W♥M (Archive)

Playground Weekender Review

W♥M067 [download (53 min, 48 mb)]

Sunburns all round, in a curious pattern on both my arms. Anyway, Playground Weekender, the 4-day music festival has now been and gone. Friday afternoon happened to see Sally, Maureen and Steve pile into Steve’s quite swish mini and zip through the bush up to the ever lovely Wisemans Ferry. A perfect afternoon for a boat ride a short way up the Hawkesbury for Sally to show her true engineering skills in the “putting up a tent” arena; Team weheartmusic had arrived.

Bands? You want to hear about bands?

 

 

The Cribs - Men's Needs

The Cribs; a young group of English lads, loud and dirty guitar-based indie at it’s finest. And then we have Johnny Marr of The Smiths fame; the latest addition to The Cribs, less bursting with energy, but to tell you the truth, he was the biggest drawcard for me and possibly quite a few others.

Ok Go: OK NO!

Now I have never been a huge fan of OK Go, but I thought I’d give them a go, with the secret hope that they’d get some treadmills out for my viewing pleasure. Treadmills? No. But bell ringing and fluffy incandescent guitars… almost as good.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre we nearly at the top of my list of bands for the weekend and quite a fitting choice to end the Friday evening line-up. Not too raucous for those of us who were looking forward to a nice nap (*ahem*), but by no means boring. Psychedelic-shoe gaze rock, with tambourine included. Sure many of their songs sounded quite alike to me, but the upside is that even though they sounded quite similar, they were all equally as good. The set even saw a guest appearance from Aimee Nash from The Black Ryder.

The highlight of the Saturday (don’t laugh) had to be Manchoir. Imagine eight men, donned in blue wife-beater singlets singing acapella. I Touch Myself, Dead Or Alive and the Home and Away Theme song, to name just a few, were accompanied by some delightful hand actions and embellished with the odd swear-word. Special mention must also be made to the sound and lighting team who managed to get a bit of a backdrop going using MS Paint (the computer drawing program of the true artiste)…. Oh, I suppose you just had to be there.

As the afternoon progressed into the night and the $8 beverages began flowing the main stage began to attract more and more people. It also may have had something to do with the extreme heat of the sun and the size of the shadow cast by the stage. The Black Ryder, not the most fitting soundtrack to a stinking hot summer day, were amazing. Psychedelic-esque and melancholy; brilliant.

Legoman: Has trouble walking up hills

Next I ventured into the crowd to inspect some of the costumed individuals that were wandering around on what happened to be “fancy dress Saturday”. I must say there were far too many Indians roaming around, not sure what the go was with that. However, there were quite a few notably excellent costumes. My personal favourite was the guy (I think it was a guy) dressed up as Gumby. The carpenter who fashioned a life-size Lego man costume from wood was probably more crazy than not. Particularly when it came to navigating hills, but A+ for effort…. and a special mention goes out to the highly intoxicated boy in the Superman suit designed for 8 year olds (made me laugh anyway).

 

Bjorn Again: 70s calling

The bands of the evening that we managed to see were both very entertaining indeed. Namely Bjorn Again and Polyphonic Spree. As you may have guessed Bjorn Again happen to be and Abba tribute band. But wow, they really quite close to the real deal (or so I’d assume), even down to the fake Swedish accents. I can only describe them as “fun”. For Abba fans it would have possibly been some kind of moving experience, but for those not such large fans of Abba it would have at least been mildly amusing.

The Polyphonic Spree were as epic as expected. With the cast of thousands they were highly entertaining. It’s always brilliant to see such a large group of people coming together and performing so tightly. All dressed in white; mesmerising dance moves (especially to those of us who had been sipping beverages in the sun all day). And all those uplifting songs…. Nice.

Wacko Jacko

Shamefully (I blame the rest of my festival posse) we skipped out early on Sunday and sadly missed some of the acts I was more looking forward to catching. That is, British Sea Power, Bluejuice and Orbital. But the word on the street is that it was indeed I that was the fool with regards to leaving early, missing these bands who turned out to be amazing.

