Top Twelve Best Albums of 2004

If 2004 was an eventful year in shows, it is only fitting that 2004 was also an eventful year in album releases. Below, you will find my top twelve favorite albums of 2004. I narrowed it down to 12 from 50, so there are some really noteworthy albums missing from this lot.

12. Ratatat - Ratatat

I was never a big fan of the whole "instrumental only" type music until just a couple of years ago with some Mogwai I heard. Add Ratatat to the pack. These two New Yorkers, and it's just two of them, make excellent sounds that you can dance to or just sit back and relax. Live, these guys are great and it's amazing how much noise they can emit out of just two guitars and some synths. They also make a great Mix CD.


11. Kings of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street

These guys are the biggest pussies you will ever meet. Their songs are soft as hell, their video for "I'd Rather Dance With You" features little girls in tutus, and they don't look that intimidating either. However, they do make some of the best mood music around. Erlend Øye's soft voice accompanied by the simple guitars make this a KOC classic.

10. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

I only recently came upon this album and I have to admit, I love this excellent album. Music is really dancey, and pretty hard to describe (also, it's 12:22am right now). Bust this album out on your next scenester party and even the scenester will wonder who the hell these guys are. You are more scenester than the scenesters! Is that possible?

9. Keane - Hopes and Fears

If The Go! Team album above makes you a scenester among scenesters, this album will relegate you with the lesser, more laid back Coldplay crowd. Don't tell Keane fans though that Keane sounds like Coldplay and vice versa. Because they will kill you! It's amazing what a band can do without a guitar. The piano arrangements are great and it's just good music to listen to. Yeah, they sound like Coldplay. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I like this CD!

8. Annie - Anniemal

Thank you Pitchforkmedia for recommending me this album! At first, I thought she was all electroclash but when I listened to this album, it resembled pop at it's finest! Has that Kylie Minogue vibe without the sluttiness included. "Heartbeat" is one of the greatest songs of 2004 and it brings me back to my junior high days. Annie should do a mall tour ala Tiffany. That would rock!

7. Le Tigre - This Island

"I'm So Excited!" That's the best way to describe this album. I'm just excited everytime I hear this song. That's why I love this album.

6. Interpol - Antics

It was hard to imagine how Interpol could improve on their debut album. Well, this album is not quite as good as their first, but is still a great one. This album went far above my expectations, with Interpol doing what they do best - sounding like Joy Division with a little more edge. "Slow Hands" definitely has that nice sound that makes me want to kick that damn hippy standing in front of me at this show. Damn that bitch! I'm going to run her over with my Hummer when I see her.

5. The Faint - Wet From Birth

Although not as good as their previous releases, Wet From Birth continues the Faint tradition of relying heavily on synths and using obscure phallic references in their songs. Definitely dancey, definitely good.

4. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous

Can there be anything sweeter than Jenny's voice in this album? Although Execution of All Things is a tad bit better, More Adventurous continues where Execution of All Things left off.

3. Ambulance Ltd. - Ambulance Ltd.

There's something inherently simple about this band. That's why they are #3. No hoopla. Just straight up rock that is heavily Britpop influenced. The guitar work is simple, yet astounding. There is not one bad song in this album, and I've listened to it ad nauseum the entire year.

2. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

These guys are just amazing. Although the band is now played out, this album truly stands out from the crowd. In a world where the 80s are trying to make a revival, Franz Ferdinand definitely resurrected it with this new wave style album. "Take Me Out" is the anthem of 2004 in my book. So much so that it is my ringtone. I'm getting sick of the sound, but it's definitely a song I still go crazy for on the dance floor.

1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral

God, is there anything these guys can't do wrong? First, I crowned them as being the best live band this year. Now, I crown them as having the best damn album on the planet. I was listening to this album just a few minutes ago and I still get shivers everytime I hear "Wake Up." Just listening to that song reminds me of their show at the BoH where they opened up with that song and how all the band members were yelling from the top of their lungs the opening line to the song. Damn! I bow down to you Arcade Fire! We are not worthy!

Mirah (924 Gilman, 19 December 2004)

This was a night where we were slated to attend two shows -- Mirah was playing a matinee show in the East Bay and Citizens Here and Abroad were playing later that night in the West Bay. Both shows were at atypical venues; no one in our group had been to Berkeley's 924 Gilman nor SF's 12 Galaxies. After seeing Mirah, however, it seemed proper to end the weekend in Berkeley.

We arrived at Gilman after a much needed detoxification session at the world's best vegan restaurant, Cha Ya. Gilman is an all-ages, non-alcoholic venue that doesn't support racism, homophobia, or music from major labels. Upon entry, we immediately felt the history behind the place that spawned Green Day and Rancid. The other thing we noticed was that we were old, older than everyone else by an average of ten years. It felt like we were at a junior high dance with no booze in the punch. On a side note, Randy fell in love.

The building felt like a converted warehouse. Large electrical contraptions cradled the arched joists on the ceiling, graffiti and stickers lined every vertical surface, and the stage occupied a small corner of the estate. Mirah and her band were selling merch to the side, including old Kool Moe Dee casettes and a kinky sex toy made of bicycle tires.

About fifteen minues upon our arrival, Dear Nora took the stage. She did her entire set in D. No, not in the key of D, but singing the D note throughout, including between-song-banter. We saw her play at Bottom of the Hill a few weeks earlier, and she seemed like she'd be an interesting person to discourse with, but the novelty of the D note wore off after a while. This, along with the lack of alcohol, led us across the street where we happily consumed a couple pitchers in record time.

We returned just as Mirah began her set. She played most of her songs from C'mon Miracle, her latest release, along with a few selections from You Think It's Lke This But It's Really Like This and Advisory Committee. Unfortunately, her set was extremely short. She was limited to playing no more than eight songs due to a sore throat. This illness, however, did not affect her amazing voice -- if anything, it made her sound even sexier, a la Chan Marshall from Cat Power. She ended the set with The Dogs of B.A. without an encore. The young crowd was not dissatisfied, as they were able to make it home by their curfew.

Ian once thought that Mirah was Mariah, and it has become an inside joke amongst us. She is, in fact, the anti-Mariah. She has the sweetest, most unassuming personality and always seems to wear a warm smile. Her soft voice is heard by a select few, but she's just as talented as any proclaimed diva. She'll never do a movie named Glitter, date Eminem (she likes ladies), or appear on MTV. And she's not a skanky ho.

Beer Rating: 3 beers

The Best Shows of 2004

2004 has been one of the most memorable years in music going. From tiny venues to large scale festivals, me and my friends have experienced what seemed like a lifetime of great music. Other members of this blog will hopefully post their top "whatever" of 2004, but here's mine.

Show of the Year: The Arcade Fire (Bottom of the Hill, 8 December 2004)

You read about the show in my recent post. To this day, I get excited just thinking about seeing Arcade Fire again in January. My friends are so excited as well that they bought a ton of tickets just so everyone we know can experience the greatness that is The Arcade Fire. These guys are playing three shows here, and three shows in L.A.., and had to move to larger venues in several cities. Do you think Merge Records is not loving this exposure?

Honorable Mention: Le Tigre (Fillmore), The Stills (Independent), Interpol (Warfield), Rilo Kiley (Bimbo's)

Danciest Show: Le Tigre (The Fillmore, 19 November 2004)

Again, you read about how great Le Tigre were in a recent post. I haven't danced so much for a show in a while, and these riot grrrrls did it. They were so dancy that Randy tapped the bottom of his beer in rhythm. If you know Randy, that is a sign of a great show. Their version of "I'm So Excited" is fantastic! So fantastic that after I vomited from my party last Saturday, I immediately got my head out of the trash can and danced to it like crazy. Yeah, that good.

Honorable Mention: Metric (GAMH, 10/18), The Faint (Bimbo's), Franz Ferdinand (Slim's)

Show with the Best Visuals: The Faint (Bimbo's, 10 November 2004)

Two screens full of stunning images, scenester boys from Nebraska, and enough energy to go around the room makes this show one of the best from a visual perspective. Even though many say that that was the only highlight of the show, I thought the music was great as well.

