In Rotation 1 : Washed Out - Within and Without

Washed Out debut studio album Within and Without is born out of the recent wave of chilled electronic music.  Each track blends from one to another with a sense of ephemeral transitions of time.  Each track is musically transportive utilizing repetitive drum tracks, droning bass, a heavy use of ambient synth, with a backing of blending vocals.  A perfect inclusion to your Fall playlist.

Notable Tracks:
2. "Echoes"
3. "Amor Fati"
5. "Far Away"
8. "Within and Without"

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In Concert: Portugal. The Man @ The Bottleneck

Loving some Portugal. The Man this year...and not just their new album In the Mountain in the Cloud released in July, but also going back to 2008's Censored Colors and 2009's The Satanic Satanist.  Portugal has a fresh sound, revitalizing rock music.  While their albums are a bit lax, their stage show is supercharged.  Every song was played with such excitement and high energy that reverberated through the crowd.  There was not a body in the place that wasn't rocking when they started their beloved hit "People Say" or the all-out cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter".  A very exciting show from an exciting new band that everyone should know about.

Notable Tracks:
2. "Colors" - Censored Colors
4. "Salt" - Censored Colors
9. "Never Pleased" - Censored Colors

1. "People Say" - The Satanic Satanist
2. "Work All Day" - The Satanic Satanist
8. "Do You" - The Satanic Satanist

5. "Head is a Flame (Cool with It)" - In the Mountain in the Cloud
8. "All Your Light (Times Like These)" - In the Mountain in the Cloud
11. "Sleep Forever" - In the Mountain in the Cloud

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In Concert: St. Vincent @ Liberty Hall

St. Vincent is a bit of a musical paradox. Seemingly sweet, with an angelic voice, St. Vincent aka Annie Clark is more dark and hard then she lets on at the surface.  Listen a little closer and her lyrics have an edge, backed with bursts of heavy guitars and scratched, discordant waves of sound.  Seeing her perform in person, you are flooded with the intensity that she brings to her music.  For this, her latest album Strange Mercy deserves to be cranked to the fullest in order to really experience the artistic genius that lies within. 

Notable Tracks:
2. "Cruel"
3. "Cheerleader"
4. "Surgeon"
6. "Strange Mercy"
9. "Dilettante"
11. "Year of the Tiger"

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In Concert: Wild Flag @ Record Bar

Wild Flag's live performance can be described in one word...intense.  The newly formed band of Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney), Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), Mary Timony (Helium), and Rebecca Cole (The Minders) are touring their new album, of the same name.  From beginning to end there is no shortage of energy.  They came on stage, plugged-in, and rocked!

Notable Tracks:
1. "Romance"
8. "Future Crimes"
9. "Racehorse"
10. "Black Tiles"

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In Concert: Death Cab for Cutie @ River Market

It was a perfect October night under the crisp air and evening stars listening to Death Cab for Cutie.  When you have a band with such a rich history of songs that you have a personal connection to, it sometimes gets harder to embrace new material right away.  For this, it was great introduction to their new album Codes and Keys.  Compared to previous work, Codes and Keys has taken a more playful route in both instrumentation and lyrical writing.  It is apparent that Ben Gibbard and the entire band are in a comfortable and confident state with their lives and music. While the band was out to promote their latest release, they were not short on performing songs from throughout their entire career.  Early favorites like "A Movie Script Ending" and "We Laugh Indoors" reminded us all of that time when we first fell in love with Death Cab.  Adored songs like "Soul Meets Body" had the entire audience swept over and singing along. And, to end of their normal set, "We Looked Like Giants" was transformed into an energetic, all-out jam session, leaving us all chanting for more.


Rotation 1
"Bend to Squares" - Something About Airplanes, 1999
"Champagne from a Paper Cup" - Something About Airplanes, 1999
"For What Reason" - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, 2000
"A Movie Script Ending" - The Photo Album, 2001
"Passenger Seat" - Transatlanticism, 2003
"We Looked Like Giants" - Transatlanticism, 2003
"Lack of Color" - Transatlanticism, 2003
"Marching Band of Manhattan" - Plans, 2005
"Soul Meets Body" - Plans, 2005
"I Will Follow You into the Dark" - Plans, 2005

Rotation 2
"Wait" - You Can Play These Songs with Chords, 1997
"Champagne from a Paper Cup" - You Can Play These Songs with Chords, 1997
"Bend to Squares" - Something About Airplanes, 1999
"A Movie Script Ending" - The Photo Album, 2001
"We Laugh Indoors" - The Photo Album, 2001
"Coney Island" - The Photo Album, 2001
"Title and Registration" - Transatlanticism, 2003
"Tiny Vessels" - Transatlanticism, 2003
"Cath..." - Narrow Stairs, 2008
"My Mirror Speaks" - The Open Door EP, 2009

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In Rotation 2: Kasabian - Velociraptor!

After much of a summer hiatus, it is time to get back to some good music.  While I might have to revisit some music missed out on from the past few months, I'll start by kicking it off with something new:

The fourth album from British electro rock group Kasabian, Velociraptor!, hit the audible spot this week with its experimental and bold sounds. The album really starts for me five songs deep at the title track. Its upbeat, fast, addicting, and yes, that velociraptor is going to get you. From there, you go on a trippy, exotic ride with "Acid Turkish Bath (shelter from the Storm)" - just imagine camel rides with amps.  Then its back to reality, battling your own neuroses and personal enemies.  Kasabian as always creates great pump up, all-conquering tunes, and Velociraptor! does it again.  So tune in, turn up, and prepare to take on your next great challenge.

Notable Tracks:
5. "Velociraptor!"
6. "Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter from the Storm)"
7. "I Hear Voices"
8. "Re-Wired"

Watch as they perform "Velociraptor!" in a Boeing 747 at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome...if only real flights were this entertaining.


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In Concert: Thao & Mirah @ Record Bar

By the powers of Oprah (their strong, reliable bus), Thao and Mirah showed up with an all-female ensemble ready to perform. Its one thing to have some musical capabilities and another to be a true musician.  After watching Thao and Mirah perform on stage, I can confirm that these two are in fact the real thing.  All night both ladies roamed about the stage, switching up instruments and playing techniques. Amazingly enough, they proved patty-caking as a viable source of percussion artillery.  The back and forth interchange of vocals provided them with a platform to create different moods and variability within their songs.  Even the drummer came armed with an entire palette of drum sticks with different tips to switch about through the night.  All in all, their playfulness on stage showed a willing to stretch musical boundaries and not be contained by any norm.

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