All posts by Kevin

general

Pinehurst Kids

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So, Annie (that’s the wife, y’all) and I are listening to my newest fave Figurines (previous post) and I keep telling her, “Think Built to Spill.” Then she says, “You know who they sound like? … Pinehurst Kids.” Oh, snap! She’s right.

Back in 1999, when emo was all the rage, I was digging on the Pinehurst Kids, a three-piece emo/punk/pop/whatever outfit from Portland, Ore. The group released three full-length albums, but I the only one I own is Viewmaster, a compact and powerful piece of greatness. It’s one of those albums that holds nostalgic value – I can instantly attach a time in my life to the music – but it’s also just a really solid CD.


And as I’m listening to Viewmaster now and digging up information on the Internet, it appears the group is making some sort of comeback, which is great. The Pinehurst Kids were never so sappy and emo that you’d write them off as soft; there was a punk edge to it that kept the emotion a little more real.

Visit Pinehurst Kids on MySpace. The band is also offering some MP3s here, but I’m going to bust off a few tracks from Viewmaster.

Pinehurst Kids | Flicker
Pinehurst Kids | Lumper
Pinehurst Kids | Pretty Whistle

Also …
I think Annie and I will be checking out Band of Horses tonight at Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Can anyone confirm or deny they put on a good show?

And we have a winner in the Ian Love CD giveaway. As chosen by Ian himself, Tim at People of Paper won with his submission of two words to describe the cover art on Ian’s self-titled debut. His words were: “tender traveller.” Congrats, Tim. And thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts. I made Ian decide so I wouldn’t have to! (And, Tim, we’ll be in touch!)

hip-hop

The Coup “Pick a Bigger Weapon”

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Over the weekend, I received what might be the first Important Hip-Hop Album of 2006: The Coup’s Pick a Bigger Weapon (due out April 25 on Epitaph Records). By “important” I don’t mean good (although Pick a Bigger Weapon definitely is that). It’s important in terms of its message.

I hate to get righteous, but Boots Riley is a voice that needs to be heard. Hip-hop is missing the value of activism that made Public Enemy and KRS-One so vital and relevant. Boots Riley is the natural successor.

Pick a Bigger Weapon calls Bush to task (more than once), especially on Head (of State), in which Boots pictures Bush and Hussein as political (and, well, sexual) bedfellows: “War ain’t about one land against the next / it’s po’ people dyin’ so the rich cash checks.” There’s no reason Boots’ lyrical sedition shouldn’t incite the same fervor as Kanye West calling out Bush on national TV.

Guest spots on the album include Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and Black Thought and Talib Kweli (on My Favorite Mutiny).

Peep the Coup on MySpace.

The Coup | My Favorite Mutiny

radio rips

Jose Gonzalez on KEXP from SXSW

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OK, seriously: I would kill for a radio station like KEXP in Phoenix. It just reminds me how far behind this city can be sometimes.

The Seattle radio station wrapped up a pretty amazing few days of performances from SXSW with a set from Jose Gonzalez, who, at least from the interview, seemed soft-spoken and perhaps taken a little aback at his pretty quick rise to notoriety. Check out the archive streams to go find the full interview.

On the topic of KEXP … is anyone interested in pooling together some funds for a pledge to the station? It’s a member-driven station and I feel like we’re all benefiting from their music and streams. A few bucks from a lot of people can go a long way. Leave a comment with your thoughts or e-mail me at somuchsilence@gmail.com, and I can figure out a way to set this up. (Or perhaps money would be better served going to WOXY, which is switching to a member-supported system.)

Jose Gonzalez from SXSW, on KEXP, 3/17/06:

1. Deadweight on Velveteen
2. Hints
3. Sensing Owls
4. Instrumental
5. Heartbeats
6. Crosses

radio rips

Billy Bragg on KEXP from SXSW

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(UPDATE: Had to delete this post and republish because my sidebar was disappearing. So I’ve lost the comments for this post. If you’re so willing, please comment again!)

Like a lot of people (I think), my introduction to Billy Bragg came from the Mermaid Avenue recordings with Wilco. My best friend has urged me to delve into Bragg’s solo work, and I have quite enjoyed Workers Playtime.

