Death Cab :: DAR Constitution :: April something...

Saw Death Cab several weeks ago, and thought both the opening bands were excellent. Ra Ra Riot was the first opener and seemed to be a very young group of extremely talented "kids" with instruments. I admit, I haven't done my research on them yet, but while watching them I had the feeling I was at a late high school or early college talent show (a very very impressive talent show where you think, damn...my kid needs to hang out with those guys more...)...and these guys perfectly clicked when on stage together. The range of instruments was impressive and the lyrics were quite intelligent. That said, I'm probably way off and they're all actually 27 and have degrees from Berklee.

The other opener was The Cold War Kids. Now I feel completely out of the loop on these guys. Everyone I've mentioned them too is like, "Oh yeah..they're great, be sure to listen to their first album cause its way better than the new one....oh, and come out of the cave every now and again." The bands sound is really...well....I've been trying to figure out how to describe it, but I feel like they've really been able to define themselves. They have a sound that is very much them...though it's not a far stretch from other emo, alternative, indy bands that have pianos, these guys leave you with an impression. At the show they opened with the impressive "We used to Vacation" and they really caught my attention with the reference to Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man"....then later they came crashing in with "Something is not right with me", which includes the brilliant line "I tried to call you collect, you said you would not accept, your friends are laughin cause nobody uses payphones"...I was crackin up...such a great character sketch. However, when I got home and bought all their albums, I have to say that the most impressive songs on the albums for me where the gentle and reserved tracks like "Golden Gate Jumpers" and "Robbers". In concert, the power behind the instruments in the other songs were so strong and obvious, and it's there as well on the album, but those calm jazzy tracks escaped me while they were on stage.

Both were great bands, and I highly suggest them. Death Cab was incredible as well...even better than expected.  When they closed with Transatlantisicm....well...it couldn't have been a better way to end the evening.

it's hard to win; when you always lose

A seemingly inapproachable circus of zanny figures described by a drunken pirate with a an ever changing voice relative to a scratched up and rusty ‘ol bumper off a run-down ’55 Chevy pickup, Tom Waits sounds like he’s lived hard, talks liked he lived hard and seems to appreciate the hard life. His observations of failing folks and pure expressions of failing himself at love and maintaining social normalcy has held his distance from the popular music world, however in reality, Waits has been a major success in composing avant-garde rock/blues/folk as well as maintaining an acting career appearing in such films as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and in a brilliant scene with Zippy Pop in Coffee & Cigarette’s (see below).

Many squint with confusion when you mention his name, snarl with disgust when you play a track and stare with surprise when you show signs of enjoying the hypnotic parade of freakish characters and suspense of what the drunken poet at the end of the bar will say after flicking ashes on his pants and staring intently at nothing buy his own daydreams.

Closing Time and The Heart of a Saturday Night seem to be the best introductions to an interested music fan, though, the rustiness won’t prevail until they hear Rain Dogs.

Enjoy!

Off the beaten path (pt. 1)

There are several bands I've come across in the last few years that are now some of my favorites though they continue seem to be off the beaten path.  Quite honestly, I don't watch Mtv or VH1, and I don't listen to much radio so I can't say for certain how often they show up in the media's eye.  What I do know is when I mention them to others (friends, colleagues, family, random strangers on the metro :) they give me that baffled "is he speaking english" look which tells me they probably aren't that well know.

Check them out!

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And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead (usually known as The Trail of the Dead)

Ok...don't get distracted by their seemingly violent name or their somewhat mystical looking website.  This Austin based group makes up an intelligent, political, psychedelic rock band.  Check out the album Worlds Apart from 2004.  Their manic calm to heavy to calm sound is reminiscent of early 90's grunge mixed with a dash of early 80's political questioning.

Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens is a brilliant musician.  Building complex textures of sounds with seemingly endless numbers of instruments he saranades his listeners with wonderful tales as dense as ancient philosophy but as easy to consume as a babies lullaby.  His sounds embraces a new age form of folk music though his sound isn't restricted to a guitar alone.  Sufjan isn't timid about inviting a collection of horns to back up his point or perhaps a collection of strings to move him a long.

Kings of Leon

Because of the Times, the third release of these squealing heavy rockers from Tennessee, is a hypnotic and addictive sound full of raging guitars, hooking melodies and sometimes gentle lyrics and sometimes painful squealing.

Enjoy!  

more to come