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

Pinback, The Album Leaf, and The Advantage (Bimbo's, 27 November 2004)

It could be the tryptophan, the result of a Thanksgiving weekend that exposed us to more of this amino acid than usual but tonight's shows were relatively sedate, some would say boring. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone to share this sentiment among the Bimbo's crowd: all tables were taken well before the opening band The Advantage came onstage, and the floor was already packed when The Album Leaf made their appearance. From where I sat, the small stage appeared to be cluttered with various instruments and equipment to be used/shared by the three bands on the bill. I had never seen any of them live before and my anticipation was based on my appreciation of their recent albums and friends' recommendations. The glut of instruments hinted at musical impressiveness. Erm, read on.

The Advantage strolled onstage sometime after nine and my immediate reaction was their resemblance to CCR. They were not what I expected from a cover band that hails itself as an "8bit Nintendo band--serious dudes that rock with good nintentions." Pullover sweaters and thick-rimmed glasses, yes; long hair and beards, no. Hirsuteness aside, The Advantage launched into a series of songs that I did not recognize. At all. Well, the only one that I remembered was Castlevania and only because one of the band members announced it beforehand. The re-interpretation of songs originally dominated by synthesizers by a live band that featured none was novel at first. But I'm thinking that the novelty only works if you have a frame of reference. I obviously suffered from a Nintendo-deficient childhood, and I could feel the tryptophan kicking in.

My friends and I decided to leave the comfort of our table to check out The Album Leaf from the crowded floor. Primarily a one-man outfit consisting of Jimmy Lavalle, tonight featured additional musicians on drums, bass, guitar, and even xylophone. The set opened with "Window," the first track from the album "In a Safe Place." It was a lovely bit of lap-pop that set the mood for the rest of the set, one of serene beauty. To supplement the calming effect of the music, images such as autumnal scenes and birds' silhouettes were projected on the screen behind them. Jimmy never strayed from behind the keyboards and he offered only one song with vocals, "TwentyTwoFourteen" which features the line "You whisper to make a sound." After witnessing the delicacy in their set, it seems appropriate to say that any sound above a whisper would be jarring.

The night would have ended nicely if we closed with The Album Leaf, but I insisted on staying for Pinback, a band fronted by fellow San Diegans Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV. I like their recent release "Summer in Abaddon" and figured it would translate well live. Well, whatever calmness that The Album Leaf lulled into me became indifference as their set wore on. I can't recall what the first couple of songs were, quite possibly drawn from their earlier material that I'm not too familiar with, and it could also be that I was ready for something rousing after the first two bands, but Pinback's brand of sometimes moody guitar-pop wasn't delivering tonight. A monotony set in early on and they just started to sound the same after a while. Eventually we reached a consensus and left not long after the fifth (?) song, the title track of the new album.

So while the night at Bimbo's wasn't a complete bust, with moments of nostalgic amusement for some and calming loveliness for most, there was no arguing the lack of interest by the time Pinback rolled around. Maybe I'll take the easy way out and claim the turkey defense to justify our early exit. Or maybe not.

BEER RATING: 4 Beers

Tribute to our Corporate Sponsors

I'm reviewing these two shows as a tribute to our generous and lovely 'corporate' sponsors. God bless them. This sponsorship lets us go to shows by bands we have not heard about and big name shows we wouldn't pay a republican cent to see. So a big shoutout to Thomas Lee LLC fine purveyor of disillusionment and doom and She Who's Name Shall Not Be Spoken.

Dresden Dolls (Great American Music Hall, 17 November 2004)

The Dresden Dolls falls under the category of never heard before the ticket was in my hand. Walking up to GAMH the crowd was a mixture of goths, metal heads, and theatre kids so my low expectations dived and I prepared to do some serious hating. Two songs later I knew a gem had been discovered and my withered heart heated a little. The duo of Amanda Palmer on piano and vocals and Brian Viglione as mime and drummer creates a lushness that's suprising coming from only two. They are self described as 'Brechtian Punk Cabaret' and with full makeup are visually a cross between dolls and 1920's German cinema actors. Brian put on a n energetic and theatrical performance with timely comic effects perfectly supplementing Amanda without ever upstaging her. Mrs. Palmer vocals were nothing short of mesmerizing during her high points; with a vocal range and discipline not often seen at concerts. I have a feeling she has a formal theatre background as the show often times seemed more like a musical.

The base of musicianship combined excellently with intelligent lyrics and dramatic stage presence. For a second I was reminded of Tori Amos but the surreal topics and sexually playful lyrics made clear this band did not take itself too seriously took them in a completely different direction.
Coin Operated Boy
Sitting on the shelf he is just a toy
But I turn him on and he comes to life
Automatic joy
Coin Operated Boy is one of their most beloved songs and you can check it out for free on the MySpace site. The low points came more frequently later in the show as they slipped into a heavier sound and Amanda's vocal's seemed a little tired. They pulled it off in the end with a rousing rendition of Jacques Brel's Port of Amsterdam a song that seems to be gaining in popularity. Overall this show was the best and freshest surprise I've had in a long time.

Beer Rating: 4 Beers

Green Day (Bill Graham, 24 November 2004)

Green Day oh Green Day. I must say that I carry mixed emotions to this "influential" band. Their music is mostly lacking but they do have a number of good songs and quite a few pieces that have been drilled into our heads so unmercifully that they are sure to provide a certain kind of nostalgia. I again went in prepared to hate but this time the band fully obliged my inclinations.

The music was crisp clear and the effects were grand and expertly applied, the budget for this show did not skimp on the details. The high point was toward the middle as twenty foot towers of flame erupted out of the stage. I've seen this on footage from the glory days of heavy metal and it was just as great as I imagined it would be. Inherent in a tower of flame is a promise and a duty to fucking rock and Green Day was seriously derelict in delivering.

