my heart spent 49 days in a bardo, baby

but i'm gonna make it home tonight


hi. the only way to start it up again, is to start it up again.

bardo49
is back...

i think

if you are wondering what this blathering spam is about... i sporadically write about music. usually upcoming shows. i think you like music, therefore i am copying you on this. if you don't want to receive this/these... let me know. i won't send it to you.

i try to only write about music i like, and ignore music i don't.

having said that... some music can't be ignored.

in short, these emails will try to update you on upcoming concerts that i like. sometimes, rarely, i will write about recordings.


and so begin again>

ryan bingham | 05.08 | hotel utah : bingham was born in NM but raised in west texas. apparently lived a somewhat hard scrabble west texas life and then tried the rodeo circuit for a couple of years. after that, he started playing bars... until he was noticed. sounds like the bio of someone my age, but the kid is 25. so he is, like, 4 years younger than you'd think. ahem. anyway... he is not doing anything ground breaking. but it is refreshing to hear someone new who seems to be doing true outlaw country. the real props he earned, in my book, came with having terry allen (and bukka and joe) record on his first major album. he also did some guest vocals for a recent live joe ely album at this little club in austin called the cactus cafe.

booker t, bettye lavette | 05.09 | independent : i haven't seen booker t in a long time. and i've never seen bettye. i gotta imagine this would be a great time.

destroyer | 05.08+09 | cafe du nord:  dan bejar is the driving force behind destroyer, who has released some amazing albums. he's canadian, and due to his penchant for "electric folk" often draws comparisons to early bowie, but to me his singing bears more resemblance to robyn hitchcock. a bit of a brit accent and a tad nasal. also, if you are a fan of new pornographers, he basically co-wrote their sublime album, "mass romantic". nodzzz is opening on saturday... more on them later. having said this, destroyer are also playing the starry plough in berkeley next month.

blowoff (bob mould) | 05.09 | slims : i have yet to see this, but here is what i gather... blowoff was/is a DJ event that bob mould began hosting in DC with friend rich morel. morel is a producer/mixer/etc who has worked with or worked over tracks by new order, the kills, etc. bob mould, if you don't know, is a god. bob's last solo works started leaning towards electronica and apparently these DJ events in DC was a mixture of him spinning electronica mixing in his own work and layering live instrumentation. last time i saw bob solo he played gamh (with his signature blue guitar) and layered electronica behind it.

the shins | 05.09 | fox : gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth

the vaselines | 05.11 | bimbos : the scottish quartet from the late 80s early 90s have reunited and are playing san francisco for the first time, apparently. borrowing heavily from the velvet underground's sound, the vaselines mined the rich possiblities of almost a cognitive dissonance... combining opposing ideas at the same time (naievete + obscenity, harshness + tenderness, delicacy + imprecision, manipulative + unplanned). in short, they were often as genius as cobain made them out to be.

cornelius, deerhoof | 05.12 | fillmore : when i first saw this pairing, i thought it odd. but then i saw some connection. they both make music much like a patchwork quilt, layering patterns and elements carefully. deerhoof tends to unique treble vocals, jangular and jarring. cornelius leans toward the atmospheric. yeah, i don't know what that means, really, either, so look them up. they are both incredible, but you should be ready for them, as both are explorative musically.

loudon wainwright iii | 05.14 | fillmore : one of my favorite songwriters, loudon explores his life, his choices and his emotions so thoroughly through his songs, it can take you aback. initially it may feel too much, as though you happened to drop in on a therapy session. before long, however, you are connecting and experiencing it as your own. these sessions run deep, but loudon is a master of making you smile and laugh with it. father of rufus and martha, and cameo in many a movie or tv show (mash, but most recently in knocked up, as the obgyn that disappeared)

steve earle | 05.14 | amoeba in store : steve's latest album is a collection of townes van zandt covers. i miss townes. i love steve and am looking forward to hearing the album. am always a little wary when someone does something like this, but i figure it IS steve and they ARE townes songs, so it's kind of hard to go wrong, right?

loney, dear | 05.15 | both : i have only heard one song from these cats. have not researched them. the one song is called "i am john". it's simple and clean, bright and cheery and childlike. belle and sebastian without the dark undertones. jens lekman without the baritone magnetic field.

sean hayes | 05.16 | independent : i'm not sure of hayes lineage, but he lives now in san francisco (or at least the bay area). a singer songwriter that with the next note tends to defy the category you just put him in. leaning towards the acoustic and soulful, he weaves between many an era of music. how deep can roots get in the windy dustbowl?

m ward | 05.16 | fox : imagine a dinged up old trumpet with a worn patina and a mute shoved in the bell. now imagine that trumpet being played by chet baker. that's m ward's voice. if m ward only had that voice, he would be making beautiful music. but he doesn't stop there. he puts care into what he sings. i cannot believe he is playing a place as large as the fox. he is the him in "she and him" and he is playing without "she".

i had intended to write more, but these will have to wait:

mogwai | 05.17 | regency :

doves | 05.18 | fillmore :

the kills | 05.19 | fillmore :

decemberists | 05.20 | fox :

pelle carlberg | 05.21 | rickshaw :

kings of leon, the walkmen | 05.21 | bill graham :

tv on the radio | 05.22 | fox :

kelley stoltz | 05.22 | cafe du nord :

the flatlanders | 05.23 | slims :

stars | 05.23 | uptown (oak):

the dears | 05.24 | independent :

lady sovereign | 05.24 | rickshaw :

animal collective | 05.26 | fox

rodriguez | 05.26 | slims :

peter bjorn and john | 05.26+27 | gamh : butch walker opens on 27th.

st vincent | 05.27 | bimbos :

m83 | 05.27 | mezzanine :

jenny lewis, the sadies | 05.28+29 | fillmore :

sun kil moon, mia doi todd | 05.29 | gamh :

isobel campbell and mark lanegan | 05.30  | bimbos :

the roots | 05.30 | davies :

graham parker | 05.31 | freight + salvage :

the field | 06.06 | mezzanine :

nodzz | 06.06 | hemlock :

erykah badu | 06.06 | warfield :

rogue wave | 06.007 | independent :

camera obscura | 06.08 | fillmore :

neko case, jason lytle | 06.09 | warfield :

the felice brothers | 06.09+10 | independent :

the lemonheads | 06.10 | slims :

constantines, crystal antlers | 06.11 | rickshaw :

she wants revenge | 06.12 | bimbos :

the church | 06.12 | slims :

the oh sees | 06.13 | independent :

bat for lashes | 06.13 | gamh :

au revoir simone | 06.13 | bimbos :

art brut | 06.15 | independent :

pj harvey | 06.19 | warfield :

destroyer | 06.20 | the starry plough (berk) :

grizzly bear | 06.21 | fillmore :

david byrne, devotchka | 06.26 | greek :

wilco | 06.27 | greek :

eric clapton, steve winwood | 06.29 | oracle (oak) :

deer tick | 07.01 | independent :

asia, yes | 07.02 | warfield :

rev horton heat | 07.06+07 | gamh :

duran duran | 07.07 | fillmore :

nodzzz | 07.10 | hemlock :

death cab for cutie, andrew bird | 07.11 | greek :

tortoise | 07.13 | gamh :

amadou and mariam | 07.13 | shoreline :

trespassers william | 07.19 | hemlock :

no doubt | 07.21, 25 | bigass pavilions :

handsome family | 07.23 | both :

wayne hancock | 07.24 | uptown :

jarvis cocker | 07.28 | fillmore :

stellastarr | 08.01 | slims :

sonic youth | 08.02 | fox :

mirah | 08.16 | somarts :

al green | 09.02 | warfield :

bonnie and taj | 09.16 | paramount :

jesus lizard | 10.17 | fillmore :

the sunshine bores the daylights out of me

here's a little video of spoon performing the opening track to one of the best albums created.

rocks off, from exile on main street (the rolling stones)

live at the fillmore auditorium, san francisco 24th september 2009

from the opening riff, i got my camera out as soon as i could, so only the opening few bars are missing.

this was at the close of show, so unfortunately i had drifted to the rear of the crowd.

i SO could have taken that austrian looking guy

when faced with greatness, it is good after the fact to step back and reflect on things one can learn about one's self.

I learned the following:
I am a terrible photographer
I would certainly be no good at paparazzi
I am rendered absolutely speechless, devoid of almost any intelligent thought.

while walking along a sidewalk in beverly hills, a non descript black mercedes pulled up in front of us. three people got out, walked by us and into tom's toys on beverly drive. one was a stout austrian (who I didn't notice), one a gaunt tall gothic woman and the third looked like a short, old, skinny mick jagger. astounded that he just walked within two feet of me, I turned to my friends. chris's mouth was as open as mine, paul didn't see what we saw at all.

"are you f*cking kidding me?"

we walked across the street, and in my head I figured he had to be the leader of a tribute band and not the real thing. both friends said, you gotta do it, man, you live for this sh!t.

so I traced our steps back across the street and into the toy store. there he was. it was mick f*cking jagger (from now on, his full name). he was observing a puzzle type toy and he walked over to the counter and began asking the shop keeper about it. whether it was good for a 2 year old boy. there was the austrian looking guy (who I hadn't seen before). He was clearly not shopping and I figured he was "loitering" trying to get a better look at mick f*cking jagger like I was. he had his motorola razor out and I was sure he was contemplating the same thing I was… "how do I get a good photo in without pissing him off?" then I noticed the austrian guy was staring at me quite a bit. and I thought, dude, I am NOBODY. that's mick f*cking jagger.

der…

so I loitered around the store trying to come up with something to say to him. anything. this, the co-author of the soundtrack to various scenes of my life. I can basically recite word for word every lyric from let it bleed, sticky fingers, exile and some girls. but of course, all I can think of is… "man, those are some ugly nikes you've got. and you're shorter than I am?!?"

my mama taught me better, so I said nothing. I walked by the austrian guy and simply said, "unf*ckingbelievable."

walked back to my friends. we got the car. outside the garage, the mercedes was still there, so we did what anyone would do. we sat there and we stalked. mick f*cking jagger came out of the shop and walked right by our car. my camera was out and in my lap. saw his face clear as day. then I took two photos of the side and back of his head.

genius.

here are the photos, so anyone reading this can be sure.

(sure that I am not a photographer, not that it was mick. you can't tell who that is in the photos.)

to date I still can't think of what I should've said. but I'm working on it for next time.

just enough to make you blush

a quiver voice,
i'm in a crush

the (international) noise conspiracy | 12.04 | gamh : i can't believe i forgot to mention these cats earlier. the new band of the frontman for refused. i found out about refused simply by running into their album in a store. first their band name is great. second, the album cover was great (but i've been burned on that way too many times to rely). most importantly was the title of their album, 'the shape of punk to come'. after purchasing + hearing ornette coleman's 'the shape of jazz to come' (quite a claim, but it turns out it was quite true), i've often fallen for bombastic titles. dave eggers' "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius" (i won't get into book reviews) + then the refused. in true punk fashion + quite telling, refused broke up after putting out the album. i'm sure the other members of the band have impressive resumes as well, i just can't keep up with the swedish scene.anyway political + intelligent punk (gang of four | the minutemen), this should be a great show.

john wesley harding | 12.11 | BotH : wesley harding stace named his band john wesley harding in a nod to bob dylan. he sounds nothing like him or that album. nor in my opinion does he sound like elvis costello whom he is often compared to (he recorded with the attractions once). he is a great pop writer, though, combining folk influences.

aimee mann | 12.12 | fillmore : like most of the world, i only really knew her from 'voices carry' (a great song) until that amazing soundtrack to 'magnolia' + the follow up 'bachelor #2' album. piercing eyes to boot.

elliott smith | 12.18 | gamh : i often refer to this guy when describing other bands, + now i have to describe him. remember the film footage of the beatles when they first met bob dylan? they idolized him + were so excited to meet him. dylan (true to his don't look back fashion) cut them to size, claiming all of their songs were basically meaningless pop, with no depth. that moment forever altered the beatles' course (+ thus, the course of pop music). so there was that transition period for the beatles between writing bubble gum pop to writing psychedelic political. smith sounds like a whispery paul simon singing for the beatles during that transition phase. (shite, it took me a long time to get somewhere with that) he has an uncanny gift, posessed by few, to write melodies that are both uplifting yet eerily sad at the same time. think roy orbison. or maybe the beach boys' 'in my room.' or those weird little lullabyes by the velvet underground.

black rebel motorcycle club | 12.28+29 | BotH : i'm always searching for a local band to go see. i'm not that familiar with these guys. what i've heard is droning + fuzzy...very jesus + mary chain. too bad their name is not that good.

ray manzarek | 1.04 | gamh : jim morrison was god. but not enough credit goes to the sonic umpf behind all of his ramblings. a lot of the sex would be missing without the religious incantations of manzarek's keys. years later, he continued this work adding a familiar background to x's amazing debut. i have no idea what he's like solo. it might be frighteningly indulgent.

previously mentioned:
bebel gilberto | 11.28 | fillmore
robert earl keen, jr | 11.30 | fillmore
wilco | 12.1,2+3 | fillmore
eels (& howe gelb) | 12.3 | gamh
los lobos | 12.6+7 | fillmore
jonathan richman | 12.8 | slim's
jane siberry | 12.9 | gamh
raul malo | 12.11 | bimbo's
el vez | 12.20 | BotH
mark lanegan | 12.21 | slim's
imperial teen | 12.29 | slim's
calexico | 01.12 | gamh
sleater-kinney | 01.14 | gamh
del mccoury | 2.15 | gamh
down from the mountain | 2.20 | berkeley comm theatre
nick cave | 4.18+19 | warfield

another weekend: honeymoon/divorce

tied them together with noble force
the day... turned twice my age

missed a few before, so sorry for two in one week.

raul malo | 12.11 | bimbo's : the amazing tenor of the mavericks, if only his songwriting were as strong.

calexico | 01.12 | gamh : the two "sidemen" from the genius band giant sand, also from OP8 + the friends of dean martinez. morricone meets surf + latin tones. slow, but intense. stare at yer shoes.

sleater-kinney | 01.14 | gamh : i have SO been waiting for these cats to tour again. this possibly may be the best band in rock today. my opinion for sure, but some stupid magazine recently said so too, which of course makes me question my opinion. women have been the trailblazers in every music genre for the past ten years at least + this band is a prime example. from girlie whispers to outright testosterone screaming that puts cobain to shame. i never really understood women's reactions to the sexuality of rock performers like jim morrison or even elvis, until i saw this band. i simply turn to butter in a skillet watching carrie brownstein play. i've never seen a hip meet a guitar like that. i think she may be a lesbian, but no doubt i could make her switch to the other team, right? oh yeah, this is supposed to be about the music. their dueling guitars recall tom verlaine + richard lloyd, while the emotion behind everything is so sincere. the usual (deserved) bashing of men is blurred by their understanding of modern sexuality (akin to the lyrics of say bob mould or pete shelley). as such it takes the riot grrl scenario to a much more mature + whole level.

del mccoury | 2.15 | gamh : tops. this was 1 of the top 5 shows i've seen this year. the top 3 bluegrass bands around are this band, union station, + ralph stanley+the clinch mountain boys. unfortunately union station backs alison krauss who has taken a decidedly radio friendly route to country, so the purity of bluegrass of which they are so capable rarely is shown anymore. del + family came out onto a stage at the great american armed only with unplugged instruments + two microphones. as acoustic as a show can get. the place was packed + when they played the softest funeral dirge, you could not even hear the clinking of a glass. truly like watching a band the band the way you should, eliminating the offstage unnamed member, the soundman. it takes true talent + hard work to blend 5 voices + 5 instruments through two mics + fill a space like this hall. so good. SO good. to top it all off they played a version of richard thompson's '52 vincent black lightning. fans of steve earle, note that this was his "backup" band on his grammy winning mountain album.

