popwreckoning

Acclaimed singer-songwriter, Rachael Yamagata, will release Chesapeake, her first studio album in three years on October 11, 2011. The album, produced by John Alagia, producer of Yamagata’s Happenstance album as well as albums from Liz Phair, Dave Matthews Band and Jason Mraz, will be self-released on her very own Frankenfish Records. Twelve days following the release of Chesapeake, Yamagata will hit the road on an extensive tour of the United States starting on October 24th in Portland, Maine at the Port City Music Hall and wind down on December 22nd in New York City at City Winery.

For Chesapeake, Yamagata recruited her “dream team” consisting of Victor Indrizzo (Sheryl Crow) on drums, guitarists Mike Viola (Candy Butchers), Michael Chaves (John Mayer), and Kevin Salem, (Dump Truck, Yo La Tengo), cellist Oli Kraus (Sia, Duffy) and Tom Freund on the upright bass. The result is an eclectic collection of songs projecting Yamagata’s new-found optimism and hopefulness, showcasing her sultry and smoky voice, rich, layered harmonies, striking ballads and soulful grooves.

Listeners can get a taste of what’s to come by downloading the song “Starlight” by visiting http://snd.sc/n6ajQf.

Praised by critics for her intimately confessional songwriting and arrangements, Rachael released her last album, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart on Warner Bros. Records in October of 2008.   Entertainment Weekly called her delivery “gorgeous” and Rolling Stone said her “soulful, cigarette-scratched voice and melancholy lyrics recall Fiona Apple and PJ Harvey.” She toured extensively in support of the album playing to crowds throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. The New York Times hailed “With a deep, melancholy, breathy alto and a fondness for slow, sparsely chorded songs, Ms. Yamagata has a lot in common with Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan. And in her upbeat moments she can sound like a fuller-voiced Liz Phair or a less volatile Chrissie Hynde.” Songs from the album appeared in various television programs and films including Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters and more. She also made an appearance in the season finale of 30 Rock in 2009.

Tour Dates:

OCTOBER

24th - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall

25th - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Lodge

27th - Ithaca, NY - Deliah’s

28th -  Northampton, MA - Iron Horse

30th - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

31st - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live

NOVEMBER

1st - Washington, DC - Birchmere

2nd - Baltimore, MD - Sound Stage

4th - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory

5th -  Pittsburgh, PA - Club Café

6th - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom (Small Room)

7th - Detroit, MI - St Andrews Hall

8th - Chicago, IL - Logan Square

10th - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Ballroom

11th - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line

12th - Davenport, IA - Redstone Room

14th - Kansas City, KS - Record Bar

16th - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge

18th - Salt Lake City, UT - State Room

20th - Spokane, WA - A Club

21st - Vancouver, BC - Media Club

22nd - Seattle, WA - Crocodile

23rd - Portland, OR - Doug Fir

25th - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s

27th - San Diego, CA - Casbah

29th - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

30th - Tuscon, AZ - Crescent Ballroom

DECEMBER

2nd - Austin, TX - Parish

3rd - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald’s Upstairs

4th - Dallas, TX - The Loft

5th - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom – 2nd Stage

7th - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill

8th - Nashville, TN - 12th and Porter

9th - Birmingham, AL - Work Play

10th - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl

12th - Charleston, SC - New Brookland Tavern

13th - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre

15th - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506

16th - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern

17th - Louisville, KY - Headliners

18th - Columbus, OH - The Basement

20th - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell’s

21st - New York, NY - City Winery

22nd - New York, NY - City Winery

www.rachaelyamagata.com

Lenses Alien, the result of collaborative explorations for Cymbals Eat Guitars, is a stunning example of a band growing into itself – learning to collaborate, becoming more confident. Why There Are Mountains was a record that Joseph D’Agostino made largely on his own, with help from Matt Miller and some other friends and acquaintances that came and went. Lenses Alien is a record that Joseph D’Agostino, Brian Hamilton, Matt Miller, and Matthew Whipple made together, as a band.

