Yes We Can by will.i.am

Obama for America

will.i.am | The Yes We Can Song | Support

UPDATE: If you're jonesing for more Obama love, Analog Giant has an Obama track up from Daedelus's new side project FMB.

2007 Year End Survey | JB Leduox

Well, it's taken me two months but this is the final post in our 2007 Year End Survey. 34 responses in total. Thanks to everyone who participated this year. We get a lot of good feedback from people saying they enjoy these posts more than the traditional year-end lists. So, I'm glad to have so many people willing to take the time to send over some thoughts on their favorites of the year.

We started these surveys with Tanner McCuin who is an avant-garde musician and blogger in Burlington and we are going to end it with an avant-garde musician and blogger in Burlington. JB Leduox has been writing his blog, the le duo, about the Burlington music scene since 2005 and has recently added his own talents to that scene by starting two bands in 2007. The first band is his experimental jazz outfit and shares the same name as his blog. The second project is one called Solah and includes fellow blogger Jay Blanchard from Spitting Out Teeth. According to this post on the le duo, they're promising a forthcoming album. Nice. Hopefully, it'll make a bunch of people's lists next December.

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

not much of a song person per se. didnt listen to many (if any) new national releases this year, i'm a slacker man, but i did love the song nazi tears by nose bleed island & the blood island society. local weirdo pop

Nose Bleed Island | Nazi Tears | Buy


2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

favorite album would have to be the untitled double ep local experimental/classical act oak released this year. a beautiful mix of acoustic & electronic new age sounds.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

concerts... on a national level sonic youth, dinosaur jr, kira kira, akron/family&greg davis&megafaun, Avey Tare & Kria Brekken, sun circle & wind up bird gong bath...local shows- anything by oak & a snake in the garden, dynasty and the cripples july 3rd at super fun place, rock & roll sherpa at the greendoor studio art hop,

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

my favorite thing about 2007 musically was starting to play in a doomy droney metal band with my good friend jay

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

my best wishes for 2008 are that people go out and see more different music & support the local bands and create more of a community for experimentation.

Solah | Divot

MLS + Pottery Barn = WTF?

There are lots of signs these days that soccer is here to stay in the US. However, I was smacked with one of the odder ones when I got home from work today and grabbed the mail. In our box was a Pottery Barn Teen catalog and the front cover proudly announced the arrival of their spring MLS Collection.

What the hell!

MLS is a league where the median salary for the players is $53,000 but somehow Pottery Barn has decided that the best way to get people to open their catalog is to promote their MLS Collection of bedding and decorations on the front cover. I guess that's the "Beckham Effect" but it still feels surprising...in a good sort of way. It's comforting to know that MLS is becoming financially stable but it also leaves you with the same feeling you get when you hear your favorite song being used to sell financial services.

Now, here's another odd thing about the collection...part of the selection of items is a series of four wall murals of individual players. Which four players do you think they chose?


Becks. That's an obvious one.

Landon Donovan. Another obvious one.

Brian Ching. Huh? I guess he's the top striker on the top team in the league so I'll let that one slide.

Kenny Cooper. That's right. Kenny Friggin' Cooper. The guy had a mere four goals in sixteen games last year before getting hurt. How does that qualify him for being promoted as one of the top four players in the league? Where's Eddie Johnson, Taylor Twellman, Juan Pablo Angel and Luciano Emilio?

The only possible reason for including Kenny Cooper is that the folks at Pottery Barn think their customers would be turned off by black and hispanic players. So, they went with the obvious and milquetoast.

Oh, and they're charging $99 for Kenny Cooper's wall mural. Besides Kenny's mom, they ain't gonna be selling many of those.

Tim Fite

Sometimes, it can take a long time to "get" an artist and while I'm still not sure if I completely "get" Tim Fite, I do enjoy his music these days.

About two years ago, I saw Fite open for The Pernice Brothers in the small room at Higher Ground. For that one, there was about seven of us there. Quite a disappointing turnout.

Now, before the show, I knew absolutely nothing about Fite. Then he came out, dressed as an anachronistic southern traveling salesman in his white suit and slicked back hair, and immediately got involved with the audience by trying too hard to get the seven of us up close to the stage. It's awkward enough to be at a show with so few people but to then have some odd looking guy force you to ignore casual social barriers by goading us to huddle together in an otherwise spacious room, it was awkward to the point of being irritating.

Perhaps that's why I had a negative reaction to the guy. However, something stuck with me from his set. I think it might have been the catchiness of a few of his songs but, more likely, it was the uniqueness of his performance that left an impression.

Fite had one other musician with him and then a large collection of sound samples that he sang/played along to. However, to enhance the show, he had a video screen set up with an image of himself playing the recorded pieces and to top it off, Fite was sitting in a wheelchair while playing the instruments in the video. That's certainly a memorable visual.

You can see an example of what I'm talking about in this YouTube concert clip from a show in Brooklyn around that same time. The sound quality is horrible but you can see Fite singing along to himself in the video.



Well, it stuck with me and I eventually bought his album Gone Ain't Gone. After giving it a bunch of listens, I came to enjoy the quirkiness and unorthodox nature of his songs. Some of the tunes are still too unstructured for me but when he hits on a good melody, the guy deserves to be a hot topic in the blogosphere.

Tim Fite | No Good Here | Buy

Tim Fite | Away From the Snakes | Buy

Montpelier's Farmers Market | Saturday

Just a quick reminder...this Saturday is the first Saturday of the month which means there'll be a farmer's market in Montpelier in the Vermont College gymnasium. The market will run from 10am-2pm.

Balloon Hijinx

Balloons give Sheffield United a 1-0 lead over Man City


Grinding out a ride among the balloons
(music by The Planet The)

Thomas Dybdahl

Here's one for the headphone lovers in the crowd.

Norway's Thomas Dybdahl exists musically where Iron & Wine meets Brian Wilson. While many folies are happy with their lo-fi Tascam approach to recording music, Dybdahl layers in all sorts of sounds in his tunes with crispness and clarity while not losing any intimacy.

Take his song "Something Real" from his album Science, for example. It's mainly an acoustic tune with guitar bass and drums but when you listen with those headphones on all sorts of stuff starts swirling around in your head. I think, but am not sure, I'm hearing clangs against glasses and metal, clarinet, washboard and perhaps a radiator. There's also a bunch of other sounds I can't identify. Regardless, if you just let it all wash over you, it's a fun musical experience.

However, I don't think these qualities come through with just the speakers. So, be sure to fasten on some headphones to fully appreciate what Dybdahl is doing here.

Thomas Dybdahl | Something Real | Buy

Thomas Dybdahl | Always | Buy


photo courtesy of eivind_ah

Half-Past the Needle

Come on. You know you want one.

Top Ad Music of 2007

Adtunes is a blog that tracks the ins and outs of music in commercials and each year they post their most memorable musical moments in advertising.

So, here are a few of the commercials they mentioned:

Mates of State Pimping AT&T


The Buzzcocks Hawking AARP


Sun Volt Covering The Beatles to Peddle Beckham


Joshua Radin Covering Yaz to Push JC Penny


Lastly, it isn't on YouTube but Teddybears got their song "Cobrastyle" into yet another commercial. This one was for Secret Deodorant which can be seen here. That makes it about 28 appearances for that song in various commercials, TV shows and films. It's amazing what a good song and a good agent can do for a band's bank account. It all started with this Heineken Ad in 2005:

Up For Auction

Any longtime fan of River Run restaurant in Plainfield will immediately recognize this building. It's the former location of the famed southern cooking / breakfast joint / bar. The place was much too small for such a popular restaurant but you couldn't beat the character of the place with it's warped floor, tilting walls, creaking doors and sloped porch. It felt like home and something magical at the same time; perhaps it was just because the food was so good.

One lesser known tidbit of the building is that it was the original location of A Single Pebble, the excellent Asian restaurant that later moved to Barre and to its current home in Burlington.

Well, the building is now up for auction. The auction will be on Wednesday, Feb 13 @ 11am (register by 10am). The place is only 750 sqft. so it's a bit tight for whatever moves in there. However, considering the success of the last two restaurants there, it's clear that there's a market in the area that'll support good food in that location.

Green Mountain Film Festival | Friends of F45

There it is. In all of its glory. This year's official poster of the Green Mountain Film Festival.

You may have noticed the ad for the festival in the upper right corner of this blog. I just wanted to clarify that it isn't a paid ad. jds and I are simply going to put free ads in our sidebar occasionally for events and organizations that we like. And kicking that off is the best film festival in Northern New England.

