The best venues we performed at in 2009, in no particular order.
Sidewalk Cafe - New York, NY
Our favorite place to play, hands down. A laid-back candlelit room, there's someone new and interesting playing there all the time. Great food and staff, and the coolest sound guy ever - who may or may not be named after a famous brand of cookies.
Tammany Hall - Worcester, MA
The biggest stage we've played on to date, the band has never before enjoyed so much freedom to jump, run, spin or headbang. Not to mention the bartender who will teach you the finer points of the beer/glass relationship.
The Local 269 - New York, NY
A small corner of the Lower East Side, its eclectic mix of performers, generous pints of just about everything, and the fact that they will keep your lost equipment under lock and key until you arrive to retrieve it put The Local 269 quickly on this list.
The Blockley Pourhouse - Philadelphia, PA
Second biggest stage we played on this year, and first time we were ever able to watch sports on TV during our set. Thankfully, the Eagles won. And we got to meet The Lights Out. Did I mention it's only a few blocks from where we practice? That was a plus.
The Hellenic Center - Dover, NH
A room so big that if you stood too far in the back, you couldn't hear us play. OK, I exaggerate. We had a fantastic time, mostly because of the really nice staff, hosts, and our lively audience - 200 guests of John and Courtney's wedding. The most fun we had all year - thanks, guys.
Philadelphia Vintage Stores - Philadelphia, PA
Our good friends and fans at Reverie Vintage and The Curiosity Shoppe allowed us to show that we can play without amplifiers just as well as with them. The intimate setting was a great way for us to interact with the audience, and gave us an opportunity to support two fine local businesses. And for Dan to model ladies' coats.
Langdon St. Cafe - Montpelier, VT
As a Pennsylvanian, it's not too often that I can step up to a coffeehouse counter and order a pastry AND a beer. But the Langdon St. cafe has a great combination of hip coffeehouse and cozy bar atmosphere. It allowed us to meet Driftwood, crazy-good musicians and crazy-nice people. Plus, Montpelier is picturesque.
The M Room - Philadelphia, PA
Great food, quality performers, and an awesome sound guy who may or may not be named after a talking car driven by David Hasselhoff. They do a good job of making us feel like we're actually in New York.
Joe Squared - Baltimore, MD
Amazing square pizza, cool stage lighting, and the some of the best indie music to be seen and heard in Baltimore. The best part: it's close enough that we can still drive home and sleep in our own beds after a gig!
Steel City Coffeehouse - Phoenixville, PA
The perfect coffeehouse atmosphere in a hoppin' town. The staff always takes great care of us, and the sound is always phenomenal - thanks to a sound guy who may or may not be named Baron.
Happy New Year!
- Nick
Thursday, December 31, 2009
James and 2009
This year's been a bit too tumultuous to wrap up easily, so I shall, for the most part, stick to the records that got me through it.
THE OBSESSION BAND
I, not infrequently, will have a year wherein I have a sudden craving to listen to a band with whom I've had little contact previously. Upon hearing one record, I usually then seek all the rest (being a completist, and all). Past obsessions have included the Flaming Lips, the Eels, Blur, Erykah Badu, Dire Straits, the Frames, and Peter Gabriel, to name but a few. This year, it was the Grateful Dead. For some reason, about March, I just HAD to hear American Beauty. Just had to. Then it was Workingman's Dead, then Europe '72 (which is still in a weekly rotation). Since then, I've dug up all the studio records (though my preference is still that early 70s era) and a couple gigs worth of live shows (preferring the later 70s). While, as a lifelong Phishhead (more on that later), I have an ear for jamming, what really blows my mind about the Dead is the way nothing is cemented in their performances. The Dead were 5 (or 6 or 7 or 8) people who all knew a lot of SONGS, not a lot of PARTS. From night to night and tour to tour, songs would be completely loose, arrangement-wise, based on every member knowing, not just their part, but really knowing the SONG, and approaching it each time as if it were wholly new. Listen to any 4 versions of any song, and you'll hear what I mean: vocal harmonies come and go, instrumental solos or bridges appear at different times and for different durations, tempos, rhythms, accents vary widely from show to show... A really underrated aspect of the band.
DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR: NON-2009 RELEASE
While I obsessed over the Dead this year, I had, certainly heard them, and of them, before. That wasn't the case with the Jayhawks, who Dan and I discovered this year. I'm fairly perturbed that no one pointed them out to me before, since with my particular (some would, I'm sure, say "poor"... Justin!) tastes, this band is EXACTLY WHAT I WANT IN A BAND. Amazing tight harmonies, sad bastardness, subtle guitar work, that Americana swing without being overly twangy... In much the same way that August and Everything After had a huge impact on me as both a musician and a music fan, I think that Hollywood Town Hall would have redirected my life quite a bit, had I but heard it in 1992 when it came out, rather than last June. Better late than never, I suppose.
