A year or so ago I wrote the following about Eliza Lynn (myspace) and her soulful voice after taking time with her debut album, Frisky or Fair:
The album's sound is somewhere between jazz, blues, gospel, and old time, but that's merely the setting. When listening to tracks I find myself taken by her full and rich voice and the resultant cat and mouse game that she plays with Rayna Gellert's fiddle or Dale Roberts' cornet. The songs unravel tales of happiness, naiveté, and love cloaked in loss and pain.
Since that time Eliza gained the title of Western North Carolina’s Best Singer/Songwriter according to the 2006 Mountain Xpress Reader's Poll, Frisky or Fair was rated by WNCW 88.7 as a Top Ten Regional Album of 2006, her track Sing A New Song was selected for the Putumayo World Music's upcoming release, Americana, she started a female duo project called Grit Pixies, and her band recorded a new album, due out late summer. Phew.
Luckily for those in the area she will be bringing her Appalachian show to Montpelier and Barre during the first week of June amongst a handful of NYC dates.
June 1st - Eliza Lynn - 8pm - Langdon Street Cafe - Montpelier
June 6th - Grit Pixies - 7pm - City Hall Park - Barre
The Friday night Langdon Street Cafe show will be a trio featuring songs off both her debut and much anticipated sophomore release. The following Thursday Eliza will be kicking off Barre's Summer Concert Series with her old school female blues outfit Grit Pixies alongside harmonica/washboard/vocalist Jill Fromewick.
Eliza Lynn - Slow Down.mp3
Grit Pixies - Laughin' to Keep from Cryin'.mp3
Grit Pixies - Party Clothes.mp3
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Eliza Lynn Coming to Barre & Montpelier
Changes at Seven Days
If you haven't been reading solidstate for the last few weeks, you may not be aware of the recent changes at the Burlington alternative weekly, Seven Days. Basically, Casey Rea, the Music Editor for the paper and blogger of solidstate, is fleeing the Green Mountains. I'm not 100% positive where he's going but I think it'll be warmer there. His last day is next week but he's already done writing for the paper.
The new music editor is Dan Bolles. Don't know anything about him but Casey thinks we'll like him. Who knows? However, Casey will be missed. One of the things that makes people interesting is their opinions. Not good or bad opinions but just strong opinions...and Casey has a lot of them. So, it was always a compelling reason to read his Sound Bites column, music reviews, blog posts or comments on toher blogs because he always threw a strong opinion out there regardless of whether it went with conventional though or not. Hopefully, Bolles will continue in that vein.
One change to solidstate that Bolles may be making is bringing in additional bloggers. Depending on who he brings in, that could be great or sucky. Hopefully, it'll be the former. There are lots of fun personalities though to choose from that used to leave comments on solidstate. I'm guessing it'll work out well.
Having written what sounds like a eulogy, it should be noted that Casey ain't cyber-dead. He's staked out a new blog called The Contrarian where he promises to continue his Contrarian's Corner podcast and shed light on a wider variety of topics. That should be some good reading.
Yo La Tengo | Higher Ground | Oct 7, 2003
Since jds did a fine job with posting The Junior Boys tracks from their recent Higher Ground show, I thought I'd join the party and throw out some tracks from Yo La Tengo's concert at the old Higher Ground back in 2003.
The show is a two disc set and while the sound quality is OK on the first disc, it's fantastic on the second disc where I pulled these tracks from. Here's what I remember from the show:
- I went to the show with a bunch of friends who hadn't seen YLT before and had only recently been introduced to them. However, each of them enjoyed the show.
- On the way there, we got pulled over on I-89. Everyone put the driver had been drinking in the truck. So, we quickly kicked the beer bottles under the seats but I thought we were toast. Then the officer asked us where we were going and someone blurted out, "We're going to a concert!" Well, I figured the officer upon finding a pick-up speeding, full of guys going to a concert, would surely have pulled all of us out of the truck and searched it. However, the guy just gave my friend a speeding ticket and let us go. It was a great bit of luck.
- It was a typical high quality professional set from YLT with a wide variety of songs from their entire catalog, covers and guest musicians from The Aislers Set. I also remember the large crowd being pretty enthusiastic.
- The Yankees and Red Sox were about to start a playoff series which led Ira, a longtime Mets fan, to go on a bit of a ramble about how he was supporting the Red Sox simply because he hates the Yankees. It's actually captured at the end of the "Stockholm Syndrome" track below.
- I've heard them cover "Gates of Steel" a few times but it really clicked that night. The recording of it below is boffo.
Yo La Tengo | Sudden Organ (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Lewis (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Good Lovin' (Rascals cover) (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Gates of Steel (Devo cover) (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Stockholm Syndrome (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Mambo Rock (Live)
Photo (not from HG show) courtesy of Jonny Leather.
MLS Goals of the Week - Week 7
FC Dallas had two beautiful goals last week in their game against Salt Lake. Both Chris Gbandi and Arturo Alvarez' bombs were from well outside and at angles. Nice.
Gbandi's goal is the third one in the video and Alvarez' starts around the 1:59 mark.
As always, the video is put together by the guy who writes the fine soccer blog, Climbing the Ladder.
By the way, Climbing the Ladder has an interesting post up about the record highest attendance for a soccer match in each state. According to his post, Vermont's highest was 5,000 for a NCAA Tourney match. It's one of the lowest records highs but it's better than Maine and New Hampshire. So, we surpass the peer benchmark, at least.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Junior Boys Live at Higher Ground Pt. III
As always, if you are the artist, record company, or another person easily offended by these tracks being up, please contact me asap and I'll be happy to take them down. I share music because it makes the world a happier place, but if you ain't happy then Papa ain't happy.
Stream The National's Boxer
Bloggers and critics alike have been falling over themselves for The National's (myspace) latest release (my partner in crime, Flatlander, included). Beyond the blogger hype, their record, which dropped yesterday, has received rave reviews from NYT AND Pitchfork (loosing street cred or universally good album?).
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Junior Boys Live at Higher Ground Pt. II
Monday, May 21, 2007
Junior Boys at Higher Ground April 8, 2007
Photo props go out to Rob at Found DramaI am fortunate to present you with great quality audio of the show. Below are the first four tracks, the rest will be provided over the next few days. This was my first time using the free program Audacity, which split up the tracks and let me throw out the chatter (I apologize to all who wished they could hear awkward banter about shoe sponsership, breakfast recommendations, and Phish references). Again, I'm super psyched about how good the quality came out.
2. Junior Boys - The Equalizer.mp3
3. Junior Boys - Teach Me How To Fight.mp3
4. Junior Boys - Like A Child.mp3
As always, if you are the artist, record company, or another person easily offended by these tracks being up, please contact me asap and I'll be happy to take them down. I share music because it makes the world a happier place, but if you ain't happy Papa ain't happy
Champions League Finals | Liverpool vs AC Milan | UPDATE
This post is for the folks out there that follow the World Cup every four years and then fail to tune in for all the great matches in between.
If you enjoy watching those World Cup matches with all of their passion and flair, well, be sure to set your TIVO/VCR to record the Champions League Final on Wednesday before you leave for work. The match between Liverpool and AC Milan will be broadcast live from Athens on ESPN2. Pregame starts at 2pm with a 2:45pm kickoff. It's scheduled to run until 5pm but let the recording run until 6:30pm in case it goes to extratime or penalty kicks.
Here's why this match is important: In addition to playing in their regular national leagues, the top teams from the prior season also play in a year-long tournament against the top teams from other leagues across Europe. The best of the best. After eleven months of action, it's down to a one-game championship match for European bragging rights.
The other thing that makes this match worthwhile is that it's a repeat of the 2005 final which is possibly the most memorable final ever. AC Milan was favored and leading 3-0 at the half. Liverpool looked dead. However, The Reds rallied for three second half goals and won on penalty kicks. AC Milan was devastated and are now seeking revenge. Once again, AC Milan are favored.
That pretty much sets up the situation for you. Don't forget to set those recorders.
UPDATE: If you can stomach the insipid music, here's the highlights from AC Milan's 2-1 win.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Old Crow Medicine Show | Coming to Higher Ground | June 26th
Next month will be my first time seeing Old Crow Medicine Show despite being my second time buying a ticket to see them. A few years ago, they came to Northampton, MA but I got stuck late a t work and never got to go. So, between that failed experience and another solid album from the finest bluegrass band going today, I was pretty excited when I saw Higher Ground had booked them for June 26th.
If you aren't familiar with the boys from Nashville and their revitalized Appalachian sounds, they knock out the traditional sounding tunes but with a bit of a punk snarl. For example, in 2004, they were one of the few Nashville bands to release an anti-war song...and that was when popular support for the war was still running high. So, these guys aren't your daddy's bluegrass band.
One odd thing about the night is that while OCMS is picking away at their banjos and fiddles in the big room, there be a Hardcore and Metal Showcase going on in the small room. Oh, I'm looking forward to the contrasting fans.
Old Crow Medicine Show | James River Blues | Buy
Old Crow Medicine Show | Big Time in the Jungle | Buy
Old Crow Medicine Show | Wagon Wheel | Buy
Here's their live video for "Tell It To Me":
Photo courtesy of Enrico Fuente
UPDATE Editors | "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors"
From their upcoming album (June 26th), An End Has a Start. Good tune.
The video stopped working so, I've included mp3s of the first two tracks off the new album (pre-0rder here). Enjoy!
Editors - Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors.mp3
Editors - An End Has A Start.mp3
810th Place
This may sound weird but I'm pretty proud of my 810th place finish in last week's Corporate Challenge Cup in Montpelier. Here's why...I had never run in any organized race before and until about a month ago, I hadn't exercised regularly in 2-3 years. So, to go from getting winded while climbing a flight of stairs to actually being able to run 5K without stopping or walking, in one month, feels pretty cool. Plus, I had a goal to do it in less than a 10-minute mile pace and I came in at 9:56 per mile. So, it all worked out like I had hoped and I lost about 30 lbs. in the process.
Having said all of that, I felt like the worst car at the Indianapolis 500. Besides the injured along the side of the road, I don't think I passed a single person on the entire route. It was just a constant stream of people motoring on by me. Now I know how my grandmother felt driving on the highway.
The other problem is that my knees are still aching from last Thursday's race. So, I don't know if I'll do it again. Perhaps I'll do it again next year but the only way I'd train for it next time would be by riding my bike or something else that doesn't pound on my knees. The race was fun but aching knees suck.
Los Tres
Here's another nice find from listening to the KCRW Today's Top Tune podcast...Los Tres from Chile. It's not too often that you get any exposure to the Chilean indie music scene but I at least got a tiny slice of it from KCRW.
Los Tres was one of the first Chilean bands to hit it big in the 90's following the end of Pinochet's reign. It appears they broke up around 2000 but three of the four members reunited recently and released Hágalo Usted Mismo last July. The track below is from that album. It's a breezy bit of folk-based pop with a slight 70's feel to it. Is that a flute in the background making that fetching little horn sound? Plus, songs in Spanish sound cool.
Los Tres | Bestia | Buy
Green Mountain Strongest Man Competition
If you've ever been flipping around the channels at odd hours, I'm sure you've stumbled upon the oddly entertaining World's Strongest Man Competition. It's a series bizarre test of the strength of numerous genetic (and likely steroid guzzling) freaks. Well, it looks like the Vermont Chapter of the American Lung Association is hosting a similar competition on June 2nd at the Champlain Valley Fair Grounds to determine the Green Mountain's Strongest Man.
This obviously begs the question of what tests of strength they'll make the competitors complete. Since the competitions always seem to take on a local bent, here's a quick list of suggestions:
- The Patchouli Oil Barrel Toss
- The Subaru Outback Carry
- The Snowblower Lift
- The Dead Moose Drag
- Lifting Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield for Reps
The Airborne Toxic Event
As I've said before, 99% of the stuff that record promoters send to music bloggers is utter crap. However, once in a while some band catches my ear and I fall in love. One of those bands arrived a week or so ago by the name of The Airborne Toxic Event.
The fact that they've only released a single EP so far with a sum total of about ten minutes of recorded music may raise the question of the legitimacy of posting about them. However, if you listen to the tracks below, you'll understand that it's justified in this situation.
The easiest comparison is to The Smiths wrapped in a warm blanket of sun-drenched California pop. The band is catching a bit of flack because one of the band members used to be the Managing Editor at Filter magazine and folks think he's using those connections to advance their career. However, I'm calling bullshit on that argument. I heard the disc without knowing any of that crap and, very simply, I loved the songs. Plus, Ira Kaplan used to be a music writer before starting Yo La Tengo and nobody holds that against him. The music stands on its own merit.
The Airborne Toxic Event | The Girls in Their Summer Dresses | Buy
The Airborne Toxic Event | Wishing Well | Buy
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Championship Goals
Here's a pair of championship goals from Saturday's action.
The first one is Didier Drogba's winner in the FA Cup for Chelsea against Manchester United in extra time. Nice one touch passing.
The second one is from Germany. Thomas Hitzlsperger saved Stuttgart's collective asses when he tied the match against Energie Cottbus. Stuttgart needed at least a tie to top Shalke 04 for the season title but they were down 1-0 when Hitzlsperger nailed this beautiful volley from 27 yards out. They went on to win 2-1 and win the title.
Lastly, in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona are tied at the top of the Spanish Primera with two games to play (tomorrow and next Sunday) while Valencia and Sevilla are one and two points back collectively with one game left each. Sweet Jesus. It's going to be a fun final week to that league.
