Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Tracks of 2010 (Part I)

Yet again, we find ourselves at the year's end and as I did last year, I find myself blessed with far too much music to fit into a simple 'Favorite Records' list. To remedy this dilemma, and heap some recognition on records that didn't quite make the cut, I'll once again be running through my favorite tracks of the year. This one's going to be a two-parter, so bear with me as we dive into the first half of the year's best tunes, arranged (as usual) alphabetically by artist.

Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"
The Canadian indie-superstars' latest record still hasn't entirely grown on me, but there's no denying the strength of its title track. Pairing a bouncing piano line with group's requisite string arrangements, Win Butler and company stretch a fairly simple arrangement to its most epic conclusion. Amidst an album chock full of shmaltz, this one hits home the most—and with a beautiful melody to boot.
Buy: The Suburbs

Baths - "Lovely Blood Flow"
Chopping beats is all well and good, but finding a way to layer some vocals on top always manages to impress me. Such is the case with this track from Baths, the latest artist to come from LA's beat scene. Amid the stuttering drum hits and atmospheric static, Will Wiesenfeld's admittedly odd voice joins the fray, bringing a strange sense of union to this offbeat gem.
Buy: Cerulean

Belle and Sebastian - "I Didn't See it Coming"
The first time I listened to this song—the opening track on Belle and Sebastian's latest album—it was like reconnecting with an old friend. Sarah Martin greets you gently, breathily intoning over gently swelling piano chords. By the time Stuart Murdoch joins in, it's as if these Scottish twee-pop giants never left our sides. "Money makes the wheels of the world go round" sings the pair—a fitting chorus for a priceless song.
Buy: Write About Love

The Besnard Lakes - "Albatross"
Shoegaze has been slipping in and out of vogue for years since its heyday in the late '80s and early '90s. Today, few do it better than Canadian post-rockers The Besnard Lakes—a fact which this track exemplifies. All the tropes are there, from the wailing, pitch-bending guitars to the ethereal vocals provided by Olga Goreas. "Things got weird for a bit" she croons, just before a surge of distortion takes hold—a sonic demonstration of the powerful feelings this group expertly harness.
Buy: The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

The Black Keys - "Ohio"
Why this track wasn't included on the group's latest record is beyond me, but releasing it online, free-of-charge certainly doesn't elicit any complaints. The duo's ode to our shared home state is a straightforward, heartfelt song about coming back to the place you love, wherever that may be. Personally, it's my front-runner for replacing the woefully outdated "Hang on Sloopy" as our state rock song.
Buy: Brothers
Download: "Ohio"

Born Ruffians - "What To Say"
For a song about being unsure what to say, Luke LaLonde spouts off a fairly verbose set of lyrics that cleverly tackle the subject at hand. Backed by a stuttering beat and some minimalistic guitar and synth work, the trio effortlessly turn in what is easily one the year's catchiest tracks. I know it's one I found stuck in my head—oftentimes when I should have been planning my next sentence a bit more carefully.
Buy: Say It

Broken Bells - "October"
Every year I find a reason to sing my praises of Danger Mouse, and this year that reason was super-duo Broken Bells. Joined by James Mercer of the Shins, this track finds the pair drowning in a sea of string pads, Rhodes piano and flanged guitars. It's yet another demonstration of Brian Burton's immaculate pop-sensibilities, further heightened by Mercer's seasoned vocal work. Songs like this leave me hoping this will be more than a one-off.
Buy: Broken Bells

Broken Social Scene - "Forced to Love"
I think my favorite thing about this track is how clearly you can hear producer John McEntire's auditory fingerprints. Whether it's subtle synth drones or the relentless, prominent percussion—it's all the sound of one of America's foremost musical minds meeting with the art rock tendencies of this Canadian collective. Even for a song premised upon forced emotions, it's hard to come away from this one feeling anything but unbridled love.
Buy: Forgiveness Rock Record

The Clientele - "Jerry"
It seems as if Alasdair MacLean has been threatening to disband the Clientele for several years now, but it's songs like this one that make me glad he hasn't made good on that threat just yet. "Jerry" finds the group engaging in their usual water-tight arrangements, presided over by Alasdair's reverb-drenched voice. It's when the distortion pedal gets hit and the song's decidedly uncharacteristic bridge starts that things get really interesting. Never a dull moment with these blokes—here's hoping for more.
Buy: Minotaur

Deerhunter - "Revival"
For as long as I've been following his work, Bradford Cox has been a reliable source of dreamy, well-constructed nuggets of pop-rock. "Revival" continues the trend—a short, percussion-heavy number with dollops of fuzzed out bass guitar. It's over before you know it and if you're anything like me, you'll quickly find yourself skipping right back to the beginning (again).
Buy: Halcyon Digest

Dosh - "Call the Kettle"
For his latest record, Martin Dosh dug into his back catalog to refashion a three minute track from his Powder Horn EP into the dazzling five-and-a-half minute showpiece present on Tommy. Dosh lays his usual drums and Rhodes groundwork as saxophonist Mike Lewis twists his accompaniment around the underlying melody in strange and beautiful ways, adding facet upon facet to this instrumental wonder. Chalk this one up as another densely layered success for the Minneapolis loop wizard.
Buy: Tommy

Dr. Dog - "Where Did All the Time Go?"
It's a tall order to write a song that will undoubtedly be used as the soundtrack to a flashback montage in some sort of biopic in a couple of years. Luckily, psychadelic pop-rockers Dr. Dog are more than up to the task, delivering a track that revels in the group's timeless sound while being careful to not overindulge in nostalgia. Bolstered by production that accentuates the group's vocal harmonies and instrumentation, the Philly quintet make this little song sound appropriately gigantic.
Buy: Shame, Shame

Dreamend - "Magnesium Light"
The twangy weirdo-folk of Graveface Records owner and Black Moth Super Rainbow guitarist Ryan Graveface can admittedly be a tough pill to swallow. However on this dreamy, banjo-driven track, you can almost hear some of that initially off-putting strangeness melting away. Even as the noisier elements kick in part way through, there's an earnestness that makes this song (and the album its culled from) extremely listenable.
Buy: So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite

Dungen - "Skit I Allt"
It's nice to know that somewhere in the cold expanses of Sweden, there's a group of guys celebrating the seemingly under-represented sound of '70s British prog. Many of the genre's usual devices are present on this track—from the wafting flute-line reminiscent of Ian Anderson's to guitar riffs that echo the likes of Andrew Latimer and Robert Fripp. Indebted as they may be, Dungen's modern sensibilities mesh with their influences to create a sound you won't hear elsewhere.
Buy: Skit I Allt

Elf Power - "Goldmine in the Sun"
The Elephant Six Collective mainstays' latest self-titled release came with no shortage of succinct indie pop statements—none better than this particular cut. "Goldmine in the Sun" finds the group laying down a wall of chords as Andrew Reiger spins one of his apocalyptic tales over top. The wonderfully simple guitar-work on the ending breakdown caps off a track that isn't so much a return to form as it is a reminder of this band's continuing prowess.
Buy: Elf Power

Girls - "Heartbreaker"
From time to time the buzz surrounding a group is well-deserved—such is the case with Girls, whose delicate, brilliantly-produced pop songs found their way to my ears despite the overwhelming wave of hype heaped upon them. Christopher Owens lyrics on this track get straight to the point, but the refined instrumentation surrounding them bring an authenticity to his bluntness. On an EP resplendent with heartbreak, this one lives up to its name.
Buy: Broken Dreams Club

Jaga Jazzist - "One-Armed Bandit"
Norway's premiere (and only?) nine-piece progressive jazz combo flex their musical muscle on this track, the best of the bunch from their LP of the same name. A constantly-shifting beast of a song, the group establishes a unifying theme and then take every opportunity to move away from it. The icing on the cake is the John McEntire superb mix which distills what could easily have been a mess of notes into a unified instrumental masterpiece.
Buy: One-Armed Bandit

Jonsi - "Tornado"
There were plenty of moments on Jonsi's inaugural solo release that were far removed from his work with Sigur Ros, but I think it's telling that the record's best song doesn't stray far from that group's sound. The simple piano melody, accompanied by a grandiose string arrangement and the otherworldly tones of Jonsi's unmistakable voice make for track with all the power of its titular whirlwind.
Buy: Go

Part II can be viewed here—Favorite Albums of 2010 coming soon!

Live Review: Sunday @ Lollapalooza 2010

Sunday morning rain-showers have been a reoccurring event at the festivals I've gone to this summer, so it was appropriate that Lollapalooza followed suit. Sure, things were a bit muddy for the remainder of the day, but there was a paved surface on which to traverse the grounds this year, so it wasn't that big of a deal. I only heard a few complaints from people who had managed to ruin their brand new white shoes.

I made it over to the festival a little late, but I did manage to arrive in just enough time to see the Dodos over on the north side of the festival. Even though the sky was still pretty gray, they drew a respectable-sized crowd. I actually wasn't aware that they were a trio, their albums have always sounded much fuller to me, but I suppose that's just the studio magic at work. One of the guys in the band only played vibes, which is an instrument I love seeing and hearing on stage. A few songs in, the band brought out Neko Case to do guest vocals on a few tracks. As usual, she sounded really, really great. I had to run away to take care of some intern business, but I was glad I got to partake in a few songs.

Blitzen Trapper are a band I saw for my first time last summer in Chicago, and were a total delight to see again. They're latest record, Destroyer of the Void, has really grown on me over the past few weeks, so it was a treat to see them play some of those songs, especially the sprawling title track as well as "Love and Hate". I think I might try to catch them again when they come through Columbus this fall for a show at the Wex, I feel like they're probably even better when removed from the festival setting.

For a good part of the afternoon, I caught bits and pieces of bands all around the festival. I saw a few songs from Mumford & Sons, who have this army of super-fans that I still don't quite understand. I also listened to a good majority of the X Japan set on the south side's main stage—their first American performance. It was as over the top and bombastic as one would expect, with a choral introduction leading into a set of throw-back glam rock delivered by a group of Japanese guys that looked like they'd stepped straight out of the 80s. Oh, and they also had cannons onstage. Additionally, I saw a bit of Frightened Rabbit delivering an epic set of their own over on a side-stage. The only tracks I recognized were "Swim Until You Can't See Land" and "Living in Colour," but the sizable crowd ate up the rest of their stadium-ready anthems. I'd be just fine with these guys stepping in to replace U2 in a couple of years.

There were many things I loved about the National's show at Lolla. They opened with the subdued "Runaway" after the high-energy romp of MGMT's preceding set. They dedicated "Bloodbuzz Ohio" to all in attendance from the titular state. They generally proved—once again—that they're capable of commanding the attention of a festival crowd, even if they are a bit understated and moody much of the time. Like I said, they were great. But I was a little dissapointed with how predictable their festival set was. The National's headlining set at Pitchfork last year was without a doubt one of my favorite moments of that festival. For much of their Lolla set, I kept being reminded of that night, especially when Berninger jumped out into the crowd during "Mr. November." I guess he does that frequently, so maybe it's not that big a of a deal. I also realize it behooves them to play their 'hits' to a festival crowd. Maybe it's the fact that I've really gotten into their back catalog as of late, but I really missed some of those older songs. I'm probably contradicting myself by now—I think anyone who was there who hadn't seen them before got an extremely great show, and curmudgeons like myself at least got to hear some of the High Violet stuff for the first time.

As for Arcade Fire? Well, they put on an Arcade Fire show in Grant Park. I don't mean to sound totally indifferent, but I guess I kind of was. I've seen Arcade Fire in one of the most epic settings as well as on tour, and while I dig their new record, it's pretty standard stuff for this group, and the live renditions of the newer material weren't exactly anything to write home about (although they make perfect blog fodder). Was it cool to see the assembled crowd yell the melody line to "Wake Up?" Sure it was. Was it the highlight of the weekend for me? Not in the least. But if David Bowie had showed up, maybe I'd be singing a different tune (curse you Bowie!)

Live Review: Arcade Fire @ Stuart's Opera House

What can I say? Last night was an incredibly amazing and special night that I will not soon forget. Arcade Fire came to Nelsonville to garner support for a candidate who they believe in, and I think they more than accomplished that. Barack Obama is very lucky to have the support of a band like this, a band that will load a van and drive 14 hours to play two shows in a small middle-of-nowhere town in southeastern Ohio. Just an excellent night, where do I begin?

Arcade Fire's touring horn player Colin Stetson opened both shows with 15 minutes of improv solo saxophone. The guy is incredibly talented, he knows his instruments very well and can produce sounds that I don't think I've ever heard out of a saxophone. He's also a circular breather, which just blows my mind. His set was short, but the amount of energy put into it, and the fact that he did it twice in one night made it all the more impressive.