First off, Billie Joe would not shut up he found it appropriate to speak to the audience more than sing he felt he needed to perform Green Day's songs. Second, crowd involvement is good but we came to see you perform. At one point they picked three members of the audience to perform one of their songs and they performed really well, maybe too well cause it made one wonder. This debacle took a lengthy amount of time. Usually, Green Day is described as Pop Punk to my understanding a punk song is usually under three minutes and a pop song is under five. For attention span reasons this is a formula that seems to work and they should have stuck with it. Thirdly, a cover of We Are the Champions combined with Billy Joe's constant crowd exhortations made me seriously question if I was at a rock concert or a Special Camp.

It was not pretty until a strong showing on Minority towards the end made me question if I was hating irrationally. This question was left open until I had my Itunes on shuffle later in the evening(there is a weird sort of super-natural intelligence built into this software). Anyway, it played Anarchy in the U.K. Here is a lyrics comparison.

I want to be the minority
I don't need your authority
Down with the moral majority
Cause I want to be the minority

I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it

There was a little outrage but no fire, no braggadocio, none of the swagger that would have made an entertaining show.

Beer Rating: 10 Beers.

So once again let us thank our sponsors. And we'd like to remind any readers that you too can be a 'corporate' sponsor. All you have to do is get us into shows. In return we'll give you a shoutout and depending on your generosity maybe some 'extras'.

Gravy Train!!! (Mile High Club, Oakland, 20 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 3 Beers

This was definitely a feminist punk-rock electronic music weekend.

After seeing a fantastic show with Le Tigre in a venue of over 1,000 people, another band that is hailed by the Beastie Boys was playing for over 100 over at the Oakland Mile High Club. Gravy Train!!! (yes, those exclamation points are part of their name with each exclamation point for each member of the band) is a local Oakland group who, according to All Music Guide, plays a "distinctive fusion of old school rap, queercore, and theatrical new wave." The member names are pretty cheezy, with singer/songwriter Chunx, keyboardist/dancer Funx, and dancers/singers Hunx and Drunx.

Sometimes, a good show need not be about the music. Certainly, I didn't understand one damn word these guys said, especially since the sound system wasn't all that great. This show was good because of the band's theatrics.

The black member of the group (I don't know who's who) was going crazy. This guy was enticing all the gay boys in the audience by stripping down to his not-so tidy whities. Now, it wasn't a pretty sight. However, him stripping down to the bare minimums is actually a blessing in disguise because it was able to deflect the long standing belief that all African-American men are fully endowed. Clearly, this guy was not fully endowed. I would raise my pinky to describe this. Needless to say, it gave men of other ethnicities hope. So, thank you Mr. Gravy Train!!!! dancer!

These guys were fun, with the entire crowd hopping to their songs. I was motivated to join them, but their set ended rather quickly despite being the headliner. Afterwards, I bought a t-shirt that says "Mile High Club." Yeah, a cheezy way to end a cheezy night.

Le Tigre (Fillmore, 19 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 1/2 Beer

This must be the show of the year. If not, pretty damn close to it.

Le Tigre played a sold out show at the Fillmore on Friday night and it has to be one of the most entertaining shows of the year. From the first song to the last, Le Tigre kept the crowd stimulated with song, dance, and slides. This was especially a good show for me because I just learned earlier that evening that I passed the California bar exam. Add free drinks throughout the night, then it was only inevitable that this was going to be a fantastic show.

Though Le Tigre's subject matter is often heavy - ranging from the consequences of war, sexual abuse and harassment, police cruelty, clueless journalism - the band knows how to put on a party by wowing even the most fair weather of fans. Like their previous shows, their set-up at the Fillmore included an array of videos with a backdrop - from a karaoke like listing of lyrics for "FYR (Fifty Years of Ridicule)" to film creator Elisabeth Subrin's meditation on desire and office supplies. However, what sets Le Tigre apart from most bands I have seen is their stage presence. Their choreographed moves would make 'N Sync or S Club 7 look like poseurs.

The setlist spanned their entire three album discography, with a good majority taken from their latest release, This Island. Yes, the band left the indie recording industry and has sold out to Universal, but you would have never known it through their songs. "Viz," "After Dark," "On the Verge," and "TKO" seemed like songs that were on the previous two albums, Le Tigre and Feminist Sweepstakes, but that's not a bad thing (if it ain't broke, why fix it?).

Kathleen Hanna definitely took my breath away. Her stage presence was just absolutely amazing and I instantly fell in love with this woman. You know she was out there because she was in your face the entire time. Her screamy style of singing definitely caught my attention, and her constant dancing and jumping made want to take her home with me. What was also surprising was how pretty Johanna Fateman is. In her promo pictures, she really doesn't exert any sort of "sexiness" but on stage, she seemed like a full blown diva. JD Samson, the most masculine of all the members, was very entertaining with her pants, workout shirt and headband.

The highlight of the set were the last two songs. "Deceptacon" was played with so much intensity. You know the crowd was wanting to hear that song and once the opening riff let out, the entire place let loose. I was berserk, dancing like crazy. Even my friend Randy, who barely shows any emotion during shows, was smiling and tapping his beer glass in perfect rhythm.

After that song, Murray Hill, Le Tigre's MC and a one-of-a kind character that reminded me of Hardy of Laurel and Hardy, encouraged the crowd to yell louder. After we did our homecoming pep rally rendition of spelling of L-E T-I-G-R-E, the band came out and did the ever so good cover of "I'm So Excited." At that point, I was dancing even more crazily. And everytime Kathleen Hanna would sing parts of that song stacatto, it drove me mad!

