CAMERAPHONIC

Being out at the Gorge for any amount of time is kind of a surreal experience. You are out there in the high desert of Washington state and you can literally sit back and watch the weather change by the minute, which this entire weekend it did. While there, you are confined to this relatively small space compared to the vast surroundings, littered with rattlesnakes, ground squirrels, and birds of prey. The artificial existence is hard not to notice when entering the park established for these large festivals and concerts, when you head down the hill and are struck by the view pictured above. I am sure more than one or two bands out there that weekend had a moment when they felt like they were in the middle of Sting’s “Desert Rose” video…

MP3: 65daysofstatic - Failsafe from The Destruction of Small Ideas
The UK post-rockers were the first act I caught on the second day of the festival and I had heard a lot of good things about them. They seemed very serious and not so into the show as I’d have hoped, but the music was great. I am sure they are used to more dark and stuffy venues as opposed to the wilderness of the Gorge.

65daysofstatic Website | Myspace

MP3: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Resistance St. from What Doesn’t Kill Us
I’d met the guys from WMMF the day before while doing some video work with them and they were a great group of guys. Unfortunately, I did not get much of a chance to check out their live show, although what I did hear and the reaction from the crowd were both great.

What Made Milwaukee Famous Website | Myspace

MP3: J. Tillman - Steel On Steel from Vacilando Territory Blues
Tillman played his mid-day set to a pretty good sized, yet seated crowd on the grass of the Yeti meadow. There was some short banter with the crowd, but mostly he played a good mix of songs from his last few albums to a couple new tunes from his forthcoming album, Vacilando Territory Blues.

J. Tillman Website | Myspace

White Rabbits Website | Myspace

MP3: Tegan And Sara - You Wouldn’t Like Me from So Jealous
Tegan and Sara took the stage fairly early that day to a surprisingly really eager crowd. As soon as they started in with their set, fans went crazy and were having a great time singing along and screaming. It was a bit overwhelming from the photo pit… I could only imagine what it’d be like for them as performers to deal with that for an entire hour. Intense.

Tegan and Sara Website | Myspace

MP3: Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan from Asleep At Heaven’s Gate

Rogue Wave Website | Myspace

MP3: The Presidents Of The United States - Lump from The Presidents Of The United States
Billed as “The Presidents” for the festival, POTUSA revived a main stage show probably very reminiscent of their show 13 years ago when their self titled was released and “Peaches” and “Lump” were there two biggest hits at the time. A super energetic band they played to the crowds expectations and we one of the liveliest acts to the play that weekend, bouncing all over the stage.

The Presidents Of The United States Website | Myspace

MP3: Mates of State - My Only Offer from Re-Arrange Us
Mates of State rushed to take the stage as the band before them took a little longer than expected to finish their set. Jumping right into their music, not all the mics were set and their vocals didnt come in until a few seconds after they began singing, but it was alright. They showcased how over 10 years of making music together they’ve grown into making much more mature, yet still catchy, pop music. A definite highlight of the set was them playing “These Days” by Nico and off of their own 2002 split with Dear Nora.

Mates of State Website | Myspace

MP3: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Cold Son from Real Emotional Trash
Malkmus and the Jicks got a pretty late start after the Kooks took their sweet time getting off the stage. As Malkmus put it, “These tidy Americans” setup in less than 10 minutes and were off rockin’ a good mix of and new material. The jamming “Real Emotional Trash” really shines live as the band can groove together really well. As usual, Janet’s superb drumming ads a lot of flare to the Malkmus catalog.

Stephen Malkmus Website | Myspace

MP3: The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry Buy it at Insound!
The Cure closed the night with probably one of the longest sets I’ve ever seen from a single band. Two and a half hours, he walked off the stage twice looking just exhausted, yet he persevered and gave the crowd everything they wanted.

The Cure Website | Myspace

We had met up with Seattle’s Tiny Vipers just as Jesy and Ben were unloading from their van in front of San Francisco’s Elbo Room. After some quick introductions, we were off with an objective in mind, but no real location to shoot at. We considered the idea of a funeral home as we passed by, an indoor pool, but it was in use, and then we saw it… an open door! We walked right in and found ourselves in the hallway of a small condo complex. I quickly asked one of the groundskeepers if he cared that we were there for a few minutes and he just told me not to break anything. OK!

Nestled in the dark alleyway underneath the building Jesy’s voice began to slowly roll and echo over the lightly finger picked guitar of “Tiger Mountain”.

Picking up quickly to not lose the momentum, we shot down towards Mission St., but stopped a block short on 18th when we saw this amazing concrete and metal structure being erected on the corner of 18th and Mission. We quickly looked around to see who was nearby, found a crack in the fence, and ran up to the 2nd floor of the building. Positioning buckets for Ben and Jesy to sit on, in the middle of what would later probably become someones bedroom or home office facing Mission St, we got setup inside the stomach of a steel skeleton.

Rushing out of the construction site as to not get caught, we found ourselves on Mission St., which has no shortage of cheap furniture shops. We tried a couple to see if we could do a quick sit in on their couches and shoot a quick video, we came up with a couple “No”’s and even one guy who denied us because “Too many people use my shop for videos”… sure.

We came across one at 19th and Mission St. who gladly let us in, I think to break the silence in the store, but was more than happy to see someone enjoying his goods. Nate started out in the street as Jesy and Ben sat beside one another, Jesy on a plush couch, and Ben on the same style bed set. The duo quietly played as few passing by even took notice as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Tiny Vipers Myspace
Buy Hands Across The Void for a mere $6.30!! Who can’t afford that?!

My Brightest Diamond were one of the last acts to preform on the labor day weekend packed Bumbershoot festival in Seattle. After three amazing days of music, fatigue started to set in, ears growing numb and legs barely getting off the ground. BUT what can we say about Shana’s amazing voice and her quirky sense of humor? She definitely was one of my favorite acts this year at the festival. She talked about flying on brooms like Harry Potter, broken hearted at a high school dance, and how magical everything is. Shana and her band were a delight and we love everything about her (even that crazy hair she’s fashioning).

Songs:
It’s Over (Roy Orbison)
Magical Rabbit

Links:

• My Brightest Diamond Website | Myspace
• Buy My Brighest Diamond Albums at Insound!

[photo by Josh C. Bis: www.sciencevsromance.net]

After having to cancel on their show earlier in the day because of bus trouble, The National pulled their tour bus up behind Grand Archives as they were finishing up to play a last minute set for the crowd. When news first broke about them canceling and then soon after being rescheduled to play, rumors led fans to various stages, but they eventually all congregated around the Yeti Stage in the biggest audience I’d seen there all weekend.

I waited backstage as their bus backed up and quickly asked Matt Berninger if he was cool with me recording as soon as he jumped off their bus. The typical “Mics are fine, no soundboard” response and I was off to setup right in front of the soundboard tent. It’d been a long day and their quick setup combined with tired minds made for a slightly chaotic scene as people were making sure everything was plugged in and sounded good enough for them to take the stage. After an introduction from The Office’s, Rainn Wilson, the band started in with a setlist heavy on their latest album, Boxer.

Enjoy!

2008.05.24
08:15 pm PST
The National
Yeti Stage, Sasquatch Music Festival
The Gorge, Quincy, Washington, USA

Source 1: Beyerdynamic MC930 > Marantz PMD 660 - 48kHz/16bit

Setlist:
00. info
01. Rain Wilson Introduction
02. Start A War
03. Brainy
04. Secret Meeting
05. Baby, We’ll Be Fine
06. Mistaken For Strangers
07. Slow Show
08. Squalor Victoria
09. Abel
10. Racing Like A Pro
11. Ada
12. Apartment Story
13. Fake Empire
14. Mr. November

Encore:
15. About Today

For a lossless version download: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=209725

The National Website | Myspace
Buy their hit Boxer today for only $9.99!!

