Ani DiFranco on Daytrotter

22nd Sep 08 (Mon) 1 comment

Ani DiFranco‘s got song songs up on the good ol’ Daytrotter Sessions… Four songs, live in-studio… FOR FREE.  Her new album comes out in about a week (Red Letter Year due out 9/30).

Go here for the free music:
http://daytrotter.com/article/1432/ani-difranco

1) Present/Infant 2) Coming Up 3) Subdivision 4) The Atom

http://www.rightesousbaberecords.com/
http://myspace.com/anidifranco

Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):

~Dan – np: George CarlinIt’s Bad For Ya

Anakronic Electro Orkestra

21st Sep 08 (Sun) 6 comments

OK, I love Jewish music. I didn’t know I loved it until early 2006, when I got into John Zorn’s Masada, a great mixture of composed, yet improvisationally free jazz, grounded in Jewish melodies.


(Dave Douglas & John Zorn of Masada, photo courtesy of volume12)

Masada led to discovering many more great Jewish, Klezmer, and Slavic/Balkan music artists on John Zorn’s Tzadik label (and other labels):
……Electric Masada / Masada String Trio / Bar Kokhba Sextet (splinter bands from the Masada Book), Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob), Jon Madof’s Rashanim & CircuitBreaker, Bester Quartet (formerly the Cracow Klezmer Band), Daniel Zamir & Satlah, David Buchbinder’s Jewban (or Cubish) cultural mash-up Odessa/Havana (and the similar mashups from Irving Fields and Roberto Rodriguez), David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness, Jamie Saft, So Called, Balkan Beat Box, Slavic Soul Party!, Davka, Eyol Moaz, Jennifer Charles & Oren Bloedow’s La Mar Enfortuna (both from Elysian Fields), Koby Israelite, Marc Ribot’s Jewish music, Paul Brody’s Sadawi, Talat, Yoshie Fruchter, Z’ev, Zakarya, Klez-Factor, the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet, the Lithuanian Empire, the Alexandria Kleztet, Alex Kontorovich, et cetera…

Anyway, after I got into more John Zorn, I also got into more jazz and more Jewish music.  There are many cross-overs between the two worlds (jazz and klezmer).  Around that time, I was also getting into podcasts… and the only podcast that focused on klezmer music (that wasn’t always heavy on the vocals) was/is Keith Wolzinger’s Klezmer Podcast.

Recently, Klezmer Podcast #38 (from 9/3/08) focused on French record label, Jumu Music… and then had some clips from the Anakronic Electro Orkestra.

Wow… Anakronic Electro Orkestra is really fresh Jewish music, with a fun rock-meets-klezmer feel – – complete with accordion & clarinet.  They don’t have an album out yet, but they’re hoping to have an EP out later in 2008 and a full-length in 2009.  Check out some of their music on the MySpaces (Why Is It Funny” is my favorite):

~Dan – np: George CarlinIt’s Bad For Ya

A Very Special Planned Parenthood Fund

20th Sep 08 (Sat) 6 comments

Planned Parenthood is a great organization.  They help women of all stripes who are in need of medical advice, birth control, et cetera.

I don’t know if you knew this, but you can make a Planned Parenthood donation in honor of someone else.  They get a little card saying that a donation was made in their name.  Hmmm… who deserves to get donations made in their name to Planned Parenthood?  What’s that you say?  Sarah Palin? The running mate of John McCain?  The Governor of Alaska who thinks that it’s OK to teach abstinence only sex education, who also happens to have a 17-year old pregnant daughter?  OK.  Yep, she deserves a donation in her name.

You can send as little as $5.  Even if only $5, everything helps… Planned Parenthood.  The part about making it in honor of Sarah Palin is just icing on the cake.  And, donations to Planned Parenthood are tax deductible.  Whereas donations to Sarah Palin are not.  And we all know that Sarah Palin would want us to give money to PP instead of her anyway, right?

