The Tangled Cord

If You Gotta Run

2009-08-19T16:45:00.002-05:00

And now. Presenting. The best song in the world.

Noah and the Whale - Love of an Orchestra

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 Visual Schedule

2009-07-10T18:02:00.007-05:00

Whoah, hi update! Pitchfork sucks as usual (I keed), so here's a lovely visual schedule I made to help you decide where to go and who to see. But seriously, why the hell don't they have one of their own? And who creates a schedule that is half forward (Fri-Sat-Sun), half backwards (8PM-7PM-6PM)? Snilly britches.

Print me out!

I'm skipping Friday. See y'all there Saturday and Sunday. Good luck to those looking for Sunday tickets!

Pitchfork's:

FRIDAY, JULY 17
8:40 (A)Built to Spill
7:20 (C)The Jesus Lizard
6:10 (A)Yo La Tengo
5:00 (C)Tortoise

SATURDAY, JULY 18
8:40 (A)The National
8:30 (B)The Black Lips
7:30 (B)Matt and Kim
7:25 (C)Beirut
6:30 (B)Lindstrøm
6:15 (A)Doom
5:30 (B)Wavves
5:15 (C)Yeasayer
4:30 (B)Ponytail
4:15 (A)Final Fantasy
3:35 (B)Bowerbirds
3:20 (C)The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2:40 (B)The Antlers
2:30 (A)Fucked Up
1:45 (C)Plants and Animals
1:45 (B)The Dutchess & The Duke
1:00 (A)Cymbals Eat Guitars
1:00 (B)Disappears

SUNDAY, JULY 19
8:40 (A)The Flaming Lips
8:30 (B)The Very Best
7:30 (B)Mew
7:25 (C)Grizzly Bear
6:30 (B)Vivian Girls
6:15 (A)M83
5:30 (B)Japandroids
5:15 (C)The Walkmen
4:30 (B)DJ/Rupture
4:15 (A)The Thermals
3:35 (B)Women
3:20 (C)Pharoahe Monch
2:40 (B)The Killer Whales
2:30 (A)Blitzen Trapper
1:45 (C)Frightened Rabbit
1:45 (B)Dianogah
1:00 (A)The Mae Shi
1:00 (B)Michael Columbia

Indpendent, Independent -The Books @ MCA [Chicago, 05-03-09]

2009-05-08T15:50:00.006-05:00

Charles Mueller, Silverpop. (photo by me)

We ventured; Zachelty Russtlerbaum, Lindzer Kratchcatowills, and a Page of Edmonton snuck into seats, well paid-$10 ones. Student fare. Enjoyable, too short. Good enough for considering additional contributions via merch, but found the poster to be boring. Skipped home, sneaking.

Setlist
Group Therapy
That Right Ain't Shit
Be Good To Them Always
Take Time
A Cold Freezing Night (A snilly one. "I can kill you with a rifle, a shotgun, any way I want to! Probably by cutting your toes off and working my way up! TO YOUR BRAINZ.")
Geese
Meditation
[ ? ]
8 Frame
Classy Penguin (collaboration with Nick Zammuto's brother, Mark, on bass. Includes video footage of Nick and Paul de Jong. Cute.)
Smells Like Content (another silly video)
Cello Song (Nick Drake cover found on Dark Was The Night)
An Owl With Knees
All A's (alphabet song for Nick's son, which apparently terrifies him)
"n" (after All A's there was another song indicated on the displayed setlist. "n"? Everyone left. Who knows.)

TUMBLE, Shugo Tokumaru & some Crocodiles

2009-04-15T22:03:00.008-05:00

Rusting feet, bigger and on black here

Do you Tumble Bumble?
Here I am: http://cassisaari.tumblr.com !
Tumbling, bumbling, stumbling along.

Someone was searching for me; everything is uncovered.
There are secret plans only known between two people.
Mysteries to the masses.

Shugo Tokumaru - Alaska

Shugo Tokumaru is made of glockenspiels, Lisa Frank stickers, and raindrops on a sunny day.

Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill

Crocodiles, fabricated with cement glue and sequins, taste particularly like neon.

Download Two New TTMOE Songs!

2009-04-08T18:44:00.003-05:00

Here ya go, live at Schubas:
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

The Tallest Man on Earth - These Days (Nico cover)

And King of Spain over here!

Previous post about The Tallest Man on Earth at Schubas Tavern in Chicago!

The Tallest Man on Earth: NEW SONGS & COVER (These Days!)

2009-04-07T22:59:00.011-05:00

I'm absolutely smitten with The Tallest Man on Earth. He played with Red Cortez and The War on Drugs (just finishing up a tour with The Hold Steady). They all played at Schubas this past Sunday. We missed Red Cortez unfortunately, but The War on Drugs were great! Apparently Craig Finn bumbled up the lead singers guitar a bit before a solo show. Oops.

Anyhow, on to TTMOE! He was cute, he was charming, he made eye contact with me (okay, and everyone else), he wore lovely boots, and spiky hair. He performed fun chicken scratching feet dances and couldn't seem to decide where to sit or stand, restless in the best possible way. A good entertainer.

New songs: The Wild Hunt, and another I don't know the title of, but quite possibly called something like The King of Spain. I can't wait to hear a recorded versions. Below is a video of The Wild Hunt, take listen for yourself!

Kristian Matsson, as he is so dandily Swedishly named, also did a cover of These Days. It was wonderful. He forgot a few lyrics and the audience helped him out; it was glory. Another video of this below!

By the way, read this blog post on a previous show of his in Minneapolis, mostly to view the FANTASTIC photos. Dear lord they are beautiful. I can only dream. :)

Other videos: This Wind, Pistol Dreams, I Won't Be Found

Blind Pilot at Schubas in Chicago [04-03-09]

2009-04-05T00:46:00.002-05:00

Blind Pilot (more pics)

I had fun. Blind Pilot played with Deanna Devore & Death Ships at Schubas this past Friday. They were all lovely lovely. James caught 'em, unconscious girl grinned.

Soil and six feet under
Killed just like we were
Before you knew you'd know me
And you know me

Blooming up from the ground
3 Rounds and a sound
Like whispering you know me
And you know me

I'm Wowed by The Happiness Project

2009-04-03T19:11:00.005-05:00

So this Charles Spearin guy's pretty cool. Do Make Say Think, KC Accidental, Broken Social Scene, Valley of the Giants--he's worked as part or with all of them. And now he's got this neat album called The Happiness Project that combines oral interviews with music. It's really beautiful and the whole album is worth a listen. Think Nico Muhly, think The Books. So just take a listen to this tidbit.

Charles Spearin - Mrs. Morris

You can listen to the whole album on Last.FM.

Happiness is love.
I'm feelin' happy.
Yes, I'm feelin' happy to know that somebody cares.

Lascivious, Languinous, Longitudinal Lampreys

2009-04-02T08:58:00.005-05:00

"Elevator Strudel,"
but it's actually the door of a bathroom stall
in the Flamingo Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas

I'm damn excited for Blind Pilot this Friday and Tallest Man on Earth this Sunday at Schubas. Here aren't either of those, but here are some songs that are dandilicous.

Leo Kottke - Vaseline Machine Gun
Louis Armstrong - Sincerely
Lymbyc Systym - Idle Wires (remixed)

Oh! You're viewing from Norris, good idea. :D Sometimes I log out of my Last.FM account to view subscribers profiles so they don't know I did. I'm so sneaky. That's got to be weird when you tell people what happened, the texts, etc. Insecurities. But why look in the first place? I'm just stalking the stalker and it's amusing.

Dance, You Lucky Dragons

2009-03-27T23:17:00.006-05:00

Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas

I visited Las Vegas last weekend. It was more than I expected--the streets were full of people drinking 4 ft tall daiquiris and p0rstitution cards were scattered about. Everything was glory.

Here are some songs. They're fun and make arms wiggle.

Lucky Dragons - Givers

Lucky Dragons - Typical Hippies

Lucky Dragons' MySpace

UPDATE
Two interesting posts on subscribing to Last.FM
Last.FM Radio Announcement
The social music revolution betrayed? by The Eyes in His Head

New! Updated! Fresh out of the box!

2009-03-26T03:12:00.003-05:00

Updated my website! Plug plug!

I got into an Internet frenzy today.

I'm also in a new band called The Beaver Deceivers. Await the glory that will be our musique.

It Is All Connected, We Shook Hands

2009-03-25T11:49:00.011-05:00

photo of Jake Saari by me, Cassi Saari. bigger, on black here

Places I am: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr, Wordpress, Livejournal, RateYourMusic, Vimeo, YouTube, Blip.FM, Bedpost, Busuu, Flickr, Last.FM and more! If you can find me, friend me and we can have a chat!

