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actress, ailsa, best of 2013, blondie, Cliff, Jaz Frazier, jeff mangum, john, josh ritter, Macklemore, ntorsell, phoenix, ryan, steve, swans, travis, well worn boot — 0 comments

buffaBLOG's Best of 2013: Staff Picks - Favorite Shows Part 1

Editor's Note: As part of our best of 2013 coverage, we asked our staff to write about their favorite live shows of 2013. Shows did not have to take place in Buffalo to be included on this list. Part 2, posted on Dec 5th, can be read here.

Ailsa Forlenza

Jeff Mangum @ Babeville in Buffalo, NY, January 19th

Me: Who is that homeless looking man, with the beard? The one who came through?

Friend: Oh, who knows? Look!

Jeff Mangum walks by, with a puppy. We ogle and try to pet puppy. He pulls away and gives a dirty look.

Other friend: That was Jeff Mangum, guys.

Besides being thoroughly humiliated and probably ruining Jeff Mangum’s mood for the next twenty minutes after that, this show was incredible. Babeville is the perfect venue to house this legend, especially in the upstairs church level. That space is made for aching vocals to soar and pinch every part of you. “My Dream Girl Don’t Exist” blew my brains out. I left reborn.

Jaz Fraizer

Well Worn Boot @ Nietzsche's in Buffalo, NY, July 20th

The first time I saw Well Worn Boot at Nietzsche’s, I felt like I was peeking into someone’s kinky bedroom. That’s probably the best description I can attribute to these guys (I’m super proud of that, by the way). The crowd was thick, with plenty of people to mosh against. And was there ever moshing.

Cliff Parks
Phoenix @ Grove Music Festival in Toronto, ON, August 3rd

I really wanted to go with Wild Nothing with Lesionread at the Tralf but I couldn't deny that for the duration of Phoenix's hour long headlining set I jumped around with insane, reckless abandon as they tore through a set that weaved together nuggets from across their career into a satisfying musical movement with wit, interludes, and dramatic crescendos. Nobody held anything back: the band was energetic and generous and the crowd responded in kind, and it was a joyous and wonderful experience that bordered on being out of body. I'd waited years to see Phoenix and they were gloriously, magnificently worth the wait.

Nick Torsell
Actress @ The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, October 26th

Actress’ music reminds me of fragile light, the type that seeps in through blinds when it’s overcast. The light is fragile and porous, barely illuminating what’s inside the room. Occasionally, the sun peeks out and it illuminates the contents of the space in golden relief, only to lose it when the sun’s rays weaken. If you were at the Orange Peel the week before Halloween, you got a glimpse of the tall, thin producer as he stepped onstage to smoky red stage light, settling in behind a minimal set-up, only to see him disappear soon after as the lights went off, the only thing visible now an opaque half-eaten apple branding his laptop. I’d be hard pressed to tell you exactly what he played, instead of recreating full tracks live, he was disassembling bits and pieces of material from three albums as well as the yet to be released Ghettoville, in order to put them back together again in new ways. It’s difficult for me to call it dance music, but when the drum machines and sonic flourishes would lock together to approach melody, you could feel the crowd exhale and begin to loosen, and then shifting their concentration from the head to the body. More than any other show this year, it played with my notion of the artist and the audience, the expectation versus the reality.

John Hugar
Blondie/X @ The Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY, September 6th

A killer combo of one of LA's legendary punk bands, and one of the leaders of the CBGB's scene in New York, any fan of old school punk lost their mind at this show. X came out first and brought and blew through an energetic set of classics like "Johnny Hit & Run Paulene," "The New World," and "Los Angeles." John Doe and Exene Cervenka proved they're still the most dynamic duo and punk, while Billy Zoom's rockabilly-influenced guitar stylings are as thrillng as ever. Then Blondie took the stage, with Debbie Harry showed that at 68, she's as fabulous as ever. After opening with "One Way Or Another," Blondie played many of their huge hits, like "Call Me," "The Tide Is High," and "Rapture." A particular high point of the set was an emotional rendition of Ellie Goulding's "Lights." When Blondie finally ended the night with their 1979 single "Dreaming," everyone's feet were tired from a night of relentless dancing. This was an amazing show that two of the best bands from punk's early days are as strong as ever.

Steven Gordon

Swans @ The Tralf in Buffalo, NY, July 26th

Not sure if I should call Swans' appearance at the Tralf a show, or an art installation. The loose change in my pocket, the drink in my my hand, and my own central nervous system were all violently wiggling from the ridiculously loud, bass and drum heavy proto-post-rock pioneers. I mean, I'm art-damaged and intentionally-into Noise, but these fellas' onslaught of atypical, anti-cathartic song structure and brutal decibel assault definitely made me want to spray barf or at least run outside for like a thousand cigarettes, but like in a good way. Ish. One of the most challenging demonstrations of art I'm likely to've ever encountered. And I was deaf for days.

Travis Kowalski

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis @ First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY, November 9th

It was just a few weeks ago the the 'Heist World Tour' featuring Macklemore & Ryan Lewis stopped in Buffalo to perform arguably some of this year's most listened jams. Admittedly, I am not their biggest fan nor was I a huge follower of the openings acts Talib Kweli and Big K.R.I.T., however, the dynamic energy at their show closed a chapter for the many great concerts I have seen this year, making it my personal favorite of 2013. Nothing brings family and friends closer than being arm to arm in a pit, which is why the gig at the First Niagara Center holds a special weight, as it was the first time all of my brothers have been able to attend a concert together.

The hip-hop duo performed their hits "Thrift Shop," "Can't Hold Us," and "White Walls," but they also surprised fans with a guest appearance by UK singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran during the performance of "Same Love." Even more compelling was how Macklemore delivered mini speeches about his personal struggles with alcohol and marijuana in between some songs. Whereas some rappers neglect current social issues for talk about "big booty hoes" or "bad bitches," the legitimacy in his lyrics end up putting him a step above currently unpurposed rappers like 2 Chainz.

My overall impression was that the show was high powered and executed excellently with a wide array of song diversity, somewhat ample security, given the amount of people, and constantly filled with energy through a surprise guest appearances making it the perfect transition into the end of the year holiday season.

Ryan Wolf
Josh Ritter @ Asbury Hall in Buffalo, NY, April 13th
Although Josh Ritter’s performance was not flashy or intense or avant-garde, it was pure. Never have I seen a musician so happy to be on stage, sharing his music others. The man had just gone through a divorce (and written an album about it), but there was nothing in his act to suggest bitterness. If anything, Ritter was full of raw joy, unable to conceal his smile during even the most serious songs. If only we all could love our professions that much.

Cliff, la blogotheque, phoenix, picking up the slack for mtv — 0 comments

Picking Up The Slack For MTV: Phoenix

While I am clearly an avowed anglophile, I am also a big fan of the French; the art, the philosophy, the food, the film, and as of late... the music: M83, Air, The Teenagers, and definitely Phoenix, who are the stars of La Blogotheque's greatest opus (so far), a Take Away Show concert that is sublime in every way. Splicing together almost acoustic performances of "Bourgeois" on the Phoenix tour jet and "Entertainment," "Trying To Be Cool," and "Countdown" at Versailles, Take Away Phoenix is a bravura exercise in taste and execution, 20 minutes of exquisite audio/visual pleasure, and a wonderfully distilled example of what La Blogotheque is all about thanks to director Colin Solal Cardo. Hell, the breathtaking tracking shots outside Versailles for "Entertainment" courtesy of a drone mounted HD camera are worth the price of admission alone (leave it to the French to make drones cool). Enjoy, and viva la France.

canada, Cliff, phoenix, picking up the slack for mtv — 0 comments

Picking Up The Slack For MTV: Phoenix - "Trying To Be Cool"

The new video from Phoenix for "Trying To Be Cool," their second single off Bankrupt!, is another tour de force from the French dance rockers, and I had no choice but to do a post about it. Directed by CANADA and co produced by the Creator's Project (something to do with Vice magazine?), it features the band doing all sorts of cool shit in a film studio while artistically and rather tastefully burning through the video's budget. There's also some live performance going on here, which is fascinating and pleasantly ambitious considering all of the excellently staged stuff going on. It's a blast, and a nice reminder that the Grove Music Festival that they're headlining - the one we all got excited about because it was happening in Niagara-On-The-Lake August 3 - is actually happening at Fort York in Toronto instead. Oh well. Enjoy.

