Yeek!  So the holidays and visiting friends has made my posts scattered this month.  I would love to return to a sense of normalcy, but December isn’t exactly the most stable month of the year either.  I’ll try though…not that it matters to anyone else, but I get annoyed when I’m spastic because that’s my natural tendency and I struggle with consistency in…well, life, so it’s something I try to work on for myself.  I’ve got a new bunch of new DVD’s on reserve at the library (I also caved and bought the Royal Ballet’s new production of Manon on DVD so that should be arriving any day now…Rojo save us!), but I’m actually in the mood for a music post today.

I’d like to highlight a duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela.  If you follow me on twitter, they are the only group I ever tweet for musicmondays, mostly because I’m pretty sure the majority of people wouldn’t be amused by a tweet like “Leonard Bernstein, Jeremiah Symphony! #musicmonday” or “Emil von Sauer, Piano Concerto no.1 KICKS ASS #musicmonday” and anything remotely recent I listen to people already know about.  But Rodrigo y Gabriela are somewhat obscure, but have a sound most people would enjoy, and as a result they’re gaining popularity in mainstream American media with appearances on late night talk shows and the like (like all good things, Europe appreciated them first).  I however, have been a fan for five or six years now, since the release of Re-Foc, the rerelease of their first album Foc.  I know what you’re thinking…and yes I have impeccable taste, but that’s beside the point.  The duo is lead by Rodrigo Sánchez on lead guitar and Gabriela Quintero on the rhythm guitar (with the occasional guest on another instrument).  They have sort of a flamenco-ish style with latin rhythms and are AMAZING.  I can’t tell you how obsessively I listen to their albums, and they do a fantastic job of having their own, original style, performing compositions they wrote themselves as well as covers.

It was funny looking for dances to their music because there wasn’t very much, but what did turn up was eclectic to say the least.  Who could have envisioned this music would be used for Irish stepdance, breakdance and…jazz/lyrical/modern?  (I hate to say “contemporary” because that was kind of coined by SYTYCD, so I’ll call it “jalyrimo.”)  It’s an odd assortment of styles, but I love to see that because I think it speaks volumes as to the universal appeal of Rodrigo y Gabriela’s music.  Weird, maybe…but it’s incredulously wonderful that so many people have been inspired by them in their own way, and translated that inspiration into their own language of dance.  It’s also great because it breaks this image that Irish dance has to be to Irish music, or that break dance has to be to hip hop, etc.  I don’t think jalyrimo should be one of the select dance forms that’s allowed to experiment with different musical genres.

Without further ado, we have a piece titled Chorine, choreographed by Nicholas Yenson for a BA exam at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (sounds prestigious to me!).  The piece is danced to Diem, which coincidentally is my favorite track from Re-Foc.  There’s a break in the middle of the song where it just gets in your face and the rhythm is so heavy it’s like you can feel your heart matching the beat.  It is literally impossible to walk while listening to this song on your ipod and not have this insatiable urge to move, and especially at that big feature moment (which is where Yenson performs his solo).  If you don’t have that urge…well, there’s probably something wrong with you.  I can’t really comment on the dance itself, because I don’t really know anything about Irish dance (I have seen Riverdance live though…that was a thrill!), but nonetheless I really enjoyed the performance, so bravo!

Next is another dance form I really can’t (and shouldn’t comment on) which is break dance, set to Diablo Rojo from Rodrigo y Gabriela’s self-titled album.  Double-coincidentally, Diablo Rojo happens to be my favorite track from the second album, with Juan Loco in a close second.  I like the driving, fast and furious music, although it should be known that they do great slower, sort of loungey music as well that’s great to relax to.  You definitely get your money’s worth with a purchase of any of their albums.  Breakdance to Diablo Rojo was actually a really big (and pleasant) surprise for me because it was really unexpected.  The piece (no title as far as I can tell) was performed by the break dance club of Leeds University, for an annual dance show they put on towards the end of the year.  From what I can gather, there are other student clubs including a Modern Dance Society that offer dance classes and then put on an annual show.  I don’t know whether Leeds has a dance department or not (it appears they do), but I’m very impressed that student run organizations put together an annual show and surely have lighting/tech rehearsals, costuming and the like.  Anyway, breakdance isn’t exactly my favorite genre (it’s not that I hate it, it’s just not my thing) but this piece actually gets my “pick of the day” seal of approval, for choosing unconventional music for breaking.  It was fun to watch!

Last is jalyrimo, one of them being a complete piece and the other being just some rough phrases, both set to Orion (a Metallica cover), also from the self-titled album.  Orion doesn’t have as much pace as Diem or Diablo Rojo, and is a little more steady and loose which aptly fits the jalyrimo style.  I’m not surprised two choreographers decided to pick the same song, and I’m sure they wouldn’t be either.  The staged performance, Subito, poco a poco, choreographed by Cara Scrementi appears to be at one of the Loyola Universities, so Rodrigo y Gabriela’s music is making its way into the American dance scene.  In Subito, the choreographer intended to include movements that looked like they were being controlled by external forces, which really came through about a 1:20 in, where there these hunched over leg kicks that flick out of nowhere.  Complete opposite from the whooshy, lifted grand battement of ballet.  I think the piece could have been a little more daring if the intent was to “take control of forced movement,” like there’s a part in the middle where the dancers are doing turning leaps into rolls on the ground in a circle, and it seemed a little too geometric to me.  I think the fact that the exact same phrase was repeated in the opposite direction is what made it so mathematical, and I found myself craving a little spontanaeity.  Nevertheless, excellent work.

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s latest album, 11:11 was just released this autumn so it would be unreasonable to expect a dance to any of the tracks already, but I hope we see more in the future.  The concept behind the album is really cool, as each track is specifically dedicated to a musical artist that inspired them.  My favorites include Hanuman (dedicated to Carlos Santana), Buster Voodoo (dedicated to Jimi Hendrix), Triveni (dedicated to Le Trio Joubran), Savitri (dedicated to John McLaughlin),  Hora Zero (dedicated to Astor Piazzolla) and Atman (dedicated to Dimebag Derrell).  I’ve got a lot of favorites on this album, and in my humble opinion it’s their best work yet, with amazing potential for great dances.  A lot of their songs in this album have some bite to them, so choreographers who want something with an edge to it, get on this!  The whole thing is so damn good, that I must insit on  HIGHLY recommending it.  If there were a term that was above “highly recommended” but just short of “mandatory” while still being suggestive with urgency, that’s the word I would use.

Daddy Dave and I have been looking forward to tonight’s Rodrigo y Gabriela concert at the O2 Academy for ages. We had the babysitting logistics sorted, but we were nearly foiled by the slow waiting times at the eye hospital for Olivia’s appointment — we were so late that Olivia and I decided to surprise Daddy Dave by showing up at his office in the city centre.  You should have seen his face! We grabbed a speedy junk food drive through and dropped Oli off home before rushing off to the gig.

[embedded video fom YouTube]

It was Dave’s first time at this venue — and because of the type of music, he’d opted for seats this time.  The seats are upstairs — and that is new to me as well. We got a nice view and heard everything, so result! We had to wait nearly two hours — until 21:00 — but it was worth getting to the venue on time because the tickets are not allocated to any particular seat.

Rodrigo y Gabriela are interesting, we noted that they had started using effects pedals, and busking in other people’s toons.  All-in-all it was a good wee night, they got the crowd going, and it was fascinating to see the crowd heave and swell from a great height!

The sound quality was pretty good, and there was a lot of cameras — used to provide a backdrop of artistic close-up black-and-white video images.

Gabriela was hysterical when she cussed in broken English ( must be the Irish influence). I was surprised when they played the introduction of  Al di Meola’s Mediterranean Sundance — I only know that one because Dave plays it!

We were surprised to see that the roles were pretty distinct — she does the complicated right hand rhythm stuff, and he does all the pseudo-Spanish stuff (I only say pseudo because he uses a plectrum). To be honest, we had expected more harmony parts, dialogues, contrapunctal lines, tight, clever, fiddly bits — but hey, what we got was still tremendous fun; they busked a lot of it — and it is so nice to see people riffing off each other.  At the end of the day, Rodrigo y Gabriela are greater than the sum of the parts (as they say), but they seem to be nice and to genuinely like each other, and their big smiles and body language communicated far more than their broken English!

Watched Rodrigo y Gabriela live 2 nights ago. They blew me away. I seriously recommend them to anyone who likes music even the tiniest bit. They began their career busking on Grafton Street in Dublin, like many others before them, and now pack in thousands. Sometimes all you need is the right person to notice you.

