W♥M (Archive)

Andrew Bird: Break It Yourself

Tour Dates May 03 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA May 04 Beacon Theatre New York, NY May 05 Beacon Theatre New York, NY May 06 House of Blues Boston, MA May 08 9:30 Club Washington, DC May 09 Ramshead Live Baltimore, MD May 10 The Fillmore Detroit, MI May 12 Auditorium Theatre Chicago, IL May 19 Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH Jun 02 Field Day 2012 London,UK Jun 04 Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Ireland Jun 06 Trinity Bristol,UK Jun 08 Fruit Market Glasgow,UK Jun 09 No Direction Home Festival UK Jun 10 Theatre Royal Brighton Brighton,UK Jun 12 Teatro Circo Price Madrid, Spain Jul 08 Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Geneva, IL Jul 10 Museum Park Theater Raleigh, NC Jul 11 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Richmond, VA Jul 14 Forecastle Festival at Waterfront Park, KY Jul 15 Frederik Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids, MI Jul 16 Artpark Lewiston, NY Jul 18 Theatre De Verdure Montreal, Canada Jul 19 Echo Beach Toronto, Canada Jul 20 The Green at Shelburne Museum Shelburne, VT Jul 21 Hope Artiste Village Courtyard Pawtucket, RI Jul 27 Sound Town Fest Somerset, WI Aug 10 Golden Gate Park Festival San Francisco, CA Aug 11 Spreckels Theatre San Diego, CA Aug 12 Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA Aug 14 Red Butte Garden Salt Lake City, UT Aug 15 Chautauqua Auditorium Boulder, CO Aug 17 Denver Performing Arts Complex Denver, CO Aug 18 Caldera Festival Jackson, WY Aug 20 Holland Performing Arts Center Omaha, NE Aug 21 Simon Estes Amph Des Moines, IA Nov 08 Roundhouse London, UK Read More Andrew Bird Here's a funny video called "I'm Sorry", featuring Andrew Bird and Margaret Cho. Note the distinctive whistling that Bird is known for in the song.

What can one say about the music of Chicago born Andrew Bird? With the recent release of his latest album “Break It Yourself” on 6^th March 2012 he has proved yet again what an adept performer he is and what a gift his multi-instrumentalism is as well. In terms of a comparison – think of him obliquely as America’s Mike Oldfield, someone who creates and nurtures delicate soundscapes and musical techniques that ooze sophistication and emotion in a way that other musicians can’t always emulate. Whereas Oldfield’s song writing isn’t always his strong point, Bird excels in both mediums of instrumentation and lyric writing with perfect results.

Break it Yourself

This is Bird’s sixth solo album proper, and is released on the “Mom+Pop” label. It has already been commercially successful and has brought him many plaudits. It’s quite easy to see why. To many of the songs there is a quiet delicacy, a definite folky feel – something that came about after his initial musical project “Bowl Of Fire” disbanded. "Bowl Of Fire" was formed with Kevin O'Donnell, Joshua Hirsch, Nora O’Connor, Andy Hopkins, Jimmy Sutton, Colin Bunn, and Ryan Hembrey who were all musicians from Bird’s hometown of Chicago and was heavily influenced by musical idioms like swing and post and pre-war lieder. Once this project disbanded there was a swing shift towards a more folky sound.

Bird is typically known for his verbose lyrics and “Break It Yourself” is no different in this respect. The song “Desperation Breeds” is a beautiful example of this, containing lines like:

“This peculiar incantation, sure you heard it before, instead of breeding desperation, make me a pallet on the floor”

When mixed with a delightful blend of pizzicato strings and floaty, ethereal guitars it just has this aura of otherworldliness. When Bird sings the word “Bees” it’s almost as if there are a gentle swarm of them in the air around you such are the harmonies created by his voice.

Songs like “Near Death Experience” are a lesson in softness and strength at once:

“You used to be like toffee in the kitten’s teeth, used to build air raid shelters out of sticks and leaves and spend the whole day underneath”

Again, the notion of pizzicato guitar strings coupled with the harmonics of the dual vocal performance add this edge of delicacy. Quiet, contemplative and quite, quite beautiful.

Where Bird really excels is in the telling of tales. Real folk tales. In his song “Lusitania” there is a true feel that this is where his heart lies, in getting to the meat and bones of a historical story, the horrors of war and in a way comparing it to real life and the present day. Hearing the music is in many ways liked being haphazardly tossed in the ocean – that maybe sounds a little trite, but the gentle sway of the percussion sounds like crashing waves, sounds like the wind that carried the liner on it’s fateful journey.

“If your loose and libel lips, keep sinking all my ships then you’re the one who sank my Lusitania”

There is a definite calmness to the music, something that you could definitely imagine lying back on your recliner sofas and immersing yourself fully in, rather than having to be sitting bolt upright and listening intently to every track. This is quiet, contemplative music with a sense of history and a sense of truth to it. The impression Bird gives is one of a serious musician entirely dedicated to producing truth in music and not just hopping on whatever bandwagon happens to be in his path. With whatever he does and whatever he produces you feel safe in his charge.

