Forget about SXSW for a second:
Zach Galifianakis is hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend. Hopefully I won't be disappointed if it's not the greatest episode of all time. Have you watched his children's acting classes from Adult Swim? You should.
If you read Pitchfork:
and don't mind a little statistics. Here's a pretty cool breakdown of their ratings system from Part-Time Music.
It's a long read:
but David Byrne's blog discussing how context, more specifically physical location, affects the type of music that is created was well worth my time.
Another somewhat technical article about music, but quite interesting:
This Slate article discusses how the standardization of pianos has literally made it such that one cannot play some classical pieces as they were written. That is, the construction of pianos was once much more variable, and many famous pieces of music were written on pianos with specific structural characteristics that no longer exist on modern pianos.
Comedy:
is mostly an afterthought at SXSW, but if you're in the mood, former Denver-ite Ben Kronberg will be performing a number of times, and will be well worth your time if you have the chance to hear him.
I didn't realize:
that Willis Alan Ramsey only made one album. Pretty unbelievable, but I guess he was the one in a billion who made one album and was financially set for life.
Horrible news really:
about Roy from Lucero having his jaw broken when he and Brian were mugged. I hope he is able to take adequate time off to heal.
SXSW day parties:
are really starting to stack up. I've not gathered the energy yet to go through the current list.
If you didn't see it:
SNL's "We are the World 3" pretty much hit the nail right on the head.
Showing posts with label stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stuff. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
nothing important
I am increasingly thinking, among their other mistakes handling the late night situation:
that NBC made an enormous error in not continuing to broadcast Southland, and instead giving Jay Leno that time slot. Watching it re-broadcast on TNT, I'm convinced it's one of the best shows on TV, and I really hope that TNT has the money to keep it going. You can see some episodes online at TNT.tv, or of course, through various pay sites.
Another thing about Southland:
If you don't believe me, watch the pilot episode. If you are not convinced by 3/4 of the way through that episode, you will be by the end when The National's "Fake Empire" plays over the last few scenes.
Cross Canadian Ragweed playing Bonnaroo 2010:
I did not see that one coming.
I've not said much about the death of Vic Chesnutt:
but he was one of the less appreciated masters of his craft, and I'm very pleased that the Grammy Awards chose to include to him in their video remembering those who had died in the past year. Read this very well written note about Chesnutt from the Oxford American.
If you cared at all:
the video that I embedded in my last post only plays on the Windfarm page, i.e., not in Google reader, as a result of various permissions that are attached to it. ...the more you know.
It don't matter who's in Austin:
'cause Bob Wills is still the king.
If you hadn't heard, Google shut down a number of music blogs recently:
and that's why we don't post mp3s, no matter who said we could. Also because I don't know how.
If you will be at SXSW:
I hope you get the chance to see Slim Cessna's Auto Club. They've been around forever, but only tour sporadically. Without a doubt they are one of Denver's greatest live bands, and one of the key elements of the Denver scene over the past 16 or so years.
that NBC made an enormous error in not continuing to broadcast Southland, and instead giving Jay Leno that time slot. Watching it re-broadcast on TNT, I'm convinced it's one of the best shows on TV, and I really hope that TNT has the money to keep it going. You can see some episodes online at TNT.tv, or of course, through various pay sites.
Another thing about Southland:
If you don't believe me, watch the pilot episode. If you are not convinced by 3/4 of the way through that episode, you will be by the end when The National's "Fake Empire" plays over the last few scenes.
Cross Canadian Ragweed playing Bonnaroo 2010:
I did not see that one coming.
I've not said much about the death of Vic Chesnutt:
but he was one of the less appreciated masters of his craft, and I'm very pleased that the Grammy Awards chose to include to him in their video remembering those who had died in the past year. Read this very well written note about Chesnutt from the Oxford American.
If you cared at all:
the video that I embedded in my last post only plays on the Windfarm page, i.e., not in Google reader, as a result of various permissions that are attached to it. ...the more you know.
It don't matter who's in Austin:
'cause Bob Wills is still the king.
If you hadn't heard, Google shut down a number of music blogs recently:
and that's why we don't post mp3s, no matter who said we could. Also because I don't know how.
If you will be at SXSW:
I hope you get the chance to see Slim Cessna's Auto Club. They've been around forever, but only tour sporadically. Without a doubt they are one of Denver's greatest live bands, and one of the key elements of the Denver scene over the past 16 or so years.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Your favorite Maines brother and other thoughts
If you miss Arrested Development, there is no replacement:
but Modern Family on ABC is a great new show with a similar theme - family craziness and inappropriate comments. I'm a big fan of everything I've seen so far.
I know you've been pondering your selection for the past year:
but time is almost gone to vote for your favorite Maines Brothers band member of all time. If you read the blog in Google Reader, come on over to windfarm and find the poll in the top right corner. Lloyd has a pretty commanding lead, but like I've always said, you would be a fool to count out Kenny Maines.
Aquarium Drunkard is still the best at blogging:
Check out this awesome piece about JJW's 1969 Driftin' Way of Life album.
To make up for his November show that was canceled due to weather:
Langhorne Slim is coming back through Denver in less than a month. Wednesday, Feb. 10th at the Hi-Dive.
I know you cringe when I mention Rolling Stone magazine:
but they've got an aweomse piece on Devendra Banhart in the most recent issue (Cover title: "You Idiots"). In summation, it does really well to describe how no matter what he does with his appearance or his music, the media insists on calling his music "hippie folk."
In case you missed the shows:
the Denver Post's Reverb blog covered the DeVotchKa and Slim Cessna's Auto Club NYE performances.
It won't affect you, but it will affect the blog's content a bit:
Windfarm will be relocating (geographically, that is, not changing URL) this August. More details on that as the time approaches, and lots of shows to see between now and then. For similar reasons, I may not be able to post and cover as much music and junk as I did for much of 2009. Oh well, at least you've still got the rest of the internet.
but Modern Family on ABC is a great new show with a similar theme - family craziness and inappropriate comments. I'm a big fan of everything I've seen so far.
I know you've been pondering your selection for the past year:
but time is almost gone to vote for your favorite Maines Brothers band member of all time. If you read the blog in Google Reader, come on over to windfarm and find the poll in the top right corner. Lloyd has a pretty commanding lead, but like I've always said, you would be a fool to count out Kenny Maines.
Aquarium Drunkard is still the best at blogging:
Check out this awesome piece about JJW's 1969 Driftin' Way of Life album.
To make up for his November show that was canceled due to weather:
Langhorne Slim is coming back through Denver in less than a month. Wednesday, Feb. 10th at the Hi-Dive.
