Fever Dream: Iron & Wine

By Paul Casey

Photo © kDamo

Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
March 14, 2011

From the upper tiers of the Olympia Theatre, surrounded by a mass of attractive people —some bearded, some without— I watched Sam Beam and his band perform a set of material spanning the last decade of his career. Although I cannot claim that seeing Iron & Wine live was a particularly revelatory experience, it was an enjoyable one. Beam’s eye on developing his musical palette, particularly from 2007’s Shepherd’s Dog onwards, has led to his earlier work sometimes coming out at unusual angles in a live setting.

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Let The Kids Dance: Girl Talk

By Christian Lipski

Click for larger image.

Roseland Theater, Portland OR
March 17, 2011

Girl Talk played the Roseland Theater on Thursday, a sold-out all-ages show. All Ages meant that the booze was at the bar on the balcony for those with ID. It also meant that the floor was crowded with under-21 girls in fine 80s fashion, and their boys in fine ironicwear. There was a great deal of excited running around and kissing, which reminded me of self-conscious high school dances.
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A History Lesson, Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984

By Less Lee Moore

My interest in this documentary on some of the bands in the mid-80s L.A. punk scene was piqued by the inclusion of Redd Kross, which, as anyone who knows me will attest, is my all time favorite band. Not because they are necessarily the best band in the world, or the most famous, or the most infamous, but because they forever changed my life for the better, a topic too lengthy to get into here, but which is, unsurprisingly, completely relevant to a discussion of A History Lesson Part 1.

This is not your standard glossy, let’s-explain-why-punk-rock-is-so-important documentary. It’s comprised of old footage shot by Dave Travis, a fan and friend of the bands featured—The Meat Puppets, The Minutemen, Twisted Roots, Redd Kross—interspersed with current interviews from members of those bands. The immediacy and importance of all the bands is captured in the grainy footage, and rather than coming across as embarrassing, it’s completely invigorating.
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Scala & Kolacny Brothers, S/T

By Christian Lipski

The Stone Age was followed by the Bronze Age, which was followed by the Iron Age. With every new movie that Hollywood releases, with every mashup video on YouTube or “greatest hits” tour by a reunited band, it becomes more and more clear that we are currently living in the Age of the Remake. This is not always the sign of a lack of ideas, fortunately. Often it’s a way to make people look at something in a whole new light.

Listeners may recognize Scala & Kolacny Brothers from the movie The Social Network, which featured their haunting cover of the Radiohead song “Creep.” Their new self-titled CD is their debut in the US, and they obviously hope to capitalize on the film’s great success here.
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Sparks Donates Income From Online Store Sales To Japan Tsunami Relief

Posted by Less Lee Moore

From Sparks Management:

Hello,

Ron and Russell have, like all of us, been deeply moved by the devastation caused by the earthquake and the tsunami in Japan. They have many friends in Japan and have enjoyed some wonderful times in the country.

At the moment the situation seems overwhelming and the challenges facing the Japanese people and the authorities appear insurmountable. But in order to try, in some small way, to help we would like to do some fundraising—Sparks’ style.

Until April 30th 2011 the Sparks Mart will become “The Shopping Mall Of Love.” The income received by Sparks from sales in the Sparks Mart store will be donated to the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Please go to www.allsparks.com, click on the wallet to the right of the typewriter and then “Sparks Mart.” Please shop generously!

Thank you for your support.

Kind regards,
Sparks management

America’s Music Legacy: Dixieland Jazz (DVD)

By Danny R. Phillips

It has been said that Jazz is the only truly American music style. While other genres blend rhythm, tones, and instruments from other countries, Jazz—whether it be Davis, Coltrane, Armstrong, Hancock, Holliday, or Horne (or god forbid, Kenny G.)—was hatched, raised, nurtured, and perfected here within our shores.

Dixieland Jazz, a mash up of blues, ragtime, and other stylings is a perfect choice for the series America’s Music Legacy; it has a rich, colorful history that is explored here by host Al Hirt, the Jazz trumpeter and Dixieland luminary. Much like the Blues installment of the this series, it includes live performances and is packed with clips of giants who have already left us: piano great Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, and Eubie Blake.
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Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Scandalous

By Paul Casey

The first thing to be said about Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears‘ second LP, Scandalous, is how decent it sounds. The production by Jim Eno emphasizes the rough edges built into these tales of betrayal, sadness, and unusual sexual requests. Joe Lewis’s voice, while not terribly distinctive, has enough energy to keep things flowing. His Honeybears also manage to keep things rocking along, with a solid horn section.

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Heidecker & Wood, Starting From Nowhere

By Matt Keeley

Anyone familiar with Pusswhip Banggang—the band which started as a sketch on Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and later became a real band in Tim & Eric live shows—should not be surprised by the ’70s vibe of Starting From Nowhere, the debut album from Tim Heidecker and Davin Wood (who is also a member of Pusswhip).
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Mike DeStefano: 1967-2011

By Ann Clarke

I absolutely did NOT want to have to write another article involving the passing of anyone, but unfortunately . . . I am finding myself doing this once again.

Mike DeStefano, a truly gifted comic, has died. He passed away on March 6, 2011 from an apparent heart attack. He was only 44 years old.

This sucks.
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Siriusmo, Mosaik

By Emily Carney

In the last decade and a half, electronic dance music has been hijacked by French artists, the most famous of whom are likely Daft Punk. “French touch” music—originally associated with funked-up 1970s guitar flourishes, synth swoops, and thumping beats—morphed into something wholly futuristic sounding (for example, “Derezzed” from Daft Punk’s soundtrack to Tron: Legacy, and Digitalism’s “Zdarlight,” which was also a paean to Cassius’ producer Philippe Zdar). Although Digitalism originated in Germany, in many cases that country’s contributions to electronic music tended to be overlooked while French touch music took over everything.
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