Alright, Mother Nature - I get it. It's winter. We're supposed to be cold and miserable. I think we've had enough already (10 days, maybe?)... I moved from the midwest to the west coast in an effort to get away from cold, shitty weather - yet, you persist. What have I done? Sure, Arlo is enjoying it, but I am not enjoying the careful-to-avoid-slipping-on-ice walks and waking up questioning whether or not things will be closed due to extreme stupid weather. It's not cool. It's cold. Stop it.
Portland got some weather other than sun and rain. At least Arlo is enjoying it. Of course, it means the city has all but shut down - so that gives us plenty of time to take it easy...
It seems that one of the records I'm anticipating the most for 2009 has leaked and boy oh boy, is it something else! Andrew Bird makes some of the most beautiful music around - with all his whistling and violin playing on top of his charming mumble/croon voice. This album makes me very happy, and it should you too. Noble Beast will be released on January 20th on Fat Possum Records. It is the first album you should purchase in the new year.
I had to submit my top 10 of 2008 for one of the music sites I write for and I'm pretty happy with the (close to) final draft I've compiled (with samples!) 10 Pale Young Gentlemen - Black Forest (Tra La La) If Andrew Bird raised a family, they would be Pale Young Gentlemen. This group of baroque hipsters from Wisconsin have released a wonderful chamber pop record. They go from quick and punky to slow and sleepy at the drop of a hat and everything in between. If you like your pop music with cello and a violin, look no further than the Pale Young Gentlemen.
09 The Week That Was - S/T You don't have to be a fan of Field Music to enjoy The Week That Was, but The Week That Was will probably make you a fan of Field Music. Peter Brewis (Field Music) has created his side project with some of his mates and has found some of the most interesting sounds to create some complex pop album, in the style of someone who listens to too much Pink Floyd and/or Genesis... in the poppiest/best possible way.
08 Wild Beasts - Limbo, Panto Theatrical freak folkers, Wild Beasts have the ability to crawl right under your skin and cause a slight irritation, all the while digging a hole in your heart until they settle down for a warming nap. The voice of Hayden Thorpe could cause your untrained ears to bleed with annoyance, that is - until you start to crave the crazy sounds he makes as he excitedly chirps and yelps out his poetic lyrics. It took me a few spins to dive into this record, but it was well worth it once I submerged myself in its beauty.
07 The Last Shadow Puppets the Age of the Understatement The retro-pop sound should be played out by now, but for some reason Alex Turner's side project hit me at the right time and place and re-introduced me to the fun and machismo sounds of brit pop in the 60's and 70's. Honestly, how could you go wrong with guitar riffs that belong in James Bond films, layered on top of orchestra strings conducted by Owen Pallett? You can't - and that's why The Age Of The Understatement has stuck to me this year.
06 Deerhunter - Microcastle I was (and still am) one of the few people who hated Cryptograms. All the noise drone transitions and layers of fuzz did nothing for me. I'm all for experimenting in music, but give people something to listen to, not just shitty noise. Microcastle is the great things Cryptograms tried to do, turned up to 200%. Dreamy, layered, lush pop music made by agoraphobic extroverts. It's a contradiction of sorts that has given life to a unique album that I have fallen in love with.
05 Bound Stems - The Family Afloat Chicago's Bound Stems took a giant step forward and released their sophomore album this year. To me, this album sounds like it was made by the Arcade Fire's experimental mid-west little brothers (and sister). It's beautiful and charming, but only in the way artsy-hipsters would enjoy. More people need to hear this record.
04 Evangelicals the Evening Descends Fun and creative, the Dead Oceans label (once again) has found a powerhouse of a band to add to their roster. This record was released in January and it has stayed in my rotation all year. Listening to this album is like witnessing a crackhouse bust - you don't know what to expect, but you can't wait to find out what they're gonna come out with next.
03 Man Man - Rabbit Habits It's Man Man, at their poppiest and friendliest. These guys put on the best live show I saw in 2008 and this album captures their live energy pretty darn well. If you like your music weird and Beefheart-y, do yourself a favor and get into Man Man already.
02 Department of Eagles - In Ear Park It's Grizzly Bear, part two. Yellow House is one of my most treasured albums and In Ear Park is a more juvinile version of that very same album. Daniel Rossen knows how to create wonderful chamber pop songs and I'm a sucker for beautiful harmonies and layered instruments. From the first time I heard No One Does It Like You, I was hooked - and now I've been skinned, deboned and now I'm marinating in the sweet sounds of Department of Eagles.
01 Parenthetical Girls - Entanglements Portland's Parenthetical Girls don't make the kind of music everyone can get into. This album lives in the thin line that separates uniquity and annoyance... but I am one of the believers. For three months I have been going back to this album and falling more and more in love with it. From the opening piano keys of Four Words to the final beautiful orchestral pop strings of This Regrettable End, this band has created the most charming album of the year. Sure, there's no way a live show could ever capture the perfect beauty of the entirity of this album, so I will be forcing friends to listen to this perfectly recorded record for years to come. I love the way this record sounds, but I am not a big fan of the dramatic performance style.
Anyone who has me as a gmail chat friend knows I'm feeling wintery lately. The weather is getting cold and more and more hot chocolate is getting consumed - and with that, I present my Wintery Mix Andrew Bird - the water jet cilice Decemberists - shiny the Dismemberment Plan - come home Grizzly Bear - marla Mates of State - nice things that look good Calla - stumble the Welcome Wagon - half a person Bjork - possibly maybe Elliott Smith - between the bars The Week That Was - everything's all gone quiet Modest Mouse - perfect disguise Dark Captain Light Captain - everyone we know the Cure - lullaby Bright Eyes - the center of the world Jens Lekman - sky phenomenon matt pond PA - in the aeroplane over the sea Iron & Wine - fever dream the Good Life - empty bed Belle & Sebastian - get me away from here, I'm dying
Slow moving after eating too much, sorry for the lack of updates. Thanksgiving was great. We had a great li'l party at the theater with good friends. Good times. We decided to take the weekend off from the theater and see our friend Jason who is in the circus! We had to travel to McMinnville, which is a tiny town SoutWest of Portland. Apparently, McMinnville was looking for a different type of event to hold for their holiday celebration weekend, so they called upon the Squirm Burpee Circus. Here's Stacey waiting for the show to start. Not just any circus, but the Squirm Burpee Circus & the HAND SOME DEV ILL SSS.... It was an amazing show. Jason was great as the "villain" who wants to shut down the show, Baron Vegan VonHamburger. If these guys tour through your town, do yourself a favor and check out the show! This past Sunday we opened our new Family Holiday show called FRUITCAKE! to a huge crowd. The Oregonian was there, so hopefully we'll have a review in a newspaper soon. Sunday night brought out our new event, the COLLEGE CAGEMATCH, where we invited all the local college improv teams to play. It was a great success!
I haven't posted a lot of video of Arlo. This was taken with my phone, so beware the quality, but isn't he the cutest?
