Archive
REVIEW: Pomplamoose @ Doug Fir (Portland, OR – 10/27/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I first heard Pomplamoose with their cover of the Lady Gaga/Beyonce tune “Telephone” and their video song concept: (1) what you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice), and (2) if you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds):
Pomplamoose kept coming out with more and more clever video songs… that video alone is at 7.8 million views as of 10/31/11 (69 million total views on their channel!). The creativity from Nataly and Jack made me fall in love with their music – whether covers or originals. They each have their own YouTube channels (Nataly’s / Jack’s) and there’s also a Nataly side project with Lauren O’Connell called My Terrible Friend. Yes, they’re busy people. Go check them all out, you won’t be disappointed.
On to the show…
The opener was Louis and Genevieve…
They played about a half hour of electronic pop. A nice core sound, but it was difficult to hear the depth in the songs during the show. I think L&G’s music is superb based on some videos they’ve posted on their YouTube channel. I hate being negative, because hell if I could go up there and do what they’re doing… but I think their live show needed work… all said and done, they were a good warm-up act.
Pomplamoose came on and kicked right into their cover tune hit “Telephone”… and as expected, they were full of energy. I honestly don’t know how Jack keeps up the energy, but he was pounding away on keys all night. They had a full band; so Jack didn’t cover drum duties except for one song later in the set. Both Nataly & Jack looked like they were truly having fun… they were playful, smiling, and even giddy when microphone cables got tangled in chairs or when they had cellphone reception issues with the monitors.
As expected, they played a great mix of covers and originals. Since Pomplamoose is ubiquitous with YouTube, for songs below with a YouTube Video Song, click the “YT” link below. This is a rare show where it’s truly difficult to pick some favorite songs from the set. If I had to pick favorites, Telephone, Mr Sandman, River Shiver, and Bust Your Knee Caps would rise to the top, but in all seriousness – it’s hard to separate the creme de la creme. The sold out Doug Fir Lounge crowd got a full set of glorious pop…
Setlist: ~1.5 to 2 hours
- Telephone [Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce] {YT}
- Hey, It’s Pomplamoose
- Expiration Date {YT}
- If You Think You Need Some Lovin’ {YT}
- Hail Mary {YT}
- Twice as Nice [with drum solo] {YT}
- Beat the Horse {YT}
- Makin’ Out [Mark Owen] {YT}
- Nature Boy [Eden Ahbez] {YT}
- Be Still {YT}
- Jam
- Mister Sandman [The Chordettes] {YT}
- Things We Like In Hats
- Things We Like In Hats
- Things We Like In Hats [yes, they played it THREE times in a row]
- Bust Your Knee Caps {YT}
- River Shiver {YT}
- Achin’ Heart {YT}
- Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) [Beyoncé] {YT}
- September [Earth, Wind & Fire] {YT}
- Encore: Goodnight Song
- Sexy Time [goofing around, impromptu song]
- Centrifuge {YT}
The band had a special the album you bought at our show (thanks for that) CD that I picked up. As far as those not lucky enough to catch their brief tour, you can find their video songs on the YouTube links above (I’d recommend subscribing to their channel). You can also get their music via Amazon, iTunes or other e-tailers…
Their tour was very limited (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Portland & San Francisco), but hopefully they’ll head out again soon.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Pomplamoose’s Site
- Pomplamoose’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Louis and Genevieve’s Site
- Louis and Genevieve‘s Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
- Doug Fir Lounge’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Eugene) tonight/Halloween…
~Dan – np: U2 – The Joshua Tree
POMPLAMOOSE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album
If you’re here for the Pomplamoose Portland 10/27 photos & review,
I apologize, but it’ll be up tomorrow (10/31).
I generally abhor holiday albums. Good ones I can count… Over the Rhine’s The Darkest Night of the Year is dark & hauntingly gorgeous, Monk’s How Like a Winter shows off Ric Hordinski’s lush guitar work, Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas is part childhood lexicon and part perfect piano jazz wonderment. I hate holiday albums, but I can wholeheartedly recommend these…
Then, you get utter rubbish like this… Kenny G’s Happy Birthday Jesus I Hope You Like Crap, Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Toots and Synths that Your 5-Year Old Could Make But Doesn’t Because They Understand Quality, Tran-Siberian Orchestra’s I Remember When They Were Savatage and Took One Song From a Great Concept Album and Turned It Into a Cringe-worthy Christmas Juggernaut, and lastly Middle-Aging Rocker’s I’m Being Non-traditional in My Grab for Cash.
