In Heavy Rotation

Floyd Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:27:00 +0000

We're heading to Floyd Fest next week and expect to see the following:
Read here.

Alice Russell

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Interesting take on a great song.</br>

Mountain Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:51:00 +0000

We made it to our first Mountain Stage last night and it was a "big time." The show was ostensibly headlined by Jakob Dylan & The Gold Mountain Rebels, but the undercard stole the show. Pictured from left to right are Krista Detor, Andy Davis, Hayes Carll, and Priscilla Ahn.

The show kicked off with Krista Detor, who was followed up by Andy Davis. Then came Priscilla Ahn who brought down the house with "The Boob Song" (not Mountain Stage version). Next up was Hayes Carll who just oozes Texas and was absolutely hysterical. There was nothing Jakob Dylan could have done to keep up, and although he was good he just didn't match the talent Larry Groce lined up for this show. These folks are all worth a careful listen.

Jimi Hendrix

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:24:00 +0000

LA Times: "THERE'S something about Jimi Hendrix's confident grin -- so ingenuous and inviting -- that disarms the observer and plays against stereotype, as do so many of the images in "Hendrix Revealed," a new exhibit of Hendrix photographs that opened May 29 and will continue nearly a month, the largest display of them ever mounted in the U.S.The website Celebrity Vault in Beverly Hills is hosting the collection in association with U.K.-based Raj Prem Fine Art Photography. The show appeared in London six months earlier and all the photos are for sale."

X

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 31 May 2008 01:34:00 +0000

I recently got to see X at the 9:30 Club: One of the better shows I've seen in a long, long time. DCist does an amusing and spot-on recap of the show, especially with respect to Billy Zoom. Here's some vintage footage worth checking out. Buy this record if you don't have it.

The Black Keys

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 31 May 2008 01:08:00 +0000

The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)

A band I got to see at Bonnaroo last year (or at least hear as you can see from the picture below which was taken during their set) that I've been meaning to track down and finally did. And I'm glad I did. Pitchfork describes their latest effort as follows:

The Black Keys seemed doomed to linger in the long, black-and-red shadow of the White Stripes. That's perhaps unfair: Akron's Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have perfected their own brand of Delta-tinged, garage minimalism. But after four albums, even they seemed to realize they had hit a creative wall. Luckily, in 2007, they were tapped by producer Danger Mouse for a collaboration with Ike Turner, though when he passed away last December, the project left the duo with a host of material. This became the foundation of their fifth and most adventurous album to date. Maneuvering between the King of Rhythm's joie de vivre and their crestfallen, crossroads-blues heritage, Attack and Release subtly expands the Black Keys sound.

The reviews have been pretty strong. Listen at MySpace and here's a recent NPR appearance on World Carfe.

Hanx

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:56:00 +0000

I just bumped into this site and it seems like it's well worth further exploration.

Arty Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Arty Hill - Bar of Gold (2008)
Apropos of nothing really, a friend recently described Oakland as the Baltimore of the West Coast. Arty's MySpace describes his music as "Bakersfield meets Baltimore." Not sure what all means but this is a really great album. In the liner notes, Jason Ringenberg lays down the gauntlet and dares you to find a better country record this year. Hard to argue.

He's out playing some shows and he puts on a good one. We recently saw him at the Austin Grill in Baltimore and will be checking him out again at the Johnstown Folk Festival.

Band Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:20:00 +0000

From the NY Times:

More and more adults are leaving their BlackBerrys and briefcases behind to become swept up for a few days or weeks in the celebratory world of summer music camps. The programs range in disciplines from chamber music to rock, and many of them take place in bucolic, low-stress zones like the hills of Tennessee or the lake country of Interlochen, Mich. “When people do have a chance to have time off, they want to accomplish something, fulfill a passion they have,” said Nancy LaPook Diamond, president of NicheDirectories, which publishes GrownUpCamps.com. “In the last couple of weeks, we added two new music camps to our directory. There’s a tremendous trend toward enrichment programs in general.”

New Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:13:00 +0000

With the pending move to WV and starting a new job I've been woefully behind in posting, but I have been keeping up on things. A couple of new good reads to note are indieball and salad days music. Both definitely worth checking out.

Body of War

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:27:00 +0000

I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination, a Pearl Jam fan (I'm more ambivalent than anything). But these two clips are definitely worth watching and the film looks like a must see: It's off the charts on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jimmy's Glasses

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:59:00 +0000

A guilty pleasure...

More here.

Pitchfork TV

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Check out Pitchfork TV. It just launched.

Sun Kil Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Sun Kil Moon - April (2008)
Back from a little hiatus and going to start digging out from a backlog. Finally, placed an order and just got this one in the mail. It's good. It's an easy passive listen, but it's definitely going to take work to dig out the gold on this record.

