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Favorite Concerts of 2012
Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Northwest on the concert front… 366 days, 85 shows, 144 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos… my best albums lists will likely push off into mid-January (due to being busy & heading out on vacation), but here are my favorite concerts of 2012…
My favorite concerts of 2012:
- Secret Chiefs 3 :: WOW Hall :: Eugene, OR {6 Feb} [review with photos] – I saw them twice on this tour, and both shows were great. The Eugene show gets the nod mainly because it was first in the order. :)
- Roger Waters presents Pink Floyd’s The Wall:: Rose Garden :: Portland, OR {22 May} [review with photos] – Wow. I don’t even think The Wall is in my Top 5 of Pink Floyd albums, but holy cow, this was an amazing show. Truly stunning.
- Radiohead :: Key Arena :: Seattle, WA {9 Apr} [review with photos] – A phenomenal band that keeps making me drive multiple hours anytime I want to see them! I’ll gladly continue, though.
- Sufjan Stevens presents the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice :: Aladdin Theater :: Portland, OR {6 Dec} [review with photos] – I hate Christmas music, but this spectacle of wonderment warmed me over.
- Puscifer :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {14 Mar} [review with photos] – A wine tasting and a concert from rock’s favorite frontman? Yes, please.
- Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 :: WOW Hall :: Eugene, OR {18 Mar} [review with photos] – I love Nigerian music, and anyone with the last name of “Kuti” should come with a mandate that you go to the show.
- “Weird Al” Yankovic :: Lane County Fairgrounds :: Eugene, OR {18 Aug} [review with photos] – A long, many be-suited set of songs. Saying it was a “fun time” would be an understatement.
- Over the Rhine :: The Triple Door :: Seattle, WA {17 Nov} [review with photos] – It had been too long since seeing Over the Rhine (a year). I got spoiled when I lived in Cincinnati; so now Ive got to get my OTR fix when I can. This was a gorgeous night.
- Levi Weaver :: my house :: Eugene, OR {16 Jul} [review with photos] – Going to an intimate house concert is great. I recommend it. Hosting an intimate house concert – doubly so!
- Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst :: 3 venues :: 3 Oregon cities {17-19 Oct} [recap with photos] – Story time from two stupendous singer-songwriters.
- Dan Deacon :: Hawthorne Theatre :: Portland, OR {25 Oct} [recap with photos] – Dancing some asses off.
- Sigur Rós :: Edgefield :: Portland, OR {9 Aug} [review] – This was my first time at Edgefield and also my first time seeing Sigur Rós in an outdoor venue. Plus side on a great venue, but a slight knock for loving how Sigur Rós works within a theater setting. A great show regardless of venue, though.
- Fiona Apple :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {26 Jul} [review] – A bit spastic, but a phenomenal performer. A mix of her new and old tunes, truly great show!
- Nellie McKay :: The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts :: Eugene, OR {2 Mar} [review with photos] – I saw her four times this year, and they all rank well. I’ll see Nellie any time she comes through. She’s always a delight!
- Portland Cello Project plays Radiohead’s OK Computer :: The Majestic Theatre :: Corvallis, OR {21 Sep} [setlist] – While I would have gone a different route than a men chorus for the vocal aspect (i.e. the one song with a regular vocalist was the best one), this was a very special night.
Runners-Up: My Brightest Diamond in Tacoma (Sep) – only because it was a short set, Penn & Teller in Vegas (Jan), Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity in Vegas (Jan), Trevor Dunn & Travis LaPlante at the Wandering Goat (Jan), and Skerik’s Bandalabra at Cozmic (Mar).
Disappointment: the absurd volume of Jack White at the Hult Center (May).
My favorite concert photos of 2012: (in chronological order)
(all images are free to use under a creative commons designation,
simply identify Daniel Temmesfeld with a
photo credit and link to pacificlectic.com.
Past Favorite Concerts Lists:
- Favorite Concerts 2011
- Favorite Concerts 2010
- Favorite Concerts 2009
- Favorite Concerts 2008
- Favorite Concerts 2007
Favorite music of 2012 will be coming in a few weeks (unless I can squeak them out sooner)… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums…
~Dan – np: George Hrab – Coelacanth
Puscifer “Donkey Punch The Night” EP in Feb 2013
Just posted on Puscifer’s facebook page…
Puscifer’s Donkey Punch The Night coming Feb 19, 2013. The 8-song release track listing:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody “O.G. Mix”
2. Breathe
3. Dear Brother
4. Balls To The Wall “Pillow Fight Mix”
5. Breathe “Drumcell rework”
6. Dear Brother “Denton rework” (Big Black Delta)
7. Balls To The Wall “Silent Servant El Guapo Mix”
8. Bohemian Rhapsody “Sonoio rework”
Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) about the collection:
While continuing our tradition of releasing a few new songs at a time. I also had an itch that needed scratching, and that itch was ‘Balls To The Wall.’ Which was followed by an even harder to reach itch known as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ And scratch them we did.
~Dan – np: Paul Motian Trio + Two – Live at the Village Vanguard
REVIEW: Puscifer @ the Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 3/14/12)
Fourth time seeing Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer. Always a treat! I opted out of the hassle of doing the photo pass on this 2nd leg, as I wanted to catch Carina Round’s set and not miss the intro video or any of the Puscifer set like I had to back at the 1st leg kick-off in Seattle in Nov 2011. Thus… ALL PHOTOS posted on this review are from the official Puscifer photographer and/or Meats Meier (see FB photo album).
