Neva Dinova Tonight at Waiting Room

The best show for the upcoming weekend takes place tonight at Waiting Room. Omaha indie rockers Neva Dinova will be sharing the stage with Mayday (featuring Ted Stevens of Cursive) and The Bruces.

I often take for granted the fact that Neva Dinova is a local band, and I miss a lot of their shows. With their next album set for release on Saddle Creek, they may not be around as much in 2008. I probably ought to see them as much as I can before Omaha becomes just another tour stop for these guys.

Having said all that, I am still only 50/50 as to whether I am actually going to go. Maybe I'll see you there.

Podcast #21 Available Now!!

My newest Podcast is available now. Podcast #21 is part one of "The Best CDs of 2007," and includes 20-11, plus a little mix featuring snippets from 50-21.

Listen to the show here.

Download the show here.

Subscribe via itunes.

Kanye West Is A Douchebag

I have never liked Kanye West. I think his music sucks. "Gold Digger" is a decent tune, but the rest of it...bleh. He's a crappy live performer (as witnessed when I saw him open for U2), and he is an arrogant S.O.B.

He's also a major douchebag, as evidenced with his most recent interview in Spin Magazine. Here is my favorite quote:

KANYE: There's certain things that black people are the best at and certain things that white people are the best at. Whatever we as black people are the best at, I'ma go get that. Like, on Christmas I don't want any food that tastes white. And when I go to purchase a house, I don't want my credit to look black. [Laughs]

SPIN: And what foods would fall into that category?

KANYE: White-people food? You know what it is. You never ate fried chicken and said, "This tastes white." It's America. People know the stereotypes. I play to the stereotypes. I believe in the stereotypes. And I submit to them. [Affects a black, Southern accent] "Man, black people sure can cook some chicken! And I'ma get some black chicken."

Yeah, Kanye isn't racist. And neither was Axl Rose.

Catch the Spirit of Guided By Voices at Waiting Room Tonight

Tonight at Waiting Room is the Guided By Voices tribute band, King Shit and the Golden Boys. I don't know anything about the band, but seeing as how GBV is one of my all-time favorites, I guess it's worth a trip over there.

The band's name comes from the album of GBV outtakes with that title. It's funny, but about 11 or 12 years ago, I was in Austin, Texas for South By Southwest and I saw a band called King Shit and the Golden Boys. When I heard about the show, I assumed it was a "secret" show by the real Guided By Voices, and that only I had figured it out. When I arrived at the club, I spotted Gerard Cosloy (head of Matador Records, GBV's label at the time) outside, and thought it was a sure thing.

Turns out, it wasn't Guided By Voices. It was Spoon. Don't expect Spoon to show up tonight, but I guess it's not impossible...

Best CDs of 2007 Part Three (30-21)

30. Grand National - A Drink and a Quick Decision (Recall). The members of Grand National started their careers as a Police cover band, and elements of that band's intricate pop sound are present in Grand National. But these guys also add hints of electronica, and other more modern sounds to make it more relevant to today's pop music fans. Lyrically, they possess none of Sting's pretentiousness, however.

29. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (Vice). I was an early supporter of Bloc Party when their debut EP came out in late 2004. In fact, I played them on my first ever radio show. However, I was slow to embrace this new CD. I have finally come around, and realize that though the band shed some of its Gang of Four punch, the moodier, more Radiohead-like tunes from the new CD are just as enjoyable after a few listens.

28. The Eames Era - Heroes and Sheroes (self released). This Louisiana indie pop band has a bit of a smart ass streak in them, and I find it totally appealing (Check out "Fake Do-Gooders" or "Teenage Meth-Head"). Heroes is the band's second full-length, and is an improvement over their excellent debut. If catchy indie songs sung by a woman is your thing (think Tuscadero with much better playing), then check these guys out.

27. Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl). Since the Pixies could not get their act together long enough to make a new album, Frank Black decided to revert back to his old Pixies moniker and record the songs that he would have used for his own album instead. Bluefinger is hardly a new Pixies record, but listening to excellent songs like "Captain Pasty" or "Threshold Apprehension" make me wish the band had at least tried to make new music.

26. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (DFA). Like Interpol, Arcade Fire, and Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem debuted with such a strong album that fans will forever argue whether it could be topped. I won't try and argue either way on this one. Sound of Silver is a fantastic album - a dance music trip through the best British music of the 80s. "All My Friends" is one of the best singles of the year, and Franz Ferdinand's guitar-driven cover of it only made me appreciate it more.

25. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris (Interscope). I kind of assumed that QOTSA would fade into oblivion after the disappointing Lullabies To Paralyze. It was sad, because Queens had been favorites of mine for a number of years. But much to my surprise, Josh Homme and whoever else makes up the band these days, have made a new album that lives up to the Queens celebrated legacy. The first single, "Sick Sick Sick" is amazing, and after seeing the band perform "Misfit Love" on the Henry Rollins Show, I realized how great the rest of the tracks are, too.

24. Dolorean - You Can't Win (Yep Roc). Dolorean, for those that don't know, is the Portland based band fronted by singer/songwriter, Al James. James writes songs that are dark, introspective, and very intense. His band fleshes out his songs with stark guitar and piano arrangements, that could put the band in the "alt-country" category created by Uncle Tupelo in the early 90s. If you're a Tupelo fan, and you haven't heard Dolorean, I may have just found a new band for you to like!

23. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is EP (Interscope). I was never much of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan before, but for some reason, I really connected with the five songs on this EP. No real stylistic breaks from previous recordings, but the tunes had an edge that I found lacking on their older stuff.

22. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Merge). The most celebrated and hyped indie rock band of 2005-06 returns with the follow-up to its nearly perfect debut, Funeral. Before it was even released, the indie blog vultures were already declaring the album a dud, and Arcade Fire over. But that must have been before anyone heard Neon Bible, because if they had, they would not have been writing this band's obituary so soon. Arguing over which album is better is a dumb argument. It's like trashing Tim, while arguing that Let It Be is the superior album (that is a Replacements reference in case you didn't pick up on that). They are both great. Why argue over which one is better?

21. Two Gallants - Two Gallants (Saddle Creek). Because the San Francisco duo Two Gallants are a guitar and drums only band, they have incorrectly been lumped together with artists like White Stripes or Black Keys. The Keys comparison is okay, but Two Gallants are much more of a folk and delta blues mix than anything resembling White Stripes. As you might imagine from a band that takes its name from a James Joyce story, the songs' lyrics resemble old time storytelling - vivid descriptions of life in the old south or the old west, written as though these guys actually lived during those times. Though fellow Saddle Creek artist Bright Eyes is compared to Bob Dylan a lot; from a lyrical standpoint, I think Two Gallants are much closer.

The rest of the list will be coming next week, along with a podcast featuring songs from all 20 releases. Stay tuned...

The Breeders Announce New Album, Tour

Well, now we know why Kim Deal was not interested in making a new Pixies album -- she was busy making a new Breeders one instead. Gigwise is reporting that The Breeders have booked a European tour for Spring 2008. The tour will coincide with the release of the band's newest CD, Mountain Battles, on April 7. This will be the follow-up to Title T/K from 2002. After that album did poorly, the band was dropped from Warner Bros. in the US. No word yet on who will distribute the new album stateside.

Some Words of Wisdom

"That's a wonderful side effect of leather pants: when you pee yourself in them, they're more forgiving than jeans," - Slash, in his new book, Slash.

Best CDs of 2007 Part Two (39-31)

Here are some more of my Top 50 for 2007. I should have 30-21 up tomorrow unless something huge prevents it.
39. Film School - Hideout (Beggars Banquet). I was a little bit let down by the newest CD from San Francisco's hauntingly psychedelic Film School. Their previous disc was my #19 last year. Still, I see this as a transition record, and hopefully, the next one will fully realize what they are truly capable of.

38. The National - Boxer (Beggars Banquet). Though it is unfair to do so, my feelings on this Brooklyn-by-way-of-Ohio band changed when I saw them live this year. They changed for the worse. Maybe it was just an off night. Still, it's hard to knock a band when they make an album as dark, moody, and ultimately rewarding as this one.

