Live Review: Andrew Bird

I've seen quite a few very talented musicians live, but I don't think any of them exude with said talent as much as the amiable Mr. Bird. Joined on-stage by drummer/keyboardist Martin Dosh and bassist Jeremy Ylvisake, this small group of performers created music with a lushness that defied their numbers. Assisted by a sampling pedal and an array of effects, including a rotating horn speaker, Bird paced the stage like a mad conductor, fiercely urging his orchestra on to sweeping crescendos. The set was mainly a showcase of his newest release Armchair Apocrypha, but Bird has a reputation for live interpretations that significantly deviate from their studio counterparts. Perhaps the most striking example of this was "Heretics", a song in which the string arrangements present on the record were conspicuously absent in the live setting, turning the tune into what could almost be described as the 'rocker' of Bird's set. The unique looping and rhodes skills of Dosh (I've been listening to his album Lost Take all week, amazing stuff) were showcased on "Simple X", the intro of which was an exercise in sampling, in order to provide the backing tracks for the rest of the song. The night was not was not strictly a one-album affair however, seeing Bird reach into his recent back catalog with live renditions of The Mysterious Production of Eggs' "The Naming of Things" and "Tables and Chairs". The main set ended with "Scythian Empires", just one of the more 'dreamy' songs played that Bird said he felt were appropriate for a venue as beautiful as the Southern Theater. A one song encore of "Weather Systems", played solo, capped off the evening with a veritable showcase of violin mastery (or something close to it). It's hard to pin Andrew Bird within a genre, he's almost in a class by himself, with a similarly undefinable live show that's a spectacle worth witnessing.

Movie Review: Grindhouse

Unlike many reviews I've read of this film, I'm not really in a position to wax nostalgic about the glory-days of grindhouse cinema. I've never been to a double feature, nor do I pretend to be well versed in pre-1990's underground cinema. What I do recognize is that Grindhouse exemplifies exactly what movies are supposed to be; a genuinely fun piece of escapism. Rodriguez and Tarantino deliver what I can only assume is a faithful homage to a genre which inspired them. In some ways, they've been making grindhouse movies all along, these are just the first to embrace the influence unabashedly.

Rodriguez's contribution, Planet Terror, tries to be a campy zombie-horror epic, but inadvertently ends up making you actually care about the fate of the diverse cast of broadly drawn characters. There's the one-legged go-go dancer (not a stripper), the criminal with a mysterious past, an over-zealous police chief, the abused wife, and the Texan BBQ cook. Drawn together by the onslaught of a mysterious all-consuming virus which endows those infected with a hunger for human flesh, this group of unlikely companions go on the requisite quest to save the world. Blood and gore abound, gigantic explosions engulf the screen, and guns take the place of missing appendages. But the tale Rodriguez spins (as well as the story he leaves out, thanks to a missing reel) transcends it's formulaic approach, injecting humor and an uncanny realism into its seemingly constricting confines. In some ways, this take on a characteristically 'fake' genre ends up seeming more real than many of the films making their way out of Hollywood today.

Tarantino's effort is another animal altogether. Conceived as a tribute to car chase movies like Vanishing Point, Death Proof ends up being more of a Tarantino film than grindhouse cinema. The exposition is excruciating at times, consisting mainly of drawn out conversations with little relevance to the overall plot, think Reservoir Dogs with a group of four girls replacing the men in suits. This verbosity is taken to many different venues, from cars, to restaurants, to bars, but it never seems at home in a film that is supposed to be about over-stated action, not mindless ramblings. The first of homicidal Stuntman Mike's high speed kills sates the audience's appetite for spectacle, but only after having to wade through half an hour of (mostly pointless) dialogue. The climax takes just as long to come, as viewers are subjected to yet another long stretch of a new group of four girls babbling on about the mundane. The characters are such stereotypes that the conversations don't even do anything to flesh them out. We get it; the actress is dumb, the stuntwoman is fearless, the black woman is a hardass, and Rosario Dawson is just along for the ride. But once the car chase gets started, it almost seems worth the wait. The speed, the roaring engines, the clash of metal on metal, and the total absence of CGI make the last 20 minutes a visceral experience that is arguably the best car chase captured on film in quite some time. It almost makes the lead-up forgivable, but as a follow-up to the bombast action of Planet Terror, it's somewhat of a let down. A simple swapping of positions would have done wonders.

