Happy holidays! Rolling Stones - "Salt of the Earth"

Band of Horses - "Dilly"

Philip Selway - Familial

I may be in the minority, but I think Philip Selway’s album Familial is amazing and a welcome relief from Radiohead’s experiments with all things electronic. It’s smooth and slow, but never dull or simplistic. Like a dark Donovan, Phil plays his melodic, unselfconscious tunes as though he has nothing to prove, which he doesn’t. He’s in one of the biggest bands in the world so he’ll be all right if this doesn’t work out for him. The quiet and bald Selway emerges from behind the drumkit with songs that are completely original, only occasionally reminiscent of some spookier Radiohead songs. Give it a listen.

In order to promote his first solo effort, which was released on August 30, 2010, Phil held a contest in conjunction with Indaba Music, asking fans to remix his song “Beyond Reason”. The creator of the best remix will receive $500, signed copies of Familial, and Spinner.com will give away the winning track as a free download in this month.

The Village Voice interviewed Phil back in August for their music blog, Sounds of the City. The interview reveals some surprising information, like the fact that Phil didn’t let the other members of Radiohead hear his songs until his album was mastered.

Band of Horses - "Laredo"

I can't stop listening to the Band of Horses album Infinite Arms (2010) right now. Bill and I were listening to it on our drive from Astoria, OR to Mount St. Helens and every time I put it on I return to vacation mentally. Please watch and enjoy.

Hero Pattern play final farewell show/benefit at Maxwell's

Last night I went to a typical Hero Pattern show. Typical because it was at Maxwell’s, my oldest friends were there, and because as usual the band sounded even more amazing than they had at the last show. Even though last night’s events had all of the same elements of a good time that any Hero Pattern show has, I will not remember it as just another night of hanging out with my best friends and listening to good music. The reasons being that I haven’t seen this band play in over a year and also because it’s (supposedly) the last time I ever will see them play.

After playing together for almost a decade, they’ve decided to disband. They did so in an honorable and classy way by not only playing one last show in the intimate and familiar venue that is Maxwell’s but also by using the ticket money to benefit friend and fellow musician, Dan Duggins of Hot Rod Curcuit, who recently had a stroke and is dealing with recovery and medical bills without health insurance. It warms the heart to think of it, but really that’s just the kind of guys that they are.

They played all of the hits like “Monster”, “Don’t Say Anything”, and “Cut You Out” as well as newer favorites like “A Face for Everyone” and what had become a highlight for me in the later Hero Pattern years, “Shout and Twist”. Jay’s voice was strong, Pete’s guitar solos were superb, Mike’s drumming was powerful, and Rob’s bass playing was excellent, even without the hair flips. At one point, Jay jokingly announced that after all these years they were finally going to add acoustic songs to their set. He then strapped on an acoustic guitar and played two songs, which really displayed his natural abilities as well as the confidence as a musician that he’s developed over the years.

The in-between-song-banter came mostly from Rob who (and this is no secret to friends of the band) is prolific when it comes to the spoken word. Rob’s lengthy and hilarious stories are widely known, and requests were made for him to tell one. It’s not a typical sold-out show where the band is playing to roomful of people that they have an inside joke with.

The crowd were in great spirits as they danced and sang along to beloved songs, like “What Do You Have to Say?” and “Don’t Even Miss Me”. Among them was Jay’s lovely wife, Melissa, who proudly and excitedly waved from the bleachers when Jay introduced and thanked her. Jay, Rob, Mike, and Pete were beaming with genuine gratitude for the fans and the opportunity to play rock n roll for them one last time. They thanked all of the important players in Hero Pattern history, but didn’t overdo it with sappy speeches. There was no need since it was obvious that they were pumped to be there, and that their friends and family in the audience were just as thrilled.

It was about seven years ago that I saw my first Hero Pattern show. I was hanging out with some high school friends who I’d recently been reunited with, and they had gone to college with the bassist. I was pretty sure that I’d seen the singer a few times at Rutgers and assumed that the drummer, his younger brother by four years, was his twin. Jay and Mike Kundrath had similar haircuts and looked amazingly alike at the time. I was surprised not only that a friend of a friend’s band was good, but that they weren’t at all cocky, just really nice guys. All these years later, I’m happy to report that those high school friends are now like sisters to me, and one of those friends is that lovely wife of Hero Pattern’s frontman.  So in some capacity, I’ll know these four true gentlemen for a long time, and while, sadly, this show was my final chance to know them as Hero Pattern, it will be awhile before I come down from last night’s high.

Nada Surf played Let Go in its entirety last Thursday

Read my review of the show on Late Night Wallflower.

The Loyal We release debut album

The Loyal We are Kate Sikora and Lindsay Lueders, two gifted twenty-somethings from America who met in Japan and formed a magical and musical friendship. While both Kate and Lindsay have solo albums, they recently released their debut as a duo in Japan on January 20. It’s called Homes and it’s a rare combination of catchy and earthy. With minimal instrumentation, these resourceful girls produce noteworthy rock ‘n’ roll. Their musical styles are different, but disjointed The Loyal We is not. Where Kate is edgy, Lindsay is refined, and they happily combined their strengths to create tracks that range from airy and somber to fast and melodic. Though no song is overly optimistic, they reveal the often overlooked possibilities that exist when you’ve got your feet are on the ground. In short, The Loyal We are royally awesome!

You can listen to their songs on their label's website. http://www.contrarede.com/artist/loyalwe.html   

You can also check them out on MySpace. http://www.myspace.com/theloyalwe 

Track listing for Homes 

01. Accordion Song 

02. Stars 

03. Still Quiet 

04. Synecdoche

 05. Ichabod 

06. Fresh Crop 

07. Counting Song 

08. Super Hero Theme

 09. Mister Burgundy 

10. Box Is A Rocket

Standard Fare in NYC March 11 and 14

Standard Fare crossed the pond to play two shows this past weekend, on Thursday and Sunday, in New York City; one at Death By Audio and the other in the basement of Cake Shop. At Cake Shop, they played a nice chunk of songs off their album The Noyelle Beat in a quick half hour set, causing fans to request that certain songs, such as “Philadelphia”, be played a second time.

NME Shockwave Awards 2010

photo from NME.com

The NME Shockwaves Awards were held at the 02 Academy Brixton in London on Wednesday, February 24. Jarvis Cocker hosted, playing games before performances, giving the audience clues as to who was coming to the stage. Alexa Chung and Nick Grimshaw briefly interviewed bands immediately after they won an award.  

Compared to American awards shows, like say the Mtv Video Music Awards, it was much smaller and less flashy. Not to mention that no one took it seriously and the bands didn't really care if they won. Some seemed insulted. Also, people did not even try to pretend to be sober. They were there to party and it showed. It was a lot of fun. Winners included Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys (Alex wasn't even there! Big disappointment.), Blur, The Big Pink, and some other people I've never heard of. There was no mention of Camera Obscura whatsoever. Lady Gaga won to some guy I don't know, probably because she's too big to attend.  There was a tribute to The Specials (C'mon who cares?) And Paul Weller won the God-like genius award. I was happy to see Effy from my new favorite show Skins, present an award and Richmond, from my old favorite show The IT Crowd running around with vampire make up on.

You can watch the show in six videos at http://www.nme.com/video/bcid/69203973001/search/bhazan. I think they cut some parts out though. 

Books I would like to read

Here's a list of books I'd like to read this year. Let's see what I end up reading.  

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Bit of a Blur: The Autobiography by Alex James 

The Business of Books: How International Conglomerates Took Over Publishing and Changed the Way We Read 

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks 

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 

The Somnabulist by Jonathan Barnes 

Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott 

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I finally read The Road, although I still haven’t seen the movie. The man and his son were trying to survive in some sort of post-apocalyptic world where bad guys had taken over. The stark and short wording throughout echoed their plight of living (barely) an existence that prohibited them from saying or doing more than what was required for survival. They couldn’t take any chances and their lives were almost void of feeling. The father loved his son, but he saw nothing redeeming in the world and trusted no one. He stayed alive only for his son. His son, on the other hand, still wanted to see the good in other people. Whenever they came across a child or man, he wanted to take them in and take care of them. I think it’s interesting that the son survived and not the father. If the son wanted to take people in, he had hopes that the larger community would someday come together and rebuild the world. The father had no such hopes. He could not see past the day-to-day. It was interesting, enjoyable, and a fast read.

View all my reviews >>

Taken by Trees at Union Hall on Feb 13

Bill took me to see Taken By Trees at Union Hall on February 13 for Valentine’s Day. This pre-tour show was sold out and took place in the crowded, dark basement of Union Hall. It was as lovely as songstress, Victoria Bergsman. Victoria’s elegance and soft-spoken nature are reflected in this, her solo project. There were no loud guitars, if any at all. The psychedelic sound of the music, along with a smoke machine, helped to create an ambiance of hanging out in your friend’s basement, listening to records, and burning incense. Not to mention that Victoria had made a video for each song to be projected on the wall behind the band, but apologized because they could not get it to work. They played songs from their new album, East of Eden, as well as some favorites from Open Field. Songs included Lost & Found, Way Too Young, To Lose Someone, and Anna.

