photos by Toby Tenenbaum

"Band of Horses tonight was sick! I just wish Hammerstein had better sound, mics were too low. Songs were beautiful though!!" - Steph P

"Band of Horses killing it at Hammerstein" - Michel

After Kings of Leon cancelled their tour, openers Band of Horses added a few of their own headlining club dates. Those dates included a Hammerstein Ballroom show on August 10 with J Mascis. J played an opening set of stuff off his recently released Several Shades of Why and was joined by Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell for a song. Band of Horses played an even mix of songs off all three of their albums and a new song called apparently called "Bats." They ended their pre-encore set with crowd favorite "The Funeral" and returned for a 5-song encore that included a few more original cuts and two covers: The New Year's "The End's Not Near" and Them Two's "Am I A Good Man."

More pictures, the setlist and a video from the show below...

Continue reading "Band of Horses & J Mascis played Hammerstein Ballroom (pics & setlist)"

by Andrew Frisicano

As the sun hid its face behind the island's ring of trees, Pavement took to a Toronto stage for the first time in a decade.

The crowd was a little diminished at this point. Presumably, Toronto didn't want to miss out on the other aging rockers, Iggy and the Stooges, who were playing a free gig at Yonge-Dundas Square starting at 9 p.m.

But Pavement, equipped with a dedicated cult following, delivered to the fans. The fans including both Kevin Drew and Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell, who joined Pavement for Kennel District. Both were clearly ecstatic by the honour. The epitome of '90s indie rock, the California band blasted their feel-good lo-fi rock. It was all well-received nostalgia with hits like, Fight This Generation, Father to a Sister of Thought and Shady Lane. It was one of those down-memory-lane-we-go moments for sure. [Blog.to]

Pavement followed Broken Social Scene at Saturday's June 19th show on Toronto Island. The hometown BSS set was clearly a tough act to follow, but Pavement seemed up to the task, with opener "Cut Your Hair" setting the tone. The reunion tour is clearly not about coyness, and the set that followed was a satisfying string of hits that marked the band's first Canadian show in more than 10 years.
It goes without saying that people were excited, and the band seemed happy to oblige with 26 songs.

Bob Nastanovich hopped around and traded lyrics with Stephen Malkmus, who was personable if a little awkward (Malkmus called the show "relatively successful," which seemed like a weird thing to point out to a sold-out 10,000+ crowd who traveled to an island for the show).

The island itself was spacious with lots of leafy trees, and room to spread out while still being in earshot of the show. The six-foot stage meant you could see the band clearly even from the back of the crowd (though the location of the perpetual beer line was a bit too far off).

Pavement will be in NYC for five shows in September. More dates HERE. More pictures from the Toronto show, videos and the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Pavement @ the Toronto Island Festival - pics, video, setlist"

Eddie Vedder w/ Ben Bridwell - May 21st @ MSG (via Karen Loria/Pearl Jam official)

Tour closers always have a lot of hype and [Pearl Jam's May 21st MSG show] has already lived up to it. As "Band of Horses" is milling about sidestage, you assume you'll get "All Along the Watchtower" and that'll be it. Ben Bridwell is introduced on stage, gives humble hugs and handshakes to all members sans Ed and here we go.

But the unmistakable deep-toned beginning of "Hunger Strike" starts and the crowd issues an enormous gasp in unison. Holy Crapola! Then it hits you - the perfect "cover". Can you think of a song that the entire band can play flawlessly, but without the key ingredient - Cornell's high-frequency singing - the song just can't be done alone? Bridwell's selection - like Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker in 2003 and Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale in 2006 - is ideal. Cornell''s ... er ... Ben's vocal is first, and early, and he steps right out with a nervous smile but joy bursting from his eyes. He's a nervous, pacing lead man on stage and the thrill of the moment can't keep him from standing still. The rest of the band - once pensive on stage - are now side stage and all wide-eyed and smiling at their mates' effort. [Two Feet Thick]

One night after playing Madison Square Garden with a four-piece version of the Black Keys opening, Pearl Jam played the venue with Band of Horses in the opening slot. They invited BoH's Ben Bridwell to the stage during their second encore to sing on "Hunger Strike," a Temple of the Dog song and duet between Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell. Video of that performance, and setlists, below...

Continue reading "Band of Horses played MSG w/ Pearl Jam - both setlists, video of Ben Bridwell singing 'Hunger Strike' w/ Eddie Vedder"

photos by Tim Griffin

DeVotchKa @ Webster Hall - January 24, 2009

1. Death Cab For Cutie - "Love Song" (Cure cover)
2. Katy Perry - "Black And Gold" (Sam Sparro cover)
3. DeVotchKa - "Hot Burrito #1" (Flying Burrito Brothers cover)
4. Department Of Eagles - "Love Me" (Elvis Presley cover)
5. Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Words Of Love" (Buddy Holly cover)
6. Ben Bridwell - "Your Love Is Forever" (George Harrison cover)
7. Kate Tucker - "I'm On Fire" (Bruce Springsteen cover)
8. Rogue Wave - "Maps" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
9. A.C. Newman - "Take On Me" (a-ha cover)
10. Jem - "Yellow" (Coldplay cover)
11. Richard Hawley - "Early Morning Rain" (Gordon Lightfoot cover)
12. Daniel Martin Moore - "I Hear Music" (Billie Holiday cover)
13. She & Him - "I Put A Spell On You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)
14. Lila Downs - "My One And Only Love" (Frank Sinatra cover)

The above cover art and tracklist is from the previously-mentioned Starbucks Sweetheart CD they're putting out this year for Valentine's Day.

The makers of track #3, DeVotchKa, recently announced some dates with Les Clapool, played an NPR-streamable show in Philly on Friday, and played Webster Hall in NYC one night later (1/24). More pictures from that show below...

Continue reading "Devotchka - Webster Hall pics, an NPR Philly show stream & the Starbucks Sweetheart CD tracklist"

DOWNLOAD: Grand Archives - Torn Blue Foam Couch (MP3)

Sera Cahoone @ Sub Pop SXSW 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

"How far will this thing go? And what the heck do we call it?

To answer the first question we need to look at the scene's origins. In the beginning, there were two bands.

The first is Carissa's Wierd, a Seattle "sadcore" band whose members included Sera Cahoone, Mat Brooke and Ben Bridwell. (Brooke and Bridwell went on to form Band of Horses, from which sprung Grand Archives). They were true originals, quiet, mournful and eerie; were briefly signed to Sub Pop; and were local favorites from the mid-'90s until their 2003 demise.

The second is Beachwood Sparks, a Los Angeles collective whose music was a clear and proud homage to the Byrds, Neil Young and Buffalo Springfield, the very same godfathers of the Moondoggies, Fleet Foxes and Grand Archives. Beachwood Sparks was also signed to Sub Pop, somewhere around 1999 until the band's dissolution in 2002."
[The new Seattle sound is pretty, pastoral and mellow]

Grand Archives @ Sasquatch 2008 (more by Chris Graham)

Grand Archives is an American indie rock band, formed in Seattle. The band, originally called Archives, is composed of several noted musicians from that city, led by Mat Brooke, former guitarist and vocalist for Carissa's Wierd and former guitarist for Band of Horses.

The band emerged, under their previous moniker, to little fanfare in March 2007.... [Wikipedia]

Grand Archives are on tour with Sera Cahoone. That's a lot of Carissa's Wierd. This Friday the 13th they'll be at Bowery Ballroom in NYC - part of a four band bill that also includes The M's and Centro-Matic. Then the next day you can catch both of them again at Union Hall in Brooklyn. All tour dates and some videos below....

Continue reading "Grand Archives & Sera Cahoone (a Sub Pop Seattle mellow double bill) - 2008 Tour Dates (Bowery & Union Hall)"