Metro Distortion

Out Of A Forest Short Film

2010-03-10T21:49:00.005-05:00

Worth checking out...

Out Of A Forest from Tobias Gundorff Boesen on Vimeo.

Music: The National - "Slow Show"
[more]

The National will be performing on Jimmy Fallon tonight. Looking forward to hearing a new tune.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Tour

2010-02-25T12:18:00.002-05:00

I love Tom Petty and for whatever reason, I've never seen him live. I really need to remedy that this summer. He's back with a new album and is hitting the road. As if you need another reason to love Tom Petty, look at his openers...Drive-By Truckers and My Morning Jacket (as well as vets Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and ZZ Top). Find me two better modern-day rock bands who would be a better fit for that gig. I can't come up with any.

You can also stream the first single, "Good Enough," from Mojo on his site right now (his first album in almost ten years). It's a straight up rocker and is actually quite good.

http://www.tompetty.com/tour

Them Crooked Vultures @ Roseland, 2/8/10

2010-02-09T21:45:00.004-05:00

"File that under holy shit." Josh Homme made that remark after a guitar solo from unlikely fourth member Alain Johannes but it summed up the entire show for me. I didn't think Josh Homme was ever happy about anything but he had a smile on his face the entire night and who can blame him. What other lead singer can join a band with one of the greatest drummers of our generation and a living legend and still somehow make it about him? Regardless, I spent the majority of the show gazing at JPJ and watching in disbelief as Grohl bashed away at the drums for an hour and forty-five minutes with a level of fierceness I've never seen before. They played all 13 songs from the album and one unrecorded song called "Highway One" which, frankly, wasn't as good as any of the songs on the album. The show was everything it was supposed to be and more.

Drive-By Truckers Spring Tour Dates

2010-01-26T14:35:00.003-05:00

I'm already signed up to travel down to Charlottesville (home) to see their February show but April 1 is a no brainer.

The first single can be found here and true to their word, it rocks. The Big To-Do is out 3/16.

Thu Mar 04 Wilmington NC Rox Nightclub
Sat Mar 06 Augusta GA Sky City
Fri Mar 12 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
Sat Mar 13 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
Thu Mar 18 Austin TX SXSW
Fri Mar 19 New Orleans LA Tipitinas
Sat Mar 20 New Orleans LA Tipitinas
Thu Apr 01 New York NY Webster Hall
Fri Apr 02 Boston MA House of Blues
Sat Apr 03 Philadelphia PA Electric Factory
Tue Apr 06 Toronto Canada Lee's Palace
Wed Apr 07 Toronto Canada Lee's Palace
Thu Apr 08 Detroit MI St. Andrews Hall
Fri Apr 09 Chicago IL The Vic Theatre
Sat Apr 10 Lexington KY Buster's Billiards and Backroom
Sun Apr 11 Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
Wed Apr 14 Towson MD Recher Theatre
Thu Apr 15 Norfolk VA The Norva
Fri Apr 16 Asheville NC The Orange Peel
Sat Apr 17 Asheville NC The Orange Peel
Fri Apr 30 Nashville TN Cannery Ballroom
Fri May 07 Los Angeles CA Avalon
Sat May 08 San Fran CA The Fillmore Auditorium

Trailer: The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights

2010-01-06T09:14:00.002-05:00

Looks awesome:

JK's Best of 2009

2009-12-12T10:17:00.005-05:00

2009 was the hardest year of work, not surprisingly, that I've ever had. That's not necessarily a bad thing at all, I've been very fortunate, it's just an adjustment. Unfortunately, it's also meant that I haven't been able to keep up with this blog very often and I suppose that's unlikely to change either. Despite it all, I still managed to listen to a lot of music this year and the result was very promising. I can't say the same about live shows this year, aside from standouts such as Band of Horses/Arbouretum at Carnegie Hall and Dark Was the Night at Radio City, I witnessed a lot of good shows but few great ones. Hope lies ahead in 2010 with Yeasayer in January, home to Charlottesville to catch Drive-By Truckers with my dad, and Muse/Silversun Pickups at the Garden in March. Here were my favorites from '09:

Albums
20. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is...Skyscraper
19. Brakes - Touchdown
18. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
17. Fanfarlo - Reservoir
16. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night
15. ...Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
14. Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health
13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
12. Drummer - Feel Good Together
11. The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
10. The Antlers - Hospice
09. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
08. Them Crooked Vultures - s/t
07. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
06. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
05. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
04. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
03. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
02. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
01. Grizzly Bear - Veckatamist

Songs
21. Suckers - It Gets Your Body Moving
20. The xx - Crystalised
19. Editors - Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
18. The Maccabees - No Kind Words
17. Monsters of Folk - Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
16. Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams
15. Arctic Monkeys - The Jeweller's Hands
14. Clues - Ledmonton
13. Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
12. The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Ballad of the RAA
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
10. Phoenix - 1901
09. White Rabbit - Percussion Gun
08. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
07. Arbouretum - False Spring
06. Phoenix - Lisztomania
05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric
04. The Flaming Lips - Worm Mountain
03. Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
02. Drummer - Mature Fantasy
01. Bon Iver - Brackett, WI

Update: I forgot one of my favorites so I'm making a last minute adjustment and adding Arbouretum...

EPs:
03. Suckers - Suckers EP
02. Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer
01. Puscifer - "C" Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here) EP

AV Club's Best Films of the '00s

2009-12-03T10:20:00.002-05:00

I'm a sucker for these lists, especially when they come from sites that I have a lot of respect for. AV Club presents their list of the best films of the '00s, something that seems too overwhelming for me to attempt. Memento is my definitive favorite so it's nice to see that one come in at number 5. One thing that is clear is that I have not seen nearly enough of the films in the top 50.

Top 10:
10. Children Of Men (2006)
09. The New World (2005)
08. Capturing The Friedmans (2003)
07. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
06. Spirited Away (2001)
05. Memento (2000)
04. No Country For Old Men (2007)
03. There Will Be Blood (2007)
02. 25th Hour (2002)
01. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

JK's Best Albums of the 2000s

2009-10-10T12:03:00.004-04:00

I started putting this list together back in August, shared it with NF, put it aside for awhile, and finally put the finishing touches on it today...I think. Albums that came out this year are tough to consider because they've haven't quite set in yet. Then again, I'm listening to so much more music now than I did 9 years ago, it's hard to say how much I will come back to albums released this year.

Update: I had to make a couple corrections based on more reflection.

Here are my favorites:

50. Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera (2001) ~~Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)~~
49. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
48. Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (2001) ~~Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)~~
47. The National - Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)
46. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (2008)
45. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (2006)
44. The White Stripes - De Stijl (2000)
43. Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South (2004)
42. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)
41. The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
40. Muse - Origin of Symmetry (2001)
39. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
38. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (2006)
37. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
36. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
35. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (2003)
34. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief (2003)
33. Constantines - Shine a Light (2003)
32. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
31. TOOL - Lateralus (2001)
30. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)
29. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
28. TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (2008)
27. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
26. Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
25. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
24. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
23. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
22. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
21. Dismemberment Plan - Change (2001)
20. The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
19. Muse - Absolution (2004)
18. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
17. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
16. The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)
15. The National - Boxer (2007)
14. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
13. Queens for the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
12. The Wrens - Meadowlands (2003)
11. Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)
10. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
09. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
08. Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People (2003)
07. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
06. Beck - Sea Change (2002)
05. The National - Alligator (2005)
04. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
03. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)
02. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
01. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

One More Reason to Love Muse

2009-10-03T08:56:00.002-04:00

Glenn Beck Praises New Muse Album – Muse Ask For Retraction

If that wasn't enough, here's another example: An Italian TV show asks them to lip sync "Uprising," the band disagreed, so all three members switched places to "perform" the song. Unfortunately, the video has been pulled but Matt Bellamy on drums hamming it up for the camera was absolutely classic.

The new album is growing on me. There are 3 really bad songs on it but I'm happy with the rest. I'm sure they picked up a lot of new fans opening for U2 on this stadium tour so I'm hoping they come back soon for a headlining tour. Few bands bring it on the stage like they can.

The Mars Volta @ the Palladium, 08.30.09

2009-08-31T02:06:00.009-04:00

A minute into the Morricone suite and the mob begins to push. Closer.

"Omar coming. Omar coming."

Ikey Owens initiates the mayhem and from the opening notes, the crowd knows its done for. Cedric in peak form, Omar on interstellar overdrive. Tighter and heavier than ever before.

SETLIST:

"Son et Lumiere"
"Inertiatic E.S.P."
"Goliath"
"Cotopaxi"
"Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)"
"Viscera Eyes"
"Halo of Nembutals"
"Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus"
"Desperate Graves"
"Eunuch Provocateur"
"Ilyena"
"Teflon"
"Drunkship of Lanterns"
"Luciforms"
"The Widow"
"Wax Simulacra"

The National @ the Wiltern, 08.29.09

2009-08-30T14:24:00.010-04:00

Raw and unwound from the opening bars of "Runaway". Halfway through "Mr. November" and Matt Berninger's clawing his way to the middle of the art deco theater. A lone light searches. Camera phones float in the dark. The brothers Dessner come unglued at the strings in front of him. Behind him. Twisting through the crowd hitting every word on the way. Standing above the crowd. Screaming. Reeling.

"I won't fuck us over. I'm Mr. November."

SETLIST:

"Runaway" (new)
"Start a War"
"Mistaken for Strangers"
"Brainy"
"Secret Meeting"
"Baby, We'll Be Fine"
"Slow Show"
"Vanderlylle Cry Baby" (new)
"Squalor Victoria"
"Abel"
"All the Wine"
"Available"
"Ada"
"Apartment Story"
"Blood Buzz Ohio" (new)
"Fake Empire"

*****

"Green Gloves"
"Mr. November"
"About Today"

Them Crooked Vultures

2009-08-19T17:03:00.004-04:00

How much longer until I can hear a damn song? 30 seconds is not enough, damn it.

Pearl Jam's Backspacer Cover Art

2009-07-29T15:12:00.003-04:00

Plug in the pieces here to join in on the treasure hunt. I can't find 4 and 7.

Only in New York...

2009-07-15T18:19:00.004-04:00

...can you literally walk outside of work to see Sir Paul McCartney performing live. I just caught the last 30 minutes of his performance on top of the Late Show marquee at the Ed Sullivan Theatre. He ended with "Back in the USSR."

Awesome.

Of course, I forgot my phone when I was on the street and could actually see him but I did take these photos from our office floor. Unfortunately, that tree is covering the stage. Letterman tonight.

Pearl Jam Tour Dates

2009-07-09T13:56:00.001-04:00

Nothing in NYC...yet.

Ben Harper and the Relentless7 will open the West Coast dates. That essentially guarantees a performance of "Indifference."

