Xiu Xiu

Tickets went on sale months and months ago, but finally the time came for Xiu Xiu (pronounced "Shoe Shoe") to play their Triple Rock show on Saturday night. Not sure how these things work but Xiu Xiu ended up with the early all-ages time slot, before the later 18+ gig featuring Margot & the Nuclear So & So's with headliner The Elected. No matter.

My first note of commentary is on the audience. Other than a Low show from a few years ago when everyone on the main floor literally sat down to listen, I think this may have been the most still and silent crowd I'd ever witnessed at a rock concert. Eerily so. It was so quiet, I swore I heard a cat meowing somewhere near the back of the room. I'm just glad my phone didn't ring for fear of being yelled at. This is just not the sort of atmosphere you expect. So I couldn't get a read on the crowd. Was this silence in reverence for the indie avant-garde stylings of Jamie Stewart? Or a case of unenthusiastic concert-goers bored to tears? You got me. I'm thinking a bit of both. For example, Jay Flyer, my concert comrade on this evening, was unimpressed and decided a chicken sandwich was in order next door at the bar. But as you could probably guess, I was more on the reverent side of the spectrum. Still, the crowd sucked. Come on, people. It doesn't kill you to dance a little!

So anyway...Xiu Xiu is a fascinating band. They feature confrontational lyrics combined with some explosively violent sounds. But don't let that scare you. Add on Jamie's vulnerable voice and a surprisingly great sense of melody fighting through the chaos and you have some awesome tunes. The Cure is an obvious point of reference but there is no derivative aspect to the band. If you're interested, I strongly recommend Fabulous Muscles or their new release and one of the year's best, The Air Force.

So how are they live? Amazing and volatile. One moment, the music and lyrics are so delicate and hushed that you can barely hear the song; then suddenly, they explode in a fury of raucous (and often danceable) electronic beats and aggressive guitar. There's just three of 'em on stage, and each showcases multi-instrumental talents. But immediately, the first thing that strikes you is that frontman Jamie Stewart is one intense dude. Seriously. I thought he might break down at several points during the set. Whether "break down" meant pulling out a gun and blowing me away, or instead just crying his eyes out, I'm not sure. But that's the intensity I'm talking about. It's this dichotomy of violence and vulnerability that makes Xiu Xiu so damn fascinating.

Take these lyrics from one of their best songs titled "Fabulous Muscles" (which they didn't play unfortunately):
Break my face in
It was the kindest touch you ever gave
Wrap my dreams around your thighs
And drape my hope upon the chance to touch your arm
Fabulous muscles
Cremate me after you cum on my lips
Honey boy place my ashes in a vase
Beneath your workout bench
No romance no sexiness
But a star-filled night
Kneeling down before the now familiar flesh
Of your deformed penis
Wigging out before the unfamiliar flesh
Of my broken neck
So this is not exactly light reading, folks. Jamie Stewart is one serious fuckin' musician. And my god, he could kick my ass, too. Who knew he was some sort of weight lifter? Fabulous Muscles, indeed. Anyway, he is a passionate guy and it comes through in the music and the performance. I've been a fan for only a short while, discovering their music gradually over the last year. It isn't instantly accessible and can be downright frustrating at first but it really grew on me. For anyone who is already familiar with their material, all of this commentary comes as no surprise. But seeing them live really added to their punch for me, even if all this sounds a little too heavy for a rock show. I'm sure that chicken sandwich was good, too.

These postings go on way too long. I apologize. I could have just written this: Shitty crowd, awesomely intense performance, chicken sandwich.
I'll work on my brevity.

The Hold Steady

On Tuesday night, The Hold Steady was in town for the first of two big homecoming shows at First Avenue. By far the most Twin Cities-obsessed band on the planet, The Hold Steady throw out so many TC lyrical references that even the most jaded local listener feels in-the-know. Example: Best local reference of the night goes to Craig Finn's dedication of a song to obscure Minnesota Twins sidearmer Pat Neshek. So you can imagine how this highly geeked-out crowd might embrace these guys upon their return home.

First let me back up a sec. Robot Boy was the first of two opening acts. They sounded fine if not a little repetitive. But the real problem here was their stage presence which left something to be desired. Oddly, that something turned out to be an absurdly enthusiastic dancer who suddenly appeared on stage for two songs, quickly drawing the crowd's attention with his unapologetically flamboyant moves. Hard to describe but as the band continued to shoe-gaze, this dancer stole the spotlight for a fleeting moment. I hadn't seen that running-man move in years! He was wearing a First Avenue "Staff" shirt but I'm thinking you can just buy those anywhere and that he probably wasn't an actual employee. Anyway, once he left stage, so went the crowd's attention.

Next up was the always entertaining Sean Tillman (another local musician come home), tonight appearing with Sean Na-Na rather than as his more infamous, and scantily-dressed persona Har Mar Superstar. All the same, Tillman and his band rocked the house with some surprisingly accomplished tunes. But enough with the music already. The highlight of any Sean Tillman appearance is the between song banter, which doubles as an improv stand-up comedy routine. I could quote some of the better lines, but it wouldn't come off in text.

So back to The Hold Steady. I have been really loving their latest release Boys & Girls In America and looking forward to this show for months. Never short in enthusiasm, they played a consistently energetic set of songs mostly pulled from Boys & Girls and Separation Sunday. Hoodrats, Southtown girls, Lyndale, Rainbow Foods and Craig Finn's beloved Mississippi River. They all made an appearance on this night. Finn was in top form weaving story after drug-ridden-Minneapolis-story while branding an enormous dorky grin throughout. He clearly loved playing to such an adoring crowd. How could he not? My only complaint of the night was the surprisingly poor sound mix during The Hold Steady. Muddled is the word for it. Finn's words were hard to make out. My second complaint is that they didn't play "First Night" which is my favorite song from the new album. Or at least I don't remember them playing it. I ended up getting a little toasted by the end, no thanks to the over-sized bottles of beer they serve at First Avenue.

This leads me to another point. I'm beginning to truly dread weeknight concerts. I hate to admit something like this, because I sound like an old fart. I'm only 27. Still a young pup right? I should have the energy and the stamina but I'm finding that I often don't anymore. It's pretty sad. But honestly, who are we kidding? I have an intense passion for live music, but for better or worse, I feel just as strongly about sleep. Doors open at 8pm. After two opening acts, the headliner doesn't even get on stage until 11:30. Add alcohol to that long haul and you can just kiss the rest of the week goodbye. Friday and Saturday night fellas, that's all I'm asking.

Scare me

With Halloween on its way, I'm hoping to solicit ideas for scary movies. It has been a long time since I've experienced a truly frightening film...the last one that scared me in any significant way was probably Open Water and that should give you an idea of the type of horror I like. I tend to respond more to the psychological horrors in the vein of The Shining, The Vanishing, The Tenant and also the "real-life" horror scenarios like the aforementioned Open Water. Admittedly, I haven't seen the latest crop of violent slasher-type films (the Saw series, the new Texas Chainsaw films) nor the re-makes of the likely far superior Japanese horror films (e.g. The Grudge and Ring series) But at this point, I'll give anything a shot. So please speak up. What was the last film that scared the hell out of you? I'm talking nightmare-inducing, sleep-with-the-lights-on scary. And clowns! I am scared shitless of clowns!!

The Departed

The third film in the last five years pairing legendary director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed at last offers the exhilarating pay-off worthy of the Scorsese/De Niro collaborations of years past. Gangs of New York and The Aviator had their moments. Both were above-average pieces of filmmaking. Maybe just too epic, too dry and historical. But I'm here to tell you that the third time's the charm, because this is what I've been waiting for. The Departed, which I saw Saturday night, is the Scorsese of old. The legendary director returns to a recipe that has worked so well for the man. The ingredients: urban, immigrant neighborhoods populated by criminals who commit unrelenting violence, curse with amazing creativity and typically carry some hefty Catholic guilt. This time around the source material is the hit Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and the translation has not been lost.

