Vinyl Notes

After getting lost in downtown San Francisco, I finally made it back to Treasure Island for day two of the festival and just in time for Vampire Weekend. To my surprise they were not nearly as boring live as I had expected. After being built up in the blogosphere and then ripped apart by critics for lackluster performances, the ivy league educated indie pop group has likely made some improvements over the last year.

For all of Dr. Dog’s supposed effort to recapture a by-gone era in music, their music was discordant and decidedly modern. The influences were apparent however, from the gruff exposition of Jim Morrison-esque vocals, the Jimmy Hendrix reminiscent noise distortions and harmonies evocative of The Beatles and the Beach Boys. The set was quite entertaining despite the feedback, the off sync arrangements and unfortunate imbalance of the instruments, which drowned out the vocals.

Twin duo Tegan & Sara were simply charming. The combination of infectious rhythms, dissonant chords and punk influences made for a excellent performance. Between songs, the pair engaged the audience with dialogue, providing festival attendees with bits of Tegan & Sara trivia. Once their set was over, there was a surprising mass exodus of younger audience members.

The Kills were electrifying. Of all the male/female twosomes to come out of the UK, The Kills are arguably the most gritty and caustic. Together, vocalist Alison Mosshart aka VV and guitarist Jamie Hence aka Hotel have a magnetic energy and drew the attention of the crowd, and definitely gained at least one new fan. Hotel’s appropriately jarring guitar rips were a great complement for the acerbic lyrics and gravelly voice of VV. The pair are one of the best up-and-coming rock bands of the current era. 

It was The Raconteurs who stole the show and blew the rest  completely out of the water. From stage presence to stage dressing, from arrangement to sound quality, The Raconteurs where enthralling and took the other bands to school in terms of how to put on a good show. From start to finish the Nashville quintet captivated the audience. The set spanned the gambit from bluegrass to hard rock to funky pop ballads. Jack White is the obvious star of the group, he stepped back into the shadows several times allowing other band members to have the spotlight.

A few weeks ago we hit the Seattle ground running at Bumbershoot, this weekend I’m in the Bay Area for San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Festival (TIMF).

The lineup for the weekend is a collection of both veterans and up-and-comers including The Raconteurs, GoldFrapp, Tegan & Sara, Vampire Weekend, Chester French, The Kills, Loquat and TV on the Radio.

Ever since watching the streaming of the Lollapalooza AT&T stage, I vowed that I would see The Raconteurs live. It was a magical experience, and I wasn’t even in Chicago’s Grant Park that night. So this weekend is my chance.

Goldfrapp has been around for ages, but has only popped onto my radar recently. She has definitely undergone some changes since her 2005 glam-pop hit “Ooh La La.” I especially like “Happiness” with it’s lovely bouncing melody and breathy allure.

Beyond those two, this will be an adventure in discovery for me. With none of the sets overlapping, and being stranded on Treasure Island (so to speak), I’ll be able to take in most of the shows.

Check back over the weekend for festival coverage!

After an intentionally slow Saturday – besides Beck there were no absolute must sees – we headed back to Bumbershoot Sunday for a whammy of an evening. Everything we planned to see was packed into the last five hours of the day. The only reprise, however bittersweet, was a cancellation by Kid Sister.

The lawn surrounding the Starbucks Stage was packed with a diverse group of all ages from Pampers to Depends to catch Jakob Dylan. Surprisingly, the audience didn’t contain rabid women throwing their unmentionables. Much like his father, most of his set was indiscernible, with Dylan chewing on his words in mumbles. Unlike us, clearly, there were people there just for the music, many sitting and even laying in the grass.

Half way through Dylan’s set, we bailed, bound for the mainstage to see rock as pure driven snow from The Black Keys. Though, the audience was full already, as the Keys began playing, the floodgates opened and people poured into the venue like the tide. We overheard many a conversation among spectators wondering who was playing; one even vowing to make an iTunes purchase. The music cut through all distractions with laser like focus, driving people to dance involuntarily.

The last hour of our day, as we wanted to catch three performances who were all playing at the same time. First stop Stone Temple Pilots but they were late, so we left to see a recommended band called Thee Emergency. Described by a fan as “Saul Williams as a woman with soul,” our curiosity was piqued. Unfortunately, they didn’t deliver. It was also strange to see the lead vocal actively directing the band, though it was hard to see who was actually playing because so many people apparently loitering on stage. So we left.

Back at STP the crowd had gotten antsy. It was thirty minutes past the scheduled start and the roadies were still setting up. Finally, at 9:45 pm the tour bus pulled up and the audience went ape shit. The sheer volume of people in the stadium was astounding, and almost made the reception for Beck and The Black Keys look small. Seattle clearly loves STP. As the set began, we could see why. There was a good mix of easily recognizable radio hits as well as songs that were clearly for die-hard fans. These are veteran showmen; not only was Scott Weiland in constant motion, the rest of the other members of band also engaged the audience.

Though Weiland started the set in shades, hat, leather jacket, vest and scarf by night’s end he was down to his shirt. The organized mayhem of the mosh pit increased with each number and the band sprinkled their performance with just enough banter between songs. Someone once asked “What’s the Big Deal with STP? Answer, see them live.

We started the day refreshed, slept in, and took our sweet time getting to the festival. After the suck that was yesterday, we were stoked at the efficiency and consideration of the festival organizers, One Reel. Not a single detail was overlooked; right down to the free water refills and the convenient recycling bins. Also a pleasant surprise, patrons could re-enter the festival. Unfortunately, it was also a slow and arduous process; probably used to collect data. Ironic, considering the strong (get link) presence of RFID protesters.

Neko Case the perfect first course; preparing our musical pallet for what was to come. Her voice was strong and rich; the band tight. The response to her set could be likened to polite spectators at a tennis match, with people politely clapping and cheering. There were two stand-outs among the set, one a banjo country number the other, a plucky number with a surprising dose of yodeling.

The air around the Fisher Green stage buzzed with electric energy. The crowd was intent on Saul Williams, paying close attention to his words. They responded enthusiastically to his message and charismatic delivery. When Williams eluded to Seattle’s political activism the audience was appreciative. When the set was over, we bolted through the crowd like hounds on a bloody fox, determined to score an interview.

After alternately talking ourselves into and out of walking into his tent, we decided fortune rewards the bold. We tentatively pulled back the curtain to find Williams plainly waiting for us to come in. His air of self-assurance was calming and as we settled into his cramped, he told we could ask three questions. His response to questions regarding attempts to pigeon hole him was a gem.

“People will always have their preferences.” He paused briefly before adding, “and will tell you. I think we try to live our lives as poems, and try to remain open to possibilities.”

Williams had nothing but love for the results of the digital release of The Rise and Eventual Liberation of Niggy Tardust, unlike Trent Reznor his collaborative partner. In the past Reznor has expressed disappointment about free downloads versus album sales. Williams considers the free release a success.

“People get to say ‘I tried this out,’ and it’s guilt free,” he said. Another boon was that there was enough interest for the album to be released in stores, as well as an overall increase in album sales for Williams.

Our last stop of the day, Beck on the mainstage. He started the set with a classic, “Loser,” which he dedicated the city. Though a charismatic and seasoned performer, it was almost as if Beck was just going through the motions. All the ingredients were there, but the souffle didn’t rise. The energy of the set was inconsistent, starting strong before quickly descending to a down-tempo movement. It’s not that Beck’s set was bad, per se, it was just a disappointed considering the breadth of his talent and experience. Even the encore was dialed in and predictable. Regardless of our interpretation, the audience was definitely behind him, especially during the numbers from Midnight Vultures.

Come back for more festival coverage tomorrow…

© 2008 Kimberlee Morrison and Tanya Payne. Some rights reserved

This weekend I’ll be traveling with my partner in crime to Seattle for the sold out Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival. Just looking at the breadth of this festival strikes fatigue in my bones. From comedy and theatrical performances, to short form films and literary arts, to music, Bumbershoot is a festival of all things art. With a history dating back to 1971, Bumbershoot is one of the largest music and arts festivals in the world.

Tanya and I are, of course, going for the music. We’ve both marked out a tentative schedule for the festival and while I have no doubt our schedules will be very similar, I also know that there will be hard compromises. The festival is very well planned out in though, with a diverse line-up of both independent bands as well as some bigger names thrown in for good measure.

An interesting mix up

The line-up on the Mainstage for Sunday includes Keysha Cole, T.I., Black Keys and Stone Temple Pilots. Talk about complete polar opposite sides of the spectrum. I must see Keysha Cole live to determine if her voice is just as grating in person as it is on the radio. T.I. tends to make songs specifically for the radio in order to lure people to the more substantive music on his LPs. The STP show conflicts with Tapes n’ Tapes, so I might have to convince Tanya to pass on STP.

Sure to Rock?

