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ha’fway 2016
Happy 240th birthday, United States!
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Ah, the annual halfway through the year music recap where I never post an end of year recap. *eyeroll* Eh… I don’t blog much anymore… regardless, here goes for my Top 10 of 2016 so far…
Artist – Album (style)
- Sia – This Is Acting (pop)
- Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (rock)
- Wussy – Forever Sounds (indie rock)
- Holy Fuck – CONGRATS (live electronic)
- Elliott Smith – Heaven Adores You (soundtrack) (indie rock)
- Steve Taylor & the Danielson Foil – WOW to the Deadness -EP- (indie rock)
- David Bazan – Blanco (indie rock)
- Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Otis Was a Polar Bear (jazz)
- The Claypool-Lennon Delirium – Monolith of Phobos (rock)
- Damien Jurado – Visions of Us on the Land (indie rock)
What’s still to come in 2016…
Chevelle, Peter Mulvey (it’s in the can), Alex Somers’ score for Captain Fantastic, John Zorn (about every month), TOOL (music done, lyrics nearing completion?), Sigur Rós (maybe 2017), Charlie Hunter, and based on kickstarters/pledgemusic that I’ve supported: Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate, Derek Webb‘s Mockingbird Remixed and Fleming & John, plus much more, I’m sure.
Will I continue with blogs in the future? I don’t know. :P
SETLIST: David Bazan @ Gutenberg College (Eugene, OR – 4/24/13)
David Bazan is off on another jaunt of a 40+ house concert tour. Last night’s show at the McKenzie Study Center at Gutenberg College wasn’t technically a “house,” but it still had that living room feel.
He showed up a tad late, but after quickly setting up, he entertained a few questions and then kicked into his set…
Setlist: about 75 minutes
- Q&A #1
- Hot Girls [Headphones]
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Big Trucks [Pedro the Lion]
- Man In Me [Bob Dylan]
- Q&A #2
- “I write it down for what it’s worth” [new song, no title mentioned]
- Hard To Be
- Virginia
- Shit Talker [Headphones]
- Q&A #3
- Wolves At The Door
- Selling Advertising
- Of Minor Prophets and Their Prostitute Wives [Pedro the Lion]
- Q&A #4
- The Fleecing [Pedro the Lion]
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Q&A #5
- Strange Negotiations
No Encore
Some Bazan-related news…
1) His newest side-project Overseas is up for pre-order now. If you pre-order it, you get a download of the full album immediately. I got it a couple weeks ago, and I dig it. Overseas is David Bazan, Will Johnson, Matt Kadane and Bubba Kadane…. and in the 2nd Q&A I asked if they were going to tour. He said that they will likely do a limited set of dates: a few Texas dates, New York area dates, and then a limited West Coast run (LA, SF, Portland, Seattle).
2) On this tour, though he didn’t have them available last night, is a art print that comes with a download code for a Covers EP. He didn’t have them last night, but noted that we could buy it online (soon) without shipping fees. He should have them soon on some of the other dates on this tour. He mentioned the Bob Dylan cover, Radiohead’s “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box,” and a few others will be included.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- House Show (Portland, OR – Feb 2012)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Dec 2011)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
This was his second date of this tour… check out more tour dates below (sorry, many are already sold out).
Next show for me… Infected Mushroom at McDonald Theater (4/25).
~Dan – np: Pet Bottle Ningen – Non-Recyclable
David Bazan – Spring 2013 House Show Tour
04/23/13 Tue – Portland OR – SOLD OUT
04/24/13 Wed – Eugene OR – SOLD OUT
04/25/13 Thu – Redding CA
04/26/13 Fri – Sacramento CA – SOLD OUT
04/27/13 Sat – San Francisco CA – SOLD OUT
04/28/13 Sun – Hollister CA
04/29/13 Mon – OFF
04/30/13 Tue – Los Angeles CA – SOLD OUT
05/01/13 Wed – Costa Mesa CA – SOLD OUT
05/02/13 Thu – Riverside CA – SOLD OUT
05/03/13 Fri – San Diego CA – SOLD OUT
05/04/13 Sat – Tucson AZ – SOLD OUT
05/05/13 Sun – Phoenix AZ – SOLD OUT
05/06/13 Mon – OFF
05/07/13 Tue – Graham TX
05/08/13 Wed – San Antonio TX – SOLD OUT
05/09/13 Thu – Houston TX – SOLD OUT
05/10/13 Fri – Baton Rouge LA
05/11/13 Sat – New Orleans LA – SOLD OUT
05/12/13 Sun – OFF
05/13/13 Mon – Orlando FL – SOLD OUT
05/14/13 Tue – Jacksonville FL – SOLD OUT
05/15/13 Wed – Augusta GA – SOLD OUT
05/16/13 Thu – Atlanta GA – SOLD OUT
05/17/13 Fri – Columbus GA
05/18/13 Sat – Birmingham AL – SOLD OUT
05/19/13 Sun – Memphis TN
05/20/13 Mon – OFF
05/21/13 Tue – St Louis MO – SOLD OUT
05/22/13 Wed – Kansas City MO – SOLD OUT
05/23/13 Thu – Tulsa OK – SOLD OUT
05/24/13 Fri – Oklahoma City OK – SOLD OUT
05/25/13 Sat – Lubbock TX
05/26/13 Sun – Los Alamos NM
05/27/13 Mon – Prescott AZ
05/28/13 Tue – Las Vegas NV
05/29/13 Wed – OFF
05/30/13 Thu – Davis CA
05/31/13 Fri – Chico CA – SOLD OUT
06/01/13 Sat – Phoenix OR (Medford)
06/02/13 Sun – Portland OR – SOLD OUT
REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Portland, OR – 2/15/12)
David Bazan is a busy man… he just got done with a 40+ date band tour in Nov/Dec 2011, and now he’s off and running with another near-40 date living room tour in Feb/Mar 2012. His proximity (Seattle) to me (Oregon I-5 corridor) means I get to take in a lot of his shows. Even though I just saw him with his band at Sam Bond’s in December, the living room tours are so fun and intimate. I had to hit the Portland show last night…
He arrived about an hour late… first night of tour, and got stuck in traffic coming out of Seattle. The good thing: hanging out in someone’s living room and kitchen sippin’ a beer is waaaaay better than hanging out at a stinky club playing LMFAO on loop.
After setting up his small cube amp, he kicked into his set…
Setlist: about 70 minutes
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Wolves at the Door
- Hard to Be
- Q&A #1
- Priests and Paramedics [Pedro the Lion]
- Transcontinental [Pedro the Lion]
- Shit Talker [Headphones]
- Q&A #2
- Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box [Radiohead]
- Options [Pedro the Lion]
- Virginia
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #3
- Strange Negotiations
No Encore
A little shorter set than in the past, but I think that may have been due to running late. The original “everyone needs to be out time” was 10pm, but he didn’t get going until 9:15pm. So, for the rest of the living room tour, don’t judge the set length on Portland. Despite the shorter set, I think it was a pretty good show… David was in a great mood and quite chatty as usual.
The somber take on “Wolves at the Door” was excellent… slower and a bit haunting compared to the version the band was belting out last year. Another favorite was the return of the Radiohead cover that he played last year. First three notes and goosebumps. Such a great song.
There weren’t any new tunes played, which was a bit striking – as David is working on a new album, and it might even be done and to the label (Barsuk) by the beginning of May. He said it could come out in August/September, but a lot of that depends on delivery to the label.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Dec 2011)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
This was his first date of this tour… check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… MEDGE (bellydancing) at Cozmic Pizza (2/17) and then post-rockers Talkdemonic at Sam Bond’s Garage (2/24).
~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The Dreamers – O’o
David Bazan – Winter 2012 House Show Tour
2/15 – Portland, OR
2/16 – Sacramento, CA
2/17 – Oakland, CA
2/18 – Los Angeles, CA
2/19 – Long Beach, CA
2/20 – Orange, CA
2/21 – Carlsbad, CA
2/22 – Phoenix, AZ
2/24 – Clinton, OK
2/25 – Denton, TX
2/26 – Dallas, TX
2/27 – Austin, TX
2/28 – Houston, TX
2/29 – Baton Rouge, LA
3/02 – Orlando, FL
3/03 – Jacksonville, FL
3/04 – Altanta, GA
3/05 – Nashville, TN
3/06 – Asheville, NC
3/07 – Charlotte, NC
3/09 – Charlottesville, VA
3/10 – Baltimore, MD
3/11 – Philadelphia, PA
3/12 – Brooklyn, NY
3/13 – Brooklyn, NY
3/14 – Boston, MA
3/15 – Buffalo, NY
3/16 – Cleveland, OH
3/17 – Three Rivers, MI
3/18 – Chicago, IL
3/19 – Madison, WI
3/21 – Minneapolis, MN
3/22 – Lincoln, NE
3/23 – Lawrence, KS
3/24 – Denver, CO
3/25 – Salt Lake City, UT
3/26 – Boise, ID
3/27 – Spokane, WA
* Favorite Vocal Albums of 2011 *
I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my fourth year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. For that reason, the favorite vocal albums list goes first this go ’round. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, Facebox pages, yadda yadda yadda. A lot of these also made it on to my 2011 Mix CD (free streaming/download).
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean, Tres Mts – Three Mountains, Pomplamoose – The Album You Bought At Our Show (Thanks for That), MC Frontalot – Solved and The Roots – Undun.
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Check out the 2011 Mix for some samples, click the Amazon buttons for other samples, and support the music if you like what you hear!
My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts & Photos of ‘11 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/DVDs/more of ‘11 are *HERE*
- Fave Instrumental Albums ‘11 are coming soon
- Old Years:
- 2010: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts,
- Best of the 2000s Decade (1-10, 11-20, 21-25)
- 2009: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts
- 2008: Instrumental, Vocal, EPS/etc, Concerts
- 2007: Vocal, Instrumental, Concerts
- 2006 & 2005
~Dan – np: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – 12/14/11)
If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take. Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.
Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate. But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up. He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs. His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.
Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check. Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”
Setlist: ~85 mins
- Second Best [Pedro the Lion]
- Wolves at the Door
- Bless This Mess
- How I Remember
- I Do [PTL]
- Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]
- Q&A #1
- Gas and Matches [Headphones]
- Eating Paper
- Magazine [PTL]
- Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #2
- Virginia
- People
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Big Trucks [PTL]
- Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]
- Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing
- Strange Negotiations
No encore
The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP. Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).
Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.” He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range. His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David. Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.
They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up. If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012. So the chance of more tours in 2012? High possibility!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Shay Roselip’s MySpace / Soundcloud
- My Other Related Reviews~
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
- Sam Bond’s Garage’s Website / Facebook
This was the last date of the tour… see other dates below. I’m sure David will be out again in the Spring…
Next show for me… Cellophoria private house concert on 12/18.
~Dan – np: Marketa Irglova – Anar
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
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
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.
REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 9/29/11)
Wave 2 of the David Bazan 2011 Living Room tour… I missed the last swipe through in Corvallis, but was destined to see him in my home town again. It was held at the same house from 2009 (that review here). Thank you so much to the super great hosts!
No opener this time. David kicked into it just after 8pm with the lead off track to his new album, Strange Negotiations. It’s a great record, and rumor has it that he’s working on a new one already – but there was no mention of that last night…
Setlist: ~80 mins
- Wolves at the Door
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
- Hard to Be
- Q&A 1
- Foregone Conclusions (Pedro the Lion)
- Shit Talker (Headphones)
- Virginia
- Q&A 2 on old blues guitarists
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A 3
- Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A 4
- Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box (Radiohead cover for Elliott Smith)
- Won’t Let Go
- Curse Your Branches
- Q&A 5
- Strange Negotiations
- No Encore
David’s playing Sam Bond’s Garage in about 2 1/2 months with a full band (Dec 14th for those wanting to know); so Eugene will be lucky to see his beardy face grace our presence once again.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
Check out the now-almost-all-done tour dates below. Woodinville, Washington tonight – then he’s back to his own bed until the band tour hits in the late Fall…
Next show for me… Melt Banana at WOW Hall on 10/1.
