T.T. the Bear’s: Future of the Left

Anyone who has read this blog within the last few months will know that I absolutely love Future of the Left's latest album Travels with Myself and Another. I wrote the review for the aforementioned album back in June and it still hasn't lost any of its charm. That's why I jumped at the chance to hear the material live at T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge, MA on November 1, 2009. Since the band is coming all the way from the UK, it was quite the treat to see them in such an intimate venue. With the anticipation for the show on high, the band did not let down in the slightest.

The Middle East: A Place to Bury Strangers

Don't be fooled. The title isn't advice. On October 30, 2009, I subjected my eardrums to the unrelenting torrent of noise that is A Place to Bury Strangers. For those unfamiliar with the band, it is fronted by Oliver Ackermann who creates his own effects pedals and sells them under the name Death by Audio, a very appropriate name for some of the loudest pedals available. A Place to Bury Strangers is often known as "the loudest band in New York" and for rightful reasons. They decided to bring that loudness to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA and I'm very thankful that they did.

David Cross at the Wilbur Theatre

On Monday October 19, 2009 I had a chance to see David Cross, one of the greatest comedic minds of our generation, at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, MA. For those who were wondering: Yes, the Wilbur is finally selling booze. Cross was featured on Mr. Show, the greatest sketch show of all time, and also played Dr. Tobias Funke on Arrested Development. The tour was to promote his new book of essays, I Drink for a Reason, and was also to be taped for a comedy special which I could only imagine HBO would be able to air. He performed for about 2 hours and the material lampooned everything from heroin junkies to the health care bill. In typical Cross fashion, his wry observations on life were as insightful as they were ridiculous. It would spoil most of the material if I described it in detail here but it was about as good as comedy gets. One anecdote even had him claiming to have snorted coke 40 feet away from the President. He also showed a five-minute clip of a new show that's going to be aired on the BBC called The Increasing Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. It had a lot of potential and it is a shame that it won't be played in the United States for awhile. The show featured Cross's fellow Arrested Development cast member Will Arnett, which only added to its promise. I purchased I Drink for a Reason but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. The guy's a genius so I'm sure I'll find much to enjoy within its pages. If you need further proof, below are two classic skits from Mr. Show.

Built to Spill at the Middle East Night 3

On October 11, 2009, I caught the third night of Built to Spill's three night run at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. I've seen a lot of concerts this year and have spoken highly about many of them but this is the one that will probably go down as my favorite. I hate to use the old cliché but seeing Built to Spill live is the closest a concert is going to come to a religious experience. The band's triple-guitar attack on indie rock is tailor-made for the stage and should be witnessed by anyone who considers themselves a fan of guitar-centric rock and roll. It could easily make a believer of even the most jaded music critic. To top things off, this particular night was the night to see if you were a long time Built to Spill fan. It was chocked full of my personal favorites as well as well known classics. The set lists for all three dates can be found at Setlists.fm.

Japandroids Take Over Great Scott!

On October 5, 2009, I had the chance to catch Japandroids as they invaded Great Scott in Allston, MA. Great Scott has firmly established itself as the venue to catch creative new bands on the rise. For those not in the know, Japandroids broke into the garage rock scene earlier this year with the release of their debut full-length Post-Nothing. The record is nothing short of impressive and contains nine catchy yet noisy tracks of rock including "Young Hearts Spark Fire" which was included in my article on the 250 Songs You Need to Hear from the 2000s. The two-piece from Vancouver took the opportunity to show attendees that they are just as powerful live as they are on record.

New Track Rundown

Believe it or not, bands are still releasing music on the internet (?!) and I've compiled the best of it here. Another surprise is that I am including a song by a rap-rock project (?!) established by the guys from ingenious blues-rock duo The Black Keys.

Blakroc's self-titled debut LP is out on November 27 and features an impressive guest list: Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Q-Tip, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, M.O.P.'s Billy Danze, Jim Jones, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Together, the dudes are establishing their own label, Blakroc, to release the album. Check out a trailer for the record with Rae reading lyrics off of his Blackberry here. The cover is the image featured above.

Planets of Old Cave In

Cave In is easily one of my favorite bands ever and I was devastated that I missed their performance at Great Scott on July 19, 2009 since it sold out instantly. As luck would have it, I am getting another chance to see the band live and so are their other fans in the greater Boston area. This will be the first time I've seen them since their 2003 Lollapalooza appearance at The Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ. Cave In, Trap Them, and Narrows have announced the following mini-tour for November:

Song of the Day and 249 Other Songs You Need to Hear from the 2000s

"We've Been Had" is a song that I feel in love with from the first time I heard it at the beginning of the decade. The song begins with a glimmering piano vamp that gently eases itself into the mix and is complemented by jangly guitars amid sparse drumming and bass. Hamilton Leithauser's nostalgic lyrics delivered like a manic Bob Dylan complete the picture establishing the song as an instant classic. The song comes from The Walkmen's 2002 debut full-length Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone.

Another Smoke-Filled World

I was watching a lecture given by Lawrence Lessig on the captivating intellectual platform TED.com. In it, he explains the importance of the RW (Read/Write) style of artistic consumption or 'Remix Culture' as opposed to a RO (Read Only). I also am reading his book Remix and I couldn't agree more with a lot of his points on the state and future of copyright law. Below is the video of the lecture and an example of the importance of finding new voices through artistic remixing.

Engage in New Battles

Live video of three new songs by creative math rock outfit Battles have surfaced courtesy of We Listen for You. These serve as excellent teasers for their upcoming album and have me aching for studio versions. "Sanford and Son" especially embodies everything I love about the band.