Category
Reviews
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02.23.10Review: Album Leaf + Sea Wolf @ GAMHI had a brief moment of panic. I'd had the Album Leaf show on my calendar for months. I'd seen them last year as a three-piece at Bottom of the Hill, and couldn't wait to see them again. Then I got a notice that my current obsession, Sea Wolf, was playing the same night. Shit. "Why do I have to choose between Album Leaf and Sea Wolf?" I lamented to myself. Much to my delight, not only did I not have to choose, but both were on the same bill! To make things even better, one of my oldest friends ...
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01.13.10Phil’s Best of 20092009 was pretty underwhelming for music. I struggled long and hard to make a top ten list, but there really weren't ten that I felt made the list. So here are my top nine of 2009! Continue Reading...
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11.19.09Review: Of Montreal at The Fox Theater in OaklandSomehow, this review never made it up onto thecolorawesome after the show on July 25th, 2009. It was a great show, so I'm publishing the review, even if it is a few months late. - Paige Continue Reading...
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11.04.09Treasure Island – Tunes With A ViewIt's great to see music festivals popping up all over the country, and Treasure Island in San Francisco is filled with promise. And it has, arguably, the best view of any festival I've ever been to! With its indie minded approach Treasure Island is the closest you'll get to left of the dial when it comes to a music event of this size. Continue Reading...
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10.14.09Review: SVIIB + Warpaint at SlimsI'm woefully far behind on photo editing, and I know that I'll be even further behind after Treasure Island Music Festival this weekend. But I saw a fantastic show last week at Slims: School of Seven Bells with openers Warpaint. Here's a brief review, and links to many pix of their beautiful inspiring performances. Continue Reading...
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10.10.09Review: Sea Wolf + Sara Lov at Bimbos 365It's been too long - over a year- since Sea Wolf played San Francisco. I was one excited gal when I found out they'd be playing Bimbos at the start of their White Water White Bloom tour. Sea Wolf played the 19th, and the album was to be released a few days later. I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of the album from Dangerbird about a week before the show. White Water White Bloom was in constant rotation in my car, much to the chagrin of my kids. I'd been hoping to shoot a portrait of the band ...
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10.10.09The Horrors Live!It's hard to believe every bit of hype you hear about bands these days. All these crazy blogs are dripping with overblown statements about how great the band du jour is - you can't always believe what you read. I was just as cautious upon entering Neumo's in Seattle last night to see The Horrors. Primary Colours is definitely one of the best albums of the year, but could they pull it off live? I am thrilled to say that they did just that! Continue Reading...
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09.29.09A gallus trifecta of Scottish rock in San JoseTwo weeks ago I had the ironic pleasure of seeing three very hip bands in a very unhip locale. This gallus trifecta of Scottish indie rock was almost too good to be true: Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks all on one bill! Continue Reading...
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09.21.09Review: White Water White Bloom by Sea WolfWhite Water, White Bloom, Sea Wolf's sophomore release hits the shelves tomorrow. Just a handful reviews are out, but the usual "sounds-like" name dropping has alrady begun: Arcade Fire, Conor Oberst, Decembrists, Wilco, blah, blah, blah. I don't like to label one artist as sounding like another. All I can say is that given that Sea Wolf's album was produced by Mike Mogus, it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's got more of a mainstream indie folk-rock sound. So without any external comparisons, here are my thoughts, interspersed with some reflections by Mr. Sea Wolf himself, Alex Brown Church, ...
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09.16.09Review: Sea Wolf sets sail on epic sophomore journey with wicked bloodIt's that time of year again. The kids headed back to school yesterday, and I've got a bushel of extra hours to myself. I tend to fill my days obsessively processing pictures, searching out new mp3's and generally soaking up all manner of music-related ephemera. This intense focus has come to rest on Sea Wolf as of late. Timing is everything, they say. I got the advanced copy of Sea Wolf's sophomore album, White Water White Bloom last week, Sea Wolf's show at Bibmos is this Friday, and the album hits shelves on Tuesday. I've decided to hold off on ...
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09.06.09Review: Underworld at the FoxI wasn't quite sure why, but when I hear Underworld was playing the Fox Theater, I was really excited. I've never been a raver, but I've always enjoyed the beats and vibe of the band. I was (and am) a huge fan for the movie Trainspotting, and Underworld's "Born Slippy .NUXX" was like an anthem for the film. Continue Reading...
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07.23.09Review: Death Cab for Cutie, Andrew Bird and Ra Ra Riot at the GreekConfession: I've been dragging my feet about writing this review for over a week. The pictures were good to go a week ago. It's those pesky words! I feel so guilty; it was an awesome show - it's not like there's nothing good to say. Continue Reading...
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07.20.09Second Quarter Check UpThe year in music has been going pretty smoothly. In fact, another look at my first quarter check up shows it may be going just alright. The only full-length album I'm still listening to from the first quarter of 2009 is Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion. And I'm still ALL OVER anything by Aeroplane. I have to say it looks like the second quarter has grown a set! From Bibio's transition from beautiful to unbelievable and an unexpected debut from Fanfarlo, this selection is filled with full-length works which I can't get enough of. Check it! Continue Reading...
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06.30.09Proud To Be A Music Lover!I spent the last weekend with my gay brothers and sisters celebrating Gay Pride here in Seattle. I don't usually celebrate with the crowds - it's always too sunny and/or crowded and way expensive. This year I made it through with the company of good friends and some really great music moments. On Friday, I busted out the camp and Disco for my weekly residency at Seattle's loudest and dirtiest bar, the Eagle. It wasn't so crowded at the beginning, but the crowd grew and grew and I paced myself pretty well, if I say so myself! It's always fun to get away with ...
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06.21.09The Special’s 30th Reunion Tour in Pictures[caption caption="The Specials by Dave Musson"] [caption] I must be living under a rock. Oh wait. No, I just live in the States. Coventry’s best ever band, The Specials, played Birmingham's O2 Academy a few months back as part of their 30th anniversary reunion tour. Dave Musson was the sole photographer on hand to document the show, and he's got a spiffy post up on his photo blog with with some great images, and there's a full review at BrightonBirmingham Live. I've never seen the Specials or Terry Hall perform live, and I hope they make it to this side of ...
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06.04.09Jens Lekman – Where Human Evolution is Leading UsI love watching Jens Lekman perform, but sometimes I need a little motivation to get going. Warning: I might use the work quirky a lot in this review. Continue Reading...
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04.29.09Review: Andy Warhol Live! at the de Young MuseumOver the course of his meteoric career, Andy Warhol (1928–1987) used the medium of music to transform himself from fan, to record album designer, to producer, to celebrity night-clubber, to rock star. Warhol Live presents the first comprehensive exploration of Warhol’s work as seen through the lens of music. Andy Warhol Live!at The de Young museum in San Francisco brings together a wide variety of works depicting pop music royalty, including Elvis Presley, the Velvet Underground, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones, Deborah Harry of Blondie, and Aretha Franklin. My friend Shawn and I spent a leisurely ...
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04.28.09Review: Laurie Anderson in Conversation with Michael AzerradLaurie Anderson was the final guest in this year's City Arts and Lectures "Talking Music" series. Last Fall, I bought season tickets to "Talking Music" in a valiant attempt to get myself and friends up to San Francisco on a more regular basis for something other than a concert. I was so excited by the lineup: Stephin Merritt, Amy Tan, Stewart Wallace, Michael Tilson Thomas, Neko Case, John Darnielle, Laurie Anderson. Of course reality soon hit: when the actual night of the lecture would arrive, I'd end up with a sick kid, a cold of my own, or a ...
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04.26.09Review: Fleet Foxes at The FoxI'm a photographer, not a writer. I'm also dyslexic. Writing more than a paragraph or two is something that takes much conscious energy and effort, not to mention proof-reading. I'm usually happy to take my pictures, post them on flicker and thecolorawesome.com and call it a day. However, there are some concerts that really move me to try and write. Fleet Foxes at The Fox is one of these shows. Continue Reading...
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04.23.09First Quarter Check UpThe first part of any year is pretty tough for new releases. Major artists generally don't release much until February giving fans enough time to recoop financially from the holidays. As usual, I feel blessed to have not only a great love for music, but friends who are also complete nut jobs for the newest, coolest thing. Here are my favorites of the year so far: Continue Reading...