The link to PP’s donation site: https://secure.ga0.org/02/pp10000_inhonor
To their main site as that link above looks suspect (but isn’t, I checked): http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

The address to make the donation in honor of:

Sarah Palin
c/o McCain for President/Sarah Palin
1235 S. Clark Street 1st Floor
Arlington, VA 22202

You know what to do…

~Dan – np: Glen Phillips & Works Progress Administration

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

PS…

McCain / Palin ’08
the old guy & the fundie mom

(or)

Yeah, that’s a GREAT idea.

Jerry Seinfeld & Bill Gates

19th Sep 08 (Fri) 5 comments

Happy Talk Like a Pirate, Friday!  Here arrrrrr some funny guys…

Yeah, I don’t know how long these have been out.  Who knows, it may be old news.  Well, it was new news to me. :)

~Dan – np: Sigur RósInní mér syngur vitleysingur (single)

Glen Phillips updates

18th Sep 08 (Thu) 6 comments

Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips has new projects (now with names) with albums on the horizon:

The Plover record (project with Neilson Hubbard and Garrison Star) is done, and will be available in the next few months.

Also – The other band, the one without a name, now has a name. We are the Works Progress Administration. Go to WPAmusic.com for a taste.

He’s going on tour with Jonatha Brooke in late Oct / early Nov.  Sean and Sara Watkins from Nickel Creek in late Nov.  And Jonatha Brooke again in early December.  I’ll be seeing him in early Nov in Portland (Aladdin Theater, 11/6), as I’ll be up there for work.  His tour dates are not in an easily copy-n-pasteable format; so GO HERE for any of his tourdates.

~Dan – np: Piano MagicPart Monster

free 6pntr

17th Sep 08 (Wed) Leave a comment

I heard about this through a Waterdeep mailing, but stumbled on a free (or as cheap as free) Sixpence None the Richer -EP- as well on noisetrade.com

Good choices (that cost me a total of $3… for all of them): Waterdeep‘s Heart Attack Time Machine, The Khrusty Brothersself-titled debut, and Sixpence‘s My Dear Machine -EP-.  Another good choice (that I had via other methods, like derekwebb.com): Derek Webb‘s The Ringing Bell.

Ah, a philosophical agnostic / practical atheist, listening to Jewish music, blogging about Christian rock… WTF!?

~Dan – np: Oren Ambarchi & Z’evSpirit Transform Me*

*– Well, I guess it’s barely what’s normally considered “Jewish” music (i.e.- look Oren & Z’ev up on iTunes)

2/3 King’s X + 1/2 Galactic Cowboys = The Jibbs

17th Sep 08 (Wed) 4 comments

Two-thirds of KING’S X and one half of GALACTIC COWBOYS have united as the new supergroup THE JIBBS.  Influenced by flamboyantly shiny clothing and the most traditional of country music, THE JIBBS bring a new slant to non-popular music. After taking a hit from Houston’s Hurricane Ike, these four men banded together over a candle and car battery to produce their debut single, “Burns in the Rain”, from the possibly forthcoming album, “What Would Jibb Do?”

THE JIBBS are:

Wally Jibb (Wally Farkas) – Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals
Alan Jibb (Alan Doss) – Drums, Pedal Steel, Bass, Vocals
Ty Jibb (Ty Tabor) – Electric Guitar, Vocals
dUg Jibb (Doug Pinnick) – Vocals

Available for only $1.49, “Burns in the Rain” is a limited-edition MP3 download that will directly aid THE JIBBS. In addition to the high-quality MP3, the zip file includes cover art, credits and lyrics sheet.

For more information, go to www.myspace.com/kingsx.

I’m listening to it now… it’s not like either King’s X or Galactic Cowboys.  It’s country themed with Wally on vocals & acoustic guitar, and backing vocals by the other three… different, but GREAT STUFF!  I dig Wally’s solo stuff, and while he’s usually more in the Beatles and 60s/70s rock realm, this one seems to fit in his repertoire as well.  I’m curious what a full The JIBBS album would be like.  I hope it’s more than possibly forthcoming…

The appropriate linkage:

~Dan – np: The Jibbs “Burns in the Rain”

RECIPE: Vegan Biscuits & Gravy

15th Sep 08 (Mon) 26 comments

Vegan Biscuits & Gravy

I made some vegan biscuits and gravy for Veggie Supper Club last night.  Our theme was “Breakfast for Dinner.”  We also brought a vegan version of Amish Baked Oatmeal (with fresh blackberries from our backyard) and sparkling white wine, OJ & grenadine for breakfast cocktails. :)  If you stumbled in here from a recipe search; well, this blog is mainly music related, but here’s a past recipe I did: Spiced Biscotti.