The six-person line up of Arcade Fire (including Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Will Butler, Jeremy Gara, Sarah Neufeld and Colin Stetson) took the stage to an all-out roar of applause. The band promptly launched into "Intervention", a song that Win admitted was written during the 2004 elections, and was all the more depressing because of it. During this first show, the band was loose, still finding their voices after weeks without playing together. Next up was "Keep the Car Running", followed by a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes", a song that Win said he asked Bowie if he could play, to which he replied "Fuck yes!". The band's next cover was the Sam Cooke song "A Change is Gonna Come", admittedly a little weird coming out of the mouth of a well-off white guy, but in the context of the upcoming elections, a very poignant message nonetheless. The next three songs were the highlight reel for Funeral; "Rebellion (Lies)", "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and the most heartfelt rendition of "Wake Up" I've ever born witness to. The band capped off their first set with John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", a song Pearl Jam commandeered to a similar effect during the 2000 elections. I won't go on at great length about the second set, suffice to say it was not nearly as well attended as the first, which is a shame because the band was much tighter. They played all the same covers as before, adding in "(Antichrist Television Blues)" in place of the two Neon Bible songs played in the first set. The smaller crowd ate it up, and the band ended on a high note with a significantly improved version of their Sam Cooke cover. I think Win and company accomplished their goal here, and I thank them for coming here to do it.

Keep the Campaign Running

I was going to post about this earlier this week, but at that point it seemed like nothing more than a rumor and I wasn't about to be the guy to add fuel to the flames. However, with ticket in hand, I can now confirm (along with numerous other sources, who picked up the story last night via press release) that the Arcade Fire will be playing a show in support of Barack Obama's presidential bid tomorrow night at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio. To be perfectly clear; this won't be the entire touring band, I'm not even totally certain which members are making the trip. Win Butler, Regine Chassagne and Jeremy Gara will be there for sure though, it wouldn't be an Arcade Fire show without them. The band will also be playing a show Monday night at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. The press release states that admission to these shows will be first come, first served, but the local Obama campaign crew here in Athens was given 250 VIP tickets to distribute, so I expect Cleveland's event will also be partially ticketed. I'm still really taken aback by the thought of Arcade Fire coming to my tiny college town to play a free show. You'd think they would have gone to Columbus, but I guess Athens holds some clout in the upcoming primaries. Rest assured, I will have a full review of the show, with pictures, (if I can get a camera in) on Sunday night.

Favorite Albums of 2007

Let me get you up to speed; yesterday we took a look at some albums that should have been on today's list, if not for a few missteps or the simple fact that they didn't make it out this year. It's always interesting to look back through the year's music and rediscover a few neglected tunes, or realize just how much you're (still) listening to releases from the past year. I'm always a little bit worried that I'm neglecting new music; I've done a much better job of keeping up with new releases this year, but I'm the still kind of guy who also likes to complete the back catalogs and find interesting old stuff to listen to. Anyways, here it is; my favorite albums of the year arranged alphabetically by title:

Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird
This one has been criminally overlooked on all of the year-end lists I've looked through so far. Bird's latest not only tops his previous record, the critically lauded Mysterious Production of Eggs, but also substantially improves upon the unique style which powers his work. The addition of Dosh into Bird's inner circle of collaborators is one of the most perfect matches ever made, and the results are some of the best tracks on the record.

Boxer - The National
The subdued arrangements and flat vocals are an acquired taste, but once this one grows on you it's hard to stop listening. The National deliver a hauntingly beautiful record that strays from the all out rock of their previous release, instead concentrating on building an atmosphere and accentuating the subtleties.



Challengers - The New Pornographers
I initially panned this one for not living up to it predecessor, the high energy whirlwind of Twin Cinema. Since then, I've come to appreciate this as the Porno's maturing, so much so that the few bombast moments left in the wake sound forced in comparison. A.C. Newman and company have become an entirely different animal; this is the album where the New Pornographers stop sounding like a supergroup and start sounding like a band.

