It's been a long, cold winter. Although really, it hasn't been a long, cold winter. Maybe it's because it's been about two months since I've been to a show. Welcome to winter in Boston. It felt good to shake off the cob webs and head out to PA's lounge to see the much-heralded up-and-comers Adam Arcuragi and the Lupine Chorale Society last Friday night. It felt so good that I didn't even question why they were playing PA's Lounge. [...]
Laura Gibson sang to friendly faces at home in Portland Friday night. Cozy, be-balconied Mississippi Studios played a lovely host - I spied from on high as Mike Midlo , Breathe Owl Breathe , and Gibson played in the spotlight (for the second time that night). A real treat of an evening: little known opener turn out to be gems, songs I hope will be played sound even better live. Growing up in Northeast Portland, we had neighborhood pancake breakfasts in The Madeline School parking lot each summer. The grocer from [...]
There is no way in hell a group of obsessive music fans are going to completely agree on their top 20 list. It's just not possible. You can get pretty close, and that's what we do every year, but never all the way. melophobe has a go-to remedy, though, that seems to soothe any natural discontent. It's called the melophobe mutiny, and for the third year running, it is what our contributors use as an excuse to throw as much venom as they can at any album that they can't stand. I think it's safe to say, it's also most [...]
On New Years Eve, Radiation City are covering Outkast's Love Below . Let it sink it in. Now slowly let out a "hell yeah." That record is so wacked out that any attempt to replicate the treasures that Three Stacks built into it should end in something that is worth anyone's time. Want to go? You can get tickets by clicking here . Doors are at 8, show is at 9, and the rest of the bill includes Nurses (headliner), Wild Ones and DJ Beyonda. Mount up, and put your freak flag on standby. This one is probably [...]
After a year of sharing and discussing new music, melophobe's contributors reached some form of groupthink or shared aesthetic—at least half of our contributors voted for our top five albums, and those albums significantly surpassed the remaining fifteen. We also had our closest finish to-date, with our #1 album beating out #2 by two points. [Perhaps if our #2 artist paid attention to how our #1 artist transitions songs, it would've won.] It's no surprise that most of these artists also played some of our favorite tours this year. In fact, contributors in Seattle, Portland, and Boston all considered our [...]
Recently, there's been been a general lament on the state of hip-hop. Although issuing a few standouts , recent years have done little to assuage this concern. 2011 has been different. Nearly a dozen records that would have easily appeared on lists past did not make this year's final cut. Below are the ten that did. The Roots: Undun [...]
A small splash was made in the media when Mos Def --one-third of Black Star along with fellow front man Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek --announced that he was changing his name to Yasiin Bey . Over the years he has been known by many names and titles--Dante, Flacco, Mos and more--but the purpose of his name change, inspired by the Qur'an , was to erase the separation between performance and personal identity. As Yasiin told MTV, "[I don't want] to deal [any more] with having any moniker or separation between the [...]
A small splash was made in the media when Mos Def --one-third of Black Star along with fellow front man Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek --announced that he was changing his name to Yasiin Bey . Over the years he has been known by many names and titles--Dante, Flacco, Mos and more--but the purpose of his name change, inspired by the Qur'an , was to erase the separation between performance and personal identity. As Yasiin told MTV, "[I don't want] to deal [any more] with having any moniker or separation between the [...]
Have me mentioned that we love The Joy Formidable ? Ah, yes. A million times . Ritzy Bryan and company's intense performances always leave us reeling, and Saturday night at the Crystal Ballroom was no exception. Check out Justin Kent's photos above. DOWNLOAD: The Joy Formidable - (MP3)
I wonder if an antipodean version of this list would be quite so . . . sad. Could the typical December day in Seattle—a cold, dampish blanket of low stratus clouds—have an undue effect on these rankings, quashing any hope of an uptempo, disco-drenched #1? Let's consult the record: 2007 : The Field - From Here We Go Sublime This we can forgive. That album is fucking amazing. 2008: N/A Bye year. [Though if you put a time-traveling gun to my head, Flying [...]
With scheduled headliner, Jane's Addiction , bowing out the morning of the show, Bay Area natives Green Day stepped in to round out Not So Silent Night 2011's already impressive lineup. They joined Bush , Florence + the Machine , Mumford & Sons and Young the Giant at Oracle Arena in Oakland. melophobe photographer Patrick Concepcion was on hand to capture the action. Enjoy! DOWNLOAD: Green Day - Basket Case (MP3)
Simple arrangements and subdued, delicate harmonies repackage holiday standards and obscurities in the "new old-fashioned way." Overly romanticized yet undeniably charming, the album is retro vintage chic, content to radiate a hot cocoa glow (albeit spiked with something fashionable and cheap) rather than deign to indulge in boisterous Christmas cheer. Reminds us of: Mad Men | Tricky, though admittedly in a tangential way | Yo La Tengo Rating: 5.8 She and Him: Official | Myspace
When one of your favorite artist goes on tour after self-imposed multi-year sabbatical, tendency is to write a glowing review. As I sit down to write this, I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. Thursday night's Ryan Adams show at The Orpheum in Boston wasn't without it's struggles, both engineering and atomosphere related, but one thing that it did showcase perfectly was the growth of an artist a human being. There's no doubt that Adams was pushing the buttons of the [...]
[Editor's Note: there was no photographer on hand to take pictures, so the above picture has been pulled from their last show with Bon Iver] As good as 2011 has been to Stillwater, Oklahoma's Other Lives , 2012 isn't shaping up for any kind of letdown. Start with this year: after releasing their sophomore effort, Tamer Animals , to much deserved acclaim, the band snagged an enviable slot opening for Bon Iver on a tour which brought them to the Portland area for an outdoor gig at Edgefield a mere 10 weeks ago. Since [...]
What can you win? This stuff right here: A 10" of Tribes EP "We Were Children" and Demos/Live Cassette tape. How do you enter? All you have to do is comment on this article, share this tweet or like this facebook post to enter. Miss out on the Tribes tickets that we gave away? Fear not. You can still get cool shit for free. Keep reading. With Tribes hitting up Boston ( [...]
The Loom 's John Fanning and BOBBY 's Amelia Meath couldn't have more different voices, but both were on display on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge , treating listeners to a one-two punch that was varied in delivery but equal in impact. Fanning was up first, with a deep and raw voice that evokes earthbound honesty. Joined by the build and boom of Jon Alvarez's drums, Fanning led The Loom through a great set of songs, mostly pulled from the band's debut album, Teeth . Don't let my talk of rawness [...]
In just two months since opening their doors, Fête is bursting its way into the New England concert landscape by booking Mos Def . The club boasts a sizable main concert area, and will also launch a restaurant "bistro" early next year. The creative team behind Fête, Nicolas Bauta and Don King, envision a boutique-styled musical experience that appeals to audiences looking for non-Live Nation music options and performers wanting an acoustically minded concert space. Come celebrate with melophobe as we welcome Mos Def (Yasiin Bey, Boogie Man) to Providence. [...]
I never realized just how big of a Michael Jackson fan I was until he was gone. When the King of Pop died on June 25th, 2009, I was in my car, making a six-hour drive by myself. Condolence texts started pouring in. As an inveterate radio listener, I was thrilled to hear Michael Jackson and Jackson Five hits on every station. As I sang along and danced in my car, I realized that not only did I love and know every song, but that each song was a masterpiece. For the past two [...]
I never realized just how big of a Michael Jackson fan I was until he was gone. When the King of Pop died on June 25th, 2009, I was in my car, making a six-hour drive by myself. Condolence texts started pouring in. As an inveterate radio listener, I was thrilled to hear Michael Jackson and Jackson Five hits on every station. As I sang along and danced in my car, I realized that not only did I love and know every song, but that each song was a masterpiece. For the past two [...]
Not sure how interested we are in the instrumental version ( Sin Palabras ) of her fantastic Night of the Hunters album, but Tori Amos is releasing it on Deutsche Grammophon. Those guys don't just press out any songstress with emotive piano chops; this is the real deal as The Apollon Musagete Quartet and the Berlin Philharmonic clarinet soloist Andreas Ottensamer expand the original album arrangements. While you wait until December 13 for the record to drop, be sure to check out Ms. Amos on a quick North American "coastal+Texas" tour before the end of 2011. [...]
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