Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 15, 2009, at 2:49 pm
This Saturday marks the second annual Record Store Day, a national salute to the more than 700 indie music stores located across the country and the positive impact they make on their communities. In honor of the event, several Bay area stores are offerings specials and carrying limited edition, exclusive Record Store Day releases.
Daddy Kool gives 10 percent off all new albums and 20 percent off all used inventory, and hosts some yet-to-be-announced activities.
Other area stores, like Sound Exchange, Mojo Books & Music and Vinyl Fever, have stocked up on an array of exclusive Record Store Day releases available only at indie stores. Amid the offerings are an array of split 7”-ers, including a double 7” of live tracks from Atlanta and Edinburgh by Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams, and a split 7” featuring covers of songs from Warner Bros.’ back catalog – Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs performing Madonna’s “Borderline,” and The Black Keys doing Captain Beefheart’s “Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles.” Guided By Voices re-releases its Hold On Hope LP with three bonus tracks, My Morning Jacket offers a limited run CD and double 10″ vinyl release recorded live in Louisville at Ear X-tacy record store, and Wilco makes its forthcoming concert DVD, Ashes of American Flags, available solely to indie stores and on its website on Record Store Day. Other exclusive RSD vinyl releases come from Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Mastodon, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Jane’s Addiction, The Stooges, Modest Mouse, Slayer, The Decemberists and Black Kids, among many others. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 14, 2009, at 3:22 pm
It’s been raining all day, even before I woke up, making the already problematic feat of getting out of bed doubly difficult. The gray weather is making my brain cloudy and I’m having a hard time focusing on anything other than the soothing pitter-patter of drops on the Creative Loafing office’s metal roof. (If it was raining harder, it’d be near impossible for me to even think.)
Anyway, here’s a list of my top 10 personal favorite songs about rain. I know there are plenty I left out, but there are so many goddamn songs about rain. Makes a person wonder how many songs there are about the sun.
1. “Rain Song,” Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, 1973
2. “Here Comes the Rain Again,” The Eurythmics, Touch, 1984
3. “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” Travis, The Man Who, 1999
4. “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” written by Burt Bacharach for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
5. “Dry the Rain,” The Beta Band, The Three EPs, 1998
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 14, 2009, at 12:31 pm
A heavily-pixelated sneek peek of the video for Green Day’s new single, “Know Your Enemy,” has leaked on YouTube. The music itself is pretty mediocre, and I don’t think I get the basketball players-rock band parallels, but maybe it’s just me…
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 14, 2009, at 4:20 am
A selection of CDs, EPs, LPs, Digital Releases, DVDs and Box Sets that dropped today.
As I Lay Dying, This Is Who We Are DVD Box Set (Metal Blade) Beck, One Foot in the Grave 15th Anniversary Edition (Iliad Records)
Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (Drag City) The Boy Least Likely To, The Law of the Playground (+1 Records) Day26, Forever in a Day (Bad Boy) Death Cab for Cutie, The Open Door EP (Atlantic) Dengue Fever, Sleepwalking Through The Mekong CD/DVD (M80 Music) John Doe and the Sadies, Country Club (Yep Roc) Fact, Fact (Vagrant/Maximum) The Life and Times, Tragic Boogie (Arena Rock) The Juan Maclean, The Future Will Come (Dfa) Ida Maria, Fortress Round My Heart (Mercury) Medeski Martin & Wood, Radiolarians II (Indirecto) Mia Doi Todd, Morning Music (City Zen) Mt. Eerie, Live in Copenhagen (Burnt Toast Vinyl, 3xLP) Papercuts, You Can Have What You Want (Gnomonsong) Prefuse 73, Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian (Warp) Scout Niblett, “It’s Time for My Beloved” 7″ (Drag City) Silversun Pickups, Swoon (Dangerbird) Jake Shimabukuro, Live (Hitchhike) The Twang, Love It When It Feels Like This (Arena Rock) Bernie Williams, Moving Forward (Reform) Wooden Shjips, Dos (Holy Mountain) Yonlu, A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre (Luaka Bop)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 10, 2009, at 10:28 am
Got an email from State Media with their updated concert announcements and I literally gasped aloud when I saw that Bon Iver(the moniker of Wisconsin singer/songwriter Justin Vernon) will be making his way down to FLA before hitting Bonarroo, and will play State Theatre Wednesday, June 10. Bon Iver’s stunning, austerely beautiful For Emma Forever Ago was No. 2 on my top 10 album of ‘08 list, Vernon a vocalist who takes your breathe away with his delicate, soulful falsetto.
Of course, as these things go, I won’t actually be in town to see the show (and yes, realizing that did make me cry a tiny tear of ultimate sadness). But if you, dear readers, happen to be around, this is a musician you sure as hell don’t want to miss.
Here he is performing “Flume” in the studios of 89.3-FM The Current.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 8, 2009, at 2:50 pm
I’ve been listening to Ratataton repeat lately and am pretty stoked about their show this upcoming Friday night at The Ritz. The Brooklyn-based duo — made up of guitarist Mike Stroud and multi-instrumentalist/producer/synth extrordinaire Evan Mast — produce some top notch rocktronica and have released three solid full-length albums on XL Recordings — Ratatat (2004), Classics (2006) and LP3 (2008).
The duo’s sound is mostly instrumental, save for when they’re remixing someone else’s song (like their sick redux of Bjork’s “Wanderlust”), or when they’re trying to create a mood, like in LP3’s “Flynn,” which has a breezy, tropical feel and ascending, Beach Boys’ style backing vocal samples. Atmospheric layers of sound effects, ethereal guitar solos and warped riffs are scattered throughout, but Ratatat really excels with hip-hoppin’ beats and funkin’ grooves that make you want to bust a move. Even when the music falls into a lazy, melodic, pop-a-Xanax amble, you’ll still find your head bobbing.
Ratatat has earned quite the rep for energetic live shows marked by synchronized lighting and video projections, and if you are a fan of any sort of electronic music, this is a show you don’t want to miss. opening for Ratatat is solo hip-hop artist/rapper Despot and drum-and-bass trio Tussle. Fri., April 10, The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $18 in advance/$20 day of show.
Justin Townes Earle:Midnight at the Movies (Bloodshot)
When Justin Towns Earle’s debut, The Good Life, came out a year ago, I hardly paid it any mind. Months later, when I finally got around to listening to it, I wasn’t expecting much — just the son of a legend fumbling through an album he only got to make because of his father’s name.
With Midnight At The Movies I wondered: Could Earle come close to the masterpiece that The Good Life was? Turns out that he may just have surpassed it, if that’s possible.
On the new disc, Justin seems more settled in his resolve to forge his own path and more comfortable with his songwriting. On tracks like “Mama’s Eyes,” Justin shows no hesitation about exposing himself to the listener, warts and all. When you couple that the ragtime hop of the track “Walk Out,” you start to uncover the true strength of this album. It’s somber, introspective and tender at its core, while still managing to maintain a country swagger.
The variety of styles on the album help to offset its greatest weakness: it’s length. Clocking in at a mere 33 minutes, it seems like the album is over almost as soon as it starts. But as Bobby Womack once said, “Leave them wanting more and you know they’ll call you back.”
With 12 tracks of all-killer-no-filler, you’ll definitely find yourself calling Midnight At The Movies back quite a bit this year. I’ll probably be calling it up come time for my year-end best-of list, but for now I’ll just call it Essential Listening.
1992’s Dry was her fully formed indie-encapsulating debut; 1993’s Rid of Me her Steve Albini-produced exploration of caterwauling noise; 4-Track Demos her raw, immediate bedroom snapshot; 1995’s To Bring You My Love her confident, theatrical blues masterstroke; 1998’s Is This Desire? her electronica-dabbling incorporation of folk-rock touches. What was left but to streamline her sound, spruce up the recording studio and record a steamy slab of hook-driven pop-rock?
Don’t take that as criticism. Quite the opposite. Recording Stories, Harvey seemed to realize something that eluded many of her alternative generation peers: Rawness, ugliness and aggression are all artistic crutches every bit as lazy and retrograde over time as a dedication to beauty, craft and high production values. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 7, 2009, at 12:53 pm
A selection of CDs, EPs, LPs, Digital Releases, DVDs and Box Sets that dropped today.
Arcade Fire, Miroir Noir DVD (Merge) The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, When Sweet Sleep Returned (Tee Pee) Bat for Lashes,Two Suns (Astralwerks) Black Dice, Repo (Paw Tracks) Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Vs. Children (Tomlab) Crystal Antlers,Tentacles (Touch & Go) Del the Funky Homosapien, Funk Man: The Stimulus Package (digital self-release) Doves, Kingdom of Rust (Astralwerks) Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here (Anti-) Erasure, Total Pop! (Rhino) [box set] The Felice Brothers, Yonder Is the Clock (Team Love) Read the rest of this entry »
Walking by the Ritz in Ybor city last Friday night, you may have thought some tech convention was going on. Tucked-in shirts, leather belts and fresh haircuts are not your normal rock concert attire, but then again, Ben Folds isn’t your normal rock star. The clever singer/songwriter has straddled the line between thick-glasses nerd and cool piano-popster for more than a decade now.
The 42-year-old, supported by a drummer, bassist and multi-instrumentalist played over two dozen songs that spanned his solo career and his three studio albums with the Ben Folds Five. Drawing heavily from last year’s under-the-radar Way To Normal, Folds opened with “Errant Dog.” The band then worked the crowd with tracks from Songs for Silverman — “Landed” and “Jesusland” — followed by the Whatever and Ever Amen’s anthemic “Battle of Who Could Care Less,” Normal’s “Effington” and Rockin’ the Suburbs’ “Losing Lisa.” Then they brought it down with “Lullabye” from The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner and a new one, “Kylie From Connecticut.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 6, 2009, at 2:26 pm
Just got a link to a new video by gothic/gospel group Dead Man’s Bones, “Name in Stone.” The band’s music is raw and gothic spooky, and the schtick is that in the vid, they’re performing live in a cemetery with L.A. Inner Mass Choir and the Silverlake Conservatory of Music Children’s Choir. It starts out a little slow and quiet, but builds rather nicely, and the sound of dead leaves crunching as they walk amidst the headstones adds a nice bit of natural texture. My only question is: what the hell is the lady with the baby is doing there?
