TK Tour and New Album News
Telekinesis is hitting the North American trails again starting February 18th 2011, three days after his sophomore release of 12 Desperate Straight Lines, if this is the album art above we can already tell it’s going to be stunning and a little ominous.
The ‘bowl has been covering Telekinesis since the beginning and we’ve been twiddling our thumbs in anticipation for this tour since the last time he hit our Minnesota streets in April of 2009.
Check out an interview our friends over at Tandem Magazine got to do with Michael Benjamin Lerner and definitely pre-order your copy now! Or buy his latest EP, Parallel Seismic Conspiracies to quell those wet fears.
Track listing:
1. You Turn Clear In The Sun
2. Please Ask For Help
3. 50 Ways
4. I Cannot Love You
5. Dirty Thing
6. Car Crash
7. Palm Of Your Hand
8. I Got You
9. Fever Chill
10. Country Lane
11. Patterns
12. Gotta Get It Right Now
Telekinesis on tour:
Dec 03 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Dec 04 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Feb 18 Bellingham, WA Jinx Arts Space
Feb 20 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
Feb 23 San Francisco, CA TBA
Feb 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
Feb 25 San Diego, CA The Casbah
Feb 26 Tempe, AZ The Sail Inn
Feb 28 Norman, OK The Opolis
Mar 01 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr
Mar 02 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
Mar 04 Chicago, IL Schubas
Mar 05 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Mar 06 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
Mar 07 Montreal, QC Casa Del Popolo
Mar 08 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear’s Place
Mar 09 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Mar 10 Brooklyn, NY The Rock Shop
Mar 11 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
Mar 12 Washington, DC The Red Palace
Mar 13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
Mar 14 Atlanta, GA The Earl
Mar 22 Denver, CO Hi Dive
Mar 23 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
Mar 24 Boise, ID Neurolux
Mar 26 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
Mar 27 Vancouver, BC Media Club
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
“Last Leaf” Music Video
I love toast. And I love stop motion. So, naturally, I love the concept for this video, OK Go’s “Last Leaf’.
Directed by OK Go, Nadeem Mazen and Ali Mohammad. Bread-animation by Geoff Mcfetridge.
Now there’s a way to use up 215 loaves of stale bread.
P.S. If you remember Geoff Mcfetridge’s name it’s from the documentary, Beautiful Losers that The ‘bowl covered last winter.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Autumn de Wilde & Death Cab for Cutie : New Book
In the market for a new coffee table book? Not likely, but this might just change your mind. Autumn de Wilde will be releasing a new book chronicling her work with indie band Death Cab for Cutie since 2003.
From the Death Cab for Cutie website
“In 2003, photographer Autumn de Wilde began shooting Death Cab for Cutie at a couple of shows at the close of their Transatlanticism tour. In the seven years since then, a collection of 200 photographs, conversations, and personal ephemera contributed by the band have emerged in the form of Autumn’s new book, Death Cab for Cutie.
The book will be available soon through the new online store with an exclusive, limited edition poster. More details to come, so stay tuned for information.”
If this book is anything like her work with Elliott Smith (the cover of his album Figure 8, yep, that’s Autumn), it can be nothing short of phenomenal. So excited.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Out Today : Project Film’s Chicago
Minneapolis/Chicago band Project Film released their debut album today, Chicago from Tandem Shop Records. Check it out, it’s certainly been a long work in progress and turned out pretty in my humble opinion.
Reviewsic Interview/words from Loud Loop Press/ words from Windy City Rock
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Stream Sufjan Stevens’ The Age of Adz on NPR
With his show at the Orpheum Theatre on October 16 approaching ever closer, the melody lines of Sufjan Stevens have been playing over and over again in my head (and on my laptop). To make things even better, NPR is currently streaming his upcoming LP The Age of Adz which hits stores on October 12, just as he embarks on his Fall 2010 tour.
Upon a quick first listen of the new album, it sounds like Sufjan has gone down a path much more under the influence of synthesizers and electronica (but what hasn’t these days…) But beyond the computerized dissonances lie the melodic complexities in typical Stevens fashion. Sigh, thank goodness. It’s just not a Sufjan Steven tune without a million different things happening at once and somehow still managing to sound music (and good music at that).