The only thing that would have given this show a perfect rating is if they played my second most favorite song off their first album, "My, My Metrocard" and played at least one more song in their encore.

The old saying goes that the best shows are the ones where the band leaves you wanting for more. Randy put it this way, "Le Tigre were so good that I would never want them to leave! I want to take them home with me!"

Well said.

Blonde Redhead (Bimbo's, 16 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 5 Beers

Blonde Redhead. I used to call them Blonde Shitehead. Here's why.

Back in the dark ages of 1996, I saw them for the first time at the Che Cafe in fabulous U.C. San Diego. The university radio station was excited to have them at their venue, and they were pretty demanding people wanting a fruit basket, assorted beers, veggies, and spending cash. And this is before they were pitched by the Gap people to appear in their commercial. Anyways, I thought that the show was absolute crap. I hated their music, and I hated everything they did. I was so pissed at this show that I went inside my car and popped in my Marion tape. They must have been really crap because who the fuck would listen to Marion? A Marion tape nonetheless! In a crap stereo system with one speaker blown? Yeah, that was a fucked up night with a fucked up band.

It's amazing what 8 years can make. After much resistance, I finally bought (mind you, I bought this album!) Misery is a Butterfly on iTunes after hearing it. I also bought Melodie Citrionique and thought that was a great EP. I thought this band has matured a lot since their "Love Machine" days, with songs that actually have structure and good lyrics rather than arcane noise. So, I decided to buy a ticket to this show and give them another shot. I even stopped calling them Blonde Shitehead just because I thought I was over their previous noise.

Well, I was excited to go to this show, as well as my other friends. I walked right in while Helio Sequence was playing. They were actually pretty good. So good that I bought their album Love and Dance today. They were a two piece but their sound seemed like they were a 5 piece band. There's something to be said about distorted sounds in guitars. I wish I can describe them more, but I only heard two songs. But I like what I hear. Even Randy commented that their first song really caught his attention. So, it must be good.

Then Blonde Redhead came on. A majority of their set list consisted of tracks from Misery is a Butterfly with a handful of other songs from past albums. The band looked good, although they seem tired on stage. They are really good musicians, but the stage presence was seriously lacking. Kazu looked great, but she lacked the charisma that she had when I first saw them in San Diego. Yes, I hated the San Diego show, but Kazu at least kept me mildly entertained. Her boyfriend, Amedeo, also was a great musician, a much stronger voice than I gave him credit for, but also lacked the enthusiasm and the "umph" to be on stage.

That's why this show wasn't that great. All the songs they played are awesome on their records. "Equus" and "Magic Mountain" are great, but it just didn't grab me while watching them at the show. I can't really pinpoint why this show was lacking. There was definitely something missing in their performance. Randy and I were trying to figure it out, but we couldn't. We were so bored throughout most of the show that we decided to go back and chat, in the hope of regaining our energy to go watch them again.

It might also be all the 7 ft. tall men in front of us. Or not being familiar with their discography. Or it could be my lack of energy. However, all of these are mere tick marks in a long list of factors as to why this show was so disappointing.

They ended their encore with "Magic Mountain." They didn't even play "Love Machine" so that I can at least give the song another chance. The song was fitting, because this show was a roller coaster. They started off strong, climbing up and me wincing with anticipation. Once they hit their peak, they suddenly just became flat. And it remained that way. The show was a long, flat experience, ending with a sudden freefalling "THUD!"

So, I'm going to call them Blonde Shitehead again.

The Faint (Bimbo's, 10 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 1 Beer

Was it just me or were the Faint amazing last night at Bimbo's? OK. Probably it was just me, since all of my friends thought that the show ranged from "unconvincing" to "it made me dance." There are a number of reasons why I thought the Faint show was one of the best of the year. First, and probably the most correct explanation, is that I’m a sucker for synths, visuals, and skinny guys from the red state of Omaha, Nebraska. The other, and somewhat likely reason, is because I was in desperate need for distractions to get my mind off of my inevitable fate on November 19th. I don’t want to talk about November 19th so I’ll just focus on the former reason.

First off, let's talk about the visuals. The Faint put forth two screens, side-by-side with one another, and the effects in those screens, along with the lighting, added so much "umph" to the music. The displays range from rather abstract animation likened to the photographic works of Maholy-Nagy, Man Ray to just plain funny effects similar to Conan O’Brien’s monologue where a still photo of a famous individual is interposed with someone’s moving mouth. For example, the images for "Erection" was Regardless of what was on the screen, it gave the audience an added sense to the show. The Faint’s stage presence was also amazing. Not one member was still for the entire show since they were constantly dancing or encouraging the crowd to participate.

The music itself was beyond belief. I stood in the back of the dance floor and I couldn’t believe how great they sounded. Bimbo’s is notorious for having sub-par acoustics, but tonight’s show was an exception. Every single noise oozing out of their synthesizers, every beat of the drum, and every dissonant noise made by their guitars were accentuated. All of this taken together made for great dance music. New songs such as "Desperate Guys," "I Disappear," "Paranoiattack," and "How Can I Forget" were so much better live than in the album. My personal favorite, "Worked Up So Sexual," almost made me want to rush up to the front and dance with the other audience members. They also did a cover of the Talking Head’s, "Psycho Killer," which was a good cover, but sounded too much like the original. I was expecting some sort of Faint-ish touch to the song, which they sort of did towards the end, but that was about it.

Finally, the crowd was really active and dancing throughout the whole show. With a few exceptions, everyone in the crowd was dancing like crazy. Like myself.

Overall, it was such an amazing show! Definitely one of the best of 2004.

