speed of dark

I was reminded at Toad the Wet Sprocket's performance last Wednesday (opening act for Guster) of my idea for a Time Travel post on great old songs you might hear on the sound system at the grocery store, a restaurant, or the auto parts shop. The idea is, these songs, no matter how often you hear them or how mundane the environment, retain their original power to make you feel the same zing you felt when they were new.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, by having three songs like this in their history: "All I Want," "Walk On the Ocean" (I once heard this in a McDonalds), and "Fall Down." "Good Intentions" and "Always Wrong" might be in that category too. Glen Phillips can be forever proud of having written these beautiful, beloved songs that continue to keep a horde of fans enthralled.

The curse comes first in not having more songs of that calibre--although I think that Phillips has it in him to do it again--and second, no matter how much the band members would like to move on with their current and future projects, they are forever doomed to time-travel back to the days before their break-up to play them again.

To their credit, the band that appeared last week at Orange County Fair's Pacific Amphitheater and in the current tour is the original line-up, not some pseudo-Toad. Whatever the differences in direction they've taken since their official break-up in 1998, they can still play together for their own and their fans' benefit.

The set time-travelled all over the past 16 years of TTWS's discography, from their third album fear to Phillips' solo releases Winter Pays For Summer (2005) and last year's Mr. Lemons. As proof that Phillips still has the chops to write gorgeous and inspiring music, I highly recommend my personal favorite, "Released," from Mr. Lemons.


Glen Phillips stated that the band had not played together in public for at least a year. Unfortunately, it showed. A couple of the songs near the beginning of the show sounded "off," and Dean Dinning's attempts at humor fell flat. The Beatles cover song "Bulldog" was more of a miss than a hit--the timing was poor. The crowd of worshipers was very forgiving, however, and roared its approval for all the familiar songs. Hopefully these first-show glitches will be ironed out in future performances. Phillips' voice was in excellent form. When TTWS left the stage, cheered by a standing audience, I thought I saw a look of appreciation and wonder on Phillips' face at the depth of devotion as he turned for a last wave to the crowd.

Check their MySpace page for a slew of dates all over the U.S. from August to next January. Many of these are solo dates for Phillips, and if any were in my area, I'd be going. Also on their MySpace page you can catch up with the other band members' projects, like Todd Nichols' Lapdog.

Glen Phillips (click image for full size):

From left to right: Todd Nichols, Randy Guss, Dean Dinning

Setlist:

1. Something's Always Wrong from Dulcinea (1994)

2. Whatever I Fear from Coil (1997)
3. Easier from Glen Phillips' solo CD Winter Pays For Summer (2005)

4. Stupid from Dulcinea (1994)
5. All I Want from Fear (1991)

6. Dam Would Break from Coil (1997)
7. Everything But You from Glen Phillips' solo CD Mr. Lemons (2006)

8. Bulldog (Beatles cover) from I Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack

9. Good Intentions from In Light Syrup (1995)

10. Brother from In Light Syrup (1995)

11. Walk on the Ocean from Fear (1991)

12. Crazy Life from Coil (1997), featuring Todd Nichols
13. Fall Down from Dulcinea (1994)

Toad the Wet Sprocket MySpace | Glen Phillips MySpace
Toad the Wet Sprocket Website | Label: Indie
Hitory: Wikipedia
Buy

Guster at the Pacific Amphitheater

"We've never played a county fair before," leered Guster's lead singer Ryan Miller to last Wednesday night's crowd at Orange County's Pacific Amphitheater. "And I have just one word: churros. They are a magical treat."

For the unitiated, churros are a cinnamon-y, deep-fried, doughy treat of Spanish origin which is now a Mexican staple dessert; and they are commonly sold as fast food at California county fairs. I bought one at our county fair when my grandson He Might Be Giant was about two years old. The baby took one bite and then snatched the thing away from me and ate it all. Read more about churros here.

The Orange County Fair, unlike its small-town cousins, is not the last resort of washed-up bands. Every summer there are weeks of performances by established and respected artists. This July's line-up included Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, so it was hardly a step down for Guster.

My partner for this show was my husband Mr. Folkie, who I thought would be able to tolerate Guster, and he actually enjoyed the performance. He was especially impressed with Guster's thundergod drummer, Brian Rosenworcel.

This date was also the maiden concert for our new Olympus camera, and WOWZA! While I still have to perfect focusing the thing, for the first time I was able to capture the eye-popping colors of the stage lights without losing any detail. Its only drawback is its size--it is too big to be smuggled inside a shirt.

Ryan Miller (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano)

(click image for full size):


Adam Gardner (vocals, guitar, keyboard, trumpet, cowbell, handclaps)

(click image for full size):


Joe Pisapia (backing vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard)

(click image for full size):

It was Joe's 28th birthday! I've been to shows before where it was a band member's birthday, but I've never heard an entire arena sing Happy Birthday. It was amazing! A woman popped out briefly from backstage to show Joe his cake. How sweet!

Brian Rosenworcel (drums, percussion)

(click image for full size):


It's no mystery why Guster's fans call Brian Rosenworcel the Thundergod. The man moves at the speed of light. I probably took a hundred shots of him, trying to capture his flying hands, with limited success.

Mr. Folkie, who does not normally go to rock concerts, was fascintated with Rosenworcel. Here are the words he wrote to a friend of ours the next day:

"Guster had an out-of-control drummer. [Alt-gramma] tells me that all rock drummers are out of control, but this one was out of control in a particular way. He had an array of bongos, congas, and miscellaneous drummage surrounding him, and he flogged them mercilessly with his bare hands. A million years ago I knew something about bongos and congas, and I recognized some of the patterns he was using. However, he was using them in nearly impossible ways, weaving them into larger patterns and dividing and subdividing the underlying rhythm into almost unimaginable complexity. It was nuts."