At its core, Lenses Alien is a marriage of classic pop forms and ambient haze that makes for a stark, dusky psychedelia. D’Agostino’s vocals, now with support from Hamilton and Whipple, sit daringly at the forefront, and his lyrics are dark, strange, and affecting as ever. Miller and Whipple move the songs as a singular, powerful unit while ornate guitars and Hamilton’s celestial organ and chiming pianos whirl across the sonic landscape. A complex listen, Lenses Alien strikes a balance between the archaic and the inviting and is as much a document of doubts and contradictions as of irreverent joy. It’s a varied collection of songs and it’s precisely the album Cymbals Eat Guitars was built to make.

Track list

1. Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)
2. Shore Points
3. Keep Me Waiting
4. Plainclothes
5. Definite Darkness
6. Another Tunguska
7. The Current
8. Wavelengths
9. Secret Family
10. Gary Condit

Visit www.cymbalseatguitars.com for more information.

It was the final day and it was already sweltering hot before noon. This didn’t stop Bonnaroo goers from making the best of their final day though.

I began with Japandroids, a garage rock duo playing over at This Tent. For only two guys, they had a very large sound and I really liked how they switched lead vocals between the guitarist and the drummer. This was a good way to start.

Japandroids

Next, I went to a band that completely contrasts Japandroids: Calexico. These sleek rockers were joined by some friends from Spain on some brass instruments. The resulting sound was like a more mainstream mariachi band. It was the perfect soundtrack to the summer sun beating down on the crowd.

Calexico by Joshua Hammond

What’s Bonnaroo without checking out a few good jam bands? We headed over to the What Stage to watch of Australia’s John Butler Trio deliver some of their folky jams before the lady we were really dying to see this day: Regina Spektor.

John Butler Trio by Joshua Hammond

The adorable pianist is bubbly and charming as her gentle voice skips into the upper octaves, but then Regina takes you by surprise: “Fuck. That’s not how this song goes. I don’t know how you all do it: a whole day in the sun. My mind is just a fuck puddle.” Only Regina can make cursing sound so polite. Then again, perhaps that cursing isn’t such a shock if you think about the content of somehow her songs, “Someone is fucking to one of my songs,” just one of a few examples I can think of.

Regina Spektor by Joshua Hammond

Regina Spektor by Joshua Hammond

Punk rock was a popular theme of the day: Against Me, Dropkick Murphys and Rise Against were all performing Sunday. Punk music is really dependent on the energy level of the show, and with the high temperatures, I was worried these bands might take a hit. That worry was unnecessary because these bands tore it up. Against Me, with new member Franz Nicolay, even wore their leather jackets as they sang out their vein-popping energetic set. Dropkick Murphys was like a big party with the multi-instrument band filling up the stage with accordions and guitars and strings. Raucous and fun.

Against Me! by Joshua Hammond

Dropkick Murphys by Joshua Hammond

Dropkick Murphys by Joshua Hammond

In between the two punk bands, Josh caught the classic rocker John Fogerty before joining me for the self-described geek rockers: They Might Be Giants. They’re goofy, but brilliantly so. They’ve been around for quite some time and just released some new great material, perfect for any aspiring scientist. I was kind of surprised by how many of their songs I knew, but didn’t realize was them. Yet another fun set.

John Fogerty by Joshua Hammond

They Might Be Giants by Joshua Hammond

After that it was time to watch a few Grammy-winners. Country artists Zac Brown Band was first up over at the What Stage. I’m not a fan of country music, but these guys are pretty easy to get into to with their speed-demon riffs. My personal favorite moment of the set was their cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” It was a nice moment for their violinist to show off his chops.

Zac Brown Band by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix, as far as the indie Bonnaroo fans were concerned, was Sunday’s headliner and as the Parisians tore through an intense rock set not just of the new Wolfgang songs, but songs from their entire repetoire, they kind of did steal the show. There were times when singer Thomas Mars‘ voice sounded a bit hoarse and worn from their constant touring, but even with that, the crazy guitar riffs and big drums made up for it.

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Phoenix by Joshua Hammond

Dave Matthews Band was Sunday’s official headliner. I think I owe these guys an apology. I had kind of written them off as a frat band with boring tunes, but in actuality, they are fun and the band has plenty of personality. They do deserve success for their long jams. It was a bit bittersweet to watch them play though. It was surprisngly great to enjoy them, but sad to see their set signal the end of the fest.

