Track Review: “We Can’t Be Beat” by The Walkmen

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Leithauser at One Eyed Jacks in NOLA

A decade ago, Hamilton Leithauser opened the Walkmen’s debut album with a tense, atmosphere-heavy number called “They’re Winning”, in which he shrugged at impending defeat. “Now it’s not fair, but what is?” he said, projecting more disconnect and resignation than dejection.

Whereas once the Walkmen represented a drunken, downtrodden elegance, the NYC-based band has morphed in recent years into the picture of triumphant sophistication in the face of life’s defeats. In this vein, “We Can’t Be Beat”, the lead track on their upcoming seventh full-length album, Heaven, builds from modest origins into a song that feels at turns majestic and uplifting.

Heaven drops May 29 on Fat Possum Records. Hearing “We Can’t Beat” and the title track has pushed my expectations into the stratosphere. It’s not hard to envision this album being one of my favorites this year, based on those two songs and the Walkmen’s track record alone.

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Top 10 Lollapalooza 2012 Acts I Want To See

April 11, 2012 By 2 Comments

Macklemore at Roseland Theater

Last week I wrote about how Pitchfork Music Festival’s late lineup additions convinced me to attend. Well, that was before Lollapalooza announced its lineup Tuesday night.

In an ideal world, I would have enough money in my bank account for both festivals. This is not an ideal world. So I have to choose to go to Pitchfork for the fourth time or Lollapalooza for the first time.

Neither festival has particularly strong headliners in my opinion. It’s hard to compare them head-to-head because the pay they offer is not comparable. The decision ultimately comes down to other acts on the bill and price (which Pitchfork has the edge on).

What sets Lollapalooza apart is its depth. I could have easily made a Top 30 list of bands/musical acts I wanted to see. But, given that I am writing on my lunch break, I will stick to a Top 10.

Here are the 10 bands I want to see at Lollapalooza 2012:

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Five Albums I Am Eagerly Anticipating in 2012

January 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

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?

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Filed Under: Dig This Tomato, Yo!, Music Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Live Music in PDX/NOLA Early 2011

January 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Ted Leo will thaw Portlander's faces in February. Photo Credit: Cajun Tomato

My neighborhood coffee shop is not accepting debit cards right now. If I were more serious about coffee, this might destroy my day. I’m not too serious about coffee. Nor am I serious about braving the cold to walk to the corner store to get cash for coffee. The great thing about this coffee shop is that you can sit here for hours without buying anything. I am the poster child of this. I am the poster child of Portlandia, the youth retirement movement in Portland. I am Vincent Gallo’s $1 million seed. Ok, that part’s not true. That would just be weird.

Since I moved to Portland at the beginning of December, I’ve attended two music shows — NOLA Sissy Bounce queenpin Big Freedia and English dub up-and-comer DJ Ramadanman, both at Holocene on the city’s east side. I’m looking forward to attending more shows in the near future, not to mention seeing different venues and promising local acts. Here are a few of the shows I am eagerly anticipating in Portland in the upcoming months and a few in New Orleans, just for old time’s sake. PS: I’m jealous of some of the show’s coming up in New Orleans. Two words: LADY GAGA!

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Cajun Tomato’s Favorite Songs of 2010 Pt. 1

December 23, 2010 By 1 Comment

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

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Filed Under: Dig This Tomato, Yo!, Janelle Monae, Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2010 Album of the Year Nominees

October 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The 2010 calendar is almost complete. There will soon be more lists flying at you than you will know what to do with. My solution: Throw a list your way before you’re so inundated that you’re sick of them. Example A: Today’s list of contenders for my favorite album of the year. These are the albums that I’ve enjoyed the most this year.

P.S. My favorite album last year was Merriweather Post Pavillion by Animal Collective. That was an easy pick. I don’t see this year’s being quite so easy. PPS: This list does not include any albums that have not been released yet, most notably Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which could very well be one of 2010′s best.

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Cajun Tomato’s Sounds of September 2010

September 24, 2010 By 2 Comments

I should be 30,000 feet in the air right now en route to Portland. But my throat and nose conspired to keep me in the swamps. Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes the bar eats you, as the line in the Coen Bros. classic “The Big Lebowski” goes. The bar ate me today. It happens.

I considered live-blogging “Jersey Shore” tonight for my big return to Cajun Tomato land. But figured my mind would be dumber if I tried to follow the cast’s foibles in real time. Besides, I want to class up this joint. Maybe write a weekly review of “Boardwalk Empire,” a show the deserves that your attention. Or, write about “Eastbound and Down,” which debuts its second season this Sunday on HBO. Seems like HBO is finding its sea legs again, after taking a tumble following the conclusion of “The Sopranos” and “The Wire.” It is a goal of mine to one day write about “The Wire” intelligbly.

Before I do that, though, here are a few songs I am currently enjoying. This is not meant to be a mixtape. Rather, it is a collection of songs, an eclectic collection, that I have found myself coming back to over the past month.

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