Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009's Best Music (Metal Edition)



1) Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire
2) Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive
3) Baroness - Blue Record
4) Kylesa - Static Tensions ("Said and Done")
5) Mastodon - Crack the Skye
6) Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse Now (stream)
7) Slayer - World Painted Blood

2009's Best Music



1) The Maldives - Listen to the Thunder (stream)
2) Port O'Brien - Threadbare ("My Will Is Good")
3) The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
4) Joel Smith - The Filibuster
5) The Thermals - Now We Can See
6) David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
7) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
8) Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
9) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
10) Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Maldives - "Cold November"

Another Capitol Hill Block Party video since it happens to be a cold November day.

Kevin Murphy - "Undertaker"

Kevin Murphy from the Moondoggies playing solo and acoustic at the Capitol Hill Block Party last summer.



Pictures from Elkfest 2009

Friday, November 20, 2009

Baroness Live

Baroness and John Baizley have just begun a tour in support of the Blue Record. Here are some great live clips from Metal Injection. "The Sweetest Curse" is my favorite song off this album, and this is a great live clip.



Thursday, October 8, 2009

Modest Mouse - Spokane, WA (9/5/2009)

Modest Mouse stopped in Spokane before heading to Bumbershoot. They played an interesting mix of old and new songs.

The Night Marchers


Modest Mouse

Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist

1. 3rd Planet
2. Black Cadillacs
3. We've Got Everything
4. King Rat
5. Dramamine
6. Missed the Boat
7. Gravity Rides Everything
8. Breakthrough
9. Education
10. Wild Pack of Family Dogs
11. Parting of the Sensory
12. Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset
13. The View
14. Baby Blue Sedan
15. Satin in a Coffin
16. Whale Song
17. Doin' the Cockroach/The Good Times Are Killing Me
-setlist.fm

Tracks 5, 8, 12 from This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About
Track 17 from The Lonesome Crowded West
Tracks 1, 7, 10 from The Moon & Antarctica
Tracks 2, 13, 15, 17 from Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Tracks 3, 6, 9, 11 from We Were Dead Before the Shipe Even Sank
Tracks 4, 16 from No One's First, and You're Next
Track 14 from Building Nothing Out of Something

Here's the new video for "Whale Song" with snails (can't embed) and the video for "King Rat" with whales (directed by Heath Ledger).

"Whale Song" for Modest Mouse from Bent Image Lab on Vimeo.


Modest Mouse - King Rat

Monday, September 28, 2009

Joel Smith - Spokane, WA (8/11/2009)


Joel Smith brought together a host of Spokane musicians in the Spokane Masonic Temple to celebrate the release of his latest CD, The Filibuster. Complete with a Master-of-Ceremonies, this was an intimate showcase for Joel's new CD and the Spokane music scene.


Karli Fairbanks
Joel SmithFlickr, Last.fm

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Artwork by Baizley

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I'd take this chance to talk about something different. I'll probably have some pictures from Joel Smith and Modest Mouse when I get around to it. This post is about artwork by John Dyer Baizley. Baizley does awesome cover artwork for some pretty cool metal bands, including the band in which he is lead singer/guitarist, Baroness.

Baroness's new album comes out this october. The Blue Record artwork can be seen below. Baroness has two preview tracks from this album up on their MySpace.

(clockwise from upper left)

Baroness - Red Album
Baroness - Blue Record
Skeletonwitch - Beyond the Permafrost
Flight of the Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky (out in October)
Torche - In Return
Kylesa - Static Tensions




Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Blitzen Trapper - Kennewick, WA (7/25/2009)

Alex and I drove down to the Tri-Cities to see Blitzen Trapper a couple of weeks ago. Great show in an intimate venue. The guys were really nice after the show. They even played a couple new songs. There is a great live recording of BT at the Picador in Iowa City a few days before this show. The setlist is pretty similar to the one we saw.

Tonight I'm going to Joel Smith's CD release show at Spokane's Masonic Temple. Check it out if you're in Spokane.




Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist:

1. Sleepytime in the Western World
2. Saturday Nite
3. God & Suicide
4. Fire & Fast Bullets
5. Stolen Shoes & a Rifle
6. Big Black Bird
7. Canyon's Edge
8. Furr
9. Country Rain
10. The Man Who Would Speak True
11. Not Your Lover
12. Black River Killer
13. Lady on the Water
14. Gold for Bread
15. Jericho
16. Love U
17. Echo
18. Wild Mountain Nation

Encore

19. Country Caravan

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 from Furr
Tracks 18, 19 from Wild Mountain Nation
Track 9 from Field Rexx
Track 15 from Cool Love #1 EP
Track 6 from Black River Killer EP
Tracks 7, 10 are unreleased

Here's video of Marty and rest of the guys performing "Canyon's Edge" at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee.

Blitzen Trapper : Blue Ribbon Vision #11 from Pabst Theater on Vimeo.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Sonic Youth - Spokane, WA (7/24/2009)

Sonic Youth stopped in Spokane between Boise and the Capitol Hill Block Party. The played many songs from their latest release The Eternal. I didn't get a lot of good pictures but here are a few.


Awesome Color


Sonic Youth



Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist:

1. No Way
2. Sacred Trickster
3. Calming the Snake
4. Hey Joni
5. Malibu Gas Station
6. Anti-Orgasm
7. Poison Arrow
8. Walkin Blue
9. (I Got A) Catholic Block
10. Antenna
11. Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)
12. Massage the History
13. Silver Rocket

Encore

14. Shadow of a Doubt

15. Schizophrenia

Encore

16. What We Know

17. Expressway To Yr. Skull
-setlist.fm

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16 from The Eternal
Tracks 4, 13 from Daydream Nation
Tracks 9, 15 from Sister
Tracks 14, 17 from EVOL

Friday, July 31, 2009

Blitzen Trapper at Pitchfork

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I'll say it. Blitzen Trapper is good.



Plus Hutch from the Thermals interviewing Blitzen Trapper at Pitchfork.

EDIT: video links dead

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Decemberists - Troutdale, OR (7/19/2009)

The third show of the weekend and the second by the Decemberists. This one had about half the people of the first show. They still played Hazards of Love and a few different ones during the finale. They even played their cover of "Crazy on You" again. I know they have to appease fans who weren't there the night before, but I would have liked a little more effort.

Blind Pilot

Andrew Bird

The Decemberists



Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist:

1-17. The Hazards of Love (album)

Encore

18. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
19. The Bachelor and the Bride
20. We Both Go Down Together
21. Sleepless
22. Dracula's Daughter
23. O Valencia!
24. Crazy On You

Encore

25. I Was Meant for the Stage
-setlist.fm

Tracks 18 from Castaways and Cutouts
Track 19, 25 from Her Majesty
Track 20 from Picaresque
Tracks 23 from The Crane Wife
Track 22 from Colin Meloy album Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Track 21 from charity compilation Dark Was the Night
Track 24 a Heart cover from Dreamboat Annie

Monday, July 27, 2009

Marty Marquis (Blitzen Trapper) - "NCh'i-wana's Revenge"

Here's a video posted on the Trapper board a couple of days ago. It features Marty Marquis of Blitzen Trapper during his solo performance at the Ace Hotel for a PDX Pop Now! benefit. "NCh'i-wana's Revenge" is an unreleased track written by Marty. He supposedly has a whole bunch of solo tunes that may be released as an album someday. PDX Pop Now! was this past weekend at Rotture.

Speaking of Blitzen Trapper, they put on a great show at a small venue down in Kennewick, WA this weekend. It's been a busy concert week so I've fallen behind on pictures. Expect more pictures from the Decemberists, Sonic Youth, and Blitzen Trapper.

Marty Marquis from Asher Sandberg-Lewis on Vimeo.

Friday, July 24, 2009

The Decemberists - Troutdale, OR (7/18/2009)

The first of two Decemberists concerts at Edgefield last weekend. Would they play the Hazards of Love twice in two nights? The answer is yes, but they did change their encore setlist. The noise limitations at Edgefield made their set a bit shorter than their set in Missoula.

