Archive
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
Jude… working on new music…
You/all/everybody… have been waiting for a follow-up to the last Jude studio album – technically 2006’s Redemption. He has put out some music since then (the Low Stars album, the Cuba b-sides record, some music for TV’s LOST), but he’s still been in fairly silent mode.
Well on 1/24/2012, he posted…
New Album of Songs
I’ve decided to cobble together some unfinished records and make some new recordings as well. I’m past the point of pain from the writing, past the preciousness that keeps me from finishing songs, and past the point of thinking each track can change my life. So, with that remarkably confident build-up, in case anyone is still out there reading this, I love you for listening, and I hope to please you with this next work.
All I can do is try to be truthful in the songs. My instrument (vox) ain’t exactly what it used to be, but I’ll try to hide that from you with magical over-tracking, just like all the cool kids do now :)
Peace be with you. I expect to take a month, and then maybe get it out this Spring or something, no need to wait, right?
Now be patient and kind or I’ll crawl back into my hole! Oh, and Happy 2012. Peace be with us all.
Wow, no news and then hopefully a new album by Spring? Yay!
~Dan – np: Damien Jurado – Maraqopa
4 8 15 16 23 42 Lost numbers
Bad Veins – The Mess We’ve Made
A new record from lo-fi, melodic indie rock duo Bad Veins is on the way…
The Mess We’ve Made hits April 24th.
Stay tuned at http://badveins.net/ and Facebook…
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage
The Chance Brothers “Ruby”
One of my good friends from Cincinnati, Ashley Peacock, is back in the saddle making music again. His new band is called the Chance Brothers (Ash is “Butch Chance” and Todd Gilbert is “Bobby Chance”). The recorded their debut album over the holidays, and they just released the first single online – “Ruby.”
Check it out here:
Their album will come out in 2012… Follow them here:
If you’re in the Cincinnati area, they play the 86 Club on Saturday, January 28th (FB Event).
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart – Bongo Fury
OSI #4 is ‘Fire Make Thunder’ (Update from Metal Blade)
OSI’s fourth album finally has a name, a cover image, a tracklist and more… the press release from Metal Blade is below…
Fire Make Thunder marks the fourth undertaking for the collaborative duo known as OSI. Formed in 2002 by Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos) and Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, former Dream Theater keyboardist), OSI is a long distance partnership, both musicians typically writing and recording alone and sending song ideas back and forth for further elaboration. Written and recorded throughout most of 2011, this latest release once again reflects the eclectic influences of both Matheos and Moore.
Fire Make Thunder is slated for a March 27th release via Metal Blade Records. Today OSI unveils the artwork and the tracklisting for their fourth release.
Track listing:
1) Cold Call
2) Guards
3) Indian Curse
4) Enemy Prayer
5) Wind Won’t Howl
6) Big Chief II
7) For Nothing
8) Invisible Men
Additionally, OSI has released an exclusive audio medley from Fire Make Thunder, which features audio samples from the upcoming release. The medley as well as pre-order opportunities can be accessed HERE (Pacificlectic NOTE: they have the CD for a really great price or a shirt/CD combo). it’s also available for pre-order on Amazon.
Returning as the band’s session drummer is Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree, this time co-writing one of the tracks with the band. All other instruments and programming were performed by both Matheos and Moore, while vocals and lyrics were handled exclusively by Moore.
All of the recording for Fire Make Thunder, with the exception of drums, was done by Moore and Matheos at each musician’s respective home studio with drums being recorded at Harrison’s home in London. Final overdubs as well as some additional writing/arranging was completed in July 2011 in Jamaica, Iowa, where the band mixed alongside engineer Matt Sepanic at Sound Farm Studio and Recording Environment. Mastering was handled by renowned engineer Roger Siebel. The record was produced by both Moore and Matheos.
We reached out to OSI for comments on the album. Our calls have not been returned.
1/24 Update from Twitter re a vinyl edition (in Europe… which I’ll totally spring for on the shipping):
For More Information Please Visit:
http://www.osiband.com
http://www.metalblade.com/osi
http://twitter.com/osi_band
https://www.facebook.com/pages/OSI/203893353038854
http://www.youtube.com/osivideos
https://plus.google.com/101327182573580737209
http://www.myspace.com/osiband
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – One Size Fits All
A ton of new stuff from SECRET CHIEFS 3 (7″ with MIKE PATTON + 12″/shirts)
All of this should be available on the upcoming Secret Chiefs 3 West Coast (USA) Tour (dates below), but you can also now order them online…
NEW MERCH FOR 2012 FROM SECRET CHIEFS 3
WOM042 – Traditionalists: Le Chanson de Jacky / The Western Exile Exile 7″
La Chanson de Jacky
In 1965 Jacques Brel wrote and recorded a fiery three verse chanson exploding with the anxiety, bravado and panic faced by someone stretched to a midpoint across the abyss — to find oneself suspended between mediocrity and genius, villainy and heroism, doom and eternity, etc. In 1967 the nearly equally inimitable Scott Walker brilliantly re-interpreted Brel’s Chanson in English, to equal parts controversy and acclaim in the Anglosphere. In 2012, both versions of the tune have collided in an Anglo-Franco alliance, revealing perhaps an ever-implicit third dimension. It’s a stunt simultaneously ill-advised and absolutely necessary for a band like Secret Chiefs 3: Traditionalists to undertake — and one that could only be pulled off with someone uniquely qualified to take command of the vocals. Who other than the maestro Mike Patton, in this day and age, to do justice (and then some) without insult to such a preposterously Spartan legacy?
