Stir It Up

Wilco Tango Foxtrot

2010-03-20T11:02:00.001-07:00

Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA) has released a limited production beer called Wilco Tango Foxtrot. Gee, could this be a reference to our favorite band? Lagunitas has been known to produce beers with rock & roll themes (see below).

I am going to go out and get me some WTF beer today!

Cheers.

The Best Albums of 2009

2010-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

10: Phoenix: Lisztomania - They've been around 15 years, but I've just discovered this French band. This album has received high accolades for the pop, indie-rock sound that has become so prevalent these days (for better or worse). Bottom line is that this is simply a fun album to listen to.

9: Andrew Bird: Noble Beast - I saw Bird perform awhile back at the Hollywood Bowl and was amazed with how he would record violin or guitar lines during a song then loop it and layer it to use as accompaniment. Impressive.

8: Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion - This album was the critics darling of 2009. Undoubtedly one of the most important bands of the naughts with their idiosyncratic rhythms and harmonies, they sound like nothing else that has ever existed. But when you are this out there, the music is not very approachable and takes some discipline to get into. The payoff is there for the patient listener.

7: Loney, Dear: Dear John - Loney, Dear is essentially Swedish singer-songwriter Emil Svanängen. Sounding like he recorded it in his living room, he works with programmed drum beats and synth orchestration. The result is a modern, toe-tapping sound.

6: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz! - Karen O and gang push forward with their genre-bending sound that blends punk with dance and electronic elements.

5: Wilco: Wilco (the Album) - The latest album from my favorite band combines elements of every Wilco period. From the alt-country of A.M. to the bombastic pop of Being There and Summerteeth to the envelope pushing experimentalism of Yankee, Hotel, Foxtrot to the kraut-rock jams of Ghost is Born and the hushed beauty of Sky, Blue, Sky. The drawback of this is that the album lacks cohesiveness. It is still good fun and has strong tracks such as "Wilco (the song)", "Bull Black Nova" and "You and I" (with guest vocalist Leslie Feist).

4: Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest - Yellow House was one of my best of picks in 2006 and three years later I am still entranced with their sound. Combining approachable melodies with experimental blips, bleeps and unusual production, they have developed a unique, interesting and satisfying sound.

3: Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca - They take the frat-boy Afro pop of Vampire Weekend and combine it with the experimentalism of Animal Collective to come up with an accessible, yet utterly unique, collection of songs and musical ideas. These guys are firmly in the center of the new wave of genre-defying bands that are grabbing the critics attention these days.

2: The Decemberists: Hazards of Love - Props to Colin Meloy for going after the ridiculously ambitious goal of creating a concept album that tells the enigmatic story of a woman's relationship with a mystical creature fusing elements of chamber music, folk and heavy metal and succeeding. At first glance it seems to surely be a joke, not to be taken seriously. But Meloy's poetic word smithing, along with the use of musical elements to reinforce the dramatic elements, serve the song and story perfectly. Colin and gang pulled off an amazing accomplishment with Hazards of Love.

1: Various Artists: Dark Was the Night - How can you go wrong with a double album that includes tracks by Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, David Byrne, My Morning Jacket and more great bands and for a good cause to boot. A consistent and satisfying collection of songs from start to finish.

Arrr, Me Mateys!

2009-06-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

I just revisited the two-disc set Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys, a compilation that came out in 2006, and am in full can't stop listening mode. This is fantastic stuff. Although there are some big names on the album (Sting, Bono, Lucinda Williams), it is the lesser-knowns that are most memorable for me. Baby Gramps for instance, who has a unique style on the guitar, and a rough and ready voice quite appropriate for pirate songs. He even goes into some throat-singing which gives his a voice an otherwordly sound. Also, Three Pruned Men's take on "Bully in the Alley" is a rousing number that instantly gets stuck in your head and will inspire spur of the moment sing-alongs for weeks after listening. My kids and I have learned all the lyrics and I will testify that the song will improve any long car ride. Give it a try.

Dirty Projectors on NPR

2009-06-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Further on the free music tip. NPR is streaming the new album from Dirty Projectors titled Bitte Orca. This is some good stuff. Their sound is innovative and compelling and while experimental, employs a wide array of musical styles. On the surface the sound is similar to other experimental rock bands that are in vogue these days such as Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes, with their emphasis on lush vocal harmonies over quirky unusual backing. But their influences run deep. There is definitely a debt owed to Sonic Youth and the vocal style of band leader Dave Longstreth at times evokes Jeff Buckley. There is also the (very fruitful) relationship with David Byrne on Dark Was the Night and Byrne may have had some influence. Possibly the catchy "Stillness is the Move", with its Disco-y vocal over a musical backing that sounds straight out of Sub-Saharan Africa. But they've taken all of these diverse elements and melded them into a cohesive whole that as a result explores completely new territory. One of the best albums this year.

Eels: Hombre Lobo

2009-06-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Freaky electro-rocker Eels just released his new album Hombre Lobo on June 2 and is streaming it for free on MySpace. http://www.myspace.com/eels

"Dark Was the Night" concert on NPR

2009-05-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

NPR has made available a live recording from the "Dark Was the Night" concert at Radio City Music Hall on May 3. Many of the artists from the album appear in various configurations:

"Feist and Bon Iver, David Byrne and The Dirty Projectors, David Byrne with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, The National with My Brightest Diamond and Sharon Jones with everyone."

Here is the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104655046&sc=nl&cc=mn-20090530

Farewell Jay Bennett

2009-05-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Jay Bennett, multi-instrumentalist and former member of Wilco, died in his sleep on Sunday, May 24. He was 45. This is a sad loss for the Wilco family even though was fired from the band in 2001 during the YHF recording sessions. To this day, Wilco-heads still argue whether or not the band was better with Bennett. What is clear is that the three albums Bennett worked on (Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) are widely considered to be the best of Wilco's catalog. Bennett was a gifted musician, with a firm vision of where he wanted the music to go. He was responsible for much of the "weirdness" that occurred on those albums and were a major evolution in Wilco's sound. Ultimately, it was his unyielding dedication to his vision that led to the falling out between he and Jeff Tweedy which led to Bennett being fired from Wilco. Bennett never seemed to recover from the bitterness of the separation, naming a solo album "Whatever Happened I Apologize", and recently sued Jeff Tweedy for alleged unpaid royalties. Regardless of the personal issues between Bennett and Tweedy, Wilco fans will always be grateful for the unique contributions that Jay Bennett brought to the band. We will miss him.

Wilco streaming new album for free!

2009-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

To combat the bootleggers, Wilco are streaming their new album in it's entirety here: http://beta.wilcoworld.net/records/thealbum/index.php

Check it!

Wilco (the album) out June 30

2009-05-08T16:29:00.001-07:00

Wilco just posted the cover art on their website for their new album to be released June 30. One thing's for sure, Wilco cannot be accused of taking themselves too seriously!

Song list:

Wilco (the song)
Deeper Down
One Wing
Bull Black Nova
You And I
You Never Know
Country Disappeared
Solitaire
I'll Fight
Sonny Feeling
Everlasting Everything

Note: The picture was taken in Milwaukee, WI (Mader's Restaurant in the background).

2009 So Far

2009-04-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

We're already 1/3 of the way through the year so it's about time to give an overview of what's been released so far. There's some really good stuff and some not so good. Here's my take.

Various Artists: Dark Was the Night - Far and away the best album of 2009 right now, this compilation has the luxury of having a whole buncha talented musicians contributing both originals and covers. It's another stellar release from the Red Hot Organization which has put out a number of albums recruiting contemporary musicians to support their non-profit foundation for HIV/AIDS awareness such as Red Hot and Rio, and Red Hot & Riot, the former centering on songs from Brazil, while the latter a Fela Kuti tribute (who died of AIDS). In this one, they bring in artists from the world of "Indie" rock and the lineup is eye-popping; Yo La Tengo, New Pornographers, Spoon, Feist, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire and on and on. The lineup is jaw-dropping but expectations are high. Some of the performances are pedestrian, such as Arcade Fire's lackluster contribution or My Morning Jacket's charming, but uninspiring Tex-mex waltz. But there are some stunners. David Byrne teams up Brooklyn-based band Dirty Projectors on the lead-off track and it is marvelous. Other gems include the haunting "Deep Blue Sea" by Grizzly Bear, Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)'s take on an old Scottish folk melody "Another Saturday" and Sufjan Stevens' 10-minute sonic experiment. This 2-cd set has so much good stuff on it that it far surpasses anything else that's been put out in awhile. It's gonna take something special to supplant this one at the top of the list for 2009.

The Decemberists:The Hazards of Love - A 17-track concept album about Margaret and her fantastical romantic adventures using hard rock elements interspersed with chamber orchestra, and acoustic folk. This is pretty ambitious stuff but it actually works, as the more bombastic musical elements serve to emphasize and dramatize the story. It has depth and beauty. Also, the contributions of Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Becky Stark cannot be understated. Shara Worden especially adds otherworldly vocals to give voice to the female character in the story. Colin Meloy is showing us something special here.

M. Ward: Hold Time - Although his style does not evolve much, it still satisfies. He maintains the old-timey sound that he is well-known for and his raspy, understated voice. This is good stuff to put on and just mellow out to. His musicianship and songwriting skills are top-notch and one of a kind.

Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion - This one has garnered rave reviews and is the critic's darling so far in '09 for their special brand of harmonic weirdness and off-kilter rhythms and progressions. While I can understand the critics' enthusiasm, this is a sound that is completely unique and innovative, for the life of me I just can't get into it. It is so quirky, and so out there that I can't find the groove. As they take the "Pet Sounds" experimentation further and further out, I am left further and further away. Definitely not for everyone.

Gomez: A New Tide - Gomez continue their migration into more straight-ahead radio-friendly rock in their latest release A New Tide. Longtime Gomez fans will be disappointed, but this is still a very good album in my view. If they are making a calculated move into the mainstream, then the mainstream is all the better for it.

Loney, Dear: Dear John - Loney, Dear is Swedish songwriter Emil Svanängen whose self-made demo recordings were discovered in 2006 by record label Sub Pop. Dear John is his second release on the label and like the debut it is pretty all Svanängen playing the instruments and producing. Having an Indie Pop sound reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, with the addition of some electronic elements, the album has some great moments. Worth checking out.

U2: No Line on the Horizon - The latest release from the boys from Dublin hearkens back to an earlier, rawer sound. While satisfying on a surface level, with the exception of one song ("Get On Your Boots"), the regression is just that, a step backward. This is run-of-the-mill U2.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs: It's Blitz! - The latest release from New York band Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs takes the sound even further away from their garage rock roots. Using synth and electronic drums they have a much more poppy sound, but still maintain an edge. This is not an easy trick but they do an impressive job at pulling it off. If 80s New Wave really was related to Punk than this is what it should've sounded like.