I know you cringe when I mention Rolling Stone magazine:
but they've got an aweomse piece on Devendra Banhart in the most recent issue (Cover title: "You Idiots"). In summation, it does really well to describe how no matter what he does with his appearance or his music, the media insists on calling his music "hippie folk."
In case you missed the shows:
the Denver Post's Reverb blog covered the DeVotchKa and Slim Cessna's Auto Club NYE performances.
It won't affect you, but it will affect the blog's content a bit:
Windfarm will be relocating (geographically, that is, not changing URL) this August. More details on that as the time approaches, and lots of shows to see between now and then. For similar reasons, I may not be able to post and cover as much music and junk as I did for much of 2009. Oh well, at least you've still got the rest of the internet.
Monday, January 11, 2010
No one really cares, even on Facebook
The most surprising thing about the recent news that Jay Leno will reclaim his 11:35 PM EST /10:35 PM CST slot, moving Conan and the Tonight's Show back at least 30 minutes, is the fact that no one really seems to care. When the news broke, I fully expected Facebook groups to pop up all over the place with titles like "Keep Conan" or "I bet I can find 1,000,000 people who want Conan to stay." While those groups exist here and there, they don't seem to have gained any steam and the bigger message that I'm getting is that no one really cares. Far more people have joined Facebook groups to protest the change in football coaches at Texas Tech, if that puts it in perspective for you.
I guess from a personal standpoint, I don't really care either. I really really don't like Leno, have never watched his new show, and think he isn't funny most of the time. I think Conan is far better and funnier, but while I never watched the Tonight's Show with Leno, I rarely watch it with Conan either.
Apparently ever since Conan took over, Nightline has become the number one show in the 11:35 PM EST slot. I don't even know that the issue is about Conan, but rather that the change gave people the opportunity to break old habits and try out something new. Turns out Nightline is a pretty good news program, which isn't Conan's fault. Moreover, the game with late night shows is much different now than when Leno took over, in that a much smaller percentage of people had cable when he replaced Johnny Carson and so he didn't face so much competition in maintaining viewers. When the Leno/Conan transition happened, probably as many people shifted over to watching Ace of Cakes or Roseanne reruns as switched to Nightline or Letterman.
What does all of this mean to the world? Very little. Why did I write about it? Monday morning procrastination. The Conan die-hards will doubtless get to see him in some time slot on some channel, whether it be NBC or FOX or Univision, and the continually struggling NBC is going to take the Leno show that didn't work in the 10 PM EST slot and move it back an hour and a half where it used to work and hope that everything works again. I'm not sure that's the best reasoning, but as I've noted, I don't really care. Apparently you don't either.
Update: Great NSFW interview with Patton Oswalt about the situation.
Another update: The facebook group finally showed up, with over 600,000 members, but way too little too late.
I guess from a personal standpoint, I don't really care either. I really really don't like Leno, have never watched his new show, and think he isn't funny most of the time. I think Conan is far better and funnier, but while I never watched the Tonight's Show with Leno, I rarely watch it with Conan either.
Apparently ever since Conan took over, Nightline has become the number one show in the 11:35 PM EST slot. I don't even know that the issue is about Conan, but rather that the change gave people the opportunity to break old habits and try out something new. Turns out Nightline is a pretty good news program, which isn't Conan's fault. Moreover, the game with late night shows is much different now than when Leno took over, in that a much smaller percentage of people had cable when he replaced Johnny Carson and so he didn't face so much competition in maintaining viewers. When the Leno/Conan transition happened, probably as many people shifted over to watching Ace of Cakes or Roseanne reruns as switched to Nightline or Letterman.
What does all of this mean to the world? Very little. Why did I write about it? Monday morning procrastination. The Conan die-hards will doubtless get to see him in some time slot on some channel, whether it be NBC or FOX or Univision, and the continually struggling NBC is going to take the Leno show that didn't work in the 10 PM EST slot and move it back an hour and a half where it used to work and hope that everything works again. I'm not sure that's the best reasoning, but as I've noted, I don't really care. Apparently you don't either.
Update: Great NSFW interview with Patton Oswalt about the situation.
Another update: The facebook group finally showed up, with over 600,000 members, but way too little too late.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hope you had a great holiday
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been working on my Waylon Jennings tribute album, tentatively titled Waylon on the Trombone. That's right, 14 of Waylon's classics performed on the greatest brass instrument ever crafted.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Cormac McCarthy emerges once again
If you've had all the family time you need for one day and you're now hiding behind your laptop while everyone is screaming at the football game, then it sounds like maybe you need a little Cormac McCarthy in your life.
He recently did an interview with the Wall Street Journal that you can find here. He's really coming out of the woodwork these days, first with Oprah, and now this.
Plus, in case you were interested, The Road was just named the Times' best book of the decade. For the most part, this list of the 100 best books is likely to make you feel like you haven't been reading enough the past few years.
And just to be clear, you do not own a signed copy of the The Road, and if you think you do, then you need to find the dealer who sold it to you and get your money back.
He recently did an interview with the Wall Street Journal that you can find here. He's really coming out of the woodwork these days, first with Oprah, and now this.
Plus, in case you were interested, The Road was just named the Times' best book of the decade. For the most part, this list of the 100 best books is likely to make you feel like you haven't been reading enough the past few years.
And just to be clear, you do not own a signed copy of the The Road, and if you think you do, then you need to find the dealer who sold it to you and get your money back.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Weather or not you care
Weather really wreaked havoc on touring bands:
in the mountain west this week. I know Langhorne Slim and Lucero had to cancel a number of shows simply because of road closures. I think Langhorne canceled Salt Lake, but then got to Salt Lake the next day trying to make his next show in Boise, but had cancel Boise due to weather, so he ended up playing Salt Lake a night or two later. This is a real nightmare for touring bands, so I hope they are safely back on track now.
We got our fair share of that weather too (around 24 inches of it):
So much free music out there these days:
so I understand if you don't feel like/don't have time to try out new bands. However, you should give Ha Ha Tonka's Daytrotter session and Dawes' Luxury Wafers session a try if you get the chance.
It was great while it lasted:
but having played their final show, Everything Absent or Distorted is no more. You can, however, get their final EP for free here.
I don't know how long it will stay posted:
but Ryan Adams just announced that he's got a new 7" vinyl record available for sale.
I wouldn't call him obscure:
but Collin Herring has really never gotten due credit for his great songwriting, or for his three great albums either. I was pleased to find out he's just finished his fourth studio album, entitled Ocho, at Ramble Creek studios, which is owned and operated by Britton Beisenherz of Monahans notoriety. Also, pretty cool to see from this photo album, that the album includes backing from not only Beisenherz and Roberto Sanchez of Monahans, but also Will Johnson of Centro-matic, and (I am assuming from the pictures) the man/myth/multi-instrumentalist Todd Pertll. And most importantly, of course the album includes maybe the coolest guy in all of Texas music, Collin's keyboard/steel guitar player and dad, Ben Roi Herring.
