popwreckoning » kevin devine http://popwreckoning.com without music, life would be a mistake. Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:15:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Kevin Devine Signs with Razor & Tie http://popwreckoning.com/2011/07/20/kevin-devine-signs-with-razor-tie/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/07/20/kevin-devine-signs-with-razor-tie/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:00:29 +0000 Devon Mueller http://popwreckoning.com/?p=35626

Razor & Tie has announced the signing of Brooklyn based singer-songwriter . His full length , Between the Concrete & Clouds, will be released September 13, 2011 via Razor & Tie / Favorite Gentlemen. Devine will head out this fall on a headlining tour with The Features as direct support on its first leg. The tour will kick off on September 6th in Pittsburgh, PA at Club AE and make stops nationwide, concluding in Upland, CA at The Wire. (Dates below, 2nd half forthcoming). Stream or download the title track.

Between The Concrete & Clouds is a record full of firsts for Devine, both sonically and technically. Perhaps best known for his solo songs, this is the first record he’s made that is fully backed by a band. After settling back home in Brooklyn after being on tour for most of 2009 and ’10, Devine spent time in his rehearsal space playing around with ideas on his own.

Produced by Chris Bracco and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Dr. Dog), Between the Concrete & Clouds was recorded in 10 days over a span of a month. The 10 track album features musicians Brian Bonz (keyboard), Chris Bracco (bass, keyboard), Mike Fadem (drums, percussion), Russell Smith (electric guitar), and Mike Strandberg (guitar, mandolin).  This is the first recording Devine’s done with his version of this band, and it had an inspired impact on the final product.

“The combination of Chris and Rob on this record kind of marries the best aspects of everything I’ve tried to do over the past ten years,” Devine said. “I tried to explore a bit musically and make an album that still has a lot to chew on, but serves it with a scoop of ice cream,” he said. “I took the lyrical density of what I typically write – which are not-simple stories about not-simple people, or what I feel life is most accurately like – but give them more of a traditional pop structure.”

Tour Dates
Sept 6 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club AE
Sept 7 – Akron, OH – Musica
Sept 8 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
Sept 9 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
Sept 10 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
Sept 11 – , MO – Record Bar
Sept 13 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
Sept 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Sept 16 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon Lounge
Sept 17 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar
Sept 19 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
Sept 20 – Upland, CA – The Wire

For more information visit www.kevindevine.net

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/07/20/kevin-devine-signs-with-razor-tie/feed/ 0 Kevin Devine – 11.17.10 Live Acoustic at Hotel Cafe http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/10/kevin-devine-11-17-10-live-acoustic-at-hotel-cafe/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/10/kevin-devine-11-17-10-live-acoustic-at-hotel-cafe/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:32:26 +0000 Devon Mueller http://popwreckoning.com/?p=34844

plays “11.17.10″ live and stripped down on his third night at a string of Hotel Cafe shows in with .

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/06/10/kevin-devine-11-17-10-live-acoustic-at-hotel-cafe/feed/ 0 Kevin Devine Releasing Two Singles As Upcoming LP ‘Between The Concrete And The Clouds’ Is Finished http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/23/kevin-devine-releasing-two-singles-as-upcoming-lp-between-the-concrete-and-the-clouds-is-finished/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/23/kevin-devine-releasing-two-singles-as-upcoming-lp-between-the-concrete-and-the-clouds-is-finished/#comments Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:35:42 +0000 Devon Mueller http://popwreckoning.com/?p=33640

, setting his side project with aside, is putting the final touches on his upcoming solo Between The Concrete And The Clouds, due sometime this fall. In the meantime, he is releasing two 7″ singles which are currently available for pre-order.

Los Angeles and Portland will see a handful of shows titled “An ” to test-drive the material, as well as play some old favorites from his extensive catalog. Hotel Cafe in will see shows May 11, 18 and 25; Crystal Hotel and Ballroom in Portland May 29-June 4. May 11 at Hotel Cafe will showcase a performance of Devine’s Between The Concrete And The Clouds in its entirety with accompaniment by and of local group . Prior to the Portland shows, Devine will play an all-ages show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim.

Devine’s two 7″ singles Luxembourg and Part of the Whole are now available for pre-order, due May 17 via Academy Fight Records.

