Awhile back, I mentioned on twitter that I have a “gettting shit done” playlist in my iTunez. Here’s a sampling of said playlist.
Track Listing:
I have to admit, I didn’t know Thao Nguyen’s music very well before last night. I also wasn’t that impressed by it. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, I just wasn’t impressed by it.
Then I saw Thao play it live. I realized then that she’s a tremendous guitar player, singer and songwriter. But don’t take my word for it. Judge for yourself:
Get more on myspace.
Fellow jacketeer Ali and I went to see The Hold Steady at Mezzanine last night. Some words:
No theme this time. Just stuff I like.
Track list:
I know its Friday the 13th, but you have to stay positive.
Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Many of us have been traveling, including going to Sasquatch Music Festival. Great times were had by all. Now enjoy the mixtape.
Tracks:
I’ve been hearing about Santogold for awhile, and like fellow Jacket Attackee Ali, I’ve only recently listened to the album. Wow, I was missing out– it’s catchy and energetic without being simplistic or formulaic.
This is a new track from Sigur Ros, from their forthcoming album, með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (roughly translated: “with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly”). It’s the first song they’ve released that’s writing in English (and maybe the first one to have “real” words). A nice departure from the usual stuff (which is good too), that takes them to a more raw and natural sound. I can’t wait for the album. (found via stereogum)
I saw Okkervil River play for the first last weekend at the Sasquatch Music festival. If you don’t know their music, you should. That is all.
I always forget that I have a crush on Kate Nash, until I listen to her music again. It’s deep and soulful despite being popular and accessible. She writes meaningful lyrics with catchy hooks and, most importantly, has fun while doing it.
I, along with fellow Jacket Attackee Aubrey discovered Pela on accident at Sasquatch. We were trying to go see The Little Ones play, but didn’t have a schedule on us and misremembered the time. I’m glad we did.
The funny thing about putting this mixtape together is that the intro to this song is the one that sounds the most like Sigur Ros.
If you’re a fan of YACHT (all caps, but not an acronym, anymore), you should check out their flickr account, where they’re posting a series of videos from behind the scenes:
I bet you all were worried that something was wrong and I had gone missing since I didn’t finish the previous Coachella update. Wrong, I’m alive! No, Prince didn’t sweep me off my feet and whisk me away to Erotic City. No, I didn’t have a bad burgeritto (burger+ burrito) and end up in the Intensive Care Unit. And NO, I didn’t fall asleep from Kate Nash, so bored that I was never to wake up. Things just got too busy! But here it is, a handful of days late reviewing who and what was worth it at Coachella 2008 and who was erm, how you say, Le Suckxors. From the top!
Day 1.b- When I left off in my last post, I was preaching the virtues of The Raconteurs[1] and Jack White. From there the day took me to…
Santogold (on Lizard King)
Let me start this out with this statement: I am a HUGE Santogold fan. I love her new album (self-titled, out yesterday), think she’s an awesome character and know that she and M.I.A. are unfairly compared. BUT. I saw her performance at Stubb’s during SXSW and I was underwhelmed. Santogold’s side-dancers were fun and pretty quirky but I just wasn’t into it. This time was different! The sound was spot on, the dancers still jerkin’ in their funky way and Santogold could actually interact with the audience. It was… gold.
Thoughts from the show: Rocks, better sound, more people into it but probably a smaller crowd than at Stubb’s. (and that’s it. What can I say, I was too busy enjoying the show and shakin’ my booty to be writing things in the dark!)
Datarock (on Young Aspiring Professionals)
This was NOT the same band I saw last year. They doubled in size, adding a bass player, a pretty intense drummer and two more red-hooded sweat suits to the mix. The change was remarkable. They had better stage presence, interaction with the audience and sped up their songs a bunch (I thought) to give them a more upbeat feel. The picture is part of the show when they just stopped and said “here, you do this too!” and started doing the reach up-diagonal and pull dance.
