A Bloy and his Blog

Weezer pays homage to the viral video.

Pork and Beans, from their forthcoming “red album” (out June 3).

On the first few listens of April, by Sun Kil Moon it’s the hooks (guitar riffs, chorus) that suck you in. Further listening uncovers the multiple layers beneath: the rich textured walls of sound, the expressive lyrics of loneliness, longing and memories of love. As each layer reveals itself and you become more familiar with the song, you move ever closer into the mind of the artists, feeling the depth of their emotions.

The opening track, “Lost Verses” sets the tone. It begins with a lone acoustic guitar accompanying the voice of singer Mark Kozelek. As it continues, instruments are added until the end of the song (a 90 second instrumental coda) has a wonderfully layered, full structure of sound.

read the rest of: April by Sun Kil Moon

Last night I went to one of the best concerts I’ve been to in years, when I saw Kathleen Edwards and her band put on an amazing show at Madison’s beautiful Majestic Theatre.

The concert began on a somber tone, with Kathleen playing the haunting “Alicia Ross” “Mercury” (from her debut album). She started by herself, accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. As it continued the other band members gradually chimed in, until all five musicians were playing in full force. By the end of the song I knew I was going to be in for a real treat. Just as that thought was in my head, the band confirmed my instinct and launched into the rousing and jangly, “In State,” a song from my favorite Kathleen Edwards album, Back to Me.

read the rest of: Kathleen Edwards and band amazing

Last night I went to see The New Pornographers perform at the Orpheum Theatre here in Madison. While the absence of Neko Case was disappointing for me (get better soon Neko, we missed you!), the concert was a good one. But I’m not going to talk about the whole show, if you’re interested Muzzle of Bees has a good review on their website. I want to talk about the encore the band performed.

After a good long set of music, The New Pornographers thanked the crowd and left the stage. Here it comes, I thought. It’s such a cliché, the way rock concert encores happen these days.

read the rest of: The perfect encore

I recently discovered an outstanding resource at T.U.B.E.: The Ultimate Bootleg Experience. Featuring both live and studio recordings (outtakes, rarities, etc.), T.U.B.E. is veritable goldmine. Some of the more interesting things I found there include:

• Joe Strummer – Solos, Soundtracks, & Rarities
• Van Morrison – Gypsy Soul (Studio Demos)
• Peter Tosh – Equal Rights Demos 1977
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 1969-08-26 – Los Angeles
  (the earliest completely recorded CSNY concert)
• Talking Heads – CBS Demos (1975)
• U2 – Pulled The Covers (1979-2006)

The one minor downside of T.U.B.E. is the slightly complicated downloading process.

read the rest of: The Ultimate Bootleg Experience

Did you see the lunar eclipse last night? I stepped out of my place about every 15 minutes or so to watch the show. When I was out there I wondered how many other people throughout the ages watched the moon darken with awe, as I was doing. Watching the Earth’s shadow slowly make its way across the lunar surface, I could understand how ancient peoples might start freaking out during such an event. I was also reminded of “Sister Moon,” the title song from Sting’s excellent album, …Nothing Like The Sun (who actually lifted that line from Shakespeare’s My Mistress’ Eyes sonnet).

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the Sun.
My hunger for her explains everything I’ve done.
To howl at the moon the whole night through,
And they really don’t care if I do.
I’d go out of my mind, but for you.

I didn’t have enough ambition to mess around with my camera and tripod during last night’s -5 F temperatures, but you can see images of the eclipse from SpaceWeather.com.

The self-titled, debut album by the band Vampire Weekend has received a great deal of acclaim since its release, almost to the point of hype. When a debut causes the band to be the new darlings of the critics, I become skeptical. Is everyone just jumping the bandwagon? Although I’ve been burned by the hype in the past, after hearing some samples online I took a chance and bought the disc.

The music from this New York quartet should probably be filed under Indie Rock, but as is often the case with good music, it transcends labels.

read the rest of: Vampire Weekend