuredly identify themselves by the same name, despite shifting band rosters. Which leads us to believe that the distinction between glorified cover bands (with members of the original line-up!) and the real thing is entirely circumstantial - it depends on the band, the frequency at which band members change, and which instrumentalist leaves. It seems easier to classify a band as "authentic" when they have a new drummer, rather than, say, a new lead singer. But that sounds discriminatory (bandist?
Anti-drummer?), and we'd imagine that most Led Zeppelin fans would probably argue the opposite,
since losing John Bonham was monumental enough to break up the band, and they have never been/will never be the same. But it doesn’t seem to be
affecting ticket sales, or album sales - tickets to the reunion gig in London were going for thousands of dollars on eBay, and NME recently reported that sales of Led Zeppelin’s back catalogue have increased by 500% since they announced the show. Maybe cover bands aren't so repugnant?
12/17/2007 3:32:19 PM by Caitlin | |
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
 Fricke has the answers to all questions. In case anyone was just dying to know how the Led Zep show went in London last night, David Fricke, the source of all rock knowledge, according to any of the Classic Albums documentaries, has posted a lengthy review on Rolling Stone's blog. An excerpt: "As drummer Jason Bonham hammered with the ghostly precision and
ferocity of his late father, guitarist Jimmy Page fired dirty chunks of
Chuck Berry and bassist John Paul Jones kept iron time with familiar
reserve, singer Robert Plant sang the most obvious words of the night: 'Been a long time since I rock and rolled.' Overhead, images of a much
younger Zeppelin, in concert during the early and mid-Seventies,
flashed on a huge digital-video screen. In those films, Led Zeppelin
were the biggest, loudest and most cocksure band in rock. Jimmy Page’s
now snow-white hair was still jet black; Robert Plant was a golden god,
not yet a Viking elder, and the late John Bonham — whose death in 1980
abruptly ended Zeppelin’s reign — still ruled the engine room.
But the band that played underneath those memories last night was
not the one that misfired at Live Aid in 1985 or again in New York in
1988. This one was rehearsed, ready and out to kill. This band was Led
Zeppelin in every way." Read the full review here. Also, people are posting videos on YouTube from the show.
12/11/2007 10:49:22 AM by Caitlin | |
Monday, December 10, 2007
Mission of Burma will play Great Scott on January 20, in what will be the band's most intimate hometown performance since their first-ever reunion gig (which was itself a secret warmup gig for their official reunion shows a few nights later) at the now-defunct 608 in Somerville, six years ago to the month.
We gather the gig is a benefit in some fashion for Myanmar (the country formerly known as Burma), and we'll add details when our Googling produces something reliable. If you've got details, hit us in the comments.
Tickets go on sale HERE on December 15 at 10 am.
BREAKING NEWS: Maybe we set off someone's Google alert with this post, but we just got an email confirming that Pete Prescott's terrorifyingly awesome post-Burma band VOLCANO SUNS are amping up their reunion with plans for an extensive 2008 tour -- this time in support of a Taang! re-release of their albums The Bright Orange Years and All Night Lotus Party, neither of which have ever seen the light of a digital release. Developing...
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Come, "Hurricane" (Live at the Middle East, 11/10/2007)
Sure, it was only two songs. (Turns out they had a third ready to go, but decided against it. What, the applause wasn't loud enough? "Exactly," said Chris Brokaw.) But since this was the first time Come have performed since their 2 1/2-hour farewell gig at the MidEast's downstairs room back in -- what, 1998? -- well, this was pretty fucking rad. Brokaw, on loan from Thurston Moore's band and a zillion other projects, hopped up after Thalia Zedek's band played a more-blistering-than-usual set, providing the pentultimate thrill on the occasion of the Middle East's 20th anniversary as a rock club, which is not coincidentally Billy Ruane's birthday, and is also coincidentally ME booker Kevin Hoskins's B-day. Whew. Yes, Hallelujah the Hills and Helms and IV Diffusion and Drug Rug were great, but dude: Come played a fucking reunion show. And since you weren't there, we brought back this clip. We've got the other song in a holding cell, waiting for an encore, along with some awesome footage of Hallelujah the Hills covering the Beatles, which we haven't asked them for permission to post yet. More anon, then. Many thanks to Leslie McCleave for additional footage.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
 Spottiswoode & His Enemies
Spouse
It’s unclear, from this vantage point at least, precisely to whom the proper noun in the band Spottiswoode & His Enemies refers.
Is it Roger Spottiswoode, the director of Turner and Hooch and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot? Or is it 17th century Scottish Archbishop John Spottiswoode, or 19th century English mathematician/physicist William Spottiswoode, or perhaps Victoria Cross-winner William Spottiswoode Trevor, a major in the Bengal Engineers who fought valorously during the 1864-1865 Bhutan War, vanquishing 200 barricaded enemy soldiers all while greatly outmatched?
Occam’s razor would suggest it’s probably the band's leader, Jonathan Spottiswoode, an English expat poet living in New York who’s been making music of soulful, shambling grandeur for a decade.
Spottiswoode’s is a moony, crooning voice (not unlike Damon Albarn’s), dripping with wasted elegance. His lyrics are witty and well-turned, dwelling on life and love and sun and rain and occasionally — witness the captivating “Sailing To Byzantium (Passchendaele 1917, A Dying Soldier's Dream)” — on rococo pseudo-history.
He’s aided and abetted by his purported enemies, a supple and subtle ensemble band that flits easily between jazz, soul, folk, and rock. With trumpets and tricky time signatures, with accordions and Wurlitzers and glockenspiels, they recall at various times the smoke-cured continental suavity of Serge Gainsbourg, the latter-day ethno-eclecticism of the Pogues, the turbid moodiness of the Bad Seeds, and the besotted, be-suited croak of a guy like Tom Waits.
With their solid discography and a dynamic stage show, this is one band that should be listened to more than they are. You’ll get your chance on Wednesday night at TT the Bear’s Place, as they celebrate their tenth anniversary and the release of their forthcoming Salvation (New Warsaw).
Joining them will be their friends Spouse, the excellent Northampton indie band, who’ve been churning out infectious, angular guitar hooks since 1995 (when this writer got to know them up at Bowdoin College). Frontman and chief songwriter José Ayerve — who some might recognize from occasional guest stints with the Pernice Brothers — is the linchpin of a lineup that’s been shifting every so often over the past several years, but the band’s punchy, plangent Pixies/Pavement power pop has remained nonpareil, even as they’ve been dipping lately into a more expansive sonic palate.
DOWNLOAD: Spottiswoode and His Enemies, Sailing To Byzantium (Passchendaele 1917, A Dying Soldier's Dream) [mp3]
DOWNLOAD: Spouse, It = Love [mp3]
Monday, November 12, 2007
11/12/2007 1:37:39 PM by Caitlin | |
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
They're baaaaaaa-aaaaaack . . .
From the inbox:
The Dresden Dolls
| |