Continuing with my look back at a decade that for the most part we all would rather forget ever happened I will now spend my time on the subject that touches me most dearly: music. Over the next few days I will reveal my top 15 albums of the decade (because I just can’t bring myself to narrow the list down to ten.) To start however I will focus on a few that did not make the cut for one reason or another but deserve a special mention.
Chris Mills “Kiss It Goodbye” (2000): I guess if we have to call this the decade of anything we will have to call it the decade of emo, which is rather sad mainly for fashion purposes. Someone needs to tell teenage boys that having uneven bangs that fall into your face and wearing makeup doesn’t look nearly as cool a decade later as all of my friends who were really into the Cure had to discover. But the idea of emo, that style of emotionally raw songwriting, isn’t bad at all. It is just a bit too much teenage angst. Chris Mills isn’t emo but I never saw anyone perform lyrics that were so raw. No one wrote about screwing up relationships and being a complete fuck up quite like Chris Mills and outside of Chicago no one ever heard of him, which is an utter shame.
Neko Case “Blacklisted” (2003): If I had to name a female artist of the decade it would be Neko Case. She would probably be my artist of the decade as well because I can’t think of anyone else who was so consistently brilliant and who grew as an artist over that time. But for some reason none of her solo stuff made my top 15 though they would probably be 16-20. Her discs always seem a little incomplete though I love them and listen to them constantly. It’s also nice to know that Neko has gained popularity without selling out who she is. Here is one of my favorites of her.
The Ditty Bops “The Ditty Bops” (2004): This is still the most unlikely duo I came across in music this decade. Not only is this the only band I have ever seen that features a former fashion model but their musical style can only be described as part country, part girl group, part vaudeville and part circus sideshow. I’ve seen them perform dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz, in clothing made from plastic bags from Target and with a guy on stilts behind them. Listening to their music forces you to smile. Oh, and perform a cross country tour by going from city to city on bicycle. Abby and Amanda are the coolest people ever.
Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes” (2008): This is my choice for video of the decade. Bar none. Forget the dancing on treadmills. This is pure brilliance. Also, Fleet Foxes epitomize the nice trend of bands trying to do everything possible to sound as though they are not in the 21st century. They sound like they are from 17th century England and that is a great thing. Dark, mysterious and totally awesome.
Tift Merritt “Another Country” (2008): Sometimes music just hits you at the right time. 2008 started with me in the emergency room and quitting my job, two events that were not really unrelated. I was pretty much lost in life when I picked up Tift’s latest which was entirely about her being lost in life and having to go to Paris to find herself. I had to go to Delaware but I can’t complain about where that took me. This album, and this song in particular, pulled me through a hell of a lot that year.
Showing posts with label Ditty Bops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ditty Bops. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Moon Over the Freeway
Since it’s late I’ll up the multimedia component of the blog. A picture is worth a thousand words and since I average somewhere around six hundred words a night then two pictures should mean I shouldn’t have to write for days. If anything, it will help explain some of my excellent adventure tonight.
For the second straight year I found myself with tickets to two different shows occurring at the exact same time. Incredibly, they both involved one of my favorite bands, The Ditty Bops, and a classic late 80’s/early 90’s alt-rock legend playing at the Uptown (Toad the Wet Sprocket and Crowded House, respectively). In both cases, I decided to take a loss on the more expensive ticket and make my way to a crowded, sweaty club to watch two girls perform a part-bluegrass, part-vaudeville, part-performance art show. While I’m bummed that I missed the Brothers Finn I just couldn’t skip out on Abby and Amanda.
There was one slight problem though as it was unbearably hot today. The temperature wasn’t as bad as last week but it seriously must have been 120% humidity out there. It felt like you were wading through the air as you walked. Made my way to Lawrence to see the show at the Bottleneck and found out that doors were at 8 instead of 7 as it said everywhere so I walked around Mass Street in the heat. Doors open, get in the Bottleneck and yeah, it’s the Bottleneck. Every year I do one of these late August shows and I’m happy that I always remember to wear shorts because there is no air, barely any fans and I think they must have a roaring fire going somewhere in the back. I’m talking ninety plus degrees inside the club. When it’s ten at night and you’re sweating up a storm and you’re inside something is pretty screwed up.
This makes for a rather difficult show for the dynamic duo. It was tough just standing there, much less performing in front of bright lights. They still did an incredible job as they are one of the most fun bands I’ve ever seen. They sing light, happy songs with a wicked sense of humor. (They’ll be the featured act on the next Wednesday Night Music Club to make sense of this.) As always, their tours have a purpose as these shows were to support farming initiatives and to promote a petition to ban the use of plastic bags. To show how wasteful they are Abby wore a skirt made of plastic bags and Amanda, the six foot three former model, wore what can loosely be described as a bikini top made out of a Target bag. You’ll have to admit, not something you see every day and I have the pictures to prove it.
