I've decided to break up my thoughts on the toronto island festival because it was such an epic situation. In equal parts musically and culturally. Foremost on my mind though, and above else, and I just really want to kind of rant about was the Pavement show. It was in a word
UNBELIEVEABLE
ok, all caps, it's own paragraph. maybe that is over the top. however, it was definitely the best show I've seen since radiohead. I think it's safe to say that I'm an above average Pavement fan, but that said I sort of had low expectations for their show. I hadn't heard too much since they started touring. I even had a friend from Seattle see them, and didn't really hear anything about it. Pavement quite frankly are not what I consider heavy, or experimental, or groundbreaking ... anything that people would lose their shit to.
But they totally rocked the fuck out of toronto island. most people there might not agree as the average attendee seemed like they may have been only vaguely familiar with the band, and were just hanging around to get their money's worth.
It can't be denied that Stephen Malkmus is an amazing guitarist though. He shredded the shit out of the songs, and rocked them far more heavily than I expected. Oh, and did I mention how epic their set list is. 26 fucking songs. I think most bands that headline tend to do a lot of filler, bullshit, let each member do a 20 minute bullshit solo ... not pavement ... you get your fucking looney's worth man.
That's not to say that they didn't jam out a bunch. If you've listened to Pavement then you know they definitely do stretches of sonic chaos in many of their songs. However, when a band reunites after 12 years apart the fans want to hear the damn classics, and the classics, a lot of them are 3 - 4 minute geeky sing alongs. I keep comparing them to weezer, but there really is no comparison. Weezer has 1 album that people sing along to. The next best album they have they don't play songs off of because it's when Rivers was depressed, and the rest of their 90 albums have one song that corporate radio shoved down everyone's throat so they know the words and those get played as well. But the songs blow.
Pavement's discography is bound by great indie pop songs. While walking towards the ferry and listening to Pavement play out the end of their set during "stereo" one of my lady friends mentioned "oh, i know this song". No shit Shirlock. And their show definitely stood up to that test.
Perhaps the most interesting thing I could actually say about the mannerisms of the band is the way Malkmus did a bunch of really silly rock star moves that somehow came across as tongue in cheek, but perhaps I only think that because I read the lyrics too closely, and maybe he has turned into a weird dude who thinks playing a 2 note guitar solo behind his head is actually cool ... that's not mockery, that's just honesty. He also pulled the 'swing the guitar around the body' and the 'play the guitar extra high' moves as well. Those were most notable. Besides that the band seemed to get along, and kind of seemed like they were picking songs on the fly as they set into 'starlings of the slipstream' but openly debated playing 'perfume-v' (played later on in the night). I thought that was kind of awesome. I hope luck has it in store for me to catch them again some time. I thought they were absolutely amazing. Of course this is all relative if you don't know their music. If you are invigorated by this post I would definitely suggest getting into either Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain which was my first and favorite album, or check out the new 'best of comp' Quarantine the Past. It's actually a really good mix.
All in all the set was real treat. Check out the post at brooklyn vegan since they're a reputable blog site, and they covered this event much better than I did. Plus they include a set list, some live video ... and they're hipster. I'm just a d-bag.
An unforgettable night nonetheless. Thank you pavement.
2010-06-26
lollapa-booo-za
remember that time you mentioned how bad lolla's set scheduling was? Guess what genius did ... arcade fire is playing at the same time as soundgarden.
Granted the bands may not have EXACTLY the same fan base (perhaps i'm the only one), but it doesn't make sense. On one hand one of the biggest deals of lolla is that they're promoting the soundgarden reunion, and at the same time Arcade fire is like the 3rd band on the list ... of the headliners.
I suppose they kind of did that when I went a few years ago with the Kanye v NIN, Wilco v Radiohead, I guess I kind had forgot about that and now I think Lolla is probably out of the question for me in the future.
They have really solid lineups though. Kind of a shame.
Granted the bands may not have EXACTLY the same fan base (perhaps i'm the only one), but it doesn't make sense. On one hand one of the biggest deals of lolla is that they're promoting the soundgarden reunion, and at the same time Arcade fire is like the 3rd band on the list ... of the headliners.
I suppose they kind of did that when I went a few years ago with the Kanye v NIN, Wilco v Radiohead, I guess I kind had forgot about that and now I think Lolla is probably out of the question for me in the future.
They have really solid lineups though. Kind of a shame.
2010-06-17
Now this is sonic anarchy
It just occured to me that sonic anarchy isn't really anarchy to me since I enjoy the music i usually talk about. To try and break the cycle let me rage about what I can only describe as the sonic apocolypse . Let me count the ways in which I have become irritated by this concert.
1. Gin blossoms ... more like jizz blossoms. Yuck.
2. Soul Asylum - well the internet has failed me. Right in here should be a video of Sweet Dee from IASIP singing that 'runaway train' song drunkenly. Because, well that's the most interesting part about the band soul asylum. Which apparently is so fucking uninteresting that even the internet has failed to cover facets of THEIR ONLY HIT EVER.
