Go to Illinois

Sad that another season of Weeds is over I was hanging around over at the Showtime site running through the soundtrack they have for free listening. The music editors for that show are great at finding the most obscure and fantastic songs for the soundtrack.

I'd already downloaded, and would totally recommend, several of the tracks, including:

• Your Rocky Spine from Great Lake Swimmers. Strangely intimate, the song, wrapped around banjo and guitar with a lovely acoustic back, could be about a mountain, as the song suggests, or a woman with whom the songwriter is in love.
• Chariot from Page France, and
• Keepsake from State Radio.

Then I discovered these guys -- Illinois. Their track Nosebleed was featured in episode three of the third season when Nancy, played by Mary Louise Parker, dances for the gang leader Guillermo and his crew. The song is from the band's first album, released in March of this year named What the Hell Do I Know. I liked Nosebleed enough to check out more of their stuff and ending up loving the other six tracks way more than the first.

Illinois are pretty typical of where my tastes drift most of the time. The banjo and flat-pick guitar were my first sign that I'd like their stuff but it's so much more than that. Illinois have a very modern, folksy sound. My favorite tracks are One on One and it's heavy drum-backed 70's groove feel which leads into Screendoor, a fun "hoo-hoo"ing catchster that you find yourself humming along to on the first spin.

It's nice to have found an album, albeit short, that I want to listen to all the way through without skipping over something. Unlike, the new Ryan Adams EP Follow the Lights. I've had the chance to listen to the album several times through and I'm bored. New tracks were included with reworks and live versions of several other RA favorites. I felt a little ripped off, like why did I pay for music that I already pretty much own and why must he continue to release albums with no point other than to say I put out another album. I like the version of This Is It that was included but again, it was a version of something I already have . . . blah Ryan Adams, blah.

sad says

It's over . . . almost. I think my iPod, with it's dents, sratches and scrapes has sung his last tune. This icon is never a good sign and it's all I can get out of him these days. A trip to the Genius Bar -- or for you non-Ipod users, the equivalent of a trip to the ER for Apple products -- might solve our problems but we'll see. Mama might be asking Santa for a shiny new Nano in my stocking this year.

Everest baby!

Last winter I discovered a fantastically addictive show on Discovery called Everest: Beyond the Limit. It was a short-run series chronicling a group of amateur climbers attempting to summit Everest. I would watch each hour long episode nibbling my fingernails to the quick from nerves. Will they make it up? Will they make it back? Will the renegade biker from LA listen to his guide and turn around or will he forge slowly ahead, run out of oxygen and die on the mountain? It was the first time a climbing season, which turned out to be one of the deadliest on record, had been chronicled in such a way. There were cameras strapped to the Sherpas helmets sending back video from the summit. It allowed those of us who would never fathom attempting such a feat of our own to have a feeling of what it's like at the top, all the while staying cuddled warmly on our sofas, cocktail in hand.

The show returned for a second season a few weeks ago with the same Expedition Leader, Russell Brice, and a new group of climbers. In the mix are also a few returning characters including the renegade LA biker, Tim, and an asthmatic from Denmark, Mogens Jensen, making his fourth attempt at summiting the mountain without the use of bottled oxygen, which even the best climbers don't go without. Also featured this season is David Tait, a businessman from the UK, who is attempting the first ever double traverse of Everest. He plans to summit first from the Tibetan side on the north, then descend down the south side into Nepal where he and his Sherpa, Phurba Tashi, will rest for a few days and turn around and do it all over again, summiting from the south and descending down the north back into Nepal -- a world's first! This show blows any reality TV that the other networks try to pass off as "real" out of the water -- or, perhaps I should say, off the mountain.

Is there a wanker in the house?

I've been a real wanker lately. I've left you hanging for weeks due to simple blogger laziness. I just haven't had the motivation to write anything profound and/or witty. I sat down several times recently to force something but it just didn't seem to fair to you, my dear loyal reader(s), to phone one in.

My upcoming concert list is nearly blank which totally bums me out. I want, I crave, live music. I learned today that the Hackensaw Boys will be in town December 13 -- for just $5! -- which brightened my mood a bit. David Schultz & the Skyline will open, which made the price even more of a steal. David Schultz, a local artist who I'd listened to a few times, opened for The Avett Brothers a couple of months ago and I really liked their stuff. He and most of his band went to high school with my friend Erin so I feel like I have an in if I work up the balls to approach them after the show.

M. and I did see The Bravery a couple of weeks ago at Toad's Place when they came through town though the entire evening was a little disappointing -- three opening bands, none of which were great and the main act, though fiesty when on stage, only played for about 70 minutes. I mean, come on boys, I know the tix were only $10 but really, couldn't we get a little more out of you? I know the skinny jeans and crazy haircuts are costing you a lot of green, so earn it!

The bright side to everything is that it's The Holidays. Decking the halls, falalalaing, rosey cheeks, an excuse to eat lots of cookies, mistletoe -- and shopping! I was invited to do a bit of shopping on Black Friday by someone who didn't know any better and proclaimed, while laughing, "sha-right, I'd rather eat glass!" None of the peeps on my gift giving list are getting anything that warrants fighting the fools that force themselves into the local retail meccas every year on Black Friday. No sir! Instead I used my time at the office that day quite wisely shopping online. I secured several magazine gift-subscriptions (the gift that keeps on giving), a gift for M., something for my Mom and a couple of other odds and ends on Amazon. Though their servers were blowing up and I kept getting booted out, I know that my order is waiting in my online shopping cart for me to finish my transaction. Stress free, no parking spot required, shop in my underpants, fan-tastic!

The one tiny problem I have this time of year is the overwhelming urge to shop for myself. I'm terrible about it. I know that I'll receive more than I deserve during the holidays but I just can't resist throwing a couple of extra bits and baubles into my shopping cart -- real or virtual -- for myself. I find the instant gratification of shopping -- be it for myself or someone else -- irresistible. And if it's on sale, and most especially on a deep discount, the pleasure builds. I love bragging about savings and sharing my sale finding secrets with others when the subject comes up. For example, I was chatting with several co-workers about shopping for our Salvation Army "Angels" and shared with them the places I've found that help best stretch my gift giving budget. The more you save the more you can give -- it's a win-win situation!

Who to vote for?

Well, I hope your immediate answer to that question is whoever is running against the Republican, but I won't harp . . . however, I will suggest that if you aren't quite sure who you are leaning toward giving your vote to in the presidential primaries, that you visit this site. It's an interesting, and brief survey, to help you understand which candidate's views best align with your own (thanks for the tip Alyssa!).

The candidate whose views most closely aligned with my own was Democrat from Cleveland, Dennis Kucinich. His campaign slogan is actually Dennis for President. Dennis! Ha. It's sort of like he's running for class president. I imagine a last name like Kucinich garnered a lifetime's worth of taunting on the playground and using it in your slogan is just asking for a skit on SNL mocking the innuendo potential. I've seen Kucinich, excuse me, Dennis on Bill Maher several times and his views do provide an interesting perspective to the rest of the crowd vying for the Democratic nom and he leans pretty far to the left, which I could get on board with.

And, um, yeah -- have you seen his wife? When I was reading the Meet Elizabeth section I thought I was reading about his 28-year old daughter, when I realized no, no, it's his wife. And, she's also his former employee. Oh, no wait, but it gets worse with a link to something called How Kucinich Found Love. His PR person might want to adopt some sort of filter for some of this stuff.

Oh, Dennis.

Acoustic goodness

I finally downloaded the Into the Wild soundtrack today. I say finally because I've been in line at one too many Starbucks over the last several weeks and seen the signage for the album sitting there by the breath mints and chocolate covered biscotti every time reminding of how much I'd like to hear it. I want to sample any project Eddie Vedder is involved in.

I've listened to it twice since downloading it tonight and I'm am really liking what I hear. No Ceiling, the second track, is a plucky little banjo tune that's followed by Far Behind, a faster paced song reminding me of the Pearl Jam stuff I love. I've especially enjoyed Hard Sun and Guaranteed.


This is another great album for the season and I plan to add several of the tracks to a weekend leaf peeping mix. Ah, leaf peeping, my semi-annual drive into the Blue Ridge to stare at the changing foliage. I hope last week's rain and cool temperatures will have brightened this year's color. And if not, the stop at Ikea on the trip home will make up for it. Oh POÄNG, how I love you!

M. and the Band of Horses show I'll never know

So, I promised several posts ago to talk about someone new who I shall refer to going forward as M. I've been hesitant to talk about him in much detail here so as not to jinx myself. I thought that as soon as I started blogging about this great guy I've been seeing suddenly he'd disappear, like a fog. But I'm taking the chance.

I'm breaking all of my own rules this time, dating someone that I work with. Thankfully his job does not require him to be in the office everyday, like mine, and he's transferring to a position that will require him to come to the office even less in a few weeks, so, professional infringement avoided -- sweet! We've been seeing each other for almost three weeks and having a lot of fun. We have loads in common and, importantly, align similarly politically and fundamentally -- oh, and he cooks too!

