Archive
* Favorite EPs / Vinyl / Live Albums & more of 2008 *
Before I start… happy 68th birthday to Frank Zappa. You are missed. Ya Hozna!
This is sort of a precursor to my “official” Favorites of 2008 blog. Up later this coming week or two, I’ll post my favorite vocal and favorite instrumental albums of 2008. I’m still making my way through the re-listening phase. Yeah, I know, I’m slow (or dedicated? or certifiable?). I was waiting on a few to show up in my mailbox. Anyway, on with the music pimping…
My Other Favorites of 2008 Recaps:
- Fave Concerts of ‘08 are recapped *HERE*
Favorite EPs of 2008 (coincidentally all indie artists)
1 Ellery You Did Everything Right – http://www.ellerymusic.com/
2 Estradasphere The Pegasus Vault – http://www.estradasphere.com/
3 Glen Phillips Secrets of the New Explorers – http://www.glenphillips.com/
4 Kim Taylor The Greatest Story – http://www.kim-taylor.net/
5 Wussy Rigor Mortis – http://www.wussymusic.com/
Favorite Vinyl of 2008
1 Holy Fuck Lovely Allen 19″ single (7″+12″) – http://www.holyfuckmusic.com/
2 God of Shamisen The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack! 7″ single – http://www.godofshamisen.com/
3 Puscifer Dozo 7″ single – http://www.puscifer.com/
4 David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) Jingle Bells / All I Want for Christmas (Christmas 7″) – http://www.davidbazan.com/
5 Puscifer Queen B 7″ single
Favorite Live Albums of 2008
1 Dave Douglas & Keystone Live at the Jazz Standard, April 2008 – http://www.greenleafmusic.com/ (this was 4 nights, 2 sets each night, 8 hours of music released as “instant live” within 24 hours of each performance… and fantastic)
2 Porcupine Tree We Lost the Skyline EP – http://www.porcupinetree.com/
3 David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) Live in Gdańsk – http://www.davidgilmour.com/
4 Ani DiFranco Hamburg Germany, 10.18.07 – http://www.righteousbabe.com/
5 Tori Amos Live at Montreux 1991 & 1992 – http://www.toriamos.com/
Favorite Comedy Albums of 2008
1 Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords
2 George Carlin It’s Bad For Ya
3 Mitch Hedberg Do You Believe in Gosh?
Favorite Reissues in 2008
1 Jurassic 5 – Jurassic 5 11th Anniversary
2 John Zorn, Bill Frisell & George Lewis – News for Lulu
3 John Coltrane – The Impulse Albums, Vol 2 (including John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Impressions, Live at Birdland, Crescent, and A Love Supreme)
4 Ahleuchatistas – The Same and the Other
5 Beck – Odelay (deluxe edition)
Favorite Debut of 2008
God of Shamisen‘s Dragon String Attack! -and- Ashes Divide‘s Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright
Favorite Internet Only Releases in 2008
Glen Phillips had his hand in both of them… and they’re both free…
Plover – Plover -and- RemoteTreeChildren – Veteran of the Loudness Wars
Favorite Internet Leaks in 2008
Ben Folds – Way to Normal (fake version of the album leaked by Ben himself) -and-
Sufjan Stevens – Songs for Christmas, Vol VIII: Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage (he made it for family & friends… luckily one of those also let it loose for the rest of us)
Favorite Artwork in 2008
NIN – Ghosts I-IV – each song in the download version had it’s own unique artwork attached to it. Whether studio or nature or electronic, it worked well with this release.
Favorite Packaging / Design in 2008
- Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (deluxe edition)
Steven Wilson – Insurgentes (deluxe edition) – Both Sigur Rós and Steven Wilson came out with lush coffee table-sized books that housed the music. Call it an incentive to somewhat combat the illegal downloaders. I call it great art. - Ani DiFranco – Red Letter Year – Always a packaging visionary, this one was more subtle than recent efforts… the glow in the dark moon was a nice touch.
- Metallica – Death Magnetic – Not necessarily breaking new ground musically, their packaging for the return to form metal album evokes digging through 6 feet of fresh dirt to see if Lars Ulrich’s drumming sounds better than beating on a metal folding chair. Thankfully it does… this time.
- Secret Chiefs 3 plays John Zorn‘s Masada Book Two: Xaphan – I love what Chippy does for Tzadik Records. The Masada Book Two series artwork and die-cut Star of David with offset colors that poke through is some of her best work.
Favorite “Local” Album of 2008
OK, they’re from Cincinnati and Portland (respectively)… but local enough for me… I’ve got my ears in two locales (the Cincinnati/Dayton scene will probably always have a shot at winning in this category).
Noctaluca‘s Still the Wicked Rest -and- Talkdemonic‘s Eyes at Half Mast
Favorite Soundtrack or Score
Joss Whedon‘s Dr Horrible’s Sing-along Blog -and- Mike Patton‘s A Perfect Place
Favorite Concept Album
Noctaluca‘s Still the Wicked Rest -and- Zakarya‘s The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim
That’s all for now… more coming in the next week…
~Dan – np: Celldweller – Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head
Holy F**k in-studio & Derek Webb news
It’s not that I intend to bring together two disparate artists for my music news post. I mean, I surely do love it… but it’s usually just a function of me liking way too much music, and news comes in to me in spurts that are as controllable as a trying to plug the holes in a colander. This post is brought to you by a foul-named (but primarily instrumental) Canadian electronic band that totally pwns (Holy Fuck) and a contemporary Christian artist for whom I still have a lot of respect despite philosophical differences (Derek Webb).
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Holy Fuck first… needless to say, Holy Fuck is in the list of artists that whenever I hear news about them… up it goes. They’ve been an obsession since late ‘05 / early ‘06, and they just keep gettin’ better. They make what’s best referred to as “live electronic” music. They’ve got a 23 minute in-studio performance on UK’s Channel M. Due to WordPress video posting capabilities, I am unable to do the streaming thing (it only seems to work for me for YouTube). So, click the picture to be taken to Channel M’s website:
>> Holy Fuck – In Session on Channel M <<
They play The Pulse, Royal Gregory, Frenchy’s, interview segment, Super Inuit, and Lovely Allen.
Holy Fuck’s albums are rad, instrumental grooves of deliciousness – – two self-titled LPs, along with a self-titled EP. The 2nd self-titled album is the best, IMO. You can pick it up from the Beggars Group (USA) or Young Turks (UK). They’ve also got some split 12″ vinyl. One last year with the band Celebration (no longer available), and one this year with Foals where they each cover the others track (it’s on vinyl – but you can DL the mp3s here). You can also check Holy Fuck out on the MySpaces.
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Derek Webb, formerly of the folky / hip-with-the-college crowd CCM septet Caedmon’s Call, has continued to make compelling music (which is the opposite that Caedmon’s Call has done without him, IMO). Anyway, per a recent emailing, he’s working on his follow-up to The Ringing Bell.
He’s collaborating with long time friend and former Caedmon’s Call bandmate Josh Moore on what is rumored to be a more experimental, electronic album. Teasing with programmed and decidedly more ‘inorganic’ elements, the album called Stockholm Syndrome is shaping up to be Derek’s “most ambitious album to date.”
We shall see. It’s expected out by May 2009. More info on Derek at derekwebb.com.
Dan – np: NIИ – The Slip
nine inch nails / NIN
Glen Phillips (another side project) & more Maynard news
Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) released a great Plover side-project about a month and a half ago. I dig it a-plenty. Find out more about it over here.
Fresh off the heels of Plover is another Glen side-project called Remote Tree Children (or the all jammed together RemoteTreeChildren). Their debut, Veterans of the Loudness Wars, is available @ Band Camp. I’m downloading it now; so I can’t speak to it’s greatness*. But knowing my hyperbolic ways and my mostly undying love for Glen Phillips, it’s gonna be better than a basket full of shiba inu puppies. Better off for you uninitiated and/or hit hard by economic downturn(s)… it is mother fuppin’ FREE (or $10 if you want lossless).
>> http://remotetreechildren.bandcamp.mu/ <<
on the MySpaces: http://www.myspace.com/remotetreechildren
It’s FREE!! But… support indie music if you are able!!
* Update: Holy poop skittles, the lead off track is fuuuuuun & funky & kinda disco-y (in the good way)… and the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint at all. For such a late in the year release, this is still definitely a contender for Best of the Year for me. Seriously. I only type with mild hyperbole.
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Also, fresh off of the news of a Puscifer live show in Vegas in Feb ’09… Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) blabbed to The Pulse of Radio that he and guitarist Billy Howerdel (APC & Ashes Divide) have been working on some fresh material for A Perfect Circle:
I doubt if we’ll do any touring or, you know, do a full album. We might do some one-off shows here and there if the timing’s right and it seems like a good vibe and a smart thing to do. But most likely we’ll just kind of concentrate on… one or two songs at a time, rather than investing all the time and money and effort into making those plastic discs that no one cares about anymore.
The whole “plastic discs that no one cares about anymore” is troubling. I’d hate to see only electronic releases in the future, but I guess new APC is new APC. I gotta roll with the punches in this new, yet unfortunate, digital age…
The article also said that his main band, TOOL, has been on vacation since early 2008, although Keenan said that he expects the band to begin writing a new album sometime in 2009.
Yay!
~Dan – np: Beck – Modern Guilt 
{{Puscifer}} Live in Las Vegas (2/13, 2/14 & 2/15)
Update 2/16: If you came here looking for a review or setlist, SPIN has a great review here:
http://spin.com/articles/puscifer-plays-first-ever-live-show
2/13/09 Puscifer set list (per SPIN):
(Video segment #1)
(Skit)
“Sour Grapes”
“Rev 22:20”
“DoZo”
(Video segment #2)
“Drunk With Power”
“The Undertaker”
“Vagina Mine”
“Momma Sed”
(Video segment #3)
“Polar Bear”
“Trekka”
“Indigo Children”
“The Mission”
“Queen Bee”
Some fan-shot YouTube Videos from the show:
Puscifer with Milla Jovovich “The Mission”
Puscifer “Mama Said”
Original post (12/2/08):
To which I’ll add a precursor (“I wish this weren’t Valentine’s weekend”)… from Maynard:
Bust out your best mint green polyester suit and white patent leather shoes! Puscifer makes its live debut this February 13 & 14 at The Pearl in The Palms Casino. VEGAS, BABY!!! YEAH!!! With a cast of characters that include both musicians and comedians, I see the shows as a new take on what an evening of entertainment can be. I will share more details with you over the next couple of months but with rumors already circulating about what I was planning I wanted to make sure that the newsletter subscribers were the first to know. Many Many Many details to follow. C’mon 7’s and 11’s!
Puscifer will also have a remix for “Lighten Up, Francis” in Underworld 3 and we are working with Renholder and Milla for the end credits.
Update: A third date (2/15) has been added…
~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
Faith No More reforming?
Update (2/24/09): Per Pitchfork and Tripwire, the band is set to reunite for some European dates in 2009. The line-up will be their touring lineup from 1997: vocalist Mike Patton, keyboardist Roddy Bottum, bassist Billy Gould, drummer Mike Bordin, and guitarist Jon Hudson. I’ll post dates when/if they come in.
OK, so I think I need to get my hands on a Kerrang magazine… their website has a blurb about a Faith No More reformation. Mike Patton (their singer in the good era of FNM) talked about the possiblility of a future reunion in Jan 2008. In other press since then, he didn’t rule it out, but he said it was unlikely.
OK, so anyone have this most recent Kerrang (with Metallica on the cover)? Does it offer up anything more than speculation? Or is the “reformation” something with Dio as the singer? :rolleyes:
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11/29/08 Update (from Blabbermouth): According to U.K.’s Kerrang! magazine, industry insiders suggest that hugely infuential ’90s alt-metal band FAITH NO MORE is planning to return next year. Kerrang! understands that a number of U.K. venues have been placed on hold for shows from the band next spring, while U.K. festival appearances are rumored to follow in the summer. Founding bassist Bill Gould told Kerrang! “If anything like this were to happen, it would have to come from the band, and I haven’t spoken with any of them in over a year. So as far as I know, there isn’t anything to talk about, and I’m pretty sure that if you were to contact [Mike] Patton [vocals], he would tell you the same thing.” played down the speculation, telling
~Dan – np: Wussy – Rigor Mortis -EP-
Ric Hordinski back with Over the Rhine… one night only
I knew about this a bit ago, but don’t know why I never blogged it… anyway, guitar master & production wizard Ric Hordinski (aka Monk) is playing a one-off show with his former band, Over the Rhine, at their annual get together at the Taft Theater in Cincinnati, OH. This is one of those shows that I’m totally bummed I’ll be missing. Ric is an amazing guitarist, and Over the Rhine’s sound has been missing a ton of what I loved ever since he left in 1996/1997. I also assume that original drummer Brian Kelley will be playing with the band, too. But I haven’t heard either way///
Anyway, one night only… Over the Rhine with Ric Hordinski, December 19th, 2008 at the Taft Theater, Cincinnati, OH. Check out http://overtherhine.com/ for more info.
Ric is also doing his annual holiday show at his monastery studio with Ellery (my new favorite husband-wife duo from Cincinnati). Ellery’s 2006 debut album (Lying Awake) and very recent EP (You Did Everything Right) are among my favs in that genre that includes singing*.
*– Yeah, this year is my first year with more instrumental intake than vocal… alas, I still dig me some folk-pop stylings… especially that of Tasha & Justin Golden (i.e.- Ellery).
The Ric Hordinski & Ellery get together is the week prior (December 12th):
– Doors open at 6:00pm, with caroling at 6:30pm
– Tickets are $15, only 100 seats available!
~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
REVIEW: Jason Schimmel’s Orange Tulip Conspiracy @ Samurai Duck (Eugene, OR – – 11/17/08)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Samurai Duck on a Monday night… ugh… but it was for a good cause. It was to see Jason Schimmel’s Orange Tulip Conspiracy (hereafter “OTC”). I’d seen Jason thrice prior (with Estradasphere once and with Secret Chiefs 3 twice). I fought the late night start to the week, the sleepiness, the sticky bar, and deep fried pizza (shudder). Egads, why did I let myself be sucked in by $3 fried pizza? I mean, sweet muscular Jesus… why!? It was wrong on too many levels…
Anyway, OTC went on around 10pm, or at least I thought. They were just foolin’, as I think Jason was setting up his Mac to tape the show and needed some levels. They went on for real around 10:20 and played until just about 11:30. I’m bad with the song names on instrumental bands, but they played most of the music from their eponymous debut CD. They also played a Django Reinhardt tune like no Django I’d previously heard (it was pretty fun, fast & furious). Hot Club de France was usually fun & furious, but not so fast… it was fun to OTC stretch it out at the end, too…
(click for larger)
The band was made up of bandleader Jason Schimmel (on guitars & swanky hat), John Whooley (on saxes & keys, an original Estradasphere member), Dan Robbins (on basses), Zach Cline (on guitar) and Lee Smith (on drums). John Whooley really ripped it up, and the live show was very much more sax-oriented than I remembered the CD being. It makes me wish I’d seen the earlier incarnation of Estradasphere (even though the current incarnation is excellent). Lee Smith also seemed more comfortable because he didn’t have to start his set in a ninja costume…
The 70 minute set was full of rockin’ jazz-infused tunes. Very swingy in spots, but Jason also pulled out a 7-string for a chunky low-end on a song. If John Petrucci (from Dream Theater) has taught me anything, it’s that I love me some 7-string. The night was full of what my wife might call a band in an “identity crisis,” but that’s exactly what I love about bands in which I’ve seen Jason play – – they’re full of energy & musical chops. OTC aren’t afraid to just push the envelope. They enjoy ripping it open like a birthday card from a rich Aunt. :)
The live show was pretty awesome, and the album is fantastic. It’s quite frankly in the running for faves of the year. It can (and should) be bought via Web of Mimicry/Lobefood (click the picture below):
The Appropriate Linkage:
Where they’re heading next on this 2008 West Coast Tour?
Nov 18 2008 – On the Y, Sacramento, California
Nov 19 2008 – Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz, California
Nov 20 2008 – The Ruby Room, San Diego, California
Nov 21 2008 – The Knitting Factory, Hollywood, California
Nov 22 2008 – Hotel Utah, San Francisco, California
~Dan – np: Zakarya – The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim
-and- Ellery – You Did Everything Right -EP-
ORANGE TULIP CONSPIRACY CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
odd music news day
I honestly don’t know which one I like best…
(1) Tool front-man Maynard James Keenan planning a Las Vegas act at The Palms for 2009, or
(2) The Beatles 14-minute avant-garde “Carnival of Light” experiment (from 1967) is going to be released
From Blabbermouth:
The Pulse of Radio reports that TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan is putting together a cabaret-style show for a string of dates at The Palms in Las Vegas, beginning in mid-February. According to an inside source, the shows will feature both comedy and music. Keenan is not a stranger to this kind of gig – he told The Pulse of Radio that his side band PUSCIFER actually evolved out of a similar type of show he used to do in his pre-TOOL days in Hollywood. “Generally started off as a name that I was attaching to some of the comedy things I was doing with (comedian) Laura Milligan at this club called Tantrum which existed in the Diamond Club on Hollywood and La Brea,” he said. “(We’d) have a variety show, lots of talent coming through there just kind of trying out their new stuff. So PUSCIFER was kind of like the band that would kind of close the show.”
Milligan is a comedian and actress seen on “Mr. Show” and more recently in “Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny”. Several performers from both projects used to work on the same gigs as Keenan. Keenan’s Vegas act will reportedly incorporate both friends and outside musicians to perform some music from PUSCIFER and other material.
The Beatles’ “Carnival of Light,” a 14-minute experimental piece from 1967, may see the light of day soon if Paul McCartney has his way. McCartney confirmed the track’s existence in a BBC Radio 4 interview; the song was recorded for an electronic music festival but was never officially released.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, McCartney said: “The time has come for it to get its moment. “I like it because it’s The Beatles free, going off piste. I said all I want you to do is just wander around all the stuff, bang it, shout, play it, it doesn’t need to make any sense. Hit a drum then wander on to the piano, hit a few notes, just wander around. So that’s what we did and then put a bit of an echo on it. It’s very free.” According to BBC News, McCartney pushed for the song to be included on The Beatles’ Anthology releases in the mid-’90s, but it was vetoed by the rest of the band.
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XXI: Belle de Nature / The New Rijksmuseum
Opeth “Burden” video
I’m not psychic… I just knew that a video was impending for Opeth… well, as correctly guessed yesterday, I’m following up two rap posts in a row with a Swedish death metal post. Well, sort of… the latest video by Swedish death metal band OPETH is here… it’s called “Burden,” and it’s barely even regular metal (sigh):
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/video/view.aspx?songID=2362
I guess making a video for a 10-minute long brutal onslaught isn’t all that “commercially viable.” Alas, we got “Burden” instead.
~Dan – np: Miles Davis – In a Silent Way
Ty Tabor, MBD, Sufjan/Dessner/Brams
Ty Tabor, guitarist from King’s X, will have a new solo album out in early December. Balance…
It will be streaming from his MySpace page shortly. Also for more info on his music, be sure to check out http://www.myspace.com/tytabor.
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Asthmatic Kitty (AK) just released a new My Brightest Diamond remix album digitally. It’s called Shark Remixes Vol 1 – Alfred Brown. It’s the first of four remix EPs. The other three remixers are DM Stith, Son Lux and Roberto Carlos Lange. For more info on this digital release, check iTunes or AK’s website.
AK also released a new compilation for Habitat for Humanity with a collaboration from Sufjan Stevens, The National’s Bryce Dessner, and AK co-founder Lowell Brams. Their trio is called Tidal River. For more information on AK’s Habitat compilation, go here.
~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood – Radiolarians I
plover
The Plover record is out. It’s pay-what-you-want in many bandwidth options (including 320 mp3, FLAC, etc) via http://plovermusic.com/
It’s also streaming in its entirety via this widget:
Plover is Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket), Neilson Hubbard & Garrison Starr. I’m part way through it, and I dig it. It’s in the rock / pop vein…
http://plovermusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/plovermusic
~Dan – np: Plover – Plover
update on OSI’s #3 album
As previously mentioned, O.S.I. (a band led by Kevin Moore from Chroma Key / Dream Theater and Jim Matheos from Fates Warning) is being worked on now. This just in from Mikael Åkerfeldt, lead “singer” / guitarist from OPETH, is that he’s contributing vocals to a song…
It’s a very moody song and completely unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I wrote the lyrics and the vocal lines for the piece that I simply decided to call “Stockholm“.
Cool… The album also features Gavin Harrison (from Porcupine Tree) on drums.
~Dan – np: Goddamn Electric Bill – Topics for Gossip
Photos Attack!
My favorite* Japanese-themed rock/metal band, God of Shamisen, has some rad new professional photos taken…
More pics from this photo shoot are HERE
http://www.godofshamisen.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gos
See my recent review (with pics) of their West Coast tour stop through Eugene on 9/11/08 is HERE…
~Dan – np: David Gilmour – Live from Gdańsk
*– Daikaiju is also a great Japanese-themed rock/metal band (from Alabama); so it’s not like GOS was running unopposed. :)
REVIEW: God of Shamisen @ Samurai Duck (Eugene, OR – – 9/11/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Well, before the show, I was kind of bummed, as Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco’s upright bassinator) was playing a show at Sam Bond’s in Eugene last night as well. GOS totally won, but Todd would have put on a great show as well. Anyway, I swung by Sam Bond’s before heading over to the Samurai Duck… to pick up Todd’s new CD, Tiny Resistors. I figured I might as well support indie jazz artists. Alas, the doorman told me that Todd had to cancel. Bummer… well, maybe he’ll reschedule, though I think he’s from New York; so maybe it’s just not meant to be this time around.
a great cartoon GOS by Rulo Barrera
On to the venue… hmmm… what to say about the Samurai Duck. Well, you can get fried pizza. Um… ick… I opted for a Blue Moon & a bag of pretzels. The rest of the menu was faintly “asian,” but nothing I’d really consider to be all that interesting. This place is definitely a dive metal bar, but they’ve got a decent stage, and the bands got set-up / switched over between sets really quick – which is a major plus, especially for a late night show.
The 1st opener, Deosyl, was really good. I had never heard of them, but they’re from Eugene. They were an instrumental rock/metal trio. They were all very good musicians. The guitarist seemed to have some great chops, in the vein of Dream Theater’s John Petrucci or Dimebag Darryl or a breed of the two. Great stuff…
I saw GOS’s Kevin Kmetz warming up with his shamisen in between the openers’ sets…
Shat came on next, around 11pm. I was a fan of their prior to this show. I mean, we go way back… we’re the bestest of MySpace friends. Or something. Well, I first heard of Shat via the (now defunct) Coma Lilies. They are connected to Righteous Gabe Records…
Which is absotively-posilutely supposed to confuse you with Righteous Babe Records. They make music very much unlike Ani DiFranco, though. :) Very much… crazy, spastic, turrets syndrome-induced rock. Oh, I think they’re also linked to the international smash hit “Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight.” Or maybe just linked via Righteous Gabe… Anyway, they put on a lively show. They’re from Portland; so I’ll likely get to see them again.
God of Shamisen went on right around midnight. I was tired, but doing OK. I work right across the street; so I had popped over there to get a Coke. :) God of Shamisen is Kevin Kmetz on tsugaru-shamisen, Karl Schnaitter on guitars, Mark Thornton on bass, and Lee “ninja” Smith on drums. They played a great set, and it was well worth staying through a late night and two openers to see them play. I also got to pick up their new CD, Dragon String Attack. I’ve been listening to it today at work, and it’s great. My favorite track so far is “The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack!”
The CD (click the picture for more info):
The Set List: (with adjustments by Mark from GOS*)
- Traditional (Kevin solo)
- Bad Dog Attack
- The Prisoner (called “The Village Attack” on the CD*)
- Tar Bomb Attack (not recorded yet*)
- Ripe Fruit Attack
- Stacie’s Song (for Kevin’s s/o)
- Dragon String Attack
- Mary Jane (with Danyl Johnson)
- The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack
- Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls* (with Christian from Shat)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/gos
- http://www.godofshamisen.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/shaturdaynight
- http://www.myspace.com/righteousgabereocords
- http://www.myspace.com/deosyl
The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is on for tonight. I’m excited. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a few years, but missed them when they came to Eugene in the spring, because I was at the Ani DiFranco/Judy Grahn/Animal Prufrock show down the street at the same night. Well, JFJO coming back to town 5 months later is a-OK with me.
~Dan – np: Jeff Ament – Tone
GOD OF SHAMISEN CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
God of Shamisen – a pimpin’ I shall do…
OK… God of Shamisen, great band, gonna get to see ’em on Thursday. They’ve got a new CD, Dragon String Attack. It’s their 1st CD. It’s out now. If you don’t happen to live near where they’re playing on this tour, you can order it online with the easy-peasy PayPals. This is directly from the artist to your ears. Support indie musics!! Check ’em out online: http://www.myspace.com/gos
The CD (click the picture for more info):
The Shirt (click the picture for more info):
The Tour:
Sep 8 2008 THE FUNHOUSE – w/ the Diminished Men Seattle, Washington
Sep 9 2008 DUNES – w/ SHAT and Circuit Breaking Silence Portland, Oregon
Sep 10 2008 JOHNNY B’s Medford, Oregon
Sep 11 2008 SAMURAI DUCK Eugene, Oregon
Sep 12 2008 CRUX ARTIST COLLECTIVE Chico, California
Sep 13 2008 THE FISHTANK – w/ Shamalamacord Oakland, California
Sep 14 2008 THE SCENE (new venue!) Glendale, California
Sep 16 2008 AUDIE’S OLYMPIC / CLUB FRED – w/ Brian Kenney Fresno and Foxycock Fresno, California
Sep 17 2008 BLUE LAGOON – w/ We Be The Echo and Happy Meal Santa Cruz, California
Sep 18 2008 RASPUTINS RECORDS free in-store Mountain View, California
Sep 19 2008 BOTTOM OF THE HILL – w/ We Be The Echo and Headshear San Francisco, California
If you live in Eugene, OR, see you on Thursday… if you know what’s good for you. :)
~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Zaebos
O.S.I. #3
Updated (3/9/09): go here… https://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/more-osi-details/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Well, I just checked chromakey.com and osiband.com just last week. No updates since 2006.
