Top 5 Records

I feel like this list needed to be done for the record. No particular order. It started at 5 but I wussed out. Interesting contrast to the last time I made a list like this.

Pink Floyd - Meddle

Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium

The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Neil Young - Live Rust

Quasi - Field Studies

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

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.

Record Store Day 2009 - The Plan

As I previously posted, Record Store Day takes place on April 18th this year. Now this year, Becca and I will be attending Coachella on that very same day. Not to worry, there is still hope. Coachella is very aware of the importance of Record Store Day and will have their very own record store day market at the festival. Also, just in case, I have located participating stores in Palm Desert and Claremont.

Also with regards to my previous post, the number of record store day exclusive releases has grown exponentially. I mentioned a couple last time, but the list has grown quite large. I hoping to hit a couple of the stores I mentioned because you can't find all of the exclusives everywhere. The complete list can be found here. Some notable additions are singles by Blitzen Trapper, the Decemberists, Flight of the Conchords, Modest Mouse, Heaven & Hell, Slayer, and Grizzly Bear.