37. The Go! Team - Proof of Youth (Sub Pop). Everything about The Go! Team screams "good time" and the band's second CD screams it just as loud as the first one. These guys mix retro soul, hip-hop, early 60s pop, and punk rock into a thoroughly enjoyable mix. Public Enemy's Chuck D guests on one track, as well.

36. Patti Smith - twelve (Columbia). Twelve is an all covers album from the godmother of punk, Patti Smith. Her choices are quite varied, as she records songs by Paul Simon, Nirvana, The Doors, and many others. Her voice sounds as great as ever, and she makes many of these tunes seem like her own. This CD would make a great gift as it has a little something for everyone.

35. Robert Pollard - Coast To Coast Carpet of Love/Standard Gargoyle Decisions (Merge). Former Guided By Voices front man, Robert Pollard released two new solo discs on the same day this year. To me, the two discs are indistinguishable. If you have liked Pollard's music in the past, I imagine you still will.

34. Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol). Early supporters of Interpol have been claiming for years that the band has not been able to live up to the greatness of their debut CD. In many ways, that is true. But perhaps, those early fans need to let go and accept the fact that Interpol is still a great band. Our Love To Admire is not better than the debut, but it is better than 99% of the rest of the shit out there, so get over it.

33. Tegan & Sara - The Con (Vapor). The identical twin duo, Tegan & Sara get a lot of attention for things other than their music, which is unfortunate. Even a casual listen to The Con will tell you that these two sisters are pop song masters with heartfelt, emotional lyrics that are neither heavy handed nor cheesy. Not sure why this record did not do as well as the last one, considering "Back In Your Head" is as good a song as anything they've ever done.

32. The White Stripes - Icky Thump (Warner Bros). Once the White Stripes became mega stars, I essentially "let them go." I still bought the CDs and I still enjoyed them, but as far as active fandom goes...there wasn't any. I figured that the mainstream needs something good. The Stripes are it. Icky Thump is a solid record, and the title track is amazing. I've just kind of moved on.

31. Bjork - Volta (Elektra). The reviews were mostly negative regarding Bjork's latest album, Volta. I thought it was pretty decent, actually. Bjork is a strange woman, and her music has always taken a few listens for me to appreciate. This album is no exception. Tracks like "Wanderlust" and "Declare Independence" rank up there among her best songs.

Best CDs of 2007 Part One (50-40)

With it being the end of the year, a bunch of know-it-alls like me tend to re-cap the previous year with a series of "best of" lists. For me, I only do the best albums of the year. I have compiled a list of 50. I will be splitting it into a couple of postings, with more in-depth reviews for the Top 20. For the bottom 30, I'm just going to give you a sentence or two. Here we go:

50. Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars (Geffen). Wainwright's single "Going To a Town" is my vote for song of the year. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to capture the intensity of that song throughout the album. Still, he is a very unique artist in this era of manufactured pop stars.

49. Minus The Bear - Planet of Ice (Suicide Squeeze). The progressive, indie band from Seattle's third album is its most straightforward record -- no funny song titles, no instrumental freak-outs. Still, their unique sound has not lost any of its appeal.

48. Mark Ronson - Versions (RCA). Ronson is a British DJ who has gotten a reputation for re-working a wide variety of songs - from Bob Dylan to Britney Spears. The album features guest appearances from folks like Amy Winehouse and Lilly Allen. It's a fun listen.

47. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop). Iron & Wine is basically just one guy - Sam Beam. Beam writes intelligent, pleasant, folkie songs in the vain of Crosby, Stills, & Nash. Only better, because I hate CSN.

46. Capgun Coup - Brought To You By Nebraskafish (Team Love). Don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about what a "nebraskafish" is. I doubt there is one. Capgun Coup is the latest in a string of Omaha bands melding punk rock and folk music into a bizarre new form of indie rock. This is a strong debut, and I look forward to hearing what these guys do in the future.

