Black Mountain with Blood on the Wall, Feb. 15 @ The Earl

Blood on the Wall





Black Mountain:





Thoughts:
Whoa.

OK, so here's the thing: I am a fan of Black Mountain. Ever since their self-titled debut in 2005, I've been on 'em. I was even more stoked to hear that their first single, “Tyrants” off their newest album, In the Future, was an impeccable seven-plus minutes. Can't ever go wrong with that.

Honestly, after seeing Liars, I didn't think I'd have any leftover energy to see Black Mountain. It was one of those things where I rocked out so hard at the previous show that I wasn't expecting BM to impress me as much. I mean, Liars is one of my favorite bands. Just a terribly hard act to follow, y'know?

But I'll be damned if those Canadian summabitches surprised the shit out of me last night when I saw their performance. I knew it was gonna be good, correct; but I did not expect it to reach the level of brilliance. I mean, they rocked hard. It's been a while since I've been to a good ol' fashioned, straight-up rock show. It's refreshing, man, because anything that sounds remotely like classic rock is gonna be up my alley. Goddam. I felt like I was in a time warp to 1971, man. Prog rock lives on!

Also: Blood on the Wall had a solid performance. I couldn't help but think Pixies influence—with a dabble of The Vaselines influence—while listening to them.

Liars with No Age, Feb. 14 @ The Earl

No Age:





Liars:





Thoughts:
So as some of you may know, I have been looking forward to this show since November. It was definitely the most anticipated show of the year for me. And boy, did it not disappoint.

It's been a while since I've gone to a show where I caught the opening act. I used to go to shows all the time just so I could see the opening act, but then I grew super elitist and was like, “Bah, who cares—the opening act is probably gonna suck anyway. New music just doesn't strike me anymore.” And now, I have gotten over that 12-month slump of thought and have reverted to my original passion of going to shows and enjoying the possibility of knowing a new act.

No Age certainly isn't a new act with the hip kids out there, but during my elitist stupor, I overlooked 'em. Fortunately, I was presented an opportunity to get to know who the hell these kids were about and freakin' loved 'em! They knocked me out the box (Rick)! First off, I didn't even know they were a duo making all that noise, and second, they were the perfect opening act for Liars. So, yeah, thank you, No Age for that.

And of course, Liars. Oh, Liars. LiarsLiarsLiars. Need I say more? I mean, seriously—need I? Need I elaborate on the state of happiness I was in as soon as I saw Angus Andrews walk onstage, dressed in a magenta suit? I literally became a little girl when I saw him. Giggles galore. Freakin' loved it. Starting out a show with “Leather Prowler” is too much to bear.

People were saying it was gonna be a “tame” Liars show because Andrews blew out his back a few weeks back before they kicked off their tour. So for the most part, he was sitting in a chair, but then he'd feel the moment and just WAMMO! Out the chair he goes and up the air he went, as if possessed by his own band's genius. I couldn't help but think, “Hmmm. So this is how the kids who were lucky to see Frank Zappa live felt.”

Trailers: Be Kind Rewind.

Dear Michel Gondry:

Did you happen to use your Science of Sleep methods to turn my comedic wet dream into reality? Otherwise, how else would you explain casting Mos Def and Jack Black to co-star in your next film? Oh. It's because you're a brilliant visionary? That makes sense.

Love,

Amber

p.s. Thanks for casting Danny Glover, too. It's good to see him in more artsy film roles.

Thank you, Parenthetical Girls, for giving us one of the greatest songs ever.

Parenthetical Girls - C-86 Is Killing My Life (Xiu Xiu Mix)

Stumbled across it while looking for mp3s off Xiu Xiu's new album, and my jaws dropped immediately. This song, literally, is one of the greatest songs ever (ish). What the world needs now is not love, Jackie DeShannon, a.k.a. Miss Know-It-All, but more songs to sound this delicious.

Cat Power's album cover makes me almost forget I ever adored her.

My gah, this album cover is horrific. What the hell is happening to Chan Marshall? Ever since Karl Lagerfield spotted her smoking a cigarette outside a NYC hotel, she went from talented musician to muse. Is she Nico now?

Don't get me wrong--I'm all about cultural versatility, but goddam, let's not bore me. I tried very hard to get into The Greatest, but I must say, I'm a hardcore You Are Free gal, so whenever I mention how much I adore Marshall's music, it'll only be in reference to that album. Well, I will say I enjoyed "Hate" off The Greatest, but that's really all I got. Don't get me wrong--the album's solid, but in order for me to consider adding an album to my collection, it has to be more than "solid."

