Songs In the Key of Touché

It don't get much more local than Radio

2010-03-09T09:29:00.011-05:00

fContrary to some reports, I am still alive and well - both on the InterWebs and in real life. I've been focusing on some other projects for the past few months. While working on those projects, I've been tuning in to a lot of local, terrestrial radio. Here's a quick local radio roundup of what I hear:

WYEP - 91.3 - "Where the Music Matters" - Likely the local favorite of all Sitkot readers for good reason. Skews the most in our musical direction, hosts great events, free in-studio concerts. Cindy Howes is great on the morning mix. Perfect morning voice and good playlist and I love the the 'my 15 minutes' feature and the traffic jam after the 8am news. Midday Mix selections can get a little schlockey but on the whole are a better bet than most anything else you'll find on your radio dial. The Drive Home with Rosemary Welch is where I tune out. Her voice reminds me too much of nagging church ladies I used to know and her playlist is too... well, one Indigo Girls' song a year is enough for me. The Saturday Soul Show and Sunday Morning Roots and Rhythm Mix are both highlights of the weekend. All told, sure YEP could be better, more innovative, more underground - but it's the best we've got for now.

WDUQ 90.5 - The Jazz and NPR institution. Despite a recent, unpreced ented fund drive haul to try and keep the popular Jazz and NPR News station afloat, it is uncertain what will become of it amidst speculation that Duquesne University, the owner of the license wants to sell it. What is certain is that Bob Studebaker and Tony Mowod are pillars of the local jazz community and two of the Burgh's best radio voices. Tony has been criticized for focusing too much on 'old jazz' his nightly show, but I don't mind the standards. I do mind his proclivity for warbly vocalists. But I've learned a lot from him since I started tuning in 5 years ago. DUQ keeps Pittsburgh's proud jazz tradition alive and is the ideal outlet for NPR news and programming. Let's hope it stays.

WDVE 102.5 - (Classic) Rocks. It's been said that this is Pittsburgh's quintessential station; likely true. Its classic rock, comedy cuts and morning show scream Yinzburgh culture. Being the Steelers' flagship doesn't hurt either. Great to have Randy back on the morning show after what was rumored to be a contractual impasse. Jimmy Krenn and Randy Baumann have an undeniable rapport and without Randy it seemed like the show was adrift, relying on Prisuta for comedy bits was untenable. Love the GunSlingers, Merrill Hoge and all the other comedians in the mix (except, of course for Mike Wysocki). Michelle Michaels, host of the lunch request show is likely the runner up for best radio voice in the Burgh behind DUQ's Tony Mowod. And Sean McDowell's stoned-out vibe on drive time show is always enjoyable. DVE offers what you want in a classic rock station - 50/50 odds that you'll hear a Skynyrd or Hendrix song any time you tune in.

WXDX 105.9 - Buttrock, the Pens Flagship and the SuperGenius. Can't get enough Linkin Park, Slipknot or 90's power rock? The X is your home. Don't get me wrong, they'll occasionally throw in some Beasties or Sublime that we can all get down to, but rest assured that'll be followed up with the newest power-chord-screamer on the airwaves. Their morning show will always play second fiddle to DVE; Tim Benz just isn't that entertaining or insightful. Of course, the X can't be mentioned without a glance toward the enormous shadow of Mark Madden. The ex-ESPN1250er hosts the drive time show there. He brashly pontificates on the days' sports stories, boasts wildly of his talent and dominance, belittles callers, interviews headlining strippers as they make tourstops at our local establishments, and breathes very heavily into the mic. Thing is, I can't stop listening to him. He's wildly entertaining. I enjoy his show the way Mrs. Kleber enjoys Gossip Girl. We both recognize the trash-factor, are kind of repulsed by the content, but for those reasons are drawn in.

Those are the 4 that I listen to in the car or when the iPod is dead. Of course, there are tons of other stations on the dial. What do you like and why? What did I overlook? What should we be listening to? Sound off in the comments.

Video: Joanna Newsom on Jimmy Fallon

2010-03-08T10:24:00.003-05:00

I'll admit that I didn't really "get" her first album, and didn't give the new one much of a chance. But I caught this Friday night, and may have become a Joanna Newsom fan. I have some exploring to do.

What we're listening to

2010-03-05T12:01:00.008-05:00

In case you care, here's an update.

Jimmy:

Good call on the Bad Plus song in the music widget. They are probably my favorite modern jazz group. Their song "Thriftstore Jewelry" is awesome, as is their cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World".

Roberto:

I loved that album when it came out, and haven't been listening to much jazz lately but recalled that song when I went to throw together the playlist. Rediscovered the record and glad I did.

On that note, what are you people listening to these days?

For my part, the Crazy Heart soundtrack is pretty awesome if you like the country/Americana thing. Ryan Bingham's contributions are the clear standouts, but Jeff Bridges manages to hold his own, thanks to T. Bone's heavy production hand. More so than Beach House or Hot Chip or some of the electronicish albums I've been listening to, this one really has me craving a hot day under the sun.

Also, I'm a few months behind on it but Guy Clark's new[est] record is a bit uneven, though solid for the most part and as good as anything he's put out in a while to my memory. For someone with relatively spare song arrangements, he might not strike as a guy who'd be better in concert, but somehow his studio efforts have never held up to his live renditions for me, even (especially?) on the classics (thinking "LA Freeway" in particular). Nonetheless, these new songs are tight, and the record is great at its high points.

Let me also throw out Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago for discussion. At times I find myself really sinking into the melodies and depth of sound; at others I feel like I've walked into some hybrid sci-fi convention / renaissance fair gone awry where Antony Hegarty's second-cousin is attempting a post-ironic Ziggy Stardust impression. Yet I still want to rock. Confused.

Jimmy:

I will definitely have to check those out, as I am unfamiliar with all three. I've been listening to Local Native's new album Gorilla Manor for the past week and I'm definitely into many of the songs, especially "Wide Eyes", "Airplanes" and "Sticky Thread". I feel like the album starts and ends very strong, but some of the middle tracks are not as tight and begin to sound a bit formulaic. I would say that, at their best, Local Natives sound like a fresher sounding Fleet Foxes, and, at their worst, sound like The Fray (not a compliment, by the way).

I've also been listening to The Flaming Lips' Embryonic quite a bit lately and it has grown on me through repeated listenings. I left it off of my "Best Albums of 2009" list and I'm going to stick to my guns, but only because it's The Flaming Lips. If it were any other band, and this was their debut album, it probably would have made my list, fair or not. I've really been digging the songs "Worm Mountain" and "Watching the Planets". The vinyl version of this album really does the heaviness of the sound justice and sounds great when played through a system with a good subwoofer.

Another old album that I've been playing fairly often is the Beasties' best, Paul's Boutique. I never get tired of hearing tracks like "Egg Man", "Hey Ladies" or "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun", but the one that really does it for me is "B-Boy Bouillabaisse". It's like a mini-rap opera and I can't help but compare it to Paul's medley's at the end of Abbey Road - pure genius by the Beasties. Also, the fact that the Beasties could seamlessly sample the themes from Jaws and Psycho into a song that also samples the songs "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello, "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield, "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy (among several other songs), and have it turn into a hip-hop masterpiece is incredible. There will never be another Paul's Boutique, not just because the talent of the Beasties is epic, but because the amount of money it would cost now to sample that many songs on one album would be an incredible sum since copyright laws have changed, not to mention the fact that certain artists, like the Beatles, would probably not permit the type of sampling that was done on a song like "The Sounds of Science" irrespective of the Beastie's willingness to pay the fees.

El Loco Mooso:

Uhhhhhh... you guys went off - impressive insights. Like my personality, my thoughts will be much shallower.

My listening differs between work and home. I can only work to more ambient types of music.

Work - right now my Grooveshark playlist includes a lot of DJ Shadow, especially the Endtroducing album. Coincidentally Jimmy, "Best Foot Forward" samples "Party’s Getting Rough" by the BBs. So many great samples on that album: "Transmission 2" used synthesizers from Blade Runner (great movie), "Midnight in a Perfect World" sampled "Summer Breeze" by the Isley Bros, and of course, "What Does Your Soul Look Like, Part 1" sampled the voice of the Dream Giant from Twin Peaks Ep. 14 (one of my all time favorite shows). How could I not love that album forever.

Avalanches still get tons of play. All of the Memory Tapes stuff and Dayve Hawk’s other side projects. Lots of Boards of Canada, especially the Campfire Headphase and Geogaddi. I also mix in a lot of Ulrich Schnauss + A Shoreline Dream. Also Pantha Du Prince’s collaboration with Panda Bear (I think) is very good.

Home (when wife’s around) - Crystal Castles has been showing up a fair bit. I also am really digging the Local Native’s like Jimmy. Though, I don’t quite see the comparison to Fleet Foxes, as I think FF have a much richer sound where as LNs are defined by a rougher harmony. And I am still majorly stuck on Hot Chip’s One Life Stand. For me, that is far and away the best album of the year so far. Also, Owen Pallet’s Heartland is getting some iPod spins - especially "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!" and "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt."

Home (when wife isn’t around) - lately, I have really gotten back to metal roots and have been listening to Slayer’s Show No Mercy over and over. Metal Storm and Tormentor have some of the all time best thrash riffs. Mastodon and Baroness are going to start getting a lot of play in preparation for their upcoming show in Greensburg.

Ship ship McGip!

Roberto:

I agree with both points on Local Natives--digging it for sure, but don't hear the Fleet Foxes there for the most part. I've also been listening more to Embryonic recently, and it does come together on repeated listens. It's like a darker, more samey version of Yoshimi... which takes some time to sink its hooks into you beyond "Convinced of the Hex."

I sort of moved past the Hot Chip record in the past week but have been pretty heavy on both Owen Pallett and Beach House. That might be in part because I never put Hot Chip on the iPod though, so haven't been hearing it as much outside of the office.

Massive Attack, anyone? I never got into them in the past but I really, really like about 70% of the new record. The album ebbs and flows, as do several of the tracks, but most of the songs are mostly enjoyable, which is as much as you can ask of most albums, no? "Pray for Rain" with its awesome drumbeat is a great starting track, then "Babel" sort of loses my interest before "Splitting the Atom" comes in sounding a bit off-kilter but really pulls itself together and finishes beautifully. Some more ups and downs until you hit "Paradise Circus," which is just awesome imo. Hope Sandoval's voice melds nicely with that backing track that's reminiscent of a subdued Fiona Apple. Which I'm cool with.