The Delgados (El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, 7 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 3 Beers

So, the final installment in The Delgados series of shows. For a band that I am not entirely devoted to, it's amazing that I've seen them this many times in three days.

I haven't been to the El Rey Theatre since Brett Anderson of Suede toured with support from The Longpigs. Yes, it was that long ago. I totally forgot how wonderful of a venue the El Rey was. The glass chandeliers accompanied by the nice art deco design in the backdrop of the stage made the venue a pleasure to look at and a joy to see a show in.

Similar to the San Francisco show, the crowd was small but they were boisterous enough. So much so that Stewart said he enjoyed playing to a vast crowd. When I looked back, it didn't seem that vast.

It was a disappointment to hear that them play the same exact set as their San Francisco show. Even Alun wore the same outfit as their San Francisco show and the in-store. The only diference is that they played a semi-acoustic rendition of one of their Great Eastern songs from the in-store. Otherwise, same exact order and songs. The L.A. crowd was a bit more tame and quieter than the San Francisco audience. There were no ecclectic hecklers and there was only one mention of the election (after Hate, which is the same thing Stewart did in San Francisco!). The band seemed tired from their back-to-back-to-back shows up and down California (from S.F. to S.D. to Hollywood then to L.A.), but they seemed to enjoy themselves up on the stage and the crowd loved every minute of their presence.

After the show, Elaine was still in her "Cloud 9" phase and decided to chat it up with Stewart as he was outside the venue. Like the in-store, he was very nice.

The Delgados (Amoeba Records, Hollywood, 6 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 0 Beers

After seeing an excellent electric show with the Delgados on Thursday night, they now arrive for an afternoon acoustic in-store set at Amoeba records in Hollywood. They arrived a little late, but not a moment too soon. A star studded audience was at hand, even Haley Joe Osment (yes, that guy from the Sixth Sense) and his little friends were there.

So, the Delgados arrived a little after 2:15pm and they took around 20 minutes to set up. It was Alun and Emma doing an acoustic set along with two other members, one a cellist and another with a violin. Talkative Stewart was amongst the crowd and the other roadies, cheering on Alun and Emma.

It was a very excellent in-store. Despite only 5 or 6 songs, they played a fantastic set and the string section was a perfect compliment to the acoustic guitar. From what I remember, they played 2-3 songs from Universal Audio, 1 from Hate, and another from Great Eastern. Sorry I can't remember the exact songs.

Afterwards, they signed autographs. My partner in crime, Elaine, brought all her album booklets and each member was nice enough to sign each and every one of them. I wasn't there to witness this event (since I was putting quarters in the meter), but Elaine tells me that they were all very nice and Stewart said that she has more Delgados albums than he does!

Great acoustic show. Thank Haley Joe for making it a perfect rating.

The Delgados (Bimbo's, 4 November 2004)

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

The Delgados are one of those bands that have not gained the hype that they so readily deserve. While most Scottish bands have been basking in the limelight and have gained a solid base of fans (see Belle and Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand, and Mogwai), it seems like the Delgados are content with their low key presence in the Scottish music scene. Instead of churning out the hype machine, they continue to make fantastic songs and release solid albums year after year. Their recent release, Universal Audio, continues that trend that started 7 years ago with Domestiques (see Universal Audio review below).

Last night, the Delgados continued their low key attitude by playing a low key show at Bimbo’s. Unlike their more popular counterparts, the show was not sold out and an overwhelming majority of the crowd were true Delgados fans. This was made apparent by everyone around me (except for two guys) singing or humming to each song they played. There were some playful hecklers, which Stewart, Emma, Paul, and Alun were very entertained with. There were also several mentions of the election, with Stewart dedicating "Hate" to our current commander-in-thief and a fan, responding to Emma saying "we’ve been watching a lot of horror movies lately," saying "the election?" Of course, Emma acknowledged, "there’s really no way I can top that response, can I?" Emma also showed her love to the crowd by proclaiming San Francisco’s Bimbo’s to be her "most favorite venue" to play in (so much so that she wanted to do the entire set over again). Alun proclaimed his love for wine, while Emma matched it by saying that she loves Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

The band were spot on with their songs. Tight musicianship is always a nice thing to see and hear, especially in a venue as intimate as Bimbo’s. Despite their fey appearance, the Delgados rocked hard. Songs like the new single "Everybody Come Down" and "Coming in From the Cold," although poppy, made the venue shiver and tremble. Of course, they played even louder with some other songs, but since I’m a horrible person when it comes to remembering track names, I’m not going to mention them here. I can hum them to you if you like.

Overall, it was an excellent show. Also, the crowd was really pleasant, a sheer joy to be with. There were no hippy chicks (see Interpol), no farters (see Concretes), and the Marina contingency were kept at a minimum. It would have received an almost perfect rating if they played more songs. Well, I’ll be seeing them two more times, so we shall see.

The Postal Service Settles with . . . the Postal Service?