I did the VIP soundcheck & wine tasting again (I’m a sucker for that)… Soundcheck performance was again stripped down acoustic on both songs – “The Chain” [Fleetwood Mac] and the personal favorite “The Humbling River” (with Carina Round on banjo).
For the wine, this time we tried the Arizona Stronghold’s Mandala (2010) & Mangus (2010) and the Caduceus Cellars’ Nagual de la Naga (2010). The Mandala was nice, had a very sweet and somewhat tart nose, but definitely a dry/balanced finish. It’s still young, but was an interesting viognier white wine blend. The next two were reds, and I liked them more. The Mangus was very drinkable. It was a “super Tuscan” primarily sangiovese blend – sweet, fruity, a little buttery in the mouth-feel. My favorite of the night was the Nagual de la Naga. It would have been perfect with a rich meal… this cabernet savignon, merlot, and sangiovese blend was only bottled a week before the tour started; so it was definitely a young wine. Despite its age, it was full bodied and beautiful to drink now.
Carina Round opened the show. She’s a great rocker singer-songwriter who also backs Maynard on vocals during the Puscifer set… she seemed more comfortable than the last tour go around. Her band was made up of a majority of the Puscifer live band. She had a lot of energy, and a high kick near the end of the set gave those of us in the front rows a special treat. She left the stage, and shortly thereafter the video intro started with Billy D (played by Maynard), Hildy, Cherry Piles, Peter Merkin, and other odd characters.
The show started out the same as Seattle… with Maynard wheeling out a small airstream camper. He set up some tables and chairs and talked about sustainability and what they’re trying to do with Puscifer (listen to the Fall 2011 monologue from NC).
The show overall was very similar to last year’s leg, which is fine with me… it’s a great set of songs, a fantastic light show, and a paradox of high technology with a stripped down feel. The song selection was also quite similar, except for the middle of the set we got “Potions” and “Mama Sed” instead of “Polar Bear” and “Indigo Children”…
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Maynard Monologue while setting up camper/stage
- The Green Valley
- Tiny Monsters
- Vagina Mine
- Dozo
- Toma
- The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
- The Weaver
- Rev 22:20 [Carina Round on lead vocals]
- Potions
- Momma Sed
- Oceans
- Monsoons
- Horizons
- Conditions of My Parole
- Man Overboard
- Telling Ghosts
- The Undertaker
- Tumbleweed
No Encore
This is a brilliant tour for a brilliant album. The western feel also fits extremely well with the newer mellower songs… tumbleweeds blowing by, fake campfire, and a dazzling electrical storm…
Don’t have Conditions of My Parole yet? I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Puscifer’s Site
- Caduceus Cellars (Maynard’s wines)
- Puscifer’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Carina Round’s Site
- Carina Round’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Puscifer @ Roseland #1 w/ wine tasting (Portland – Nov 2009)
- Puscifer @ Roseland #2 (Portland – Nov 2009)
- A Perfect Circle (Portland – June 2011)
- Puscifer @ Paramount w/ wine tasting (Seattle – Nov 2011)
- PCPA/Arlene Schnitzer’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below… the dates are winding down; so if you missed it, you’ll have to try next time!
Next shows for me… Seun Kuti @ WOW Hall (3/18) and Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic (3/20).
~Dan – np: John Zorn – IAO: Music in Sacred Light
Puscifer Winter Tour 2012
February
23 Austin, TX – Long Center for the Performing Arts
25 Baton Rouge, LA – River Center Theatre
26 Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
28 Nashville, TN – Andrew Jackson Hall
29 Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre
March
1 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theatre
3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
4 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
6 Kansas City, KS – Kansas City Music Hall
7 Omaha, NE – Omaha Civic Auditorium
10 Edmonton, AB – North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11 Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
13 Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
14 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
16 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
17 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center
18 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts
Puscifer last night on Jimmy Kimmel
Maynard James Keenan just got off the road with a few Tool dates, and he’s about to hit the road again with Puscifer (dates at the bottom). They swung by Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and played “Telling Ghosts” and “Toma“…
Conditions of My Parole is a brilliant record; so I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far). Last year’s tour was one of my favorite shows of the year… if they swing by you this coming month, go see ’em!
Puscifer Winter Tour 2012
February
23 Austin, TX – Long Center for the Performing Arts
25 Baton Rouge, LA – River Center Theatre
26 Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
28 Nashville, TN – Andrew Jackson Hall
29 Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre
March
1 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theatre
3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
4 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
6 Kansas City, KS – Kansas City Music Hall
7 Omaha, NE – Omaha Civic Auditorium
10 Edmonton, AB – North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11 Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
13 Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
14 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
16 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
17 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center
18 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Godard/Spillane
Puscifer “Telling Ghosts” (official video)
The official David Lynch-ian video for Puscifer “Telling Ghosts” is now posted on their official YouTube account…
It was shot by Tim Cadiente (Barton Perreira) and Meats Meier (3D Art Space) and edited by Mat Mitchell (Puscifer). The video brings me right back to seeing them in Seattle in November 2011 (review with photos here).
Get the amazing album, Puscifer’s Conditions Of My Parole, over HERE.
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Them Or Us
Favorite Concerts of 2011
Well, this year was once again good to the Pacific Northwest on the concert front… 365 days, 67 shows, 132 artists, many long nights driving home, and a lot of photos…
My favorite concerts of 2011:
- Puscifer :: Paramount Theater :: Seattle, WA {7 Nov} [review with photos] – brilliant new album, fantastic stripped down/meets over the top tour!