Download/Stream:

Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind"

Local Natives - "Airplanes"

SITKOT: St. Patrick's Edition

2010-03-04T15:28:00.007-05:00

Based on some e-mails, I gathered that a lot of the regular readers grew weary of this series last year, so I'll spare you a continuation and just point new readers to the old posts this time around.

I will point out, though, that Mick Moloney's Green Fields of America are playing the Carnegie Lecture Hall this weekend for those of you who do dig the Irish tunes. City Paper has a nice little piece on Mick in this week's issue.

It looks like I didn't necessarily do these things in any order last year, other than to save the best for last, so let's go ahead and rank them for the sake of nothing at all:

9. Dropkick Murphys - Warrior's Code

8. Tommy Sands - Heart's a Wonder

7. Flogging Molly - Swagger

6. U2 - The Joshua Tree

5. The Wolfe Tones - Greatest Hits

4. The Chieftains - The Long Black Veil

3. The Pogues - The Very Best of The Pogues

2. Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat

1. Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy - The Makem & Clancy Collection

Download:
Mick Moloney - "The Irish Volunteers"

Rodrigo y Gabriela: at the Byham tonight; on WYEP this afternoon

2010-03-02T14:17:00.009-05:00

As far as I know, tickets are still available for this show tonight, which should be phenomenal.

Her flamenco rhythms against his latin-metal solo lines offer a pulsing melodic blend that's just plain sweet to listen to. Particularly if you're a guitar player or an acoustic music lover, it's pretty much a must-see (with the understanding that there are no real consequences of not seeing it other than not seeing it).

Rumor is they should be stopping by WYEP in the next hour, so you may want to tune in for a listen.

Soft rock songs overheard in the office that have become stuck in my head this week

2010-02-26T16:08:00.006-05:00

In descending order from favorite to least:

Phil Collins - "Against the Odds"
Heart - “These Dreams”
Elton John - "Daniel"
Bette Middler - “Wind Beneath My Wings”
Mariah Carey - “Emotions”
Sarah McLaughlin - “Angel”

Beach House will kick off summer in Pittsburgh

2010-02-25T14:33:00.008-05:00

I normally just update the concert calendar without mentioning it in a post, but I thought this merited a mention given their excellent new album, the growing hype behind it, and--much as I honestly love snow--the urgency with which I pine for summertime to arrive.

BEACH HOUSE
Plus a special guest
Weds, June 16, 2010 7:00 PM
DIESEL

Here's their latest track, "The Arrangement":

St. Vincent - Not the College in Latrobe where the Stillers practice

2010-02-22T17:23:00.004-05:00

So last night Annie Clark and her band St. Vincent landed at Diesel in the Southside. I attended the show with my new side-project bandmate (see our acoustic chamber pop act "The Snow Drifts" coming soon to a chill venue near you) and we both agreed that Annie and her band put on quite a show. As many of you probably know, Annie has played with Sufjan Stevens and it was clear from the start that her band was going to utilize a vast array of instruments as well. In addition to the standard line-up of guitar, bass and drums, many of the songs featured synth, violin, flute, clarinet or saxophone.

Right from the start, Annie hits you with her amazing vocals. She has great pipes and really uses her range well to contrast what can be some intense instrumentation from her band - it's very striking to hear live. This is a good example of when a studio album can't do an artist or a band justice - some things are just better in a live setting no matter what kind of pro-turntable and tube amplifier your use in your geek-den.

Annie played many songs off of Actor; some high points for me were "The Strangers" and "Actor Out of Work". For the encore, she also played an awesome, solo rendition of "Paris is Burning", which highlighted her guitar work and finger picking proficiency. By the way, she can absolutely shred as well. On several songs, her insane shredding brought her to her knees Hendrix-flaming-guitar-style. Unfortunately, because Diesel was so packed I missed a lot of what she was doing at that point, so I'll have to leave it to my imagination and yours.

Overall, a tight set with a bare bones psychedelic feel due to the strobe lights and smoke machine. There are only two negatives that I will point out: (1) Annie's guitar was mixed very low at the beginning of the set and was completely drowned out by the drums and synth on several early songs; and (2) because the crowd was so large, we were stuck near the men's bathroom on the first floor and the dude who hands you towels and sells single cigarettes had the door wide-open. That wouldn't be noteworthy enough to make this review, but he was also watching some movie on a mini-DVD player with the volume turned up loud enough to hear during the show. Now I'm all in favor of free enterprise and I'm sure it sucks sitting in a men's bathroom next to a couple commodes and some urinals all night, but either put on some headphones or shut the damn door. Thankfully, somebody finally had him lower the volume, and eventually he shut the door, but still! That might be perfectly fine on a "normal" Saturday night when Diesel turns into a sweat factory, but not during a St. Vincent show.

So anyway, kudos to the Pittsburgh music contingency for coming out en masse on a Sunday night at Diesel for a killer show, and kudos to Annie and her band for making it completely worth it.

Eyes on the roads

2010-02-10T17:07:00.004-05:00

And in case anyone cares, I've spent about two-thirds of my life in Pittsburgh and I am firmly in the anti-chair camp. The rest of you are just egocentric loons.

