I was a bad blogger the night I saw Fanfarlo and completely forgot to bring a camera with me. Consequently, this will be one of my more "pictureless" retrospectives, but I'll try to inject more descriptors, depictions and details than usual to inject some pictorials into your mind eyes. Walking in from the cold and into a dimly lit room, a blue haze lay over like a fog in the studio-like cave of a room that is the Independent. A lack of heating and the stark, mist of blue made it seem just as chilly and outdoorsy as any outside venue, and in this frosty, blue environment - this cave of the Winter Miser - we were welcomed by a poem read by...Santa Claus. Well he looked like Santa Clause during the off-season, but nonetheless it was Kris Kringle - he was a of a certain proportion and had the big, white beard; he even had a bag, granted it was sort of a grocery bag. The more I looked at him, the more I thought they seriously picked a hobo up off the street to read that poem, but you know what? It's December, and the fat man ushered in the arrival of Fanfarlo, a gift I would never mind gettting. As far as I'm concerned, the man was Santa Claus.

Our early Christmas present took to stage in the dark, only half of the band walking quietly to their positions. After a quiet intro, the trio on stage grew into the touring sextet that is Fanfarlo, and with this full power they were quick to jump into favorites. With only one full-length to their name, it's no surprise they dipped immediately into Reservoir. Translating from an album to a live performance, Fanfarlo is as you expect them to be, and at times I found it hard to remember that the band was right there performing right in front of me. Their sound is just so right, so perfected. With Simon Balthazar behind the mic, he crooned his way through a fun, lively set, the other members adjuncting the rest of the odd sounds we love so much in their music - mandolin, trumpet, clarinet, handclaps, stomps. To see all this live after hearing it bustle out of headphones or speakers is a sight that slapped a smile on my face. I caught myself smiling quite a few times that night - smiling when the band would, smiling when I noticed the crowd was ear to ear, smiling at just being there, feeling their music run through me, warming me up. By this time, they're well out of Texas, but we're just the beginning. Fanfarlo's set to head to a lot more places in a tour that's generous with locations - be sure to check them out and warm your night up!




Various songs from Fanfarlo (all songs are right click - save as):
Luna

Check out the rest of their tour dates at the Fanfarlo site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Retrospective, The Independent

mp3 Crystalised
mp3 Basic Space

Rightfully ushering in the month of December here on Both Sides is the snow flurry sound of Efterklang, and rightfully ushering in the sound of Efterklang is a preview of their upcoming release, Magic Chairs, due out in February. If I remember my Danish If I Googled correctly, Efterklang comes from the Danish word for remembrance or reverberation, and it couldn't be any more appropriate. For such an ambient sound, there's a powerful effect that lasts and mulls you over and over. Listening to this Copenhagen-based group ends up being both a current and retrospective experience that culminates into an almost meditative experience that leaves you in a space that's just spacey and dreamy.

From Efterklang's Magic Chairs (all songs are right click - save as):
Modern Drift

From Efterklang's Parades:
Mirador

Learn more about Efterklang at their site.
Be their friend!

According to Macy's, the holiday shopping season has officially begun, and on this, the blackest of Fridays, I have the pleasure of working in retail once again. There'll be tears. There'll be blood. There'll be savings. And there'll be a myriad of shoppers willing to give us retailers the first two all in the name of that third. Whether or not you be the type to brave the crowds and eye-gouge your way to thrifty glory, I send you off with this Black Friday mix and pray you survive this dark, dark Friday.

A Dark, Dark Friday Mix (artist name leads to site and all songs are right click - save as):
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Au Revoir Simone - Dark Halls
Bishop Allen - Little Black Ache
Division Day - Bad Black Moon
Franz Ferdinand - Shopping For Blood
Jens Lekman - Black Cab
Lily Allen - Nan, You're A Window Shopper
Magic Wands - Black Magic
Okkervil River - Black
Sally Crewe & the Sudden Moves - Black Cars
Spoon - Black Like Me
Tunng - Tale From Black


Otherwheres - Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving weekend! And for my sake, stick to shopping your Black Friday on Amazon...

Labels: Mix

During our little hiatus - I've decided to call our unofficial, unannounced period of stagnance a few weeks ago a "hiatus" - we were woken up from our slumber by a few podcasters, BreakThru Radio. In our irrevocable laziness, we actually managed to bring ourselves to productivity again, if not for just a little bit. With Alina in Baltimore and myself in Austin, we reconnected via conference call to put together a program for BreakThru Radio's Anatomy of a Blogger series. Anatomy of a Blogger picks up a blog of the week and essentially dissects our blogger brains to come up with a program that rather much characterizes that blog in a nutshell. It was a bit of work to put Both Sides into an hour, but I think BreakThru managed to do it. Be sure to check out the rest of BreakThru Radio's programming for things like Anatomy of a Blogger and other great series.


Various songs from our program (artist name leads to site and all files are right click - save as):
Asobi Seksu - Strawberries
Frightened Rabbit - Good Arms vs Bad Arms
Matt & Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Oh No! Oh My! - The Party Punch
Rainer Maria - Artificial Light
Salty Pirates - Shark Attack
Shout Out Louds - My Friend And The Ink On His Fingers
Sleater-Kinney - Combat Rock

Check out the current blog of the week or listen to other shows over at the BreakThru Radio site.

Labels: Mix

I didn't think I'd have to write about this particular British band, because at this point, I simply thought they had entered everyone's musical library by now. But when I got an email from their promo that starts with the words, "Let me introduce you to..." only to end up being followed up the name Fanfarlo, I realized, well maybe there is a pocket of you out there that still don't know about this quintet - for shame! Fanfarlo is a British-based fivesome headed up by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar. As if mixing two of my favorite foreign bits - Swedish sensibility and a British beat - wasn't enough, how can you not expect good things to come from a band fronted by a guy named Balthazar? Even with good things already expected, Fanfarlo delivers something even greater. There's a quirkiness in their music that's unexpected. An air of disenchantment that's peculiar. Rather than being blatant and ostentatious about it, characteristics of their music are inlaid and organic. When it comes to Fanfarlo, you really get a sense that their music is a character with it's own personality. Ambience - it's all about the creation of ambience. Of course, you'd almost expect that from a band where one of the members is rightfully assigned, amongst other more expected instruments, the position of "noise."

Various songs from Fanfarlo (all songs are right click - save as):
Ghosts
Finish Line

Learn more at their site.
Be their friend!

This trio hails from Australia, a world of it's own for me ever since I stopped writing to my penpal in Melbourne. Since then, the word coming from that overgrown South Pacific island has been close to mum, but every now and again I'll stumble onto something from Australia that has me wonder why the hell I don't hear about bands from that countrinent more often. The Paper Scissors bring about a brand of rock that has me singing, loudly and badly, along, and when you give a listen to "We Don't Walk," I'm sure you'll get a rather good impression of my honky yodeling. As it stands, The Paper Scissors lean towards the poppier end of the rock fence, which is precisely the direction I like to tip my bands toward. So ready your fist for a game, because quite simply - Paper. Scissors. Rock.

Various songs from The Paper Scissors (all songs are right click - save as):
Howl
We Don't Walk

Learn more at their site.
Be their friend!

"If You've Only Got" is a feature here on Both Sides showcasing one song, one artist. Whether you have all day to listen to it or just enough time to put it in play once, an If You've Only Got song is gonna be well worth that time. It could be something from way back or something entirely new to you, but ultimately it's just something I really feel like sharing...

Coming in just in time to make a party out of your weekend are none other than Austinite duo CUSTODIAN. What else can you expect from a label that's known to party? Rounding out the roster at Artifact Workshop Records - home to names you might have read on here recently like Car Stereo (Wars) and Neiliyo - with another addition are Adreon Henry and Jay Bradley of CUSTODIAN. See that? All caps, so you know they're serious. With backgrounds that sprout from performance art, Henry and Bradley bring forth a sound that's definitively creative and unique. With these artistic roots at their backing as they press forth into a realm of dance, CUSTODIAN is one group that's sure to throw hearty arty parties. If you're in my area of Austin, Texas and the immediate beyond, definitely be sure to drop by for their CD release party at Bird's on Sixth tomorrow for what's sure to be dance-tastic!

If You've Only Got Series 5 (all songs are right click - save as):
CUSTODIAN - Pop-a-lock

Learn more at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: If You've Only Got...

My friend and I arrived two hours before the opening band was to open.  With our free time we explored Mohawk in its entirety and even found where the band members were getting drunk in their own private room.  We are still under 21 (ugh, STILL) so had nothing to drink in our hands.  We were bored.

Darwin Deeez soon made us very not bored.  They began their set with a choreographed dance.  These dances continued throughout their set. Here are two of their dances:

Musically, the band was strange.  The lead singer and guitarist only had four strings on his Squier.  Overall the sound was cheap, if not entertaining.  The lyrics were cute and fun, mostly involving science-y aspects like DNA and such.  Although Darwin Deeez provided a great deal of fun, I would not go out of my way to see them again.

