The Morning Benders

Let's just say, things get hectic. With that in mind, I've enlisted the assistance of Captain Safety to do some free lance work for the Company. He lives in a place that actually has a live music scene, hopefully we'll see more from him in the future.
Enjoy:

Something Old, Something New

Ah, the end of the year. Time for everybody to start dropping those highly-anticipated "Best Albums of the Year" lists. Rather than pollute the interwebs with another painfully subjective Top 50 or Top 10 list, I thought I would pare it down to two albums - one from the archives and one upcoming release.

The Morning Benders have been off the grid. The Bay Area quartet, lead by frontman Chris Chu, haven't really been touring. You probably haven't been hearing them on the radio or in the background of any trendy new car commercials either. Don't let that deter you, though. As a reknowned Doctor once said, "(they've) been in the lab with a pen and a pad." Their new album - Big Echo - drops March 9th and they will be out in full force touring this Spring. Yes, March is a long way away. To tide you over, you'll have to do what I've been doing all year and dig into their first album. Their debut album - Talking Through Tin Cans - dropped in 2008 and has been in heavy rotation for me ever since.

Talking Through Tin Cans immediately distinguishes itself as just that - an album. Refreshingly, there aren't just two or three standout tracks. Instead, the whole album flows from start to finish without any real throw-aways. At first listen, Chu's vocals draw immediate comparisons to James Mercer of the Shins, or perhaps Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. But throughout the album, Chu begins to distinguish a more diverse style that's all his own. Yes, there is plenty of subtle, acoustic work on the album that pairs nicely with Chu's whiny-smooth vocals. But these guys aren't afraid to rock out, either. Album standouts like Heavy Hearts and Chasing A Ghost, also showcase some promising guitar work. Because these guys are so stylistically diverse, it's really anyone's guess as to what direction the band might head on the upcoming Big Echo. In any case, if the end result of their sophomore effort is anything like Talking Through Tin Cans, it will be worth the wait.

Captain Safety (on assignment for The Company)

Arcade Fire - new album????

Rumor has it, that the greatest band ever, Arcade Fire (commence argumentative comments now..) is coming out with a new album in early 2010. Reports are unconfirmed, by anyone in the band at least. But the story goes that the band has been working with producer Markus Dravs on new songs. He told the BBC that a new album will be preceded by a single release in the early months of 2010, whenever that means. No news on a album title yet, at least none that I heard. Until then, hold your breath and enjoy this video. An outstanding juxtaposition of "my body is a cage" with scenes from the classic film Once Upon a Time in the West. Also, I'll throw in a great live version of "Headlights look like diamonds" from the vault, it's good.

Headlights Look Like Diamonds - Arcade Fire

Tim Williams - Careful Love

So, I don't know much about Tim Williams the person, next to nothing in fact. Usually how this works is, I find someone I like to listen to, then try and learn about them so that I can sound "informed" when discussing their music. Here's what I know; he's a Brooklyn based troubadour. That's all I got. Maybe that's a poor attitude, but really it's all just trivial, what matters is what his music invokes and whether or not it's what you like. So, hopefully I can start you down the path and rest is up to you, choose your own adventure.

The first track I had was "Right All along". A mid tempo song, simple electric guitar, droning vocals with a wide range, lyrics are on point, but the thing that separates it from standard singer songwriter is the use of electronics. As if The Radio Dept. remixed the original song and this is the product. There are quite a few artists who have one song I like, I listen to that one song, with out really getting into the other songs in their catalog. Honestly, I thought that be the case with Tim Williams. But, I listened to 30 second samples, then I dropped in on the whole album, then I found myself playing the album over and over. Standout tracks are abundant; "Right All Along", "I Hit Another Wall", "Oceans", "Love Hate", etc.

The company you keep podcast vol.4

I slept on this one. Great songs ahead...

Podcast Vol. 4

Tracklist:
1. Portugal. the man - People say
2. Tim Williams - Oceans
3. Dan Mangan - Robots
4. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Know better learn faster
5. The Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died
6. The Swell Season - Low Rising
7. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer of Fear Pt. 2
8. Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love
9. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
10. Califone - Funeral Singers
11. The Hood Internet - Cult Logic Forever

Ghostland Observatory - Anchorage, AK 11-5-09

"HEY YO RICH MAN!!", I yell in unison with my 4 year old son as him and his twin sisters dance at my feet. We're in the living room dancing away to Ghostland Observatory several hours before they are slated to take the stage at the Bear's Tooth. I had the date marked on the calendar, I had a pink silk shirt to wear, I had mastered my Native American techno dance moves, I was ready to do this!

Ghostland, is one of the most excitingly fun bands to come out of Austin, TX in recent memory. They are renowned for their live shows, which includes a laser show, costumes, and most notable for me, the dance moves of frontman Aaron Behrens. They are a two piece, that builds their sound on the keys on Thomas Turner, with his arsenal of synthesizers. Aaron sings with conviction, migrating between his natural octave and a mean falsetto. They have had modest success with the sales of their albums, but attract huge crowds, typically being one of the bigger draws at large festivals because of what they bring to the live stage.

When I heard that they were coming to Anchorage, I was elated, my most anxiously awaited local show in recent memory. In the weeks proceeding the show I watched the Austin City Limits show recorded on my DVR a dozen times. I questioned what the crowd would be like. First tap shows at the Bear Tooth seem to be hit or miss, some bands that suck, draw huge crowds. Others who are damn good, like the Hold Steady in September, are sparsely attended. One thing you can count on is drunken mayhem, people are always looking for a reason to drink way too many IPA's in the name of a good time. As the date drew near and the promotional posters popped up everywhere you could think of finding a hipster, it was clearly going to be crowded.

The crew of friends I was going to the show with gathered to "pre-funk" downtown at a friends apartment. I had already decided to drink a few vodka/sodas and then lay off the sauce. One of the most frustrating things to happen at a show is to give up your front row spot because you have to take a piss. We got there early, bobbed our heads to the opening DJ and made fun of pretentious people who looked determined to convey an aura of "I heard of them first" while refusing to smile or have a good time to solidify their claims. About that time things were getting crazy in the front of the crowd. People were trying to pick fights with the people around them, a girl next to me talked shit to the 120 lb. girl in front of her for "taking up to much room". A guy punched a girl in the face, apparently on the behalf of his girlfriend. Stay classy Anchorage. Ghostland took the stage in full garb, Thomas with his cape, Aaron in braids and sunglasses. I was happy to see Aaron wielding the same Telecaster, retro fitted with a humbucker pickup in the neck position, as I had seen him play on the ACL show. There was smoke, and a laser show, and tight white pants. Unfortunately, there were also an insane amount of people obsessed with the idea that their whole experience would be significantly better, if only they were two feet closer. This equated to a huge rush of pushing forward, then the reactionary push back. Which turned into elbows and trying like hell to stay on your feet. Pretty soon you couldn't hold your own space, the shoulder in front of you was your head rest. I realized I'm 5 feet from the band and I'm not watching them.

I lasted a few songs before giving up. You win Anchorage, a place with great people, but collectively at a concert, you become a sea of douche bags. I fought my way back, all the way back to the back wall. One by one the people I came with found their way to the same place. This was not a designated meeting spot, but one of the only places to actually enjoy the show. I take my music experience seriously, I take vacations with the sole purpose of seeing live shows, I've been to festivals in Europe. I can't remember a crowd that was so collectively retarded. Friends that have traveled with me to see shows 3000 miles away all found their way to the back. Our first words were not, "Ghostland is killing it", which they were. It was "what the fuck!". People up here think that that is what you do at shows, that that is a good time. I could understand if it was ministry on stage, or any other power chord heavy metal, scream the words band. But it wasn't, it was Ghostland Observatory, not the same thing. There is a time and a place, know how to distinguish and recognize the time and place.

Ghostland did their part, they killed it, the show was on point. It's too bad for them the whole experience was tainted by the stupid fucks of Anchorage who don't know how to enjoy music. The light show was better from the back anyway.

Rumor has it, that Girl Talk is coming here soon. I saw them this summer at the Gorge in Washington. It was freaking amazing, fucking astounding. I don't think I'll even go see him up here.

Bon Iver live show recording

I found this today, it is an amazing recording Bon Iver from Riverside Theater in Milwaukee from 10-11-09. I was lucky enough to see the spectacle of their live show at Sasquatch this year. I was no where near ready for how deeply it moved me. It is a great recording and something everyone should have. It comes from the nice people at Radio Milwaukee.

You can download or listen here:

Bon Iver live show

Also, for those that hadn't heard; they played a sunrise show at a Hollywood cemetery a few weeks back (9-27). There are a lot of stories, pictures, videos of the whole thing online. You can read/view a great recap, with amazing pictures at Brooklyn Vegan.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer of Fear

--and these pages scare me, to the point of neglect--


Not often enough I find out about a new album by someone I really like by, literally stumbling across it. In the day of endless promotion by record companies trying to market records like the latest sit-com, flipping through the album crate at the record store, or the new releases at your favorite online vendor and finding one you had no idea existed is rare. That's how I found out about the recent Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson album Summer of Fear. Chances are you haven't heard much about MBAR, despite having a name that almost requires punctuation. I wrote on his self-titled debut earlier this year, when I stumbled across in the randomness of the internet. If you want the life story look in the archives.

His recent release on Saddle Creek, with some help from TV on the Radio's Kyp Maloneoa is S-O-L-I-D. Miles sounds more assertive and grown up on this album. Listening to him, you'd think he was a shoe in for the lost Wilbury. In reference to the original super group, the Traveling Wilburys. At times he sounds like someone trying to do a Bob Dylan impersonation. This is not to say he sounds like Bob Dylan, in fact he sounds more like Tom Petty, but he has a unique voice, more akin to Bob. It's everything you want "indie singer-songwriter" to sound like; assuming that's a genre. Go do that damn thing!

Listen Here:

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "The Sound"

The company you keep podcast vol.3

It took a lot longer than I had planned to get this up, hope you like it. Feel free to share the love with your friends.

Run down:
1. Jack Penate - Pull my heart away
2. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a dream
3. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zero's - 40 Day dream
4. The Ghost is Dancing - The Darkest Spark
5. Kill it Kid - Send me an Angel Down
6. The XX - Stars
7. The XX - Islands
8. Kid CuDi - Up, Up and Away
9. Kid Cudi - Pursuit of Happiness
10. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Deathbridge in Lethbridge
11. Ghostland Observatory - Rich Man (Live from ACL '07)

Follow the white rabbit below:

http://www.box.net/shared/ismzi0ahi8

The XX - voyeurism for your ears

So, I've been sleeping on this one for a while. If you've been paying attention, there is a chance you've heard of The XX before. They have been getting more and more attention in the last couple months. It wasn't until I had a long drive, where I listened to the whole album, front to back that I fully appreciated it. The group is made up of a handful of 20 year olds, which blew me away. Mostly because of the level of insightfulness in the lyrics. The most notable thing about the band is the vocal delivery of co-vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Smith. The way they craft their songs is very unique, sometimes they sing in a call and response fashion, sometimes trading versus, sometimes harmonizing, sometimes even singing different lyrics over the top of each other. Sounds chaotic, but it works. As previously stated, it wasn't until I listened to the complete album that I realized every song is built around the type of lyrics that would make most people uncomfortable if you walked into a room with two people sharing them. It's almost as if they took their pillow talk and played music over the top of it. It's like voyeurism for your ears.

