Witness the death of Jay Brannan's kashaka during his a capella version of Blowin' In The Wind
Jay Brannan has the kind of voice you dream of at night. Silky smooth and beautiful. My first voice teacher used to prod me to imagine a string, and while singing you’re slowly pulling the string out of your throat in this smooth never ending line. That’s what Jay Brannan sounds like, that elusive smooth perfect voice flowing on and on into the night. He backs that voice of his up with some great songs, good guitar playing, hilarious stage banter and a whole lot of hotness.
The secret to this hairdo? 1 part mousse, 1 part hairspray, 1 part gel, 1 part wax, and a mysterious secret ingredient that she wouldn't give me...
In this economy, it’s rare for shows to sell out, especially well in advance. Even some of the most hyped acts are playing to 2/3 empty rooms. So how did La Roux sell out Cafe du Nord so far in advance? Was it based on Glastonbury reports? Is it her sophisticated style and well crafted hooks? Or was it the $12 ticket price? Continue reading “Show Review: La Roux, io echo at Cafe du Nord, July 22nd”
The spotlight was on PJ for much of the night, as seen in this shot.
It’s been almost five years since PJ Harvey has graced San Francisco with her electric energy. Without a tour in the States for her previous release, “White Chalk,” the barest and probably quietest of all her records, she reemerged alongside old writing mate John Parish, with guns blazing and a fire simmering in the belly. Continue reading “PJ Harvey and John Parish at The Warfield, 6/19/09”
The Great American stage dressed up fancy. Thanks to Flickr user smazurov for sharing.
It’s pretty easy to see why this show was so sold out. Bjork and Radiohead endorsements aside, people always seem interested by an artist who opens up a portal into a construct they can deeply explore. Natasha Khan who is, Bat For Lashes, carries you into her songs in the same way an author submerges readers into the lush world of their own creation. Full of fairies, birds, ghosts and howling wolves, her thoughtful and refreshingly imaginative music invites you into a world you’re not sure she discovered, envisioned, or simply grew up in. Continue reading “Bat for Lashes at the Great American Music Hall, 6/13/09”
Describing Patrick Wolf is hard. I was just asked, “what kind of music is he?” I did not have a quick answer. I hemmed and hawed. I know I like it, and I know it should make for an interesting live show, so there I was at Slim’s on a Monday night seeing the Nylon Summer Tour with headliner Patrick Wolf. Little I did know how crazy the night would actually get. Continue reading “Patrick Wolf at Slim’s, 6/8/09”
In Queensryche’s heyday, they were an awesome force of a band. Geoff Tate was an absolute beast, a singer with an incredible voice and an incredible range. The twin lead guitars of Michael Wilton and Chris Degarmo alternated heavy riffs and bright solos with the greatest of ease. And the solid, spectacular rhythm section of Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield carried the whole thing forward with fierce momentum. That was 1990 or so. This is 2009. What are they like now? Continue reading “Queensryche at The Fillmore, 6/4/09”
For some reason, I thought Jens Lekman would be very serious. I’m not sure why I thought this, but I assumed he’d stand up at his microphone, quietly singing his songs by himself. So I was more than pleasantly surprised to see him dancing happily along with his 5-piece band right from the very beginning of the show. He had a smile pasted on his face the whole time, and so did I. Continue reading “Jens Lekman at Bottom of the Hill, 6/2/09”
This photo from a different show pictures the agressive cellist. Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/drop_dead_ed/ for the photo.
Dredg was nice enough to schedule two hometown shows on their tour with Torche and Judgement Day. Because of this, neither one sold out and I was able to go to the show at the Great American Music Hall. Hometown shows are usually great because the band will play longer and bring a lot more energy into it. So how did this one stack up? Continue reading “Dredg at Great American Music Hall, 5/19/09”
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="207" caption="Jawbreaker in their natural environment: the Mission District."][/caption]There is no pain greater than that caused by a relationship’s dead future.
It is nearly unspeakable. All the best hopes and promises that a person could possibly have — dashed. Irretrievable. Yet the memories of sweetness linger and haunt, ever out of reach.
With “Sluttering (May 4th),” the band Jawbreaker ink around the outlines of what it is like to feel this specific pain and the particular interpersonal agonies that go along with it: the machinations that can occur, the sheer hurt, the recriminations, the kissoffs (both real and imagined), and where hope goes after all that.
Jawbreaker in their natural environment: the Mission District
There is no pain greater than that caused by a relationship’s dead future.
The agony is nearly unspeakable. All the best hopes and promises that a person could possibly have — dashed. Irretrievable. Yet the memories of sweetness linger and haunt, ever out of reach.
With “Sluttering (May 4th),” the band Jawbreaker ink around the outlines of what it is like to feel this specific pain and the particular interpersonal agonies that go along with it: the machinations that can occur, the sheer hurt, the recriminations, the kissoffs (both real and imagined), and where hope goes after all that.
Defined by the writer of the lyrics, Blake Schwarzenbach, the word itself means “pontification under duress and/or a kind of drunk muttering.”
And as the song’s chorus whipsaws in, Blake’s voice climbs meticulously across the syllables of what it sounds like to know that the person who was once with you is now with someone else:
slow dance alone with no one to the sound of four hands clapping / congratulations to you both I hope somewhere you’re happy / if there’s a moral to this story, then I wish you’d show me
Today is May 4. It is Sluttering Day. Listen to the song. And if you can help it, don’t break anyone’s heart.
[/caption]There is no pain greater than that caused by a relationship’s dead future.