Dead Flowers: Anglophiles Anonymous

The Dead Flowers Fall Review Omnibus

2009-11-06T10:58:00.001-06:00

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned. I know I've dismissed, unfairly at times, a lot of music in the past few months--I can't help it, it's in my nature. I also know that I've failed to write about the small amount of music I actually have liked--surely no way for a hobbyist critic with delusions of grandeur to act. So here, without further ado, are some reviews... Mew--No More Stories... Mew have always been a prog rock group--I don't think anybody will dispute that. After their brilliant Frengers, though, they made the bewildering And the Glass Handed Kites. The problem? Too much prog, not enough rock. No More Stories seeks to redress the imbalance and is largely successful. "Beach" is beautiful and made more interesting by its jittery drum rhythms. Single "Repeaterbater" is a blast of inspired rock, and "Introducing Palace Players" sounds like Mew trying to emulate Timbaland. Oddly enough, it works. Key Tracks: "Repeaterbeater", "Beach" Buy it on Amazon The Raveonettes--Live at the Empty Bottle The precursor to what was by all accounts a lackluster Lollapalooza performance, this was the best live show I've seen by The Raveonettes. The small club environment suits them, as they ran through a selection of tracks from every album. The live debut of "Suicide" and other new track "Last Dance" sounded impeccable. A great performance. Key Tracks: "Red Tan", Last Dance, Lust The Raveonettes--In And Out Of Control An NME review once described the death of Britpop as the time when things went from indie bands trying to make pop music to pop bands trying to make indie music. The Raveonettes split the difference with total command of arrangements, dynamics, and overall sound coupled with an impeccable indie pedigree. On In and Out of Control "Dirty"-era Sonic Youth references abound, along with The Smiths, The Stones, and of course The Jesus and Mary Chain. This is a very very good record that weaves all of the different threads of the Raveonettes' music into a cohesive whole. Key Tracks: "Gone Forever", "Heart of Stone", "Break Up Girls" Buy it on Amazon Fool's Gold--S/T Western rock acts often employ African influences to give their music a sunny, playful quality it might not otherwise possess. A more cynical observer might think they do it to get the critics all in a lather. The disproportionate response to Fool's Gold in comparison to their sister group Foreign Born is a bit embarassing, to be honest. While Foreign Born have been wrongfully ignored, the only so-so Fool's Gold are raking in plaudits from a variety of critics. Yes, "Surprise Hotel" is one of the tracks of the year (even if it probably would be just as good as an instrumental), and there are some other tracks here that present guitarist Lewis Pesacov's muso tendencies in the best possible light. But overall this is destined to be better-than-average background music. Key Tracks: "Surprise Hotel", "Yam Lo Moschech" Buy it on Amazon Think I missed something? Let me know in comments...

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Letting Up Despite Great Faults: In Steps

2009-11-01T23:06:00.003-06:00

Of course The Radio Dept. deserves its own copycat band. I'm totally on board with that.Listen/Download: "In Steps" Myspace

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Dead Skeletons: Dead Mantra

2009-10-30T06:57:00.002-05:00

Song of the year? Most definitely. And I think it just clawed its way onto my upcoming top 25 of the 00's list. If you like it, do yourself a favor and buy a proper version. Best 99 cents you'll ever spend.Listen/Download: "Dead Mantra" Myspace Alan McGee Guardian Blog on The Dead Skeletons and Anton Newcombe (BJM)

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Sune Rose Wagner: Masselinjen (Live)

2009-10-21T22:27:00.003-05:00

Listen/Download: "Masselinjen " (Live) Amazon.com Widgets

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Buckley Rarity Grab Bag

2009-10-14T21:30:00.001-05:00

Here are three of my favorite Jeff Buckley live performances. I think these versions easily surpass the recorded ones, but let me know your thoughts in comments. "Vancouver" (Instrumental, Live at the 1995 Roskilde Festival) "Morning Theft" (Live at Arlene's Grocery) "All Flowers in Time" (Live at Selina's)Artist Links: Myspace Wiki Amazon Thanks Phil

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Thom Yorke: Hearing Damage

2009-10-11T20:42:00.000-05:00

"Hearing Damage" Wiki Amazon Thanks clivearabstrap

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DOUGA: []

2009-10-08T19:19:00.004-05:00

Listen/Download: "[]" Myspace Thanks Ben

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Thom Yorke & Co. at the Echoplex

2009-10-03T07:18:00.005-05:00

Setlist: 01 The Eraser 02 Analyse 03 The Clock 04 Black Swan 05 Skip Divided 06 Atoms for Peace 07 And It Rained All Night 08 Harrowdown Hill 09 Cymbal Rush Encore #1 [Thom solo] 10 Open The Floodgates 11 Lotus Flower 12 Skirting On The Surface 13 Judge, Jury, Executioner Encore #2 [with band] 14 Paperbag Writer 15 The Hollow Earth 16 Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses ***Update 10/5***: Full Show Download More info on At EaseMore: Wiki Amazon Thanks Dellan

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Check Out My Band

2009-09-29T09:52:00.002-05:00

That's me on drums.

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Animal Kingdom: Signs and Wonders

2009-09-17T05:58:00.001-05:00

Initial impression: sounds like the bastard offspring of Mew and The Police. No wait, it's better than that. I think.Listen/Download: "Signs and Wonders" Myspace

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This Sunday at the Bottom Lounge (Chicago)

2009-09-16T09:47:00.002-05:00

See you thereListen/Download: "Surprise Hotel" Myspace

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Finn Andrews (The Veils): Turn from the Rain

2009-09-12T07:01:00.004-05:00

Listen/Download: "Turn from the Rain" Download the song in high quality Read the Dead Flowers Interview The Veils on Amazon

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Morrissey: Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Repost)

2009-08-26T06:54:00.002-05:00

Listen/Download: "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself" Myspace Wiki Amazon

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Peter Doherty: The Ballad of Grimaldi (B-Side Version)

2009-08-16T19:20:00.003-05:00

Listen/Download: "The Ballad of Grimaldi" Myspace Wiki Amazon.com Widgets

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Radiohead: These Are My Twisted Words

2009-08-12T22:32:00.003-05:00

Listen/Download: "These Are My Twisted Words" Myspace Wiki Amazon

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Foreign Born Live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic

2009-08-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

Setlist: 1. Early Warnings 2. That Old Sun 3. Lion's Share 4. It Grew on You 5. Winter Games 6. Vacationing People 7. Can't Keep TimeBand Links: Myspace Wiki Amazon

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Radiohead: Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

2009-08-05T06:57:00.005-05:00

"i am the only one that got through the others died where ever they fell it was an ambush they came up from all sides give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves i've seen devils coming up from the ground i've seen hell upon this earth the next will be chemical but they will never learn"Listen/Download: Stream it on the BBC Website Buy it for £ 1.00 on W.A.S.T.E. Wiki Note: I will not be posting an MP3 here because this is a charity download.

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The Raveonettes: Suicide

2009-08-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

Listen/Download: "Suicide" Myspace Wiki Amazon

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The Raveonettes: Remember (Live Video from 'Las Historias Mas Sexy Del Mundo! No. 2')

2009-08-03T13:48:00.005-05:00

Listen/Download: "Remember" Myspace Wiki Amazon Thanks Jake Drake

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Thoughts onThe Veils and Foreign Born Live at the Empty Bottle in Chicago 7.23.09

2009-07-28T10:10:00.003-05:00

Photos by Oliver PangbornLast Thursday, The Empty Bottle welcomed a pair of indie rock doppelgängers to Chicago: Foreign Born and The Veils. They're two bands that by all rights should be bigger than they are, who always seem on the cusp of wider stardom but never quite pull it off. I've covered both of them on Dead Flowers (and previously on Glamorama) since their respective inceptions, so seeing this show made me feel a bit like a proud papa whose kids are all grown up. A Foreign Born live show is always an appealing proposition, even if they sometimes fall flat on record. Evident from the moment they took the stage was the mysterious replacement of original sticksman Garrett Ray, a tour de force behind the kit whose absence was noticeable, if not debilitating. The band played a set consisting almost entirely of material from their new album Person to Person, with the exception of their cover of Leonard Cohen's "Lover Lover Lover". Supplemented with a keyboardist and an extra percussionist, the band's play was confident and brimming with energy. "Vacationing People" sounded like a bonafide hit, and newest single "Winter Games" made more sense when injected with a bit of live gusto. A good portion of the crowd took away the lesson that Foreign Born are a band on the up, and I would tend to agree. Now if they could just write a big single (or at least bring back "We Had Pleasure")."Vacationing People" by Foreign BornThis was my second time seeing The Veils at The Empty Bottle in as many years, so it's hard not to compare this show to the previous one. As with the first show, Finn Andrews and his band offered up a generous helping of second album Nux Vomica, a record fast approaching classic status. Fans of debut album The Runaway Found, on the other hand, had to be content with a Finn solo rendition of "The Tide That Left and Never Came Back"."Calliope" by The VeilsTheir third and most recent album, Sun Gangs, composed the remainder of the set: the band gave us a powerful take on "The Letter", a moving version of "Sit Down by the Fire", and an abbreviated version of "Larkspur", which felt a bit hurried (and suffered because of it). New drummer Raife had a tendency to overplay, an unwelcome change from the tactful and subtle stylings of previous drummer Henning Dietz. I suspect that problem will correct itself as he plays more with the band and gets more comfortable. Overall, The Veils played a set filled with drama, but one that didn't swing for the fences. Theirs was a performance for the already converted rather than the uninitiated. As such, this disciple was pleased.Dead Flowers Foreign Born Interview Foreign Born Myspace Foreign Born Wiki Foreign Born on Amazon Dead Flowers Veils Interview Veils Myspace Veils Wiki The Veils on Amazon

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The Stones Live at Oakland Coliseum, Nov. '69

2009-07-21T22:54:00.002-05:00

Listen/Download: "Prodigal Son" "You Gotta Move" Wiki Amazon Thanks Jake Drake

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Thom Yorke Live at Latitude Festival

2009-07-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

Setlist: 'The Eraser' 'Weird Fishes/Arpeggi' 'Atoms For Peace' 'Harrowdown Hill' 'Follow Me Around' 'Everything In Its Right Place' New Song ('The Present Tense'?) 'Cymbal Rush' 'Black Swan' 'Videotape' 'There There' 'True Love Waits' More: Wiki Amazon Thanks scaredofclowns, melophobe and noise_jam

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Fool's Gold: Surprise Hotel

2009-07-17T07:32:00.001-05:00

Listen/Download: "Surprise Hotel" Myspace

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Julian Plenti (Paul Banks): No Chance Survival

2009-07-11T07:28:00.002-05:00

Listen/Download: "No Chance Survival" Official Wiki Amazon

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Phoenix: Playground Love (Air Cover, Acoustic)

2009-07-09T20:31:00.002-05:00

Listen/Download: "Playground Love" (Air Cover, Acoustic) Listen to the Whole Session on NPR Myspace Wiki Amazon

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