Andrew Bird at Madison Theatre

When: September 14, 2016
Where: Madison Theatre in Covington, KY

This year, Andrew Bird released what may well be one of my favorite albums of this year, Are You Serious?. It's become a favorite of my boyfriend's as well, and I'll often find him mindlessly humming the opening notes of "Capsized." When it was announced that his tour would be stopping in the Cincinnati area, a trip across the river was a no-brainer.

As has become a tradition whenever we attend shows at the Madison, we swung by Riverside, a spectacular Korean restaurant right down the street, for dinner. We got back to the Madison just in time to catch the end of the somewhat odd opening act's, Gabriel Kahane, set. We also ran into some good friends who, it turned out, had made a last minute decision to catch the show.

These friends provided some good entertainment between the sets. My friend Katie had stashed the day's crossword puzzle in her bag and I always have a pen with me, so we spent some time challenging our brains.

Andrew Bird came on stage and, without too much warning, launched into the very song that Adrian loves so much. He played songs spanning his 20-year career, though the highlight of the show was when he performed "Left-Handed Kisses" from his newest record. The song is originally a duet with Fiona Apple, but she was not in attendance, so he performed both parts, but kept the sneering back and forth of the recorded version.

It was a spectacular show and a great night with great friends!

Mini setlist:

"Capsized"
"Pulaski at Night"
"Left-Handed Kisses"

Bad Bad Hats & Hippo Campus in Covington

When: November 17, 2015
Where: Madison Live in Covington, KY

I've been excited about the St. Paul-based band Hippo Campus ever since I saw them on the most recent season of A.V. Club's Undercover; they masterfully performed ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down." I checked out their own work and was equally impressed by what they were able to write and arrange for themselves. They're only two EPs into their career, but have already produced some amazing tunes.

They've been touring this year to support the release of both EPs and stopped by the Cincinnati area to play at Madison Live, a new venue established by the owners of Madison Theatre in Covington, KY. It's right next door to the other venue, but serves smaller crowds.

I got a pleasant pseudo-surprise when we got to the venue that night; the opening band was another young group from Minnesota who I had been impressed by lately, Bad Bad Hats (I had forgotten that they were touring together until just then). The band played primarily from their debut album, Psychic Reader, released earlier this year. Their simple, sometimes humorous, indie pop sound was punctuated by a sort of absurd, dry humor from lead singer and guitarist Kerry Alexander.

After a great first set, Hippo Campus came on. Their style was a lot more upbeat (think Vampire Weekend, JR JR, or They Might Be Giants), and their lead singer, Jake Luppen, had a goofier onstage attitude to match. They're an impressive band, especially for a group so young (they graduated high school two years ago). It turned out to be a interesting show to attend; the venue and crowd were fairly small, but the fans were really into the band and some of the girls in the audience were definitely swooning over the boys (though I must admit, Jake was pretty cute).

I'm starting to realize that a lot of the bands that I'm getting into are made up of members much younger than me, which can be a bit strange. But it is exciting to see such an amazing amount of talent coming from those artists, these two bands are just the tip of the iceberg!

Mini setlist:

Bad Bad Hats - "Super America"
Bad Bad Hats - "Things We Never Say"
Hippo Campus - "South"
Hippo Campus - "Violet"

Alt-J in Cincinnati

When: September 21, 2015
Where: PNC Pavilion at Riverbend in Cincinnati, OH

The Show:
Alt-J came to Cincinnati late last month and I knew it was a show that I could not miss. The concert was one of my relatively few group outings for live music. A friend of mine had gotten tickets for herself, her boyfriend, me, and Adrian, my boyfriend. The experience was definitely enhanced by being there with companions.

Brooklyn-based baroque-inspired band San Fermin has been touring with the band. Adrian and I got to the venue about halfway through the opening act's set. We weren't sure what to expect from them, but were impressed by their high energy show. I, for one, am also always a big fan of bands who use brass and woodwind instruments and this band used them extremely well (though I'm still a bit disappointed in their lack of trombone). Safe to say, that band won some new fans that night, though we were still anticipating the main act.