I can't end the review without mentioning the fake previews which are interspersed before and between the films. Rodriguez's trailer for the 'mexploitation' flick Machete is hilarious, and may actually receive a direct to DVD release if time can be found to shoot it during the filming of Sin City 2. Eli Roth's promo for Thanksgiving comes in a close second, a great riff on holiday-based slashers like Halloween (coincidentally, the REAL trailer for Rob Zombie's upcoming Halloween remake was shown before the film). The other trailers, care of directors Edgar Wright and Rob Zombie fail to impress quite as much, likely due to cuts to keep the rating of the film under an NC-17. A very nice touch to a movie that's practically dripping with nostalgia. It's kind of sad to see that a movie starring Ice Cube beat out this film at the box-office this weekend. If you haven't seen it yet, get out next weekend and make sure that doesn't happen again.

Birds & Ships

Is it just me, or did the labels perform a veritable dump of notable new releases this week? While I appreciate the gesture, an unemployed student such as myself can only buy so many new records. After weighing my options (and considering the fact that I recently blew far too much money pre-ordering Sky Blue Sky), I settled on obtaining genuine compact discs of Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha and Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. I now present you with my reviews, to assist with your own purchasing dilemmas:

Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird
Not content to merely stick to the formula that seemed to work on his acclaimed 2005 release, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Andrew Bird forges forward on his newest record, covering new ground while revisiting notable songs of his past. Perhaps the biggest departure for Bird is his use of guitar, an instrument he has shied away from in the past. However, it all works brilliantly, which can only be expected from such a talented arranger. Guitar riffs are featured prominently next to the usual violin strains and whistling on upbeat tracks such as "Heretics" and "Plasticites", backed by the minimalistic beats of Martin Dosh. Bird's lyrics are as interesting and far fetched as ever; "Dark Matter" is about his dream of being a surgeon, while "Scythian Empires" compares current US foreign policy to the conquests of an ancient Iranian tribe (yes, I had to look that one up on the Wikipedia). What impresses me the most is the album's excellent flow, effortlessly drifting from song to song, and making use of an instrumental interlude as well as a two-song closer. Bottom line; if you're a fan of Bird's work you'll enjoy this record, but even if you're not, this is the one that will change your mind.

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank - Modest Mouse
After the "Float On" driven debacle that was Good News People for People Who Love Bad News, Issac Brock inches his way closer to radio-friendly rock with his band's newest lengthily-titled release. However, now more accustomed to their new-found pop sensibilities, Modest Mouse is finding their niche in a genre crowded with blandness. The addition of ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is more appropriate than I thought it would be, he hangs with the usual herky-jerky riffs but also brings the wailing solos on a few tracks. Songs range from the incredibly pop-y ("Dashboard", "Florida") to more tradition Mouse fare ("March into the Sea", "Steam Engenius"). My favorite of the bunch, "Missed the Boat", finds Brock and company channeling an almost Wilco-esque vibe (mainly because the intro reminds me of "Muzzle of Bees"). I'm also quite partial to "People as Places as People", which almost sounds like an outtake from the Moon and Antarctica sessions. The production is slick throughout the entire album, sometimes a little too much so. Those expecting the semi-lo-fi vibe of Long Drive have probably already given up on the Mouse by now anyways. But if you're willing to look past the slightly different sound, there's an album here that's worth listening to. It's certainly better than Good News was, and I doubt you'll be bombarded with any of these tunes a la "Float On" anytime soon.

Podcast No. 1

A few weeks ago I hinted at the possibility of a future podcast and, lo and behold, here is my first attempt. It's very bare bones, just 4 tracks of music and some commentary. Nevertheless, enjoy, and if the link goes down for some reason, just comment and I'll re-post. Tracklisting is as follows:
Tapes on the Floor Podcast No. 1
1:51 Scott Amendola Band - Oladipo
10:06 Andrew Bird - Heretics
14:07 TV on the Radio - Dirtywhirl
19:01 Wilco - You Are My Face

