ELLE

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Dreams Tonite

Dreams Tonite, a song by Alvvays on Spotify

#alvvays #dreamstonite

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BEAR’S DEN w/ GILL LANDRY at the HIGH NOON SALOON

When Bear’s Den announced their US tour of Red Earth & Pouring Rain, I purchased tickets immediately. I had seen Bear’s Den during my sophomore year of college (2014) at The Frequency, and have been hooked since. The dramatic, yet expected evolution of their music since that last show gave me high hopes for their Thursday (1/26) evening performance at the High Noon Saloon.

Gill Landry took the stage first, sending textured vocals and dancing finger-picking throughout the venue. Gill is also know for his membership in Nashville’s folk group, Old Crow Medicine Show.

When it was time for Bear’s Den to take the stage, we fumbled our way towards the front of the venue where I had a better view of the musicians. I love being able to watch the instrumentation, especially since the touring band had grown by three since their last visit to Madison, Wisconsin. As expected, they kicked off their performance with their title track, Red Earth & Pouring Rain, mixing heartbreaking vocals with ambient guitar, distantly reminiscent of Washed Out’s Feel It All Around. The energy didn’t die once, even in the off-stage and unplugged rendition of Gabriel.

One of my favorite things about Bear’s Den’s music is their lyrics (I will probably say this about every band I write about). If you’ve listened to any of their albums in completion, you’ll notice the use of historical figures, stories and places. I was able to talk to lead vocalist, Andrew Davie, about this, and he explained that these figures become familiar vessels for stories. For example, the use of the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac is reimagined to discuss the expectations between a father and son in their song Isaac.

The most jaw-dropping moment of the show was when the band broke out into their rendition of My Girl by Otis Redding. In preparation for this tour, Bear’s Den asked fans for a cover suggestion from each city on their tour. The only condition was that the song had to have some ties to the city itself. In this case, the famous soul-singer had passed away in a tragic plane crash in Lake Mendota in 1967.

In retrospect, I have found myself in a fond musical love-affair with the UK group once again, and I’m so excited to see where their music takes them.

For more information on Bear’s Den and Gill Landry, visit their websites below.

http://www.bearsdenmusic.co.uk/

http://www.gilllandrymusic.com/

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About U

About U, an album by MUNA on Spotify

Hey, dark pop lovers. This album is for you. MUNA’s debut album, About U, is out nowww and so damn good.

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LIZA ANNE w/ P.M. BUYS

A twenty-four hour trip to Chicago brought me north of the city to Evanston, Illinois on January 12th. That night, I walked into SPACE with high anticipation. I had seen Liza Anne play a few shows last summer at Mile of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, but this was my first time seeing her at a proper venue.

P.M. Buys, a Chicago native, opened the show with his Bob Dylan-esque vocals and lyricism. His songs painted a picture of his childhood, up through his adult life. His heartfelt performance made him the perfect opener for Liza’s “world famous melancholia”.

After his set, Liza’s band took the stage. Much of my excitement for this show was based around two things. The first of those things was hearing the tracks off her new album, Fine But Dying, for the first time. She and the band had just returned from a trip to Paris, where they recorded the still unreleased album at La Frette Studios, the birthplace of Feist’s The Reminder. (Side note: If you haven’t listened to Feist, please do. Her vocals and lyrics are beautiful, and she’s been a favorite of mine for a long time).

The second cause for excitement around this show, was that I knew going into it that it was going to be a somewhat emotional one. That is a bizarre statement, but they don’t call it Liza Anne’s World Famous Melancholia for nothing. Liza’s music surrounds difficult topics, and provoke real feeling. Her lyrics are honest in ways where much of today’s music is lacking, with topics ranging from love and heartbreak, to longing, to real-life anxieties. For example, one of her songs surrounds the reality of having a panic disorder. This song struck me the hardest during the show, with it’s swelling instrumental and distorted guitars - gaining tempo and bringing the panicked feelings to life. After her set, Liza was beckoned back on stage, where she performed her title track from her debut album, The Colder Months.  