Cliff, fc buffalo, led zeppelin, phoenix, sharon jones, tame impala — 0 comments

Cliff's 2013 FC Buffalo Playlist (Updated!)

I'm not going to hold forth again on the virtues of soccer and FC Buffalo considering I did that earlier in the week, and in the interest of brevity and time that I don't really have, I'm just going to offer a few suggestions for music to be played before, during (at halftime of course, we're not philistines) and after FC Buffalo home matches, the first of which happens tonight at 7:30. One of the owners, Nick Mendola, asked for suggestions, so may God have mercy on his soul. Here it goes:

Before matches:

Tame Impala - "Be Above It." I really like the sentiment, and the way that it builds to a psychedelic frenzy.

Shuggie Otis - "Special." Simply because this old school new jack jam is utterly ridiculous.

The Very Best - "Warm Heart of Africa" featuring Ezra Koenig. East meets West internationalism at it's funkiest.

Goal music:

The Heavy - "How You Like Me Now?" Propulsive, sassy, and a little nasty, the chorus to this jam says it all.

Half Time:

BLK JKS - "Zol!" I know I threw this one out there last year, but the thought of little kids playing a halftime game with this song in the background makes me smile.

Led Zeppelin - "Immigrant Song." The thought of little kids playing half time soccer to this just makes me laugh.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - "How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?"

After matches:

Phoenix - "Second To None," for wins.

McFadden and Whitehead - "Ain't No Stopping Us Now." After losses, to keep the vibe super positive up in this house. This one is for the Boogie Nights fans out there. Also, check out this fine Soul Train action. Goddamn!

FC Buffalo's season kicks off tonight at 7:30 against Zanesville Athletic at Robert E. Rich All High Stadium. Tickets are $5.

Update:

Really, it's an addition and a prediction. The prediction is that next year could be a transformative year for American sports fans in terms of appreciating soccer because for the first time ever there will be wall to wall television coverage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. ESPN will be able to broadcast in high definition soccer all day (and all night if they showed the replays after midnight) because for the first time in 20 years the Cup will be played in this hemisphere. And because it's in Brasil it will be a spectacle in every way possible and in the best way possible. American fans won't know what to do with themselves and sports fans will get in on the action because the games will be in primetime (plus late afternoon and dinnertime). Sooo, with a year out NOW is the time to check out FC Buffalo and soccer, so you'll know what's up next year when the world parties. Oh the conversations you will have. In this spirit here's a little something to honor next year's hosts:

Os Mutantes, "Bat Macumba." It's obligatory to include Os Mutantes

Seu Jorge, "Rebel Rebel." Also obligatory to mention, for so many reasons. Fine for after match chill out/leave now music.

ac/dc, john, motorhead, phoenix, ramones, the strokes — 0 comments

In Defense Of More Of The Same

This past Friday, I picked up Phoenix’s excellent new album Bankrupt!, and I’ve been playing it to death ever since. After hearing that the album would be more experimental than 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the album that turned me onto the band in the first place (yes yes, you’re cooler than me because you got into them with Alphabetical, spare me), I was intrigued but a bit nervous. While experimentation always sounds great on paper, too many bands ruin things by messing with the formula. It’s important to avoid total creative stagnation, but sometimes more of the same is just what the doctor ordered.

Luckily for me, the experimentation on Phoenix’s new album turned out to be rather overstated. yes, they try some new things, but mostly, it’s full of the same catchy choruses and dreamy keyboards that drove their earlier. Phoenix was the rare band that experimented just enough to keep their music from growing stale, without losing the dynamics that brought people on board in the first place.

But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if the notion of “branching out” is highly overrated. Tons of bands have succeeded by sticking to a consistent sound over the years. Look at AC/DC, The Ramones, and Motorhead. None of these bands changed much of anything in their sound over many years together, and it never hurt them. It never turned off the fans, and no band lost a great deal of critical respect as a result.

More importantly, the one time The Ramones did come under critical fire was when they did try to change things up a bit. 1979’s End Of The Century was produced by Phil Spector, who attempted to add his trademark Wall of Sound to what the Ramones were doing, and it didn’t really work. The album is still respected on the strength of the individual songs, but many agree that the Ramones would have been better had they kept the formula of the first four albums intact.

It’s always amusing to me when bands get criticized for continuing to do the same thing, when the thing they’re doing just happens to be awesome. Look at The Strokes; when Room On Fire came out in 2003, it was criticized for being overly similar to Is This It. there’s just one problem with that: everyone loved Is This It! What was wrong with a second helping. Personally, I actually think Room On Fire is a stronger record anyway because it’s more consistently memorable, but that’s a whole other discussion.

The point is, bands don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every single thing they put out. Some bands can try something new on every album, while others a better off sticking to a more consistent formula, and that’s fine. Instead of criticizing bands for staying in their comfort zones, we should praise them for creating such a pleasurable zone in the first place.

Album review, aputzer, phoenix — 1 comments

Album Review: Phoenix - Bankrupt!

“Headline from this day on.” Those words, the first heard on Phoenix’s latest release, Bankrupt!, succinctly summarize the meteoric rise that the French group experienced thanks to the runaway success of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the group’s last record, which was as solid a collection of guitar pop songs as any released in the last decade. Thanks in particular to the immaculate and ubiquitous hits “Lisztomania” and “1901,” Phoenix because one of the biggest bands on the planet after years of toiling in obscurity. And now, after a long four year layoff, they have finally released their follow up, with all the attendant hype that accompanies a major release. Bankrupt! shows Phoenix embracing the challenge, creating a monster of a record, both in sheer magnitude and disjointedness.

The first thing that stands out on Bankrupt! is the production: this record sounds huge. Eschewing the intricately rhythmic guitar work that propelled Wolfgang, Bankrupt! is awash in Day-Glo synthesizers and drum machines, the 80s influence always present in the band’s work pushed more to the forefront than ever before. It’s as stadium-ready as any record by Duran Duran or Bon Jovi, playing to the back row and beyond. Conversely, Bankrupt! acts as Phoenix’s comment on celebrity record; in contrast to the gleaming production, singer Thomas Mars depicts a world of distrust and uneasiness, a product of the celebrity thrust upon him and his bandmates. Lyrics such as “I’d rather be alone” and “almost the real thing” are pretty much par for the course throughout, mission statements and astute observations from the eye of the fame tornado.

However, when it comes to the songs themselves, Bankrupt! is a decidedly mixed affair. The opening trio of “Entertainment,” “The Real Thing,” and “SOS In Bel Air” are a microcosm of the chaos here; “Entertainment” rides its “Turning Japanese” derived synth riff into the ground as it careens from part to part, stuffing the song to the point of overload, while “The Real Thing” uses a similar Far East synth, but instead manages to create a cool groove, thanks in no small part to some seriously reverbed syndrums. Both songs lack the fire of the best songs on Wolfgang,though, “SOS In Bel Air” being the only one that comes closest to capturing the energy and spirit of that record, and it’s easily the standout song here. “Drakkar Noir” is also notable, not only for its reference to the ultimate 80s cologne, but also for its nonsense chorus of “jingle jangle jungle,” which helps make it one of the most outright fun tracks here.

Elsewhere, Phoenix try their hand at refining the style they had already perfected on Wolfgang, with lackluster results. The title track tries for some “Love Like A Sunset” grandiosity, only to replace that song’s slow burn intensity with endless synth tinkering that becomes tiresome quickly, and at nearly seven minutes length is a bit of a slog to get through. “Don’t” and “Oblique City” are formulaic collections of recycled ideas, not making much of an impression, although “Don’t” is graced with some cool Hawaiian style slide guitar throughout.

