Songs In the Key of Touché

SITKOT is quiet.

2010-10-27T19:01:00.007-04:00

Other local rockblogs are not. Read them all here:

http://pittsburghmusicblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks.

JR's Best Albums in the First Half of 2010

2010-07-28T14:54:00.007-04:00

Well - it's been awhile since I last posted due to a number of things keeping me busy, but I wanted to share a list of my favorite albums that arrived in the first half of 2010. Last year, there was a single standout album that stuck for me immediately and was never superseded at any point after it came out. In fact, if it came out this year, it would also be the best album in the first half of 2010. And that album would be............Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors. But I digress. This post is about new music, not year-old music that still blows my mind over a year later. Here is my top 10 in order from best to 10th best:

1. Teen Dream by Beach House

What an amazing album by Beach House. I can honestly say that I like every single track. Definitely my favorite so far this year, and very cool DVD that accompanies the vinyl copy of this album containing a different music video for each song. I also *saw* them in concert earlier this year and they sounded awesome live. I use the term "saw" loosely since the concert was at Diesel and the stage is only viewable for approximately 25 people after they renovated the place to make it awful for concert viewing. I was not one of the 25.

2. Brothers by The Black Keys

But for Teen Dream, this would be my favorite album by a long shot. There is a significant gap between my first and second choices and the remaining eight. I feel like this is potentially the Keys' masterpiece. Everything is really working for them on this album and I love the fact that they stuffed the album with 15 tracks, none of which are filler in my opinion even though some "professional" critics have said that the album is too long. Sometimes people feel like they need to say something negative for credibility purposes, but I have nothing negative to say here. The riffs are sweet and the use of falsetto on several of the tracks adds a new dimension to the Keys sound that works really well. A five star effort in every respect. Great music videos too, especially the one for "Tighten Up".

3. Expo '86 by Wolf Parade

A great effort by Wolf Parade after At Mount Zoomer, which was a bit of a letdown.

4. Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene

I've been coming back to this album a lot lately. It's definitely an improvement over their last self-titled album and over Brendan Canning's lead effort. I would still rank it a notch below Kevin Drew's album and it's not nearly as good as You Forgot It in People, but not much is from the last 10 years!

5. Treats by Sleigh Bells

6. Astro Coast by Surfer Blood

7. Gorilla Manor by Local Natives

8. Fang Island by Fang Island

Just saw Fang Island with The Flaming Lips and they were a great opening act. Awesome energy and incredible guitar work. Anytime you have three dudes dueling on the guitar and it doesn't come across as cheesy, you're doing something right. Very nice debut album. "Life Coach" is one of my favorite tracks of the year, even if it sounds a little like "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates (as my fellow blogger Roberto so astutely pointed out before the show - Fang Island, not Hall & Oates).

9. Heartland by Owen Pallett

10. King of the Beach by Wavves

I also have one honorable mention that is growing on me and might be a lot higher on my end of year list: Mines by Menomena. Also, it hurt me not to put This is Happening by LCD Soundsystem on the list, but it really lost some steam for me as of late. I like three tracks a lot, but the rest of the album just doesn't do it for me.

Rock on!

Has SITKOT gone dark?

2010-07-11T23:50:00.002-04:00

We shall see.

An open plea to Diesel

2010-06-17T10:54:00.007-04:00

Dear Diesel,

Beach House was pretty good last night. They sounded really good, actually. Problem is, I couldn't see a thing for most of the show.

I skipped the opener, so the place was already packed when I arrived. The floor was so crowded there was really nowhere good to stand without blocking someone else. My own fault, I admit, for arriving late. So I tried upstairs, which I'm sure you're aware suffers from even worse visibility problems than it previously did, thanks to the recent renovations (which I know the clubbers--who surely account for a bigger portion of your revenues--love, so I can't fault you that).

I was able to get into a corner by the door for a little while where I could sort of see the drummer from behind, but then someone told me I couldn't stand there. I got a beer and found a spot on the back wall and gave up on trying to see anything. I listened to the music, and I enjoyed it.

All of this is just precursor; I knew what I was getting into when I bought a ticket to a Diesel show. You guys have a great soundsystem, terrible visibility issues, and Joker's been booking some solid acts there lately. But let's get to the point, to the puzzle: I counted six TVs that weren't turned on and were easily visible to the 30% or so of the crowd who could not see the stage.

So, why not set up a closed circuit, aim a fixed camera on the stage, and display concerts on those fancy hi-def screens in the future, a la Thunderbird?

Very truly yours,
Roberto

My Current Favorite Songs As I Journey South

2010-06-01T16:26:00.004-04:00

As I am preparing for a short vacation at the end of this week, I thought that I would pass along my list of current favorite tracks for all inclined to follow along with my musical tastes:

Pa Pa Power by Dead Man's Bones - Can't get this song out of my head. It is so catchy it should come with a warning.

Chase Scene by Broken Social Scene - Awesome track for driving fast. I feel like I'm in a Steve McQueen movie whenever I listen to it.

Life Coach by Fang Island - Another song that is amazingly catchy and is constantly on my rotation.

Dance Yourself Clean by LCD Soundsystem - Great track by Mr. Murphy. No one builds a better electro-track than this guy. The song just grows and grows until it erupts in all of its electronic splendor.

Tell 'Em by Sleigh Bells - This track explodes from my speakers every time I hear it. Heavy fuzz at its absolute finest.

Tighten Up by The Black Keys - When they break it down at the 2:35 mark, I just can't help but smile at the genius of it all. I wish that I could write gritty blues licks like these two guys.

Bonus track from the archives - Let It Loose by The Rolling Stones - very underrated song from Exile on Main Street. Very bluesy and soulful. Great vocals by Mick on this one and one of my all time favorite Stones songs.

Enjoy!

SITKOT goes on holiday

2010-05-28T14:42:00.003-04:00

In case you haven't noticed, we've taken a bit of a siesta. Expect it to last through mid-June or so as we all do a little traveling. Someone may surprise me and sneak a post in here toward the end of Arts Fest, but I doubt it.

Set List: Josh Ritter at Diesel, May 18, 2010

2010-05-21T15:30:00.007-04:00

Let me know if you think I missed any...

Full band:
1. Change of Time
2. Southern Pacifica
3. Rumors
4. Folk Bloodbath
5. Right Moves
6. Good Man
7. Rattling Locks
8. The Curse
9. Lark
10. Wolves

Solo:
11. Monster Ballads
12. The River (Springsteen)
13. In the Dark [without mic]
14. Kathleen [as band rejoins]

Full band:
15. Girl in the War
[Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabelle Lee" read by Ritter's father]
16. Another New World
17. Harrisburg --> Wicked Game --> Harrisburg
18. Lantern
19. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:
20. Moon River
21. Snow is Gone
22. Wait for Love [dedicated to "Dan", who repeatedly requested "Lillian, Egypt" during the show]

Thanks to YouTube user ejg5068 for the posted video and a few others.

A word about My Morning Jacket and the birth of a blog (this one, actually)

2010-05-18T14:58:00.010-04:00

As a phrase, title, or whatever else, "songs in the key of touché" has little meaning in the context of what this blog has turned out to be. But there was a time when My Morning Jacket released Evil Urges. The time was 2008. I loved it, Henry hated it. We argued, nobody won, and we talked about starting a blog where we fought over various albums/songs/concerts that we disagreed on. That blog never came to be, but the proposed title of "Songs in the Key of Touché" stuck with me, so when I finally got around to starting a blog on a spark of inspiration from AC/DC and a six-pack or so of warm Labatt Blue Light, I went with it.

Anyway, Henry tells me My Morning Jacket is awesome live, and I can't wait to find out on August 29 27 when they roll into the Station Square Amphiteatre, which I think has a new name that I don't plan to call it by.

Download/Stream:My Morning Jacket - "It Makes No Difference" (The Band cover)

Bonus Download - In honor of tonight's show, here's Josh Ritter a little over a year ago at Diesel playing what has turned out to be one of the best songs on his new record:

Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (live in Pittsburgh, 3-29-09)

SITKOT's current favorites

2010-05-14T10:30:00.011-04:00

El Loco Mooso:
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Guster - Lost and Gone Forever
Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Henry:
Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
Son Volt - American Central Dust
Madvillian - Madvillainy

JR:
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Sleigh Bells - Treats
The National - High Violet

Roberto:
The National - High Violet
Josh Ritter - So Runs the Worlds Away
Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Honorable mention:
Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

Download/Stream:
The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
Josh Ritter - "Change of Time"
Sleigh Bells - "Tell 'Em"

Some Monday FYIs

2010-05-10T10:32:00.007-04:00

1a. According to one of our archrival local rockblogs, Pittsburgh Music Report, Interpol will be coming to Mr. Small's on June 23. Hot stuff.

1b. Carlos D. has left Interpol. Not too worried.

1c. Download "Lights," the lead single off Interpol's forthcoming LP at their site.

2a. The National's new album is awesome, and is now streaming in full on NPR and Grooveshark. Least satisfying lyric: "I was afraid I'd eat your brains because I'm evil." Buy it tomorrow.

2b. As of now, Pittsburgh is not among The National's stops on their upcoming tour. Come on.

Cymbals Eat Guitars Devour Ear Drums

2010-05-05T14:26:00.002-04:00

When I heard that Cymbals Eat Guitars was making a stop in Pittsburgh, I was pretty pumped. For anyone who isn't familiar with the band, they put out a self-released album last year that received heaps of praise from several indie band websites as well as from yours truly who listed their debut album, Why There Are Mountains as the 11th best album of the year. Their sound is very unique with wailing vocals and some serious noise-shred guitar work. I was curious as to how they were going to pull this sound off in a live setting - I was not disappointed.

They started out playing the first song from Why There Are Mountains called "...And the Hazy Sea", which also happens to be my favorite song of theirs. Joe D'Agostino, the lead singer and guitarist offered some ear plugs to everyone before they began and I am still wishing today that I had used them. The sound coming from their set-up was monumentally loud, but at the same time controlled. On many of the songs, Joe's vocals range from soft to screaming, which is a little reminiscent of Pixies or Nirvana and the whole soft/loud style, but the songs themselves are instrumentally very different. One thing that struck me during the show was just how much Joe used an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. I even mentioned to him after the show how liberal his use of the pedal was and he said that he always has three of them just in case they break because they are so important to the band's sound.

Overall, the band played basically every song from Why There Are Mountains and a few new tracks. Their stage presence and energy was incredible and nothing I describe in this review could possibly do the show justice. If you ever have the opportunity to see them in person do yourself a favor and see them, but don't forget the ear plugs.

One additional note: the first opening act, Big Hurry, is a local Pittsburgh band with an awesome sound. I talked to the band a little bit before the show at Sammy's and they are also really nice people. Check them out if you get the chance. I would compare Kelly's vocals to a cross between Joanna Newsom and Feist. And the guitar work was great too. Definitely a fine addition to the Pittsburgh music scene.

An aside re: August 1st

2010-05-05T13:29:00.003-04:00

So I realize that concert promoters don't consult with indie fans, or each other--or local parks officials for that matter--when planning shows. But in the future, maybe they could.

Anyway, my math is rusty, but if I had to guess:

(Built to Spill @ Mr. Small's) < (Yo La Tengo @ Hartwood Acres)?

Yo La Tengo coming to Hartwood Acres

2010-05-04T16:50:00.004-04:00

What else is there to say? I guess that there are a few other concerts to look for at the county parks this summer too:

06.04: Pittsburgh Opera, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

07.02: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, South Park, Time TBA

07.18: Rosanne Cash, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

07.23-25: 16th Annual Blues Festival, Hartwood Acres

07.30: Incendio, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

08.01: Yo La Tengo, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.
08.06: Livingston Taylor, South Park, 7:30 p.m.
08.13: Marcia Ball Band, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

08.22: Joe Sample Trio, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

09.05: Rusted Root, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

Download/Stream:

Yo La Tengo - "You Can Have It All"

A brief word on The Hills season premiere

2010-04-28T12:20:00.003-04:00

I'm in your corner, Kristen.

We're still here.

2010-04-23T10:32:00.007-04:00

But, then, so are the other blogs, and they're doing a better job of blogging lately. So I hand it to them, and I hand you over to them this week. (Although I do want to mention that the 28 North track posted at Burgh Sounds is pretty sweet indeed.)

speed of the pittsburgh sound
The Ceiling Stares and the Spirit of Analog
"The Ceiling Stares, Pittsburgh’s newest underground rock heroes, embrace the lo-fi movement in the correct manner."

Pittsburgh Music Report
David Bazan - House Show - Pittsburgh - 5/29/10
"David Bazan (Pedro the Lion fame) will be performing a house show in Pittsburgh on 5/29."

Burgh Sounds
28 North bleed rock and hope to bleed more
“The band 28 North is so close to huge breakout success, that listening to their new self-tiled record brings — along with the pleasure of hearing a dozen tracks of kinetic rock and roll — a touch of frustration as well."

Old Mon Music
Jammin' From Carnegie to Colorado
"Vince Herman grew up in Carnegie, the youngest of seven children in a music loving family."

The Watson Twins @ and on YEP Monday

2010-04-13T10:00:00.002-04:00

I was lucky enough to follow up Sunday night's Wilco show with Monday's midday in-studio concert by the Watson Twins. The Louisville-rooted, LA-based duo was due to play YEP before their February show but Snowmaggedon hindered their plans. Yesterday they graciously stopped through on their way home to LA, having concluded their recent tour at the Mountain Stage in WV last night.

Chandra and Leigh (Watson) brought a wirey-haired keyboardist (Kip?) and filled the studio with their beautiful harmonies, light acoustic guitar and axillary percussion. Between thoughtful anecdotes and recording stories their set list was:

1. Tell Me Why 2. Calling Out 3. Devil in You 4. Southern Manners

All four songs were well-performed, but "Southern Manners" (the title track to their 2006 debut album) was downright stirring. Honestly, I didn't know their catalog outside of 2006's Jenny Lewis collaboration "Rabbit Fur Coat." Big mistake on my part. These ladies are supremely talented.

A captivating and symbiotic presence, they have been harmonizing since they were 8-years-old. In fact, they are so in-synch that their mother's (pre-ultrasound) obstetrician couldn't discern two separate heartbeats until less than two months before their birth. As Leigh said yesterday, "Our dad is 6'8" so our parents thought we were just a really big baby."

They wear their lo-fi-ness as a badge of pride; typically opting for 8 or 16 track analog. Surprisingly, they write their music separately. On March's recent release "Talking to You, Talking to Me," they each wrote 6 of the 12 tracks, taking their inspiration from time holed up in their producer's remote cabin in the high-Sierra Mountains. This time around, the song's author took lead vocals then together, they recorded duet harmonies for backing vocals.

Hot off of today's studio set I'm excited to delve into their albums and will be looking forward to their return to the 'Burgh, which Chandra thinks will be late-Summer or early-Fall.

Stay tuned. In the meantime, click here for a free MP3 of "U N Me" off of their new album.

Another Wilco Review!?

2010-04-12T14:52:00.005-04:00

Well, not really - Roberto and JR nailed down the details pretty well and I'm not typically one for remembering that "that one note on that one song..." But holy crappamolie that was a killer concert - so here are my quick hits:

1) Glenn Kotche is a heckofa drummer. My two blogging chronies are axe-men so their Nels Cline fawning isn't surprising, or unmerited. But as a drummer with lofted seats, my aerial view afforded me perfect fixation on Glenn's movements for the first third of the show. Those interested can check out his Wilco kit here. His movement between such a tightly wound mess of equipment is at once deftly economical and perfectly spot-on.
1b) Note to our Aussie readers: Nels and Glenn will be playing an "improv jazz" duet at the Melbourne Jazz Fest on May 7. Those of you down-under should not miss it and let us know if you go, JR is thinking about making the trip.

2) I haven't been to a show with so much pre-concert, expectant energy in a while. You really got the sense you were a part of something special amidst a who's who of Pittsburgh music lovers. The grandeur of the venue certainly played a part in the excitement - a tremendous hall save for the 80 or so obstructed view seats that Roberto mentioned and the thick, stinky air.

3) I didn't care much for the acoustic set. It was a nice way to break up a marathon show, but as such it felt like more of a sideshow than an exposition. I am, however, always a fan of kitschy floorlamps for creating acoustic set intimacy. Nice fringed lampshades, fellas.

4) Damn that's a small stage! I first noticed how small it was back when Feist and her band were crowded in there last year. But with Wilco's packed laboratory of amplification and instrumentation, Nels' spastic movements were held in check. Whether or not the stage benefits the performance, it's always refreshing to see big bands who play big stages in big venues reign it in a little.

5) The PG made a big deal about Wilco joining a "supposed 2:45 minute club" - typically Springsteen, Phish, Dead territory. An interview I read quoted Tweedy saying that the goal of this tour is to "leave (the fans) wanting less" and play as long as they're allowed. By any account, I'm sure no one left feeling like they didn't get their money's worth.

I certainly couldn't have asked for more and will be eagerly anticipating my next "Evening (into early morning) with Wilco".

Another Wilco Review

2010-04-12T13:53:00.006-04:00

Apologies to non-Wilco fans for today's barrage. Anyway...

For some perspective on where I'm coming from, this was my 7th (maybe 8th?) time seeing these guys. The latest album and A.M. are my least favorite Wilco records. I would say I was pretty diehard for a good while between Summerteeth and Sky Blue Sky. And I'm still still a big fan.

As concerts go, this one was great. As Wilco concerts go, it was slightly above average. My #1 Wilco show would have been at Massey Hall in Toronto. Part of it was the setting, part of it was the setlist, and part of it was certainly seeing Nels Cline live for the first time. Jimmy's review below rings true with me. Cline's energy, musical proficiency, and bizarrely captivating body movements add so much to Wilco's live presence that he can really save a show, as I think he did at the Palumbo the last time they came though town. So imagine my disappointment when I found my seat last night and couldn't even see him at stage-right without standing and leaning way forward. (For those, like me, who may have thought there is not a bad seat in Carnegie Music Hall: there are about 40 of them, actually, in the back corners of the second balcony). I thought I would just suck it up and sink into the music.

My seat assignment surely took a bit away from my enjoyment of the first set. But, even accounting for that, I felt like the band took a little while to warm up. "Shot in the Arm" was where I really started feeling things, and I think by "California Stars" they were in full swing. When "Impossible Germany" rolled around and those sweet-ass guitar lines began to weave themselves together, it was time to move. Luckily, there were a surprising number of empty seats in the first balcony, and the staff didn’t seem to care at all when we snagged some prime seats not too far off-center.

I would have expected the acoustic set to be a highlight. As "Poor Places" built into an awesome symphony of noise, some roadies carried out a smaller drum kit, some keyboards and a selection of acoustic guitars. The noise subsided and the band assumed their new positions on the stage within the stage. "Spiders" was an interesting choice for the first song of this set. Probably a better idea in theory than in practice, unfortunately. While I don’t fault them for trying to switch things up on what usually turns into an epic electronic jam, it left me wanting more. Luckily they followed with a highlight of the show for me, "More Like the Moon." A very mellow, very underrated Wilco tune in my opinion. This was the first time I'd heard it live, and it did not disappoint. The rest of the acoustic set was fine, but nothing game-changing. It was definitely a nice touch and a cool opportunity to see Wilco tone things down a bit, but I was glad when, during "Airline to Heaven," the roadies began to break down the acoustic stage.

The third set just killed. "Via Chicago" was on par with the best versions I've heard, and from "Jesus" through "Monday" the whole band was on fire. One thing I always appreciate about Wilco is their ability to blend the old and new songs into a set and make them all fit harmoniously. I thought this was really on display in the third set, especially with a great "Candyfloss" in the middle. I can’t say I've ever found myself pulling Summerteeth out just to hear that tune, but it was right on time last night. And I love that it led into "Hate it Here" and "Walken," both of which completely rocked, and both of which were standouts of the night for me.

Overall, I wouldn't rank this as one of the best Wilco shows I've seen, although certainly better than the 2007 Palumbo show. Maybe somewhere in the middle for me. That said, it's Wilco. This is hands-down one of the best live bands playing today, and I have yet to walk out of a show disappointed.

An Evening With Wilco - A Rookie's Review

2010-04-12T12:54:00.002-04:00

So as it happens, most of the SITKOT crew made it to the Wilco show last night at Carnegie Music Hall, and what a show it was. I must confess that although I have listened to Wilco for years - I started getting into them when Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released - this was the first time that I've seen them perform live. I can honestly say that it was one of the best shows that I've ever seen. Because my other SITKOT comrades are going to be better with the details, having been to a show or seven, I'm going to keep my review brief and just give a few highlights.

1) Nels Cline - Guitar God. Yes, I just did. Perhaps I am biased because I am still fresh off the show last night, but I never expected Nels Cline to have some of the most insane chops that I've ever witnessed. On many of the songs from Wilco (The Album) and Sky Blue Sky he absolutely shredded the guitar, but in an always appropriate, never cheesy way. Even on the more country-tinged songs, his country soloing stayed within the genre and was smokin'. Unbelievable.

2) The Length of the Set - It was also amazing how long the set ran. I had heard that Wilco puts on some long shows, but this was incredible. Three plus hours of solid music. Their albums can't do their live show justice. During the show, I couldn't help but think that Wilco is like a modern day version of the band Television. Great soloing with purpose and catchy riffs flourishing throughout almost every single song. My highlights were "A Shot in the Arm", "Walken" (which was not even one of my favorites on Sky Blue Sky), "Impossible Germany", "Company in My Back" and "Theologians". In particular, the soloing by Nels in "A Shot in the Arm" was nothing short of magnificent.

Overall, the best show of the year so far and one that will be hard to top by any other band coming to the 'Burgh. When I think about the expansiveness of Wilco's catalogue and the fluidity of their performance last night, I can safely say that they are one of the great bands still creating relevant music that should have generational staying power.

Ok - two small gripes about the venue. First, anyone who has been to a performance at Carnegie Music Hall knows that it tends to get stuffy, and that is usually during a 1.5 hour show. When we were approaching hour three I felt like I was standing in a pressure cooker. I was thinking to myself, "Thank God this is a Wilco show and not a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert because more than one person might have passed out from the stench." And I'm not talking about the song "That Smell".

Second, I was sitting on the first level and the doors leading into the atrium were open during the acoustic set and there were people talking very loudly, to the point where Jeff Tweedy even commented that he could hear the talking and that he was dedicating the next song to the working people in the audience who paid $50 to see a Wilco performance and not talk in the lobby - or something like that. I know that it was hot and stuffy, but jeez, show a little more respect for a world-class band closing out their tour in our fine city.

Setlist: Wilco at Carnegie Music Hall - April 11, 2010

2010-04-12T11:04:00.002-04:00

As they've been doing during this "An Evening With Wilco" series of shows (the last of which was last night's), Wilco played sort of three sets in one set. No breaks except for a very brief one before the encore. I think they played from roughly 8:10 to 11:10. 37 songs in three hours. Not bad.

Three of us from the blog were there, so a review or recap may follow, depending on motivational levels.

Mostly Electric:
Wilco (the Song)
Bull Black Nova
You are My Face
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
One Wing
Shot in the Arm
On and On
Company in My Back
Deeper Down
Handshake Drugs
California Stars
Impossible Germany
I’ll Fight
Poor Places (feedback into stage change)

Mostly Acoustic:
Spiders
More Like the Moon
Someday Some Morning Sometime
Not for the Season
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Don’t Forget the Flowers
War on War
Passenger Side
Airline to Heaven (during stage change)

Mostly Electric:
Via Chicago
Box Full of Letters
You Never Know
Jesus, Etc.
Theologians
Heavy Metal Drummer
Candyfloss
Hate it Here
Walken
I’m the Man Who Loves You
Monday
Thank You Friends

Encore:
Casino Queen
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

The Wolf Is Loose

2010-04-10T11:31:00.003-04:00

The first time I heard of Mastodon I was sitting in my apartment in Salt Lake City, Utah on a ratty pull out couch I had bought at a goodwill store for $10 reading Life Sucks Die magazine. A metal-head all my life, I was, at that moment, coming to grips with the fact that Reinventing the Steel was probably going to be Pantera’s last album. To fill the void, I had slowly started to wade into underground hip hop- Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein is a timeless classic of that era btdubbs. I began to wonder whether my metal days were winding down (these were life’s big questions to me at that point).

LSD typically reviewed hip hop acts but occasionally tossed in some random fare. I remember the author writing about how “chuffed” he was by the Viking-like ferocity of Mastodon’s Lifesblood EP. A glimmer of hope stirred in my iron-maiden mind. My interest piqued, I ran around the corner and ordered the EP from a local record shop. I was hooked from first listen.

The opening track of Lifesblood, Shadows that Move, opens with a sample from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite lines in that movie. Patient Harding starts ranting: I'm not just talking about my wife, I'm talking about my LIFE, I can't seem to get that through to you. I'm not just talking about one person, I'm talking about everybody. I'm talking about form. I'm talking about content. I'm talking about interrelationships. I'm talking about God, the devil, Hell, Heaven. Do you understand... FINALLY? And then right at FINALLY Mastodon hits you with this mountain of sound like a whirling dervish all fists and elbows. A chill ran up my spine- I knew right then that my metal days were far from over. I must have listened to Lifesblood twenty times that first day. It was raw and angry yet purposeful; this was a cerebral band. The problem with a lot of metal acts, whatever the genre, is that their aggression is unfocused. This leads to a smattering of great riffs and vocals but with an ultimately empty feel. No one could ever accuse Mastodon of being devoid of feel.

After an anxious wait I was blown away by Mastodon’s full-length follow-up album- Remission. In fact I have a t-shirt from the Remission tour with an exploding pink horse on it that remains my single favorite article of clothing despite all the shit I get when I wear it. Though Remission is considered by most to be Mastodon’s only non-concept album it is nonetheless a work of art. The further cohesion of the band can clearly be heard in Remission’s transformed sound. Lost was some of the primal grit of Lifesblood. But this was more than made up for by the increased clarity of the album. More importantly is the focus that Mastodon placed on wistful guitar solos- the end of Ol’e Nessie being a prime example. It is this wistful and melancholic thread, woven throughout Mastodon’s albums that has hooked me as a fan for life.

Over time, Mastodon’s jams have morphed from downcast to something reminiscent of what I think deep space travel would feel like. In fact, when asked about how Mastodon’s most recent album, Crack the Skye came about bassist Troy Sanders said “we kinda strapped on our aeroshells and departed from Earth for a while, and then captained to the ethereal element of the universe and kind of slept on the roof of the world for a while to get a perspective on this record.” Admittedly that line gives me a tinge of lame chills for its new agey/pseudo-philosophicalness BUT the music saves the day. Crack the Skye is fraught with guitar-laden departures that can only be described as extra-terrestrial.

I could go on ad nauseam about Mastodon’s subsequent epics Leviathan, Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye (and hope to do so in a future post) but this particular diatribe is starting to feel tome-like. Real quick though, these three albums began Mastodon’s elemental ‘concept album’ phase. Leviathan, the water album, is based on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, with song titles like “I am Ahab,” “Seabeast,” (I defy you to keep from nodding your head to this) and “Iron Tusk.” Blood Mountain, representing the Earth element, is about a man searching for the crystal skull in order to place it on top of Blood Mountain so that his reptilian brain can be removed allowing him to achieve the next step in human evolution. And finally, if you thought it couldn’t get any more bizarre, there is Mastodon’s most recent album Crack the Skye. In a review on Pitchfork.com Tom Breihan declared that with CTS, Mastodon’s concepts are officially “out of control.” Breihan best summarized the album plot as “a record about a kid who experiments with astral travel and then goes through a wormhole and meets Rasputin and Rasputin enters his body to escape assassination, or something.” Yeah.

The bottom line is that Mastodon IS COMING TO TOWN! They will be playing the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on April 26, 2010 with Baroness (another amazing group from Georgia), Between the Buried and Me and Valient Thorr. Don’t Sleep on this Giant of a show.

Concert Review: Girls and Dum Dum Girls at Mr. Small's

2010-04-07T14:49:00.008-04:00

JR: The show was decent. First, Dum Dum Girls: their set was tight from start to finish. They opened with their cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire", which they do very well. The closer was "Jail La La", as I would have expected given that is their first single off the new album. Musically speaking, the songs are mostly three-chord mashers with some bells and whistles thrown in for good measure, but vocally, I thought they were pretty awesome. The lead singer has a great voice and the harmonies worked very well, in my opinion.

Roberto: Definitely. I hadn’t been impressed with what I’d heard of Dum Dum Girls before the show, but they were very good live. The vocals in particular were really tight and sounded great, reminiscent of some early-70s gospel-rock harmonies. They have like no stage presence, but I didn't find myself thinking, "These chics have, like, no stage presence." In fact, it didn't detract from the music at all in my opinion. It actually worked with their aesthetic. Really enjoyable opener.

JR: The lead signer was also wearing some pretty awesome tights.

Roberto: Sweet tights FTW.

Girls started off great. I can't remember what they opened the set with for the life of me, but I do remember thinking it was a great starter. For the better part of the set the sound was excellent and the song selection was great. I think "Laura" was the third or fourth song in, and that seemed to be the big crowd-pleaser of the night. Not a lot of stage presence with these guys either, but that didn't seem to to hold them back. They're not the kind of band you would ever describe as a great live band, though generally the songs equaled the album versions when played live.

JR: Amazingly, the mix was quite good for most of the night, especially during the Dum Dum Girls' set. You could actually make out the vocals most of the time - not like the Deerhunter/No Age/ Dan Deacon show that we attended last summer at Mr. Small's, which was a sound engineering nightmare. As for Girls, I agree the first two-thirds of the set was great. Until around “Hellhole Ratrace”

Roberto: That really was where the show went wrong. First off, I thought it was a horrendous rendition. The drumming wasn't off beat; just off. It was almost as if the drummer had some Phil Collins pumping into a personal set of headphones right on rhythm. I found it distracting. I also thought some guitar change-ups in the song didn't work. I'm all for reinventing your own tunes, but this particular version didn't wow.

JR: I actually thought "Hellhole Ratrace" started off great, but then it turned into a wall of distortion, which would have been fine had it lasted 30 seconds - it probably lasted about a solid three minutes.

