Shit My Cats Hear While They're Trying To Sleep

[meccalecca]

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Kim Myhr & Jenny Hval

Good first listen. Will be returning to again in the next few days

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City Sun Eater In The River Of Light by Woods

3/5 Stars
I think I'll forever remain on the fence with Woods. They always do just enough for me to like but not love them. City Sun Eater... is their most eclectic record sonically, but something seems to be lacking in the songwriting.


Tokyo Police Club - Melon Collie & The Infinite Radness
Ugh. There's occasionally a nice pop hook, but it's mostly rather irritating, especially the "woahs". Why do so many bands do the whole "Woah Oh Oh" thing. It's totally obnoxious.
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[undefined]

[meccalecca]

[meccalecca]

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Telluric by Matt Corby

3/5 Stars
An uneven record with some strong moments

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Grapefruit by Kiran Leonard

3.5/5 Stars
There's a hell of a lot of influences and ideas at play with Grapefruit. It'd be fair to complain that it's a bit stylistically inconsistent. At one point there will be a soaring Andrew Bird-esque pop song, and then he'll switch over to a more Shellac indebted math rock. It seems that the 20 year old doesn't quite know what direction to take so he's trying many. And for the most part it all works.
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[meccalecca]

I finally set up my first show in Santa Fe on Sunday night. Posted a recap and photos on my website:
http://meccalecca.com/?p=26675

Here's all the words...

Will anyone show up? If they do, will they think the musicians I love are shit? Will they stick around all night? Will the performers be happy with the night? Seven and a half years later, and the anxiety created by these questions has never subsided. The day of a show is one long stressful waiting game. Arriving at the venue before a show, it feels like a huge empty wasteland that will more than likely remain that way all night. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be the one performing every night in a strange and often unfamiliar cities.

Sunday night at Zephyr, I once again let the butterflies infect my stomach, offering Santa Fe a night of singer-songwriters. When it comes to singer-songwriters, there tends to be a bit of a general prejudice—likely a result of years of completely mediocre songwriters in coffee shops and open mics retracing the same old chord structures with lyrics that just barely skew the lines of plagiarism.

With the minimal setup of a guitar and a voice, for a singer-songwriter to stand out, they usually need to be able to tell a story worth hearing, and do it in a convincing way. It’s easier said than done. For Star Anna, opening the night, it wasn’t always so much the knocked down-dragged out lyrics that defined her performance. It was her richly genuine and emotive voice that dragged us listeners into the depth of her personal struggles. Even her cover of “Dancing in the Dark” hit with an emotional gut punch.

Following was Mishka Shubaly, who knows a thing or two about telling a story. A best selling author, Shubaly recently released a memoir I Swear I’ll Make It Up To You. The unlikeliest source of inspiration, Mishka’s transition from alcohol and drugs to being a successful writer and marathon runner has led to countless retellings. That said, Mishka’s songs are deeply depressing tales ripe with the darkest of humor. In a room with few familiar listeners, his set bordered on standup comedy, with punchlines often coming from his most personal low points. The biggest hit of the set was “Your Stupid Dreams”, in which Shubaly advises his baby nephew “This is your last chance to snatch failure / From the jaws of defeat”. While there’s a certain bitter irony in a recovering addict singing the types of songs about drinking you’d expect to hear a bunch of drunks slurring during last call, that’s not where the humor lies in Mishka’s songs. It’s all in the detailed depth in which his self-deprecating words plummet, as well as the gruff voice which emphasizes that he’s not bullshitting anyone.

The night ended with a set by local staple Greg Butera. Although Butera made no promises of sunshine and lollipops, following Shubaly’s words of misery, his classic country sounds did bring an undeniable warmth to the intimate crowd. Unconcerned with current trends, Butera’s direct songwriting and nimble playing showcases a very pure love and appreciation of country music. His performance of “Yellow Lines” in particular was the type that could convert just about any city slicker into a country boy.

Part of what made the night such a wonderful experience was the venue itself. Zephyr is small, intimate, and unpretentious, and that carries over to the people who attend shows there. The entire room had a friendly vibe. And when the artists played, the crowd was exceptionally quiet. It’s a stark contrast to all those nights I spent in dark clubs feeling like an outsider, shifting my feet just to make sure they hadn’t become permanently sealed to the sticky floors.


and a photo of Greg Butera:

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http://jonnyleather.com

[meccalecca]

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Am I Home? by Skeletons

One of New York's finest, Skeletons don't play by any rules. If they're an indie rock band, it's a very very loose use of the term. From African polyrhythms to free jazz, they're extremely unconventional in their approach.
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[Grzywa]

[meccalecca]

[meccalecca]

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Hold/Still by Suuns

I've always been let down by Suuns. I've always felt they draw heavily from things I love like post-punk and krautrock, but they've never quite done enough with it. I'm not sure that has changed with Hold/Still, but it's probably the most I've liked them as well. "Resistance" sounds like Clinic gone down a terrifying krautrock rabbit hole. And "Translate" isn't too far off either.
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[19loveless91]