NEXT BIG NASHVILLE: My itinerary

What with the business of life right now, I'm being an awful blogger and accepting that. I've got a Fulbright app due on Monday and about six essays, but here's my schedule for Next Big Nashville this weekend:

Thursday, September 11
8:00pm - 8:30pm Dawson Wells (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Kindergarten Circus (The End, 2219 Elliston Pl)
9:30pm - 10:00pm Amanda Shires (3rd & Lindsley, 818 3rd Ave S)
10:15pm - 10:45pm Cory Branan (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
11:15pm - 11:45pm Dead Confederate (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am The Protomen (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:30am - 3:00am The Pink Spiders & Luna Halo present Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)

Friday, September 12
5:00pm - 8:00pmNBN VIP Reception (ICON in the Gulch)
8:15pm - 8:45pm Kindercastle (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Happy Birthday Amy (The Rutledge, 410 Fourth Ave S)
9:30pm - 10:00pm The Champion and His Burning Flame (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
10:30pm - 11:00pm Cake Bake Betty (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
11:15pm - 11:45pm MeeMaw (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am Jeff the Brotherhood (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
1:30am - 3:00am Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)

Saturday, September 13
10:00am - 8:00pm Grimey's & The Basement's NEXT BIG OUTDOOR IN-STORE! (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
11:00am - 1:00pm BMI VIP Brunch (Cabana)
12:45pm - 1:15pm The Mean Tambourines (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
1:30pm - 2:00pm Tiger! Tiger! (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
3:30pm - 4:00pm Caitlin Rose (Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave S)
8:00pm - 8:30pm Alva Liegh (12th & Porter, 114 12th Avenue N)
8:45pm - 9:15pm Danger Bear (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
9:30pm - 10:00pm Caitlin Rose (The Basement, 1604 8th Ave S)
9:45pm - 10:15pm The Privates (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
10:30pm - 11:00pm The Howlies (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
11:15pm - 11:45pm Ghostfinger (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:00am - 12:45am How I Became The Bomb (Exit-In, 2208 Elliston Pl)
12:30am - 3:00am FAT TIRE & Holly House present Mercy Lounge's Next Big Nashville Afterparty (Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row)
1:00am - 1:45am Features (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)
2:00am - 3:00am Jensen Sportag (Cannery Ballroom, 1 Cannery Row)

The Playlist

Thanks for bearing with me and my stuffy sickness. Hope you enjoyed the near-solid hour of dance music.

The Playlist:
No Age, "I Wanna Sleep" from Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat Records)
Pixies, "La La Love You" from Doolittle (Elektra)
Ida Maria, "Oh My God" from Fortress Round My Heart (Nesna)
These United States, "First Sight" from A Picture of The Three of Us At the Gate At the Garden of Eden (Self-released)
Faces on Film, "Famous Last Words" from Seven Sisters
The Delicious, "It's Not Time to Die" from The Delicious (Self-released)
Brooke Waggoner, "Hush if You Must Fresh Pair of Eyes" from Swoon Moon Music

Next Big Nashville Featured Artists:
Caitlin Rose, "Answer in One of These Bottles" from Dead Flowers (Theory 8)
Cassino, "Dust Went Flying" from Sounds of Salvation (Paragraph Records)
LYLAS, "Virgin Annie" from Lessons for Lovers (Self-released)
Glossary, "Almsgiver" from The Better Angels of Our Nature (Self-released)
Umbrella Tree, "Schizophrenia" from The Church & the Hospital (Cephalopod)
How I Became the Bomb, "Kneel Before Zod" from Let's Go! (self-released)
Dawson Wells, "Sorry Kelly" from Boulevardier (Self-released)

Generation X, "Kiss Me Deadly" from Anthology (Chrysalis)
Mstrkrft, "Work on You" from The Looks (Universal)
Jensen Sportag, "Japanese Zombie Schoolgirls" from Jensen Sportag (Self-released)
Ratatat, "Mirando" from lp3 (Xl)
CSS, "Believe Achieve" from Donkey (Sub Pop)
Daedelus, "Fair Weather Friends" from Love to make Music to (Ninja Tune)
HEALTH, "PERFECT SKIN" from HEALTH
The Black Ghosts, "Face" from The Black Ghosts (I Am Sound)
Stardust "Music Sounds Better With You" (Roule)
Solid Gold, "Who You Gonna Run To?" from Who You Gonna Run To? (SolidGoldCorp)
The Faint, "Mirror Error" from Fasciinatiion (blank.wav)
The Divine Comedy, "To Die a Virgin" from Victory for the Comic Muse (Parlophone)
Cut Copy, "Lights & Music" from Lights & Music (Modular Recordings)
Brazilian Girls, "Losing Myself" from New York City (Verve Forecast)

A note mid-show...

Why do people always hang up after they say something they perceive to be mean?

I just had the funniest call--a girl called in and said "Hey, did you just play ------?" I said yes. She said "Are you friends with those guys?" I said "No, I know them, but we're not really friends." She said "Well next time you see them, tell them to stop playing sucky closers and to start writing their own music."

I laughed, but she hung up too soon to hear it.

Kudos to you, girl. I agree. I hope you read this.

The Playlist

All I have to say is this:
You all are the best radio listeners ever.

Also, how great was Chris Freeman?

The Walkmen, "Canadian Girl" from You & Me (out Aug 18 on Gigantic)
Silver Jews, "We Could Be Looking For the Same Thing" from Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
The Rumble Strips, "Girls and Boys in Love" from Girls and Weather (Fallout Records)
Wrapping Paper, "Ask Her in a Whisper" from Hold Up the Neon Sign (Self-released)
Of Montreal, "Id Engager" from Skeletal Lamping (out Oct. 7 on Polyvinyl)
Jonesworld, "Stuck With Me" from A Thing of Booty (Self-released)
Kyle Andrews, "Sushi" from Real Blasty
The Protomen, "The Sons of Fate" from The Protomen (Self-released)
All We Seabees, "Black Girls"
The Nobility, "The Mezzanine" from The Mezzanine
Nite Nite, "Amongst the Tenants" from Nite Nite EP (Self-released)
Jeff, "I Don't Need Your Tas-T" from Castle Storm (Infinity Cat)
Hotpipes, "Future Bolt" from Future Bolt (Liquid Panda)
Cake Bake Betty, "Livers" from The Dark Tower (Infinity Cat)
The Tragically Hip, "Blow at High Dough" from Up to Here (Universal)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, "The Ballad of the Sin Eater" from Hearts of Oak (Lookout!) Dungen, "Satt Att Se" from 4 (out September 30th on Astralwerks)
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, "I'll Be Glad" from Lie Down in the Light (Palace Records)
Oblio, "A Story of Nashville" from Southern Trends (Casino Records)
Faster Pussycat, "Nonstop to Nowhere" from Whipped (Elektra)
LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" from Sound of Silver (DFA)
Ryan Adams, "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is To Be High)" from Heartbreaker (Bloodshot)
Girl Talk, "In Step" from Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)

Next Big Nashville 2008!

Next Big Nashville 2008 has announced the first 157 bands who will be playing the festival this September 10-14 all around town. The venues were announced few weeks ago and have been posted on the sidebar, but here they are again for you:

Cannery Ballroom
Mercy Lounge
Exit/In
The Rutledge
12th & Porter
The End
The Basement
3rd & Lindsley
Belcourt Theatre
City Hall
Rcktwn
Edgehill Studios
5 Spot
Grimey's Records
Bluebird Café

Some more should be added in the upcoming weeks. As well, fifty or so more acts will be announced early next week, including two coveted spots for bands selected by the good old democratic process. Head over to Nashville Cream to vote for the local act you'd like to see. All of those already announced are below, with my picks in bold. If you missed the festival last year (and I did, I was working on a show all weekend), it was the it place to be all week both for excellent local music and to strut your stuff around the Nashville scene. The local faux-celebrities were out in full force, the music was killer, and while there were more local favorites than up-and-comers, nearly every show got rave reviews. You can buy wristbands here for only 35 bucks. Look at it this way: if you make it to more than four shows, you've easily made your money back.