Our tastes in music align quite well too -- he had me at My Morning Jacket. Every day we discover a new and obscure band we both like. I think introducing him to Wilco scored me some kick-ass-girlfriend points and our Band of Horses experience last night (keep reading) upped his score majorly. Like The Cat, I don't plan to prattle on about M. here very often, but as it's a big deal in my life I wanted to clue in anyone who might be reading -- and I was about to burst waiting to tell you!

Now, about the Band of Horses show. I was totally stoked to have someone to go with me to the show and was really excited about the evening. We grabbed dinner at the Mellow Mushroom on The Corner in Charlottesville (hippies make great pizza and play great music) and walked up the street to the Satellite Ballroom for the show. This was both of our first times in the venue, and I really didn't care for it. Everything looked, and the opening band The Drones sounded, low rent. In fact, they sounded terrible, which made me nervous as someone warned me that if the sound guy didn't know how to handle the acoustic-less venue, the show might suck. M. really liked the english punk sound the band was putting out so I bobbed along trying to hide the fact that I had started to feel terrible.

I'd taken the first of a round of antibiotics before we left the house and I think I was having a bad reaction to the meds and probably a fever too as suddenly I was in a cold sweat. By about the fourth song into the B.O.H. set I was also dizzy. M. only had to look at me once to realize something was not right so we stepped outside for air and his eyes got really big which meant I was looking rough and we drove back to Richmond. Hot date that I was, fell asleep on the drive, which in my state I'm sure was uber-attractive! I did get to see M. in full taking-care-of-his-girl mode and he passed with flying colors. He was attentive, but not in a smothering parent sort of way, and completely understanding of the fact that I'd just pulled him out of a great show just four songs in. I'd have been pissed if the tables were turned -- I admit it.

Actually, what we heard of the show was great. I was really bummed that I was sick because I know it would have been, venue aside, a lot of fun. I really hope they come back 'round this way again -- perhaps stopping in Richmond, and a better venue.

Long overdue

Wowzers. Tis been a long while since my last post and boy are there things to talk about . . . let's start with Wilco who I saw Saturday, October 20 at the Charlottesville Pavilion.


First of all, I have to say . . . the show was kick ass! Phenomenal was a word I used the day after to describe the experience. I remember having a similar feeling of euphoria walking back to the car after the first time I saw them in the same venue in 2006. I had a suspicion, pre-show, that it was the last on their US tour (same as the last time) and that we could expect a big one. Jeff Tweedy confirmed it several songs into the first set.


Shaun's only previous chance to see the band was 10 years ago, but he's a huge fan, so his anticipation rivaled my own. M., who took advantage of Shaun's extra ticket, knew very little but after all I told him he thought he had a general idea of what he was walking into. He left raving over the band and the experience -- just like the rest of us, they'd exceeded his expectations. That's what a Wilco show does to you. They're a group of talented artists who enjoy their craft and let the music flow over you with a controlled, chaotic, cacophony of sound and genuinely fantastic rock-n-roll. I hadn't been as happy as I was during those three hours (yes - nearly 3 hour show!) in a very long time. The crowd, which was "off the hook, as they say", the vibe, the company -- everything was that good.


The beginning of the set was mellow and began to build momentum with each passing song. (It's too long to highlight all of the songs in this post but you can go here and read it in it's entirety.) Highlights for me were: Sunken Treasure, their opener; Shake It Off; which led into Handshake Drugs; War on War; Via Chicago, which was full of their famous chaos and like a thunderstorm rolling over the song; Muzzle of Bees, when Jeff pulled an 8-yr old fan named Lilac Rain onstage, her fourth time in two years, to sing and dance along; Heavy Metal Drummer, which popped up at the end of the first encore; I Got You came 'round in the second encore; and finally, after three encores -- three! -- they closed with Spiders, that I went crazy over during the final explosion of guitar that closed the show. I also have to mention guitarist Nels Cline's performance. Watching and hearing him play guitar was an experience all it's own.


Monday, Shaun brought me a double disk recording of the show he'd found online that Sunday. It's as good as any live recording I've ever heard -- clean and loud -- and I think I hear my own screaming during Spiders. Being able to listen to such a great show over and over just days after hearing it live has been a lot of fun. I'm gonna go ahead and say it -- Wilco has once again claimed the top spot on my Best Shows Ever list.

What goes around

Thought it might be time for a little update on what's been at the top of my iTunes playlists recently. Over the last week I've found several tasty little bits of musical goodness and they are:

WASTED ONE Cary Brothers
How I've missed these guys before, I have no idea. I had two of their tracks in my library but never paid much attention to them until I read about this track online. It's been featured several times on tv and in the movies. Zach Braff must love them as they've been on the soundtrack of both Garden State, The Last Kiss and featured on Scrubs. This track is from their EP, Waiting For Your Letter and I've really enjoyed hearing it pop up in rotation. It's good music for the fall (if the fall ever plans to actually be).

THE GHOST OF VIRGINIA Justin Townes Earle
I wrote about Justin Earle over the summer. He opened for the band that opened for Jason Isbell and the 500 Unit at the Canal Club in July. Son of Steve Earle, Justin's sound is reminiscent of Hank Williams, with deep country roots. I really enjoy the down home feel I get from his music and how different his style is from his his father's.

MORE THAN I CAN DO Steve Earle
Speaking of Steve Earle, I read about this track on a blog recently too. At first you think, oh, a great song about loving someone so much you could never let them go and then you realize, he's talking sort of fanatically about never letting this girl go. He even has the girl calling the cops. So, it's still a great song -- even if it is about an ex-boyfriend stalker. Oh, and it also has great harmonica work.

BELIEVE The Bravery
I bought tickets to see The Bravery at Toad's Place in a month and realized I didn't have their most recent album, The Sun and the Moon. This is the lead track from that record and at first listen, I was immediately hooked. The opening bass chords thrill me every time. I've been listening to it on my way to work to get the day going. I find my head nodding and my foot pushing the accelerator harder. It's like my first few sips of coffee.

As an aside, this Saturday night is the Wilco show in Charlottesville. My buddy Shaun and my new . . . um . . . well, I'll explain who M. is a little later but he's going too and has never seen Wilco, nor is he very familiar with their work. The perfect candidate for the spare ticket that came up. I saw Wilco for the first time under similar conditions in the spring of last year and left the show a born again fan. The live show was phenomenal and I left eager to obtain as much of their work as possible. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is my favorite Wilco album and I really want to love their newest release, Sky Blue Sky but I can't quite get under it. I am hoping hearing the material live will give me the experience I need to want to listen to it on repeat.

The 11th Hour

I read, on The Official Google Blog, that today that is (was) Blog Action Day, a worldwide initiative encouraging bloggers to post about the environment. I've posted about environmental issues several times here and if you know me, you've heard me prattle on about sustainability and how my Civic gets kick ass gas mileage (40 mpg on my trip to SC this summer). So, in the spirit of the day, and at the 11th hour, I offer you five simple things we can all do to help make a change in the crisis our planet finds itself in.

1. Purchase and use reusable grocery bags. These are lightweight, sturdy (with a supportive plastic insert in the bottom) and hold as much as two of those flimsy plastic bags the grocery store provides. They're also very useful for toting just about anything else you require and fold up so you could shove several into your, eh-hem, manbags.

2. Replace your current lightbulbs with compact flourescent bulbs.

3. Ride a bike, walk, skip, rollerblade . . . or, if you have to drive, go for a fuel efficient mode of transportation. If you're driving a car with a combustion engine, don't allow your car to idle, outside of traffic, for more than 60 seconds.

4. Use a refillable water bottle.

5. R-E-C-Y-C-L-E

Sounds like

It's been several weeks since downloading a new song and thinking, "Wow!". This weekend though I stumbled upon a track from the new Nada Surf album, Lucky, due out in February of next year. I'm not terribly familiar with Nada Surf but this song, See These Bones, is making me very happy. It's five minutes of lovely alt-pop with warm vocals and thoughtful lyrics. Perfect listening for the season. I'm disappointed I can't hear the rest of the album right now! Such a tease.

I'd like to mention one of the highlights of yesterday's National Folk Festival lineup. Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys from Iota, Louisiana were performing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch dance tent when we dragged our tired bodies to the far end of Brown's Island at about 9:00 last night. The tent was packed when we arrived with both seated areas and a huge plywood dancefloor. I saw an opening in the crowd and began to weave my way through -- and then I noticed, most of the people standing in the tent were dancing to the rowdy zydeco sounds coming from the stage. Rosie, the tiny leading lady, was going crazy on an accordion and the crowd was loving it. I was reenergized by the band -- and the crowd -- a totaly mix of Richmond society, having a great time together. There were young kids and old couples shag dancing themselves silly, sweating and smiling. Even the folks in the seats were bobbing their heads, tapping their feet and loving the music and the show unfolding on the dancefloor in front of them. People who'd never consider dancing normally found themselves unable to stand still. The group finished their set with a cover of Sweet Home Alabama. They knew their crowd with their song choice and the whole place was filled with applause, cheering and yee-haws -- oh, and several raised lighters and cell phones. As cheesy as it was, everyone was into it.

Let your roots show

If you find yourself in Richmond this weekend, I totally suggest you take some time out for the National Folk Festival. It's going on Friday - Sunday on the Downtown Richmond riverfront. This is the third, and final year, Richmond has hosted the National Festival that's in its 69th year. Last year my girlfriends and I volunteered to pour beer at one of the beverage stations but ended up on Bucket Brigade. We saw all of the shows and heard all of the music we wanted all the while carrying around orange, 10-gallon buckets collecting donations for this year's festival. We also acted as roving sources of information, answering questions for festival goers. I managed to see Louisiana's, Lost Bayou Ramblers three times that weekend and was looking forward to this year's appearance until I learned today though that they were not invited to this year's festival. The committee never books the same acts two years in a row so that every year you get a new and varied experience.

This year we will be volunteering for two shifts, one Saturday and another Sunday, but in different spots. Alyssa will be working crowd control at one of the stages, or as she explains it, Coast Guard duty, while Anne and I will be working the Information Services tent. Not as much opportunity to roam around but I've decided to go down Friday evening and just hang out. Did I mention it was free? All shows, all 3 days -- FREE.

Check out the interactive guide here at the Times-Dispatch site. If you can get your hands on one there are also pull-out sections in this week's Style magazine. After reading and listening to clips of several acts, I have a short list of must-sees. Not surprising there are fiddle, mandolin, banjo and flat-picking players near the top. Hoorah!

New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

Logic tells me to go to bed. My flight into RIC after a lovely, long weekend in NYC came in at 1:00ish this morning and I've not quite recovered from the damn good time I had but want to document it before it all flies out of my head.

I landed a little cranky at JFK late Thursday night, and arrived in the East Village about an hour after that -- setting foot on Manhattan again gave me excited shivers. I love Kyle & Erin's new neighborhood and their shiny new apartment -- which they kindly shared with me for three nights.

Friday, in 85 degree October weather, I was on my own and made my way solo, quite triumphantly, uptown on the subway to visit family at 88th and CPW. The fact that I did not end up in a burrow that was not Manhattan was a personal triumph. After a huge pastrami sandwich at Artie's Deli and a stroll over into Central Park I headed back downtown to meet up with my hosts for the evening. Erin's and my birthdays were last Monday & Tuesday respectively and I was looking forward to more celebrating. She, Kyle and I had a tasty sushi dinner before bellying up to the first of many bars -- which, I might add, are real bars where drinking is priority and food is an afterthought and not a requirement for business.

On the way to our next stop, we began running into groups of Kyle's friends on the street until we'd become a mass ten people strong. It was good fun putting faces to the names of the people I'd heard so many stories about. I felt like I knew them all. After Erin acted as voluntary broken photobooth photographer with an eager stranger's iPhone we stalked several firetrucks who'd pulled up, sirens blazing, right in front of us. They were busy saving lives so we ended up having nightcaps while playing Connect Four in a cozy little bar before grabbing late night pizza and making our way home.

Saturday, Kyle and I were invited over to his friends Tara & John's place on the upper East Side for grilling and hanging out in their sweet little backyard. I almost forgot I was in the city as it was so quiet and peaceful -- and a shady respite from the 85 degree sunshine of mid-afternoon. Soon, our group again began to grow as several of the crowd from Friday night joined us to walk to Randall's Island for, what turned out to be, a huge Arcade Fire show. The walk along a promenade running between the East River and the FDR was pleasantly unexpected. I saw a side of the city I would have never had the chance to see otherwise. We crossed a creepy, green steel footbridge over to Ward's Island Park and around the infamous Manhattan Psychiatric Center over another footbridge onto Randall's Island. As we'd approached the venue from the rear -- hehehe, I couldn't help that one -- there was more walking around the island to the gates of the festival. As we entered and made our way down a slope the festival scene opened up in front of us and we all commented on how freaking big it was. We caught most of the Blonde Redhead show, which Kyle was really excited about. LCD Soundsystem took the stage next and I enjoyed the show much more than I expected. I knew very little about his music going in but when their set ended I looked over at the group and beaming, said, "that was fun!"

Soon after we arrived on site several in our group pointed out the pipe organ sitting on stage. I'd mentioned several times how much I hoped Arcade Fire would have one to properly perform several of their songs featuring the giant instrument. I'd heard from another fan that when she saw them earlier this year light shot out of the pipes during the show and I was looking forward to it like a kid waiting for the tooth fairy. I love to hear a pipe organ used in music not played from a hymnal. It's a beautiful instrument and they used it twice which was quite pleasing and, there were in fact lights, shining out of the pipes. There were more light and video effects used on and around the stage throughout the show. Explaining it would not do it justice, but trust me, your eyes and ears get equal attention at Arcade Fire shows -- and with nearly a dozen different artists playing several instruments per song running about, there is a lot to keep up with. I heard everything I hoped to with most of the setlist coming from their most recent release, Neon Bible. I wished I weren't so darn tired through most of the second half of the set. The walking and standing were starting to get to me and I was fading fast. I caught a second wind just as the group rolled into the finale and was dancing around singing along with the crowd at the top of our lungs. Great show -- their last in New York for several years -- and a pretty good crowd too.

It was decided that the buses, bursting with fans leaving the venue were not at all appealing and decided to walk back the way we came. We crossed back over both foot bridges, admiring the views of the East Side skyline, crossed FDR and began walking downtown on First Avenue through Spanish Harlem starting on 100th Street. At about 92nd I asked if we were planning to walk all the way to Kyle's place on 13th -- dreading the answer. I think I was delirious. We grabbed a cab at about 89th and headed home, for a shower, food and sleep. By my Gmaps calculations we covered, from the start at Tara's, over to Randall's Island and back to the point where we picked up a cab, 5.5 miles.

Sunday was a lazy day and though we talked about motivating and heading to an Oktoberfest street festival, we never quite made it out of the apartment. We watched a movie and lots of Sunday sports. I know we'll hear some grief for allowing me to spend an entire, sunny (hot) day in the city in doors watching TV but honestly, it was exactly what I wanted. I got to spend a lot of time with a good friend, which in the end was the entire point of my trip. We finally stepped outside for an early dinner before I had to go to the airport -- a tasty little place on Avenue A with floor to ceiling windows that opened onto the street. I was happy to feel the air was turning chilly, which was enough taste of fall to satisfy me for the weekend and made up for the July-like temperatures on Friday.

Everytime I have to leave Manhattan and am crossing the bridge into Queens I get a little teary eyed and then I run through my calendar and start planning my next trip up, waiting to cross the bridge again going the other way.

backin' it up

I'm going to back it up a bit here and talk about the Avett Brothers show I saw at Toad's Place um . . . like 10 days ago. The show was great. I haven't had that much fun at a performance in a long time. The crowd was really into the set, shouting lyrics in unison back at the band. If you've never seen lead singer and banjoist brother, Scott Avett perform, you are missing some of the finest, rowdiest, string-breaking banjo music out there. He and his brother Seth, who also sings but plays the guitar, broke 3+ strings each during the nearly two hour set. Both brothers had an identical instrument back stage so as to be able to rotate through the pieces with broken strings.

After having listened to their 2007 release, Emotionalism, most of the summer I was really excited to hear the material live. I realized during the first set I loved them live twice as much as I love their recorded work. The energy and love for the songs the band -- who also included a guy on stand-up bass and a cellist -- put out, came right back at them. They were humble and happy to be in front of a crowd that loved them. I wanted to take Scott and his banjo home with me -- beard and crazy black hair and all -- not in a long time have I been smitten so by a band!

I've often tried to explain the Avett Brothers' sound but it's really hard to put into words. I've heard "new-grass", "non-traditional bluegrass", "grungegrass" and as The Washington Post described them, as "post civil-war modern rock". Their show is one of the few places where you will see and hear a cellist wearing a 3-piece suit and black rimmed glasses, stand on his instrument and jam along with a bass, banjo, guitar and kick drum all backing up the sincere lyrical genius that these boys bring. Ah, I think I'm in love . . .

Darjeeling: a tea of high quality grown especially in the mountainous districts of northern India

I know I have several fellow Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums) film fans out there and as you probably know, his latest project, The Darjeeling Limited with Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson opened on Friday. A 12-minute prequel is available for free download at iTunes. With only Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, Hotel Chevalier is shot and dressed in true Wes Anderson style, and a satisfying view of what's to come in the film.

If you download and watch the short, keep an ear out for the Peter Sarstedt song "Where Do You Go To". I wanted to watch it again just to hear the song through a second time.

you tell me

Someone at work directed me to visit this site and watch the "Clark and Michael" webisodes (or are they webisodics?) from Michael Cera (Superbad, Arrested Development) and some other guy named Clark Duke (from Greek). My source says he watched them all in one sitting as it was hard to walk away from but I can't quite decide if is hilariously brilliant -- or just random -- so, you tell me.

Yesterday's News

The a/c has been turned off and the faintest sign of color is appearing in the trees -- it's fall in Virginia and that blisses me out.

Friday, I attended a bridal luncheon for my friend Amy who got herself hitched yesterday. The ladies' lunch was much more entertaining than expected and the venue -- Hanover Tavern, near Ashland -- and company were worth the trip. Later that day I met up with friends for a pre-show happy hour before heading to Charlottesville (in the pouring rain) for THE show. It was so nice to be in the company of people who both love the music I do and want to talk about it. I miss that.