And then Bishop Allen was on.  I thought they would play all their songs I knew and loved from high school.  I guess they've been busy since I graduated high school, because I did not recognize any of their new songs.  A whole pack of semi-formally dressed white people seemed to know every lyric, however, and danced obnoxiously throughout their set.  My friend was forced to dance by a rather large woman, leaving her shaken and angry.  Despite the annoying crowd, I did manage to have my ear drums blown out at the edge of the stage.  I locked eyes with the drummer and realized it was the drummer from We Are Scientists.  The rhythm was much better than before.

However, I missed the Bishop Allen of the yesteryears.  This Bishop Allen was unrecognizable.  There was a new chick who looked like an Urban Outfitters model reject.  There were five people onstage.  They played music I'd never heard. 

Oh well. I need to be educated.

After typing that Gil Mantera line from Elmo's Wish up there, I realize, "I don't know why I love you" pretty much sums up my relationship with Gil Mantera's Party Dream. After exposing themselves, both musically and what may as well have been graphically, to me during South By two years ago, I'm a fan (of the former, not so much the latter). Basing themselves in, out of all places, Youngstown, Ohio, Gil Mantera's Party Dream is a sibling duo that you simply wouldn't guess comes from Youngstown, Ohio. A mental ward's imagination, perhaps. But not Youngstown, Ohio. With a slant to synthesize, Gil Mantera's Party Dream caters to the party rock-inclined, and luckily for them, Gil Mantera has a simple inclination to just party. Nevermind the rock, that's the word that comes after party in party-rock, and party is what you will do. Gil Mantera and his brother, Ultimate Donny, are set to party various venues away and are set to make a party dream out of Emo's right here in Austin tomorrow night. For those of you in Austin, Texas and the immediate beyond, I say head on over and make something out of your Thursday night.

Various songs from Gil Mantera's Party Dream (all songs are right click - save as):
Elmo's Wish
Dreamlovers

Catch up on the dates on the rest of their tour on their site.
Be their friend!

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day two!




Right from the get-go, actually even before that, I was anticipating the weirdest of the weird when it came to Of Montreal. Oh no, I was not quite as naive as the first time I came across this group. This time I knew what to expect. Even the greatest amount of antici...pation, however, really amounts to nothing in terms of preparation. When it comes to Of Montreal, your mind's always just going to get screwed with relentlessly and without mercy, and your best option is to just go ahead and accept it. With that said, I waited for Of Montreal to take to the stage with my mind wide open.

It still wasn't open wide enough. Even if your mind were the Red Sea, Moses wouldn't be able to part your mind to be open wide enough for you to understand what's going on. A hooker, unlike her legs, can't part your mind wide enough for you to process every sensational cue being shot into your brain during an Of Montreal show. This group is no stranger to Waterloo Park during Fun Fun Fun Fest having played on what might have been the exact same stage they performed on two years ago. Last time, they managed to get crazy enough that electricity couldn't even handle them, and a fuse blew out. This time, the power managed to stay on, but in no doubt, the electrics this year were prepared for their arrival otherwise power to the entire park might have shorted out. Complementing the music was a group clad in black, their faces covered in reflective silver, playing out on stage to the music, dancing. At the close of one song, they gathered in the center. Facing the audience, they shot a rainbow of streamers towards the crowd. You'd think that a majority of us would be too caught up watching all this unfold, attempting, feebly, to get a grasp of the situation. Instead though, there was high energy abound, inescapable, and through some sort of hypnosis they just release everyone's inhibitions and let the madness take over. Of Montreal, frankly, takes you places that you don't know about, don't want to know about, and all the while, you just don't care.

Various songs from Of Montreal (all songs are right click - save as):
Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse

Learn more about Of Montreal at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day two!




By this point, the rain had lessened to a mere a drizzle that came and went. The ground beneath all of us was a slosh of mud, a soup of earth that we all seemed to sink into. It had been a dark, rainy day and to see the ghostly pale form of Alice Glass come forward from a darkened stage as if a vampire just seemed...fitting. In fact, Crystal Castles in its entirety just proved to be an immensely, for lack of a better word, fitting act at that hour. I can't speak for the rest of the crowd, but at this point with the rain and the cold testing me for hours throughout the day, I was a bit wet and disoriented. In this frazzled state, Crystal Castles proceeded to take advantage of the situation and pretty much blew my mind away with a show that was hypnotically intoxicating.