Sept. 21: Seattle (Key Arena)
Sept. 22: Seattle (Key Arena)
Sept. 30: Los Angeles (Gibson Amp.)
Oct. 1: Los Angeles (Gibson Amp.)
Oct. 6: Los Angeles (Gibson Amp.)
Oct. 7: Los Angeles (Gibson Amp.)
Oct. 9: San Diego (Viejas Arena)
Oct. 28: Philadelphia (Spectrum)
Oct. 30: Philadelphia (Spectrum)

More at Billboard.

Best music of 2009 so far (AV Club)

2009-06-19T15:09:00.002-04:00

AV Club staff weigh in on their favorites of the year.

My favorites off the top of my head: Grizzly Bear Veckatimest, Mastodon Crack the Skye, Dinosaur Jr. Farm, Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz!, Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Brakes Touchdown, Doves Kingdom of Rust, Harlem Shakes Technicolor Health, ...Trail of Dead The Century of Self, Dark Was the Night, Dark Night of the Soul, Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, Silversun Pickups Swoon, The Antlers Hospice, Arbouretum Song of the Pearl.

New Song from The National

2009-06-17T10:14:00.003-04:00

A new slow jam, tentatively called "The Runaway" via Q TV.

Band of Horses @ Carnegie Hall, 6/11/09

2009-06-12T11:47:00.003-04:00

My first visit to Carnegie Hall and it's for a rock show. Why am I not surprised. As we were all exiting the venue I overheard an older gentleman say "looks like the dress code has changed with the younger crowd." Classic. We were there to see Arbouretum, who embraced the acoustic theme and turned down the "doom-folk" for a very good set. I really think this band is so close to putting out an amazing record. Dave Heumann is very talented and has an amazing voice.

The Band of Horses performance felt special and they were truly appreciative of the opportunity to play in this storied venue. They mixed in a few new songs and put a new spin on some of the greats from their first two albums. I was absolutely blown away with their rendition of "Funeral."

Set List (via):
Part One
Marry Song
Why You Never Get Older
Window Blues
A Song For You (Gram Parsons Cover)
Monsters
Compliments Down
The Great Salt Lake
Weed Party (in double time)
Wicked Gil (in half time)
The Funeral
New Song (by Tyler Ramsey)
No One’s Gonna Love You
Unknown Song
-----------------
Ode To LRC (Ben Bridwell & Tyler Ramsey)
Detlef Schrempf
The General Specific

Dinosaur Jr. "Over It"

2009-06-09T22:40:00.003-04:00

This album is ridiculously good.

TV on the Radio @ Central Park Summerstage, 6/5/09

2009-06-09T22:13:00.003-04:00

The steady rain last Friday was enough to scare away my lady and I was admittedly on the fence throughout the day. It only took the first few notes of "Love Dog" over a sea of umbrellas to know that I made the right decision. TV on the Radio have made great strides in their live performance since the last time I saw them. Having Antibalas on horns throughout adds a lot more depth and energy to the set and the band hit their stride early on and never let up. Then again, they can do no wrong in my book.

Set List:
Love Dog
Wrong Way
Blues From Down Here
Halfway Home
Golden Age
Wolf Like Me
Crying
Dirtywhirl
Staring at the Sun
Red Dress
Shout Me Out
Dancing Choose
DLZ
--------
Family Tree
Young Liars
A Method

Doves @ Terminal 5, 6/4/09

2009-06-06T10:16:00.002-04:00

Really, what's not to love about Doves. Outside of Radiohead, I can't think of another British band that has been as consistently great this decade (Muse also comes to mind). Kingdom of Rust is no exception. While it doesn't quite reach the highs of "Cedar Room" or the insanely catchy songs on Last Broadcast ("There Goes the Fear," "Pounding," "Last Broadcast" etc.), I think it may be their best yet. Unfortunately, Terminal 5 ruined what should have been their triumphant return to NYC on Thursday. The drumming tempo was off for about half the show and the sound never felt quite right. Great bands persevere and despite the negatives, it was great to have Doves back on the scene. I really hope it's not another 4 years before they're back again.

Jetstream
Snowden
Winter Hill
Rise
Pounding
Almost Forgot Myself
10:03
Words
The Greatest Denier
Kingdom of Rust
Ambition
Black & White Town
The Outsiders
Caught By The River
--------------------
The Cedar Room
Here It Comes
Last Broadcast
There Goes The Fear

Pearl Jam on Conan

2009-06-02T09:57:00.002-04:00

So, the album is supposedly called Backspacer and the song could be called "The Fixer." Whatever it ends up being, I'm excited and despite poor sound quality, the song last night is a good one. If that was the album cover in Conan's hands, I dig it.

Green Day @ Webster Hall, 5/19/09

2009-05-20T09:24:00.008-04:00

This show was an absolute blast. Apparently, Green Day have evolved into a six-piece live band. I had no idea. Thankfully, they didn't play the entire new album because the first set felt a bit flat at times (although I could have gone for my favorite new track "Horseshoes and Handgrenades"). "Jesus of Suburbia" was intense and I'm amazed that I can still remember words from songs that I haven't heard in 15 years. "80" was far and away my favorite song from Kerplunk. Such nostalgia...

I actually took some pics last night and will get them up here soon.

SET 1:
21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Before The Lobotomy
Last Of The American Girls
Murder City
Viva La Gloria (Little Girl)
The Static Age
21 Guns
American Eulogy (Mass Hysteria/Modern World)
See The Light

SET 2:
American Idiot
Jesus Of Suburbia
St. Jimmy
Longview
Coming Clean
At The Library
80
Basketcase
She
Surrender [Cheap Trick]/ Bastards of Young [The Replacements]
King For A Day/Shout [The Isley Brothers]
Minority

Updated with some photos:

Dark Night of the Soul: The CD That Wasn't

2009-05-15T09:13:00.003-04:00

Absolutely ridiculous. This is an awesome album that people should go out of their way to hear. Unless I missed it, I haven't seen how this is planned to be released in the States but I am definitely curious to see the photographs that Lynch has put together.

'Revenge' (featuring The Flaming Lips)
'Just War' (featuring Gruff Rhys)
'Jaykub' (featuring Jason Lytle)
'Little Girl (featuring Julian Casablancas)
'Angel's Harp' (featuring Frank Black)
'Pain' (featuring Iggy Pop)
'Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)' (featuring David Lynch)
'Everytime I'm With You' (featuring Jason Lytle)
'Insane Lullaby' (featuring James Mercer of The Shins)
'Daddy's Gone' (featuring Nina Persson)
'The Man Who Played God' (featuring Suzanne Vega)
'Grim Augury' (featuring Vic Chestnutt)
'Dark Night Of The Soul' (featuring David Lynch)

Wilco (the Album) stream

2009-05-13T13:24:00.002-04:00

Stream the album on Wilco World.

Green Day

2009-05-09T09:33:00.003-04:00

Green Day, for a period of time in the early nineties, was one of my favorite bands. I owned (still do, actually) 39/Smooth and Kerplunk and was proud of that. I lost interest in them around the time of Insomniac only to give them another shot (along with the rest of the world) with American Idiot. I've never seen them live before so when I saw that they announced a show at Webster Hall this week, I had to give it a shot. 60 bucks later, I got a ticket. This is a band that's sold more than 60 million albums playing in a 1400 capacity venue. I am pumped.

Franz Ferdinand @ Roseland, 5/7/09

2009-05-08T10:31:00.003-04:00

This has been a crazy week. 3 shows, our co-op board interview, and one of my all-time favorite players gets suspended for 50 games. I'm exhausted.

Wow, Franz Ferdinand put on one hell of a show. There really isn't much to say beyond that. They bring a UK arena rock swagger that can even make Roseland appear to be a great venue.

Bite Hard
Dark Of The Matinee
No You Girls
Tell Her Tonight
Michael
Turn It On
The Fallen
Walk Away
Twilight Omens
Do You Want To
Take Me Out
What She Came For
40
Outsiders
------
Ulysess
Lucid Dreams
This Fire

Ben Harper & The Relentless7 @ Webster Hall, 5/5/09

2009-05-06T13:50:00.005-04:00

To paraphrase Ben Harper last night: "I've heard a lot of requests for Sexual Healing and Burn One Down. I ain't going to play any of that shit anymore. I'm not a human jukebox." He says before busting into a flawless version of Queen's "Under Pressure." That's not exactly an easy song to pull off but they absolutely nailed it.

This may be a new band for Ben Harper but he still has nearly 20 guitars at his disposal on stage. They led off the night with Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times" and BHIC tune "Better Way" before rolling through all of the songs from the Relentless7 album (with one Fight for Your Mind track for the die hards in the audience) . They took songs from a pretty good album and made them great in a live setting. It's part of what makes Ben Harper such an amazing performer. After technical difficulties marred "Fly One Time" he asked the audience whether it was ok to do it again. They did and it was well worth it. It's one of the better songs on the album and BH wanted to get it right.

Setlist:
Good Times, Bad Times
Better Way
Number With No Name
Shimmer and Shine
Lay There & Hate Me
Why Must You Always Dress in Black
Skin Thin
Fly One Time x2
Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)
The Word Suicide
Boots Like These
-----
Another Lonely Day
Faithfully Remain
Under Pressure
Up To You Now

Dark Was The Night @ Radio City, 5/3/09

2009-05-04T10:29:00.004-04:00

Photo by Rev Avissar @ Tripwire

My hat is off to Bryce and Aaron Dessner for putting together an incredible 3+ hours of music last night. Dirty Projectors started the night with a few songs, the last of which was the David Byrne collaboration "Knotty Pine." I like that song quite a bit but the others didn't do much for me. My Brightest Diamond was out next to sing an incredible version of her Nina Simone cover, "Feeling Good" with The National as her backing back. Matt Berninger then joined to kick off a 4-song set. They began with "Slow Show," and then a piano driven new song called "England," followed by "So Far Around the Bend" and then another new song called "Vanderlylle?? Crybaby" featuring a rare (for the National) guitar solo from Justin Vernon and backing vocals from Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond). Both of the new songs were excellent and now has me completely pumped for a new album. Dave Sitek was next to perform his DWTN tune. I saw Kyp Malone before the show but he didn't make an appearance on stage. David Byrne closed out the first half performing three songs from past Red Hot compilations: "Don't Fence Me In," "Dreamworld: Marco de Canavezes" - with Justin Vernon, and "Waters of March (Aguas de Março)" - duet with Feist (pic above).

Bon Iver started the second half with a four song set. I loved the song that he did on DWTN but prior to that I've never really taken much interest in his music. He completely won me over last night. He's an immense talent. In addition to "Brackett, WI" he performed "Blood Bank," "Big Red Machine" (also from DWTN) with Matt Berninger, and "Flume" (also with The National). Feist followed with a 4 song solo set including "Train Song" with Justin Vernon and Sharon Jones brought down the house with the Dap Kings. Good cause. Good times. Now if I could only find my No Alternative cd...

