speed of dark

Cincinnati's Heartless Bastards played at Spaceland last Friday night, and I am really bummed that we did not go. Unfortunately, both of us are really busy right now. However, Uncle T, a big fan who is responsible for introducing me to them in the first place, did see them at Austin City Limits in September. I am going to take a chance and post his review. Cross your fingers that the blog-gobbling monster lets it stay.

~alt-gramma~

The Heartless Bastards

Erika Wennerstrom

This was a wonderful set. Again, I was right near the stage in the middle. Erika did her own sound check before the set, and during the set made sure the sound was right for the additional musicians sitting in. They had a new bass player, who also played banjo on two songs. The original Heartless Bastards’ drummer Dave Colvin was back, replacing Kevin Vaughn. A lap pedal guitarist and a violinist joined in for several new songs as well.

They did six or seven new songs from their upcoming CD, which all sounded very good. The crowd loved them. A gentleman on my left came all the way from Oklahoma to see them.

Band members:
• Erika Wennerstrom: lead vocals, guitar
• Jesse Ebaugh: bass and banjo
• Dave Colvin: drums
• lap pedal steel guitar (2-4 songs)
• violin (3 songs)



Set list included:
• New Resolution (live at Lollapalooza 07): They started the set with this nice rocker from their first CD.
• Done Got Old (live at ACL 07): I always love hearing Erika belt out this Junior Kimbrough blues song.
• Blue Day: Next they did this song from the second CD. Very nice. Once they’d gotten the familiar preliminaries out of the way, Erika introduced a number of new songs and the additional musicians helping out on them
• The Mountain: I heard this excellent new song on their MySpace. They had a lap pedal guitarist join them onstage to play on this one. Very nice.
• 5 or 6 new songs (with violinist; 2 with banjo): They did a number of songs, rockers and slower songs. Everything sounded good, and they were well received by the crowd.
• Swamp Song (live at ACL 07): They ended the set with this tempo shifting rocker from their first CD.

The new album, The Mountain, a powerful howl, is due February 2009. You can hear an unmastered, rough version of the title song on their MySpace page, and it sounds strong.

MySpace | Website | Label: Fat Possum Records
Buy at Heartless Bastards Merch, Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic

Here are another two acts from Uncle T's Day 3 at Austin City Limits 2008.

~alt-gramma~

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet with Bela Fleck

Deciding this might be different I headed over to the AT&T stage to it check out, and stayed for the entire set because it was so good. This folk group led by vocalist Abigail Washburn included banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and Grammy nominated fiddler Casey Driessen. In short there’s a wealth of musical talent in this little outfit, and they put on an amazing set.

They played old blues, Canadian French folk songs, Chinese folk songs (yep), and even a Beatles cover song. Bela Fleck is an incredible banjo player, and the other guys played really good as well. Abigail has a great voice, and together this band made a fantastic noise that kept the crowds coming in as their set progressed. Old and young people alike dug this music. The crowd totally loved them.

The band: Abigail Washburn (lead vocals, banjo), Bela Fleck (banjo), Ben Sollee (cello), Casey Driessen (violin/fiddle)

Set list included:
• Nobody's Fault But Mine (Blind Willie Johnson cover)
• Eleanor Rigby (Beatles cover)
• Captain

MySpace | Website | Label: Nettwerk Music Group Records
Buy at Abigail Washington Store, iTunes, and eMusic



Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue



This particular set garnished a lot of pre-show buzz, so it was definitely on my list. The ACL announcer said if there was one festival show that was a “must see”, this one was it. And he wasn’t exaggerating. This was a killer set from ex-Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies vocalist (saved from drugs and resurrected by Jesus) and his great band. They turned this stage into a glorious tent-show revival with their blend of funky and soulful rocked up gospel. The rhythm section laid a foundation of thick Memphis soul groove that you couldn’t help but move to. The full horn section (from Austin) added soul and jazz elements to the mix, while his two great backup singers provided the gospel muscle.


Mike is a great singer and performer; he was all over the stage having a great time. They mainly played songs from his 2007 “Salvation In Lights” CD. The song that I recognized from that CD was the great “Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep, which I already had on my iPod from a Paste magazine CD sampler. I was originally sitting in the front row, but had to move back a row because people kept coming into the area in front of the stage. By the end of the set, the WaMu stage area appeared to be full. This was such a good set; I’d definitely see them again anytime.

