Ithaca Festival 2011

A couple of weekends ago I drove out to Ithaca, NY with the lovely author of Rosemud.  We were both in dire need of a vacation and the city of Ithaca was holding it's annual summer festival.  This year the Ithaca Festival seemed non-stop, and perhaps a bit overwhelming.  At nearly all times there were at least two bands playing somewhere in the commons, along with belly dancing, story tellers, and theatrical performances.  There was a fantastic selection of international food from many local restaurants and vendors, though the craft fair left me feeling disappointed.

The Ithaca Commons contains several "stages" built in to its center walkway: the Cayuga St Stage, the Amphitheater, the Bernie Milton Pavilion, and the Aurora St Stage.  In addition to these there was also a stage set up in a vacant lot right next to Medusa Tattoo.  With an aggressive schedule there were somewhere around 30 or more performances and events each day.  So how do you know what to attend?  This was my problem, and thus I ended up wandering around and experiencing small, short pieces of random performances throughout my trip.

On Friday night, Rosie and I opted out of the masquarade ball, on account that we weren't fully prepared with costumes, and we also happened upon a flyer for show at Delilah's (where the Lost Dog Cafe used to be).  It turned out that Plastic Nebraska was playing with Boy With A Fish (their brother band, of sorts).  We had no idea they were playing that weekend, so it was a nice surprise.  I've been a Plastic Nebraska fan for a number of years now, and was very happy to finally get the opportunity to see them in a nice, very small venue.  Plastic Nebraska are quite a cool band...their twangy, inventively layered guitar tracks and polka-meets-reggae backbone make a unique and magnetic impression.  Oscillating between melodic, moody rock jams, and bumping, upbeat rhythmic barn grooves, Plastic Nebraska is a great band to see perform.  Their livelier songs nearly force you to get up and dance.  Unfortunately I cannot find anything of theirs on Youtube or Soundcloud - the best I can do is link to a free mp3 download of Helicopter from their website.  Keep in mind that this song only represents one part of Plastic Nebraska, and is not the song I would've chosen to share.  I highly recommend checking out their latest full length Stories of Happiness.

Boy with a Fish, probably the more active of the two bands at the moment, does share some similarities in sound and songwriting to their brethren band.  BWAF are in ways a bit poppier and more rock-oriented.  They incorporate synthesizers and organ sounds to fill out the mix, as prevalent as- and in place of - the standby accordion typically found in Plastic Nebraska's work.  Here's a couple of tracks to get an idea...
Water On Mars by Boy with a Fish
 
Where's The Butter by Boy with a Fish 

Saturday night, I bounced in and out of an Ithaca Underground show at the CMSA (Community School of Music and Arts).  Ithaca Underground is something that I wish was around when I went to school at Ithaca College.  While there has always been reasonable singer/songwriter, blues, jam, and punk scenes in Ithaca, IU offers an outlet for the DIY, less conventional talent in the area - hosting shows for cross-over, metal, post-this-and-that, and today's indie rock crowd.  Very nice indeed to see some new life sprouting in Ithaca.  My hat goes off to the organizers of IU...my only complaint about the show would be the sound.  One cannot be too picky at these type of shows, but there there was quite a bit of mud in the mix here.  To be clear the fault was not resting solely on the mixing engineer, but in fact mostly on the large reverberating hall in which the show was held.  Free, the Ithaca Underground zine/blog already has a great post from the show with many videos, that can be found here.  I'll just repost a few highlights...

 

Live metal is not something you used to really hear in Ithaca.

Here's a non-live track from Mouth To Mouth To Mouth, a self-proclaimed "math rock" band, whom I found to be one of the more interesting listens.  M2M2M fit right in with many latter day instrumental post-rock bands, but less atmospheric, with vocals, and a jittery peppiness.

Before leaving I ended up snagging a couple of records at Angry Mom Records, a vinyl shop in the basement of Autumn Leaves bookstore.  What I brought home was Armored Saint's Raising Fear, and Cream's Wheels Of Fire...an interesting combination, I know.

Rosie and I also found time to hit the gorge trail in one side of Buttermilk Park.  It was a great mini vacation...looking forward to the full length real deal at the end of the summer.

