Source: http://stopcryingyourheartoutnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/liam-gallaghers-latest-twitter_23.html
The Tartans Neutral Milk Hotel Novillero One Night Only (band)
Source: http://otterlimits.blogspot.com/2010/11/top-3-films-ed-harris.html
Einst�rzende Neubauten (meaning Collapsing New Buildings) is a German experimental band founded in the early 1980s. The band's music at that time was unconventional, noisy, and aggressive, probably quite disturbing to the ears of a non-accustomed listener. I find it interesting, though... That noisy music was real pioneer work in the field of industrial music. More recently Einst�rzende Neubauten has given up the aggression and instead makes quieter music but still utilizes extraordinary sounds. Based on my first impression I would say that this band is more interested in any kind of unusual sounds that, well, the sounds of traditional rock instruments. Why use a regular drum kit, for instance, when you can bang different metallic objects? Then there is also Mr. Blixa Bargeld, the band's lead vocalist, an iconic goth character and real gentleman. Bargeld's voice is very low-tuned but that it definitely part of the charm. Add lyrics in German language (sometimes in English) and there you have it: something you most certainly haven't heard before (unless you already have...).
I haven't decided yet if missing Einst�rzende Neubauten's Tampere gig last Thursday was missing a chance of a lifetime and if I am going to be miserable and bitter right until the band's next anniversary tour. In any case, I am already quite convinced about the fact that seeing a band like this is a unique experience, no matter if you agree 100% with the band's musical preferences or not.
I can feel this is only the beginning..
Einst�rzende Neubauten at MySpace
Einst�rzende Neubauten website
Source: http://thoughtsonmelody.blogspot.com/2010/10/break-from-prejudice.html
Source: http://mligon08.blogspot.com/2010/10/belle-and-sebastian-zeus-massey-hall.html
The starter "Highway Star" chugs along on Glover's bass line until the abrupt screams of Gillan break through the speakers...and you've got a song about loving your car, or as Gillan reminds you..."Nobody's Gonna Take My Car!". Typical for Deep Purple's finer moments was the great solos coming from keyboardist Jon Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and their turns on "Highway Star" are nothing short of remarkable. Blackmore's guitar solo has to be one of the best of all time. Gillan's vocal chords are gold as well as screeches "I love her, I need her...". Two other well known AOR staples are "Lazy" which has Lord's Hammond organ swirling around the room like a church sermon in purgatory for the intro and "Space Truckin'" which shows how great of a drummer Ian Paice is with his snare drum roll at the end of the song sounding so tight you feel as though it could be illegal to play "that" tight. With "Lazy", by the time Gillan chimes in, you've already been through one of the greater jams with Blackmore delivering a great guitar line and Lord churning the organ relentlessly then Gillan's harmonica solo adds even more depth. With "Space Truckin'", as the song fades into oblivion with Gillan screaming and the rest of the band pounding out the incessant rhythm, you just don't want the album to end...but you feel as though the band is fading into oblivion, or into the heavy metal Milky Way. 
Source: http://www.jhostation.com/2010/11/deep-purple-machine-head-jho-hall-of.html
I nearly let this one pass by totally unnoticed, if the opening track `Stand By The Water` had been an uninteresting mediocre affair, we would not be talking Wildlife - Instead yours truly surrendered to this playful audio experience and ensured some conscious involvement. `Strike Hard, Young Diamond` is mildly evocative, a fine release which operates on multi-levels without yearning for familiar territory. Crashing Rock styles mixed with intensive guitar strumming, a amalgamation of jumpy Euro Powerpop and the coolest East Coast Indie - You just know the next track will be just as fascinating. `Matches` conjures up thoughts of a post-Punk Robert Smith musically turned inside out and spoon-fed liquid Prozac forming an unnerving smile. Satisfying and lyrically brilliant.
Source: http://mojophenia.blogspot.com/2010/11/wildlife-strike-hard-young-diamond.html
Pigeon Detectives The Most Serene Republic Nada Surf Pedro The Lion
Source: http://stopcryingyourheartoutnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/win-black-fur-trim-hooded-parka-from.html
The Postal Service St. Christopher The Lucksmiths The Ting Tings
Now that I have a new, extraordinary favorite I wish to share some of my thoughts concerning this experience. Here is a list of things I have learned to enjoy about Einst�rzende Neubauten (EN) in a very short time. EN is an enjoyable band even thought it has little to do with traditional pop or rock music. It is a band for those moments when you want something completely different... Now, the things I love about Einst�rzende Neubauten.