BEST RECORD FROM AN OLD FAVORITE
As someone with a fair detachment from modern pop music, quite the number of records I pick up in any given year are new releases from bands/artists with whom I've previously been acquainted. This year, the top dog in the pile is easily Phish's Joy. I've been a fan of the band since I was about 14 when my sister gave me Nectar and Hoist for my birthday. Since that time, I've seen 20 or so shows, and heard them make better and better studio albums (Billy Breathes, Ghost), followed by worse albums and lackluster shows (Undermind, the whole of the post-Hiatus, pre-Breakup era). When they announced they were splitting in 2004, I regret to say I was almost relieved. Finally they could just be the band I'd loved in the 90s without having to really talk about the Oughts. Until this year, when they returned (predictably) to the stage and the studio. But listening to the first shows back, despite their occasional unsteadiness, I could hear that, for the first time in a long time, they really seemed to be listening to each other, to be reacting to each other. They sounded as if they'd been practicing, and as if they were really having fun again. Joy is confirmation of that: it's the richest, fullest record since Ghost, and with an excellent collection of tunes, from lengthy composed epics (Time Turns Elastic) to off-the-cuff gigglers (I Been Around) to tight rockers (Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Kill Devil Falls) to loose jam platforms (Ocelot, Backwards Down the Number Line) and those odd, slight left turns that they've always done so well (Sugar Shack, Light). Joy just grows on me every time I hear it.
Honorable Mentions: We Are the Same (Tragically Hip), Through the Devil Softly (Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions), The Mountain (Heartless Bastards), Embryonic (Flaming Lips), Draw the Line (David Gray)
BEST RECORD FROM A NEW DISCOVERY, 2009 EDITION
It's a tie this year, between Middle Cyclone by Neko Case and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, by Phoenix.
Neko Case is someone I've been aware of but never really heard for awhile now; I think I may have been in a cafe when someone played The Tigers have Spoken, but before this year, I think I would have said "Neko Case? Redhead, big voice, countryish." Middle Cyclone is so much more, though, that I've since gone back and started checking the previous records for signs of its imminence. Case has managed to wholly abandon pop structure in favor of songs that lyrically drift from idea to idea in a haphazard way, bending and careening as they dance from metaphor to image and back. She showcases her (admittedly big) voice over a warm blend of acoustic instrument and electronic texture, so that even once her lyrics are understood, there's layers and layers more to discover.
As for Phoenix, I have very little to say besides that, apparently, if someone's gonna make a danceable record for me, they better damn well be French. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is glossy, shiny, yet somehow analog and homey. Simultaneously slick and breathy. I know little about Phoenix, and haven't yet gotten any previous records. But I will. You bet yer ass.
Honorable Mentions: Yours Truly the Commuter (Jason Lytle), Monsters of Folk (Monsters of Folk), Merriweather Post Pavilion (Animal Collective)
MOST ENJOYABLE, COMEDIC DIVISION
Incredibad, the Lonely Island. Beats out Scream by Chris Cornell because it is intended to be funny.
MOST OVERRATED
Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors. I almost like this record. Almost. I think if there were songs, it would be much improved. The thing most people who grave-rob the Talking Heads forget is that the grooves and weirdness worked to benefit the songs, not to replace them.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
A Positive Rage, the Hold Steady. I ADORE this band, but this live album is sorta flat and out of date. I have not seen the Hold Steady live, but I can not imagine them being flat and out of date in person. Perhaps the DVD is better...
And Finally:
MY FAVORITE RECORD OF THE YEAR
Strict Joy, the Swell Season. Strict Joy occupies the territory between the lovely, sparse, minimal arrangements of the first Swell Season record and the dreamy-yet-oddly-bombastic sad bastardness of the Frames. It's a warm, close, lushly harmonized affair. Glen Hansard, a Van Morrison acolyte, ranges from whispers to histrionics, while Marketa Irglova struggles to keep her voice under tight control. It's also one of the rare instances where a couple splits up and makes the breakup record together (see also Mac, Fleetwood: Rumours), and yet it is a stunningly harmonious experience. From the opening swing and mellow horn section of Low Rising, to the quick drive of Feeling the Pull, to the whispered loss of In These Arms, to the thick harmonies that conclude the heartbreaking I Have Loved You Wrong, the record quietly, politely, warmly, stabs you in the chest and leaves you staring out the window in silent contemplation.
I could talk much longer about the music of the year (to say nothing of, you know, the REST OF THE YEAR, the parts that didn't come out of my headphones)... but I shan't. At the moment.
Happy New Year, all... Maybe this year will be better than the last.
J
THE OBSESSION BAND
I, not infrequently, will have a year wherein I have a sudden craving to listen to a band with whom I've had little contact previously. Upon hearing one record, I usually then seek all the rest (being a completist, and all). Past obsessions have included the Flaming Lips, the Eels, Blur, Erykah Badu, Dire Straits, the Frames, and Peter Gabriel, to name but a few. This year, it was the Grateful Dead. For some reason, about March, I just HAD to hear American Beauty. Just had to. Then it was Workingman's Dead, then Europe '72 (which is still in a weekly rotation). Since then, I've dug up all the studio records (though my preference is still that early 70s era) and a couple gigs worth of live shows (preferring the later 70s). While, as a lifelong Phishhead (more on that later), I have an ear for jamming, what really blows my mind about the Dead is the way nothing is cemented in their performances. The Dead were 5 (or 6 or 7 or 8) people who all knew a lot of SONGS, not a lot of PARTS. From night to night and tour to tour, songs would be completely loose, arrangement-wise, based on every member knowing, not just their part, but really knowing the SONG, and approaching it each time as if it were wholly new. Listen to any 4 versions of any song, and you'll hear what I mean: vocal harmonies come and go, instrumental solos or bridges appear at different times and for different durations, tempos, rhythms, accents vary widely from show to show... A really underrated aspect of the band.
DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR: NON-2009 RELEASE
While I obsessed over the Dead this year, I had, certainly heard them, and of them, before. That wasn't the case with the Jayhawks, who Dan and I discovered this year. I'm fairly perturbed that no one pointed them out to me before, since with my particular (some would, I'm sure, say "poor"... Justin!) tastes, this band is EXACTLY WHAT I WANT IN A BAND. Amazing tight harmonies, sad bastardness, subtle guitar work, that Americana swing without being overly twangy... In much the same way that August and Everything After had a huge impact on me as both a musician and a music fan, I think that Hollywood Town Hall would have redirected my life quite a bit, had I but heard it in 1992 when it came out, rather than last June. Better late than never, I suppose.
BEST RECORD FROM AN OLD FAVORITE
As someone with a fair detachment from modern pop music, quite the number of records I pick up in any given year are new releases from bands/artists with whom I've previously been acquainted. This year, the top dog in the pile is easily Phish's Joy. I've been a fan of the band since I was about 14 when my sister gave me Nectar and Hoist for my birthday. Since that time, I've seen 20 or so shows, and heard them make better and better studio albums (Billy Breathes, Ghost), followed by worse albums and lackluster shows (Undermind, the whole of the post-Hiatus, pre-Breakup era). When they announced they were splitting in 2004, I regret to say I was almost relieved. Finally they could just be the band I'd loved in the 90s without having to really talk about the Oughts. Until this year, when they returned (predictably) to the stage and the studio. But listening to the first shows back, despite their occasional unsteadiness, I could hear that, for the first time in a long time, they really seemed to be listening to each other, to be reacting to each other. They sounded as if they'd been practicing, and as if they were really having fun again. Joy is confirmation of that: it's the richest, fullest record since Ghost, and with an excellent collection of tunes, from lengthy composed epics (Time Turns Elastic) to off-the-cuff gigglers (I Been Around) to tight rockers (Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan, Kill Devil Falls) to loose jam platforms (Ocelot, Backwards Down the Number Line) and those odd, slight left turns that they've always done so well (Sugar Shack, Light). Joy just grows on me every time I hear it.
Honorable Mentions: We Are the Same (Tragically Hip), Through the Devil Softly (Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions), The Mountain (Heartless Bastards), Embryonic (Flaming Lips), Draw the Line (David Gray)
BEST RECORD FROM A NEW DISCOVERY, 2009 EDITION
It's a tie this year, between Middle Cyclone by Neko Case and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, by Phoenix.
Neko Case is someone I've been aware of but never really heard for awhile now; I think I may have been in a cafe when someone played The Tigers have Spoken, but before this year, I think I would have said "Neko Case? Redhead, big voice, countryish." Middle Cyclone is so much more, though, that I've since gone back and started checking the previous records for signs of its imminence. Case has managed to wholly abandon pop structure in favor of songs that lyrically drift from idea to idea in a haphazard way, bending and careening as they dance from metaphor to image and back. She showcases her (admittedly big) voice over a warm blend of acoustic instrument and electronic texture, so that even once her lyrics are understood, there's layers and layers more to discover.
As for Phoenix, I have very little to say besides that, apparently, if someone's gonna make a danceable record for me, they better damn well be French. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is glossy, shiny, yet somehow analog and homey. Simultaneously slick and breathy. I know little about Phoenix, and haven't yet gotten any previous records. But I will. You bet yer ass.
Honorable Mentions: Yours Truly the Commuter (Jason Lytle), Monsters of Folk (Monsters of Folk), Merriweather Post Pavilion (Animal Collective)
MOST ENJOYABLE, COMEDIC DIVISION
Incredibad, the Lonely Island. Beats out Scream by Chris Cornell because it is intended to be funny.
MOST OVERRATED
Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors. I almost like this record. Almost. I think if there were songs, it would be much improved. The thing most people who grave-rob the Talking Heads forget is that the grooves and weirdness worked to benefit the songs, not to replace them.
MOST DISAPPOINTING
A Positive Rage, the Hold Steady. I ADORE this band, but this live album is sorta flat and out of date. I have not seen the Hold Steady live, but I can not imagine them being flat and out of date in person. Perhaps the DVD is better...
And Finally:
MY FAVORITE RECORD OF THE YEAR
Strict Joy, the Swell Season. Strict Joy occupies the territory between the lovely, sparse, minimal arrangements of the first Swell Season record and the dreamy-yet-oddly-bombastic sad bastardness of the Frames. It's a warm, close, lushly harmonized affair. Glen Hansard, a Van Morrison acolyte, ranges from whispers to histrionics, while Marketa Irglova struggles to keep her voice under tight control. It's also one of the rare instances where a couple splits up and makes the breakup record together (see also Mac, Fleetwood: Rumours), and yet it is a stunningly harmonious experience. From the opening swing and mellow horn section of Low Rising, to the quick drive of Feeling the Pull, to the whispered loss of In These Arms, to the thick harmonies that conclude the heartbreaking I Have Loved You Wrong, the record quietly, politely, warmly, stabs you in the chest and leaves you staring out the window in silent contemplation.