Drums and Guns - Low
Low's latest takes the band back to their slowcore roots, shying away from the more rock-oriented direction of their 2005 release The Great Destroyer. The songs are just as beautiful and sparse as ever, vocals in the foreground with instruments providing texture and context. Drums and Guns brings the slowcore genre comfortably into present day, with pertinent lyrics and the same old haunting sound.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
By now, Spoon is a well oiled machine and any album they decide to put out is met with impossibly high expectations. The band's latest manages to deliver, providing a marked improvement over it predecessor. Britt Daniel upholds his title as reigning master of the pop-rock song, and even manages to inject a little bit of studio weirdness without seeming pretentious. Jim Eno also gets a shout out for immaculate production, and some of the most precise drumming around.

I'll Follow You - Oakley Hall
I discovered this group just in time for their inaugural Merge release, which was good timing on my part. I'll Follow You tones down some of the noisier elements of the group, likely to appeal to a wider audience, but keeps all the alt-country vibe intact. From the vocal harmonies to the Skynard-esque guitar solos, it all makes for one heck of a solid record.



In Rainbows - Radiohead
With only ten day's notice, the world's premiere reclusive rock band released their best album since OK Computer. In Rainbows doesn't fizzle out (Hail to the Thief) or get too weird for it's own good (Kid A), it just delivers in spades. The band has never sounded better, so much so that it might even be worth picking up the forthcoming physical release, if only for the miniscule jump in sound quality.

Liars - Liars
The art-rockers tone it down a notch and release their best record to date. There's still plenty of deft studio manipulation and a healthy dose of electronics, but it's all packaged into some of the most rocking songs the band has ever wrote. It's a dark, at times abrasive, record but it's one of the most continuously enjoyable listens of the year.



Mirrored - Battles
Before this year the term 'math-rock' would have been met by most (myself included) with blank stares and disinterest. Battles' first full-length puts the genre firmly on the map with an album that sounds as fun as it is nonsensical. Somewhere between kraut-rock and aimless noodeling, Mirrored is one of the more unique records to hit my speakers this year.

Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
While not quite on par with their impeccable debut, the Canadian rockers' second release is far from a sophomore slump. Neon Bible is a bigger, bolder statement from a group that has the talent to make such melodrama work in their favor. The instrumentation, from booming pipe organs to swelling strings, is just as lush as it needs to be. I'm still listening to it well after its early 2007 release, so just like its predecessor; it has some staying power.

Sky Blue Sky - Wilco
Not the weird record that everyone expected for Nels Cline's first trip into the studio with the band, but certainly not a disappointment by any means. The album oozes with the ambience of laid back classic rock, while the spiraling solos on tracks like "Impossible Germany" and "Side With the Seeds" plant it firmly in the present. It's the next unexpected evolution from a band that seems comfortable in any number of genres.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
I think many people wrote this album off as just another one of Damon Albarn's side projects, which doesn't make much sense because Albarn has an amazing track-record within the side-project arena. Couple that with the fact that this is more of a British supergroup than anything, and you're in for a very interesting record. Albarn and company churn out what can only be described as apocalyptic brit-pop. It's dark and seething at times, but all catchy as hell.

Podcast No. 2 (At Long Last)

I know I've been talking about this one for a while; but sometimes I do deliver. Another basic podcast; 5 tracks and my patently bland commentary. My old hosting service started charging so I'm not sure how reliable this new one is, but it'll have to do for now. As always; if the link goes down let me know via comment or e-mail and I'll re-post. Tracklisting is as follows:
Tapes on the Floor Podcast No. 2
(Intro: "Rush" - The Seatbelts)
1:10 "Nectar of the Nitwit" - The Old Soul
5:55 "Moving Water" - Eric Metronome
9:54 "All The Way Down" - Oakley Hall
16:52 "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son" - The Arcade Fire
20:29 "Normandie" - Shout Out Louds

Live Review: Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem

Last week was an excellent week; not only did I get the chance to see Oakley Hall but I also was finally able to bare witness to two much hyped acts who just happened to be touring together. I speak of course of LCD Soundsystem and the Arcade Fire, who played to a packed house Friday night at Promowest Pavilion. The night started out fairly early (around 7:30 or so) when James Murphy and company took to the stage for a one hour set of NYC dance punk. The group eased into their first song; a pretty long rendition of "Us v Them" which didn't quite sound quite as full as it should have live (could have just been a mixing snafu). "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" was sped up almost to the point of being unrecognizable, which made me begin to think we'd caught the band on a bad night. However, from that point out, something clicked especially when Win Butler and some of his Arcade Fire compatriots joined LCD to shout out the chorus of "North American Scum". The live renditions of Sound of Silver tracks "Someone Great" and "All My Friends" succeeded where the others had failed, particularity the latter which translated amazingly well into the live setting, becoming the anthem of the set. The highlight of it all was "Yeah (Crass Version)" which had pretty much everyone in attendance dancing, no small feat. The schmaltzy "New York I Love You" closed out the set, with Murphy adopting a few Sinatra-esque poses before walking from the stage to a roar of applause.

