The Hold Steady @ 2009 Basilica Block Party: The Hold Steady, one of my favorite bands from the last decade, have proven to me time and time again why they are a band I respect and admire so much. The latest example was their improbable headlining slot at the Basilica Block Party, where the band played a heartfelt and absolutely killer two hour set on a beautiful summer night. While playing songs I had seen live many times before, the band was able to keep things fresh by mixing Craig Finn’s unlimited energy with the band’s tight musicianship. The crowd sang along to every word and Finn seemed to thrive off the energy from the dedicated fans in the front. It seems like each time I see the Hold Steady I leave with more appreciation for the band and a new found sense of wonder at how great they are, and this show was no exception. [Josh Keller]

Basilica Block Party 2009 Report

Being Introduced To New Bands At Pitchfork: One of the best things about going to a music festival is being introduced to bands that you aren’t familiar with. Three of the best sets I saw all weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival were by bands that I hadn’t really heard of prior to seeing them live. Vancouver’s Japandroids ended up playing my favorite set of the festival, making the most of their all-too-brief 40 minutes by tearing through much of their excellent new record Post-Nothing. I had listened to their record a couple of times prior to the weekend, but really had no idea about their intense, energetic live show, and ended up being completely blown away by their performance. They are playing at St. Paul’s Turf Club on September 13, and I can’t recommend the show enough.

There were two other bands that I hadn’t heard anything of prior to the festival; Staten Island’s Cymbals Eat Guitars, who kicked things off on Saturday by playing a loud, spirited set that showcased the inventive vocals and guitar playing of front man Joseph D’Agostino, and Montreal’s Plants and Animals, who played a solid, immensely catchy early afternoon set that easily won me over. Sure, the headliners are usually the big draws and end up selling most of the tickets, but for any music festival to truly be successful, there must be plenty of relatively unknown or smaller bands that can win over new audiences and expose the crowds to different and inventive music. Pitchfork had plenty of these bands featured over the weekend, and that is a large part of the reason why their festival was such a great experience. [Erik Thompson]

Japandroids @ Pitchfork Music Festival
Cymbals Eat Guitars @ 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival
Plants and Animals @ 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival

The Very Best @ 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival: Every year I come away from the Pitchfork Music Festival blown away by one new band (or a band that is new to me anyways). It is usually a “B” stage band, as it was last year it was King Khan and His Sensational Shrines. This year it was the Very Best, who shared an unfortunate time slot with the Flaming Lips (which is where a good 85% of the concert goers were). Regardless of the small crowd size, the band members’ smiles were as wide as the stage. The Very Best won me over completely with a high energy set that showcased their unique blend of Hip Hop and traditional African rhythms. I can’t wait to see these guys again. [Jon Behm]

Tragedy @ the Triple Rock Social Club: With the Warped Tour’s dismal lineup doing little to represent actual hardcore punk rock this year, it was up to the local Extreme Noise Records collective to satisfy the state’s large contingent of dedicated crusties and rude boys. Their summer-long series of 15th anniversary shows turned out to be a huge success, with fans turning out in droves right up until Tragedy played the final showcase on July 11th (supported by a mish-mash of local band’s that excelled on every end of the punk rock spectrum). Setting the room ablaze with their defiant energy, the aggressive display put on by Tragedy during this rare performance at the Triple Rock was impeccable, and it left many exhausted concertgoers with yet another reason to send a thank you card to ENR. [Ryan Buege]

Tragedy @ Triple Rock Social Club

[photo by Jon Behm]

The Dead Weather @ First Avenue: Jack White was content to stay in the shadows during much of the Dead Weather’s fiery 70-minute set at Minneapolis’ very sold out First Avenue, allowing Alison Mosshart to absolutely own the stage as she prowled and preened her way all over the amp’s and monitors, injecting a fresh spirit and energy into the songs that is missing slightly on Horehound. White did come out behind his drum kit a couple times during the show, to sing lead vocals on a cover of the Them classic “You Just Can’t Win,” and took up a guitar on a blistering version of “Will There Be Enough Water,” but the real star of the show was Mosshart, who is as captivating and sultry a performer as there is in modern rock. You just can’t take your eyes off of her. Dean Fertita also had riffs galore all evening, both on the guitar and on keyboards, and the stable bass lines of Jack Lawrence kept the songs anchored all night. It was a great show by a group that has definitely forged a tight musical connection despite their high-profile other bands, and in the process crafted a batch of tunes that were electrified on this evening by a bunch of performers who clearly know how to put on a show. [Erik Thompson]

The Dead Weather @ First Avenue

Sonic Youth @ First Avenue: Performing an unexpected setlist consisting primarily of songs from the band’s latest album, The Eternal, Sonic Youth looked and sounded just that: eternal. The band’s blistering echoes and howls matched its ominous stage presence as it pounded out 16 songs and heated the Minneapolis club to a scorching frenzy. The show left me wanting to hear more, and in the days that followed I returned to some of the band’s older material and it doing so solidified my impression of the performance: Sonic Youth is just as good now (if not better) than the band was 20 (hell, 30) years ago. [Chris DeLine]

Sonic Youth @ First Avenue

Cold Town/Soft Zodiac: Local garage rock legend Micheal Yonkers teamed up with the Blind Shake this month to release their second collaborative LP. Cold Town/Soft Zodiac, which features eight collaborative songs and five new Blind Shake songs, is a scratchy garage rock testament to both acts. The Blind Shake bring their steely and booming rock that melds perfectly with Yonkers’ more psychedelic flavor. While we won’t be hearing Yonkers play these songs live as a medical condition has forced him to retire from performing on the stage, but we can be thankful we have this great CD and can only hope for more collaborations in the future. [Josh Keller

Michael Yonkers & the Blind Shake “Cold Town/Soft Zodiac” Review

Strange Cousins from the West: This July, the release of Clutch’s new album Strange Cousins from the West has coincided perfectly with my own grilling and outdoor beer drinking season. On Strange Cousins, the band has toned down the keyboard-driven atmosphere and orchestration that they've embraced on previous albums over the course of the last five years. Instead, on this more bare-bones release, their powerful, swampy grooves take center stage, and I couldn’t be happier. After 20 years, the lyrical and vocal genius that is Clutch’s frontman Neil Fallon is only getting keener with age, and with a stellar band such as his, there’s no reason to believe Clutch will falter anytime soon. They are making music for the people, and I’m here to listen. [Ryan Buege]

Black Rio 2: There have been a lot of great reissues this year; a testament to the fact that the information age is allowing second looks at a huge number of records lost to history. One of my favorites thus far is Black Rio II, a compilation of 1970’s “Black Samba” from a number of Brazilian bands who never broke out internationally. London DJ and Brazilian music expert DJ Cliffy put the mix together, and he has a keen ear for the tracks that stand the test of time and are still catchy as hell today. [Jon Behm]

Various Artists “Black Rio 2 (1971-1980)” Review

I’m Going Away: Having only a mild interest in the band’s last studio album, 2007’s Widow City (though “Ex-Guru” remains one of my favorite songs of the past decade), I was a bit shocked at how much I truly enjoy the Fiery Furnaces’ I’m Going Away. Maybe it’s just that the album is frustratingly upbeat and complements summer nicely… The record is smooth and resists sounding tired after many, many listens; in a year where I can’t count the number of times I’ve talked to friends about how 2009 is one of the best (musically) that the decade has offered, I find myself adding I’m Going Away to the ever-lengthening list of my favorites of 2009. [Chris DeLine]

The Fiery Furnaces “I’m Going Away” Review

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