Mercredi soir, Muse à Zürich, Miossec à Genève et Rodrigo y Gabriela à Lausanne.
Concours de circonstances, aléas divers, c’est un billet pour un concerts aux Docks qui se trouvait dans ma poche.
Pas de regrets! Pas le moindre. Mais comment font-ils alors qu’ils ne sont que deux sur scène et qu’ils ne jouent que de la guitare?
Je vous l’accorde, ils utilisent la guitare aussi comme un instrument de percussion. Mais tout de même. C’est plein. Rien ne manque.
Et leur musique sent bon les vacances au Mexique. Elle sait se faire tendre, même si le plus souvent elle lorgne plutôt du côté du métal. Bon d’accord, un métal folk.
Et Gabriela est si attachante. Rodrigo aussi, d’ailleurs. Différemment.
Ce concert, c’était du pur bonheur. De la joie en paquet de cent. Bon pour les oreilles et bon pour l’âme.
Sur scène, il y avait Rodrigo. Il y avait Gabriela et surtout, il y avait de la joie, du soleil, de la communion. J’en suis ressorti avec un sourire béa qui ne m’a pas quitté encore longtemps après.

Si vous avez l’occasion, n’hésitez pas!

Non, vraiment.

For Diablo Rojo

Orion

I was one of the lucky ones at last night’s Rodrigo Y Gabriela gig in the Olympia Theatre. I should, at the outset, state that I am no music connoisseur and I don’t play any musical instrument, however my own intuition tells me that what tiny, teensy, delightful Gabriela did to that guitar last night was not normal!!!

The gig was fantastic, five stars all round – even with the nutty, shouty guys a few standing rows behind us who kept on heckling the Mexican duo – ah sure, they made the rest of us look civilised! The talented two had just as much resilience as Eamon Morrissey on Saturday night, especially Gabriela’s nuckles which were used to repeatedly drum on the guitar – as my gig buddy said “her hands freak me out, hands aren’t supposed to do things like that”.

It’s odd, and I don’t mean to go into any sort of feminist rant, but I felt particularly triumphant as a woman coming out of the gig as Gabriela really kicked Rodrigo’s ass in terms of guitar playing. Maybe I’m missing the point. They’re a couple who have been playing guitar together for years, and they have obviously reached a “groove” which suits their act, but you can’t help feeling that she really is the star of the show. Rodrigo is the show man, calling on the audience to clap and cheer, but all eyes are on Garbiela’s hands at the end of the day!

Here’s a video I found on Youtube today from last night’s gig – thanks to garretdpearse . Visual not so good, but as I thought to myself last night as yet another ridiculously tall person stood in front on me, it’s all about the music:

Missed them?! Not to worry, because the sexy, musical couple love us so much; they’re back in Ireland in December.

I’m braving the Abbey tomorrow night for Terminus. Looking forward to it, as I missed it last time it played in the Peacock and have heard only good things.

Also, off to Belfast in December – any ideas for a good gig or play to go to up there?!

5 Quality Waffles!

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Ok, my selections for this week are kind of obscure, well 2 of the 3 are…for sure, and I willingly admit that every single one of these artists are not on my “stand-by standards” radar. Thanks to some good friends who are awesome at pushing new artists my way, I think I’ve come across some solid tracks and artists. If you disagree…well, let me know! (But I doubt you will…)

I should also say, I listened to each one of the artists more than once before deciding that I actually like it. I know, sometimes its hard to listen to something you don’t think you like, especially more than once, but I’ve found that a few good listens often changes my mind, or at the very least helps me pinpoint what it is I don’t like. Enjoy!!

#1 – Owl City. Not much I can really say about this “group” (its really a young artist Adam Young, and various “technology” as his background “group”–so to speak). Adam Young is from Owatonna, MN, and I honestly didn’t know that until I was linked to his Myspace Page yesterday. So, I guess Owl City gets bonus points for that, I gotta support the hometown kids! The Owl City story is really an amazing one, basically started out as a simple Myspace artist from Owatonna and slowing gained popularity on myspace then getting national recognition. Gotta love it!! You should know that I am normally not a HUGE fan of “eletronica” but this stuff is amazing!!

The first track from Owl City is “Fireflies”– Admittedly, when I first heard this song, I thought…”Wow…W.T.F…” Then i was up late one night and happened to see the video, and again, thought, “Wow…W.T.F….” Then a few weeks later I heard the song when I was driving and that’s when I started to like it…its a great song, unfortunately catchy as hell, but still brilliant! The video is amazing as well! ENJOY!

This song is another fav, its a good happy song. And well…I have a special soft spot for happy fun songs.

#2 Rodrigo y Gabriela – this pair isn’t new, and isn’t new to my music library, but I realized a few weeks ago that I have not spent enough time listening. They are simply amazing. I don’t even want to say anything else, because the talent of these two guitarist is just beyond words…so Im just gonna stop writing now. Enjoy!!

An excellent performance, with special guest Robert Trujillo of Metallica. Jaw Dropping. (and proof even professionals mess up…AWESOME!)

And an amazing “Stairway” cover…

#3 – Kings of Leon – I have had a love hate relationship with this band for a while now. I can’t quite place my dislike, maybe it reminds me of a douche bag I knew once, or…no, I’m pretty sure that’s it. But recently they’ve been popping up everywhere and its almost like I can’t escape the grasp of Leon! Ahhhh! Ok so I broke down, downloaded the ir newest album, Only by the Night, and tried really hard to stop myself from changing it up. Believe me, it took a lot of will power. But I made it through the entire album about 4 times and to be honest, I didn’t hate it. I know!! Surprised me too! So, here are a few of my favorite tracks.

The obvious one: Use Somebody

The other obvious one: Notion

The obscure one: Revelry

It’s been entirely too long since my last Twenty-some Suggestions post. But I suppose it is fitting to have waited this long, as I have another twenty-some suggestions listed here. Song titles in bold are streaming after each entry.

Weezer Raditude
I am happy to report that Weezer is officially back. They have been up-and-down their last several albums with the notable Red Album being a real pile of junk, in my opinion. On Ratidude, the band bring back their fun times sound and nerdy I-like-you-but-I-don’t-know-what-to-do-about-it lyrics. Surprisingly, their is even a cameo from Lil Wayne. Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming either, and it doesn’t even ruin the song, so bonus. You’ve no doubt heard “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” as it’s all over the radio these days, but there are several real gems on this album. Weezer fans will be relieved to know that this album does not suck, and non-fans may even be turned on by a couple of the upbeat, dare I say poppy, tracks to be found here. Be sure to check out “I Want You To,” “The Girl Got Hot” and “In The Mall”.

Dead By Sunrise Out of Ashes
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park decided that he had some songs that didn’t really fit that band, so he got a different group of guys and recorded an album. In reality, these songs would have fit LP just fine. This album is for people, like myself, who like LP but hate Mike Shinoda (he’s the rapper in that band). This collection tends to be more mid-tempo like LP’s last couple of singles (“New Divide” and “Shadow of the Day”), but there are some real rockers on here, too. LP fans should particularly enjoy this album, but as a non-LP fan, I can tell you that there are some really good songs here. Listen first to “Inside of Me,” “Crawl Back In” and “End of the World”.

Alice In Chains Black Gives Way To Blue
I’ve been saying it for years now, the most influential band of the grunge era wasn’t Nirvana, it was Alice In Chains. Listen to any rock radio station, you won’t hear a bunch of Nirvana clones, you’ll hear a bunch of AIC clones. In April, 2002, Layne Staley overdosed. This is the first time the surviving members have recorded together since then, and the loss is felt throughout the album. This isn’t the best album AIC has ever released, but it’s the best they’ve put out in 10 years. Highlights include “Check My Brain,” “A Looking In View” and “Black Gives Way To Blue” which is literally the band saying goodbye to their comrade and features Elton John playing piano. If you think it’s sacrilege to replace Staley, I suggest giving this a listen and realizing the fault of your ways. William DuVall does an excellent job filling in for the missing front man.

Florence + the Machine Lungs
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for redheads. Florence Welch is just that, and absolutely gorgeous. It doesn’t hurt that her music is amazing, too. Her lyrics are at once poetic and narrative, deep and transparent. Her voice is piercing and angelic. The music is subtle and churning. Emphasizing the rhythm section in the heavy drum and bass lines, Florence both makes you think and want to dance. The music is similar to White Rabbits, for those that are familiar with them. My faves include “Dog Days Are Over,” “Drumming” and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”.