The schedule for the GMFF will be announced in February. However, I've been told that the following music films will be a part of the line-up:

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten


I'm Not There


Pete Seeger: Power of Song

Ski like it's 1948

Ski it if you can for all of $3.50 today (1/29) as Mad River Glen celebrates its 59th anniversary with 1948 lift ticket prices. That's right, $3.50 to ski the legend. With sunny skies, temps pushing 30 degrees, and nearly a foot of "Champlain Powder" over the week, it's the perfect day to call in sick. Remember, only double plankers at the Glen.

Oh, and apparently women dressed like pirates and wore skimpy clothing when they hit the slopes in the 40's. So if you venture out you best not forget the getup.

Dean & Britta | Coming to Montreal | Feb 8

OK. I'm a bit confused on this one. I'm not sure if Dean & Britta are opening for Keren Ann, if Keren Ann is opening for them or if they are co-headlining. Jambase gives the impression that Dean & Britta are the headliner. The website for Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire suggests that Ann is the big cheese since they only mention her on the schedule. And lastly, Brooklyn Vegan makes me think they are splitting stage time equally with their post on the show.

I wish I knew because I'd happily drive to Montreal to see Dean & Britta if they are going to play for a while but I'm not a Keren Ann fan and don't want to deal with the drive for a half-hour set. I guess I'll just have to call the venue and hope I don't get "Yes. I speak English. I don't know. Let me check."; only to be permanently placed on hold. We'll see what I get.

For those that don't know, Dean & Britta are Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips of Luna (and Galaxie 500 for Wareham). Last year, they released Back Numbers which is bland at times and fantastic at others. If you liked Luna, then you'll love the mellow atmospheric melody high points of Back Numbers. If not, then you may want to skip this one.

Having said that, I was a big Galaxie 500 and Luna fan back in the day. So, I'm eager to hear this album live. However, I'd like to first find out who's playing when.

Dean & Britta | Words You Used to Say | Buy

Dean & Britta | Say Goodnight | Buy


photo courtesy of kirstiecat

The New York City Waterfalls

I wasn't sure which way to go with this post...do I rip into the provincial New Yorkers for getting excited about some faux waterfalls when dozens of spectacular real waterfalls exist throughout New England if they'd just be willing to drive a few hours outside of their comfort zone or do I applaud the installation of another public art display.

I'm going with the latter.

I like the idea of art being easily accessible to the public and on display where people go about their lives. It makes art a part of the masses daily experience rather than something behind wealthy walls for the few. So, it should be cool to check out the four waterfalls that'll be installed by Olafur Eliasson in the East River this July. Each waterfall will be powered entirely by the pressure of the river which sounds eco-friendly to boot.

At some point this summer, I'm sure I'll head down to NYC to catch one of the last games in Yankee Stadium (before they move across the street to their new home). Now with these waterfalls in the East River, I'll be sure to take the NY Waterway ferry to the game which should run right by a few of the cascades. It's the proverbial "killing two birds with one stone".

When Bobcats Attack

I love love love this guy's enthusiasm for storytelling.

I'm not sure which part I like more though...the part where he's describing the sound he heard or his zeal for whacking at a "Heeeeere's Johnny" rabid bobcat.

2007 Year End Survey | Bill Simmon

Bill Simmon completes our trifecta of filmmakers in this year's survey. In 2007, Simmon moved closer to completing his documentary and concert film of The Pants by posting a clip from the concert here. You can also watch the trailer for the documentary here.

2007 also saw Simmon winning his second Seven Daysie award for the best non-political blog in Vermont for the always entertaining Candleblog. Simmon also won the award in 2005 before the award was split between political and non-political blogs.

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

The Mesopotamians by They Might Be Giants from their 2007 release, The Else, was the best song on an album that was a return to form for that band and their show at HG was nerds in paradise. They sound as good as they ever have -- better, really.

They Might Be Giants | The Mesopotamians | Buy


2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

Is it lame to name an album that was recorded in 1971 and released in 2007? Neil Young Live at Massey Hall 1971 is a glowing star of pretty. It's Young at the absolute top of his game, alone with an acoustic guitar and a grand piano -- the way he was meant to be. This show was recorded just a month or so before Young recorded his album Harvest and features him introducing the song Old Man to a crowd that had never heard it before.

Other notable albums: Sky Blue Sky by Wilco, The Else by TMBG, In Rainbows by Radiohead, The Shepherd's Dog by Iron and Wine

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

I have to say TMBG at Higher Ground, because they sounded so good and the crowd was so nerd-tastic! Wilco & Low at the Shelburne Museum was beautiful too.

