September 2010
4 posts
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audiojerks.com. it's here people. go get yourself... →
So that change that i said was a coming, it’s arrived. http://audiojerks.tumblr.com now has it’s own domain, http://www.audiojerks.com.
Its the next step for us. Myself and Ryan knew we were gonna do this eventually at some point, and the time was right. I won’t bore you with logistics here. In fact, you can bore yourself with the logistics if you like by heading to the new...
Things Are A Changin'
Hey guys. Phil here. I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of updates. Even less updates than normal. There’s been a reason for that. We’ve got something up our sleeves that we’ve been working on. Ryan and myself have discussed this change several times in the past, and I’m at the point where I’m ready to run with it. So enjoy. Good times are a coming...
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August 2010
7 posts
Today in awesome tour news: Shellac
Yeah, it’s only a week, which in the broad scheme of things is like a weekend getaway for working, mid level bands. But considering how uber-fucking rarely Steve Albini and his fickle post punk mates in Shellac actually take to the road, color me excited.
The band will open September with six shows in eight days, starting in Cleveland and wrapping in Michigan but otherwise keeping to the...
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Kings of Leon turn down "Ugly Better" and "GLEE" →
The reason? They don’t want to sell out. Which is hysterical. Because they told NME just a few years ago that they wrote much of “Only by the Night” to be radio friendly so they can get big in the US, which to some (ME) would argue is a form of selling out.
I really can’t stand these guys anymore. And I’ll still probably end up buying their new disc regardless. I...
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Lollapalooza 2010 Reviewed
A week later, We’ve finally had a chance to recharge and gather our thoughts and reflect on what was an insane weekend of music. So here are some thoughts on what was the best Lollapalooza ever (and yes, I know that every year I say that).
Highlights
- one of the surprising sets of the weekend came early Friday afternoon, 1:45 pm to be exact, at the tiny BMI stage. I was convinced...
You can't be serious Weezer, can you?
Some time a long, long time ago Weezer were credible. We’ll call this the Blue Album/Pinkerton era (1994-1997). Then what feels like an equally long time ago they just stopped giving a fuck. We’ll call this the everything after the Green album era (2002-present).
Well, Weezer is still knee deep in its “Who gives a fuck” era, as evidenced by the title and album cover of...
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And so it begins...
It feels like just yesterday I was dragging my withered, beaten body back to O’Hare, Lollapalooza 2009 having sufficiently kicked my ass (I didn’t end of leaving until 10AM the next morning, but that’s another story). And yet here we are, 12 months later and just about 24 hours away from the official kickoff of this year’s Lolla festivities, which include non other than...
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Dead Weather, Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL,...
I know what you’re thinking. Phil, you just saw the Dead Weather a few months ago. For free. In a once in a lifetime venue. How can you ever top that kind of performance? Well, I don’t have the exact formula for that down yet, but in the 2 months since I see that amazing live performance in an abandoned truck warehouse, the Dead Weather have found a way to improve on their live show....
July 2010
5 posts
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Pitchfork Music Festival 2010 Reviewed (FINALLY)
Yes, it’s a week later than everyone else’s. Sue me. After all the music, all the insanity, all the heat of a music festival, I wanted a week to just digest everything so I can collect my thoughts. I’m going to do things different. Instead of writing a big old entry, I thought I’d break this into a highlights and low lights, which really seems pretty logical if you think about it.
Highlights
1....
An interview with Bob Log III
I recently took some time to talk to the one and only Bob Log III the other day in an interview for Examiner .com, and the results were pretty interesting. Anyone reading this in Boston should drop the ten bucks and go see him tomorrow night at the Middle East. You won’t be sorry.
Some live shows need to be seen to be believed.
One part Mississippi delta blues, one part dirty, old...
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Guided By Voices to reform for fall tour, indie...
A quick update from the “no fucking way are you serious I can barely contain myself I’m so fucking psyched” department: GUIDED BY VOICES ARE REUNITING FOR A FALL TOUR…..WITH THEIR “CLASSIC” LINEUP.
Wow. Talk about big news. The classic GBV lineup of, well, Robert Pollard and who the hell knows, will sweep through the states on a 16 date fall tour, starting...
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June 2010
13 posts
Time to get Rolling on the Stones....
This is going to sound weird, and I can hardly believe it myself, but nearly 17 years of delaying the inevitable came to a crashing halt this morning. After years of holding out, I caved and bought my first ever Rolling Stones album.
I feel a bit odd about it myself, especially as someone who co-manages a music blog and considers himself to be an avid appreciator and gatekeeper of sorts when it...
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Lollapalooza Investigated for Anti-Trust by...
For the full story, check out Jim Derogatis’ post here. For the sake of brevity (and the fact I know you can read yourself), I’m only going to write on my thoughts, and not breakdown the entire thing. Long story short, Lollapalooza is being investigated by the Illinois State Attorney for anti-trust, which stems from Lollapalooza’s performance radius clauses that state a band...
Treme Season 1, Episodes 9 and 10: A Wrap up
It’s been a while since I’ve spilled my thoughts on Sunday’s best hour of TV, but I haven’t done much else but work this month and have been catching the last few episodes on the rebound.
