Saturday, January 31st, 2009
So as luck would have it, I got tonight off from work. This made me excited for two reasons, Amon Tobin at the Independent and Zach Galifianakis at Cobb’s Comedy Club. So if one was sold out, I’d try to make the other one. Well, life doesn’t always work out in my favor. Both are sold out tonight. So it looks as though it’ll be Frost/Nixon at the local theater, heh. But if you (lucky bastard) are attending the Amon Tobin show, be on the lookout for Bay Area DJ Mophono. He’s a sample master and not in the sense of the guy who gives you free ones at the food court in the mall. His latest EP is jam packed with complex beats and fairly recognizable samples that will have you dancing in wherever it is you dance. If you can’t make tonight’s show, try catching him every Tuesday at Madrone here in San Francisco.
Mophono – The Edge
Zach Galifianakis – Zach Blows A Joke
Amon Tobin – Chronic Tronic
Tags: amon tobin, Mophono, Sketchfest, Zach Galifianakis
Posted in Concerts, Music | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 30th, 2009
Is it so hard to find a short female hip-hop artist that doesn’t just rap about partying (Uffie, Kid Sister, Da Brat, Lil Kim) or just being tiny (Lady Sovereign) all the time? The answer to that question is Rapper Steph; a fiery, poetic, political, gay hip-hopper from Bridgewater, MA. Sounds too awesome to be true doesn’t it? Well she’s a bundle of talent ready to be heard. The soul in her lyrics and the strength in her rhymes are what make Rapper Steph a shining star in a rising genre that almost seems milked of creative energy. Be on the look out for this pint-sized Uzi with a mouth.
Rapper Steph – Yep Yep
Rapper Steph – Breathe Slowly
For more go here.
Tags: boston hip hop, Rapper Steph
Posted in Music | 1 Comment »
Friday, January 30th, 2009
Top 10 reasons for me to be excited:
- Paul McCartney
- Leonard Cohen
- My Bloody Valentine
- Public Enemy
- Girl Talk
- Gang Gang Dance
- Mastodon (although I doubt the people I’m going with will want to see them)
- Henry Rollins?…uhh…awesome.
- Beirut
- TV on the Radio
Top 10 reasons why I’m disappointed:
- No Blur
- No Animal Collective (however I’ll be seeing them this spring…but still!)
- Possibly a Leonard vs. Paul stage timing
- Patton and Rahzel? No Faith No More? C’mon Mike!
- No She & Him
- Will Amy Winehouse live long enough to perform?
- Possible TV on the Radio vs. Fleet Foxes stage timing
- Expen$ive
- Where’s Basement Jaxx, Chemical Bros, Orbial, Underground?
- Crystal Method? srsly?
I wonder who the March surprise will be…
Anyone else got any thoughts on this?
Henry Rollins – Horses
Gang Gang Dance – Blue Nile
Beirut – Elephant Gun
Tags: Beirut, coachella, coachella 2009, coachella line-up, Gang Gang Dance, Henry Rollins
Posted in Concerts, Music, News | 4 Comments »
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
courtesy of Jennifer Peyton
Last night I was fortunate enough to watch a couple of unique and talented acts open up for The Album Leaf. The first being San Diego’s own Black Mamba. The music itself is as the name suggests, dark, smooth, and will not hesitate to strike with deadly precision. Lead vocalist Aimee Sanchez comes off like a corner pianist in a crowded saloon not noticing the noise around her, yet still being able to pierce through it all. While the songs themselves are very delicate, they come off immense in spirit.
Black Mamba – Holiday
The second act to impress me last night was Seattle’s Anomie Belle. The composer, producer, audio programmer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Toby Campbell has created perfect downtempo rainy Sunday music. Similar to Boards of Canada and Under Byen, Anomie Belle sounds marvelously supernatural and mysteriously beautiful.
Both acts are currently on tour with The Album Leaf. Do yourself a favor and have a listen or two.
