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
ha’fway 2016
Happy 240th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ah, the annual halfway through the year music recap where I never post an end of year recap. *eyeroll* Eh… I don’t blog much anymore… regardless, here goes for my Top 10 of 2016 so far…
Artist – Album (style)
- Sia – This Is Acting (pop)
- Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (rock)
- Wussy – Forever Sounds (indie rock)
- Holy Fuck – CONGRATS (live electronic)
- Elliott Smith – Heaven Adores You (soundtrack) (indie rock)
- Steve Taylor & the Danielson Foil – WOW to the Deadness -EP- (indie rock)
- David Bazan – Blanco (indie rock)
- Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – Otis Was a Polar Bear (jazz)
- The Claypool-Lennon Delirium – Monolith of Phobos (rock)
- Damien Jurado – Visions of Us on the Land (indie rock)
What’s still to come in 2016…
Chevelle, Peter Mulvey (it’s in the can), Alex Somers’ score for Captain Fantastic, John Zorn (about every month), TOOL (music done, lyrics nearing completion?), Sigur Rós (maybe 2017), Charlie Hunter, and based on kickstarters/pledgemusic that I’ve supported: Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate, Derek Webb‘s Mockingbird Remixed and Fleming & John, plus much more, I’m sure.
Will I continue with blogs in the future? I don’t know. :P
Dan – np: Auragami – Formation (single)
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
Thom Yorke’s Atoms for Peace – AMOK
Yesterday Radiohead’s Thom Yorke announced the official release date for his side project, Atoms For Peace. Thom Yorke on vocals, Nigel Godrich producing, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass, Joey Waronker on drums and Mauro Refosco on percussion, the debut album Amok will hit Feb 26, 2013.
To tide fans over until February, Yorke advises fans to visit Atoms For Peace’s official site for something to “stare at.”
“We formed to learn to play The Eraser record, if you don’t know that, and discovered a really good energy doing that… and it fell into this record,” Yorke said in a press release.
“I’m still reeling from being on tour for much of the year but we are planning to get together and play etc next year ! We’re figuring all that out right now.
“Atoms is a ongoing and open ended project, where it leads i know not for certain… which is what is nice about it.”
The album can be pre-ordered now here. It will be released as a CD, limited edition CD, double gatefold vinyl LP, and limited edition double gatefold vinyl LP.
Amok Tracklist
1 – Before Your Very Eyes
2 – Default
3 – Ingenue
4 – Dropped
5 – Unless
6 – Stuck Together Pieces
7 – Judge Jury and Executioner
8 – Reverse Running
9 – Amok
~Dan – np: John Zorn – The Gnostic Preludes
Sigur Rós’ “Ég anda” video & Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’ & ‘Kid A’ 8-bit
Well, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters plays The Wall in its entirety tonight (5/22) at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon… I shall be there, and it shall be awesome. Review posted, um… maybe by Thursday? In the meantime, enjoy this…
Sigur Rós “Ég anda” video
pre-order Valtari here, and look out for the Mystery Film Experience
coming soon for the rest of the album’s videos
And this…
Radiohead – OK Computer and Kid A in 8-bit
~Dan – np: Beck – The Information
REVIEW: Radiohead @ Key Arena (Seattle, WA – 4/9/12)
The last time I saw Radiohead was in a large outdoor amphitheatre (White River, Aug 2008), and I’ll say the move to indoors was much appreciated. This was my first time to Key Arena. Pretty basic arena… stage set up at end. I arrived just as the opening band was wrapping up… the TicketMaster/Radiohead paperless ticketing was great from a no-scalpers perspective, but it took a bit longer to file everyone in timely.
Radiohead started off the set with “Bloom,” featuring the double drum set-up with both Phil Selway and touring member Clive Deamer (from Portishead) in addition to Jonny Greenwood on a small drum kit. Jonny hit the mini-kit again (along with Ed O’Brien) for “There There” later in the set.
The light show was a LED wall behind the band with moving, suspended video screens (see photo above and slideshow below). The moving video screens had been slowly coming down on the band until they were under an archway of lights by the time “Airbag” came around. Ed make a half-hearted leap to hit the screen above him with his hand.
