Getting ready for a marathon drive to the Northeast tonight and started thinking about listening options in the car. I knew that I wanted to have a couple of podcasts of 'This American Life.' In downloading those, I stumbled upon 'Live in Concert from All Songs Considered' podcasts. Check it out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15681603. Some great looking sets from a lot of bands/artists that we shared during our parlours.
I will try to carry the flame in Boston and start up a similar club (maybe even with a similar name). Hope you all do well. I'll check the blog occasionally for updates.
-rob
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
apolitical
Really, it's all about the music. (GOBAMA)
Arcade Fire and Merge labelmates Superchunk will play at an Obama rally happening Friday May 2 at Carrboro Town Commons.
Showtime is 2 p.m. and admission is free, but tickets are limited -- first come, first served.
How to get tickets:
Tickets can be picked up during early voting hours starting Thursday:
Obama table outside Morehead Planetarium and Science Center , 250 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. Hours: M-F: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Balloons and Tunes, 208 W. Main St., Carrboro. Hours: M-F: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Morning Times Café, 10 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. Hours: M-F: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Obama table outside of the Old Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Corporation and Morris streets, Durham. Hours: M-Sat: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Arcade Fire and Merge labelmates Superchunk will play at an Obama rally happening Friday May 2 at Carrboro Town Commons.
Showtime is 2 p.m. and admission is free, but tickets are limited -- first come, first served.
How to get tickets:
Tickets can be picked up during early voting hours starting Thursday:
Obama table outside Morehead Planetarium and Science Center , 250 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. Hours: M-F: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Balloons and Tunes, 208 W. Main St., Carrboro. Hours: M-F: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Morning Times Café, 10 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. Hours: M-F: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Obama table outside of the Old Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Corporation and Morris streets, Durham. Hours: M-Sat: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
and... we're back.
We met over homemade pizzas to get the night started. The turn-out was fantastic, and we added some new parlourites this fine evening. While the ultimate holla must go to Jimmy and his char-grilled pizza skills, I think we also came across some pretty fantastic music.
Vampire Weekend - you probably already know about them, but if you don't... drop everything and buy the self-titled release from these throwback punk rockers. It'll remind you why it was so fun to jump around your room as a teenager to the likes of Goldfinger and Rancid. I would consider it a more "informed" kind of punk.
Next was NC native daughter, Tift Merritt. She has a new album out, Another Country, and we are hoping to up the parlour's cred by inviting one of her touring guitarists to the next event.
Tegan and Sara. They are identical twins (not just sisters as previously mentioned!) and they play music. Ashley hopes you like it.
Then we heard Panda Bear, the loveable bamboo-eating offshoot of the Animal Collective menagerie. I vote we theme a parlour around bands with animal names.
Beirut's wikipedia entry talks about Eastern European and Balkan folk sounds. Funny how something that sounds so original can be so far from it.
We then shifted gears to the alt-country/folk portion of the night, leading off with Tarkio's re-release compilation Omnibus. Tarkio is Colin Meloy's late 90s alt-country band from Montana. I think they are perfection and still haven't quite accepted that they are not in existence anymore, and that I am 10 years too late. Seriously, try "Slow Down." (m4a)
Then I played a few songs from the Horse Feathers' album Words Are Dead. They remind me a lot of Great Lake Swimmers, particularly the vocals. I think the songs are sweet and airy and ethereal. For example, "Finch on Saturday." (m4a)
I also played The Dodos, whose myspace page describes them as happy hardcore. You'd be hard-pressed to convince me they are hardcore when they have made a song as lovely as "Walking." (m4a)
KJ played some Golden Smog for all the Jeff Tweedy lovers in the house. They apparently have an album coming out on 4/24. Then, holding it down for the ATL, we heard the new Gnarls Barkley. It prompted a great discussion of the use of retro beats and how utterly novel the Gray Album was. DSV then chipped in with The Strugglers, who appears to actually be the brainchild of one local named Randy Bickford. Free CD release show on 4/18 at 506. We'll be there? We saw Mia Todd open for Jose Gonzalez a while back. She has a really lovely voice. Brandy Carlile fits in here somewhere, as well. She was on the Cayamo Cruise with Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin, so she must be good.