13 Ghosts
500 Miles to Memphis
Aaron Robinson
All We Seabees
Altered Statesman
Alva Leigh
And the Relatives
Andy Davis
Angel Snow
Annaliese
Aron Wright
Audrey Spillman
AutoVaughn
Biscuits N Gravy
Brian Ritchey
Bryan Cates
Butterfly Boucher
Caitlin Rose
Cake Bake Betty
Cali
Canon Blue
Carey Ott
Cary Ann Hearst
Cassino
Codaphonic
Coral Castles
Cortney Tidwell
Cory Branan
Cougar Fight
Courtney Jaye
Dabney Morris
Danger Bear--playing Saturday at the Basement
Dawson Wells
Disappointed by Candy
Dead Confederate
Dignan
Duquette Johnston
Eastern Block
Egon (Stones Throw records)
Elle Macho feat. David Mead, Butterfly Boucher & Lindsay Jamieson
Emily DeLoach
Eric Wilson
Erin McCarley
Eureka Gold
Ferraby Lionheart
Forget Cassettes
Foxhole
Ghostfinger
Glossary
Greg Summerlin
Hands Down Eugene
Happy Birthday Amy--Friday at the Rutledge
Harrison Hudson
Heypenny
Hollow Ox
How I Became The Bomb
Homer Hiccolm & the Rocket Boys
Hotpipes
Jabe & The All Night Circus
JEFF The Brotherhood
Jennifer Niceley
Jensen Sportag
Jeremy Lister
Joey & Rory
Judd & Maggie
Katie Herzig
Keegan DeWitt
Kindegarten Circus
Kindercastle
Korean is Asian--Saturday at the Basement
Kyle Andrews
lanky
Levi Weaver
Lorien
Luna Halo
Lylas
Madi Diaz
Magic Wands
Mando Saenz
Matthew Perryman Jones
Matthew Ryan vs the Silver State
McClain
MeeMaw
Megan McCormick
Meghan Kabir
Modoc
MONA
Mother Father
My Tyger
Natalie Warner
Neva Geoffrey
nite nite
Oblio
Ocelots
Ole Mossy Face
Paper Rival
Paper Route
Parachute Musical
Peter Bradley Adams
Pico vs Island Trees
Pink Spiders
Plex Plex
Red White Blue
Repent or Forever Be
Rick Brantley
Ricky Young & The Slow Films
Roman Candle
Royal Bangs
Sam & Ruby
Sara Melson
Sarah Siskind
Six Gun Lullaby
Sons of Roswell
Space Capone
Stephaniesid
Superdrag
Tallest Trees
Ten out of Tenn
The Ascent of Everest--Thursday at the Anchor
The Bridges
The Carter Administration
The Champion and His Burning Flame
The Clutters
The Comfies
The Deep Vibration
The Dexateens
The Dirty Guv'nahs
The Features
The Glib
The Good Wolves
The Hanna Barbarians
The Last Almanac
The Lonely Hearts
The Mattoid
The Nobility
The Non-Commisioned Officers
The Privates
The Protomen
The Running
The Titts
The Worsties
Through the Sparks
Tiger Tiger
Tigers Con Queso
Timbre
Tommy & The Whale
Totally Snake
Tristen
Tyler James
Umbrella Tree
Velcro Stars
Vulture Whale
Waves on Waves
We Were the States
Wess Floyd
Whispertown 2000
Willie Heath Neal

Mark your calendars.

There's a lot of great news around town this fall, and I'm actually a little excited to be easing off on my theatre commitments so I can enjoy all that's going on in this great city. Check out some of the highlights below, as well as the usual stuff on the sidebar. I'll try to keep you updated on my picks for the week. For this weekend, my entire crew will be at Chris Freeman's show at The 5 Spot, featuring local favorites The Velcro Stars and LYLAS. It's his very last one before he takes off to Portland, and I'm expecting a crowd. Come early to catch the wonderful Seth Moore and to play a little pool, as well as knock a few back before the bar gets crowded. Wear your divebar attire, or come overdressed, like me, and tip well--the bartenders there pour generously and work their asses off on crowded nights.

Upcoming in Nashville:
TOMORROW--August 8th. Connor Oberst plays at Grimeys, 6pm.

August 19th. The Walkmen's latest, You & Me, is officially released--for only five bucks. You can purchase a download now at Amie Street, where all proceeds go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in honor of seven-month old Luca Vasallo, a friend to the band and a current patient. Check out one of the tracks below. Grimey's celebrates with an in store performance of Walkmen covers done by Grimeys staffers--not to be missed.
"Canadian Girl"

September 7th. Ben Folds opens the Nashville Symphony's 2008-2009 season with a complete orchestral performance, including previews to his upcoming album, Way To Normal, recorded in Nashville and featuring Regina Spektor on a track.

September 30th. Swedish psych rockers Dungen release their 5th album, aptly entitled 4. Check out one of the tracks: "Satt Att Se"

October 7th. Of Montreal's 9th album, Skeletal Lamping, hits stores.
"Id Engager"

October 13th. The Walkmen play The Basement.

