Spring Music Guide

Pitchfork released their “Guide to Upcoming Releases: Spring 2009” this week. For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchfork, it is an internet site, or webzine, dedicated mostly to indie rock and independent music. Sometimes I find it hard to keep track of new releases, which forces me to regularly visit record stores to see if anything interesting has been released since my last visit. Thus, I am glad Pitchfork simplified things for me by publishing this guide. You can find the guide at http://pitchfork.com/news/34972-the-pitchfork-guide-to-upcoming-releases-spring-2009/ or go to the main site to browse the numerous music news, reviews, and criticism articles at http://pitchfork.com/. Here is the list of albums I am most looking forward to over the next 3 months:

April 6
Title Tracks: “Every Little Bit Hurts” single
-Normally I wouldn’t bother with getting a single, but I really did like their show a few months ago. In fact, they are playing another show on April 7 as an official single release party.

April 7
Bob Mould: Life and Times
The Felice Brothers: Yonder Is the Clock
The Hold Steady: A Postive Rage (live CD and DVD)
The Thermals: Now We Can See

Also coming out this date is a reissue of Beastie Boys Check Your Head and an Arcade Fire DVD called Miroir Noir.

April 14
Silversun Pickups: Swoon

April 21
Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career
Chairlift: Does You Inspire You reissue
Depeche Mode: Sounds of the Universe
- Apparently this album is supposed to sound like Violator. We shall see.
Pet Shop Boys: Yes
- I put this one on the list for my friend Matt who is a die hard Pet Shop Boys fan.
Sinead O’Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got reissue
Tinted Windows: Tinted Windows
- If you haven’t heard about Tinted Windows, they are a “supergroup” consisting of guitarist James Iha, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins, bassist Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, drummer Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick, and singer Taylor Hanson of, well, Hanson. Can any band with Bun E. Carlos be that bad?

April 28
Bob Dylan: Together Through Life

May 5
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band: Outer South
Cracker: Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey
- Good to see that David Lowery is still making music.

May 15
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown

May 19
Eminem: Relapse
- Welcome back Slim Shady.
Iron & Wine: Around the Well
Jarvis Cocker: Further Complications
White Rabbits: It’s Frightening

May 26
Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest

June 2
Eels: Hombre Lobo
Elvis Costello: Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Neil Young: Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1: 1963-1972
Spinnerette: Spinnerette
- Spinnerette is a new band featuring Brody Dalle, also known as Brody Homme since she is married to Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. Brody Dalle used to be married to Tim Armstrong of Rancid. Rancid is also releasing an album on June 2. Coincidence?

June 9
Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
Mos Def: The Ecstatic
Sonic Youth: The Eternal

June 16
Lil Wayne: Rebirth
- This is Lil Wayne’s “rock” album. It could be a complete disaster.

June 23
Dinsaur Jr.: Farm
The Lemonheads: Varshons

Other Albums in June
The Dead Weather: Horehound
- The Dead Weather is Jack White’s new third band. He plays the drums and sings on some songs. The other members are singer Alison Mosshart of The Kills, guitarist Dean Fertita of Queen of the Stone Age, and bassist Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs (Jack White’s second band).
Regina Spektor: Far
A still untitled Wilco album

Haiku Concert Reviews

I have fallen behind once again in posting timely concert reviews. Thus, I am going to post three quick reviews of concerts from earlier this month in haiku form.

Plants & Animals and Olivia Mancini & The Housemates at DC9

Olivia rules!
Michael Khoo on upright bass
Perfect "Imperfect"

Plants & Animals
Cool trio from Montreal
See full show next time

Blitzen Trapper and Alela Diane at the Black Cat

Alela Diane
Psych folk singer/songwriter
Hippie backup band

Blitzen Trapper's good
Eclectic mix of rock styles
Though show lagged at times

The Whigs, Dead Confederate, and Trances Arc at the Black Cat

Trances Arc opened
An okay band from Atlanta
Not my cup of tea

Dead Confederate
Modern Southern rock and roll
Enjoyable show

The Whigs are awesome!
Best show of the year so far
Rock my world again soon?