David Bazan took the stage as he does these days, just him and a guitar. No grand introductions, no sorely missed drum player, and as the house music stops… he walks on stage and starts right into a set showcasing newly written material mixed with (now) old Pedro The Lion and Headphones songs.

Starting in with a new song tentatively titled “Hard To Be”, Bazan shows just how far along his song writing has come in the last decade of making music. Insightful yet apprehensive lyrics show his vulnerability to what the future holds for him.

So without further adieu…

2008.05.24
05:25 pm PST
David Bazan
Yeti Stage, Sasquatch Music Festival
The Gorge, Washington, USA

Source 1: Beyerdynamic MC930 > Marantz PMD 660 - 48kHz/16bit
Source 2: Soundboard > Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 - 48kHz/16bit

00. info
01. Hard To Be (new)
02. Cold Beer & Cigarettes
03. Please Baby, Please (new)
04. Transcontinental
05. Shit Talker
06. Harmless Sparks/Fewer Broken Pieces
07. Lost My Shape (new)
08. Hot Girls
09. When We Fell (new)
10. Of Minor Prophets And Their Prostitute Wives
11. Bless This Mess (new)
12. Heavy Breath (new)

For a lossless version download : http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=209474

David Bazan Website | Myspace
Buy Fewer Moving Parts or Shirts and Pedro CDs from Undertow!

MP3: Amanda Palmer - Runs In The Family, from Who Killed Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer, one half of Dresden Dolls, made her way to the beautiful venue, The Great American Music Hall on Wednesday, August 9th, promoting her upcoming solo album called Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Prior to the show, fans were encouraged to write questions to Amanda so that during her set she could do a little Q & A and take fun breathers during her two hour long set.

MP3: Amanda Palmer - Ampersand, from Who Killed Amanda Palmer

The two hour set and two encores later, she proved to everyone in attendance how she can entertain a packed house keep them all at attention. She’s definitely one of those musicians who bring out the performer aspect at her show, coming out scantily clad in burlesque-esque attire and opening her set while lip-syncing Ben Fold’s “Cologne”. She also played Regina Spektor’s “Apres Moi” and her other band, Dresden Dolls, “Coin Operated Boy”. Closing the show she rocked out, unplugged, hanging from the upper balcony strumming her ukulele singing along with the entire house to Radiohead’s “Creep”.

Amanda also played a few songs off her new album such as “Astronaut”, “Ampersand” and “Runs In The Family”, as well as an unreleased song called “I Google You”. During her Q & A sessions, she revealed that she used to not be able to write any songs while on the road and her only comfortable space was at home, though now shes not as picky as to where she writes.

She’s certainly one of those people who command your entire attention in the room, but by no means in a bad way. Everyone was captivated on her and it was not even noticeable that she was on stage solo.

Amanda Palmer Myspace
Until her solo album is released… you can check out her band, Dresden Dolls!

The first day of the festival for us was one where we were running a little late and trying to make the rush to catch the main stage openers, Fleet Foxes, before their set was over. We made it with a few minutes to spare, but I will include those photos with the ones below since they took the slot of The National later in the day.

Second up was Dengue Fever, the Cambodian influenced pop rock outfit. I’d seen them at last years inaugural Treasure Island Music Festival and while they drew a larger crowd this time around, I felt a strange sense of deja vu watching their set and feeling as if little has changed for their live show. Sure the lead singer is out there and very charismatic, but it just wasn’t captivating to me. I haven’t seen a club show of theirs so I could be very wrong, I should make an effort to change that.

Dengue Fever Myspace
Pre-Order Dengue Fever’s Escape From Dragon House now!

The Shaky Hands

Not much to say about this band, I dropped in on their set, snapped a couple shots and ran off to grab a bottle of water and catch Beirut.

The Shaky Hands Myspace
Pre-Order Lunglight from the Shaky Hands!

Beirut took the stage with horns blowing, accordions wheezing, and the strings singing. Showcasing songs from their upcoming album, they played to an enthused crowd. The apparent Spanish styling of the new record was very apparent in the bands 45 minute set.

Beirut Website | Myspace
Buy Gulag Orkestar and Pre-Order the new Beirut T-Shirt released for Insound 20!

Ozomatli Website | Myspace
Check out Ozomatli records at Insound!

So while taking a break during Ozomatli (I gave my camera to my friend, Rylan, that’s actually his photo up there) from running around all morning, a note got posted on the press trailer saying that The National had canceled. Pretty lame considering I was really looking forward to seeing them. Soon after that, the note was added to stating that Fleet Foxes would be replacing them! Great news!

For the second time that day Fleet Foxes had taken the main stage. Starting out with an introduction by Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office, The Last Mimzy) where he pretty much rambled for 10 minutes. He started with the dictionary definition of a fox, followed by what is a Sasquatch and if it were real… where was it, and then he introduced “The Fleet Foxes”.

The band broke out into their set with more energy than earlier in the day and to a much larger crowd. Robin’s brother was seen both on the side stage and photo pit taking video of their performance as well. For a crowd expecting to see The National that afternoon, Fleet Foxes made the stage their own and captivated them all.

Fleet Foxes Myspace
Buy their self-titled release, Fleet Foxes, now!

Destroyer Website | Myspace
Check out Destroyer’s Your Blues!

David Bazan is an artist I have been following for near 10 years now, so it was a pleasure for me to be able to catch him again at the festival. He’s currently wrapping up recording his upcoming full length release for Barsuk so he played a number of new songs as well as some classics from his Pedro The Lion days as well as a couple from his side project, Headphones.

David Bazan Website | Myspace
Buy Bazan’s first solo release Fewer Moving Parts!

The Breeders played to a really ecstatic crowd. Unfortunately I had been having too much fun the first day and was feeling the alcohol’s effects during this set. This is maybe the only in focus shot I got of them. Carrying on…

The Breeders Website | Myspace
Buy The Breeders new album Mountain Battles!

REM is one of those groups who I’ve shared a lot of “love/hate” relationships with. On one hand I used to love to listen to their older albums, Document, Green, Automatic For The People, and Monster, but at New Adventures In Hi-Fi they lost me somewhere and I had kind of written them off. It wasn’t until I heard that La Blogotheque’s, Vincent Moon, had been working on and finished a documentary with them that I had my interest peaked again. I saw a few rough clips from his work and their new songs and fell right back into being excited about their closing set.

The band took the stage just as it began to drizzle a bit again. Throughout the day there had been on and off sprinklings and we’d learn that it would be something that continued all weekend. Stipe and the band exploded onto the stage not realizing how slippery it would be and while he almost took a dive, his guitarist wasn’t so lucky. Taking off with the first song off Accelerate, “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”, they went from energetic new songs to classics and did not even have to win the crowd over. They were already there waiting for REM to bring it.

REM Website | Myspace
Check out Accelerate now! I highly recommend it!

MP3: No Age - “Eraser” from Nouns

The chaotically melodic duo of No Age brought their brand of indie rock influenced punk rock to the stage of the Great American Music Hall the other night, just a couple months after opening at the same venue for Battles. What some might expect from the group due to their recent MTV music video, is quickly thrown out the window as soon as the two strike up their first chords and put their all into noisy yet deliberate notes blasted out from their PAs.

The band’s mix of sampling and raw instrumental power allow the duo to create an incredible wall of sound not only on their album, but it’s something they put their intensity into 110% for the live shows and is immediately received by the audience and given back ten fold. Being up front and center at a No Age show reminds you why you go out to a show on a Monday night and makes you fall in love with live music all over again.

[Photos by Muhammad Asranur]

No Age Website | Myspace
Buy Nouns Now!

THE SOFT DRUGS are TW WALSH’S band. he was in PEDRO THE LION for several years and wrote and co-wrote songs on their last album ACHILLES HEEL.

From the man himself TW:

i’m pleased to announce that THE SOFT DRUGS are working with a brand new (the first?) “blog/label” called CHASING LIONS. they’ve got SIDE A of our new album GET BACK as a FREE 4-song download here:

http://chasinglions.com/the-soft-drugs-get-back

send the link to your buddies. if you are a DIGG user, please DIGG the article. it’s appreciated.

we are also selling new t-shirts (featuring an ape riding a shark) and limited edition cds (100 copies, hand-numbered by me) of side A here:

http://chasinglions.bigcartel.com

the shirt and cd packaging were designed by our comrades at HEXIT: http://awickedeyeful.com

if that wasn’t enough, we have several shows coming up:

8/16 union hall, brooklyn nyc
8/23 pa’s lounge, somerville ma
9/18 tw solo @ boston university (elliott smith tribute show)
10/2 great scott, allston ma

we’re aiming to have the record out around october. it should be available on vinyl and cd. we’re excited about it…we recorded most of the music live in the studio in scenic lowell, massachusetts - the birthplace of jack kerouac. coincidence? yes.

our last EP, IN MODERATION is still available FREE here: http://thesoftdrugs.com

thanks for your support.

MP3: The Long Winters - Pushover from Putting The Days To Bed.

Seattle’s, The Long Winters, brought the 70’s back Thursday night at the Independent. Running out, over enthused to put on a great show, lead singer, John Roderick, took a dive over his amp and into the drum kit after explaining he’s going through a “Space Hippie” phase. The really tight group and confident rock really got the crowd excited and into the set quickly.

Taking requests and maintaing a good rapport with the crowd, Roderick showed that even while on tour he can belt out the songs with the best of them. His lyrical musings and warm tone make you feel like you could sit down with the guy and have a beer as if he’s one of your good friends. A solid set put on by the band as a whole made for an incredible show at the Indy.

[Photos by Muhammad Asranur]

Links:

The Long Winters Website | Myspace
Buy Putting The Days To Bed

The Handsome Furs played to a sold out crowd at San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop in September of 2007 and we are offering you the chance to be up front and center to this great show.

Their unique mix of drum machine and guitar make for a surprisingly full sound from just the two piece. They rocked it out that night putting an energy into the show that rivals Dan’s own Wolf Parade.

Songs:
Dead And Rural
Can’t Get It Started
Handsome Furs Hate This City
Dumb Animals
Sing! Captain

Links:

• Handsome Furs Website | Myspace
• Buy Handsome Furs DEBUT Album here at Insound!

MP3: Wolf Parade - Language City (At Mount Zoomer)

Wolf Parade played last night to a sold out crowd at the Fillmore, still promoting their album At Mount Zoomer. Opening for them, in Wolf Parade fashion, were their friends and fellow band mates from the side project Johnny And The Moon, Listening Party.

MP3: Listening Party - Swift Runner

Listening Party divert from the alt-country stylings of Johhny And The Moon and are more drum and synth focused with wild guitar riffs. The drummer played trashcans and buckets while reverting from maracas to various drum sticks. The heavy drums and group singing seemed very tribal at times and their last song of the night made me wonder what world music concert I had walked in on. With the exception of their closing song, everything seemed to meld well with their set.

MP3: Wolf Parade - California Dreamer (At Mount Zoomer)

Wolf Parade took the stage soon after Listening Party and immediately broke out into “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts” to which the crowd responded back ten fold. Their set was everything you’d expect from these now veteran rockers and more. Girls going topless to guys rushing the stage and tearing their shirts off to jump on the audience to crowd surf, the place was beaming with hyped up energy. Even towards the end of their hour and a half set they played their most powerful songs, “It’s A Curse”, “I’ll Believe In Anything”, and “Fancy Claps”, as the encore. A show not to have been missed from our brothers from the North.