45. Menomena - Friend and Foe (Barsuk). This Portland band combines Peter Gabriel-era Genesis with 90s psychedelic music (a la Mercury Rev). It's a very interesting combination, even if it gets a little tiring after a while. The CD boasts the best artwork I have seen on an album in many years.

44. Via Audio - Say Something (Sidecho). Great new indie band from NYC that captures the best elements of Spoon and Death Cab For Cutie. Spoon's producer was at the helm for this record, too.

43. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (self released). The initial "blog buzz" band followed up their stellar debut with a slightly less stellar new CD. Slightly. I'm not sure why someone who liked the first one would not like this one. They seem pretty much the same to me.

42. The Rentals - The Last Little Life EP (Oompah). Matt Sharp (ex-Weezer) reformed his moog-heavy pop band, The Rentals, after an eight year hiatus. The line-up is a little different, but the overall sunny pop feel remains. These songs were intended to be demos for a future full-length CD. I look forward to hearing the entire album.

41. Scissors For Lefty - Underhanded Romance (Eenie Meenie). Fun. Catchy. Quirky. That might be all you need to know about this SF band. The album's production is a little too slick for my taste, but the songs are so strong it hardly matters. I like the name of the band a lot, too.

40. 1990s - Cookies (Rough Trade). This new Scottish trio is in the vain of bands like Arctic Monkeys or Franz Ferdinand, but I like 1990s better than both of them. Maybe it's because they did a promo for my radio show or maybe because songs like "Cult Status" and "You're Supposed to be My Friend" are a cut above those of their peers.

20,000

I have just crossed the 20,000 song threshold on my Last.FM profile. The recent up-tick may have something to do with the ipod plug-in.

Don't Get Your Hopes Up For That Led Zeppelin Tour

(Reuters) Hopes of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour faded on Friday when singer Robert Plant said he would tour with U.S. country singer Alison Krauss in May.

There has been speculation the ageing rockers would embark on a full tour after their one-off concert on Monday in London received rave reviews.

Plant announced on his website that he and Krauss would be touring Britain and Europe in May.

The pair's Raising Sand tour is expected to be followed by U.S. dates in the middle of the year.

However, there have been rumors that Led Zeppelin, which inspired a generation of rock fans 30 years ago, may perform a number of shows at venues such as New York's Madison Square Garden and Britain's Glastonbury festival.

Congrats, Madonna. Mellencamp...not so much

OK, so Madonna is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for next year.

No argument there. In terms of image, videos and hell, just sex in general, Madonna is arguably the most deserving of the list to be nominated.

Here's a list of the others...Leonard Cohen, The Ventures and John Mellencamp.

Noticeably absent...again...is KISS and Rush. Once again, I ask - who has started more bands? John Mellencamp or KISS? John Mellencamp or Rush? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has to eventually get their collective bur out of their asses and realize just because critics don't necessarily dig it, some acts should be rewarded on their influence.

My Dinosaur Jr. Wrap-Up

As I'm sitting in my office writing this post on last night's Dinosaur Jr. show, all I can think of is how much damage I did to my hearing last night. I am still getting ringing in my ears and the concert ended over 10 hours ago. That shit was loud. It was even louder on the floor, but I stood up in the balcony in my usual Slowdown spot. I was on J. Mascis's side of the stage, and was able to watch the man at work on that guitar.

My friend and I were talking on the car ride home (probably yelling since neither of us could hear), and we both thought that J. might have been the single greatest guitar player either of us had seen in person. He was absolutely unreal. His on-stage demeanor made it seem so effortless, too. The way he ripped through some of the most intricate guitar solos, only pausing to sing a few words every now and then, was unbelievable. I was in awe of his raw talent. Lou Barlow and Murph are no slouches either, but from my vantage point, all I could focus on was Mascis.

The Dinosaur show was a little more than an hour, which is on the short side. And though I was blown away by the intensity of the band's performance, I was confused by some of the song choices. Unlike the 2006 reunion tour of Dino Jr, this tour's set list was not limited to the band's first three albums. In fact, they played only two songs from their debut, one from Bug, and maybe 3 songs from You're Living All Over Me. Surprisingly, latter day Dinosaur stuff like "Out There" and "Feel the Pain" were played, along with a bunch of songs from their new album, Beyond. I was expecting tunes from Beyond, but was not expecting songs from the "post-Lou" period of the band.