The acting is superb across the board. Jack is Jack. He damn near falls into caricature with his role as the devilishly violent Boston crime boss Frank Costello. He may chew the scenery but don't tell me it isn't fun to watch. Matt Damon and Leonardo are both fantastic. I have come to expect great acting from Matt Damon but I had forgotten that Leo had the chops. This is his film and he carries it all the way through, bringing a fiery intensity to the man of Billy Costigan, a cop deeply undercover within Frank Costello's crew. The supporting cast is filled with great actors and roles, but none more entertaining than the twosome of Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg. They play a pair of intense and enthusiastic police with some of the best lines in the film, save those of Jack's of course.

Although the movie is well over two hours, you'd never guess it. The plot is taut and the story fast-paced. Credit goes to the great editing to keep things moving along with such a brisk and intense rhythm. Like all of Scorsese's best films, the use of rock music is excellent featuring The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Dropkick Murphys, etc. Music plays almost constantly from beginning to end and adds a punch to many scenes. The violence is as graphic as hell but shows up only in short, explosive jolts. The film may not be particularly deep or emotionally stirring. You don't walk out of the theater with any sort of insight into these characters and the world they inhabit. So this fact keeps it from rising into the ranks with Scorsese's best work (e.g. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas) But all the same, The Departed is a raucous and thrilling film and definitely one of the year's best. Welcome back, Marty.

Broken Social Scene

Thanks to guest blogger Jay Flyer for posting on Indianapolis BSS show...and damn them for skipping Mpls:

Last night’s show at the Vogue in Indy sounded great… Amy Milian was present, but no Leslie… boo. Anyway, there was a bit of tension on stage… in the midst of Almost Crimes the lead guitarist/backing vocals missed his queue… Kevin Drew immediately stopped the song waving his hands in the air demanding everyone to stop. He looks down the line at the unabashed guitarist (not sure who… face to name thing) and says something along the lines of, “I guess someone doesn’t want to sing his part tonight. Fine, that’s the end of the song.” They move on to the next. Drama!

Btw… I’m from Mpls and was at their show at First Ave. last year and the number of fans easily doubled the number in Indy. What’s up with Indy? Not aware of good music out there? Congrats to all who were there.

Do Make Say Think were there as an opening act. A few played with BSS. They are a young and talented band who can rock when they want to rock. I met Justin and Jimmy; Justin is by far the highlight of the act, his frail, tattooed body can wail on a guitar and steal the show… good thing for Jimmy, his level head can probably (hopefully) keep Justin in line.

Scott, they have never heard of Stereogum.com… they’ve been educated. Crazy Canadians.

Lates,
Jay Flyer

Early short films by Kubrick & Scorsese

Here is an awesome example of how the YouTube phenonmenon has profoundly affected media access. Essentially, it has opened up a historical archive of material that would have previously been impossible for the average person to view.

The new blog "...We're Going To The Pictures" features, via YouTube, early short films by Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick. Amazing stuff.

Bonjour

Quebec is indeed a gorgeous gem of a city, exceeding all of my expectations. Vieux-Quebec (Quebec's old town), resides behind fortified walls and within, it's as if you're suddenly transported to Europe. Since French is the national language around here, you quickly forget you're in North America at all.

Every night so far, I've searched the streets and alleys with the hopes of finding a spot with some live music but such venues are either non-existant or simply too difficult to locate for a naive and unresourceful foreigner who knows no French. I'm assuming the latter to be the case. But all is good for the food is delicious and the sangria bountiful.

See below for a couple choice pics of Quebec in case you're curious. As my timing has it, I'm here during the peak fall colors.

Bound for Quebec

Forgot to mention, I'll be out of touch for a short while. I'm headed to Canada, to Quebec City actually, for a work-related conference. Heard it's a beautiful city (very French, very European) so I'm excited to take in some sights and discover some tasty food and drink. Wish I had time to take the quick trip over to Montreal, but that ain't gonna happen. If I see anything of even remote interest or aesthetic value, I'll post the pics when I return.

The Current's in-studio archive

MPR's 89.3 The Current, the local FM radio fav around town, is quickly building a sizable and impressive archive of in-studio appearances. The featured artists typically depend on who is coming through town, so the latest addition to the site is my recent fav TVOTR. Since you're surely sick of me talking about them, you'll also find unique performances by Yo La Tengo, Calexico, Asobi Seksu, Ghostland Observatory, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, The Walkmen...I could go on and on.

Grind House

Watch this fantastically grotesque trailer for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's upcoming film Grind House coming out in April 2007. Quentin's half of the film is called Death Proof and Robert's is Planet Terror. You'll immediately get the idea. Nothing remarkable. Just more exploitation movie pastiche from T & R. Almost like the filmmaking equivalent of masturbation. It's gets old quick but with a little bit of creativity can be surprisingly entertaining. Problem is, when the show's over, it's never as good as you had hoped.

I do admire the spirited marketing on Grind House so far...the posters (see below) and now this new trailer are pretty striking. Usually this sort of thing doesn't do it for me, but I have a geeky soft spot for anything Tarantino. Rodriguez not as much...though Sin City had its moments. Love 'em or hate 'em, these two directors are experts in a particular kind of painfully shallow, obnoxiously self-aware entertainment. Is that a compliment or an insult? I don't even know but together again, it looks as if they are raising the stakes (maybe even competing against one another) to create an alternate universe of over-sexed, ultra-violent B-movie tropes of the sort I have never experienced firsthand. Not sure I want to either.

Sick & Tired

I've been out of commission since Friday night with a dreadful, life-altering flu bug. I'm just now coming out of the fog. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get out of bed and stand for longer than 5 minutes without breaking into a cold sweat and coughing up dead lung tissue. If I can do that, making it into work should be a breeze. On the bright side, I've decided to treat this experience as a subtle sign from my body to quit smoking. Haven't lit up in four days now so I'll see how far that gets me. Wish me luck.

The true tragedy of this story is how on this particular weekend I had tickets for two highly anticipated gigs. I missed Saturday's Yo La Tengo show entirely. It pains me to say it, but I didn't even consider leaving my bed for the show. It simply wasn't an option on that night.

Gig #2 was TV on the Radio on Sunday night...and it would take a lot more than a little case of the bird-flu for me to miss two shows in a row, especially one starring live favorites, TVOTR. And so, against all reasonable medical advice (and my wife's), we made it to First Avenue. Buzzed up on a casserole of legal, over-the-counter cold medicines, I planted myself in the usual prime spot behind the soundboard and somehow maintained consciousness through Grizzly Bear's opening set. They sounded great by the way. More psychadelic than expected (you can read into that what you will) but as my wife put it, "not very danceable." She's right, but in my state, dancing was not in order.

During the deadtime between sets, the meds wore off, my pain escalated and I coughed on everyone around us. We decided it was better to reposition ourselves to the outskirts in case of a quick exit, but I was willing to risk staying just a little longer to make it through TVOTR. In defense of my wife, all this time I had been minimizing my sickness, insisting that I was feeling better and would be ok, etc. And at this point, there was no turning back. We made it all the way down here, fought the sold-out crowd, saw the opening set and now TVOTR would be on stage any minute now. Any. Minute. Now. Instead, the time crawled by as it never had before. I mean, sure, we all hate waiting between sets, but this was getting ridiculous. So I finally gave in and admitted that I was in awful pain, soon to die and probably shouldn't be out in a club late at night. Right on cue, TV on the Radio came out on stage. Resisting her natural instinct to punch me in the nose, my wife agreed with my assessment, dragged me home and nursed me back to health. By the time we finally left, I did hear a couple songs of TVOTR's set and I could tell already it wouldn't top seeing them at Emo's last month. So it was really for the best.