Well, along comes a favorite pint-sized singer-songwriter, Erin McKeown, to add another FAVORITE album to my winter-listening pile. I present to you F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album…
GO HERE for sound samples of all these songs
1. Christmas Waltz (F*ck That!) [Explicit]
2. Santa Is An A**hole [Explicit]
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain (That Karl Rove Is Born)
4. Fa La La La
5. Visions I Have Had While High
6. It’s a Very Queer Christmas
7. Christmas (Love It Or Leave It)
8. Frozen Smiles
9. You Wish Us A Happy Holidays
10. Toyland
11. Christmas Waltz (Kleen Mix)
12. Santa Is An A**hole (Kleen Mix)
It’s out-now digital/mp3 download from Amazon (and iTunes), and it comes out physically on November 1st. Check her out at http://erinmckeown.com/.
~Dan – np: Under Byen – Samme Stof Som Stof
REVIEW: John Scofield Quartet @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – 10/26/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I showed up slightly late due; so came in right after they started their second song… and I hunkered down for some great music. John Scofield Quartet features John on guitars, Michael Eckroth on piano, Ben Street on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.
The band played a mix of slower ballads and more upbeat tunes. John’s latest album, A Moment’s Peace, is slower and gentler, and the lead-off track “Simply Put” was the first tune I caught in the set – fantastic jazz balladry. The quartet then moved into some covers, “Relaxin’ at Camarillo” (Charlie Parker) and “I Will” (the Beatles). I didn’t catch the name of the tune right after “I Will,” but it was SMOKIN’…
Other songs I caught during the Quartet’s long set were “My Foolish Heart,” “Hackensack” (Thelonious Monk), and “Green Tea.” John is a phenomenal guitarist. The show was a bit more reserved than I was going in expecting (compared to his work with Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood), but it was a treat to watch a master at work. They wrap up their mini-West Coast tour this weekend at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- John Scofield’s Site
- John Scofield’s Social Media Links (see below)
- The Shedd’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
~Dan – np: Under Byen – Samme Stof Som Stof
JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Pomplamoose in Portland (photos by the weekend)
Brilliant show by Pomplamoose last night at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, Oregon…
Busy week for me at work; so look for the Pomplamoose (Portland) and the John Scofield Quartet (Eugene) photos and a reviews by the weekend.
Cheers!
~Dan
Maynard on the future of Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer Tour
As reported in Antiquiet (the recap quoted below) & Loudwire (the longer interview)…
A couple of weeks ago, Maynard James Keenan released Conditions of My Parole, the sophomore effort from his “solo” project Puscifer. In a recent interview with Loudwire, he touched on the subject of new albums from the other acts he fronts – Tool and A Perfect Circle, as the former hasn’t released any new material since 2006, and the latter since 2003.
When asked about Tool, and the band’s modus operandi of having guitarist Adam Jones and drummer Danny Carey of writing the music before Maynard gives his input, he stated: “I’m allowing them their space to do what they do, so we’re still in that mode. Even if they told me how close they are to being done, I couldn’t tell you because if I say 60 percent people will start counting down. When it’s done everyone will know. But I haven’t done anything yet. They write forever and then we go in and knock it all out. We’re writing. We’re writing vocals.”
He added that “nothing’s solid” yet, and compared Tool’s writing process to Puscifer’s: “With Puscifer, there’s ideas and then we’ll record stuff. Then we’ll go back and change stuff and fix stuff and record new stuff before we finally put it all together. But with Tool, we practice jams, but there’s no actual recording going on until it’s time to record.”
On whether or not any touring will happen when Tool’s fifth album finally drops, Maynard said that fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for an extensive amount of dates: “Physically, I can’t do it, so that’s not gonna happen. We will tour, but it won’t be the old school dog and pony show of eight months of beating yourself to death.” Regarding the necessity that artists have of making money from touring, he said: “How much do you need, really? If we can make a living going out for a few weeks a year and keep people satisfied by making sure we play the locations we need to hit […] Who gives a s–t how much money you have if your back hurts so much you can’t stand up. Money’s not the goal. Having fun making the art, that’s the goal.”