The Spinto Band | Bennington College
I'm sorry about the late notice but I've been a bad blogger lately.
Tonight, May 19th, Tom and Sam Hughes of The Spinto Band will be returning to their ala mater with the rest of The Spintos and playing the Bennington College Sunfest concert. There are a bunch of other bands on the bill also but I'm not familiar with any of them. The gem of the line-up is the pop sextet from Wilmington.
The festival kicks off at noon but figure The Spintos will hit the stage sometime after 8pm. The festival is open to the public but I'm not certain where it is on campus. I'd just head for the center of campus and follow the flow of students and music.
The Spinto Band | Late | Buy
Legion of Rock Stars
This is a silly idea but the execution keeps me giggling. There are a bunch more over at the Legion of Rock Stars YouTube channel.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Delta Spirit | Daytrotter Session
A month or two ago, I caught Delta Spirit opening for Cold War Kids and Tokyo Police Club and loved their set. It was chock full of passion, multi-percussion and immediately enjoyable melodies. Plus, I liked the lead singer's voice. However, I was disappointed in their EP, I Think I've Found It. It lacked all of the passion of their live set. It was mid-tier over-produced pop.
Flash forward to earlier this week when Daytrotter posted the four songs from Delta Spirit's Daytrotter session. The songs are more mellow than their live show was but the passion is back which makes for an entertaining session. One benefit of the mellower tunes is that they feature Matthew Vasquez' vocals a lot more.
You can download the songs for free here. I'd particularly recommend French Quarter and their cover of Paul Simon's Duncan.
There's also an article and interview with the band here. However, the real magic of their session are those recordings. It amazing how the folks at Daytrotter continue to pull nice recordings out of bands that have laid out flat and thin official releases. Perhaps someday there'll be a Daytrotter label.
If you're a gearhead, you'll also dig these videos from Gear Wire. The first two are interviews with engineer Paul Stolley where he explains all the equipment he uses for the Daytrotter sessions. The last video shows Delta Spirit performing French Quarter. One thought about the last video...that can of Miller in the middle of the soundboard between Stolley's arms looks like a recipe for disaster (or at least some sticky knobs).
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Saturnine | Remembrance of Things Past
Before moving to NYC in the early 90's and starting the indie rock band Saturnine with guitarist/vocalist Matt Galloway, bassist Mike Donofrio grew up in Vermont. Plus, he has since moved back to the Green Mountains from the Big Apple. So, I think it's safe to call Saturnine's new album Remembrance of Things Past a "Vermont album" even if the rest of the band is scattered across the country. That's close enough for me.
Remembrance of Things Past is a very literary album based upon the same-titled work by French writer Marcel Proust. I'm not making that up...I'm sure all of The Decemberists fans out there will love that. Regardless, I'm a simpleton and always fall for the melody, beat and progression of a song before the lyrics hit me. That's exactly what has happened with RoTP. Right from the opening bass line, you get swept along on a melodic flow that brings you up for rocking moments before coming back down for quiet darker sounds. While I'm not a big "concept album" guy, the whole album flows well together rather than listening to it in individual tracks.
One other highlight of the album is that Saturnine scored Frances Gibson of The Cannanes to do the female vocals. She even gets a cool spoken word riff in towards the end of "Marcel Remembers He Tried To Stop His Obsession For Albertine" which, if you are a Cannanes fan, will remind you of the one on The Cannanes' "3-Way Release".
Besides the music, the other cool thing about the album is that's it's been released using a creative commons license. So, the band is allowing bloggers and fans to link to all the tracks for general sharing. So, go ahead, download and link away.
With that in mind, Bradley's Alamanc has a lengthy post up about the album including tracks from some of their earlier releases.
Saturnine | Remembrance of Things Past
"Marcel Remembers The Summer He Met Albertine"
"Later, At A Bar"
"Albertine"
"Marcel Remembers He Tried To Stop His Obsession For Albertine"
"I Can't Shake Her From My Mind"
"Some Months Later, At A Club In New York City,
Marcel Sees Albertine Dancing With Another Girl
(With Whom He Suspects She Is Having An Affair)
And Leaves, Jealous And Upset"
"Later, On A Walk Together"
"Later, Albertine Alone At The Apartment"
Or download all eight 192kbps Mp3s as one 58MB zip file.
Or download higher quality versions of each song at the Internet Music Archive.