Movie Review: 300

Wow. Not since Robert Rodriguez's Sin City has a graphic novel been so faithfully and stylishly been brought to the big screen. Zack Snyder (of Dawn of the Dead remake fame) treats Frank Miller's work as a storyboard, fleshing out the spaces between frames with beautiful cinematography that stays consistent with Miller's grand vision of one of history's most epic battles. A good amount of the movie is a plethora of exquisitely executed slow-motion battle sequences, replete with severed limbs and gratuitous amounts of blood, set to a wailing guitar-driven soundtrack. Yup, it's a movie squarely aimed at the young male demographic, as is clearly evidenced by an unnecessarily long sequence involving the gyrations of a scantly clad oracle preparing to deliver her prophesy. All bases are covered, be it boobs, blood, or battle. But the profundity of the underlying story is not lost among this sea of optical flair. The film keeps a great rhythm, managing to cut between the political turmoil in the city of Sparta and the on-going battle, while loosing very little of its flow. This all bodes well for Snyder's next project; a film adaptation of Alan Moore's seminal Watchmen graphic novel. It will be a harder story to tell on the big screen, but 300 proves he is the man to do it. Do yourself a favor, go to the theater and enjoy this film. It stands among my favorites of the year so far.

Live Review: TV on the Radio

Sometimes you have to take what you can get, and Wednesday night's TV on the Radio show was a prime example of that. Post-rap group Subtle warmed up the crowd, but were more annoying than entertaining due to the antics of their lead singer/rapper who had a penchant for distracting theatrics and extremely forced stand-up comedy. There's a fine line between clever and stupid, but pantomimed throat slitting with a switchblade, throwing plastic forks into the crowd, and attempted self-mutilation with said plastic utensils strays exclusively to the 'stupid' end of that spectrum. The sad part of it is, the instrumentation was far superior to the contrived stage antics and probably would have been invariably more entertaining if not for all the shtick surrounding it.

TV on the Radio fared far better, hitting the stage and immediately breaking into a rendition of the anthemic "I Was a Lover" in front of a sold out house. The night was split pretty evenly between songs from their most recent record, Return to Cookie Mountain, and their 2004 release Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe and guitarist/producer David Andrew Sitek positively exuded energy for the first 20 minutes or so, but right after the high energy romp of "Wolf Like Me" things seemed to die down. It might just have been my unfamiliarity with their earlier material, but I doubt I was the only one who found much of the middle of their set to drag. The end of the main set was redeemed by "Dirtywhirl" and a human-beatboxed version of "Province". The set seemed short, clocking in at a little under an hour, so an encore was almost a given.

The band came back to the stage with all the members of Subtle, launching into an impromptu percussion jam that eventually bled into "A Method". The band quickly ended the night with "Staring at the Sun", arguably the song that sparked much of the interest in TVOTR three years ago. While much of their performance was very enjoyable, the experience as a whole wasn't quite as fulfilling as it should have been. The band was obviously suffering from a little mid-tour fatigue, playing a short set and not keeping the energy constant throughout the show. While this is understandable, it's a bit of a disappointment to a person expecting to see what has been hailed as an incredible live show. It wasn't all a bust though, there were some enjoyable moments and it was great fun to see some of the more experimental elements being put to the test onstage. Hopefully Columbus doesn't get stuck with another mid-tour date the next time TVOTR comes through town...

Let's Get Carried Away

Usually I shy away from regurgitating news, but in my mind, this seems too good not to repost. This morning saw the release of the tracklisting for Wilco's forthcoming Sky Blue Sky LP. Click the link if you're not in the know, I won't bother copying it here. So here are my thoughts on the tracklisting, based only on some limited bootleg listening (I don't think I've heard all the tracks available, I'm actually trying to give myself something to look forward to on May 15). First of all, I'm very happy, and not the least bit surprised, to see that both "Impossible Germany" and "Walken" managed to make the cut. These are the two tracks that really sold me on how great Wilco's new line-up can sound, and gave me faith that Jeff Tweedy is still capable of writing great songs. I'm also down with the inclusion of "Side With the Seeds" and "Shake it Off", both of which were revealed at Wilco's last two shows in Chicago this past Thanksgiving. "Side With the Seeds" is the kind of pensive ballad that every Wilco album needs, while "Shake it Off" is the kind of rhythmically challenging showpiece that I expect from such a talented group. I'm on the fence about "What Light" as well as "On and On and On", especially as the album closer. "What Light" always struck me as a pretty generic pop song, not exactly what I expect from the guy who penned the tongue-in-cheek anti-pop of "Can't Stand It". As for "On and On and On", my problem with the song is pretty much addressed by its title. It keeps going, and it doesn't really get anywhere, no climactic Nels solo, no pounding Glenn breakdown, just a plodding piano driven ballad. Not the kind of thing I want to end a Wilco album with. I'll hold final judgment until I hear the final studio versions, as Wilco has a habit of drastically changing tracks during the recording process. And now on to the tracks that AREN'T here. Tweedy revealed in January that "Is That the Thanks I Get?" wasn't album-bound, so no surprises there, but what's with the axing of rocker "Let's Not Get Carried Away"? A ghost is born had "I'm a Wheel", I really expect my Wilco albums to have at least one raucous party tune (which perhaps will be fulfilled by one of the songs I haven't heard yet). My compliments to the band on seeing that "Let's Fight" wasn't really working out. The live versions were an exercise in shoddy string pads and strained falsetto. I've been hearing good things about "Sky Blue Sky" and "Please Be Patient With Me", both of which have been played heavily of Tweedy's recent solo acoustic tour, but so far I've resisted the temptation to download. So, with a few mystery tracks to spare, that about wraps up my thoughts on the tracklisting. And so begins the arduous wait until May 15...

