"Cassadaga" is a darn good listen
Oz writes about how awesome Conor Oberst is ... again
Some experts have declared the CD dead and archaic in the wake of the digital revolution. Artists have taken steps to entice fans to actually purchase a physical copy of the album – some artists like equally praised and maligned outfit Bright Eyes.
"Cassadaga," the seventh full length release on Saddle Creek from this Omaha troupe, appears like an artist’s static representation of white noise, but inside, the listener can find a "spectral decoder" that illuminates the ghostly world of the album, Ouija board style. This trick alone is worth the cost of the album.
Musically the album is pretty standard issue indie folk rock upon first listen, almost to the point of disappointment after the 2005 release, "I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning" and the build up of the "Four Winds" EP.
However, the power of the album lays not so much with the songwriting as with the production. The fact that nearly 30 songs were recorded for this album demonstrates leading man Conor Oberst has no want for material. However, the key to the songs that made the cut is the slick production by band member and sound engineer extraordinaire Mike Mogis and the arrangement of the strings and woodwinds by newest full time Bright Eyes member Nate Walcott.
The orchestral tones on the dissenting "No One Would Riot for Less," desperate "Make a Plan to Love Me," and Dust Bowl-esque "Middleman" save the tracks from falling into the overflowing pile of Oberst acoustic rants. It appears that, like 2002’s "Lifted," Conor has opened his doors again to a growing band of musicians, but this time, Mogis knew what to do with them. The slick production of the cumbersome opening track (a Bright Eyes tradition), "Clairaudients" sets the spectral stage and allows for a smooth and accessible transition into the rest of the album.
The songs reek of apocalyptic apprehensions, ethereal experiences and experimental spirituality, but fail to come full circle—a theme shoved down the listener’s throat during most songs. The first single, "Four Winds," with its punchy violin and gentle melody, portrays the imminent anthro-driven end of the world. Plus, what other song could so deftly talk about the "Whore of Babylon?" On "If the Brakeman Turns My Way" Oberst again throws his guts on the table—reminiscent of his early work—but this time the despair is less solipsistic, and the music and lyrics speak to maturity and profound questioning.
Oberst kisses off an older woman (who may or may not be ex-beau Winona Ryder) in "Classic Cars," where he mocks her preachy and condescending duplicity. Finally, "Soul Singer in the Session Band" returns to the cathartic themes of songs past starring a singer as the tortured and exposed artist, but this time brings in more veiled industry references. Although "Cassadaga" may not be the proverbial epic album that most were expecting, it still has a place in the Bright Eyes catalog.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Gimme Shelter
First full day in DC with Kendra. Her parents were here, and we all made a day of it in Old Town Alexandria. Pictures and more adventurous stories to follow. But we did encounter a familiar face in Georgetown. He was sitting on a bench outside a Barnes and Noble. You'd think he could have at least picked an independent store. They're all over the place.
Kendra's mom: "He's creepy. I'm glad I wasn't with you guys because I probably would have kicked his feet."
Oh and for the Mullenites in the audience...We were in a great store called Ten Thousand Villages, and I heard my name called. Katie Murray (class of '02) happened to be visiting Alexandria from Charlotte where she's doing TFA and happened to be in the store. She said she recognized my voice. Who could forget it? That beats your pigeon story Jax!
From a WTD friend...
Naturally.
and.....
courtesy of Lisa, Peter's rewrite of Kelly. Pour it on.
Kendra's mom: "He's creepy. I'm glad I wasn't with you guys because I probably would have kicked his feet."
Oh and for the Mullenites in the audience...We were in a great store called Ten Thousand Villages, and I heard my name called. Katie Murray (class of '02) happened to be visiting Alexandria from Charlotte where she's doing TFA and happened to be in the store. She said she recognized my voice. Who could forget it? That beats your pigeon story Jax!
From a WTD friend...
