4 posts tagged “stephen malkmus”

Tilly and the Wall ♥ photo by Elizabeth Soda (7/3/09) Man Man ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Matisyahu ♥ photo by Vu (7/3/09) Tilly and the Wall Setlist ♥ photo by Vu (7/3/09) Poison Control Center ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Miss Derringer ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Paper Route ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Wild Sweet Orange ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Audrye Sessions ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09) Girl in a Coma ♥ photo by Vu (7/4/09)

We arrived in Iowa on Friday, July 3^rd, morning, very excited to attend the second annual 80/35 Music Festival in downtown Des Moines. Already there was a few things I've noticed right away that the festival got right: awesome free parking, loads of portapotties, very organized setup, a lot of securities & volunteers. What I thought was disappointing was that the paid stage ($80 for both days) was somewhat expensive - considering that the two other stages (Mediacom and Meredith) lineup was just as good, if not better, for $0.

July 4^th weekends might not be a great weekend to have a music festival. At least here in Minnesota, everyone goes up to their cabins traditionally for a family get together. Most of the people that I've noticed walking around the festival were young people who overshadowed families and hippies (can someone explain to me the hula-hoops or the "balls in a sock" thing?).

Also, the one factor that put a damper on things was the weather. I realized this is beyond anyone's control, but you would reckon they saw the forecast predictions and would've been better prepared with perhaps a giant umbrella for the audience. Still, despite major contributor and sponsor, US Cellar, attempt to distribute rain ponchos, they quickly ran out in a matter of hours.

For the first day, I only covered the main stage, which included all the artists that I wanted to check out. Although I contemplated on heading over to Modern Skirts and Maps and Atlases.

Tilly and the Wall started off the festivities promptly at 4pm. The tap-dancing didn't start until the fourth or fifth song, and we were told that Jamie Pressnall is with child (if you couldn't have figured it out based on her newborn baby on her colorful dress).

Matisyahu started off stiff (sunglasses, jacket, baseball cap) and thenreally started to get into it towards the third song. I suspect this is all part of his act, but that also means that they've kicked out most of the photographers in the press-pit (incidentally, there were a ton of media coverage for the festival). I have never seen an audience going bananas when M took off his jacket - just to give you an idea that the "act" works.

Towards the end, Matisyahu decided to do a stage dive - but the barrier was far, so the security team was right on top of it, moving the monitors and making sure Matisyahu can jump.

When Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks came on stage, I thought to myself that he "cut his hair". I also thought his drummer looks incredibly like the drummer from Sleater-Kinney - and did get confirmation:

Mendeley @weheartmusic yes she is! http://bit.ly/10Pss3
4:40 PM Jul 3rd from web in reply to weheartmusic
tigerpop @weheartmusic yes! janet weiss rules!
3:21 PM Jul 3rd from mobile web

Public Enemy's incredible 20 hour soundcheck was filled with "ai'ight" and "cd and dvd for $10". The soundcheck was so long, the press photographers, possibly bored out of their mind started taking pictures of the setup - in which the MC told them to "chill out, ai'ight, save it for the show, ai'ight?" This was followed by another warning and complaints that the DJ's third amp or something wasn't working. But the fans brave it out in the rain, I suppose sound perfection commands a high price, ai'ight?

I was only there to see Flavor Flav, who never made it to the show. For a guy with a clock around his neck, you'd figure he would remember the show started at 9:30pm. Incidentally, 80/35 official twitter notes: "It's unforunate about flavor flav but the show will go on and public enemy will bring it. #8035" at 5:04 PM.

July 4^th proved a little more difficult for me, as that day required me to walk back and forth to all three stage. While the stage are not all that far apart, my "slipper shoes" did not offer much support. Here are the bands I did manage to catch:

Iowa's Poison Control Center "got the party started" as their audience sung along, "love, love is the answer, until you get cancer". They are energetic and seems to enjoy playing their duct-taped guitar upsidedown.

Saw Miss Derringer again, the setlist and performance routine was pretty much the same from a few nights ago. Although, I think the set for the two free stages were much shorter than the main stage.

They seem more talkative at the festival, always projecting this infectious happy to be on tour (and their performance won over a few new fans who eagerly bought the new album to have autographed). Singer Elizabeth McGrath mentioned on stage much she liked these festival food. Which I can attest is true as she offered some of her deep-fried food at their touring BFF's Girl in a Coma on the next stage.

