Category Archives: music news

The Vision of a Dying World Just ‘Don’t Understand’ (MP3)

The Vision of a Dying World

Jackson Milgaten gets a lot of press. Whether it be as co-founder of red-hot San Diego label Single Screen Records, his work promoting and booking shows under the Action Jackson Promotions moniker, or for his omnipresence in a slew of “side projects” that include Cuckoo Chaos, The Paddle Boat, and Maren Parusel’s backing band, a lot of metaphorical ink is spilled on Milgaten’s behalf. So much so, in fact, that it can be hard to remember that his main band, The Vision of a Dying World, is still around and kicking.

In case you do need a reminder, the band will be releasing a new EP, titled I Will Not Fear What I Don’t Understand, this Saturday at the Soda Bar. The songs were recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jackson’s equally busy brother/Vision guitarist Keith Milgaten (also of Black Mamba and Jamuel Saxon fame) and marks the band’s first release since 2007’s Skelephone Call From The Eastern Side. Here’s a little background on the EP from Jackson himself: Continue reading

NPR Streaming Horrible New Avett Brothers Album

The Avett Brothers

The new Avett Brothers album is terrible. It’s without a doubt the worst album we’ve ever heard, and you should avoid it at all costs. If Kelly Clarkson and Carrot Top were to put out an album of traditional yodeling duets, it would probably sound way better than this abomination. Listening to the Avett album’s so-called “music” will leave you with bloody ears, hairy palms, and a brutal case of IBS.

Oh who are we kidding? The new album is incredible, combining all the upbeat catchiness of Emotionalism with the breathtaking sincerity of the Gleam EPs. It’s just that every time we write about the Avetts, we gush about them, and we don’t want to bore you with our repetition. But I can’t help it—just as the Avett Brothers can’t seem to help putting out great records. Continue reading

Jonneine Zapata Casts Out Demons, Mark Lanegan Saves Souls (MP3)

Jonneine Zapata

Plagued by demons? Don’t worry about it. Is your immortal soul in need of saving? We’ve got just the thing. Do you enjoy the pairing of “magnificently mournful” musicians? We’ve got you covered there too.

Highland Park songstress Jonneine Zapata will be on hand to exorcise your demons this Saturday, September 12th, at the Casbah. Lending a hand for the night’s rites will be former Screaming Trees front man Mark Lanegan, backed by the UK’s divine Soulsavers.

Zapata combines the pacing of Low with the grittiness of P.J. Harvey (with whom Lanegan has recorded, to much acclaim), to create a style as beautiful as it is intense. She’s relatively new to the music scene; she’s been writing for several years, but only got serious in November 2008. It didn’t take long for her to make a name for herself, though, and she just released an album, Cast the Demons Out. For a sample, check out the track “Good Looking” (MP3).

In addition to Mark Lanegan’s work with the Screaming Trees, he has released a slew of solo albums, including 2004’s terrific Bubblegum. Of late, he is best known for his collaborations, which include duets with Belle & Sebastian’s Isobel Campbell, his Gutter Twins album with the Twilight Singers’ Greg Dulli, and two records with Soulsavers, the UK-based production team with whom he’s currently touring. They’re here to support Broken, their latest effort together.

Blending gritty melancholia with morose wisdom, Jonneine Zapata and Lanegan are pretty much kindred spirits, which makes their Casbah appearance seem so promising.

Even if you’re going just to see Lanegan—who rarely plays anywhere, let alone San Diego—be sure to get there early to catch Ms. Zapata. With any luck, there will be duets. We’ll be there to report the results and sip on some Jameson holy water.

Full list of Soulsavers/Lanegan/Zapata tour dates after the jump. Continue reading

Don’t Monkey Around with Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band

We at Owl and Bear are strongly against the Beatles version of Rock Band, releasing 9/9/09. Look, we have nothing against people trying to make some money. Plus, we think it’s great that kids are getting into music and learning that getting good with a guitar-shaped joystick will automatically translate into the ability to shred with an ax. Dylan and Hendrix used to go head to head on the Atari version of Rock Band, to be sure. But this Beatles version is ridiculous.

As children, we used to watch the TV show The Monkees and were convinced for many years that they were an actual band. In middle school, this led to the unfortunate incident during a class presentation—while trying to hide our unstoppable erections—where we confessed that the Monkees (sic) were our favorite band. Everyone laughed, especially the teacher, who led the charge. We wet our pants—no easy task while sporting an erection—and ran straight home. Continue reading

Ellie Greenwich: 1940-2009 (Video)

Ellie Greenwich

As if living in a world without Ted Kennedy weren’t bad enough, today also saw the passing of Ellie Greenwich. Through her collaborations with Jeff Barry and Phil Spector, Greenwich’s songwriting had a profound influence on American pop music in the 60’s, with masterpieces like “Be My Baby”, “Then He Kissed Me”, “Going to the Chapel”, “Hanky Panky”, and “Leader of the Pack” being just a handful of the songs to her credit.

She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991, and her songs continue to be revered as pop classics. Aspiring songwriters can check out her charmingly antiquated tips for writing a hit song here. Greenwich died earlier today of a heart attack while undergoing treatment for pneumonia at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. She was 68.

In her honor, we’ve got a video (well, actually it’s just audio with a still image) of We Are Scientists performing Greenwich’s greatest song, “Be My Baby”, after the jump, as well as the famous long take from Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, set to “Then He Kissed Me”. Continue reading