Wilco Annouce Spring Tour Dates
In support of their Grammy nominated Wilco (The Album), Wilco the band have announced a sixteen-date East Coast tour. Promising extended, varied sets in mid-sized theaters, the semi-intimate tour is being billed as “An Evening with Wilco”. Ticket pre-sales start January 6th through Wilcoworld.net. (more…)
Win Neil Young’s ‘Dreamin’ Man’ (Contest)
On December 8, Neil Young released Dreamin’ Man, a live compilation of songs from his 1992 album, Harvest Moon.
It’s just Neil and his instrument on Dreamin’ Man, so his signature sound and nostalgic lyrics take the fore—and the vocal harmonies are left for you to fill in. In a way, it’s a great re-introduction to the more layered Harvest Moon; in another way, it stands for itself as a collection of great songs that you may not have heard in a while. If Harvest Moon is like an old friend, Dreamin’ Man is like an old friend who hasn’t aged a day since you last met.
A few of the tracks are now available for streaming, including “Dreamin’ Man“, “One Of These Days“, and “Harvest Moon.” You can also visit the Warner website to purchase the album.
For a chance to win the CD, comment on this post and include your email address in the form (your email won’t be visible to the public). Three winners will be chosen at random on December 30, 2009.
Neil Young – “I’m a Dreamin’ Man, Yes That’s My Problem” (Stream)
Neil Young has pioneered a lot of things, from grunge to Uggs (apparently, as evidenced above), so for better or worse, we always give him leeway to do what he wants. These days, his output has been, shall we say, spotty (see concept albums about biodiesel and hippie families), but believe it or not, there was a time when he still wrote entire good albums. (more…)
Download: Fleet Foxes – November 22, 2008 (DVD)
Soundboard (TV)/README/Download
Sub Pop’s highly-acclaimed Fleet Foxes just finished a gig with Neil Young at his 23rd Bridge School Benefit, but now they’re taking a break. Fleet Foxes band member J. Tillman, however, is about to start a U.S. tour—with plans to stop December 1 at San Diego’s Casbah. We’ll definitely be in attendance. Full list of dates are after the jump.
Downloading tips: Visit our FAQ for information on how to download these files. If you don’t like to right-click/download files individually, check out DownThemAll, a handy Firefox plugin that allows you to do it in bulk. If you like the downloads, let us know in the comments. Also, requests (for your favorite bands, not specific shows) are always welcome. (more…)
Review: The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
The Avett Brothers are all about feeling. On Emotionalism, their last proper full length, the Avetts certainly didn’t shy away from feeling; they celebrated it. The songs from Emotionalism were mostly led by banjo, upright bass, occasional strings and the just-twangy-enough vocals of one or both brothers. Everything about that setup said these guys were playing bluegrass music, but what came out of the speakers felt different.
That element, that unique style of bluegrass that sounded more like an alt-country-influenced indie band, clearly set the Avetts apart from anything I’d ever heard before. But there was more to them than that. There were also those straightforward and heartfelt lyrics, melodies that felt nostalgic and comforting, and an overall sense that these guys grew up loving American music and wanted to make it their own, to take it somewhere new while keeping everything that was great about it intact. (more…)
Poetic Memory: The Rest (List)
The last time Ontario, Canada’s The Rest played at the Casbah, we missed it. But we won’t make that mistake again. After all, according to their MySpace page, The Rest like all the things that we like: doing push-ups, shooting each other with water guns, howling at the moon, and delicious Thai food. (More details below.) We have other reasons, too. For one, their new album, Everything All At Once, is amazing. For another, they graciously agreed to write the latest installment of Poetic Memory. Also, they use the word “rascal” in their lyrics.
We’ve featured The Rest on our podcast a few times, but in case you missed it, here are a couple of MP3s. The wondrously haunting “Drinking Again” is definitely one of our favorite songs of 2009. Also, be sure to check out “Everything All At Once“, the epic titular track from their new album.
Poetic Memory is a regular Owl and Bear feature in which musicians disclose their influences—whether it’s albums, songs, artists, or something random. If you’re interested in being featured here, send us an email. (more…)
‘Fork’ is Neil Young’s ‘Version of Twitter’
I hated it less than I thought I would: this 2.5-star Pop & Hiss review pretty much sums up my feelings about Fork in the Road, Neil Young’s new album.
The album is part public service announcement, part condemnation of the status quo and part reflection of the risks and rewards of letting go of ideas when their time has passed. The outcome is more noteworthy for Young’s stinging guitar work, passionate vocals and his powerhouse band’s accompaniment than for finely crafted songs that add considerably to Young’s estimable body of work.
To some extent, the lyrics simply establish a framework for the musical excursions, which are mostly Young’s signature brand of grinding rock. Along the way, the music picks up bits of funk and blues boogie. The most poignant number is “Light a Candle,” for which Young briefly unplugs to sing sweetly about the possibility of inner transformation.