Thoughts from the show: When did they become a rock band? The guys look like little kids from back here. HIGH energy! Who knew the keyboard player was also a talented saxophone player? Great audience stuff! This is almost a bit embarrassing but everyone is just having such a good time, they don’t care.
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings (on Daptone Records)
I’ve never stopped to read any of the numerous blog posts that have been written about Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. I’m not sure why, but whatever my skimming eyes caught compelled me to see for myself what the online articles were probably talking about. A class-act all the way through, this soul and funk group was incredible! To call it a groupd isn’t quite fair since it’s obvious that Sharon Jones is the main event. Before she even put a foot on stage, the energy was properly built with the 2nd-in-command introduced Sharon Jones in his warm baritone voice only after warming the crow with a song. Only then was the whirlwind was unleashed.
Thoughts from the show: Sharon Jones= firecracker. It’d be hard for anyone to match her stage presence, so they don’t try. The Dap-Kings are the perfect band to accompany her because if she was on stage alone, she might seem a little loony. With an audience watching the stage and essentially a half-circled audience ON stage (performing with her), she’s in them middle of everything. As it should be.
Spank Rock
After waiting through another insufferably bad DJ on the Gobi Stage with your personal space ALL violated, and the next young-thing hipster asshole bumping into you while drunkenly dancing, the last thing you want is for an act to come on LATE. Even worse is having the people in charge decide to wait until the alotted set time is half over before even letting anyone on that said performer isn’t going to be attending. ARG! I was SO excited to see Spank Rock. But to have waited for that long only to have Amanda Blank take the stage?!? WEAK.
Official word on his cancellation (via Brooklyn Vegan and Spank Rock’s Management):
“While in Indio, at the Coachella Music festival, he had to endure two emergency room visits (one hour before his set time) that eventually resulted in an actual operation on Monday and he now remains in Palm Springs to recover from this unexpected surgery.”
Thoughts on the show: )#@(*$(*#$( young asshole *&@#*&*#$ @#)its too loud in here #*#($*( @#*($(*getting too old for this &#@$*( eeew, i wish this chick’s hair would stop sticking to me @#$*389w348*Q2#**#*$
Hope he’s alright ‘n shit.
Fatboy Slim (on Skint Records)
This dude is the SHIT and knows how to put on one hell of a show. His opening was really fun (watch the YouTube video) and for being basically a silhouette on a screen, he sure embedded his personality and showmanship into every aspect of his show. I only wish I was in a less foul mood and didn’t mind being in a loud tent with sweaty strangers. I politely excused myself and chilled the fuck out while the remainder of my party was said to have had a bitchin’ time.
Thoughts from the show: Fatboy Slim= sensory overload
Day 2:
MGMT (on Columbia Records)
More impressive than the first half of their live show was the size of their gigantic mid-afternoon crowd. A huge percentage of whoever was in the festival at the time must’ve been crowded around that tent. Needless to say, we left after one song. Apparently the later portion of the show was awesome, but frankly, there were fresher fish to be fried.
Thoughts from the show: Packed house! Same story as Cut Copy (men playing their instruments on stage does not constitute entertainment). This is less enjoyable when you can’t oogle the lead singer.
Cold War Kids (on Downtown Records)
I know what you’re thinking. “Those guys are SO 2006.” EAT IT, they’re still great live. I still think their songs are poetic, tragic and well done. So, why not Coachella 2008?
Thoughts from the show: Mainstage performers need to look good up close because most of your audience is too far away to see any of the effort put forth and relies on those jumbotrons to get a peak at your mug. Great showcase of songwriting. Man, these guys are full-body performers. They’re not just playing with their hands.
While there’s a certain type of person that enjoys Goldfrapp, there’s also someone out there that likes Kate Nash’s quaint, adorable songs. Not me. NEXT…
Thoughts from the show: She looks tiny but hearty. Lord, what a set of pipes! It sounds like one of The Pipettes going solo. The band is completely incidental. They are just props supporting her performance. Can’t say that’s the kind of energy you want going on. It makes her music way less endearing to the casual listener.
