'08's Music to Love More Than Music: Love More Than Music, Pt. 2

Love More Than Music (<3>)
Umalali - The Garifuna Women's Project
When I heard this album I was instantly blown away. I don't even know how I came across it, but I'm glad I did. It seems to mix traditional African rhythms, vocal styles, and instruments with Latin guitar playing styles and rhythms. I hate to think there isn't really a genre name for music like this, and, because of that it will be placed under "World Music" in the record stores, and only the weird people who think they're into the imaginary genre of "World Music" (what isn't world music, I ask you?) will discover this album, which is such a startlingly good album that it makes me question what bands that didn't write this album are doing with their lives. Okay, that's too bold a statement to actually stand by it, because there are other albums out there that are fantastic and sound nothing like this album, but damn, this album is funktastic.
Umalali - Nibari (My Grandchild)
Umalali - Hattie
Umalali - Anaha ya (Here I Am)

Heathers - Here, Not There.
I first heard of Heathers when talking to a member of The Drinking Goard after their set. I talked to him about Ghost Mice, because I thought that would have been a huge influence on the DG's sound, but he said Heathers were the true inspiration. So I had to check them out, and I'm very glad I did. Folk Punk seems to be gaining popularity now that there are actually more than a small handfull of people making the music, which I have nothing against at all, because these songs are powerful and energetic, but completely organic and natural sounding. It's like a Red Bull sponsored love in, I guess. haha, okay, that's a strange image, but I'm going with it. Stellar job ladies.
Heathers - Remember When
Heathers - Honey, Please!
Heathers - Veronicas

Lake - Oh, The Places We'll Go
This album is something that I could picture being a side project with the musicians who wrote the music for The Electric Company. It's got some funk influences, such as guitar playing styles and organ sounds, but it's twee pop at heart, and it's got a whole lot of heart. It's a peaceful album that deals frequently with matters of love and understanding one's self, but it stays genuine and heartfelt, so it's not sappy or over the top. The songs are smooth and rhythmic. It feels like your best friend wrote this album for you.
Lake - Dead Beat
Lake - Heaven

Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim
Sometimes genres completely escape me. It's not that this album is so genre bending that the only thing that you could possibly call this album is "QxKnvzv Rock" or something equally as ridiculous. It's probably closely related to indie folk, because the most prominent instrument is the acoustic guitar, but these days folk seems too generic a title to slap on such a powerful and spirited album such as this. I don't focus very frequently on lyrics, usually the only reason I know the lyrics to a song is that I have ended up listening to the song so many times that they can't help but sink in, and if I'm listening to it that often, well that just means it's good. I don't have enough time to really listen to most the stuff that comes my way, and I try to get to it all, so when I come back to an album frequently enough to remember lyrics and sing along, then that ought to say something about the album. The production is simply stellar, but the soft, awe inspiring songs would sound just as good without all the strings and such, because they are, at their base, just fantastic.
Laura Marling - Ghosts
Laura Marling - You're No God
Laura Marling - My Manic & I

"Huh, It's Like Their Playing 'Musical Instruments'"

Had myself a little trip to Denver on a Sunday night a little while ago (4/20) with Beth and Royce, and it was amazing. The show? Susan Susan, Bad Weather California, The Terrordactyls, Lake, and Half-Handed Cloud. Place? Rhinoceropolis. Result? Astonishingly good time :).

I even got some half decent recordings of the show, which I've hosted at the bottom of this post.

We got there a little early (per the usual), but the show started soon enough. Susan Susan, a relatively new, and local, band opened up the show. While the keyboard was turned up a little too loud in the beginning, someone helped the two out in noticing this, and, now well mixed (for Rhino standards), the band continued. A more cute duo there has rarely been. Soft sweet songs that warmed the heart, despite their slightly unpracticed sound. I couldn't think of a better band to open up a summery, feel good show.

On next was the infamous Bad Weather California gang. I thought it was weird seeing a band play at the Hi-Dive, and then see them play at Rhinoceropolis, but I'll tell you right now, it's even more weird to see a band play at the Ogden, then play at Rhinoceropolis. This being the case with Bad Weather California, I was expecting a less poppy performance than the one I saw when they opened for Daniel Johnston. Their set was certainly less poppy, but also no less entertaining. Personally, I'd say this set was the better of the two, because it seemed like they were more comfortable to let their hair down and get weird and expressive and all that jazz. Bad Weather California is one of those bands that you should feel bad for not seeing live, because they're a bit of an experience. Sad sad lyrics.

Third up was The Terrordactyls, a band I've been talking about here and there for a little while now. Well this was the first time I've gotten a chance to see them, and I was fairly pleased with the performance. Tyrel and Michael were joined by a drummer friend, which added a lot to their sound (I felt). Cute as every recording I've heard, Tyrel and Michael, appearing to be winging it, playfully half-squabbled their way through a half-hour set of sunshiney songs. If they didn't have fans prior to the show, they certainly did afterwards.

3 people took the "stage" next, posing as a band named Lake. What actually happened was that Two members of Lake (Eli Moore and Lindsay Schief I think), and John Ringhofer of Half-Handed Cloud went up and played songs written by Lake (sometimes spelled L.A.K.E.). After setting up the instruments, the band played what Beth described as "Musical Instruments," meaning that they changed places after each song (once they pretty much did it during a song). The Lake set was, on average, rather chill and, much like the rest of the show, summery and feel good. For some reason Lake really was the most touching band to play that night, and I don't really know why I think that way, but there ya go.

"Lake" ended their set, introduced that Half-Handed Cloud was going to play next, and then looked around and asked "do we really even need to leave the stage?" The 3 played Musical Instruments again , this time making sure the focus was on John Ringhofer. Sometimes Rhinoceropolis really surprises me, because so often they set up shows that have a number of great bands, but it is sometimes irregular to go to a show that has a majority of similar acts. Well, that's not true so much these days, but I'm used to rather schizophrenic shows at Rhinoceropolis. My point being that there could not have been a better act to end the show with. Reminding me of Foot Ox or the Mountain Goats (okay, you got me, I know that everything seems to remind of the Mountain Goats, but come on, can you really berate me for having a bit of an obsession?), John sang quick paced (not quite as quick as Ghost Mice mind you) sad sounding songs which seemed to cast a bit of a spell on the room. Now, I'm getting rather tired of such ridiculous descriptions, but I really do feel that that is the case. I dunno, maybe I was the only one to be effected by the magic that is Half-Handed Cloud, but I have a feeling that the Rhino-crowd is in touch enough to be with me on this. Truly wonderful.

The show ending slightly around 12:30AM, piled into the car for the drive back home, happy and ready to skip Spring all together and go straight into Summer.

Here's the live set (some of the tracks don't have titles because I don't have billion hours to spend looking up what song was what. All if it is amazing, so grab them all):

Artists: Susan Susan, Bad Weather California, The Terrordactyls, Lake, Half-Handed Cloud
Date: 2008-04-20
Venue: Rhinoceropolis, Denver, CO

Susan Susan - SS 1
Susan Susan - SS 2
Susan Susan - SS 3
Susan Susan - SS 4
Susan Susan - Nothing From Nothing/Just the Two of Us (Billy Preston/Bill Withers Cover)
Susan Susan - SS 6
Susan Susan - Santaria (Sublime Cover)
Bad Weather California - (spoken word piece)
Bad Weather California - This World Is Not My Home
Bad Weather California - BWC 3
Bad Weather California - BWC 4
Bad Weather California - BWC 5
Bad Weather California - BWC 6
Bad Weather California - BWC 7
The Terrordactyls - Decoration Daniel
The Terrordactyls - Fall
The Terrordactyls - TT 3
The Terrordactyls - I Want To Cry
The Terrordactyls - Swimming
The Terrordactyls - Shipping
The Terrordactyls - Friendship
The Terrordactyls - Baltimore
Lake - Oh The Places
Lake - Lake 2
Lake - Lake 3
Lake - Blue Ocean Blue
Lake - Helicopter
Lake - Dead Beat
Lake - Lake 7
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 1
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 2
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 3
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 4
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 5
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 6
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 7
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 8
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 9
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 10
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 11
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 12
Half-Handed Cloud - HHC 13