Towards the end of the show, a couple of girls in the audience were talking very loudly. It is my guess that they were too drunk to be aware of how loud they were talking, but their voices echoed throughout the room. Victoria called them out on it. She thanked the audience for being brilliant with the exception of the girls who were “talking about massage and other girlie things.” Everyone laughed. It was so funny, but the girls continued to talk even after she embarrassed them.

After the show, I went to the merch table to buy the new album on vinyl. Victoria was standing right there so of course I told her how much I enjoyed the show. She thanked me and I’m very excited now to say that I talked to her. With the purchase of the album I got a free cd of the songs that played before the band went on. Very awesome show!

This is funny. You can donate money to the band on their website. http://www.takenbytrees.com/donations/

New pictures of the kitties

It's winter!

He's done.

It's seems as though when I become obsessed with something, say a band or musician, it feels like no one else cares about them. But it usually turns out that over in Britain everyone is all ready over it. Here's a meditation on why you can stick a fork in Alex Turner.

http://musosguide.com/whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-i-probably-am-maybe…/9476

And there you have it. According to this writer, not only was the first Arctic Monkeys album their best, but it changed the face of music. As you may have guessed, I wholeheartedly disagree since I'm in love with his "ridiculously pompous...side project" the Last Shadow Puppets.

LOVES IT!

Review of Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars Although Levin was Tolstoy's hero, the double standard that Anna faced made it difficult for me not to sympathize with her. Anna was married to a man she didn't love, and he didn't love her. I think her mother bribed him to marry her or threatened him, so you end of feeling like it's not really the fault of her and her husband that they get divorced. She falls in love with someone else and follows her passion. She leaves her husband in an arrangement that he agrees to. Divorce is so taboo at the time though that they pretend they are still married for a while, but eventually Anna leaves her husband and son in order to become a nomad with Vronsky and their unborn child. This, of course, is shameful for everyone involved.  

Levin, on the other hand, is supposed to be the more sympathetic character. He pushes the envelope by questioning religion, but compared to Anna he walks the straight and narrow. He finds a woman he loves early on, who rejects him for Vronsky, but then goes on a retreat where she has what's possibly a lesbian crush, decides on the kind of person she wants to be as a result, and comes back to accept Levin's love. He's in his thirties and she's about eighteen, but back then that meant she was the perfect age to bear many children for an older, established man. They were really a match made in Heaven.  

Levin grapples with the big questions: Do I believe in organized religion or just a general connection in the universe? Could I hack it as a farm hand? Meanwhile Anna faces social death, while her own brother publicly carries on affairs with women who aren't his wife. Not only is he not banished from society but is an extremely well-liked and popular guy. He's not the brightest man, but he has friends in high places who have set him up with a good government job. Basically, he coasts through life, while others struggle. The people who are good have it much harder, because of their attempts to deal with morality, and the contrast that this presents to what was socially acceptable at the time.  

Definitely recommended. View all my reviews >>

My 10 Favorite Albums of 2009

I've finally decided on my 10 favorite albums of last year. It's so difficult to really put these things in order since there are good and mediocre or bad songs on any album, so I did my best. However, I'm not going to claim that one album is necessarily better than another, except of course for the latest from Camera Obscura. Not only is My Maudlin Career my favorite album of the year by far, but also my favorite album of theirs. Some songs are poppy, some are sad, and some are both, but they all took over my brain for a better part of the year. Sometimes I would go for days only listening to this album just because it made me feel better about life while commuting in and out of Manhattan and in and out of the unavoidable humdrum days that linger in between vacations, hanging out, and fun. I just love it and have not gotten sick of it yet. So without further ado, I present you with my list of the albums I found the most listenable and most enjoyable last year. 

1.      Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
2.      Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
3.      The Sounds – Crossing the Rubicon
4.      Ben Kweller – Dark Horse
5.      The Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
6.      Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
7.      Julian Plenti – Julien Plenti is…Skyscraper
8.      The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
9.      Doves – Kingdom of Rust
10.     Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher Than the Stars

My favorite books that I read last year

10. The Dart League King by Keith Lee Morris (2008)

9.  My Booky Wook by Russell Brand (2009)

8. All Shall Be Well; All Shall Be Well; And All Manner of Things Shall Be Well by Tod Wodicka (2008)

7. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner (2008)

6. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1873-1877)

5. ...And the Hippos Were Boiled in their Tanks by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs (2008)

4. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (2009)

3. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (2007)

2. 2666 by Roberto Bolano (2008)

1. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (2007)