popwreckoning updates |  |
- These United States – Everything Touches Everything
- We’re Only Show Biz Losers
- Amy Millan – Masters of the Burial
- Phosphorescent live at KEXP, Fall 2009 Tour
- Paolo Nutini behind the scenes, Fall 2009 tour
- Girl in a Coma – Trio B.C.
- The Hold Steady with Iran @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC
| These United States – Everything Touches Everything Posted: 31 Aug 2009 03:30 PM PDT Everything Touches Everything is true. I really had no idea until I sat down in a chair at my local tattoo shop, Artful Dodger, in Seattle. My good friend Lucky, the owner, always seems to force me to think, mostly because we spend copious amounts of time together. I feel physical pain, and he attempts to distract me with wit and charm. This day was different though, I had plenty to think about, plenty of soul searching to do as I sat getting etched, I kept running through the words and music by These United States. Their newest works did what I had no idea a new LP could do, and that's saying a lot. They literally had me zoned. Mostly because this new LP is a puzzle, a mystery to be unraveled by simply listening, and listening again. Then you begin to realize, it's an LP about redemption, war, and defiance, even in the face of fear. Title track "Everything Touches Everything" is a rock and roll declaration of defiance to the pressure of life. It beckons you to take it all in, dares you almost. "It is breathe taking just to be here" is repeated like an anthem. All the while lead guitars ride the wave all the way through, not missing moment to take part, to stand you up and make you move. Moving in this journey to "The Secret Door," I feel the same ease as before. It’s a melodic song about simply starting over because today is a new day. It attempts to reveal the ability of lead our own lives without being confusing or muddled. "Our lives are not the night before…" It is now, as we speak, as each second passes: this is life. It's message is uplifting, encouraging, and ageless in all respects. But then I'm jarred, literally taken off my own feet; I was fooled. "Conquest and Consequence" hits me like a brick from an unseen offender. This is where I discover that everything truly does touch everything. It's deep, theologically charged, and brings me to my own youth, my college days, I had placed in a small mental box years ago. Days when I would question time, existence, and God. With references to John The Baptist and a blood red sky, it's clear there is a serious and direct lane to take in this piece. "I have to warn you I'm a friend, you don't need any enemy" to me is a clear message about a struggle between what to believe and what not too, at the same time, feeling for a man whom could have been like the rest of us, human in all aspects, it leaves me shattered, but in a good way, as though I needed to be rebuilt anyway. These United States have 3 LPs to date, and with a curiously changing lineup, each LP seems to offer something new and fresh. Everything Touches Everything is no exception. It keeps you intrigued, makes you think and, at times, almost scares you about the reality we live in today. But it's also about hope, in the face of fear Jesse Elliot boldly states "I'm gonna assemble a city, right in the heart of their war…". As Lucky begins to wrap it all up, I look down and see a piece that's complete, embedded and permanent. Much like Everything Touches Everything, I think about the last track and how it does the same thing. "Good Night Wish" is the perfect swan song to this very accomplished work. Those last 20 seconds, you beg for them to come back, like an old friend or lover, don't leave just yet. But I know I will be back, just as These United States will also. Tracklisting: These United States: website | myspace Most Commented Posts |
| Posted: 31 Aug 2009 02:30 PM PDT I thought for sure that I was destined to be a show biz loser, living a life of "what if?" Everyone tells you that the only way to get into the music business is to know someone or have a chance meeting in a meet cute befitting the cheesiest of romantic comedies. I knew no one. I didn't do internships in college. I hate using network as a verb. I never stumbled across someone important in a coffee shop. I was surely screwed. Should I start practicing, "Would you like fries with that?" Then magically I found a job. I found it through an online job listing which my professors said could never happen. I got a real job where I walked past gold and platinum records everyday and take calls from rock stars. Did it happen? Did I escape show biz loserdom? Hardly. In the music business, as in life, no matter how big you are there is always someone bigger out there. In my job of lowly assistant, everyone is bigger than me. I take orders from everyone and dictate to no one. I get star struck when the late 90's two hit wonder calls, when I have a 45 minutes conference call with a 80's pop star about how to use Facebook, or meet a star client on the second day of work… even though I'm not a big fan of any of them. Will I ever get over the awe factor? Will this ever be commonplace? My boss has been in the business close to 30 year and has met practically everyone who's everyone, so he's not easily wowed by anyone. That is, until Carly Simon's manager called. She was interested in working with a client and requested some CD's. I had the CD's out of storage, packaged and stamped before he was done writing the note to include. A note, I should point out, that had to be revised and rewritten no less than four times. So maybe I'm not the only loser? …at that moment anyway. - The Assistant If you have any questions about what I do, the workings of the music business, or just the perspective of an insider, then please post them in the comment section. I'll do my best to answer them. On any given day I work with management, labels, booking agents, publicists, venues, marketing people, promoters, radio, web masters, and loads more, so I have plenty of dirt to dish. Related Posts |
