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Smith, Smith, Smith, Smiths

MORRISSEY
itsmorrisseysworld.com

I'll admit that I was a massive Morrissey/the Smiths fan. I have all of his singles and albums pre-2010. A few years ago, Morrissey basically went crazy and declared war on Morrissey-solo and forbade the website owner from seeing him at live shows. I'm on David T's side on this one. Morrissey just doesn't understand how the internet works.

Morrissey is still pretty popular now and I'm pretty sure he'll sell out the Orpheum Theatre here in Minneapolis. If I were to see him, it would mostly be for the Morrissey apostles that follows Morrissey from city to city to see him live every night.

Morrissey's fall/winter dates:

10/05 Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre 10/06 Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater 10/10 New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall 10/12 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 10/13 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 10/15 Portland, ME @ State Theatre 10/16 Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center 10/18 Albany, NY @ Palace Theatre 10/19 Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theatre 10/23 Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall 10/24 Columbus, OH @ LC Indoor Pavilion 10/26 Flint, MI @ James H Whiting 10/27 Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre 10/29 Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre 10/30 Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom 11/01 Lincoln, NE @ Rococo Theatre 11/03 Denver, CO @ Ellie Caulkins Opera 11/04 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall

11/08 Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre 11/10 Bellingham, WA @ Mount Baker Theatre 11/11 Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert 11/14 Davis, CA @ Robert Mondavi Center 11/16 San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony Hall 11/17 Reno, NV @ John Ascuaga's 11/21 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater 11/23 Las Vegas, NV @ Cosmopolitan 11/24 Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center Arena 11/27 El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls 11/28 Wichita Falls, TX @ Kay Yeager Coliseum 11/30 Pharr, TX @ Pharr Entertainment Center 12/01 Beaumont, TX @ Jefferson Theatre 12/03 Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing 12/05 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel 12/07 North Bethesda, MD @ Music Center 12/08 Atlantic City, NJ @ Showboat Resort

MINDY SMITH
mindysmithmusic.com

Just a reminder that singer/songwriter Mindy Smith will be stopping by Minneapolis' Dakota Jazz Club this Friday (August 3rd). It's "closer" than you think.

Smith's self-titled fifth album is out now.

She's wrapping up her tour with Rosi Golan (*) and Angel Snow (**).

08/01 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI*
08/02 Old Town School of Folk Chicago, IL*
08/03 Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis, MN*
08/04 High Noon Madison, WI*
08/10 The Grey Eagle Asheville, NC**
08/11 Square Room Knoxville, TN**
08/12 Natasha’s Bistro Lexington, KY**

Caroline Smith: Calliope

CAROLINE SMITH & THE GOOD NIGHT SLEEPS
thegoodnightsleeps.com

Also, another reminder that Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps will be playing for free at Lake Harriet. The event is sponsored by Vita.MN and will starts at 7:30pm, follow by a movie ("So I Married an Axe Murderer").

If you're planning on seeing the movie, do yourself a favor and bring a sheet or chair and bug spray.

08/01 St Louis, MO Rob Schlette’s House
08/02 Iowa City, IA The Green House Effect
08/03 Minneapolis, MN Lake Harriet Bandshell
08/25 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
08/26 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
08/26 Minneapolis, MN Hell’s Kitchen
09/08 St Paul, MN Summit Brewery
09/21 Rapid City, SD Dahl Fine Arts Center
11/10 St Cloud, MN* Paramount Theatre

GRANGER SMITH
grangersmith.com

Texas country singer/songwriter Granger Smith unveiled his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr., last month, with the new single "This Country Boy Song." Smith explained the Dibbles character:

"We started doing [Earl] Dibbles just for fun, but we realized quickly it really resonated with our fans. Pretty soon they were urging me to create more and more Dibbles content and we’re excited to see how they react to the song and music video."

If the single takes off, prepare to see more of Earl Dibbles Jr. in the future.

