Archive
Favorite Albums & Concerts of 2016
- Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial (lo-fi indie rock) fave song: “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” (#6)
- Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) – Swallowed by the New (singer-songwriter) fave song: “Criminal Career” (#3)
- Sia – This Is Acting (pop) fave song: “Alive” (#2)
- Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (rock) fave song: “Ful Stop” (#5)
- Wussy – Forever Sounds (lo-fi indie rock) fave song: “Dropping Houses” (#1)
- Holy Fuck – CONGRATS (groove electronic) fave song: “Tom Tom” (#2)
- Elliott Smith – Heaven Adores You (indie rock) fave song: “Plainclothes Man” (#6)
- Steve Taylor & the Danielson Foil – WOW to the Deadness -EP- coffin (indie rock) fave song: “Wow to the Deadness” (#1)
- Circle of Dust – Machines of Our Disgrace (hard industrial) fave song: “Machines of Our Disgrace” (#2)
- Lily & Madeleine – Keep It Together (singer-songwriter duo) fave song: “For the Weak” (#2)
- Charlie Hunter, Bobby Previte, and more – Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth (jazz) fave song: “No Money, No Honey” (#7)
- Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Otis Was a Polar Bear (jazz) fave song: “Fuster” (#1)
- David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) – Blanco (indie rock) fave song: “Little Landslide” (#7)
- Anna Tivel – Heroes Waking Up (singer-songwriter) fave song: “Black Balloon” (#2)
- The Jelly Jam –
ProphetProfit (prog rock) fave song: “Care” (#1) - Dave Douglas’ High Risk – Dark Territory (jazz with electronics) fave song: “Celine” (#1)
- Amendola vs. Blades – Greatest Hits (jazz) fave song: “Lima Bean” (#1)
- Damien Jurado – Visions of Us on the Land (indie rock) fave song: “Exit 353” (#11)
- Greydon Square – Omniverse : Type 3 : Aum Niverse (rap/hip hop) fave song: “Defiant” (#5)
- Elysian Fields – Ghosts of No (sultry indie rock) fave song: “Shadows of the Living Light” (#11)
- Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) – 4 ½ -EP- (prog rock) fave song: “My Book of Regrets” (#1)
- Opeth – Sorceress (prog metal) fave song: “Will o’ the Wisp” (#4)
- Scandroid – Scandroid (keyboard electronic) fave song: “Aphelion” (#3)
- The Claypool-Lennon Delirium – Monolith of Phobos (weird rock) fave song: “Cricket and the Genie, Movement I: The Delirium” (#2)
- Kaada & Patton – Bacteria Cult (ambient experimental) fave song: “Immodium” (#7)
- {8 Apr} Peter Mulvey w/ Anna Tivel :: Alberta Rose Theatre :: Portland, OR
- {22 Apr} Sufjan Stevens, BØRNS, Parov Stelar, LCD Soundsystem & more :: Coachella 2016 :: Indio, CA
- {23 Apr} CHVRCHES, Guns N’ Roses, Gary Clark Jr., Ice Cube, GoGo Penguin & more :: Coachella 2016 :: Indio, CA
- {24 Apr} Sia, Kamasi Washington, Wolf Alice, Joywave & more :: Coachella 2016 :: Indio, CA
- {16 Jun} Holy Fuck :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR
- {25 Jun} Flight of the Conchords with Eugene Mirman :: Keller Auditorium :: Portland, OR
- {28 Jul} Ozomatli :: HiFi Music Hall :: Eugene, OR
- {29 Jul} Weird Al Yankovic :: Cuthbert Amphitheater :: Eugene, OR
- {13 Aug} Buster Keaton’s The General film with live score by Mark Orton, Carla Kihlstedt, Matthias Bossi, Todd Sickafoose :: Bohemia Park :: Cottage Grove, OR
- {29 Oct} Failure presents Fantastic Planet’s 20th Anniversary :: Star Theater :: Portland, OR
- {9 Nov} Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket :: Alberta Rose Theatre :: Portland, OR
- {17 Nov} Car Seat Headrest :: The WOW Hall :: Eugene, OR
REVIEW: Tomahawk @ Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR – 2/13/13)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Being a longtime Mike Patton fan, I got into Tomahawk right when the self-titled debut hit in 2001. Mike Patton stated early on that Tomahawk was led by Duane Denison (from The Jesus Lizard). It comes and goes at Duane’s pace. With that, Tomahawk has tended to change a fair bit from album to album. While Mit Gas (2003) was fairly similar to the debut in approach, the shape-shifting sound really caught me off-guard with their Native American-inspired third album – Anonymous (2007).