Nevertheless, Cat Power will forever be remembered as the brilliant musician who brought us You Are Free. That album is--and I barely say this--flawless. Yes, flawless, as in, not a single mistake in the album. But it's kind of unfortunate because she was apparently battling alcoholism during this time period and beyond. But hey, great art is great art.

For old time's sake--listen:

Basically, Sweden is for hustlahs.

I've been thinking this for some time now, so I can now say I'm 100 percent ready to say what I'm about to say: Sweden rules, particularly Gothenburg. In the past three years alone, the damn country has trumped 'em all as the new home of not good, but GREAT independent rock. I even had this conversation with my homebody Whitney as we both pondered if there was ever a band we disliked from Sweden. Couldn't come up with one. Well, I'm not a huge fan of super twee as fuck pop group I'm From Barcelona!, but I don't dislike them, nonetheless.

I really would like to do a project on the music scene there. Any country that allows a huge artistic following, especially music, is fantastic.

Here are some of the artists I adore:


Boy, oh boy. Dungen, which is basically Gustav Ejstes doing all the instrumentation for the studio album but has a traveling band for tours, is the band that sparked my interest in the Swedish music scene. His second LP, Ta Det Lungt, which translates to "Take It Easy," transported me back to 1971 when psychedelia was pretty much dead but was turned into jam rock before jam rock got too hippie and repetitive. Anyway, I was super obsessed with Ta Det Lungt and deemed it a Top 3 fave album of 2005. To be honest, I've only heard a few tracks off his new album he put out late last year, but from what I've heard, it's pretty magnificent. I mean, it's Dungen. How can it be anything else?
Listen:



When I bought José Gonzalez's debut full length, Veneer, I was utterly amazed that music the he was putting out was actually from the 00s. When I listened to his soft, solemn vocals along with his basic acoustic chords, I immediately thought Nick Drake--not necessarily comparing Gonzalez with the late innovative slowcore folk musician, but the fact that his music put me in the same place that Drake's music does. Although The Knife's "Heartbeats" lyrically was a serious song, musically you overlooked them because you were too busy dancing to that hot beat. But once you got a hold of José's version, it became 100 times clearer: heartbreak is a bad motherfucker. I got the privilege to catch this homie live in fall 2006 and was beyond impressed, because I never know what to expect with a solo artist performing. He didn't say much to the crowd, but he killed it. He ended it with a cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" that was so fierce that I really couldn't listen to the real version again.
Listen:
Jose Gonzalez - Smalltown Boy



Oh, Jens. Jens, Jens, Jens, Jens, Jens. You know he means something to me if I chose him as my very first topic to inaugurate my blog, as well as he being my first Artist of the Week recipient. What can I say? He's the shit. Quite the charmer, that guy. I am glad that was just a hoax when he said he's never making another album until he finds his true love. I guess he realized he was only 23 when he said that silly shit. He's a special case, that guy.
Listen:
Jens Lekman - Pocketful Of Money



My post on the sweetness that is El Perro Del Mar was the inspiration of this entry. I still can't stop listening to her new joint, How Did We Forget?" I already embellished on my feelings towards Del Mar, so I'll just put up a link to one of her older hits.
Listen:
El Perro Del Mar - People



To be honest, I didn't think I'd like Peter, Bjorn and John because of "Young Folks" being everywhere--on the college radio, on VH1, yada. And I thought they were gonna join those I'm From Barcelona! cats into twee-dom. But I actually took the aforementioned Whitney's recommendation and said, "Why not?" Boy, was I pleased. It's kinda weird because I didn't want to admit I liked them for a while for some odd reason; maybe it's because they're so adorable and poppy and fun. Then I realized I was being ridiculous; on top of that, they've got some great lyrics to accompany their great sound. And man, seeing them live is a treat. I felt like I was at a Cheap Trick concert.
Listen:
Peter Bjorn And John - Start Making Sense



Honestly, I wasn't too into The Knife, either. I felt they were too techno-y, but then I realized that every fucking music genre known to man either was good before it got bad, or vice versa. That's a note to all genre snobs, myself included. Anyway, so I got into 'em spring 2007 and it's really hard for me to not groove to their beats. I mean, they've got some naaaaaaaaaaaasty beats. I'm sure their lyrics are meaningful, but I'm sorry, they're one of those bands where all I care about is the beat, and if I happen to stumble across some powerful lyrics, then that just makes 'em even more respectable. And Karen Dreijer Andersson's vocals are so emotive that you cannot help but feel her emotions in each song.
Listen (and groove):
The Knife - Silent Shout

So there you have it, folks: Six solid Swedish bands, guaranteed to blow yer mind. Anytime.

Picture story: I really miss Elliott Smith.

Smith looks like he's a true apathetic badass, significantly similar to the guy he's bearing his chest of: James Dean (at least, that's who that pic looks like). For this picture, I dedicate:
Elliott Smith - Angeles

Because like Dean, Smith clearly doesn't see the sexy appeal about the ever popular city of California.


This photo is courtesy of Autumn De Wilde, the photographer/author of Elliott Smith. There's a heart on his right (left, facing us), which is no secret that Smith wails about the pains of heartaches in his songs, especially in the magnificent XO, my fave of his. Two songs can be dedicated for this one:
Elliott Smith - Pitseleh; as well as

Because we all know Elliott never "meant to hurt us" despite the fact that he thinks talking about love can be a "fucking joke."


Oh, but he gets over his love curse and turns it into a blessing. Even though he knows he'll fuck it up sooner or later because of his inability to allow himself to be emotionally vulnerable, he enjoys the thrill of this ride for this moment. I dedicate:
Elliott Smith - In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)

Because this song conveys the happiness and sadness of love, but in the end, we're all OK and happy.


I can't help but think of Christina Aguilera in her "Xtina" days because she's all like, "This is me, stripped." But I like Elliott's version better. He's still himself, not giving a fuck, tats all exposed as well as bird chest. He's an alcoholic, drug addict and cigarette addict. And he knows people know that, but he's still being him and continues to do his thing. And so, I dedicate:
Elliot Smith - St. Ides Heaven

Because everyone has their vices, there's no such thing as a perfect human, so let's hold off on the judgment, please. Thanks.

And now, we have Elliott Smith in his lonesome, playing his solemn keys on the classic black and white instrument. Even though his music has touched millions of lives thanks to the reminder of how anyone can go from up to down and right back up to down to up to--OK, we got it. Some people conquer it, some people cannot handle it, and unfortunately, Elliott Smith couldn't handle it. Then again, there's the whole murder conspiracy thing, so you never know. Nevertheless, I wasn't there so I cannot go on pretending that I played hoops with the cat from time to time to talk about how deeply depressed he was or how he felt so inadequate to end his life, because, like everyone who only knew him through his Beatles-esque melodies and saccharine sweet crooning glossed over gruesome lyrics, I am unfortunately in the dark on this case. And so, I dedicate:
Elliott Smith - Between The Bars

Because you'll always feel like you cannot overcome, and so you may say to yourself, "You won't, but you might...either way, let's drown our sorrows in alcohol at a bar." But then you never know who will be your saint for the night and make you forget your sorrows just by someone simply saying, "Y'know...I like you. You're allright."

And boy, is Elliott Smith allright with me. Rest, brother, rest.

Also: There Will Be Blood is the best thing in town.

Ever since I've graduated from college, it's been hard for me to not discuss films as if I'm writing a two-page film journal for my film studies course, despite the fact that those were a pain in the ass for me. Nonetheless, I can say I'm not a huge fan of writing long movie critiques because I personally dislike reading film reviews in its entirety. I'm all about the nugget reviews: just gimme two to three paragraphs.

But I have to say, it was already hard for me to not break that rule in my previous entry about The Diving Bell and Butterfly, but it's gonna be even harder for me to talk about Paul Thomas Anderson's genius-storm that is There Will Be Blood. Not a single scene was drawn out; not a single dialogue was boring; not a single soul was half-assing through their lines. Every single thing about that film was perfect.

Know what movie I kept thinking about when I watched this? Citizen Kane. Yeah, yeah, you either loved it or hated it, but as much as I hate popular critic choices for Greatest Films of All-Time bullshit lists, while I may not agree with that rank, mainly because I don't do ultimate lists like that, I still understand why Citizen Kane tops the list.

Anyway, if you have noticed on the right column, I don't have many films listed as my faves of 2007. That's mainly because I'm super-duper-trooper picky when it comes to film, even more so than music. Eh, let's be honest--I'm an elitist cunt. There I said it. So it's obvious it takes a lot to "woo" me, if you will. Maybe because I'm a writer myself. Whatever the case may be, the result is obvious: There Will Be Blood has turned me into a blathering fool. I can't even write about the damn thing without all of these sidebars because it has opened so many eyes in my curious creative mind that it makes me want to personally congratulate every single actor in that movie, because they were a part of something great.

Nothing--NOTHING--has hit the theaters in recent years that has left me speechless. I couldn't even think about the movie afterwards, so I went into the next viewing of The Diving Bell only to clear my mind of how brilliant it was and to focus on another really amazing film. I don't think my thoughts were ready for me to speak about Blood in complete sentences.

