Best of 2013 - Concerts

Looking back it's been a pretty great year for concerts. The particular highlight for me has been bands either making their debut tour of the country or returning after a long absence. Probably the only semi-regular visitors that made the list are Yo La Tengo and Paul Kelly/Neil Finn. One final point, I've included links to the recordings (if I did them) but this is a list of the best concerts, regardless of the quality of the recording.

Weezer  - Palais 17 January

Weezer's Blue album show at Sidney Myer was pretty bad - as usual the sound was awful and the crowd were mediocre. The Pinkerton show at the Palais, on the other hand, was fantastic, and this is coming from a casual fan attending a show clearly aimed at the fans. Rather than kicking off with a hits set, they mixed in a bunch of rarities, all of them well played and getting a raptuous response. The Pinkerton set was also good and the sound at the Palais (as normal) was pristine.

Childish Gambino - HiFi 23 January

Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) proved to anyone who thought that this was going to be a comedy rap act that, not only was he deadly serious, but he has more energy and performing chops than acts that don't have to juggle an incredibly successful television writing and acting career. There are starting to be rumours that he may be making a return visit soon. This show sold out in minutes, so if the rumours turn to reality, make sure to get in quick.

Waterboys - Hamer Hall 30 January
 
Low expectations always help to make a good show and, even though I knew there was more to the Waterboys than The Whole of the Moon, I didn't realise just how deep their catalogue is or suspect that, unlike many of their peers, they retain the ability to put on a hell of a show. Obviously the cover of Purple Rain was great (and unexpected), but I particularly liked hearing all the originals that I'd somehow missed, despite their greatness. Plus it didn't hurt that Mike Scott seemed to have a genuine soft spot for Melbourne that went beyond 'It's great to be in [insert name of city]".

Divine Fits - Corner 4 February
 
Divine Fits' album A Thing Called Divine Fits made my best albums of 2012 list, and their Laneway sideshow demonstrated that they could easily transfer that to the stage (as if anyone could doubt this of a band featuring both the vocalist from Spoon and Handsome Furs). My only disappointment was that Japandroids were side stage but never made an appearance.

Paul Kelly & Neil Finn - Palais 4 March
 
At the time I said that this would be one of those tours that people would find hard to believe had happened. Back in the day we would have had to let our imaginations run wild about what they actually sounded like, but now we can listen to bootlegs (and, of course, the official CD/DVD from Sydney) to know that these shows were magical. These shows were great from start to finish, but it's hard not to single out their solo performance of each others songs (as Neil Finn said, Paul Kelly really owns Into Temptation now).

Bruce Springsteen - Rod Laver 24 &26 March
 
These were both phenomenal shows and it's great to see him returning in 2014 (with Tom Morello and Steve Van Zandt in tow). These are both very good recordings of outstanding shows with very varied sets. It'll be hard for him to top these, but if he even makes it in the ballpark they'll be great shows.

Matthew E White - Northcote Social Club 3 June
 
This was a show I only reluctantly went to, but it turned out to be great. Matthew E White is probably best described as a soul singer, but that doesn't really do justice to where he fits in the musical world. Probably best to just download this and hear for yourself.

Milk Carton Kids - St Kilda MeMo 8 June
 
The Milk Carton Kids are an amazing bluegrass band that bring to the table the extra bonus of being incredibly funny at their live shows. Unfortunately this isn't a great recording, but I'll be putting up a soundboard recording from around the same time in a few weeks.

Yo La Tengo - Hamer 18 October
 
I saw Yo La Tengo on their last tour and wasn't particularly impressed, but this set was really great, even if Hamer Hall was probably an optimistically large venue. The quiet set/loud set format was a good way of letting them showcase their diverse back catalogue, which they did with great success. Anyone that missed out will get another chance to see them when they do a full Australian tour in a few months.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Forum 15 & 16 November

Lastly, Neutral Milk Hotel. I never thought there would be even the faintest chance of seeing this band. But not only did they turn up in Australia, they out on some great shows. With only two albums (and some b-sides and outtakes) to choose from, there isn't a lot of variety in the sets, but the songs are all great. The next big challenge is whether they choose to release any new material.