In closing, I'd like to sincerely thank my wife, Annie, for putting up with her husband who is endlessly stubborn and has no tolerance for pain. I really don't. And I whine incessantly when I'm sick. It's pathetic.
Let's hope that this public acknowledgment of my idiocy and her wisdom will go a long way to prevent any resentment on her part...after all, she woke up with a sore throat this morning.

Three and out

In retrospect, perhaps I was a tad too optimistic and eager for our hometown Twins. I was excited, very excited but yes, maybe, could have, yes, I'm sure of it...I gotta little ahead myself with some lofty expectations. Thanks to very uncharacteristic play for three games (e.g. errors, poor bullpen pitching, bad baserunning), we've been swept by the Oakland Athletics. Last night, I drowned my post-season sorrows in pale ale. But this morning, I'm renewed and ready for next year. I'm sticking with the Twins as World Series Champs in 2007 (and 2008). In the meantime, with the Twinkies out, I'm rooting for the Cardinals to win it all. So it goes.

Half Nelson

Been a while since I've posted about a film..mostly because I haven't seen a good one in some time. But Fall is here and the crop of quality options is growing thicker each and every week.

This past weekend I saw Half Nelson directed by Ryan Fleck. The film first drew critical attention way back in January at Sundance, scoring a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize. Properly released a few weeks ago, this unassuming but powerful drama stars Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne, a young, idealistic history teacher by day, a disillusioned coke-addict by night. One day after school, the teach is caught smoking a crack pipe in the school bathroom by one of his 13-year old students, Drey, played by the talented Shareeka Epps. After their mutually startling encounter, the two eventually develop a tentative father-daughter relationship. Their new bond is contrasted to Drey's interaction with her other father figure, Frank (played by Anthony Mackie), a polite and considerate drug dealer from the neighborhood. Although on the surface, Frank is easily the nicest and most watchful eye in Drey's life, he also has ulterior motives to recruit Drey into some of his unsavory errands.

The plot sounds like it could fall in all sorts of traps, most obviously the "white teacher/coach who shows the black kids how to find their inspiration within themselves." This ploy has been obnoxiously portrayed in countless films over the years. But writer/director Ryan Fleck and and co-writer Anna Boden take that seemingly insulting and worn-out premise and turn it on its head. Better yet, the film is politically and morally resonant, with insightful commentary on ideals and one's ability (or lack thereof) to change the world we live in.

But enough with the synopsis. This is a fantastic film, maybe the best I've seen this year. There are several arresting and emotional scenes in this film of the sort I long to see but rarely do. I should also note that the film strongly features Broken Social Scene music throughout. But I find it very surprising (and disappointing) that Half Nelson has not garnered more attention. I can't remember seeing a single ad upon its release and only through my incessant reading of online critics and blogs did I take notice. The reviews were outstanding across the board and Ryan Gosling (post-Notebook fame) is now an established name. So what's the deal here? Ryan Gosling kills in this role, proving that he is this generation's Sean Penn. The Oscar prognosticator's are charging full-steam with award-season predictions but Half Nelson is hardly registering. True, I haven't seen half as many films as most this year, but I find it hard to believe that Gosling's performance and Half Nelson wouldn't be up there in the top tier.

Subjectivity's a bitch. So go check out this great film...I promise you will not be disappointed.

This is just the beginning...
In case you're wondering, here are a few more films I'm looking forward to seeing over the next few months:
The Departed, Little Children, The Fountain, Fast Food Nation, Flags of Our Fathers, Borat, Babel, Volver, The Good German, Children of Men, The Good Shepherd and Dreamgirls. Check out trailers for most of these films on my release calendar link over on the sidebar.

And now the division!!

Holy shit! Unbelievable!! The Twins are AL Central Division champions! And Mauer's batting title (over that mofo Jeter) is icing on the cake.
Phew, what a finish...

And so, with this amazing turn of events, I have to quickly amend my post-season predictions:
ALDS: Twins will now beat Oakland in 5 games.
ALCS: Twins beat Yankees in 7 games.
I stand by the rest of my predictions as originally published.

Next up, figuring out how the hell I'm going to scrounge up tickets for Game 1 on Tuesday!!
More likely, I'll be leaving work early to watch from home.

Twins clinch playoff spot!!

I've been trying to stick to the music/movie postings, but I have to quickly give props to the absolutely amazing Minnesota Twins, who clinched a playoff spot last night, beating the Royals 8-1. And let's take a moment to thank Cleveland who wrapped it up for us by crushing the defending world champion White Sox by the score of 14-1.

I'm still in shock. The team started out terribly through almost 2 full months of the season, only then to have the best record in baseball since June. Turning point? A record of 17-24 on May 19th when Francisco Liriano made his first start. Since then, 76-39 through Monday night. One of the great turn-around seasons in history, if you ask me.


Why? For those of you outside of Minnesota, I'll briefly explain. It is simple, really. We have the best pitcher in the majors in Johan Santana, the 2nd best pitcher and easily the best rookie (before going down to injury) in Liriano, probably the best hitter in Joe Mauer, one of the best closers Joe Nathan and then there's the favored MVP candidate, Justin Morneau. That's not even mentioning Torii Hunter, Cuddyer and anonymous heroes like Punto, Tyner and Bartlett. Add to this the best bullpen in the league and top-notch defense.

But the big question is, who else other than Santana will be starting in the playoffs for the Twins? Assuming we can't convince Johan to pitch every game, I say Bonser gets the nod. And assuming Radke is out, I'd have to pick Garza. Two rookies who've earned it. It'll be interesting but man, if Liriano was healthy, we'd coast to the World Series.

Even with our one weakness in starting pitchers, I'm gonna make a prediction:
ALDS: Twins beat Yankees in 4 games.
ALCS: Twins beat Tigers in 7 games.
World Series: Twins beat the New York Mets in 6 games.
World Series MVP : Nick Punto!

That's right. You're hearing it here first. Twins are going all the fuckin' way. Better yet, the core of the team is so damn good and so damn young that you can expect them to repeat next year. Should I call the three-peat? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Another great song from Sufjan

Have you heard the new Sufjan cut Sister Winter? If not, listen right now. It’s another astonishing song and the occasion has me wondering how this man can be so prolific, and yet still hit it out of the park each and every time, with almost every song no less.

Since his Avalanche of Illinois leftovers came out earlier this year, the backlash train has been gaining steam and that’s fine with me. Anyone who puts out this much material over a short period of time, all with a similar distinctive style, is sure to wear on people. Plus I’m not exactly the first fella to rant about how Sufjan is God’s gift to indie rock. Exuberant praise is a sure-fire producer of backlash.

Well, consider yourself warned because you can expect more Sufjan-bashing later this year when he releases more material, this time a choice sure to roll eyes, a 5-disc Christmas set. 'Sister Winter' is a track culled from this upcoming release which includes 5 EPs of Christmas-themed songs recorded since 2001. And yes, I'm excited for it. I haven't reached my Sufjan threshold yet so maybe I don't have one. For my taste, this guy is the real deal and the best pure songwriter and melody-maker of the last few years. So how can I burn out on that? In fact, I’m now feeling a hint of regret for missing Sufjan when he played the Paramount in Austin over the ACL weekend.

Related note of interest: Sufjan, along with Cat Power, The Raconteurs, and others recorded live performances at the Austin City Limits studio for future episodes of the outstanding program. Look for these new episodes some time this fall/winter.

ACL '06 - Day 3 pics

View of downtown Austin from across the festival grounds. Notice the welcome overcast skies!

And yet another makeshift beercan flag is erected for our crew on Day 3. The audience response was overwhelmingly positive.

The Flaming Lips put on another sterling carnival-influenced show as the sun set on the final day.

After enduring the enormous crowds and pouring rain during Tom Petty, we went straight to Emo's for the TV on the Radio aftershow. A perfect ending to the best ACL fest yet.

ACL '06 - Day 2 Pics

A great start to the day, Murder by Death proved to be one of my ACL surprises.

Another day, another impromptu flag invented for our crew. In a sea of 70,000 people, flags are essential.

My most anticipated act of the fest, TVOTR did not disappoint at the Austin Ventures stage...except they only had 45 minutes.

ACL '06 - Day 1 Pics

Forecast be damned. It was hot as hell on Day 1 but the clouds provided some relief. Better yet, not a dust storm to be found.

Wolf Parade (less one bandmate who has E. Coli) rocked early in the day.

Our flag was confiscated at the gate, so we had to improvise.

"I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind..."

Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous gave one of Friday's best performances

ACL Prep

Just arrived in Austin, TX last night for the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend in Zilker Park. My brother, who recently moved back to town, is our gracious host. This year we have a large group going to the fest, including my bro and his family, a few old highschool friends and their significant others and even two more flying into town today from the Twin Cities. We'll definitely be needing a flagbearer.

The best news I've heard today is the weather forecast which is surprisingly mild compared to previous years. Now if only the suffocating dust is kept to a minimum.

Anyway, here's out my schedule shakes out. Obviously, I still have a few conflicts but I'll just have to deal...

Friday:
1:30 - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
2:30 - deadboy and the Elephantmen
3:30 - Wolf Parade
4:30 - Gnarls Barkley
5:15 - Okkervil River
5:30 - Cat Power
6:30 - Thievery Corporation
7:30 - Sparklehorse
8:30 - Van Morrison (if I'm not dead tired)

Saturday: (the day of many conflicts)
1:30 - Phoenix OR Ghostland Observatory
2:30 - Galactic
3:30 - Secret Machines
4:00 - TV on the Radio
4:30 - The Shins
5:30 - Calexico
6:30 - String Cheese Incident
7:30 - Iron & Wine
7:45 - Explosions in the Sky
8:15 - Willie Nelson
8:30 - Massive Attack

Sunday:
11:45 - Anathallo
12:50 - The Black Angels
1:30 - Sam Roberts
2:30 - Damian Marley
3:30 - Jose Gonzalez
4:30 - Ween OR Matisyahu
5:30 - The New Pornographers
6:30 - The Flaming Lips
7:45 - Muse
8:30 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Whew. Not sure I'll make it to everyone but that would be the ideal schedule, especially if I didn't have to worry about silly, little things like food, drink and shade.

Then after the exhaustion of 3 full days in the sun, we've got tickets to an ACL aftershow at Emo's - TV on the Radio w/ What Made Milwaukee Famous.

See you on the other side.

The Bob Dylan Show

On Thursday night, we trekked an hour south to Rochester's Mayo Field, home of the Rochester Honkers. Bob Dylan and Friends were in town on their third annual minor league ballpark tour.

After some careful maneuvering, we planted ourselves at a perfect spot in the outfield about 20 feet from the stage. Now it ain't easy to maintain your spot up front with all those crazy, young whippersnappers out there. They push and they shove and they burn you with cigarettes, only for the tallest one of 'em to stand right in front of you and finally stay put. But on this night, we stood our ground and made out pretty well for old folk.

Bob's friends this year featured two acts from Austin, TX : 1) guitar extraordinaire and country singer Junior Brown and 2) Jimmie Vaughan, the highly influential blues guitarist, founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and of course, Stevie Ray's older brother.

Our evening opened with Junior Brown, who blew everyone away with amazing technique on the guitar that he invented, a double-necked steel guitar and Telecaster. Junior sped through a youthfully energetic set of classic country, surf and blues pieces. He has a fantastic voice to boot, reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

Not to be outdone, Jimmie Vaughan came on next wasting no time showing off his own impressive brand of distinctive Texas blues. Feeding off the lively crowd, Jimmie and his band performed an hour long set of fiery tunes, towards the end led by guest-singer Lou Ann Barton.

Having been satiated with a heavy dose of rootsy country and blues, around 9pm the man himself strolled out on stage. Obviously, Bob Dylan needs no introduction, but I will say he is looking mighty comfortable in his role as elder statesman. I mean, the guy defies all our expectations for the aging rock star. He stubbornly refuses to be influenced by today's trends both musically and aesthetically. He consistently puts out creative and satisfying material. Then he openly disparages the state of today's musical landscape but somehow Modern Times still hit #1 on the charts! I suppose at this point, he exists on a plane above the rest of us and we're all the better for it. In case you haven't noticed, I worship the guy. One of my all-time favorites.


The good news is that as weathered as Dylan may look, he remains a mesmerizing performer. And perhaps most importantly, he surrounds himself with talented musicians. This night's setlist featured vintage Dylan tunes, given new life with a more clasically bluesy, jazzy style as heard on his last three albums. Bob never once picked up a guitar, instead opting to play keyboard and a bit of harmonica as needed. He didn't say a single word to the audience until finally introducing the band during the encore. But who likes small talk anyway? However, Dylan didn't come off as cold or removed...rather he was obviously enjoying himself, and when the show ended, the band took a gracious bow and appeared sincerely grateful of our adoration. My personal highlights of the set included Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Highway 61 Revisited, Simple Twist of Fate, Forever Young and Ballad of a Thin Man. The encore featured an unbeatable one-two punch of Like a Rolling Stone followed by All Along the Watchtower. Hmm...I've just realized that Dylan didn't play a single song from his new album, Modern Times. Odd, but no complaints.

It was an ideal live music experience: perfect weather, a great outdoor venue, enthusiastic fans of all ages, fantastic music and Bob Dylan.

Farewell to Summer

Today, my bro-in-law moves out and heads back up to Duluth, MN for his fall semester. It's been great to have a guy and fellow music obsessive in the house. Lately, JB’s had a case of the end-of-summer blues so we decided to have him go out with a bang. In his final week in the big city, we went on a rampage of live music mayhem. Granted, ‘rampage’ may be an overstatement but we did catch three great live shows this week around town. A proper way to send him off, wouldn't you say?


1) Monday - Low @ Loring Park
One of JB's favorite bands played the final night in the summer “Movies in the Park” series held annually in Loring Park, Minneapolis.

Review: Quietly impressive set of songs from their entire catalogue. Relaxed, sunset-picnic-in-the-park vibe was a perfect setting.
Highlights: “Dinosaur Act” and thanks to JB’s Duluth connections, hanging out with Matt Livingston (Low's bass player) after their performance.

2) Thursday – Sonic Youth & The Flaming Lips @ The State Fair
Yes, you read that correctly: The State Fair. The very same ‘Great Minnesota Get Together’ that usually features a Toby Keith clone or even better, a butt-rock reunion band (e.g. Poison). Not on this night. Instead, thralls of unlikely fair-goers descended on the fairgrounds despite the evening's foreboding weather to watch a too-good-to-be-true pair of headliners. As ordered, the rain halted and the skies cleared just in time for the show.

