ACL Fest 2009 - Day Two
Sam RobertsThe rain began around late morning and lasted all day. My small umbrella came in handy. Again, we had a lot of musicians coming by to do short video interviews plus photo shoots with photographer Jeff Fasano. It's been a cool way to quickly meet a lot of artists. Brett Dennen came by. Jeez, he's tall (and a heck of a lot thinner). He'll be on David Letterman Friday, Oct 9th. I told him he should start off his appearance by announcing that he did NOT sleep with Letterman. He just gave me a strange look. By late afternoon media... read more
Austin City Limits 2009 Day One Photos Ft. Avett Brothers, Them Crooked Vultures, Phoenix, YYYs and More
[Above: The Avett Brothers]Photos taken by Jason McElweenie at ACL 2009... read more
Loudon Wainwright III -- High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project
This one's a lot of fun, although it will leave a lot of Loudon's longtime fans scratching their heads. But hey, kids, the 1930s and Depression-era stringbands are cool. And it's fascinating to hear Loudon eschew the ironic, smartass approach. Some of these songs are so treacly sweet that they will raise your blood sugar after just a few bars.Charlie Poole, it turns out, visited more than a few bars himself, and he lived out the short, dead-at-39 self-destructive melodrama that would later be followed by Hank Williams and a hell-raising host of country outlaw musicians. But his songs... read more
Live Review and Video: Thom Yorke Secret Show - The Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA - 10/2/09
The familiar first notes of Thom Yorke’s title track from his solo album, Eraser, swept over a hazy crowd of lucky and excited ticket holders Friday night in Los Angeles. Yorke and the members of his new and currently unnamed L.A.-based group (including Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) took their places on The Echoplex stage, and officially began the show they called their “rehearsal.” And if the rehearsal is any indication of the group’s sound, Radiohead fans and music lovers alike can count on a certain eccentricity in balance with lovely, inspired music.... read more
Oh Comely: Five Neutral Milk Hotel Covers Worth Hearing
Hearing Neutral Milk Hotel via audiophile-quality vinyl for the first time will be a triumphant yet defeating moment. Why? Because the band's sad notes will strike louder than ever before, and every wailing horn will remind us that Elephant 6 offspring is gone, perhaps never to return.... read more
Thirteen Raggedy Old Avett Brothers Songs To Make You Love (Or Hate) I and Love and You Even More
If you've flipped through the pages of Paste in recent years—whether physical or virtual—you're likely familiar with the Avett Brothers, if not just flat-out smitten with them. We first told their story back in 2006 and caught back up with them this summer as they prepared for the release of their major-label debut. I and Love and You came on out Columbia's American Records imprint last week, and it's a glorious feat—you can read our own Bart Blasengame's thoughts on the record right here. (For the record, yes, that is the first time Paste—or anyone else, we estimate—has ever committed... read more
ACL Fest - Day One
Dave Grohl with Them Crooked VulturesThe Dell Sound & the Jury competition that began months earlier with hundreds of bands competing online came to a head a couple days ago when The Bright Light Social Hour was chosen as top band. Their reward: To be one of the bands to kick off ACL Fest. Their Dell Stage performance didn't disappoint. They are a blast to watch, and I can't get their songs out of my head. I missed most of the other early bands as we were busy at the Paste Media Tent doing video interviews with artists for a later... read more
Pop Montreal Demands More Sujfan Stevens
The house lights came on. And so did the house music. Sufjan Stevens had just given the Montreal a stellar set culminating in crowd-pleaser "Chicago." He'd even come back on stage for a (mostly) solo encore of the haunting "John Wayne Gacy." But the audience wanted more. They shouted. They whistled. They chanted one more song. And by "they," I mean "we." I was as eager as anyone to hear some more. It was a phenomenal show, and we all wanted it to keep it going. It had been too long since we'd heard anything new from one of the... read more
10 Blatant B-Movie Knock-Offs
Blockbuster recently announced that it will be closing over 800 stores worldwide by 2010. It seems there is no competition for the rise of convenient and affordable movie renting alternatives like Netflix, automated kiosks and online movie download sites. But just like any service that is streamlined into a more efficient and faceless exchange, there is always a give and take.... read more
U2 - Boston, MA - Gillette Stadium - 9/20/09
Photos taken by Brian Lima at Gillette Stadium... read more
Pop Montreal Report: The Mystery of Fever Ray
I think I saw Fever Ray last night. I definitely heard Karin Dreijer's music, saw her laser show and watched shadows of what I can only assume were the band performing song's off Fever Ray's self-titled album—a side-project from one-half of The Knife that's starting to garner more attention than the original band. But Dreijer herself remained hidden—first in a coat that gave her a silhouette that looked like one of Maurice Sendak's Wild Things and then simply in the darkness.... read more
Electroids 9V USB Phone Charger (Awesome of the Day)
After the Matt and Kim show a couple of nights ago at Pop Montreal, as I stumbled home following the handy directions on my iPhone's Map app, the battery died, turning my 10-minute walk into a 20-minute search. But that's because I've yet to build the curiously handy 9V charger from Electroids out of an old Altoids can, string and some duct tape. OK, so maybe the component parts are a little more high tech—but if you've got the Altoids tin, Electroids will provide the rest.... read more
Mad for Maddow: The Very Best of Rachel Maddow
About a year and a month ago, Air America radio host Rachel Maddow decided to dabble in television commentary. After several months already spent as an MSNBC political analyst, and with a little help from her BFF Keith Olbermann, Maddow was ready to hit the big time: her very own TV show! In the year since her debut, she's already become one of the biggest names in the cable news biz. What's the secret behind her popularity? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that her show is, you know, good. Mixing a fiery brand of politics with... read more
Fantastic Fest 2009 - Day One
Just like everyone else, film festivals have been hurting from the economic downturn. A piece of advice for all you ailing fests: give Tim League, co-founder of Fantastic Fest, a holler. Now in its fifth year League has created a monster of an event where I, the fan, am the most important person in the theater. You know you're doing something right when next year's VIP seats sell out in a matter of minutes which is exactly what happened earlier this week. You hear that? Sold out one year in advance! Aside from the typical horror genre they cover other... read more
Best Discovery of Pop Montreal (So Far): Holger
The 2009 Pop Montreal festival kicked off last night with an opening party at a little warehouse on Hutchison that turned into a local fashion show. The clothes were interesting, but it was the music that I'd made the trip for, and I began my night by catching a five-piece rock act from Sao Paulo, Brazil, called Holger. It was a much better way to get the four-night festival going than any catwalk could be.... read more
The Dodos "Fables" Video (Awesome of the Day)
Echoing the cover imagery of their sophomore LP, Time To Die, confetti factors in the otherwise straightforward video for the album's first single, "Fables." Directed by Matt Amato, the video is like the band's music—simple and gorgeous. Its arrival also serves as a nice introduction to the band's third member Keaton Snyder as he adds a nice touch of vibes to Meric Long and Logan Kroeber's guitar/drum mix.... read more
Download Loch Lomond's "Wax and Wire"
Download Loch Lomond's "Wax and Wire" here.The band's Night Bats EP comes out Nov. 11 on Hush.... read more
Download Nirvana's "Scoff"
Download Nirvana's "Scoff" here.A deluxe, reissue version of Nirvana's Bleach will be released Nov. 3 on Sub Pop.... read more
Why Kevin Is Top Chef
I was wrong last time, but here I go again, trying to predict the winner of Top Chef: Las Vegas. I’m rooting for our hometown boy Kevin Gillespie all the way. Here’s why:... read more
Forgotten Gems -- The Move
Roy Wood had it going both ways. His hair was not only long, it was wide. Aside from his sometimes fearsome, leonine appearance, he was also a first-rate rock 'n roll synthesist, mixing influences as diverse as Vaudeville, Syd-Barret-era Pink Floyd psychedelia, Elvis rockabilly swagger, and The Beatles' effortless melodicism.Wood's primary musical vehicle was The Move, the late '60s/early '70s British band that eventually spawned the better-known Electric Light Orchestra. You've no doubt heard the latter, but you're a serious rock 'n roll fan indeed if you've heard the former. Although The Move had several Top 10 hits in... read more
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