tuesday music - the veils

my co-worker jay howver dropped a blank disc on my desk yesterday afternoon and said, "check this out", with no explanation. i popped it in the drive and laughed when i saw what came up, because about two weeks ago i went to amiestreet after having seen a number of people posting about the new album from the veils - sun gangs. that's what jay had given me.

i've been digging this record a ton and am still finding a lot surfacing on repeated listens. touch points here would be echo & the bunnymen, arcade fire, nick cave, and in a couple spots, like the closing song "begin again", that are very rufus wainwright-ish, which to me can only be a good thing.

this is a band that can go from straight forward, brit-infused indie rock to some pretty epic stuff, like "larkspur" and then bring it back down to a simple song like "begin again", all within what i'd describe as elegant brooding, melodic atmosphere. "sit down by the fire" is a great way to launch the record, and other favorites include "killed by the boom" and "the house she lived in".

leader finn andrews comes from smart, incisive music naturally, as his dad played keys for both xtc and shriekback. this is the band's third album, though the first i've gotten, and i anticipate diving deeper into their catalog based on this record. if you enjoy your sweeping brit-infused stuff with some added heaviness of tone, this is record for you.

record store day! support indie record stores!

tomorrow is record store day, a celebration of independent music stores around the country. there are artist appearances, free stuff galore and great deals on music from the kinds of stores that have been the heart and soul of breaking new bands for years. i'll likely be hitting lou's recordsin encinitas, and there are hundreds of other great shops around the country that deserve your support.

I totally understand the changing face of music retail, and online destinations like amiestreet, noisetrade, pitchfork, filter, pandora and of course itunes have all made music easier to find and purchase. but i still love the feel of a place that allows for true community to form and people to recognize other like-minded music maniacs. i remember heading to uncle albert's records in my hometown of arlington heights, il to buy a copy of wls djs larry lujack and tommy edwards' (uncle 'lar and little tommy) animal stories records, or when i was on the dj committee at my junior high and buying 45s of j. geils band "freeze frame" and "centerfold" and csn's "southern cross", barely realizing that i was also immersed in the nw suburbs' prime a head shop and meeting place for incense afficionados.

in nashville, grimey's new & pre-loved music is the place to go not just for great music but for a great hang and a room where music lovers are celebrated. there's also a great little venue downstairs, appropriately called the basement, where you're likely to hear great music most nights, and certainly some surprises through the years.

so go to the record store day site and find your local record store and be sure to spend a little scratch with them not just on saturday, but throughout the year, and know that you're contributing to the lifeblood of great new music. amen.

great easter song (in my twisted mind)

i've been delving into the back catalog of one of my favorite bands of the past 4-5 years,the hold steady
the end of their fantastic record, separation sunday, closes with the track, how a resurrection really feels
this song caught me off guard a couple weeks ago, and i'll post the lyrics, which you can also find here
i'd also recommend you listen to the song that serves as a sort of prequel, which is called
crucifixion cruise
this isn't your standard triumphant hymn by any means, but the first half of the song in particular gets to me. it's a great scene to picture in my mind. hope you enjoy - here are the lyrics:

how a resurrection really feels - the hold steady
her parents named her halleluiah, the kids all called her holly.
if she scared you then she's sorry. she's been stranded at these parties.
these parties they start lovely but they get druggy and they get ugly and they get bloody.

the priest just kinda laughed. the deacon caught a draft.
she crashed into the easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass.
she was limping left on broken heels.
when she said father can i tell yr congregation how a resurrection really feels?

holly was a hoodrat. now you finally know that.
she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back.

she said: st. louis had enslaved me. i guess santa ana saved me.
st. peter had me on the queue. the st. paul saints they waved me thru.
i was all wrapped up in some video booth. when i heard her say i love you too.

she said i've laid beneath my lovers but i've never gotten laid.
some nites she felt protected. some nites she felt afraid.
she spent half last winter justa trying to get paid.
from some guy she'd originally thought to be her saviour.

they wrote her name in magic marks. on stopsigns and subway cars.
they got a mural up on e.13th. that said halleluiah rest in peace.

halleluiah was a hoodrat. and now you finally know that.
she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back.

walk on back. walk on back. she said don't turn me on again. i'd probably just go and get myself all gone again.
holly was a sexy mess. she looked strung out but experienced. so we all got kind of curious.

my favorite new music site

i may have posted on this before, but i don't care. i love amiestreet.com. it's a fantastic way to discover new music and purchase at a price that rewards experimentation, as songs start at a lower price which increases as popularity and recommendations increase. it also serves as a great means of going deeper into bands' catalogs when they were on indies.

i discovered the hold steady a few years back with "boys & girls in america", and their two previous records, "separation sunday" and "almost killed me" are at amiestreet for about $5-$6 each. want pre-"friend opportunity" music from deerhoof? amiestreet is the place. what's more - there are scores of free tracks and albums to browse and sample.

amazon is a minority investor in this site, which was started by three friends from brown university. nobody knows where online music is going, but for the time being i loves me some amiestreet. enjoy.

justin nozuka is talented ... and has short fans

last week i surprised michele by taking her to the famous belly up tavern in solana beach to see a fairly new singer-songwriter named justin nozuka. michele had seen him on a direct tv concert special and was blown away by him, so i was able to keep the word that he was coming to san diego from her.

usually when i work on some "aww, that's so sweet" type of thing for michele something happens in the process that aggravates or just plain pisses her off, because i'm doing something irrational to keep it a secret and it's not until there's a "reveal" that she puts it all together. this one went remarkably smoothly, and the only way that even guessed that it had to do with live music was that our friend moira showed up at the restaurant we had dinner at before the show.

nozuka is in that john mayer / david gray / jason mraz vein, which i find pleasant if not entirely satisfying. he's got a great voice and a more soulful approach than any of the others i mentioned, which helped me go along with the show much more. his band was good. great guitar / keyboard guy, and a solid rhythm section that i wish could have stretched out some more.

at many, if not most shows, my 6'1" frame gives me a good view of things, and michele has hit or miss experiences. well, this night even michele towered over his adoring and diminutive fans. i'm not sure what that's all about, but it was strikingly obvious and really humorous. so if you're 5' or less, justin nozuka may be the dreamboat singer-songwriter you've been looking for.

This is why I love Beck

Not content to do a standard performance, he's collaborating with creative people and turning a rote tv appearance into something people (like me) want to pass along. I know that this is part of his show as well, and it's just too cool. A little imagination and practice and you go from decent to memorable.