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
Bazan’s 2nd wave of Living Room Tour Dates 2011
Mon 9/5 – Bozeman, MT
Tues 9/6 – Salt Lake City, UT
Wed 9/7 – Fort Collins, CO
Thurs 9/8 – Topeka, KS
Fri 9/9 – Winona, MN
Sat 9/10 – Wheaton, IL
Sun 9/11 – Champaign, IL
Mon 9/12 – Lexington, KY
Tues 9/13 – Scott Depot, WV
Wed 9/14 – Wilmington, OH
Thurs 9/15 – Cleveland, OH
Fri 9/16 – Rochester, NY
Sat 9/17 – Wilkes-Barre, PA
Sun 9/18 – Williamstown, NJ
Mon 9/19 – Oakton, VA
Tues 9/20 – Charlottesville, VA
Wed 9/21 – Simpsonville, SC
Thurs 9/22 – Birmingham, AL
Fri 9/23 – Shreveport, LA
Sat 9/24 – Tulsa, OK
Mon 9/26 – Payson, AZ
Tues 9/27 – Aliso Viejo, CA
Wed 9/28 – Santa Rosa, CA
Thurs 9/29 – Eugene, OR
Fri 9/30 – Woodinville, WA
ha’fway 2011
Happy belated 235th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here are my faves of the first half of 2011… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):
Artist – Album (style)
- Murat Eyuboglu & My Brightest Diamond – Letters to Distant Cities EP featuring the words of Mustafa Ziyalan (spoken word/indie rock)
- Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender (folk-americana)
- Radiohead – The King of Limbs (anti-radio rock)
- David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) – Strange Negotiations (indie rock)
- dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy (modern progressive)
- Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (drone metal)
- Tides from Nebula – Earthshine (postrock)
- Garage A Trois (Skerik & Co) – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (groove jazz)
- Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) (movie score)
- Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (postrock)
- Reptet – At the Cabin (horny jazz)
- Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz (organic electronic)
- Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (postrock)
- Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom – Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (instrumental klez-rock)
- Tres Mts (Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam & dUg Pinnick of King’s X) – Three Mountains (rock supergroup)
- Eisley – The Valley (modern rock)
- Michael Kelsey – Submerged (Midwest guitar virtuoso)
- Trey Parker & Matt Stone / Original Cast Recording – The Book of Mormon (sacrilegious broadway)
- Elysian Fields – Last Night on Earth (lusty indie-pop)
- Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (whispy indie rock)
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Hiromi, Gangpol & Mit, and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2011 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, (including The Dreamers Xmas CD & the Rovo Sax Quartet collaboration), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer (2nd album), some digital releases from A Perfect Circle, the doomy Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Opeth‘s 70s throwback album, Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson‘s 2nd solo album, My Brightest Diamond is wrapping up one in the studio (will it be out in 2011?), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out (it’s been a while though), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands (Fantômas live DVD, Tomahawk’s 4th album, more?), and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.
Favorite concerts of 2011 (so far):
- Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – The Shedd, Eugene, Jan 8th
- Reptet – Luckey’s, Eugene, Jan 14th
- The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl) – The Woods, Portland, Jan 28th
- Nels Cline Singers – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Jan 30th
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Feb 18th
- U2 – Qwest Field, Seattle, Jun 4th
- A Perfect Circle – The Schnitzer, Portland, Jun 29th
(click pictures below for review links)
David Bazan – Strange Negotiations (2011) & Tour
David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) has a new solo album coming out… it now has album art, a release date, and a summer tour planned…
Strange Negotiations
May 24, 2011
Bazan & Band 2011 Summer Tour
- 06/01 Wed – Salt Lake City UT @ Kilby Court
- 06/02 Thu – Denver CO @ Hi Dive
- 06/03 Fri – Kansas City MO @ Record Bar
- 06/04 Sat – Council Bluffs IA @ Westfair Amphitheater w/ Bright Eyes
- 06/06 Mon – St Paul MN @ Turf Club
- 06/08 Wed – Chicago IL @ Lincoln Hall
- 06/10 Fri – St Louis MO @ Old Rock House
- 06/11 Sat – Columbus OH @ The Basement
- 06/12 Sun – Akron OH @ Musica
- 06/13 Mon – Pontiac MI @ Pike Room
- 06/14 Tue – Toronto ON @ Lee’s Palace
- 06/15 Wed – Ottawa ON @ Maverick’s
- 06/17 Fri – Ithaca NY @ The Haunt
- 06/18 Sat – Hamden CT @ The Space
- 06/19 Sun – Cambridge MA @ TT the Bears
- 06/22 Wed – New York NY @ Bowery Ballroom
- 06/23 Thu – Philadelphia PA @ TBD
- 06/24 Fri – Washington DC @ Black Cat
- 06/25 Sat – Chapel Hill NC @ Local 506
- 06/27 Mon – Orlando FL @ The Social
- 06/28 Tue – Atlanta GA @ The Earl
- 06/29 Wed – Birmingham AL @ The Bottletree
- 06/30 Thu – New Orleans LA @ One Eyed Jacks
- 07/01 Fri – Baton Rouge LA @ Spanish Moon
- 07/02 Sat – Houston TX @ Fitzgerald’s
- 07/03 Sun – Dallas TX @ TBD
- 07/05 Tue – Austin TX @ ACL Satellite Sets
- 07/07 Thu – Phoenix AZ @ Sail Inn
- 07/08 Fri – San Diego CA @ Casbah
- 07/09 Sat – Long Beach CA @ TBD
- 07/10 Sun – Los Angeles CA @ Troubadour
- 07/12 Tue – Visalia @ Cellar Door
- 07/13 Wed – San Francisco CA @ The Independent
- 07/15 Fri – Portland OR @ Mississippi Studios
Interview with David Bazan (via the138)
Excellent interview about David Bazan‘s upcoming album, Strange Negotiations…
The album comes out May 2011. The “Help David Bazan Make a Record” drive is over, but check back at http://www.davidbazan.com/ in the future for more info on the album as it gets done / put up for sale…
David Bazan’s Christmas 2010 7″ vinyl
It’s October… leaves are starting to change, school is in full swing, days are getting even shorter, and David Bazan‘s annual Christmas 7″ vinyl is up for pre-order… starting with the Pedro the Lion days (2002’s The First Noel 7″), it’s become an indie rock tradition to get your mits on the meloncholy holiday tunes pressed to wax from Bazan.
