Tag: vinyl


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Kevin Devine at Union Transfer

Posted on by Christian Bitto

I’m a baseball fan. In fact, the guy writing this uses the stage name September Call-Up. And in keeping with that theme I’d like to think of myself as a pinch hitter, or better yet, a middle reliever (I am a lefty after all) – in the sense that the editor of this very website missed the Kevin Devine show in Georgia due to the flu. I then gave her my own version of the “put me in, coach!” speech, since I was all set to attend the Philadelphia offering. She kindly obliged, and now I’m here to review a show from the guy whose first band was named after the ’86 Mets. Full Circle. Play ball!

Leading off was Harrison Hudson, who along with Mike Strandberg, was pulling double duty as a member of the Goddamn Band. The set was full of catchy pop-rock that floated somewhere between a friendlier version of The Strokes and a late 90’s Beach Boys revival (thanks to friends Jesse and Sara for those comparisons – I couldn’t think of anything more apt). The set was short, catchy and kept the crowd engaged, in all a good opener.

Next up was Now, Now who hail from Minneapolis but looked and sounded like they’d be more at home in Brooklyn or Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. Their sound was very lush, reverby electro indie-rock. Something that from start to finish sounded more like one long consistent film soundtrack than a collection of individual songs. Devine, himself, noted during his set that they were “cinematic”. Spot on.

In baseball, you put your best hitter in the 3-hole, so appropriately next came Devine with the Goddamn Band. Right from the start this was a more raucous version of the band. There was noticeably more energy. In fact, Devine could hardly stand still. He spent most of the set jumping around like a mad man, which felt an appropriate treatment for the new offerings on Bubblegum.

The set opened with long time crowd favorite “Cotton Crush” then settled in for some of the newer catalogue. “Private First Class”, the Chelsea Manning commentary with its meaningful lyrics and catchy melody is one of my new favorites along with title track “Bubblegum”. Going through the set, Devine played songs from five albums, mostly drawing from Bubblegum and 2009’s Brother’s Blood. The initial set ended with the rocking “Brother’s Blood”.  Afterward, instead of walking off, Devine  politely  asked that we pretend that he did and went right into the encore. The lack of pretense and taking yourself too seriously was immediately shown by the fact that the encore started with a 10 minute long medley of 90’s-2000’s pop/rock hits which seems to have become commonplace at the Goddamn Band Shows and is a crowd pleaser for sure.

The encore concluded rockingly with Bubblegum’s masterpiece “RedBird”, after which the band left Devine on stage with a lone electric guitar where he performed “Safe”, which was beautiful and poignant in the large, quiet room. This was followed by usual closer and favorite “Ballgame”, which seemed to have a noticeably more positive outlook than in past performances of the song. Perhaps a result of Devine’s recent nuptials and a bit of the artist coming through in his work. It’s nice as a songwriter when those things that drive you to put pen to paper sometimes, albeit all too rarely, end up working out in the best possible way. I’m happy for him. It was a nostalgic, touching, welcome end to a wonderful performance. It put a smile on your face, and you feel like you left the game with a win.

Catching up with Lydia

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Leighton Antelman of Arizona-based band Lydia is arguably one the most talented (and ridiculously good looking) singer/songwriter/musicians in the indie scene right now. Lydia was formed in 2003, and has since created musical masterpieces like nobody’s business. Lydia released their latest album, Devil, back in March of 2013 with great fan response. Devil Deluxe (B-side edition) was released mid-October while the band was on tour with The Maine and Anberlin. We got to catch up with Leighton at their show in Jacksonville during their last week of the tour. If you’re now thinking to yourself, “I wonder if he’s just as friendly and amazing as I’d imagine him being”, quell your curiosity and take my word for it- he is. If, like us, you’re interested in what exactly Leighton had to say about the past, present, and future of Lydia, check the interview below to find out, and then head over to iTunes and download Devil Deluxe (neither of which will leave you disappointed).

VM: How is the tour going so far? Tonight marks a new ‘leg’ of the tour, correct?

LA: We just finished the last show with The Maine and Anberlin last night in Orlando, and now we’re just playing and headlining 5 more shows on our way back home. It’s not really a tour; it’s kind of just fall headlining shows.

VM: Is there anyone that makes this tour more special than the last (aside from a stop in Jacksonville this time)?

LA:  Haha, yeah that’s true. I mean, this is the first show, so I can’t really say anything special about it…..so far. Maybe tonight it will be super special. We’ve been playing 30 minute sets for the past month and a few days, so we get to play new songs finally, which is cool. We usually play the same set, but we get to play 6 or 7 more songs now.

VM: Let’s take it back a bit- what happened in between the decision to do the Farewell Tour and the release of ‘Paint It Golden’?

LA: The guy who started the band and I had started parting ways, and that was the reason that we did the Farewell Tour. About a week before we left for the tour, he just…disappeared. We didn’t know what happened to him. Our relationship was the only reason I wanted to stop the band. We still did the Farewell Tour, and I had planned to hold to my word about stopping Lydia, but about 6-8 months after the Farewell tour, [the band] convinced me that we really should keep playing music. I really enjoy playing music with those guys and I didn’t really ever want to stop, it was kind of just a one-person thing. After all of that was gone, we all still wanted to play music together. It was kind of just a sketchy thing that happened, and I wish it had never had to happen, but it is what it is.

VM: Will any of the songs off of the very first demo ever surface again, or are those just dead songs?

LA: Wait, which songs?

VM: Oh you know, the ones literally titled “Demo One” and “Demo Two” that were really terrific…

LA: Haha, nah, those were just…demos.  I don’t know how they made it on the internet.

VM: Well, they’re terrific and I’m glad they found their way on the internet.

LA: Come on, they weren’t terrific. Some of the parts were cool. They never were meant to make it on the internet, but they did and I guess they’re there forever.

VM: What’s currently on your personal playlist?

LA: Lately in the van we’ve been jamming a whole lot of country mixes.

VM: Like what?

LA: Like Zach Brown Band.

VM: Is it because you’re in the south and you feel like you should?

LA: No, no, the whole tour! It’s just been a thing that we’ve all been into on this tour; kind of along the lines of Top 40 country. I can’t really do the honky-tonk stuff, though.

VM: Is the band still in contact with Mindy White? Has the set list decision process seem to have been affected since her absence?

LA: I’m absolutely in contact with Mindy- we talk on the reg. And I guess it affects it a little bit; some of the songs she sang too much on, so it’d be weird to play those particular songs. At this point we have enough songs so it’s not hard to fill a set. We’re definitely still friends though- she’s a great gal.

VM: Have you ever felt intimidated by the pedestal that so many people seem have to put ‘Illuminate’ on when it comes to writing new music?

LA: Eh, I would say no just because I won’t let myself do that. It’s just a terrible thing to do if you’re trying to be creative and artistic. I feel like you should always be trying move forward and create new and exciting things. It just seems like a weird way to go about creating something- holding yourself to a thing you did in the past. I already did that, I don’t want to do that again. And then there are those people who are like “Oh, it’s not as good as Illuminate” or “It’s better than Illuminate”; I’ve learned to not let the affect how I want to write the next album. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just…I guess I don’t care. And you shouldn’t care, really.

VM: With that said, have you been pleased with the fans response to ‘Devil’?

LA: Absolutely. I’ve been very impressed with the response. I’ve had so many people tell me that it’s their favorite record, which is cool because I don’t want to be that band that keeps putting out shittier and shittier records.

VM: Will there be another Holiday cover release this Christmas?

LA: I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. Did you really enjoy the last one?

VM: I did! I made this little video montage of my family at our Christmas festivities and I used that track as the background music.

LA: Yeah? Thank you! I just really have always loved that song. I love Holiday music; there’s some that is too much, but there so many good Holiday songs. I might need to do another one.

VM: Have your band members supported your endeavors in regards to The Cinema, and is there anything new coming from that in the near future?

LA: Yes, absolutely. They all love it, as well. We are about 90% done with a new album, and about a week and a half after we get back home I’m going to fly out to Atlanta to put the finishing touches on the record. It’s going to be out probably in January.

VM: My past experiences at your shows have proven to get rather intimate- would you consider doing a house show tour to keep the intimacy a real thing for Lydia shows?

LA: We’ve talked about doing a house tour before. To be perfectly honest, I’m not really sure why it hasn’t gone through. There’s definitely been talk about it because it’s a really cool concept. A lot of my close friends have done house tours, and it just sounds like a really good time.  A lot of bands seem to be going that route, and I can understand- they don’t have to pay anybody, all of their fans can get in, they don’t have to deal with a venue. We’ve definitely talked about it, and we’ll probably do one, I just couldn’t tell you when.

VM: Right on! If you want to come to Georgia I’m sure we could make something available for you.

LA: Yeah, totally. If we do the house tour it’s going to be a nationwide thing, we just don’t have it in the works right now. I’m glad you brought that up, though, because I’m going to bring that up again.

VM: What’s your favorite venue that you’ve ever played?

LA:  We played it on this tour, but in general it’s the House of Blues in Chicago. It’s just really cool. It’s like this three-tiered thing and its right on this river that goes right through downtown Chicago. It’s really old, but not in a bad way.  It may not be my absolute favorite, but it’s definitely one of them.

VM: What’s the next plan of action for Lydia when tour wraps?

LA: We’re probably just going to take a month or so off, and then we’re doing another headlining tour in April.

VM: Will that be in the states or no?

LA: Yeah, in the states, and probably the UK, as well. It’s all still in the works, but we’ll definitely be back through the states in the spring.

A Proper Goodbye: Breaking Bad series finale ‘Felina’

Posted on by Emily McBride

It’s over.  Finished.  No more Heisenberg.  No more Jesse.  No more science…bitch.

Before we start, just be warned that I’m going to be using the words “genius” and “perfect” a lot in this article.

Breaking Bad has earned its place at the very top of the list of my (and millions of others’) favorite shows of all time.  So I was more than a little sorry to see it go (what am I going to do on Sunday nights now?  Watch Low Winter Sun?  Doubtful).  However, I am so grateful to Vince Gilligan for playing it smart, not dragging it out for three seasons too long just to keep getting paid, and achieving something that so few of my favorite shows have pulled off (*cough* LOST *cough*) – a perfect ending.  Really, the only word that I can think of is genius.  Gilligan is an absolutely brilliant writer; he tied up every loose end so neatly…it was truly poetic.

Before we go on, let me just go ahead and warn you – SPOILER ALERT – although, if you haven’t already watched “Felina” or at least heard about it, I’m not sure if you know what the Internet is, so you’re probably not reading this article.

Here are the main parts of the finale that I want to talk about. I’m going to assume that you have seen all of the seasons and not overly explain the back story.

1.  Walt having Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz act as benefactors for Walter, Jr./Flynn/whatever he’s calling himself these days was absolutely perfect.  In the very first season of Breaking Bad – episode 5 “Gray Matter” – Walt refuses the Schwartzes’ proposition to pay for his cancer treatment.  Walt is completely offended by their offer, continuously bitter about their success from Gray Matter and too prideful to accept their charity.  I mean, he would rather cook meth than receive anything from these people.

Throughout the seasons, this is a continuing theme.  Walt’s never-ending resentment of the Schwartzes’ fortune becomes his pace car, and he continues to measure his own success by how close he is to building an empire that competes financially with theirs.

In addition to his inability to accept charity is his arrogant need to get credit for earning this money for his family, which makes money laundering pretty tough.  He refuses Saul Goodman’s advice to just filter his money through Walt, Jr.’s donation website, SaveWalterWhite.com, unable to accept the credit for their income going to an “anonymous donor.”

In the end, however, the story comes full circle.  Walt goes to Gretchen (who is wearing a fabulous jacket) and Elliott’s house and forces them to take what is left of his money (a mere nine million dollars…chump change) and donate it in the form of a trust to Walter, Jr. on his 18th birthday, knowing that any other way he tried to get it to his family would result in it being confiscated by the government.

So, basically, after all of the five seasons worth of corruption and destruction and death that Walt was willing to cause in order to keep his ego and pride in tact, Gretchen and Elliott still get credit for saving the White family out of charity.  Which means that this was pretty much all for nothing.  Well played, Gilligan…well played.

2.  I was super pumped to get to see Badger and Skinny Pete one last time.  I love those dudes.  And I totally called the whole laser pointer thing…just saying.

3.  Walt’s goodbye to Skyler made me tear up.  When Walt came back to say “a proper goodbye” to Skyler and finally admit to her that all that he did was not, in fact, for his family as he had claimed for so long but was, in fact, for him…dude, that was so raw.  Skyler finally hears the truth from him, and we see a glimpse of the old Walter White.

4.  The way Walt died was brilliant.  He had to die…he just had to.  For a few seasons now, I have rooted for Jesse to be the one to kill Walt in the end.  But when it finally came down to it, I’m glad he didn’t kill Walt in some final face-off where Walt was still fighting.  This end was much more real and heartbreaking.  It was perfect and fitting that Walt’s final act took him out.  He got himself in that room as Heisenberg, and he took himself out along with all of the other scumbags in there.  Everyone in that room deserved to die except for Jesse, and he got them all…including himself (except for Todd.  Todd was a truly despicable character, and Jesse deserved the satisfaction of taking him out).  Jesse is free, and he drives off…into the sunset? To go find and raise Brock?  We don’t know, but we do know that he’s going to be okay.

5.  Walt shooting Jack mid-sentence when he is trying to offer Walt his money back was, again, brilliant.  Heisenberg is dead, and along with him, his greed.  It’s not about that money anymore.  Jack is just too stupid to realize it.