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 6, 2009, at 1:44 pm
MySpace has be come the place to debut new material, and it’s not uncommon for artists to stream their forthcoming albums in full on MySpace leading up to the album’s release date. Usually it’s a redundant maneuver as new releases tend to leak weeks early, but for those who don’t have the time or patience to track down the leaks, this handy marketing practice offers an easy way of previewing the album before making a firm commitment to buy or not to buy.
Today’s streaming album is the Doves‘ fourth and latest, Kingdom of Rust (out tomorrow on Astralwerks). I’ve only heard the first minute and it sounds pretty interesting, psychedelic tastiness.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 6, 2009, at 1:12 pm
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); set your TIVOs or DVRs, if you haven’t already seen them…
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS Monday, April 6: Razorlight (original air date 03/11)
Tuesday, April 7: Cursive (03/13)
Wednesday, April 8: Bell X1 (03/17)
Friday, April 10: U2 (03/05)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC Monday, April 6: Raul Malo (03/11)
Tuesday, April 7: Prince (03/27)
Wednesday, April 8: Prince (03/25)
Thursday, April 9: Naturally 7 (03/18)
Friday, April 10: PJ Harvey and John Parish (03/24)
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS Monday, April 6: M. Ward (03/06)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 2, 2009, at 4:38 pm
Here are the pick of the litter from our Upcoming Concerts pace. To see the complete list, click here.
Friday, April 03 The Zou w/Bang Bang Boom/The Pauses. The Youngstown, Ohio-brewed Zou (pictured) makes progressive alt-meets-art rock with a bluesy grittiness and dark lyrical stylings like “I will feel the same until they lower my pine box.” Fat n’ fuzzy basslines, two guitars alternating between heavy distorted riffs and thin, jagged ribbons of siren-piercing licks, a trill of keys or blast of synths, and a vocalist who alternately sings, rap-chants, and hits powerful, affected high notes ala Serj Tankian of System of a Down. Pretty great stuff. Fri., April 3, 8 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7. —LP
Bay Area Beat Maiden Showcase feat. Ronny Elliot/Rebekah Pulley/Blind Buddy Moody. A local showcase presented in celebration of the release of a new local-centric music rag, Bay Area Beat. Fri., April 3, 8 p.m., Pro Star Soundstage, St. Petersburg, $6. —LP
Ben Folds W/Jukebox the Ghost Ben Folds has a knack for producing some of the most catchy-without-being-saccharine, dry-humored piano-driven pop ballads out there, though he has his share of maudlin and melancholy moments. He’s released three full-length solo albums since his amicable break from Ben Folds Five in 2000, including last year’s Way to Normal. Funny story about that album – it was leaked a few months before the actual release date on a fan site. All those who heard it thought it to be a legitimate copy, but the joke was on them; Folds revealed in a radio interview a few weeks later that he and the band had recorded fake versions of all the songs from Way to Normal in a single overnight session in Dublin and then “leaked” the fake to the public. (I’ve actually heard debates about whether the fake is better than the real.) Folds is one hell of a dynamic showman – I saw him hold a crowd of 10,000 in thrall at Langerado last year – and he hasn’t stopped in town solo for quite some time, so this is a performance you don’t want to miss. Folds-influenced upbeat indie pop rock trio Jukebox the Ghost opens. Fri., April 3, 8 p.m., The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $31.50. —LP Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 2, 2009, at 11:10 am
I’ve got some pretty varied taste in music and I’m usually pretty open to the sort of sonics other people tend to find abrasive, or abnormal, or just plain out there. I like music that feels like it could fall apart at any minute, that’s absurd or ironic, that’s too smart for its own good. I like music that sounds like it comes from outerspace, music with noises I can’t describe in simple text (though they’re a bitch to write about), and I’m especially drawn to novelty as long as it’s backed up by brilliance and not some sort of artificial play at it. I like dissonance and cacophony, especially when the band that brandishes it knows what they’re doing.
But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m just not a fan of Noise, nor do I think I really even get it. I mean, any genre of music that, by definition, means a loud, harsh, confused, discordant sound or group of sounds, just doesn’t sound appealing to me. And I’ve yet to find a self-described noise band that’s done anything other than turn me off.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something redeeming about it, to someone. Which brings me to the real reason for this post: St. Pete International Noise Fest 2. (Organizers sent the press release to me too late for inclusion in the paper, but on time enough to make it to this blog.)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 1, 2009, at 1:38 pm
It was, by far, the best Sensory Overload event we put on since the inaugural four years ago. The music was pumping, the booties were moving, the art was pretty stellar, and a good time was had by all. Here’s a video from the event.
To check out our Flickr page of pics from the event, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Apr. 1, 2009, at 11:23 am
Local bands come and go, but there are always those few that make such a lasting impression, that burned so hot and so bright in their heyday, that they are remembered and talked about long after they’re gone. Case in point: Beanstalk, an instrumental, funk/jazz/jam trio that peaked in Tampa nearly a decade ago and is still the standard against which subsequent local jam outfits are measured.
Unfortunately, Beanstalk took on too much too fast and burned out after less than four years together.
Beanstalk grew from some casual jam sessions in 1997 between three talented Tampa musicians — drummer Aaron Kant, guitarist Joel Lisi and bassist Andy Irvine (pictured at left). The trio culled from jazz, funk, soul, blues and rock ‘n’ roll; the grooves were so good that soon enough they were working up material by Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and others to play live. During one session, Lisi idly fingered the vocal melodies to a tune they were learning, and Irvine and Kant realized the group didn’t need a singer, that Lisi could manage all the lyric parts and still convey the feeling.
“That’s where the Beanstalk sound was born,” Irvine told me last week when we met to discuss the past, present and future of the band. Click here to read more.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 31, 2009, at 3:08 pm
In 2000, with the last embers of his namesake punk-rock band finally extinguished, Joe Popp left Tampa Bay for New York City’s greener creative pastures. Joe Popp, the band — which included bassist Martin Rice and late drummer Jeff Wood — was perhaps the last local rock group to pack ’em in at venues like the State Theatre.
Popp (his real name, he swears), who has maintained solid ties to Tampa Bay, returns for a couple of acoustic gigs this weekend.
He’s currently the technical director for the Sonic Arts Center program at City College of New York, where he designs studios, builds amplifiers and oversees the center’s facilities. He enjoys educational benefits, a light schedule and a one-year paid sabbatical coming up this fall. It is, he says, “a great job.” Popp has continued to make music on the side, be it a band gig with friends in New York or a rock musical, Maxwell, which he wrote and produced with Jobsite Theater in 2002. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 31, 2009, at 12:27 pm
Digable Planetshas canceled their U.S. tour, which includes their April 17 stop at Crowbar. The trio has broken up again for the same reasons they broke up before — irreconcilable differences. Here’s are some key quotes from the all-caps letter the band sent to fans via MySpace (I’ve de-capped it for your reading convenience): “…The 3 insects from outer space have been infected like every other great group in hip hop history by irreconcilable differences between the principle members … Mary Ann Viera formerly known as Ladybug has decided at the last minute that she wants to talk away from the group and not honor this tour … The other two members have no choice but to cancel this tour and regroup … The group members will go their separate ways but group creator and producer Butterfly along with Doodlebug will continue to collaborate on music and in the near future will announce the introduction of a new music collective that they are putting together … This does not take away from the legacy created by the Digable Planets in 1993 … but it does bring us to the end of an era …”
Another sign the economy is in the can: ticket discounts at the big name shows. Amway Arena is offering $35 tickets to Fleetwood Mac’s April 20, and Ford Amphitheatre is offering a special weekend sale for the April 26 Nickelback concert ($25 reserved, $15 lawn if purchased between 10 a.m. April 3 to 10 p.m. April 5). Both are Live Nation venues. I think we’re going to start to see alot more of this as the months progress and sales get slower and slower.Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 26, 2009, at 12:16 pm
A compendium to this week’s Urban Explorer’s Handbook, in which Creative Loafing maps out the best of the best of the Bay area-based Internet sites. Here is the next featured music site; to see the complete list, click here.
New Granada Presents/New Granada Records
Who runs it: Keith Ulrey, a musician and local and regional music supporter and promoter.
Why you need it: New Granada stages pretty much any local indie show you’ll find in Tampa, and helps the bands to get the word out. New Granada also records anywhere from two to four DIY-style albums for these bands each year, and brings bigger acts to town to give the bands some additional exposure.
Sign o’ the times: Band records album, band plots April 13 release date, album leaks, band quickly unleashes album digitally, band moves physical release date up to March 31. Such is life for a hot young rock group these days, and even the artists can’t get too worked up about it.
“We wanted to build toward a date, get excitement up and release it so everyone had it at once,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O told Pitchfork two weeks ago, discussing the file-sharing-induced rush release of her band’s third LP, It’s Blitz! ”But I guess that doesn’t really happen anymore. We’re still kinda stuck in 2003. I mean, even 2006 was a totally different time to release a record than 2009. It’s insane how quickly everything’s changed.”
The YYYs have, in a sense, been lapped. After all, the band was one of the first Internet-darling indie groups. They earned their early rep thanks to a mere 13 minutes of music on their 2001 self-titled debut EP. (A reputation for hellacious live shows, punctuated by O pouring beer all over herself certainly didn’t hurt.) By the time they released their first full-length, they’d already made the jump to a major label, Interscope, and ran into a distinctly ’00s trend: backlash that emerges even before a band has broken out. (For the most virulent example of this trend yet, please “read” thesetwo Black Kids reviews, both from the same outlet.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 25, 2009, at 1:13 pm
Now in its 24th years, the Winter Music Conference brings industry professionals and electro acts from around the world to Miami for all manner of networking, panels and performance opportunities, from private parties to slots at WMC’s Ultra Music Festival. Ultra continues with its usual roster of traditional DJs, producers and electronica acts — The Prodigy, Paul Van Dyk, Booka Shade, Moby, Tiësto, Carl Cox and the like — but expands upon the definition of electro music with offerings that include newer groups like Cut Copy, MSTRKRFT, Simian Mobile Disco, Crystal Castles and The Whip, and groups that aren’t necessarily electro, but include electro elements in their music: The Ting Tings, Bloc Party, Black Eyed Peas, Santigold and Hercules and Love Affair. Luckily for Tampa folks, the state is so oversaturated with this influx of artists that we get much of the runoff as many stop in or around town to play a show while on their way to or from the fest. The following is a breakdown of electro shows within a 2 1/2-hour radius that are worthy of your attention.