Excerpts of a convo about new tunes had among the lazy SITKOT bloggers

2010-02-10T13:42:00.008-05:00

SITKOT's been a little quiet lately for no good reason, but our stereos have not. Here's what we're listening to, as discussed over some snowy e-mails this morning:

El Loco Mooso:

My favorite albums so far this year are:

Owen Pallet - Heartland

and

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

That is all.

Jimmy:

I agree that Owen Pallet is one of the top albums so far. My list would also include:

Beach House - Teen Dream
Spoon - Transference

I'm a little underwhelmed by the new Yeasayer album. The first half is very good and on par with their first album, which I thought was awesome. The second half of the album doesn't do it for me. While Spoon's new album gets stronger towards the end, it's almost as if Yeasayer ran out of ideas. I may just have to give it a few more listens though until I make a final decision.

The new Beach House is awesome from beginning to end. Definitely my favorite so far this year.

El Loco Mooso:

Yeah, totally agree.

And those are interesting because so far, I've only listened to the first couple songs from the Yeasayer and Spoon albums and my initial impression was the opposite of yours, which makes sense. The BH album that I have listened to so far has been good. I'll have to listen a little more though. I think I’ve always been drawn to good electronica which is why im digging the new hot chip.

Roberto:

Wow, I'm way behind. I have to confess that of all these, I've only heard about half of Yeasayer and 3/4 of Beach House, and the latter only because Jimmy accidently burned two copies and I got the benefit of that mistake. What kind of a sh*tty rockblogger am I?

Oh yeah, and Spoon I guess. As I was telling Jimmy, I like it better than their past records just because it's more consistently pretty good. No great standouts, but no blatant filler either. A slight departure for them in that regard. Sort of reminds my of a watered down Veckatimest, which I keep liking more and more. So maybe Transference will be a grower?

El Loco Mooso:

Oh and for any black metal fans out there [crickets] Immortal’s All Shall Fall is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Btw, Hot Chip's One Life Stand is already on Grooveshark. Go listen to it over and over.

Get on the ball, Roberta.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For the record, Henry mentioned that he's been listening to a lot of Neil Young lately, as have I--Prairie Wind and On the Beach in particular. (And, for your FYI, Henry also hinted at a possible blogging comeback.)

Them Crooked Vultures on SNL

2010-02-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

So it's pretty snowy out there. Not sure if tonight's shows are still on or not. Probably not. SITKOT never claimed to be a meteorological authority.

Assuming your power's on and your cable's not out, SNL should be worthwhile tonight. Ashton Kutcher may be annoying beyond toleration, but if you're not worn out on supergroups, the latest rockstar combo of Dave Grohl on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass should bring a decent offering of rock.

Rockler Radar [A forced title for a blog post about this wintry weekend's concerts in Pittsburgh, PA]

2010-02-05T16:08:00.015-05:00

It's really not that bad out. Seriously. Snowy, wet, yes... standard Pittsburgh winter stuff. Turn off the local news and pull on a hat and coat.

I thought I might spend some time today and do a nice profile of some of the Pittsburghers playing around town this weekend to kick this blawg back into gear. Then it occurred to me they've already been profiled by people who've done a more thorough job than I would have. So:

Tonight, Ernie Hawkins returns to Calliope Center Stage in Shadyside with a seriously stellar backing band of Marc Reisman on harmonicas, Roger Day on tuba, Rich Strong on the kit, and Paul Cosentino on clarinet. I wish I had some video to post of the October show with the same group of musicians because it was fantastic. If you like jazzy blues and ragtimey ditties, this will be the best gig you see all winter. Hold me to that.

Tomorrow, you have to make a choice: get happy or get pissed.

Donora will be at the Rex in the South Side. So if you understood "pissed" in the British sense, then maybe this one is actually your show. Chances are if you've been following the blog for a while you already know Donora. If not, this three-piece puts out the best pop rock (I think the full two-word label is quite appropriate here) Pittsburgh has to offer. Take your dancing shoes. And if Bruce Kraus gives you any guff on your way out, tell that old curmudgeon to get his ass back to Bomont.

Or, maybe you took "pissed" in the Americanized sense. That's cool, too. And maybe it's a generalization, but I think you get the idea. Again, a lot of you are probably already familiar with our city's finest punk-pop export, but, if not, you can get up to speed over at Old Mon Music: Anti Flag. They'll be in Millvale, fighting the forces of the grain for all us sinners out there. Maybe you'll spot a local G-20 protester or two.

But lo! There is another option. Maybe the Joe DeNardo wannabes out there have got you feeling lowdown and shut in. Well fear not and rock on: check out the jukebox over at Lawrenceville's own FAWM.org. February Album Writing Month is just getting started, but there are already some fine songs rolling in. I have to admit to surprise at finding more good than bad so far (notwithstanding demo-quality sound, to be excused given the nature of the project). Or at least 50/50. Better odds than you'll find over at the slots.

EDIT: Okay, it's getting a bit worse. Just drive slow. Or maybe take a bus.

Ramblings

2010-01-22T15:35:00.009-05:00

The way place and time play on our minds and affect our memories has always been wild to me. How a day in some nearby place can make it seem like a week has passed upon your return, but events in our lives that happened years ago can be so vivid. I'm reminded of this often when I think for a moment that I recognize a passerby, but then realize the person I'm recalling would by now have aged years beyond the face I see, or perhaps he lives far from wherever I am.

