Rock Aound the World
Listening to the Finns...sometimes you don't get what you want...sometimes you do...

You hit those amazing situations where all that's missing is the perfect soundtrack.

Here's an example:

You're on a crowded boat in the middle of the Baltic Sea. (That's the smallish body of water near Russia.) The boat is packed with Finns, Swedes, Russians, and the odd (really odd) Norwegian. It’s the end of a seriously rock 'n roll year and you're kinda tired, but taking this overnight party boat is one of those "I'd be stupid not to" situations. The boat is lurching around...or maybe its just you...and you need the right songs to sum up this moment, because there have been victories...

You don't always get what you want.

You turn on the cabin radio, which is somehow part of the telephone, and awful, despondent sounds stream out. No part of you can connect with this. Rock & Roll is only Rock & Roll if you like it. And you do not like this.

Culled from audio/video footage captured during Mogwai’s three-day residency at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY in early 2009), the Vincent Moon and Nathanael Le Scouarnec-directed film Burning provides for an intimate live experience with a band best known for its ability to shatter sound barriers on a grand scale. 
Yet, instead of taking the easy route and merely highlighting the epic grandiosity so commonly ascribed to the Glaswegian quintet’s music, the directors eschew the clichés by keeping to the somewhat-offbeat-but-entirely-personal aesthetic of their contributions to La Blogotechque’s Take Away Shows. The final result is a beautiful juxtaposition of contemplative visual serenity set against the swells and plateaus of Mogwai’s oft-touted transcendental volume dynamics.

Moon and Le Scouarnec’s choice to keep things simple and focused by forgoing any flashy editing or gaudy visual gimmickry manifests itself in a well-executed, to-the-point exploration of the relationship between personal-proximity and music of sprawling proportions; finding physical-mental closeness in a vast aural landscape. 

Shot entirely in black and white, the concert images in Burning are consistently cropped tight – offering up-close views of hands fretting and strumming guitars, sticks beating against cymbals, chord progressions and knob twiddles on keyboards, smiles curling at corners of mouth, or an occasional view over the shoulder of a band member as beads of sweat roll off his chin while he awaits a silent cue to move on to the next movement of a particular song. 

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Capitol Hill Block Party 2010 Review: Villagers
Sunday, July 25, 2010

A hush settles over a quiet audience as a lone performer begins his next song. As I scan the room, all eyes are transfixed on this magnetic character as he lightly strums his acoustic guitar and sings in a voice so full of conviction, it’s stunning.

This was the scene at Neumos as Dublin’s Conor J. Obrien (Villagers) performed a solo set on the last day of this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party.  Evidently his accompanying band could not make it as he “couldn’t afford” to fly them to the show. 

Lucky for us, Villagers’ music seems to have more of an impact when performed solo. Hearing the debut album, Becoming A Jackal, full of instrumentation and production takes something away from the incredibly intimate nature of O’Brien’s songwriting.  It’s this intimacy, honesty and conviction that managed to captivate hundreds of intoxicated festival-goers, even in a venue as large as Neumos.

In this, the second installment of a new monthly series entitled "Matt Brown in Photo," we feature a shot from the 2008 Noise for the Needy pre-party at the Sunset Tavern. It's the last of five shots taken by Hilary Harris that night, and one that subsequently spent a considerable amount of time as Mr Brown's profile picture back when we all still used MySpace.    

What makes this shot timely in August 2010 is this: a copy of it was recently hung on the wall at the Sunset alongside other photos. Below it, there's a sign that reads "Sold."

Capitol Hill Block Party Day 2
July 24, 2010
Photos by Jason Tang

As we all know, breakfast is the cornerstone of a successful day. Early morning food stokes the fires in our bellies and provides the necessary energy to get us going. On the morning of Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) Day 2, however, I decided to take that concept a step further and eat a "special brownie" before heading up to "the hill.” It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Before I get to my thoughts on the day’s music, a little back story…

I fall in with the 50 percent of Seattleites who have lost some love for CHBP over the years. The crowds, heat, and commercialism have gotten to be more trouble than they are worth, and I honestly wasn't looking forward to dealing with those headaches again this year. But, with my day planned out, tickets in hand, and a “good” breakfast in me, I struck out from my apartment with an open mind and a full stomach.

Hey Kids!

Music fans looking for a VIP trip to Austin City Limits might want to participate in the "Sweet Leaf Sweet Spot" contest sponsored by Sweet Leaf Tea. We don't know much about the brand, but this once-regional drink seems to be sweeping the nation and all you gotta do is send in a picture to qualify.

ACL boasts a great lineup, as per usual, including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Avett Brothers, Mos Def, Bon Iver, and local boy wonder Vince Mira. They gave away a similar package for Lollapalooza, taking place this weekend in Chicago.

Seattle Rock Guy Shares His Virgin Islands Video
2010 Capitol Hill Block Party
Live @ The Comet Tavern

While not quite part of the “official” CHBP lineup, Seattle’s own Virgin Islands provided a rousing nightcap at the Comet Tavern following Friday’s festivities. Fronted by energetic ex-The Cops frontman Michael Jaworski this band is quickly becoming a local favorite of mine.

Never Trust a Genius
Interview with Jason Hartley

Ever wondered how Lou Reed could release a double album of nothing but guitar noise and feedback and still have it advance his career? “What the hell was Bob Dylan thinking doing a television spot for Victoria's Secret?” Or, “what would motivate Brian Wilson to release a rap song entitled ‘Smart Girls’ in the late 80’s?”

Your immediate reaction might be something like "most artists occasionally create work that sucks, and don't always make the best decisions." I too, felt this way for many years.
 
Now what would you say if I told you there was a theory that would allow you to appreciate all of the work by your favorite artists? Twenty years ago, Jason Hartley came up with one.