Experiences, observations of a Cajun living in NYC
Out June 15 on Polyvinyl Records
Japandroids keep the party going longer and louder on “The House That Heaven Built”, a new track off the Vancouver, B.C., duo’s forthcoming sophomore album, Celebration Rock.
Sometimes the best parties are the ones you wish had lasted longer but didn’t. That is the case here.
Japandroids @ One Eyed Jacks in NOLA.
The first great album of 2012 is …. ???
Honestly, this year’s musical releases feel comparable to Portland’s weather. I keep hoping for a great album, just like I keep waiting for warmer weather, and neither has arrived yet.
Matt Wastradowski and yours truly recently spoke about the lack of a great album thus far in 2012 and the albums that could fill that void as the year progresses.
Check it!
The Walkmen at One Eyed Jacks, 2009
The year of the Mayan apocalypse is upon us. And that means one thing … We need bad-ass new tunes to listen to while the world is going up in flames. Sadly, Charles Bradley’s “The World Is Going Up In Flames” does not count because it dropped in 2011.
The albums below either have a release date or are reportedly in the works. They each fall under the bad-ass new tunes umbrella.
Let’s do this, shall we?
YOU WILL DANCE AS I COMMAND!
There is a gigantic learning curve associated with moving to a new city, particularly one halfway across the country. This curve extends to every part of daily life. There is a different rhythm, a different drumbeat, a different well … everything.
And so it goes with a city’s live music scene. New Orleans is a spontaneous city. You can pop inside any number of jazz clubs and see a great show any night of the week. As for national touring acts, particularly those of the indie variety, the city can be hit or miss. A partial reason? There are not a great deal of venues to host mid-sized acts.
Portland is stronger than New Orleans in terms of getting national acts but its local flavor is lacking. Good shows sell out quicker in Portland. Oftentimes that’s because scalpers purchase tickets, only to jack up prices. The Portland crowds are a little more subdued and image conscious. There are a wealth of venues of different sizes that make the Rose City an attractive tour stop. Enough comparing New Orleans and Portland.
This year, I chronicled more than 40 live music acts on this blog, and that’s just a portion of the shows I attended. This is a list to celebrate the best shows I had the pleasure of seeing in Portland, as well as some great shows I saw in Chicago (Pitchfork Music Festival) and Seattle (Bumbershoot).
Without further delay, I give you my favorite live music shows of 2011:
I am not too proud to say I rubbed Icy Hot on my neck after witnessing Japandroids’ scorching show at Bunk Bar in southeast Portland tonight. I jerked my head up and down like a dog whipping its favorite chew toy around in its mouth without concern for whether the plastic would hold together.
I don’t mention this for sympathy. No, I mention this because Japandroids, a guitar and drums duo from Vancouver, B.C., put on a dynamite show that transported me to 2009, the year I fell head over Chuck Taylor’s for their debut album Post-Nothing.
I’ve been privileged to witness a lot of great bands put on outstanding performances in many venues this year. Japandroids’ Bunk Bar show ranks near the top of the list. It was pure adrenaline. It was pure awesome.
Twenty Ten was a bad ass year for music. It was hard to whittle this list to 40 songs. I did, however, as an homage to Casey Kasem. How’s that for a tribute? I listened to Casey’s Weekly Top 40 every Sunday growing up. That’s how I found out about Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It.” That song pretty much made me the hustla I am today. This list, which is the first of a two-part post, is not meant to be a best of. It’s my favorite songs ranked from 21-40. Tomorrow, I will post my Top 20. Check it!
Japandroids at One Eyed Jacks in NOLA/Credit: CajunTomato
Here is the first of a two-part series containing my favorite songs of 2010 (so far). This is not a best of list, simply because there are plenty of songs I have not heard this year. These are the songs that have grabbed my interest, leading me to listen to them over and over. Hopefully, you will find something to like on the list, as well. PS: The final part of the series, with my favorite 12 songs this year, will be posted later this week. So stay tuned.
I woke up around 8: 30 this morning. I never wake up early on Saturday. The only explanation I can give is it’s a new decade. Maybe that will be my new thing this decade … you know, waking up early, reading a newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. Then, waving goodbye to the kids as they get on the schoolbus (on weekdays, of course). “Watch for bullies, kids,” I’ll yell. “It’s ok to hit them if they hit you first.” Yeah, that’s called Parenting 101. Teach your kid to be kick-ass and they will kick ass, when the time is right. Speaking of kick-ass — I’m not sure if that’s hyphenated but it’s my blog so I don’t feel like being a grammar Nazi — here are my favorite albums of the year. You know, the albums that would have spent the most time in my car cd player if the bastard wasn’t possessed by a demon and refused to play anything worth hearing.
Hi there. Outside my door, a firefight is happening. Or at least it sounds like Fallujah. Not sure if the neighborhood kids are killing each other or just letting off some steam. Either way, sounds like they’re having a blast. The New Year will be here in five hours. Crazy to think. In honor of the New Year, I decided to rank my favorite songs of the year. 2009 was loaded with invigorating music. My goal was to pick my 20 favorite songs. This is not a “best of” list. REPEAT: This is not a “best of” list. Just songs — some mainstream, some obscure — that pleased my eardrums and captured my attention. Hope you enjoy!
NOTE: I hadn’t really given the Japandroids much of a listen until today. This song immediately struck my fancy. In a matter of an hour or two, it has become one of my favorites for this year. I chose to write about what I gleaned from the song’s lyrics rather than the sound because the few words offered provide much to consider. That’s not to say sonically this song doesn’t stack up, because it is thrilling in its own right.
I am a 27-year-old journalist living in NYC. Prior to that I lived in south Louisiana and Portland. I blog about music, New Orleans Saints and LSU football, and what it's like to be a Cajun living in the fast-paced world of NYC.
Feel free to send any questions, comments, music submissions, etc. to my email below. Also, check me out on social media!
Facebook: CajunTomato
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Email: raybaybay3@gmail.com