Buttermilk Park Photo By Rosemary Wojtas

Scottish Hares And Hipster Glasses

A few mornings ago I heard this incredible number on Emerson College's WERS 88.9 FM.  I don't know where to begin explaining how much I love this song.

The song is called Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms, the band Frightened Rabbit.  I've simply fallen in love with this band.  They have this fantastic way of pulling on my heart strings - cathartically turning a knife in my chest, yet cradling me in a knowing and loving embrace.  There is something here that directly connects with the emotional body - there are signposts exquisitely scattered throughout their songs and music that are unmistakable.  They manage in a beautiful, simple way to transpose the human emotional experience into immensely expressive and relatable art.  Frightened Rabbit will be on tour this summer supporting Death Cab For Cutie...which also means that if you don't already have tickets, you probably won't be seeing them...bummer.  Here's another track for your listening pleasure...

Speaking of Death Cab...their new record, Codes and Keys, came out at the end of May.  Take a listen to Doors Unlocked And Open...

The whole record can be found here in one continuous track.  I recommend giving it a listen before this gets pulled.  While I do rather enjoy the record and think it's a solid piece of work, I have to admit that it's pretty much exactly what I expected, which leaves me just a little disappointed - I like it when a band can surprise me or catch me off guard with something out of their ordinary.

Supervinyl/The Kings Of Novelty

Last week I finally received The King Of Limbs newspaper edition in the mail.  I've been listening to the digital version off and on since I preordered earlier this year...it's a very chill record, full of verdant yet somnolent vibrations.  The the vinyl translation is spot on, though there is something about listening to faux dusty vinyl back tracks on actual vinyl that I find humorous.  The packaging/presentation is elaborate and awe-inspiring...two 10" clear vinyl discs came in beautifully decorated sleeves, along with a sheet of blotter paper and a CD version of the album.  All of this was wrapped up in a "newspaper" containing lyrics and artwork.  Radiohead borrowed Tull's Thick As A Brick idea, modernized it, and made it their own.  No doubt it was not the cheapest record I've purchased this year, but I am quite pleased with what they've done - plus they not only offered an immediate download, but also have since followed things up with freebies for those who preordered, including a download of the Supercollider/TheButcher EP.

 

 

 

 

 

The Inspiration: Thick As A Brick original newspaper packaging - 1972

The Thing (Part I)

It's been over two weeks...why have I not yet written about The Thing In The Spring?  Life's been busy, and now that some time has passed it's pretty tough to figure out where to begin.  This year's Thing was epic, in both the traditional and annoying new-school context of the word; we saw bigger names than in the past, and overall a more organized and professional-feeling environment.

The Thing In The Spring is a four-year strong, weekend-long music festival in Peterborough, NH that focuses mostly on local artists - from New England and just beyond.  This year the festival kicked off on Friday, May 13th, at the Peterborough Historical Society with Bunny's A Swine - a fun, energetic, and quirky rock band from Northampton, MA.

"Whisky Lotto" by Bunny's A Swine - uploaded by Sameermo

The sound was a bit rough during their set but it fortunately smoothed out for the following acts.  The room in which the shows were held was quite pretty and well-sized for the event, though its acoustic properties presented a challenge to find the right balance of elements within the mix - blending electrically amplified signals with the unprocessed, natural sound coming from the stage.  Up next was Stephen Brodsky from Arlington, MA.  Stephen is a current member of Cave In and former member of Converge (amongst others).  I rather enjoyed his set of processed, slightly distorted, and sampled Guild F-65 acoustic/electric ditties - a unique approach and very well done.  Here's a track from the show...

Stephen Brodsky

The final performance of Friday evening was Flowers & Cream's first ever live set.  Flowers & Cream is a group put together by Thurston Moore, best known for one of alternative rock's most influential bands - Sonic Youth.  Flowers & Cream alternated between performing several tracks from Thurston's new record, Demolished Thoughts, and a mash-up of spoken-word free-form jams.  I know I am the odd man out when I say that Thurston's material doesn't blow me away, but I certainly appreciate his lyrics and what he does.  Some songs resonate deeper with me than others...here's one of my favoites from the evening...

Flowers & Cream

It was a bit surprising, and perhaps ironic, that someone like Thurston Moore, out of all the talent that were to perform during the weekend, would be fighting with a faulty amplifier.  It did, however, set a mood; this is real and raw stuff - there's no primping and pretending, and no rockstar attitudes.

Saturday was a vey busy day.  *Broke: The Affordable Arts Fair was magnificent, with artists from all over the region showing and selling peices of various formats/media - paintings, drawings, knitting, photography, textiles, clothing, jewelry, and much more.  To top it off nearly everything was priced under $50...and if that wasn't enough, across the common you could enjoy some delicious soup alongside a student art exhiibit at the Empty Bowls fundraiser at the teen center.  In the afternoon, Omoo Omoo, a spacey ambient/atmospheric group from Baltimore, MD, performed from the lower rooftop of The Toadstool bookshop, befitting the greying overcast sky.  Their music - droning backdrops supporting various acoustic-style ramblings.


Perfomances in the evening were split between three bands playing early sets at the Historical Society, and two more playing at Harlow's Pub.  I'll cover the first show in this post, and save the second to kick of Part II.  Things got rolling at the Historical Society around 6pm with Dan Ireton from Vermont, aka Dredd Foole.  While what Dan was doing wasn't really my thing, his comfort and presence on stage begged one to listen to his particular blend of folky americana.  Dan uses his voice as an instrument, not only singing words, but to create sounds and accent movements in his music. Following Mr. Foole, was 200 Years - a male/female duo: Ben Chasny & Elisa Ambrogio.  Ben can normally be seen in Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire, and Rangda, and Elisa in Magik Markers.  A big thank you to Eric Gagne for providing this information as I could not find anything about 200 Years elsewhere.  I highly recommend checking out all of their projects.  Megan Roy spun some Comets On Fire for me one day in The Toadstool, and I very much liked what I heard,  At The Thing, Ben & Elisa played a stripped-down, poppy, and interesting set.  Instrumentation included acoustic guitar, electric guitar, voice, and keyboards.

Photograph by Angus MacPherson

Last up was J Mascis, of Dinosaur Jr fame.  J's "acoustic" set was loud and filled with life; he tumbled through several songs without speaking much to us, letting his six strings and voice do most of the work.  We received a healthy variety of melodies and vocal styles, and at times J would employ heavy distortion to belt out a solo.  The difference in volume and harshness of tone was a bit much, though bearable.  Here's one of my favorite tracks from his performance...

J Mascis

J recently released a solo record, Several Shades of Why, on Sub Pop records, and is currently on tour with Dinosaur Jr. You can catch him in Northampton, MA on Summer Solstice - June 21st.

...Hmmm...not my best work, but I'm glad to have Part I finished.  In Part II I'll be focusing on the Mmoss/Coke Weed show at Harlow's Pub, the final show at the Historical Society, and my thoughts on The Thing 2010 versus 2011.  Cheers.

Foxes, Worms, Black Metal, and Much Ado About Streaming

I am reminded once again of just how awesome NPR Music is.  It had been a while since I checked out the site and on my return I found several amazing things.  For starters you can hear the entirety of the new Fleet Foxes record, Helplessness Blues, which is very very good...ok it's pretty amazing.  Here's The Plains/Bitter Dancer which is one of my favorite tracks from the album...

If you want more stream the whole record here, or do yourself a favor and pick up one of the best records of the year on vinyl while you still can.

I was also quite surprised to see some live audio of Portland, Oregon's Agalloch and San Francisco's Worm Ouroboros.  This was headliner Agalloch's first performance ever in New York City.  Having missed their stop in Boston this year I was rather glad to have the opportunity to hear them play live, and to top it off the entirety of both sets are available for download.  Head here to stream or download Agalloch's set, and here for Worm Ouroboros'.  Agalloch are often described as post black metal or post folk metal, which is not a bad way of putting it.  They borrow the crescendoing, layered, and atmospheric approach of post rock and metal and apply the practice to raw, gloomy metal.  Agalloch mix clean and harsh vocals and make use of acoustic guitars just as much as blast beats...and that is cool.  Here's Black Lake Nidstang from their latest record...

