November update

Wow, I've been sick at the worst possible time, missing some good shows. Thank goodness other bloggers represented.

Cassie and Mystik Spiral saw the Mountain Goats.
Julio caught Trail of Dead.
Mark saw the New Pornographers, with Neko, dang.

Also missed Menomena, the Pipettes, Gogol Bordello, shoot a bunch of good bands. I must stop complaining about bands skipping Denver when I keep skipping their shows.

Confidential to Stephin Merritt: if you add Rocky Mountain shows to your tour schedule, I will be there. Promise.

Arcade Fire - Canadian Soul?

You all know I love me some Arcade Fire.

Some of you know I frequently disagree with New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones, especially when he discusses race and music. Anyone who takes aim at my beloved Stephin Merritt or Win Butler best be prepared to face my ire. Pretty much every time the magazine arrives in my mailbox, I prepare to think hard about music and whether Sasha successfully defended his point that week.

Imagine my delight when dear Win wrote back in this week's issue.

Win responds to Frere-Jones's accusation that the Arcade Fire have no soul:

Being as I am in the Arcade Fire, I prickle a little bit at your statement that “[i]f there is a trace of soul, blues, reggae, or funk in Arcade Fire, it must be philosophical; it certainly isn’t audible.” In a somewhat … I dunno, is it childish to respond to critics this way? Anyway. I’ve attached an MP3 with parts of our songs that I think steal quite blatantly from black people’s music from all over the globe.

And I could not resist this piece of Halloween candy from Mr. Butler...

Keep in mind, I’m not saying we’re the funkiest, most soulful bunch of dudes and ladies (though we do, at least, always clap on 2 and 4).

God bless the Arcade Fire for doing what they do best. I love and miss so much of the same music and African-American influence that Frere-Jones misses in today's indie rock. Let's keep Arcade Fire and get some fresh indie bands that can bring the syncopated rhythms we crave. The new prog rockers and Kate Bush accolytes can stay home.

This girl likes her music funky some days
white and Canadian the next

Reports from the field?

This week is killing me... no clearance for out of town shows.

Anyone catch Menomena at the Fox last night? I swear I love those dudes, especially Danny, and I miss them every time. Once again I'm forced to make do with the excellent prose stylings of their tour blog and email list instead of a real live concert.

In a similar vein, I'm riding the couch tonight, so if you see Gogol Bordello or Grand Archives tonight, please send me details, pictures, gossip-y tidbits, anything. What a great week of shows.

Item Update! Pitchfork brings more Menomena good news, including a Danny solo project!

Top 5 bands I wanna see in a fancy concert hall

After watching Jose Gonzalez make delicate and artful classical-type noises on his guitar in the midst of a standing whooping crowd of indie rock fans, I realized a couple things. First, I'm old. Second, I was there with a classical music aficionado who kept asking "why aren't there seats? why are people talking during the performance? his fingerwork is amazing but why is the bass turned up so high?" and I had to admit her questions were valid.

It caused me to reflect on which acts might benefit from performing in a more traditional venue, say the University of Wyoming's Fine Arts Concert Hall. Beautiful acoustics conveniently located on I-80, don't let the 7220 foot altitude dissuade you!

Cass's Top 5 Dream Acts for Laramie's Fine Arts Concert Hall
5. Joanna Newsom
4. Jose Gonzalez
3. Bjork
2. Andrew Bird
1. Sufjan Stevens

Who else?

Jose Gonzalez @ the Bluebird 10/12/07

We saw everyone's favorite nimble-fingered and hirsute guitarist a couple weeks ago at the Bluebird. After mis-timing a birthday gift, getting lost in Denver like a couple of country rubes, and nearly losing our order at the bar across the street in the assembled Rockies mania, we found ourselves watching Jose Gonzalez at the Bluebird.

The crowd was agitated when we arrived, as Jose seemed to be even later than we were. Good news for us. A persnickety fellow, Jose, with a dead serious focus and emphasis on tuning. I loved it when he instructed the audience to only clap along if they were near the front and if they clapped for the entire song. And everyone obeyed! The set was short but beautiful, his sound was precise and his technique stunning. I preferred the songs from the new album but enjoyed them all. In the past I've felt his songs all sound a bit alike but in person discovered I was mistaken on that.

The big question: why is Jose playing in rock clubs with no seats instead of concert halls with calibrated acoustics? More on this in a coming post!

Sorry my photos are crap, did I mention we were late?

Where I've been, i.e. double ARGH

My least favorite blog meme has to be "excuses for being a slackass about posting". Let's just say I prefer my Spinal Tap with armadillos in their trousers rather than a needle in my spine.

And might I add that a spinal headache is a bit of a shit sandwich (can I print that?)So tell me what I missed in the music world!

Promises to keep posting and love to all (especially the kind folks at Cheyenne Radiology),
Cass aka David St. Hubbins

Oh what a night...

Live music in Denver tonight, wow.

How to choose?

At the Hi-Dive: Matthew Dear's Big Hands and Mobius Band
At the Bluebird: Jose Gonzalez
At the Gothic: Lucero
At Larimer Lounge: Dr. Dog

I'm thinking the Mile High City is a pretty good place to be tonight.