Andrew Bird's "Anonanimal"

Everyone's favorite whistler doesn't usually dabble in the music video medium, but I'm glad he did this time.

Gotta catch 'em all

UPCOMING CONCERTS IN THE LA AREA, OCTOBER '09

10/3/09- Ladyhawke w/ Ida Maria, Semi-Precious Weapons & Julian Perretta
Avalon, Hollywood

10/3/09- Manimal Festival- Day One (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Hecuba, Rainbow Arabia, We Are The World, Fool's Gold, Alexandra Hope, Corridor)
Pappy & Harriet's, Joshua Tree (THIS IS AN AMAZING VENUE!!!)

10/4-5/09- Thom Yorke
Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles

10/4/09- Manimal Festival- Day Two (Chairlift, Warpaint, Polyamorous Affair, Rio En Medio, VoicesVoices, Other Lives)
Pappy & Harriet's, Joshua Tree

10/5/09- School of Seven Bells w/ Warpaint
Troubador, West Hollywood

10/6/09- Starfucker
The Echo, Los Angeles

10/7/09- Ingrid Michaelson
Troubador, West Hollywood

10/10/09- Jason Mraz
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles

10/10/09- Ani DiFranco
The Lobero, Santa Barbara

10/11/09- Steve Earle w/ Tom Morello
Troubador, West Hollywood

10/12/09- Blink 182
Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara

10/13-15/09- Bob Dylan & His Band
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

10/14/09- Moby
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/14/09- Passion Pit
Henry Fonda Theatre, Hollywood

10/15/09- The Streets
Club Nokia, Los Angeles

10/15/09- Yo La Tengo
Avalon, Hollywood

10/16/09- Aimee Mann
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/17/09- Juliette Lewis with The Ettes & American Bang
El Rey, Los Angeles

10/17/09- Roger Daltrey
Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles

10/17/09- Brandi Carlile
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/17-18/09- Brand New
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

10/18/09- Gogol Bordello w/ Apostle of Hustle
Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim

10/18/09- Monsters of Folk
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

10/19/09- The Decemberists (Live accompanyment to animated film -- "Here Come The Waves: The Hazards Of Love Visualized")
Royce Hall, UCLA

10/19/09- La Roux
El Rey, Los Angeles

10/19-20/09- Snow Patrol
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/20/09- Grizzly Bear w/ Beach House
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

10/21/09- The Sounds
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/21/09- Matisyahu
House of Blues, Anaheim

10/22/09- Sophie Milman
Smothers Theatre, Malibu

10/22/09- Bela Fleck
Royce Hall, UCLA

10/22/09- Owl City
House of Blues, Anaheim

10/23/09- Mika
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

10/23/09- Tiger Army
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

10/24/09- Weezer
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

10/25-26/09- Tegan and Sara
Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles

10/25/09- Ralph Stanley
Royce Hall, UCLA

10/26/09- Peaches w/ Men
Glass House, Pomona

10/26/09- The Gossip
Henry Fonda Theatre, Hollywood

10/27/09- Sunset Rubdown
Troubador, West Hollywood

10/28/09- Joshua Radin
Music Box @ The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles

10/28/09- Regina Spektor
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

10/29/09- Art Brut
Glass House, Pomona

10/29/09- Built to Spill w/ Disco Doom
Echoplex, Los Angeles

10/30/09- Florence and the Machine
Troubador, West Hollywood

10/31/09- Halloweenabaloo (Ben Harper, Flea and more TBA)
Union Station, Los Angeles

Alright guys, get out there and see some music!

A million apologies

I haven't written in over two weeks, thereby failing at life and all blog-like endeavors. So I suck and I promise to never be this negligent again; this is what happens when you get a job, you stop doing the meaningful, fulfilling things in life. Moving on...

I've been to three concerts of note in the past month. All in very different locations and very different genres, so I'll attempt a brief summary of each with highlights and lowpoints (though all three proved tremendously entertaining in their own rite).

Phoenix @ The Greek Theatre, 9/16/09
The French indie rockers, for being relatively new to the U.S. music scene, managed to draw a solid crowd and put on a solid show. Not the best I've ever seen, but it was a lot of fun. They opened with "Lisztomania" and closed the encore with a rousing, extended version of "1901." In between, the show was full of of peppy, poppy hits primarily derived from May's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," including the first stateside performance of "Fences." I left feeling satisfied, reeking of hipster scents and longing for a vacation in Versailles.

