December 3rd, 2004 4:17pm
Too Young / Victim Of The Crime / Run Run Run /...
It's Me Against A Wardrobe
Phoenix @ Bowery Ballroom 12/2/2004
Too Young / Victim Of The Crime / Run Run Run / I'm An Actor / (You Can Blame It On) Anybody / Funky Squaredance (part three) / Honeymoon / If It's Not With You / Everything Is Everything / If I Ever Feel Better / Love For Granted // Everything Is Everything (acoustic version) / Party Time
Phoenix "If It's Not With You" - I have no way of measuring my listening habits, but I think that it would probably be a good guess that on a purely scientific level, this is my single favorite song from 2004. Repetition has done nothing to diminish my love of this song (or the entire Alphabetical album, for that matter) - in fact, increased familiarity only seems to intensify my enjoyment. Familiarity is a big part of comfort, of course, and it seems as though Phoenix have designed their music for maximum coziness. I mean, listen to those chords! I'm no music theory guy, so I don't know exactly what they're doing, but it feels so elegant and smooth, with very clever progressions that evoke exactly the right in-between emotions with remarkable precision and grace. More than any other song that I've heard this year, this song feels like my life right now: cautiously optimistic; inching towards emotional maturity; smiling through frustration.
I think that I broke a personal record last night for the longest sustained smile of my life, starting from the intro of "If It's Not For You" up through the conclusion of "If I Ever Feel Better." The entire show was a thrill, but that three-song combo was intense, and amped up considerably by an enthusiastic, dance-happy audience. Phoenix are a remarkably tight live band (which shouldn't come as a surprise given the meticulous sound of the records) with a frontman far more charismatic and hammy than I ever would have expected. They faithfully recreated the sound of the studio recordings on stage, but added little jams and altered the structure of the songs to keep from sounding too sterile. "If I Ever Feel Better" was extended significantly - there wasn't any instrumental jamming involved, just the repetition of the hooks for an extra three minutes or so. It was like a big disco singalong. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
Ana Da Silva "The Lighthouse" - Normally, whenever I post music by an artist who has been involved in some other semi-famous band, I try to avoid mentioning it because I'd prefer that the music exist in its own context rather than in the shadow of another act's body of work. Invariably, someone in the comments box will say "hey, did you know that ____ was in ________?" or something to that effect. So for today, I surrender. Ana Da Silva was in The Raincoats. This doesn't sound very much like The Raincoats (it's more like an incantation set to a minimal, repetitive electronic track), but there you have it. (Click here to buy it from Soul Seduction.)
Also: Over the next two weeks, I plan on posting some Christmas/Holiday themed songs. If you have anything odd, interesting, or obscure that you'd like to pass along for possible inclusion on the site, please send me an email.
Phoenix @ Bowery Ballroom 12/2/2004
Too Young / Victim Of The Crime / Run Run Run / I'm An Actor / (You Can Blame It On) Anybody / Funky Squaredance (part three) / Honeymoon / If It's Not With You / Everything Is Everything / If I Ever Feel Better / Love For Granted // Everything Is Everything (acoustic version) / Party Time
Phoenix "If It's Not With You" - I have no way of measuring my listening habits, but I think that it would probably be a good guess that on a purely scientific level, this is my single favorite song from 2004. Repetition has done nothing to diminish my love of this song (or the entire Alphabetical album, for that matter) - in fact, increased familiarity only seems to intensify my enjoyment. Familiarity is a big part of comfort, of course, and it seems as though Phoenix have designed their music for maximum coziness. I mean, listen to those chords! I'm no music theory guy, so I don't know exactly what they're doing, but it feels so elegant and smooth, with very clever progressions that evoke exactly the right in-between emotions with remarkable precision and grace. More than any other song that I've heard this year, this song feels like my life right now: cautiously optimistic; inching towards emotional maturity; smiling through frustration.
I think that I broke a personal record last night for the longest sustained smile of my life, starting from the intro of "If It's Not For You" up through the conclusion of "If I Ever Feel Better." The entire show was a thrill, but that three-song combo was intense, and amped up considerably by an enthusiastic, dance-happy audience. Phoenix are a remarkably tight live band (which shouldn't come as a surprise given the meticulous sound of the records) with a frontman far more charismatic and hammy than I ever would have expected. They faithfully recreated the sound of the studio recordings on stage, but added little jams and altered the structure of the songs to keep from sounding too sterile. "If I Ever Feel Better" was extended significantly - there wasn't any instrumental jamming involved, just the repetition of the hooks for an extra three minutes or so. It was like a big disco singalong. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
Ana Da Silva "The Lighthouse" - Normally, whenever I post music by an artist who has been involved in some other semi-famous band, I try to avoid mentioning it because I'd prefer that the music exist in its own context rather than in the shadow of another act's body of work. Invariably, someone in the comments box will say "hey, did you know that ____ was in ________?" or something to that effect. So for today, I surrender. Ana Da Silva was in The Raincoats. This doesn't sound very much like The Raincoats (it's more like an incantation set to a minimal, repetitive electronic track), but there you have it. (Click here to buy it from Soul Seduction.)
Also: Over the next two weeks, I plan on posting some Christmas/Holiday themed songs. If you have anything odd, interesting, or obscure that you'd like to pass along for possible inclusion on the site, please send me an email.
12/3/04 5:36 pm
sufjan stevens has i think 3 christmas eps that are all standard sufjan fare. pretty excellent
12/3/04 5:36 pm
sufjan stevens has i think 3 christmas eps that are all standard sufjan fare. pretty excellent
12/3/04 6:42 pm
AGREED 100% about phoenix last night!!! the show was amazing. such great energy from both the band and the crowd - everyone was grinning! and such a tight live set. loved when they shut all the lights off, too.
if you get a chance to reply to this - what was the song where he sang with the vocoded vocal? that was the highlight for me.