I'm not going to analyze this performance more deeply. Those who have seen Guster's performances know that they turn out a mighty good show. Those who haven't, and I was one, have been missing out on a good thing. I have seriously neglected Guster in my playlists, and I won't continue to make that mistake. They are dynamite professional showmen, completely at ease and in their element onstage. Their songs were tight and executed with brilliance and emotion without a single glitch. That's what makes a truly satisfying live performance.

Setlist:

1. The Captain
2. Barrel of a Gun (live in Portland, ME)

3. One Man Wrecking Machine
4. Brazil (live 7-08-07)

5. Happier (live in Portland, ME)

6. Hang On

7. Come Downstairs and Say Hello

8. Demons (live in Birmingham, AL, 3-3-04)

9. Manifest Destiny

10. G Major

11. Ruby Falls

12. Ramona

13. Amsterdam

14. Fa Fa

Encore:
15. Satellite from Satellite EP (2007)
16. Airport Song

MySpace | Tour Dates: Website | Label: Reprise | Lyrics
Buy lots of live songs at iTunes and albums at Amazon.com

Coming soon: the opening act, Toad the Wet Sprocket

The rare opportunity of actual paying work has delayed today's Finally Friday, and it looks like if I don't go ahead and publish it "as is," it will end up being Finally Saturday. If I get a chance, maybe I will just catch up tomorrow.

These cover songs go way, way back to my high school days! Yikes!

Foo Fighters: I Feel Free
The first track on Cream's debut album Fresh Cream (1966). Yes, I have this on vinyl.

Joan Jett: Bits and Pieces
Original by the Dave Clark Five on Glad All Over (1964). I have this one too.

Camper Van Beethoven: Pictures of Matchstick Men
Originally by Status Quo (1968)

Herman Jolly: Yesterday
Original by the Beatles (1966). Sadly, I no longer have this album.
Herman Jolly's MySpace | More Herman Jolly on Speed of Dark

The Space Lady: I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night
Originally by the Electric Prunes from their 1967 debut album of the same name.
The Space Lady's MySpace | Website | About the Space Lady
More Space Lady on Speed of Dark

Yo La Tengo: Good Lovin'
Although made famous by the Young Rascals in 1966, this was also a cover version of a song by the Olympics.

Talk about hot and nasty! Contrast Podcast #69 takes a very adult view of Dinner For Two. Heh heh.

Some sizzling hot sounds are coming from cool, northern latitudes.

Calvin Harris

"I Created Disco!" proclaims the title of this debut CD from Calvin Harris, a very tall young Scotsman. I am not the greatest fan of disco. I hid in an underground bunker with my Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt LPs until the disco 80's had passed.

Mr. Harris has created a danceable bunch of songs greatly influenced by post-disco Bowie and trip-hop. Play these at your next party, and people will be asking you who that is. He's got a podcast on iTunes to listen to while you wait for this album to be released on September 4.

From I Created Disco (2007):
Calvin Harris: the girls
Calvin Harris: electro man

MySpace | Website | Label: Fly Eye/Columbia
Buy at Amazon.com
Shows:
Jul 27 2007 - Global Gathering, Stratford Upon Avon
Aug 4 2007 - Electric Gardens Festival, Kent
Aug 5 2007 - Loch Lomond Festival, Balloch
Aug 12 2007 - Liquid Rooms (4pm - Matinee Show Aged 14+), Edinburgh
Aug 12 2007 - Liquid Rooms (10pm - Evening Show), Edinburgh
Aug 17 2007 - Lowlands Festival, Holland
Aug 25 2007 - Rock en Seine Festival, Paris
Sep 7 2007 - Bestival, Isle Of Wight
Nov 4 2007 - Nottingham Rock City, Nottingham
Nov 5 2007 - Newcastle Academy, Newcastle
Nov 6 2007 - Birmingham Custard Factory (Arches), Birmingham
Nov 7 2007 - Manchester Academy, Manchester
Nov 9 2007 - Sheffield Leadmill, Sheffield
Nov 10 2007 - Glasgow Barrowland, Glasgow
Nov 11 2007 - Leeds Met Uni, Leeds
Nov 13 2007 - London, Astoria, London
Nov 14 2007 - Norwich UEA, Norwich
Nov 15 2007 - Bristol Academy, Bristol
Nov 17 2007 - Oxford Academy, Oxford
Nov 18 2007 - Cardiff Solus, Cardiff
Nov 19 2007 - Preston 53 Degrees, Preston



Massdriver

Oslo's Massdriver also has a rock-disco-electronica groove. They like to dabble in graphic imagery as well--check out their bobble-head red robot banner on MySpace. The photo above is singer PetterJ who is joined in the project by 13" who plays "the synths and stuff."

Unsigned and independent, they'll soon be offering their songs for sale on MySpace or their own website, which is still under development at this time. They are also working on some videos, which should prove interesting if similar to the graphic art on their MySpace page. For now, they have a few free downloads, including "Speed," another favorite of mine. Get 'em now!

Massdriver: Don't Even Care
Massdriver: Facelift

MySpace | Label: Unsigned


Hyphin


Glasgow's Hyphin have the grungey garage-rock sound that I like the best. They are about to celebrate a first year anniversary as a band, having formed last August while at college. They don't have anything to purchase yet, but they do have a bunch of new demos on MySpace that show a lot of potential.

Hyphin: First and Last
Hyphin: Every Step of the Way

MySpace | Website | Label: Unsigned

Shows:
Aug 3 2007 - Soundhaus, Glasgow
Aug 16 2007 - Nice n Sleazys, Glasgow
Sep 8 2007 - Clydebar, Helensbrugh

Summer is concert time, and Indie Mom's Uncle T has a concert review for us. Although this is a recent concert, Roky Erickson's 40-year career makes this a perfect Time Travel subject. The MP3s below are from various releases Erickson has had over the years.