The last thing we heard was Jason Schwartzman of Wes Anderson fame's band Coconut Records. I can't help but think it's a bunch of songs from the soundtrack cutting room floor, but if you knew the depth of my affection for Wes Anderson you'd realize that's a big compliment.
Good parlour. Break!
Vampire Weekend - you probably already know about them, but if you don't... drop everything and buy the self-titled release from these throwback punk rockers. It'll remind you why it was so fun to jump around your room as a teenager to the likes of Goldfinger and Rancid. I would consider it a more "informed" kind of punk.
Next was NC native daughter, Tift Merritt. She has a new album out, Another Country, and we are hoping to up the parlour's cred by inviting one of her touring guitarists to the next event.
Tegan and Sara. They are identical twins (not just sisters as previously mentioned!) and they play music. Ashley hopes you like it.
Then we heard Panda Bear, the loveable bamboo-eating offshoot of the Animal Collective menagerie. I vote we theme a parlour around bands with animal names.
Beirut's wikipedia entry talks about Eastern European and Balkan folk sounds. Funny how something that sounds so original can be so far from it.
We then shifted gears to the alt-country/folk portion of the night, leading off with Tarkio's re-release compilation Omnibus. Tarkio is Colin Meloy's late 90s alt-country band from Montana. I think they are perfection and still haven't quite accepted that they are not in existence anymore, and that I am 10 years too late. Seriously, try "Slow Down." (m4a)
Then I played a few songs from the Horse Feathers' album Words Are Dead. They remind me a lot of Great Lake Swimmers, particularly the vocals. I think the songs are sweet and airy and ethereal. For example, "Finch on Saturday." (m4a)
I also played The Dodos, whose myspace page describes them as happy hardcore. You'd be hard-pressed to convince me they are hardcore when they have made a song as lovely as "Walking." (m4a)
KJ played some Golden Smog for all the Jeff Tweedy lovers in the house. They apparently have an album coming out on 4/24. Then, holding it down for the ATL, we heard the new Gnarls Barkley. It prompted a great discussion of the use of retro beats and how utterly novel the Gray Album was. DSV then chipped in with The Strugglers, who appears to actually be the brainchild of one local named Randy Bickford. Free CD release show on 4/18 at 506. We'll be there? We saw Mia Todd open for Jose Gonzalez a while back. She has a really lovely voice. Brandy Carlile fits in here somewhere, as well. She was on the Cayamo Cruise with Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin, so she must be good.
The last thing we heard was Jason Schwartzman of Wes Anderson fame's band Coconut Records. I can't help but think it's a bunch of songs from the soundtrack cutting room floor, but if you knew the depth of my affection for Wes Anderson you'd realize that's a big compliment.
Good parlour. Break!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Black Mountain
Black Mountain/Blood on the Wall - Local 506 - Feb 17, 2008
Drinks at Carolina Brewery beforehand (while transfixed to a Duke loss on TV) wasted the Blood on the Wall set. Attestation to the band - after hearing three songs live, the only merch I left with was their latest record. They're on the rise. I wish I still lived in Brooklyn.