Friday, March 27 WMNF presents Synthetic Pleasures w/Girls on Film/Genre Baptist/I Kill Pxls/DJ Curse Mackey. ’MNF has joined the electro bandwagon with its own Florida-grown bill headed up by all-female Tallahassee fourtet Girls on Film (pictured), who do the glam ’80s thing complete with computer drums and programming, shrill vocals, teased hair and cakey make-up, and retro prom outfits. 9 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $7.
Kraak and Smaak w/Special Guest DJs Mighty White and Willyvegas Kraak and Smaak (direct translation: “crunchy and tasty”) are a new but rather well-regarded Netherlands electro trio that combines pimplicious funk grooves with breakbeats and loungey house.9 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $12 in advance/$15 day of show.
Cut Copy w/Matt & Kim The Melbourne, Australia trio marry Dark Wave punk (affected vocals, theatric synths) with a healthy dose of digi-electro dance fun. Definitely worth the drive.7 p.m., Club Firestone, Orlando, $19.99 in advance/$22 DOS.Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 25, 2009, at 8:00 am
A compendium to this week’s Urban Explorer’s Handbook, in which Creative Loafing maps out the best of the best of the Bay area-based Internet sites. Here is the next featured music site; to see the complete list, click here.
Something Planet
Who runs it: Three offbeat local dudes — David the Day, John J (John Murray) and Stuey B (Stuart Best) — record a weekly 90-minute talk radio-style podcast of “the latest and greatest about Something.” Jokes, trivia and other nonsense is scattered amidst music and interviews.
Why you need it: The site tends to feature local and regional bands and offers interesting and witty blog commentary in between the weekly podcasts. Something Planet is gearing up to celebrate its first anniversary this May with a rock show at Gasoline Alley, the “Something Planet Birthday Extravaganza #1,” with local acts Rise of Saturn (featuring members of Soulfound and Weaksauce), Badda Skat and Geri X, as well as contests, prizes and a free compilation CD of acoustic performances by local artists who’ve been featured in their podcasts.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 25, 2009, at 4:20 am
For this week’s forthcoming Urban Explorer’s Handbook, Creative Loafing maps out the best of the best of the Bay area’s Internet community. Here is one of our featured music sites; to see the rest, click here.
Aestheticized Presents, State Media, THX MGMT
Who runs them: Aestheticized is owned and operated by longtime indie scene promoter and stalwart Jack Spatafora, who books shows at Crowbar but also works with State Theatre, Czar and New World Brewery. State Media (aka No Clubs Productions) is managed by area show-promo veterans Tony Rifugiato and Dave Hundley; State Media promotes and stages shows at State Theatre, Orpheum, The Ritz Ybor and, less frequently, Jannus Landing. And the newest to the scene, Joe D’Acunto and THX MGMT, has been bringing some noteworthy, taste-of-the-moment acts to Tampa venues like Crowbar, New World Brewery and Orpheum.
Why you need them: These three are powerhouses when it comes to bringing the hottest up-and-coming Pitchfork.com-beloved indie and major label pop and rock acts to the Bay area’s smaller (1,500 or less) venues. Anyone who considers themselves music followers should probably check their sites on a regular basis. As added bonuses, Aestheticized bills certain shows as “essential” and usually offers details as to why these shows should not be missed, while State Media hosts MP3s by all of its upcoming acts on its website.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 24, 2009, at 2:36 pm
For this week’s forthcoming Urban Explorer’s Handbook, Creative Loafing is mapping out the Bay area’s Internet community. Here is one of our featured music sites:
The Merry Andrews
Who runs it: A 20-something trio of passionate but playful Bay area indie rock aficionados: Aly Carr (whom we’ve recruited as a contributor to our own music blog, Tampa Calling), Ashley Renee and Marc Karimi. They co-host a weekly internet radio show and a website that spotlights underground and indie bands with interviews, tour info, in-studio performances and MP3s. (Proof they don’t take themselves too seriously: A “Merry Andrew” is an Old English synonym for clown.)
Why you need it: If you want to know anything about up-and-coming indie rock and pop groups, this is the site for you. Though Aly, Ashley and Marc don’t limit themselves to acts that are coming through town, you can count on finding something about said acts (and music clips) on the Merry Andrews site. (Pictured below: Ashley, Marc and Aly; photo by Kenzie Shores.)
I’ve had a long time to muse over the Phish reunion shows, to listen to the live downloads over and over again, to read the reviews and see the pictures and laugh at the outrageous (and in some cases, sad and amazing) stories on the message boards, and to plan out all the ways I can scrimp and save so I can hit some more shows on the second leg of their summer tour in addition to the three (or four, or maybe five) I’ll be hitting up on the first leg.
I had my soul cleansed in Hampton and now I’m ready and hungry for more.
But before I can set my sights on the shows that are to come, I thought I’d share some pics and other odds and ends from the Hampton shows — my observations a few weeks later, having stewed on things a bit.
It was my first time in Hampton, Va. I was underwhelmed by the town itself, though it held a certain charm I equated with its place in Phishtory. We had a prime spot at the Ramada Inn, likely the cheapest and closest hotel to the venue. In fact, our main room (we had two split between a party of four) afforded us a perfect view of the Hampton Coliseum. Read the rest of this entry »
For all intents and purposes, the Condo Fucks’ Fuckbook is the 13th studio LP from Yo La Tengo, even if the Matador Records website for the “band” never mentions the words “Yo,” “La” or “Tengo.”
There are plenty of clues to go around. One: The name “Condo Fucks” comes from a fake promo card Matador printed up and inserted in Yo La Tengo’s 1997 classic, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Two: In 1990, Yo La Tengo released a covers disc titled Fakebook (the name comes from musical sheets that outline the bare essentials of a tune — melody, chords, lyrics — and allow performers to learn new songs on the fly). Three: The Fucks website lists the band’s members as “Georgia Condo (drums), Kid Condo (guitar) and James McNew (bass)”; the members of Yo La Tengo happen to be Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew.
And, four (as if you needed it): Recording a half-hour’s worth of fuzzy, Nuggets-like garage rock covers under an in-joke assumed name and then making a short “documentary” about the impact of the fake band on the music scene of southern Connecticut, well, that just seems like the kind of thing Yo La Tengo would do.
“I have no intention of explaining things more fully,” Yo La Tengo guitarist/singer Ira Kaplan told me in an interview two years ago, and that sentiment runs all through the band’s history: the Spanish-language group name (”I have it”), the beguiling album titles (I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass), the jokey songs (”Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo,” “The Story of Yo La Tango”). This is a group unafraid to leave its audience guessing, and they never seem interested in clearing things up for definitive interpretation.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 23, 2009, at 2:34 pm
Swede pop trio Peter Bjorn and John is currently streaming their forthcoming release, Living Things, on MySpace. I’m only two songs deep and I’m already digging on it, though it’s not really at all what I expected nor does it remind me of 2006’s blissfully sublime Writer’s Block or 2008’s quirky Seaside Rock. It’s got more of a dark, minimal, dance music feel. The first track, “The Feeling,” has few lyrics, its vocals set against clap-clomp beats and out-there samples that create their own additional textures and percussive flourishes, while track two, “It Don’t Move Me,” continues with the clapping, but pairs it with heavy keyboard strokes and ’80s-style skating rink rhythms. To listen for yourself, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 23, 2009, at 1:40 pm
As part of our upcoming Urban Explorer’s Handbook, we mapped out the Bay area’s own Internet community and spotlighted a variety of blogs and websites that cover local arts, news, politics, film, music and food. Here is a profile I wrote about Bryan Childs, a Tampa Calling contributor and the man behind ninebullets.net.
Bryan Childs, aka Autopsy IV, isn’t trying to be a music writer or a critic or even a go-to source for music news and information. But the 35-year-old electrical designer has single-handedly become all three. The St. Petersburg-based owner and operator of ninebullets.net brings so much knowledge and raw talent to the table that Creative Loafing recruited him as a contributor to our own music blog, Tampa Calling, last year.
Via ninebullets.net, Childs shines a light on Americana, bluegrass, newgrass, psychobilly, alt-country, folk, deep blues and any other genre with a downhome, rootsy feel, though you’re as likely to find posts about Tori Amos or Slayer as you will Old Crow Medicine Show and The Black Keys. His site includes interviews, MP3s, live show previews and reviews, commentary on CDs and DVDs, music news, and posts about Childs’ own whisky-soaked adventures. He also has a few guest bloggers to help spread the flavor.
Childs has no professional experience writing or playing music, though he dabbled in both while growing up in Plant City. His formative years were spent exploring the Bay area’s goth industrial music scene, where he became a regular at The Castle and joined its online community message board, Underground Tampa.
Then he discovered the Drive-By Truckers. “I heard them and I was done,” Childs says of his love-at-first-listen awakening. Soon enough, he was digging up more alterna-twang artists and contacting local radio DJs for recommendations. Read the rest of this entry »
A pleasantly multicultural crowd — skate kids, rap aficionados, hipsters — filled the wide expanse in front of the stage; free PBR flowed for a couple solid hours; some dude wandered through the crowd handing out gratis T-shirts and trucker hats. The fans went appropriately nuts when Raekwon and, later, Ghostface first emerged onstage, throwing their Wu hand-Ws in the air. The beats boomed, Wu classics flew and bodies started moving. A good time was had by all. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 23, 2009, at 11:18 am
Who knew that 2009 would be Year of the Young? Not only will Neil Young’s much-delayed ‘Archives’ collection finally see the light of day, but the crusty old rock ‘n’ roll warbler will be featured in yet another concert doc, the second by director Jonathan Demme.
Young’s longtime manager, Elliot Roberts, announced the forthcoming release date of June 2 during a panel discussion at SXSW this past Saturday. Also serving on the panel was Larry Johnson, director of Young’s Shakey Films, who played samples of material from the anthology. The ‘Archives’ collection will be available as 10-disc Blu-Ray set for $299, a 10-DVD box set for $199 and a 10-CD set for $99.
Later that same day at SXSW, Demme presented an in-progress cut of his second Young concert film, Neil Young’s Trunk Show, which was filmed during two December ‘07 performances at Philadelphia’s Tower Theater and is due out officially later this year.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 20, 2009, at 3:08 pm
Just came across this on YouTube. It’s a video for Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard’s song, “To Be Objectified.” In it, quirky pop songwriter and artist Lewis creates a time-lapsed, large scale illustration while his performance is rotoscoped into a comic book cartoon. The entire thing is produced by Lewis himself and is pretty darn cool. The song is from Lewis’ forthcoming album, ‘Em Are I, due out in May on Rough Trade Records.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 20, 2009, at 2:49 pm
Just got the latest news release from our music store friends at Vinyl Fever, who apparently talked Tampa Tribune music critic Curtis Ross into recommending some of his favorite records for them to procure for Record Store Day, a celebration of the more than 700 indie music stores located across the nation and their positive impact on their individual communities. Vinyl Fever has not yet revealed Ross’ record selections, but they’ve revealed a list of artists who are showing support early with special 7″ releases for the day, among them, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, Sonic Youth, Decemberists, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen as well as 10″ers from Radiohead and regular LPs by My Morning Jacket, Guided By Voices, Pavement, Silversun Pickups, Green Day, Neil Young, Misfits, Hank Williams III, Mastodon, Talking Heads and others. The second annual Record Store Day event takes place at stores across the country on Saturday, April 18.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 19, 2009, at 12:28 pm
George Benson(pictured)in a tribute to Nat King Cole It’s not a good career indicator for one-time star performer when he’s out doing tribute shows. Of course, singer/guitarist Benson — who scored several major hits in the 1970s, among them “This Masquerade” and “On Broadway” — is doing so in a nice venue, and he’s paying homage to one of the greats. 8 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $45-$80. —Eric Snider
Ligeia Named for a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about human mortality and the inevitability of death, Massachusetts metalcore foursome Ligeia formed in ‘03, signed to Ferret Music and released their debut in ‘06, and are currently touring in support of their second effort, ’08’s Bad News, which includes songs with titles like “Heroin Diaries” and “One Night Stand.” 7 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $7. —Leilani Polk
Michale Graves w/Pig Pen/Jordan Eastman Band/Situation Mine The Jerseyboy singer/songwriter claims his fame from a five-year stint performing with the ’90s reincarnation of The Misfits. Right now he’s doing the solo, partially-acoustic thing, his rusty deep voice set against pleasant alt-rock balladry. In addition to his Thursday show at The Garage, Graves also plays Crowbar in Ybor City on Friday. 8 p.m., The Garage, St. Petersburg, $10. —LP
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 18, 2009, at 3:37 pm
By Cooper Levy-Baker, cross-posted from Creative Loafing Sarasota’s blog, The 941.
You know what I’m effing pumped about? This Saturday night, I’ve got tickets to see Ghostface Killah and Raekwon live at The Ritz Ybor.
Both MCs may be members of the nine-strong Wu-Tang Clan, but they’ve backed each other so consistently over the years we can really think of them as a tight tandem, in the same league with names such as Eric B. & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and Clipse. Don’t believe me? Raekwon’s debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, which bills Ghost as a “guest star” on the front, is a drug-rap classic, a touchstone for any contemporary MC who aims to depict the brutal hustle of the cocaine trade. And Ghost’s first album, Ironman, which has Raekwon’s name and visage on the cover, was the first salvo in one of the greatest NY rap careers of the past decade.
So this Saturday’s show? Kind of a big deal. Click here for videos featuring Ghost and Rae’s two all-time best team-ups.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 16, 2009, at 2:09 pm
Doherty’s latest, Grace/Wastelands, is currently streaming on MySpace Music. And it’s rather nice from what I’ve heard so far. None of that bad-boy-does-copious-amounts-of-drugs-and-trashes-things feeling. More, bad-boy-does-lots-if-drugs-but-pulls-it-together-enough-for-the-studio. To check out the album, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 16, 2009, at 11:39 am
“Breakfast at Sulimays” has three saucy old folks reviewing albums; this edition features Young Jeezy and Animal Collective. I found it particularly amusing as you can well imagine. Props to aestheticized blog (and by default, Bee-Eezy) for passing it along.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 16, 2009, at 12:00 am
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); set your TIVOs or DVRs.
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Tuesday, March 17: Bell X1
Wednesday, March 18: Modest Mouse (pictured, photo by Wendy Lynch
Thursday, March 19: Kara DioGuardi (rerun, Jan. 12)
Friday, March 20: David Sanborn with Sam Moore (Feb. 19)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 13, 2009, at 12:44 pm
Thanks to all those who entered the Phish Saves America reunion setlist contest. Unfortunately, none of the entrants managed to guess the opener – and why would anyone guess that Phish would make our dreams come true and kick things off with “Fluffhead”? I even fantasized about it in my last post, never actually thinking they’d do it. Props to Trevor Corbin, who guessed that Phish would play “Fluffhead” the first night, but submitted “Tube” as the first song.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 12, 2009, at 4:33 pm
Thanks to Joe for providing this brilliant little video that took my head out of the Phish clouds and prompted me to post. The vid is the result of a music project by the latest internet sensation, Israeli musician and producer Kutiman. His “Thru You” experiment includes seven music tracks/videos created exclusively from samples from more than 100 YouTube videos of musicians performing. It’s like Girl Talk taken to another level of technology.
The following clip is a hot ass funk number and as such, has been dubbed “The Mother of All Funk Chords.” It’s pretty effing cool. To check out the other six creations, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 10, 2009, at 1:27 pm
A review of Sunday’s Britney Spears show at the St. Pete Times Forum by The Scenestress; cross-posted from The 941.
The ritual is about to commence. We have gathered, donned in our ceremonial garb of revealing tops with denim and high heels. We have imbibed holy spirits and taken our seats in the temple. As the lights dim, the high priestess takes the stage dressed in knee-high stiletto boots and a bright red ringmaster’s jacket.
It’s Britney, bitch. And the crowd goes wild.
Ms. Spears kicked off her set Sunday night with her hit “Circus” and the performance definitely lived up to its title. Aside from the artist herself, there are a slew of backup dancers and acrobats as well as a giant cage, flashing lights and a video screen projecting sexy images of the lady of the hour. Brit tackled hit after hit (“Piece of Me,” “Radar,” “Boys”) while looking fierce in various combinations of sparkly pants and bras and high, high heels.
Every three songs or so, we were treated to a new distraction to give Ms. Spears a breather and time for a costume change. These breaks included a martial arts-style dance performance, a music video of Brit set to Marilyn Manson’s “Sweet Dreams” (super hot), and another break showcasing each of her backup dancers breakin’ it down. These were some of the best parts of the show, and that’s saying a lot considering the stuff that Brit was about to bust into.
When she returned to the stage to perform a couple In the Zone-era tunes (“Breathe on Me” and “Touch of My Hand”), things got super steamy. Britney writhed on a settee in a bustier until two boys in bondage gear joined her and pulled her into the air for more acrobatics. The performance of the song alone was worth the price of admission. But there were more hits to come. To read more, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 10, 2009, at 4:20 am
What the CL team is listening to right now.
Allen Toussaint The Bright Mississippi (2009)
One of my favorite producers, Joe Henry, teams up with legendary New Orleans artist Toussaint to revive a set of Crescent City classics (and tunes associated with the city) — mostly instrumental jazz by the likes of Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton and Thelonious Monk. The sound is both old-timey and fresh. Known more as a writer, producer and arranger, Toussaint gets to show off his soulful piano skills. The disc comes out on Nonesuch April 21. –Eric
Matthew Dear Asa Breed (2007)
I’m in love with Matthew Dear’s cavalier, occasionally multi-tracked baritone, how he delivers his lyrics like it’s the first take and he’s not at all concerned. The Electro avant pop artist makes music that’s complex-free, with hints of minimalist house and acid-washed dance funk. This album is his third and a good introduction to his small but noteworthy catalog. Recommended track: “Deserter.”
The Lonely Island Incredibad (2009)
I don’t watch Saturday Night Live anymore, but I do check out the hilarious SNL Digital Shorts on YouTube. Cast member Andy Samberg along with Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are “The Lonely Island,” but the trio brings in some heavy star power — Natalie Portman, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones, E-40 and Jack Black, among others — to collaborate. Some of the schtick gets a bit tired by the end of the 19-track album, but cuts like “Dick in a Box” and “Jizz in my Pants” are still funny the 10th time around. Recommended track: “Natalie’s Rap.” Such profanity from such a sweet piece. Mmm…. –B.TreotchRead the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 9, 2009, at 11:58 pm
A regular weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); set your TIVOs or DVRs.
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Wednesday, March 11: Razorlight Thursday, March 12: The Broadway cast of West Side Story
Friday, March 13: Cursive
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 8, 2009, at 5:24 pm
The internet here is iffy, hence the spotty blogging, but I managed to make it on here for more than a few minutes today and thought I’d offer a quick rundown of events since the last post. Click here to follow me on Twitter and get my more regular, up-to-date check-ins and observations.
1. We traded our Saturday night ticket for a Friday night ticket successfully, and were among the masses of adoring fans when the band played their first show in nearly five years on Friday night. It was incredible, to put it mildly. I laughed (see below), I cried, I hugged my friends, I danced like there was no tomorrow, and had a soul-cleansing good time overall. The band was on, opened with the “Fluffhead” everyone was dreaming about and went on to play some of their toughest composed pieces, Trey hit all his notes perfectly, and overall, the consensus seemed to be the Phish that used to blow everyone’s mind on a nightly basis was 110% back.
2. Spent much of Saturday looking for tickets. About an hour before the show, we found a dude who traded Phil’s Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards + $450 for two tickets. About five minutes later, we came to the realization that we’d been ripped off and that our tickets were good fakes and close fakes, but fakes nonetheless. We soldiered on, however, hearing stories of hope about previous unluckies who were admitted into the venue anyway, later, after the rest of the crowd had been corralled inside. So, we tried to get in anyway. We were not successful, not even a little; the tickets had “already been scanned.” I did the pathetic, dramatic, crying-in-front-of-security-and-police thing for about an hour to no avail. (No, the police could not or would not do anything even though someone virtually stole $500 from me. No report, no empathy — nada.) Hence, I spent much of last night sleeping in my hotel room, and hit up a McDonald’s later with my post-show phriends to grease away my sorrow.
3. Picked up my press wrist band today, getting the photo pass later for Photographer Phil, and will be enjoying the last of the three shows tonight. A full report of this weekend’s events with pics will be posted here later.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 6, 2009, at 3:37 pm
Phil, JJ and I got in to Hampton around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, grabbed our fatty Kia rental (man, do those cars have all the extras!), met up with our Seattle friend Becks in the lobby of the hotel, checked in, and did the usual new in town things. Walked up to the Hampton Coliseum, snooped around, chatted up the security dude, then moseyed back to our hotel, which is about a block away from our hotel. (We have a perfect view of the Hampton Coliseum from our third floor hotel room.) We stocked up on liquor at the state-owned store, got beer and snacky stuff at the grocery, grubbed it up at Applebees (no, we aren’t proud), then threw back a bunch and shot the shit ’til the wee hours at the room.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 4, 2009, at 5:45 pm
Just got a press release with the following headline: “No Doubt Fans To Receive Band’s Entire Digital Catalog For Free With LiveNation.com Ticket Purchase.” Very interesting and exciting news for fans, until you get down a little further and find out that only the folks willing to cough up $80 or more for “top tier” tickets are eligible to receive the digi-log for free. As if someone purchasing $80 tickets doesn’t already have the entire No Doubt catalog, but at least said folks will actually feel like they’re getting something even if they’re not.
It’s also an obvious ploy to move over-inflated tickets in tough economic times. Because, why lower your ticket prices during a recession when you can offer something that costs you virtually nothing, for free, to make yourself look good?
What I want to know is how much these digital copies count toward album sales for the band? Will this escalate their sales/chart numbers?
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 4, 2009, at 2:00 pm
Girl Talk Sat., March 7, Club Firestone, Orlando, $15 in advance/$18 dos, clubfirestone.com
One of the hottest DJs on the scene right now isn’t really a DJ at all. Girl Talk — the stage name and dance-music project of 27-year-old Pittsburgh native Gregg Gillis — is more an electronic music phenomenon than anything else. His fourth album, 2008’s Feed the Animals, impressed all-manner of respected music pundits despite being almost entirely composed of several hundred samples from other artists’ songs.
Gillis is among the fast-rising faction of laptop rockers. He calls what he does “pop song re-contextualizations,” which are like mash-ups, but with no less than 15 song samples in any given track. But you won’t find him digging in hole-in-the-wall records stores, rifling through dusty bins or awaiting the latest shipment of retro European LPs. In fact, obscurity is the one thing he tries to avoid.
“To me, the gold mine is the radio,” Gillis said in a phone interview a few weeks ago, during a between-show break. “You turn it on and ideally, you discover songs that people are familiar with and you make something new of them.”
Gillis is looking for music that makes an emotional connection, those Top 40 pop songs that imprinted themselves on our psyches in our formative years and have hung around in our gray matter ever since. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 4, 2009, at 1:40 pm
Well, looks like even if I don’t make it in to all three of this weekend’s Phish reunion shows, I can still get the show downloads for free — and in a high quality format! Here’s the release I got today:
PHISH OFFERS FANS FREE, NEXT-DAY MP3
DOWNLOADS OF THIS WEEKEND’S SOLD-OUT HAMPTON COLISEUM SHOWS VIA LIVEPHISH.COM
March 6th, 7th And 8th Concerts Mark Phish’s
First Performances In More Than Four Years
Phish will celebrate playing its first shows in over four years by offering fans free, high-quality downloads overnight of the band’s March 6th, 7th and 8th concerts at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. Tickets for the concerts sold out just seconds after they went on sale last fall.
“We really wanted to show our gratitude to all the Phish fans for their support and the overwhelming response they’ve had to these shows. It’s going to be an amazing celebration and we only wish everybody could be there,” said Phish lead guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio. Read the rest of this entry »
A solid jam-rock outfit that’s been gigging around the Bay area for the past several years, Cope has only recently found a lineup that fits. Now, they’re ready to get serious.
“We’ve finally reached a sound we’re proud of,” guitarist/vocalist Dennis Stadelman told me a few weeks ago when I sat down with him and his bass-playing brother Kenny to discuss their official “coming out” show this Friday.
The Stadelmans have the best sort of sibling rivalry, one that forces them to grow and mature as artists together or else run the risk of one or the other losing creative face. After more than 15 years of performing — they started their first band at ages 15 and 16, along with their 14-year-old cousin, guitarist Roger Pinkerton — they’ve gotten pretty good at complementing each other, experimenting with new ideas and sounds, and challenging each other to improve and evolve. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 3, 2009, at 4:52 pm
I just got a release announcing Def Leppard’s latest 40-city American tour with Poison and Cheap Trick, which includes a Tampa stop at Ford Amphitheatre Fri., Aug. 14. After receiving news about one of hair metal’s greatest Aqua Netted fivesome, I was inspired to look up and play the classic “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” I mean, has a song ever expressed a food fetish with such heart? In response to my song selection, PoHo challenged me with another, “Photograph,” which kicked off a short but sweet “Duel to the Def.” My response was “Love Bites,” because who doesn’t love a good Leppard power ballad? His challenge, in four words, “Gunter glieben glauchen globen” the intro to “Rock of Ages.” Before I could whip out some “Hysteria” on his ass, I was called into a meeting, which left PoHo the default victor.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mar. 2, 2009, at 2:20 pm
So this is it. The week that it starts all over again. The members of Phish are re-convening for the first time in nearly five years, at the Mothership Hampton Coliseum, with 13,800 of their closest phans looking on. Hopefully, this sad sack included. No, I have not yet acquired my extra tickets — one for Friday, one for Saturday. However, I’m envisioning myself there when the lights go down and the crowd draws in a collective, anticipatory breath, then pushes it out in one long, adrenaline-filled roar of adoration as The Phish comes strolling out on stage at what I forsee will be 8:36 p.m. on Friday, March 6.
Now, onto the contest. If you haven’t yet submitted your Phish contest entry for the chance to win a fatty prize pack — nine Live Phish CDs, a Rolling Stones memoir, the new Brian Wilson DVD, a Phish Saves America print — cast your vote here. If didn’t already know about the Phish Saves America contest, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 27, 2009, at 7:33 pm
Wanee, the annual Florida music festival hosted by Southern jam rock grandfathers Allman Brothers Band and featuring two nights worth of headlining shows by them returns, this time with Gregg Allman in good health and actually in attendance.
The current lineup of performers includes the usual suspects — the Allmans (who headlines both nights), Gov’t Mule, Toots & The Maytals, the Derek Trucks Band (which plays a special midnight set on Saturday), Susan Tedeschi, and Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. Read the rest of this entry »
Last year, I tried and failed to head up to Chicago for 2008’s three-day Pitchfork Music Festival. The lineup was an indie rock lovers dream — how could you expect any less from a Pitchfork.com-sponsored event? — but I simply couldn’t get it together in time to actually go. This year, I may just have to scrape the bottom of my cash barrel; while no artists have been confirmed as yet for 2009, the lineup usually includes bands that Pitchfork has been following/raving about/writing about throughout the year. Based on acts that played previous years, Pitchfork’s Top 50 albums of 2008, and reviews of albums that have come out so far this year, I’m going to hypothesize the following: Fleet Foxes, Portishead, Cut Copy, M83, Deerhunter, Erykah Badu, Los Campesinos!, Santogold, Beiruit, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons, Andrew Bird, Trail of Dead, Black Lips, and TV on the Radio.
You probably don’t know the name Dennis Lambert, but you know the man’s work. During most of the ’70s and into the ’80s, he was part of a songwriting/producing tandem that routinely spun out chart-topping singles.
The tunes cut a broad stylistic swath: Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds’ “Don’t Pull Your Love,” Player’s “Baby Come Back,” The Commodores’ “Night Shift,” The Four Tops’ “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I Got),” Starship’s “We Built This City,” to name a few.
After watching his stock in the music biz fall in the ’90s, Lambert retreated from New York to Boca Raton, where he built a successful career in real estate.
He’s the subject of a documentary, Of All the Things — lovingly directed by his son Jody Lambert — that’s showing at the Gasparilla Film Festival.
The film follows Dennis Lambert’s return to a country where he enjoyed his only real success as a solo artist: The Philippines. His 1972 album Bags and Things turned out to be a monster hit in that island country; the love ballad “Of All the Things” is still adored by the citizenry, and has become something of a wedding anthem. To read the rest, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 26, 2009, at 5:23 pm
Today, former Smiths frontman Morrissey canceled the first several dates of his tour, which included his entire Florida leg (the March 4 stop at Jannus Landing, too) due to “illness.” No more details were released and his Florida fans are left scratching their heads.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 26, 2009, at 3:33 pm
–A review by Creative Loafing Sarasota Editor Cooper Levy-Baker from the Sarasota blog, the 941.
Two months ago, we teased the hell out of the debut disc by the hot-shot DJ duo N.A.S.A., and posted an mp3 and a video by the group to boot. Well, this past Tuesday, the disc finally hit the streets, and Pitchfork has already chimed in with a strong-handed diss, claiming the extensive guest list scattered around The Spirit of Apollo is the only good thing about it. In writer Tom Breihan’s view, N.A.S.A.’s Rolodex trumps everything musical about the release.
And, while we certainly got a lot of mileage — about 100 words worth — out of the ridonkulous list of stars attached to the project in our original post, I couldn’t disagree more about the quality of the music the boys at N.A.S.A. have cooked up. “Money” (the video for which we posted earlier) is a propulsive beast, merging David Byrne’s New Wave nasality with energetic dancehall toasts and a speaker-rattling breakbeat. “Way Down” is all orchestral slow-grind with a wonderfully Wu way about it (which makes sense, since it’s got a guest shot from RZA). “Strange Enough,” meanwhile, splits the difference between ODB’s lunacy and Karen O’s fuzzy punk squawk with remarkable ease. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 26, 2009, at 11:53 am
A relatively new indie outfit from Louisiana, Brass Bed crafts sprightly folk-infused psyche pop flavored with ‘60s rock textures (tambourine, garage fuzzy riffs, mellow rolling interludes, Beach Boy harmonies). The songs are quirky-catchy and easy to enjoy, and 2008’s Midnight Matinee is a nice slice of upbeat. I hear they put on a pretty good show, too, and tonight’s probably perfect for some courtyard musical enjoyment. Mumpsy and The Junkyard Kings provide open the show. 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Tampa, $9 (21 and up).
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 24, 2009, at 4:18 pm
A blog I periodically visit, Music for Kids Who Can’t Read Too Good, recently posted a pretty good list, “T.A.I.S.T.M. (The Acronym In Song Titles Mix),” a series of songs with acronyms in their titles paired with MP3s of said songs. A pretty nice little collection, with songs like of Montreal’s “Requiem For O.M.M.2,” Broken Social Scene’s “TBTF,” “DLZ” by TV on the Radio, and Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” Check out the rest and listen to the songs by clicking here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 24, 2009, at 1:09 pm
On Friday, Depeche Mode announced a U.S. tour, the final leg landing in Florida with a stop in Tampa on Friday, September 4, at a yet-to-be-named venue. (DM has also scheduled a stop in Ft. Lauderdale Saturday, September 5.) Today, the band unveiled cover of their new album, Sounds of the Universe, to be released in the U.S. April 21 via Capitol/Mute. On the same day, the band is also putting out a three-CD special edition package-of-Mode-fans’-dreams that includes bonus tracks, remixes, and 14 demos as well as a DVD with all kinds of goodies and two 84-page hardback books with lyrics and photos. For further details on the album or to find out more about the tour, visit the DM newsite.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 24, 2009, at 1:00 am
Canadian/American singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka, 20, writes poppy tunes and sings them in an effete tenor. Missy Higgins (pictured at right), a more substantial artist than Nozuka, hails from Australia; her music alternates between moody, intimate post-folk and livelier acoustic pop. Also on the bill is cutie Aussie folkie Lenka. 8 p.m., State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $25. (Text by Eric Snider)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 24, 2009, at 12:00 am
Synth pop duo-turned-trio Gil Mantera’s Party Dream(drummer A.E. Paterra joined last tour) wrote and performed new music throughout ’08, and this January released Dreamscape, the follow-up to their ’06 debut. (For more on that and to see the first video, click here.) I’ve only heard a few tracks, but so far, Dreamscape seems pretty dancetastic. Hometown fun old-timey-meets-nu-jazz rock quartet Poetry n’ Lotion provides support. I talked to Ultimate Donny the last time GMPD came to town back in September ‘08; to check out the article I wrote, click here. 9 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $9 (all ages).(Pictured at right: GMPD, the 2009 digital edition)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 23, 2009, at 3:42 pm
TV on the Radio’s serene guitarist-falsetto singer Kyp Malone had a pretty nice chat with Pitchfork last week. (Pitchfork writer Ryan Dombol likened him to “human chamomile tea.”) In the interview, he talked about TVOTR’s Saturday Night Live debut (”I was immediately told how shitty the sound was by people who were outside the room”), the Jonas Brothers’ performance on SNL last week (”The Jonas Brothers probably had Mickey Mouse standing in the control room with a gun. I’m sure it was a handgun, not an assault rifle.”), and being hand-picked by David Bowie to contribute a cover of “Heroes” to the War Child: Heroes album.
Another concert announcement that came down the pipelines last week: Hall & Oates. The duo plays Ruth Eckerd Hall Wed., April 15. Tickets are $49.50 to $79.50.
Also on the concert radar is a solo concert by Dresden Dolls songstress Amanda Palmer (pictured) at State Theatre March 26 ($16); Blue October plays Jannus Landing April 22 ($25); and Manchester Orchestra at State Theatre June 2 ($11).
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 23, 2009, at 2:29 pm
To check out “Phish Saves America Vol. I: DVD, Reunion, Summer Tour,” click here; for “Phish Saves America, Vol. II: Bonnaroo, ticket woes, Pollock show and contest,” click here.
For those who’ve cast your votes in the Phish contest I announced in my last posting — Thank You!I have made note of your answers and filed your e-mail addresses away so that I can contact you by that means if you happen to win. If you used a fake email address, please make sure to contact me with a correct email and your submission. My email is leilani@creativeloafing.com. Please Note: You do not need to e-mail me your submissions otherwise; please leave it in the comments below.
Now, onto the fun part: the prize. Since I received such an enthusiastic response to the contest, I contacted the fine folks at Phish Inc./JEMP Records to see if they could provide some actual Phish schwag to go into the prize pack. The folks were eager to oblige and are sending me a fatty package of several LivePhish CDs that were put out over the past few years, among them, one of my faves, the legendary 12-7-97 Dayton, Ohio Nutter Center show, the NYE 12-29-97 and 12-30-07 shows at Madison Square Garden, the UCF Arena 11-14-95 show in Orlando, and the 8-13-93 Indianapolis Murat Theater show. Also in the prize pack is the new Brian Wilson DVD, That Lucky Old Sun, a book, Under Their Thumb (about one man’s adventures with the Rolling Stones), a print of the “Phish Saves America” Mt. Phishmore logo (see below, logo art by Phil Bardi), and a few other yet-to-be-announced goodies.
For those who missed the last post about the contest, the rules are relatively simple. Whoever guesses all (or a combination of the most) of my setlist questions about the Phish Reunion shows right, wins the above aforementioned prize package. Here are the questions: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 23, 2009, at 12:14 pm
It’s not often you find a UK electro outfit that can combine elements of Can-style Krautrock (Britain-meets-Berlin accents, slinky minimal beats, hypnotic repetition) with sly, witty songwriting that references Hans Christian Anderson, ice cream flavors, Reebok, pickpockets and various other nonsensical subjects, many related in some way to the ’80s. Fujiya & Miyagi (pictured) bring their U.S. tour to Orlando, with support by Brooklyn’s Project Jenny, Project Jan. 8 p.m., Back Booth, Orlando, $10.
Also worth the Monday night drive to O-town is Austin’s thunderously art rockin’ …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, which is currently on tour in support of their sixth and latest album, The Century of Self. Funeral Perty opens the Orlando gig. 9 p.m., The Social, Orlando, $15.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 23, 2009, at 12:00 am
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); no need to set your TIVOs or DVRs as most of this week’s offerings are reruns. But hey, if you missed them last time …
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS (All reruns)
Thursday, February 26: Anthony Hamilton (pictured; original air date 2/11)
Friday, February 27: Randy Rogers Band (1/14)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 20, 2009, at 6:13 pm
I got to see Ben Folds perform at Langerado last year and it was one of the highlights of the now-defunct fest, Folds far more lively and engaging and far less maudlin than I expected. So you can imagine my pleasure at receiving this very exciting concert announcement from No Clubs:
BEN FOLDS
w/ Special Guests TBA
Appearing at The Ritz Ybor
Tampa, FL
Friday, April 03, 2009
Doors Open 8:30PM
Tickets: $29.50 ADV / $31.50 DOS
Tickets Available
http://ticketmaster.com
http://daddykool.com
Over the last 15 years, Ben Folds’ first-class melodic gifts, irony-laced lyrics, and punk-rock tendency to play piano as if it were a contact sport have earned the North Carolina native a legion of devoted fans of all ages. These people, quite simply, are going to go nuts for Way To Normal. The album, Folds’ third solo studio release, is dominated by the kind of irresistible hooks and piano-pounding pandemonium that listeners haven’t been treated to since Folds’ years with his previous band, the platinum-selling Ben Folds Five. Way to Normal is an exuberant, raucous, and sometimes profane mix of sure-fire crowd-pleasers (“Hiroshima,” “Bitch Went Nuts,” and the frenetically fuzzed-out “Dr. Yang”), cheerful snark-fests (“The Frown Song,” “Brainwascht”), and thoughtful, moving ballads (“Cologne,” “Kylie From Connecticut”) that Folds wrote at the end of 2007. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 20, 2009, at 3:43 pm
Palladium Theater’s Wednesday, February 25 concert featuring vet folkie Loudon Wainwright III gets moved around, with Wainwright re-scheduling for March 2 due to a conflict with his acting career. Canadian singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards (pictured), who was supposed to share the bill with Wainwright, will continue the show without him with fullscale concert of her own.
Snoop Dogg called off his Saturday, March 7 show at Jannus Landing after the cancellation of Langerado, where he was supposed to headline. K’Naan, who booked the vacated March 7 slot at Jannus, apparently changed his mind about playing there and canceled his stop as well.
And finally, Ruth Eckerd Hall announced today that a dire family health emergency has caused Bonnie Raitt to re-schedule her tour Clearwater stop, changing the date from March 15 to October 22.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 20, 2009, at 3:16 pm
Check out Eric’s review of the debut solo effort of Black Keys’ frontman Dan Auerbach:
The singing, guitar-playing half of the Black Keys drops his first solo album, and very little of it measures up to the music of his regular band. The Keys’ lean guitar-drums attack always imposed certain limitations, but Auerbach has not used his solo freedom to add refinement or polish; rather, he sinks deep into the slop: sloppy performances, sloppy production, sloppy sound.
He recorded the meandering, 14-track affair in his home studio, playing most of the instruments himself, and otherwise calling on friends and family.His songwriting does stretch beyond the hardscrabble garage-blues of the Black Keys, but his efforts at acoustic ballads, country-rock, Western twang, noise-funk and other stuff don’t come fully together. Click here to read more.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 20, 2009, at 12:11 pm
Lots of concerts to pick and choose from this February 20-22 weekend (for a complete list, click here), but if you haven’t already made concrete plans, why not show some support to the local and regional acts who always work extra hard for your lovin’? Here are highlights from the Florida band concert calendar:
Friday, Feb. 20 Grey Market w/Palantine/Spellbinder/Lush Progress/Magic ShoppeAn appealing local bill headed up by drums-and-guitar duo GreyMarket, which produces driving alt-rock with dark waves of drama and electro flourishes. Palantine brings the crunch, Spellbinder the ’70s prog-metal vocals and riffs, Lush Progress the classy symphonics, and Magic Shoppe the psychedelic funk. State Theatre, St. Petersburg.