The Western Exile
One of the main themes from Secret Chiefs 3’s 2004 album “Book of Horizons” receives a more spaghetti-seasoned marination in the crimson blood-soaked cemeteries of occidental exile. Not a chump re-mix, this is an entirely new thunderhead-evoking arrangement and recording, back-dated with a few more horsemen of the Apocalypse casting shadows over the Cowboys and Indians for cinematic effect. Already a well-proportioned auditory and philosophical compliment to its flipside, this recording is also one of the precious few Secret Chiefs 3 recordings graced with the voice and viola of Anonymous 13.
Read more about the 7″ and purchase here.
Also available: three new Secret Chiefs 3 t-shirts:
Secret Chiefs 3 also available on 12″ vinyl (US customers only)
Secret Chiefs 3: First Grand Constitution & Bylaws 12″ vinyl
Secret Chiefs 3: Second Grand Constitution & Bylaws: Hurqalya
2012 West Coast Tour Dates
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – One Size Fits All
In Progress EP with Kevin Moore
Update 1/10: streaming song “Plan B” (below).
From the Kevin Moore news website, The Mooreatorium…
Experimental rockers In Progress revealed the cover artwork today for their upcoming EP, titled North Atlantic Echoes, which features Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, O.S.I., ex-Dream Theater) on three tracks. The artwork was done by Sweden-based artist Alessandro Falca, who handled the artwork duties for Moore’s Shine album in late 2010.
“Kevin introduced us to [Alessandro] after Jake [Rosenberg] and I expressed our appreciation of it,” said band member John Dillon of Falca’s work on Shine. “Alessandro worked closely with us on the art direction, and Jake and I are really excited with the end result. Just as cool as the cover is the artwork on the interior of the package and the disc itself, which you’ll just have to wait to see when the record starts coming off the presses!”
For more information on In Progress, visit their Facebook page.
For more information on Falca, visit his company website.
“Burn It Down“: temporarily removed from SoundCloud by InProgress
“Plan B” (demo) featuring Kevin Moore on vocals: downloadable, too
This and the 4th O.S.I. album out soon on Metal Blade. It’s going to be a Kevin Moore-tastic year!
~Dan – np: Year of the Rabbit – Year of the Rabbit
Damien Jurado – Static To Be Sold @ Pickathon (7″ release)
The first session posted and the last session recorded from Pickathon 2011, Seattle-based singer-songwriter Damien Jurado and his new band take us through “Static To Be Sold” recorded by Live & Breathing in the Pickathon Pumphouse:
Per Damien, the song won’t be on the record, but will be out on a 7″ vinyl…
https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154258706962456579
https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154257729492488192
https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154284366703493120
On February 21, Secretly Canadian will be releasing the upcoming Damien Jurado LP, Maraqopa, another collaboration with musician/producer and Cottage Grove-Oregon resident, Richard Swift.
Go HERE for more info on Maraqopa. You can pre-order it HERE on CD or vinyl. There’s also a free mp3 download of “Nothing is the News” here:
~Dan – np: Wussy – Funeral Dress
2011 mix
Time for this year’s mix CD, except I decided to go CD-free this year. It’s still formatted to stay contained on one CD (20 tracks ~77 mins); so if you want to download the whole shebang and burn to a CD – go for it!
Check out 2009’s mix over here and 2010’s mix over here. No major theme this time like some of my prior mixes (4 Elements & A-to-Z mixes)… the only rule I placed before myself was that everything is current (i.e.- released in 2011). This year’s mix ended up mellower than most mixes from me. There are a few rock songs, but whilst re-listening, it’s definitely less rocky. I hope you enjoy.
The following songs were put on the mix from mostly 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, Facebook, and Amazon links are available for each song below. I’ve also included concert review links if I’ve seen the artist recently.
Download the ZIP File (136M) available *HERE*, extract then drag & drop the mp3 files to your iTunes (or other playback software).