Now this from Blabbermouth…
OSI (OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE), the project featuring FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos and ex-DREAM THEATER keyboardist Kevin Moore, has spent the past several months working on its third album. According to Moore, “Gavin Harrison (PORCUPINE TREE) is playing drums on this one; he’s nearly done tracking and it sounds great. Along with guitar, Jim is handling bass this time. I still get to sing but may get some help.”
For those not in the know, Kevin Moore‘s Chroma Key is my favorite band ever. This is not hyperbole. Dead Air For Radios is my #1 favorite album ever. O.S.I. is essentially a rockin’ continuation of Chroma Key for me.
(Kevin / CK promo shot)
I’m stoked. I don’t care that it snuck up on me. O.S.I. #2 snuck up on me as well… it makes for a happy present. Now, if I can only convince Kevin to tour Chroma Key or O.S.I.
I suppose watch this blog space for future news… or this one…
~Dan
REVIEW: Mogwai @ Music Fest NW (Portland, OR – – 9/3/08)
Opener the Fuck Buttons were pretty good. I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to the venue until 9:30pm and didn’t make it inside until about 9:40… as I only caught one of the FB’s set. They were loud, but sort of an electronic post-rock duo. Groove-oriented and somewhat repetitive, but the song I heard was enjoyable.
Mogwai hit the stage right around 10:30pm. And they are quite possibly the loudest band on the planet (outside of perhaps Testament on the Demonic Tour). Oy… I just don’t know why their live shows need to be so bloody loud. It’s quite unbearable. Their music suits a “normal” setting (unlike perhaps Testament). I mean, what are Mogwai trying to prove by being so loud? It wasn’t a one-time thing either… they were quite unbearably loud when I saw them in 2006 at the Wexner in Columbus, OH.
(from the Portland show)
I stayed for right about an hour. I’m not going to bother with posting a set list, as… well… they’re a post-rock band, and it’s hard to remember their song titles. Sorry, it was good, but I’ve got no song titles for y’all (UPDATE: setlist from fan photo).
Setlist:
- Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
- The Precipice
- Ithaca 27ø9
- Thank You Space Expert
- Friend of the Night
- Scotland’s Shame
- Hunted By A Freak
- Ex-Cowboy
- Kids Will Be Skeletons
- I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
- I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up your School
- 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
- Like Herod
- Batcat
I’m looking forward to their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, out in 3 weeks. That way I can adjust the volume myself.
Luckily my hotel is literally 3 minutes away. And my ringing ears shall be in bed soon.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/mogwai
- http://www.mogwai.co.uk/
- Mogwai’s Tour Diary about Portland: USA_Tour_Diary_pt1
- http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons
- http://www.fuckbuttons.co.uk/
- http://www.musicfestnw.com/
No posts for a while (meaning a few days)… perhaps (I’ve been known to be a liar). Moving stuff this weekend to our new house. But look out… next week is God of Shamisen (9/11) and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9/12) in Eugene. Plus Ani DiFranco’s upright bassist, Todd Sickafoose, is in Eugene (unfortunately the same night as GOS – Thursday 9/11), but I may swing by Sam Bond’s to at least pick up his new CD, Tiny Resistors, before the GOS show.
~Dan – recently played: Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel the Illinoise!
REVIEW: Radiohead @ White River Amphitheatre (Auburn, WA – – 8/20/08)
Well, first off, I wasn’t going to attempt to take my own pictures of the show… I’m an amateur, I was far away, outdoor venue, yadda yadda. For a great review (of the Boston show 8/13) with pictures & video, check out this review.
The venue was White River Amphitheatre (outside of Auburn, WA)… bleh. Not far enough away from Seattle to avoid traffic. Two lane road going in and out of the venue. Crappy gravel parking. No food within 6 miles. Crappy sound. I don’t think I’ll ever go back there… unless there is a Pink Floyd reunion, a Faith No More / Mr Bungle reunion tour… or Chroma Key plays there. All of those events are highly unlikely.
The opener (Liars?) got completely missed. I heard them playing their last song as I was walking from my car. Oh well…
Radiohead came on just after 9pm… and played for a long time. They played a good mix of songs, but the sound at this venue (as alluded to above) was pretty much crap for any of the louder songs. The quieter songs sounded really good, but the big rock songs were mush (not the good kind of mush). Now, the lighting… holy crap. Fun / cool / awesome lighting.
(from the Boston show – Courtesy of Cole Kinsler)
Jonny Greenwood has ever so gently been eeking up in my favorites list, and I think he’s officially taken over as my favorite Radiohead (and body). He’s the anti-guitar hero. He plays with artistic conviction and an “I don’t care if you like it or if it looks cool, this is what I’m doing now” demeaner. I can dig it.