Paramore Brand New Eyes
Prior to this album, Hayley Williams and her cohorts made some really good pop-punk. They didn’t do much to shed the Christian Rock tag. This album, however, follows a very rocky time in the band’s evolution. There were times when the rumors of the band breaking up were conceivable, and the band took that energy and turned it into the album’s first single, “Ignorance.” Featuring lines like “Where’s your gavel, your jury, what’s my offense this time, you’re not a judge, but if you’re gonna judge me, sentence me to another life.” The song was written about the times when the band was closest to splitting. The angst on this album shoes a certain level maturity beyond their sugary past and moving into their adolescent years, if not as people, at least as a band. That feeling lasts throughout the album including “Playing God” and “Brick By Boring Brick“.

Pearl Jam Backspacer
Easily the band’s best album since 1998’s Yield, Backspacer is a return to form of sorts for a band that has tried so desperately not to be famous for two of their last three albums. They seem to finally be comfortable being popular, and they are writing stadium anthems yet again. From the first chords of “Gonna See My Friend” the fearsome fivesome blaze a trail of emotion that will rock your socks off. Yet the band reminds us that they like to occasionally slow it down with songs like “Just Breathe,” heavily influenced by lead man Eddie Vedder’s foray into the solo world, his album/soundtrack Into the Wild. It’s a complete album, which I wouldn’t be able to say about any of their last three releases. Check out the tracks already mentioned as well as “Unthought Known” and “Supersonic.”

Muse The Resistence
This is one of England’s biggest bands. They have quietly been carving out a niche in America since 2005 when “Time Is Running Out” was first released as a single in the US. This is a band that is so insanely dense, both on CD and on stage, that it can be difficult to get into. With each of their albums I have had to give a few spins before really grasping the genius, but I always end up doing so. The trio of Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard manage to create a swirling hurricane of rock and roll that over the years has placed them in the upper echelons of modern rock bands (see: Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, etc). Bellamy has said that he was highly influenced by George Orwell’s 1984 during the writing of this album. One might think that would create a work of paranoia and oppression, but the romance in that novel is represented well on this album. I really dig “Uprising,” “Undisclosed Desires” and “I Belong To You.”

Fun. Aim & Ignite
The Phoenicians reading this (and some outside of Arizona) will remember the Format. Nate Reuss, formerly of the Format, now leads Fun. This album very much follows in the steps of the final Format album, Dog Problems. It’s very 70s pop, dramatic and show-tuney. Here and there you get a little Simon and Garfunkel, too. I didn’t like it when it was the Format, but this isn’t the Format, so I’m okay with it now. Highlights include “All the Pretty Girls,” “Walking the Dog” and “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be).”

Hockey Mind Chaos
Not your typical indie-dance band, Hockey conjures visions of New York City and London simultaneously. Even though the band is from Portland, it somehow doesn’t seem odd at all. Opening track, and first single, “Too Fake” proclaims that they band has “too much soul for the world” and the following 10-tracks seem to back that up pretty solidly. The bouncing bass, the Strokes-y riffs, and the 8-bit bloops and blips come together as an excellent recipe for a good time. Check out “Too Fake,” “Song Away” and “Work”.

Matisyahu Light
Possibly Matthew Miller’s most complete album to-date. Without being as preachy as he has been in the past, Matisyahu continues to meld hip-hop, reggae and his Orthodox Jewish beliefs into a wonderfully listenable stew. Since the release of Youth in 2006 Miller has married, and thus has a different look to his fashion. He now wears more fashionable clothing including hoodies, sneakers, etc. This change seems to have had a positive affect on his music as well. Gone are the drawn out yodels, and in their place is a more urgent sense of connection with a broader audience. Stand out tracks include “One Day,” “For You” and “On Nature”.

Rodrigo y Gabriela 11:11
This power duo used to be in heavy metal bands in Mexico. They’ve since dropped all the peripherals and are now an acoustic instrumental rock band. They play metal on acoustic guitars, and acoustic guitars only. This album sees some extra instrumentation, but it doesn’t take away from the 2-guitars kicking your ass feel they have become known for. Each song on this album is dedicated to an artist that has influenced the duo. “Buster Voodoo,” for example, is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. The liner notes give a full, and very interesting, breakdown for each song. My faves are “Buster Voodoo,” “Hanuman,” and “11:11″.

Shad The Old Prince
I literally stumbled up on Shad at this summer’s Warped Tour in Salt Lake. He was exiled to a stage in far flung corner of the fair grounds. I was just walking around seeing what there was to see, and found a stage that I didn’t even realize existed for most the day. Shad was born in Kenya, of Rwandan parents, and grew up in London, Ontario. Confusing? Yes. But his lyrics aren’t. Shad is backpack rap in the vein Jurrasic 5, Common (before Kanye) and Atmosphere. He is witty and personal in his lyrics, and minimalist (almost to a fault) in his beats. I really dig “Now A Daze,” “Compromise” and “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home.”

The Bloody Beetroots Romboramba
I first heard their name from my ex-girlfriend, she was told by a coworker that this was a group she must see at Coachella 2009. My partner in crime at Coachella, Doc, and I checked out a bit of their set and I was really impressed by their music. This, their debut album, is pretty dang good. The Beetroots are from Italy, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it by listening to them. It’s great party music, for sure. (For you electronic purists, they’re classified as “fidget house” or “electro house”.) They have several guests on this album, too. One of my favorite rap groups lately, the Cool Kids make appearance on “Awesome”. While notable DJ Steve Aoki appears on a couple of songs. Several other guests appear as well. The tracks I like the most are the aforementioned “Awesome” as well as “Have Mercy On Us” and “Come La”.

Julian Plenti Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper
Julian Plenti is perhaps better known as Paul Banks, lead singer for Interpol. On his solo album, he doesn’t do much to reinvent what you already know about him. This is essentially an extension of what his main band already does. But don’t let that steer you away from it, as it is a good companion to your Interpol library. And if you don’t have any Interpol in your music collection, this is as good a place to start as any. This album is a return to the earlier, darker Interpol while still being accessible on the level of that band’s last release, Our Love To Admire. Pay particular attention to “Game For Days” (the lead single), “Only If You Run” and “Girl On the Sporting News”.

Modest Mouse No One’s First and You’re Next
This is a compilation of unreleased songs and b-sides. Unlike some other bands’ b-sides albums, there are some really great songs here. Some are from the Johnny Marr phase of the band, while some pre-date his addition. If you don’t already know about Modest Mouse, then I actually feel sorry for you. In addition to checking out this collection, get Lonesome Crowded West and Good News For People Who Love Bad News. Fave tracks on No One’s First include “Guilty Cocker Spaniels,” “Satellite Skin” and “King Rat” (which has a video that was directed by Heath Ledger before his death).

Owl City Ocean Eyes
There’s no denying that this album sounds a lot like Death Cab For Cutie and the Postal Service. Adam Young’s voice is very similar to Ben Gibbard’s, but his lyrics are quite a bit different, and so is the overall feel of the music. While Gibbard writes very dark and melancholy words and music, Young tends to lean toward a more positive and upbeat world view. Owl City is for people who find Death Cab too sad and overwhelming; it’s Death Cab Lite, and they do a pretty good job of it. Young recorded the entire album (and previous works from Owl City) in his parents’ basement in Owatonna, Minnesota, about two hours or so south of the Twin Cities, and has a major hit in “Fireflies” on his hands. Standout tracks include “Fireflies” and “Hello Seattle“.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart S/T
Shoegazing pop music with a thick layer of fuzz from some crafty songwriters fills this album, the bands first full length effort. At times the band sounds like post-grunge Seattle, at times it sounds like the Cure’s younger brother, or the darker side of Peter Bjorn and John. Anyway you slice it, the intentionally lo-fi sound doesn’t do anything to hurt the superb songwriting. The melancholy lyrics sung as if it was sugar-pop is a fantastic juxtoposition that my ears enjoy quite thoroughly. My faves are “Young Adult Friction,” “This Love Is Fucking Right” and “Everything With You”.

The Used Artwork
This band helped usher in the screamo “movement” of the early-mid oughts, which should make me hate them, but they’re just so damn good. Their last album, Shallow Believer, was largely ignored and this one seems to be experiencing a similar fate. I don’t understand why Alternative radio has given up on this band, they are still making catchy heavy rock music that you can both head bang and toe-tap along with. Start with “Blood On My Hands” and if you want more then check out “The Best of Me” and “Watered Down”.

