Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Bumbershoot Reviews: Song gems and stars light up the stage


The New Pornographers and Spoon
Mainstage, Sunday afternoon

With Britpop melodies over USA power chords, indie-rock darlings The
New Pornographers brought their British Columbia sound into Seattle
to refract the afternoon sunshine through colored spectacles.

Carl Newman and Neko Case wove their harmonies together like a
Strawberry Alarm Clock for the digital age. Their set was like a
name-that-tune contest from the "Nuggets" box set of psychedelic
artyfacts, but no sooner could one borrowed riff be identified than
it had morphed into something else. "Testament to Youth in Verse"
sounded like someone had taken a jagged piece of crystal to a
classic P.F. Sloan melody.

The crowd, large for the first Mainstage concert of the day, was
treated to such gems as "Judy Dressed in Cobras," in which lyrics
were fitted into rhythmic rather than melodic patterns, and "July
Jones."

The sound was adequate, but the vocals were sometimes lost in the
breeze. Though difficult to focus on the specific songs, a festive
ambience flowed from the stage through the crowd.

Then it was Spoon's turn on the Mainstage. Toward the end, singer
Britt Daniels announced that this would be bassist Josh Zarbo's
final appearance with the band. Then he added he expected Zarbo, who
had quit and rejoined the band on several previous occasions, to be
back in the future.

Maybe that is why the band played so many songs that were built on
Zarbo's riffs. They started the show without introduction and fired
off five killer tunes, including "Girl Can Tell," before Daniels
announced "The Delicate Place" from their most recent album, "Gimme
Fiction."

One of the most striking things about Spoon is that, although the
songs are bass-heavy, the sound is remarkably crisp and trebly.
Highlights included "Devil's Dishes," which Daniels sang, as is his
tendency, in a style between incantation and the blues. Although his
delivery didn't vary much from song to song, the subject matter was
sufficiently varied to keep the songs distinctive.

-- Bill White



Kanye West and Blue Scholars
Mainstage, Sunday night

Blue Scholars called up the 425, the 253, the 360 and of course, the
206.

They holla'd back. Loudly.

They also lit up the field with cell phones and lighters.

Arms pivoted up and down under master of ceremonies Geologic's
directives, which carried with it some political bite. "Blink"
brought the war into the stadium under his plea to support the
troops by bringing them home. He brought the audience back to his
roots -- 41st to 47th streets in the University District -- and to
his heritage in the Philippines and human rights violations there.

Geologic and DJ Sabzi served their southside revival to a crowd
starving for the kind of energy they brought to the festival.

"They say hip-hop is dead," Geologic said. "But it's malnourished
and underfed."

Geologic's quick mind matched his tongue, which lit up a field ready
and willing to make some noise, noise that rose exponentially when
Common Market joined Blue Scholars to close out their set.

Then, the main attraction: Kanye West.

The man brought Hollywood -- star power -- into a festival that
really hadn't seen much glam before he showed up.

Women dressed in black evening dresses took their places behind
stringed instruments -- a harp, violins and cellos -- while West
came out running and singing his hit "Diamonds Are Forever" as hands
shot up in the audience in solidarity, flashing the diamonds sign.
Eventually, the bows wielded by the women would move in sync with
the limbs moving in the audience before them, which rose up again
when the ladies played "Bittersweet Symphony" and "Addiction."

They just wanted more of the show Kanye is known for, and delivered.
His blend of hip-hop, dance and R&B appeals to a wide range of
people, the sound accessible enough to draw hordes to any show he
headlines. If only he'd done less talking and walking off the stage
and let others sing during his set. He talked about the hits he's
produced as he walked the audience down memory lane, bringing up Jay-
Z and Alicia Keys before handing the mike over to his protege (I
think -- from the bleachers it was difficult to completely confirm),
Lupe Fiasco, who primed fans with "Push Kick."

It didn't seem to matter that he wasn't there. When he was, his fans
rewarded him thoroughly with the love he would thank them for during
the show.

-- Athima Chansanchai


Mates of State
Backyard Stage, Sunday night

The topic for today: "90 percent of music is written about love."
Discuss.