Kurt Jordan @ Munson Chapel, 9/21/09
I was quite disappointed to attend just one night of this 5-night performance of Alvin Curran's epic "Inner Cities," but the glimpse I saw was breathtaking. Kurt is a good friend of mine and a deftly skilled pianist, and he captured the stark delicacy of Curran's classical odyssey with both grace and fury. The piece itself relies on the progression of single notes, to triads, to fifths, slowly layering and folding in upon itself in waves of sound. It is a constant, heady flow of soft resonance directly struggling against intense noise; a beautiful juxtaposition of music and silence. Kurt perfectly captured the very emotional struggle in the notes, even bringing tears to my eyes at one point. I was truly awed.

Eliza Rickman @ The Church of Fashion, 9/26/09
Picture a starry Los Angeles night, ablaze with cars and people and sound (as if that ever goes away in the city). On the fringes of the city itself, where the 5 and the 110 and the 134 all collide in one great clash of engines and stereos, the suburban sprawl ends in a wave of businesses, streetlights and the occasional shady neighborhood. And right in the middle of it all sits one lone Victorian house, beaten and weathered by years of city air and the population at large; welcome to the home of The Church of Fashion, an enclave for local artists and creative types. On Saturday night it was home to a group of musicians looking for a voice in the heart of the din, and the stand-out was the lovely Eliza Rickman. Eliza has a voice that radiates haunting nostalgia, like a forlorn voice you heard long ago and could never dislodge from your psyche. I was lucky enough to catch her final performance this year with full band (drums, bass, two violins, viola, cello, and one back-up singer), and the sound was lush. The songs were mostly off of her EP "Gild the Lily," and the only cover was the delightful closing number, a heartbreaking cover of Nick Cave's "Into My Arms." There were 20-30 people there, an intimate gathering of friends and fans in the backyard of this wonderful old house; as the sounds of the music fused with the noisy traffic in the background, the planes passing overheard and the people walking down the street, I realized how marvelous LA truly is.

I recommend Eliza's work in the highest, so please check out her MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/elizarickman) for all information on where to purchase the afore-mentioned EP, as well as a schedule of all upcoming shows.

Stay tuned folks, I'll have more up tomorrow...

Flogging Molly- September 12 @ The Greek

Sometimes the soul just needs a rollicking Irish band to facilitate pure, unadulterated joy. Really, how can life be bad when you're enveloped in the sounds of a penny whistle, an accordion, thumping drums, a fiddle, a mandolin, a banjo and a sick guitar? Did I mention lyrics like, "Swing a little more, little more o'er the merry-o/ Swing a little more, on the Devil's Dance Floor" set to a heart-pounding pace? Flogging Molly did it fast, hard and rowdy, and I don't think one soul in the audience was left wanting.

As the sun set over the Los Angeles skyline, the Greek Theatre filled with punks and Irish alike, adorned in Social Distortion/Dropkick Murphys/Clash/The Dubliners shirts with the occasional kilt. Safety pins, torn jeans, patches and Dr. Martens abound, the venue was full of anti-establishement fans and simply put, it was glorious. People flocked to purchase $10 beers simply to sip the brew while watching the most popular Irish musical import this side of the Atlantic.

The show had two opening bands, the phenomenal Fitz & the Tantrums and Hepcat. Fitz and his crew put on a highly entertaining show, and I was so impressed I went up to him after their set and told him how much I enjoyed the band. Imagine the soul and swagger behind a Motown 50s girl group, put a lanky white man singing lead vocals and throwing in delightful dance moves, and you have Fitz & the Tantrums. The set was swingin' and fun, and I was impressed at the response they got from the sparse crowd trickling in before the main attraction. Please check out their MySpace, I promise you won't be let down (http://www.myspace.com/fitzsoulmusic). And if you ever get a chance to see them live, jump on it; Fitz is marvellous.