Semi-related: the way setting can affect our reception of music at a given time. Last night I spent an hour or two swigging on a tasty merlot (which I only today realized must have been a gift, and was actually pretty expensive) and cooking some mofongo con camarones (which, to my surprise, turned out okay) with my entire music library on shuffle, and every song seemed just right. But this morning on an over-crowded 51-C which smelled vaguely of mildewed gym shoes and baby food, I skipped just about every track that came on until, finally, I stepped off the bus and, ta-daaaa, the right song clicked with me.

Something about winter gets me leaning on Americana and quasi-electronica. Maybe you've noticed the occasionally changing playlists in the sidebar lately. That's what's happening. I'm still digging the current one right now, but I'm feeling a shift back toward something more organic. I sense some Tom Waits in the next one. Maybe a bit of mandolin, too.

Anyhow, this is probably sounding like filler. Fluff. Sorry for the interruption. This January's been a slow month musically, but some good shows are in town this weekend: Richie Havens, Langhorne Slim and Flotation Walls, all tomorrow night. Pick your pleasure. Looking ahead, all kinds of good things are happening in February. So keep your ear to the sod, and stay off that miserable 51-C.

UPDATE: Courtesy of Infinonymous, a few more shows to fill your weekend.

Get on the bandwagon

2010-01-19T10:49:00.008-05:00

News: Haitian Orphans Arrive in Pittsburgh (Post-Gazette)

Background: Love and Haiti (Pittsburgh Magazine, Jan. 09)

Donate: Brebis de Saint Michel de L'Attalaye (BRESMA) Orphanage

Concert Haiku: Bear in Heaven's Openers

2010-01-18T16:14:00.008-05:00

Mariage Blanc: shoulda
included yinz guys in that
post on loc's. My bad.

Elliott Smithish
Apples in Stereo? Hate
to summarize by

comparison. But
hey, this is high coup. If they
were a bird: blue. Then

Freelance Whales rocked me
with glockenspiel. Whoah, Nelly.
Banjo, sqeezebox, five-

part harmonies and
fuzzy bass make PBR's
flow at Brillobox.

Download:
Freelance Whales - "Hannah"

Stream:
<a href="http://mariageblanc.bandcamp.com/track/famous-last-words">Famous Last Words by Mariage Blanc</a>

The Local Is the Only Universal

2010-01-07T00:01:00.011-05:00

First off, that Cypress Hill allusion three posts down was probably my best headline yet. I can't believe you people didn't acknowledge that with effusive praise in the comments.

Second off, I wish I'd saved it for this post, in which I intend to state something to the effect of:

"One of my resolutions for this blog this year is to cast a broader spotlight on the local scene. There are several great bands coming out of Pittsburgh and vicinity these days, and they all deserve their due."

So, it's no secret that I'm a big Good Night, States fan. They're my favorite of the locals, with no disrespect to any others. I'm not sure if they officially up and came in '09, or if they're still up and coming. Probably the latter is more likely. I think maybe my appreciation for their music skews my perception of their status as a band in the rock scene at large. Anyway, keep an ear open for them this year. That's my advice. I hope people in and outside of our little rustbelt metropolis take it.

Beyond GN,S there are about 7 to 10 other local bands I intend to highlight in the next few weeks/months (saying that with the understanding that I often fail on the following through aspect of intentions). To start, let's look over the concert calendar on the sidebar.

As January nears its icy end, Meeting of Important People play Brillobox. If I were you, and you were a Pittsburgher with an interest in infectious indie-pop, then I'd take that opportunity to catch one of the most promising local bands at what is probably the hippest local venue. And pick up their self-titled CD while you're there, or maybe download beforehand. It's fantastic.

About a week after that, another stalwart of the Pittsburgh indie-pop scene (do you guys hate that genre title? I might.) will be at the somewhat-recently refurbished Rex Theater: Donora. They put out one of Jimmy's favorite records of 2009 on the locally owned Rostrum label (also home to emcee Wiz Khalifa), and they put on a hell of a show.

If rebellion is more your thing, that same night over in Millvale you can find Anti-Flag. If any local band has successfully broken through on the national level in recent years, this is it, so I don't think they really need the publicity from a little site like mine. But regardless, they're sweet, so as long as Small's can get its soundboard in order for this one, the show should be great.

Another couple weeks go by and Beware Fashionable Women will play Southminster Coffee House out in the South Hills. These guys have been a bit under the radar, so this could be a breakout year for them. They have a solid album out which is not afraid to meander among genres. On early listens a few tracks sounded a bit Phishy to me (not a bad thing), but on further review it really opened up, and now I'm not even sure where I got that first impression. It has several great tracks, but one great track which is not on that album--"He's a Boy"--is currently available for free download at their MySpace page. Give it a listen. And keep your eye on them this year. I will, too.