I could talk much longer about the music of the year (to say nothing of, you know, the REST OF THE YEAR, the parts that didn't come out of my headphones)... but I shan't. At the moment.
Happy New Year, all... Maybe this year will be better than the last.
J
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2009 Wrap-up: The Dan Edition
I was the one who essentially asked the entire band to have their Year End Wrap-Ups in before Christmas. And only Josh listened. I didn't even listen. I am incapable of following even my own instructions. Yay me!
- St. Vincent, "Actor": I'm absolutely in love with her voice as well as the outstanding arrangement on this one.
- Converge, "Axe To Wield": I came to Converge a little late to the party, but I'm so glad I showed up. This is the Converge record for people who've never heard of them. Blistering metal-core for people who aren't into "that screaming shit", this will make a convert out of any metal fan.
-Stalking Horses, Baltimore MD: Imaging if The Boss had been born as a quiet looking Mid-Atlantic girl, and she went on to use her killer pipes to front a killer band. Played with these folks twice, and they brought their A-game every time.
My list(s) isn't so much a Top Ten type thing, but a series of smaller lists. Some have to do with my own listening habits. Some have to do with being on the and off the road with the band. Some have to do with neither of those. Enjoy!
2009: My Top Records That Were Released This Year
If you scroll down through my previous posts, you'll see I've mentioned several records already this year that I've highly enjoyed. But here are a handful of ones that have really stuck with me.
- St. Vincent, "Actor": I'm absolutely in love with her voice as well as the outstanding arrangement on this one.- The Dead Weather, "Horehound": There's a sucker born every minute, and I am that sucker for Jack White projects. While I was never enthused with The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather hit me hard with garage lo-fi hooks and some really great grooves going on with the drums (played by White). One of my many "gimmees" of the year.
- Bat for Lashes, "Two Suns": This year has definitely been a year where the records that have really hooked me have been the labored-over studio pieces more than the fast-and-dirty rock that I also gravitate towards. Bat for Lashes garnered a lot of Kate Bush-a-like praises, but her vision and scope for this record is a study in how a sparse song can be realized as a massive sonic masterpiece by surrounding yourself with the right band and the right studio crew.
- Converge, "Axe To Wield": I came to Converge a little late to the party, but I'm so glad I showed up. This is the Converge record for people who've never heard of them. Blistering metal-core for people who aren't into "that screaming shit", this will make a convert out of any metal fan.- Mastodon, "Crack The Skye": Josh is correct, this is one of my absolute favorites of 2009. I would put it on my MP3 player and be mad at myself for not having put it on 20 minutes sooner. I have huge respect for any band that simply goes out and makes the record it wants to make, regardless of where they stand in their genre. Fans who dismissed this record don't love music, they love an image and a logo. This is phenomenal music, regardless of what music you call "yours". My wife loves this record, and she throws things at me when I blast my Botch or Meshuggah in the house (and rightfully so). Enough said.
2009: My Favorite Bands I Have Been Lucky Enough To Share A Stage With
- Ashpark, Boston MA: Think Mew meets The Gloria Record meets late-period Sunny Day Real Estate. A true find for any music fan, and the lead singer has a license plate that simply reads "Khaaaan". I love these guys.
- The Lights Out, Boston MA: What is it about bands from Boston? We were lucky to play just earlier this month with this ungodly good band. Tight rock with a superior sense of dynamics and rhythm, and half the band has ties to Syracuse (Go 'Cuse!). So happy we got to meet them.
-Stalking Horses, Baltimore MD: Imaging if The Boss had been born as a quiet looking Mid-Atlantic girl, and she went on to use her killer pipes to front a killer band. Played with these folks twice, and they brought their A-game every time.
- Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps, Minneapolis, MN: This band was a pleasant surprise in the midst of a month of playing with really ho-hum bands. Excellent pop sensibilities matched with great melody writing. For any fan of Regina Spektor, Mirah and the like.
- Filmstar, Philadelphia PA: All it takes is a subtle Smiths vibe and some really retro, 80s college radio sounds to sign me on. Filmstar has all of that. They were one of the great treats in life: discovering a great band who lives in your own backyard. Every time I got to see them this year, I had roughly 40 minutes of heaven.
2009: Favorite Eating Things I Never Got To Have Until This Year
- Seaweed salad
- Oxtail dumplings
- Homemade soy sauce
- Lamb chili
- Mahi mahi tacos
- Zucchini fries
- The French Dog at Devil's Den
- Brazilian style sausage
2009: Best Drink I Invented
The Sacajawea
- 1 part sweet tea vodka
- 2 parts champagne
Mix together in a paper coffee cup (neat) while hanging out in a hotel lounge long after a wedding is over and you really should have stopped drinking, let alone inventing drinks, hours ago. Fall into a very drunken sleep, wake up hung-over as all hell and then drive back to Philadelphia from New Hampshire. Do not repeat. For the love of God.
This year was a good year for The Sobriquets, and if we haven't said so already, we thank everyone who came out and supported us, bought a record or was just nice to us while were were away from home. 2010 will be a great year as well, with upcoming shows in NYC, Harrisburg and our own night at The Blinkin' Lincoln with Talahassee and some other special guests. Hope to see you out there! Have a great New Year!