Gallows Grey Britain
These guys are for the hardcore fans out there. I first discovered this band from Watford, England, (a suburb of London) when they put out their last album, Orchestra of Wolves, and really liked it. Now they’re back with their second full length, and first foray on a major label in America (they signed with Warner Bros). This album is a much more polished sound, without losing the intent or anger of the genre. As with many of their peers and punk bands before them, this foursome hates the crown. But unlike many of their predecessors, and even more of their peers, they have monster riffs that wouldn’t seem out of place in a sold out arena. Best tracks include “London Is the Reason,” “I Dread the Night” and “The Vulture (Acts I & II)”.

The Dead Weather Horehound
Jack White. That really should be enough for you to want to check this band out. Allison Mosshart of the Kills heads up the lion’s share of the vocals as White focuses on playing drums. The lineup is rounded out by Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes) and Dean Fertita (The Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age). On paper, it’s quite the lineup, in your ears it only gets better. As with any White project, it is very bluesy, but there seems to be a lot more angst and raw emotion in the Dead Weather than the White Stripes or the Raconteurs. Standout tracks include “Hang You From the Heavens,” “I Cut Like a Buffalo” and “Treat Me Like Your Mother”.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz!
Longtime fans of this band will notice a stark change in sound on this, their third full-length. For It’s Blitz! the band brought in a lot of synth sounds, while not changing the over all mood of the band’s music, they definitely reinvented their own sound. Songs like “Zero” are at once angsty but danceable. They brought in a little of the new-school indie-dance feel and mixed it with the existing indie-grunge sound the band had on their previous efforts. Karen O continues to be one of the best female vocalists in alternative music, and her bandmates continue to be supremely astute at backing her up. Check out the aforementioned “Zero” as well as “Heads Will Roll,” “Shame and Fortune” and “Hysteric”.

Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This French electro-pop collective have been working hard to make a name for themselves in the States since they’re debut in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2004 that they really started to carve out a niche with their sophomore album Alphabetical. Now the band has their forth album out and is really making waves with their single “1901″. The song has been featured in several prime-time shows and was picked up by Cadillac for a recent commercial. The album is another step in the process of this maturing band, they are getting better at writing songs, and it shows here. If you like mood music, this is a good album to set the tone for a chill night. Check out “1901,” “Lisztomania” and “Girlfriend”.

Nouvelle Vague 3
This group is comprised of two French DJs, Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, and various female singers. This is, obviously, the bands third album of punk, post-punk and New Wave covers that are heavy on the bossa nova. This album features covers of Depeche Mode’s “Master and Servant,” Violent Femmes’ “Blister In the Sun” and Psychedelic Furs’ “Heaven” among many others. If you like covers, and in-particular, reinvention of songs, this is a good chill album to have in your collection.

I rarely watch late night shows, but I just happened to be up and watching Craig Ferguson’s “The Late Late Show” after going to see Eisely in concert on 10/28. Rodrigo y Gabriela played “Buster Voodoo” and it was one of those performances where I just could not take my eyes off of them because it was so different and so impressive. I don’t care how long you’ve been playing guitar, they are doing things on their acoustic guitars you probably could only dream of. So fast. So unique.

I believe this second video is of the album version and if you listen to both, note the energy and speed of the live performance:

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

• Chingón
• Heart
• Martin Tallstrom

I also suggest the music genre:

• Latin Rock

Click here for more info on Rodrigo y Gabriela – 11:11 – “Buster Voodoo”.

The MP3 may be purchased here:

Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

According to the blurb accompanying this on youtube “The duo have just released a new album titled, 11:11, which pays tribute to the pair’s heroes — Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Astor Piazzolla and Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell.”

Seriously?!?

I think I’m a little in love.

Ayer fue un día “raro”, musicalmente hablando. Todo empezó escuchando algunas canciones del nuevo disco de Baaba Maal. A partir de ahí, fue cogiendo cuerpo esta recopilación que os dejo hoy en esta entrada. Aunque creo que tiene coherencia musical, es una mezcla de ritmos brasileños, jamaicanos, africanos, jazz, soul, pop y, sobre todo, mucha fusión de estilos (la versión soul-funk que hace Manito de Na Baixa Do Sapateiro es impagable). Sé que no es la típica recopilación que suelo dejar en el blog, pero merece la pena escucharla.

Haz clic para descargar las canciones y la carátula de la recopilación

Haciendo clic en la imagen os podéis descargar “Home Is Where The Heart Is“, que incluye canciones de Badi Assad, Caetano Veloso, Les Rita Mitsouko, Tony Allen, Manito, David Byrne, The Very Best, Horace Andy, Paul Simon, Rodrigo y Gabriela, David McAlmont & Michael Nyman, Nina Simone, Bettye Lavette, Cesaria Evora, Baaba Maal, Salif Keita, Roberto Silva, Beth Carvalho & Zelia Duncan, Maria Bethânia y Cassandra Wilson.

AQUÍ tenéis el listado de canciones que he incluido.

P.D.: La foto la hice en Harlem, en marzo de este año.

Day 3

Réveil en douceur après un nuit remplie de papillons, c’est le moment de profiter d’un réveil en bonne et due forme avec le rock bien posé des Triggerfinger.

Le trio belge est tiré à quatre épingles dans leurs costumes noirs. Les gars d’Anvers ont ce qu’il faut sous le capot de leurs amplis pour réveiller la plaine comme il se doit avec un rock bien solide qui fera penser facilement à des certaines reines de l’âge de pierre si vous voyez ce que je veux dire. Malgré leur jeune âge et 2 albums derrière eux uniquement, ils ont une certaine aisance pour remplir la Main Stage qui n’est pas donnée à tous les groupes.

Bref, un bon démarrage de journée bien énergique !!

Setlist:
Short Term
Soon
Lil Teaser
First Taste
Scream
Is it
Hunt
On my knees

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Pour poursuivre cette belle envolée de guitares, j’avais hâte d’écouter pour la première fois les Social Distortion !!

Alors pour situer un peu la troupe de Mike Ness, il faut voir ce groupe comme l’un des pionniers dans le hardcore punk américain (qui n’a pas grand chose à voir avec le punk rock des Clash, des Ramones ou des Sex Pistols) : tout ce qui découle de cette scène depuis 30 ans, c’est en partie eux qui l’ont formé ! Rien de bien étonnant de retrouver ce groupe donc dans des grosses machines de guerre de la grande scène punk étendue (du hardcore punk jusqu’au simple punk-pop) qui reste toujours présente dans nos bien aimés festivals de rock.

Je sais pas si ça vous est déjà arrivé de faire cette rencontre en live (j’imagine que c’est pas tous les jours que ça se présente) mais il m’a fallu à peu près 2 chansons pour reconnaître sans équivoque là les pères de groupes que j’adore depuis mon adolescence totalement rebelle et no future ! (ou presque) Un p’tit peu d’Offspring par ici, un petit bout de Green Day là, un coup de Blink 182 de ce côté, une touche de No FX par en-dessous…

C’est suprenant comme sensation, c’est comme rencontrer le père d’un pote et retrouver petit à petit tous les traits de caractères que votre pote a hérité ! Et puis y’a des passages qui m’ont rendu fou, du style la reprise de Ring of Fire de Johnny Cash dont Green Day a fait un tribute direct (je m’en suis rendu compte pendant le concert) en plein milieu de leur mythique Jesus of Suburbia en 7 actes !!

Alors non, ça ne réconciliera clairement personne qui n’aime pas cette scène à la base. Mais ce show, c’est un peu la synthèse de mon amour de la musique. C’est bien cool, les pionniers, mais leurs successeurs sont souvent bien meilleurs dans beaucoup de domaines, pour avoir digéré ce qui n’a été qu’entamé (hein, la musique pré-80, c’est léger quand même… Aie, pas taper) ! Donc oui, c’est cool, mais ça ne vaut pas ce que leurs enfants en ont fait tout de même. Ceci dit, comme on me dit souvent “ouais mais faut apprécier le côté mythique du groupe”. Ouais, ok. Soit. Pour moi, ça ne change quand même pas ce que j’entends et ce que je ressens…

Bref, c’était très fun comme expérience tout de même !!

Setlist:
Creeps
ASOM
MLM
Sick Boy
Don’t Drag Me Down
Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash cover)
Reach For The Sky
HWY 101
Bad Luck
Nickles & Dimes
Sometimes I Do
Still Alive
Story Of My Life

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On change complètement d’optique sous la pyramide avec Jasper Erkens. Il s’agit d’un p’tit jeune de 16 ans, seul sur scène avec sa guitare. Il nous fait des petites chansons romantiques qui font hurler toutes les ados du premier rang. Enfin, ça va de la fille qui rougit quand elle a l’impression d’être effleuré par son regard à la fille qui écrit sur un panneau “Jasper, f*** me like a dog”. Ah lalalala… les hormones, que voulez-vous…

Bref, sans être un vrai prodige, il fait son p’tit show quand même, en glissant en passant une reprise acoustique de Crazy de Gnarls Barkley. Bref, je sais pas si un gloup romantique ça s’exporte mais l’avenir nous le dira !