Various Artists: War Child - This one looks pretty good on paper. Legendary songwriters choose a song and a band to perform it. Bob Dylan selects Beck, Bruce Springsteen picks The Hold Steady, David Bowie selects TV on the Radio, you'd think this was gonna be good huh? It's not. Most of the performances are drab at best. I think the problem here is the typical cover song dilemma. When a band covers a song it is ultimately going to compare it to the original. When you have originals as good as this, how can you improve it? Why would you try? There are some successes. Lily Allen's take on "Straight to Hell" (The Clash) is epic. But then she cheated (original Clash guitarist/vocalist Mick Jones was involved in the recording). Adam Cohen does a wonderful take on his dad's (Leonard Cohen) song "Take This Waltz [Tomar Este Waltz]". But the rest is mostly ho-hum and some is almost unlistenable.

Red Hot and Dark Was the Night

2009-02-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Red Hot Organization, an international charity for raising AIDS/HIV awareness, has released a new compilation called Dark Was the Night. There are some great names on this, and some new songs to boot! Here is the complete tracklisting:

DARK WAS THE NIGHT

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) – Feist + Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend – The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
7 Tightrope – Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (popularized by Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) – Antony + Bryce Dessner
11 Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12 Sleepless – The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron and Wine
14 Service Bell – Grizzly Bear + Feist
15 You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC
1 Well-Alright – Spoon
2 Lenin – Arcade Fire
3 Mimizan – Beirut
4 El Caporal – My Morning Jacket
5 Inspiration Information (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
7 Blood Pt 2 (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) – Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11 Happiness – Riceboy Sleeps
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14 Lua – Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
15 When the Road Runs Out – Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn – Kevin Drew

The Wilco/Radiohead Connection cont..

2009-02-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

Tweedy's been busting out "Fake Plastic Trees", as well as a cover of Dylan's "Simple Twisted Fate", during a couple of benefit shows at the Vic in Chicago . Along with the surprise covers, he has been playing a number of new songs.

Here are some clips of the performances (along with a little stage patter) from YouTube:

Got to Get It

2009-01-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

This is a benefit album for War Child, an organization dedicated to stop the use of child soldiers. Very intriguing project I must say. From their website:

What do you get if you cross the greatest living legends, some of the finest songs ever written and the most staggering talent around today? Just an album so hot you’ll be going to work in shorts this winter, that’s all. And wait for the best bit…War Child gets money off every copy sold.

Yes friends, the charity album just got cool again. Here’s the skinny: Rock legends such as Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney chose their favourite new bands to cover their classic songs. War Child’s new album, Heroes, is released on February 24th in the US and March 3rd in Canada, and features 16 amazing tunes.

Dylan himself chose Beck to take on Leopard-Skin Pillar-Box Hat. Sir Paul entrusted Live and Let Die to Duffy. And Stevie figured Estelle was the only one for Superstitious.

Oh, and then there’s The Hold Steady taking on Bruce, Lily Allen teaming up with, ahem, Mick Jones on a Clash classic and The Scissor Sisters imploring you to Do The Strand.

Yes, we’re spoiling you. This combo of rock’s greatest songs and songwriters coupled with the hottest new names in the ‘the biz’ will be one of your most treasured records. Ok, enough suspense: This, ladies and gents, is the line-up:

Beck (Bob Dylan - “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”)

The Kooks (The Kinks – “Victoria”)

The Hold Steady (Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City”)

Hot Chip (Joy Division – “Transmission”)

Lily Allen feat. Mick Jones (The Clash – “Straight To Hell”)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Ramones – “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker”)

Franz Ferdinand (Blondie – “Call Me”)

Duffy (Paul McCartney – “Live And Let Die”)

Estelle (Stevie Wonder – “Superstition”)

Rufus Wainwright (Brian Wilson –“ Wonderful & Song For Children”)

Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music – “Do The Strand”)

Peaches (Iggy Pop – “Search And Destroy”)

Adam Cohen (Leonard Cohen – “Take This Waltz”)

Elbow (U2 – “Running To Stand Still”)

The Like (Elvis Costello – “You Belong To Me”)

TV On The Radio (David Bowie – “Heroes”)

Advance Previews - M. Ward, Animal Collective, Andrew Bird

2009-01-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

NPR is streaming advance previews of full albums.

Check out this link for new albums by Animal Collective (Jan. 19), M. Ward (Jan. 12) and Andrew Bird at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98679384

Dream Team - Wilco & Radiohead

2009-01-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

Members of Wilco (Jeff Tweedy, John Stirrat) and members of Radiohead (Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway) got together at Neil Finn's charity event for Oxfam called 7 Worlds Collide. Jeff Tweedy fronted the band for a cover of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees". A dream become reality.

a review here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10550623

Best Albums of 2008

2008-12-17T16:45:00.000-08:00

1) TV on the Radio: Dear Science - TV on the Radio's 2006 release Return to Cookie Mountain was critically acclaimed, but while I could appreciate the artistry of the music, it was too much on the experimental side to warrant repeated listens. With their latest release Dear Science they have created a much more accessible record, but also maintain the high quality that we expect. Sounding something like Prince meets Beck meets Radiohead, the album is thoroughly enjoyable and not only merits repeat listens, it demands it.

2) Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago - It is now a well-known story about how Justin Vernon holed himself up in a log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin to write and record the songs that would become For Emma, Forever Ago. And while the songs expectedly reflect Vernon's frame of mind during this time (band and relationship breakups), lending the album a poignant, depressing vibe, the songwriting on here is superb. Primarily recorded all by himself, his songs feature sublime vocal harmonies, subtle yet enchanting melodies, and an experimental twist that gives tracks like "The Wolves (Act I and II)" an otherworldly atmosphere. Vernon is truly a gifted song-smith.

3) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - Nick Cave has been around a long time and he is certainly showing no signs of slowing down. This is vintage Cave - dark, quirky, and unlike anything else you've heard out this year. The album is solid, with Cave's smug, gravelly half-sung voice telling it like it is in vivid, rich narratives.

From “Night of the Lotus Eaters”:

They gilded my scales, they fish-bowled me and they toured me round the old aquariums

They come in their hordes to tap at the glass, the philistines and barbarians

I like floating here, it's nice, they've hung seaweed around my hips

And I do the hula for the hungry ones and the lames all throw me tips.

4) Santogold: Santogold - A very nice debut from this Philly native. There are a lot of influences going on here, and none the least are the New Wave bands of the 80s. But she injects enough 80s punk and modern day ragga into the sound to give it some attitude. It's going to be interesting hearing what else she has to say.

5) Hold Steady: Stay Positive - Gritty and cynical, The Hold Steady get the prize for being the least glamorous band on the list. Craig Finn 's spittle-inducing spoken word delivery perfectly compliments the Bukowski-like imagery of his lyrics. Like the 20th century street poets, the seedy world of alcohol is a frequent topic of Finn's lyrics. But he updates it for the 21st century substituting Burroughs' heroin for Adderall. 2008’s Stay Positive doesn't quite hold up as strongly as 2006's Boys & Girls in America, but it still has the strength to maintain the momentum for this great band.

6) Black Mountain: In the Future - These guys just rock. Sounding like Led Zeppelin on ecstasy, they have the guitar-riffs, the trippy vocals, the equipment-damaging power that I appreciate in a rock & roll band.

7) Coldplay: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends - I know, roll your eyes, just as I rolled my eyes when the album first came out and I thought "eh, Coldplay. Boring.” I hate to admit it, but Chris Martin and company put together another solid, enjoyable album. Ok, so they're still copying Radiohead and possibly stealing from Joe Satriani, but put this album on and you have to try really hard not to like it.

8) Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend – Ok these Columbia kids have been hailed as inventors of some kind of Afro-Indie pop fusion genre. Maybe you shouldn't really go to these guys for a world music fix, if you want to hear the real-deal Afropop music then check out Fela Kuti or King Sunny Ade. But definitely go to them for some good ole infectious fun. It’s an interesting juxtaposition; privileged white kids from Manhattan mixing African music with an Indie songwriting sensibility. It got my attention.

9) Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes - This one took a while to grow on me. At first listen it seemed like a throwback to the harmony sound of the 60s and early 70s and it didn't seem to have much oomph. But after repeated listens I find myself humming the songs to myself later on, and not going crazy. The album has more depth than I noticed at first. If recent Brian Wilson-inspired acts such as Animal Collective and Panda Bear have caught your fancy, then Fleet Foxes is definitely something to check out.

10) Erykah Badu: New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War – This is an ambitious hip-hop experiment that puts an emphasis on sheer weirdness. That turns out to be the attraction, as she produces a sound similar to what might’ve happened if George Clinton made Innervisions with D’Angelo.

Honorable Mention:

Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs

The Black Keys: Attack & Release

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: Cardinology

Calexico: Carried to Dust

My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges

MGMT: Oracular Spectacular

Concert Review: Bridge School Benefit, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Mountain View, CA, 10-25-08

2008-10-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

After hearing that Wilco and Death Cab for Cutie were on this year's Bridge Benefit bill, I had to go. I made the two-hour trek for the Saturday show with lawn ticket in hand. The lineup for the show was (in the order they performed):

- Neil Young (two song opening)

- Band of Horses (filling in for ZZ Top who cancelled. )

- Cat Power

- Death Cab for Cutie

- Wilco

- Sarah McLachlan

- Norah Jones

- Jack Johnson

- Neil Young (closing set)

The Bridge School is a school for kids with severe speech and physical impairments. The school was founded by Neil's wife Pegi in 1986 and a benefit concert has been held every year since. One of the unspoken rules of the concert is that musicians perform acoustically. In the past bands such as Metallica, Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers have performed acoustic sets at the benefit. One thing that playing acoustically does is it really emphasises the musicianship of the performers. No hiding behind effects or samples. It can really provide for some "wow, he/she's a really good musician" moments.

I arrived at the Shoreline a little after the gates opened up, hoping to get a decent spot on the lawn. What I found was that the best location, to get good sound and a clear view of the stage, was about halfway up the lawn, directly in the center. There's a little plateau here where the view of the stage is unobscured. It is also nice to have clear views of the big screens that allow up close and personal viewing of the performers. The sound has never been great here but in the centralized location it wasn't bad.

As usual, Neil was the first to come out. He didn't waste much time getting right into the music with "I Am a Child" and "Sugar Mountain".

After Neil, Band of Horses came out. They did well in the acoustic setting and played a decent alt-country inflected set.

Next up was Cat Power. Chan Marshall seemed to struggle a little bit with her set. Even with electric instrumentation their music is pretty subdued. Playing acoustically in front of 15,000+ people must be quite a challenge and intimidating to boot. Marshall is known to have a bit of stage-fright and that was evident here. She was singing very quietly, not really projecting (which is her style anyway), which resulted in the crowd getting restless. At one point she apologized to the crowd for her performance. The band's sound missed the swells and drones that electric instruments usually add to their sound. Without it, it was pretty much a snore-fest. That is, until Neil came out to join them on a rousing cover of "Fortunate Son". Neil's injection of energy got the crowd into it and even put a smile on Chan's face.