(picture courtesy tinybites.ca)

Preface: The biscuit recipe below is adapted from Jo Kaucher’s Chicago Diner Cookbook.  If you’re ever in Chicago, you must go to the Chicago Diner.  It’s in Wrigleyville, and it has flippin’ amazing good food.  http://www.veggiediner.com/

The gravy recipe is adapted from Mark Reinfeld & Bo Rinaldi’s Blossoming Lotus’ Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbook.  If you’re ever in Portland, OR, or Kaua’i, HI, you must go to Blossoming Lotus.  The one in Kaua’i is fancier, I’ve heard.  The one in Portland is in the Pearl district and connected to a cool yoga studio.  I go there at least once everytime I’m up there.  http://www.blossominglotus.com/

Vegan Biscuits

Makes 20-24 biscuits

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 tbl baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks (or .75 cups) soy margarine
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups soymilk (unflavored)
  • 1 tbl lemon juice (or white vinegar)

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Mix three dry ingredients together. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles peas.
  3. Combine soymilk & lemon juice, and stir into dry ingredients until the flour clings together.
  4. Turn out onto a floured board or countertop, and knead until smooth.  This was the trickiest part for me. I had my wife help with adding additional flour, as the dough was VERY sticky.
  5. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut with a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter… or use a small juice glass if you don’t have one of the aforementioned items around. :)
  6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Our biscuits turned out great… but sticky to make… so good luck!!

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Makes 6-7 cups (double batch when compared to the book)

Ingredients:

Roux~
increased from the original recipe for a lighter color/texture

  • 8 tbl spelt flour (we used unbleached flour)
  • 8 tbl olive oil
  • 4 tbl filtered water

The roux with unbleached flour worked fine.  The spelt flour is probably better for you, or maybe lends a different flavor.

Gravy~

  • 2 tbl olive oil
  • 1 small-medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 4 cloves of garlic, pressed/minced
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce / tamari, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Steps:

  1. Create the roux by combining the three ingredients and mixing until in a thick paste.  Set aside.
  2. Using the olive oil, saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add mushroom and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add remaining ingredients except roux mixture and cook for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add roux mixture and cook until gravy has a thick consistency, approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  6. If the gravy is not thick enough, you can add additional flour, but make sure to whisk it in slowly to avoid clumping.

It’s a great recipe from the lovely Blossoming Lotus folks.  And it worked great on the Chicago Diner biscuits… yum!

~Dan – np: Tanya TagaqAuk/Blood

REVIEW: Richard Crandell @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – – 9/13/08)

14th Sep 08 (Sun) 2 comments

I had Richard Crandell‘s Mbira Magic (Tzadik 2004) back when I lived in Ohio.  I had no idea that he was from Eugene, OR.  I happened upon a listing of a performance he did earlier this spring at Saturday Market, but a day late.  When I saw that he was playing yesterday at Cozmic Pizza for free… well, I jumped (and bike rode 2+ miles) at the opportunity.

Richard Crandell gave us a solid hour of full on metal.  Well, fingers on metal. :)


mbira: the instrument of choice

He plays the mbira (a “thumb piano” pictured above), and he’s quite good.  His compositions are very melodic, and his technique is quite fluid.  It’s almost as if the instrument is part of him.  He was carrying on a conversation with the sound guy when he ran into some technical difficulties, playing all the while.

