Monday, September 27, 2010

Video: Austin City Limits Performances via PBS

I heard from a friend that My Morning Jacket's performance at Austin City Limits in 2008 aired over the weekend on his local PBS station.  It turns out that there are a number of archived ACL performances available for viewing at PBS's website.  Shows available include: The Avett Brothers, Pearl Jam, M. Ward, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews Band, Arcade Fire, Wilco, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, The Swell Season, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, and many more.  Here's the video of MMJ's stellar performance:


Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Boot: The XX - Paris, France 10/26/09

In a little over a week I'll be seeing The XX at the Merriam Theater in Philly.  Here's a radio broadcast from a show they played in France last fall.  Be sure to check back here the week of Oct. 4th to read a review of the upcoming show. 

Soundcheck:  Below is a song from this show (Heart Skipped A Beat) that I uploaded via Soundcloud.  This way you can hear a sample of the recording before you download the whole show.

Setlist:
1- Intro
2- Crystalized
3- VCR
4- Islands
5- Heart Skipped A Beat
6- Fantasy
7- Shelter
8- Basic Space
9- Teardrops
10- Infinity
11- Night Time
12- Stars
Download:  The XX - Paris, France 10/26/09

Monday, September 20, 2010

Upcoming Show: Freelance Whales @ Johnny Brenda's, PA 12/14/10



Starting in November, Freelance Whales will embark on their first headlining tour of the US and Canada.  It's been a whirlwind year for the group who have been out touring in support of their debut album "Weathervanes".  A combination of touring, critical acclaim, and word of mouth has taken them from opening a show at Johnny Brenda's last February to headlining the same venue in under a year.  I can't say that I'm surprised though, after witnessing that show last February I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before they started catching on.  Check out the tour dates below and GO SEE THEM.  You can thank me later.

Tour Dates

11/5 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
11/6 – Black Cat – Washington, DC
11/7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
11/8 – The Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA
11/10 – Fitzgerald’s Downstairs – Houston, TX
11/11 – The ND @ 501 Studios – Austin, TX
11/12 – The Loft – Dallas, TX
11/14 – Clubhouse Music Venue – Tempe, AZ
11/16 – Detroit Bar – Costa Mesa, CA
11/18 – Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
11/19 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA
11/21 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
11/23 – Crocodile CafĂ© – Seattle, WA
11/24 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
11/27 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
11/29 – Hi-Dive – Denver, CO
12/01 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
12/02 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
12/03 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
12/04 – Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA
12/05 – Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
12/07 – El Mocambo Club – Toronto, ONT
12/08 – La Sala Rossa – Montreal, QC
12/09 – Middle East Restaurant & Night Club – Cambridge, MA
12/10 – Iron Horse Music Hall – Northampton, MA
12/14 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
12/15 – Webster’s Hall – New York, NY

Friday, September 10, 2010

New to Me: Neil Halstead

Neil Halstead describes the style of his music as "Nylon Rock".  Similar to fellow English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, Neil combines soft & smooth vocals over flowing guitar melodies.  In his websites bio, the recording process for his most recent album 'Oh! Mighty Engine' is described as follows: "He surfed in the mornings, and drank beer and recorded with various friends in the evening".  Sounds like the ideal songwriting process to me!  Thanks to Erin for turning me onto him.  Check out the music video for his song 'Elevenses' below: