Sigur Rós Live Album & Film

If I had to make a list of the top 20 bands making relevant music today, it would no doubt include Sigur Rós. I'm constantly listening to music at my job and time after time I return to the Sigur Rós discography as I never tire of their albums. They also happen to be one of the best live bands around. Their concerts are really emotionally intense events and if you haven't been lucky enough to see them, you'll get close when they release the live DVD/CD Inni in November.

Filmed by Vincent Morisset, who directed Arcade Fire's Miroir Noir, it contains footage a London show at Alexandra Palace in 2008. Where Sigur Rós' 2007 DVD Heima was very lush and beautifully shot, Inni appears to be much darker. This is due to Morisset first filming the shows digitally but refilming the digital footage on 16mm. Morisset then re-filmed the footage a third time “sometimes through prisms and other found objects.”

Check out the short teaser trailer for 'Inni' below:

-Matt

David Bazan Ticket Giveaway!

We're happy to announce another ticket contest here as the kind folks at Barsuk Records are letting us give away two tickets to see the incredibly talented David Bazan. The coolest part about it is the show will be held in about the most intimate setting possible: a living room in Topeka, KS. That's right, someone has volunteered to open up their home to a small audience to hear David perform mere feet away from you. The show takes place on Thursday, September 8th and will be one you won't want to miss.

If you aren't familiar with David's solo work or his work as the leader of Pedro The Lion, you need to remedy that immediately by picking up his second solo LP, Strange Negotiations (which you can purchase here). You can also hear the first track from Strange Negotiations by clicking on the MP3 link below.

If you want win tickets to the house show in Topeka just shoot me an email at jeopardyofcontentment(at)gmail.com with your favorite David Bazan song. Make sure to reference David Bazan in the subject line. Anything will count whether it's a solo track or something from the Pedro The Lion catalog. The contest will end on Saturday, September 3rd so get your submissions in as soon as possible. We'll notify the winner via email with a pair of tickets as well as the location of this living room show.

Good Luck!

MP3: David Bazan - 'Wolves At The Door' (from Strange Negotiations)

MP3: David Bazan - 'Cold Beer and Cigarettes' (from Fewer Moving Parts)

-Matt

Upcoming Show: The Low Anthem & Balmorhea

I would have posted this a while ago if I hadn't been on an unexpected hiatus for a few months. Rhode Island's The Low Anthem will be at The Record Bar in KC this Monday, August 29th. They've been a favorite of mine for a while but I haven't had a chance to see them live until now. With orchestral, post-rock Austin band Balmorhea opening the show, this should be unforgettable.

I'd definitely recommend picking up The Low Anthem's most recent album, Smart Flesh as it's one of my favorites of 2011. You can watch the video for 'Boeing 737' below.

-Matt

Concert Announcement: HUM

One of the main reasons I am such a big music nerd is because of my two older sisters. There are a ton of bands that I never would have heard of as a kid if not for my them and one of those bands is HUM. Certainly most people older than 25 that have ever listened to alternative radio have heard the song 'Stars'. The album that song came from is a classic and is definitely one of my top albums of the decade. HUM has reunited and according the the Record Bar's facebook/twitter feed, they'll be in KC on Friday, November 4th. Ticket info has yet to be posted but this could be one that sells out quickly.

-Matt

Upcoming Show: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

Jason Isbell continues his fantastic solo career with a third really solid album in Here We Rest. Isbell has probably written at least a dozen songs between his solo stuff and the Truckers that I would consider classic tunes of the last ten years. The last time he came through town he played a killer show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence. This time he'll be playing at Knuckleheads in KC on Friday, September 16th. This is a show I'd highly recommend checking out if you can.

-Matt

Covers: 'I Can't Make You Love Me'

Some might consider it a guilty pleasure but I genuinely love Bonnie Raitt's 1991 single 'I Can't Make You Love Me'. It's without a doubt one of the best songs about unrequited love written in my lifetime. When I heard Bon Iver would cover it for a b-side of a single, I knew it was a perfect choice for Justin. Although not included on the new Bon Iver album (Bon Iver, Bon Iver) their second full length album is one of my favorites of the year so far. If you haven't checked either Bon Iver album out, do so immediately.

Also, Bon Iver will be at the Uptown on Friday September 9th. The lady and I drove to Omaha to see him a few years ago and drove back that same night. It was miserable and completely worth it. Don't miss it.

Here's Bon Iver's cover of 'I Can't Make You Love Me':

-Matt

Let's Try This Again...

I haven't posted in over six months and the thought of putting the blog to rest permanently has crossed my mind. I've been updating the concert calendar regularly, so keep checking that out regardless. I don't think I'm going to kill this off quite yet though. I'll definitely continue to post my albums of the year every year. I haven't decided how heavily invested I'll be in this otherwise, but I hope to post some stuff on at least a semi-regular basis.

-Matt