Hey kids! There’s a new video by The Constellations‘ out there that I wish I could share on here. Due to a naked hottie in the video I can not post it on good ol’ BHP, but that does not mean you can not check it out for yourself!
It’s tasteful don’t worry…. but the video is explicit. You should be this tall to ride this ride. 18+ kiddos, not like anyone reads this blog but still… Check out the world premiere of the titilating (pun intended), uncensored video from The Constellations for “Perfect Day,” off their upcoming album Southern Gothic, out on June 22:
In T-minus just under 4 days, vinyl lovers around the world will once again have their day…
Actually music lovers can have that day too as Record Store Day, which falls on the third Saturday of April, will turn a seemingly normal Saturday into a limited edition, independent music store, sales boosting, event with plenty of live music around the states (and even world).
With a ton of releases this year it is going to be an exciting day for many music lovers out there. Check out the full list of limited presses on vinyl from some of your favorite artists. I know there are a few in there I hope to acquire…
Focusing on Cleveland, since that is my city, I thought I would just post a few things going on this Saturday beginning around the noon o’clock hour.
I will mainly be in the Waterloo district in the good ol’ North Collinwood area with friends this year. The day will revolve around indie record stores Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records, two stores I should add I have become very familiar with over the past year, as well as all the other amazing shops that line up Waterloo. At one point I may have to escape with Matt over to E. 185th to grab some grub from Chili Peppers but I will return back to the fun once I am full of their delicious food.
The stores in the area will open at noon and I can only imagine the lines that will be forming before the stores even unlock their doors. With quantities limited, and of course the always awesome eBay resellers who know they can make a profit off of some of the vinyls (thanks for that btw, jerks), it is best to get there early.
Music Saves was kind enough to make a list of the vinyl they hope to have in stock but they will not know until the day of. No holds either in case you were wondering… I am bummed to see a blue line through the Get Up Kids on that list. Oh well. Also if you get there in time there might be some grab bags give out along with other random things to all who partake in the purchasing of goods.
What is even cooler is that Music Saves (MS) and Blue Arrow Records (BA) will be featuring free indoor/outdoors DJ events / shows throughout the day for all to check out.
* 4:30PM – White Hinterland DJs – MS
* 5PM – DJ Will Rigby (drummer for the dB’s and Steve Earle) – BA
* 5:30PM – The Lighthouse and the Whaler – MS
* 6PM – Prisoners – BA
* 6:30PM – The Muttering Retreats – MS
* 7PM – Tasty Cakes – BA
* 7:30PM – Cloud Nothings – MS
* 8PM – Party Sweat – BA
To close the big day the Beachland Ballroom will host a 9PM show featuring Dosh, White Hinterland, and locals The Sleep.
It’s going to be a great day/night so if you have nothing going on head out to Waterloo and have some fun!
Imagine, if you will, what would happen if you mixed the Gorillaz with MGMT. The combination of similarities form into this great multi genred track without going overboard. The song seriously impressed me upon first listen. Learning that the band contains eight members intrigued me even more.
Making things even more interesting I happened to receive a Constellations 7″ (not kidding) in the mail today that not only had “Setback” but also the killer track “Love Is A Murder” featuring Cee-Lo! This is no Gnarls Barkey attempt but rather something much more likable (at least to me). After hearing just two tracks off the album I have very high expectations of the full length.
I have to say I am rather pumped for The Constellations to release their debut album titled Southern Gothic on June 22nd. It took the band two years to record the album with help from producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley).
You fancy yourself a Broken Bells fan? Well you should check this band out pretty quickly before they blow up all over the music scene.
Many fans of indie rock know who The Weakerthans are and what exactly they do. For years now the Canadian four (and sometimes up to six) some have been creating amazing albums that are heavy on the indie but also incorporate folk and twang into their material. They are a band that I label as an “accident band”. What I mean by that is I became a fan of them by accident.
Back in the days of slinging coffees at the café at the Borders Books & Music I worked at I came across a Weakerthans’ album at a listening station one day while on break. This was at a time and age when the internet was still ruled by AOL and MySpace was just an idea waiting to be hatched out. I remember clearly putting the headphones on at the listening station and checking out a couple tracks from Left and Leaving. Liking what I heard, I recall reading a bio about the band while listening to more tracks and taking a double look at the card when it mentioned one time Propagandhi member John Samson. Seriously, my mouth dropped open.
I was maybe 23 at the time and was slowly opening my musical tastes more. Being a punk rocker at heart I was in awe that the bassist of one of my favorite punk rock bands was fronting such a melodic and low-key band. I heard enough, grabbed the CD, and took it to the register for purchase. Needless to say my musical appreciation was given a boost thanks to the Weakerthans and to this day I am still an avid fan though I have yet to see them live.