I'm all about supporting the online services I love. For instance, I have a paid Flickr account, namely because it allows me to hold more than 200 photos, post a photo to more than 10 groups, and see the statistics behind each photo - views, favorites, comments over time. Flickr is like 20-something dollars a year and completely worth it. I have friends and family who use it. And sometimes I subscribe on Last.FM too! Usually for just a month at a time every few months. It's only $3 and I usually take it out of my Amazon Turk account so it literally costs me nothing. Being one who loves the Internet (I do web design, update a music venue's website, help out with another music-related website, and do Internet-related academic research) and uses it so often, it's nice to support Internet-related companies I enjoy. I figure I block their advertising already (Firefox's AdBlock Plus) so they're not benefiting there from me. Anyhow, as ya'll know, I like being able to see who/how many people visit my stuff. That's the biggest personal draw toward a paid Last.FM account. Secondly is the beta mode. That shit's awesome. I was using Last.FM beta for months before the new Last.FM came out.

These reasons might not interest some people, but I also don't really give a fuck about things like football or fancy clothes or movie criticism or tattoos and body piercings or wearing things on my feet, and for $3 a month, it's a steal (and cheaper than fancy clothes). I figured I may as well have some sort of rebuttal, so there ya go.

What can I say? I'm digitally conceited. I like getting my stuff out there. I like checking my Google hits. It's amusing and gratifying in its own way. Studies show (geeeeeeeek) that most content creators do the same.

Anyhow, this discussion is silly. You're silly, I'm silly, you've got yours and I've got mine. Interpersonal communication in a digital age is so tricky. Instead of furtive glances, it's tracked hits. Thanks for reading my blog. Have a listen to a song! "An Animated Description of Mr. Maps" by The Books. You goin' to The Books at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago this May? Maybe I'll see you there. I'm going back to editing photos from Las Vegas.

Love, Cassi

He felt lost but he felt pretty intensely good,
and he woke up screaming having dreamed of a color he had never seen before:
"I went to bed and to sleep, it was so unexpected, it really was frightening, and I saw pretty much the same thing embedded in my pillow."
He had no trouble recognizing patterns in the most delicate arrays of tangled lines,
but he had a strange fixation on partaking in nefarious things:
"Stealing, lying, cheating, gambling, fornicate..."

1990s' "59," jumping to dance

2009-03-20T12:37:00.004-05:00

photo by me of a jibble with feety people, see larger here

Oh dearie this one is fun. Jibbles jump. Heading to Las Vegas. I'm excited most for good lightybrighty photos. Maybe a big canyon thing too.

Everybody's got somethin' better to do
Whoopsy daisy girl take look at you

1990s - 59 download me!

It's so wrong but it's alright

Me and the Major in the Spring Garden

2009-03-19T12:30:00.006-05:00

Oh hey that's my face! :O I'm am craaaazy! This picture makes me really happy. Like barefoot people singing in harmony, holding puppies.

Blogging is fun. I get the oft-visiting Evanston, IL folk, but occasionally someone from Baltimore Googles "why do cords tangle" and ends up here.

1. Belle and Sebastian - Me and the Major
2. Sin Fang Bous - Advent in Ives Garden
3. Nico - The Fairest of the Seasons

Have some happies.

FOUR (4) Songs for Anyone & a Brief Divergence

2009-03-18T19:01:00.008-05:00

see larger! photo by me taken at Thee Fish Bowl

I should be studying organic chemistry but it's hard to focus with so much emotional background noise. I just saw Harold and Maude for the first time. Thanks, Asspod! They're walking, I'm writing. I feel like creating personalized codes in all my messages for people to discover so they can feel special.

Weeeerrhoeooooeoeoe, flailing arms, wide&glossy eyes, crazy xoxoxo. Perhaps check out what I'm listening to! Thank God For Russian Fingers. Private profile, closed curtains, FB--why not F2F? (The Tangled Cord recommends StatCounter.com and paid subscriptions to Last.FM)

Maybe it's time for THIS. Lock. The derivative of negativity is currently positive.

Oh what the hell, just download the songs. Consider it an EP mix.

1. Cat Stevens - If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
2. Iain Archer - The Acrobat
3. Igloo - Ferlen
4. Stephen Steinbrink - I Don't Ever Want to Die

Love,
Cassi!

Peetchyfork 2009

2009-03-12T13:50:00.004-05:00

Oh Peetchyfork Musique Festivale teeckets will be on sale tomorrow at noon. I'll buy Sat/Sun passes. Friday looks boring. Here's a link!
http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=57762&REFID=mm09

Buy now since you could get VIP passes or something neat like that.

I made my own visual schedule last year, but maybe they'll actually have one this year. If not, look forward to another one of mine! See you there. :D

Go back to your hotel and please yourself (MP3)

2009-03-09T15:55:00.005-05:00

The Broken Family Band
----------------------------------------------------

photo by cassi, art from their website
----------------------------------------------------

The Broken Family Band - Please Yourself (mp3)

I'd like to be their friend.

website official
over yonder at myspace
last.fm business
(by the way, here's mine: cassisaari)

Video: "Let's Do Everything for the First Time" by of Montreal

2009-02-12T20:07:00.006-06:00

Peppermint Eels from Cassi Saari on Vimeo.

I made a video thingar. I've never made a video thingar before or edited video or nothings. I painted a water bottle.

MP3! "You're Not Coming Home Tonight" by First Aid Kit

2009-02-04T00:25:00.004-06:00

image generated with volume variance from the song by voice draw

"You're Not Coming Home Tonight" - First Aid Kid

Adorable, beautiful.

Yeah you cooked his dinners and you raised his children and still he's not satisfied. He says I'd rather switch with you; you don't now hard it is to work from 9 to 5. But he speaks with his eyes closed and even though you're not all alone, he's never there to be with you. And you remember when you were young when life was new and it was fun. Now every corner's filled with dust

But you're not coming home tonight.

You just took the train and you left without a wave, figured he'd never let you leave anyway. And now you're sitting in that train, seeing life in a new way and every forest sings a song. One for the heartbroken lovers, and one for the dreamers, and then there's one just for you. The wind's been humming on it all day, and the soil lies awake waiting for it's drum solo

Cause you're not coming home tonight.
Cause you're not coming home tonight.

The ship is sailing. I'll meet you on the other side.
The future's unclear, but hopefully it will be fine.

Cause you're not coming home tonight.

First Aid Kit MySpace

'Ey, a White Antelope

2009-02-03T23:09:00.004-06:00

photo by cassi saari

white antelope // robin pecknold // false knight on the road

previously: oliver james video (robin pecknold solo)

On the cutting edge... "Whistle-Stop" by Roger Miller

2009-01-28T21:19:00.002-06:00

Photo by Cassi Saari.

Whistle Stop - Roger Miller

NEW: The Green Ghosts - "The Red and Green EP"

2009-01-25T21:20:00.002-06:00

"Balloonhead" by Cassi Saari.

'Ey, they just finished their first EP! Take a listen to some music on their myspace or contact harrison (at) u.northwestern.edu to get your hands on a copy.

autoKratz - Stay the Same

2008-12-30T12:38:00.006-06:00

Here.

I think it's fun.

autoKratz's MySpace
Laurie Thinot
Partizan Lab music videos

Music, 2008 in Review

2008-12-22T23:29:00.008-06:00

2008 Album Releases I Love

I get shivers every time I listen to one of these. I tear up to another just because of my own subliminal classical conditioning. One makes me want to lie on a couch and dream about ghosts. A lot make me want to dance and flail around like a fool and fall off chairs at festivals. All of them make me fucking nostalgic. Love love:

Beck - Modern Guilt
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
The Dodos - Visiter
Dr. Dog - Fate
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Grand Archives - Grand Archives
Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping
of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
Noah and the Whale - Peaceful the World Lays Me Down
Samamidon - All is Well
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Graves
Why? - Alopecia

Pre-2008 Album Releases I Loved in 2008

AA Bondy - American Hearts (2007)
The Books - The Lemon of Pink (2003)
Deer Tick - War Elephant (2007)
Delta Spirit - Ode to Sunshine (2007)
Horse Feathers - Words are Dead (2006)
Pete Seeger - American Ballads (1957)
Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River (2007)
Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)
Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (2007)

Especially Notable 2008 Concerts

Went to 58 concerts this year. Here are some notably notable ones.

01-08: MGMT, Yeasayer @ Schubas
04-06: Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes @ Schubas
04-10: Bon Iver @ Lakeshore Theater
04-11: Dan Deacon, Shoegaze Ned @ Earlham
07-19: The Hold Steady, The Dodos, The Apples in Stereo @ Pitchfork
08-28: Samamidon, Nico Muhly @ Lakeshore Theater
09-03: Andrew Bird @ Pritzker
09-21: Theresa Andersson, The Northwoods @ SPACE
09-24: Sigur Ros @ Chicago Theatre
09-30: Born Ruffians, The Coast @ Schubas

The Color Wheels: Green Means Go

2008-12-05T15:11:00.006-06:00

Photo by Cassi Saari.

Saccharine. Really, really sweet. Like thaumatin sweet, comprised of Jon and Psalm Sebastian. Off of Viper Bite Records comes The Color Wheels (MySpace). Anyhow, something I like lately. "Green Means Go" is my favorite. Stream their entire self-titled album over at:

http://www.viperbiterecords.com/thecolorwheels/