On a lighter note, I've added a few new concerts to my list for the year. On April 13, violinist Andrew Bird and his band will be coming to the historic Southern Theater. I know his show at the Wexner Center a few years back sold out pretty quick, so my attendance is mainly based on if I can get tickets or not. I've also learned, though not confirmed, that Chicago post-rockers Tortoise will be stopping by the Wexner Center on June 14. Being able to see Jeff Parker twice in one year is simply an opportunity I cannot pass up, so if this comes to fruition I'll most definitely be there. On an unrelated note, I've heard that the Arcade Fire will be performing on SNL at the end of this month. How long is it until we see Wilco on the show? I'm sure the band could provide comedy on par with what is usually seen on the show these days. More postings as motivation permits...

Live Review: Scott Amendola Band

Last weekend I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Scott Amendola Band in the Wexner Center's performance space. The lineup featured all of the players from the band's Believe LP, including Scott Amendola himself, Nels Cline, Jeff Parker, violinist Jenny Scheinman, and bassist John Shifflett. The group sounded great, especially for night two of a three-date tour. The night started off slowly with a percussion driven song call "Lullaby for Sasha" which provided a smooth segue into the violin-driven strains of "Believe". For the most part, Nels seemed to hold the reigns of the band, acting the part of animated director, while Amendola laid down the backing grooves. A spirited cover of Thelonius Monk's "Pannonica" kicked off the night's more upbeat numbers including a new tune entitled "Blues for a Grand Bizarre". The highlight of the evening was the one-two punch of the Crazy Horse-esque "Buffalo Bird Woman" and the afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen tribute "Oladipo". Nels Cline's guitar-work positively exuded brilliance during these songs, nearly stealing the show from an extremely talented band. The night was capped off with "Cesar Chavez", a song that showcases Amendola's unique rhythmic skills. The whole night was a real treat, it's not too often that this segment of the progressive jazz scene makes it way out to C-bus. The group sounded great, especially seeing as this album was recorded almost two years ago. After a short e-mail correspondence with Amendola, I can confirm that another record with this line-up of musicians is in the works, with recording taking place sometime this year. You heard it here first! Also, after the tremendous response to this show, it doesn't seem unlikely that the Nels Cline Singers may make a stop in Columbus in support of their two new records being released in May.

On a side note, this the first post I'm writing on my brand new Mac mini. I must say, so far I'm really enjoying it. It sure beats upgrading to Vista (which, from what I hear is just a big old OSX ripoff anyways). Since I now have access to the excellent GarageBand application, I'm seriously considering testing the podcasting waters. Expect my first effort within the next few weeks or so.

Addendum

The first post of 2007; sure to be remembered as a year that was... just about as great as any other year. The spring tour announcements have been trickling in, and it looks like the coming months will be well stocked with concert options here in Columbus, Ohio. My list so far includes the Scott Amendola Band (ft. Nels Cline & Jeff Parker), Apples in Stereo, TV on the Radio, and Animal Collective. Whoever books these acts gets my humble thanks, as this is truly one of the more eclectic line-ups I've seen around these parts in my relatively few concert-going years. I just bought the Scott Amendola Band's Believe today and, if the album is any indication, their live show is going to be pretty mind blowing.

Plenty of record releases dropping within the next few months as well. I've listened quite a bit to Damon Albarn's new sideproject The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and I really like what I'm hearing. Danger Mouse's production work is pretty obvious, almost sounding like a direct continuation of Gorillaz Demon Days. The single "Herculean" is my favorite so far, so give it a quick search on Hype Machine is you're interested. However, my real anticipation is focused on Wilco's newest full-length, entitled Sky Blue Sky, which will be released on May 15. Although I've already heard live versions of many of the song which will be included on this release, Wilco has a habit of really mixing things up with the studio arrangements, so it's not unreasonable to expect these tunes to take on a whole new sound in their recorded forms. Speaking of Wilco, lead guitarist/noisemaker Nels Cline has TWO new albums with his Nels Cline Singers group coming out care of Cryptogramophone sometime in May. I really dug the group's last release, The Giant Pin, so hopefully at least one of these new records will continue that last album's unique blend of jazz, rock, and noise.

I've decided to hand out a few honorable mentions to my favorite albums of '06 list. A recent episode of Austin City Limits turned me on to Cat Power's 2006 release The Greatest. I can't say I ever been much of a fan of Marshall Chan, but put a Memphis soul band behind this girl and it's damn hard not to enjoy. She's got a voice that works extremely well with the gernre, and the record just has an amazing sound to it. My other favorable mention goes to Aloha's Some Echos, which I recently picked up on a whim. These Ohio-natives craft a solid pop album which at times evokes the Arcade Fire and the New Pornographers. Some great almost jazzy guitar work rounds out the package and makes it list-worthy. I'm sure I've overlooked some others, but these are what came to mind directly after the fact. Perhaps I should just post another list entitled: "Nice One, Dumbass: The Ones I Forgot"? Ah well, expect a review of the Scott Amendola Band sometime next weekend.

Favorite Albums of 2006

While sifting through this year's releases to compile this obligatory list, one thing became glaringly obvious to me; I don't listen to very much new music anymore. I blame this mainly on my predominantly used-record buying habits; why buy the newest release when you can get 3 older albums for the same price? Sure, I sampled plenty of the buzz albums this year (care of the many high quality MP3 blogs now infesting the web), but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money to hear them in their entirety. There's always next year, right? In any case, here are my picks from 2006:

Born Again in the USA- Loose Fur
I always thought the first Loose Fur album was kind of a one-time deal, so it was amazing to me that this follow up even got made. Gone are the winding jams of their first release, replaced with concise songs that sound like outtakes from Jim O'Rourke and Wilco albums. And when you're as good as these guys, even your outtakes are killer.



Mobile- Glenn Kotche
I never thought I'd include a solo percussion album on my list, but his one really deserves to be heard. Kotche churns out some of his most accessible work to date, with "Mobile Pt. 1&2" easily nabbing the award for the year's catchiest riff. Also, who can argue with a consistently impressive 12 minute drum solo?



The Gun Album- The Minus 5
Who knew the Minus 5 could make a great alt-country album? While not as cohesive as their previous release Down With Wilco, this one has its moments. Scott McCaughy and Peter Buck draw an impressive group of collaborators (Wilco, Colin Meloy, John Wesley Harding) and go to town with the alt-country vibe.



At War With the Mystics- The Flaming Lips
I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this record when I first got it. But I think seeing these guys live on two occasions this summer helped me change my mind. Most of the songs on this album are just as over-blown and epic as the Lip's live show. It's not as consistently good as Yoshimi but as a whole, it's one of the more entertaining anti-war albums you'll ever hear.


Rather Ripped- Sonic Youth
It was kind of weird hearing Sonic Youth being played on the radio this summer, but it's a testament to the more pop-like tendencies of this album. And it's by no means a bad thing; it's reassuring to hear that these guys can still reign in their more noise-oriented tendencies and create a great accessible record.



Chulahoma- The Black Keys
While I couldn't really get into their Nonesuch records debut Magic Potion, I really dug the blues on their final Fat Possum release. A tribute to the late bluesman Junior Kimbrough, Chulahoma oozes with his signature slow-burning style. Auerbach turns in some really nice vocal work and surprisingly over-dub heavy guitar interplay, while Carney shows some restraint from his usual primal pounding. I can't think of a better send off to the label that launched these guys.

The Crane Wife- The Decemberists
Call me crazy, but I've never really considered myself a Decemberists fan until I bought this album on a whim and it changed my mind. A mix of prog-folk and a smattering of classic rock influences, The Crane Wife is a consistently interesting listen. While a few tracks suffer from production that leans too far towards generic indie-rock, the overall quality of Meloy and company's arrangements redeems the record.