Setlist:
Everybody is the same
Lolly
Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
Elliot
Dear Diary
How could I know
The brighter story
Black eyed dog
Stay alive
Blues
Waiting like a dog

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Ca finit quand même par être un peu trop gentillet pour moi alors je veux bien de l’acoustique, mais avec du bon métal derrière !! Et je suis servi car c’est le passage de Rodrigo y Gabriela sur la main stage.

Le duo mexicain est de retour en Europe pour présenter leur nouvel album après une première tournée très réussie sur le continent. En tout cas, qu’est-ce qu’ils ont grandi sur scène !! Terminé le show basique où on envoie la musique et basta. Nan, nan, nan. Maintenant, ils font participer le public, ils font des pauses bien calées histoire de rendre le public hystérique, ils alternent les parties duos et solos, … C’est un vrai régal et plus ils s’éclatent, plus ça fait triper la foule !

Et la foule, elle est en plein trip dansant sur les rythmiques endiablées de Gabriela et les solos effreinés de Rodrigo. C’est vraiment trop facile pour eux de conquérir le public avec leur style musical autant inspiré du métal que des musiques latinos. Excellent mix, plein de talent dans l’exécution, que demander de plus pour un grand concert ? Ah si, une reprise énormissime et très personnelle d’un grand classique : Stairway to Heaven.

Recommandé plus que chaudement !!!

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Cela faisait bien longtemps que j’en avais entendu parler mais sans jamais avoir l’opportunité de véritablement l’écouter. Et bin c’est fait, j’ai enfin pu voir Regina Spektor sur scène !

Véritable melting-pot à elle seule, Regina est une américaine d’origine russe qui a commencé sa carrière dans les bars parisiens. C’est une artiste de la scène antifolk (une sorte de punk folk pour ceux qui sont pas familiers avec la bête) qui vous transporte rapidement avec son piano ou sa guitare. On sent une grande sensibilité et surtout une vraie personnalité derrière les chansons. Un brin de douceur dans ce festival bruyant !

J’ai particulièrement apprécié Machine (c’est la chanson dans laquelle elle joue avec un batiment sur album, l’installation de David Byrne) et le final sur Us et Fidelity, magnifique.
Bref, on regrettera peut être une certaine distance qu’elle prend avec le public et on aurait mérité quelques mots supplémentaires mais c’est un très joli spectacle que livre la belle Regina !

Setlist:
The calculation
On the radio
Eet
Machine
One more time w/ Feeling
Laughing With
Folding chair
Bobbing for Apples
That Time
Flowers
Apres moi
Poor little rich boy
Samson
Us
Fidelity

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Et puis voila le genre de spectacle qu’on peut se permettre d’aller regarder en festival : un petit coup de Limp Bizkit.

Quoi qu’on pense de Limp, ça reste quand même un groupe qui a vendu plus de 30 millions de disques en 3 albums… Respect… Le groupe avait splitté pour la 2ème fois avant d’annoncer à grands renforts de tambours la reformation du groupe sous son line-up original, c’est à dire le retour de Wes Borland aux côtés de Fred Durst. Autrement dit, l’évènement que tous leurs fans attendaient.

Sur scène, Fred est le MC à casquette bondissant dans tous les sens qui fait jumper toute la fosse alors que Wes assure un show visuel assez surprenant derrière sa guitare avec une sorte de costume/maquillage impressionnant noir et blanc sur la totalité du corps et une jolie petite crète bleue fluo sur le dessus. Je suis pas particulièrement fan de rapcore mais force est de constater que le show en envoie plein la vue et les oreilles depuis My Generation jusqu’à l’énormissime Take a look around qui fait sauter la totalité de la plaine, en passant par la surprenante reprise Faith de George Michael. C’est quand même bien efficace à souhait à bonne dose de show à l’américaine et de fans survoltés !

Bref, même si une bonne partie de la setlist ne montre pas un énorme intérêt purement musical à mes oreilles, le show est tout de même bien sympa à voir et ça fout la pèche à donf !

Setlist:
My Generation
Livin’ It Up
Show Me What You Got
Eat You Alive
Hot Dog
Rearranged
Break Stuff
Boiler
My Way
Faith
Nookie
Behind Blue Eyes
Rollin’
Take A Look Around

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Et en parlant de pèche à donf, si y’en a une qui n’en manque pas, c’est bien Karen O., la chanteuse de Yeah Yeah Yeahs !

Ma rencontre avec ce groupe était un petit choc pour mon premier festival de Reading sur la Main Stage. J’ai ramassé ma petite claque aussi sur quelques uns de leurs albums depuis et c’est avec grand plaisir que j’essaye de les voir quand ils passent en Europe.

En voyant Karen évoluer sur scène, on ne peut s’empêcher de penser à toutes les grandes, celles qui sont hors normes, une sorte de croisement entre Siouxsie Sioux, Janis Joplin et Björk. Elle dégage quelque chose d’incroyable, aussi animal que sensuel, au milieu de décibels bien crades qui arrachent les oreilles en passant. C’est juste du bonheur… Même quand ca se pose un peu sur un phénoménal Gold Lion, c’est un pur concentré de talent. Et quand elle donne un énorme coup de pied sur un retour de son, que ça envoie un gigantesque jet de confettis sous la pyramide avec l’énormissime Date with the night, la tente est proche de l’autocombustion !

Pour moi, les Yeah Yeah Yeahs font partie des grands représentants du rock indé penchant vers le post punk. C’est un vrai bonheur à écouter, à voir et à vivre !

Setlist:
Dull Life
Phenomena
Heads Will Roll
Man
Shame And Fortune
Pin
Gold Lion
Cheated Hearts
Skeletons
Maps
Zero
Y Control
Tick
Date with the night

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Et en parlant de revival du post punk, voila parmi les plus populaires de leurs représentants sur la Main Stage : les Franz Ferdinand !

Je sais plus exactement combien de fois je les ai vus en festival mais il me semble que ça s’approche de la douzaine, toujours avec beaucoup de plaisir d’ailleurs. Mais là… là, je dois dire qu’ils m’ont vraiment déçu au plus haut point.

Le set démarre un peu bizarrement avec une entrée sur Walk Away qu’on n’attend pas vraiment comme ouverture. Pourquoi pas. Et puis sur No You Girls, je comprends rapidement que ça ne va pas très bien et ça ne fait que s’amplifier sur The Dark of the Matinée. McCarthy, le guitariste est complètement défracté. Il arrive pas à tout suivre et il placarde pas mal à côté. Malheureusement, tous les défauts du groupe remonte à la surface ce jour là : Kapranos, le chanteur, a beau être énervé de ce que fait son guitariste, il recommence à ne pas toujours chanter juste et le batteur, lui aussi, a décidé de s’y mettre en ne tenant pas toujours la vitesse. En gros, y’a que le pauvre Robert à la basse qui fait son boulot correctement. C’est un grand n’importe quoi…

L’apogée arrivera sur This Fire ou là, je suis plus que furax d’un tel manque de professionnalisme. Alex demande même à McCarthy de baisser le son de sa gratte apparemment. Pffffff… Pour la majorité du public, le tout passe relativement bien car tout ce qu’ils veulent voir en fait, c’est les tubes de Franz Ferdinand. Le titanic sombre sur Jacqueline, la toute dernière chanson : alors que Kapranos a fini l’intro, le groupe n’arrive pas à partir pour une raison technique. Le chanteur, saoulé, quitte la scène sans même dire au revoir.

Bref, ça arrive à tous de passer à côté d’un concert mais là, je trouvais ça vraiment excessif. Tout le monde sait que je suis très exigeant des groupes que j’aime beaucoup et que des fois je suis énervé alors que tout se joue au niveau de détails. Mais là, c’était véritablement une prestation minable pour le groupe. Déjà que je ne suis pas plus amateur que ça du dernier opus, ce triste spectacle ne m’a vraiment pas du tout convaincu. Bref, très grosse déception teintée de colère.

Setlist:
Walk Away
No You Girls
The Dark of the Matinée
Can’t Stop Feeling
This Fire
Do You Want To
Turn It On
Take Me Out
Ulysses
What She Came For
The Fallen
Michael
Lucid Dreams
Jacqueline (juste intro)

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Je vais me consoler dans la (mini-)jupe de Katy Perry du côté de la pyramide.