Anyway, thanks to Tom and Felicity for helping us to attend such a great event. And special thanks to the rest of team weheartmusic (Maureen and Steve) and to young Chris Thodey (competition winner) who supplied us with a few happy snaps. ____
Download this episode at archive.org. If you want an automatic feed to our podcast, headover to mypodcast and click on the itunes logo (or add manually with the rss).

�02/28/2010 20:38:34�♥ sally (/schnitzelsafari.blogspot.com) ♥ playgroundweekender.com.au�

W♥M066: Girls! Girls! Girls! Girls!

W♥M066 [download (33 min, 12 mb)]

Sally & I finishing part one of her report from Playground Weekender Festival, and as I'm post-editing it, there are some stuff I was throwing out.

Instead, I thought I'd put together this quick Girlpop show since I will be gone most of the day today (Saturday) and probably won't have time to put into writing another review. Don't worry, I have about 100 albums I have to listen to. Sometime it feels like homework, but once in a while, you'll get an album that is simply a joy to listen to. I'm talking about Miss Li (short for Miss Linda), from Sweden.

She'll be appearing in the US for a brief three dates:

Sat-March 20 Austin, TX The Driskill Hotel , 8pm
Tue-March 23 New York, NY Mercury Lounge, 7pm
Wed-March 24 New York, NY Joe's Pub, 7pm

I got the information from one of my favorite label, Minty Fresh Records, but it doesn't look like you can purchase her music through them. Instead, you can head over to National Records and there'll be information on how you can purchase her latest album, Dancing the Whole Way Home. Highly recommended.

Other girl acts, I've been listening to on-off are pictured below:

The Gentle Waves - Sister Woman The Gentle Waves	Strawberry Fair - I Can't Do Anything Strawberry Fair	Baccara - Yes Sir I Can Boogie Baccara	Music Go Music - Light Of Love Music Go Music
Chairlift - Bruises Chairlift	Stereo Total - Tas de Tôle Stereo Total	The Battle of Land and Sea - Harden My Heart Battle of Land & Sea	Telepathique - I'm Not The Man You Think I Am Telepathique

____
Download this episode at archive.org. If you want an automatic feed to our podcast, headover to mypodcast and click on the itunes logo (or add manually with the rss).

�02/27/2010 15:01:50�♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com�

Evan Dando & The Candles @ 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN 2.20.10

The Lemonheads - Luka The Lemonheads Tour Dates 02/27/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café 02/28/10 San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord 03/02/10 Portland OR @ Doug Fir Lounge 03/03/10 Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Evan Dando Solo Discography [2001] Live at the Brattle Theatre [2003] Baby I'm Bored Read More Evan Dando http://weheartmus... Fans of 90s alternative/modern rock music will know Evan Dando's name for being the frontsman for...

Have you ever had an experience that made you think “Wow, it’s like traveling back in time to the year 1992…” and then, later, “…had I been cool in ’92.”  For those of you that were actually cool in the 90s (smoking the drugs, wearing the flannel, espousing the ennui), Saturday’s show at the 400 Bar had no shortage of hazy points of reference. 

The slack fest began with The Candles, a follicly gifted four piece from New York, fronted by Josh Lattanzi (Albert Hammond, Jr., Ben Kweller).  Lattanzi and his posse of ill-groomed gents rocked the stage in a mild frenzy, sometimes channeling the burnt out dejection of Generation X and sometimes appearing happy.  The Candles cite James Taylor and The Strokes as influences, but a better comparison may be Cameron Crowe and his deft hand at creating sentimentality for the masses.  Where “Almost Famous” made sense of the 70s without isolating younger audiences the Candles tackle the mellow, nearly-bored façade of mid-90s “alt rock” without seeming bored.  As the set progressed, so did one distinct divergence from their moody predecessors:  these men are conscientious musicians.  No bratty impulses or need for speed; in fact, it’s obvious the band is interested in nurturing creativity (hooks, harmonies, kicky little twangs) over deadbeat showmanship.  “Here or Gone” sounds a bit like a Freedy Johnston b-side for the open road, albeit prettier, cleaner, catchier.  Just as Kate Hudson’s version of a “band-aid” was prettier and cleaner (and a better catch) than the originals, the Candles give us nostalgia, repackaged.