Here's Uncle T:

Roky Erickson and the Explosives concert
Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX – July 14, 2007

I’d been aware of this event at the Granada Theatre for awhile, but from the advertising I thought it was only a screening of the recently released Roky Erickson documentary movie “You’re Gonna Miss Me” directed by Keven McAlester (link to movie trailer below). However, I happened upon an article that stated Roky would be performing with his 80’s band the Explosives following the movie. This was a very rare opportunity I could not pass up.

13th Floor Elevators, Live
Roky’s initial success was as the songwriter and singer of the legendary Austin, TX 1960’s band 13th Floor Elevators, who single-handedly turned the San Francisco rock scene on to electric music and influenced many bands and performers since. I’d first gotten into Roky’s music in the 1980’s through his great albums The Evil One (1980) and Don’t Slander Me (1986). Saturday’s show was the first he’d played Dallas in over 20 years. Roky was actually born in Dallas, and it just so happened he’d celebrated his 60th birthday in Dallas the following day.

The documentary depicts Roky’s fairly dysfunctional family (particularly his well-meaning but misguided mother), his musical successes, his descents into drugs and schizophrenia, and his ultimate resurrection with the aid of his youngest brother Sumner (himself a professional musician with the Pittsburg Orchestra). Based on the movie, I wasn’t certain how the concert would be. However, it turned out to be much better than I could have imagined.

A little after 10 PM the stage curtain was raised, and Roky and the band began to play. It was all electric music tonight; and it was great. Roky’s vocals were superb, and he played guitar pretty good as well. Roky rarely spoke; lead guitarist Cam King, who’s had his own separate career, generally did the talking.

Roky appeared to be in good shape (with a full head of long hair) and seemed to be in his element on stage with the band playing music. Hearing these great rock songs in concert was amazing. And the crowd was totally ecstatic, with lots of dancing and singing along. They called him back for two encores. It was really wonderful to behold.

The Exlosives:
Cam King: Lead guitar, backing vocals
Chris Johnson: Bass, backing vocals
Fred Krc: Drums

Set list (in this general order) and comments:

1. It’s a Cold Night for Alligators: They began the set with a rocking version of this song from The Evil One, and played a number of others from that album as well. As good as this first song sounded, I knew the set was going to be great.

2. White Faces: Another from The Evil One.

3. Don’t Shake Me Lucifer: Great old song.

4. The Interpreter: This was fantastic, with Cam doing some great lead guitar playing, which he did all night. What a great song.
5. Bermuda: One of his more famous songs, from Don’t Slander Me. Excellent.
6. [blues song – “The Beat is coming”?] Not sure about the title of this song, which began with some nice blues lead guitar soloing by Roky. It was a nice blues number, which the band locked in on. This is one of those songs where Roky can just improvise simple lyrics (which were “the beat is coming”; something like that) but make it work amazingly well. Kind of like “We Sell Soul”.

7. Splash 1: This was another amazing song, that I couldn’t place it but later found out it was an Elevators song from 1966.

8. You’re Gonna Miss Me (with 13th Floor Elevators): Probably his most famous song, this great Elevators song was unmistakable, and the crowd sang along. This was great.
9. Creature With The Atom Brain: This was very cool as well. Another favorite of mine.
10. Starry Eyes: Icing on the cake! This is great old song from Don’t Slander Me.
11. Bloody Hammer: The final song of the main set, however the crowd absolutely wanted more, and everyone on the theater was clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and yelling “Roky”. After a few minutes the band came back on stage.

1st Encore:
12. Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer) (with the Aliens): This kicked butt, it was so good.
13. Before You Accuse Me: They follwed with a great version of this old Bo Diddley song (Bo being a hero of Roky’s).

14. The Wind and More: I believe they played this song, and again left the stage. But the crowd was still relentless, wanting more. And the band came back for a second encore.

2nd Encore:
15. Night of the Vampire: Great rocking version of this creepy song.

16. I Walked With a Zombie: They ended the night with another one from The Evil One. But it was really cool to hear these great songs in concert as well as seeing Roky do his thing onstage which he does so well.

After the concert, Roky was supposed to be signing purchased items at the table at the front of the venue, but most of the merch was sold and the line snaked back into the venue itself. So I left, just feeling lucky to have witnessed such a good show.

Roky Erickson's Website | Official MySpace | Watch movie trailer
Buy: Amazon.com | Live In Dallas 1979 with the Nervebreakers at eMusic.com | iTunes

Jesca Hoop

Photo by Eric J. Meacham
Jesca Hoop has traveled a strange path toward fame. Spending several years in backwoods homesteads in Wyoming and Northern California would not seem to be the straight road, but being hired as a nanny by Tom Waits and his wife was a step in the right direction. Waits became her mentor and gave her demos to his publisher who in turn gave them to Nic Harcourt of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Her song "Seed of Wonder" became one of KCRW's top five requests for eight weeks running, a station record.

My husband Mr. Folkie and I were introduced to Jesca Hoop last spring when she opened for Mark Kozelek at the Troubadour in Hollywood. Mr. Folkie was immediately charmed by her quirky tunes and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. As this photo shows, she has a theatrical side in addition to her bag-of-tricks vocal style, which like the Ditty Bops somehow sounds very old-fashioned while also seeming entirely new and different.

She has been a busy girl since we last saw her. Release of her debut full-length CD Kismet is set for September 18. Her current schedule of dates will end back in Los Angeles opening for the Ditty Bops next Saturday.

Jesca Hoop: Money Makes the World Go Round (live)
Jesca Hoop: Life Within A Life Live at KCRW, 12/2/2004
Jesca Hoop: Seed of Wonder Live at KCRW, 12/2/2004

NPR concert, opening for Polyphonic Spree on June 30

MySpace | Website | excellent Fansite | Label: 3Entertainment/Columbia/Red Ink
Buy Kismet at Amazon.com and iTunes

Shows:
Jul 22 2007 - Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
Jul 23 2007 - The Belly Up, Aspen, CO
Jul 26 2007 - Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
Jul 28 2007 - The Fonda w/ the Ditty Bops, Los Angeles, CA



The Ditty Bops


Amanda and Abby pedaled 4,700 miles on their 2006 tour

Musically, Jesca Hoop and the Ditty Bops are a perfect match-up with their wickedly cute harmonies, 1920's burlesque style, and flair for costumes and ad lib dramatics. Just as Hoop is ending her schedule, the Ditty Bops are starting a long and ambitious string of dates to which more venues may be added.

