Archive
The Jelly Jam – Shall We Descend
The Jelly Jam, a rock super-group from Ty Tabor (King’s X), John Myung (Dream Theater) and Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs), is coming out with their 3rd CD titled Shall We Descend next month on Molken Music (pre-orders soon). They’ll be streaming the first song later this month (stay in tune with their Facebook page).
1. Who’s Comin’ Now (4:26)
2. Stay Together (4:26)
3. Halos In Hell (6:28)
4. Same Way Down (5:20)
5. Barometric Reign (4:58)
6. March Of The Trolls (4:13)
7. Questions (2:34)
8. Shall We Descend (4:38)
9. Come Alive (2:49)
10. Ten (8:18)
~Dan – np: John Zorn – A Dreamers’ Christmas
REVIEW: Melt Banana @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 10/1/11)
Melt Banana started off their two month U.S. tour with an initial stop at the WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday. Their last time through Oregon, the Tokyo-based screamo/noise metal band didn’t stop here, and the freezing rain & severe winter fog kept many Ducks who wanted to trek up to Portland away. Not so this time… and I made it there just in time to catch their blistering set.
Agata shredded up the guitars, making dental exams seem pleasant. Yako was a sandstorm of power and unexpectedness on vocal duties… and charming in between songs. The drum & bass battery (presumably Takiya & Rika) propelled the blasts of music forward.
It’s one thing to hear this band on record, it’s quite another to see them live. They’re going all over the U.S.A. from now until late November! Catch them (dates below). They’re also working on a new album, out in 2012.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Melt Banana’s Site
- Melt Banana’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Other Related Reviews~
- Jeff Matarrese’s photos in ODE (Eugene 10/1)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next shows for me… Chromeo & Opeth at the Roseland (Portland) in a couple of weeks!
~Dan – np: John Zorn – At the Gates of Paradise
MELT-BANANA PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
MxBx 2011 U.S.A. Tour Dates
- 10/1/2011 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
- 10/2/2011 Star Theater Portland, OR
- 10/3/2011 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
- 10/4/2011 The Badlander Missoula, MT
- 10/6/2011 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
- 10/8/2011 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
- 10/9/2011 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO
- 10/10/2011 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
- 10/11/2011 The Mill Iowa City, IA
- 10/12/2011 Nutty’s Sioux Falls, SD
- 10/13/2011 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN
- 10/14/2011 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
- 10/15/2011 Cactus Club Milwaukee, WI
- 10/16/2011 Subterranean Chicago, IL
- 10/17/2011 Cicero’s St. Louis, MO
- 10/18/2011 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
- 10/19/2011 The Historic Southgate House Newport, KY
- 10/20/2011 Mac’s Bar Lansing, MI
- 10/22/2011 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
- 10/23/2011 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
- 10/25/2011 Wrongbar Toronto, ON
- 10/26/2011 Il Motore Montreal, QC
- 10/27/2011 T.T. The Bear’s Cambridge, MA
- 10/28/2011 The Space Hamden, CT
- 10/29/2011 Santos Party House New York, NY
- 10/31/2011 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
- 11/1/2011 The Red Palace Washington, DC
- 11/2/2011 Ottobar Baltimore, MD
- 11/4/2011 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
- 11/5/2011 The EARL Atlanta, GA
- 11/06/2011 The Engine Room Tallahassee, FL
- 11/08/2011 Backbooth Orlando, FL
- 11/09/2011 Crowbar Tampa, FL
- 11/10/2011 Double Down Gainesville, FL
- 11/11/2011 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL
- 11/12/2011 Caledonia Lounge Athens, GA
- 11/13/2011 The End Nashville, TN
- 11/15/2011 BottleTree Birmingham, AL
- 11/16/2011 Alabama Music Box Mobile, AL
- 11/17/2011 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX
- 11/18/2011 The Prophet Bar Dallas, TX
- 11/19/2011 The Mohawk Austin, TX
- 11/20/2011 Jack’s Patio Bar & Grill San Antonio, TX
- 11/22/2011 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
- 11/23/2011 Hollywood Alley Mesa, AZ
- 11/25/2011 The Bunkhouse Las Vegas, NV
- 11/26/2011 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
- 11/27/2011 Echoplex Los Angeles, CA
- 11/28/2011 Harlow’s Night Club Sacramento, CA
- 11/29/2011 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco , CA
“Sad But Superstitious” (Video: Stevie Wonder vs Metallica)
I love this…
Stevie Wonder “Superstition” mashed up with Metallica “Sad But True.”
