Sigur Ros: Live at Bass Performance Hall

This is going to be more of a photo-recap than a formal review, as I'm tired and I have to get to The Cavern to DJ (ie, plug in our laptop and click a bunch of stuff) to our adoring audience of 2: the bartender girl, and random old guy at the bar that would probably rather listen to the jukebox.



Last night's Sigur Ros show at Bass wasn't the life-altering experience I was sort of hoping for, nor was it the best show I've ever seen. But it was full of amazing, transcendant moments, and despite a few technical difficulties (which the ladies of Amina found hilarious), it was one of the most captivating concert experiences I've ever had. Much has been made of the visual set up, and for good reason.



The band employs a front-screen for the show opener, which creates a spell-bounding cinematic effect. From the opening note, the band had the entire audience entranced (except for Torr, he was sleeping), which created a unique atmosphere. The adoring crowd was completely silent, and even when a song ended, it seemed no one wanted to be the first to break the silence with their applause.




Musically, I can't really put into words how epic this band is live. They elicit an otherworldly feeling at times with their soaring, emotional soundscapes.





The show-closer ("Untitled #8", I believe) was the most spectacular ending to a concert I've ever seen, hands down. And it was actually the tour-closer, as this was the last stop on their current North American trip. A fitting end to what was, by all accounts, an amazing tour.





Bonus:

Check out this footage and the following description of an impromptu aftershow performance by Sigur Ros last night, outside of their tour bus.

"Then around 1am that night, coming back to our car after dinner, there they were - chipped teeth and kind of bug-eyed - standing outside their tour bus. With an acoustic guitar and a banjo. There were like three other people around. We stood there in absolute disbelief for a little while, then they started motioning for us to join in (I am not making this up). We went over there and started clapping, singing, and whooping along to this funny little country song they were playing"

Sorry I missed this. (via this guy's blog)

Best of February

This is the second installment of my monthly series in which I round up what I think were the best songs of the month, tailored specifically for people that don't have the time and/or desire to wade through my daily ramblings. It's an especially long list this time, and I even left off a bunch of stuff that deserves to be here, but I feel like I've posted enough about this month (Voxtrot, Marissa Nadler, Sunset Rubdown, and more). These will only be up for a few days, so enjoy:

edit: my file-host (Ezarchive) likes to fu** with me at the most inopportune times. It's apparently down now, so check back if you're unable to download.


The Raconteurs

• The Raconteurs Steady as She Goes mp3

I didn't think there was any way this could have lived up to my own expectations and anticipation level. But the more I listen to it, I don't think we'll be hearing a better power-pop song all year.

• Destroyer Painter in your Pocket mp3

Nothing to say about Destroyer's Rubies that hasn't already been said, really. But if you haven't given this entire album a proper chance, you're missing out.

• St. Vincent Lips are Red (stream at Myspace)

You know I think a song is good if I'm compelled to include an unfinished mix of it (I believe) on my list, and without an mp3.

• J Tillman Seven States Across mp3

The Sufjan Stevens comparison is played out, yes, but this song recalls something from Seven Swans crossed with Iron & Wine. Understated, and gorgeous.

• SOUND team Electric Stallion m4a

If you're unfamiliar with SOUND team, this might not be the best introduction to their music, and it's certainly not the best representation of their style. But it's damn good, and only begins to hint at the band's versatility.

• The Knife Heartbeats (OneMusic Session) mp3

This one was actually featured on Said the Gramophone, but it was too good to leave off the list.

• Danielson Did I Step on your Trumpet? mp3

Taken from the upcoming Ships LP, I can't decide if this song is more or less accessible than their previous stuff. Catchy (and bizarre) as hell.

• Dert The Light + Heartbeats mp3

I've been over mashups in general for a while now, but Dert's Sometimes I Rhyme Slow project sort of came out of nowhere and blew me away. Jose Gonzalez's gentle vocals and strumming meets hip-hop, and it surprisingly, it works.

Bonus:

• The Long Winters The Commander Thinks Aloud mp3

I realize this song is from 2005, but I posted it this month, and I've listened to it a lot lately. A heartbreaking account of the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle astronauts' tragic fate that never fails to give me chills.