After a short transition, Black Mountain appeared in all of the glory I expected. Canadian lads (and lass) representing their country like they were The Band. Bearded lead singer/guitarist Stephen McBean backed up his 70s psychedelic/hard-rock-influenced-with-a-red-bandana-in-my-worn-out-blue-jeans-backpocket with the chops he has exhibited on the band's two full-lengths. Moments of his performance shuttled me back to Cameron Crowe's 'Almost Famous' [one of my favorite film music biopics - fictitious or otherwise - (please watch D.A. Pennebaker's 'Don't Look Back' if you haven't before - my absolute favorite music biopic/documentary)] despite my best efforts to resist. Though McBean is widely regarded as the leader of the band, the performance was driven by Moog synthesizer extraordinaire Jeremy Schmidt, drummer Joshua Wells and bassist Matt Camirand. The latter two providing the structure for Schmidt's and McBean's winding melodies. Amber Webber - the female complement to Stephen McBean - stood front and center on the stage and though her straight-out-of-highschool appearance could have discounted her presence, whenever she sang she might as well have been channeling Grace Slick from Jefferson Starship/Airplane. The band is very tight and they know what they are doing. Though they surely have many tags and have found themselves in many critics' pigeonholes, it is obvious they enjoy their work and will have a bright future, public be damned.
Drinks at Carolina Brewery beforehand (while transfixed to a Duke loss on TV) wasted the Blood on the Wall set. Attestation to the band - after hearing three songs live, the only merch I left with was their latest record. They're on the rise. I wish I still lived in Brooklyn.
After a short transition, Black Mountain appeared in all of the glory I expected. Canadian lads (and lass) representing their country like they were The Band. Bearded lead singer/guitarist Stephen McBean backed up his 70s psychedelic/hard-rock-influenced-with-a-red-bandana-in-my-worn-out-blue-jeans-backpocket with the chops he has exhibited on the band's two full-lengths. Moments of his performance shuttled me back to Cameron Crowe's 'Almost Famous' [one of my favorite film music biopics - fictitious or otherwise - (please watch D.A. Pennebaker's 'Don't Look Back' if you haven't before - my absolute favorite music biopic/documentary)] despite my best efforts to resist. Though McBean is widely regarded as the leader of the band, the performance was driven by Moog synthesizer extraordinaire Jeremy Schmidt, drummer Joshua Wells and bassist Matt Camirand. The latter two providing the structure for Schmidt's and McBean's winding melodies. Amber Webber - the female complement to Stephen McBean - stood front and center on the stage and though her straight-out-of-highschool appearance could have discounted her presence, whenever she sang she might as well have been channeling Grace Slick from Jefferson Starship/Airplane. The band is very tight and they know what they are doing. Though they surely have many tags and have found themselves in many critics' pigeonholes, it is obvious they enjoy their work and will have a bright future, public be damned.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Bon Iver et al.
Bon Iver/Megafaun/Heather McEntire - Local 506 - Feb 18, 2008
Heather McEntire of Bellafea opened up the night. 3 chicks and an acoustic guitar. You know where I'm headed on this one.
Megafaun: These guys toe the line between pretension and pure fun. They come prepared with all the alt-country accoutrements - banjo, slide guitar... plus some extra cow bells for those playing along at home. The most interesting portion of the night was their version of Roy Acuff's "Wreck on the Highway" as a hopped up gospel song, complete with 3 part harmony (sort of). Soon after they digressed into weird psychedelia and I stopped paying attention.
Bon Iver: (That's bohn ee-vair for the uninitiated. We're here to help.) Justin Vernon gave a convincing delivery of his highly lauded album, For Emma, Forever Ago at The Local 506 tonight. He began the night with the first track off the album, "Flume" and continued to play the album in its entirety, in order. He followed the crowd favorite "Skinny Love" - and there is no doubting it is a fantastic song - with a rousing version of "The Wolves," complete with crowd participation on the chorus. The night was capped off with "Stacks" and you could hear the buzz of the speakers over the hush of the crowd. He maneuvered his way through the quiet lows on the album, while surprising me with just how heavy he could go on the more rockin' parts ("Creature Fear," for example.) I had already heard the album prior to the show, so I think some of the novelty had worn off; however, I think he surpassed my expectations in playing these songs live. He has a unique set up - two mics, one with the reverb cranked up to 11 - which he uses alternately to produce a little more drama to his performance. I'd say it worked admirably. He was backed up by guitar and drums, which filled out the sound nicely. He made a lot of references to friends in the crowd and connections to Durham, so we'll give him an extra nod for some familiarity with the Triangle. Bottom line: buy the album - release date is Feb 19 - catch a show if you can.
Edit: Live clips from the show.
Heather McEntire of Bellafea opened up the night. 3 chicks and an acoustic guitar. You know where I'm headed on this one.
Megafaun: These guys toe the line between pretension and pure fun. They come prepared with all the alt-country accoutrements - banjo, slide guitar... plus some extra cow bells for those playing along at home. The most interesting portion of the night was their version of Roy Acuff's "Wreck on the Highway" as a hopped up gospel song, complete with 3 part harmony (sort of). Soon after they digressed into weird psychedelia and I stopped paying attention.
Bon Iver: (That's bohn ee-vair for the uninitiated. We're here to help.) Justin Vernon gave a convincing delivery of his highly lauded album, For Emma, Forever Ago at The Local 506 tonight. He began the night with the first track off the album, "Flume" and continued to play the album in its entirety, in order. He followed the crowd favorite "Skinny Love" - and there is no doubting it is a fantastic song - with a rousing version of "The Wolves," complete with crowd participation on the chorus. The night was capped off with "Stacks" and you could hear the buzz of the speakers over the hush of the crowd. He maneuvered his way through the quiet lows on the album, while surprising me with just how heavy he could go on the more rockin' parts ("Creature Fear," for example.) I had already heard the album prior to the show, so I think some of the novelty had worn off; however, I think he surpassed my expectations in playing these songs live. He has a unique set up - two mics, one with the reverb cranked up to 11 - which he uses alternately to produce a little more drama to his performance. I'd say it worked admirably. He was backed up by guitar and drums, which filled out the sound nicely. He made a lot of references to friends in the crowd and connections to Durham, so we'll give him an extra nod for some familiarity with the Triangle. Bottom line: buy the album - release date is Feb 19 - catch a show if you can.
Edit: Live clips from the show.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Notes from the latest parlour....
Parlour #3 brought us a bounty of great tunes, ranging from 70s prog rock to Russian folk electronica. Here is the list....I didn't catch a couple of the song titles but I tried to link as many as possible.
Brian Jonestown Massacre- Oh Lord
Samurai (a prog rock band from the 70s)- Saving It Up For So Long
Rosebuds (playing at the Cradle May 6th)- Get Up Get Out (m4a)
Cloud Cult (at Local 506 April 21st)- Chemicals Collide (m4a)
Louis- My Own Good (m4a)
Best of Ivan Kupala (Russian folk inspired world music)- song #10 on the album, the name is Russian so there is no way to write it
Hammer No More the Fingers (local punk, indy band)- Bossman
Schooner (at the cave on March 1st)- Pray For You To Die (m4a)
The Never- Antarctica
Bull City - Game
Martha Wainwright
Black Mountain
Love is Chemicals- Half Way Out The Door
The Brokedown - Down In the Valley
Twilight Sad
Sunset Rubdown
I believe the next meeting is in March. Date to be determined. Happy listening...
Brian Jonestown Massacre- Oh Lord
Samurai (a prog rock band from the 70s)- Saving It Up For So Long
Rosebuds (playing at the Cradle May 6th)- Get Up Get Out (m4a)
Cloud Cult (at Local 506 April 21st)- Chemicals Collide (m4a)
Louis- My Own Good (m4a)
Best of Ivan Kupala (Russian folk inspired world music)- song #10 on the album, the name is Russian so there is no way to write it
Hammer No More the Fingers (local punk, indy band)- Bossman
Schooner (at the cave on March 1st)- Pray For You To Die (m4a)
The Never- Antarctica
Bull City - Game
Martha Wainwright
Black Mountain
Love is Chemicals- Half Way Out The Door
The Brokedown - Down In the Valley
Twilight Sad
Sunset Rubdown
I believe the next meeting is in March. Date to be determined. Happy listening...
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