Super Amazing

The Beach Boys – The Smile Sessions

I’m not a Beach Boys aficionado or anything but Pet Sounds has been an album I have thoroughly enjoyed for some time now and I was very pleased when I heard that the follow up, The Smile Sessions was going to be released after being shelved nearly complete in the late sixties. Brian Wilson is easily one of the greatest musical minds pop music has ever seen. I love how The Smile Sessions is so unusual but beautiful at the same time. Everyone knows “Good Vibrations” which is certainly an amazing song but there are so many gems I had never heard before such as “Wind Chimes”, “Wonderful”, “Vega-Tables” and this song, “Cabin Essence”

Beirut – The Rip Tide

Horns have always been a huge turn off to me until recently. They always reminded me of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish and other ska things I don’t like to be reminded of (except the trumpeteer from Cake who has always been awesome). Then I heard some great bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Okkervil River that implemented horns in an amazingly non-annoying way. Beirut is another of these bands. Their latest release has not been as well received critically as the two preceding it but it stands out from modern music in that most of it could be totally at home right next to other Balkan folk music from years long past. Here is “East Harlem”

The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

The Decemberists are a band that most people either love or hate and even those who love them can sometimes only take so much. The King Is Dead was a relief when it came out as it seemed with each release prior they were trying to out-concept the last. Ten songs and thirty nine minutes of genuinely good Americana music on this album make me recall the days when I played Her Majesty and Picaresque over and over again. Here’s opening track “Don’t Carry It All”

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes debut was good but it was hard to see at the time how they would be able to follow up with another album of their style of folk and keep it interesting. Helplessness Blues exceeded every expectation I had of a second release in that it is definitely the same band using the same instruments playing the same type of music but it sounds completely different and more exciting. It’s hard to believe these songs were written by someone who is still in his mid twenties. Here is the title track.

Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Oh man, Girls. Was not expecting this at all since I didn’t really like their first album, Album. Although lead Girl Christopher Owens may be one of the more annoying personalities in rock music, his songwriting is undeniable. If I had to pick today, this is probably my album of the year. There are so many amazing songs on this album: “Honey Bunny”, “Die”, “Forgiveness”, “Love Like A River” and this song, “Vomit”

Okkervil River – I Am Very Far B-Sides

So one of my favorite bands put out an album this year and it wasn’t their best. That’s okay. It was good! What I don’t get is how the best songs didn’t make it on the album. If you put the eight songs from the singles then there you have something even better than I Am Very Far (which was really very good, really!)

Poison Control Center – Stranger Ballet

Stranger ballet was a great follow up to last year’s also amazing Sad Sour Future. But where Sad Sour Future was a seventeen song adventure almost but not quite what you would call bloated, Stranger Ballet is tighter and more focused. My favorite song is probably “Porcelain Brain” and Jessie’s is “Terminal” but here is “Dracula’s Casket”. One of the best shows I went to this year was for the release party of this album, btw.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

Best solo Malkie album.

Wilco – The Whole Love

The last two Wilco albums were solid but not spectacular. The Whole Love completely took me by surprise at how good it is. “Art of Almost” ended up being the best Radiohead song this year. My only gripe is that “One Sunday Morning” is about twice as long as it needs to be. Overall, a worthy addition to an already great catalog.

Wild Beats – Smother

Really Good

The Antlers – Burst Apart

Atlas Sound – Parallax

This will probably grow on me more. I haven’t had it long.

Destroyer – Kaputt

Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

Radiohead – The King Of Limbs

Real Estate – Days

Worth a Listen

Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light

What is this I don’t even…

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

I don’t get this album. So nonplussed. Could’ve been good if there were only 10-11 songs? Here is the one everyone agrees is pretty okay.

