Great song from this past year's Pitchfork Festival. The 40 somethins' can still bring it.
Superchunk - "Slack Motherfucker"
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
good news from Dean & Britta & Luna
Friday, September 9, 2011
autumnal thoughts
As we head into fall and think about cooler autumn weather, my thoughts also turn to what I'm looking forward to musically this season...
- The new St. Vincent Album. It's amazing. Full of texture, complexity and sweetness with an edge of fury.
- Portishead tours the U.S. for the first time in 13 years. I've got my tickets for the Shrine in L.A. A dream come true.
- We probably won't see them come through here until early 2012, but Wilco will tour on the back of a new album.
- Its legend far exceeds who actually saw it when it came out, but the film "1991: The Year Punk Broke" finally gets a DVD release this coming week.
- Downtown Phoenix gets a new venue with the Crescent Ballroom. So far, it looks promising with a diverse array of acts booked the first 2 months.
- Speaking of venues, Happy 20th Anniversary to the venerable Rhythm Room. The little club has survived when so many others have failed it's worth celebrating. In typical fashion they're throwing several nights of shows to commemorate the occasion.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
a full album for you...enjoy.
I picked up this album at Stinkweeds today and it really struck a nerve. Great harmonies in the vein of Teenage Fanclub, which I love. When I saw them at Primavera Sound this past year they covered Fountains of Wayne and it seems as though the power pop influence has permeated this new release.
back at it
Hello again.
I felt the need to update and simplify this blog and keep it musically oriented. I edited some of the past entries and now I'll attempt to make this a more compelling journal of my tastes, travails & travels as it relates to music.
Some days it'll be a short review of a show I saw. Some days it'll be a video or a clip of a new song or album about to be released. Some days I'll reminisce about days past or look forward to the near future.
I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.
Bill
I felt the need to update and simplify this blog and keep it musically oriented. I edited some of the past entries and now I'll attempt to make this a more compelling journal of my tastes, travails & travels as it relates to music.
Some days it'll be a short review of a show I saw. Some days it'll be a video or a clip of a new song or album about to be released. Some days I'll reminisce about days past or look forward to the near future.
I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.
Bill
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
yes, that was quite a fun year...
I saw a few shows in 2010.
Some great, mostly good and a couple head scratchers thrown in and one truly amazing train-wreck. I saw my favorite band 3 times in 3 different parts of the world. Since so many do some sort of “Top Ten” or “Best Of” at the culmination of any given year, I’ll make up my own damn categories. It’s my list and I’ll do what I feel like…
Best show to bring someone to and watch their head explode because what they saw was, yes, that amazing:
Sonic Youth - Marqu
ee Theater – Tempe, AZ 1/5 The tightest and most sonically stunning set of the year was the first of the year. They almost played their entire new album, which is usually a death-wish for most bands nearing the 30 year mark, yet SY killed. Steve Shelley is one the most underrated drummers working today and the sound carved by Thurston & Lee is still swirling in my head. Also, they get my vote for most awesome show poster of the year as well.
Best show for a homeless guy to take a nap onstage:
Megafaun – The Sail Inn – Tempe, AZ 4/23
See enough shows and you’ll see some odd shit. Megafaun is a great live band, by the way. Friends of Bon Iver, they weave a mix of bluegrass, electronica & harmonies that put a smile on your face and they’re genuinely nice guys. Oh yeah, the homeless guy…he wandered onto the patio where Megafaun was playing, walked through the crowd and then curled up, on
stage, to take a nap. Seriously.
Most consistently awesome Hardcore vet playing pop punk the way it was meant to be played:
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Rhythm Room – Phoenix 10/4
Ted kills. Every set. Every time. Small club or festival stage, he and his band brings it every night. I say this because I really thought this show would be a let down. It was a Monday night and he’d just played the Matador 21st anniversary shows in Vegas that weekend. I love when I’m wrong.
Best recovery from an onstage technical difficulty:
Wilco - Primavera Sound Festival - Barcelona
If you’ve been to enough shows you’ve seen it happen many times; a band or artist dissolves because the monitor mix sucks or a pedal goes kaput or any other number of calamities that occur onstage. I love stage disasters. It shows the true character of the band or individual in how they react or don’t react. Wilco came out to a rapturous crowd on the second night of Primavera Sound, proceeded to play their opening song when the power cut out to everything except the mics and Jeff Tweedy’s acoustic guitar. The band quickly realizing this proceeded to pick up percussion instruments and engaged the crowd in a joyous sing-a-long. While the techs scrambled to fix what went wrong, Jeff asked the crowd before the next song “While we fix this up here, how about a another sing-a-long?” and he began to play “Jesus, Etc.” The glitch got repaired, the band played on and the crowd was eating from their hands the rest of the set. Another reason why I love this band.