The Village Voice, under the subtitle, "Sad-folk preacher delivers a really long sermon," describes Mark Kozolek (the driving force behind SKM) as "a stubborn gray. Amid the poppy reds of the New Pornographers, the quirky greens of Grizzly Bear, and the fervent purples of the Arcade Fire, he's the hoary bard of rainy mornings and smoky bars—the cloud over your Sunday picnic." The Austinist roughed it up a bit:

Speaking of RHP, April lifts off with a wink at their legacy. Opening with the chirpy "Lost Verses", Kozelek's voice sounds fresher, younger as it did on RHP's debut so long ago. Loping guitars chords multiply, and distant, reverb-laden voices sneak into the song's center, before a gritty exposition, rocking you out softly. You don't realize it, but you've just sat through a ten minute piece, yet, curiously, your Yes albums are safely packed away in the garage. Settled in, you prepare to enjoy the rest, but give us What's Next To the Moon's "Rock and Roll Singer" over riff copycat "The Light" any day. Jeez. It's only the second track on the album, and we're already beginning to dread that we'll be wishing for more covers by the end of the set. "Lucky Man" does it's best, god bless it. A strong track, yet ephemeral. April hits a strange stride in it's center with the minimalistic Heron Blue", showing off SKM's guitar multi-tracking mastery.

We loved the simple density of "Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes" from the previous album, which "Moorestown" does a wonderful job of emulating and building upon, a comfortable intermission that had us at peace. A peace that went undisturbed through the inoffensive, rather bland second act. Multiple listens and we still couldn't develop a desire to hear snoozers "Like The River" or the sprawling, 10-minute long "Tonight in Bilbao" more than we had to for the purposes of journalism. The final track, "Blue Orchids," is another wonderful, Spanish guitar-heavy piece, again showing off Kozelek's nimble fingers. Steve Howe had better watch his back. But just like the diehard fans of the ex-Yesman that rushed to pick up copies of his solo work, all but the devoted should keep this disc at a distance and start at the beginning, lest they get the wrong idea about the Koz.

The other reviews have been much kinder. Judge for yourself with a listen on his MySpace page.

I saw him a couple of years ago at The Ram's Head in Annapolis, and although he was a little put off by the dinner theater setup he sounded amazing. He's on tour and definitely worth catching. Here's an NPR story worth checking out.

Archie Edwards

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:28:00 +0000

The good news: "The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization, is tasked with keeping the blues tradition alive -- more specifically, East coast acoustic folk blues. Archie's Barbershop, located in NE Washington, DC, functions as a museum, music hall and educational facility, as well as headquarters for the organization."

The bad news: Developers have bought the building and the barbershop is going to be razed.

More good news: The Saturday jams are moving to HR 57.

In typical fashion, I've learned of this late in the game. But not so late that I can't go check it out and that's the plan.

(Sorry for the infrequent posts - will be back in the game by early March - lots going on right now)

Half Acre Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:46:00 +0000

Half Acre Day - Fourteen Trips Around the Sun (2007)
I picked up this little gem after hearing them on KEXP. Out of the gates it's catchy to keep you listening, but there enough nuance to make it interesting. Seattle Sound notes that "[i]t seems from these songs and more that the guys in the band have a thing for the end times and nature. The odd thing is that everyone is obsessed with those things now, which makes this collection of expansive pop numbers, intertwined with steady danceable rhythms, melodic synthesizer melodies and bright brilliant harmonies accessible to non-conspiracy theorists." And the NW Music Blog writes that "[t]his album has the very real possibility of catcing on and making a dent in the mainstream. Overall it is brilliantly produced with entertaining lyrics, a good sense of humor, and catchy hooks that will help push their musical gospel in to the ages. And, if you’re looking for some sort of reference point on all this, just know even Archie McFee’s is pushing for them, and they know all." Listen at MySpace.

Worst Album Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:20:00 +0000

Pitchfork puts together a list of the Worst Album Covers.

Welcome to the Jungle

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:59:00 +0000

From the AP:

State police say a teacher at Booth Free School barricaded herself inside a classroom Wednesday when she mistook someone singing a Guns N' Roses song over the public address system for a threat.

She was working after hours and thought no one else was in the building. Then she heard someone say over the loudspeaker that she was going to die.

Six troopers and three police dogs showed up and found three teenagers, one of them a custodian at the school, who had been playing with the public address system.

Police say one of them sang "Welcome to the Jungle" into the microphone. The song contains the lyrics "You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die."

