Archive
Sufjan Stevens & Celldweller news
So, I’d have posted about this sooner (Monday), but I’m less enthused about it, as Sufjan Stevens is not making his way out of the East & Midwest… this were one of those times, I wish I lived in Cincinnati, as I’d hit 2-3 of these shows…
Oh, but wait, there’s a Portland date!!!
Damn… Portland, Maine… not Oregon… :(
Sufjan Stevens & Cryptacize Tourdates
(from Pollstar as of today)
- Mon 09/21/09 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
- Tue 09/22/09 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
- Wed 09/23/09 – Ithaca, NY – Castaways
- Thu 09/24/09 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
- Fri 09/25/09 – Pontiac, MI – Pike Room
- Sat 09/26/09 – Champaign, IL – High Dive
- Sun 09/27/09 – Minneapolis, MN – The 400 Bar
- Mon 09/28/09 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
- Tue 09/29/09 – Bloomington, IN – Buskirk-Chumley Theater
- Thu 10/01/09 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
- Fri 10/02/09 – Montreal, QC – Scene Cabaret
- Sat 10/03/09 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
- Sun 10/04/09 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- Mon 10/05/09 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- Tue 10/06/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
- Wed 10/07/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
So, I guess some Sufjan activity is better than no Sufjan activity. Also, over on blackbookmag, they received a pre-release copy of Sufjan’s The BQE CD/DVD package…
It’s out on October 20th. It’s not available for pre-order… yet…
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So, the other news…
Information on Celldweller‘s next album, Wish Upon a Blackstar, is being leaked purposefully by Klayton himself. Here’s the album cover for Chapter 1…
Over on Klayton’s blog, you can listen to a streaming sample of “Hit Me.” I like the cover. It kinda of reminds me of this, though…
~Dan – np: Dream Theater – Master of Puppets
McKay, Porcupine Tree, Mulvey & Bazan news
Music news that I care about seems to be hitting often lately…
Nellie McKay‘s album that was supposed to be out “last fall,” will finally be out “this fall.” No album name, but we at least have a street date – October 13th. There’s not much more content over at the Direct Current Music website; so I hope they are right on this one… .COM, .NET, and .ORG have failed to provide any corroboration. I hope “this fall” doesn’t turn into “next fall“… yet again.
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Porcupine Tree just put their newest one, The Incident (due out 9/15 in the U.S.), up for pre-order. Much like Steven Wilson’s Insurgentes, this one has a deluxe edition that would make the Pope curse. It looks freakin’ gorgeous (and huge)…
On the pre-order page there’s a video of PT frontman Steven Wilson talking about what’s to be included. Oh, it’s a’spensive, but it makes sense if you’ve ever read this “1,000 True Fans” article by Kevin Kelly. Not to say that only the “true fans” will buy it, but, well… anyway, the article is a good read…
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One of my favorite singer-songwriters Peter Mulvey is coming through the PacNW in November. One Portland date that I may try to make, and one Eugene date that I will make. He’s also got a new one coming out (in September on Signature Sounds). It’s called Letters from a Flying Machine…
(click for larger)
Here are his 2009 tourdates (as of now):
- Mon 08/10/09 – Saugatuck, MI – Saugatuck Center For The Arts
- Wed 09/09/09 – Grand Rapids, MI – Wealthy Street Theatre
- Thu 09/10/09 – Kalamazoo, MI – The Strutt
- Fri 09/11/09 – Lansing, MI – Creole Gallery
- Sat 09/12/09 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
- Tue 09/15/09 – Buffalo, NY – 9th Ward
- Sun 09/20/09 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
- Thu 09/24/09 – Cambridge, MA – Lizard Lounge
- Fri 09/25/09 – Cambridge, MA – Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center
- Sat 09/26/09 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
- Sun 09/27/09 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Hall
- Fri 10/09/09 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
- Sat 10/10/09 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
- Thu 10/22/09 – The Hague, Netherlands – Transvaria
- Fri 10/23/09 – Bakkeveen, Netherlands – De Slotplaats
- Sat 10/24/09 – Bemmel, Netherlands – Top
- Wed 11/04/09 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
- Sat 11/07/09 – Portland, OR – Alberta Street Pub
- Sun 11/08/09 – Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
- Thu 11/12/09 – Felton, CA – Don Quixote’s Int’l Music Hall
- Sat 11/14/09 – San Diego, CA – Acoustic Music San Diego
- Fri 11/20/09 – Burlington, VT – UVM Recital Hall
- Sat 11/21/09 – Framingham, MA – Amazing Things Art Center
- Tue 12/01/09 – Fairbanks, AK – College Coffeehouse
- Wed 12/02/09 – Fairbanks, AK – College Coffeehouse
- Thu 12/03/09 – Tok, AK – Fast Eddy’s
- Sat 12/05/09 – Anchorage, AK – Snow Goose Theatre
- Sun 12/06/09 – Palmer, AK – Vagabond Blues
- Tue 12/08/09 – Kodiak, AK – Golden Anchor
- Fri 12/11/09 – Denver, CO – Swallow Hill Music Association
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(photo by Ryan Russell)
no, the Office’s Jon Krasinski is not hitting the road with Mr Bazan
And as reported earlier, indie-rocker David Bazan is hitting the road with a band (but not to be mistaken as a “Pedro the Lion reunion”). Announced yesterday on db.com (but unofficially announced at the Eugene house show the other day), he’ll be in Portland in November (the day before Peter Mulvey, actually). Anyway, here are the Bazan band members and tour dates. Eric Elbogen: guitar (Say Hi), Andy Fitts: keyboards + guitar (Aqueduct), Casey Foubert: drums (Richard Swift, Sufjan Stevens), and Blake Wescott: guitar (long-time Bazan collaborator).
- 10/01 – San Francisco CA – Independent
- 10/02 – Costa Mesa CA – Detroit Bar
- 10/03 – San Diego CA – Casbah
- 10/04 – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
- 10/05 – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
- 10/07 – Austin TX – Mohawk
- 10/08 – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
- 10/09 – Memphis TN – Hi-Tone Café
- 10/10 – Murray KY – Lovett Auditorium / Murray State
- 10/11 – Birmingham AL – Bottletree
- 10/13 – Orlando FL – The Social
- 10/14 – Atlanta GA – Drunken Unicorn
- 10/15 – Chapel Hill NC – Cat’s Cradle
- 10/16 – Washington DC – Black Cat
- 10/17 – Philadelphia PA – Kung Fu Necktie
- 10/18 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
- 10/20 – Cambridge MA – TT the Bear’s +
- 10/21 – Montreal QC – Il Motore
- 10/22 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
- 10/23 – Pontiac MI – Pike Room
- 10/24 – Chicago IL – TBA
- 10/25 – Champaign IL – Highdive
- 10/27 – Madison WI High – Noon Saloon
- 10/28 – Minneapolis MN – Turf Club
- 10/29 – Iowa City IA – The Picador
- 10/30 – Lawrence KS – Jackpot Saloon
- 10/31 – Omaha NE – Slowdown
- 11/01 – Denver CO – Hi Dive
- 11/02 – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
- 11/05 – Vancouver BC – Media Club
- 11/06 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
- 11/07 – Seattle WA – Neumos
all dates with Say Hi
+ TW Walsh in Boston
Yep… this is gonna be one packed fall of music for me. Yippie!
~Dan – np: Drain STH – Freaks of Nature
REVIEW: David Bazan [Pedro the Lion] @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/25/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I last saw David Bazan [former Pedro the Lion frontman] in Eugene almost two years ago (with J. Tillman @ the Indigo District). I have had a few chances for Portland gigs since then, but they never meshed with my schedule. The chance to see him at an intimate house show couldn’t be passed up.
I’d heard about house shows / house concerts for a while. I went to one many years back, but it was friends / local Cincinnatians; so I didn’t really count it as a “real” house show. Well, this was my first experience with a “national artist” doing a house show. How it works for David’s booking is 1) the host provides a place for 30-100 people, 2) tickets are sold only online via David’s website, 3) doors at 7:30 / show starts at 8 / people out by 10pm, 4) no sound system needed (just a chair or stool to sit on), and 5) no outside advertising is done.
I was one of 30 or 35 people who got in on the Eugene house show deal. It was fun to hang out with people before the show. There was a great spread of food, and I got to talk with the hosts a bit and some wonderful gents who drove down from Vancouver, BC. The show was BYOB, but they also had some Ninkasi Quantum on tap (or should I say Quant-yum).