Next Saturday night, July 28, at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, Abby De Wald and Amanda Barrett, the creative forces of the Ditty Bops, kick off the band's 2007 Farm Tour. This schedule of dates includes concerts on farms to raise money for nonprofit local farm organizations, The Growing Connection and FARM AID. Their blog site for this new tour begins with a video montage from last year's tour on which they bicycled 4,700 miles to 40 venues in 12 states across the U.S. Their obvious physical fitness must be what enables them to play two shows a night on some of their dates on the current tour.

The Ditty Bops are a super-green duo too. They have started their own nonprofit organization called You and I Save the World with the specific goal of reducing the use of plastic. We can all help tremendously just by recycling plastic grocery bags. I have started taking cloth bags to the store with me, and I'm surprised and pleased by how much hassle such a small change in habit saves me. Stores sell them for as little as 99 cents each.

Saturday's show is also the release party for Abby and Amanda's 2008 Bikini Calendar, printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink, and picturing the pair illustrating ways to save the environment while wearing bikinis. Their latest musical release is an EP called Pack Rat which adds five more songs to their collection of ditties.

The Ditty Bops: Pack Rat from Pack Rat EP (2007)
The Ditty Bops: Angel With An Attitude from Moon Over the Freeway (2006)
The Ditty Bops: Wishful Thinking - live, KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic (10-26-04)

MySpace | Website | Lyrics
2007 Farm Tour Blog | 2006 Tour Blog | Label: Warner Brothers
Buy at Ditty Bops' Store and iTunes

Shows:
Jul 28 2007 - 2008 Bikini Calendar Release - Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Aug 1 2007 - Windrose Farm, Paso Robles, CA
Aug 2 2007 - Todos Santos Plaza, Concord, CA
Aug 3 2007 - Freight and Salvage Coffee House, Berkeley, CA
Aug 4 2007 - Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA
Aug 5 2007 - The Palms Playhouse, Winters, CA
Aug 8 2007 - W.O.W. Hall, Eugene, OR
Aug 10 2007 - Two shows: The Triple Door, Seattle, WA
Aug 11 2007 - Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Aug 16 2007 - Two shows: Fanny Hill, Snowmass Village, CO
Aug 17 2007 - Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Lyons, Colorado
Aug 19 2007 - Knickerbocker's, Lincoln, NB
Aug 20 2007 - The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS
Aug 23 2007 - Two shows: Mad Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Aug 25 2007 - Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
Aug 26 2007 - Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
Aug 29 2007 - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
Aug 30 2007 - Capitol Theatre, Columbus, OH
Aug 31 2007 - Southgate House, Newport, KY
Sep 1 2007 - The Kent Stage, Kent, OH
Sep 2 2007 - Mr. Smalls Funhouse, Millvale, PA
Sep 3 2007 - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 4 2007 - Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Sep 6 2007 - Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
Sep 8 2007 - Two shows: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York, NY

Let's go country on this late Finally Friday. Here we have Johnny Cash doing his own cover of "Ring of Fire" in Spanish, then an English version by Elvis Costello. My favorite is Michael Nesmith (who watched "The Monkees"?) doing this cover of a great old Patsy Cline song.

"Juan Cash": Fuego d'Amor (Ring of Fire en español)
Elvis Costello: Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
Marshall Crenshaw: Let Her Dance (Bobby Fuller Four)
Michael Nesmith: I Fall To Pieces (Patsy Cline)

From the Blogroll:

Here Stereogum has a video of Iron and Wine covering Radiohead's "No Surprises" from OK Computer, and here news about the new Radiohead album, and lots of other good stuff besides.

Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good has photos and review of Of Montreal at Pitchfork! We have the same favorite song from Hissing Fauna. Check out several of Kevin Barnes's costume changes. Wow.

Cover songs! Ha Ha Music has Mark Ronson covers, and there are more covers at I Guess I'm Floating's Thursday covers feature.

Marcy poses a question about a mystery song at Lost In Your Inbox. She might already have the answer, but you can test your skills before you look.

Berkeley Place has posted some interesting Arcade Fire demos from their first album available in a neat zip for those who collect all things AF-related.

Lollapalooza-fest continues with Part 6 at Can You See the Sunset From the Southside.

Indie Mom and I will be seeing Queens of the Stone Age on Sunday, so stay tuned for a concert review. I have listened to only a couple of tunes from the new album.

Our Interpol contest winner has been notified. Thanks to all who left comments for reading Speed of Dark. We appreciate you all!

Bowerbirds

Mark, Beth,and Phil of Bowerbirds
Bowerbirds were formed by Phil Moore and Beth Tacular with Mark Paulson (violin, piano, and bass drum) joining shortly after. Phil's and Beth's vocals are similar to Ivan and Kelly of fellow North Carolina band the Rosebuds, whom Bowerbirds have performed with. However, Bowerbirds' sound is acoustic, gentle, and more organic, lacking but not missing the Rosebuds' thick synth grooves.

Phil and Beth live together in their "bower" in the woods, and these songs reflect their love of nature and simple living. The whole thing is peaceful, beautiful, and charming. Even my folkie husband likes it. I encourage you to stream all the tracks at their website.