Worm Ouroboros are a female-fronted, atmospheric metal band.  They write lush, haunting tapestries of songs that incorporate medieval voicings and monstrous doom riffs.  Here's a sample, Riverbed...

Quality metal on NPR?  Indeed...and in fact NPR is also offering a first listen to Aesthethica, the second and latest from Liturgy, a very interesting black metal band from Brooklyn, NY.  They've dubbed their particular brand of music "transcendental black metal", and I must admit that I have not heard anything quite like it.  Liturgy explore all kinds of sounds, from noise to harmonized clean chanting vocals, offering an unusual and unconventional style - even to black metal ears.  I highly recommend listening to the album as a whole, here, but here's Returner...I like it more and more each time I listen...

Oh and if you didn't get to catch PJ Harvey on tour you can stream her entire performance from San Francisco here.  You can also choose to download a shortened version of the concert, which due to licensing restrictions, contains only songs from her new record Let England Shake.

Enjoy!

Ville d'Oiseaux

Yesterday was a long and busy day, but I still managed to find my way to 119 Gallery in Lowell, MA.  119 is a small artist's studio that offers a wide variety of events and exhibits such as theater, poetry, music/audio/art performance, film, fashion, and dance.  What prompted my first visit was The Bella Birds' album release show for their new record, Lost City.

I've been bugging the Birds for a while now to get a sneak preview of their latest, but they just wouldn't have it.  Lost City was engineered, mixed, and mastered by the band and Jeff Root; thus, last night was the unveiling of many many months of hard work and energy.  The result of their labors is a fairly diverse indie light rock record full of heart-felt words, and with just as much twanging and vocal harmonies as drum fills and power chords.  Lost City is a very open and straight-forward expression of three human artists, unafraid and unapologetic.  I find Lost City to be quite a refreshing listening experience; it's ten, well-paced and -sequenced tracks provide meditation, fun, and alot of soul.  There's such an honesty in their voices, words, and performance that makes these songs very special; they're real stories and real feelings.  My personal favorite tracks (at least today) are Wet Hot American Summer, Tomorrow Tomorrow, Crooked & Dreamless, and Never Came.

Last night's opener, Andrue Coombes, warmed up the audience with a inspirational rant and some quirky ukelele singalong jams as we stuffed our faces with delicious delectables from Eggroll Cafe.  Soon afterward, Clara Berry took the stage with her percussionist, Joe O'Neil, and bassist Elisabeth Hodge.  Twenty-one year old Clara, clearly a well-practiced pianist and vocalist, writes snappy, jazzy, and haunting pieces.  She works with dissonance in fantastic ways; Hodge plays off of these moments with dashes of slides and trills while O'Neil keeps things pretty dialed back, entertaining just the right amount of dramatic effect with cymbal swells and snare rim hits.  Quite impressed, I fell in love with her set and would highly recommend that if ever you have a chance to see Clara and her band play that you do.  Clara Berry's EP, Creature, is available for $5 here.

Bog Child by Clara Berry

Photo by Rich Messina

Third on stage were The Bella Birds.  Pam Craven, Chris Forgione, and Zachary Root played the entirety of Lost City for us, beginning to end, in what had become the sweltering heat of 119 Gallery.  It was a great introduction to the songs of the new album; Zack's bass-lines range from a finger-picked foundation to chord strumming madness, bridging the gap between Chris' extremely energetic beats and Pam's jingle-and-jangling six-string melodies.  Topping things off is the dynamic-duo of Pam and Zack's vocals which are very well-matched, smooth, and heart-warming.  For a couple of songs Tyler Bisson (aka TRAGWAG) joined the Birds to add some Mandolin flavor and much hair.  It was quite apparent the Birds were having alot of fun, as did we, celebrating the moment and a great record.  Unfortunately my long day had caught up to me and I resigned after the Bella Birds' set, missing performances by both Kristen Ford and TRAGWAG.  It is with reluctance that I must admit I cannot speak to their performances.
Wet Hot American Summer by The Bella Birds

I must end by thanking the Birds.  Their set certainly inspired me; it was another affirmation of why I need to follow my heart, and for this I am very thankful to the three of them.  You can get your very own copy of Lost City by contacting The Bella Birds.

Photo by Rich Messina

 "When your dreams get far away, close your eyes..."