You're damn right it's "best new music"

"Kneeling before Pavement, Wire, Beach Boys, and Pixies at rock's canonical altar, this scrappy Minneapolis four-piece proudly wear their influences on-sleeve, shunning hipster malaise and manic experimentation for hook after addictively anthemic hook"
--Pitchfork on The Loon



Look who made Pitchfork's vaunted "Best New Music" list. We already knew that, but it's nice to see them get the credit they deserve, garnering an 8.3 in today's review. Oh, did I mention they're playing the gorilla vs. bear showcase in less than two weeks (with Birdmonster, Seventeen Evergreen, and SOUND team's "Bill Bird")?

Check out this great flyer that Seventeen Evergreen made for the show:



related:



See you there?

i want you to hurry

A friend and I were discussing the other day the importance of singer-songwriters choosing a good moniker, and how that sort of sets the tone for the whole project. Example: Iron & Wine. It just wouldn't be the same if he recorded under Sam Beam. Same for Conor Oberst. Even when he performs solo, he's Bright Eyes. Well, I like this guy's moniker well enough: River Deep. I don't know his real name, or anything else about him for that matter. But here's a nice little ditty for your Monday evening:

edit: Never mind the above post, he's actually going by the name of Spuuner and he's from Brooklyn. The song's still good though.

Edit again: Actually, it's Spunner, not Spuuner. And it was River Deep, not Deep River. I should really look into this kind of thing before I post. I promise I'm not a complete moron, I just act like one on my blog. Anyway, you guys seem to like the song, that's all that matters.

River Deep Spuuner Spunner i want you to hurry mp3

Sigur Ros tonight

Photo by Matt Picasso

Anybody else going to see Sigur Ros tonight at Bass Performance Hall? My car is going to be a regular rolling blogger convention, with Torr, Garrison, Del, and myself making the trip to Fort Worth. It would be an understatement to say I'm pretty excited, especially after Matt called their Louisville performance last week the best show he's ever seen. Of course, he took that back a week later after seeing Of Montreal. Damn teenagers.

Sigur Ros Untitled #1 (live) mp3

princess superstar

I'm officially obsessed with eMusic. I spent much of the weekend using the rest of my 50 free downloads to download some albums I've lost over the years (Cat Power's Moon Pix and The Dirtbombs' Ultraglide in Black are reason enough to do the free trial).

So, I thought I'd start a new feature detailing how I think you should use up your 50 free songs. First up: Princess Superstar:



Princess Superstar will be at SXSW 2006, and I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find me at Elysium on Friday night (March 17), where she'll perform along with Asobi Seksu, The Boy Least Likely To, and Love Is All. I've seen her perform before (to a crowd of about 20), and she's witty, hilarious, and cute at the same time, all the while oozing sex appeal that's off-the-charts. So, I thought I'd re-familiarize myself with her recorded material.

• Princess Superstar Keith 'n Me (feat. Kool Keith) mp3

On this track, from Princess Superstar Is..., Princess Superstar recruited one of the few who can match her outrageously raunchy lyrics: one of my favorite rappers ever, the legendary Kool Keith. Featuring a sample from Princess Superstar's mom.

• Princess Superstar My Machine mp3

On this, the title track from 2005's My Machine, Superstar goes electro-hop. This change suits her well, and I'm interested to see how it translates live. Last time it was pretty much straight forward hip hop, but she did have the pre-programmed beats working.

Sign up here for your free 50 songs and start downloading. Again, to reiterate, there are no strings: if you want, you can cancel after your 50 songs are up. I personally opted for the $9.99/month plan (40 songs).

bonus mp3:

MC Paul Barman MTV Get Off the Air (feat. Princess Superstar)

The Black Arm Band

Wanz Dover of The Black Arm Band

I had the pleasure of meeting Mwanza Dover (of Mazinga Phaser II) recently, and our brief conversation about our shared love and respect for Detroit's Mick Collins (of Gories/Dirtbombs fame) led me to asking about Dover's new-ish project, The Black Arm Band. He described the band as something like "Nick Cave meets Sun Ra meets the MC5 or Iggy and The Stooges".

