last 2 nights: I get home from work, eat dinner, try and catchup on emails/forums/leaks and then get 1-2 hour nap in before a concert where I'm out until 1am.
So many items to mention, review..and I have no fucking time right now as it's 2am.
So, all I can do is copy and paste some posts I guess.
1st off, LISTEN TO STRICT JOY THE NEW ALBUM FROM THE SWELL SEASON NAO!!!!
some of this is unbelievable. Fuck.
The Arusha Accord came out, In due time I'll hear it.
Wolfmother was supposed to have dropped yesterday, and with a leak coming soon, ditto.
10/13/09: School of Seven Bells, Warpaint and The Depreciation Guild. @ 7th Street Shack
I attended their show in Minneapolis tonight.
1st off: I actually went to the show 1st and foremost to see Warpaint who I might describe as a textural, dreamy female-driven rock group. They're quite good, and they just re-released their debut EP "Exquisite Corpse" with an extra track. And expect them to put out their debut full-length next Spring.
I'm rather intrigued where they will go after remembering and enjoying their music again (I checked out their ep back in March, but kind of misplaced/forgot about it until noticing they were on the bill with SVIIB).
The 2nd band The Depreciation Guild weren't bad either. Kind of electronicagaze. They had a visual screen that fit well their music, altho most of the rhythms were generated with a drum machine I suspect, as it sounds on their music.
And then seeing School of Seven Bells finally, was a rather trippy, surreal experience at times. Most of the lights were down and they also had a projection screen that was a big part of their show. But sonically, the guitar and textures they use really dominated a lot of the sound. The twins pulled off the vocals okay, but at times the hugely amped-up, distorted guitars really caused them to almost sound like they were in the background.
They are a pretty different group live, as the album at times puts me to sleep, but this was many levels louder and in-your-face. And some of the color-spectrums and visuals really added some to the music. Although, at the same time they re-used some of them, and a couple of the one's early in the set kind of got boring after a few minutes.
But I'd definitely see these guys again live. The studio work? meh, I'm really not sure. They come across as almost a heavy-electronica group live, but Alpisims doesn't leave much of the same impression. It's almost more earthy.
more..A LOT MORE I hope to be added about this show, mainly WARPAINT. The girls in Warpaint are incredibly sweet. I wish they lived here and I could see them play a lot more often. They're all cute too, but I suspect all have boyfriends. Go figure, I'm not one to ruin a band anyway, but affection is hard to avoid, especially when receiving hugs :p.
10/12/09 Fair to Midland @ The Rock Nightclub
just got back a bit ago.
7th show in less than 3 years, lol.
new stuff sounds more refined, more eclectic, and tighter. Musical Chairs of course is now a little more known, but they still play an extended version of it live. The other new songs, well I can say right now "Rikki Tikki Tavi" rules. I am totally psyched about that tune more now. There's a great chours in the middle that I love. The shifting moods, times works really well.
The others..the one that is rather ambient I am curious about..1 is a poppy piece I recall them doing last time.
As far as news: They would have had a chance to record and release a new album this year, but the fact they are not clear ON THEIR LABEL situation right now, is the biggest reason they haven't Also cost/$ of course. But They are actually with the Serj connection, looking into a major lable, perhaps Interscope or Warner Brothers. This is vague, but that's what Cliff mentioned to me.
But with the delays, they have written more songs, and I guess more or less every one of them is different stylistically. I'd believe it. I really think their next record will not be Fables Part 2 at all. Even tho some elements to Musical Chairs reminds me of Fables, that may be the only song that will remind folks more obviously as having much of the Fables sound. But then again, what we've heard is just a demo, the final/released version may be quite different potentially.
The rest of set:
Manatee
Kyla
Tal Tales
April Fools
Walls of Jericho
Seafarer's Knot
Darroh did his usual hanging from the lights antics..a lot of cut/crowd-vocal choruses..and extended versions.
7th time, and this was another great memory to put in the books.
Another thing that I must mention and stress. The OPENING BANDS. Empty Set: they caught my attention at times, especially this 1 almost proggy/jamband track. BloodRoot Mother: the myspace stuff I was impressed by, and they also were interesting enough at times. I bought their cd and may see them at Station 4 on Friday (instead of Mastodon at Roy Wilkins).
The House of Harkonnen: um..THESE GUYS NEARLY FLOORED ME. Wow, ok. They have been playing shows with FTM for many years in Texas I guess, but they haven't done a ton of touring with them. Fuck, these guys killed! Speed Metal to the Nth degree! They were wearing Motorhead t-shirts..um, I thought I was listening to Motorhead at times seeing them, lol. I guess 1 of the guitarists is classically trained too. Fuck, they had such great energy, my jaw dropped at times.
If you dig energetic, technical-at-times, speed metal..or perhaps just groups like Mastodon or Baroness..sort-of blues-based at times, but with great energy..this band could be a CAN'T MISS.
I told them and Cliff, perhaps they could become like The Galactic Cowboys were with King's X for FTM. Tour-partners from the same hometown/state.
They really are a band more people would enjoy if they received the right exposure. I know I will be checking out their back catalog now, and look fwd to seeing them again hopefully soon.
They almost outclassed FTM to be honest. I purchased their latest disc.
The Decemberists @ The State Theater last Friday 10/9/09. Here's a post from another blog:
I missed The Decemberists show..fuck
bloody hell, how in the blue fuck did I miss this? ShittyPages had NOTHING about it for weeks. I never saw any ad for it, nor was it on the Mr.Chan Presents.
Pisses me off..Laura Veirs opened and sat in with them of course. Rock the garden was wayy too overpriced with too many bands I didn't feel like paying for to see, and while this show was $32.50, I would have tried to get in for $20 or less like I often do,
the only silver lining is I saved myself some $, but god damnit, I've waited nearly 3 years to see them again. Fuck.