Although that statement has no scientific or numeric data to back it
up, love's influence on music is undeniable. Many times music is
celebrating newfound love and professing the ebullience, the joy,
the madness in song. That said, it is just as many times a product
of the opposite: being out of love or done wrong by the one you love
and thus singing about the misery, the pain and how much that other
person is ungrateful.

So what happens when the one you love is also the one you make music
with?

In the case of Fleetwood Mac, the trysts and love triangles within
that band informed what would become one of the greatest albums of
all time, "Rumours." For the Portland ex-husband/wife duo Quasi, the
post-divorce album "Featuring Birds" became one of the great breakup
albums of the '90s. But what about the other end of the spectrum?
The happily married couple with a non-dysfunctional relationship? Is
there such a thing?

Yes. And they are Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, also know as Mates
of State. The couple has been making pop-infused music since 1997,
officially tying the knot in 2001 and recently adding a daughter to
their growing roster that also includes four critically acclaimed
full-length albums.

I met with the duo before their appearance at Bumbershoot to discuss
the relationship of love to music. "Music is about emotion," Gardner
says, "and the strongest emotion is love." The couple then launch
into a philosophical conversation about love, lyrics and making
music. They speak quickly, filling in thoughts and finishing
sentences as if the two mouths were of one mind.

Yet, they agree that neither knows with absolute certainty the
meaning behind what the other is singing.

Although later, as they pingpong harmonies and verses throughout
their hour-long set, one gets the distinct impression that there's
not much these two don't know about one another. Still, this is
no "I Got You Babe" shtick. MOS are much more artistically elegant.
In fact, the closest their 2006 release "Bring It Back" gets to
outright worship and adoration is "I can't wait to say all the
things you can't see/ all the things that make you better/ 'cause I
can say all the things that make you/I like you/ You crazy."

OK, it's sweet, but not so sweet it gives you a cavity. It also
proves that good art needn't come from disaster.

-- Shawn Telford
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/283773_bumbreviews05.html?
source=rss
*******************************************************************
CD Review: Jessica Simpson: A Public..

Enjoyable affair

By DARRYL STERDAN -- Winnipeg Sun








---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Jessica Simpson
A Public Affair
(Epic/Sony BMG)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------

Jessica Simpson may not be Mensa material. But even she seems smart
enough to know that nobody takes her seriously. And nobody wants to
hear her whine about her divorce -- except for maybe her ex, and
he's already cornered the market on that.

So on her fourth album A Public Affair, the newly single singer
sticks it to Nick and gives everyone else just what they want: A
catchy, cutesy, carefree batch of featherweight dance-pop singles.

The title cut and If You Were Mine are bubbly baubles that bounce
along like Madonna singles from the '80s. The sexy B.O.Y. makes
inspired use of the opening riff from The Cars' Just What I Needed.
The '70s pop of Walkin' 'Round in a Circle pays homage to Fleetwood
Mac's Dreams.

The electro-jazzy Swing With Me revamps Louis Prima's Sing Sing
Sing. Ditto her cover of Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round (Like a
Record). And while the slinky hayseed funk of Push Your Tush is a
hoot for all the wrong reasons -- chiefly Simpson vocal ad-libs
like "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" and "Let's get some grub!" -- the Ohio
Players groove at its heart is irresistible.

Through it all, her producers (who include Scott Storch and Jam and
Lewis) keep the mood breezy, light and playful, occasionally letting
Jess strut her vocal stuff but never letting her fall prey to
overblown Idol-style melismathons.


On the downside, most of the best cuts come at the front of the 54-
minute disc, which winds down with a handful of dull ballads.

But even half a good album is enough to make A Public Affair a swell
coming-out party -- and Simpson's most enjoyable disc to date.
Seriously.

Track Listing:

1. A Public Affair
2. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
3. B.O.Y.
4. If You Were Mine
5. Walkin' 'Round In A Circle
6. The Lover In Me
7. Swing With Me
8. Push Your Tush
9. Back To You
10. Between You & I
11. I Don't Want To Care
12. Fired Up
13. Let Him Fly
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/08/31/1792559-sun.html
*********************************************************************
Posted on Thu, Aug. 31, 2006email thisprint this
British album survey puts Beatles at No. 1
`Sgt. Pepper' is favorite; 3 others in Top 10 poll; `Thriller' ranks
second
From Beacon Journal wire services
The British public has ``overwhelmingly'' selected the Beatles'
legendary 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, as the
favorite No. 1 album of all time. Results of the poll were broadcast
earlier this week on BBC Radio 2 to help celebrate the 50th
Anniversary of the Official U.K. Album Chart.