Anyway, he played from around 1 to 2pm and played 9 songs… the ones he mentioned the names to are:

  • Bells
  • Missing in London
  • Spring Steel (based on the Japanese pentatonic scale)
  • Ghost Writers in the Sky

all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

One of the songs that he didn’t mention the name had a mbira loop played behind his live mbira, and he used a guitar finger pick to create a nice additional percussion to the loop.  His records are good as well (but mbira is more interesting to see live, IMO)…  his most recent, Spring Steel, features Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista.  Cyro’s fantastic… either with Beat the Donkey, Supergenerous, Electric Masada, Marc Ribot, or many of John Zorn’s pieces…

Richard Crandell’s records

His websites:

~Dan – np: MetallicaDeath Magnetic

PS– whoa, completely unrelated, the new Metallica album, Death Magnetic, actually sounds… really… good.  It’s been 20 years since that’s happened… too bad the album cover looks like they didn’t pay their invoices timely to the graphic artist.  It’s crap, as has been expected with Metallica for the past 17 years.  But when it comes down to the music, it’s finally not rubbish.

JZ’s The Crucible, The Dreamers, biography, and JFJO grumbles

13th Sep 08 (Sat) Leave a comment

Well, first.. I didn’t end up at the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (JFJO) show last night.  Boo.  Stupid Eugene Celebration blocking off within 60 yards of the art gallery where they were playing and wanting me to buy a wristband to see a show I’d have to pay for that’s not on a stage at Eugene Celebration.  I think me skipping it was on principle, not on lack for wanting to see JFJO.  Rassen frassen… but I hope to catch the free Richard Crandell show today at Cozmic Pizza.  He’s a mbira player, and I have one of his composer series CDs on Tzadik Records.  He’s from frickin’ Eugene and on Tzadik Records – – how cool is that?

Speaking of Tzadik… on to some upcoming Jay-Z news… and by Jay-Z, I mean John Zorn (founder of Tzadik).

Graphic design artist extraordinaire Heung Heung “Chippy” posted on her blog about some new design stuff that she’s been working on for Tzadik:

I’m designing a book jacket for John Brackett’s biography on John Zorn, published by Indiana University Press.  Title: John Zorn Tradition and Transgression.  Cover photo by Scott Irvine, Book Jacket Design by myself, Book Interior Design by Jamison Cockerham.  It’s nearly done and looking pretty good. Please look for it and buy this first biography ever on one of New York City’s heroes.

FOR MORE JOHN ZORN MUSIC, we have many treats for you–he’s been releasing amazing FilmWorks CDs (yes, prolific), another one is on its way–this one is extra special, one I’ve been listening to everyday–very meaningful, touching upon so many personal levels. (The Last Supper, FilmWorks XXII).

For those who are eagerly waiting for The Crucible (Moonchild’s 4th CD), it is coming very soon. Expect more killer photography by Scott Irvine (Tzadik’s official photographer–thank you to all who voted for him this summer), design by myself. Powerful music. And yes, you can have your Mike Patton too.

And it doesn’t stop there. The Dreamers will be expanding like a Chippy dream come true. For you audiophiles, this is our first yet–can’t say now until I’m working on it. Expect limited edition. Speaking of Limited Edition–The Dreamers’ shirts–they will now be considered limited edition, so please get them at Zakka in Dumbo (childrens are only available there or through me) or http://www.tzadik.com Note: once these go and we reprint, the artwork will be different.

My recap in backwards order…

I imagine The Dreamers limited edition thing for audiophiles may very well be a vinyl issue.  That’s my inkling and heretofore a rumor.  Tzadik hasn’t done a vinyl yet, and what else for audiophiles is considered limited edition these days?  Sweet… The Dreamers is a fantastic, exotica meets Electric Masada ventures out earlier this year on Tzadik.  It’s one of my favs of 2008 so far.

The Crucible… yay!  A 4th installment from the noisemetal Moonchild Trio of Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron was inevitable.

I dig JZ’s Filmworks series… Sholem Aleichem: Filmworks XX is on its way to me now.

Additional info on the John Zorn biography… it’s due out in early 2009.  It’s a book.  With pages.  Some probably graphic (just judging based on JZ’s Naked City album artwork and Dr. Brackett’s recent presentations at recent conferences).