St. Vincent (on Beggars Banquet)
Whew! Here’s a chick who is more my style. St. Vincent is another band that I’ve heard a lot about, but never took the time to digest. My attention span is very short. Well, an hour with no other interesting bands at Coachella sure is a heckuva attention-getter!
Thoughts from the show: She’s like a little crazy person with Winona Ryder hair, a Natlie Portman face and Bjork musical sensibilities. Definitely one seriously inspiring performer. The excellent violinist gives the music a more world-music vibe. (at one point, all 4 people on stage are using little bells) Nice use of bells, not a featured instrument very often. The music is almost cute but also sounds certifiably insane. She is serious about the guitar and is playing for a place other than here. The drummer has a really musical, atypical style. It’s keeping beat, but also adding a sub-melody to the songs, not just boom chk, boom chk. Someone just threw a single rose on stage. How apropos.
At this point in the day, we bounced around a lot:
Cinematic Orchestra= Cinematic Snoozefest. Or I just didn’t stick around long enough to give it a decent chance.
Islands- Too sleepy. Let’s just keep it at “I like their recorded music better.”
Kraftwerk- masters of their craft, these guys are nonetheless composers of music I’d like to watch a laser-light show of at my nearest planetarium. It also feels like I’m watching 4 very stiff, very German workers do data entry. Also, I’d like to ask someone at their label for the Falling Pills graphics so that I can have it as a screensaver for my laptop. (call me irreverent, so what)
I should’ve known. There were far too many people heading to the Sahara stage for the (duh, highly) anticipated show to go well. I thought, “This is going to be mayhem.” I was right. What happened was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Not only was every part of your body squeezed into the next person, but people had taken to climbing on the tent supports and every other imaginable surface for a better view or perhaps just to avoid the body heat of so many.
It started well enough but a couple songs in, M.I.A. kept inviting people on stage until they overwhelmed the barricades and leapt to their big stage debut. So many got up there that the rest of the audience could take at least 5 large steps forward to fill their empty space. Naturally, the Coachella stage managers freaked out, turned the lights on to get these abominations off their precious stage and suddenly, everyone in the room understood why it was a craps shoot to get M.I.A. into the States to perform (that attitude!). She huffed, she puffed, she threatened to not continue the show til the lights were back off again. She insisted, “Sahara, this a DANCE tent. Turn the lights OFF” in her fun accent to no avail until the stage was mostly clear from the exuberant audience members. This all sounds quite smooth and flowing but really there were a lot of loops, way more air horns and sirens and gunshots on the speakers than necessary and a lot of M.I.A. talking to the Coachella stage-gods-that-be about the state of Denmark. “Did I leave after that?,” you ask. Of course not! If this thing was any bigger of a shit show, I sure didn’t want to miss out. As luck would have it, she played a few more songs and with the severely diminished time, departed reluctantly.
For the remainder of the day, I saw all that I could of Portishead sitting on my bum, soaking in her dramatic voice towards the back and then grooving with Prince who was, of course, amazing. I enjoyed myself so thoroughly at both (or was so exhausted), I had not one interesting thought the whole time. Anyways, plenty of other people wrote about both performances.
My Day 3 coverage is somewhat sparse since I wasn’t there the whole time. But now that you’ve caught up with Days 1b and 2, I’ll leave you in breathless anticipation of day 3 and a pending review of my new current obsession, Duchess Says.
Footnotes:
[1] Since that time I discovered that The Raconteurs have friggen 30-second clip previews on their MySpace page for 4 of 6 tracks up. OMGWTF SO LAME FUCKIN BAD DECISION @(#$*#$(*#&$(*$ HULK SMASH. PET friggen PEEVE.