Granger Smith is currently on tour:

08.02 Dirty Bourbon Albuquerque, NM 08.03 Toby Keith's Denver, CO 08.04 Cheyenne County Fair, CO 08.09 Rockin Rodeo Midland Midland, TX 08.10 Hanks Texas Grill Mckinney, TX 08.11 Drunken Mule Saloon Commerce, TX 08.15 hirsty Horse Saloon San Antonio, TX 08.17 Midnight Rodeo Austin Austin, TX 08.18 Private Event Georgetown, TX 08.23 Big Texas Saloon Webster, TX 08.24 Banita Creek Hall Nacogdoches, TX 08.25 Cypress Saloon Cypress, TX 09.01 Dirtys Tavern Coffeyville, Kansas 09.02 Central Texas State Fair Belton, TX 09.05 Electric Cowboy Tyler, TX 09.07 Texas Music Aggie, TX

09.15 City Limits Stephenville, TX 09.20 Hub City BBQ Lubbock, TX 09.28 Fort Bend County Fair Rosenberg, TX 09.29 Toby Keith's Dallas, TX 10.06 Jax Sports Bar Garden City, KS 10.19 Western Days Ziegfest Yorktown, TX 10.20 East Texas Yamboree Gilmer, TX 10.26 Midnight Rodeo Amarillo Amarillo, TX 10.27 Wild West Lubbock Lubbock, TX 11.01 Denim & Diamonds Wichita Falls, TX 11.10 Fort Polk Fort Polk, Louisiana 11.17 Chicken Ranch Dance Hall Ledbetter, TX 11.21 Yoakum Gin & Feed Yoakum, TX 11.23 Wild West Waco Waco, TX 11.30 Singers Hays, Kansas 12.01 Arbuckle Ballroom Davis, OK

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

July Guide (2012)

Like Free in July and Guide to July, July in Minneapolis usually means lots of free outdoor/daytime free shows (like Bastille Day on July 15th). I would recommend bringing your own lawn chair and umbrella (for both sun and rain).

LAKE HARRIET
mplsmusicandmovies.com

The "Music and movies in the park" happen all over the Twin Cities' parks - it's really hard to sort out what bands and movies are playing on a particular night, so I would suggest looking over their schedule to zero in show…. Or you can just surprise yourself and randomly catch one of these events.

Generally these are local Minneapolis bands. The Lake Harriet showcase with VITA.MN seems like real winners: Caroline Smith on August 3rd, Is/Is on August 10th, S.Carey (aka "scarey") on August 17th, and Heiruspecs on August 24th. Also, don't forget our favorite sibling band, Lynhurst on the last date: September 3rd.

Schedule:

07/04/12 Retro Groove Classic Rock, Pop, R&B 07/05/12 The Flyin' A's Rockin' Americana Songwriting with guts 07/06/12 The Snaps Pure Americana Rock 07/07/12 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/08/12 2:00 Wolff Jabbr Original Modern Jazz 07/08/12 5:30 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/09/12 Jazz on the Prairie Big Band High Energy Big Band Jazz 07/10/12 St. Louis Park Community Band Refreshing 07/11/12 Charity Huot Original fun lovin' alternative folk 07/12/12 Eden Prairie Community Band 07/13/12 Minnesota Sinfonia Professional chamber orchestra 07/14/12 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/15/12 2:00 MBOTMA Minnesota Bluegrass 07/15/12 5:30 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/16/12 Calhoun-Isles Community Band Concert band 07/17/12 Machinery Hill Folk music from many locations 07/18/12 Israel Scout Friendship Caravan Israeli Musical 07/19/12 Kenwood Slim & "His Fairly Reliable Backup Band" 07/20/12 Minnesota Sinfonia Professional chamber orchestra 07/21/12 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/22/12 2:00 Steve Parry Country, Solo Acoustic, Folk 07/22/12 5:30 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/23/12 Brooklyn Community Band Concert music for all ages 07/24/12 Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis Orchestra Classics 07/25/12 Hopkins Westwind Concert Band Community 07/26/12 Robinsdale City Band 07/27/12 The Smarts Original Pop Jazz 07/28/12 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live 07/29/12 2:00 Bethany Larson and the Bee's Knees 07/29/12 5:30 Minneapolis Pops Orchestra Live e 07/30/12 The Auto Body Experience Horn-driven quirky rock fun 07/31/12 The Siems-Hauer Acoustic Duo 08/01/12 Doug Otto and the Getaways 08/02/12 1st Things 1st Performing jazz and swing 08/03/12 VITA.MN Presents: Caroline Smith & Good Night Sleeps

08/04/12 West Bank School of Music Joyful African pop music 08/05/12 2:00 The Moss Piglets 08/05/12 5:30 Lau Hawaiian Collective Hawaiian Water Songs 08/06/12 Bend in the River Big Band 17-Piece Big Band 08/07/12 Alison Scott Soulful, organic indie-rock 08/08/12 Gypsy Mania Gypsy 'Hot Club' swing jazz 08/09/12 Sing United - A Combined Chorus Event 08/10/12 VITA.MN Presents: Bloodnstuff with Is/Is 08/11/12 Michael Monroe Origianl Acoustic Folk/Reggae/Jazz 08/12/12 2:00 Kenwood Symphony Orchestra 08/12/12 5:30 Butch r Baker & Candlestyx Woodstock 08/13/12 Patchouli High energy Folk meets Flamenco 08/14/12 Honeywell Concert Band 08/15/12 Michelle Lynn Rhythmic and lyrical folk originals 08/16/12 Tortuga! Jazz/World/Rock Instrumental Quartet 08/17/12 VITA.MN Presents: S. Carey Music 08/18/12 No Man's String Band 08/19/12 2:00 Julie Johnson & The No-Accounts 08/19/12 5:30 La Danse Fatale La Danse Fatale Ballet Company 08/20/12 Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra Variety 08/21/12 Divine Diva Dames Swinging 08/22/12 Standing Waves Intelligent acoustic/electric pop rock 08/23/12 Capri Big Band Premier big band jazz 08/24/12 VITA.MN Presents: Heiruspecs Music 08/25/12 The Melvilles Rock, Folk, Pop, Country - Fun! 08/26/12 2:00 The Neighborhood Trio Pop Soul Jazz 08/26/12 5:30 The Tex Pistols Gritty and Real Country Roots 08/27/12 Zuhrah Shrine Band Traditional Concert Band 08/28/12 Sean Goffin Acoustic pop and rock 08/29/12 Detroit Don King Band Urban blues, rock n roll and jazz 08/30/12 Herman Jones My Funk Brother Band 08/31/12 Tom, Dick & Harry Fun, Rockin' Originals & Covers 09/01/12 Matt Moberg Acoustic folk pop duo 09/02/12 2:00 Andy Calhoun Country rock with an edge 09/02/12 5:30 Javier Trejo Trio Mexican-Americana 09/03/12 5:30 Lynhurst Original pop-rock sibling band

CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER
thecedar.org

If you listen to our podcasts, I have time and time again said that the Cedar is one of my favorite Minneapolis venue.

The Cedar does offer a free, weekly summer show on their outdoor patio simply called The Cedar Outdoors. Music generally starts at 7pm on Thursdays. If it's not raining, I may bicycle into town to check out some free shows:

07/05/12 Mandolin Orange - Americana, Folk
07/19/12 Axis Mundi World Trio - Global roots, Jazz
07/26/12 Guante - Hip hop
08/02/12 Wizards Are Real - Post rock, Experimental

I also just wanted to quickly mention that we are covering a few Cedar's "African Summer" 2012 concert series.

I'll be attending Orchestre Poly-Rythmo at the Cedar on July 10th. This is a rather big band and their music is described as "voodoo funk", so I'm expecting some New Orleans-brass mixed with Afrobeat funk.

Based on previous African shows I've attend in the past, they are usually pretty packed (if not sold-out), so I'm going to assume these shows will be standing room only and lots of dancing in the front.

Dave is attending Wake Up Madagascar on July 13th, you can read more about them in our previous article.

SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL AT NORTHROP
northrop.umn.edu

Previously called "Summer at Northrop", this is a free, outdoor summer concert series featuring local musicians and DJs, alongside U of M student bands.