And man is there a lot to catch up on. Two months and 10 episodes later, Treme’s terrific first season has come to a close, and it went out with a bang. For a show that by nature...
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MGMT - Victims Of Their Own Success
Riviera Theater, 6/18/10, Chicago, IL
A sold-out crowd of 2,500 people jammed their way into the hot and sweaty venue known as The Riv on the north side of Chicago Friday night to experience one of the hottest acts touring right now, MGMT. Touring in support of their sophomore disc “Congratulations” and continuing to ride the wave of success of “Oracular Spectacular’s...
Q: Are they not 60 year old men? A: They are still...
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m skeptical of reunions and reunion tours. That’s putting it mildly. More blunt and to the point, reunions (not absolutely, but more often than not) are one big fucking death nail once respectable bands can hang their formerly great legacies on.
History is riddled with bands who have made laughably inept stabs at recapturing former glory through...
Hear this: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "Mojo"
Few artists have the world in the palm of their hand quite like Tom Petty.
Thirty four years is a long time to hold people’s attention, especially in an increasingly scatterbrained pop music climate where trends come and go with the breeze. And yet time and time again, Petty and the Heartbreakers whether the storm effortlessly, all by staying true to the pop infused guitar rock form that...
Treme Season 1, Episode 8: All On A Mardi Gras Day
After a week hiatus over Memorial Day, The tail end of Treme’s inaugural season kicked off with the Holy Grail of all celebrations: Mardi Gras.
To the outside observer, Mardi Gras is seen largely as a crazed, no holds barred rager, an epic street party with booze and beads where everything goes. To New Orleanians it’s much the same, but as we saw in this week’s episode...
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She & Him, Cold War Kids, AFI and others play...
In an already saturated music festival scene, the last thing we need is more major music festivals. And yet, we see them popping up more and more. This weekend was the inaugural Verge Music Festival in Milwaukee, WI. Held at the Summerfest grounds, Verge essentially replaces Milwaukee’s Riversplash, which had been cancelled due to a number of shooting incidents in recent years. So what do...
Wintersleep awaken behind new album, summer tour
How do you follow up an award winning album?
That may or may not have been a question running through the minds of the members ofWintersleep while crafting their new albumNew Inheritors, but they’ve come close to succeeding regardless.
More than three years after the release of their Juno Award winning disc Welcome To The Night Sky, New Inheritors finds the Halifax-based rockers...
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LiveNation/Ticketmaster Sales Going...
Similar to what they did last summer, LiveNation/Ticketmaster, the corporate music conglomerate who loves raping music fans, is unveiling a service fee free June. Meaning what? Well, if you wanted to catch Lilith Fair or the Kings of Leon at (insert overpriced LiveNation/Ticketmaster venue here), then you’ll be able to pick up tix without pacing their ridiculous service fees. How...
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Broken Bells w/The Morning Benders, Vic Theatre...
The much talked about project between The Shins’ James Mercer and producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse, collectively known as Broken Bells, touched down in Chicago on Memorial Day, playing to a sold-out show at the intimate Vic Theatre. Playing their self-titled debut along with a few choice covers, Broken Bells dazzled the crowd for their hour-long set, displaying Mercer’s powerful...
Toots and the Maytals w/ Fear Nuttin Band, House...
Forty five years and change have passed since Toots and the Maytals first helped to lay the ground work for early ska and reggae music. But time has been good to the seasoned icons.
Touring behind his new disc Flip and Twist, Toots Hibbert and his revamped Maytals (sans horn section) brought the goods to the House of Blues Sunday night. At 64 years young, Toots, decked out solely in white,...
May 2010
19 posts
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New Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves disc on...
So it’s been a little while since we’ve heard new stuff from Eli “Paperboy” Reed and his kick ass backing band the True Loves, but don’t worry. The band is set to release its second record “Come and Get It” in August, their first for Capitol Records.
Thankfully the good folks at Capitol were kind enough to hook me up with a digital copy of the new album...
Treme Season 1, Episode 7: Smoke My Peace Pipe
Wow. In a word, that’s really what episode seven amounted to when the end credits began to roll.
In a series focusing on a city in crisis, tension is the fabric that ties everything together. All of the recurring characters in Treme are familiar with it. It’s something they carry with them everywhere they go. Whether they’re struggling to pay bills, to keep their families...
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First Impressions: Brothers
RB: With their sixth full length studio effort Brothers, the Black Keys have made a full on departure from the grungy, Hendrix-inspired blues rock they’ve built their cred on. And yet at the same time it still feels very much like a Black Keys record.
It’s not a complete 180, as it owes as much a debt to the swampy soul and delta blues sound as any of their other records. But the...
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Dead Weather Secret Show, Marquardt Trucking...
To promote the release of the new social networking phone the Kin, Microsoft has put together a string of secret shows from big artists in obscure locations. One recent show had Asher Roth and N.E.R.D. playing in a car repair garage. On Saturday night, the location was Chicago, and the band was the Dead Weather. The location was announced a mere 4 hours before doors opened. And literally within...