Naturally.
and.....
courtesy of Lisa, Peter's rewrite of Kelly. Pour it on.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Flobots
On Thursday, I took Joey for a ride and we headed up to Santa Monica for a bit of an adventure. Hip-hop Denver locals,the Flobots, were playing in LA as a part of their Flobots Rising Tour (which included stops in Omaha, LA, Oakland, and Salt Lake). I had been trying for weeks to get San Diego friends to abandon their typical Thursday night rituals and head up with me to get their faces rocked. ALas, true to form, people bailed for various reasons. Oh well, their loss...
Back in January, I had my first Flobots experience at the Gothic in Englewood. This collective (guitar, lyricists, bass, trumpet, viola, and drums) performed one of the best live sets I've ever seen. Yes. One of the best live sets I have ever seen. Since then, their EP--Platypus--has not left my car, and I now proudly endorse them to whomever I think will listen. Politically infused and strikingly intelligent, Flobots lyrics have a way of getting under your skin...in a good way. The music is airtight, and who wouldn't love some slap bass, a string picking viola, and crisp trumpeting? I remember thinking that all I could do was picture them in front of a crowd in a tent at Coachella as the sun is setting.
After dinner and wandering around SM for a while, I parked Joey around the block and met up with former WTD member and fellow D-towner Andy at Temple Bar for a pre-show catch up. Soon, Andy and crew had to head into the venue to get ready for their set. It wasn't long before the WTDers filtered in. First I found my SXSW/subway ID companion, B-reh, then my favorite pop fan, Joy. Then "so indie it hurts" Matt and my favorite Canadian, Meredith joined the party. The showtime group was completed when Jennifer Keppel and Ron W. Roecker himself joined us on the dance floor for the set.
Despite minor technical difficulties, the band opened with some a Capella rhymes courtesy of Jonny 5. For the next intro, he was joined by drummer Kenny Ortiz, bassist Jesse Walker, violist Mackenzie, Brer Rabbit, and finally Andy on guitar (with a functioning quarter inch cable!). The enthusiastic crowd at first consisted mainly of friends of the band and friends of friends of the band, but it wasn't long before the bar hoppers wanted in on the party.
The band played a score of new songs from a new release that will hopefully be out sooner rather than later and will be heard by all the right people to catapult them to a deal. But hey, when all else fails, just Clap-Your-Hands-it right? New songs include politically conscious, anthemic "Stand Up," creative Turtles cover, "Happy Together," and lyrical masterpiece, "DARE," They also played staples including "No W" and perennial closer "Handlebars." By the end of the set, even the skeptical were rocking to the infectious beats. I can legitimately claim that they are the best unsigned band I have heard in recent memory. The best.
Following the set, WTD danced the set change away, then got a round of sweaty hugs from our second most excitable member. Who ever could be the most excitable person be? We were joined by Katie, and shared some rounds followed by a late night (early morning?) meal at Swingers down the street. Despite protests from my companions, I drove home and made it in time to get six hours of sleep in the green machine before heading off to class.
So do yourself a huge favor and check out one of their live shows when they are in your area. If you are in Denver, you can readily find a show at your favorite local venues. If not, find them at flobots.com or on the Space
Check out Ron's Review here
Thursday, March 29, 2007
La View.
Students arrested for literary terrorism on campus
Hon. Felix Frankfurter
Staff Writer
Public Safety and the SDPD apprehended three female USD students last Thursday evening around 7:30 p.m. for posting poetry in a manner that disrupts the "aesthetic quality of the campus" according to C. Ensor, a nighttime Public Safety officer. Officials have released the names of the students, claiming their involvement in the vandalism is a form of literary terrorism.
Two seniors, Kate Sullivan and Molly Tustison, as well as freshman Natalie Earnheart were taken into custody after a student reported seeing them stalking around campus with cans of spray paint.
As Public Safety officers tracked down the girls near the Aromas lawn, they immediately called for backup from SDPD since the girls were armed with stacks of poems and had begun to tag the lawn with "Anecdote of a Jar," by Wallace Stevens, according to a report released by Public Safety on Monday.
When Public Safety tried to corner the students, Sullivan allegedly ran toward Colachis Fountain and, while stripping off clothes, screamed "I am a Promiscuous Daughter" repeatedly.
