W♥M

Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8

 10/12/2008 09:41:24  ♥ written by vu ()

Bob Dylan - Ain't Talkin' [Alternate Version]

Bob Dylan

Undoubtedly, the most influential folk singer/songwriter is non other than Bob Dylan. And what a great time to be a Dylan fan, he's just released his latest Bootleg series, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006, last Tuesday, and in a few weeks a (fan?) documentary Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years: Busy Being Born Again also comes out.

Where they last left off in the long-running so-called bootleg series, #7, those recording were rare and unreleased tracks from 1961 and 1966 (which included his very first recorded song, "When I Got Troubles"). I'm pleased to see that #8 focuses more on his recent material, from his No Mercy (1989) to Modern Times (2006). It's compelling because it would seem that only his last three releases (Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times) seems to be in the public's eye because they charted in the top 10 on the US charts.

Anyway, although there's no credit(s) on whoever compiled these tracks, it's evident to me that Larry "Ratso" Sloman must've had a hand in suggestions: not only did he write the introduction in the 60-page booklet, but he also painstakingly wrote notes for each of the 27 songs. I'm glad that Columbia Records is letting this massive fan put together the series, because only Dylan's hardcore fans/completist can truly make this worthwhile.

The Sloman essay details about his first GWW (Great White Wonder) bootleg to more recent quotes about his 2006 album, Modern Times. I suggest that anyone picking up this album to read it, as I suspect the majority of fans won't take the time to read the liner notes.

I had to dig out his last album, Modern Times to compare some of the tracks, to see what the differences are: and they are far apart. The alternative version of "Ain't Talkin'" is a little more upbeat, his vocals seems a little faster-paced. The version that did made it on Modern Times has more space in the song. When it comes down to it, both version of the song is amazing, but I felt the Modern Times version ultimately fit the album.

Bob Dylan - Mississippi (Unreleased Time Out Of Mind)

Obviously the blatant example that people will note is the three very different version of "Mississippi". We're given two unreleased version of the song on the Bootleg CDs, but the version that appeared on Tell Tale Signs is nothing like stripped acoustic version #1 or the what sounds like an evening verision #2. What a rare glimpse into Bob Dylan's brilliant mind.

Also, one interesting thing that I've observed is that as Dylan ages, his voice becomes more and more bluesy, so songs like "Marchin' to the City" (unreleased) and "Lonesome Day Blues" (live) sounds even better as he's gotten older!

Columbia Records did the smart thing and released this as a stripped down CD (retails $10), but I would recommend paying an extra $5 to get the 2-disc edition with slipcase and a 60-page booklet... which I think most people are going to get. Super hardcore Dylan fans might want to check out the deluxe version of The Bootleg Series #8, as it comes with a bonus 12-track CD, a slipcase, a hardbound book (150 pages). The price is pretty steep: over $100, you know you're worth it.

Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 is out now and you can find this at any record store. Still not convince? Download a free song from this album through Amazon.com.

Links: bobdylan.com myspace.com/bobdylan 

Cold War Kids and AA Bondy at the Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis 10/10/08

Cold War Kids Set List ♥ Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis (10/10/08)

Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry Cold War Kids 11 Oct 2008 Vic Theatre (SOLD OUT) Chicago 12 Oct 2008 Newport Music Hall (SOLD OUT) Columbus, Ohio 14 Oct 2008 Paradise Rock Club (SOLD OUT) Boston, Massachusetts 15 Oct 2008 Webster Hall (SOLD OUT) New York, New York 16 Oct 2008 Williamsburg Music Hall (SOLD OUT) Brooklyn, New York 17 Oct 2008 Theatre of the Living Arts (SOLD OUT) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 18 Oct 2008 Nightclub 9:30 (SOLD OUT) Washington DC, Washington DC 20 Oct 2008 Cat’s Cradle Carrabo, North Carolina 21 Oct 2008 Mercy Lounge Nashville, Tennessee 23 Oct 2008 Lola’s Ft. Worth, Texas 24 Oct 2008 Emo’s Alt Lounge (SOLD OUT) Austin, Texas 25 Oct 2008 Warehouse Live Houston, Texas 26 Oct 2008 Voodoo Music Experience New Orleans, Louisiana 03 Nov 2008 Irish Centre Burmingham 04 Nov 2008 ABC Glassgow 05 Nov 2008 Academy Dublin 06 Nov 2008 Ritz Manchester 07 Nov 2008 Astoria London 09 Nov 2008 AB Brussels 10 Nov 2008 Paradiso Amsterdam 11 Nov 2008 Mousonturm Frankfurt 12 Nov 2008 Knust Hamburg 13 Nov 2008 Vega Copenhagen 15 Nov 2008 Lido Berlin 16 Nov 2008 Lucerna Music Bar Prague 17 Nov 2008 Vienna Arena Vienna 18 Nov 2008 Atomic Cafe Munich 19 Nov 2008 Abart Zurich 21 Nov 2008 Circolo degli Artisti Rome 22 Nov 2008 Spazio 211 Turin 23 Nov 2008 Rockstore Montpellier 24 Nov 2008 Razzmatazz 2 Barcelona 25 Nov 2008 Moby Dick Madrid 27 Nov 2008 Le Vigean Bordeaux 28 Nov 2008 Le Phare Toulouse 29 Nov 2008 Bataclan Paris

I think Lara and Kate have the right idea when they expressed their hate for the Fine Line Cafe. The way it's set up, it's in a long rectangle with terrible viewing - that is unless you're near the front. There's also overhead giant pipes that makes it hard to see if you're rich enough to afford a table upstairs (I was told it was a minimum of $25 per person per seat if you choose to get a table).

So, this Cold War Kids' show on October 10^th, was sold out. Lots of younger-looking, er, youths, but there is the odd retired guys (!) and the rude professional photographer. Oh, let me also mention that despite having a photo pass, it was ultimately useless as the Fine Line does not offer any sort of safe haven for photographers.

AA Bondy Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis (10/10/08) ♥ photo by vu

A.A. Bondy - American Hearts

I was kind of surprise to see that AA Bondy was the opening act. Clearly his Americana/folksy/rootsy music sounds nothing like CWK's sound of energetic youth indie rock! Still, playing in front of several sold-out shows, might help spread words around - even though the audience wasn't there for him.

It was a bonus for me, as I did review American Hearts last year and seeing the songs played live. Some highlights was when he said he was going to do a whole Christian song right before "Vice Rag" (the opening line was "sweet, sweet cocaine"). The set was pretty low-key until Dylan, I mean Bondy went electric with the last two songs, "Killed Myself When I Was Young" and "American Hearts".

Cold War Kids storm the stage with two piano-driven songs ("Every Valley is Not a Lake" and "We Used to Vacation"), before singer Nathan Willett took center stage. What's kind of interesting to note is that most of their set, they were backlit, which makes for impossible photography without the aid of the flash.

Speaking of flash, during "Robbers", the lights was almost turned off and the smoke machine worked overtime to show off the flashlights they had brought on tour. I'm sure this sounds stupid, but it was pretty cool to witness.

The audience loved all their hits, especially this one, "Hang Me Up to Dry":

Cold War Kids - Hang me Up to Dry

Links: coldwarkids.com myspace.com/coldwarkids myspace.com/aabondy 

 10/11/2008 02:58:30  ♥ written by vu ()

C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz

C Rayz Walz & Kosha Dillz - I Love Jews C Rayz Walz & Kosha Dillz Tour Dates 10/11/08 Kosha Dillz @ Red’s Bar Sioux City, Iowa 10/13/08 Kosha Dillz @ Riot Room Kansas City, Missouri 10/14/08 Kosha Dillz @ Nutty’s North with Murs + Kidz in the Hall Sioux Falls, South Dakota 10/18/08 kosha dillz + flex mathews w/ SLICK RICK @ Ned Divines washington DC, Washington DC 10/19/08 kosha dillz + flex mathews w/ Cunninlynguists @ 13th Floor Herndon, Virginia

Jewish hip-hop? Is that even possible? Of course it is, silly rabbit! I mean, I downloaded an entire album of Croatian hip-hop from eMusic a few months ago...which is proof positive that hip-hop has escaped the ghettos in which it was born and has spread worldwide. Hip-hop's greatest strength is its ability to absorb any and all influences, states of mind, and approaches and still remain true to its roots and heart.

Modular Moods Records is going to drop a serious chunk of hip-hop funk with a distinctly Hebrew flavor in the form of the LP Freestyle Vs. Written by C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz. C-Rayz, one of the original members of the legendary Stronghold, has been a giant in New York City's underground hip-hop scene for years, hosting all manner of shows and events and beatin' down some of the top battle emcees in the world (even freestyle legend Supernatural). Kosha Dillz, on the other hand, is a fresh face on the scene: an upcoming Israeli-American hip-hop artist who has performed live with big-name rap stars like Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 to Grammy Nominee and reggae ninja Matisyahu. So what happens when you put together the freestyle might of C-Rayz Wallz together with the swaggering beats and multilingual vocal styles of Mr. Dillz?

You get an explosion of classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats but extends high above the heads of many so-called contemporary "rap superstars" with lyrics that jump from the socially conscious to the outright hysterical and back again.

The album's beats recall the glory days of hip-hop's youth, mixing heavy, funkalicious beats with powerful samples taken from old soul, blues, jazz, and funk records. Many of the samples on this album sound like they came from blaxploitation movie soundtracks, which gives Freestyle Vs. Written a true urban edge that complements the sharp-witted, and often sharp-tongued, lyrics perfectly. Horns and phased guitars predominate over the rumbling beats, but the emcees' voices and styles are, naturally, foremost on every track. And these guys have got skills, y'all: their rhymes are tight, their deliveries fresh and rhythmic, and their lyrics often profound. The two emcees play off of one another so skillfully it's impossible to determine what rhymes were written ahead of time and what rhymes are freestyle examples of champion extemporization. Produced by 19-year-old prodigy Kentron Da Mastadon, Freestyle Vs. Written is a superb melange of its creators' "Jerusalem Zionist-meets-Black Bronx ghetto aesthetic" which will appeal to all fans of oldskool rap, freestyle, and socially-conscious hip-hop.

