speed of dark

LA-ist interviews Colourmusic, currently on tour with British Sea Power. Catch them both at SXSW or check out their pages for other dates.

Check out LA Weekly's list of shows you should see this weekend in the L.A. area.

The Yellow Stereo presents the Daily Graboid, filled with new music from Goldfrapp, Beach House and others, plus has Swell Season's tour schedule, including a stop at Coachella.

Thanks Captain Obvious revisited an excellent movie, My Left Foot, reviewed the new Beach House, and put together a very nice mixtape for February.

Rawkblog was at the same Helio Sequence show that Alt-Gramma went to at Spaceland, interviews Ravens & Chimes and comments on his choices for the best films of 2007, making me want to seek out some of these films that I've never even heard of (Alt-Gramma and I also enjoy foriegn films, especially tremendously depressing Chinese movies).

LA-Underground gives you more shows to see in the L.A. area.

Can You See the Sunset saw Say Hi live and shares the most adorable picture of a very young iPod addict.

the police: synchronicity 2 [live 2008] [buy]
led zeppelin: nobody's fault but mine [live 2007] [buy]
the format: does your cat have a moustache? [buy]
novi split: california skies [buy]

This was the first time I had been to Club Spaceland, located in the Silver Lake district of metro L.A., officially in Hollywood. What I like about it is that it is small. What I don't like about it is the poor ventilation and the blue lighting back-lit with yellow. That just doesn't make for great photos because the shutter speed on my camera slows way down when there is no white light, resulting in too many blurry pictures. Luckily, with a 2 Gig card in the camera, I never run out of "film," so I just blast away, and a few come out good enough to use.

Hearts of Palm UK

"I Flow" has become one of my favorite songs of 2007, so when I found out that Hearts of Palm UK were opening for the Helio Sequence, I had to go even though Indie Mom was sick. The ladies are regular openers at Spaceland.


Although the band will soon be a foursome with the addition of a cellist/autoharpist and a guitarist, on Tuesday it was just the original duo of Erica Elektra and Ambi-D. Erica, who writes the songs, sang and played keys and guitar with an impish twinkle in her eyes. The serene Ambi-D played a host of other instruments from glockenspiel to guiro.

The other musical parts were prerecorded, a technique also used by headliners the Helio Sequence. The result was smoothly choreographed, cleanly delivered, sweet electronic pop, buoyed by Erica's animated personality. I also liked that they were dressed up. Let the men wear the T-shirts and ripped jeans; I like to see the ladies bringing beauty and class to the rock stage.

"I Flow" and "Portugal" are from their 2007 self-released EP. The other songs will be featured on their first full-length CD, due to be released in April.

Set list:
1. Don't Wanna Say Good-bye
2. Kavorka
3. I Flow
4. So Long
5. Forever
6. Trust
7. Open Letter
8. Portugal



MySpace | Website | Label: They're looking!


Next up was The Builders and the Butchers, and I'll write about that in a separate post.


The Helio Sequence



The Helio Sequence was scheduled to perform at 11, but the sound check seemed to go on and on, then the two band members left the stage for an extended period of time. The little club was packed and hot from being worked up by the previous act. For me, the ambiance was not improved by the irritating grindcore played on the music system. Brandon Summers (guitar, vocals) and Benjamin Weikel (keyboards, drums) finally came on at 11:30.

I am very familiar with the Helio Sequence's new album Keep Your Eyes Ahead, but not with older songs. Leave a comment if you can fill in the blank or make a correction. The Helio Sequence also uses prerecorded layers and what I overheard Summers refer to the sound technician as "effects" to stand in for phantom band members while Summers provides lead on electric guitar and Weikel gets absolutely ecstatic on drums.



The resulting mix is full and rich, and Summers and Weikel are animated and enthusiastic enough to fill the stage, at least a little stage like this one. Although he hardly talks at all, Summers moves all over. There were occasional bursts of feedback that were perhaps intentional because Summers was obviously pleased with the sound.



Summers builds up stacks of rapturous layers, then proceeds to shred through them with the guitar, like an electric knife through a cake. This is similar to what Film School does with a full band onstage, only Greg Bertens' style of shredding is more like a chainsaw or pneumatic drill. One of the most common criticisms of the Helio Sequence's older albums was that the lyrics are difficult to pick out from all the mix. This is not the case with the new songs, which give the vocals a clearer space. Also on the current album, Summers slices more delicately, leaving the layers more intact, which gives the songs a cleaner, more melodic character.