David came up a little before 8pm and announced a friend, Blake Wescott, who came up and played 4-5 songs (about 15-20 minutes). Blake Wescott has worked in the studio with David Bazan / Pedro the Lion, Damien Jurado, Aaron Sprinkle, Denison Witmer, and others. He’s also toured as a backing musician for R.E.M and Crystal Skulls. His sound was great, a gentle singer-songwriter. He mentioned that he played the four songs from his MySpace page: Dreams in Twos, Live Here with You, My Way Home, and Carry On… plus I think he threw in another one. Great set, I’d see him again if he comes through town!
David went on about 8:10 or so and played and chatted until right about 9:30pm. He played mostly newer stuff, but threw in a few Pedro the Lion tunes as well. I mean, he was the driving force of the band. Afterwards, there was more discussion on the back patio. It was good to hear him further expanding on some of the “Q&A” discussions from the show. Anyway, here’s what he played…
Setlist:
- Hard to Be
- Please, Baby, Please
- Priests and Paramedics
- Q&A #1
- Harmless Sparks / Fewer Moving Parts
- June 18, 1976
- Q&A #2
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- When We Fell
- Q&A #3
- Transcontinental
- Curse Your Branches
- Options
- Q&A #4
- Bearing Witness
- Of Up and Coming Monarchs
- Bless This Mess (aka Weeds in the Wheat)
- Q&A #5
- In Stitches
Great experience… I need to try to convince my wife to let me host one sometime at our house. I think we could handle it for someone like David Bazan, Derek Webb, or Bill Mallonee. Oh, maybe Michael Kelsey (though it would cost more, as he doesn’t get out here… ever). Hmm… oh, a Secret Chiefs acoustic Xaphan show in our living room would allow me to die a happy man. Yeah, I think I’m dreaming.
David announced that the 5-piece band would be coming through Oregon (and elsewhere) again in the Fall, but it will all be officially announced on August 5th. Yay!
As reported last week, David’s got his solo debut coming out on September 1st. It’s called Curse Your Branches. It is now available for pre-order on Amazon now, but will be available through David’s site on August 5th (maybe hold out for that, as he may have some special goodies).
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s webpage
- David Bazan on MySpace
- Pedro the Lion on MySpace
- Headphones on MySpace (another of DB’s bands)
- Blake Wescott on MySpace (opener)
- Barsuk Records
- Suicide Squeeze Records
~Dan – np: Dave Douglas – Keystone
BLAKE WESCOTT &
DAVID BAZAN PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
two videos… Flaregun & Chali 2Na
Two cool videos, for different reasons… first up, from a friend in Cincinnati, Ryan Adcock. He’s got a new band with Craig Dockery called Flaregun. The debut album, Ten Sundays, has a couple of songs that are a bit Jebus-y for my tastes (especially compared to Ryan’s earlier work), but the album as a whole is really good. This debut video for the song “I Seek You” is pretty cool…
Flaregun’s Ten Sundays album can be had at CDBaby (or locally in Cincinnati).
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Next up, totally different style coming at you from Chali 2Na from Jurassic 5. It’s his lead-off single (“Lock S**t Down” with Talib Kweli) from his debut solo album, Fish Outta Water. I always loved Chali’s baritone, quick delivery. Some of the effects in this video are a little cheesy, but overall, it’s a pretty damn fun video…
Fish Outta Water is out now…
~Dan – np: Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy – On Stage: 6/19/09 (late set)
Ellery, Peter Mulvey, My Brightest Diamond
A trio of new music news…
Cincinnati lush-pop/folk duo Ellery is hitting the studio soon with Malcolm Burn (http://www.malcolmburn.com). Malcolm is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Kaki King, Rachel Yamagata, Sarah McLachlan, Gillian Welch, Ryan Adams, and more. This will be their follow-up to the fantastic debut, Lying Awake from 2007. They’ve got a special “help them make a record” thing going on at ellerystimulus.com. I’ve plunked down my cash… wish I got to see them as often as when I lived in Cincinnati, but regardless I’m glad they’re hitting the studio again.
For more info on Ellery…
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Milwaukee/Boston singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey is putting the finishing touches on his next album, Letters from a Flying Machine. Of the glut of singer-songwriters, Peter has a place in my heart (and ears). He’s entertaining, intriguing, great storyteller, and a great sense of humor. If you’ve never heard of him… do yourself a favor, and hear of him… http://myspace.com/petermulvey
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The third installment of My Brightest Diamond‘s A Thousand Shark Remixes is hitting iTunes on Tuesday, March 31st. It’s remixed by Roberto C. Lange. Remix EP #1 (by Alfred Brown) and #2 (by Son Lux) were pretty tasty. EP #4 (by DM Stith) should be out in a few months, and all four will be made available on a physical CD with likely some tasty packaging. Maybe vinyl, too… but that’s just me throwing a marble in the rumor mill.
~Dan – np: Brown Wing Overdrive – ESP Organism
Clare & the Reasons – Daytrotter Session
Brooklyn-based French-pop group Clare & the Reasons came through the Daytrotter studios (likely recorded around the same time as My Brightest Diamond, as they were on tour together). Four songs, in-studio for FREE…
http://daytrotter.com/article/1520/clare-and-the-reasons
1) Pluto 2) Alphabet City 3) Can Your Car Do That? I Don’t Think So 4) Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Tears for Fears cover]
If you like what you hear, check more out on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
- My Brightest Diamond #2
- Damien Jurado
- Talkdemonic
- Aimee Mann
- Ani DiFranco
- The Bad Veins
- Kaki King
- Holy Fuck …and David Bazan, My Brightest Diamond, Erin McKeown
~Dan – np: John Zorn – The Crucible (with Mike Patton, Joey Baron, Trevor Dunn & Marc Ribot)
Kim Taylor – I Feel Like A Fading Light (vinyl)
Cincinnati folky singer-songwriter Kim Taylor has a voice that hearkens back to another Cincinnatian Karin Bergquist of Over the Rhine. Her 2007 album I Feel Like a Fading Light was a great piece of music. It just got released on vinyl with new cover art:
check it out: http://kim-taylor.net/
If you are one of the first 25 people, you get her new hardcopy EP The Greatest Story for free. I think even past the first 25, you get the digital version of her new EP for free.
Oh, and two sidenotes / news stories…
Shara Worden / My Brightest Diamond has covered David Bowie‘s “Nature Boy” for the I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas compilation. You can get it on the iTunes or Amazon digital. In iTunes, just search for “I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas”… a’doy!
dredg‘s long-awaited 4th album (by me at least) is due out March 24, 2009. Their last album, Catch Without Arms, is utterly brilliant. It was their 3rd album, out in 2005… I found out about them by accident (they were an opener for Coheed & Cambria and the Blood Brothers and I barely made it in time to see them). I feel in love with dredg‘s sound almost immediately. Think rock that touches on prog with a great singer and an ethereal slide guitar. Check out “Ode to the Sun,” “Sang Real,” or “Stone By Stone” on your internet box.
~Dan – np: Mitch Hedberg – Do You Believe in Gosh?
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 
Ellery, Ric Hordinski & Free Holiday Music
As mentioned around Thanksgiving, Ric Hordinski (guitarist extraordinaire from Cincinnati) is having his annual holiday show with pop duo Ellery (Dec 12th @ Ric’s Monastery Studio in Cincinnati).
Well, same as last year, Ellery is giving away their holiday EP for free. It’s called December Days. Last year’s was a 3 song EP. This year has an additional fourth track, the brand new collaboration with Ric Hordinski called “We Can Dream Tonight.”
Get it here: http://www.ellerymusic.com/downloads/decemberdaysep2008.zip
It’s free, yo!
~Dan – np: Ty Tabor – Balance
My Brightest Diamond – Daytrotter Session
Brooklyn-based pop-stress My Brightest Diamond (aka Shara Worden) came through the Daytrotter studios for a 2nd go round. Four songs, in-studio for FREE…
http://daytrotter.com/article/1515/my-brightest-diamond-encore-session
1) From the Top of the World 2) Inside a Boy 3) Apples 4) The Gentlest Gentleman
If you like what you hear, she’s got some great albums on Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
- Damien Jurado
- Talkdemonic
- Aimee Mann
- Ani DiFranco
- The Bad Veins
- Kaki King
- Holy Fuck …and David Bazan, My Brightest Diamond, Erin McKeown
~Dan – np: Noctaluca – Still the Wicked Rest
Damien Jurado – Daytrotter Session
Seattle-based singer-songwriter Damien Jurado has a Daytrotter Session up now… four songs, in-studio for FREE…
http://daytrotter.com/article/1512/damien-jurado
1) Dimes 2) Everything Trying 3) Gillian Was a Horse 4) Ohio
If you like what you hear, he’s got some great albums on Sub Pop & Secretly Canadian Records.
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
- Talkdemonic
- Aimee Mann
- Ani DiFranco
- The Bad Veins
- Kaki King
- Holy Fuck …and David Bazan, My Brightest Diamond, Erin McKeown
~Dan – np: Geologic Podcast #93
Ani DiFranco’s iTunes Originals session
Ani DiFranco unexpectedly showed up in my weekly iTunes email this morning. I love the iTunes Originals series… it’s a good mix of interviews, album tracks, and in-studio iTunes exclusives. Well, Ani’s got one out as of today (11/18/08).
$9.99 for 24 tracks (includes interviews). Just do a search for “Ani DiFranco iTunes originals” in… um… iTunes… duh! I’d post a direct link, but apparently those are local drive-specific.
~Dan
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
REVIEW: Yael Naim @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – – 10/15/08)
Mini-Review
Well, I heard about Yael Naim a week ago thanks to the NPR World Cafe podcast… she’s a Paris-born, Israeli singer-songwriter. She’s been described as “a touch of folk and a touch of jazz, with mysterious and evocative words sung with a delicate and intentionally husky voice.” After just hearing of her, I found out that she was playing the Aladdin Theater in Portland the very next week. I was just going to head up to the Aladdin if I was up for it, and buy a ticket if they had some available. Well, thanks to the power of the internets, I got an email Tuesday morning from the Aladdin, and they were giving away 50 tickets to the first people who responded to their email. And, woot, I got a free ticket. Natch.
The opener, Peter Von Poehl, was… well… absent. So the replacement opener was Grey Anne. And she was… RAD! Very quirky, indie rock girl with an electric guitar, drum, accordion, butterfly wings, echoplex, and a stuffed giraffe. Fun songs, off the wall, nice textures, strong voice, confident, quirky… She’s from Portland; so I hope she makes her way down to Eugene sometime soon.
Yael Naim and her band were really good, too. They played Britney Spears’ “Toxic” as well. That’d make my friend Bruth happy. :) I enjoyed her set a lot, but I think my favorites of hers were the ones in French. There’s something about French music that’s just… FUN. Yann Tiersen, Jeanne Cherhal, Paris Combo, and… well, Yael Naim.
Next Aladdin visit for me… Jonatha Brooke and Glen “I sat on a glass table and might not be playing guitar for a while” Phillips. Yikes. :) I hope Glen’s arm is better to be at this show, because otherwise, I don’t think I’ll go. At the end of the day, I hope he gets better more than me being able to see him.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://myspace.com/yaelnaim
- http://www.yaelweb.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/perse (Grey Anne’s page)
- http://www.aladdin-theater.com/
~Dan – np: Radiohead – In Rainbows
Aimee Mann / Nellie McKay
Aimee Mann has a Daytrotter Session up now… four songs, in-studio for FREE…
http://daytrotter.com/article/1447/aimee-mann
1) Freeway 2) Thirty One Today 3) Phoenix 4) Little Tornado
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
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Nellie McKay has an Uncensored Interview session up…
http://www.uncensoredinterview.com/artists/343-Nellie-McKay
Former Uncensored Interviews I’ve dug:
- My Brightest Diamond
- 2 Foot Yard
- Dub Trio
- Kaki King
- The Bad Veins
- Pharaoh’s Daughter
- Slavic Soul Party!
~Dan – np: Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling
Ani DiFranco on Daytrotter
Ani DiFranco‘s got song songs up on the good ol’ Daytrotter Sessions… Four songs, live in-studio… FOR FREE. Her new album comes out in about a week (Red Letter Year due out 9/30).
Go here for the free music:
http://daytrotter.com/article/1432/ani-difranco
1) Present/Infant 2) Coming Up 3) Subdivision 4) The Atom
http://www.rightesousbaberecords.com/
http://myspace.com/anidifranco
Past Daytrotter Sessions I’ve blogged about (and dug):
~Dan – np: George Carlin – It’s Bad For Ya
Glen Phillips updates
Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips has new projects (now with names) with albums on the horizon:
The Plover record (project with Neilson Hubbard and Garrison Star) is done, and will be available in the next few months.
Also – The other band, the one without a name, now has a name. We are the Works Progress Administration. Go to WPAmusic.com for a taste.
He’s going on tour with Jonatha Brooke in late Oct / early Nov. Sean and Sara Watkins from Nickel Creek in late Nov. And Jonatha Brooke again in early December. I’ll be seeing him in early Nov in Portland (Aladdin Theater, 11/6), as I’ll be up there for work. His tour dates are not in an easily copy-n-pasteable format; so GO HERE for any of his tourdates.