The band stuck to a lot of new stuff for this show, only digging into the first half of their catalogue a handful of times during their 23-song set. Some highlights were the wall of Thom eyes during Thom’s piano close-up on “You And Whose Army?,” the grandeur of “Lucky,” the wild strobe and raucous “Idioteque,” the subtler / gentler piano-driven “Daily Mail,” and Jonny’s bowed guitar combined with the piano intro to “Pyramid Song.” I’m still getting used to The King of Limbs, and while I don’t think the rockier songs worked (for me) live, the gentler stuff really hit the mark, especially “Give Up the Ghost” and the aforementioned “Daily Mail.” “Little by Little” seemed a little off at the beginning, but other than that, no major disappointments…
Setlist: about 2 hours
- Bloom
- 15 Step
- Airbag
- Little by Little
- Myxomatosis
- The Gloaming
- Morning Mr. Magpie
- Pyramid Song
- The Daily Mail
- These Are My Twisted Words
- Nude
- Identikit
- Lotus Flower
- There There
- Feral
- Idioteque
- Encore 1: How to Disappear Completely
- Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
- You and Whose Army?
- Lucky
- Encore 2: Give Up the Ghost
- Reckoner
- Everything In Its Right Place
Soundcheck songs were Supercollider, 15 Step, Identikit and Meeting in the Aisle, but I was not in attendance for those…
A few iPhone shots from
Radiohead Seattle 4/9/12:
Matthew Lamb’s Pro-shot concert photos here on Key Arena’s FB page.:
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Radiohead’s Site
- Radiohead’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Radiohead-related Posts~
- The Universal Sigh (RSD 2011, PDF download)
- White River Amphitheatre (Seattle-area – Aug 2008)
- Key Arena’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more RH tour dates below.
Next show for me… Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) in Portland 4/12.
~Dan – np: Tyler Fortier – Bang On Time
Radiohead North American Tour 2012
February 2012
Mon 27 American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL, USA
Wed 29 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, USA
March 2012
Thu 1 Philips Arena Atlanta, GA, USA
Sat 3 Toyota Center Houston, TX, USA
Mon 5 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Wed 7 Frank Irwin Center Austin, TX USA
Fri 9 Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO USA
Sun 11 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO USA
Tue 13 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO USA
Thu 15 Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ USA
April 2012
Mon 9, Key Arena, Seattle, WA – USA
Wed 11, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA – USA
Thu 12, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA – USA
Sat 14 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA
Tue 17 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
Wed 18 Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico
Sat 21 Coachella – Indio, CA – USA
Radiohead debut “Identikit” and “Cut a Hole” in Miami
Radiohead debuted two new songs at the U.S. The King of Limbs Tour kick-off in Miami last night. You can listen/watch some fan videos of “Identikit” and “Cut a Hole” on the YouTubes. The rest of the setlist…
01 “Bloom”
02 “The Daily Mail”
03 “Morning Mr. Magpie”
04 “Staircase”
05 “The National Anthem”
06 “Meeting In The Aisle”
07 “Kid A”
08 “The Gloaming”
09 “Codex”
10 “You And Whose Army?”
11 “Nude”
12 “Identikit”
13 “Lotus Flower”
14 “There There”
15 “Feral”
16 “Idioteque”
17 “Separator”
—-
18 “Airbag”
19 “Bodysnatchers”
20 “Cut A Hole”
21 “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
—-
22 “Give Up The Ghost”
23 “Reckoner”
24 “Karma Police”
(via Setlist.fm)
I’m stoked for the Seattle show… 4/9 won’t get here fast enough…
~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Locus Solus
Radiohead – West Coast U.S. Tour
Got my ticket for Radiohead at Key Arena at Seattle. Anybody else have luck getting tickets? If not, good luck on eBay, StubHub or other scalper sites. The sale method took an even greater step to cut down on scalpers (no physical tickets, no print at home either). Buyers have to show up with ID & credit card. Might be interesting at the gates…
Outside of the two weekends at Coachella, here are their West Coast dates:
- April 9 – Key Arena, Seattle, WA
- April 11 – HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA
- April 12 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Chunga’s Revenge
* Favorite Vocal Albums of 2011 *
I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my fourth year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. For that reason, the favorite vocal albums list goes first this go ’round. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, Facebox pages, yadda yadda yadda. A lot of these also made it on to my 2011 Mix CD (free streaming/download).
OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…
Honorable Mentions: Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean, Tres Mts – Three Mountains, Pomplamoose – The Album You Bought At Our Show (Thanks for That), MC Frontalot – Solved and The Roots – Undun.
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 Björk – Biophilia :: It started with an iPhone / iPad app… I was skeptical, but it turned out to be a really cool app and a really cool album. I don’t think the actual music broke any new ground for Bjork, but her willingness to approach technology and manifest an album initially with a new format is what will keep her in the forefront for me.   |
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 Elysian Fields – Last Night on Earth :: Brooklyn-based sultry art rockers Elysian Fields don’t really tour outside of NYC often. Jennifer Charles and Oren Bloedow find their way to Europe on occasion, but most U.S. fans only really have their studio albums to sate their musical desires. This is their sixth full-length album in their near 16-year career. Well crafted, well produced, lush vocals and folk meets dusky jazz. |
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 Blackfield – Welcome to My DNA :: I was disappointed that I couldn’t make it out for this tour. The album is good, albeit a little disjointed compared to their other two albums (probably due to Aviv Geffen doing more of the writing versus Steven Wilson who was busy with his solo album – see #9 below). Nice orchestration and a solid offering from Blackfield. |
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 Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events :: I almost didn’t buy this album. I’m glad I did, but I’m still pretty pissed at the band for choosing to continue without founder/drummer Mike Portnoy after he expressed an interest in a short hiatus/breather. They picked up a drummer I like (Mike Mangini, who i saw play with Extreme in 1995), but a BIG piece of what I loved about DT (after Kevin Moore left in 1994) was Mike Portnoy’s energy. With his absence, I’m liking them less and less. The album is good, but it’s way more bitter than sweet to me. |
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 Foo Fighters – Wasting Light :: Dave Grohl is a modern rock genius. He rocks, he hooks, he continues to put out great music. |
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 Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra – MTO Plays Sly :: A trumpet-led tribute to Sly and the Family Stone with guests vocalists. This superb collection is less funk, but still quite enjoyable. My favorite is the Antony-sung “Family Affair.” |
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 Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials :: Soulful baroque-rock chanteuse won me over with their first album Lungs, even though I didn’t pick it up this year. Her second album solidifies her as more than a fluke. The album is dancey and dark. Great for fans of Tori Amos & Kate Bush! |
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 Incubus – If Not Now, When? :: Incubus took some time off so guitarist Mike Einziger could work on his degree at Harvard and singer Brandon Boyd could put out some art as well as his solo album. They regrouped and put out an album that had a similar vibe to the ocean-groove Morning View. They aren’t breaking new ground, but they still have a solid position in my ears. |
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 The Jelly Jam – Shall We Descend :: The supergroup of Ty Tabor (King’s X), John Myung (Dream Theater) and Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs) finally found some time to hit the studio! The result is an excellent rock album… |
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 Chevelle – Hats Off to the Bull :: Chevelle are a sleeper in my collection. I almost write them off and then with each album, I think how stupid it’d be to write them off. Great hard rock with a vocalist that reminds me of Maynard (Tool, etc). I really need to see this band live – I’ve yet to have a the chance… |
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 My Brightest Diamond & Murat Eyuboglu – Letters to Distant Cities :: A short spoken word album, featuring the words of Mustafa Ziyalan. Words spoken by Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), backing music by Murat Eyubolu, with two songs sandwiching the poetry – one by MBD and one by Clare & the Reasons. A great arty piece.  |
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 Jason Ludwig – Tanglings :: Jason Ludwig returns to the Cincinnati music scene after his 2010 band break up (Noctaluca) with two full-length albums (Tanglings and Lost in Love). Tanglings is my favorite of the two, but they’re both quite excellent. Well-produced, well-arranged, creative singer-songwriter that reminds me of a cross between the pop of Glen Hansard (of the Swell Season and the Frames) and the creative of Daniel Johns (of Silverchair). If you don’t like these albums, I’d be surprised. |