Most of the songs were from the current album, however the final song of the evening was a truly amazing cover of the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows" (from Revolver) that appeared on the Helio Sequence's first album Com Plex (2000). The recorded version is anemic in comparison to what the Helio Sequence does to it live. In short, the Helio Sequence are a very satisfying band in performance, and the live versions surpass the album versions in power and sheer beauty.



Setlist:

1. Can't Say No
2. Don't Look Away (from Love and Distance-2004)
3. The Captive Mind
4. ?
5. Harmonica Song (from Love and Distance)
6. Shed Your Love
7. You Can Come To Me
8. Keep Your Eyes Ahead
9. Lately
10. Hallelujah
11. The Echo-Blomp? (from Young Effectuals-2001)
12. [Square] Bubbles (from Young Effectuals)

Encore:
Everyone Knows Everyone (from Love and Distance)
Tomorrow Never Knows (from Com Plex)

SXSW Info:
Helio Sequence will perform on March 13 for Team Clermont and Under the Radar at the Official SXSW College Party at the Flamingo Cantina from Noon to 6pm and also on March 14 at Bourbon Rocks Patio.



MySpace | Website | Label: Sub Pop

Mr. Folkie and I finally saw the movie Juno weekend before last. It is certainly very cute and a must-see, and now it has won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. I do love little arthouse films like this, and I think it's fantastic that the stuffy Oscars are finally getting around to giving them the recognition they deserve. Ellen Page is excellent as the title character, whose speaking style reminds me of a couple of young women I know and love.

Like Atonement, which won the Oscar for soundtrack and was the subject of another Time Travel post, Juno's soundtrack is also a major character in the film, with a mixture of new compositions from folkish Kimya Dawson mixed with a variety of known alternative artists from Belle and Sebastian to the Velvet Underground. While the Dawson tracks are as cute as a June-bug, in my opinion their off-the-cuff quality tends to not stand up to repeated listening away from the movie visual.

In contrast, the other tracks, really well-chosen to fit nicely with both Dawson's and with the film's themes, show that real quality counts. The one we both came home lusting for was the short song "Dearest" by Buddy Holly. Anyone who has only heard the big hits like "Peggy Sue" and "Everyday" and the slicked-up, over-dubbed string things like "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" might be surprised by the wonderful simplicity of Holly alone with his guitar. I think I'll have to do a Time Travel post on Holly one of these days.

Today's offering is a few of those other songs from the Juno Soundtrack.

Barry Louis Polisar: All I Want Is You (opening credits)
also found on My Brother Thinks He's a Banana and Other Provocative Songs (1977) [Buy]

Belle and Sebastian: Piazza, New York Catcher
also found on Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003) [Buy]

Buddy Holly: Dearest
also found on 20 Love Songs (1982) and other compilations I don't have time to look up today.

And let me remind you that last June (Time Travel Tuesday: La Vie En Rose) I predicted a Best Actress award for Marion Cotillard, and the movie certainly deserved the Best Make-up award it received too.

Good stuff! Wish I could say more.

The Shondes

The Red Sea is the self-released debut album of Brooklyn's The Shondes. Their press blurb says: "Their songwriting fuses the various musical traditions of feminist punk, classical, Jewish, and queercore..." I don't know what queercore is, but I can tell you that Elijah Oberman totally shreds soundwaves with his violin on "Let's Go," and co-vocalist Louisa Solomon has a voice that makes comparisons to Sleater-Kinney and Rasputina.

The Shondes were Spin magazine's Artist of the Day on January 14.

From The Red Sea (2008):
The Shondes: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
The Shondes: Let's Go
MySpace | Website | Label: Independent
Buy at Insound, Amazon.com



Admiral Twin



Tulsa's Mark Carr, Jarrod Gollihare, John Russell formed Admiral Twin in 1996, and The Center of the Universe is their 5th album. Check out the Beatles-style harmonies that inspired the likes of Matthew Sweet (big Gramma favorite) on "Renegade Planet." Sweet pop-rock!