The first opening band was called Conduits. They are a band based out of Omaha that have a dreamy atmospheric sound and female lead vocals. At the time of the show (and to be fair, I wasn’t paying that close attention) I thought they sounded a lot like Beach House. It could also be that I just think every female fronted band sounds like Beach House. I went back this evening and listened to a couple of their songs and I should have given them more of a chance last night. They were pretty good. I dismissed them too early since I was sort of disappointed there were three bands on the bill and it was a school night and I just wanted them to get on with it and off the stage.

Next up was a band that I would like to see a lot more of, The Envy Corps. This was only the second time that I have seen them but I was really impressed with them both times. Very good musicians, all of those guys. It’s cool seeing them switch instrumental duties for different songs. All the songs have a sort of familiar quality but without blatantly wearing their influences on their sleeves. I need to remember to pick up some of their stuff and hope it is good on record as it is live.

Bright Eyes came on at 10:05 pm. They opened their 23 song set with “Four Winds”. I love that song and, wow, it sounded good. Seems like Connor Oberst picked this touring band just on the strength of how good they sound playing this song. The first three songs were in the vein of country tinged Americana, which was a little surprising considering Bright Eyes have always been a genre defying band with so many different styles of music in their catalog to choose from. After that, the set list diverged, pulling a few tracks here and there from Lifted; I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning; Digital Ash In A Digital Urn; Cassadega and 2011’s The People’s Key. The new album didn’t really grab me at first but has sounded better with repeated listens and deserves better ratings than it received upon release. All the new songs sounded really good in a live setting and the only real lull in the show was towards the end of the set when they played the quieter “No One Would Riot For Less”. Somebody in the crowd (as always) had to shout something to be heard. That night it was “Get it, Connor!” Congratulations guy! You were there! AND you drew attention to yourself! No one can deny that you truly are the best.

“Get it, Connor!”

Anyways, the band was spot on. Connor Oberst did a fair amount of fast spinning and enthusiastic strumming on his guitar, so I suppose he was having fun, too. One of the reasons we really wanted to see this show was that The People’s Key was supposed to be the last Bright Eyes album and since we have an emotional attachment to them and everything it would be nice to see them one last time. But now this is not the last Bright Eyes album probably? Who knows. What I do know is that the show started out great and lost some steam towards the end. This was the second time I saw them (the first was with Scott Peterson, no, not The Scott Peterson) and I think this was the fourth time Jess has seen them. Overall, very good but just shy of great. Still,  A+++++ WOULD SEE AGAIN

Highlights: “Four Winds”, “Take It Easy (Love Nothing)”, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”, the air conditioning in Val Air worked, “Shell Games”, “If The Brakeman Turns My Way”, “Landlocked Blues” (Especially since I liked the song so much before it was released. I have nothing against Emmylou Harris, but I prefer this song without her… This version was much closer to that), “Hot Knives”, the fact that we avoided drunken dancers (who always seem to be drawn to either Jessie, Emily, or me) for most of the show, “Road To Joy”, that they didn’t play “Waste Of Paint”

Lowlights: Monday night, got home late, no “You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will.” and that Lifted was largely ignored, no “Something Vague”, no “Happy Birthday To Me (February 15)” (I had no expectations this would get played so it wasn’t a huge disappointment), the band introductions took well over ten minutes and Conner just kept talking and talking and talking and talking. Finally we just said “Piss on it” and left. I think we just missed the last song which was “One For You, One For Me”

Setlist: (Yes, I am a nerd, but this is the first concert that I have ever personally kept track of the setlist".)

“Four Winds”

“Bowl Of Oranges”

“We Are Nowhere And It’s Now”

“The Calendar Hung Itself”

“Take It Easy (Love Nothing)”

“Haile Selassie”

“Lover I Don’t Have To Love”

“Shell Games”

“Approximate Sunlight”

“Arc Of Time (Time Code)”

“If The Brakeman Turns My Way”

“Beginner’s Mind”

“Another Travelin’ Song”

“Landlocked Blues”

“Hot Knives”

“No One Would Riot For Less”

“Falling Out Of Love At This Volume”

“I Believe In Symmetry”

“Ladder Song”

Encore

“This Is The First Day Of My Life”

“Wrecking Ball” (Gillian Welch cover)

“Road To Joy”

“One For You, One For Me”

So, the first six weeks of 2011 have started with some really good music. Here you go!

Smith Westerns – Much deserved critical love for this group of twenty-ish year olds. Most reviews liken them to glam rock from the seventies, but I hear homages to other genres to like Britpop or dreamy stuff like Beach House or Mazzy Star. Solid all the way through. My favorites are “Weekend” and “Dye in the World”.

Next, The King Is Dead by The Decemberists is also very good. Best one from them? Probably. Someone stole Neil Young’s harmonica to play on several tracks. Only “Rox in the Box” kind of sux.

Okkervil River has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now and they released a two song single last week. The B-side is one of the best songs they have ever done. I love the slow build up, the double vocal tracking and the bass is amazing. Has potential to be an all time fave.

Full length in May! I have the new Destroyer and Bright Eyes on the way, hopefully they are good too. I want to hear what everyone else is liking these days. Travis? Cut Copy? I know you hate Decemberists.

#1 Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest.

Oh man. This is so good. I’m not all that hip to the cover, but the music is great. It starts with “Earthquake” which is all slow and you’re kind of like, “hmmm”, but then “Don’t Cry” and “Revival” come in and they’re great. Later, “Desire Lines”, “Basement Scene” and “Helicopter” make a play for the best three songs in a row of all time on an album.

Then there are some more good songs after that. WTG, Deerhunter. Cool album.

#2 Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

If an album was going for most curses, this is for sure #1. Cursiest album of the year. Sorry, grandmas, this will not make your top ten. The dude can’t sing very well but the lyrics are awesome and the music is INTENSE. Civil War, etc. (Google it.)

This song is clean.

This song is wicked long and it does have a few curses. You have been warned family members. It is also one of the best songs this year.

#3 The Walkmen – Lisbon

All the songs on this record are pretty sparse but really good. I saw The Walkmen twice this year and they nailed it both times. The first time it was at 80/35 and it RAINED.

Nobody seems to like this next song, but I DO!

#4 Spoon – Transference

This came out early this year and I listened to it a lot. Also great at 80/35.

#5 LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening

Not the best LCD album, but what are you going to do? “Dance Yrself Clean” is EPIC.

#6 Poison Control Center – Sad Sour Future

A lot of my friends were hyping PCC long before I heard them and I kept thinking, “They’re a local band. They can’t be that good.” But they are. Sad Sour Future is seventeen songs long and there isn’t a bum track on the whole thing (all killer, no filler). Great live band.

 Stay Golden

Friends in the Band (w/ Chet Boom cameo)

#7 Free Energy – Stuck on Nothing

Free Energy, oh wow. Saw them last week and it was one of the best shows we’ve ever been to. I had this album ranked a little lower, but the show bumped it up. Whenever people I work with say that I listen to nothing but sad bastard music, I put this on and we have a dance party.

#8 Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

This is probably NPR’s album of the year. It is totally the kind of stuff they go ape over. They are even name-checked in one of the songs. My kids love “Airplanes”

#9 Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz

This one takes a little to get into, I guess. All the layers sort of reveal themselves on repeated listens. Jett is absolutely terrified of the album cover.

I also really like this song. They didn’t want Titus Andronicus to have all of the good curse songs this year. NSFW!

#10 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

The Suburbs is probably the most disappointing album of my lifetime. I looked forward to it since like 2002. And then it came out and it was sort of, whatever. Its good I guess, just three or four songs too long and not as good as it SHOULD be. Go get Funeral or Neon Bible (but definitely Funeral) instead. An Arcade Fire shirt was on an episode of The Office this year.

Other albums I liked a lot, but not as much as the ten preceding albums (in no particular order):

The National – High Violet

Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo

Vampire Weekend – Contra

Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

Best Coast – Crazy For You

There it is! I would be interested to see what everyone else likes. Oh yeah, there was lots I wanted to hear this year but haven’t yet so this is by no means a comprehensive list or anything but if anyone has any suggestions for things I need to hear, please suggest away. Kanye 10.0!

We left Saturday to pick up our friends Marc (of Des Noise) and Angela and the one and only Chet Boom. After eating Angela’s delicious chocolate peanut butter chip cookies and answering Jessie’s “get to know one another better” questions we arrived in Kansas City, anxious to check in and eat so we could get to The Uptown Theater with plenty of time to see the opening band, The Poison Control Center. The PCC is a band that has roots in Ames and Des Moines and have been touring relentlessly through 40-plus states in the last three months behind their excellent sophomore album Sad Sour Future. Unfortunately, as soon as we got into Kansas City we hit some pretty bad traffic and took half an hour or so to go just a few miles. We got to the hotel just an hour before the show started and decided to catch a cab to get to the venue, just over a mile away. At 7:20, we pulled up outside The Uptown but had not eaten yet so we walked down the street to grab a quick bite. The first stop was at Messy’s Birds and Brews. It looked promising to get in and out quickly since there were only a few people in the small restaurant but we didn’t even get the door open before the woman behind the counter shouted, “We don’t have anything to drink!!” or something to that effect. So, birds: check (presumably, since we didn’t get food) and brews: not so much. Interesting marketing strategy, Messy. Wanting to quench our collective thirsts, we walked a bit further to Outabounds. The place was busier and it was 7:30, only a half hour before showtime, but we decided to risk eating since concerts never start early (or so we thought). We ordered some whisky and Cokes and tacos but then realized via The Poison Control Center’s Twitter feed that the show was to start promptly at eight and please don’t be late. We then started panicking because we were just as excited (ok, almost as excited) to see PCC as Pavement. Thankfully our handicapable server got us out of there as fast as possible. Out the door at 7:52, the group quickly walked the block back to the venue excited that everything was going to work out after all. Unfortunately, PCC started a little early so we did miss out on getting a great spot right up front and half of the first song.

I had only seen The Poison Control Center live once before but they had the same energy as the first time and definitely did not disappoint. Here is a live video of a song from the new album to give a little idea of what they are like.

When the show started, we ended up being right in the same area as some other people from Iowa who were also excited to see PCC so it was great to see other people enjoying it as much as we were. I think that the rest of the crowd thought they were pretty good, but it was hard to tell from where we were. Of course all of us enjoyed it, there were plenty of somersaults and other stage antics that could be irritating if you weren’t familiar with the band, but they did a great job of trying to get the crowd excited. One of the highlights was, “Magic Circle Symphony” that ends with a sing-along and “When the World Sleeps” which has been the closing song at most of the shows this tour.

After a brief wait, Pavement took the stage at about 9:00. They opened with “Gold Soundz”, a song just named best song of the 90’s by Pitchfork magazine (not really a magazine). Anyway, Pavement was amazing. They’ve always had a reputation for being “slackers” and not really caring about performance, but they all seemed to be into it and not just there for the paycheck. If anyone cares, here is the setlist:

Gold Soundz / Rattled by the Rush / Starlings in the Slipstream / Shady Lane / Date with IKEA / Frontwards / Heckler Spray (Spraynard) / In the Mouth a Desert / Unfair / Spit on a Stranger / Stereo / Loretta’s Scars / Conduit for Sale! / Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse) / Silence Kit / Trigger Cut / Grounded / Perfume-V / Cut Your Hair / Stop Breathin’ / Box Elder / Fight This Generation / Debris Slide / Kennel District

Encore:

Here / Lions (Linden) / We Dance / Range Life with Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

Every song was great, I was really happy to hear Grounded, Silence Kit and Box Elder, among all the others. Fight this Generation was really, really, really good live.

After the show we went back to Outabounds to chill for a while. I decided to order a Torched Cherry Crush (I think) to drink. It was the top drink on the menu on the table but the bartender looked confused and asked me how to make it, so I had to grab the menu off the table and bring it to him. Marc decided to start dancing in his seat to a Nikki Minaj song and everyone insisted the song sampled Enya. I knew it didn’t so I looked it up later and it was ANNIE LENNOX thank you very much. Here are some pics.

It was about the time Marc started dancing that we (maybe just me and Marc?) realized we were in a gay bar. We started walking back towards the hotel and stopped for another drink at The News Room, a journalism-themed bar. It was a cool place with an eclectic jukebox (Queensryche, The Strawberry Wine Song, Wilco). After that, everyone decided that a meatball sandwich sounded really good so we stopped at Chubby’s. Then bed!

Day 2

Next morning, we drove to DM to drop our friends off and pick up our friend Tyler and Emily. Then Ames to get Jacob. (Jessie took her sweet time in Ames, irritating me.) Then on to St. Paul.

We got there with just enough time to check in and meet up with my fact checkin’ cuz Aaron and his wife Amy and walk to Roy Wilkins Auditorium. It was a nice place, I guess. Everything was new and modern and it lacked any personality at all compared to Uptown. No Age was the opening act there and, boy, did people HAAAATE them. I’ve never seen human beings hate anything as much as that crowd hated No Age. I thought it was good, and the drummer was a very good drummer. He was a terrible singer, but an excellent drummer. I guess the sound was all messed up and Roy Wilkins is known for its not great sound. Oh well. Everybody sure did hate that band, though.

Pavement rocked it out again and what the venue was lacking, the band made up for with the setlist. “Summer Babe” and “Two States” were crowd favorites and they played my personal Pavement fave “Father to a Sister of Thought.” So many songs from Slanted and Enchanted over the two nights. I like it, but I prefer Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Wowee Zowee, and Brighten the Corners. Overall, good show! During the between-song banter Pavement member and Des Moines resident Bob Nastanovich said, “Anyone been to Des Moines lately? It’s getting better…”

Here is the setlist:

Cut Your Hair / Spit on a Stranger (Aaron really wanted more off of Terror Twilight but sadly this was the only cut. Sorry, bud. Maybe next time.) / Elevate Me Later / Summer Babe / Silence Kit / Starlings of the Slipstream / Kennel District (Oh yeah! Kennel District!) / Unfair / Father to a Sister of Thought / Box Elder / Frontwards / Rattled by the Rush / Heckler Spray / In The Mouth a Desert / Perfume-V / Stereo / Grounded / Trigger Cut / Our Singer / Fight this Generation (here is a video of that night) / Range Life / Two States / We Dance / Gold Soundz / Stop Breathin’

Encore:

Shade Lane / Conduit for Sale! / Here

After the show we went to the hotel bar/restaurant to eat. It was good food. We sat by some very, very loud Japanese people. They were literally shouting every word! After eating, Jess ran into Bob Nastanovich in the elevator. Apparently he and his wife are very nice.

Overall, great weekend. We saw a lot of our favorite people over both nights and were able to scratch another must see band off the list. I actually wanted to go to Chicago the next day to see the next show. Now if Blur would only tour the U.S…

One more time!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigs_(Three_Different_Ones) 

Okay! Jess and I got to downtown Des Moines on Saturday approximately 1:45 just in time to catch up with our friends and catch the last song or two of Omega Dog. They seemed okay. Wasn’t really paying attention because we were talking to our friends. Sorry Omega Dog, maybe next year. After that we wandered over to the second stage to see a guy/band called Cashes Rivers. I think most people liked them (I know at least one person in our group didn’t, but Jessie and I thought they were good). Jessie thought they sounded like Bright Eyes, while I thought it was a mix of The Decemberists/Roman Candle/Vampire Weekend. We ran into the lead singer a few other times at the festival. He was friendly. Here is a pic. (Side note: I took at least one pic of every band we saw. Some turned out better than others. )

On the left is Tracy and in the black is my cousin Missy. On stage the bang is warming up/tuning?

Emily ,Travis, The back of Jessie’s head, a guy who possibly owns Raygun T-shirts.

After that, we waited at the second stage to see Solid Gold. I think Travis was most excited to see this band. They were really, really good. I liked them better live than on CD, although the album has grown on me since we saw them.

Here is a sweaty Travis dancing with (on) Chet Boom. Travis loved singing along with the “It’s not your fault” part of one of the songs.

Jessie, Nikki, Angela.

Chet, Ben, BP, Grant all still getting down to Solid Gold

Missy, Travis, BP

Marc, Chet

Travis

Brown wavy hair

We left Solid Gold early (which was a bummer because they were so good) to go back to the main stage for Yo La Tengo. I have never had a chance to really get into them but I really wanted to see them since they are legendary to indie rock. It was great, and made me want to see them again sometime.

Yo La Tengo. (The guitar player can really shred!)

Me. I had a handlebar moustache on Saturday.

Then we went to see William Elliott Whitmore. I didn’t hear a lot of it, but everyone there LOVED it. I probably need to check him out more. Just a dude with an acoustic guitar.

Dude. Acoustic guitar.

After that we went to get a spot for Spoon. SPOON!

Missy and Angela.

Marc and Ben.

Aaron, Amy and Travis (still sweaty). It was hot on Saturday!

My wife.

Spoon was the best. So ON. Plus, they opened with my favorite Spoon song, “The Beast and Dragon, Adored”. I know you can tell by the pictures how great it was. The Spoons!

When the show was over, Jess and I ran into some friends of mine from high school, then we walked to The Vaudeville Mews with my cousin and his wife Amy to see Poison Control Center. It didn’t work out so we went home.

Sunday we got back downtown around 2:15. We went to the main stage to see Avi Buffalo. I wish we would have gotten there earlier to see the whole show.

Avi Buffalo. You can see people wearing ponchos, as it was starting to rain.

Christopher the Conquered. (Not pictured) I really want to see him/them again. The guy had a great sense of humor and was genuinely talented. Going to have to see again as soon as I get a chance.

Next was another band I have wanted an excuse to get into, The Walkmen.

Foreground: Umbrella, Too much red hair. Background: The Walkmen. Jessie had the BIGGEST crush on the lead singer.

I don’t remember the screen looking like that when I took the picture.

It POURED during The Walkmen. We were SOAKED.

We toughed it out to see Evangelicals, It was not my favorite, but everyone else seemed to like it.

Wet Marc (in blue) and Wet Travis (gray pants) enjoying Evangelicals.

Jessie and I were still very wet so we decided to go home and change. Then back to DM for MODEST MOUSE.

I don’t know if it was because MM’s music is a little more “rambunctious” than the other bands that played, or if it was that Sunday night was a culmination of two days of drinking and dancing and general tomfoolery or what, but people were being STUPID A**HOLES. Everyone was polite and respectful of others the whole time until about 8:30 on Sunday night. It was pretty disappointing. People were just shoving their way through to get closer to the stage, event though we were packd like sardines in a crushd tin box already. Every ten seconds someone would just barrel their way through either side of me. Irritating! We made it about half an hour before we decided to move further back to see if it was any better. It was… a little.

You can’t really see, but there is a group of damn, dirty hippies mosh pitting and slam/dirty dancing behind the white tent… which is the ONE PLACE WHERE THE STAGE IS OBSTRUCTED 100%. Makes sense. Jess made me leave before the encore. For the record, I DID think the music was good. The environment left something to be desired. Overall, the festival was a very positive and fun experience. I will definitely be in attendance next year, regardless who they get to headline.

Anybody else go? Thoughts/opinions?