Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
CONCERT REVIEW 2009
2009 was another great year for music. It was a just as great year for concerts, too. I've compiled videos of the shows I went to with my friends this year, and have included brief accounts of each concert. They're not ranked in any favorite order, but rather chronologically. Enjoy.
Andrew Bird
3/22/09
When my friend Sarah's trip to New York was pushed forward, she was unable to go and left with an extra ticket to an already SOLD OUT Andrew Bird show. I gladly took it. I think I thanked her a million times on the phone call home from the show.
"Armchairs"
"Fake Palindromes"
Dan Deacon & Ensemble/Future Islands
4/18/09
Dan Deacon had been an artist I had seen on blogs over and over, yet never checked out for who knows why. So, when my friend Sarah told me about how insane and involved his live shows were, not to mention he was touring here in April, I felt I was due for a listen. All it took was watching his music video for "The Crystal Cat", a listen to "Wham City"(in all of its 12 minute grandeur!) and a listen to the recently leaked Bromst, and a fan was born. I bought tickets to Dan Deacon for Sarah's birthday. The setting was the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth sculpture garden. Sarah, Patty and I just walked around the museum while the evening's events unfolded. We bought Dan tees from the merch table. We later discovered the guy selling them was the lead singer for Future Islands, the band who opened for Dan. Personally, I LOVED those guys. It was pretty hilarious how the lead singer danced manically, howling away while his backing band didn't move a muscle. When Dan came on all hell broke loose. I recall running mad in giant laps to "Woof Woof" ("PATTY!"), walking blindly (eyes closed)and bumping into people during "Snookered", and THE GAUNTLET. I built five different kinds of arm muscles during whatever song was playing during that. Don't ask me how. You should have been there. Everyone was extremely sweaty by the end of the evening.
"The Crystal Cat"
"Woof Woof"
Passion Pit/Harlem Shakes
6/2/09
Three years ago my friend Lara shared Harlem Shakes with me in her New York dorm. Three years later I was still as stoked to see them live. Passion Pit was fun times dancing. I got a bit separated from Kerry and Lauren in the crowd that night but as Kerry recalls, it didn't ruin the show for me: "Every time I looked back at you, you were dancing." Hahaha!
"Little Secrets"
"The Reeling"
Animal Collective
6/4/09
It's June 2009. I'm seeing Animal Collective (& BLACK DICE!) and the one song I'm really hoping they play is the new track that's been floating around numerous blogs since January, yet wasn't on the most recent AC release, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Not sure what it's called, but we know it has that Grateful Dead sample that just works so well. I just checked my last.fm and saw that I've scrobbled the same song under three different names, haha. Whatever it was, I just really wanted to hear it. That night Animal Collective answered my prayers. Watch the highlight of the night below.
Fast forward to November: "What Would I Want? Sky" named P4k Best New Track
And oh, yeah. A Black Dice meme amongst my friends and I was born. ;D
"What Would I Want? Sky"
Grizzly Bear/Here We Go Magic
6/15/09
Here We Go Magic were so good live. I had only given their new album a quick listen through prior to this show, but was quick to go back for another go immediately following the concert. No disrespect to Grizzly Bear, but I hope to see Here We Go Magic again on a separate bill to avoid having to stand next to rude fans talking throughout their set, impatiently waiting for GB to play "Two Weeks", while saying HWGM don't have the right "indie look" to be that good. RIGHT.
Grizzly Bear were all that expected. And I'm still convinced Ed played a glorious 8 minute version "Fix It" encore JUST FOR ME. (I did request it via Twitter the night before! "Just play Fix It for meEEeeEEEeeEee" HAHA, I'm so clever!) Following the show, we got to chat it up with the guys from Grizzly Bear. While back there, we were chatting with Chris Taylor when this random girl asked if she could buy their music right then. He asked her if she wanted the CD or vinyl. She was apparently caught off guard because she yelled, "OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS ARE ON VINYL?!?!?!" which had all of us including Chris laughing. Fuck, I wish I had video of that moment. I will never forget that girl.