| Amy Millan – Masters of the Burial Posted: 31 Aug 2009 01:32 PM PDT On September 22, 2009 Amy Millan unearths her second solo album via the star-studded Arts & Crafts label, Masters of the Burial, a tucked-in, quiet symphony of songs on longing and loneliness. It's likely that you know Millan from her work with Stars and Broken Social Scene but I don't think you know her quite like this. Imbued with clear blue country whispers and folk-freckles, Masters of the Burial feels so deeply soft, so fragile that it almost hurts to hear. Masters of the Burial includes covers of some of Millan's favorite songs, such as Death Cab for Cutie's “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” and “Run For Me” and “Old Perfume” by Sarah Harmer, songs that Millan says, "carried me through a difficult period." It's clear from what's collected here that Millan cherishes the hunt for rare gems hidden far, far below the surface of things. It's a tricky move to pull off, the deceptively simple song that weighs ever so heavily, like an iron pendulum on one's soul, one powerful enough to knock down decades of a broken heart. For Millan, her second exquisite offering "came from a time of flux…trying to get to the bottom of what 'home' really means." She asks, "Where do we stash the collection of betrayals and disappointments we carry throughout our lives? If you ever find yourself miles away from a person with whom your communication has become crooked and bent, can you ever find your way back?" Millan hopes these questions ring true for those that listen and perhaps in cracking open the tomb, may give them some refuge. Having surrounded herself with expert company throughout her career, it's no surprise that Masters of the Burial calls the talents of producer Martin Davis Kinack (Broken Social Scene), Evan Cranley (Stars), Feist, Dan and Jenny Whiteley, and Liam O'Neil (Stills) among others to the ceremony of sorts. On September 22, Millan (and I) recommend that you pour yourself a nightcap and let your ghosts go. Amy Millan: myspace Related Posts |
| Phosphorescent live at KEXP, Fall 2009 Tour Posted: 31 Aug 2009 10:30 AM PDT It began last spring when Phosphorescent’s heartfelt tribute album To Willie received accolades from critics and fans alike. One such fan was the venerable Willie Nelson himself, and soon the band was invited to meet its hero and later perform on his Sirius/XM radio show for his memorable 76th birthday celebration. Phosphorescent is now honored to unite with Mr. Nelson one more time at the legendary Farm Aid in October, alongside luminaries Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp and more. After spending months in the studio, Phosphorescent is ready to showcase songs new and old with fans this fall, beginning with a special hometown show in Brooklyn. All dates below, and in the meantime, catch this video of Phosphorescent performing two gorgeously stripped-down piano and guitar arrangements of “The Last Thing I Needed (First Thing This Morning)” and “At Death, A Proclamation” from the KEXP studios in New York: Tour Dates: Phosphorescent: website | myspace Related Posts |
| Paolo Nutini behind the scenes, Fall 2009 tour Posted: 31 Aug 2009 09:30 AM PDT Go behind the scenes with Paolo Nutini on the set of his video for “Coming Up Easy,” off Sunny Side Up, out now. Follow Paolo and his co-star Harvey the Rabbit as they wander the streets and bars together searching for the meaning of life. If you haven’t seen the Jimmy Stewart movie Harvey which this clearly references, run to the nearest video store immediately. Don’t be fooled by the film’s age (it was released in 1950), this is a great movie! Catch Paolo Nutini on his headlining North American tour which kicks off tonight, August 31st, in Fort Lauderdale (dates below). Tour Dates: Paolo Nutini: website | myspace | @ 9:30 club Related Posts |
| Posted: 31 Aug 2009 08:30 AM PDT As a female, who grew up in a house that reeked of testosterone, I felt it necessary to prove my worth constantly. Underestimation is constant in a multi-gender world, regardless of whether or not it is completely apparent. Girl in a Coma, an all-female punk trio from Texas, has been demolishing those standards since they were discovered by rock icon Joan Jett at the Knitting Factory in New York City. I've never been to the NYC Knitting Factory, but I've been to plenty of the Los Angeles Knitting Factory events, and trust me, it isn't the most feminine assortment of shows. But, when you listen to Girl in a Coma, it is obvious why they would be able to discreetly slip in between the heavy metal/punk sets, I mean, they obviously wail. After unknowingly exposing themselves to Joan Jett, Jett signed them to her label Blackheart Records. Their debut album, Both Before I'm Gone, was released in 2007, and the single off that record, "Clumsy Sky," won them the award for Best Punk Song at the 2007 Independent Music Awards. Since that time, the girls have toured with the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Tegan and Sara, The Pogues, Morrissey and Social Distortion. Not only do these girls rock pretty hard, they play with a tight synchronicity. This is probably attributed to their previously established partnerships. Bassist Jenn Alva and drummer Phanie Diaz became friends in their middle school art class, and lead singer/guitarist Nina Diaz just happens to be Phanie's younger sibling. The trio has been a rock force to be reckoned with since adolescence. Their recent