This is not to down play the musical aspect of the band. Although tough to pin down to any specific genre, it's not a departure from mellow electronica or what is known as "shoegazing". The other notable thing about the self-titled album is it's clear lack of a stand out single. Each time I listen, I distinguish a different song as "the one".
It delivers, give it more than a once over.

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon

It has been awhile since I've awaited a hip hop album release, so long I can't remember when. However, I've been listening to some tracks from Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon recently.......a lot. Kid Cudi, for those not familiar, is a musician from Cincinnati. More or less, he released a mixtape, it caught Kanye's attention, Kanye signed him and the two started working together. Cudi co-wrote some songs from Kanye's 808's and Heartbreak album. This leads us to Cudi's debut album Man on the Moon, which is slated to be released Sep. 15th. There have been a few singles released, nothing that really got me excited. But, as is now status quo, the album got leaked a few days ago. I got my ears on a few of the other songs from the album that are stinking up the spot, because they are the shit.

Cudi is a breath of fresh air in the world of hip hop. (a world I honestly don't frequent) His lyrics are not filled with bravado and machoism. Instead choosing to focus on his dreams, fears, issues and emotions. Simultaneously, making him seem vulnerable and easy to relate to; two things that are certainly not associated with MC's in general. His delivery, on some songs, is actually singing as apposed to the familiar cadence of hip hop. Add to that the fact that most of his songs could be played by musicians, not just some producer with a lap top and keyboard. True to form his album features a slough of guest spots, there's the not surprising (Kanye, Common) and the could be surprising (MGMT). Either way, count me as a fan.

Hip Hop video for the nostalgic

So I was "cruising the web" today, drinking pre-noon beers in an attempt to aide in nap taking. (i slept two hours the night before and I suck and nap taking, full story for another time) and as the clock rounded noon, I realized I was in fact drinking beers at noon on Tuesday! I can remember a time when I wondered what kind of person drinks beer at noon on a Tuesday. Years later......me, I'm that guy.

At any rate, I came across this video from the Pharcyde. Let's take a trip back in time, rewind back to 1996, I was a white suburban kid just starting college in the midwest . Some of the "coolest" music I could "bump" in my dorm room was Pharcyde's Labcabincalifornia. Indisputably, one of the best tracks on that album, or any other hip-hop album of the 90's was "Drop". I had never seen this video before today, and it struck a chord. The video was directed by Spike Jonze, the Rick Rubin of music videos. It's shot in reverse. Which was a new concept in it's time. Although not quite as impressive as Coldplay's "The scientist" video, in which Chris Martin learned and sang the song backwards, it is freaking good. Certainly one of the best hip-hop video's I've seen. get your freak on:

The company you keep podcast vol.2

Follow the link below to download the podcast vol. 2. It's got good music, if your into that sort of thing.

http://www.box.net/shared/3yu6xdp00r

Setlist:

1. Mason Jennings- The Field
2. Miike Snow- Animal
3. The Big Pink- Dominoes
4. Two Door Cinema Club- Hands off my cash, Monty
5. We Were Promised Jetpacks- Quiet Little Voices
6. Chiddy Bang- Kids
7. Port O'Brien- My Will is Good
8. Golden Holy- Sons of Dreams
9. Digital Underground- Freaks of the Industry

We were promised jetpacks

We were promised jetpacks is a Scotish four piece based out of Glascow. They released their debut These four walls in June on the Fat Cat Records label. The band formed in 2003 , winning their schools battle of the band contest. The band members became friends with eventual label mates Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad, playing support on Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight tour before being signed by Fat Cat.

Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad comparisons are so obvious they're almost cliche. Having said that their sound is more electric guitar driven than either of the previously stated. I hear hints of Bloc Party in the guitar licks, especially in their kick ass single "quiet little voices". They have managed to set themselves apart from the droves of UK based rock bands out there, which speaks volumes. I'm sure it won't be long before some stupid TV show or movie features one of their songs, ruining it for the rest of us. Here's a video for "Quiet little voices" , visually not impressive but if you turn it up and close your eyes it's easy to get into.



Their Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks

The company you keep podcast vol.1

Well, I got a Mac and figured I'd put it to work, this is my first time doing this, so be nice. Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll get better and have this be a regular feature. Hope you like it, stay tuned for more stuff.
http://www.box.net/shared/rosgs10ecp

If you don't know, now you know......Dark Mean

I spend a fair amount of my free time, of which there is little, trying to find new music. Since I lack patience in my music hunting endeavors, I have developed a completely unscientific approach to aid my search. It involves, essentially judging books (or in this case album covers or press release photos) by their covers and giving bands very little time to make an impression on me with their music. My own little "Gong Show" if you will. Certainly things fall through the cracks from time to time, but as previously stated I don't have the time or patience to devote the energy needed to do it right.

