First the bad, I wanted more footage of Belle & Sebastian and Mogwai and less Nick Cave is always appreciated. Also, this movie, whether intentional or not, feels like an homage to indie music and its fans. I consider myself to be a fan and therefore do not have a problem with this. However, it is difficult to imagine anybody who does not like these bands enjoying this movie at all.

Now the good, the footage in this movie was shot by the fans and it really captures the festival well. You get the performances, the drunks, the venue, Daniel Johnston and a pissed off David Cross. In short, this film is a celebration not only of All Tomorrow’s Parties, but of a tribe of people to whom music is a big part of their lives. I quickly got into the movie and turned up the volume and wished I had spent some money on surround sound. Much like pizza, even when it was bad it was still good, because it had a celebratory vibe running throughout which was contagious. I enjoyed the film and the extras in their entirety. No, I did not skip over Nick Cave, even though the guy sucks.

After viewing All Tomorrow’s Parties, I’ve noticed that I check tour dates a little more often, I play the iPod a little louder and think about music just a little bit more. Basically, the movie acted as a motivational seminar on music.

Jesse: Where does last night’s show rank among the best shows you’ve ever seen at The NorVa?

Hannah: I’d say it’s in my top five. I really loved Beach House/Grizzly Bear earlier this year, Walkmen/White Rabbits/Spoon last year, The Roots a few years ago (met ?estlove backstage), and a couple others. And had I not seen Phoenix before and had one of the best concert experiences of my life that time (Thomas Mars serenaded me!), I would rank last night as top two.

How does the NorVa now compare to other venues you’ve been to?

Jesse: So I have to admit, it wasn’t love at first sight for The NorVa and I. I had some salty interactions with the staff; I went to a bunch of half-full shows for excellent acts (always demoralizes you about an area); overall, I felt like the place felt just a little too clean and a little too nice… the spirit of Rock & Roll did not inhabit my body as the bouncer ripped my ticket, if you know what I mean.

Last night changed that perception for me. The staff was noticeably courteous and cool. With the place packed and the singer in the middle of the crowd, I didn’t notice that it was a bit tidier than I prefer. An awesome band was in town, the show was sold out, everybody danced, the band kicked ass, I cracked the face of my iPhone, I fell in love about eight times, and the experience held up to nearly any show I’ve seen in my life.

What were your favorite two or three songs they played last night?

Hannah: I’d say “No Consolation Prizes” and “1901.” I was a little disappointed about “Everything is Everything”–I wasn’t really feeling the slowed-down version. I also didn’t wasn’t into the sped-up version of “If I Ever Feel Better.” It was kind of rocked-out on instrumentals, yet Mars was spitting the lyrics kind of like rap. But other than that, Phoenix’s live music is as satisfying–if not more than–their recorded music.

Jesse: Two-part question: Where would you rank them in the pantheon of the top bands currently making new music? Do you think they’re going to keep getting better? (I worry that they might be entering the plateau or new-album-sounds-like-the-last-one-but-worse phase.)

Hannah: I really favor them… they’re one of the top five bands for me. Clearly they’re behind the big ones, like Radiohead and Arcade Fire, but I love them. I’m really partial.

I just think they’re the epitome of cool. French guys who make music that’s sweet yet you can dance to–and the lead singer is Sofia Coppola’s baby-daddy? I mean, come on, already.

I don’t think they’re going to plateau because they’ve only been getting better with every album, and they’ve already put out quite a few.

To change the subject… would you feel comfortable eating the NorVa’s popcorn? (I do not. It’s just the last place I’d want to eat popcorn. Like, who knows how long that popcorn has been sitting there?)

Jesse: Damn, Hannah, did the popcorn at The NorVa say something bad about Momma Serrano? I do not share your spite for The NorVa popcorn. I’d eat it for breakfast tomorrow morning. I’d love it.

Hannah: At one point, you observed that the NorVa last night was perhaps “the hottest roomful of people” you’ve seen since you got here. Please describe.

Jesse: There was a lot of taut skin, facial symmetry, and pants so tight they told the story of the person’s life. But to be serious, yah, I did notice that it was a particularly attractive and hip crowd. And I’m not just talking physically; the people there had a certain confidence, almost a kind of pride, that was alluring. They wanted to be nowhere but exactly where they were, and that’s sexy.

As we were leaving you mentioned how happy you were that Norfolk came out for this.

Hannah: Yeah, it’s important that we go to shows, so that bands and tour managers know Norfolk is some place to continue coming back to. The fact that Norfolk will pack shows like Band of Horses and Phoenix says a lot about this city. We’ve got good taste, and we support live music. It was an amazing way for the NorVa to ring in its tenth anniversary. I think it definitely earns its great national reputation.

