Upcoming Show: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

In one of the big surprises of the year so far, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have put out the most enjoyable new album I've heard in the past month or so. The LA band's debut Up From Below is getting press as a mix between Arcade Fire and the Mama's and Papa's. It reminds me a little bit more of I'm From Barcelona, if not only because of the massive number of band members. Either way it's a fantastic debut album and lucky for all of us they will be in Lawrence at the Jackpot Music Hall on Tuesday, September 8th. If you don't believe me on how catchy this group is, check out what are quickly becoming two of my favorite tracks of the year.


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-Matt

Tickets for Springsteen? Pricey!

Our good friend Matt recently reported to me that he spent triple digits per ticket for the upcoming show. As he pointed out, he'd rather spend the money and get great seats for his first time seeing The Boss, and that is valid. Plus, it's doubtful you'll walk away from a Springsteen show feeling cheated. "You know, he just didn't seem to put much into it. Reall went through the motions."

After seven months of blankness, this information finally sparked a creative idea for another post, albeit a short one: What band or artist would you pay triple digits to see? This actually has me hard-pressed, as I'm a tight-ass. I can't off the bat fire off someone without thinking, unlike Matt, who will share it in his comment. And I'm not talking about bands that are gone, or people who are dead. I mean, right now.

My initial knee-jerk reaction would be the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, but I already saw Page/Plant in 1995, and nothing can top that, even without John Paul Jones not being there (and that was cheap- only 40 bucks or so at Kemper). After that, I don't know. Maybe I've lost a little passion to see people live, but I'm so used to club shows and 20 dollar tickets I can't fathom paying over a 100, and most of the bands I want to see tend to be at that club level.

Maybe I need to paint a certain scenario, like a big band playing at an intimate venue, once of those once in a lifetime moments, or bands who broke up but get back together to do a show. I also need to think about the idea of seeing a band with a great live reputation. So here's a short list:

Sleater Kinney
The Hives
Prince (if he rejects his faith and gets back with The Revolution)
Radiohead

That's all I got. More curious to hear from other people

Video: Sunset Rubdown - 'You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)'

Just for good measure, here's part 2 of Sunset Rubdown on pitchfork.tv, this time doing another fantastic tune of Dragonslayer, 'You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)':



-Matt

Video: Sunset Rubdown - 'Silver Moon'

Sunset Rubdown apparently dropped by the Pitchfork Offices to play a few songs. Regardless of how you fell about that site, it's way cooler than any place you or I work at. Sunset Rubdown's most recent album, Dragonslayer, is still my favorite album of the year, and this live performance of the album opener just reminds me why.

-Matt

New Music: Lightning Dust - Infinite Light

I'm beginning to think that the bands that have spawned from the Black Mountain collective may be more impressive and prolific than the bands that Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner are responsible for. Black Mountain has connections with Pink Mountaintops, Blood Meridian, Jerk With A Bomb and finally Lightning Dust. I had picked up Lightning Dust's self-titled debut purely because both Amber Webber and Joshua Wells were members of BM, but wasn't impressed enough to keep coming back to it. When I heard their second album was coming out, I knew there was still a chance that they would release a great album and with Infinite Light they may have done just that.

It's still to early to call, but upon the first handful of listens this album is revealing itself to be another one of the years top albums. From the very beginning of the opening track, 'Antonia Jane', you know the centerpiece of this album is Amber's voice. It's got a haunting quality that few women that aren't named Beth Gibbons have. The music matches her voice perfectly on tracks like 'Never Seen', where just a drum machine and a dark synth line back her and the results are fantastic. The whole record certainly isn't dark and depressing, in fact songs like 'I Knew' and 'Times' are nice, tight little two minute rock songs. My favorite tune on the record might be 'Wondering What Everyone Knows', which in all honesty might not be all that special of a song with someone else singing it.

Time will tell where this album falls by the end of the year but at the very least it's made me consider going back to that debut album to see if maybe I just didn't give it enough of a chance. If you are a fan of Black Mountain or Pink Mountaintops I would definitely pick this up, it's got that same vibe you'll find on most stuff that Sam Beam touches. Lightning Dust just prove that maybe some others in the band are just as capable of putting out a truly great album.

-Matt

Concert Announcement: Gogol Bordello

Every time this band comes through town I feel the need to throw up a post about them. They are just about the most fun you can have at a live show. I was out of town the last time they came through KC, so you can be sure I'll be there when they play Liberty Hall in Lawrence on October 24th.

There isn't anything else that exciting to annouce but there are a few smaller shows that you might be interested in. The one to watch for might be Nurses playing at The Jackpot in Lawrence on November 11th. I have a feeling those guys might be one of the next "buzz" bands to hit the indie scene.

09/05 Box Elders @ The Replay, Lawrence
09/08 Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros @ The Jackpot, Lawrence
09/23 Ladyhawke/Ida Maria @ The Beaumont Club, KC
10/10 Those Darlins @ The Jackpot, Lawrence
10/10 Riverboat Gamblers @ The Riot Room, KC
10/12 Mastodon/Dethklok @ The Uptown, KC
10/24 A Place To Bury Strangers @ The Record Bar, KC
10/26 Ben Folds @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence
11/11 Nurses @ The Jackpot, Lawrence

As always, full concert calendar HERE.

-Matt

Concert Announcement: The Antlers

Great news as The Antlers will be coming through Lawrence on September 16th to the Jackpot Music Hall. You can read about their fantastic new album in the post directly below. I gushed about it quite a bit already but it's quickly becoming on of my favorite 2 or 3 albums of the year.

Also, don't forget that Passion Pit are allegedly playing a free show for KU's SUA "Night On The Hill" show this Monday the 17th.

There are a couple other shows announced recently you may be interested in as well:

09/07 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone @ The Replay, Lawrence
09/09 Woods @ The Jackpot, Lawrence
09/27 Brother Ali @ The Granada, Lawrence
10/06 Portugal. The Man @ The Bottleneck, Lawrence
10/12 Mastodon/Dethklok @ The Uptown, KC
10/30 David Bazan/Say Hi @ The Jackpot, Lawrence

-Matt