The opening strains of "Black Mirror" brought all 12 members of the Arcade Fire to the stage while old movie clips were projected on four small circular screens and the bass drum head. Flanked by a facade of organ pipes, a glowing projection of the Neon Bible and pulsating neon pillars, Win Butler and his band filled out the stage nicely. Live renditions of the album's key tracks, such as "No Cars Go", "Keep the Car Running", and "(Antichrist Television Blues)", were just as great as expected. "Intervention" and "Ocean of Noise" stood out in particular, the former for its booming pipe organ (kudos to whoever mixed that one) and the latter for the excellent live instrumentation, horns and all. Although the stage trappings would lead you to think otherwise, the night wasn't focused solely on the band's newest release. The band mined tracks from their debut record, EP, and even a single to fill out the rest of the set. Funeral was, thankfully, very well represented, including "Neighborhood #1-3" and "Haiti". Before launching into "Rebellion (Lies)", the final song of the main set, Win told the crowd to enjoy themselves as the Arcade Fire would not be back for sometime. However, this didn't keep the group from returning to the stage once more for an encore, concluding the night with the rousing "Wake Up". It's one of the first times I've ever felt truly compelled to sing along, the whole crowd helped out with the chorus and it sounded loud enough to reach the streets of nearby Columbus. The Arcade Fire was truly an experience, and likely one of those concerts I'll be able to remember pretty vividly for years to come. So nice of them to stop through Ohio before getting to work on the next record...

Photos care of brokenaccidentalstar

Looking Forward

As of today, I've officially been transplanted to Ohio University, and so far things aren't too bad here. It's all about easing into the lifestyle, and in many ways it still feels like I'm just beginning some week long vacation that's going to be over before I know it. In reality, I'm here for the long haul and as soon as classes start this Tuesday, I'm sure alot of things will kind of normalize and it'll become easier to drop into the groove of campus life. But enough about the present, this post is about what's in store...

In just two weeks, I'll be attending my first concert here in Athens; The Apples in Stereo live at the Union. Nice to see that a band of this stature takes the time to play a mid-sized college town like Athens. I just got a copy of the band's latest; New Magnetic Wonder, and it'll be interesting to see how much of it is pulled off in a live setting. Robert Schneider's voice is naturally pretty abrasive, so combined with some of the more complex electronic arrangements, their live sound is likely to be pretty loose and raw. But I'm not barring the chances of them blowing my mind and playing some near-studio quality renditions. Next up on the calendar (as I've previously mentioned) is the double billing of The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem at Promowest. I'm really looking forward to this one, both bands have pretty reputable live shows so the combination of the two should deliver. It's also notable that this will likely be one of Arcade Fire's last US shows in support of Neon Bible. Does anyone else feel like that record just came out yesterday? I guess it's nice to see a band moving forward so quickly and attaining the accolade they deserve at the same time. Also in October, I'll be trying to make it out to the Shout Out Loud's show at the Basement. I've been a pretty big proponent of this Swedish group since hearing their debut album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff back in 2005. The tracks I've been hearing from their upcoming release Our Ill Wills sound like the perfect evolution for the band, maintaining their pop sound but pushing forward with some really great and mature sounding arrangement. It'll just be a blast to see how it's all pulled off in the live setting, and given that the Basement is one of the most intimate venues in Columbus, I might just learn a thing or two as well.

Beyond the aforementioned shows, everything else is a little nebulous right now. I'm definitely missing some great stuff due to college. For example; I won't be making it back for Wilco's October 16th show at Mershon Auditorium. I'm not too crushed, seeing as I got to see them this summer in Cincinnati, but I've been going to every Wilco related show in Columbus for about 2 years now, so not being able to make it to one is a bit of a let-down. Luckily, I think my family is going to pick up the slack and attend in my stead, so I'll likely still be able to share some photos and impressions. Ah well, just one of the sacrifices that has to be made for the sake of higher education...