Our friends arrived towards the end of the first set. We patiently waited, while listening to tUnE-yArDs played through overblown speakers, for the headlining act to begin. Alt-J came out with an impressive set that seemed to reflect the success that they've gained over past couple of years. Their unique mix of rock, choral chants, and electronica was punctuated by an impressive light show behind them consisting of a couple dozen TVs. They played primarily from their first album, An Awesome Wave, though sprinkled in a few of the better tracks from the follow-up, This Is All Yours.

On a Monday, two strong bands and some great friends made for a great beginning to the week!

Mini setlist:
San Fermin - "Jackrabbit"
Alt-J - "Tessellate"
Alt-J - "Left Hand Free"

Vince Staples & Earl Sweatshirt in Cincinnati

When: April 3, 2015
Where: Bogart's in Cincinnati, OH

The Show:

Aside from sets at music festivals, live hip hop is not something that I've had much of an opportunity to experience over the past few years. It's been somewhat infrequent that an artist that I really wanted to see was coming around this way. So, when it was announced that Earl Sweatshirt, who has been a favorite of late, was playing in Cincinnati, I bought my ticket right away.

Remy Banks, a young rapper out of New York was the opening act of the night, backed by DJ Black Noi$e. While he had good energy and rapport with the crowd, he was my least favorite of the three artists that night. I was not surprised to find that he's not yet released any studio albums or EPs as nothing he performed felt like a fully fledged out thought. I'm sure he's very talented, but I couldn't get a handle on anything he performed that night. He had a, thankfully, short set and it was just a few minutes of transition before Vince Staples came out.

I am not as familiar with Staples as I would like to be, but have been keeping an eye on him ever since his extremely well-received 2014 EP, Hell Can Wait. Perhaps because he's been a rising name over the past year and has studio recorded material out, he commanded the crowd much better than Remy. He performed several songs from that EP and with each one, the excitement in the crowd swelled; especially with the tracks "Hands Up" and "Blue Suede."

There was no wait time in the transition between Staples and Earl Sweatshirt. Sweatshirt came out the end of Staples' set to perform a few tracks with him, including a personal favorite, "Hive." After those few songs, Staples left Sweatshirt to do his thing. The young rapper easily showed why he was the headliner of the show. He interacted with the audience extremely well and even had the entire crowd singing along with some of his songs' repeated refrains, though some were questionable (such as informing the mostly white audience that during the show and only while singing along, they were allowed to use the n-word).

Aside from some of those *awkward* moments, it was one of the most enjoyable shows that I have been to; credit to both the musicians and the audience for that.

Mini Setlist:

Remy Banks - "rem."
Vince Staples - "65 Hunnid"
Vince Staples - "Blue Suede"
Earl Sweatshirt - "Hive"
Earl Sweatshirt - "Grief"

Chvrches in Covington

When: September 29, 2014
Where: Madison Theatre in Covington, KY

The Show: A few weeks ago, I got the chance to see one of my favorite bands of the past year perform just across the river from Cincinnati. I'd wanted to see them live since falling in love with their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, last year. I'd even contemplated a trip out to San Francisco to see them at the Outside Lands Music Festival, but abandoned those plans when I discovered that they would be coming closer to this part of the country.

On the day of the show, I wasn't able to get down in time to see their opener, The Range, but was running perfectly on time for the main act. I was struck with a bit of fear walking up to the venue, though. Everyone was outside and there were fire trucks sitting outside the venue. Seems the band's smoke machines had set off the alarm system and, of course, the local fire department had to do their due diligence to make sure everyone would be safe.

Madison Theatre! Everything's ok. Fire alarm fail. Fire dept are here to give the thumbs up and you guys will be back in the venue ASAP! 📛🔥
— CHVRCHΞS (@CHVRCHES) September 30, 2014

It wasn't an incredibly long wait and, soon enough, I was crowding into the venue with all the other concert-goers. Despite the crowd that was already in place, I was able to get a pretty decent spot in the audience, I had a good view of the band, but still had some breathing room.