Honorable Mention: Le Tigre (Fillmore), Radiohead (Coachella), Kraftwerk (Coachella)

Surprisingly Good Show: The Cure (SBC Park, 29 August 2004)

Yeah, I know that the Cure are one of those bands that will forever be part of the fabric of music. But I never would have thought that Robert Smith would be that good. I saw them at Coachella and I got bored. Here at SBC Park, they were just downright amazing. Of course, it was the classics that kept me up and eager to listen, but even the new stuff were surprisingly well played. Robert Smith's voice was superb, as if the man never aged.

Honorable Mention: Franz Ferdinand (Slim's), The Stills (Independent), Keane (Bimbo's), Muse (Warfield), Interpol (Warfield), The Libertines (Fillmore), Ted Leo/Fiery Furnaces (BoH), Elefant/Ambulance Ltd. (GAMH), Stellastarr*/The Killers (GAMH)

Worst Show of the Year: Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players (Slim's, 26 February 2004)

I have to admit, I've always wanted to kick a kid in the head but I've always framed it in a joking way (albeit demented). But this was the first time that I truly wanted to kick a kid in the head. That little girl in the TFSP is just so downright annoying, with her constant yapping to her dad and her lackluster drumming. Yeah, I don't care if she's below 10. I'll still kick her in the head. The songs were amusing to start, but they got downright annoying at the end.

Dishonoarable Mention: Supergrass (Fillmore), Blonde Redhead (Bimbo's), Pinback (Bimbo's), Flaming Lips (Coachella), Death Cab for Cutie (Coachella)

Best Show Because of Something Other than the Band: The Rapture (Fillmore, 15 March 2004) & Franz Ferdinand (Slim's, 20 March 2004)

This was the infamous Rave Magazine party where, with an invite, you were allowed in the venue with an open bar and a free show by the Rapture. Also, I forwarded my invite to a bunch of friends who were able to make it. Free Drinks + Free Show + Free Show Poster + Friends = GREAT TIME! Yeah, we even went to a party where Nick of the YYYs and the Rapture showed up! And I got to know more new people and eventually became good friends with all of them. Man what a great night that was!

Then the week continued on with my birthday being celebrated at the Franz Ferdinand show. This was their first show in San Francisco and the hype machine was in full blast. All of my good friends were there to witness this great band play their fun and dancy songs. After still being in a high from the Rapture, this show just put me over the top. Then after the gig, I got drunk at Arrow Bar and double fisted two beers. Good times!

Weirdest Show of the Year: The Unicorns (GAMH, 25 February 2004)

I didn't know what to make of this show. These guys were just plain crazy and too artsy fartsy, but yet I was mildly intrigued by what they were doing. Thank goodness that it was $3 beer night, because I don't know if I can stand these guys. With their pink outfits and annoying banter, I was amused but yet I wanted to kick the living crap out of these guys. I guess that's why it's weird.

Honorable Mention: Emily Haines (Cafe Du Nord), Blonde Redhead (Bimbo's), Fiery Furnaces (BoH), Flaming Lips (Coachella)

Sleepiest Show of the Year: Nada Surf (GAMH, 7 Feburary 2004)

I like Nada Surf. Their new album is a great one, with fantastic songs and catchy chords. However, that same great album did not necessarily translated to a good show. It seemed like the band's songs were just slower than usual, lulling the crowd to a deep sleep. Well, except for the group of boys in front of me. My knees literally buckled during this show, and I thought I was going to fall over.

Honorable Mention: Blonde Redhead (Bimbo's), Pinback (Bimbo's), Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players (Slim's), The Concretes (GAMH), Mirah (BoH)

Quick Hits:

1. Cheapest Big Show of the Year: Air/Stereolab/Sondre Lerche (Hollywood Bowl)
2. Show with the Most Cover Songs: The Divine Comedy (Cafe Du Nord)
3. Show with the Weirdest Instrument: Laughing Stock supporting American Music Club (BoH)
4. Show with the Most Scenesters: The Faint (Bimbo's) or Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Fillmore)
5. Show with the Least Scenesters: Keane (Bimbo's)
   
6. Show with the Most Not Straight People: Le Tigre (Fillmore)
7. Show with the Most Annoying Crowd: Interpol (Warfield) & Muse (Warfield)
   

The Arcade Fire (Bottom of the Hill, 8 December 2004)

Believe the hype!