As for the possibility of a new A Perfect Circle album, he was decidedly less enthusiastic, mentioning that he and guitarist Billy Howerdel don’t have much ready at the moment: “We’ve been kicking around some stuff. Nothing’s ready. Until it’s really solid it doesn’t make any sense to present it, and right now he’s busy with Ashes Divide and I’m doing Puscifer.”
Puscifer will be featured on a special Halloween appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. After that, the band kicks off their North American tour, of which I’ll be at the Seattle gig (look for a review shortly thereafter):
11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre- 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
- 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
- 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
- 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
- 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
- 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
- 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
- 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
- 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
- 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
- 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
- 12/9 Phoenix, AZ Ikeda Theater
- 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
John Scofield @ the Shedd (photos by the weekend)
UPDATE 10/29 – REVIEW POSTED
Brilliant show by the John Scofield Quartet last night at the Shedd in Eugene, Oregon…
Busy week for me at work, plus Pomplamoose tonight at the Doug Fir Lounge (Portland). Look for the Scofield Eugene photos and a review by the weekend.
Cheers!
~Dan
David Bazan on Dickie’s Sounds
Great in-studio set from David Bazan on Dickie’s Sounds… here’s “Wolves at the Door” (my fave track from his last album Strange Negotiations):
There are also in-studio videos for “Virginia” and “Strange Negotiations.” He’s starting a big month and a half long tour with a band next week. Check out the dates below…
David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011
11/01 Tue – Spokane WA – A Club
11/02 Wed – Boise ID – Neurolux
11/04 Fri – Colorado Springs – The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat – Lawrence KS – Bottleneck
11/06 Sun – Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon – Iowa City IA – Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed – Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
11/10 Thu – Indianapolis IN – White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri – Newport KY – Southgate House
11/12 Sat – Grand Rapids MI – Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun – Pittsburgh PA – Brillobox
11/14 Mon – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
11/17 Thu – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18 Fri – Norfolk VA – Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat – Charlotte NC – Evening Muse
11/20 Sun – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon – Knoxville TN – Pilot Light
11/26 Sat – Athens GA – Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue – St Augustine FL – The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed – Tampa FL – Crowbar
12/01 Thu – Tallahassee FL – Engine Room
12/02 Fri – Oxford MS – Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat – Memphis TN – Hi Tone
12/04 Sun – Norman OK – Opolis
12/06 Tue – Albuquerque NM – Low Spirits
12/07 Wed – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
12/08 Thu – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri – Costa Mesa CA – Constellation Room
12/10 Sat – Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
12/11 Sun – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon – Arcata CA – Jambalaya
12/14 Wed – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
~Dan – np: Chamberlain/Krauss/Phelps – Modular: Sonic Explorations
Modular: Sonic Explorations (2011)
I love experimentation in music… especially when you take a preconceived construct, great players/improvisors, and it results in some beautiful music. This project from Matt Chamberlain*, Viktor Krauss, and Dan Phelps on Oceanographic Records entitled MODULAR: Sonic Explorations does just that. It’s not noise-rock or grating avant-garde… it’s quite the sonic delight. There’s an audio sample (see the youtube embedded song below) that makes it vie for one of my fave instrumental albums this year.
About the Modular Project
The Modular Project is the collaboration of a select group of sonic technicians working together to discover what the spontaneous and organic manipulation of sound can yield. Inspired by the world around them, they set out to discover what it might sound like when continents shift, clouds form, and roots push through soil.
Capturing and manipulating the hum of the natural world, their results show that there are as many answers as there are questions, that in seeming chaos there is order, and within that order there are new undiscovered truths waiting to be revealed.
The Components
1. Main Control Unit
2. Tape Modulation Unit
3. Contact Sensor Unit
4. Subaquatic Sensor Unit
5. Subterranean Sensor Unit
6. Atmospheric Sensor Unit
Elements Modulated
1. Subterranean Readings
2. Organic Matter Readings
3. Tectonic Readings
4. Atmospheric Readings
5. Celestial Readings
6. Subaquatic Readings
It’s available now as a digital download version (320kbps mp3/FLAC/AAC/etc) or as a limited-edition, double-gatefold 12″ vinyl version (what I opted for). The project also features guests Eyvind Kang (yay!), Martin Woodlee, Paul Gold, Chris Henning, and Christopher Pierce.