The Paramount Theater, located on the Downtown Mall in C'ville was a new venue for me. As in most theaters, it was a seated show and I was sitting solo -- between several hipster kids in their dark rimmed glasses and plaid shirts with snaps keeping setlist notes and a couple on what seemed to be their first or second date (and from the sound of things, their last). They were an interesting distraction until the show began, but once the lights went out, my focus was straight ahead . . .

I'm no good with details like what song they led off with or what the band were wearing but I can tell you they sounded fantastic (sans a couple of feedback screeches) and rolled through lots of favorites -- Magnolia Mountain, Dear Chicago, Damn Sam, Let It Ride. There were only three songs from the new album, which surprised some in our group -- Goodnight Rose, I Taught Myself How to Grow Old and Tears of Gold -- and I was a little bummed not to have heard Halloween Head as I've been jonesing to hear it live. But, the finale totally made up for that. I See Monsters started off slow until the band tore into it with thrashing heads, wailing guitars and throbbing lights. It was a great song to end the show -- though the crowd was a little stunned to see the house lights go up right after as the band put down their instruments and walked off stage. No "good night", no "thanks for coming" -- and no encore. I've always said I wish bands would skip the pre-encore taunting and just play straight through and then when it actually happened I wasn't at all prepared. We all agreed, this show was phenomenally better than when we saw the band in 2006. Great night!

Saturday, The Girls and I volunteered with the Anthem Gurney Tourney downtown. Imagine 30 retired hospital gurneys decorated like themed parade floats with one rider and several other folks dressed to match their gurney and running through a crazy obstacle course. Two of us were stationed at the last obstacle -- the fire hose challenge. And yes, where there are fire hoses, there are firemen -- four of Richmond's finest. They even let me test their hose!

After the Tourney we were ready for naps before getting ready for our friends' Big Fat Greek Wedding! Though not as extravagant as the movie I assume we've all seen, it was much more theatrical than other weddings I've been to. The cathedral was beautiful and ornate and the ceremony and it's symbolism were very interesting. The big difference between this and other weddings I've been to were the missing vows -- the bride and groom did not say a word through the entire ceremony. And, the Reverend Father (priest? reverend? - I need to brush up on my clergy members) and the Cantor sang most of the ceremony -- along with the organ, which is an instrument I love to hear played well.

One thing we all found interesting were the many fertility blessings we heard throughout the ceremony and symbols used during the entire event -- like the pouches of candy coated almonds called Koufeta each guest received after the wedding. Considered over time as a token of fertility, the number of almonds is always odd as it cannot be divided evenly, and reflects the idea that the couple cannot be divided. Love learning new stuff!

The reception, which honestly is the part of a wedding we look forward to most, was held at The Crossings resort in Glen Allen. And, with the reception came the Greek band and dancing! We'd always heard Amy and her sister talk about their Greek dancing classes and other weddings and events they'd been to where they had the chance to practice their skills but to see it firsthand was even better. The songs, and in turn the dances, never seemed to end, nor did the shower of dollar bills wedding guests were, in Greek tradition, throwing onto the dance floor. And, no, we weren't served lamb for dinner, but there was baklava and, oh boy, Ouzo! I was pulled into a round of shots at some point during the evening and I'm sure my prune face look afterward was most attractive. We danced until the music stopped and the lights went up and bid our farewells to the newlyweds who after their honeymoon in a tree house in Costa Rica are leaving Richmond for Boulder, CO. Can't wait to visit -- and take in a show at Red Rocks!

Life in the carpool lane

I've gone almost two months without a pet update and I just can't go any further in my relationship with you, dear reader, until I tell you about the creature living in my house. He's a true Jekyl and Hyde -- one minute, purring softly in your arms and the next, biting into your flesh. Someone at work told me babies were designed to be cute so you wouldn't kill them -- and kittens are no exception. It's a challenge to discipline something so innocent who -- ha -- knows no better than to attack any patch of exposed flesh -- his favorites are feet left haphazardly sticking out of the covers at night. I am going to a wedding on Saturday and somehow have to conceal the carnage that are my feet and ankles. But before I walk out of the door, I'll have to nuzzle the evil one who did it to me. It's an abusive relationship of sorts. I give, and give and he treats me like a scratching post. Nice.

It simply amazes me how something his size can knock so many items into the floor -- flower pots, vases of flowers, lamps, alarm clocks, glasses of water -- and take away so much pleasure. One night after dinner I left my lemonade on the table. I was sitting just six feet away on the sofa and watched him knock the cup over and then, dance around in the mess. This was after I found him playing cat & mouse with my glasses. More recently he's decided that the apartment just isn't big enough for him and wants to know what's out in the world and has dashed out of the open apartment door, down the stairs and to the end of the hall. Usually while I'm holding keys, purse, lunch, coffee and the recycling. The scene of mayhem must be thoroughly entertaining to the neighbors. And, then, just an hour ago I was typing away and realized I was hearing running water. He'd turned on the water in the bathtub -- his favorite place to play -- with a faucet that would be dificult to turn on by accident. I pray he doesn't learn how to use doorknobs.

In the end, I only considered giving him back once (eh, ok, twice) because I seriously thought he was satan's spawn. The look in his eyes, while chomping down on me lovingly, was frightening. Truthfully, he's a good test of my patience and I can tolerate quite a bit more than I expected. And, there's the constant reminder that he'll grow up and this will be over. Just 12 - 24 more months of bleeding ankles and broken dishes.

"I don't listen to the radio"

Ah, am I excited for my show list this fall. My Andrew Bird, Wilco and Avett Brothers tickets are burning a hole in my wallet -- I see them there, waiting for their chance to be torn. And, then . . . there's my Ryan Adams ticket. The ticket that should be there with the others but is probably in the wallet of my mail thief. eticketing is looking better and better e'day. Oh, but wait, I'm the one who just had to pay the extra few dollars to have the actual stub mailed to me. Thankfully the nice people at MusicToday understood and are printing a new ticket and leaving it at will call. Take notes TicketMaster.

After straightening that out, I could go back to being really, really excited about Friday night's show. I mean, annoyingly excited! Especially now that I know I won't be going solo. I ran into a few of last year's Bonnaroo crew at the Nickel Creek show in July and they have tickets to the show too so a carpool has formed. I am always running into them at shows -- like last year's Ryan Adams show at the Charlottesville Pavilion. They always know where to find me.

Meanwhile, my girlfriends in Richmond will be seeing Hootie & the Blowfish. P.S. Super happy to have tickets to something else and avoid another Hootie show. Love the girls, but Hootie, not so much.

Hells-yeah

Did I mention . . .
WILCO IS COMING!

October 20
Charlottesville Pavilion
Tickets on sale September 7

End of summer jam

Yo! It's Labor Day weekend and as we flee the city and it's concrete for the shore I'm sharing some tasty tidbits from my it's-a-4-day-long-weekend playlist. These are tracks I've found just recently and am ready to listen to at high volumes whilst driving to Kill Devil Hills. I have super friends who invite their dear, (and poor) single friend to vacation with them every summer -- sweeeet!

1. Shakedown on 9th Street Ryan Adams Live from Berkely, 7/24/07
2. I See Monsters Ryan Adams Live from Berkely, 7/24/07
These tasty little tracks are from Ryan on his current tour. It's required that if you go here and download them (or go to the Live Music Archive) you listen to them in this order. The segue from Shakedown to I See Monsters is worth the download.

3. Song for the Fields Fields
This was a recent iTunes Single of the Week. It's been a while since a Single of the Week has stuck with me like this one. It starts off slow and then hits full throttle, opening wide into a head nodding tune. I plan to pick up the CD on my way out of town tomorrow. I've listened to snippets of their other stuff and I really like what I hear.

4. Is There a Ghost Band of Horses
This is a new track from Band of Horses I read about (and downloaded) from a new blog I've been following -- My Old Kentucky Blog. This beats most anything on Everything All the Time -- and that's saying something.

5. Mr. Columbus Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Enough said.

6. Goin' Through the Motions Marah Home Demos 2/03
When I read the blog post connected to this download, I couldn't right click and download fast enough. I didn't think we'd hear anything new from Marah ever again, and then I find this never released demo and hope was renewed for a brand new album due in January.

7. Passing the Hat Cold War Kids
When I heard this song over the closing credits of a recent episode of Entourage I was immediately online trying to find it. Networks have become very smart with their music placement and have added sections specifically for the songs featured. The HBO folks even linked each song to a scene so it's super easy to find out what you just heard. Nice.

8. Valhalla K-OS Atlantis
Another Entourage closing credit ditty. I could not resist the energy this song puts out. Try not to bob your head while listening to it. About a minute in, it gets really good!

9. Staring at the Sun TV On the Radio
This track is a slow grower but at about 35 seconds you'll start to hear what about this song really turned me on. I imagine driving down the expressway late at night going faster and faster with the lights blurring by as this song speeds up.

10. The Moneymaker Rilo Kiley
Moneymaker is the first single from the new Rilo Kiley release, Under the Blacklight. Watch the video for this track and you'd probably agree with No Filter friend, Inbound Gowanus. They have totally sleazed it up -- and I think that's what I like best about this track!

Love me some Internets

The Internet Live Music Archive goes on my list as one of the best things about having access to the internet -- and ears.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Berkeley, CA
24 July 2007

Listen on.

iMiracle

My iPod has been giving me fits for weeks and this weekend it seemed to give up all hope. I was facing Sad iPod messages and given support website addresses. I followed the instructions, learned a few trouble-shooting things and still, nothing. It would freeze seconds after starting and sent iTunes into a tizzy of restarts. Then, suddenly, it all stopped. Hitting play actually made it play and it has, all evening. Fearing a jinx, I can't bring myself to turn it off . . .

Which isn't so bad. I've been reminded how much I heart Andrew Bird by revisiting his catalog of albums. I can't quite contain my excitement everytime I open my wallet and see the ticket for his Richmond show in September. I plan to recruit new fans. Bird's music is far better than anything you'll hear on the radio locally -- which for me is always a fine endorsement. It's fantasticly unique with champion whistling and plucky, singing string instruments. His music takes you away from the ordinary.

UPDATE: Geesh, just when you think everything is a-ok -- shit blows up. The iPod decided against being nice and playing again. I was finally able to complete a proper recovery and reloaded several thousand tracks and, for now, we are a go. A play when you're supposed to sort of GO!

Late summer listening

So, it was 100 degrees here in the RIC again today. A reminder that yes . . . 'tis still summer. I've listened to some great new stuff this summer and have seen a satisfying number of shows but over the last week, I've not had a desire to listen to anything in particular until . . .

I read a snippet about Grace Potter's new material and remember making a mental note to listen to several tracks. One fell into my lap tonight, Ain't No Time. It starts nice and simple and builds and builds into a great summer song with a chorus you want to sing along to. I just downloaded the entire new album and plan to add it to my keep-a-copy-in-the-car stash as it'll be a perfect for a few more late summer evening drives. The review I read compared Potter's new album, "This is Somewhere", to Cheryl Crow, and I totally hear the country-crossover comparison and the same soaring, smoky vocals.

As a sidenote -- WOW, there are a lot of great acts lining up to play Richmond (finally!), Charlottesville and Norfolk. I love that I can pick up a Style Weekly, flip to the music section and know that odds are, I'll read about another show I want to go to in the area. Today I learned about The Shins coming to the Norva in October and conveniently, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are touring with Gov't Mule and are making a local appearance at Toad's Place. Hoorah! I'm really anxious to check out Toad's Place. Their lineups gets increasingly better. It's a grand thing to see and hear quality, live music in this city.

The Black Bar

First, they ruined a livefeed of this year's The Nightwatchman set at Bonnaroo by chopping it into pieces with censoring and now AT&T Blueroom has done this.

Apparently mentioning George Bush in front of a mic is worse than uttering Voldemort at Hogwart's.

Damn the man, let them be heard!

Something Bigger

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27 when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye and will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10:00 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3:00 a.m. By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a..m. The location and time frame will make it possible to see something that no human has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter throughout the month.

Share this with others and experience something bigger than us all.

UPDATE: Bummer. http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp

The pleasure of a second spin

The bloggers are all a chatter over a recent comment from Amazon.com. The web giant is already predicting Josh Ritter's forthcoming release, "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" as ". . . the best album of 2007, hands down . . ." That's a pretty heavy statement for an album that isn't slated to drop until August 21, though in the current age of music distribution, some of you probably already have it loaded on your iPods.

Ritter's 2006 release, "The Animal Years" came with it's own critical acclaim, but somehow I ignored everyone -- including several wise, musically minded friends' Best Of lists -- and never got into it. What a fool I was! After downloading Rumors, a sample track from the new album, my interests were heightened and I took the 2006 album for a second spin. I seem to remember, at the time of my first listen last year, being overwhelmed with other seemingly similar albums and didn't give it the attention it deserved. I've learned my lesson and am now anxious for his new material, which I've read, should be a "raucous, occasionally dizzying affair, with pounding keyboards, strings, horns . . ." Yippee!

Just because . . .

. . . they rock! And, I was there.
One Big Holiday
My Morning Jacket, Bonnaroo 2006

Found it!

Here is a video, courtesty of YouTube, of the awesome Fiona Apple/Nickel Creek bluegrass version of Criminal from the Friday, August 3 show. Enjoy!

Well Played

What a weekend! Friday night's Nickel Creek/Fiona Apple show exceeded expectations. Nickel Creek took the stage and at the first strum of Chris Thile's mandolin I was happy to be there. The combination of the fiddle, mandolin, guitar and stand up bass are some of my favorite sounds. Chris and the band played several songs but there was no mistake most of the audience were there to hear Fiona. Each time her name was mentioned on stage most of the crowd around me erupted into screams. One my friends spotted her sitting primly off stage-left waiting for her entrance and when she finally took the stage, her performance was most unexpected.

With Nickel Creek as her backup she began singing selections from 2005's Extraordinary Machine and 1999's sophomore release, When The Pawn . . . and the blend of bluegrass with her awesome voice was fantastic. The highlight of the show, besides Nickel Creek's The Fox and a Patsy Cline cover with Apple on vocals, was the bluegrass version of Apple's hit Criminal from her debut album, Tidal . (I am anxious to find the live version online so if anyone has any leads, please fill me in.) Criminal was one of those songs and Tidal was one of those albums, that my best friend in college and I listened to on repeat and could sing every last verse of -- and to hear it redone and refreshed with a bluegrass flavor made it all the more timely for me now. Bravo Fiona for a grand tour matchup with Nickel Creek -- and just in time, as after this tour the band will part ways (for now) for solo endeavors.

Saturday brought a trip to Pimlico in Baltimore for day one of the Virgin Festival. Funny thing about festivals is that I never end up hearing exactly who I bought the ticket to see -- Modest Mouse, Peter Bjorn & John, The Fratelli's, and we were a little later arriving than planned and missed Amy Winehouse -- but ended up hearing other stuff that was totally unexpected -- Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Incubus and The Beastie Boys.

I never thought of Incubus as my type of music, but they have awesome stage presence and damn is that lead singer hot! Next up were Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, who I now love. They put on a great performance and man, can Ben wail on that guitar. The groove was perfect festival sound and for their hour long set, the atmosphere and all of its sweet, sweet smells took me back to Bonnaroo and I was totally into it.

If nothing else came out of Saturday's shows, I can now say I've seen/heard the Beastie Boys live -- though half of our group decided we couldn't handle the throng of fans jostling each other around nearest the stage and took a break further back for dinner and beers until it was time for The Police. It was pretty obvious that the crowd were there for them and the band did not disappoint. With a setlist of favorites, they blasted out two + hours of music and could totally hold their own against bands half their age. Well played boys!

Lil' bit

Before I head out west to see Nickel Creek with Fiona Apple at Innsbrook tonight -- a dual show, should be interesting -- wanted to share this post from I Am Fuel, You Are Friends -- of whose blog I have been a shamefully neglectful reader.

Reading her review of the Ryan Adams show in Berkeley gave me shivers of anticipation for the newly added second show for which I scored an orchestra level ticket in a pre-sale earlier in the week. I think it might just be my most anticipated show of 2007 -- and what an awesome surprise that I even get to go. The original sold out date was slated for mid-July, in the middle of my beach trip, but was rescheduled along with the second show for mid-September. Fate can be so kind.

Nothing Better

I've added a little something to the sidebar here at No Filter. I decided a list of my favorite stuff was boring and have added something a little more timely -- a list of current shows to which I either have tickets or want tickets. This is also an open invitation to anyone I know, or have not yet had the pleasure to meet, who may interested in going with to speak up and let me know. I'm always looking for someone else who enjoys live music to come along.

Speaking of live music, I drove to Vienna to the Marah show at Jammin' Java last Wednesday -- and it was definitely worth the drive. Jammin' Java is a coffee house, sans the beatnik feel, whose claim to fame is the live acts it attracts. Occupancy max is 180, which should give you a feel for the size of the place, and makes for a very intimate show experience. Willie Breeding, a folk singer out of Brooklyn, opened for the group. Willie fits into the Ray LaMontagne, a-man-and-his-guitar category. It was the first show of his tour and he was showing his nerves. Though I can't hold it against him -- he was playing for a Marah audience who were waiting for much more than an acoustic guitar. His set started to pick-up when he brought out Marah's newest addition, a female keyboardist who also plays the accordion (ahhh!) and sings, for several songs. But it was the main act I'd driven almost two hours to hear . . .

First of all, it was an acoustic show, which I was a little bummed about. But really, what else could I have expected from a coffee house show? I needn't to have been worried, as the band brought in lots of extras to make up for the missing drum kit. Like the aforementioned accordion, keys and banjo -- which made the night for me. The band, along with Willie, were on their very first leg of the tour and were anxious to treat their waiting audience to new material -- and two new band members. The Marah website is way out of date -- last bio post was dated 2005 -- so I need to do some research on the blogs to find out who the new members are and what happened to Adam Garbinski, the nerdy/hot guitar player I remember playing with the group at Bonnaroo.