Coachella 2009: Part I

2009-04-16T02:35:00.013-04:00

APRIL 17
Definite: The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand, Paul McCartney, The Hold Steady
Potential: Girl Talk, Beirut, Silversun Pickups
Ringer: Leonard Cohen
Victim: M. Ward (The Black Keys)

APRIL 18
Definite: TV on the Radio, Mastodon, Drive-By Truckers, Cloud Cult, Band of Horses
Potential: Fleet Foxes, Thievery Corporation, Chemical Brothers
Ringers: Liars, Henry Rollins
Victim: Blitzen Trapper (DBT's), MSTRKRFT (Mastodon)

APRIL 19
Definite: Okkervil River, Lupe Fiasco, Peter Bjorn & John, Clipse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Cure
Potential: K'naan, The Kills
Ringer: My Blood Valentine
Victims: Fucked Up, The Gaslight Anthem (Okkervil River)

The Once and Future Kings

2009-04-16T02:28:00.007-04:00

Blood, sweat and b-side love. I am officially back on the Bloc.
Setlist:

"One Month Off"
"Trojan Horse"
"Hunting for Witches"
"Positive Tension"
"Signs"
"Waiting for the 7.18"
"Song for Clay (Disappear Here)"
"Banquet"
"Ion Square"
"The Once and Future King"
"Mercury"
"So Here We Are"
"The Prayer"

"Sunday"
"Halo"
"Flux"
"Helicopter"

"Ares"
"This Modern Love"

Next stop: Indio, CA.

The Dead Weather @ Bowery Ballroom, 4/14/09

2009-04-15T10:21:00.006-04:00

(PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Parks)

Well, it should come as no surprise that Jack White is also a good drummer. I'm a Jack White fan first. I love The White Stripes and like The Racounteurs. I don't expect The Dead Weather's music to compare to either but it was one hell of a fun show. I'm still giddy over seeing White in a 550 capacity venue and as I, and everyone else, had hoped, he picked up the guitar for one song to remind all of his rock star worthiness. That will be my fondest memory and was well worth the price of admission. While the talk going in was on White, I think everyone walked out last night completely floored by Alison Mossheart. I don't even love her voice but it's impossible not to be awed by her commanding stage presence. The band played like they've been together for years (as many of them have). It was uncompromising rock n roll and I'm certainly not going to complain abou that.

The Dead Weather

2009-04-08T10:11:00.003-04:00

The iTunes single was pretty good, hell it's Jack White. The Dead Weather's first show is at Bowery Ballroom next Tuesday night and when tickets went on sale this morning, I somehow managed to get one @ around 10:07 (after 7 minutes of trying). It's Jack White. At Bowery. Maybe he'll pick up the guitar?

Paul McCartney, David Lynch Foundation, Radio City

2009-04-05T10:28:00.004-04:00

I really wish I hadn't seen this. Wow. This looks like it was a special night at Radio City.

SETLIST: Angelo Badalamenti - Theme from "Twin Peaks" / Moby with Bettye LaVette - Natural Blues / Moby with TM Kids Choir - We Are All Made of Stars / Bettye LaVette with Moby - As Close As I'll Get to Heaven / Sheryl Crow - Riverwide / Sheryl Crow with Ben Harper - My Sweet Lord / Eddie Vedder - Far Behind / Eddie Vedder - Rise / Eddie Vedder - Arc / Ben Harper with Eddie Vedder - Indifference / Ben Harper - Fly One Time / Ben Harper and Eddie Vedder - Under Pressure / INTERMISSION / Donovan with Jim James - Hurdy Gurdy Man / Donovan with Jim James - Wear Your Love Like Heaven / Donovan with Sheryl Crow and Moby - Season of the Witch / Donovan with Paul Horn - Isle of Islay / Paul Horn - Meditation / Ringo Starr with Ben Harper - Don't Come Easy / Ringo Starr - Boys / Ringo Starr with Sheryl Crow and Eddie Vedder - Yellow Submarine / Paul McCartney - Baby You Can Drive My Car/Jet/Got to Get You Into My Life/Let It Be/Lady Madonna/Blackbird/Here Today/Band on the Run/Can't Buy Me Love/ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr - With a Little Help From My Friends // ENCORE: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and all performers - Cosmically Conscious/I Saw Her Standing There

via

All Points West Schedule

2009-03-30T09:24:00.006-04:00

I was so sure that last year's APW festival would be my first and last. It really wasn't a great experience, even with Radiohead. Well damn it they've managed to pull me back in. This year's lineup is much better. I'll probably regret this later but Saturday is a given. It's now just a question of whether its worth going all weekend. Ugh.

Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

SXSW Recap

2009-03-28T11:43:00.011-04:00

From my good friend and fellow FNL super fan, BC, the man who introduced me to The National and Cloud Cult many years ago:

It exceeded even my lofty expectations. 3 days straight of non-stop music. I'm talking 12pm to 2am every day, with a short power nap in the early evening to re-charge for the evening. An incredible party scene, and literally music coming at you from all sides of the street. Here is a quick run-down of the week....

Wed. Night - land at 10pm, in time to catch School of Seven Bells at midnight (they kinda sucked)

Thursday:
12noon-5pm: Wavves, Lucero (I like these guys a lot), The Hard Lessons (very cool husband/wife duo from Detroit - they fuckin' rocked) and a sick show from The Hold Steady.

Wavves

7pm-2am: More bands than I can't remember, but highlights were The Thermals and 1 am set from The Wrens. Those guys are still great.

The Thermals

Friday:
12 noon-6pm: A weird Swedish music showcase that was surprisingly good, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (these guys are good, but like 18 years old), The Thermals (again) and The Hold Steady (again). Can't get enough of them.

The Hold Steady

Friday night: Silversun Pickups followed by a "surprise show" by Metallica at Stubb's, a 2,000 person venue. Wow. They thrashed. Hard to follow that up, but we tried with a midnight set from Grizzly Bear followed by a 1am set from Dinosaur Jr.

Unknown

Saturday:
2pm-6pm - Viva Voce, Peelander-Z (possibly the most fun show of the weekend - crazy Japanese band), Camera Obscura, Chairlift.

Peelander-Z

9pm-2am: The Duke Spirit and closed things out with an absolute rockin' show from Silversun. Their new stuff is GOOD.

Silversun Pickups

Also forgot that we caught Dirty Projectors as well right after Metallica - they are weird, but interesting. Also saw this New Zealand band called Cut Off Your Hands - not that cool.

The badge is M O N E Y. We had to wait at the most, about 5 minutes, but we never got shut out of a show, including Metallica. If you don't buy the badge however (and it ain't cheap), then its much harder to see stuff. Start planning on next year - we've already booked a hotel room.

JK: I really need to stop making excuses and go next year.
NF: Roger, that.

Around the Web

2009-03-26T22:15:00.005-04:00

- Kudos to U2 for picking Muse to open their Giants Stadium show. Muse will tear the turf off of that field. Given the quality of this show, ticket prices seem very reasonable.

- It appears that The Mars Volta have a new album coming out in June. There are very few people in rock as busy as Omar.

- There is a solid interview with one of rock n roll's finest, Patterson Hood, on the AV Club site. I had no clue he was 45.

- Surprised and excited to see that Phoenix will be on Saturday Night Live this weekend. The new album is very good.

- Kasabian (remember them) is giving away their first single for free on their site starting March 31st.

- I'm happy that Doves are back. It's been four years and I had forgotten how much I enjoy listening to their music. This is another solid album from a rock solid band.

Where the Wild Things Are Trailer

2009-03-26T09:11:00.003-04:00

This trailer was blowing up all over the internet yesterday and for good reason. This is my favorite book from childhood and along with The Road, my most highly anticipated movie of the year. Add the Arcade Fire and the result is chills.

Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"

2009-03-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

Karen O. on the leak.

Friday Night Lights Plug

2009-03-22T22:04:00.004-04:00

At this point, I don't see how anyone, in any age group, is not watching this show. Season three has cemented this show's status as one of the best television dramas of my time. I can't think of anything on network television that compares. For anyone who has yet to give this show a chance, rent season one. You won't regret it. Once you're done and you've fallen in love, do yourself a favor and skip right over to season 3.

It's status for next year is once again up in the air and while I don't expect it to last much longer, we need one more season. Now, where can I buy one of these Crucifictorious shirts?

Ten Reissue and Eddie Interview

2009-03-20T12:05:00.002-04:00

“People offered us money to sell out but do I look like a whore?"

No Eddie, you do not. Read the interview in today's Sun.

My Ten reissue has shipped and I am impatiently awaiting its arrival.

Psyched.

2009-03-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

Stream Mastodon's Crack the Skye

2009-03-17T16:24:00.006-04:00

The full album can be streamed on their MySpace page.

This first song "Oblivion" sounds a lot like Alice in Chains to me. I love it.

Recognizing 2009

2009-03-07T16:04:00.004-05:00

I think it's worth recognizing that we're only into the 3rd month of the new year and already have a slew of excellent albums to chew on. Thus far, three have really stood out for me:

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

All three far exceeded my expectations. Trail of Dead's album is definitely front loaded but some of those songs are just so massive that it more than makes up for the slightly weaker tracks in the latter half. YYYs are changing with each new album and this one is easily my favorite. "Hysteric" comes close to rivaling "Maps" for me. I can really hear David Sitek's influence in this album. As for Grizzly Bear, I've appreciated their place in the indie music landscape but never been very interested in their music. This new album, however, is close to a masterpiece and warrants all of the hype that will precede and follow it's release. Expect a lot of new fans, myself included.

Other releases getting a lot of plays on my ipod:
The Antlers - Hospice
Arbouretum - Song of the Pearl
Fanfarlo - Reservoir
Obits - I Blame You
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t

Lots of upcoming releases to look forward to too: The Decemberists, Doves, Peter Bjorn and John and Mastodon. It's shaping up to be a good year for music which is more than I can say about anything else going on right now.

...Trail of Dead @ Bowery Ballroom, 2/28/09

2009-03-01T10:42:00.005-05:00

Jason Reece proudly displaying the Longhorn

Oh Trail of Dead, you had me at the double drums. How do you prevent the incessant talking that goes on during shows? You play an intensely loud, ear-ringing set. Great energy from the crowd and the band. The new songs sounded great too and with the possible of exception of "Fields of Coal" all seemed to fit in nicely with their back catalogue. I was a bit bummed to miss Midnight Masses. I think they have some potential. They joined TOD a few songs (pic below).

Set list:
Giants Causeway
Far Pavilions
Isis Unveiled
Homage
Bells of Creation
Will You Smile Again For Me
Fields of Coal
Relative Ways
Clair de Lune
Totally Natural
Another Morning Stoner
Caterwaul
----------------------
Richter Scale Madness

More crappy cell phone pics

Blitzen Trapper @ Bowery Ballroom, 2/27/09

2009-02-28T13:38:00.004-05:00

Blitzen Trapper @ Bowery

Artists representing my 3rd and 4th favorite albums of 2008 together on one bill at Bowery. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. I'm really rooting for Plants and Animals. This was my third time seeing them live, all in opening slots, and each performance was better than the last. They played two new songs last night which with some polishing should be very solid. I think they've earned the right to a headlining gig in NYC and Bowery doesn't seem far out of reach. Blitzen Trapper was awesome last night. I hadn't seen them before so it's always a good feeling when a band exceeds your expectations in a live setting. Furr was the album that made me a believer and last night's performance only added to that. They described themselves last night as part folk, country, and rock. Fans of any of those genres should check these guys out if you haven't already.