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Bethany Smith

Dave Matthews Band by Joshua Hammond

Another Bonnaroo over. Despite the lack of surprise collaborations and guest stars, this was a stellar year with solid performances. Though my aching feet are thankful it’s over, the rest of me can’t wait to see what the next year will bring.

by Joshua Hammond

View recaps and photos from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Dave Matthews Band has announced on its website that after 20 years of non-stop touring, they’ll take 2011 off.

The band has never taken a break from touring since they formed and are one of the most successful touring bands in music history (They’ve sold 11,230,696 tickets to 547 shows in 2000-2009 almost exclusively in North America, according to Billboard).

The posted on davematthewsband.com:

As we feel the excitement building for this summer, we wanted to let everyone know that after 20 years of consecutive touring, Dave Matthews Band will be taking 2011 off. We feel lucky that our tours are a part of so many people’s lives, and wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible. We’re excited to make this summer one of our best tours yet, and look forward to returning to the road in 2012.

The break follows the band’s summer tour run and headlining slots at festivals such as Bonnaroo and Mile High Music Fest.

What is there to say about Day 2 of ACL? After such a beautiful Day 1, the rain came and stuck around for the most part of Day 2. When I realized this rain was not going to pass anytime soon, I invested in a poncho. The beautiful Zilker Park was left a muddy mess in mere hours, but festival goers embraced the rain and mud, most opting for bare foot and whatever plastic they could find to shield themselves from the elements.

Starting off my day was Deer Tick who I had heard such good things from coworkers, but I was left underwhelmed, perhaps due to the dreary weather. I made my way to the Livestrong stage to see Alberta Cross (who later received a shout out from Mr. Dave Matthews during his headlining set). The rained eased up as they made their way through their bluesy set, but I had other places to be so I made my way to the Felice Brothers to get a good spot for Grizzly Bear as well and that’s unfortunately when the skies opened and the downpour began. Grizzly Bear pushed themselves rather far back in the stage and didn’t move or interact all that much. So while I appreciate the songs, I left feeling a little mixed on their set.

With a quick jaunt to the media to load up on free snacks on my mind, I made my way back in the rain. Once I was full of Coca Cola and all natural snacks, I braved the elements to see my personal highlight of the day and that was Bon Iver. I had not heard much about his shows, but I was floored at his soulful vocals and haunting harmonies with his backing band, making the rain feel insignificant. After Vernon’s wonderful set on steel guitar, I made my way through the mud to Mos Def. While I was initially disappointed by his tardiness and hiding behind a drum kit for the first two songs, the showman Mos Def I have come to love and respect graced the front of the stage mic in hand working the rain shocked crowd into a frenzy.

After enjoying the wonderful catered BBQ in the media area, I made my way to Dave Matthews Band. Now while I’m not what I’d consider a fan, I do have an appreciation for the sheer musicianship Matthews and gang demonstrate on a nightly basis; I also have to appreciate a cover of Talking Heads “Burning Down The House” While nothing can live up to David Bryne’s vocals on the track, DMB’s version was rather lively and Dave’s dance moves worked the mud-covered fans into hysteria. After their set, I decided to call it a night and waited for my free shuttle back to my hotel to rest up, clean off my shoes (remember, ALWAYS pack more than one pair of shoes) and rest up for Day 3.

Austin City Limits: website | day 1

Rachael Yamagata will hit the road as a very special guest of Irish band Swell Season for a fall U.S. tour of intimate theaters that begins November 12th and finishes up on December 5th. Yamagata has spent the last few months writing the follow-up to her Warner Bros. Records debut album Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart.

Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart was released on October 7th, 2008. The follow-up to Yamagata’s 2004 full-length debut Happenstance, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart was praised by such media outlets as Entertainment Weekly (“Yamagata’s delivery is gorgeous”), People (“an ambitious double disc”), and Spin (“add some cheap scotch and you’ve got a John Cassavetes movie”).