Ed and I
Here We Go Magic
"Tunnelvision"
Grizzly Bear
"Knife"
"Fine For Now"
Bat For Lashes/Other Lives
8/20/09
The new Bat For Lashes album, Two Suns, is one of my favorites of the year. I've had a mega crush on her since hearing "Sad Eyes" three years ago, from her debut, Fur and Gold. I'm linking many videos from the show attended this year, and I've avoided ranking them in any particular order because they all are great moments I can't even begin to do so with. BUT, I do believe I can say hearing Natasha sing "Sad Eyes" on this night, was my highlight for the year. (I wanted to kill the girls screaming for her to opt for a song other than this one, haha) "What's a Girl To Do?" was very fun to dance to, too. ;)
Other Lives were a pleasant surprise. I did not know who they were prior to this show, but was eager to have a listen. I was pretty taken back by their final song, "Paper Cities". Video of that performance can be found below.
One hilarious thing about the evening was that Bat For Lashes was playing the Loft the same night STAIND were planning to BREAK THE CYCLE at the Palladium and let Texans know IT'S BEEN A WHILE since they've held a fucking MUDSHOVEL?!? I don't know but Aaron Lewis was not impressed by me.
Other Lives
"Speed Tape"
"Paper Cities"
Bat For Lashes
"Pearl's Dream"
"The Wizard"
"What's A Girl To Do?"
"Sad Eyes"
"Daniel"
The Dodos/The Ruby Suns
8/2/09
This night was probably one of the best pairing of bands I could have asked for. The Ruby Suns got everyone dancing to open things up. Kerry, Lauren, Patty, Sarah and I were all up front dancing and even caught the attention of Suns' bassist Amee Robinson who noted she liked "the little dance pockets up front". They played a new song called "Mingus & Pike" that I'm positive will be a favorite of mine when they release their new album next year. I only wished they had played "Morning Sun". I really wanted to hear that "WTF Depeche Mode breakdown" I like to refer to it as, in the second half of the song. But that aside, the Ruby Suns were so, so much fun to watch. I can only describe their show as "fun". It's that simple.
The Dodos opened with "Paint the Rust" and it felt like a punch in the face. I mean that in a good way. It was the perfect opening to their set. "Jodi" really should be experienced live by anyone who loves that song. I really, really cannot wait to see them again. Everyone should just watch the videos rather than listening to me talk about their set. Go watch.
Patty, Me, and Sarah
(Kerry's taking the photo though!)
The Ruby Suns
"Tane Mahuta"
"Mingus & Pike"
The Dodos
"Paint the Rust"
"Jodi"
"Fools"
"The Season"
Le Loup
11/3/09
For my friend Matthew's birthday, we all went out to see Le Loup down at the Cavern. The Cavern is a bar that's tiny as shit, so it made for a pretty rad intimate show for all 40 of us in attendance (42 if you count the giant bouncer as two people). Le Loup were very similar to what I'd imagine seeing Animal Collective circa Sung Tongs era live. How these guys are playing tiny bars like the Cavern is beyond me. They should be bigger than they are.
"We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"
"Family"
"Forgive Me"
The Mountain Goats/Final Fantasy
11/19/09
Completed the hat trick for seeing Final Fantasy! Five years ago, I was lucky enough to catch him play an impromptu opening set for Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire's bus had broken down halfway on their way to Dallas, so Owen played a set to ease a defrosting crowd on this January evening. Following last month's show, my friend Kerry and I stuck around to chat with Owen, and he was nice enough to record a video message to my friend Madeline who could not make it to the show that night. What a guy!
The Mountain Goats were great as well. Women kept yelling, "I wanna have your babies! OMGZ", so I counteracted with "I wanna have your goats!" I WIN. I really did want to add some Mountain Goats video from the night, but I couldn't find any on the YouTubes, sorry. :/ Also, the video below of "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" IS NOT FROM THE DALLAS SHOW. I realize this. I just wanted to add video of my favorite song of the evening. I can't wait to hear this on Heartland, due next year.
Final Fantasy
"The Butcher"
"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
Metric/Band of Skulls
12/2/09
I first heard about this show a month or two ago when Kerry told me about an upcoming WTF pairing of bands at the Palladium. This time it was Metric playing the showroom while MEGADETH brought their super-sized eternal rest to the main room at the Palladium. It wasn't until my friend Alex told me she was seeing Band of Skulls at the Palladium the following night that I realized it was the same show. Alex is too rad and helps make work bearable, so I joined her and her friends for the night. Metric didn't disappoint.
Metric
"Twilight Galaxy"
"Gimme Sympathy"/"Sick Muse"
Andrew Bird
3/22/09
When my friend Sarah's trip to New York was pushed forward, she was unable to go and left with an extra ticket to an already SOLD OUT Andrew Bird show. I gladly took it. I think I thanked her a million times on the phone call home from the show.