Roberto: Yeah, the feedback. Girls is not Sonic Youth, and the lesson should be learned early by any indie band that noise for the sake of noise will fail almost every time. When they finally let the feedback lead into "Morning Light" I was ready to let it slide and rock out a bit. But it didn’t let up, and there was just no control of the distortion. Some high frequency drone persisted that had a solid third of the crowd cringing and/or plugging their ears. Some were eyeballing the soundboard; I blame this one squarely on the band.

JR: That is where any other band probably would have called it a night and closed it out with the big grandiose distorted finish. But no. Then they played one more song and did a three song encore that was poor.

Roberto: True, I might have let the noise thing slide if they'd closed the set on that loud note. I can appreciate a climax. But the last song of the main set was totally forgettable (literally, as it turns out). The encore was respectable in length but pretty weak otherwise.

JR: They didn't save any of the their best tracks for the encore, so it was very anticlimactic. They also lost whatever magic they had with the sound board, because the encore sounded horrible from an acoustics perspective. And throughout the encore the drummer especially seemed like he was playing with a different band -- it just wasn't working, period.

Roberto: My favorite Girls tune actually popped up in the encore: "Lauren Marie." Unfortunately it was totally lackluster and the vocals were really drowned out. "Big Bad Mean Motherf*cker" was only slightly better. All in all, I left a bit disappointed, which is too bad because it really was a good show for the most part.

JR: I would give the show as a whole a 6 out of 10, and that figure is aided significantly by the Dum Dum Girls' performance, which was very good. Ultimately, no one really wants a 6. Your friends probably won't make fun of you for being with a 6, but you will never be totally satisfied, always wondering if things could have been better. That's how I felt about this show. It was good enough not to be embarrassing, but the lows outweighed the highs, and I left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Roberto: Agree, the lows just outweighed the highs in the end. I’m on board with that 6 out of 10. Or, 35 out of 57 varieties on the SITKOT scale.

SITKOT appreciates jazz this month

2010-04-02T13:00:00.006-04:00

We don't spotlight enough jazz here on the site, but April is a tough month to ignore on that front. For starters, it's evidently National Jazz Appreciation Month. Not sure what that means exactly, except that there is a hell of a lot of good jazz in town over the next few weeks.

The Mellon jazz series has a lot going on all spring, the full schedule for which is here. Most, but not quite all, are at the Cabaret or the Backstage Bar, both over in the Theatre District, both very nice places for a concert if you haven't been there. A few shows I want to call out: Paquito D'Rivera's Funk Tango Quintet at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild; Sean Jones & Dwayne Dolphin at the Cabaret; and Pittsburgh Native Jeff Tain Watts also at the Cabaret.

Another worth mentioning, with whom I actually wasn't familiar until this week, is Ahmad Jamal. He's being billed as the "headliner" of the month, so there must be something to that, yes? He'll be at the Byham on the 9th. Check him out below.

Before any of that, however, George Winston passes tomorrow night through that old library on the hill over in Munhall. Though probably best known for his soothing soft jazz melodies, there's more to his catalog. Not your standard jazzman, Winston was somewhat discovered by experimental folk guitarist John Fahey, and his music still carries that folk origin while blending in sounds of rock, blues and R&B.

Ahmad Jamal - "Arabesque"

Corey Harris in Oakland on Saturday

2010-03-26T09:16:00.006-04:00

For months, since Calliope announced it was bringing Corey Harris in as part of its concert series this year, I've been racking my brain trying to remember how I first heard Harris. I've been a fan since hearing some track from Greens from the Garden and buying it almost immediately. I know it was the summer of 2000. But was it the driving beat of "Basehead"? His delta take on Woody Guthrie's "Teabag Blues"? On college radio? In a record store? What's the difference; I'm psyched for the show either way.

I've seen Harris twice now with his electric band--great stuff, but I've always been drawn most to his acoustic work, so this will be a welcome first for me. With harmonica master Phil Wiggins at his side, I expect tomorrow's show to be a highlight of my year.

Blue Notes wrote a little about what to expect, which you can read here.

(Current) Obsession, by Henry

2010-03-22T14:54:00.007-04:00

Roberto's current obsession didn't do it for me. But rather than just be a naysayer, I'll be a Touche'er.

It's no secret that I like mashup artists. Some may argue that they are hardly artists at all - instead, just talentless bums ripping off the hard work of others. Bums, perhaps. But talentless...(?)

Enter: The White Panda. This dj duo (Griffi and Procrast) sent us their latest track "Tipsy in the Sun" - j.Kwon // weezer - like all their stuff, it can be streamed/downloaded at their site. It's nice, but not a game changer.

I did a bit more research into the duo and have since fallen hard for their debut mixtape "Versus" (click for stream/download), that came out in late December. I've been bumping it for a week now - riding my bike, in the car, in the house, wherev. Some highlights include "Golden Encore" Jay-Z // One Republic // The Whitest Boy Alive; "Forgot About September" Dr. Dre // Earth Wind and Fire; and "Army of Yeah" Wiz Khalifa // Usher // Umek & Beltek.

At a seamless hour in length, you're bound to hear something you like, over something else you like. You'll think - "huh, how'd they ever think to combine those?" That's what I like about mashup dj's - good ones can take two things you already like and add them together to make something you like even better.

Got a favorite mashup you think we should hear? Post it to Comments or send it to us.

My current obsession: Julieta Venegas

2010-03-21T23:01:00.007-04:00

When I was younger, my dad had generally good taste in music. Certainly better than today anyway. But he had a bad habit of picking a favorite track and replaying it ad nauseum. CSN's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" recalls in my mind a particularly long drive to the beach one year. "Snowman" from Genesis' Then There Were Three never fails to deliver my memories to the backseat of his Wagoneer, wishing he would just let the cassette play through. Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" was probably his worst ever, while on Pink Floyd's The Division Bell he found several favorites, and soon thereafter he moved beyond that phase, thankfully.

Anyway, point being, I seem to have fallen into the same pattern myself during this last week. I cannot get enough of Julieta Venegas' "Bien o Mal" (that's "Good or Bad" in gringo speak). I listened to it on repeat for about 45 minutes today while running, and I'm still not tired of it.

Her new album, Otra Cosa, is excellent all the way through. I really do like every song on it. But I find that I almost have to force myself to let it play past Track 2 without seeking back, and most times I lose that battle of will power. So I've given up. I have no idea how many times I listened to this song last week, but I have a pretty good feeling I may match that number this week. (On a side note, I also have no idea what the hell's going on in this video.)

Download/Stream:
Julieta Venegas - "Bien o Mal"

Oh, you've got options this weekend

2010-03-19T09:35:00.003-04:00

Once again a bunch of quality options for all the live music fans out there. As always, check the calendar on the lower right of this screen for a full, linked rundown.

I'm obliged to call out The Ceiling Stares cassette release party at Gooski's on Saturday night for a few reasons:

1) We don't give Gooski's enough play on this blog. Often that's because we can't find what's going on there. Has a venue ever done less to promote itself? It's a PGH rock institution nestled in Polish Hill - great beer selection and one of the better bar-music atmospheres around.

2) The Ceiling Stares are a PGH rockshow on the rise. Bonus: they have a Czar in their ranks.

3) When was the last time you went to a CASSETTE release party? Finally! Something to put in the tape player of my mid-nineties sedan.

You can stream and download the EP at their site... here.

Music, music everywhere

2010-03-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

Man, what a weekend to be out of town. As I wait for my flight, I just want to highlight all the goodness I'll be missing over then next few days.

For some of the best that our city has to offer, Lohio and Emily Rodgers will be at Calliope Center Stage in the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts tonight. The tunes should run the gamut from mellow to upbeat, and should provide a good intro to the local scene for those unfamiliar.

There will also be some quality Celtic-rock happening over at the Hard Rock Cafe if you're looking to warm up for the weekend.

Friday, some quality roots rock on two spectrums (spectra?), with Rusted Root playing on a boat, and John Hiatt taking over the Munhall library. Tough to go wrong either way.

Saturday is a smorgasbord: If it's classic, quality, down-home rock you crave, find it at Altar Bar for 28 North's CD release party. If you've got the kids for the night, everyone can enjoy They Might Be Giants at the New Hazlett in the North Side. Brilloboxians the city wide should be thrilled to welcome Baltimore's indie-folk stalwarts Wye Oak. But if you're looking for a mellower evening, find a seat at Synod Hall (behind St. Paul's Cathedral in Oakland) for some eight-string artistry with Carlo Aonzo and the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra. Or, if you're feeling the spirit and a bit of the sauce, perhaps, Harp & Fiddle will keep you going all day. The lineup includes a stellar local cast of Mark Guiser, Hooley, Whiskey Limerick, Guaranteed Irish, and Red Hand Paddy.

So you've got options. Information about all can be found in the concert calendar in the sidebar.

Me? I have some salsa and calypso in my near future, with hopes for a bit of flamenco and a lot of sangria. Irish? No. But all things considered I guess I'm not too upset.

It don't get much more local than Radio

2010-03-09T09:29:00.011-05:00

fContrary to some reports, I am still alive and well - both on the InterWebs and in real life. I've been focusing on some other projects for the past few months. While working on those projects, I've been tuning in to a lot of local, terrestrial radio. Here's a quick local radio roundup of what I hear:

WYEP - 91.3 - "Where the Music Matters" - Likely the local favorite of all Sitkot readers for good reason. Skews the most in our musical direction, hosts great events, free in-studio concerts. Cindy Howes is great on the morning mix. Perfect morning voice and good playlist and I love the the 'my 15 minutes' feature and the traffic jam after the 8am news. Midday Mix selections can get a little schlockey but on the whole are a better bet than most anything else you'll find on your radio dial. The Drive Home with Rosemary Welch is where I tune out. Her voice reminds me too much of nagging church ladies I used to know and her playlist is too... well, one Indigo Girls' song a year is enough for me. The Saturday Soul Show and Sunday Morning Roots and Rhythm Mix are both highlights of the weekend. All told, sure YEP could be better, more innovative, more underground - but it's the best we've got for now.

WDUQ 90.5 - The Jazz and NPR institution. Despite a recent, unpreced ented fund drive haul to try and keep the popular Jazz and NPR News station afloat, it is uncertain what will become of it amidst speculation that Duquesne University, the owner of the license wants to sell it. What is certain is that Bob Studebaker and Tony Mowod are pillars of the local jazz community and two of the Burgh's best radio voices. Tony has been criticized for focusing too much on 'old jazz' his nightly show, but I don't mind the standards. I do mind his proclivity for warbly vocalists. But I've learned a lot from him since I started tuning in 5 years ago. DUQ keeps Pittsburgh's proud jazz tradition alive and is the ideal outlet for NPR news and programming. Let's hope it stays.

WDVE 102.5 - (Classic) Rocks. It's been said that this is Pittsburgh's quintessential station; likely true. Its classic rock, comedy cuts and morning show scream Yinzburgh culture. Being the Steelers' flagship doesn't hurt either. Great to have Randy back on the morning show after what was rumored to be a contractual impasse. Jimmy Krenn and Randy Baumann have an undeniable rapport and without Randy it seemed like the show was adrift, relying on Prisuta for comedy bits was untenable. Love the GunSlingers, Merrill Hoge and all the other comedians in the mix (except, of course for Mike Wysocki). Michelle Michaels, host of the lunch request show is likely the runner up for best radio voice in the Burgh behind DUQ's Tony Mowod. And Sean McDowell's stoned-out vibe on drive time show is always enjoyable. DVE offers what you want in a classic rock station - 50/50 odds that you'll hear a Skynyrd or Hendrix song any time you tune in.

WXDX 105.9 - Buttrock, the Pens Flagship and the SuperGenius. Can't get enough Linkin Park, Slipknot or 90's power rock? The X is your home. Don't get me wrong, they'll occasionally throw in some Beasties or Sublime that we can all get down to, but rest assured that'll be followed up with the newest power-chord-screamer on the airwaves. Their morning show will always play second fiddle to DVE; Tim Benz just isn't that entertaining or insightful. Of course, the X can't be mentioned without a glance toward the enormous shadow of Mark Madden. The ex-ESPN1250er hosts the drive time show there. He brashly pontificates on the days' sports stories, boasts wildly of his talent and dominance, belittles callers, interviews headlining strippers as they make tourstops at our local establishments, and breathes very heavily into the mic. Thing is, I can't stop listening to him. He's wildly entertaining. I enjoy his show the way Mrs. Kleber enjoys Gossip Girl. We both recognize the trash-factor, are kind of repulsed by the content, but for those reasons are drawn in.

Those are the 4 that I listen to in the car or when the iPod is dead. Of course, there are tons of other stations on the dial. What do you like and why? What did I overlook? What should we be listening to? Sound off in the comments.

Video: Joanna Newsom on Jimmy Fallon

2010-03-08T10:24:00.004-05:00

I'll admit that I didn't really "get" her first album, and didn't give the new one much of a chance. But I caught this clip on Friday night and may have become a Joanna Newsom fan. I have some exploring to do.

What we're listening to

2010-03-05T12:01:00.008-05:00

In case you care, here's an update.

Jimmy:

Good call on the Bad Plus song in the music widget. They are probably my favorite modern jazz group. Their song "Thriftstore Jewelry" is awesome, as is their cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World".

Roberto:

I loved that album when it came out, and haven't been listening to much jazz lately but recalled that song when I went to throw together the playlist. Rediscovered the record and glad I did.

On that note, what are you people listening to these days?

For my part, the Crazy Heart soundtrack is pretty awesome if you like the country/Americana thing. Ryan Bingham's contributions are the clear standouts, but Jeff Bridges manages to hold his own, thanks to T. Bone's heavy production hand. More so than Beach House or Hot Chip or some of the electronicish albums I've been listening to, this one really has me craving a hot day under the sun.

Also, I'm a few months behind on it but Guy Clark's new[est] record is a bit uneven, though solid for the most part and as good as anything he's put out in a while to my memory. For someone with relatively spare song arrangements, he might not strike as a guy who'd be better in concert, but somehow his studio efforts have never held up to his live renditions for me, even (especially?) on the classics (thinking "LA Freeway" in particular). Nonetheless, these new songs are tight, and the record is great at its high points.

Let me also throw out Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago for discussion. At times I find myself really sinking into the melodies and depth of sound; at others I feel like I've walked into some hybrid sci-fi convention / renaissance fair gone awry where Antony Hegarty's second-cousin is attempting a post-ironic Ziggy Stardust impression. Yet I still want to rock. Confused.

Jimmy:

I will definitely have to check those out, as I am unfamiliar with all three. I've been listening to Local Native's new album Gorilla Manor for the past week and I'm definitely into many of the songs, especially "Wide Eyes", "Airplanes" and "Sticky Thread". I feel like the album starts and ends very strong, but some of the middle tracks are not as tight and begin to sound a bit formulaic. I would say that, at their best, Local Natives sound like a fresher sounding Fleet Foxes, and, at their worst, sound like The Fray (not a compliment, by the way).

