WISHLIST: who would you want to see reunite?

On my way home from work tonight I didn't feel like plugging my iPod into the Aux adapter. So I just listened to whatever I had stuffed in the cd player. It bought back some good memories of when I first starting listening to underground music a ways back. So I thought to myself, MAN, how awesome would it be if they got back together?

Here's my wish list of bands that I would love to see reunite. What are yours?? [click "Holla At Ya Boy" to leave a comment below. Just one rule: everyone in the band has to still be alive]

SHIFT:

Shift were associated with the NYHC [new york hard core] scene in the mid 90's even though they weren't really HARDCORE. They first came on the scene with the release of Pathos in May of 1994 on Equal Vision Records, who at that time were just a little baby record company. In 1995, The band released their second LP, Spacesuit. In 1997, Shift found themselves on major record label, Columbia with the release of Get In. In 1998, the band brokeup.

Their album Spacesuit was the jumping off point for a lot of other bands I found myself crushing over at that time: Converge, Snapcase, BoySetsFire, Shai Hulud, etc etc. Spacesuit was really filled with more rock and roll than anything else though. I wouldn't consider this a hardcore album in the slightest. A must listen for fans of anything rock, alternative, hardcore.

Shift - Pinprick
Shift - Picturesque

What are they doing now?
Samantha: used to play drums for Hole, Motley Crue, Eagles of Death Metal and is currently in the band Peaches.
Josh: formed Big Collapse and released 2 albums. He has new project in the works.
Brandon: don't know, sorry.

REFUSED:

Oh man, I remember when I first saw the video for New Noise. It was dark and heavy and fast and loud. The screaming was so raw and primal. I fucking fell in love. It wasn't until I actually purchased The Shape Of Punk To Come that I really heard what Refused were all about. They pushed boundaries. It wasn't really punk, it wasn't really hardcore, it wasn't just rock and roll. I didn't know what the hell to think. A few years ago I purchased that DVD Refused Are Fucking Dead and I've been craving a reunion show for a long time. It'll never happen.

Refused - New Noise
Refused - Liberation Frequency

What are they doing now?
[from Wikipedia]: Dennis Lyxzén went on to form The (International) Noise Conspiracy while the other members formed the group TEXT.
Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström also got together with other friends in 2004 to make the self titled The Lost Patrol Band album. As of May, 2008, Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström have formed a new straight-forward hardcore band under the name AC4.

NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL:

AHH, the mysterious Jeff Mangum. No wishlist is complete with out Neutral Milk Hotel. The simple guitar strumming and the whiny yet articulate vocals make In The Aeroplane Over The Sea an indie must have. This was indie before indie was cool.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

What are they doing now?
Jeff Mangum: no idea. probably plays with some peeps some times. Who knows

Honorable Mentions:
Snapcase
Pavement
American Football
Penfold
Bear Vs Shark
I'll also put Glassjaw here just because they never seem to come back when they say they will. Hmph.

SHARE YOUR WISHLIST!!!!!!!!!

All Points West - Music Festival Lineup

July 31st to August 2nd is when Liberty State Park will turn itself into the 2nd annual All Points West music festival. This year looks pretty decent.

Friday, July 31::
BEASTIE BOYS ; VAMPIRE WEEKEND ; YEAH YEAH YEAHS, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.


Saturday, August 1:
TOOL ; MY BLOODY VALENTINE ; GOGOL BORDELLO, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2:
COLDPLAY ; ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN ; MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

for a FULL list of bands and other event information, check out the All Points West website

I'm thinking about going if I can't make it to any other festival. Who wants in?

[show review] - EFTERKLANG @ The First Unitarian Church Sanctuary - Philly

A crowd gathered in Philadelphia waits patiently outside a church @ 8:00 pm. The gates open and the mass of bodies flood the entrance way in order to get situated. There is a stage cluttered with instruments: A keyboard, a bass guitar, 2 guitars, a trumpet, a drum kit, a violin, a saw, microphones [plural] and an electronic device with enough wires coming out of it to power an entire city.

The mass of bodies come together to seat 8 per church pew. The lights are dim but not out. The atmosphere is buzzing. Humming with anticipation...



Efterklang - Cutting Ice To Snow [from the album Parades]
Efterklang - Mirror Mirror [live 2008]



Our first entertainer, Peter Broderick takes the stage.



Broderick is 1/7 of Efterklang who has his own thing going for him. At first I didn't think too much of him. He hd a loop machine tucked neatly under his keyboard and used it quite a bit to his advantage. First he would loop some guitar, than some piano, than some violin. Eventually he would sing. His voice is what really kept my attention through out the first few songs. A voice that made the church rise above the clouds that we all once lived under. Each song wow-ed me even more than the last. The loop machine captured a weeping saw crying underneath a delicate guitar. It captured our applause after a song. We heard ourselves in his performance. HE USED US TO MAKE HIS MUSIC! He told a funny story that you couldn't really understand. A story in which he looped himself above and below his own voice. Mumbling and incoherent, yet beautiful in it's own right.

To end his set, he created a couple loops of the winding, soaring vocals, grabs a whistling noise maker and proceeded to do laps around the entire church audience while still belting out a few of his own vocal chords.

EFTERKLANG were up next. Efterklang are a band from Denmark who I have only gotten into pretty recently. I've used the "they sound like Sigur Ros" line trying to describe them, but they really don't. They have they're own form of genius that they hold all the rights to.

All 7 members of this indie orgy take the stage. The loops from that electronic mechanism start pounding. The lead ringman of the group, Casper Clausen, has his own mini drum kit which he starts really laying into. While the bands full time drummer, Thomas Kirirath Husmer, lays down the solid beat. The drums pound in synch. The church walls are bursting at the seams. The bass comes in, followed by the keyboard, followed by the violin, the egg shakers, the various musical instruments. The walls have exploded. Harmonious vocals soar until they are hot air balloons far from sight. The night has only begun.






With in the next half hour or so the following occurs: A cymbal is thrown on to the ground from the stage, we, the audience, are told to stand, we are told to sing and sing loud. We are all clapping, stomping, hooting and hollering. Life is beautiful and we all know this. The band joins us on the floor. We are engulfing them. We can swallow them whole if we wanted to. But let's not. The vocals continue to soar back on stage until they fade away. slowly, quietly, the night is almost over. The lights go on.

PHOENIX @ SNL next Saturday!

SNL has been getting some indie cred lately with acts like TV On The Radio, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend and Deathcab....you know, the heavy hitters. Next Saturday, as in not tomorrow, Phoenix will be performing while Seth Rogen [of Judd Apatow fame] takes the helm at hosting. This is definitely a huge deal for our dudes from France. Hopefully they'll get the SNL bump and get what they deserve.

I loved and still love It's Never Been Like That and have only heard 1901 off of the new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Hopefully they play another new one?

Thoughts? Comments?Anyone?

I think I'm gonna go watch Freaks & Geeks

Phoenix - Long Distance Call
Phoenix - 1901

Where The Wild Things Are + Arcade Fire!!

A while ago I posted about my excitement for the upcoming Dave Eggers/Spike Jonze movie, Where The Wild Things Are. So you can bet that I'm stoookkeedddd on this brand new trailer:



Who wants to see this with me when it comes out!!

EDIT: Release date is Oct. 16th, 2009

Arrah and the Ferns/Woodlands/Council Idaho

Upon my fairly new move to south Philly, I have come across a couple of interesting new bands that put a new groove in my step. One band especially has sent me tripping over myself with jolly goodness.

Arrah and the Ferns and Woodlands (her previous,currently reconstructed, and to be named changed band) has brought a new sound to the Philadelphia area. The lead singer, Arrah has come into the Philly scene all the way from Indiana looking forward to a new frontier in music.