Cinco de Cordero

Last night I received an air mail parcel from London...the new Lamb, 5.  I had been waiting quite patiently for this to arrive.  Back in January I preordered both the "special limited edition" CD as well as the vinyl LP version.  Yes, I know I am a hopeless fanboy.

The special CD edition, limited to 2800 copies, came in a very nice hardbound book containing not one, but two CD's, several pages of liner notes, and a fold-out poster.  The first CD contains the regular album, which I must say is quite good.  When a band comes back after such a long hiatus there is alot of expectation; I did my best to put my preconceptions aside and give the album a very open listen.  There is no doubt that this is Lamb, but this is no rehash or emulation of what they used to be.  They've shape-shifted, shuffling to one side or another of where they maybe saw themselves want to step.  Songs like Build A Fire and Rounds are just not like anything they've done before.  Some of the songs seem as though they could have used a little more time to simmer; I get the feeling that the creation of this record wasn't rushed, but moved along more quickly than perhaps it should have...or maybe I'm misinterpreting its of-the-moment-ness.  Regardless, 5 is a very diverse and exciting record.  Have a listen to Butterfly Effect...

The second CD contains two more new songs - Dischord, and Back To Beginning which was written and performed with Damien Rice and Carrie Tree.  It also contains alternate versions of several songs - most of which are presented as instrumentals - the vocal tracks stripped out.  There is an acapella version of Strong The Root, and demo version of Rounds.

The pages of the book contain several photos and a brief account of each song.  The photos range from shots of Andy and Lou, to studio equipment, to images that represent elements of the songs.  Lou's notes attempt to let us in on the creative process and meaning behind each of the songs.

 

The fold-out poster is the classic Lamb logo comprised of, in mosaic fashion, the 2800 names of those who preordered the album.  According to Lamb the album was partially funded by us, and while most of us would've been perfectly happy with just having another Lamb record, it was very cool that they went above and beyond to make the packaging and presentation so unique.  It's a keepsake to remind us that we're music nerds and quite proud to be so.  Thank you Lou and Andy!  I am quite happy to be listening to new Lamb.

I am a dork.

(Styluses at the ready...) Vinylinum Habitus

I've been told I have developed a spending habit.  Clearly not true, though over the last few weeks I've been augmenting my vinyl collection in various ways.  While this post proves, indeed, that I am more hipster than you, it also proves that I am nowhere near as hipster as this person.

Deliciously swirled, translucent, vinyl discus.

I've recently retrieved some old favorites from storage at my parents' house.  These gems have been in waiting, faithfully counting the days in the closet of my old bedroom until they see the light once again.  The most note-worthy among them are some original pressings: Master Of Puppets (Metallica - 1986), ...And Justice For All (Metallica -1988), The Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden - 1983), Powerslave (Iron Maiden - 1984), Sad Wings Of Destiny (Judas Priest - 1976), Blizzard Of Ozz (Ozzy Osbourne - 1980), and March Of The Saint (Armored Saint - 1984).  Listening to these classics has been a real treat of nostalgic delight.

I've also been hunting for some very particular titles...records that mean something special to me.  Comus' First Utterance is a very unique and inspiring album.  It's been repressed a few times since its first reralease in 1971, but always in short quantities; it sells quickly and immediately goes up in price when stock diminishes.  My 180g copy is from Rise Above Records (Relics).  I think it was a failure of a grey/white swirl, but I like it that way - it adds to the charm and oddness of this strange record.  As you can see the artwork is very 70's and just gorgeous.  The quality of the pressing is quite good as well; the audio sounds very clean and robust.

In a previous post I linked to a Youtube rip of Song To Comus.  Here's Drip Drip...

Lou, oh, Lou.  I would love to track down a vinyl copy of Beloved One if such a thing exists, but in the meantime I have managed to snag a copy of Lou Rhodes' One Good Thing.  It still seems to be floating around on the internet in various places for around $16...get yours while you still can.  This record sounds quite a bit different from its digital counterpart - perhaps partly the product of vinyl mastering.  The end result, to my ears, is a more smooth and mellow mix; the additional instrumentation and reverb feel more organic.