Can I see Andrew Bird Live?

Yes you can. Throughout May he will be playing a series of gigs which will showcase the new album. These start off with a date in Philadelphia on the 3^rd of the month, then taking in New York, Boston, Washington, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago and Nelsonville before he brings his blend of perfect folk pop to the UK with a fairly major gig in London on June 2^nd. He’s back in the US for another series of dates in July, taking in Geneva, Raleigh, Richmond, Louisville, Grand Rapids and Louiston. The tour continues in Canada and back to the US throughout August. A full list of dates and where to buy tickets to see the master at his work can be obtained here Andrew Bird.net. Not only this album, but Bird’s back catalogue of work is a definite recommendation for perfect ethereal beauty and wonderful listening. A true musical treasure.

imogen ♥ andrewbird.net

How to create MP4 files with multiple audio and subtitle tracks, plus The Medicine Show and Site Updates

This is a cross-post for We♥Movies. This would be really helpful if you have music videos on DVD with lyric subtitles or alternate mixes or commentaries.

Also, I have business cards now (that was fast!). If you see me, just ask me for one, I'll be more than happy to give them out. I've also added a 'follow' @weheartmusic button on the right side for easier one-click following!

In an effort to get more 'likes' via facebook, I will spotlight a band who 'likes' us. First band:

THE MEDICINE SHOW
facebook.com/themedicineshownet

According to The Medicine Show's biography, they're from Brisbane, Australia. Their influences are from the Delta Blues to "real" country and "hillbilly" music.

Check out their cover of George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone":



Here are some of their upcoming shows:

May 4, 2012 - Punxie and the Poison Pens at the Chardon's Corner Hotel
May 18, 2012 - Live at Beetle Bar - Medicine Show and Cal Peck & Tramps

>>>
How to create MP4 movie files with selectable multiple audio and subtitle tracks

Okay, I wish someone would've told me about this before I started ripping all my movies for easier access... and I'm sure there are plenty of ways of doing selectable audio and subtitles, but this way works for me.

One of the biggest problems I had was that I missed the audio commentaries. Once in a long while, I do break open an old DVD and put on the commentary while I write articles, but it's not very often. So below is a step-by-step guide on how to rip your movie for your iPad, Apple TV, WD-TV, and PS3. I'm leaving Xbox out because Xbox does not support "complex" audio and won't play MP4 files since they updated their dashboard.

If you have an unprotected DVD or Bluray, you can just skip to #3: Handbrake.

#1: Rip your movie
I have a lifetime license for DVDfab.com, so it's the software I use. It is expensive, but I think it's worth it. You might already have similar ripping software, just make sure your software can rip movies with multiple audio and extract subtitles. For DVDFab, what you need to do is rip it in MKV remux, capturing the multiple audio and "extracting IDX" (subtitles) in your options. Generally, I would rip the main audio and the commentary and the English subtitles (if available).

#2: Convert SUB to SRT
Because the subtitles are stored as images, you need to convert the images to text. I use a free software called SubtitleEdit. For images it doesn't understand, it will ask your input. It's not perfect, but it is free. The optical recognition software has a hard time understanding "I" and "1" and often mixes the two. When you're done, save it as a SRT file (this is a text file).

#3: Handbrake
The latest Handbrake is pre-set for the best quality, so you don't really need to muck around too much, unless you want to downgrade your video. What I would recommend is to scale the video to 720p or less because of streaming issues (anything larger will take a long time to buffer). Under audio, select "add all audio" and under subtitles, click on "import" and add your SRT file. Do not select "forced" (this is only applies to forced dialogue). Select "burn" and "default".

3.5: Hardcoding (alternative option)
Step #3 is for Closed Caption (Apple devices can turn on and off the CC as Subtitles), if you prefer to Hardcode the subtitles you can use the free Any Video Converter. You just need to have the same name as SRT with your MKV file. NOTE: Hardcoding is permanent; you cannot remove the subtitles.

#4: Tag your file
You don't really need this step, but if you're already going through all these processes, you might as well make it pretty. There is plenty of tagging software, use the one you like. I recommend MetaX, which was originally free but now costs $10. I believe it's still free on Mac OS.

Congratulations, you now have a x264 movie file that will play on most devices, including your iPad and PS3. The PlayStation 3 does not have the ability to view Closed Caption, however, you can always switch to the English audio track. If your player knows how to read SRT files, then just include the SRT file, along with your movie file and you're golden.

I know it's a lot of work. Most people have stopped at step #1, or they are more than happy to fork over $15-20 to "own" a digital copy. I reckon if I already own the disc, I'm not going to pay for the same movie again. I hope this guide helps you out. I had to go through a lot of mistakes to get here.

Here's the files, as seen on my iPad.  Note: subtitles can be turned off. I'll probably update the cover artwork with a high res version, not happy how it looked.