~Dan – np: The Tiptons Sax QuartetLaws of Motion

REVIEW: God of Shamisen @ Samurai Duck (Eugene, OR – – 9/11/08)

12th Sep 08 (Fri) 4 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM

Well, before the show, I was kind of bummed, as Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco’s upright bassinator) was playing a show at Sam Bond’s in Eugene last night as well.  GOS totally won, but Todd would have put on a great show as well.  Anyway, I swung by Sam Bond’s before heading over to the Samurai Duck… to pick up Todd’s new CD, Tiny Resistors.  I figured I might as well support indie jazz artists.  Alas, the doorman told me that Todd had to cancel.  Bummer… well, maybe he’ll reschedule, though I think he’s from New York; so maybe it’s just not meant to be this time around.

a great cartoon GOS by Rulo Barrera

On to the venue… hmmm… what to say about the Samurai Duck.  Well, you can get fried pizza.  Um… ick… I opted for a Blue Moon & a bag of pretzels.  The rest of the menu was faintly “asian,” but nothing I’d really consider to be all that interesting.  This place is definitely a dive metal bar, but they’ve got a decent stage, and the bands got set-up / switched over between sets really quick – which is a major plus, especially for a late night show.

The 1st opener, Deosyl, was really good.  I had never heard of them, but they’re from Eugene.  They were an instrumental rock/metal trio.  They were all very good musicians.  The guitarist seemed to have some great chops, in the vein of Dream Theater’s John Petrucci or Dimebag Darryl or a breed of the two.  Great stuff…

I saw GOS’s Kevin Kmetz warming up with his shamisen in between the openers’ sets…

Shat came on next, around 11pm.  I was a fan of their prior to this show.  I mean, we go way back… we’re the bestest of MySpace friends.  Or something.  Well, I first heard of Shat via the (now defunct) Coma Lilies.  They are connected to Righteous Gabe Records…

Which is absotively-posilutely supposed to confuse you with Righteous Babe Records.  They make music very much unlike Ani DiFranco, though. :)  Very much… crazy, spastic, turrets syndrome-induced rock.  Oh, I think they’re also linked to the international smash hit “Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight.”  Or maybe just linked via Righteous Gabe…  Anyway, they put on a lively show.  They’re from Portland; so I’ll likely get to see them again.

God of Shamisen went on right around midnight.  I was tired, but doing OK.  I work right across the street; so I had popped over there to get a Coke. :)  God of Shamisen is Kevin Kmetz on tsugaru-shamisen, Karl Schnaitter on guitars, Mark Thornton on bass, and Lee “ninja” Smith on drums.  They played a great set, and it was well worth staying through a late night and two openers to see them play.  I also got to pick up their new CD, Dragon String Attack.  I’ve been listening to it today at work, and it’s great.  My favorite track so far is “The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack!

The CD (click the picture for more info):

The Set List: (with adjustments by Mark from GOS*)

  • Traditional (Kevin solo)
  • Bad Dog Attack
  • The Prisoner (called “The Village Attack” on the CD*)
  • Tar Bomb Attack (not recorded yet*)
  • Ripe Fruit Attack
  • Stacie’s Song (for Kevin’s s/o)
  • Dragon String Attack
  • Mary Jane (with Danyl Johnson)
  • The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack
  • Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls* (with Christian from Shat)

The Appropriate Linkage:

The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is on for tonight.  I’m excited.  I’ve been a fan of theirs for a few years, but missed them when they came to Eugene in the spring, because I was at the Ani DiFranco/Judy Grahn/Animal Prufrock show down the street at the same night.  Well, JFJO coming back to town 5 months later is a-OK with me.

~Dan – np: Jeff AmentTone

GOD OF SHAMISEN CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

God of Shamisen – a pimpin’ I shall do…

8th Sep 08 (Mon) Leave a comment

OK… God of Shamisen, great band, gonna get to see ’em on Thursday.  They’ve got a new CD, Dragon String Attack.  It’s their 1st CD.  It’s out now.  If you don’t happen to live near where they’re playing on this tour, you can order it online with the easy-peasy PayPals.  This is directly from the artist to your ears.  Support indie musics!!  Check ’em out online: http://www.myspace.com/gos

The CD (click the picture for more info):

The Shirt (click the picture for more info):

The Tour:

