Skinny Love in Mesa

I went to see indie rock band Bon Iver last night at the Mesa Arts Center. I'd never been there before and it's pretty impressive: a post-modern $98 million, 3-building complex currently in its fifth season since its opening. I enjoyed the architecture; very sleek and angular, yet airy and inviting.

For those of you not familiar with Mesa, it's a sleepy bedroom community in the Eastern part of the valley. Like many of the Phoenix suburbs it's fast-growing and quickly closing in on half a million people. Although it is the third-largest city in the state it's hardly a destination for anything, and Forbes named it one of America's Top 10 Boring Cities last year (along with neighboring Chandler and Gilbert, AZ.)

When I drove to the concert and entered Mesa I passed an endless series of interchangeable intersections completely devoid of individuality: strip malls, gas stations and chain restaurants as far as the eye can see. I bet even locals would be lost if you dropped them in a random intersection and removed the street signs.

As I reached Main St the cityscape changed a bit for the better - shops, restaurants, street parking and walkable sidewalks - almost resembling a traditional town. This will only make sense to some of you, but it reminded me of Hallsberg in Sweden with its one long main street. The problem is, Hallsberg has about 7,000 inhabitants and mainly exists because it's the intersection of two of Sweden's major railway lines - not exactly what a city with more people than Miami and St. Louis should be striving for.

However, you would certainly not find an art center like this one in Hallsberg! The Bon Iver show was inside the largest of the four theaters: the beautiful 1,600 seat Ikeda Theater, which was, if not sold out, close to full. I had a great seat in the 7th row with a perfect view of the stage.

View from the stage

The opening band, Megafaun, was surprisingly good until they decided to go into a 10-minute long self-indulgent instrumental, experimental noise fest. Apparently, they're childhood friends with Justin Vernon, and I'd recommend them as long as they stick to their more normal songs.

The Bon Iver show was quite good. I found both their album (For Emma, Forever Ago) and their EP (Blood Bank) to be uneven, and so was the show, but the highs more than made up for it. The album title track was very good live, as was Skinny Love, performed nearly identically to their performance on Letterman:

During the encore they covered the Loudon Wainwright III (Martha and Rufus' father) song The Swimming Song - probably best known to my fellow Swedes as the tune being hummed at the beginning of the TV-show Boktipset. For the last song they brought out Megafaun and jointly performed an all-acoustic song called Worried Mind, which got the whole audience to sing along even though I'm pretty sure nobody had heard it before. A nice finishing moment.

Lastly, I leave you with one more version of Skinny Love, which must have been an incredible experience for the lucky few who were there:

Going Rogue?

Oh great...Sarah Palin's ghost writer has finished the memoir, and the title is Going Rogue: An American Life.

It will go on sale on Nov 17, perfectly timed as a Christmas gift for people who like to read the first chapter and then put it away because:

• they are not wired to operate under the same old book reading practices as usual
• only dead book readers go with the flow
• they want to free up more time for not reading newspapers
• Putin reared his head and scared them
• they thought Tina Fey would play the part of Sarah

New Release Announced: Portishead

Geoff Barrow of Portishead just announced that they are working on another album, probably due "in a year's time."

http://pitchfork.com/news/36621-portishead-working-on-new-album/

In related news, Pitchfork reported last month that Geoff Barrow has formed another band named Beak> (yes, the ">" is part of the name) and will release their first album on Oct 17. This had me worried that Portishead might be done, but apparently this is just a side project.

http://pitchfork.com/news/36273-portisheads-geoff-barrow-forms-new-band/

Is there such a thing as "gentle caning"?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/28/world/AP-AS-Malaysia-Caning-for-Beer.html

A woman is Malaysia is set to be caned for drinking beer. Malaysia imposes sharia laws for Muslims, including a ban on drinking alcohol, but non-Muslims are free to drink. Here's more info on Malaysian Caning and the distinction between "criminal caning" and "sharia caning". For criminal caning the object is to administer pain and suffering, and with sharia caning it is to administer humiliation and shame.

Frightening and surreal that this is still going on in the 21st century, especially in a country that we generally consider a success story.

I've always been intrigued by Stockholm Syndrome...

Speaking of Zach Galifianakis - he's also in the new HBO show Bored To Death, which premiered last Sunday. I just caught the first episode...too early to really tell but I thought it was pretty funny at times.

The best line of the the night, by Jason Schwarzman: "I've always been intrigued by Stockholm Syndrome. Makes me think of my childhood." Ouch.

Kanye, Zach Galifianakis and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Apparently Kanye does have a sense of humor:

If you're familiar w/ Zach Galiafinakis it's probably from the movie The Hangover, but he's done a lot of other funny stuff, including a bizarre series of Absolut Vodka commercials and a number of Between Two Ferns sketches on Funny Or Die. Here are a couple of samples...