Now seems as good a time as any to explore Bragg as the great Yep Roc has rereleased his first four albums individually and as a nine-disc box set that includes two bonus DVDs with previously unavailable live footage.

So dig into this set performed live on KEXP Thursday from SXSW, which includes a new song I Keep Faith. Also, visit Chromewaves for a recap of Bragg’s Toronto concert with the usual assortment of great photos by Frank.

(In the interest of server space, I didn’t include the interview, but I encourage you to visit KEXP and find the archive stream to listen. Some songs include a little chatter/intro before each.)

Also, he plays Way Over Yonder, a song from the Mermaid sessions, but never mentions Wilco. If I remember from reading the Wilco book Learning How to Die, the relationship between Wilco and Bragg soured by the end of the project. Does anyone know if that’s true?

Billy Bragg from SXSW, on KEXP, 3/16/06:
1. A Lover Sings
2. Shirley
3. Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key
4. NPWA
5. I Keep Faith (new song)
6. A New England

radio rips

Tapes ‘n Tapes on KEXP from SXSW

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So for those of us who can’t be at SXSW, this is the next best thing. Well, that’s at least what I’m telling myself so I’ll feel better about not being able to go.

And God bless KEXP, which is streaming some pretty incredible live sets from Austin this week. There’s not much I’m going to say about Tapes ‘n Tapes that hasn’t been said already. So enjoy this. The group is scheduled to play KEXP in-studio in Seattle in about a week.

Tapes ‘n Tapes from SXSW, on KEXP, 3/15/06:

1. Just Drums
2. Manitoba
(There’s a little gap of silence at one point probably caused by a break in the stream.)
3. Insistor
4. Cowbell

general

Figurines “Skeleton”

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Rare are the times I jump into an album by a band I’ve never heard of with very high expectations. Helps keep disappointment to a minimum.

Well, Figurines are proving to be the exception. The four-piece outfit from Denmark is winning me over with bright guitars and singer Christian Hjelm’s somewhat off-key (not quite Clap Your Hands off-key) yet charming vocals.

The group’s influences – Pavement, Built to Spill, Neil Young – are all pretty clear. But the rhythms and melodies are a little more taut in the hands of Figurines. At times, chord progressions move quickly; think Built to Spill on Red Bull.

Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke is a fan. And I’ll be damned if I just missed Figurines on KEXP the other day.

Buy Skeleton at Amazon. Check out the group’s media and downloads page for more goodies.

Figurines | Silver Ponds
Figurines | Rivalry

radio rips, sports

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins on KCRW, Part II

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Thanks to everyone who commented on my mini-diatribe about Jenny Lewis. I love to hear others’ thoughts; for a while, I thought I might be the only one who didn’t particularly care for her too much. I’m trying to reconcile in my own head why I’m posting on someone whose music I’m merely midly interested in. Hmmmm …

Alas, here’s the second half of her KCRW performance. It includes a new song, which I’ve cleverly titled “New song.”

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, 3/10/06:

6. New song
7. Rise Up With Fists
(I don’t believe in using more than one exclamation point, in case you were wondering.)
8. Born Secular
9. Cold Jordan
(I really like this rendition of a traditional song.)
10. It Wasn’t Me

Also …

I’m giving everyone one more day to get in on the Ian Love CD giveaway. Hop to it.

Um, I love Norway. This can only happen in a dream.

My boy Josh mentioned this and I’d be remiss if I didn’t devote some space to it … How the hell did this happen?

Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

OK, four years for $30 million is a lot of scratch, not to mention Edgerrin James is getting $15 million of that in the first year. By no means am I a Cardinals fan, even though I’ve lived in Phoenix since about 1986; I maintain loyalty to the Bears. Still, this is the Cardinals’ biggest signing since they moved here in 1988. They had a ton of space under the salary cap, but they insisted they wouldn’t shop for top-line free agents. Um, right. Boldin, Fitzgerald, James. Pretty scary. But the o-line remains in question. James may be demanding a trade in a year after he collects his $15 mil up front.

Either way, Dodge and Eric are pissed.

Also in sports, Arizona State is in the market for a new men’s basketball coach after Rob Evans was let go. Apparently, Pitt’s Jamie Dixon is No. 1 on ASU’s wish list. Golden State coach Mike Montgomery (why did he leave Stanford for the NBA again?) also is a possibility. I’ll take either.