Just ran across:
this quite well written article from the 1960s, by Bud Shrake. It ran in Sports Illustrated, but wasn't really a sports article. Rather, it chronicles the growth of the Texas Hill Country up to the mid 60s, and is quite interesting in the portrait it paints, especially knowing how much the area has developed since then. And yes, you can file this one under "completely random."
in the mountain west this week. I know Langhorne Slim and Lucero had to cancel a number of shows simply because of road closures. I think Langhorne canceled Salt Lake, but then got to Salt Lake the next day trying to make his next show in Boise, but had cancel Boise due to weather, so he ended up playing Salt Lake a night or two later. This is a real nightmare for touring bands, so I hope they are safely back on track now.
We got our fair share of that weather too (around 24 inches of it):
So much free music out there these days:
so I understand if you don't feel like/don't have time to try out new bands. However, you should give Ha Ha Tonka's Daytrotter session and Dawes' Luxury Wafers session a try if you get the chance.
It was great while it lasted:
but having played their final show, Everything Absent or Distorted is no more. You can, however, get their final EP for free here.
I don't know how long it will stay posted:
but Ryan Adams just announced that he's got a new 7" vinyl record available for sale.
I wouldn't call him obscure:
but Collin Herring has really never gotten due credit for his great songwriting, or for his three great albums either. I was pleased to find out he's just finished his fourth studio album, entitled Ocho, at Ramble Creek studios, which is owned and operated by Britton Beisenherz of Monahans notoriety. Also, pretty cool to see from this photo album, that the album includes backing from not only Beisenherz and Roberto Sanchez of Monahans, but also Will Johnson of Centro-matic, and (I am assuming from the pictures) the man/myth/multi-instrumentalist Todd Pertll. And most importantly, of course the album includes maybe the coolest guy in all of Texas music, Collin's keyboard/steel guitar player and dad, Ben Roi Herring.
Just ran across:
this quite well written article from the 1960s, by Bud Shrake. It ran in Sports Illustrated, but wasn't really a sports article. Rather, it chronicles the growth of the Texas Hill Country up to the mid 60s, and is quite interesting in the portrait it paints, especially knowing how much the area has developed since then. And yes, you can file this one under "completely random."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
things
Nice interview with Langhorne Slim:
that you can find at gigbot. Interview by Heather Browne of I Am Fuel, You are Friends.
I'm interested in seeing:
the documentary BoneCrusher, a new film that deals with coal mining and all the hazards that go along with it. It would seem this one is more documentary and less artsy, i.e., it isn't another Seven Signs or Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus movie. It appears you may already be able to buy the DVD, but I'm not sure.
I would really like to find:
more blogs with really good writing. Less crap and repeat of what other blogs said, and instead actual good original writing. Leave me a comment to point me to some new ones if you know of any. Doesn't even have to be music. You can even self promote, as long as your blog meets the aforementioned criteria. Blogs with good original pictures are acceptable too.
Speaking of blogs,:
for some reason I really like this blog that H. ran across the other day, called My Parents Were Awesome. I would explain it, but you should just check it out.
For anyone:
who puts up with my discussion of spoken word, Buddy Wakefield's new CD Live at the Typer Cannon Grand came out today. Here was his newsletter announcement about it. He's touring with Andrea Gibson, of Boulder, this spring, but I'll tell you more about that as it approaches.
More on this at a later date:
but did you know that full issues of Billboard magazine are archived dating back all the way to 1942 by Google Books? Pretty amazing stuff, for example, to look at the issues from the late '60s. Some issues are missing, I think, but there are more than enough to see lots of cool stuff.
that you can find at gigbot. Interview by Heather Browne of I Am Fuel, You are Friends.
I'm interested in seeing:
the documentary BoneCrusher, a new film that deals with coal mining and all the hazards that go along with it. It would seem this one is more documentary and less artsy, i.e., it isn't another Seven Signs or Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus movie. It appears you may already be able to buy the DVD, but I'm not sure.
I would really like to find:
more blogs with really good writing. Less crap and repeat of what other blogs said, and instead actual good original writing. Leave me a comment to point me to some new ones if you know of any. Doesn't even have to be music. You can even self promote, as long as your blog meets the aforementioned criteria. Blogs with good original pictures are acceptable too.
Speaking of blogs,:
for some reason I really like this blog that H. ran across the other day, called My Parents Were Awesome. I would explain it, but you should just check it out.
For anyone:
who puts up with my discussion of spoken word, Buddy Wakefield's new CD Live at the Typer Cannon Grand came out today. Here was his newsletter announcement about it. He's touring with Andrea Gibson, of Boulder, this spring, but I'll tell you more about that as it approaches.
More on this at a later date:
but did you know that full issues of Billboard magazine are archived dating back all the way to 1942 by Google Books? Pretty amazing stuff, for example, to look at the issues from the late '60s. Some issues are missing, I think, but there are more than enough to see lots of cool stuff.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
ramble on
Do you think:
that the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, composed mostly by Karen O, will sell a lot of copies because simply people will be looking for the song they hear on the trailer? A situation that will be unfortunate, because the song is actually "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire, and is not on the soundtrack? I do. This is like when the Everything Is Illuminated trailer used "How It Ends" by DeVotchKa, but neither the movie nor the soundtrack featured the song. Don't get me wrong, the WTWTA trailer is really good, but funny they didn't use some of Karen O's material for it.
Of course you're thinking:
"he just had to mention that movie, because every blogger in the world has mentioned that movie." What can I say, at least I tried to do my own take on it.
In case you cared:
your cool friends over at Pitchfork mentioned some time back that Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear was releasing a 7" on his new label Terrible Records under the moniker CANT. Well, that record is finally up for pre-order.
Denver:
don't miss Slim Cessna's Auto Club and Drag the River at the Oriental Theater this Friday, Oct. 9th.
It's probably enjoyable because it's not PC:
and in fact there is a new What's So Funny? out today, and it's just as non-PC as ever.
I don't know why I am obsessed with the remote parts of West Texas:
but there is a pretty cool blogger from Alpine who does a blog called Gaping Void. He's actually an author, artist, marketer, and um, CEO of the US branch of a South African wine. Apparently he became famous for his "Ignore Everybody" blog/book, which is generally directed at helping people in the working world (maybe more specifically the corporate world?) to keep from hating their lives so much, or something like that.
Keeping with the West Texas theme:
I found this pretty sweet article about a guy near Abilene who lives in a cold war era missile silo. Lots of cool pictures.