Blind Pilot



The Decemberists



Flickr, Last.fm

Setlist:

1-17. The Hazards of Love (album)

Encore

18. Oceanside
19. July, July!
20. Billy Liar
21. The Engine Driver
22. Dracula's Daughter
23. O Valencia!
24. Crazy On You

Encore

25. Sons & Daughters
-setlist.fm

Tracks 19 from Castaways and Cutouts
Track 20 from Her Majesty
Track 21 from Picaresque
Tracks 23, 25 from The Crane Wife
Track 22 from Colin Meloy album Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Track 18 from 5 Songs
Track 24 a Heart cover from Dreamboat Annie

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Death Cab for Cutie - Troutdale, OR (7/17/2009)

This was the first of three concerts at Edgefield Manor last weekend. Death Cab started off with three songs from Plans and followed them with their typical selection of new and old favorites. The setlist ended up being very similar to the last time I saw them in Spokane. They always put on a good show, but everyone one in my group felt they were not as into it as they could have been.




Last.fm, Flickr

Setlist:

1. Marching Bands of Manhattan
2. Your Heart is an Empty Room
3. Crooked Teeth
4. President of What?
5. No Sunlight
6. My Mirror Speaks
7. Title Track
8. Grapevine Fires
9. I Will Possess Your Heart
10. Little Bribes
11. Cath...
12. A Movie Script Ending
13. Soul Meets Body
14. The New Year
15. The Sound of Settling

Encore:

16. I Will Follow You into the Dark
17. Title and Registration
18. Transatlanticism
-setlist.fm

Track 4 from Something About Airplanes
Track 7 from We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
Track 12 from The Photo Album
Tracks 14, 15, 17, 18 from Transatlanticism
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 13, 16 from Plans
Tracks 5, 8, 9, 11 from Narrow Stairs
Tracks 6, 10 from The Open Door EP

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

PDX Pop Now!

Seattle may get Bumbershoot and the Capitol Hill Block Party, but Portland has been quietly developing their own summer festival lineup, plus the beer is better.

PDX Pop Now!
(July 24th-26th)


This event is designed to showcase up and coming Portland bands. These Portland bands take over the Rotture for 3 days at the end of July. The fundraising events feature artists dedicated to Portland music like James Mercer of The Shins, Brandon Summers of The Helio Sequence, and Marty Marquis of Blitzen Trapper playing at the Ace Hotel. This Thursday the 16th YACHT, Point Juncture, WA, and Y La Bamba are playing outside Portland City Hall.

Bands:

Thrones, Menomena, Grouper, Laura Gibson, Explode into Colors, Dirty Mittens, Au, Red Fang, The Minus 5, The Shaky Hands

last.fm

Pickathon (July 31st - August 2nd)

Pickathon takes place out on Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, OR ( a 15 minute drive from my old high school). This festival features some of the best indie bands playing folk and alternative country music.

Bands:

Blitzen Trapper, Dr. Dog, Vetiver, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Justin Townes Earle, Elliott Brood, Horse Feathers, Alela Diane

Last.fm

Musicfest NW (September 16th - 19th)

This one isn't so much a festival since it takes place in multiple venues across Portland, but it definitely has a festival atmosphere and it brings a lot of great bands to town. Last year's was a lot of fun.

Bands:

Girl Talk, Explosions in the Sky, Monotonix, Bad Brains, Sunny Day Real Estate, Portugal. The Man, The Get Up Kids, Modest Mouse, Love as Laughter, more TBA

Last.fm


Blitzen Trapper was at the Crystal Ballroom for last year's Musicfest NW. Speaking of BT, they have a 4th live session up at Daytrotter. I've added the link to the other Daytrotter links.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Blitzen Trapper - "Black River Killer" (Official Video)


Next month, Blitzen Trapper is releasing their Black River Killer EP. This EP contains six songs only available previously on a tour-only EP and on some live recordings for Daytrotter. The title song appeared on last year's Furr. In accordance with this new release, they have released a video for "Black River Killer". They recruited Portland fans for filming at Portland's Artist Repertory Theater. The video is followed by a short making of, and here is a write-up of the shoot from Portlandesque.


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty - Spokane, WA (6/19/2009)

Joel Smith and the Hands of Plenty were opening for Ten Mile Tide at The Swamp last Friday. I first got to see them at Elkfest. We got to see Joel Smith before the thunderstorm drove us back in from the patio. Ten Mile Tide was beginning to setup inside when we left, but were no where near ready to play. The Swamp's patio is a nice place to listen to music when there isn't a downpour.