Sep 8 2008 THE FUNHOUSE – w/ the Diminished Men Seattle, Washington
Sep 9 2008 DUNES – w/ SHAT and Circuit Breaking Silence Portland, Oregon
Sep 10 2008 JOHNNY B’s Medford, Oregon
Sep 11 2008 SAMURAI DUCK Eugene, Oregon
Sep 12 2008 CRUX ARTIST COLLECTIVE Chico, California
Sep 13 2008 THE FISHTANK – w/ Shamalamacord Oakland, California
Sep 14 2008 THE SCENE (new venue!) Glendale, California
Sep 16 2008 AUDIE’S OLYMPIC / CLUB FRED – w/ Brian Kenney Fresno and Foxycock Fresno, California
Sep 17 2008 BLUE LAGOON – w/ We Be The Echo and Happy Meal Santa Cruz, California
Sep 18 2008 RASPUTINS RECORDS free in-store Mountain View, California
Sep 19 2008 BOTTOM OF THE HILL – w/ We Be The Echo and Headshear San Francisco, California

If you live in Eugene, OR, see you on Thursday… if you know what’s good for you. :)

~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Zaebos

Oregon Donor Needed

8th Sep 08 (Mon) 2 comments

Sad news.  This came through on the jazzpdx RSS feed yesterday…

The Oregonian has just published a breaking story highlighting the uncertain future of the Portland Jazz Festival after sponsorship troubles.  Here’s a clip from the article:

The Portland Jazz Festival, strapped for cash after losing its title sponsor in April, plans to stop operating as of Sept. 15. Barring a “miracle” infusion of about $100,000, the February 2009 festival — previously slated to be the exclusive 70th anniversary celebration for seminal jazz label Blue Note — won’t happen. Nor, most likely, will there be any festivals after that.

I got to see two great acts in one night (Ornette Coleman and the Dave Douglas/Joe Lovano-led SFJazz Collective) last year.  I’m hopeful some large-and-in-charge bigwig can front a $100,000 check for a great cause.

Please?  Pretty please?  It’s doesn’t even need to be someone from Oregon… that was merely a play on words.  California?  Idaho?  Washington?  Rhode Island?  Got any love for continuing the Portland jazz scene?

~Dan – np: Ornette Coleman & Prime TimeTone Dialing

O.S.I. #3

5th Sep 08 (Fri) Leave a comment

Updated (3/9/09): go here… https://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/more-osi-details/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well, I just checked chromakey.com and osiband.com just last week.  No updates since 2006.

Now this from Blabbermouth

OSI (OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE), the project featuring FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos and ex-DREAM THEATER keyboardist Kevin Moore, has spent the past several months working on its third album. According to Moore, “Gavin Harrison (PORCUPINE TREE) is playing drums on this one; he’s nearly done tracking and it sounds great. Along with guitar, Jim is handling bass this time. I still get to sing but may get some help.”

For those not in the know, Kevin Moore‘s Chroma Key is my favorite band ever.  This is not hyperbole.  Dead Air For Radios is my #1 favorite album ever.  O.S.I. is essentially a rockin’ continuation of Chroma Key for me.

(Kevin / CK promo shot)

I’m stoked.  I don’t care that it snuck up on me.  O.S.I. #2 snuck up on me as well… it makes for a happy present.  Now, if I can only convince Kevin to tour Chroma Key or O.S.I.

I suppose watch this blog space for future news… or this one…

http://www.osiband.com/

~Dan

In accordance with the prophecies…

4th Sep 08 (Thu) 2 comments

…I lied about not posting for a few days.  Two cool things: Jeff Ament (of Pearl Jam) with Doug Pinnick (of King’s X) -and- a free Michael Moore movie Slacker Uprising.

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

First things first.  In 2004, Doug Pinnick (bassist/vocals of King’s X) and Jeff Ament (bassist of Pearl Jam) wrapped up an album tentatively titled MontanaIn 2004.  At this point in time, Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy may come out first.  Jeff & Doug have been friends for a while… at least since way back when King’s X opened up for Pearl Jam.  During PJ’s MTV Unplugged session, Jeff had a big “King’s X” written on his hand (in 1992?).

