Had a chance to see Jose Gonzalez perform live at the Park Theatre last night. The Park Theatre is an intimate and enchanting little theatre that can fit around 240 seats. I went through a Jose stage last year and was into both Veneer and In Our Nature. I was surprised, like most people, that the indie folk singer-songwriter actually resided from Sweden. I was also shocked to find out that his previous musical experience came from playing in a plethora of hardcore punk/rock bands. His music seemed so soothing and serene that you would assume he had a more folky/classical upbringing.
To be honest, I grew tired of Gonzalez’s sound. A lot of the songs started sounding familiar. For $25, I thought he was worth checking out. I’m glad I did. Frankly, I’ve never seen such a unique way of playing the guitar. Let me set the scene first. When I walked into the quaint theatre just before his set, all there was on stage was a yellow chair on a with a couple of smallish amps and two microphones. One for vocals and the other for the guitar. There was no keyboardist, no bassist, no percussion, nothing. I always thought there was two or sometimes three guitars when listening to his albums.
When he got on stage, he proceeded to tune his guitar, in what seemed to be an ‘Drop D’ tuning. He continually adjusted the tunings inbetween songs on his classical guitar for the remainder of the gig, which I liked because it was more spontaneous and intimate. It was just a guy and his guitar. The only “produced” part of the show was a couple of horns that were mixed in by the sound guy at the very end of two songs.
I was captivated by Gonzalez’s technique. He used his thumb to pluck the E-string for the base lines, and the rest of his fingers hammered, slid, picked, and strumed enthralling variations. By using a “classical-like” technique, he managed to create an arrangement that sounded like there was a bassist, lead guitar, and a rhythm guitar. His vocals only supported his mastery of the 6 nylon strings.
Below is some footage of the show I found on YouTube. The songs called “Hint”. If you get a chance you’ve got to check him out. ~TJK
I had a chance to catch a few acts this year at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, which has 10 days of live shows featuring local, national, and international talent. The festival is not exclusively jazz and has grown to include R&B, Roots, Blues, Indie Rock, Hip Hop, and Dance. For more info about the Winnipeg Jazz Festival visit jazzwinnipeg.com.
I had a chance to see The Stars (3.5/5 Chilis), The New Pornographers (2.5/5 Chilis >> they were without Neko Case this night), and local favorite Moses Mayes and The Funk Family Orchestra (4.5/5 Chilis).
My highlight of the festival definitely was the show that Moses Mayes put on in Old Market Square. The late Sunday night set had the entire crowd dancing to good ol’ funk with a modern twist. Old Market Square is a great venue, located in the heart of Winnipeg’s artsy Exchange District. After the show a tumbla jam session broke out in the blocked off street. I found some footage of the jam session which is posted below (I’m having a great time somewhere near the big white truck…).
The Silver Jews sixth album Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; and the Cash-like vocals of David Berman fit right into the folklore of Music City, USA. Assisted by his wife Cassie, Berman lays down an album filled with poetic lyrics and good ol’ country twang. Regardless of whether or not you are a big country fan, Berman gives his songs enough edge so it doesn’t feel like you are at a Chet Atkins concert.
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea is a valiant attempt, but it just doesn’t live up to the Jews previous accomplishments. I just don’t believe in songs like “Candy Jail” or “Strange Victory, Strange Defeat”. Without Malkmus, the Silver Jews have lost an edge. The music is not terrible, but when comparing this album to an album like American Water, it is just mediocre. What the Jews do accomplish is a tighter performance. It no longer feels like jam sessions. The production is crisp and clean. Perhaps i’m living in the past, but the off-beat feel of the Jews previous work is what I liked about this once make-shift band.
It’s now my third listen to Wolf Parade’s new sofomore album, At Zoomer Mountain, and I think i’m just starting to figure out what all the hype is about. I was not super enthusiastic with my first and second listen, but I think I’m now starting to get why these indie rockers are so well revered by their fans and peers. There really are no hooks, flashy guitar solos, or poppy gyrations.
After a long hiatus, I can’t yet say that this album lives up to Apologies to the Queen Mary, but what Wolf Parade accomplishes is that they didn’t take a step backward. Songs like ”California Dreamer” and “Kissing the Beehive” are definately steps forward. Sophomore albums are important in judging a bands depth and breadth and Wolf Parade is here to stay. Boeckner and Krug’s talented song writing helped push through that critical sophomore phase. Expect good things from Wolf Parade in the future.
A friend told me about this documentary last year but I never got around to renting it. Perhaps one of the most intimate looks at the New York Dolls, and the 1970’s punk scene. As luck would have it I stumbled upon the documentary being streamed at pitchfork tv. Here is their description:
“In the early 70’s, rock photographer Bob Gruen and his wife Nadya purchased a portable video recorder. Over three years, they would shoot more than 40 hours of New York Dolls footage, resulting in this definitive document of the glam/punk pioneers’ influential peak.”