November 6th. Girltalk plays The Cannery. "Give Me A Beat" from Feed the Animals.

Let me know if any of you web strangers are friends are going to be out at Chris Freeman tomorrow, and don't forget to tune in from 4-6pm tomorrow for the show! I'd love to meet some listeners!

Sidebar Updates!

Just wanted to let you know to peek over at the sidebar... it's finally been updated, so take a look and mark your calendars to be at The End on the 29th for a WRVU/Left Can Dance extravaganza.  Plus, I'll be DJing a set.  A good time will be had by all.

Pitchfork Rundown: Sunday

Finally......

Sunday, July 20
1:25 p.m. High Places --
Ehhh. I've heard some of their recorded stuff and been alright with it (while not crazy about it), and this set was no different. It was hot as hell, they weren't very engaging, and the music wasn't entirely my taste.
"Canary"

2:20 p.m. HEALTH -
Oh, the HEALTH controversy. I haven't heard anything but their remix album (which, admittedly, is a lot of fun to dance to) and hype and hype and hype, and I was pretty disappointed. Their schtick seems to be hurling themselves around like mad and pausing to look really fucking exhausted at every opportunity. I would believe the latter, except that they all walked onstage looking, well, really fucking exhausted. Clinging to drums and sinking to the ground and inhaling great lungfuls of air and panting them out at us. I didn't buy it.
"Crimewave" (Crystal Castles v. HEALTH)

3:15 p.m. King Khan & the Shrines ++
Such a phenomenal, engaging, entertaining band really doesn't need to rely so much on fodder for the crowd. Their live show is so great off of their personalities alone, that the rest just seems to get in the way. I was neutral on Khan's gold cape and navy boxer briefs (in this crowd, I was just thankful they weren't American Apparel briefs), but really bothered and put off by the bands 'cheerleader', some chick in a blue flapper dress and gold-spangled underwear that I saw way too much of. Where the musicians' glee was infectious, hers seemed affected. Khan doesn't need the act--why include it? It would have been better without.
"I Wanna Be a Girl"

5:00 p.m. The Dodos +++
My surprise hit of the festival. I particularly enjoyed the standard aluminum trash can serving as a kick drum.
"Nerds"

7:00 p.m. Spiritualized +++++
SO LOUD. SO DAMN GOOD. We were in the second row, near-deaf, dancing around gleefully. The soul singers added a perfect element, and the Spaceman was stoic and weird as ever. After two shows I got used to the routine: never a word between songs, never an acknowledgement of the crowd's yells, then a sudden act of violence--battering into a microphone or hurling a guitar across stage--before exiting, coming back on to clap at the audience, and exiting for good.I was so struck by this show and seeing them again in Nashville Tuesday night that I got goosebumps when I realized how close I was to them. We worked our asses off for an encore, but it didn't happen. Does anyone know if these guys have ever played an encore?
"Soul on Fire"

8:00 p.m. Dinosaur Jr. ++++
This probably pulled the most diverse crowd of the festival, and
"Back to Your Heart"

Friday's Playlist

What a weekend.

I had every intention of having a moment to update you all, but what with the party preparations, the Protomen show, and being exorbitantly hungover on Sunday (I slept until seven pm. I nearly missed daylight.) it never happened. But god, what a show it was, and god! what a party it was. I am of the firm belief that one should always sacrifice their blogging for the hedonistic hours of the weekend. So, no apologies! Thanks for tuning in Friday, and here's your playlist:

The Faint, "Posed to Death" from Danse Macabre (Saddle Creek)
C.C. Adcock, "Stealin' All Day" from Noise Makers (Yep Roc)
British Sea Power, "Please Stand Up" from Open Season (Rough Trade)
Apples in Stereo, "Golden Flower" from Electronic Projects for Musicians (Yep Roc)
Jarvis Cocker, "Big Stuff" (Rough Trade)
Kentucky Nightmare, "Caroline" from Take Her Favour (Self-released)
Rogue Wave, "Cheaper Than Therapy" from Asleep At Heaven's Gate (Brushfire)
Josh Ritter, "Rumors" from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (Sony BMG)
The Billionaires, "Highschool High" from Really Real For Forever (Too Soon)
Rilo Kiley, "Does He Love You?" from More Adventurous (Brute/Beaute Records)
Ferraby Lionheart, "A Crack in Time" from Catch the Brass Ring (Nettwerk)
Eleni Mandell, "Wings in His Eyes" from Miracle of Five (Zedtone)
The Acorn, "Do You Not Yearn, At All?" from The Pink Ghosts (Paper Bag Records)
The Apples in Stereo, "Shine a Light" from Tone Soul Evolution (Sire Records)
Tilly and the Wall, "Cacophony" from O (Team Love)
The Protomen, "Unrest in the House of Light" from The Protomen (Self-Released)
Wax Fang, "The Doctor Will See You Now" from La La Land (Self-released)
How I Became the Bomb, "Kneel Before Zod" from Let's Go! (Self Released)
Cheap Trick, "Surrender" from Heaven Tonight (Epic)
Meemaw, "Blue in the Blacklight" from Glass Elevator (Infinity Cat)
Robbers on High Street, "Married Young" from Grand Animals (Yew Line Records)
Hot Chip, "Ready for the Floor" from Made in the Dark (DFA/Astralwerks)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Gold Lion (Diplo Remix)" from Show Your Bones (Interscope)
Creature, "Brigitte Bardot"
Chromeo, "Fancy Footwork" from Fancy Footwork (Turbo)
HEALTH, "Crimewave" from Disco (Lovepump United)

Pitchfork Rundown: Saturday

I'm back from my wonderful weekend away from work and house repairs and GRE prep, and back at the grind over the lab bench. Pitchfork 2008 was great for a lot of reasons, despite the rain on Saturday which kicked in just enough to birthe a giant mud pit and ruin my shoes, and despite my friends who were incensed that I wouldn't leave and miss Dinosaur Jr. on Sunday. Come on!

Thanks again to Kate for subbing on Friday, and you can check out all she played here!

Below is my rundown of the bands I saw on the first day of Pitchfork. The second day is forthcoming. We took it a little easier this year, and instead of either camping out at a stage or refusing to take a break from the music all weekend, we did a little shopping (I scored Cheap Trick's Heaven Tonight on vinyl for 5 bucks!) and actually tried the food (the ginger chicken was supreme). This means I saw slightly fewer bands, and was not in the front for all of them--although I came pretty close for a few. I had great company--my friend Mike and his crew on the first day, and my two indie cousins on the second day--and actually didn't get sunburned this year! I also shared my sunscreen with about half a dozen red-necked hipsters, made friends with (most of) the crowd around us, and had a delightful weekend.

Check it out.

Saturday, July 19
1:30 p.m. Jay Reatard ++
Loud, sweaty, and full of energy, barely stopping long enough between songs to yell out the next one before plunging forward. Near noise-rock.
"An Ugly Death"

2:00 p.m. Caribou +
I was too far away.
"After Hours"

4:00 p.m. Dizzee Rascal ++
The token hip-hop group of the year. The field filled up with pot smoke and Dizzee succeeded in making us "Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!"
"Is This Real"

5:00 p.m. Vampire Weekend +
Too pop-arrific for my taste. Still, fun and energetic and not at all a waste of time.
"Oxford Comma"












6:00 p.m. !!! +++
Front row! Lots of pelvic dancing, lots of banter, lots of touching. Nic Offer spent half his time atop the speakers and half his time being stroked by the crowd. There was a kind of sad exchange when a girl insisted upon giving him her giant purple sunglasses, then insisted he keep them--"I don't like sunglasses... they make me feel like I'm trying to be cool"--then, as a weak recovery--"Quick, take your picture. I'm going to take these off in a minute, but I'll wear them whenever I'm trying to be cool. Thanks." Ouch.
"All My Heroes Are Weirdos"






7:00 p.m. The Hold Steady +++
God, I love them. I don't think a single other band of the festival had so much fun onstage, enjoyed the crowd so much, or made it so damn impossible to sing along.
"Party Pit"
























8:00 p.m. Jarvis Cocker ++
I was barely close enough to appreciate the show and didn't really have intentions of staying the whole time (or paying too close attention) but I was completely drawn in by Jarvis Cocker. Aside from the fact that "Common People" is a staple in my danceparty mixes (and really, that doesn't mean anything), I'm ashamed to say I don't know much of Jarvis Cocker's work, and am looking forward to checking out the forthcoming album this fall.
"Big Stuff"

I'll post my rundown of Sunday sometime Thursday or Saturday. Don't forget to tune in Friday to win tickets to see Apples in Stereo, as well as a copy of Electronic Projects for Musicians!