Band: Mike Farris (lead vocals, guitar) with other members on bass, drums,lead guitar, keyboard, trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and 2 backup singers

Set list included (in this general order):
• I’m Gonna Get There
• Selah! Selah!
• Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep
• Take Me (I'll Take You There)
• A Change Is Gonna Come
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken

MySpace | Website | Label: INO Records
Buy at Amazon.com and iTunes

Uncle T wound up Day 2 at Austin City Limits with this dynamite duo and the legendary T-Bone Burnett on guitar. "Battle of Evermore!" Wowza! That's one of my favorite Led Zep songs.

~alt-gramma~

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

I caught the last 30 minutes of this amazing set. They sounded magnificent; much more powerful than I’d anticipated. These guys went into a musical trance and took the huge crowd with them on their journey. By the time I got there it was dark and much cooler. I was pretty tired by that time, and just wanted to relax in the grass and listen to this wonderful music. I got as close as I could, which wasn’t too close. But I could hear everything (the sound was impeccable) and viewed the stage with my binoculars. Alison was in a black dress with styled-up hair. Plant was wearing blue jeans and a blue un-tucked shirt. The band was tight and the music was just wonderful. They really deliver in concert, so it’s no wonder they’ve been a big concert draw this year.

The band:
• Robert Plant: lead vocals
• Allison Krauss: lead vocals, violin
• T-Bone Burnett: Guitar
• Dennis Crouch: bass
• Buddy Miller: lead guitar
• Stuart Duncan: mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar
• Jay Bellarose: drummer/percussionist

Set list included (last 30 minutes):
• Black Dog [Robert Plant solo from KCRW's Covers Project CD, 2007]: I heard from somebody that did this Led Zeppelin cover earlier in the set; though I didn’t witness this.
• Fortune Teller: I heard this as I was coming walking toward the stage, with Plant singing this old song from their CD. Really nice sound.
• Nothin' (Townes Van Zant cover): Then they did a hypnotically brilliant version of this stark song, with Plant doing some great vocals. Allison provided backing vocals and violin. Amazing performance.
• Dynamite Woman (Doug Sahm cover) or Bon Temps Rouler: T-Bone Burnett did one of these songs, I think. And it was very good.
• Down to the River to Pray [Alison Krauss from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack]: When Allison Krauss sang this O Brother Where Art Though song her spellbinding vocals put the crowd in a trance. She’s such a great singer.
• The Battle Of Evermore: This Led Zeppelin cover was absolutely incredible and transcendent from the opening mandolin notes, and people jumped up from the grass for its climax. This was totally magical, and was possibly the set’s high point. This was the one I wanted to hear. This was so good in concert.
• Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On): They ended the concert with a wonderful rocking version of this Everly Brothers cover.

MySpace | Website | Label: Rounder Records
Buy at Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Store, Amazon.com

Leaving (Day 2):
Walked back on the riverside trail, which at night was the fastest way to go. Another great day of music. I did quite a bit of walking today, and my legs were very sore.

Photo from Paste Magazine

Tokyo Police Club put on a great show last week at the Glasshouse, their final gig of their current tour in support of this year's amazing Elephant Shell, their first LP. After the show at the Glasshouse, TPC goes on tour opening for Weezer, a big break for them, with dates scheduled into late October. Elephant Shell will likely be on my favorites list this year, since in between other albums, I keep coming back to it.


Josh Hooks - guitar / Dave Monks - lead vocals, guitar


Graham Wright - vocals, keyboards
I was dissappointed that I couldn't get a picture of drummer Greg Alsop.

COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Setlist:
1 Music Box
2 Graves
3 In A Cave
4 If It Works [buy]
5 Sixties Remake
6 Juno
7 Your English Is Good
8 "New New Song"
9 Centennial
10 Le Ferrassie
11 Cut Cut Paste
12 The Baskervilles [buy]
13 Nursery Academy[buy]
14 Citizens of Tomorrow
15 Tesselate
16 Shoulders & Arms
17 The Harrowing Adventures Of...
18 Nature of the Experiment
19 Listen to the Math
20 ??
Encore:
21 Cheer it on

official website | myspace

We Barbarians
Indie Mom and I arrived uncharacteristically late to last Friday's Tokyo Police Club show at the Glass House and found We Barbarians had already started their set. I didn't know anything about them, but I was soon taken in by their act, which was better than many openers we've seen. Come to find out, every music blogger who has ever seen them perform has good things to say about them.

I'm just sorry that they have sold out of their EP, In the Doldrums (2007), because I would have bought one. They do still have vinyl copies for sale (and the vinyls have two bonus tracks), and hopefully they'll have a full-length CD to release later this year.