Johhny Marr - Corner Hotel, 4 January 2014

I saw Johnny Marr way back at 7 Worlds Collide in 2009. He was good, but only sang two songs, so it was hard to make too much of it. And although I like the Smiths, I'm hardly a massive fan. But I figured that he was someone to see at least once, so I trundled along to this show. It ended up being really good, the two key things I was concerned about (the quality of his voice and the calibre of his solo material) turned out not be issues at all. Even though he played 10 songs off his new solo album, The Messenger, none of them were weak, which is pretty impressive really. Plus of course there were a bunch of Smiths songs, all done really well.

The audio quality here is really good, consistent with the best I've done. Hopefully this one doesn't get missed because of how much stuff is going up at the moment

The Right Thing Right
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Upstarts
Sun and Moon
The Crack Up
Panic
New Town Velocity
The Messenger
Lockdown
Say Demesne
Generate! Generate!
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Word Starts Attack
I Want the Heartbeat
How Soon is Now?

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
The Hop
I Fought the Law
Getting Away with It
There is a Light That Never Goes Out

https://mega.co.nz/#F!0c0hAAKA!WPTS2s0ZZCsIO6J46cBoTQ

The Phoenix Foundation - Big Day Out (Auckland), 17 January 2014

These guys don't have a big following in Australia, so there might not be too much interest in this recording. If that's the case it'd be a pity because they're a really really good band, and this is a pretty decent recording.

Despite not being a band with a bunch of radio hits or a huge following, they put on a really good show that engaged the moderately sized crowd in attendance. The set mixes songs from across their entire career, and they even throw in a new track (a bit ballsy at a festival, but it's a really good song [Bob Lennon & John Dylan] and didn't lose the crowd). It'd be nice if these guys came across at some stage, hopefully a few people will check this out and go along if they do.

40 Years
Bitte Bitte
Orange & Mango
Bob Lennon & John Dylan
Supernatural
Bright Grey
Sideways Glance
Buffalo

https://mega.co.nz/#F!0NUinB5C!JQUiUGj46TAJ19g_S7tmpg

Best of 2013 - Music (Part 1)

  
Pretty late to put up a best of 2013, but here they are nonetheless. First up is my best albums of last year. Like the 2012 edition, this focuses on the best albums I bought last year, regardless of when they were actually released.

I bought lots of really great albums last year, so I've split this list into two random parts.

Belle & Sebastian - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds

This two CD set pulls together the various B&S b-sides and rarities (of which there are many). The band clearly produce more quality material than fits of their records, because the quality here is high. They've also just released a new CD pulling together all the outtakes etc released since this one.

Divine Fits - A Thing Called...

Hard to go wrong with a band featuring Britt Daniel & Dan Boeckner. I wasn't initially sure what to make of this record since it doesn't quite sound like what I'd expected, but judged on it's own terms its a really great album (and their show at the Corner was great too).

Handsome Furs - Plague Park

After getting into the Divine Fits album I went out and grabbed some Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade records. My favourite (at least so far) is Plague Park. There's probably only one or two albums that I've listened to more times, which is a reflection of the fact that this is such a focussed album that maintains itself incredibly well.

Mahalia Jackson - Newport 1958

And now for something completely different. Mahalia Jackson is one of the great gospel singers and this is one of her most famous albums. The songs are beautiful, her voice is amazing and the crowd are enthusiastic. If you only own one gospel record this is the one to go for.

Mutton Birds - Salty

I'm a big fan of the Mutton Birds/Don McGlashan (I've posted a nice recording of his 2012 solo show and will be putting up a good recording of his show with Dave Dobbyn a couple of months back). Salty is the band's second album and, although it maybe doesn't quite reach the heights of their self-titled debut, tracks like The Heater, Wellington, and Queen's English ensure that this is still a classic.

Otis Redding - Otis Blu/Otis Redding Sings Soul

I think some of Otis' live recordings made last years best of list, but in my opinion if you only own one album, this is the one to go for. It might not contain his most famous song, but it does have the original version of Respect, Shake, I've Been Loving You Too Long, and his cover of the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction (which Keith Richards said sounded the way he had originally intended it to).

Waterboys - This Is the Sea

The Waterboys show was great, and this is their best known (and arguably best) album. That's in large part because of the presence of The Whole of the Moon, but every track on this album deserves five stars.

