A Ravenous Horde

Milagres CD Giveaway

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to come see Milagres at Mojo's this Tuesday, October 11. (Read more and listen to samples in my last post.) Today only you can enter to win a Milagres CD on this blog by shooting me an e-mail. (Be sure to include your name and mailing address.) I'll pick a name at random Tuesday morning. Best of luck!

Congratulations to Heather from Columbia for being the lucky winner of the Milagres CD. Thanks to everyone else who wrote in yesterday!

Milagres at Mojo's, October 11

2011-10-06T07:13:00.000-07:00

Photo by Cameron Wittig

A few weeks ago I downloaded a track off iTunes by a band called Milagres. "Glowing Mouth" grabbed me right away with its gloomy luster, making me want to dim the lights and kick back in a smoky haze of cloves (never mind that I haven't smelled a clove cigarette in fifteen years). The song is chill and dark and lovely.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://milagres.bandcamp.com/track/glowing-mouth-radio-edit"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Glowing Mouth (Radio Edit) by Milagres&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Then last week I got a tip that Milagres was playing right here in Columbia at our very own Mojo's. The Brooklyn-based quintet is touring to promote their just-released second album, Glowing Mouth (Kill Rock Stars). They've been compared to lo-fi bands from Grizzly Bear to Radiohead with some Prince thrown in for color (likely due to lead singer Kyle Wilson's falsetto). Layering rhythmic keyboards with lush melodies, Milagres creates the kind of songs that wrap around you and don't let go.

Check out the video for the hooky "Halfway" and get your Neverending Story fix:

Come see Milagres with Peter Wolf Crier at Mojo's on Tuesday, October 11. Doors open at 8:00; tickets are $8.

This post also appears on the COMO Collective.

Joy Formidable at The Firebird, September 21

2011-09-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

All photos courtesy of Derek

No, this blog is not turning into The Joy Formidable fan site, despite what my last few posts suggest. (In fact, I'm not even sure what this blog is turning into at all.)

Consider this the resolution to our TJF tornado story. On Wednesday night Derek and I finally got to see The Joy Formidable play at the Firebird in St. Louis. (The Firebird is like Mojo's turned on its side: same tiny size but stretched horizontally around the stage rather than vertically.) We didn't have to dodge tornadoes this time, and the most stressful thing was trying to find the venue tucked into a row of deserted shop fronts on Olive Street.

Let me just say we got our faces rocked off. You know a show is good when you get that same rush you felt at 17 blowing out your friend's Cutlass Sierra speakers with My Bloody Valentine. TJF is a band made for ear plugs, but their massive wall of sound turns your entire body into an ear drum: you pulse from the inside. Maybe it's their Smashing Pumpkins loudness... I don't know; they invoke a weird 90s nostalgia in me. Apparently I'm not the only one of a certain age who feels this way. There was a lot of headbanging in the crowd from older folk. We apparently still feel the need to rage against some sort of machine and not go gently into any grungy good night—which is not to say that the next-generation contingent was missing: they were represented by a dude with an ironic mullet and rat tail near the front of the stage and a Whisker Wars contestant who screamed Hell, yeah! throughout the show. (Hair is huge for hipsters.)

Ritzy

TJF's set was just over an hour, which isn't surprising since the band is relatively new. They followed glam rock openers U.S. Royalty. (Really, I'm only considering U.S. Royalty glam rock because the lead singer was wearing a silver sequined shirt and lots of eyeliner. What the hell do I know?) I have nothing but good things to say about U.S. Royalty: they were very, very tight and had excellent vocals and amazing energy. And the guitarist has some seriously Slash-worthy hair.

Rhydian

Ritzy, Rhydian, and Matt took the stage around 10:00 and opened with "Abacus." Head banging began. Hell, yeah! screamed bearded man. The crowd surged forward and up, down, and all around with an unspoken cry of Hell, yeah! The force of this band is impressive, balanced only by Ritzy's cute gibes with the audience between songs. And what a little pixie she is! Standing at what looks to be under five feet, she somehow manages to unleash a torrent of aggression when she and her mates are rocking out.

Ritzy

TJF ripped and tore through most of the tracks off The Big Roar, finishing with "Whirring" and coming back to play two encores: "I Don't Want to See You Like This" and "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie." The set wasn't long, but it felt about right. The band packs so much power into each song you need some recovery time to check your ears and make sure they aren't bleeding.

We stuck around after the show to meet the band. Like Mojo's, the Firebird encourages audience/band interaction with its dinky size. It was worth the wait because TJF are so nice. Ritzy remembered us from the St. Louis/tornado incident and the TJF forum and said, "You guys got stuck in traffic, right? You got a bunch of goodies, no?" She was incredibly sweet, all smiles, and so tiny. We didn't meet Rhydian, but Matt was also very down-to-earth and friendly. I always feel bad for bands having to deal with a horde of drooling fans after a show, but the band was so gracious. It was nice to be able to thank them in person for sending us signed CDs and a photo this summer after we missed their April show.

Word on the street has it the band might be returning to St. Louis some time in December.

Our Joy Is Formidable

2011-06-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

In April D. and I almost died on our way to see The Joy Formidable in St. Louis (as described here). Okay, there was no actual death brushing, no lights at the end of the tunnel...we just missed what would have been a really cool show at a really cool venue (the Luminary Center for the Arts) because of the tornado that hit the St. Louis airport. We exited I-70 to dodge the tornado and then got back on I-70 to continue on to the show but got stuck in traffic for about four hours. In short, it sucked.

But our story ends well. Fast forward to last week when a mysterious package arrived in our mailbox from overseas. Thinking it was a gift from our Italian friend Bruno, we were surprised to find a signed photo inside along with several signed albums from our now-favorite band The Joy Formidable. The handwritten inscription on the photo reads "Thanks for trying, guys. See you at next gig hopefully. R R & M."

No, the band isn't psychic: After the concert D. posted our story on The Joy Formidable's fan forum to vent and rant and maybe get a t-shirt out of the whole ordeal—something to make us feel that squirming with full bladders on the highway for eight hours was somehow worth it. But then time passed and we forgot about it. Receiving the package was a little nugget of joy in an otherwise dull work week.

For the record, the Joy Formidable rocks and they care about their fans.

Now for some shameless self-promotion: Check out the COMO Collective for my weekly music preview on Cheyenne Marie Mize and Vandaveer at Mojo's Wednesday, June 15.

Revival?

2011-06-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I let this blog slide for a few months, but I've been working on a new project and thought I should dust off this one. More posts to come....

New Year, New Post, New Music

2011-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

I'm usually one of the first people to take down my Christmas tree, so why has my blog been stuck in Holiday 2010? My excuses: (1) I've been working on an editorial project nonstop, and (2) D. and I have been film-going fools for the past two weeks, seeing True Grit and Black Swan and 127 Hours and Winter's Bone. Also, I wasn't aware that anyone visited this blog anymore until this morning when I read on Building International Coalitions... that A Ravenous Horde was one of the major referral sites to Zac's. Say what?

So here I am, trying to be better (at least for a little while) about posting.

Okay, there's a fourth reason I haven't posted much: I've come to terms with my own high levels of suck as a music blogger. I mean, I rarely go to shows these days, and I haven't been following new music, and I've been in a music slump, and I've been thinking about what to do with the rest of my life, and all of that light-hearted stuff.

I've thought of turning this blog into a random record of my art projects, music, writing, photos, etc. But I'm more likely to just start a whole new blog if I go that direction.

And then there's D. I spend most of my time with a music lover who shares his new finds with me, and it's hard to dump my music blog when he's there to remind me how much I love music once I settle my wandering, restless mind down enough to focus. He should be writing this music blog. Seriously.

I cannot claim credit for these two bands:

The Joy Formidable

D. has been humming these tracks everywhere he goes. The 90s grunge kid inside me appreciates running into The Joy Formidable's Welsh wall of sound. Once they get going, they punch you in the face. Their debut album, The Big Roar, comes out March 15 in the United States. D. burned me a copy of a mini-album they released in the last year or two (A Balloon Called Moaning); I've noticed a slight Breeders' influence mixed with My Bloody Valentine.

"Whirring" by The Joy Formidable

The U.K. tour kicks off this month with a U.S. tour to follow (no dates available yet).

Stornaway

Stornaway takes its name from a small town in the Scottish Highlands, but these four boys are British—from Oxford, actually. They released their debut album, Beachcomber's Windowsill, in May 2010. When you're in the mood for English folk, this hits the spot. Just don't watch the video too closely. This song sounds better when you don't see the self-consciously well-groomed, indie-fied band members.

"Zorbing" by Stornaway

It looks like Stornaway will be touring Australia and Europe for most of 2011.

Happy New Year.

Take a Snow Day with Matt Pond PA

2010-12-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

The snow... she be comin'. Or so the weather forecast says. We are probably going to stay in Columbia for the holidays rather than hitting the road for Illinois.

Matt Pond PA thinks we could all use a "Snow Day":

(Nice cello in this one.)

Merry Christmas!

A Day for Ear Worms

2010-12-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Today I've had two alternating ear worms: Sufjan Stevens' "I Walked," with its glorious choir and unexpected beats, and Deerhunter's "Helicopter," with its aristocratic psychedelia. I'm not sure why these two tracks are duking it out in my brain.

Sufjan:

vs.

Deerhunter:

Since moving into the new house, I've been hooking up my laptop to the surround sound and falling in love with music all over again. Last night D. invited some coworkers over for pizza, and I got to play dj for the night. These two tracks were wedged between Dave Brubeck and Beethoven, and here they are taking residence in my brain today.

Speaking of Beethoven, I've become enamored of a piece from Beethoven's 7th after watching The Fall on cable several times in the past few weeks. The Indian-produced film is one of the most beautiful I've seen, and the allegretto appears throughout the film. I found myself humming it on the way to work this morning.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

D. and I have been working on this song on his guitar and my cello. It leads me to the thing I'm most thankful for this year: the fact that we are able to live together in one amazing house. We don't need to worry about pissing off the neighbors or parking our bicycles in our living rooms anymore. Having a garage is a good thing.

"A Girl, A Guy, and a Graveyard" by Jeremy Messersmith (The Reluctant Graveyard, 2010)

By the way, the rest of the album is a solid corn casserole. You get what you're expecting, and it fills you up.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, have a great holiday.

Massive Attack of Hope Sandoval

2010-11-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'm at work and supposed to be finding instructional videos to enhance an Intro to Computer Concepts course, but I found this instead:

It's hypnotic and gloomy—pretty much fits my Monday morning mood.

Massive Attack teamed up with Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star fame) for "Paradise Circus" on February's full-length Heligoland. Then Brazilian Gui Boratto remixed the track.

The Curse of Josh Ritter

2010-10-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

(not Josh Ritter)

Lest you think I decided to relocate to Elba Island, I'm here to assure you that I'm very much back in Columbia. I've been wrapping up freelancing projects and getting ready to move into an actual house.

Last night I fell asleep on my significant other's couch watching Nosferatu, which put me in a holiday frame of mind. Bring on the vampires, werewolves, psycho killers (qu'est-ce que c'est), and mummies. Incidentally, I'm currently enamored with Josh Ritter's "The Curse" from his latest album So Runs the World Away (May 4, 2010). The song features a love story between a mummy and a scientist with a nasty curse thrown in for tragedy.

Oh, and best of all, it's a beautiful song that will make your bandages unravel.

Happy Halloween.

Out of Town (and Country)

2010-09-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be on vacation this week and next...so no posts for a bit.

Cycle Chic Sundays/Do Fun Stuff

2010-09-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few days. I did this Sunday afternoon:

PedNet's first-ever Cycle Chic Sunday was held August 29. No, it's not a music-related event, but come on, it involves bikes and heels and sweating in dryclean-only clothes while pedaling around Columbia. The folks from PedNet are trying to grow this event, and upcoming rides may end with Shakespeare's pizza and a RagTag film. Be sure to come to the next one in September and wear your nattiest threads.

Also, Kate from Capturing CoMo tipped her readers off this week to a compilation for a cause: Do Fun Stuff, Vol. 1, an album compiled by Pacing the Panic Room blogger Ryan Marshall. Sales from the album on iTunes raise funds for Smith-Magenis research.

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Give the tracks a listen and spread the word. It's "Potty Time"!

Stars: The Five Ghosts

2010-08-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

By now you've likely heard Stars' newest single "Fixed." If you haven't, check out the video below. Like most Stars songs, it shines bright with listener-friendly energy and clarity. And in case you want a whole album's-worth of new Stars material, their latest, The Five Ghosts, was released in June, with reviewers describing it as a darker album, less sing-songy and trite.

As long as Amy Millan's voice keeps streaking high across the galaxy, the exhilaration of Stars will never wear off.

Listening to Millan reminds me of the awe my twelve-year-old self felt the first time I heard the Sundays' Harriet Wheeler sing "Here's Where the Story Ends" in 1989. Some girls listened to Tiffany and some girls listened to Debbie Gibson, but I was a Sundays' girl from that moment on. (Um... I also had a strange obsession with '40s band leader Glenn Miller, so it's no surprise I was a walking target in 7th grade.)

The Sundays' song is timeless. I still love it, which I can't say about most music I listened to then. (I'm not really "In the Mood" these days.)