- U2 & Lenny Kravitz :: Qwest Field :: Seattle, WA {4 Jun} [review with photos] – one of the biggest tours ever doesn’t disappoint
- My Brightest Diamond :: Mississippi Studios :: Portland, OR {6 Nov} [review with photos] – Shara’s gorgeous voice works well even in a solo setting
- Peter Mulvey :: three shows :: Eugene/Creswell/Corvallis, OR {10-12 Nov} [3-show review with photos] – yes, I’m an addict, but I can’t pass up any chance to see Peter in my neck of the woods…
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor :: Crystal Ballroom :: Portland, OR {18 Feb} [review, no photos] – surreal and amazing!
- The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl):: The Woods :: Portland, OR {28 Jan} [review with photos] – pure pop brilliance, Sean takes after his father…
- Nels Cline Singers :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {30 Jan} [review with photos] – avant garde guitar experimentation…
- Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) & Glen Hansard (of The Swell Season) :: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall :: Portland, OR {14 Jul} [review with photos] – Glen is a great singer-songwriter, and Eddie is an amazing performer (this time, mainly on ukelele)…
- Explosions in the Sky / MusicFest NW :: Pioneer Courthouse Square :: Portland, OR {10 Sep} [no review] – I had to scuttle from this show to a follow-up MFNW show, but this was definitely a highlight…
- Pomplamoose :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR {27 Oct} [review with photos] – the youtube stars make good with a real tour… A+!
- Over the Rhine :: Aladdin Theater :: Portland, OR {17 Nov} [review with photos] – OTR will always be a favorite
- Opeth :: Roseland Theater :: Portland, OR {16 Oct} [review with photos] – no cookie monster screams, I missed them, but Opeth still doesn’t disappoint.
- Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two (Book of Angels, Volume 8: Volac) :: The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts :: Eugene, OR {8 Jan} [review with photos] – an amazing cellist playing a amazing book of melodies
- Toad the Wet Sprocket :: Downtown Bend Celebration :: Bend, OR {8 Jul} [review with photos] – anytime Toad or lead singer GLen Phillips are playing in my radar, I’m going!
- Jeffrey Foucault :: Cozmic Pizza :: Eugene, OR {20 Oct} [review with photos] – Jeffrey is quickly becoming a favorite songwriter of mine, full of grit and charm…
Runners-Up: Reptet at Luckey’s (Jan), Elton John at Matthew Knight Arena (Feb), A Perfect Circle at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (June), The Dead Kenny G’s at Sam Bond’s Garage (July), and Jason Webley & Mood Area 52 at WOW Hall (Oct). Even after honorable mentions, I cut some GREAT ones… 2011 was a great year.
My favorite concert photos of 2011: (in chronological order)
(all images are free to use under a creative commons designation,
simply identify Daniel Temmesfeld with a
photo credit and link to pacificlectic.com.
Past Favorite Concerts Lists:
Favorite music of 2011 will be coming soon… EPs/DVDs/etc, vocal albums, instrumental albums…
~Dan – np: Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra – MTO Plays Sly
Puscifer announce Winter 2012 tour dates
updated Dec 13, 2011 & Jan 9, 2012 with a few new dates
PUSCIFER’S CONDITIONS OF MY PAROLE TOUR 2012
All shows on sale Friday, Dec. 16. VIP ticket packages available simultaneously at http://puscifer.frontgatetickets.com
The new Puscifer album, Conditions of My Parole, is available now at Puscifer.com, Amazon.com, iTunes and at independent record stores. Conditions of My Parole is a brilliant record; so I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).
Check out my review (with photos) from the 1st date of the 1st leg of the tour in Seattle (11/7/11) over HERE. They’re heading out in late winter 2012 on a 2nd leg…
February 2012
23 Austin, TX – Long Center for the Performing Arts
25 Baton Rouge, LA – River Center Theatre
26 Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
28 Nashville, TN – Andrew Jackson Hall
29 Louisville, KY – Brown Theatre
March 2012
1 Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theatre (new date)
3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
4 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
6 Kansas City, KS – Kansas City Music Hall
7 Omaha, NE – Omaha Civic Auditorium
10 Edmonton, AB – North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
11 Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
13 Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
14 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
16 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts (new date)
17 Riverside, CA Fox Performing Arts Center (new date)
18 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts
I’ll be at the Portland gig! More dates may still be announced.
~Dan – np: Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers
REVIEW: Puscifer @ Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA – 11/7/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
A 6 week tour from Puscifer with no Oregon date? Well, pack up and drive to Seattle is what I’ll do! Seeing as Conditions of My Parole is vying quite strongly for one of my favorite albums of 2011 (and a marked improvement on Puscifer’s already strong work previously), I wasn’t going to miss this one.
This was only my second time to the Paramount Theatre (first time was for Spinal Tap Unwigged in 2009). It’s a really gorgeous venue.
I opted for the “VIP” plan; so 99 other rabids & I got to see a special “VIP Soundcheck” performance… 
stripped down acoustic on both songs – “The Chain” [Fleetwood Mac] and the personal favorite “The Humbling River” (with Carina Round on banjo). Maynard flubbed the lyrics slightly to the Fleetwood Mac song and joked about needing to google the lyrics later. After their short warm-up, Maynard talked about what they were trying to do with Puscifer – small, indie, sustainable. He joked about that with their small distributor that “even Hot Topics won’t take their call.” He thanked us for our support and then they left…
Also, being a sucker for Maynard, I also opted for the wine tasting session… For those not in the know, Maynard is an artist. He started with Tool. Branched out with Billy Howerdel on A Perfect Circle. But then he found his creative juices flowing with his boutique Caduceus Cellars / Merkin Vineyards in Jerome, Arizona. He makes fantastic wine with Eric Glomski and much help from his local friends… I’ve nabbed a few bottles in Ohio when I lived there, had some tastings at the 1st night Nov 2009 Puscifer show in Portland, and finally was able to direct order some at a local bottle shop in Eugene, Oregon (thanks, 16 Tons!).