Now, one of my favorite records ever is The Dirtbombs' Ultraglide in Black, and this track by The Black Arm Band oozes that Detroit garage rhythm & blues-punk-"sonik soul" that I love, but don't listen to nearly enough. I can't wait to see this band live, and luckily for me, they live in my hometown:

The Black Arm Band Milk Cow mp3

(if link is down, download at the band's myspace page)

Bonus:

The Dirtbombs Chains of Love mp3 (Jimmy Hughes cover)

no midnight

Birdmonster has announced the title of their upcoming LP: No Midnight. Looks like they've got a (tenative?) release date of April 11. I've enjoyed reading all about the recording process over at their blog, and now you can pre-order here for only 10 bucks.

I'm super excited to have these guys playing the gorilla vs. bear showcase on March 10 @ The Cavern. If you're still undecided about attending, this live Birdmonster clip might help. The show-closer, "All the Holes in the Walls", especially kicks ass.

Birdmonster Resurrection Song mp3

also:



I love the fact that Matt's favorite band is releasing an EP every month in 2006. The January EP is great, and if this song is any indication, the February EP will be just as good.

Bishop Allen Vain mp3

buy the February EP for only 5 bucks here

sometimes I rhyme slow

It was only a matter of time, I suppose. I mean, it makes perfect sense, but I didn't think it would work as well as this. L.A. producer Dert has created somewhat of a hip hop masterpiece based on Jose Gonzalez's Veneer (one of my favorite records of last year). I know you probably need another mash-up like you need a heart attack, but before you dismiss it, listen to these tracks. Dert did a masterful job of utilizing Gonzalez's beats to match the tone of the lyrics. Highly recommended.

• Common feat. Erykah Badu The Light + Heartbeats mp3

• Kanye feat. Mos Def + Freeway Two Words + Slow Moves mp3

Dert's Sometimes I Rhyme Slow, which also features MF Doom, Talib Kweli, Nas, and more, comes out March 7. Listen to more snippets from the album at his myspace page

He Poos Clouds

Two things to do this morning:


Final Fantasy

1. Go to Final Fantasy's myspace page to listen to two amazing songs from his upcoming album, He Poos Clouds.

Final Fantasy Peach Plum Pear (Joanna Newsom cover) mp3
(taken from his Spell For a Weak Heart 7")

2. Head over to I Guess I'm Floating to download two (possibly unmastered) tracks from the as-yet-untitled TV On the Radio album. These first two live up to expectations, and then some.

myspace rules

poser

Not only do I regularly find cool new bands on Myspace, but I can also be friends with Kevin Federline, and get his hilariously idiotic bulletins that he sends out like every 5 minutes. Here's the latest K-Fed news:

"whats up everone. check out this little shit i did wit game.. come download the fu** outta this. --kevin federline. thats whats up"

Go be his boy here. Jesus I'm glad it's friday, I'm running out of ways to be bored.

edit: here's the song. Umm, download the fu** outta it:

The Game + K-Fed 360 mp3

Painter in your Pocket

Seems I've been gushing with praise over just about everything lately (even more so than usual), but there's just been so much great shit that has come to my ears lately. 2006 is already shaping up to be an amazing year for music overall: I've been obsessed with the Fiery Furnaces' Bitter Tea, the new Hot Chip record, Band of Horses' Everything All The Time, The Knife's Silent Shout, and about 5 other things right now.



And despite the greatness of all of the aforementioned albums, Destroyer's Rubies stands out as an early contender for album of the year.

I know everyone's been talking about this record, but I've been kind of ingoring that until I had a chance to fully digest it. I think it's the most complex, ambitious, and beautiful thing Dan Bejar has ever created. Give this track a few listens, as there's a lot going on:

Destroyer Painter in your Pocket mp3

buy Destroyer's Rubies from Merge

Dallas people: please vote for gorillavsbear.net for "Best Music Website/Blog" in the 2006 Dallas Observer Music Awards. It'll only take a second.

elsewhere:

Dodge has pics from last night's Voxtrot show in Bloomington.

How I Love You, Bitter Tea

So I was watching The Fiery Furnaces' performance on Pancake Mountain on DVD last night with some friends, and I was reminded why I fell in love with the band (and Eleanor) in the first place. She has an almost child-like wonder, which comes across in the imaginative, hyperactive, and at times frenetic quality of their music.

