general

Sunset Rubdown or Tapes n Tapes tonight

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In a fairly rare occurrence, Phoenicians have two quality indie shows from which to choose tonight: Sunset Rubdown at Modified or Tapes ‘n Tapes at Brickhouse.

Originally, I’d planned on Tapes ‘n Tapes, whom we saw in Tucson last year and also at the Pitchfork Festival. But then I started thinking that Sunset Rubdown probably would sound huge in the modest confines of Modified. And I’m usually not one to try to scramble and see two in a night. I’m one or the other.

As of now, I am leaning toward Sunset Rubdown, unless someone convinces me otherwise. I’m all ears. If local media has anything to say, you’d be at Tapes ‘n Tapes. Frontman Josh Grier talks to The Arizona Republic and the Phoenix New Times previews the show.

general, radio rips

The Broken West on KCRW

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As promised a few days ago, here’s the full set of the Broken West’s performance on KCRW.

For what it’s worth, Shiftee has become a high point on an album of many – though it should not be confused with this Shiftee. I like that the band got through eight songs in this session; considering there’s 12 songs on I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, it’s more than worth the price of admission.

One last note: Hale Sunrise screams Wilco – but that’s a good thing.

The Broken West, KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic, 4/19/07:

  • Down in the Valley
  • So it Goes
  • On the Bubble
  • Shiftee
  • Slow
  • Hale Sunrise
  • Big City
  • Brass Ring
general, video

The National: Start a War teaser

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I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a good couple weeks already with the National’s Boxer, due out May 22 on Beggars. It’s too early to say if it’s better/worse/same as Alligator (a favorite two years ago). In fact, it’s probably shallow/unfair to even try to compare the two. For now, the major thing that sticks out about Boxer, to me, is its tempered approach, very few of the vocal swells we heard on Alligator, like on Abel or Mr. November (awesome songs both).

In any event, director Vincent Moon has filmed a documentary titled A Skin, A Night about the band, and it has its own little place on the Interweb. So here’s some teaser action for Start a War, a song we saw the National perform at last year’s Pitchfork Festival.

general, radio rips

The Broken West on KCRW (one-song teaser)

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Today we are off for a weekend jaunt to Rocky Point, Mexico, with friends to celebrate my wife’s 30th birthday, which was on the 17th. We’re even taking this guy’s woman. Woot! The plan is to drink some beer, some tequila, beer, tequila, then some beer. And maybe swim. And read. Though maybe not in that order. I bought Game of Shadows, as if I needed any more reason to question Barry Bonds. (Quickly on the topic of sports books: Read Jack McCallum’s :07 Seconds or Less. Highly recommended.)

Anyway, I recorded the Broken West’s session on KCRW from Thursday morning but didn’t have the time to split it up and what not. But I’ll leave you with one of the tracks, Brass Ring. (Please note, the somewhat sudden fadeout came from KCRW, not me.) Sorry, but we’re in a hurry to get the heck outta dodge.

There’s a chance I’ll try to post the rest over the weekend, but there’s also a chance I’ll have no desire to even look at a computer. Happy birthday to my wife! 30 is the new 20 … or something.

KCRW set list:
Down in the Valley
So it Goes
On the Bubble
Shiftee
Slow
Hale Sunrise
Big City
Brass Ring

  • The Broken West | Brass Ring (live on KCRW)

Related:
The Broken West: Live at SXSW

general, video

Aqueduct: Living a Lie video

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Yep. Still am enjoying Aqueduct’s Or Give Me Death, in case you were wondering. I also enjoy that his MySpace page informs us that his influences include Dr. Dre and Geto Boys. (I’m always looking for the hip-hop angle.)

Anyway, I finally sat down for two minutes and 54 seconds to check out his video for Living a Lie, directed by Charles Spano. This song, in particular, seems to reflect the bittersweet tone of the album – the post-breakup avalanche of anger, regret, resent. The initial theme for the video, according to Spano, is “the microcosm of revolution and apocalypse in suburbia.” OK, that’s deep. But also, he talks of “bittersweet feelings at the fleeting nature of things.” Certainly, you could apply that to love and relationships, as David Terry’s words might suggest: “I just can’t get it / I keep on forgetting / How the last two years / of my life have been wasted.”

I love the concept of this video – it either represents a purging or piling up of emotions. I’d assume the former, because there seems to be a liberating sense to these people unloading unwanted or little-used items. Then there’s the whole tossing gasoline on the pile, so that’s a pretty good hint.

Buy Or Give Me Death.

hip-hop, remix

Busdriver: Sun Shower (edIT Club Remix)

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Epitaph hooked us up something awesome today, providing us with an MP3 off Busdriver’s new iTunes-only single for Sun Shower that I touched on here. Let me just tell you: Your mother was right – always say please and thank you.

The four-song EP has two remixes of Sun Shower, including one by So Much Silence favorite and recent Epitaph signee Cadence Weapon. The other Sun Shower mix, provided below, comes from LA’s edIT.

There’s also a Thavius Beck remix of Less Yes’s, More No’s (possibly my fave track off Busdriver’s RoadKillOvercoat).

Pick up the Sun Shower EP at iTunes ($1.99). eMusic has RoadKillOvercoat, that I’ve only written about once or twice or thrice.

