Things are Looking Up

4/28 Show
I was starting to worry about what could possibly make my mid-year best of list, as there have only been a limited number of albums that I really enjoy so far this year. Luckily, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. New tracks from Wolf Parade and CSS show promise, and new albums from French Kicks, Santogold, Jamie Lidell, and the Breeders are growing on me. Add to that a new release from perennial favorites the Old 97's, and I'm feeling optimistic again. As for the playlist, the frontloading of live Wilco tracks was intending to get people excited for their visits to Colorado next week.

Artist / Song

Wilco / I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (5/4-7/05)
Wilco / Hell is Chrome 9 9/15/04)
Wilco / Jesus, etc. (9/24/04)
Andrew Bird / A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
White Rabbits / While We Go Dancing
Wolf Parade / Call it a Ritual
French Kicks / Said So What
Of Montreal / Feminine Effects
CSS / Rat is Dead (Rage)
M83 / Graveyard Girl
LCD Soundsystem / Big Ideas
Jamie Lidell / Wait for Me
Santogold / L.E.S. Artistes
Lykke Li / Dance Dance Dance
Old 97s / Early Morning
Breeders / Walk it Off
Port O'Brien / I Woke Up Today
Kooks / Mr. Maker
Nat Baldwin / Dome Branches
Colin Meloy / We Both Go Down Together (live)
No Age / Eraser
Man Man / Poor Jackie
Santogold / Lights Out
Strange Boys / Nothing
Titus Andronicus / Landscape with Icarus (MySpace)
Titus Andronicus / Titus Andronicus (MySpace)
Titus Andronicus / Josef of Nazareth Blues (MySpace)
Quiet Village / Circus of Horror

Dear Yeasayer,

Notes from Man Man / Yeasayer @ Bluebird, Denver 4/20/08

Dear Yeasayer,

I was quite excited to see you on the bill with Man Man, and you didn't let me down. You didn't blow me away either, but you did put forth an entertaining and engaging set. Your "hits" 2080 and Sunrise came across sounding clean and exciting live, although I was hoping to see a kids' choir appear during the chanting climax of 2080. Alas, you were an opening band and such lavish stage theatrics just don't come with the territory. I also have fond memories of your live performance of Germs, whose Eastern-inspired licks and band-encompassing, chanting melody got the crowd's attention. No Need to Worry and Wintertime were memorable as well. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn't dislike any of your set.

While providing unremarkable vocals and capably pressing buttons, lead singer Chris Keating seems to enjoy flailing around, approximating what I imagine Thom Yorke would look like in concert. Drummer Luke Fasano does a great job recreating your beats in a live setting. I was initially disappointed to see him using so many electronic apparatuses, but as the set went on a nice balance was struck between the traditional drum kit and its digital brothers. (At one point during a staccato, electronically-driven beat accompanied by Keating's bob-happy keyboard playing, I was oddly reminded of Devo and how great it would have been to see them live. Sarah Jessica Parker was a lucky girl).

On a non-performance related note, it was nice to see several of you taking in Man Man's set from the wings. I don't recommend that you strictly follow their live energy (as it wouldn't wholly mesh with your sound), but I'm sure you could learn a thing or two.

Sincerely,
Grant

P.S. Your bassist Ira Wolf Tuton is a creep.

Pitchfork review of All Hour Cymbals
Yeasayer photos from Brooklyn 2/14/08
Man Man / Yeasayer photos from Minneapolis 4/18/08

Concert Hangover

4/21 Show
I think I was still on a musical high from the Man Man / Yeasayer show the previous night, but I did manage to resist playing 2 straight hours of Man Man tunes. The drive to and from Denver gave me plenty of time to preview new music and revisit some old favorites, so that's what you heard Monday night. A concert review should be up soon!

Artist / Song

French Kicks / Said So What
Breeders / Walk it Off
Man Man / Mr. Jung Stuffed
Port O'Brien / I Woke Up Today
Colin Meloy / Engine Driver (live)
Decemberists / O Valencia
Quiet Village / Circus of Horror
Billy Bragg / I Keep Faith
Fleet Foxes / White Winter Hymnal
Lykke Li / Dance Dance Dance
M83 / Kim and Jessie
REM / Houston
Jonathan Richman / Time Has Been Going By So Fast
Modern Lovers / Womanhood (live)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin / Think I Wanna Die
National / Squalor Victoria
Nat Baldwin / Lake Erie
Port O'Brien / Stuck on a Boat
Jamie Lidell / Another Day
Cut Copy / Feel the Love
LCD Soundsystem / Us V Them
Hot Chip / One Pure Thought
Strange Boys / Nothing
She and Him / I Was Made For You
She and Him / I Should Have Known Better
Benoit Pioulard / Palimend
Kevin Drew / Safety Bricks
Datarock / Fa-Fa-Fa
Gang of Four / Damaged Goods
Oh No! Oh My! / Walk in the Park
Of Montreal / The Past is a Grotesque Animal

Summer Concert Season

4/14 Show
The coming months are chock full of splendid concerts down in Denver and the front range. To highlight all of these shows, I played music from artists who are coming to the area this summer. I think it was a successful show, and one that spawned the new feature in the left column. The "Upcoming 'Local' Concerts" will simply be a list of my approved upcoming concerts (basically shows I would attend if I always could). The venues should be self-explanatory, as most are found in and around Denver. If not in Denver, the city follows the venue. Hopefully this will be useful to some.

A full list of the concerts is below in the playlist.

Artist / Song

4/20 - Bluebird
Man Man / Mr. Jung Stuffed
Man Man / Van Helsing Boombox
Yeasayer / 2080

4/21 - Hi-Dive
Dodos / Horny Hippies

5/8 - Pikes Peak Center, CSprings
Wilco / I am Trying to Break Your Heart (live 9/14/04)

5/1 - Bluebird
Spring Creek / Fiddler's Banjo

4/21 - Boulder Theatre
Minus the Bear / Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse

4/28 - Fillmore
Raconteurs / Consolers of the Lonely

5/9 -Black Sheep, CSprings
Ra Ra Riot / Each Year

5/15 - Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Flight of the Conchords / The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room) (live)

5/17 - Bluebird
Tapes n Tapes / Hang Them All
White Denim / Shake Shake Shake

5/22 - Bluebird
Tokyo Police Club / Tessellate

5/22 - Ogden
Mason Jennings / California Pt II

5/27 - Ogden
Dresden Dolls / My Alcoholic Friends

5/28 - Red Rocks (opening for Death Cab)
8/17 - Red Rocks (opening for Jack Johnson)
Rogue Wave / Bird on a Wire

5/17 - FIllmore
M.I.A. / Paper Planes

5/28 - Ogden
Breeders / Bang On

5/31 - Bluebird
White Rabbits / While We Go Dancing

6/2 - Bluebird
Jamie Lidell / Little Bit More
Jamie LIdell / Little Bit of Feel Good

6/3 - Red Rocks
REM / Orange Crush (live)
REM / Supernatural Superserious
Modest Mouse / Convenient Parking
Modest Mouse / 3rd Planet

7/15 - Fillmore
Feist / I Feel It All

7/16 - Bluebird
Low / Breaker

7/26 - Fillmore
Rancid / Olympia, WA

French Kicks / Abandon
Colin Meloy / Dracula's Daughter

One Year Anniversary

4/7/08 Show
The first ever official "Music is My Girlfriend" radio show took place on April 2, 2007, making this monday's show an anniversary of sorts. I celebrated by playing a bunch of new music. Enjoy.

Artist / Song

Dodos / Fools
Cloud Cult / Journey of the Featherless
Man Man / Hurly / Burly
I Love You But I've Choosen Darkness / According to Plan
Los Campesinos! / Death to Los Campesinos
the Muslims / On My Time
Jonathan Richman / Time Has Been Going By So Fast
Modern Lovers / Foggy Notion (live)
Velvet Underground / Pale Blue Eyes (live)
the Muslims / Bright Side
Born Ruffians / Foxes Mate for Life
Wolf Parade / Modern World
Black Keys / Strange Times
Dodos / Ashley
Radiohead / Nude (Holy F*ck remix)
Raconteurs / Salute Your Solution
These Dancin Days / Hitten
Grizzly Bear / While You Wait For Others
Man Man / Poor Jackie
Nick Cave / Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Amanaz / Khala my Friend
Mission of Burma / That's When I Reach for my Revolver
Devo / Gut Feeling
LCD Soundsystem / Big Ideas
Fujiya & Miyagi / Collarbone
Crystal Castles / Crimewave (CC vs. HEALTH)
{{{ Sunset }}} / Man's Heart Complaint
Girls / God Damned
Girls / Lust for Life

Rounding out March

3/31/08 show
Artist / Song

Sparrow House / When I Am Gone
Tom Thumb / Preach
Spring Creek / Hello Operator
Spring Creek / That Dog'll Hunt
Spring Creek / Fiddler's Banjo
Billy Bragg / O Freedom
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin / Modern Mystery
Grampall Jookabox / Take Me From Diamond Head
Stephan Malkmus & the Jicks / Cold Son
Why? / Simeon's Dilemma
Born Ruffians / Hedonistic Me
Wolf Parade / Modern World
Cloud Cult / Everybody Here is a Cloud
Arcade Fire / Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
MGMT / Time to Pretend
Architecture in Helsinki / Do the Whirlwind
Cloud Cult / Journey of the Featherless
Belle & Sebastian / Your Cover's Blown
Vampire Weekend / A-Punk
Man Man / Mister Jung Stuffed
Man Man / Whale Bones
Dodos / The Ball
The Acorns / Flood Pt. 1(scroll down after jump)
Mixel Pixel / Sinking Feeling
David Dondero / Rothko Chapel
Nik Frietas / All the Way Down
Kills / Alphabet Pony
Working for a Nuclear Free City / Get a F*cking Haircut
Born Ruffians / Barnacle Goose
{{{ Sunset }}} / Man's Heart Complaint