vaQuous

• I just got my tickets for what is sure to be the musical highlight of my 2005, The White Stripes. Columbia, MD. Sept 27th. I opted for the lawn seats- they're always more fun. Other tour dates can be found here. I don't know who's opening yet (they've been switching it up) but I'm hoping it's Brendan Benson and either The Detroit Cobras or Blanche.

• Speaking of the very talented Brendan Benson, his album The Alternative to Love is my recommended listening for today. It's the perfect power pop record. Well-constructed songs with catchy lyrics, but you'll never hear it on corporate radio. Even more striking than the album itself is Benson's potential. I look forward to many great albums from this Detroit boy. Incidentally, he has a side project with Jack White called The Raconteurs. They should have an album out in November of this year.

# posted by vaquera76 : 1:21 PM  4 comments

• I went to the concert. I bought the tee-shirt. I felt like a teenager again. The Modest Mouse show was nothing short of fantastic. Unfortunately we arrived just in time for Camper to pack up, which pissed me off- but I got over it. After getting through security (I was given a big old hard time about my ID. What? Am I the only person who dyes their hair???) we got the sweet spot on the balcony, dead center with no one in front of us.
  They started off with "Black Cadillacs" which I thought was an interesting choice to kick off the whole show but it worked perfectly. By the time they got to the "fuck fuck fucking around" all the kids down below were moshing (which is exactly when I started to feel old again). My first impression was that they sound much 'harder' live, and I like it. Mental note: must get MM live bootlegs. It's impossible to appreciate while listening to the CD's how many people and instruments are involved in this band. It was fascinating watching them switch it up. A lot of interchangeable parts. My favorite part of the set was "The Good Times Are Killing Me" when there were, I kid you not, no less than four people playing the drums. I mean actually sitting at the drum set, not just playing peripheral percussion. The sound was incredible. I wish I had a set list for you but security wouldn't let my husband bring a pen inside. Still, all in all it was a great time.

• On a completely unrelated note, my recommended listening for today is Maria McKee's 1996 self-titled solo debut. Girl's got more soul than any white woman has right. If I could sing like Maria I'd never shut up.

# posted by vaquera76 : 2:47 PM  0 comments

I was so disappointed in the new Coldplay album. I won't get into that because you've already heard it all before. Last night my disappointment prompted me to go back and listen to a few records I haven't played for a while:

• Travis: The Man Who. By far their best album. A friend of mine in Germany sent me a copy of this before it was available in the US. I fell completely in love with this record. Definitely headphone listening.
• Paloalto: Heroes & Villains. I have deemed Paloalto "Travis Jr." I confess I really don't know anything about this band and I believe this is their only album. This was one of those CD's I bought just because it looked interesting and I lucked out. It's good stuff.
• And finally, for old times sake, I had to go back and listen to Coldplay's first (and best) album Parachutes. It blows my mind that everyone talks about Rush of Blood to the Head, an album that I found a little formulaic but less muddled and overproduced than X&Y. Parachutes is a fanfuckingtastic record. If you don't have it, get it. Then you'll understand why so many fans are frustrated with them right about now.

• On Sunday we're going to see Grambo's favorite band, Modest Mouse, in Philly. Camper Van Beethoven will be opening. We're making a long weekend of it so I'll be back with a review on Tuesday.

• On Monday David Dye will be talking to the Portland, Oregon band The Decemberists. Listen here.

# posted by vaquera76 : 1:15 PM  0 comments

• Yesterday I received my two disc colored vinyl uber deluxe copy of Elephant (the one with Megs in a black dress). It is most beauteous. I have such a fetish for colored vinyl. Plus, I've only ever had this album on CD and I can't wait to set the needle down on Ball & Biscuit. Musical nirvana. Still haven't found Get Behind Me Satan on vinyl. I was told it will most likely be released 3 weeks after the CD, so that's 1 week, 5 days and counting. Instinct Blues is bonkers. Insane. I NEED to have this album on LP.

• I have had Shake the Disease by Depeche Mode in my head for three bloody days. I heard it on Sirius over the weekend and it's still in there. I thought I had DM 101 but to my horror I do not. I only have Music for the Masses. I had tons of DM on cassette back in the day and I guess I never upgraded. I'm so ashamed.

• Speaking of Sirius, did you hear that Cousin Brucie is joining the broadcast? Erm, well, so is that jail bird Martha Stewart. I guess they kind of cancel each other out. Sirius still kicks ass though. They've got it all over XM, programming wise. My biggest complaint about Sirius is the equipment. You pay $100 for a shoddy boom box, $40 for a ghetto antennae (more on that later), and then the signal can't even be received a lot of the time. Of course we live out in the boonies on the side of a mountain and all kinds of stuff could be hindering the reception, so I'll let them go on that one. But the aforementioned antennae broke after only one month. We ended up taking an XM antennae from a friend, which was a far superior product, and splicing it to fit into the Sirius boom box. That was eight months ago and we haven't had a problem with it since. Anyway, love the programming, hate the shoddy equipment. I'll end my rant on a high note by recommending Ko Melina's program on the Underground Garage channel. Girl's got killer taste in music. It airs 11pm on Saturdays and 7am on Sundays (EST).

# posted by vaquera76 : 12:36 PM  0 comments