Secondly, in addition to filming in studio performances, I am now working for KEXP as a contributing writer to the Song of the Day feature. If you’re interested in reading my entries, make sure to read the write-ups on Mondays.

Here are some entries I’ve already written:

It was a nice preview of what was to come later that evening in Ballard. I remember at the time thinking that it was unfortunate that all I could hear was the guitar parts and the live drums. Any of the triggered effects and electronic drums were just implied hits on plastic. Then I thought about how that is a fairly interesting way to take in a song by one of your favorite bands.

It was ten hours later that they came on at the bar. You.May.Die.In.The.Desert was there again but I missed their set trying to meet up with a videographer connection. My equipment was running and I had my camera ready at the front. Tim gave me a Panasonic unit that someone let him borrow for the tour. It shot in 4:3 but I wasn’t about to turn down a free angle. I let it sit on the drummer and taped it down to the ground. Dan showed up and filmed the other side of the stage with his camera.

The band played and came back for their encore that they seemed genuinely gracious about. I think they like Seattle and I know Seattle loves them. Town is full of design and layout nerds. I could be one of them but I’m too afraid to say it. I’m not afraid to say that the recording came out ok and it still sucks to tape the Sunset.

I don’t know if this is something they want people to know but there are stem files of their songs available for remixes. You could probably Sam Spade your way to the directory if you use your head.

MP3 Sample: ete2009-04-17sample.mp3

Download:
FLAC: ete2009-04-17.akgc1000s.sbd.matrix.flac16.zip
MP3: ete2009-04-17.akgc1000s.sbd.matrix.mp3.zip

Lifesavas:
Lifesavas @ Nectar Lounge
SD FLV (371 MB): Lifesavas 2009-04-04 Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA

Grayskul:
Grayskul @ Nectar Lounge
SD FLV (168 MB): Grayskul 2009-04-04 Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA

Fog machines, candelabras, guitars that look like weapons, vocals that sound like demons, drums that feel like war. That’s what it is. It’s full of powerful riffs and seriously wicked vocals. And people were into it. Like crazy. The place was packed for their set and people wanted more than the thirty minutes of power to which they were treated but that’s all they received. No introduction and no farewell from the band. Just closing feedback and nothing more.

I sorta felt bad for Pelican having to follow them. But not bad enough that I would stay and watch because I’ve already seen and taped them twice and I wasn’t really looking forward to a three-peat of that experience. I could hear their set from the green room and it sounded like the same stuff I heard the last times I’d seen them so there isn’t really any regret there.

And I also learned a great trick from WITTR’s drummer for returning a damaged rental car without issue in the south: leave the radio on a Christian station.

Wolves in the Throne Room – 2009-03-31 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
FLAC Download: witt2009-03-31.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Download: witt2009-03-31.mp3.zip

Video coming at some point

I did not film this. Actually, this was before I even owned (or had access to) any equipment for recording shows. My friend Craig Mueller filmed this using a Canon XL-1 with a shotgun mic mounted on it. It looks great and sounds great. I guess it might look and sound awful if you’re not into noise music but maybe I kinda don’t care and you should man up and grow a pair.

Download:
SD MP4 (276 MB): we2003-03-23.mp4

I’ve been busy updating my older content in order to make it more accessible to the mass public. That includes rendering streaming FLV versions of past live videos which takes a ridiculous amount of time given my limited resources. Bearing that in mind, stick with me as I trudge along.

The sets that I have updated so far are:

Explosions in the Sky 2007-05-06 Neumo’s
65daysofstatic 2007-08-06 El Corazon
This is a Process… 2008-03-19 The Comet Tavern
This Will Destroy You – 2006-08-04/05 – Camp Nowhere, The Paradox

Upcoming (old) content includes: The Fall of Troy, Tera Melos, Caspian, You.May.Die.In.The.Desert, The Books, and The Tyde.

Keeping in the spirit of updating older content, I’ve created some DVD covers for some past shows. Here is a cover for the El Ten Eleven show at The Sunset Tavern last summer:

And here is a cover for the two shows I filmed of This Will Destroy you way back in the summer of 2006:

The torrents for the This Will Destroy You DVDs are long since dead but the updated posts I linked earlier have DVD quality MP4 files that are available for download. If nothing else, you can print off the DVD cover and burn those MP4s to a data disc. Or, if you’re feeling productive you could transcode the MP4 to DVD. Basically what I’m saying is: I don’t publish DVDs anymore.

Oh. It’s an art space show.

These kinds of shows are my favorite sort. There’s no security and no heat. The start time of the show is fluid and sometimes bands start playing that aren’t even on the bill that doesn’t really exist. It’s everyone’s favorite party and usually the sound is pretty good because there’s no way a co-op art warehouse has the funds or a space big enough to own a decent PA or mic kit. This way all you’re hearing are the band as they would sound on-stage at a proper venue. You know, if that stage were shoved into the room venue’s bathroom.

The Holy Mountain is such a place. Once named The Booty Cave and now drawing it’s namesake from the most nonsensically obtuse movie I’ve ever seen, The Holy Mountain is such a space where people live, work, play, and puke.

Both Sleepy Eyes of Death and Bronze Fawn are bands that have members who some might consider auxiliary or who? In the case of Bronze Fawn, it is Dan. At most shows he’s right up front near the stage where you can peer over your nose at his frantic yet controlled button pushing. Almost always when a band uses live projection it’s a looped DVD but since two of the members are Adobe employees who are heavily into video I can understand the inclusion of a live VJ for their set.

Unfortunately for Bronze Fawn, the use of any sort of plain white wall was not to be had. Every wall: covered in painting, sculpture, and creation. I thought to myself “Their video projection could look sort of cool on this wall.” as I looked at a pentagram painted on the wall. My mind is immediately sent back to the images in the film that haunt me still.

It was then I realized that the venue shares with the film not only name but visual effect as well. The surfaces of the room all shimmer and stare with sculpted masks and crossed grid pattens. The video projection over the pentagram was not as cool as I had hoped. The band really needs to invest in some sort of backdrop for these situations.

Bronze Fawn – Live @ The Holy Mountain

On the completely different end of the spectrum, Sleepy Eyes of Death were not affected one bit by their surroundings and made it clear during their performance that it didn’t matter where they were. With a complete fog and lights show to accompany their performance, there were times when you couldn’t see but a few feet around the band as the fog billowed up from around their feet. Behind the fog the lights shone up from the floor giving the air around the band texture and color. Dramatic shoots of amber and neon blue silhouette each member along with the tone and pace of the song. Enough to make you wonder “Is there some old man in a beanie working this Lazer Lightshow I’m trippin’ on?”

And, in fact, there is. He sits at the side of the stage with his light mixing board and an itchy finger on the fog release. When the crescendo hits so does the lightning storm of strobe and moonbeams straight from the ether. If you pay attention closely in the video you can spy him hunched over at his station. You can see him making the show that much better for you. Unsung.

With so many bands hiking the instrumental route anymore, it’s refreshing that a band like Bronze Fawn is engaging not only with their melodies but also with a visual show to make their performance stand out from the rest. That the visual show is handled on the fly makes it that much more engaging. Likewise, Sleepy Eyes of Death remain one of the most exciting and head rush inducing performers in their genre. While bands like The Depreciation Guild and Anamanaguchi are experimenting in 8-bit sounds washed over with guitars, it seems that Sleepy Eyes of Death are attacking the mixture with so much more presence and urgency.

Sleepy Eyes of Death – Live @ The Holy Mountain

Bronze Fawn – 2009-02-07 The Holy Mountain – Seattle, WA

Download FLAC: bf2009-02-07.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
Download MP3: bf2009-02-07.mp3.zip
Sample: bf2009-02-07sample.mp3

SD FLV (344 MB): bf2009-02-07.flv
HD MP4 (1.66 GB): bf2009-02-07.mp4

Sleepy Eyes of Death – 2009-02-07 The Holy Mountain – Seattle, WA

Download FLAC: seod2009-02-07.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
Download MP3: seod2009-02-07.mp3.zip
MP3 Sample: seod2009-02-07sample.mp3

SD FLV (331 MB): seod2009-02-07.flv
HD MP4 (1.38 GB): seod2009-02-07.mp4

I even made some artwork for this one for a different project. It came out pretty good so here it is. Boom. You’re lookin’ at it. Click the image for a high res version you can print off all on your own! Wahoo!

All in all a good show and a pretty good recording with which to shove that point into all of your faces. Boom. You’re hearin’ it.

Iron & Wine 2008-10-06 McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR
Download: iaw2008-10-06.at943.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: iaw2008-10-06sample.mp3

And even before that, there was another time that I slam dunked on this scene like a hellacoptah. There surely was a time in May of last year when I saw Subtle drop a lyrical bomb on The Nectar Lounge down in Fremont. And for certain it was the man with the plan and the microphone stand.

Supporting acts were Efterklang and Slaraffenland from somewhere in Europe that is probably cold as hell right now. Finland? Sweden? I don’t know. One of those ones. If there is interest I’ll put up the Slaraffenland set.

Subtle 2008-05-10 The Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA
Download: subtle2008-05-10.akgc1000s.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: subtle2008-05-10sample.mp3

Efterklang2008-05-10 The Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA
Download: efterklang2008-05-10.soundboard.flac16.zip
MP3 Sample: efterklang2008-05-10sample.mp3