The Beatles had four albums in the top 10, with Revolver at six,
Abbey Road at eight and the band's eponymous set, also known as The
White Album at 10.

Michael Jackson's '80s blockbuster Thriller was ranked No. 2, ahead
of U2's The Joshua Tree, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Pink Floyd's
Wish You Were Here, respectively.

Also making the top 10 were Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over
Troubled Water at No. 7, and Queen's A Night at the Opera at No. 9.

Pink Floyd's ground-breaking 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon topped
a separate list, winning the ``Best of the Rest'' title for those
albums which did not reach the pinnacle of the albums chart. The
album, which has gone on to become one of the all-time best-sellers,
peaked at No. 2 in Britain following its release.

The public was invited to vote online at the Official U.K. Charts
Company's official Web site, and the BBC Radio 2 Music Club Web site.

Darren Haynes, brand marketing manager for charts compiler the OCC,
said that more than 220,000 votes were cast, making it ``the most
definitive record of the nation's favorite albums to date.''

Concert tickets voided

Ticketmaster said Tuesday it had invalidated more than 1,000 tickets
to concerts in Barbra Streisand's upcoming national tour after
discovering they were bought with a stolen credit card and then
resold on the Internet.

In a posting on its Web site, the company warned fans they might
have one of the canceled tickets if they did not buy directly from
Ticketmaster or a venue box office.

The company said it would send notices to e-mail addresses connected
to the voided tickets.

Cities hosting shows with canceled tickets include Philadelphia, New
York, Washington, Sunrise, Fla., Auburn Hills, Mich., Chicago,
Atlanta, Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J.

``It is a serious violation of the law to try to buy concert tickets
using stolen credit card information and, when successful, to resell
those tickets to unknowing consumer victims through resale Web
sites,'' Sean Moriarty, Ticketmaster's president and chief operating
officer, said in a statement.

Poorer comedian happy

Dave Chappelle doesn't regret his decision to walk away from a $50
million deal to continue his hit Comedy Central television show.
However, he might miss the money.

Halting his Chappelle's Show last year was ``one of the best
decisions I've ever made in my life,'' the 33-year-old comedian said
Tuesday while addressing the opening convocation at Central State
University.

``Now, economically it makes no sense at all,'' he added.

His sudden ``spiritual retreat'' to South Africa on the eve of his
show's third season left the series in limbo. He has since returned
to performing stand-up and released the concert documentary Dave
Chappelle's Block Party.

Chappelle, who lives near the southwest Ohio village of Yellow
Springs, encouraged students not to compromise their values.

``It's good to have a vision for your life, but your moral conduct
and your moral code should be priceless,'' he said. ``You should
just have some values that you just hold, that you won't sell at any
price.''

Central State's marching band played before Chappelle's hour-plus
talk. The band was featured in the Block Party documentary.

Rapper awaits retrial

An appearance by Corey Miller at a Hurricane Katrina documentary
premiere in New Orleans has led a judge to put the rapper on full
home confinement until his second trial on a second-degree murder
charge.

Miller, 35, is awaiting a retrial in the 2002 shooting of a 16-year-
old boy outside a nightclub. His original conviction was overturned
after a judge ruled that prosecutors had withheld the criminal
backgrounds of key state witnesses from the defense.

On Tuesday, State District Judge Martha Sassone said she had planned
to put Miller on partial house arrest, but changed her mind after
she saw the interview at the Aug. 16 premiere of Spike Lee's HBO
documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

``You're on home incarceration to prepare for a defense, not to have
a social life,'' Sassone told Miller.

