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MP3: Monotonix – Body Language

I’m not sure about you, but Monotonix (Wiki) is not what I expect from the Israeli music scene. I imagined that they’d use some instruments I’ve never heard of, perhaps utilize some lesser-known percussion techniques, but I was so very wrong.

There’s no horsing around on this record.  From the minute you press play, Monotonix are prepared to pummel you with what can only be described as “bad-assery”.

People…this is real rock music.  Hairy men, distorted guitars, did I mention hairy men? Read the rest…

Colour Revolt is playing Ottobar tonight. They are my cronies from Mississippi, and they are making some very unique music that sounds strangely disjointed from said southern, conservative locale (while still containing plenty of violent, biblical imagery). Listen to their “southern gothic” rock tonight, and then head upstairs for 2-4-Tuesday!

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MP3: Colour Revolt – Naked and Red (Daytrotter Session)

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MP3: Colour Revolt – Moses of the South

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

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MP3: The Decemberists (Colin Meloy solo) – Night / Rake (Live)

Even the best of us falter.

While some, many in fact, shudder at the notion of enjoying the Decemberists, dismissing them as smarmy smarty-pants who try too hard to make delicately crafted musical arrangements or shallow apers of Neutral Milk Hotel, it is inescapable that they have provided me some of the most enjoyable and memorable live experiences in my not-too-short show-faring life.

I’ve seen them no less than 6 times, in some form or another, including once with the Baltimore Symphony (redefining the word transcendant in my inner dictionary and inspiring me to start writing about my experiences with music), once in a 2-day double-header and once with Colin Meloy going solo.

Each live show I saw was nothing short of beautiful, spectacular and hilarious; they managed to amplify the strongest charms of their music, delivering equal portions of careful almost-winkingly planned choreography and obscure lyrical wordplay, enrapturing and bard-like yarn-weaving, and genuine, good-humored spontaneity and joy of performance.  They consistently transported the audience into either epic tales of heroism and ne’er-do-well-erism, or deeply affecting emotions and moodscapes.

Unfortunately at Rams Head, I finally saw a performance that I can only characterize as mediocre.  Read the rest…

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

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MP3: Double Dagger – Catalogs from the Bored Meeting 7″ (2008)

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MP3: Double Dagger – No Allies performed live @ the Ottobar (2008.10.20), recorded by Jeff the Taper

Congratulations seem in order for Nolen, Bruce and Denny. The fine boys of Post Typography (2/3) have signed to Thrill Jockey as Double Dagger.  Chicago’s TJ is home to a bevy of beastly artists including Arbouretum, Pontiak, the Fiery Furnaces, Human Bell, Daniel Higgs, Thank You and Tortoise.

It also seems Post Typography has a new textbook coming out.  Double kudos.

via Pitchfork

THE TRUE VINE
3544 HICKORY AVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21211
(TELEPHONE: 410 235 4500)

OPEN:
TUES. – SAT. 12 – 9
SUN. & MON. 12 – 6

hello everyone,
as usual many records have been flying through here & here is just a smattering that i’ll mention: Read the rest…

Something is better than nothing, right?

I’m not talking about the music. I’m talking about this review– which is completely biased, filled with personal context and therefore very very professional. Getting blacked-out and headbanging is good journalism, right?

I’m going to make this a pretty short write-up, and I invite anyone to leave their thoughts on the show, as mine are pretty much irrelevant.

Read the rest…

Photo Credit: Greg Szeto

Again, another exclusive audio offering from Aural States and Jeff the Baltimore Taper!

Pick your poision, ZIP files of the entire set in two formats (should be available after 1PM today):

FLAC or MP3

Or click through to stream and download individual MP3s.

Vincent Black Shadow
The Talking Head
Baltimore, MD
November 7, 2008

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)
http://baltimore-taper.blogspot.com/ Read the rest…

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

Again, another exclusive audio offering from Aural States and Jeff the Baltimore Taper!

Pick your poision, ZIP files of the entire set in two formats (should be available after 1PM today):

FLAC or MP3

Or click through to stream and download individual MP3s.

Arbouretum
The Talking Head
Baltimore, MD
November 7, 2008

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)
http://baltimore-taper.blogspot.com/ Read the rest…

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MP3: The Everybodyfields – Aeroplane

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MP3: The Everybodyfields – Everything is okay

I’ve been struggling to write something about The Everybodyfields for a few months now. The first time I saw them, in a nearly empty art gallery in a gritty inner-city neighborhood of Pittsburgh, maybe I didn’t fully believe what I saw and heard. Maybe it seemed outlandish to say that this band whose name I had never so much as read before that night was led by the two best singers I had ever seen in person. In the same band!

Photo By Sandlin Gaither

Maybe it was just a good night for Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews as they delivered spine-tingling off-mic harmonies in the close room before swapping acoustic and bass and doing it again. And again.

The scene couldn’t have been more different the next time I would see them on stage, just a couple months later. Thousands packed the picturesque main street that marks the border between Virgina and Tennessee (the band’s home state) on a beautiful late summer afternoon. Apparently, the ‘Fields had established themselves as heroes of sorts during the previous year’s Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival. As they set up, an obviously mildly stunned Andrews stopped and observed incredulously, “There are a lot of people out there!” Read the rest…

Midori (Wiki) took Strathmore’s stage on Sunday for the Washington Performing Arts Society. Her silk dress smacked of 1930s conservatism: blue chintz pattern and apron collar. She’d forgotten her sheet music, and sent pianist, Robert McDonald, to fetch it. I held my breath, ready for her bowmanship to blow back the folks in the upper tier and smash that dowdy image.

First pitch: Schumann. Read the rest…