~Dan – np: Tesla – The Great Radio Controversy
Opeth “The Devil’s Orchard”
From Sufjan to Opeth… yeah, that’s how I roll. Here’s “The Devil’s Orchard” (opens in new window):
It’s from Opeth’s upcoming album, Heritage, out in Sept 20th on Roadrunner.
~Dan – np: Opeth – Heritage
REVIEW: A Perfect Circle @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 6/29/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
A Perfect Circle [APC] is a beautiful collaboration between music-writer Billy Howerdel (Tool guitar tech, Ashes Divide frontman) and lyricist Maynard James Keenan (Tool & Puscifer frontman, winemaker). Their first album, Mer de Noms, took the artistic approach that is also in Tool’s world into a more mainstream hardrock setting. They dug deep into addiction-themed lyrics on their follow-up, The Thirteenth Step, and then got really politically bent on eMOTIVe (which was released on the day we failed as Americans by electing George W Bush for a 2nd term). WTF!? Anyway, sorry for my personal injection… here is their oeuvre to peruse if you are unfamiliar:
Their last full-length studio album (the aforementioned eMOTIVe) also showed less songwriting and way more covers… Lennon, Costello, Marvin Gaye, Zeppelin, Devo, Black Flag, Joni Mitchell, Depeche Mode, and more. Its political nature was maybe a last “rock the vote” push in the 2004 Presidential election? Well, the peace and war and political conflict from 2004 is still here in 2011. It’s different, but alas it’s still here. I think that album is still very relevant… while APC plans on releasing some new material in the near future (digital format initially), the first thing I noticed when I showed up at the Schnitzer on Wednesday night was their stage setup: camouflage curtains, ammo boxes, and military-like gear littered the stage.
This was their first show of the six-week tour… Was the show going to be a musical battle-zone? Maynard has been quite theatrical with his live shows lately (see my Puscifer Nov ’09 review links below), but APC tends to be a different beast… Maynard in Puscifer is the outgoing one, in APC is a bit reserved, and in Tool is many times cloaked and hidden for 75% of the show.
Before digging into APC’s set, the opener…
The opener was a Japanese noise-pop hardrock trio Red Bacteria Vacuum. The reviews I’ve read have really dissed them. I’m a fan of this type of thing (poppy Tsu Shi Ma Me Re & noisy Melt Banana); so I dug them plenty. Plus they were cute a button when exchanging words with the crowd… “please… to… eat you.” Nice 30-minute sugar punk from Japan. I didn’t have my photo pass issue sorted out for their set. Photo above courtesy of Meats Meier.
Well, the 90 minute set from A Perfect Circle seemed less like a battle zone than the stage lead us to believe. Not as much energy as the props suggested (a generally more subdued Maynard sticking to his perch, etc). As far as song selection, they played a decent mix of their originals material, but the night was really heavy on the covers. While I like their “making the song theirs” in the approach, I was hoping for more of the rawness and angst from their original tunes…
Setlist: 90 minutes
- Annihilation [Crucifix] (false start)
- Imagine [John Lennon]
- Weak and Powerless
- The Hollow
- What’s Going On [Marvin Gaye]
- People Are People [Depeche Mode]
- The Outsider (lyric flub)
- (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? [Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello]
- When The Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin]
- The Noose
- 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix)
- Gravity
- Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie [Black Flag]
- Orestes
- Passive
- Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
- The Fiddle and the Drum [Joni Mitchell]
- By and Down [new song]
No encore
I was hoping for “Judith” and perhaps the Failure cover “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” but it was still a highly enjoyable night. While there were a few flubs, it was their first tour date in a while, and they pulled off quite an entertaining show. Maynard explained, “I’m closer to 50 than 40” in an attempt to get some forgiveness. The band didn’t talk much, outside of a few brief apologies from Maynard and the band introductions. The band was Maynard on vocals, guitarist/co-founder Billy Howerdel, guitarist/keyboardist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl (filling in for Josh Freese who is currently out with Weezer).