Anyway, today on Blabbermouth it was dropped that Jeff Ament’s solo album called Tone (pictured above) comes out on Sept 16th via PJ’s Ten Club.  It features Doug Pinnick as guest lead vocals on a track called “Doubting Thomasina.”  It’s limited to 3,000 copies… CD only.  I’m hoping this makes the 15-or-so track Pinnick/Ament album more likely to be released soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Also on the news feeds today… Michael Moore‘s next movie, Slacker Uprising, comes out in less than 3 weeks.  And it’s free… sign up at http://www.slackeruprising.com/, and you’ll get a code to watch it free online on Sept 23rd.  You can also buy it on DVD for $9.95.  The online movie and DVD are distributed by Brave New Films, who have put out some other good progressive political films as of late on Wal*Mart, the Iraq war, the 2000 election, et cetera.

Here’s a trailer for the movie:

http://www.slackeruprising.com/ on Sept 23rd

~Dan – np: Sunny Day Real EstateThe Rising Tide

REVIEW: Mogwai @ Music Fest NW (Portland, OR – – 9/3/08)

3rd Sep 08 (Wed) 1 comment

Opener the Fuck Buttons were pretty good.  I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to the venue until 9:30pm and didn’t make it inside until about 9:40… as I only caught one of the FB’s set.  They were loud, but sort of an electronic post-rock duo.  Groove-oriented and somewhat repetitive, but the song I heard was enjoyable.

Mogwai hit the stage right around 10:30pm.  And they are quite possibly the loudest band on the planet (outside of perhaps Testament on the Demonic Tour).  Oy… I just don’t know why their live shows need to be so bloody loud.  It’s quite unbearable.  Their music suits a “normal” setting (unlike perhaps Testament).  I mean, what are Mogwai trying to prove by being so loud?  It wasn’t a one-time thing either… they were quite unbearably loud when I saw them in 2006 at the Wexner in Columbus, OH.


(from the Portland show)

I stayed for right about an hour.  I’m not going to bother with posting a set list, as… well… they’re a post-rock band, and it’s hard to remember their song titles.  Sorry, it was good, but I’ve got no song titles for y’all (UPDATE: setlist from fan photo).

Setlist:

  • Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
  • The Precipice
  • Ithaca 27ø9
  • Thank You Space Expert
  • Friend of the Night
  • Scotland’s Shame
  • Hunted By A Freak
  • Ex-Cowboy
  • Kids Will Be Skeletons
  • I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
  • I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up your School
  • 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
  • Like Herod
  • Batcat

I’m looking forward to their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, out in 3 weeks.  That way I can adjust the volume myself.

Luckily my hotel is literally 3 minutes away.  And my ringing ears shall be in bed soon.

The Appropriate Linkage:

No posts for a while (meaning a few days)… perhaps (I’ve been known to be a liar).  Moving stuff this weekend to our new house.  But look out… next week is God of Shamisen (9/11) and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9/12) in Eugene.  Plus Ani DiFranco’s upright bassist, Todd Sickafoose, is in Eugene (unfortunately the same night as GOS – Thursday 9/11), but I may swing by Sam Bond’s to at least pick up his new CD, Tiny Resistors, before the GOS show.

~Dan – recently played: Sufjan StevensCome On Feel the Illinoise!

Voodoo Doughnut

3rd Sep 08 (Wed) Leave a comment

On a lighter, fluffier note – – Voodoo Doughnut in downtown Portland (22 SW 3rd Ave) is rad… http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/

Mogwai show in 2 hours.  Nooch!

~Dan

***********************

News bulletin (posted up in here after the initial post, hence the lack of MMW subject line): Medeski Martin & Wood is touring the West in November:

MMW’s newest album Radiolarians 1 will be released on September 30th 2008. A limited number of signed copies are available for pre order through our Website

The final tour dates in the Radiolarian Series begin November 12th in Seattle Washington. Tickets are available for these shows starting today, Sept. 3rd 2008, Here

November 12 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater
November 13 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
November 14 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
November 15 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater
November 16 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theater
November 18 – Petaluma, CA – McNears Mystic Theater
November 19 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theater
November 20 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
November 21 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theater
November 22 – Sparks, NV – Celebrity Showroom

 

Palin(g) in Comparison

2nd Sep 08 (Tue) 14 comments

To the Hillary supporters who for some reason don’t like Barack Obama…

Don’t Vote for McCain simply because he chose a woman.  I know that may seem like an unlikely alternative, and I know that we’re all smarter than that…

But there are rumors and rumors of rumors that some Hillary-likers (now maybe undecideds) are switching over to the crotchety side simply due to his choice of a woman…

Sarah Palin is not an alternative to Hillary.  She’s actually quite the opposite.