From my spot in the balcony, I could see the set list, and saw that "The Wagon" was scheduled for the encore. In actuality, they substituted "In a Jar" which I was happy about (though I love "Wagon" I wanted to hear more You're Living... stuff). Despite some minor complaints about the set list, I loved the show. Easily one of the best of the year (if not the best). I was totally satisfied. Deaf...but satisfied.

Local opener Coyote Bones were pretty good. It was the first time I had ever seen them, and would definitely give them another shot (Omahype has some mp3s posted). I was very impressed with the touring opener, Awesome Color. They had a real Stooges/MC5 vibe, and they looked like they were about 17 years old. I picked up their CD after the show and found that they are signed to Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label. Thurston even co-produced their album.

Last night was the first show I had been to in a while, and may be the last show I attend for a little bit, too. I tend to be somewhat hermit-like during the winter. If you missed this concert, I feel badly for you. You blew it.

The 2007 Show of the Year: Dinosaur Jr at Slowdown

I say with full confidence that whatever you may have thought was the best show of 2007, you will no doubt re-evaluate your position after tonight's Dinosaur Jr. show at Slowdown (tix here).

The original line-up of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph are back and better than ever! If you heard their new "comeback" album, Beyond, you know that the band was easily able to re-capture the sound, energy, and excitement of the first three albums from the late 80s. There's really not much more that I can say. If you miss this show, then you suck. That's all there is. Dinosaur Jr. drew the blueprint for modern day indie rock, and they still do it better than almost anyone else. This is a rare opportunity. Do Not Miss This Show!

To get yourself ready, here is the video for 1988's "Freak Scene":

Dave Got Himself a New Ipod!

For years I have used the word "ipod" to mean any mp3 player, much like the word "kleenex" has been substituted for any brand of tissue. And, as with tissues, I didn't see a great deal of difference between the various brands. However, I guess it's time to admit what I have been somewhat reluctant to admit - the ipod is a superior product.

For the last couple of years, I have tried to resist. I have been using a Creative Labs player, and it worked well for a while. But lately it has been shutting itself off if it sustains even the slightest bump (hard to avoid in a car), and with only 30GB of memory, I have been forced to remove songs to make room for new ones. I needed a new player.

Though I don't see much use for watching video on a screen that small, I decided to get the 80GB Ipod classic that supports video and photos as well as music. I just love having the album cover art on the screen when a song is playing. I've had the thing for less than 24 hours and I already like it better than my last player.

Well, I'm NOT going to get an Iphone even though I am in the market for a new cell.

The Only Holiday Song You Need In Your Collection

(Reuters) Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is reissuing his 1978 solo single "Run Rudolph Run" on iTunes just in time for the holidays, his spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The tune, popularized by Chuck Berry, will be sold on a two-for-one basis with Richards' more-recent rendition of Toots and the Maytals' "Pressure Drop."

The arrangement does not include the B-side of "Run Rudolph Run," Richards' cover of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come."

Richards recorded "Run Rudolph Run" in 1976. The "Pressure Drop" redo dates from a session in 2003, when he contributed the track "Careless Ethiopians" to the Grammy-winning Toots and the Maytals album "True Love."

The tunes will go on sale on December 11, a week before Richards turns 64.

UDATE (12/13/07): This single is not sold on a "two-for-one basis" as it states. I had to pay $.99 for each song.

Only Four More Days of Cheap Radiohead

Radiohead has announced that the "pay what you want" downloads of their new album, In Rainbows, will be suspended on December 10. The CD versions of the album will be released at that time. If you don't have it yet, and don't want to wait for the CD, click here.

Podcast #20 Available Now!!

Podcast #20 is finally finished. I tried to mix it up a little bit with this one. I've got a new version of a Dylan classic, some new Omaha indie rock from Capgun Coup, a little commentary on Silkworm and its premature demise, plus a lot more. Enjoy.

Listen to the show here.

Download the show here.

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