Ra Ra Riot - Live at The Trocadero Theatre - Philly Oct 2, 2009

Ra Ra Riot has been an elusive band for me...I had my chance to listen to them at this year's All Points West, but the idea of moving an inch from Fleet Foxes' show was simply non-existent. However, deep inside the hope to see this Syracuse, NY band live has remained there since.

Oddly enough, another chance seems to pass in front of me again. The band will be playing at The Trocadero Theatre this weekend (Oct 2), which to my own disappointment corresponds to my upcoming trip to Mexico City. I should say "no regrets" and I mean it, but the thought of missing a great concert is still hard to swallow. I hope I have a third chance soon.

It is not a secret that I like string sections in a band, and Ra Ra Riot's Alexandra Lawn (cello) and Rebeca Zeller (violin) bring the band's sound to a different level. They are powerful sources that give the extra punch to the refined lyrics coming out from vocalist Wes Miles.

This is by all means a happy and joyful band. One that puts you to dance and reminds you that all is fun, all is cheer, all is good. However, listening to their music, it is hard to imagine that their 2008 full-length debut, The Rhumb Line, follows a terrible tragedy, the loss of their original drummer John Pike in 2007. John was a major contributor to the band and has songwriting credits on half the tracks. All that joy and fervor infused in their songs leaves a bittersweet taste when you know the story, but at the same time, it provides a completely different, more respectful perspective to the band, their music and the well-deserved success most likely awaiting for them in the near future.

Besides, I could stare at that cellist for hours...=)

Enjoy,

MM

Extras:

Their session in La Blogotheque-Les concerts a emporter.

Their 2008 session in Daytrotter

A vid from their The Rhumb Line Series.



And their vid from Letterman, almost a year ago.

The Swell Season - new album

For everyone that enjoyed the magnificent 2007 soundtrack of the film ONCE (academy award winner), here is a long clip from NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Series of Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová, which from time to time referred themselves as The Swell Season.

Ironically, Hansard included a song with the same name in his 2006 album, apparently inspired by Škvorecký novel. Their new album entitled "Strict Joy" is certainly beautiful and follows the textures we heard on the Once soundtrack. As expected, their music touches in a very delicate manner the borders between love, pain, disappointment, friendship and happiness, combining extremely deep lyrics with powerful sounds, making use of Markéta's delicate and precious voice along with raging laments from Hansard.

A romantic album...and a very good one.

MM

Fanfarlo, Live at Kung Fu Necktie – Philly Sep 20, 2009

Much has been said about the resemblance of Fanfarlo’s music to that of Arcade Fire and Beirut (See La Blogotheque’s article entitled “Plagiarlo”). In spite of the greatness of their first album Reservoir, (Tarquin Studios, released Feb 2009), produced by Peter Katis (producer of The National and Interpol among others), I for one certainly remained cautious about the expectations placed on this new British band, whose music resembled almost a Lego construct of Funeral and The Flying Club Cup.


That changed on Sunday (Sep 20, 2009), when I had the pleasure of seeing them live at the Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, a small and very intimate though cool bar (<50 people guess) at Fishtown’s side of Philadelphia.


It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Fanfarlo’s music and their performance are facilitated by the use of textures and elements similar to those introduced by Arcade Fire. However, seeing them live, you came to realize that they do it in their own way, and although they also rely on the amazingly diverse musical ability of their members, they show new paths and bring more than a point to their music. You walk away from their show convinced that they are for real. And yes, their music makes you feel somehow just like you did when you first heard Tunnels or No Cars Go, but at the same time the feeling is unique, it’s fresh and all although familiar sounds new.


Fanfarlo’s music is efficient on delivering a message, one that does not belong to them or to Arcade Fire, or Beirut for that matter. A message that reminds you why you listen, and sometimes frantically search for new music, one that says “I am young” or at least, one that reminds you the reasons why you would like it to remain like that forever.

Listening to the horns, strings and percussions embedded in Fanfarlo’s music makes you believe that this could be somehow feasible, even when they sing “Out there somewhere is the Finish Line”.

