pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Happy 234th birthday, United States!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So, here are my faves of the first half of 2010… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end:

Artist – Album (label)

1. Holy Fuck – Latin (Young Turks)
2. Jónsi – Go (XL)
3. Mike Patton – Mondo Cane (Ipecac)
4. Ellery – This Isn’t Over Yet (Set Adrift)
5. Charlie Hunter – Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid (Spire Artist Media)
6. George Hrab – Trebuchet (Geologic)
7. Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett (Secretly Canadian)
8. AutorYno – Pastrami Bagel Social Club (Tzadik)
9. Clogs (with Shara Worden & Sufjan Stevens) – The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton (Brassland)
10. Tin Hat – Foreign Legion (BAG Production)
11. The Dreamers play John Zorn‘s Masada Book Two: Ipos, Book of Angels, Vol. 14 (Tzadik)
12. Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck – IRM (Elektra)
13. Kaki King – Junior (Rounder)
14. Jeanne Cherhal – Charade (Barclay)
15. Loose Grip – Looking Glass (Fabrikant)

I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Chali 2Na, David Cross, Hiromi, Johnny Cash, Beak>, et cetera; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.

The 2nd half of 2010 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, Nellie McKay (in the fall), Over the Rhine‘s new one (or maybe that’s early 2011), Zero 7‘s new one, Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), a new Sufjan Stevens (just speculating, I know he’s working on one), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out, Dave Douglas’ Spark of Being (Trilogy), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands, and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.

Favorite concerts of 2010 (so far):

• Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy – PDX Jazz Fest, Portland, Feb 28th
• Tegan & Sara – Keller Auditorium, Portland, Apr 8th
• Jónsi – Roseland Theater, Portland, Apr 13th
• Kaki King – CD World, Eugene, May 16th
• Holy Fuck – Mississippi Studios, Portland, June 6th
• Zappa Plays Zappa – McDonald Theatre, Eugene, June 12th
• Pink Martini – Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene, June 26th(click pictures below for review links)

~Dan – np: Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder