Best of 2010: Live Performances

Alright! I'm back finally back with some new stuff! And I promise I'm going to try and be better about updating this blog next year. But let's get to some best of the year stuff first.

I attended between 20 and 25 concerts this past year, so I obviously can't claim this to be a comprehensive list of the best live acts of 2010, but the following bands really blew me away. Think of this as recommendations for bands to catch in concert next year, or something like that.

So, in no particular order, my five favorite live artists/bands of 2010:

Sufjan Stevens: Say what you will about Sufjan Stevens' divisive new album, Age of Adz, the guy knows how to put on a show. And by show, I mean a laser-light rock opera kind of performance including the entirety of the 25-minute epic "Impossible Soul," which resulted in a sort of awkward dance party throughout Kingsbury Hall. But through all the fuss, Sufjan kept the audience mesmerized with that beautiful voice. I've never experienced anything quite like this outrageous performance, and I doubt I will again.


The Gaslight Anthem: Talk about getting your money's worth. Everyone at this show payed only five bucks to be in attendance, but Brian Fallon and company played for over two hours and seemed thrilled to do so. Fallon sang his heart out and carried a grin the entire evening, and the band was razor sharp as they made their way through what must have been every song in their catalog. I love to see a band that so clearly understands what makes a great rock 'n' roll show.


Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: I have never--and I mean never--seen an artist work so hard during a live performance. Sharon Jones sang, danced, gave monologues that stretched songs into 10-minute jams, ran all over the stage and invited audience members up to join in the party. She must have been up there for nearly two hours, and while I probably would have died from exhaustion, the 54-year-old soul singer just. kept. going. I'll never forget this one, I get goosebumps just thinking about it.


Thao/Mirah: Thao and Mirah sharing the stage for this one-of-a-kind tour proved to be an inspired decision and a treat for fans of either artist (so, bonus for me because I love both of them). The combination of their unique musical personalities along with the intimacy of the evening resulted in one of the more engaging shows I saw this year. They traded songs, sang beautiful harmonies and made it fun each member of the small but appreciative audience. Also, Mirah's dance-music version of "Gone Are the Days" was worth the price of admission.


Rubik: Not too many people know Rubik, the awesomely weird indie rock band from Finland, but these guys are fantastic live. They opened a show to an audience that had absolutely no idea who they were, but by the end of their relatively short set each and every person in that crowd was a convert. They blasted horns, pounded keyboards, and played with such fervor that they simply won us all over and received a standing ovation usually reserved for a headlining act. I can't wait to see them again.

Live Review: mewithoutYou/Rocky Votolato/Rubik

The Avalon, Salt Lake City

June 5th, 2010

Rubik

I arrived probably earlier than was necessary at The Avalon to get a close seat for the show, but I had a feeling it would be worth it to see openers Rubik live. Granted, I had no real reason to expect they would be fantastic--I was just betting that was the case. And you know what? I wasn't disappointed in the least. Rubik hail from Finland and definitely had a very distinct sense of fashion and presentation, but there was absolutely no barrier between them and a largely uninitiated crowd when it came to the music. From the moment they began--with an ethereal introduction showcasing frontman Artturi Taira's vocals--everyone in the room seemed instantly drawn to these unusual pop performers. The band's intense energy and their obvious love for making music was infectious, to say the least, and each song drew a more enthusiastic response than the one that preceded it.

Taira led the bunch with some absolutely stellar singing and frenzied dance moves, but everyone on stage seemed to be having the time of their lives, shouting, running, and feverishly pounding their instruments. I counted at least four keyboards, plenty of drums, two trombones, and more that the band used to replicate personal favorites like "Karhu Junassa" and "Goji Berries" with the kind of emotion that can only exist in a live performance. And after a wonderful alternate version of "Wasteland," they exited the stage far sooner than any of us would have preferred to a standing ovation which was received with sincere gratitude. In fact, when Taira came back to take his mic and keyboards down, it drew another enthusiastic cheer. I've rarely seen an opening band win over a crowd with this same sort of impact, it was nothing short of spectacular. (MySpace) (Free EP Available Here)

Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato didn't have nearly as much to prove as Rubik certainly must have, but he still gave a remarkable and memorable performance. Being relatively well-versed in his music, it was nice to hear Votolato play music from most of his records, opening even with "Alabaster," one of the best from his breakout album, Suicide Medicine. It was also refreshing to see a musician perform with absolutely no need for a backing band--it was just him, his guitar, and a couple harmonicas. The performance's starkness contrasted sharply with both the other bands playing that evening, but not only was it a nice reprieve from the noise, it was just as captivating. His clear voice was every bit as effective on stage as it is on his recordings, and his simple instrumentation was the compliment to his world-weary tunes.

He played nearly all of my favorites, which was nice, but I felt that the material from his new record, True Devotion, was the most emotionally powerful despite the fact that I don't think the album is one of his best. "Sun Devil" especially was hypnotic, and even the high ceilings of the room couldn't distract from what was a compellingly intimate and touching performance. Of course, career highlights "White Daisy Passing," "Suicide Medicine," and "Portland is Leaving" were the best received as they were the most familiar, but no matter your previous experience with Rocky Votolato's music, his heartfelt, dynamic performance was impossible to deny that night. (MySpace)

mewithoutYou

I have less to say about mewithoutYou, but not because their performance wasn't great. In fact, they played a lengthy and consistently energetic set that kept about everyone in the audience with their eyes glued to the stage as frontman Aaron Weiss bounded about, twirling and yelling at times and then retreating to the background when the tempo died down. I've never been the band's biggest fan, but I found their show a fun, engaging experience. And, without a doubt, the highlight of the evening was mewithoutYou's encore, during which they played some of their most popular and exciting tunes and even were gracious enough to finish the final song after 20 or so people climbed on stage to provide the band with unexpected backup chanting and dance accompaniment. (MySpace)

It was the perfect ending to a long and consistently fantastic show. If anyone left unsatisfied that night, they had only themselves to blame.

Best of 2009: 30 - 21

Numbers 30-31 of my favorite/the best albums of the year - enjoy!

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30: Deastro - Moondagger

Randolph Chabot, the man behind Deastro, is a sci-fi nerd with a love of synthetic-meets-organic electropop music. His debut, Moondagger, is such an excellent album because he takes all his quirks and uses them to create tunes that are unique, heartfelt, and very, very cool. (More from me)

MySpace


29: Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Andrew Bird didn't make his best album with Noble Beast, but it may be his most adventurous effort and ultimately, it's a very rewarding experience. It's a sprawling record that has goes in many different directions, and the results are - more often than not - wonderful. (More from me)

MySpace


28: Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth

Songwriter Jesy Fortino's moniker, Tiny Vipers, may seem like a strange title at first glance, yet her meandering, delicate songs somehow fit such a name. Life on Earth is an emotionally powerful folk album that will certainly be a little sparse for some tastes, but for me it's truly captivating. (More from me)

Dreamer (MP3)

MySpace


27: Rock Central Plaza - ...At the Moment of Our Most Needing

Rock Central Plaza frontman Chris Eaton is really more of a storyteller than he is a a vocalist, but his roughly sung lyrics find a place in the often ornate yet gritty arrangements of his bandmates, and the result on their latest record is superb. An excellent and unfortunately overlooked folk album. (More from me)

(Don't You Believe the Words of) Handsome Men (MP3)

MySpace


26: The Thermals - Now We Can See

The fourth Thermals record is perhaps their most melodic and "pop" effort, but despite a little more introspection and less political commentary, they still know how to make a fantastic punk album. Now We Can See is my favorite from the Portland natives. (More from me)

MySpace


25: Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid

Dan Auerbach made a great album with Patrick Carney as The Black Keys in 2008, then turned around and made another amazing rock record under his own name this year. Of course it kinda sounds like a Black Keys album some of the time, but the breadth of styles here makes this Auerbach's own. (More from me)

MySpace


24: Rubik - Dada Bandits

Finnish indie-rockers Rubik were one of this year's best surprises for me. Their sophomore effort, Dada Bandits, is an experimentally-minded pop album that came - seemingly - out of nowhere, thrilling me upon first listen and just getting better the more time I spent with it. (More from me)

Wasteland (MP3)

MySpace


23: Atlas Sound - Logos

Logos is a great deal more expansive and compelling than its predecessor and just fantastic overall record, making Bradford Cox's Atlas Sound project the most interesting thing he's yet done (an opinion I know not everyone shares). Also, "Walkabout," with Noah Lennox, is one of this year's best tracks. (More from me)

Deerhunter/Atlas Sound homepage


22: Megafaun - Gather, Form and Fly

Megafaun - the group who used to record with Justin Vernon under the title DeYarmond Edison - have let everyone know that they're doing just fine without their former frontman, thank you very much. Gather, Form and Fly is a striking folk record with an intriguingly experimental edge that deserves every ounce of praise it has received. (More from me)

Kaufman's Ballad (MP3)

MySpace


21: Memory Tapes - Seek Magic

Dayve Hawk's Memory Tapes project finally saw a debut album, Seek Magic, released this year, and what a first effort it is - a beautifully crafted electronica album full of twists, turns, and just generally spectacular music. Not only one of the year's best debuts, but one of the year's more notable albums. (More from me)

Band Blog (with free tunes)

MySpace

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In Review Online: Unheard Of #1

This is a feature I will start doing for In Review Online every so often. Some of these bands have been featured on the site before - some have not, but they're all worth checking out.

For indie music enthusiasts, discovery is what drives us, especially as modern technology makes it so much easier for artists to create and disseminate music to the masses. While you could argue that the magic of finding your new favorite band is lessened by the simple fact that it can happen multiple times a week, the abundance of cheap, high quality music so readily available has created opportunities for both musicians and music lovers alike that never existed previously. Still, it’s impossible to find all the “good stuff,” even by following tastemaker websites, perusing internet radio, or keeping company with fellow junkies – there’s just not enough time in the day to hear it all. And, as fun as it is to discover new and notable musical talent around the web, it’s almost as enjoyable sharing what you’ve found and discussing (or even arguing) about the band’s legitimacy as “the next big thing.” No longer is it hip (as long as you’re older than 16) to keep your musical treasures to yourself; if you’ve found a diamond in the rough it’s your solemn obligation to make it heard! In this spirit, I’m presenting five artists or bands that I feel are worthy of your attention and that I’m guessing you haven’t heard before – so take a look and a listen and let me know what you think. (Full Article)

Featured Bands:

Pree

Holiday Shores

Sonya Cotton

Rubik

Bagheera