Genetic

It is time for the March 2009 iPod quiz. This month's questions were found via a Google search, and specifally a website devoted to fostering mentor relationships in the workplace through a simple set of "getting to know you" questions. Without further adieu, the quiz.

1. What do you like most about your job? "Swimsuit Issue" - Sonic Youth
- if only I worked at Sports Illustrated
2. What do you like least about your job? "Hannah & Gabi" - The Lemonheads
- I don't work with a Hannah or a Gabi, but I could probably name a few people to replace them
3. What work activity is most challenging for you? "O Girlfriend" - Weezer
4. What is your favorite work activity? "When the Levee Breaks" - Led Zeppelin
5. What work-related skills are you good at? "Mr. Self Destruct" - Nine Inch Nails
- no comment
6. Work work-related skills would you like to learn more about? "Holier Than Thou" - Metallica
- I guess I am pretty modest
7. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? "Daktari" - 10,000 Maniacs
8. When you have a bad day at work, it is usually because... "In The Backseat" - The Arcade Fire
9. When you have leisure time, what do you like to do? "Chasing Ghosts with Alcohol" - Gomez
- um, no comment
10. What other career(s) are you interested in? "Can't Ignore the Train" - 10,000 Maniacs
- a second 10,000 Maniacs song? I swear I don't listen to them that much...
11. Do you take outside lessons or classes of any kind? "European Son" - The Velvet Underground
12. Do you have any pets? "You're the One" - The Black Keys
13. What is your favorite food? "C'Mere" - Interpol
14. What is your favorite place? "Nature Boy" - Primus
15. What is your favorite sport? "Lucky" - Radiohead
16. What is your favorite indoor activity? "The Rolling People" - The Verve
- once again, no comment
17. Who is your favorite friend? "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc" - Ryan Adams
18. Who is your favorite relative? "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" - Cut Copy
19. Who is your favorite movie star? "Losing My Edge" - LCD Soundsystem
20. Who is your favorite hero/heroine? "So Alive" - Ryan Adams
- I am not going to complain about a second Ryan Adams song
21. Happiness is... "Kiss Kiss" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- hard to argue with that one
22. What will be the title of this post? "Genetic" - Sonic Youth
- gotta love the Sonic Youth bookends to this quiz

Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and Harlem Shakes at the Black Cat

I know this blog has been very music heavy recently (it isn't called File Under Sound for nothing) and that will continue for the next several posts as I gather my thoughts on the concerts I recently attended. I promise that the subject matter will venture off into new territory periodically. It just so happens that music is a big part of my life and their have been some interesting concerts rolling into DC over the past few weeks. Other than a busy work schedule and wildly inconsistent sleep patterns and overall sleeping problems, I have not done very much else with my time recently. That will change over the coming weeks. Until then, on with the concert reviews and music discussions.

Last week I saw Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, and Harlem Shakes at the Black Cat. This show was the first of 4 concerts I would be attending over a 7 day period. I had heard a few Tokyo Police Club and Born Ruffians songs before the show, but I did not own any of their albums. In the past I would have passed on going to a show like this one where I was not that familiar with the bands. However, I was not going to let that stop me this year. Some of the best concert experiences happen when you discover new music. I was hoping that this show would be one of those experiences. Thankfully, it was a great experience.

Pre-Show Notes:

• I once again ate at Alberto's Pizza before the show. What can I say? It is quick and damn tasty.
• The show was a sell-out, which meant a long line to get into the club. Unfortunately, most tickets for shows at the Black Cat are picked up at will call (including my tickets for most shows) and there is only one line to get into the club. If you are on some guest list, then you can cut to the front and go in through the re-entry door. Otherwise, you are waiting in the regular line with the rest of us. Unfortunately, it was a cold night in DC. Made waiting outside for over 45 minutes to get in a little uncomfortable.

Openers Harlem Shakes are from Brooklyn and put on a pretty good set. The band uses driving guitars, funky keyboards, and harmonizing backing vocals to produce songs that were borderline anthems. I had read on the internet that the lead singer’s voice can be nasally. While I could that point, I didn’t find the vocals to be overwhelmingly nasally. Overall, I came away from the set intrigued by the band. While I am not in love with Harlem Shakes, I am interested in seeing where they take their music going forward. They have a new album coming out this month. It might be worth checking out.