Of the album’s 15 tracks, Nebraska-based Mike Mogis, the multi-instrumentalist and producer known for his work with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley and The Faint, produced 12. Two tracks were produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band), who also produced Happenstance. The album also features guest appearances by singer-songwriters Ray Lamontagne and Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor.

Tour Dates:
Nov 12 – House of Blues / New Orleans, LA
Nov 13 – Warehouse Live / Houston, TX
Nov 14 – The Palladium Ballroom / Dallas, TX
Nov 15 - Paramount Theatre / Austin, TX
Nov 17 - Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda / Mesa, AZ
Nov 27 – Egyptian Theater / Boise, ID
Nov 28 - Jeanne Wagner Theatre / Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 29 – Ogden Theatre / Denver, CO
Nov 30 – Uptown Theatre / Kansas City, MO
Dec 2 – Michigan Theater / Ann Arbor, MI
Dec 3 – Chicago Auditorium Theatre / Chicago, IL
Dec 4 – The Pageant / St. Louis, MO
Dec 5 – State Theatre / Minneapolis, MN

Rachael Yamagata: myspace | website | Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart review | interview with | @ liberty hall

Welcome back, readers!  Looks like the toxicology and autopsy reports on Michael Jackson are taking forever and I, for one, need to take a break from the lovefest that was my month-long MJ tribute (read: here, here, here and here!).  With MJ on the mind, it’s been hard to think of other musicians, so hopefully this Pop Punk Miscellany piece will serve as an adequate segue back to the mixed-bag madness that usually is Under Cover.

To mix things up, this week I’m featuring a genre I haven’t always focused on.  Pop Punk is always a good time and usually infuses a vivacious energy that’s perfect after a hard day at work or for the drive home following a kickass evening.  Here are some classic covers by some very pop-friendly bands.  Enjoy!
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. Alien Ant Farm – “Smooth Criminal” (original: Michael Jackson)
What?  I told you.  Getting Michael Jackson off the mind has been difficult, so Alien Ant Farm‘s infamous cover of “Smooth Criminal” may help this week’s switch to pop punk.  I’m not even the biggest AAF fan or anything, but I do recall giving them points for creativity with this rousing rendition when it came out nearly a decade earlier.  This cover is a sped-up rock version, yet manages to share more than a few similarities to the original.  There’s the anti-gravity leaning, studded gloves, homage paid to Bubbles the Chimpanzee, and let’s not forget an equally strange lead singer Dryden Mitchell on the verge of an epileptic seizure in the music video.  Be sure to check out the video to see if you can count all the MJ references!  I myself counted at least 10…

.Paramore – “My Hero” (original: Foo Fighters)
My Foo Fighters/Dave Grohl-obsessed ass is aware of the sacrilege of posting an acoustic Paramore cover that doesn’t even have the same killer bass line or energetic drumming that jumpstarts the original, but I’m such a sucker for cute little pop punk outfits featuring impressive female vocalists like Hayley Williams.  In a word full of the Katy Perrys, Rihannas, Britney Spears-es, and assorted pop wrecks out there, I’d choose Paramore over them any day by mere fact that this 20-year-old can actually sing.  Her voice is so clear, resonant and melodic, and it flows so nicely with the gentle strumming on the acoustic that I bet even Mr. Grohl himself would dig this one.  And hey, if Mr. Grohl is reading this… call me.  You can be my hero for a day, if I can watch you as you go.  Oh snap!

. Yellowcard – “Everywhere” (original: Michelle Branch)
Personally, I’ve always felt Yellowcard knows how to perfectly put out precious pop punk gems each and every time.  And hey look, they’re off from their hiatus? Lead singer Ryan Key has such a sweet, genuine vocal delivery, the guitars are punchy and power-poppy, and mad props to any group aside from Dave Matthews Band who can incorporate a lead violinist so effortlessly into their songs.  These boys from Florida take a pop classic like Michelle Branch‘s “Everywhere” that was already awesome in its own right and add a refreshing little upbeat twist with the help of some very pretty electric guitar riffs and surprisingly gorgeous slicks of violin that lace the song and add a dash of dramatic intensity to the breakdown.  This song makes me regret quitting the violin in high school because it irritated my chin, much to the dismay of my high school music teacher.  Sorry, Mr. Santin!