UPDATE: I'm no longer using the MKV process. Please go here for the update to how I rip DVDs currently.

Snowmine – “Let Me In” / “Plans” [VIDEO]

Tour Dates 05/26 Cameo Gallery, Brooklyn 06/21 Glasslands, Brooklyn Read More Snowmine Fellow NYers Snowmine were certainly the wild cards of the night. Looking like they were fresh off the plane from 1980s Berlin (post-Wall of course), these guys oozed cool.

Brooklyn indie rockers Snowmine are back with a live video and some shop talk. We previously covered their CMJ 2011 performance at the Living Room NYC as part of the Paper Garden Records showcase. Well, the boys are hard at work composing new material and geeking out on hi-tech thingamajigs. Grayson Sanders and bandmates discuss the development of Colorbeast, an “interactive, gesture-based” iPad app that allows users to manipulate video in real-time. Get it? Watch the video below to see Colorbeast in action as well as an exclusive peak at new song “Plans.”

lara () ♥ snowmine.bandcamp.com

Music on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Read More Moby It's been a long time since I heard from Moby. The last album I really enjoyed from him was 18, the album that came after Play ...

These are some musicians that recently appeared on USA late night television.

MOBY
moby.com

Moby will be the guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno TONIGHT (April 26th).

His latest single is "The Poison Tree", so he will be performing that song. The song is from Moby's 2011 Destroyed album. In the meantime, the double disc Destroyed Remixed album will be out May 1st (digital) and June 19th (the limited edition physical release). As you can guess, they are remixes from his last album, but will also contain an brand new 30 minute ambient track by Moby called "All Sides Gone".

Upcoming Moby DJ gigs:

Sat. May 26 – El Paso, TX – Neon Desert Festival
Sun. June 16 – Chicago, IL – Spring Awakening Festival

Read More Beirut There's something almost charming about Eastern Europe folk music. I'm not quite sure what it is -- I can't think of anything dorkier than a bunch of mustachioed ex-Soviets pounding...

BEIRUT
beirutband.com

Did you cat Beirut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 24th? You can still watch it via hulu.com (apologies to people outside the USA).

Beirut Tour Dates:

Sat. May 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Festival
Sun. May 27 – George, WA @ Sasquatch (Sasquatch Stage)
Sat. June 2 – Victoria Park, UK @ Field Day 2012
Sat. June 30 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Open Source Festival
Tue. July 17 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis Theatre
Thu. July 19 – Toronto, ON @ The Sound Academy
Sat. July 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze
Mon. July 23 – Winnipeg, MB @ The Burton Cummings Theatre
Wed. July 25 – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
Sat. July 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
Tue. Aug. 28 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
Wed. Aug. 29 – New York, NY @ Rumsey Playfield, Central park

If things goes well, Emily will be covering Beirut at the Cabooze in Minneapolis.

TENNIS
myspace.com/tennisinc

Denver's Tennis is white hot right now. With the release of their sophomore album, Young & Old, the band have appeared on David Letterman, Carson Daly, and, of course, Jay Leno (you can catch their performance from 3/21/12 on NBC).

Here is what's left of their tour:

April 27 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC
April 28 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
April 30 The Independent San Francisco, CA
May 1 Constellation Room Santa Ana, CA
May 2 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
May 3 The Casbah San Diego, CA
May 4 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
May 5 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
May 8 The Parish Austin, TX
May 9 Club Dada Dallas, TX
May 10 Opolis Norman, OK
May 11 Plush St. Louis, MO
May 12 Record Bar Kansas City, MO

SOJA
sojamusic.com

SOJA made their national television debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 3/12/12.

Their biography lists that the band members Jacob Hemphill (vocals/guitars) and Bobby Lee (bass) met when they were in the first grade! They grew up playing at talent shows and the band fully formed when they were in high school.

Their latest album, Strength to Survive is on Billboard 200's top 40 … and yes, they are on tour.

Thu/Apr 26 – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL * Fri/Apr 27 – River City Ballroom – New Orleans, LA Sat/Apr 28 – La Zona Rosa – Austin, TX * Sun/Apr 29 – Houston Intl Fest – Houston, TX Tue/May 1 – Granada Theatre – Dallas, TX Wed/May 2 – House of Rock – Corpus Christi, TX Sat/May 5 – Sunfest – West Palm Beach, FL Fri/May 18 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC Sat/May 19 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC # Fri/May 25 – Hollywood Race – Inglewood, CA Sat/May 26 – California Roots Fest – Monterey, CA Sun/May 27 – Pozo Saloon – Pozo, CA Sat/June 2 – Wakarusa Music Fest – Ozark, AR Thu/June 7 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN Thu/June 14 – Frendly Gathering – Windham, VT Fri/July 13 – First Niagara Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA^ Sat/July 14 – First Niagara Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA^ Thu/July 19 – All Good Music Festival – Thornville, OH Fri/July 27 – Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA ~