Opeth's Deliverance and Damnation...I purchased both of these at In The Moment Records, a locally-owned shop in Brattleboro, VT that specializes in vinyl.  These two albums were recorded at the same time, July through September of 2002.  I was a Senior at Ithaca College when they were first released and I very much associate that time of my life with these records.  They inspire within me creation and excitement for new opportunity.  Here and now they are found on 180g double LPs.  The first disc of Deliverance only contains two songs (one per side)...now that's how you do it!  The 1970's prog/psych vibe of Damnation is a wonder to observe on vinyl.

Baroness finally rereleased their first two EPs, First and Second, on vinyl in the form of one 12" disc.  This is Baroness before the multi-part harmonies...in fact these two EP's are more abrasive and metal than anything else they've done.  That said, while they lack some of the signature characteristics of Red Album and Blue Record, they do contain the necessary elements that make Baroness what they are...brilliantly awesome.

In my last post I mentioned Barn Owl...my order from Thrill Jockey Records came in.  Along with Ancestral Star I also ordered Eternal Tapestry's lastest, Beyond The 4th Door.  Both of these records are guaranteed to chill you out rather nicely.

Ancestral Star, Barn Owl's third album, is a lush and layered drone, teaming with minimalist beauty.  Here's a sample that I believe speaks that which my words cannot...

Beyond The 4th Door has been my introduction to Eternal Tapestry and I am quite satisfied - their third record provides a vibrant soundscape of psychedelic garage ambiance. These guys do what many other bands try to do, but they do it right...and rather fantastically well.  The disc is a really cool translucent yellow/black swirl that can be seen in detail in the first image of this post.

Last Saturday, April 16th, was Record Store Day - a true holiday for us analog music fanatics.  Rosie and I woke up early to drive out to In The Moment for when they opened specially at 9am.  I had three titles as my top priority, all of which I am very happy to report are now within my possession.  This first is the new Between The Buried And Me, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, which I shared in my last post.  The RSD exclusive pressing of 1000 copies were 180g colored vinyl records (mine is clear, as you can see below).  According to an interview with Paul Waggoner, Hypersleep Dialogues is part one of a two-part concept.  No word yet as to when BTBAM plan to release the second volume or if it has yet been recorded.

The next disc on my hit list was Neurosis' Sovereign rerelease, limited to 600 copies.  The vinyl is a 180g disc in a light violet (pink?) swirl.  Sovereign, which has been long out of print, was originally released in 2000 as an EP - though its four songs, recorded in the same sessions as Times Of Grace, clock in at around 33 minutes.  It will be released again shortly on regular black vinyl and CD by Neurot Recordings.

Finally, what would RSD have been without an Opeth single containing a song that has only ever been released in a video game soundtrack?  The Throat Of Winter is not what I was expecting at all.  The song is an acoustic jam with a 70's vibe, and offers quite an interesting listening experience.  Hear for yourself...

The 7" disc (yes disc) contains just the one song on one side.  What's on the other side?  A laser etched Opeth logo of course!

So with all of these recent purchases you may ask what's still on my vinyl short list?  The new Storm Of Light for sure, some Decemberists, the new PJ Harvey, Bloom by Lou Rhodes if I can track one down, Obscura's Omnivium, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Isis' Wavering Radiant, and lots and lots of Patti Smith! Oh..and this.  ...so...styluses at the ready..."Vinylinum Habitus!"

Undeniable Truths

Rather than boring you all again with another long-winded tribute to just one artist or record, I've decided to change things up a bit and offer some quick suggestions for your listening enjoyment...

Grails - Deep Politics
I am quite taken with the new Grails record.  In fact, I've been in 70's psych-/prog-rock throwback heaven since it came out.  In a time when "retro" rock bands have become yesterday's fad, Deep Politics brings us back to why we use the word "classic."  Records that stand the test of time, no doubt, find their way to the hardcore music lovers of every generation.  No one can scoff at a child or teen picking up Dark Side of The Moon or The White Album at the record store...they can only nod in respect and confirmation.  Deep Politics is like Pink Floyd's Spaghetti Western film noir wet dream...and who doesn't want to find out what that sounds like???  Here's a sample from the record, perhaps my favorite track...