For 2010, the songs are “WISH MY KIDS WERE HERE” and “I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.” Suicide Squeeze Records has it – limited to 1000 copies (200 Orange, 400 Opaque Red, 400 Opaque Yellow). This 7-inch EP opens with a Bazan original, a heartbreaker of a track titled, “Wish My Kids Were Here.” The flip revisits an old favorite, Longfellow’s “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” an update on a song he first recorded/released, in 2002, at the start of the series.
ORDER HERE:
http://www.suicidesqueeze.net/index.php?section=store&ID=91
Act fast… 1,000 doesn’t last long.
REVIEW: David Bazan @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 3/4/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
So, what is there to say about David Bazan that I haven’t already said? Well, not much; so I’ll just recap. In short, he’s a genuine song-writer, an honest thinker, a gentle soul, and a wonderful song-weaver. Since moving to Eugene, I’ve had the opportunity to see him three times… now a fourth. All in a shorter window of time compared to the rare opportunities when I saw him in Ohio.
The show last night was one of the first shows from his Winter/Spring Tour (and the first with opener Headlights). For more tour dates, check out the list at the bottom. At Sam Bond’s Garage, David Bazan isn’t on the same A-frame as a delicious quiche (click for picture from a recent gig), but he does share the venue with some mighty fine pizza and beer.
Headlights were really good. They played about 45 minutes and had some good indie rock / pop songs with nice melodies. They are a traditional four piece (guitar, keys, bass, drums) and swapped lead vocal duties around a bit. Their sound at Sam Bond’s Garage last night was a little too loud, but that’s definitely not the band’s fault. I think Sam Bond’s doesn’t seem to have the acoustics for rock bands (this issue spilled over into David’s set, too). Anyway, Headlights = good. Check ’em out! Here’s the video for their song “Secrets“:
David went on with his band a little after 10pm. His band this time around is Blake Wescott on guitar, Andy Fitts on bas, and Alex Wescoat on drums. The set was filled with songs from his most recent solo album, Curse Your Branches, as well as older material – including a nice collection of Pedro the Lion and Headphones songs. Outsider of the aforementioned curse that Sam Bond’s Garage has on rock bands’ sound, it was a highly enjoyable show. The mix of tunes and passion with which David sings is fun to take in.
Setlist: about 75 minutes
- I Do (Pedro the Lion)
- Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
- Man in Me
- Please, Baby, Please
- June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A #1
- When We Fell
- Magazine (Pedro the Lion)
- How I Remember
- When They Really Get To Know You, They Will Run (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A #2
- Shit Talker (Headphones)
- Harmless Sparks
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Q&A #3
- Bands With Managers (Pedro the Lion)
- Bad Diary Days (Pedro the Lion)
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- I Never Wanted You (Headphones)
- Penetration (Pedro the Lion)
- In Stitches
- No Encore
Personally, ending the show with “In Stitches” is perfect. That song sunk in with me last fall, especially the last verse…
When Job asked you a question,
You responded, “Who are you
to challenge your creator?”
Well if that one part is true
It makes you sound defensive
Like you had not thought it through
Like you didn’t have an answer
Like you bit off more than you could chew
So, yeah, the well documented pivot from religious to questioner to agnostic suits Bazan’s songwriting especially well in my book.
more photos below
SO, if you haven’t gotten it already, go check out his new live in the studio recording from his Fall 2009 band tour. Bazan: Live at Electric Audio is a great recording, and it’s out on CD, vinyl, or digital only (for insane people):
The Appropriate Linkage:
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Bill Frisell – Rambler
DAVID BAZAN & HEADLIGHTS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Winter/Spring 2010 Tour Dates
- 03/03/10 Wed – Salem OR – Ike Box
- 03/04/10 Thu – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
- 03/05/10 Fri – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
- 03/06/10 Sat – Visalia CA – Cellar Door
- 03/07/10 Sun – Santa Barbara CA – Soho
- 03/08/10 Mon – Long Beach CA – Alex’s Bar
- 03/09/10 Tue – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
- 03/10/10 Wed – Phoenix AZ – Sail Inn
- 03/12/10 Fri – Norman OK – The Opolis
- 03/13/10 Sat – Springfield MO – Gallery Sounds
- 03/14/10 Sun – St Louis MO – Old Rock House
- 03/15/10 Mon – Newport KY – Southgate House
- 03/17/10 Wed – Nashville TN – Exit/In
- 03/18/10 Thu – Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
- 03/19/10 Fri – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
- 03/20/10 Sat – Richmond VA – Alley Katz
- 03/21/10 Sun – Baltimore MD – The Ottobar
- 03/22/10 Mon – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
- 03/23/10 Tue – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
- 03/27/10 Sat – Grantham PA – Messiah College
- 03/28/10 Sun – Columbus OH – The Summit
- 03/29/10 Mon – Bloomington IN – The Bishop
- 03/30/10 Tue – Grand Rapids MI – Calvin College
- 04/01/10 Thu – Iowa City IA – The Mill
- 04/02/10 Fri – Urbana IL – Canopy Club
- 04/03/10 Sat – DeKalb IL – House Cafe
- 04/04/10 Sun – Milwaukee WI – Pabst
- 04/05/10 Mon – St. Paul MN – Turf Club
- 04/06/10 Tue – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
- 04/08/10 Thu – Missoula MT – The Palace
- 04/09/10 Fri – Spokane WA – Empyrean
- 04/10/10 Sat – Bellingham WA – Western Washington University
Bazan: Live at Electrical Audio
So, David Bazan took his band into the studio to record a live session last fall. It’s coming out on CD and vinyl LP. CDs ship late March, vinyl ships late April. Pre-order and you get an immediate 256kbps mp3 download. They do some Bazan solo tunes, some Pedro the Lion tunes, and a Headphones tune. More info over at davidbazan.com…