One of the most impressive elements of this record is the lack of swearing. Now, I'm not one of those stuffy prudes who frowns on cussin'--but one of the things that has made me dislike so much contemporary hip-hop is the genre's overemphasis of the words "fuck," "motherfucker," and "nigger," mainly because these words provide all-too-easy staples for rhymes and rhythmic filler. True emcees come to battle and/or record with a truckload of vocabulary and wit, not just foul language and lame insults. Both C-Rayz Wallz and Kosha Dillz are literally overflowing with deft rhymes and sharp observations. "Calouses of a Hustler" and "The Foolish Path" are aimed at uplifting their listeners and educating them, and C-rayz's flow on these tracks is very similar to that of Atmosphere's Slug. Tracks like the lighthearted "I Love Jews" (built around a sample of the Del-Phonics "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Ariel Sharon" (which rides atop a rolling beat and jangly banjo) clearly display Kosha Dillz Jewish background in his rhymes as he mixes English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.

In short, Freestyle Vs. Written is a solid mixture of oldskool flavor and modern hip-hop styles that will have your head bobbin' as it has your mind thinkin'. This is hip-hop that aims for the brain as well as the booty and demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that even in a music world dominated by such untalented babblers like Souljah Boy and Nelly, real hip-hop is still being produced, and it's coming at you from every corner and every culture of the Earth.

The album is available for digital download, with the CD version coming on October 14th.

C-RAYZ WALZ & KO$HA DILLZ - "OUTRO" (Freestyle vs Written) !

Update 10/11/08 from Vu:
Modular Moods Records wanted to us know about their Remix Contest. All info and sound files are at freestylevswritten.com/remix.  They have also expressed that they'd like you to see their ridiculous music video for "Sof".

Links: crayzwalz.com koshadillzmusic.com myspace.com/crayzwalz myspace.com/koshadillz4life

 10/10/2008 19:49:42  ♥ written by derek ( / www.pegritz.com)

We Hype Music!

We Hype Music

HEY! I just found out that the Hype Machine is finally indexing us! I'm really excited about this! Please consider marking ♥ on HypeM♥ or deliciousmarking us. You can also create your own hypem widget which I've employed over at Cover Lover.

Kerry Politzer - Always

Also, last night, I conducted an interview with Kerry Politzer (W♥M). It was totally unexpected and spontaneous. It was like You're here, I'm awake, let's do it!!!, and so it was done. Lots of fun, and you can hear a portion of it here (#27). The full show will air October 12^th. Now that's how things are done!

She's playing a few upcoming dates:

14 Oct 2008 19:00	SESAC Writers On The Storm at Rockwood	NY, New York
18 Nov 2008 20:30	Girls Rock The Night at Caffe Vivaldi	New York, New York

As you know we get a ton of music submissions (which is both a blessing and a curse), and although I hold actual physical CDs more important than demos or MP3s, in this post I am taking care of some digital submissions. Below are some notes I've put together for these MP3s - most are in the form of one or two songs. I think the most important thing they want to get across is that we mention their new tour dates, etc.

So apologies in advance if I don't go into a lot of details about their biography or music. Just think, this is only four of hundreds of digital submissions.

Also, I know my statement regarding not accepting MP3s is discouraging. If that didn't frighten you off, please consider submitting us some of your music. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?

Oh, and please stop sending me tea. I am not a tea drinker.

Look Mexico - You're Not Afraid of The Dark Are Look Mexico LOOK MEXICO lookmexico.net ♥ myspace.com/lookmexico This Florida band seems really impressive, at least according to their latest press release. Their music, from the first two passes through their four-track EP, Gasp Asp, sounds very much like all-american alternative rock. You know, the kind of thing you'll find at the Warp Tour (but not as aggressive). They are about to finish the rest of their tour, ending on Halloween, which actually looks really fun: 10/16 Auburndale, FL @ Bloodhound Bash 10/17 Ashville, NC @ The New French Bar w/The Dark Romantics 10/18 Charlotte, NC @ Lunchbox Records w/The Dark Romantics 10/26 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Jewish Mother 10/28 Columbia, SC @ The New Brookland Tavern 10/29 Nashville, TN @ Springwater w/Winter Sounds 10/31 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 7

Hushpuppies - Lost Organ Hushpuppies HUSHPUPPIES hushpuppies.com ♥ myspace.com/hushpuppies They have one of those love/hate/adorable/detestible name don't they? Because they are French and because they are signed to one of my favorite record label, Minty Fresh, I'm mentioning them here. So what makes this rock band so compelling? Maybe it's because they're about to blow up when they appear on the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour (Oct 28th), alongside other well-established acts such as Modest Mouse and REM. It's all planned accordingly when their album, Silence Is Golden will hit the States on November 4th. More information on news.w♥m

The Pale Corners - Steve Buscemi The Pale Corners THE PALE CORNERS myspace.com/thepalecorners Two things going for this band: (1) they are from Sweden, and (2) their song is call "Steve Buscemi". Mr Pink, himself. I hate to judge the band on one song, but that's all they sent me, and it's what you would expect: Swedish Indiepop, or as one girl calls it, "sissy music". If you like Sarah Records, you'll want to check out this band - even though it looks like they only have some demos so far. Their biography (by the way, bands when you send me random MP3s, please include a brief biography) lists that they are a four piece band (Christian Lilja, Henrik Nordström, David Tibblin and Victor Palm) from a variety of different "band constellations". They came together as The Pale Corners through their mutual love of pop music and table tennis. What else, my friend, what else? They are playing a few dates, if you happen to live in the area. 12 Nov 2008 Klubb Kavalkad @ Smålands Nation Lund 15 Nov 2008 Höstgask @ V-Dala Nation Uppsala 26 Nov 2008 Landet Stockholm 09 Dec 2008 Cole’s Corner� @ Pet Sounds Bar Stockholm