Next up were Born Ruffians. The band is a three-piece outfit from Toronto. They put on a really great set consisting of songs that were hard to categorize, which I think is a great compliment. The best analogy I could come up with is that Born Ruffians sound like a young The Cure (back when they were a three-piece) mixed with The Police and The Clash. The band uses a lot of jangly guitar lines and heavy bass and drum beats. I came away from their set thoroughly impressed. Their album Red, Yellow & Blue is also quite good.

Headliners Tokyo Police Club are also from Toronto (and obviously friends with the guys from Born Ruffians). They have been making noise in the Indie music world for a few years now. They are definitely a high energy alternative rock band, and that energy was exhibit on stage. Their song structures are somewhat unique, with heavy use of abruptly ending a song. Their style made for an entertaining show, though I must admit I came away from the concert as a whole more impressed with Born Ruffians. The highlight of the evening was the last song of Tokyo Police Club’s encore. All members of Harlem Shakes and Born Ruffians joined Tokyo Police Club for a cover of The Clash’s “Train in Vain.” The bands had fun with the song and it was a great way to end the show.

The Vinyl Revolution

I like to shop for music at small independent record shops. Actually, small independent shops are the only true record stores still in existence. Electronic downloads, mega bookstores, and electronics depots have driven a lot of the competition out of business. Still, a few independents are hanging on and some are even thriving in DC due to the re-emergence of vinyl records.

For years it seemed that vinyl records continued to exist only for the avid collector and professional DJ (and I don’t mean cheesy dudes that play tunes at wedding receptions and school dances). However, vinyl has found new customers in those longing for a nostalgic music experience, those interested in hearing music in a non-digital format, those that are looking for a more tactile music buying experience (as opposed to the virtual world of digital downloads), and hipsters looking to expand their retro-coolness from their clothing to their music collections.

At first I dismissed the vinyl trend. I doubted vinyl’s ability to thrive in a world where music is easily bought and shared over the internet. Then I wandered into one of the independent music stores in my neighborhood called Crooked Beat Records and saw this notice:

“For the second year in a row (2008) New & Used Vinyl LPs have outsold CDs at Crooked Beat. LPs now account for around 70% of our total sales. We will be increasing our vinyl selection even more in the coming months.”

True to their word, I have seen the space devoted to vinyl at Crooked Beat increased while they gradually shrink the amount of CDs they stock. In fact, Crooked Beat is only going to stock CDs from indie and import record labels and a select few alternative artists signed to major record labels. Furthermore, Crooked Beat sells a variety of turntables, making it easier for someone to dive into the vinyl listening world. The fact that vinyl is thriving at places like Crooked Beat defies simple economics. New vinyl records often cost more than $20, or about twice as much as a download or CD (to be fair, sometimes a new vinyl record will also come with a CD or with the ability to download the album).

I must admit that I resisted this vinyl revolution. I do not own a turntable and I love my iPods (yes, plural) so much that I can’t imagine listening to music any other way. My views on vinyl changed when I discovered frames for hanging LPs on walls. LPs have always been better at exhibiting and displaying album cover art. CD booklets and the “cover flow” function on iTunes and iPods only go so far. Also, some records are printed on colored vinyl, making the actual record a bona fide collectible and potential art piece.

Thus, I have succumbed, though only slightly, to the rebirth of vinyl. Like many things in my life, I have created rules for purchasing vinyl (particularly since I have no means of actually playing the records). First, I will only buy vinyl albums I already own in another format. Second, I will limit vinyl purchases to albums I consider to be essential to my musical taste. Third, I will make an exception to the second rule for colored vinyl and albums with extraordinary cover art. I followed these rules the other day when I purchased Doolittle by Pixies, The Hot Rock by Sleater-Kinney, and Fables of the Reconstruction by R.E.M. These records joined the previous purchases of The Body, The Blood, The Machine by The Thermals (purchased at their amazing show at the Black Cat because they had very little merchandise for sale and I needed to buy something after they rocked my world) and In Rainbows by Radiohead (purchased as part of a deluxe package of CDs and art directly from the band’s website).

Resistance was futile. Viva la revolution (at 33 1/3 rpm).

