Weekend Tunes!

Sorry for the lack of posts this week...work has been crazy busy this week. Have no fear! I could never leave my faithful SL36 reader(s) without their weekend playlist! Enjoy.

The Virgins - Rich Girls
- Love the funky Clash/Blondie vibe. Great track for out by the pool.

Islands - Creeper
- I’ve been rocking this track for the last couple of weeks, and havent gotten close to getting tired of it yet. It’s got a great balance of electro-y bleep bloops and crunchy guitar riffs. Fun track.

My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt.2
- 8min epic… This is one of those track that you don’t get the first time through. It really takes a couple of listens before you realize the greatness of what’s going on…and once you “get it” you cant stop listening to it.

And in honor of the great show from DCFC earlier this week, I leave you with something old and something new…which also just happen to be my 2 favorite tracks from the show… Photobooth & Cath...

Oh ya…here’s my uber quick review of Tuesday nights show. Great setlist of new tracks and a lot off of Photo …Ben may be a certified rock star now, but he’s still nerdy Ben…crowd was too laid back for my liking….not the best show of theirs we’ve seen, but still tremendous…I’ll continue to see them every chance I get.

Never Met a Cheese I Didn't Like...

THE REVIEW - Rise No.1



I’ll admit, I was a bit apprehensive about dining at Rise No. 1. I mean this place is a French styled restaurant, drenched in classic French tradition, predominately serving the French-iest of French food – the soufflé. Newsflash: The Robertson family is not the biggest fan of the French. Anyone that has ever met my father would know how tough it was for me to even step in the door of this place.

Despite my fathers words of warning of the French being a pretentious and smelly group of people that don’t bathe or shave who needed the US to bail them out of WWII and yet they treat us like crap; Linds and I decided to forego my Pop’s opinion, trust our palates, and give Rise No. 1 a shot. Boy…I'm glad we did.

Linds and I started off our evening at Rise No.1 with a glass of Presecco ($10) at the cozy little wine bar in the back. Tad bit expensive for a glass of Presecco, but then again it’s bubbly. Good Move No. 1- The bar was small and a group of old ladies were taking up a ton of room, which made it tough to order. The bartender notices us failing at trying to politely eek our way through the grandma perfume and sequins. He walks out from behind the bar, hands us a menu, and introduces himself. He said he could tell it was going to be tough for us to order over the people at the bar, so he’d just come to us. That was a first. Service like that, unfortunately, just doesn’t happen at most places..

As for the drink menu, no surprise, it’s extremely wine driven. There are at least ten different 4 glass flights to choose from and prices range $8-15 per flight…very, very reasonable considering the quality and pour you get with each wine. Linds rocked the "We Never Drink Alone" flight which was made up of "sweet and sassy" whites: a Pinot Gris, Alsace Riesling, German Riesling, and a Gewürztraminer all for only $10. As a tipsy Lindsay later told me, "I freaking loved every glass." I opted for the "4 Rhone’s Make it Right" flight which was a four glass tour of the Rhone Valley featuring a Blanc followed by 3 fruity reds ($12). Nicely done.

On to the food…
APPETIZERS:
Good Move No. 2 – Get the Chariot de Fromage. I’ll say it again…if you only get one thing at Rise No. 1, get the Chariot de Fromage. You’ll thank me when you see the dude wheel out a cart with 8-10 different cheeses that are a veritable who’s who line-up of the cheese world. All the major players are there and even a couple of up and comings you’ve never heard of. Never meeting a cheese we didn’t like; we chose the Chevre (Blackened Goat), Brie with layers of Blue, and a nameless White Semi-Soft with chucks of white truffles. I’m not one to curse, but MF’er, I could eat this every day for the rest of my life and be totally happy.

ENTRÉE:
Soufflés take 17 minutes to make at Rise No. 1, apparently the fastest soufflé in Texas, so we ordered the Rise Salad ($5) to tide us over before our Truffle Infused Wild Mushroom Soufflé ($15) arrived. The salad is basically the same signature salad from Maguire’s (baby greens, blue cheese, roasted pecans, Granny Smith apples, and Walnut vinaigrette). Linds thought this version of it was better though…I think she said it was sweeter. Either way, Mark Maguire (the chef, not the baseball player) does a salad right, so why not bring it over to Rise with him?

Good Move No. 3 - Truffle Infused Wild Mushroom Soufflé. Soufflés are typically so heavy that you get tired of eating it before you’re half way though; not the case with the Wild Mushroom. Linds and I split this, but I easily could have eaten the entire thing. It was light, crispy, and full of earthy goodness. Every bite had great balance of all of the flavors, which really left you wanting more after each spoonful. I highly, highly recommend this soufflé. Other notable soufflés on the menu: fresh crab, jambon and Gruyere, and Fromage de Chevre.