As I've noted:
I'm increasingly impressed with Langhorne Slim's new material, and need to pick up his new album Be Set Free. You can check out a video interview and perfomance of "I Love You But Goodbye" from him here at LA Music Blog.
I don't know about you:
but I'm pretty excited about the new J. Tillman record Year in the Kingdom. It's out now on Western Vinyl, and apparently a vinyl version and a 7" are on the way.
In Avett Brothers news...let me revise that, in my own personal news:
my pre-ordered vinyl copy of I and Love and You, an album for which the vinyl version has been available in record stores for over 3 weeks, has still not arrived. I ordered it directly from the band's Web site, which apparently was the lowest priority to the label, and they didn't get their copies of the vinyl to mail out until last week. Throw in the inconsistent service by the USPS and you've got quite an awesome situation. If you know me, I like to prove points, so I'll probably have to return that record (when it finally arrives), even though it will cost me shipping, and then buy it from my local record store for the same price. If anyone has run into the same problem, hopefully you've found the one positive outlet that I have, which is that you can stream the entire album for free on the Avett's Web site.
that the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, composed mostly by Karen O, will sell a lot of copies because simply people will be looking for the song they hear on the trailer? A situation that will be unfortunate, because the song is actually "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire, and is not on the soundtrack? I do. This is like when the Everything Is Illuminated trailer used "How It Ends" by DeVotchKa, but neither the movie nor the soundtrack featured the song. Don't get me wrong, the WTWTA trailer is really good, but funny they didn't use some of Karen O's material for it.
Of course you're thinking:
"he just had to mention that movie, because every blogger in the world has mentioned that movie." What can I say, at least I tried to do my own take on it.
In case you cared:
your cool friends over at Pitchfork mentioned some time back that Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear was releasing a 7" on his new label Terrible Records under the moniker CANT. Well, that record is finally up for pre-order.
Denver:
don't miss Slim Cessna's Auto Club and Drag the River at the Oriental Theater this Friday, Oct. 9th.
It's probably enjoyable because it's not PC:
and in fact there is a new What's So Funny? out today, and it's just as non-PC as ever.
I don't know why I am obsessed with the remote parts of West Texas:
but there is a pretty cool blogger from Alpine who does a blog called Gaping Void. He's actually an author, artist, marketer, and um, CEO of the US branch of a South African wine. Apparently he became famous for his "Ignore Everybody" blog/book, which is generally directed at helping people in the working world (maybe more specifically the corporate world?) to keep from hating their lives so much, or something like that.
Keeping with the West Texas theme:
I found this pretty sweet article about a guy near Abilene who lives in a cold war era missile silo. Lots of cool pictures.
As I've noted:
I'm increasingly impressed with Langhorne Slim's new material, and need to pick up his new album Be Set Free. You can check out a video interview and perfomance of "I Love You But Goodbye" from him here at LA Music Blog.
I don't know about you:
but I'm pretty excited about the new J. Tillman record Year in the Kingdom. It's out now on Western Vinyl, and apparently a vinyl version and a 7" are on the way.
In Avett Brothers news...let me revise that, in my own personal news:
my pre-ordered vinyl copy of I and Love and You, an album for which the vinyl version has been available in record stores for over 3 weeks, has still not arrived. I ordered it directly from the band's Web site, which apparently was the lowest priority to the label, and they didn't get their copies of the vinyl to mail out until last week. Throw in the inconsistent service by the USPS and you've got quite an awesome situation. If you know me, I like to prove points, so I'll probably have to return that record (when it finally arrives), even though it will cost me shipping, and then buy it from my local record store for the same price. If anyone has run into the same problem, hopefully you've found the one positive outlet that I have, which is that you can stream the entire album for free on the Avett's Web site.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
stuff
Do you remember when you could afford DeVotchKa concert tickets?:
Well, in a year you'll be talking about how you remember when you could afford to go see the Avetts.
By the way:
can I be the first one to recommend that DeVotchKa reissue Una Volta on vinyl?
By the way:
can I be the first one to recommend that DeVotchKa reissue Una Volta on vinyl?
Overheard:
"Dude, you going to Pretty Lights [Fort Collins electronic artist] in two weeks? It's just $40. $20 for tickets and $20 for festivities" [this means drugs apparently].
Since the Colorado tour stop didn't work out:
for Buddy Wakefield, I can at least let you know that his new CD, Live at the Typer Cannon Grand, just came out on Righteous Babe Records. It's a compilation of the best recordings of his best material - definitely worth it for my money.
I hope to see:
Denver folks out at the Thrift Store Cowboys/Amanda Shires show at the Hi-Dive on Thursday. Rosewood Thieves are the headliners.
Isn't it funny:
that Joe Ely was so quick into the internet game? He got in early enough to buy "www.ely.com." Apparently his site started in '83. I didn't even know about the internet until probably 1995.
Marfa never ceases to amaze me:
In the span of two weeks, Randy Quaid was arrested there, and Bon Iver is playing a show there. Bon Iver has only played Denver once, ever, as far as I know, and now he will have played Marfa too, a town of 2100 in the middle of the desert.
I hope to see:
Denver folks out at the Thrift Store Cowboys/Amanda Shires show at the Hi-Dive on Thursday. Rosewood Thieves are the headliners.
Isn't it funny:
that Joe Ely was so quick into the internet game? He got in early enough to buy "www.ely.com." Apparently his site started in '83. I didn't even know about the internet until probably 1995.
Marfa never ceases to amaze me:
In the span of two weeks, Randy Quaid was arrested there, and Bon Iver is playing a show there. Bon Iver has only played Denver once, ever, as far as I know, and now he will have played Marfa too, a town of 2100 in the middle of the desert.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A minute minute of minutiae
Why have the Beatles:
been so particular about handling distribution of their catalog all these years, and now all of the sudden they are selling the remastered albums at Starbucks and Whole Foods?
Thanks to a heads up text from Mt. Inadale:
I got to check out Will Johnson playing drums for the Monsters of Folk on the Tonight Show. You can find video of it on hulu, but youtube says that the video isn't available in this country. Will will be touring with them this fall. And yes, I just said "Will will."
And thanks to Centro-matic's Web site:
I heard that Will Johnson, Jim James, and Anders Parker are doing a project a la Mermaid Avenue, in which they are arranging and recording songs using Woody Guthrie lyrics.
Remember when:
Jay Leno retired for 3 months and then started his old job again at an earlier time? Yeah, well, I liked it a lot better when he retired.
Lucero just announced:
that 1372 Overton Park can now be preordered for limited edition blue vinyl copies. PLUS, you get a download of the full album when you buy the vinyl.
For just $10:
you can hear one of Denver's new "buzz" bands, Young Coyotes at this Sunday's Larimer Lounge BBQ. Not a bad price - plus the BBQ is pretty good too.