I've also been listening to The Flaming Lips' Embryonic quite a bit lately and it has grown on me through repeated listenings. I left it off of my "Best Albums of 2009" list and I'm going to stick to my guns, but only because it's The Flaming Lips. If it were any other band, and this was their debut album, it probably would have made my list, fair or not. I've really been digging the songs "Worm Mountain" and "Watching the Planets". The vinyl version of this album really does the heaviness of the sound justice and sounds great when played through a system with a good subwoofer.

Another old album that I've been playing fairly often is the Beasties' best, Paul's Boutique. I never get tired of hearing tracks like "Egg Man", "Hey Ladies" or "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun", but the one that really does it for me is "B-Boy Bouillabaisse". It's like a mini-rap opera and I can't help but compare it to Paul's medley's at the end of Abbey Road - pure genius by the Beasties. Also, the fact that the Beasties could seamlessly sample the themes from Jaws and Psycho into a song that also samples the songs "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello, "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield, "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy (among several other songs), and have it turn into a hip-hop masterpiece is incredible. There will never be another Paul's Boutique, not just because the talent of the Beasties is epic, but because the amount of money it would cost now to sample that many songs on one album would be an incredible sum since copyright laws have changed, not to mention the fact that certain artists, like the Beatles, would probably not permit the type of sampling that was done on a song like "The Sounds of Science" irrespective of the Beastie's willingness to pay the fees.

El Loco Mooso:

Uhhhhhh... you guys went off - impressive insights. Like my personality, my thoughts will be much shallower.

My listening differs between work and home. I can only work to more ambient types of music.

Work - right now my Grooveshark playlist includes a lot of DJ Shadow, especially the Endtroducing album. Coincidentally Jimmy, "Best Foot Forward" samples "Party’s Getting Rough" by the BBs. So many great samples on that album: "Transmission 2" used synthesizers from Blade Runner (great movie), "Midnight in a Perfect World" sampled "Summer Breeze" by the Isley Bros, and of course, "What Does Your Soul Look Like, Part 1" sampled the voice of the Dream Giant from Twin Peaks Ep. 14 (one of my all time favorite shows). How could I not love that album forever.

Avalanches still get tons of play. All of the Memory Tapes stuff and Dayve Hawk’s other side projects. Lots of Boards of Canada, especially the Campfire Headphase and Geogaddi. I also mix in a lot of Ulrich Schnauss + A Shoreline Dream. Also Pantha Du Prince’s collaboration with Panda Bear (I think) is very good.

Home (when wife’s around) - Crystal Castles has been showing up a fair bit. I also am really digging the Local Native’s like Jimmy. Though, I don’t quite see the comparison to Fleet Foxes, as I think FF have a much richer sound where as LNs are defined by a rougher harmony. And I am still majorly stuck on Hot Chip’s One Life Stand. For me, that is far and away the best album of the year so far. Also, Owen Pallet’s Heartland is getting some iPod spins - especially "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!" and "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt."

Home (when wife isn’t around) - lately, I have really gotten back to metal roots and have been listening to Slayer’s Show No Mercy over and over. Metal Storm and Tormentor have some of the all time best thrash riffs. Mastodon and Baroness are going to start getting a lot of play in preparation for their upcoming show in Greensburg.

Ship ship McGip!

Roberto:

I agree with both points on Local Natives--digging it for sure, but don't hear the Fleet Foxes there for the most part. I've also been listening more to Embryonic recently, and it does come together on repeated listens. It's like a darker, more samey version of Yoshimi... which takes some time to sink its hooks into you beyond "Convinced of the Hex."

I sort of moved past the Hot Chip record in the past week but have been pretty heavy on both Owen Pallett and Beach House. That might be in part because I never put Hot Chip on the iPod though, so haven't been hearing it as much outside of the office.

Massive Attack, anyone? I never got into them in the past but I really, really like about 70% of the new record. The album ebbs and flows, as do several of the tracks, but most of the songs are mostly enjoyable, which is as much as you can ask of most albums, no? "Pray for Rain" with its awesome drumbeat is a great starting track, then "Babel" sort of loses my interest before "Splitting the Atom" comes in sounding a bit off-kilter but really pulls itself together and finishes beautifully. Some more ups and downs until you hit "Paradise Circus," which is just awesome imo. Hope Sandoval's voice melds nicely with that backing track that's reminiscent of a subdued Fiona Apple. Which I'm cool with.

Download/Stream:

Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind"

Local Natives - "Airplanes"

SITKOT: St. Patrick's Edition

2010-03-04T15:28:00.007-05:00

Based on some e-mails, I gathered that a lot of the regular readers grew weary of this series last year, so I'll spare you a continuation and just point new readers to the old posts this time around.

I will point out, though, that Mick Moloney's Green Fields of America are playing the Carnegie Lecture Hall this weekend for those of you who do dig the Irish tunes. City Paper has a nice little piece on Mick in this week's issue.

It looks like I didn't necessarily do these things in any order last year, other than to save the best for last, so let's go ahead and rank them for the sake of nothing at all:

9. Dropkick Murphys - Warrior's Code

8. Tommy Sands - Heart's a Wonder

7. Flogging Molly - Swagger

6. U2 - The Joshua Tree

5. The Wolfe Tones - Greatest Hits

4. The Chieftains - The Long Black Veil

3. The Pogues - The Very Best of The Pogues

2. Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat

1. Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy - The Makem & Clancy Collection

Download:
Mick Moloney - "The Irish Volunteers"

Rodrigo y Gabriela: at the Byham tonight; on WYEP this afternoon

2010-03-02T14:17:00.009-05:00

As far as I know, tickets are still available for this show tonight, which should be phenomenal.

Her flamenco rhythms against his latin-metal solo lines offer a pulsing melodic blend that's just plain sweet to listen to. Particularly if you're a guitar player or an acoustic music lover, it's pretty much a must-see (with the understanding that there are no real consequences of not seeing it other than not seeing it).

Rumor is they should be stopping by WYEP in the next hour, so you may want to tune in for a listen.

Soft rock songs overheard in the office that have become stuck in my head this week

2010-02-26T16:08:00.006-05:00

In descending order from favorite to least:

Phil Collins - "Against the Odds"
Heart - “These Dreams”
Elton John - "Daniel"
Bette Middler - “Wind Beneath My Wings”
Mariah Carey - “Emotions”
Sarah McLaughlin - “Angel”

Beach House will kick off summer in Pittsburgh

2010-02-25T14:33:00.008-05:00

I normally just update the concert calendar without mentioning it in a post, but I thought this merited a mention given their excellent new album, the growing hype behind it, and--much as I honestly love snow--the urgency with which I pine for summertime to arrive.

BEACH HOUSE
Plus a special guest
Weds, June 16, 2010 7:00 PM
DIESEL

Here's their latest track, "The Arrangement":

St. Vincent - Not the College in Latrobe where the Stillers practice

2010-02-22T17:23:00.004-05:00

So last night Annie Clark and her band St. Vincent landed at Diesel in the Southside. I attended the show with my new side-project bandmate (see our acoustic chamber pop act "The Snow Drifts" coming soon to a chill venue near you) and we both agreed that Annie and her band put on quite a show. As many of you probably know, Annie has played with Sufjan Stevens and it was clear from the start that her band was going to utilize a vast array of instruments as well. In addition to the standard line-up of guitar, bass and drums, many of the songs featured synth, violin, flute, clarinet or saxophone.

Right from the start, Annie hits you with her amazing vocals. She has great pipes and really uses her range well to contrast what can be some intense instrumentation from her band - it's very striking to hear live. This is a good example of when a studio album can't do an artist or a band justice - some things are just better in a live setting no matter what kind of pro-turntable and tube amplifier your use in your geek-den.

Annie played many songs off of Actor; some high points for me were "The Strangers" and "Actor Out of Work". For the encore, she also played an awesome, solo rendition of "Paris is Burning", which highlighted her guitar work and finger picking proficiency. By the way, she can absolutely shred as well. On several songs, her insane shredding brought her to her knees Hendrix-flaming-guitar-style. Unfortunately, because Diesel was so packed I missed a lot of what she was doing at that point, so I'll have to leave it to my imagination and yours.

Overall, a tight set with a bare bones psychedelic feel due to the strobe lights and smoke machine. There are only two negatives that I will point out: (1) Annie's guitar was mixed very low at the beginning of the set and was completely drowned out by the drums and synth on several early songs; and (2) because the crowd was so large, we were stuck near the men's bathroom on the first floor and the dude who hands you towels and sells single cigarettes had the door wide-open. That wouldn't be noteworthy enough to make this review, but he was also watching some movie on a mini-DVD player with the volume turned up loud enough to hear during the show. Now I'm all in favor of free enterprise and I'm sure it sucks sitting in a men's bathroom next to a couple commodes and some urinals all night, but either put on some headphones or shut the damn door. Thankfully, somebody finally had him lower the volume, and eventually he shut the door, but still! That might be perfectly fine on a "normal" Saturday night when Diesel turns into a sweat factory, but not during a St. Vincent show.

So anyway, kudos to the Pittsburgh music contingency for coming out en masse on a Sunday night at Diesel for a killer show, and kudos to Annie and her band for making it completely worth it.

Eyes on the roads

2010-02-10T17:07:00.004-05:00

And in case anyone cares, I've spent about two-thirds of my life in Pittsburgh and I am firmly in the anti-chair camp. The rest of you are just egocentric loons.

Excerpts of a convo about new tunes had among the lazy SITKOT bloggers

2010-02-10T13:42:00.008-05:00

SITKOT's been a little quiet lately for no good reason, but our stereos have not. Here's what we're listening to, as discussed over some snowy e-mails this morning:

El Loco Mooso:

My favorite albums so far this year are:

Owen Pallet - Heartland

and

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

That is all.

Jimmy:

I agree that Owen Pallet is one of the top albums so far. My list would also include:

Beach House - Teen Dream
Spoon - Transference

I'm a little underwhelmed by the new Yeasayer album. The first half is very good and on par with their first album, which I thought was awesome. The second half of the album doesn't do it for me. While Spoon's new album gets stronger towards the end, it's almost as if Yeasayer ran out of ideas. I may just have to give it a few more listens though until I make a final decision.

The new Beach House is awesome from beginning to end. Definitely my favorite so far this year.

El Loco Mooso:

Yeah, totally agree.

And those are interesting because so far, I've only listened to the first couple songs from the Yeasayer and Spoon albums and my initial impression was the opposite of yours, which makes sense. The BH album that I have listened to so far has been good. I'll have to listen a little more though. I think I’ve always been drawn to good electronica which is why im digging the new hot chip.

Roberto:

Wow, I'm way behind. I have to confess that of all these, I've only heard about half of Yeasayer and 3/4 of Beach House, and the latter only because Jimmy accidently burned two copies and I got the benefit of that mistake. What kind of a sh*tty rockblogger am I?

Oh yeah, and Spoon I guess. As I was telling Jimmy, I like it better than their past records just because it's more consistently pretty good. No great standouts, but no blatant filler either. A slight departure for them in that regard. Sort of reminds my of a watered down Veckatimest, which I keep liking more and more. So maybe Transference will be a grower?

El Loco Mooso:

Oh and for any black metal fans out there [crickets] Immortal’s All Shall Fall is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Btw, Hot Chip's One Life Stand is already on Grooveshark. Go listen to it over and over.

Get on the ball, Roberta.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For the record, Henry mentioned that he's been listening to a lot of Neil Young lately, as have I--Prairie Wind and On the Beach in particular. (And, for your FYI, Henry also hinted at a possible blogging comeback.)

Them Crooked Vultures on SNL

2010-02-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

So it's pretty snowy out there. Not sure if tonight's shows are still on or not. Probably not. SITKOT never claimed to be a meteorological authority.

Assuming your power's on and your cable's not out, SNL should be worthwhile tonight. Ashton Kutcher may be annoying beyond toleration, but if you're not worn out on supergroups, the latest rockstar combo of Dave Grohl on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass should bring a decent offering of rock.

Rockler Radar [A forced title for a blog post about this wintry weekend's concerts in Pittsburgh, PA]

2010-02-05T16:08:00.015-05:00

It's really not that bad out. Seriously. Snowy, wet, yes... standard Pittsburgh winter stuff. Turn off the local news and pull on a hat and coat.

I thought I might spend some time today and do a nice profile of some of the Pittsburghers playing around town this weekend to kick this blawg back into gear. Then it occurred to me they've already been profiled by people who've done a more thorough job than I would have. So:

Tonight, Ernie Hawkins returns to Calliope Center Stage in Shadyside with a seriously stellar backing band of Marc Reisman on harmonicas, Roger Day on tuba, Rich Strong on the kit, and Paul Cosentino on clarinet. I wish I had some video to post of the October show with the same group of musicians because it was fantastic. If you like jazzy blues and ragtimey ditties, this will be the best gig you see all winter. Hold me to that.

Tomorrow, you have to make a choice: get happy or get pissed.

Donora will be at the Rex in the South Side. So if you understood "pissed" in the British sense, then maybe this one is actually your show. Chances are if you've been following the blog for a while you already know Donora. If not, this three-piece puts out the best pop rock (I think the full two-word label is quite appropriate here) Pittsburgh has to offer. Take your dancing shoes. And if Bruce Kraus gives you any guff on your way out, tell that old curmudgeon to get his ass back to Bomont.

Or, maybe you took "pissed" in the Americanized sense. That's cool, too. And maybe it's a generalization, but I think you get the idea. Again, a lot of you are probably already familiar with our city's finest punk-pop export, but, if not, you can get up to speed over at Old Mon Music: Anti Flag. They'll be in Millvale, fighting the forces of the grain for all us sinners out there. Maybe you'll spot a local G-20 protester or two.

But lo! There is another option. Maybe the Joe DeNardo wannabes out there have got you feeling lowdown and shut in. Well fear not and rock on: check out the jukebox over at Lawrenceville's own FAWM.org. February Album Writing Month is just getting started, but there are already some fine songs rolling in. I have to admit to surprise at finding more good than bad so far (notwithstanding demo-quality sound, to be excused given the nature of the project). Or at least 50/50. Better odds than you'll find over at the slots.

EDIT: Okay, it's getting a bit worse. Just drive slow. Or maybe take a bus.

Ramblings

2010-01-22T15:35:00.009-05:00

The way place and time play on our minds and affect our memories has always been wild to me. How a day in some nearby place can make it seem like a week has passed upon your return, but events in our lives that happened years ago can be so vivid. I'm reminded of this often when I think for a moment that I recognize a passerby, but then realize the person I'm recalling would by now have aged years beyond the face I see, or perhaps he lives far from wherever I am.

Semi-related: the way setting can affect our reception of music at a given time. Last night I spent an hour or two swigging on a tasty merlot (which I only today realized must have been a gift, and was actually pretty expensive) and cooking some mofongo con camarones (which, to my surprise, turned out okay) with my entire music library on shuffle, and every song seemed just right. But this morning on an over-crowded 51-C which smelled vaguely of mildewed gym shoes and baby food, I skipped just about every track that came on until, finally, I stepped off the bus and, ta-daaaa, the right song clicked with me.

Something about winter gets me leaning on Americana and quasi-electronica. Maybe you've noticed the occasionally changing playlists in the sidebar lately. That's what's happening. I'm still digging the current one right now, but I'm feeling a shift back toward something more organic. I sense some Tom Waits in the next one. Maybe a bit of mandolin, too.

