Band of Horses

I winded through the confusing line outside the Cuban Club. Buy a ticket here. Get your ID checked there. Get your ID checked again around the corner.
Thank God I turned 21.

Behind the cement perimeter was a large open area for the show. A huge blue half pipe stood in the corner, decorated with Red Bull advertisements. A mini-amphitheatre was close by.

Then, a drop of water fell on my uncovered head. I looked up to the sky. Rain was inevitable. It was a little before 8 p.m. Band of Horses was up on stage doing a sound check. With the banjo. At least I could be happy at that.

Then, it really started to rain. Most of the crowd that had developed outside started to shift towards the building; though, I was surprised to see a pretty large group stand their ground by the stage.

Inside, a member of Band of Horses brushed by. Reggae music blared from a band on a small stage. Bam Margera took pictures with blonds and brunettes. I searched for Chloe Sevigny, who I actually got to meet the night before at my job.

The show was a part of the Tampa Pro 2008, so there were all sorts of celebrities and skateboarders about.

Who knows how long we stumbled inside before I heard someone mention that Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches was already playing.

At first, I couldn't tell if she was on stage. She sounded very soft and had already played most of her set by the time I arrived, several songs of which were popular thanks to the movie Juno.

Her set was more like a storytelling. She sang a little, talked a little then sang some more. She even encouraged "interpretive dancing" on stage.

Kimya wore a homemade ninja turtles skirt. She even brought her baby, Panda Delilah (yes, Panda Delilah).

They prolonged the time between sets, which was good because it was just long enough for the rain to finally stop.

Band of Horses emerged at last, playing "The Great Salt Lake," off their 2006 album Everything All the Time. They also played what seemed like nearly every song from their 2007 album, Cease to Begin, including my favorite, "No One's Gonna Love You."

Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, S.C., their music is a very soft, melodic and folksy kind, which is why they are so often compared with My Morning Jacket.

The show ended with a "fake last song," followed by five or six more in the encore. At least they're real.

OH. And did I mention the beards on those guys!?

Yes

Beardsley: Fighting Strangers in the Alps

Longtime local band Beardsley released their
first full-length project, Fighting Strangers in the Alps
January 15.

What kind of music do a bunch of lumberjacks make, you ask?

You'll just have to take a listen for yourself.

Each of the 16 songs reflects the members' personas in inventive ways. The album consists of stylistic undertones from several genre's, from folk to Oriental. Although every song is arguably of its own kind, they come together to complete what Beardsley is.

The album also supports other local artists, such as Mark Harman, from Orlando's So Help Me Rifle, and Christopher Costabile, from Palm Harbor.

Beardsley is planning a release party March 15 in Orlando. I'll keep you posted on the details.

Let's not forget to support local music! You can buy the album from their MySpace, or pick it up at Clearwater's Barnes & Noble located on Sunset Point and US 19.

The Oaks CD Release Party

The Social, Orlando
March 7, 2008
9 p.m.

This month, The Oaks are coming out with a new album, Songs for Waiting to follow up their 2006 release,Our Fathers and the Things They Left Behind.

The songs are stories and reflections from a stay in Afghanistan teaching creative agriculture. The story behind the band is really neat and is definitely reflected in their music.

Check it!

Vanna

Vanna
Monday, February 18, 2008
Transitions

I remember the last time that Vanna came to Tampa. It was nearly two years ago at with Austrailian hardcore band Parkway Drive. I think there may have been 10 people at the show. Maybe.

There were quite a bit more people this time, since the release of Vanna's newest album, Curses. I still like their old album, The Search Party that Never Came. The lyrics are bloody. The music is hard. Which makes for a happy Kristin.

At first glance, the size of the screamer may fool you. Chris is tiny. His scream is not. I assure you.

Anyway, apparently this was the first show with Vanna's new drummer, Ryan Seaman. According to the band's MySpace blog, old drummer Brandon "packed it up and caught a bus home leaving us to figure out how to finish this tour."

Ouch.

They are planning on finding a new permanent drummer to begin a new album. Hopefully we'll see them again soon.

Radiohead Tour Dates

Hello Tampa.
In case you haven't heard the Florida tour dates:

Monday, May 5 Cruzan Amphitheatre West Palm Beach
Tuesday, May 6 Ford Amphitheatre Tampa

Tickets go on sale February 14 at W.A.S.T.E. (from the Radiohead site), and February 16 general sale.

I'm sure they'll sell like fire, so heads up.

Kevin Devine

Dave Elkins of Mae, Kevin Devine with The Jealous Girlfriends
Friday, February 1, 2008
Orpheum

Love. Politics. Kevin Devine.

Acoustics all around, Kevin Devine mastered the stage, playing a lengthy set of songs. He even did some songs "full band" version, with help from The Jealous Girlfriends (a fun, retro band from Brooklyn).

I wasn't expecting Dave Elkins, guitarist and lead singer of Mae to be there, so that was quite a pleasant surprise. I haven't ever gotten to see Mae play, but this was almost better because he sang their most popular songs acoustic style. He mentioned that his band would be coming to St. Pete to play, but their website says they are only playing at the House of Blues in Orlando and at The Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale.

Well, at least this show was quite the serenade.

All Get Out

I saw these guys open for Manchester Orchestra and was impressed. I was even more impressed after finding out the band is only 6 months old. I can't wait to hear how they develop.

Music: Folk-inspired indie

Album: Spitting EP

Best song: Water and God

Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra with John Ralston, All Get Out
Orpheum; January 26, 2008

Some enjoyed the activities of Gasperilla by decorating themselves in cheap, plastic beads and pirate garb while stumbling through the lively streets of Ybor City. Then there were those who seated themselves in the drizzling weather along the brick perimeter of the Orpheum, anticipating the long-awaited Manchester Orchestra.
Quite a number of people decided to do the latter, making for a sold-out show in the cozy bar.
Opening for Manchester Orchestra was the up-and-coming folk inspired indie band, All Get Out. John Ralston and his band, including a violinist, played second.
Manchester Orchestra’s set then began with singer Andy Hull singing in minor scales alone on stage, a precursor to how moving the show would turn out to be. The music ranged from a softer feel to a more energetic indie rock. Manchester ‘s lyrics were powerful, spiritual connotations and all, invoking an array of passions. Every bit of the set conveyed overwhelming emotion, even to the point of audience members crying. I could have sworn that I saw a tear or two leak from the corner of Hull’s eyes during “Colly Strings.” Or, maybe it was just sweat. Either way, it sure fooled my blurry eyes.
They played music from their 2005 EP, You Brainstorm, But Brilliance Needs A Good Editor, and their 2006 album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child. This included “Alice and Interiors,” which Hull described as “two Woody Allen movies fighting.”
It was an interactive concert. The audience sang along with most all the songs, and even finished off Manchester’s lyrics to “Golden Ticket.” The voices of the crowd sounded throughout the bar as nearly everyone’s lips moved to, “Well am I really that old, ignorant or to slow/To realize I have lost my golden ticket back home?”
Manchester finished up the set with “Wolves at Night.” The last noises of the song were the sounds of Hull’s heavy breathing into the microphone and my heartbeat. Deciding openly to skip the whole encore charade, Hull sang one last minor keyed song alone on stage.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Online

Another Radiohead Blog

Their upcoming show has become quite the buzz.

The question is, if one can actually manage to get their hands on Radiohead tickets, how much will they cost? Being a poor college student, will I be able to afford this?

Since the band is not with a record label, I am hoping for prices to be on the lower end of the money spectrum.

Today, their website sells tickets in Dublin for £46.80. Which, as of Jan. 11, amounts to about $91.59 in the U.S.

Tickets in Glasgow are £38.50, about $75.36.

I stumbled across a blog posted Dec. 7 in Analogue Magazine talking about the high concert prices. Analogue's Karl McDonald interviewed Phil, of Radiohead, on the matter.

Analogue: Tickets for your gig in Dublin in Malahide Castle went on sale this morning and it’s very expensive, it’s €70.70 [$105.11] and there’s been some discussion of how you can justify the fair way of releasing your album and then charge that much for a tour gig?

Phil: Right, and what’s been the general response on that?

Analogue: Well I mean it is the most expensive gig of the tour and there’s been arguements that you’re pricing out some fans, people who may have bought the diskbox, big fans or students who don’t have that much money to come to a gig.

Phil: Right.

Analogue: Do you have any reaction to that?

Phil: Eh, well whenever we’ve looked at ticket prices and set them, we’ve wanted to make them as fair as possible so I would hope that we’ve pitched it right on this one, make it as fair as possible on the price. You know we’ve never really set out to max, as they say, our tour revenue so I think we’ve always put out reasonably priced tickets. That’s as much as I can say really.

A coworker told me that two years ago, tickets to Radiohead ran about $120 in Chicago.

I suppose forking out the money for Radiohead is really not so bad. They need to make their living somehow. And people will, afterall, pay the price.

I mean, come on, people pay upwards of $130 to see the Spice Girls all the time.

Radiohead comes to TAMPA

Yes. That's right. I'm serious.

Don't ask me where or when they will be playing. But word on the streets says they are indeed coming.

They've released a list of 22 cities to play in the U.S. and Canada, and Tampa is actually one of them!

Atlanta
Boston
Charlotte, NC
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Houston
Indianapolis
Los Angeles
Miami
Montreal
New York
Philadelphia
San Diego
San Francisco
Santa Barbara, CA
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa
Toronto
Vancouver
Washington, DC

Nothing set in stone has been released yet, but when it does, YOU will be the first to know. After me, of course.

WHAT?!

So I was at the gym and decided to pick up a copy of the Tampa Bay
Times. I was skimming through it when a headline to a tiny article in
an obscure corner caught my eye:

"Shins keyboardist jailed"

Oh. No.

Apparently, last weekend The Shins keyboardist Marty Crandall got into a scuffle with his gf, Elyse Sewell (America's Next Top Model).

Her blog once had up pictures of bruises he allegedly gave her. And she allegedly bit him in self defense.

Either way, the were both sent to jail Friday after causing a stir at their hotel, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Sewell was released from jail Saturday. Crandall was released on a $25,000 bail Monday, the Chronicle reported.

"Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a hotel which resulted in staff calling the police.

"They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time and we would appreciate their privacy being respected," The Shin's record label, Sub Pop, stated.

This just makes me sad.

2007, You Crazy SOB

Albums that Amazed:
10- The Shins: Wincing the Night Away



9- Kayne West: Graduation



8- Every Time I Die: The Big Dirty



7- Feist: The Reminder



6- Portugal. The Man: Church Mouth



5- Wilco: Sky Blue Sky



4- Dr. Dog: We All Belong



3- Radiohead: In Rainbows



2- As Cities Burn: Come Now Sleep



1- Arcade Fire: Neon Bible



Killer Shows in Tampa:

Brand New
Misery Signals
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Pretty Girls Make Graves
From Autumn to Ashes
Thursday
Dr. Dog


The Dissapointing Albums:
Emery: I’m Only a Man



Circa Survive: On Letting Go



Fear Before the March of Flames: A Little Less Teeth EP