Death Cab for Cutie came on next and it was primarily a showcase for talented singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard. He even played one song solo with just a guitar. Again, in this acoustic setting it is impossible to fake musicianship, and Gibbards singing and songwriting was put on display. His nasal, whiny voice notwithstanding, he had some sublime vocal moments, hitting notes perfectly and putting on a great show. These guys opened for Neil on the current tour and they are worth seeing.

After Death Cab was the band I came to see, Wilco. Very comfortable in an acoustic setting, the most interesting thing to me was listening to Nels Cline play his arpeggio freakouts on an acoustic guitar. Although some sour notes were apparent (these notes would probably sound bent on an electric) his playing was exciting and typically wild. They also broke out a new song ("I'll Fight for You?") which had a kind of old fashioned 50-ish rock sound. This song seems to be a work in progress but with a lot of potential. Other highlights were California Stars and Jesus Etc..., which work so nice acoustically. My only complaint (as usual) was that the set was too damn short. The drawback of these festival-type shows.

Note: The new song is available for download here (thanks to hilliard from ViaChicago): http://www.sendspace.com/file/by7r69

After Wilco, Sarah McLachlan came out and played a solo set. She accompanied herself on both guitar and piano. She is an amazing singer and performer and her set was very impressive. She is one of the few artists that can come out completely alone and blow the place away. She gets the "best voice" award for the day.

Norah Jones was next and played another subdued mellow set. The highlight of her set (for me) was her cover of Wilco's "Jesus Etc..". Ooh boy, my favorite Wilco song played twice in one day! I thought she did a great version. She did comment on the fact that Wilco had already done the song, but she said they worked hard practicing it and were going to do it anyway ("Take that Tweedy"). Here it is on YouTube:

Jack Johnson came out and did his typical stony-surfer dude set. His band was super-tight and his voice sounded great, but his music did not ignite my sensibilities. I enjoyed the set but would not go out of my way to see him again.

Neil Young played the last set and did some typical stuff ("The Needle and the Damage Done", "Heart of Gold", "Old Man"), and some not so typical stuff (new song "ust Singing A Song Won't Change The World", "Oh, Lonesome Me", and "Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)") He also did a rousing cover of The Beatles' "Day in the Life". His set and the concert conluded with "Comes a Time" where many of the bands came out to sing along. Unfortunately, Jeff Tweedy was not among them even though most of the members of Wilco were out there. That Tweedy can be so difficult.

Personally, I thought Neil sounded a little tired. I have a few past Bridge Benefits to compare it to and he was just not nailing it like in times past. I though some of it had to do with Pegi Young being a bit hit and miss with the backing vocals. He ended the show a little early too I though (in 1999 the concert didn't finish until after 2 a.m.). Well, at least it was early enough I was able to make the drive home that night and not spend money on a motel.

All-in-all, this was not the best Bridge Benefit I have been to. There were too many mellow band on the bill, and nothing (like a Metallica for instance) that really kicked it into high gear. After Wilco, it was hard to stay interested. It's too bad ZZ Top didn't make it. Now that would've been interesting to see acoustically. Hopefully in future years the lineup will have some more variety.

Fall Tours: Wilco/Neil Young, The Hold Steady/Drive-By Truckers

2008-09-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

It seems like a new trend these days is for big name acts to team up and tour together. Maybe the price of gas is causing this, or maybe they just want to attract larger crowds to the shows. Whatever the reason, it is to our advantage for sure.

The big one is Wilco teaming up with Neil Young to play a handful of dates. Neil Young is also going to tour with Death Cab for Cutie, another great opener. Unfortunately for me none of the dates are in the SF Bay area, although BOTH Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco will be at this year's Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, CA (http://www.bridgeschool.org/events.html).

Here are the Neil Young tour dates:

Oct. 14: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 16: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 18: Regina, Saskatchewan (Brandt Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 19: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 21: Everett, Wash. (Comcast Arena, no opener specified)
Oct. 22: Vancouver (GM Place, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 29: San Diego (Cox Arena, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 30: Los Angeles (Forum, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 1: Reno, Nev. (Events Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 4: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 5: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 29: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Metro Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 1: Montreal (Bell Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 2: Ottawa, Ontario (Scotia Bank Place, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 4: Toronto (Air Canada Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 7: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 9: Chicago (Allstate Center, no opener specified)
Dec. 12: Philadelphia (Wachovia Spectrum, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 15: New York (Madison Square Garden, w/ Wilco)

Although not huge names like Neil Young or Wilco, Drive-By Truckers will be teaming up with The Hold Steady for a bunch of dates on what they are calling the "Rock and Roll Means Well Tour". These are two incredibly energetic live bands and this is one show I would love to see. Looks like Counting Crows will be joining them on a couple dates as well. The dates are:

30-Oct Louisville, KY Coyote's @ City Block
31-Oct Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
1-Nov Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
2-Nov Tallahassee, FL The Moon @ FSU
3-Nov Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
5-Nov State College, PA The State Theatre
6-Nov New York, NY Terminal 5
7-Nov New York, NY Terminal 5
8-Nov Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
9-Nov Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
11-Nov Toronto, ONT Phoenix Theatre
12-Nov Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
13-Nov Bloomington, IN Bluebird
14-Nov Chicago, IL Riviera
15-Nov Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
16-Nov Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
19-Nov Boise, ID The Knitting Factory Concert House
20-Nov Seattle, WA The Showbox
21-Nov Seattle, WA The Showbox
22-Nov Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
23-Nov San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
24-Nov San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
25-Nov Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
16-Dec Den Bosch, NL Brabanthallen (w/ Counting Crows)
20-Dec Dublin, IE O2 (w/ Counting Crows)
21-Dec Belfast, UK Odyssey Arena (w/ Counting Crows)

Concert Review: Wilco & more @ The Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA, 8/24/2008

2008-09-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

The stars were aligned for me on Sunday, Aug. 24. At the spur of the moment I decided to head down to the city, no ticket in hand, to check out Wilco at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate park. I put a request on Craigslist for a ticket and got a call from a guy on my way down. I scored a ticket for $50, $35 less than face value. Nice.

