Wilco in Chicago

Wilco are planning on doing a "Winter Residency" in Chicago this coming February where they will play their "completed recorded works". Now that'll be something. Can't wait to see those setlists. More info here: http://wilcoworld.net/tours/riv/index.php

Introducing Goathouse

Didya know? I'm in a band! Presenting Goathouse; a bluesy-rock, R&B, get down on the getdown band. If you'd like to check out some songs, go to http://www.myspace.com/goathouseband. The songs are from a practice session, and are a little bit rough, but it will give you an idea of what we sound like. I will also post any upcoming gig information etc..

The band is:
Joe Ruffatto - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar;
Dan Sumigawa - Lead guitar;
John Jones - Drums and percussion;
Matt LeBerthon - Bass;
Ruth Ruffatto - Vocals and percussion;
Patrick Armstrong - Percussion

Joe is the principal songwriter. All songs are originals. Thanks for listening!

Radiohead's new album out 10/10/07

Radiohead just posted the following on their website:

"Hello everyone.Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days;We've called it In Rainbows. Love from us all.
Jonny"

It looks like they are making it available only through this website (what rebels): http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex.html

I've already ordered my copy! Woo-hoo!

Finally! A new one from Manu Chao

Manu Chao, my favorite French-Spanish via South America world fusion artist, has put out his first full album of new material since 2001. The title is La Radiolina and it was released on Sept. 4. I have heard some samples and it has that same, infectious sound that characterized his first two albums. Quirky loops and samples, sunny reggae stylings, and lyrics in half a dozen different languages (mostly French, Spanish, and English) make his sound totally unique and enjoyable. This is something that is perfect to play on a saturday afternoon while sipping a cool drink.

Even though it's been a long time between albums, he has been busy playing and producing, most notably on last year's Dimanche a Bamako by Amadou and Miriam. His sound can be a bit repetitious, but it is so diffferent from anything else out there that he can be forgiven for his narrow track. I am looking forward to see how much , if any, his sound has matured since 2001.

New Iron & Wine album coming out soon

One to look for on Sept. 25 is Iron & Wine's new album, The Shepherd's Dog. With his whispering singing style and understated, yet beautiful arrangements, Sam Beam is not known for rocking out. But his recent collaboration with Calexico seems to have lit a spark under Sam, if "Boy With a Coin", his single from the new album, is any indication. The energy of the song is much more uptempo than is typical for him. Supplementing his acoustic guitar with percussion and handclaps, it has a bounce and rhythm you can (almost) dance to. Given that, I have a feeling that the album will still contain those soft, haunting gems that endear me most to his music. Hear his new single on his MySpace page here: http://www.myspace.com/ironandwine

Concert Review: Wilco @ Greek Theater, Berkeley, CA 08/24/2007

With family in tow, I ventured down to Berzerkely to check out Wilco at the Greek Theater. We brought the kids knowing that the Greek has lawn seating where we imagined spreading out our blanket, opening our picnic basket and laying back enjoying some great music. What we didn't expect was how small and steep the lawn at the Greek really is. The only level spots were up at the very top where, although the view is nice, the sound is not. It was still comfortable and the sound improved when I stood up. Still, nothing could detract from that Wilco magic. Once again they show why they are, in my humble opinion, one of the best live bands around.

The setlist was varied, with songs from all phases of their career. They played a lot songs from Sky Blue Sky, which I certainly didn't mind. A highlight for me was Nels Cline's spirited guitar work; especially on Handshake Drugs, and Impossible Germany. Nels was hopping around like a jumping bean most of the night and at one point almost fell over his monitor.

Jeff Tweedy was his usual flippant self as he bantered between songs. At one point he pleaded with the audience to stop using the phrase "I love's me some...", like "I love's me some Wilco." He also made quite a few references to marijuana, saying, "You guys smell high" and adding that we still had a long way to go if we wanted to keep up with Portland.

Once again Wilco put on a great show, sound challenges notwithstanding. They are still one of my all-time favorites.

Setlist
Sunken Treasure
You Are My Face
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Either Way
Handshake Drugs
Pot Kettle Black
War on War
Shake It Off
Side with the Seeds
A Shot in the Arm
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Too Far Apart
Via Chicago
Jesus, etc.
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm the Man Who Loves You
-------------------------
Misunderstood
California Stars
Hummingbird
On and On and On
--------------------------
I'm Always in Love
Outta Mind (Outtasite)
In A Future Age
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Wilco webcasts & assorted sundries

Wilco is webcasting two Canada shows, live on their website, on Aug. 17 & 18. If you miss the live webcasts, I am sure they will add it later as an archived stream.

Also, Wilco performed for a presentation of AOL Sessions, which can be viewed here: http://sessions.aol.ca/?id=631&xtraid=AOLMUS00050000000020

Mix Tape: Road Trip Mix (and Urge)

The new version of Windows Media Player includes an embedded digital music service called Urge. Urge, run by MTV Networks, is an online distribution service that provides millions of songs for download. The service was launched in May of 2007. The great thing about it is that it can be used in conjunction with WMP to make great mix tapes. WMP will search for songs that are already in your personal library. However, if the song is not there, Urge probably has it in it's vast database. Samples of all the songs can be listened to, and if a monthly subscription service is joined, the full songs can be played in their entirety. If you want to burn the songs, they are available for $0.99 a track.

I used the service to fill in the gaps of my most recent mix tape. I made the Road Trip Mix in honor of an upcoming family vacation. The tracklist is shown below. This will be the first installment of what I hope will become a regular feature; cd-length mixes revolving around various themes.