“Everest“
For more info on the project, GO HERE.
For purchase info, GO HERE.
*– Matt Chamberlain is a diverse drummer… I’ve seen him play with Tori Amos & Regina Spektor, and he’s also put out some great music with Skerik (the jazz-meets-jam band Critters Buggin), Bill Frisell (Floratone), Secret Chiefs 3, Wild Colonials, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, Fiona Apple, Sam Phillips, Macy Gray, Melissa Etheridge, Erin McKeown, Stebmo, and a ton of other artists…
~Dan – np: Tristeza – Mixed Signals
David Bazan on Daytrotter (#3)
Another Daytrotter from David Bazan. His third time in the studio, this time for promotion of his latest album – Strange Negotiations. He’s starting a big month and a half long tour with a band next week. Check out the dates below…
Of the few websites that aren’t RSS feed-able that made it to my “must check every day” list… Daytrotter is great…
Go here for the free music:
http://tinyurl.com/bazantrotter3
1) Eating Paper 2) Level With Yourself
3) Virginia
David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011
11/01 Tue – Spokane WA – A Club
11/02 Wed – Boise ID – Neurolux
11/04 Fri – Colorado Springs – The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat – Lawrence KS – Bottleneck
11/06 Sun – Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon – Iowa City IA – Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed – Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
11/10 Thu – Indianapolis IN – White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri – Newport KY – Southgate House
11/12 Sat – Grand Rapids MI – Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun – Pittsburgh PA – Brillobox
11/14 Mon – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
11/17 Thu – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18 Fri – Norfolk VA – Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat – Charlotte NC – Evening Muse
11/20 Sun – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon – Knoxville TN – Pilot Light
11/26 Sat – Athens GA – Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue – St Augustine FL – The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed – Tampa FL – Crowbar
12/01 Thu – Tallahassee FL – Engine Room
12/02 Fri – Oxford MS – Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat – Memphis TN – Hi Tone
12/04 Sun – Norman OK – Opolis
12/06 Tue – Albuquerque NM – Low Spirits
12/07 Wed – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
12/08 Thu – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri – Costa Mesa CA – Constellation Room
12/10 Sat – Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
12/11 Sun – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon – Arcata CA – Jambalaya
12/14 Wed – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about and dug (links and free music not guaranteed on these old blogs): Inlets, Iron & Wine, El Ten Eleven, A Weather, Tegan & Sara, Clare and the Reasons #2, CocoRosie, Portland Cello Project, Matisyahu, Tori Amos, The Swell Season, David Bazan #2, Copeland, Bad Veins, Nellie McKay, Clare and the Reasons #1, My Brightest Diamond #2, Damien Jurado, Talkdemonic, Aimee Mann, Ani DiFranco, Bad Veins #1, Kaki King, Holy Fuck… and David Bazan, My Brightest Diamond, Erin McKeown.
~Dan – np: Travis – 12 Memories
MINI-REVIEW: Gonzalo Bergara Quartet @ house concert (Eugene, OR – 10/23/11)
I love the Rolling & Tumbling house concerts. If you’re in Eugene and love good music in an intimate setting, head over to HERE and sign up for the mailing list. They host concerts about once a quarter, and it’s usually some interesting world music. The next one is January 15th… the Michael Winograd klezmer trio from NYC.
Last night’s show was the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet from Los Angeles via Argentina.
They were a hot band, playing primarily Django Reinhardt-influenced gypsy jazz guitar pieces, with a few variations (like bossa nova) added in. The frontman, Gonzalo Bergara, was phenomenal on guitar… truly worthy of following in Django’s shadow. His band was made up of Rob Hardt primarily on clarinet (and sax on occasion), Jeffrey Radaich on rhythm guitar (and vocals for “L.O.V.E.“), and Brian Netzley on upright bass.
They played an hour-long set, then we broke for snacks/intermission and they came back for a show-capping 45 minute set. They were humorous, graceful, and virtuosos. They played many unidentifiable tunes, but I do know they played these: Simplicated, Gonzalogy, August (new/unrecorded), L.O.V.E., Coquette, Nightmare #1, Octubre/Noviembre, La Muerte De Un Lobo Bueno, some more Django tunes, a bossa nova tune (possibly Elena’s Bossa).
(click albums below for sound samples)
They play all over the world. They played in Eugene a couple years ago; so they’re likely not back for a bit. Check out their tour dates to see if they’re coming to your neck of the woods.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Gonzalo Bergara Quartet‘s Site
- Gonzalo Bergara Quartet’s Social Media Links (see below)
Next show for me… John Scofield at the Shedd (Eugene) on 10/26, and then Pomplamoose at Doug Fir Lounge (Portland) on 10/27.
~Dan – np: Toad the Wet Sprocket – All You Want
REVIEW: Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – 10/20/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been to many shows at Cozmic Pizza in downtown Eugene, but this was my first time in their newly remodeled place. Great new ordering queue/system, same great beer & pizza, great new stage, great new sound system. I can’t recommend the new digs enough!! On to the show…
I got there right after sound check… chatted with some folks, ordered some grub, an settled in for the opener. Jeffery Martin, from Eugene, played about a half hour set. His sound fit well with Jeffrey Foucault’s… Jeff #1 had an earthy, folky, Americana storyteller vibe. He didn’t necessarily “jump out” at me, but many singer-songwriters can bore. Bottom line: I’d see Jeffery Martin again. He was solid at his craft. He’s local; so I’ll most likely get a chance to see him again soon.
Jeffrey Foucault hit the stage shortly after 9. He had slide guitarist Jay Carter (?) with him for most of the set. They had just met / played together for the first time at the Seattle show. Despite their newness, they worked well together. The set contained a lot of the material (8 songs) from Jeffrey’s latest album, Horse Latitudes (samples via image to the right). Jeffrey showcased his gritty, superb storytelling in his lyrics and was in a good jokey spirit in between songs.
Foucault’s Setlist: about an hour
- Last Night I Dreamed of Television
- Goners Most
- Starlight and Static
- Pretty Girl in a Small Town
- Passerines
- Horse Latitudes
- “Statesboro Blues” [Chris Dombrowski poem]
- Twice I Left Her
- Mesa, Arizona
- Sixteen Tons [Merle Travis]
- The Bluest Blade
- Idaho
- Everybody’s Famous
- Encore: I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]
The encore was dedicated to Tom Petty – as his birthday is October 20th. The only disappointment of the night (well, once the loud couple was told to shut up by a fellow audience member) was that Ryan Adams was playing down the street at the Shedd at the same time as Foucault’s gig. I actually had a ticket to see Ryan Adams, but when I found out about Jeffery playing, I sold it (the heart wants what the heart wants). Jeffrey’s audience was a little sparse due to that scheduling coincidence (I think there’s some good crossover between the two artists).
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
- Jeffrey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Jeffery Martin‘s Facebook
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Cozmic’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check Jeffrey’s remaining 2011 tour dates below.
Next show for me… a house show with Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on 10/23 Sunday in Eugene.
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Jeffrey Foucault Fall 2011 Tour
- 10.18.11 Seattle, WA Fremont Abbey With Danny Barnes
- 10.19.11 Portland, OR The Woods Shelley Short opens
- 10.20.11 Eugene, OR Cozmic Pizza Jeffery Martin opens
- 10.21.11 Arcata, CA Arcata Playhouse Rorey Carroll opens
- 10.24.11 Felton, CA Don Quixote’s International Music
- 10.25.11 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Kate Gaffney opens
- 11.05.11 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts Support to Rosanne Cash
- 12.01.11 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.02.11 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.03.11 Pawtucket, RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
- 12.08.11 Evanston, IL SPACE
- 12.13.11 Marshfield, WI Vox Concert Series Hayward Williams opens
Jason Ludwig’s 2 new albums / Dave Douglas boxset
This fall is turning into a flippin’ brilliant season for new music… My Brightest Diamond, Wussy, and Puscifer… all gems. Now some more…
Cincinnati-based singer-songwriter Jason Ludwig (formerly of Noctaluca) released two new albums last Friday. I’ve spent a few days with them, and I LOVE-love-LOVE them. I can’t say which one, Lost in Love or Tanglings, that I like more – but they’re both vying for a spot on my Best Albums of 2011 List. They’re only available as a digital download (mp3 or FLAC) via Jason’s bandcamp page, but the awesome part… they’re only $5 each.
Go to jasonludwig.com for samples and then buy them. Well-produced, well-arranged, creative singer-songwriter that reminds me of a cross between the pop of Glen Hansard (of the Swell Season and the Frames) and the creative of Daniel Johns (of Silverchair). If you don’t like them, I’d be surprised.
More new music news…
My favorite living trumpet-player/composer, Dave Douglas, started a new digital download music series this year on his record label, Greenleaf Music, called GPS (Greenleaf Portable Series). Greenleaf recently launched a cloud player with their entire catalog, they’re putting out an iPad/iPhone App, and they just announced that they’re going to put out the three GPS releases thus far (Rare Metals, Orange Afternoons, Bad Mango) as an extremely limited 3-CD boxset called Three Views.
More info coming soon from Greenleaf, but it’s expected before year’s end.
~Dan – np: My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane – pro-shot footage from Chile
It appears there’s a televised, pro-shot Mike Patton/Mondo Cane performance from the Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile.
Seeing as our chances of a North American tour came and went, here’s hoping it shows up as a live DVD on Ipecac sometime in the near future.
Here’s also an interview with some more live footage (including some Moonchild!)… it’s long (over 50 minutes)…
~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Ghost Repeater
The evolution of Shara Worden
Shara Worden aka My Brightest Diamond has a new album out today… Oct 18th. All Things Will Unwind is only her third studio album under the MBD moniker, but she’s put out a ton of other material (pre-MBD bands, side projects). Here’s a full (but not necessarily complete) chronological video walk through her career. And a quick & easy link on how to get her FANTASTIC new album at the bottom…
AwRy
“Brave Elephant” (2001)
song only, not official music video
My Brightest Diamond
“Dragonfly” from Bring Me the Workhorse (2006)
“Magic Rabbit” from Workhorse
“We Were Sparkling” from Workhorse
“Something of an End” from Workhorse (2006)
“Disappear” (remix) from Tear It Down (2007)
“Inside a Boy” from A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (2008)
“From the Top of the World” from Shark’s (2008)
“Apples” (live) from Shark’s (2008)
“Crazy On You (Heart cover)” with the Decemberists (live 2009)
“The Lotus Eaters” from Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Penelope (2010)
“The Sea” from Letters to Distant Cities (2011)
“I’m On Fire” with Stateless (2011)
“Be Brave” from All Things Will Unwind (2011)
“We Added It Up” from All Things Will Unwind (2011)
Hopefully now you see why I love her so… if you like what you hear, swing by the Amazons and pick up her newest album. CD, vinyl or mp3 download (on Asthmatic Kitty). It came out today…
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
REVIEW: Opeth @ Roseland (Portland, OR – 10/16/11)
This tour was primed to be a Swedish metal onslaught… combine the dire, bleak sound from opener Katatonia with the melodic, progressive power of Opeth, and you have a tour combo made in Heav… um… Hades…
Katatonia played about an hour… I was jonesin’ for some thrash, and was initially disappointed by their slower, doom metal sound. It grew on me by the end, but knowing that Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt wasn’t breaking out the growls for this Heritage tour, I felt a little slighted…
Well, that, and the mix-up in the “photo pass situation“… all I was able to get was a few iPhone shots of Opeth.
Opeth went on around 9:45pm and led off with the opening song from their latest album, Heritage. Mikael’s lyrics are almost always poetic, but sometimes straight to the point as with “The Devil’s Orchard” and its Nietzschesque anthemic chorus “God is dead, God is dead.”
Mikael toyed with us several times… the first being the first non-Heritage song… “this one is from Still Life…” and then they play probably the only slow song on Still Life – “Face of Melinda.”
Oh, the crowd, ever wanting them to bust out into the heavy stuff – the band, ever restrained.
Mikael joked with crowd a bit. He’s going to grow his beard back. He’s only mustache’d now, and apparently he got hit on while taking a swim in Portland. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
After breaking out the acoustic guitar (yes, at an Opeth show!), Mikael remarked fondly of seeing an acoustic set from Winger. Some crowd members booed. He retorted, “well, Winger is better than your band.” Followed by “Winger is better than this band.” The crowded booed again and Mikael followed up with, “I’m glad you don’t agree” before starting into their acoustic set…
Opeth’s Setlist: just under 2 hours
- The Devil’s Orchard
- I Feel the Dark
- Face of Melinda
- Porcelain Heart [with drum solo]
- Pyre
- The Throat of Winter [acoustic]
- Patterns in the Ivy II [acoustic]
- Closure [acoustic]
- Slither
- A Fair Judgement
- Hex Omega
- Encore: Folklore
Probably the most cruel moment was during the acoustic set…
This one goes back to the Blackwater Park days!
