Here’s a quick rundown of some of the new albums being released this week:
Atreyu Congregation of the Damned
Devendra Banhart What Will We Be
Jack Johnson En Concert
R.E.M. Live at The Olympia
Stephen Stills Live at Shepherd’s Bush
The Swell Season Strict Joy
Tegan and Sara Sainthood
Train Save Me, San Francisco
Wolfmother Cosmic Egg
Each Friday, we bring you 10 CD reviews done in 10 words each:
Kristina Train Spilt Milk — Strong vocals from soulful, bluesy singer on her debut CD.
Neil Diamond A Cherry Cherry Christmas — ‘Tis the season for holiday albums…and it’s still October.
Tiny Tim I’ve Never Seen a Straight Banana — Soaked in falsetto, this one’s almost painful to listen to.
David Maxwell & Louisiana Red You Got to Move — Duo gets together to explore Red’s old-school blues songs.
The Mag Seven Cotton Needle Sessions — Band’s fifth album full of instrumental jazz with surf hints.
Toby Keith American Ride — Patriotism-infused country from the right wing, with cheesy humor.
Keynoc Soundmind — 27-year-old hip-hop artist incorporates some r&b, autotune.
Dave Keys Roots in the Blues — Sideman to the famous releases his fourth solo blues album.
Built to Spill There is No Enemy — Interesting Americana/rock conglomerate that will deserve a second listen.
Matt Morris When Everything Breaks Open — Co-produced by Justin Timberlake, music combines rock, folk, r&b, pop.
The Mars Volta
Oct. 22, 2009
The Fillmore
The Deal: Progressive rockers perform energetic hour-and-45-minute set for a crowd of roughly 700.
The Good: The band hit the stage and opened with “Inertiatic” and what seemed to be one never-ending song for nearly two hours after that. The music was fast, furious and non-stop for the duration as guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López picked, strummed and riffed his ass off.
Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala hit every note and danced his ass off — kicking the microphone around, flipping the stand in the air, giving James Brown’s footwork a run for its money and simply being one of the most entertaining frontmen in music these days.
The band seemed to hit its peak with the mellow “The Widow” toward the end of its set, as most in the crowd sang along. Bixler-Zavala only addressed the crowd once, mentioning the band’s origins in At the Drive-In. “A lot of people weren’t happy when we started this band,” he told the crowd. “But life is about creating visions between the faithful and the morons.”
The Bad: The small crowd.
The Verdict: A visual and sonic experience that’s hard to describe, and a definite “must see.”
Setlist
Inertiatic
Goliath
Cotopaxi
Roulette
Viscera
Halo
Eunuchs
Ilvana
Teflon
Drunkship
Luciforms
The Widow
Wax Simulacra
The Pick Up The Phone Tour 2009, has been cancelled due to the hospitalization of Justin Furstenfeld, lead singer of the tour’s headlining band Blue October. The tour had a scheduled stop at The Fillmore on Oct. 23.
Furstenfeld is being treated for suffering from an extreme mental anxiety attack. His doctors have ordered that the tour — which was committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental health, depression, and suicide — be cancelled to allow for his recovery.
Tickets purchased for the Oct. 23 concert at The Fillmore Charlotte can be refunded at point of purchase starting Friday, Oct. 23. Tickets purchased via phone or online will be refunded automatically.
“Mental health diseases are unpredictable,” says Furstenfeld. “And on the eve of this tour in support of a cause that means the world to me, I am in need of time to heal from a setback in my own personal life, which is severe enough for me to seek hospitalization. I hope that my action to seek the strength and safety of treatment will inspire others that are suffering to do the same.”
Bon Jovi will perform at Time Warner Cable Arena on April 22, 2010, it was announced today.
No word on when tickets will go on sale.
Social Distortion
Amos’ Southend
Oct. 21, 2009
The Deal: So Cal rockers make long-awaited return to the Carolinas. (more…)
Ok, fearless readers, I need your help. We have quite the quandary to discuss. Help answer the following question: What happens when you don’t like an artist, but like his/her/their music? Is this the equivalent of treason? Does this upset the music gods?
Help me out here. This seems to be a common problem in music land today. Don’t believe me? Here are a few examples to start the conversation:
Kayne West – Yes, he’s a punk. Yes, he’s an ass. And yes, his music is unique, catchy and hard not to like. One minute he’s jumping on stage at the MTV VMAs and ruining America’s sweetheart Taylor Swift’s speech, and the next he’s got one of the hottest song’s (”Run This Town”) off one of the hottest albums (Jay-Z’s The Blueprint Vol. 3). He’s spoiled, an egomaniac, but extremely talented. (more…)
Lenny Kravitz has canceled his upcoming show at the Fillmore on Oct. 27 due to a vocal injury. Refunds will be given at point of purchase.
Said Lenny Kravitz in a press release – “I’m very sorry and disappointed to not be able to pay my fans in North Carolina a visit. I was looking forward to returning to Charlotte and perform for everyone there. I look forward to coming back when I head back out on the road in the US next year.”
Here’s a quick rundown of the new albums hitting store shelves today:
Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine Audacity of Hype
Creed Full Circle
Flight of the Conchords I Told You I Was Freaky
Lyle Lovett Natural Forces
Tim McGraw Southern Voice
Rammstein Liebe Ist Für Alle Da
Train Save Me San Francisco
Metallica
Time Warner Cable Arena
Oct. 18, 2009
The Deal: Metal veterans Metallica hit “The Cable Box” for a couple hours of mayhem. (more…)