From The Center of the Universe (2007)
Admiral Twin: Good As Gold
Admiral Twin: Renegade Planet
MySpace | Website | Label: The Pop Collective
Buy at Admiral Twin's Store, iTunes, and Amazon.com



pacificUV



pacificUV are Portland, Oregon, space-rockers who will release their second LP, longplay 2 on April 1. NPR has been using "Alarmist," a song from this record, as a segue during their news segments. Chilling, sizzling, and beautiful.

pacificUV: Need from longplay 2 (2008)
MySpace | Website | Label: Warm Records
Buy at Warm Records, iTunes



Devastations


Tom Carlyon, Hugo Cran, and Conrad Standish left their home of Australia several years ago after forming Devastations to split their time mostly between London and Berlin. Somehow it's hard to imagine this dark, cloudy music coming from the sunny island continent, but grey Berlin seems fitting. Their new CD Yes, U, was recently released in the U.S.

Devastations: Mistakes from Yes, U (2008)
MySpace | Website | Label: Beggar's Banquet
Buy at Beggar's Banquet

After getting a rather slow start to our concert-going schedule for 2008, alt-gramma and I are excited about some great shows coming up in March in the Los Angeles area. In fact, in a few cases there are bands we want to see live who are playing on the same day. If we can't make it, maybe someone will be kind enough to write a great review and share it with us. And to the bands, hopefully you'll be back soon so we can catch you the next time!

Tuesday, March 4:
At least one of us (hopefully both) plan to see The Helio Sequence at Spaceland. The band will tour the west before going overseas in April. Check their myspace to stream songs from 2008's Keep Your Eyes Ahead. The Mountain Goats take up a two-night residency at the Troubadour with Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters before hitting the east coast on their way to Australia. Also, Amnion, who comes with an enthusiastic seal of approval from LA-underground, will play at Spaceland in support of their debut album AmenNamO.

Thursday, March 6:
Let's Go Sailing will open for Nicole Atkins at the Troubadour to warm up for SXSW. Twilight Sleep, who we last saw in December 2006, will play at The Echo.

Friday, March 7:
Alt-gramma and I already have plans to see Division Day co-headlining with A-Sides at Spaceland. The bands will tour throughout the midwest before making a trip down the west coast on the way to SXSW. However, I just learned that Birdmonster and Rademacher will be at Pehrspace on the same day.

Thursday, March 20:

Bon Iver, who I'd really like to see, is at The Echo. Vampire Weekend, who I'd also like to see, will be at one of our favorite venues, the El Rey, but tickets are already sold out.


Friday, March 21:
Birdmonster will be back in Los Angeles at the Bordello (sounds like a fun place), but I've got tickets for Nada Surf with Sea Wolf at The Glasshouse (they'll also be at the Henry Fonda on March 19). Say Hi, one of our faves to see, will be at Spaceland with Travis Morrison Hellfighters.

Tuesday, March 25:
Our friends Saturna will be at the El Rey with Bob Mould - I'm definitely going to try to make this one. Eagle*Seagull with Tokyo Police Club will play at The Glasshouse - on sale March 11 at Noon. If you miss this show, they'll be at the Troubadour on March 26 and 27.


saturna: pop rocks [buy]
eagle*seagull: ballet or art [buy]
division day: tigers [buy]
a-sides: my heroes have always been crazy [buy]

The photo of Death Cab for Cutie as LEGOs that I used yesterday came from The Brothers Brick, where you can find a million things made of LEGOs, including the cover art for Radiohead's In Rainbows album and more. My husband liked the F-18. Check it out.

Powerpopulist continues his showcase of SXSW artists.

Count Me Out has the setlist from all five of Wilco's shows at the Riviera Theatre, where they played every one of their songs, plus the latest news about Limbeck and Vampire Weekend on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

The Yellow Stereo has a great Daily Graboid feature, with all of the best new music out this week. And if that isn't enough, there's also The Smiths circa 1984, Destroyer, and Yeasayer.

Read Aquarium Drunkard's Off the Record with Throw Me The Statue after reading alt-gramma's review of the excellent album.

Can You See the Sunset reviews the new Hot Chip and Sir Salvatore, plus a song by Cher herself.