Having missed them the couple times they did roll though Cleveland one could say I was excited to see that they had released a live DVD/CD titled Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre on Epitaph Records/ANTI- Records. Performed in their hometown of Winnipeg, Canada in April of 2009, the band recorded the performance at the Burton Cumming’s Theatre (yes, the sweet mustached Burton Cummings of The Guess Who). Just to clarify I believe the theatre was named after the classic rock musician and that he has nothing to do with it.
The DVD/CD captures the perfect evening of a show with the talented indie rockers as well as their dedicated fans who filled the venue up the night it was recorded. With no fancy light shows or theatrics the band hit the stage and played a very fun and great sounding show. Their sound, I should add, almost sounds studio and one could be fooled until the fans started hooting and hollering after every song.
Playing songs old and new the band just sounded amazing and looked ever so comfortable on the stage. Hearing them open with “Everything Must Go” really reminded me why I have been a fan for so long but seeing how happy they were performing the song brought a whole new appreciation from me for them. With the crowd cheering and the band just having fun it was apparent that this show was going to be a good one. Speeding things up they broke into “Tournament Of Hearts” immediately after. With five members on stage it appeared as if Samson’s wife Christine Fellows was hiding in the shadows offering vocals as well.
The band’s (and the crowd’s) friend Julie played on some songs as well including “Night Windows” where she offered some violin. Keeping the show rolling the band broke into “Reconstruction Site” a twangy delight of a song to listen to as well. The band completely rocked out during “Aside” all while Samson smiled big while singing. “Bigfoot” was another track I really got a kick out of with all the instrument playing.
Hearing perhaps my favorite Weakerthans song of all time, “Plea From A Cat Named Virtue”, put the biggest smile on my face even if I was watching a recording of the show. The song revolving around a wise feline carried on perfectly, even the trumpet playing at the close of the song. Samson also offered a simple impromptu guitar solo that was cut short on the CD but the DVD shows the humorous moment.
During “Wellington’s Wednesdays” Samson pulled up a fan on stage named Ernesto who had the pleasure of filling in a guitar solo in the key of E. I must say after a nervous start Ernesto started jamming hard with the rest of the band as Samson took the honorary member’s place in the crowd for a short moment. The band then followed up “The Reasons” as well as “Sun In An Empty Room”. I swear if it were not for the fans cheering at times my mind tried to argue with me that I was not listening to a live album.
Overall the show was a fun time full of a great set by an outstanding band. The DVD featured shots of the band throughout the 75 plus minute performance with good angles as well as occasionally would focus in on a true fan singing along. Capturing The Weakerthans in their hometown was one hell of an idea and even if I have not seen them live in the flesh, I am glad I had the opportunity to have this performance in my possession.
The DVD/CD ranks high with my all time favorite live albums and I have listened to it multiple times now and I am not just saying that. Great music by a bunch guys made even more entertaining by the simple fact that they were having a blast while doing their job. If you are a fan of indie rock or just want to spend the evening with some great music do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre.
Track Listing (DVD/CD):
01. Everything Must Go
02. Tournament of Hearts
03. Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michel Foucault in Paris in 1969)
04. Night Windows
05. Reconstruction Site
06. Aside
07. Civil Twilight
08. Bigfoot
09. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
10. The Reasons
11. Sun In An Empty Room
12. Left and Leaving
13. Wellington’s Wednesdays
14. Benediction
15. Manifest
16. One Great City!
17. This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open
18. Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
I’ve been kind of busy as of last thanks to a couple of shows Irecentlyreviewed but I finally have found a moment to start playing catch-up. While doing so I came across some music videos that made me a happy camper.
First off is She & Him‘s newest video for “In The Sun”, the first single off their upcoming Volume Two that should be out on March 23rd. If anyone knows me well they know my love obsession (hell who am I kidding) with Zooey Deschanel. I think she is dreamy…yes…dreamy. So yeah before I start to sound like too much of a creep here is the video that recently debuted on Pitchfork TV:
(does anyone else out there think M. Ward looks a little Robert Downey Jr. in this video???)
Next up is a video from one of my favorite artists out there, Frank Turner. The video is for the song “Isabel” that appears on Poetry Of The Deed, his most recent album. For such a sorrowful song about the loss of youth while looking for answers it is visually appealing with Frank Turner walking the Leo Carillo beach in Malibu, CA.
As previously mentioned I got to see Frank Turner live at the House Of Blues in Cleveland. I was in the photo pit for most of his set trying to capture as many memories as possible. When looking at some of the photos the next day I noticed that the one guitar player was crouched down. Apparently I missed seeing him eat the stage after slipping on something but someone in the crowd didn’t and had their phone on video mode at the right moment:
If you looking closely you can see me stealing the band’s soul with my camera…
Finally I end this post that is going nowhere with a live performance of a band I know I am looking forward to hearing, Foxy Shazam. I can’t say everyone will dig them but I know I do. Check out “Rocketeer” from the upcoming album Unstoppable:
Hey kids! There’s a new video by The Constellations‘ out there that I wish I could share on here. Due to a naked hottie in the video I can not post it on good ol’ BHP, but that does not mean you can not check it out for yourself!