All Songs Streaming Playlist (click arrows to skip back & forth… for individual songs find them below. Note: Track 20 has explicit content.)
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01 Puscifer “The Green Valley” from 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). While there are some rockers (maybe 1/3 of the album), this song is fairly representative of the feel of the album. It’s my #1 album in 2011.
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02 My Brightest Diamond “Be Brave” from 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 (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. It’s my #2 album in 2011. I can’t praise it enough!
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03 Ric Hordinski “My Pretty Bagatelle” from Arthur’s Garden
Guitarist extraordinaire Ric Hordinski (formerly of Over the Rhine – in their rockier days) has been a favorite of mine for a LONG TIME. He’s the kind of guitarist who is subtle and unassuming in his approach, but you end up wracking your brain how he gets such lush and complex sounds out of the frets. This album was part of a Kickstarter campaign, and while the physical manifestation hasn’t hit my mailbox yet, I was happy he sent it out to Kickstarter funders early. It’s such a great record… you can get it now on bandcamp!
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04 Goddamn Electric Bill “Sin” from Jazz
GdEB is the one-man brainchild of Jason Torbert. He hits the spot for organic electronic meets post-rock for me. Ambient at times, melodic other times. His latest work has featured some vocals, but he’s primarily a groove-induced soundscape kind of guy. Chirps and glitches, too. Excellent stuff!
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05 Radiohead “Codex” from The King of Limbs
I could probably put the “indie” icon next to Radiohead, too… 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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06 Garage A Trois “Assault on Precinct 13” from Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil
Skerik, Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento (who replaced Charlie Hunter) and Mike Dillon make their way through Oregon quite a bit. They are a sight to see – you don’t know exactly what kind of show you’ll get, but it’s definitely a fun time. Fun, groove-oriented “new jazz.”
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07 dredg “The Tent” from 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, this new album does a hearty job of maintaining their quality rock standards.
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08 Tres Mts. “Makes Me Feel” from Three Mountains
Supergroup made up of dUg Pinnick of King’s X, Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, and Richard Stuverud of the Fastbacks. They jangle through about an hour of solid rock tunes… more closely resembling a soulful King’s X trajectory vs. Pearl Jam – mainly due to dUg’s vocal duties. This is a great trio that I hope isn’t a one-off. With King’s X on tour in 2012, I doubt we’ll hear more from Tres Mts for a while, though.
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09 Chamberlain/Krauss/Phelps “Everest” from Modular: Sonic Explorations
Gorgeous soundscapes from Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss, and Dan Phelps. The Modular Project is the collaboration of the aforementioned musicians working together to “discover what the spontaneous and organic manipulation of sound can yield. Inspired by the world around them, they set out to discover what it might sound like when continents shift, clouds form, and roots push through soil.” This track, “Everest,” features one of my favorite cellists – Eyvind Kang (who has worked with Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Mike Patton). It’s a great mix of cello, vibes and soaring atmosphere. It’s only available digitally or on vinyl (it’s a luscious triple-gatefold!)…
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10 Jeffrey Foucault “Passerines” from 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 Prine-esque songwriter for the new generation.
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11 Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich “Drumlin Trail” from Nine Days Wonder
Peter Mulvey has toured all over the US and the world for about 2 decades. Some of the first times I saw him in concert, he had “Goody” with him on backing guitar. They don’t get a chance to tour together much lately, but they did find some time to hole-up inside a studio to write and record some instrumental guitar duets. While I love Peter’s vocal storytelling, it’s nice to hear his and Goody’s instrumental interplay tell a different story.
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12 Steven Wilson “Home in Negative” from 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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13 Wussy “Pulverized” from 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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14 Pomplamoose “Telephone” from The Album You Bought At Our Show…
This is the song that got me into Pomplamoose. It’s a cover of the collaboration between 
Lady Gaga and Beyoncé (whose ridiculous but still kind awesome original video has 129 million hits as of Dec 2011). Pomplamoose does “video songs,” and this was the hook to lure me in. Click the image at the left to see their video of the song. The CD came out this year as part of their first tour ever… which I caught in Portland. Excellent, fun band!
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15 David Bazan “Wolves at the Door” from 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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16 John Zorn “Song of Experience” from At the Gates of Paradise
“Channeling the work of Romantic visionary William Blake and ancient Gnostic writings from the Nag Hammadi archives, At the Gates of Paradise is the newest installment in Zorn’s ever growing catalog of mystical works. The music is filled with bright light and a childlike innocence, and ranges from long form compositions with constantly shifting time signatures that unfold with a compelling inner logic to mysterious ballads and hypnotic moods.” The album features a quartet that I know and love from many jazz/avant outfits: drummer Joey Baron (Masada and many more), bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr Bungle, Fantômas, Nels Cline Singers), keyboardist John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood) and vibraphonist Kenny Wollesen (Sex Mob, Electric Masada, etc).
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17 Over the Rhine “Days Like This” from 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. This tune was written by fellow Cincinnati singer-songwriter Kim Taylor (it originally appeared on her 2008 EP The Greatest Story). I’d highly recommend checking her out as well.
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18 Elysian Fields “Sleepover” from 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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19 Kevin Moore “Hypnogogic” from Shine
This is a little palette cleanser for the mix CD – right before the end. Kevin Moore’s main projects are the trippy/sample-heavy Chroma Key & heavier prog collaboration band O.S.I. (with Jim Matheos). Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük Kiyamet (“Little Apocalypse“). It came out in early 2011 after a successful Kickstarter in 2010. The next album from O.S.I. comes out in February 2012 on Metal Blade. I can almost guarantee it will be my Top album of 2012, and I haven’t heard a shred of it yet.
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20 Childish Gambino “Heartbeat” from Camp (warning: explicit content)
I first heard of Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) like many people – via television. Donald plays Troy Barnes on NBC’s Community. I’ve heard a few of his albums, but this was his first full-length with a wide release. This song almost didn’t make the cut, but the melody in the chorus and the grinding keyboards just made it to difficult to ultimately cut from the mix. Brilliant song about the messiness of dating. If you’d like the “clean” version of the song, there is a “clean” version of the whole album on Amazon.
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Near misses from the mix: something from Earth’s Angels of Darkness Demons of Light 1 & Opeth’s Heritage (songs are too long) and Azealia Bank’s “212” (infectious as hell)… plus songs from several other albums that’ll still be on my Best of 2011 lists (coming soon).
Let me know what you think… If you enjoyed what you heard, please support the music. Definitely feel free to pass the link the mix along:
~Dan – np: Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials
there are no torrents, free mp3 or other downloads available
Chevelle’s “Face to the Floor” (video)
Chevelle’s new album, Hats Off to the Bull, is a hard rock masterpiece. The video for “Face to the Floor” was released yesterday…
~Dan – np: Various Artists – Pacificlectic 2011 Mix (free)
REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – 12/14/11)
If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take. Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.
Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate. But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up. He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs. His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.
Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check. Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”
Setlist: ~85 mins
- Second Best [Pedro the Lion]
- Wolves at the Door
- Bless This Mess
- How I Remember
- I Do [PTL]
- Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]
- Q&A #1
- Gas and Matches [Headphones]
- Eating Paper
- Magazine [PTL]
- Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #2
- Virginia
- People
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- Big Trucks [PTL]
- Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]
- Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing
- Strange Negotiations
No encore
The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP. 
Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).
Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.” He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range. His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David. Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.
They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up. If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012. So the chance of more tours in 2012? High possibility!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Shay Roselip’s MySpace / Soundcloud
- My Other Related Reviews~
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Sep 2011)
- Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – Mar 2010)
- Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – Nov 2009)
- House Show (Eugene, OR – Jul 2009)
- The Indigo (Eugene, OR – Dec 2007)
- Sam Bond’s Garage’s Website / Facebook
This was the last date of the tour… see other dates below. I’m sure David will be out again in the Spring…
Next show for me… Cellophoria private house concert on 12/18.
~Dan – np: Marketa Irglova – Anar
David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011
11/01 Tue – Spokane WA – A Club
11/02 Wed – Boise ID – Neurolux
11/04 Fri – Colorado Springs – The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat – Lawrence KS – Bottleneck
11/06 Sun – Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon – Iowa City IA – Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed – Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
11/10 Thu – Indianapolis IN – White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri – Newport KY – Southgate House
11/12 Sat – Grand Rapids MI – Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun – Pittsburgh PA – Brillobox
11/14 Mon – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
11/17 Thu – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18 Fri – Norfolk VA – Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat – Charlotte NC – Evening Muse
11/20 Sun – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon – Knoxville TN – Pilot Light
11/26 Sat – Athens GA – Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue – St Augustine FL – The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed – Tampa FL – Crowbar
12/01 Thu – Tallahassee FL – Engine Room
12/02 Fri – Oxford MS – Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat – Memphis TN – Hi Tone
12/04 Sun – Norman OK – Opolis
12/06 Tue – Albuquerque NM – Low Spirits
12/07 Wed – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
12/08 Thu – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri – Costa Mesa CA – Constellation Room
12/10 Sat – Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
12/11 Sun – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon – Arcata CA – Jambalaya
12/14 Wed – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 2 #9
One a month, from March to December 2011…
Derek Webb’s Democracy Vol 2… This month, it is “Falling Slowly” by The Swell Season. It starts out not as expected, a little more rough around the edges compared to the original. I love this song, though – and I think Derek does it justice.