There's just something about a crystal clear voice that could break glass... If I could be reincarnated as a singer, I'd want to be Amy Millan.

Here's the video for "Fixed":

But "The Aspidistra Files" is still my favorite Stars song:

Stunning.

9th Street Summerfest Wednesday

2010-08-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

(The Carolina Chocolate Drops)

Don't forget Wednesday night's 9th Street Summerfest concert featuring the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Big Smith, and The Hatrick. Like most people, I love freebies. My sister-in-law has already invited me to meet up with her and my brother to check out what's sure to be a high-energy show. She and I went to see Big Smith last spring, and I have never seen a more riled-up crowd. Big Smith fans like to dance. A LOT. I've also heard really good things about the Carolina Chocolate Drops since they played the Roots 'n' Blues Fest last year.

The Blue Note's doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Get Localized: Y&G and CAT tv

2010-08-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Columbia loves its music. We even have our own music co-op, Yards and Gods, which is always coming up with fresh ideas to promote its bands and give you music for free—yes, for FREE. At the end of July, Michael from Y & G sent me a new Nonreturner video for "Sockhops" off 2008's The Nonreturner. Slacker that I am, I'm just now posting it, but needless to say, it is here and it is creative and it involves sock puppets. Watch the sock puppets play miniature instruments on stage in front of a small crowd of sock puppet groupies. The best part about this video is the sock puppets' mastery of shoegaze. Playing in a forest of snowy trees, the sock puppets take this amazing song to a whole new level of introspective bliss. It's a fun way to introduce yourself to Nonreturner if you haven't heard them yet.

You can also listen to two tracks from Arthurian Honey's latest single on the Yards and Gods site. The Austin, Texans bring you "Honey, You're My Friend" and "Loose Lips Sink Ships"—two tracks that both ripple like sunshine on water.

The Arthurian Honey single is just the first of many Yards and Gods Singles Club releases to come. Visit the Y&G site each week for a free digital single-of-the-week.

Be sure you check out the second Y&G Singles Club single from Conceal and Carry, as it features former Columbian Carrie Wade (who writes darn good album reviews on her site Colossal Youth) along with Zach Biri from Nonreturner (who also has his own site Black Block Faxes). Both tracks, "Space Walk" and "Solar Flares," feature layers of chilly ambience perfect for down-tempo moments. I gave them a listen Wednesday night and was transfixed. If you appreciate understated beauty, you'll love these hypnotic gems.

Also earlier this summer, Trevor from Kansas City tipped me off to CAT tv's Notes from Underground. Our local cable access channel features live bands each Saturday afternoon. Check out the schedule to see which local bands are playing when. I haven't seen any of these recordings yet, but the idea of watching god-knows-who perform appeals to something in my voyeuristic side.

(The FFR)

And finally, don't forget to support our other local favorites The Foundry Field Recordings when they play Mojo's this Friday night. Doors open at 9:00 and tickets are a low $5.

Bike Commuting and Ray LaMontagne

2010-08-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is how my day started:

That's me on the right. (Thank you to my significant other for snapping this photo with his iPhone while towing his border collie behind us in the Tail Wagon.)

The only thing that could make this day better would be (a) getting back on my bike and riding away from work and (b) checking out Ray LaMontagne's new album, God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise, which he recorded with new band the Pariah Dogs. It just came out yesterday.

Judging from the name of the new album and the look of the cover, I would expect nothing less than southern-fried roots rock and jug band bliss. But the best part of any LaMontagne album is the man's voice.

I owe another thank you to my partner in musical crime for telling me about this yesterday.

Ending the Summer with First Aid Kit's "Hard Believer"

2010-08-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's the last week before the university's fall semester begins. It's the last week I will be able to park on the street directly in front of my office building. It's also the last quiet week we'll have around here for a while.

If you are a student, I mean no offense. Your very existence is my bread and butter. However, you and your kind sure do muck up traffic and shake up our sleepy town.

Of course, as a precursor to the returning student mob next week, sorority girls have been congregating in the area around Rollins and parading up the street in matching clothes. Is this rush week? I don't get the greek thing, so I don't know how it works. But I am creeped out. Yesterday I had to cross the street in front of about 60 new recruits in matching shorts and t-shirts led by three girls with inflatable electric guitars and Elton John sunglasses. Oh, and they sing sometimes, too.

But let's talk about actual singing and guitar playing.

I drove to work this morning listening to First Aid Kit's "Hard Believer" on KCOU, which always makes me sing along like a drunken, lovesick cowgirl. Even when I'm spaced out and thinking about other things, I find myself singing along. I don't know if I really even like this song, but it does make me yodel—quietly when I'm distracted and loudly when I'm feeling joyous.

It would be beyond creepy if there were 100 girls walking around on Rollins looking like the little fairy princesses from First Aid Kit.

Micmacs

2010-08-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

One of my birthday treats this year was going to a Ragtag film, Micmacs, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the same guy behind one of my favorite films, Amelie. Micmacs is no Amelie, but it did feature whimsy and color and creativity and a plot involving arms dealing and underground misfits.

Here's the trailer:

I also opened a big FedEx package of more freelance work the day before my birthday, which is why this post is short, short, short. This week looks to be a busy one, but I'll do my best to check in as much as I can.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-08-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday.

I put this song on my significant other's birthday mix last summer, and I sort of like it myself.

Searching for Shooting Stars

2010-08-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

(Dammit, this is what I want to see!)

Last night I looked for meteors in the eastern sky but saw only one brief streak through all the light pollution in town. The same thing happened last year: I stared out the window for an hour and saw one meteor instead of a deluge. Granted, I know nothing about meteor showers; I do know I'm supposed to go out in the country in the middle of the night and be patient, but I always sort of remember the shower at the last minute and still somehow hope to catch parts of it anyway. Are my expectations too high? Did anyone see the Perseids meteor "shower" Thursday night?

Sometimes I feel this way when I'm looking for new music: there's a whole lotta searching and only one shooting star in the bunch. I read Paste when I see it laying around, and I check out iTunes, and I listen to KCOU, and I sometimes remember to stream Pandora, and I read other people's music blogs, but I don't have as much time to sit and be patient these days.

A coworker recently asked me what I listen to. He's an older guy in his late forties, and he explained that the last artist he really liked was Natalie Merchant.

He loved Tiger Lily, but since then, all bands have sounded like Coldplay imitators to him. Oh, and he likes Eminem.

Okay, so where do I go with this? We have a pretty broad spectrum of possibilities between Natalie Merchant and Eminem, with the dead zone of Coldplay somewhere in the middle. I recommended KCOU to him, but I realize in retrospect that this was pretty lazy and weak. I suspect he got in his car that night, turned on KCOU, caught five seconds of Deerhoof, and no longer trusts my opinion.

To make up for this, I thought I could make him a cd and put safe stuff on it like Hem and Neko Case and Damien Rice and anything else acoustic. Maybe one of the most interesting things about making a mixed tape for someone else is realizing along the way how you think of them. My coworker is open to new things, but he also has a talking Yoda on his desk, and on Wednesday nights he goes home and destresses with his own made-up version of tai chi.

(This is not my coworker, but I imagine this is what he looks like doing his rogue tai chi.)

I don't think we'll be exchanging Surfer Blood cds anytime soon. But the challenge remains to share some new music with him and see what he thinks. More likely, my shooting stars will be his light pollution.

I face a similar challenge in the Mix CD Smackdown when I try to introduce our friends to some new music and make a better cd than my partner in musical crime. I don't have to play it safe like I do with my coworker, but I still have to try to cater to the tastes of others and also win the contest.

Filtering for others' likes and dislikes makes it hard to spot new music for a specific project. One person's Bonnie Raitt is another person's Susan Tedeschi. For example, we all got into a discussion the other night about Pink Floyd versus Led Zeppelin versus the Grateful Dead versus the Who. (The general consensus is that Led Zeppelin rocks, but we were equally divided on our love and hatred for the other three bands.)

As for my coworker, perhaps I should suggest 30 Seconds to Mars? "Kings and Queens" is used in everything these days—movie previews, sports coverage, commercials, muzak, American Idol, Glee, weddings, bar mitzvahs, porn, etc. Curse you, Jared Leto for finding a way to actually get paid for that.

The Love Language Shares Its "Libraries"

2010-08-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

(The Love Language)

A few weeks ago my partner in musical crime and I heard a track on KCOU that we both liked. We took advantage of KCOU's new whatwasthat.kcou.fm to identify the song before we forgot about it. (By the way, KCOU, it's about time you gave us a site like this. My biggest gripe has always been your smug withholding of song/artist identification.) And so we discovered that The Love Language has a new album, Libraries (released July 13), blending '60s croon-and-swoon with easy/breezy handclaps and guitar.

The song we heard, "Summer Dust," is perfect for weather like ours that makes you feel like you've been baked into summer dust; it makes its lilting way across the space between your ears and demands nothing from you but a willingness to chill out and daydream about young love and summer and hummingbirds.

The more popular "Heart to Tell" shakes things up to a sweat-inducing level. It's the bratty kid sister of 2009's raucous "Lalita." (Actually, I think I'm partial to the distortion and angst of the earlier track; this one is much more lighthearted.)

"Heart to Tell" by The Love Language

[Download]

I'm still kicking myself for missing The Love Language when they were in Columbia earlier this year. But not to worry: They're playing The Blue Note with Local Natives on October 3. It should be a can't-miss show.

A.A. Bondy and JBM at Mojo's Tuesday

2010-08-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

(A.A. Bondy)

Escape from the heat tonight ... or pack yourself into Mojo's with a bunch of other sweaty music lovers and catch A.A. Bondy with opening act JBM. (I saw JBM at Mojo's in April and instantly loved his voice.)

Doors open at 8:00, and tickets will only set you back $8. Come on, it's a steal!

Seizing the Day Half-Assedly

2010-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Carpe Diem Beginner String Ensemble

Where the heck have I been? Sorry about that. June and July were busy here at A Ravenous Horde headquarters. I developed some nasty blogging habits—like not updating my monthly concert calendar and...well, not posting.

Two good things: I got an A in my class. I got paid for my first freelance job.

I did not do those two things half-assedly.

And Wednesday night we wrapped up the summer session of the beginner string orchestra at Carpe Diem (see above). My noisome sextet performed for a group of kind friends and even a sweaty cable repair man, who decided he needed to check out Carpe Diem's cable in the middle of the recital, which involved entering and exiting mid-performance and bending over to show his crack. He did stay for our final number, "Chariots of Fire," but declined to partake of the refreshments. Vangelis would have been proud.

The performance reminded me of when I was a kid and used to write plays and perform them in the garage for those neighbors who were indulgent enough to come watch. Perhaps this is the theme of my life? I'm good at half-assing things for the amusement of acquaintances?

I suppose that's a trend that continues in this blog, except I'm half-assing things for friends and a bunch of blogospherians.

Right now I'm getting psyched up for a mixed cd contest with my musical partner in crime. Our two friends will be judging the cds and voting on their favorite, so the pressure is on to find some new music and win the Cd Mixoff. This means I'll probably have lots of new stuff to share with you in the coming weeks.

Band of Horses at The Blue Note Tonight (SOLD OUT)

2010-07-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation, bummed that it's over, bummed by humidity, and bummed about being back in the office. And I'm bummed that I'm bummed.

But tonight is the Band of Horses show at The Blue Note—no bummer there—and I'm leaving for a mini-vacation to Michigan tomorrow, so I should stop my bitching. I can stay up late tonight, hear songs from the new BOH album Infinite Arms live, and sleep in the car tomorrow.

Bryan Cates is opening, and doors open at 7:30.

(The show sold out while I was in the process of writing this post.)

On Vacation

2010-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about you, but I've been trying to wrap stuff up this week before I leave for this place:

That's Crested Butte, CO. It's summer vacation time with me, man, and dog.

I'll try to be better about posting here when I return.

Morning Teleportation and The Mynabirds at Mojo's, June 9

2010-06-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

(Morning Teleportation and their skinny pants)

I'm a glutton for punishment and just started going back to school this week. So now I'm working two jobs and taking an online course. Really, it's not that much, but I miss just reading a book, and I'm still trying to run and practice my cello and enjoy the warm weather, and whew... I'm learning that sometimes it's better to THINK before taking on too much all at once. Anyway, my poor little blog is suffering from neglect.

But I do want to mention briefly that Morning Teleportation and The Mynabirds will be at Mojo's tomorrow night. Doors open at 8:00, and tickets are a low, low $8.

June Jamboree

2010-06-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday and Sunday I communed with fellow cyclists and a ravenous horde of mosquitoes and ticks during the annual Pedaler's Jamboree to Boonville. Split Lip Rayfield and a few similar opening bands provided the bluegrassy ambiance for us as we set up our tent in the sun. After $2 showers at the adjoining YMCA, my partner in musical crime and I walked with friends and their hungry chilluns to the local A&W where we'd been promised the best root beer around. (For the record, my root beer float was good but not as good as the few bites I snagged from my partner's Buck's ice cream float the weekend before. Buck's wins.)

(Buck's parlour of goodness)

Sunday I went to my first crawfish boil. We don't have these in Chicago. I have to confess to a curious love of this sort of thing. Standing around a table ripping the tails and legs off a bunch of red sea things in the scalding sun? Unique! Wacky! I love it. It makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

(This is how it's done...)