-Dan
Monday, December 21, 2009
Josh's Top Ten Favorite Records Of 2009
So we're all doing some sort of top ten list for the end of the year, and while it could be about my favorite scotches (cheap stuff: Johnnie Walker Red, good stuff: Laphroaig), I'm going to take the coward's way out and do my top ten records. Now to clarify, these are the ten records that I enjoyed the most this year. Only four of these records were actually released in 2009. It's mostly metal (go figure), but they run the gamut of said genre. So here they are, in alphabetical order, Josh's top ten records of 2009.
1. Alestorm, "Black Sails At Midnight" (2009)
If you like pirates, an
d you like metal, then look no further. Scotland's own Alestorm does them both. Billing themselves as "True Scottish Pirate Metal", a stab at Norway and their concern with black metal's realness, this quartet plunders their way though the folk-metal subgenre. I mean, these men have actually made it their job to be pirates. They're the smartest guys on the planet. Also interesting to note is that this is one of the few instances where I accept the use of keytar in a band. Why, you ask? Because Christopher Bowes keeps it firmly set on the concertina patch. For songs about keelhauling, sea monsters, and rum, this is the place.
2. Black Sabbath, "Heaven And Hell" (1980)
By far the oldest record on the list, this classic had me hooked during the summer months when I was reading through my colossal compendium of metal. This is the first record with new singer (and my personal favorite) Ronnie James Dio, and he takes the band to new heights with his ability to sing something other than the exact same thing the guitar's doing...Ozzy. And while Dio's imagery and metaphors only make sense to Dio (why must I bleed for the dancer?), it's still my top Sabbath record.
3. Daft Punk, "Alive 2007" (2007)
Daft Punk's Discovery was the record that first turned me on to electronic music. We got really baked and a friend put it on, and I was sold (and hungry). Since then, I've been waiting for them to top it, and this is the closest they've come. The robotic French duo put on this concert in Paris as part of their world tour, and I was amazed to discover that they actually performed. Using sophisticated touchscreens and Ableton Live software, the group mixed and matched songs from their three studio albums and threw the most expensive rave the world has ever seen. Not surprisingly, the album won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Electronic Album, and the mashup of their two biggest hits, "Around The World" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" won them the Best Electronic Single.
4. Dethklok, "Dethalbum II" (2009)
As a big fan of the metal, I was very excited to find the Adult Swim program Metalocalypse, and even more excited when they put out the first Dethalbum in 2007. Brendan Small's ability to lampoon death metal while simultaneously making it cooler is unmatched. So imagine my excitement when I learned that there was to be ANOTHER Dethklok record in 2009. I picked it up the day it came out, and was pleased to find that it was every bit as good as the first one. To paraphrase The Onion's Leonard Pierce, in trying to be a good joke metal band, Dethklok has somehow become a great death metal band. Of course, the record is more enjoyable if you've seen the show, but that doesn't fully detract from the awesomeness. And it doesn't hurt that the touring version of the band features such metal luminaries as Mike Keneally (ex-Frank Zappa and Steve Vai) and Gene Hoglan (ex-Death and Strapping Young Lad). Which, by the way, was one of the best live shows I've ever seen.
5. Diablo Swing Orchestra, "The Butcher's Ballroom" (2006)
I found this Swedish band while using the very fine StumbleUpon application for Firefox. Intrigued by the concept of a metal band that incorporated jazz elements, I gave it a listen, and immediately grabbed it off their website. As it turned out, the band does use jazz elements, but not exclusively. There can be found electronic, flamenco, and classical elements as well, blended in such a way that it cannot be described with words. The eclectic instrumentation (2 guitars, cello, upright/electric bass, drums, and operatic soprano) only furthers their cause. This would be worth a listen for those of you who think that metal is not for you. Go. Go now!
6. Iron Maiden, "Edward The Great" (2001)
For the longest time, I was very much against "best of" collections. I just couldn't bring myself to purchase what I perceived as a butchering of the artist's intentions for commercial gain. This collection, I believe, is the one that changed my mind. I realized that it might be in my best interest to be familiar with an artist, even if I didn't want to pick through 20-plus years of recordings to find the good stuff. It was under this pretext that I purchased Edward The Great. It sat dormant on my computer for about 4 years, until this summer. After doing some reading on Iron Maiden, I gave it another listen, and was so taken that I went out and found as much Iron Maiden as I could. But this collection, often considered the definitive Iron Maiden "best-of", is still my favorite, and a great way to begin with this seminal British metal band.
7. The Lonely Island, "Incredibad" (2009)
The following review is brought to you by Chex Mix.
Those who know me well, know that I am not always the biggest fan of hip-hop. Like every genre, 80% of it is total fish poop, and gives the other 20% a bad rap (ba-dum-dum!). This comedy album from trio The Lonely Island (featuring current SNL member Andy Samberg) is a charter member of that 20%, and proves that hip-hop/R&B can be self-deprecating without being bad. With instant classics like "Dick In A Box", "Space Olympics", and the side-splitting "I'm On A Boat" (featuring auto-tuner extraordinaire T-Pain), this record got a fair amount of play in the band van. To this day, whenever we hit that one section of the NJ Turnpike that makes the car feel like it's on the water, someone will yell "I'm on a boat, motherfucker, don't you ever forget!"