~Dan – np: Piano Magic – Part Monster
Even More Brightest Diamond
UPDATE (9/1/08): She’s playing 11/21 @ WOW Hall in Eugene. Yay!
Though not listed on her tourdates page (yet), yesterday’s email from the Doug Fir Lounge (in Portland, OR) mentioned… Thursday 11/20, My Brightest Diamond (Shara Worden). Yay! \ 0 / I’m still holding out hope that she’ll play The Shedd (in Eugene), as it’d be a great venue for her. But a PDX gig ain’t a bad option.
Oh, and Portland, Maine… you know what you can do? You can go to… see her on October 30th.
This will be the first time seeing her out on her own. My last few times seeing her were as an opener for Sufjan Stevens, with Sufjan’s band, or as part of a music fest with Sufjan. I guess I’ll miss Sufjan, but Shara’s got her own good thing going on. String quartet OSSO will be My Brightest Diamond’s backing band on this tour. I saw them play chamber arrangements for Sufjan’s Enjoy Your Rabbit electronic album (as mentioned in the music fest review link above). Clare & The Reasons are the openers.
Also, here’s the new, minty fresh video from “From the Top of the World” from her latest album, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth:
She performs “Padam Padam” and “The Gentlest Gentleman” here:
More of her tour dates (from Pollstar, as her tour dates page is not in an easily copy-n-paste format – all dates subject to change)
Mon 09/15/08 London, UK Soho Arts Theatre
Fri 09/19/08 Isla Cristina, ESP Auditorio del Parque
Sun 09/21/08 Amsterdam, NET Melkweg
Mon 09/22/08 Hamburg, GER Molotow
Tue 09/23/08 Berlin, GER Lido
Wed 09/24/08 Schorndorf, GER Manufaktur
Fri 09/26/08 Vienna, AUT B72
Sat 10/04/08 Groningen, NET De Oosterpoort
Mon 10/27/08 Hamden, CT The Space
Tue 10/28/08 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
Thu 10/30/08 Portland, ME SPACE
Fri 10/31/08 Fall River, MA Narrows Center For The Arts
Sun 11/02/08 Buffalo, NY Big Orbit Soundlab Space
Mon 11/03/08 Oberlin, OH Oberlin College
Wed 11/05/08 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
Thu 11/06/08 Danville, IN Royal Theatre
Fri 11/07/08 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
Sat 11/15/08 Salt Lake City, UT The Paladium
Wed 11/19/08 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
Thu 11/20/08 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
Fri 11/21/08 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall update
.
http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/
http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/tourdates/
http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond
http://www.myspace.com/ossonyc
http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur
.
In rumor mill squashing, Shara didn’t help Barack Obama choose Joe Biden as his VP running mate.
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~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood play John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Zaebos
More Brightest Diamond
I saw this on the Asthmatic Kitty website…
I don’t know if it’s a new CD, new vinyl, new iTunes, or new multi-platform release… regardless, it’s Shara / My Brightest Diamond -and- MORE SONGS. :)
The info…
While Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond retains a French vocabulary more comparable to that of an African Grey Parrot than to Victor Hugo, oh how she does love to sing French songs from the 1930s. Borrowed melodies from Worden’s favorite French sparrow, the inimitable Edith Piaf, “Adieu mon Coeur,” and “Hymne A L’Amour” have become standard concert repertoire for My Brightest Diamond in recent years.
After having fled Germany to escape the Nazi’s in 1933, composer Kurt Weill penned the music for “Youkali:Tango Habenera”. Years later, Roger Fernay added lyrics describing a vagabond trip to an island of bliss called Youkali, whereupon landing a fairy would act as one’s personal tour guide. Youkali is a land of happiness and fulfilled desire, a place where all the stars shine brighter. But the dreamy mists dissipate in the second verse of Fernay’s piece, as life progresses only tediously while poor human souls seek to escape to the mysterious utopia in vain.
With the help of co-producer / ear candy man Zac Rae, a longstanding Diamond collaborator, these recordings take new flight with his host of reversed pianos, paint can snares, and warbling theramins.
1. From the Top of the World
2. Youkali: Tango Habanera
3. Hymne Á L’Amour
4. Adieu Mon Coeur
My Brightest Diamond’s From the Top of the World is out Sept 23rd, y’all.
~Dan – np: Orange Tulip Conspiracy – Orange Tulip Conspiracy
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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