Link-o-rama

Boy, I don't know about you guys, but if I go for a week without checking Google Reader, it's damn near impossible to catch up. (And is it just me or does that "+" in the (1000+) header look extremely menacing?) So I spend an hour or two glancing at headlines and clicking the links that I should have been reading instead of being productive. Then I post them here. Sure it's old news by now, but any news is old after ten minutes in the modern age. Here's what has caught my eye as of late:

--Videogum rants about Bruno here.

--Chromewaves reminds us why we still care about 90s alt-rock here.

--Muzzle of Bees has 5 Questions with Jay Farrar of Son Volt here.

--A double dose of Band of Horses courtesy of Charleston City Paper: Word association and a full profile. We really love these guys...can you tell?

--One of my favorite pop bands, Audible, has a new disc out for a "name-your-own-price" download here. Chip in and help out a great band. You'll love 'em.

--And Stereo Subversion has an interview with the excellently-bearded Matisyahu here.

Link-o-rama! Yippee! Serious buyers only, please...

Beer + Records = Genius

Holy crap. Why has someone not thought of this idea before? I've seen bars in record stores, but 52.5 (aka the coolest record store in Charleston) is selling mixed 6 packs of specialty beers. They're featuring a new one every couple of weeks.

So, let me get this straight; I can go buy some used vinyl, the latest Bonnie "Prince" Billy release, and get this beer all at the same time? Genius. Read more here.

Oh, and a happy belated 12th birthday to the peeps at 52.5. Apparently local celebrity Ben Bridwell of some band you may have heard of called Band of Horses, is a supporter of the store, too.

Mobius Band is for Lovers

One of my new discoveries in late 07 (thanks to Stereogum and their OK Computer Tribute album, OKX) was Brooklyn's own Mobius Band. I was fortunate enough to see them down the street at The Map Room in December on a Monday night (the place was near deserted).

Check them out for free: they're offering a free Valentine's Day download EP of six cover songs (big props for covering Neil Young and Daft Punk). And get their new album Heaven on the always-classy Misra Records.

And, just as with Band of Horses and so many other bands, I have photos of the concert that have yet to be posted on Flickr. One day I'll catch up...

Happy V-Day, folks.

What Do You Grow at a Music Farm?

Band of Horses @ Music Farm, Charleston, SC
02.10.2008

I've been waiting for Band of Horses to convince me they were more than just another flashy band on Sub Pop. I thought that that time might never come. I thought I would have to begrudgingly smile and tell people, "Yeah, Band of Horses are great and we're proud they call this state home." I didn't want that to happen, but I was as prepared for it as I was a George W. Bush victory in 2004. Thankfully, Sunday night's show at the Music Farm proved me wrong.

Originally scheduled for the much smaller (i.e., intimate) Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant, SC, the show was rescheduled for two days earlier (from Tues, Feb 12 to Sunday, Feb 10). But apparently a slot on Conan O'Brien takes precedence over a homecoming show and thus, we all ended up highly confused, standing in lines patiently for doors to open (Where did you buy your tickets from originally? What "Will Call" list are you on? Did you already pay? We don't know if the show is sold out.) No harm, no foul, though--at least they showed up. The band had to cancel two dates in Florida due to flu and Ben Bridwell losing his voice.

I wandered around outside while Tyler Ramsey played Red House Painters-esque tunes. And felt bored shitless while Cass McCombs and the Middle Class plodded through a set that I thought would never end. But by 10:15, when the house lights went out and Bridwell announced to a screaming crowd, "Hey everybody, we're Band of Horses and we're from here!" and the first sleepy lull of "Is There a Ghost" chimed out of his Gibson, followed by a three-guitar, six-man wall of sound, you couldn't have kicked the smile off my face.

I could have left after the first thirty minutes: the aforementioned "Is There a Ghost," followed by "Islands on the Coast," and the aptly titled "The First Song"--still one of the best opening tracks on any album I've bought in five years--was what I came to hear. (Admit it, we all go hoping to hear that one song.) And I screamed, and clapped, and did the white-man rock bounce. And I didn't even want to punch the college frat-fuck next to me for saying that he couldn't wait to hear "that song from 'One Tree Hill.'"(That's "The Funeral" for anyone keeping track at home.)

In truth, the crowd was a bit subdued for the final show on their North American Winter tour; not to mention a show in their hometown. But the band didn't seem to notice. And Bridwell had a smile ripped across his face the whole time like a man who loves music as much as the fans do. And he does, too, from what I can see--playing three covers in a 100 minute set seems excessive, but he did it and didn't care what the rules were. As long as the music was loud and everyone felt good about being together, he felt good about showing it. So, when the encore came and he asked us if we wanted to stick around for two more songs, no one complained--even when they closed out the night with a cover of Chicago's "Feelin' Stronger Everyday." There's a metaphor in there, buried skin-deep, I believe. But there was definitely no irony to it. And that only makes me appreciate their music even more.

Concert photos up on Flickr soon.

The Set List:
Is There a Ghost
Islands on the Coast
The Great Salt Lake
Weed Party
The First Song
Our Swords
Cigarettes Wedding Bands
J.J Cale cover (?)
Part One
Keyboardist played a song that I did not catch the title of
The Funeral
Wicked Gil
Ode to LRC
Act Together (Rolling Stones/Ron Wood cover)

Encore:
Monsters
No One's Gonna Love You
The General Specific
Marry Song
Feelin' Stronger Everyday (Chicago Cover)