Last night, we had the Merkin Vineyards’ The Diddler (2010) & Chupacabra (2010) and the Caduceus Cellars’ Sancha (2009). The Diddler was a nice white, primarily California Viognier, Arizona Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay/Malvasia Blanca blend. It was floral aromatic and a sweet in the nose, dry with a little sweet on the tongue. I’ve had the Chupacabra before (2005 & 2006). As a shape-shifter, it changes with each vintage. The 2010 had caramel and toffee on the nose. It was a deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah blend with all California grapes. The final wine was special, the 2009 Sancha was a gorgeous all Arizona grape Tempranillo blend (with Garnacha). Dark, deep fruity nose, slightly chalky tannins (thanks to the host for pointing out chalkiness in some tannins). I love Tempranillo! Maynard came up to the room we were in near the end of the tasting and flashed us the peace sign and said “thanks.” Much less interaction than two years ago, but he’s a busy guy.
“Drink responsibly… even at a rock show!”
-Puscifer road manager
I missed the front end of Carina Round’s opening set due to wine tasting and needing to run to my car to get my camera. Her short (30 minute?) set struck me as a singer-songwriter turned rocker. I like her sound, and I have enjoyed some of her singles in the past. Her latest is the 2009 EP – Things You Should Know. She also has a new exclusive video for “The Last Time” on AOL Music. Despite her shortish set, I knew we’d see her shortly, as she’s in the band…
The Puscifer show started shortly after Carina left the stage with the VH1 Behind the Music-esque videos chronicling the honky-tonk performers struggles in life and love and incarceration. The odd things about the stage set-up was that… there was no stage set-up. The stage was completely empty when the show-proper started. At around 9pm, out came a small silver-bullet camper that housed some campfire chairs, tables, and some band members. Maynard moved the camper into place while talking to us about sustainability and the tour.
Puscifer shows in the past had some complex set design & changes, but the set for this tour was fairly steadily a campfire scene – with of course, an audacious light and video show at times. The juxtaposition of simple and complex, like Maynard’s nature, was also similar to the juxtaposition of melodic and heavy. The set was pretty much the entire Conditions album, with some V is for… and C is for… songs thrown in, too. No skits, some videos (Meats Meier’s and others), no over the top costuming, just a focus on the great music!
Setlist: about 90 minutes
Maynard Monologue while setting up camper/stage- The Green Valley
- Tiny Monsters
- Vagina Mine
- Dozo
- Toma
- The Rapture (Fear is a Mind Killa Mix)
- The Weaver
- Rev 22:20 [Carina Round on lead vocals]
- Polar Bear
- Indigo Children [2011 Mix]
- Oceans
- Monsoons
- Horizons
- Conditions of My Parole
- Man Overboard
- Telling Ghosts
- The Undertaker
- Tumbleweed
- No Encore
Conditions of My Parole is a brilliant record; so I think you should go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s at the top of my pile for 2011 releases (by far).
The 1st night of tour had very minimal hiccups (if any). Check it out, if you happen to be in the markets they’re hitting on this leg (see dates below). I was able to shoot the 3rd & 4th songs; so check back for my photos once I have time to get home and edit them.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Puscifer’s Site
- Caduceus Cellars (Maynard’s wines)
- Puscifer’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Carina Round’s Site
- Carina Round’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Gene Shilling’s photos from the 11/19 Detroit show
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Puscifer Night #1 w/ wine tasting (Portland – Nov 2009)
- Puscifer Night #2 (Portland – Nov 2009)
- A Perfect Circle (Portland – June 2011)
- STG/Paramount Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below the photos.
Next shows for me… a three-day run by Peter Mulvey (11/10 @ Sam Bonds in Eugene, 11/11 @ private house concert in Creswell, 11/12 @ Majestic in Corvallis).
~Dan – np: dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy
PUSCIFER PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Puscifer Fall 2011 Tour Dates
- 11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
- 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
- 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
- 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
- 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
- 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
- 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
- 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
- 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
- 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
- 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
- 12/3 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
- 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
- 12/7 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
- 12/9 Mesa, AZ Ikeda Theater (previously listed as Phoenix)
- 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
Maynard on the future of Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer Tour
As reported in Antiquiet (the recap quoted below) & Loudwire (the longer interview)…
A couple of weeks ago, Maynard James Keenan released Conditions of My Parole, the sophomore effort from his “solo” project Puscifer. In a recent interview with Loudwire, he touched on the subject of new albums from the other acts he fronts – Tool and A Perfect Circle, as the former hasn’t released any new material since 2006, and the latter since 2003.
When asked about Tool, and the band’s modus operandi of having guitarist Adam Jones and drummer Danny Carey of writing the music before Maynard gives his input, he stated: “I’m allowing them their space to do what they do, so we’re still in that mode. Even if they told me how close they are to being done, I couldn’t tell you because if I say 60 percent people will start counting down. When it’s done everyone will know. But I haven’t done anything yet. They write forever and then we go in and knock it all out. We’re writing. We’re writing vocals.”
He added that “nothing’s solid” yet, and compared Tool’s writing process to Puscifer’s: “With Puscifer, there’s ideas and then we’ll record stuff. Then we’ll go back and change stuff and fix stuff and record new stuff before we finally put it all together. But with Tool, we practice jams, but there’s no actual recording going on until it’s time to record.”