Grails have always had a particular approach and sound, and Deep Politics isn't a huge jump in any single direction, but it's definitely different and clearly a more refined body of work than previous efforts.  In years to come it may not be considered a classic, but for me it channels the energy and life of a "classic."

Obscura - Omnivium & Cosmogenesis
These two records are death metal must-haves.  Obscura, from Germany, play a brand of technical death metal that involves fretless bass antics, insane arpeggiated riffs, impeccable clockwork percussion, and lyrics centered around various philosophical -isms.  While Cosmogenesis is a more impressive display of techchnical skill and seemingly incorporates complexity for complexity's sake (or perhaps showboating), the songs of Omnivium are more varied, focused, and accessible.  I have been impressed on many levels with Obscura; if you are or were a fan of death metal, or perhaps appreciated bands like Death and Cynic "back in the day", you should certainly check these guys out.  Here's Vortex Omnivium... 

The riff @ 1:04 is just too good.

Barn Owl
Barn Owl are new to me, and I've been enjoying them so much I put in an order for the repress of their Ancestral Star record over at Thrill Jockey Records.  Barn Owl is a duo comprised of Jon Porras and Evan Caminitia from San Francisco; they create transporting soundscapes by elegantly blending drone, noise, ambiance, and overtones.  This song, from their The Conjurer record, is called Ancient Of Days, and is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Be sure to look for Barn Owl's new record, Shadowland, out this Summer Solstice.

Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogs
BTBAM just ninja'd up on me and decided to release an epic "ep" tomorrow.  This is the record I've been wanting them to make for a while...three tracks, each around ten minutes long and filled with nothing but the best of BTBAM...a record short enough to be extremely focused and deliberate, but long enough to provide ample audial substance to its listener.  If you were to group White Walls and Swim To The Moon along with these three tracks you would have the perfect album.  Between The Buried And Me manage to be technical, melodic, poppy, progressive, metal, and hardcore all within a few minutes.  I'm not sure what to say so I'll just let the music speak for itself.  Here's the whole record...

Kaki King / Joe Robinson @ The Iron Horse

Photo source unknown.

April 2nd, 2011.  The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA is a two-story restaurant filled with natural-stained wood furniture and upholstery, and containing a small stage near the front of house.  The sound quality, atmosphere, and decent beer list more than make up for the slightly uncomfortable chairs and wobbly tables.  All in all a relaxed and intimate venue.  I owe part of my appreciation of Kaki King to my friend Megan, who recommended her to me a couple of years ago; once I checked her out I was hooked.  I first saw Kaki perform in Spring of 2010 supporting her Junior record - in top practiced form, playing many new songs and band-oriented material.  Kaki King has ditched her band for this tour with the exception of Trumpeter/EVI player-turned sound tech Dan Brantigan.  For me this show serves as the perfect complimentary counterpart to last year's show.  This year she shares the stage with only her wooden, fretted friends; a semicircle of expensive and interesting guitars set the stage, staring down the curious crowd who await these instrument's master.

While we waited for the main act, we thankfully had Joe Robinson to warm things up a bit...ok, more like set things on fire.  Joe is an acoustic shredder from Australia who employs both traditional and modern techniques, and alot of natural harmonics; once in a while he'll throw in a touch of drifting or Travis picking.  Joe's music, centered around jazz chords and progressions, was performed flawlessly and with seemingly little effort.  The crowd fueled the guitar virtuoso through his set by providing ample applause and shouts.  Joe took some time from his crammed set to share his story of participating in a world-wide talent competition, where he was picked from thousands of competitors for the first place award.  He followed his story by performing the song with which he won the competition - a highly stylized cover of Mason Williams' Classical Gas.  While Joe certainly proved to us that he is an elite guitarist and performer, he struggled a bit with cliche lyrics and missed his mark with a very awkward cover of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  By no means am I putting him down - think of it as constructive criticism.  Joe has some serious talent and it will be quite interesting to see where he takes it.