Their latest album, Oddfellows, hit two weeks ago. I’ve let it sink in a bit. It’s a bit more “straight-forward” rock than their prior albums. Still some Patton & Denison-isms thrown in to make it buck the normal rock trend. Overall, it’s a solid record and I’ve been warming up nicely to it, getting ready for the show.
Their official video for the song “Oddfellows” came out late last week. This is the one song on the album that I could see on the final Faith No More album (sandwiched in between Home Sick Home & Pristina perhaps)… it just has that “feel” to me…
The opener was Retox… and they played 30 minutes of homogenous tunes that were fairly screamy with muddy-drumming. Nothing else to say there…
Tomahawk hit the stage a bit later than expected… at about 10pm after a 45-minute loop of the “Tomahawk Chop” chant (think Atlanta Braves cheering section, but with no game). The band this go around is the previously mentioned Mike Patton on vocals/keys/sounds and Duane Denison on guitars with original Helmet drummer John Stanier and Mr. Bungle/Fantômas/Trio Convulsant/many more groups/NYC jazz bassist Trevor Dunn.
They played a great mix from their four records – showcasing the difference in the band’s catalog and the variety in Patton’s voice. As this was the start to the tour, they seemed amped to be out there. At one point during “God Hates A Coward,” Patton got a bit overzealous and yanked the cord out of his mic. He got us to help him out, and while that’s oddly not a song where the “crowd takes over” technique would seem to fit, we worked through the technical difficulty well.
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Oddfellows
- Flashback
- 101 North
- Stone Letter
- Birdsong
- Rape This Day
- Baby Let’s Play ____
- Capt. Midnight
- White Hats / Black Hats
- God Hates a Coward
- I.O.U.
- Rotgut
- South Paw
- Point and Click
- Waratorium
- Laredo
- Encore 1: Totem
- Stalkin’ [Duane Eddy]
- *Encore 2: Pay To Cum [Bad Brains]
- Just One More [George Jones]
*per FB & Setlist.fm commenters
Apparently they came back on after the 1st encore. The house lights had already come on, and I was out the door before I heard anything; alas, I missed the 2nd encore. Damn! I’m still stoked to have gotten to see them live – it had been far too long!
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Tomahawk’s Site (Ipecac Records)
- Tomahawk’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Retox’s Site / Facebook
- Other Related Reviews~
- Trevor Dunn solo (Eugene – Jan 2012)
- Moonchild Trio (Seattle – Nov 2007)
- Trevor Dunn solo (Eugene – Jan 2012)
- Wonder Ballroom’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
This was only the second date of the West Coast U.S. Tour; so definitely check out more tour dates below. They’re hitting Australia after the U.S. West Coast and then hitting the rest of the U.S. hopefully later in the year.
Next show for me… two shows at the PDX Jazz Fest next weekend in Portland (Steve Kuhn Trio & Steven Bernstein’s Sex Mob).
~Dan – np: Tomahawk – Mit Gas
TOMAHAWK PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2013 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Tomahawk – West Coast & Australia 2013 Tour
- 2/12 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market
- 2/13 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
- 2/15 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- 2/16 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- 2/17 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
- 2/19 Los Angeles, CA The Mayan
- 2/23 Brisbane, AUS RNA Showgrounds
- 2/24 Sydney, AUS Olympic Park
- 2/26 Sydney, AUS Metro Theatre
- 2/27 Melbourne, AUS Billboard the Venue
- 3/1 Melbourne, AUS Flemington Racecourse
- 3/2 Adelaide, AUS Bonython Park
- 3/4 Perth, AUS Claremont Showground
- 3/30 Sao Paolo, BR Lollapalooza Brazil
- 4/2 Buenos Aires, AR Malvinas Argentinas Stadium
- 4/4 Santiago, CH Teatro La Cupula del Parque O’Higgins
- 4/6 Santiago, CH Lollapalooza Chile
Tomahawk “Stone Letter” video & West Coast Tour
Tomahawk’s fourth album, Oddfellows, comes out Jan 29, 2013. They released a 7″ single for “Stone Letter” on RSD 2012 Black Friday, and now we have a video and some Feb 2013 West Coast tour dates… I already got my Portland ticket!
