I was here! at this show! up in WA in like 97!

GRIZZLY BEAR live @ FILLMORE report

For Father's Day Hans, Matt, and I were given tickets by our wives to go see Grizzly Bear at the Fillmore Monday night. Here is my report in easy-to-read bullet points.

A. Loved the stage set-up. All four members set up linearly across the stage (drummer included), which accentuated the notion that all four members are equal contributors, while further mythologizing them as Beatle-esque or, dare I say, Spice Girl-esque "characters".

B. My favorite Bear is Ed. He's dreamy.

C. This was the last date on their tour, so it had a very triumphal, and comfortable feel.

D. To the couple who was dancing/swaying/grinding behind me, who were constantly rubbing up against my beautocks I have two words: NO TOUCHY!
1. Above most things in life I cherish and protect my personal space.
2. No matter how weird I might be with my space issues, touching a man in his right beautock (left beautock if he's, you know..... left-handed) in a crowded place, even by accident, is a BIG NO NO. It usually sends the message someone's trying to get his wallet. Either way, raise up off me.

E. I was unsure how they would keep a consistent sound throughout their set, due to the difference between their last 2 records, and due to the ups and downs of the lo-fi-ness of "Yellow House". However the way that they reworked all their songs into a huge, huge sound left no downtime and kept me thoroughly entertained and wanting more.

F. I didn't get the memo that V-neck tee shirts and Banana Republic madras were back in style for men. Penny loafers, too. No one told me.

G. The encore was short, simple, and a special treat. They came out and huddled together on stage with only one acoustic guitar and pointed a single mic toward the group and did an acoustic song with 4-part harmonies running throughout.

H. Though I do not partake, I love the smell of pot. If there was a type on incense that smelled like pot, I would burn it non-stop at my house. If they bottled it in cologne form, I would slap it on my neck daily.

I. Best show I've seen in a while.

My new-found love for Grizzly Bear

Like most bands I fall head-over-heals for, at first I disregard their initial hype, write them off as johnny-come-latelies, just something the hipsters have fallen for. Then, after about a year, someone I really respect talks about them enough that I check them out. Same is true for Grizzly Bear.

Veckatimest- I think what strikes me most about this record a is the treatments and arrangements both to the song structure (songwriting) and the production. Incredible detail has been put into creating an intensity without from-the-gut guitar angst. Instead, you get this swirling of sound and somewhere in there you find an urgency. A lot of the group's dynamic comes form the interplay between its trading-off two singers.

iTunes alert: download "Two Weeks" and you won't be sorry (except Sissy, it's on your Euro Mix 5).

Yellow House- was their breakthrough much-hyped release. I wrote it off as dissonant noise. But after getting into Veckatimest, I went back and checked out Yellow House and I'm growing to like it.

On a realistic note, I'm just not sure why these guys have become the IT KIDS of the last couple years. Not sure why MIDLAKE isn't on top in this way. As much as I have come to be a huge Gizzly Bear fan, when I want quirky abstract chamber pop, I'm gonna reach for some Midlake. Just a little RIYL.

Father's Day Bonus! Jill and a couple of my friends' wives who are also Grizzly Bear fans (my friends, not their wives) got the 3 of us tickets to see them (Grizzly Bear, not our wives) at the Fillmore tomorrow night! Will report back.

New SON VOLT album out July 7 -OR- Imagine Girlish Giggles Here

The new Son Volt record called, "American Central Dust" comes out a month from today. Readers of this blog know that my inner child will be climbing the walls of my skull until then.

Grizzly Bear "2 Weeks"

For Jill- just missing you while you're on the east coast

We had this version of Jeff Mangum's rendition played at our wedding. Hans and Leif played it at the ceremony and we danced to the version you hear here at our reception.

Catching Up

OK. So in lean times I haven't been buying so many albums. But here are a few I bought this spring. Trying to catch up on some reviews here. So here are some short ones.