Review: Sonic Youth played an energetic show featuring mostly tunes from their latest LP. A few too many obnoxious teenagers in the crowd whining about wanting to see the Lips and not this ‘noisy band’ …damn, I sound like an old man. Anyway, Kim Gordon is one sexy dancer, oh and she is a good musician, too. Sonic Youth's been around forever, but these guys are aging gracefully and their live chops are as good as ever.
Highlights: Opener “Teen Age Riot;” Thurston and Lee sword fighting with their guitars to wonderfully noisy effect.

Review: The Flaming Lips are well known for their live extravanganza and they did not disappoint in this regard. True their stage setup took over an hour but once they took the stage it was impossible not to get caught up in Wayne Coyne’s delirious antics, including his bubble crowd-surfing, endless explosions of streamers and confetti into the crowd, puppets, dancers in alien and Santa costumes, etc. The over-the-top show is truly a remarkable entertainment and unique from most shoe-gazing performers in the indie music scene. In fact, he is one of the most unashamedly gleeful rock stars I have ever seen and it is infectious. They also play music, too.
Highlights: Opener “Race for the Prize” and encore cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” with expected political video. Also, a quick two-song acoustic set by the Magic Numbers whose opening act was canceled due to stormy weather.

3) Saturday – Damian Marley and Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
I’ll preface by saying that I’m actually not too familiar with Ben Harper but I’ve always heard his live shows are not to be missed. This show was originally to be held outdoors in Somerset, Wisconsin but due to fire-hazard conditions it was moved to St. Paul.

Review: Opening act Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley set the bar high with an energetic show of flag-waving Jamaican reggae. A very danceable and lively performance, with two of his father’s songs included for good measure.
Then, Ben Harper. My expectations may have been mixed but the rumor was undoubtedly true: he is incredible live. I now know this first-hand. I had never heard most of his original material but I didn’t care. His stage presence is fantastic and welcoming. His musicianship is startling. Who knew Ben was such a mean slide-guitar player? I guess most people know but I didn’t until now. And each one of his Innocent Criminals is an incredible musician in their own right. They must have played for nearly 2.5 hours and I could have used at least another hour.
Highlights: The entire show. I don’t know the names of his songs except for the aptly titled “Burn One Down.” But I can say his selection of cover songs was impressive, including Prince, Bob Marley (with Damian joining in of course), Marvin Gaye and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.”

The Perfect Trailer

Having recently posted on the art of the trailer, I now have a perfect example in the just released trailer for Todd Field's upcoming Little Children. No flash at all, just very simple...no music, minimal dialogue and only a suggestion of a plot surrounding marital infidelity. The standout here is the use of sound, which is incredible. You'll see what I mean. Amazing how such a simple trailer can pack such an emotional punch. The film hasn't really been on my radar for this fall's releases but I am now paying attention. Todd Field also directed the highly-lauded In The Bedroom and the tone of Little Children appears to be in the same vein as that surprisingly affecting domestic drama.

Babble

My brother-in-law and summer roommate, whom I have dubbed J. Barrington, is an aspiring songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. I thought I'd share a sample of what he's been up to this long, hot summer. Have a listen to this wonderful little tune of post-rock bliss titled "Lost in Self Destruction" streaming here.

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Last week we took in the superb double feature of Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes at 1st Avenue. Over the last few months, Frog Eyes has quickly become a favorite so I was very pleased to see Carey Mercer (a dead ringer for Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his bandmates in a live setting. They blitzed through a stellar set brimming with yelps, feedback and beautiful, buried melodies. If you're not familiar with their catalogue, proceed immediately to an online destination of your choice to download albums or at least a few tracks from The Bloody Hand, The Golden River or The Folded Palm.

Of course, the headliner of the night was Wolf Parade, who has endlessly toured in support of their amazing debut LP Apologies to the Queen Mary. Last year around this time, the Parade were opening for The Arcade Fire and here we are, a year later, and they're still on the road only now a well-deserved feature act. In retrospect, Apologies is one of two albums that should have easily earned a ranked spot on my Best of list from 2005 (for the record, Broken Social Scene's self-titled release is the other). I digress... Wolf Parade put on a fantastic set, featuring nearly every track from their LP plus around 4-5 new tracks led by the busiest man in Canadian rock, Spencer Krug. But you have to give props to that "other" lead singer Dan Boeckner. True, he is skinny enough to border on concern, but he does provide a welcome raucous rock 'n roll presence, that night proudly wearing a Metallica sleeveless t-shirt (ironic or not, who's to say). Maybe hinting at the next album, the new cuts feature Dan more than Spencer and less synth. It was a hell of a show and left me excited to catch their ACL set this September.

Art of the Trailer

Film editing is a hobby of mine, but anyone can clearly see that there is an art to the movie trailer. Obviously, they're a mixed bag. When poorly done, a trailer will spoonfeed you the entire narrative arc of the story. They often give away the 3rd act and show you the best shots. Comedy trailers are notorious for revealing all the best gags. Most trailers are generic and repetitive, one indistinguishable from the next. However, when expertly made, a trailer will capture the mood of the film through sound and image, only using moments of the plot to hint at the larger story. The best trailers provoke an emotional response and work as stand-alone short films in themselves. A bit hard to explain so let me find some recent examples...

Garden State: maybe the best trailer from the last couple years. And it is also a good example of a trailer that ended up much, much better than the film itself.

Requiem for a Dream: a fantastic trailer which skillfully captures the mood and style of the feature-length version. Still scares the shit out of me.

Jarhead: another good example of a trailer that far exceeds the film. The actual movie is boring in comparison.

Marie Antoinette: more a teaser than a fullblown trailer, but the use of unexpected pop music (New Order) makes this a standout.

Elephant: another perfect use of music to much different effect.

Syriana: in this instance, the trailer makes more sense out of the plot than the actual movie.

Kill Bill: an example of a great action movie trailer and yet again, awesome music.

Pearl Harbor: remove all memory of the actual film from your mind when watching this one. Yes, the film sucked but this trailer is amazingly effective and packs much more of an emotional wallop than the film ever did.

What Happened?

As a loyal Grandaddy supporter, I carried high expectations to the Fine Line on Monday night to see Jason Lytle perform in support of the now-defunct band's recent album, Just Like the Fambly Cat. In effect, this was Grandaddy's farewell tour, or as close as anyone was going to get.

About three years ago, I saw Grandaddy in their prime at the 1st Ave-Main Room. As a unit, they put on a fantastic show, expertly translating their heavily-produced tunes into a thrilling live performance, led by the bearded-Jason's melancholy crooning, retro keyboards and grinding guitar. So an unplugged Grandaddy...err...Jason Lytle, was sure to be equally great. I was excited to hear how Jason would reconfigure his songs into a more acoustic setting. But as it happened, the Fine Line show was altogether different than I had hoped: it was a resounding disappointment.

If I were to choose highlights, I'd pick the fittingly minimalist version of "Jed the Humanoid" or the slow-tempo "Hewlitt's Daughter." But highlights were few and far between. Jason, clean-shaven, was joined on stage by multi-instrumentalist and fellow-Californian Rusty Miller. The two sat in folding chairs facing each other from opposite sides of a card table. The table was littered with cables, Casio keyboards, Rum & Coke, microphones, a couple recorders and various electronic gizmos. A quirky and quaint sort of setup. But oddly, Jason and Rusty performed to each other rather than to the eerily quiet audience of around 60 people.

Overall, the entire set was sloppy, disconnected and seemingly unrehearsed. But not in a spontaneous and off-the-cuff-creative sorta way. Jason and Rusty, who I suspect were inebriated, appeared to be figuring things out as they went, a problem that could have easily been solved with...I don't know? Practice, maybe? I guess you could say it felt like watching their rehearsal, or better yet, watching what its like to see Jason fucking around on the keyboard with his friend. Sounds cool enough. And it had potential. I still think it could have been great, but in the end, the show was a swell concept, lacking in execution.