Tomahawk w/ Retox West Coast Tour
- Feb. 12, 2013 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
- Feb. 13, 2013 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
- Feb. 15, 2013 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
- Feb. 16, 2013 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
- Feb. 17, 2013 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
- Feb. 19, 2013 – Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theater
Tomahawk is Mike Patton (vocals, keys & effects), Duane Denison (guitars), John Stanier (drums) and Trevor Dunn (bass). Oddfellows can be pre-ordered now in both CD & vinyl.
~Dan – np: Hasidic New Wave – Kabalogy
Mike Patton scores ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’
This just in from Ipecac…
We wanted to let you know, that Mike Patton just wrapped up his score for the much buzzed about film, The Place Beyond the Pines. This is the new film by acclaimed director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), who chose Patton to provide the music.
The film stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne. It got rave reviews at the recent Toronto International Film Festival and is slated for a 2013 release.
The Place Beyond the Pines is the multi-generational story of a motorcycle stunt rider (Gosling), who considers committing a crime in order to provide for his newborn child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician (Cooper).
~Dan – np: Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind
Tomahawk – mini-tour & 7″ Waratorium
Tomahawk are hitting the road briefly this fall to warm us up for their mid-winter release.
Fall 2012 Tour dates:
October 27 Nashville, TN Exit/In
October 28 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Music Experience
October 29 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre
October 31 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
November 1 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s
November 2-4 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest
Tomahawk will preview music from their new album Oddfellows (due out Jan 2013 on Ipecac Recordings) with the release of a 7″ vinyl single titled Waratorium on 11/23/2012 (Record Store Day/Black Friday). The b-side will be an original etching by famed cartoonist and comics scholar Ivan Brunetti. A digital release for the single follows a week later.
Tomahawk is Duane Dennison (The Jesus Lizard/Unsemble), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle/Fantômas/Melvins Lite), Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle/Faith No More/Mondo Cane/etc) and John Stanier (Battles/Helmet). The teaser for the upcoming album is here:
~Dan – np: Fear Factory – The Industrialist
Mike Patton’s many bands – infographic
Mike Patton, a founding member of Mr. Bungle and a replacement member for the more successful Faith No More, goes far beyond those two bands. Even before the start of his label Ipecac Recordings, and definitely continuing afgterwards, his offshoots and one-offs are VAST… this Mike Patton infographic tries to tie the history down through now…
(click for larger – it’s massive)
It’s put together by Pedalja for Russian website Svinovik.ru. Some of the separate drawings are on this blog.
They’ve got their work cut out for them, if they plan on keeping this up-to-date, as it’s already out of date. (Seriously, Mike’s a busy guy.)
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Valtari
Mike Patton / Ictus Ensemble – Laborintus II
Update 5/17/12 for youtube excerpt below…
Mike Patton & the Ictus Ensemble is putting out Laborintus II in July 3, 2012, on Ipecac Recordings. The cover art is below…
This is presumably taken from live recordings from Holland Fest 2010. More news as it’s available.
Also, Mike Patton-related, if you missed the Record Store Day 2012 3-LP boxset from Tomahawk called eponymous-to-anonymous over the weekend, there are allegedly 5,000 copies floating around per Ipecac news; so you may have decent luck finding it this week at your local indie stores (or eBay). Tomahawk’s 4th album is due out late Summer/early Fall 2012.
“Laborintus (Excerpt)”
~Dan – np: Sufjan Stevens & Rosie Thomas – Hit & Run Vol 1
Guano Padano’s 2 featuring Mike Patton
No word on when this will hit the US market, but Italian band Guano Padano is releasing their 2nd album, 2, on March 13, 2012 (today!). It doesn’t show up in the US Amazon store (yet), but the whole album is streaming on Rolling Stone Italy. The track “Prairie Fire” features Mike Patton on vocals…
~Dan – np: John Zorn & Bobby Previte – Euclid’s Nightmare
Moonchild & Melvins Lite
The upcoming Moonchild record will be the first to feature lyrics that John Zorn has written for Mike Patton to sing. Prior Moonchild albums have been trio affairs of noise/jazz metal glossolalia from Patton, Trevor Dunn (bass) and Joey Baron (drums) with a smattering of guests musicians like Ikue Mori, Jamie Saft and Marc Ribot. The sixth (!!) Moonchild release is set for a 2012 delivery on Zorn’s Tzadik Records. Based on info from Chippy (Tzadik’s art designer), the album name may very well be called Templars.
Here’s some more tidbits from the mixing/mastering crew:
Other related news… Trevor Dunn is also involved in the new stripped-down Melvins Lite band with the Melvins “core” members: King Buzzo and Dale Crover. The debut album from this evolution of the band comes out in June 2012 on Patton’s Ipecac Recordings…
Source: Ipecac
Oh, Freak Puke… such lovely imagery…
~Dan – np: Celldweller – Soundtrack for the Voice in My Head Vol 2, Ch 2
Tomahawk – Eponymous to Anonymous (RSD 2012 vinyl)
On Record Store Day 2012 (aka 4/21/12), Tomahawk will release its first three albums on vinyl – their first time ever in this format. The vinyl boxset sleeve for “Eponymous to Anonymous” will also contain a space for their upcoming fourth record on vinyl as well (currently TBD)…
Source: Tomahawk FB page
For those not in the know, Tomahawk is the super-group led by Duane Denison on guitars/songwriting (The Jesus Lizard, U.S.S.A., etc) that features Mike Patton on vocals (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Mondo Cane, Moonchild, etc), John Stanier on drums (Helmet, Battles, etc), and Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr Bungle, Trio Convulsant, MadLove, Moonchild, etc).
Their breakout debut (Tomahawk out on Ipecac in 2001) is amazing… the other two vinyls in the RSD2012 set are Mit Gas and Anonymous… also great from the ever-evolving group:
Again, Record Store Day 2012 is April 21. Find out about more RSD2012 releases HERE.
~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The Dreamers – O’o
A ton of new stuff from SECRET CHIEFS 3 (7″ with MIKE PATTON + 12″/shirts)
All of this should be available on the upcoming Secret Chiefs 3 West Coast (USA) Tour (dates below), but you can also now order them online…
NEW MERCH FOR 2012 FROM SECRET CHIEFS 3
WOM042 – Traditionalists: Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile Exile 7″
La Chanson de Jacky
In 1965 Jacques Brel wrote and recorded a fiery three verse chanson exploding with the anxiety, bravado and panic faced by someone stretched to a midpoint across the abyss — to find oneself suspended between mediocrity and genius, villainy and heroism, doom and eternity, etc. In 1967 the nearly equally inimitable Scott Walker brilliantly re-interpreted Brel’s Chanson in English, to equal parts controversy and acclaim in the Anglosphere. In 2012, both versions of the tune have collided in an Anglo-Franco alliance, revealing perhaps an ever-implicit third dimension. It’s a stunt simultaneously ill-advised and absolutely necessary for a band like Secret Chiefs 3: Traditionalists to undertake — and one that could only be pulled off with someone uniquely qualified to take command of the vocals. Who other than the maestro Mike Patton, in this day and age, to do justice (and then some) without insult to such a preposterously Spartan legacy?
The Western Exile
One of the main themes from Secret Chiefs 3’s 2004 album “Book of Horizons” receives a more spaghetti-seasoned marination in the crimson blood-soaked cemeteries of occidental exile. Not a chump re-mix, this is an entirely new thunderhead-evoking arrangement and recording, back-dated with a few more horsemen of the Apocalypse casting shadows over the Cowboys and Indians for cinematic effect. Already a well-proportioned auditory and philosophical compliment to its flipside, this recording is also one of the precious few Secret Chiefs 3 recordings graced with the voice and viola of Anonymous 13.
Read more about the 7″ and purchase here.
Also available: three new Secret Chiefs 3 t-shirts:
Secret Chiefs 3 also available on 12″ vinyl (US customers only)
Secret Chiefs 3: First Grand Constitution & Bylaws 12″ vinyl
Secret Chiefs 3: Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws: Hurqalya
2012 West Coast Tour Dates
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – One Size Fits All
* Favorite Instrumental Albums of 2011 *
As I start this post, I will say that this is all very subjective and really put together for my own purposes. I’ll also state that, yes, some of the music below does have some vocals (i.e.- the Goddamn Electric Bill & Mike Patton CDs). For the most part, it’s sequestered to a track or two on a long CD of mostly instrumental goodness. My list, my rules, and/or my breaking of the rules. With that being said, all of the artists below tend to be in the jazz and instrumental frame of reference anyway.