But try as I might, I could never get into Rehearsing My Choir. However, as of late, I have been obsessed with their new record, Bitter Tea. I hear the best bits of Blueberry Boat combined with the (relative) accessibility of EP. Highly recommended.

The Fiery Furnaces Black-hearted Boy mp3

Bitter Tea comes out April 18 on Fat Possum Records.

Let's Ride Bikes into the Sea

I've posted on Austin's Oh No! Oh My! a couple times, but I just cannot get enough of this record. I posted way back when that this was the best cd of all time that can be had for $1.50, and now I can pretty much guarantee that it will end up somewhere pretty high on my best of '06 list. My point is, you know how I feel about it, so I thought I'd let my boy (and your host) Garrison Reid from Indie Interviews.com share his thoughts. So here you go:

"Just the other day I was telling a friend that the most deluded and sterile comparison a modern music critic can make is comparing anything to Neutral Milk Hotel or namedropping Mangum in their review. This is something I learned working for a college radio station, which surely receives more mail recalling Jeff Mangum than Merge. So I write this post with caution and simultaneously, with overwhelming sincerity.

What everyone loves about Neutral Milk Hotel is this unsettling sense -- that there is hope in that which is ghastly. Oh No! Oh My! have recaptured that sense throughout their self-titled record and especially on the track "I Have No Sister". The discussion of relationships and death are processed in such an uplifting manner (full of handclaps and an addictive keyboard element) that the listener blissfully bypasses the point that they aren't in this traditional "letter-jacket exchange" relationship.

Mangum's following should skip the old demos and look ahead to bands like this."

--Garrison Reid

Oh No! Oh My! I Have No Sister mp3

bonus:

Someone tell me, why isn't this song already in like, a Volkswagen or a Toyota commercial or something?

Oh No! Oh My! Walk in the Park mp3

You can still buy the Oh No! Oh My! pre-release here for $1.50 Do it.

St. Vincent

"She's opened for Television and performed with Glenn Branca's 100-ax orchestra, and she has a Bjork-ian knack for transforming otherworldly chords and potentially crippling conceits into artful pop"
--The Boston Phoenix



I've been telling anyone that will listen (and even those who won't) about the inimitable Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent. Since I saw her perform with The Polyphonic Spree last summer, I've been smitten by her infectious energy and unique and prodigious guitar-style. And, after hearing a handful of rough mixes a couple months back, I was blown away by her ability to create lullabies that kicked my ass.

Annie has been playing guitar in some shape or form since she was 5, and she's developed a style of playing that's unlike any I've ever seen or heard. Her sound has been described as "an ethereal marriage of Jeff Buckley and Bjork", and if you threw in some PJ Harvey and maybe, umm...Buckethead, you'd be about half way there.

Annie's been insanely busy helping create the new Spree album, but luckily for us, she found time to record some brand new tracks, and they are gorgeous.

Listen to three songs ("Lips are Red" is my favorite; Edit: after a few listens, this is possibly the best song I've heard this year) at St. Vincent's myspace page, and while you're there, be Annie's friend

beirut

Thanks to commenter Andrea, there is yet another artist I HAVE to see at SXSW, and his name is Beirut. Beirut's unique sound has been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel, Magnetic Fields, Antony & The Johnsons, and Caetano Veloso, but I think he sounds like Owen from Final Fantasy (vocally, at least) backed by a band of Middle Eastern gypsies. If you're wondering if that's a good thing, yes, it is. And even better, the kid is 19.

Beirut Postcards from Italy mp3
Beirut The Canal mp3
Beirut The White Whale mp3

look for Beirut's debut album, Gulag Orkestar, to be released in April on Ba Da Bing.

Tonight in Texas

There are quite a few good shows tonight across my great state...here a few of them that are definitely worth your time and money:

Austin:
Tonight @ the Cactus Cafe (inside the UT student union)


Baby Dee

Baby Dee
Weird Weeds
Jonathan Meiburg (of Shearwater)

Show begins at 8:30pm. Only 5 bucks.

I was unfamiliar with Baby Dee, but Nick from Weird Weeds tells me she's "a transgender singer/songwriter originally from Cleveland who is--among other things--an original member of Antony & the Johnsons, a street/circus performer, former Bronx school choir director, and an amazing solo artist" that's not to be missed.

Baby Dee Lilacs mp3

*************************

Denton:
Tonight @ Hailey's



The Starlight Mints

Here's a track from the new Starlight Mints album, Drowaton:

Starlight Mints Inside of Me mp3

*************************

Dallas:
Tonight @ The Cavern



Japanther
Madeline Adams
Shapes & Sizes

Shapes & Sizes Island's Gone Bad mp3

Voxtrot on woxy.com: Part II

Here's the rest of Voxtrot's Lounge Act set onwoxy.com, recorded yesterday afternoon and converted to mp3 by magic. (Actually, it was Kevin). At any rate, here's a song from the band's first EP, Raised by Wolves, and a great new song from the soon-to-be-released Mothers Sisters Daughters & Wives EP:

Voxtrot The Start of Something (live on woxy.com) mp3
Voxtrot Soft and Warm (live on woxy.com) mp3

Please support woxy.com in any way that you can. Such an amazing station, and I'd hate to see them have to pack it up due to lack of support.

Pre-order the new Voxtrot EP here

also:

Phoenix people, check out iSpin, which debuts tomorrow night in your town. Don't miss it. (Be iSpin's friend)

Mushaboom: The Postal Service Remix

I wasn't even aware that this remix existed until a friend sent it to me a few hours ago, but it's a very nice re-working of one of my favorite songs of 2005. Ben Gibbard's vocals are a nice addition to an already nearly perfect pop song:

Feist Mushaboom (The Postal Service Remix) mp3

related:

Stereogum has Broken Social Scene's version of "Puff the Magic Dragon". Go get it.

Voxtrot on woxy.com!

Voxtrot

Here's an mp3 from Voxtrot's Lounge Act performance on the great woxy.com earlier this afternoon. I should have the rest of the set tomorrow morning, but here's my favorite one. The second part of the mp3 is a cover of Comet Gain's "You Can Hide Your Love Forever":

Voxtrot Raised by Wolves/You Can Hide Your Love Forever mp3

Thanks to Kevin for hooking these up, they sound really great.

indie bear

Not sure who came up with that above math equation, or what the correct answer is, but our new Indie Interviews/gorilla vs. bear Indie Bear podcast is up. Check it out, and hear tracks from Man Man, Band of Horses, Oh No! Oh My! and much more, including Garrison trying to be funny.

Marissa Nadler

I've posted on Marissa Nadler before, but as regular readers of this blog can attest, I have a penchant for posting numerous times on artists I'm especially fond of. Well you can add Marissa Nadler to the list of those who can do no wrong in my book.

I've been listening a lot lately to her 2005 album, The Saga of Mayflower May, but it's this live track that really gets me. She has the voice of an angel; or is it a ghost? Equally enchanting and haunting; I can't get enough, especially when it's cold and dark outside.

Marissa Nadler Flora Barone (live at the BBC) mp3

Luckily (for me), Marissa will perform in Austin on March 17 at the Central Presbyterian Church, which seems like the ideal venue for her.

be Marissa's friend, and see if she's coming to your town

bonus:

a track from The Saga of Mayflower May, which can be purchased here:

Marissa Nadler Turquoise mp3

elsewhere:


poster by Garrison Reid

Garrison Reid sits down w/ Josh from Tapes 'n Tapes on the latest Indie Interviews podcast. They discuss The Loon, touring, and how blogs have contributed to the band's success. Definitely worth a listen, and not just because Josh mentions the gorilla vs. bear showcase.

iowa soul

A friend of mine introduced me to A-Ko, and I was instantly struck by his Go! Team meets RJD2 meets James Brown brand of soulful production. And the kid is from Grimes, Iowa. For serious. All tracks highly recommended:

A-Ko Soul '69
A-Ko untitled mp3
A-Ko Fire mp3

go see A-Ko on myspace and be his friend

Austin on Blast

This is a long post, but there are a lot of happenings in Austin's flourishing music scene, so here we go:



Having just wrapped up a successful, and by some accounts, mind-blowing, tour of both coasts, SOUND team recently finished mastering their new album, and it's slated for a June release. And we finally have a title: Movie Monster. The artwork will consist of stills from bassist Bill Baird's short film, "Surfing".