Marah, led by original band member Sierge Bielanko, played over two hours of non-stop material. New stuff, really old stuff and the only song that I would have been bummed not to have heard, Walt Whitman Bridge. It's a track that appears in some form on almost all of their albums and my favorite. It's a great sampling of their work so if you want a taste, I'd recommend the download.

The finale, which included Breeding, was a rowdy rendition of Willie Nelson's (a tribute to Willie Breeding's first tour, perhaps) On the Road Again that sent the crowd home happy. It was the first time the band, and Willie, had played the song for an audience -- and the harmonica and banjo were wailing. The band, in all their post show sweat and glory, took time afterward to hit the merchandise table for questions, autographs and sexual propositions. It was the band's goal to introduce Willie to the real side of tour life. Hopefully a nice Virginia girl showed that Kentucky boy a warm welcome.

Meet J.J.

There's a new man in my life -- err, ok, that sounds a little too cat-lady-in-the-making! I adopted a 16 week old male kitten over the weekend from two very good friends. JJ (short for Jim James -- yes, I know, apparently I am really that big of an indie-music nerd) is crazy and fun and we're becoming fast friends. If I can keep him out from under my feet, we'll be just fine. He's adapting quite well to his new home, though I wonder if my house plants, and ankles, will survive him. JJ is more like a puppy than any cat I've ever known -- chasing his own tail and hopping into the shower with me after running laps around the edge of my claw foot tub. I look forward to watching him grow up, i.e. mellow out.

And no, there won't be scheduled JJ updates here, so no worries that No Filter will turn away from it's political, musical randomness. The day I start to write more about my cat than what's going on outside my apartment is the day one of you comes over and drags me kicking and screaming into the daylight. End story.

Jason Isbell and Friends

What it is about vacation time going by faster than any other time . . . it's back to the grind which means more posts!

Friday evening, after making record time on the drive back from South Carolina, I was reminded that Jason Isbell was playing at the Canal Club. Isbell, formerly of the Drive By Truckers, released his first solo album earlier last week and, along with an album release party at Plan 9 earlier in the evening, was playing a show with the Wrinkle Neck Mules and Justin Townes Earle (Steve Earle's son!). I went hoping to hear the Mules but was pleasantly surprised to hear Earle, who I knew nothing about. Earle, with his acoustic guitar and old school Tennessee voice was accompanied by one guy, who never uttered a peep, with a ukulele -- and I loved them. It was good ole foot tapping Hank Williams style stripped down music (on a side note, man oh man, those eyes of his will pull you in forever). He seemed really gracious for being invited to open for Isbell and tried his damnedest, with just an unplugged guitar, to get the mostly male audience amped for the main event. After his set he sold his own CD's at the Plan 9 table, autographing each one and having a word with his fans. Gotta love a guy who reaches out to his people so humbly. Check out his new EP, Yuma

The Isbell show was one of the best I've heard in months. There were loads of cigs smoked, whiskey chugged and tunes cranked out. He and his band, The 400 Unit, pumped out loud, rowdy music that was lots of fun to jam to. And, as my attendance was completely spontaneous, the nonexistent expectations I had were far exceeded. The vibe of the crowd near the stage was totally contagious -- having fun and really happy to be there!




I intended to write a post solely on The Avett Brothers newest album, Emotionalism, after my love affair with it on vacation. I picked it up the Friday before I left town, not giving it tremendous thought. After several listens, back-to-back, I was hooked. How have I not jumped on the Avett Brothers wagon before? They are one of my new favorites with their gentle twangy voices and plingy, almost percussionist, banjo picking. What really drew me in however, were the lyrics. They are lovely and clean and weave tales of love, friendship, good times and loss. "The Ballad of Love and Hate" is a five + minute tale asking of you to listen to every word as the battle between love and hate is personified. It'll give you shivers. The lyrics that especially resonated with me were from "The Weight of Lies":

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town
Cause nothing happens here that doesn’t happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from
Cause lies don’t need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere

I am so excited to know they have a tour stop in Richmond at Toad's Place in September! I have two months to get to know their previous albums as well as I've come to know this one.

Hitchin' a Ride

So, I'm heading out on a much needed road trip to the annual extended family beach week in Surfside, SC tomorrow morning and thought I better write a little something before you think I've fallen into oblivion . . .

Two of The Girls and I took in a ballgame last night in the hopes of some belated 4th of July fireworks action. Did I ever mention how much I lurve fireworks? The sound, color, light -- the experience makes me giggle with delight. I can't sit still in my seat, I get so anxious for the show to begin. Last night we waited . . . and waited for the 1 1/2 hour rain delayed game to end. It took extra innings and a naughty 3rd base coach getting thrown out of the game for the real show to start at a yawn worthy 12:45 p.m. And, did I mention they stopped pouring beer at 10:00 -- seriously, people! But, boy oh boy, was all the waiting worth it.

Did anyone else know that Jason Schwartzman, the actor, is also a singer. He's Coconut Records and seriously has one of the creepiest album covers, ever, with Nighttiming. That "huge" eye staring through that tiny window [shudder]. Totally creeps me out. BUT the music is catchy and interesting, which is a big statement when one considers other actors turn singers. Hello, David Hasselhoff . . .

I learned last week that Marah will be in Northern Virginia in a couple of week's at Vienna's Jammin' Java. Marah is a band, hailing from Philadelphia, who've been around since the early 90's but who I discovered just a year ago at Bonnaroo. They're sometimes twangy with sweet bango picking and harmonica but oftentimes harder with a more classic rock sound. It's actually their live shows that really get people talking. They have eight albums in their catalog, the most recent in 2005, but news is there is a new -- finally! -- album due in January.

The Marah show is just the start of a busy late July and early August concert run for me. The week after their show, Pete Yorn will be at the Norva on Thursday, Nickel Creek with Fiona Apple at Innsbrook on Friday and Saturday and Sunday, The Virgin Music Festival at Pimlico. I've honestly been dreading the Virgin Festival more than looking forward to it -- the heat, dust, and people -- but then I remember the point of it all -- the music -- and I'm back on board with anticipation. There's also news of The Avett Brothers at Toad's Place in September. Their new album, Emotionalism, will be in rotation on tomorrow's drive south. In stiff competition with Easy Tiger, of course -- 13 tracks of pure magic, people. Get on board!

Ryan Adams on Letterman

Did anyone catch Ryan* & the Cardinal's performance on Letterman last night (Wednesday, June 27)? I missed it, but was pointed toward the video on YouTube this morning. The performance that aired was of "Two" which was good, though the quality of the YouTube video was grainy and skipped. The best video was of the web exclusive on Letterman's site. It was of "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old". Though not my favorite track on Easy Tiger, the live performance made me realize just what the critics are saying about this album. This song's lyrics are evidence of the maturity behind this album -- the depth. Head over and listen . . . really listen, and you'll hear it too.

After watching the Cardinals I scrolled through the archive of web exclusive performances and found Wilco performing "What Light" from their new album Sky Blue Sky. I haven't had a chance to really get into this album yet, but plan to add it to the list of required listening on my solo road trip to the beach in about a week. Six + hours of I-95 drive time is just the excuse I've been waiting for to catch up on the new releases I've taken on in the last months.

What a goldmine this site was for me tonight. I found this Andrew Bird performance of "Plasticities" too. If you've yet to take my advice and sample Andrew Bird, here's a great chance. Oh, and of course, there was whistling too! Ahhhh.

*I promise, the Ryan Adams posts will start to dwindle. I just can't get enough these days!

Long live the music

Two new music venues opened in Richmond last week. The first to open it's doors, sans a liquor license, was Toad's Place. Located on the Canal Walk, music fans and bar flies alike have been hearing rumors of a Toad's opening for months and with Squirrel Nut Zippers booked for a June 21 fundraiser gig, management made it happen -- though, I bet, with some thirsty customers. Their website claims there are just 39 days until their Grand Re-Opening so it seems we have to wait another month for the shows to officially start.

With a more successful opening night, Capital Ale House Downtown opened their shiny new music hall with the first of the Ale House's Brews & Blues series on Friday night. I was there having drinks with a good friend (who moved to New Orleans today -- bummer) and really enjoyed the atmosphere of the new space. There is a large window at the front (or back, depending on how you look at it) opening up onto the street and the curious passerbys couldn't help but stare at the new interior, looking jealously at the packed tables and cold beers (of which there is a list of, supposedly, a million options). The lineup isn't worth shouting about yet, but as word gets around town about these venues, the list will get much more interesting. In the meantime, if you're in the neighborhood, check it out. The new 'spa-like' restrooms alone are worth a visit -- yes, I just praised a bar's bathroom -- and, of course, the beer!

Oh Happy Day

I bought a CD today. I haven't walked into a store to buy a CD in two years -- it was like stepping back in time. I slid my cash across the counter and the tattooed Plan 9 cashier handed me my very own copy of Ryan Adam's Easy Tiger, just unlocked from it's plastic, theft-proof box. I watched the clock at my desk at work, anxiously waiting for the hour when I could rush out and pick it up. I resisted the temptation to download it early and took the advice of a friend and added my sale to the album's total for the day. And I wasn't the only one -- the person ahead and and the one behind me in line bought the same album, promising for a good release date for Easy Tiger in Richmond.

So, enough talk about procuring the album. You want to know how it sounds, right? I've listened to the 13 tracks four times through and my expectations have been met! I knew I loved tracks two and three, Two and Everybody Knows, respectively, as I had a pre-listen as I mentioned here a few weeks ago. Two is still one of my favorites and I've also enjoyed Pearls on a String and Goodnight Rose. I've read quite a few reviews today and all are glowing. Most mention Ryan's maturity -- his growth -- and that this album is a lovely culmination of where he's been and a preview of where his career is headed. The time between albums, uncharacteristically long for Adams, was well worth the wait. I'm excited to get to know it as well as I've grown to know his previous albums. It's sure to be another summer with his music as the soundtrack.

Someday Some Morning Sometime

After recently acquiring a 2+ GB mix of new-to-me-tunes from a one of my concert cronies, I told myself, NO MORE. No more downloads Beaze until you submerge yourself in the stuff you have. Play what you've got -- there are music starved people in this World, geesh! But, why oh why, would I deny myself the pure pleasure of discovery? I just never know what I might be missing out on.

So, I said eff it, and bounced over to I Am Fuel, and checked out the Monday Music Roundup. There was a new Josh Rouse track, from a forthcoming album, and an interesting little tune from a group called Romantica from Minneapolis. A Ryan Adams fan suggested she check it out and, if you've read anything here at No Filter lately you know, I too am an R.A. fan(atic) so I couldn't resist the recommended download. It's smooth but with a nice little back beat and, yes, harmonica and accordion -- oh joy! There's a little mariachi flair too. Now, I know you're intrigued, so pop on over and give 'em a listen.

Of the massive mix I acquired, I'm enjoying the discovery of Billy Bragg to which I could not do proper justice if I tried to describe him or his music here. After a bit of research, I learned Bragg has been around for decades and has been referred to as a "national treasure" in the UK. All I needed to hear was that he's done quite a bit of work with Wilco. Sign me up!

Speaking of Wilco, you probably noticed I stopped dropping Bonnaroo updates a couple of months ago. I've been secretly holding out hope that I might just make it to this year's festival but, alas, no trip to Manchester for me this weekend. I'll be following the shows in spirit online and, I hope, OnDemand on ConcertTV (which I discovered last week!) and holding out hope for a trip in '08. Or maybe I'll fore go the hippies and hit up Jazz Fest in NoLa! The possibilities, and the highways, are far reaching . . .

Timing is everything

An update to my recent Ryan Adams post. I noted the new album, Easy Tiger, would be released on June 5, when the actual release date is June 26 -- ARGH, lesson learned about trusting the accuracy of everything read online. So, we hunker down and wait a few more weeks.

Good news for my fellow R.A. fans in Central VA -- Ryan and the Cardinals will be hitting The Empire Theater in Charlottesville on July 10. Bad news is I'll be vacationing with the the family in S.C., several hundred miles away from Ryan and his golden voice. Timing is everything.

Hit it!

If you want to get your dance on, you should catch Bloc Party on their current tour. Kathrin and I drove to DC last Sunday evening -- in pouring rain, snail's pace traffic on I-95 and in spite of the penultimate Soprano's episode airing the same night -- for the show at DAR Constitution Hall. We'd heard from friends who'd seen the group in NYC that they were unimpressed by the performance so we were going into it with few expectations. We were pleasantly surprised by a rousing, dance worthy show that kept us, and everyone else in the place, on our feet through the two hours. There was a "thanks, we're finished with you people" fakeout just about an hour into the show but the group returned to the stage with the question, "DC, are you ready to dance?!" -- and we were!

I have to make a special note of the venue. It was, I thought, a little high-brow for such a dance worthy show. This was a venue where you might expect to hear an orchestra performance or Presidential Inaugural concert -- anything but a loud, danceable, British Indie rock group do their thing -- but, it worked. The sound and acoustics were great -- clean and clear. And there was plenty of room in the aisles for the teenage thrash dancers two rows ahead of us. The energy was most contagious.

Here they go again

From moveon.org:

In the next few weeks, Congress could vote to DOUBLE the amount of greenhouse gases America produces from our cars and planes.

It's the greatest single threat to solving the climate crisis in a decade.

It sounds crazy. But Congress is rushing through a package that could lock us into liquid coal as our country's new energy source for transportation. For every mile driven, coal-based fuels produce as much as twice as many greenhouse gases as petroleum. That means even a Prius would drive like a Hummer.

The coal industry has been lobbying for this break for years, and many in Congress don't understand the facts.

Can you sign the petition opposing liquid coal right now—and then please alert your friends?

"Liquid coal would be a disaster in our fight against the climate crisis. Congress should vote against tax breaks and subsidies for coal."

The legislation would take billions in taxpayer dollars to build up to 10 more dirty coal plants, provide taxpayer subsidies when the fuel can't compete on the open market, and guarantee that the government will buy this fuel no matter what.

The industry promises to clean up after itself, but "clean coal" doesn't exist yet—it's pure fiction. While some technology is being tested to capture the greenhouse gas before it goes into the air, no one knows if it will work. But the plants will be built regardless.

To make matters worse, the financial outlook on this technology is shaky, which means taxpayers could be left holding the bag. According to an MIT study, we could spend $70 billion to replace just 10 percent of current gasoline use. And by the time we bring the technology to market, it is likely that cheaper, cleaner fuels will be available for less money.

These snake oil salesmen are in the Capitol in force—selling Congress a line that kicking our oil habit is easy if we just commit billions in taxpayer money to coal. And some in Congress are buying it—even folks who have been with us thus far on the climate crisis. But with this bill, they're gambling with the future of our planet.

Come Pick Me Up

I was at 821 Cafe having breakfast with a couple of The Girls on Saturday morning, as has become tradition. As soon as we walked in I noticed the music, but it didn't really register until a few songs in that it was Ryan Adams. I should have known that only his voice could put me in the Saturday-morning-wide-smile-mood that came over me (though some credit has to go to 821's ginormous tasty biscuits).

Not since Tori Amos (oh, the stories!) has an artist had such an effect on me. I suppose it's the good times I associate with his wide catalog of albums -- as a solo artist, with The Cardinals and with Whiskeytown. Whiskeytown was a Saturday morning staple in my apartment for the first few months after I was introduced to them and those sunny memories still resonate with me -- as do the good times with great friends while Ryan wailed away in the background. I turn an ear whenever I hear his voice coming out of a speaker -- like last week on Main Street outside Visions Salon when I heard "My Winding Wheel" blaring out of a parked car or several weeks prior to that when Bandito's gave me a double dose of his soothing voice at happy hour -- a happy hour indeed!

Today, I was catching up on my I Am Fuel, You Are Friends reading and there posted like a treasure were two more tracks from Ryan's upcoming album, Easy Tiger, due out June 5. If you're a fan, run over and pick them up while they're still available. You'll be Saturday-morning-wide-smiling too!

You say you want a revolution!

Courtesy of moveon.org:

Today, I learned about a really important issue, and signed a petition about it. The federal government is on the verge of turning over a huge portion of our public airwaves to companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast--who will use them for private enrichment instead of the public good.

These newly available airwaves are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize Internet access -- beaming high-speed signals to every park bench, coffee shop, workplace, and home in America. Phone and cable companies don't want this competition to their Internet service--they'd rather purchase the airwaves at auction and sit on them.

You can sign the petition I signed here - urging the government to make sure the public airwaves are used for the public good: http://civic.moveon.org/airwaves/?r_by=10433-5391408-LZOEYs&rc=confemail.

In Honor

In honor of Memorial Day I suggest each of you -- along with every other American -- read the book I just finished. Chasing Ghosts -- Failures and Facades in Iraq: A Soldier's Perspective by Paul Rieckhoff. This uncensored account of the life of a soldier -- a First Lieutenant and Infantry Platoon Leader -- stationed in Iraq just weeks after the invasion in March 2003 is a harrowing account of the early days of the war. I had a hard time putting the book down as it was both frightening real and entertaining. Rieckhoff and the other members of his U.S. Army National Guard Infantry Platoon are endearing "characters" -- I cheered for them when they succeeded and cried for them when they didn't. Reading how our government failed them made me angry and upon reading the last page I wanted to make a difference, just like Rieckhoff, who upon returning home became the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of American (IAVA), the first nonprofit organization for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

His story will help you understand the conflict, our soldiers, the people of Iraq, our government and our president through the words of a soldier who fought the fight. Interestingly, Reickhoff is the first soldier to return from battle and speak out against the conflict and our country. I applaud him, as will you, for not only having the courage to go to battle but to then take on the system that sent him there.

For more information visit IAVA, Chasing Ghosts or Paul Reickhoff's MySpace page.

Dark Day

From Moveon.org:

Last night, Congress sent the president a blank check to continue the war through the summer. Anyway you slice it, it stinks. The worst part is that too many Democrats—who we elected in November with a clear mandate to lead us out of the chaos in Iraq—crumbled when we needed them to fight. In these moments, it's tempting to throw our hands up and walk away. But it's also acutely clear that there is no one else who will fight this fight. Either we do it, each one of us, or no one does.