Her sounds twinkle wide over the country side right over into the Philadelphia City Skyline. Her voice is Charlyn Marshall from Cat Power with a topping of Jenny Lewis. Traveling along with her is her band mate Carl, playing the Ukulele and any other string instrument you throw at him so you know he's good at his game. Although partners in crime, both are venturing into developing their own bands and branching off to continue the addiction rolling out of Indiana.

Arrah & The Ferns - Skylark
Arrah & The Ferns - Bernadette

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can check Arrah out at:
www.myspace.com/arrahandtheferns
http://www.arrahandtheferns.com
www.myspace.com/woodlandsarrah

Also check out Carls band for some of his solo projects which are also pretty fancy:
www.myspace.com/councilidaho

[video] - Sigur Ros @ Blogotheque

The always intriguing france based blog, La Blogotheque, have released their latest Take Away Show featuring Iceland's own Sigur Ros.


Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Beauty.

Balun + Horse Feathers + MP3s

A friend of mine that I work with gave me a couple bands to listen to; Balún and Horse Feathers.

Balún is a 4-piece group hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico whose list of instruments goes FAR beyond the number of arms each band member has: melodica, glockenspiel, accordian, synths, toy piano, violin, acoustic/electric/bass guitars, etc. Jose, Angelica, Nora and Andres use those instruments to compose beauty. I can't help but attach an endless line of metaphors: this music is as soft as down feathers, as free as the tropical winds, as clear as the ocean off the white sands of San Juan. Okay, I'm done. The blips and bleeps of the electronic instruments are woven seamlessly with Angelica's wandering voice. A voice so delicate that it only comes with a soft whisper; not too loud to cover the fragile music but not too quiet to fade away.

Balun - A Surprise

want more? - check out Balun's online space @ balunonline.com.

*********

Horse Feathers is the moniker of singer-songwriter Justin Ringle who started his music career by playing open mic gigs around Portland, Oregon. Now he is accompanied by a full band consisting of Peter Broderick and Heather Broderick on record and Nathan Crockett, Catherine O'Dell and Sam Cooper on tour. He just released his newest album, House With No Home, last September via Kill Rock Stars Records who are also responsible for bands like The Thermals, Xiu Xiu and The Decemberists and Deerhoof. 

Horse Feathers - Hardwood Pews

want more? check out Horse Feathers on Myspace.com

The Internet Is Fast - Vampire Weekend @ Fallon

Booyah

Good Readz + New Listens

Just finished reading I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max:


There are two perspectives this book can garner: Absolute hate or uncontrollable laughter [vomit included]. My words can't do any justice to his. Take my word for it, buy it and read it. Thank me later. Or tell me to go to hell.

Currently listening to:

Wavves - Sun Opens My Eyes
Wavves on Myspace

Vampire Weekend Play New Song On Fallon Tonight!

Tonight, March 18th, Vampire Weekend will perform a new-ish song entitled "White Sky" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon If you haven't seen them play live anytime since their debut LP, this will be exciting and fresh. In that case, I'm looking forward to it.

This is the song captured on tape from a live show in Austin, TX:

Vampire Weekend // White Sky (Live ACL 08) from Rodolfo on Vimeo.

[mp3] Grizzly Bear "Cheerleader"

I know about that whole Grizzly Bear/Veckatimest leak debachle. I have a split view on downloading illegal music and I don't feel like getting into it right now. Anyway, I may or may not have downloaded the leaked shit version of Grizzly Bear's new album. And if I did, I already deleted it. So there's no worries. I'll wait until May, and I'll even go out and purchase it. How do you like them apples?

Anyway, here's a high quality version of a new song "Cheerleader" from the Warp website. [Warp is the label that Veckatimest is being released on, just in case you didn't know].

Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader

And please, have some patience and wait until May 26th to buy the damn album.

Suck My Twit

I caved in and joined Twitter.

Add it if you got it: DigiDreams

The Love Language via Daytrotter

The Love Language, a band I wrote about back in early January, are finally getting the good exposure that I predicted. Check out their Daytrotter Session.

Watch them play some tunes in a city near you:
03.13.09 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox
03.16.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
03.17.09 - Baton Rouge, LA - Red Star Bar
03.20.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.21.09 - Austin, TX - SXSW
03.28.09 - Raleigh, NC - Schoolkids Records (in-store)
03.28.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 [Tickets]
04.02.09 - Chicago, IL - Hideout
04.03.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Nomad World Pub
04.04.09 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
04.06.09 - Missoula, MN - The Palace
04.07.09 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
04.08.09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
04.09.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
04.10.09 - San Jose, CA - Nickel City Arcade
04.12.09 - Lost Angeles, CA - Spaceland [Tickets]
04.13.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
04.15.09 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
04.16.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon
04.17.09 - Urbana, IL - Independent Media Center
04.18.09 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
04.19.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
04.20.09 - Charlottesville, VA - Gravity Lounge
04.21.09 - Arlington, VA - Iota Club and Café
04.22.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
04.23.09 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear’s Place
04.24.09 - Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House

[mp3] Great Northern

The chemistry between boy/girl duo bands always fascinate me. I always wonder if there are ever any romantic feelings between the two pulsing heart beats. Music is such a strong thing to share and [especially] make. I would think that to be on such a level like that with some one must be euphoric and intense, to say the least.

Great Northern are one of those boy/girl bands [see also: Matt & Kim, Beach House] whose compelling, rich music calls for a deeper look at what forces are behind it. Great Northern hail from Los Angeles and are Solon Bixler [of 30 Seconds To Mars] and his good friend, Rachel Stolte. Next month [April 28th], they will be releasing their Sophomore album entitled Remind Me Where The Light Is.  I received an advanced copy of the album and I can honestly say that this is worth a listen or two or three or four - best experienced with a pair of good headphones.

Never heard of Great Northern before?
Great Northern - Home
Great Northern - Our Bleeding Hearts

Get to know Great Northern with their weekly series of countdown videos every week until the release date of Remind Me Where The Light Is on April 28th via Eenie Meenie Records.

Chris Wright Cycles @ McJawn

McJAWN Up And Coming: Chris Wright from jawny mcjawn on Vimeo.

A good friend of mine, Chris Wright, is featured in the new issue of the McJAWN online magazine. McJAWN is a Philadelphia based magazine/blog made by hard working, passionate Philadelphians for Philadelphians. I highly recommend peeping it now and bookmarking it for later use.

Filter Magazine @ SXSW

If you're going to SXSW this year, do yourself a favor and check out the Filter Magazine Showdown At Cedar Street. The three-day music extravaganza will feature performances from White Lies, Great Northern, N.A.S.A., Wild Light, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Chairlift, Black Gold, Anya Marina, Annuals, a Bat For Lashes album listening party and more.  

There will also be a killer FREE BBQ every day from noon-1pm.

Unfortunately, DigiDreams will not be making it out to TX. Maybe another year. 

[video] - Bonnie "Prince" Billy

On March 17th, Bonnie "Prince" Billy [aka Will Oldham] will be releasing yet another album entitled Beware. Here is a video for a new song "I Am Goodbye." The vid is simple but really funny with his don't-give-a-fuck attitude and it looks like he might of caught a few people in that gigantic beard of his.

Bell X1 - No Monday Morning Mashup for today :(

Sorry to disappoint, but there is not going to be a Monday Morning Mashup for today. Due to the beautiful birthday weekend that just passed and the shit tons of school work I've been putting off, there is simply no time. But there is time for a little shout out:

Bell X1's new album, Blue Lights On The Runway, just dropped last week. These Ireland rockers do it well with catchy tunes and U2-like inspiration [sorry, I had to mention U2 in there somewhere - it's just hard not to.] Anyway, they will be performing on Late Night With David Letterman on March 17th. Be sure to catch it. 