On whether or not any touring will happen when Tool’s fifth album finally drops, Maynard said that fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for an extensive amount of dates: “Physically, I can’t do it, so that’s not gonna happen. We will tour, but it won’t be the old school dog and pony show of eight months of beating yourself to death.” Regarding the necessity that artists have of making money from touring, he said: “How much do you need, really? If we can make a living going out for a few weeks a year and keep people satisfied by making sure we play the locations we need to hit […] Who gives a s–t how much money you have if your back hurts so much you can’t stand up. Money’s not the goal. Having fun making the art, that’s the goal.”
As for the possibility of a new A Perfect Circle album, he was decidedly less enthusiastic, mentioning that he and guitarist Billy Howerdel don’t have much ready at the moment: “We’ve been kicking around some stuff. Nothing’s ready. Until it’s really solid it doesn’t make any sense to present it, and right now he’s busy with Ashes Divide and I’m doing Puscifer.”
Puscifer will be featured on a special Halloween appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. After that, the band kicks off their North American tour, of which I’ll be at the Seattle gig (look for a review shortly thereafter):
11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre- 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
- 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
- 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
- 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
- 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
- 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
- 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
- 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
- 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
- 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
- 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
- 12/9 Phoenix, AZ Ikeda Theater
- 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
~Dan – np: Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
Puscifer tour dates – Nov & Dec 2011
Update 10/3, 10/6 & 10/15 with updated venues and ticket information.
Puscifer tour dates leaked early at the end of this promo video (were supposed to be out tomorrow)…
Puscifer is Maynard James Keenan (Tool/A Perfect Circle), Mat Mitchell, Josh Eustis, Carina Round, Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl. Carina Round is the opener. More dates to be announced soon as well. I hope Portland is on there, otherwise I may make the trekka up to Seattle. Venues to be announced tomorrow…
- 10/31 – David Letterman
- 11/7 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
- 11/9 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theatre
- 11/10 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
- 11/12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
- 11/14 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
- 11/15 Chicago, IL Cadillac Palace Theatre
- 11/17 Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium
- 11/18 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
- 11/19 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
- 11/22 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
- 11/23 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
- 11/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Academy of Music
- 11/26 Washington, DC Lisner Auditorium
- 11/27 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
- 11/29 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
- 11/30 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
- 12/2 Tulsa, OK Brady Theatre
- 12/6 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
- 12/9 Phoenix, AZ Ikeda Theater
- 12/10 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
Additional dates to be announced shortly.
Tickets for all shows go on-sale Friday, Oct. 7 at 12 noon local time via venue box offices, as well as Ticketmaster and Live Nation websites. A limited number of VIP packages, featuring wine tastings and a more mysterious Puscifer encounter, will be available simultaneously via http://puscifer.frontgatetickets.com.
The album, Conditions of My Parole, comes out October 18th. You can add the mp3 download and CD version to your wishlist and pre-order the vinyl version now on Amazon.
~Dan – np: Toad the Wet Sprocket – Bread and Circus
Puscifer “Man Overboard” [video]
The first single from Puscifer’s second album Conditions of My Parole now has a video. Get your Maynard James Keenan fix with the”Man Overboard” is directed by Meats Meier…
I dig the song more than the video… while I dig Meats’ style, all the Puscifer videos are a bit “samey.” I’d hope for something more unique rather than doing the same thing over and over again. Great song from Maynard & Co and great talent in Meats, though… in spades, for sure.
The CD is up for pre-order here, and the vinyl is available for pre-order (and comes out October 18th). The digital download single is available now. A US Tour is expected for November 2011.
~Dan – np: Pretty Lights – Filling Up the City Skies
‘Queens of Country’ movie trailer (with Maynard)
New trailer for the movie Queens of Country featuring Lizzy Caplan, Ron Livingston, a mysterious iPod and Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer frontman Maynard James Keenan…
~Dan – np: Sufjan Stevens invites you to Come On Feel the Illinoise!
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/
Puscifer ‘Conditions of My Parole’ & Tour {new A Perfect Circle & Tool music, too}
As posted in SPIN this morning, Puscifer is releasing their second full-length studio album this fall. Album name – Conditions of My Parole. Street date – October 18, 2011. Puscifer is the brainchild of Tool/A Perfect Circle frontman and Caduceus winemaker Maynard James Keenan.
“Man Overboard,” the first single from the album, will be available via iTunes and other digital service providers on July 19. Conditions of My Parole was recorded in Jerome, Ariz. this spring with tracking done amidst the wine barrels from Keenan’s Caduceus Cellars. The album was produced by Keenan, Mat Mitchell, and Josh Eustis. Contributing musicians for the new album include the aforementioned Keenan, Mitchell, and Eustis as well as Carina Round, Juliette Commagere, Matt McJunkins, Jeff Freidl, Gil and Rani Sharone, Jonny Polonsky, Tim Alexander, Devo Keenan, Alessandro Cortini, Sarah Jones, and Jon Theodore.
From SPIN…
After the album drops in October, Puscifer will hit the road for a two-month tour. Maynard says he’s still working out the details, but fans can expect variety show-style gigs like the band’s last jaunt in 2009, but with “a lot of changes and new approaches. We’ll be doing a lot of filming and posting more videos online, too.”
Also news about APC and Tool…
But even when he’s deep into Puscifer mode, Maynard’s other projects are never far from his mind. After their summer tour, A Perfect Circle “might put out a track or two,” he says. “The energy is good, so there’s always the potential for a future.” And Tool? “We’re writing,” he says.