Interesting article from Pitchforkmedia.com:

It was just about this time last year that we heard that The Postal Service (aka the collaborative musical efforts of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello) had received a cease-and-desist letter regarding their bandname from the United States Postal Service (aka the giant government-controlled entity that delivers your mail). Now, with a year of negotiations-- and no doubt, a little grumbling-- behind them, the war is over. According to advertising industry observer AdAge.com, Sub Pop executives, conjuring the amazing powers of persuasion they invoked during Nirvana's signing to DGC in the early 90s, have managed to turn the potential lawsuit into a mutually beneficial cross-promotion campaign. Like magic!
Says Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman: "We found a place in the middle where all our interests can be served... There's a real spirit of cooperation." With the Postmaster General? Of course! The USPS is no stranger to cross-promotion, with animated characters like Shrek, Daffy Duck, and the Cat in the Hat making regular appearances on stamps and USPS advertising materials. Those brands, however, are owned by super-studios that virtually hemmorhage cash and lawyers, not an (admittedly sizable) independent record label whose band was biting the USPS's precious trademarked brand. But that may be precisely the point: "It's a great way for us to extend our brand into new areas," remarks USPS's manager of communication services Gary Thuro. "They reach a young audience that's very important to our future, and music is such a powerful medium."
To that end, part of the deal involves the possibility of Postal Service tunes being used in USPS ad campaigns and promotions. In turn, Sub Pop is considering, under the auspices of their newly minted licensing deal, using local postal outlets as distribution points for Give Up. Additionally, Tamborello and Gibbard will be tapped to play a gig at an annual USPS conference. No, we are totally not kidding. Stop laughing. If you're somehow fortunate enough to legitimately attend this conference, or crafty enough to impersonate one of the 800 senior executives who will be present, please do us a favor and bootleg that sucker. Surreal events like this one don't happen every day, and they must be documented for posterity.

Metric (Great American Music Hall, 28 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

Last halloween 2003 was the first time I saw Metric at Bottom of the Hill at the urging of my friend Elaine. So, my friends and I met up at a nearly empty venue and they played their hearts out, entertaining the crowd like crazy. That was also the first time I absolutely fell head over heels for Emily Haines. Not exactly in a maniacal, sexual sense, but solely in a "she's crazy and awesome!" sense. I mean, who wouldn't go head over heels for someone who does leg kicks and is not afraid to head bang as if this was a Danzig show? My friends and I also snuck into their dressing room, hung out with them, drank all their beers, and took a group photo with them.

After that date, I saw them three more times. Once at Slim's where Emily and I once again met and I proclaimed to her that I would "love to have her koodies." Another at Great American this year. Then her solo gig at Cafe Du Nord which was weird but cool at the same time. And now this show.

For the first time I have ever seen Metric, Emily was wearing something other than her altered "Staff" t-shirt, skirt, and mid-high boots ensemble. This time, she was wearing this altered vest with a star on the heart, with a much shorter skirt, and the same mid-high boots. After I saw her, I knew this was going to be a different show.

The band came on at around 11pm. People say that the opening bands were atrocious, so I was glad to show up so late in the evening. They started off with "Old World Underground," which is the typical song they start with. James, Jules, and Josh were in top form as always. The only hitch was James was having problems with his bass in the beginning of the song, prior to Emily taking the stage, so they had to prolong the intro a bit to accomodate the technical glitch.

Metric pretty much played their entire debut album, with some new songs mixed in there, of which three I heard before and another that I haven't. The newest song featured Emily singing a very slow song, ala her "Static Anonimity" style songs, but then proceeded to rock out hard towards the end. During this song, James had another technical glitch and urged Jules to stop drumming. Nonetheless, they continued, and the song went alright.

As is customary in their shows, they do an extended version of Dead Disco. This time, this version reached a mind bogling 25 minutes, with Emily voicing her opinion on the election, the fact that there have been more than 100,000 deaths in Iraq since the U.S. invaded it (she had the number Sharpied on her arm), that James and Jules are now Oakland residents while Josh and her continue to be dual U.S. and Canadian citizens, and she crowd surfed for a little bit, jumping from the second highest speaker - stage right (where I was). I wanted to catch her, but I thought better and just admired her jumping from there.

A fantastic show! Emily Haines is definitely one of the best lead singers in a live show. You never know what to expect, other than a fantastic show. Metric is definitely one of those bands I love to see - regardless of how many times I have seen them prior and regardless of the setlist being the same the previous times I have seen them. No regrets.

Interpol (Warfield, 26 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 1-2 beers

Is it Halloween already? Why? Because all the freaks were out tonight at the Interpol show last night. Besides the Interpol boys looking sharp (Carlos D. was wearing a superb get up as well as the other members), there were certain crowd members who were down right annoying. Let me give some LOSER recognition to the girl who thought that Interpol was a trance band. This lame ass was dancing and was dressed as if she were at Burning Man. What a tool! Not only that, she was constantly having her pig tails hit me in the face and her dancing was constantly hitting me in the chest. So, I did what every person does in this situation: stick your elbow out so that when she hits you, she hits her spine and spit every now and then at her bag and umbrella if she's stupid enough to put it next to you. Yeah! I hope you had a sticky time lame ass!

Anyways, I digress. Interpol I have seen 3 times: once at the Fillmore, another at Curiosa, and tonight. This was, by far, the best Interpol show I have seen. Definitely the best show for the weekend. They were tight in every song, the lead singer had a great voice, and the crowd was awesome (despite the hippy chick). Interpol played a majority of songs from their new album, "Antics." "Slow Hands" received the best reception out of the lot (hmmm...I wonder why?). They also played a handful of songs from their debut album such as "PDA."

Thus, it was a fantastic show and I hope to see them again.

Clinic (Great American Music Hall, 24 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 3-4 Beers

There's something ultra gimicky about Clinic. Is it the scrub costumes that the band wears while on stage? Is it the fact that in Winchester Cathedral they barely use the snare drum? Is it the use of the xylophone in almost every other song? Or maybe it's the backing vocals that only consist of "Mmmmmm..."?

Well, whatever it is, Clinic put on a decent show at the GAMH on Sunday night to end their 2 day residency in San Francisco. As great as the GAMH is, the venue is not very technologically ready for multimedia screen effects. Clinic had great background visual effects, but the GAMH can only provide them, as a backdrop, a used white sheet that looks like it was taken out of a hotel in the Tenderloin. So, they have this HUGE projection that was trying to fit into this 5 foot long and wide blanket.