I was also lazy in the “write down the setlist” department, as I know Radiohead has their many minions. Here’s what I got over at the atease blog (thanks to Flaaneuse who submitted it & the descriptions in italics):
Radiohead’s Setlist:
- 15 Step
- Reckoner
- Optimistic
- There There
- All I Need (a fav from the night)
- Pyramid Song
- Talk Show Host (holy crap!! 90s era b-side… one of my favs from the night)
- The National Anthem
- The Gloaming
- Videotape
- Lucky (another fav from the night)
- Faust Arp [Thom messes up lyrics several times, starts singing Neil Young’s “Tell Me Why”; Jonny tries to follow along but can’t quite get the chords. Phil comes out and drops an American dollar bill out in front of Thom and Jonny and runs away laughing. Thom and Jonny crack up completely to loud cheers. Thom tries again, says “Fuck it!”, but then continues and finishes the song.]
- Jigsaw Falling Into Place
- Climbing Up The Walls (another fav from the night… I love this melody)
- Dollars and Cents
- Nude
- Bodysnatchers
- Encore 1: How to Disappear Completely
- Arpeggi/Weird Fishes
- Idioteque
- In Limbo [Tambourine accompaniment by Nigel Godrich. Thom, ‘This is Nigel’, Ed, ‘He makes our records.’]
- Street Spirit (another fav from the night… I love this melody)
- Encore 2: You And Whose Army? [Thom dedicates to the people who demonstrated against the WTO in Seattle in 1999]
- No Surprises (would have likely been a fav from the night; alas, I was on the road – starting my 4 hour trip home)
- Everything In Its Right Place
The Appropriate Linkage:
Good show… it’s a pleasure to see Radiohead just about any time. This time was in the “OK/Good” category, but not their fault. I just think I’m getting too picky to go to the big outdoor venues…
~Dan – np: John Zorn‘s The Dreamers
REVIEW: King’s X & Extreme @ Union Center Blvd Bash (Cincinnati, OH – – 8/10/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
My wife thinks I’m crazy. I think I agree. I used SkyMiles to fly from Eugene, OR, to Cincinnati, OH, to see two rock bands. I don’t do this often (fly somewhere for a show). Anyway, this time it was for two bands I’ve liked for 15-20 years: King’s X and Extreme. While I love King’s X, I’ve seen them a bunch and they tour a bunch; so the main reason to fly was to see Extreme* – – who broke up 12 years ago.
*– Extreme is much more than that “More Than Words” band (or that “Beethoven jamming in the mall on Bill & Ted’s” band). They wrote great rock songs, great guitars & insightful lyrics, and bordered on art rock in many cases, i.e.- the IIIrd Side (unofficially) starting with “God Isn’t Dead?” and moving into the 23-minute, three-part with orchestration, epic “Everything Under The Sun” on III Sides to Every Story. “Everything Under the Sun” is most likely my 2nd favorite song ever written (Kevin Moore’s “Space-Dye Vest” being #1).
The closest this double-bill tour was coming to me (in Eugene, OR) was Las Vegas… which would mean expensive ticket, expensive hotel, expensive meals, and a city that I find kinda boring (unless you add an expensive Cirque du Soleil show). With that being said, a FREE show with a brother within 2 miles of the festival with a FREE bed to sleep in made this one too good to pass up. [Thanks, David & Alicia!]
The day started with a yummy vegan biscuits & gravy brunch at MELT in lovely Northside and ended with Nuno Bettencourt wailing on guitar in West Chester (home of the Union Center Boulevard Bash). Well, on to the show…
This was my 15th time seeing King’s X. Did I mention I like them? The only thing that’s kept me away from one of their shows within a 200 mile radius would be a wedding. My own wedding. :) Anyway, they put on a great show tonight. Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor, and Jerry Gaskill are the epitome of a power trio. They put out a wall of sound, heavy, chunky, yet melodic. They were scheduled to play 45 minutes (the ills of a free festival opening slot), but they got a good hour and change to play. Great crowd response, and kudos from Nuno & Co later in the evening. They put on a great set, as usual. And a friend from Nashville texted me unexpectedly while at the show. [It was great to see you, WalruSteve!]
(Doug, Ty, Jerry – not my pic, obviously)
King’s X Setlist:
- Groove Machine
- Alright
- Rocket Ship
- Black Flag
- Move
- Dogman (one of my favs of the set)
- Pray (with Doug on 12-string bass)
- We Were Born to Be Loved
- Go Tell Somebody
- Looking for Love (one of my favs of the set)
- Over My Head
- Encore: King
The spiritually searching lyrics to “Looking for Love” has been a mantra of some sort for me since way back in ’96; so it’s always good when that’s in the set. Doug seemed to be in pretty good spirits. Ty’s hair kept blowing in his face, but that didn’t stop him shreddin’ up the frets. Jerry was killin’ the skins, as usual. The sun was beatin’ down on the band, but they muscled through. Here’s hopin’ this Extreme tour helps them bring some new fans on board.