The Arcade Fire came roaring into the Bottom of the Hill last night and played one of the most, if not the most memorable, show in San Francisco this year. There has been much hype around The Arcade Fire, with Pitchforkmedia giving them an unprecedented 9.7/10 rating for their debut album Funeral, CMJ booking three shows for them in consecutive nights, to the New York Times doing a glowing review of their CMJ appearances. Thus this sold out crowd had high expectations. I, among some of them, had high hopes for this band last night, and was somewhat skeptical of how good they can really be. By the end of the night, the show was only a smidgeon short of a religious experience. If anything, I am a new convert to the religion that is The Arcade Fire.

This is how good The Arcade Fire were: they were entertaining during soundcheck. Yeah, that's right, soundcheck. Who gives a fuck about bands soundchecking with their tuning of guitars and their "Check, check, 1, 2, 3" ramblings on the mic? However, soundcheck was entertaining because it gave the audience member a sneak peak of what was to come. This small Bottom of the Hill stage comprised of a plethora of musical instruments from something as your common guitar (5 of them) and drums to something semi-odd like a bass violin to something totally uncommon in a rock band such as an accordion and a steel pan drum. You can tell that these guys are totally talented and that their music will be comprised of several layers of sound. Another cute soundcheck bit is when Régine, the dynamic and super cute percussionist/backing vocal/lead vocalist of the band would do the little "check, check" ramblings with the mic. I don't know why, but she looked so cute doing it. Finally, to add some character to the crowded stage of instruments and 7 band members, are the mechanical reindeer positioned in the rear left and right of the stage. Add to that a plastic calf taped onto the drums, and voila! You have the perfect stage for the perfect band.

When the band finally set up, they all left and then made their entrance at a little after 11:30. They started their set with an amazing rendition of "Wake Up." With each instrument played, the song had so many layers in it that you are virtually surrounded by constant sound. All the band members all yelled out the words to the song and their stage presence was felt from the get go, with each member giving it their all.

I thought there was no way they can keep up such energy, but The Arcade Fire proved me wrong. Every song they played, from the main set to the encore, was played with so much intensity and vigor that each band member was drenched in sweat (and that's not only because it was hot in the venue) and the violinists bow was so worn out that a new one was definitely needed mid-set.The Arcade Fire played all of their debut album. The band were at their absolute craziest during "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" where Richard and Tim put on motorcycle helmets and started pounding the crap out of anything solid with their drum sticks. I forgot whether it was this song or another, but even Win was playing with the front row by making a stabbing motion with the loose part of the mic stand towards two of the front row audience members.

Definite favourite tracks include: "Haiti," "Crown of Love," "No Cars Go," . . . fuck it, I like them all! Every single track on Funeral they played and I loved all of them!!! And some off their debut self-titled EP.

There are so many more details I want to describe, but do not remember which song it happened. For example, I believe it was Tim was lying on the ground with a tambourine and then he proceeded to try to smach Richard's toes with said tambourine. I found that hilarious! Or when the same two guys had a flag wrapped around Richard and then used that flag to cover their faces. Or when the hecklers would constantly say "We Love Canada!" or make Canadian references such as Degrassi Junior High. Or when Regine was looking rather coy and evil, like one of those little girls in the neighborhood scheming of something, as she was playing the keyboards. There was not a dull moment during the entire show.

The last song played was "In the Back Seat," which was beautifully sang by Régine, to an almost Bjork-like precision. Its lyrics really struck me. "I like the peace/in the back seat/I don't have to drive/I don't have to speak." That basically sums up my disdain for driving and how I love being in the back seat where I'm not obligated to say or do anything. Brilliant!

Easily the best show of 2004. This beats Le Tigre because Arcade Fire provided the entire package: great musicians, brilliant lyrics, awesome sound, and just an amazing stage presence.

Yeah, believe the hype. This show made history! This band is going to be huge in 2005 and I am one of the few that can say, "Yeah, I saw them in their first gig here in San Francisco." After the show, I had to approach Régine to get my picture taken with her. Luckily, Randy and Jason accompanied me. After that, I talked absolute nonsense with Régine. I was so embarassed!

BEST SHOW OF 2004! If you haven't seen these guys, do yourself a favor and do it. Then you can die.

Beer Rating: 0 Beers

The Dears (Cafe Du Nord, 7 December 2004)

O Canada! What brings your bands to these shores, far from government-subsidized healthcare and unlocked doors (oh c’mon, you all watched Bowling for Columbine right?), to fill our ears with a wash of gorgeous sound? So I proclaim after a night spent at Café du Nord with The Dears.

On tour supporting their second release, No Cities Left, The Dears have been a staple in the Montreal indie music scene for ten years. Refugees from the rain huddled in the Café and nursed their beers as the band set up behind the closed velvet curtains. This was new. I’m used to seeing bands move about onstage, unabashedly changing equipment and soundchecking in plain view of the audience. The mystery of it all piqued my interest, and made me hope that the growing anticipation wasn’t in vain.

The crowd assembled tonight was sizable; apparently, the rain didn’t deter them. In obvious attendance were worshippers of the Temple of Morrissey: middle-aged men with greased hair and blue jeans. The Dears draw numerous comparisons to The Smiths and as the night progressed, it’s easy to hear why. When the curtains were finally drawn, it revealed six people who proceeded to open with a punch - the forceful “Postcard from Purgatory,” whose bass-heavy thrum reverberated for the next eight minutes. This song was a slow burner, drifting between guitars, keyboards and drums, and the deep voice of frontman Murray A. Lightburn intoning “Empty heads/empty mouths/empty hearts/empty souls.”

In print, Lightburn channels the Moz with such lyrics, but he goes one step further by delivering the songs with his maudlin affectations. The next song is no exception, the excellent single “Lost in the Plot,” which begins with the lines “Take me for a ride to the coastline/Pull me to the depths of the sea.” Can you blame me if “Every Day Is Like Sunday” springs to mind?

Albeit briefly. While bleak lyrics such as “I can’t love you/you can’t love me” and “You never said I’d see you again” are reminiscent of The Smiths, The Dears evoke a feeling all their own. The arrangements are lush and the musicianship adept, proving that while they’re relatively unknown here, they’ve been busy in the Great White North. Vocal duties were occasionally shared with keyboardist Natalia Yanchak and her voice added poignancy to such songs as “We Can Have It,” where she and Lightburn both sing the dismal refrain “It won’t ever be what we want.”

Somewhere in the middle of their set, Lightburn announced that they were going to perform a new song, or somewhat new, as he slyly added that they’ve been playing it at shows for the past two months. Blame my fuzzed ears, but I think it was called “Hate/Hate It Up.” I could do no such thing since it was another lovely piece that alternated between morose and hopeful.

Judging from the response of the crowd after their eight-song set, The Dears are likely to return soon. Fellow Montrealites The Arcade Fire (comprised largely of expats!) are slated to play Bottom of the Hill tonight and I couldn’t be happier. While disgruntled Americans migrate north to wait out the next four years, I’m willing to wait and have their musical offerings come to me.

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Mirah (Bottom of the Hill, 6 December 2004)

Who would have thought that this show would sell out? As I was driving to the show, I stupidly thought that there will only be a handful of people coming to see Mirah (or as my friends and I call her, Mariah) and her small backing band play beautiful music. However, I was dead wrong when I was greeted at the door with a big SOLD OUT sign. I was so perplexed that it sold out. In fact, several others outside the venue thought the same thing.

After watching The Terminal just before I went to the show - a movie which gave hope to many that there is kindness in all people - and after getting my late charge waived at the local movie rental store, I knew that some kind hearted soul will let me in the venue. I never thought much of Mirah, but having a sold out show made me more determined to get in there. After a few minutes, a woman approached me and sold me her ticket for a miniscule $2 premium. After getting in, I knew that this was going to be a good show.

The entire venue was packed. I haven't seen Bottom of the Hill this full since Ted Leo and the Fiery Furnaces played together earlier this year. Mirah, the proclaimed sexiest voice in all of Olympia, Washington, and her small backing band came on stage shortly after 11pm. Their set list was a good mix of songs from her latest release, C'mon Miracle, as well as some rarities that were begged for by her fans. Although I'm sure that she played at least one of the songs requested, I wasn't so sure about the others.

I was dumbfounded at the cult following of Mirah, and I noticed that all the audience members in the front row sang with her word-for-word throughout her short 65 minute set. I am only familiar with one album, C'mon Miracle, but the songs she did play from that album such as "Dogs of B.A.," "Exactly Where We're From," "You've Gone Away Enough," and "The Light" were done so melodically and simply that you can't help get captured by her beautiful voice. The one song that was requested by her fans, one where she didn't know the chords or the words and took her a good five minutes to reach back in her memory to remember, was also done well. For the life of me, I can't remember the words, but I know it was done really well.

Like with most shows at Bottom of the Hill, Mirah could have been better if it wasn't for the reverb that was going on with the sound system in some of the songs. Also, as soft as the instruments were, at times the instruments would drown her voice. Even though her voice is naturally soft, the mic could have helped amplify her voice more, especially for the audience members (like me) that was standing in the periphery.

Overall, a good show despite my lack of knowledge of her. I'll definitely see her again in two weeks time when she returns.

Beer Rating: 3 Beers

Sondre Lerche (Slim's, 29 May 2004 & 30 November 2004)

May 29, 2004 – Slim’s

SHOW OF THE YEAR

This was the Cinderella story of the 2004 season. Going up against powerhouses like Cher, the reunited Van Halen, and Jay-Z/R Kelly, Sondre Lerche, Norwegian folk prodigy, came from virtually out of nowhere to snag the coveted Show of the Year prize. With his vocal crooning and deft fingerpicking, his songs resonated with a purity never heard within the asbestos-lined walls of Slim’s. The band looked like they were on drugs; they were smiling the entire time, like that Enzyte guy. Except they were genuine smiles, not the least bit creepy. The smiles were certainly contagious; there was not one person in the crowd who was unhappy. Along with his tight, melodic songs, Sondre spoke to the crowd with a witty-awkward-broken-English humor that generated smiles with every syllable uttered. Several times he paused questioning why people were laughing, for he was trying to be serious, dammit. Example:

“This next song is a song that you’ve never heard before. (Gets ready to play) Or maybe you have… You never know these days, with that thing called the Internet... You know, this world is becoming a scary place, what with the ipods and internets taking over the world. There’s nothing left for the humans anymore. Well I have a message for them! We humans are here to stay! Do you hear me San Francisco? I said we humans are here to stay!”

Rating: 1 Beer

November 30, 2004 – Slim’s

SONDRE II

The light’s dim. The crowd erupts, lighters ablaze, anticipating another epic performance from the Nordic male diva. But something is missing. Have we not consumed enough alcohol? Has the sound system at Slim’s gotten even shittier than before? Has Sondre’s comedic wit gone astray? No, he’s still as hilarious as ever, the sound system is just as bad as before, and we’ve all been drinking enough to make a Russian proud. But as Sondre plays the first few songs, the audience becomes restless. They realize that there is no band.

Now, Conor Oberst did this to me about a month ago. Despite the fact that the ticket said “Bright Eyes”, Conor took to the stage with an acoustic guitar and played the entire set without his regular band (with a little help from M. Ward and Jim James). Conor is one of those unique souls who could actually pull this off quite well. However, I still feel that this gimmick is like paying full price for a rocking chair, only to discover that it doesn’t rock.

“San Francisco is my favorite place in America. With that fabulous Golden Gate... Bridge. And Rice-a-Roni. And with that fabulous Oakland.” - Sondre Lerche

After six to seven unplugged songs, the smiling faces of the band were surely missed. Sondre did, however, do a good job of undressing some of his upbeat tracks, such as Dead Passengers and Two Way Monologue. On Modern Nature, a duet that was recorded with Lillian Samdal, Sondre pleaded with the audience to sing the female part, because “being alone on stage singing such a romantic duet is quite pathetic.” A deep, masculine voice from the audience proclaimed, “I’ll sing with ya, big boy!” Sondre replied, “I don’t know how to respond to that one. It says here just to giggle.” He giggled.

About halfway in to his set, he introduced the opening band, Golden Republic, “The best band from Kansas since Kansas.” The rhythm section added a refreshing new element as they played Virtue and Wine. The crowd bobbed their head accordingly. During one of the songs, Sondre’s high E string broke, leading to the most dramatic, awkward moment of the night. As Sondre was re-tuning his guitar, the lead singer for Golden Republic commented on the tuning, “This is our favorite song.” Sondre Lerche apparently has a low tolerance for poor American humor, because he completely ripped the guy a new one by dissing his unfunny joke. The poor guy was totally shocked and didn’t know how to respond. When the drummer interjected to defend his bandmate, Sondre retorted, “Who let the drummer speak?” After a short pause, “Actually, the drummer’s a really great guy... When he’s drumming.” The audience gasped a collective oh-no-he-di-int, and you could tell that the entire band was PISSED. The tension escalated when the drummer claimed that Sondre didn’t even know his name. After a long, tense pause, Sondre said, “Little drummer boy?” Sondre compared this moment to Jerry Springer, and I thought the band was going to walk out on him. Someone from the floor even yelled out, “Go back to Norwegia!” Luckily, the band kept their composure and played the next song, Sleep on Needles. It’s amazing how a happy song and a driving kick drum can make one forget their drama. This was the case, as smiles slowly returned to everyone’s faces by the end of the song. Sondre and the little drummer boy even shared the same sweat towel.

The remainder of his set was fraught with anticlimactic relief. The focus turned to the music, wryly dubbed by Sondre as “adult contemporary pop”. And the music was good. The band continued to back up Sondre on tracks from his two full-length releases, such as On the Tower and Suffused With Love, as well as a couple B-Sides. The penultimate song was a quaint a cappella cover, which showcased his multi-octave vocal range. He ended the set as he started, with just his voice and a newly-restringed guitar. It was a halcyon end to an anxious night, and overall, it made for a good show.

Rating: 2 Beers

- Jason (filling in for the flu-ridden Ian)

Coachella 2005 Line Up?

As read on XFM.com:

A new document leaked to Undercover music news has a full rundown for the 2005 event, essentially an American interpretation of Glastonbury and the biggest music festival and largest open air live event in the US music calendar.

Although unofficially confirmed (or indeed denied) by organisers the reported line-up will feature headline performances from David Bowie and R.E.M. while elsewhere the bill will also be Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, The Streets, PJ Harvey, The Polyphonic Spree and Franz Ferdinand.

Surprise additions to the list include newly reformed ’80 pop legends Tears for Fears (who’s career has no doubt been bolstered by Gary Jules' huge successful cover of their track ‘Mad World’) and, if the list is to be believed, Coldplay will also be playing on the eve of the release of their new album.

Coachella will be taking place at the Empire Polo Field in Indio California on April 30 and May 1.

In 2004, the headline acts were Radiohead and The Cure, with Pixies, The Flaming Lips, Air, Kraftwerk, The Thrills, Ash and The Rapture all included on the bill.

The full unconfirmed line up is:

April 30, 2005

• David Bowie
• Nine Inch Nails
• Coldplay
• PJ Harvey
• Interpol
• The Faint
• Franz Ferdinand
• The Polyphonic Spree
• Boards of Canada
• TV On the Radio
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Squarepusher
• Clinic
• French Kicks
• Secret Machines
• Phoenix
• Beep Beep
• Dogs Die In Hot Cars
• Death From Above 1979
• The Helio Sequence

May 1, 2005

• R.E.M.
• Tears For Fears
• Wilco
• Bright Eyes
• Jimmy Eat World
• Mos Def
• Badly Drawn Boy
• The Streets
• Spoon
• Cake
• The Postal Service
• The Shins
• Sleater-Kinney
• Rilo Kiley
• Radio 4
• Doves
• Iron and Wine
• The Arcade Fire
• Moving Units