i was one of the lucky 50,000 or so who got to see nirvana's second performance at the reading festival in 1992. it was my first visit, just for the day, and i'll never forget bouncing up and down with everyone else to "in bloom" trying to save my reading fest poster from getting crushed while clutching a plastic bag containing this great indie compilation cd. put together by melody maker, it's a pretty good survey of the early 90s indie scene with a good smattering of bands demonstrating the scene's inherent quirkiness. so i'm glad it didn't [...]
reviving pop moderne for a rainy friday. Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Photograph Shakes Opressed By The Line - Paper Cranes Smith Westerns - Imagine (Part 3) Snow In Mexico - Cinema 5010
Idle Cranes - ' Two Horse Race' ( mp3 ) "...I'm relieved to be moving on again. Every time we play the horizon moves, and I realise how far we've come, and how much further we have to go. We drag old songs like fallen comrades, bury them in live-to-tape mass graves." That's Idle Cranes guitarist Jakeb Smith on a recording session held over weekend just passed. And It conjures up just the right images for the band - violent yet almost poetic, bold but considered. Featured above is 'Two Horses,' a track not borne [...]
Sunday, October 25, 2009 My very first post here at Side One Track One featured a song by Brazos, a local band who remains one of my constant favorites despite having taken the better half of as far back as I can remember to record their new album. But the wait is finally over. I, or rather Autobus Records, give you Phosphorescent Blues. The short review is: Buy this album. You'll like it. And it will make you feel good inside. But if you need a [...]
Whether it was as the guitarist who created the gothic-western landscape of Shiva Burlesque 20 years ago, the even bigger guitar sound of Grant Lee Buffalo that rode herd in the '90s (while he screwed up his courage to get his feet wet as a singer) or his current solo career (a wonderfully diverse summation [...]
The Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco is pirate-themed this year, its tents decorated with skull-and-cross bone flags and a wooden ship for effect. I get there early afternoon, and funnel onto the grounds along with hipsters, yuppies dressed like hipsters, and college kids. Treasure Island has two stages really nearby each other, and acts play one stage and then the other, with no overlap. In order to get a close spot for one set, you have to leave halfway through another. Choices are made. Songs are missed. After catching five songs from [...]
Hands down, the Smell is a great venue. Sure, it's in an alley and from time to time rats enter and scurry across the floor to check the place out—but, nonetheless, from the locale, art, staff, and bands, the venue has great taste. Kicking things off were Smell first-timers Peg Leg Love. Previously a two piece, [...]
Blk Jks Play Spaceland On Thursday Nights like Thursday are just a cruel joke to live music fans. It's another insane week of shows - old legends, new legends, 90's heroes and current Pitchfork darlings. I caught Polvo last Saturday. The problems I had with their set list a few months back at the Echoplex were corrected. Great set. They played everything I wanted to hear. Monday 10/12/09 [Pick of the Night] Light FM [...]
The title song from their recent album The Paper Cranes are a husband and wife indie-pop band from Victoria, British Columbia whose specialty is crafting infectiously melodic pop songs with heart-wrenching lyrics that make you want to dance until you pass out and cry into your pillow at the very same time. The music draws from a variety of influences from 60's Motown to 80's post-punk and has been compared to The Smiths, Elvis Costello, The Jam and The Cure. Though these influences can be heard [...]
Michael Nhat Presents Michael Nhat Someone once asked, "I wonder what kind of music the kids who experienced hurricane Katrina will be like?" and it made me think, if there was anyone in the late '70s who ever wondered what the music of a post-Vietnam war orphan would be like - I am the only musician I know that can answer to that. If anyone ever wondered. - Michael Nhat Much like his music, rapper Michael Nhat's story is anything but conventional, [...]
Dr. Dog Appear at El Rey on Tuesday Night Monday 10/5/09 [Pick of the Night] School of Seven Bells / Warpaint / Phantogram @ Troubadour ($15) – The ex-Secret Machines guitar player. [Recommended] Thom Yorke @ Orpheum (Sold Out) – I'm not really a fan of Eraser, but I heard the show at the Echoplex was good. [Recommended] Light FM / We Barbarians / Tigers Can Bite You [...]
MEAGHAN SMITH'S FULL LENGTH DEBUT THE CRICKET'S ORCHESTRA OUT OCTOBER 6 ON SIRE RECORDS UNIQUE STYLE CAPTIVATES LISTENERS AND ATTRACTS INDUSTRY-WIDE ATTENTION CLICK HERE to STREAM " HEARTBROKEN " The Cricket's Orchestra, the full-length debut album from acclaimed Canadian musician Meaghan Smith, will be released October 6 on Sire Records. This is the follow up to Smith's highly acclaimed 2008 EP The Cricket's Quartet, which The Washington Post declared as "one of the best finds of late '08." The full-length album will be available as a Barnes & Noble exclusive as well as through all digital [...]
Next two weekends are heavy so let's just do this...Tonight, listen up to "Demolisten" for a performance by Cobalt Cranes and a guest appearance from Ben McShane of CGT. Later, check out Autolux and Mini Mansions at the El Rey. Lemon Sun, One Trick Pony, and others at the Hotel Cafe. Tweak Bird opens for Om and Lichens at Echoplex. Funeral Party, My Pet Saddle, Goldiggers, A.M., and Gossip Tree
The Autumn equinox has come and gone with a mere whisper, and we've been enjoying jacket weather by nightfall for some time now here in New York City. The pleasant shift in season mirrors a shift in my musical tastes, as I tend to crack out more dreamy, reflective tunes to celebrate the falling of the leaves. I've already made mention of one of my all-time seasonal favorites, but there are dozens more to choose from. Naturally, this calls for a video playlist, complete with a few extra hidden gems for your clicking pleasure. Let's begin, shall [...]
COBALT CRANES WITH BLUE JUNGLE AND WOAH HUNX AND BASTIDAS ON SATURDAY, SEPT 26, AT L'KEG GALLERY, 311 GLENDALE BLVD, LOS ANGELES. 9:00 PM / $5 / ALL AGES.
The Paper Cranes , a husband and wife indie-pop duo from Victoria, BC has expanded into a roster of more than two. That's just as well, their last outing of infectious pop with super cute lyrics will require more energy and the more the merrier. As well as hanging more musicians onstage, this will is something that will find a bigger audience with the indie kids who dance in public, like bright colours and are drawn to shiny things. So after years of supporting other acts and becoming the darlings to watch out for within the indie writers [...]
The first 15 days of Indie Of The Year are over. Though we would love to cover the entire 50+ artists vying for IOTY, there simply is not enough time. However, how about a summary of what voters are saying about the top fifteen leaders in these first 15 days? Artist - Votes 1. Back up Johnny - 59 lifeguardkate Said: Talented and energetic, with a strong presence and the ability to connect with a crowd, Backup Johnny appeals to persons young and [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