I'm going to forgive:
the Avett Brothers for not sending my copy of their new album yet, when they've already released it to indie stores -- mostly because they are about the best band around right now, and also because they just released the video for the song "I and Love and You."
been so particular about handling distribution of their catalog all these years, and now all of the sudden they are selling the remastered albums at Starbucks and Whole Foods?
Thanks to a heads up text from Mt. Inadale:
I got to check out Will Johnson playing drums for the Monsters of Folk on the Tonight Show. You can find video of it on hulu, but youtube says that the video isn't available in this country. Will will be touring with them this fall. And yes, I just said "Will will."
And thanks to Centro-matic's Web site:
I heard that Will Johnson, Jim James, and Anders Parker are doing a project a la Mermaid Avenue, in which they are arranging and recording songs using Woody Guthrie lyrics.
Remember when:
Jay Leno retired for 3 months and then started his old job again at an earlier time? Yeah, well, I liked it a lot better when he retired.
Lucero just announced:
that 1372 Overton Park can now be preordered for limited edition blue vinyl copies. PLUS, you get a download of the full album when you buy the vinyl.
For just $10:
you can hear one of Denver's new "buzz" bands, Young Coyotes at this Sunday's Larimer Lounge BBQ. Not a bad price - plus the BBQ is pretty good too.
I'm going to forgive:
the Avett Brothers for not sending my copy of their new album yet, when they've already released it to indie stores -- mostly because they are about the best band around right now, and also because they just released the video for the song "I and Love and You."
some things
Completely missed:
a new book out by one of my favorite (fairly) young Texas writers - Oscar Casares. His new book Amigoland apparently came out last month, and I'm not sure Texas Monthly even reviewed it.
I had intended to write a full blog about this:
and I was also hoping to interview Buddy Wakefield, but he didn't have time for an email interview and I didn't have time for a phone interview. So oh well. Nonetheless, tonight in Denver, the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival tour makes a stop at the Crossroads Theater. Don't worry if you don't like slam poetry, this is nothing like that.
I can't deny:
that I'm a little disappointed that preorders of the new Avett Brothers LP, bought directly through the band's site, have not yet arrived, while it's been available in indie record stores for over a week now.
If you still use myspace:
have you noticed that bands can now message you about upcoming shows? Yeah, it sucks and makes myspace even more useless.
Would it be cruel to name a kid "Wendy":
if your last name was "Saintsgomarchingin"?
If you are a fan:
of Justin Townes Earle, you can vote for him here in the Nashville Music Awards in the Best Music Video and Best Americana Album categories. Note: you have to vote in all the categories, some of which aren't very interesting, but it still doesn't take that long.
You don't have to agree:
but I think Brad Paisley's recent "Welcome to the Future" video may be one of the most important country music videos made this decade. Can't embed it, but it's linked here. The song itself is pretty good, probably not even his best, but the video makes up the difference. It's not only the content of it, but the recognition of who the audience is for country videos. For all the negative discourse that has been associated with country music, this is one of the more progressive videos made in country music to this point, especially considering the political climate right now.
a new book out by one of my favorite (fairly) young Texas writers - Oscar Casares. His new book Amigoland apparently came out last month, and I'm not sure Texas Monthly even reviewed it.
I had intended to write a full blog about this:
and I was also hoping to interview Buddy Wakefield, but he didn't have time for an email interview and I didn't have time for a phone interview. So oh well. Nonetheless, tonight in Denver, the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival tour makes a stop at the Crossroads Theater. Don't worry if you don't like slam poetry, this is nothing like that.
I can't deny:
that I'm a little disappointed that preorders of the new Avett Brothers LP, bought directly through the band's site, have not yet arrived, while it's been available in indie record stores for over a week now.
If you still use myspace:
have you noticed that bands can now message you about upcoming shows? Yeah, it sucks and makes myspace even more useless.
Would it be cruel to name a kid "Wendy":
if your last name was "Saintsgomarchingin"?
If you are a fan:
of Justin Townes Earle, you can vote for him here in the Nashville Music Awards in the Best Music Video and Best Americana Album categories. Note: you have to vote in all the categories, some of which aren't very interesting, but it still doesn't take that long.
You don't have to agree:
but I think Brad Paisley's recent "Welcome to the Future" video may be one of the most important country music videos made this decade. Can't embed it, but it's linked here. The song itself is pretty good, probably not even his best, but the video makes up the difference. It's not only the content of it, but the recognition of who the audience is for country videos. For all the negative discourse that has been associated with country music, this is one of the more progressive videos made in country music to this point, especially considering the political climate right now.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Yes, more random crap already...
I did finally find:
a place that was still selling the Grizzly Bear 7" featuring Michael MacDonald. Bleep.com is still selling it. Not sure why the band's and label's site are already sold out - either they are getting more copies or it's super limited edition.
Speaking of limited edition 7" vinyl that you probably don't care about:
Langhorne Slim recently released the Cinderella 7" on an Italian label called Wild Honey Records. Details can be found here. The ordering method is kind of new school old school, in that they don't have an online shopping cart, but you just paypal them the money and they (hopefully) send you the record. Old school old school would be you send them some cash in a card and (hopefully) they send you the record.
Is there any thing worse that could happen in Boulder:
than seeing 3 guys playing hacky sack outside of Starbucks?
Is there any thing better that could happen in Boulder:
than seeing 2 guys wipe out on their skateboards in the same day? (of course, with the stipulation that nothing was hurt other than their egos)
Pretty sweet:
that the Kanye West video for "Can't Tell Me Nothin'" featuring Zach Galifianakis and Will Oldham was featured as #30 in Pitchfork's Top 50 music videos of 2000-2009. Well deserved.
Why hadn't I heard about this?:
Michael Cera has a new movie coming out called Youth in Revolt (also featuring Zach G.), and to add to my surprise, "Timebomb" by the Old 97s is used the trailer.
Monday, September 7, 2009
.
I know I haven't posted much of substance here lately:
so I hope that the occasional music news post is enough for now. I've got some others in the works, but just haven't had a ton of time the last few weeks.
I can't believe it's already too late:
to buy the Grizzly Bear/Michael MacDonald collaboration on vinyl. This was announced right at a week ago and now the sites that sold it are saying it is sold out.
Finally:
had the chance to see Visioneers. The quirkiness and darkness are what I was expecting. It is really funny that they are advertising it as "Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover," because the typical Hangover crowd is not going to like this movie at all. The movie is good, but like I said, it is very different. The only way I can describe the contrast between the Hangover/Visioneers, while not exactly the same, would be like Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber/The Cable Guy.