Rolo Tomassi - Abraxas Rolo Tomassi ROLO TOMASSI www.myspace.com/rolotomassi ♥ partywounds.blogspot.com Rolo Tomassi are a noisy screamo band from Sheffield and two songs were sent to me via "I Spy" have elements of electronica thrown in and the singer stood out as a woman (usually these screamcore band are men-oriented). They were recently on the cover of Plan B Magazine and it confirms that the girl singer is hot... and probably criminally underage. Their debut album is called Hysterics, it was recently released on September 23rd through Hassle Records. I would imagine their live shows to be intense and insane, so be sure to check them out: 13 Oct 2008 wedgewood rooms, portsmouth w/blood red shoes 15 Oct 2008 cockpit, leeds w/blood red shoes 16 Oct 2008 academy 3, manchester w/blood red shoes 17 Oct 2008 brudenell social club, leeds brainwash festival 18 Oct 2008 cafe drummonds, aberdeen w/blood red shoes 19 Oct 2008 king tuts, glasgow w/blood red shoes 20 Oct 2008 academy 2, newcastle w/blood red shoes 21 Oct 2008 waterfront, norwich w/blood red shoes 22 Oct 2008 the regal, oxford 23 Oct 2008 academy 2, birmingham w/blood red shoes 24 Oct 2008 astoria 2, london w/blood red shoes 07 Nov 2008 the royal, derby refuse revolt clubnight 08 Nov 2008 the engine rooms, brighton w/don caballero 09 Nov 2008 93 feet east, london hokaben festival

Links: weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com

10/09/2008 21:52:58 ♥ written by vu ()

Rachael Yamagata at the Fine Line, 10.2.08

Rachael Yamagata - Duet Rachael Yamagata Tour Dates 10/10/08 Borders Los Angeles, CA 10/28/08 9:30 Club  Washington DC 10/29/08 World Cafe Live  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10/30/08 Bowery Ballroom New York 10/31/08 Paradise Rock Club (Hotel Cafe Tour) Boston, Massachusetts 11/01/08 Music Hall of Williamsburg  Brooklyn, New York 11/03/08 Bogart’s Front Room (Hotel Cafe Tour) Cincinnati, Ohio 11/05/08 Park West Chicago, Illinois 11/06/08 The Varsity Theater (Hotel Cafe Tour) Minneapolis, Minnesota 11/07/08 High Noon Saloon (Hotel Cafe Tour) Madison, Wisconsin 11/08/08 Blueberry Hill (Hotel Cafe Tour) St. Louis, Missouri 11/09/08 Liberty Hall (Hotel Cafe Tour) Lawrence, Kansas 11/11/08 Bluebird (Hotel Cafe Tour) Denver, Colorado 11/12/08 Avalon Theater (Hotel Cafe Tour) Salt Lake City, Utah 11/13/08 Knitting Factory Concert House (Hotel Cafe Tour) Boise, Idaho 11/14/08 Doug Fir Lounge (Hotel Cafe Tour) Portland, Oregon 11/15/08 Chop Suey (Hotel Cafe Tour) Seattle, Washington 11/17/08 Great American Music Hall (Hotel Cafe Tour) San Francisco, California 11/18/08 Henry Fonda Theater (Hotel Cafe Tour) Los Angeles, California Read More Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart - Vox http://weheartmus... Rachael Yamagata - Elephants Today marks the release of Rachael Yamagata's Elephants...Teeth Sink... My two lovely dates and I arrived at the Fine Line on Thursday to an overly crowded room of sweaty and shouty douches.  I have to admit that I wasn’t very interested in being there at all on a weeknight as I am old and crotchety; but I also have to admit that, apart from the guy on crutches who seemed alright, the majority of the people at the show on Thursday seemed to be transplanted from a Taylor Swift appearance at the State Fair.  Needless to say, I started out the evening feeling grouchy and superior, a combination of feelings I don’t often step into.  It might get better though, so keep on keepin’ on. The opening act was a man named John Devine (pronounced “divine”), another little soapbox singer born of the hipster womb that’s located these days in Brooklyn.  Devine sang songs, like many before him, of protest, love, infidelity and cute girls who grow up to be hot.  I liked this guy and his guitar but only for a few minutes.  Eventually the singing/yelling got painful and the self-indulgent banter between himself and the audience made me a little sad.  At one point, after a song attacking the War on Terror, Devine got into a long, awkward conversation with a soldier in the audience.  The rest of us could only hear Devine’s tactful (and a little frightful, honestly) responses.  I was ready to sit down on the ground and drink myself into oblivion.  Okay, so it’s not better yet.  Just wait. We decided to go outside for some fresh air and good conversation in between acts, which turned into cigarettes and talking about periods (sorry about that).  After a bit, some real pretty sounds started to waft out into the frigid night air.  Rachael had finally started.  She began by apologizing in advance for her voice as she had come down with the flu.  And if you’ve heard Rachael sing before, you know that her sultry, raspy voice already sounds a bit sick (in a good way).  The addition of actual illness caused her to sound like Bryan Adams (and I mean that in the nicest way possible; I really do) but she trudged on.    Recently, Vu, the boss man here at W♥M confessed that he totally has the mega-watt hots for Ms. Yamagata and after Thursday night, I get it in a big way.  She’s lovely, lovely, lovely--the kind of performer who oozes sex appeal even while deathly ill.  And she oozes that sex appeal because she is believable, is not the plasticized version of sex we see 99.764% of the time.  Her words are honest; her smiles are honest; those drops of sweat and brow furrows are honest (at least I’m convinced they are).  These songs come from a very real place inside of her and to see that place represented so beautifully is brilliant and rare.  Yamagata gives a voice to emotions that so many of us have felt after love gone sour and the voice she gives them is sensational. (Take a look at Jason’s review here of her most recent album for a little more background.) Cute anecdote: for the encore, it was just Yamagata and her keyboard which turned out to be a little more than her vocal chords could handle as I’m sure they were exhausted and full of mucus.  So, some sweet, fan-girls in the front row belted out the notes she couldn’t hit, proving their teenage devotion.  Rachael seemed genuinely grateful and wheezed out more thanks than necessary, showing off a gorgeous smile and making those girls sing even louder.  (Maybe a bad move brought on by fever.  Just kidding, girls!) So, in the end, Kate the Grinch returned Christmas and joined all the Whos in Whoville as they sang their creepy Whoville song.  That is, until a drunken 40-year-old named Tom whistled so loudly in her ear that it throbbed the rest of the night.  Then she stole Christmas all over again. Rachael Yamagata is currently traveling the U.S., spreading all kinds of sickly germs.  Yum!  See her website for tour dates and learn her songs in case you need to help her.

