Back in the fall of 2007 Sufjan Stevens premiered his documentary film The BQE at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival. Along with the film, this critically acclaimed premiere featured 36 performers, including a band, a near full orchestra, and five hula hoopers. Inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, The BQE is “a self-made home-movie documentation, exhibiting how all the architectural colors ofBrooklynand Queens are fabulously intersected by this ramshackle artery of highway traffic.” I share all of this with you now because Sufjan has finally decided to share the film with the rest of us that weren’t able to attend the festival. On October 20th, Asthmatic Kitty will release a combination package that will include both the DVD film and the CD soundtrack along with a 40-page booklet with extensive liner notes & photographs. Check out this preview and listen to a live version of one of the tracks off of this great upcoming release.
Sometimes I think, why bother with updating about Radiohead news? I mean, most of their fans are so dedicated that they know about this stuff before it happens, so to write anything about it is already old news. But it’s Monday and I am feeling crazy and this song feels just about right to start off the week. Ominous and looming, Thom Yorke lets the drums and guitars build the tension for 2 minutes, then finally lets his vocals seep into the song, trying his best to bury them under the instruments. Makes sense considering the lyrics:
These are my twisted words
When I feel you still walking
I know I should not look down
But I’m so sick of just talking
When are you coming back?
I just can’t handle it
When are you coming back?
I just can’t handle it
When are you coming back?
I just can’t stand it
I just can’t handle it
Go download this nifty little .zip file which includes artwork here.
I’m gonna be real brief here today. Still getting situated up at school, but wanted to make sure that I got this up.
Phoenix is getting some much deserved attention for their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, but it’s high time that their other albums get the same treatment. A personal favorite of mine off of It’s Never Been Like That is a song called “Long Distance Call.”
Now the original is a little slow, and…well…slow.
I’ve found a remix that fixes that!
Phoenix – Long Distance Call (25 Hours A Day Remix)
I hope your ears buy their books and pay their tuition on time. Ω
Between the lovely Neko and extremely talented Samantha Crain, some of my favorite albums of the year have been by female artists. Not only do both of these girls have amazing voices, but they also write all of their own songs. Another girl that fits all those categories is singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile. I haven’t had the chance to hear this record yet, but if her first to records are indicators of what we should expect, she’ll join Neko and Sam in the top half of my year end list. The new record, Give Up the Ghost doesn’t have an official release date yet, but I’m sure it won’t be too long, because she sets off on the “Give Up the Ghost Traveling Show” on September 10th. If you’ve never listened to Carlile before, here is a short little playlist for you with one of my favorites from each of her previous full-length albums and a great live cover song.
The Give Up the Ghost Traveling Show Dates
Sep 10 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Sep 11 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
Sep 14 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
Sep 15 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Sep 16 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room at the Murat Centre
Sep 17 Cincinnati, OH Madison Theater
Sep 21 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Sep 23 Minneapolis, MN The O’Shaughnessy
Sep 25 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Sep 28 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
Sep 29 Toronto, Canada The Mod Club
Oct 1 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre
Oct 2 Boston, MA House of Blues
Oct 3 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Oct 6 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre
Oct 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Oct 8 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Oct 10 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Oct 11 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
Oct 12 Fayetteville, AR Town Center
Oct 14 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
Oct 15 Santa Fe, NM The Lensic Performing Arts Center