It's a dark moment, but there are some hopeful signs that point the way ahead. In the Senate, Democratic presidential candidates Dodd, Obama and Clinton stood firm against this weak bill and voted 'no.' In the House, they were joined by 140 Democrats. It's not nearly enough. But it's a start.

Included in the group who voted for the bill was Jim Webb (D), our Virginia senator, who I contacted earlier in the week asking him to vote against the weak bill that did not include a timeline for withdrawal. Now, I know that one little email isn't going to turn the tide, but my message along with several hundred other voters could. It's not too late to express your feelings about Webb's and our other lawmakers' decisions. If you want to have a voice you can still contact your senator -- with a "wtf?" message if they voted for it or a "great job, keep it up!" message if they voted against it. Democratic congressmen especially need a reminder to stand up and use their majority power for good.

Be Heard

I emailed my Senator today. Via his website, I contacted Senator Jim Webb (D) asking him to stand strong against the weak, watered-down Iraq funding bill our lawmakers are facing this week. If you have any opinion against this war, I encourage you to do the same.

If you don't know who your representatives are, shame on you. If you are a Virginian, your Senators are Jim Webb (D) and John Warner (R). Along with your Congressman in the House of Representaives they work for you. Representing my districit, the 3rd Congressional District of Virginia, is Robert "Bobby" Scott (D).

Elected to represent the people, by the people. They are your voice in our government. Be heard.

Tis the season

It's graduation time and I want to send a big ol' Congratulations out to Cliff at Inbound Gowanus as he graduated from VCU's AdCenter program on Saturday. I ran into Cliff at the Emmylou Harris show on Brown's Island Saturday and he was quite literally beaming. Good luck Cliff as you find your new path!

Another gorgeous weekend in Richmond brought a good friend home. Kyle's been in town for several days and we enjoyed a great evening with friends Friday -- including a tasty late dinner at Edo's Squid. I highly recommend it as a dinner spot for a group. The family style dining gave us the opportunity to try several different dishes -- the best of which, I think we all agreed, was the duck breast. Close second was the carbonara, which is always a crowd favorite.

The culinary adventures continue today as we head out to the Lebanese Food Festival. My friends and I were a bit sad to learn that the normally huge Greek Festival held each spring in the near West End would be put on hold this year due to construction at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Malvern Avenue. Though they'll have a drive-thru for food (May 31 - June 3), there's no substitute for the very Richmond festival with it's wine, people watching and atmosphere. So until next year, we'll get our Mediterranean food fix at the Lebanese Festival at St. Anthony's Maronite Catholic Church on Sadler Road in Glen Allen. I've got my tastes set for the generous servings baba ghanoush, tabouli and hummus -- three things you won't find at the Greek festival!

Make it a Late Night

Just in case you're out there catching up on your blogs tonight thought I'd share a bit of late night talk show news I stumbled upon over at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends. M.Ward will be performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien! But wait, that's not all, as it gets way better. Joining him will be Neko Case, Kelly Hogan, Jim James (JIM JAMES!!), Mike Coykendall, Than Lau, and Adam Selzer. The ensemble will perform M. Ward's "Chinese Translation". Grab a latte and set your alarms -- or, catch it on uTube tomorrow.

Minor Musical Miracles

Miracles do happen. The Richmond summer concert season just got a little brighter. First I learned the Black Crowes would be in town again this summer -- not a huge fan, but it's progress. Then The Roots -- getting better. Drive by Truckers and The SLIP at Friday Cheers -- exciting news. And then, just 20 minutes ago, I opened Gmail and beams of hope shot from my screen. Nickel Creek with special guest Fiona Apple -- right here in Richmond -- Friday, August 3 at the newly named snag-a-job.com/Innsbrook Pavilion. This, to me, is big news for our fair, live music deprived, capitol city!

The news of Nickel Creek performing is not just big news because they will be in Richmond, but I read months ago that they'd broken up, which made their show at Bonnaroo last summer all the more meaningful for me. That show still goes down as one of the best I've heard -- period. I'd never enjoyed a show as much before. As for Fiona Apple, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for her. She sang my best friend and me through our four years at Longwood, bonding us to this day. Her first album, Tidal, is most definitely one of my desert island albums.

And speaking of great live music, I saw The Derek Trucks Band at Innsbrook last night. I'd only heard snippets of his stuff before going to the show and I am here to report that if you have the opportunity to see Derek and his band, take advantage and go. I really enjoyed his set -- and if you were standing behind me, you saw the head and ass shaking to prove it. Normally, I'd deny being a jam band fan, but I certainly couldn't hide it last night.

The next show on the No Filter concert calendar is Saturday the 19th on Brown's Island. The girls and I will be volunteering with the Wachovia Securities CanalWalk and as payment for our good deed we get tickets to see Emmylou Harris perform. Sweet!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I almost forgot, a new Ryan Adams album to be released later this summer followed by a fall tour with the Cardinals. Oh, how very excited I am indeed!

Someone who gets it right

I've been trying my damndest to verbalize how I feel about Andrew Bird's music here at No Filter but I've just not been very satisfied with the outcome. Heather over at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends summed up a recent Andrew Bird show in Colorado quite nicely. Pay her a visit and pick up a few souvenir mp3s while you're there.

And, if her post inspires you, he'll be playing at the 9:30 Club in just two Sunday's. Someone please save my Mother (sha -- like I'd tell her!) the agony of worrying about me going to DC all alone and come with. I have no shame in begging -- if only via the protection of No Filter.

F.U.G.W.B.

Gmail's RSS feed threw this at me today.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/01/congress.iraq/index.html

I am so full of fury over this war, our President (who's name I can no longer say aloud without cringing) and his staff, I get tense all over just thinking about it. It doesn't help that I submerge myself in documentaries, Sunday morning political commentary and read as much as I can get my hands on to educate myself on the travesty that is our current administration. It doesn't even do much good to wish time away until the election in '08 or the blessed inauguration in '09 that will oust our lying, sack of shit . . . er, ok, I'm getting carried away, and I think you get my drift but really, why aren't more people as angry as I am over the lies and deceit? Is everyone shrugging their shoulders in unison saying, what does it have to do with me?

Interesting that this is only the second time during this administration that ole G.W. has used his power of veto -- the first, in July 2006, killed a bill that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. This man lifts his veto pen, not once, but twice, to essentially wipe away bills that would save lives -- lives saved by research and those saved by pulling our troops out of Iraq. F-U Mr. President. F-U.

Let's pretend we're in Antarctica

Zworks Lyrics Search has come through for me once again -- as did the Showtime series Weeds. I have found some great music through that show. This time it was a catchy little tune playing whilst the credits ran. I learned it was "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games", a track from Of Montreal's 20o5 release The Sunlandic Twins. It's poppy, fun and I feel as if I've heard it in a VW commercial or some other ad targeted toward the 20-somethings. I'm, as of this moment, downloading the aforementioned album as well as the EP Icons, Abstract Thee. Oh new and interesting music, how I adore thee!

Go Green!

It's finally trendy to be green. I don't care what the vehicle is that forces people to pay attention to our environment. As long as the masses are on board with ways each of us can help fix our planet's problems, I approve.

I was home early from work one Friday and caught Oprah's "Green Show" (don't roll your eyes!). In honor of Earth Day (April 22) she hosted an entire show outlining simple things every household can do to create big results. Oprah's request was for every person in her multi-million viewer audience to adopt just one the tips outlined in the show. Here's a selection of the ideas presented:

• Matt Damon presented a tip to stop your junk mail -- you know the stuff that clogs your old-fashioned mailboxes yet costs our planet 100,000,000 trees and wastes 28 billion gallons of water each year to produce. Green Dimes is a company that, for a dime-a-day ($36/year), will take care of most of the junk mail for you, plus plant a tree each month. Matt was so impressed with the company, he joined its board.
• BITS Ltd. smart power strips. Even after turning off a computer, TV, DVD player, cable box, etc., power continues to flow into the equipment. This power strip ($32.99) stops the energy from being wasted -- and in the end will $AVE you money. For more information visit http://www.bitsltd.net/.
• Choose a reusable water bottle. When you buy one liter of water at the store, you're actually buying about six liters of water. When manufacturers make plastic bottles, it takes five liters of water to cool the plastic.
• Reduce your use of paper napkins by just one a day! We use 2,200 napkins a year, per person on average. Six a day. If everyone gave up one napkin a day, we could save a billion pounds of paper waste a year. You'll notice now, just how many napkins you use . . .
• Choose not to receive a receipt at the ATM.
• Finally, change a light bulb! If we each replaced just one standard light bulb in our homes with a Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL) -- which you will start to see on store shelves everywhere -- it would be like reducing carbon emissions from 800,000 cars. These are not the fluorescent lights you might be familiar with -- you know, the flickering, buzzing thing over your desk at work -- the new and improved bulbs give off much more pleasant light and can be adapted to dimmers. They cost about $6 but you'll see immediate results in your power bill if you go CFL.

I'm not asking you to trade in your SUV (unless you're the asshole driving the Hummer) or install solar panels on every square inch of your home (like Ed Begley, Jr.) but it would be monumental if we all adopted just one "green" habit, making that action a part of our daily lives. Once that one thing becomes habit, we add another, and together take gradual and immediate steps to help save our planet from human destruction.