1. The Original Sound
Ever thought about the possibility of using random objects as musical instruments? Einst�rzende Neubauten has always been known for custom-made instruments that are a big part of the band's sound. Throughout its career EN's sound has been composed of unique instruments made out of scrap metal, pipes, machinery, and tools - they even have an airplane turbine! Yeah, that sounds like a way to be recognized as avant-garde, doesn't it? But remember: if you want to start with something easier, try the newer EN material first. Leave the drilling machines and squalling Blixa Bargeld for a later time.
2. The Drums
I have always been a sucker for wild rhythms. I enjoy many kinds of drum playing styles and although I often stick to music that doesn't emphasize the drum section all that much, grandiose, ultra-energetic (non-electronic!) drums make me drool. When I started to get into Einst�rzende Neubauten, one of the things that caught my ear were those intense drumming elements. It sounded so wild, like real African drumming. Einst�rzende Neubauten also uses a lot of strange, wonderful things as percussion, such as pipes, canisters and barrels resulting in a sound different from almost any other drum kit in the world.
Well... Now you might just tell me start listening to music that only has drums in it. I love grandiose rock drums, jazz drum solos, and many other things, but I don't think I would be kept very interested for long with only the sound of drums. Another thing is that I have always preferred non-electronic drums, meaning drum sounds that were played by a real person by banging a drum or another drummable object. All in all, I want my music with both good rhythms and other instruments, with various sounds.
3. The Unexpectedness
Whenever I listen to Einst�rzende Neubauten (especially those songs that I haven't listened much yet) I feel like anything could happen. There seems to be no way to know what will come next. And when the unexpected happens, you enjoy it. Then another wonderful phenomenon strikes in ? that is listening to a song that you recognize having heard before.
I have always thought that the secret behind music is repetition and getting familiar with the stuff you hear. You can't easily embrace music that sounds strange and unfamiliar. Everyone needs time to adjust to music ? that is why I don't recommend rejecting anything you haven't listend to properly and preferably several times.
4. The Dark Aesthetics
The gotchic aspects of Einst�rzende Neubauten can be heard almost everywhere in the band's music. Especially in Neubauten's early material the industrial sound is the obvious gothic element but a certain darkness tends to be present everywhere in the band's music. Dark ambient sounds are obvious in EN's 90s and 00s material. I also like to describe some of the newer material as industrial - sounds created with metallic objects (other than the usual cymbals) are industrial to me.
5. The Nuances
Music benefits a lot from strong nuances. It is not to say that nuances are an absolute necessity but they tend to be a great asset. EN uses nuances so effectively that they probably couldn't be used in a broader scale. With the music varying from minimalism and even total silence to infernal noise Einst�rzende Neubauten will fill your senses with the extremeties and everything in between.
6. Making interesting music with little emphasis on melody
Based on what I have found out about the band, Einst�rzende Neubauten is more interested in sounds and, yes, even the verbal side of its music than melodies. Still, probably most of EN's songs have melodies ? quite good ones, as a matter of fact. One of the band's strongest sides is making interesting music without those obvious, catchy pop melodies that I have grown so accustomed to. Sometimes I feel like some EN songs have too simple or monotonous melodies but... you get used to even those if you keep an open mind, perhaps even learn to see the melodic simplicity as a means of expressing something different.
Now, I can make a new statement about the most important thing in music. That is not necessarily melodies! Sound variation can be seen as an even more fundamental part of music, and the concept of sound variation does contain melodies as well. Of course any sound variation is not automatically good enough. The sound variation must be satisfactory to the listener or else it sounds for example bland or too complex.
From this perspective you can actually see that Einst�rzende Neubauten just happened to cross paths with me when I was in a suitable state of mind: ready to learn to love new ways of musical expression. It could have been some other band as well... Or maybe not. There are so many special positive characters in EN's music.
7. The Persistence
Einst�rzende Neubauten is currently on its 30th anniversary tour. 30 years is a good age for any band, especially for the ones that still have plenty of creativity left at that point. EN is currently unsigned but has operated as a self-releasing band for several years now, gathering supporters and giving out exclusive material to the supporting fans.
8. The Language
German is a great language, although not known for absolute beauty. However, if you think about it, softly pronounced German sounds a lot like French. German is also a good choice if you want to be particularly emphatic... I studied German in high school for two years and enjoyed it a great deal, but I don't understand German much.. It should be noted, though, that EN keeps changing the singing language in many songs. There are parts of songs or entire songs in English and French, even something in Spanish, I think.
9. The Artistic Versatility
Einst�rzende Neubauten has never been limited to just performing music. There have been projects concerning film and theater and the live gigs have even been said to include elements from performance art. If I am not mistaken, everyone in the current line-up has released solo material. For instance, Blixa Bargeld is an author, actor and spoken word artist ? some people have reported him being quite a stand-up comedian. He has also recorded an album of Bertolt Brecht's poetry.
10. The Inspiration
As a pioneer of industrial music and an icon of experimental/avantgarde music, EN has inspired numerous other music makers with crazy, inventive, revolutionary ideas. EN's music is just as enjoyable as it is difficult to categorize. After being exposed to EN's music for only about a week I started feeling like I should try to make music of my own in EN style!
To cut a long story short, I really like this band and the fact that there is sort of an intriguing battle between different aesthetical views going on in my head right now. In many ways I have already accepted these new musical beauty standards as my own. It's good to broaden the horizons. I feel like a winner.
Some (mostly live) videos from YouTube:
Source: http://thoughtsonmelody.blogspot.com/2010/11/10-reasons-to-love-einsturzende.html
Source: http://www.beehivecandy.com/2010/10/2010fm-october-edition-three.html
Source: http://otterlimits.blogspot.com/2010/12/nfl-roundup-2010-week-15.html
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The album is also available from iTunes.
Source: http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2010/12/alana-grace-with-one-word.html
Pernice Brothers The Postal Service St. Christopher The Lucksmiths
Art is expression. It?s an expression of what the artist is feeling, observing, studying or experiencing. The audience who receives the artistic expression is then tasked with interpreting it for him or herself. In the case of a painter, the audience looks at the painting and decides how it makes them feel and in that moment gets a glimpse into what the artist wanted to express with the painting. The same goes for music. When a musician performs a song, the audience experiences the music and lyrics (if there are any) and reacts to it. However, the audience is usually at the mercy of the performer(s) when it comes to what the expression will be. The audience does not get to request that the painter?s next painting be similar in tone and appearance to the last painting he or she produced. The same goes for musicians. We as the audience are not in charge of what direction the musician takes his or her music. We are simply presented with the artistic expression and asked to experience it. Expression :: Experience.
When Sufjan Stevens released his breakthrough album ?Michigan?, he won a legion of fans based on the lush orchestrations, tender lyrics and creative concept of the album. Those fans voraciously devoured his next offerings as well, caught up in the impossible dream of an artist releasing 50 albums of state-themed songs. When Sufjan decided to leave the concept by the wayside, many fans were saddened, but they knew that Stevens would still be making beautiful music even if it wasn?t about Oregon or Texas. Following the release of ?Illinois?, Steven seemed to withdraw from the spotlight a little. He released an album of Illinois B-sides (that sounded like B-sides), a charming Christmas box set of previously recorded material and then fell silent for 3 years. Reports suggested Stevens was giving up music entirely in favor of creative prose. Interviews seemed to support those reports as Stevens? expressed frustration with his own musical endeavors. When he finally surfaced again, it was with a music and film project commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (?The BQE?). After performing the piece live to rave reviews, he released a CD/DVD set of the performance. The largely wordless album was an exploration of classical music and visual art and drew rave reviews. Still, rumors of a new ?proper LP? persisted.
This fall, Stevens self-released a digital EP of beautiful, sprawling compositions entitled ?All Delighted People?. This, at long last, seemed to be a sign of what was to come: long form, lush pieces of music that captured the spirit of the earlier albums and pushed the form to its limits and beyond, complemented by shorter acoustic numbers. Then, not long after, the arrival of a new LP was announced.