album, Trio B.C., is awkwardly reminiscent of what they happen to call themselves in the music scene. A coma is classified as an altered state of consciousness, and this album happens to cover many emotional aspects of the female mind that continue to be present even as you mature, and in altering levels of intensity as the record progresses. Love, desire, frustration, longing, heartbreak…it all echoes from the confines of Nina's phenomenal voice box. The album was so named, after Phanie and Nina's grandfather's Tejano band, and a tribute to their Latina roots is featured in the song “Ven Cerca”; a cover of a 1960's Mexican pop song by Los Spitfires. Despite it being the first Spanish track the girls have ever recorded, Nina nails the pronunciation amidst the guttural punk bliss, and I personally prefer their ska-esque cover to the original. There are also faint traces of Spanish guitar scattered throughout the album, that compliment the girls' grunge/psychobilly tendencies beautifully. I honestly was very impressed with this album; you can rock out to it, you can cry to it, you can scream to it. It is just so stylistically eclectic, that you can pick out at least five different species of rock intertwined within. "El Monte" is probably the track that stands out most. Its tempo is flagrantly slow, and the lyrics display a gentle intimacy that isn't as prominent throughout the remainder of the album. "Vino" is another blessedly mellow track that differs from the remainder of the album; layered vocals, whimsical lyrics, coupled with crashing percussion? You will just have to check it out for yourself. Don't forget the bonus track "Davey," it truly is a bonus. Trio B.C. is available now on Blackheart Records. Girl in a Coma: website | myspace | @ terminal 5 | @ midland theater | interview with Related Posts |
| The Hold Steady with Iran @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC Posted: 31 Aug 2009 07:13 AM PDT The Hold Steady played the 9:30 Club on August 28, the night before the five-some were scheduled to appear at the Virgin Mobile Freefest at Merriweather Post Pavilion the next day. Given the choice of standing in the dark in an air-conditioned venue at night versus being exposed to the elements (sun, heat, and bugs) in the daytime, there’s no contest. The floor was conspicuously empty when 7:15 rolled around and the opening act, Iran, was due on stage. Iran is the experimental/indie rock side project of TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone (though Malone was nowhere to be seen, as TvotR was playing the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco this weekend). Iran’s music is definitely different than TVotR or even the Hold Steady’s; I guess it could be defined as bass and drum-heavy indie rock. (I’m not entirely sure about this b/c both acts sounded bass-heavy, so I couldn’t tell if the bass was heavier in the mix than everything else.)
The floor and balcony filled up in the interim time between the bands, so much that the place was packed by the time it was the Hold Steady’s turn to entertain us. I was clued in (or perhaps warned?) by a fellow gig-goer that the Hold Steady “attracts a weird Christian following”; perhaps they were clued in by the band’s ultra-Catholic second album, Separation Sunday? Christian or not, there was a very vocal group of kids behind me, ready to get their kicks from the band, shouting “positive!” over and over again while Iran’s equipment got broken down. This gave me an introductory taste to the rest of the evening: the Hold Steady’s fans know every single word of their songs, and I mean every word. Singer/lyricist/guitarist Craig Finn strikes me as an unconventional front man. He’s bespectacled and he has an unusual blue guitar, emblazoned with a Grateful Dead teddy bear sticker. He alternates between three modes: kid in a candy shop (jumping up and down and all over the stage exuberantly, like a child who’s been given too much sugar); excited singer with extremely expressive arms, daring us to raise our arms up in unison with him; and less often, the bashful “who me?” songster. But when he gets going, get ready, because he really gets going, communicating with us in his unique singing/speaking style, leading the rest of the Hold Steady and all of us on a sonic journey of (dare I say it?) near Biblical proportions. And it’s really hard to not like his guy-next-door look and delivery.
“Certain Songs,” the Hold Steady’s closer, has the lines of “certain songs, they get scratched into our souls.” (Or is that skulls? I ask b/c I got hit on the head by someone’s wayward arm being waved about). Either way, I’m sure everyone at the 9:30 will have that amazing evening etched into their brains and will remember it for a long time to come. A rollicking good time was had by all. The band have one more appearance in America, at Stewart Park in upstate New York on September 6. The band will then head over to London to play a sold-out show at the 02 Islington Academy next week, followed by appearances at County Clare, Ireland’s Cois Fharraige Festival and Salisbury, England’s End of the Road Festival before returning to North America for one date in Alaska and several more across Canada. Set list                     Tour dates The Hold Steady: website | myspace | @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater | Rothbury: Day 4 Related Posts |
The band was unstoppable, moving through their 22-song set with almost breakneck speed, barely taking a moment to wipe their sweaty brows and faces or take a swig of beer (or in nattily-dressed keyboardist/accordion player | You are subscribed to email updates from popwreckoning To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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