Check DigiDreams in the coming weeks for a Bell X1 give-away contest to win a tote bag and other goodies. 

Stream the full album for a limited time now

Philly Spring 2009 Shows That Are Worth Checking Out

4.03 // Dan Deacon @ First Unitarian Church
4.04 // Matt & Kim [!!] @ The Barbary
4.05 // Jamie Stewart [from Xiu Xiu] @ FUC Chapel
4.09 // Comet Gain @ Kung Fu Necktie
4.10 // Margot & The Nuclear So & So's + Cloud Cult
4.15 // Great Lake Swimmers @ Johnny Brenda's
4.18 // Acid Mothers Temple @ Johnny Brenda's
4.22 // Of Montreal @ The Troc
4.22 // Headlights + The Love Language [!!] @ Kung Fu Necktie
4.24 // Tim Barry @ Johnny Brenda's
4.25 // Mogwai @ The Troc
4.26 // Bowerbirds + Bell @ FUC Chapel
5.06 // The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart @ The Barbary
5.07 // Lady Sovereign @ FUC
6.02 // [the mighty] Grizzly Bear @ The Troc [!!!]

Want more?

[CONTEST] Morrissey - Years Of Refusal

I've always wanted to host some kind of contest/give-away on Digi Dreams. Now that I have that chance, I'm gonna kick it off with a chance for YOU to win a 12" Vinyl copy of Morrissey's latest album, Years Of Refusal. All you have to do to enter the contest is to make a comment to this post with your name, email and hope that you'll be the lucky one who gets chosen. Good luck!

Tour dates after the pic/mp3



Morrissey - Something Is Squeezing My Skull
Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

March
1 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock live
3 Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater
4 St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing
6 Myrtle Beach. SC - House of Blues
7 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
9 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
11 Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
13 Richmond, VA - The National
14 Washington, DC - Warner Theater
16 Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
17 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
19 Buffalo, NY - University of Buffalo Center for the Arts
21 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
22 Philadelphia, PA - Acadmy of Music
25 New York, NY - Webster Hall
26 New York, NY - Carnegie Hall
28 Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods
29 Boston, MA - House of Blues
31 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
April
1 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
3 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
4 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
6 Minneapolis, MN - State Theater
7 Kansas City, MO - Midland Theater
8 St. Louis, MO - Pageant Theater
10 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
11 Houston, TX - Jesse H. Jones Hall
12 Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
14 El Paso, TX - Chavez Theater
15 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
17 Indio, CA - Coachella Festival

Sasquatch 2009 Lineup

Out of the slew of summer festivals coming up [coachella, bonnaroo, sxsw] I honestly think that the best looking line up award goes to the Sasquatch Music Festival. If you can make it to Seattle, WA [and I highly suggest you do - the place is gorgeous] check out Sasquatch. Not to be a name dropper or anything, but here's a little of what you can expect:

Bon Iver
Grizzly Bear
Animal Collective
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Passion Pit
M. Ward
Jane's Addiction
Nine Inch Nails
TV On The Radio
Of Montreal
M83
The Dodos
The Walkmen
Erykah Badu
Fleet Foxes
Santigold
Explosions In The Sky
Beach House

and the comedic stylings of:
Zach Galifianakis
Demetri Martin

Check out the full schedule: here

Who wants to go??

Monday Morning Mashup

Last week I started an installment called Wednesday Morning Mashed Potatoes. I thought about it...who eats mashed potatoes in the morning. And on a Wednesday. That's why I'm changing Wednesday Morning Mashed Potatoes to Monday Morning Mashup. Why Monday? Monday is the beginning of the week that most people don't enjoy. So let's try to make it enjoyable. Eat your breakfast.

Here's a mashup ft. MGMT's "Kids" and David Bowie's "Lady Stardust" by A plus D.


A plus D - MGMT vs. Bowie