6.  Lydia had to drink that ricin.  I hated Lydia.  From her shakiness to her ruthlessness to her stupid camomile and stevia habit.  I hated her.  That woman needed to go.  I’m so happy that she’s the one who got the ricin and that it was in her tea -that was just elegant.  Maybe that will teach you to use regular sugar like a normal person, Lydia.  Oh wait, you can’t – you’re dead.

The finale of Breaking Bad was badass, yes.  But it was also heartbreaking.  The entire series is honestly heartbreaking.  Witnessing the continuous corruption and destruction of a man who was at one point decent and then seeing him get what is coming to him takes a toll.  It is less satisfying to see Walt reduced to nothing – having lost his family and everything he ever cared about – than expected, as you have been rooting for his comeuppance for so long.  You are reminded that he is a flesh and blood human being, not just some raving monster that you love to hate.  Bryan Cranston’s genius and pure talent really come through here, making the viewer surprisingly sympathetic to Walt, even with all that we know about him.  But still, you know that Walt has to die.

All in all, “Felina” was a perfect ending to a brilliant show.  Now excuse me while I go rewatch all of the seasons on Netflix.

 

Tedeschi Trucks Band premieres “The Storm”

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Tedeschi Trucks Band released a video of an acoustic performance of “The Storm” on their tour bus. The band, led by vocalist Susan Tedeschi, just released their second full-length studio album Made Up Mind, and will be touring throughout the fall.

Tedeschi Trucks Band Tour Dates:
Oct 15 – Madison, WI – Overture Center for the Arts
Oct 16 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
Oct 18 – Ozark, AR – Harvest Music Festival
Oct 19 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Center
Oct 23 – Charleston, WV – Clay Center
Oct 24 – Columbia, MO – Jesse Auditorium
Oct 25 – Bowling Green, KY – Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center
Oct 29 – London, ENG – Royal Albert Hall *
Nov 01 – Boone, NC – Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
Nov 02 – Gulf Shores, AL – LuLu’s at Homeport Marina
Nov 08 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Nov 10 – Calgary, AB – MacEwen Hall
Nov 12 – Edmonton, AB – Jubilee Auditorium
Nov 14 – Winnipeg, MB – Centennial Concert Hall
Nov 15 – Thunder Bay, ON – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Nov 17 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Nov 18 – Montreal, QB – Metropolis
Nov 20 – Moncton, NB – Centre at Casino New Brunswick
Nov 21 – Halifax, NS – Cunard Centre
Nov 23 – Lynn, MA – Lynn Auditorium
Dec 03 – Tucson, AZ – Fox Tucson Theatre
Dec 04 – San Diego, CA – Balboa Theatre
Dec 06 – Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
Dec 07 – Stockton, CA – Bob Hope Theatre
Dec 08 – Salem, OR – Elsinore Theatre
Dec 10 – Seattle, WA – McCaw Hall
Dec 11 – Spokane, WA – Marin Woldson Theatre at The Fox
Dec 14 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium #
Jan 18 – Boca Raton, FL – Mizner Park – Sunshine Blues Festival
Jan 19 – St. Petersburg, FL – Vinoy Park – Sunshine Blues Festival
Jan 24 – Virginia Beach, VA – Sandler Center
Jan 25 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
Apr 23 – Cologne, GER – E-Werk
Apr 25 – Munich, GER – TonHalle
Apr 26 – Berlin, GER – Huxleys Neu Welt
Apr 28 – Paris, FR – L’Olympia
Apr 30 – Brussels, BEL – Ancienne Belgique
* – w. Mavis Staples
# – w. The Black Crowes & London Souls

Stream Parquet Courts’ new EP

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

Parquet Courts’ new EP, “Tally All The Things That You Broke,” is officially out October 8, however it’s available for streaming on their website now. It’s also available for pre-order on iTunes.

PARQUET COURTS DATES:

Wed. Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ The Beets, The Yuppies, Future Punx
Sat. Oct. 5 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival (Barton Springs Stage)
Sat. Oct. 12 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival (Barton Springs Stage)

 

These Animals release video for “Oak”

Posted on by Vinyl Mag

These Animals have premiered the video for their latest single, “Oak”, off their debut album Pages. The upstate New York band’s album was released earlier this summer.

TOUR DATES:
October 5 – Baltimore, MD – Fell’s Point Festival
October 16 – New York, NY – Bowery Electric (CMJ)
October 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Rock Shop (CMJ)
November 13 – Baltimore, MD – Sidebar Tavern
November 15 – New York, NY – Arlene’s Grocery