I'm not sure what this weekend will bring. I'm intrigued by Sedalia's Scott Joplin Festival but won't likely make the drive because of other things—like a wicked proofreading deadline and dinner plans with friends at my paramour's place Saturday night. Speaking of which, I need to compile a playlist of several hours of eclectic tunes for the event...

Hermann has its Taste for the Arts; there's Art in the Park; and I'm sure there are other events in the area that feature the word "art." We are an art-lovin' bunch here in mid-Missouri.

I owe you a music calendar for June and many music-related posts. I have become a half-assed blogger these days. Mea culpa.

One last thing: Thanks to Zac of The Comoian for pointing out that my Twitter account may have been compromised. I apparently sent the entire Yards and Gods group a tantalizing offer for erectile enhancement. Sorry, folks, the only post I'm working on right now is this one.

Have a great weekend.

Aural Fix: "Dilly" by Band of Horses

2010-05-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pre-sale tickets for the July 14 Band of Horses show at The Blue Note are available today between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Band of Horses just released their latest, Infinite Arms, on May 18. Frontman Ben Bridwell and company relocated from Seattle to South Carolina and self-produced Infinite Arms with a little help from Modest Mouse producer Phil Ek. They're definitely heading in a mainstream direction, but many of the tracks on the new album are gentle gems not necessarily guaranteed to snare a mass-market crowd in search of poppy hooks or bombastic riffs.

In honor of the warm weather and the long holiday weekend, here's the easy/breezy single "Dilly" from Infinite Arms.

"Dilly" by Band of Horses

[[MP3 removed...]]

I Have Proof...

2010-05-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

...reading that is. And lots of it, which explains why I've been unable to post. I've been spending all my free time editing a no-fun, no-music medical coding textbook. I am poor. This is why I sell my soul to a multinational Dutch publishing company. Ironically, I spent seven years in Chicago working for this same Dutch company's Dutch competitor...

Just one bit of news for today: I hear that Hennessy Music is going out of business after more than 30 years. I've been meaning to stop by to see what sort of sales they're running. I'm in the market for a piano (although a clavinova would be better for apartment livin'). Hennessy will be closing its doors at the end of June.

I'll be back soon.

Paper Planes for The Clientele

2010-05-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

I ran my first 10K this Saturday at the Jay Dix Challenge to Cure 5K/10K run at Flatbranch Park. There's nothing like running from downtown to the Hearnes Center and back... and then doing it again. You'd think I would have spent those 50-something minutes listening to new music on my iPod, but I don't like running with one.

(Running in the no-iPod world)

I also can't read/work with music on (it's a concentration thing), and sadly, I spent most of my time inside this weekend freelance proofreading a textbook on medical coding. (Now I know the codes for ruptured esophagus and candidiasis of the lip.) I did manage to get out on Saturday night to visit my brother and his wife. We watched a DVD of The Brothers Bloom:

The music was good, and I was inspired to make a camera obscura from a watermelon.

(I actually want to try it with something less sticky. I've always been curious about these things.)

Driving home later, I heard the KCOU dj talking about The Clientele's cover of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," which they recorded for a recent covers project. Apparently, The Onion has a print/web-based entertainment newspaper called The A.V. Club (for "audiovisual") that features real, non-Oniony, interviews, reviews, etc. (and a venti-load of Starbucks advertising).

One of The A.V. Club's recent projects is A.V. Undercover, a plan to shoot music videos of artists covering a song they choose from a list of A.V. Club-selected songs. And so The Clientele showed up early and opted to step outside their mod comfort zone by covering "Paper Planes"... although they manage to Georgie Girl it up anyway. Nah, I kid. It's all good fun. You can watch it here.

(The Clientele)

This should be an interesting project. So far Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Fruit Bats, Alkaline Trio, Cursive, and others have stepped into the studio. Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" remains unclaimed, along with notable tracks from The Smiths, The Cure, The Lemonheads, R.E.M., Nirvana, etc.

Redesigning and Discovering The Comoian

2010-05-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

(RIP for today)

I had some time to kill at work Thursday and decided to mess with this blog's design. I don't think the title graphic is large enough, but it's a work in progress. Check back for more completely random design updates soon. (In other words, I'm a bit nonplussed, but I don't have Photoshop on my Mac so a new graphic will have to wait until I'm back in the office.)

But in more exciting news, Columbia has a handy new site for aggregatorial delight: The Comoian, run by local brew-blogger Zac. (Zac has a blog devoted to two of his passions: beer and Pavement, which you can check out here.) The Comoian is your addictive source for local tidbits on everything from upcoming Blue Note concerts to ongoing sobriety checks—all delivered with sarcastic flair. I found myself checking back to The Comoian several times Thursday afternoon after Zac tipped me off about it. For the time-deprived or the non-mindful, the site offers a constantly updated list of CoMo-related blurbs gathered from blogs and traditional news sources alike, offering a "best of the best" in instant gratification. Read as much or as little as you like. I'm hooked.

Zac tips us all off to next week's Midlake concert at The Blue Note. More about this show to come... But he's right. Don't miss it.

Falling into The Temper Trap

2010-05-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

(The Temper Trap)

Last weekend I started studying for the GRE, ran the trail, and walked through PedNet's Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week kickoff Saturday and Earth Day Sunday with my partner in musical crime. Earth Day can best be summed up with lots of bongos and girls with rainbow-colored hair and hula hoops. The environmental displays attempted to ground the festival and keep it from embarking on its own self-indulgent acid trip. But we didn't really stop to smell the organic flowers.

(Mother Earth Day)

Late Sunday found us at Broadway Brewery for a bluegrass jam and lots of beer. We missed my friend's friend playing his mandolin, but we didn't miss out on the beer. Apparently, the jam is a weekly feature at Broadway Brewery, and anyone can join in, provided you're somewhat acquainted with obscure Scottish/Irish folktunes written in 6/8 time. Drink enough beer, and you'll think you know them.

All this talk of beer, hippies, and hula hoops has me thinking music. We need something new this week... Last summer Aussies The Temper Trap released their first studio album, Conditions, featuring the single "Fools." Apparently, the band just created a monolithic stir of Ayers Rockian proportions at this year's SXSW and Coachella music festivals. And it's easy to see why: lead singer Dougie Mandagi has a falsetto voice that's harder to overlook than a giant red rock on the horizon.

If you like what you hear, you can see The Temper Trap at either Crossroads in Kansas City on June 8 or The Pageant in St. Louis on June 9.

Aural Fix 4/30/2010: Peter Gabriel and Bon Iver Scratch Each Others' Backs

2010-04-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Peter Gabriel promised a mutual back scratching with his latest release, Scratch My Back (March 2), a compilation of covers from Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Magnetic Fields, etc. Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver) took him up on the offer: Gabriel covered Bon Iver's "Flume," and Bon Iver covered Gabriel's "Come Talk to Me."

You can listen to what each has done with the other's track below. Both covers are also available as a split 7".

"Come Talk to Me (Peter Gabriel Cover)" by Bon Iver

Download "Come Talk to Me" [mp3]

Enjoy and have a nice weekend.

Dragon Tattoos and Mynabirds

2010-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday night the horizontal rain drove my significant other and I indoors, but we had prepaid Ragtag tickets to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And so we were driven outdoors. It was the most crowded film I've seen at Ragtag so far. That's probably due to the heavy radio promotion the film's been getting on local stations and on NPR. Do I sense another Da Vinci Code?

(What's the code for really-overrated-book-that-may-be-the-worst-piece-of-crap-I've-ever-wasted-time-reading? Oh wait, that would be Twilight.)

Cringe. Perhaps.

It's hard to tell. The Swedish film is based on the first of a wildly popular trilogy of suspense/mystery novels from deceased author Stieg Larsson.

The phrase "wildly popular" raises all sorts of red flags for me, but I haven't read the novel, so I can't say whether it's the latest stack of book club fodder or if there's actually some good writing within. The film was intense. Sure, it followed suspense conventions and had a sexsational plot, but it was completely absorbing and chilly as its Swedish scenery. Oh, and Noomi Rapace's character is an ass-kicker.

Naturally, American filmmakers are going to Dan Brown things up with their own lame-ass version.

This is not to imply that things liked by the masses are bad. I love Harry Potter, but I hate Bella What's-Her-Nuts. It's all a matter of taste. Since the show last week, my partner in musical crime can't stop singing songs from Rogue Wave's Permalight. I wrote less than enthusiastic things about Permalight last week, but he bought the album and thinks it's fantastic.

I actually have this song stuck in my head:

"Numbers Don't Lie" by The Mynabirds

Download "Numbers Don't Lie" [mp3]

(Be forewarned: yet more rampant 60s nostalgia)

The Mynabirds are Laura Burhenn (formerly of defunct Georgie James) and Richard Swift. They recorded their debut album What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood (released April 27) in the hills of Oregon last summer. Their website says that they always wanted to make a record equal parts Neil Young and Motown. Who knew there was an actual 60s group, The Mynah Birds, featuring none other than Neil Young and Rick James? You can see where the Mynabirds get their moniker.

Superfreaky.

Aural Fix 4/23/2010: "Not Even in July" by JBM

2010-04-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Tuesday night's Rogue Wave concert was catching the opening act, JBM, a singer/songwriter molded from the same raw material as Jim James and Gregory Alan Isakov. His first album Not Even in July was officially released (Partisan Records) on April 13, although it was recorded back in 2008 and self-released last year.

JBM is Jesse Marchant, a New Yorker with a seriously good voice. He played "From Me to You and You to Me" (listen below) at Mojo's using loops for the slide guitar. My friend and I sat on the floor for his set and forgot our crappy work days as we focused on the music in that moment. This type of thing is perfect for a wee venue like Mojo's.

Marchant spent some time in Los Angeles in 2009 and recorded the soundtrack for the Canadian film Lovers in a Dangerous Time. He also created a stir at this year's SXSW festival.

"From Me to You and You to Me"

Download "From Me to You and You to Me" [mp3]

Some people hate the whole singer/songwriter thing. Singing with an acoustic guitar isn't edgy or experimental; it's boring, it's safe... but I knew I liked JBM as soon as I opened his website and previewed the first track on his playlist. I was further convinced an hour later when I saw him onstage. Some people win the vocal lottery and are born with voices like this. Others take up the cello.

Earlove: Rogue Wave at Mojo's, 4/20/2010

2010-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

(Rogue Wave at Mojo's via iPhone)

Months and months ago August Forte from Chicago-based Novo Arts sent me some free Earlove earplugs to test out. I'm sorry to say I haven't been to a concert since the not-too-loud Big Smith in March, and I completely forgot to bring the earplugs for that one. I think I had it in my head that I wanted to test them out at a really loud show in a really tiny venue—like Rogue Wave at Mojo's Tuesday night.

Granted, I only showed half of my ears some ear love: my partner in musical crime and I each wore one earplug a piece, but our one protected ear was very happy. The Earlove earplugs are soft, squishy, and unobtrusive. They allow you to hear everything without that muffled feel. It's like turning down the volume on a show without even being aware of it. (If you're reading this, August, we loved the earplugs and need another pair.)

(JBM)

We didn't need the earplugs for JBM, a Brooklyn-based singer with an incredible voice. He performed a soulful, acoustic set before MAN/MIRACLE took the stage and completely switched up the mood. They rattled our brains with machine-gun drum jams and... in went the earplugs. My one exposed ear was sufficiently throttled.

(MAN/MIRACLE: This is obviously not my photo, but this is what they looked during their set... lots of sweaty energy.)

There was a slight delay before Rogue Wave took the stage. My friend and I spent some time talking to a guy he knows who bootlegs shows as a hobby and posts them on his website. Consider him a connoisseur of sorts: he plugs his laptop directly into the soundboard at a show (with permission, of course) and captures his own unique recordings of live sets. He's all geared up for Matt Pond PA next month and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in June (which makes my significant other cringe; he hates the whole revived-hippie schtick).

Mojo's was full but not packed with a mixed crowd of college hipsters and thirtysomethings. Half of Columbia was probably over at The Blue Note to see OK Go, a fact Rogue Wave themselves alluded to when they took the stage and frontman Zach Rogue said, "Hey, Columbia. We're a little band called OK Go. You might have heard of us?" While the crowd wasn't huge, everyone showed lots of love and cheered when the band asked if they should stay another night in Columbia and play a show at The Blue Note instead of driving to Tulsa as planned.

The set opened with five or six songs from Rogue Wave's latest, Permalight. (They saved the actual song "Permalight" for the encore.) No complaints here: these guys deliver live. Older Rogue Wave is still my favorite, but one new song, "I'll Never Leave You," was less fizzy than some of the latest singles and suggests deeper cuts on Permalight.

The band then launched into old favorites, including "Publish My Love," "Eyes", and "Lake Michigan." JBM and one other guy (he may have been from MAN/MIRACLE) jumped onstage to kick "Lake Michigan" off with a primal drum solo. It was the highlight of the show.

Another highlight was meeting drummer Pat Spurgeon after the show (aka, the "dude with the hair").

Last fall my partner and I watched a PBS special, D Tour, about Spurgeon's search for a kidney donor and the challenges he faced touring and undergoing dialysis. On our way out Tuesday, we stopped him to thank him for the show and ask how he's doing. Spurgeon is (no surprise) a laidback guy. He says he's doing great and seems happy to be playing music again. He told us Rogue Wave is touring again in the fall.