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

Selfishly, I liked getting my new kick ass MacBook Pro. I also liked winning the Goldstone Award at the Vermont International Film Festival. SXSW back in March was amazing. Seeing the film No Country for Old Men was a high point too.

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

I hope to finish the ever-languishing Pants documentary I'm making and I would very much like a Democrat to win the Presidency in November. Last year I think I wished for a peaceful resolution to the war in Iraq and that didn't work. Your blog is broken!

The Smittens | The Tank (CMJ) | Oct 17

Things Chris Recorded has a file up with The Smittens' performance at this past October's CMJ festival in NYC.

A few quick Smittens notes:

♥ They've completely overhauled their website.

♦ They'll be announcing the track listing and release date of their next album sometime over the next week.

♣ They are playing Club Metronome on Thursday, Feb 7 with Leslie and the Ly's.

♠ They'll be playing at Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier on Thursday, Feb 21. WOO! HOO!

photo courtesy of deadlydesigns.com

The RPM Challenge - February 2008

Do you need something to get you over some writer's block or general procrastination?

If so, you may want to try The RPM Challenge.

Here's the rundown of the particulars from RPM's website:

• This will be fun!

• Ten songs or 35 minutes of recorded material, on a CD, postmarked or hand-delivered by noon on March 1 to:

RPM HQ
10 Vaughan Mall, Suite 1
Portsmouth, NH 03801
USA

• Recording can only be done in the month of February – no prerecorded songs.

• All material must be previously unreleased, and we encourage you to write the material during February too.

• Participating bands get their own page on the site, which you can blog to as much as you want. You also get access to the band-only discussion board, where you can swap ideas, resources, etc., and the ability to e-mail and private message with the other participants.

• All the completed albums may be put up in the jukebox on the website, if you so choose, so people can check it out; conversely, if you’d rather not share your work with the public, then no one needs to hear it but us.

Write some instrumentals, split up the songwriting duties amongst band members, form an RPM side project, write songs on the piano or clarinet instead of your primary instrument, make that metal album you’ve always wanted to - buy a ukulele! Just do your best to make the best album you can. Be unafraid.

I'm not a musician in any manner so I have no idea how big of a task this is but I'm guessing it would be a good way to get your creative juices flowing. However, I did chuckle to myself when I thought of The Capstan Shafts trying this challenge. The guy could probably record an entire box set in a month. Challenging him to write just ten songs in a month would be like asking Stephen King to write a short story over the next year.

By the way, for any folks down towards Portsmouth, I noticed that there'll be a kick-off party at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Thursday, January 31st (7pm).

2007 Year End Survey | Michael Barrett

Due to his great work in Guppyboy, The Sixth Great Lake, The Essex Green and his solo work, Michael Barrett will always be connected to the Vermont music scene; even if he's down among the masses and chowder of Boston these days.

One of the sweet development with Barrett this year is his tub keewah recordings blog which houses some live recordings from The Essex Green, Gubbyboy and his solo work. I wish more artists would do that for their fans.

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

Bruce Springsteen - "Factory" from Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen | Factory | Buy


2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

M. Ward
Transistor Radio and Post-War

I put these records in a giant iTunes playlist along with "Transfiguration of Vincent" and played them over and over on shuffle. It helped get me through so many long days in 2007.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

Essex Green with Camera Obscura at Paradise, Boston, 1/27/07
The EG version of the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Older Guys" was the best song of the night.

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

Winning free tickets to game 7 of the ALCS (Sox vs. Indians) at Fenway Park - (Followed closely by Dustin Pedroia's 2-run home run in that same game.)


5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

Health and happiness to you and your family.

Thanks for thinking of me. Happy new year!

Michael Barrett | Chill Out | Buy


Note From Flatlander: jds and I were also at that Essex Green/Camera Obscura show down in Boston with our friend gps who writes the blog Pages Within. While I failed to ever post about the show, it certainly was a fun concert.

However, the most memorable experience of the night was that after a lady complained to us that she couldn't see over me and wanted to stand in front of us, gps and her started chatting. Well, that led to gps and her exchanging phone numbers which led to a nice romance which led to an engagement in August and has now led them to getting married this week and heading for the tiny island nation of Palau in Micronesia to work for the next year. It's amazing what a great double bill can do to bring people together.

The Sugarettes

( ( The Go! Team + The Raveonettes ) * ( 1 + Johann Cruyff ) ) = The Sugarettes

The Sugarettes | Ready Steady | Buy