Does this new robot-Stevens suit your liking? Will he ever revisit his banjo strumming days of Michigan? Why am I ending my post in question-style like I write for hipsterrunoff? I. don’t. know. Listen to The Age of Adz for free on NPR and see for yourself.
::Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
We Live In Public
written and directed by Ondi Timoner
Who is watching? Why are we watching? How will watching affect us? What does it mean to be constantly watched without privacy? How is the digital age helping or hindering our personal interactions with others?
Ondi Timoner (two-time Sundance Grand Jury award winner) takes us to a truly evocative time in technological history by documenting the polarizing experiences and works of internet visionary, Josh Harris. As the world was in flux over a potential Y2K apocalypse, Josh Harris’ “Quiet: We Live In Public” experiment was in the midst of collapsing. This art exhibit was one of the most invasive looks into the way the human condition functions when exposed to extreme measures of virtual scrutiny through filming. Over 100 artists in a New York warehouse signed away their lives to the control of Josh Harris in this large scale, big brother examination.
We Live in Public (2009) shows how relationships can become dissonant under these types of digital pressures of having an audience view one’s every move. The nature of celebrity relationships comes to mind while watching and why so many can never truly become of anything more than tabloid fodder. As things start to crumble in Harris’ world he finds peace in the bare necessity’s that life has to offer. Timoner’s exploration of ten years of an internet genius is definitely one to witness.
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
New Telekinesis Video for “Dirty Thing”
More to come later about the new EP!
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
The Wilderness Downtown/Chris Milk/Arcade Fire
Do this right now, you will be incredibly pleased! It features the Arcade Fire jam, “We Used To Wait” and I hear their new album is out of this world too! The film is so innovative, so fresh, and so cool.
http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
LCD Soundsystem This Is Happening
If “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”, so is This Is Happening. Completely fantastic. If you haven’t listened yet, pick it up on (my new favorite thing) Amazon mp3 for just five measly dollars. Seriously worth the investment.
::Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Under Construction
Currently having a bit of an identity crisis.
Did You Know…
Ever wonder about the story behind some of the band names out there? Obscure old film references, dreams, and landmarks are just a few explanations for these creations. Some are complicated and detailed, some are simple. For example…
Daft Punk
“The name Daft Punk was inspired by a review in the British music magazine Melody Maker, which called their first band Darlin’ “a bunch of daft punk.””
Explosions in the Sky
“One the fourth of July, 1999 the band performed a set for KVRX’s show ‘Local Live’ under the name Breaker Morant. As they unloaded for the gig fireworks displays were in progress. That night they recorded their first track, “Remember Me as a Time of Day,” which appears on Refurbished Robots: KVRX Local Live Volume 4. The rest of the set can be heard here: KVRX 91.7 FM, Local Live, Explosions In The Sky.
Explosions in the Sky drummer, Chris Hrasky explained in an interview:
“We played a local college radio show on July 4, 1999 and as we were unloading our gear we heard the fireworks exploding. So one of us said “can you hear the explosions in the sky?” and that was that.”
I may or may not have spent a good deal of time browsing through the entire list here.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Daytrotter- Maps & Atlases
I’m a little behind on this one but, Maps & Atlases did a Daytrotter Session a couple of weeks back. The few songs they chose to do for the session (most of which are off their just released first LP, Perch Patchwork) are certainly less intense than the Maps & Atlases that I’m used to…
Download the session for free and listen for yourself on Daytrotter.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
The Black Keys: “Tighten Up” Video
A little strange, but mostly brilliant.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
She & Him: Chicago
The grey clouds hanging over Chicago cleared temporarily on June 7th as if to ensure a beautiful day in Millennium Park for She & Him to take the stage. Zooey, full of life and energy and M. Ward, taking a quiet and mysterious presence behind her proved that they can make a come-back from even the most awkward of performances. Ahem…
Here are some photos from the show : :
Photos by Haley Rheinhart
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Sia at the Fine Line
Photos by Rachel Summers and Haley Rheinhart
Last Saturday, April 24th Sia made her stop at the Fine Line in Minneapolis on “The We Meaning You Tour” and she brought all of her personality and love of color to the gloomy Minneapolis skyline. From the speakers to the mic stands almost everything was covered in crocheted and knit quilts – it looked like my grandmother’s living room had been transplanted onto the stage.