As for Flogging Molly, this was my second time seeing them and they were even better 5 years after my first time. I think the quality of a concert can be judged by the fan response, and by the end of the night, the entire crowd was linking arms, swaying and holding beers in the air, chanting with every lyric out of singer Dave King's mouth. Irish pride ran rampant, and even for us non-Irish, it felt blissful. The band sipped Guiness as they ran through old and new hits alike, spanning from 2000's Swagger to 2008's Float; they even did a lovely cover of T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" which made me quite happy. The interesting part was seeing the entire band (7 people total) lined up on stage, with no one in front or behind (minus drumnmer George Schwindt); the level of commraderie and mutual respect was blatant. This band loves each other and they love what they do, which manifests itself through their music.

As they closed with "What's Left of the Flag," I caught a glance of a friendly, miniscule mosh pit in front of the stage. There was some crowd surfing and pushing and all that, but everyone seemed to be watching out for each other, being as careful as possible while still thrashing and dancing. I smiled and contemplated this blissful little moment where everyone was together and in agreeance that a solid Irish jig, a middle finger to the man and a good pint can cure all that ails you. Cheers.

Muse- "The Resistance"

"The history of liberty is a history of resistance."
~Woodrow Wilson

I've literally struggled for days to write this review for one very simple yet complex reason; how does one critique the proverbial magnum opus? When I finished listening to this album for the first time, I found myself in tears, desperately trying to savor and digest its haunting message. I sat in silence for an extended amount of time, the final chords spiraling down my cerebrum, and then I started writing. Flawed though it may be, this album is by far Muse's greatest work to date.

The album revolves around one focal idea: in a world faced with growing levels of corruption and decay, love is our greatest act of both resistance and rebellion. A sentiment for the ages. The beautiful thing about Muse is the wide range of influences they draw from, leading to a well-versed, well-rounded feel. Take for example "United States of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage)," which was released as a free download on July 21st. The majority of the song sounds as if Freddy Mercury crafted it with his own two hands, until it effortlessly dissolves into Frédéric Chopin's "Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No.2” The album opener, "Uprising," is a raccous rally cry with a guitar solo evocative of Johan Sebastian Bach's terrifying organ in "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor." The subtle fusion of classical and classic rock is something that Muse has mastered seamlessly.

I'll admit, there are some rough patches. While listening to "Guiding Light," "Unnatural Selection," and "MK Ultra," I found myself thinking Muse had fallen back on their old material. The most startling of the three is "Unnatural," which is so similar to "New Born" off 2005's Origin of Symmetry, I had to play both of them at the same time to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. But really, I encourage you to listen to both songs. Specifically "New Born" 1:24-1:50, and then "Unnatural" 0:47-1:00. The notes may be a little different but I'll be damned if they didn't dig through their old songs and pick out a riff they had a soft spot for. And yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition, sue me.

The grandeur picks up again with "I Belong to You (+Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix)," a fascinating mix of clarinets, a catchy swing, falsetto and a French breakdown riddled with piano. The album finishes with its pièce de résistance (no pun intended), a 15-minute-long symphony entitled "Exogenesis" broken into three movements: "Overture," "Cross Pollination," and "Redmption."

Vocalist Matthew Bellamy first hinted at it in 2008 when he was quoted as saying, "I think on the next album I’d like to do at least one 15-minute space-rock solo." He also hinted at "one 50-minute sypmphony," though that plan obviously fell by the wayside. What we're left with is one final plea for the betterment of humanity, utilizing a 40-piece orchestra, a soft piano throughout (think Claude Debussy), and lyrics that portray endless melancholy as the perfect foil to sparkling notes of hope, and yes, redemption. It ends with Bellamy's voice fading into the ether, softly singing, "Just let us start it over again/ And we'll be good/ This time we'll get it/ We'll get it right/ It's our last chance to forgive ourselves."

What Muse has left us with is a heartbreaking collection of songs encouraging us to cling to the hope and goodness that remains in our very broken world. We are constantly surrounded by war and greed and hatred, but there are still fragments of beauty left, and we have to do what we can (with the time we have left) to preserve that. Humanity is just as prone to compassion as it is to ugliness. As I find myself writing this 8 years after the tragedy that simultaneously gave America a renewed sense of unity and warmongering, I can't help feeling the urgency behind the words of these songs. If we don't right our wrongs soon, it may just be too late.

The album will be released everywhere 9-14-09. Buy it as soon as you possibly can, and thank me later.


Rating- 4.9 stars out of 5

Highlight Tracks- "Exogenesis 1,2,3"

A video for your consideration.

