Concert Announcement: A.A. Bondy & more...

The promising concert dates are starting to roll in for the Lawrence and KC area. Another Jeopardy of Contentment favorite A.A. Bondy will be at The Jackpot in Lawrence on Friday, January 29th. His most recent album, When The Devil's Loose, is another strong effort and certainly will find a place high up on my best albums of the year list.

There are a few other noteworthy announcements that I missed over the last week or so. As always, check HERE for the full concert calendar.

12/03 Spoon/The Bravery/Metric/Hockey @ The Midland, KC
01/26 Yo La Tengo @ The Granada, Lawrence
01/28 The Life and Times @ The Record Bar, KC
01/31 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ The Jackpot, Lawrence
02/21 Alice In Chains @ The Midland, KC
02/28 Dropkick Murphys @ The Beaumont Club, KC
03/14 Flogging Molly @ The Uptown, KC
04/03 Tegan and Sara @ The Uptown, KC
04/14 Rogue Wave @ The Bottleneck, Lawrence

-Matt

Video: The Antlers - 'Kettering'

I've already gushed about The Antlers album, Hospice, here before. In recent weeks after returning to the album again, it's begun to inch it's way in front of Sunset Rubdown for my favorite album of 2009. Few albums this year or this decade have had an emotional impact on me like Hospice has. It really is an album meant to be listened to the whole way through to appreciate the theme and story it tells. Here is a video for one of the best songs from the album, 'Kettering'. This fan made video pairs the haunting song with photos mostly taken from Flikr pages. It really does the song justice, enjoy...




-Matt

Video: Wild Beasts - 'All the King's Men'

Another surprise album this year is from British group Wild Beasts. Their second full length album, Two Dancers, is a solid album from start to finish. It's sure to find it's way in my top 20 albums of the year. Here's what's becoming one of my favorite songs of the year, 'All the King's Men', performed live in Juan's Basement from P4K TV.



-Matt

Baroness - Blue Record

Metal doesn't get talked about too much here, but it's not a genre that I overlook. A lot of what gets recommended to me I can't get into because of the screaming vocals. There are a few bands that are able to nicely blend screaming with singing and those bands are the ones I enjoy the most. Truth be told, everything I love about Metal can be found in the second full length album by Georgia band Baroness. It's heavy and intense but yet it's really beautiful at times as well. All that and the fact that there are actual melodies as well and I'm sold. I would be surprised if this isn't in my top 10 albums of the year, it really is that good.

Below you can watch the video for 'A Horse Called Golgotha' off Blue Record:




-Matt

Concert Announcement: St. Vincent

It's been a long time since I've done one of these worth noting. St. Vincent will making an appearance in Lawrence on February 15th at The Bottleneck. St. Vincent is Annie Clark who has previously played with The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens touring band. Annie herself is quite accomplished in here solo career as St. Vincent though. 2007's Marry Me (which is extra noteworthy since it's name was taken from the greatest TV show ever, Arrested Development) and this years Actor are both worth checking out.

Here's the video for 'Marrow' from the album Actor:



St. Vincent Myspace

-Matt

New Music: Dead Man's Bones

It's certainly an interesting enough back-story: Actor Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields form the band after canning plans to do a musical monster/ghost love story for the stage. When they realized how much money the whole thing would cost they decide skip the play and keep going with the music part of it. To be honest, whenever an actor decides to start making music, it's usually horrible. There are certain exceptions (although I'm having problems thinking of many other than She & Him and, of course, This) but overall it's pretty consistent. When details began to surface about the Dead Man's Bones project and the addition of the Silverlake Children's Choir it began to sound more and more intriguing.

I'll admit the band name, album concept and early October release date make it all seem a little like a holiday album. Something that will be fun to bust out a few times before Halloween each year. It will be that album too and there is nothing wrong with that. After spinning it at least a dozen times in the past few days I'm seeing that after the cuteness wears off there are some fantastic songs in here. The Children's Choir will really be a make or break point for a lot of people on this album. I was hesitant about a choir too until I actually heard it. The kids really do add a lot to the songs and they never overshadow any of the album.

I've included a few of the best songs below from the record. You'll see the band is a bit all over the map with their style. 'My Body's A Zombie For You' sounds like Arcade Fire making a Halloween tune and should be on every Halloween mix from here on out. Dead Man's Bones proves to be more than an actor delving into the music world as Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields really did end up putting out an overall great album from start to finish. If you want to get this, make sure you get it before Halloween, but I'd imagine it will get plenty of play afterward as well.