Miller, who now uses the stage name C-Miller, was put on 24-hour
house arrest in March when he was released from jail. On July 13,
Sassone gave him a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and ordered him to
remain within Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

House arrest was reinstated in August by a state appeals court,
which said Sassone needed to have a hearing on state objections to
Miller's release from full house confinement to a curfew.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/music/15404673.htm?
source=rss&channel=ohio_entertainment
****************************************************************
Hippie fest no more
Bonnaroo '06 diversifies its demographic
Eddie Jenkins
Issue date: 8/31/06 Section: The Scene
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1
Media Credit: Jeff Kravitz/Bonnaroo Photo Staff
Radiohead's Thom York tries to hail a cab to escape Bonnaroo hippies.



Media Credit: staff photo


"I smell hippies," a marionette puppet exclaimed during Beck's set.
Every June for the last six years the pungent aroma of hippies has
flooded a 700-acre farm in the sleepy town of Manchester, Tenn.
Located 60 miles southeast of Nashville, the annual Bonnaroo Music
and Arts Festival becomes the sixth largest city in Tennessee for a
weekend with the addition of 70,000 concert goers.
My mind was made up going into Bonnaroo that the scene would be way
too patchouli and tie dye for my indie rock palate. It turns out I
was only half right.
This year's Bonnaroo had its fair share of hippie friendly bands
like the aforementioned Phil Lesh and Friends, Oysterhead, Robert
Randolph and the Family Band and Damian Marley, but the stages were
taken over by a breed somewhat foreign to the festival, indie rock.
Jam bands had to make room for such favorites as Ben Folds, Bright
Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, Beck and the arty juggernaut Radiohead.
Could the patchouli-scented hippies and the elitist-indie rockers
get along for 3 long days while squished together like sardines in
Centeroo and the surrounding campground? The answer, it turns out,
is yes.
After being directed through a labyrinthine toll area, cars were
searched by local police for drugs and other contraband, which would
later seem futile as clouds of non-cigarette smoke wafted through
stage audiences. I was then directed to the wrong parking area twice
and found myself locked out of day parking because its attendant had
already partaken in one of the many illegal substances that had been
smuggled in, leaving him incapacitated and sitting in front of the
locked gate mumbling unintelligible phrases. I eventually left the
car in RV parking, which would later turn out to be a grievous
mistake.
After surveying the land of Bonnaroo where the performance areas are
annoyingly labeled What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent and
The Other Tent and weeding through seemingly endless vegetarian food
stands, I made my way to Which Stage for the first performance on my
agenda, Ben Folds. Folds' set was lined with favorites from his days
in Ben Folds Five and his more recent solo material. "You are a s---
load of people," Folds proclaimed between songs.
Folds was followed by Bright Eyes who was joined on stage by an all-
star cast including bluegrass gods Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
as well as Jim James from My Morning Jacket and Gruff Rhys from
Super Furry Animals.
The next time slot put both the hippies and indie-rockers in a bind
as the returning Oysterhead and Robert Randolph and the Family Band
were playing at the same time and Death Cab for Cutie was playing at
the same time as Cat Power.
I stayed and watched Death Cab's set where the normally stationary
quartet bounced from one side of the stage to the other while
unleashing a barrage of hits from their back catalogue.
After moving over to the What Stage, headliners Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers took to the stage 45 minutes late with special guest
Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) and played a set that seemed more like
a greatest hits record.
I then headed back to the parking lot where I would look for my car
for the next four hours because it had been blocked in by an RV.
The second day of Bonnaroo I headed to What Stage to take in the
day's headliners Hall of Famer Elvis Costello, Beck and Radiohead.
After more than stellar performances from Costello and Beck,
Radiohead, the band most everyone had been waiting for, exploded
onto the stage with a pantheon of songs from their back cataloge and
some new tunes from their forth coming seventh long player to which
the crowd swayed along. For the next two hours, the crowd tossed
thousands of glowsticks into the air as well as at Radiohead
frontman Thom Yorke who playfully tossed them back.
On Father's Day Bonnaroo was wrapping up with only a few noteworthy
bands playing for those of the indie rock persuasion. After a noisy
performance by Sonic Youth I packed up my bags and headed home
leaving the rest of Bonnaroo to the hippies and Phil Lesh and
Friends.
http://www.easttennessean.com/media/storage/paper203/news/2006/08/31/
TheScene/Hippie.Fest.No.More-2252332.shtml?
norewrite200609060914&sourcedomain=www.easttennessean.com
*********************************************************************