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

I wasn't particularly impressed by their Laneway show, and the sideshow was damaged by forces beyond their control, but this is still a great record.

Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

I'm not very good at picking what songs/albums/bands will prove to be successful. I would have put money on Sharon Van Etten's Serpents being a big hit, with it's catchy tune, great lyrics, and sing/yell along chorus (Serpents in my mind!). But I would have lost that money. Hopefully her next album will have something that sends people back to discover her back catalogue, because this is an album that deserved a much wider audience.

Paul Kelly - A to Z Recordings

The accompanying book made my best books list and the recording is just as good. This approach is much better than just putting out a massive 'best of' box set like most artists do. It really makes me wish I had a long road trip coming up so I could listen to it from start to finish.

Dave Dobbyn & Don McGlashan - Thornbury Theatre, 28 November 2013

Like I said earlier, lots of concerts to sort out, including a few old ones. Finally got round to sorting this one out, and it's actually really good. I was a bit late getting to the venue, so there is a tiny bit of russling as they come onstage, but things are sorted by the first song.

The setlist wasn't what I would have gone for, but it is pretty varied and includes a lot of great songs. The crowd was fairly small, but enthusiastic. Lots of New Zealanders I suspect, which usually means people looking for a taste of home, but not actually interested in paying any attention. Fortunately, this crowd is boisterous, but focussed on the music.

If you like this one, I also recorded Dave Dobbyn and Don McGlashan's last solo shows in Melbourne. You can find them via the links on the right.

Beside You
Queen of the Night
Belltower
Andy
Up Above the Rain
Last Year's Shoes
It Dawned on Me
White Valiant
Song of the Year

Blindman's Bend
While You Sleep
Kingdom Come
Toy Factory Fire
Whaling
Girl Make Your Own Mind Up
Maybe the Rain
Bathe in the River
Loyal
Anchor Me
Language

Dominion Road
Welcome Home

https://mega.co.nz/#F!4VE3jRgI!v3YOhWZg401bgF1fddH_PA

Arcade Fire - Big Day Out (Auckland), 17 January 2014

Soooo many shows to process and put up (plus lots more that I'll be recording in the next month or so). This is the first show Arcade Fire have performed (outside promotional shows) for their new album, so it might be interesting for fans. I was interested to hear the way they managed to incorporate the new elements from Reflektor into older songs. Unfortunately, there was a bit of wind in the early part of their set and I was moving around a bit to find a good spot, so there's a bit of occassional russling that dies away after a few songs. This was a really great set, but the recording isn't super, I'm hoping to get something better at one of their upcoming shows.

Ready to Start
Flashbulb Eyes
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Joan of Arc
The Suburbs/The Suburbs (Continued)
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Haïti
Afterlife
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Reflektor
My Body is a Cage
Keep the Car Running
Normal Person
Rebellion (Lies)
Here Comes the Night Time
Wake Up

https://mega.co.nz/#F!tcNWBDwZ!CojmOW5uiwJ7dgopeIk16A

James Brown - Soul Train

Something a little different for the new year. This is James Brown on the Soul Train show back in 1973. I prefer his early material (grab Live at the Apollo for a taste of early songs in a live setting, but this one offers a mix of earlier soul songs and later funk). Although James Brown still had some great years to come, it's fair to say that this catches him at the peak of his powers.

Hot Pants
Get Up (I Feel Like a) Sex Machine
Get on the Good Foot
Soul Power
Make it Funky
Cold Sweat
Try Me
Please, Please, Please
Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud
Super Bad
Papa Don't Take No Mess
My Thang
Hell
The Payback
Damn Right, I Am Somebody

https://mega.co.nz/#F!IM82AT6Y!HGVtkEIttphnsZeMGWzH0Q

Greg Johnson - A Collection

One good source of free albums is sampler put out by bands and record labels to help promote themselves. These are often good ways to find out about new bands, I stumbled upon Japandroids on a sampler from their record label and have gone on to buy stuff from their label mates from subsquent samplers.

This one is from Greg Johnson, a New Zealand singer-songwriter who writes quite a few catchy songs. There are only seven tracks, but that's probably all you need to figure out whether you want to bother with any more of his stuff or not.

http://gregjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/a-collection