FLIGHT

Thanks for that post, Matthew. Very cool. And nice pictures, too.

Ever since Neil started sending me music, I've really been into Sufjan Stevens and the Pernice Brothers. I'll have to start making my way through some of this other stuff soon.

As far as live performances in the LA area... I recently found out that Jon Brion, who composed the music for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Punch-Drunk Love (and for musicians Beck, Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann and so forth) performs at a place called the Largo every Friday. I'll be hitting that up very soon. I'll also be joining a bunch of friends at Coachella. Should be fun.

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Nice post & photos, Matthew. Sufjan certainly sounds like he'd have a lot more presence live than on his albums.

And a side note, but I love Smog also. "To Be of Use" sends chills down my spine every single time I listen to it (I also noticed you illo based on one of the lyrics from that particular song, and I felt that you really nailed that image).

Kazu, I am not-so-secretly jealous of people that are able to go to Coachella. The lineup just keeps getting better and better.

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Awesome description Matthew... The only band you suggested that I'm not already a fan of is Damien Jurardo, I'll have to check him out soon.

The Sufjan show is starting here in about 5 minutes, and I'm at home studying. It's really depressing for me, I've been waiting months to see him. I guess I can't complain though, I had a good run this semester: The Wrens, Hayden, Pernice Brothers, and lots of others... Sigh. Ok, back to work.

i've also had a decent semester for live music. I got to see Engine Down, Joan of Arc (along with Make Believe and The Love of Everything, two other bands that basically composed of all the members of Joan of Arc except they switch instruments), and a bunch of local bands, including Any December, Foolstar, and Smoke & Mirror Lockdown. I saw a lot of other stuff too, but am too lazy to type it all.

I missed a lot of shows that i wanted to attend though. I couldnt make it out to see Ima Robot, Rainer Maria, uhh....and a bunch of other stuff. haha.

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Phil in the Blanks

Hmm what did you think of Joan of Arc, Phil? I haven't really been able to get into them. But I just have "The Gap," which I hear is their worst album. I would have liked to see Rainer Maria...

So a couple of my friends went and saw Sufjan without me. They were really impressed of course, and they even got to shake his hand and say thanks! (He has kind of a limp handshake.)



He did the REM cover again, and also one by Innocence Mission: "Lakes of Canada". Sigh, I was just listening to them this morning!

Alright, back to work...

they put on a really fun show. they are just fun guys. at one point they had 3 different people all playing some part of their giant percussion set up.

a lot of people seem to have a hard time getting into them, which i can kind of understand. they are very strange. i was able to get some friends to like them though by having them listen to the album A Portable Model Of, which most of my friends seem to agree is a pretty awesome album.

i was uber-sad about missing rainer maria. i just started getting into them a couple of months ago and was really excited to find out they were making a stop in here in buffalo. it was during my spring break though and i was at my parents house, 3 hours away.

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Phil in the Blanks

I think that tour that matthew was talking about is coming her next week with iron and wine and someone else. I've never heard sufjan stevens, but by what you guys are saying, it should be worth going to.

The last few gigs I went to were the mountain goats, which was really good.
and Bearsuit, who are fun.

I was going to see Mclusky tomorrow, but I'm not for some reason.

And I think I'm apparently to see seafood? next monday

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Niall, the show has both Sufjan and Iron & Wine?? Gahh! I've still not gotten to see either of them. Though, I&W is supposed to be in NYC on the 13th or 14th, so I'm not sure how they can also be touring Europe with Sufjan...

Ah, I'll bet Mountain Goats are fun! Not yet familiar with Bearsuit...

Oh, I like some of what I've heard from them (I even named a character in my comic strip "Cloud Factory" McLusky, accordingly), but the new album is a bit iffy, yeah? Have you heard it yet?

Nice, enjoy! I especially like "Desert Stretched Before the Sun"

"but it's warm... in... here... "

I love those acts you mentioned Kazu. Where is this Largo & Coachella I'd like to hit it up on the Friday after I arrive in July. Here's to hoping they have a phat act or two there that weekend.

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They're here (brighton) on the 18th, I'm think it's with sufjan, some places mention him, other places don't.
http://www.ironandwine.com/tour.html


Yeah, the mountain goats are fun, except john was really drunk I think. But he played my favourite atom and his package song. Heh. going to Georgia.

Bearsuit are cool. They have some mp3s on their site
This one is my favourite, it has a 'digital solo'
Other than that, I really don't know how to describe them.


To be honest, I havn't really heard that much of them from any of their albums...
I like what I have heard though.



Thanks, I will. I'll let you know how it goes.

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Oh yeah, Kazu how was coachella?

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Coachella was great! I only saw four acts while I was there...

Beck was good, although I think he was thrown on the bill at the last minute and he just played a few songs acoustic. It was fun, but Beck's set felt less like a performance than him walking into a room and joking around with everyone, with a few songs thrown in, which is cool in its own way.

Deathcab For Cutie is amazing live. Their mellow, downbeat tunes take on an entirely different feel when amplified on loudspeakers and seeing the band put so much energy into the performance. They sounded so good.

The Pixies were also really good. They looked like they were pissed at each other the whole time (like they had just gotten into a fight backstage) but the music still rocked. I haven't listened to too much of their music, but after hearing them live, I'm a lot more interested.

I hadn't seen Radiohead live before and now I know why everyone talks them up as being the best live band. Their multimedia show is quite an experience and it makes them look like the coolest band on the planet. You almost worry that Thom Yorke is going to have a real seizure on the stage when you see how much energy he puts into the performance. Awesome band. Great way to end the evening...

All in all, I give it a thumb's up. I walked in with a really terrible feeling in my stomach (after having a bad burrito the night before) and sweating profusely from the heat, especially after walking about a mile from where we decided to park, so I expected the worst. I thought I was going to spend the entire time in line for a port-a-potty, where I imagined I would live for the duration of the show. Instead, once the music started, I forgot about all that. So that's saying a lot. I'm glad I went.

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For those in the LA area, this relatively unknown band is doing a free live show tonight May 7th at Amoeba Music on Sunset at 7pm. I think they have a pretty good sound. www.snowpatrol.net for more info. I'm gonna try to make it but feeling a bit ill.

aww man coachella sounds so fun......i dont even know if i could handle that much awesome in one day!!

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Phil in the Blanks

Mmmm. I'm looking forward to the Toronto leg of Lollapalooza. Morrissey, Sonic Youth, Le Tigre, Modest Mouse, Broken Social Scene, The Walkmen, Danger Mouse, The Datsuns, The Flaming Lips, Gomez, Wilco (!!!)...

I am foaming at the mouth already.

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