Anomie Belle – Down
Tags: Anomie Belle, black mamba
Posted in Music | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
The internetz at my apt went bye bye. So I’m doing a guerrilla post. Kata is seeing The Album Leaf at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco tonight. I’ll let ya’ll know about any new songs. kthkbye.
The Album Leaf – Shine
The Album Leaf – On Your Way
The Album Leaf – Over The Pond
The Album Leaf – Always For You
The Album Leaf – Brennivin
Tags: bottom of the hill, the album leaf
Posted in Concerts, Music | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
A catchy and poppy sound is the first thing one would notice when listening to Filligar. But once you dedicate the time to really hear the band you’ll notice that tender keyboard touch, powerful guitar melodies, and those plainspoken acoustic numbers that makes the band more than a group of pretty boys trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. Drawing obvious influence from Wilco and Whiskeytown, Filligar’s latest album, Near or Far, is filled with seemingly simple songs that erupt into more complex sounds and wildly trickly indiepop, mingled with a sort of hallucinogenic Americana folk. I assume they are proud of this record and they should be.
Keyboardist and background vocalist Casey Gibson was able to dedicate some time to answering this week’s Kuestionnaire and share his love for classic rock.
1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
Neil Young, hands down. Of any past or present artist, he’s always the one I can go back to. Harvest and On the Beach are my favorites.
2. What have you been listening to lately?
The new Animal Collective is great. Also listening to a lot of Rolling Stones, recently re-watched Shine a Light and Gimme Shelter… interesting to compare the two. Those guys are awesome.
3. What’s your favorite local band?
In Chicago, Company of Thieves and Empires both are making some cool music. We played a show with Doggie Hi! Yippie (now called Last Good Tooth.), a Providence band, last spring, and I haven’t stopped listening to their stuff since.
4. What was the last show you attended?
My Morning Jacket in Chicago–really outstanding. The spectacle of it all was fun to watch.
5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
Hard to pinpoint the greatest show… I love Wilco, so to be able to sing along with all of their tunes was a really cool experience. Radiohead was up there, too.
6. What show are you looking forward to?
I desperately need to catch Fleet Foxes, but will probably have to wait until later this year to do that.
7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Living? Probably Wilco’s Nels Cline. Expert musician and he has his hand in a lot of cool projects and genres.
8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
Neil Young – Harvest, Fleetwood Mac – Rumours, Wilco – A Ghost is Born, and if I’m on an island, I would probably need Jimmy Cliff’s greatest hits. To set the tone.
9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
Not particularly, although I was a music major for 3 years of my college career so I could tell you a good deal of music history and theory. I don’t guess I know enough about rock and roll to consider myself a music geek.
10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
The Last Waltz. Also, the Metallica documentary, Some Kind of Monster, because (as everyone who’s ever been in a band understands) sometimes we all feel like we need “Band Therapists”.
11. What’s the last book you read?
The Beatles as Musicians, by Walter Everett. I took a Beatles course last semester and found that particular selection to be really enlightening.
12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
Live performances. The studio is a microscopic process and often, the original inspiration behind the song can be lost after a couple of takes.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
Too many to recount. Probably the one that sticks out in my mind the most was one of our first shows at a morning assembly in high school–we were freshmen, and I can clearly remember the looks on the seniors’ faces as we brutalized the 4 songs we played. Teddy, our bassist, didn’t even have time to tune beforehand, and subsequently lost his breakfast in the dumpster behind our school after the show. Awful.
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Colleges are always our favorites to play–Dartmouth, Hamilton, Colby, Middlebury. The craziest city we’ve had the opportunity to see was LA, though. Coming from the midwest and going to school out east… that was a whole different world.
15. Lastly, what have you done today?
Today was my birthday! I had dinner with my family and went to see Frost/Nixon, which was truly the best film I’ve seen in a long time. The guy who played Nixon was outstanding.
Filligar – Lot Six
Filligar – Hounds
Company of Thieves – Oscar Wilde
Tags: Company of Thieves, Filligar, kuestionnaire
Posted in Kuestionnaires, Music | No Comments »