GIAC's set was essentially the same as a few nights ago, only a bit shorter. I got a chance to say hi to them and mentioned that my good friend Melinda once got lost on the train with them on the other side of France.

I caught briefly Man Man, who I can only describe as tribal animals with pots & pans. Audrye Sessions seems really intense, Paper Route was impressed by the people on the rooftop watching them, Envy Corps had mad-audience attendance (they should've been on the main stage, not the free stage) who invade the stage, Wild Sweet Orange's hilarious "do you guys remember what we're called? Yes, that's right we're called Wild Sweet Horses!"

G. Love and Special Sauce's show packed and ended their set with the popular "Cold Beverages" song. By this time, I was ready for bed... but I soldiered on for Broken Social Scene - who as Lara have mentioned to me before when she saw them last year that these guys "are old". She's right. What she didn't mention was that it's ridiculous that the band have FIVE guitarists. Really? Five?  Amy Millan from our favorite band, Stars, showed up on the second song and stayed throughout their (very) long set.

Ben Harper and Relentless7's fans are insane. I mean that in a good way. They were so passionate (and drunk) and wanted every opportunity to invade the stage. I saw so many fans turned away from trying to get a closer view in the photography press area. I have never seen that much excitement for any artist at the festival!

We left before the fireworks, so we can get home at a decent hour. Overall, I wasn't looking forward to another night of pitching the tent in the dark and/or with the rain coming down on us... Although it was a lot of fun, it was too much work for me (I'm not a big fan of driving and getting lost). I think next year, I will have someone else cover the show and maybe do the Taste of Minnesota thing next year.

Update: more photos at britrockatthetop.com

 01/06/2009 23:06:58  ♥ written by lara ()

Top 5 Albums of 2008

I wrote in my blog (I blog) the other day about my frustration with making “top” lists (even though I had made the suggestion to Vu).  Music, like any art form, is so openly subjective that any attempt at creating a definitive “best” list is hopelessly, well, hopeless.  So I present to you my purely personal Top 5 of 2008 compilations.  Take it or leave it (but please take it, and love me too).

 
1.  Beach House – Devotion

Their first album was nice.  Occasionally heavy-lidded and aimless (as in, the mind wanders when listening), but nice, certainly a curious take on dream pop.  Then Devotion came out and it was like Beach House even further demented the dreamy stargaze domain, in, you know, a really, really attractive way.  With Victoria’s sad, velvet voice (not at all, never ever cute, for godsake), the off-putting pace, the hollow beat, the moodiness, the sometimes romantic/sometimes painful lyrics, the harpsichord, that Daniel Johnston cover…it just works.  How often do all the pieces fall into place?  It may never happen again.  Enjoy, Beach House.

2.  The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust

So the Raveonettes are getting fuzzier and less defined, and moving further from those neo-noir 60s Phil Spector-inspired melodies into darker territory.  Darker, louder territory.  Like, seriously loud.  I’d probably be less impressed with this album if it wasn’t for the sheer enormity of sound.  Every song has a kind of feverish build-up; by the end it’s bye-bye future hearing, hello creepy weird aural enlightenment, or something.

3.  Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Real Emotional Trash

What I like about Real Emotional Trash is that it combines the best of the Pavement core—bizarre/absurdist lyrics and sprawling noise/extended “jammin’/freak deaky guitar rifts.  This album sounds very Malkmus; it isn’t the work of a middle-aged rocker desperate to fit in one last reinvention and prove to the twenty-somethings that he’s “still got it.”  No, Malkmus hardly seems concerned with too much change; he may choose different directions with each of his solo albums, but there’s always a comfortable familiarity.  (And, for the record, he’s definitely still got it.)

Santogold-L.E.S Artistes The Magnetic Fields-Too Drunk to Dream

4.  Santogold – Santogold

Let’s just get the obvious out of the way:  yes, she reminds you of M.I.A.  Sure, Santogold sings through her nose, loves a crazy beat, and is scarily supa fly (intimidating to the average-looking), but if you actually listen to her album you’ll realize that she ain’t no M.I.A.  Which isn’t to say that Santogold ain’t fabulous.  Au contraire, it’s perfect downtown club music (for the mild, hip and white).  You can bump, grind, convulse, jump, rapidly move your hands in front of your face, remain mostly still while nodding your head, twirl, whatever.  Also, with the absence of any kind of political message you don’t even have to pretend that you care about real things.