A band with the name Dark Mean has me reaching for my gong striking devise, based on principal alone. For whatever reason I gave it a listen, assuming that it would induce nothing short of nausea. The first song I heard was "Happy Banjo", how dark and mean could a happy banjo be, right? I was hooked within the first 30 seconds. I knew that I was going to like the band, not just the song. The song is built on a melodic banjo ditty that compliments the keyboards beautifully. Although the banjo makes the song, it's not a song that you would anticipate hearing a banjo in. Their songs are built more on rock drums and keyboards, guitar takes a back seat in this band.

To date they have only released 4 songs in the form of the Frankencottege EP. The title song from the Ep sounds like a lost Firebird Band song if I've ever heard one. But the kicker for me is "lullaby". The vocals are simple, essentially consisting of a repeated line "close my eyes/ haven't slept in five days/ we'll sleep when were dead", which doesn't sound nearly as morbid when taken out of context. The song builds up on keyboards, Que banjo, and then bring in the strong background vocal track for the climax before crashing back down to the foundation of the song, mellow keyboards. Truly a recipe for a great song.

You don't have to take my word for it, you can download the EP for FREE at their website: www.darkmean.com. Did I mention they are from Canada? Canada, killing it again.

Fanfarlo.....for a buck!!!!

All right, quite literally, I can not say enough about the band Fanfarlo. They are an essentially unknown band with members from all over but recently based out of London. Without a doubt, one of the most exiting new bands I have heard in the last couple years. I'll try to keep my school girl rant to a minimum since the my first post on this blog was detailing their new album reservoir, if you didn't read it, go read it. At any rate, I just found out that from now until July 4th, you can download the album, along with 4 bonus tracks for a dollar. Seriously, see for yourself www.fanfarlo.com . I purchased the album months ago when it came out, but dropped in again just to get the 4 bonus tracks. It's only a dollar, do it!! If you download it and don't like it I will personally send you a dollar, it's that good.

Sasquatch festival wrap-up

Thinking back on the chaos that was the Sasquatch festival, I'm not sure how to sum up all the events that transpired while keeping this a reasonable length. I'll start by pointing out the realization that is it truly a "choose your own adventure" setting. Depending on where you were at any given time, what you took away from the weekend was completely different than someone else, even someone watching the same band.
Broad strokes:
- Weather was incredible, sunny and hot, too hot at times.
- I applaud the performances of almost every band involved. (Except for The Knux, you sucked)
- I under appreciated the stamina required to do your damn thing all day long in the sun with thousands of other crazy fans, then try to sleep in a tent literally surrounded by drum circles, sing along, bass machines and excess induced vomiting all night....then repeating that three days in a row.
- With a line up that is stacked with talent, it is just not possible to see everyone you want to, leaving feelings of regret and sorrow.
Highs/Lows:
- Blind Pilot, vocals on point, great start to the weekend.
- Passion Pit, strong contingency of "kids" at this show. The band still can't reproduce the sound of the album, but I think they'll get there.
- Festival setting was exactly where some bands need to be seen (Girl Talk, Gogol Bordello, Bon Iver(surprisingly). Other bands would have been better on a more intimate setting.(Fleet Foxes, M.Ward)
- Ra Ra Riot has a SEXY, I mean SEXY cellist, everyone, girls included were crushing.
- Of Montreal had an incredible stage show, rivaled only by The Flaming Lips in my mind.
- Santigold, she did her damn thing!! the addition of a band and backup singers was a good move. She sounded just like the album.
- Gogol Bordello, as anticipated this show was crazy. I had resigned to watch them from the hill. I couldn't take it any more and had to rally down to the floor. I just kept thinking, it's as if a band of pirates from the 19th century learned to play dance music.
- The Wrens, wow. Fucking amazing, I actually played the bass during the performance (see pics below). Everything I hoped for.
- Bon Iver..........show of the weekend, I nearly wept. I was excited to see them, anticipating mostly Justin with an acoustic, NOT the case. With multi-percussionists, an ex- student of Justin's on guitar, and the vocal harmonies..forget about it! They were so much more than the sum of their parts. I can not say it enough, this show bordered on a spiritual experience, if you have the chance to see them, GO!


Hot sweaty hipsters for days.


The Wrens show, this was sweet!


That's me playing an F. Does that make me the fifth Wren?


My crush from Ra Ra Riot.


On stage with Of Montreal.


The sound sucks, but this is during Girl Talk, you get the idea.


Bon Iver, simply amazing.

White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"

While I wait to take on the task of presenting the lessons learned from Sasquatch 2009; view, enjoy. I got the debut single from the new White Rabbits album about two months ago. It is a joyous track to say the least. The new album is produced by Britt Daniel, and this track certainly has that Spoon feel to it. I came across this video today and wanted to share it. This is how live music should be...

Sasquatch day 3

Grizzly Bear/ Horse Feathers
1:50
Both these bands I like, nice mellow way to start the day.

Santogold
2:50 Sasquatch stage
Super pumped to see her, she kills it. Such a great addition for the female pop vocalist category. That and my son digs her music.



Gogol Bordello
3:50 Sasquatch stage
This is hard given that I'll miss biltzen trapper to see this show. Honestly, I've never thought to myself, "sure would like to listen to some Gogol right now". The footage I've seen supports the theory that this is all live show. The music is lost in the audio only format. Watch this video and tell me how you pass that up, I'm pretty sure at least 3 of those people on stage, he pulled out of some alley just prior to taking stage.



Fleet Foxes
4:45 Sasquatch stage
Another hipster-fest. This band was more critically acclaimed last year than any other. It will be packed, and the lo-fi sound is going to be lost on the main stage, but there I'll be.



Silversun pickups
6:10 Sasquatch stage
I was glad to hear they were on point at Coachella this year. With a new album out, they be out to prove they are more than "lazy eye".

Girl Talk
7:15 Wookie stage
The first 46 seconds of this song are pure brilliancy. Enjoy.



Explosions in the Sky
I saw these guys on Austin City Limits and was blown away. If your going to have no vocals, you better be good...they are good.

Sasquatch festival day 2 preview

Day 2 (Sun)- Sunday schedule is going to be tough to commit to, there are some must sees and a lot of conflicting time slots. This line up is subject to change for a slough of reasons; last minute urges to see "Kim and Jessie", too damn tired to negotiate through the masses, opinions held by the company I keep, etc. I'll give a rough outline.

Point Juncture, WA
1:05 Yeti stage

I started listening to this Portland(?) based band after being profiled on KEXP. Male and female vocalists make for a nice compliment. They could potentially put on a great show.



The Walkmen
2:05 Sasquatch stage

More or less because I feel like it's where I should be.

Calexico/ St. Vincent/ Avett Bros./ the Builders and the Butchers
3:05 - 4:45 all stages
This time slot is tough to call. All four of these bands have overlapping time slots, on three different stages. I could be pulled in any given direction, in anticipation of.......

The Wrens
4:45 Wookie stage
Without a doubt the show that I am most looking forward to. The Wrens are infamous for being the royal procrastinators of the music world, averaging one album per decade (or so it seems). I'm not even sure they are going to kick ass on stage, the live recordings I have are less than I would hope for, but there is an assload of potential. They have been working on new material, which normally I would be super pumped to hear, but unless they come up to Alaska on their next tour, this could be my only opportunity to see them live. And for that reason, Charles if your reading, play The Meadowlands all the way through, start to finish, don't worry about trying out new material, just The Meadowlands.



TV on the Radio
6:35 Sasquatch stage
I hope this band blows me away. I want to be into them more than I actually am, which is always disappointing. I'll probably stick around until M83 starts playing.

M83
7:15 Wookie stage
French electro outfit M83 just keep kicking out the jams, should be a kick ass time.



Of Montreal
8:45 Wookie stage
Nine Inch Nails will be playing on the main stage, but given the fact that I'll be at this stage already, and the stage antics Of Montreal is known for....I think I'll bite. Plus, "Hurt" is the only thing I'll miss on the main stage.

Jane's Addiction
10:00 Sasquatch stage
I'm going to make a big push to make it this long, hopefully I'm still upright at this point. If exhaustion or alcohol haven't beat me, I'll be "coming down the mountain!!"

Sasquatch festival preview- Day 1 (Sat)

I'll be heading down to the sasquatch festival next week. Here's a preview of the tentitive schedule I'll be following. With three stages and too many people this could get loud.

Blind Pilot
1:30-2:15 Wookie stage
The last Sasquatch festival I went to this happened to me. One of the bands I'm most excited to see plays early the first day, last time I missed it. I'm hoping we get to the Gorge earlier this year. I'm not sure how the layered album vocals will be reproduced on the big stage, but I'm psyched to see these guys.


Passion Pit
2:35-3:20 Wookie Stage
When the lineup first came out I had Doves in this time slot, but recent developments, and the realization that these guys are doing that damn thing have led me to change my mind.


M. Ward
3:25-4:10 Sasquatch stage
M. Ward's new album is way better than She and Him.


Shearwater
4:45-5:35 Wookie stage
I may or may not make the treck from stage to stage to see theses guys. I know people who love them. I think the guy should have just stayed with Okkervil River.

Animal Collective
5:40-6:40 Sasquatch stage
guaranteed to be hipster central. I like the new album, and I'll be there for sure. This show will kick ass, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to take all the people around me.


Ra Ra Riot
6:30-7:15 Yeti stage
I'm not sure why these guys are playing the Yeti stage, but I think it will make for a more intimate setting, if that's possible at a festival. This is going to be fun.


The Decemberists
7:05-8:05 Sasquatch stage
Colin Meloy sings.

Bon Iver
8:45-9:45
what do you say, it's Bon Iver, should be awesome. I'm really looking forward to it, hopefully it's dark by then.


Kings of Leon
10:00-11:30 Sasquatch stage
If I make it this late in the day, these guys should give a good show. Or at least get in a fight with eachother.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

You've heard the story before. Like so many others, Brooklyn based singer songwriter Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson has battled addiction, failures, and the like en route to making his debut LP. After years in the Brooklyn music scene, Miles had recorded several albums with as many early projects. Miles' alcohol and drug addictions, combined with erratic behavior led to the demise of each start. This of course, led Miles further down the road to nothing, dead ending on a period of time where Miles was living on park benches on Coney Island. But, after the darkest night comes the brightest day. Miles continued writing and built the foundation for his fucking rad debut album. Somewhere along the way he hooked up with members of Grizzly Bear and recruited production from Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio.

This album was released last year, thus, I'm a little late getting here. I heard about it first from a comment by Carrie Brownstein after SXSW. It's hard to draw parallels with this album. Comparisons create expectations, and I'm apprehensive to do that here. If I had to describe it; I'd take Elvis Perkins songwriting, add a 2 pack a day singer, and add a splash of Doug Martsch guitar work, if that makes sense. The sound changes from song to song making for a great album, front to back. Hope you like it, support this dude.