I don’t think you can go wrong with any of Maynard’s bands. This year promises some new music & tour from Puscifer, some new music from A Perfect Circle, and potentially some Tool (they’ve been in a writing phase, but they take longer). If APC is hitting your next of the woods, do your damndest to make it out to the show…
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- APC’s Site
- APC’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Red Bacteria Vacuum’s Site
- Red Bacteria Vacuum’s Facebook / MySpace
- Other Related Reviews~
- Oregon Music News APC 6/29/11 review (with my photos)
- SPIN magazine APC 6/29/11 review (with some more professional shots)
- Puscifer Night 1 (Portland – Nov ’09)
- Puscifer Night 2 (Portland – Nov ’09)
- The Schnitzer’s PCPA Site / Facebook
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Portland Cello Project at Alton Baker Park / Art & the Vineyard on 7/4.
~Dan – np: Klezmerson – Siete
A PERFECT CIRCLE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld / Pacificlectic,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
APC 2011 Tour Dates
- May 22 – Columbus, OH @ Rock on the Range
- June 29 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- June 30 – Kent, WA @ Showare Center
- July 2 – Gibbons, AL @ Boonstock Festival
- July 4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
- July 6 – St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
- July 8 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
- July 9 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
- July 12 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
- July 13 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
- July 15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
- July 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing – Festival Pier
- July 17 – Washington, DC @ Constitution Hall
- July 19 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
- July 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
- July 22 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
- July 23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
- July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
- July 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
- July 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Memorial Auditorium
- July 30 – Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
- August 1 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
- August 2 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- August 8 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbent
- August 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
- August 10 – Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre
- More information & more dates: http://www.aperfectcircle.com/
APC setlist (6/29/11)
Brief post with A Perfect Circle’s setlist from tonight (Portland, OR, 6/29/2011 @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall). Any help on the two missing songs, let me know… my photos and longform review to be posted by the weekend…
UPDATE 7/1: review & photos posted HERE.
Setlist: 90 minutes
- Annihilation [Crucifix] (false start)
- Imagine [John Lennon]
- Weak and Powerless
- The Hollow
- What’s Going On [Marvin Gaye]
- People Are People [Depeche Mode]
- The Outsider (lyric flub)
- (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? [Elvis Costello]
- When The Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin]
- The Noose
- 3 Libras (Remix)
- Gravity
- Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie [Black Flag]
- Orestes
- Passive
- Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
- The Fiddle and the Drum [Joni Mitchell]
- By and Down [new song]
No encore
Secret Chiefs 3 – 2011 North American Tour (wave 1)
Posted this morning… Secret Chiefs 3 tour dates…
really looking forward to playing the US again!
thanks to bookers and all promoters for making it happen well!
(don’t worry west coast, it’s being planned)
8/31 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah- 9/1 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
- 9/2 Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
- 9/3 TBA, QC (details in Aug),
- 9/5 Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Mile End
- 9/6 Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle
- 9/7 Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
- 9/8 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
- 9/9 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Lounge
- 9/10 Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
- 9/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
- 9/13 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
- 9/15 TBA
- 9/16 Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
- 9/17 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
- 9/19 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
- 9/20 Raleigh, NC @ Local 506
- 9/22 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
- 9/23 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
- 9/24 Lexington, KY @ Buster’s (Boomslang Fest w/Swans and Sir Richard Bishop)
News about Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson’s next solo album, Grace for Drowning, coming tomorrow…
~Dan – np: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium 
Vegan Black Metal Chef #2 – All-Star Medley
If you came here for the U2 Seattle review, GO HERE.
New today, the second episode of Vegan Black Metal Chef… making an “all-star redneck medley”… three recipes:
- mashed potatoes, corn & baked beans
- brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and red pepper sauteed in truffle oil, and
- vegetable pasta upon the throne of the apocalypse
Befriend on the Facebox
Subscribe on the YouTubes
Subscribe to the VBMC Blog
Did you miss VBMC episode 1: Pad Thai?
~Dan – np: Remy Zero – Villa Elaine
Opeth’s Heritage (goofy cover art)
Behold, the cheesy-as-hell-looking cover art for Opeth’s upcoming album Heritage (out 9/20/2011 on Roadrunner)…
I just checked, it’s not April 1st again. Does June 1st represent a similar joke day in Sweden? Seriously… their faces as fruit on the tree? Seriously, you guys. I think it’d actually be an OK album cover without the heads on the tree thing. With it, though, I classify this as a “death metal fail.”
