Been awhile since I've done one of these random, multi-subject missives (blame Twitbook and a severe lack of personal downtime), but there are a handful things worth mentioning here in a proper post. A couple are entirely self-serving, others are far from it, but all have been on my mind lately to varying degrees...
With little fanfare, save for some kind Twitter responses and a bunch of Facebook 'likes', the 'Nac passed its official 10-year anniversary exactly a week ago. Yes, on the 15th of February, in the year 2000, I registered the domain name bradleysalmanac.com while sitting in my old office at Mass Pike exit 17 (TPS represent!). A decade in and it is, of course, a very different beast from when it began... took me awhile to find my footing and my focus (well, that's assuming you believe I've found either). In the alternate universe where I have no day job, no family, a clone, and a staff of filthy assistants, I threw a big honkin' party with some of my favorite bands, a whole lot of friends, and a bunch of free stuff. In this one, I stopped at Deep Ellum on the way home for work and had a raised a pint to myself. In other words, it was a Monday. Huzzah!
In case you weren't aware, or hadn't taken notice of the little blue square in the upper right over there, for some inexplicable reason the Almanac has been nominated in the "Best Boston Blog" category of the 2010 Boston Phoenix Readers Poll. Which resulted in equal parts total flattery and complete confusion. Y'see, not only is this the first year, I believe, that the category has been changed from "Best Boston Blog/Podcast" to simply "Best Boston Blog", but it may be the first time a music-related site has been among the nominees. And not just one, but three of them. How cool is that?
If you are so inclined (if you're reading this, I'm hoping you're doing so because you enjoy it, not out of some strange masochistic compulsion), go vote for me (and make sure you click 'submit vote' then 'skip to finish'). According to the fine print, you can vote once a day, so do with that info what you will. No, I have no idea when the polls close, but I'm assuming that'll happen about 30 seconds before I click 'publish' on this post.
And here's some wishful thinking, directed at the Phoenix folks: Given that three music blogs ended up in this year's Reader's Poll, how about a new category in the 2010 Phoenix Best Music Poll for "Best Boston Music Blog"? Spread the love around a bit more, y'know? I'm obviously biased, but with the number of fine music-related websites we've got around this town, maybe it's time.
Speaking of the Phoenix, their On The Download blog asked me to comment on the recent so-called #musicblogicide2010 (for the layperson: Google/Blogger deleted the entirety of a few music blogs due to some questionable copyright complaints). So, I commented. Go ahead and read my rambling, as if you don't get enough of that here already.
And now, on to a couple of causes that actually deserve your time and attention...
It warmed my heart last month when I learned that Al Crisafulli had decided to restart his wonderful Jersey-based label Dromedary Records (the original run was from 1993 to 2000), and it warmed my heart even further when I saw one of the first new releases would be "Make the Load Lighter: Indie Rock for Haiti". The 16-track, digital-only release includes old and new contributions from Dromedary artists like the Mommyheads, Cuppa Joe, + Footstone, as well as Moviola and Jennifer Convertible. Well worth a purchase, moreso because all of the proceeds will go to Vwa Ayiti ("Voice of Haiti"), which is "an all-volunteer organization that has been doing environmentally-conscious community development projects in Haiti since 2005. Right now all donations are going directly to providing medical care to the quake victims." So get over to the Dromedary site and order up, or look it up at Amazon, eMusic, or iTunes.
A cause that is far, far closer to my heart and home (and those who know me well know why) is the fight against cancer. Since late last year, I've been following the creation and launch of TargetCancer and their new Right Track Tunes website. And I quote...
"TargetCancer promotes the development of lifesaving treatment protocols for rare cancers. Through fundraising, outreach, and advocacy, TargetCancer supports those living with rare cancers and funds research initiatives at the forefront of cancer treatment — efforts that treat the individual as well as the disease."
It's the rare forms of cancer that, by definition, get short shrift in the donation and attention game. But there are so many so called "rare" forms that they become a larger sample when combined, and they need the research and support that all other cancer fighters (I refuse to use the word 'victims') need.
The spark for TargetCancer's formation came from the fight that Bostonian Paul Poth put up, and regrettably lost, with his own rare form of cancer. I highly encourage you to set aside a few minutes and read about Paul in his touching Boston Globe obituary right here. It'll make you wish, at the least, that you'd met the guy, and will certainly make you wish he was still around. But he is, really, though the work of those close to him and TargetCancer.
The organization's first major push comes in the form of Right Track Tunes, a site that allows you to donate and download tracks from a wide variety of generous artists, including Boston's own Drug Rug, Buffalo Tom, Mike Viola, and the Gravel Pit, as well as artists like Ween, Linda Thompson, Dean & Britta, The Donnas, Cowboy Junkies, and Weezer. That roster will only grow from here, once the word gets out some more. So get over there, get with the giving, and get with the listening. Follow them on Twitter to get the latest, and keep tabs on new songs contributed to the cause.
And three very quick tips before I go...
It is absolutely ridiculous that there are still tickets available for the Clientele / Field Music show at Great Scott next month. Are you people not paying attention or something? The Clientele set will make you swoon, and while I've yet to see Field Music, their just-released album "Measure" is pretty much blowing me away (stream it here). Either of these bands could pack larger places on their own, so when it does sell out, don't say I didn't warn ya.
Also very surprising? That you can still buy tickets for the March 1st premiere of director Jonathan Demme's new Neil Young concert film at Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theatre. I mean, not only will Jonathan Demme himself be there to intro the "Neil Young Trunk Show" and host a post-screening Q+A, but his friend Robyn Hitchcock is coming along to play some songs. No, that is not your average, everyday film premiere. It's part of the Coolidge's celebration of Demme's career and his selection as the 2010 Coolidge Award recipient. Lots of cool stuff going on around that event, but this screening is extra-cool.
And lastly, I implore you to go see the final night of John Shade's very special February residency at the Armory in Somerville this Thursday. I caught the first one, and left in a string-induced stupor. As excellent as the songs from his debut album ("All You Love Is Need") are, they go to another place entirely when accompanied by the Neave String Quartet. The arrangements that Zack Hickman (who joins in on stand-up bass) pulled together are nothing short of magical, and witnessing them in such a small space (the Armory's cozy front room) felt like a gift. Rounding out the lineup all month has been Leo Blais and different guests each week, and this final night brings Bo Barringer (from MEandJOANCOLLINS and Mascara) and Adena Atkins. Some strong advice, though: Buy advance tickets. Word has been spreading about the wonderfulness, and last week was a solid sell-out.
Alright, that's it from me. The workweek is already well underway...
The second show of The Magnetic Fields' two-night stand at Boston's Wilbur Theatre was full of memorable moments, and for anyone who's seen them before, you know I'm not just talking about the music. The back-and-forth between Stephin Merritt and bandmate/manager/longtime friend Claudia Gonson ranges anywhere from awkwardly amusing to flat-out funny, and we had a whole bunch of that between the 30-or-so songs they treated us to on Thursday night.
From Claudia's opinion on the Who playing the Superbowl ("It must have been a recession special. Aren't those guys like 70 or something?") to discussion of their intermission ritual (tea-warming and coke-snorting?), to the best place to avoid vampires (gay bars, because there are so many mirrors), the unplanned asides can bring as many laughs as the dry wit in Merritt's lyrics.
But one diatribe in particular struck me, mostly because I'm an Okkervil River fan. Here's what Mr. Merritt had to say before the band kicked into "We Are Having A Hootenanny", off their just-released "Realism"...
Stephin Merritt: So I was just buying this hat, in a clothing store - as you can tell, not a wrinkle on it - and they were playing an album by a band called Aqua-something River?
Claudia Gonson: Okkervil River.
SM: ... Okkervil River. And their instrumentation was shockingly similar to not only the Magnetic Fields new album, but... this show. And I have been telling interviewers how proud we were that nobody has ever had this lineup or anything like it, for two months or something like that, six or seven times a day. Oh yes, who has ever used the 8-string ukulele, acoustic guitar, cello, pianette, and auto-harp together?... Well, they [Okkervil River] have, I think it's auto-harp, cello, pianette, acoustic guitar, 8-string ukulele, and... mandolin, or something like that.
CG: The moral of the story is... don't buy hats.
SM: Yes, don't buy hats, before you play a show.
CG: Don't do anything before you play a show. Including eat gigantic Chinese food.
SM: Yes, that either. But also, they had quite good lyrics.
CG: What?
SM: They had quite good lyrics. Which was a problem for me.
(audience laughs)
SM: I'm used to saying "I'm not just the best lyricist in the English language, I'm the only lyricist in the English language".
(more laughter)
SM: But now there's competition on both fronts. I think they have industrial spies they've sent out...
(he looks suspiciously towards auto-harpist/vocalist Shirley Simms to his right)
SM: ... and it might be Shirley.
(and Shirley stares slyly back)
Gotta wonder if Okkervil River's Will Sheff had a serious case of burning ear on Thursday night as he received that fairly impressive long-distance compliment.
Also pointedly amusing, after the band descended into a downward spiral of banter during the encore, was this quick one...
CG: We're playing to 2300 people in a couple of days (ed: tonight at Brookyn's BAM), and we're going to get our act together. Be professional. We're going to dress up and shut up.
SM: Maybe it's better if you all pretend we ended after the second set. If there are any bloggers out there... (pauses)
As a follow-up to last week's list of the 2010 album releases I'm looking forward to, here are a few I forgot, some that were recommended, and a couple that have been announced since. Thanks to readers and friends for the reminders, and to the labels and bands who've gotten in touch. FYI, I'll also be adding these to the original post if you want to take a look there for the full run-down...
After a wait of nearly four years since their breakthrough full-length, "The Trials of Van Occupanther", Midlake returned with last Tuesday's arrival of their third album, "The Courage of Others". Criticism has been wide-ranging, from unqualified raves (see the AVClub) to flat-out dismissals (from you know who), and while I fall somewhere in the middle, I'm definitely heading in the direction of 'rave'.
Though I was immediately impressed upon Van Occupanther's release, it did take awhile for its magic to truly charm me, so I'm hesitant to judge this new one too quickly. It has the disadvantage of increased expectations, and if you come looking for the catchier, more upbeat side of the band (a la signature song, "Roscoe"), you'll have to look elsewhere. The hooks here are subtler, more drawn out... sometimes hard to find at all. "The Courage Of Others" is a drastically moodier affair - the band takes a fair amount of risk within the sonic box they've placed themselves in.
During the long wait for the album I wondered, given that every review of their previous one mentioned the same 70's touchstones (Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, etc), if the band took so long in an over-thought effort to reinvent themselves. Well, the answer is very simply no, but they've definitely gone darker and deeper, and are taking hits for it. For every band that tries too hard to change up their formula and fails hard, there are those that work within what they know (and what many love them for) to craft a worthy follow-up. I think that's where Midlake is at, coming up with a collection of songs that is just different enough from its predecessor to avoid redundancy, yet still rub a few followers the wrong way.
Thanks to the folks at Filter, I've got a couple copies of Midlake's "The Courage of Others" on CD to hand out to 'Nac readers. If you reside in the continental U.S., drop an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com entitled "MIDLAKE" before this coming Friday, February 12th at 9am. I'll fire up the randomizer and pick two winners that day, then get in touch for mailing addresses.
As the ceaseless (and increasingly rapid) consume/judge/move-on cycle that is today's internet-music-review-machine chews new albums up and spits 'em out, I look forward to spending the rest of the winter letting this one sink in, and to Midlake's April 9th stop in Boston near the end up their upcoming U.S. tour. I remember very distinctly their visit to TT the Bears back in 2006, playing first of three bands, and how enamored I was of their live set. They headlined both the Middle East Upstairs and then the Paradise the following year, but haven't been back since. (and thanks to Kevin in the comments for setting me straight on those headlining gigs, both of which I missed. The 'Nac intern responsible for fact-checking has been sacked)
Stream "The Courage Of Others" over at NPR, and if you're in the Boston area, stop by Newbury Comics, where I picked up the CD for a measly $7.99 (with a sticker on the front that ironically included previous praise from P4K). A nice surprise? Finding an insert inside with a download code for bonus track "Rose Of Dawn" (which easily measures up to the rest of the album) and a hi-res quicktime file of the Jason-Lee-directed teaser film above. Which could be looked at as an attempt to culturally balance out his work in the Chipmunk films.
As a follow-up to last week's list of the 2010 album releases I'm looking forward to, here are a few I forgot, some that were recommended, and a couple that have been announced since. Thanks to readers and friends for the reminders, and to the labels and bands who've gotten in touch. FYI, I'll also be adding these to the original post if you want to take a look there for the full run-down...
After a wait of nearly four years since their breakthrough full-length, "The Trials of Van Occupanther", Midlake returned with last Tuesday's arrival of their third album, "The Courage of Others"
. Criticism has been wide-ranging, from unqualified raves (see the AVClub) to flat-out dismissals (from you know who), and while I fall somewhere in the middle, I'm definitely heading in the direction of 'rave'.
, 
" is pretty much blowing me away (