Then, come March, we get a "double-whammy" of sorts: Lohio and Emily Rodgers team up for a double-bill at Calliope Center Stage. On the one hand, this is an event to benefit the Carnegie Libraries. That's cool, yes? On the other hand, this is an intimate venue which was very nicely renovated and is a great place to hear/see live music. Also cool. And if you had a third hand (and maybe you do for all I know), then on it you would see one of the city's most solidly respected young bands and one of our most promising songwriters. What I'm trying to say is, you really can't go wrong. So don't. (Don't go wrong, that is.) (But do go to the show.)

So where am I going with this, besides one glass deeper into a nice, chilled, inexpensive white wine blend? I guess we'll see in the coming weeks as I perhaps continue this potentially quasi-regular series on local music and ideally focus on that Pittsburgh facet of this weblog.

Meanwhile, there are a ton of other good shows creeping up on the calendar this winter and spring. So support a local venue if not local musicians, and resolve to go see some live music early on in 2010. It's good for the soul, I think.

Wilco Coming April 11

2010-01-04T12:20:00.011-05:00

Crappy cell phone pic of (I think) Wilco at AJ Palumbo.

What a fine bit of news for the first post of the new year: Wilco returns to Pittsburgh on Sunday, April 11, 2010, for the first time since their stellar '08 appearance at the dismal Palumbo. Thankfully, this time they'll play my favorite theatre venue in town, Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland. Doors open at 7:00 pm, music at 8.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10:00 am via Ticketmaster. $35-$38.50.

Stream/Download:
Wilco - "Wilco (The Song)"
Wilco - "Don't Fear the Reaper"

R.I.I.P. Henry (2009 - 2009)

2009-12-31T00:01:00.003-05:00

Henry was a good blogger, and a good man. He was one of us.

He was a man who loved music, and biking, and as a blogger he explored the streets of Pittsburgh from the New Hazlett Theatre to Thunderbird Cafe, and on up to Brillobox. But he quit--he quit, like so many of his generation, before his time. In your wisdom you took him, oh Internet, as you took so many bright, flowering young men. These young men gave their wireless hours. And Henry, too. Henry who loved blogging (for a little while anyway).

And so, Henry Kerabatsos Kleber, we now commit your archives to the bosom of the World Wide Web.

Good night, sweet prince.

Who yinz tryin to get lazy with, ese... Don’t you know I’m local?

2009-12-30T11:21:00.009-05:00

Others have done a much better job than SITKOT of covering the Pittsburgh scene of late, so, that thou canst never once reflect, let's turn it over to them for the day:

- Pittsburgh Music Report's Top Ten Concerts of 2009.

- Hugh's favorite Pittsburgh songs of the decade...

- ...and his favorite shows of the year in three parts.

- Mervis gives you his own top ten (plus five country) shows.

- YEP notes that a track from their best local release of 2009--MOIP's self-titled debut*--will be featured on the new Real World tonight. (Also, tune in Thursday at 10 a.m. for Cindy's Local Year in Review show.)

- And finally, Speed of the Pittsburgh Sound has promised (but not yet delivered) a Top 20 Steel City Tracks of 2009. Keep an eye out. Hopefully this will give him the kick in the pen he needs to get that one together.

See you next year.

* I'm way late to the party, but have been really digging this album this week. Also, you might note that they're performing with GNS tomorrow at First Night.

Raking the muck of HRO

2009-12-29T17:18:00.005-05:00

Not much is going on this week, and I’m still feeling fat and lazy with a happy holiday behind me and another on the horizon. So why not mine the sphere for some re-bloggable content?

Tomorrow I’ll go local on yo' ass. Today, I rake through the muck of Hipster Runoff.

If you can get past his obsession with tweeny textspeak and stomach his self-aware misogynist/ racist/ classist/ pseudosatirist tone, you will occasionally be offered a gem of modern music and/or indie culture criticism ‘via’ Carles (pictured above). His end-of-decade post, fittingly titled “The Most Authentic/ Relevant/ Successful Artists of the Decade (The Best Albums/ MP3s/ Songs/ Artists/ Bands/ Humans of the Decade)” is HRO’s opus of sorts, and is very likely to crash your browser in all its bloating glory. Dare risk that click, however, some stimulating statements on the decade in music are waiting to be found among the fluff. And at the end of it all: a surprisingly reasonable (if tongue-in-cheek) defense of John Mayer as artist of the decade.

Anyhow, from that post I've mined a few thoughts (or perhaps 'feelings'?) which seemed to resonate, or at least to provoke...

Re: Fleet Foxes: "I feel like ‘indie rock’ would have been totally different if these bros had released their hit album in 2k3.5ish. Instead of so many bands trying to sound like the Arcade Fire, more bros would have grown beards and written soothing forest tunes."

Re: Grizzly Bear: "I feel like Grizzly Bear is the Most Authentic Band of the second half of the decade. Somehow, their latest album ‘charted’ at #6 on the mainstream charts. That seems pretty successful. I feel like the thing most music critics hold against Grizzly Bear is ‘not being from the first half of the decade.’"

Re: Girl Talk: "Wonder how this bro built such a solid brand for doing what the majority of all DJs do. I guess it was because he talked about ‘digital rights’ and other ‘issues’ like that. Then he had an absurd live brand that invited alternative people who just started to illegally drink on stage, which was something the world probably needed."

Re: The Shins: "'New Slang' seems very earnest, like I might cry while listening to it if it didn’t directly remind me of Garden State."