Overall, the show was incredible, and the perfect mix of energy and raw emotion. Both P.M. Buys and Liza Anne (and company) had wonderful and inspiring performances. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them both again.

For more information regarding Liza Anne, P.M. Buys, Evanston’s SPACE, and La Frette Studios, see the links to their websites below.

http://www.lizaannemusic.com/

https://pmbuys.bandcamp.com/

http://evanstonspace.com/

http://www.lafrettestudios.com/

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song of the week // Smoke Signals - Phoebe Bridgers

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track of the week

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show reviews!!!!!

I’ve been meaning to start a little music blog for the past few years. For one bad reason or another, I never did. It’s time to change that. (This is the part where the intense music starts playing, and I start feeling really good about myself for setting a goal for 2017 - wahhhhh)  

Since this blog is primarily focused on music, I thought it would be cool to incorporate show reviews. I try to attend a few shows a month in the Madison area, but I also try to go to a show every time I travel or visit a new city, so I’ll do my best to include the city and venue in each post. 

These show reviews will be short and sweet, and I’ll try to update my Spotify playlist “Shows of 2017″ with a track from each artist I see. 

The first review will be coming in hottttt this week, but for now, here’s a list of as many of the 2016 shows I attended (that I can remember). These won’t include many of the WUD Music shows or Crescendo shows that I worked (because I can’t recall them all).

PS: there will be repeated artists because they are that great.

PSS: I opened for two shows in 2016, those are marked with an (*)

Joseph - Club Garibaldi - Milwaukee, WI

Penny & Sparrow w/ Corey Kilgannon - The Frequency - Madison, WI

*Auralai - Crescendo Espresso Bar + Music Cafe - Madison, WI

Caroline Smith w/ DJ Boyfriend & Lex Allen - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI

Tori Kelly w/ Third Story - The Orpheum Theater - Madison, WI

The Staves w/ Trevor Sensor - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI

Corey Kilgannon w/ Molly Bush - house show - Madison, WI

MILE OF MUSIC - Appleton, WI

- Willliam Wild

- Cereus Bright

- Dead Horses

- Anna Vogelzang

- Liza Anne

- Geri X

- GGOOLLDD

- Oh My Love

- Lost Lakes

- Auralai

- The Sharrows

_____

Anna Vogelzang and Friends Farewell Show - The Shitty Barn - Spring Green - Madison, WI

Cereus Bright w/ William Wild - house show - Madison, WI

*ALMA - Crescendo Espresso Bar + Music - Madison, WI

Esme Patterson - The Frequency - Madison, WI

Jared & The Mill - The Frequency - Madison, WI

Margaret Glaspy w/ Bad Bad Hats - The Frequency - Madison, WI

Joseph w/ William Wild - The Frequency - Madison, WI

Molly Bush, Mr. Manager, & Corey Kilgannon - The High Watt - Nashville, TN

Carter Hulsey & Cait Shanahan - Crescendo Espresso Bar + Music Cafe - Madison, WI

John Paul White - The Sett - Madison, WI

Aurora w/ Dan Croll - Turner Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI

JE Sunde & Kalispell - Crescendo Espresso Bar + Music Cafe - Madison, WI

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i want to wake up in the summer

soft light on my eyes

heat on my skin

i want to be

right here in your hands

when you bring me back to life again

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am i too late to the party?!

naturally, 2017 is upon us, and naturally, i forgot to post my favorite albums from 2016 and have decided to do so now. it is january 7th. i only had a whole 365 days to compile a list and post it on time. here goes:

* emotions and math - margaret glaspy 

* from a year ago, forget about it - molly bush

* dawn - ry x

* writings of blues and yellow - billie marten

* i’m alone, no you’re not - joseph

* red earth & pouring rain - bear’s den

* i’ll be here when the moon is tired - corey kilgannon

* the loudspeaker ep - muna

* all my demons greeting me as a friend - aurora

* the spring (original score) - sleeping at last

* sleeping in a car - the staves

i’m very excited for new releases in 2017. till then, tell me your favorites of 2016!