Links: rachaelyamagata.com myspace.com/rachaelyamagata

 10/08/2008 21:07:12  ♥ written by kate ()

Jared Mees and the Grown Children

Jared Mees And The Grown Children - Bees Jared Mees And The Grown Children Tour Dates 10/09/08 Hogans Pub w/ Finn Riggins Clarkston, Washington 10/10/08 1912 Community Center KRFP BENEFIT w/ Finn Riggins ALL AGES Moscow, Idaho 10/11/08 The Filling Station, Benefit Show w/ Finn Riggins Bozeman, Montana 10/13/08 Castle Greyskull Minneapolis, Minnesota 10/14/08 THE MILL w/ Finn Riggins Iowa City, Iowa 10/15/08 Cal’s Liquors Chicago, Illinois 10/16/08 In Store @ Luna Records Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana 10/16/08 RADIO RADIO w/ America Owns the Moon and Finn Riggins Indianapolis, Indiana 10/17/08 RHINO’S ALL-AGES CLUB w/ Finn Riggins + locals TBA Bloomington, Indiana 10/18/08 Tree’s Farm w/ Finn Riggins Middletown, Ohio 10/20/08 PATS IN THE FLATS w/ Finn Riggins, Trouble Books, See Urchin, Sarah Nowickis Cleveland, Ohio 10/22/08 ONEONTA TEEN CENTER w/ Finn Riggins, Joseph von Stengel Oneonta, New York 10/23/08 ORIGINAL SESSIONS ART HSE @ John Street Bar & Grille - CMJ- w/ Boy Eats Drum Machine New York, New York 10/24/08 THE KNITTING FACTORY PDX/CMJ Block Party! New York City, New York 10/25/08 THE HEXAGON Baltimore, Maryland 10/26/08 SNUG HARBOR Charlotte, North Carolina 10/27/08 PRESERVATION PUB Knoxville, Tennessee 10/28/08 WINDOWS OFF THE CUMBERLAND w/ Screaming Names Nashville, Tennessee 10/29/08 SKINLESS PRODUCTIONS GALLERY w/ Brother Bird And Their Family Kansas City, Missouri 10/30/08 BOX AWESOME w/ Producers of the Word Lincoln, Nebraska 10/31/08 YE OLDE ROUNDHILL MANOR HALLOWEEN BALL Colorado Springs, Colorado 11/01/08 TBA Denver, Colorado 11/03/08 TBA Las Vegas, Nevada 11/04/08 TBA Los Angeles, California 11/05/08 MUDDY WATERS w/ The Mutineers + Lana Rebel Santa Barbara, California 11/06/08 TBA San Francisco, California 11/07/08 Cool as Folk---INSTUDIO at KDVS Davis, California 11/07/08 DELTA OF VENUS w/ Two Sheds + Birds & Batteries + Geographer Davis, California 11/08/08 ALEX’S RESTAURANT Ashland, Oregon 12/06/08 VISUAL ARTS COLLECTIVE Boise, Idaho Discography [2007] If You Wanna Swim With The Sharks [2008] Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money

I haven't been inspired to do vuart in a while, that is until I saw the great cover artwork for Jared Mees and the Grown Children's Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money. The artwork, by Mike Bertino, reminds me of indie comic art, like from Drawn & Quarterly or something. I'm not far off when I went over to his website, mikebertino.com. His art is more colorful than I thought, since most indie comics are printed in black and white.

What I love about all the releases from Tender Loving Empire is that (I think) each item is hand-made with silk screening. So imagine a brown cardstock (I'm 90% sure it's recycled cardboard) with beautiful silk screening in bright colors. What does this mean to you and why should you care? Well I think it keeps costs down, since all of their CDs are listed as only $10 for full lengths. And you know it feels unique and cool.