Once in the festival, the scope of the thing was a bit overwhelming. It must be close to a mile from one end of the place to the other. There were six stages, and tons of vending, food and drink. I started off at the Twin Peaks stage to check out Stars. I must say I was not blown away. I am familiar with their music from Set Yourself on Fire, and I do like the group, but in this setting I just wasn't feeling it.

I then had to make a tough decision as Andrew Bird and Bon Iver were playing at the same time on separate stages. I decided to go with Bon Iver since I had seen Andrew Bird not too long ago at the Hollywood Bowl. I was happy with this choice, since Justin Vernon & co. put on a fantastic set. The arrangements of the songs were an improvement on the album tracks due to the fuller band (he had four multi-instrumentalists accompanying him on guitars, keys, drums, percussion and baritone guitar). The kicker though were the gorgeous harmonies they were able to accomplish, which were not present on the album. They even played a new song called Blood Bank, which sounded really good. This was a great set all around.

Next, I ran over to the Sutro stage to catch the set by Drive-By Truckers. Having secured a spot off to the side, up on a small hill, I had a pretty good line of sight of the stage. The sound was also good and the Truckers came out and did a scorching set. They were incredibly tight and energetic, with dueling guitars and passionate vocals from Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and John Neff. Hood also commented on how great he thought the people were that he has met so far in SF. Nice of him to say! These guys don't have any pretensions. Just raw rock & roll with a country twang.

I decided to pass on catching the whole Broken Social Scene set in order to take a breath and explore the surroundings a little bit. I was able to catch a bit of Sharon Jones and the Dap King's set and man, she had the whole friggin' place shakin' their booties. I walked away accompanied by a fantastic cover of JB's "It's a Man's World".

I stopped briefly at the Avenues stage for hip-hop group Little Brother. I lingered long enough to have my intestines practically vibrated out of my body by the bass, and to witness the humorous spectacle of parents hurriedly ushering their children away before the next massive tirade.

I caught the last portion of Broken Social Scene before checking out local Bay Area band Rogue Wave on the Panhandle stage. They were very impressive. So much so that I think I am going to go out and check out some of their stuff. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is into god Indie rock.

Next was the highlight of the whole day for me. Wilco on the Twin Peaks stage. Of couse I made the mistake of waiting until 5 minutes before showtime to get in the unbelievably long Porta-potty line. As I stood in the line I helplessly watched a non-stop wave of people making their way to teh Wilco stage. By the time I had finished my duty, Wilco had started the first song and the crowd was jam-packed. I was able to slowly wiggle my way closer and I did get about even with the soundboard.

Wilco was fabulous, as usual. The only complaint I have is that their set was too damn short. One thing I really noticed since the last time I saw them was how well Nels Cline was sounding. He was on fire. And he has been playing long enough so that he is really now making some valuable contributions to the songs. He had some great solos, especially on Impossible Germany (albeit after a couple of false starts where Tweedy started before Nels was ready). His energy and musicianship truly on display this day. Here's a clip from YouTube:

After Wilco I wandered over to the last set of the day on the main stage, Jack Johnson. I enjoy his music, but I'm not a huge fan of his stoned-surfer sound so I did not stick around. In my opinion I think Wilco should have had the long set on the big stage and not JJ, but that's just me. I left before his set was over to get a jump on the crowd and head home.

All in all a fantastic day and a fantastic festival. I hope that this continues every year. From what I've heard the turnout was bigger than expected and the city of SF for the most part was happy with the crowd (there were a few complaints from neighbors about the noise). Bring it back next year! Here are some more pics of the scene.

Concert Review: The Hold Steady @ The Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA 07/29/2008

2008-08-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

I just saw The Hold Steady at The Mezzanine in San Francisco, and I get the feeling that this may well be the last tour that they are playing venues of this size. These guys are blowing up and soon they will be playing arenas, if not stadiums.

The Mezzanine, located in the SoMa district, holds about 500, tops. It has a large floor area and on the side, you guessed it, a mezzanine (with some seating, a bar and a decent view form the rail if you can find space).

The show started off with support act The Loved Ones. They are a pretty straight-forward punk band from Philly with a decidedly Green Day-ish sound. The lead singer, Dave Hausse, stalked the stage with a ton of energy and sang the original songs with conviction. However, one noticeable thing was the lack of any worthy guitar solos. That is, until Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady came out for a couple of songs and ripped a few smoking solos off. Franz Nicolay also joined the fun.

Craig Finn & Co. came storming out with "Constructive Summer" from the new album Stay Positive. The dichotomy of Finn's dark lyrics and his joyful, grinning expression, were an amusing contradiction. The band was firing on all cylinders, with Kubler's semi-distorted Gibson providing the sound foundation, and Nicolay's swirling organ and piano punctuating over the top. Finn's spoken-wordish singing style goes well with the song's lyrics which veer over into the realm of epic poetry.