Furthermore, the sound was for shit, with incessant feedback buzzing through every song and filling the dead silence in between. We did have the pleasure of watching Jason and Rusty awkwardly swap places, back and forth around the table like musical chairs, tangling cords and passing their drinks after every song. Jason gave little in the way of conversation or even acknowledgment to the crowd. Boring is a word that comes to mind and I never thought I'd say that in describing the mesmerizing music of Grandaddy. To cap things off nicely, the set ended in anti-climactic fashion without an encore. Ta da!

This was not the Grandaddy...uh, I mean the Jason Lytle I had come to see. But perhaps that's my problem. One of my favorite bands broke up and I wanted to see one final triumphant performance. Instead, I saw the talented, but surprisingly uninspiring front man on his own. Or maybe it's just the beard? The beard was Jason's mojo and he lost it somewhere in Modesto, California.

Cookie Mountain

TV on the Radio's new disc Return to Cookie Mountain is my undisputed choice for best record of the year...true, we're only a bit over the half-way marker but I can say with confidence that this will be at the top (or damn near it) by year-end. The US release isn't until Sept 12th, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, I've been lovin' it for a couple months now in various versions.

In related news, this weekend the ACL Music Festival quietly added TV on the Radio to this year's line-up!!

MP3: Province
MP3: A Wolf Like Me

Everything In Its Right Place

Pardon the interruption...but excitement demands I post.

Late Monday night, we reluctantly returned from a quick and busy (2+ days) jaunt to San Francisco, which is now officially my favorite U.S. city.

A few highlights...

Saturday--
In the early afternoon, we took in a Giants-A's game at the fantastic AT&T ballpark which sits directly on the bay. As luck would have it, we were there to witness Barry Bonds hit his 719th homerun. The place went crazy. Giants fans may be the only people around who still cheer for this much maligned sports figure, but I can understand why. Regardless of one's opinion about Bonds, it is a thrill to see him play in person.

Back to the hotel to re-group, take a nap and allow anticipation to build for the featured event of the trip...Radiohead in concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA.

As dusk fell on the bay, we caught the BART (San Fran's train/subway) over to Berkeley's Univ of Cali campus. The Greek Theatre is a stellar outdoor venue, perched on top of a hill and surrounded by woods. The temperature was cool but comfortable and the atmosphere bordered on surreal as fog began to roll into the amphitheatre almost on cue.

Opener Deerhoof played a tight but brief set. Judging on the reaction (or lack thereof) among those around us, we were in the minority as Deerhoof fans; strange since they are a San Francisco band known for their blazingly fierce live act. But honestly, I was shamefully thankful for a quick opening act.

As Radiohead appeared on the stage, the crowd roared to life in a communal orgasm of excitement. Beginning with a stomping version of Airbag, Thom & Co. proceeded to blow us all away with an outstanding set of the familiar (2+2=5, Myxamatosis, Paranoid Android and Black Star to name a few of the more raucous selections) sprinkled with a teasing taste of promising new tunes (15 Step, Down is the New Up, All I Need and Arpeggi were my favorites). The gang of five were in a festive mood, full of energy and confidence but sincerely gracious of the reception. For me, the most goosebump-inducing moment came at the end of the first encore. Thom performed a haunting solo version of True Love Waits on a Fender Rhodes piano while Ed and Jonny sampled, remixed and regurgitated snippets and segments live on stage...as it reached a climax, the entire band joined in to seamlessly segue into Everything In Its Right Place. It was fuckin' amazing. A written description doesn't do it justice of course, but you can always download the show in its entirety via EZ Torrent (registration is required). Actually, we were pretty close to the stage and even managed to do a little amateur bootlegging ourselves with mixed results. So, yes, it was a brilliant performance. I had the time of my life. It was easily the best live show I have ever seen. Can't wait for the new album in 2007.

Setlist
1. Airbag
2. 2+2=5
3. Where I End And You Begin
4. 15 Step (NEW)
5. Kid A
6. Dollars And Cents
7. Down Is The New Up (NEW)
8. Nude (NEW)
9. Paranoid Android
10. No Surprises
11. The Gloaming
12. All I Need (NEW)
13. Climbing Up The Walls
14. Go Slowly (NEW)
15. Myxomatosis
16. Bangers 'N Mash (NEW)
17. How To Disappear Completely

Encore 1
18. Fake Plastic Trees
19. Arpeggi (NEW)
20. Black Star
21. True Love Waits (Thom only on Rhodes, intro to EIIRP)
22. Everything In Its Right Place

Encore 2
23. Bodysnatchers (NEW)
24. The Tourist

Sunday--
A host of walking excursions into fabulous (but sadistically slanted) San Francisco neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Nob Hill, Pacific Heights and then down to the Fisherman's Wharf district for a ferry ride around the bay (Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, etc.) and then back to walk along the many piers.

Another nap, only this time we awake after an alarm mishap with only 30 minutes to hike up Nob Hill and back down again to Bimbo's 365 Club to catch our 2nd highly-anticipated event of the weekend: Neko Case. Bimbo's is this great, plush dinner club with red velvet decor and just a very cool vibe unlike any club I've been to. Thankfully, we made it just in time to see Neko Case (for the fifth time) and she puts on a fantastic show each and every time out. I won't do a blow-by-blow for her but maybe I'll get my wife to write a post for us.

Now, honestly, what are the chances that my favorite band and my wife's favorite band are both playing in the same town on consecutive nights?! I don't know and I don't care. I just know that the live music Gods aligned the stars just right for us on two unforgettable nights in San Francisco.

Running on empty

Sorry folks, I got nothing. We've entered a dry spell, here, so bear with me. I'm struggling to find topics or subjects of any interest, to the extent that my sole idea is to write a post about how I have nothing to post about. And that is just obnoxious, so I won't do it again. I'll just keep to myself. I think I'm confused on what to do with this blog...it's become primarily a music blog which is not what I had in mind...I need to branch out and explore other topics...need to shake things up. So the site will be on a hiatus for a bit, a summer vacation... only to return refreshed and rejuvenated. Fitter, happier and more productive as it were.
However, I have been updating the sidebar and will keep doing so on a regular basis with links and recommendations.
I leave you with a couple pics of the kids. Have a great summer!!

The Eraser is leaked...

Thom Yorke's highly anticipated solo album The Eraser leaked online about 24 hours ago. The proper release hits shelves July 11 courtesy of XL Recordings. I assume the leak is a direct result of the promo release, and if so, it was inevitable. And thank god for it. Like every other Radiohead-obsessed fan, I literally foam at the mouth with the possibility of any new material, solo or otherwise. So naturally, I downloaded it the instant I heard of the leak and it has been on repeat ever since. My first impression, albeit a simplistic generalization, is Kid A-lite with proper song structure and intelligible lyrics. So in short, it's brilliant. No easy link as a guide...you'll have to search it out for yourself but it won't be hard to find. Anyway, The Eraser will nicely tide me over until I catch the full band at a once-in-a-lifetime theater show in San Fran come late June.

Summer '06 Mix

Summer is here in Minnesota and we're about half way through the year. To mark the occasion, I put together a mix of a few of my personal favorite 2006 songs available to date. I recommend that each and every one of you download these tracks (right click, save as...) if you don't have them already...and sooner, rather than later in case the links go bad. I grabbed every mp3 I could find and came surprisingly close to giving you the entire thing. But for the couple I couldn't find, hop over to emusic and sign up for the free trial to download 'em and complete the mix. Then put it all together just like I've done below (no messing with the order now) and enjoy the sounds of some great tunes. May this be at least one soundtrack to your summer of 2006.

1. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
2. Formed a Band - Art Brut
3. Mount Wroclai (Idle Days) - Beirut
4. Stadiums And Shrines II - Sunset Rubdown
5. Violets - Candy Bars
6. I'm Waiting To Know You - The Fiery Furnaces
7. The Henney Buggy Band - Sufjan Stevens
8. Goin' Against Your Mind - Built to Spill
9. Auto Rock - Mogwai
10. According To Plan - I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
11. Good, Not Great - Mission of Burma
12. I Want You So Hard (Boys Bad News) - Eagles of Death Metal
13. Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs
14. Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives - Voxtrot
15. Munich - Editors
16. Painter In Your Pocket - Destroyer
17. Lightning Blue Eyes - The Secret Machines
18. Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19. Hospital Beds - Cold War Kids
20. An Old Familiar Scene - Elf Power
21. Did I Step On Your Trumpet - Danielson
22. Free Radicals - The Flaming Lips
23. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
24. Insistor - Tapes 'n Tapes
25. The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses
26. Pour Me Another - Ola Podrida
27. This Is How It Always Starts - Grandaddy

Growing on me...

So I've been doing a bit of musical research on some of the lesser known bands (to me) in the ACL line-up and I must say that things are looking up. I downloaded MP3s (thanks to an emusic.com free trial) of several bands that I had heard of but never listened to and a few I've just never heard of at all. The research has paid off after discovering a few musical gems buried in the lineup such as Explosions in the Sky, Stars, Feist, Okkervil River, Jose Gonzalez and the Black Angels. So in other words, the line-up is growing on me.

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Quick debrief on the Mogwai show last night at 1st Ave. As expected, I was blown away and I'm speaking literally here. They sounded brilliant of course, but there is nothing more prominent in a Mogwai show than the physical assault on our oh-so-very-precious ear drums. I've thought about this a bit and these unassuming Scots deliver a concussion-inducing sonic force that far surpasses any other band I've seen in a live forum. I swear I could actually see the sound waves, it was that thick. Yet their melodies, textures and occasional vocals still manage to rise to the surface, without distortion or becoming lost in the mix. Luckily all of this pummeling is exactly what you want and expect from Mogwai and is 100% indicative of their material (i.e. loud-soft-loud, repeat till climax sans post-coital cuddling).

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Lastly, I wanted to acknowledge the successful pass of the stadium bill early this morning after a very close vote, 34-32. Baseball is really the only sport I follow with any sort of passion, so I'm thrilled to see the Twins finally get their open-air baseball stadium. And you can bet I'll be there on opening day, 2010 even if I'm long gone by that time.

ACL rundown

The 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup was announced last night, albeit with a bit of a whimper after an online leak a few days earlier, not to mention that many of the big-name artists were confirmed weeks ago. But now it is official:

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Aimee Mann, Alexi Murdoch, Anathallo, The Anointed Voicez, Asheba, Asleep at the Wheel, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Ben Kweller, Benevento Russo Duo, Beto and the Fairlanes The Biscuit Brothers, The Black Angels, BoDeans, Brazilian Girls, Buckwheat Zydeco, Calexico, Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band, Centro-matic, Charlie Sexton, Claire Small, Damian Marley, Damien Rice, Daniella Cotton, deadboy & The Elephantmen, Del Castillo, Donavon Frankenreiter

The Durdens, Eli Young Band, Elvis Perkins, Explosions in the Sky, Federico Aubele, Feist, Fields, The Flaming Lips, G. Love & Special Sauce, Galactic, Ghandaia, Gnarls Barkely, Goldfrapp, Gomez, The Gospel Silvertones, The Greencards, Greyhounds, Guster, Guy Clark, Husky Rescue, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness?, Ian McLagan and The Bump Band, Imagination Movers, Iron & Wine, Jack Ingram, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe McDermott and the Smart Little Creatures, John Mayer, The Jones Family Singers

Jose Gonzalez, Joy Davis, Kasey Chambers, Kathleen Edwards, Kings of Leon, KT Tunstall, The Long Winters, Los Amigos Invisibles, Los Lonely Boys, Lou Ann Barton, Marah, Massive Attack, Matisyahu, Matt Costa, Matt Nathanson, Melissa Reaves, Murder by Death, Nada Surf, New Monsoon, The New Orleans Social Club, The New Pornographers, The New Soul Invaders, Nickel Creek, Okkervil River, Oliver Mtukudzi & Black Spirits, The Palm Elementary School Choir, Paolo Nutini, Patrice Pike

Peter Dawson, Phoenix, Pierre Guimard, The Raconteurs, Randy Rogers Band, Ray Lamontagne, Robyn Ludwick, The Rocket Summer, Rocky Votolato, Rodney Hayden, Sam Roberts, Sara Hickman, The Secret Machines, The Shins, Son Volt, South Austin Jug Band, Sparklehorse, Sparta, Star Kids Yoga, Stars, Sterling Lands and The Warrior Gospel Band, The Stills, String Cheese Incident

The Subdudes, Sylvia St. James and The Gospel Stars, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Terri Hendrix, Thievery Corporation, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Tragically Hip, Trish Murphy, Troy Campbell Band, Van Morrison, Ween, What Made Milwaukee Famous, The White Ghost Shivers, Willie Nelson, Wolf Parade

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There you have it. As you've probably noticed, I've been ranting and raving about ACL all year. My very first post on this here blog was an exuberant recap of my 2005 ACL experience. I regularly talk it up to friends and on this very site. I even helped encourage a couple of friends to snatch up their 3-day passes early before any lineup inklings had been released. I was that confident. And now the lineup is released...and my initial reaction is mixed. More of a 'bleh' than the expected 'fuck yeah!' Have my expectations grown too high? ACL has always been unique from the other big festivals, showcasing a wide array of local talent, older vintage bands, a good mix of indie bands and of course, the standard fest-oriented jam bands. It is also just a great festival experience. But still...

As I review the acts over and over I can't seem to find even one act that makes my mouth water with anticipation. Last year I had a truly geeky excitement to see The Arcade Fire, The Fiery Furnaces, Wilco, Built to Spill and Lucinda Williams. The year before, it was Wilco (again), Neko Case, My Morning Jacket, and best of all, The fuckin' Pixies! This year, I don't know...The Flaming Lips and Willie Nelson are the only two that even raise my eyebrows. There are plenty of other bands I like in that line-up, but for some reason or another they just don't give me the hard-on I was hoping for. I mean Bonnaroo has Radiohead so that's no contest, the rest is icing. Lollapalooza has Wilco, Sonic Youth, RHCP, Sleater-Kinney, Kanye West, Queens of the Stone Age and Broken Social Scene. ACL has Van Morrison as a headliner?! Don't get me wrong, I like a good Van tune like the next guy, but I have sickening feeling that my parents would be more interested in this year's lineup than I am. And that disturbs me.

I say again, there are some damn fine artists in there: Wolf Parade, Sparklehorse, New Pornos, Iron&Wine, Cat Power, Ted Leo, Gnarls Barkley, The Shins, etc. But still, none of them get me truly excited for that live experience that I'm badly craving. I'll still go of course. I'll still have a great time and maybe now I'll be pleasantly surprised with my expectations lowered. And I'll take any excuse to make a trip to Austin, TX. I'll suck it up and suffer through it. Guess this just means that I'll have to go to Lollapalooza, too in order to get the fix I'm looking for. What can ya do? Life is tough.

Natural's Not In It

(Gang of Four, Entertainment!)