Currently, the band just has one album and a few EPs out, so they had a pretty limited body of work to play from. They put on a really good show; they're able to interpret their music for a live show, though they don't change much up for the medium. My main complaint would be that there was a seeming lack of energy from lead singer Lauren Mayberry, which stood even more given how energetic her two bandmates were.

It was still a worthwhile show and a band I would gladly see again should they swing back around this way.

Mini Setlist:

"We Sink"
"Recover"
"Under the Tide"

MidPoint Music Festival

The MidPoint Music Festival was held this past weekend throughout the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. The festival has been running for more than a decade and has consistently drawn a wide variety of both local and national artists. This year was no different, boasting a wide variety of live shows over a course of three days.

Although I hear tale that the festival was once more spread out through OTR, downtown and northern Kentucky, It has been confined to the area of OTR between Central Parkway and Liberty Avenue since I've started attending. This was the first year since in about three years that the festival spread beyond those boundaries, with sets at the Taft Ballroom and Memorial Hall in downtown and reaching a bit further north for some newer venues in OTR. Gone, however, was the outdoor stage at the old Grammar's bar, which seemed to have been replaced by the Christian Moerlein tap room.

Thursday

The festival kicked off Thursday night. I first headed to Washington Park to catch the night's headliners, Chromeo. Their set was a huge dance party; their modern brand of disco inspired just about everyone in the crowd to bust a move. I enjoyed getting my dance on, but headed out early to I could head over to the Christian Moerlein tap room for Panda Bear.

His set was considerably calmer, since he tends towards an ambient sound. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of his set were the background visuals, which ranged from kaleidoscopic dancing naked women to a painted figure vomiting pudding (at least that's what it looked like). That's not to say that his performance was not good, he's a great musician, but the images were definitely a little distracting.

Before that set had started, I ran into a friend from college who performs in several bands around the city. Turns out, he was also playing at the tap room (inside) after Panda Bear's set was through. I went to check out the band, Molly Sullivan, for a couple of songs, then headed home to rest up for the next day.

I had wanted to see Sun Kil Moon later that night, but was a little put off by how late his set was scheduled to start...11:30 PM! While he seems to have been doing some interesting things live lately, I had to get to bed and miss his set.

Thursday setlist:

Chromeo - "Jealous"
Panda Bear - "Come to Your Senses"

Friday

I had a companion with me Friday in the form of my boyfriend Adrian, who wanted to catch that evening's headlining act, but we'll get to them later! We first headed down to the MidPoint Midway to catch a free show from Real Estate. Their breezy, jangly guitar pop made them an ideal band to play while the sun was still shining. The set was predictably amazing.

Following dinner at a restaurant in OTR, we went to Washington Park for the Afghan Whigs, who were headlining that evening. As one of the Cincinnati-based bands that made it (relatively) big, they just about packed the park. They put on what may be the best show of the MidPoint weekend.

I was again put off by an overly late show at the festival, this time, it was Jessica Lea Mayfield. I would have really liked to have seen her, but since it started nearly two hours after the end of the Afghan Whigs, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay awake and upright for that amount of time.

Friday setlist:

Real Estate - "Green Aisles"
Afghan Whigs - "Algiers"

Saturday

Saturday was a last night of the festival and got off to a slightly later start, which had a benefit in allowing me to see even the later shows of the evening. I started back at the tap room for The Raveonettes. I had seen this band once before, nearly three years ago, and had not been overly impressed with their stage presence at the time (they barely spoke any words to the audience). This time, was much better. While they still didn't say much, they seemed more engaged with the crowd. They performed tracks primarily from their surprise July album, Pe'ahi.

From there, I headed to the Know Theatre for the final to shows (for myself, anyways) of the festival. First was Speedy Ortiz, who put out a kind of irreverent, female-led noise pop. They were good; better than expected, actually. After them was another festival highlight in EMA. She primarily performed songs from her 2011 sophomore album Past Life Martyred Saints, which was slightly disappointing. I do love the record, but wanted to hear some of her newer work, as well... she did put out an album this year. Despite this, she was incredible and put on a great show.