The crowd was very enthusiastic, singing along and pumping their fists in the air. Although crowded, the size of the room provided for a relatively intimate experience with the band. This was a rare opportunity to see a rising star in action, before they become too big for their own good. See them now.

Setlist (according to http://sholtrox.blogspot.com/2008/07/positive-jams.html):

Constructive Summer

Chips Ahoy

Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night

Sequestered In Memphis

Girls Like Status

Massive Nights

Southtown Girls

Lord, I'm Discouraged

Yeah Sapphire

Knuckles

Hot Fries

One For The Cutters

You Can Make Him Like You

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Crucifiction Cruise

How A Resurrection Really Feels

Slapped Acress

Encore:

Positive Jam

Stuck Between Stations

Most People Are DJs

Tom Waits - Bridge School Benefit 1999

2008-07-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

This was one of my all-time great live show experiences. Tom reworking his songs to perfection. Good old Youtube has video of this epic performance.

Concert Review: Constantines @ Slim’s, San Francisco, CA, 07/02/2008

2008-07-09T14:08:00.001-07:00

Traveled down to the city to check out one of the best bands you’ve probably never heard of, the Constantines. They’re from Ontario, Canada and I’ve loved these guys since I heard them on the Sub Pop website in 2005. Tournament of Hearts turned out to be one of the better albums that year. This year, they released the follow-up called Kensington Heights. Their formula can best be described as a multi-guitar “wall of sound” with some interesting rhythms and a nice melodic-sensibility. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of a show they put on live. Unfortunately one of the founding members of the band, Steve Lambke, broke his hand a few days before the show (apparently from playing Frisbee) and was absent. The Constantines had to make the best of the short-handed lineup.

I arrived at Slim’s 30 minutes before the 9pm start time in order to get some food and a good seat. Slim’s is a small to medium-sized venue with a rectangular space surrounded by an L-shaped bar and some small tables. It also has a balcony with more seating, but this was not used for the show (definitely not sold-out). The food was pretty good (I had a grilled chicken sandwich w/ fries) and it had a nice, relaxed vibe.

The first band, The Weather Underground, started right at 9pm. They are an up-and-coming band out of Los Angeles, led by Harley Prechtel-Cortez. I was impressed with these guys, having an edgy Indie rock sound and a beat-poet style to the lyrics. Prechtel-Cortez had an amusing stage-presence, twitching and squirming, something like a cross between David Byrne and Jim Morrison. These guys were fun. Keep an eye on ‘em.

Next up was Ladyhawk. They are also out of Canada (Vancouver) and feature the same kind of noisy rock sound that the Constantines are known for. The thing that stood out the most for me was the lead-guitar work, utilizing a Rickenbacker and many effects ands wingdings. Washes of sound, feedback, and ultra-fast strumming.

Finally, at about 11:15p, the Constantines take the stage. Even without Lambke, they created a sound that demanded attention, with crunchy guitar-work, pounding bass and Bryan Webb’s half-sung, half-screamed vocals. They played many tracks that I recognized from their three most recent albums, as well as some others that must be from their first album. They brought out the guitarist from Ladyhawk for the encore and pleased the crowd with a rocking version of “Shine a Light”. They concluded the encore with a rambunctious take on the Stones classic “Street Fighting Man” with many members of Ladyhawk joining in. They certainly looked like they were having fun.

All in all this was a really fun show with some ups and downs, and what must be some detraction without Lambke. Still, I was left with a smile on my face as I wandered back to the hotel. Whee.

Some links:

Constantines on MySpace

Ladyhawk on MySpace

Here's a video I took. I know, the sound is pretty bad. But, it gives you an idea.

Why Eminem is good

2008-06-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is Eminem in the early days, freestyling on MTV with now-deceased D12 rapper Proof.

Flight of the Conchords

2008-05-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

These guys are making me wish I had HBO. Funny as hell. Check it:

Radiohead on Conan: Video

2008-05-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Radiohead doing "House of Cards" on Late Night with Conan.

YouTube Classic

2008-04-27T17:32:00.001-07:00

Elvis Costello & the Attractions doing "I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea" live in 1978.

Sick Cello

2008-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Rufus Cappadocia can play Bach, Hendrix, Coltrane and Sufi. He blends all kinds of eclectic influences into an amazing sound. Check him out on NPR here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89816124

SF Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival

2008-03-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this lineup: Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jack Johnson, Beck, Wilco, Manu Chao, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Widespread Panic, Primus, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Café Tacvba, Broken Social Scene, Regina Spektor, Devendra Banhart, Cold War Kids, Galactic’s Crescent City Soul Krewe, Lyrics Born, Andrew Bird, Steel Pulse, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, M. Ward, Drive-By Truckers, ALO, Matt Nathanson, The Cool Kids, Two Gallants, Dredg, Little Brother, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Donavon Frankenreiter, The Mother Hips, Black Mountain, Sidestepper, Nellie McKay, The Coup, Goapele, Bon Iver, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Sean Hayes, The Felice Brothers, Rupa & the April Fishes, Back Door Slam, K’NAAN

Radiohead and Wilco on the same bill?! Tom Petty?!! Half the bands on this list are worthy of ?!'s This is gonna be a good one folks. The dates are August 22-24 in SF's Golden Gate Park.