Getting increasingly excited:
about the new Langhorne Slim album later this month. After being so impressed with him at the UMS this summer, I definitely have a new appreciation for his music. He's actually playing Boulder tomorrow, but it is for E-town, which for my money isn't quite worth the trouble.
Some old friends from Dallas:
who are in a band called Macon Greyson, just released an EP for free download from their Web site. They tour mostly regionally, but in the past year, their most notable happening was having a song featured in the movie The Wrestler.
Is it just me:
or is Twitter getting boring and too spammed out? Maybe I just followed too many people early on, because now I look through my feed and nothing of interest really comes up.
The neverending tour:
that is Bob Dylan's life keep's going. He just announced more fall tour dates - I guess hitting some of the places the minor league ball park tour missed. Oh yeah, and he's putting out a Christmas album.
Tough day yesterday to live in Boulder:
CSU came to town and beat us 23-17, and then their fans rushed Folsom Field to celebrate right in the middle of it all. However, I don't hold that against them, given the crap all the drunken idiot 18 year-old Buff fans were yelling at them.
so I hope that the occasional music news post is enough for now. I've got some others in the works, but just haven't had a ton of time the last few weeks.
I can't believe it's already too late:
to buy the Grizzly Bear/Michael MacDonald collaboration on vinyl. This was announced right at a week ago and now the sites that sold it are saying it is sold out.
Finally:
had the chance to see Visioneers. The quirkiness and darkness are what I was expecting. It is really funny that they are advertising it as "Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover," because the typical Hangover crowd is not going to like this movie at all. The movie is good, but like I said, it is very different. The only way I can describe the contrast between the Hangover/Visioneers, while not exactly the same, would be like Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber/The Cable Guy.
Getting increasingly excited:
about the new Langhorne Slim album later this month. After being so impressed with him at the UMS this summer, I definitely have a new appreciation for his music. He's actually playing Boulder tomorrow, but it is for E-town, which for my money isn't quite worth the trouble.
Some old friends from Dallas:
who are in a band called Macon Greyson, just released an EP for free download from their Web site. They tour mostly regionally, but in the past year, their most notable happening was having a song featured in the movie The Wrestler.
Is it just me:
or is Twitter getting boring and too spammed out? Maybe I just followed too many people early on, because now I look through my feed and nothing of interest really comes up.
The neverending tour:
that is Bob Dylan's life keep's going. He just announced more fall tour dates - I guess hitting some of the places the minor league ball park tour missed. Oh yeah, and he's putting out a Christmas album.
Tough day yesterday to live in Boulder:
CSU came to town and beat us 23-17, and then their fans rushed Folsom Field to celebrate right in the middle of it all. However, I don't hold that against them, given the crap all the drunken idiot 18 year-old Buff fans were yelling at them.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Music gnus of interest (to me)
I haven't quite gotten on board with the monthly "Vinyl Saturdays," but:
The Avett Brothers just announced they will release a limited edition 7" to indie record stores this Saturday, Sept. 5th. In these rough economic times, American Recordings is really capitalizing on their artists with the early release mp3s, the limited edition 7", and the various packages of pre-orders for the new album. I guess they know only a certain group of people are buying stuff now, so you've got to make those folks buy as much as possible.
Really wishing:
that I had bought a copy of the Avett Brothers' side project, Oh What a Nightmare, because now that they are huge, it is going to be impossible to find a copy. Mp3s are still available, as I assume they always will be, but it's just not the same.
I guess I wasn't really looking for this:
but was totally surprised to see that Jon Krakauer has a new book coming out Sept. 15th. The book is called Where Men Win Glory, and details the story of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who left the NFL to serve in the U.S. military, and subsequently was killed in Afghanistan in 2002. I know Krakauer has his detractors, but I have to say I expect this book to be extremely well done. If I'm wrong, I won't hesitate to let you know.
If you live in the Denver/Boulder area:
Krakauer has some appearances scheduled: Boulder on 9/17 and Tattered Cover in Denver on 9/21.
Slam poetry is dead, trust me, but:
there are still a few great spoken word artists out there that put on a great show. The Elephant Engine High Dive Revival will feature Buddy Wakefield, Derrick Brown, Anis Mojgani, and Shira Erlichman with a 5th rotating member, and it will be touring hopefully very close to you. The tentative Boulder date was scrapped, but at least there's still Denver. Every time before I go, I always think about how live poetry doesn't really excite me these days, but then the show is just amazing. Well worth the time.
USA Today just named:
Justin Townes Earle's Midnight at the Movies as Grammy-worthy. Also mentioned are Lubbock natives The Flatlanders.
The Wooden Birds recently announced:
a pretty comprehensive U.S. tour with the Great Lake Swimmers from late Sept. through the month of October. More on the Denver show as it approaches.
I know you don't care:
but I have really gotten into Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show on the Travel Channel. For a niche cable show, his approach seems very real to me, and I appreciate that. Plus, he always goes to amazing places. The Saudi Arabia episode was especially good.
I had a heck of a time:
finding any info about a Richard Buckner record I had seen on ebay a few months back. Turns out that his former band, The Doubters, had one song on a 2 X 7" vinyl compilation in 1993 or 1994 or so. The compilation is called Ain't This Bliss With You and This and to my knowledge, is the only Richard Buckner song available on vinyl. If anyone knows of any other records of his on vinyl, I'd like to know about them.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Back to music posts, finally
The new Telegraph Canyon:
is officially out. The CD is for sale on Velvet Blue right now, but still waiting for word on the vinyl.
If you've got the time:
and a place where you can watch a video (not at work preferably), there's a great new What's So Funny? posted. It's Denver related, but you don't have to be from the Mile High to understand it.
Thanks to a fellow Colorado blogger - Cause=Time:
I heard about this hilarious internet business going on between bloggers and Third Eye Blind fans. The summary of it all is basically that various bloggers said 3eb weren't really that great or important, and subsequently a horde of 3eb fans descended upon them and called them mean names. The fight started here, and then moved here and here. Clearly these bloggers haven't been listening to "The Background" on repeat for the last 13 years like I have.
This Friday at the Boulder Theater:
Delta Spirit is playing with The Wheel, a Denver band I've really been starting to like, after hearing them open for Bon Iver. Don't know much about Delta Spirit, but heard on pretty good authority from a friend that they are a little bit like Cold War Kids Jr. Maybe I'll win tickets...
No previously unheard songs on it:
but an Avett Brothers session from SXSW was just posted on Rhapsody this week, if you're into live recordings and such.
Great new song posted on youtube:
from a recent Thrift Store Cowboys show in Dallas. The first one is new, and then a remake of "Cafe," and then the old standard "Sleepy Engine" on this clip.
is officially out. The CD is for sale on Velvet Blue right now, but still waiting for word on the vinyl.