David Bazan – Live at Electric Audio
1. I Do
2. How I Remember
3. When We Fell
4. Magazine
5. Never Wanted You
6. Cold Beer & Cigarettes
7. Heavy Breath
8. Keep Swinging
9. Fewer Broken Pieces
10. In Stitches
David Bazan: bass, vocals
Blake Wescott: guitar, vocals
Andy Fitts: guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Eric Elbogen: guitar, keyboards, vocals
Casey Foubert: drums, percussion
Recorded by Matthew Barnhart
Mixed and Mastered by TW Walsh
Photos by Bob Andrews and Caleb Palma
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter & Pound for Pound – Return of the Candyman
Artists of the Decade – 2000s (#11 to 20)
Artists of the Decade – Honorable Mentions (1/1/2010 blog link)
- Dweezil Zappa
- Tori Amos
- Celldweller
- Iron & Wine
- King’s X
- Derek Webb
Artists of the Decade (#21 to 25) (1/1/2010 blog link)
25 ~ Ben Folds (solo)
24 ~ Peter Mulvey
23 ~ Opeth
22 ~ dredg
21 ~ Holy Fuck
And now round 2…
~*~*~
20 ~ Pedro the Lion (and David Bazan solo)
Pedro the Lion released their two most powerful and poignant albums in the early 2000s (Control and Achilles Heel), then frontman David Bazan decided to disband PTL and go solo (though by the 2000s, the writing was primarily Bazan anyway with hired guns for studios and tours). Prior to his first full length solo album, he did a side project called Headphones, put out annual Christmas 7″ vinyls, and released a split electric/acoustic EP. At the end of the decade, he hit the ground running with his fantastic “breaking up with God” record, Curse Your Branches. He’s been touring in a solo fashion fairly regularly since 2007 or so and is going to hit the road again this coming spring…
~*~*~
19 ~ Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 combined four well-versed, naturally flowing MCs (Chali 2Na, Soup, Marc7 & Akil) and two melodic, creative, musicianship-driven DJs (Cut Chemist and NuMark) to create some excellently catchy hip-hop and rap. What I loved about them is that they weren’t all about the “drugs and bitches” that the gangsta rap had just previously been all about (don’t get me wrong, I love Dr. Dre’s The Chronic from the 90s, but J5 tended to keep it positive and definitely more musically-inclined). All six members have gone on to do solo albums and/or side projects after the band’s official breakup in the late 2000s… my faves have been Cut Chemist’s The Audience’s Listening and Chali 2Na’s Fish Outta Water. I still long for a reunion record, and I bet it’ll happen… maybe in the 2010s?
~*~*~
18 ~ My Brightest Diamond
Shara Worden’s utterly gorgeous, operatic voice is almost too much for the indie rock scene. Almost. It seems to fit in perfectly with Sufjan Stevens’ quirky folk and her own lush My Brightest Diamond string-infused indie pop (and the subsequent remix LPs/EPs centered around her studio albums). In a live setting, her voice is powerful and sublime, and her stage presense is charming. If you can get ahold of her pre-MBD band CDs, do so (AwRy was the name of the band).
~*~*~
17 ~ Nellie McKay
Her debut, Get Away From Me, is a 2-disc / 18-song satirical, poignant, humorous & angsty romp. The tag-line of “Eminem meets Doris Day” rang true. She followed it up with a couple of more subdued albums with the occasional harder edge tune, and then by decade’s end, she released a Doris Day only album. It seems somewhere along the line, she lost the Eminem edge, but she ended up still topping my list with the more gentle album. Her live performance for the Doris Day material was fantastic – which definitely helped its appeal with me. She’s a vegetarian and animal rights activist, too… so, definitely on my friendly artists list.
~*~*~
16 ~ Secret Chiefs 3
Book M and Book of Horizons (both in the early 2000s) were SC3’s last officially “SC3 studio albums,” but since 2007, they have been busy with a handful of impressive 7″ vinyl singles, a “greatest hits” compilation, an amazing John Zorn Masada Book Two release in 2008 (Xaphan), a great concert DVD, a soundtrack to a made-up movie, and the ever-lasting promises of the Book of Souls (an album in the making… since… 2005?).
~*~*~
15 ~ Over the Rhine
In 2001, I think Over the Rhine made one of the best albums of their career… Films for Radio. They followed with a stunning double-album (Ohio), several solo albums by pianist Linford Detweiler, four live compilations, a few more pretty darn decent albums (including a new holiday album), and continual touring every spring & fall/winter. All in all, it was a pretty solid decade of a healthy work ethic. I’m curious what the 2010s will bring in the land of Over the Rhine. One can hope that they keep evolving.
~*~*~
14 ~ Mike Patton
Mr. Bungle broke up at the front end of the decade… but Mike continued on from Fantômas to Tomahawk to Lovage (with Dan the Automator & Elysian Fields’ Jennifer Charles) to Peeping Tom to multiple movie scores to many projects with John Zorn and back to Faith No More in 2009. As we lead into 2010, there are more Faith No More touring plans, more Fantômas plans, new bands Mondo Cane (50s Italian pop) and Crudo (DJ/rock-oriented), another Peeping Tom in 2011, and plenty else up his sleeve. Patton’s vocal versatility and hard work ethic make him one of my faves this past decade.
~*~*~
13 ~ Ani DiFranco
Similar to Tori Amos, the 1990s found a more consistently on her game Ani. While those days are gone, in the 2000s Ani kept delivering album after album after album and has way too many wins than loses, in my book. Revelling / Reckoning is quite possibly the most important release of her career (though not necessarily my favorite in this long oevre). She’s continually active and important in my musical world.
~*~*~
12 ~ Johnny Cash
This decade brought us American III, IV & V, and the Unearthed box set… all true genius from Johnny and Rick Rubin. The video for “Hurt” (a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song) is one of the most powerfully emotional videos I’ve ever seen (he really brought something new to that original NIИ song). If Rick Rubin never does anything important in the world of music ever again, he’ll still be the one who made Johnny Cash a legend (again).