From the dark, a bright, white light flashbulbed the stage into a frozen moment of attack. The band dove straight into an industrious set with Glass coming forward from the flash of light. As the stage lights faded away, a menacingly large strobe light in Glass' hand kept her actions illuminated. With the strobe tricking my concept of time, I watched Glass frame by frame play out her vocals. The crowd was quick to find their bearings and started dancing to the call of Glass. From the back, a flack of multicolored glowsticks would shoot into the sky and land on the undulating crowd. The tempo of the music getting faster and faster while the action on stage seemed to be getting slower and slower in the constant flashing of the strobe light. Pure hypnotism - Crystal Castles was truly a highlight on Sunday with a set fitting of the Fun Fun Fun name.

Various songs from Crystal Castles (all songs are right click - save as):
Crimewave (Crystal Castles VS Health)

Learn more about the band at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day two!




As if the party started by Astronautalis before wasn't enough, Car Stereo (Wars)' set definitely kept things going and even made sure to kick it up a few more notches while they were at it. Who knew you could throw such good dance parties with a Macbook? Chris Rose definitely does, and he took this to his favor when he ushered and mixed one hell of a dance party at Fun Fun Fun. With another local Austinite, Neiliyo, at his side to MC the proceedings, the blue stage turned into a veritable mudfest with not a single person ever caught in a moment of stagnance. Everyone was moving as the beats were flowing from the speakers without break. Never a moment of silence to be had, it was a nonstop dance party from start to finish and Neiliyo took to the crowd to assure everyone kept dancing. Rose from behind the crowd that had now formed on stage to stretch the dance party even further, would occasionally join the banter of Neiliyo to make sure he was providing us with just what we needed to keep our joints greased. No matter where you looked everyone was dancing, and the people responsible for all of this were lost in the crowd making sure to keep everything going - Rose hidden amidst the crowd on the stage; Neiliyo partying incognito with the crowd in the mud pit below. With the rain still coming down, it was wet and dirty - those responsible for the tunage being mixed by Rose woulda been proud.

Various songs from Car Stereo (Wars) (all songs are right click - save as):
Charlie B. Barkin
Gator McKlusky's Gold
Who Likes Nick McKenna?

Learn more about Car Stereo (Wars) at his site.
Be his friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day two!




Sunday, if you can't tell by now from the pictures, was a rainy day. Astronautalis' set was around two, and by that point the rain had been slowly coming down for a good hour at least. If there's anything ACL taught us about rain and our music festivals though, it's that we really can't be bothered to stop listening to our music just because a little bit of water is falling from the sky. It seems a little bit of rain isn't gonna be stopping Andy Bothwell from delivering one hell of a set either; he may have started on the stage, but he was certainly of the people and spent most of his time out in the rain with the rest of us.

With only a Mac at his backing, Bothwell had an influence and magnetism that kept the crowd tied around his little finger. Wet from the rain and the mic in his hand, he let us know the rain wasn't going to stop a thing, the impending party included, and dared more rain to come cause "We don't give a shit." Whether he angered the rain gods or the dances we were all doing was some form of rain dance, more rain did come. And he was right. We didn't give a shit. Singing from atop a stone picnic table, Bothwell dipped into Pomegranate, his voice riled and antagonizing, for a set that had us sloshing at the fresh mud under our feet. As per his usual, he treated us to a freestyle - the highlight of his set. Calling to us for things to address, he was first given squirrels, syphillis and Asians before asking us if we've ever been to Singapore. Add to this The Twilight Zone and losing your sack lunch, and we were treated to a good listen about finding a Lunchables stolen by a disease-ridden squirrel and a fortune cookie that predicted the presence of rain during his set. Sometime during his show he told us that he knew, perhaps thanks to that fortune cookie, that the rain was gonna make it either his best or worst show. Having been the only time I've watched Astronautalis, something I now regret, I can't tell you for sure if it was his best, but I've really got to say, it definitely couldn't have been his worst.

Various songs from Astronautalis (all songs are right click - save as):
Trouble Hunters
The Wondersmith and His Sons

Learn more about Astronautalis at his site.
Be his friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day one!




Now it's been a while since I've really heard anything from these guyses, so it was nice to catch up with them at Fun Fun Fun. Ratatat, the prodigals that gave us quite a bit to talk about when it came to electronic tunage since their debut in '04 reminded us last Saturday why we we talked about them so much and why we shouldn't stop blabbering. Before the set headed off, a lengthy soundcheck had guitarist Mike Stroud ask us if we still loved them. There was no doubt. We did. LP3 might have been a year ago, but we all still love them. Ratatat delved into a set that cherry picked from their Classics and all around. Starting along, the crowd took to their sound and began to dance the second the first note hit their ears. An immediate understanding with each other, people were in sync with the band and the people around them. You'd think with this there was chaos, an overhyped crowd moshing the pits, but it wasn't. Ratatat just got us, and the set came off surprisingly relaxing and peaceful. Of course we were still dancing our asses off, but there was something serene to be said about it all. A good ending, great clincher to day one.

