Kurt Vile and the Violators @ Union Transfer – 5/18/13

•May 22, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Got the chance to see Philly’s own Kurt Vile play through a few new songs off of his Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze album as well as some favorites off of previous albums.  There was a lot of droning guitars…and hair. Here’s a few pics and a video from the show.

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Futurebirds – Baba Yaga (Fat Possum Records)

•May 15, 2013 • Leave a Comment

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If there is one trait that defines the band Futurebirds, without question it’s their work ethic.  After releasing their superb debut Hampton’s Lullaby in 2010, the band got right back out on the road and didn’t waste any time getting to work on their next album.  Writing songs while touring heavily in the Southern US over the following years, this Athens, GA band made a name for themselves for their rambunctious live shows.  For fans like myself that reside in the Northeastern US, they’ve been a group that’s been extremely hard to catch on tour.  Recently they’ve opened for Heartless Bastards and they are currently on the road with Band of Horses.  The latter of which is a perfect fit for a band whose sound has always reminded me of previous iterations of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses.  There’s something about that reinvented twangy southern rock sound that I just can’t get enough of.

The new album is named after a monstrous female beast from Slavic folklore that would feast on children.  Not really certain why the band chose this as the title, but if I had to take a quick guess it would probably have something to do with, what a giant beast of a record Baba Yaga turned out to be.  Clocking in at over an hour long, it’s obvious that this was no easy feat to get these songs narrowed down to the 13 tracks that did make the album.  After all, there are five different songwriters in this band.  The only band member to not contribute to the writing process is the man playing the pedal-steel guitar, Dennis Love.  The pedal-steel is an unmistakable sound and it has become a keystone in the construction of Futurebirds two full-length albums.  Baba Yaga builds off of the spacy southern garage-rock anthems of Hampton’s Lullaby and adds a bit more polish to the vocals and overall sound.  Where Hampton’s was raw, Baba Yaga is refined.  That’s an incredible feat considering the album’s length.

The anathematic choruses that I loved so much on Hampton’s are also found aplenty here as well.  No song more so than the album opener, and first single “Virginia Slims.”  All the attributes that set this band apart, and make them an exciting live up and coming band can all be heard on this first track.  Pedal-steel winds its way through the melody and rhythm.  It takes you by the hand and leads you to that anathematic chorus over and over again.  “Serial Bowls” is a hearty southern romp through a matter-of-factly stated bludgeoning of the soul.  There are a few more songs on this album with a slower more introspective feel to them than there was on Hampton’s.  There are plenty of sing-along moments throughout the choruses of these slower songs.  The album feels like a release of pent up frustrations with plenty of personal highs and lows nestled gently in between feedback and guitar solos.  “The Light” is a more folky catchy little number that breaks up the spacy peddle-steel driven tracks that surround it.  “Womeo” and “Strangers” are similar in sound with a little fiddle and banjo thrown in for good measure.   The album ends with “St. Summercamp,” a nearly nine minute extravaganza of not wanting the album to end.

The band probably could have trimmed off a couple songs or made one less guitar solo on a few tracks to keep the album from feeling a bit bloated, which it does.  There’s plenty to enjoy here, especially if you were already a fan of the band.  Everything that Futurebirds does well, they do it even better on this album.  It’s expansive yet personal, ambitious yet straight forward.  These guys know their strengths and they do their best to hit those strengths time and time again.  Don’t let this band and this album pass you by.

Here’s the video for “Virginia Slims

Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires – WXPN Free @ Noon – 4/12/13

•April 12, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Another Friday. Another Free at Noon show at World Cafe. For those that aren’t familiar with Charles Bradley, think of an extremely humble and grateful James Brown. The man oozes charm and you can tell that he loves performing and gives back to the crowd twice the love that they give him. At the end of his set he came down into the crowd and was passing out hugs to anyone that wanted one. If there was any one musician that I could say embodies the word “genuine” it would be Charles Bradley. His new album Victim of Love is out now and his tour is just getting started and will no doubt be bringing him and his band to a town near you this summer.

Frightened Rabbit – WXPN Free @ Noon – 4/5/13

•April 8, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Here’s a few pictures and video I took from the World Cafe for Frightened Rabbit’s Free @ Noon show. Yes, They Might Be Giants were there and played first. No, I did not take any pics or videos of their set, mainly cause I don’t care for them much. Frightened Rabbit, on the other hand, were quite good. I was surprised at the force and strength upon which they rocked.

danbird’s Top 40 Albums of 2012

•December 24, 2012 • Leave a Comment

40. AC Newman – Shut Down the Streets

39. Patterson Hood – Heat Lightening Rumbles in the Distance

38. Chromatics – Kill for Love

37. Maps and Atlases – Beware and Be Grateful

36. Two Gallants – The Bloom and the Blight

35. Dr. Dog – Be the Void

34. Ty Segall – Twins

33. Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

32. Helvetia – Nothing in Rambling

31. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

30. New Multitudes – New Multitudes

29. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill

28. Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

27. The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance

26. Sigur Rós – Valtari

25. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

24. Menomena – Moms

23. Delta Spirit – Delta Spirit

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22. Heartless Bastards – Arrow

21. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light

20. Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu

19. Trampled by Turtles – Stars and Satellites

18. Woods – Bend Beyond

17. First Aid Kit – The Lions Roar

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16. Cat Power – Sun

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15. Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

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14. The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now

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13. Godspeed You! Black Emperor

12. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself

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11. Tame Impala – Lonerism

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Top 10

 

10. Wild Nothing – Nocturne

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9. Grizzly Bear – Shields

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8. Polica – Give You the Ghost

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7. Beach House – Bloom

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6. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls

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5. The Walkmen – Heaven

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4. Lower Dens – Nootropics

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3. Jack white – Blunderbuss

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2. The xx – Coexist

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1. Father John Misty – Fear Fun

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Colebrook Road

•December 21, 2011 • Leave a Comment

I did a short documentary this semester on my friend’s bluegrass band. They are from Central Pennsylvania and they’re called Colebrook Road. Check out their Facebook and their Myspace

danbird’s Top 40 Albums of 2011

•December 20, 2011 • 1 Comment

40. Battles – Glass Drop
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39. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
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38. The Dodos – No Color
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37. Gillan Welch – The Harrow & The Harvest
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36. My Morning Jacket – Circuital
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35. The Roots – Undun
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34. Nicole Atkins – Mondo Amore
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33. Feist – Metals
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32. Brown Recluse – Evening Tapestry
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31. J Mascis – Several Shades of Why
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30. tUnE-yArDs – WHOKILL
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29. Deer Tick – Divine Providence
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28. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World
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27. Panda Bear – Tomboy
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26. Atlas Sound – Parallax
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25. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine
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24. Yuck – Yuck
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23. Vetiver – The Errant Charm
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22. Givers – In Light
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21. Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing
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20. Woods – Sun & Shade
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19. Fruit Bats – Tripper
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18. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
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17. The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
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16. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
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15. Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
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14. The Antlers – Burst Apart
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13. Middle Brother – Middle Brother
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12. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
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11. Wye Oak – Civilian
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10. Real Estate – Days
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This album is just really really good.
 

 
9. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
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Well polished second album from Justin Vernon. His sound is full and rich and it’s coming into his own.

 

 
8. The Black Keys – El Camino
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Not as good as Brothers, but a solid barn burner through and through. These guys are officially rock stars.

 

 

7. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Tell Me
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Dark and brutally honest. If Elliot Smith was a troubled girl from the Southern US, this is what it would sound like.

 

 

6. Wilco – The Whole Love
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So many good songs on here. Fresh and new sounding. Best Wilco effort in quite some time.

 

 
5. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
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Lazy, hazy, sleepy, dreamy set of songs that sets quite the mood.

 

 
4. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
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This album is highly underrated. Unique and tightly crafted Radiohead effort. Watch Live From the Basement and like these songs even more.

 

 
3. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
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Every song is a winner on this one. The Decemberists at their best.

 

 
2. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
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An amazingly deep and rich album that just gets better with each listen.

 

 

1. AA Bondy – Believers
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This album is like leaving your entire life behind and hitchhiking to anywhere other than here. It’s dark and beautifully haunting.

 
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