Presenting the Third Season
Thursday, August 06, 2020
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Kyoto (performed at Home) by Phoebe Bridgers
NEW In a pandemic performance from her home Phoebe Bridgers wowed audience this week with a performance of Kyoto off her stellar new album Punisher. In the brief #playathome performance, Bridgers finds a way to elevate the space and enhance the appearance the clip using relatively easy means.. couple that with her delivery of lyrics and what you have is a spontaneous gift during this quarantine. And I just really needed to share!
Thursday, May 28, 2020
New from Mill Pond Falls
Never Needed, the new song from Mill Pond Falls, is a quiet instigator of sorts, marrying the worlds of Americana and indie rock over a raw, bleak landscape. This one feels timeless - and it easily could have come out of a different decade but it's difficult to remove it from the backdrop of self-isolation and reflection that have emerged as a part of the quarantine for the Covid-19 pandemic.
We know Joe McMahon, the heart behind the MPF story, from his many years of exquisite recording and live support on stage with some of the region's top music acts. He's become one of the most reliable and visible players in the city's music scene. The Mill Ponds Falls stage name accompanied the McMahon curated songs from his debut EP back in 2016 and we're excited to see it carried forward so strongly here.
And while standing in front of a bleak news cycle, McMahon remains positive. On the new track he calms the defeated listener assuring that "this too shall pass" and "put yourself at ease." Let's just hope Joe's right. Never Needed was written and recorded via social distancing in home studios. Players include Joe McMahon vocals, Tom Polce guitars, Ed Valauskas bass, and Eric Edmonston drums.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
The new trailer for Christopher Nolan's Tenet (July 17)
Christopher Nolan on the set of 1917
Melinda Sue Gordon photo
Melinda Sue Gordon photo
an insane fan-filmed NIN concert
Let us not forget: Artists are music fans too! Never was that made more clear than yesterday when Trent Reznor, front man for Nine Inch Nails, sent an email blast letting fans know he was excited to locate a cool new fan-made video from 2018. It appears the footage, which is impressive, uses fan-powered photo and video stitching technology.
The footage from the Cold and Black and Infinite fan video is mostly black and white and contains only muted colors. (Based on having witnessed the tour, I have to believe that decision was made due to the amount of strobe effects used in the sets.) And while this is certainly not the best NIN setlist I've seen, it contains some great performances and the footage is downright exceptional. Somebody worked hard to get this right:
TRACKS
00:28 Branches/Bones
02:19 Wish
05:58 Less Than
09:36 March of the Pigs
14:04 This Isn’t the Place
19:11 Reptile
25:40 Sin
29:56 The Perfect Drug
35:36 Shit Mirror
38:42 Ahead of Ourselves
42:13 God Break Down the Door
47:34 I Can't Give Everything Away (David Bowie cover)
52:41 Subterraneans (David Bowie cover with Bad Witch lyrics)
56:58 The Frail
58:10 Help Me I Am In Hell
01:00:37 Happiness In Slavery
01:05:35 Head Like a Hole
01:10:44 All the Love In the World
01:15:55 And All that Could Have Been
01:22:15 Hurt
Monday, May 18, 2020
Archers of Loaf cover the Rolling Stones
One of the thousands of bands who saw their Tour Plans blown to bits by the Covid-19 Pandemic was Chapel Hill rockers Archers of Loaf, who saw their slowly expanding 2020 city tour called on account of the virus. Now the band is releasing singles, B-sides and covers.
This creative arch is welcome and long overdue. It's been years since the Merge Records backed band has produced a full length album. Where there's smoke there's usually fire. Let's hope there's more Street Fighting left in this band. Archers of Loaf is Eric Bachmann, Matt Gentling, Eric Johnson and Mark Price.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Kishi Bashi - This Must Be The Place
This week's Sunday Song is a cover of a Talking Heads favorite. Anthens multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi is pretty new to me but in my limited research, this is definitely an act you need to know. Bashi has a wide breadth of music to draw from. I was torn on whether to share the Paul Simon cover I found today or this one from David Byrne and company.
Talking Heads win out. "Naive Melody" is a game-changer of a track, demonstrating a depth of songwriting perspective to match the quirky arrangements of the band. And Bashi's version of This Must Be The Place features Bashi and a string quartet. It's just lovely and most worthy of the Sunday Song spotlight.
Talking Heads win out. "Naive Melody" is a game-changer of a track, demonstrating a depth of songwriting perspective to match the quirky arrangements of the band. And Bashi's version of This Must Be The Place features Bashi and a string quartet. It's just lovely and most worthy of the Sunday Song spotlight.
Saturday, May 09, 2020
Climb from Blondfire
This week Erica Driscoll of Blondfire unveiled her first new song in about two years and it's a beautiful banger! Blondfire tracks are uplifting, life affirming energy givers and it's been about two years since we've had something new to celebrate. Climb is trademark Blondfire; singer Erica Driscoll's sultry lyrics broadcast over pure sunshine and impossibly catchy arrangements.
The days are weighing heavily on us all. Many have lost people they love. About 15% of America is out of work. And the mental strain, the stress and fear are palpable. The Universe has sent new Blondfire to save us.
"That's how the song I sent you came about," wrote Erica to me in her pre-release chat last week. "I was just feeling a real heaviness about the world and kind of trapped. I picked up my guitar and it was like the song was just waiting for me to tune into. It's about escaping and rising above the bad."
We're all feeling this weight right now Erica. Thank you for this. Please send more!
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