Elle a refait tout le design de la scène de la pyramide pour l’occasion avec un décor assez acidulé derrière une petite barrière blanche de maison US. L’adorable (mais complètement survoltée) américaine arbore un look retro sexy qui chauffe toute la salle. Enfin, avait-elle besoin de plus alors que Hot n Cold résonne à fond les ballons avec une jeune gloup qu’on a fait grimper sur scène pour chanter, danser et évidemment illustrer le titre de son autre tube interplanétaire, I kissed a girl. J’aurai dû mettre une jupe ce jour là…

Même si musicalement, ça ne survole pas tout le long au-dessus d’un nid de coucou, elle assure bien le show la jeune chanteuse, sachant même gérer seule avec sa guitare le Thinking of you. C’est sur un I Kissed a girl radicalement efficace qu’elle nous abandonne après une prestation pleine d’énergie et d’humour. C’est pas si pire du tout comme dirait l’autre !

Setlist:
Fingerprint
One of the boys
Hot ‘n Cold
Use Ur Love
Ur So Gay
Thinking of You
Vegas
Afford Me
Don’t stop me now
Kissed a Girl

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Je fais une petite pause avant d’assister à la fin du show de Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, toujours aussi inspirés.

Je n’ai découvert le “duo” que récemment et c’est un vrai plaisir de les voir sur scène. Un sacré groupe qui propose un rock incisif et passionné. Le géant Nick déclame à moitié ses textes d’une intensité telle qu’on aurait bien du mal à lui donner un âge quand il est sur scène.

De grands classiques comme The Ship Song, Moonland, The Weeping Song qui ne prennent pas spécialement de rides. Alors qu’ils nous abandonnent sur un monstrueux Stagger Lee de presque 10 minutes (et un final de ouf), ils reviennent tout de même pour envoyer We call upon the author en final décousu explosif !

Bref, c’est vraiment de grosses prestations bien denses à chaque fois, une bonne valeur sure !

Setlist:
Tupelo
Dig! Lazarus! Dig!
Red Right Hand
Deanna
Midnight Man
The Ship Song
Henry Lee
Moonland
The Mercy Seat
The Weeping Song
Papa Won’t Leave You Henry
Stagger Lee
We Call Upon The Author

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Je ne suis pas super inspiré pour la suite alors je traine quand même mes oreilles sur le set des Kings of Leon.

Je suis pas un énorme fan de rock sudiste et je ne suis pas fan non plus de la voix de Caleb (enfin Anthony, de son prénom normal) mais il faut admettre qu’ils ont aligné quelques singles bien intéressants sur les ondes, surtout sur leur dernier opus. La famille Followil étendue arrive en terrain conquis déjà car les Gloup sont des fans extrèmes de ce genre de rock.

Si on ferme les yeux, la musique est là, les riffs arrachent bien, tout paraît nickel mais quand on regarde, on est extrèment surpris de voir que le groupe est complètement statique, amorphe (alors qu’on a l’impression qu’il hurle ses chansons). C’est bien dommage parce qu’il faudrait pas grand chose pour enflammer plus la plaine.

Bon, je suis toujours pas fan, certes, mais c’est tout à fait propre et les chansons sont là pour faire le boulot alors on va pas bouder, hein ?

Setlist:
Be Somebody
Taper Jean Girl
My Party
Molly’s Chambers
Red Morning Light
Fans
California Waiting
Closer
Crawl
Four Kicks
Charmer
Sex On Fire
The Bucket
The Notion
On Call
Slow Night So Lo,ng
Knocked Up
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Black Thumbnail

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Et voila un petit ovni que je n’attendais pas vraiment en fait. Pour ceux qui ont moins de 30 ans, le nom de Grace Jones évoque l’amazone black de Conan le Barbare (surtout pour les geeks !), à la limite la James Bond girl de Dangereusement Votre, mais pas particulièrement comme diva des planches. Et pourtant elle a bien une dizaine d’albums à son actif ! Ceci dit, cela faisait 20 ans qu’elle avait complètement disparu de la scène musicale alors que donne ce retour ?

Et bin c’est assez surprenant à voir ! Déjà ce qui frappe, c’est le physique de Grace. On a l’impression de revoir l’amazone en chair et en os. Elle a un coprs hallucinant, avec des jambes de 3 km de long, qu’elle sait tout à fait mettre en valeur, surtout quand elle danse autour de sa barre de pole dancing… Ce qui force le respect, tout de même, c’est qu’elle a plus de 60 ans et que ça ne se ressent pas une seule seconde pendant son show !!

Pour ce qui est de la musique, elle étale ses titres avec un grand sens du spectacle, glissant ici et là quelques classiques comme La vie en rose. Une chanson, un costume (souvent très extravagant), une ambiance. La scène est étagée sur plusieurs niveaux ce qui permet à la diva d’évoluer autant qu’elle veut dans l’espace, les musiciens restant toujours dans l’ombre à l’arrière. Elle dégage un charisme phénoménal et la voix est toujours aussi puissante. Le public est assez hypnotisé et d’ailleurs, on peut voir tous les membres des Franz Ferdinand et des Yeah Yeah Yeahs dans la fosse VIP, à fond dedans !

Le final sur Slave to the Rythm et surtout le génial Hurricane, son dernier single produit par le Tricky kid de Bristol, ponctue une prestation très atypique. Musicalement, je n’adhère pas forcément à tout, mais le spectacle cabaret/diva est plutôt sympa à suivre, et ça permet de voir évoluer une vraie star racée sur les planches. Original en somme.

Setlist:
Nightclubbing
This Is
My Jamaican Guy
Love You To Life
I’ve Seen That Face Before
La Vie En Rose
Well Well Well
Williams Blood
Pull Up To The Bumper
Love Is The Drug
Slave To The Rhytm
Hurricane

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Malheureusement, la diva avait décidé de venir une demie heure en retard, et cela a décalé le dernier set de la soirée sous la pyramide, celui de Boys Noize ! Du coup, ce set démarre en même temps que celui des 2 Many DJs de la Main Stage. Le drame quoi…

Bon, je décide de me mettre entre les 2 scènes et capter ce que je peux pour démarrer et me décider du set que je vais suivre. Démarrage difficile à départager : le monologue final a capella de Thriller par Boys Noize contre Hey Boy, Hey Girl pour les 2 Many DJs. Il est important de noter que je ne peux qu’écouter la Main Stage à ce moment là, je ne vois rien, donc je finis par me décider de passer un peu de temps avec Boys Noize. (ca ne m’empechera pas de suivre que NY Excuse puis Flat Beat résonnent sur la Main Stage, damn it !!).

Sous la pyramide, Alexander s’anime autant qu’il peut sous sa casquette pour distiller des bons beats assez puissants. Un vrai remixez deluxe en action avec du Depeche Mode, du Bloc Party, etc… Ca reste très populaire tout en apportant une bonne patte bien lourde à l’allemande ! Bref, on se laisse vite embarquer dans une transe dansante en levant les bras et faisant quelques “wouhouuuuu!!” en passant.

Un set bien appréciable qui aurait mérité plus d’attention et de temps de ma part mais je ne résiste plus à l’appel des frères Dewaele au moment où j’entends Standing in the way of control de Gossip.

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Combien de fois j’ai vu les frères Dewaele sur scène ? Honnêtement, aucune idée mais ça doit dépasser les 20 fois je pense, entre les Soulwax, Nite Versions et 2 Many DJs…
Ils ont toujours eu une longueur d’avance sur le reste du monde et bien vous me croirez si vous voulez, mais ils ont encore franchi un échelon sur ce set…

Les 2 dernières fois que je les ai vus, le set était relativement électro, plus DJing classique ce qui n’est pas ce qu’on attend d’eux. Message reçu : rien que depuis tout à l’heure, j’ai bien compris que si on leur avait donné le dernier créneau du samedi soir, c’est pour qu’ils brulent la plaine ! Alors ils enchainent les hits dans des crossovers bien sentis. Mais ce que je n’avais pas vu depuis tout à l’heure, c’est la scène en fait. Bin oui, me direz-vous, c’est quoi le problème ? Même si ce sont des gros bidouilleurs et qu’il y a toujours une caméra sur les platines, depuis quand on s’intéresse à la scène pour eux ?