Let me say this: ASU men struggled under Rob Evans (one NCAA appearance in eight years and only one win over hated rival UA), but the man deserves credit for graduating players and cleaning up a point-shaving scandal and the rest of Bill Frieder’s mess. By all accounts, Evans is a stand-up guy, so just the mention of Bob Huggins’ name made me queasy. Though I doubt ASU will go that route. Other possibilities: Wichita State’s Mark Turgeon and Nevada’s Mark Fox, both of whom are in the tourney this week. Lon Kruger already has dismissed rumors he would leave UNLV to come coach his son, Kevin, who will be a senior guard next season.

There. Now don’t you feel better that you’re updated on the sports scene in Arizona?

radio rips

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins on KCRW, Part I

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Let me just say this up front (and I realize I’m probably in the minority): I’m not sold on Jenny Lewis.

For some reason, I want to like her. I want to be enamored with her. But I don’t, and I’m not. Originally, however shallow, I reasoned her connection with Postal Service would sway me. So I snapped up a couple Rilo Kiley albums. And still I don’t get it.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something feels forced, almost contrived, about her writing and presence – as if she’s desperate to live up to this goddess-of-indie-rock aura she’s taken on (or fans have bestowed upon her). The blog love for Lewis almost knows no bounds. At least, I find her solo work a little more endearing than anything in Rilo Kiley.

In my own twisted little pea brain, I sorta liken her to the Batman character Poison Ivy, who seduces unwitting men with her sex appeal for her own devices. Yeah, real deep. I know.

Just leave me with some Neko Case, and I’ll be happy. That said, Dodge asked that I capture Lewis’ set on KCRW. So, I did. Here’s the first five tracks:

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, 3/10/06:

1. Run Devil Run/Big Guns
(First few seconds got cut off here … )
2. Happy
3. You Are What You Love
4. Melt Your Heart
5. The Charging Sky

Also … For anyone who wasn’t checking in over the weekend, I’m taking care of Gorilla vs. Bear this week while Chris is at SXSW. So go check it out.

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Sunday Grab Bag: Rain, at last!

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After 143 days without measurable rainfall – 143 days, people! – it rained all day Saturday in Phoenix and even snowed – SNOWED! – in the far north reaches of the Valley. The rain is supposed to continue today.

I mean, how pathetic is it that it’s so rare we see rain that I’m inspired to create a rain-themed post? You see, we have to live this up, for 100-degree temperatures are fast approaching. Seriously, this is front-page news in Phoenix, top story on the local news. Big, big stuff. While CNN reporters face hurricanes, our intrepid reporters brave almost 2 inches of rain!

On the downside, a local ostrich festival was canceled.

Sunny Day Real Estate | Rain Song
Neko Case | Buckets of Rain (Bob Dylan cover)
(Thanks to Gina for this one!)

Also, I’m watching after Gorilla vs. Bear this week while Chris is at SXSW. So visit me there, too (as if you don’t go there already).

hip-hop

New AWOL One

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Today is special. Why? Because I have new AWOL One to share from his forthcoming The War of Art (great title). Really, I was going to try to hold off on this until next week. But, damn, it’s pretty dope (do the kids still say that?).

You know AWOL is part of one of the hottest LA crews around, right? That’s the Shape Shifters, an eight-man collective of emcees, graf writers and all-around innovative guys. Their album The Shape Shifters Was Here (buy here) was a highly overlooked album in 2005.

AWOL’s got one of the more distinctive vocal stylings out there: His cool, raspy tone calls to mind Lyrics Born of Latyrx. It’s a little more understated – kind of conversational until you realize … oh, snap: He’s rippin’ it! His delivery isn’t very breathy either, one of my pet peeves (see also, Kanye).

For anyone headed to SXSW next week, you can peep AWOL on Thursday at Flamingo Cantina. Get more information here.

Still not convinced? KRS-One makes a guest spot on a track. … Yeah, that’s what I thought. The War of Art drops April 11; use your tax refund check on some good music.

AWOL One | Casting Call (highly recommended; such a great beat)
AWOL One (feat. 2Mex and KRS-One) | Underground Killz

BONUS:
The Shape Shifters | Circuit City
(Yeah, that’s Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue on the sample.)