 

My Drug Buddy- Evan Dando 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN 2-20-10 (video by Mark Scherer)

Conversely, watching Evan Dando perform in 2010 hardly differed from watching him with the Lemonheads in 1992*.  I came to this conclusion when I literally felt bummed out.  Few things prompt soul pain like a forty-two-year-old “slacker sex kitten” whose unassuming stage presence suggests a lifetime of discomfort**.  Dando arrived late to the venue, cruised through his set on autopilot, barely spoke a coherent word to his fans, and exited amidst a POOF of rose-colored fog.  Yet, for all his quirks and tics, the sex kitten’s signature baritone was in steady form, perhaps due to the stripped down nature of the show.  Armed only with guitar and a visual backdrop of road footage, Dando strummed along dutifully; there were not hits or misses, only reality.  Of course, the evening wasn’t a total downer; the crowd, though sparse, accepted their idol’s bizarre mannerisms.  To wit, instances when Dando got a hearty cheer:  removed his hat, played “My Drug Buddy,” played anything from the Lemonheads archive, requested a shot of tequila, mentioned getting stoned, including when he sang “I don’t wanna not get stoned.” 

After being accosted by a group of die-hard Lemonheads fans (“What’s your favorite Lemonheads album?  Do you even know who the Lemonheads are?”), I reflected on the evening.  Behind me, Dando struggled with the contents of his backpack, and I had a thought:  if life imitates art imitates life, is Evan Dando simply being or is he being “Evan Dando?”  With no answers in sight and a stomach full of post-adolescent angst, I exited amidst my own poof of rose-colored fog, imagining that somewhere in the city a lanky musician was ordering room service and contemplating not not getting stoned.***

The Candles are currently on tour, supporting Evan Dando.  For a complete list of dates, visit their Website or Myspace.  “Here or Gone” is available for download on iTunes; the full-length album will be released April 13.  You can find Dando prowling the Interwebs HERE and HERE and HERE.  His latest album, Varshons (2009), can be purchased via website.

*I never saw the Lemonheads in the 90s but I once spent an afternoon watching “Reality Bites,” “Singles” and “Empire Records.”
**This was accentuated by the comically large winter jacket he wore during the entire show.
***Sorry for the existentialism.

 02/26/2010 21:08:04 ♥ lara (/lara206.vox.com) ♥  evandando.co.uk ♥ thelemonheads.net ♥ myspace.com

Libby Johnson - Perfect View

Libby Johnson - Coming Up for Air Libby Johnson Tour Dates 03/11/10 @The Corner Music  Litchfield, CT 03/30/10 The Living Room NY 06/09/10 Concerts In The Park Narberth, PA 06/26/10 Little Bird House  Providence, RI Discography [Sep 2006] Annabella [Nov 2006] Trust the Man (Soundtrack) [Oct 2009] Perfect View Read More Beth Orton http://weheartmus... I would have to admit, I'm a huge Beth Orton fan. I've written about other musicians that sounds...

Libby Johnson is a singer/songwriter from New York. Her influences ranges from Suzanne Vega to John Coltrane to Fleet Foxes to Helium (which was on my current playlist). I thought the Helium-thing was weird, since I didn't think that many modern artists are influenced by Mary Timony's weird style of indie pop music - that is until I found out that Libby Johnson was one-half of 22 Brides - a band from the same era of Helium. Of course, like many comic book collector*, I came across this band because of the Event Comics... you might remember that series, 22 Brides, the comic that introduced Painkiller Jane?