Are you satisfied? Do you think this conversation review worked out?

Jesse: I am satisfied.

Read the original article here.

What a dream it was to see Wilco in this capacity. Imagine your favorite band, the promising news of a three-hour long set and a smaller than usual venue. I was actually concerned about having ridiculous expectations for the show. Wilco exceeded every single one of them.

Entering the stage to the theme music from The Price is Right, the band started with “Wilco (The Song)” and literally did not stop or miss a beat the entire night. The set list spanned their entire discography and that is the wonderful thing about this band. Wilco utilizes their catalog in a way that feels rarely appreciated by most bands with a similar lifespan. Apparently, we were all treated to a first-ever full band performance of their tune “Someday, Some Morning, Sometime.” As much as I enjoy the band’s current output, there is nothing quite like hearing live renditions of my favorite songs off of the pivotal release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. “Poor Places” and “Ashes of American Flags” especially hit home incredibly hard.

To my understanding, conversations regarding this performance are finding more of a focus on Tweedy’s attitude as opposed to the music played. Throughout the set, Tweedy made mention of people chattering throughout the entire show. I personally did not have any difficulty listening to the band as a result of this (even during their acoustic set nudged in between their two main sets, which I might add had wonderful transitions from “Poor Places” into “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” and “Outta Mind (Outta Sight)” into “Misunderstood”). I have even heard that as Tweedy asked one overly excited fan to calm down, the person in question yelled fuck you at him. It is a shame that any of this had to go down, but unfortunately people do pay large amounts of money to attend events that pertain more towards their social interests as opposed to their musical interests. It’s an unfortunate reality, but I personally felt like I was seeing the best Wilco show I have ever seen. I hope this doesn’t dissuade the band from returning to this city. I think it should also be noted that the venue has received a great number of criticisms regarding their quality of sound. Last evening was easily the best sounding show I have attended there and the light show was impeccable. Kudos to the National and their staff for really upping their game.

After they closed out their second “loud” set with a Big Star cover of “Thank You Friends,” I was filled with thoughts surrounding the whole night. I thought about how bizarre of a band Wilco truly is. Their fan base isn’t really bound to one sect of the social stratosphere. You can easily expect to see men and women of the same age that probably wouldn’t be seen in the same place if it weren’t for a similar adoration of the band. Wilco can go from having a song sound like it was removed from the likes of Bob Dylan or they can have a song that explores the experimental nature of groups like Sonic Youth. Their songs can be heard in car commercials, but not necessarily on commercial radio. They make their money on the road and their live show earns a reputation deserving of this.

In a review I wrote regarding the band’s DVD release entitled Ashes of American Flags, I made several comments about Wilco as a live band. I recall saying: “The heart of Wilco is in their live performances.”

Last evening was further proof of this statement with a three-hour long set, several deep cuts and a band that is at their prime with no signs of peaking any time soon

I own a bunch of the albums he covered and these images really take me back to my high school days when I would stay up into the wee hours to catch 120 Minutes and run out to the bookstore for the latest issue of Select Magazine. Below are some of my favorite works; you can view the entire collection here. Also, Classic Penguin Books, which were the inspiration for these, are impressive in their own right and many may be viewed here.

As Featured in:
B3ta (09/04/09)
MusicRadar (15/05/09)
Wired (18/05/09)
GQ (24/05/09)
Design Week (28/05/09) [+] [+] [+]
Drawn (03/06/09)
The Guardian (13/06/09)

After first earning notice thanks to a series of acclaimed European festival appearances during the summer of 1999, the twosome signed to American label Kindercore to issue their lovely eponymous debut the following spring. Quiet Is The New Loud was issued in early 2001 on Astralwerks. The album used many of the same tracks from the Kindercore release but re-ordered them and replaced a few with newer songs. The remix album Versus followed later in the year and featured remixes by artists as diverse as Ladytron, avid Whitaker and Four Tet. After a three year layoff during which Øye recorded a solo album, 2003’s Unrest, and gained some reknown as an electronica DJ while Bøe worked on finishing up his psychology degree, the pair teamed up again for the recording and release of 2004’s excellent Riot On An Empty Street.

After a 5 year layoff, the band released Declaration Of Dependence on October 20, 2009 on Astralwerks in the US and Virgin Records in the UK.

(Article courtesy of last.fm)

The Shins put on a great show. I wish that I could tell you more, but I am writing this nearly a year after seeing the concert. I do remember not wanting the show to stop and remarking that the band put out more energy than I was expecting.