I Guess I'm Floating provides two new songs by The Boy Least Likely To and remixes of Feist and Interpol by Britt Daniel of Spoon.

Portishead announced the release of their third studio album, aptly named Third, on April 29 via Mercury/Island Records. Check out the album cover above, and the tracklisting below:

1. Silence
2. Hunter
3. Nylon Smile
4. The Rip
5. Plastic
6. We Carry On
7. Deep Water
8. Machine Gun
9. Small
10. Magic Doors
11. Threads

And finally, my inbox is exploding, and I will get to everything soon. There's so much good stuff that people have sent me and I feel terrible that I haven't even been able to respond to some of it yet, much less absorb it. Thanks for your patience (and don't stop sending me good stuff)!

wilco: there's a light [live] [buy]
franz ferdinand: what you waiting for? [gwen stefani cover] [buy]
the smiths: vicar in a tutu [buy]

Death Cab for Cutie has released information about Narrow Stairs, their upcoming album which will be released on May 13. The first single will be "I Will Possess Your Heart" (see full tracklisting below). The album is rumored to be different from previous releases, so I guess we'll have to wait for Coachella and see if they play their new songs.

1. Bixby Canyon Bridge
2. I Will Possess Your Heart
3. No Sunlight
4. Cath.
5. Talking Bird
6. You Can Do Better Than Me
7. Grapevine Fires
8. Your New Twin Sized Bed
9. Long Division
10. Pity and Fear
11. The Ice Is Getting Thinner

DCFC will go on their first tour in the last 18 months, starting in Washington before they make an appearance at Coachella on April 26:

April 18 Bremerton, WA @ Admiral Theatre
April 19 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
April 21 Arcata, CA @ Van Dozer Theatre/Humboldt State University
April 22 Davis, CA @ UC Davis-Freeborn Hall
April 23 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
April 24 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

Tickets for the Bremerton, WA show go on sale this Friday, February 22.

Label: Barsuk Records | official site | myspace

death cab for cutie: brothers on a hotel bed [buy]
death cab for cutie: 405 [acoustic] [buy]

I was perusing the SXSW Band list a few days ago and stumbled upon Throw Me the Statue. I instantly liked the featured single, "About To Walk," and set about to find more, and I've been listening to it obsessively ever since. Just yesterday, Secretly Candadian gave us the official release of Moonbeams, Throw Me the Statue's first album, and the band were Spin Magazine's Artist of the Day.

Scott Reitherman, a California transplant to Seattle, is the creative force behind Throw Me the Statue. He has obviously absorbed musical influence from Neutral Milk Hotel ("About To Walk," "The Happiest Man On This Planet"), Mark Kozelek ("Conquering Kids About To Walk"), the bouncy pop/rock of Fountains of Wayne ("This Is How We Kiss," "Take It Or Leave It"), and even Of Montreal ("Yucatan Gold"). "Your Girlfriend's Car" begins with a keyboard riff that reminds me of my favorite English Beat song, "I Confess."

However, Moonbeams is not a bunch of copy-cat songs but a true fusion of the best characteristics of its inspirations. Each track on Moonbeams carries its own distinct theme with strength. The album never sounds disjointed or hopelessly lost in its inspirational roots. And the lyrics...oh wow, the lyrics!

You don't get this kind of excellence from copying other artists. Reitherman has a true gift for transferring the emotion of his personal experiences directly into your heart. Examples are all over the album.

Check these from "Written In Hearts Signs, Faintly." Who doesn't want to be carried away by love? And where has that desire ever been expressed so wistfully and so well?
"I wanna fall through the clouds
To someplace where
The kissing never ever stops
I wanna spew little lightnings from my hands
So this shield that I got might explode
Another girl's eyes got wet
I was a total fool
But what can I do?
They don't shake my heart."

From "Yucatan Gold":
"She's a crazy animal when she screams
But in my head I wanted this, it seems"

The title song is about finding the man who was his grandfather, deceased since Reitherman was only five, through personal items left behind. In other hands, this song could have been soppy and maudlin, the one you start to skip over, but instead you feel the joyful thrill of Reitherman's discovery.
"We walked in the moonbeams there
It shook everything
And we filled up the vacant years,
I could hardly speak"

Aaron Goldman, Will Cone, Joe Syverson, Jarred Grimes make up the rest of the stage band. If I were able to go to SXSW, Throw Me the Statue would be on my Must-See List--absolutely. I give a hearty thumbs-up to this album. Every song is a jewel. You must have it!