I've never been to a SMFN, but it's located in the Minnesota University (84 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis).

07/13/12 MaLLy & Culture Cry Wolf With DJ Fundo
07/18/12 The Premiums
07/27/12 Voices Merging: A Splash of Summer Open Mic
08/01/12 Sans Souci Quartet

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Works for Words: Chris Koza

Tour Dates 06/14/12 The Ark* Ann Arbor, MI 06/15/12 Summer Sounds* Cedarburg, WI 06/17/12 The Space* Evanston, IL 06/18/12 Flying Mango* Des Moines, IA 06/20/12 Winchester Music Lakewood, OH 06/22/12 SK6ERS Field Day Vienna, VA 06/23/12 SK6ERS Field Day Vienna, VA 06/26/12 Tin Angel* Philadelphia, PA 06/27/12 Infinity Hall* Norfolk, CT 06/29/12 Live from Freehold* Freehold, NJ 06/30/12 Arts at the Armory* Somerville, MA * special SK6ERS acoustic set Read More Chris Koza Chris Koza is the headliner and he will explore the meanings of the lyrics and importance of words in songs…

"Works for Words" is a specially commissioned live one-of-a-kind special concert, commissioned by the local radio station, The Current 89.3. The show, which took place last night, June 8th, at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, stars Chris Koza and his friends as they try and explore what makes great lyrics and their importance in songs… which never really got answered (I don't really think there is just one definitive answer).

Before we get to the music, I wanted to talk a little about the Fitzgerald Theater. I thought I had never been here, but, as it turned out, I've seen Belle & Sebastian here nearly ten years ago. The theater is the oldest theater in Saint Paul and have 1,000 seats (including a few balcony booths).

Each of the three guests (Gabe Douglas, Caroline Smith, and Sims) did one original song and one cover. Plus, Rogue Valley's Linnea Mohn covered Bjork's "Hyberballad", complete with fake swan, while orchestra Matt Olson wrote and sang an original song. The rest of the show is basically Rogue Valley songs and covers.

Highlight of the show was a toss up between Rogue Valley doing a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and Koza's "Mmmm Medley". The latter is basically a combination of all the nonsensical "lyrics" of popular songs throughout the years (including whistling from the "Young Folks" song and the Smurf's theme song).

Odd bit of the night, but the crowd's favorite according to their cheers, was a game called "Encore" … which Douglas changed the rules. And the funny thing is, Koza just went with it.

I think the artist's choice of cover say a lot about the music they like and are influenced by. Caroline Smith did a Beyoncé cover, "Why Don't You Love Me", Sims did Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad", and Gabe Douglas did David Bazan's "Virginia". Koza's musical influence seems to be in that singer/songwriter area: from Jeff Buckley to Leonard Cohen… but that's not to say that he isn't ashamed to admit to loving Katy Perry or Led Zeppelin or Beastie Boys.

So, remember the "importance of lyrics" theme? I liked Caroline Smith's answer, which she tried and explained that the lyrics she wrote when she was 16-18 was so much different than her view of the world at her age. Her songs now, she confessed, is not that exciting: about training her dog, about sewing… vs her broken heart and boys when she was younger. I think what she was trying to say is that the lyrics had special and different meaning at different time in her life.

I would like to add my own thoughts on the subject: I love lyrics. That's why I listen to pop, folk, sissy music, and not, say, classical or movie soundtracks. I like it when lyrics are clever (the Lucksmiths are a great example), I like it when lyrics tell a story, and I especially love lyrics that has a great melody. If there's anyone that understands how important lyrics are to their songs, take it from the lyrical master, Chris Koza, who wrote about forty songs in a year for Rogue Valley's ambitious four seasons project.

Chris Koza closed out his set with "Red River of the North", followed by an acoustic version of Rufus Wainwright's "In A Graveyard". The encore was Rogue Valley's "Rockaway", which is their most upbeat and hand-clappy song.

Look for Chris Koza playing acoustic with Stephen Kellogg at many of their sold-out shows (they previously toured with Koza last year).