If you've got the time:
and a place where you can watch a video (not at work preferably), there's a great new What's So Funny? posted. It's Denver related, but you don't have to be from the Mile High to understand it.
Thanks to a fellow Colorado blogger - Cause=Time:
I heard about this hilarious internet business going on between bloggers and Third Eye Blind fans. The summary of it all is basically that various bloggers said 3eb weren't really that great or important, and subsequently a horde of 3eb fans descended upon them and called them mean names. The fight started here, and then moved here and here. Clearly these bloggers haven't been listening to "The Background" on repeat for the last 13 years like I have.
This Friday at the Boulder Theater:
Delta Spirit is playing with The Wheel, a Denver band I've really been starting to like, after hearing them open for Bon Iver. Don't know much about Delta Spirit, but heard on pretty good authority from a friend that they are a little bit like Cold War Kids Jr. Maybe I'll win tickets...
No previously unheard songs on it:
but an Avett Brothers session from SXSW was just posted on Rhapsody this week, if you're into live recordings and such.
Great new song posted on youtube:
from a recent Thrift Store Cowboys show in Dallas. The first one is new, and then a remake of "Cafe," and then the old standard "Sleepy Engine" on this clip.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
How to make a bottle cap table
Over the last year or so, every so often I write a blog that I actually spend a substantial amount of time writing, and every so often, I also write a blog that has nothing at all to do with music. This blog is a combination of those two things.
These guidelines are not about "the" way to make a bottle cap table, but rather, the way that we made one.
Step one: Find a table, preferably not a huge one, and preferably not one that is very expensive. We found a nice $5 table at Savers that turned out to be just perfect.
Step two: Create a border around the edge of the table (because we were planning to use pour-on high gloss finish). This part proved to be a bit more problematic, and after sorting through a few various options, we decided to use wood trim to line the edges of the table. As it turns out wood trim options are not widely abundant at most places, and thus, I had to go with what was provided. I wanted something just slightly taller than the height of a bottle cap, and luckily found just what I needed for that. If you have capabilities to create your own trim to specifications, you are probably in the best shape on that front.
Photos skip the first few steps, but here's the table with the trim border finished. (Click any photo for larger size.)
Step three: Paint the table. Spray paint is fairly easy if you've got a place to do it, but also not the most economical, as it took us 3 cans to finish the table. Probably one can of paint with a paintbrush would have done the trick.
Step four: The bottle caps. This proved to be another situation where we had some various options and ultimately made our own judgment call. The key is to make the bottle caps into little tiles, and you don't want them to be empty because the air will cause problems when you do the pour-on finish. We decided against plaster, thinking it would be too heavy, but it could probably be viable if you can find a lightweight plaster fill. We finally decided on using hot glue to fill all of the bottle caps.
Caps filled with hot glue and, after drying, placed to determine spacing/design, etc.
We filled them to the brim and left them to dry. When we got them all filled (and dried), we placed them on the table to determine exactly how we wanted them to be arranged. Once we figured out the arrangement, we put just a little more hot glue on the bottom and stuck them down, trying to keep them in a tight pattern the whole time.
After all the filled caps dried, we put a small dot of glue on the bottom and set them on the table.
We got lucky that the inside of the table area was 15 bottle caps square. Thus, we had 225 caps on our table. Bottle caps that were not twist-off sometimes required a little encouragement as they were bent out of shape, and given the glue filling, they could be bent fairly easily on the bottom side to make them fit. We found that the bottom could be squared off just slightly enough to make them fit, but not enough to make them visibly disfigured from above.
Getting to this point was pretty nice, and everything went so well that we were apprehensive about putting the finish on for fear that something would get messed up. In theory, we could have left the table as is, with all the bottle caps secured. However, the surface was slightly irregular, and we also knew the hot glue would not hold forever, and probably within a year, they would begin to come loose, especially if they got wet, which is inevitable with a table.
Step five: The final stage for us, besides some touch up painting, was to pour the high gloss finish over the bottle caps and create a clear smooth surface. Having researched this a bit, I found that a product called Kleer Koat is often used to fulfill this purpose, and is usually what restaurants and such use when they make tables with various items inset in a table or bar. However, I found that this product is somewhat expensive, and not that easy to get. Neither of my neighborhood home improvement stores carried it, so I didn't pursue the issue much further. I also expect that Kleer Koat has fairly hazardous chemicals that need to be used with extreme caution.
Not an endorsement, this is just the gloss we used.
Instead, we chose the one product that was carried at our neighborhood store, a clear high gloss finish of sorts called Envirotex Lite. This material still requires a lot of safety precautions, but I didn't find them unreasonably hard to follow. Further, I'm not certain that it is designed exactly for the purposes we used it for on the table, and by that, I mean I'm not sure that it is meant to be as thick as we have it on our table. This sized box was enough for all 3 of our coats.
After a month or more of hemming and hawing, we finally went for pouring the stuff over our table. It was surprisingly easy, as long as you mix it very thoroughly and have the proper tools available. If you use this stuff, please follow their instructions completely (read the instructions multiple times), and use all the safety equipment they recommend, etc. etc. Don't just try to wing it with this stuff.
With our table, we made the first layer probably slightly thicker than they recommend, but we wanted to fill in all the space between the bottle caps first. Then we poured one more coat to try to level it out. Most can probably get away with just two coats, although we ended up doing a third coat to make the surface flush with the edges of the table. With each coat, we first put painters' tape around the edges to keep the gloss from getting on the sides, and then peeled it off and put new on for each coat. One could also pour so that the gloss went all the way out to the edges, but that seemed a little messy for our tastes.
The top of the table after the first coat.
The table top after 3 coats. Smooth as...high gloss finish.
And finally, the view from the top.
As you can see, I'm not an expert, but please let me know if you've got questions about how we made our table. I seriously doubt I can do much to help you troubleshoot any other problems that arise. Overall cost of materials (besides the beer) was probably between $75-100.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Seen on craigslist
I just couldn't resist posting this craigslist ad I found. Given that I'm generally not in the business of giving any band (especially new bands) a bad name, I've censored out the specific info.
To summarize what they are looking for: Band manager needed for young band that currently has one show booked on their calendar. No experience necessary, as long as you can talk and have tenacity. They need you to handle the business side of things because they don't have time (they've got that one show booked), and you will get paid when they start making money (no timeline for that provided). They've been screwed over a few times by managers who didn't help, so they are now seeking a better manager on craigslist. Don't forget about the tenacity.
Music business lesson #1: So you're in a band that's fairly new, and maybe you think you're pretty good, and maybe your parents do too. Maybe you even are good, and you really just need people to hear you. Naturally, you know that the bands you love have managers and booking agents and crews and such, so you figure, "we need a manager and agent too." There's your problem right there.