For those not in the know, Democracy Vol 2 is a continuation of the covers project Derek started last year. The fans get to nominate songs and then vote once the nominations are tallied. Here’s what he’s done in 2010 and 2011 to date (you can still go back and buy this volume):
- January 2010: The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- February: Coldplay – Fix You
- March: Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
- April: Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul
- May: Sufjan Stevens – Chicago *a personal fave*
- June: U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
- July: Huey Lewis & the News – Power of Love
- August: The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby *a personal fave*
- September: Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence
- October: Radiohead – Karma Police *a personal fave*
- November: Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
- December: Robert Robinson (traditional hymn) – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
- January 2011: off
- February: off
- March: Cee-Lo Green – F**k You *a personal fave*
- April: Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
- May: The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
- June: U2 – One
- July: Dallán Forgaill (traditional hymn) – Be Thou My Vision
- August: Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
- September: The Beatles – Revolution *a personal fave*
- October: Rich Mullins – Creed
- November: The Swell Season – Falling Slowly
~Dan – np: Childish Gambino – Camp
Democracy Vol. 2 is a series of subscription based albums of cover songs that Derek will be recording annually, starting January 2010. Those who participate will not only receive the exclusive album, but will democratically decide what songs Derek will record.
Ever wished you could hear Derek cover your favorite Beatles song? Or Backstreet Boys song? Or even re-record your favorite old Caedmon’s Call song? Here’s your chance. Songs will be nominated and voted down to 10. Derek will record them (demo quality) and deliver them digitally (320kbps MP3s), one song per month for 10 months (March to December). Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique collaborative project with Derek Webb!
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
RECAP: Glen Phillips @ Stageit Sofa Sundays (Santa Barbara, CA – 11/27/11)
Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket & Works Progress Administration) has been doing what he calls “Sofa Sundays” on Stageit.com for a couple months now. I didn’t know what it was all about until the last one (after it happened). He sits down in his living room and plays (at least) 30 minutes of music directly to his computer-connected audience. His shows thus far have cost only $3, and you can pay more (in tips) – but it’s limited to the first 250 people who buy tickets. You can make requests and also chat with others in “attendance.” Here’s what he played…
11/27/11 Setlist: ~50 minutes
- Train Wreck
- Nanci [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
- The Next Day
- Back On My Feet
- I Still Love You
- Cry For You [WPA]
- I Will Not Take These Things For Granted [Toad]
- Don’t Need Anything [fast version]
- Thankful
- Rainbow Connection/I’m Going To Go Back There Someday [teasers only]
- End This Now
- Good Intentions [Toad]
- Redemption Song [Bob Marley]
- Windmills
Easily the best $3 plus tip I’ve ever spent for live music. From here on out, if I’m around, I’m IN. He mentioned after “Train Wreck” in response to some requests, that he’ll do a show in the near future that’s more request oriented on songs that he doesn’t necessarily know off hand (i.e.- he’ll practice).
Stay tuned… the next Sofa Sunday might even be next week!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Glen’s Site
- Glen’s Facebook / Twitter
- Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Site / Facebook
- Glen’s Stageit page
- My Prior Related Reviews~
- Toad @ Bend Summer Fest (Bend – July 2011)
- Toad @ Crystal Ballroom (Portland – July 2010)
- W.P.A. @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Sept 2009)
- Glen solo @ WOW Hall (Eugene – Feb 2008)
~Dan – np: Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
REVIEW: A 3-day string of shows with Peter Mulvey (Eugene & Corvallis, OR – 11/10 to 11/12/11)
Peter Mulvey takes the craft of American singer-songwriter out of the humdrum of a “guy and three chords on a guitar” into the realm of oft-comedic-oft-sentimental storytelling mixed in with the grit of the road and the shine of fine silver in your grandmother’s dining room. He plays Tom Waits with humility and charm, and he plays perfectly ear-worm inducing folk-pop originals. He plays show tunes, rock covers, and Michael Hedges-executed instrumentals. His music gets stuck in your head, and for me, any time I hear of new music from him, I get it without question. I also try to see him whenever I can… which brings me to recount the past three days of fantastic music.
from the house concert, 11/11/11
more photos at the bottom
Three Peter Mulvey concerts, three unique experiences. First up, an interview with Peter Mulvey on KLCC Living Large (stream it here). He talks about his tentative new standards album (tentatively called “Pocket Diamonds“) and played a few new songs in the studio.
The first of three shows was at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene on Thursday, November 10th. The opener was local musician Michael Conley. He played a shortish 25 minute set, but I was impressed with his songs… he fit in really well with fans of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault. Good guitar work. Gritty songs, yet with a pop edge.
