Weekly Mix 12/24/12

Tomorrow is Christmas! Whether you're excited about that or not, I hope that you have a great holiday and a productive new year! More stuff coming up.

1. Cloud Nothings - "Wasted Days"

2. Devendra Banhart - "Bad Girl"

3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Mladic"

4. Gold Panda - "You" (Second version)

5. Sufjan Stevens - "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"

6. St. Vincent - "Just The Same But Brand New"

7. Sparklehorse -"It's A Wonderful Life"

8. Pedro The Lion - "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"

9. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gradenhead - Leave Me Alone"

10. Damien Jurado - "Tonight I Will Retire"

Weekly Mix 12/17/12

Hello, how have you been? I've been very busy with another project, but I am getting started on my write-up for the Lost In The Trees show at Duke from a couple weeks ago, so expect that sometime soon. In the mean time, here are some songs:

1. Now, Now -"Wolf"

2. Metronomy - This Could Be Beautiful (It Is)

3. Alex Turner - "Hiding Tonight"

4. Port St. Willow - "Hollow"

5. Thrupence - "Voyages"

6. Borealis - "Glaciers"

7. 2muchachos - "Forest Breath"

8. Boards Of Canada - "Macquarie Ridge"

9. Willis Earl Beal - "Same Old Tears"

10. Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Christmas Time Is Here"

Weekly Mix 12/10/12

Bonjour! Hope everyone has been doing well! I know for a lot of people this time of year can be very stressful with exams, shopping, crazy relatives, etc. so I send good vibrations to any of you that are having a rough time this holiday season. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed out it always helps to spin some tunes, so hopefully these can help out:

1. Eric Whitacre - "Lux Aurumque"

2. Nico - "These Days"

3. Portishead - "Small"

4. Radiohead - "Identikit"

5. My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep"

6. Miles Davis - "Blue In Green"

7. Do Make Say Think - "Chinatown"

8. CoCoRosie - "Candy Land"

9. The Books - "All Our Base Are Belong To Them"

10. The Mountaineering Club - "Christina Fjord, May 30th, 1889"

Silversun Pickups w/Atlas Genius @ The National 11/27/12

     Before I begin, I feel I should probably confess that I am not the most impartial critic of Silversun Pickups' live performances. They were my favorite band for a significant chunk of my formative high school years, and while my tastes may have changed, I still have a big soft spot for their fuzzy indie rock. 

Atlas Genius

     Having seen the band six times already, I felt that I pretty much knew what to expect when I got tickets for their show at The National in Richmond, Virginia. I'd even seen them at this venue before (in 2009 with Manchester Orchestra and Cage The Elephant), so I was looking forward to a night of familiar favorites at a comfortable venue. My complacency was misguided; all of my pervious experiences with the band were during the extended period of touring behind their 2009 album, Swoon, while this tour was supporting their 2012 release, Neck Of The Woods. Oh, what a difference three years has made…

              The show was opened by Adelaide, Australia indie-rockers Atlas Genius. The boys from Down Under sound akin to Ra Ra Ra Riot with a dash of Phoenix mixed in, but their upbeat, hooky set met with mixed reactions from the Richmond crowd. From where I was, I could hear a few people chatting about how much they liked the band, but it was clear by the disinterested expressions on the faces of much of the audience that many were only there to hear Silversun Pickups. Crowd opinions aside, Atlas Genius was tight and played confidently for their short, 7 song set.

Vocalist/Guitarist Brian Aubert and Bassist Sarah Negahdari 

     After Atlas Genius’  equipment was moved off stage it became clear to me how different this show was going to be in comparison to my past SSPU experiences. They had an entirely new, complex lighting setup, multiple fog machines, and a cloth screen backdrop that would catch the lights to create a colorful atmosphere for each song. By comparison, their Swoon tour rig from three years ago seemed like a couple flashlights and some dry ice. The atmosphere that has always been present in the band’s music was now fully realized in their stage show and it was evident from the first digital pulses of opener "Skin Graph" that this was going to be an intense night. The vivid luminescence of the backdrop painted the entire room a bluish pink, while strobes and thick fog made the band appear ethereal and otherworldly. The perfectly choreographed light show made back catalog songs like "Little Lovers So Polite" and "The Royal We" feel completely new, and when coupled with the unique style of replacement bassist Sarah Negahdari of The Happy Hollows (regular bassist Nikki Monninger is home in L.A. expecting twin girls) the band itself felt wholly transfigured. The electronic textures the band cultivated in Neck Of The Woods translated very well live and added a new element of ambience that complimented the band's already hazy sound. Neck Of The Woods tracks "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" and "Mean Spirits" were the highlights of the night, while it was the band's 2007 breakthrough single "Lazy Eye" that received the biggest audience reaction. The song was accompanied by a rainbow light display on the backdrop that was truly mesmerizing and managed to make a song that has been a staple of the band's live set for years take on a whole new life. The band ended the night on a nostalgic note with "Well Thought Out Twinkles", the first single from their 2007 debut album, Carnavas. 

Panoramic shot of the stage

     I left this concert with a reaffirmed feeling of respect for Silversun Pickups. I've seen them quite a few times now and not once have I ever come away from one of their shows feeling unsatisfied.  While my musical tastes have shifted somewhat, Silversun has always been there to remind me what a really good live band can be.

Weekly Mix 12/3/12

Christmas time is upon us! How exciting! I don't know about you, but this is my favorite time of year. You can't go wrong with all those pretty lights, delicious smells, and beautiful music. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying the holiday season!

