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Ani DiFranco duet with Twilight Singers
Ani DiFranco recently popped up to duet with the Twilight Singers on their latest album. The Twilight Singers album is coming out in early 2011 on Sub Pop Records. You can get a free mp3 download of the folky pop song OVER HERE.
~Dan – np: Messer Chups – Crazy Price 
Iron and Warner
the death of an indie rocker.
Iron & Wine, aka Sam Beam, has been on indie Sub Pop since inception. I&W pulled a rat out of a hat and notified us all today that they just signed to Warner Bros. The new album, Kiss Each Other Clean, is due out in January 2011.
Why would they choose to join a major label at this point in their already successful career? Discuss.
Hopefully he signed on with good terms for I&W (and rights to their own masters). Other than that, I’ll buy their new one, but I won’t like supporting WB as I did Sub Pop.
Sidenote… fall tour dates…
- October 12, 2010 Iowa City, IA IMU Main Lounge
- October 13, 2010 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
- November 13, 2010 St Louis, MO The Pageant
- November 14, 2010 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
- November 15, 2010 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
- November 16, 2010 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
- November 17, 2010 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
- November 18, 2010 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach
- November 19, 2010 Tallahassee, FL The Moon
- November 20, 2010 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
REVIEW: Damien Jurado @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/27/10)
I’ve been into Damien Jurado since the late-90s when his first Sub Pop record came out. I’d only had a few chances to see him play live, but it never seemed to work out. This weekend, since I was already up in Portland for the PDX Jazz Fest, I figured I could swing on over to Damien’s show at the Mississippi Studios after the Dave Holland Quintet show.
While I was “studying” for this show, I listened to Damien’s most recent album, 2008’s Caught in the Trees. Wow. I was reminded why I like this guy so much. Great songwriting in an unassuming package. Clever and gritty/lo-fi, but well crafted, melodically framed songs… quintessential indie rock. Damien has the honesty and drive in his lyrics a la Elliott Smith and Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan. There must be something about the Pacific Northwest that brings these things out in songwriters.
On to the show…
I got there late due to Dave Holland’s killer show across town. John Vecchiarelli was nearing the end of his set, but I caught his last four songs. I really liked him. He had a genuine voice (kind of reminded me of Jeffrey Foucault). John is from Portland; so hopefully I’ll get a chance to see him again soon.
Next up were another Portland group, The Robinsons (formerly of Viva Voce). They were a nice indie rock / americana duo, also from Portland. I had heard a little bit of their Viva Voce music before, but not much. They were good, and had nice melodies. They were a little bit folky and a little bit rocky. I imagine a fuller band setting would suit them very well. They played a short set (only about 30 minutes). They have a new album coming out soon under the bank moniker Blue Giant.
Up next was Damien Jurado. While his latest album, Caught in the Trees, was a more collaborative trio effort, this show was just Damien with a guitar and two vocal mics. The first 5 songs were completely new, and it struck me to the genius that is Damien Jurado (song names complete guesses below). He is a pure songwriter. I didn’t know these songs from Adam, but they captivated me completely. They are for an upcoming album called Saint Bartlett (out in May), and it is a collaboration between Damien and Richard Swift.
He played some older songs, as well as a few Caught in the Trees songs as well… serious help on setlist needed. Any help?
Setlist: 80 minutes
- Beacon Hill (aka “Return to Me”) (new)
- Kansas City (new)
- “I Could Float” (new)
- Arkansas (aka “Fade Out”) (new)
- Wherever I May Lay (aka “Finally Tasted the Dawn”) (new)
- Abilene
- Denton, TX
- Ohio (false start) into “Sound of Settling” spoof of Ben Gibbard
- Ohio (false start again, Damien couldn’t stop laughing)
- Harborview (aka “speak for me, would you”)
- Ohio
- Sheets
- Pear (new)
- I Am Still Here
- “Diamond Sea” (new)
- “not the best time to fall to pieces” (song title unknown)
- The Killer
- Lose My Head
- Encore: Wyoming Birds (aka “sorrow replaced our joy”) (song title unknown)
- Caskets
- Paperwings
I hope he continues to tour, at least in Seattle and Portland (the “quiet crowd” towns).