From Hymns For a Dark Horse (2007):
Bowerbirds: Dark Horse
Bowerbirds: Human Hands

MySpace | Website | Label: Burlytime Records
Buy

Upcoming shows:
Sep 6 2007 - Un Deux Trois, etc. Benefit, Chapel Hill, NC
Sep 20 2007 - Black Cat with the Mountain Goats, Washington DC
Sep 21 2007 - Sonar with the Mountain Goats, Baltimore, MD
Sep 22 2007 - North Star Bar with the Mountain Goats, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 24 2007 - The Icon with the Mountain Goats, Buffalo, NY
Sep 25 2007 - Lee's Palace with the Mountain Goats, Toronto
Sep 27 2007 - Rex Theatre with the Mountain Goats, Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 30 2007 - Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA
Oct 1 2007 - The Bowery Ballroom with the Mountain Goats, New York City, NY
Oct 2 2007 - Studio B with the Mountain Goats, Brooklyn, NY


Bitter Bitter Weeks

Bitter Bitter Weeks: Ed Hogarty, Brian McTear, Amy Morrissey, Mike Kennedy
Philly-based Bitter Bitter Weeks belies their name and leaves only a sweet taste in your mouth. The band started as a solo project of multi-talented Brian McTear (producer of Matt Pond PA, among others). He shares vocals with even more versatile Amy Morrissey (singer for the Novenas, engineer and co-owner of Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, and artist). This music is much more in rock mode than Bowerbirds' spare acoustics, but still sweet, pleasing, guitar-based, and mellow.

Brian McTear's vocals sometimes remind me of Kevn Kinney without the southern twang, and other times, like on "Once and For All," he gets into higher registers similar to Greg Gilbert of the Delays.

Peace Is Burning Like a River is their third album, and earlier works are worth looking into as well.

From Peace Is Burning Like a River (2007):
Bitter Bitter Weeks: Once and For All
Bitter Bitter Weeks: Terrified

MySpace | Label: High Two Records
Buy at My Pal God Recods, High Two Store, iTunes, and eMusic

Upcoming shows:
Jul 20 2007 - XPonential Music Festival (WXPN), Camden, NJ
Aug 24 2007 - Puck w/ Canadian Invasion, Doylestown, PA
Aug 30 2007 - Johnny Brendas w/ THE A-SIDES (CD release), Philadelphia, PA


Benzos


New York band Benzos' trip-hop influenced sound has been compared to Radiohead among others, but I hear more likeness to melodic shoegazers like Doves, Ours, and even Dishwalla. Their hybrid of dance rhythms and introspective gloom invites all kinds of comparisons, however. Branches is their second full-length CD. While there are no jaw-dropping standouts on the album, there is a lot of dark, moody beauty, and the songs flow nicely together.

At live shows they have impressed reviewers of Spin and CMJ and made a hit at Bonnaroo as well. Check their MySpace blog for links.

From Branches (2007):
Benzos: Phase 2
Benzos: Hurt Everybody

MySpace | Website | Label: Stinky Records
Buy at Stinky Records Store
Buy first CD Morning Stanzas at iTunes and eMusic


Benzos rock at Bonnaroo
Upcoming shows:
Aug 9 2007 - Knitting Factory (w/ Say Hi To Your Mom), NYC, NY
Aug 17 2007 - Camp Bisco (Main Stage), Mariaville, NY
More fall dates are being scheduled.

Xavier Rudd

Australian one-man band Xavier Rudd has been taking up a lot of my listening time lately. I heard a couple of tunes, and when I went to eMusic to see if anything else from his newly released second album White Moth was interesting, I quickly wound up with the whole thing. It is a smorgasbord of folk, reggae, Aboriginal elements, and rock that showcases Rudd's skills with a multitude of instruments: guitars, slide, didgeridoos, harmonica and other percussion instruments. "Footprint" provides some really good examples of the Australian sound and instruments.

Each song is skillfully woven into different patterns of a fabric that always returns to the celebration of the beauty of the world and being alive. Rudd's themes are concern for the Aboriginal people of his home land ("Anni Kookoo," "Land Rights"), the joy of family ("White Moth" and friends ("Twist"), and support of environmental activism ("Better People" and "Footprint"), which endears him even more to me.

Listen to the sound of the wind and surf at the beginning of the reggae-flavored "Come Let Go," which I listen to a lot even though I am not a big fan of reggae. It's the gentle instrumental tracks like "Anni Kookoo", "Whispers," "Whirlpool," and "White Moth" that attract me the most on this truly beautiful and inspiring album. Rudd has also been wowing live audiences, for example at Bonnaroo this year.

I will no doubt be checking out his earlier albums To Let (2002), Solace (2005), and Food In the Belly (2005).

From White Moth:
Xavier Rudd: Come Let Go
Xavier Rudd: Anni Kookoo

MySpace | Website | Label: SaltX/Universal Music
Buy at Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic
On tour in North American through mid-August and afterward in Europe
Jul 19 2007 - The Eagles Club, Milwukee, WI
Jul 20 2007 - St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
Jul 21 2007 - Lifestyle Communities Pavillion, Columbus, OH
Jul 23 2007 - Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Jul 24 2007 - House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
Jul 26 2007 - Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
Jul 27 2007 - Highline Balroom New York, NY
Jul 28 2007 - Nightclub 9:30, Washington DC
Jul 29 2007 - 8 x 10, Baltimore, MD
Jul 31 2007 - Pearl Street Ballroom, North Hampton, MA
Aug 1 2007 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
Aug 2 2007 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
Aug 4 2007 - New England Dodge Center, Hartford, CT
Aug 5 2007 - New England Dodge Center, Hartford, CT
Aug 18 2007 - Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, Salmon Arm, BC
Aug 19 2007 - The Big Time Out Festival, Cumberland, BC

Tacks, the Boy Disaster

I have also been enjoying Texas band Tacks, the Boy Disaster. This is another example where hearing the first song led me to collect everything on their 2006 EP Oh, Beatrice because I liked it all so much. I find reminders of one of my big favorites, Nada Surf, in the vocals and some of the dreamy piano and guitar-infused song styles.

