Preservation Hall Jazz Band Plays Birch North Park Tonight
Photo credit: Getty Images
As part of its mission to celebrate the “art form of New Orleans Jazz,” the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform at The Birch North Park Theatre tonight.
In my mind, there are really only two ways to see them — either at the real Preservation Hall in New Orleans, where jazz was born — or at a place like Birch, a restored theater originally built in 1928, when “America’s only art form” was young. (more…)
Get Three Avett Brothers Albums for Five Bucks Each
Okay, so this is the part where I talk about how much we at Owl&Bear love the Avett Brothers and you, unimpressed by the witty and/or articulate manner in which we’ve elected to express our ardor this time around, roll your eyes and think something like, “Oh come on, you guys always write about how much you love the Avett Brothers and not only is it getting old but, quite frankly, I’m starting to question your sexuality.” So, rather than beat you over the proverbial head with declarations about how great the Avetts are, we’ll just cut to the chase. This time.
Starting today, you can download three Avett Brothers albums—Emotionalism, Four Thieves Gone, and Mignonette—on Amazon for the trifling pittance of five dollars apiece. While Four Thieves Gone and Mignonette are no slouches, the crown jewel of the bunch is surely 2007’s Emotionalism, which shines as a terrific introduction to the band and their greatest achievement to date.
The albums are on sale until Friday as part of Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Week, as are works by artists like Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, Matt & Kim, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Radiohead, Califone, Built to Spill, Okkervil River, the Decemberists, Islands, and Neko Case. And if you already own all those albums, then congratulations: you’re almost as cool as us, but still only half as cool as the Avett Brothers.
Poetic Memory: Local Natives (List)
Silver Lake-based Local Natives just completed a U.S. tour with Ben Kweller, then went to London, then stormed barns across the midwest. They even blog. Needless to say, these guys (and occasionally girl) are both creative and busy. They’re also great musicians who put on a rewarding and fun show. They have a new album called Gorilla Manor coming out soon.
Recently, the band recorded an acoustic version of their song “Camera Talk” (MP3) for the website Aurgasm, who pretty aptly summed up our feelings for the band:
The quintet’s unique brand of indie folk highlights their tight vocal harmonies without sacrificing on rolling guitars, keys and percussion or sharp lyrics. Their laid-back and layered folk is a perfect way to wind down the rest of summer.
Local Natives are also currently touring extensively in the west through late September, with a stop Thursday (9/3) at San Diego’s Casbah, and then they’re moving on to Europe for six weeks. Complete list of tourdates is below.
Meanwhile, we caught up Ryan Hahn, Taylor Rice, and Kelcey Ayer to talk Poetic Memory. Check it out. (more…)
High Fiving Hipsters or: San Diego Loves the Avett Brothers
The last time I was at the Belly Up I high fived a hipster. The results were fascinating and hilarious; I came out after the show to see my “victim” sitting on a ledge outside being consoled by his girlfriend.
“It was a good show though, right baby?” she said with a hopeful and worried tone.
He responded with his head hung low, “Yeah it was okay…I just can’t believe that guy high fived me.”
I had apparently ruined the guy’s life. I spent the car ride home making obnoxious phone calls at 1am telling my friends the story of the wounded hipster. Why the hell did I high five him anyways? The moment had come right after Built to Spill finished an extended version of “Randy Described Eternity” and I was in heaven. It was one of those concert moments that I live for; it felt like there was no way anybody in the audience could have been on any level other than the one I was on: pure stupid bliss. (more…)
Download: Owl and Bear’s Top 20 Albums of 2007
Owl and Bear writers’ favorite albums of 2007.
(more…)
Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
2007, Fat Possum Records
If you loved Andrew Bird’s Mysterious Production of Eggs, then you’ll probably think that Armchair Apocrypha is the bees’ knees.