Libby Johnson on E! Entertainment News

Anyway, Libby continued her music career with her debut album Annabella in 2006. The album must've been quite an influence on director and writer, Bart Freundlich, who used four of Libby's Annabella songs on his soundtrack to Trust the Man movie (a romantic comedy starring David Duchovny, Billy Crudup, Julianne Moore, and Maggie Gyllenhaal). Watching this E! story, Fruendlich explained that he wrote the movie with one singer/songwriter in mind.

Libby Johnson is back with Perfect View, and it's story-telling goodness. Like most folk music, Johnson seems to be telling a story through her songs. From the almost-stalking song of "Perfect View" about her watching and thinking of someone special... to something more dangerous as in "Sister You'll Be Back Again".

My favorite song is "Coming Up for Air", which doesn't really sound that folky. Instead, it's a bit saucy, a bit jazz, and I love the piano and the playful lyrics.

As I previously mentioned, if you like Beth Orton, but minus the 'tronic, you'll enjoy Libby Johnson's Perfect View. You can get the album digitally from iTunes or amazon.

PS, If you were wondering about the other sister from 22 Bride, Carrie Johnson returned to music with Move the Sun in 2008, with all proceeds from "Little Bird" going to Pediatric Cancer Research to honor her daughter.

* I am including this music article on my comic book website, george-perez.com

 02/25/2010 23:13:30 ♥ vu () ♥ libbyjohnsonmusic.com♥ myspace.com/libbyjohnson ♥facebook.com 

Now, Now Every Children/Gold Motel/Total Babe at Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis (02/23/10)

1 comment Now, Now Every Children Tour Dates 04/17/10 First Ave Mainroom - 4th Annual "It Whispers So Listen and Overcome" benefit show Minneapolis, Minnesota

I know I must complain a lot about the weather, but man, it was cold last night. Daytime it was OK, but as soon as the sun went away, it turned into a freezer.

Now, Now Every Children (myspace) was the headliner, and there's really nothing ironic about their name - they are really young. Whoever said they were twenty-three is clearly smoking crack, they seem 18 and under. But that's OK, they seem to handle themselves on stage like pros... and judging from their tour stories, it would seem that they've done a world tour.

Singer Cacie explained why their new keyboard was all the way back near the drums, like either (1) they misplaced the KORG somewhere on tour or (2) the KORG ran away. I didn't get the impression that the Korg was stolen.

Total Babe - Fine Line 2-23-10

Total Babe (myspace) seems like a great band to open up for Now, Now, since they're probably in the same age bracket. They started their setlist with my favorite, "Shape Up", followed by most of their EP. There was a Velvet Underground cover, which I couldn't remember what song it was - it wasn't one of the more memorable VU songs ("I'll Be Your Mirror", "Chelsea Girls", "I'm Waiting for My Man", "There She Goes Again", or "Venus in Furs").

There was a long tune-up, and they ended with a new song, I think I heard "We Were Just Breathing" or something like that.

Gold Motel - Fine Line 2-23-10

Gold Motel (official/myspace) is the latest project from Hush Sound's Greta Salpeter. She seems really confident on stage, starting off with "Make Me Stay" from her new EP, followed by a duet with her guitarist called "Stealing the Moonlight". Somewhere in the set, she even did a Hush Sound song, "Hurricane"... overall a really solid set, with even a Supremes cover, "You Can't Hurry Love", thrown in there for good measure.

02/24/2010 02:09:44♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

This Week

Elvis Costello - Alison Elvis Costello Art by Alison Nguyen

Winter isn't over quite yet, but it would seem that I have agreed to break my hibernation streak. So here is what's coming up:

Tonight, I will be at the Fine Line Cafe at 7:30 to see Now, Now Every Children, Gold Motel and Total Babe. Look for me and look for "mesmerizing" Mark Mallman (Lara told me he was going to attend).

Wednesday, I am told that Libby Johnson is playing at the Living Room in New York. I have her album for review and it's good, but I haven't gotten around to writing about it - so maybe tomorrow I will get around to it. What I can tell you is that she looks and reminds me of Beth Orton, but minus the electronic in Orton's folktronic sound.