As said before… 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. 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. Some 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…
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 Cyro Baptista’s Banquet of Spirits plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 17 (Caym) :: The Masada Book two series is some of my favorite music coming out of Tzadik. Banquet of the Spirits is the touring band of Latin percussionist Cyro Baptista, a long time Zorn collaborator. Each track touches upon a different world tradition, steeped in Zorn’s klez-jazz score. Lyrical and moving and fun!
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 Artichaut Orkestra – T For Teresa :: Featuring four young musicians from Toulouse, Artichaut Orkestra mix jazz, klezmer and classical music, blending rock energy with improv. This is their debut record, and I’m definitely looking forward to more coming from them in the near future.   |
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 Curtis Macdonald – Community Immunity :: To be honest, this was an impulse purchase. One of my favorite record labels is Greenleaf Music – founded by my favorite living trumpet-player Dave Douglas. I was picking up some new music from DD and figured, “eh, what the hell!” I was impressed with Curtis’ melodic compositions and emotive alto sax playing. |
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 Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will :: Stunning double-disc set from post-rock’s Scottish kings. I’ll still probably forgo seeing them live again (too loud, beyond their needs), but they put out some amazingly beautiful music. |
 (3 CDs) |
 John Zorn – Nova Express / At the Gates of Paradise / A Dreamer Christmas :: Three discs made the cut of the six Zorn releases in 2011. Nova Express combines quirky atonal classical lyricism with a touch of the cut up techniques of Naked City and virtuosity of the Masada songbook. Zorn scored this for Joey Baron (drums), Trevor Dunn (bass), John Medeski (piano), and Kenny Wollesen (vibes).  Paradise features the same band as Nova Express, brings some Medeski organ into the mix and adds more of Zorn’s “mystical” ambiance. The Dreamer Christmas album was an oddity for me. Why would a Jewish jazz musician put out a Christmas album? Because he can! The Dreamers is one of my favorite Zorn-assembled ensembles: Joey Baron (drums), Cyro Baptista (percussion), Trevor Dunn (bass), Marc Ribot (guitars), Jamie Saft (keys), and Kenny Wollesen (vibes). Very accessible, but not smooth jazz! Adventurous! Mike Patton joins them on the final track for a croon-y “chestnut roasting.” The holiday album was also put out as a 12″ vinyl and a 7″ single – both with gorgeous artwork and design by Chippy. |
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 yMusic – Beautiful Mechanical :: The yMusic Ensemble had a kickstarter earlier this year for their debut album – with songs composed by Son Lux, Annie Clark, Shara Worden (aka My Brightest Diamond), Saraha Kirkland snider (who penned a favorite album Penelope last year), and Gabriel Kahane. Their string-heavy, indie chamber rock approach excites me. Being the musical backdrop for My Brightest Diamond’s All Things Will Unwind album (my #2 vocal album in 2011) doesn’t hurt. |
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 Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich – Nine Days Wonder :: Peter Mulvey has toured all over the US and the world for about 2 decades. Some of the first times I saw him in concert, he had “Goody” with him on backing guitar. They don’t get a chance to tour together much lately, but they did find some time to hole-up inside a studio to write and record some instrumental guitar duets. While I love Peter’s vocal storytelling, it’s nice to hear his and Goody’s instrumental interplay tell a different story.  |
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 Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz :: GdEB is the one-man brainchild of Jason Torbert. He hits the spot for organic electronic meets post-rock for me. Ambient at times, melodic other times. His latest work has featured some vocals, but he’s primarily a groove-induced soundscape kind of guy. Chirps and glitches, too. Excellent stuff! |
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 The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash :: The Dead Kenny Gs is a duo started by saxophonist Skerik and drummer/vibes Mike Dillon in 2004. shortly thereafter, they started adding Brian Haas, keyboard genius, when he is able, as well as Brad Houser, bassist from another Skerik band – Critters Buggin. They push through the jazz/rock minefield to fight “injustice, cheese, and dishonesty in music, and society.” |
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 Talkdemonic – Ruins :: Portland-based chamber-indie-post-rock… goodness. So much sound from two people. If you’re in Portland, they’re playing a big NYE show tonight… if in Eugene, they’ll be through our way (at Sam Bond’s) on Feb 24th. Not to be missed! |
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 Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers :: I had to put this album as #13. This chiefly instrumental album is a tribute to the book (by Paolo Giordano) and film of the same name. The score is 16 tunes spread out over a 53 tracks, with the only tracks with content being 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, and 53. *slow clap* Clever, Mr. Patton! For people who bought the CD, you can thank me for entering in the info to CDDB (t’was a pain). The score/album fits more with his prior score for A Perfect Place – more accessible when compared to Patton’s usual schizophrenic output. The packaging design is also brilliant – a gorgeous die-cut leaf that fold outwards. I’d always recommend getting physical releases from Ipecac versus the digital download version.
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 Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil :: Skerik, Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento (who replaced Charlie Hunter) and Mike Dillon make their way through Oregon quite a bit. They are a sight to see – you don’t know exactly what kind of show you’ll get, but it’s definitely a fun time. Fun, groove-oriented “new jazz.” |
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 Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care :: If not jazz, this list is also overtaken by post-rock. it’s a love of mine, and Explosions in the Sky are one of the best in that game. Epic, sweeping guitars crashing over a hearty drum & bass end. This is another album where I’d recommend the physical edition – the case can be unfolded to form a model of a house, where if viewed from the inside, the view from the door of the house is overlooking a tornado across a plain.
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 Erik Friedlander – Bonebridge :: I started 2011 seeing Erik perform his John Zorn-penned Volac album in its entirety… brilliant and moving. Later in the year, he came out with Bonebridge – a new band/concept that takes his Broken Arm Trio (with Trevor Dunn & Mike Sarin) and adds slide guitar player Doug Wamble to the mix. What you get is a perfect chamber-Americana-jazz album. I hope there are more where this came from… |
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 Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) :: Kevin Moore’s main projects are the trippy/sample-heavy Chroma Key & heavier prog collaboration band O.S.I. (with Jim Matheos). Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük Kiyamet (“Little Apocalypse“). It came out in early 2011 after a successful Kickstarter in 2010. The next album from O.S.I. comes out in February 2012 on Metal Blade. I can almost guarantee it will be my Top album of 2012, and I haven’t heard a shred of it yet. |
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 Reptet – At the Cabin :: This Seattle-based jazz sextet is fuuuuuuuuuun – both on record and in the live setting. I wish the distance on I-5 between me and them wasn’t 5-6 hours, as I’d see them far more often if I could.
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 Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss, Dan Phelps – Modular: Sonic Explorations :: Gorgeous soundscapes from Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss, and Dan Phelps. The Modular Project is the collaboration of the aforementioned musicians working together to “discover what the spontaneous and organic manipulation of sound can yield. Inspired by the world around them, they set out to discover what it might sound like when continents shift, clouds form, and roots push through soil.” The track, “Everest,” features one of my favorite cellists – Eyvind Kang (who has worked with Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Mike Patton). It’s a great mix of cello, vibes and soaring atmosphere. The album is only available digitally or on vinyl (it’s a luscious triple-gatefold!)… |
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 Dave Douglas – Three Views: GPS Series – Rare Metals, Orange Afternoons & Bad Mango :: Originally released as the “Greenleaf Portable Series” (download only), these three different releases in 2011 finally got a proper physical (boxset) release. Dave’s prolific writing comes out with different bands on each record: Rare Metals features Dave’s most recent band Brass Ecstasy; Orange Afternoons features a specially put together quintet with Ravi Coltrane, Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh, and Marcus Gilmore; and Bad Mango paired Dave’s trumpet with So Percussion’s marimba, drumset, glockenspiel, musical saw, toy bells, shruti box, crotales, and more. Three very different records tied together with Dave’s fantastic playing.
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 Tides From Nebula – Earthshine :: This Polish post-rock group won my heart in 2009 with their debut, Aura (in 2009). They continue to tease me with emails or news that says “tour” until I open and can’t pronounce the names of the cities that they’re hitting. Drat! At least their music will keep me company! Earthshine is perfect for those fans of Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and the like… and seeing as it beat out both those groups on my 2011 list, well, that should tell you something as well.
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 Michael Kelsey – Submerged :: Michael Kelsey is a HUGE amount of what I miss from the Midwest music scene. He’s a musical genius – rarely paralleled on the frets. Seeing him live (which I did any chance I could) was a site to behold. His records do their best to capture his virtuosity, but they usually fail to capture his energy, too. Catching fire in a bottle is tough. Regardless, this one is a gem and also marks his first all instrumental affair. Check him out, and if you live within a state or two from central Indiana, I count you a lucky one. Go see him if he stops by your town.
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 Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 :: More riff-oriented and melodic compared to the prior drone doom albums, Earth bring a cello into the mix for the first time and create an ominous soundscape that is both elegant and dreadful. The follow-up, Angels & Demons 2, comes out in Feb 2012… and you can almost guarantee it’ll rise to the top of my list next year as well.