Sat/July 28 – Floydfest – Floyd, VA Thu/Aug 2 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ ~ Fri/Aug 3 – Nikon at Jones Beach – Wantagh, NY ~ Sat/Aug 4 – Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA ~ Fri/Aug 10-12 – Moe.Down Festival, Turin, NY Sat/Aug 18 – Summerdaze – Bonner Springs, KS ~ Sun/Aug 19 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO ~ Wed/Aug 22 – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT ~ Fri/Aug 24 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine, CA ~ Sat/Aug 25 – Cricket Wireless Amph – Chula Vista, CA ~ Tue/Aug 28 – Mesa Amphitheatre – Mesa, AZ ~ Wed/Aug 29 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA ~ Fri/Aug 31 – Shoreline Amph – Mountain View, CA ~ Tue/Sep 4 – Sleep Country Amph – Ridgefield, WA ~ * = with Steel Pulse # = with Questlove of The Roots ^ = with Dave Matthews Band ~ = with 311 and Slightly Stoopid

MAT KEARNEY
matkearney.com

Speaking of young, Mat Kearney's album Young Love is out and he's on tour with Train to promote it. Kearney recently performed his new hit single "Ships in the Night" on both Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, but I could not find the NBC live clip… but his appearance was on March 31st. You can catch his song on Hulu for Jimmy Kimmel.

Anyway, Young Love has been climbing on the radio charts, currently holding the #23 spot on the Hot AC and #17 at AAA (his album landed #1 on the iTunes charts and #4 on the Billboard 200 chart).

May 19 - Addison Music Festival - Addison, TX* Jul 1 - Taos Solar Music Festival - Taos, NM* Jul 26 - Time Warner Center - Charlotte, NC Jul 27 - Raleigh Amphitheater - Raleigh, NC Jul 28 - Concert Tours for Radio - Des Moines, IA Aug 4 - Indiana State Fair - Indianapolis, IN Aug 5 - Woods at Dontanel - Nashville, TN Aug 7 - Meadow Brook - Rochester Hills, MI Aug 8 - PNC Pavillion - Cincinatti, OH Aug 11 - Ravinia Festival - Highland Park, IL Aug 12 - Ravinia Festival - Highland Park, IL Aug 14 - Zoo Amphiteatre - Toledo, OH Aug 15 - Illinois State Fair - Springfield, IL Aug 16 - Jacob's Pavilion - Cleveland, OH Aug 18 - Mann Center - Philadelphia, PA Aug 19 - Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, CT Aug 21 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA Aug 24 - Marvin Sands - Canadaigua, NY Aug 25 - Champlain Valley - Essex Junction, VT Aug 26 - Meadowbrook - Gilford, NH

Aug 30 - MAC Center - Long Branch, NJ Aug 31 - Tanglewood - Lenox, MA Sep 1 - Borgata - Atlantic City, NJ Sep 5 - Mizner Park Amphiteater - Boca Raton, FL Sep 6 - St. Augstine Amph - St. Augustine, FL Sep 7 - Chastain Park Amphitheater - Atlanta, GA Sep 9 - Downtown Revival - Dayton, OH Sep 11 - Tuscaloosa Amph - Tuscaloosa, AL Sep 12 - Mud Island Amphiteatre - Memphis, TN Sep 13 - Zoo Amphitheatre - Oklahoma City, OK Sep 15 - Verizon Theatre - Grand Prairie, TX Sep 16 - WhiteWater Amph - New Braunfels, TX Sep 19 - Red Rocks Amphiteater - Morrison, CO Sep 22 - Edgefield - Portland, OR Sep 23 - Western Washington Fair - Puyallup, WA Sep 28 - Greek Theater - Berkeley, CA Sep 29 - Nokia Theatre LA Live - Los Angeles, CA Sep 30 - Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ All dates with Train, except where (*) noted.

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

The Sun Came Out: The Making of the Album 7 Worlds Collide

Details Actors: Neil Finn, Eddie Vedder, Lisa Germano, Phil Selway, Johnny Marr Directors: Simon Mark-Brown Format: Color, DVD, NTSC Language: English Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 1 Rated: NR (Not Rated) Studio: Cinema Libre Studio DVD Release Date: April 10, 2012 Run Time: 84 minutes Read More 7 Worlds Collide: The Sun Came Out Neil Finn is possibly most famous from being the frontsman for the 80s/90s band, Crowded House - named after a shared rental house with five other ....

If you own (or read about) 7 Worlds Collide: The Sun Came Out, you might be interested in picking up this documentary about the making of "7 Worlds Collide", entitled The Sun Came Out: The Making of the Album 7 Worlds Collide. The DVD just came out last week via Cinema Libre Studios.

Just to give you a little back story, the original 7 Worlds Collide started as a charity, billed as "Neil Finn and Friends" in 2001 as a series of five live shows at St James Theatre in New Zealand. Finn envisioned the event as forming a band, and then immediately breaking up the band (before anything can go wrong). Then about seven years later, Finn got the bug again and started up a sequel to "7 Worlds Collide" called "The Sun Came Out".

