Mark: Best of 2010
2010 was a great year for shows. I got to see several bands that I had been waiting a long time to see, new bands that I just discovered, as well as classic bands that I can't enough of. Living in NYC, there were a lot of special anniversary, farewell, and one-off shows that I got to catch (More...)
Dragonette: Gone Too Far, Pick Up the Phone (Live)
Dragonette released my favorite album of 2009 with "Fixin' to Thrill". Making it to the top of my year-end list is an impressive feat in itself, but is even more impressive when you take into account that I've only acquired 3 or 4 albums that were released in 2009. The album has consistently made it's way onto my daily playlist (More...)
Beach House – Used to Be, Silver Soul (Live)
Currently riding a wave of buzz in the indie scene, the Baltimore, MD based duo Beach House has been touring to support the release of their third album "Teen Dream." This stop of their tour found them opening up for The National at Brooklyn's Prospect Park. I was not very familiar with their material, but my trusted friend has been trumping them up for some time (More...)
Midnight Juggernauts – Vital Signs, Tombstone (Live)
The bowling alley / concert venue presents a quandary for the concertgoer. While it may provide an interesting environment in which to see a band, there are also many negatives which tend to detract from the concert experience. Chief among these negatives is that half the audience is there to bowl and hang out with their friends, and could care less about whatever artist is performing on any given night. (More...)
The Monday Set: Faith No More – Brooklyn – 7/5/10
Faith No More was a band I was obsessed with for the majority of my formative years, since they released 1992's "Angel Dust" (the greatest hard rock album of all time, at least in this writer's humble opinion). I used to drop copious amounts of money on every import, single, and bootleg that my local CD shop owner could order, amassing quite an impressive collection in the end. (More...)
Reverend Horton Heat – I’m Mad, It’s Martini Time (Live)
Reverend Horton Heat came out and played a blistering 2 hour set covering a song or two from all their albums (except for 2000′s overlooked ”Spend a Night in the Box”). I was especially stoked to hear rarely played gems “I’m Mad” and “Love Whip.” The sparse crowd on this night did little to dampen the intensity (More...)
Neon Indian – Should’ve Taken Acid With You, 6699 (Live)
Neon Indian is a bit of a darling of the Pitchfork set, with their album "Psychic Chasms" making several end-of-the-year best of lists in 2009. I must confess that I was never totally enamored with Neon Indian's recorded output. After seeing the band live however, I have been forced to re-think my original assessment. (More...)
La Roux – In For the Kill, Bulletproof (Live)
One of the most consistently successful musical formulas of the last couple years has been that of the electronic duo. A relatively recent entry in the crowded field is England's La Roux. Consisting of singer Elly Jackson and producer / multi-instrumentalist Ben Langmaid, La Roux make straight-to-the-point pop songs in the vein of 80s groups Yazoo, Heaven 17, and the Human League. (More...)
a-ha – Take On Me, The Blood That Moves The Body, The Bandstand (Live)
Norway's a-ha have spent the past 25+ years releasing hit albums and selling out arenas all over the world, with the exception of the U.S., where the band has been relegated to dreaded "one-hit wonder" status based solely on the strength of 80s anthem "Take On Me." Fans of the band know that a-ha actually has a catalog of consistently good albums, leading up to 2009's "Foot of the Mountain." (More ...)
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