Re: Dirty Projectors: "I think bands like DP are indicative of new markets of ‘people who have listened to way too much music’ in their lifetimes. They need something that sounds s0 different that it potentially blows, but it is also possibly ‘genius.’ I sort of wish I could Teach for America, and play this in a class full of inner city minority kids, and then experience them making fun of me for listening to it. I would have had the intention of ‘making them more cultured’, but then they would give me a swift reality check, letting me know that maybe I should assimilate to their culture, and stop living in my pseudo-relevant indie dream world."

Re: Nickelback: "Understanding the power of Nickelback means understanding the power of Wal Mart Rock. No matter how ‘authentic’ you think your taste in music is, you always need to remember that you are in the minority. There are tons of poor people in rural+middle America who still buy CDs."

Re: Deathcab for Cutie: "Deathcab seems to have followed a predictable career path. They were probably better in the middle of the decade, but as they ‘got more popular’ the appeal+quality of their music continued to go down the shitter. Really want to build a time machine and listen to meaningfulcore indie before the world got all jaded/snarky/meaningless."

Re: Rob Thomas: "Worried that this bro will be around for 30+ years, generating similar songs over and over again."

Re: The Killers and K.O.L.: "I feel like the Killers and the Kings of Leon are possibly the decade’s most ’successful bands.’ Somehow, they have both transitioned into festival headliner-status bands. This must mean that their music is ‘good’/they appeal to a lot of ppl. Both bands are not afraid to write ‘massive/epic ballads’ that are meant to fill arenas/festivals. Feel like I possibly respect this existence/career path as a band more than the ‘trying 2 stay authentic’ indie band."

Re: Justin Timberlake: "The World needed Justin Timberlake to be successful. We needed him to help us forget about the boy band era. He stands for something more than his own personal evolution."

Re: Radiohead: "I don’t really feel comfortable with letting them be considered the #1 band of the decade. It seems like they sorta lucked out because their major label contract dissolved/ended, and they were able to let people ‘pay what they want’ [via the internet]. I think most music critic bros are close to the age of 30, and probably have a warped perception of Radiohead, since it was probably their ‘experimenting with drugs’ music from 1995-2005."

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Shitter was full.

Roberto's Top 20 Albums of the Year

2009-12-21T12:59:00.008-05:00

I expected to have a lot of trouble ranking these, and in the end I did struggle to sort through the top half of this list. Once I picked a favorite, though, the rest fell into place surprisingly easily. What it came down to is that I regularly listen to music in a few different settings: through headphones on the bus and walking around town, through somewhat crummy speakers in the car, and through a solid system at home. I’ve started to realize recently that while some albums may really strike me as amazing at times, few hold up across all moods and scenes. And over the course of the year, there was one album that never seemed to miss the moment.

1. The xx - xx

Is this minimalistic self-titled debut defensible as my #1 album of the year? I think so. I’ve probably enjoyed it more than any other across the board. Driving on a rainy night; driving on a sunny day; strolling down Strawberry Way in the snow; laying in bed; even sitting on the floor playing Super Mario Bros. 3, this album always strikes me as perfect. I keep my player in random/shuffle mode much of the time, and xx is the one album on this list whose songs I can’t recall ever skipping when one pops up. And so, though I’ve probably listened more this year to Farm, Hold Time and MPP, xx stands out as my go-to favorite.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

It’s not groundbreaking exactly, but its one-of-a-kind in a familiar way. Updated Beach Boys nostalgia and refined electronic dronings work perfectly to keep this one on repeat in my head every time I turn it off.

3. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm

Nothing new or surprising here, and that’s just fine. Mascis in particular is at his best in 15 years or more.

4. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Probably the most unexpected success of the year in my mind. The contrast between songs like “Stillness is the Move” and “Two Doves” is startlingly beautiful and, with only 9 tracks, the execution is superb all the way through.

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

I have to admit to disappointment when I first heard “Zero” and didn’t get the fill of Nick Zinner’s raw distortion I had hoped for, and when I heard the rest of the album it took me a few listens to get over that. Eventually, though, Karen O’s convincing melodies managed to slide this album into my top 5 for the year.

And now for the rest:

6. The Antlers - Hospice

7. M. Ward - Hold Time

8. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter

9. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

10. Washed Out - Life of Leisure

11. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

12. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

13. Handsome Furs - Face Control

14. Girls - Album

15. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

16. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

17. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

18. The Wiyos - Broken Land Bell

19. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

20. Flaming Lips - Embryonic

The Hot Seats at Calliope Center Stage

2009-12-16T13:08:00.003-05:00

If you missed the Wiyos last month, do yourself a favor and make it out for the Hot Seats tomorrow at Calliope's new venue in the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (corner or Fifth and Shady).

The beers are cheap (relatively anyway - $3), and the Hot Seats are a ragtimey, bluegrassy good time (also rumored to be very funny).