And, I can’t make out which band member is in the lower right. Should he be fearful for his job?
~Dan – np: U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Austrian Death Machine “Get to the Choppa”
With Arnold Schwarzenegger being all over the news lately… well, here’s a video of a death metal band with robot guitar solos in an homage to the Austrian former-bodybuilder’s role in Predator!
Seriously… robot guitar solos!!!!!
It’s from Austrian Death Machine’s 2007 album Total Brutal (on Metal Blade).
~Dan – np: Radiohead – In Rainbows
Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar #4
Celldweller’s 4th installment of Wish Upon A Blackstar comes out June 28th. The artwork was just released yesterday… dark and fiery like the last three issues (1–2–3), and the first to show Klayton/Celldweller on the cover. More details about its release when pre-ordering goes live.
The 5th installment should hit in late 2011. Two years in the making. Slow and steady must be Klayton’s motto.
~Dan – np: Radiohead – In Rainbows
Vegan Black Metal Chef #1 – Pad Thai
This was uploaded 4 days ago, and I thought it fitting to post for Friday the 13th. Behold, the first episode of Vegan Black Metal Chef… making vegan pad thai!
Befriend on the Facebox
Subscribe on the YouTubes
Subscribe to the VBMC Blog
~Dan – np: Poundhound – Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
REVIEW: Mankind & Kari Spohn @ Wandering Goat (Eugene, OR – 4/29/11)
On Friday, Eugene photographer Kari Spohn and Eugene “post-something” band Mankind hit the Wandering Goat with two very different artistic openings. Kari’s black & white photography was throughout the coffee shop… her opening starting at 5:30pm. I dig her work – very “beauty in the everyday” and nice use of lines in concrete and steel in my opinion.
Delightful bites of caprise bread slices and sounds from the espresso machine’s froth fuzz soon gave way to the post-rock / post-metal bombast from Mankind at 6pm…
photo by Wes Hurd
Mankind is a great find for post-rock fans in Eugene. They played a fairly tight set of some fantastical heavy instrumental music that sucks you in. Mankind is James Madson on bass, Joe Harvey & John Hurd on guitars and Courtney Stubbert on drums. For fans of Explosions in the Sky, think a touch heavier. “Explosions in the Isis” perhaps. Definitely recommended for fans of Explosions, Isis, Mogwai, et cetera. And I’m glad Mankind are in Eugene. I look forward to seeing them play a show where they can stretch their legs – the Goat’s stage is a bit small!
And don’t worry… the sonic takeover of the art opening wasn’t intended as a clash. It was a compliment to the photography (Kari and Mankind are kindreds).
Over at Bandcamp, you can download (for free) the first batch of demos from Mankind. You won’t be disappointed:
http://mankind.bandcamp.com/The Appropriate Linkage:
- Mankind’s Site
- Mankind’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Kari Spohn’s Flickr / Twitter
- Wandering Goat’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… possibly Tin Hat at the Mission Theater (Portland) on 5/19 or Blackfield at Aladdin (Portland) on 6/1. Or, I assume some other stuff will pop-up in May…
Breaking news as I was writing this review up… Barack Obama announced that a special force killed Osama bin Laden! Mission Accomplished (for real this time)! I’m not celebrating the death, but rather the justice.
Death Metal vocalist warming up in the studio
’nuff said…
~Dan – np: Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
Sneak peak at OSI #4? New My Brightest Diamond album?
Yesterday, Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, OSI, ex-Dream Theater) posted on his twitter a video that based on the sound seems like it may be a sneak peak at the fourth OSI album:
(twitvid opens in new window)
Also, an unrelated twitter news blast as well…
Shara Worden (aka My Brightest Diamond) noted that she’s going into the studio on Friday to record her next album, and then shortly thereafter hinted to the name of said album – Everything is in Line.