*crowd roar*
Don’t get excited. This wasn’t actually on the album.
All said and done… no growls, no cookie monster vocals… but a fucking amazing Opeth show. The tour is really showing off that Opeth is more than just “Swedish death metal.” They’re great performers, great musicians. They can be melodic and still rock our faces off. Sure, I’d love a “The Leper Affinity” appearance, but I enjoy the more subdued Damnation/Heritage sound that they put forth this time out. Accessible? Maybe. Quality? Definitely!
iPhone photos… all I got… *sadface*
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Opeth’s Site
- Opeth’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Katatonia’s Site
- Katatonia‘s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Opeth & Enslaved @ Roseland (Portland – May 2009)
- Roseland’s Site / Facebook
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene) on 10/20 [yeah, I’m skipping Ryan Adams]…
~Dan – np: Tool – Lateralus
Opeth/Katatonia 2011 North American Tour Dates:
- Sep. 19 – The Palladium @ Worcester, MA
- Sep. 20 – Webster Theater @ Hartford, CT
- Sep. 21 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
- Sep. 22 – Webster Hall @ New York, NY
- Sep. 23 – Trocadero @ Philadelphia, PA
- Sep. 26 – Newport Music Hall @ Columbus, OH
- Sep. 27 – Expo Five @ Louisville, KY
- Sep. 28 – Cannery Ballroom @ Nashville, TN
- Sep. 29 – Amos’ Southend @ Charlotte, NC
- Sep. 30 – Center Stage @ Atlanta, GA
- Oct. 01 – House of Blues @ Lake Buena Vista, FL
- Oct. 03 – Warehouse Live @ Houston, TX
- Oct. 04 – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater @ Austin, TX
- Oct. 05 – Granada Theater @ Dallas, TX
- Oct. 06 – The Beaumont Club @ Kansas City, MO
- Oct. 07 – First Avenue @ Minneapolis, MN
- Oct. 08 – Burton Cummings @ Winnipeg, MB
- Oct. 10 – Edmonton Events Centre @ Edmonton, AB
- Oct. 11 – MacEwan Hall Ballroom @ Calgary, AB
- Oct. 13 – Commodore Ballroom @ Vancouver, BC
- Oct. 14 – Knitting Factory Concert House @ Spokane, WA
- Oct. 15 – Showbox SoDo @ Seattle, WA
- Oct. 16 – Roseland Theatre @ Portland, OR
- Oct. 18 – The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA
- Oct. 19 – Mayan Theatre @ Los Angeles, CA
- Oct. 20 – House of Blues @ San Diego, CA
- Oct. 21 – The Fox Theater @ Pomona, CA
- Oct. 22 – Marquee Theatre @ Tempe, AZ
- Oct. 24 – The Complex @ Salt Lake City, UT
- Oct. 25 – Ogden Theatre @ Denver, CO
- Oct. 27 – The Rave @ Milwaukee, WI
- Oct. 28 – Vic Theatre @ Chicago, IL
- Oct. 29 – St. Andrews Hall @ Detroit, MI
- Oct. 30 – Guelph Concert Theatre @ Guelph, ON
- Oct. 31 – Mr Smalls Theatre @ Millvale, PA
- Nov. 01 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD
Opeth @ Roseland (Portland) – review later Monday!
Wicked good show from Opeth and Katatonia at the Roseland Theater in Portland Oregon tonight. I’ll have my full review with a setlist posted by Monday evening. Possibly some iPhone photos if they came out… photo passes weren’t communicated properly for this show.
~Dan
The Jelly Jam – Shall We Descend
The Jelly Jam, a rock super-group from Ty Tabor (King’s X), John Myung (Dream Theater) and Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs), is coming out with their 3rd CD titled Shall We Descend next month on Molken Music (pre-orders soon). They’ll be streaming the first song later this month (stay in tune with their Facebook page).
