Renewed focus... but still not here

Her style is hard to place and I won't bother trying to explain. Just listen. I will say that it fits into the same haunting melancholy my musical tastes have been floating around within over the past few months. This may be a sort of chicken-and-the-egg thing, but it seems like the only music that I appreciate that is coming out these days is "sad bastard music" (to quote Nick Hornby). Where is a quality new hip-hop album when you need one?

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Well... there was a lot to dislike about James Brown...




but for the moment, let us remember what good he brought to the world and the songs that he brought for us to celebrate this day.

Peace be with you, Mr Brown.

We are...

We are bears.

Two weeks off... and counting

A Week of Music

I was blessed this week again with a bounty of music.

We saw Ray Lamontagne at the Orpheum on Monday.
-The performance was great. Though perhaps I may be revealing too much, I must say that from the first tune until halfway through the show, I was... how you say... emotional? More so when he played the tunes that reminded me of a particularly painful loss this summer which I will avoid speaking of right now. But even without my personal connection, the performance was amazing, the venue near ideal. He kept the lights low and the sound up. The musicians were all very evidently enjoying playing, and Ray seemed more honest and true with the performance than anyone else I have seen. He even, after chatting about his memories of life in the Cities for a couple years when he younger, admitted, straight faced, that he did so because people seem to resent musicians if they don't stop for a chat midway through the show.
We missed the opening act for a bad trip to Rock Bottom where we appartenly missed Ray sitting at the bar while we were there. Though after listening to the opeing act on her website... we still probably had a better experience. Anyway, like most shows, I was to some degree embarrassed about the three or so loud jack-asses screaming throughout the performance (to hear the particular story, you have to talk to me in person) but I can confidently say that it was one of the best shows I have had the pleasure of seeing.

In addition...

Mehmet and I saw A Whisper in the Noise on Friday.
- I won tickets from KFAI last Friday and knew that friend-Mehmet was a big fan so I dragged his Uptown ass down to the Entry. The first act was a cat named Robert Skoro who was pretty good, though apparently not too pleased with touring anymore.
The second act was Askeleton. Other than a few decent tracks, they were pretty much a aged high-school punk band crossed with a two-bit circus side show for a lead singer (complete with clown make up and fake blood.... no, not kidding). Well, I guess I will give props to the lead guitarist. He had a few tricks in his bag.
But A Whisper in the Noise was a great performance and there is no wonder why they were put on the Lady in the Water soundtrack. Though the bass guitarist was replaced by an iPod (again, not kidding), the remaining musicians were very skilled and I left with the belief that they were way beyond playing the Entry, but, well... you gotta play where you can in the early days. And it gave me the opportunity to see them somehwere small before the lead guy (Wes, I think Mehmet said) makes it big with a band or by doing film scores. He will be in one realm or the other.



and finally...
And I found this (albeit accidently) for Jim... and myself after listening to it.



Good stuff.


a couple of links now:

Ancient Engines are cool.
Further proof that technology can be thrown away for a millenium or two before being rediscovered.

Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton
A pretty good album for what I can tell so far. She is from Metric and the band is made up of a few of the Canadian indie-pop bands which channel the power of dolphins - riding just below the surface only emerging in a leaps of majesty and wonder.

Speaking of good albums... kind of...
the current is asking for votes for the best albums of the year. I could only think of about five this year which I might give that status. Why don't you head on over and give it a try?