Road Trip Mix 2007

"On the Road Again" - Willie Nelson
"Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles
"Going Mobile" - The Who
"Drive My Car" - The Beatles
"Cars" - Gary Numan
"Convoy" - C.W. McCall
"East Bound and Down" - Jerry Reed
"Hot Rod Lincoln" - Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
"Hang On St. Christopher" - Tom Waits
"Six Days on the Road" - Taj Mahal
"No Particular Place to Go" - Chuck Berry
"(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" - Nat King Cole
"King of the Road" - Roger Miller
"Born to be Wild" - Steppenwolf
"Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles
"Radar Love" - Golden Earring
"Truckin" - Grateful Dead
"Cruisin" - Smokey Robinson
"Ramblin' Man" - The Allman Bros Band
"Take Me Home Country Roads" - John Denver
"Everyday is a Winding Road" - Sheryl Crow

Radiohead - Wherefore Art Though?

When's the bloody album coming out??!!

Found a sweet video on YouTube. One hour of live Radiohead.

The Decemberists: Hollywood Bowl, 07/07/07

The Decemberists have made the big time. They played at the Hollywood Bowl on July 7 backed by the L.A. Philharmonic. Opening was Band of Horses and Andrew Bird.

With the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park observatory in sight, the pleasant warm evening began with the Band of Horses, who seemed a bit overwhelmed by fact that they were playing the Hollywood Bowl. They played a short set that included some new, yet to be released songs. Although a bit out of their element, the performance highlighted their strong songwriting and further emphasised the strength of their 2006 album Everything All the Time.

Andrew Bird played an unforgettable set, switching from violin and guitar as he sampled and looped himself to further supplement the sound of his three-piece band. He also included some funky props and effects, including a spinning Wurlitzer-looking thing. He played an impressive set which will have me keeping my eye out for more live dates from Bird.

Finally, The Decemberists came out joined by the L.A. Philharmonic and played an ambitious set. Staying away from some of their more well-known tracks, they played long, narrative numbers including an 18+ minute version of the 5 movement epic "The Tain".

Although disappointed that they did not play "Eli, the Barrow Boy" or "Yankee Bayonet", the arrangement with the orchestra made for a special event. Look for the DVD (I hope, I hope).

Setlist
"The Crane Wife 1 & 2"
"The Infanta"
"We Both Go Down Together"
"Bagman's Gambit"
"Odalisque"
"The Perfect Crime #2"
"Los Angeles, I'm Yours"
"Tain (Parts i, ii, iii, iv, v)"
"O Valencia!"
"I Was Meant For The Stage"
"Chimbley Sweep"

There are a number of home-made videos from the concert on YouTube. Here is "Los Angeles, I'm Yours":

Spoon streaming new album

There are now 5 tracks from Spoon's new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on the Merge Records website here. The album will be out July 10, and it sounds like it's gonna be good!

Beastie Boys: Goin Instrumental

No vocals, no samples. The Beastie Boys are set to release an all-instrumental album on June 26 called The Mix-Up. Of course videos featuring the new songs are already on YouTube. Here's one:

Incredible Drumming: Samuel Torres

This guy is from Columbia. Very nice.



Samuel's website.

Wilco on Prairie Home Companion

The audio from the May 12, 2007 Prairie Home Companion episode, with special guest Wilco, can be heard in it's entirety on the PHC website here: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2007/05/12/

Wilco play a number of their softer, more NPR-appropriate material including "Sky, Blue, Sky", "Muzzle of Bees", "Hesitating Beauty", "What Light", and "When the Roses Bloom Again".

Wilco Stuff

Get ready. Wilco's new album is out May 15 and is still streaming, for free, on Wilco's website here.

Also, they will be on A Prairie Home Companion this Saturday, May 12 on NPR, and they will be on Letterman on Wednesday, May 15. Tune in!

They will be streaming both of their London shows (May 21/22) live on Roadcase. Gotta love 'em!

Concert Review: Califone @ Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA 05/05/07

Last night I checked out Chicago indie band Califone at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. Bottom of the Hill is a little club in the Portrero Hill district that holds about 250 people. Also on the bill were local alt-country band The Dying Californian and Eric Johnson of The Fruit Bats.

The doors opened at 8:30p and The Dying Californian came on at about 10:00. Featuring a triple Fender attack (rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and lead guitar) a drummer and a backup vocalist, their sound was pretty standard, albeit not entirely unenjoyable, alt-country. The music was over-weighted with a country waltz feel, but songwriter Nathan Dalton's songs were nicely constructed entities with echos of Neil Young and Son Volt.

Next up was Eric Johnson who is the lead songwriter from the lovely acoustic outfit Fruit Bats. He began by playing numerous numbers from the beautiful 2005 Fruit Bats release Spelled in Bones. Although the songs do not have as much "oomph" in just a solo acoustic rendering as they do on the album, it is also interesting to hear a new interpretation of familiar tunes. After a few tunes, he brought out the members of Califone to perform a new song (I presume a Fruit Bats song), and some really cool sounding old-timey style songs with fiddle, banjo, and acoustic guitar.

Around midnight, Califone began their set. Their lineup included guitar (and sometimes banjo), drums, percussion (including guest percussionist Sheila) and multi-instrumentalist Tim Rutili playing keyboards/synth, acoustic guitar, and electric 12-string guitar (yep, no bass). Eric Johnson joined them for the first song on guitar and vocals.

From the get-go, they were in the stratosphere. The first song featured an extended "breakdown" with loads of distortion and feedback. This trend continued for the majority of the first set, with Rutili's vocals being obscured by the fuzzy, noisy background drone that was a featured theme throughout. Even though that experimental sound is what attracted me to Califone in the first place, I can only take so much feedback and distortion. By the time they played my two favorite songs off of Roots and Crowns, my resistance had worn down so that I was longing for them to just go back to fiddle and banjo. They heeded my wishes when they played an encore with Eric Johnson and went back to the acoustic line-up.

My final impression is that this is a band with a totally unique sound that is staying true to their sensibilities. Ultimately I found myself appreciating their artistic creativity, but at the same time yearning for a groove to latch on to. Still, Roots and Crowns remains one of the best recordings of 2006, and this is a band to watch out for.

