Review: Ray Manzarek; February 28, 2010; Anthology, San Diego
Photo credit: Matthew Peyton
It’s been almost forty years since The Doors lit anybody’s fire, but keyboardist Ray Manzarek has devoted most of his time since then to keeping the flames burning.
Following Jim Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek and the other surviving members put out two studio albums under the Doors moniker before finally disbanding. Over the years, Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger have reunited under a variety of names, including The Doors of the 21st Century and Riders on the Storm. And, when Manzarek isn’t performing alongside his longtime band mate, he plays gigs with blues guitarist Roy Rogers. (more…)
Interview: Shapes of Future Frames
Shapes of Future Frames may be a new band, but their faces are familiar. Featuring members of local powerhouses Scarlet Symphony and the Old In Out, the band’s epic arrangements and space-age guitar effects have already earned them a reputation as one of San Diego’s most exciting and innovative live acts.
The group recently finished recording their debut EP, The Minds of Tomorrow, Gone Today, and we caught up with band members Jamie Pawloski and Gary Hankins to talk about the record, the importance of brevity, and what an acoustic Shapes might sound like. (more…)
Poetic Memory: Cougar (List)
Cougar, Madison Wisconsin’s all-foxy-grandma-instrumental-post-rock band, just released their sophomore effort, Patriot. Along with it came two starkly different—yet excellent—singles,”Stay Famous” (MP3) and “Foil Épée Sabre” (MP3, EP only). “Stay Famous” plays with old-school indie dynamics, while “Sabre”, a meandering folky piece, may or may not have something to do with fencing. You can check out their catalog at iTunes, as well as other places.
We recently got together with Cougar to talk Poetic Memory, and after listening to the two songs above, it should be no surprise that their influences range from Timbalada’s “boobs” album (whose cover is NSFW, by the way), to Bach, Hendrix, and Tortoise’s TNT. If you are surprised, it’s all explained below.
They have one gig in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin before they embark on a European tour. Tourdates are at the bottom of the post. (more…)
Poetic Memory: Jeremy Davenport (List)
Jazz trumpeter Jeremy Davenport was raised by a music educator mother and a father who plays trombone with the St. Louis Philharmonic. Despite this, it took a childhood encounter with Wynton Marsalis to truly inspire Davenport; soon, he went on to study at the University of New Orleans with Marsalis’ father, Ellis.
Davenport has toured the world with Harry Connick Jr.’s Big Band, and he now lives in New Orleans, where he’s been a fixture for years. In 2000, he was inducted into the New Orleans Jazz Hall of Fame.
Davenport is a regular player at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans, and he recently started a residency in New York. His latest recording, We’ll Dance ‘Til Dawn, was released on July 21; check out “Almost Never“, an MP3 from the album. Jeremy Davenport’s Poetic Memory is below. (more…)
Poetic Memory: Wheat (List)
For this edition of Poetic Memory, Wheat drummer Brendan Harney summed up his intentions better than we could’ve:
The visual aspect of music and images associated with sound, melody, etc. have always played a major role in what we do as a band. So, as I mined that a bit, I started to think about all the images related to music that have greatly affected me throughout the years. Through all of them, none have left such a deep and lasting impression as the images that I looked at as a young boy while I played the records that my mom brought home. I was fortunate to have someone in my life who collected a wide variety of music, and it’s these early images that burned themselves, along with the music of course, into my soul, and continue to influence the way I feel about what great art is really about. Some are the covers of records, and others are from the inner sleeve or gatefold—whichever struck me the most then.
Wheat released White Ink, Black Ink, their first album of new material since 2007, on July 21. Check out their single, Changes Is (MP3). You can also watch the video (above).
Here’s Brendan Harney’s Poetic Memory: (more…)