In additional to the original guests (Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien, Eddie Vedder, Tim Finn, Liam Finn, Elroy Finn, Phil Selway, Lisa Germano), they added seven more: Jeff Tweedy, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone of Wilco, Sebastian Steinberg, KT Tunstall, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. So it was: 20 musicians to write and record an album in 20 days.

The documentary does a good job in telling the story of the recording of "The Sun Came Out". It played out pretty much in chronological order, starting off with mastermind Neil Finn and producer Jim Scott. There seems to be some sort of miscommunication: some artists thought they had to already have a song ready, some artists thought it would be ideal, some people didn't even know they had to write a song. Even though the film tried to make us feel like it was chaos, I didn't get that impression. The impression I got was that it was all very laid back. No one was in trouble and everyone was having a good time, in this massive house/studio by the beach.

I felt that Neil Finn didn't have enough screen time, since I reckon he was the man with the plan. Instead the documentary spends a lot of time focusing on the various musicians. Lots of Radiohead's Ed & Phil and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and lots of Wilco. In fact, there were one or two comments about how they thought it was such a clash of quintessentially British and American sounds. Everyone got their spot on the documentary, although some people spoke more than others (camera shy?).

There were a few issues I had with the documentary, in particular keeping track of who's who. With a cast of "20 musicians", I would love it if the documentary had names below the artist from time to time. I understand that when the credit started, that the artists names were written on postage stamps - but most people aren't going to remember that throughout the whole 90 minutes.

I'll give you an example, there was a scene where drummer Phil Selway was talking about this other drummer. They showed footage of John Stirratt Glenn Kotche from Wilco, but for the life of me, I didn't know who that was. And the scene went on and on about what a great drummer Kotche was, and it would have been really helpful if they had his name in captions. Another example is whenever they showed Johnny Marr's daughter (I am assuming it is his daughter since she's wearing The Cribs t-shirt) but they never credited who that was on backing vocals with KT Tunstall. I suppose when all is said and done, the names aren't important to tell the story.

If you love 7 Worlds Collide: The Sun Came Out album, then this documentary must be seen. This is an intimate look at the creative process of writing songs… and that the musicians are just like you and me. They have families … they goof around (there is a funny cucumber complaint by Marr). Plus, as a special bonus, there is a full "Seven Worlds Collide Live at the St. James" (complete with bonus interviews) included on the DVD.

Neil Finn

vu () ♥ cinemalibrestore.com

rnmclrnn writes:
Saturday, 08 March 2014 at 09:47 AM

Stirratt isn't a drummer. He is Wilco's bass player. Glenn Kotche is their "drummer" if you can even call him that. YouTube "monkey chant"...he's more of a percussion scientist if anything, ha. And hopefully by now you're a little more familiar w Wilco, as they are one of America's finest rock n roll groups... especially on a site named we heart music, Wilco has an incredibly following, critics, fans and musicians alike will tell you they are one of todays finest live acts, and Jeff Tweedy is a song writing pioneer to be remembered alongside names like Neil Young and Bob Dylan, easily. If you haven't seen his solo acoustic work, do yourself a favor. They certainly are an incredibly talented group of guys. Nels Cline also, some folks make it look easy, he makes it look impossible.

Loop 2.4.3: American Dreamland

Tour Dates 04/24/12 CSUSB "Music Tuesdays" - San Bernardino, CA 04/25/12 Music at Noon Concert Series - Santa Clara, CA 04/25/12 Saratoga Retirement Community - Saratoga, CA 04/26/12 Saratoga Library - Saratoga, CA 95070 04/26/12 CNMAT - Berkeley, CA Read More Loop 2.4.3 These have been my thoughts reflecting on Zodiac Dust, an album by Loop 2.4.3, set to be released June 16th on the Music Starts From Silence label. I would be content to simply write, "I cannot say much more; hear for yourself;"

I will repeat what I said when I reviewed Loop 2.4.3’s last album, Zodiac Dust, three years ago:

There is artistic work that is not so much simply seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted, as much as experienced.  Hence it is something you must take in for yourself, and a critical review simply falls short.

 Their newest album, American Dreamland, was released today, and with that album, that sentiment I had is even truer than ever.  I would say more so, actually, because I met Thomas Kozumplik and Lorne Watson, who comprise Loop 2.4.3, in person this time.  I went to a percussion clinic and recital they held last Friday (April 20) at my old university, Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, WA.  I got to know them a little bit.  I saw the instruments up close and personal, like the eLog and the Rose Echo.  I heard them perform music from Zodiac Dust and American Dreamland.  Along with the percussion students from the university, I got better explanations of the instruments, the music, and the musicians.

Listening to a studio-produced album is one thing.  Experiencing a live performance and getting to know the musicians and their music is quite another.