Spoon's new album announced

From Spoon's MySpace:

Spoon's latest long player is finished and at this moment being put into production, duplicated in the forms of CD and vinyl. The new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (named after the sound of one of the first songs written for the record, "The Ghost of You Lingers") will be released locally by the #1 label in America, Merge Records, on July 10, 2007.

Dead Symphony: An Orchestral Tribute to the Music of the Grateful Dead

Due out on May 29, a symphony written by Lee Johnson that incorporates Grateful Dead tunes. Performed by the Russian National Orchestra and conducted by Lee Johnson.

You can hear samples at: http://www.deadsymphony.com/

Tracks - Writers/Composers:
01. Dead Overture mvt I
02. Saint Stephen mvt II (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh)
03. Here Comes Sunshine mvt III (Hunter, Garcia)
04. Mountains of the Moon mvt IV (Hunter, Garcia)
05. Blues for Allah mvt V (Hunter, Garcia)
06. Sugar Magnolia mvt VI (Hunter, Weir)
07. To Lay Me Down mvt VII (Hunter, Garcia)
08. If I Had the World to Give mvt VIII (Hunter, Garcia)
09. Stella Blue mvt IX (Hunter, Garcia)
10. Bird Song mvt X (Hunter, Garcia)
11. China Doll mvt XI (Hunter, Garcia)
12. Dead Finale mvt XII

Panda Bear

Panda Bear is Noah Lennox, a member of the weird experimental rock outfit Animal Collective. Animal Collective's 2005 release Feels was one of the best of the year. It's the "Pet Sounds" of the 21st century. Layered harmonies, string arrangements, "found sounds"; it's Brian Wilson reborn. The lush weirdness remains intact on the new Panda Bear release Person Pitch.

Panda Bear: MySpace
Animal Collective: MySpace


Panda Bear - Bros


Animal Collective - The Purple Bottle

Vid of the Day: West African Drumming

Mamady Keita, Soungalo Coulibaly, and Famoudou Konate - master djembe drummers from West Africa - strut their stuff:

Vid of the Day: Bob Marley

This is a gem from YouTube. Bob, Peter, and Bunny doing their thing:

Wilco:Sky Blue Sky streaming again plus bonus DVD announced

One more chance to hear the new Wilco album in it's entirety on their website at: http://wilcoworld.net/sbs/ on Monday, April 2.

Also, they have announced they are releasing a deluxe edition of Sky Blue Sky that will include a DVD. Here are the details:

as part of our ongoing effort to rock the homes, offices, dorms, and internet cafes of America and the world -- we're starting another on- demand stream of Sky Blue Sky on Sunday night at 12:01 a.m. Central time and continuing it non-stop for 24 straight hours. Make a note of it.

also, we've just decided to release a "deluxe version" of SBS which will include a DVD feature film by our good friends and cohorts Brendan Canty and Christoph Green (Sunken Treasure, Burn to Shine). Over the last year or so they've been filming rehearsals, interviews about the record, behind the scenes stuff, etc. and have put together a 48 minute film we're calling "Shake it Off' that we're confident you're gonna dig. Look for more information about it here soon. Preorder it here.

More dates for June (mostly eastern half of North America) will be on the site next week. So be sure to check back.

What's the Buzz?

Here's a video sampler from some of the more interesting releases of 2007:

Arcade Fire:Neon Bible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIzzkTfcN64

The Good, The Bad, and The Queen:Self-titled
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBEqBsgz7aQ

LCD Soundsystem:Sound of Silver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpGPdYeDuYg

Lucinda Williams:West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6SuBacPDvc

Patty Griffin: Children Running Through
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZYhhZtKmvg

Stephen Marley:Mind Control
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INZ61rp-JiY

Vieux Farka Toure:Farka Toure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrzR5uNWDtA

The Shins:Wincing The Night Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkITsv3Nk6M

The Apples In Stereo:New Magnetic Wonder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gSSsCdFeA

Low:Drums and Guns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmo7tyrtGW0

Charlie Louvin

Old-time Country legend, Charlie Louvin, collaborates with Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy and Marty Stuart, among others. You can hear 'Great Atomic Power' by Charlie Louvin with Jeff Tweedy on NPR.

Video of the Day: World Jazz Fusion

Video of Sangam featuring Charles Lloyd (sax), Zakir Hussain (tablas) and Eric Harland (drums/piano):

What Are the Marley Boys Up To?

Smoking and making music. Stephen Marley's new album, Mind Control, is out March 20. Here's a video of "Traffic Jam" with Damian "Junior Gong" Marley.

traffic jam

Wilco: Sky Blue Sky streaming today

Wilco is streaming the entire Sky Blue Sky album today at: http://wilcoworld.net/sbs/

Video of the Day: The Good, The Bad, and The Queen

Here is a video of TGTGATQ performing live. The band consists of Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz, Paul Simonen of The Clash, Simon Tong, the guitarist from The Verve, and Tony Allen, Fela Kuti's drummer. There are more live videos on MySpace here.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Kingdom of Doom

Top Ten Songs To Be Whipped To

Never one to back down from a challenge, as a special request I have come up with my Top 10 songs to be whipped to. This is for you G. Click on the song name to listen to samples.

10) "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - Pat Benatar: Getting primed & ready.
9) "Whipping Post" - Allman Brothers: Gregg Allman is not really enjoying the whip, but this is one of the more well-known whipping songs.
8) "Theme From Rawhide" - Blues Brothers version: Maybe the most famous bullwhip scene in movie history, John Belushi and The Blues Brothers doing "Rawhide". Video on YouTube: Here.
7) "Whipping Boy" - Chris Darrow (performed by Ben Harper)
6) "Let It Whip" - Dazz Band: Getting whipped and getting funky. An un-BEAT-able combination.
5) "Love Whip" - Rev Horton Heat: Love & whips...how romantic.
4) "Live for the Whip" - Bitch: The ultimate S&M heavy metal band.
3) "Masochism Tango" - Tom Lehrer: Really funny. Lyrics are here.
2) "Venus In Furs" - Velvet Underground: The definitive S&M song. Check out the lyrics here.
1) "Whip It" - Devo: Could it be anything else? Video on YouTube: Here.

