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2080 - Yeasayer

They're playing the Hi-Dive on Feb. 4th...sounds like TV on the Radio.

2007 top ten albums - Clay

Battles - Mirrored


Caribou - Andorra


Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity


Deerhunter - Cryptograms / Fluorescent Grey EP


Electrelane - No Shouts No Calls


LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver


Liars - Liars


M.I.A. - Kala


The National - Boxer


Panda Bear - Person Pitch

bsg (27)

Royal Gregory - Holy Fuck


Coming to a video game soon ... probably a driving game. Lo-fi improvisational electronica from Toronto, Canada (Wikipedia). Coming to Denver w/ A Place To Bury STrangers 03/07!

Baltimore?

In case you check this before your trip, VP, here's the latest Stephen Malkmus release (album out March 4): "Baltimore" (control-click to download)

free Okkervil River

If you like Okkervill River, here's some free indie-emo. I've listened to it a few times - it's worth the $.

The page:

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Patty Lee - Les Savy Fav


Solid indie rock song with a catchy guitar riff.

Watch the unspectacular video!

Greetings from the Dead Letter Office

Dear Brothers M.

Today was the first time I've visited this cyber-commune in a long, long, too long a time. I miss it. My heart ached at how much has passed in the past few months. My ears are going numb. We MUST go see more music. We must write about it.

Signed, your wayward playmate.
VP.

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A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise - Phosphorescent


"Tell me where you've been and I will tell you where I've been, it will be ok" - a good line and a nice conclusion for a song. If you like Will Oldham, aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, you'll like Phosphorescent ... assuming you can get past the thought that they're the same person.

Will Oldham-



Phosphorescent-

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hailin from the edge - apparat



catchy bass ... you like bass, right?

Girl In Port lyrics, vid

I had this song in my head for a few days but couldn't remember whose it was. I came across the lyrics, and noticed that mp3 info has a place for them: lyrics.

Blender's Top 100 Indie Albums Ever

Blender's Top 100 — posted on Stereo Gum

electricity is cool

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Broke Me Up - Kevin Drew



The snow and temperature fell this week - mellowing the mood and tunes. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Victims - Shocking Pinks


New Zealand low-fi dye your hair black punk

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balloon music

Balloon organ to be specific. A good alternative for those of us who don't play the bagpipes ... check it out -

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When Under Eather - PJ Harvey

Mountain Goats - Wild Sage

From Tuesday's show at the Hi-Dive

*** Bowerbirds * The Ticonderoga ***

The Bowerbirds/Mountain Goats show sold out last night at the Hi-Dive. Haven't seen that before. Both bands put on a good show despite the talkative crowd. Probably post a Mountain Goats video later.



thanks 1190/Dan for the free tix!

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Don & Sherri - Matthew Dear



Hadn't heard this song since the concert a few weeks back till it came up on my iPod today while driving. A good fit for a night drive to the club grocery store.

Menomena - Cough Coughing

From Sunday's show at the Fox



thanks 1190 for the tix!

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The Flying Club Cup - Beirut

Had to go with a song from Zach Condon's latest album sooner or later, right? A Sunday Smile and Nantes are arguably better songs, but I've been hearing them a lot and decided to go with one that still feels fresh.

I don't think The Flying Club Cup carries the weight or novelty of last years Gulag Orkestar, but its still very worthwhile.

More Beirut buzz from MTV -

another caribou video - sundialing

caribou pics

Another show with two talented drummers. Along with the drums, Daniel Snaith, Ph.D., did vocals, played the guitar and a handful of other instruments. Bandmates - Ryan Smith, Brad Weber & Andy Lloydto - rounded out a solid show.

Caribou drums clip

we had a great spot at a great show. Here is some drumming to prove it:

I might post another Caribou song later.

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To Fix the Gash In Your Head - A Place to Bury Strangers



how can you enjoy a line like I'll just wait till you turn around and kick your face in? Couple it with rough industrial beats and vocals that echo like the jesus & mary chain.

What's the deal w/ horses?

2007's indie scene seems eerily equestrian:

Are We Not Horses?, Rock Plaza Central
Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse, The Besnard Lakes
Hymns for a Dark Horse, Bowerbirds

I am an excellent steel horse, and true, I've got disaster on my mind. The Bowerbirds' Hymns hasn't settled in quite as well. It sounds pretty good. For sure, Hymns are nice songs. They aren't annoying, like real hymns, and the nap they induce is peaceful. I imagine they'll be a good opener, as well, for the Mtn Goats.

Gone But Not.

forgotten. I've missed the brotha'z music blog desperately. I'll be back soon. Promise.