Read the SPIN article/interview HERE.
Carina Round & Maynard
~Dan – np: Jamie Saft – Black Shabbis
A Perfect Circle’s Tour 2011
Yesterday, A Perfect Circle announced their tour dates for summer 2011:
- 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 2 – Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- August 9 – Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
On-sale information coming soon. http://www.aperfectcircle.com/
I plan on catching Maynard, Billy & Co at the Portland gig. They’ve got a new website designed, with a blue, underwater/octopus theme. Here’s hoping some new music is around the corner, too. Also, in the email announcement, they hinted at some Puscifer news coming soon, too.
Puscifer Update 3/23: Per Carina Round’s email: “After that I will be heading into the studio with Maynard James Keenan’s ‘Puscifer’ to work on songs for the next release and rehearse up some goodies for a tour in the Fall.”
~Dan – np: Eyal Maoz & Asaf Sirkis – Elementary Dialogues 
2010 mix
Time for this years mix CD… check out 2009’s over here. No major theme this time like prior mixes… the only rule I placed before myself was that everything is current (i.e.- released in 2010).
The following songs were put on the mix CD from lossless sources where possible and 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.
If you want one of these mix CDs, message me (see my “About” page).
PDF front liner is available HERE (designed to print double-sided).
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01 Mike Patton “Il Cielo In Una Stanza” from Mondo Cane
Mike Patton of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantômas, et cetera is known for more boisterous, left of center fare. With Mondo Cane, he classes up the joint that is Ipecac Records. Mondo Cane, named after the film, is Mike’s homage to 50s Italian pop songs. He croons some classic Italian songs with the backing of the Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini conducted by Aldo Sisillo. The artwork, in both CD digipack and vinyl, is stupendous. This is a magnificent record – both aurally and visually. It’ll rank near the top of my upcoming year-end lists…
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02 Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck “IRM” from IRM
IRM came out in late November 2009 – which was after I had done last year’s mix; so I’m sneaking it into this year’s mix. Beck collaborated with singer/actress Charlotte on the whole album (outside of one song). It’s a nice poppy-electronic mix… some French tunes as well (her father is French musical legend Serge Gainsbourg). The album and track were inspired by her head trauma in 2007 (“IRM” is the French acronym synonymous with what we call an “MRI machine” in the US). My favorite part may be that the IRM delivers rhythmic support to the track.
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03 Ellery “Pieces (live)” original from This Isn’t Over Yet
This version is from Ellery’s live album that preceded their wonderful 2nd studio album that hit this year. Ellery is one of my favorite things in Cincinnati… I miss being able to see them multiple times a year (sad face). Husband/wife duo of Justin & Tasha Golden craft singer-songwriter pop songs… usually layered nicely on their albums with the help of producer, knob-twiddler Ric Hordinski (of Over the Rhine fame). This album is with Malcolm Burn at the helm (Daniel Lanois / Bob Dylan / Iggy Pop / Kaki King / Emmylou Harris / etc).
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04 Comic Wow “Nice Chaps” from Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Mysteries of Mind Space and Time
Asthmatic Kitty’s Library Catalog Music Series (LCMS) is much more hit than miss. There have been a couple albums that didn’t interest me for multiple listens, but Comic Wow’s settled nicely from the get go. LCMS (as a series) is made up of instrumental albums designed for possible use in films and television, background sounds for home or office. Per the P.R., “Comic Wow are sonic illustrators, alchemists, designers, dilettantes’, poets, teachers, Socialists, and outdoorsmen whose advocacy of affordable colored cod pieces helped influence the look of thirty-third century America.” Whatever you call it, I like it.
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05 Holy Fuck “Red Lights” from Latin
Despite what you think of their choice of band name, these Toronto band continue to put out great, groove-infused live electronic music that is both experimental and a poppy-force in the indie rock movement. Latin, their third full length album, grabbed me immediately when it came out this past May… and it’s #1 with a bullet as far as instrumental albums go in 2010. To top it off, they swung through Oregon twice this year (both excellent shows), and they put out quite possibly the cutest video for the raddest song (“Red Lights” – click the kitty to the right). The video now has over 1,000,000 views on the YouTubes. Only 900,000 views are from me.
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06 Damien Jurado “Beacon Hill” from Saint Bartlett
I got into Damien Jurado via the Seattle-based melancholy, indie singer-songwriter scene (i.e.- Pedro the Lion / David Bazan). While similar in general geography and friendship, Damien strikes me as more of a pure “songwriter” when compared to David’s social critique set to music. Saint Bartlett fits well into Damien’s oeuvre. At a show this past February (6 months before the album came out), I hardly knew any of the songs but felt as though I did. That’s a testament to his craft.
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07 Jeanne Cherhal “Certains Animaux” from Charade
I first heard Jeanne Cherhal when we picked up her second album (Douze fois par an) when in Toulouse, France, for my MBA program in 2004. Only available in France, I’ve managed to get her albums via Amazon.fr (good thing the buttons are in roughly the same spot). I still don’t know what she’s saying, but I dig her style.
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08 Nellie McKay “The Portal” from Home Sweet Mobile Home
Nellie McKay’s move to Verve (instead of Sony) has been good for her. They seem to give her free reign to put out Doris Day cover albums one year and an album of originals the next. HSMH is a return to the quirky, diverse collection of songs that drove me to fall in love with her. “The Portal” is one of the mellower tunes from the album… the rest of the album is full of Nellie’s modern piano jazz-pop, ukulele ditties, and even a pro-animal reggae tune. The album has grown on me nicely, and I’m looking forward to more Nellie in the near future. She seems to be in a period of prolificity as of late. This is greatly welcomed.
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09 Puscifer “The Humbling River (Duet Mix)” from C is for… EP
When Tool / A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan isn’t rocking with those bands (both had touring activity this year), he’s usually tending to his grapes or noodling around on some mildly offensive, but well-crafted music with his other side-project Puscifer. The C is for… EP actually came out last year, but since it was digital only at that stage and since the 2010 CD & vinyl releases contained a touch of new material – it fits the criteria for this year’s compilation. He also put out new mixes / remixes for the Blood Into Wine documentary (about the Arizona wine scene). That record is called Sounds Into Blood Into Wine. As I type this, I actually got a call from my local Eugene Oregon wine/beer shop (16tons). They have my Caduceus/Merkin order in stock… so, coincidentally, I’ll be dropping some major coin on some of Maynard’s wine very shortly… glug glug.
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10 Haftor Medbøe Group “Pneumatic” from A Box of Monkeys EP
This is another record that came out in late 2009… but I got it in 2010 and iTunes recognized it as 2010 (plus it was too late to be stricken from the CD mix rolls, as I liked it too much). The track faatures some nice guitar-based jazz, and the EP also features some songs with vocals that aren’t too unlike Björk or Under Byen (also known as “a-OK with me”). It’s a delightful EP that put Haftor on my radar… for good.
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11 Sufjan Stevens “Futile Devices” from The Age of Adz
The first Sufjan track that made its way onto this 2010 compilation comes from his second release from 2010. The Age of Adz is a odd musical assembly. At first I didn’t know what to think of it, then I started to like it, and then after seeing him live – I truly loved the album. This song is actually one of the songs that I fell in love with right away. For those not familiar with Sufjan, this track fits better with some of his earlier work and not so much with Adz as a whole. But I think if you have an open mind and a desire to explore, you may very well fall in love with this record as well.
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12 AutorYno “Overture Automatique” from Pastrami Bagel Social Club
I am fans of some of the other Jewish rock acts on John Zorn’s Tzadik label: like Eyal Maoz’s Edom, Jon Madof’s Rashanim, and Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom. The description for this AutorYno debut from Tzadik was “a wild klezmer/rock fusion by this crazed band of Paris-born punk rockers… AutorYno hits with a hardedged sound and an exciting musical imagination. Full of youthful energy, massive guitar and centered by a powerful beat, they present eleven instrumentals that combine the power of rock with a taste of Jewish tradition.” Regardless of Tzadik’s usual/expected hyperbole, I couldn’t not get it. I’m glad I did, and I will say that it will rank high amongst my instrumental finds in 2010.
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13 Glen Phillips “The Innocent” from Tornillo
The voice of Toad the Wet Sprocket has been putting out some fantastic albums since his first solo album (2000’s Abulum). Tornillo was recorded in 2003 with David Garza, but was shelved / lost. Many of the songs were re-recorded and put out on 2005’s Winter Pays For Summer (a favorite of mine). Regardless of some of the songs making their way out to the fans, there are still some never-before-released gems on here. Glen put it out about a month ago via his bandcamp page. $7. A total steal.
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14 Beats Antique “Egyptic” from Blind Threshold
I got to see Zoe Jakes of Beats Antique twice this year… once with Beats Antique during Eugene Celebration, and once with the Indigo Bellydance troupe as part of their Le Serpent Rouge tour. She had a knee in a brace during Eugene Celebration; so she lended her stage presence to additional percussion instead of dance – which was unfortunate. Beats Antique is a bellydance-friendly, electronic and live instrument band from the Bay Area. Elements of Balkan music and tribal-fusion dance music. “Egyptic” is indicative of their infectuous sound.
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15 The Weepies “Empty Your Hands” from Be My Thrill
Syrupy singer-songwriter pop is not my bailiwick, but I do find myself drawn to it on occasion. I guess even my CD collection needs a “rom-com” soundtrack every now and again. The Weepies write well-crafted songs about love and life. It’s hard to say anything bad about them.
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16 Jónsi “Kolniður” from Go
Sigur Rós-frontman’s debut solo album was going to be an acoustic affair, and then it turned into a lushly produced, Rós-ian opus with a multimedia firestorm of a tour (two U.S. legs with stunning stage design by 59 Productions). Jónsi is superbly brilliant and and ambivalently hyper-sensitively shy individual (ex. his abrupt cancelation of in-store performance tour) and boisterous-acting performer (ex. his magnificent stageshow). This album makes me excited for more solo work in the future, but I hope his day job with Sigur Rós is not on hold for too much longer.
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17 George Hrab “Hai Yookito ‘Ya” from Trebuchet
George Hrab creates one of my favorite podcasts ever… the Geologic Podcast. It’s not about geology. It’s about science, skepticism, and his general life as a musician from Bethlehem, PA. He is both humorous and intelligent, and he puts out great albums as well. Trebuchet is his 6th studio album, and it features some great instrumental songs as well as some witty numbers fitting his skeptical, atheistic viewpoint. One of my favorite songs on it is “A Small Comfort,” which is about the death of his dog Oscar. I’d put it on a mix CD, but it honestly makes me cry everytime I hear it. I also give George some kudos for kicking off his album with the Christopher Hitchens’ inspired “God Is Not Great” (an atheist pop song). Bravo!