Bon Iver- "For Emma Forever Ago" This made a lot of critics' #1 on a lot of critics' top 10 lists for 08. I gave in and got it and liked it. 2 or 3 songs are great. Not sure it deserved all that hype. Sounds like acoustic TV On The Radio. And was done by a single guy sitting in front of his laptop. I'm more interested in what he does for his next record and I'm hoping he has an outside producer. (note: The brown artwork above is the original issue. The other is a far cry and is what's in stores now.)


Neko Case- "Middle Cyclone" I usually buy Neko Case records for her voice, not her song writing. And when I heard the first two track off this record, I thought she was up to her old mediocre tricks (I don't like repeating words just to fill up sullables and I dont like redundant rhymes like "eater" and "eat'ya" as in the line: "I'm a man man man man man man eater. So don't be surprised 'prised 'prised when I eat'ya!"). But as the album goes on, the song writing gets better and it's apparent she's leaped into another catagory. The Harry Nilsson cover played by a "piano orchestra", along with the songs "Prison Girls" and "The Pharoahs" (which might be her best work) might've been better suited for the beginning of the record, in place of that annoying Man Eater song. Here's a video of the making of the record.


Raffi- "Singable Songs Collection" This is a tripple disc reissue that includes the albums, "Singable Songs for the Very Young", "More Singable Songs", and "Corner Grocery Store". These are Raffi's three earliest consecutive works starting in 1976. Not only is this reissue historical and archival in a way, they contain well crafted short songs that are not dredged in Americana , as childrens' songs often are, and they stay credible without pandering to an adult audience. The main thing to notice here, on each of these three records, is that Raffi is varying between three vocal production styles: thick doubled vocals ("Popcorn"), harmonies with another male vocalist, or Raffi's voice with a small choir of children. Raffi clevery bounces back and forth between these three vocal styles and also varies the instrumentation behind it to hold evene the youngest listener's attention. The only drawbacks are the seasonal songs- seems weird to listen to songs about Santa, draedels, and zombies in May. Here's a short video of Raffi in concert where you can just feel the charisma created by humility rather than bravado.


Also, this is a gerontological Raffi playing for some college students who probably learned Raffi songs as small children. He immediately gets them to sing along.

Possibly the best song ever- no foolin

Banda MS "El Mechon"

One of my guitar students played it for me on his MP3 player and I was hooked. Bought it on iTunes. Seriously, this is one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life. Have no idea what it means. Expect to hear it on the next mix I make you.

Peter Tosh

Many might not know this about me, but one of my noteable entry points into music was in early highschool my brother and I were aficionados of reggae cassettes. We spent any spare money we had (usually split the cost) on reggae tapes. I was probably 14 and the shopping mall record stores were all we had access to (I hadn't caught the Amoeba bug yet, and CDs were just catching on, making odd cassettes cheaper) and in those stores like Sam Goodie or The Wharehouse they would have like a clearance bin that was like a 4' x 4' bucket where tapes were like $3 or $4 bucks. Most were incomplete albums or rare songs culled together and usually bootlegged by unheardof labels or distributors. Looking back, I don't know how any of it was legal.

Keith and I scoured these bins for reggae tapes and ended up, through these odd collections and compilations, collecting the equivalent of whole Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru, Inner Circle, and Peter Tosh albums.

One legit album we purchased was Peter Tosh's "Equal Rights". I have memories of listening to it on family drives. In a Volvo station wagon with my parents listening to this militant, apacolyptic, herbalist, Afrocentric, Rastafarian play 9 songs of slightly durgy, slightly funky music.

Recently, I found myself really craving these songs, especially "Steppin Razor", but when I looked for a Peter Tosh greatest hits album and looked at the songs offered, you really can't get a better collection of Tosh's songs than on Equal Rights. So I went out and got it. Sure, "Steppin Razor" is a no-brainer, with it's super tough guy message, but super summery blissful tone. Also, tosh's version of "Get Up, Stand up", sure- I get it. But the real gems here are lesser-known tunes like "I Am That I Am", "Ja Guide", and "African". On all three of these, Tosh does. See usually the chorus of the song contains the melodic hook and also the resolution of the tension created by the preceeding verse. However, Tosh builds tension with dark, minor choruses that are repedative and dark, but when he returns to the verse- it resolves. Case-in-point the eerie (not Irie) middle-eastern/north African (Etheopian?) tinged chorus of "Jah guide, Jah guide, Jah guide, etc." to the verse with "I tru this valley, when I troddin' tru this valley...." it has this amazing, peaceful resolution.

Tosh uses this vehicle to reverse to lyrical polarity of the pop song. In a normal pop song, the resolving chorus sends the message: "Everything's fine!". Peter Tosh was making a very serious record and tackled themes such as the final Escaton, Religion, Black militantism, etc., so the choruses stayed tense, as if to be very forward about the serious nature of the record, but then let's it sail back to the breazy side to offer the listener a positive and affirming feeing. After all, this is reggae!

A funny note is that in the extended liner notes of this deluxe remastered edition, the drummer recalls how craaaazy their approach was to the recording of this album and gives the example that he didn't play the one drop on the whole album because he played some four on the floor on "Stepping Razor". The humor in this is that the 4x4 beat only lasts for about 10 seconds in the intro of "Razor" and drops heavy on the one (really this means the 3 beat) for the rest of the entire album.

This is one of two reggae albums I own. But if you own two reggae albums, this should be one.

Joaquin Phoenix is stealing my look!

I've never been mistaken for Joquin Phoenix before, but now I foresee a lot of unfortunate run-ins with confused paparazzi and superfans. Also could've titled this post, "The Day I Took a lot of Drugs and Was a Guest on Letterman".

My Double Mix CD for 08 (overdue)

A friend posted his mix cd for 08. Here's mine. It's two discs and is separated by the age of the artists. Read the liner notes to figure out why. Let me know if you want a copy.

SONGS I LIKED IN 2008

Disc 1 “Young Folks”

This is just stuff I got in 08. Songs that were actually released in 08 are marked with a *

1. Mates Of State “Get Better” Re-Arrange Us *

The best song on this record.

2. Battles “Race: In” Mirrored

This seems to fit, since this year Jill and I went through the whole X-Files catalog.

This should’ve been the theme song for the X-Files movie that came out this year.

3. Sun Kil Moon “Somewhere (ver.2)” Ghosts o/t Great Hwy bonus disc

I had to sight-sing the original show-tunes version of this song for a voice class I took at the JC. I liked getting the deluxe edition

of Ghosts of the Great Highway way more than getting there new record this year. Nothing from the new one made this list.

4. Fleet Foxes “Ragged Wood” Fleet Foxes *

Chrissy bugged me about this enough to buy it and I was glad I did. This song shows how every song on this record is like three

songs in one. The electric guitar work on this sounds like KC Wescott’s work on his old band Unwed Sailor.

5. The Elected “Did me Good” Sun, Sun, Sun

I hate this guy. And I hate his other band Rilo Kiley. And I hate both of The Elected’s albums, but there is one song on each of

them that have become favorites for Jill and me.

6. Vampire Weekend “Campus” Vampire Weekend *

Matt convinced me to get this record. He knew about them before anyone! This song makes me think of my college experience and the chorus sounds like a Smiths song to me.

7. New Pornographers “Go Places (Lite Mix)” Deluxe Edition B-sides *

This record came out last year, but they made the bonus material downloadable to superfans like me who bought the “Executive Edition” this year. I like this alternate mix better than the original.

8. The National “Santaclara” The Virginia EP *

The movie that came with this sucked. And they made the packaging too big to fit in my CD wall.

Good thing the too-big-to-be-called-an-EP suffices as a new album.

9. Damien Jurado “As You Wish” Gathered in Song EP bonus track

This Re-issue came out in 06 but I got it this year. This might be the only record that would show up in many of my friends’ top ten lists collectively. The bonus songs are well worth repurchasing the album for, as this demo from the Waters Ave S. era proves.

10. Birds&Batteries “I’ll Never Sleep Again” I’ll Never Sleep Again *

This is a local band we’ve done stuff with. I like this song. I also reviewed this album for thebaybridged.com.

11. Mates of State “The Re-Arranger” Re-Arrange Us *

This song seems to come back around too many times. That’s my gripe.

12. Rivers Cuomo “Can’t Stop Partying” Alone Vol. 2 *

This is the only track on both discs where I don’t have the physical album. Just iTunesed it. It’s a re-working of some rap song and I love the sad tone mixed with the bling bling lyrics. I’m personally embarrassed and ashamed of the Weezer record from 08. This song is a small consolation.

13. Damien Jurado “Sheets” Caught in the Trees *

Maybe my vote for best record of 08. This song is supposed to be autobiographical and is super sad to me.

14. The National “About Today (live)” The Virginia EP *

Love the dialogue, “Hey, are you awake? / Yeah I'm right here. / Well can I ask you about today?” seems ultra real.

15. My Morning Jacket “Off The Record” Z

Heard this on tour this summer. Hate this band, but love the songs on this record.

16. Kathleen Edwards “Goodnight, California” Asking for Flowers *

Her record came out this year, so I had to put a song from it on here.

17. Battles “SZ2” Ep C / B Ep import[Disc 1]

This is a repressing of both their EPs on one release. This might be their best song period.

Disc 2 “Old Folks”

This is just stuff I got in 08. Nothing on this disc was released in 08. I ran out of room and needed to make a second disc, so I separated the artists by age.

1. James Taylor “She Thinks I Still Care” Live

I love the humor and the story in this George Jones song. My parents loved to play this record at home.

2. Talking Heads “Heaven” Best of

Both of these next two songs were showed to me by Peter. Both changed my paradigm considerably. This one a little musically, but it has implications into my theological growth this yea. The next song changed me in terms of recognizing my identity as a guitarist.

3. Tom Waits “Clap Hands” Rain Dogs

4. Robert Plant and Alison Kraus “Killing the Blues” Raising Sand

Bought the record because this song was on a Marshall’s or Ross add or something. Good trip music.

5. Jimi Hendrix “Hey Joe” Experience Hendrix

You gotta have a Jimi Best Of CD I guess.

6. Cream “Politician” Best of

Bought this for my guitar class for the obvious hits, but fell in love with the mathy time signatures of this song.

7. U2 “Things to Make and Do” Boy Deluxe Edition Disc 2

Ur is often overlooked as being part of the “Original Punk” movement, but they really were. Boy and this song prove it.

8. Elvis Costello “(I Don’t Want to go to) Chelsea” Best of

I love how the verse and chorus are basically the same melody except for like one note, but I can’t figure it.

9. Talking Heads “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)” Best of

Fell in love with this / was entranced by this when Bob Boilen used only the intro to illustrate what he loved about the 80s and how this sort of thing used synths and guitar and slick production, but was still smart and creative..

10. U2 “Race Against Time” Joshua Tree Deluxe Edition Disc 2

Maybe U2 should’ve been an instrumental band.

Tardy Best-of 2008 Post

Man, I haven't posted in a while. It's not that I haven't had music to write about, it's more of a time thing. Well, usually I make a lot of lists... best-of lists. And I'd like to make a top 10 list for 2008, but let's face it- there wasn't a whole lot going on in 08. So here's my top 3:

1. Damien Jurado- "Caught in the Trees"
I read this is his only autobiographical songwriting ever. All his other work has been narrative. This one weaves a pretty intense tale. I just like it because it's Damien Jurado doing what he does best. I needed that.




2. Fleet Foxes- "Fleet Foxes"
I just wanna go on the record as saying I grew out my hair and beard before these guys hit the big time. This album is highly visual and otherworldly. Topped only by the imagery and otherworldliness of Midlake. O! Midlake, how I pine for thee.....



3. The National "The Virginia EP"
I blogged about this earlier. This is B-sides and live tracks from the recent "Boxer" era. Too many songs to be called an EP, but when you're as good as these pretty boys, you can can stuff whatever you want. Came with a DVD that was almost unwatchable. But these rare tracks are almost as good as Boxer.


In total, the music of 2008 was about as good as this post.

G - FUNK ERA

The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble.