Friday, May 16, 2014

Wake Owl

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Wake Owl at Shaky Knees, 2014
Just stumbled across this highly cinematic video (gotta love the widescreen format) by Vancouver's Wake Owl, my "discovery" of Day Two of Shaky Knees.



Thursday, May 15, 2014

Angel Olsen


Live vid of Angel Olsen in London.

Also, if you were wondering what Shaky Knees looked like to these guys:

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It looked something like this:



Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Bumbershoot


The line-up announcement for the last Bumbershoot music festival I will probably ever attend was made the night before the first day of Shaky Knees.  Bumbershoot has always been a sort of warm-up to me for the next week's MFNW, and I bought this year's Bumbershoot ticket before it was announced that MFNW has been altered and diluted to a poor imitation of its prior self. I probably wouldn't have otherwise decided to fly all the way to Seattle just on Bumbershoot's merits.

But I'm still going this year, and on the positive side, there are lots of opportunities in the line up to discover new bands.  I'm frankly underwhelmed by the headliners and will most likely be elsewhere (as in at other stages) during the sets by Foster The People, J Cole, and Panic! At The Disco. I have only a mild curiosity to see Wu-Tang and Elvis Costello, if only to cross them off my lifetime bucket list, and every time I see The Head And The Heart, I vow that it will be my last.

On the other hand, I'll get a chance to make up for missing The Replacements at Shaky Knees.

It's around the middle of the line-up chart that I get intrigued.  I'm interested in hearing The Both, the new collaboration between Aimee Mann and Ted Leo.  And Real Estate are one of my favorite bands.  Polica, Pickwick, and Kishi Bashi? Yes, yes, and yes! And Mission of Burma.  It will be interesting to see Jonathan Richman and Juliana Barwick in festival settings, Bomba Estereo and Mexican Institute of Sound should provide some nice Latin flavorings, and I'll get a chance to see The Dream Syndicate reunion before they play at The Earl.

San Fermin will be playing, and they absolutely killed it at Shaky Knees.

I'll also get a chance to hear some Seattle bands again that I discovered during Bumbershoots past, including Campfire OK, Dude York, and the captivating vocalist Tomo Nakayama (Grand Hallway).   Plus, I'm looking forward to Rose Windows, Western Haunts, and Hurray For The Riff Raff.  And look, there's Jessica Pratt way down there near the bottom of the line-up.

But the one act that's really got me scratching my head is Negativland.  What would that even sound like live? And I ask this having once seen their Mark Hosler live way back in the early 90s (with Half Japanese's Jad Fair opening).  But here's what Negativland is like together as a band:


What they bring to the stage will be anybody's guess.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

"To Be Kind" Drops Today

To Be Kind

With this announcement, the best album of 2014, possibly the best album of the decade, even arguably the greatest album ever, dropped:
Hello There, 
We (Swans) have recently completed our new album. It is called To Be Kind. The release date is set for May 13, 2014. It will be available as a triple vinyl album, a double CD, and a 2xCD Deluxe Edition that will include a live DVD. It will also be available digitally. 
The album was produced by me, and it was recorded by the venerable John Congleton at Sonic Ranch, outside El Paso Texas, and further recordings and mixing were accomplished at John’s studio in Dallas, Texas. We commenced rehearsals as Sonic Ranch in early October 2013, began recording soon thereafter, then completed the process of mixing with John in Dallas by mid December 2013. 
A good portion of the material for this album was developed live during the Swans tours of 2012/13. Much of the music was otherwise conjured in the studio environment. 
The recordings and entire process of this album were generously and perhaps vaingloriously funded by Swans supporters through our auspices at younggodrecords.com via the release of a special, handmade 2xCD live album entitled Not Here/Not Now. See details here: http://bit.ly/1nekqma 
The Swans are: Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Christoph Hahn, Phil Puleo, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica. 
Special Guests for this record include: Little Annie (Annie sang a duet with me on the song Some Things We Do, the strings for which were ecstatically arranged and played by Julia Kent); St. Vincent  (Annie Clark sang numerous, multi-tracked vocals throughout the record); Cold Specks (Al contributed numerous multi-tracked vocals to the song Bring the Sun); Bill Rieflin (honorary Swan Bill played instruments ranging from additional drums, to synthesizers, to piano, to electric guitar and so on. He has been a frequent contributor to Swans and Angels of Light and is currently playing with King Crimson)... 
FULL MUSICIAN CREDITS: Swans: Michael Gira - vocals, electric and acoustic guitar; Norman Westberg - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals; Phil Puleo - drums, percussion, dulcimer, piano, keys, vocals; Christoph Hahn - lap steel guitars, electric guitar, vocals; Thor Harris - drums / percussion, vibes and bells, wind instruments, handmade viola, vocals; Christopher Pravdica - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals. Honorary Swan Forever: Bill Rieflin - (on multiple songs throughout the record) drums / percussion, piano, bass, guitar, synths, keyboards. Guest Musicians: Duet with MG on Some Things We Do - Little Annie. Strings and String Arrangement on Some Things We Do - Julia Kent. Background Vocals on Nathalie Neal, Bring the Sun, Screen Shot, Kirsten Supine - St. Vincent (appears courtesy of Loma Vista Recordings). Background vocals on Bring the Sun - Cold Specks (appears courtesy of Mute Artists LTD). Background Vocals on She Loves Us, A Little God in My Hands - Jennifer Church. More Musicians (Dallas): Violin - Daniel Hart; Mandolin - Rex Emerson; Trombone - David Pierce; Trumpet - Evan Weiss; Piano, Harpsichord, Synth - Sean Kirkpatrick; Piano – John Congleton. 
I love you!
Michael Gira
May 13th.  The day that changed everything.