1. Who’s Comin’ Now (4:26)
2. Stay Together (4:26)
3. Halos In Hell (6:28)
4. Same Way Down (5:20)
5. Barometric Reign (4:58)
6. March Of The Trolls (4:13)
7. Questions (2:34)
8. Shall We Descend (4:38)
9. Come Alive (2:49)
10. Ten (8:18)
~Dan – np: John Zorn – A Dreamers’ Christmas
My Brightest Diamond – La Blogothèque (videos)
My Brightest Diamond’s new album, All Things Will Unwind, came out yesterday in the EU (10/10) and it hits the U.S. next week (10/18). You can stream the entire album here on NPR First Listen. You can pre-order it from Amazon on CD, vinyl, and mp3 download.
She recently allowed the French video bloggers, La Blogothèque, a peak into her life… similar to back in 2007:
It’s a gorgeous album. If I could only rave about two vocal albums in 2011, it’d be this one and Wussy’s Strawberry. Go get ’em both.
My Brightest Diamond is also doing a little tour (of which I’m happy to be going to Portland)…
- 14-Oct-11 –Littlefield -Brooklyn (record release party)
- 19-Oct-11 –Fitzgerald’s -Houston, TX
- 05-Nov-11 –St. Mark’s Cathedral -Seattle, WA
- 06-Nov-11 –Mississippi Studios -Portland, OR
- 17-Nov-11 –St. Giles-in-the-Fields-London
- 21-Nov-11 –Circolo degli Artisti-Rome
- 22-Nov-11 –Teatro Martinitt-Milan
- 23-Nov-11 –Papiersaal-Zurich
- 24-Nov-11 –Club ADS-Berlin
- 26-Nov-11 –Gebaude 9-Köln
- 27-Nov-11 –Le Guess Who? Festival-Utrecht
- 28-Nov-11 –Stuk-Leuven
- 29-Nov-11 –Café de la Danse-Paris
MBD’s release party is this Friday night at Littlefields (NYC), though tickets are going fast! Doors open at 8pm, and DM Stith opens shortly thereafter. 21+, tickets just $15; buy them here.
~Dan – np: Tool – Undertow
RECIPE: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
For some friends’ Canadian Thanksgiving get-together last night, I adapted this recipe from Don’t Eat Off the Sidewalk. I changed up the glaze (using spiced rum instead of water)…
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
…
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
Dough~
- 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1/4 cup soy, rice, or almond milk
- 1/4 cup margarine, melted
- 1 Tbl granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbl vegetable oil
Filling~
- 3 Tbl granulated sugar
- 3 Tbl brown sugar
- 2 Tbl all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbl chilled margarine, cut into small pieces
Glaze~
- 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbl hot water (or spiced rum)
Steps:
note: takes time, but generally due to waiting to let dough rise several times
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water with the yeast and whisk together with a fork, let stand for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, milk, melted margarine, and sugar in with the yeast, and lightly mix. Sift in the first two and a half cups of flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Take the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and use it to flour the top of the dough and your surface a tablespoon at a time, as needed to keep the dough from getting sticky as you knead it. Knead the dough for about ten minutes, the dough will be elastic but soft and still a little sticky to the touch without being floured.
- Place the dough in a large bowl coated with oil, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in margarine with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Roll the dough into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Roll up the rectangle tightly, from the long side, pinch seam and ends to seal. Cut roll into 12 (1-inch) slices. Place the slices in a 9-inch square or round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the water (or rum) and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. It should be thick, but easy to drizzle. If it’s too thick, add another 1/2 teaspoon of water.
This is a mainly music-based blog. If you stumbled in on a recipe search, check out my other recipes at THIS LINK.
~Dan – Tool – Ænima
Zorn Christmas CD/LP/45 (out now)
Originally mentioned here, the John Zorn / The Dreamers Christmas album is out now on Tzadik. The CD, limited edition vinyl and limited edition 45 rpm 7″ vinyl can be ordered now via Tzadik’s official retailer: Downtown Music Gallery.
The CD & vinyl will also be at Amazon (by Oct 11th), but the 45 rpm single will only be at DMG. It’s also available via Amazon & iTunes as well in mp3 digital download format (but why would you ever get something like this in lower fidelity?)…
The Dreamers band is Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista… and the album also features Mike Patton crooning “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”
~Dan
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
Creative Commons
This blog and concert photos therein are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Available with Attribution for Non-Commercial, Non-Derivative Use.
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