  • Busdriver | Sun Shower (edIT Club Remix)
hip-hop

Mike Relm: Body Rock

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mikerelm.jpg

When future lifeforms sit and analyze the hip-hop songs we have left them – and, please, they totally will – they may wonder why so many songs are titled Body Rock. It will be a valid question, and one nobody can answer, other than to say that in hip-hop vernacular “body rock” just sounds inherent to the culture, a phrase that no doubt sprang from B-boys and B-girls. (And hopefully not this movie. Lorenzo Lamas as breakdancer Chilly D? WTF?)

in any case, we’re adding a track to the list – and a stellar one at that. Bay Area deejay Mike Relm drops his first single from his forthcoming debut album of original material (title and release date TBD). Relm is incredibly versatile, nearing the end of a 62-date tour with the Blue Man Group before appearances at Coachella and Rock the Bells (a lineup that has me drooling).

He’s also taking taking this art of scratching/mixing to some next-level style by incorporating video in his show. Check this out – and press rewind if he hasn’t blown your mind! (I personally love the Charlie Brown mix.)

Like most great deejays, Relm is making a name by hooking up with respected artists for tours (Del the Funky Homosapien, for example) and remixes (Dr. Octagon, to name just one). And he seems to have branded a clever keyboard logo – oo~ – that looks like his pair of glasses. Smart guy.

So check Body Rock, an up-tempo number (with Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab) truly deserving of the name – organized chaos on the top levels all underpinned by a nice, almost hidden, bass line.

  • Mike Relm | Body Rock

AT CIRCA 45: A Beastie Boys B-side, She’s On It.

general

The Jayhawks: Blue

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At the moment (adult beverage in hand), I am not feeling hip to new music (though I have become smitten with the Twilight Sad and still am devouring all things Menomena).

Rather, I went on the equivalent of a crate dig through my iTunes library to see what was hiding in there. There is no logical reason to why I am posting this song, no sense to it. (Tomorrow the Green Grass came out in 2002 1995, for crying out loud; look how uncool I am!) Blue is one of those songs I liked at the very instant I heard it – and the hundred times that followed. And again right now after not listening to it for probably a good year or two.

Plain and simple, this tune is a must-have. It makes me wish I had been into the Jayhawks when it first came out (what was I listening to in 2002 1995 anyway? Answer: A Tribe Called Quest.). Favorite lyric: “Always thought I was someone / turned out I was wrong.”

Buy Tomorrow the Green Grass.

  • The Jayhawks | Blue
general

Panther: He Enjoys the Leg

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I’ve got a good friend who claims he doesn’t like Panther. But that’s crap. And he knows it. He’s just afraid to admit it. And it’s OK: If he’d just admit, “You know what, Kevin? I really do like Panther, and I feel so much better about saying that. Thank you for showing me the way.” It’ll be liberating.

On the heels of Panther’s Secret Lawns (Fryk Beat) release this year comes a digital rerelease of the vinyl-only 11-song “single” Yourself. Like the best tunes off Secret Lawns, He Enjoys the Leg is all deep bass, dysfunctional beats and falsetto crooning. And it ends so suddenly, you wonder if there’s more to it.

The rerelease comes out May 1. But it looks like you can pick up the vinyl version of Yourself at Fryk Beat. Secret Lawns can be had at eMusic.

general, remix

Menomena: Wet and Rusting EP

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menomena.jpgA month later, I’ve come to the realization that I neglected to recap the Menomena show at Rhythm Room in March. It’s probably because I’ve been preoccupied playing with the flipbook inside the I Am the Fun Blame Monster! CD I bought at the show. I am easily amused.

It seems a good time to revive memories of the show because this past Tuesday saw the official release of the Wet and Rusting EP, though I believe the group had been selling it as a tour-only item. In any case, the EP features (duh) Wet and Rusting along with five other unreleased tunes, including two mixes of Wet and Rusting: the E.R.Don Remix and LOAF: A Deli Tea Version (a great bare-bones version of the song).

As for the show, it ranks right up there with the best I’ve seen in the past couple years. For starters, a surprisingly large and enthusiastic crowd turned out, which I wasn’t expecting. Then you have to love how Menomena captures its off-kilter experimentation so nicely in a live setting.

But what I really want to discuss is this saxophone business. Look, it’s easy enough for guys in bands to impress girls. (Bloggers? Not so much.) But then frontman Justin Harris decides to take it a step further and play the sax, Spanish fly for just about any female. Yeah, thanks, buddy. When I mentioned this to a friend, he made a good point: Our generation’s well-known sax players include Kenny G and Bill Clinton; there is room for indie musicians to exploit this. And Harris (damn him) had everyone – gals and guys alike – eating it up. Why did nobody think of this before? There was Morphine, but the sax was part and parcel of that group’s make-up. Menomena uses it sparingly, teasing us with its coolness.

Also, Menemona’s drummer, Danny Seim, is, like, a giant. I’m 6-3, and if we played basketball – and why wouldn’t he, he’s huge – he’d destroy me, swat me, embarrass me. And then he’d step on me for good measure. Then go play the drums in his cool band. Damn.

Pick up the Wet and Rusting EP at eMusic or through FILMguerrero.