We ventured north early on Friday for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and were treated to a cornucopia of musical magic.  We rolled through fine sets by John C. Reilly, Tom Brosseau and Becky Stark, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Beachwood Sparks, Ben Kweller, Jenny Lewis (with the Watson Twins) and Conor Oberst (photos and reviews to follow).  But in addition to the usual scintillating sounds, the attendees are always well worth perusing.  And such was the case during the first half of Beachwood Sparks’ set, when a young lass garnered the entire Rooster Crowd’s attention with her freestyle dancing to Beachwood’s pedal steel-accented song.  Sweetness.  So great to be here again.

Check out The Walkmen performing on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert in support of their latest album Heaven.  We love this band, and Hamilton Leithauser’s vocals have never sounded better.

Set List:

Heaven
We Can’t Be Beat
Love Is Luck

Animal Collective has just released their 10th album, Centipede Hz.  Last night they performed Rosie Oh on the Jimmy Fallon Show.  Check out Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) on drums and vocals.  Behind all the multi-layered musical magic lies some great vocal performances.  Bravo!

We’ve been on an Aimee Mann roll recently since her charming new album Charmer was released, and she is now out on tour with her bandmates in support of her first new album in quite a while.  Check out Mann and mates (Jamie Edwards and Paul Bryan) at Portland’s Bing Lounge for Kink Radio, as they perform Slip and Roll, Labrador and the title-track from the new album, and then the enslaving Save Me from the soundtrack for the 2007 movie Magnolia.  Go buy her album and catch Ms. Mann on tour if you can.  The reviews of both are all pegged at “Rave.”

Last Saturday we ventured up to Avila Beach to catch Wilco outdoors at the Avila Beach Golf Resort, with the ocean, palms and hillsides as backdrop.  Twas the quintessential Central Coast concert.  And while Wilco (Jeff Tweedy, really) complained a bit about the sun, the rest of us reveled in the warm rays and warmth of friends, family and fellow followers.  It was the feelgood show of the year.  LA, you can have the cavernous Hollywood Bowl.  Between our Santa Barbara Bowl and this relatively nascent Avila Beach Resort venue, you can’t touch the Central Coast’s music venues.

Wilco began their set perfectly, with the quiet and contemplative One Sunday Morning, the superb final song off their most recent album, The Whole Love.  Check it out below.

After this sweet beginning, Wilco ( Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt–whose bass playing and harmony vocals constantly shined through,  Nels Cline–one of the best guitar players extant, dream-drummer Glenn Kotche, gifted guitar/keys player Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen) kicked it up and went on to play 25 songs in total, as you can see from the setlist way below.  Jeff Tweedy was in fine form and mood throughout, weaving songs and humor in and out throughout the day. Our song highlights were the opener, a comparatively-acoustic Spiders (Kidsmoke), Impossible Germany (featuring Nels Cline’s flawless guitar play), and the singalong of California Stars (see the latter below, apologies for the shaky video from the crowd-jostle). While some of the drama of indoor lighting was lost in the beach setting, Wilco’s mien this day meshed well with the surroundings and crowd.  They played songs from throughout their history, and while we would have liked more of our favorites from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, on this day the setlist, band and venue couldn’t have been better.

Towards the end of their set Tweedy joked that “We’re trying to make a 6:30 tee time.” Thankfully, he quickly corrected: “I’m kidding. You will never see that happen.” But darned if they didn’t finish their encore at just about that time.  Regardless, the crowd left fully-sated.  It was a masterful day of music in completely agreeable Central Coast environs.

Check out photos below the setlist of Wilco and quirky, but lovable opener Jonathan Richman (with constant-companion Tommy Larkins on drums).

Setlist:

Main Set:

One Sunday Morning, Art Of Almost, I Might, Muzzle of Bees, Spiders (Kidsmoke), Impossible Germany, Born Alone, Shouldn’t Be Ashamed, Handshake Drugs, When You Wake Up Feeling Old, Whole Love, I Must Be High, I’m Always In Love, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m The Man Who Loves You, Dawned On Me, Hummingbird, A Shot In The Arm

Encore:

Passenger Side, California Stars, Can’t Stand It, Walken, Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind), Hoodoo Voodoo

All photos Lefort

(photo by Noah Kalina)

At long last A.C. Newman’s new album (his third solo) Shut Down the Streets will be released next Tuesday on October 9th. Knowing well the craft and cunning of Newman’s nuggets of pop-rock genius, Shut Down the Streets is one of our most highly anticipated albums of this year. You can listen to it now (as introduced by A.C. himself) over at Huffington Post.  Listen in to this life-affirming music from A.C. Newman.  And then go buy it HERE.  Support the artist by skipping just one Gucci salad and après-latte, and instead use that jang to buy something that will last a lifetime.

We had seen this coming, but with everything going on musically we had briefly lost sight of Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club.  No mas.  TDCB is out hitting the world hard in support of its new album, Beacon.  Check out this band absolutely killin’ on Fallon last week on new song Sleep Alone.   And then check out (for a while anyway) a full, hour-plus concert from Brooklyn last Thursday as presented by Bowery Presents.  As you’ll see, the band is ultra-tight and indefatigable onstage.  Lead singer Sam Halliday has seriously sonorous pipes and every member of the band shines live (particularly drummer Ben Thompson).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-X30XEawAM&feature=em-uploademail-new

In advance of tonight’s Gibson Theater show in LA, The Shins showed up on Conan and performed No Way Down off of their pop-classic Port of Morrow album (one of the best of 2012).  Check it out followed by a bonus performance of The Rifle’s Spiral after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppG0s8dMylI&feature=em-uploademail-new

Following their Radio City Music Hall shows, Bon Iver ended their recent New York City reign with a concert at the Lower East Side’s Angel Orensanz Foundation. The oracular Frank Ocean opened the evening.  Check out the night’s encore (possibly their final song, as recently hinted by Justin Vernon) of The Wolves (Act I and II) below.  To say that the audience is enraptured during this performance would be an understatement.  Vive le Bon Iver!!

If it’s Monday, it must be Aimee Mann day (’til Tuesday).  The multi-talented and decidedly-unmanly Mann has a charming new album out entitled, oddly enough, Charmer.  In conjunction therewith, Mann recently released the official video for new song Labrador.  The new video is an homage to ‘Til Tuesday’s Voices Carry video of yore and was directed by funny-man Tom Scharpling.  The cast includes some of Mann’s other humorous friends (Jon Wurster, Ted Leo, etc.).  Check it out below and below that a performance of Freeway from her recent Artist’s Den show.

Aimee Mann: Live from the Artists Den – “Freeway” from Artists Den on Vimeo.