The Appropriate Linkage:
The Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers
Per a recent email update, The Album Leaf‘s new album, A Chorus of Storytellers [Sub Pop], is now officially out on iTunes. You can also pre-order it from the Amazons…
Tour Dates (of which I am happy about double duty)…
- Feb 3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
- Feb 5: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 6: Seattle, WA @ Neumos (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 7: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater(w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 8: Bellingham, WA @ Nightlight Lounge
- Feb 9: Eugene , OR @ WOW Hall
- Feb 11: Santa Cruz @ The Crepe Place
- Feb 12: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
- Feb 13: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
~Dan – Yuka Honda – Heart Chamber Phantoms
The Album Leaf’s new album…
The Album Leaf is done recording and mixing their record in Iceland. Now back in San Diego, they are getting ready for a winter tour in support of the album, A Chorus of Storytellers, that comes out on February 2nd (2010) on Sub Pop.
They’ll be at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland on Feb 5th (per the club’s mailer)!! I missed their show this past winter (Jan ’09) due to busy season at work. Same situation this year, but I’m planning on going regardless of it. :) More tour dates will follow when they’re announced…
~Dan – np: Galactic Cowboys – At the End of the Day
Flight of the Conchords (Oct 20)
Well, after a false start (it was supposed to be released Apr 14), the 2nd album by New Zealand/HBO comedy duo Flight of Conchords is set to be released October 20th, 2009 on Sub Pop Records. The songs are from the group’s 2nd season on HBO (out on DVD August 4th).
Check out the full tracklist for I Told You I Was Freaky below:
- Hurt Feelings
- Sugalumps
- We’re Both in Love with a Sexy Lady
- I Told You I Was Freaky
- Demon Woman
- Rambling Through the Avenues of Time
- Fashion Is Danger
- Petrov, Yelyena and Me
- Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)
- You Don’t Have to Be a Prostitute
- Friends
- Carol Brown
- Angels
Check out my review of their show on May 14, 2009 in Portland, OR.
~Dan – np: Dave Douglas – The Infinite
Sunny Day Real Estate have also caught the reunion flu
File this under: awesome.
So, I saw Sunny Day Real Estate in 2000 on their The Rising Tide tour. It is probably one of the 10 or 20 best concerts ever for me, and I say that in that they aren’t one of my favorite 10 or 20 bands in my wheelhouse. Anyway, I dig their albums a plenty, but that tour was just fantasticly great. Even the opener, Euphone, was great (my first foray into post-rock).
Well, in the recent rash of get togethers that I care about (Faith No More and Galactic Cowboys being two notables), SDRE are getting back together with the original four members: Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner, and recently Foo Fighters’ William Goldsmith & Nate Mendel. Call it a SDRE-union, if you will. Diary and LP2 will also be re-issued on Sub Pop. Read the full story over at Pitchfork and BrooklynVegan. Here are the tourdates:
09-17 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom
09-18 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom (MusicFest NW)
09-20 Murray, UT – Murray Theater
09-21 Denver, CO – Ogden Theater
09-23 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
09-24 Chicago, IL – Metro
09-25 Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
09-27 New York, NY – Terminal Five
09-28 Boston, MA – House of Blues
09-30 Washington, D.C. – 930 Club
10-01 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
10-03 Atlanta, GA – CW Center Stage
10-05 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
10-06 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live – Ballroom
10-07 Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
10-09 Tempe, AZ – Marquee
10-10 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
10-11 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theater
10-13 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
10-15 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
10-16 Seattle, WA – Paramount Theater
I plan on hitting the Portland show. That week is busy for me now… I’ve got Porcupine Tree on Wednesday, Wynton Marsalis on Thursday, and now Sunny Day Real Estate on Friday.
But it’s gonna rule! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
~Dan – np: Miles Davis – In a Silent Way
fright of the conchords
There’s no reason to be afraid of New Zealand’s 4th most popular comedy folk duo. They’re mostly harmless, and they’re back for both a 2nd season on HBO (or eventually on DVD for those non-HBO subscribers like me) and a second album as well.
The Flight of the Conchords… looking… longingly and forlorn…?
As reported in SPIN, the kiwis are releasing their 2nd CD this coming April on Sub Pop Records (April 14th to be exact). Australian singer (and Zero 7 collaborator) Sia guests on a track. Also, if you pre-order the album from Sub Pop, you get the singles right after they air on the TV show (as well as some songs not on the TV show).
~Dan – np: Criss Angel – System 2 in the Trilogy
PS- the new 3rd -gen Prius looks freakin’ rad…
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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