I mentioned in the Zodiac Dust review that Music Starts From Silence (their publisher) had started offering written manuscripts of music by Loop 2.4.3.  What I failed to mention is something I had learned from signing up for the group’s newsletter, and that this was part of education outreach to the schools.  Being a classically schooled musician myself, I got very excited.  This does not happen very often, that recording and touring musicians come back to the schools, teach about what they do, and offer their music for students to perform themselves.  I suppose this is not so unusual back East, but for those of us out West, it’s huge.  After the clinic, I remember Thomas talking about their appearance the day before in La Grande, Oregon.  He remembered that the students there were very receptive and appreciative, and I said that was true of many of us who were much more isolated and not surrounded by metropolitan cities.

I could write and expound more on the press releases I received to describe their music, especially that of American Dreamland, but it’s much easier for me to say that Thomas and Lorne are just hard working musicians that will take any idea they can to cultivate creative work.  Lorne was quite articulate on this point, explaining to the students and I that they worked with a beat/slam poet, and classical dancers, and adjusted their performances accordingly.  The diversity of instruments you play is helpful, he said, especially for freelance gigs.  That made sense when Thomas said he’d used the steel drum to play with chamber music ensembles (viola, bassoon, etc.).  It fit somehow, he said, by using a lighter touch when playing.

I should point out that Loop 2.4.3 is not only working with university students, but with grade school students as well.  I asked Lorne about the Native American flute he was playing (which is featured in American Dreamland), especially as he said earlier that he considered them easier to play than the recorders that are featured quite extensively in many elementary schools.  He recommended Stellar Flutes, and in particular their flute kits, which can be carved by students to their liking.  (I found the link when I got home and showed it to my 9-year old daughter, who was quite enthusiastic.)

Perhaps a video would be more illustrative of what this clinic and recital was like:

 It really was something truly special.  Hanging out, talking shop, and generally schmoozing afterwards at a hot wings restaurant was a nice way to end the day.

American Dreamland is available on CD, 12” (180 gram) vinyl, and digital download from Music Starts From Silence, CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, and more.  

Thomas Kozumplik and Lorne Watson, dba Music Starts From Silence, are sponsored artists by NYC’s Tax Exempt Foundation, THE FIELD.  All donations are tax-deductible and help to support Loop 2.4.3’s touring and outreach activities.  See loop243.com/get-involved for details.

jaklumen () ♥ www.loop243.com

W♥M131: Crush on Kristi

W♥M131 (8 mins)

Just a silly little interview with Kate from Crush on Kristi. Apology for the poor audio, this was taped live in front of the 400 Bar and the music portion were lifted through an analog line from myspace. If I get a better audio source, I will update the download.

Here's what went down:

Origin of the name "Crush on Kristi"

Third big gig (4/21/12)

Unknown songs on their setlist

Attempt at answer "favorite female artist" question

How the band met

Eight of the ten artists covered have played at the 400 Bar.

Song of the show "You Were Right About Everything" (Erin McKeown)

W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!

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____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

PS, embarrassingly enough, I do own Stars' In Our Bedroom After the War, but rarely listened to it. Despite the fact that the band gave the album away (and I'll admit to downloading the album), I did go out and support the band by purchasing the CD (with the DVD package). I saw the band for their Set Yourself On Fire tour when they played the 400 Bar, but didn't see them for the Bedroom tour at the fancy Pantages Theatre. What a difference a year make, being down and dirty and up close with Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan… to dressing up and being faraway while the ushers tells you where to sit.

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

Emily the Second

Be sure to check out these five (other) musicians called Emily.

EMILY at W♥M
If things work out, I'm hoping to have Emily cover the sold-out show with The Toadies and Social Distortion this Friday, May 27th, at First Avenue. She previously covered Spectrals at First Ave with Amy (a tagteam I'm calling Amily).

Read More Emeli Sandé What a treat! Emeli Sandé came by Minneapolis, last night, to preview her upcoming album. The intimate setting of the Dakota Jazz Club was a perfect listening room for Sandé.

EMELI SANDÉ
emelisande.com

You might remember how lucky we were to have caught Emeli Sande at The Dakota last month. And as I previously mentioned, she is coming back to Minneapolis, but under the Coldplay banner, at a massive stadium-sized venue.

Some news on this Scottish-born singer/songwriter Sandé released her first U.S. single, "Next To Me" last week (April 17th), the same day that you can also pre-order for her debut album Our Version of Events. Her album comes out June 5th via Capitol Records and will include a brand new song, "Wonder", exclusively on the US album.

Sande's also doing a round of promotional appearances, including Conan O'Brien (April 19th), NPR’s World Café (this week), BET’s 106 & Park (April 23rd), VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live (April 25th), and Rachael Ray (week of May 14th). Expect her to appear on more television appearances when she's touring with Coldplay!

I'm pretty sure Sande's pre-July dates have sold-out, or close to it, so catch her now or you'll regret it later.

04/24 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg 05/30 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall 06/04 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom 07/23 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre* 07/24 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre * 07/26 Montreal, QC Bell Centre * 07/27 Montreal, QC Bell Centre * 07/29 Boston, MA TD Garden * 07/30 Boston, MA TD Garden *

08/01 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills * 08/03 E. Rutherford, NJ Izod Center * 08/04 E. Rutherford, NJ Izod Center * 08/07 Chicago, IL United Center * 08/08 Chicago, IL United Center * 08/10 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center * 08/11 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center * * opening up for Coldplay

EMILY WELLS
emilywellsmusic.com

Emily Wells is a musician/artist with a style that mixes hip-hop and classical. From reading her concert reviews, she record live loops and uses them during her performance.

Her latest album is called Mama, which came out April 10th, via Partisan Records. What's more exciting is her Pillowfight album, which is her collaboration with Dan the Automator (I've been a fan of his since he was just known as Automator, and of course, for his Deltron 3030 project). There is no release date yet, but expect it to come out sometime this year.

04/27 Buffalo, NY @ The Ninth Ward 05/01 Minneapolis, MN @ The Cedar* 05/03 Madison, WI @ The Majestic* 05/04 Chicago, IL @ Schubas* 05/05 Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre* 05/06 Lexington, KY @ Natasha's Bistro 05/08 St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House* 05/09 Columbia, MO @ Mojo's* 05/11 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre* 05/13 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom*

05/15 Los Angeles, CA @ Largo at the Coronet* 05/16 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place* 05/17 San Francisco @ Swedish American Hall* 05/19 Davis, CA @ Sophia's Thai Kitchen* 05/31 Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown 06/01 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile 06/02 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge 06/03 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall 06/09 Spokane, WA @ Elk Fest * w/ Portland Cello Project

EMILY JANE WHITE
emilyjanewhite.com (website not working?)

Emily Jane White is a folky/country/rock musician from the San Francisco area. Her voice is compared to Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). Her third album, Ode To Sentience will be coming out June 12th via Antenna Farm Records. The upcoming album is described as "finger-picked folk, traditional country, classical music and rock …. [Emily Jane] White creates an expansive space for her intuitive lyrics and elegiac vocals. "

You can preview her songs via the Daytrotter Session (from April 18th) or get a free download Black Silk on Soundcloud.

Catch her on tour:

4/25 - Guerrero Gallery - San Francisco, CA 4/28 - Robot Rocket Residence - Davis, CA 5/14 - Livehouse enn - Sendai City, Japan 5/15 - Akarigura - Yamagata City, Japan 5/17 - Tokuzo - Nagoya City, Japan 5/18 - Mokkiriya - Kanazawa City, Japan 5/19 - Jyoukakokaido - Okayama City, Japan 5/21 - Urbangguild - Kyoto City, Japan 5/22 - ROOMS - Fukuoka City, Japan 5/23 - Sakurazaka Theater - Naha City, Japan 5/26 - La Cana - Tokyo, Japan 6/1 - Sophia's Thai Kitchen - Davis, CA 6/2 - Tin Can - San Diego, CA 6/3 - Zoey's - Ventura, CA

6/4 - The Mint - Los Angeles, CA 6/7 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA 6/9 - The Old Church - Portland, OR 6/10 - Living Room Show - Olympia, WA 6/12 - Brick and Mortar - San Francisco, CA 6/13 - The Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA 6/17 - Amoeba In-Store - Berkeley, CA 6/21 - Living Room - NY, NY 6/22 - TBA - Philadelphia, PA 6/23 - TBA - Washington, DC 6/24 - Glasslands - Brooklyn, NY 6/25 - Monkey House - Winooski, VT 6/26 - Fete - Providence, RI 6/27 - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA

BRIEFLY:

EMMA LOUISE facebook.com Emma Louise's debut EP Full Hearts & Empty Rooms came out last month (March 13th) via Frenchkiss Records. Having already won two Q Song Awards (no, not Q Magazine, but Queensland Music Award), plus playing with Sarah Blasko, Bob Evans, Tim Rogers, and Nic Harcourt. Be on the lookout for her full length album, in the meantime you can find her around the Brisbane music scene.

EMILY O'HALLORAN emilyohalloran.com Speaking of Australians, singer/songwriter Emily O'Halloran album, Morphine & Cupcakes, came out last year. Her album is described as Americana, but you can listen for yourself on Soundcloud.com.

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

Gentlemen Hall @ 7th St. Entry, Minneapolis 4.18.12

Read More Gentlemen Hall Gentlemen Hall was the winner of Billboard's Battle of the Bands competition, and was featured in an online Microsoft commercial for their song "Gravity Will Break Our Bones".

‘Twas a chilly night last Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis as we crowded the Entry’s poky stage, warming our hands on the testosterone-fueled heat radiating from Boston pop outfit Gentlemen Hall. Besides possessing an extremely appropriate name, the band also boasts a flautist, two vocalists, and a distracting pair of red pants sure to make your mother blush (and everyone else feel something between “nervously excited” and “predatory”).