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 Hotel Lights – Girl Graffiti :: Darren Jesse was the drummer for Ben Folds Five, and wrote one of my absolute favorite songs for them – “Magic” from The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. He puts down the sticks and picks up the guitar and vocal duties for Hotel Lights. This is HL’s 3rd album, and he continues to impress me with his versatile skills. Poppy indie rock. |
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 Eisley – The Valley :: The long gap between The Valley and their last album was trying for the band. After many contract dispute with their former label (Warner), they were finally set free. Many bands don’t make it out of contract disputes alive – it’s easier to break up sometimes. Well, thankfully it’s difficult for Eisley to break-up, as they’d still see each other at holidays and family get-togethers (the band consists of 3 sisters, a brother, and a cousin). The Valley picks up where 2007’s Combinations left off. Alt-pop-rock goodness. Vocal duties traded off between sisters Sherri & Stacy… |
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 Tori Amos – Night of the Hunters :: This was Tori’s first album on classical label Deutsche Grammophon. I was skeptical at first, not because of the classical bent. I knew she could handle that… I was skeptical due to the first artwork that looked plastic (which sadly stayed) and her last studio album was a lackluster (IMO) holiday album (blech). Tori enlists her daughter Natashya on some vocals, and delivers one of my favorite Tori albums since 2002’s Scarlet’s Walk. |
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 David Bazan – Strange Negotiations :: Continuing in his solo expressions after the official ceasing of Pedro the Lion, David Bazan manifests wit, a sharp tongue, and a questioning mind into his DIY-indie rock. This year, he toured quite a bit, solo and with a band. An album last year (Curse Your Branches), an album this year, and another on the way. He’s slogging away, trekking all over the country, and making some great music on the way. |
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 Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning :: Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson is a hard worker. Whether he’s producing albums for others or making albums & touring with PT, Blackfield, No-Man, Storm Corrosion, or solo – he’s always busy each and every year. This year brought his second solo album and a small tour. The album is a bit more stripped down from his other projects. It is reminiscent of Pink Floyd in spots – specifically this song “Home in Negative.” He also rocks out a bit in the almost two hour double album… check out the video for “Track One” here (it’s a bit bleak then startling). Gorgeous work. |
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 Wussy – Strawberry :: Well, I was super happy when I found out that Wussy was putting out their fourth full-length studio album this year. They’re a fantastic rock quartet made up of Chuck Cleaver, Lisa Walker, Mark Messerly, and Joe Klug. They write catchy, poppy choruses and meld it perfectly with Midwest Americana-meets-indie-rock grit (or “Midwestern drone” as their press says). Vocal duties are traded off with Chuck (of Ass Ponys) and Lisa (of Magic Words). |
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 Radiohead – The King of Limbs :: I could probably put an “indie” icon next to Radiohead… I think technically they put TKOL out by themselves. But they’re a huge superpower of a band. I like this record, but I’ll admit that it’s still sinking in… I need to give it some more spins. This album spawned a seven 7″ vinyl remix set. The video for “Lotus Flower” also spawned a silly “Thom Yorke dancing” meme… one of my favorites being the tennis/fish and the “Single Ladies” editions. |
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 Jeffrey Foucault – Horse Latitudes :: Jeffrey Foucault is a favorite Americana artist that I got turned on to by singer-songwriter/storyteller Peter Mulvey. Jeffrey and Peter work together in the band Redbird (with David Goodrich and Jeffrey’s wife Kris Delmhorst). I didn’t pick up Jeffrey’s albums until the past year and a half. He’s definitely more on the cusp of country than I tend to traverse, but I dig his authenticity, poetic wit and charm. He’s a delight on stage and a fantastic John Prine-esque songwriter for the new generation. |
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 Opeth – Heritage :: Mikael Åkerfeldt hangs up the cookie monster vocals and “Swedish death metal” rattle and puts out a solid heavy metal album that is a tribute to his progressive metal ancestors. I’ll admit, I miss the heavier side, but it’s still good to see Mikael evolve. |
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 Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender :: For those that don’t know Over the Rhine, they started out as a four piece in Cincinnati in 1989 and put out their “post-nuclear, pseudo-alternative, folk-tinged art-pop” indie debut ‘Til We Have Faces in 1991. After about a decade as a four-piece, Ric Hordinski (guitars) & Brian Kelley (drums) left. Karin Bergquist (vocals) & Linford Detweiler (keys) carried on the Over the Rhine flame throughout the years… moving away from a rockier feel to a more folky-pop-Americana thing. What I like about Over the Rhine is they continually change and evolve into a different band with each album and each outing. I’ve seen them rock out, I’ve seen them jazz it up, I’ve seen them happy, I’ve seen them somber, I’ve seen them celebratory, and I’ve seen them tell stories that will make you laugh and cry. |
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 dredg – Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy :: I love this band. I hate the album title, but I love the band. Modern progressive rock, tons of talent, thoughtful lyrics, none of that “prog wankery” that is generally detestable. While it’s hard for them to follow-up the stunning The Pariah The Parrot The Delusion (from 2009), this new album does a hearty job of maintaining their quality rock standards. |
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 My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind :: Shara Worden (aka My Brightest Diamond) took some time off since her last album – 2008′s A Thousand Shark’s Teeth. She put out some stunning collaborations in the past three years (see #15 above) including her first kiddo; so the lapse in studio work was a-OK. On this album, Shara teams up with NYC-based ensemble yMusic to create a lush backdrop for her gorgeous voice. I can’t praise this album enough! |
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 Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole :: Tool / A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan makes wine and makes other music in his time off from Tool and APC. I loved Puscifer’s debut and the subsequent EP, but this album tops it all. It’s a brilliant record, recorded in one of his wine cellars with his friends – featuring backing vocals from Carina Round. It’s self-released by Puscifer music with a small distribution partner (available in indie shops, primarily). The tour this year was great (I caught Seattle), and I’m glad they’re heading out in the spring again (I’ll be at Portland). |
Check out the 2011 Mix for some samples, click the Amazon buttons for other samples, and support the music if you like what you hear!
My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts & Photos of ‘11 are recapped *HERE*
- Fave EPs/Vinyl/Live/DVDs/more of ‘11 are *HERE*
- Fave Instrumental Albums ‘11 are coming soon
- Old Years:
- 2010: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts,
- Best of the 2000s Decade (1-10, 11-20, 21-25)
- 2009: Instrumental, Vocal, EPs/etc, Concerts
- 2008: Instrumental, Vocal, EPS/etc, Concerts
- 2007: Vocal, Instrumental, Concerts
- 2006 & 2005
~Dan – np: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Radiohead to release “The Daily Mail” & “Staircase” next week
Radiohead will be releasing the tracks “The Daily Mail” and “Staircase” next week. They were recorded during The King Of Limbs sessions, but did not end up on Radiohead’s latest album. Both tracks were included in this year’s live performances, as well as their upcoming DVD/Blu-ray – The King Of Limbs: From The Basement.
New French based music service Deezer.com (comparable to Spotify) are rolling out their services in 200 countries in the coming months and a new Radiohead single surfaced, entitled, ‘The Daily Mail & Staircase’. Cover art is included, expect the tracks don’t stream till the release date: December 19th.
Amazon.com has the mp3/digital download single online as well now, listed for $1.98 with the same release date. Here are “The Daily Mail” and “Staircase” from Radiohead’s From The Basement session:
~Dan – np: The Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
More Radiohead Remixes & Over the Rhine photos soon…
Three more Radiohead The King of Limbs Remixes are out (“Separator” by Anstam, “Magpie” by Nathan Fake and “Bloom” by Jamie xx). Sadly they didn’t make it onto the TKOL 1234567 vinyl or CD issues, but they’re available streaming now and will be available for purchase/download HERE on Monday.
I saw Over the Rhine play a beautifully gorgeous set last night at the Aladdin Theater in SE Portland, including a brand new untitled song (I’ll call it “On the Sacred Ground” for now). I should have a review up tomorrow with photos & setlist…
~Dan – np: Megadeth – Th1rt3en
Talkdemonic “City Sleep” & Radiohead ‘TKOL Live from the Basement’ DVD
If you came here for the My Brightest Diamond (Portland 11/6) show review, photos will be posted HERE soon.
If you came here for the Puscifer (Seattle 11/7) show review & photos, go HERE.
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Portland post-rock duo Talkdemonic just premiered their video for “City Sleep” (from their newest album Ruins) on MTV Hive. The video was directed by Alicia J Rose. And don’t worry, the high-pitch buzz goes away about 2:30 minutes in as the video gets really interesting…
Talkdemonic is Kevin O’Connor & Lisa Molinaro
talkdemonic.com
Radiohead also just announced that their The King of Limbs – Live from the Basement performance will be released on 32-page booklet DVD, Bluray and digital download on December 19th. There are also performances of “The Daily Mail” and “Staircase,” which haven’t been released yet. “Supercollider” has been added as a bonus track. It’s available on TKOL.com and in other shops (and Amazon) near the end of January.
Tracklisting:
1. Bloom
2. The Daily Mail
3. Feral
4. Little By Little
5. Codex
6. Separator
7. Lotus Flower
8. Staircase
9. Morning Mr. Magpie
10. Give Up The Ghost
11. Supercollider
~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes (The music of John Prine)
Radiohead remix album ‘TKOL RMX’ (19 tracks 2CD set)
Update 10/3: Radiohead will celebrate the release of their remix album ‘TKOL RMX 1234567’ by streaming a live DJ set via The Boiler Room next Tuesday 11th October, from around 8pm UK time. The album is available for pre-order now on CD.
Radiohead have announced a set of 4 vinyl remix singles. Two of them have already been released, the other two are coming soon and we can probably expect 3 more (7 total 12″ issues). All of those remixes end up on RADIOHEAD TKOL RMX, out on October 10th (UK) and likely shortly thereafter in the USA/Canada. The album will debut in Japan ahead of release dates in other territories.
CD2 includes remixes that have not been announced before, with interesting names including Jamie XX, SBTRKT, Modeselektor, Objekt, Anstam and Blawan.
Disc 1:
1. Caribou – Little By Little Rmx (vinyl #1)
2. Jacques Greene – Lotus Flower Rmx (vinyl #1)
3. Nathan Fake – Morning Mr Magpie Rmx (vinyl #2)
4. Harmonic 313 – Bloom Rmx (vinyl #2)
5. Mark Pritchard – Bloom Rmx (vinyl #2)
6. Lone – Feral Rmx (vinyl #3)
7. Pearson Sound – Morning Mr Magpie Scavenger Rmx (vinyl #3)
8. Four Tet – Separator Rmx (vinyl #3)
Disc 2:
1. Thriller – Give Up The Ghost Houseghost Rmx (vinyl #4)
2. Illum Sphere – Codex Rmx (vinyl #4)
3. Shed – Little By Little Rmx (vinyl #4)
4. Brokenchord – Give Up The Ghost Rmx (vinyl #5)
5. Altrice – TKOL Rmx (vinyl #5)
6. Blawan – Bloom Rmx (vinyl #5)
7. Modeselektor – Good Evening Mrs Magpie Rmx (vinyl #6)
8. Objekt – Bloom Rmx (vinyl #6)
9. Jamie xx – Bloom Rework (vinyl #7)
10. Anstam – Separator Rmx (vinyl #7)
11. SBTRKT – Lotus Flower Rmx (vinyl #7)
~Dan – np: Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary
Radiohead – Fake/Pritchard Remixes
The first vinyl single of the Radiohead album The King Of Limbs included remixes of “Little By Little” (Caribou) and “Lotus Flower” (Jacques Greene) and was released on July 5th.
The second vinyl of this four part series includes “Morning Mr. Magpie” remixed by Nathan Fake, as well as remixes of “Bloom” by Mark Pritchard. They go on sale on Monday 18th in the UK (there is a slight delay on the vinyl in the US & Canada, so those will be in the shops on the 2nd August). Per Radiohead’s webpage, “Just so you know, we’re planning to put this series together on CD at the end.”
And slated for release after that: “Feral” (Lone) / “Morning Mr Magpie” (Pearson Sound Scavenger) / “Separator” (Four Tet).
~Dan – np: Incubus – If Not Now, When?
Radiohead – The King of Limbs (live from the basement)
The entire live stream of Radiohead The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement is now up on the youtubes…
You can also find the mp3 download easily if you search elsewhere. The full studio album is available here.