This past week, Steven released ?The Age of Adz? - a jolting, glitchy, noisy, fussy and dark album of songs about lost love and the attempts to recover from it. This was not what the audience was anticipating. In the 5 years following the release of ?Illinois?, Stevens seems to have gone through a lot of hardship in his personal life and, rather than retreat into library research for a new album as before, he mined the dark catacombs of his own depression and emerged with a gem of an album unlike any of his others. If any similarities are to be found, you?d have to dig back to Stevens? first two albums, both of which feature elements of experimentation and electronics. If anything, Michigan/Seven Swans/Illinois may have been a detour rather than a new route.
Which brings me to last Saturday night?s concert at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis. Coming a mere 5 days after ?The Age of Adz? was officially released (pre-orders were downloaded two weeks ahead of the release date), the show was sold out and the crowd was hungry for the first big concert for Stevens in Minneapolis since 2005. Anticipating a night of songs about states and swans, the crowd was unprepared for what would transpire.
The show opened with a gorgeous 4 song set by Sufjan?s Asthmatic Kitty label-mate D.M. Stith. Stith used an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal to create layer upon layer of sound for his soft songs. He seemed the perfect opener for a show centered the vastly layered compositions of Sufjan Stevens. Unfortunately, Stith began his set a little before the published 8pm start time and much of the audience wasn?t even seated for the set. After the show people were still asking ?Who was that opening guy??
Finally, Sufjan emerged to hearty applause and picked up his signature banjo before playing a rocked up version of ?Seven Swans?. The audience immediately noticed the large band backing up the frontman. Two full drums sets were placed on either side of the stage, facing each other. Two guitarists and two female singers/dancers in goofy silver costumes were placed behind Stevens and a brass section resided on the right back wing along with an bearded electronics player. D.M. Stith played an upright piano to Stevens? left. A new addition to center stage was a small synth station for Stevens himself.
After finishing the opener to much applause, Sufjan took the mic and explained that they would be singing some songs about ?love and heartache?, but they would make it more enjoyable with some ?funky dance?. From there, he launched into a set that consisted of almost every track from ?Adz? with some of ?All Delighted People??s minor tracks interspersed. The crowd was caught completely off guard. As Sufjan himself engaged in the dancing and video of Stevens voguing like a model were projected behind the stage, the audience began to squirm a little. As the set went on, some audience members walked out of the show. Others sat in stunned silence, engaging in nominal applause after each song. The mood in the air was clear: the majority of the crowd did not know these songs and many didn?t like them. Stevens must have felt it too, commenting at one point ??everything?s happening so fast. Just an hour ago he was playing the banjo.?? The dissonant, pounding energy of these brokenhearted missives was not what many in the audience were there for.
This became quite clear as Steven came to the end of the 25 minute song ?Impossible Soul?. Stevens and the band got tripped up in the closing sections, had to stop and reset before finally finishing the song with a grin and a shrug. Then the piano played the opening notes to the song ?Chicago? and the audience erupted in wild applause for a familiar and popular song from the back catalog (and probably Stevens? best known track). The band played through the song with much energy and left the stage to a thunderous ovation. After the prolonged applause, the band returned in part and played three more old, softer songs for an encore and said good night. It was a whispering end to a screaming show.
As the audience filed out, comments circulated such as ?that was terrible?, ?I didn?t get it?, ?I wish he would have played [Song XYZ]?. It was clear that many had been ambushed by the new material and felt cheated. One published review of the show called it ?one of the most disappointing, messiest shows I've seen in years by a performer I actually enjoy and admire.? Other reviews echoed that and stated that the music was often off key or just bad.
I?ve probably already tipped my hand, but I?m going to argue that this was a fantastic concert. Stevens? new material obviously grew out of a personal, emotional experience. It?s the most personal music that he has ever released. In fact, portions of the songs on ?The Age of Adz? contain actual self-talk where Stevens implores himself to pull it together, to follow his heart and to overcome the panic inside. This is raw, emotional exposure that is not found on any of his previous works. I think that Stevens? dark night of the soul resulted in him banishing his usual routine and taking an artistic journey in an attempt to come to terms with his losses.
