Minnesota Monday - The 'Mats

Since Em gives her hometown short shrift, I think I may push her aside on Mondays. For a little over a month, I've been waiting for her to at least mention Rhino Records' release of deluxe editions of The Replacements first EP and three albums on Twin/Tone Records. I waited in vain. Arguably one of the most influential bands to come out of Minnesota and she ignores them. Sacrilege! I'm here to rectify. You can read Rhino's press release here.

And while we are on the subject of The 'Mats, I have to mention the excellent Jim Walsh and his Replacements book All Over But the Shouting.

On to the music: a very fast selection from Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (iTunes), a selection from Let It Be (iTunes), and a bootleg of a live 1987 performance in NYC of "Favorite Thing," originally from the Let It Be release.

Love You Till Friday [mp3]

Answering Machine [mp3]

Favorite Thing [mp3]

And Happy Memorial Day to all!

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Meet the new contributors

Hello from Utah! In the past 3 days I've been in 3 different states in 3 different time zones. It's been hectic, but fun. As you may or may not have noticed, I've been having trouble finding time to update my blog lately. This may get worse over the next week or so, as the reason that I am in Utah is because I'm on a film shoot. Thus, I am introducing two new contributors to my blog, who may update periodically:

JayB has lived in Minneapolis all her life and is a bigger indie snob than I could ever hope to be. While we don't agree on much musically, she has introduced me to many great (albeit obscure) songs and artists. She's a punk rocker at heart, and she - like me - likes music that makes her want to move.

Z (can you tell we like our anonymity?) lives in Queens. He has similar music taste to mine, though I would say he has more of an appreciation for calmer music than I do, so perhaps he can represent that side of the indie music scene more.

I will obviously still be updating periodically too, and I may even be adding more bloggers. But I thought I would just start by introducing these two.

No, Virginia...

There are so many reasons that I love the Dresden Dolls, and their newest album, "No, Virginia..." just reaffirms all of those reasons. Let's start with the fact that they have such a full, theatrical sound that you forget there's only two of them - Amanda Palmer on piano & vocals and Brian Viglione on drums. Both are so talented and have such a mastery over their instruments. They also work extremely well together so they have this great cohesion as a duo. Amanda's skillful piano-playing continues to astound me and Brian accompanies her so flawlessly.

"No, Virginia..." comes out May 20th but you can pre-order it now and be entered in a contest to win fun prizes. For those of you familiar with the Dresden Dolls (which really should be all of you because they're wonderful...) I would venture to say that "No, Virginia..." is slightly less playful than "Yes, Virginia..." Amanda still seems to have fun playing with words (and she is extremely gifted at doing so), but the overall sound seems more serious. It seems to me that a number of the songs have a sense of loss of innocence and a bit of nostalgia for times past. Perhaps that is the difference between "Yes, Virginia..." (which was inspired by a little girl's letter to Santa Claus) and "No, Virginia..." Now Virginia is all grown up, so the album is less sportive and tongue-in-cheek and is more solemn and pensive.

The album starts out with the fun Dear Jenny, which seems almost reminiscent of '80s hair metal or arena rock, with the selective yelling of certain words ("...for drastic MEASURES" or "we wave our flags into the CAMERA"). Next is the playful and almost nostalgic song about adolescent revenge and not fitting in, Night Reconnaissance. Then the album slows down for a few songs, only to suddenly go into a frenzy with track #6 (my favorite track), the creepy, delirious, theatrical and occasionally funny Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner. It's a song that makes you feel evil when you find a lyric humorous. From there, the album settles into a much more medium rock-n-roll pace, until the last two tracks when it slows down again with the beautiful but dark lullaby-like Sheep Song and the soft but dramatic Boston.

I have been looking forward to this album since I saw them play a song or two from it at their New Year's Eve concert and it is as fabulous as I thought it would be. I guess the only even somewhat unfortunate thing about the album is that I believe this album was recorded before/around the time Amanda's vocal chord surgery for her nodes - a singer's enemy, poor Amanda - and there are a few moments when I can tell that her voice is struggling to reach it's usual level of amazingness. Then again, I have had vocal training and I listen to the Dresden Dolls so much that most normal (read: not obsessed) people probably wouldn't even be able to tell.

On a side note, The Dresden Dolls will also be releasing "The Virginia Companion" - a photo and music book for the albums "Yes, Virginia..." and "No, Virginia..." - at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future. I have "The Dresden Dolls Companion" (see left) and it is the best compilation of contemporary sheet music that I've ever seen. So many contemporary artists who release sheet music simplify it to such a ridiculous level that it barely even sounds like the same song. It especially upsets me with artists like Tori Amos, where her beautiful and complex piano parts entrance me and then her sheet music has three chords written on it. "The Dresden Dolls Companion" is actually true to the complexity of the music. They don't dumb it down for us. It's no ordinary music book either. It is full of photos, artwork, and behind-the-scenes statements from Amanda about her inspiration, experiences and thoughts. Plus the sheet music is filled with little hand-written notations (presumably from Amanda) such as "(these stops are more random, a la a skipping record... repeat at will...)" and "FAST & PSYCHOTIC....sloppy is better, esp. in the right hand." It adds a nice personal Dresden Dolls touch.