For a group of musicians with only one record to their name, Gentlemen Hall have amassed an impressive list of honors: MTV VMA for “Best Breakout Boston Artist” (2009), Boston Phoenix’s “Best New Local Act” (2010), a Billboard Battle of the Bands win in 2011, and, perhaps most importantly, the Gentlemen Hall Smoothie created by the tastemakers at Ben and Jerry’s. All six members are alumni of the Berklee College of Music. The band is probably still in the adolescent period, roughly four years in the making, yet the boys’ mature approach to songcraft is obvious even to a layman’s ear (no doubt thanks to topnotch schooling).

Their debut EP, When We All Disappear, is 20 minutes of fine-tuned indie synth pop, with nary a musical misstep or random ugly blemish. Vocals are spot-on and soaring and Jacob Michael has an agreeable tone that suits each instrumental flourish; Sure, the lyrics are a bit pedestrian (“The way she touched I was taken over / A love so good I was never sober”), but the final product is so polished one could peer into every song and see his own likeness peering back. A revealing metaphor for pop music in general: successful pop music mirrors the fundamental need to feel good in a wholly primal way, like a big stupid smile that appears out of nowhere. Lyrics matter little when the intent is to get hooked on a feeling, so to speak. When We All Disappear substantiates our basic impulses—to love, to dance, to lose ourselves in silly, reckless abandon—and by the end, that little spot behind your rib cage reserved for simple joys is, well, pretty damn jubilant.

Of course, you can’t call yourself a true Gentlemen Hall fan unless you’ve experienced a live performance. The band played selections from their EP, including “Gravity Will Break Our Bones,” a major melodic anthem sure to get the arms up faster than you can shout “raise the roof for Jesus!”; “All Our Love,” featuring a tight beat that drifts into a slow, stomping chorus; the funky “Blush,” that has Michael singing in a sort of pleading falsetto (if pleading was sexy); a cover of Metric’s “Help I’m Alive”; plus a few unreleased tracks and lots of flute action. At one point I imagined flautist Seth Hachen leading the crowd onto the streets of Minneapolis as some sort of modern interpretation of the Pied Piper; sadly, that never happened.

What happened instead was an hour-long attempt to not focus entirely on Michael, who proved himself a force to be reckoned with on stage, displaying the kind of physical zeal usually reserved for the beginning of tour not the end (also displaying the aforementioned tightest, reddest pants in all the land). That being said, on songs like “All Our Love,” with Gavin Merlot on lead vocals, I was reminded of how every element of this group—be it person or instrument—seems necessary and deliberate; they may produce intricate, swelling sounds but even live the result doesn’t read as excessive. An obvious statement, maybe, but when the number of bodies on payroll increases sometimes it comes across solely as an excuse to exploit odd instruments (is the hurdy gurdy really vital, Arcade Fire?).

As a final thought, I’d like to mention how refreshing it is to support a band that legitimately adores their fans. Gentlemen Hall performed an incredible set to an average-sized weeknight crowd and it was probably equally incredible as any other performance they’ve had, based on the smiles and hugs and steadfast Tweeting post-show. In an age of weird ironic detachment from our top indie artists, it’s just really charming to see this level of cheer and hopefully it remains after they sign to a label.

Gentlemen Hall is Gavin Merlot (vocals, guitar), Jacob Michael aka Cobi Mike (vocals, guitar), Ro Richard (bass), Bradford Alderman (synth), Phil Boucher (drums/percussion, glock), and Seth Hachen (flute, piccolo). The band just wrapped up an abbreviated U.S. tour, but be sure to check out their website and Facebook page for upcoming show info. When We All Disappear is also available for free (with a little guerilla-style promotion on your part).

Gentlemen Hall at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (04/18/12)

lara () ♥ gentlemenhall.com

Crush on Kristi and Saint Anyway at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (04/21/12)

Crush on Kristi and Saint Anyway played at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, last night, April 21st. Not sure what happened to The Union Suits.

Saint Anyway

Saint Anyway is a bluegrass trio from Cloquet, Minnesota, but I got the feeling that the trio been touring around so much that they are hardly in this state. They played acoustics with banjos and kick drums and kazoos and (several) harmonicas. Their songs are mostly original material like "Supernatural Wine" and "How To Prove You Love Someone" (their fastest song), but mixed with some covers like Tom Waits' "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil" (which they ended their set).

I think the encore was a cover of Old Crow Medicine Show's "Fall On My Knees".

Speaking of covers… since I am the cover lover, I was there for Crush on Kristi. This is basically a cover band, covering more or less indie/obscure bands. I was hoping for more popular songs, but I didn't know any songs from their setlist.

As you can see, they covered The Replacements, Frightened Rabbit, Stars, and Band of Horses (and more, but I didn't know those bands). The bar owner pointed out that eight of those bands all played at the 400 Bar*.

Be sure to check back soon for an exclusive "LOL" interview with Kate from Crush on Kristi.

Crush on Kristi at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (04/21/12)

* Dave and I saw Stars at the 400, they were on tour for "Set Yourself on Fire".

vu () ♥ saintanyway.com ♥ myspace.com/crushonkristi