8. Mastodon, "Crack The Skye" (2009)
A record sure to be on Dan's top ten as well, Mastodon's latest release is their best as well. A concept album following a young man who astral projects, comes untethered from his body, and winds up in Czarist Russia getting help from Rasputin, it finds the perfect blend of brutality and melodicism. But the best part for me, as Dan put it, is that Mastodon completely alienated all their hardcore fans with this record. Everyone who liked Mastodon because "they're so fuckin' heavy! WOO!" is gone. And good riddance. Those guys didn't like to shower. Anyway, this would be a good path into the world of Mastodon if you can't stomach the face-melting variety of metal. Just know that the other records may liquify your innards. WOO!
9. Probot, "Probot" (2004)
Another StumbleUpon find (those guys are great), this was a side project of Nirvana/Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl. You see, Dave was a big metal guy before he went all grunge/alt-rock, and now that he's rich and powerful, he decided to explore his roots. As Grohl is a talented multi-instrumentalist, he plays nearly everything on the album, save for some of the guitar solos (which are ably handled by former Soundgarden axeman Kim Thayil). What made this record for me was the guest list. Grohl apparently convinced not one, but ELEVEN of the biggest names in heavy metal vocals to appear with him. From Cronos (Venom) to Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly), King Diamond to Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost), and the incomparable Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), the record is a star-studded tour-de-force. I laughed! I cried! And so on. The only complaint you may have is that it sounds like Grohl wrote all the songs for the specific vocalists, i.e. the Lemmy track sounds like a Motorhead tune, the Max Cavalera track sounds like a Sepultura tune, etc. Indeed, Cavalera performs his track, "Red War" during live sets with Soulfly. Regardless, don't miss the hidden track at the end, with Tenacious D frontman Jack Black performing "I Am The Warlock". Or the video for Lemmy's track, "Shake Your Blood", featuring a whole bunch of the Suicide Girls.
10. The Sword, "Age Of Winters" (2006)
A record that apparently falls into a blanket area called "hipster metal". You know, the kind of metal that people who hate metal listen to. The kind that gets featured in Guitar Hero. The kind that the rest of the metal community looks down on you for listening to. But screw those guys, right? They don't shower anyway. I found this one on Leonard Pierce's "The Decade's Best Metal" on The Onion a few weeks ago (a great list, check it out). To me, it's actually stoner metal for people who hate stoner metal. It's low and sludgey, and evocative of early Black Sabbath. It has appropriately mystical/historical lyrics (see "Lament For The Aurochs"), but it's just fast enough to keep it from being boring. And it's nice to hear a metal drummer who doesn't use a double bass pedal. Plus, anything in drop-C tuning is my kind of music. So don your trucker caps, white belts, and skinny jeans, and let us away to Valhalla!
- Josh
1. Alestorm, "Black Sails At Midnight" (2009)
If you like pirates, an
d you like metal, then look no further. Scotland's own Alestorm does them both. Billing themselves as "True Scottish Pirate Metal", a stab at Norway and their concern with black metal's realness, this quartet plunders their way though the folk-metal subgenre. I mean, these men have actually made it their job to be pirates. They're the smartest guys on the planet. Also interesting to note is that this is one of the few instances where I accept the use of keytar in a band. Why, you ask? Because Christopher Bowes keeps it firmly set on the concertina patch. For songs about keelhauling, sea monsters, and rum, this is the place.2. Black Sabbath, "Heaven And Hell" (1980)
By far the oldest record on the list, this classic had me hooked during the summer months when I was reading through my colossal compendium of metal. This is the first record with new singer (and my personal favorite) Ronnie James Dio, and he takes the band to new heights with his ability to sing something other than the exact same thing the guitar's doing...Ozzy. And while Dio's imagery and metaphors only make sense to Dio (why must I bleed for the dancer?), it's still my top Sabbath record.3. Daft Punk, "Alive 2007" (2007)
Daft Punk's Discovery was the record that first turned me on to electronic music. We got really baked and a friend put it on, and I was sold (and hungry). Since then, I've been waiting for them to top it, and this is the closest they've come. The robotic French duo put on this concert in Paris as part of their world tour, and I was amazed to discover that they actually performed. Using sophisticated touchscreens and Ableton Live software, the group mixed and matched songs from their three studio albums and threw the most expensive rave the world has ever seen. Not surprisingly, the album won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Electronic Album, and the mashup of their two biggest hits, "Around The World" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" won them the Best Electronic Single.4. Dethklok, "Dethalbum II" (2009)
As a big fan of the metal, I was very excited to find the Adult Swim program Metalocalypse, and even more excited when they put out the first Dethalbum in 2007. Brendan Small's ability to lampoon death metal while simultaneously making it cooler is unmatched. So imagine my excitement when I learned that there was to be ANOTHER Dethklok record in 2009. I picked it up the day it came out, and was pleased to find that it was every bit as good as the first one. To paraphrase The Onion's Leonard Pierce, in trying to be a good joke metal band, Dethklok has somehow become a great death metal band. Of course, the record is more enjoyable if you've seen the show, but that doesn't fully detract from the awesomeness. And it doesn't hurt that the touring version of the band features such metal luminaries as Mike Keneally (ex-Frank Zappa and Steve Vai) and Gene Hoglan (ex-Death and Strapping Young Lad). Which, by the way, was one of the best live shows I've ever seen.5. Diablo Swing Orchestra, "The Butcher's Ballroom" (2006)
I found this Swedish band while using the very fine StumbleUpon application for Firefox. Intrigued by the concept of a metal band that incorporated jazz elements, I gave it a listen, and immediately grabbed it off their website. As it turned out, the band does use jazz elements, but not exclusively. There can be found electronic, flamenco, and classical elements as well, blended in such a way that it cannot be described with words. The eclectic instrumentation (2 guitars, cello, upright/electric bass, drums, and operatic soprano) only furthers their cause. This would be worth a listen for those of you who think that metal is not for you. Go. Go now!6. Iron Maiden, "Edward The Great" (2001)
7. The Lonely Island, "Incredibad" (2009)
The following review is brought to you by Chex Mix.Those who know me well, know that I am not always the biggest fan of hip-hop. Like every genre, 80% of it is total fish poop, and gives the other 20% a bad rap (ba-dum-dum!). This comedy album from trio The Lonely Island (featuring current SNL member Andy Samberg) is a charter member of that 20%, and proves that hip-hop/R&B can be self-deprecating without being bad. With instant classics like "Dick In A Box", "Space Olympics", and the side-splitting "I'm On A Boat" (featuring auto-tuner extraordinaire T-Pain), this record got a fair amount of play in the band van. To this day, whenever we hit that one section of the NJ Turnpike that makes the car feel like it's on the water, someone will yell "I'm on a boat, motherfucker, don't you ever forget!"