David Quon handles vocals, guitar, and keyboard; Derek Van Heule plays bass; and Nathan Warkentin is on drums.


David Quon at left on guitar and keys, Derek Van Heule at right on bass

Click to enlarge

Left, Quon; Right, Van Heule

These songs are from We Barbarians' Daytrotter Session:
Yes Men and Bumsuckers
War Clouds

MySpace | Website | Label: Independent

Parker Gispert of the Whigs
The Whigs from Athens, GA, brought some southern charm to Pomona's Glass House last Friday night when they opened for Tokyo Police Club. Parker Gispert (vocals, guitar) and Tim Deaux (bass) took turns with the keyboard while Julian Dorio provided more than the usual drums and hair.


I was impressed with Dorio (above) even before I learned that Esquire Magazine named him "Drummer of the Year" last year, as I watched him air-drum perfectly in time with a song coming over the sound system during the stage setup. He wasn't even thinking about it; his hands just automatically made the movements.

Click to enlarge

Left, Tim Deaux; Right, Julian Dorio just before the show
COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Setlist:
1 Like a Vibration
2 Right Hand On My Heart
3 Technology
4 Nothing Is Easy
5 Sleep Sunshine
6 O.K. Alright
7 Already Young
8 (unidentified: lyrics include "standing where I stood")
9 Half the World Away


MySpace | Website | Label: ATO Records
Buy at Whigs Store, iTunes, and eMusic
MP3s are from a live session in WOXY studio.

Joe Williams of White Williams

Cleveland's "happy hardcore" threesome White Williams opened for Vampire Weekend at the Glass House last Tuesday, September 16. Joe Williams fronts the band, but information is sketchy about the other band members.


This might be Cale Parks
In a live setting, this group earns their hardcore self-description by sounding much messier and louder and more prog-rock than recorded versions would lead one to think. Williams kept asking the venue techs to make adjustments, so perhaps the mix was not exactly as they wished. Our opinion was that the music would sound better if the band did not seem to try to cram every sound they can make into the songs.


Left, Joe Williams sings; Right, a brief pre-performance band meeting


Possibly Tyler Drosdeck on bass
COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Setlist:
1 New Violence
2 The Shadow
3 Going Down
4 new song about going to the prom
5 Route to Palm
6 new song
7 Violator

MySpace | Label: Domino
Buy: iTunes and eMusic


Also opening for this show were Abe Vigoda from Los Angeles.


Juan Velasquez, vocals and bass
Juan Velasquez made sure he got local cred by announcing at least twice that he is from Chino, a town only a few miles south of Pomona, where the Glass House is located.


Michael Vidal, guitar


David, vocals and guitar
We didn't know their songs well enough to get a setlist. The numbers were universally energetic and very loud with quirky, off-kilter tunes. This one, from their album Skeleton, was probably one of them. I did not get a photo of their drummer, Reggie. Sorry, Reg.
COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Abe Vigoda: Bear Face from Skeleton

MySpace | Buy: eMusic

Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig--snazzy shorts!

The last time Vampire Weekend came through the Los Angeles area, I missed them because I was still in my denial phase that they were a band that could not possibly live up to the hype surrounding them. Then I learned the error of my ways and bought their debut self-titled CD which may likely appear on my favorites list this year. So I was glad to catch them Tuesday night at the Glasshouse, a small, all-ages venue.

I think Alt-gramma was less enthused than I to see this band, since she hadn't heard the whole album and hadn't really gotten into their island-influenced music. However, I think she left the show quite a bit more impressed than before the show. In a stark comparison to the two opening bands, Vampire Weekend really knew how to put on a show, especially lead singer Ezra Koenig, engaging the audience in a sing-along and generally entertaining the audience, which I feel is an important part of a concert and too many young bands, especially, fail to do.

Vampire Weekend played every track from their debut album, and a few new songs which were as yet unnamed (or at least, no names were given). Koenig told the audience that they were looking forward to writing a few more new songs. Check out a few of our favorites and Alt-gramma's photos from the show.