  • She doesn’t believe in teaching sex education in schools.  She believes in abstinence only sex education.  Her 17year old daughter is pregnant.  Hmm… yeah, not teaching kids about condom use really works… 100% of the time that they don’t have sex.  Of course, it works zero percent of the time when they do have sex.
  • She wants creationism (i.e.- religion…) taught in public schools (…as science).  So… she believes the earth was formed around 4,000 B.C. – – which is roughly 4,000 years after the agricultural revolution occurred in Mesopotamia.  Oh, and it all started with two people, a snake who knew (presumably) excellent Hebrew, and an apple that a supernatural being didn’t want these two people to eat.  Yes, let’s give her the 2nd position in power.
  • She also believes that the founding fathers (of the U.S.) fully intended for “Under God” to be in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Um… the founding fathers were long dead in the 1950s.  They were (mostly) deists, not (mostly) Christians, and they had nothing to do with the “Under God” in the pledge or the “In God We Trust” on the currency.  That all happened in the 1950s as a reactionary move of congress during McCarthy’s anti-communism witch hunt.
  • She wants polar bears to cease to be listed as endangered.  They don’t need rights.  They’re just animals.
  • She wants to deny any benefits to homosexual couples.  They don’t need rights either.  They’re just animals.
  • She opposes abortion and stem cell research.  Um… hello… stem cell research doesn’t have to come from fetii.  They are separate issues, and stem cell research should not, not, not be linked to it… regardless of your views on abortion / reproductive rights.  Wake up!
  • Oy…  http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm

Sarah Palin is not the alternative.  Not.  The.  Alternative.  And, as the old man’s V.P., there’s a good chance that she could be P. after the oldie has a heart attack after being egged on the way to inauguration.  Not a good idea.

~Dan – np: a weird iPod playlist with Gnashing of Teeth‘s 2006 demos and Joss Whedon‘s Mr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog Soundtrack
 /

Sufjan Stevens & Kevin Smith

2nd Sep 08 (Tue) Leave a comment

Unrelated news…

Sufjan Stevens (pictured befro) is lending some music to Natalie Portman‘s directorial debut, EVE, due out in early 2009.  By “lending,” the Paste article probably means “exchanged the right for cold, hard cash,” which is quite different from the standard definition of “lending”… unless the whole banking scandal of ’07 created a rip in the space-time-webster’s-definitional continuum.  Or maybe he really lent it.  Speaking of Suffie, why hasn’t he released anything since the Xmas box of ’06?  Is he wrapping up his eastern states dodeca-boxset?

Clerks’ silentman-director, Kevin Smith‘s got a new Seth Rogen / Elizabeth Banks, R-rated vehicle coming out in late October called Zach & Miri Make a Porno.  Here’s the red-band trailer (click the pic to go to the website with the trailer)… don’t worry, outside of language & innuendo, there’s no “porno” in the trailer:

It comes out October 31st or some dcate along those lines…

~Dan

Mitch Hedberg – Do You Believe in Gosh?

1st Sep 08 (Mon) Leave a comment

I feel fortunate enough to have seen Mitch Hedberg several times in SW Ohio & N.Kentucky before his untimely death (and even have the original/indie/cartoon drawing cover Strategic Grill Locations CD).

While his death came young [age 37], it wasn’t all that surprising.  Drugs took their toll on his life, but it might be said that drugs gave him the courage to even get up on stage.  Regardless of the ills or benefits drugs had on Mitch, his comedy is missed.  He was called the surfer/stoner Steven Wright.  I think that short-changed his uniqueness.

Apparently, two months prior to his death he recorded material that would become his last album.  Do You Believe in Gosh? comes out September 9th:

His other CDs:

Oh, and remember… if you have dentures, don’t eat artificial sweeteners, because then you’ll get a fake cavity!

Lots of new stuff in this clip:

~Dan – np: SModcast #63