Peter came on at 9:45 and started off with a normal closing song for him, “Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home).” As expected, Peter’s set was a great mix of originals and covers. Despite the large amount of covers that he plays, he really puts his own mark on them. He also pulls songs out that are classics or memorable favorites but not in the forefront of one’s memory. A favorite from the night was his take on U2’s “The Fly“…
Eugene 11/10 Setlist: ~80 minutes
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Are You Sure? [Willie Nelson]
- Old Simon Stimson
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Two Janes [Los Lobos]
- Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies [Maybelle Carter]
- Some People
- Lonely at the Top [Randy Newman]
Black Rabbit- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart [Greg Brown]
- The Dreams
- Blackbird [The Beatles]
- Charlie
- The Fly [U2]
- Kids In The Square
- Encore: The Book of Love [The Magnetic Fields]
Peter is usually good with a few one-liners or jokes. Some favorites from the Sam Bond’s gig:
“Freedom should be fried.”
“I had a banjo once, and then someone broke into my car… and they left 12 more banjos.“
SO, how do you make a concert experience better? You invite the musician to your house (or a friend’s house in this instance) and have him play in a living room for 35-40 of your friends.
Well, that’s what we did on Friday, November 11th… we invited Peter to play at a friend’s farm in Creswell (near Eugene). He played two fantastic sets, with only a little bit of overlap from the night before. There was much fantastic music, fantastic food (a HUGE vegetarian smorgasbord thanks to host Jenny!), vegan cupcakes (yay Divine Cupcake!), great craft beer and homebrew beers and sodas, and great discussion!
House Show 11/11 Setlist: two 45-minute sets
- Set1 ~ You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams [Fats Waller]
- “shout the battle cry of freedom” [public domain w/ Beatles instrumental tag at end]
- Kids In The Square
- Windshield
- Pearl Handled Pistol [Jeffrey Foucault]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Shirt
- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
Set2 ~ Black Rabbit- Charlie
- The Trouble With Poets
- Trempealeau [new from 2010, not recorded yet]
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Healthfood Girl [new PM song]
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
No Encore
I bought tickets to the Corvallis show (Saturday, November 12th) before I even knew about the Sam Bond’s show and before I could organize the house show. Was I going to go? Um… duh!
This was my first time to the Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis. It was a gorgeously remodeled theater, and it looks like they’re ramping up to have a lot more exciting things going on (if you’re local, friend them on Facebook or sign up for their newsletter).
We had a wonderful dinner at Del Alma then dodged the rain to catch the opener Joe Von Appen. I had only seen a YouTube clip of him prior, and it didn’t grab my interest. Well, I’m glad I showed up for his set. He was a mix of thinker/agitator/comedian/one-man freak show. He was thought provoking, humorous, and frighteningly exciting and entrancing. He is from Portland, and I hope he makes his way down south sometime again. He was highly entertaining!
Peter hit the stage at 8:45 and played his longest set of the weekend. Some repeats (hey, we like re-Petes) and tons of untouched music in the three-day run. He did one of my favorite spoken word pieces from Letters From A Flying Machine – “Vlad the Astrophysicist.”
A new Mulvey tune “The Cardinal” made its first appearance for me. It was a touching tune that came along with a seemingly non sequitur story about a squirrel getting into a large batch of THC butter. Another favorite song he played was a Joe Henry cover… “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation“… I think I’ve heard Peter play this before. Prior to this, though, I was only familiar with Joe’s producer/mixer work (he does a LOT, specifically Over the Rhine’s latest album that I’m currently listening to in advance of their gig this coming week – The Long Surrender).
Peter also busted out not one, not two, but three Tom Waits tunes – the last one as the encore, sung off-mic. He has a side gig in The LPs, and they play Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs front to back! I’d LOVE to see that gig…
Corvallis 11/12 Setlist: ~1 hour 40 min
- Kids In The Square
- “man I’m broke and I’ve got nowhere to go” [Mississippi John Hurt, unidentified title]
- Black Rabbit
- Oh What A Beautiful Morning [Rodgers & Hammerstein Oklahoma! teaser]
- The Dreams
- Charlie
- Shirt
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song, guess on title]
Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation [Joe Henry]- Girl in the Hi-Tops
- Old Simon Stimson
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- Hang Down Your Head [Tom Waits]
- The Cardinal [new song]
- What Else Was It? [new song]
- Some People
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- Mailman
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Encore: Goodnight Irene [off-mic] [Tom Waits]
Some gems of info… Peter was once in an all-rollerskate version of Oklahoma! Also, apparently, scientists have a difficult time showing THC toxicity in small animals. A new expression Peter uttered… “the nickel of espresso dropped.” (explaining when the caffeine kicks in). I dig it!