"Buriedfed" mp3:

http://www.box.net/shared/z7v0ngm6jb

Miroir Noir

Often when listening to music I try and account for all the sounds I hear. That is, consciously be aware of every instrument to visualize the music if you will. Once I can visualize the music, it's easier to understand how it's made, why certain instruments are used and when there should be a chord change, etc. I have no musical training so my understanding is less technical and more gut feeling. When I listen to Arcade Fire, I'm blown away, I can't understand how they make their music. How they know to us a church organ or a hurdy gurdy (what the fuck is a hurdy gurdy? I don't know, but Regine plays one!) How they can have 10 people on stage, playing the shit out of something and have the sound be so exact. For this reason their music feels like something beyond me, something bigger. I've often said if I had one wish, I would want a teleporter (I mean seriously right, how cool would that be), but if I had two, I would want to be in Arcade Fire, playing something, anything. I seriously think they are the most brilliant modern band there is.

All this leads to Miroir Noir. Miroir Noir is a film, shot by Vincent Moon of the blogotheque crew. It was shot in '06 and '07. It captures the band as they made and toured Neon Bible. After the huge success of Funeral, their debut album. Arcade Fire retreated to Quebec, bought an old church and renovated to create their recording studio. The saying goes: you have your whole life to make the first album and a year or so to make the next one, hence the term "sophomore slump". None of that applies here. The band decided to self-produce Neon Bible, adding to the idea that they are other-wordily geniuses. Miroir Noir went on sale in December, with a couple different packaging options. Once you purchased the film, you could download a digital version, the actual DVD was not shipped until the very end of March. Even though I had the digital version, I tried not to watch it very much, wanting to wait to experience it in all it's glory on surround sound on as big a TV i could find. The Film consists of artsy film maker shots in an almost sepia effect. The footage bounces back and forth between footage of shows, the recording studio, backstage, on tour, as well as audio recordings from the 1-866-neon-bible phone message machine the band used to promote the album leading up to it's release. It is certainly a film makers film, there's nothing straight forward about it, not for everyone, but so cool for a fan. I watch it a lot and find something else to love about it every time. Some highlights:
-Win and Regine in an elevator playing "Windowsill". Very simple, Win playing guitar, Regine keeping time on the wall.
-Footage of Win on the balcony of the church recording the vocals for "Keep the car running"
-A message left on the neon bible phone line by some douche bag hater, which leads right into "Haiti", a song that initially I felt apathetic to. But to see them play this live really gives it a different feel. This is Regine in her finest moment, the song is like the nice guy you can't say a bad thing about. I can't help smile when I see her doing her dance on this song.
-"no cars go", the song starts in towards the end with footage on stage from behind the drummer. The band is playing a big outdoor stadium. Every time the song gets into "let's go!" the house lights light up the whole crowd for a second before fading to black, just in time for "let's go!" and the whole process begins again.
-"power out/Rebellion" I am so glad they left these two songs untouched. This is the only time in the film where a whole song is shown in it's entirety. I have probably a dozen recordings of their shows and I think every one has these two songs played back to back. They go from "Power out" to "rebellion" brilliantly.
-During "Cold Wind" they use studio audio and juxtapose it over assorted live footage. A lot of it is of Richard and Will playing percussion. If you haven't seen footage of "Laika" you tube it, these two guys kill it!! throwing drums in the air, hammering on a single cymbal, it's just freaking awesome!
Here's footage from the film, initially filmed for blogotheque, Neon Bible in an elevator, check out Richard playing a magazine. I can't say enough about them.

let's take time for a Hip Hop break.

For the most part, my faith in the state of hip hop these days is lacking to say the least. The hip hop that is being mass marketed by the mtv generation is just not my thing, I can't get into it. As Common said "if I don't like/ I don't like it/ that don't mean that I'm hating". Not to say that there isn't quality hip hop being made, it's just harder and harder to find and the time and effort it takes to wade through all the shit is just more than I'm willing to deal with. Having said that I wanted to bring to light a few of the jems that I've run across; some new, some not. For the record, I don't count myself a hip hop aficionado, I just know what I like, and these songs are the poop. Let's begin shall we?

Doom- "That's that"

From Doom's most recent album Born Like This. More recently known as MF Doom, he has dropped the MF I think in order to complicate google searches. I have some of his older albums, my favorite being under the name Danger Doom, the album he did with DJ Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse most famous as being the guy who has produced projects with Rick Rubin-like frequency and diversity. Gnarls Barkley- check, Beck- check, Gorillaz-check, The Black Keys-check, anyway you get the idea. Back to Doom..... Born Like This is full of obscure movie samples and kung fu references, add to the equation guest spots by Raekwon and Ghostface Killa under his Tony Starks alias, and it's sure to get 36 Chambers comparisons. Although the tracks with previously mentioned Wu Tang brethren are damn good, it was the 2:15 of "that's that" that (that's 4 that's in a row for those keeping score at home) had me hooked. The song starts out with Doom getting into it instantly, he's got 4 words in by the time the song is 2 seconds old. The song is like one big freestyle, no chorus, no hook, just sick line after sick line. The melody is built on the strings that are reminiscent of something out of The Shining. No mention of his bling or how many chicks he bangs, it's thinking man's Hip Hop. Listen below:




Wale- "w.a.l.e.j.u.s.t.i.c.e"

Wale started out as a rapper/producer in the Washington D.C. scene and quickly gained notoriety locally. He released a couple mixtapes; 100 miles and running and The mixtape about nothing, which was loosely based on Seinfeld, not sure how that works. On "w.a.l.e.d.a.n.c.e.", Wale raps over Justice's track "d.a.n.c.e", which is brilliant. Seriously, when it kicks in, you will be making your dance face.