~*~*~
11 ~ Dave Douglas
Founder of Greenleaf Music (a jazz label), and member of John Zorn’s Masada quartet… Dave Douglas is my #1 living trumpet player. My foray into a mega jazz love throughout the decade led me to be a fond admirer of Dave and his varied work. His various incarnations – the Quintet, Keystone, Brass Ecstasy, the Big Band, and more – show that he’s a hard worker. I can safely say, he’ll be back on this list in late 2019. :)
~*~*~
Tune in tomorrow for the final round…
My Other Favorites of 2009 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts of ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/more of ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave Vocal Albums ‘09 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave Instrumental Albums ’09 are *HERE*
- Old Years: 2008I, 2008V, 2008ep, 2008C, 2007V, 2007I, 2007C, 2006, 2005
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter – Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid
Oh, and for those who say that the decade ends at the end of 2010… meh. I’m starting with 0 and ending with 9 (like a LOT of people). Rationale: the 80s, the 90s… you don’t say the 80s went from 1/1/1981 to 12/31/1990 or the 90s from 1/1/1991 to 12/31/2000.
* Favorite Vocal Albums of 2009 *
Disclaimer (with a nod to Andy Whitman of Paste): No, I haven’t heard all 8,000+albums released this year. I’ve heard about 200 of them, which makes me at least 97.5% likely to be wrong. I make no claims to objectivity. These albums are my favorites from 2009. You might think that the one you’ve heard that I haven’t heard is the best album of 2009. And you might be right. So go ahead and vent. Enjoy!
As I start this post, I will say that this is the second year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. For that reason, the favorite vocal albums list goes first this go ’round. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, SpaceBook pages, yadda yadda yadda. OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: Jars of Clay‘s The Long Fall Back to Earth, U2‘s No Line on the Horizon, Madeleine Peyroux‘s Bare Bones, Piano Magic‘s Ovations, and Ember Swift‘s Lentic :: 子玉.
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Top 25 instrumental albums coming up later this week… still making my way through them at this point… oy…
My Other Favorites of 2009 Recaps:
2009 mix
Well, thanks to a certain bigwig, I got off of my duff to make a mix CD for his round robin dealio. No major theme this time like prior mixes… the only rule I placed before myself was that everything is current (i.e.- released in 2009).
{If you aren’t part of the round robin and want a CD, contact me. If you’re local, even better. I’ll get ’em out around Thanksgiving.}
The following songs were put on the mix CD from lossless sources for promotional purposes only (read: free direct market advertising to people who decidedly love music). Most of the artists on this compilation are independent (put out the music themselves) or signed to smaller, independent labels. If you like what you hear, check out their music / support them with your wallet if you are able. The artists’ Webpage, MyFace & Spacebook (whether official or not), and Amazon links are available for each song below. I’ve also included concert review links if I’ve seen the artist recently.
PDF front liner is available HERE (designed to print double-sided).
UPDATE (12/18): free download / bonus track #18 below
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
01 Nellie McKay “Do Do Do” from Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day
Well, the person who got this round robin going (Brad) was a direct influence in me getting into Nellie McKay back when Get Away From Me came out. I’ve been a fan ever since. I think GAFM is my favorite of hers, but she’s still quite consistently entertaining to me. Her latest album is a tribute to the late great Doris Day. It’s missing some of Nellie’s sly wit, but is definitely fitting in her “I wish I was born in another era” wishes. The album art is 135% fitting for Nellie, too. Perfect choice!
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
02 John Zorn “Miller’s Crake” from O’o
I could have put on some more skwoky Zorn, but I opted for a more accessible number. John Zorn is prolific, but this was actually a slow year – I only count six Zorn-related releases. O’o is twelve lyrical and adventurous instrumentals combining world music, surf, exotica, soundtracks, easy listening, and minimalism dedicated to twelve different birds (Chippy’s artwork is amazing). “Miller’s Crake” is a delightful Guaraldi-esque jaunt from the band that came out of the Electric Masada / The Gift / The Dreamers sessions: Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
03 Extra Golden “Gimakiny Akia” from Thank You Very Quickly Vol 3
I was planning on going to Eugene Celebration anyway, but I got a call from a friend who suggested that we meet and definitely go to see Extra Golden. Um, OK, sure. Then I saw them, and wow… fuuuuun. I love African music, but sometimes it’s gets all too similar unless you do something fun (a la Fela Kuti, Antibalas, etc). Well, Extra Golden are half Kenyan and half American (which I guess is the “something fun” part? I don’t know). They fuse some great jam-rock with Kenyan beats* and singing… great stuff. Fantastic live show, too. *-Though, coincidentally, not so much Kenyan beats on this track. Yeah, sorry.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
04 Ember Swift “Hollowed Bones 空骨” from Lentic :: 子玉
Ember Swift (yes, her real name) is finally starting to head in a new direction. I mean, I dig her a lot, but her past albums have been slightly derivative of Ani DiFranco (with maybe a little more adventurism). She’s from Canada, but has spent time living in China recently. In fact, I think she’s still living there (don’t quote me on that)… that culture has definitely had an impact on her music.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
05 Works Progress Administration / Glen Phillips “Rise Up” from Works Progress Administration
This song first showed up on the Concert to End Slavery compilation as a Glen Phillips solo song. It’s my favorite from WPA, but it’s not very representative of the album. The album is more folky / americana via the heavy influence of Sean & Sara Watkins from Nickelcreek and Luke Bulla (from Lyle Lovett’s band).
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
06 Madeleine Peyroux “Damn the Circumstances” from Bare Bones
I am usually not a fan of vocal jazz… it’s usually too full of schlock, if you ask me. Well, Madeleine’s smoky voice overrides that generalism for me. She’s a fantastic vocalist, a throwback to the golden era of jazz vocalists. This album is her first of non-covers. All original, either written solo or co-written, Bare Bones moves her from a “fantastic standards” singer to bringing vocal jazz back into fresh territory.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
07 dredg “Gathering Pebbles” from The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
dredg is one of my favorite bands now. 2005’s Catch Without Arms floored me, and I was eagerly awaiting the follow-up. It took too long (4 years), but it was well worth it. The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion is by far my favorite album this year. It was inspired by Salmon Rushdie’s essay “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the Sixth Billionth Citizen.” In fact, this past fall, dredg and Salmon did a joint show that was captured by Spin magazine.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
08 Porcupine Tree “Flicker” from The Incident
The best progressive rock band around, Porcupine Tree’s The Incident is a 55-minute epic concept album/song. “Flicker” is actually a session b-side from the 2nd disc from the collection. I got a chance to see Porcupine Tree this September, and Steven Wilson & Co delivered the impeccable studio sound to the stage. It’s almost magic.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
09 O.S.I. “Terminal” from Blood
I really like this 3rd record by O.S.I. (formerly know as the Office of Strategic Influence). O.S.I. is a joint collaboration of Chroma Key’s Kevin Moore and Fates Warning’s Jim Matheos. Most of Blood is heavier progressive rock, but I tend to like the more Chroma Key-esque tracks like “Terminal.” The album has guests Gavin Harrison (of Porcupine Tree) on drums, Mikael Åkerfeldt (of Opeth) on vocals for one track, and Tim Bowness (or No-Man) on vocals for one track as well. The 2nd disc also features a Kevin Moore-sung, rockin’ tribute to Elliott Smith (“Christian Brothers”).
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
10 900X “The Black Beach” from Library Catalog Music Series: Music For Lubbock, 1980
Sufjan Steven’s label Asthmatic Kitty is really becoming a favorite. They host music by Sufjan, My Brightest Diamond, Fol Chen, Osso, and now the excellent experimentation from the various Library Catalog Music Series artists. The 900X release is my favorite of the six releases so far. I received the high quality mp3s from the record label for free, and I loved it so much that I bought it on vinyl.
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
11 Chali 2Na featuring Talib Kweli “Lock Sh*t Down” from Fish Outta Water
I’m still sad that Jurassic 5 broke up, but now we get albums from Portable Payback (Marc7 & Soup), Cut Chemist, DJ Nu Mark, Akil the MC, and, of course, Chali 2Na (my favorite from the group). Chali’s got that deep booming voice that makes you pay attention. This song’s lyrics (and video) are kinda cheesy, IMO, but it still features some nice flow from the “lyrical manphibian.”
«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»
12 Peter Mulvey “Vlad the Astrophysicist” from Letters From a Flying Machine
Storytelling has always been a fantastic part of Peter’s live shows. Nine years ago, when his first niece was born, Peter got into the habit of writing physical letters to his nieces and nephews (now 17 kids in total). This album is interspersed with spoken word letters and new music. I think it’s his strongest album since 2000’s The Trouble With Poets. I like a lot of different music, but with that being said, I think Peter is by far my favorite singer-songwriter. Support indie music!
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13 David Bazan “Curse Your Branches” from Curse Your Branches
I wanted to put on “Hard to Be,” but due to space limitations, I went for a shorter song. This is David’s first full-length solo album since disbanding the indie rock band Pedro the Lion. PTL was really David’s thing anyway; so him disbanding the band isn’t that big of a deal, if you ask me. This album also marks his first decided move away from the “religious guy” things into the “heavily agnostic thing” (kudos to him, from me at least). This album is peppered with his thoughts and doubts of his religious upbringing – even moreso than in his prior Pedro days. It very well called a “breakup letter to God” by some.
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14 John Zorn “Novato” from Alhambra Love Songs
Alhambra Love Songs is a set of 11 songs that are an eclectic homage to San Francisco Bay area musicians. This particular song is dedicated to Mike Patton (and, no, that’s not why I picked it). The album is played by pianist Rob Burger, bassist Greg Cohen, and drummer Ben Perowsky – and also falls into the “more accessible” John Zorn camp.
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15 Wussy “Little Paper Birds” from Wussy
This little band that could from Cincinnati is getting some good buzz in major publications (I know Spin has featured them several times). I went to college with their female lead singer, Lisa Walker, and remember when she did a more folky thing. I think Wussy’s sound suits her well (and vice versa). Anyway, this is their third record, and features some great songs from both Lisa and Ass Ponys’ Chuck Cleaver.
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16 The Dead Kenny G’s “Birther Blues” from Bewildered Herd
Prior to moving to the PacNW, I had heard of saxophonist Skerik via John Zorn and other avant-garde connections. I never got to hear him until I moved here and saw him at Sam Bond’s. He seems to be down here in Eugene every other month or so, in different band incarnations. The Dead Kenny G’s features Skerik on tenor sax & pianos, Mike Dillon on drums (who I recently saw drum with Ani DiFranco), and Brad Houser on bass & baritone sax.
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17 Ikue Mori “Redeye Skimmer” from Class Insecta
Ikue Mori is an interesting instrumentalist. She mostly utilizes a laptop, and I saw her play live with Ellery Eskelin & Jim Black in NYC in 2007 and was wowed by the improvisational nature of her craft. Most of her albums are more avant-garde. She has one album that I’d consider to be much more accessible (1995’s Painted Desert on Japan’s DIY/Avant label). Class Insecta is also more accessible than most of her work. I suppose if you like well composed, electronic music dedicated to insect species, it’s for you!
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18 Derek Webb “What Matters More” from Stockholm Syndrome
(bonus mp3) DOWNLOAD it >> http://www.derekwebb.com/387/WMM.zip
Stockholm Syndrome is an album that I’m bummed I didn’t get fit on the CD version of this compilation. It’s going to place fairly well in my year-end “Best of 2009” list. I think it’s the best thing Derek’s ever done, including Caedmon’s Call and prior solo work. It has a great overall vibe, and a message that I can agree with, even though I don’t agree with his religious philosophy. This song, while not the best on the album (IMO), has a great lyric and pro-gay marriage position and was actually banned by his independent Christian label (INO Records). He subsequently released an “uncensored” version of the album, and now has the song available for free on his site.
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Let me know what you think…
unfortunately missing (due to space or flow limitations, or that I simply didn’t get them in the mail yet): pop from Regina Spektor, Zero 7 & the Swell Season; jazz from Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy and A Single Sky, Masada Quintet + Lovano, and The Fantastic Terrific Munkle; comedy from Flight of the Conchords; and some metal Ahleuchatistas, Megadeth, Isis, Dream Theater, Puscifer, Tides From Nebula & Alice in Chains. Oh well, those may make it on my “favorite albums” of 2009 list.