Left to right: Sims, Caroline Smith, Gabe Douglas, and Chris Koza at Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul (06/08/12)

vu () ♥ chriskoza.com

Sleep

My favorite sleep lyric is by the Lucksmiths: "We might be dressed as 'The Young and the Restless'/But the one thing we're best at … is sleeping in".

Caroline Smith: Calliope Read More Caroline Smith Full Disclosure: I would pay $15 for an album of Caroline Smith singing the alphabet song repeatedly for 40 minutes.

CAROLINE SMITH & THE GOOD NIGHT SLEEPS
thegoodnightsleeps.com

We like Caroline Smith. One listen to her album, Little Wind, and you'll agree with Andrew stating the obvious, she has an "incredible voice".

Smith will be playing at the Fitzgerald Theatre in Saint Paul this June 8th. I have agreed to see this show, mostly because I am excited that this is the place where they record "A Prairie Home Companion". It should be fun.

This show (Minnesota Public Radio Presents Works for Words) was commissioned by The Current for artists to create a one-of-a-kind performance… which I am assuming they intend to record and rebroadcast the show on their radio station. Chris Koza is the headliner and he will explore the meanings of the lyrics and importance of words in songs. Helping him will be The 4ontheFloor's Gabriel Douglas, Caroline Smith, Sims and other special guests. There will also be a mini orchestra and choir consisting of University of Minnesota graduate students.

Tickets are $25.00, but MPR members receive a $2.00 discount.

Below are more Smith dates, she'll be playing with some big names, like Cloud Cult and Jayhawks:

Thu, 2012-05-31 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
Fri, 2012-06-08 - St Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theater; Works for Words
Sat, 2012-06-09 - Ankeny, IA - Ankeny Unplugged: Caroline Smith solo acoustic set @ Wagner Park
Sun, 2012-06-17 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
Fri, 2012-06-22 - Eau Claire, WI - Grand Litltle Theater
Fri, 2012-07-06 - Apple Valley, MN - Music in the Zoo
Sat, 2012-07-07 - Duluth, MN - Twin Ports Bridge Festival
Tue, 2012-07-10 - River Falls, WI - Univ. of WI- Melvin Wall Amphitheatre
Fri, 2012-08-03 - Minneapolis, MN - Lake Harriet Bandshell

* We have written about Chris Koza and the 4onthefloor many times, so I suggest going through the archives to read more about them.

BRIEFLY:

THE BIG SLEEP thebigsleep.net I've previously mentioned these guys before. I said it was a big deal because the band previously took a long break/hiatus. Well, the Big Sleep is back and they're doing a ton of tour dates with Maps & Atlases. They'll be stopping by St Paul, at another venue I've never been to. 5/23 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC * 5/24 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC * 5/25 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA * 5/26 - Crowbar - Tampa, FL* 5/27 - The Plaza - Orlando, Fl* 5/29 - Bottletree - Birmingham, AL* 5/31 - Sons of Herman Hall - Dallas, TX* 6/01 - The Parish - Austin, TX* 6/02 - Free Press Summer Fest, Houston, TX* 6/04 - Lowbro Palace - El Paso, TX* 6/06 - Casbah - San Diego, CA* 6/07 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA* 6/08 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA* 6/09 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA* 6/11 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR* 6/12 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC* 6/13 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, WA* 6/15 - Neurolux - Boise, ID* 6/16 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT* 6/17 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO* 6/18 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE* 6/19 - Amsterdam Hall - St. Paul, MN* * With Maps & Atlases

SLEEP MAPS facebook.com Speaking of maps… Sleep Maps is a NYC post-metal band. Their debut five-track album (totaling 40 mins) is called Fiction Makes The Future, and you can stream the whole thing at sleepmaps1.bandcamp.com. 1. Men Against The Stars 06:31 2. The Eternal Wanderer 07:19 3. Forbidden Light 09:42 4. A Greater Fire 09:53 5. Last Future 07:08

MISTER LIES & DIFFERENT SLEEP facebook.com Mister Lies is the project of Nick Zanca. His debut LP will be coming out this Fall under Lefse Records. That's still awhile, so in the meantime, he's offering a collaborative release with fellow Chicago producer Different Sleep called Mass EP. It was free for a limited time, but now it's $1. He'll be appearing in Los Angeles at Space 15 Twenty on June 2nd.