The Hood internet- "Save me concubine"
The Hood Internet: honestly, I don't know much about who they are, how many there are, etc. Essentially they take tracks by two people and remix it, not unsimilar to what Wale did with the Justice track. They release a song every couple of days. Sadly, most of them fall short, some fall really short. But every once in a while they nail it, which is the case with "save me concubine". It's Ghostface's lyrics over the music of Beirut. Damn good, also check out the Matt and Kim/ Beastie Boys track, it's kicking like van damn. Go to their site to listen:
www.thehoodinternet.com

living legends, the grouch- "artsy"
This one was a suggestion from my friend Matt. I know nothing other than these guys work closely with Slug from Atmosphere on occasion. I'm to lazy to do any research. The track it GREAT!!!
Sample lyric: "you aint artsier than me/ cause you talk real soft and drink chai tea". Seriously.




blue scholars- "southside revival"
Coming out of Seattle, the dopest hip hop since Sir Mix a lot...... well way doper (is doper a word?). I heard this several years ago on KEXP, loved it, still love it. The lyrics are relevant, no ignorance. A classic!!!!!!!!



IF you want mp3's of any of these tracks, e-mail me and I'll send it to you.

Cymbals eat guitars----- do it!

Normally, I try not to read subjective material on a new band I get into, especially one that might end up on this page. I try and gather information about the band by reading objectively; (where they're from, who they are, back catalog, etc). I try to avoid reading pieces based solely on someone else's opinion's of said band. Of course the irony is I write subjective pieces on bands I like. Having said that, it was impossible to read anything about Cymbals eat guitars debut Why There are Mountains without seeing Modest Mouse's early masterpiece The Lonesome Crowded West as a comparison. Modest Mouse holds such a special place in my heart that I initially scoffed at this, it's just not possible for this album to be better or even close to The Lonesome Crowded West. Well.....it's not, but it's damn good!!

The story (the abbreviated version): Dude, (Joseph D’Agostino) starts band as a young lad with high school buddy. Dude and buddy go to college in different states, band dismantles. Dude puts out an ad on craigslist, looking for other dudes for band. Ad answered, and poof...Cymbals eat Guitars is born. At this point Dude is 19years old. As with all young, eager lads his plan is to make an album and have Charles Bissell produce it, because..well, why not. Now Charles Bissell happens to be one of the better songwriters making music today. You know him as the genius behind the Wrens. For this reason alone I already like Dude. Charles produces album, because..well, why not. Charles says, and I quote; "this band will be indie famous within the year". Whatever Charles wants, he's gonna get it.

The sound: The first track I heard was "wild phoenix". I instantly got it, the Modest Mouse comparisons. Dude (Joseph D'Agostino) posses that Isaac Brock ability to fit too many syllables into a part and then stretch a few out into a big space. His voice, better than Isaac's by the way, easily transfers from loud (think jugular vein distension with associated spitting) to the kind of singing people do when they are pushing the notes to the point that they convey vulnerability. The guitars are heavy with feedback. The songs are all over the place, not verse-chorus-verse-chorus(chord change)-bridge-chorus, like so many songs out today. For that, I'm on board. Definitely a break from the mold, you're going to like it. Remember what Charles Bissell said. I'd love to post the mp3, but after the post deleting scandal (see below) here's this:

Phoenix post got deleted ..........

by the fucks at blogger. Recently I figured out a way to post mp3's here so the four people that read this thing could download a few songs, maybe go out and purchase an album or two. I was pretty stoked, felt like I had a good thing going. If you read the Phoenix post a couple days ago, you may have in fact got your download on, and I'm sure you were blown away by the jams that are on the album. Well, a few days later, I got an e-mail informing me that I had broken a few laws in regards to copyrighted material. Woops, sorry. Instead of taking down the mp3's they deleted the post all together. Freedom of speech........fail. anyway it pissed me off, end of rant. Go get the Phoenix album.

Forest Fire........it's what you need.

Forest Fire is just one of the ass kicking bands coming out of Brooklyn these days. Seriously, Brooklyn is the new Scotland, which was the new Montreal, which was the new Austin, etc... Survival is their debut album on Catbird records, it is freaking cool. The kind of album you play on purpose when people come over, just to have them ask you "who is this?" You reply: "oh,...(asume pretentious stance) it's Forest Fire, they're from Brooklyn" (make sure to sound as matter of factly as possible).
The album was recorded over an 8 month period on both coasts with a rotating cast of players. Which perfectly matches the feel on the album. It's what an album should sound like if you had a bunch of musician friends and you just got together at random, with no agenda, pressed record and jammed. The album was previously available as a free download from their website, a la In Rainbows. That window has past, but you can still stream the whole album for free at: http://www.catbirdrecords.com/forestfire/ . Start with the two first songs, sounds intuitive, I know. They are the best on the album in my opinion, especially Fortune Teller. With lyrics like: "my aurah's yellow like a coward" and "I'm gonna melt some faces with gatling gun social skills" you can't go wrong. The song also features simple downstroke only guitar chords, which I'm a sucker for. Here's a video for your viewing pleasure, but please LISTEN TO THE SONG FIRST, AT THE LINK ABOVE. It makes the video easier to swallow. Forest Fire...it's what you need.

brand new Wrens!!!!....

well...........kinda.