The Musical Aughties: A Study in Contrast

2009-12-15T11:43:00.009-05:00

With all of the lists floating around lately, most of which are marked by a prevalence of indie artists, it's interesting to see what actually sells out there in the marketplace. So, here are a few empirical rankings to ponder:

Billboard Top Ten Singles of 2000:

1. Faith Hill – “Breathe”
2. Santana (Featuring Rob Thomas) – “Smooth"
3. Santana (Featuring The Product G&B) – “Maria Maria”
4. Joe – “I Wanna Know”
5. Vertical Horizon – “Everything You Want”
6. Destiny's Child – “Say My Name”
7. Savage Garden – “I Knew I Loved You”
8. Lonestar – “Amazed”
9. Matchbox Twenty – “Bent”
10. Toni Braxton – "He Wasn’t Man Enough”

Bestselling Albums of the Decade:

1. The Beatles - 1
2. NSYNC - No Strings Attached
3. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
4. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
5. Eminem - The Eminem Show
6. Usher - Confessions
7. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
8. Creed - Human Clay
9. Britney Spears - Oops! ... I Did It Again
10. Nelly - Country Grammar

Bestselling Digital Singles of the Decade:

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - "Low"
2. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"
3. Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
4. Timbaland feat. OneRepublic - "Apologize"
5. The Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
6. Soulja Boy Tell'em - "Crank That"
7. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
8. Coldplay - "Viva la Vida"
9. Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
10. Katy Perry - "Hot N Cold"

Bestselling Singles (Digital and Physical) of the Decade:

1. Shakira (featuring Wyclef Jean) - "Hips Don't Lie"
2. Beyonce (featuring Jay-Z) - "Crazy In Love"
3. Black Eyed Peas - "My Humps"
4. Britney Spears - "Toxic"
5. Britney Spears - "Womanizer"
6. Britney Spears - "Oops!... I Did It Again"
7. Eminem - "Stan"
8. Flo Rida - "Low"
9. Green Day - "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams"
10. Katy Perry - "I Kissed A Girl"

iTunes Top Downloads of 2009:

1. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
2. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
3. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
4. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
5. All-American Rejects - "Gives You Hell"
6. Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"
7. Miley Cyrus - "Party in the USA"
8. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
9. T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake - "Dead and Gone"
10. Kings of Leon - "Use Somebody"

Roberto's best non-2009 records of 2009

2009-12-10T17:19:00.015-05:00

Umm... not sure I'm quite ready to forever make my "best of '09" of record yet. Tough stuff. Still shiffling a few around. In the end, it's obviously more of a "my favorites of '09" because, honestly, who am I to offer up anything more. A guy with a blog. That's who.

Woke up this morning thinking about laying it down, but then I couldn't get "Pigs in Zen" and "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" (the Springsteen rendition, which is possibly my least favorite) out of my head, so I figured I'll wait until I'm thinking a bit more clearly. And anyway, I've been listening to a lot of stuff lately that isn't exactly fresh, so let's deal with that first.

Top 5 Albums I Discovered in 2009 That Weren't Released in 2009:

Honorable mention: The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

An honorable mention only because it's a very recent release (late 2008) that was re-released in 2009, so it's sort of a tweener. In any event, this is unquestionably one of the best albums to find its way into my rotation all year (as you may have noticed, it's been in there for a while now). The Low Anthem craft amazing songs with a sound that might roughly blend two parts Tom Waits and one part Art Garfunkel. Thanks to JP for the intro to these guys.

5. Toubab Krewe - Toubab Krewe (2005)

Full disclosure: I don't actually own this album. But Henry does (you might remember him from the early days of this blog), and I have several shows in my iTunes courtesy of the Live Music Archive. After seeing these guys play the Arts Fest this summer, they briefly revitalized my penchant for instrumental jambandish tunes, though they certainly deserve more credit than to be categorized as such. As evidence, even after that taste dwindled again, their songs remain in my playlists.

4. Smog - The Doctor Came at Dawn (1996)

I never got into Smog until he released Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle this year under his real name, Bill Callahan. While that record didn't blow me away from the start, it definitely prompted me to explore his back-catalog (which is deep and dense), and this record in particular struck me after its songs began to pop up when I would go into shuffle mode. Something like a less energetic, more organic Silver Jews, The Doctor Came at Dawn offers haunting acoustics and pensive lyrics. "All Your Women Things" is so basic in sound and structure that I'm amazed it manages to get stuck in my head, but glad it gives me a chance to ponder that one even after powering off.

3. Pep Laguarda - Brossa d'Ahir (1977/2004)

This one started to get some buzz this summer. I learned of it through eMusic (which I think does a great job of recommending music based on past downloads) and bought it on a whim. Something like gypsy-jazz-folk-rock, the Mediterranean vibes pour through the speakers like sangria as this record starts out. As it plays on, it mellows the soul and makes me long to be walking through the hills above Malaga.

2. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006)

I may have discovered this record in 2008, but if so it was close to the end of the year. Flamenco-rock is as good a tag as you could slap on it, but the music is a bit deeper than that would suggest. With roots in traditional forms, their innovative melodies and techniques modernize a centuries-old style of guitar music. And their cover of "Stairway" is the best out there, hands-down.

1. Chris Smither - Leave the Light On (2006)

Given that he's been making records for nearly forty years and just played Pittsburgh last year courtesy of Calliope, I have no idea how I never heard of this guy. It took a PBS rebroadcast of the 2008 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and a clip immediately following Guy Clark's performance, but after seeing him play the title track from this 2006 album, I downloaded a ton of his stuff and declared myself a huge fan. His take on Peter Case's "Cold Trail Blues" is spare and perfect, and the rest of the record is pretty awesome too.