On a side note, if there is one thing I've noticed more recently, it's that I'm becoming less tolerant of the crowds at places like Mercury and Bowery. I guess I'm getting older but the amount of talking just gets out of hand at times. I really think you need to be in the front 1/4 of both venues to avoid it. It's disappointing but it comes with territory, I guess.

I'll be back at Bowery tonight for ...Trail of Dead. I'm expecting a slightly different atmosphere.

Band of Horses at Carnegie Hall

2009-02-28T13:30:00.003-05:00

I've never been to Carnegie Hall before. I have a very good feeling about this show.

Rick Rubin and Clipse?

2009-02-26T11:13:00.002-05:00

[Photo Cred]

Yes, please. Rubin's beard always humbles my feeble attempts at facial greatness.

The Josh Freese Album

2009-02-25T09:31:00.003-05:00

I remember Josh Freese from his days with A Perfect Circle but he's probably better known as a one-time drummer for NIN. He's promoting a solo album now and I literally laughed out loud at several of his pricing options. If money were no option for me, I would love to go play miniature golf with Maynard James Keenan. The best part is that, while unlikely to be purchased, these offers are real. It's a great way to generate buzz. The album is out March 24th. More info here.

$7
* Digital download of Since 1972, including 3 videos

$15
* CD/DVD double-disc set
* Digital download

$50
* CD/DVD double-disc set
* T-shirt
* “Thank you” phone call from Josh for buying Since 1972. You can tell him what you like about the record that you purchased, or what you thought sucked. Ask whatever you want, like “Is Maynard really THAT weird?” or “Which one of Sting’s mansions has the comfiest beds?” or “Are Devo really suburban robots that monitor reality or just a bunch of dads from Ohio?” or “Why don’t the Vandals play more stuff off the first record?” It’s your 5 minutes to yack it up. Talk about whatever you want.

$250 (limited edition of 25)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Signed drum head and drumsticks
* Go on a lunch date with Josh to PF Changs or The Cheesecake Factory (whatever you’re into)

$500 (limited edition of 15)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Signed cymbal and sticks
* Meet Josh in Venice, Calif., and go floating together in a sensory-deprivation tank (to be filmed and posted on YouTube)
* Dinner at Sizzler (get your $8.99 steak and “all you can eat” shrimp on)

$1,000 (limited edition of 10)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Signed cymbal, drum head and drumsticks
* Josh washes your car OR does your laundry … or you can wash his car
* Have dinner with Josh aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif.
* Get drunk and cut each other’s hair in the parking lot of the Long Beach courthouse (filmed and posted on YouTube, of course)

$2,500 (limited edition of 5)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* Get a private drum lesson with Josh, or for all you non-drummers, have him give you a back and foot massage (couples welcome)
* Pick any 1 member of the Vandals or Devo (subject to availability) to accompany you and Josh to either the Hollywood Wax Museum or the lunch buffet at the Spearmint Rhino
* Signed DW snare drum
* Take 3 items of your choice out of his closet (first come, first serve)
* Change diapers and make bottles with him for an afternoon (after hitting the strip club)

$5,000 (limited edition of 3)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Josh writes a song about you and makes it available on iTunes
* Co-direct a video with him for the song about you and throw it up on the YouTubes
* Josh gives you and a friend a private tour of Disneyland
* Get drunk together. If you don’t drink, we can go to my dad’s place and hang out under the “Tuba tree”
* Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam will send you a letter telling you about his favorite song on Since 1972

$10,000 (limited edition of 1)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Signed DW snare drum from A Perfect Circle’s 2003 tour
* Josh gives you a private drum lesson OR his and hers foot/back massage (couples welcome, discreet parking)
* Twiggy from Marilyn Manson’s band and Josh take you and a guest to Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n’ Waffles in Long Beach for dinner
* Josh takes you and a guest to Club 33 (the super-duper exclusive and private restaurant at Disneyland located above Pirates of the Caribbean) and then hit a couple rides afterward (preferably the Tiki Room, the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror)
* At the end of the day at Disneyland, drive away in Josh’s Volvo station wagon. It’s all yours … take it. Just drop him off on your way home, though, please.

$20,000 (limited edition of 1)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* A signed drum from the 2008 Nine Inch Nails tour
* Maynard James Keenan, Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo and Josh take you miniature golfing and then drop you off on the side of the freeway (all filmed and posted on YouTube)
* Josh gives you a tour of Long Beach. See his first apartment, the coffee shop on 2nd Street where his buddy paid Dave Grohl $40 to rip up tile just weeks before joining Nirvana. See the old Vandals rehearsal spot, the liquor store he got busted at using a Fake ID when he was 17 (it was Dave from the Vandals’ old ID). Go check out Snoop Dogg’s high school. For an extra 50 bucks see where Tom and Adrian from No Doubt live. For another $25 he’ll show ya where Eric from NOFX and Brooks from Bad Religion get their hair cut.
* Spend the night aboard the Queen Mary and take the “Ghosts and Legends” tour. (Separate rooms … no spooning.)
* Josh writes 2 songs about you and both are made available on iTunes and appear on his next record (you can sing back up on ‘em, clap, play the drums, triangle, whatever)
* Drum lesson OR foot and back massage (once again … couples welcome and discreet parking available)
* Pick any 3 items out of Josh’s closet

$75,000 (limited edition of 1)
* Signed CD/DVD and digital download
* T-shirt
* Go on tour with Josh for a few days
* Have Josh write, record and release a 5-song EP about you and your life story
* Take home any of his drum sets (only one, but you can choose which one)
* Take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from Tool’s Lamborghini OR play quarters and then hop on the Ouija board for a while
* Josh will join your band for a month … play shows, record, party with groupies, etc.
* If you don’t have a band he’ll be your personal assistant for a month (4-day work weeks, 10 am to 4 pm)
* Take a limo down to Tijuana and he’ll show you how it’s done (what that means exactly we can’t legally get into here)
* If you don’t live in Southern California (but are a U.S. resident) he’ll come to you and be your personal assistant/cabana boy for 2 weeks
* Take a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN, go back to Robins place afterwards and his wife will make you raw lasagna

The Obligatory Oscar Post

2009-02-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

Yes, the Oscars are Sunday and yes, I'll be watching. I've grown more and more frustrated with the selections and winners over the past few years but complaining about the Oscars is half the fun. At the end of the day, I still love films and have a deep amount of respect for the history of the award. I think most would agree that this was a pretty bad year for Hollywood. I saw 5 of my top 6 films in our neighborhood indie theater. My favorites:

1. Waltz With Bashir
2. The Wrestler
3. Milk
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. Gran Torino
6. Gomorrah
7. Dark Night
8. Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I haven't seen enough of the Best Picture films to feel strongly about it. I'd be happy if either Mickey Rourke or Sean Penn wins but I would be most disappointed if Waltz doesn't win best foreign film.

Inglourious Basterds

2009-02-11T17:44:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to this one:

Picking out the best albums of the decade

2009-02-09T21:04:00.002-05:00

2009 marks the end of the Twenty Ohs and with that, the absolutely necessary look back at my favorite rock albums of the decade. Last night's boring Grammy's telecast (with some exceptions!) seemed like a fitting time to begin that list. I'll try and rank them by the end of the year with the expectation that we get some good music this year. I know I must be missing some releases but at first glance, it appears there was a peak in 2005. This is what I came up with:

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)
Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
Beck - Sea Change (2002)
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People (2003)
Caribou - Andorra (2007)
Cat Power - You Are Free (2003)
Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Constantines - Shine a Light (2003)
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)
Dismemberment Plan - Change (2001)
Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Muse - Absolution (2004)
My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
The National - Alligator (2005)
The National - Boxer (2007)
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
Queens for the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
Sparta - Wiretrap Scars (2002)
Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (2006)
TOOL - Lateralus (2001)
TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (2008)
TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
The Wrens - Meadowlands (2003)

Grammy Highlights: There Were a Few

2009-02-08T22:42:00.004-05:00

There really are very few highlights to this show now. There was Dave Grohl on drums with Sir Paul. And Thom and Johnny performing "15 Step" with the USC marching band. The best moment of all, however, was seeing my sister on live television for the first time. Looking good MESK.

I'm updating this post with my dad's first and likely last live blogging attempt. Some names have been deleted to protect the innocent.

8:02 Is U-2 singing a song or making noise? Way below their best.
8:06: Our neighbor, Dwayne Johnson ... alias the Rock, seeking to clarify his manhood, something about kissing a girl on the lips... he may regret replays of the tape
8:09 Pardon my age, but Al Green does not need Justin Timberlake as accompaniment
8:16 commercial bloc...
8:23 Cold Play. I suggest a diet of beef & BBQ... way too tremulous for my taste
8:26 OK, I'm out of it. Who are these guys?
8:29: Carrie Underwood.. now I understand why she has a following. There are gazelles grazing in the African savannah on the nature channel, one step down on your Direct TV dial
8:29 OK, another commercial break. I'm psyched. Target. Drats. Bertoni takeout Italian. Olay. Mute, mute. Lincoln.. heart rate up... no, it's the major tom version. Got to hand it to them.. it's very cool. would be better with the original David Bowie sound track. Then baby formula. Cholesterol. Strange demographics here.
8:43 Best song of the year: I AM TOTALLY IGNORANT. Is Cold Play making a statement with their colors? Is there something left to chance with these guys?
8:45: Justin T, now Kid Rock is shiney black... How great is it to be oblivious about fashion trends? For the first time ever, I can't wait for the next commercial block... ooohhh, here it comes
8:47 Damn. Rheumetoid arthritis. Are they watching, too? Chewing gum. Now I'm totally confused. More Olay & Target. WHO CARES? Vitamin supplements. Home buying. On-line degrees. Toyotas-- pathetic. They need Noah.
8:53 M. Cyrus (distant relation to Cyrus the Great?) is embarrassing herself
8:55 Yuck.. Robert Plant does a succubus cling to Alison Kraus Ready for next commercial break.
9:03 Exfoliating body was. A Lincoln commercial. Splashy, but I've seen better.
9:10 Stevie Wonder with the Jonas Bros? Imagine what happens with internet dating services.
9:15 Cold Play get a rock album award. The definition of rock must have changed
9:17 AT LAST! BINGO! Our daughter on national television. I'm going out to buy a Lincoln.
9:20 OK, now I'm switching to the Nature Channel.