Saturday setlist:

Speedy Ortiz - "Bigger Party"
EMA - "The Grey Ship"

It was another great festival experience. A better line of, perhaps, than 2013, but still not quite living up the magic of 2011 and 2012. Still, it's great to have something like this in my adoptive home city and I will look forward to this festival for years to come!

Future Islands in Indianapolis

When: August 9, 2014
Where: The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, IN

The Show:

Future Islands made their network television debut in a now-famous performance on the David Letterman show back in March. The video of that performance, along with an NPR interview soon after turned me into a fan of the band almost overnight, and convinced me that their live performances could be nothing less than amazing.

I got my opportunity when the band announced their summer tour with dates in Indianapolis and Columbus. The morning of the Indianapolis show, I bought my ticket and planned for a evening drive to one of my favorite cities.

I drove to a friend's house who lives just a couple of miles from the venue. I decided to walk the rest of the way to The Vogue (get my steps in)! Though there had been many bands who played there in the past that I'd wanted to see, it was my first time actually being inside. The venue doubles as a dance club and had some lounging space to either side of the floor and two floors of bar and viewing space.

I was able to meet up with a friend at the concert who I only discovered was there when I Facebooked my presence at the show. His wife commented that I should look for him since he was there as well. It's always great to have a concert buddy!

The opening act was a new band named Operators, the new project of Dan Boeckner (of Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, and Divine Fits). They performed a short set of songs from their debut EP. Boeckner seems to hit gold wherever he goes; this new band was incredible. Boeckner has a fairly distinctive voice that made their sound obviously his, but with synthpop undertones to replace the more guitar-driven sounds of his past bands.

Next, the main act came on. Sam Herring and company put on one hell of a show. He showed off some of the dance moves debuted on late night, and introduced some new ones, as well. I've also never seen a singer as interactive; he talked paragraphs to us, shook hands, and placed hands on shoulders. He was a joy to watch

The band primarily performed from their most recent, Singles, but also played songs from their back catalog.

Mini Setlist:

Operators - "True" (from EP1)
Future Islands - "Balance" (from On the Water)
Future Islands - "Fall from Grace" (from Singles)

Animal Collective in Covington

When: December 5, 2013
Where: Madison Theatre in Covington, KY

The Show:

I first saw Animal Collective live in 2008 when they performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. It was around the time that Strawberry Jam was released. Following the performance, I tried, but failed to really get into their sound. It was wasn't until 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion that I really started to appreciate the band (both current and previous work).

It would not be until late 2013 that I would get the chance to see them again, following yet another new album, Centipede Hz (2012). They had performed at Bonnaroo earlier that year, but it was one of those late late night shows and I was out like a light way before then.

Their Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky show had been postponed several times already by the time that they were able to make it out. It was initially scheduled for March, but was pushed back due to Avey Tare being sick. It was rescheduled to July, but was again pushed back, due to yet another illness. They were finally able to make it out in December and I'm sure all of the fans there were beyond ready to see them in action.

True to Animal Collective form, the setup of the venue was pretty trippy. Giant teeth adorned the ceiling (similar to the teeth on the cover of their most recent album) and everything seemed to be bathed in a black-light glow.

The opening act was bEEdEEgEE, aka Brian DeGraw (of Gang Gang Dance). His set foretold the weirdness that was to come; he performed his solo experimental electronic music beneath a bug tent. He put on a good show though, performing songs from his debut solo album, SUM/ONE.

Next was the main act. They quickly proved that the teeth were for more than just decoration. In addition to images and colors being projected onto the screen behind the band, additional images were projected onto the teeth, making them even freakier.

The band performed songs from throughout their catalog, but focused on their most recent release. They made the wait and numerous postponements well worth it; they put on an amazing show.

Mini Setlist:

"Today's Supernatural" (from Centipede Hz)
"My Girls" (from Merriweather Post Pavilion)
"The Purple Bottle" (from Feels)

Neko Case in Cincinnati

When: October 22, 2013
Where: Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, OH

The Show:

Neko Case is one of those artists who, for some reason, I kept missing live. I'd seen her perform with The New Pornographers when they visited Cincinnati in 2011, but kept getting hit by some poor luck whenever I made plans to her solo. The first was later in 2011, on her tour with My Morning Jacket. I misjudged the start time of the event and made it to the venue just as she was finishing her set. The second time, at 2012's Forecastle Festival, I had to leave to make it back for a softball game, which I couldn't even make it to due to an accident on the highway.

This time, I was determined to see her perform. I had my ticket ahead of time and made it to the venue with more than enough time to see her entire set. Case had just released her sixth album, The Worse Things Gets..., and I was already in love with the record.

As expected, the show was amazing. Case is a great songwriter and singer, but her talents show even more when performing live. The only thing I disliked in the show was the number of times that she stopped to chide an audience member for using their phone to take a picture or video.

The audience had been asked, nicely at first, by both Case and Kelly Hogan (a member of her touring band) to keep their phones put away during the show. It was obviously something that really bothered Case; at one point, she got into a pretty heated argument with one fan that held up the music enjoyment for about five minutes. It was frustrating, both towards Case and those that did have their phones out, but overall, I was happy with the show and excited that I finally got to see her live!

Since we were asked nicely not to take pictures, I have none of my own from the show. To see a collection of pics from an area photographer, click here!

Mini Setlist:

"This Tornado Loves You" (from Middle Cyclone)
"Maybe Sparrow" (from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood)
"Man" (from The Worse Things Get...)

El Ten Eleven in Newport

When: September 4, 2013
Where: Southgate House Revival (Newport, KY)

The Show:

It's not often that I head out to see a band that I'm wholly unfamiliar with, as I was with El Ten Eleven. However, a good (and similarly music-obsessed) friend of mine invited me along to this show and convinced me that this would be a good one to catch. I listened to some of the band's stuff before-hand and, while I'm not always as into music without vocals, I really liked what they did.

El Ten Eleven is an experimental rock band out of LA. They've put out five records; the most recent, Transitions, was released in 2012. They produced the music for some of Gary Hustwit's documentaries, including Helvetica, so I had heard some of their music before (because I watch weird documentaries about font types).

The show opened with producer Eliot Lipp, who mixed and looped prerecorded tracks live on stage. While it was interesting to see someone do that in action, it got tiresome after a few minutes.

The main act, though, was well worth watching. They use many of the same tools and techniques that Lipp did, mainly looping and distortion, but they were playing traditional instruments along with the modern equipment. They were fascinating to watch live, it's always interesting to see how these types of artists compose their music!

Overall, it was a show worth watching!

Mini Setlist:

"My Only Swerving"
"Transitions"

The Twilight Sad & Frightened Rabbit in Cincinnati

When: March 26, 2013
Where: Bogart's (Cincinnati, OH)

The Show:

Up until 2013, the Scottish band Frightened Rabbit was one of those bands that I was familiar with and had heard a few songs from, but none that I could really sing from heart. When they released last year's amazing Pedestrian Verse, I had a new band obsession. And when they stopped in Cincinnati for their tour shortly after, I knew I couldn't pass it up! So, I grabbed a couple of friends, headed down to Clifton, Cincinnati and enjoyed an incredible show.

Fellow Scots The Twilight Sad opened for the band and did a great job warming up the crowd. While their music may not be as immediate as Frightened Rabbit's (or, at least, as Pedestrian Verse), they share a similar dark aesthetic and thick Scottish accents with the main act. While I've been a big fan of theirs for several years and really enjoyed their set, my favorite moments were when they were speaking and throwing around colorful curse words. Notably, feck and shite were used a lot (I'm sure you can guess what those correspond to on this side of the pond).

James Graham, lead singer

After The Twilight Sad finished playing, it was time for the main act. While Frightened Rabbit's sound can come off fairly subdued in recordings, they bring in a lot of energy in their live performances. They weren't as talkative as their opening act, but made up for it by really rocking out. Even when playing some of their older songs, they were able to make them just as exciting to listen to as the songs from their new record. I'm always impressed by any band that can do that!

The whole band!

Mini Setlist:

The Twilight Sad - "I Became a Prostitute"
The Twilight Sad - "Sick"
Frightened Rabbit - "The Modern Leper"
Frightened Rabbit - "The Woodpile"

Local Natives in Covington, Kentucky

When: March 25, 2013
Where: Madison Theatre (Covington, KY)

The Show:

Having been a fan of Local Natives since the release of their debut album, Gorilla Manor, in 2009, I was excited to finally see them live. They put on an excellent show with a lot of energy and crowd excitement. I'd made this strange assumption that Taylor Rice (the one with the hipster 'stache) was the main vocalist of the band, but he and Kelcey Ayer (keyboards) share much of that duty.

While they were touring in support of Hummingbird, released in January, they, thankfully, played a good mix of songs from both records. It's not that I disliked Hummingbird, but I love Gorilla Manor so much more!

Mini Setlist: 

"You & I"
"Warning Sign"
"Sun Hands"

Tame Impala in Columbus

When: March 8, 2013
Where: Newport Music Hall (Columbus, OH)

The Show:

I had originally intended to go up to Columbus for a weekend to see Tame Impala and Tegan & Sara. After some plans fell through, and I waited too long to get tickets for the second show, I turned it into a day trip for just this show. I was not disappointed; Tame Impala was an awesome band to catch live.

I (somewhat intentionally) missed the opening act and arrived at Newport just in time to get a position that wasn't so close to the stage that I went deaf, nor so far that I couldn't see. The band's Beatle-esque psychedelic sound translated extremely well to a live show (the crazy visuals also helped). I've seen them once since this incredible show and would gladly watch them live again.

Mini Setlist:

"Solitude Is Bliss"
"Elephant"
"Mind Mischief"

Pictures:

New Music Tuesday - 05/07/2013

New Full-Length Releases

Deerhunter - Monomania With their fifth album, 2010's Halcyon Digest, Deerhunter had started going more in a pop direction and began gaining more mainstream attention, like many indie artists before them; the album was their highest charting in their career. While I can't predict how this album will chart, they're returning to the more experimental noise rock sound that the started with. Regardless of the the direction of their sound, though, the music is always great! Listen/Watch: "Monomania"

Fitz & The Tantrums - More Than Just a Dream For their debut album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, Fitz & The Tantrums took on a decidedly retro sound, taking inspiration from 1960s soul. For their follow-up, they're moving up a few decades to the 1980s. While any change in sound can be a risky undertaking for a band, many retro-inspired bands have become easily pigeon-holed by that sound. It's great that Fitz is exploring the different eras of soul music. Listen/Watch: "Out of My League"

Noah & The Whale - Heart of Nowhere Sometimes, it's the artists that a band has collaborated with that prods me into checking them out. Such was the case with Noah & The Whale. Although I had heard their name floating around, it wasn't until I got really into Laura Marling (and discovered that she had been an early member of the band) that I decided to check them out. I was not disappointed, whereas in her solo career, Marling has had a folk sound more evocative of older sounds, The Whale bring in a much more modern rock element. Listen/Watch: "There Will Come a Time"

Scott & Rivers - Scott & Rivers This album came out of nowhere! I only found out on Tuesday (the day it was released) that Rivers Cuomo of Weezer was releasing a new album. Though most of more visible work has been with his band, Cuomo is no stranger to solo work, having released three "Home Recordings" albums and a live EP. This go-around sees him working with Scott Murphy of Allister on an album sung partially in Japanese. Listen/Watch: "Homely Girl"

She & Him - Volume 3 If you find a good formula, stick with it, at least that seems to be the approach of Zooey Deschanel. It's been present in her look (she pretty much created the manic-pixie dream girl) and in her music...country-tinged indie pop. For her third album with M. Ward, she's also showing that the approach works when naming albums. This is their third album (not counting last year's Christmas album) and, as you can probably guess, the first two are Volume 1 and Volume 2. Listen: "Never Wanted Your Love"