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Note: Ric Hordinski’s Arthur’s Garden (which made it on my 2011 Mix) is technically a 2012 release, hence its absence above.
Where do I get most of these jazz and other instrumental releases? My #1 favorite source for jazz is Downtown Music Gallery in New York. Manny and Bruce and their great staff are superb… and being the official distributor for John Zorn’s Tzadik doesn’t hurt my affection for them. I usually do a monthly Tzadik order (if the releases strike my fancy), and they have a ton of other non-Tzadik jazz and avant-garde releases as well.
And, no, I’m not affiliated, I don’t get a commission, and beyond my initial “big tax refund / gotta get caught up on Zorn order of 2005,” I haven’t gotten a discount with DMG. I just love and support what they do.
Enjoy the New Years’ weekend!! Be safe! See you in 2012.
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 Vocal Albums ‘11 are *HERE*
- 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
John Zorn w/ Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn & John Medeski
These posts from Tzadik mixer extraordinaire Marc Urselli made me giddy…
Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn & John Medeski together on a future John Zorn release?! Excellent! It’s not listed on the Tzadik upcoming releases page, yet…
~Dan – np: Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra – MTO Plays Sly
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane (Full Concert in HD)
Hat-tip to stubbadub… 80 minutes… the full Mike Patton Mondo Cane show in Santiago, Chile on Sept 21, 2011. Pro-shot in High Definition… behold…
Tracklist (approximate, may not be accurate)
00:00 Il Cielo in Una Stanza
03:32 Che Notte!
07:02 Ore d’Amore
09:44 20 KM al Giorno
13:08 Quello Che Conta
16:03 Urlo Negro
18:57 Legata ad un Granello di Sabbia
23:02 Deep Down
26:19 Pinne, Fucile ed Occhiali
29:04 Scalinatella
32:18 L’uomo che non Sapeva Amare
35:37 Ma l’Amore no
39:34 Canzone
43:15 Ti Offro da Bere
45:44 Dio Come ti Amo
49:45 Storia d’Amore
54:02 Lontano, Lontano
57:01 O Venezia
01:01:10 Yeeeeeeh!
01:03:13 Senza Fine
01:08:37 Que He Sacado Con Quererte (Violeta Parra)
01:10:17 Una Sigaretta
01:13:50 Sole E Malato
01:17:10 Presentacion de los músicos de Mondo Cane
Fantastically shot, this is what may possibly become the Live DVD release on Ipecac Recordings… so, just like the Amsterdam concert from a few years back, watch it now, it may disappear from the internets before you know it.
~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane – pro-shot footage from Chile
It appears there’s a televised, pro-shot Mike Patton/Mondo Cane performance from the Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile.
Seeing as our chances of a North American tour came and went, here’s hoping it shows up as a live DVD on Ipecac sometime in the near future.
Here’s also an interview with some more live footage (including some Moonchild!)… it’s long (over 50 minutes)…
~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Ghost Repeater
Zorn Christmas CD/LP/45 (out now)
Originally mentioned here, the John Zorn / The Dreamers Christmas album is out now on Tzadik. The CD, limited edition vinyl and limited edition 45 rpm 7″ vinyl can be ordered now via Tzadik’s official retailer: Downtown Music Gallery.
The CD & vinyl will also be at Amazon (by Oct 11th), but the 45 rpm single will only be at DMG. It’s also available via Amazon & iTunes as well in mp3 digital download format (but why would you ever get something like this in lower fidelity?)…
The Dreamers band is Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista… and the album also features Mike Patton crooning “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”
~Dan
Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers [Nov 2011]
Update 10/17: the CD is now available to order.
FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton, moved by the Paolo Giordano novel The Solitude Of Prime Numbers and having contributed music to the movie of the same name, has created a 16-track release that boasts some of the most contemplative and stirring music of his multi-faceted career with Patton describing the release as a personal “sonic departure.” The album, titled “Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)”, has been set for a November 1 release via Ipecac Recordings.
Where Patton’s projects (FANTÔMAS, MONDO CANE, TOMAHAWK) often thrive on abrupt transitions and multi-layered instrumentation, “The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” collection boasts a cinematic feel that allows instruments an individual voice, emphasizes isolated notes and subtly transitions from piece to piece, acutely capturing the introspective and reflective feel of the novel. The album’s intricate packaging further conveys this dramatic and minimalistic approach, with a multi-panel digipak featuring a leaf cut out, embossed with a locking mechanism.
“The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” was released in 2008 and quickly became a national sensation in Italy where it sold over one million copies before it was translated into thirty languages worldwide. The novel tells the story of two individuals, Mattia and Alice, whose lives parallel each other in uncanny ways, like twin primes: both lonely but close to each other, separated by an even number. In 2010, a movie based upon the book, starring Isabella Rossellini and directed by Saverio Costanzo (“Private”, “In Memory Of Myself”) was released.
“Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)” features a unique arrangement with each track sequentially numbered with the first 16 prime numbers:
Tracklist
02. Twin Primes
03. Identity Matrix
05. Method of Infinite Descent
07. Contrapositive
11. Cicatrix
13. Abscissa
17. Isolated Primes
19. Radius of Convergence
23. Separatrix
29. The Snow Angel
31. Apnoea
37. Supersingular Primes
41. Quadratix
43. Calculus of Finite Differences
47. Zeroth
53. Weight of Consequences
~Dan – np: Tori Amos – Night of Hunters
Fantômas – The Director’s Cut Live: A New Year’s Revolution (DVD)
Tracklist:
The Godfather
Night of the Hunter
Cape Fear
Experiment in Terror
One Step Beyond
Rosemary’s Baby
The Devil Rides Out
Spider Baby
The Omen (Ave Satani)
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
Vendetta
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Der Golem
Charade
Intermission
Simply Beautiful [Al Green]
Chariot Choogle [Marc Bolan & T Rex]
No word on pre-order info yet… I’ll post a link once it’s available on the Amazons.
Fantômas is a noise-metal supergroup: Mike Patton on voice and electronics (Faith No More/Mr Bungle/Mondo Cane/Peeping Tom/Tomahawk/Moonchild/etc), Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr Bungle/Secret Chiefs 3/many John Zorn projects), King Buzzo on guitars (the Melvins), and Dave Lombardo on drums (Slayer). The Director’s Cut is their second album of re-imagined mystery/horror/suspense movie scores… this is their front-to-back live recording of it from 12/31/2008.
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Takk…
Mike Patton’s voice in ‘Tintin’ movie (maybe?)
From movieweb…
Director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson bring the beloved adventures of Hergé’s roving reporter Tintin to life in the motion-capture adventure The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, which features performances from Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Cary Elwes, and Nick Frost. A new image from the movie has been released, which features Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his faithful terrier Snowy (Mike Patton) pouring over a piece of evidence. Check it out below.
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn comes to theaters December 23rd, 2011.
If this is true, I’ll put this in the “glad he’s getting voice over work to help pay for his non-mainstream musical output” category for me. I quick peek at IMDB doesn’t list him or the character Snowy. Per CacaVolante (a Mr Bungle-themed tumblr), Patton’s management has not confirmed it. For now, let’s put it in the rumor mill…
~Dan – np: Silverchair – Young Modern
John Zorn – The Dreamers’ Christmas (Tzadik 2011)
Update 10/7: go back HERE for CD/vinyl/45 rpm/mp3 download ordering info.
Posted on (Tzadik designer) Chippy’s Facebook page earlier this weekend…
The biggest surprise of the year is John Zorn’s beautiful Christmas CD. Zorn has hand picked seven of his favorite Christmas songs, penned two lovely originals and they are performed here in classic Dreamers style with plenty of exciting solos, exotic colors and catchy lyricism. Filled with a joyful holiday spirit, innocence, a touch of nostalgia and a charming lyricism, this is music for all ages that will make you smile with delight from the very first notes. As a special treat, vocalist Mike Patton delivers an intimate and heartfelt rendition of “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” making A Dreamers Christmas an instant classic, and an essential CD for any contemporary Christmas celebration.
This album will also feature The Dreamers band: Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, and Cyro Baptista. It will be out in CD and vinyl LP.
My guess is it’ll hit in October or November as Tzadik tends to not release anything in December. I’m looking forward to it. I mean, I tend to not like Christmas music that much (there are only a few). I find it funny that a record label entrenched in Jewish music and jazz would put out a Christmas album with Santa on it… but, well, that’s John Zorn for you. Not following the protocol.
And that’s why we love him!
Update 7/28, the cover for the 45rpm vinyl single…
~Dan – np: Silverchair – Frogstomp
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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