It was a late night, but there was Earlove inside and out. Thank you, August, and thank you, Rogue Wave. My ears are grateful.

Going Rogue Tonight

2010-04-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

I've been a race-going fool. On Sunday I was here:

That's Hermann. This weekend was the two-day Tour of Hermann where I was the support crew for my favorite cyclist. I took a bunch of bad photos and drank a really good Hefe-Weizen at the Tin Mill Brewery. (The beer in question is famous for tasting like cloves and bananas.)

But I also raced myself on Saturday in a 5K in Fulton and took third place for women. Yeah, so there were only about 40 people there, but I'm always excited to get a medal. It makes me feel like maybe there's hope for me as a runner yet.

And tonight it's the Rogue Wave show at Mojo's. JBM and MAN/MIRACLE are opening, but it's quarter to 8:00 as I type this, and I'm still at home, so it looks like I'll be missing the opening bands. Honestly, after the mind-numbing day I had at work today copying and pasting, I could easily take a nap, but that would be giving in to my creeping old age. I'll have none of it.

Aural Fix 4/16/2010: "Solitary Gun" by Rogue Wave

2010-04-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Aural Fix is in honor of next week's Rogue Wave show. Rogue Wave has caught a ton of flack for their latest Jonas Brothers-inspired album, Permalight. Perhaps the Jonas Brothers comparison is a bit harsh. The new stuff isn't that bad. It's just not classic Rogue Wave.

I have to admit I'm looking forward to hearing the old material at Mojo's next Tuesday. I'm sure statements like those infuriate bands like Rogue Wave when they try to expand their sound and branch out into the pop arena. It just feels like something's been lost in translation. The new songs are missing the depth and acoustic soul of "Christians in Black" and "Lake Michigan" or the anthemy bombast of "Publish My Love."

KCOU has been faithfully playing "Solitary Gun" from the new album. Bless their hearts.

"Solitary Gun" by Rogue Wave

Download "Solitary Gun" [mp3]

As stated above, the new stuff isn't that bad. But after years of waiting, we all expected something, well, better.

Sunshine Break

2010-04-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

This weather waters my inner seed of writerly procrastination—as in, I'd rather be outside in the sun than inside at my desk.

I've been spending my lunch hours far, far from my computer, and hence, far, far from this blog. I know Japandroids came to Columbia this week, and next week Rogue Wave and OK Go will be here. Obviously, we have no shortage of good music in mid-Missouri.

As for me, I've been running toward an annoying hip injury these past few weeks, practicing my cello for my Wednesday night string group, and reading in the sun on my friend's porch. My bike tires have air again (thank you!), and we've spent some time cycling downtown and on the trail.

I've been trying to figure out many things in my life, including whether to start an entirely new blog or keep this one up on a less-regular basis. For now, I'll post what I can when I can, but being outside and having fun comes first.

Aural Fix 4/9/2010: "Starting" by Matt Pond PA...and the weekend!

2010-04-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Matt Pond PA, that longstanding band from Philadelphia (formed in 1998—ancient by today's standards), is relevant for two reasons. For starters, they're releasing their eighth full-length album, The Dark Leaves, on April 13. And, more important for us, they'll be playing a show at Mojo's on May 15.

The new album opens, appropriately enough, with a track called "Starting":

"Starting" by Matt Pond PA

Download "Starting" [mp3]

But what's going on this weekend?

Kel Green and Friends return to the Rocheport General Store Friday night, as this Facebook invite reads:

So pleased to invite all of you back to beautiful and historic downtown Rocheport, MO, for another eclectic serving of American music performed by singer/songwriter Kel Green. Mr. Paul Zullo will once again be accompanying master of all things resonator.

Spring fever abounds. Perhaps it’s time to take your partner to one of Rocheport's many Bed and Breakfasts?

Make Spring an event! It’s certain I’ll be crooning out a love song or two to help the romantically challenged :)

John and Dean will be on hand serving up all your libation and food needs, including their famous open-faced brisket and chili. I hear the apple pie is better than Moms. ( No, Mom I haven’t tried it)

Hope to see you all there!

The music starts at 8:00.

Also, Boonville's Big Muddy Folk Festival is a short drive away. My brother and his wife are taking their chairs to Thespian Hall on Friday night to catch Lil' Rev, Cathy Barton and Dave Para, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn, and Rory Block. The website says there's an old-time dance after the concert in Turner Hall. And Saturday's schedule calls for more music, weaving, music workshops, and barbecue.

Best of all, the weather report looks promising. I'll be checking out the farmer's market Saturday morning post-run and buying too much bread. Greens... schmeens. Give me bread and pasta.

Have a great spring weekend.

I Can't Quit You

2010-04-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Nah, for all my doubts about this music blog, I still can't stop blogging. I think the solution to my conundrum is to post less.

This week I've been listening to old mixcds during my brief commute to work. (My bike tires are flat. No biking in for me until I buy myself a pump.) Each morning I manage to get a song or two in before I pull into the parking garage. So, for instance, today I listened to Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" and some 60s song from the Darjeeling Express soundtrack. I've driven to my evening runs on Scott Boulevard cranking Harry Belafonte, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Paris Combo. I've driven to my significant other's apartment blasting Hot Chip, Thom Yorke, and Stéphane Grappelli.

This has me enthused to finish the mixcd I've been compiling for a few weeks now. So far it consists of my Aural Fix tracks from the past few months, but I've been meaning to add some more eclectic stuff, too.

I guess you're stuck with me, after all. More to come...

Change Is a Comin'

2010-04-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with the idea of revamping this blog. One of the biggest issues I have when writing about music is the proliferation of new bands these days. DIY is taking over the world, and now anyone can become a musician, promoter, and overnight sensation. I just read an article this morning about how 3D printers may one day become a home-based option—meaning you could design yourself a pair of socks or a new cooking pan on your computer and "print" either at home, avoiding a trip to the store, or even design yourself a car online and have it printed at the local car dealership. Manufacturing as we know it would be dead. The old music industry is already dead. I can't keep up with grassroots rock, and my posts feel a tad formulaic, as in, This band is from Portland and sounds like this other band from North Carolina....

I love music. I love writing. But I'm boring myself lately with writing about music.

I think I just need to tweak a few things...possibly the entire blog.

Aural Fix 4/2/2010: "I Hope You Die" by Wye Oak

2010-04-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

This weather kills me it's so perfect. I could die happy with the sun on my face—but then I wouldn't be able to listen to Wye Oak and write a lame post about them.

Wye Oak are Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner from Baltimore. Their latest, an EP titled My Neighbor/My Creator, was released in early March, and the repetitive, slowcore number "I Hope You Die" is its showpiece.

They've been compared to Beach House on more than one occasion: Wasner and Victoria Legrand do have similar stark voices bordering on the masculine. Both have a hypnotic sound growing slower than the Maryland state tree from which Wye Oak takes its name. And both are from Baltimore. You be the judge.

"I Hope You Die" by Wye Oak

Download "I Hope You Die" [mp3]

Spring Break

2010-03-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's spring break for me, too.

I'm working and not traveling this week, but the weather is good, and I don't feel like blogging. I want to run and goof off in the sun.

Friday's Big Smith concert at The Blue Note was a hootenanny. A band must be good if it has me thinking, Yeah, two step! I should learn how to two step! Um, what?! Big Smith's fans are a mixed bag— folk-loving 50- to 60-year-olds, bearded farm guys in Caterpillar hats, well-heeled country line dancers, and the random ironic hipster chick—but they all love to dance, and they make it look fun. I felt a little out of my element: I like some bluegrass, but not all of it, and some of the songs were pretty twangy, but I can appreciate the spot-on musicianship. Then again... at one point during the show, one of the stage hands played drums on his naked beer belly. That had me thinking, Yep, I'm in Missourah.

I guess the most important thing is the energy the band puts into its performance. Their fans love them. Who am I to judge?

There have been worse labors of love birthed into this world—such as the 1986 film Troll, which was on late-night tv Monday. Oddly, the main character's name in the film is Harry Potter. Coincidence?

My friend and I stumbled across the climactic ending of Troll after watching The Goonies from start to finish. Now I see where The Fratellis get their name. It's been many years since I saw The Goonies in the theater with my mom and sister, but I could still sing along with the Cyndi Lauper theme song: "It's good enough. It's good enough for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

(The original Fratellis)

This is my spring break: bluegrass, trolls, and Sloth.

Aural Fix 3/26/2010: "When We Fall In" by Sean Hayes

2010-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

I discovered Sean Hayes last winter with his song "Flowering Spade." He has one of those shaky, incredibly warm voices that pairs well with a porch, a spring night, and wine in a plastic glass.

Hayes began his career playing traditional American and Irish music throughout the South before settling in San Francisco in 1992. Incidentally, he has a new album out, Run Wolves Run (with a seriously pissed off wolf on its cover).

The album opens with "When We Fall In," a track that grabs you from the beginning with call and response and beats you over the head with love, love, and more love.

"When We Fall In" by Sean Hayes

Download "When We Fall In" [mp3]

Interesting side note: Hayes played Jesus in the 2008 film Evolution: The Musical!

"Home" Is Where Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Are

2010-03-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

(The Last Temptation of Edward Sharpe—a.k.a. Alex Ebert)

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros have this hippietastic little song called "Home," and now there's an RAC remix.

Check it out:

"Home (RAC Mix)" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

Download "Home" [mp3]

I still like this version best:

We're talking communes and love beads and long, shiny flaxin'/waxin' hair and other items of rampant 70s nostalgia.

"Edward Sharpe" is a messianic character created by lead singer Alex Ebert. Sharpe's goal is to save mankind and spread love, but he keeps getting distracted by girls and falling in love. Dig.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are rolling their bus into Columbia on June 15 for a show at The Blue Note.

Big Smith at The Blue Note, 3/26

2010-03-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not from these here parts, but I've recently heard tell of the band Big Smith. My sister-in-law, actually, just invited me to go see them this Friday at The Blue Note. The self-described "Ozark hillbilly band" from Springfield, MO, just released their latest album, Roots Shoots & Wings, in February. I'm no bluegrass enthusiast, but I'm willing to give a bunch of neo-hillbillies equipped with a washboard, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin a whole-hearted try based on enthusiastic feedback from people I've talked to.

Intrigued, I checked out their myspace page last week. The first song was a bit twangy for me, but I moved down the playlist and liked what I heard. It should be a fun evening with my sister-in-law, who I've barely seen in the past few months.

If you're really curious, there's even a documentary about the band, Homemade Hillbilly Jam, that's earned lots of praise at film festivals round the world.

Come see Big Smith at The Blue Note, Friday, March 26. Doors open at 8:00.

Women's Day, 3/28, and a Show at Mojo's, 3/24

2010-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

(Portugal. The Man)

Michelle Grant sent me an invite last week to KOPN's Women's Day this Sunday, March 28, from noon to 7:00 pm. It's going to be an open mic celebration of local female performers, so be sure to give a listen or show up early at 11:00 to be added to the list of performers. Michelle hosts the popular Thursday night program "Women's Issues, Women's Voices" on KOPN.

(Michelle Grant)

Wednesday night Portugal. The Man and Port O'Brien are playing Mojo's. It's one of the bigger shows in Columbia this spring. I hope you're fortunate enough to have tickets. Sadly, I'm not. The show starts at 8:30, and tickets are $10. In celebration, here's some Port O'Brien...

I apologize for the brevity, but the sunshine calls. It's too beautiful outside today to spend the lunch hour in a cube.

Sprung

2010-03-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Like the weather, I feel conflicted this week. I can't make up my mind where I'm going, what I want, whether I'm melting or sunny. What a big drippy mess.

I think about selling everything except my cello and my computer. I think about grad school. I think about moving west. I think about starting a new blog. I think about painting, print-making, photography. I think about sewing. I think about web design. I think about running a marathon. I think about writing a research novel. I think about volunteering. I think about thinking. I think about thinking too much.

I haven't felt like writing about music lately so much as listening to it loudly.

Aural Fix 3/18/2010: "Swim Until You Can't See Land" by Frightened Rabbit

2010-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out of town Thursday night to drive my mama to the dentist over in central Illinois. It used to be that when I left town to visit family, I left a frightened pet rabbit behind in my apartment. These days I just listen to Frightened Rabbit.

Here's your quick and dirty Aural Fix for the week: "Swim Until You Can't see Land" from Frightened Rabbit's latest, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, released two weeks ago.

Frightened Rabbit is Scottish, which makes them cool and gives lead singer Scott Hutchison one of the most distinctive voices around. On the Fat Cat Records website, Hutchison describes the first single from their third album:

"Swim Until You Can't See Land" was the title I had in my mind before I even started writing the album; I was becoming more and more interested in the idea of a rejection of the habits and behaviour most people see as normal, and in turn embracing a certain madness. It’s about losing your mind in order to reset the mind and the body. Forget what’s gone before and wash it out. This is not necessarily a geographical journey, as the "swim" can involve any activity in which you can lose yourself. It’s a good introduction to the record as the theme unravels therein.