Et bin depuis qu’ils ont décidé de faire du crossover visuel !! Oui mesdames et messieurs. On l’avait pas vu venir celui là…  En gros, vous prenez un show exceptionnel des 2 Many DJ’s avec des crossover de ouf et vous ajouter à cela l’avant-garde visuelle de Coldcut avec le mix video… Concrètement à quoi ça ressemble : pendant le mix, les gars affichent et animent les pochettes des singles sur un écran géant à l’arrière de la scène. C’est super fun à voir !! Et matez un peu la setlist qu’ils ont décidé de nous placarder, c’était juste du bonheur absolu !

Et pour bien nous calmer, le set qui semblait s’être arrêté sur Fisherspooner, tout s’excite d’un coup avec une nuée de confettis/PQ partout sur la fosse (mais genre un truc de malade, on avait l’impression de vivre une tempête polaire) et Breed de Nirvana à fond les ballons enchainé avec du Sonic Youth !!! La video peut peut être vous donner un aperçu du truc : final (c’est dommage qu’on ne voit pas la pochette de Goo se dessiner petit à petit parce que c’était très fun ça).

Bref, c’était un spectacle incroyable, un mix de fou furieux, une tuerie pour la plaine qui n’attendait que ça… Quel feu d’artifice pour le samedi soir !! Avait-on encore besoin de cette preuve supplémentaire pour se dire que les frères Dewaele sont définitivement des dieux vivants ?

Setlist:
Hey Boy, Hey Girl (Chemical Brothers)
NY Excuse (Soulwax)
Flat Beat (Mr. Oizo)
Dominator (Human Resource)
Standing In The Way Of Control (Gossip)
Bonkers (Dizzie Rascal & Armand Van Helden)
Day ‘n’ Nite (Kid Cudi vs Crookers)
Kernkraft 400 (Zombie Nation)
Kids (MGMT)
Sweat Dreams (Eurythmics)
Robot Rock (Daft Punk)
Zero (Yeah Yeah Yeah’s)
French Kiss (Lil Louis)
Welcome To The Jungle (Guns N’ Roses)
Positif (Mr. Oizo)
Another One Bites The Dust (Queen)
Rock The Casbah (The Clash)
Putain Putain (TC Matic)
Gravity’s Rainbow (Klaxons)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC)
A Fifth Of Beethoven (Walter Murphy)
Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough (Michael Jackson)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
Kaw-Liga (The Residents)
Just Can’t Get Enough (Depeche Mode)
Windowlicker (Aphex Twin)
Pon di Floor (Major Lazer)
Roots (Sepultura)
La Rock (Vitalic)
Mind Dimension (Tiga)
Tour De France (Kraftwerk)
Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
Phantom pt 2 (Justice)
Blue Monday (New Order)
Chase The Devil (Max Romeo)
Out Of Space (Prodigy)
Emerge (Fisherspooner)
Breed (Nirvana)
Kool Thing (Sonic Youth)

MySpace
Site officiel

Je suis complètement rincé, exténué. J’ai jamais fait un Werchter aussi barbare et il me reste encore une journée compète à faire… Mes jambes me ramènent toutes seules à ma tente où je m’effondre complètement. Je n’entends même pas les Gloup alors que traditionnellement, c’est leur nuit de folie au camping. Ma dernière pensée sera : …

Teatro Metropolitan

26 Octubre 2009

^this song “Diablo Rojo” by Rodrigo y Gabriela is my FAVORITE!  thanks to ali for introducing me – so sexy, fun, AMOR!  ahhh   seriously amazing!  my mom will also be obsessed with this

Rodrigo y Gabriela Website

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Billboard.com review of Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s 11:11

“Inspiration from eleven artists over eleven new tracks is the impetus for Rodrigo Y Gabriela’s sophomore set “11:11,” due September 8 on ATO. The duo built a new studio in Ixtapa, Mexico where they wrote and recorded much of the new material on the fly, while also experimenting with percussive and electric elements into the super-charged acoustic style of their instrumental music.

Of the influences culled on “11:11,” Rodrigo Sanchez tells Billboard.com that the John McLaughlin fusion group Shakti and recent trips to India and Sri Lanka compelled the duo to create a more “east-meets-west” sound at times. “You’ll find little details and I think, the actual idea of getting you there – to give you a flavor of an eastern meets western thing would sound like. I mean it’s fun and was pretty difficult to make it happen but I think we did it.”

“11:11″ follows the duo’s 2006 debut, which was wildly successful in world music and folk rock circles. “Rodrigo Y Gabriela” has sold 304,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan. The duo broke out of Ireland, where they had relocated after having trouble with finding success playing in a thrash metal group in Mexico City.

They’ve since incorporated reinterpreted metal songs into their repertoire, including Metallica’s “One” and “Orion” as well as the Led Zeppelinclassic, “Stairway to Heaven.” “11:11″ continues the with hard rock homages, including an ode to Jimi Hendrix on “Buster Voodoo” and a guitar solo from Testament’s Alex Skolnick on “Atman.” At the same time, they explore more laid back arrangements on “Logos” and the Pink Floyd-inspired title track, “11:11.”

“We recorded different and were using techniques and not sounding particularly the same way,” Sanchez explains. “That was the idea, to change everything, as much as we could. We were wondering if that was a good thing to do. For us, the sound and the actual album sounds different. You can still perceive that it’s us but we can not repeat ourselves all the time.”

Starting September 2 in London, Rodrigo Y Gabriela will support “11:11″ this fall in both the U.S. and Europe, playing theatres and large clubs.”

The track list for “11:11″ is:

“Hanuman”
“Buster Voodoo”
“Triveni”
“Logos”
“Santo Domingo”
“Master Maqui”
“Savitri”
“Hora Zero”
“Chac Mool”
“Atman”
“11:11″

fun underwear commercial – unrelated to rodrigo y gabriela  :) enjoy

Mo 10/26: Sherri Shepherd, Alex Dryden
Tu 10/27: Alicia Silverstone, Salman Rushdie
We 10/28: Madeleine Albright, Rodrigo y Gabriela
Th 10/29: Newt Gingrich, Jessalyn Gilsig
Fr 10/30: Lauren Graham, Fruit Bats

My girlfriend and I are huge fans of the guitar-duo from Mexico “Rodrigo Y Gabriela“. Everytime when they are in Holland (or Belgium) we have seen them perform live. And ofcourse we’ve got all their albums.

Yesterday it was my girlfriends birthday and I visited my Twitter-page to read the new tweets of the ones I follow. Included are (ofcourse) rodrigo Y Gabriela. I saw that Rodrigo placed a tweet just a few seconds ago, so I thought “why not ask him if he could congratulate my girlfriend with her birthday?”. So I did. And within seconds he tweeted “Congratulations Daniëlle” on their Twitterpage. Awsome! Not many stars do that I think.

At first my girlfriend didn’t believe it was really Rodrigo who tweeted that, but after I convinced her that it really was Rodrigo she really was stoked! “Totally awsome!” she said.

So I wanted to thank Rodrigo and Gabriela for their birthday-wishes to my girlfriend!

I had completely forgotten how great these two are till I heard this. This was on their recent studio album 11:11 which came out September 8th.

Makes me want to pick up an acoustic guitar && try my hand at it.

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Hanuman (Live) (Youtube)

Awesome…

Most instrumental guitar music tends to be about the guitar first, the music second; the demographic is like-minded practitioners, technicians who can readily appreciate the technical finesse and dexterous complexity on display, but not necessarily for the lay person who simply wants a melody, a beat, or a groove. Not so with Rodrigo y Gabriela; though there’s technical finesse aplenty here, and it takes multiple listens to unravel the many layers of what’s going on in the arrangements, this isn’t your typical guitar record. Your first clue: The presence of producer Colin Richardson, whose credits include Slipknot and Trivium. And your second: The eleven songs here are each dedicated to a particular musician who has influenced the duo, and not all of them are flamenco musicians– in fact, not all of them are even guitarists.

What the duo have concocted here is– and there’s no other way to put this– hardcore flamenco rock. How else do you explain the heavy metal dynamics, the proggy sense of scope, the presence of a wah-wah pedal on an acoustic guitar (!!!), and the mad, lickety-split momentum of the whole thing, which ranges wildly in mood and style but rarely drops its blazing tempo? What Rodrigo y Gabriela have created here is not another indulgent album of guitar noodling, but a vibrant, lively record that dazzles not just for its technical sophistication– which is, believe me, monumentally impressive– but its heart, its energy, and it’s bright colors. It’s never dull, it’s generally danceable, and it’s thrilling from top to bottom– an acoustic guitar album for everyone, from a couple of dynamite, real-life guitar heroes.