Throw Me the Statue from Moonbeams (2008):
About To Walk
This Is How We Kiss

MySpace | Website | Label: Secretly Canadian Records | SXSW page
Buy CD, MP3s, or vinyl at Secretly Canadian Store, iTunes, eMusic
and Amazon MP3 Downloads and vinyl LP,

Last week, I found myself reading an article at the AV Club. I went on to read through the comments section which act as a kind of discussion board and contain a mish-mash of disses, jokes, pop culture references, and many extremely intelligent conversations on the actual article or diversions therefrom. While I probably enjoyed the original article very much, I can't remember which one it was. But I do remember a discussion in the comments regarding the movie Amadeus, which brings me to my point.

Amadeus was released in 1984, and was loosely based upon the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arguably the most talented composer of all time. The movie furthered an unsubstantiated bit of gossip that fellow composer Antonio Salieri was jealous and brought about Mozart's death. The comments on the AV Club were about the fact that Milos Forman's movie was responsible for furthering this conception that Salieri killed Mozart, and what responsibility, if any, did movies have to tell the truth about real people and real situations. At least one commenter doubted that the movie would hold up after more than twenty years, but did not dispute that many people in society today believe the story as told in the movie (and of course, it was mentioned that this subject was brought up in a Simpsons episode).

I remembered this movie vividly but hadn't seen it since its original release. I have a fond memory of our neighbors, who were a very musical family, taping a note to their front door when they had rented this movie: "Do Not Disturb - Watching Amadeus". I rented a copy on DVD and watched it with my son, He Might Be Giant, with only a minor explanation of what the movie was about, because I wanted to see if he would get it.

It turned out to be a very enjoyable movie, both for me and HMBG, which surprised both of us. I forgot how good F. Murray Abraham was as Salieri, and the "annoying if you hate him, infectious if you love him" high-pitched giggle of Mozart by Tom Hulce made me laugh. But the music was fantastic - Mozart truly was a genius. I won't pretend to be able to pick apart his compositions - all I know is that they are lovely masterpieces that can bring me to tears. Enjoy a couple of my favorites from the movie and rent Amadeus if you haven't already seen it. And if you last saw it in the 80's like I did, rent it again some night when there's nothing good on TV.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D Minor (Dies Irae) [buy]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 10 Adagio (Gran Partita) [buy]

Listening to Keep Your Eyes Ahead, the fourth album by Portland's The Helio Sequence, my immediate first thought was, "God, this is beautiful!" I allowed myself to put away my analyzing and just enjoy it. When the last song ended, I thought, "Is that ALL???" and played it all the way through again.

Comparing these songs to those on earlier albums, I can see why I never really got into HS before. These songs are shorter and tighter than many of those on past albums, and more focused lyrically and musically. Brandon Summers (guitar, Vocals) and Benjamin Weikel (keyboards, drums) have made a natural progression from their 2004 predecessor Love and Distance, with no weak or throw-away tracks this time.

This is the first album I've heard this year where I can enthusiastically endorse the whole thing. It has just the right combination of acoustic guitar and layers of electronic keyboards that I liked about Iron and Wine's The Shepherd's Dog last year.

This is a happy album, in fact, "Hallelujah" makes you want to jump up and wave your arms over your head. "Shed Your Love" is a simple telling of how love can be shrugged off as easily as a coat, while the title track that follows is big, bouncy, and joyful. "Broken Afternoon" is Dylanesque in its lyrics and phrasing, and the last song, "No Regrets," is full-out hoe-down. It's all good.

Can't Say No from Keep Your Eyes Ahead (2008)
Blood Bleeds from Love and Distance (2004)
Demographics from Com Plex (2000)

MySpace | Website | Label: Subpop
Buy at Subpop Shop, HS MySpace, iTunes, and Amazon.com

The Helio Sequence will be appearing at SXSW 2008

image from BMEink

Our friends at IndieChristoph pack it in after about two years of music blogging. We'll miss you guys!

