writing & stuff
July 29, 2008 2 Comments
I wrote a story about Hercules and Love Affair that ran in Billboard a couple of weeks ago but I kept forgetting to get it up here. Anyway, click on the image above to see at full size (used with permission from Billboard).
July 28, 2008 Leave a comment
I wrote a review of Tilly and the Wall’s “untitled” album that came out last month, but it just ran in this week’s issue of Billboard (yes, I actually wrote an album review … that pretty much never happens). Read it online here.
Also, check out my venuszine.com feature on the band’s tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall.
July 24, 2008 Leave a comment
(press photo)
Last night I saw Martha Wainwright at the Highline Ballroom. She has an incredible voice (runs in the family, right?), except everything was insanely loud. Other than that, it was a great show, and Rufus and their mom performed with her during the encore, so that was cool.
Read my Billboard.com review here.
July 17, 2008 2 Comments
I can’t think of the last time a song made me cry, and, for the record, I did not cry at the first four Ani DiFranco shows I attended. Two years ago I was driving home from Lansing, listening to Ani’s live Carnegie Hall album, when I heard the song “Angry Anymore” for the first time. I had to play it a few times on repeat because I couldn’t comprehend that she was actually telling my story. I know a lot of people who can say that about her songs, the generic fuck-patriarchy this and fuck-Bush that, which I also can relate to. This song doesn’t fall into those categories, and it was (and still is) scary to me how I can explain how each verse fits in to my family/life, because it’s a story that’s so specific to me. And I know that my interpretation of it probably isn’t how she intended it, but the song still means a lot to me.
However, it’s not a song she plays often live, so when I recognized the chord progression at the beginning of it just a few songs into her show tonight, I was so caught off-guard that I couldn’t help but start crying. And that, along with her playing “Subdivision” right before (another favorite song I hadn’t heard live), made it totally worth the $50 + service charges I spent on my ticket.
Aside from that, the show was still great, despite my crappy seats (although I did move up a few rows), but hey, you can’t win ‘em all. Plus, today I bought tickets to see her at the Royal Oak Music Theater in October, which is general admission and a fairly small venue.
A couple of interesting things I noticed … she played four tracks from her upcoming Red Letter Year, but didn’t mention anything about the album, and she didn’t play a single song from her most recent album (not counting last year’s retrospective collection album Canon), Reprieve, and only one track from 2005′s Knuckle Down.
As with any show by an artist who has 20 albums (yep, the new one is her 20th), it’s impossible to hit everyone’s favorite song in every set, so there’s always stuff I’m surprised/sad got left out, but that’s why I keep going to see her.
Ani’s setlist:
“Anticipate”
“Present/Infant”
“Subdivision”
“Angry Anymore”
“Red Letter Year”
“Napoleon”
“Raincheck”
“Welcome To:”
“Sunday Morning”
“Animal”
“Garden of Simple”
“Imagine That”
“The Atom”
“Alla This”
“As Is”
“Shameless”
Encore:
“Evolve”
“Everest”
“32 Flavors”
July 17, 2008 Leave a comment
Happy day-after-my-birthday to me! I didn’t know Ani had a new album coming out in September until Tuesday when we got it in the mail at work! It’s called Red Letter Year and it’s out Sept. 30 on Righteous Babe Records (duh).
I wrote about it for Billboard.com, so check out my story for a quick preview of what it sounds like!
And it’s a super Ani-filled week (and, of course, those are always the best), since I just got back from seeing her at United Palace Theater — second post is on the way.
July 12, 2008 Leave a comment
St. Vincent is amazing. I saw them/her (singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist Annie Clark) at Castle Clinton on Thursday and Annie sounded great and was so charming and funny and aaahh! I kind of want to be her. Her songs sounded surprisingly great live — not surprising because I thought it’d be bad but because there’s so much going on in her songs that it could be not as good live. Definitely not true though, the tracks didn’t sound exactly like the recording, but were still awesome, and that’s how I think a good live show should be.
If you haven’t listened to her, you should. Check out St. Vincent’s MySpace.
July 9, 2008 Leave a comment
I wrote this probably about a month ago, but it just was posted this week. I hadn’t listened to Mason Jennings before I was assigned the story, but his music is really … sweet, I think is a good way to describe it. Sweet and simple. His most recent album, “In The Ever,” was released May 20 and debuted on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart.
Read my Billboard.com feature here.
Mason Jennings’ Web site.
Mason Jennings’ MySpace.
July 6, 2008 Leave a comment
Only in New York could my 4th of July be spent seeing Sonic Youth for free. I will admit I don’t know a ton of their music, but I do like them and c’mon, it was free. Didn’t hurt that Carlye and I got right up to the front without pushing anyone, even though we didn’t get there early.
It did rain a little bit, but what’s another show in the rain? I’ve already been stuck in it before a show (Kid Sister/Vampire Weekend), during openers (The Hold Steady), and after a show (Death Cab) … so I guess this kind of completes it, right?
July 2, 2008 1 Comment
(Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford @ Brooklyn Vegan. Mad Photoshop skills = all mine.)
From the Hold Steady show at McCarren Park Pool on June 29. Yes, I was there through all the rain (but thankfully had an umbrella), and it was worth the wait.
July 2, 2008 Leave a comment
I got a press release about Adron back in April and right away thought “oh my god I want to write about her” because her music is so awesome. She’s my age and plays on a classical guitar, is inspired by a lot of Brazilian music and her music is so pretty, jazzy, summery and just lovely. Before I actually got her album (which came out July 1), I would just sit at work and listen to the four songs on her MySpace over and over.
Read my venuszine.com feature here.
Adron’s MySpace