For more information go here: http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/

Wilco concert on NPR's All Songs Considered

2008-02-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hear the whole 2/27/08 concert here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19271953

Oh yeah, the boys sound goooood!

Deadheads for Obama

2008-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Attention Deadheads! The concert at the Warfield (tonight) to support Barack Obama's campaign bid, featuring Mickey, Bob and Phil, will be streamed live at: http://www.iclips.net/deadheadsforobama.php

Feist: The Reminder

2008-01-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

I just got this one and can't stop playing it. Feist (primarily singer-songwriter and guitarist Leslie Feist) has put together an irresistable collection of songs on her latest album The Reminder. Tinges of R&B, folk, blues, soul, rock and gospel make this a foot-tapping, highly-satisfying listening experience. Her roots in punk rock give her approach just enough of an edge, while the groove never strays. Her take on Nina Simone's "See-Line Woman" is like being in a Baptist church on a Sunday morning. Not challenging, this is just "put it on and enjoy the ride" kind of music.

Constantines - New Songs

2008-01-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

New songs from Canadian rock band Constantines. Hear them on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/constantines

Best of 2007

2008-01-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's that time. Here comes the list.

Top Ten albums of 2007

1) Wilco: Sky Blue Sky – For someone expecting more experimental weirdness, I initially found this album slightly disappointing. But with each listen (as with all great albums) it has grown and blossomed and has become my favorite album of the year. The beauty of the songs, the cohesion of the band, the guitar splendor of Nels Cline, all serve to make this a rich and rewarding listening experience.

2) Arcade Fire: Neon Bible – The gang from Montreal continue to break new ground with their intense, emotional sound. Accordion and percussion give the music a dense, layered sound. Couple that with excellent songwriting, and a wide range of musical styles (including the channeling of Bruce Springsteen), and this is an excellent album.

3) Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon continue to carve their own niche in the world of Indie rock. Turning up on iPod commercials, and late night tv, you know these guys are arriving. Ga Ga Ga Ga is another step in the right direction for Spoon.

4) Radiohead: In Rainbows – This, like the Wilco release, was a departure from what I would expect with less experimentation, and more straightforward songwriting. Although a bit inconsistent, the beauty of some of the songs (especially “House of Cards”, possibly the year’s best) is staggeringly good. Strange and surprising chord progressions and harmonies make this interesting and just weird enough so that we know this is still Radiohead.

5) The Good, the Bad, and the Queen: Eponymous – How can you go wrong when you have a band consisting of Paul Simonen (The Clash), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti), and Simon Tong (Verve)? You can’t. Even if this does sound like a Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) album, the rhythm section cannot be stopped! A really fun (albeit dark and mysterious) album.

6) Panda Bear: Person Pitch - I have called Animal Collective the new “Pet Sounds era Beach Boys” of the new millennium, but Animal Collective member Noah Lennox takes it a step further with Panda Bear, utilizing lush harmonies, strange sounds and instrumentations and an orchestral feel in bringing back the spirit of Brian Wilson’s late 60s heyday.

7) Iron & Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog – Sam Beam gets rhythm in the latest release for Iron & Wine. His singing style is still subdued, but his songs are strong.

8) Various Artists: Endless Highway: The Music of The Band – A great compilation of some pretty big names doing some of the best songs in rock. Highlights include Bruce Hornsby & the Range doing “King Harvest” and Blues Traveler with “Rag Mama Rag”.

9) The Shins: Wincing the Night Away – The Shins put out another solid, consistent effort. Although not incredibly groundbreaking, this is still a nice listen.

10) Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare – Another killer post-punk, pop album from the boys from Sheffield.

Wilco in Chicago

2007-12-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:00

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 upcomiing 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!

12/12/07 note: For some inexplicable reason, MySpace has deleted the Goathouse page. I am attempting to get to the bottom of it. More to come.

1/18/08: Well, MySpace replied. No details at all. Here is what they said, "Hello, The profile in question has been deleted." When I asked why, they said, "Once an account has been deleted there is no way to have it restored. Myspace does not keep records of why a profile has been removed."

Ridiculous. No warning, no reason, nothing. I replied with: "It is very unprofessional of MySpace to simply delete accounts without any warning, notification or reason. I put hours of time into creating a MySpace profile for my band and have passed the url to friends, fans and family. I have recreated the profile twice, but I am hesitant to do it again considering it could be deleted at any moment for who knows what reason. I may have to start recommending to other bands that they stay away from MySpace."

Radiohead's new album out 10/10/07

2007-10-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-18T11:07:00.001-07:00

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)

2007-08-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-07-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-01T23:51:00.000-07:00

This guy is from Columbia. Very nice.

Samuel's website.

Wilco on Prairie Home Companion

2007-05-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

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

Vid of the Day: Bob Marley

2007-04-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

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

Wilco:Sky Blue Sky streaming again plus bonus DVD announced

2007-03-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

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

What Are the Marley Boys Up To?

2007-03-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-10T14:30:00.001-08:00

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

2007-03-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

2007-03-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

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

2007-03-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

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

Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) on NPR - Now Streaming

2007-02-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

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

Under the Radar

2007-02-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-23T00:36:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-02-18T19:57:00.000-08:00

...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

2007-02-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Arcade Fire on Saturday Night Live, Feb. 24.

Gomez on Leno

2007-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

New Elliott Smith Release

2007-02-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

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)

2007-02-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

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

The Hold Steady on Letterman

2007-02-13T11:02:00.001-08:00

The Police Announce Tour

2007-02-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-08T18:56:00.001-08:00

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

2007-02-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

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)

2007-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

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