My Body's A Zombie For You:



In the Room Where You Sleep:



Pa Pa Power:



-Matt

Concert Announcement: Another (Promising) Buzz Show

I feel bad plugging another 96.5 The Buzz sponsored show two posts in a row, because frankly, the station sucks. Other than the two hours each Saturday that Robert Moore has his show and Resurrection Sunday, the station isn't worth listening to. But they are having another "Halloweenie Roast" concert this year and the lineup is strange but intriguing: Jet, Flock of Seagulls, The Raveonettes, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and White Rabbits.

Yes, Flock of Seagulls...



Now if you know me then you know me then you know I love the music from the 80's and not in a cheeky, ironic way either. I really think that the music of that decade will be looked back on as being as good as any other decade. Flock of Seagulls are a perfect example, most people only know 'I Ran' and they should. It's a fantastic and iconic pop tune but it's not nearly as good as one of my favorite songs of the decade, 'Space Age Love Song'. Watch the video for 'Space Age Love Song' below, although the video hasn't aged very well, the song has and it's is a way better Flock of Seagulls song then the more famous 'I Ran'. I originally was just going to post the audio, but 80's videos are so fantastically ridiculous that I included the video too.



Enough about A Flock of Seagulls because most of the rest of the lineup is just as interesting.

First off is headliner Jet, who are fucking horrible. Check out what may be the greatest Pitchfork review of all time for Jet's sophomore album (Possibly NSFW).

Also appearing are:

• The Raveonettes: A fun boy-girl duo that I've never seen live but have always enjoyed on record.
• Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears: These guys make new soul/funk music that sounds 40 years old and in a good way.
• White Rabbits: A great indie rock band written about here many times before.

The concert is Wednesday October 28th outside and inside of The Beaumont Club. The headliners below will be playing outside while a few different local bands will play inside. Tickets are approximately 10 bucks and go on sale tomorrow morning. I'll be there and I'll be leaving after A Flock of Seagulls are done playing.

-Matt

Upcoming (Free) Show: Passion Pit This Thursday

Despite the crap that actually flows over their airwaves most of the time, 96.5 The Buzz actually gets some pretty good bands to free shows in KC. This time Passion Pit will be playing an all ages show ($5 charge for minors) outside at The Beaumont Club on Thursday night. Local bands Audiovox and The Roman Numerals will open along with some band called Owl City. Passion Pit have hit the relative big time as far as indie bands go. They seem to be at that level of notoriety where they might get booked for SNL. Also, if you don't remember that far back, Kevin wrote about them over a year ago HERE.

Originally I read the doors opened at 6, but this is what's on the Buzz's website:

8pm - Doors
9pm- Audiovox
9:35pm - Roman Numerals
10:25pm - Owl City
11:25pm - Passion Pit

Here's a couple of Passion Pit videos in case you need motivation for this show. Both these songs can be found off their full length album, Manners. First is a live performance of 'Sleepyhead' from pitchfork.tv:



Here's the video for 'The Reeling':




-Matt

Video: Monsters of Folk on Conan

Although it's one of my least favorite tracks on a promising collaboration between Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward and Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), it's still pretty cool seeing all three of them on stage together. The rest of the album is still sinking in but the lead single 'Say Please' is a little to Willburyish for me. Recorded under the name Monsters of Folk, the album is out as of yesterday, so pick it up.

'Say Please' on Conan:




-Matt

RIP: Jim Carroll

Rest in Piece, Jim.



Drive-By Truckers cover:



-Matt

Photos: Ben Nichols (Lucero) Solo Acoustic Show

Last night I caught Ben Nichols of Lucero at a solo acoustic performance at 1819 Central Gallery in KC. Lucero was in town opening for Cross Canadian Ragweed at The Crossroads and although I wasn't able to make it to the show, I did catch the pre-show solo performance and I'm really glad I did. Ben came in with a guitar and a handle of Jameson and took requests for almost an hour in the corner of the Art Gallery. It was a fantastic performance and the lady friend was able to catch a few snapshots of Ben on my phone.

-Matt

Upcoming Show: Murder By Death @ The Bottleneck Saturday Night

If you've never heard of the Indiana band Murder By Death and are fan of the music promoted on this site, there is a good chance you are missing out on your new favorite band. Their sound could be described as the perfect mixture of Punk-Rock and Americana, with one of the most engaging vocalists around today.