Rumor has it Mr. Baird will also be playing a short solo acoustic set at The Cavern on March 10 to open the gorilla vs. bear showcase, but I will neither confirm nor deny at this time. I've had the privilege of hearing some of Bill's solo material, and I can assure you, it's in your best interest to show up early...see you at say, 8:30?

I continue to receive requests for older SOUND team tracks, so here are two gorgeously understated instrumental songs, recorded at the band's own Big Orange studio:

SOUND team Electric Stallion m4a
SOUND team Vermont m4a



In semi-related events, Austin indie-supergroup The Silver Age has a new track on their myspace page. The song, entitled "Fata Morgana", features Red Hunter, Bill from SOUND team, Jared from Voxtrot, Nathan from Tacks, and Dave from The Black. Highly recommended.

Another track featuring Red, Bill, and an assorted cast of Austin's finest has surfaced on Whiskey and Apples' myspace page. The song, "Strange Machines", can be heard here.

Bonus Austin greatness:

The Black Wasn't it a Good Year mp3


Nethers

Finally, Information Leafblower favorite Nethers (of Washingon D.C.) will play in Austin on Friday, Feb. 24 at Red Hunter's loft, and will return to Texas in mid-March for SXSW, where they'll play at Buffalo Billiards on Thursday night with gorilla vs. bear favorites SOUND team, Earlimart, and Mazarin.

Nethers Hung Herself in a Birdcage mp3

elsewhere:

Kevin introduced me to (Sm)all Ages, an absolutely wonderful new mp3 blog featuring music for kids (big and small). Excellent stuff, including kid-friendly songs by Bjork, The White Stripes, The Beach Boys, Wilco, and many more.

Sigur Ros: Live

As if I wasn't excited enough about seeing Sigur Ros next Sunday at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Good Weather For Airstrikes has piqued my anticipation even further with a 2-hour live performance (recorded on Feb. 9 at Madison Square Garden) in mp3 form. Here's a sample track from the performance:

Sigur Ros Saeglopur (Live) mp3

Go here to download the rest

Spider Songs

"...Unless Joanna Newsom drops another brilliant album this may well be
the very finest folk that New Weird America has to offer this year."
--Left Hip.com



I had a hectic day of driving in freezing rain around this expansive mass of urban sprawl known as the Dallas metroplex, wandering aimlessly through cavernous furniture stores, spending large percentages of my income on things to make my house look less empty, and then assembling it at home. Pretty exhausting. So I was extremely pleased to find in my inbox a note from Jane Herships, aka Spider.

On her new album, The Way to Bitter Lake, Spider gets help from members of Cass McCombs and The Polyphonic Spree, but the real star here is her voice. Think Sam Beam meets Vashti Bunyan; hushed, comforting, and ultimately, beautiful and calming. In other words, just what I needed.

Recommended for fans of Nick Drake, Iron & Wine, or Joanna Newsom.

spider Don't Be Afraid, I've Just Come to Say Goodbye mp3

buy Spider's The Way to Bitter Lake here

be Spider's friend (and download more songs)

Voxtrot Karaoke

Forgive me if I ramble and this post is somewhat poorly written, and at times, historically inaccurate. I'm a little hungover, and still half-asleep, but I had to share:


Voxtrot @ The Cavern (photo by Original Ninja)

Last night's Voxtrot show was one of the most spontaneous, memorable shows I've seen in quite some time, even if the boys from the band might disagree. Frontman Ramesh had a family emergency, which left him stranded at an airport in Chicago, and it didn't look like he was going to make it. But, Jared and the rest of the boys refused to let the Cavern-dwellers down.

After a brief disclaimer and apology from Jared, the band launched into a rock-star karaoke version of "Raised by Wolves", inviting anyone who knew the lyrics to come on up. Unfortunately, some kid totally butchered it. And while that killed the whole karaoke idea, it led to the formation of a "supergroup" consisting of members of The Happy Bullets, Tacks the Boy Disaster/The Polyphonic Spree, and Voxtrot.


The kid that ruined "Raised by Wolves" (the girl ac