Tustison succumbed most easily and reportedly muttered something about finding "a place for poplars" and "words on skin" while being walked to the Public Safety vehicle.
Earnhart threw her stack of poems in the officers’ faces and shouted, "Thou villainous hell-hated giglets!"
Later that evening, AS President Rhett Buttle was found bound and gagged and told officials, "The girls broke into my office, tied me up and threatened to take away my gold name tag if I didn’t give them access to the USD student listserve."
Apparently these vandals had planned to send poems by William Blake, Walt Whitman and T.S. Eliot to each and every student at USD.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that all three young women have pledged allegiance to The Promiscuous Daughters, an underground writing club on campus that allegedly meets in the Cropper Writing Center.
Public Safety raided the small room in Founders and found stacks of poems by established poets and members of the club.
Plans for further guerilla action were uncovered on the book shelves F190 which included posting poems on the newly acquired electronic signs, tagging lawns and sidewalks with sonnets, and replacing table tents with excerpts from Tennyson’s "In Memoriam."
The students have been released from custody, but await trial in front of school officials for "vandalizing school property and attempts to enrich the minds of students."
Dr. Peter Kanelos, Professor of English, was unavaible for comment last Friday due to temporary incarceration for similar charges. However, upon his arraignment, he was contacted and responded to the incident saying, "I'm in full support of the girls' action, there's just one thing that puzzles me: Stevens? Why Stevens?"
The probable punishment looks to be an extra full semester at USD for each student—on their own dime—whereby each must take 15 units of business credit.
Hon. Felix Frankfurter
Staff Writer
Public Safety and the SDPD apprehended three female USD students last Thursday evening around 7:30 p.m. for posting poetry in a manner that disrupts the "aesthetic quality of the campus" according to C. Ensor, a nighttime Public Safety officer. Officials have released the names of the students, claiming their involvement in the vandalism is a form of literary terrorism.
Two seniors, Kate Sullivan and Molly Tustison, as well as freshman Natalie Earnheart were taken into custody after a student reported seeing them stalking around campus with cans of spray paint.
As Public Safety officers tracked down the girls near the Aromas lawn, they immediately called for backup from SDPD since the girls were armed with stacks of poems and had begun to tag the lawn with "Anecdote of a Jar," by Wallace Stevens, according to a report released by Public Safety on Monday.
When Public Safety tried to corner the students, Sullivan allegedly ran toward Colachis Fountain and, while stripping off clothes, screamed "I am a Promiscuous Daughter" repeatedly.
Tustison succumbed most easily and reportedly muttered something about finding "a place for poplars" and "words on skin" while being walked to the Public Safety vehicle.
Earnhart threw her stack of poems in the officers’ faces and shouted, "Thou villainous hell-hated giglets!"
Later that evening, AS President Rhett Buttle was found bound and gagged and told officials, "The girls broke into my office, tied me up and threatened to take away my gold name tag if I didn’t give them access to the USD student listserve."
Apparently these vandals had planned to send poems by William Blake, Walt Whitman and T.S. Eliot to each and every student at USD.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that all three young women have pledged allegiance to The Promiscuous Daughters, an underground writing club on campus that allegedly meets in the Cropper Writing Center.
Public Safety raided the small room in Founders and found stacks of poems by established poets and members of the club.
Plans for further guerilla action were uncovered on the book shelves F190 which included posting poems on the newly acquired electronic signs, tagging lawns and sidewalks with sonnets, and replacing table tents with excerpts from Tennyson’s "In Memoriam."
The students have been released from custody, but await trial in front of school officials for "vandalizing school property and attempts to enrich the minds of students."
Dr. Peter Kanelos, Professor of English, was unavaible for comment last Friday due to temporary incarceration for similar charges. However, upon his arraignment, he was contacted and responded to the incident saying, "I'm in full support of the girls' action, there's just one thing that puzzles me: Stevens? Why Stevens?"
The probable punishment looks to be an extra full semester at USD for each student—on their own dime—whereby each must take 15 units of business credit.