I'd really like to reiterate my comparison of this film and Citizen Kane. I'm not a bogus statement kinda gal, (unless, of course, if it's in jest), but Blood definitely is just as important as Orson Welles' 1941 classic because it not only focuses on what's going on in the film, but it also provokes the viewers to think about our American culture through the demonic characterizations of corporate greedy, manipulative and monopolizing powerful men.

Daniel Day-Lewis, my my my. No wonder why you don't take many roles, brother. You are a super method actor. Robert De Niro, my ass. Even his ass has taken some shitty roles. But you are an elite. I am convinced in everything you do. You are a true actor, a person who believes in actually becoming the person in your role, instead of taking the lazy way out and being "yourself."

Paul Dano, that goes for you, kiddo. I remember seeing you in Little Miss Sunshine as the pretentious Nietzsche-loving, "I wanna be mute because of him," kid and was kind of annoyed by your character, which obviously meant that you did a good job. But "good" would be an understatement in your performance in this'n, pal. Watching you perform alongside Day-Lewis made me forget all about Sunshine. Actually, the tension between Dano and Day-Lewis alone makes this film worthwhile. I wouldn't be surprised if Day-Lewis didn't force Dano to sleep with his wife in order to portray a very real hatred towards his character, it was that believable.

And so, I shall speak no more and go into My Oscar votes: Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis (winner); Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Paul Dano (winner); Best Cinematography (nominee, only because I'm a bigger fan of French cinematography, which is why I chose Diving Bell); Best Adapted Screenplay: PTA (winner); Best Achievement in Direction: PTA (winner); Best Picture (winner)

I want to hang out with the kids from North Haven Community School.

I was looking for Deerhoof's "Giga Dance" mp3 so I could boast about the melodic genius that song is, but instead came across this incredible video of kids from Maine doing an entire ballet based off the Milk Man album. My mouth literally dropped. I'm still looking for my bottom lip.


I don't care if this was done in October of 2006. It's still brilliant to me, and you can still support the school by buying a DVD for only $17 (including shipping and handling) to help build a new school. Worth it.

Here's the real version:

An illustrated history: Broadcast, 1997-present.

You all already know how I feel about Stereolab; well, Broadcast is its little sister. You know, the sister who decided to chop off all her hair and sing about the darkness of life and love and although they are equally political as the big sister, they aren't as sublime sounding. They are more serious. Smiling is not little sister's forte.

Listening to Broadcast's debut LP The Noise Made By People, an album I still cannot believe came out in 2000 in the UK and not 1966 in Paris, I always get lost in its sound, like I'm in a trance. I feel like I'm transported in an Alphaville-esque film that touches on the demise of humans. Even the videos from the album looks like those footages we see of students testing out LSD for the first time in the '60s. It's like reading early Kurt Vonnegut novels.

Unfortunately, that album is hard to buy anywhere. Fortunately, I scored an awesome deal on it. But unfortunately, it needs to be back in stock so everyone can explore the genius minds that are Trish Keenan and James Cargill, along with former members Roj Stevens and Tim Felton.

Some Noise videos:

"Papercuts"


"Come On Let's Go"

Three years later, Broadcast released the dream-poppier Ha Ha Sound. Not dream pop in the Yo La Tengo sense, but in the sense where little sister has grown into a more peaceful person and wants to experiment with a "prettier" sound. There's no way you can feel down listening to it. If anything, it began to show Broadcast's range. In Noise you were only exposed to Keenan's vocals, including her layering her voice to bring that eerie-spacey sound. In Ha Ha Sound, it's more harmonic with other vocalists, similar to the one-two punch that was Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen. If anything, Ha Ha brought them back to Earth (ish).

Ha Ha tracks:








In 2005, Broadcast transferred their sounds into a more mature album, Tender Buttons. Instead of talking about ditching the man-made world that we live in, which were recurring themes from the previous albums, the band focuses on serious topics such as politics, breakups and, well, actually they still talk about the downfall of humanity (I mean, how can you escape it?). Usually singing in a higher-pitch voice, Keenan takes her vocals down some octaves.

This particular album is special to me because it was the introductory Broadcast album for me. I was amazed that there was a band like this making music in our generation still.

Buttons tracks:
Broadcast - Black Cat
Broadcast - Corporeal
Broadcast - Michael A Grammar

Allright, folks. Now you are at least 75 percent aware of Broadcast's brilliance. I left off 1997's Work and Non-Work and 2006's The Future Crayon because those are compilations of singles and rarities. The band is currently working on its fourth studio album, release date unknown. Keenan and Cargill are the only original members left in the band.