The one new wrinkle here, and one that Phoenix proves adept at, is their newfound appreciation for the power ballad. Both “Chloroform” and “Bourgeois” are among the best Bankrupt! has to offer, with “Bourgeois” a highlight in particular, an absolutely towering song that builds expertly to its shoutalong chorus, possibly the most anthemic Phoenix has written to date.

Bankrupt! ultimately comes off as less a victory lap, and more a consolidation of past strengths, while also trying to build on them. However, Phoenix seem to have confused improvement with overcompensation. Bankrupt! is practically bursting at the seams with ideas, but when inserted into their established formula only serves to bloat the songs. It’s still a worthwhile listen, with at least a few songs to add to the pantheon. Ultimately, to borrow a couple of 80s icons, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is Die Hard, an original, concise idea that surprisingly hit paydirt; Bankrupt! is Die Harder, doing everything bigger and louder, but not at all better. Still, that made a ton of money as well.

Grade: B

Cliff, phoenix, picking up the slack for mtv — 0 comments

Picking Up The Slack For MTV: Phoenix

Back before the recording industry pulled the pin on their hand grenade and dropped it down their pants and the Madison Avenue moneymen wrecked MTV, big splashy music videos always preceded the release of a hotly anticipated album. Those were the days. Needless to say, the music and media landscape has changed for the worse, and we just don't get to enjoy the pleasures of the big splashy and nakedly promotional music video and the fanfare that accompanied them (world premieres! midnight premieres! midnight premieres preceded by music video marathons!) anymore. Or do we?

No, or course we don't. I was just playing with you using a cheap rhetorical device. Hell, MTV killed of 120 Minutes for the second time, successfully purging their airwaves of music videos worth a damn. But, the spirit of that bygone era survives and has found expression in Phoenix's video for "Entertainment," the lead single off their upcoming fourth album Bankrupt! This has it all: a concept, special effects, cinematic photography, love, violence, multiple levels of meaning, animals, explosions, and burning artistic ambition. The only thing it doesn't have is the band itself, who only appear briefly in the video on a concert poster, which is entirely cool and, like everything else in the video, very tasteful. This is a proper music video, and definitely deserving of a midnight world premiere.

Bankrupt!, the first album from Phoenix since 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, arrives in stores April 23rd. In all likelihood, it will be the album of the summer, at least for people with taste in music.

aputzer, dinosaur jr., listeners digest, new music, phoenix — 0 comments

Listener's Digest: Dinosaur Jr. - "Entertainment"

The word “remix” doesn’t quite apply here. Dinosaur Jr.’s take on the lead single off Phoenix’s forthcoming album Bankrupt! is definitely a cover (or reinterpretation if you want to be classy). Signature J. Mascis guitars replace the synths prevalent on the original, while also taking the tempo down a few notches, turning the anthemic number into a lament, giving lines like “headline from this day on,” more of a mournful edge. Definitely worth a spin, a lovely and interesting take on a great tune.

hot chip, just announced, mac, phoenix, the grove music festival — 0 comments

Just Announced: The Grove Music Festival

I bet you never thought Phoenix would come to Buffalo right? Well, the French pop act still isn't, but they are playing this Grove Music Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake on August 3rd, so lets take what we can get at this point. Until this morning and the nice tip from fellow blogger Nick Torsell, I had no knowledge of this festival, but for its inaugural run, I have to say co-promoters Goldenvoice and Arts& Crafts did themselves pretty good. Outside of headliner Phoenix, the one day music festival will feature performances from Hot Chip, Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, Wavves, Young Empires, and more many more.