Show Dates:

May 11 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hotel Café
May 18 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hotel Café
May 25 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hotel Café
May 27 – Anaheim, Calif. @ Chain Reaction
May 29 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
May 30 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
May 31 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
June 1 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
June 2 – Portland, Ore. @Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
June 3 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom
June 4 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Hotel and Ballroom

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/04/23/kevin-devine-releasing-two-singles-as-upcoming-lp-between-the-concrete-and-the-clouds-is-finished/feed/ 0 SXSW Blog: Wednesday and Thursday http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-blog-wednesday-and-thursday/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-blog-wednesday-and-thursday/#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:30:05 +0000 Casey Osburn http://popwreckoning.com/?p=32472

It’s probably pretty boring to hear about everything I did while in , since it’s a lot of walking and hangs with friends. So here’s a recap of Wednesday and with the occasional picture:

Best part about Texas: . It’s everywhere and it’s so delicious.

 

We arrived Tuesday night, dropped off our bags and headed to the Scoot Inn. Thee Oh Sees were playing on the outside stage and were awesome. After a 12-hour drive, it was nice to dance to their catchy tunes. A great way to start off the week.

Wednesday: I spent most of my day at the Topshelf/ Showcase. There are some places in your city that you can walk into any day and see all your friends, like a normal hangout spot.

Then there are times when you’re in a completely different city in another state and run into all of your favorite friends and people from across the country at once. The Count Your Lucky Stars and Topshelf Records Showcase at was exactly like that.

Not only did they have a killer lineup, but it was also an awesome environment. In between sets, friends were hugging, telling stories and catching up with each other throughout the entire day. As soon as I walked in the door, it was a familiar feeling. One that makes you feel at home. A home that happens to have 13 bands and tons of free stuff!

Gotta Groove Records gave out free limited 7-inches with bands playing the showcase including an unreleased track. There was free rum from 1-2 and then again late in the day from Treaty Oak Platinum Rum. Not to mention 150 free 9×25″ silk-screened posters courtesy of Soundtrack Printing.

This was the only showcase that I had the chance to stick around for the entire day. It set the bar high for the rest of my week.

Here’s a list of bands and I suggest you check out each and each one of them:

The Clippers  | theclippers.bandcamp.com
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die | theworldisa.tumblr.com | theworldis.bandcamp.com
Annabel  |  annabelband.tumblr.com |  annabel.bandcamp.com
Joie De Vivre  |  myspace.com/joiedevivreband
Reptilian  |  thereptilian.blogspot.com |  thereptilianband.bandcamp.com
Pswingset  |  pswingset.com |  pswingset.bandcamp.com
Into It. Over It.  |  intoitoverit.com
Football, Etc  |  footballetc.wordpress.com
Grown Ups  |  myspace.com/ihategrownups
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)  |  myspace.com/empireempireiwasalonelyestate
Caravels  |  myspace.com/caravels
Moving Mountains  |  movmou.com
Defeater  |  notourstuff.blogspot.com

Thursday: Headed to Plush in time to catch and .

Left to see Evaline, but sadly missed them. Had a not-so-good  free margarita, then dinner at Hut’s and got a really large and delicious veggie burger. I suggest stopping there for burgers.

After that, I walked around sixth street to see what all was going on there.

There was a large crowd in a circle so I wandered over to see what was going on. A guy was in the middle of hammering a nail into the tip of his nose. It was a two-person act, where the finale was having the audience staple dollar bills to their chest. For $10 – you could staple it to his forehead.

Went out to the Mellow Mushroom by UT to see ‘s set.

Got a ride back downtown and headed over to Lambert’s. Arrived just as and the Goddamn Band was setting up. The last time I saw KD was in at a large theater, but seeing him at this smaller venue was definitely a better experience. Granted, at the larger venue he had the chance to move around more but as with most smaller places, it was a more personal performance.

I love everything about Kevin. His energy, his voice, he is always good about interacting with the crowd and introducing the Goddamn Band. Best part about his set? Songs from his project with , .

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-blog-wednesday-and-thursday/feed/ 0 SXSW Music Blog: Day 2, Thursday, March 17 http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-music-blog-day-2-thursday-march-17/ http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-music-blog-day-2-thursday-march-17/#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:29:49 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=32975

After seeing about 23 bands in one day, I fancied myself some sort of concert attending superhero. Powers: stamina (able to stand for an entire day), superhearing (can stand in front of speakers and not turn immediately deaf) and the ability to see the future (able to pick out the next big thing). You know what would have been a good superpower? The ability to fly…or maybe something like Nightcrawler’s power where I can just pop myself wherever I want to go. Thursday, we faced the fierce supervillain known as  ”traffic” and his extra evil sidekick, “the good-luck-trying-to-park monster.” After a ferocious battle, we finally made it downtown and found a place to park.