The sunshine-bright "Forget-Me-Not" has some dandy Ben Folds-like piano and harmonies. "Man With a Plan" could be a cousin to some of fellow Texans Midlake's work.

This is a group to get familiar with and see what goodness they will come up with next.

Tacks, the Boy Disaster: Frozen Feet from Oh, Beatrice (2006)
Also highly recommended: "Paris," and "Matilda"

MySpace | Website | Label: Ark Recordings
Buy at Howard Records, Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic

Shows:
Jul 29 2007 - Local Live at KVRX, Austin, TX

I guess most people who even know Tobin Sprout exists knew him first from the legendary Ohio group Guided By Voices. As often happens with me because of my isolation from any up-to-date music scene, I came to the knowledge backwards.

I was not familiar with GBV when I first heard Sprout's "And So On" on CMJ's 1999 compilation CD which I have no idea now how I got. I fell completely in love with this little song and tried desperately and unsuccessfully for a long time to find out more about the singer.

It was only after I bought a couple of GBV albums and read the insert notes that I found out Sprout's association with them. Still, there was little else I could find until I suddenly discovered a few years ago that iTunes now has much of his discography. eMusic has his first two albums, and Amazon how has a selection as well.

Sprout in GBV has been likened to George Harrison in the Beatles. A band songwriter, Sprout took a back seat to Robert Pollard the same way Harrison was overshadowed by the brilliance of the Lennon-McCartney team. Speaking for myself, I probably would have liked GBV better if Sprout had been more in the forefront. Pollard's tunes do not hit me as consistently. Instead, by 1997 Sprout had almost completely removed himself from the band to work solo musically and to spend more time on his painting, which may be where he focuses artistically even more than music.

I like so much of Sprout's work that I am going to focus this post only on his second solo album, Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wig Wam)", which contains a large portion of the songs I like best. The first, Carnival Boy (1996) was released before Sprout parted from GBV.

Like GBV songs, the lyrics often seem nonsensical, chosen more for their mouth feel than for specific meaning. To really appreciate the songs, you must let go of the idea that the words have to make sense and allow yourself to fall into the larger picture of the song. The melodies and rich guitar layers provide an easier avenue for entry than the lyrics. Then the tunes plus words mold your mood, but your thoughts are free to assign whatever meanings come to you.

The first song, "Get Out of My Throat" is as much an angry demand as it sounds, and in that way it is unique on the album.

"Paper Cut" was the first to pull me in. If I could play guitar, I would want to play thick, rich, open chords just like these. Its pace is stately and controlled. Words like "alabaster canteen" are obviously chosen because of how they fill up your mouth when you say them. But they also flash images on your mind: white-rock-cold-hard-water-filled. Whatever meaning(s) you get comes from those subconcious flashes.

Next was "Beast of Souls" which sounds homey and comforting with its line "Lean this way then another/Marvin's in the kitchen cooking up something right."

"All Used Up," to me, is about knowing you did all you could and having the faith to go forward from there. I find it a very inspiring song.
Been turning all night
I let my standards release this awkward closure 'cause
I did my time
I dealt my deal
You know it's alright

Longing for a simpler life infuses "Since I..." and gives us a taste of Tobin's piano talents. "Curious Things" returns to a thicker, darker sound with its overdriven bass. "Exit Planes" has driving engines and a theme of escaping "this dammit world."

While I love Sprout's stuff mainly for the guitar work, the piano-based tunes on this album ("Moonflower Plastic" and "Water On the Boater's Back") that are so lovely and different from the guitar-based songs that I want to talk about them in a different post. I'm also saving some of my other favorite Sprout songs, like "To My Beloved Martha" from Carnival Boy and my first and best love "And So On" for a later time and go into his more recent endeavors. I love almost everything he's done, and I still have a lot to say about Tobin Sprout.

From Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wig Wam)" (1997)
Paper Cut
All Used Up
Since I...

Stream more at this fan MySpace
Buy: iTunes | eMusic | Amazon.com

Information Sources:
Website | Wikipedia | Steve Albini Thinks We Suck interview (1997) | Matador Records
GBV Database Site: Lyrics | Concert posters

Finally Friday!
Finally, Indie Mom has ordered a new computer!

Finally, a new contest! Leave a comment with your e-mail address in this post, and we'll pick a winner next Thursday (July 19) for the Special Package Edition of Interpol's new album Our Love To Admire, which was released this week.

The Special Package Edition includes: a bound, CD-sized hard covered book with 24-page booklet. CD in back and poster.


Interpol: Public Pervert (Carlos D remix) from Antics (2004)

Interpol Website | MySpace | Label: Capitol Records


Check out other albums released this week by new artists:

Bon Iver


"Bon Iver" is French for "good winter," used as a greeting, and pronounced, approximately, for non-French speakers, "bon eevair." It's the project name of songwriter/singer/guitarist Justin Vernon (of DeYarmond Edison) who spent three months this past winter in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin with a few microphones and ancient instruments.

For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut EP that resulted from this solitary season. The horns in "For Emma" add a mellowing touch to the folkie strumming and Vernon's Neil Young-like falsetto. Purchase at Bon Iver's MySpace page.
Bon Iver: For Emma from For Emma, Forever Ago
MySpace | Stream album at Virb |

Ladyslipper

Ladyslipper is another band from the midwest. Minneapolis natives Jonathan Kennedy (guitar, vocals), Noah Paster (drums, vocals), Sam Morrison (keyboards, vocals) were influenced by Mission of Burma and Television on their 10-song debut full-length album The Time, Not The Weather. Not guys to sit around, they are already writing songs for their next album, and they'll be touring this fall.
Ladyslipper: Chicago from The Time, Not The Weather
MySpace | Label: Say Rah Records | Buy

Paper Rival

This self-titled debut EP by Nashville's Paper Rival, formerly known as Keating, was released on Tuesday as well. Paper Rival will be on tour in August in the eastern U.S., so check their MySpace page for the full schedule.
Paper Rival: You're Right from Paper Rival
MySpace | Label: Photofinish Records
Buy: Insound.com, Smartpunk.com, iTunes

From the blogroll:

You must check out Stereogum's cover band tribute commemorating the 10th anniversary of one of my own favorite albums, OK Computer. Excellent post.