5.  The Magnetic Fields – Distortion

What an aptly titled album.  I’m found of aptly titled things.  I wish Animal Collective and Xiu Xiu would take note and start naming their albums “Weird Crazy Things That Sound Like Woodlawn Creatures and Kitchen Utensils.”  It would be convenient for writing reviews. Anyway, Distortion is Stephen Merritt doing distortion, which means fuzzy, drone-y guitar that lovers can still swoon to, and sad/silly lyrics like “sober, you’re old and ugly; shit-faced, who needs a mirror” (“Too Drunk to Dream”).

Top 5 Songs of 2008

1.  Beach House – “Heart of Chamber” (Devotion)

Honestly, I could have chosen any song from Devotion, but “Heart of Chamber” is the one that gives me the strongest heart palpitations (like remembering a teenage night that never happened).  As I said before, it works, and who needs solid logic?

2.  Beck – “Walls” (Modern Guilt)

My relationship with Beck is similar to my relationship with thrift shopping:  99% of the time I leave the store irritated and resentful; however, maybe once a year I find something absolutely stunning, like amazingly, disgustingly perfect that I forget about all the previous disappointments.  “Walls” is my disgustingly perfect gold lamé romper that I will never wear again.

3.  Okkervil River – “Lost Coastlines” (The Stand Ins)

Apparently there are (self-proclaimed) straight men out there that would “go gay” for Will Sheff.  Who knew.  I cannot make that same declaration, but I will say this:  Jonathan Meiburg’s voice keeps me comfortably heterosexual.

Lucinda Williams - Jailhouse Tears

Benoit Pioulard-Brown Bess

4.  Benoît Pioulard – “Brown Bess” (Temper)

His name is Tom (hint:  he’s not French).  Tom taps into those same otherworldly arrangements that Zach Condon used to convince hipsters that foreign music could be edgy too.  “Brown Bess” is just too pretty to ignore.  I don’t know what he’s singing (it’s in English; he mumbles, I selectively listen), but similar to hearing a beautiful French phrase, do you even care?

5.  Lucinda Williams (ft. Elvis Costello) – “Jailhouse Tears” (Little Honey)

The whole album’s kind of a mess:  a few old-school bluesy ballads, some terrible angry rockers, and a truly frightening AC/DC cover (Lucinda, no).  However, this duet with Costello makes me smile because I think Lucinda’s being a bit cheeky, no?

Top 5 Bands to Think About in 2009

Sybris-Oh Man Alina Simone - Half My Kingdom

Jumbling Towers-Gamble 1 comment The Pharmacy-Little Toys On A Shelf Doomtree-Dots and Dashes

1.  Sybris

What:  Anti-twee indiepop
Where:  Chicago, IL
Think about:  “Oh Man!”  (Into the Trees, 2008)
More!  http://myspace.com/sybris

2.  Jumbling Towers

What:  Halloween-voiced lad + pop music + geek beats
Where:  St. Louis, MO
Think about:  “Gamble” (Classy Entertainment EP, 2008)
More!  http://myspace.com/jumblingtowers

3.  Alina Simone

What:  Folk/punk
Where:  Brooklyn, NY
Think about:  “Half My Kingdom” (Everyone is Crying Out to Me, Beware, 2008)
More!  http://myspace.com/alinasimone

4.  The Pharmacy

What:  Dirty rotten indie rock
Where:  New Orleans, LA
Think about:  “Little Toys on the Shelf” (Choose Yr. Own Adventure, 2008)
More!  http://myspace.com/pharmacy

5.  Doomtree

What:  White-friendly (read: non-threatening or “not too ghetto”) “smart” hip-hop

Where:  Minneapolis, MN
Think about:  “Dots and Dashes” (Doomtree, 2008)
More!  http://myspace.com/doomtree
Note:  Doomtree is extremely popular within their home state of Minnesota, but have they crossed the border?  Let me know.

 

 10/27/2008 09:38:58  ♥ written by vu ()

Subscribe to our show at podcast.weheartmusic.com, via RSS Feed.

Download Episode #29: Firefox AK and The Midway State (33 min)
Download Episode #30: Meet Kate and Lara (41 min)

Download excerpts of our shows at W♥M Excerpts.

I have to explain and apologize for some things: First of all, the phone Andrea was using came through really low and so the sound quality is not so hot. It also had a short delay (combined with low output) causing us to ask "what?" and pause a lot. Boo to the technical problems :(

The Midway State's interview was delayed by 30 minutes, plus the time zone thing kicked my ass! The problem with the delay was that I was on a tight schedule and could only record for fifteen minutes before having to export my audio and have the computer ready for another recording session in 10 minutes.

