photo by leslieloudspeaker
Pitchfork Advance is streaming the album right now, check out that remix of “Dejalo” with Too Short I mentioned last week for yourselves! Album out tomorrow!
photo by hope irish
Johnny Pfirman was in one of my favorite Austin bands (well, two), Til We’re Blue or Destroy and Radar Radar. He moved home to El Paso, built a house with a recording studio with his own hands, and created the soon to be released album Beach Fire. Isolation sounds good on Pfirman, for his new album he’s incorporated bass and drum parts (not that bass and drum) with long time friends Scott Lindsey and Aaron Grossberg, familiar partners in crime who were former bandmates of Johnny’s in Boulder’s The Leprechauns. Sending each other their parts from state to state, they have uniquely created the collaborative Cactus Feathers. These lo-fi recordings of yearning, dreaming and escaping with lyrics that give me that nice melancholy feeling of home hit the heart, subtly making me miss Austin. Check out the song “Stuck in Tallahassee and a Gunshot” I’ve uploaded to soundcloud below. Hopefully we get this former Boulder citizen back to the Front Range soon.
photo by leslieloudspeaker
Saturday night at Bluebird saw a sold out show for Boulder/Nederland’s own Leftover Salmon. At HORDE tour in 1997, I was bored watching Lenny Kravitz, went to the side stage to see what was going on, and these guys were playing and changed my life. Never knew music could be so fun. 16 years later, they are just as good as ever, and continue to write amazing new songs as seen on last year’s Aquatic Hitchhiker release. Set One ended with my favorite song, “Euphoria”, speeding up faster and faster until you feel like you can’t go any faster. And then they went even faster. This is why I love this crazily talented band.
Last time I saw them, the lyrics to the pro-growing anthem “Pasta on the Mountain” had the lyric “pasta will be legalized”, but last night it was “pasta HAS been legalized”, followed by a roar of approval by the voters of the house and strong Nederland presence. The song then went on to become a medley including Marley’s “Stir It Up” and Led Zeppelin’s “D’Yer Maker”. The night ended with church, a rousing call and response version of “Rise Up (Wake and Bake)” that left the audience happy to be in Colorado seeing Vince Herman back in town. You’ve been missed! Special Guest Steve Berlin from Los LobosScramble Campbell and C Alan Crandall were also in attendance, making Bluebird the place to be last night.
Leftover Salmon Spring Tour Dates
Euphoria at Denver Street Party 2012
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
Last night at Cervantes Other Side we had Moksha opening for Zoogma Musiq. With special guest Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet in the very talented horn section, these Las Vegas bustouts had the fans dancing, cheering even when teasing Pink Floyd. I’d like to see more usage of the bazillion different effects they had on stage, but I always want a little too much everything.
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
Zoogma Musiq packed the house tight last night at Cervantes Other Side. Originally hailing from Oxford, Miss., this DJ/four piece electro rock band mix made for a funky, beat driven dance party. You could barely get through the sold out crowd during their set, as everyone showed off their best moves while smoke, lights, and an awesome “Z” of neon tubing flashed. Fun for the eyes, ears and dancing bones, check these guys out when they come to your town.
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo be leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
Phosphorescent (boy do I question my spelling every time) from Dead Oceans mesmerized the audience when I saw them at sxsw, slow layering of beautiful sounds, they are very good at creating soundscapes and making you forget the world around you. They released their video for “Song for Zula” today, and it’s even more mesmerizing now. I feel like reading Clan of the Cave Bear.
still from “Portions for Foxes”
My life is complete. Next month an album of unreleased tracks, B-Sides and rarities will be released by Rilo Kiley. Just got the advance copy and this Jenny Lewis obsessive is in LOVE. Every single song is just perfect, and fans will be ecstatic. No need to comment on any different kind of sound, this is the early Rilo Kiley you love. Can the Postal Service Red Rocks show come any sooner??
video for new single “Let Me Back In”
photo by George Bekich
photo by leslieloudspeaker
John Statz played a hauntingly beautiful set last night at Walnut Room. He has played his distinct style of Americana all around the world with gigs in Budapest, Slovenia, even up in Anchorage and Quebec (this guy must love the cold!) His last album had him traveling around to ghost towns for inspiration, and the latest brings him back to his Wisconsin Heartland roots. Beautiful voice, deliberate playing and fantastic lyrics will make any Americana and folk fans love this guy AND his really great hat.
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by leslieloudspeaker
photo by Black Angels
When I moved back to Austin in 2009, an old college friend introduced me to Christian Bland the very first day. All I knew was that he was a tall, sweet guy who could really rock a striped shirt. 20 something The Black Angels shows later, I am a total fangirl. These guys caused the resurgence of psych rock in Austin and run Austin Psych Fest, now 6 years running. Couldn’t be more proud or more excited about their success and only see them getting bigger. The new album is streaming today, and it’s wonderful as expected. Root for these guys, they work hard and are kind people.
photo by leslieloudspeaker
Shows to See in Denver, Mar. 26- April 3
Mar. 26
Tartufi – The Armoury – San Francisco trio with layered arrangements that provide maximum soundscapes and vocal loops. Full Stream of Album here
Mar. 27
Waxahatchee – The Armoury – great voice, cute presence live, nice to have some straightforward indie folk without layers and pedals once in awhile video for Waxahatchee
Lord Huron – Bluebird – indie folk from CA. Not much stage presence but pleasant sound
FIDLAR/Wavves/Cheatahs – Larimer – see all three, the openers are good. Saw FIDLAR twice at sxsw because I liked them so much. Wavves has been popular for a few years, this year they are pushing for more. FIDLAR video w Henry Rollins
Lindsey Stirling – Gothic – hip-hop violinist who dresses in costumes and has weirdly mesmerizing videos. This will be where the anime and video game nerds are. Video of her in the Ice Castles at Silverthorne
KMFDM – Summit Music Hall – German industrial punk, nostalgia act
Mar. 28
Lindsey Stirling – Ogden – same comic con dream girl with violin as last night at Gothic video of her as Link playing Zelda medley
Soulfly – Marquis – the only spiritual metal I like
Mar. 29
Cave Singers – Gothic – Seattle band with members of Pretty Girls Make Graves, their haunting sound has been giving me goosebumps for years. Excellent vocal harmonies, darker themes video for “Dancing in Our Graves”
Low – Larimer – great band, been around forever, new album is fantastic, the lyrics hit me to the bone video for “Plastic Cup”
Robert Earl Keen – Grizzly Rose – I don’t listen to much country, but once every three years or so I have to make the pilgrimage to this sing-a-long since we are from the same hometown and he played every frat party during college. This song was almost every male in my graduating class’ Senior Quote and the words will never leave my memory. I don’t like country, but I love Robert Earl Keen link to Road Goes on Forever from ACL with singing Texans
Zoogma – Cervantes’ Other Side – sexy electronic fusion from Oxford, Miss., this will be a “beat driven dance party” HD video of a full show
Potato Pirates – Moon Room – typical rudecore punk. Take ya back to high school audio video for Potato Pirates
Mar. 30
Phosphorescent- Hi-Dive- seen twice at sxsw, both shows full of people your mothers age swaying along, as I said before, would sound great on Grey’s Anatomy. Will be a good show in that tiny room with good sound, but a little too “not enough of something” for me.
Joy Formidable/ Fort Lean/ Guards – Gothic – all good bands. Joy Formidable are quickly gathering steam right now with their energetic rock pop, been all over the tv and on the radio, the other two bands are great as well, go early Joy Formidable on David Letterman
Erykah Badu – Fillmore – nuff said. She’s the Queen. my fave song of hers with Rahzel beatboxing
Mar. 31
Pure X – Larimer – slow, dreamy psych pop from Austin. If anyone likes them I can tell you a hundred others that sound exactly like them. Nice guys, chat them up if inclined.
Cheers Elephant – Walnut Room – more psych pop, this time upbeat and melodic and happy link to audio of song “Leaves”
Apr. 1
Miracles of Modern Science – Walnut Room – orchestral craziness
Apr. 2
Parenthetical Girls – Hi-Dive – like weird hipster stuff? See them Video for Parenthetical Girls
Apr. 3
Cold War Kids – Gothic – they are back strong and sound amazing. Funny tidbit- new song on Grey’s Anatomy. Hypocrisy at its finest, here! acoustic version of new single from sxsw
Acid Baby Jesus – Lost Lake – fairly rollicking garage rock that reminds me of middle school, killer videos video of “I’m a Baby”
DO NOT SEE SKY FERREIRA. Don’t make my mistake!!!!
Nick Cave – Ogden- you know what you are getting. Make sure to catch Sharon Van Etten. Warning- powerful show, but if you are not a huge fan, it might be way slow for you. Let’s just say I left to see Parquet Courts and had a much better time, but Cave is a true showman and the fans were eating it up. You will see old 80’s Nick Cave shirts at this show.
And of course, Leftover Salmon at Bluebird all weekend.
leslieloudspeaker 