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18 Kaki King “Falling Day” from Junior
Kaki King is a guitar phenom, and this is her second album in a row that seems to be moving more towards turning into a more vocal, indie rock songstress. It’s still full of her amazing guitarwork, but brings in a whistful lyricism. I’m still getting used to her “vocal legs,” but I like what I hear so far.
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19 John Zorn’s The Dreamers “Hashul” from Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 14 (Ipos)
Let’s just put this out there now… with thirteen albums and a DVD out in 2010, John Zorn might seem to have more misses than hits. Well, I don’t think there’s been a more consistent set of songs than his Masada songs, and there hasn’t been a more consistently great series than the Masada Book Two series (Zorn’s Masada songs covered by others). The Dreamers is a supergroup, too: Marc Ribot, Joey Baron, Cyro Baptista, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn and Jamie Saft – pillars in the adventurous, downtown NYC scene.
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20 Sufjan Stevens “The Owl and the Tanager” from All Delighted People EP
This is my favorite song from Sufjan’s 50+ minute “EP” from earlier this year. Beautiful and haunting, and again, not as characteristic of the rest of the EP, which seems more experimental and adventurous compared to “Owl” or his older material. Originally only released online via bandcamp, the EP saw physical form (CD & vinyl) earlier this month. I’m looking forward to spinning the vinyl when it hits my front porch.
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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): Kevin Moore’s Shine, Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl)’s Acoustic Sessions, Mogwai’s Special Moves/Burning, Zero 7’s Record… and John Zorn’s Moonchild Trio Ipsissimus, because I didn’t want to scare you. Oh well, those may make it on my “favorite albums” of 2010 list.
~Dan – np: Radiohead – 101010 (aka OK Computer & In Rainbows cross-fade mix)
for more on the Radiohead cross-fade mix, check out Puddlegum
there are no torrents, free mp3 or other downloads available
A Perfect Circle tour
A handful of multi-date city appearances… A Perfect Circle (led by Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan) are bringing out their old albums and playing them in their entirety:
A Perfect Circle tour dates:
- 11/4, Tempe, AZ (Marquee Theatre) *
- 11/5, Tempe, AZ (Marquee Theatre) $
- 11/6, Tempe, AZ (Marquee Theatre) #
- 11/8, Los Angeles, CA (Avalon) *
- 11/9, Los Angeles, CA (Avalon) $
- 11/10, Los Angeles, CA (Avalon) #
- 11/12, Seattle, WA (Showbox at the Market) *
- 11/13, Seattle, WA (Showbox at the Market) $
- 11/14, Seattle, WA (Showbox at the Market) #
- 11/16, San Francisco, CA (The Fillmore) *
- 11/17, San Francisco, CA (The Fillmore) $
- 11/18, San Francisco, CA (The Fillmore) #
- 11/20, Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl) *
- 11/21, Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl) $
Playing…
* = Mer de Noms
$ = Thirteenth Step
# = eMOTIVe
Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, James Iha, Matt McJunkins are the line-up. Tickets on-sale… soon… keep your eyes peeled to http://aperfectcircle.com/ for more info.
I hope to make the string of Seattle dates, if I can work it out with… er… work. *crossing fingers*
~Dan – np: Nellie McKay – Obligatory Villagers
Puscifer covers “Rocket Man” (plus A Perfect Circle news)
It’s always a good day when a new song from Maynard James Keenan arrives, whether through Tool, A Perfect Circle or his most shits-and-giggles collaborative project, Puscifer.
This time around it’s the latter headlining a song that should be familiar to us all – Elton John’s ode to orbital loneliness, “Rocket Man”…
Officially credited to Puscifer & Steven Drozd (Flaming Lips’ lead guitarist) and dubbed Rocket Mantastic, the cover is a beautiful rendition of the 1972 classic. While the song appeared on Puscifer setlists last year – including the Los Angeles Nokia show we attended – the recording is attached to Christopher Pomerenke’s cheap music documentary The Heart Is A Drum Machine, in which Keenan appears for roughly 15 seconds – staring at the camera and not saying a word. You’re certainly not missing out if you haven’t seen the film; it’s poorly made and difficult to sit through. What’s more – the song’s not even in the damn thing. But now you have it, here and autoplaying on Puscifer.com.
In more Maynard news, not only is Tool working on a new album, but [Antiquiet] recently got the scoop on new activity with A Perfect Circle as well. Songwriter Billy Howerdel and vocalist Maynard James Keenan are once again working together as A Perfect Circle, and new music from the beloved group is on the way.
The possibilities of a full album and tour are both still very much in the air. However, Howerdel told [Antiquiet] on the record that [A Perfect Circle are] working on “something” that should be out this year.
~Dan – np: George Hrab – Trebuchet
Steven Wilson Cover Versions boxset
Steven Wilson‘s 6th and final Cover Versions is finally coming out…
It comes with a special box to house all six discs. The CDs are available via Burning Shed or Headphone Dust. CV5 & CV6 will be out on 7″ vinyl from Tonefloat when they’re ready. For those that don’t know Steven Wilson… he’s the frontman of Porcupine Tree, co-leader of Blackfield and No-Man, and involved in many other side projects like IEM, Bass Communion, and more…
Two other quick newsbits…
The Maynard James Keenan (Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer) & Eric Glomski documentary about Arizona wines, Blood Into Wine, is hitting limited silver screens in February. A DVD release is scheduled for May 2010. More info over at Blabbermouth.
Radiohead drummer Phil Selway is branching out and going on a solo tour in Italy/Spain/Portugal in March & April 2010. More info over at Paste.
Blood Into Wine (poster)
I’m really, really, really looking forward to this movie…
~Dan – np: Miho Hatori – Ecdysis
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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