Dear Raconteurs, WHATS THE POINT?!? When people see shit like this, they immediately go to the Hype Machine and have a GREAT SELECTION from other music sites that AREN’T YOURS. So what would you rather have??? 30-second clips and your fans on other pages or have them STAY on your MySpace page?!?
Love, April
Canadian (and American) indie rock singer-songwriter Leslie Feist recently appeared on the Colbert Report. After an interview, where they talk about her dual citizenship, the iPod commercial, etc., she plays an acoustic version of I Feel it All.
Oh yeah, and Colbert wears the blue spangley outfit from the 1, 2, 3, 4 video. Enjoy:
It’s Year 2 (for me) of the Coachella festival out in Indio, CA. While underwhelmed on several of the headliners, there are some great day shows that’ll make the trip worth it. After all, when else do you get your pick of 2-3 great performances at any given moment? And to start the trip off right, we were next to Steve Tyler in a Maserati on the drive in! On with the shows….
Cut Copy (on Modular People)
I heard from some coworkers whose taste I trust that Cut Copy put on several great, energetic shows at SXSW. Their neo-new wave would be a fun way to get the festival kicked off for me, right? Mmmm, no. Even though they were on my “Must See” list for Coachella, what I got was disappointing.
Thoughts from the show: Nice music, but I don’t really consider standing on stage and playing instruments a performance.
Múm (on Fat Cat Records)
I love Mum. I love their last album, I loved their albums from before, I love Icelandic music. These guys did NOT disappoint. The instrumentation was out of this world and I’m still trying to figure out how they got a baby grand piano on stage. At any given moment there were people playing guitars, violins, kazoos, harmonicas, synths, cellos, percussion, that little keyboard you blow into and play (GOD what’s it called?), recorders and more.
Thoughts from the show: there are a couple “oh jesus” notes in the high stratosphere of the female vocal range that left you scrambling for earplugs. BOTH the ladies had accomplished upper registers. Their music is a little reminiscent of Cirque de Soelil. The live performance of ‘The Ballad of a Broken Birdie Records = goosebumps. With enough of those air powered piano things, it sounds exactly like bagpipes. This is a band that actually knows how to use dynamics, loud and soft, to the correct effect. These dynamics actually bring the audience along emotionally with the swells and diminishing of songs. Mum is the perfect mix of dissonance and sweet melody, sampling with live, music and sheer noise. Somehow they manage to tie it all together with a mini-cover of “I Can’t Get Enough of You Darlin”. Final thought? I never want to hear 4 kazoos playing at the same time on a sound system this large ever again.
Download Dancing Behind My Eyelids from Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy, Mum’s last record (which coincidentally, I did some marketing for previously).
If some people are genetically predisposed to love Goldfrapp, I was born without the gene. After standing awkwardly and wedged into the tent for her show, we left after one song. Sorry lady, it’s not you, it’s me. And frankly it sounds like it took you too long to get to your upbeat stuff. Because with what I heard, Goldfrapp=Mirah.
The Raconteurs (on XL Records/Warner Bros)
Many, many, many yards and feet and a ways off from the actual main stage, you couldn’t help from getting the feeling that Jack White was going to be a musician who would grow only to become more and more legendary within our lifetime. He’s already quite accomplished with 2 albums out now with The Raconteurs and even more with the White Stripes but he manages to bring to his performances a quality that many musicians don’t exhibit nowadays. I only wished we had been closer and stayed around for more of the set, but the handful of songs that were enjoyed were fantastic.
Thoughts from the show: This band is everything you need to have a great rock performance: loud, unpolished, raw, and most importantly cocky. Their enthusiasm for the music is displayed clearly in their lack of enthusiasm for the crowd. It seems like they could be practicing in the garage and they could care less that we were there watching them. It was ruckus nonetheless.
ACK! The thing about Coachella is that there are only so many hours in the day. The rest of mine will be spent seeing more shows and not finishing this entry. There are more reviews from Friday coming so stay tuned for Santogold, Datarock, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Spank Rock (or not) and Fatboy Slim.