Talib Kweli - Prisoner of Conscious Talib Kweli has struggled with his music being labeled "conscious hip hop," the album title seems to allude to a feeling of being trapped by the label. Despite their issues with labels placed on them, the best artists (this includes Kweli) manage to make music that feels like something more than that label. They can be important though, where many established hip hop artists focus on their excesses and many new artists on partying and girls, music like Kweli's seems to demand to be called something different. Listen/Watch: "Push Thru"

Other New Releases

Garage Swim The Cartoon Network block of adult-oriented television, Adult Swim, has had an impressive group of music collaborations in recent years, releasing exclusive singles from Wavves, Odd Future and Liars, among many others. Now, they seem to be doing a little bit more with those collaborations. Garage Swim is a free collection of garage rock songs recorded exclusively for Adult Swim. Artists include Jeff the Brotherhood, Black Lips and Thee Oh Sees. Listen: Thee Oh Sees - "Devil Again"

Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film The Great Gatsby It's rare for a soundtrack to actually include all new songs, even rarer for those songs to feel like they could exist outside the compilation. Jay-Z has proven himself time and again as a great artist and producer. Although a hip hop artist seems like a strange choice to curate a soundtrack for a movie set in the 1920s, he's proven adept here as well. The album does call to mind certain sounds of the era, but does so in a remarkably modern way. Listen: Sia - "Kill & Run"

Justice - Access All Arenas Access All Arenas is Justice's second live album. It was recorded at the Arena of Nîmes, a Roman ampitheater in Nîmes, France, last summer. It includes songs from both of the band's studio albums, † and Audio, Video, Disco. Listen: "On'n'On" (Live)

Los Campesinos! - A Good Night for a Fistfight Another live album this week, this one from English band Los Campesinos! (the exclamation point is a part of their name). This is their first live album; it was recorded at Islington Assembly Hall in London on December 15 of last year. Listen: "We are Beautiful, We are Doomed" (Live at Islington Assembly Hall)

Maps & Atlases @ 20th Century Theater

When: January 23, 2013
Where: 20th Century Theater

The Show: I caught Maps & Atlases at the 20th Century Theater in Cincinnati on January 23. Although I'd been listening to the band, I hadn't spent a lot of time with their music, so I was on the fence about going to see them live. I'm glad I made the choice, though, as the precise, mathematical folk sounds that are presented on their albums really come to life in a live setting.

I arrived about 30 minutes after the opening act, a local band named Archer's Paradox, started playing. I caught the end of their set and, as far as local bands go, they weren't too bad, though they weren't doing anything particularly revolutionary with their sound. The real treat, and the reason I was there in the first place, was the main act.

The lead singer is a sight to behold. Dave Davidson has long hair and a beard that almost rivals it in length. In true guitar virtuoso fashion, his nails are grown out long to aid in finger-picking. And he truly is a virtuoso, playing in a way that really separates him from what is typically expected from a guitar god (yes, I'm putting him in that group), with precise melodies in place of riffs and played in a way that is mesmerizing to watch.

That's not to say, of course, that the rest of the band was any less impressive (though Dave's hair wins the whole thing). The bassist, Shiraz Dada, switches between his bass and a bass drum (which may not sound impressive, but you should have seen him playing). OK...so I spent the majority of the time looking at those two, I'm sure the drummer and second guitarist were just as awesome, though!



Mini setlist:

"Old & Gray"
"Winter"
"Remote and Dark Years"

Sharon van Etten at the Taft Theater

I'm a little overdue in posting this, but I went to see Sharon van Etten (for the fourth time, overall) in the Taft Theater basement ballroom about two months ago.

Having already seen her three times, I knew what to expect from her music and her stage presence and I was not disappointed. She was every bit as personable and low-key as she had been every other time I've seen her. I can see her growth, though, she becomes more comfortable and self-assured with every performance.