Tobias Fröberg
Last summer, I posted about how I had fallen in love with Tobias Fröberg's diddy "When the Night Turns Cold". Well, I guess La Blogotheque heard me because they asked Fröberg to record a Take Away Show for their site. The result is an amusing unscripted video of Fröberg walking down the middle of the street playing the song, forgeting the lyrics, getting yelled at by garbage men and nearly causing a few scooters to crash. It's made me relive my quick love affair with the song all over again.
Herman Düne
During my hiatus, I spent a lot of time spinning Herman Düne. I had never heard of the France-based Swedes and Swiss before a friend gave me a copy of their album Not On Top at the Clap Your Hands show last month. Since then I've been loving their vocals-driven folk-based multi-instrumental sound.
While they're new to me, they've been cranking out their brand of folk pop since 2000. They just haven't established a foothold in the American indie scene (despite living in NYC for a period of time). I find that a bit surprising since they remind me a lot of The Mountain Goats and Silver Jews who have certainly carved out their niche in the states.
Here's their video for "I Wish I Could See You Soon" off their latest album Giant, Very catchy song and a quirky enough video.
Their summer tour dates reads like a senior citizens bus trip through western Europe. Zero US dates. Perhaps that's why they don't have much of a presence here.
Herman Düne | Walk Don't Run | Buy
Herman Düne | Little Wounds | Buy
FreeRide
Since I'm talking about bikes, I thought it would be worth a quick post to mention a new non-profit cooperative in Montpelier called FreeRide. It's all about bikes and opens this Saturday (89 Barre St.). You can read all about it in a nice article in Seven Days. There is also an article in the Times-Argus about FreeRide.
Here's how it works: they accept old donated bikes which they then refurbish and sell for a small amount based upon how much money you have to spend. You can also buy a membership for $30 a year which gets you all the bike repairs you need. The other option is to donate your time at the co-op which gives you the same benefits of a membership.
I love projects like this simply because they add to the community. Plus, I love seeing the freaky bikes people cruise around town on; like this one. Hopefully, FreeRide will foster more of those oddball bikes.
GT Slipstream
OK. I'm back. I've been away from this blog for over three weeks and that's a long hiatus for me. No good reason why...except for the last week. The last week has been all about my new 18-year-old bike, a GT Slipstream.
I haven't owned a bike in about 25 years but while strolling around the Onion River bike swap last weekend, I decided to try one out. It looked like crap and a bit dorky which fits my style just fine. So, I rode it around for a little while and decided to pony up the $75 for it.
Since then, I've been cruising all around town and up & down Rt. 2 and Rt. 12. I had completely forgotten how much fun it is to ride a bike. Plus, the big bonus for me is that my knees don't hurt when I'm done riding. After I run for a half-hour, my knees ache like a mofo but with biking they feel great.
The things I love about the bike is that I can sit upright on it, it's easy to shift and the seat is very comfortable; big and with springs. I've been getting a bunch of odd looks from the other bicyclists on the road, so I must look like a spazz sitting upright on a big bike with a giant helmet on my head. All I need is a wicker basket and a horn on the handlebars to complete the look. However, I really don't care. I'm just enjoying the ride.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Wilco
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Higher Ground | Apr 12th
Seacrest: OK. First up tonight...Elvis Perkins in Dreamland.
Randy: Yo Yo Dog. What's happening tonight? Yo Dog, listen, you brought it tonight. It was a bit pitchy in spots but, you know, it was just a'right for me. I like what you're doing with the whole band thing. It works for me. Paula?
Paula: Elvis, you gave it up. You did your best. You smiled and had so much fun. You were wonderful. Simon?
Simon: Very good. I like the transition you're making from being a Dylan replica to a Neutral Milk Hotel replica. You just need to work more on finding your own sound and keep writing the good songs.
Seacrest: OK. Next up tonight...Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
Randy: Yo Dog. [heavy sigh, head cocks to the side and hands start wiggling] It was a bit pitchy in spots, you know. Uh, in fact, it was actually pitchy the whole time. I don't know Dog. It didn't work for me. The runs were tight but I don't know if you care. You know what I mean, Dog? I don't know. It just wasn't a'right for me. Paula?
Paula: It's a tough night. I know you've been playing so much, you must be tired. You need to bring out that beautiful you and smile some more. Robbie's the only one smiling. I know you guys can do better.
Simon: Look. You can't charge Sonic Youth prices, start an hour late, look bored on stage and expect to have a career. You have very good songs that are fun to hear but you have to at least appear interested in playing for us. Robbie seems to want to be here. The rest of you need to talk to him some more. I've seen you do much better. Take some time off maybe.
Seacrest: Ooooh. Tough words from a little man. That's it for tonight. Seacrest out!