Monday, May 12, 2014

Shaky Knees, Day Three

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Okay, with Day Three over and done with, I have to start off by revising my references from "Friday > Sunday > Saturday" to "Sunday > Friday > Saturday."  The best day of Shaky Knees, yet, 2014 or 2013.

More details to follow, but here are the performers I caught:

Benjamin Booker 

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A new discovery, BB played a tight, smoking set of blues rock to kick off the day.

San Fermin

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Shaky Knees was San Fermin's first appearance in Atlanta, and they gave us an insanely good performance of orchestral indie rock, complete with horns, strings, a pair of singers, great songs, and a dynamic, lively stage presence.  How good were they?  Not only did they chase the weekend's clouds away, ushering in a sunny, summery afternoon and breaking the Shaky Knees curse stretching back to last year, but they were the only non-headliner I've ever seen at a festival that were allowed an encore.  I can't wait to see these folks again.  

Langhorne Slim & The Law

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No stranger to Atlanta, but Langhorne gave a high-energy performance of country-rock and rockabilly.

Deer Tick

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The always unpredictable John McCauley led his band Deer Tick through their set wearing a skirt, striped socks, and a red "LSD" t-shirt.  Then things got crazy.  A fun set on the sunny day, and he even brought his wife out on stage for a touching duet.

Jason Isbell  

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Things slowed down a bit during ex-Drive-By Truckers Jason Isbell's set of country tunes and heartbreak ballads.  If I had paid more attention, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more, but standing in the sun in the packed audience made his set feel like a bit of a chore, and probably the longest 60 minutes of the weekend.  But dude, it was me, not you, and I did truly enjoy the duets with singer Candi Staton (pictured).

Iron & Wine

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Sam Beam didn't pick the pace up much for his set, but due to the sheer melodicism of his performance and the quality of his song-writing, Iron & Wine's 60 minutes passed in the twinkling of an eye, and another hour of his set would have gone down smooth and easy.

Trampled By Turtles

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We saw TBT last year at Bumbershoot and enjoyed their finger-picking bluegrass passages, but were turned off by their frequent ballads and slower-paced material.  Yesterday at Shaky Knees, it was all the faster stuff to the enjoyment of the exuberant crowd, and your humble narrator.

Local Natives 

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Our fourth time now seeing LA's Local Natives, and their relentless, constant touring have honed their stage show to perfection.  They paced their set perfectly, ending as they always do with their exhilarating Sun Hands and Taylor Rice stage diving into the audience.  Before that, they announced this was the last date of their current tour, and they'll be heading into the studio to record their third album.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

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Our third time now seeing LA's Edward Sharpe and company, this time without co-singer Jade.  As always, frontamn Alex Ebert kept the goings informal and interactive, blurring the lines between band and audience until the set felt liked a shared celebration on and off the stage.  At one point, a couple came up on stage and the guy proposed to his girl in front of the Shaky Knees audience.  I believe she accepted.

Alabama Shakes

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This was my first time seeing festival headliner Britney Howard and her band, Alabama Shakes.  Their selection as headliner generated a lot of on-line controversy, with people saying they didn't have the chops to headline or couldn't live up to the bands playing before them.  All those people are wrong.  Alabama Shakes killed it, putting on a gut-wrenching set of soulful rock songs and an electrifying vocal performance by Ms. Howard.  I didn't know what I was in for, and her set literally knocked me out.

As before, here's your video recap, with music by Langhorne Slim:

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Shaky Knees, Day Two

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On Day Two of Shaky Knees, the rain held off until around 6:30 pm, starting as the most inconsequential of occasional raindrops, easy to ignore, and slowly building up to a downpour by 8 pm.  I left early during the downpour and missed The Replacements and Modest Mouse.  I had gone back to my car where I had stashed a raincoat and dry clothes, but when I got to the car, I couldn't convince myself to head back into the crowded audience to try and find a spot even remotely close to the stage.  My legs and feet were tired, and frankly, I just wasn't having fun anymore, so I changed my mind, got into my car, and drove off.