This week Mars Needs Guitars explores Craziness and clues readers in to the wonderfulness of eMusic.com. I am an eMusic member too, and I agree that it's economical and has a good selection. Check out his recommendations, sign up, and get 25 free downloads.

I Guess I'm Floating has a couple of really different and very nice cover songs by Xavier Rudd and Sparklehorse.

Beth at Lonesome Music saw Midlake at the Irish Center this past week. I also recommend the song by Chris Thile she posted earlier this week. If you have a folkie heart, give it a listen. Thanks for the link, Beth!

Eric at Can You See the Sunset From the Southside continues with his MP3 tour of Lollapalooza 2007 and lots of MP3s.

Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox has thoughtful political commentary on the U.S. executive branch. Don't even get me started. I'm reminded of the quote from Neil YOung on Mars' Crazy post: "They'll probably make it unpatriotic to be Democrat. It's pretty crazy."

The Contrast Podcast went time-traveling this week, for some tasty treats from all the way back to 1967.

Who is worst, Creed or Limp Bizkit? Check out the lashing both receive today at Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good.

PJ has a smorgasboard of new releases in the Graboid at The Yellow Stero. Get 'em!

Finally, Happy Friday the 13th! Check out the thoroughly silly mashup video "A Hard Day's Night of the Living Dead" at You Ain't No Picasso. Screaming girls! Gripping terror!

Although Colin Meloy joked at last Saturday's concert at the Hollywood Bowl that the encore song, "The Chimbley Sweep," was autobiographical, the only song that truthfully fits that description is "I Was Meant For the Stage." Indie Mom and I have now seen the Decemberists twice (See Decemberists at the Wiltern, Oct. 2006), and both occasions were a rollicking good time that revolved around the antics of Meloy.

This time he didn't take over anyone's cell phone, and it also seemed as if the other members took more of a playful part in the show. Twice Meloy, keyboardist/accordionist Jenny Conlee, and Nate Query with his stand-up bass were all rolling around on the stage floor as the music climbed to intense crescendo.

Meloy obviously relished performing these songs with orchestra accompaniment, even when their only role was to supply handclaps. Listen to the beginning of "Odalisque" for his comment about trying to recreate the effect of a full orchestra in the studio with a single string musician. That's Indie Mom laughing after he says that.

It's tough to pick a single song out of the setlist, but I'd say the sad spy story "The Bagman's Gambit" might benefit the most from the orchestral backing. I do wish they had played "The Mariner's Revenge," however. It would have been so cool to have the reserved L.A. Phil screaming as the whale brings the ship down.


"Jenny's Jazz Odyssey" is not a new song--it's just some doodling Jenny did when Colin's guitar unexpectedly failed. You can hear her say, "Crunchy guitar: not good!" At least, crunchy guitar isn't good in a Decemberists' song.

Pretty soon, they launched into "The Perfect Crime" without the guitar, Colin bouncing around like Richard Simmons in an exercise video.

As in the previous concert, it appears ironic for our L.A. audience to applaud the derogatory lyrics to "Los Angeles, I'm Yours." But after all, who is more familiar with the city's vanities and faults than its own residents? We above all other listeners understand and appreciate the love/hate relationship Meloy is singing about. Non-residents can just wish he'd written about your city.
Meloy really hammed it up for the encore, parading around on a narrow catwalk between the pit and the rest of the audience and asking everyone to hold up their cell phones (no one has lighters or matches anymore, but they don't go anywhere without their phone). Meloy said all the little lights reminded him of his bedroom ceiling when he was in 6th grade, to which guitarist Chris Funk commented, "What were you taking?" LOL

If you have the opportunity to attend one of their dates with an orchestra, it is well worth it--an extraordinary experience, not just another concert. See tour schedule below.


Setlist, live recordings from the Hollywood Bowl, July 7, 2007:

1. The Crane Wife, parts 1 and 2
2. The Infanta
3. We Both Go Down Together
4. The Bagman's Gambit
5. Odalisque
6. Jenny's Jazz Odyssey
7. The Perfect Crime #2
8. Los Angeles, I'm Yours
9. The Tain, parts I-IV
10.The Tain, part V
11. O Valencia
12. I Was Meant For the Stage
13. Encore: The Chimbley Sweep

Tour Schedule:
Jul 13 2007 - Chastain Park (w/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), Atlanta, GA
Jul 14 2007 - Merriweather Post Pavilion (w/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), Columbia, MD
Jul 15 2007 - Mann Center (w/The Mann Festival Orchestra), Philadelphia, PA
Jul 16 2007 - Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
Jul 18 2007 - Millenium Park (w/Grant Park Orchestra), Chicago, IL
Jul 22 2007 - Edgefield Winery, Portland, OR
Sep 14 200 - Monolith Festival Red Rocks Amphitheater, CO
Sep 16 2007 - Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX
Sep 22 2007 - Paradiso, Amsterdam
Sep 23 2007 - Live Music Hall, Koln
Sep 24 2007 - Batschkapp, Frankfurt
Sep 25 2007 - Substage, Karlsruhe
Sep 27 2007 - Arena, Vienna
Sep 28 2007 - Muffathalle, Munich
Sep 29 2007 - Postbahnhof, Berlin
Sep 30 2007 - Grosse Freiheit, Hamburg
Oct 2 2007 - Royal Festival Hall, London
Oct 3 2007 - Junction, Cambridge
Oct 5 2007 - Wulfren Hall, Wolverhampton
Oct 6 2007 - Anson Rooms, Bristol
Oct 7 2007 - Academy, Oxford
Oct 9 2007 - Vicar Street, Dublin
Oct 10 2007 - Academy, Liverpool
Oct 11 2007 - Academy, Newcastle
Oct 12 2007 - Academy. Glasgow, Scotland
Oct 13 2007 - Metropolitan University, Leeds

Related posts:
Concert openers Andrew Bird and Band of Horses
Pre-concert songs
Yahoo news article about this concert (The article incorrectly states that "16 Military Wives" was played)

Andrew Bird at the Hollywood Bowl, July 7, 2007

Andrew Bird in concert is like a juggler who is keeping six spinning plates on poles up in the air at the same time. I don't think I've ever seen such a busy musician on stage as he is.

Accompanied only by drummer Martin Dosh and bass player Jeremy Ylvisaker, the rail-thin Bird supplies almost all of the sound you hear. He switches quicker than a mouse-click between singing, whistling, lead guitar, violin, and xylophone, often doing two at the same time in perfect coordination.

At the same time, his feet, in bright-colored striped socks, are independently tweaking pedals and dials as he plays and records samples to build up the layers of a song, much the way we've seen Joseph Arthur do. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

Although I liked "Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left" from Bird's 2005 album The Mysterious Production of Eggs enough to put it on my Favorites for that year, I felt that this year's Armchair Apocrypha overused the pizzicato and whistling to the point where I was bored with it.

In the context of this concert, however, it all seemed to fit. The plucking took on an orchestral quality. Bird's eerie whistling bridged and connected the songs and reminded me at times of tuning in an AM radio. The occasionally revolving double-gramophone on the stage behind him reinforced this old-timey notion.

Although technically brilliant, I have found Armchair Apocrypha kind of a cold album that does not touch me emotionally. After hearing the songs live, however, I feel that I should revisit the album. In spite of the lovely acoustics at the Bowl, the dynamics of Bird's music will probably come over better in a theater setting.

My live recordings posted below are greatly diminished by the incessant chatter of the couple directly behind us. I recorded the whole concert, but the other songs aren't good enough to post because of audience noise. Oddly, I can't figure out what the last song is in spite of the fact that Bird mumbled the name of it.

Setlist:
1. Instrumental - ?
2. Imitosis
3. Fiery Crash
4. Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
5. Plasticities
6. Armchairs
7. ?

MySpace | Website
Buy: Andrew Bird's website, eMusic, iTunes

Tour Schedule:
Jul 11 2007 - Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Jul 13 2007 - Terral Festival, Malaga
Jul 14 2007 - Indian Summer Festival, Glasgow
Jul 15 2007 - Latitude Festival, Suffolk
Aug 6 2007 - The Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
Sep 1 2007 - Richard’s On Richards, Vancouver
Sep 2 2007 - Bumbershoot 2007 (Mural Stage), Seattle, WA
Sep 8 2007 - 11th Annual Hideout Block Party, Chicago, IL
Sep 10 2007 - The Bijou Theater, Knoxville, TN
Sep 11 2007 - The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
Sep 12 2007 - The Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC
Sep 13 2007 - The Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
Sep 15 2007 - Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX
Sep 17 2007 - The Granada, Lawrence, KS
Sep 18 2007 - Lyons Brown Theatre, Louisville, KY
Sep 19 2007 - Buskirk Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN
Sep 20 2007 - Wisconsin Union Theater, Madison, WI
Sep 21 2007 - Pygmalion Music Festival at Tryon Festival Theatre,

Krannert Center, Urbana, IL

Sep 22 2007 - The Englert Theatre, Iowa City, IA
Sep 24 2007 - Asbury Hall at The Church, Buffalo, NY
Sep 25 2007 - The Opera House, Toronto
Sep 26 2007 - La Tulipe, Montreal
Sep 28 2007 - Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
Sep 29 2007 - Sonar, Baltimore, MD
Sep 30 2007 - Toad’s Place, Richmond, VA
Oct 2 2007 - Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

Opening act: Band of Horses



Band of Horses, one of Indie Mom's Favorites of 2006, opened for this concert with a six-member lineup. They executed songs from their debut album Everything All the Time with skill and perfection, however it would have been nice if they had talked more to the audience. The band members were not even introduced.

Nonetheless, they received a very good reaction from the crowd, better than most opening bands; and they deserved it because they were definitely better than a lot of opening bands we've seen.

Good news: the group has recorded a new album that may be released in October. Those who plan to see Modest Mouse in August are in for a treat at the shows where Band of Horses open. See tour schedule below.

Wicked Gil

MySpace | Website | Label: SubPop
Buy: SubPop and iTunes

Tour Schedule:
Aug 1 2007 - Red Rocks Amphitheater (w/ Modest Mouse), Morrison, CO
Aug 3 2007 - City Market (with Modest Mouse), Kansas City, MO
Aug 4 2007 - Picador, Iowa City, IA
Aug 5 2007 - Diesel Club Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA
Aug 10 2007 - La Sala Rosa, Montreal, QC
Aug 11 2007 - Lees Palace, Toronto, ON
Aug 12 2007 - Traif Music Hall, Buffalo, NY
Aug 13 2007 - Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
Aug 15 2007 - LC Amphitheatre (w/ Modest Mouse) Columbus, Ohio
Aug 16 2007 - Time Warner Amphitheatre (w/ Modest Mouse), Cleveland, OH
Aug 17 2007 - Pines Amphitheater (w/ Modest Mouse), Northhampton, MA
Aug 18 2007 - Download Festival @ Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
Aug 19 2007 - Festival Pier (w/ Modest Mouse), Philadelphia, PA
Aug 21 2007 - Louisville Gardens (w/ Modest Mouse), Louisville, KY
Aug 22 2007 - Ryman Auditorium (w/ Modest Mouse), Nashville, TN
Sep 2 2007 - Download Festival @ Alpine Theatre, East Troy, WI

Related posts:
Time Travel Tuesday: Pre-Concert Songs
Tomorrow: Headliners, the Decemberists