Reanimated Decemberists Video on MTVu

mtvU will be premiering the winner's version of The Decemberists' "O, Valencia" video this coming Monday, March 5th. The premiere will take place both on-air and online, at 7:00am Eastern.
http://www.mtvu.com/reanimatethedecemberists

The White Stripes announce new album

On their website, The White Stripes have announced they have completed their sixth album. No release date yet. Details can be found here.

New Wilco Tracks

Let the leaks begin. Three tracks off the new Wilco album here.

Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) on NPR - Now Streaming

You can now hear and read Wayne's essay on the NPR "This I Believe" website.

Under the Radar

Tim Forslund, who does an Indie Rock radio show on a local public radio station (“The B-Sides” on KRCB), turned me on to some great new music recently. Here I give a quick rundown on some of the more obscure and interesting artists he recommends. All of these bands have Myspace sites where we can listen for free. Hooray, Myspace!

Sloan –Indie-rock from Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sloan

Gothic Archies – Probably the most unique and interesting sound of the bands Tim told me about. The band is led by Stephen Merritt, of The Magnetic Fields, who writes songs he calls “bubblegum goth”. Unlike anything else you’ll ever hear.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gothicarchies

Pernice Brothers – Highly-touted band out of Mass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pernicebrothers

The Spinto Band – A Delaware-based Indie Rock band that recently toured with Arctic Monkeys. They sound similar to Pavement, e.g. nonchalant vocals a la Steven Malkmus.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thespintoband

Apples in Stereo – Up and coming Denver Indie pop band that has been generating a lot of buzz lately.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theapplesinstereo

Shout Out Louds – This Swedish band is not as obscure as some of the others, they are signed to Capitol, but they are new to me. Their pop sound and jangly guitars are catchy as hell.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds

The Capes –British Indie pop rock.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecapes

The Elected – Indie-pop band formed by Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theelected

The Good Life – This Omaha, NE band on the Saddle Creek label is led by songwriter Tim Kasher. They have an Indie-Pop sound reminiscent of The Shins. They most recently contributed the track “New Year's Retribution” to the Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina Relief album.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thegoodlife

Chris Koza – A singer-songwriter out of Minneapolis. He has a pleasant, quirky sound. MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/chriskozaband

The Comas – An Indie Rock band out of North Carolina, recently signed to Vagrant Records. They have an eclectic sound, going from fuzzy guitars to strings and back again.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecomas

Josh Rouse – Good stuff from this Indie troubadour, living in Spain via Tennessee.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshrouse

The Blank Tapes – Surfer reggae from SoCal. Kind of like a cross between Sublime and Jack Johnson. Fun stuff.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theblanktapes

General Elektriks – Electronica by Berkeley-based French national RV Salters.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/generalelektriks

Josh Ritter – Talented singer-songwriter from Idaho.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshritter

The Lovely Feathers – Another entertaining Canadian band. Man, there’s a lot of good music coming out of Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thelovelyfeathers

Ambulance LTD – This band is from Brooklyn, NY, but they could easily be from England. They have a laid-back, Britpop sound not unlike Coldplay or Travis.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ambulanceltd

Maritime – Indie pop band. They are currently signed to the Flameshovel label.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/maritimesongs

Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Indianapolis, Indiana Indie pop (that’s a lot of Indies). Addition of cello and trumpet give them an interesting sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos

Phoenix – French band known for it’s Electronica, is venturing into more mainstream rock with excellent results.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix

The Push Stars – Boston-based band, formerly on Capitol. They left Capitol for a small label (33rd Street). They have a nice, hooky rock sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thepushstars

Bears – Unsigned band out of Cleveland. They have a nice pop sound with acoustic and electric guitars, nice vocal harmonies and pleasant choruses.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bearspop

Sam Roberts – Talented Canadian singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/samrobertsband

The Submarines – The L.A. based songwriting team of married couple John Dragonetti (aka Jack Drag) and Blake Hazard.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic

And some of the more well-known artists he suggests which everyone should know about:

The Decemberists – Great songs. One of my current faves.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thedecemberists

M. Ward – Old-timey, modern, blues, folk, rock. His sound is incomparable.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mward

Old 97’s – Alt-country favorites.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theold97s

Grant-Lee Phillips – Great singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://myspace.com/grantleephillips

Ben Kweller – Excellent songs from Kweller.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/benkweller

Yo La Tengo – Put out one of the better records of 2006, I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yolatengo

Jeff Tweedy Gets Around

Jeff Tweedy and Wilco are on two tracks of the most recent release from The Minus 5. The album, dubbed the "Gun" album, also includes Colin Meloy from The Decemberists and was released on Feb 7. The group is led by Scott McCaughey and previously recorded an album with Wilco in 2003, entitled Down With Wilco.

Also, Ian Hunter, formerly of Mott the Hoople, will release an album that includes Jeff Tweedy on backup vocals. Tweedy will sing on three tracks. The album, due to be released on May 15, is called Shrunken Heads. More info here.

Sneak Peaks - Previews of upcoming releases

Low:Drums and Guns (due out 03/20/07) - "Breaker" [MP3]
Bright Eyes:Four Winds EP (due out 03/06/07) - "Four Winds"[MP3]
The Sea and Cake:Everybody (due out 05/08/07) - "Crossing Lines" [stream]

Streaming Wilco concert

Wilco is streaming an entire concert on their website. The concert is the 10/19/2006 show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. The link is: http://wilcoworld.net/roadcase/101906.php

Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) on NPR

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips will be reading an essay on Morning Edition's This I Believe segment, Monday, February 26th.