Score two for new media…
~Dan – np: Derek Webb – Fuck You (by Cee-Lo Green)
Kevin Moore collaborates on songs with In Progress
More news from Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, OSI, ex-Dream Theater) brought to us from The Mooreatorium…
Experimental rockers In Progress announced that Moore has collaborated with the band on three songs slated to appear on its forthcoming EP, North Athlantic Echoes. The collaboration materialized last year when In Progress’s keyboardist Jake Rosenberg – who is among the fans credited in Moore’s Shine album – reached out to Moore through his Kickstarter webpage and proposed the idea. Moore’s contributions to the three songs include drum programming, backup vocals and additional production.
“We are still doing final tracking on the EP, but are looking to have it completely wrapped, mixed, and mastered by mid-July,” band member John Dillon told The Mooreatorium. “We intend to do a small physical run of copies once we have material/art finalized.”
The band’s debut album, titled Signal Failure, was released in December and features Mark Zonder on drums. Zonder is the former drummer for Fates Warning and also worked with Moore on Chroma Key’s 1998 debut album, Dead Air for Radios.
To hear an unmastered version of In Progress’s upcoming single, “Chasing Ghosts,” featuring Moore, click below.
In Progress’s “Chasing Ghosts”:
http://soundcloud.com/inprogressmusic/chasing-ghosts
Stay tuned at: http://www.facebook.com/inprogressofficial
~Dan – np: Piano Magic – Seasonally Affective: 1996-2000
New Incubus album (is done)
I like Incubus.
Sure, they started as a Mr Bungle wannabe band (Fungus Amongus), and morphed into a Faith No More wannabe band (SCIENCE / Make Yourself), and then morphed into a quite popular mainstream rock band (Morning View/etc), and then their last studio work was mainly instrumental (the CD companion to the Look Alive DVD). Brandon Boyd is a great vocalist (a la MB/FNM’s Mike Patton) plus he’s dreamy (yeah, he’s on my switch team), Mike Einziger is an interesting guitarist/composer (straddling rock and avant-garde), DJ Kilmore brings some flavorful turntablism to the mix, and the rest of the guys hold it down mighty fine… mighty fine, indeed.
This just got posted to their webpage…
The long awaited 6th studio album from Incubus is completed! True to the Incubus legacy, this record is nothing like its predecessor, but still maintains the quintessential Incubus vibe. Stay tuned for more updates from Enjoyincubus.com.
Woot. There are also plans for Pacific Rim touring in 2011, and U.S. tour this summer… per Brandon Boyd’s recent interview on Noisecreep, he believes that the new Incubus album will be out in August or September. No official release date has been announced.
Update 4/1 (not expected as an April Fool’s Day joke):
Incubus sent out an email on 4/1 with a link to a website (http://adolescents.enjoyincubus.com/). The website is merely a splash page with “Adolescents / If Not Now, When? 4/4 6pm PST” on it. Is Adolescents the name of the album? Something else? Check that page on 4/4/11 @ 6pm (PST) to find out…
~Dan – np: Glen Phillips – Live at Largo
Blackfield – Waving (music video – 2011)
The first single from Blackfield’s 3rd album Welcome To My DNA… “Waving”…
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree / No-Man / etc) & Aviv Geffen are taking Blackfield on the road in North America this spring. The album is on-sale at Amazon…
~Dan – np: PfR – Them
Kevin Moore (Chroma Key/OSI) finally on the social…
Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, OSI, ex-Dream Theater) is finally on the social networks…
Kevin Moore’s Twitter
Kevin Moore’s Facebook Page
OSI band page
Some news on the 4th OSI album…
Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree has just laid down drum tracks on a handful of new OSI songs. Jim [Matheos] and Kevin continue to write and record material for the fourth OSI album, their first with Metal Blade Records. Mixing is slated for June 2011.
~Dan – np: Eyal Maoz & Asaf Sirkis – Elementary Dialogues
dUg Pinnick on Al Shire & the Henchmen’s new album
From Blabbermouth… in the realm of “when does dUg take time off?“…
dUg Pinnick of King’s X laid down guest vocals on the Al Shire & the Henchmen‘s song “Know Your Lie” from the new record, Fate Out of Tragedy, due out later this month. Al Shire is the guitar tech for King’s X’s Ty Tabor.
More info:
http://www.reverbnation.com/alshire
In related news, dUg will join Pearl Jam‘s Jeff Ament and Mike McCready on the debut Tres Mountains tour (I’m hitting the Seattle date). Read more about that tour and new album HERE.
~Dan – np: Charlie Parker – With Strings
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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