huey lewis said it best.
"if this is it, please let me know; if this ain't love you better - let me go!"
and that's how i feel about it. "it" being this blog. not that i owe any kind of explanation, but after much mulling over staying, or going, or being sporadic, i've decided to just let the sleeping dog lie.
in the past year, i've moved from atlanta to new york...and back to atlanta. i've left my job for another one, only to return to it once again. i've figured out that i'd rather sit at home with the sweetest puppy in the world and conquer my day job in corporate taxes than sit in a smoky venue with self-righteous, brooding "musicians," who i seem to have formed an unhealthy opinion about. (if you see me somewhere, and there is beer involved, i'll be happy to elaborate - i won't do it here.) i've watched great and talented bands struggle, and i've watched the shittiest of all bands flourish. thanks, but, no thanks. the love and luster of sharing stellar music finds has diminished to a dull point that is truly heartbreaking to me, and with that, i will leave it alone. i hope that i (along with claire and terri and ally) was able to help the deserving bands and artists along the way in some shape or form; because that was the beginning intent of the blog, and if i (or we) did that, then we did our job!
for the local bands that made going to a show worth the hassle of parking and worth the door charge - thank you! (
trances arc,
the futurists,
variac,
rantings of eva,
the bridges...just to name a few)
and to the label and PR companies that sent me CDs and list spots to some really super duper shows, thank you. (please don't email me anymore, though.)
and with that, i'm off - off to live a life away from the computer!
arrivederci!
What do Greg Dulli and Elvis have in common?
I remember when Claire and I saw The Gutter Twins, he reminded me of Elvis. To answer the question of the blog post title, it's that they both sing "Trouble." No, it's different from the Coldplay track (it would be impossible anyways since Chris Martin was barely alive when Elvis was around). It was supposed to be on the piece of you-know-what soundtrack to
P.S. I Love You. Anywho,
Greg baby's cover of the Elvis track is on SpySpace, I mean MySpace, and is worth a listen if you find yourself with your eyes bloodshot after watching
Twilight Zone all day long like me. Happy New Year! ;-)
Labels: Covers
new year's eve edition.
let me first start off by expressing how flattered i am that some horrible little girl is trying to rip off this blog by not only almost completely mirroring the name of it, but also by using the same phrases, such as "bands i heart," that i (we) have been using here for the past 3ish years. it's okay, though, because even though you can try your hardest to fake being us, you can't fake good taste! moving right along...
there is never a lack of of things to do in the atlanta area on NYE. especially if you happen to love music. here are a couple of options for you to ponder.
>>
variety playhouse will be hosting athens boys
the whigs. but more importantly than them, band of horses will be headlining.
band of horses! of course, it is sold out, but you know, you can always dip into the craigslist ads. maybe you'll be lucky.
>>
the earl will help you kick in 2009 in the dark back room with
the rent boys and the
howlies. $12
>>
the star bar has a good line-up of local acts with the constellations, gringo starr, anna kramer, and a few others. apparently they'll be serving free bubbly. it's only $5. this is a pop death event. we love pop death.
>>there are also a hoard of DJ parties going on.
i think that does it. happy holidays. i hope santa brings you lots of fun presents. like socks! i love socks.
Labels: nyc shows
Greg Dulli update
Per their
MySpace bulletin:
"Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan have added 4 West Coast shows to their stripped down "Evening With" tour.
February 10 West Hollywood at the Troubadour
February 11 San Francisco at the Independent
February 13 Portland at Doug Fir
February 15 Seattle at the Showbox
Opening the shows will be Happy Chichester except for Seattle which will be Shawn Smith, as well as Happy Chichester.Smith and Chichester collaborated with Dulli on the Twilight Singers debut, Twilight As Played by The Twilight Singers.
Following the conclusion of these dates Dulli will begin work on a new Twilight Singers album, while Lanegan hasan upcoming project with Soulsavers and will begin work on his first solo album in five years.This does not, howeverspell the end of the Gutter Twins. "I see no reason why this can't go on indefinitely", says Lanegan of the project.Said Dulli; "It's been one of the highlights of my musical life and I look forward to doing it again someday soon.""
Labels: Coming Soon
Coconut Records
Coconut Records has a new album coming out called Davy and they're offering a free download of their new single "Microphone" for a limited time.
Click here to download it. The full album comes out on January 20, 2009.
Here's what
Jason Schwartzman has to say:
"Before we even finished the first album we were getting excited about the second," said Schwartzman. "So it's a great opportunity to be able to get the new single out to fans for free and support Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which does the really important, and often undervalued, work of supporting music education in disadvantaged schools and communities."
In addition to downloading "Microphones" for free, fans are also able to pre-order the new album on AmieStreet.com for the special price of $5. Both the free download of "Microphones" and the $5 pre-order of Davy will be available for only one week, before going up to full price.
terri's 2008 year-end list.
I finally have the time to sit down on my bed and blog (as well as on this
one). I can't do fancy pictures like my dear pal Leah's (I end up choosing ones that are copyrighted), but here are some good finds I've heard over the year of two-thousand and eight.
Ladytron - Velocifero.
They never cease to disappoint. I'm on the verge of saying this is their most mainstream-sounding album, due to the fact this is their fourth album and you heard a bit of the track "Tomorrow" on
Ugly Betty. I highly recommend this album and really look forward to seeing them again when they play here again. If you're on the fence, check out "The Lovers," "Runaway," and "Predict the Day."
Once soundtrack.
I'm with Leah on this one. Besides being one of the best movies I've seen this year, the soundtrack is great!
Seeing them when they came here heightened my enthusiasm for the group. It's The Frames with newcomer Marketa Irglova making up The Swell Season. At any rate, check out "When Your Mind's Made Up." If you see them play it in the movie or live, you'll cry.
Brazilian Girls - New York City.
The first time I heard it, I wasn't a fan. After a second and third time, I was hooked. "Berlin," "Nouveau Americain," and "Strangeboy" are my favorites....
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia.
I was hesitant on this one because I'm with Claire on Mark Lanegan's place- this should be a Twilight Singers album. However, my arm got twisted for two reasons, the tracks "The Body" and "Front Street." If I do find myself in the Lanegan mood, it's good. (You really have to be in a mood, but not
that kind of mood, pervs.) "Circle of Fringes" and "God's Children" are also great tracks as well.
21 soundtrack.
Hearing the soundtrack before you see the movie is a bad idea. If you do that, you don't give a hoot about the movie and just want to listen to the soundtrack. It's not as good as the
Trainspotting soundtrack, but it's one nice record. "Time to Pretend" by MGMT, "Mad Pursuit" by Junkie XL featuring Electrocute, "Sister Self Doubt" by Get Shakes, "I Am the Unknown" by The Aliens, "Hold My Hand" by UNKLE, the remix of Kasabian's "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)," and "Tender Buttons" by Broadcast all had me at "hello." Oh. Em. Gee. I feel like I'm 15 just talking about it!
She & Him - Volume One.
Seeing them
live just about did it for me, not to mention seeing my girl crush, Ms. Zooey Deschanel. "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and "I Was Made For You" are the cream of the crop on the debut album for Deschanel and the master behind it all, M. Ward. Like I said in the review, it was like going to a fair minus the sweet tea and apple pie slices. I am quite certain they'll tour again, so get your tushies out there to see them!
That's all I was impressed with as far as new stuff for the year. I was also introduced to other great finds from the past. Here's a short bit of them.
The Faint - Wet From Birth
Ratatat - Classics
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Joy Division - The Best Of Joy Division
Labels: Best of...
leah's 2008 year-end list.
it's december. you know what that means? that's right! i'll be another year older in 24 days! this year is my year to turn the age of the day of my birth. does that make sense? i'll be 29 on the 29th. woohoo! anyway, enough of my self-indulgence.
december also means rewinding and coming up with those lovely year-end-you-must-have-these-albums lists. every music blogger does one, or something like it. i've never been the exception. and i won't be this year, either. unfortunately, i have kind of bowed out of the ring a bit and haven't gotten nearly enough listening in as i could have this year. so if i don't list your fave, don't sass me about it, k? i probably have not even heard it. i've actually developed heart palpitations from the amount of stress i've been under, and my face looks like a 16-year-old girl's with the massive skin eruptions. so back off! phew. ok. here ya go. this is what i loved this year.
no particular order.
>
sia.
Some People Have Real Problems
. wow. sia is amazing. the ex-
zero 7 contributor is proof that human beings can actually sound ethereal enough that you think they might really be angels. i can't tell you how many people i've heard declare that sia will save your life. ahhhh, sia.
>
the swell season.
Music From The Motion Picture Once
. technically, this album came out in december of 2007. but it didn't really make much headway until 2008 when the duo went on tour. yeah, i saw the movie, and i wanted to cry. and the songs tug on my heartstrings because they're so full of powerful emotion that you can actually feel it entering your pores and freezing your blood. an album i could wallow in forever. <3
>
rantings of eva.
Rantings of Eva
. it's no secret that i love this band. back in march, they released their first full-length album, and it's still in rotation on my various iplayers. usually i can pick two songs i go back and forth with, but this album has six strong repeat-worthy tunes. i love this album like mary katherine gallagher loves the smell of her armpits.
>
black kids.
Partie Traumatic
. thank god for this album. had i not had it to pull me out of a funk, i'd probably have bed sores right now. seriously. when i listen to this album, invisible hands made of musical notes pull me up off my ass and make me shake my tushy and fling my hair.
>
david ford.
Songs for the Road
. the only person i can give this award to: more depressing than damien rice. mhmm. david ford makes me find that corner of my soul that houses feelings of misery and hate - and he makes me deal with it. he's the reason i don't have to pay for therapy. well, he's part of that reason. there are many other artists who also contribute to that...
>
the bridges.
Limits Of The Sky
. finally, a group of kids who sing good songs with great lyrics and even more amazing music behind it. wait, don't they call this "talent"? why is it that the mainstream-indie attention (i know, that is an oxymoron; but you should know what i mean by that) seems to be lost on a bunch of crappy sounding bands just because the boys wear pants that are way too tight? wake up, people. this is a band you need to know, and you need to listen to.
>
the old 97s.
Blame It On Gravity
. i got to be one of the first to hear the band debut some songs from this album live this year at sxsw. and it was glorious! when i got the album, i listened to it for days. i've also been found at a bar in the west village drunk as a skunk screaming about how much i love 'no baby i' and 'ride.' i think that might be a good indication of my relationship with this album. laid-back, full of fun, and willing to keep you company at the bar.
>
american babies.
American Babies
. a band i discovered at sxsw. they're not selling out arenas, but they're definitely making my subway rides easier to deal with. this band has a down-home sound that might make you think whiskey is a great idea, even if you're not a whiskey drinker. 'brooklyn bridge' is my hands-down fave track and appears on a good number of playlists in my library.
>
the kooks.
Konk
. no list is complete without the british invasion. so here is another one. i never paid attentions to this album until 'love it all' showed up on my pandora station, and then i revisited it, and i lurve it. it's mindless and fits in with everyday music, but has that little extra smidge of brit rock.
>
coldplay.
Viva La Vida
. it was bound to round out the list. maybe it's that little spiritual factor that i find so endearing about this album. or maybe it's because just because i'm losing doesn't mean i'm lost. or maybe it's the violins and rolling the dice. i could listen to these songs a thousand times a day and never get sick of them. but, isn't that what coldplay is all about? i commend them for a job well-done, yet again. bravo, chaps!
there it is. love it, or leave it, you better gain way. nah, just kidding. this is just a reminder that i didn't listen to all of the hundreds of albums that were released this year. it's a personal collection of faves. feel free to comment about what you think i need to listen to, also.
Labels: Best of...
news for those who like to rough it musically.
personally, i'm a big fan of showering and hanging out with people who smell like they just carved a chunk out of a bar of irish spring, which is why i tend to steer clear of the whole festival mess. but, for those of you who either (a) like to be smelly, or (b) don't mind shelling out money for the VIP section of festival camp that actually has showers, here is some good news. bonnaroo has announced some info regarding the
2009 jam, which will take place june 11-14, and the tickets go on sale this thursday. apparently they will let you pay installments toward the entire ticket price, which is great for anyone suffering from this recession we've finally been admitted into.
there ya go. have fun with that info, kiddies.
Labels: festivals
Concert review: Quintron and Miss Pussycat
Date: Saturday, November 22
Venue:
EyedrumSupport:
Hawks,
The CarbonasSeeing
Quintron and Miss Pussycat was a bit of fresh air. There wasn't any sweating due to a billion bodies trying to see. After Hawks and Carbonas played (rather heavy for the setting), a puppet show opened up the headliner's -for seriously. It was lead by Quintron's wife, Miss Pussycat, who also did backup vocals and played maracas. Seeing Mr. Quintron was interesting because he had a great trick up his sleeve. His entire band is himself and a machine he invented out of an organ, how cool is that? He's like "Bert" from Mary Poppins, but cooler! To describe the sound (or somewhat ballpark it), think LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire with White Stripes vocals. However, it's hard to say since I've heard nothing like it before, which is good. Overall, it was a relaxing evening enjoying a brewski and popcorn while listening to fun music.
Labels: Atlanta Shows, Show Reviews
Coldplay hints at a farewell... NIN pics
Apparently Chris Martin would like he and his band mates to wrap things up be the end of 2009. The writer of the story doesn't appear to be a fan in the first place, along with giving away personal political choices, which is a waste of ink. Read the blurb
here.
Also, Nine Inch Nails did a Monday night show in Columbus, OH with some sweet deals - $17 seats!! But where are all the Trent baby fans (pics
here)? And how come those cheap seats weren't available for the Duluth and Nashville show? IMO (internet slang- LOL!) school nights don't count as an excuse for this deal...
Labels: News