Concert Review: Gomez @ Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA: 02/19/2007

Gomez showed off their diverse skills in a rollicking sold-out show at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA on Monday night. Peppering the set with songs from every studio album in their catalog, they satisfied both new and old fans alike with a well-executed set that had the packed crowd hopping for most of the evening.

The doors opened at the Mystic, an historic theater near downtown Petaluma, at 7:00 pm. Seating was limited, along the sides of the floor section and on the balcony. The rest of the floor area was standing only. Being that the show was sold out, the floor was packed.

Opening the show was Joe Purdy, a singer-songwriter in the folk, Americana tradition based out of California. Tonight he channeled 1966 Bob Dylan and The Band, beginning with a solo acoustic song before bringing out his band for an electric set. They even looked like The Band, wearing jackets and hats that gave them a Depression-era look. At times his songs sounded as if he took a Dylan tune and just changed the lyrics. The familiar Dylan formula of “folkifying” the blues was evident on many of Purdy’s songs in addition to making use of country elements, such as adding slide guitar and banjo, and visual, storytelling lyrics. The band was spirited, if a bit loose. The addition of electronic keyboards added a wash of sound that at times detracted from the music. The songs in which the keyboards were not used worked better, simply because they were not so “noisy”, and the lyrics were not obscured. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable set and I would recommend checking him out.

In contrast with Joe Purdy's nappily-attired band, Gomez came out wearing jeans and t-shirts. The long-sleeve, solid colored t-shirts worn by some of the band members gave them a bit of a "Wiggles" look. It didn't affect their playing though, as they immediately made an impression with a tight rendition of “Here Comes the Breeze” from their first album. In my first time seeing Gomez live I came away with the realization that this is a band with three personalities. There is the happy-go-lucky band member, Tom Gray, who from the moment he stepped on stage was interacting with the crowd, gesturing and smiling broadly during the songs, often encouraging the crowd to clap or sing along. There was the elfin band member, Ian Ball, who drank (I believe) red wine during the set and has a voice that sounds like the 2nd coming of Davey Jones. Then there is the quiet one, Ben Ottewell, who rarely spoke or engaged the audience during the show. But when he did open his mouth, the power of his bluesy vocals was awe-inspiring. The three vocalists pretty much took turns singing during the set. Each has his own style and is an exceptional singer, but the most transcendent moments came when they were harmonizing together as their voices blended and soared.

The setlist drew from all of their albums, with Liquid Skin and How We Operate best represented with 7 and 6 songs played from each album respectively. The crowd was enthusiastic and was on their feet and dancing for the entire show. They really went crazy for some of the more obscure songs, including a humorous episode in which Ian Ball needed help from the audience to remember the verses to “Ruff Stuff”, and a version of “Rosalita” during the encore in which Ben Ottewell had to use a lyric sheet. The band’s sound was tight and they stayed in the groove, with help from the rhythm section, which includes a percussionist on congas and shakers. It is easy to understand how they can be called a “jamband” since they definitely get into a solid groove that can make for long, extended solos. They don’t crossover into that territory though, keeping solos to a minimum. In fact, they do not have a really strong soloist, with Ottewell doing passable but unremarkable solos.

The highlight of the evening was the encore, which included the aforementioned rendition of “Rosarita”, very nice vocal interplay on “Fill My Cup”, and ended on a high with “Devil Will Ride”. All three songs are from their second album, 1999's Liquid Skin.

All in all, a great show and a fun evening.

Setlist (thanks to secretasianman on the Gomez Forum website):

Here Comes The Breeze
These 3 Sins
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
See the World
Nothing is Wrong
Bring Your Lovin' Back Here
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Ruff Stuff
How We Operate
Charley Patton Songs
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Hamoa Beach
Silence
Rhythm & Blues Alibi

Encore:
Rosalita
Fill My Cup
Devil Will Ride

They Are Women, Hear Them Roar...

...or loudly meow, as Cat Power emphatically does on her latest release The Greatest. I discovered last night that this album's true nature is revealed during late-night listening, preferably after a drink or two or whatever one chooses to imbibe in. The laid-back groove the Memphis musicians lay down coupled with Chan Marshall's subdued yet impassioned vocals invoke a smoky, dive-bar atmosphere. I get the feeling, as she admits in the song "Lived in Bars", that this is where she feels most at home.

Cat Power's The Greatest, and Lucinda William's West, are recent examples of some wonderful music being made by women. Here's a quick rundown of some of the more notable female artists who have recently put out good stuff:

Joanna Newsom - She plays the harp and sings beautiful, poetic story-songs. Ys is one of the best albums of 2006. Another incredible talent.
Joanna Newsom "Sprout and Bean" video

Jolie Holland - California girl combines old-timey folk and a country-twang with jazz and Irish influences, mixes in some strings and horns and cooks up a satisfying sound.
MP3: "Springtime Can Kill You"

Fiona Apple - More proof that record labels don't have a clue, Epic balked at releasing Apple's Extraordinary Machine. After songs leaked on the internet and garnered a huge response, she hired a new producer (Mike Elizondo) and the album was finally released in 2005. It was one of the most impressive recordings of that year. They say there is no genius without a touch of madness, and if her sometimes erratic live performances are an indication, she is not without eccentricities. But from that madness comes great music.
Here's her video for the song "Not About Love"

Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) - She is a classically-trained vocalist who is best known for working with Sufjan Stevens. On her debut solo album, she demonstrates her considerable talent.
My Brightest Diamond "Dragonfly" video

Lilly Allen - Quirky Brit blew up last year with her debut release. There are touches of reggae, electronica and hip-hop in her sound along with raunchy, humorous lyrics.
Lilly Allen "Smile" video