It's rare to find music videos that actually get under my skin, but this one does. The soft cinematography plays a lush contrast to the creepy subject matter. Something tells me it won't get heavy rotation on MTV, which makes it even better.

September Round-Up

UPCOMING CONCERTS IN THE LA AREA, SEPTEMBER '09

9/1-2/09- John Legend
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/1/09- Mew
Troubadour, West Hollywood

9/2/09- Nine Inch Nails
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

9/3/09- The Pretenders w/ Cat Power
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/4-5/09- John Williams: Music of the Movies
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles

9/5/09- Mos Def
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

9/6/09- Warped Tour: 15th Anniversary (Bad Religion, NOFX, All-American Rejects, Katy Perry)
Club Nokia, Los Angeles

9/8/09- AC/DC
Honda Center, Anaheim

9/8/09- Collective Soul
House of Blues, Hollywood

9/9-10/09- Dave Matthews Band
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/11-12/09- Sunset Strip Music Festival
9/11/09- Agustana, HoneyHoney @ The Roxy OR Talib Kweli @ Key Club
9/12/09- Korn, Chris Cornell, Pepper, Kottonmouth Kings, Shiny Toy Guns, Shwayze, LMFAO, The Donnas, Unwritten Law, Nico Vega and many more @ the Sunset Strip

9/11/09- Paolo Nutini
Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles

9/12/09- Aquabats
Glass House, Pomona

9/12/09- Flogging Molly
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/15/09- Arctic Monkeys
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

9/15/09- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Fox Theatre, Pomona

9/16/09- Phoenix
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/16/09- The Killers
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles

9/16/09- Fanfarlo
The Echo, Los Angeles

9/17/09- The Gaslight Anthem
Music Box @ the Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles

9/17/09- The Airborne Toxic Event
The Fox Theatre, Pomona

9/18-19/09- Psychedelic Furs
Club Nokia, Los Angeles

9/18-19/09- Gipsy Kings
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

9/18/09- G. Love & Special Sauce
House of Blues, Anaheim

9/18/09- Little Boots
Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood

9/22/09- Citizen Cope
House of Blues, Hollywood

9/25/09- Sonic Youth
The Foz Theatre, Pomona

9/25/09- Portugal the Man
Troubadour, West Hollywood

9/25/09- Bon Iver
Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles

9/25/09- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" presents The Nightman Cometh
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

9/26/09- Common, The Roots, De La Soul and Ludacris
Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood

9/27/09- !!! Chk Chk Chk
Troubadour, West Hollywood

9/27/09- Bon Iver (Doors open @ 12AM, concert begins @ 6AM)
Hollywood Forever Cemetary, Hollywood

9/28/09- Blitzen Trapper
El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles

9/30/09- Datarock
El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles


I have to say, the idea of seeing Bon Iver play at sunrise in the Hollywood Forever Cemetary is heavenly...

The Diamond Light- "Krotona EP"

You know that feeling you get when a friend hands you a CD and casusally says, "Hey, this is my band, you should listen to it."...it's something akin to panic and squirmy nervousness, hoping that the CD in your palm isn't absolute drivel and you won't have to subsequently lie to their face about how much you loved it. It's an uncomfortable place to be. On the flip side, the CD could be excellent, a piece of pure genius waiting to be discovered by the masses. So you put it on the stereo and hope for the best.

Which is how I came to know The Diamond Light. My friend Brian informed me that his band's EP had debuted only a few days ago, and suggested I check it out. The aforementioned conflict stirred in my gut, but I was happy to find that this band has put out a solid freshman collection of indie rock that is simultaneously raw, polished, edgy, smooth, and above all, decidedly Los Angeles with just the right splash of southern rock. It oozes up-and-coming effervescence yet manages to sound extremely practiced. There is a lot of soul in it, manifested through gritty, lyrical wordplay, fuming guitars and damn catchy rhthyms. If anything, I would liken TDL to Cage the Elephant before they hit the bigtime and whitewashed their sound.

Here's why it's important that you check out TDL, whether it be through MySpace or one of their shows: there's legitimate talent here, and bands like this deserve your time and money far more than groups who have made it big. Music is just one big cycle of artists who start their careers in dive bars and gin joints, hoping to make it, and if all goes well eventually do. Every mainstream artist you listen to today started as a nobody just like the rest of us, and with the help of fans, reached fame. Bands like this need your support. I wouldn't put them on my blog if I didn't truly believe in the notes they've played.