Having listened to this album, I can tell you that it's an album filled with exactly what their title suggests: caffeine, alcohol, sunshine, and money (I'm surprise 'religion' isn't part of the title). Perfect for these miserable economic times.

Let me explain the religion part, because seems to be a lot of songs mentions religion in one form or another: "The Tallest Building In Hell", "Oh No Oh My God", "Wettin' Down The Dirt", "Sunday Lord" (this sounds like an acoustic rockabilly song), "Secret Track Pt 3", but they're not a Christian band, you know?

There's a lot of lyrics and singing on this album, which I love. I thought "Bees" is a great song to represent them. (I like the 'wow' at the beginning by Megan Spear).

It's mostly acoustic/indie pop music, but another thing that I've noted is that the album features members from Decemberists and Atlas Sound, bringing an interesting mix of violas and occasional accordion.

Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money was released last Tuesday, October 7^th. You can purchase it directly from the silk-screening master at his company, Tender Loving Empire, for a mere $10.

PS, Although Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money only lists 10 songs on the back, there's actually three additional "secret tracks". I'm also trying to embed an 'ecard' in this article, so hopefully that will all work out. It didn't work out, go here instead.

 

Links: myspace.com/jaredmees www.tenderlovingempire.com

 10/08/2008 09:33:06  ♥ written by vu ()

Grails - Doomsdayers Holiday

Reincarnation Blues

Grails

Soup wrote this:

 

Portland's Grails dropped their new album, Doomsdayer's Holiday on Temporary Residence today. They play a sort of heavy classic rock, blues and folk influenced post-rock kind of thing, somehow defying any attempt at categorization or pigeonholing.

 

The title track is probably as straight-up metal as these guys get, with its classic doom metal guitar bringing to mind bands like Black Sabbath and Candlemass without ever ripping off either of them. The second track, “Reincarnation Blues,” is definitely my favorite on here. Starting out simple with bells and a wind instrument (I'm not sure what it is) playing an awesome blues riff. Then the guitars come in and the track turns into an energetic psychedelic blues freakout that winds down into an ambient drone outro with some sampled chanting underneath it. “The Natural Man” is folk music for astronauts. It channels the feel of David Bowie's “Space Oddity” into something else entirely. Something that sounds undeniably classic without being too self-conscious about it. “Immediate Mate” seems to kind of want to hang in the background. Starts out with a quiet blues guitar riff and some keyboards and subtle percussion. It's sort of an ambient jazz thing, and the glitched out electronics and awesome jazz percussion keep it interesting. “Predestination Blues” picks up where “Reincarnation Blues” left off. It's a slower song, drowned in reverb with the same kind of feel. Meditative chanting provides a base from which swirling guitars build up over the last two minutes or so of the track. The next track, “X-Contamination” builds up from a droning keyboard into a swirling mass of samples and loops into an awesome spaced-out blues-rock thing, which is gone almost as soon as it began, degenerating back into the primordial soup it came from. The last track, “Acid Rain,” starts with a lazy, stoned Dark Side of the Moon style guitar thing with some electronics building up under it until they eventually overtake it in a sort of staticky climax that, much like the radio fading out, quickly fades out and disappears. There are some vocals here. Very subtle, buried under the guitars and bass and drums. Eventually, this fades out to make way for a warm, reverb drenched guitar meditation.

 

These guys are playing a show on October 12^th with Sunn o))) in Portland. After that, they're going on a short east coast tour with the Silver Apples (who I am frankly surprised are still around, but it's an appropriate fit, I think)! As always, more information can be found at the band's official website.

 

Oct 12 2008 8:00P Berbati’s Pan, w/Sunn0)) Portland, Oregon

Nov 11 2008 8:00P Empty Bottle Chicago, Illinois

Nov 12 2008 8:00P Skull Alley Louisville, Kentucky

Nov 13 2008 8:00P Hi Tone, with Silver Apples Memphis, Tennessee

Nov 14 2008 9:00P Caledonia, with Silver Apples Athens, Georgia

Nov 15 2008 8:00P Drunken Unicorn, with Silver Apples Altanta, Georgia

Nov 16 2008 8:00P Emerald Lounge, with Silver Apples Asheville, North Carolina

Nov 18 2008 8:00P Local 506, with Silver Apples Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Nov 19 2008 8:00P Ottobar, with Silver Apples Baltimore, Maryland