Thursday is the debut VV Brown's US TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel, so I'll be staying up late to watch this.  Remember when I said "she'll be a house-hold name", this Thursday will be the start. What's interesting to note is that news.weheartmusic.com has her touring with Little Dragon. I've seen this Swedish band before, they are phenomenal. 

Cloud Cult - No One Said It Would Be Easy

Friday is Cloud Cult's return to US touring for nearly six months (hey, it was the Winter and, hey, wasn't someone pregnant?). They are playing at First Avenue and I believe Andrew already bought his tickets, so he'll be there. Incidentally, Cloud Cult released a double-disc reissue and remastered version of They Live on the Sun (2003) and Aurora Borealis (2004) last year.

This Saturday is Alison Nguyen's art show at Spyhouse Coffee Shop on Nicollet. I will probably be there around 8pm, but the artwork is being hung up for a month, so just stop by if you're in the area. By the way, that artwork she sent out, I don't know the title of it, but I get a sense of "Allie-nson-erland" because of those critters.

This Sunday, Sally and I will be doing the W♥M Podcast. She'll be telling us what went down at Playground Weekender Festival and if she ever put on that chicken dress. I can only imagine it to be too hot and she passed out in her car - we'll surely find out!

I don't really plan that far in advance, but I think I will try and make it to the Gomez show March 6 and see Findlay Brown on May 1 at the Dakota Jazz Club. I am told that the Jazz club is pretty swank, so I should at least put on fancy pants.

 02/23/2010 13:48:02 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Arrington & Angelo

Tour Dates 02/27/10 Olympia, WA - Mango House 02/28/10 Seattle, WA - 20/20 Cycle 03/01/10 Olympia, WA - Northern Discography [2006] Breath of Fire [2008] I See Beyond The Black Sun [2009] Malaikat dan Singa Read More K Records http://weheartmus... Calvin Johnson announces his tour dates with fellow K Records artist, Mahjongg. I did check out ...

ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO
myspace.com/arringtondedionyso

Heard any Indonesian records lately? I didn't think so.

Earlier this year, K Records released one of the most interesting record on my playlist lately: an eccentric guitar-driven, DIY/garagey music, sung entirely in Indonesian. Arrington told K Records that his lyrics are "lifted from the poems of William Blake and passages of The Zohar". And you know what? They do have that poetic quality to it.

While this sort of music might be way "too out there" for the typical NPR World Music listener, if you have an open mind and generally like experimental music - you'll find there's a lot to like of Malaikat Dan Singa (the title translates to "The Angel And the Lion"), the latest work from Arrington de Dionyso.

Since I do not speak Indonesian, it's hard for me to write much about it. I will say that many of the songs feels like they are basically one long song. For instance, I think the two Angels songs ("Mani Malaikat" and "Mencerminkan Mani Malaikat") were meant to be together as parts one and two. And incidentally, "mani" translates to semen.

My favorite songs on the record is "Kedalaman Air" (the depth of water), it's just a fun song. The song is a free download via Paste Magazine if you donated to their "Songs for Haiti" charity. It's a good deal, for any amount, you get over 200 songs.

So, in addition to being in a "hallucinogenic, trance-inducing trans-utopian cosmic" band called Old Time Relijun, Arrington De Dionyso is also one of the founder of The Olympia Experimental Music Festival and also an accompolished artist with art exihibitions going back to 1999.

You can pick up Malaikat Dan Singa for cheap ($12) directly at K Records ... and curiously there is a cassette version of the album on sale for $5. Cassettes ? Really?

Tour Dates 02/27/10 Olympia, WA - Mango House* 02/28/10 Seattle, WA - 20/20 Cycle* 03/01/10 Olympia, WA - Northern * 03/12/10 Farside - Tallahassee, Florida 03/15/10 Sluggo’s Pensacola, FL 03/17/10 SXSW! The Beauty Bar Austin, TX * with L'Orchidee d'Hawai & Arrington de Dionyso Discography [2009] My Music Is My Sweat [2010] Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets Read More Kimya Dawson http://weheartmus... Just to give you an idea of the lack of organization at W♥M, we have this shared "pending" list ...

ANGELO SPENCER
myspace.com/angelospencer

The first thing you will notice is how "surfy" Angelo Spencer's debut album, Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets (Angelo Spencer and the High Summits), is. The record was released on one of the most diverse record company around, K Records.

Unlike his, rather famous wife, Kimya Dawson, who is more known for her anti-folk lyrics, it would seem that Spencer is less about singing ... instead, the only "singing" is done with Spencer's guitar.

I'll give you a good example of Spencer's playing skill, on his song "Did You Hear The Sound Of...", it sets up this eerie mood and the guitar is done in a slow-tip-toeing play. His back-up band, which I think is called Les Hauts Sommets (incidentally also plays on Arrington de Dionyso's album), provides the weird snake-charming sound.

Ennio Morricone - Il Buono, Il Cattivo, Il Brutto

The thing about all-instrumental albums, is that I do find that my mind tries to fill in the blanks, since there are no lyrics to tell the story. In my mind, I think sometime Spencer really into old movies - like Beach movies (60s surf guitar music), or has a thing for middle-eastern movies ("Shepard's Delight" and "The Desert -- The Strongest" brings to mind). I know that he's admitted to really loving Ennio Morricone and Bo Diddley, so keep that in mind as you listen to Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets.

Spencer is currently wrapping up his tour with fellow label-mate Arrington de Dionyso, but will also be appearing at SXSW with Jeremy Jay. Again, you can get his records (and cassettes) directly at K Records. Be sure to get the exclusive "handmade-limited-letterpress-compact-disc-edition", these are only available for a limited number at K and also at Spencer's live shows.

 02/23/2010 00:53:30 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

They came from Seattle

Rocky Votolato - Red River Rocky Votolato Tour Dates 02/24/10 NY - Mercury Lounge 02/26/10 Chicago, IL - Schubas 03/02/10 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios 03/04/10 SF, CA - Bottom of the Hill * 03/05/10 LA, CA - Troubadour * 03/06/10 Upland, CA - Wire Music * 03/07/10 San Diego, CA - Casbah * 03/08/10 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room * 03/09/10 Albuquerque, NM-Launchpad * 03/10/10 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive * 16+ 03/11/10 Provo, UT - Velour * 03/13/10 Seattle, WA - Neumo's* ^ 03/26/10 Pullman, WA - Gladish () 04/01/10 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock 04/02/10 Milwaukee, WI - Bay View% 04/03/10 Lansing, MI - Mac's Bar % 04/05/10 Toronto - Drake Hotel % 19+ 04/07/10 Allston, MA - Great Scott % 04/10/10 Philly, PA - First Unitarian % 04/11/10 Washington, DC - DC 9 % 04/13/10 Philly, PA - Garfield Artworks % 04/14/10 Akron, OH - Musica % 04/15/10 Newport, KY - Southgate% ! with My Flag Is On Fire, The Bindle Stiffs % with Brooke Waggoner * with Adam H. Stephens ^ with Terrordactyls () with Birds on a Wire Folk Discography [1999] Rocky Votolato [2002] Burning My Travels Clean [2003] Suicide Medicine [2006] Makers [2007] The Brag and Cuss [2010] True Devotion Read More Barsuk http://weheartmus... Barsuk are AWESOME!

ROCKY VOTOLATO
rockyvotolato.com ♥ myspace.com

For a while, it seems that Seattle, Washington could do no wrong in terms of producing some of most diverse bands: everything from metal (Queensrÿche and Nevermore) to indie, punk rock (Harvey Danger, Goodness, and The Presidents of the United States of America) to grunge (Nirvana and Soundgarden). Waxwing was among those bands, and for a while they were rocking it on radio and TV show ("The OC").