The songs they played were excellent with hits like "Walk with Thee" and some other tracks from their discography. Granted, I don't know many songs from them but I liked what I heard. My friend thought that the lead singer was hella scary with that whole scrub opening for the mouth. I thought they were scary because their use of the bass drum on every song seems to have marked the end of the world. Another reason why they were scary is because I could barely hear their lyrics.

The crowd was into it, but the showing was sparse for this Sunday night. It was an opening band vibe with the crowd.

Overall, a decent gig. Clinic, as seasoned veterans as they are, need to fine tune it some more with their songwriting and tunes.

The Concretes (Great American Music Hall, 20 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 2.5-3 Beers

First off, I just want to vent on one topic before going on a review of this show: farters. There is a tendency for people who drink lots of alcohol to formuate gas in their digestive system. And once this part of the system has just too much of the stuff, that is when your gluteus maximus plays an essential role in relieving you of this. Well, next time you are at a show, and I am behind you, and you need to pass gas, just politely tell me to "save your spot" and go to a corner. Pass your gas, and then proceed. Don't do the silent fart thing and then stink it up.

This is precisely what happened to me last night. As I was enjoying the Concretes' alternate rendition of "Seems Fine," someone lays the silent stinker. Ruined the vibe. Bitch!

Anyways, back to the show. As I entered the GAMH, I was greeted with a bunch of people all in the periphery of the dance floor, thus making the entire dance floor vacant. This was for the opener. It was, as if, the mush pot in duck duck goose is not the cool place to be in. I have never seen this phenomenon before at the GAMH, and it was quite a sight. Fortunately, the crowd decided to become friendly and fill in the middle once the Concretes started.

A majority of the songs they played was from their self-titled sophomore release. I didnt't realize that the Concretes consisted of 9 members (I thought they were only 4) and all of them had a critical part in each and every song. Even the percussion guy with the tambourine(allegedly the producer of their album). The lead singer's voice on the album sounded the same live, with that nice, soft Mazzy Starr-ish voice.

Amongst the many songs they played, my favourites were: Say Something New, You Can't Hurry Love, Lovin Kind, This One's For You, and Seems Fine. As I said above, Seems Fine was done twice. Once with the album version and another with a slower, more country/folksy rendition. Both versions were awesome, and I anxiously await the release of the alternate version. They even played their Christmas song, whose title I do not recall, which they just finished two weeks ago.

In their encore (I think), they played a Rolling Stone's cover . . . yet again whose title I do not remember. Awesome cover though.

Final note: the lead singer was very shy and seemed like she was anxious to leave the stage. She was very cute in that sense. Otherwise, the entire band was enjoying themselves a lot (we even sang "Happy Birthday" to Martin, and were quite peppy.

Overall: an excellent show if it wasn't for the farter.

Nancy Sinatra (The Knitting Factory - Hollywood, 15 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 3-4 beers


It's always a great thing when you get a free ticket to a show. Especially, if it's a show that you are even interested in. Well, thanks to Elaine's friend Dave, her and I got into the Knitting Factory for gratis to see Nancy Sinatra. Prior to going to her show, I knew three things about Nancy Sinatra: (1) she's a woman; (2) her dad is Old Blue Eyes, Mr. Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra; and (3) she sang that "boots" song. Well, now add another fact to that list: Nancy Sinatra is hip to the scene.

I had my reservations at going to this show. First, the over 40 yr. old crowd is not too appealing since it reminds me that one day, I'll be like one of these guys. However, the crowd was a good mix of young (as young as 6 yrs. old) and old (infinity). Second, I know nothing about Nancy Sinatra's and her songs. Like I said in (3) above, that's the only song I knew of. Finally, will this whole 60s/70s era nostalgia music keep me up? Well, it actually did.

Nancy Sinatra isn't the hip "IT" girl that she was back in the 60s or when she posed for Playboy. No short one piece outfits or high heeled boots in this show, but instead Nancy sported jeans, plain looking shoes, and a sweater that looked like my old J. Crew mock crew neck. However, for being as old as she is, she still is a beautiful woman with a great voice.

Her great voice and on-stage presence was evident throughout the show. She opened up with "Bang, Bang" off the Kill Bill soundtrack. Then she played a slew of songs from her new album which included "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" written to her by Bono and The Edge of U2, a song composed by Thurston Moore, another song composed by Jarvis Cocker, and she did a cover of Morrissey's "Let Me Kiss You."

Of course, what's a Nancy Sinatra show without "Boots..."? Well, she played it and it was a terrific live version of it. Everyone in the crowd was dancing at this point (which is surprising since I didn't know Angelinos dance at live shows). After the show, she had a meet and greet where she signs autographs and chats with fans. I have her autograph and gave her a good handshake. She's a very nice woman.

Overall, a good show that could have been better if I knew more about her.

Then, as I walked outside the venue, I saw We Man from Jackass. Priceless.

Citizens Here and Abroad (Hemlock Tavern, 8 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 2 beers

My friend Joe calls me up on a lazy Friday evening and tells me, "Hey, you want to see Citizens Here and Abroad?" You don't understand the surge of energy that went into my system. See, Joe burned me a copy of this Bay Area based indie group and thought that it was great stuff. So good that I had to buy a true copy of their debut LP, "Ghosts of Tables and Chairs." The LP is a dreamy collection of moody and artful songs. Best comparison that comes ot mind is Lush back in their shoegaze, pre-"Ladykillers" days.