Links:
Wolf Parade Website | Myspace
Buy At Mount Zoomer!
Listening Party Myspace

MP3: Port O’Brien - Stuck On A Boat (Live @ The Triple Door, Seattle, WA)

Port O’Brien ended their tour this week with a final show at Cafe du Nord on July 11th. To a sold out crowd, they endured through Van being sick and with a lot of audience participation persevered. Always being a fan of off beat sounds and harmonies, I thought Van’s slightly more raspy voice suited the style of their music well.

From whistling to “ooo’s” and “aahh’s”, those in attendance kept the show going that night finally culminating in the band handing out old pots and pans and inviting everyone on stage to sing along to what is quickly becoming the bands trade mark song, “I Woke Up Today”. Very rarely have I ever seen such a party break out at Cafe du Nord. Everyone singing and clanging on worn out iron pots and pans, the house erupted with an energy rarely seen at shows. Definitely the perfect way to end the show and their tour.

Links:
Port O’Brien Website | Myspace
Buy All We Could Do Was Sing!

Mp3: Totimoshi - Ladron

12 Galaxies was the host to three incredible bands on July 8th, Big Business, Triclops! and Totimoshi, who were celebrating the release of the album Milagrosa. Totimoshi’s sound leans heavily on dense yet concise riffs, leaving room for drummer Chris Fuggit to relentlessly pound his drums without stepping on the arrangement. Frontman Antonio Aguilar’s Stratocaster/Mesa Boogie rig, provides a massive wall of sound, while allowing his riffs to cut through the sound at will. Bassist Meg Castellanos is the glue that holds this juggernaut of a three piece together. They have forged their tight sound through relentless touring and they clearly enjoy playing these songs together. They’re preparing for another cross country trek with Nebula, promoting their new Page Hamilton (from Helmet) produced Milagrosa.


Mp3: Triclops! - March of the Half-Babies

Triclops!, a 4 piece based out of San Francisco, is like no other band I have ever heard or seen. All four members are on top of their musical game and its clear they have something meaningful to say through their music. Some bands pride themselves by leaving it all on stage, make no mistake this band will pummel you. The photographer next to me asked me if I had ever seen Triclops! before and went on to tell me how crazy the singer is. Ten minutes later the same photographer was getting kicked in the head by the singer as he jumped in the crowd.

Mp3: Big Business - I’ll Give You Something To Cry About

Now for the headliner of this great bill, Big Business. This three piece out of Los Angeles is an insanely tight band whose rhythm section also plays with The Melvins. The drummer Coady Willis resembles a cyclone of arms flying everywhere, while precisely executing all his parts. Guitarist Toshi Kasai (one of the nicest guys in rock) weaves in and out of the sonic space, playing around Jared Warren’s bass notes. Cranking an album up to full volume is nice, but I highly recommend seeing this band live, they’ll melt your face.

Links:
Totimoshi Website | Myspace
Buy Milagrosa!

Triclops! Website | Myspace

Big Business Website | Myspace
Buy Here Come The Water Works!

Mp3: Tilly And The Wall - Pot Kettle Black

Tuesday night is the new Saturday night, well, at least it was when Tilly And The Wall played at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The place was packed, fans were eagerly cheering and singing along. Oh, not too mentioned that balloons and confetti were everywhere. Kianna Alarid looked over the crowd and couldn’t agree more, “What night is it?!”

Bringing props and their own lighting setup to enhance their show, Tilly And The Wall’s music speaks for itself. From the anthemic first song, “Too Excited”, with its dirty guitar sound and rockin’ beat. The quirky marching sound of “Rainbows In The Dark”, to the crowd favorite “Beat Control”, and the last song, “Sing Songs”, the band never failed to make statement, “We make good music, let’s have fun and party!”

All of the excitement started few hours before the door opened when Alarid, who used to be a florist, spray painted one of the band’s prop outside the venue. How many times have you seen a band member do that? Never? Exactly! And then just before the show started, colorful balloons, courtesy of Tilly And The Wall, started to drop all over creating a dreamlike party atmosphere.