12/3/04 6:42 pm
AGREED 100% about phoenix last night!!! the show was amazing. such great energy from both the band and the crowd - everyone was grinning! and such a tight live set. loved when they shut all the lights off, too.
if you get a chance to reply to this - what was the song where he sang with the vocoded vocal? that was the highlight for me.
12/3/04 6:48 pm
That was “Funky Squaredance,” Kendra.
12/3/04 6:48 pm
That was “Funky Squaredance,” Kendra.
12/3/04 7:29 pm
Hey, did you know Ana Da Silva was in the Raincoats?
12/3/04 7:29 pm
Hey, did you know Ana Da Silva was in the Raincoats?
12/3/04 10:31 pm
i totally agree…phoenix were absolutely amazing!! they seemed to enjoy themselves so much on stage! i liked “if i ever feel better” best…brought back a lot of memories!
glad i finally got a chance to see them…missed them twice back home…actually they were performing on the day i moved to NY!
but i was surprised that this is their first US tour…
12/3/04 10:31 pm
i totally agree…phoenix were absolutely amazing!! they seemed to enjoy themselves so much on stage! i liked “if i ever feel better” best…brought back a lot of memories!
glad i finally got a chance to see them…missed them twice back home…actually they were performing on the day i moved to NY!
but i was surprised that this is their first US tour…
12/3/04 10:57 pm
If you haven’t heard of it before, audioscrobbler.com is a great, easy tool to use to keep track of your listening habits(if you’re listening habits happen on the computer, mostly). It plugs into your player and sends the data to your page on the site, and presto, instant(when not in downtime)information.
Of course, if you listen to a CD player mainly, this is of no help.
Thanks, as always, for the tracks.
12/3/04 10:57 pm
If you haven’t heard of it before, audioscrobbler.com is a great, easy tool to use to keep track of your listening habits(if you’re listening habits happen on the computer, mostly). It plugs into your player and sends the data to your page on the site, and presto, instant(when not in downtime)information.
Of course, if you listen to a CD player mainly, this is of no help.
Thanks, as always, for the tracks.
12/4/04 1:01 am
Man, you got to see Phoenix live? So jealous. There’s a pretty darned good chance Phoenix will end up at the top of my Best of 2004. If you go by their website, wearephoenix.com, you can preview three tracks from the Phoenix live album, that is already available in France, but not in North American ’til 2005. Although it might be download-only, which prevents me from picking it up, it sounds pretty amazing.
12/4/04 1:01 am
Man, you got to see Phoenix live? So jealous. There’s a pretty darned good chance Phoenix will end up at the top of my Best of 2004. If you go by their website, wearephoenix.com, you can preview three tracks from the Phoenix live album, that is already available in France, but not in North American ’til 2005. Although it might be download-only, which prevents me from picking it up, it sounds pretty amazing.
12/4/04 5:09 pm
Dude, thanks for the Ana Da Silva track! I’ve been hoping she’d do some solo work. The 1994 reunion LP was pretty terrific and I’ve been anxious to hear more (never found out if that proposed Gina Birch Kill Rock Stars album came out). I disagree with you about it not sounding the like the Raincoats though. This would have been a highlight on Odyshape or Moving.
12/4/04 5:09 pm
Dude, thanks for the Ana Da Silva track! I’ve been hoping she’d do some solo work. The 1994 reunion LP was pretty terrific and I’ve been anxious to hear more (never found out if that proposed Gina Birch Kill Rock Stars album came out). I disagree with you about it not sounding the like the Raincoats though. This would have been a highlight on Odyshape or Moving.
12/4/04 10:39 pm
i was also at the phoenix show, a last-minute decision made when a friend of mine who writes for prefixmag.com called and told me he had put me on the guest list.
best $0 i ever spent.
the big moment for me was that giant synth slide in “too young.” pure euphoria. just magic… and then i proceeded to shake my booty with my best friend (we both were seeing each other dance for the first time), and the happiness just continued on throughout their set. i also developed a wicked crush on thomas mars, the lead singer.
12/4/04 10:39 pm
i was also at the phoenix show, a last-minute decision made when a friend of mine who writes for prefixmag.com called and told me he had put me on the guest list.
best $0 i ever spent.
the big moment for me was that giant synth slide in “too young.” pure euphoria. just magic… and then i proceeded to shake my booty with my best friend (we both were seeing each other dance for the first time), and the happiness just continued on throughout their set. i also developed a wicked crush on thomas mars, the lead singer.
12/6/04 2:28 pm
The Phoenix live album is on the US iTunes Music Store now.
12/6/04 2:28 pm
The Phoenix live album is on the US iTunes Music Store now.
12/9/04 3:54 am
That Phoenix song is great, but I keep expecting a strong African-American voice instead of a 98-lb. nerd with sinus problems. The last bit makes me think of Donald Fagen, but I don’t know if that’s supposed to be good or not.
12/9/04 3:54 am
That Phoenix song is great, but I keep expecting a strong African-American voice instead of a 98-lb. nerd with sinus problems. The last bit makes me think of Donald Fagen, but I don’t know if that’s supposed to be good or not.
12/13/04 4:35 am
Phoenix: It’s all about the Rhodes piano, isn’t it? Lovely.
12/13/04 4:35 am
Phoenix: It’s all about the Rhodes piano, isn’t it? Lovely.