Neko Case - A talented songwriter, in the country-folk tradition.
Neko Case performing "Maybe Sparrow" on Letterman

Aimee Mann - She has proven herself as much more than a one-hit wonder (for 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry") with her mature and fully-realized concept album, The Forgotten Arm, about the trials and tribulations of a boxer.
Aimee Mann performs "She Really Wants You" on Letterman

Sleater-Kinney - Yes, girls can rock as hard as anyone. Unfortunately, they announced an "indefinite hiatus" last summer.
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers" video

Karen O (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs) - Another hard-rockin', punk-ish band led by a woman.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion" video

Vieux Farka Toure video

A video from the debut album of Vieux Farka Toure, who is the son of Ali Farka Toure. Ali Farka Toure, who died last year, played a guitar style that demonstrated the direct connection between African music and American blues. This is described in the Scorsese's film Feel Like Going Home, which was part of the PBS film series The Blues. Ali's last album, Savane, was released last year and was widely acclaimed (#1 highest rated album of 2006 and #5 highest rated all-time on Metacritic). Vieux is now carrying on the Malian guitar tradition, while keeping it fresh with contemporary influences such as the reggae sound evident in this song.

Arcade Fire on SNL

Arcade Fire on Saturday Night Live, Feb. 24.

Gomez on Leno

Gomez will be performing "See the World" on The Tonight Show, Wed. Feb. 21.

New Elliott Smith Release

According to Pitchfork, Kill Rock Stars will release a 2-Cd set of Elliott Smith material on May 8. Can never get enough Elliott Smith.

Arcade Fire webcast

NPR will be webcasting a full Arcade Fire concert, live from NYC, on Sat. Feb. 17. It should start about 8pm EST. More information here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7273765&ft=1&f=4627437

Bloc Party Live (on video)

NME.com has posted 16 video tracks of Bloc Party performing live in Bristol, UK.

The Hold Steady on Letterman

The Police Announce Tour

The Police have announced their tour. What? No California dates?! They must have more shows planned. Hmm, June 15 seems like a good day to hit Vegas.

May 28, 2007-Vancouver-BC-CA-GM Place
Jun 06, 2007-Seattle-WA-US-Key Arena
Jun 09, 2007-Denver-CO-US-Pepsi Center
Jun 15, 2007-Las Vegas-NV-US-MGM Grand Garden Arena
Jun 16, 2007-Manchester-TN-US-Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Jun 18, 2007-Phoenix-AZ-US-US Airways Arena
Jun 26, 2007-Dallas-TX-US-American Airlines Center
Jun 30, 2007-New Orleans-LA-US-New Orleans Arena
Jul 02, 2007-St. Louis-MO-US-Scottrade Center
Jul 22, 2007-Toronto-ON-CA-Air Canada Centre
Jul 25, 2007-Montreal-QC-CA-Bell Centre
Jul 28, 2007-Boston-MA-US-Fenway Park
Aug 01, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden
Aug 03, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden

Update: More dates have been announced. May 30-Vancouver, Jun 13-Oakland, Jun 23-L.A., Jul 26- Montreal, July 29-Boston, Aug 5- Giants Stadium, NJ.

The Good, The Bad, and the Queen

The Good, The Bad, and the Queen are another project for Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame. Here he has the bassist from The Clash (Paul Simonen), the guitarist from The Verve (Simon Tong) and Fela Kuti's drummer (Tony Allen)! The cd, produced by Danger Mouse, who worked with Gorillaz and is now blowing up with Gnarls Barkley, came out on Jan 22. I've been listening to some tracks on their website, and it's intriguing. Sometimes the bass and drums contrasting with the subdued brit-pop style of Albarn's vocals sounds awkward. But the overall effect, with Albarn's keyboards and other added gadgetry, gets mesmerizing.

Favorite Children's Cds

In honor of the new addition to the household, little Violet, I am thinking of all the great children's music that she'll get to hear. Here is a list of some of my favorite children's recordings:

Woody Guthrie: Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child - The best collection of children's songs, bar none.

Various: Children's Favorites: 23 Original Hit Recordings - I was looking for a Shirley Temple version of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and I stumbled across this great compilation. Most of the songs are World War II era, some familiar ("Big Rock Candy Mountain", "Teddy Bear's Picnic") and some gems I'd never heard before ("Buckingham Palace", "Run Rabbit Run").

Danny Kaye: Mommy, Gimme a Drinka Water - This one has not been reissued so you can't find it anywhere (maybe on used vinyl). This is hilarious. You can at least read the lyrics to the title track here.

Taj Mahal: Shake Sugaree - Get down and funky with Taj. Includes "Fishin Blues" and "Brown Girl in the Ring".

Marlo Thomas: Free To Be, You and Me - The ultimate hippie kid's album. Great messages in the songs.

The Persuasions: On the Good Ship Lollipop - Acappella versions of classic kid's songs performed by this great R&B group.

Jerry Garcia/David Grisman: Not For Kids Only - "Ain't no bugs on me/ain't no bugs on me/there may be bugs on some of you mugs/but there ain't no bugs on me"

Various: Jungle Book Soundtrack - Louis Prima riffing on "I Wanna Be Like You". Say no more.

Various: The Sound of Music Soundtrack - "My Favorite Things" is not only one of the greatest children's songs ever written, it may be one of the greatest songs written period (at least when Coltrane does it).

Teenagers These Days (Trevor Hall)

So I'm listening to Endless Highway, the new tribute album to The Band, and the track 'Life is a Carnival' comes on. I'm liking it and I'm thinking, "Who is this old black blues singer named Trevor Hall that I've never heard of?" So, I get some more information and I find out that Trevor Hall is a 19 yr old white kid from L.A. I'm completely blown away. What a soulful voice this kid has. Go to his MySpace site to hear some of his music. He has a nice, acoustic island sound, reminiscent of Ben Harper. In fact, Leon Mobley, who is Ben Harper's percussionist, plays djembe on some of his tracks. Nice stuff.