Touring behind their new album called “O”, Neely, Kianna, Nick, Jamie and Derek are definitely the rising stars in the indie music world. Headlining a 200 people club at Noise Pop Music Festival back in early March of this year to headlining 600 people club in a few months is no small feat. Let’s hope, they keep doing what they’re doing and filling our world with tap dancing, percussion, vocal harmonizing signature sound of Tilly And The Wall.

And yes, I want more of those tap dancing solos!

Links:
Tilly And The Wall Website | Myspace
Buy Tilly And The Wall’s O!

Mp3: Jesse Sykes - LLL

Jesse Sykes opened the second night of hers and Earth’s encore show at the Tractor Tavern on July 29th, which was also the final night of the tour. A slightly more tense than usual Jesse took the stage with her band and played a great mix of old and new songs from their catalog. They played a more rockin’ version of “Station Grey” to the delight of many of the fans present.

Aside from a bit of playful bickering between the band, they showed their really tight skills they’ve earned by playing on the road much of this year. More guitars, perfect timing, all are great signs of a close knit group.

Mp3: Earth - The Driver

Earth closed the night with their fantastic form of drone metal, which really drew the crowd in. Each note and skin hit to precision showed off their musicianship as a band. Dylan does not just play his guitar, he pours his emotions out with each note. To him, his music say the words that the normally humbled gentleman keep to himself.

Links:
Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter Website | Myspace
Buy Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul!
Earth Website | Myspace
Buy The Bee’s Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull

Ours are touring behind the new album, Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginery Enemy) which was produced by Rick Rubin. The last two dates of the tour were also the first two dates, which were canceled. The band hasn’t said anything why the 2 dates were canceled, but lead singer, Jimmy Gnecco (the heart and soul of Ours), only said last night at Slim’s that things have been rough and the band wanted to take time off. They had the drummer from the first opening band, Plain Jane Automobile, to fill in. He only had a day to learn all the songs and he was really good judging from the appreciation from Gnecco.

The show was magical. Gnecco commanded all the attention with his falsetto voice that expresses despair and hope at the same time, like the album itself. Watching him sing, it’s as if Gnecco gets a little bit of happiness from all the sadness he expresses through his music.

The crowd stood silent, in awe almost, as the band played “God Only Wants You”.

On the song “Get Up”, I could hear Bjork’s influence on his singing as if he were invoking her spirit. “And The More You Love You Love”, the end choir part of this song, was repeated for about 5 minutes even though the band had already left the stage. I had wishful thinking, that during this part, the Inuit female choir that toured with Bjork behind the album Vespertine would somehow got on stage and started singing this part live.

Links:
Ours Website | Myspace
Buy Ours’ album Mercy at Insound!

Damien Jurado toured last Fall opening for Okkervil River. He brought with him his band, Eric Fischer and Jenna Conrad, to play quite a few new songs they’d been in the process or getting recorded for about a year.

At the time his rendition of Low’s “Murderer” had just been released on the blogs and this was another pretty high profile gig for him after also opening for Low back in the Spring.

Enjoy some of these new songs before you get to hear the more rockin’ studio version when the album is released on September 9th, 2008.

MP3s:
01. Damien Jurado - Coats Of Ice (Live) [NEW]
02. Damien Jurado - Caskets (Live) [NEW]
03. Damien Jurado - Like Titanic (Live)
04. Damien Jurado - Black Eyes (Live) [NEW]
05. Damien Jurado - Gillian Was A Horse (Live) [NEW]
06. Damien Jurado - Denton, TX (Live)
07. Damien Jurado - Lose My Head (Live)
08. Damien Jurado - Dimes (Live) [NEW]
09. Damien Jurado - Inevitable (Live)
10. Damien Jurado - Great Today (Live)
11. Damien Jurado - Best Dress (Live) [NEW]

Links:
Damien Jurado Website | Myspace
Buy Damien Jurado’s Albums