Photos by Rachel Summers and Haley Rheinhart
The opening act Body Language, all the way from Brooklyn, New York, made the Fine Line audience “hot like butter” with African and psychedelic infused beats, super catchy lyrics, slick harmonies and synchronized handclaps.
After a short wait it was time for Sia. The band came out in retro 80’s jump suits that would make anyone run out and get one for their summer closets. And not only did Sia come out ready to sing, but for the first couple of songs she had the help of a giant, quasi-unicorn horn, light strapped onto her forehead. With or without the horn, her soulful voice echoed across the venue as she mixed new and old songs into the set. Sia performed the song that put her on the radar, “Breathe Me.” Surprisingly, this low tempo songstress picked the tempo up with the six new songs she sang from her upcoming album, We Are Born set to release on June 7th, 2010.
Not only did Sia’s clothing and performance show off her personality but also she made sure she interacted with the crowd. Unlike any other concert, Sia encouraged ‘heckling’ as she called it. She pressed the crowd for the best that they had, if someone yelled, “I love you Sia!” Sia would respond with a quick-witted answer along the lines of, “Oh that’s authentic!” As magical as her songs were so were her stories she would tell in between almost each song. Sia breathed life into the performance and into the experience of what a show is supposed to be, fun, relaxed, and conversational.
After the last song, she reassured people with anxiety problems that they would return for an encore. When Sia came back on stage she transformed into a human butterfly, in her colorful wing contraption, spinning and blowing bubbles out into the front of the crowd, ending the night on whimsical, happy high note.
See more photos from the show on The Dustbowl’s Flickr and check out the set list:
- The Fight
- Buttons
- You’ve Changed
- Be Good to Me
- Oh Father
- Little Black Sandles
- Bring Night
- Sunday
- I Go to Sleep
- Never Gonna Leave Me
- The Girl You Lost
- Cloud
- Clap Your Hands
- You Have Been Loved
- Breathe Me
- Co-dependent
- Soon You’ll be Found
Karen Perault-Boughton
kperaultboughton01@hamlineuniversity.edu
Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
Live at the Cedar: Horse Feathers//Caroline Smith and Jesse Schuster
Photos by Adam Spanier
On April 20, the Minneapolis Cedar Cultural Center looked like a musical instrument yard sale. The elevated wood stage held a multitude of instruments staggered across the platform. From guitars, violins, tambourines, cellos, and a logging saw the small stage was crammed with dormant instruments waiting to be brought to life.
Headlining the evening with airy folk tunes was the Portland native band Horse Feathers. Their performance acted as a makeshift CD release show as their new album “Thistled Spring” hit stores the very same day. Confidently stepping on stage, the band went straight into their set filling the Cedar’s venue with the sound of traditional Americana. The band’s elaborate instrumentation brought the prairie to the city. Lead singer Justin Ringle’s smooth voice contrasted ideally with the harmonies provided by the talents of Nathan Crockett, Catherine Odell, and Sam Cooper. Each guitar chord paired perfectly with the composition of the string instruments and subtle drum beats making the music of Horse Feathers the perfect companion for an open road adventure. The band’s talent was as brilliant as their economical use of instruments. From stomping on a tambourine, adding a subtle jingle to their set, to grazing the end of a logging saw with a violin bow, the band provided the audience with a refreshing sound Tuesday evening.
Photos by Adam Spanier
Minneapolis natives Caroline Smith and Jesse Schuster opened the night by breaking the silence of the intimate venue with acoustic melodies and rustic harmonies. Releasing Live at Cedar, a stripped down, live, acoustic album earlier this year, the duo was no stranger to the Cedar stage. Both members sounded in their prime, even with Jesse admitting he had been struck with the flu only days prior to the evening’s show. Performing familiar tunes such as “Closing the Doors” and “Tying My Shoes” the pair also performed a few new songs for the small crowd at the Cedar. Keeping in line with their folk, acoustic, and honest sound, the newest additions to their set list are sure to start making a stir among the Minneapolis music scene. Caroline and Jesse will be hitting the road with Horse Feathers as they continue their tour across the country.
Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps Myspace
Candice Grimm
cgrimm01@hamlineuniversity.edu
Lupe Fiasco at Gustavus Adolphus College
On an unusually warm Saturday evening this April, I was packed into a crowded Gustavus Adolphus Hockey arena. Through the Ed Hardy and cubic zirconium studded crowd I was able to spy one Lupe Fiasco.
Every year Gustavus Adolphus College, or as it is affectionately known GAC, holds a concert for its students and opens it to the public. GAC’s past concerts have included performers such as Ben Folds, but this year they hosted the college radio favorite Lupe Fiasco. Lupe visited the small town of St. Peter as part of his Steppin’ Lasers tour.
Opening for Lupe was the Twin Cities’ own Unknown Prophets, a duo consisting of MaD SoN and Big Jess. The Prophets’ set was great and used their relatively unique sound of metal and rap to build up to Lupe’s opening. They also hyped Minnesota pride that acted as a good contrast with Lupe’s international acclaim. The only pitfall of the concert: the crowd.
Most concertgoers were present to hear Fiasco’s handful of uber-famous songs such as “Daydreamin”, “Superstar”, and “Kick, Push”. This dynamic between fans and infrequent followers, while not ideal, didn’t harm the overall experience. The energy that Lupe and his band gave off was infectious. New songs and old had everyone in the crowd getting down. Not only did Lupe set the bar but his band mates stepped it up with hard guitar riffs, intense drum beats, and scratchin’ on the turntables.
Lupe also debuted some of his new material. One song, “Beautiful Lasers”, was noticeably different from songs such as “Go Go Gadget Flow” and he cited the fact that he was “really f*#cked up” for a long period and the energy from that time went into this song. Although darker, the energy of the entire concert was phenomenal and included fan participation two audience members were invited onstage due to the fact that they had “We Are Lasers” tattooed on their biceps in homage to Lupe. The show culminated with some words of wisdom about the power of education from Lupe: quite the collegiate experience.
Saraya Boghani
sboghani01@hamlineuniversity.edu
“Flash Delirium”-MGMT
MGMT’s new video, Flash Delirium, off “Congratulations,” is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: strange and fast with a feeling like you might have just watched something by David Cronenberg. This is probably due in part to VanWyngarden’s and Goldwasser’s collective weirdness, but they also enlisted Andreas Nilsson, known for his strange artistic vision (see Fever Ray, Royksopp videos), for the video. The result is a supremely trippy mix of extravagant surrealism complete with military men, puppets and an iron lung.
Victoria Lebron
victoria.lebron@gmail.com
It’s been a while, TK…
It’s been nearly a year since Michael Benjamin Lerner and co. released their debut album, Telekinesis!
In honor of record store day this Saturday, here’s the brand new single from our favorite Telekinesis, courtesy of NPR. Hurrah!
Happy Spring,
Haley&Rachel
blog.dustbowl@gmail.com
Florence + the Machine @ The House of Blues–Chicago
Photo by Rachel Summers
The seven-hour car ride from Minneapolis to Chicago was well worth the journey to see one of Britain’s most talented artists, Florence and the Machine. As many of you know, I’ve been dying to see FATM ever since I heard “Kiss With A Fist.” When I found out she was only making six or so stops in the U.S. on her Spring/Summer 2010 tour I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Florence Welch appeared fearlessly on stage looking like she was ready for bed, or a sacrifice… in her all black get-up entailing a lace shawl, a loosely fitting lace dress which she paired with black satin shorts that zipped up the back and to top off the outfit, a Finn Andrews-esque hat. If the costume turns you off then her voice will most assuredly turn you back on. Welch has sensational vocals and tucked in her voice box is the ability to do all of those fancy improvised runs most mainstream artists tend to overdo. Welch’s soft exterior is the antithesis of her tortuously beautiful descants that pierces the entire space and shoot directly over the band which was was why opening with “Howl” was the most appropriate to give the crowd a glimpse of what was to come. Then the six- piece Machine played the poppy, upbeat first single off of Lungs, “Kiss With A Fist” which was a big crowd-pleaser.
