Daily Loaf

A quick breakdown of this holiday weekend’s most worthy concerts. For a more comprehensive schedule, check out our Upcoming Events page.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Depeche Mode (pictured) w/Peter, Bjorn and John English electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode have influenced anyone from Radiohead to Rammstein to Crystal Method, and are among the too-few bands that emerged from the 1980s with dignity intact and more than a just few charting singles (45 in the UK, 18 in the U.S.). I enjoyed a brief but torrid love affair with Violator in high school during a period when all the music I wanted to listen to had to be dark and intense and danceable. DM’s simple yet weighty lyrics — “Words are meaningless and forgettable” “Because when you learn / You’ll know what makes the world turn” “Never before is what you swore the time before” — were just what I needed at that moment in my life and to this day, frontman Dave Gahan’s affected vocals evoke very specific memories. The band just released their 12th full-length, Sounds of the Universe, and are supported this tour by Peter Bjorn and John (read my feature on PBJ here). 7:30 p.m., Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, $43.50-$83.50

REAX Rent Party w/Glasgow/Geri X/Nessie/Memphis Train Union/Will Quinlan & The Diviners/Military Junior/King of Spain/The Basiqs/Vera Violets/Life of Pi The print industry is experiencing some rather dark times right now, with newspapers across the country desperately trying to figure out how to survive in an era where the general public consume their news and information for free via the internet. Grassroots publications have been hit hardest, including Florida’s own REAX, which is hurting so bad it won’t go to press this month and is actively seeking donations of money and supplies to stay afloat. A bill of quality local acts have banded together to help by playing this benefit show, and the music ranges from the introspective roots rock of Will Quinlan & The Diviners, to the psychedelic fuzzed-out shoegaze of the Vera Violets, to the experimental dancetastic hip-hop of The Basiqs. Admission is cheap, so dig deep when the donation bucket is passed. 6 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $5 (ages 18 & up) Read the rest of this entry »

The warm, breezy pop of Tampa native Matt Hires isn’t just something to hum along to on your way to the beach. Hires’s debut album, Take Us To The Start (F-Stop/Atlantic), is cleverly-crafted and interesting, full of sincerity and catchy melodies highlighted by his enveloping, gravelly tenor.

The album’s single, “Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song,” begins quietly then bursts into the chorus as Hires begs his lady not to run away, to listen to his words (as they come out wrong). It’s sweeping and expressive, but — as cute as Hires is — watching the completely unrelated music video kinda warps the experience. (Check it out after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s recommended releases as well as a breakdown of other worthy albums available now.

Vinyl:

Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
The band’s third album is a set of songs both heavier and lush than in previous efforts but still full of the Monkeys’ punch and vitality.

Jeff Beck – Beck-Ola
Jeff Beck – Truth
Exact replicas now available on pristine HQ-180 vinyl. Taken from the original analog master tapes.

Chocolate Watch Band – No Way Out
Chocolate Watch Band – Inner Mystique
Hailing from San Jose, Calif., the Watch Band — featuring the pouting, Mick Jagger-influenced lead vocals of Dave Aguilar, the thrilling guitars of Sean Tolby and Mark Loomis, the solid bass of Bill Flores and the thumping drums of Gary Andrijasevich — made all the right scenes in San Jose, including appearances with the Syndicate of Sound and Count Five.

John Fogerty – Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Among the special guests are Bruce Springsteen.

Fugazi – 3 Songs 7″
Remastered.

Woody Guthrie – Woody, Cisco And Sonny
Woody Guthrie – Woody The Agitator
Woody Guthrie – Woody’s Roots
Woody Guthrie – Woody’s Greatest Hits
Classic Guthrie vinyl reissues — now available.

Jet – Shaka Rock
bass, drums, guitars and vocals.

Willie Nelson – American Classic

Pearl Jam – The Fixer 7″
Two new tracks from their upcoming album on white vinyl with glow-in-the-dark ink on the label!

Chuck Ragan/Brian Fallon split 7″
They of Hot Water Music and Gaslight Anthem fame, respectively.

Reigning Sound – Love and Curses
New release — now available on vinyl.

The Smiths – The Smiths
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
The Smiths – Queen is Dead
The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
180 gram vinyl reissues. Remastering supervised by Johnny Marr. Read the rest of this entry »