Monday, September 14, 2009

9/14/09: 2009 in Review

Hey everyone. This is probably going to be our last show for a while as the summer winds down, and school begins once again the schedule at WHUS is rotating to accommodate the influx of returning staff members. Don't worry fans, we'll still be on our own respective shows. Methanol Cereal will (hopefully) keep on truckin' on Wednesday evenings, ten to midnight and with the fall comes the return of DJ Next Door's Anger Your Neighbors. This isn't to say that we didn't enjoy doing this program together, but other commitments, as well as a desire to go our own ways and make room for new people on the schedule is, like last summer, leading us to suspend the show for the time being. We had a pretty good run this year. Maybe not the blockbuster status of last year, but it was good. Maybe we'll do something again next summer. We'll see. Until then, you know where to find me.

Song - Artist - Album - Label

No Home - The Ettes - Do You Want Power - Take Root

Call Me - Franz Ferdinand - War Child Presents: Heroes - Astralwerks/War Child
My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career - 4AD
Microphone - Coconut Records - Davy - Young Baby
Should Have Shot Paul - Strange Boys - ...And Girls Club - In the Red

O Maria! - Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom - Dangerbird
My Time Outside the Womb - Titus Andronicus - Airing of Grievances - XL
All We Need Baby, Is Everything - Handsome Furs - Face Control - Sub Pop
House - Abe Vigoda - Reviver EP - Post Present Medium
Feel.Love.Thinking.Of - Faunts - Feel.Love.Thinking.Of - Friendly Fire
Paddling Ghosts - Dan Deacon - Bromst - Carpark

This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone - Anti
Stick Up For Me - Reigning Sound - Love & Curses - In the Red
Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! - Interscope

When I Died - The Thermals - Now We Can See - Kill Rock Stars
One, Two...One - Say Hi - Oohs & Aahs - Barsuk
Walking Alone at Night - Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong - In the Red
Friday XIII - Deer Tick - Born on Flag - Partisan
River of Dirt - Marissa Nadler - Little Hells - Kemado
Laughing With A Mouth of Blood - St. Vincent - Actor - 4AD

Into the Shadows of My Embrace - WHY? - Eskimo Snow - Anticon
The Man in Your House - Mi Ami - Watersports - Quarterstick
The Rake's Song - The Decemberists - Hazards of Love - Capitol
False Jesii pt 2 - Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans - Sub Pop

Effigy - Andrew Bird - Noble Beast - Fat Possum
Psychosomatic - Magik Markers - Balf Quarry - Drag City
Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest - Warp

and that's all she wrote.

-B

Monday, September 7, 2009

An Evening at Mountain Park

Hello all! So, I meant to post this ages ago, but that's the way things go sometimes. If you were listening closely to our show than maybe you remember me talking about seeing The Decemberists live last month. Well, I wrote up this little review of the show, complete with a few pictures. Hope you enjoy!

Ever since I first heard The Decemberists Hazards of Love album I’ve been longing to see it performed live in its entirety. Of course, seeing the band live at all would be a thrill for me, which is why I loved their set at Newport Folk Festival. For that one day they took a break from performing the whole album and instead played a few select songs off of it, as well as a bunch of old favorites and two brand new songs. It was great, but there’s no denying that any song off of their new album is just that much better when heard sequentially. The Hazards of Love plays like a mini rock/folk/opera that was made for the stage, with songs overlapping and a story that unfolds slowly as each character is introduced. A concept album. So, when I saw that they were playing the opening weekend of Mountain Park I knew this was my chance to see Hazards onstage!


Mountain Park was originally opened in 1894 as a retreat that expanded into an amusement park. It closed in 1987 but has now been reopened as a music venue by the Iron Horse Entertainment Group. This place is so new that the grass hasn’t even finished growing over the newly leveled ground. Despite all that, the site is quite picturesque and a great place to see a show on a warm August evening. The hill in front of the stage provides an excellent view, and, if you prefer to get a little closer to the action, there’s plenty of room to do so.