Click to enlarge

Left, Koenig; right, Koenig with bassist Chris Baio

Left, Rostam Batmanglij on keys; right, Koenig

COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Setlist:
1 Mansard Roof
2 Campus
3 Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
4 M79
5 (new song)
6 Bryn
7 (new song - lyrics included a refrain of "can't take it")
8 A-Punk
9 One (Blake's Got A New Face)
10 I Stand Corrected
11 The Kids Don't Stand A Chance
12 (new song - lyrics included "80% still agree")
13 Oxford Comma

Encore
14 Walcott

MySpace | Website | Label: XL Recordings
Buy at XL Store, Amazon, and eMusic

It was clear from the placement of the equipment on the stage that somebody in the Glaswegian band Sons and Daughters planned on moving around a lot. When the band came on, it was tiny Adele Bethel who took command of the stage, all glitter and gold like a Mardi Gras queen or a Las Vegas showgirl. Throughout the show, she paced back and forth, gesturing and playing to the audience. Regular bassist and other "daughter" Ailidh Lennon is taking time off because she is pregnant and was replaced by a young man Bethel referred to as Graham.


Lead guitarist Scott Paterson and singer Bethel play off each other to deliver sexy, dirty, hard-rocking goth/folk led by Adele's sweet, strong vocals and Paterson's Celtic howls and moans. Paterson plays lead like he must have graduated with honors from the Jimmy Page school of rock. Throughout the set he wrenched growls and tortured squeals from his guitar that heightened the tension.

"They are the anti-Blonde Redhead," commented Indie Mom, contrasting Sons and Daughters' heat with BR's cool, aloof stage presence, as the guy next to us leaped up and started to bounce vigorously to the beat. This band has been constantly on tour the entire year, hitting nearly every festival in the U.S., including SXSW, the Coachella, and Seattle's Bumbershoot, as well as those elsewhere in the world. Today they'll be appearing at Toronto's Virgin Festival.


Scott Paterson, lead and vocals
Songs on the setlist came mostly from this year's This Gift, with a few from The Repulsion Box (2005), and one ("Johnny Cash") from the band's 2003 EP Love the Cup.

Click for larger image

Left, Adele Bethel; Right, Scott on his knees at her feet

Setlist:

1. Goodbye Service
2. Johnny Cash
3. This Gift
4. The Nest
5. Rebel With a Ghost
Here Adele and the band paused for breath long enough for the audience to bombard them with requests.
6. The Bell
"This is a song about murdering your girlfriend," announced Adele to introduce:
7. Rama Lama from The Repulsion Box (2005)
8. Gilt Complex
9. Iodine
10. Darling
11. Dance Me In - Adele pranced over and whipped Scot's legs with her mike cord
12. House In My Head

Encore: Chains
(MP3s are from various live shows this year.)

MySpace | Website | Discography and Lyrics | Label: Domino Records
Buy at Domino Records, iTunes, and Amazon, and eMusic

Indie Mom first discovered Birdmonster's debut full-length CD, No Midnight (2006) with her favorite song of theirs "Janine." "The Bar In the Back of the Basement" from that album wound up on my Favorites of 2006 list. We've been trying to see them ever since then, but somehow it just didn't work out when they happened to come to town. This past Tuesday we finally succeeded when they opened for Sons and Daughters at the Troubadour. This was the first of many show dates coming up in the next two months, with many opening for Brit band the Rumble Strips.

Coincidentally, Tuesday was also the official release date for Birdmonster's second full-length and first label release, From the Mountain To the Sea, so it was not surprising that the setlist was comprised mostly of the new songs. I am just getting into the new album, but my first impression is that it seems more gentle and reflective than its predecessor with more focus on singer/lyricist Peter Arcuni's vocals and a bit less focus on guitars. I am finding new favorites here in "New Country," "I Might Have Guessed," and "The Iditarod."


Peter Arcuni


Peter with Justin Tenuto on melodica
Justin is also the author of the always informative and often hilarious Birdmonster Blog.
COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
Setlist:
1. My Love For You
2. Our Ashes
3. Born To Be Your Man
4. I Might Have Guessed
5. New Country
6. Balcony (from No Midnight)
7. The Iditarod
8. Lost At Sea
9. Indie Mom wrote "You Don't Know Me" on our notes, and when we asked Peter about this snatch of song after the show, he said he had made it up a half hour before the show, and our guess at the title was as good as his!
10. Ball of Yarn(from No Midnight)
11. Heart of the Dead
12. Residue
13. Spaceman (a short version of an adorable song from No Midnight that makes a great ending song)

Click to enlarge

Left: Guitarist Dave Klein, who always looks happy; Right: Peter and Dave


Left: Peter; Right: Zach Winter (drums), Peter, and Justin (bass)
Birdmonster Blog | MySpace | Website | Label: FaderLabel
Buy at Birdmonster Store, Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic (No Midnight)

Show Schedule: Check MySpace -- dates are being added.