By 1999, lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Rocky Votolato, was starting to write gentle songs that didn't fit in the style of Waxwing, and before you knew it, by 2003 the band band broke up. Votolato, himself, is still going strong and will be releasing his latest album, True Devotion, on February 23^rd on Barsuk Record.

Unlike the synth-pop sound of youth with their recent release, Votolato is more like folk-like sound of aged. Usually with his acoustic guitar and with the help of percussions. Songs like "Fragments", "Sparklers", and "Red River" are typical Votolato songs, illustrating a story, but hearing the passion in his voice, it sounds like the story is being told by someone who experienced the story.

Sometime I imagine Votolato to sound like another favorite, Don Henley. I don't know if this is a bad thing, since this will conjure up images of "oldies". Nothing wrong with that, I think, like Votolato and Henley's voice, that they are a voice of trust and experience. If you like storytelling, if you like folk and country music, I think you'd love Rock Votolato.

If you pre-order now, you get access to the MP3s of the album (free download of Red River is available at Barsuk) while you wait for the record to be sent to you. You're also given a bonus 7" single with two non-album tracks (while supplies last), and a chance to have a private free house show for you & twenty of your closest friends. I did read the finer details, and if you win, you can choose to cash out of $250.00... and you also do not have to pre-order to be entered. You can simply submit a postcard with your full name, email address and phone number to Barsuk Records PO Box 22546 Seattle, WA 98122 to be entered.

PS The harmonica on "Instrument" is even gentle, and does not remotely bring up any Bob Dylan!

Discography [1989] Bleach [1991] Nevermind [1993] In Utero Read More Nirvana http://weheartmus... Corporate rock sucks. Zombie Kurt Cobain recently made an appearance on ROCK BAND 5, which some f...

NIRVANA
hereisnirvana.com ♥ myspace.com

Undoubtly, the band that put Seattle on the musical map is surely Nirvana.

Between the official three studio albums that the band produce, I would have to admit that I like Bleach the least, even though some fans might protest that I've sold-out. In fact, I think In Utero is Nirvana's finest hour, go Steve Albini!

The thing about Bleach, was that I did visit it after Nevermind, because, like most people, we were unaware that there was an album previously. Bleach, at the time that I listened to in the early 90s, was too raw and borderline metal. When I say raw, I mean the music really sounds like it wasn't recorded in a proper studio or something.

Thankfully, Sup Pop Records decided to revisit the album and release it in a deluxe 20^th edition format. Since I'm assuming many of you already own a copy of Bleach, I'll be talking mostly about the extra new stuff in the Deluxe Edition.

First of all, the packaging is pretty sweet. The paper package folds out to reveal a picture of the band in a car (see picture). The square-bound 50+ page booklet contains some nice rare early photographs of Kurt Cobain and the gang (including Chad Channing, who also clearly signed the Sub Pop contract). They all look so young in these pictures, I'm pretty sure many casual fans have never seen them before.

Bleach - Deluxe

I did get a kick out of seeing the original picture of the master recording that was sent to produce 1,000 White Label (for a mere $1,100.00). Also, the first and last page of the original Sub Pop contract is shown in the booklet as well. The contract tells me that they had a one year commitment with a two year option should they remain on Sub Pop - but obviously history tells us that they went to sign with major-label Giffen Records with Nevermind in 1991.

Anyway, there are "new" bonus 12 live songs included on the deluxe Bleach. The recording comes a Portland show at the Pine Street Theatre in 1990. The live audio sounds surprisingly crisp (although the audio starts to degrade with clicks "About a Girl" and onward), I particularly enjoyed hearing their cover of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz" and The Vaselines' "Molly's Lips" live.

Chances are, you probably already own Bleach, but I suggest you look into the deluxe edition. It's remastered from the original master tapes and it comes in a nice package. Plus, I believe the album retails for only $12, which is an unbeatable price for any deluxe editions... now if only Giffen would do the same thing for Nevermind and In Utero (I suppose that would also mean that Courtney Love would have to approve of such things).

 02/20/2010 14:03:06 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

Matthew Wilder

It looks like Sally's heading out to the Playground Weekender Festival, you can keep track of her whereabouts at twitter.com/weheartmusic.

I have some upcoming reviews, in the meantime, this Flashback Friday song's been on my permanent loop: "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder.

The song went as high as #3 on the Billboard charts, never achieving the #1 status, but still, the song remain a staple of modern rock playlist well into the late 80s and 90s.

Ain't nothing gonna break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on moving

 02/19/2010 10:27:38 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Be My Valentine

My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow

My Bloody Valentine

Interstate 70 in Kansas City (CBS) Bad weather is suspected in a massive pileup of cars on Interstate 70 in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. (CBS). More photo on Fox.

Did everyone survived V-Day? I did actually have a Valentine article, but as it were, since yesterday was also Chinese New Year, I was out celebrating. So, today, I find myself at home, drinking Coke Lime, playing a borrowed game, Uncharted 2.

Before we get to the V-thing, it would seems that Kansas is experiencing some Minneapolis weather - a huge 40 car pileup on Valentine's Day.

Now do you see why I prefer to stay indoors for the winter? But don't worry, I'll be going to concerts again in April-ish ... We'll see.

ONE ESKIMO GIVES AWAY FREE KANDI
oneeskimo.com ♥ myspace.com

One eskimo - kandi

One eskimO

One eskimO, a band out of London, is giving away "Kandi" for Valentine's Day at their website. Of course, the band, being out of the UK, is of special interests to me, so I gave it a download and a listen. The music reminds me a bit of Stereophonics and Coldplay, which is not a diss, by the way. Lyrically, I think it's about love and jealousy judging from the line "he called you babe, all night long". I also liked the bit about "I heard from Jones, about this guy...".

Guess what? They're currently on tour in support of their self-titled debut album... with GOMEZ!. I know March is technically still winterly for Minneapolis, but I may have to check them out on tour at the Fine Line because of Gomez (I'm actually surprise that we haven't written an article on Gomez, since it's the type of band we usually cover).

One eskimO US Tour Dates
2/25: Minneapolis, MN @ KTCZ Oake On The Ice Concert Series
3/04: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *
3/05: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre *
3/06: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café *
3/08: Denver, CO @ Odgen Theatre *
3/09: Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Tavern *
3/14: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café *
3/18: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music *
4/18: Indio, CA @ Coachella Festival

* with Gomez

ST VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE
cocktailslippers.com ♥ myspace.com

Cocktail Slippers - St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Cocktail Slippers

From Norway is a group called Cocktail Slippers, described as "a cross between The Shirelles and The Go-Go's" (and you know how I like my Belinda).

The song is called "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" and I find it hard to believe that these five good-looking women don't already have a valentine. I love the song though, it's very pop. Keep an eye on them, they'll be big one day.

Sing along to "Who'll be the last lover standing come St. Valentine's Day" on their tour dates:

06/16/10 Barcelona - La 2 Apolo
06/17/10 Madrid - El Sol
06/18/10 Galicia - Carballo-Fiestas
06/19/10 Basque Country - Andoain Festival

*with Sour Jazz

VALENTINE
myspace.com/bocachica

Boca Chica - Lake Erie

Boca Chica

There's at least five other Valentine-related pitches I got, but I think this is all I can stand regarding anything V-related. So this is the last one: from Pittsburgh is Boca Chica, which translated from Spanish is Mouth Girl?

Their EP is called Valentine, and it's the latest release from Indiecater Records. First of all, I love the cover artwork, it's a drawing of a heart inside an igloo (which should bring us back to the "eskimo" thing above).

The track that I'm given is "Lake Erie" and it's an excellent folk music (we're talking pluckings from banjos and cellos). The music reminds me of Dark Dark Dark and girl vocals reminds Cat Power (but minus the accent).

You can listen to the whole EP at indiecater.

03/05/10 The Central Plains Thunderbird Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
03/09/10 PIANOS Brooklyn, New York

 02/16/2010 00:32:26 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com