Peter has a new guitar duets CD out now, Nine Days Wonder, with long-time collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich.
It’s a fantastic record (click the image to the right for samples) – though it’s not really indicative of his live show. Based on the amount of new material he played this weekend (five songs not on a PM record yet), it looks like he has a good start on a new studio record. Here’s hoping!
In the meantime, check him out on Facebook, iTunes/Amazon, YouTube, etc… and go see him live if you get a chance. He plays upwards of 120 live gigs a year all over the US (and sometimes in Europe, too).
I can guarantee you’ll like him (I’ve yet to hear someone who doesn’t love him when I drag them along to shows). :)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Michael Conley’s MySpace (Eugene opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- Joe Von Appen’s MySpace (Corvallis opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- KLCC Living Large interview with Peter from 11/10/11
- Sam Bond’s Garage Site / Facebook
- The Majestic Theatre’s Site / Facebook
Next shows for me… Cirque du Soliel presents Michael Jackson: The Immortal (Eugene 11/15), rapper Chali 2Na (Eugene 11/16) and the Americana duo Over the Rhine (Portland 1/17).
~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender
PETER MULVEY PHOTOS 11/10 to 11/12/2011
MBD (Portland 11/6) photos posted…
photos now posted from My Brightest Diamond’s show at Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR) on Sunday, November 6th…
https://pacificlectic.com/2011/11/07/mbd-pdx2011/
~Dan
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.
.
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)
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
REVIEW: My Brightest Diamond @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 11/6/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I can’t go on enough about how much I love My Brightest Diamond and how much I love her newest album, All Things Will Unwind. She hasn’t planned a full tour under this record (yet), but when I saw she was playing a couple one-offs in Seattle and Portland, I jumped out of my chair.
While hitting both shows in a scenario like this isn’t uncommon for me, I showed some restraint and only hit the Portland show…
The opener, Netherfriends, is currently in Portland this week for a “residency” of sorts. Several shows at the Mississippi Studios and two DJ sets (one at Aalto Lounge and one at Beech Street Parlour). He was a veritable one-man rockfolktronic wrecking crew. After his first song, I wasn’t sure what to expect… he powered through some technical difficulties and ripped through 35-40 minutes of fun energy.
Very danceable, very off-kilter, a little spastic, but grounded in melody. Sort of like Holy Fuck, if they were a one-man band. Beatboxing, electronic drums, loops, Harry Nilsson covers (see below).
What’s more to love? Check him out (free downloads here)!
Since it was billed as a “Shara Worden solo show,” I expected a more stripped down My Brightest Diamond set. Oh, was a wrong… she came out initially in costume (mask, fabric bubbles on her shirt) and danced along to a pre-recorded instrumental number, then immediately took off her mask and started in with the lead-off track, “We Added It Up.” She donned the mask again for “Be Brave“…
She mixed up the set a bit with ukulele, keyboards, pre-recorded drums and strings, acoustic guitar, rockin’ electric guitar, mbira (below), and a hand-held harp-like instrument.
Setlist: just over an hour
- Instrumental #1 with dance
- We Added It Up
- Everything is in Line
- Golden Star
- Escape Routes
- Instrumental #2 with dance
- Be Brave
- She Does Not Brave the War
- There’s a Rat
- High Low Middle
- Apples
- Feeling Good [Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley]
- I Have Never Loved Someone [for her son]
- Inside A Boy
- Encore: Be My Husband [Nina Simone]
My favorite songs of the night were “Be Brave” and “Inside A Boy,” but honestly, I enjoyed it all intently. Even the almost-too-cutesy-for-me “There’s a Rat” was brought to new heights for me with Shara’s adorable story about her rehabbing her “fixer-upper” that she and her husband recently bought in Detroit.
more photos below
I hope she does a bigger/longer tour for the record… but if she doesn’t Portlanders & Seattlites can count themselves blessed.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- My Brightest Diamond’s Website
- MBD’s record label: Asthmatic Kitty
- MBD music video compendium (non-exhaustive, but pretty chock full)
- My Brightest Diamond’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Netherfriends’ Bandcamp Site (tons of free downloads)
- Netherfriends’ Blog / Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews & Links~
- MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – April 2007)
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2008)
- Face Time with John Norris 2011 (20 minute interview video)
- Mississippi Studios’ Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Puscifer tonight (11/7) in Seattle, then 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 – Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich – Nine Days Wonder
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (SHARA WORDEN)
& THE NETHERFRIENDS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Ani DiFranco – Which Side Are You On? (Jan 2012)
This just in… new album from Ani DiFranco called Which Side Are You On? comes out January 17, 2012. It’s her first album in over 3 years (or 1,204 days – but who’s counting?). And, yay, Anais Mitchell & Skerik are on it!