Anyhow, this is probably sounding like filler. Fluff. Sorry for the interruption. This January's been a slow month musically, but some good shows are in town this weekend: Richie Havens, Langhorne Slim and Flotation Walls, all tomorrow night. Pick your pleasure. Looking ahead, all kinds of good things are happening in February. So keep your ear to the sod, and stay off that miserable 51-C.

UPDATE: Courtesy of Infinonymous, a few more shows to fill your weekend.

Get on the bandwagon

2010-01-19T10:49:00.008-05:00

News: Haitian Orphans Arrive in Pittsburgh (Post-Gazette)

Background: Love and Haiti (Pittsburgh Magazine, Jan. 09)

Donate: Brebis de Saint Michel de L'Attalaye (BRESMA) Orphanage

Concert Haiku: Bear in Heaven's Openers

2010-01-18T16:14:00.008-05:00

Mariage Blanc: shoulda
included yinz guys in that
post on loc's. My bad.

Elliott Smithish
Apples in Stereo? Hate
to summarize by

comparison. But
hey, this is high coup. If they
were a bird: blue. Then

Freelance Whales rocked me
with glockenspiel. Whoah, Nelly.
Banjo, sqeezebox, five-

part harmonies and
fuzzy bass make PBR's
flow at Brillobox.

Download:
Freelance Whales - "Hannah"

Stream:
<a href="http://mariageblanc.bandcamp.com/track/famous-last-words">Famous Last Words by Mariage Blanc</a>

The Local Is the Only Universal

2010-01-07T00:01:00.011-05:00

First off, that Cypress Hill allusion three posts down was probably my best headline yet. I can't believe you people didn't acknowledge that with effusive praise in the comments.

Second off, I wish I'd saved it for this post, in which I intend to state something to the effect of:

"One of my resolutions for this blog this year is to cast a broader spotlight on the local scene. There are several great bands coming out of Pittsburgh and vicinity these days, and they all deserve their due."

So, it's no secret that I'm a big Good Night, States fan. They're my favorite of the locals, with no disrespect to any others. I'm not sure if they officially up and came in '09, or if they're still up and coming. Probably the latter is more likely. I think maybe my appreciation for their music skews my perception of their status as a band in the rock scene at large. Anyway, keep an ear open for them this year. That's my advice. I hope people in and outside of our little rustbelt metropolis take it.

Beyond GN,S there are about 7 to 10 other local bands I intend to highlight in the next few weeks/months (saying that with the understanding that I often fail on the following through aspect of intentions). To start, let's look over the concert calendar on the sidebar.

As January nears its icy end, Meeting of Important People play Brillobox. If I were you, and you were a Pittsburgher with an interest in infectious indie-pop, then I'd take that opportunity to catch one of the most promising local bands at what is probably the hippest local venue. And pick up their self-titled CD while you're there, or maybe download beforehand. It's fantastic.

About a week after that, another stalwart of the Pittsburgh indie-pop scene (do you guys hate that genre title? I might.) will be at the somewhat-recently refurbished Rex Theater: Donora. They put out one of Jimmy's favorite records of 2009 on the locally owned Rostrum label (also home to emcee Wiz Khalifa), and they put on a hell of a show.

If rebellion is more your thing, that same night over in Millvale you can find Anti-Flag. If any local band has successfully broken through on the national level in recent years, this is it, so I don't think they really need the publicity from a little site like mine. But regardless, they're sweet, so as long as Small's can get its soundboard in order for this one, the show should be great.

Another couple weeks go by and Beware Fashionable Women will play Southminster Coffee House out in the South Hills. These guys have been a bit under the radar, so this could be a breakout year for them. They have a solid album out which is not afraid to meander among genres. On early listens a few tracks sounded a bit Phishy to me (not a bad thing), but on further review it really opened up, and now I'm not even sure where I got that first impression. It has several great tracks, but one great track which is not on that album--"He's a Boy"--is currently available for free download at their MySpace page. Give it a listen. And keep your eye on them this year. I will, too.

Then, come March, we get a "double-whammy" of sorts: Lohio and Emily Rodgers team up for a double-bill at Calliope Center Stage. On the one hand, this is an event to benefit the Carnegie Libraries. That's cool, yes? On the other hand, this is an intimate venue which was very nicely renovated and is a great place to hear/see live music. Also cool. And if you had a third hand (and maybe you do for all I know), then on it you would see one of the city's most solidly respected young bands and one of our most promising songwriters. What I'm trying to say is, you really can't go wrong. So don't. (Don't go wrong, that is.) (But do go to the show.)

So where am I going with this, besides one glass deeper into a nice, chilled, inexpensive white wine blend? I guess we'll see in the coming weeks as I perhaps continue this potentially quasi-regular series on local music and ideally focus on that Pittsburgh facet of this weblog.

Meanwhile, there are a ton of other good shows creeping up on the calendar this winter and spring. So support a local venue if not local musicians, and resolve to go see some live music early on in 2010. It's good for the soul, I think.

Wilco Coming April 11

2010-01-04T12:20:00.012-05:00

Crappy cell phone pic of (I think) Wilco at AJ Palumbo.

What a fine bit of news for the first post of the new year: Wilco returns to Pittsburgh on Sunday, April 11, 2010, for the first time since their stellar ~~'08~~ '07 appearance at the dismal Palumbo. Thankfully, this time they'll play my favorite theatre venue in town, Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland. Doors open at 7:00 pm, music at 8.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10:00 am via Ticketmaster. $35-$38.50.

Stream/Download:
Wilco - "Wilco (The Song)"
Wilco - "Don't Fear the Reaper"

R.I.I.P. Henry (2009 - 2009)

2009-12-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

Henry was a good blogger, and a good man. He was one of us.

He was a man who loved music, and biking, and as a blogger he explored the streets of Pittsburgh from the New Hazlett Theatre to Thunderbird Cafe, and on up to Brillobox. But he quit--he quit, like so many of his generation, before his time. In your wisdom you took him, oh Internet, as you took so many bright, flowering young men. These young men gave their wireless hours. And Henry, too. Henry who loved blogging (for a little while anyway).

And so, Henry Kerabatsos Kleber, we now commit your archives to the bosom of the World Wide Web.

Good night, sweet prince.

Who yinz tryin to get lazy with, ese... Don’t you know I’m local?

2009-12-30T11:21:00.009-05:00

Others have done a much better job than SITKOT of covering the Pittsburgh scene of late, so, that thou canst never once reflect, let's turn it over to them for the day:

- Pittsburgh Music Report's Top Ten Concerts of 2009.

- Hugh's favorite Pittsburgh songs of the decade...

- ...and his favorite shows of the year in three parts.

- Mervis gives you his own top ten (plus five country) shows.

- YEP notes that a track from their best local release of 2009--MOIP's self-titled debut*--will be featured on the new Real World tonight. (Also, tune in Thursday at 10 a.m. for Cindy's Local Year in Review show.)

- And finally, Speed of the Pittsburgh Sound has promised (but not yet delivered) a Top 20 Steel City Tracks of 2009. Keep an eye out. Hopefully this will give him the kick in the pen he needs to get that one together.

See you next year.

* I'm way late to the party, but have been really digging this album this week. Also, you might note that they're performing with GNS tomorrow at First Night.

Raking the muck of HRO

2009-12-29T17:18:00.005-05:00

Not much is going on this week, and I’m still feeling fat and lazy with a happy holiday behind me and another on the horizon. So why not mine the sphere for some re-bloggable content?

Tomorrow I’ll go local on yo' ass. Today, I rake through the muck of Hipster Runoff.

If you can get past his obsession with tweeny textspeak and stomach his self-aware misogynist/ racist/ classist/ pseudosatirist tone, you will occasionally be offered a gem of modern music and/or indie culture criticism ‘via’ Carles (pictured above). His end-of-decade post, fittingly titled “The Most Authentic/ Relevant/ Successful Artists of the Decade (The Best Albums/ MP3s/ Songs/ Artists/ Bands/ Humans of the Decade)” is HRO’s opus of sorts, and is very likely to crash your browser in all its bloating glory. Dare risk that click, however, some stimulating statements on the decade in music are waiting to be found among the fluff. And at the end of it all: a surprisingly reasonable (if tongue-in-cheek) defense of John Mayer as artist of the decade.

Anyhow, from that post I've mined a few thoughts (or perhaps 'feelings'?) which seemed to resonate, or at least to provoke...

Re: Fleet Foxes: "I feel like ‘indie rock’ would have been totally different if these bros had released their hit album in 2k3.5ish. Instead of so many bands trying to sound like the Arcade Fire, more bros would have grown beards and written soothing forest tunes."

Re: Grizzly Bear: "I feel like Grizzly Bear is the Most Authentic Band of the second half of the decade. Somehow, their latest album ‘charted’ at #6 on the mainstream charts. That seems pretty successful. I feel like the thing most music critics hold against Grizzly Bear is ‘not being from the first half of the decade.’"

Re: Girl Talk: "Wonder how this bro built such a solid brand for doing what the majority of all DJs do. I guess it was because he talked about ‘digital rights’ and other ‘issues’ like that. Then he had an absurd live brand that invited alternative people who just started to illegally drink on stage, which was something the world probably needed."

Re: The Shins: "'New Slang' seems very earnest, like I might cry while listening to it if it didn’t directly remind me of Garden State."

Re: Dirty Projectors: "I think bands like DP are indicative of new markets of ‘people who have listened to way too much music’ in their lifetimes. They need something that sounds s0 different that it potentially blows, but it is also possibly ‘genius.’ I sort of wish I could Teach for America, and play this in a class full of inner city minority kids, and then experience them making fun of me for listening to it. I would have had the intention of ‘making them more cultured’, but then they would give me a swift reality check, letting me know that maybe I should assimilate to their culture, and stop living in my pseudo-relevant indie dream world."

Re: Nickelback: "Understanding the power of Nickelback means understanding the power of Wal Mart Rock. No matter how ‘authentic’ you think your taste in music is, you always need to remember that you are in the minority. There are tons of poor people in rural+middle America who still buy CDs."

Re: Deathcab for Cutie: "Deathcab seems to have followed a predictable career path. They were probably better in the middle of the decade, but as they ‘got more popular’ the appeal+quality of their music continued to go down the shitter. Really want to build a time machine and listen to meaningfulcore indie before the world got all jaded/snarky/meaningless."

Re: Rob Thomas: "Worried that this bro will be around for 30+ years, generating similar songs over and over again."

Re: The Killers and K.O.L.: "I feel like the Killers and the Kings of Leon are possibly the decade’s most ’successful bands.’ Somehow, they have both transitioned into festival headliner-status bands. This must mean that their music is ‘good’/they appeal to a lot of ppl. Both bands are not afraid to write ‘massive/epic ballads’ that are meant to fill arenas/festivals. Feel like I possibly respect this existence/career path as a band more than the ‘trying 2 stay authentic’ indie band."

Re: Justin Timberlake: "The World needed Justin Timberlake to be successful. We needed him to help us forget about the boy band era. He stands for something more than his own personal evolution."

Re: Radiohead: "I don’t really feel comfortable with letting them be considered the #1 band of the decade. It seems like they sorta lucked out because their major label contract dissolved/ended, and they were able to let people ‘pay what they want’ [via the internet]. I think most music critic bros are close to the age of 30, and probably have a warped perception of Radiohead, since it was probably their ‘experimenting with drugs’ music from 1995-2005."

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Shitter was full.

Roberto's Top 20 Albums of the Year

2009-12-21T12:59:00.008-05:00

I expected to have a lot of trouble ranking these, and in the end I did struggle to sort through the top half of this list. Once I picked a favorite, though, the rest fell into place surprisingly easily. What it came down to is that I regularly listen to music in a few different settings: through headphones on the bus and walking around town, through somewhat crummy speakers in the car, and through a solid system at home. I’ve started to realize recently that while some albums may really strike me as amazing at times, few hold up across all moods and scenes. And over the course of the year, there was one album that never seemed to miss the moment.

1. The xx - xx

Is this minimalistic self-titled debut defensible as my #1 album of the year? I think so. I’ve probably enjoyed it more than any other across the board. Driving on a rainy night; driving on a sunny day; strolling down Strawberry Way in the snow; laying in bed; even sitting on the floor playing Super Mario Bros. 3, this album always strikes me as perfect. I keep my player in random/shuffle mode much of the time, and xx is the one album on this list whose songs I can’t recall ever skipping when one pops up. And so, though I’ve probably listened more this year to Farm, Hold Time and MPP, xx stands out as my go-to favorite.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

It’s not groundbreaking exactly, but its one-of-a-kind in a familiar way. Updated Beach Boys nostalgia and refined electronic dronings work perfectly to keep this one on repeat in my head every time I turn it off.

3. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

Nothing new or surprising here, and that’s just fine. Mascis in particular is at his best in 15 years or more.

4. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Probably the most unexpected success of the year in my mind. The contrast between songs like “Stillness is the Move” and “Two Doves” is startlingly beautiful and, with only 9 tracks, the execution is superb all the way through.

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

I have to admit to disappointment when I first heard “Zero” and didn’t get the fill of Nick Zinner’s raw distortion I had hoped for, and when I heard the rest of the album it took me a few listens to get over that. Eventually, though, Karen O’s convincing melodies managed to slide this album into my top 5 for the year.

And now for the rest:

6. The Antlers - Hospice

7. M. Ward - Hold Time

8. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter

9. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

10. Washed Out - Life of Leisure

11. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

12. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

13. Handsome Furs - Face Control

14. Girls - Album

15. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

16. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

17. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

18. The Wiyos - Broken Land Bell

19. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

20. Flaming Lips - Embryonic

The Hot Seats at Calliope Center Stage

2009-12-16T13:08:00.003-05:00

If you missed the Wiyos last month, do yourself a favor and make it out for the Hot Seats tomorrow at Calliope's new venue in the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (corner or Fifth and Shady).

The beers are cheap (relatively anyway - $3), and the Hot Seats are a ragtimey, bluegrassy good time (also rumored to be very funny).

The Musical Aughties: A Study in Contrast

2009-12-15T11:43:00.009-05:00

With all of the lists floating around lately, most of which are marked by a prevalence of indie artists, it's interesting to see what actually sells out there in the marketplace. So, here are a few empirical rankings to ponder:

Billboard Top Ten Singles of 2000:

1. Faith Hill – “Breathe”
2. Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) – “Smooth"
3. Santana (Featuring The Product G&B) – “Maria Maria”
4. Joe – “I Wanna Know”
5. Vertical Horizon – “Everything You Want”
6. Destiny's Child – “Say My Name”
7. Savage Garden – “I Knew I Loved You”
8. Lonestar – “Amazed”
9. Matchbox Twenty – “Bent”
10. Toni Braxton – "He Wasn’t Man Enough”

Bestselling Albums of the Decade:

1. The Beatles - 1
2. NSYNC - No Strings Attached
3. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
4. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
5. Eminem - The Eminem Show
6. Usher - Confessions
7. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
8. Creed - Human Clay
9. Britney Spears - Oops! ... I Did It Again
10. Nelly - Country Grammar

Bestselling Digital Singles of the Decade:

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - "Low"
2. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"
3. Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
4. Timbaland feat. OneRepublic - "Apologize"
5. The Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
6. Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Crank That"
7. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
8. Coldplay - "Viva la Vida"
9. Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
10. Katy Perry - "Hot N Cold"

Bestselling Singles (Digital and Physical) of the Decade:

1. Shakira (featuring Wyclef Jean) - "Hips Don't Lie"
2. Beyonce (featuring Jay-Z) - "Crazy In Love"
3. Black Eyed Peas - "My Humps"
4. Britney Spears - "Toxic"
5. Britney Spears - "Womanizer"
6. Britney Spears - "Oops!... I Did It Again"
7. Eminem - "Stan"
8. Flo Rida - "Low"
9. Green Day - "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams"
10. Katy Perry - "I Kissed A Girl"

iTunes Top Downloads of 2009:

1. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
2. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
3. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
4. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
5. All-American Rejects - "Gives You Hell"
6. Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"
7. Miley Cyrus - "Party in the USA"
8. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
9. T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake - "Dead and Gone"
10. Kings of Leon - "Use Somebody"

Roberto's best non-2009 records of 2009

2009-12-10T17:19:00.015-05:00

Umm... not sure I'm quite ready to forever make my "best of '09" of record yet. Tough stuff. Still shiffling a few around. In the end, it's obviously more of a "my favorites of '09" because, honestly, who am I to offer up anything more. A guy with a blog. That's who.

Woke up this morning thinking about laying it down, but then I couldn't get "Pigs in Zen" and "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" (the Springsteen rendition, which is possibly my least favorite) out of my head, so I figured I'll wait until I'm thinking a bit more clearly. And anyway, I've been listening to a lot of stuff lately that isn't exactly fresh, so let's deal with that first.

Top 5 Albums I Discovered in 2009 That Weren't Released in 2009:

Honorable mention: The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

An honorable mention only because it's a very recent release (late 2008) that was re-released in 2009, so it's sort of a tweener. In any event, this is unquestionably one of the best albums to find its way into my rotation all year (as you may have noticed, it's been in there for a while now). The Low Anthem craft amazing songs with a sound that might roughly blend two parts Tom Waits and one part Art Garfunkel. Thanks to JP for the intro to these guys.

5. Toubab Krewe - Toubab Krewe (2005)

Full disclosure: I don't actually own this album. But Henry does (you might remember him from the early days of this blog), and I have several shows in my iTunes courtesy of the Live Music Archive. After seeing these guys play the Arts Fest this summer, they briefly revitalized my penchant for instrumental jambandish tunes, though they certainly deserve more credit than to be categorized as such. As evidence, even after that taste dwindled again, their songs remain in my playlists.

4. Smog - The Doctor Came at Dawn (1996)

I never got into Smog until he released Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle this year under his real name, Bill Callahan. While that record didn't blow me away from the start, it definitely prompted me to explore his back-catalog (which is deep and dense), and this record in particular struck me after its songs began to pop up when I would go into shuffle mode. Something like a less energetic, more organic Silver Jews, The Doctor Came at Dawn offers haunting acoustics and pensive lyrics. "All Your Women Things" is so basic in sound and structure that I'm amazed it manages to get stuck in my head, but glad it gives me a chance to ponder that one even after powering off.

3. Pep Laguarda - Brossa d'Ahir (1977/2004)

This one started to get some buzz this summer. I learned of it through eMusic (which I think does a great job of recommending music based on past downloads) and bought it on a whim. Something like gypsy-jazz-folk-rock, the Mediterranean vibes pour through the speakers like sangria as this record starts out. As it plays on, it mellows the soul and makes me long to be walking through the hills above Malaga.

2. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006)

I may have discovered this record in 2008, but if so it was close to the end of the year. Flamenco-rock is as good a tag as you could slap on it, but the music is a bit deeper than that would suggest. With roots in traditional forms, their innovative melodies and techniques modernize a centuries-old style of guitar music. And their cover of "Stairway" is the best out there, hands-down.

1. Chris Smither - Leave the Light On (2006)

Given that he's been making records for nearly forty years and just played Pittsburgh last year courtesy of Calliope, I have no idea how I never heard of this guy. It took a PBS rebroadcast of the 2008 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and a clip immediately following Guy Clark's performance, but after seeing him play the title track from this 2006 album, I downloaded a ton of his stuff and declared myself a huge fan. His take on Peter Case's "Cold Trail Blues" is spare and perfect, and the rest of the record is pretty awesome too.

Possibly the oddest music news of the week

2009-12-08T13:14:00.005-05:00

Songs on Pope Benedict XVI's MySpace playlist:

Muse - "Uprising"
Fleet Foxes - "He Doesn't Know Why"

And, wait for it...

2Pac - "Changes" (Explicit version)

Random Commentor's Top Ten Albums of 2009

2009-12-07T13:19:00.012-05:00

1. Washed Out- Life of Leisure

I don’t have the aural chops to rank my top 10 (read: “I’m lazy”). Therefore, 2-10 of my 2009 bestys are in no particular order. I was, however, capable of determining that Washed Out’s Life of Leisure was my favorite album of ‘09.

For the past several years I have been fixated on metal in its myriad forms. It took the “glo/fi” (or whatever it’s called these days) music movement to pull me from the mire that is modern-day metal, in particular Washed Out. It has been a long time since an album has imprinted in my ears in such way that it marked an era of my life -- like maybe since STP’s Core in summer of ’92 when I was 15 years old and secretly tortured by an inability to communicate to girls how I felt about them. Now I think I will always remember the summer of 2009 by the cooing feel of Life of Leisure. Though I think the glo/fi trend has a shelf life of like another year, Life of Leasure will long resonate with me as a time capsule.

2. Girls- Album
3. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. Converge- Axe to Fall
5. Baroness- Blue Album
6. Bibio- Ambivalence Avenue

7. Memory Tapes- Seek Magic

8. Isis- Wavering Radiant
9. Dan Deacon- Bromst
10. The Very Best- Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best

Jimmy's Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-07T09:25:00.011-05:00

Ok, so there are like three weeks left until the end of the year, and something great might come out in those three short weeks, but I'm not gonna sweat it. I also like to get a jump up on the competition, so before anyone can say, "you just copied [insert random blog or music site]'s list", I wanted to clear the air with my Best Albums of 2009 list. I have ranked, what I consider to be, the 20 finest albums released during the 2009 calendar year, along with the top 5 eps. Each album is ranked with the first being the best. There are also a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make the top 20, but were close, so I need to give them their props.

Top 20 Albums of 2009:

1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

To me, this album stands out as being far and away better than the rest this year. Now, don't get me wrong, I loves me some Animal Collective, and Merriweather Post Pavilion has some incredible tracks (and will no doubt top many a list this year); but as an album, nothing works better than Bitte Orca. The technical proficiency of the instrumentation is extraordinary and the harmonies are just absurd. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is going to fall into the realm of classic. It just works on every level and when I first listened to it, I felt like I was hearing something completely new and mind-bending. This was the feeling that I had when I listened to albums like The Soft Bulletin, Kid A and Doolittle for the first time and those have all fared pretty well in retrospect. Sometimes albums grow on you after awhile and then become your favorite, and sometimes an album is so damn awesome it just hits you in the mouth and blows your mind the first time you hear it. The former is a good album, the latter is the best of the year. Bitte Orca has quite a left hook.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

3. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
5. Atlas Sound - Logos

6. Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth

7. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Self-Titled
8. The xx - Self-Titled
9. A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

10. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
11. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
12. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
13. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
14. Washed Out - Life of Leisure
15. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
16. Alec Ounsworth - Mo Beauty
17. The Antlers - Hospice
18. Dan Deacon - Bromst
19. Built to Spill - There is No Enemy
20. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Honorable Mentions: Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall; Heartless Bastards - The Mountain; M. Ward - Hold Time; Morrissey - Years of Refusal; Donora - Self-Titled.

Top 5 EPs of 2009:

1. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
2. Bon Iver - Blood Bank
3. No Age - Losing Feeling
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher Than The Stars
5. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange

Honorable Mention: Death Cab for Cutie - The Open Door

If you strongly disagree with any of my choices, I would love to hear it. Also, if there are any glaring omissions, drop me a line.

Cheers and Orcas!

A few words about The Hills finale which I will most likely immediately regret publishing

2009-12-02T16:33:00.012-05:00

Kristin, can I just say something for a minute? Why did you have to grow up to be such a bitch? You totally carried Laguna Beach for two seasons with your mildly innocent scheming and comparatively unspoiled persona. Your drama was real(ish) and your heart was true.

Then came college. Remember when Stephen moved to San Fran and you guys would get together sometimes for those awkward, staged reunions? Those were the days. I had high hopes for you—both of you! Stephen even left SoCal. You two were really going to study some stuff and be somebodies.

I bailed on Season 3 (Tessa? Please.), and never could stomach The Hills. And then, like a dove, you returned this year, living in an impossibly awesome waterfront pad in the ‘Bu. Even so, I suppressed my envy and tuned in for you to bring a nostalgic smile to my face ever so occasionally this season. But it just isn’t the same.

First off, it appears you and young Stephen are now both struggling actors. Why, Kristin? Who am I supposed to look up to anymore? Heidi? God save us.

Then there was the matter of your newfound 'tude. I looked past it, hoping for the best, but all for not.

Even despite my disillusionment which saw this season through, I was so amped when that camera panned to those perfectly arranged blue lounges (the only ones on the whole beach) last night and we saw a shaggy brown-haired dude kicked back in one. Could it be...?

But no. It was Audrina’s dbag ex, who we both know will never make you as happy as Stephen did, no matter whether he dresses up as bro or biker. That damned Justin is the icing on my discontent.

One final thought: sooo glad LC’s gone. (H8ed her.)

Download/Stream:
Iron & Wine - "Such Great Heights"
Mates of State - "California"

The Onion: Pittsburgh Leads Nation In Ability To Spell 'Roethlisberger'

2009-12-01T11:51:00.003-05:00

Setting aside the Hines-Ben controversy or rumors about Batch shooting hoops, or anything about music for that matter, I was rather amused by this bit from the Onion this morning.

Wiz Khalifa #1 on iTunes Hip-Hop chart

2009-11-25T09:47:00.004-05:00

Not much more to say I guess, other than maybe that his new album, Deal or No Deal, is at #10 overall this morning. Pretty good stuff for the Allderdice grad.

That is all.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and that he's doing a show at Club Zoo tonight.

Jay Reatard's Blood Vision Arrives in the 'Burgh

2009-11-24T13:44:00.005-05:00

So when I heard that Jay Reatard was making a stop in Pittsburgh on November 23rd, I bought tickets the moment they went on sale. I had only seen video footage of his shows and I knew that this was the type of act that does not come to Pittsburgh very often. He is basically a punk rock throwback in terms of his aggression on stage and general surly behavior towards anyone who gets near him. Needless to say, knowing that the show was at Brillobox, and that crowd control would be at a minimum, I imagined that some black eyes and broken noses were a possibility.

Don't let the schtick fool you though, his songs are masterfully constructed and precise, both in the studio and in concert. Anyone who doesn't believe me should check out the song "My Shadow", which packs in so many catchy riffs and transitions into three minutes and 20 seconds it's sick.

Enough build up - I am pleased to report that Jay Reatard was just as good live as I imagined, which is to say, incredible. I stood about fifteen feet in front of him and was at the edge of the mosh-pit. There was no crowd control. At one point a dude got thrown into Jay's pedals and he stopped mid-song to ream the guy out.

He played a blistering set with almost no talking between songs, except to call out the name of the next song (which is what he typically does). He played a good mix of songs from Blood Visions and from his Matador Singles. His performances of "My Shadow", "Blood Visions", "It's So Easy" and "Hammer I Miss You" really cooked. I would guess that he played about 20 songs in 50 - 60 minutes and then finished without an encore.

After the set, Jay came back to the stage about five minutes later and my friend Dave and I started talking to him. He was a really nice guy and very gracious when we complimented him. He said this was his first time in Pittsburgh in 12 years of touring. We asked him if we could take him out and buy him a drink but he said he had to rest up for their show tonight in New York where he is opening for the Pixies. All in all, a great show and a cool dude.

Now I would be remiss if I did not mention the opening act - Kim Phuc. Probably the loudest band that I've ever heard. When the music started, the lead singer went into a zombie-like trance and started getting right into the faces of the people in the crowd - including myself. Towards the end of the first song, the lead singer started whipping the mic stand around and since I was directly in front of him he nailed me in the balls. It was at that point that I decided it was not in my best interest to stand at the very front any longer. There was also a terrible stench throughout the set, which added to the horror-show theme for the night.

Needless to say, I will not forget this show any time soon. I would rank it up there among the best shows that I've ever seen at Brillo, probably tied with the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Donora show from last year for best ever.

Revisions to the '09 playlist

2009-11-22T21:21:00.005-05:00

Well, I dropped "French Navy." I think hearing it a few times among the batch of tunes on this playlist just made me realize it's not on par with the rest. Also dropped "Nothing to Worry About" for similar reasons, and per Jimmy's earlier comment.

One addition: Alela Diane's "White As Diamonds" thanks to the ever-present Anon.

One substitution as well: "Stillness is the Move" for "Knotty Pine." Both great songs, so maybe both should be on there. Maybe a 'one per customer' rule is stupid in this scenario. Or, if not, maybe "My Girls" should also sub in for "Summertime Clothes." Tough decisions...

Will Neon Indian or Toro y Moi make the cut? I guess it depends how deep you got into the whole chillwave thing this year. Jury's still out for me. Is longevity a prereq?

The closest 'maybe' track on deck right now might be Edward Sharpe's "Home." Good song, but how good?

Concert Preview: The Wiyos

2009-11-19T09:47:00.005-05:00

Reader and friend of the show JP turned us on to the Low Anthem a bit ahead of the curve. That's about all he's done, but it's a decent track record.

Another band he's been touting since seeing them in February is the Wiyos. They're not your standard Brooklynites, though they call that hipster haven home. He describes them as "a rollicking, vaudevillian good time" and that seems to be in line with the general consensus around the net. So we're taking his advice ("we" being either the royal we or perhaps including Henry, who has all but quit the blog).

Fresh off a stint opening for this summer's Dylan/Nelson tour, the Wiyos roll into Calliope's new 150-capacity venue at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts tonight. Just look for the big yellow building on the corner of 5th and Shady.

For the record, I've never seen a band with a washboard and kazoo that I didn't like. I expect tonight will only solidify that streak.

Download/Stream:
The Wiyos - "Promenade"

A literary aside

2009-11-16T11:38:00.011-05:00

I'm not sure what this is all about, but I'm seeing either a pure coincidence, a collective focus of contemplations, or just a weird marketing trend in the world of short fiction. Three books I'm hearing about are:

Barb Johnson's More of This World or Maybe Another;
Laura van der Berg's What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us; and
Lori Ostlund's The Bigness of the World.

Ladies, I don't undertsand what's happening with the world and I have no idea what any of your stories might be about, but all of your titles intrigue me as phrases suggesting vague, profound things often do. I will read the first three to five pages of whichever of your books is in stock/most easily accessible at my local branch of the library, and then possibly read more.

New Wiz Khalifa single: "This Plane"

2009-11-13T14:02:00.004-05:00

This track's been floating around the web for about a month now I guess. If you haven't heard it yet, give it a listen. Wiz's best yet, IMO.

His new album is out November 24 on Pittsburgh-based Rostrum Records (also home to Donora), and he'll play Club Zoo in the Strip the night after.

Download/stream:

Wiz Khalifa - "This Plane"

Stop the music

2009-11-11T17:18:00.008-05:00

Let’s break for just a brief moment from musical niceties and consider today, which can often go overlooked unless you happen to be in the market for a new mattress or some snow tires.

Admittedly, I never thought much about this holiday until just a few years ago, when I first attended the annual Friends of Danang Veteran’s Day Breakfast right here in Pittsburgh. I’ve attended every year since and, never having served myself, it humbles me each time. Irrespective of thoughts on war and peace, conflict is and has been a necessary reality of modern life and American history, and the sacrifices and successes of those who have nobly served us should not pass without--at the least--this one day of unified appreciation.

It was pointed out at this morning’s breakfast that (unlike this sentence) the Preamble to the United States Constitution uses only active verbs--eight of them if you're counting:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Perhaps by virtue of my personal background, I was first struck by the final two. I noted while hearing that single sentence read aloud that the Constitution was not, by its own terms, ‘written’ or ‘set forth’ or any such thing; it was ordained and established. That’s intense.

Later, while perusing the news and reading of the recent beating of a Cuban blogger who publicly criticized the Castro regime, I was struck by the use of “secure” in the Preamble. By the establishment of that document, it was intended that the Blessings of Liberty be secured. Dissect each of those three words, meaningful enough one by one, and really take a moment to think about how they become profound when combined as above.

Consider the other verbs, and what each means in the context of America.

Then, reflect again on our veterans.

Pop into the Warhol tonight

2009-11-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Puns are great.

Anyway, Paul Simon’s son, Harper--who, apparently, did not actually accompany his father on travels through the Mississippi Delta, which shined like a national guitar, at age 9--will, presumably, be following a river down a highway through the arguable cradle of the French and Indian War this evening to perform at the Andy Warhol Museum. Simon’s self-titled, self-produced, self-released solo debut is recently out and has garnered some pretty favorable reviews.

Not sold? Tonight’s opener is local neo-folk songstress Emily Rodgers, who has a recent release of her own out on Misra Records, home to Will Johnson and Hallelujah the Hills and formerly home to Phosphorescent and Great Lakes Swimmers.

Price of admission: $12. Sol(i)d.

UPDATE: A review of the show is here, courtesy of Scott Mervis at the P-G.

Weekend Forecast

2009-11-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

Looking ahead, we see a good weekend for locally grown music(ians) on the horizon, with Gibsonia's Bearskin storming the Rex on Friday, then Good Night States* at Brillobox coming up against Greensburg native SAADI, who will be blowing in from NYC to Garfield Artworks on Saturday (playing with a "Lights," not to be confused with Lights).

Why the halfhearted weather metaphor? No idea.

Surprise: I'm partial to GNS on Saturday. But I have to say that I dig SAADI's sound. Given the proximity of Saturday's venues, it may be advisable to try and squeeze in both shows if you're feeling adventurous.

Download/Stream:
SAADI - "Pollen Seeks Bees"

*A special thanks to GNS for having an actual web site. If I haven't mentioned it before, I really hate MySpace Music. The layout, the player, the slowness to load... everything about it.

Premature "Best of 2K9" Playlist

2009-11-06T04:00:00.003-05:00

Note the uglyass new widget in the sidebar. Early, yes, but we're almost there so I'm giving it the OK. Consider it a work in progress; I will too, and we'll revise as justice dictates.

Some of these songs were on '08 albums, you say. And you are correct. But if they were released as singles this year and I really like them, I'll allow it. Por ejemplo, "Mykonos." Great song. No way I was letting that little guy off the queue.

Proposed additions have already been made, including but not limited to:

"You Do You” - Bear in Heaven
"Talamak” - Toro y Moi
“11th Dimension” - Julian Casablancas
“Home” Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
"And the Hazy Sea" - Cymbals Eat Guitars
"Life's a Dream" - Built to Spill
"Young Adult Friction" - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
"Mind, Drips" - Neon Indian

Past and (potentially) future contributor Jimmy has also suggested "Blood Bank," which I see is making a lot of these lists. A fine song, to be sure, though I'm not sold. But if the masses speak, they will be heard.

So for now, listen, enjoy, and (as always) feel free to comment or contribute. And maybe I'll fix up those colors before winter comes to town.

EDIT: Might drop Camera Obscura from the list. "French Navy" is a great song, but I was thinking this weekend it's not up to snuff with their older stuff. Is that grounds from removal? Not sure yet...

Won't you be my neighbor?

2009-11-05T15:15:00.007-05:00

It may not be his theme song exactly, but it's totally awesome anyhow:

Download/Stream:
Seven Saturdays - "A Beautiful Day"

Oh When, Oh When...

2009-11-04T16:51:00.003-05:00

Download/Stream:
Blitzen Trapper - "Black River Killer"

While My Ukulele Gently Weeps

2009-11-01T18:43:00.005-05:00

The tickets are bit pricy at $42, but if you can swing it Jake Shimabukuro should be a highlight of the month when he plays the Manchester Craftmens Guild with Stanley Jordan on November 13. He does some insane things with just four strings and that miniature gueetar. Here he is tearing up a classic:

UPDATE: Thanks to Amy from the Guild for pointing out in the comments thread that using promo code PG+2009 when you purchase tickets online will get your ticket down to $34. Not bad, not bad.

Video: Good Night States at CMJ

2009-10-28T16:12:00.002-04:00

Enjoy this clip of local favorites Good Night States' showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC, followed by a brief interview with the band.

p.s. So sorry, guys, but I'm over the comma.

New Masthead Photo

2009-10-27T16:55:00.005-04:00

This one is courtesy of Brad Morocco, Photo Editor for the Duquesne Duke.

The P.J. McArdle Roadway may be one of the worst roads in town, but it does offer one of my favorite views of the city's skyline, giving the great contrast of those gold and green onion domes of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Church in the foreground. I nearly crash every time I drive up that barely paved urban byway.

As always, if you have a photo of your own you'd like to submit, do send it along: sitkot@gmail.com

New videos from the locals

2009-10-21T17:07:00.005-04:00

Not sure why I thought Gene the Werewolf was a local rap crew. Turns out I was way off. More of a Van Halen thing going on here really. I guess I should know these things as a local music blogger. Anyway, take in the local sites in their new vid:

Emily Rogers, on the other hand, I had no doubts about: melodic modern folk. Although I must admit, this track off her new nationwide release suggests something more complex than I previously gave her credit for. Enjoy:

Upcoming shows from both are on the concert calendar at right.

Dylan's Christmas Album: Not That Bad

2009-10-19T18:42:00.005-04:00

From the reviews I’ve seen, I really expected this thing to be terrible. I mean absolutely awful. But I have to say after two go-rounds, it really isn’t all that bad, at least to one who’s a fan of both mainstream Christmas tunes (check) and modern Dylan (check).

For the most part, the album sees its high points when the band spreads out a bit, and its lows when Bobby tries to stick to the blueprints and falls victim to the limitations of his own death rattle. Here’s a half-assed track-by-track review:

1. Here Comes Santa Claus – Good
2. Do You Hear What I Hear – Average
3. Winter Wonderland – Average
4. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing – Really Bad
5. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Barely Above Average (but might fit nicely amid a playlist consisting mostly of tracks from Tom Waits’ 1976 album, Small Change)
6. Little Drummer Boy – Below Average
7. The Christmas Blues – Good
8. O’ Come All Ye Faithful – Average
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Below Average
10. Must Be Santa – Awesome
11. Silver Bells – Decent
12. The First Noel – Pretty Bad
13. Christmas Island – Average (unless compared to Leon Redbone’s superlative rendition)
14. The Christmas Song – Below Average
15. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem – Average (saved by its brevity and simplicity)

Honestly, I really like the tune “Must Be Santa,” and I’ll even venture that it could become a holiday radio standard alongside the likes of Paul McCartney’s “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time,” a controversial favorite of mine.

It’s also worth noting that the proceeds from all sales of this record go to charity.

And so, finally, for your listening pleasure:

Download/Stream:
Bob Dylan – “Must Be Santa”

Blue Notes on blu.black

2009-10-09T13:16:00.004-04:00

Jim White at the P-G offers his take on Corey Harris' latest album.

Fans of Muddy Waters and Manu Chao alike should appreciate this one, so get yourself a copy, then get a ticket to his Calliope show this coming March.

Taking the Next Step (yet another country-related post)

2009-10-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Bluegrass and alt-country may be gateway drugs to the fearful world of Froggy and Y-108. Luckily, I haven't yet been drawn that deep. But with my belated discovery of Jamey Johnson's latest album, I might be considered "at-risk".

Nonetheless, I march onward to Mr. Small's for tonight's show, and I urge all readers with a healthy appreciation for American music to do the same.

Johnson is without a doubt heir to Waylon Jennings' coveted crown, and the Country community at large seems slowly to be realizing that, along with standard rock rags SPIN and Rolling Stone.

If you are not a frequent Froggy listener, please skip over or ignore this next sentence: Johnson penned Trace Adkins' 2005 hit, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk."

If you are not a frequent Froggy listener and read that one anyway, forgive him his past indiscretions. A man's got to make a living.

In his defense, I give you the following tracks, both of which foretell a catalog of songs which should safely render names like Brooks and Dunn forgotten by history when we someday look back on the music of the early 21st century.

Jamey Johnson - "High Cost of Living"

Jamey Johnson - "Between Jennings and Jones"

Countrify Your Tuesday

2009-10-06T11:33:00.004-04:00

It's surely coincidence that tonight should see such a great blend of country-influenced music all across town, but it's a great chance to broaden your tastes if you've avoided the genre in the past. I'm giving you a SITKOT 90% no-twang-guarantee.

If you lean toward the jam, the bluegrass-hippie stylings of Yonder Mountain String Band always please the ear, as they will tonight in Millvale. If you're in the over-35 crowd or just in the mood to chill, western-style, you might consider staying in town for the lush compositions of Cowboy Junkies.

I'll be in the South Side for Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses.

Bingham stands to take his place somewhere among the likes of John Hiatt and John Prine, with perhaps a tip of the ten-gallon hat to John (Cougar) Mellencamp. His songs are deceptively tight, and his sound and style belie his relative youth. My initial interest in country led me to my introduction to Bingham. Lyle Lovett made the move to Lost Highway Records, and I noticed that several other artists along alt-country lines started to put out records on that label. I signed up for the newsletter, and was soon turned on to Bingham. The first song of his I heard remains my favorite, but his recent material is as good as anything on the first record.

Likely soundboard problems notwithstanding, I expect great things from tonight's show at Club Cafe.

Black Moth Super Rainbow profile at Old Mon Music

2009-09-28T22:30:00.001-04:00

Roll on over to Old Mon Music for this week's installment: Black Moth Super Rainbow.

He really makes a blogger like me feel lazy. And rightly so.

Also, "Born On a Day the Sun Didn't Rise" might be in my top three songs of the past summer if I had to think about it.

Notes on inconsequential developments in my current listenings and possibly concerning my recent relationship with blogospheric hype more generally

2009-09-28T15:23:00.020-04:00

Less than a week after its actual release, I feel (somewhat) comfortable saying that I am "over" Girls' Album. I bought into the hype, and I was really into a few of the leaked tracks. I continue to really like "Hellhole Ratrace," "Lauren Marie," and a few others. Indeed, the highs are high. But the rest is beginning to seem like fluff. I fear this may be a record which quickly finds its way out of my rotation. Reminds me a bit of VietNam, in whom I also lost interest a few weeks into a short-lived captivation yet still sort of like when I hear them. Maybe all this rain is just getting to me. I did find the tracks to be generally more satisfying while in San Diego last week. Anyway. Moving on.

I am an unabashed fan of M. Ward and My Morning Jacket and was/sometimes think I still might be a(n abashed) fan of Bright Eyes. So obvi I was thrilled that they were finally working on a Monsters of Folk album. But then I was disappointed when I heard the first single, "Say Please." But then I was reinvigorated when I downloaded the full album and dug it straight through. And now I even like "Say Please." (Not sure what happened there.) Highs: All of it. In particular, "Man Named Truth," "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me," "Magic Marker." But really all of it.

I ignored everything I read about Washed Out. Not sure why. Didn't even give him a listen. So much hype around so many bands in '09, maybe. I've been leaning on some old standards lately: Neil Young, John Prine, Dinosaur Jr., Beatles, others. (Glad U2 played "Ultraviolet" on SNL this weekend.) From the words around the blogs, I assumed Wavves - Rock = Washed Out. I was not interested. Preemptive backlash. Then I gave in. Glad I did. The general impression and resultant formula might be accurate, but I like it no less. For now, anyhow. Like a lo-fi indie poptart.

Maybe I'm just too fickle these days.

New hype preview: 7 Worlds Collide. I've got my eye on you.

Download:
Monsters of Folk - "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me"

October Preview: Not All Country Sucks, Parts 2-4

2009-09-17T17:03:00.009-04:00

If you harbor even a slight suspicion that perhaps--by some twist of circumstance that might have been altogether unforeseeable a decade ago--not all country music sucks, then this Fall will be a good time for you to test that theory in our fair Burgh.

Look forward to Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses at Club Cafe on October 6, followed by Jamey Johnson at Mr. Small's on the 7th, and Shooter Jennings at Small's on the 21st. Tell me that Bingham is more Americana and Shooter is more rock and I won't argue too much. Until then, I'll catch you further on down the trail.

Download/Stream:
Ryan Bingham - "Sunshine"

Shooter Jennings MTV Music

The Flaming Lips are totally sweet

2009-09-17T16:50:00.006-04:00

Seriously. And you can hear their entire new album in streaming audio now through Monday night at Colbert Nation (see left side). As expected, I really like what I'm hearing.

They also performed the album's lead track on the Colbert Report last night, and here's the video. Before playing, Wayne Coyne gave a pretty entertaining interview, available on the site.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Flaming Lips - Convinced of the Hex

http://www.colbertnation.com/

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Protests

No Comment

2009-09-14T16:16:00.001-04:00

Album Review: Good Night, States' In the Impossible Tension

2009-09-11T17:19:00.015-04:00

If it weren't for an omnipresent drum machine and that pesky comma in their name, this EP would be damn near perfect. With that in mind, it's still not far off.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Arsonist's Blues
2. Good Times, So Wearily Desired!
3. River In The Dry
4. Moonlight
5. All On Your Own
6. Neighborhood Roofs

Every song comes equipped with a great melody, and at least five of the six have found themselves stuck in my head over the few weeks I've been listening to it (sorry, "All On Your Own"). Oddly, the album was recorded by only two of the band's five members--Steve Gretz and Joe Tanner--but such is life when your band is split among three cities, as theirs is.

This record is a departure, to be sure. Don't expect to rock out. The album title seems fitting, as even after having listened to the record several times through I still expect tracks 1 and 6 to open up to a flood of distorted guitars. They don't. Yet they're no worse for not giving into my petty desires.

From the top, "Arsonist's Blues" is a great song to start it off and set the tone for the rest of record. Leaning on the vintage keyboards expected of GN,S, Gretz and Tanner manage to maintain their trademark sound without overdoing it on the synth tones. The second track has to be the catchiest, and already has me nostalgic for the summer that's still here. Then the synths fade to welcome some crisp acoustic guitar work that brings a woodsy air of reminiscence to my favorite of the bunch, "River In The Dry."

While the songs are stripped down, they don't feel spare. There's a warmth here that gives the sense of fullness, and a restraint that leaves room for these songs to grow live. Perhaps the fullest on the record is the closer, "Neighborhood Roofs," and it's also one of the strongest.

Obviously the backstory of the writing and recording of this album begs curiosities about how these tunes will translate to the stage, but Hugh assures us they'll do just fine. Here's where you can hear them:

Tonight: Thunderbird Cafe

Tomorrow: Carnegie Arts and Heritage Festival

Next Tuesday: Brillobox

Monday, Sept. 21: William Pitt Student Union

Courtesy of the Trib, here's a video of the full band doing "Arsonist's Blues" which bodes very well for the upcoming shows and the growth of this great band. The vocals are sweet, and that small touch of natural percussion is enough to make me forget about the drum machine in the background.

SITKOT rating: 46 out of 57

ADB's Guide to Pittsburgh

2009-09-04T14:56:00.008-04:00

Photo: Sara Flemming (http://saraflemming.com/)

Do yourself a favor this holiday weekend and learn a bit about your city, courtesy of the Angry Drunk Bureaucrat:

The G-20 Visitor's Guide Part 1

The G-20 Visitor's Guide Part 2

The G-20 Visitor's Guide Part 3

makes me feel that way

2009-09-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

September mornings still can make me feel that way

2009-09-01T10:25:00.001-04:00

Other things: David Bazan / Good Night, States

2009-08-27T12:30:00.000-04:00

Now, to direct your attention elsewhere:

I missed this, but Pgh. Music Report is here to tell you about David Bazan (formerly Pedro the Lion) playing a few house concerts in town next month.

And HughShowsRedux has some cool photos of GNS rehearsing as they get ready for the release of In The Impossible Tension. I'll echo Hugh on loving the record. And I'll get around to reviewing it before the release show. Promise.

With Bob on your side

2009-08-27T09:23:00.009-04:00

Here's this:

Bob Dylan: folk-rock legend, poet-spokesman of his generation . . . and GPS voice? Maybe.

The enigmatic troubadour said on his satellite radio program that he is negotiating with two car manufacturers to be the voice of their in-car navigation systems. Insert your own Dylan-lyric pun here about "no direction home" or "there must be some way out of here" or "how many roads . . . ."

Read on here.

Here he is hocking Escalades a while back:

And here he is offering some pretty unhelpful advice on post-retirement higher education: "Dear Bob..."

Thoughts on a book

2009-08-25T16:27:00.005-04:00

This is a blog about music.

I am a blogger who blogs about music.

This is not a blog post about music.

This past week saw the publication of Collected Stories by Raymond Carver, with whom I’ve been a bit obsessed lately. In particular, I’ve been obsessing over the edits Gordon Lish famously made to Carver’s draft of a story called “Beginners,” which would eventually become a story celebrated and studied as among of the finest of its century.

Collected Stories contains unedited drafts of even more stories, and I have for some time been looking forward to seeing them.

As a listener of much music, it’s almost strange to consider that not all art-forms lend themselves to variation, cover, remix, etc. To hear a recording of Townes Van Zandt playing his best songs live and solo is ear-opening indeed, but it is expected. To hear “Kids” transformed by some unknown DJ or "Where It's At" mutated by beck himself can be exciting and even a bit enlightening, perhaps, but it’s no big deal. That’s what happens with music. Jose Gonzalez covers The Knife, Iron and Wine reinterprets The Postal Service and you have some chilled out adaptations of what might be modern classics to throw on your fancy Nano.

“Car Crash While Hitchhiking” cannot be chilled out.

To hear Tobias Wolff read Denis Johnson’s “Emergency” is interesting, and to hear him discuss it is quite edifying. But the story is the story, and it ends the same whether Johnson or Wolff or I read it, whether silently or aloud. It’s the same each time and we don’t get to know it as anything else. And that’s cool; that’s the way we interact with most published literature.

Only occasionally will an author’s notes, edits or early drafts see light beyond some library’s archives. But this week is such an occasion. Debate over whether the stories benefited from Lish’s extensive edits to Carver’s rather less cynical voice will likely burn on for some time. What's striking is how heavy Lish's pen was. It's almost as though the Carver stories we've come to love were just cover versions of Carver's stories. “What We Talk About…” starts stronger—and surprisingly more minimalist—than “Beginners.” But I like Herb’s lengthy narrative about the elderly couple, and I prefer the original, somewhat indulgent ending as well. On the other hand, I think Lish’s truncation of the ending of “One More Thing” makes a great story profound… But I’m years removed from my study of English, and have little to offer anyhow but unformed opinions and the sentiment that I’m glad to see this book arrive. It may not be the unblemished collection that Tess Gallagher has been pushing for, but it’s damned close.

At risk of stretching it, reading Carver’s unedited drafts is similar to hearing Dylan’s varying verses of “Mississippi” on Tell Tale Signs (excepting that Dylan presumably made his own edits). Since that’s the best musical connection I can come up with right now, here are some earlier versions of that tune, as well as the final cut.

Bob Dylan: "Mississippi" (version #1):

Bob Dylan: "Mississippi" (version #3):

Bob Dylan: "Mississippi" (album version):

Donora releases new video

2009-08-24T17:03:00.006-04:00

Local indiepop favorites Donora have chosen the infectious "I Think I Like You" for their latest video, which was actually not filmed outside a Stringcheese show. Nonetheless, this chic's got moves.

p.s. When writing about a band, are they plural as in, "Donora release new video," or is it singular, as in the title I went with? Style call, I guess. Not so sure I made the right one.

Les Paul: A hero moves on

2009-08-13T16:42:00.001-04:00

What a life he lived, and what a legacy he's left us.

Beck Hansen interviews Will Ferrell

2009-08-13T08:01:00.002-04:00

Dear fans of modern comedy and/or music,

And now, hear this:

2009-08-12T11:08:00.002-04:00

"The Black Eyed Peas and Tim McGraw will jump-start the Steelers' season with a free concert at Point State Park on opening night, Sept. 10."

Read on at ye auld P-G.

Setlist: Neko Case at Sandcastle

2009-08-12T10:21:00.007-04:00

I noticed we've gotten several hits this last week from people searching for the setlist from this show, which isn't on here, so those people must be disappointed to see that. Well, I was at the show, and I kept a (loose) setlist, so here it is.

A quick review: Neko was great, but she's been better. The band sounded awesome with the exception of some static early and some minor feedback issues later. That said, Ms. Case did not seem to be all that into the show. A can of Off! was nearby, though it didn't seem to be doing much good, and there was plenty of banter about bugs and the smell of rivermud. Apparenty the numerous bats swooping across the stage weren't enough to take care of the former.

It was both muddy and muggy down by the river that night and, though I do like this venue, it is without question at its best when it's dry. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the show. And as Hugh mentioned earlier this week, Jason Lytle was great as the opener.

Setlist:
1. Middle Cyclone
2. Magpie to the Morning
3. I’m an Animal
4. Prison Girls
5. The Tigers Have Spoken (Maybe?)
6. (I think I missed one here)
7. Pauline
8. Polar Nettles
9. Don’t Forget Me
10. That Teenage Feeling
11. This Tornado Loves You

Encore:
12. Vengeance is Sleeping
13. Tightly
14. Train From Kansas City (Yes?)

A syllabic aside regarding recent reviews of Wilco (The Album) that go out of their way to retroactively diss Sky Blue Sky

2009-08-11T18:30:00.010-04:00

Why the sudden hate
on Sky Blue Sky? Can’t folks just
dig on (The Album),

be cool with the past?
“Hate it [there],” they say. "Welcome
back, Kidsmoke Nova."

“Miss u, YHF.”
Either way, let’s all agree:
Nels Cline is badass.

Download/Stream:
Wilco - "The Thanks I Get"

Concert Review: The Low Anthem at Club Cafe

2009-08-06T13:13:00.014-04:00

I'd first heard The Low Anthem after reader JP saw them open for Ray Lamontagne back in April and offered us a review. At that time, he wrote:

Each member of this trio played no less than three different instruments, and it was the first time in a while that I didn't want the openers to leave. Mournful and deep turned to knee-slapping, good vibrations on a dime -- imagine a dark Sigur Ros that morphs into something happy and bluegrassy.

Perhaps if I'd gone back and read that review (or done any research at all) before Tuesday night's show, I wouldn't have been so surprised to see that there are only three people in the band. After listening to the CD over the past week, I was sure this would be a band of five or so to create the sonic soundscape these guys manage to conjure up. After seeing them and going back for a listen, it's easier to pick out the sparse but fulfilling instrumentations that allow them to sound so rich.

On the softer tunes, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams' voices blend like air behind Ben Knox Miller's lead vocals to create that thick but natural sound. This was on proud display as they started off with the choirlike "Charlie Darwin," trailing that with "To Ohio."

Then, surprisingly early, came the highlight of the night. Prystowsky jammed on the upright bass for a minute or so to lead into a houseburning rendition of an old blues, "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around." They lit it up, and just blew me away. In fact, if pushed, my only criticism of the show would be that they didn't save this one for last.

The Low Anthem manage to really exploit their shared talents as multi-instrumentalists without showing off or trying too hard. Each member moves effortlessly between his/her respective tools and they craft songs like old ships. What does that mean? I don't even know.

With a range of songstyles, they also do a great job of juxtaposing loud and soft throughout the set, such as taking "To the Ghosts..." into "Where'd You Get That Liquor From" or following up "This Goddamned House" with the biblical "Ticket Taker."

With one part Art Garfunkel and one part Tom Waits, The Low Anthem create a modern folk that inspires on record and really comes to life in concert. Prystowsky and Miller have a genuine on-stage chemistry, and looked to be having fun despite suggestions that all the touring in support of the re-released Oh My God Charlie Darwin has become exhausting.

Finally, I don't want to forget about Joe Pug, who provided a great set of heartfelt, Springsteen-style folk before The Low Anthem went on. With just his guitar and harmonica, he managed to be way more on stage than another guy with a guitar and a harmonica. He's got an all-American voice, and his ability to turn a clever phrase echoes the likes of John Prine. One complaint: What kind of fan goes to a folk show and proceeds to sing every word of every song louder than the performer himself? Come on.

Download The Low Anthem:
Low Anthem have a handful of live shows available for download on their web site, right here.

Stream Joe Pug:

Concert Review: Deerhunter / No Age / Dan Deacon at Mr. Small's

2009-08-04T10:12:00.002-04:00

I got lazy and didn't make it out last night, so we turn to our loyal readers for their thoughts on the matter:

Lupe: Deerhunter pretty good, No Age so-so, Dan Deacon oddly out of place stole the show. imo. Jimmy?

Jimmy: I generally agree with Lupe. The acoustics were terrible. After the first "round" of songs (after all of them playing an opening number together, each group took turns playing one or two songs, then passed the stage to the next group), Dan Deacon went into the sound room at the back of Smalls and must have helped with the mix because you could barely hear any vocals at all.

I had very high hopes for this show, so I'm pretty disappointed today.

Deerhunter definitely has the best book of songs out of the three groups, but played a scattershot of material, omitting most of their best tracks. No Age sounded ok, but again, you basically could not hear the vocals at all. I agree that Dan Deacon was out of place, but it was almost necessary to have something to break up the show that wasn't just heavy noise. His last song, "Wham City," was the highlight of the night for me.

Now for the worst part. After Deacon finished up with "Wham City," everyone came back on stage and started playing together, but there didn't seem to be any plan. After playing something that started out sounding like a song, all three of the guitarists started pounding the same chord for what seemed like at least 8 solid minutes. The singer for No Age started hitting his mike against his palm to see if any sound was coming out and nothing registered, so he tossed his mike on the ground. At that point, I turned to my friends and said that I'd had enough. They agreed, and we left. I don't know if there was any encore because we didn't stay, and no, I did not hear my favorite song, "Agoraphobia."

Disappointment. I have a feeling that this show needed to be at an outside venue because Smalls just couldn't deal with the sound issues. Dan Deacon was also the only act that even attempted to interact with the crowd in any meaningful way.

Touch(e)-Ups: Saturday / Monday

2009-07-31T16:06:00.007-04:00

I don't really follow the pun in the title of that last post by Henry, but I'll take the handoff and run with it anyway to fill in some gaps in the coming days.

Saturday promises a welcome return of the sunshine, and should bring just the weather to get you in the mood for a dirty helping of retrofied rock n roll. Chicago-based Athens will serve it up all hot and steamy tomorrow night at Garfield Artworks. Check out their single "Big Old Fat Old Man" below.

Download:
Athens - "Big Old Fat Old Man"

And after the weekend's behind us, Monday holds an awesome lineup at Mr. Small's, with Deerhunter, Dan Deacon and No Age all sharing the bill in what they're calling a "round robin performance." Any of those three would be worth seeing solo, so what's not to love about this triple-bill? Here's Deerhunter a month ago finishing up their Aussie tour with "Twilight at Carbon Lake":

Touch(e)-Downs

2009-07-31T11:27:00.006-04:00

Here's a bunch of random Burgh music stuff that's on my radar:

- Tonight is the oft-lamented showdown between the modern sounds Neko Case and Gregg Gillis. But for those of you longing for the rock of yesteryear, Brillobox in Larryville is hosting "That 70's Night" featuring a bunch of bands playing 70's rock.

- The Low Anthem play a YEP Studio Session Tuesday 8/4 at 1pm. It's free to sign up and attend. They play Club Cafe that night.

- There's a bass fishing tournament in town this weekend, too: The Forrest Wood Cup. Don't say Bass Master around the Forrest Wood folks, they get very irked by their lack of notoriety. Apparently, this tourney boasts the biggest kitty in all of pro-fishing - $1 Million Dollars. Anyhow, the weigh-ins on Saturday and Sunday at Mellon Arena (free, I think) each feature pre-weigh-in 4pm concerts by hokey country singers, Darby Ledbetter and Eric Church Sat/Sun respectively. Fishin' and Cunry Music and a chance to win a BOAT?! - HoooWeee.

- Also wanna give a shoutout to the local 'progressive/glam/crunk' party band: The Hood Gang. Their lyrics are sophomoric and the music isn't necessarily good, but goddam! these guys rock a party. I saw them at "Nelson Party 3" last Friday at the Birmingham Bridge Tavern and when I wasn't chugging from the mock Stanley Cup they kept full of tapbeer and passed around for the show's duration, I was rocking. Very hard. Download their track "We Came Here to Party" here. It starts OK. But if you aren't bobbing and grooving by the third or fourth minute, well you may not have a pulse.

- A week's notice: Son Volt at Hartwood FREE next Sunday (8/9). Jay Farrar and the band are touring in support of their new album "American Central Dust". Bring the kids, a (concealed) jug of wine and get your alt-country on at Pittsburgh's most beautiful venue.