The Heartless Bastards opened the show. I can’t say I’m that familiar with their music and I was a bit too distracted with scoping the place out to pay close attention, but their set was al

right. Then, just as the light was fading, The Decemberists took to the stage. With little preamble, Jenny Conlee was the first to come out and strike up the opening bars of the Hazards of Love Prelude. After that the rest of the band filed in and took up their instruments… and didn’t put them down again until the whole album had been played. Watching the whole thing being performed, it struck me just how much like a play it is, though it’s being performed purely by voice and instrument. There are entrances and exits to be perfectly timed and, because of the way the songs bleed into one another, there’s barely any time to pause. It’s great to watch. The band was, of course, joined by Becky Stark voicing Margaret, and Shara Worden as the Forest Queen. And, I have to say it; can I please be Shara Worden when I grow up? Her voice and stage presence are simply amazing. Watching her and Colin Meloy sing The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid was one of the highlights of the night.



So, yes, having the whole album performed right there in front of me from start to tragic finish was incredible. But it didn’t end there. After the band was cheered back onstage we were treated to a bunch of old favorites as well as a new song and a chance to hear Meloy banter with the crowd. He performed Dracula’s Daughter with great gusto.


Another thing I was crossing my fingers to see was their cover of Heart’s Crazy on You. The youtube video I saw a few months ago was enough to convince me it would be amazing and I wasn’t disappointed. After being cheered back to the stage again Meloy performed Red Right Ankle and then the whole crew came back to perform an amazing Heart cover. Actually, I’m pretty sure I like it better then the original. After that they closed the show with Sons and

Daughters off of The Crane wife. The whole crowd sang along for the

refrain, and with that, the night was over.


So, in conclusion: The Decemberists put on an amazing live show. In fact, I’d say this definitely makes it into my top five favorite shows I’ve been to. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch them again next time they make it back to New England. As for Mountain Park itself, I definitely look forward to seeing what their lineup looks like next summer.



September 7th 2009

Hey everyone, I hope you are having a good labor day, did you make sure to take your two fifteens?

I was running a bit late so DJ Next Door managed the show for the first twenty minutes or so. I think my entrance is pretty obvious. I included a link for the video to HEALTH's "Die Slow". I like it. I know it's probably not DJ Next Door's thing, but forget that, it's awesome.

(song - artist - release - label)

Ribbon of Fear - Hornet Leg - Ribbon of Fear- K
Wounded - Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall - Matador
Hooting and Howling - Wild Beasts - Two Dancers - Domino
Smith Hill - Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day - Partisan
Tegucigalpa - Fruits Bats - The Ruminant Band - Sub Pop
Preacher's Sisters Boy - Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer - Sub Pop
Made in a Day - Jupiter One - Shunshower - Rykodisc
Deputy of Love - Don Armando's Second Avenue Band - Ze30 compilation - Strut
Bad Blood - Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Starfucker - Jupiter - Badman
Give it Up - Datarock - Red - Nettwerk

False Jesii Pt. 2 - Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans - Sub Pop
The Icy Hands that Guides Is - Lullabye Arkestra - Threats/Worship - Vice
Die Slow - HEALTH - Get Color - Lovepump

Call Me - Reigning Sound - Love & Curses - In the Red
Dream Residue/Work - Polvo - In Prism - Merge
Stay Famous - Cougar - Patriot

More Stars Than There Are in Heaven - Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs - Matador
Luna - Fanfarlo - Reservoir - self released

"Further Complications" - Jarvis Cocker - "Further Complications" - Rough Trade
Potion Approaching - Arctic Monkeys - Humbug - Domino
February - Pterodactyl - Worldwild - Brah
Lightning - Air Waves - Air Waves - Catbird
Silver Amongst the Gold - Grand Archives - Keep in Mind Frankenstein - Sub Pop
Death of Me - Box Elders - Alice & Friends - Goner