"Swim Until You Can't See Land" by Frightened Rabbit

Download "Swim Until You Can't See Land" [mp3]

We all want to reinvent ourselves from time to time; for me, I feel the urge several times per day. I usually just stick to the shoreline and listen to music like this when I'm feeling fired up—especially now when the extra daylight has me going. Listening to music about self-reinvention is way safer than selling all my shit and walking to the tip of South America.

Get Lucky with John Lee Hooker, Jr. at The Blue Note

2010-03-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is a slab of corned beef on the plate of holidays. I'm a quarter Irish, but I've never done more than wear a stupid shamrock lei in a bar and drink green beer. This year I'll be playing with my string group after work and maybe eating something vaguely Irishy (like potato soup) with my partner in musical crime. There will be a beer involved, I'm sure. That's right: one beer. I have to sit in a cubicle all day Thursday, after all.

If you're looking for a little more—say, some cabbage with your corned beef—go check out John Lee Hooker, Jr. (son of the famous bluesman) at The Blue Note at 7:30. It's FREE. He'll be pulling out his classic "Blues Ain't Nothing But a Pimp." Fo' sho'.

Happy St. Pat's!

Massive Music Torture Attack

2010-03-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Massive Attack and Damon Albarn paired up recently on the track "Saturday Come Slow" (off MA's latest album, Heligoland). The video for the song is an eight-minute protest against the use of music torture in prisons. I suppose if you were a musician and knew your music was being used to torture people, you might be a bit miffed yourself. (Interestingly, members of Metallica have laughed off the use of their music in Gitmo.) The main issue, of course, is the violation of basic human rights—not the choice of music. Everything from Britney Spears to Barney to speed metal has been used on detainees. Massive Attack's video stresses the damage prisoners suffer when exposed to certain decibels of any music for long periods.

You can watch the video on Feeder.

I play my music too loudly in the car and on my iPod. I don't consider it torture. But what if I had to endure Christina Aguilera at high volume for days on end? I think I'd be more than peeved.

(Music torture Clockwork style.)

So what brings all of this on? Turns out Massive Attack is part of the worldwide Zero dB initiative that seeks to raise awareness of and end the use of music as psychological torture. They're joined in their efforts by Rage Against the Machine, David Grey, Pearl Jam, Trent Reznor, R.E.M., and others whose music has been used at Gitmo on captured "enemy combatants." The UN has banned the use of music torture under its Convention Against Torture, etc., but the Convention has been largely unenforced.

In the video, the song itself takes a back burner to images of a former prisoner describing his two days of music torture, but what we hear of "Saturday Come Slow" is typical Massive Attack: dark, forbidding, and growling with barely suppressed menace—a watchdog at the door of human rights.

Italy Takes Germany and Deer Tick Descends

2010-03-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Italy won the Columbia Chorale's Opera Showdown Saturday evening, in spite of the visiting tenor's massive La Traviata flub (he dropped his lines while turning a page and brought the entire production to a halt). My friend and I had never been to a show at the Methodist church on 9th. The pipe organ and structural beams add a certain gravitas to a concert, although it's nearly impossible to see the orchestra from the back of the church. I'd recommend a balcony seat. The whole idea of listening to two operatic selections and then voting and keeping score was gimmicky but fun. Sure, the "Flight of the Valkyries" kind of fell apart at the end ("The wheels are coming off the wagon," my friend muttered), but the mistakes and audience participation helped lighten things up.

We pigged out on pasta post-show at The Rome. The visiting tenor and soprano showed up toward the end of our meal and were treated to a standing ovation. It's always interesting to see and hear where visiting musicians go to eat in Columbia. For instance, I was in my car listening to KCOU the next day, and the dj was saying that she'd eaten next to Surfer Blood at Main Squeeze on Friday. (Surfer Blood just played Mojo's this past weekend.)

(Surfer Blood fuel)

In other weekend news, NPR's Sunday Weekend Edition featured samples from Peter Gabriel's new covers album, Scratch My Back (just released) My partner in musical crime was stoked (yet another reason I love him). Perhaps this sounds lame—akin to declaring one's love for Sting—but there's something to be said for a 60-year-old experimental musician like Gabriel who still sounds amazing and continues to make music of understated beauty. Gabriel covers Bon Iver, Regina Spektor, David Bowie, The Magnetic Fields, Radiohead, and Talking Heads, among others, with his own ethereal frostiness and without guitars or drums. In the coming months, some of the artists will scratch Gabriel's back and release covers of his songs.

(Peter Gabriel channels Rasputin. "Look into my eyes... buy my new album.")

My friend and I topped off our weekend with a music-less Sunday evening at Addison's with friends (unless you count the music of NCAA Tournament news as dinner music).

(Luke Harangody brings his deceding hairline to the NCAA Tournament.)

And today? It's the Ides of March, and Deer Tick is in town for a show at Mojo's. Please snag a picture if you happen to see them eating downtown pre-show.

Aural Fix 3/12/2010: "Excuses" by The Morning Benders

2010-03-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend we return to daylight savings time. Welcome back extra hour of post-work sunshine. Welcome back noisy frogs. Welcome back college kids in inappropriate summer clothes. (Flip flops will not protect your toes from frostbite, you dingbats.) Welcome back smell of stinky fish from the weird weekly fish fry in the parking lot outside my office. Welcome back open windows, muddy KT Trail, humidity, thunderstorms, and incongruous indoor heating.

And welcome back Morning Benders...

The Morning Benders' latest album, Big Echo, was just released on Tuesday. The album opener, "Excuses," is a rhythmic lilt of lush 60s pop, layered with real and sampled strings and modern and vintage sounds. Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor helped mix the album, which features a lot of Grizzly-esque echoes and overdubbing, but the pop sensibility is entirely that of The Morning Benders.

"Excuses" by The Morning Benders

Download "Excuses" [mp3]

The Morning Benders made me feel all shame-faced for ripping off a single mp3 when I read this on their website:

We can't tell you how happy we are to be able to share this album with you! We've put a lot of love into it, and we'd love for you to listen to it as it was intended to be heard, as an album, from start to finish.

If you like what you hear, please consider "Excuses" a sample introduction to the album and then go out and listen to the entire thing.

And don't forget to spring your clocks ahead on Saturday.

Kel Green and Friends Return to the Rocheport General Store, Friday, March 12

2010-03-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

I missed the last Kel Green show at the Rocheport General Store, which means I have yet to hear them or check out their eclectic venue. Well, this Friday Kel and his friends will be back for another show. Come see them in Rocheport from 8:00 to 10:30 at the General Store.

Kel sent the following invite earlier this week via Facebook:

I'm pleased to be back @ Rocheport General Store for the 3rd edition of Kel Green and Friends. Paul Zullo will be laying down some dulcet tones thru his resonator cones. We've convinced Denise Bowmaker to bring her sweet sax back to the river shacks. There are even rumors of a Sir Jimmy Steffan siting. Now really, who better than Kelly Green could kick off the annual St. Patty's Road bowling weekend with some music, food, and libation? John and Dean will be wearin the green and hearing it too. How about you? :)

The first two shows have been great fun and great learning experiences too! Thanks to all my friends, old and new, for your support! See you Friday!

Kel

I appreciate the rhymes. There is nothing but good nature and good music here.

This Friday I have a work-related happy hour and probably won't hop in the car afterward, but seeing these guys at the Rocheport General Store is on my list of spring things to do. Hope you can make it.

SXSW Kicks Off This Weekend

2010-03-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've never been to Austin, but like most people, I've been bludgeoned over and over by the implication that everything is cooler in Austin. I can't speak for the veracity of this statement, but Austin does have that one huge festival/music conference each year—a little something called SXSW. The SXSW® Music and Media Conference runs from March 12–21 and features over 2,000 artists, bands, films, new media presentations, and panel discussions. There are over 80 stages in downtown Austin; a massive trade show; celebrity interviews; gamers, bloggers, widget inventors, and more. If you're an Austinite, this is either the coolest thing to happen to your city once a year, or the biggest headache.

Either way, there are going to be a ton of your favorite artists and bands down there and some new ones, too. The music festival starts on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day). Here's the schedule.

SXSW is an eclectic gathering with a little something for all: Motorhead (if you're so inclined) and Fanfarlo, Miike Snow and Frightened Rabbit, hip hop, metal, world, acoustic, electronic, folk, etc. The schedule is huge. I gave up on scrolling through the damn thing. Just assume that everyone I write about in this music blog will be there.

Question: Is this thing just a huge corporate sell-out? I ask because the website seems geared toward "the industry." Then again, what's the harm if people enjoy it, get to hear music, watch films, and have a good time?

Sad News from Sparklehorse

2010-03-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous shot himself through the heart in Knoxville. He was only 47. According to The New York Times, he shot himself in an alley outside a friend's home. Linkous was in the process of moving to Knoxville, where he planned to set up a studio and finish the latest Sparklehorse album.

Growing up, Linkous was influenced by bluegrass and country, got into punk rock, and eventually formed Sparklehorse so he could create a sound close to Tom Waits' Swordfishtrombone.

Here's a video of Sparklehorse performing "Saturday" live:

Sunday Night Oscar Preview

2010-03-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

(Please... not again.)

I'm writing this late Sunday afternoon, and the schlockfest known as the Academy Awards starts in a few hours. Of course I'll be watching. Once a year I indulge in this particular awards show for no other reason than, like most people, I enjoy watching movies, and I enjoy watching the people in those movies go scriptless. Of course, we know there are prewritten presentation jokes and preplanned speeches and all of that, but there's still a slight potential for improv, disaster, or wackiness. The fact that so-and-so might have a meltdown makes for an entertaining evening.

Usually what I take from the Oscars is a list of films I want to see in the coming weeks. Generally, they're foreign films I've never heard of. (This happened in 2007 when The Lives of Others won Best Foreign Film.) But sometimes they're Best Actor/Actress nominated films that haven't gotten much press (The Last Station/Helen Mirren is a good example for this year).

And now back to music...

Here are the nominees for Best Music (Original Score):

Avatar by James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes by Hans Zimmer
Up by Michael Giacchino

I'm a bit biased in this category because Fantastic Mr. Fox is on my list of all-time favorite films. I don't remember the music from either Avatar or Up, and I haven't seen The Hurt Locker or Sherlock Holmes. But I do remember the instrumental delights of Alexandre Desplat, which include tinkling glockenspiel, a children's choir, and even some banjos.

In this video, director Wes Anderson works with Alexandre on the film score:

Hot box!

Of course, I often lavish affection on films that get shafted at the Oscars, so it's not likely Fantastic Mr. Fox will win the award.

For Best Original Song, we have the following nominees:

1. "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman
2. "Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman
3. "Loin de Paname" from Paris 36 by Reinhardt Wagner
4. "Take It All" from Nine by Maury Yeston
5. "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart by Ryan Bingham and T. Bone Burnett

(Crazy Heart)

I'm not familiar with any of the nominated songs, but I'm sure we'll be treated to a glitzed-up version of each during tonight's spectacle.

This video samples each of the five songs:

The Randy Newman nominees sound very Randy Newman, and the Nine number is a not-bad showtune. We're left with a whiskey-soaked theme song and a cabaret-style French chanson. Tough call. I suspect Randy Newman is going to sweep this category with his Disney affiliation, but I'd like to see the award go to ether Crazy Heart or Paris 36.

(Paris 36)

On an unrelated note, my friend and I got to see the animated short films at Ragtag Saturday afternoon. I'm crossing my fingers for A Matter of Loaf and Death or Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, although The Lady and the Reaper was also fun.

(Granny O'Grimm)

If you're reading this on Monday, it's old news. Get to work.

Aural Fix 3/5/2010: "Giant Stairs" by A Weather

2010-03-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

I just happened to stumble across these guys Wednesday night in between paying bills and skimming other music blogs. On one site with a crazy number of new music links, I randomly clicked on "Giant Stairs" and liked what I heard. The vocals are soothing and make me feel like the band looks in the picture above.

Yes, A Weather are YET ANOTHER Portland, Oregon indie-folk band. But the warm, intermingled voices of Aaron Gerber and Sarah Winchester are so nice! The band's sophomore album, Everyday Balloons, dropped earlier this week via Team Love Records, the label founded by Mr. Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst.

"Giant Stairs" by A Weather

Download "Giant Stairs" [mp3]

A Weather will be at Off Broadway in St. Louis on April 28.

STL's New Groove Show, Friday, March 5

2010-03-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

I'm horrible about updating, visiting, or even opening Facebook. But when an invite pops up, I usually click on it to see what's going on. A week or two ago the folks behind STL's New Groove, which consists of members of the band Rhyme Or Reason, sent me an invite for an upcoming show. This Friday you can see them play with The Steve Ewing Band and Chrissy Renick at The Old Rock House in St. Louis. Artist Joan Marie will also be displaying her "live abstract art" (no word yet on what that entails). Doors open at 8:00.

Rhyme Or Reason list the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Jason Mraz, and the Dave Matthews Band as favorites on Facebook and describe themselves as "pop/rock/funk." Expect to hear hip hop beats mixed with soulful vocals, jazz piano, and jamming guitar. Steve Ewing is well-known in the St. Louis area as the former lead singer of The Urge, which disbanded in 2001.

...And The Old Rock House just looks like a neat place. I haven't been there, but I have a penchant for old buildings. Check out the bar:

(The Old Rock House, St. Louis)

I've been meaning to get over to St. Louis for a while now to spend a couple hours at the art museum, stuff my face, and just explore. I probably won't make the drive this Friday night, but if you happen to be heading in that direction or not a weenie about sitting in the car, this show will definitely rev up your weekend.

Carpe Diem and Miscellany

2010-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Blame it on the warmer weather this week: my thoughts are leaping leprechauns jumping from one random thought to another.

First of all, did anyone check out the Avett Brothers show last night? I hope it was banjo-string-poppin' good.

As for me, last night I bid my first-ever cello instructor adieu over chai tea lattes at Starbucks on Ninth Street. Being a violist herself, she's passing me off to an actual cellist to continue my lessons. We downed lattes instead of having a final lesson, but it was the perfect close to a six-month run of our sarcasm-laden weekly lessons through Carpe Diem—the new culture center on Locust Street co-owned by Alex Innecco. (Alex is also the artistic director of the Columbia Chorale and the 9th Street Philharmonic Orchestra) As we were saying our goodbyes, we ran into Alex himself...

...and he gave me two free tickets to the Opera Showdown next Saturday, March 13, at the United Methodist Church on Ninth. Let's just say, this performance features dueling opera singers and audience participation. Italy vs. Germany...Sweet!

I'm also getting excited for the "festival" of 2010 Oscar-Nominated Short Films currently playing at Ragtag. My partner in musical crime (and all things geeky) and I are all over this! You can view the new Wallace and Gromit animated bread-baking murder mystery. Or see live-action films on magic, modern-day slavery, and Chernobyl (not all in the same film—sorry). Don't forget that the Academy Awards air Sunday night.

Last night after my "lesson," I drove to my friend's apartment and heard an acoustic version of Phoenix's "1901" on KCOU. This got me thinking, What is this song about, anyway? Lead singer Thomas Mars describes it as a song about early twentieth-century Paris. "Paris in 1901 is better than it is now. So the song is a fantasy about Paris." Well, of course! I'm sure every soccer mom and hipster cranking "1901" in the car is celebrating the Belle Époque. At any rate, I didn't enjoy the acoustic version nearly as much, but it did get me wondering about lyrics and our enjoyment of music. Half the time we don't even know what some of our favorite songs are about, but we still love them. Are we failing to appreciate them on some basic level? Does it matter?

A live performance of "1901" (not the version I heard on KCOU)

Perhaps that's a post for another day.

The evening ended on a somber note as my friend and I watched Frontline before we fell asleep. It was a piece about "suicide tourists": terminally ill patients who pay for legal euthanasia in foreign countries. The episode profiled the final days of a retired computer science professor suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), who chose to end his life in Switzerland with the help of Dignitas, a center for assisted suicide. Craig Ewert was diagnosed with the disease after retiring early and planning to spend the rest of his life traveling the world with his wife. Instead he lost the ability to feed himself or use his limbs and journeyed to a nondescript apartment building in Zurich to drink a solution that would put him to sleep forever.

(Craig Ewert)

We write songs about idealized time periods, go to shows, learn new things, and drink fatty lattes with friends, but it doesn't last forever. Craig Ewert will never see the new Wallace and Gromit or wonder what the lyrics to his favorite song might mean. Let this post be your little memento mori for the day, but let it also remind you of what you have.

Carpe diem and all of that.

Avett Brothers Tonight at The Blue Note--SOLD OUT

2010-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

Ever since last October, people have been planning for tonight's Avett Brothers/Low Anthem show at the Missouri Theatre. Half of Columbia seems to be attending this show, and so it comes as no surprise that it's sold out. I haven't heard any recent shows get so much hype...and I really can't explain it. I don't have anything against the Avett Brothers; I've just been lazy when it comes to them, I suppose. Thanks to BXR, which usually drives me away with Dave Matthews drivel, I've heard "I And Love And You," but that's pretty much the extent of it. I wasn't motivated enough to buy tickets for the show.

Reading up on the Avett Brothers a bit, I learned that Seth and Scott are actual brothers and artists who adorn their album covers with their paintings and sketches. Scott Avett owns his own gallery in Concord, North Carolina.

They play with upright bassist Bob Crawford and sometimes with cellist Joe Kwon.

Here they are performing for NPR:

According to the Avett Brothers' site, they are known for their high-energy shows and for "popping banjo and guitar strings right and left while inciting stomping singalongs." If you're going to the show—and I imagine 50% of my 10 readers are—it sounds like you're in for a raucous treat. Enjoy.

Gasland at the True/False Film Festival

2010-03-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to see Gasland at the True/False Film Festival. I had never been to the festival before and didn't know what to expect, but I left the film Sunday morning wishing I had picked about a dozen other shows to attend.

The best thing about documentaries is their ability to both inform and entertain. So, as in Gasland, you learn about the scary process of natural gas drilling ("fracking") while watching people light their tainted tap water on fire. Gasland made me angry: I couldn't stop thinking about the clouds of hydrocarbons rolling off natural gas condensation tanks across the country. People have developed brain lesions and neuropathy from their exposure to so-called safe natural gas wells, while the rest of us breathe in the toxic vapor that evaporates from the fracking waste water pools. What the frack?!

(Josh Fox lights a homeowner's tainted tap water on fire.)

Filmmaker Josh Fox created Gasland after he was offered $100,000 to lease his land for natural gas drilling. He traveled the country from Pennsylvania to Colorado to Wyoming to DISH (formerly Clark), Texas (where the mayor explained that all residents in town get free DISH Network. DISH also serves as a major hub for the natural gas pipelines—with all the adverse health effects that follow). In the process, he paints a scary picture of so-called "clean" natural gas. The drilling process is a slipshod, unregulated mess of secret chemicals and substandard procedures: it requires a mind-boggling amount of water, dumps toxins into the earth and air, and robs people of their clean drinking water and fresh air.

(This farmer's cattle drink tainted water (see natural gas wells in the background)... which ends up on store shelves.)

One of the best things about the festival is that many of the filmmakers are in the audience to discuss their films, and Josh Fox was no exception. He introduced his film before the screening and held a Q-and-A session afterward.

(Josh Fox)

Gasland is a disturbing film in an artistic, engaging package. You should see it. This affects you and your water supply directly. Much of the country is slated to be tapped for natural gas, and we have the Cheney-instigated loopholes in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to thank for it. (Naturally, Halliburton is one of the main drilling companies involved.)

Here's the trailer...

Check out the Gasland blog for more information.

Sorry to get all political on you. I just can't stop thinking about this film.

Aural Fix 2/26/2010: "Gorilla Manor" by Local Natives

2010-02-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week I stumbled across Local Natives, a five-piece band from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, who've been getting some recent KCOU airplay thanks to the release of their debut album Gorilla Manor (February 16). Most reviewers have been raving about the band's lush vocal harmonies, reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, and their driving percussion and momentum, which some have compared to that of labelmates The Dodos. Like Grizzly Bear and similar bands, Local Natives dispense with the frontman format and share vocals. While not exactly breaking new ground (who isn't compared to Fleet Foxes these days?), they do gather several recent music trends into one very enjoyable album. And they throw in a Talking Heads cover for good measure ("Warning Sign").

Check out Gorilla Manor:

Early concert announcement:
If you like what you hear, you can see them at Mojo's on May 19.

Triple Salchow Smackdown

2010-02-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the women's figure skating final at the Vancouver Olympics. If, like me, you geek it up at this moment every four years—and have ever since the "Battle of the Carmens" between Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas at the 1988 Olympics—you'll be glued to your set to watch the little pixies throw down on ice.

(1988 Olympic podium: Witt and Thomas fight over Georges Bizet (and gold).)

Swept up in the figure skating fervor, Paste staffers created a list of eleven dream songs for their own Olympic routines—if any of them had the chops to complete more than a single rotation in skates.

(Assistant Paste editor Mike Saba, who requests Phil Collins' "Mama" for his free skate)

Paste editor Rachel Maddux swears that only Sigur Ros' "Gobbledigook" will do for her triple lutz, while managing editor Nick Marino takes a more mainstream approach, requesting Cher's fabulous "Believe."

Oddly, no skaters in this Olympics have chosen any indie music for their routines. We have yet to see Evgeni Plushenko drop a quad to Animal Collective's "My Girls" or Rachel Flatt do a camel spin to Royksopp's "Happy in Here." How sad. Now, don't get me wrong. I loved the Canadian ice dancers' gold-medal performance to Mahler, but every now and again, a bit of experimentation is in order.

(A well-shod Johnny Weir)

In Monday night's ice dancing final, the Scottish brother/sister pair of Kerr and Kerr performed their final skate to Linkin Park, prompting me to look at a calendar and pinch myself to see if I'd fallen into some late-90s time warp where rap-rockers like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit rule the airwaves. Fortunately, no. And strangely, the music worked for the routine, proving that even dreck can become "arty" with the help of stunning visuals.

(Edgy sibling angst! For the record, I can't imagine skating this way with my brother.)

My figure skating music of choice? Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet." Never mind that my ice skating abilities haven't been tested since a fifth-grade field trip to the local skating rink.

Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet
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Kel Green and Friends at the Rocheport General Store, 2/26/10

2010-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

(The Rocheport General Store)

One of my favorite nearby towns is tiny, eclectic Rocheport. You can hop in your car or grab your bike and be in this little outpost of art and eclecticism in half an hour. Abigail's is one of my favorite restaurants...

(Abigail's)

...and practically right next door to it is the Rocheport General Store, which features local folk music in an intimate setting. This Friday night singer/songwriter Kel Green will be playing there with Paul Zullo from 8:00 to 10:30.

(Kel Green and Friends)

Kel Green sent me an invite for the show last week, and the invitation reads as follows:

So pleased to invite all of you back to historic downtown Rocheport, MO. for another eclectic serving of American music performed by singer/songwriter Kel Green and Boone County's resident resonator guru Paul Zullo. A special guest or two will also thicken the roux.

John and Dean will be serving up all your libation and food needs, including their famous open-faced brisket and newly added Shakespeare’s Pizza. All this in a setting straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Bring your wife, bring your husband, or bring yourself. But be sure to bring a healthy appetite to fall in love again with the human condition.

I've been wanting to hear music at the General Store ever since I saw a band there while leaving Abigail's last May. I remember how the upright bass player smiled contentedly at me through the storefront window of the packed Store, and I thought to myself, I could be happy here.

Come and get your own dose of happy this Friday night with Kel Green. Escape the cold, eat pizza, and hear great music in an old-time general store ... could be the perfect cure for too much True/False-ing.

Festivals!

2010-02-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

With February drawing to a close, everyone is getting a little stir crazy and craving activity. And so festival season begins its slow wind-up to the ultimate climax of summer. Today the 18th annual Noise Pop Festival gets under way out in San Francisco. If you or I were fortunate enough to be traveling in San Francisco this week (instead of reading this blog), we could see Rogue Wave, The Dodos, Edward Sharpe and the Zeros, Atlas Sound, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Mark Kozelek, The Magnetic Fields, and a host of other performers, along with screenings of selected films, including Blood into Wine (Maynard James Keenan crafts wine in the desert) and The Secret to a Happy Ending (the Drive-By Truckers share their story).

(True/False 2009)

But wait! We here in Columbia have our own little film festival this weekend... a little festival known as True/False. This is only my second winter in Columbia, and I've yet to check out the True/False hoopla. Frankly, it sounds like a cluster, but lest I come across as overly cranky and self-righteous, I should mention that I have a pass to a Sunday showing of GasLand. I'm going to see what all the fuss is about and keep my cynicism to a minimum.

After all, there's only so much ice dancing you can watch in a week.

Skiing on Indie's Grave

2010-02-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

(Lindsey in excellent form)

I gave up free tickets to the Civic Orchestra Saturday night to spend time with my partner in music crime before he left for a week-long conference. We were on our way, actually, to the Missouri Theatre when we both admitted that neither of us was in the mood to fight the rain to hear a Prokofiev piece neither of us knows. So we went home instead and cooked a pizza and watched the Olympics while he packed. I did feel slightly guilty giving up an hour of classical music for several hours of two-man bobsled and men's Super G. But the guilt didn't last long. I've been torturing myself all week with Suzuki practice pieces for cello and the Bach Prelude in G, and I felt entitled to crack open a Fat Tire, half-watch the Olympics, and flip through a library book of National Geographic photos while playing with my friend's hair on the couch.

On his coffee table was the latest Paste magazine:

I confess to feeling nonplussed. Most days I don't care if indie is dead, as long as the music I like lives on. Call it "gerbil grunting" or "slovakian soul"...I don't care. I seem to remember similar articles in the 90s: "Is Alternative Dead?" "Is Grunge Dead?" Well, honestly, who gives a flying flannel? Great music was still made post-90s. Great music will continue to be made in the teens—perhaps not under the passé catch-all "indie"—but under some other handy term.

Music comes and goes and names change, but the all-important stuff—like spending time with someone fantastic—lasts by any term or definition.

Maybe I just miss my friend. Maybe if I read the Paste article, I'd get something relevant out of it. What does the passing of "indie" say about our culture, for instance? Has the corporate music machine become such a dinosaur that independent musicians and culture rule the earth? Is this all due to the rise of the Internet and the ease of self-recording and self-promotion? Probably. There isn't really a need for the term "indie" these days, except to distinguish between, say, Fleet Foxes and Adam Lambert.