Now while we do not usually do these kinds of announcements for non Buffalo shows, its proximity to the city and the fact that you can buy tickets at Terrapin Station and Record Theatre made this a bit more news worthy. While the full lineup and tickets information can be found on the festival's website, you can currently buy early bird tickets and VIP tickets for $74.50 and $140.00, respectively, or just wait until Friday to grab some in person for $79.50.

listeners digest, mtorsell, new music, phoenix, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Small Black, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yellowbirds — 0 comments

Listener's Digest: February 22nd - March 1st

This week is partially me accounting for the fact that I missed last week (sorry). I wanted to make sure I had that Phoenix song in there because it is an excellent return for a band that has not recorded anything in a few years. This week also sees a rather big return with a new single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who have been absent for a few years. The other tracks fill out my usual wheel houses and are further evidence that my taste is deeply prejudiced to certain genres. For that, I half-heatedly apologize.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sacrilege:" The Yeah Yeah Yeahs returned this week with a song that channels The Rolling Stones at their most baroque (see: "Gimme Shelter). Produced in part by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, "Sacrilege" continually ratchets up the intensity until Karen O is singing/screaming over a gospel choir.Who doesn't love the sudden interjection of a gospel choir? Hopefully, this album's music more than makes up for its horrible cover art.

Phoenix - "Entertainment:" I know I am a week late with this but I didn't do a column last week and had the write up for this ready anyway. So, yea...The largest complaint one could lob against the first single off of Phoenix's upcoming album is that it sounds exactly like Phoenix. "Entertainment" capitalizes on the French group's ability to work within the soaring and anthemic while mixing in somewhat despondent lyrics. A recent article in New Yorker revealed that the group recorded this and the rest of the new album on the console used to record Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Yellowbirds - "Young Men of Promise:" Each week, there should be a point in this column where it becomes obvious where my musical preferences lie, and that I have a knack for ferreting out a wide range of indie pop from the week's releases. This week it is the new single from Yellowbirds. "Young Men of Promise" is a simple and bouncy psych-pop track to remind you of sunnier days while we continue to endure this lousy Smarch weather.

Small Black - "Free at Dawn:" Off of their upcoming album, set to be released later this year, "Free at Dawn" opens with a slowly building synth, with vocals joining in and the beat hitting after a minute and a half. From there the song coasts along, ending in a gentle crescendo.

Saturday Looks Good to Me - "Invisible Friend:" I am really curious about how it takes certain tracks weeks and months to be billed as "new." "Invisible Friend" has apparently been out for 3 months but no one seemed to notice it until this week. Regardless, this new single is an uptempo and catchy song anchored by sugary female vocals and jangly guitars.

Cliff, la blogotheque, m83, phoenix, st vincent — 4 comments

In Praise of France

I've been thinking about France a lot lately, thanks to the French elections and their impact on the Eurozone crisis and next week's M83 show. Yeah, as partial as I am to the current First Lady of France, that Sarkozy has to go. Anyway, it wasn't that long ago that it was downright fashionable in some quarters to beat up on the French (for being right it turns out, but who's keeping score?), but I was defiant in my vocal respect for France during that stretch of wackiness. The whole thing wasn't right, it wasn't cool at all, and let's be honest: sure we bailed them out in WW2, but they pitched in and helped us out with a little something called OUR WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE, so in some regards we sort of owed them one. And it's in that spirit of true American - French bonhomie that I offer this list of 5 Things From France That I Am Thankful For Right Now.

5. Charlotte Gainsbourg: As fashionable as it might be to talk about her dad Serge, I have to be honest with you, Serge Gainsbourg means nothing to me. Charlotte on the other hand has been putting out highly interesting music, notably IRM (produced by Beck) and channeling the new French cool for global music lovers. Her starring roles in various Lars von Trier films are also always good for controversy.

4. La Blogoteque: This French web music video series by filmmaker Vincent Moon is the bee's knees, a masterclass in French cinema distilled into exquisite music videos featuring artists performing anywhere but a studio or onstage. Example: this clip featuring St Vincent (who plays the Town Ballroom this Saturday, $18 tickets).

3. Eric Ripert: World renowned chef, tv personality, Buddhist, keeper of a great Twitter feed, and this picture I saw of the great chef on the Kitchen Ninja's blog makes me laugh.

2. Phoenix: What else can be said about Phoenix? Mr. Sofia Coppola and co. went from underground to seemingly everywhere, and in a few short years were playing their impeccably tasteful neo new wave synth pop to sold out shows at Madison Square Garden with Daft Punk. And, a new Phoenix album is forthcoming....