(Yes, I hate the fact that I’m now one of those guys taking photographs at shows. At least I only grab a couple and move on. Given that my digital camera is four years old, is only three megapixels and weighs like twenty pounds if anyone has some great camera suggestions let me know. At least one where I don’t feel like I need to carry a tripod with me.)
I know this has been kind of a meandering post but I do have a point that I’d like to make here. Unless someone has told you about the Ditty Bops (or if you’ve really been attentive on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack) you’d have no clue that this music existed. I only know about them because I saw them open for Nickel Creek two years ago. Because of that set they’ve become one of my favorite acts that win me over because they just enjoy performing. They’re doing something that could only be described as completely uncommercial. You can’t play stadiums with this music, cabarets yes, but nothing big. But I don’t think they care. They just want to play songs, promote the causes they hold dear and have fun. And sometimes that’s all I want to do as a music fan. It’s nice to listen to music and just enjoy the fact that you are in a place where this is possible.
(Tomorrow: my full analysis of the first few episodes of The Pick Up Artist. Everyone needs to be watching this show. Get my take on Mystery, El Matador and J-Dog. Find out what I think of the contestants. See me get catty at some of the few people on the planet with worse game than me. Should be cool.)
For the second straight year I found myself with tickets to two different shows occurring at the exact same time. Incredibly, they both involved one of my favorite bands, The Ditty Bops, and a classic late 80’s/early 90’s alt-rock legend playing at the Uptown (Toad the Wet Sprocket and Crowded House, respectively). In both cases, I decided to take a loss on the more expensive ticket and make my way to a crowded, sweaty club to watch two girls perform a part-bluegrass, part-vaudeville, part-performance art show. While I’m bummed that I missed the Brothers Finn I just couldn’t skip out on Abby and Amanda.
There was one slight problem though as it was unbearably hot today. The temperature wasn’t as bad as last week but it seriously must have been 120% humidity out there. It felt like you were wading through the air as you walked. Made my way to Lawrence to see the show at the Bottleneck and found out that doors were at 8 instead of 7 as it said everywhere so I walked around Mass Street in the heat. Doors open, get in the Bottleneck and yeah, it’s the Bottleneck. Every year I do one of these late August shows and I’m happy that I always remember to wear shorts because there is no air, barely any fans and I think they must have a roaring fire going somewhere in the back. I’m talking ninety plus degrees inside the club. When it’s ten at night and you’re sweating up a storm and you’re inside something is pretty screwed up.
This makes for a rather difficult show for the dynamic duo. It was tough just standing there, much less performing in front of bright lights. They still did an incredible job as they are one of the most fun bands I’ve ever seen. They sing light, happy songs with a wicked sense of humor. (They’ll be the featured act on the next Wednesday Night Music Club to make sense of this.) As always, their tours have a purpose as these shows were to support farming initiatives and to promote a petition to ban the use of plastic bags. To show how wasteful they are Abby wore a skirt made of plastic bags and Amanda, the six foot three former model, wore what can loosely be described as a bikini top made out of a Target bag. You’ll have to admit, not something you see every day and I have the pictures to prove it.
(Yes, I hate the fact that I’m now one of those guys taking photographs at shows. At least I only grab a couple and move on. Given that my digital camera is four years old, is only three megapixels and weighs like twenty pounds if anyone has some great camera suggestions let me know. At least one where I don’t feel like I need to carry a tripod with me.)
I know this has been kind of a meandering post but I do have a point that I’d like to make here. Unless someone has told you about the Ditty Bops (or if you’ve really been attentive on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack) you’d have no clue that this music existed. I only know about them because I saw them open for Nickel Creek two years ago. Because of that set they’ve become one of my favorite acts that win me over because they just enjoy performing. They’re doing something that could only be described as completely uncommercial. You can’t play stadiums with this music, cabarets yes, but nothing big. But I don’t think they care. They just want to play songs, promote the causes they hold dear and have fun. And sometimes that’s all I want to do as a music fan. It’s nice to listen to music and just enjoy the fact that you are in a place where this is possible.
(Tomorrow: my full analysis of the first few episodes of The Pick Up Artist. Everyone needs to be watching this show. Get my take on Mystery, El Matador and J-Dog. Find out what I think of the contestants. See me get catty at some of the few people on the planet with worse game than me. Should be cool.)
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