I was already frustrated – in the time it took us to park, I missed a handful of bands I wanted to see. Feeling defeated with yet to see a single band for the day, my friend insisted we’d feel better with coffee in our systems. The hits just kept coming – the coffee/breakfast taco place we walked to had just finished serving breakfast. NO BREAKFAST TACOS? How to go on? It was like some cosmic SXSW-being had found my Kryptonite and took away my breakfast tacos. Perhaps if I had gotten more sleep, I would have realized that in Texas almost every other building or food trailer has tacos and all was not lost, but at that point in time, it really felt like the end of the world.

We ordered our coffee, sat down and I half-heartedly ate my sandwich off the lunch menu. Midway through our meal, my friend perked up. “Bethany, do you know who is sitting next to us?” I cast a casual glance at a table of what looked to me to be your everyday SXSW goers – sunglasses, toms shoes, suits and really skinny guys. A few of the guys had their backs to me and my previously mentioned superpowers didn’t involve x-ray vision to see who those guys were.

“That’s Michael Cera.”

I listened to the voice. Sure enough, that was moviestar Michael Cera was sitting next to us with his band Mister Heavenly, while I just sat around looking like a depressed hobo because I didn’t get to eat my daily tacos.

But you don’t care about my ridiculous obsession with breakfast tacos, so let’s get to the .

We finally moved on from breakfast. I wanted to check out Foster the People at the MTV Garage, but the line was huge to get in and I don’t really do lines…at least not that early in the day, so we walked a few more blocks and ended up at the IFC house where we were under the impression that Wye Oak was about to play. Well, there were quite a few people at the IFC house enjoying the free drinks and a lot of other people looked busy in the glass studio, but it didn’t look like Wye Oak was playing anytime soon. Now I came to Texas to see an absurd amount of bands and so far this day we had been striking out. We bustled back outside and walked another block to perhaps my favorite venue at SXSW: The Central Presbyterian Church. Why do I love this venue? 1. Air-conditioning, 2. Chairs and 3. Best acoustics out of all the venues. I guess iTunes got the awesome acoustics memo because they recorded all the bands playing there and you can download those live sessions from SXSW on iTunes now.

We had gotten a text about an unofficial lineup happening at the church, but we didn’t really know set times. So we were pleasantly surprised when our first performance of the day came from synth rockers Neon Trees. Some people are anti-top 40 radio/mainstream, which Neon Trees have broken into, but if you disregard this band for their popularity, then you’re being an idiot because they are phenomenal live. They sound a bit like the Killers and were even discovered by that band in a way. I’ve seen them almost ten times in the past year alone because of their relentless tour schedule and I’ve never been bored by them. Each performance is unique and this performance was especially so. As mentioned earlier, this band was performing in a church and their frontman Tyler fully embraced the setting, taking off his shoes for climbing over pews and up on podiums, swinging his microphone around and more. In the middle of one he leaned against the podium and said, “We’re gathered here in the church of rock,” before busting into the next round of the chorus. The people loved it, but I could only imagine some pastor in the back of the church cringing.

’s the followed, playing several of their songs. “Kingsly,” “Merrymake It with Me,” “Somethin’ Fierce” and “Manny Feathers” filled out most of the set. Though the official recordings of these songs won’t be released until mid-April, but iTunes did record the entire live session at the church. If you want to check out this performance, visit here.

From the church we ventured into a very different sort of venue: Headhunters. Instead of pews and crucifixes we had tikkis and bamboo. The room looked like it only should hold 15 people, but closer to 100 people had squeezed in to the back patio, pressed up against the walls and spilling over the stairs. A band called Hot Panda was just finishing up and though we didn’t get to hear too much from them, I loved the big ballad rock thing they had going on that was turned into party music with the brass accompaniment. But the real reason why we had wedged our way into Headhunters was to see the party king himself: . Andrew WK was singing and playing keys, while a member of Beach Fossils tore it up on the guitar, which was awesome within itself, but really made this show complete was the hosting/singing of Nardwuar the Human Serviette. With this unique trio, we learned about Canadian government, learned about Nardwuar’s back hair and we got down. Though there wasn’t much room to move, Nardwuar demanded that everyone get down and jump up in unison. If you didn’t – he’d call you out and yell at you until you did as asked. Forget the free booze parties with the sunglasses handouts, this is how you party at SXSW.