I'm more concerned that Fleet Foxes will release another album and that Adam Lambert will shut up about how gay he is. Yawn. Most of all, I want my friend to come home so we can watch what's left of the Olympics together next weekend. If indie rolls over in the night and breathes its last, well, then R.I.P., O catchphrase of the moment.

Aural Fix 2/18/10: "Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer

2010-02-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not what you would call a naysayer about Yeasayer, but I haven't liked everything I've heard from the exuberant bunch. However, "Ambling Alp," the first single off their new album Odd Blood, released February 8, sounds like the glorious love child of Tears for Fears and Depeche Mode. Just watching the video makes my face feel all rubbery and relaxed. It also makes me want to frolic and roll all bare-assed down a hillside. You'll see what I mean: work-friendly this video is not.

"Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer

Download "Ambling Alp" [mp3]

Yeasayer is a Brooklyn-based band whose first album, All Hour Cymbals, came out in 2007. (Their myspace page describes them as "ENYA with BOUNCE.") They first came to my attention last summer when my partner in musical crime added them to the mixcd he gifted me with shortly after we met. Yes, indeed, love truly is a mixtape–especially when it involves lots of weird tribal shouting from Yeasayer.

If you're so inclined, you can sail away to St. Louis on April 26 to see them at The Gargoyle (Washington University's student-run concert venue).

The Foundry Field Recordings in St. Louis, 2/19

2010-02-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Billy Schuh sent me an invite recently to come see his band The Foundry Field Recordings at the new Antarctica Lounge in St. Louis this Friday night. They'll be opening for Mount Righteous starting at 9:00. I probably won't be hopping in the car this weekend thanks to what feels like a wicked cold coming on, but it sounds like a solid show. And you can check out the fresh stylings of a new music venue:

(Antarctica Lounge)

$7 gets you in the door.

Josh Rouse Will Live on Islands

2010-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Monday, fresh off the Caribbean boat, I was offered free Ladysmith Black Mambazo tickets from a coworker. I wasn't able to take them, but it got me thinking about Paul Simon. This, combined with my longing for the tropical graceland I left last week, made me crave some island beats.

While I wouldn't want to live on St. John or any of the other Virgin Islands, I feel no shame singing along with this track from Josh Rouse's latest, El Turista, due out February 22.

"I Will Live on Islands" by Josh Rouse

Download "I Will Live on Islands" [mp3]

Rouse lives in Spain with his Spanish wife and child. (His wife, Paz Suay, famously collaborated with him on the album She's Spanish, I'm American.)

Originally a Nebraska native and former resident of Tennessee, Rouse has been recording since the late 90s. His latest album mixes things up with cross-cultural influences from Brazilian samba to Cuban mambo, interlaced with Spanish lyrics.

At this time of year, I usually feel the pull of mixtape fever, and it's coming on strong—much like spring, frankly, isn't. This track is going on my pre-spring mix, likely following some Orchestra Baobab, which always makes me feel happy and joyous and frolicsome.

I Did Not Step on One of These...

2010-02-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

(Lurking sea urchin)

I'm still on island time and not feeling very motivated to write about music this week. I'd rather be lying on the beach listening to the music of the waves, as corny as that sounds.

However, I do feel refreshed and not as crabby as I thought I would this week—especially coming back to snow and cold and the Midwest.

It's not so bad. I'm tan. I've been listening to bad reggae/rap on the radio all week. It's enough for now.

Early Concert Announcement

Midlake (this week's Aural Fix) will be playing The Blue Note on Friday, May 14.

The Low Anthem Are Coming to Columbia

2010-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Low Anthem will be at the Missouri Theatre with the Avett Brothers on March 2.

Still on vacation... I'll be back with new posts on February 15.

Girls at The Blue Note, 2/8/2010

2010-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm on an island right now, but I'm assuming this post will pop up as scheduled.

If you happen to be going to the Girls show Monday night at The Blue Note, here's a video to help get you in the mood:

Aural Fix 2/5/2010: "Courage of Others" by Midlake

2010-02-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

This week Denton, Texas natives Midlake returned with their third folksy album, Courage of Others.

The band has largely fallen under the radar, although they did gather a small cult following after the release of their second album, (The Trials of) Van Occupanther in 2006. The new album is perfect for a cold and somber winter weekend when you find yourself holed up with nothing but your own introspection. Tracks like the opener "Acts of Man" feature sparse acoustic guitar and husky vocals. The overall mood of Courage of Others is not hopeful or uplifting in any way—which makes it the perfect complement to the season and the global mood in general. It is nevertheless beautiful.

"Acts of Man" by Midlake

Download "Acts of Man" [mp3]

And finally, this will be my last actual post before heading to balmy equatorial climes. (Before I go, I may schedule a few goofy filler posts.) But I'll be back with a sunburn and vengeance on February 15. Have a great week.

But Did the Capybara See Its Shadow?

2010-02-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

In a week filled with groundhogs, I stumbled across a picture of dapper capybaras. (Yes, more animals in clothes.) This reminded me of Kansas City's Capybara and their single "Hello City Glow," which I hear from time to time on KCOU.

Capybara are no strangers to Columbia. Several of the band members are Mizzou alumni who used to perform with the local band Dadbot. They've played numerous shows here in town, and they stopped by KCOU this past September to promote their new album Try Brother. Here's a little video of the whole thing:

CAPYBARA / The Wimp / Radio Performance from mark harrison on Vimeo.

The band also once sang to an actual capybara. (You can watch the video here.) (I think the capybara needs a tweedy vest.)

They have a bit of a freak-folk Dodos thing going on. (The Dodos are actually myspace friends of theirs.)

Right now Capybara's music is featured in the Sundance film One Too Many Mornings. And they'll be at Mojo's at the end of February as part of the True/False festival.

Andrew Bird Is the New David Byrne?

2010-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

I read recently about how both Andrew Bird and David Byrne are speaking at the TED 2010 conference next week. If you aren't familiar with TED, it's a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, bringing together great minds and speakers from the Technology, Entertainment, and Design fields. TED has conferences, a website, and even a TED prize.

It sounds like the sort of global project that would draw a progressive and eclectic musician like David Byrne, no? Turns out, the conference also attracted Andrew Bird. Somehow it seems fitting to have the two in the same place at the same time. This may sound goofy, but they remind me of each other.

Bird would be Byrne's slightly toned-down little brother—the sibling who caves and goes to architecture school while his older brother goes to art school.

So, let's see...

They're both speaking at TED.

They look alike.

They both appear on 2009's Dark Was the Night compilation.

They both collaborated with St. Vincent recently: Ms. Clark toured with Bird in 2009 and recorded a track on Byrne's (and Fatboy Slim's) new disco-themed two-disc concept album Here Lies Love, which is centered on the well-heeled life of Imelda Marcos.

Regarding the Byrne/Fatboy Slim project... I know. What the hell?! Due out February 23, it was originally planned as a musical based on the wife of former Philipine dictator-president Ferdinand Marcos. Now it's an album featuring 23 different vocalists, including Annie Clark. The title of the album comes from Imelda's chosen tombstone inscription. (She's not dead yet, so the tombstone has yet to mark the grave in which she would be rolling over after listening to her Byrne/Fatboy tribute.)

The following YouTube "video" features a track from Here Lies Love recorded with Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine.

Admittedly, Andrew Bird hasn't aspired to such grandiose heights yet, but who's to say he might not one day? He can probably out-whistle Byrne.

Happy Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday night my friend and I cooked chili (okay, he cooked chili) and decided to watch The Godfather. It all began with a desire to stay in and save money. I was looking through his DVD collection to see what we could watch for free while he slaved in the kitchen, and I said, "Hey, we should watch The Godfather"—which actually doesn't make any sense because he's missing the first DVD from his boxed set, and I had to walk over to the video store to rent the first video, anyway...which cost money. (Actually, someone else had already rented the store's only copy of The Godfather, so we ended up renting District 9 instead. All copies of Whip It were checked out.)

Where am I going with this?

Sofia Coppola is in The Godfather, Part III.

Sofia Coppola is dating the lead singer of Phoenix, Thomas Mars.

Phoenix just won the "Best Alternative Music Album" award at Sunday night's Grammys. ("Best Alternative Music Album"? Is it still 1995? Who won for "Best New Grunge Artist"?)

Yes, Sunday gave us another pointless Grammy awards show. Does anyone care about the Grammys? Why do we watch the Academy Awards but not the Grammys? Why is it that good movies are actually nominated for awards, but good music is generally shafted? Seriously, reading through the list of Grammy winners from Sunday night has me running groundhog-like for the safe burrow of my personal music collection. Enough with Beyonce and Taylor Swift already! Also, I didn't know Metallica, Megadeth, and Judas Priest were still making albums.

("Like, oh my god, I won Album of the Year?")

Not that Phoenix aren't fantastic. There were a few nominees who truly deserve recognition of some kind—Neko Case, David Byrne, Brian Eno, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs among them. But who cares about a Grammy? Does winning a Grammy mean anything when the whole awards show is so schlocktastic and full of questionable nominees?

(Ricky Martin "Livin' La Vida Loca" at Sunday's Grammys...nominated for "Record of the Year" in 2000.")

I suppose it's only fair to point out that the Academy Awards are pretty schmaltzy, too. They gave us Titanic as Best Picture in 1998 and will probably reward that film's ham-fisted director for his latest big-production smackdown, Avatar, at this year's awards show. Still, there are usually more deserving films recognized at the Academy Awards than deserving music at the Grammys.

Is it just easier to love a mainstream movie than a mainstream artist? I think so. I could watch Avatar and actually enjoy it but want to flog myself with an umbrella if I had to listen to Rihanna's nasal montone for more than five minutes. I'm much more likely to sit through a terrible movie than a terrible song. Maybe it's because the movie offers sound and vision and story, whereas music is just sound.

Regardless, the Grammys have consistently bestowed laurels on some truly wretched performers. A sampling...

The Black-Eyes Peas won a Grammy for "My Humps." ("Yesterday," the most covered Beatles' song in history, has never won a Grammy.)

Kelly Clarkson...

...has a Grammy. Janis Joplin... never got one.

I have to mention Milli Vanilli.

(Blame it on the rain.)

Avril Lavigne versus Regina Spektor... Guess which one has the Grammy?

Celine Dion wins "Record of the Year" for reminding us that "My Heart Will Go On." Nick Drake and Elliott Smith do not have that option.

("I love you, Rose..." "I love you, Jack... er, Celine.")

To compare these wacky awards to the Oscars: it would be like The Tooth Fairy winning best picture over Crazy Heart.

If you're like me, you're glad when the Grammys are over so you can stop reading about artists you don't care about and what they're wearing when you scan the daily news headlines.

I'd rather read about groundhogs, especially if they're wearing natty threads.

Basia Bulat's "Heart of My Own" (And a Vacation of My Own)

2010-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

(Basia Bulat)

I tried to soak up lots of vitamin D this past weekend running on the KT trail and walking at Grindstone. I spent two hours Saturday browsing at the public library and left with a stack of seven books I'll never be able to get through in three weeks. Also, I cleaned my apartment, drank too many lattes, and started packing for my upcoming vacation next week... oh yes.

I will be in the Virgin Islands for a week.

I am really happy about this, and so is my serotonin-deprived brain.

Really, this is all I'm thinking about. I haven't searched for much new music, but Basia (pronounced "BOSH-uh") Bulat has a new album out, Heart of My Own, and here she is singing and zithering with abandon:

Aural Fix 1/29/2010: "Something" by The Leisure Society

2010-01-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

(The Leisure Society)

Earlier this week my musical paramour and I watched a NOVA episode on the annual migration of monarch butterflies. Call me a nerd, but I love this stuff. I had no idea about the perilous 2,000 mile journey of the butterflies from Canada to Mexico. Sure, I knew they migrated, but I didn't know how far, and I didn't know they ended up in a very specific Mexican village just in time for the Day of the Dead. The newly arrived butterflies blanket the trees like lovely little leaves, and the Mexican villagers celebrate them as much as they do the spirits of their ancestors.

It's good to appreciate the beauty of the moment and pay homage to the past at the same time. Londoners The Leisure Society do both in their cover of the Beatles' "Something." There's nothing overly complex about this straightforward cover, but it's pleasing to the soul like the whisper of millions of butterfly wings.

"Something"

Download "Something" [mp3]

The Leisure Society's debut album, The Sleeper, was released in July 2009.

The Blue Note's Haiti Benefit Show and Leo Kottke This Weekend

2010-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

(Ptarmigan)

Columbia has several shows going on this weekend, including your chance to see local favorites the Foundry Field Recordings at Mojo's on Saturday.

Also on Saturday night The Blue Note and 102.3 BXR have put together a Haiti Benefit Show with donations to the Red Cross accepted at the door (any amount is appreciated). Come help the earthquake victims while Nonreturner, Ptarmigan, Cantalouper, The Aunt Eehks Road Show, and Please Please Please shake The Blue Note stage. Doors open at 8:00. If you're a Ptarmifan, this show marks the triumphant return of Ptarmigan, along with The Blue Note debut of The Aunt Eehks Road Show.

If you can't make it, you can still donate here.