So there you have it. Go buy the CD. And the companion when it comes out. Even if you don't play the piano. It's worth it, I promise.

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Let Live and Let Ghosts

Saturday night I was supposed to go see Jukebox The Ghost at Mercury Lounge, but was unable to do so, so instead I will write about their debut album, "Let Live and Let Ghosts," which was released April 22nd. I first heard of the Washington DC-based trio when they played at After the Jump last summer. I caught the end of their set, though I couldn't really see anything because they were playing in a small, crowded (and hot) room. But what I heard intrigued me enough to make me investigate them further.

They met in college at George Washington University and were originally called The Sunday Mail. That name didn't serve them very well and I have to say Jukebox the Ghost is a big improvement. I've heard them compared most commonly to Queen and Ben Folds, and I have to say both comparisons are right on. They have that epic-storytelling rock quality of Queen with a hint of Ben Folds' quirky playfulness.

"Let Live and Let Ghosts" is a very solid album and I must say it's probably the best album I've heard this year. The songs - both lyrically and musically - are fun, catchy, and well-written. Everything works together to create a very cohesive album. Picking a favorite track is hard. The song I've known and loved the longest is the opening track, Good Day. But that's followed by the catchy, funny and relatable Hold It In, (which has my favorite lyric on the album: "life is oh my god if I tell him he'll tell her and then she will know I like her"). Other favorites include Under My Skin, Victoria, and Lighting Myself On Fire. Honestly, though, there's not a track on the album that I dislike.

Hold It In [mp3]
Victoria [mp3]

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Anchorage

Brooklyn quartet Boy Genius released their new album, "Anchorage," last week. Though I was previously unfamiliar with the band, I could very well see them becoming the next indie darlings of the blog-o-sphere. As their laid back yet still stylish look might suggest, they have that slight dissonance that seems to go hand in hand with hipster disinterestedness, all the while keeping your toes tapping and your head bopping. Their music is simple but with a nice blend of various instruments - gotta love their use of brass - and catchy. I can guarantee it will get stuck in your head for hours after you've taken your iPod earbuds out.

If I hadn't already known they're based in Brooklyn, "Anchorage" would leave me to believe that there roots were in the Midwest, with songs like Great Lakes and Lake & Michigan. It also has a much more relaxed, Midwestern feel than a go-go-go feeling of New York City. "Anchorage" is really the perfect album for wandering the city leisurely or driving around on a sunny day - its easy going and it has this groove to it that keeps you hooked in.

As always, my favorite song is the slightly more up-tempo almost-danceable Talk About Love. I would also venture say this is their catchiest tune. That or the slightly darker Fair Weather with a beat that you can't help but sway back and forth to, singing "it's so strange, it's so strange, fair weather is good enough for me."

Talk About Love [mp3]
Fair Weather [mp3]

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Julius C @ Highline Ballroom

On Sunday night I had a chance to see Julius C play in probably the biggest venue I've ever seen them play in - Highline Ballroom. They were playing as part of a benefit for JWOC (which apparently means Journeys Within Our Community, which I had a hard time figuring out because they didn't say it once at the event). Unfortunately, Julius C also had a show on Friday, which I suspect a lot more of their fans went to, as the audience was a lot different than usual and didn't seem as familiar with Julius C.

Julius C still put on a great, high energy show. Lots of their newer songs, plus a few older favorites. Lead singer Jay did an old new song - a song he wrote when he was 18 - and the bass player, keyboardist and drummer did their new instrumental funk song that they did last time I saw them. They also did covers, which is pretty rare for Julius C - or at least, if they've done covers in the past I didn't know the songs to begin with. They did a medley consisting of a whole lot of different artists from James Brown to Justin Timberlake. I can't even remember half of the artists. And there was a wild dance party on stage for the last half of the show, which was fun at first but then got old and I kind of just wanted them to let Julius C do their thing.

I missed the first band that played, but the band that went on before Julius C was called Linfinity. I really liked quite a few of their songs, but their performance was flat. They all lacked energy, except for the lead singer, who seemed like he was high on something. The violinist didn't smile once until the end of the performance as she was exiting the stage. They just didn't really look like they wanted to be there. The lead singer's voice was interesting, but I found I only liked it during their more upbeat rock songs. During the slower songs it was like he was purposely making it shake, which I didn't understand and didn't think it added anything. In fact it just made him sound nervous or off-key (or maybe high again...) They had some great upbeat rock songs though, that were at least fun to listen to, though the performance wasn't all that engaging to watch.

Highline Ballroom is a nice space. The lighting guy seemed like he was having a blast and he came up with all sorts of cool lighting designs. Unfortunately the one thing he never lit was the front of the band, so you couldn't really see their faces most of the time. That was kind of frustrating. Especially for taking pictures (though it inspired me to invest in a good low-light lens, so hopefully I'll be getting that soon). Even though the pictures didn't turn out that great, you can see them here.

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Happy Birthday Sxip Shirey!

Friday night was Sxip Shirey's birthday, and the Luminescent Orchestrii played at Drom - a chic but pricey nightclub/restaurant in the East Village - in celebration. Also playing that night: The Wiyos and Feloche.

The Wiyos were up first. They're a four-man band from Brooklyn, though there were only three of them on Friday night. They were folky, country, bluegrassy, ragtimey, bluesy and kind of vaudevillian - by vaudevillian I mean they were hilarious, theatrical, animated and sometimes silly. They had the most energy during their humorous songs, so those were by most fun to watch. Plus I love bands who can play funny music that is also good quality. Apparently this was their first ever show without a washboard (I'm guessing that would be the missing 4th member), which is kind of sad. I would've liked to have seen that.

Feloche was up next and I immediately fell in love with this quirky French trio. I have been listening to their music pretty much non-stop since Friday night. Their music is eclectic and unique, which is always a big plus for me - their are traces of funk, Cajun, electronica, pop, blues and more. Lead singer, Feloche, was a ball of energy. He made some pretty hysterical facial expressions, but it looked like he was having a blast, which is the most important part. Upright bass player, Christophe, was a little more laid back. Lea Bulle, who did anything and everything that wasn't upright bass and guitar - keyboards, percussion (everything from electronic drums to various hand-held instruments and a computer), horn, I think harmonica at one point and sang a little. She has a very instrumental voice, so I thought it fit well with her overall role in the group. She also had really fun hair.

And last but most definitely not least was the Luminescent Orchestrii. They were fabulous once again and they brought on a battery of guest performers to play with them for the last few songs, including drummer Mathias Kunzli from the last time I saw them perform on New Year's Eve. It seemed to me that they didn't play too many of the songs that they played when I last saw them, which was nice because I got to hear a lot of stuff I hadn't heard before but I must admit I did miss a few of my favorites (particularly Knockin'). They played at least one brand new song, never been played before - I know because they said so - and I really liked it. It was a "punk rock" song, with Luminescent Orchestrii flavor of course. I love the variety of musical styles that they utilize. And they once again had a great energy.

As always I took an exorbitant amount of pictures, which can be viewed here:

View Album

Get your own

And some mp3s for you to sample:

Dying Crapshooters Blues [mp3] - The Wiyos (Live)
Emilie [mp3] - Feloche - "La Vie Cajun"
Knockin' [mp3] - Luminescent Orchestrii - "Too Hot To Sleep"

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Combining My Loves

Here is the video I edited together for my friend that was a nice chance for me to combine my loves of music and film production. It's a trailer of sorts for a TV series or web series that my friend is going to pitch. This particular episode is about Ann Arbor, so it's got some familiar faces for those of you who read my blog regularly - Matt Jones, Chris Bathgate and Fred Thomas. Please keep in mind that I was not involved in the shooting so I am not responsible for the less-than-stellar sound and lighting (the girl who shot it has no background in film, so it's actually pretty good considering). Obviously if this became a series, my friend would not be doing the shooting herself. Also, the quality on youtube is super crappy. I promise it looks better than this uncompressed.

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Planet B-Boy

Wow. 5 posts ago was my 200th post and I didn't even notice. It was the Regina Spektor, beautiful day in NYC post. What a perfect post to be the 200th post.

Anyway, today I saw the film Planet B-Boy. I realize it's been out for more than a month now so this is a little late in coming, but I've been busy. I transcribed a bunch of their footage for them 2 years ago, so I wanted to see how it turned out. Much to my delight, my name was even in the credits, which I didn't think it would be. It was kind of funny to me that so little of the footage I transcribed was in the documentary, but I know they had crazy amounts of it in all different languages, so I guess I'm not that surprised.

Planet B-Boy is a film about breakdancing teams from around the world going to Germany to compete in Battle Of The Year. I believe they originally followed around 8 teams but only 5 were in the film. The film is really engaging for the simple fact that these break dancers are amazing. They defy gravity. I swear. The things they do with their bodies seems completely impossible to me. You can't look away for a second or you might miss some crazy move (I glanced at my cell phone because someone was calling me and both of my friends were like "oh my god!" and I instantly regretted looking away because I know I missed some awesome move).

I also really liked the way they made the dancers characters, so it wasn't just about the dancing. I had read a review of it that said the opposite - they didn't like the side storylines and they felt it took away from the dancing. But in order for you to care about the competition, you need to care about the characters. And I think the film did a good job of making us care.

The one thing I didn't like was how contrived certain scenes were - like the French B-Boys breaking in front of the Eiffel Tower or the the Korean army guys breakdancing on the North Korea/South Korea border. All of those "let's put the b-boys with stereotypical things about their country in the background" clips bothered me. The other thing that bothered me was how during the final battle they suddenly put things in slow motion and interupted the dancing with clips of the dancers talking about their lives and it was kind of cheesy because for one guy there was a picture of him with his father superimposed over him dancing in slow motion. It was a bit much.

But overall I liked the film. If you have a chance to see it, I recommend it. You'll at the very least be impressed by the breakdancing. If you live in New York City, it's playing at The Sunshine on the Lower East Side.

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