Update 11/18 Tracklist (below) and pre-order info (ships 12/23 for the 1/17 release date):
Pre-order from RBR http://store.righteousbabe.com/departments/product/anidifranco/
Pre-order from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060GVI2C/
Here’s the official press release:
ANI DIFRANCO RETURNS WITH HER FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN THREE YEARS
Powerful collection features array of iconic guests, including Ivan & Cyril Neville, Anaïs Mitchell, and the legendary Pete Seeger
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ani DiFranco has announced the upcoming release of her eagerly awaited new album. Which Side Are You On? arrives via the Grammy-winning artist’s own Righteous Babe Records on January 17, 2012.
Which Side Are You On? marks DiFranco’s first studio album in more than three years. The collection features 11 new songs alongside a radically reworked rendition of the classic title song, famously popularized by the one and only Pete Seeger nearly five decades ago, but no less relevant today. Backing DiFranco is a remarkably diverse line-up of stellar musicians, including members of her own crack touring band as well as such guest players as Ivan and Cyril Neville (of New Orleans’ first family of funk and R&B, The Neville Brothers), avant-saxophonist Skerik (Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, The Meters), acclaimed singer/songwriter (and Righteous Babe recording artist) Anaïs Mitchell, guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Amos Lee), and a host of New Orleans-based horn players known for their work in such outfits as Galactic, Bonerama, and The Rebirth Brass Band.
What’s more, Ani is joined on her stunning new version of Which Side Are You On? by the aforementioned Pete Seeger, whom she praises as “my elder, my forefather in folk music and political song.” DiFranco was inspired to record the famed protest anthem after being invited to perform at Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in May 2009. She contributed her own straight-from-the headlines verses to the song and has used it to close her own live shows ever since. The newly recorded version of Which Side Are You On? is a funk-fueled epic, incorporating not just Ani’s band, but Seeger himself on banjo and vocals alongside The Rivertown Kids, a Hudson Valley-based children’s chorus, and The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, a brass band consisting of students from The Roots of Music, a music education program for at-risk middle-school students in New Orleans.
“All of my musical community, my comrades, are in there,” says Ani of the cross-generational recording. Which Side Are You On? was co-produced by DiFranco and her longtime collaborator Mike Napolitano over a series of sessions in 2010 and 2011. The basic tracks feature two slightly different versions of Ani’s touring band, recorded at Bogalusa, Louisiana’s renowned Studio In The Country, Brooklyn, New York’s Brooklyn Bridge Studio, and her own New Orleans home studio, The Dugout.
The album represents an extraordinary snapshot of DiFranco’s own life as well as her sense of where the country stands at this particular moment in time. The long gap since 2008’s acclaimed Red Letter Year offered an array of new opportunities, including a backlog of songs and the ability to painstakingly fine-tune new recordings. Many of the songs featured on Which Side Are You On? are reflections on growing older and being totally okay with that process. As she sings on “If Yr Not,” “If yr not getting happier as you get older/then yr fucking up.”
Elsewhere, Ani tackles some of the many crises that are currently confronting the nation and the world, spanning environmental disaster, government inaction, and a culture hooked on comfort and acquisition at any cost. Songs such as “Amendment” and “J” see DiFranco addressing these issues with a directness that is striking even for an artist long known for her activism and outspoken point of view.
“I’m testing deeper waters with the political songs on this album,” she says. “I feel a little bit frustrated, politically desperate. After having written hundreds of songs over decades, I think, ‘Now what? How far can I go with this? Can you sing the word ‘abortion,’ can you sing the word ‘patriarchy’ – what can you sing and get away with? I guess I’ve been pushing my own boundaries of politics and art. Seeing what people have the ears to listen to. How big is my mouth? What can I get out of it successfully?”
The last two decades have seen DiFranco staking a historic claim on popular music, spanning 16 studio albums and countless live recordings (including 1997’s RIAA gold-certified Living in Clip), EPs, and compilation contributions. Along the way she has amassed a devoted fan following, received numerous awards and nominations, earned rapturous reviews, and basically rewrote the rules of the recording industry.
Now Ani’s recommendation about the album’s opening track “Life Boat” can be said to apply to Which Side Are You On? as a whole: “Just listen, drop your idea of who is singing and what you already know they’re saying, and go somewhere else, open yourself up to a new story.”
CD, vinyl and mp3 digital download release.
Tracklist
- Life Boat
- Unworry
- Which Side Are You On?
- Splinter
- Promiscuity
- Albacore
- J
- If Yr Not
- Hearse
- Mariachi
- Amendment
- Zoo
~Dan – np: The Unbelievable Truth – Almost Here
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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