REJECT facebook.com With such a common word as Reject, I honestly could not find him on google. That's underground. So, Boston's Reject is back with his new song, "Go To Sleep", featuring Slaine (of La Coka Nostra) and New Jersey's MaddMaxxx on vocals.

INSPIRED & THE SLEEP inspiredandthesleep.com This is a lo-fi band from San Diego, California. They recently released their third single "Take Pills (Instructed Bliss)" for free with the help of a net label Hanging Hills. You can hear the song at soundcloud:

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Emily wrote: Thursday, 24 May 2012 at 11:06 AM

Vu, you forgot the most important band: stoner metal band Sleep, who saw a deluxe reissue of their albums Jerusalem and Dopesmoker!

SLEEP on tour:

5/24/2012 Stylus – Leeds, United Kingdom w/ A Storm of Light
5/25/2012 ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror – London, United Kingdom w/ Slayer, Melvins
5/26/2012 Villette, Sonique – Paris, France
5/27/2012 Trix – Antwerp, Belgium w/ A Storm of Light
5/28/2012 Feierwerk – Munich, Germany w/ A Storm of Light
5/31/2012 ATP Primavera Sound Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain w/ Wolves In The Throne Room

Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps

Caroline Smith: Calliope Tour Dates 09/20/11 Hi-Dive - Denver, CO ^ 09/22/11 Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO 09/23/11 The Space for Ames - Ames, IA 09/24/11 The Mill - Iowa City, IA 09/25/11 Replay Lounge - Lawrence, KA 09/26/11 Soundpony - Tulsa, OK 09/27/11 White Water Tavern - Little Rock, AR 09/28/11 Earth House Collective - Indianapolis, IN 09/29/11 Schuba's - Chicago, IL # 09/30/11 Club Girabaldi - Milwaukee, WI # 10/01/11 The Terrace - Madison, WI # 10/04/11 Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH 10/10/11 The Middle East - Boston, MA 10/11/11 The Rock Shop - Brooklyn, NY 10/12/11 Cake Shop - New York, NY 10/13/11 Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY 10/21/11 AS220 - Providence, RI ^ w/ Ivan & Alyosha # w/ Dead Man WInter Read More Caroline Smith The first time I heard of Caroline Smith was when Brody was raving about her. I think at the time, she didn't really a record or a full band (?), but from the looks of things last night - she seems to be doing quite well so far.

Full Disclosure: I would pay $15 for an album of Caroline Smith singing the alphabet song repeatedly for 40 minutes. Fortunately for those who don’t quite share my fanaticism, today’s release of Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps’ second album “Little Wind” offers a vastly more appealing product.

Funded in part by fan donations, over $7,000 was raised last spring to help promote and distribute the album, Little Wind departs slightly from 2008’s superb “Backyard Tent Set” – which was much more deeply rooted in a timeless (never anachronistic) folk – and ventures into the surrounding musical neighborhood. Piano? Check. Banjo? Check. Glockenspiel? Check. Ambient electric guitar? Wait - what? It quickly becomes apparent that the band has taken one step further from the victrola and nearer the iPod. One thing that hasn’t changed; Smith’s incredible voice. Breathy, soothing and sultry, she dances a vocal juxtaposition that is simultaneously exciting and calming. “Seductive lullaby” is a term that often comes to mind; even as the band is instrumentally rocking out, Smith’s voice keeps the mind firmly anchored in an innocent dreamland. Can you be anchored in Dreamland? Never mind. I say you can.