He has mucho music on his website also: http://www.trevorhallmusic.com/music/

To Russia With Love

I found an alternative to AllOfMP3 called GoMusic.RU. Like AllOfMP3, it's a Russian site. The RIAA hasn't sued them yet so they are still open for business. I test-drove the site by depositing $20 into a new GoMusic account via credit card. I then ordered an album (they charged me 0.15 per track), converted the tracks to .wav and burned them onto a cd. The quality was good, and I am satisfied they are not going to rip me off. The only downside is that they only offer 192 kb/s mp3 files (unlike AllOfMP3 which offered many different file types). Still, the selection is great and if you listen to as much music as I do, it is well worth it.

Prince at the Superbowl

Update: YouTube has removed the video. I hope you caught this before it was taken off.

Prince holds a musical press conference during halftime. Yes, he can play guitar.
(video removed)

AllOfMP3 No More

It finally happened. After intense pressure from the US Chamber of Commerce, and a brutal 1.65 trillion dollar lawsuit by the RIAA, AllOfMP3 is dead in the water. It all began last summer when US Trade representatives suggested Russia would be held out of the World Trade Organization if AllOfMP3 remained in business. Then the lawsuit last fall and they are effectively shut down.

I bid a fond farewell to AllOfMP3. I found out about this site a few years ago and at first I couldn't believe it was legal. Thousands of albums were available for download at $0.01 per MB. They offered a variety of file formats, and for high-quality mp3s, a full album cost about $2.50. After a bit of research I found out that this Russian site was technically legal. AllOfMP3 paid the standard 15% royalty to ROM, the Russian Organization for Multimedia & digital systems, which is the Russian equivalent of the RIAA. Also, there was no law that restricted the import of their "product" by American consumers. Well, I guess 15% wasn't enough for the American record companies. They are suing AllOfMP3 for $150,000 per downloaded song, the maximum amount allowed. With 11 million songs downloaded, that's over $1.6 trillion! Credit card companies have since stopped processing transactions with AllOfMP3, so they are pretty much out of service (although if you happen to still have funds in the account, you can still download songs). There are rumors that a wealthy Russian business has bought the company and plans to go legit. But say goodbye to the $3 cds.

Personally, I think that paying $0.99 per track, or $15 - $20 per cd, for online music is ridiculous. It's a computer file; no packaging, no booklet. If you want to burn it to cd you have to purchase the cd and any other extras like a jewel case or a label (not to mention the time involved), which ends up costing another $1.50 or so. I can't believe that companies get away with charging this much money when the actual cost of delivering the digital tracks is pennies. Something has got to give. The success of some bands, like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to distribute their own music (they are still unsigned) is a sign of hope for the future. It suggests that bands don't necessarily need big labels like Warner Bros, Capitol etc.. in order to reach a large audience. I believe that it is important to compensate the artist for the music, but I cannot support the huge markup the record companies tack on. Market forces will ensure that there will always be alternative sources for online music, so I will be keeping my eye out for the next AllOfMP3. In a perfect future, artists will distribute their own online music, all the revenues will go directly to the artist, and the cost will be affordable and more accurately reflect the true cost.

Endless Highway - The Music Of The Band

A tribute album to The Band, just out. Here's the tracklist:

1. I Shall Be Released -- Jack Johnson
2. The Weight -- Lee Ann Womack
3. Makes No Difference -- My Morning Jacket
4. When I Paint My Masterpiece -- Josh Turner
5. Unfaithful Servant -- Roseanne Cash
6. Rockin' Chair -- Death Cab for Cutie
7. King Harvest -- Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers
8. Whispering Pines -- Jakob Dylan w/ Lizz Wright
9. Chest Fever -- Widespread Panic
10. Lookout Cleveland -- Jackie Greene
11. Wheel's on Fire -- Guster
12. Up on Cripple Creek -- Gomez
13. Stage Fright -- Steve Reynolds
14. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -- Allman Bros. Band
15. Rag Mama Rag -- Blues Traveler
16. Life Is A Carnival -- Trevor Hall
17. Acadian Driftwood -- The Roches

You can listen to the whole album here: http://www.429records.com/endlesshighway/

All I can say is :D

Eyes on the Horizon

2007 releases to look for:

Confirmed:

Bloc Party: A Weekend In The City 2/6
Lucinda Williams: West 2/13
Magic Numbers: Those The Brokes 2/20
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible 3/6
Ry Cooder: My Name Is Buddy 3/6
Son Volt: The Search 3/6
Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha 3/20
Low: Drums And Guns 3/20
Kaiser Chiefs: Yours Truly, Angry Mob 3/27
Timbaland: Shock Value 3/27
Ozomatli: Don't Mess With the Dragon 4/3
Bright Eyes: Cassadaga 4/20
Wilco: Sky Blue Sky 5/15

Expected:

Animal Collective: [Title TBA] Fall 2007
Arctic Monkeys [Title TBA] Spring 2007
India.Arie: Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics 2007
Devendra Banhart [Title TBA] Summer 2007
Beastie Boys [Title TBA] 2007 - 2008
Bjork [Title TBA] Spring 2007
Blur [Title TBA] 2007
Coldplay [Title TBA] Late 2007
Peter Gabriel [Title TBA] 2007
Iron & Wine [Title TBA] August 2007
Annie Lennox [Title TBA] 2007
Okkervil River [Title TBA] 2007
The Postal Service [Title TBA] 2007
Queens Of The Stone Age [Title TBA] 2007
Radiohead [Title TBA] 2007
Spoon: Stroke Their Brains Spring 2007
Wolf Parade [Title TBA] Summer/Fall 2007
Wu-Tang Clan: 8 Diagram Summer 2007