VP.

matthew dear - deserter

from Asa Breed

matthew dear - hi-dive 10.12.07

Matthew Dear's got a great voice with style and mannerisms that are reminiscent of Bowie and Beck. A charismatic performer - even with his eyes-closed style of singing. The downside was the performance was heavily reliant on a laptop and pre-recorded loops. yeah, it's electronic pop, but the live and prepackaged union here wasn't always clean.

I would still recommend the show ... Asa Breed's a great album.

best song going (17)

Paper Planes - M.I.A.



world beats, gangsta gunfire, children sing-a-longs and the best audio use of a cash register since Pink Floyd's Money

deerhoof - video

Panda, panda, panda



older Deerhoof song from the album Apple 'O. Would've preferred something from Friend Opportunity (The Perfect Me, +81 or Kidz are so small), but Deerhoof moves fast and is engaging ... taking video seemed to be more of a distraction then usual. easily one of the better shows this year.

Deerhoof pics

best song going (16)

Plaster Casts of Everything - LIars



They're at the Fillmore in Denver on the 14th opening for Interpol. Not the best venue or band to open for, but probably still worthwhile - the new ST LIars album is solid.

Here's the disturbing video:

A good song to start October

music lessons: fugue

best song going (15)

Myriad Harbour - New Pornographers



happy with the live performance (see previous post), but prefer the vocals on the album version

New Pornographers

Solid songs/musicians, but this show lacked the personality I hoped for from big names Neko Case, A.C. Newman and Dan Bejar.

video of the song - Myriad Harbour



thanks 1190 for the tickets!

best song going (8-14)

Blitzen Trapper

I ended up at the Melvins/Big Business show instead of the Blitzen Trapper show last night. Two drummers make sense with these guys.



thanks to the dude who gave me a free ticket the second before I was going to purchase one!

best song going (14)

Fake Empire - The National

Not my favorite from the show, but my favorite from their latest album - The Boxer.

The National

Regrettably missed St. Vincent’s performance. 9 pm is too late at the Ogden if you want to catch an opener. All ‘n all a good show with the band mixing up the tempo more than expected. Favorite song from the show - Start A War.



Video of the song Like A Pro.



thanks 1190 for the tickets!

The Besnard Lakes: the opposite of a Disaster

The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse (2007) is a good album, and their Denver show was good — unassumingly heart-felt and technically sound.

Clay adds:




A show that substantiated an exceptional album.

maybe shoulda gone to this: Okkervil River

What’s up Conor?! We love you Conor!?

There was plenty of love for Bright Eye’s frontman Conor Oberst at the Ogden last night. Despite suffering from a cold and it being the first show of the tour, the familiarity of his voice & songs were not lost. Most of the songs I wanted to hear were played. A new song, which he introduced as being a couple days old and potentially the reason for his illness, was the highlight of the evening. The song’s faster tempo and added volume were nice departures, but the highlight was in it’s performance. Conor and company lit up with their recent construction and I was happy to hear a song without the crowd’s sing-along adoration.

Enjoyed that song without taking video ... here’s a video of his popular song Bowl of Oranges:

best song going (13)

favorite from the just released Dirty Projectors album -Rise Above. (loosely based on Black Flag's Damaged)

video of the song from Dirty Projectors show at the Hi-Dive 04.14.07

steel, salt & sound

Salt Sound Waves - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

For Dan

best song going (12)

My Oldest Memory - Bowerbirds

dirty projectors (video)

From Tuesday's show at the Hi-Dive -



definitely pleasurable (see "Them's a Dirty" for VP's written review.)

new music: The Race

Them's a Dirty!

I expected to be asked “How were the Dirty Projectors?” I didn’t expect my answer. They were….complicated. Innovative, no question. Talented, definitely. Pleasurable…the jury’s still out.

Mostly, the music felt a bit like the tunes that followed me round and round the carousel as a child. Moving up and down in circles. First the little ones, the one my zebra made as he galloped behind the ostrich in front of us. Then the larger one, the one that took me past my dad at a dizzying speed. By the end, the sound was circling in my head, even after all the other circling had stopped. So are the Dirty Projectors.

Sporadically, they rocked out. They stopped concentrating on testing perfect pitch and manhandled their instruments mercilessly. These moments of sound and fury are when they really shone, but I’m not sure that’s an endorsement. For Radiohead, yes. For Wilco, no. For the Dirty Projectors….maybe.

The drummer, his faux-hawk-a-flailing, really deserves the most credit for the magnetism on these metal-moments. He cares not about perfect pitch. With a second base-drum, muffled, acting as a floor tom, a classic Zildjian ride cymbal with the price sticker still on, and a battery of mallets, he clearly enjoys those moments best. He was the only one who seemed to. Dave Longstreth and “the girls” seemed far too serious in contrast. Perhaps, they needed all of their energies to manufacture their kaleidoscope of octaves and pitch. But, like Mariah Carey, just because you have mastery of these doesn’t mean you should flaunt it constantly. Sometimes, simplicity says more.