8. Mastodon, "Crack The Skye" (2009)
A record sure to be on Dan's top ten as well, Mastodon's latest release is their best as well. A concept album following a young man who astral projects, comes untethered from his body, and winds up in Czarist Russia getting help from Rasputin, it finds the perfect blend of brutality and melodicism. But the best part for me, as Dan put it, is that Mastodon completely alienated all their hardcore fans with this record. Everyone who liked Mastodon because "they're so fuckin' heavy! WOO!" is gone. And good riddance. Those guys didn't like to shower. Anyway, this would be a good path into the world of Mastodon if you can't stomach the face-melting variety of metal. Just know that the other records may liquify your innards. WOO!9. Probot, "Probot" (2004)
Another StumbleUpon find (those guys are great), this was a side project of Nirvana/Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl. You see, Dave was a big metal guy before he went all grunge/alt-rock, and now that he's rich and powerful, he decided to explore his roots. As Grohl is a talented multi-instrumentalist, he plays nearly everything on the album, save for some of the guitar solos (which are ably handled by former Soundgarden axeman Kim Thayil). What made this record for me was the guest list. Grohl apparently convinced not one, but ELEVEN of the biggest names in heavy metal vocals to appear with him. From Cronos (Venom) to Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly), King Diamond to Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost), and the incomparable Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), the record is a star-studded tour-de-force. I laughed! I cried! And so on. The only complaint you may have is that it sounds like Grohl wrote all the songs for the specific vocalists, i.e. the Lemmy track sounds like a Motorhead tune, the Max Cavalera track sounds like a Sepultura tune, etc. Indeed, Cavalera performs his track, "Red War" during live sets with Soulfly. Regardless, don't miss the hidden track at the end, with Tenacious D frontman Jack Black performing "I Am The Warlock". Or the video for Lemmy's track, "Shake Your Blood", featuring a whole bunch of the Suicide Girls.10. The Sword, "Age Of Winters" (2006)
A record that apparently falls into a blanket area called "hipster metal". You know, the kind of metal that people who hate metal listen to. The kind that gets featured in Guitar Hero. The kind that the rest of the metal community looks down on you for listening to. But screw those guys, right? They don't shower anyway. I found this one on Leonard Pierce's "The Decade's Best Metal" on The Onion a few weeks ago (a great list, check it out). To me, it's actually stoner metal for people who hate stoner metal. It's low and sludgey, and evocative of early Black Sabbath. It has appropriately mystical/historical lyrics (see "Lament For The Aurochs"), but it's just fast enough to keep it from being boring. And it's nice to hear a metal drummer who doesn't use a double bass pedal. Plus, anything in drop-C tuning is my kind of music. So don your trucker caps, white belts, and skinny jeans, and let us away to Valhalla!- Josh
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A Night You Won't Forget: January 29th, 2010
When The Sobriquets get snowed in to Philadelphia, you actually get to see two blog posts within about a week of each other. Weird, right?
We did make it back to Philly from their show at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York before the snow fell, some more easily than others (apparently James got stuck waiting for a train out of Penn Station, some sort of power outage). Photos and video to come (of the band, not of James in Penn Station).
But most importantly, we'd like to start getting you psyched for a big show we've got coming up in 2010. The good folks at the Blinkin' Lincoln in Roxborough will turn the stage over to us for a whole night of Sobriquets' curated music on Friday, January 29th. And we are so excited to announce that one of the bands will be Tallahassee from Providence, Rhode Island. These guys are an absolutely amazing folk/bluegrass/acoustic act. Check out their newest release, "Wolfe Moon", and get comfy with them before you get the chance to see them live in Philadelphia.
Fun Trivia Fact #1: "Wolfe Moon" was engineered and produced by former Denver/current LA producer Dave Drago, who also lent a hand to our newest EP "The Sobriquets Are Out of Style". Small world, right?