3. On top of these shitheap bands being the 'headliners' the promo goes on to threaten us with 5 HOURS of this. I just threw up in my mouth.
4. Oh did i mention that Uncle Plum is opening? Aren't they 50? Are they still trying to sound like Blink 182, even after Blink 182 has stopped trying to sound like Blink 182? Uncle Plum? Lame.
Did anyone read the previous post which mentioned the disparity in cultural awareness between Rochester and Buffalo? Add this one to the score sheet.
In the end it's actually kind of sad as the event is supposed to promote genessee brewery (which unless they're giving it away for free you might want to BYO), and also try and get some donations together for a good cause. Both quite noble endeavors, but it's like the deaf are leading the way. Actually strike that, the deaf would at least bring in some acts with awesome bass. I have no idea whose warped idea of a good concert would pair these together and try to engage the public.
I suppose it makes me a bad person for crapping on the event, but damn, they made it near impossible, and a fully laughable one at that..
If someone followed me here from BR please excuse the use of jizz above. But not really. I mean this is called sonic anarchy, not sonic bible study.
1. Gin blossoms ... more like jizz blossoms. Yuck.
2. Soul Asylum - well the internet has failed me. Right in here should be a video of Sweet Dee from IASIP singing that 'runaway train' song drunkenly. Because, well that's the most interesting part about the band soul asylum. Which apparently is so fucking uninteresting that even the internet has failed to cover facets of THEIR ONLY HIT EVER.
3. On top of these shitheap bands being the 'headliners' the promo goes on to threaten us with 5 HOURS of this. I just threw up in my mouth.
4. Oh did i mention that Uncle Plum is opening? Aren't they 50? Are they still trying to sound like Blink 182, even after Blink 182 has stopped trying to sound like Blink 182? Uncle Plum? Lame.
Did anyone read the previous post which mentioned the disparity in cultural awareness between Rochester and Buffalo? Add this one to the score sheet.
In the end it's actually kind of sad as the event is supposed to promote genessee brewery (which unless they're giving it away for free you might want to BYO), and also try and get some donations together for a good cause. Both quite noble endeavors, but it's like the deaf are leading the way. Actually strike that, the deaf would at least bring in some acts with awesome bass. I have no idea whose warped idea of a good concert would pair these together and try to engage the public.
I suppose it makes me a bad person for crapping on the event, but damn, they made it near impossible, and a fully laughable one at that..
If someone followed me here from BR please excuse the use of jizz above. But not really. I mean this is called sonic anarchy, not sonic bible study.
Sonic!
Felt like it was time to share ...
This weekend stands to be possibly the most exciting of the year ... at least in terms of musical experience. It all kicks off with a free concert with War tonight in the ROC. War, what is it good for? How about a free show, a couple of beers, a decent outdoor venue, and a genuinely funkified jam session. Yes the beer is watered down. Yes there are sure to be a lot of rods also there. But it will be hard to not have a good time.
Followed by the Rockin at the Knox show. Hello Atlas Sound, Hello National. Color me excited!! Plus, i somehow managed to get a press pass for the show. I can't lie, I'm fucking stoked about that. It's like the cherry on top of a sundae, except on friday, and a press pass instead of a weird fruit.
Check buffalorising.com for my review afterward. I'm def a bit nervous that I'll be able to do the readers justice. Certainly I'll try and do my best to prop the event up. Even if it turns into a shitty show the fact that the Albright had the stones to put together such an interesting lineup makes it worth lending some backing support regardless of actual turnout.
In all my years in Rochester, even with the increasing popularity of the Jazz fest (which is kind of a poorly managed event, but that rant will be saved for later) no one has ever brought a legitimately decent lineup of rock acts that parallels the Knox show.. If there is any time to make the comparison as to how Rochester matches up against Buffalo culturally here is yet another prime example of why a big back yard, a driveway, and clean suburbs isn't necessarily all one needs in life.
And if it weren't for the presser I would probably have just tried to catch the show for free by setting up a lawn chair and a giant refreshing cocktail down in the fucking epic setting Albright has going on and just sit back and take in the show. God ... what a cool situation to be in.
And that's not even the best part...
Call it what you will ... Tonapalooza, Tonnaroo, Tonchella ... is going down on saturday. The lineup? Oh how about every favorite band of mine ever ... well ... not quite, but fucking epic nonetheless ...
Pavement
Broken Social Scene
Band of Horses
Beach House
not to mention Timber Timbre .. which admittedly i have not sunk my teeth into yet, but buzz is buzz and they're a buzz band.
Should be fudging epic music weekend ... probably won't update this space but you can check my nerd spew over at BR.com. I am slated for 3 posts this weekend. Heyo!