Kris Gruen | Langdon Street Cafe | Apr 20th
Trying to figure out the best way to ride your 4:20 buzz? Well, one good option is rolling over to Langdon Street Cafe to catch Kris Gruen on Friday night. The Bowmans are playing right before him too. I caught this double bill a few months ago at Langdon Street and it was a good night of music that fits right in with the Langdon atmosphere...and that should be an interesting atmosphere on 4:20.
Here are two clips from that show.
Kris Gruen doing "Tender Theory":
The Bowmans doing "To Rise":
Messi Goal
In the post about the MLS goals, TK left a comment about Lional Messi's goal the other day against Getafe. It's an amazing 60 yard run that immediately brings back thoughts of Maradona.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Jackson Browne Mania
It's rare that a big name comes to play a show in Barre, VT. People still talk about the Johnny Cash and Harry Belafonte shows and those were decades ago. Well, Jackson Browne is now coming to the Barre Opera Housae on June 9th and 10th to do a benefit show for L.A.C.E. (Local Agricultural Community Exchange) and people are going ga-ga for tickets.
I knew he was coming to town and he was popular but it really hit me when I noticed all of the pleas for tickets on craigslist. People are offering $175 and $250 a ticket but here's my favorite posting:
Spectacular Trade Offer: If you have Stellar Jackson Browne Seats - $1
Reply to: sale-310842291@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-04-12, 7:13PM EDT
I am a VIP ticket holder for the Oakland Arena in Oakland...Roger Waters is bringing his "Dark Side Of The Moon" show to this venue 7/1...Includes Vip Club access, seperate enterance and parking...saw his show last year at an outdoor venue...SPECTACULAR...he has original Floyd drummer Nick Mason playing with him as well as several guests. 3 hours solid...no opening act.
Here is the deal...I lived in New Hampshire for awhile prior to moving to the San Francisco Bay Area...I am a huge Jackson Browne fan and have seen and met him numerous times...If you have premium tickets as I do...I will consider a trade and include airfare and possibly accomodations if the deal works fairly...my VIP seats are in the finest location in the Arena...I have a pair or 4 in the most sought after seats in the house...I have saved a pair for myself...as I wouldn't think of letting this show slip by...a MUST SEE.
If indeed you are serious...get back to me via e-mail or call me at (510)469-6123
Take care...hope to see you on the dark side of the moon!
Holy crap.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
MLS Week 1 Goals
The first goal by Sacha Kljestan was the goal of the week.
Geez, those football lines in Salt Lake City are ugly. Someone needs to pony up the bucks to paint that field for the season.
Courtesy of Climbing the Ladder
Monday, April 09, 2007
Pond Skimming at Bolton Valley
Yesterday, we spent Easter Sunday up at Bolton Valley watching the pond skimming competition. It was a fun way to end the ski season. Although with the temperatures around 32°, a steady wind and constant snow showers, it felt more like the middle of the ski season rather than the end of it.
I would have loved to have been able to edit all of these videos togther into one long montage but I don't have the knowledge or software to pull that off. So, instead you get a post with twelve embedded YouTube videos in it.
First up is a lady who went with the Easter theme and dressed as a bunny. This was one of the best face plants of the day.
The snowboarders definitely had an advantage skidding over the pond. This guy was so cavalier that he even kicked up a big splash right over a bunch of the judges at the end.
I was glad to see Ronaldino was represented on the pond.
This guy tried it backwards. A+ for effort.
Ninja with a flag. He sinks more than crashes.
Why are penguins all of a sudden so popular? They're everywhere these days.
Ben the Moose came so close to making it. I was just impressed that the person was able to snowboard down wearing that big moose head.
This guy did it in just shorts which would have made for an entertaining crash but he cruised right over.
The Boy Wonder glides right over but wipes out on the jump.
This guy tried it on one ski which got him about five feet into the pond.
Go Go Go-Cart. This one was a big hit with my son.
And lastly, the pirate ship came down as the grand finale.
Wynalda Interview
Since MLS' season started this past weekend, I thought I'd finally get around to posting the link to this fun interview with ESPN soccer analyst and all-time leading US National Team goal scorer, Eric Wynalda. This is another reason to love soccer. Name another sport where the top TV analyst sits down for beers and an interview with someone from a fan website and proceeds to let every opinion and profanity fly. Wynalda even ends the interview with " Alright, let’s go take a piss and get another beer."
By the way, ESPN suspended Wynalda for a game for this interview.