Vote or Die

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:08:00 +0000

As hard as it is to believe, the end of the year is here which means the "best of" lists are on their way. Here is Sasha Frere-Jones's list:

1. Lil Wayne “The Carter III” (Universal)
2. Radiohead “In Rainbows” (Radiohead)
3. Battles “Mirrored” (Warp)
4. No Age “Weirdo Rippers” (Fat Cat)
5. LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver” (Capitol/DFA/EMI)
6. The Good, the Bad and The Queen (Honest Jons/EMI)
7. Feist “The Reminder” (Cherrytree/Interscope)
8. R. Kelly “Double Up” (Jive/Zomba)
9. “Skull Disco: Soundboy Punishments” (Skull Disco)
10. Spoon “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” (Merge)
11. M.I.A. “Kala” (XL/Interscope)
12. The Cool Kids (internet)
13. Tobias Thomas “Please Please Please” (Kompakt)
14. Tracey Thorn “Out Of The Woods” (Virgin)
15. Miranda Lambert “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (Sony BMG)
16. Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings “100 Days, 100 Nights” (Dap-Tone)
17. Prodigy “Return Of The Mac” (The Infamous/Koch)

Here are ballots for NPR's and KEXP's forthcoming lists. Vote or Die.

Dylan Movie Clip

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:30:00 +0000

2008 Plug Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 02:05:00 +0000

The ballots for the 2008 Plug Independent Music Awards are up. The "album of the year" nominess are:

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge) (MySpace)
Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin (Sub Pop) (MySpace)
Battles - Mirrored (Warp) (MySpace)
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing) (MySpace)
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead (Definitive Jux) (MySpace)
Justice - † (Downtown / Vice / Ed Banger)
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl) (MySpace)
Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (self-released)
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone) (MySpace)
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge) (MySpace)
The National - Boxer (Beggars Banquet) (MySpace)

There are a ton of other categories, including "music festival of the year," and the lists are impressive. My vote would have to be for Bonnaroo since that's the only one on the list I went to. Incidentally, dates for the 7th Annual Bonnaroo were just annouced for June 12-15, 2008.

Amoeba Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:08:00 +0000

Amoeba Music recently published its annual gift guide. Something for everybody.

Black Cat Bouncers

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:28:00 +0000

Gridskipper, "The Urban Travel Guide," identifies "Washington's Worst Bouncers." And The Black Cat, not surprisingly, makes the list:

Why, oh why pick on the Black Cat? They're like the best place for music, and they have all these awesome bands. True, but their bouncers all suffer from rock star inferiority complex and bad tattoos. Guitarless… and sober, they take everything out on innocent you (everything = capitalist domination, rising rent, the parents who ignored them, their unfulfilling prom night, zits). Better to slink in and mouth-whisper "thank you" than to look the nightcrawling nerds in the eyes. If you want decent bouncers, go to 9:30 Club.

I think this is largely a symptom of the ridiculous system they've devised for selling tickets and stamping hands. Anybody who hands you a ticket and tells you to walk it two feet to the person with the stamp would seem like an asshole.

Some other great Washington lists worth checking out are DC's Best Jukeboxes, Cheap Drunk Brunch in DC, and The DC Punk Crawl.

Monitor Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:53:00 +0000

Carrie Brownstein, sort of formerly of Sleater-Kinney, has started a blog on NPR. It's called Monitor Mix and is quite good. A friend sent me this post and it captures my current state perfectly:

Since I've gotten older, and probably for the last five years, my relationship trajectory with live shows goes something like this:
1. See listing in local paper or hear about a show from a friend.
2. Think about going to the show, maybe even put it on my calendar.
3. Start listening to the band's music in anticipation of the show.
4. When people ask me what I am doing that night, say that I am going to the show. I am not lying--in my mind, I am really going to the show.
5. Feel tired the day of show and check out what movies are playing.
6. The night of the show, look at the clock and think about what is happening at the show at that very moment.
7. Rent a movie.
8. Sometime in the next week, hear about the show from someone who went.
9. Tell myself I will see the band next time.
10. Find a new show to plan on seeing.

It's really sad to see your life laid out neatly in about 100 words.

Anna Netrebko

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:52:00 +0000

Suffice it to say that I'm no opera fan and know absolutely nothing about it. But this article about Anna Netrebko certainly piques my interest:

The paparazzi love her, so much so that she doesn’t dare make a restaurant reservation in her own name. (One that she likes, for some reason, is Beaverhausen.) In this country she has been featured in Vogue and Elle and on “60 Minutes.” In Europe, where cultural news frequently makes the front page, she is the subject of two unauthorized, not entirely reliable biographies and is written about all the time — seldom factually — in the tabloids and gossip columns. It is not true, for example, that she had an affair with Robbie Williams and bore his love child. On the other hand, the reports that she loves to party and to shop and can swear like a trooper in five or six languages are probably not inaccurate.

Good for her.