Various songs from Ratatat(all songs are right click - save as):
Loud Pipes
Jay-Z Sunshine (Remix)

Learn more about the band at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day one!




Alright. Les Savy Fav. From the second their set ended, I honestly didn't know how I'd even start to explain this show to you guys. Whenever someone asked me how this particular set went, I usually just said, "I'm not even gonna try." You knew things were gonna get weird when a flowing white robe with some sort of Creature from the Black Lagoon-esque mask floated across the stage. A mic in hand, the mystery creature began to wail before slowly ripping open his mouth to reveal the head of an equally mysterious creature, lead Tim Harrington, his face cross-hatched with black paint. Saintly and pure-looking in his stark white robe, Harrington continued to flow about the stage. When the confines of that place proved too small, he leaped a good few feet over us photographers in the pit and into the hands of an eager crowd. The mic cord continuing into the abyss, Harrington was an elusive Moby Dick hiding in the sea of people and disappeared from sight. Before we knew it, he breached.

Back on stage, he ripped off his robe...and reached into his pants. As his hand traced up his belly, a blood red paint was smearing up from his fingertips, and he proceeded to share these paints, red and black, with his band and the crowd - baptizing us into his reality, the paint wet on our faces. Pulling a matronly head scarf from where else but the paint storage that is also his pants, Harrington proceeded to wrap it around his head babushka-style before pulling it over his entire face. Blowing at the fabric to create I don't even know what to call it. Before we knew it, his pants were off too. In blue undies and pink tights, we were given the finale. Disappearing behind stage, Harrington returned on stage with a ladder - a Mighty Giant, nonetheless. Spreading it open between the pit and the crowd, he stood up on the highest rung to preach down at the audience. Whether it was planned or not, the Mighty Giant went from ladder to platform (as advertised!) with the crowd pulling him across. The ladder his vessel, Harrington was joined by a member of the crowd, and not even he expected to be violated that night. Pushed onto his back, Harrington leaned over and CENSORED with the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. Les Savy Fav. I don't even know how to start explaining these guys.

Oh and Robert Downey Jr. was there - I think he enjoyed it too.

Various songs from Les Savy Fav (all songs are right click - save as):
Patty Lee
Je T'aime

Learn more about the band at the Les Savy Fav site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective

Of the three major music festivals that grace this city each year, Fun Fun Fun Fest is certainly the locals' secret. Granted, it's a horribly kept secret, but there's an aspect to Fun Fun Fun that makes it seem so much more manageable. Watching Fun Fun Fun Fest grow and progress each year definitely lets you see just how much this city thrives on music. From it's humble beginnings as a $20 or so catch-all of good acts on one stage, one day, Fun Fun Fun Fest has developed into a four stage, two day affordable music mecca in just four short years. Fun Fun Fun though, definitely remembers it's roots, and despite such a growth, I'm more than comfortable still calling it a locals' festival. I don't know why - maybe the fact that placing it in Waterloo Park makes it seem like we covertly hijacked some park space for a quick fest. Whatever it is, with acts like Of Montreal and Crystal Castles, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only lives up to it's name, but gives it's older siblings something to watch out for. Their kid brother took off his training wheels this year, and I'd love to tell you all about it - so here we go, day one!




I'm not gonna lie, I saw Yeasayer on the verge of their last release sometime around South By two years ago, and I wasn't that impressed. Honesty's a bitter pill kids, but regret tastes even more pungent. Anything I said back then, I'm just gonna go ahead and redact and would like to remind you that the person less than impressed by this band back then kept saying their name wrong. Rather than having me leave their set with an apathetic and bored "Yeeaah(sayer)" Yeasayer's got my attention again and definitely had me thinking "Yay!(sayer)" come the close of their set. Covered in a bluish-purple haze of light, Yeasayer performed on a stage of psychedelics that brought their set to an even more fitting state of sway. There's an odd mix to Yeasayer, in both their music and stage presence. On one hand, you're nestled in a sound that's so easy to cradle yourself into, and on the other, you're possessed by a sense of disorientation. Physically, you're nestled nice and warm; mentally, you've just eaten what you thought was a normal mushroom and are now power-swaying to the smell of incense and peppermints. They just want you to turn on that blacklight and have some fun - Yeasayer's a trip, and you should have some.

Various songs from Yeasayer (all songs are right click - save as):
Ambling Alp
Wait for the Summer

Learn more about the band at their site.
Be their friend!

Labels: Fun Fun Fun Fest '09, Retrospective