1. Beach House - "Wild" 

2. Mindthings - "Fractal"

3. Stupid Loser - "Woebegone" (EP is pay what you want!)

4. Colleen - "Everything Lay Still"

5. Broken Social Scene - "All My Friends"

6. Other Lives - "Paper Cities"

7. Lowercase Noises - "We Are Ok"

8. Parachutes - "Your Stories" 

9. The Velvet Underground - "Sunday Morning"

10. Modest Mouse - "Ionizes and Atomizes"

Weekly Mix 11/26/12

Lots of good shows coming up, starting with Silversun Pickups in Richmond tomorrow. That means more posts soon! Huzzah!!! Thanks for all the support!

1. CALCULATOR - "Night Trot"

2. Citizens Here and Abroad - "In The Dark"

3. Sea Oleena - "Milk"

4. Johnny Marr - "The Messenger"

5. Nada Surf - "Popular"

6. William Basinski - Disintegration Loop 1.1 (Powerful video..)

7. Sleepy Sun - Marina

8. Elvis Perkins In Dearland - "Chains, Chains, Chains"

9. Silversun Pickups - "Ribbons And Detours"

10. Lower Dens - "Nova Anthem"

David Bazan Band plays Pedro the Lion's "Control" w/Stagnant Pools @ Cat's Cradle

     When a songwriter announces a tour commemorating the tenth anniversary of an album's release it’s usually for one of two reasons:

First: The artist’s career has floundered since the success of their early albums and they decide to cash in on bygone days of quality songwriting as a last attempt at relevancy.

Second: The album itself not only has endured after all these years, but has grown more meaningful with age. A new generation has found significance in the work and it has become something larger than itself; something truly worth commemoration.

     

     David Bazan’s decision to tour behind the tenth anniversary of Pedro the Lion’s Control fits squarely into the second category.

     A politically driven concept record written in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Control tackles themes of division, suspicion, ambition, and betrayal that are as applicable in today’s tense political climate as they were ten years ago. An extended metaphor comparing the political schism of post-9/11 America to the disintegration of a family after infidelity underpins the album’s primary themes of disunion and deception. By extensively using metaphor, allegory, and symbolism, Bazan avoids the pitfalls of writing blatantly political songs, which he described to me as “in poor taste.” Control’s ability to address complex political problems in an affecting, personal way is what has allowed it to age so gracefully, and why it is the best choice for Bazan to commemorate on tour. 

Brian Enas of Stagnant Pools

     

     The show was opened by Bloomington, Indiana band Stagnant Pools. Brothers Brian and Douglass Enas craft their My Bloody Valentine-meets-Joy Division brand of shoegaze gloom with only one guitar, a drum kit and a few pedals; an impressive feat when compared to the massive amounts of equipment used by similar bands. The duo conjured a moody, punk-tinged haze that kept the blood pumping and got the night started on a strong note. The only hiccups in the set stemmed from a somewhat loose drum section that struggled to keep up at times, and a dry vocal mic that clashed with the band’s heavy instrumental atmospherics. Those were only minor complaints and I highly suggest that any fan of shoegaze or dark indie rock check out Stagnant Pools.

David Bazan

     After a quick line check, Bazan and his ace backing band of Andy Fitts on bass and Alex Westcoat on drums burst into Control opener “Options.” Being the first song of the set and the album’s most well-known track, the recognizable intro riff was greeted with hearty cheers and applause. Moving along in order of appearance on the album, Bazan pounded through “Rapture” and the sardonic corporate commentary of “Penetration.” The set was organized into three parts: a set of Bazan-penned songs from his various bands and solo projects, bookended by the two halves of Control. Highlights from the middle section of songs included a poignant solo rendition of the Strange Negotiations single “Wolves At The Door,” and Pedro the Lion staples “Transcontinental” and “When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run.” During breaks between songs Bazan frequently asks if the crowd has any questions at various points in the set, so I decided to take the opportunity to ask about the concepts behind the Pedro the Lion albums Winners Never Quit and Control. He responded with an insightful description of how Winners was a very deliberate concept record mocking evangelical Christian values about two brothers who take different paths through life, while Control was “an accidental concept album” that grew organically as the album took shape. Sadly, few audience members decided to take advantage of this time to ask good questions, and instead just drunkenly blurted “play (insert song here)!!!” As the band finished off the second half of Control the performance reached its zenith. The emotionally charged stretch of songs from “Magazine” to “Rejoice” was the most dramatic and moving period of the night. The bitterness and resentment of “Rehearsal” and “Second Best” has grown into a catharsis for Bazan, while the dejected narrative in “Priests and Paramedics” has become more cautionary tale than parable. A re-vamped version of “Rejoice” finished out the set on a powerful note, and Bazan graciously thanked the crowd for listening before leaving the stage.

Westcoat on Drums

    
     Pedro the Lion’s Control is a rare case of an album that not only stands the test of time, but becomes more pertinent as time progresses. This tour commemorating the David Bazan masterpiece comes at the perfect time, when the political division in America is as evident than ever, and the values of post 9/11 society are starting to be questioned. When will the climate of disunity and partisan quarreling become too much? It’s tough to say, but only by holding a mirror up to the situation and letting the reality of it sink in, as Bazan has done with Control, will there ever be chance for the masses to realize that the current milieu of aimless infighting does not work.