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
The Social Network
Walking into the theatre with a vague notion that David Fincher’s new Film, The Social Network, was about the creation of Facebook, I was skeptical. How could the making of a website ever be interesting? There’s just too much math.
But what I didn’t know was that the story behind the development of the world’s most powerful social network is only partially about a nerd entering code. Beyond the computer science, it is a complicated tale, full of ethical dilemmas, wavering loyalties, and insights about the often bizarre way institutions function. Few other movies are able to pull off this type of depth, while still allowing the plot to move forward. Parts one and two of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather Trilogy come as notable exceptions.
Kerouac’s On The Road Finds its Way Onto Film
Word has it Jack Kerouac’s famed On The Road is making its way onto film. Director Walter Salles and screenwriter Jose Rivera have plotted out the screenplay and the final product is set to be released sometime in 2011. The cast includes Viggo Mortensen (glad to see he’s moving on from Aragorn in LotR), Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Stewart. I’ve gotta say, I’m interested to see how this all unfolds.
Possibly at Cannes…
::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
My Own Private Idaho
dir. Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991) is something of a rough collage. Constantly shifting styles, the film, at different times, has the feeling of a pseudo-Shakespearian comedy, a familial melodrama, and a classic road tale in the vein of Easy Rider. And to add even more confusion, all of these elements are played out in gay-prostitute underworld of the Pacific Northwest (oh and a little bit in Idaho and Italy too). The film follows the life of Mike (River Phoenix)-an allergic, narcoleptic, and emotionally violent hustler who goes about his business in the slums of Seattle. In these ventures, Mike soon encounters Scott (Keanu Reeves) an old friend and fellow call-boy. From here, the two travel around on many adventures-the purpose of which eventually crystallizes into the search for Mike’s estranged mother.
This longing, on Mike’s part, to finally see mommy again gives the film a place to go, but is far from its most interesting aspect. Instead, the viewer will be drawn to the contradictory world members of the Northwest’s prostitute sub-culture occupy. In many ways the existence of these Hustlers is quite miserable. They sleep on roofs or in doorways, and to survive, must indulge their client’s bizarre fetishes, which Van Sant does not hesitate to display in painful detail. But in another way, the characters of the film’s sub-culture have a vibrant quality that cannot be found in the “legitimate” world their clients occupy. Many wear flamboyant neon jackets with tight jeans and cowboy boots that clearly set them apart from the more conventional sort. Others speak in a vernacular that strangely and cleverly blends hipster slang with Shakespearian English-often giving what would be normally mundane observations a distinctly poetic quality. And all of Idaho’s Hustler characters possess the defiant demeanor-associated with all the proudest counter-cultures-that allows them to say “yeah I’m weird, and fuck you” with every step.
But superficial differences aside, the hustler world that Mike, Scott, and the many others in the film occupy is permeated by a class hierarchy that sharply resembles that of the “normal” world. Throughout the film, Van Sant plays with this irony to an often divesting effect. His ability to make Idaho so strange and yet so familiar is what makes it an engaging film.
Nathan Walker
nwalker01@hamlineuniversity.edu
Skyway Sessions: The Farewell Circuit
The Dustbowl packed up their equipment and headed to the new Infinitea Teahouse in Uptown. No, we weren’t having an herbal refreshment, we were on site to get going on a long overdue Skyway Session with Minneapolis transplants The Farewell Circuit. Local film director, Matt Cici, first wired us to The Farewell Circuit back in April after using one of their songs in the trailer for his film Lambent Fuse.
With the greatest of ease, The Farewell Circuit swiftly filled the space of Infinitea with the ethereal sounds of their latest EP Brother’s Eyes. Just as mesmerizing are the lyrics, which beautifully compliment every chord and chime. They left us with resonating melodies permeating a dream-state we didn’t want to wake from. The EP is available on their bandcamp site for a “pay-what-you-can” price.
If you want to see them for yourself, catch their next show tomorrow, September 10th, 9PM at Nick and Eddie (1612 Harmon Place Minneapolis, MN). Sorry youngbloods, it’s a 21+ event. Also, check out the photos we snapped in our Flickr ‘bowl section.
The Dustbowl
Haley Rheinhart & Rachel Summers
blog.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
“The Big C”
Who doesn’t love Laura Linney? If there was a fan club I’d probably at best be the secretary. Showtime’s newest show, “The Big C,” walks into the life of Cathy Jamieson (Linney) as some of the worst news she can hear in her life has been diagnosed: Cancer. Unlike the normal steps one would take of telling his or her family, Cathy decides to keep her loved ones out of the loop. Instead, she’s decided to live again and live harder than she ever had before.
The plot moves along as her character quickly takes a sledge hammer to the monotonous reality she has built for herself as a school teacher, soccer mom, and suburban wife and slowly tries to mend relationships by taking a stand with the people in her life. One of the few charming relationships to watch play out is the one between her and her estranged, environmentally-conscious, homeless, older brother; and her feuding senior neighbor, the gritty, rough around the edges, widower Marlene.
But I do have some qualms with the show already.
1. It’s another Showtime series about a white suburban mom breaking out of the gelatin mold.
2. Gabourey Sidibe plays the overweight, sassy, black girl. And Cathy decides to save her life by paying her one hundred dollars for each pound she loses. Puke.
3. It’s set in Minneapolis (wahoooo!), but it’s not even filmed here.
4. It’s not that funny. If you want funny, watch “The United States of Tara.” Now that’s a half hour I can’t get enough of.
I’ve waited to watch the second episode of the show to really decide how I feel about it. And to be honest, I’m still on the fence leaning towards the watch this only if you’re bored side. But, I’ll probably still tune in Mondays because on the next episode Idris Elba is going to guest star (swoon) and I still LOVE Laura Linney.
Written by Rachel Summers
rachel.dustbowl@gmail.com
Taking Woodstock
dir. Ang Lee
It’s all in the details. How will we look back at our youth? I look back to last year in glimmers, but forty years from now that will most likely turn into smog. Over half a million people attended the most celebrated of music festivals, Woodstock 1969. I wonder if they remember this influential festival like it was yesterday. It’s festival season, and in light of some of my closest friends returning from their unforgettable time at Lollapalooza, now is as good of time as any to talk about 2009’s Taking Woodstock, directed by Ang Lee (he’s directed a couple other of my favorites including The Ice Storm and the Academy Award winning Brokeback Mountain).
The film drops the viewer into the life of Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) in rural Bethel, New York, where he is trying to save his family’s sinking motel from foreclosure. As a last resort to help his family out, he decides to put his whole town on the map by inviting the owners of Woodstock Ventures to use his land for their huge music festival that had currently been run out of the original site of Wallkill, NY. Elliot’s difficult relationship with his parents is weaved throughout the 3-day series of events and inevitably helps him come of age. The entire cast really drew me in especially standout performances from Emile Hirsch and Liev Schreiber. Lee’s attention to detail in every scene really made the film feel authentic; from the extras to the vendor stands leading to the festival. Although, the film does have it’s slow moments (where you may need to pause, take a cat nap, and then hit play), it’s shot really beautifully. The character’s that come and go continuously throughout leave the viewer with distinct memories and also propel the film along.
I’d recommend Taking Woodstock to anyone longing for a past that they did live or an imagined past we all wish we could have been a part of.
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
Photography: Cameron Wittig
As I was looking for some of the interesting images from Catalyst + BLACKFISH, a dance piece running at the University of Minnesota’s Northrop Auditorium, I came across a name I recognized captioned in every photo: Cameron Wittig.
Photo by Cameron Wittig
Sound familiar? If not, then his work will more than likely ring a bell. Wittig is the man behind the gorgeous album art for Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast and Haley Bonar’s Big Star. The Minnesota photographer has also done a fair amount of work with the Walker Art Center, Walker Magazine and a number of other local artists including Dosh, Tapes N Tapes, Retribution Gospel Choir, Fog, The Twilight Hours, Mason Jennings, and Slug. Wittig’s photos exhibit dreamy yet rustic qualities that make them memorable, which may explain why they are littered across the Twin Cities music scene. When you visit his website, make sure to take a look at his personal work, especially the albums Hok Si La, Sightseeing and Lens Flare.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Connect, Connect, Connect.
I’m re-blogging this thanks to Saraya, who posted it on her tumblr earlier today.
“6 Degrees of Black Sabbath” is basically a 6 degrees of separation generator for music. Go ahead, try to stump it. It even found a path (be it longer than average) between Hilary Duff and Death Cab for Cutie. Fun stuff.
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
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
Art & Copy
And now, another dose of documentary from The Dustbowl!
On average, we see as many as 5,000 advertisements a day, whether we notice what they are or not. Art & Copy, a film by Doug Pray, takes a deeper look into this complex industry that is so often taken for granted and criticized. It details some of the advertising giants that we’ve all heard of, like Volkswagen, Apple, MTV, and Tommy Hilfiger, but also some even bigger giants. The agencies behind these companies, DDB Worldwide, Weiden+Kennedy, and TBWA/Chiat/Day, have been not-s0-secretly shaping our culture for more than half a century…
I appreciated the fresh perspective this film gave on the world of advertising, exploring the work and thought processes behind “I want my MTV!” or “Just do it”. You’ll also get to take a look inside some seriously cool offices. Weiden+Kennedy; totally awesome. They have a giant nest upstairs!
If you’ve ever thought about anything beyond the commercials, posters, and banners of advertisement we see so often, I’d recommend checking this film out on Netflix instant play!
:: Haley Rheinhart
haley.dustbowl@gmail.com
Phasma Ex Machina
Check out this independent (and local) film from director, Matt Osterman… I’m pretty intrigued.
Phasma Ex Machina is Latin for “ghost from the machine”
— 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
The Dustbowl 