The problem of leisure, What to do for pleasure
Ideal love a new purchase, A market of the senses
Dream of the perfect life, Economic circumstances
The body is good business, Sell out, maintain the interest
Remember Lot's wife, Renounce all sin and vice
Dream of the perfect life, This heaven gives me migraine
The problem of leisure, What to do for pleasure

Coercion of the senses, We are not so gullible
Our great expectations, A future for the good
Fornication makes you happy, No escape from society
Natural is not in it, Your relations are of power
We all have good intentions, But all with strings attached

Repackaged sex keeps your interest
Repackaged sex keeps your interest
Repackaged sex keeps your interest
Repackaged sex keeps your interest
Repackaged sex keeps your interest
Repackaged sex keeps your interest

The problem of leisure, What to do for pleasure
Ideal love a new purchase, A market of the senses
Dream of the perfect life, Economic circumstances
The body is good business, Sell out, maintain the interest
Remember Lot's wife, Renounce all sin and vice
Dream of the perfect life

This heaven gives me migraine
This heaven gives me migraine
This heaven gives me migraine

In concert

Let's just say that it's been a busy and tumultuous month around here and that alone explains away my lack of new postings. But I'm back in the saddle for now.

So, lately all I've been thinking about is my innate desire to see live music. Where to begin? Ahh yes...
The Austin City Limits Music Festival will officially announce its 2006 lineup on May 11th. The anticipation is driving me nuts but thankfully, many acts have already been confirmed through various sources. To date the list includes:


Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
The Flaming Lips
Ben Harper
John Mayer
Los Lonely Boys
Massive Attack
Matisyahu
The Shins
Iron and Wine
The New Pornographers
Ben Kweller
Son Volt
Thievery Corporation

Doesn't really blow you away, but it's a promising start. So far, I am most excited to see Petty and the Lips but I'm anxiously awaiting the full line-up. After being screwed out of $35 early-bird tickets, I had to fork over $90 for my 3-day passes and the cost has been on the rise ever since. In fact, the only available price range remaining for 3-day passes is now at $115. After those sell-out, that is it. Single day tickets will go on sale at a later time.

I've pretty much ruled out Bonnaroo but I'm still mulling over one of the three Chicago fests this summer: Intonation, Pitchfork or Lollapalooza. Or I may skip all three because Radiohead's US tour is slowly coming together. Thom and co. are reportedly headed to Chicago for two shows on June 19th and 20th! Best of all, the rumor is they'll be playing smaller venues than usual. Tickets go on sale on May 6th and I'll need a small miracle to snatch 'em up.

Local shows on my radar include Tapes 'n Tapes (May 5, The Entry), Secret Machines (May 12, 1st Ave.), Mogwai (May 20, 1st Ave.), The Fall (May 29, Varsity), The Walkmen (June 3, 400 Bar) and Wilco (July 2, Duluth). Probably many more I am neglecting to mention, but either way, hope to see you all at one or more of the shows.

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I'm curious how people will be responding to the first Hollywood 9/11 film United 93, which was released nation-wide today. The reviews from critics have been incredible but of course there is a vocal cross-section of the media and public saying 'too soon, too soon.' I don't know a single person who has even hinted at an interest in seeing the film. But as you'd expect, I'll be catching it in the next few days, more than anything because I admire the work of director Paul Greengrass. I will say that I'm relieved to hear it doesn't play as a sentimental, patriotic memorial which would not interest me in the slightest. It'll surely be a harrowing experience but I'm a willing masochist. If anyone has an opinion on the film, I'd be curious to hear it.

Act 2

I have a friend who is currently facing a sizable decision in life. Not life-altering, but significant nonetheless. Minus any additional details, I'll say that that it involved a relationship. Doesn't it always? So being the helpful friend I am, I provided advice to this person that was practical, rational and completely realistic. It was obvious to me how the situation would end (i.e. in disaster and pain for all parties); therefore, I discouraged this person from proceeding further down this treacherous path. No ambiguity. It was all crystal clear to me. I could foresee impending disaster (as could my friend), so it certainly made good sense to help him/her avoid it. But after carefully advising my friend that there was but one logical way to proceed, I had a startling realization: that I am full of shit and completely void of the qualities I strive to achieve in life. This is all a bit vague, I know. Bare with me here. So upon recognizing the hypocrisy of my advice, I abruptly made a dramatic 180-degree turn and offered my friend new and conflicting advice. Pretty much the polar opposite of what I had so confidently told him/her in prior conversations. I said this...
To use a screenwriting analogy, everyone comes to many 1st-act breaks throughout their life. By this I mean, a key moment of decision will be seemingly put upon us much like a hero in a film. This moment is significant enough that what is decided will lead us down very different paths. To simplify things, let's say you have only two paths, two options. Everybody can relate to that...the whole 'fork-in-the-road' scenario. One option is to turn away from this tough decision and take the easy way out, perhaps due to fear, anxiety or simply good-ol' rational logic. We could be talking relationships, careers, anything really. And this is what we all choose probably 97% of the time. It makes sense, right? No one gets hurt. Risk is minimized. Insurance premiums are lowered.

Returning to the screenplay analogy, if a hero in a film were to take this route at the end of Act 1, there would simply be no Act 2. Who would want to watch that? The film would end, the curtains would close, the show would be over. And that is what we do most of our lives, we face the 1st-act break dead-on and turn away, ending the story right there. I'd venture to say that a majority of people live their entire lives without ever having a 2nd act. But what makes movies and stories so appealing to us rational folk is that we are able to live through a character who makes the tough decision, the often irrational choice and dives into the 2nd act that is both unknown and frightening.

So that's it. That is what I told my friend to do, to just fuck it and leap head-first into Act 2. It may end up in disaster, we already acknowledge that. But he/she may also end up much better off than where they began (see diagram). Now just like nearly everyone else in the real world, when I face a 1st-act break, I usually turn the other way. It kills me, though. It is usually fear alone that stands in my way and I wish terribly I had courage to overcome it. That's a real goal of mine. But in any case, I don't always practice what I preach. But damnit, if I am going to give advice to a close friend, I don't want to be the one to encourage the easy way out, especially when it could mean passing up something incredible, something worth experiencing even if it ends up in pain and suffering. I have to believe Act 2 is worth it on its own. So we'll see. It is all very romantic and exciting to consider, however, doing it is another story. But I gave my friend this advice, and I'm sticking to it.

Much to everyone's surprise, Snakes on a Plane has become the most unexpected cultural event of the year and it won't even be in theaters until August. I imagine most of you by now have heard of this too-ridiculous-to-be-true movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. And yes, Snakes on a Plane, I repeat, Snakes on a Plane is the actual title of the film, no joke. That says it all. But if the title alone doesn't do it for you, just take a long look at this poster and read this succinct description to understand the mounting anticipation.

On board a flight over the Pacific Ocean, an assassin, bent on killing a passenger who's a witness in protective custody, lets loose a crate full of deadly snakes.

Give it all a chance to sink in, and then go to Snakes on a Blog for an impressive array of songs, videos, posters, artwork, t-shirts, hats, etc. all created by excited (and mocking) fans of the upcoming release. Click here for one hilarious example of songwriting inspired by the film posted on Hollywood Elsewhere. The camp-factor on Snakes is incredible, so much so that you have to wonder about the original intent of the filmmakers. Is Snakes the epitome of vacant, Hollywood machinery taken to an absurd extreme or rather a brilliant and deliberate maneuver by Samuel L. and company to mock Hollywood and build a huge groundswell of buzz via the internet? The answer doesn't matter, of course. By now everyone involved with the production, including Samuel L. Jackson himself, is in on the joke and will rake in the cash regardless of how it actually plays. But I do know this, there are Snakes on a motherfuckin' Plane and I'm gonna be there opening day to see 'em.