Best band to watch get better and better each time I’ve seen them in the past year:
Here We Go Magic – Tucson, Barcelona & Phoenix
If I was making a traditional “Top Ten” list, I’d be hard pressed to not put them at or near the top of it for best show. Period. I’ve seen Here We Go Magic three different times in the past year but the last show at the Rhythm Room was a treat for the ears. It’s not often you see a band this young, play this well together so quickly. They showed promise a year ago and that promise was fulfilled.
Favorite opening act:
Owen Pallett – opening for The National, Tempe, AZ
Always stunning, a beautiful voice and insanely original. Never overwhelming the headliner but a great set that left you wanting more even after The National tore up the place.
Best Stage Banter of 2010!!
“Thank you! You’re beautiful. Except some of you…Some of you are fucking grim.” - Terry Hall, The Specials – Coachella main stage
“More song juice, please” – Limbeck requesting another beer, onstage at Hard Rock Cafe, Phoenix
“Yup. We learned that from Sun Ra.” “That was the best we ever played that song. Trust me. I’ve heard them all.” “This must be an important gig, we all wore button-down shirts.” “Indio High School football rules!” – Steven Malkmus – N.Y.C, N.Y.C, Barcelona & Coachella, respectively.
“Kenny. Turn It Fucking Up!!” – Johnny Lydon telling the soundman at Coachella’s second stage to turn up PiL’s set in an attempt to drown out Jay-Z playing simultaneously on Coachella’s main stage.
“How you all like that preview of Sly Stone’s new shit??!!” – Backup singer for Sly Stone’s infamous train wreck set at Coachella after the keyboard player played several samples of new songs that Sly has apparently been working on.
Most Frightening Set:
HEALTH
Craziest shit you’ll ever see:
Monotonix
Best hope for the future:
Ty Segall
Best reason to go back in time to 1966:
The Budos Band
Biggest Surprises of 2010:
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Primavera Sound
The Specials - Coachella
The Moondoggies – Opening for Blitzen Trapper in Tempe
The cast of Yo Gabba Gabba! showing up onstage during King Khan & the Shrines set at Coachella.
Nicest people to chat with after the show:
TIE: Owen Pallett & Quasi
Most fun time watching ½ of The Clash:
GORILLAZ at Dodge/Comerica Theatre, Phoenix AZ
Sorry I missed:
Wire at Primavera Sound
Fever Ray at Coachella
“Weird Al” at the Celebrity Theater
Most surreal moments of 2010:
Delivering mega-star Justin Beiber his spaghetti & meatballs in the office at Hard Rock Café.
Watching a woman do sign language throughout the LCD Soundsystem set at Coachella. ?
I know I missed a lot, but the best part is that I shared a ton of these shows & moments with good friends near and far. I can’t wait to see what 2011 brings and I hope to see you out and about. If so, buy me a beer. Thanks and Cheers!
Some great, mostly good and a couple head scratchers thrown in and one truly amazing train-wreck. I saw my favorite band 3 times in 3 different parts of the world. Since so many do some sort of “Top Ten” or “Best Of” at the culmination of any given year, I’ll make up my own damn categories. It’s my list and I’ll do what I feel like…
Best show to bring someone to and watch their head explode because what they saw was, yes, that amazing:
Sonic Youth - Marqu
ee Theater – Tempe, AZ 1/5 The tightest and most sonically stunning set of the year was the first of the year. They almost played their entire new album, which is usually a death-wish for most bands nearing the 30 year mark, yet SY killed. Steve Shelley is one the most underrated drummers working today and the sound carved by Thurston & Lee is still swirling in my head. Also, they get my vote for most awesome show poster of the year as well.Best show for a homeless guy to take a nap onstage:
Megafaun – The Sail Inn – Tempe, AZ 4/23
See enough shows and you’ll see some odd shit. Megafaun is a great live band, by the way. Friends of Bon Iver, they weave a mix of bluegrass, electronica & harmonies that put a smile on your face and they’re genuinely nice guys. Oh yeah, the homeless guy…he wandered onto the patio where Megafaun was playing, walked through the crowd and then curled up, on
stage, to take a nap. Seriously.
Most consistently awesome Hardcore vet playing pop punk the way it was meant to be played:
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Rhythm Room – Phoenix 10/4
Ted kills. Every set. Every time. Small club or festival stage, he and his band brings it every night. I say this because I really thought this show would be a let down. It was a Monday night and he’d just played the Matador 21st anniversary shows in Vegas that weekend. I love when I’m wrong.
Best recovery from an onstage technical difficulty:
Wilco - Primavera Sound Festival - Barcelona
If you’ve been to enough shows you’ve seen it happen many times; a band or artist dissolves because the monitor mix sucks or a pedal goes kaput or any other number of calamities that occur onstage. I love stage disasters. It shows the true character of the band or individual in how they react or don’t react. Wilco came out to a rapturous crowd on the second night of Primavera Sound, proceeded to play their opening song when the power cut out to everything except the mics and Jeff Tweedy’s acoustic guitar. The band quickly realizing this proceeded to pick up percussion instruments and engaged the crowd in a joyous sing-a-long. While the techs scrambled to fix what went wrong, Jeff asked the crowd before the next song “While we fix this up here, how about a another sing-a-long?” and he began to play “Jesus, Etc.” The glitch got repaired, the band played on and the crowd was eating from their hands the rest of the set. Another reason why I love this band.
Best band to watch get better and better each time I’ve seen them in the past year:
Here We Go Magic – Tucson, Barcelona & Phoenix
If I was making a traditional “Top Ten” list, I’d be hard pressed to not put them at or near the top of it for best show. Period. I’ve seen Here We Go Magic three different times in the past year but the last show at the Rhythm Room was a treat for the ears. It’s not often you see a band this young, play this well together so quickly. They showed promise a year ago and that promise was fulfilled.
Favorite opening act:
Owen Pallett – opening for The National, Tempe, AZ
Always stunning, a beautiful voice and insanely original. Never overwhelming the headliner but a great set that left you wanting more even after The National tore up the place.
Best Stage Banter of 2010!!
“Thank you! You’re beautiful. Except some of you…Some of you are fucking grim.” - Terry Hall, The Specials – Coachella main stage
“More song juice, please” – Limbeck requesting another beer, onstage at Hard Rock Cafe, Phoenix
“Yup. We learned that from Sun Ra.” “That was the best we ever played that song. Trust me. I’ve heard them all.” “This must be an important gig, we all wore button-down shirts.” “Indio High School football rules!” – Steven Malkmus – N.Y.C, N.Y.C, Barcelona & Coachella, respectively.
“Kenny. Turn It Fucking Up!!” – Johnny Lydon telling the soundman at Coachella’s second stage to turn up PiL’s set in an attempt to drown out Jay-Z playing simultaneously on Coachella’s main stage.
“How you all like that preview of Sly Stone’s new shit??!!” – Backup singer for Sly Stone’s infamous train wreck set at Coachella after the keyboard player played several samples of new songs that Sly has apparently been working on.
Most Frightening Set:
HEALTH
Craziest shit you’ll ever see:
Monotonix
Best hope for the future:
Ty Segall
Best reason to go back in time to 1966:
The Budos Band
Biggest Surprises of 2010:
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Primavera Sound
The Specials - Coachella
The Moondoggies – Opening for Blitzen Trapper in Tempe
The cast of Yo Gabba Gabba! showing up onstage during King Khan & the Shrines set at Coachella.
Nicest people to chat with after the show:
TIE: Owen Pallett & Quasi
Most fun time watching ½ of The Clash:
GORILLAZ at Dodge/Comerica Theatre, Phoenix AZ
Sorry I missed:
Wire at Primavera Sound
Fever Ray at Coachella
“Weird Al” at the Celebrity Theater
Most surreal moments of 2010:
Delivering mega-star Justin Beiber his spaghetti & meatballs in the office at Hard Rock Café.
Watching a woman do sign language throughout the LCD Soundsystem set at Coachella. ?
I know I missed a lot, but the best part is that I shared a ton of these shows & moments with good friends near and far. I can’t wait to see what 2011 brings and I hope to see you out and about. If so, buy me a beer. Thanks and Cheers!
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