Day Two of Shaky Knees had the weakest schedule of the festival (Friday > Sunday > Saturday), so it's not surprising that I lost interest.  For what it's worth, here are some pictorial highlights of the day:

WAKE OWL

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I had not heard of this band before but enjoyed their quiet, moody songs.  Bonus points to their keyboardist for best beard of the day.

APACHE RELAY

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Nashville's Apache Relay was more boisterous that Wake Owl, and provided the little KITA that I needed at that time.

HAYES CARLL

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Country troubadour Hayes Carll played a thoroughly entertaining set of quirky, off-kilter songs about aliens, LSD, Texas, and a redneck version of Life of Pi.

TOKYO POLICE CLUB

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A band I always get confused with Bombay Bicycle Club, Tokyo Police Club provide radio-friendly guitar pop.


LORD HURON

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Although easily the day's highlight, the magnificent Lord Huron's set was marred by a vocal microphone that didn't work until 20 minutes into the set, so that no one could hear the vocals, despite chants of "Louder" and "Vocals."  Still, the instrumental playing was exciting and exhilarating, and when the vocals finally kicked in for the second half of the set, it was the best of the day.

This was our second time seeing Lord Huron (he opened for Alt-J at The Tabernacle last year).  Here's a pic of the Lord Huron crowd:

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PHOX

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We saw Minneapolis' Phox open for Typhoon at Terminal West during March Madness, and it was nice seeing them again in a festival setting.

DAWES

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Third time seeing LA's  Dawes. The first raindrops started falling during their set.  Some people immediately put their raingear on.  Others, like me, ignored the intermittent sprinkles and partied on.

PORTUGAL.  THE MAN

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Anchorage's Portugal. The Man were basically the same thing as Tokyo Police Club.  The rain started falling a little harder during their set.

CONOR OBERST

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Oberst (Bright Eyes) was backed by Dawes, so his set was virtually Dawes, Part Two, but with a different vocalist.  Still, it was the best of the day after Lord Huron, and he covered my favorite Bright Eyes song, Danny Callahan.  However, the rain started falling harder and harder throughout his set, eventually turning into a downpour, and I finally headed back to my car to get my raincoat (see paragraph at the top of this post).  

Today's forecast calls for a mere 20% chance of showers between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, and zero for the rest of the day, so it looks like we might finally get a break.  Still, the weather's been far, far better than it was for last year's inaugural Shaky Knees, and, having made it through the uninspired Day Two line-up, we have a solid lineup today featuring San Fermin, Local Natives, Edward Sharpe, Alabama Shakes, and more.  FWIW, here's the promoter's video recap of Day Two:

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Shaky Knees, Day One

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Okay, first things first, yes, it did rain, quite hard for a while, but only between about 5:30 and 7:30.  I had my raincoat with me and fared fine through the precip, although some others were soaking wet the rest of the night.

I'm off to Day Two and will post a complete picture set and recap of the festival later, but here are some pics of the bands that I caught at Day One.  Meanwhile, you can always check out my Flickr page if you want to see the complete shots. 

MUTUAL BENEFIT

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The day - and the festival - started with Mutual Benefit, one of the bands that I most wanted to see.  They played a lovely but quiet set, and ended far too soon - the shortest set of the day.  

SLEEPER AGENT

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I hadn't heard of them, but they played a high-energy set of r&b-influenced rock, fronted by a powerhouse vocalist.

WILD BELLE

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Interesting set of indie folk rock with world, afro-pop and reggae touches. 

WHITE DENIM

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I couldn't get anywhere even close to the stage for White Denim, but enjoyed their set of psych rock jams from afar, and was even able to hear them while I wandered off to get a bite to eat.

CHARLES BRADLEY

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Old-school, James Brown-style r&b from "The Screaming Eagle of Soul."

MAN MAN

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When you're in Man Man, everyday is Halloween.  Odd, interesting electro-pop from an odd, interesting band.  The rain began during their set, and I had to leave to go back to my car and get my raincoat.

FOALS

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The rain continued throughout the excellent set of reverb-drenched psychedelic instrumentals and songs by Britain's Foals, but their music was so good, one hardy cared.  "This is what every day's like in England," their frontman said about the weather.

SPOON

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Even the rain had to stop to listen to Spoon.  I hadn't seen them perform since 2010, and they played a terrific set list of songs from throughout their career.  I kept thinking, "Oh, this is my favorite Spoon song," until they played the next, and I'd think, "No, this is my favorite," and so on throughout their entire set.  Bonus points:  I somehow got the rail for their set.

THE NATIONAL

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After Spoon, there  was no way I would get even close to The Nationals' stage for their set, but oddly, as it turned out, the front of Spoon's stage was not really a bad vantage point to see The National at the adjacent stage.  I even got to slap Matt Berninger's hand when he came down into the audience and wandered over to the edge of the other stage.  My first time seeing The National, and they played a triumphant set.

The festival promoters posted this recap video to their Facebook page: