My Photos from Austin City Limits Music Festival
Band of Horses on Morning Becomes Eclectic
Okay, yes, I am in a rather obsessive Band of Horses phase at the moment. And I feel the need to gather any embeddable BoH action and post it on my site so I can refer to it in 50 years when I’m an 88 year old geezer with a hankering to show my grandchildren one of my all time faves.
This is just over a year old, from KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic.
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: October 3, 2008
Is it October already? I swear it was just August a few minutes ago. One thing that I’ve found since I started The Five is that I am hyper-aware of the passage of time. And time in the final week of the quarter is even more precious so with that I’m going to keep this brief!
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Destroyer – “Sick Priest Learns to Last Forever” (from Destroyer’s Rubies, 2006)
I picked this up on the suggestion from more than one of the popular blogs of the day and can’t say too much about it as I’ve only listened to it three or four times. It’s not even that I dislike the record; it’s just a matter of time vs. desire.
2. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble – “Pride and Joy” (from Greatest Hits, 1995)
There’s always time for some Stevie Ray Vaughan.
3. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. Mase & Puff Daddy)” (from Life After Death, 1997)
I’ve been watching the VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs (see the entire list here) series this week and have been pulling up and listening to my favorite Hip-Hop tracks of the past 20 years. This is on my list (though it’s not on VH1’s) without a doubt. Play this one in a club to this day and everyone knows every line of Biggie’s rhyme.
4. Snoop Dogg – “Who Am I (What’s My Name?)” (from Doggystyle, 1993)
Another classic Hip-Hop cut, this time from the Westside courtesy of one Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr., better known to you and I as the one and only Snoop D O Double G. 15 years on this George Clinton fueled track still inspires some serious ass wiggling.
5. Metallica – “Harvester of Sorrow” (from …and Justice for All, 1988)
That should read from the last decent record Metallica produced, but I digress. …and Justice for All is the last Metallica record that I truly enjoyed beginning to end. The Black Album was alright, but it was Bob Rock‘s version of the band and therefore not as good.
That said, what’s playing in your shuffle today?
Kenny Aronoff
How cool was the Austin airport on Monday? I got to meet two great artists: Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell and good ol’ Kenny Aronoff – a drummer I’ve admired and enjoyed for years. Most people will know Kenny from his 17 years of backing John Mellencamp, all the way back to 1980’s Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did. He was in Austin to pound the skins for John Fogerty at ACL (one of my favorite sets of the weekend).
But Kenny has also been one of the most in-demand studio session drummers for a long, long time. The list of artists he’s played for in the studio is staggering. Some of them: Iggy Pop, Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson, Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, Meat Loaf, Cinderella, Richard Thompson, B.B. King, Paul Westerberg, Lyle Lovett, Neil Diamond, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, and the list goes on and on. See for yourself.
So when I spotted Kenny over near the Salt Lick stand, I had to say something.
John Cougar Mellencamp – Lonely Ol’ Night (mp3)
Check out Kenny’s Site: Kenny Aronoff.com
A.A. Bondy and his Lovers’ Waltz
Gorgeous effing tune right here. I’ve listened to this song about 100 times in the last couple of weeks. I picked up A.A. Bondy‘s American Hearts album in preparation for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. He was set to play at 11:30am on Sunday morning. And play he did. I guess. I didn’t make it. I was slowly coming back to life at the hotel. The previous day/night had involved many large $8 cans of Heineken at ACL, and a few Dos Equis back at Shakespeare’s Pub on 6th Street {and a block away, Band of Horses was playing their surprise benefit gig at the Parish. Ah cruel fate).
So this is a great record. A roots-blues vibe, and Bondy’s voice is one of a kind. He’s certainly influenced by Dylan (more apparent on the rest of the album). He’s also the brother-in-law of the Felice Brothers, another group sort of in the same vein.
Me, I’m a sucker for the love songs, especially when they delve into fatalistic scenarios like:
And I will hang for you
And you will hang for me
And the northern lights
Will take us in like refugees
Over our heads, over our heads
And a lovers’ waltz will turn until the endKiller tune.
A.A. Bondy – Lovers Waltz
Austin City Limits and a Band of Horses
I think I have enough energy to muster up an ACL post tonight. There’s so much to get transferred from brain to keyboard that it’s a little overwhelming. So I’m starting with baby steps, people.
First, who did I see? Well, it goes exactly like this:
Friday: The Jones Family Singers, Dan Dyer, Rodney Crowell, Yeasayers, Strange Boys, Vampire Weekend, Gogol Bordello, David Byrne, Antibalas, and Manu Chao.
Saturday: Old 97’s, the Fratellis, Back Door Slam, Erykah Badu, John Fogerty, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss
Sunday: Octopus Project, Against Me!, Blues Traveler, Band of Horses, Foo Fighters
I’ll give you a day by day breakdown later. Tonight, I focus my brainpower on the highlight of my weekend: Band of Horses.
BAND of HORSES
Okay, anyone who knows the music geek in me is aware of my fondness for this band, and therefore won’t be surprised when I say BoH was the highlight of my trip to Austin. Until Sunday, I had never seen BoH live, and quite frankly, this set stood out since I first saw the ACL lineup earlier in the year. So my expectations were pretty damn high. And? Well, they jumped leaps and bounds beyond those expectations with their Sunday night set.
I managed to squeeze my old(er) butt down to the front of the stage, about four rows back. Yup, nuts to butts. I was looking straight on to center stage. I was primed.
Just after the sun set, the band strode out on stage, and singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell – shades on – squatted on the stool before his pedal steel. The first song of the night was, well, “The First Song”, from their debut Everything All The Time. That was all the sitting Ben would do for the set. He grabbed his guitar, launched into my 2 year old’s favorite tune, “Is There a Ghost”, and we were off…
For the next hour, the band showed us why they’re so great – building up and launching into those great guitar-driven crescendos on songs like “The Great Salt Lake”, “The Funeral”, and “No One’s Gonna Love You”, and slaying the crowd with the gorgeous, ethereal harmonies of Bridwell and keys-man Ryan Monroe on songs like “Marry Song” and the new ditty “Why You Never Get Older” (see the video below).
We got Bridwell banging away on his tambourine for the fun “The General Specific”. And we got great tunes like “Island on the Coast” and “Ode to LRC”. I don’t have the set list yet. If anyone can help me track it down (or a recording of the show), I’d appreciate it.
The final tune was a great one called “Am I A Good Man”, a cover by an R&B group called Them Two, who have no web presence at all, it seems. In the final moments, Ben jumped down among us, right in front of me (the person holding the camera in this picture probably took this video).
The live Band of Horse experience was everything I wanted, folks, and left me and the thousands and thousands of others fully satisfied. There’s something about their energy – and Bridwell’s voice in particular – that taps into my soul. Sounds about as corny as you can get, but it’s true.
We stumbled over to the Foo Fighters with smiles on our faces.
The Morning After: So the next morning, I guess it was about 10am, I was sitting at my gate at the Austin airport. I put my feet up on my carry on bag, and launched into ‘Cease to Begin’ (the second and latest Band of Horses album) on my iPhone. I think I was listening to “No One’s Gonna Love You”, having some great flashbacks to the night before, when who walks by? Ben Bridwell.
Have you ever been sitting around listening to one of your favorite artists, when he walks by right in front of you? It’s pretty cool, let me tell ya.
So, I decided not to be shy, and I followed Ben, his wife/girlfriend (?) and cute little infant over to the food stand. I walked up and asked politely – and rhetorically, I guess – “Excuse me, are you Ben Bridwell?” I told him there were some cosmic forces at work, and showed him my iPhone with the ‘Cease to Begin’ album cover, telling him how strange it was to watch him walk by as I listened to his music. He really could not have been cooler. He was very gracious and appreciative, and was kind enough to snap a photo with me (taken by his wife/girlfriend).
It was the morning after ACL, so you have to excuse our exhausted demeanors…
Lots more to come on ACL, just a few things here…
Check out some live vid-action I shot of their unreleased tune “Why You Never Get Older” (which I’m only assuming is the title).
Check out some more photos of their ACL set at Brooklyn Vegan.
If you want a great video introduction to Band of Horses, watch their entire in-store performance at Amoeba Records in Hollywood from last year.
Visit their web site: Band of Horses.com
Yes. I am a fan.
Oh, biggest regret of the weekend? Missing the Band of Horses surprise gig at the Parish on Saturday night – a club I walked by every night on my way back to the hotel! Bill Murray was there hanging out too (big BoH fan, I hear)…
A Tortured And Wonderful Howl From The Heart
In April of 2006, Billy Lunn, guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Welwyn Garden City, Hertforshire, England trio The Subways, was diagnosed with nodules on his vocal chords. They canceled several appearances in support of their wonderful first album Young For Eternity, including one that I had tickets for here in Minneapolis. Doctors said that years of intense screaming during his songs may have damaged his voice permanently and it was entirely possible that he would never sing again. His scream, in many ways, is one of the best in the history of rock and roll. It epitomizes that Janovian wail that only true disciples of the medium can capture and convey. An excellent example of its supremacy can be heard in the song “Rock & Roll Queen“, from Young For Eternity, a high-octane, balls-to-labia shag tune that is a must for any playlist. Shortly after the diagnosis, Lunn and his girlfriend (and bass player in the band), Charlotte Cooper, broke up. The question of whether the band would even continue weighed pretty heavily on the band. With the future of the band in doubt, Billy started writing.
And what we wrote has become the album of 2008.
In fact, it may be the album of the decade and is, without a doubt, in my top 25 records of all time. To borrow from the late Heath Ledger from Brokeback Mountain, I can’t quit this album. It is absolutely infectious on just about every level. As I listened to it the first few times, I could smell the beer, the smoke (if not illegal in your city), the vodka-Red Bulls, the sweat, the women, and the absolute human glory that is the CLUB. Every time I listen to it I get the urge to be body passed in a slimy, hoard of humanity…my Chucks flailing uncontrollably…as I revel in the majestic splendor of the pit.