Drummer Arlen Peiffer (also of Minnesota indie flagship Cloud Cult), bassist Jesse Schuster and guitarist Colin Hacklander (recently replaced in the band by Dave Earl) are afforded the opportunity to flex their muscles creativity in an album that shows not just variety, but more maturity than the previous offering. Their turn toward a more traditional modern rock sound suits them, and the album doesn’t need a single track to carry the others. There’s no First-Song Hangover or Mid-Album Slump. It’s very decently balanced, from the surprising distorted vocals (so who decided to fuzz THAT voice?) of “Tank Top” to the charming girl-and-guitar (and glockenspiel) finale “Birch Trees & Broken Barns”, it’s a consistently great listen from front to back. I’ve always been a sucker for songs that start out slow and steadily build into a climactic crescendo; the a capella start of “Eagle’s Nest,” the lullaby-bell beginning of “Scholarships,” and the almost bluesy twang open of the lounge singer “Denim Boy,” each build to such an unexpected energy that I suspect more than a few casual fans on their upcoming tour, expecting acoustic guitar and tambourine, will be caught unexpectedly with ringing ears in want of earplugs. A somewhat more mid-level pace is on display in “Calliope,” which marries a space-echo-guitar-laid-over acoustic opening which gives way to a jungle drum chorus in a microcosm of the evolution the album displays. It lyrically shows growth as well, departing from Backyard Tent Set’s songs about relationships and focusing more on family imagery – frequently evoking the mother-child link – notably “Hannah,” written about Smith’s younger sister, an irresistibly adorable track brilliantly featuring Dark Dark Dark’s Nona Marie Invie on piano and vocals.

Following an unforgettable album release show in Minneapolis Friday, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps have launched a fairly extensive US tour. Don’t fear the space echo. Embrace the glockenspiel. And if anyone can convince Caroline to call me and sing the ABC’s on my voicemail, I’d be in your debt.

Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps at First Avenue, Minneapolis (09/16/11)

andrew () ♥ thegoodnightsleeps.com ♥ myspace.com/carolinesmithmusic

Ice Palace at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (4/23/09)

Ice Palace - Thoughts/Facts Ice Palace Tour Dates 05/04/09 Rapid City, SD -  Dahl Arts Center 05/05/09 Bozeman, MT - Filling Station 05/06/09 Missoula, MT - Other Side 05/08/09 Seattle, WA - Neumos # 05/09/09 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Ballrm # 05/10/09 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballrm # 05/12/09 SF, CA -  Independent # 05/16/09 Tucson, AZ - Plush # 05/17/09 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room # 05/19/09 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre # 05/20/09 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room # w/ Cloud Cult, Say Hi Read More Caroline Smith http://weheartmus... Brody and Dolly talks about the music that they are loving lately. This includes Caroline Smith a... Cloud Cult http://weheartmus... Minneapolis experimental rockers Cloud Cult are primarily the creation of singer/songwriter ... Dark Dark Dark http://weheartmus... Just in time for Halloween comes Dark Dark Dark, the band so gloomy they named it thrice. Largely...

Ice Palace just held their CD-release party (Wonder Subtly Crushing Us, released on Earthology Records) last night at the lovely Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Helping them celebrate are three local bands: Dark Dark Dark, To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie, and Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps.

Judging from last night's audiences, there was a huge influx of alt-country/americana folky crowd of young people. I am told that this kind of music is massive, especially in the mid-west. It's only too bad that, in my opinion, Ice Palace is more guitar indie rock, and To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie is far too experimental and tribal - which had their own sort of audiences. Still, it all balanced out, I suppose.

Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps Setlist ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (04/2/09)

Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps (official/myspace): The first time I heard of Caroline Smith was when Brody was raving about her. I think at the time, she didn't really a record or a full band (?), but from the looks of things last night - she seems to be doing quite well so far.

I think the highlight for me was the one acoustic-only song (her upright bassist and percussions took a break), I think on the setlist it's listed as "Gracie", the song after "Clench My Teeth".

To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie (official/myspace): I thought this was the most interesting of all the bands. I think if they had opened up for the Japanese noise band, The Boredoms, they would've fitted right in. Unfortunately the midwestern folky audience didn't know what to do with Bourgeoisie.