This weekend stands to be possibly the most exciting of the year ... at least in terms of musical experience. It all kicks off with a free concert with War tonight in the ROC. War, what is it good for? How about a free show, a couple of beers, a decent outdoor venue, and a genuinely funkified jam session. Yes the beer is watered down. Yes there are sure to be a lot of rods also there. But it will be hard to not have a good time.
Followed by the Rockin at the Knox show. Hello Atlas Sound, Hello National. Color me excited!! Plus, i somehow managed to get a press pass for the show. I can't lie, I'm fucking stoked about that. It's like the cherry on top of a sundae, except on friday, and a press pass instead of a weird fruit.
Check buffalorising.com for my review afterward. I'm def a bit nervous that I'll be able to do the readers justice. Certainly I'll try and do my best to prop the event up. Even if it turns into a shitty show the fact that the Albright had the stones to put together such an interesting lineup makes it worth lending some backing support regardless of actual turnout.
In all my years in Rochester, even with the increasing popularity of the Jazz fest (which is kind of a poorly managed event, but that rant will be saved for later) no one has ever brought a legitimately decent lineup of rock acts that parallels the Knox show.. If there is any time to make the comparison as to how Rochester matches up against Buffalo culturally here is yet another prime example of why a big back yard, a driveway, and clean suburbs isn't necessarily all one needs in life.
And if it weren't for the presser I would probably have just tried to catch the show for free by setting up a lawn chair and a giant refreshing cocktail down in the fucking epic setting Albright has going on and just sit back and take in the show. God ... what a cool situation to be in.
And that's not even the best part...
Call it what you will ... Tonapalooza, Tonnaroo, Tonchella ... is going down on saturday. The lineup? Oh how about every favorite band of mine ever ... well ... not quite, but fucking epic nonetheless ...
Pavement
Broken Social Scene
Band of Horses
Beach House
not to mention Timber Timbre .. which admittedly i have not sunk my teeth into yet, but buzz is buzz and they're a buzz band.
Should be fudging epic music weekend ... probably won't update this space but you can check my nerd spew over at BR.com. I am slated for 3 posts this weekend. Heyo!
2010-06-10
where i'm at
so i recently moved to a new apartment. yes, it's been two weeks, but damn, i'm busy (read:lazy) and have not yet set my rig up proper yet.
because of this I've been relying on a combination of mp3 player / streaming online media / singing to myself for music inspiration. that said, there's not too much new to report.
i burned out bad on the heavy Broken Social Scene / The National / Band of Horses combo that infused excitement for this blog and for the music scene in general over the last month or so. Other notable albums helping to keep the rock a rollin were west coasters Local Natives and the Morning Benders.
But recent disappointment / lack finding 'that hook' that draws my listening interest in albums by Holy Fuck, Crystal Castles, and the Black Keys is kind of souring my grapes if you know what i'm sayin. you're souring my grapes, don't sour my grapes man, take your sour grapes elsewhere .... i like that ... anyways yeah ... i'm back in a lull. However here's a few things i'm digging
Tame Impala - the aussie's are supposedly "psychedelia" but it just sounds like later year beatles. The man does a damn good mccartney impersonation ... it's actually really cool.
Holy fuck - yes, the album isn't great, but there are moments that brighten up the day, and are epic summer tunes.
phosphorescent - they're playing soundlab in July so I'm doing some advanced scouting ... they're basically a folky jams band ... but it's a good switch from the heavy beat laden electronic influences of crystal castles and holy fuck.
the black keys - i'm not digging the new one. i mean, it sounds like a black keys album but i'm not finding anything particularly great about it. obvious good jams scattered throughout, but i feel like i can only do one of these a year and the dan auerbach album came into my life first ...
because of this I've been relying on a combination of mp3 player / streaming online media / singing to myself for music inspiration. that said, there's not too much new to report.
i burned out bad on the heavy Broken Social Scene / The National / Band of Horses combo that infused excitement for this blog and for the music scene in general over the last month or so. Other notable albums helping to keep the rock a rollin were west coasters Local Natives and the Morning Benders.
But recent disappointment / lack finding 'that hook' that draws my listening interest in albums by Holy Fuck, Crystal Castles, and the Black Keys is kind of souring my grapes if you know what i'm sayin. you're souring my grapes, don't sour my grapes man, take your sour grapes elsewhere .... i like that ... anyways yeah ... i'm back in a lull. However here's a few things i'm digging
Tame Impala - the aussie's are supposedly "psychedelia" but it just sounds like later year beatles. The man does a damn good mccartney impersonation ... it's actually really cool.
Holy fuck - yes, the album isn't great, but there are moments that brighten up the day, and are epic summer tunes.
phosphorescent - they're playing soundlab in July so I'm doing some advanced scouting ... they're basically a folky jams band ... but it's a good switch from the heavy beat laden electronic influences of crystal castles and holy fuck.
the black keys - i'm not digging the new one. i mean, it sounds like a black keys album but i'm not finding anything particularly great about it. obvious good jams scattered throughout, but i feel like i can only do one of these a year and the dan auerbach album came into my life first ...
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