~Dan – np: Puscifer – C is For…
there are no torrents, free mp3 or other downloads available
REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 11/6/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
So, last night’s show could have been presented by “Keep Portland Beard.” Every member of both bands sported beards (which, to be fair, had some dual members). I think beards and indie rock are like eye shadow and goth. Except at least the women of indie rock don’t have beards (not that I know of at least).
I drove by the venue around “doors” time… and the line was part way down the block. Yikes. As I parked my car and walked to the venue, I spotted David Bazan and some of his posse hanging out by the nearby burrito cart. He was on his mobile; so I opted not to bug him.
After a delicious hummus plate washed down by a McTarnahan’s Amber, SAY HI started… I found my seat at the awesomely cozy Mississippi Studios.
Say Hi is a trio, and they played what I’d call “power pop indie rock.” I mean, that’s my best explanation… very catchy, hooky – yet retaining that gristle and DIY charm of a touring group of guys. While Say Hi didn’t have the one-two writing & vocal punch of Neil Gust & Elliott Smith’s Heatmiser, I think Heatmiser is my closest comparison to Say Hi. Great pop songs in a rock setting, definitely enjoyable. They played about 40 minutes and, unfortunately, it flew by. But… they’re from Seattle; so they’re totally on my “auto notify” Pollstar radar now.
After a very short set break (5 minutes, maybe)… David Bazan (plus band) hit the stage…
The first time I saw David Bazan (December 2003 with Over the Rhine) was the only time I’ve seen him with a “band.” Even that time, it was a stripped down Pedro the Lion set with just David and T.W. Walsh (drummer). The singer of Say Hi joined David on guitar, the Say Hi bassist traded bass duties for guitar / keyboards / percussion. Blake Wescott joined on guitar, there was a new drummer, and David took care of bass (and guitar during the encore).
The set was a heavy David Bazan “solo albums” set, as expected. I’ve really been digging his latest album, Curse Your Branches; so I picked it up on vinyl last night. Most of the set was CYB stuff and Fewer Moving Parts material. He did throw in a few expected Pedro the Lions and Headphones songs as well…
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Hard To Be
- Please, Baby, Please
- I Do (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Bless This Mess
- Q&A #1
- I Never Wanted You (Headphones tune)
- Magazine (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Heavy Breath
- Q&A #2
- Cold Beer And Cigarettes
- When We Fell
- Lost My Shape
- Curse Your Branches
- Q&A #3
- Fewer Broken Pieces (aka Fewer Moving Parts)
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #4
- Keep Swinging (Pedro the Lion tune)
- How I Remember
- In Stitches
- Encore (David solo): Priests and Paramedics (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Will You Still Love Me In December (Julie Doiran cover)
- Q&A #5
- Harmless Sparks
Best David Bazan line of the night… “Infants are necessary, but they’re kinda bullshit.”
I loved David with a band. I think the highlight of the night for me, though, was Say Hi. I usually don’t expect to like an opener, and I like being pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have enough coin to get some Say Hi music last night, but I plan to in the near future.
Another highlight… David’s Q&A sessions are also usually a fun aspect of his shows – it really makes a Bazan show more personal and intimate. Most of the questions surrounded his recent “coming out” as an atheist-leaning agnostic after many years in the Christian indie rock scene. I always loved his candor and questioning of things in religion, even when he considered himself to be a Christian and I had moved out of that camp. I, honestly, don’t think his lyrical themes changed all that much. His Q&A answers last night were more along the lines around around tolerance, regardless of religious beliefs or non-beliefs. Personally, I’m glad to have him in the more doubtful camp. However, above that, I’m glad that he’s not trying to be divisive with things like faith and his “falling from faith.” We should move towards being different than the prior generations who don’t know tolerance.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan on MySpace
- Pedro the Lion on MySpace
- Say Hi’s Site
- Say Hi on MySpace
- BrooklynVegan’s NYC 10/18 Review
- Fan videos from the Chicago show: video #1 – video #2
- Mississippi Studios
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Lowell Brams, Sufjan Stevens & Bryce Dessner – Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Insomnia
DAVID BAZAN & SAY HI PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Recent/Upcoming Tour Dates
- 10/01 – San Francisco CA – Independent
- 10/02 – Costa Mesa CA – Detroit Bar
- 10/03 – San Diego CA – Casbah
- 10/04 – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
- 10/05 – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
- 10/07 – Austin TX – Mohawk
- 10/08 – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
- 10/09 – Memphis TN – Hi-Tone Café
- 10/10 – Murray KY – Lovett Auditorium / Murray State
- 10/11 – Birmingham AL – Bottletree
- 10/13 – Orlando FL – The Social
- 10/14 – Atlanta GA – Drunken Unicorn
- 10/15 – Chapel Hill NC – Cat’s Cradle
- 10/16 – Washington DC – Black Cat
- 10/17 – Philadelphia PA – Kung Fu Necktie
- 10/18 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
- 10/20 – Cambridge MA – TT the Bear’s +
- 10/21 – Montreal QC – Il Motore
- 10/22 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
- 10/23 – Pontiac MI – Pike Room
- 10/24 – Chicago IL – TBA
- 10/25 – Champaign IL – Highdive
- 10/27 – Madison WI High – Noon Saloon
- 10/28 – Minneapolis MN – Turf Club
- 10/29 – Iowa City IA – The Picador
- 10/30 – Lawrence KS – Jackpot Saloon
- 10/31 – Omaha NE – Slowdown
- 11/01 – Denver CO – Hi Dive
- 11/02 – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
- 11/05 – Vancouver BC – Media Club
- 11/06 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
- 11/07 – Seattle WA – Neumos
House Shows - 12/9 – Detroit, MI – 8pm – tickets available on db.com
- 12/10 – Cleveland, OH – 8pm – tickets available
- 12/11 – Columbus, OH – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/12 – Indianapolis, IN – 5pm – tickets available
- 12/12 – Indianapolis, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/13 – New Haven, IN – 5pm – tickets available
- 12/13 – Ft. Wayne, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/14 – Goshen, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/15 – Lansing, MI – 8pm – tickets available