Here's a better description from the bands record label, Vagrant:

"If you're not yet familiar with MURDER BY DEATH, the best way to describe them is probably "Americana-noir." Their latest album, Red of Tooth and Claw is like a modern version of Homer's Odyssey where the characters aren't as noble. Frontman Adam Turla's voice has been likened to Nick Cave and Johnny Cash, and he's backed by a talented band (including a cellist!) that fully understand how to convey the grit and drama of the Old West through their music. Any fan will tell you they're absolutely captivating live, very in tune with their instruments and their craft. Since the early 2008 release of Red of Tooth and Claw, they've done several headlining tours (both in the US and overseas; the most recent US tour this past spring was mostly sold out), they're working on a split 7" covers series with a number of artists (so far, Amanda Palmer, William Elliott Whitmore and O'Death have shared wax with them for the project, with more to come), they've also begun writing a new record. And though it's not a Vagrant release, they've also worked with sci-fi/fantasy/horror writer Jeff VanderMeer to create an instrumental soundtrack to go along with his forthcoming novel Finch. Also, fun fact: their song "Comin' Home" is featured in a recent trailer for the new Quentin Tarantino film Inglorious Basterds. TONS of cool stuff going on in that camp, and I urge you to check them out if you haven't heard them yet: http://www.myspace.com/murderbydeath"

I had the chance to check them out a few years ago at the Bleeding Kansas festival and although I hadn't heard of them at the time, their performance led me to check out anything they had put to record. Their most recent effort, 2008's Red of Tooth and Claw, is a great place to start.

They'll be at The Bottleneck in Lawrence tomorrow night and I can only imagine they've gotten even better live in the years since I've seen them. This is definitely a show not to miss.

-Matt

Concert Announcement: Dirty Projectors, Jason Isbell, The Swell Season, more...

Quite a few concerts announced since the last time I threw one of these up here. Dirty Projectors get top billing since Kevin (who use to write for this blog back every once in a while) is a big fan of their most recent effort Bitta Orca. I'm kind of on the fence about it but I think it's got a few great songs on it. Either way they'll be in Lawrence on November 9th at The Granada, it should be a good one.

Other big announcements include Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, The Swell Season, Meat Puppets, Art Brut and Passion Pit. See below for the recent shows and the full list is still RIGHT HERE.

10/01 Passion Pit/Owl City/Roman Numerals @ The Back Yard at the Beaumont, KC (Free Show)
10/02 Moby (DJ Set) @ The Beaumont Club, KC
10/07 Sian Alice Group @ The Record Bar, KC
10/30 Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit @ The Bottleneck, Lawrence
11/02 Fu Manchu @ The Jackpot, Lawrence11/04 Bouncing Souls @ The Beumont Club, KC
11/06 Meat Puppets/Grant Hart (from Husker Du) @ The Record Bar, KC
11/07 Art Brut @ The Bottleneck, Lawrence
11/09 Dirty Projectors @ The Granada, Lawrence
11/13 The King Khan & BBQ Show @ The Jackpot, Lawrence
11/21 Electric Six @ The Riot Room, KC
11/23 Minus The Bear @ The Granada, Lawrence
11/30 The Swell Season @ The Uptown, KC


-Matt

Upcoming Show: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

In one of the big surprises of the year so far, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have put out the most enjoyable new album I've heard in the past month or so. The LA band's debut Up From Below is getting press as a mix between Arcade Fire and the Mama's and Papa's. It reminds me a little bit more of I'm From Barcelona, if not only because of the massive number of band members. Either way it's a fantastic debut album and lucky for all of us they will be in Lawrence at the Jackpot Music Hall on Tuesday, September 8th. If you don't believe me on how catchy this group is, check out what are quickly becoming two of my favorite tracks of the year.


Home:



40 Day Dream:



-Matt

Tickets for Springsteen? Pricey!

Our good friend Matt recently reported to me that he spent triple digits per ticket for the upcoming show. As he pointed out, he'd rather spend the money and get great seats for his first time seeing The Boss, and that is valid. Plus, it's doubtful you'll walk away from a Springsteen show feeling cheated. "You know, he just didn't seem to put much into it. Reall went through the motions."

After seven months of blankness, this information finally sparked a creative idea for another post, albeit a short one: What band or artist would you pay triple digits to see? This actually has me hard-pressed, as I'm a tight-ass. I can't off the bat fire off someone without thinking, unlike Matt, who will share it in his comment. And I'm not talking about bands that are gone, or people who are dead. I mean, right now.

My initial knee-jerk reaction would be the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, but I already saw Page/Plant in 1995, and nothing can top that, even without John Paul Jones not being there (and that was cheap- only 40 bucks or so at Kemper). After that, I don't know. Maybe I've lost a little passion to see people live, but I'm so used to club shows and 20 dollar tickets I can't fathom paying over a 100, and most of the bands I want to see tend to be at that club level.

Maybe I need to paint a certain scenario, like a big band playing at an intimate venue, once of those once in a lifetime moments, or bands who broke up but get back together to do a show. I also need to think about the idea of seeing a band with a great live reputation. So here's a short list:

Sleater Kinney
The Hives
Prince (if he rejects his faith and gets back with The Revolution)
Radiohead

That's all I got. More curious to hear from other people