New Music - The Singles

2009-01-30T14:24:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of anticipated releases for this year but I'm further encouraged when the first sounds from a new album exceed my expectations. Here are a few:

Peter Bjorn and John - "Nothing to Worry About"

MySpace

Just like "Young Folks," it's going to take an incredibly long time for me to get sick of this song.

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - "Isis Unveiled" and "Ascending"

MySpace

Spin

As a die hard TOD fan, I can admit that So Divided was mediocre. From what I've heard thus far, I feel really good about Century Self.

Mastodon - "Divinations"

MySpace

The cover alone got me excited for this album. The new song even more so.

Coachella 2009 Lineup Announced

2009-01-30T05:30:00.005-05:00

There's a little something for everybody and it is definitely an interesting lineup to say the least. There are some absolute ringers in the small print including Cloud Cult, Mastodon, Okkervil River, Drive-By Truckers, Public Enemy, Clipse, Fucked Up and the Hold Steady. And while none of the three headliners are a complete knockout punch, I can handle it. I never thought I would see Paul McCartney twice (Bridge School 2004) in my lifetime. And I'm pretty excited about it...

Dark Was the Night, New Track from The National

2009-01-22T16:14:00.005-05:00

The combination of MMJ, The National, Arcade Fire, David Sitek, New Pornographers and more makes this a highly anticipated release in my neck of the woods. You can stream the new track from The National here.

From DarkWasTheNight.com:

Produced by The National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Dark Was The Night will be released on February 17th, 2009. It’s comprised of 31 exclusive tracks and it will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download and will benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. They are the people responsible for albums including No Alternative, Red Hot and Blue and many more, and this is their 20th year, and this is the 20th release!

TRACKLISTING:

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) – Feist + Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend – The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
7 Tightrope – Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (popularized by Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) – Antony + Bryce Dessner
11 Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12 Sleepless – The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron and Wine
14 Service Bell – Grizzly Bear + Feist
15 You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC
1 Well-Alright – Spoon
2 Lenin – Arcade Fire
3 Mimizan – Beirut
4 El Caporal – My Morning Jacket
5 Inspiration Information (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
7 Blood Pt 2 (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) – Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11 Happiness – Riceboy Sleeps
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14 Lua – Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
15 When the Road Runs Out – Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn – Kevin Drew

RIP Indie 103.1

2009-01-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

The saving grace out here in La-La Land...and, no longer:

Indie Activist:

This is an important message for the Indie 103.1 Radio Audience -

Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option --- to play the corporate radio game.

We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course.

This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative - simply put, only the best music.

For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 - which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves.

We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.

At Last

2009-01-13T14:34:00.008-05:00

The third straight Red Sox LF from 1939-1987 (Williams, Yasztremski, Rice) headed into the Hall. It only took 15 years to get him in. Only nine other guys have as many home runs and a higher career average. Those names read like a who's who of the best the game has to offer: Aaron, Foxx, Gehrig, Mantle, Mays, Musial, Ott, Ruth and Williams. Rice, despite the wait and despite this being his last HOF ballot, undoubtedly deserves his place among them. The ONLY player with three straight seasons batting .315 or higher, 39+ HRs, 100+ RBIs and 200+ hits. He was straight dominant for 12 seasons in the AL, as the ONLY player of his generation (1975-1986) to hit over .300 while clubbing 350+ HR. During the same span he amassed 6 Top-5 finishes in AL MVP voting, and, in 1978, he was the first AL player since Joe DiMaggio in 1937 to accumulate more than 400 TB in a single season (even in the steroid era, no ALer has done it since). And did we mention the broken bat check swings? There's no stat for that, but...

ESPN noted that he joins Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, and Carl Yasztremski as the only members of the Hall of Fame to spend their entire career with the Red Sox. "That's, I think, one of the biggest accomplishments," Rice said.

One other interesting note: Joe Gordon got in on the Veterans Commitee ballot. This is well deserved and I only bring Joe Gordon's name up, because of the 1942 MVP voting in 1942. Ted Williams hits for the fucking Triple Crown and they give it to Joe Gordon? Granted this was decades ago and Ted was how he was with the press, but you have to be kidding me. The same goes for the 2 morons that voted for Jay Bell on this HOF ballot, and the 5 that didn't vote for Rickey Henderson...Outrageous. We're going to vote for a guy (Jay Bell) with less than 200 career HRs and a sub-.270 career BA and leave the guy with the 5th highest mark in career Ks out in the cold (Bert Blyleven)? My only rationale for the 2 Jay Bell votes is that someone is rubbing it in with Blyleven...Bell was part of a three player package that sent Blyleven to the Twins in 1986. Abstract yes, but there really is no defense for the votes that Jesse Orosco, Mo Vaughn, Jay Bell and Matt Williams received. None.

The system is officially broke.

Runnin' Down a Dream

2009-01-07T15:02:00.005-05:00

[WIKI]

When I really thought about it, I'd been listening to this guy longer than I'd been listening to anyone. Before Pearl Jam. Before My Morning Jacket. Before Radiohead. Before all of that I was buying Tom Petty albums as soon as they came out. Somewhere in my closet at my parents house is a CaseLogic full of tapes - tapes! - and I guarantee that Full Moon Fever is in there (I'm afraid to find out what else is in there). I can't say enough about this documentary. Rent. Buy. Consume.

Bonnaroo 365

2009-01-07T14:50:00.004-05:00

[Metro D Took Bad Photos @ Bonnaroo]

Missed Radiohead on tour? They webcast their last show in Santa Barbara. Missed Bonnaroo in '08? They're starting to stream it. Technology is here and we never have to leave our house ever again.

This should mean that Pearl Jam's performance will be streamed at some point. Hopefully they will back catalog 2006, so I can cry my eyes out for days as to why I wasn't in the post-apocalyptic Manchester dustbowl heat for Tom Petty, MMJ and Radiohead.

From Bonnaroo:

We are excited to introduce Bonnaroo 365, a program by which fans can relive the Bonnaroo experience year round! Select performances will be streamed periodically at no charge on bonnaroo.com. All performance footage will be taken directly from the festival’s exclusive master tapes while the audio will be remixed from Bonnaroo's pristine soundboard recordings.

The first installment of the program begins on January 11th, 2009 with The Raconteurs, whose Friday afternoon set was a highlight of the 2008 event. Hot on the heels of their grammy nominated album 'Consolers of the Lonely' (best rock album and best engineered) The Raconteurs delivered a classic Bonnaroo performance. Four of the songs from the set will be available for the first time as free audio downloads – one will be available to everyone, while the other three can be downloaded by Bonnaroo Community members only (membership sign-up is free!) The songs to be available for download are "Consoler of the Lonely," "Old Enough," "Blue Veins" and "Top Yourself." If that's not enough, the full set will be available in streaming video at Bonnaroo.com, and radio stations across the country will broadcast the entire set on Sunday, January 11th. Click here to see a full list of stations. The full setlist from the show is listed below.

Beginning on January 7th, we will stream one song from the performance until the 11th when the complete set will be available.

The Raconteurs
June 13th, 2008
Bonnaroo - Manchester, Tennessee

"Consoler of the Lonely"
"Hold Up"
"The Switch and the Spur"
"You Don't Understand Me"
"Top Yourself"
"Old Enough"
"Store Bought Bones"
"Steady, As She Goes"
"Rich Kid Blues"
"Blue Veins"
------------
"Many Shades of Black"
"Level"
"Salute Your Solution"
"Broken Boy Soldier"
"Carolina Drama"

Where Radiohead Ends and Jay-Z Begins

2009-01-07T14:34:00.004-05:00

Minty fresh.

Pearl Jam News, One Month Old: Ten Re-Issue

2009-01-07T14:14:00.006-05:00

[Pearl Jam is on Flickr]

But PJ is shelf stable. And apocalypse-proof. And yes, I still remember unfolding the liner notes as "Once" blasted from my Aiwa 3 Disc CD Changer. Can you say Unplugged DVD?

From PearlJam.com:

PEARL JAM ANNOUNCES THE REISSUE OF BAND’S DEBUT ALBUM, TEN: FOUR SPECIAL EDITION PACKAGES IN STORES MARCH 24, 2009 | TEN CLUB PRE-SALE OF SUPER DELUXE BOX SET BEGINS NOW

Album extras include:
Remaster of original Ten album + remix by producer Brendan O’Brien • DVD of previously unreleased 1992 Pearl Jam MTV Unplugged performance with 5.1 surround sound audio remix • LP of the band’s 1992 “Drop in the Park” concert • Replica of Pearl Jam three-song demo cassette with Eddie Vedder’s original vocal dubs • Recreation of Eddie Vedder composition notebook • Never before seen memorabilia • Bonus tracks and more.

Ten, the debut album that sold 12 million copies and introduced the world to Pearl Jam in 1991, will be reissued in four (4) new and expanded editions. Pre-orders of the Super Deluxe Edition begin today, through the Ten Club at PearlJam.com. All four editions will be available for purchase on March 24, 2009. The reissue of Ten serves as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011.

Each Ten package will include two versions of the album: the remastered version of the original album PLUS an accompanying remixed version done by the band’s long-time producer, Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Audioslave). Details on specific extras for each of the four packages are listed below.

“The band loved the original mix of Ten, but were also interested in what it would sound like if I were to deconstruct and remix it,” says producer Brendan O’Brien. “The original Ten sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that. After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original – giving a fresh take on it, a more direct sound.”

TEN RE-DESIGN
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, who served as the art director for the original Ten packaging, reprised his role for the reissues collaborating with designer, Andy Fischer, of Cameron Crowe’s Vinyl Films (Into the Wild soundtrack LP, Vanilla Sky soundtrack LP, Harold and Maude anniversary edition soundtrack LP).

"The goal was to assemble the ultimate fan-piece,” explains Fischer. “Something Pearl Jam lovers could pore over as they experience an indelible record all over again, in an entirely new way."

“The original concept was about really being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal,” says Jeff Ament. “There were some elements of the original Ten artwork that didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to time constraints. With this reissue, we’ve been able to take our time and invest resources into making the design the way we had originally intended.”

REPLICA OF PEARL JAM 3-SONG DEMO CASSETTE IN SUPER DELUXE EDITION
In the process of digging through his archives for this project, Ament came across an old cassette marked “Momma-Son” – the fabled original Pearl Jam demo tape featuring the first recorded versions of “Alive,” “Once” and “Footsteps.” Ament and guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready had recorded instrumental tracks of these songs to help solicit a singer for their newly formed band. Mutual friend - and then Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer - Jack Irons suggested they send the tape down to San Diego surfer and little-known singer Eddie Vedder.

Completely inspired by what he heard from these musicians that he then only knew by name, Vedder quickly wrote lyrics, put these vocals to the music tracks and shipped the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing how Vedder had transformed the songs, Ament, Gossard and McCready asked him to come up to Seattle so they could meet and have an official “tryout” together. Shortly thereafter, Pearl Jam was born. (A replica of the “Momma-Son” cassette will be included in the Super Deluxe Edition of Ten.)