MM



Fanfarlo's last week show at KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic - Sep 17, 2009

The Virgins, something to consider at ACL

For those going to AUSTIN CITY LIMITS in search of an unpretentious fun time, I highly recommend showing up at The Virgins show on October 3. They will play at 12:30 pm and it could be a fun way of kicking off a long day...

Their music is certainly intriguing, oddly out of era that makes you believe they are in fact a band from the 80's...anyone that was born in the 70's would understand what I am saying after a couple of tunes from The Virgins...

In any case, I saw this band in Philly last year during their US tour along with The Black Kids, and lately they have been included in the newest Black Cab Sessions series recently started in the streets of New York City...This band, whose members are also from NYC, was created by his frontman Donald Cumming with the sole purpose of playing at friend's parties. Their music reveals exactly that and their self-titled album, which I decided to include in my 2008 favorites, is certainly one that would make you dance and smile...even to those who still remain in the situation described by this band's name...=)

Here a fun video-clip from "Teen Lovers"



Here's a link to their 2008 live show at KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic

And a link to their Black Cab Sessions clip

Enjoy

MM

Happy Birthday MM!!!

Happy birthday to my brother, best-friend, musical soulmate.
Saludos y buenos deseos de la pandilla mexicana. Disfruta tu Half-Marathon y la oportunidad de ver a Fanfarlo por duplicado. Te dejo este par de videos de la misma canción, mi favorita, esperando poder compartir contigo muy pronto el placer de ver a Fanfarlo Live... Love you bro.

Video - The Antlers in Concert at NPR

There is not much left to add to the beautiful and precise description of the previous post from Amarillo. "Hospice" from The Antlers is without a doubt a masterpiece, one of those rare gems difficult to find and certainly difficult to forget. It would certainly be on my top picks for the year and I truly thank Amarillo for pointing us in this direction.

This album is one of the most heart-breaking and moving set of songs I've ever heard. Its music and lyrics provide exactly the environment chosen by the band, transporting you directly to Peter Silberman's apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he wrote all these songs ovr the course of 2 years as a way to cope with the illness and eventual death of someone he loved.

I do not understand how Silberman is able to deliver these songs live, I would not have the courage and strength needed to make it through the entire concert. But, I guess that is where the lines are drawn and The Antlers do it, and they do it in a beautiful way.

Here is a video from NPR (also brought to my attention by Amarillo) of part of their show on March 11 at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C.

MM

The Antlers - "Hospice" (2009)

Amigos, les comparto este disco. Ya tenía mucho tiempo que un disco no me ponía así. Directo al top 5 de mis discos del año sin duda alguna. The Antlers es una banda formada en Brooklyn (otra más!) iniciada por el guitarrista Peter Silberman, después de exiliarse de su familia y amigos en esta ciudad por la pena descrita a lo largo de todo su disco. Los diez tracks que componen Hospice, cuya definición exacta sería "a type of care and philosophy which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms", transcurren dentro de un hospital narrando como un hombre vive los últimos días de su pareja quien se encuentra en la fase terminal de un doloroso cáncer de huesos. Más allá de lo fuerte de la historia, lyrics brillantes son musicalmente acompañados a la perfección. Es un disco para darle como mínimo 5 escuchadas completas, creo que hasta ese punto uno empieza a disfrutar toda la atmósfera que los autores intentan producir. Lanzado bajo el sello French Kiss Records el 18 de agosto de 2009, The Antlers ha conquistado a la crítica colocándose en el top ten de muchas revistas y sitios importantes, Pitchfork lo señala como parte de lo que consideran "Best new music", Amazon lo coloca ya en el top 10 de su lista del año, NPR lo coloca como disco 1 de su lista hasta el momento, se encuentra ya en el top ten de los high scores de 2009 en metacritics.com que es el sitio que acumula las calificaciones de todas las publicaciones y sitios especializados, y la gente en general se empieza a enamorar de esta obra. Disfrútenlo, real es una joya.

The Antlers - "Hospice" (2009)

New Songs from Radiohead

All the recent rumors about a new set of songs from Radiohead almost ready for release might actually be real.

Over the past two weeks this great band (for some the greatest ever) has released two songs in their website. The first called "Harry Patch (In Memory of)" is a song dedicated to the memory of the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war, Harry Patch, who recently died at the age of 111. The latest one is called "These Are My Twisted Words." Both songs can be downloaded at Radiohead website. The latter can also be heard online at NPR's All Songs Considered.