Please, please, PLEASE take note that you are nowhere close to needing any of those. If you are having to seek out a manager or agent then you do not need either one. Even if someone wants to be your manager, you do not need one unless your band is playing over 200 dates a year and touring the country regularly AND making a lot of money because you've got 100+ fans in every town you play. If you are a band that plays weekends, tours locally or regionally only, and doesn't have a substantial following, managers and agents are just going to take a cut of the tiny amount of money you make. Actually, since you're probably still spending more than you're making, they'll just cost you even more. Do it yourself, learn the business, make fans, and get better. Outside people will not help you do any of that.
That's all.
To summarize what they are looking for: Band manager needed for young band that currently has one show booked on their calendar. No experience necessary, as long as you can talk and have tenacity. They need you to handle the business side of things because they don't have time (they've got that one show booked), and you will get paid when they start making money (no timeline for that provided). They've been screwed over a few times by managers who didn't help, so they are now seeking a better manager on craigslist. Don't forget about the tenacity.
Hello, we are {band name}.
We are an established rock and roll band from {somewhere} and we are looking for a manager.
We have been doing our own booking/managing but we're at the point where we need help with it. We want more big paying gigs. When we get paid you'll get paid.
Connections in the music industry are a plus but not required. If you have no experience with this sort of thing it's no problem; as long as you are well spoken, have great people skills, are passionate about music and are up to the challenges.
We really need someone that will stay on top of the business side of what we do. We've had a few people claim to be our manager, they end up doing next to nothing and we end up back at square one. If you think your enthusiasm will fizzle over time, do not waste our time. We must have someone that will match our tenacity.
Music business lesson #1: So you're in a band that's fairly new, and maybe you think you're pretty good, and maybe your parents do too. Maybe you even are good, and you really just need people to hear you. Naturally, you know that the bands you love have managers and booking agents and crews and such, so you figure, "we need a manager and agent too." There's your problem right there.
Please, please, PLEASE take note that you are nowhere close to needing any of those. If you are having to seek out a manager or agent then you do not need either one. Even if someone wants to be your manager, you do not need one unless your band is playing over 200 dates a year and touring the country regularly AND making a lot of money because you've got 100+ fans in every town you play. If you are a band that plays weekends, tours locally or regionally only, and doesn't have a substantial following, managers and agents are just going to take a cut of the tiny amount of money you make. Actually, since you're probably still spending more than you're making, they'll just cost you even more. Do it yourself, learn the business, make fans, and get better. Outside people will not help you do any of that.
That's all.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
none of this just in
One final West Coast note:
I'm convinced that if you are looking for old country music vinyl, then the Bay Area is a great place to look. Not only are there a number of good stores like Rasputin and Amoeba in SF and Berkeley, but I am of the opinion that people just don't buy country vinyl there much, and so you've got a pretty good chance of finding some cool stuff.
Okay, one more final west coast note:
For all you vinyl collectors who have noticed, at least to a small extent, that record store owners are less pretentious these days now that they are on such a shoestring budget, never fear, I'm pretty sure the record store clerks in the bay area are just as pretentious as they ever were.
Just finished reading:
the new Dave Eggers book, Zeitoun. It is amazing! It's written in the style of What is the What? and I found myself flying through it because I just couldn't put it down.
Didn't have a chance to write about it:
but I was able to catch one of the Lusitania's Denver shows a couple of weeks ago. All of my praises were backed up by their show. This band is really tight and their live shows are awesome. I hope they catch on up here, because all the show was lacking was a high energy packed house. By the way, Vinyl Collective is now carrying their 7" split with Buckeye.
Stumbled upon news:
that Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Secret South, a hard to find album by Denver's 16 Horsepower. If you don't have this album, you should strongly consider checking it out if for no other reason than to hear the cover of Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You." The album will be reissued on LP and CD, each with a bonus DVD included. Vinyl originals of this album have gone on ebay for around $75 or more in recent years, so this reissue makes it a bit more accessible. However, it also leaves vinyl collectors to question whether they are bidding on an original or a reissue version on ebay, so for all it helps, there are some downsides as well. Also, I still can't decide whether it's worth it to buy reissue vinyl anyway.
I totally missed this:
but the recent Zach Galifianakis interview on the Tonight's Show was hilarious. He seemed much more in his element than when he was on Dave. I love Dave, but I felt like he was just going through the motions asking Zach questions and it wasn't very natural. Make sure and watch part 1 & part 2.
The Boulder Avett Brothers' show:
is now sold out. Let's hope we make it out alive.
I really enjoy:
telling people that if we ever have a son we're going to name him "Billiam," but call him "Will."
I'm convinced that if you are looking for old country music vinyl, then the Bay Area is a great place to look. Not only are there a number of good stores like Rasputin and Amoeba in SF and Berkeley, but I am of the opinion that people just don't buy country vinyl there much, and so you've got a pretty good chance of finding some cool stuff.
Okay, one more final west coast note:
For all you vinyl collectors who have noticed, at least to a small extent, that record store owners are less pretentious these days now that they are on such a shoestring budget, never fear, I'm pretty sure the record store clerks in the bay area are just as pretentious as they ever were.
Just finished reading:
the new Dave Eggers book, Zeitoun. It is amazing! It's written in the style of What is the What? and I found myself flying through it because I just couldn't put it down.
Didn't have a chance to write about it:
but I was able to catch one of the Lusitania's Denver shows a couple of weeks ago. All of my praises were backed up by their show. This band is really tight and their live shows are awesome. I hope they catch on up here, because all the show was lacking was a high energy packed house. By the way, Vinyl Collective is now carrying their 7" split with Buckeye.
Stumbled upon news:
that Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Secret South, a hard to find album by Denver's 16 Horsepower. If you don't have this album, you should strongly consider checking it out if for no other reason than to hear the cover of Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You." The album will be reissued on LP and CD, each with a bonus DVD included. Vinyl originals of this album have gone on ebay for around $75 or more in recent years, so this reissue makes it a bit more accessible. However, it also leaves vinyl collectors to question whether they are bidding on an original or a reissue version on ebay, so for all it helps, there are some downsides as well. Also, I still can't decide whether it's worth it to buy reissue vinyl anyway.
I totally missed this:
but the recent Zach Galifianakis interview on the Tonight's Show was hilarious. He seemed much more in his element than when he was on Dave. I love Dave, but I felt like he was just going through the motions asking Zach questions and it wasn't very natural. Make sure and watch part 1 & part 2.
The Boulder Avett Brothers' show:
is now sold out. Let's hope we make it out alive.
I really enjoy:
telling people that if we ever have a son we're going to name him "Billiam," but call him "Will."
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