Upcoming Show: Old Crow Medicine Show - The Barrymore 11/8

Nashville, Tennessee old-time string band Old Crow Medicine Show makes their way back to Madison's Barrymore Theatre. Last time they came through town I was there and it was SOLD OUT. The crowd hung on to every single note and applauded every down home instrumental jam - can't forget to mention the Wagon Wheel sing along. Ketch Secor (Fiddle, Harmonica and Vocals) and the boys always manage to pull in an audience with rousing stage antics and top notch musical skills.



The band has performed at such major music festivals as Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Their 2007 live-performance itinerary included shows in Boone, NC, Seattle, Lawrence, KS, Arcata, CA, Knoxville, TN, Nashville and Boulder, CO, as well as overseas in London and Amsterdam. The band has also toured the UK several times, including an appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival and on the BBC show Later with Jools Holland.

O.C.M.S. is the type of band that doesn’t come around that often and should not be missed.

Show Information:

Barrymore Theatre
2090 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: (608) 241-8864
Showtime: 8 pm
Price: $26 adv / $28 dos

On Sale Date: Fri. 10/2 at 10am

Where to Buy Tickets: Tickets available at www.barrymorelive.com or call the box office at 608.241.8633.Fans do not pay service fees if they purchase tix at Barrymore Box office

Preview: The Fiery FurnacesComing to Majestic Theatre, Nov 13, 2009

The Fiery Furnaces will be returning to Madison on November 13, 2009 to play the Majestic Theatre.

The Fiery Furnaces is a musical vehicle for Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger. These siblings are originally from my own hometown - Chicago, but are now based in New York City. Joining them in this incarnation of the band is Jason Loewenstein on bass and Robert D’Amico on drums, which is the same line-up that we saw in 2007 at the Annex.

They have recently recently released their eighth album - I’m Going Away. I've been listening to this for the past month or so and really dig it. It is probably the most "accessible" (least complex) album they've released to date. But that is not saying a lot! This band has more musical ideas in one track than most bands do in an entire album. Relentless tempo and style changes are hallmarks of their compositions, which are also lyrically rich and complex. And that character is reflected in this album also.

Word has it that the current tour includes no keyboards! Instead, Matthew is playing guitar exclusively. Now, I've got mixed feelings about this because it is rare to see a band led by a pianist of the talent displayed by Matthew Freidberger. On the other hand, I'm curious to see what he does with an electric guitar! Anyway, I promise an experience that you will not soon relive.

Here's a video for a track from the new LP:

The Fiery Furnaces - Charmaine Champagne from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

I will confess that on initial listen, this song was not one of my favorites on the new album. I like it, but there are four or five others tracks that just slay me. Nonethess, Charmaine Champagne still managed to worm its way into my head and stay there! It's now in heavy rotation on my sound system.

Hope you can make it out for this one!
- Mister Bill

Past Coverage:
madisonmusicreview.com - Photo Review from The Annex 10.11.2007

Pretty Lights!

Regular visitors to Madison Music Review know how much we enjoy Pretty Lights. He had the High Noon jumping when he was in town last June. We saw him again at 10KLF with his new and ultra-cool LED background... And we are very excited to see him again at the Majestic Theatre on Saturday October 24.

Curious about the music? Well he has continued his tradition of providing free downloads of his albums (yes, entire albums!) with his latest - Passing By Behind Your Eyes - which dropped on October 6. You can get it at prettylightsmusic.com


Here's a little demo you might enjoy of Pretty Lights playing with his Monome 128



Now I ask you to look at this tour schedule, and I advise you to get your tickets early!

PRETTY LIGHTS ON TOUR
08.09.09 – The National – Richmond, VA **SOLD OUT**
09.02.09 – Lyric Theatre – Oxford, MS **SOLD OUT**
09.03.09 – The Sky Bar – Auburn, AL **SOLD OUT**
09.04.09 – Athens Arena – Bogart, GA **SOLD OUT**
09.05.09 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO **SOLD OUT**
09.12.09 – Trinumeral Festival – Horseshoe, NC
09.18.09 – Symbiosis Gathering – Groveland, CA
09.21.09 – Bama Theatre – Tuscaloosa, AL **SOLD OUT**
09.23.09 – Rhythm &Brews – Chattanooga, TN **SOLD OUT**
09.24.09 – Amos’ Southland – Charlotte, NC **SOLD OUT**
09.26.09 – Diesel – Wilmington, NC **SOLD OUT**
10.01.09 – Fox Theatre Boulder – Boulder, CO **SOLD OUT**
10.02.09 – Aggie Theatre – Ft. Collins, CO **SOLD OUT**
10.03.09 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO **SOLD OUT**
10.12.09 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
10.14.09 – Key Club – West Hollywood, CA**SOLD OUT**
10.15.09 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA **SOLD OUT**
10.16.09 – Nocturnum – Eureka, CA**SOLD OUT**
10.17.09 – Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA**SOLD OUT**
10.18.09 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
10.21.09 – The Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
10.22.09 – Miramar Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
10.23.09 – Park West – Chicago, IL
10.24.09 – Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI

Dark Party will get the evening started. You will like them too!

Cheers,
Mister B.

Review: Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy

The dominant meme in the rock press when discussing Built to Spill is: DOUG MARTSCH -- INDIE GUITAR GOD. It’s true Martsch can conjure some wonderfully melodic cliché-free solos, and nobody is more deft when it comes to creating texture through the layering of guitars. Nonetheless, it’s always been songs that set Built to Spill apart from the pack. In the 90’s when the band were creating masterpieces like Perfect from Now On and There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, songs such as “Car” and “Randy Described Eternity” poured forth from the speakers and into the listener’s brain, seducing and delighting with magnificent melodies and clever arrangements. The splendid guitars and enigmatic lyrics were the icing on the cake.

Which brings us to There Is No Enemy. Like its predecessor You in Reverse, this is Built to Spill sounding ordinary -- writing songs that anyone could have written… songs that I could have written. What passes for melody are simple little snippets of repeating verse that float over the chords. The chorus’s are a bit stronger, but still sound alarmingly predictable. In short, the songs don’t go anywhere, rather they waft about only to recede into the ether leaving nary a trace in your psyche. Some reviewers have commented on the strength of the lyrics, but for me, if the music isn’t happening, the lyrics, however brilliant, don’t register.

There are a few moment where the album manages to break out of the mode. One is the short, punkish “Pat”. With it's quirky arrangement and buzzing guitars, the band cuts loose, sounding energized and in their element. The other is the slow, heavy dirge “Life’s a Dream” which conjures Zeppelin at their darkest.

The album doesn’t necessarily suck -- to paraphrase Barack Obama’s description of Hilary Clinton during the primary it’s ‘likeable enough’. But a lot of bands do ‘likeable enough’. Built to Spill was always so much more.

Alex Szczech
October 15, 2009