Friday, Feb. 20 Buffalo Strange, Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg.
Friday, Feb. 20 Thomas Wynn & the Believers w/Have Gun Will Travel/The Takers/Lauris Vidal/Experimental Pilot Tampa Bay is more known for its Americana acts than Orlando is, but Thomas Wynn comes over from O-Town with a satchel full of rugged tunes and a penchant for Southern rock. The guy is good. He’s joined by a bevy of Bay area acts that will make for a strong bill.New World Brewery, Ybor City (write-up by Eric Snider).
Saturday, Feb. 21 Rachel Goodrich w/The JeanMarie/The Wedding Party. Rachel Goodrich is a quirky South Florida indie-pop multi-instrumentalist/songwriter whose rich foxy voice is set against songs pondering halos and demons and stars and nighttime adventures and whatever other delightful topics tickle her fancy. New World Brewery, Tampa. (Goodrich pictured above; photo byYvette Labov.)
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 19, 2009, at 12:40 pm
Ever since putting out their 2006 transcendant masterpiece, Yellow House, Grizzly Bear has enjoyed boundless fan adoration, respect from peers and from veterans like Paul Simon (who invited the band to play for five nights during his month-long residency last April at the Brooklyn Academy of Music) and Radiohead (which had Grizzly open some dates on the second leg of its ‘08 North American tour), and plentiful praise and accolades from pretty much any music critic with taste (this one included). ‘Course, putting out a perfect record is a double edged sword, earning you instant credibility and an overeager fanbase while also adding that heavy weight of worry that any subsequent music you produce will not live up to that last bit of genius.
Since Yellow House, Grizzly Bear has not clocked much studio time — a Daytrotter Session, a Friend EP there, some live appearances at various festivals and special events. Daniel Rossen did his fabulous Department of Eagles thing and put out In Ear Park, a captivating hint at what a new Grizzly Bear album could be. But up until last week, the band’s been rather mum about an actual follow-up to Yellow House. But last Friday, they revealed the name (Veckatimest), the new album cover (pictured), the release date (May 26) and the track listing. Today, Pitchfork.com published an interview with frontman Ed Droste. Here are some highlights: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 18, 2009, at 12:51 pm
A trippy early 1970’s video of The Temptations performing “Ball of Confusion.” A grayer version of the band stops at Ruth Eckerd Hall this Thursday night and plays a show with The Four Tops.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 17, 2009, at 12:38 pm
Yesterday afternoon, Trent Reznor posted a note to the Nine Inch Nails forum announcing a forthcoming co-headlining tour with Jane’s Addiction while reflecting on the band’s past, present, and future as they approach the 20th anniversary of their first official releases. In his note, he casually drops the fanbomb, revealing Nine Inch Nails’ plans to “disappear for a while” the idea being that, like so many bands before who’ve called it quits while seemingly at their prime, they’ll go out guns blazing, before they can get old and stale. Reznor does more than imply that the upcoming world tour could very well be NIN’s last.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 16, 2009, at 7:00 am
A new weekly roundup of what the CL team is listening to right now.
Late of the Pier Fantasy Black Channel (2008)
While Late of the Pier are synth-propelled, indie dance-rockers, the heavy blues riffage and arena rock bombast of Led Zeppelin sneak into songs like “Heartbeat” and “Bathroom Gurgle” amid the electronic beats and video game sounds. After all, how could you be from a place like Castle Donnington, UK, and not have trace amounts of heavy metal seep into your soul? Their debut album perverts conventional song-structure constantly, either merging or deconstructing one tune into the next, barely giving your ears a reprieve. It’s kind of a clusterfuck, but a whole lot of fun as well. Recommended tracks: “Space & The Woods,” “Heartbeat,” “Bathroom Gurgle”
–Joel
Alan Parsons Project The Best of the Alan Parsons Project (1983)
I blew them off because I always likened them to Steely Dan, another band with a suburban white guy name in its moniker and one I just can’t get into. But listening to this CD, I found songs that prompted a vague but sweet sense of nostalgia, songs that were somehow familiar and took me to that special Pink Floyd comfort zone of music listening, a deep space abyss of kaleidoscopic interstellar hydrogen clouds and nebulas of spiraling stars and luminescent gases. It’s music that’s a quintessential example of how psychedelic prog rock from the ‘70s should sound. Recommended track: “Time,” which, like so many other songs with the same title, reflects on the fleeting nature of human existence.
–Leilani Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 15, 2009, at 1:47 pm
We all know the standard classic mixtape love songs – “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton,” Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love,” Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady,” “I Will Always Love You,” (Dolly or Whitney, you pick the version), “At Last,” by Etta James, most of the Beatles’ early catalog. But what about modern, 21st century love songs, i.e., those that came out after January 1, 2001?
Up until I started preparing this, I never really thought much about it, but surprisingly, I came up with a wealth of ideas, almost too many. The songs I thought up are not necessarily traditional ballads (though there are several), are not always romantic or saccharine or even very nice, do not always offer bold statements of devotion or everlasting ardor. But in each, the meaning is clear even if it isn’t always spelled out clearly.
“Fell in Love with a Girl,” The White Stripes, White Blood Cells (2001)
The song made stars of pasty, Detroit-based indie alt blues duo Jack and Meg White, both because it was nice and short and tasty raw, and because it has a really cool Lego video. Check it out, if you haven’t already seen it a few dozen times.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 13, 2009, at 10:47 am
Was there ever any question the trio’s collaboration would be anything but golden? The proof is in the 418,000 download sales for its opening week, which surpasses T.I. and Rihanna’s record of 335,000 for their single, “Live Your Life.” For details, numbers and more info, click here.
So, is “Crack a Bottle” fantastic or what? I’d post a video but there isn’t one yet. Just alot of YouTube amateurs pairing pictures with the song. But I’m curious to hear what other people think about it. To hear the song in its entirety, check out Eminem’s MySpace. I’ve listened to it a few times and I’m digging it a little, but I’m not sure the lyrics are up to Eminem’s usual clever standard. Here’s the chorus:
“So crack a bottle, let your body waddle / Don’t act like a snobby model, you just hit the lotto / O-oh o-oh, bitches hopping in my Tahoe / Got one riding shotgun, and no not one of them got gloves / Now wheres the rubbers? Whose got the rubbers? / I noticed theres so many of them, and theres really not that many of us / and ladies love us and my posses kicking up dust / Its on till the break of dawn/ and were starting this party from dus”
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 12, 2009, at 11:32 am
The newgrass jam quartet has postponed several upcoming tour dates, including their Saturday, February 14, stop at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg. From the YMSB website:
Feb. 11- 15 Postponed
Due to circumstances surrounding the band, Yonder Mountain String Band will be unable to perform the shows scheduled for February 11 – 15. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes to the fans. We will announce the rescheduled dates as soon as possible.
Yonder Mountain hasn’t re-scheduled the show yet, but we’ll let ya know as soon as they do.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 11, 2009, at 11:40 pm
A weeklyish column about Vermont’s jamband super group; art by Phil Bardi. To read the inaugural post, click here.
For the past eight years, I’ve avoided getting sucked into the musical glamour of Bonnaroo. The majority of my friends have attended at least once, some of them several times, and all extol its stupefying virtues like they’re the ones trying to sell me a ticket.
It’s not as if I haven’t done the big festival thing. I journeyed to the far Northeast for two separate Phish fests. I’ve done three Langerado’s (may that festival rest in peace), the last with four stages spread out over a huge piece of land in the Everglades (the same place where Phish held its renowned NYE concerts). I’ve flown up to Chicago and wandered across the Grant Park stretches at Lollapalooza. I’ve driven to New Orleans and traipsed up and down the festival grounds at the NOLA Jazz and Heritage Fest.
But I could never really muster up enough interest in Bonnaroo to offset my misgivings about it. From its inception, the ‘roo was an overgrown behemoth with too many obstacles standing in the way of me enjoying it: umpteen hours waiting in a line of traffic stretched out for miles due to more than 60,000 people traveling from all over the United States to the same landlocked town in the middle of Nowhere, Tennessee; more hours wasted waiting to get in and get to a site, to camp on a farm in the muggy summer heat and surrounded on all sides by bodies ripening to musky fruition; walking miles to and from the concert area to your campsite, then hoofing it from stage to stage, back and forth, here then there, all throughout the day for four days in a row; having to choose between seeing two acts you really, really love, a decision you have to make over and over again; the godawful mud magically appearing in the middle of a busy thoroughfare, rain or no rain, musky people splashing around in it, because they’re musky anyway, right?
But over the course of several months, Phish has made me re-think my never-gonna-go-to-the-‘roo stance. See, their upcoming Summer Tour includes a headlining slot at the fest and in addition to a regular show, Phish is playing one of the legendary late night slots. A 2 a.m.-set shrouded in mystery and held under the stars by four men who are renowned for coming up with excellent musical surprises, and playing who knows what for Buddha knows how long? I have to tell you, if anything is tempting me to go, it’s that paired with a stellar lineup of other acts I adore or have been dying to see. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 11, 2009, at 12:34 pm
Hot off his tour serving as lead axeman for the Black Crowes, Luther Dickinson returns to the band he calls home, the North Mississippi Allstars with drumming/percussionist brother Cody and bassist Chris Chew, for a tour in support of Do It Like We Used to Do. The two-disc retrospective (out Jan. 20 on Red) traces the evolution of NMA’s blues-soaked rock n’ roll via a dozen years worth of live performances, from the start to the present; the release also includes a full-length DVD that documents the history of the band with live footage and various appropos interviews. The band brings its show to Tampa; Hill Country Revue, Cody and Chew’s side project with Garry Burnside, Daniel Coburn, Duwayne Burnside and Kirk Smithart, provides support. The show is Sat., March 28, at State Theatre in St. Petersburg; tickets are $21.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 9, 2009, at 2:07 pm
The Florida Orchestra has divulged its 2009-2010 programming schedule. According to TFO Music Director and Conductor Stefan Sanderling, the selections are meant to provide locals with an uplifting experience — “something that symphonic music does so well,” he wrote in his release — during a difficult time.