Treme Season 1, Episode 6: "Shallow Water, Oh...
David Simon said in an interview that when he first started brainstorming Treme, he initially wanted to do a series set in New Orleans about culture, and how a city’s culture defines the people who live there. That’s a pretty broad stroke to paint any series with, but while Treme has a narrower focus that zeroes in on those first few months after Hurricane Katrina, it’s fair to...
Superchunk announces new record, schedules fall...
Here to save the indie rock purists from the drudgery of mediocre Cold War Kids and Silversun Pickup songs, Superchunk are taking to the road for their first proper tour in, I don’t know, a long fucking time.
The legendary indie-punk kings and Merge Records founders will play a handful of festivals in May, June and July before taking to the east coast for a weeklong trek through DC, New...
A little light reading....
So I’m reading Ripped: How The Wired Generation Revolutionized Music by Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune. I’m about halfway through, but already I can tell you it’s an excellent dissection of how the rise of file sharing and new media has taken the power away from greedy music conglomerates and put it in the hands of fans and artists. It’s a must read for music fans,...
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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack Revealed
There aren’t many soundtracks out there that can build as much hype as the movie it’s a part of. Then again, not many movies have cashed in as much as the Twilight series. Taking a cue from Bonnaroo, the soundtrack was revealed every half hour during seven hours throughout today, and to put it simply, the names on the soundtrack are staggering. While it may be difficult to separate a...
Interview: Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog
For you, fellow readers, an interview I did for Examiner.com with Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog prior to this week’s two night stand at The Paradise in Boston.
It looks like Dr. Dog finally found out how to be themselves.
The Philly band has been winning over fans and critics alike with their warm, Beatles and Band inspired indie folk for almost 10 years. But for years they lived dual...
Treme Season 1, Episode 5: Shame, Shame, Shame
Here we are, five weeks in, and Treme is still hands down the best thing on TV. Take your Glee and your Lost and your precious Idol and shove it, politely speaking of course.
This is a show that, for me at least, gets richer, fuller and fatter by the episode. Like those classic New York-centric Woody Allen films of the 70’s, Treme is entrenched in local color and the eclectic New Orleans...
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Frightened Rabbit Warms Up Chicago
A sold-out Chicago crowd crammed into the Metro on Saturday night, escaping the unseasonably cold even for Chicago weather to experience one of indie’s up and coming acts, Frightened Rabbit. While the band are hardly rookies, they’ve been together for over 6 years and have 3 albums to their credit, they’re only now beginning to hit their stride and gain some exposure. The masters...
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Watchto anyone who missed his epic 8-minute medley on SNL, here’s jay-z’s first performance from last night’s episode. yes, i used epic to describe an SNL performance. because it was. enjoy. PD
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May's New Music Releases
Buckle up music fans. Starting today, some really fantastic acts are releasing new albums this month. Here’s a quick look at what’s good and what is definitely worth checking out. And if you do pick it up, and you don’t like it, I’ll buy you all lollipops.
5/4/2010 Broken Social Scene - “Forgiveness Rock Record” Hold Steady - “Heaven Is Whenever”...
Beastie Boys set to bring the Sauce
Funky fresh news out of Beastie land y’all, and no I’m not talking about Adam Yaucht’s recent plea for everyone to join him in meditating.
Mike D told Rolling Stone recently that the trio’s long delayed and ridiculously titled forthcoming effort “Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1” will hit shelves um, I mean, ITunes, in the fall. In the interview, Mike says while the...
Treme Season 1, Episode 4: "At The Foot of Canal...
I was looking back on my last couple entries in this ongoing Treme series recently and it dawned on me that, apart from recapping what happened, I’ve started to get away from any real analysis or breakdown of the show and the characters. Pretty lame. But I’m going to fix all that
Here’s a condensed cliff notes version of what went down last night. Antoine visited his estranged...
Required Tastes # 2: ANTI- Records
In our second (and long overdue) installment of Required Tastes, we look at an offshoot label that in recent years has loomed larger than the legendary indie label that spawned it.
ANTI- Records
The 90’s, by and large, were good to rock and roll. When Nirvana knocked off Michael Jackson from the top of the Billboard charts in 1991, it marked a wholesale shift in direction mainstream...
April 2010
18 posts
Treme Season 1, Episode 3: "Right Place, Wrong...
“I just want my city back.”
There it is. Scarcely five minutes into episode three, Steve Zahn nails Treme’s central thesis dead to the wall. Speaking with Toni, his pro bono lawyer, after an unpleasant exchange with Military Police landed him in jail, Zahn, as the impassioned to a fault Davis, sums up what every character who has thus far graced David Simon’s New Orleans...
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My Entry Into the Vinyl World
So last week for Record Store Day, I picked up the beginnings of my vinyl collection. I’ve been considering jumping into vinyl for a number of months now, so when I saw Record Store Day was coming up, I thought now is as good a time as any. I ended up picking up the special Muse and TV on the Radio releases, along with some Conor Oberst and The xx, which I found while perusing the stores....