Absolut Vodka:

Between Two Ferns:

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

What's Spinning Now (September Edition - Part 2)

This Month

The Antlers - Hospice

This is a serious undertaking from a Brooklyn-based indie rock trio: the ten songs on the album tell the story of a man losing his girl to bone cancer. Some pretty heavy stuff. So far I'm very impressed with the lyrics. From Atrophy: "with the bite of the teeth of that ring on my finger / I'm bound to your bedside, your eulogy singer".

Girls - Album

I just got this based on a Pitchfork review. Listening to it now for the first time, seems very promising so far.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

I've largely stayed away from the hip hop scene over the years, so we'll see how this goes. So far, I'm enjoying D.O.A (Death Of Autotune) and Run This Town (Feat Kanye West & Rihanna).

jj - jj n° 2

Swedish indie pop group with defined electronic influences. I've had this for about six weeks now and like it quite a bit. Very accessible but still interesting.

Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk

This indie supergroup has been playing together for about five years, but just released their first album together. Consisting of Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward and Mike Mogis (also Bright Eyes and producer of Rilo Kiley and The Faint), the band sure brings a lot of talent to the table. We'll see how I like it - only got it a few days ago.

The Sounds - Crossing The Rubicon

The Sounds are a Swedish pop band with some impressive female vocals. I enjoyed a few songs on their previous album Dying To Say This To You, but found it too spotty to really recommend.

Volcano Choir - Unmap

Just got this - also based on a Pitchfork review. Justin Vernon from Bon Iver has a new project - should be interesting.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

This is going to be one of those love-it-or-hate-it bands - the singer's yelping falsetto will certainly detract its fair share of listeners, but I'm enjoying it so far.

The xx - xx

This London-based indie rock debut has been well received in the press across the board, and I think I like it.

YACHT - See Mystery Lights

I like this album quite a bit so far. Electronic beats, complex arrangements and interesting male and female vocals. And, their website is worth a visit: they have a mission statement!

What else is spinning?

I've recently returned to and rediscovered a number of albums I haven't listened to in a while:

• Cat Power - The Greatest
• Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild
• Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly
• Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers
• The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
• The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
• Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man In Babylon
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

I'll leave you with a song from the Cat Power album - Lived In Bars. Great song, and it gets me every time:

What's Spinning Now (September Edition - Part 1)

Last Month Revisited

The Avett Brothers - The Gleam II
Hm...apparently they've been described as Newgrass, which I suppose is the Bluegrass equivalent of Folk Rock. Ok, I'll buy that. But, this album didn't do much for me - it mostly seemed bland and straightforward. I also generally don't get very excited over Dave Matthews Band, so there you have it. (4/10)

Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
If you like The White Stripes, definitely check out this album. Similar enough that nobody will fail to see the stylistic connection, but different enough to make it its own thing. My favorite track: Saint John. (7/10)

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Hello genius! This is truly some next-level stuff. This album requires (and rewards) repeated listening. Bear with me on this one...remember how Seinfeld seemed to have twice as many storylines going in each episode compared to most other sitcoms at the time. They didn't follow the traditional episode arcs and it was like they had enough material for several episodes squeezed into each one. That's what many of the Dirty Projectors songs are like. What would have become the chorus and repeated 3-4 times by another band is played once and then quickly left behind for another equally compelling but completely different piece.

I also want to highlight the interesting idea of "hocketing" used in several songs. It's an old technique originating in 13th century European music, and Wiki describes it this way: "a single melody is shared between two (or occasionally more) voices such that alternately one voice sounds while another rests." Clear as mud.

Instead, check it out for yourself starting at 2:08 (the two guitars) and then around 2:35 (the two female voices):

Also, check out the video below for one of their more accessible songs:

Oh yeah, I should rate the album too. (9/10)

The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
The passionate and involving singing style draws me in and I generally like the album, but I don't have much to say about it. (6/10)

Florence And The Machine - Lungs
What can I say, I'm a sucker for her accent. But, there's so much more to it than that - this is a solid album overall with a few great songs on it. The standout tracks are, Kiss With A Fist, Girl With One Eye and Rabbit Heart [Raise It Up]. And remember, a kiss with a fist is better than none. (7/10)

Laleh - Prinsessor
Partially in Swedish and partially in English, this album won't appeal to everybody, and that's too bad, because it is very good. The stronger tracks tend to be the Swedish-language songs, but I still recommend checking it out even if you don't speak the language. (8/10)