So, after paying a modest $6 fee, and just coming back from Edinburgh Castle to see another band, i smooshed into the small room at the back of the Hemlock to see them. The sound in the Hemlock isn't exactly Carnegie Hall, but the sound system could have been better and the bands' songs deserved it. Adrienne Robilliard's voice and the instruments that accompanied it would have been fantastic but for the sound. Songs like, "They Stay," "In Flight Movie," and "Appearances" which sound great in the album, were robbed of its "umph" with the thumping drums, rapid fire guitar, and Adrienne's voice because of the sound system.

Regardless, I made the most of it and found the entire show entertaining. I am most amazed with their drummer, Chris Wetherell, whose unorthodox drumming (well, it could be orthodox) form was forceful and unique.

Supergrass (Fillmore, 5 October 2004)

Rating: 6 pack

So, Supergrass is celebrating their 10th anniversary by touring selected cities to promote their new best of compilation. Let me tell you something about best of compilations. In my opinion, and in the very general sense, having a best of compilation means either (1) your band is over (see Suede, Pulp); (2) your band is changing direction and will never sound the way it was again (see Blur); or (3) your band has had its day in the sun and their careers are setting.

Place Supergrass in the third category. Don't get me wrong. They have created some fantastic albums, with "I Should Coco" being my favourite, but there was just something plain about Supergrass tonight and in all their albums after that. They don't have that same amount of enthusiasm and freshness in their songs. They've become more mature. Sometimes maturity takes the fun out of life, but Supergrass went from being ridiculously fun ("Alright," "Caught by the Fuzz") to just plain, well, serious (see all songs after "I Should Coco").

Tonight, Supergrass did just that: bore the hell out of me. It was an okay show, but the songs did not have that same "umph" that I would have expected out of Gaz and co. The crowd was also so-so into it, with a few die hards in the front. Otherwise, the show was average by my standards. I think my friend said it best, "I was too busy eating nachos to tell you about the show."

It's a damn shame. Or maybe I'm the one getting older? Hmmm....

Show Calendar: New Additions

New Additions Include:

• 10/13: Bob Dylan @ The Grand at Regency Center
• 11/14: Wilco @ The Fillmore
  
• 12/11: The Hives @ Warfield
  
• 12/13: The Von Bondies @ Cafe Du Nord

Revisions Made:

• 10/14: Do Make Say Think show edited from 10/24 to 10/14
  
• 11/16: Blonde Redhead support Liars dropped, Helio Sequence added
• 11/17: Blonde Redhead support Liars dropped, Helio Sequence added
• 11/21: Dirty Vegas is now supporting Tears for Fears
  
• 11/28: Album Leaf is now supporting Pinback
  

The Libertines (Fillmore, 1 October 2004)

Beer Rating: 2 Beers

There are certain rock stars that look good with their shirts off (a young Iggy Pop, the dude from Har Mar Superstar) and then there are the unlikely lads of the Libertines. If you got flab hanging out of your side, please keep the shirt on. It makes you look more rock n roll. And cooler. The whole shirts off thing is only appropriate for hot festival events or if you're the keyboardist for the Dandy Warhols.

Anyways, the Libertines were awesome on stage. This is the first time I have seen them, and they must have played 20+ songs in their slightly over 90 minute set. It sure helps though that each song is under 3 1/2 minutes, but who's counting. They played the usual hits from their debut album including, but not limited to, "Boys in the Band."

The crowd was mad fer it. I was mad fer it. My friend Sergio got a free ticket from some guy giving it away. I had 2 Stellas in my system. It was all good in the 'hood.

As you can see, I'm tired as hell. Helping people move, shopping at IKEA, and putting together IKEA furniture takes its toll. A better review for Supergrass, I promise!

Music Review: The Delgados, "Universal Audio"

Rating: 8/10

I have to admit, I didn't really like The Delgados at first. It all stemmed when my friend and I were driving to Los Angeles and during the entire trip, she would play tracks from a couple of albums ad nauseum. It drove me nuts! There's only so much of the line "this is not my house" that I can take.

But that was several years ago, and I'd like to think that my taste in music has evolved and I have a keener ear. Fortunately, The Delgados are one of those bands that I hated at first, but now consider one of the "special bands" that require me to have their complete discography.

"Universal Audio" is not a major departure from their previous releases. It seems to be a continuation of "Hate" in some respects because it's louder and poppier. One need only hear their first single "Everybody Come Down" to see this extra pop present. Also, it seems that Paul Savage is finally having more gusto in his voice. "Get Action!" seems like a different rendition of "Hate" and he actually emits an almost scream during the chorus. Which I find surprising.

My favourite track of them all is "Girls of Valour," another Paul vox song with a really catchy guitar riff and a variety of background noises. It may sound like a typical pop song, but it is much more complex than that. I can't really describe it, but it's just a great song.

The lowdown: a must have CD that will not upset die hard Delgados fans because it isn't a radical change from their previous albums. I look forward to seeing them live in November.

Music Review: Solex, "The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock"

Rating: 7/10

For some reason, I knew that this was going to be a good CD. Why? With titles like, "Fold Your Hand Child, You Walk Like an Egyptian" and "My B-Sides Rock Your World," you know that something HAS to be good. Well, I was right.

Named after a small, Hungarian-made scooter, Solex is the project of Amsterdam-based record-shop owner and songwriter Elisabeth Esselink. This being Solex's first album in three years, this album has a lot of varying sounds - with one track seemingly different from others (at times).

Of course, I checked out the funny titles first. "My B Sides Rock Your World" starts off with a modest piano keys and then slowly becomes a bass and drum dominated song. Not drum and bass. Elisabeth's voice is semi-Lali Puna like in this track. There's something sexy about a girl saying "my b sides rock your world."

"Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like An Egyptian" is obviously the next track to check out. Starts off kinda jangly at first, with an annoying fly buzzing about in the background. Then it becomes even more jangly. Purely an instrumental.

However, silly tracks aside, this is an awesome album. "The Boxer", "You're Ugly", "Hot Diggitydog Run Run Run", and "You've Got Me" are some of the stand out tracks on the record. After a few listens, I compare them to ESG because of the low-fi no wave sound that is present.

Show Calendar: New Additions

Here's what's newly added to the Show Calendar:

• October 7: The Trash Can Sinatras (Acoustic) @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
• October 15: R.E.M. @ Greek Theatre, Berkeley
• October 21: Elefant @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
• October 22: PJ Harvey @ Warfield
• October 23: Leisure (Britpop Dance Party) @ Cherry Bar
• November 5: Jonathan Richman @ Great American Music Hall
• November 5: Nancy Sinatra @ Bimbo's
• November 11: Dogs Die in Hot Cars @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
• November 18: Le Tigre (DJ Session) @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
• November 19: The Futureheads @ 330 Ritch
• December 1: The Kills @ Bottom of the Hill

Air (with Orchestra) / Stereolab / Sondre Lerche (Hollywood Bowl, 26 September 2004)

Beer Rating: 2 1/2 Beers

I swore off attending gigs at the Hollywood Bowl after seeing how massive of a venue it was when I saw Radiohead there (thanks Karen). Well, I find my way back to the Hollywood Bowl to see a highly anticipated bill of three of my favorite music groups. Plus, I was just damn curious to figure out how Air is going to play with an orchestra. With my $14 "binoculars mandatory" seats, I awaited to see whether this hype was well worth it.

I missed Sondre Lerche because he actually started at 6pm. I guess, at least for the Hollywood Bowl, when they mean show starts at 6pm, they really mean that it starts at that time. No Filipino time on that one! Well, I arrived fashionably late, and was able to hear the last few words to "Sleep On Needles." It sounded like a string ensemble was playing with Sondre, but I wasn't sure. After walking from the Hollywood Metro and up several flights of stairs, I was slightly disoriented (and sweaty!).

As I was buying drinks, Stereolab came on. I missed their first two songs but caught the rest of their set. This is the first time I've seen Stereolab since the unfortunate death of Mary Hansen. It is eerie to not hear her backing vocals, and is instead replaced by horns. Stereolab were in top form as usual, playing a good amount of songs that spread their entire discography. In their last three songs, they were joined by a string ensemble. Let me tell you, you haven't lived life until you've heard "Cybele's Reverie" played with a true string ensemble. It was quite an experience.

As Stereolab ended, the crew prepared for to set-up the orchestra for Air. That orchestra was absolutely massive. The Air main set was surprisingly short and you can barely hear the orchestra's contribution to most of the songs. One notable was when they played "Remember" from their first LP Moon Safari which was full orchestra. It sounded absolutely amazing! However, after that, the orchestra was barely audible and from where I was sitting, the only way I knew the orchestra was involved was through the movements of the conductor.

During the encore, Air gave us a couple of surprises. First, they were joined on-stage by Jason Falkner (Jellyfish, Beck) and Mr. Beck Hansen himself for a rendition of . . . I'm drawing a blank. It was off of 100,000 MHz Legend but it was not "The Vagabond." See, now you know why I write these things immediately after the show rather than waiting the next day (like right now!).

Anyways, was it worth the hype? Sure. If you got better seats. But with crap seats come an advantage of only paying $15 compared to $150. Overall, well worth it for the price I paid. I just wish they would have at least played "Radio #1".

Rilo Kiley / Tilly & The Wall (Bimbo's, 23 September 2004)

Beer Rating: 1 Beer

Out of all the shows for this week, this is the one I was the most exicted for. The combination of Tilly & The Wall and Rilo Kiley is, as Forrest Gump would say, "like peas and carrots." Both bands have that pop sound that has a little bit of twang in it. Also, both have a connection with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (Tilly & The Wall being comprised of former members of Oberst's pre-Bright Eyes endeavor, Park Avenue, and Jenny Lewis being one of Bright Eyes' backing vocalists during their tour with Belle & Sebastian). Well, my expectations were fulfilled.

I arrived late for Tilly & The Wall but I caught a majority of their set. The crowd provided polite applause, but at times there were those fair weather fans. I'm a new fan of theirs. I have downloaded some tracks (but I only know a few of them by title) and have never seen them live. Definite highlights were "You and I Misbehaving," "I Always Knew," and "Nights of the Living Dead."

After 20 minutes, Rilo Kiley came on. Before they started, I told my friend that "so long as they play 'It's A Hit' and 'The Execution of All Things,' I'll be a happy man." Well, sure enough, they started their set with "It's A Hit." An awesome live rendition which blew me away and had me smiling for all 4:30 minutes they played it.

The band were in good spirits, with Blake and Jenny being rather chatty with the crowd. Jenny thanked the crowd after "The Good That Won't Come Out" for their "recommendations" on the sound level. Blake admonished one crowd member for suggesting "Freebird." Blake hates that tried and tested heckling joke (I am too, and I have never heard "Freebird" before either!). Blake later apologized during the encore.

"I Never" was another highlight with Jenny belting out the "I . . . I . . .I . . .I" part of the song. Another funny part of the whole program was Blake's rendition of the Robert Palmer classic, "Simply Irresistable." It was done acoustically and much to Jenny's dismay. It was well done, but a rather odd cover. Not as weird as Neil of Divine Comedy covering QOTSA's "No One Knows" (see previous post), but weird nonetheless.

They finally played "Execution of All Things" as their second to the last song. After that I was in pure bliss.

Yes, this show was a hit.