This brings me to the question that I?ve been pondering ever since I shuffled out of the Orpheum with a legion of grumbling fans all around me: Does an artist have an obligation to give his audience what they want? Do they owe us? In some ways that is a rhetorical question, but in other ways it?s not. When a musician plays a concert, is he or she actually obligated to play the hit, crowd-pleasing songs for the people who paid money to hear them? I would argue that while the audience has paid to attend a show, they have no right to demand an artist perform to satisfy their specific desires. Like I said in the beginning: artists present their expression and the audience must simply experience whatever that expression may be. In this case, Sufjan Stevens is in a place in his life where he needs to express these darker, difficult things in song and he has chosen to do that in a very different way than before. Some fans (myself included) will applaud his expression as admirable in its honesty and in the choice of timbre. Other fans will be disappointed that Steven has changed direction, but they can only affect their own experience and not his expression. Stevens, along with many artists before him, have asked their audience to experience with him something that changed his life by experiencing a change in his art. That?s putting a lot of faith and trust in your audience, but I believe that Stevens has earned that trust.
So while it?s unfortunate that many in the audience had not had a chance to listen to ?Adz? before attending the show, that does not mean that the show was bad. In fact, hearing these songs live has given me much more of an appreciation for the album itself. I find so much more feeling and poetry in these glitchy, dissonant songs than I had found at first listen. And to those complaining that some songs were off key, you?ll learn that those same songs have dissonant, ?off-key? elements on the studio recordings as well. Basically, the band was incredible in reproducing staggeringly complicated songs live. I still can?t get over how tight the two drummers were throughout the set.
I should also mention that, having seen Stevens live twice before, he has come a long way as a stage man. At previous shows he had a definite air of subtle stage-fright as he mumbled song names into the mic and looked down more than up. On Saturday, he launched into a prolonged monologue about the schizophrenic painter who inspired many of these songs (Royal Robertson). He chuckled and threw out one-liners between songs. Oh, and he danced a lot and put on goofy hats. This is light years away from what I?d seen from him before. This is an artist growing into his own skin in more ways than one.
In conclusion, Sufjan Stevens put on a fantastic show. The artistry and vulnerability that he put on display in those 2 hours may not have looked like many in the audience thought it would look, but it was overwhelmingly beautiful in its way. Perhaps if more people had had a chance to listen and react to ?Adz? beforehand things would have been different. Perhaps people would actually have been dancing in the aisles rather than sitting in shocked silence. ?Adz? has garnered many positive reviews since its release, so maybe the fans will catch the spirit of the album and love it. Maybe this will become a new standard in the indie music community. Just as Sufjan Stevens popularized the previously ignored banjo as a instrument in indie music, maybe young musicians will look for creative ways to use autotune and processed beats in their own music now too. I don?t know. What I do know is that I believe artists succeed most when they push themselves the furthest. When I hear an album that sounds exactly like the album before it, I am slightly disappointed. When I hear an album that sounds like the artist was desperate to express their joys and sorrows while also pushing the limits of their sound, I experience those joys and sorrows with them and am deeply grateful.
What do you think? Do artists have an obligation to please their concert-going fans? Should artists play sets that may not please fans and could even alienate fans going forward? I?d love to hear more thoughts on this.
Full Concert Setlist:
Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
I Walked
The Owl & the Tanager
Vesuvius
Get Real Get Right
Now That I'm Older
Enchanting Ghost
Impossible Soul
Chicago
ENCORE:
Concerning the UFO sighting Near Highland, Illinois
Casimir Pulaski Day
The Dress Looks Nice on You
Photos via The TC Daily Planet.
Source: http://iguitaround.blogspot.com/2010/10/sufjan-stevens-at-orpheum-theatre-in.html
The Boston Arms, Tufnell Park, London hosts the `Dirty Water Records` one-day, all-day, all-night festival on the 20th of this month. A multi-band Alt-Garage frenzy with guest DJ`s to kick you into the very early hours. As of last press, pre-order tickets are still available to purchase directly and a small number will be on sale that day at the venue. We still think cramming a large number of Garage heads with an unlimited supply of Vox induced fuzz can only lead to major psychosis. 
Learn More And Buy A Ticket
Source: http://mojophenia.blogspot.com/2010/11/dirty-water-all-day-garage-fest-20th.html