NPR blesses us with a sweet Valentine's day gift with Thom Yorke as guest DJ.

Hurry on over to B(oot)log for a MGMT giveaway (ends 2/22).

Berkeley Place has some live Clash and Flaming Lips, as well as a ton of covers of Britney Spears' song "Toxic".

Read an LA Weekly interview with Cut Chemist and Kid Koala, currently on tour with DJ Shadow. I'll be at the show tonight at the Wiltern.

Powerpopulist has gathered a bunch of great tracks from the music blog world.

Trendwhore has live tracks and video of Yeasayer and Peter Bjorn and John.

Muzzle of Bees presents The Whigs, Wild Sweet Orange, and features Grand Archives.

The Late Greats has a beautiful mix of love songs and saved me a lot of work finding out what that song was from the diamond necklace commercial that I loved (turns out to be Landon Pigg).

Lost in Your Inbox finds a key to happiness and reviews the always lovely Bon Iver.

And finally, I broke down and bought Vampire Weekend's album and listened to it repeatedly in the car on the way to and from work for about a week. While I understand the comparisons to Paul Simon's masterpiece album Graceland (not to mention his fabulous follow-up album The Rhythm of the Saints - I own both and still listen to them regularly), I was glad to discover that the album does not consist of songs that all sound the same or ruthlessly rip off Paul Simon. I really like the album as a whole and if you like the big single "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", you'll probably enjoy the rest of the album after a few straight-through listens.

paul simon: she moves on [buy]
bon iver: skinny love [preorder]
nada surf: inside of love [live 2005] [buy]
fiona apple: slow like honey [live 1997] [buy]

The weatherman gave poor, dry southern California a special Valentine this morning with a surprise rain shower, the best show of love we could hope for!

Dramarama: Anything, Anything (I'll Give You), courtesy of Under The Dog

For more Valentine sentiments, both sweet and sour:

MoteldeMoka's Choco-Box and Loving Her Was Easier than Anything I'll Do Again, two mixes of great love songs.

Harry Tha Bomb Shelter and his bride wish each other Happy Valentine's Day before rushing off to celebrate.

Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox asks, "Will You Be Mine?"

Cubikmusik Sparkles Like Wine with "Interlude" by Morrissey and Siouxie Sioux

Ear Farm gets the prize for Easily the Cheesiest Valentine songs, The Butter Team whips up a mix from the 100dBs, and Autopsy IV gets into some Heavy Petting on Nine Bullets. There's another fine mix at Lambprey blog.

Join Mr. Toad and his ever-luscious Mrs., obviously a perfect match for each other, on their "Lurvecast" at Song, By Toad.

Find songs for the lonely at Hard To Find a Friend, and songs for the curmudgeonly at page300. I wish all who feel that way better V-Days in your futures.

Today's Time Travel takes us to some older love songs to woo your valentine.

One of the finestI know is Bryan Ferry's pulse-beat "Slave To Love" for its bittersweet portrayal of both the joys of love and the resigned surrender to falling. "Valentine" from the same album is darker and crisper, but both are sexy as hell. This is the dark chocolate of love music.

"The spring is turning
Your face to mine
I can hear your laughter
I can see you smile
Slave to love
I can't escape
I'm a slave to love."

Bryan Ferry from Boys and Girls (1985) [iTunes]
Slave To Love
Valentine

From the impeccable alternative gem Girlfriend we have Matthew Sweet's worshipful ode to love from afar.
Matthew Sweet: Winona from Girlfriend (1991) [Buy]

Wonderful shimmery shoegaze...
Chapterhouse:Love Forever from Blood Music (1993) [Buy]

Darren Robbins, now with Destroy the Heart, made one solo album in the late 80's, of which this little song is a standout. Kind of Marshall Crenshaw on helium, but nice.
Darren Robbins: Love of Another Wave from Darren Robbins Steals Your Girlfriend (1988)

Chan Marshall's unfortunately brief rendition of the old Honeydripper's favorite, also covered by Robert Plant, is outstanding for its simplicity.
Cat Power: Sea of Love from The Covers Record (2000) [Buy]

Related post: Love Songs For Valentines

Calling all boys and girls, and boys and boys, and girls and girls...Valentine's Day is this Thursday, and you'd better start planning something special for the one you love if you haven't already. Your sweetie deserves some kind of recognition for putting up with your shit.