Jeff Ament describes the experience of re-visiting that tape with singer Eddie Vedder:
“I think the first time that Ed or I had opened any of those boxes was a few weeks ago. I knew that the original ‘Momma-Son’ cassette was somewhere, but I hadn’t listened to it in 17, 18, 19 years. It was cool to sit down and play it for the first time with Ed and see his reaction. And to find that 90% of it stayed exactly the same as what ended up on the record. A lot of elements were identical. There was some energy flying around at that point even from 1,300 miles away from Seattle to San Diego.”

THE FOUR EDITIONS OF TEN: ALBUM EXTRAS PER PACKAGE

1. Legacy Edition (2-disc set in mini-LP style slipcase):
· Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
· Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
· Re-designed packaging

2. Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD specially designed hardbound package):
· Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
· Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
· DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix

3. Vinyl Collection (2-LP set)
· LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
· LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien

4. Super Deluxe Edition (2-disc set plus DVD, 4 LPs and replica cassette in linen-covered, slip-cased clamshell box):
· Disc 1: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered (original mix)
· Disc 2: original Ten tracklisting digitally remastered and remixed by Brendan O’Brien, plus six bonus tracks: “Brother,” “Just a Girl,” “State of Love and Trust,” “Breath and a Scream,” “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat”
· DVD of Pearl Jam’s previously unreleased 1992 MTV Unplugged performance including never before seen bonus performance of “Oceans” with 5.1 surround sound audio remix
· LP 1: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl
· LP 2: original Ten tracklisting remastered for vinyl and remixed by Brendan O’Brien
· LP 3 & 4: Drop in the Park – Live at Magnuson Park in Seattle on September 20, 1992 (audio mixed by Brendan O’Brien)
· Cassette: replica of original “Momma-Son” Pearl Jam demo cassette featuring “Alive,” “Once” and “Footsteps”
· Package also includes an Eddie Vedder-style composition notebook filled with replica personal notes, images and mementos from the collections of Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament, a vellum envelope with replicated era-specific ephemera from Pearl Jam’s early work and a two-sided print commemorating the Drop in the Park concert.

Glasvegas @ Bowery Ballroom, 1/6/09

2009-01-07T11:38:00.003-05:00

Hyped bands out of the UK always grab me. I have no idea why, more often than not, they just end up disappointing me down the road. I held out on this Glasvegas show when it went on sale because I was still on the fence about them. Since that time, the debut album has positively grown on me. So, when tickets went back on sale two days ago for their sold out Bowery show, I figured it was worth it to form a full opinion. I read through BV's post and subsequent comments this morning and I'd agree with the overall sentiment. From all of the supposed UK buzz bands I've seen the past few years at Bowery (Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Editors, British Sea Power, Foals come to mind), this was the lowlight. It was pretty lackluster. I have no issue with the length of the show (40 mins), they just didn't have the songs to fill that time period. "Go Square Go, " "Daddy's Gone" and "Geraldine" were a lot of fun and the crowd was into it but I don't really remember the other songs. I also didn't notice from the album but the drumming was essentially nonexistent during the show. That, to me, was the biggest issue that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, not the best start to the live shows of '09 but I certainly don't regret going.

Set list:

"Flowers and Football Tops"

"Lonesome Swan"

"It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry"

"Please Come Back Home"

"Polmont on My Mind"

"Geraldine"

"Ice Cream Van"

"Go Square Go"

"Stabbed"

"Daddy's Gone"

Leftovers and a Look Ahead

2008-12-31T09:45:00.003-05:00

As the holidays and 2008 come to a close, I thought I'd pull out a few other stand-outs that didn't make my top 20 albums list but were noteworthy nonetheless.

"Dance":
Friendly Fires - s/t
Van She - V

2008 seemed to be a big year for dance albums, from Cut Copy to Hercules & Love Affair, but the two albums above received very little fanfare and, to me, where the best of the bunch. I've been listening to the Van She album nonstop for the last month.

Mainstream:
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Both of these albums exceeded my expectations and were actually quite good. I just didn't listen to them very much.

From the U.K.:
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
Glasvegas - s/t
Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
The Week That Was - s/t

Kaiser Chiefs rebounded after a lackluster second album. Unfortunately, Bloc Party did not. The others are all solid debut albums and are worth checking out.

Hip Hop:
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

Trendy, sure, but there are some great tracks on here.

"Indie":
Black Mountain - In the Future
Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off
Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - s/t
Grand Archives - s/t
Love as Laughter - Holy
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cardinology
The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
Secret Machines - s/t
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

Twelve albums that I think fell under the radar for the most part. All had some good to great songs but were ultimately a bit uneven.

Looking forward to 2009:
1.13 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
1.20 - John Frusciante - The Empyrean
1.27 - Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
1.27 - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Working on a Dream
2.10 - Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) - Keep It Hid
2.17 - Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
3.10 - Handsome Furs - Face Control
3.24 - The Decemberists - Hazards of Love

Many others to look forward to in 2009 that don't yet have release dates including: Doves, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Mastodon, and New Pornographers to name a few.

Happy New Year everyone!

Gomorra

2008-12-19T20:15:00.004-05:00

One of the most intense experiences I've ever had in the theater. The best of '08 so far, by far.

[Wiki | IMDB]

Hipster Gold: Dr. Thomas Beckett's Best of 2008

2008-12-19T19:53:00.013-05:00

[Photo Credit: Mind Your Do's and Don'ts]

From the bowels of the JFK School of Government, using his own hipster rating scheme.

***ALBUMS***

BLAZERS (21+)
"and put a fucking hooded sweatshirt on underneath!" - TB

21) Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours

BIRKAS (15-20)
"let's give the vets some PTSD!" - Anonymous

20) Vic Chesnutt – Dark Developments
19) Dr. Dog – Fate
18) Devotchka – A Mad and Faithful Telling
17) Shearwater - Rook
16) Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood

FINGERLESS GLOVES (11-15)
"trigger fingers shouldn't be covered by nothing..." - TB

15) Elf Power – In A Cave
14) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
13) The Dodos – Visiter
12) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
11) Portishead – Third

STRIPED CARDIGAN SWEATER (6-10)
"and that shit better not fit you" - TB

10) Sun Kil Moon – April
9) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
8) Mount Eerie – Lost Wisdom
7) TV On The Radio – Dear Science
6) Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold

SKINNY JEANS (1-5)
"if I can't see your balls - you're wrong" - TB

5) The Music Tapes – Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes
4) Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
3) The War on Drugs – Wagonwheel Blues
2) My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
1) Okkervil River – The Stand Ins

***SHOWS***

5) Aimie Mann Xmas Show – Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
4) Cloud Cult – Middle East, Cambridge, MA
3) Radiohead (x3), Verizon Center, Indianapolis, IN
2) My Morning Jacket (x2), Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
1) Elephant Six Holiday Tour (Wasn’t there, but should have been…Jeff Mangum singing Engine live is just as good in my dreams)

The Wrestler

2008-12-18T17:55:00.004-05:00

Great role. Great performance. Great film.

AV Club recently sat down with one of my favorite American directors, Darren Aronofsky:

"Well I’ve been joking that if Madonna taught us anything, you’ve got to reinvent yourself. I think it’s important as a filmmaker, as any person working in the arts, that you’ve got to try new stuff and challenge yourself and take chances. I’ve tried to take a chance with every film I’ve done—I’ve never done it the easy way, and I think that’s because that’s what excites me, is making as big a mountain as I can in front of me, and just trying to mount it."

Miroir Noir

2008-12-17T12:54:00.004-05:00

Arcade Fire's new film/documentary covering the "Neon Bible Archives" here. Download it now, DVD will ship sometime next year.

Neil Young & Wilco @ MSG, 12/15/08

2008-12-16T11:29:00.005-05:00

So much for a curfew at MSG. Neil busted right through it and played until 1230 (PJ, please take note). He played for 2:10 before even leaving the stage. It was clear to me last night that the man still has it. The heavy guitar songs killed and the acoustic songs were, of course, amazing - I wish there had been more - including one of my all-time favorite songs ("Old Man"). Of course, you take the good with the bad when seeing the legends. There were some dull moments and certainly some songs that I could have done without. Wilco played for 45 minutes and should have played for 45 more. It was a flawless set.

Wilco set list:

via chicago / Impossible Germany / You Are My Face / Spiders (kidsmoke) / Hummingbird / Jesus etc. / Forget the Flowers / Walken / I'm the Man Who Loves You

Neil Young set list:

Love And Only Love / Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) / Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Powderfinger / Spirit Road / Cortez The Killer / Cinnamon Girl / Oh, Lonesome Me / Mother Earth / The Needle And The Damage Done / Light A Candle / Cough Up The Bucks / Fuel Line / Hit The Road And Go To Town / Unknown Legend / Heart Of Gold / Old Man / Get Back To The Country / Off The Road / Just Singing A Song / When Worlds Collide / Cowgirl In The Sand / Rockin’ In The Free World // Get Behind The Wheel / A Day In The Life (The Beatles)

Arcade Fire + David Fincher = A Trailer That is Too Short

2008-12-04T13:24:00.001-05:00

Left Coast: Best of 2008

2008-12-02T20:51:00.013-05:00

ALBUMS

20. Beck - Modern Guilt [Interscope]
19. Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Como te Llama? [RCA/Black Seal]
18. Plants & Animals - Parc Avenue [Secret City]
17. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive [Vagrant]
16. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely [Warner Bros.]
15. Sun Kil Moon - April [Caldo Verde]
14. Black Mountain - In the Future [Jagjaguwar]
13. Boris - Smile [Southern Lord]
12. The Black Keys - Attack & Release [Nonesuch]
11. Fucked Up - Chemistry of Common Life [Matador]
10. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer [Sub Pop]
9. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) [Earthology]
8. Shearwater - Rook [Matador]
7. Sebastien Grainger - Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains [Saddle Creek]
6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins [Jagjaguwar]
5. Foals - Antidotes [Sub Pop]
4. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath [Universal Motown]
3. Portishead - Third [Island]
2. TV on the Radio - Dear Science [4AD]
1. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges [ATO]

TRACKS

50. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "Baltimore"
49. Vampire Weekend - "M79"
48. The Hold Steady - "Sequestered in Memphis"
47. Rihanna - "Disturbia"
46. Shearwater - "Century Eyes"
45. The Black Angels - "Science Killer"
44. Portishead - "Magic Doors"
43. The Killers - "This is Your Life"
42. Glasvegas - "Daddy's Gone"
41. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - "The Power of Myth"
40. The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"
39. Plants and Animals - "New Kind of Love"
38. Boris - "Statement"
37. Sun Kil Moon - "Lost Verses"
36. Shearwater - "Lost Boys"
35. British Sea Power - "Lights Out for Darker Skies"
34. Foals - "Red Socks Pugie"
33. My Morning Jacket - "Highly Suspicious"
32. Portishead - "Machine Gun"
31. The Mars Volta - "Tourniquet Man"
30. Fucked Up - "Son of the Father"
29. MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
28. Cloud Cult - "The Will of a Volcano"
27. The Black Keys - "Strange Times"
26. Boris - "Flower, Sun, Rain"
25. Albert Hammond, Jr. - "Victory at Monterey"
24. Sebastien Grainger - "American Names"
23. Nine Inch Nails - "Discipline"
22. Boris - "Messeeji" [Diwphalanx Version]
21. Mudcrutch - "Lover of the Bayou"
20. The Raconteurs - "Consoler of the Lonely"
19. Wolf Parade - "Language City"
18. Shearwater - "On the Death of the Waters"
17. The Mars Volta - "Metatron"
16. My Morning Jacket - "Evil Urges"
15. Portishead - "Small"
14. TV on the Radio - "Golden Age"
13. The Black Keys - "Oceans & Streams"
12. Cloud Cult - "Hurricane and Fire Survival Guide"
11. Black Mountain - "Tyrants"
10. One Day As A Lion - "Wild International"
9. Sebastien Grainger - "Map of the World"
8. Boris - "Floor Shaker"
7. Foals - "Heavy Water"
6. Kings of Leon - "Closer"
5. The Mars Volta - "Ilyena"
4. Okkervil River - "Lost Coastlines"
3. TV on the Radio - "DLZ"
2. Portishead - "The Rip"
1. My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part II"

SHOWS

5. Beck, Spoon, MGMT @ Hollywood Bowl
4. Cloud Cult @ Knitting Factory
3. TV on the Radio @ The Wiltern
2. My Morning Jacket @ Greek Theatre [Read]
1. Eddie Vedder @ The Wiltern [Read]

FILMS

Bear with me here. This will develop over the next month. This never feels as easy as the music.

5.
4.
3. The Wrestler, dir. Darren Aronofsky
2. 4 Weeks, 3 Months, 2 Days, dir. Christian Mungui
1. Gomorra, dir. Matteo Garrone

JK's Top Picks for 2008

2008-12-01T12:18:00.005-05:00

It's December 1st and that means that there can't possibly be any new music released in the next month that will change my opinion of 2008. I'm also heading out on vacation later this week for 10 days so I'm ready to commit to this now. Overall, I think 2008 brought a lot of good quality albums with only a few stand-outs. For me, the first 3 selections were pretty easy while the rest were more difficult to piece together. Without further adieu:

My favorite albums:
20. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark
19. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
18. Shearwater - Rook
17. Foals - Antidotes
16. Constantines - Kensington Heights
15. Portishead - Third
14. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
13. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
12. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
11. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
10. Fleet Foxes - s/t
09. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
08. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
07. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
06. Beck - Modern Guilt
05. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
04. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
03. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
02. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
01. TV On The Radio - Dear Science,

EPs:
04. Sebastien Grainger - American Names

03. One Day As A Lion - s/t

02. Trail of Dead - Festival Thyme

01. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant

Shows:
05. Fleet Foxes @ Bowery (7/9/08) [Read]

04. Hold Steady/Drive-By Truckers @ Terminal 5 (11/7/08) [Read]

03. Pearl Jam @ MSG I & II (6/24-6/25/08) [Read | Read]

02. The National @ Howard Gilman Opera House (2/23/08) [Read]

01. Eddie Vedder @ NJPAC (8/7/08) [Read]

Songs:
20. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "Gardenia"

19. Sebastien Grainger - "American Names"

18. Drive-By Truckers - "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife"

17. These New Puritans - "Elvis"

16. Cloud Cult - "The Ghost Inside Our House"

15. TV On The Radio - "DLZ"

14. Silver Jews - "San Francisco B.C."

13. Constantines - "Our Age"

12 & 11. My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt 1 & 2"

10. Foals - "Red Sock Pugie"

09. Tokyo Police Club - "Tessellate"

08. Elbow - "Grounds for Divorce"

07. Plants and Animals - "New Kind of Love"

06. Black Mountain - "Tyrants"

05. TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"

04. Beck - "Chemtrails"

03. The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"

02. Portishead - "The Rip"

01. Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

Filter Mag's Top 10

2008-11-25T21:16:00.003-05:00

1. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
2. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
3. Dr. Dog, Fate (Park the Van)
4. TV On The Radio, Dear Science (Interscope)
5. Foals, Antidotes (Sub Pop)
6. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
7. She and Him, Volume One (Merge)
8. M83, Saturdays = Youth (Mute U.S)
9. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colors (Modular/Interscope)
10 The Dears, Missiles (Dangerbird)

[Filter Staff Selections]

Bold choice at number 1. I've heard all of these but Dr. Dog so I'll have to check that one out. I'm working on my list right now, it should up next week.

Wordle

2008-11-25T17:30:00.000-05:00

...is pretty chill...

John Frusciante Update: The Empyrean Part 2

2008-11-25T14:33:00.004-05:00

[Photos]

From his blog:

Journal Entry #3

The Empyrean is a story that has no action in the physical world. It all takes place in one persons mind throughout his life. The only other character is someone who does not live in the physical world but is inside it, in the sense that he exists in peoples minds. The mind is the only place that anything can be truly said to exist. The outside world is only known to us as it appears within us by the testament of our senses. The imagination is the most real world that we know because we each know it first hand. Seeing our ideas take form is like being able to see the sun come into being. We have no equivelent to the purity of that in our account of the outside world. The outer world appears to each of us as one thing and it is always also a multitude of others. Inside to outside and outside to inside are neverending. Trying and giving up are a form of breathing.

- John

Franz Ferdinand Winter Tour

2008-11-25T14:22:00.005-05:00

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand drops on January 27:

12-03 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe
12-04 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
12-06 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre (WFNX show)
12-08 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom (KNRK show)
12-09 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
12-11 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena (Live 105 show)
12-12 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint (KVGS show)
12-14 Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre (KROQ show)
12-15 San Diego, CA - Canes

Tracklisting:

1. Ulysses
2. Turn It On
3. No You Girls Never Know
4. Twilight Omens
5. Send Him Away
6. Live Alone
7. Bite Hard
8. What She Came For
9. Can't Stop Feeling
10. Lucid Dreams
11. Dream Again
12. Katherine Kiss Me

Video: Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible" in an Elevator

2008-11-24T15:17:00.001-05:00

Synechdoche, New York

2008-11-23T20:02:00.005-05:00

Synechdoche, New York was everything I hoped for in Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut: ambitious, hilarious, touching, amazing.

McCarthy on Film

2008-11-23T19:26:00.012-05:00

Blood Meridian is now under the supervision of Todd Field. This, coupled with the knowledge of Andrew Dominik (see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford NOW!) tackling Cities on the Plain, and things remain right with the Cormac McCarthy film adaptation part of the world. Blood Meridian is due next year, with Cities slated for 2012. Once scheduled for the '08 holiday season, The Road, is now looking like a 2009 release as well. I would love to see Field & Dominik tap into the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis reservoir. Director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) already has Ellis scoring The Road. From Paste:

A Los Angeles Times article on the upcoming film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron) curiously dropped this little nugget of information: writer/director and sometimes actor Todd Field is currently working on an adaptation of McCarthy’s Blood Meridian novel. Ridley Scott had previously been attached to direct the tale, said to be a brutal 1850’s Western where Native Americans are slaughtered for profit. [Paste]

Hellified

2008-11-23T19:18:00.009-05:00

[Photo Credit]

"Matt is getting in the comfort zone," Moss said. "He's playing some hellified ball."

If you would've told me the day after our Super Bowl loss to the Giants that Brady would be out for the entire 2008 season and Matt Cassel would step in and keep the team in division/playoff contention, and, along the way compile back to back 400+ yard passing games, I would've told you you're full of shit.

It's becoming apparent why we didn't panic and look for another quarterback on the waiver wire when Brady went down.

Omar Creates

2008-11-23T17:50:00.012-05:00

[Photo Credit]

Dating back to May of 2007, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (lead guitarist, The Mars Volta) has released eight solo albums. They are:

Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo
Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Lydia Lunch
The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange
Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Jeremy Michael Ward
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus
Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead
Old Money

Two more (Megaritual & Despair) will be released on December 1st through Willie Anderson Recordings.

He also teamed up with Hans Zimmer to compose score for Guillermo Arriaga's (writer: Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel) directorial debut, titled The Burning Plain. (Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo is listed as the official soundtrack to the Arriaga-penned El Bufalo de la Noche.)

Omar also has two films (directing, producing & acting) in various stages of production.

Album Cover of the Year

2008-11-23T17:35:00.009-05:00

Anyone who has been in a National Park in the past few years knows what I'm talking about. The title and photo make me laugh. Then cry. From Wiki:

Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead is a mostly instrumental record by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez released by Willie Anderson Recordings. Recorded in 2001-2002, shortly after completing the Tremulant EP, the album was initially made available only to friends on minidisc format.

Paste's Top 50

2008-11-23T17:32:00.003-05:00

Interesting, to say the least. It's good to see MMJ up there, but I don't quite follow the barely-in-the-Top-50 placement of Dear Science,...

50. TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Interscope)
49. Sandra McCracken - Red Balloon (Towhee)
48. REM - Accelerate (Warner Bros.)
47. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim (Astralwerks)
46. Lykke Li - Youth Novels (LL)
45. M83 - Saturdays = Youth (Mute)
44. Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers (Zoë)
43. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)
42. Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings & All (KRS)
41. The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave (Gravitation)
40. Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords (Sub Pop)
39. The Dodos - Visiter (Frenchkiss)
38. Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp)
37. Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - A Larum (Lost Highway)
36. The Bridges - Limits of the Sky (Verve)
35. Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg and Curse (Fat Possum)
34. Torche - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
33. Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
32. Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
31. The Walkmen - You & Me (Gigantic)
30. I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? (Mute)
29. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal)
28. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
27. Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
26. Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy (MCA Nashville)
25. Mugison - Mugiboogie (Ipecac)
24. Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking  (Mad Decent)
23. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
22. No Age - Nouns (Sub Pop)
21. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
20. Hot Chip - Made In The Dark (Astralwerks)
19. Gentleman Jesse and His Men - Introducing Gentleman Jesse and His Men (Douchemaster)
18. Death Cab  for Cutie - Narrow Stairs  (Atlantic)
17. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down In The Light (Drag City)
16. My Morning Jacket  - Evil Urges (ATO)
15. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Mute)
14. Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim (Kemado)
13. Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart (Waterfall/RCA)
12. of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
11. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Vagrant)
10. Deerhunter - Microcastle (Kranky)
09. Lucinda Williams - Little Honey (Lost Highway)
08. Sun Kil Moon - April (Caldo Verde)
07. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
06. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
05. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar)
04. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
03. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)
02. Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL)
01. She & Him - Volume One (Merge)

Trailer: The Wrestler

2008-11-23T17:17:00.002-05:00

"Ulysses"

2008-11-18T12:01:00.003-05:00

Well, I just got really excited for the new Franz Ferdinand album. The first single, "Ulysses," is up on their MySpace page and it's damn good.