Ted. Please.
Do you like intelligent and politically driven lyrics? Are you a sucker for tireless sprinting guitars à la Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty?
Do yourself a favor and check out Jersey’s best contemporary-rock dissenters, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, who just released their fifth album, "Living with the Living."
Known for their nasal, tenor vocals and rollicking rhythms, these former hardcore punks stayed true to the sounds of 2004’s "Shake the Sheets," but opted for cleaner riffs and more slick production to keep the kids a-rockin’.
The album synthesizes political rants and nostalgic love songs, but not as seamlessly as the nuanced Leo-lover might want.
More than a handful of the songs on the album are beyond good. Fiery lament, "The Sons of Cain," "La Costa Bravo" with a punked-out intro, and falsetto-infused "Who Do You Love?" team up to carry the album, but overall the flat transitions between subject matter don’t feel logical.
Leo and friends even jump back to their moshing days with songs like "Bomb, Repeat, Bomb," but that’s to be expected since the album was produced by Fugazi’s Brendan Canty. The bottom line: Ted, I think you can do better.
Do yourself a favor and check out Jersey’s best contemporary-rock dissenters, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, who just released their fifth album, "Living with the Living."
Known for their nasal, tenor vocals and rollicking rhythms, these former hardcore punks stayed true to the sounds of 2004’s "Shake the Sheets," but opted for cleaner riffs and more slick production to keep the kids a-rockin’.
The album synthesizes political rants and nostalgic love songs, but not as seamlessly as the nuanced Leo-lover might want.
More than a handful of the songs on the album are beyond good. Fiery lament, "The Sons of Cain," "La Costa Bravo" with a punked-out intro, and falsetto-infused "Who Do You Love?" team up to carry the album, but overall the flat transitions between subject matter don’t feel logical.
Leo and friends even jump back to their moshing days with songs like "Bomb, Repeat, Bomb," but that’s to be expected since the album was produced by Fugazi’s Brendan Canty. The bottom line: Ted, I think you can do better.
Andrew Bird....and the Vista
Few have developed their own sound more completely than violin songster Andrew Bird. Last Tuesday Bird released his seventh full-length studio album, "Armchair Apocrypha." Instrumentally complex, the songs serve as an ideal soundtrack for long drives alone. Audibly similar to Devotchka, the arching melodies and melancholic violin solos are ripe for repeated spins and subsequent dissection.
Formally trained as a performance violinist, Bird began his career playing pre-war jazz, blues and traditional folk; he even got swept up in the late 90s swing revival. In 2001, with "The Swimming Hour," he found a new and unique jukebox blend of all genres and even threw in some classy rock.
Although the traditional violin, glockenspiel, whistling and drums are still present, on "AA," Bird infuses guitar and piano more completely to create layered songs. The music works two ways: as great background noise for a mellow party and as a knot of troubling lyrics, incandescent harmonies and synergistic instruments to untangle and stretch out for increased comprehension. Key tracks include "Fiery Crash," a rolling opener straight out of cinematic opening credits, radio-ready quot;Heretics" and the graceful, poignant quot;Scythian Empires." The bottom line: If you liked the soundtrack to "Little Miss Sunshine," check this out.
Formally trained as a performance violinist, Bird began his career playing pre-war jazz, blues and traditional folk; he even got swept up in the late 90s swing revival. In 2001, with "The Swimming Hour," he found a new and unique jukebox blend of all genres and even threw in some classy rock.
Although the traditional violin, glockenspiel, whistling and drums are still present, on "AA," Bird infuses guitar and piano more completely to create layered songs. The music works two ways: as great background noise for a mellow party and as a knot of troubling lyrics, incandescent harmonies and synergistic instruments to untangle and stretch out for increased comprehension. Key tracks include "Fiery Crash," a rolling opener straight out of cinematic opening credits, radio-ready quot;Heretics" and the graceful, poignant quot;Scythian Empires." The bottom line: If you liked the soundtrack to "Little Miss Sunshine," check this out.
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