previously mentioned:

superchunk | 11.7+8 | GAMH
de la soul | 11.8 | fillmore
maxwell | 11.10+ 11 | paramount oak (10th), bill graham (11th)
spiritualized | 11.11 | fillmore
tori amos w/rufus wainright| 11.11+12 | paramount oak
built to spill | 11.8-12 | slim's
jimmie vaughan | 11.13 | slim's
ryan adams | 11.14 | fillmore
sarah harmer | 11.14 | BotH
me'shel ndegÈocello | 11.14 | bimbo's
king crimson w/john paul jones | 11.14 | warfield
shannon wright | 11.15 | BotH
u2 | 11.15 | oakland arena
mike watt | 11.15 | BotH
grant lee phillips | 11.16 | slim's
supersuckers | 11.17 | slim's
death cab for cutie | 11.17+18 | gamh
lee scratch perry | 11.19 | justice league
bebel gilberto | 11.28 | fillmore
robert earl keen, jr | 11.30 | fillmore
wilco | 12.1,2+3 | fillmore
eels (& howe gelb) | 12.3 | gamh
los lobos | 12.6 | fillmore
jonathan richman | 12.8 | slim's
jane siberry | 12.9 | gamh
el vez | 12.20 | BotH
mark lanegan | 12.21 | slim's
imperial teen | 12.29 | slim's
down from the mountain | 2.20 | berkeley comm theatre
nick cave | 4.18+19 | warfield

it's not the mascara

it's the feeling when you blink

for those new, if you don't wanna receive these, let me know.

r.i.p. champ hood. austin violinist extraordinaire. you might know him from uncle walt's band, toni price (his last gig), the bad livers, richard buckner (devotion + doubt), david halley, + even jello biafra. you might not know any of those people. champ was one of the nicest musicians i knew. viva deschamp.

shannon wright | 11.15 | BotH : i stumbled on to this woman, who was opening for the dirty three. elements of fiona apple, tori amos + chan marshall. she played solo + bounced between piano + guitar. the difference between her songs on the different instruments were like night + day. townes van zandt once said 'there's two kinds of songwriters. piano songwriters + guitar songwriters. i chose guitar because it travels well.' very unusual performer.

bebel gilberto | 11.28 | fillmore : here's a little samba that's composed of just one note. the note's fallen a long way from the tree. really only one album under her belt, she's already collaborated with amon tobin, david byrne, towa tei + the thievery corporation. i prefer not to think about garota's partner in crime on ipanema.

jonathan richman | 12.8 | slim's : i rambled on enough about this guy last time, so i'll save my breath on this email. such an affirmation, do not miss this show. he did not sing a specific song for me at the BotH show, though. stingy bastard.

el vez | 12.20 | BotH : lawdy lawdy lawdy

mark lanegan | 12.21 | slim's : lanegan's screaming trees were one of the many unsung heroes from the pacific northwest when nirvana hit. solo, lanegan is a completely different animal, akin to bob mould's solo work in comparison to husker du. just worlds apart. here, lanegan's solo work is easily better than the trees stuff.

imperial teen | 12.29 | slim's : what a great band name. pretty spot on, too. sugary pop played by two boys + two girls dressed in matching teenage outfits. "you like strawberries. i like you." it ain't genius, but it's sincere + fun.

previously mentioned:

superchunk | 11.7+8 | GAMH
de la soul | 11.8 | fillmore
maxwell | 11.10+ 11 | paramount oak (10th), bill graham (11th)
spiritualized | 11.11 | fillmore
tori amos w/rufus wainright| 11.11+12 | paramount oak
built to spill | 11.8-12 | slim's
jimmie vaughan | 11.13 | slim's
ryan adams | 11.14 | fillmore
sarah harmer | 11.14 | BotH
me'shel ndegÈocello | 11.14 | bimbo's
king crimson w/john paul jones | 11.14 | warfield
u2 | 11.15 | oakland arena
mike watt | 11.15 | BotH
grant lee phillips | 11.16 | slim's
supersuckers | 11.17 | slim's
death cab for cutie | 11.17+18 | gamh
lee scratch perry | 11.19 | justice league
robert earl keen, jr | 11.30 | fillmore
wilco | 12.1,2+3 | fillmore
eels (& howe gelb) | 12.3 | gamh
los lobos | 12.6 | fillmore
jane siberry | 12.9 | gamh
down from the mountain | 2.20 | berkeley comm theatre
nick cave | 4.18+19 | warfield

down main street after midnight

a brand new pack of cigs
a fresh one hangin' from her lips
a beer between her legs

tenacious d | 10.31 | warfield : jack black's parody/comedy set to his amazing voice (yes, that's really him singing 'let's get it on' in high fidelity), with his pal kyle gass.