I might be alone in thinking this, however. The crowd was into it. Their spastic rhythms found true love in that of the Dirty Projectors. And Mr. Longstreth certainly has a keen sense of his audience. This is a one man show. The drummer and his “girls” are on stage only as accessories that showcase his genius, though they offer their own impressive talents. I am left wondering what would emerge if he left them to their own devices. The Dirty Projectors without their light bulb. Now that’s something I’m interested in seeing.

dirty projectors (pics)

Menomena - Evil Bee (new video)

another weird one.

dancin' w/ myself

I heard this on 1190 and thought it was pretty cool:

Wilco Willdo

Poised for disappointment, I couldn't help but be reminded of my own deepest character flaw. I learn from experience. But experience isn't all it's cracked up to be. Mine told me that Wilco would leave me sugared but malnourished. Experience, narcotic and hypnotic, dulls our senses by drawing on the comfortable. The completed. Rarely am I shamed by my tendency to draw on it.

Last night, Jeff Tweedy and his not-quite merry band of elites made me blush and my conscious guilty. Saturated in synergy and punctuated by stagelighting on parade, the boys of Wilco lured me from my skepticism and earned my ear. My circulation soon followed. So did my cynicism. For once, they all agreed on what to order. The daily special. $34.99.

I still hate the Fillmore! Watching a show there is like watching one in a train station at rush hour on a Friday. The people. Suck. The venue is better suited for couples-skate than rock-and-roll. As for Wilco, I'm still not wholly engrossed. They've reached that point in their career where they orchestrate their arrangements to appease fans who know what's coming next rather than experiment with form and fluidity. And despite this, whenever they tried, they seemed to struggle with their transitions from studio takes to freeverse arrangements. But, that said, I'm glad I hit the "purchase" button on Friday morning. It gave me a chance to respectfully exorcise my Wilco demons, each winking kindly as it passed me by, and put them on this list of bands that matter.

Mantra

in B-minor

best song going (11)

Caribou's "Niobe"

also like Melody Day from the same album - sounds a lot like Elliott Smith. Caribou's playing the Larimer lOunge, Denver's best venue, October 23rd. mark your calendar's people - Dan... VP...others?

These folks are going to cost me lots of money!

“The ability to live with contradiction is a sign of maturity.”
–Michelle Shocked, Aug. 26, 2007







I’ve always found recordings of live performances overrated. Even the best of men (or women) behind the mixing board can only perfect the levels in hindsight. And the vocals are either too loud or not loud enough, both versions invariably garbled. Harmonies and rhythms get lost in the transmission. The live performances themselves, on the other hand, are what phonophiliacs live for. They make surround sound seem like the poor substitute that it is, void of tangibility. Flaccid. And they remind us that music isn’t a lecture but a conversation. Musicians need an audience, just like we need them.

So was my thinking as I sat uncomfortably in the Boulder theater last Sunday stunned by the Charisma of the Avett Brothers and the rabid energy of Michelle Shocked. The Avett Brothers are exquisite performers brimming with effervescence and innocence, playfulness but precision. Their lyrics are simple but wise. Falsetto erratic harmonies filled the spaces between heavy banjo riffs not unlike those Pete Townsend would play given the chance. The brothers (and another) paid no mind to the broadcast audience…or all their special needs having not the chance to watch the music-body electric. They played to us—those who understand that music can only really be heard if it’s coming from musicians who speak to one another in time signatures and chords. Tuning in on FM, or AM or XM for that matter, just isn’t the same. Disembodied music is just that. Disembodied. It lacks a pulse.

Perhaps this is why I like etown, painful as it can be. It’s a rare moment to see musicians in their natural habitat. Unfiltered and porous, fermenting our affections and attentions until we are drunk on their vapors. No noisy couple standing next to you having a fight, no young and bouncing groupies shouting along, no beer-juice steeping its way into the canvas on your shoes, no long drive home. And still, I’d take all of these over pressing the button on my ipod and be all the better for it.

best song going (10)

Animal Collective's "Peacebone" (imeem might cut this down to a song preview at any point...)


after what might have been the most disappointing show of the year, AC comes out with this nice single from their upcoming album - Strawberry Jam. Available in stores September 11th.

Here's the video - it's a weird one ...

Brand Spankin' New!

Wierdness from the land of bird.


Andrew Bird - Imitosis

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best song going (9)

From the Fluorescent gRey EP - four excellent songs!

Rev. Horton Heat

The Reverend puts on a good show and held to his promise of "outlasting half the youngsters in the crowd." A set of covers was highlighted with a drummer led version of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid." Some guy behind me kept talking/yelling about how he had sinned and he needed to be healed by the Reverend. Could've done without that. Thanks 1190 for free tix!

VIDEO-

Papercuts - pics

The Hi-Dive - 08.14.07