I’m thoroughly expecting Black Keys, Offspring and Paramour to put on super rockin’ sets. Fall of Troy is a fun band to watch and it looks like Bumbershoot is their last tour stop before the head back into the studio to record their next album. Ending the music segment of the festival with Death Cab For Cutie was definitely a great way to mellow it out before people head home. Here’s my tentative schedule for the weekend.

Saturday

Neko Case
Barcelona
The Fall of Troy
Estelle Beck
Saul Williams

Sunday

Keysha Cole
Black Keys
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Tapes n’ Tapes

Monday

Paramour Offspring
Flobots
Del Tha Funky Homosapien
Death Cab for Cutie

You can visit Tanya will be posting her ideal schedule sometime this week for comparison. Check in with us at Culture Critics for daily festival wrap-ups. See the official schedule Bumbershoot schedule here. We are open to suggestions for covering other sets, but remember that our time is limited.

You know why I love being a music writer? I get to sample music from new artists, have an excuse for keeping a constant feed of music in my ears at all times, and one of the best of all perks is covering live events.

It is my pleasure to announce that I will be covering both the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle as well as the Austin City Limits Festival.

Back in May, I posted my seasonal music festival guide and began sending out for press credentials to those closest to me. I got decline for a few, but two festivals are better than none, and I’m super excited about visiting Seattle and Austin to see a bunch of great bands.

A potential schedule and festival preview for Bumbershoot are forthcoming, And in just a couple of weeks, I’ll be heading to Seattle!

Check out my Fall Music Festival Guide at ShePlaysMusic and come back for VinylNotes’ coverage of two of the season’s hottest music festivals.

For those of you who like me were unable to hop on a plane to see Björk and Sigur Rios play at the Náttúra Festival in Iceland this weeked, and missed the live webcast on National Geographic, do not fret. You might not ever see the entire show, but you can catch remnants of it via the power of democratized media.

Here’s an clip of Bjork performing the title track from her latest album Wonderlust and “Hyperballad” from Post. Whether or not you like Björk’s persona - and the coinciding excentricities - you have to admire her willingness to use her fame as a platform for important enviromental issues. I love the way her voice comes through her throat and her exagerated enounciations. Check it out:

Last week VinylNotes reviewed the “No Child Left Behind” EP from Nico Vega. Last night we had a chance to see the trio from the MySpace Records burn the Viper Room down with a fired up performance.

The air was heavy, damp and electric. A voice from behind the curtain said “One minute to showtime,” and I looked around, glad I’d chosen to sit on the edge of the stage. As curtain opened, Aja took the stage, barefoot and clad in leggings and a leotard, the audience screamed in excitement. Starting the show on a relatively mellow note; Aja sat on a stool, center stage, with the mic in her face. It wasn’t long before Aja to hopped off the stool and used it as a percussion device before discarding it on the side of the stage as she stomped and strutted ’round, and growled into the microphone.

By the time the trio launched into “Medicine Man” - only the second song in the set - everyone, both the crowd and the band, knew this show was going to be full tilt. Aja, Rich and Dan - vocalist, guitarist and drummer respectively - could not hide their joy as the audience sang along to every word, rocking and swaying, hands in the air. As Aja stomped her foot to the sound of the kick drum and sang, “I don’t need no medicine man to chop my wood…” she grinned big - almost as if in shock - as the crowd pumped their fists and raised their voices in the air. “Gravity” and “Be Giving” sent the Viper Room into a frenzy with the audience jumping and banging their heads as Aja, Rich and Dan played for each other as much as for the concert goers.

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Spring and Summer are prime time for people to get out to some of the best music festivals. Whether your taste is for indie rock, hip-hop, pop, gospel or jazz, there’s a something happening for everyone.

Since keeping it up with everything can be a chore, my gift to you today is a non-exhaustive list of concerts and festivals taking place May through September. The theme for the Summer seems to be going green and getting outside; go figure.

KJLH Gospel Music Showcase
When: May 17 (yes this Saturday!)
Where: Knott’s Berry Farm

Quite possibly one of the biggest gospel music events of the year, the artists featured at this festival are picked straight from the playlist of KJLH radio show “Spread the Word.” Shikinah Glory returns this year! I know some folks super excited about this one.

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Independent record stores across the country are gearing up for Record Store Day on Saturday April 19. This day all participating retailers will simultaneously join together in a celebration of the “culture and unique place they occupy both in their communities and nationally.”

Already artists are showing their support with special performances and exclusive releases including limited edition 7”s by Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M., and Black Keys. Bjork will even be doing an exclusive screening her new video “Wonderlust.”

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