Fun Trivia Fact #2: Tallahassee bassist Shawn Carney was the photographer at Dan's wedding. He did an excellent job.
Fun Trivia Fact #3: Seeing both The Sobriquets and Tallahassee together could possibly be the greatest thing ever.
Anyway, there will be more info about this awesome show as it comes, including the identity of the third band. And stay tuned to Songs De Guerre for info about our upcoming slot in JerseyShows Battle of the Bands at Doc Watson's on January 17th.
Everyone stay well,
The Sobriquets
We did make it back to Philly from their show at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York before the snow fell, some more easily than others (apparently James got stuck waiting for a train out of Penn Station, some sort of power outage). Photos and video to come (of the band, not of James in Penn Station).
But most importantly, we'd like to start getting you psyched for a big show we've got coming up in 2010. The good folks at the Blinkin' Lincoln in Roxborough will turn the stage over to us for a whole night of Sobriquets' curated music on Friday, January 29th. And we are so excited to announce that one of the bands will be Tallahassee from Providence, Rhode Island. These guys are an absolutely amazing folk/bluegrass/acoustic act. Check out their newest release, "Wolfe Moon", and get comfy with them before you get the chance to see them live in Philadelphia.
Fun Trivia Fact #1: "Wolfe Moon" was engineered and produced by former Denver/current LA producer Dave Drago, who also lent a hand to our newest EP "The Sobriquets Are Out of Style". Small world, right?
Fun Trivia Fact #2: Tallahassee bassist Shawn Carney was the photographer at Dan's wedding. He did an excellent job.
Fun Trivia Fact #3: Seeing both The Sobriquets and Tallahassee together could possibly be the greatest thing ever.
Anyway, there will be more info about this awesome show as it comes, including the identity of the third band. And stay tuned to Songs De Guerre for info about our upcoming slot in JerseyShows Battle of the Bands at Doc Watson's on January 17th.
Everyone stay well,
The Sobriquets
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Your Holiday Update and Gift Ideas
Happy Holidays to all, and our deepest apologies in being silent for many months in the blog world. Think of this as our annual Christmas/New Year's letter to you all.
Some updates: The band is doing well, and is happily winding up the 2009 year with one more show in New York City at our favorite spot, The Sidewalk Cafe. Go to thesobriquets.com for complete info on everything upcoming.
We've been experimenting with acoustic performances lately, including a great performance at our favorite Phoenixville haunt, Steel City Coffee House. We've got a little video clip here of one of the songs (I'll get a non-Facebook link up as soon as I can).
In direct opposition of intimate acoustic sounds, last night we were fortunate enough to play at The Blockley Pourhouse, which is a trek of about 6 blocks from our practice space. Not only was our set one of the tighter, louder and more energetic sets we've done in a while, but we got to share the stage with The Lights Out, an absolutely amazing band from Boston. Check these guys out, they are well worth your time.
With the holidays fast approaching, we thought we'd help you all out a bit with the ever pressing question of what gift to get for whomever. The Sobriquets' albums are available from a wide range of online retailers, including iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. With just a few clicks, you could be giving someone special the gift of homegrown, 100% independent music.
Thanks to everyone whose come out and seen us in 2009, we've had a blast playing for you. Coming up in early 2009, we've got shows in Brooklyn, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and our own curated night at The Blinkin' Lincoln in Roxborough, just outside of Philadelphia. Think of it as a mini All Tomorrow's Parties, if ATP were only one night, had about three bands and was in Roxborough. It will also be significantly less expensive.
We'll be closing out the year with some best-of-the-year lists from each of The Sobriquets, and we'll give you all a full run-down of upcoming events by the start of the new year. We wish you all a very happy holiday season, and hope to see you all very soon!
Some updates: The band is doing well, and is happily winding up the 2009 year with one more show in New York City at our favorite spot, The Sidewalk Cafe. Go to thesobriquets.com for complete info on everything upcoming.
We've been experimenting with acoustic performances lately, including a great performance at our favorite Phoenixville haunt, Steel City Coffee House. We've got a little video clip here of one of the songs (I'll get a non-Facebook link up as soon as I can).
In direct opposition of intimate acoustic sounds, last night we were fortunate enough to play at The Blockley Pourhouse, which is a trek of about 6 blocks from our practice space. Not only was our set one of the tighter, louder and more energetic sets we've done in a while, but we got to share the stage with The Lights Out, an absolutely amazing band from Boston. Check these guys out, they are well worth your time.
With the holidays fast approaching, we thought we'd help you all out a bit with the ever pressing question of what gift to get for whomever. The Sobriquets' albums are available from a wide range of online retailers, including iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. With just a few clicks, you could be giving someone special the gift of homegrown, 100% independent music.
Thanks to everyone whose come out and seen us in 2009, we've had a blast playing for you. Coming up in early 2009, we've got shows in Brooklyn, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and our own curated night at The Blinkin' Lincoln in Roxborough, just outside of Philadelphia. Think of it as a mini All Tomorrow's Parties, if ATP were only one night, had about three bands and was in Roxborough. It will also be significantly less expensive.
We'll be closing out the year with some best-of-the-year lists from each of The Sobriquets, and we'll give you all a full run-down of upcoming events by the start of the new year. We wish you all a very happy holiday season, and hope to see you all very soon!
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