Saturday, April 25, 2009

Busy, busy busy

life is hitting me in the face, as well as loving music I love chinchillas (rodent, look it up), all eight of mine. One is fourteen and feeling sorry for himself, one had bladder stones and is recuperating from major abdominal surgery and scaring me daily and another has broken his leg and amputation is incipient.
While going crazy at home music has decided to come back to Boston, I try but I can't get 95% of American music but the Brits are back in town.
Travis hit House of blues tomorrow, a rash buy means I see them at long last when I am probably past such pastoral sounds. Is it harsh to wish they would just play good Feeling end to end seeing they had balls then?
Oh well in between nursing my fuzzies I will go and see how they deliver. I just don't like wimpy and IK don't like HOB, too cavernous too yucky!.
Bat For lashes- boo hoo - just canceled Natasha was real nice at Great Scott, I was looking forward to seeing the new album done live.
Wednesday I get to see Noah and The Whale, twee as f*ck but joyous and fun, why not? I say yes.
Then Friday and Saturday, joy of joy I get to see Twilight Sad again. This band just gets better and better the more you listen to them, SO MUCH BETTER than FR! (oops sorry guys) I have missed seeing these kids. Hoping against hope tehy will be manning the merch table, as I want to touch base.
They are the BEST band around you are not listening too, if you haven't listened incessantly try now and do NOT stop.
oh yeah and mogwai also play those two nights, I do wonder if I will like them.
also coming up enter shikari and cut off your hands but that's for a later blog.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Paul Haig Day

Around the web people are joining in with Paul Haig day see The Vinyl Villian for details
Apart from telling the DMCA to screw themselves there is a very good reason to do this.
Paul Haig is EXTREMELY well respected musician more so in Scotland, even more so in Edinburgh.
Josef K put out quirky pop on Postcard Records which I was far too young and dumb to appreciate. Then minding my own business I heard and totally and utterly fell in love with his solo record, Heaven Sent. Go on listen and see if you too do not fall in love. I bought the 7", the 12" and most of his albums all based on undying adoration for this jewel of a song.
Paul Haig Heaven Sent


The man is also a gent who has stood behind the idea of blogs supporting rather than killing music - see the Vinyl villian

Listen to Paul's new single, Reason by getting it here
here

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Sky larkin/ Los Campesinos

Despite my life going belly up over the weekend (my pet got sick) we still made our way up to South Burlington, Vermont to the only place and date that was possible to see Sky Larkin play their first American tour with the fun band Los Campesinos!
Higher Ground must have a capacity of about 400 and the bands managed to get a reasonable turnout.
Sky Larkin as always put on a sweet performance, Katie charming as always, Nestor frenetic fury but grinning incessantly and doug providing the strong bass that provides the strength that you can miss within the music until you listen a few times and it hits you.
Fossil,I, Pica, Summit, Beeline all amazing and my only regret is not hearing Keepsakes. It was also nice to catch up and hear their thoughts on SXSW.
Los Campesinos! if you read their blog you already know the basics of what happened, Tom's pedals broke in different sequences causing the band to work like crazy to keep the concert moving.
As the band came on for an encore they gave up on the normal format and Tom, Gareth, Neil and Aleks all went into the crowd ending the gig on a frenzy of crowd participation which enthralled everyone. It wasn't perfect playing but it was an amazing performance which made everyone feel privileged to have been at the gig.

Courteeners

What does it mean if you leave adoring fans in the snow while you take hissy fits and demand better flowers to use in your stage act? What about if you decide to charge $35 for any T-shirt (which cost you max $5) or $50 for a tie, what if you demand your support band match your extortionate charges. what if you demand your staff to follow your dietary demands and fire anyone who dares to eat meat on a day when they work for you? Ok for the last you could also be Paul McCartney
For all the rest that makes you the world's most arrogant pain in the neck ever who OBVIOUSLY HATES his fans, AKA Morrissey. BTW don't bother to make nasty comments I will not publish them.
The hassle of having to endure this was a huge pain, The Courteeners are a band I have enjoyed for a while (circa 9 months). They put on a nice show last sunday at the House Of blues, which BTW i think is a huge nasty pit of a place. It may have decent sound and lighting but it is more of a soulless warehouse than Avalon ever was.
All the obvious songs like 'Not nineteen forever' were played but also a new song. I truly wish them to come back and play a real venue but this was a stop gap.
We did stay for two Morrissey songs but couldn't bear the awfulness of the spectacle for a minute longer.

Recently - White Lies etc

5 concerts in eight days.
Start with Soft Pack/White Lies/ Friendly Fires
The Soft Pack pka The Muslims, better than when we saw them at CMJ, decent guitar driven rhythms well received. still not my thing but WAY better than most support bands.
White Lies, wow, record label look after your band will you? Harry looked just wiped. I swear when he closed his eyes and clung to the mike stand he was praying for strength to get through the performance. The rest of the band were not as exhausted and there was an underlying feeling that the band were pulling together to do their best to hold together a lead singer exhausted and unable to hit the higher notes. The hype is starting and the silly little girls are starting to scream and harrass the band. Still the band put on a brave show and tried their hearts out winning over new fans in the hardest of circumstances.
Wearing my Mumm-Ra t-shirt, Tommy B got a kick out of seeing my support, coming over as the show finished to make contact.
Friendly Fires, such a wait, 5 months late, the four guys, including Rob lee who only plays with them live, provided a stunning show. The crowd danced like crazy starting with a momentum which caused sweat to pour off both crowd and band. Though the energy slacked slightly as the gig went on during the encore the band went into the audience causing a rapturous response.
We managed to talk to White Lies afterwards, Jack relishing the attention of the female fans but happy to turn more serious when he recognized us showing the fact that everyone is still firmly grounded. Charles was friendly and showed humor laughing about the fact they were probably not 'Indie' enough for us to go see at SXSW. We did spend a long time talking to Tommy just chatting about music and how life has been for the guys recently.
Sweet Gig, lovely chance to catch up with White Lies who prove themselves to be human, grounded and getting better as time goes on, and amazing to have the chance to catch Friendly Fires and dance like crazy at last.
BTW watch for White Lies playing House of Blues this September.