Shortly after Robinson wrapped things up, Kaki made her way to the stage, quickly said hello as the welcoming applause died down, and tore into her first song of the evening: Bone Chaos In The Castle.  Our reply was energetic - an anxious and excited homage to our guest for the evening.  While we did expect an incredible performance and hoped for a special song selection...little did we know we'd also be getting an education.  Prior to using each guitar, Kaki took some time to explain what it was and what made it unique.  Of course, between altered versions of her songs and new on-the-spot jams, she would also take some time to remind us, with her iconic Ovation baritone, that she's still King and capable of a serious and impressive display of chops.  Meanwhile, her guitar tech would be prepping the next "mind fuck" guitar....

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

The first example of which was a seven-string fanned fret acoustic/electric, made by Andrew White, on which she played Doing The Wrong Thing.  Fanned frets are more ergonomic and supposedly offer more accurate intonation; this option is only available from a handful of custom luthiers across the globe, but it is gaining popularity.  Shortly after, Kaki switched to a Dojo (a cross between a banjo and a Dobro) to play Life Being What It Is.
Life Being What It Is on Dojo

On the seven-string, Kaki tried her hand at Andrew York's beautiful Andecy...
Andecy

...after which she picked up a tiny high-tuned twelve string guitar by Veillette Guitars called a Gryphon, on which she performed a cover of My Girl The Horse, originally by Fences.  She later used the same guitar to play a short Celtic ditty toward the end of her set.  From one extreme to the other Kaki traded her smallest guitar for her largest - a harp guitar - which she colorfully explained as the result of crossbreeding a guitar with an elephant.  Watching her play this monstrosity was quite a treat; her left hand tapping and pulling off the notes of the melody on the guitar strings, while her right hand provided the bass rhythm on the lower-tuned harp strings.  Throughout the song she would switch to Travis picking, playing two parts simultaneously on the guitar neck.  She carefully made her way through Michael Hedges' Because It's There; a tribute to her stylistic predecessor using the same instrument on which he used to play the piece...
Because It's There

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

Taking a break from playing the songs of her heroes, Kaki treated us to a preliminary version of what may become a new song.  For this she lay across her legs a Hawaiian lap style guitar, called a Weissenborn guitar.  The result was an energetic slide guitar jam; it contained some sour notes here and there, but ultimately affected a very cool vibe and was certainly different from anything we've heard from her thus far.  She claimed that this song hit a certain stride with this evening's performance...perhaps something clicked as she made a more intimate connection with this odd instrument.
Weissenborn Song

Nails required not a strange guitar, but an unusual modification to a standard guitar.  The strings are all loosened such that a wooden block, or other solid oblong object, can be placed on top of the 17th fret.  The strings are then tightened again over the object.  The result, when tuned appropriately and played just so, altering the pressure on either side of a particular string, is a koto-like sound.
Nails

What was so special about Kaki's performance, and indeed this tour, was her intention.  What she brought along with her strange guitars was a particular attitude and a specific goal.  She's not aiming for perfection with each piece, but rather to break the mold of her own style and songs just enough to see what comes forth from the cracks; she's trying to leave her comfort zone and breathe new life into her creativity.  You could feel her nervous energy when she was stepping out of the box a little bit - trying out different variations, and improvising fills and cadences.  Sitting with an unfamiliar guitar, a guitar in an unfamiliar position, or one with an odd modification she was nearly forced to play differently - to make old songs new.  We got the sense that we were peaking in on Kaki at home, practicing and changing things up...what works?  What doesn't?  How would this song sound on this guitar?  What about on that one?  You could see clearly that this woman is ready for change...for something new and exciting.  And it is the perfect time of year for such endeavors...
Celtic Ditty on the Gryphon

She ended her set with Zeitgeist, featuring Mr. Brantigan on Trumpet, and finally Sunnyside, the last song of Junior and the night's performance.  After the show I waited in line for an autograph.  I'd say I hadn't done this in years, but just last Thursday I did the same with William Fitzsimmons, obtaining a personalized flyer for Rosie.  These two recent experiences felt so much different that in the past, when I had waited in line an under-confident teen hoping to meet his gods.  It was a more rewarding feeling shaking someone's hand as a fellow human and artist - an exchange of creative energy for which I am very thankful.  Kaki, with a smile, signed by Everybody Loves You LP, which I bought at the show.  I said my thanks and appreciation, and she hers.  "Thanks for letting me be a dork and signing my record."  She laughed and we parted with a nod.