Nov 20 2008 8:00P Bard College Poughkeepsie, New York

Nov 21 2008 8:00P Union Pool Brooklyn, New York

Nov 22 2008 9:00P Knitting Factory Manhattan, New York

Juana Molina

Juana Molina - El Vestido Juana Molina Tour Dates 7-Oct UK Brighton / Komeda 8-Oct UK Manchester / Rubys Lounge 9-Oct IE Dublin / Crawdaddy 10-Oct IE Galway / Stress!! @ Club De Burgos 11-Oct IE Cork / Cyprus Avenue 14-Oct BE Leuven / Stuk 15-Oct BE Antwerpen / Arenbergschouwburg 16-Oct CH Fribourg / Bobine @ Fri-Son 17-Oct CH Winterthur / Kraftfeld 18-Oct IT Modena / Aquaragia 20-Oct AT Vienna / B72 22-Oct CZ Prag / Lucerna Music Bar 23-Oct DE Berlin / Centre Francais 24-Oct DE Hamburg / Prinzenbar 25-Oct NL Amsterdam / Paradiso 27-Oct FR Paris / Fleche díor 28-Oct SP Barcelona / Sidecar 29-Oct SP Madrid / Moby Dick 21-Nov La Trastienda Montevideo 27-Nov Billboard Live Tokyo 28-Nov Billboard Live Tokyo 12-Dec Teatro ND Ateneo Buenos Aires Read More Bjork http://weheartmus... Sure, everyone knows that Björk was previously in The Sugarcubes, but did you know she was previously in many other bands? I will be spotlighting some of her early bands, I won't go into a lot of details, only the more famous ones (since many of her early bands did not have official recordings)....

I started doing some preliminary research on Dub Gabriel's Anarchy & Alchemy but it looks like that album's release date was moved from today to November... which is fine because I have a few releases that I need to write about today instead.

Juana Molina - ¡Que Llueva!

I first came across Juana Molina when I saw her striking cover art to Segundo (2005), which is nothing more than a sea of her long, straight hair with just a glimpse of her beautiful nose and mouth. So, as it turns out, her latest album, Un Dia (A Day), comes out today, and also feature a weird distorted album cover artwork, emphasis on her symmetric face and hair.

The interesting thing that I found out about her, was that her family lived in exile in Paris for six years, before returning back to their home country of Argentina. She's possibly better known for being a comedic actress on the television show Juana y sus Hermanas (Juana and Her Brothers).

Un Dia is entirely in Spanish, much like her previous releases (with the exception of Insensible, which is entirely in French), fans of melodic, folk, and world music will not mind this. Although, I will have to admit, it makes it hard for me to write about her music since I don't understand the lyrics.

My best description of her music is that it is sometime ambient music (but done with acoustic guitars) and some of the lyrics are there to just sound good... Maybe I'm oversimplifying it, but it is the impression I got the first time I listened to it.

There are enough odd percussion, traditional instruments, and sweet harmonic vocals on this album that reminds me of later, more experimental Bjork.

My favorite song on this album is "El Vestido" (The Dress), followed by "Quién?" (Who?), followed by "Un Dia". I think "El Vestido" stood out because of the strange electronic ambient and acoustic rhythm.

If you like what you heard and want to check out more, she is offering the title song at juanamolina.com/tourdownload. The album is currently for sale at her record label, Domino Records, as well as online stores. Juana Molina is currently in the middle of touring through Europe and eventually landing over in Japan.

Links: www.juanamolina.com myspace.com/juanamolina

Candy wrote: Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 8:44 AM

[this is good] eso digo yo, a ver si llueve! ; ) good track / good singer (that I say, to see if it rains! ;))

jaklumen wrote: Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 1:51 AM

[this is good] Her vocals are very breathy, which makes it very difficult for me to understand her at all; otherwise, I would try to attempt some translation. Then again, I still have a lot of difficulty with sung Spanish (not to mention if it's not a regional accent I'm comfortable with).

However, the 'Net is a beautiful thing: ¡Qué llueva! (¡Que llueva, que llueva, la vieja está en la cueva, los pajaritos cantan la vieja se levanta! - Cancion infantil popular) El tiempo está mal Llueve sin parar Hay que ir a comprar leche agua y pan La vieja está en cama Hace frío y La vieja está ahí Siempre calentita en su cama blanda No se levanta Pero, Hay que salir Tiene que ir Y oye que los pajaritos cantan La vieja se levanta Llega la familia Muy pedigüena No se da cuenta De que la vieja se está muriendo -¿Dónde está el café?- -¡Quiero más paté!- -Eso no está bien, ¡Se quemó el pastel! ¡No servís para nada!- Y el ángel viene a buscar a la vieja de la cueva Y oye que los pajaritos cantan, la vieja se levanta.

Translation (mine): Oh how it's raining! (Oh how it's raining, how it's raining, the old woman is in her cave, the birds are singing that she's waking up-- popular lullaby) [English equivalent: Think of the sing-song chant "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed, and bumped his head, and couldn't get up in the morning."] The weather is bad It's raining and not stopping I need to go buy some milk and bread The old woman is in bed. It's cold and the old woman is here It's always warm in her (cozy?) bed She's not getting up But I have to leave I have to go out And listen! the birds are singing The old woman is getting up The well-bred family is coming They don't realize That the old woman is dying Where is the coffee? I want more pate! That's not good The pastry is burnt It won't do at all. And the angel comes and looks for the old woman of the cave and listen! how the birds are singing that the old woman has gotten up.

Many apologies if my translation is poor.

 10/07/2008 09:26:56  ♥ written by vu ()

Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart

Rachael Yamagata - Elephants

Today marks the release of Rachael Yamagata's Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, the follow-up to her full-length debut, Happenstance. It was originally slated for a summer 2007 release, but due to changes at her original label, RCA, and switching managers, it was inevitably delayed. It is available now on Warner Bros. Records from various digital and retail stores.

The theme of Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart seems to be heartbreak and trying to overcome it.  The album is split into two parts; the songs on Elephants are darker and more intimate while the tracks on Teeth Sinking Into Heart are grittier and more cynical.