From Andrew WK and Nardwuar, we swung by the Paste Party on 6th Street. We were eager to check out Saddle Creek trio Rural Alberta Advantage, but a duo of ladies drew us into the sideroom to see what their folksy songs were like. The act performing was Exene Cervenka. The Rural Alberta Advantage performed true to their name, singing heartfelt indie rock songs that transported listeners to what life is like in rural Alberta.


Then we went to see another trio: . Grand Child wasn’t really on my radar until I learned that the kind guy, Andy Lane, loaning us floorspace to crash on in was performing at the festival in this band. When I was last at SXSW two years ago, I saw his other band, Driver F, perform a bombastically fun set at the Tiniest Bar. Driver F is pop indie rock with trumpets blazing and huge drumbeats. Grand Child is complete turnaround from that sound. Grand Child is a folk trio with violin, guitar and occasional accordion. Their were some technical problems during this set, but the band kept a positive attitude and still performed a solid set.



were the big buzz band Thursday and unlike most bands playing at tiny bars, the Strokes were given a big stage in the middle of a fenced in park. They weren’t scheduled until 8, but the Auditorium Shores Stage at Lady Bird Lake was a bit of a walk, so we joined the masses already walking over there. The park was packed. Food tents and port-a-potties lined the fences and blankets with fans covered nearly every square inch of ground. The photography pit ended up as complete chaos – which was just another testament to the band’s popularity. Despite their break, the Strokes  haven’t changed much since the last time I saw them. Sure, the guys all have slightly different haircuts, but the set contained all the hits you could want – “Hard to Explain,” “New York City Cops,” “Reptilia” – and the expected new ones. The songs fit in just as well with the old songs thanks to killer guitar riffs and Julian Casablancas‘ almost-bored-sounding-yet-still-suave singing style with the surprise yowls here and there. Fans got a little too zealous about this show though and the night ended with a bunch of people knocking over a fence, trying to push their way in when it hit capacity.

Hot and tired from the walk to the Strokes, my next stop was a return the air-conditioned Central Presbyterian Church. I had just missed Cults, but by luck I got in just in time for the almost religious experience that was . Haunting, ethereal vocals and entrancing stomping dance moves to tribal beats: it was like the venue was made specifically for Glasser. Beautiful and breathtaking.


The next portion of my night was a tribute to goofy, geeky indie rock at Maggie Mae’s. I know ‘geek’ used to have a negative connotation, but I’m using it with a very positive tone and to describe bands with pop culture references and very smart lyrics. Washington’s performed new songs off their just released Arrows. This is the band that was good enough to attract Death Cab for Cutie‘s Chris Walla‘s attention to sign to as the first to his label, so they’re worth checking out. They’re so catchy, that you won’t regret giving them a listen.


Inside Maggie Mae’s was Aussie  plucking away upbeat folk songs on guitar and banjo. He was joined by a female guitarist and vocalist that I didn’t recognize, but it was a nice addition to cover the many guest vocals he has on his .


One of my favorite bands that I last discovered at Lollapalooza followed Hanlon. is a piano pop rock trio with tons of energy. Their songs are so bubbly that even when they’re singing about being crazy, you’re in a happy mood about it.



If Wednesday I was all about the ladies, it seems like Thursday had become my tribute to Canadians. My favorite Candian singer is and I went to watch him perform with . City and Colour has some of the most beautiful and true lyrics I’ve heard. The folk songs are fairly simple instrumentally – mostly just guitar – but it just makes the poignant lyrics and singing stand out all that more. Just take a look at some of the lyrics in the opening song of the set, “Sleeping Sickness.” “With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind, could it be this misery will suffice?” sings Green in the chorus. For anyone who has lied awake at night with troubling thoughts, this song describes the “sickness” exquisitely.


From one singer-songwriter with killer lyrics to the next, I rounded out Thursday with a familiar favorite: and the Goddamn Band. Every time I see him perform, he is equally, if not more, passionate. He can mislead by starting off with the typical slow, folk sound, but then he hits a chorus and veins are throbbing and he’s yowling out with such energy and vigor that you can’t help, but be swept away. As a special treat, the set also included songs from Devine’s project with , .

So despite my earlier frustrations with the day, Thursday ended up being pretty fantastic.



—
Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 2, Thursday, March 17 below and read her Day 1 blog here.
the strokes (6 of 6) the strokes (5 of 6) the strokes (4 of 6) the strokes (3 of 6) the strokes (2 of 6) the strokes (1 of 6) rural alberta (4 of 4) rural alberta (3 of 4) rural alberta (2 of 4) rural alberta (1 of 4) republic tigers (8 of 8) republic tigers (7 of 8) republic tigers (6 of 8) republic tigers (5 of 8) republic tigers (4 of 8) republic tigers (3 of 8) republic tigers (2 of 8) republic tigers (1 of 8) neon trees (9 of 9) neon trees (8 of 9) neon trees (7 of 9) neon trees (6 of 9) neon trees (5 of 9) neon trees (4 of 9) neon trees (3 of 9) neon trees (2 of 9) neon trees (1 of 9) mtv (1 of 1) lonely forest (6 of 6) lonely forest (5 of 6) lonely forest (4 of 6) lonely forest (3 of 6) lonely forest (2 of 6) lonely forest (1 of 6) kevin devine (6 of 6) kevin devine (5 of 6) kevin devine (4 of 6) kevin devine (3 of 6) kevin devine (2 of 6) kevin devine (1 of 6) jukebox the ghost (4 of 4) jukebox the ghost (3 of 4) jukebox the ghost (2 of 4) jukebox the ghost (1 of 4) hot panda (1 of 1) grand child (7 of 7) grand child (6 of 7) grand child (5 of 7) grand child (4 of 7) grand child (3 of 7) grand child (2 of 7) grand child (1 of 7) glasser (7 of 7) glasser (6 of 7) glasser (5 of 7) glasser (4 of 7) glasser (3 of 7) glasser (2 of 7) glasser (1 of 7) darren hanlon (4 of 4) darren hanlon (3 of 4) darren hanlon (2 of 4) darren hanlon (1 of 4) city and colour (7 of 7) city and colour (6 of 7) city and colour (5 of 7) city and colour (4 of 7) city and colour (3 of 7) city and colour (2 of 7) city and colour (1 of 7) band befor erural (2 of 2) band befor erural (1 of 2) andrewwk (8 of 8) andrewwk (7 of 8) andrewwk (6 of 8) andrewwk (5 of 8) andrewwk (4 of 8) andrewwk (3 of 8) andrewwk (2 of 8) andrewwk (1 of 8)

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2011/03/28/sxsw-music-blog-day-2-thursday-march-17/feed/ 0 Austin City Limits: Day 2 – Casey’s Blog http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/19/austin-city-limits-day-2-caseys-blog/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/19/austin-city-limits-day-2-caseys-blog/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:51:21 +0000 Casey Osburn http://popwreckoning.com/?p=29313

Day 2 – Saturday

A full day off to enjoy the festival and beautiful weather? YES.

We didn’t plan on getting to until 2:00 so Jason showed us around town.

Know the way to a girl’s heart? Take her to the most amazing grocery store she’s ever seen. in is a place for food lovers, beer lovers, soda lovers, oh and especially cheese lovers. This place seriously has it all. They even had a Boulevard Brewery section!

Well and after you take her to Central Market, make sure you check out the highest point in Austin. It’s beautiful and overlooks the entire river, along with downtown.

Onward to Zilker Park for the fest!

As we were walking in the gates, ’s distinct vocals were blaring over the crowds. We stopped for a minute to catch a , then walked the distance of the park to the Budweiser stage where were.

I absolutely love Gaslight Anthem, and this was no exception.

This is where I rant about how amazing was: HOLY SHIT! I’ve seen them a total of 4 times now and each and every time they just get better. Opening with “Shout It Out” and even quoting friend/bandmate in , towards the end. The only set that I could actually stay for the whole time and loved every minute of it. Guitarist, Robert McDowell looked into the camera to say hi to his grandmother since the performance would be airing on the internet. then leaned into the mic, “guess what, Grandma? Robert’s drunk!”

Okay, you get the picture. They rocked it.

Walked over to see the end of , who were awesome, then on to the Austin Ventures Stage for the majority of the night.

Local Natives blew me away. I knew they were good, but I didn’t expect them to be this good. One of my favorite bands of the day.

The other favorite band of the day? , of course. I absolutely love Conor and have since the day I heard a song way back when.

Opening with their single, “Say Please,” MoF immediately got the crowd involved. Throughout their set, members switched instruments and roles between every song. For their second song, Conor took over. “Soul Singer in a Session Band” moved the crowd in such a way that I haven’t seen in awhile. Beautiful.

Next – ! Once again, would have been much better at night instead of 6:30 in the evening. Even still, there was tons of dancing. A perfect warm-up for who played directly after on the neighboring stage as the sun set.

On our way over to see headliner, M.I.A., were shutting down their set. They were in the middle of a cover of Mario’s “Just A Friend.”

Halfway through ’s set (which she was super energized and awesome to see live), we decided to beat the rush out of the park and head back.

We then tried out 6th Street for a bit, which is a whole story on it’s own.

Read Day 1 here.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/19/austin-city-limits-day-2-caseys-blog/feed/ 0 Bad Books – self-titled http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/14/bad-books-self-titled/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/14/bad-books-self-titled/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:40:47 +0000 Marc Gray http://popwreckoning.com/?p=29250

I am doomed to remember two boys with haunting voices – not because of their voices, or because they were responsible for my favorite live moment, or even because they were the instruments of ’s death, but because they are the reason I still believe in pop/indie music; I am a continued indie music fan because of Bad Books.

[Note: this is the altered first sentence from the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, a book everyone should read at least five times. Also, neither nor have plans to kill Jesse Lacey, though I do feel they are partially responsible for the decline in the popularity of Lacey’s music as they have picked up and ran with the torch he once held proudly…but I digress.]

The above may have been a hyperbolic statement, but as with most good hyperbole, there’s a lot of truth to be found there. Let’s talk first about Andy’s and Kevin’s voice(s). Separately, they each sing with a distinctive and vulnerable style that can easily switch to an aggressive yell if necessary (see Exhibit A: “Cotton Crush” by Kevin Devine and Exhibit B: “100 Dollars” by ). Together though, they sound alternately like Elliott Smith doubling his own vocals on “Needle in the Hay” or like Guy and Ian trading shouts during Fugazi’s heyday. Sounds too divergent to be true? Give a listen to “I Begged You Everything” and “Please Move” in succession (Tracks 7 and 8 respectively) and you’ll understand completely.

Of course, two great voices (even those that mesh so wonderfully) nary a band or an make. The attribute separating Mr. Hull and Mr. Devine (and thus this collaborative project) from so many others is their songwriting prowess; in fact, their unparalleled ability to write basically whatever kind of that they wish is what prompted me to think of and my belief in indie music. You want a catchy, sing-along pop song about something seemingly dark (an abortion maybe?)? You’ve got “Baby Shoes.” How about a sad song of introspection with just a voice and an guitar? “You’re A Mirror I Cannot Avoid“ is waiting for you. A quirky pop song with melodies that have more in common with 1969 than 2009? “Holding Down the Laughter“ fits the bill. And on it goes; this album is as varied as it is brilliant, and I would feel as confident playing it for my 9 year old goddaughter as I would for my jaded too-cool-for-school music snob friends. And you, dear reader, will enjoy this album as well. Unless you’re an asshole or something. You’re not an asshole, are you? I didn’t think so.

One final thought (aside from wondering why I use so many parenthetical statements): collaborations always pose unique questions that put them in a different category than other albums. Primarily, people want to know if the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If I haven’t answered this question in so many words, then I haven’t done my job. YES! The answer is a resounding, enthusiastic YES! Don’t miss this album. You’ll only kick yourself in ten years when cool indie kids are citing it as an influence for their overwrought songs that will be easily forgotten. I’ve already written several.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2010/10/14/bad-books-self-titled/feed/ 0 Thrice with Kevin Devine, Bad Veins & The Dig @ the Midland, Kansas City MO http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/27/thrice-with-kevin-devine-bad-veins-the-dig-the-midland-kansas-city-mo/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/27/thrice-with-kevin-devine-bad-veins-the-dig-the-midland-kansas-city-mo/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:32:14 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=26298

I hate to be cliche (ok, maybe I do), but you know how there’s that Forrest Gump quote that says, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”? I kind of feel that way about shows at ’s Theatre. Sometimes you get something that’s a bit nutty such as comedian Conan O’Brien. Sometimes you get something that’s sweet such as the State Ballet’s The Nutcracker. And other times, you get something that’s a box of mixed chocolates within itself. That’s what the recent tour was like: a box of mixed chocolates; and with each act on the bill, ‘you never knew what you were gonna get.’
First act of the night, The Dig, is what I like to imagine as one of those caramel-filled chocolates. Just like caramel, their had a tendency to stick with you for a bit. They delivered catchy, rock tunes (I say rock because they are more rock live than they are power pop like their website says) that were just the right level of messy raucousness to help them stand out. Their last number turned into a big party as members of later acts came out with extra drum sticks and percussion instruments to add to the band’s already explosive sound.

Next, was indie pop duo Bad Veins and their reel-to-reel machine, . In my musical box of chocolates, I picture these guys as one of those fruit-filled chocolates. Something that’s a bit sweeter than the other chocolates in the box, but in a vintage kind of way. has perhaps the happiest drummer you’ll ever see, which I surprisingly enjoyed despite the odd pairing of his happiness while singer Benjamin Davis belted his heartbroken lyrics through an old-fashioned telephone. This band is definitely doing something unique, but I’d like to see them refine it just a little bit more. At times they went for a more danceable kind of the Bravery type sound and other times they had more of a straight rock sound. I think the dance-ier side of them worked a bit better with the vocal style, especially when Davis sang through the telephone.

The third act, Kevin Devine, is your favorite piece of chocolate in the box. The one that no matter what other surprises you find in the assorted box, you know you can count on this reliable candy…for me that’s the peanut butter one. began alone on the stage with just his guitar for back up. Later, he was joined by the Goddamn Band. I liked the solo start. It let people really experience the personality of Kevin. He began small, gently strumming and singing closely into the mic before hitting an emotional explosion that makes him hop back and yowl his choruses. It’s an interesting dynamic technique and one that works well for him. Like preceding acts, Devine was also joined by other acts on the roster for a tune. This comraderie between the bands helped provide some relief from the tension of some of Devine’s harsher lyrics.

Finally, there’s Thrice. In my metaphorical box of chocolates, they’re the chocolate you try out anyways, even though you’re not entirely sure you’ll like if from past experiences. They’re my coconut chocolate. Based off the crowd, there are plenty of fans of this particular flavor, but it was just not for me. I tried it, but I’d rather stick with my trusty old peanut butter flavor. Now don’t get me wrong; I respected the tour’s dear headliners with their impressive lights and passionate playing. There was some yelling, but not the kind that makes ears bleed. This just didn’t connect with me and it seemed a bit out out of place even with the diversity of the openers. Sorry Thrice fans, but c’est vie. I can’t be expected to love everyone.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/27/thrice-with-kevin-devine-bad-veins-the-dig-the-midland-kansas-city-mo/feed/ 0 PodWreck featuring Kevin Devine; performs ‘Big Bad Man,’ ‘You’re a Mirror I Cannot Avoid’ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/13/podwreck-featuring-kevin-devine-performs-big-bad-man-youre-a-mirror-i-cannot-avoid/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/13/podwreck-featuring-kevin-devine-performs-big-bad-man-youre-a-mirror-i-cannot-avoid/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:18:40 +0000 Casey Osburn http://popwreckoning.com/?p=26291

LISTEN!

Kevin Devine sits down with at the Theatre in .

Shit gets interesting in this .

Then Kevin gives us two exclusive songs: including “” from his newly released EP She Stayed As Steam along with a from his side project with , , titled “You’re a Mirror I Cannot Avoid.”

ENJOY.

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]]> http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/13/podwreck-featuring-kevin-devine-performs-big-bad-man-youre-a-mirror-i-cannot-avoid/feed/ 4 Kevin Devine performs ‘Mesa, Arizona’ acoustic http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/02/kevin-devine-performs-mesa-arizona-acoustic/ http://popwreckoning.com/2010/07/02/kevin-devine-performs-mesa-arizona-acoustic/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:23:40 +0000 Bethany Smith http://popwreckoning.com/?p=26094

Kevin Devine performs “Mesa, Arizona” in the streets of Charleston, SC. The is part of the upcoming that did with .

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