"Armchairs"
"Fake Palindromes"
Dan Deacon & Ensemble/Future Islands
4/18/09
Dan Deacon had been an artist I had seen on blogs over and over, yet never checked out for who knows why. So, when my friend Sarah told me about how insane and involved his live shows were, not to mention he was touring here in April, I felt I was due for a listen. All it took was watching his music video for "The Crystal Cat", a listen to "Wham City"(in all of its 12 minute grandeur!) and a listen to the recently leaked Bromst, and a fan was born. I bought tickets to Dan Deacon for Sarah's birthday. The setting was the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth sculpture garden. Sarah, Patty and I just walked around the museum while the evening's events unfolded. We bought Dan tees from the merch table. We later discovered the guy selling them was the lead singer for Future Islands, the band who opened for Dan. Personally, I LOVED those guys. It was pretty hilarious how the lead singer danced manically, howling away while his backing band didn't move a muscle. When Dan came on all hell broke loose. I recall running mad in giant laps to "Woof Woof" ("PATTY!"), walking blindly (eyes closed)and bumping into people during "Snookered", and THE GAUNTLET. I built five different kinds of arm muscles during whatever song was playing during that. Don't ask me how. You should have been there. Everyone was extremely sweaty by the end of the evening.
"The Crystal Cat"
"Woof Woof"
Passion Pit/Harlem Shakes
6/2/09
Three years ago my friend Lara shared Harlem Shakes with me in her New York dorm. Three years later I was still as stoked to see them live. Passion Pit was fun times dancing. I got a bit separated from Kerry and Lauren in the crowd that night but as Kerry recalls, it didn't ruin the show for me: "Every time I looked back at you, you were dancing." Hahaha!
"Little Secrets"
"The Reeling"
Animal Collective
6/4/09
It's June 2009. I'm seeing Animal Collective (& BLACK DICE!) and the one song I'm really hoping they play is the new track that's been floating around numerous blogs since January, yet wasn't on the most recent AC release, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Not sure what it's called, but we know it has that Grateful Dead sample that just works so well. I just checked my last.fm and saw that I've scrobbled the same song under three different names, haha. Whatever it was, I just really wanted to hear it. That night Animal Collective answered my prayers. Watch the highlight of the night below.
Fast forward to November: "What Would I Want? Sky" named P4k Best New Track
And oh, yeah. A Black Dice meme amongst my friends and I was born. ;D
"What Would I Want? Sky"
Grizzly Bear/Here We Go Magic
6/15/09
Here We Go Magic were so good live. I had only given their new album a quick listen through prior to this show, but was quick to go back for another go immediately following the concert. No disrespect to Grizzly Bear, but I hope to see Here We Go Magic again on a separate bill to avoid having to stand next to rude fans talking throughout their set, impatiently waiting for GB to play "Two Weeks", while saying HWGM don't have the right "indie look" to be that good. RIGHT.
Grizzly Bear were all that expected. And I'm still convinced Ed played a glorious 8 minute version "Fix It" encore JUST FOR ME. (I did request it via Twitter the night before! "Just play Fix It for meEEeeEEEeeEee" HAHA, I'm so clever!) Following the show, we got to chat it up with the guys from Grizzly Bear. While back there, we were chatting with Chris Taylor when this random girl asked if she could buy their music right then. He asked her if she wanted the CD or vinyl. She was apparently caught off guard because she yelled, "OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS ARE ON VINYL?!?!?!" which had all of us including Chris laughing. Fuck, I wish I had video of that moment. I will never forget that girl.
Ed and I
Here We Go Magic
"Tunnelvision"
Grizzly Bear
"Knife"
"Fine For Now"
Bat For Lashes/Other Lives
8/20/09
The new Bat For Lashes album, Two Suns, is one of my favorites of the year. I've had a mega crush on her since hearing "Sad Eyes" three years ago, from her debut, Fur and Gold. I'm linking many videos from the show attended this year, and I've avoided ranking them in any particular order because they all are great moments I can't even begin to do so with. BUT, I do believe I can say hearing Natasha sing "Sad Eyes" on this night, was my highlight for the year. (I wanted to kill the girls screaming for her to opt for a song other than this one, haha) "What's a Girl To Do?" was very fun to dance to, too. ;)
Other Lives were a pleasant surprise. I did not know who they were prior to this show, but was eager to have a listen. I was pretty taken back by their final song, "Paper Cities". Video of that performance can be found below.
One hilarious thing about the evening was that Bat For Lashes was playing the Loft the same night STAIND were planning to BREAK THE CYCLE at the Palladium and let Texans know IT'S BEEN A WHILE since they've held a fucking MUDSHOVEL?!? I don't know but Aaron Lewis was not impressed by me.
Other Lives
"Speed Tape"
"Paper Cities"
Bat For Lashes
"Pearl's Dream"
"The Wizard"
"What's A Girl To Do?"
"Sad Eyes"
"Daniel"
The Dodos/The Ruby Suns
8/2/09
This night was probably one of the best pairing of bands I could have asked for. The Ruby Suns got everyone dancing to open things up. Kerry, Lauren, Patty, Sarah and I were all up front dancing and even caught the attention of Suns' bassist Amee Robinson who noted she liked "the little dance pockets up front". They played a new song called "Mingus & Pike" that I'm positive will be a favorite of mine when they release their new album next year. I only wished they had played "Morning Sun". I really wanted to hear that "WTF Depeche Mode breakdown" I like to refer to it as, in the second half of the song. But that aside, the Ruby Suns were so, so much fun to watch. I can only describe their show as "fun". It's that simple.
The Dodos opened with "Paint the Rust" and it felt like a punch in the face. I mean that in a good way. It was the perfect opening to their set. "Jodi" really should be experienced live by anyone who loves that song. I really, really cannot wait to see them again. Everyone should just watch the videos rather than listening to me talk about their set. Go watch.
Patty, Me, and Sarah
(Kerry's taking the photo though!)
The Ruby Suns
"Tane Mahuta"
"Mingus & Pike"
The Dodos
"Paint the Rust"
"Jodi"
"Fools"
"The Season"
Le Loup
11/3/09
For my friend Matthew's birthday, we all went out to see Le Loup down at the Cavern. The Cavern is a bar that's tiny as shit, so it made for a pretty rad intimate show for all 40 of us in attendance (42 if you count the giant bouncer as two people). Le Loup were very similar to what I'd imagine seeing Animal Collective circa Sung Tongs era live. How these guys are playing tiny bars like the Cavern is beyond me. They should be bigger than they are.
"We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"
"Family"
"Forgive Me"
The Mountain Goats/Final Fantasy
11/19/09
Completed the hat trick for seeing Final Fantasy! Five years ago, I was lucky enough to catch him play an impromptu opening set for Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire's bus had broken down halfway on their way to Dallas, so Owen played a set to ease a defrosting crowd on this January evening. Following last month's show, my friend Kerry and I stuck around to chat with Owen, and he was nice enough to record a video message to my friend Madeline who could not make it to the show that night. What a guy!
The Mountain Goats were great as well. Women kept yelling, "I wanna have your babies! OMGZ", so I counteracted with "I wanna have your goats!" I WIN. I really did want to add some Mountain Goats video from the night, but I couldn't find any on the YouTubes, sorry. :/ Also, the video below of "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" IS NOT FROM THE DALLAS SHOW. I realize this. I just wanted to add video of my favorite song of the evening. I can't wait to hear this on Heartland, due next year.
Final Fantasy
"The Butcher"
"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
Metric/Band of Skulls
12/2/09
I first heard about this show a month or two ago when Kerry told me about an upcoming WTF pairing of bands at the Palladium. This time it was Metric playing the showroom while MEGADETH brought their super-sized eternal rest to the main room at the Palladium. It wasn't until my friend Alex told me she was seeing Band of Skulls at the Palladium the following night that I realized it was the same show. Alex is too rad and helps make work bearable, so I joined her and her friends for the night. Metric didn't disappoint.
Metric
"Twilight Galaxy"
"Gimme Sympathy"/"Sick Muse"
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse (2007)
Nothing new. Just wanted to share an album I had completely forgotten about. This album feels good.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
WHY? - Eskimo Snow (Demos)
Tracklisting:
These Hands (Demo)
January Twenty Something (Demo)
Against Me (Demo)
Into the Shadows of My Embrace (Demo)
On Rose Walk, Insomniac (Demo)
This Blackest Purse (Demo)
The Hollows (Original Demo)
These Hands (Demo)
January Twenty Something (Demo)
Against Me (Demo)
Into the Shadows of My Embrace (Demo)
On Rose Walk, Insomniac (Demo)
This Blackest Purse (Demo)
The Hollows (Original Demo)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly
Download (Rapidshare)
Here's a video of them performing "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!" at a show in Dallas I went to earlier this month.
Here's a video of them performing "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!" at a show in Dallas I went to earlier this month.
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