ALSO: talking to Kate and Lara ran nearly an hour, even after I threw away such spectacular questions such as "What's in your pocket?" and "I hear you collect comic books"; it still ran nearly 40 minutes. So I decided to make it into its own episode - consider this a bonus episode this week!

PART ONE: FIREFOX AK
firefoxak.com ♥ myspace.com/firefoxak
Please check out my previous article with Firefox AK. Spending her morning in New York to talk to us about:

• Her live shows descriptions
• Her exploration of New York and eating pancakes
• Working with Hello Saferide
• Tgr Lou
• Berlin
• Razzia Records and Minty Fresh Records
• Firefox AK Vs Laid

She's going to appear on some dates throughout Germany:

11/14/08 Budapest
12/03/08 Uebel & Gefaehrlich Hamburg
12/04/08 Festsaal Kreuzberg Berlin
12/05/08 Forum - Visions Party Bielefeld
12/06/08 Live Station - Visions Party Dortmund
12/08/08 Schocken Stuttgart
12/09/08 Ampere München
12/10/08 Gare De Lyon Wil
12/11/08 ISC Bern
12/12/08 Schlachthof Wiesbaden
12/12/08 Projekt 7 Magdeburg

PART TWO: THE MIDWAY STATE
themidwaystate.com ♥ myspace.com/themidwaystate
Derek previously reviewed Holes by The Midway State, so I was more than happy to have Nathan on to talk to us briefly:

• Arlene's Grocery is not a grocery store
• Headlining tour throughout Canada
• Their funny Minneapolis story, trying to make it to a gig with Mika
• "Holes" to be released domestically in early 2009
• Touring with a piano
• Process of writing music (inspired by Beyonce haha)

Check out tour dates!

12 Nov 2008 Plaza Club Vancouver, British Columbia
14 Nov 2008 The Starlite Edmonton, Alberta
15 Nov 2008 Marquee Club Calgary, Alberta
16 Nov 2008 Amigos Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
17 Nov 2008 Royal Albert Hotel Winnipeg, Manitoba
19 Nov 2008 Cowboy’s Bar Guelph, Ontario
20 Nov 2008 Tattoo Toronto, Ontario
21 Nov 2008 Mavericks Ottawa, Ontario
22 Nov 2008 Le Studio Juste pur riere Montreal, Quebec

PART THREE: KATE AND LARA
kate.weheartmusic.com ♥ lara.weheartmusic.com
LOLing through it all:

• The secret orgin of Kate & Lara
• Upcoming concerts: Ben Sollee, The Hopefuls
• "Wisconsin doesn't count as a state."
• Music venues we hate
• "Screw the Current."
• Living in New York
• Music we're listening to
• The three Bens: Ben Folds, Ben & Jason, and Ben & Jerry
• Chromeo

Special thanks goes to Jennie at Minty Fresh Records, Andrea from Firefox AK, Myles from Sneak Attack, Nathan from the Midway State, Kate, and Lara. Music used in the show includes: Firefox AK, Hello Saferide, Ben Folds Five, Ben & Jason, Alina Simone, The Midway State, Pavement, Chromeo, and more.

If you would like to appear on a future We Heart Music Radio show, please contact . Thank you for listening.

Last week I was listening to the radio when on comes this Toyota commercial with a familiar tune in the background. After a couple of moments I realized it was Suburban Kids With Biblical Names! I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

SKWBN is a band from Sweden consisting of Johan Hedberg and Peter Gunnarson. They formed the band in late 2003, and have 3 releases thus far: two E.P.'s entitled "#1" (2004) and "#2" (2005), and a full-length album entitled "#3" (2005). Their songs are quite catchy, and often feature witty or funny lyrics.

Ironically enough, the song chosen for the Toyota commercials is called "Rent A Wreck". I just recently saw a television commercial featuring the same music. It's available on the #1 E.P. and the #3 L.P. Anyway, here's the song, as well as the music video.

Links: website, myspace

Useless Trivia: They got their name from a lyric in the song "People" by indie rock band Silver Jews.
Even More Useless Trivia: One of the original members of Silver Jews was Stephen Malkmus, who later helped form Pavement.
Super Mega Useless Trivia: The record they're staring at on the cover of #3 appears to be the 12" for "Freak Da Girls" by American rapper Turk. Please don't ask why I even bothered to figure this out... perhaps I was hoping it would turn out to be something really cool or meaningful, but I have no idea how it's connected to the band. =/  Maybe they just like that record?

-randy