(Leo Kottke)

On a pricier and less charitable note (you are your own best charity, right?) Leo Kottke takes the stage at the Missouri Theatre on Sunday night. Tickets are still available at the box office. Reserved seating is a hefty $30, but I've heard Mr. Kottke and his 12-string guitar virtuosity are well worth it. Doors open at 7:00.

Here's a much younger Leo Kottke performing his infamous "Vaseline Machine Gun":

Support Haiti and the local music scene this Saturday, January 30, at The Blue Note. Doors open at 8:00. Check out Leo Kottke on Sunday, January 31, at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. Doors open at 7:00.

January Makes Me Feel Like This

2010-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Some days I wake up in the winter and feel as eloquent as Fever Ray accepting an award with her face all melty-like.

Missing Persons and Camera Obscura

2010-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday night my music pal and I were dredging up old 1980s videos on YouTube. He had a particularly vivid memory of a woman singing in a metal bikini but couldn't remember the name of the band. Hmm... it did seem to ring a bell (and apparently still rings his bell).

After Googling "80s video of woman in metal bikini," we were able to track down Missing Persons and their video for "Words." Do you hear her? Do you care? I don't think anyone was actually listening, but I'm pretty sure most adolescent boys were looking and cared.

Unfortunately, all embedding was disabled by request for every YouTube video I found, but this shot should get the point across:

Metal bra and horrible song equals instant MTV gold, a trend that continues to this day:

(Lady Gaga "Just Dances"...er, or something.)

And now Missing Persons are just what their name would imply.

Meanwhile, sick of the rampant 1980s nostalgia, we called up the Camera Obscura video for "French Navy" and saw no metal bras and lots of Serge Gainsbourgish nostalgia, and this was well and good.

Does this mean that because Camera Obscura are better known for their music than their appearance that they will outlast performers like Missing Persons and Lady GaGa? Not necessarily. But they do make me happy.

And then I confessed that one of the first cassettes I ever bought was by this guy:

That's Matthew Wilder. We found a clip of him performing on Solid Gold, and I realized that I had never actually SEEN him before. Someone should "Break His Stride" for that mustache. Maybe if he had worn a metal bra instead, he wouldn't be M.I.A. today.

He did try sporting the white man fro sans mustache:

I'll stick with Camera Obscura, thanks.

She and Him "In the Sun"... and Me at My Desk

2010-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took advantage of our rainy waste of a Saturday to buy and hook up a wireless router in my apartment. This may not sound exciting, but I was previously doing all of my surfing and writing on the floor of my living room, hooked up to a short modem line running through my television. Now I have a real home office. My desk and my laptop have been introduced in the spare bedroom, and there is serious chemistry.

(Yes, the desk lamp needs a shade.)

Having this amazingly comfy space to write makes me want to write more. It's akin to buying a new pair of running shoes or a new cookbook. There's revived interest. Why is it that our passions flag and then come back with renewed vigor? Do we just need breaks from them to appreciate them?

(Fashion Plates... I never stopped loving you.)

Whatever the reason, I've been enjoying sitting at my desk and computering. I spent some time on Saturday staring out at the rain and just searching for new music. Sunday, of course, it was blustery but sunshiney, and I didn't spend much time at my desk at all, choosing instead to goof off downtown and get some beach gear at The Alpine Shop for my upcoming vacation with my favorite music buddy.

Turns out, I'm not the only one who's spent some time in the sun lately. She and Him have a new album coming out March 23, titled Volume Two, and the first single is "In the Sun." Listen below.

"In the Sun" by She and Him

Download "In the Sun" [mp3]

Zooey Deschanel still has healthy bangs. The song is as fluffy as said bangs, but it's a good theme song for a sunny Sunday. As the duo's website states, "... the prevailing mood is bittersweet, dreamy, and romantic." Another blog I stumbled across stated that Deschanel wrote all of the tracks on Volume Two, with M. Ward producing.

Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Tonight

2010-01-21T06:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a lost Internet connection last night, I have a very brief post today. What the hell MEDIACOM? Even better, I came home from work to find that my fridge had died...and so had all the food within it. There was something very rotten in the state of my apartment.

But I did meet up with my new string group last night, which was much smaller than expected, but probably a good thing considering we're beginners with squeaky strings and no finesse. It redeemed an otherwise shitastic day.

I do want to mention, however, that you can catch Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing: A Django Reinhardt Centennial Celebration as part of the We Always Swing Jazz Series over at the Missouri Theatre tonight at 7:00. Doors open at 6:00. I had planned to see this show but forgot to get tickets when I still had money, and this week I'm too poor. It looks like there are still tickets available if you're interested—and not too poor.

Haiti

2010-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

We've been swathed in fog for days, and I find myself missing the sun and whining about it, but then I see the news reports from Haiti. Fog? Seriously? Is this the worst of my concerns?

Here's a brief run-down of what some in the music world are doing to help out:

Arcade Fire's Régine Chassagne recently wrote an editorial for British paper The Observer urging people to donate money for Haitian relief to Partners in Health. Chassagne has familial ties to the country, which she explored in the song "Haiti" (one of my favorites, off Funeral). Her editorial tackles the issue of the underlying corruption revealed by the tragedy.

Fucked Up and Matador are auctioning off the band's forthcoming singles comp Couple Tracks and the "Couple Tracks" 7" on eBay, with all donated money going to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. The Matador warehouse is also running a Twitter contest in which donations to Oxfam get you entered to win a Couple Tracks test pressing.

KCRW in Los Angeles has a huge list of links for donations, etc. on its site.

As mentioned above, I happen to love the song "Haiti," and it seems pretty appropriate to include it here. Here's Arcade Fire in Paris in 2007:

Jack Rose's "Luck in the Valley"

2010-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

This past Friday night I went to a small informal benefit at The Blue Note and heard a local band play—mostly Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Barenaked Ladies covers. It's not really my thing, but I can appreciate the fun people have when they get together and bang away on their instruments. I'm joining an amateur string orchestra this week, and while I'm not sure how it's going to go—my only experience playing with others being piano duets with my mom and sister and clarinet in seventh-grade band—I have high hopes. Music is meant to be shared, and it's much more fun to play badly with someone else than sit at home and practice badly alone. If I'm going to suck, I want the world to hear it!

Next month you can buy the posthumous LP of a guy who loved to play his guitar and did not suck. Jack Rose passed away on December 5 from an apparent heart attack, but he recorded some impressive ragtime and country blues in his 38 years on the planet, combining old-time playing with styles as diverse as baroque folk and Indian raga. His final LP, Luck in the Valley, is set for release on February 23.

"Everybody Ought to Pray Sometime" by Jack Rose (from Luck in the Valley)

Download mp3

Rose was one of the latest wave of fingerstyle guitar players. When you hear the peaks and valleys of his playing, you realize how blissed-out music made him.

I Have a Dream... No Work on MLK Day

2010-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

My dream is actually a reality. I'm not working today—it's a university holiday—and neither is my blog-writing brain. Back tomorrow...

Laura Veirs, This Week's Aural Fix

2010-01-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know: I'm all over the place with my "Album of the Week," "Track of the Week," and now "Aural Fix" shenanigans... I like to keep my options open and just give you new stuff I happen to like weekly, whether it be an album, a track, a compilation, a band, a monkey with cymbals, etc.

Actually, I'm not the only one who's been all over the place. Laura Veirs, whose latest album, July Flame, came out this week, has been getting loads of press lately. Veirs has literally been all over the place. She lived for a year in Malaysia with her family and trekked through Asia before falling in love with China and studying Mandarin Chinese and geology as an undergrad. She completed her senior geology project in a Chinese desert region that happened to be non-Mandarin-speaking, which made her skills as a translator rather null and void. Fortunately for Veirs, she bought a guitar in Beijing and discovered a love of song writing.

Veirs prefers touring in Europe because of its sense of community (group dinners before shows, etc.), but it hasn't stopped her from traveling around the United States with The Decemberists and Blind Pilot. She was even in Columbia in October at The Blue Note. (I saw her after the show in the lobby but missed her opening act.)

I caught an interview with Oregonian Veirs last Saturday on NPR's Weekend Edition. The music from the new album is melodic, with My Morning Jacket's Jim James guesting on some of the tracks. Last time I mentioned Veirs in this music blog, I compared her vocals to Suzanne Vega, and I think this still holds true—hers is an icy voice like frost on grass—but it adds an otherworldly glow to her very real songs about nature and the great outdoors. (A "july flame" is a type of peach Veirs saw in her local Portland farmers' market.)

"July Flame"

Download "July Flame" [mp3]

"Life Is Good Blues"

Download "Life Is Good Blues" [mp3]

"Sleeper in the Valley"

Download "Sleeper in the Valley" [mp3]

On a side note, Veirs is expecting a baby in April. She's keeping a blog on her site about touring with her own little july flame.

Eric Seat Explores His Sense of Self at the Columbia Art League

2010-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you don't make it to Ragtag for Sweet and Lowdown on Thursday night, consider going to the Columbia Art League's opening reception for its latest exhibition, Sense of Self. Local artist Eric Seat (just call him "The Loveseat") has some amazing illustrations in the show. Seat's work has been featured in several publication annuals, and his portrait of Kurt Vonnegut appears on the cover of the Hungarian edition of Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.

(Portrait of Kurt Vonnegut by Eric Seat)

Seat is still fairly new to Columbia, having moved to the city from Washington, D.C., a little over a year ago after receiving his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He was featured in the Columbia Tribune a year ago as the "Niche" artist of the week.

My partner in music crime was introduced to Seat at the ticket office of the Missouri Theatre this week and was impressed by his genuine nature—and, of course, by his incredible talent.

(Seat 1 by Eric Seat)

(Cover for Animal Farm by Eric Seat)

I remember being impressed by the painting below at the last CAL show in December.

(Lone Walker by Eric Seat)

It goes without saying that local artists need your support, whether they're musicians, painters, or documentarians. If you have some time, stop by the CAL to see how Seat and other artists like him color our world.

The opening reception for the Columbia Art League's Sense of Self is from 6-8 pm Thursday, January 14. The exhibition will be on display through February 20.

RIP Jay Reatard

On a sad note, Jay Reatard was found dead in his home early Wednesday morning. He played a show in Columbia in 2008.

Get the Sweet and Lowdown at Ragtag, 1/14/10

2010-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Ragtag Cinema is showing Woody Allen's classic Sweet and Lowdown (1999) this Thursday evening as part of the We Always Swing Jazz Series' Body and Soul: Jazz on Film. The film starts at 7:00; tickets are $8 ($4 for students).

Despite living above a Woody Allen enthusiast in Chicago for several years and borrowing most of his Woody Allen DVDs at one time or another, I never saw this one. Sweet and Lowdown is the swing-era story of Emmet Ray (Sean Penn), a fictional jazz virtuoso with a stormy personal life involving alcoholism, gangsters, a mute girlfriend (Samantha Morton), and an heiress wife (Uma Thurman). It's been called a tribute to Fellini's La Strada (1954).

I don't know much about the film except that Penn's character idolizes Django Reinhardt, and I happen to love me some gypsy jazz. I don't know if I'll make it to the show Thursday, but it sounds like a good way to spend a weeknight and also check out some Howard Alden, who plays the music in the film.

Even better, if you show up at 6:30, you can hear live music from Django's Tiger.

Interesting fact: Django Reinhardt's third and fourth fingers were badly burned in a caravan fire when he was 18, leaving them partially paralyzed. I couldn't resist sticking a Django video in here.

Ready, Set, OK, Go!

2010-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

OK Go's new album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is available today. It's the third full-length from the former Chicagoans best known for their treadmill antics in the Grammy-winning 2007 video for "Here It Goes Again."

The new album is getting good reviews so far, and OK Go is working on a video for each of the album's 13 tracks—attempting to preserve their status as the most downloaded band of all time. This could mean more coordinated dance moves involving workout apparatuses. They don't call this group "power pop" for nothing, which actually tempts me to shun them like Sandra Bullock's latest, but this record is being described as a much darker and more introspective work, influenced by the current global state of gloom and doom. The band says that when starting work on the album, they found themselves burned out on power chords and anthemic rock and wanted to return to the types of music that influenced them as kids, namely Prince, Depeche Mode, and Led Zeppelin.

See what you think. Have they successfully shed their "power pop" mantle? I don't know that the tracks I've heard reflect any "dark" sensibilities—mostly just Purple Rain-infused funk and glam—but maybe at the time of its creation this album served as a release from the heavy personal issues affecting various members of the band. It's definitely a departure from their previous sound, veering heavily into MGMT territory.

"This Too Shall Pass"

Download "This Too Shall Pass" [mp3]

"I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe"

Download "I Want You So Bad I Can't Breathe" [mp3]

The Iceland Cometh

2010-01-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

January is dusting me with melancholia, leaving me feeling like I'm stuck in some sort of crevasse. On Sunday I was feeling the need for something lovely and sad, and then I found this.

Sigur Ros at La Closerie in Paris:

Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

I don't know why I crave bittersweet sounds when I'm feeling subdued, but I do.

On a related note, Sigur Ros frontman Jónsi Birgisson has a new solo album, Go, scheduled to be released March 10. The first single from the album is an exuberant little number called "Boy Lilikoi."

"Boy Lilikoi"

Download "Boy Lilikoi" [mp3]

The song comes on with a swirl of glittery snow before cutting loose into ice capades of anthemic joy. Suddenly everything seems okay.