Among the Masterworks highlights are a personal favorite, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, as well as Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto and Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Dvorak’s New World Symphony. The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay joins TFO for Mendelssohn’s Elijah and the chorale’s women’s chorus is featured in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Shostakovich and Bruckner were also mentioned as well as TFO’s premiere of James MacMillan’s The Sacrifice conducted by MacMillan himself. To get the complete Masterworks schedule, click here.
TFO also announced the ‘09-’10 schedule for its eight-concert symphonic Raymond James Pops series, in which the orchestra is paired with a range of musical artists and offers up a smorgasborg of styles. This season, we saw TFO do Pink Floyd with a full band (pictured), perform a Halloween-themed “Musical Spooktacular” of haunting works and compositions from films like Batman, The Wizard of Oz and Creature from the Black Lagoon, and plenty else. Next season’s highlights include a night of steel drum infused tunes from the Caribbean with Tampa Bay Steel Orchestra, a tribute to The Beatles with Classical Mystery Tour, the return of Cirque de la Symphonie featuring live performances by cirque artists, a “Tribute to Ray Charles” with vocalist Ellis Hall, and a symphonic tour-de-force of James Bond themes from four decades of 007 films. For a complete Pops schedule, click here.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 9, 2009, at 1:00 pm
Here’s a little one-minute snippet of clips from an upcoming Bad Brains doc. No word yet on a release date. Apparently, they’e still seeking submissions of any and all Bad Brains related material (film/video, photo, audio, flyers, etc.), which means they may have a long way to go before we see this out. If you’ve got some of the aforementioned media, e-mail badbrainsmovie@gmail.com. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 9, 2009, at 11:55 am
Brown got caught up in an domestic violence episode involving an unidentified woman (possibly Rihanna, his girlfriend). The two may or may not have gotten into an argument in their car, she got out, and things escalated from there. Here’s Billboard’s official story.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 8, 2009, at 9:05 pm
In answer to Stephen’s earlier question, no, I don’t really care about the Grammys. I probably haven’t watched that particular music awards show (or really, any of the current music awards shows) in who knows how long. But I figure this year, I’ll tune in just to see if I actually know or care about the nominees. I’m also kinda curious about this year’s performances, there being a huge amount of them. A few are possibly bailing out already according to E!’s live red carpet coverage — Chris Brown probably, Rihanna definitely; the rumors are that Al Green or Justin Timberlake will replace them. And Boys II Men are up for two Grammys. I didn’t even know they made a comeback! My bad.
8 p.m. U2, uninspired. Bono looks fat.
8:05 And here’s Whitney Houston looking good, looking real real good. Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson. She is in awe of Whitney, obviously.
8:09 Dwayne Johnson = The Rock. In case you had no idea who the fuck they were talking about. And how is he a credible music presenter?
8:13 Justin Timberlake introduces and joins Al Green with Keith Urban and Boys II Men (who lost Best R&B Album to Hudson) for “Let’s Stay Together.” Was this performance on the Grammys performance schedule? NO. Pretty nice for an impromtu.
NEWS FLASH: Chris Brown’s in trouble, sought in connection with a felony battery. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t available for tonight’s performance? And Rihanna isn’t there from embarassment? On a side note, Rihanna was supposed to sing “Live Your Life/Disturbia” as the second performance of the night, Brown was supposed to sing “Forever” later on. Brown and Rihanna were both nominated in the pop collaboration with vocals category, Brown for “No Air” with American Idol champion Jordin Sparks; and Rihanna for “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5. Brown was also nominated for male R&B vocal performance for “Take You Down.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 6, 2009, at 12:26 pm
Contrary to rumors that’ve been circulating the past few days, tonight’s Perpetual Groove show at Crowbar in Ybor has not sold out — only pre-sale tickets are no longer available.
If you haven’t seen the Athens rocktronica foursome yet, I suggest you drop in. P-groove plays an energetic blend of trance-laden electronica, heavy-hitting rock ‘n’ roll, and jazzy grooves that have gained a deeper bump and funk in recent months via the influence of newish keyboardist John Hruby. The music is bouncy and playful, or quietly sublime and somehow mournful, or aggressive and distorted, or a long-lasting psychedelic electro odyssey, all of it pierced by frontman Brock Butler’s fluid guitar notes and beseeching vocals.
P-groove played St. Pete in December, their cover of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes” transcendent and the jams so smokin’ hot that I spent much of the time bustin’ moves. I’ll hopefully be doing the same tonight. 9 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $15.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 6, 2009, at 11:08 am
Last October, Ninebullets.net contributor Autopsy IV interviewed “no man gospel band” Reverend Deadeye, a blues howlin’ troubadour who just so happens to be playing Dave’s Aqua Lounge in St. Petersburg tonight. Here’s the write up and interview Autopsy IV has graciously allowed us to re-post here on Tampa Calling. Enjoy.
Some people pursue music for pussy. Some do it for the money. Others do it cause they love it, and then there are those rare few that do it for a much more organic reason. They chase this music thing ’cause they have to. Even when they don’t necessarily want to, there is something inside of them that makes them do it. Even when it’s hurting the ones they love and themselves, asking them to stop is as ludicrous as asking you to stop breathing. It’s in them, it has to come out…they are but a vessel. I am of the opinion that the Reverend Deadeye falls into that category. It is that very drive that made him leave a city that never really embraced him and hit the road with no clear plan outside of playing another show. He set out on the road with a van, a beer can turned into a microphone, a handmade guitar, and a sermon of hellfire and damnation for your sinnin’ ass soul.
His latest release, Turn or Burn, is available for the painfully low price of ten dollars. You should buy two and mail one to your momma. It’s a frantic explosion of slide-guitar blues meets tent-revival preaching. It’s everything that’s right with the one man band explosion. Check it out.Read the rest of this entry »
Despite temperatures that dipped below 30 Wednesday night, a few hundred bundled-up locals managed to make it out to Skipper’s Smokehouse to see British reggae toaster/singer Pato Banton (pictured) perform with LA hip-hop-meets-reggae rock outfit Mystic Roots, a tight little sextet with a two-piece horn section (sax and trumpet) and youthful, energetic players who laid down the grooves with laid-back ease.
Banton was an effervescent showman who sang, toasted, rapped, talked and encouraged the crowd to join him throughout. He was petite and trim and quite the dapper gentleman with his British accent and Euro-urban flair, matching white jacket, shirt, hat and sneaks (apparently a sort of uniform), his positive energy shining as brightly as his clothes. (More pics after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 5, 2009, at 5:26 pm
The 17th annual fest takes place Feb. 24-March 1 and will feature Antony & the Johnsons, Deerhunter, Stephen Malkmus, Josh Ritter (solo with a string quartet), A.C. Newman, French Kicks, Matt Costa, Thao Nguyen, Martha Wainwright, From Monument to Masses, Kool Keith, Mike Relm, The Morning Benders, The Submarines, Ra Ra Riot, Dear And The Headlights, The Matches, Portugal.The Man, Sholi, Flosstradamus, N.A.S.A., No Age, Les Savy Fav, and several others. For more info, check out the Noise Pop 17 website.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Feb. 5, 2009, at 4:45 pm
A new weekly roundup of what the CL team is listening to right now.
Wild Sweet Orange We Have Cause To Be Uneasy (2008)
This is one the most well-rounded albums I’ve heard in a long time. It came in a press packet to me last year, and my loyalty and love for this album has not faded since. In fact, while grocery shopping yesterday, it was all I listened to on my iPod and it made selecting vegetables a shit-ton of fun. The album is very deep lyrically, and I appreciate the diversity in the song selection. Some songs are surprising because the intro doesn’t give you any indication of what the bulk of the song is going to sound like, other songs are slow but pick up at the end, and some songs simply rock out with screaming and drums. Warning: Don’t listen to this album if you aren’t in the mood to be forced to contemplate the meaning of life.
Recommended tracks: “Tilt,” “House of Regret,” “Land of No Return” –Aly
Big L Lifestylez Ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995)
Big L’s wordplay is still impressive more than a dozen years later. The rhyme scheme and wit of his verse on “Da Graveyard” (which features a very young sounding Jay-Z) would embarrass most of today’s so-called heavy hitters. The title track and “All Black” have that explicit, self-assured swagger your inner alpha male loves. Big L definitely deserves to be on the Brooklyn Hip Hop Mount Rushmore and that’s saying something. –Infinite Skillz
Plants and Animals Parc Avenue (2008)
Montreal trio Plants and Animals put out their full-length debut last February, got nominated for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize (a coveted Canadian award with $20,000 in booty for the winner), earned top marks from PopMatters and Pitchfork, and somehow flew completely under my radar. Sad because this album is indie rock gold with its warm and majestic balladry, sometimes bolstered by grandiose choral arrangements, other times gently meandering into the rootsy poignancy of ‘70s folk psychedelia. Recommended tracks: “Bye Bye Bye” and “Faerie Dance” –LeilaniRead the rest of this entry »
Other area stores, like Sound Exchange, Mojo Books & Music and Vinyl Fever, have stocked up on an array of exclusive Record Store Day releases available only at indie stores. Amid the offerings are an array of split 7”-ers, including a double 7” of live tracks from Atlanta and Edinburgh by Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams, and a split 7” featuring covers of songs from Warner Bros.’ back catalog – Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs performing Madonna’s “Borderline,” and The Black Keys doing Captain Beefheart’s “Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles.” Guided By Voices re-releases its Hold On Hope LP with three bonus tracks, My Morning Jacket offers a limited run CD and double 10″ vinyl release recorded live in Louisville at Ear X-tacy record store, and Wilco makes its forthcoming concert DVD, Ashes of American Flags, available solely to indie stores and on its website on Record Store Day. Other exclusive RSD vinyl releases come from Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Mastodon, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Jane’s Addiction, The Stooges, Modest Mouse, Slayer, The Decemberists and Black Kids, among many others. Read the rest of this entry »