Beers with Wynalda
Friday, April 06, 2007
Junior Boys to Play Easter Burlington Show
I don't know about bunnies and pastel eggs, but I'm quite certain there will be plenty of hip shaking on Sunday night when the fine Canadian duo Junior Boys play the small room at Higher Ground with San Serac. Laptop music isn't usually my thing, especially live, but Junior Boys' last two records, Last Exit and So This Is Goodbye, are entirely infectious. I can't get enough of their white boy soul layed over electronic pop beats.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Cold War Kids | Tokyo Police Club | Delta Spirit | Higher Ground | Apr 1st
Yes. That is a keg. And, yes, that's a bass drum being waived in the air in the background. And, yes, that's general bedlam on stage during Cold War Kids' set. However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me back up.
On Sunday night, I caught the trio of bands in the title of this post at Higher Ground. In general, I had a great time during the show but here are a few more specific thoughts about the night:
- I had thought there was just two bands on the bill. So, when I arrived and saw some other band strolling onto stage, my first thought was, "Oh, crap. I gotta wait through these guys." Thankfully, that thought wound up being hideously wrong because I loved Delta Spirit's set. Lots of multiple percussion and off-mic singing from the other band members.
While not anything groundbreaking, it felt passionate and seemed to draw in the rest of the crowd. One guy with a bit of excitement in his voice yelled, "Where are you guys from?" (San Diego was the answer). I ran into Kris Gruen after Delta Spirit's set and we both had the same reaction, "Holy crap! Who the hell were those guys?!?!" Plus, it seems like a bunch of people have had a similar reaction during the tour since they had run out of CDs at the merch table and they aren't even close to being done with the tour.
- By the way, I've since gotten Delta Spirit's EP I Think I've Found It and it isn't as good as their live show. It lacks a lot of the fiery intensity of their live show and comes off more as "run of the mill" pop rock. Not bad; just not as good as their live show. Having said that, their song "Gimme Some Motivation" is pretty damn good.
- What happened to the spinning planet things on the ceiling at Higher Ground? Were they just there for the Sonic Youth show?
- Tokyo Police Club looks really, really, really young; like "high school talent show young". However, despite their facial baby fat, they rocked the house. Their sound was a little thin at first but someone must have tweaked a few knobs and pushed a few slides because from about their third song on, they sound great. They played fairly straight versions of everything but I love those songs so much that I was quite happy. I loved watching their keyboardist hunch over those synths and bang on them with his fists.
- One of the things I like about the evening is that all the bands were coming on stage at different times to play with each other. The Cold War Kids joined Delta Spirit, Delta Spirit joined Tokyo Police Club and all thirteen musicians were on stage during part of The Cold War Kids' set. That fact, along with the similar sound of the three bands, gave the night a feeling of one big music event rather than three bands who happen to all be playing on the same night.
- The Cold War Kids' bass player is kind of a peculiar guy to watch but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He had this sort of weird stare he'd use when he'd look at the crowd. His face was expressionless but he'd hold his head and eyes perfectly steady and just piercingly stare at people in the crowd. Plus, he never stops moving on stage. It's like watching a cross between Flea and a mental patient.
- The crowd was much larger than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be me and a few thousand square feet of empty floor space. However, there were about 200 people there. Still a small crowd for the big room but at least it didn't feel awkward being there.
- The Cold War Kids blasted through all of the more popular songs off their album Robbers and Cowards in the first half of their set which I though would lead to a lackluster second half but it didn't. About halfway through their set, all the musicians from the first two bands came out on stage to join them for "Saint John". I've never been a big fan of that song but with twelve percussionists bouncing around on stage, it was great entertainment. Here's a video of the scene. As usual with my little Casio, the sound is horrible but it gives you a good view of what was going on.
- CWK also debuted a new song for the first time during the show. called "Brainstorm 3 A.M.". I guess VT is a good place to try out new material on stage for the first time since very few people will see it if you screw it up. I filmed it but the sound quality sucks so bad, it isn't worth posting.
- In a bit of an April Fool's trick, they let the fans clap for a few minutes at the end of the set before turning the house lights on. I was fine with no encore but make the decision quickly. Don't leave people hanging.
- The show posters that they handed out at the end were pretty cool. If anyone wants mine, it's on the top of my fridge. My wife isn't keen on hanging them up in the house. So, if anyone wants it, let me know.
- Oh, and by the way, everyone played their own instruments unlike at the Lindsey Buckingham show across town that night.
Delta Spirit | Gimme Some Motivation | Buy
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Deep Soda | Higher Ground | Apr 20th
Apr 20th is shaping up to be a busy night for music. Besides the Yo La Tengo show in Northampton and Kris Gruen's show at Langdon Street (which I'll post about soon), Burlington's Deep Soda will be playing the big room at Higher Ground with RAQ.
It's almost impossible to pigeon hole Deep Soda into any one genre or description since their sound changes from album to album, song to song and verse to verse. Sometimes they flash brief animated jingles with flushes of strings and chorus and then they're singing a capella through a synthesizer and then they're rocking bar chords. If they were folkies, their deconstruction of the modern song format would make them eligible for the freak folk moniker but they plug-in and rock much too hard for that scene. So, let's just go with "rock deconstructionists with a pop bent".
Deep Soda | Red Carpet | Buy
Deep Soda | Viy | Buy
Letter to the Editor | Burlington Free Press
I happened to catch Paul Kaza's review of Lindsey Buckingham's show at the Flynn Center in yesterday's Burlington Free Press and it sort of pissed me off. So, I thought I'd write to the editor like a cranky old man.
You can read the full review here.
Dear Editor,
I'm writing you concerning the giant dick slap Paul Kaza laid on every musician that has graced a stage in Vermont since 1977. The offense occurred during Mr. Kaza's review of Lindsey Buckingham's show Sunday night at the Flynn Center which appeared in the Burlington Free Press on Tuesday.
Early in his review, Mr. Kaza lets the hyperbole fly when he uncorks, "it was one of the most superlative rock performances in the last three decades". WOW! Now, normally, that statement alone would be enough to warrant a letter to the editor pointing out all of the other great acts that have come through the Green Mountains over the last three decades. However, I'm more annoyed with Mr. Kaza's next revelation.
After heaping praise on the brilliance of the performance, Mr. Kaza then points out that, for part of the show, the bass tracks weren't played by a musician but simply pre-recorded and mixed in at the soundboard. Geezum crow! Mr. Kaza thinks a show using pre-recorded music was one of the best live performances in Vermont since the Carter administration?!?!
Out of respect to every musician that has ever had the guts to stand on stage and play their own instruments, Mr. Kaza should have immediately eliminated Lindsey Buckingham's show from even being considered worthy of such adulation. Perhaps, Mr. Kaza should have come down off of his emotional high of hearing "Go Your Own Way" for the 4,513th time before he sat down to accurately assess the concert.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
New J DiMenna EP Released Today
If He Could Speak Now by J DiMenna (Myspace page) is a digital-only live EP comprised of an XM Café performance and a show in DiMenna's former home base of Asheville, NC, and includes 2 new tunes. This is a follow-up to J's fantastic debut release, Awkward Buildings, that came out a year ago.
Video for Preacher, directed by Roland Becerra:
Video for Getting All You Want:
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Yo La Tengo | Coming to Northampton | April 20th
Most of the time I'm pimping a show around here, it's for bands I've never seen live since the bands are often on their maiden tour. So, while I know I like the album, I really don't know how they are live. Talking up a Yo La Tengo show is the complete opposite. They've made countless laps around the club circuit and I've been lucky to catch them about 15-20 times. So, with great confidence, I say "Driving two hours down to Northampton (@ Academy of Music) to see Yo La Tengo on a Friday night is well worth the trip."
Not only do they keep their entire discography alive in their set lists, they constantly reinterpret their songs which makes for an exciting night of music. You never know what you are going to get during any given show. Plus, you get occasional covers, honored requests from the crowd and some amusing stage banter.
An additional bonus is that The Clean guitarist, and longtime YLT friend, David Kilgour will be opening for them. So, there is an excellent chance, he'll join them on stage at some point too.
Yo La Tengo | Did I tell You (Live)
Yo La Tengo | Gates of Steel (Live) (Devo cover)
Yo La Tengo | Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (Live) (Ramones cover)
Live video of "Little Eyes":
Live video of "Cherry Chapstick":
Photo courtesy of dmguz.
Peter Bjorn & John | Fujiya & Miyagi | Coming to Montreal | May 5th
I love it when my favorite bands tour together. It makes for a mini-festival without having to deal with camping, mud and sunscreen. Well, come May 5th, two of my recent faves, Peter Bjorn & John and Fujiya & Miyagi will be rolling in Montreal to play Le National on May 5th.
Rather than retype my feelings about all these guys, here's some links to past posts:
Fujiya & Miyagi rave
Peter Bjorn & John post about new album and Casey's review in Dusted
Peter Bjorn & John rave
If you aren't in the Montreal area, Pitchfork has some other tour dates.
Peter Bjorn & John | Amsterdam | Buy
Fujiya & Miyagi | Ankle Injuries | Buy
Peter Bjorn & John's video for "Objects of my Affection":
Fujiya & Miyagi's video for "Collarbone":