Olivia & The Terrible Two at the Black Cat

Last Friday I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Olivia & The Terrible Two play at the Black Cat. I was excited about this show for two reasons. First, I had heard a lot about Olivia Mancini because she has been a fixture of the local DC music scene for many years. Second, my friend Michael Khoo was playing bass guitar as part of The Terrible Two. It was a great show and it was fun watching Michael play on the same stage that some of my favorite bands have graced.

Pre-Show Notes:

• I had my pre-concert meal at Alberto’s Pizza in Adams Morgan. It was nice to mix it up a bit by having a jumbo slice of cheese pizza before a show.
• Once at the Black Cat, I met up with my friends Paul and Elyse for some drinks. I had not been to a concert with a group since visiting Seattle in November. It was great to have good drinks and conversation with friends before seeing a show.
• Unfortunately, the drinks and conversation forced us to miss the opening act. Sorry Meredith Bragg.

Olivia & The Terrible Two was sort of a misnomer. She was actually backed by Michael on bass, a lead guitarist, drummer, and a backup singer/percussionist. Regardless, it was clear that Olivia has a lot of talent and thoroughly enjoys writing and playing music. Her music is modern pop songs and it was clear she was having just as much fun as the audience, who really liked the show. Furthermore, it was just really cool seeing Michael on stage having a great time. He is planning on playing with Olivia for a few more shows while her normal bassist is on tour with another band. Who knows, maybe he will end up a permanent fixture of the The Terrible Two, The Housemates, or whatever band Olivia puts together. How cool would that be?!

I will end this post by mentioning the actual headliner of the bill, local band trying to make it big No Second Troy. Their sound reminds me of generic contemporary radio rock. Not my cup of tea. Also, the band members were trying to look too much like rock stars with the haircuts and “cool” clothing. It looked like they were trying too hard. Anyways, I felt bad for them because the audience was mainly there to see Olivia. By the time they played a few songs, much of the audience had left or was talking to Olivia and her band. A third of the audience remained by the end of the show. Maybe they should stick to playing in the suburbs where I imagine the majority of their fans live.

Anyone Can Play Guitar

A few weeks ago I accomplished one of the goals I had set for myself before I turned 35. With the help of some actual musician and guitar-playing friends, I purchased my first electric guitar. The purchase of the guitar was a dream come true. I have always loved rock music. Now I will be able to play rock music. At the very least, owning and learning how to play the guitar will add a new dimension to listening to music and watching concerts.

I am very fortunate to have friends in DC that can play guitar. Walking into Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center can be very intimidating to the first time guitar buyer. There are guitars everywhere and without the aid of Roger, Paul, and Michael, I would have been completely lost on where to begin in selecting a guitar. They were extremely helpful by telling me what to look for in a guitar, actually playing some of the guitars for me, and giving me their honest opinions. They were also there to make sure I got all the necessary accessories, namely an amp, cord, and tuner.

I learned in the guitar buying process that a first time buyer should not go in with any preconceived notions of what they want to buy. I have been a fan of the Fender Telecaster guitar since going to see The Thermals play at the Black Cat in 2007. Hutch Harris, guitarist for The Thermals, was making the kind of sounds with his Telecaster that I hoped to make someday. The guitar seemed classic, simple, and gritty all at once. However, during the process of trying out guitars, and having my friends try out guitars, one guitar stood out from the others. That guitar was the Gibson SG. What stood out about this particular SG was its feel and versatility, something I wanted out of a first guitar. The final selling point was when my friend Michael stated how much he loved the guitar, particularly since he had previously stated how he generally didn’t like the SG model.

So with my new guitar in its hard case, my amp that apparently is “loaded with rock star settings,” and all the other goodies I bought that day in tow, we were off to Roger’s apartment to actually play some instruments together. While I only played one chord along with my friends as they played real music, it was a great moment. The evening also included good Thai food and beer. In other words, it was a great day.

Since then I have bought a lightning bolt guitar strap, purchased some picks, learned a few new chords, practiced a bit, and hopefully started the process to getting guitar lessons from a real musician. Learning to play the guitar can be frustrating, but I am having fun and that is what is most important to this music lover. Watch out people! I will be melting your faces before you know it!