Yeasayer performance of "Tightrope"

Fresh off the Dark was the Night post; this is a video (taken from Pitchfork) of Yeasayer doing an acoustic intimate version of "tightrope", the song they contributed to the compilation. The video was shot by Vincent Moon, the man behind the "la blogotheque" series, as well as the "Mirror Noir" Arcade Fire film (more on that to come). It really is a cool take on the song. The video also features the Brothers Desnner. do it. do it.

Dark was the Night

"Dark was the Night" is a compilation put out by the Red Hot Organization. The double disc album was compiled and produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. Started in 1989,The Red Hot organization's mission is to raise money to help fight HIV and AIDS around the world.

Buzz on this project picked up a few months ago, gaining steam until it's Feb. release date. I literally had a post it note reminding me on my desk. It was touted to have previously unreleased tracks by; The Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Spoon, The National, Beirut, Ben Gibbard and Feist (together), the Decemberists, etc, etc.... Just pick someone "cool"; they're on the album. The hip meter was pegged. As I've said so many times before "you had me at Arcade Fire". The anticipation was almost too much to bare. Admittedly, I had built this thing up so high, it never had a chance to get over the bar. Needless to say, when I finally got to listen to it, I was left a little disappointed. New tracks by the heavy hitters I was anticipation so much..(see list above), were less than outstanding, a few withheld. Realizing I had set the album up for failure, I wanted to spend more time with it before forming a concrete opinion.

The first couple listens were conducted on the treadmill at work. As I was increasing the mph, I found myself pushing the next track button with more and more frequency; trying to find a song with the bpm to match my footsteps. Realizing this, I then started to listen to it before I went to bed, lying in the dark with my headphones on, or threw my computer with the itunes visualizer on my monitor. After that, I started to really appreciate it's mellow tempo. My favorite tracks were not by the bands I had anticipated, instead songs by Yo La Tengo, Yeasayer, The New Pornographers, and the Dirty Projectors stood out. Even some bands that were new to me; Riceboy Sleeps and Stuart Murdoch, I found myself listening to with more frequency. There are some straight up misses, i.e.; The Kronos Quartet.

Bottom Line: While I think the album does not equal the sum of it's parts; it can certainly sit in the shadow it casts and kick out some great tunes. I recently saw this album at Borders for 13 dollars, absolutely worth the money. Plus, the money is going to a good cause (if your into that kind of stuff....you know, causes and shit.)

Fanfarlo album now available!!

Just a update to let no one know that "Reservoir", the debut album by Fanfarlo is available from their website www.fanfarlo.com , where they personally will be sending the albums out in the mail. You can also get it for cheap at itunes. Well worth it, hop on board before your mom knows who they are.

The Rural Alberta Advantage

This Toronto based three piece self-released this album about a year ago, they are still unsigned. It has been some time since my 3 year old son has gotten into my music like he is into the RAA. Their sound is much bigger than one would expect from three instruments. This is largely due to the fact that their drummer kills it. Most of the songs on this album are done in 4/4 time, with the usual chord changes, but the songs seem to be much grander. The drummer uses a sinple drum kit, he's not drowning in a sea of cymbals; but he wages a full on assault on that thing. It's as if he is playing a solo over the whole song. Thankfully is doesn't come off over done. The vocalist is often compared to Jeff Mangum from Neutral Mild Hotel, and it's no wonder why. From their website:

"The Rural Alberta Advantage play indie-rock songs about hometowns and heartbreak, born out of images from growing up in Central and Northern Alberta. They sing about summers in the Rockies and winters on the farm, ice breakups in the spring time and the oil boom’s charm, the mine workers on compressed, the equally depressed, the city’s slow growth and the country’s wild rose, but mostly the songs just try to embrace the advantage of growing up in Alberta."

They became relatively popular in the emusic scene when they chose them as a part of their "emusic selects" series.
Here's a video for your viewing pleasures. the sound quality could be better, but you get the idea.

Their website: www.theraa.com
streaming songs: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=25898494

Fanfarlo

In early 2008 I was listening to an NPR podcast as a preview to the SXSW festival. All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen introduced one of his selections as "has anyone heard of a band called Fanfarlo? they're from the U.K. that's all I know about them". He then played the first 60 seconds of "Fire Escape". I was immediately hooked. They are often stamped with the "new Arcade Fire" comparison. That comparison has been used on so many new bands it could rival the played out Radiohead comparison. Another easy parrallel is Talking Heads due to singer Simon Aurell's harmonizing vocals. They are truly an amazing band. After my initial 1 minute introduction, I tried to get my hands on any song of their's I could. To that point they had released four singles on an many labels and a song or two on compilations. To date Fanfarlo have a strangle hold on the top 6 songs on my itunes 25 most played playlist. ( this stat is misleading as that thing has been reset several times due to computer fail; you know the deal, in reality "wake up" may never be dethroned)

A couple months ago they came over to the good old U.S. to record their debut album with producer, Peter Katis. Katis produced such albums as; Boxer-the National, Midnight Organ Fight- Frightened Rabbit, Antics- Interpol, Re-Arrange Us- Mates of States, to name a few. I have been not so patiently awaiting it's release, well it's finished!! At this point it's only available at their shows, so if you are going to be in Europe any time soon, pick me up a copy. Eventually it will be available on their website: http://www.fanfarlo.com/ Until then check 'em:
This video was filmed by a Swedish Public television crew; it was filmed in one of the band member's living room. Take the time.

http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/03/31/musik-med-fanfarlo/