Enjoy...and happy birthday party to Tiba.

MM

Volcano Choir

Amigos, siguiendo con la emoción de este nuevo proyecto y ya con boletos en mano para ver a nuestro admiradísimo genio Justin Vernon con su Bon Iver por duplicado en Austin, les dejo la información oficial que publica JAGJAGUWAR, disquera de ambos grupos. Espero que ese 22 de septiembre todos los que puedan compren este disco y apoyemos al artista, que con tan solo lo que nos ha dejado a todos el "For Emma, Forever Ago" seguiremos en deuda por mucho tiempo.

"VOLCANO CHOIR

Unmap CD / LP (JAG156, released: 09/22/09)
Volcano Choir is an assembly of Wisconsinites Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Jim Schoenecker, Daniel Spack, Justin Vernon, and Thomas Wincek. You might find these old friends also frequenting records and stages under different monikers, Collections of Colonies of Bees and Bon Iver. The collaboration predates the meteoric rise of Justin Vernon's Bon Iver project, with original songwriting dating back to the summer of 2005, right around the time the Bees first toured with Vernon's previous band DeYarmond Edison.

While entirely a studio record, the collection doesn't suffer from the overburdens of a digital pile up or over-thinking. Rather it breathes and convulses in equal measure, radiating an inherent dynamism found only in the voluntary bondage of intimacy. With influences ranging from David Sylvian and Steve Reich to Mahalia Jackson and Tom Waits, it might be more accurate to say the group's influence is music itself. You can hear it in the care and real love generously applied to each moment of Unmap. With the vibe of some intimate backwoods gospel, plus a spirit of patience and thoughtful repetition, the music of Volcano Choir is as dynamic as it is lovely.

Unmap ultimately came together over a weekend in November 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, at Justin and Nate Vernon's recording studio. And while it is at its heart a record about the allure of being with people you need and making something with them, it is also a document created by musicians with rare gifts getting together to exorcise their ideas about beauty. This scaffolding of loops and off grid tempos for choral style vocals offers a state of continual surprise, call it unexpectation.

Unmap marks the debut full-length from Volcano Choir, the collaboration between Collections of Colonies of Bees and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver."

JAGJAGUWAR Records, 2009.

Para bajar el primer sencillo oficial, "Island, IS" den click derecho sobre este link y seleccionen "save link as", o los usuarios de Quicktime Pro den click izquierdo sobre el link y seleccionen posteriormente guardar en el formato original.

Grizzly Bear and Blind Pilot at Morning Becomes Eclectic

Two nice performances recently available at KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Grizzly Bear, the Brooklyn band, appeared on Thursday August 6 to put on a great show based mostly on their Veckatimest. They are close to the end of their US tour, which will be at its home stretch right after their performance at Austin City Limits to finish up with some presentations in the North East (Philly included, and we are grateful). Yes, they played "Two weeks" and even though this version might not be as successful as their 2008 KCRW version of "While you wait for the others", the band sounded musically mature, combining their own coral arrangements with fresh sounds and textures that give them that versatility oddly found in any artist or band. Veckatimest, by the way happens to be the name of a small inhabited island off the coast of Cape Cod in New England. The show is worth listening to in its entirety, as so is the album.

Here is a clip of "Two weeks" from last year on Letterman along with the great performance from KCRW in 2008.




Similarly, three days before that on August 3, Blind Pilot, which has officially joined the large list of successful bands from Portland, displayed as usual a beautiful arrange of melodies that, as said before, are simply able to touch your heart at any time. This band originally based their concept on touring the West Coast on bicycles putting up to 4000 miles in two different occasions. This environmentally conscious concept is definitely included in their music, which by itself sounds self-sufficient, free of rules and restrictions, providing at the same time a variety of landscapes, which just as those found by this cycling band on the road, decorate the lovely tunes and lyrics that the band delivers on every song. I also recommend for this show to be listened to in its entirety.

Here are 2 clips from pevious Blind Pilot's performances at NPR ("The Story I Heard") and Kink FM ("Three Rounds and a Sound").