Through this concert, I was introduced to a new (to me) artist, Damien Jurado. He opened for Sharon and displayed many of the same traits that make the main act such a joy to watch. Like Sharon, his music can be emotional and a bit depressing. But, like Sharon, he displays an ease and good humor that keep the show from being a cry-fest.



In case you can't tell by the four times that I have seen this artist live, she is one of my favorite to catch live. If she's ever in your area, do not skip her show!

New Music Tuesday - 12/11/2012

New Full-Length Albums

Big Boi - Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors

I'm not huge on hip-hop, it never seemed to meld with my indie sensibilities, though I do have some favorites. Recently, though, I've noticed that hip-hop artists are developing love affairs (not literally) with indie artists. Big Boi is no different. He flexes his indie muscle by including Little Dragon, Phantogram and Wavves on his new album!
"CPU" (featuring Phantogram)

Other New Releases

D'Angelo - Voodoo Vinyl Reissue

Almost 13 years after its released, this album is getting a vinyl reissue...fans are a still waiting for a follow-up album. Oh, but who could get tired of this music video?
"Untitled"

Julia Holter - Ekstasis Expanded

Expanded edition of the album, originally released in March, featuring five live recordings.
"Goddess Eyes II"

This Is 40 OST

Soundtrack for the new film from Judd Apatow (the "sorta" sequel to Knocked Up), featuring Fiona Apple, Ryan Adams and Norah Jones.
Fiona Apple - "Dull Tool"

The Divine Fits at Deluxe

I didn't quite jump at my first chance to see the Divine Fits, when they came to Columbus, OH. I figured that I had other things to do on a Monday night (and, truth be told, I did), but I slightly regretted not going to one of their inaugural shows. That is, until they expanded their tour and added Indianapolis to the schedule! I bought my ticket as soon as they went sale and never looked back!

The show itself was as wonderful as I could have hoped it to be. The dark indie band Cold Cave opened for them. Having only seen them from afar at last year's Pitchfork Festival, I had a presumption of them as being broody performers, but they had a surprising level of energy.

The Divine Fits carried the energy on through their set. Both singers, Dan Boeckner and Britt Daniel are great performers. This has likely been honed from years in other bands (Daniel with Spoon and Boeckner with Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs). It was an incredible show, though I wish they had performed the cover of Frank Ocean's "Lost," like they did at a number of their other shows, but I'll try not to complain too much!



Mini setlist:

Cold Cave - "Underworld USA"

Cold Cave - "A Little Death to Laugh"

Divine Fits - "Would That Not Be Nice"

Divine Fits - "Shivers"

Band of Horses at Bogart's

These guys were supposed to come to Cincinnati in August of 2011 to open for the Kings of Leon. Sometime in July, however, KoL frontman Caleb Followill came down with a bad case of "exhaustion" (read: he was an alcoholic) and the remainder of the tour, including the Cincinnati date, was canceled. Band of Horses did their best to reschedule as many of the dates as possible, but Cincinnati was not among that group.

Fast forward more than a year and, finally, Band of Horses come to town! While there are many artists that I do not hesitate to buy tickets for, it seemed my wallet opened even faster for this gig.

The show was well worth the wait. While I haven't been crazy about their last two albums, the band played a good mix from all of their releases and their on-stage energy was strong enough to make all of the songs a treat to hear!

Mini setlist:


"The Great Salt Lake"


"Knock Knock"


"The General Specific"

MidPoint Music Festival 2012

Last weekend, Cincinnati sought again to remind me that it's a pretty awesome place to be. The MidPoint Music Festival was back in town. I had such an amazing time at last year's festival, I knew I had to do it again.



Like last year, there were a plethora of amazing musical acts. At times, it was hard to choose between acts, but I was ultimately happy with who I decided to catch. Throughout the weekend, I saw Here We Go Magic, Andrew Bird, Lower Dens, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Dinosaur Jr., Frankie Rose, The Antlers, Woods, The Walkmen and Julia Holter. There were many other that I wanted to see, like Cloud Nothings and Tennis, but wasn't able to catch.

As expected, it was an amazing experience and a lot of fun. No doubt that it would be worth attending again.