Much of this feeling is due to the stellar production work of Butch Vig (of Garbage and Nirvana fame), and one really gets the sense that this is the next logical progression from Nevermind… Brit-Style. The first four songs are like Ali’s fucking fist (“Girls and Boys”, “Kalifornia”, “Alright”, and “Shake Shake”), pummeling you with such might that you are immediately brought to your knees in gratitude for hearing such great music. The next track, “Move to Newlyn”, is a wonderful travelogue that brings you on a journey of self discovery around the United Kingdom. We get back into the power with the title track “I Won’t Let You Down” (his scream at the end…OMG!), “Turnaround”, and “Obsession”, the latter of which has a terribly haunting harmony vocal by Charlotte.
Then we get to the track of the album: “Strawberry Blonde”. To say that this song is gorgeous is the understatement of… history. It is three levels above gorgeous and there hasn’t been a word yet invented to define the truth and beauty of this instant top ten love song. The album finishes with “Always Tomorrow” and “Lost Boy”, another shovel-to-the-head stunner of a track.
All or Nothing was finally released in the US a couple of weeks ago. It has been available since June in the UK. I bought it a few weeks after the UK release date when I saw no US date on the horizon. The fact that it has taken this long to release it is proof positive that American record company execs have their heads firmly up their arses regarding what is and what is not good music. I have listened to it pretty much every day since I bought it and still have not grown tired of it. You won’t either. No one will.
Because Billy approaches life like I do…fucking mega or fuck you…All or Nothing….and it is magnificent. Thank God.
Subways Links: Official Site | MySpace | Last.fm
Digging the Virtual Crates: Faith No More
While we anticipate Pete’s no doubt exhaustive coverage of the Austin City Limits festival (and the trip home) I thought I’d dig back in the virtual crates to deliver some video-gasmic love for the brilliant Faith No More. I was digging through my collection last week and stumbled across my copy of This Is It: The Best of Faith No More (Amazon | iTunes) and was amazed at how kind time has been to these tunes and furthermore how well they’ve aged. From “We Care a Lot” through the flopping fish right up to “Ashes to Ashes” I actually ended up digging out my copies of the rest of their discography (I have to pick up Album of the Year) and spending some quality time getting reaquainted.
The one that got everyone hooked.
The entire Angel Dust record is a classic.
Personally, I might actually like this version better than the original.
Bonus!!
I’d be completely remiss if I did not include at least one Mr. Bungle performance.
Enjoy!
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: September 26, 2008
When the world seems set to implode on itself we look to different forms of media to distract, entertain and overall escape from the reality of our situations. Whether personal or global, no problem is too big or too small to escape for a bit with the Friday Five!
Last week the ladies of the Friday Five held court on their own. For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. DJ Cam – Success (MP3) (from The Beat Assassinated)
I went through a rather obsessive trip-hop phase in the mid to late 90’s, and while I’ve outgrown that phase there are a few artists that stuck with me. DJ Cam is one of the few that were able to blend Hip-Hop, Jazz and down tempo and not make it seem contrite.
2. Frank Zappa – Jewish Princess (from Sheik Yerbouti)
Classic Zappa at his satirical height, Music is indeed the best!
3. Jason Mraz – Details In the Fabric (feat. James Morrison) (from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.)
This tune opens to an answering machine message from Mraz cohort Bushwalla clearly dealing with a bad day. The song itself is a lilting yet uplifting message “Everything will be fine, everything in no time at all, Hearts will hold”. The song closes with a second message where he strikes the single oddest metaphor I’ve ever heard “I feel like you’re an island of reality in an ocean of diarrhea. And I love you buddy. Ok. Bye.”
4. Dryden Mitchell – Friday, I’m in Love (from 50 First Dates)
Dryden Mitchell is the lead singer of alt-rockers Alien Ant Farm. For this track he drops the rock and brings a quirky electro pop tilt to The Cure’s classic ode to our favorite day.
5. John Lennon – Love (from The John Lennon Collection)
“Love is free, free is Love”
What’s getting you through today?
Austin Bound
Off I go for my second Austin City Limits Music Festival experience in as many years. I’m just – ohh – a tad excited. Because I am an über-music-nerd, I’ll be snapping pics with my iPhone throughout the weekend, and uploading them to my Picasa photo site. More pics will be uploaded from my camera after I get back.
9/27 Update: Greeting from the Dell buuble like structure at the ACL festival. Yeah, so apparently, intense heat, snapping pics, and uploading by email seems to drain an iPhone battery quite quicky. So, I won’t be able to post as many pics as I want to my Picasa site from the festy. Now, where’s my supersized can o’ Heineken?
- Watch the Festival live on AT&T Blue Room.
- Check out the Official ACL web site.
- See my Picasa photo album, updated throughout the weekend.
