by Caroline Klibanoff
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Blind Love” (Tom Waits)
I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt like most people love Zoe Deschanel: shamelessly and with abandon. So naturally when I came across this gem, a casual home-recorded (yeah right… only because there’s obviously a fully equipped studio in his home) version of Tom Waits’ “Blind Love” off the quintessential 1985 album Rain Dogs, I was elated. But then came the fear. What if it was bad? What if he couldn’t sing, or didn’t get Waits’ whole thing, and butchered the song like some other actors I could name? This could be tragic. Read More »
by Catherine DeGennaroSometimes it’s all too tempting to pigeonhole the beardy and bespectacled gentlemen of alternative music. Each crafting his own brand of the thinking man’s pop song. All crooning those literary lyrics. But despite blending in inconspicuously with his contemporaries, Jamie Lidell’s sound stands out, sitting more comfortably among the likes of Stevie Wonder and Sly & The Family Stone. It’s clear from the video for “The Ring,” the single from his newest release, Compass, that Jamie has a lot of soul. Or perhaps that he has a lot of sand in his pants. Maybe both. That being said, his manic twitches and convulsions are not at all ill suited to the feel of Compass as a whole. All written and recorded in a few frantic fell swoops, Compass plays like an album that was, well… all written and recorded in a few frantic fell swoops. Coasting in on the tailwinds of his collaboration with Beck, Wilco and Feist on the Record Club’s recreation of Skip Spencer’s Oar, Lidell’s work on Compass draws from the same manic, experimental energy with many of the same players contributing. And as with most things done with manic, experimental energy, the results on the album are exciting, if inconsistent. Read More »
Last Wednesday in Atlanta Caroline Klibanoff sat down with The Moondoggies before they headed to Bonnaroo and DC tonight. The interview is a bit noisy, but the friendly Seattle four-piece opened up about heir break from the local Seattle scene, the music they grew up on, improving their stage banter and of course the inevitable animal-fighting WGTB question of 2010.
They play tonight at the 9:30 Club, opening for Blitzen Trapper, and it’s a show you don’t want to miss. Check out the interview and stay tuned for Jared Iversen’s review of their newest album, later this week.
Moondoggies interview by WGTB Blog Read More »
HEALTH:Disco::Get Color:Disco2. Anyone familiar with pre-2002 SAT analogy jargon can easily decipher that colon-enjambed phrase as “HEALTH’s self-titled debut album HEALTH is to Disco, the remix of said album, as Get Color, the same group’s second album is to Disco 2, the band’s second remix.” Duh.
by Dominique BarronIf all you knew about Sage Francis was that he is a hip hop artist you might be a little confused when you first start listening to his latest album release, Li(f)e. The intro to the opening track, “Little Houdini,” sounds as if it belongs in a folk song, far away from the thought-provoking lyrics of a heartfelt rapper. I am a big fan of artists who aren’t afraid to create music that bends genre expectations and Sage Francis does just this. If you were to separate the instrumentals from the lyrics it would sound like two completely unrelated albums. Read More »
Blitzen Trapper & The MoondoggiesJune 9, 2010
Ed. note: These guys are playing the 9:30 Club in DC on Monday night, and I highly recommend going– their live show is incredible and you don’t want to miss it. Tickets here.
by Caroline Klibanoff
Fact #1: Blitzen Trapper is miles better live than on their studio albums. Fact #2: Blitzen Trapper is miles better live than a whole lot of other live indie-rock acts, something that became clear when they brought down the house Wednesday night in Atlanta, playing a full set and encore replete with a capella breaks, wailing guitar solos, glimmering keys and tambourines. Since it was a weekday show, the crowd wasn’t too big, but the band put up a valiant effort, often adopting the rare breed of the 3-axe band with three guitars, one bass, drums, and keys (see below).
Read More »
