TV on the Radio with Grizzly Bear at First Avenue on 10/8/06

By: Bob Longmore
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TV on the Radio - Photo by Steve Engelmeyer I had no idea that TV on the Radio were as popular as they are, but if the size of the crowd for their First Avenue show was any indication, I think the Brooklyn band is doing all right. After seeing them live, I can understand why. In trying to describe TV on the Radio’s music to a friend, I was at a loss for words. I kept sayin...

Yo La Tengo with Why? at First Avenue on 10/7/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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Why? - Photo by Ryan Smith Yo La Tengo released their first full-length album Ride The Tiger in 1986, which means that this year marks their 20th anniversary.  And what better way to celebrate than releasing what may be the best album of their career?  Their new album, the unforgettably titled I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, marks a return t...

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah with Architecture in Helsinki at First Avenue on 10/4/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Photo by Ryan Ruff Smith If you ever read about music on the internet (which obviously, you do), you have probably heard of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.  There is a chance that you just remember them for their willfully clunky moniker, but by now you have probably heard the story of their blog-fueled ascent from the basement and how they have become the poster children for the sea ch...

Calexico at Fine Line Music Café on 9/28/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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For the first nine years of their career, Calexico were defined by their creative instrumentation.  Their songs were always good, but it was their Southwestern flare that really made them unique - mariachi trumpets, accordion, melodica, and maracas gave their sound a singular sense of place.  But on their latest album, Garden Ruin, they put aside the regional instrumentation (for the most part) to focus on songwriting.  General...

The Duhks at Fine Line Music Café on 9/27/06

By: David Rachac
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The Duhks - Photo by David Rachac For the past four years, The Duhks have been redefining the boundaries of contemporary folk music – melding traditional sounds from around the world into a unique form that defies easy categorization. Using only acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo and hand percussion instruments, they incorporate melodi...

Asobi Seksu with White Elephant at 400 Bar on 9/24/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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Asobi Seksu - Photo by Ryan Ruff Smith Like all subgenre tags, "shoegaze" is kind of a silly term.  Applied primarily to British bands of the late eighties and early nineties that followed in the shoe-prints of My Bloody Valentine, the term refers to the way in which performers would just stare at their feet while summoning up massive waves of feedback ...

Cursive with The Thermals at First Avenue on 9/23/06

By: Pat O'Brien
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The Thermals - Publicity Photo I'd be lying if I said I didn’t go into shows with some expectation of the how the night will play out. But every so often my expectations are turned on their ear and I’m more entertained than I thought I would be. Saturday was one of those nights. Both bands released albums recently that attacked religion from different angle...

Man Man with Pit Er Pat and Fort Wilson Riot at 7th Street Entry on 9/23/06

By: Ryan Ruff Smith
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Man Man - Photo by Ryan Ruff Smith I recently graduated from St. John's University in Central Minnesota.  It is one of few all-male schools left in the nation, and though we do now have classes with girls and stuff, there is still a strong emphasis on men’s studies.  “Through research, education and understanding,” the SJU Center for M...

The Waybacks at Cedar Cultural Center on 9/21/06

By: Joe Lang
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The Waybacks at Merlefest in May, 2006 - Photo by Jane Hogan Due to my proclivity for listening to older bands and musicians and what I would attribute to less and less inspiration in modern music, it’s becoming rare for me to go out to see some of the younger lions of the music world.  Fortunately, last Thursday I had one of those unique and magic opportun...

The Larry Coryell Trio at Dakota Jazz Club on 9/19/06

By: Joe Lang
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Victor Bailey, Lenny White and Larry Coryell Getting to see three giants of a genre get together to create music is a rare event that should be snatched up at the first opportunity.  I just wish more people knew that.  On Tuesday, three of the biggest fusion giants in the world took the stage at the Dakota.  On drums was Lenny White, the self-taught prodigy who cam...