Website:
http://www.myspace.com/thediamondlight

Upcoming Shows:
9-8-09 @ Viper Room, 8PM
9-9-09 @ Club Moscow, 10PM
9-27-09 @ Knitting Factory (Longhair Illuminati Fest), 5PM

Hey Noel, make up your mind.

As I'm sure everyone's heard by now, Noel Gallagher, lead guitarist of the legendary Brit band Oasis, has quit the band. Again. In his official statement released on the band's website yesterday, everyone's favorite Britpop brat simply stated:

"It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer. Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan."

Further statements released today elaborated even further upon the circumstances of his departure:

"Dearly beloved, it is with a heavy heart and a sad face that I say this to you this morning. As of last Friday the 28th August, I have been forced to leave the Manchester rock'n'roll pop group Oasis.

The details are not important and of too great a number to list. But I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable. And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new.

I would like firstly to offer my apologies to them kids in Paris who'd paid money and waited all day to see us only to be let down AGAIN by the band. Apologies are probably not enough, I know, but I'm afraid it's all I've got.

While I'm on the subject, I'd like to say to the good people of V Festival that experienced the same thing. Again, I can only apologise - although I don't know why, it was nothing to do with me. I was match fit and ready to be brilliant. Alas, other people in the group weren't up to it.

In closing I would like to thank all the Oasis fans, all over the world. The last 18 years have been truly, truly amazing (and I hate that word, but today is the one time I'll deem it appropriate). A dream come true. I take with me glorious memories.

Now, if you'll excuse me I have a family and a football team to indulge.

Thanks very much.

Goodbye.

NG."

Now, as some of you will remember, Gallagher also briefly left the band in 1994 after what he viewed as a mixed-reception in response to their first American tour. Noel and his brother Liam have long been at odds, fighting off and on throughout the duration of Oasis' career, and it's a well-known fact that both Paul Arthurs and Paul McGuigan left the band as a result of Noel's prickly disposition. All in all, he's kind of a douche. Personally, I believe this is the end of Oasis. I doubt there will be any coming back from this row, though the protests and prayers of fans currently echo all over the globe. This could potentially destroy Britpop as we know it, putting an endcap on the glorious '90s anthems we still love to blast from our car speakers. Noel, I have one last thing to ask before you kill my teenage years altogether: where were you when we were getting high?

Kings of Leon

On August 22nd, I discovered perhaps the worst feeling in the world: showing up to a concert halfway through the second-to-last song. Frustration, anger, blind rage, these words don't even begin to convey how I felt. As I went running into The Forum, echoes of "On Call" were bouncing off the walls and a sense of dread pervaded every fiber of my being. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, they're already playing." By the time we had entered the venue, the song was almost over and Caleb Followill was talking in his sexy, Southern voice about the joys of playing in LA. When he introduced "Cold Desert" as the last song of the evening, I literally almost burst into tears. It was a desperate sensation unlike any other, one of both tragic unrest and horrible sadness. $60 of hard-earned cash on 20 minutes of music and idle chat from the band. I was about to go ape shit.

Lucky for me, KoL is a solid band who puts on a phenomenal concert. After the "last" song, they played a rollicking four more, including "Use Somebody," "Black Thumbnail," and "Knocked Up." To say that I was impressed would be a vast understatement; I was awed. Seeing 5.5 songs was enough to convince me that a.) KoL is one of the best rock bands on the market right now, b.) they're even better live than they are on their albums, and c.) I would blow $60 to see them play for an hour ANY day. The brothers (and cousin) put on an amazing show; Caleb's voice was raw and gritty but always perfectly on-key, Nathan and Jared fueled the Southern beats with a heavy drum and a thick bass line, and Matthew played a mean guitar with melt-your-face-off solos. I left the arena in a heady joy, happy to have seen the snippet I did. There is no doubt in my mind that after their next album is released (and God knows they've been steadily improving since the release of "Youth and Young Manhood" in 2003), I will be first in line for a ticket. And I have never said that about any band before.

As we drove away into the night, taking in the sights and sounds of Inglewood, I absorbed two valuable lessons learned that night. First, don't go to concerts with retarded people who make liquor a priority instead of seeing the concert on time. And second, never underestimate the power of a truly great performance, regardless of its length.