The singer looks half-asian or something, she's a small thing. I thought she was exclusively the singer, but she did play a little keyboard and also guitar at some point. The best songs on their setlist was when they had live drumming, but the highlight for me was when the violinist joined them on stage for the third song.

Dark Dark Dark Setlist ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (04/2/09) Ice Palace Setlist ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (04/2/09)

Dark Dark Dark (official/myspace): Their name is a bit of a misnomer, they don't seem very dark to me (in fact, Bourgeoisie is a darker band). If their name sounds familiar, that's because we've previously mentioned them a few times, check out Andrew's review.

I was actually kind of excited to see them, their set consists of mostly accordion songs (which sort of made many of their songs to sound Frenchy or even carnival-y). I asked singer Nona about their EP, Love You, Bye, because I wanted to pick it up (since I already had their LP), but she said it was out of print (edit: see tweet below.)

Ice Palace (official/myspace): Clearly, having been touring the country with Cloud Cult have been good to Ice Palace. They were very confident on stage, and everyone had an especially good time rocking out. I will tell you what though: for their first two songs ("Outside The Gates" and "Phonebook Pillow"), they had three guitars, one bass, and drums. Yes, lots of loud clashing layers of guitars, particularly on "Phonebook Pillow".

My favorite songs from the set was the trumpet songs ("Devils Tower", "Thoughts/Facts"). For their finale, they had, I think the drummer from The Good Night Sleeps' Arlen Peiffer joining them on stage to do tambourine.

Please note: This was really last minute, so I didn't have time to prep for a camera. Also, everyone had about a 30-minute set, with the exception of Ice Palace, for obvious reasons. Plus, all the bands had setlists, except for Bourgeoisie - who apparently are rebels... :)

 04/24/2009 11:27:06 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥podcast.weheartmusic.com♥news.weheartmusic.com

tominhaler @weheartmusic thanks for reviewing the DDD show! we have a few copies of "Love You, Bye" on vinyl at http://www.sad-music.net!
Friday, April 24, 2009 6:24:57 PM from TwitterFox

W♥M023: Worst Case Ontario and iPods

Worst Case Ontario - You're Glib   Sheri Miller - The Blade   Five A.M-Just Say Anything   Gershon Veroba - Bamarom   The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop   Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

What can I say? Another great show, and as I promised last week, I will be keeping these brief. If there is one podcast episode you have to listen to: it's this one.

Download this episode (44 min)

As usual, you can subscribe to the show via mypodcast.com

Also, for the first time, I think I've finally got the audio levels down so it's not too destructively noisy. This show is, once again, divided into three parts. Before I get to that, the music I excerpt throughout the show are: Sheri Miller, Worst Case Ontario, Five AM, The Ramones, Gershon Veroba, Bat for Lashes, and Laura Marling.

PART ONE
We talked to Sam from Worst Case Ontario about his band and living in New York and recording. Make sure they get to the top twenty for MTV2 by voting for them on addictedtonoise.com.

PART TWO
Brian and Alex talks about Apple's new line of iPods and iTunes 8 and its "genius" features.

PART THREE
Brody and Dolly talks about the music that they are loving lately. This includes Caroline Smith and Department of Eagles.

PS, please send me any suggestions and tell me what you like (do you want more band interviews? less news?).

UPDATE 9/15/2008:
This came kind of late, but I think I'm supposed to interview this guy, Kordan, when he arrives here tomorrow.� Here is an excerpt of the press release that came out:

Kordan is Arthur Eisele a Global Affairs graduate from Rutgers. After having created drum n' bass music in Puerto Rico where he grew up, he had moved to Jersey City to pursue his education and is now currently residing in today's renaissance city Williamsburg.

(excerpt)

Check out the demo for his upcoming single "Fantasy Nation" (MP3)

Kordan will begin working on his full-length soon after for a release early next year.

Tour dates opening for Cut Copy and The Presets:

September 16 @ Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 17 @ The Metro in Chicago, Illinois
September 19 @ Sound Academy in Toronto, Ontario
September 20 @ Club Soda in Montreal, Quebec
September 21 @ Webster Hall in New York, New York

 

Links: www.weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com podcast.weheartmusic.com