The Machine was able to accommodate the ferociously boisterous stage presence of Ms. Welch by contributing smartly planned out arrangements and cool harmonies from the drummer, Chris. FATM’s live show didn’t phase them one bit, and just paid serious heed to the studio version of the album. Around mid-set a little known track off of the deluxe edition of Lungs called, “Hardest of Hearts” was played which Florence explained to be one of her favorite songs that didn’t make the cut. For the percussion pushed “Drumming Song” and “Cosmic Love” the bass player was added to the mix on a smaller drum set, along with Florence on her little-drummer-boy snare placed at center stage.
Luckily, Florence is already a master at the art of the grand pause and she brings a level of drama to the room with her quirky gestures and frantic motions that kept everyone on the edges of their seats straight through to the encore where they played “You’ve Got The Love,” which I managed to capture a pretty good video (please excuse the crazy lady next to me, she was so in love with Florence and made sure everyone around her knew it) and the show ended on a high note with the help of the crowd, on cult favorite “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up).”
I even managed to snag a Set List:
howl
kiss with a fist
hurricane
coffins
lungs
hardest of hearts
drumming song
cosmic love
blinding
ghosts
dog days
got the love
rabbit heart
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
Andrew Bird
Thinking back, I’m not sure if I’ve done a post about Andrew Bird…what a shame, considering the large part he plays in the core of my music library.
Anyway, I was just browsing through Vimeo and stumbled upon this little segment of him performing “Plasticities” while roaming about Sydney Harbor in 2008.
One of my favorite things about Mr. Bird (besides his mad violin and whistling skills) is the fact that every performance of his is completely unique. At any of his live shows, you’re not paying money to hear something that sounds just like what you heard on his album, you’re in store for a surprise, a variation, if you will…
Here’s the video from Shoot the Player
Also, check out some other Shoot the Player videos on Vimeo. The just put together a video of Scottish band Frightened Rabbit playing one of my current favorite songs “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”. Make sure to hear to studio version of the song too, the acoustic arrangement is not quite as alive.
— Haley Rheinhart —
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Mates of State Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)
If you’re in need of something to look forward to this summer, listen up. Mates of State just announced a new album entitled Crushes (The Covers Mixtape). The expected release date is sometime this summer. The sooner the better, I say, especially after seeing that the album includes a cover of Death Cab’s “Technicolor Girls”. Read more about it on the Mates of State official site.
Here’s the tracklist:
1. Laura (Girls)
2. Son et Lumiere (The Mars Volta)
3. Sleep the Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian)
4. Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie)
5. Long Way Home (Tom Waits)
6. Love Letter (Nick Cave)
7. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)
8. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants (Vashti Bunyan)
9. Roller Coaster Ride (Dear Nora)
10. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston)
The first track, “Laura”, is available as a free download on the Mates of State as well.
— Haley Rheinhart —
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
She & Him Volume Two
I know I’m a little slow on this, but I just got a hold of She & Him’s (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, respectively) second album Volume Two. Let me just say that it goes above and beyond Volume One, their debut album released back in 2008. I have always been a little unsure of how much I really enjoyed Volume One, save a few songs, but for this new album, Deschanel and Ward really pulled together their strongest element from Volume One to make an album that really feels whole and satisfying. Well done, I now know what’s going to be on many of my summer playlists.
If you know me, you know that I’m not really the biggest proponent of music videos (yeah, I know…), but She & Him’s video for “In the Sun” was just too joyful for me to resist.
You can find She & Him on tour for the next few months. They will be on the First Ave stage in Minneapolis on June 5th.
Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
City and Colour
I found this album in this old library last spring and I’m so glad that I did. City and Colour‘s 2008 release Bring Me Your Love is the perfect album for the many overcast days to come. Dallas Green’s voice is rich, full, and haunting at times. Album highlights include, “Sleeping Sickness,” “The Girl,” and “Against the Grain.”
Just listen:
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
The Dustbowl 