Trampled By Turtles - "Codeine" Live at First Avenue- Song of the Day [8/13/14]

My favorite song by one of my favorite artists from the best Trampled By Turtles show ever. Watch, listen, and live.

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Seven Lions @ First Ave - Minneapolis, MN 4/25/14 (Preview)

"Seven Lions is quickly taking the dance world hostage with his deep, soulful, hybridized creations – at times elegant, at others pulverizing – all distinctly his own. Seven Lions’ Polarize EP, one of the most promising releases of the last year in the EDM world, just dropped in April and has already garnered praise for its melding of main room bombast with a very sensitive, human touch.

For Seven Lions (neé Jeff Montalvo) ‘fast’ is an understatement for how his work has spread virally amongst fans of trance, dubstep, and everything in between. The 25 year old California native has been the center of attention as of late but has maintained a humility throughout. The artist released an unofficial remix of Florence and the Machine’s “Cosmic Love” in March and has been a runaway YouTube hit as Florence’s vocals align perfectly with the producer’s yearning, sinewy compositions. Following the release of the Polarize EP (which charted in the top 5 overall charts on BeatPort), several of his productions are at any given time on the BeatPort dubstep Top 30.

His international following has grown exponentially over the past few months -everything from getting airplay on BBC’s Radio1 to headlining seminal clubs in the States and elsewhere, but this is no overnight success story. It started early on in his life when, at age 7, his father brought home the family’s first computer: a Macintosh and keyboard. After playing in metal and punk bands throughout middle school and high school, Montalvo segued into production in his late teens. “For me, it was the most accessible thing, to start picking up something like drums as opposed to something like electronic music. My transition out of playing with a band was because I got tired of waiting for my band all the time — I wanted to just start making music so I started composing electronic music by myself,” Montalvo explains.

After a friend gave Montalvo the program Fruity Loops, he began experimenting with industrial drum beats and toying with genre cross-pollinations. Montalvo attended his first rave in 2007 and was immediately inspired to produce trance. However, he slowly found that broken beat came more naturally to the drummer-at-heart. “It’s more like playing a real instrument, as opposed to doing the four-on-the-floor disco beat. It’s more natural for me,” he says. Not long after, his remix of Above & Beyond feat. Zoe Johnston’s “You Got To Go” served as his breakout hit and introduction to the EDM world. “I won the official remix competition, which is how I got involved with [Above & Beyond]. I don’t know if they were expecting the track to do as well as it did. But it definitely got their attention, and now they’re wanting to work with me more.” 

That the remix “did well” is an understatement — typical of the soft-spoken Montalvo. The meteoric track sat at #2 on Beatport’s Dubstep chart for over 6 weeks, second only to Skrillex’s remix of “Levels”, with hundreds of thousands of listens on YouTube. From metal band member, to solo industrial producer, to a trance-dub trailblazer — he’s already achieved quite a diverse oeuvre, but his work seems to be only beginning. An innovative, fresh-thinking producer, Seven Lions is one of the more beautiful but dance-centered artists you’re likely to discover for a while."

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Trampled by Turtles to release first Live Album

To celebrate 10 years of TBT, the band booked 3 shows at First Avenue in April of this year.  All 3 sold out in a matter of hours.  To commemorate the events, TBT is releasing their first "Live" album, "Live at First Avenue" on November 12th.  Available in CD/DVD, LP/DVD or MP3 formats, and loaded with extras, this is one of those releases you simply NEED to add to your collection.  Like any good band, TBT's live shows are something altogether grander than a studio produced album.   Add to that their own love of the venue and playing in front of a hometown (ok, home state) audience, and you have a recipe for greatness.  We were at one of the 3 shows and it was arguably the best TBT show I have seen.  Plus, they are out just in time for Holiday shopping.  Nothing like a little TBT under the tree...

 

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Iron & Wine at First Avenue Minneapolis [9/18/2013] - Review

Wednesday night, Samuel Bean better know as Iron & Wine took the stage to a capacity crowd at First Avenue in Minneapolis.  The show had been listed as "Sold Out" for weeks, but upon arrival at the doors tickets were still available, but obviously not very many.  As a fan of Iron & Wine from a few years back, I had envisioned Bean on stage with his acoustic guitar and that was about it.  Memories of "Such Great Heights" and its simplicity are what had me hooked on his brand of melodic sound.  As Iron & Wine took the stage it was glaringly obvious that things had changed, as a dozen people and instruments found their spots and set up shop.

The big band sound that emanated from the stage was altogether something else.  Three guys on horns, three on strings, three female backup singers, a guy on drums and another on the keys...  It all made for a rich - diverse musical experience.  After a few songs, the lights dimmed and the rest of the band disappeared from the stage leaving Bean, his guitar and a microphone; exactly as I had pictured it.  The (somewhat older) audience sang along to nearly every song, to the point that Bean commented from the stage how cool it sounded coming through his in-ear monitors.  

They made the switch from big band to Bean solo a few times, creating a rising and falling tempo to the show.  While solo on stage, the room seemed to shrink.  As fans shouted requests from the floor Bean would respond directly to them.  When a robust "Boy with a Coin" came from the audience Bean's retort had the whole place laughing...  He said "I have played this song for every show for the last fucking seven years. If you eat the same fucking meal for the same seven years, it's time to try something else."   

To finish off the evening, Bean returned to the stage for a one song encore, the emotional and quintessential Iron & Wine track "Love Vigilantes".  Bean stood in front of the microphone and said "I'm gonna do one more then send you on your way"...

Sorry for the bump in the middle of the video - security was hassling me.

While we enjoyed the musical stylings of Iron and Wine, just across First Avenue legions of 50-somethings sat inside Target Center suffering through The Eagles.  One of the many requests shouted at the stage was "Hotel California", to which Bean replied, "Just lean your head out the window"... Thankfully, Iron & Wine ended about 20 minutes before The Eagles, allowing most of the crowd to avoid the walking sea of baby boomers.  

In whole, it was a great show.  If I had to come up with a complaint it was that when accompanied by the full band, Bean's vocals were at times drowned out.  The big band sound was a welcomed surprise, but if the sacrifice was to override Bean's melodic voice, it wasn't worth it in my opinion. 

Setlist

The Desert Babbler
Carousel
Kingdom of the Animals
Tree By the River
The Trapeze Swinger
Sixteen Maybe Less
Belated Promise Ring
Baby Center Stage
Monkeys Uptown
Such Great Heights
Boy With a Coin
Upward Over the Mountain
Resurrection Fern
Waves of Galveston
Caught in the Briars
Sundown (Back in the Briars)
Jezebel
Grace For Saints and Ramblers
Low Light Buddy of Mine
Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me

Encore
Love Vigilantes

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