de la soul | 11.8 | fillmore : genius hip-hop

me'shel ndegÈocello | 11.14 | bimbo's

king crimson w/john paul jones | 11.14 | warfield : progrock wankers. i recently purchased "discipline" on cd, mainly beacuse it's a re-issue, i only had it on album + let's face it the packaging was cool. it has some great moments. it also has some truly pathetic attempts at art. don't know if jpj is joining them or opening. screw that construction worker + rock's sloppiest guitarist, though. jpj + john bonham were the real genius behind zep. when plant + page were trying to do some reunion thing, jpj said screw it, i'm creating new music. with diamanda galas, no less.

grant lee phillips | 11.16 | slim's : here recently. by all reports, it was an amazing show. his new album is brilliant.

supersuckers | 11.17 | slim's : the no nonsense side of the grunge scene.

robert earl keen, jr | 11.30 | fillmore :to me keen is an eery reflection of texas, in that he encompasses so much about the state with unparalleled accuracy. as such, there is so much about him that i can't stand. mainly his too often drunken frat boy riddled crowd (he is without doubt the heir to the jerry jeff scene/genre). some say you shouldn't judge a performer by their crowd. hard not to when they're spilling their beer on your shoes + screaming, pleading "COPENHAGEN" in your ear at the top of their lungs, bits of the nicotine+saliva soaked sludge flying. townes took care of that crowd by writing (+ performing when appropriate) "talking fraternity blues". ('if you want good friends, they're gonna cost you') townes was in a fraternity. not that i really have anything against frat guys. hey, some of my best friends were in... anyway. keen, though, has also an amazing songwriting ability + can play a tune that will immediately hush the entire audience, turning a crowd of raging morons into bleary-eyed putty. after that of course, he'll tear into 'the road goes on forever'. then you'd better dance. or watch yer ass.

wilco | 12.3 added show | fillmore : can tweedy sell out a third show? jesus.

nick cave | 4.18+19 | warfield : tickets went on sale sunday. the shows are a week after my birthday. hint hint.

previously mentioned:
travis | 10.25 | warfield
buddy + julie miller | 10.26 | slim's
oysterhead | 10.26 | greek theater - berk
strictly bluegrass festival | 10.27 | speedway meadows in gg park
rocket from the crypt | 10.27 | gamh
bill frisell + greg leisz + boubacar traorÈ | 10.29 | palace of fine arts
jane's addiction | 10.29 | oakland arena this has been moved to shoreline or concord
black heart procession | 10.30 | gamh
butthole surfers | 11.1 | GAMH
sparklehorse | 11.11 | bimbo's
pernice bros | 11.1 | BotH also 11.2 at starry plough in berkeley
charles lloyd + zakir hussain | 11.02 | grace cathedral
and you will know us by the trail of dead | 11.2 | BotH
loudon wainwright iii | 11.4 | gamh
the beta band | 11.5 | fillmore
pinback | 11.6 | gamh
superchunk | 11.7+8 | GAMH
maxwell | 11.10+ 11 | paramount oak (10th), bill graham (11th)
spiritualized | 11.11 | fillmore
tori amos w/rufus wainright| 11.11+12 | paramount oak
built to spill | 11.8-12 | slim's
jimmie vaughan | 11.13 | slim's
ryan adams | 11.14 | fillmore
sarah harmer | 11.14 | BotH
u2 | 11.15 | oakland arena
mike watt | 11.15 | BotH
death cab for cutie | 11.17+18 | gamh
lee scratch perry | 11.19 | justice league
wilco | 12.1+2 | fillmore
eels (& howe gelb) | 12.3 | gamh
los lobos | 12.6 | fillmore
jane siberry | 12.9 | gamh