 

Rachael Yamagata - Duet

Rachael Yamagata

The title track for Elephants ends with a gripping line that sets up the theme of the album; "So for those of you falling in love, keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right. Throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night." The song was written while running down a mountain in Woodstock without a pen or paper; she kept repeating the lyrics so she wouldn't forget them. "Sunday Afternoon" is a beautifully orchestrated nine-minute piece about making a difficult decision and accepting that both people involved had a part in the collapse of the relationship; but not to dwell on it forever. It's followed by a sorrowful sounding "Elephants Instrumental" and "Duet", a stripped-down acoustic tune featuring singer-songwriter Ray Lamontagne about two people thinking of each other at the same time but are unfortunately in different places. She felt she was over the relationship, but her emotions got the best of her. On "Over and Over", she confesses, "I really thought I was okay. I really thought I was just fine, but when I woke this time, there was nothing to take me back to sleep, to take you off my mind".

 

Rachael Yamagata - Sidedish Friend

Whereas Elephants was more intimate, Teeth Sinking Into Heart seems to be her cynical side. "Sidedish Friend" opens this part of the album with the lyrics "I don't want you hanging out with me, but I want you when I call. We can stay together separately and we won't be lonely at at all" and "I don't want to get too close to you and I don't want you too close to me". It's about being someone's part-time lover. In "Faster", she sings, "You're like an old tattoo and I know you'll fade in time ... I'm not the one for you, there's just one thing left to do. Why don't you let me be." With this part of the album, she's clearly ready to move on.

From October 9 through November 18, Yamagata will be on tour for The Hotel Café Tour 2008. Joining her will be some amazing up-and-coming female singer-songwriters, some of which have been featured on W♥M: Ingrid Michaelson, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Kate Havnevik, Thao Nguyen, Brooke Fraser, Samantha Crain, Alice Russell, Jaymay, Erin McCarley, Katie Herzig, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lenka, Emily Wells, Anya Marina, Holly Conlan, and Catherine Feeny.

Links: Official Website | MySpace | Youtube | The Hotel Cafe Tour

Posted by Jason

Team Genius – Team Genius

Team Genius - Take Me Home Team Genius Tour Dates 10/11/08 Public Assembly , NY 10/21/08 OS Art House (CMJ) NY, NY 10/23/08 Knitting Factory - (CMJ) NY 10/24/08 CMJ Showcase - The Charleston Williamsburg 11/05/08 Glasslands Brooklyn, NY 11/13/08 Monkeytown. Boosh! Brooklyn, NY Team Genius Unite! Read More Team Genius http://weheartmus... The fellas (and ladies. Sorry ladies) in Team Genius sound like giant dorks. Their loose-cannon...

Team Genius still sound like big fat dorks (minus the ‘fat.’  They are probably very svelte).  Only now they sound like grown-up dorks, with fancypants studio polish and cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape album artwork.  Where the Hooray EP lacked in vocal brawn, Team G’s self-titled release has plenty of chub in its gut.  It’s possible that Drew Hermiller’s a man now (often puberty is late); it’s also possible that Team Genius is actually a team of geniuses (possible but not probable).  Genius or not, they certainly are—prepare yourself for a music pun—hitting the right notes with the boy-girl harmonies and the toe-tappin’ jangle pop.  Let’s delve further, shall we?

Upon further observation, the cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape is actually a cool thumbprint-made-from-mixtape-tape, which is obviously a reference to season 2, episode 6 of the popular Nickelodeon show “Salute Your Shorts,” when Budnick develops a sad crush on Dina and (presumably) makes her many Slayer mixtapes; unfortunately she is unable to return his love because he has long hair.  Eventually Budnick tries to change himself for Dina, who is a rich bitch and incapable of feelings; the pinnacle of this transformation is his decision to cut his hair.  I think Team Genius is at a similar crossroad as Budnick, trying to find that balance between silly and serious, spontaneity and control, fun and work, long hair and Super Cuts crew cuts.  The fellas (and ladies) may have one foot in the sticky mess of youth, but it’s clear that they’re making a genuine effort to explore broader avenues beyond the nerd-core limits.

 

04 I'm Just An Idiot

“Take Me Home” is absolutely tits:  snappy electro-funk-meets-downtown dance dive, as realized by a hip suburban jazz choir.  Interestingly, the song is not about gettin’ bizay in da club and going home with lots of shorties; the lyrics, in fact, are “reflective” and serious (but still fun).  Although they maintain some of the low-tech unfussiness that made Hooray enjoyable, the Team’s lyrical psyche has definitely evolved (“Let’s All Sleep Together” and “I’m Just an Idiot” have been replaced with “The Wise Ones All Give Up” and “Meanderings and Musings”).  Even “Sing Song,” a cheeky little ditty-bop about singing and being loud but not sorry sounds better post-studio magic (and this was one of the standout tracks of Hooray).

Team Genius is still a Brooklyn band (but not the sucky one).  They buy things at stores (just like us!), have Myspace pages (just like us!), and play live shows (not like us).  They’re debut full-length album will be available tomorrow (Oct. 7).  You can get it somewhere (the ‘where’ is TBD; check their website for more info).

Links: teamgeniusmusic.com myspace.com/teamgeniusmusic