~Dan – np: Silverchair – Young Modern
ha’fway 2011
Happy belated 235th birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So, here are my faves of the first half of 2011… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):
Artist – Album (style)
- Murat Eyuboglu & My Brightest Diamond – Letters to Distant Cities EP featuring the words of Mustafa Ziyalan (spoken word/indie rock)
- Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender (folk-americana)
- Radiohead – The King of Limbs (anti-radio rock)
- David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) – Strange Negotiations (indie rock)
- dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy (modern progressive)
- Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (drone metal)
- Tides from Nebula – Earthshine (postrock)
- Garage A Trois (Skerik & Co) – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (groove jazz)
- Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) (movie score)
- Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (postrock)
- Reptet – At the Cabin (horny jazz)
- Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz (organic electronic)
- Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (postrock)
- Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom – Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (instrumental klez-rock)
- Tres Mts (Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam & dUg Pinnick of King’s X) – Three Mountains (rock supergroup)
- Eisley – The Valley (modern rock)
- Michael Kelsey – Submerged (Midwest guitar virtuoso)
- Trey Parker & Matt Stone / Original Cast Recording – The Book of Mormon (sacrilegious broadway)
- Elysian Fields – Last Night on Earth (lusty indie-pop)
- Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (whispy indie rock)
I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Hiromi, Gangpol & Mit, and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.
The 2nd half of 2011 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, (including The Dreamers Xmas CD & the Rovo Sax Quartet collaboration), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer (2nd album), some digital releases from A Perfect Circle, the doomy Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Opeth‘s 70s throwback album, Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson‘s 2nd solo album, My Brightest Diamond is wrapping up one in the studio (will it be out in 2011?), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out (it’s been a while though), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands (Fantômas live DVD, Tomahawk’s 4th album, more?), and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.
Favorite concerts of 2011 (so far):
- Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – The Shedd, Eugene, Jan 8th
- Reptet – Luckey’s, Eugene, Jan 14th
- The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl) – The Woods, Portland, Jan 28th
- Nels Cline Singers – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Jan 30th
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Feb 18th
- U2 – Qwest Field, Seattle, Jun 4th
- A Perfect Circle – The Schnitzer, Portland, Jun 29th
(click pictures below for review links)
~Dan – np: Secret Chiefs 3 – Book M
Radiohead – Caribou/Jacques Greene Remixes
The first in a series of Radiohead remixes on 12″ vinyl will be released on Monday 4th July (or Tuesday in the US & Canada). The series kicks off with Caribou remixing “Little by Little,” and a remix of “Lotus Flower” by Jacques Greene.
You can find the vinyl in your local independent record shop, but if not, you can buy by mailorder here from the 4th. If you don’t have a record player, digital versions will be available here, here, here and here. Or you can just listen to them here at Radiohead.com.
More 12″ remixes will be released every couple of weeks over the summer until we run out of remixes… or summer. On the next one they’ve got Nathan Fake (Morning Mr Magpie) and Mark Pritchard (Bloom).
~Dan – np: Pet Bottle Ningen – Pet Bottle Ningen
Coldplay – Every Tearderp Is A Waterderp
British knockoff rock act Coldplay have announced an Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall digital EP, featuring two more brand new tracks “Major Minus” and “Moving To Mars.”
The digital EP comes out Sunday (6/26). It also comes out on CD and 7″ vinyl on Monday (UK) and Tuesday (US). The title track is already available (see Amazon for sound sample).
If Chris Martin releases a video of him dancing by himself in an alley, well… you know where he got the idea.
Sorry, I hate to be negative (or do I?). I just have very little patience for Coldplay.
~Dan – np: Basya Schechter – Queen’s Dominion
Radiohead – Staircase (Live from the Basement)
Radiohead just debuted a new song… “Staircase” on Live from the Basement on YouTube…
Here’s a new track called Staircase, taken from our upcoming ‘From The Basement’ session.
And no, you’re not seeing double. The doppelganger drummers are myself and Clive Deamer. Clive has long been one of my favourite drummers and so I was really excited when he agreed to perform with us. Hope you like what we’ve all done.
Philip x
~Dan – np: Rovo – Tonic 2001
Radiohead limited edition 12″ Remixes
If you came here for the U2 Seattle review, GO HERE.
This summer, Radiohead are set to release more vinyl releases after their UK Record Store Day/U.S. June 14th release of The Butcher/Supercollider. Remixes 12″ vinyl releases will hit throughout the summer from tracks from their current album The King Of Limbs. The first release, on July 4 (UK), comprises remixes of “Little By Little” by Caribou, and “Lotus Flower” by Jacques Greene.
The 12” will be available at selected independent record stores and from www.radiohead.com. There will also be a WAV format available through Boomkat and on http://www.radiohead.com.
~Dan – np: dredg – Chuckles & Mr Squeezy 
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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