This is by far the most daunting task I've ever put upon myself. I've been working on
song for hours and I'm only at about 1 minute. I'll keep on adding to this as I get it. I
you enjoy it, its a fun song!

Intro: Gabriela

E|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------77----77----9-9-|
D|-----9--xx--------------------9----xx--------|-----9--xx----------------xx-77-xx-77-xx-9-9-|
A|-----0--xx------7h8p7---------0----xx--------|-----0--xx------7h8p7-----xx-00-xx-00-xx-0-0-|
E|-7-7----xx-7-10-0*----10--7-7---55-xx--5-5h7-|-7-7----xx-7-10-0*----10--xx----xx----xx-----|

Every other time, Gabriela plays her crazy, fast, muted thing as a substitute for the very
end part

Intro: Rodrigo

E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------5-6-5------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----/7-6--7-------7----------------------------------------------------------|
D|---4----------------7/9--------7-------7-9----7-9-----------------------------|
A|-2-------------------------7h9-----7h9------9-----9~-5-7-9--------------------|
E|-------------------------7-------7-------------------------7~-5-5-5-5-5-5-6-7-|

0:32 Riff 2: Rodrigo

E|----------------------|---1st Ending-----------|---2nd Ending---|
B|----------------------|------------------------|----------------|
G|----------------------|------------------------|----------------|
D|----------------------|------------------------|-4444-4444-44-0-|
A|-------5-------5------|-------5---8-7h8p7------|-4444-4444-44-0-|
E|-7-5h7---0-3/5---7--5-|-7-5h7---0*--------10-5-|-2222-2222-22-0-|

After that entire part is played once, another lead guitar comes in and plays the same
an octave higher, and
at the 2nd ending the chords are played straight, without rhythmic breaks.

That's all I've got for now. Please feel free to send any comments or corrections
to hildesaw88@hotmail.com

por Mariana Suárez

Pocas ciudades en el mundo ofrecen una combinación tan balanceada de exposiciones, eventos deportivos, teatro, baile y música como lo hace Melbourne.

En esta ocasión, me enfocaré solamente en la música, ya que, por mucho, es el arte que más personas atrae en el mundo y con la cantidad tan grande de eventos en los próximos meses, bien valía el espacio de este número.

Melbourne Millenium Choir, 30^th Birthday DVD Launch

Fairfield Amphiteatre, Noviembre 29, 6:00-7:30 pm

Este 2009 cumplió 30 años el Melbourne Millenium Choir (MMC), el grupo coral comunitario de más de 300 voces The Boîte que se reúne cada año para presentar un espectáculo de talento, musicalidad y multiculturalismo.

El concierto de este año se llevó a cabo en la Galería Nacional de Victoria (NGV), dirigido por Stephen Taberner y el tema del concierto “Our Home, Our Land”, fue un tributo a los dueños originales de esta linda tierra.

Como algo extraordinario, Stephen accedió a presentar un extracto de los sonidos de este concierto en un espacio abierto para que todas las voces del público los acompañen en este mágico lugar a lo largo del Río Yarra.

El evento es GRATUITO, sólo trae algún bocadillo y bebidas para hacer de la ocasión algo muy especial.

Trade Winds, A Celebration of Music from around the Pacific

Melbourne Recital Centre, Noviembre 22, 3:00 pm

Unete a esta fusión de sonidos de Australia, Melanesia y las Islas del Pacífico, presentando a:

1. Pigram Borthers: Una banda legendaria de 7 elementos que viene desde Broome, Western Australia
2. George Telek with the Moab Stringband: Una de las bandas de cuerdas más reconocidas a lo largo del Pacífico
3. Narasirato Pan Pipers: Fusión de música y baile de las Islas Salomón
4. The Shakura Stringband: Una nueva orquesta de música de cuerdas desde Vanuatu

Además de talleres de música y danza. Para más información y el programa completo del evento visita www.awme.com.au

Los boletos tienen un costo de $27 Full y $22 Concession

Australia Post Opera in the Bowl, La Boheme de Puccini

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Diciembre 11, 8:00 pm

Ven a disfrutar este impresionante concierto GRATUITO en el que se presentará la famosa opera de Puccini La Boheme. Qué mejor lugar que el Music Bowl para acompañarlo de la luz de la luna y las estrellas, unos bocadillos, bebidas y la compañía de tus amigos y familia. Definitivamente, será una noche digna de recordarse por mucho tiempo.

Rodrigo y Gabriela en Concierto

Palais Theatre, Enero 5, 7:30 pm

Los boletos de Rodrigo y Gabriela, los guitarristas mexicanos que están conquistando el mundo entero YA ESTAN A LA VENTA.

Puedes comprar tus boletos en Ticketmaster.

Let me use this time to interject my musical tastes on you. I have quite a range of interests, a lot of it sickeningly mainstream. I will always have a fondness in my heart of eighties music… call it nostalgia if you will. But I also love a good bit of metal, electronica, r & b, classic rock, rap, “alternative,” motown, classical, and sweet packaged pop. However, I am not here to bore you with choices you already know. Here are some artists you may not have been introduced to yet. If you have, then cheer them on with me!

Young Dubliners

Oh my sweet Celtic rock band. Back in my days living in Los Angeles, I went to many a concert of theirs. A good album to start with is Breathe. But to get the best feel for them, listen to Rocky Road to Dublin. Better yet, go see them live! I guarantee a good time.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Get ready to be amazed with this flamenco-style guitar duo from Mexico. Try their 11:11 album. My faves are Buster Voodoo and Diablo Rojo. I dare you to sit still.

Eva Cassidy

What a beautiful voice Eva has! She did mostly covers, but have a listen and you can appreciate her talent. You may have heard her version of Fields of Gold when Michelle Kwan skated at the Olympics. Unfortunately, we lost Eva when she was only 33 years old. All of her albums have been released posthumously. The best collection of hers is Songbird, including the song of the same namesake, but really every song you can find of hers is great. I also love her versions of  Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Time After Time. Sorry for all the links. She really is that good.

Cowboy Mouth

This is a New Orleans rock band that was introduced to me by a rather debaucherous fellow I met at Mardi Gras one year. I bought the CD and never looked back. There are multiple lead singers in the band, but the drummer Fred LeBlanc takes most of the leads on the songs. To see him live is simply amazing. He puts so much energy during his performances, he must pass out afterward. Check out Are You With Me? for some of their best works, including Jenny Says and How Do You Tell Someone.

I will leave you to your listening duties now. Get busy! And please feel free to introduce me to your favorite artists that I may not know about.

Fran and Josh – Days Like These
For any avid MTV viewers out there you may recognise Fran and Josh from ‘hit’ TV show ‘Living on the Edge.’ Perhaps not the best way to make it as a credible recording artist, but hey, look at ‘Living on the Edge’ co-star Stephen Beard, making it as Archie in ‘Hollyoaks’. However, appearing in an MTV series is a good way to gain recognition and build up a fan base. These boys have had over 20,000 views on MySpace and recorded ‘Spanking New Sessions’ for MTV, following in the footsteps of Lady Gaga and White Lies, so it can’t all be bad.

Their sound is folksy with a Spanish flavour of guitars and what starts off as a slow, acoustic track, finishes off quite jingly, which as a welcomed surprise. These boys take you on a musical journey on this track, changing at every turn with their confident and accomplished approach – well done boys.

Listen if you like: The Kooks, Willy Mason, Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Also Listen To: Make Sure You Enjoy It, Bleeding Harm

Seeing how this was going to be my introduction to Rodrigo y Gabriela, I had no idea what to expect. Just from the first few seconds of the best track “Hanuman,” I knew that I was about to go through one hell of a ride. From beginning to end, the album starts off at eleven and stays there. And how could it not with Rodrigo Sánchez’s amazing riffs and quick playing and Gabriela Quintero’s maintaining the rhythm with her tapping and strumming?

With each track inspired from a different artist/group, each song brings something new to the album but still contains the groups flamenco and Latin influences. While some of the tracks’ dedication aren’t as obvious, “Buster Voodoo” brings the fire and proudly gives its’ nod to Jimi Hendrix. Rodrigo y Gabriela also pay their dues to Pink Floyd with “11:11″ by slowing down with a much more progressive feel and the nice addition from a piano at the end.

Even after listening to the whole album a couple times, the thought that there were no lyrics ever crossed my mind until someone had asked me about it. And personally, they were not missed. Hell, I didn’t even notice their absence. Instead, they were creating a story with their hands and the strings of a guitar. A perfect story.

-CRS

Angel’s Rating: 10/10