In case you want to include a mix of love songs in the goodies, here are a few to start with, including one of Ryan Adams' most touching and beautiful since "When The Stars Go Blue." I'll have some older love songs on this Tuesday's Time Travel post.

Iron and Wine and Calexico: A History of Lovers from In The Reins (2005) [Buy]

The Moths!: Valentine from Games/Wild Birds/Valentine (2007) [Buy]

The Terrordactyls: Devices from The Terrordactyls(2007) [Buy]

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: Two Hearts from Easy Tiger
(2007) [Buy]

The Airfields: Prisoners of Our Love from Up All Night (2008) [Buy]

Meg Hentges: This Kind of Love from Brompton's Cocktail (1999) [Buy]

Rufus Wainwright: Harvester of Hearts from Want One (2003) [Buy]

Art: "In Love Again" from the Love Portfolio of Donna Estabrooks

Indie Mom and I have been Nada Surf fans since The Proximity Effect (1998) and especially 2002's Let Go, and I've been hoping they would duplicate the depth and impact of Let Go ever since. I liked their 2005 album The Weight Is a Gift but it did not hit that bar for me, and neither does their new one Lucky.

I'm speaking of the songwriting themes here, because the musicianship of Matthew Caws (guitar, vocals), Daniel Lorca (bass, vocals), and Ira Elliot (drums, vocals) is just as fine as ever. The tunes have the same bouncy beats cheering up bittersweet lyrics that made Let Go so appealing. "See These Bones," the much-touted single, is a wonderful song about death leveling all our differences, and "Whose Authority" is very good too. "I Like What You Say" is very much like "Do It Again" from The Weight Is a Gift.

After that I have trouble figuring out or caring what the songs are about. "Beautiful Beat" and "Weightless" are lovely but empty fluff lyrically. I don't hear enough of the punch or clarity of my favorites from Let Go like "Hi-Speed Soul." "Are You Lightning" and "The Film Did Not Go Round" are the bookends of meeting a new love and then saying goodbye, although the leave-taking must be temporary because the emotional despair of a permanent split is not there.

Maybe I can't expect a songwriter to keep revisiting the depths of isolation where Caws went with "Paper Boats" and "Inside of Love" (Let Go), but I miss that. It sounds like I'm saying I want Nada Surf to make the same album again, but what I want is the same kind of excitement they gave me before. Anyone who likes any part of Lucky should explore those older albums.

The one great redeemer is "The Fox," whose minor keys, dark, exotic back melodies, and political subject matter take Nada Surf in an entirely different and unexpected direction. I don't know how to describe the drumming here, but it's different from their usual straightforward style. I like it. I would have liked to see more exploration and variety of this kind on Lucky.

The Fox from Lucky (2008)
Do It Again from The Weight Is a Gift (2005)
Hi-Speed Soul from Let Go (2002)

MySpace | Website | Label: Barsuk Records
Buy at Barsuk StoreX, iTunes, Amazon

Show Schedule:
Nada Surf have a very active tour schedule from February through April, with venues in both Europe and the U.S., so check their MySpace page for a concert near you.

REMINDER: VOTE!


I'm amazed all over again about the way the writers of My So-Called Life had their finger not only on the pulse of the lives and anxieties of real teenagers but also on the adults around them, showing that both have the same kinds of problems. The things the characters said and the way they acted were so real, so true. Their interactions accentuated the similarities between the generations rather than the differences.

Indie Mom and I used to prefer to tape the episodes so we could stop the show and talk about what was happening, and that is why I still have today nine of them on scratchy VHS tapes.

And look how old those tracks by the Ramones and Violent Femmes are! How many bands we listen to know are going to still sound that fresh after so many years?

Here's Rickie's big dance number from Episode 11:
Haddway: What Is Love? from The Album (1993)

Episode 12:
Buffalo Tom: Late at Night from Big Red Letter Day (1993)

Episode 14:
The Ramones: I Wanna Be Sedated from Road To Ruin (1978)

Episode 17:
Violent Femmes: Blister In the Sun from Violent Femmes (1983)
Sonic Youth: Genetic from My So-Called Life Soundtrack (1995)

Episode 18:
Live: I Alone from Throwing Copper (1993)

Most comprehensive MSCL Website | TV.com site | MSCL MySpace
Song Lyrics
Buy: Soundtrack | DVD Set

So ends this Time Travel series.
Part I
Part II

Aster

Aster sounds like more than its two people--Bryan Ellis on vocals and guitar and T. Husmann on drums and keys--making some very pretty music on their new album Some Things Seldom Heard Of.

Aster: Something Seldom Heard Of
Aster: Attempting To Multiply
Stream the album
MySpace | Website | Label: Independent
Buy at CD Baby



Die! Die! Die!



For a more abrasive sound, there's the dramatically-named New Zealand band, Die! Die! Die! who seem to mercilessly attack their songs. Their schedule shows them in Austin at SXSW from March 12 through March 16.

Die! Die! Die!: Sideways Here We Come from Promises, Promises

MySpace | Website

I wonder if Reed KD agrees with the PR blurb that calls him "the bastard mutt child of Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan." I mean, it's both flattering and insulting--"bastard mutt??" And why not throw in Elliott Smith while we're at it?

Yes, he plays some nicely intricate acoustic guitar, he has a very pleasant tenor not unlike Paul Simon ("Empty Bottles") and the harmonies are similar to Simon and Garfunkel, he's pretty crafty with lyrics, and on occasion he plays harmonica like Dylan ("Travel Sick Blues"). But I don't think I would have come up with those references, especially not Hendrix. That's probably why you don't see me writing for music promoters.

What I can say is this: I get several sample CDs every week of which only a few are as enjoyable as The Ashes Bloom by Reed KD of Santa Cruz, CA. This CD was actually released in 2006, but for whatever reason it's being promoted now, I can only be glad. After going through it the first time, I immediately wanted to listen to it again. The songs are beautiful whether accompanied by only simple picking and blended harmonies or with percussion and a band (the Armchair Aviators).

I truly like it all, but I am especially partial to "Sinking Stone" for its delicious harmonies and "This Coastal Town" and "The Winter" for their gentle acoustic guitar.

My favorite example from his lyrics comes from "Roll Over"--about giving up on love:
"What's the use
Signing up for abuse
When I can do that myself?"

Reed KD from The Ashes Bloom:
Road Flares
Sinking Stone

Stream The Ashes Bloom
MySpace | Website | Label: Dirty Laundry Records
Buy at iTunes and CD Baby

from indexed

Indexed is one of the funniest, best blogs I've read in a very long time, written/illustrated by Jessica Hagy. Buy her book, Indexed, which comes out February 22.

See the video for Grounds for Divorce, the first single from Elbow's new album The Seldom Seen Kid, out March 17. You can also see Jenny Owen Youngs' video of her Nelly cover, Hot in Herre or watch people play Human Tetris. (Thanks to Between Thought and Expression for the last two)

B(oot)log has some reviews and live tracks from Tokyo Police Club and Arthur & Yu.

Berkeley Place has the A to Z of Warren Zevon rarities in a celebration of his birthday and some live Andrew Bird from 2007.

Can You See The Sunset reviews the new albums by Ida and Chris Walla and debuts the new "It Came from the 1990's" feature on his blog.

Good Weather for Airstrikes relocates to London, posts best LPs of 2007, predicts best albums so far for 2008, plus the latest wonderful music he's heard. Welcome back!

Thanks Captain Obvious has been on a roll this week, reviewing Kaki King, Chris Walla, and The Helio Sequence, plus had time to put together a couple of mixtapes, one for January and one of great covers.

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists will embark on a solo tour beginning April 7. His L.A. show is the day after Coachella, so we'll see if we're still alive after that weekend.

And finally, is Vampire Weekend my Arcade Fire of 2008? Meaning, that I resist all of the hype until everyone's already on board, and then I finally listen to it and realize that all of the hype was for a reason? (See also 2006's Midlake and 2007's The National) Stay tuned to find out.

COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED

radiohead: house of cards [live 2006] [buy]
wolf parade: grounds for divorce [buy]
colin meloy: sister, i'm a poet [live morrissey cover] [buy best live version]
amy winehouse: valerie [live zutons cover] [buy]