Maia Hirasawa - Though, I'm Just Me
Last month I described this as "poppy but promising", and yes it is more pop-chart friendly than I generally like, but this album is too strong to dismiss. Mostly catchy, happy tunes but I've listen to most of them 10+ times and am not sick of them yet. (7/10)

Melanie - Best Of
A few great tracks, Brand New Key and What Have They Done To My Song, Ma being my favorites. A bit too uneven and too many covers (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones...) to warrant a high rating. (6/10)

Miss Li - Dancing The Whole Way Home
Ok - I'll admit it. I've got a bit of crush on this girl. But who could blame me? She's just so full of life! This is her fourth studio album in as many years, and this one is as good as the others. Somewhat uneven, which holds my rating down, but enough great songs to make it worth getting. (7/10)

Check her out...Dancing The Whole Way Home:

And, here are a couple of sample from previous albums. Gotta Leave My Troubles Behind:

And, Oh Boy:

Moby - Wait For Me

This seemed very promising at first, but ended up a bit too uneven. (5/10)

Movits! - Äppelknyckarjazz
This is actually a very good album, but I still found myself often hitting 'skip' when the songs came on. I think it's just a kind of music I'm rarely in the mood for. Just like I rarely listen to the Squirrel Nut Zippers any more. (6/10)

Regina Spektor - Far

I was a big fan of her previous album Begin To Hope and this one is very good as well. My favorite track is Genius Next Door but there are a lot of great songs on here. (8/10)

Tiny Vipers - Life On Earth

Wow - this is some subtle stuff. I keep listening and listening, waiting for a revelation, but it's just not coming. I like a few tracks (Eyes Like Ours, Dreamer...) but overall this isn't doing much for me. (5/10)

To Be Pleased With One's Limits Is A Wretched State

I think this speaks for itself...

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Well, it seems like we've reached the point when it's become clear that this month (or last week, really) will be remembered for public rudeness and lack of civility.

First, last Wednesday, Joe Wilson (the South Carolina douchebag, not Valerie Plame's husband) shouted "You lie"during Obama's speech to the joint session of Congress.

Then, Saturday, the increasingly ill-named Serena Williams screamed at a lineswoman that she would "fucking shove this fucking ball down your throat."

Finally, Kanye decided it was a good idea to get on stage and interrupt 19-year-old Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video and proclaim that the nominated video by Beyoncé was "one of the best videos of all time."

In fairness, this didn't come out of nowhere. It's just continuing a long summer of crazy teabaggers and town hall screamers, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. I don't think there's any need to comment any further on any of the events - it's all already been said in the media - except maybe to wonder who will be next? Ellen Degeneres flipping off Simon? A leaked YouTube clip of Tom Brady furiously berating Gisele "You told me you were on the pill! I can't have a baby during playoffs!!!"

The Academy Awards Best Picture Project - 1932

Cimarron (winner in 1932, made in 1931)

This western epic follows one family over the course of 40 years, beginning with the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush and ending in the oil fields in 1929. The film is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber (Show Boat), and like the previous two Oscar winners it has several nice qualities, but it is also very much a product of its era.

There is quite a bit of overt racism in the movie, some of it intentional to portray the progress of the treatment of Native Americans during the four decades the movie spans, but also several elements that probably were acceptable at the time but that are fairly offensive with today's standards.

The main character, the flawed hero, Yancey Cravat, repeatedly defends Native American customs while his wife, Sabra, describes them as "dirty, filthy savages." He also has no problem with his son (Cimarron) wanting to marry an Indian woman, and fights for Native American's right to become U.S. citizens. At the same time, the movie depicts their African-American servant boy in very sterotypical fashion as comic relief, who for most of the movie runs around making a fool of himself and saying "yes, masser" and "please, masser".

On the other hand, the movie is suprisingly modern in its potrayal of Sabra as a strong, independent woman. Yancey's tragic fault is his unquenchable thirst for adventure, and only a few years after having settled in the frontier town and started the town newspaper, he grows restless and deserts his wife and children for a second land rush. He is not heard from for years, and in the meantime, Sabra successfully runs the newspaper and becomes a leading town character. When Yancey returns to town, his larger-than-life persona temporarily takes over, but when after he leaves again a few years later, Sabra makes a life for herself again and eventually becomes the first woman from Oklahoma elected to Congress, only a decade or so after women gained the right to vote.

Overall, I liked the film. It is certainly an epic, but the characters are complex and full of life, and while I've mostly focused on the blatancy above, there is room for subtlety as well. One example is the unspoken romantic interest in Sabra from the Jewish character Sol, which only manifests itself in an intense loyalty to her cause while Yancey is gone. If you plan to see the movie, be ready to forgive it its faults as there is more to it than that. (7/10)