Band Spotlight: Gomez

I first heard about Gomez a couple of years ago when someone mentioned on the Wilco message board http://forums.viachicago.org/ that they had covered a couple of Wilco songs during one of their shows. Well, if these guys are covering Wilco they can't be all that bad huh? I picked up their latest album How We Operate last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I felt it was bit inconsistent. Still, it was enough to get me to check out their first album Bring It On, which was released in 1998 (yes, they've been around that long). Wow, what a fantastic album. I am now on a mission to hear everything they've put out. The band is from Southport, England and consists of five members, three of which sing lead vocals. The variety of the vocal styles echo the variety of their musical sound. Sometimes bluesy, sometimes reggae-tinged, with a "jam-band" feel, albeit without the extended jams. One of the vocalists has a sound reminiscent of Eddie Vedder, adding a gritty element to their gorgeous melodies. I'll be seeing them at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, CA on Feb. 19 and I'll be sure to post a concert review soon after. Check out this live concert on NPR or watch/listen to some tracks on MySpace or their official website.

New albums now streaming on MySpace

You can hear 10 tracks from The Shins new album Wincing the Night Away (released Jan 23, 2007) at http://www.myspace.com/theshins

Advance tracks from the much-anticipated sophomore album from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The album is called Some Loud Thunder, to be released on January 30 and you can hear the tracks at http://www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

Arcade Fire has made available one track, "Black Mirror", from their upcoming release Neon Bible (to be released March 6, 2007), at http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial

Top albums of 2006

Well, I've finally done it. I've made a blog about music. I hope that you enjoy reading and experiencing it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I welcome any and all feedback, suggestions, comments and criticisms. If there is anything you want more information about, feel free to drop me a line. I will be posting album reviews, live concert reviews, interesting music links, tips on software, and anything else that I think the world (ok my own little world) should know about. Now on to the good stuff.

We're only a month into 2007 so it's not too late for another one of those ubiquitous "Best of..." lists. Of course the albums on the list must be picked from albums I have actually listened to. There are quite a few critically-acclaimed albums that I haven't heard (yet). Those albums (not for consideration) include:

Bob Dylan: Modern Times
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Stadium Arcadium
Cat Power: The Greatest
Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
The Roots: Game Theory
The Knife: Silent Shout
Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
J Dilla: Donuts
Beirut: Gulag Orkestar
Band of Horses: Everything All the Time
TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain (I've heard a lot of good things about this one)
JJ Cale & Eric Clapton: The Road to Escondido
Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies
Bruce Springsteen: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
Built to Spill: You in Reverse
Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit
Drive-By Truckers: A Blessing and a Curse
Los Lobos: The Town and the City
Clipse: Hell Hath No Fury
Scott Walker: The Drift
Ali Farke Toure: Savane
Tom Ze: Estudando o Pagode


Ok, now, drumroll please... My top 5 albums of 2006!

5. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

You can always count on the Brits to spit out a great new band at least once a year. Last year it was the Arctic Monkeys. Their sound is post-punk, but with a musicianship that puts them into progressive territory. The track "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is irresistible.

4. The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America

Nothing really groundbreaking here. This is retro-rock, 70s-style. Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Rush, all the 70s rock influences are here. But boy is this album a lot of fun. What really makes this album Top 5 is the consistency. Pretty much every song has something to offer. Most will leave you humming or whistling for the rest of the day. Check out the video for 'Chips Ahoy'. Yes, that is actually Craig Finn, the leader and principal songwriter of the band.


3. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Well, if we can't have a new Radiohead album, at least Thom Yorke eases our withdrawal symptoms. With a spare sound, a bit of electronic programming, and a handful of Radiohead studio castoffs, Yorke has made a leaner, meaner, Radiohead-ish album. Could this guy make a bad album? I don't think so.
Harrowdown Hill Video




2. Joanna Newsom - YS

There was a lot of buzz around this when it was released in November. I promptly went online and listened to some samples from the record and my initial reaction was "Harp, strings, mellow...it's ok." It seemed more appropriate for an elevator than as cutting-edge indie rock. I really wasn't that interested. Flash to December and I'm going through all of those year-end "best of" lists and the one album which seemed to be consistently placed in every list was, you guessed it, Joanna Newsom's "Ys". Well, I had to give it a second listen and after downloading the album I set to task. After the first listen or two I was still not impressed. It was a pleasant, sweet musical experience, but it didn't grab me. Keep in mind, this isn't your run-of-the-mill stuff. No verse, verse, chorus, verse here. The music is free and flowing, serving the lyrics rather than establishing a musical hook. Still, I found myself humming snippets of melodies to myself. But it wasn't until I went and took a look at her lyrics that I realized this was truly something special. The music, in the context of the words, became magical. The lyrics are beautiful, poetic, and the music complement the lyrics with just enough repetition to add cohesion and interest to the songs. This is one of those albums that just gets better and better with each listen. Now I'm finding that it is, indeed, one of the most rewarding listening experiences of 2006.

Listen to this song* while reading the lyrics here. Hopefully you'll see what I mean.
*You'll need RealPlayer for this



1. Califone: Roots & Crowns

Califone's sound consists of almost every musical element I am currently interested in; a strong melodic and lyrical foundation, driving rhythms, and that extra little bit of weirdness which keeps the disc spinning. Those are the elements that make "Indie" and "Alt-Country" so interesting (e.g. Wilco, My Morning Jacket etc..). These guys have it all going on here and this has proven to be my most listened to disc in 2006. The fact that I am still not sick of it makes it worthy of being #1.
Video: 'Spider's House'


Honorable Mention:

Grizzly Bear: Yellow House
The Black Keys: Chulahoma
Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere
My Brightest Diamond: Bring Me the Workhorse
Tom Waits: Orphans
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs: Show Your Bones
Frank Black: Fast Man Raider Man
Jolie Holland: Springtime Can Kill You
M. Ward: Post-War
Gomez: How We Operate