As for Extreme… This was my 2nd time seeing them. I saw them on their Waiting for the Punchline Tour in 1995 (@ Bogart’s in Cincinnati). They broke up shortly afterwards, as Nuno Bettencourt went on to do some solo stuff and Gary Cherone went on to join Van Halen (which turned out to be a poor choice… as, you know, Van Halen sucks ass). Anyway, when Extreme broke up, it was truly amicable. The band had run its course, the landscape of music wasn’t all that into hardrock with solos (but rather flannel and apathy rockin’ the suburbs), and the guys in Extreme all had different opportunities. A reunion was always a possibility, it was just a function of time…
They had their new CD (Saudades de Rock) at the show… even though it doesn’t come out until Tuesday. Only $10, too. Rock on!!
(Pat, Gary, Nuno, KFigg – not my pic, obviously)
Extreme ripped up the stage for almost two hours, playing a good mix of old songs, new songs, hits, fan favs… KFigg did a great job filling in Paul Geary’s drum “shoes.” Pat Badger’s bass playing was superb. Gary’s voice was on. Nuno was Nuno (i.e.- God) — meedley-meedley-meeeeeeeeeeee (Strongbad Email link)…
Extreme X Setlist:
- IIIrd Side Intro Music (strings)
- Decadence Dance
- Comfortably Dumb (new one)
- Rest In Peace (one of my favs of the set)
- Star (new one, with Star-Spangled Banner outro)
- Tell Me Something I Don’t Know
- 1989 medley: Kid Ego /
Little Girls /
Teacher’s Pet /
Play With Me (Nuno’s solo ripped — one of my favs of the set) - Midnight Express (instrumental — one of my favs of the set)
- More Than Words
- Ghost (new one, Nuno on piano)
- Cupid’s Dead
- Take Us Alive
- Am I Ever Gonna Change? (one of my favs of the set)
- Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee (Nuno’s guitar-only take on Tchaikovsky — one of my favs of the set)
- Get the Funk Out (one of my favs of the set)
- Encore: Hole Hearted (one of my favs of the set)
- Communication Breakdown [Led Zeppelin]
Overall… fuppin’ awesome! I am crazy for music, but I love being crazy. :) Being crazy is what keeps me sane.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.kingsxrocks.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/kingsx
- http://www.myspace.com/dugpinnickpoundhound (bass/vocals)
- http://www.myspace.com/tytabor (guitar/vocals)
- http://www.myspace.com/jerrygaskill (drums/backing vocals)
- http://www.extreme-band.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/extreme
- http://www.myspace.com/garycherone (vocals)
- http://www.myspace.com/nunobettencourt (guitar/backing vocals)
- http://www.myspace.com/pbadger (bass/backing vocals)
- http://www.myspace.com/kfigg (drums)
- http://www.unioncentreblvdbash.com/
Yeah, that’s a lotta links… I took a bunch of pictures of both bands. I hope to have them up soon, once I get back home to Oregon and have a chance to edit and upload ’em…
~Dan – np: Extreme – Saudades de Rock
KING’S X (24 pics) & EXTREME (70 pics) CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click to enlarge)
King’s X Band (6):
More band shots: #3, #4, #5, #6
Doug Pinnick (8):
More Doug shots: #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8
Ty Tabor (8):
More Ty shots: #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8
Jerry Gaskill (2):
Sorry, no more Jerry shots.
Extreme Band (19) + Gear (2):
More band shots: Mourning Widows racks, Drums, Band #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, Bow #18, Bow #19
Gary Cherone (7):
More Gary shots: #3, #4, #5, #6, #7
Nuno Bettencourt (21):
More Nuno shots: #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21
Yeah, I’m a bit obsessed with Nuno. :)
Pat Badger (2):
Sorry, no more Pat shots.
Kevin Figueiredo (4):
Gary & Nuno (10):
More Gary & Nuno shots: #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10
Nuno & Pat (5):
Greydon Square, Ani DiFranco & Steven Wilson
Atheist rapper Greydon Square comes back strong on his latest album, The CPT Theorem. This is his third album, though his debut (Absolute from 2004) is long out-of-print… so it’s only the 2nd album of his that I am lucky to own. His album The Compton Effect was one of my favorite albums in 2007. This album branches out more beyond the primarily atheist lyrics, more about his life and other topics (to some extent). I’m on my 2nd time through, and I’m diggin’ it. Fav track thus far… “Cubed.” The album is on some internet stores, specifically iTunes. Give it a listen… as well as his last one (The Compton Effect), too…
In non-atheist rap news, Ani DiFranco‘s got a new song posted to her MyScpae page*. The song is called “Smiling Underneath.” I dig its more “band-oriented” sound. Her new (20th studio) album, Red Letter Year, comes out on 9/30/08.
Yep, 20 albums in, what, 18-19 years?! Crazy… but I dig just about all of ’em.
Regarding Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson, of whom I posted a news bit 2 weeks or so ago, there’s a YouTube trailer for his upcoming solo album, Insurgentes:
Coming up this weekend for me… King’s X and Extreme playing on the same stage. Woot! How’s that for diverse music in one post: atheist rap, hipster folk, progressive rock, the founders of grunge, and a hair band. :)
~Dan – np: Jude – Cuba
*– MyScpae is a new networking site for people who can’t tuckin’ fype.
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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Creative Commons
This blog and concert photos therein are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Available with Attribution for Non-Commercial, Non-Derivative Use.
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