Listen

Can you find 12 differences between these covers?

2008-11-16T00:50:00.008-05:00

One of them is the cover of the new John Frusciante album. From John:

The Empyrean is my new record and will be released worldwide via Record Collection on January 20th 2009. It was recorded on and off between December 2006 and March 2008. It is a concept record that tells a single story both musically and lyrically. The story takes place within one person, and there are two characters. It contains a version of Tim Buckley’s, ‘Song To The Siren’ and the rest of the songs are written by me. My friend Josh plays on it, as does Flea. It also features Sonus Quartet, Johnny Marr and The New Dimension Singers. I’m really happy with it and I’ve listened to it a lot for the psychedelic experience it provides. It should be played as loud as possible and it is suited to dark living rooms late at night.

- John Frusciante, November 3rd, 2008

The Empyrean Track listing:
1. Before The Beginning
2. Song To The Siren
3. Unreachable
4. God
5. Dark/Light
6. Heaven
7. Enough Of Me
8. Central
9. One More Of Me
10. After The Ending

Split (click on the icon that says John in the lower right hand corner) your wig.

Johnny Greenwood sending an email to Colin O'Brien's iPhone

2008-11-16T00:39:00.002-05:00

Say hi to Radiohead.

The Golden State EP

2008-11-14T09:46:00.006-05:00

It's pretty clear that Eddie Vedder and Corin Tucker have a good thing going. "Hard Sun" still gets better with every listen and the two are together again for a John Doe (and Kathleen Edwards) cover. Maybe these two will decide one day to record an album. It worked out pretty well for Plant & Krauss. The Golden State EP is out now.

Cloud Cult @ Bowery Ballroom, 11/11/08

2008-11-12T09:44:00.004-05:00

Cloud Cult, Bowery Ballroom

Every time I see Cloud Cult in concert, it's another reminder as to why they are one of my favorite bands. They truly are one of the kindest, most gracious, and talented bands on the scene today. While still largely unknown, it's that much more rewarding to look around Bowery Ballroom last night and know that we all share the same secret. The songs last night focused entirely on their last 3 albums. I was a little bit disappointed that they didn't play "Living On the Outside of Your Skin" but I'll deal. Here is my attempt at the set list:

"Light At the End of the Tunnel" --> "Intro"
"Brain Gateway"
"No One Said It Would Be Easy"
"Chemicals Collide"
"Everybody Here is a Cloud"
"When Water Comes to Life"
"Million Things"
New Song? --> "That Man Jumped Out the Window"
"Pretty Voice"
"You Got Your Bones to Make a Beat"
"The Ghost Inside Your House"
"Bobby's Spacesuit"
"Must Explore" --> "Journey of the Featherless"
"Start New"
"Love You All"
"Story of the Grandson of Jesus"
"The Tornado Lessons"
----------------------
"Transistor Radio"
"Take Your Medicine"

Paste Mag Picks 11 Best TV On the Radio Songs

2008-11-10T22:19:00.003-05:00

Paste Mag selected the 11 best TV On the Radio songs (right now) and since it's an ode to Travis Morrison (The Dismemberment Plan) and I happen to love TVOTR, I'll post their list followed by my own picks.

11. "Province" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
10. "Halfway Home" (Dear Science)
9. "I Was a Lover" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
8. "Love Dog" (Dear Science)
7. "New Health Rock" (New Health Rock EP)
6. "Golden Age" (Dear Science)
5. "The Wrong Way" (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
4. "Ambulance" (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
3. "Young Liars" (Young Liars EP)
2. "Wolf Like Me" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
1. "Staring at the Sun" (Young Liars EP/Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)

I actually agree with the first two selections but in reverse order. I would go with something like this:

1. "Wolf Like Me" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
2. "Staring at the Sun" (Young Liars EP/Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
3. "King Eternal" (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
4. "Golden Age" (Dear Science)
5. "Playhouses" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
6. "Young Liars" (Young Liars EP)
7. "Blues from Down Here" (Return to Cookie Mountain)
8. "DLZ" (Dear Science)
9. "Halfway Home" (Dear Science)
10. "The Wrong Way" (Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes)
11. "Satellite" (Young Liars EP)

The Hold Steady & Drive-By Truckers @ Terminal 5, 11/7/08

2008-11-08T17:43:00.007-05:00

The Rock + Roll Means Well Tour @ Terminal 5

I've yet to read a review of a show at Terminal 5 that didn't criticize the venue in some way. For that reason, I've been avoiding it like the plague. I bought tickets for this show mainly because I was annoyed at the fact that I hadn't yet seen The Hold Steady live. After last night's show, I don't really have a negative opinion of the place. Yes, it's very crowded on the floor during a sold out show but I was standing near the back and had no issues with the sound. I actually prefer it to Roseland and probably Hammerstein too.

I started listening to DBT only after seeing that they were the co-headliner on this tour. I've been focused on The Dirty South and Brighter than Creation's Dark with a plan to check out Decoration Day next. Maybe it was the beer or the fact that I only had chocolate for dinner (probably both) but by the end of their set, I wanted to hang out with these guys and hear their stories. Great set. Consider me a fan.

People either love or hate The Hold Steady. I'll be the first to admit that I was in the latter group until I heard Boys & Girls in America. I'm not going to say anything new here, their performance last night was nothing short of amazing. They played b-sides to please the die hard fans, tracks from their last two albums to please people like me, and ~ 25 songs in an hour and 45 minutes to please every last person in the venue. Any fan of this band really has to see them live or you're missing half the fun. To cap off the night, Patterson Hood and some other members of DBT joined The Hold Steady during the encore for a version of Minutemen's "History Lesson Part 2," AC/DC's "Walk On" and Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin, for You." Seriously.

I was thankful that Terminal 5 didn't keep me away from this one. It's the best double bill I've been to in a long time. Call it a celebration of historic proportions (see post below).

True

2008-11-04T09:47:00.001-05:00

VOTE

New Trail of Dead: "Bells of Creation"

2008-10-20T15:57:00.005-04:00

Trail of Dead's new vinyl EP, Festival Thyme, will be released tomorrow. I think anyone who has been a fan of this band previously should take note because this song absolutely kills. If this song is any indication, I think I'm really going to enjoy the post-Interscope period.

Listen to "Bells of Creation" on their MySpace page.

Video: Jeff Mangum & Julian Koster - "Engine"

2008-10-20T00:11:00.007-04:00

...and then Jeff Mangum and Julian Koster played the Neutral Milk Hotel song "Engine" in the middle of the room to close out the set. Flashbulbs and cellphones lit the way and in the age of the internet and instant gratification we can all revel in the moment it must have been for everyone in Pittsburgh and hope for the comeback to end all comebacks. [Vegan | Fork]

Video: My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2"

2008-10-18T14:50:00.002-04:00

Video: Okkervil River - "Lost Coastlines"

2008-10-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

From the new album, The Stand Ins.

A.V. Club Interview with Tunde Adebimpe

2008-10-14T13:26:00.001-04:00

AVC: Adam Drucker [mastermind of Oakland band Subtle] recently mentioned that something may be brewing between the two of you and Mike Patton. What can you say about that?

TA: What I can say is that the three of us are indeed working on a project that I'm thinking will congeal toward the end of the year. It came from an idea that Adam had, to have the three of us basically mess around vocally and see what comes of it. That's as much as I can say, but I'm psyched about it. It's going to be so fun.

Read the full interview

Beck & MGMT @ United Palace Theatre, 10/9/08

2008-10-10T09:35:00.003-04:00

The kids like MGMT. United Palace was practically full when I stepped in a few minutes into MGMT's set. I found their debut album to be hit or miss (first half vs. second half) but I thought they were pretty damn good last night. They perform as a 5 piece band and it definitely brings out more depth in the songs than the recorded material. As for Beck, if I wasn't such a big fan of his I would probably lay into this show a bit more. The set list was good but man did he plow through the songs. It just seemed like he was going through the motions and really only acknowledged the crowd twice to say thanks for coming. I expect a bit more from eight albums and a $50 face value than a 70 minute show. That said, aside from a solid set list, the backing band was great and I really liked the bit with the headphones. Modern Guilt was a nice surprise for me this year, I think right now it's my fourth favorite Beck album (after Sea Change, Odelay, and Mutations), and those songs fit in very nicely last night. Overall, I can't really see myself buying a ticket to one his shows again and I'm ok with that as long I'm still digging his studio output.

Set list (via):
Loser
Nausea
Girl
Timebomb
Minus
Soul of a Man
Mixed Bizness
Nicotine & Gravy
Que Onda Guero
Ghettochip Malfunction/Shake Shake Tambourine/Clap Hands
Devils Haircut
Think I'm in Love
Modern Guilt
Orphans
Walls
Missing
Chemtrails
Golden Age
Lost Cause
Where It's At

Encore:
Gamma Ray
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
new song
E-Pro

Iran

2008-10-02T09:32:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, while taking in all of the greatness that is TV On The Radio's latest masterpiece, Dear Science, I managed to come across Kyp Malone's other band/project, Iran. I don't really know how I missed this previously because from what I've heard thus far, it's excellent. Their first album came out in 2001 and the 'Fork gave it a 9.6. Now they have a 3rd album coming out and BV has posted the first track. Sitek is, of course, producing.

From MySpace:
Fans of experimental noise-popsters Iran know that seeing them is even rarer than catching a glimpse of the reclusive Jeff Mangum, but those fans will soon have cause to celebrate. Sort of. The quartet of singer/multi-instrumentalist Aaron Aites, guitarist Kyp Malone (also of TV on the Radio), guitarist/bassist Peter Hoffman (The Mendoza Line), and guitarist Aaron Romanello (Grand Mal), are planning to release an as-yet untitled album sometime this year. Produced by David Andrew Sitek (another member of TV on the Radio), the album is being recorded at Gigantic Studios in Tribeca and will be released through Narnack Records. Speaking with Pitchfork by phone last Friday, Aites described the new album as "very hi-fi", and "more structured" and "fully fleshed out" than their previous two outings, Iran and The Moon Boys. He also said it's more lyric-based (in the vein of The Moon Boys), with material sounding "louder and grimmer." They're also planning a single release for "Buddy", but have no firm release date for that either. They do, however, have some track titles:

I Can See the Future
Buddy
I Already Know You're Wrong
Airport '79
Baby Let's Get High One Last Time
Digital Clock and Phone
Where I'm Going
Cape Canaveral / Buddy Reprise
Can I Feel What?
Evil Summer

Video: Radiohead - "Reckoner"

2008-10-01T17:22:00.001-04:00

Radiohead - Reckoner - by Clement Picon
Courtesy of Gorilla Vs. Bear. Good story. Great video.