DESSERT:
We’d heard the dessert soufflés were just okay, so we picked the Chocolate Lava Cake at $9. I’m no expert on Lava Cakes, so I must defer to Lindsay’s proclamation as this being the "best lava cake ever." Did I mention her wine flght…

Good Move No.4 - Highlight of the dessert for me though was the coffee…individual French Presses. Glorious presentation aside, it was a very tasty cup of coffee.

OVERALL:
Rise No. 1 is somewhere that Lindsay and I are already chomping at the bit to go back to. This place was nothing like what I expected…It wasn't pretentious, it had a cool laid back upscale casual vibe, wasn’t crazy expensive ($125 total bubbly/wine flights/food/tip), and oh my God the cheese plate…

I’d honestly rank Rise No. 1, as my No. 2 favorite place in town right now. Ya, see what I did there with the No.? I'm a tool, I know.

Show Review - Feist

Feist - Show Reveiw

Crikey! Last night Lindsay and I stumbled across one of the most mysterious creatures in the world. They’ve been rumored to exist for as long as mans been alive, but I’ve always thought of them in the same way I think of the Loch Ness Monster, Sasquatch, and the Chubracabra. Sure, you’ve seen pictures but never a real life sighting! As luck would have it, we witnessed the elusive Sheila, in her natural habitat; drinking, chanting, and participating in some sort of a rhythmic display. It’s with great pleasure that I can now declare: The cutesy lesbian – YES, just like those nice ones you see on TV and the internet - does exist! And luckily for mankind everywhere, their species appears to be thriving in the crowd of a Feist concert. I guess I severely underestimated the appeal of ethereally feminine vocals on the female persuasion.

Okay…now for the actual review of the show...

Feist started off the set list a cappella while singing behind a back lit white screen. Her vocals were spot on and as you'll notice in the clip below...she was looping her voice the whole time. Nice way to start off a show. The first half was a compilation of older and slower tracks, which I had never heard before. None of which were bad, per se, but I wasn’t alone with my feelings of boredom. We did however take full advantage of the downer tracks to gossip that all the ladies around us appeared to be very “close friends.” I think Kelly and Lindsay were glad I was there to affirm that they were “not a couple.”

The later half of show picked up a bit with a smattering of tracks from The Reminder dropped in, here and there, but was still relatively low key. The crowd got really into the up-beat tracks, sang along and danced like crazy people…so I found it odd that she kept launching back into these rambling waltzy songs. One thing I was not a fan of was her encore. She played a decent track solo for the first song, then launched into the up-beat jam Sea Lion Woman – which should’ve been her closer, but instead she closed with this super slow song that put everyone to sleep. Sea Lion builds and builds and builds, so why not end on that? Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I like to end the show on a high…not yawning.

On the bright side, her band was great and had a lot of variety of instrumentation. Keys, clav, flugelhorn, sax, trumpet, bells…it was all there. At one point the dude was playing bass, and the next he’s got a flute in his hands…it played well. I also really liked that she was looping her guitar and vocals through most of the show, which served well to create all those rich layers you love from the album. Through out the entire show she sounded great, the crowd was into it, and visually there was some cool stuff going on (I’ll get into that later).

Overall, I was really impressed with the total package Feist put together, but would’ve liked to have a different set list. The Reminder has some real jams on it, which would’ve played better than the downers she was playing. It’s tough to play tracks like that in venue that big. I’m not saying she should be playing at Starbucks or anything, but maybe someplace like Bass Hall would have been better suited for her. Oh well…maybe next time…

Highlights from the show…

• Amazing slide show done during the show via real-time visual artist Shary Boyd (http://www.sharyboyle.com/) …slides, mulit-layered paintings, foliage, fabrics, and her own hands projected onto a screen. Trust me, it was much cooler than it sounds
• Group of girls dancing in front of us through out the show. At one point a girl ran and slid on her stomach under the other girls legs. It was entertaining to say the least
• Favorite songs: The Opening track (vid below), Mushaboom, Sea Lion Woman, My Moon My Man, and NOT CLOSING with 1-2-3-4

Opening song from last night… (jump to :50 in)


Mushaboom and cool light slide show thing…

Record Review - The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely


Okay…Since my White Stripes fanaticism makes me predisposed to love this album before I ever hearing it, I consciously waited a couple of weeks to write this review. To give The Raconteurs' sophmore release, Consolers of the Lonely, a fair shot I needed to listen to it in a variety of situations…I listened to it at work…I listened to it in the car…I listen to it during a long run…I listened to it all day on a Saturday at the house. All said and done it spun, beginning to end, about 30 times over the last couple of weeks.

So now, with full confidence, I can tell you…go out buy this disc!

The best thing about Consolers is that it plays like an album - not just a random collection of radio friendly tracks put back to back. Bands these days just aren’t talented enough to do the variety that you hear on Consolers, and do it as well as Brenden and Jack do it.

The disc starts off with kick you in the teeth rock goodness (Consoler, Salute You Solution), and then they throw you into a jazzy piano driven track (You Don’t Understand Me). After they show you how technical they can be, then comes the bluesy country vibe of Old Enough. The rest of the album is a mixture of Son House inspired blues tracks - played in a way that only Jack White can (Top Yourself), classic rockers infused with horns ala Conquest (Many Shades of Black), southern rock (Pull this Blanket Off), and finished off with the storytelling blues of Carolina Drama.

The comparison to a Zeppelin album is too easy. If you have any rock in your blood, you'll go out and buy Consolers today. Yes, It's that good.

Standout tracks:
MP3: The Raconteurs - Consoler of the Lonely
(first track to secure a spot on the Team Robertson Best Of 2008)
MP3: The Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution
MP3: The Raconteurs - Top Yourself

Record Review - MGMT

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular


MGMT sits in this kinda in-between area where indie-rock and electronic music meet. I guess this was bound to happen when band nerds started to be raised with a computer in the house.

Who should give this disc a listen??? Fans of LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, Animal Collective, ELO, Postal Service, Imogen Heap

Standout tracks:

• MP3: MGMT - Time to Pretend – great first track that sets the tone for the album
• MP3: MGMT - Electric Feel – This is the most fun track of the disc and one of Team Robertson’s favs
• MP3: MGMT - Kids – reminds me of a song they’d play in an 80’s movie montage where the kids realize that there the only ones that can save the town from the onslaught of monsters so they have to melt their mom’s silverware to make silver bullets and make wooden stakes out of broom stick in their jr. high shop class…uhh…Monster Squad…hello?
  

I gotta share the lyrics of Time to Pretend…simply brilliant…

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

Record Review - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend



The hype around this band is INSANE! Everyone loves them…so that means I have to hate them, right? Wrong.

Trust me, I wanted to write snarky comments about this band…but I can’t. Vampire Weekend is to indie music writers what Barack Obama is to the television media. “Are you comfortable, Vampire Weekend? Could you use another pillow, Vampire Weekend? Because, it’s really no trouble at all. Are you sure that you are comfortable, Vampire Weekend?” And as much as I may hate to admit it, VW’s debut disc has justifiably earned the fawning of rock writers everywhere.

The best description VW’s sound that I’ve heard is “Nintendo Punk.” The foursome met while attending Columbia, so obviously these kids aren't tossing out a hardcore vibe. VW is one part Clash-esque punk, thrown in with some of Paul Simon’s Graceland, sprinkled with skankable upbeats and skats, and all bound together with witty writing. The sound translates to a well produced disc that is really good from start to finish. 12 out of 12 tracks on this disc are not just good…but really good. Seriously, I can’t think of time that I liked every single song on a cd.

They are far and away the best release of 2008 so far...by a mile. I know I tend to like most everything I buy…then again why would I buy if I didn’t already at least like it…but this disc is seriously really good. Just suck it up and buy it.

I would normally give you a couple of standout tracks from the disc to really focus in on, but I really can’t narrow it down to just a couple. Instead, I’ll give you my favorite chorus of the disc…

1:28 into “Oxford Comma”
Why would you lie about how much coal you have?
Why would you lie about something dumb like that?
Why would you lie about anything at all?
First the window, then it’s to the wall.
Lil’ John, he always tells the truth.

In summary: weapons grade, indie music cock-fight, this stuff is good, I’m Jackie Moon; illegal.

MP3: Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma (highly rec'd)
MP3: Vampire Weekend – A Punk (highly rec'd)
MP3: Vampire Weekend - Campus

Record Review - Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara



Anyone who knows me, and my music preferences, knows that I am a huge believer in good music is all about the right time and the right place. I say this to offer an explanation on exactly why Great Lake Swimmer’s Ongiara has been patiently sitting on my “wish list” since its release in May.

Here’s the thing…this disc should’ve been released in January, not May. Let me explain. Great Lake Swimmers are a Canadian folk band. I kinda have this thing about folk music, and that I think folk music can only be truly appreciated in the winter. It’s because of the beard. Proven fact: all great folk music makes you want to abandon the city, flee to the wilderness, become a trapper, sell pelts, and obviously grow a beard. It's science…you can’t debate it.

Back to the disc… GLS are going to remind you of Iron & Wine meet Neil Young meet Sufjan, so to say to expect mellow tracks would be the understatement of the century. Ongiara is chock full ‘o layers of banjos, brush drumming, strings, and falsetto vocals that really weave some great songs that travel and evolve. I zone out when listening to this disc, so doing anything that requires your full attention is a no go. It’s a headphones disc for me. If you don’t get what I mean; grab a book, go outside, sit in the grass, and turn this on…you’ll get it then.

Stand out tracks: Your Rocky Spine – lots of layers that build throughout the entire 3 minutes, Catcher Song – real Sufjan vibe, Put There By The Land – great song that you could listen to all day long, Passenger Song - holy crap, this is a good song

Overall: If you can appreciate a low key disc that isn’t going to get you fired up to do anything physical, except for maybe chop wood, you’ll dig this disc. If you are a strictly upbeat kinda dude that needs happy fun tracks…Ongiara is not for you.

MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Put There By The Land

Record Review - Bell X1

Bell X1 - Flock


This entry might more accurately be titled a “Somewhat New Tunes Alert.” Truth be told these guys have been around for a long time, and Flock – the bands 2nd album – was released overseas in March…wait for it…of 2006. Yeah…so not so new right? My only saving grace is that it didn’t get an official US release until Feb 19 of this year, so I think I’m safe.

I don’t know if it’s the winter blues or what, I’ve been in a mood for a good pop cd for a while now. Just as luck would have it…Flock is full of pop rock songs that are catchy, safe, and going to remind a lot of listeners of Snow Patrol. It’s a fair comparison based off of some the slower tracks. The strumming guitars, strings, and airy vocals will remind you of something you’d hear in the background of that one episode of Grey’s Anatomy where Meredith says she loves Derek, but he says he’s not ready, but you just totally know he is.

Luckily for everyone though, Bell X1 doesn’t dwell in the longing love song mode for the entire album. Paul Noonan’s vocals have a little bit of a Talking Heads feel, which makes for a good match with the upbeat tracks that are thick with layers of piano and bleep-bloob-blops of cpu sound effects.

“Rocky Took A Lover” is easily the best track on the album, and will soon become your "feel good" Spring/Summer anthem. Its opening keyboard rift reminds me a lot of good Third Eye Blind tracks. I don’t care who you are and how indie your music tastes are…you cannot disagree that “Semi-Charmed Life” is a kick ass song.

Other notable tracks: Eve, The Apple of My Eye – mello, piano laden song that reminds me of something Five For Fighting would sing (die hard OC fans will recognize this song), My First Born – jazzy piano number with a dark brooding but still really melodic vocal, Bigger Than Me – the eclectic guitar rifts and rich chorus has a Talking Heads meets Modest Mouse vibe, Trampoline ­– fun, upbeat track with some good texture to the layers.

Overall, I wanted to like this cd… I’ve been in a funk of cd’s that have been good, but nothing really consistently listenable beginning to end. I don’t know how long I’ll dig this cd, but I really dig it right now. I think it is all because of the upbeat pop songs. I don’t always like to concentrate about why a cd is good. Sometimes I just want to hear something polished and nice and say “oh that sounds good.”

This disc does a great job of being pleasing to just about anyone you would play it for, but still has layers that allow you dig a little deeper should you choose to do so. I have no doubt that it will get heavy rotation this Spring in the Team Robertson “Outside Tunes” playlist.

MP3: Bell X1 - Rocky Took a Lover
MP3: Bell X1 - Eve the Apple of My Eye
MP3: Bell X1 - Chicken Lips Remix

Record Review - Liam Finn

Liam Finn – I’ll be Lightning


9 out of 10 times if your dad is a rock musician with any sort of success you can almost rest assured that you are destined to produce utterly horrible records. If you don’t believe me pick up a Sean Lennon disc, and then talk to me. Luckily though for music fans Liam Finn, spawn of Crowded House’s Neil Finn, succeeds with his debut I’ll Be Lightning where other rock progenies have failed.

On I’ll Be the Lightning, Finn follows the indie mainstay of writing, producing, and playing almost every instrument on the cd with the exception of a couple of guest spots by his Pops. As you listen to more of the disc, it becomes very present that Neil Finn’s influence is all over this thing. But then again growing up in a household that produced pop gems like “Don’t Dream It’s Over” has got to be hard to ignore. Don’t let Finn’s…Liam’s…use of synthesizers, distorted guitars, looping drums, and choral backgrounds fool you. He’s crafted some really great pop songs that have a lot of repeat play appeal.

Standout tracks: “Better to Be” – killer synth bass line with a The Good, the Bad, & the Queen kinda vibe…also a great breakdown on this one, “Second Chance” – electro poppy goodness which really kicks about a minute and half in, “Fire in Your Belly” – hip jazzy vocal chorus that’s got Manfred Man electro vibe, “Energy Spent” – folky vibe mixed in with drum machine loops, “Wise Man” – accousticy Brit-pop goodness…even though he’s a kiwi.

I’ve been listening to this disc for about a week, and really enjoy its variety while I’m in the office. It’s not too bright and bubbly, but also not all morose and full of shoegazers either…just a bunch of very listenable tracks with a good pop vibe. Lightning is nothing that is going to require your full focus, so it would work brilliantly as a Saturday afternoon cd to pop on at the house on nice day while you’re moving around doing your daily duties.

And yes...I just said doodie.

Record Review - Pinback

Pinback – Autumn of Seraphs


Let this be known…This disc is not your standard indie album. After your first listen to Autumn of Seraphs, you might not even like it.

This is a different kind of disc than what all of us have been listening to lately. It’s one part indie, one part alternative rock, one part drum machine, all nicely wrapped up in a very palatable presentation…and there’s nothing wrong with that. This is definitely one of those cds that takes a couple of listens before you start to pick up the intricacies and variety of each track.

As you dig deeper into Seraphs the alt-vibe you’ll first pick up on will go away and you’ll hear layers of piano, funky bass lines and drum beats, and catchy vocal hooks. All of those the dark melodic tones that may have turned you off in the beginning, will start evolving into elaborate pop tunes.

Standout tracks for me are the “Good to Sea” – a bouncy electronic and poppy gem, “From Nothing to Nowhere” – driving rock tune with a Devo-esque undertone, “Blue Harvest” – a funky track that infuses vocal runs up and down scales with crunchy guitars and falsetto harmonies, and “Bouquet” – brooding, electronic, and full of melodic layers.

This cd isn’t formulaic enough for mainstream alternative fans and, despite its complex and melodic layers, could be too hard for indie lovers. Seraphs floats in a genre no man’s land of just being good rock music.

Record Review - Coconut Records

Coconut Records – Nighttiming

http://www.ezarchive.com/original/caseyr02/02WestCoast.mp3

I hate Jason Schwartzman. He and I are the same age and some how he’s been in 20+ movies (almost all of them are awesome), he’s toured the world with Phantom Planet, he’s made out with Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier, and he’s written and performed every instrument on a very good album. I repeat…I hate Jason Schwartzman.

My jealously aside, this is a really good cd. I think what I like best about it is that it’s got a little something for everybody: Chill, melodic, vocal tracks (This Old Machine, Summer Day, Ask Her to Dance)…Great pop tracks laden with keys and catchy hooks (West Coast, It’s Not You It’s Me, Easy Girl)…Nerd Rock (Back to You)…Disco (Nighttiming)…Beatles-esque 60’s Rock (Minding My Own Business, Thanks I’ll Get)…Alt-Country (Slowly, Mama).

The pop tracks stand out as the most listenable and the disco vibe of Nighttiming is very cool, but chill tracks like This Old Machine are when he’s at his best. They’re simple and evoke emotion with out being depressing.

Only complaint about this album is that it’s too short; it comes in at a paltry 33:30. The average track is going to be at 2:30 long. I’d like to see what he could do if he would open it up and push his abilities.

Overall, Nighttiming is a really good listen and will pay dividends on your $10 investment.

Record Review - Yeasayer

Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals


So I picked up the Yeasayer album a couple weeks back and have been slowly digesting it. It’s pretty good. Here’s my review…

If you’ve never heard them, vocally I hear a lot of Clap Your Hands mixed with a hint of Spree…musically I definitely get some Thievery Corp but less electronic and more jam band-y. Each track is layered thick with vocals, choral backing, sitar, guitars, percussion, cymbals, and about 10 other audio tracks. It’s a lot to mentally process.

What I like and don’t like about this disc is it’s one of those cd’s you can listen to all day and not really know where one track begins and ends. It speaks really well for the overall quality of the disc, but it’s hard to pick out one track that really stands out. Track 3, 2080, is the most listener friendly…cool guitar riff that sounds a lot like the bass line in Pink Floyd’s Money. But track 2, Waiting for Summer, is probably one of my fav’s. It’s got a cool sitar riff throughout and has a cool Native American-ish style vocal.

On another note…this disc was tricked out when they mixed it. My head gets dizzy listening to certain tracks, because of the left/right alternating parts. Sonically this thing is deep. If you were stoned, I’m pretty sure you’d throw up about half way through…