PHOTOS: The New Pornographers in Salt Lake City, Utah

The New Pornographers performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, at a free concert in Pioneer Park. The concert was part of the Twilight Concert Series, and acts booked this year include Modest Mouse, Matisyahu, Beirut, and more.

By Matthew Montgomery Aug 01, 2010 Photos Comments (0)

PHOTOS: Reel Big Fish in St. George

Third-wave ska outfit Reel Big Fish made their first appearance in St. George in ten years; to see them again was a real treat for the young St. George audience. Here are some photos for your viewing.

By Matthew Montgomery Mar 28, 2010 Photos, Southern Utah Comments (0)

PHOTOS: Harper in Cedar City

Apologies for the spotty posting the last week — some unforeseen circumstances (I now need reading glasses, and operating for extended periods without them is intolerable) have caused a bit of a slow-down. Thanks to our friend Steven Swift, Cedar City musician and artist, we’ve got some photos from the Harper show at Groovacious last night. Check out his photostream on Flickr.

By Matthew Montgomery Mar 25, 2010 Photos, Southern Utah Comments (0)

Revolver Records thrives amidst record store closures

T.J. from Revolver Records from MusicGeek.org on Vimeo.

T.J. Jordan has a bold goal: to run the last record store in existence. When T.J. Jordan opened Revolver Records on Sept. 1, 2007, most people would have written it off as a pipe dream destined for failure. Two years later, Jordan and his staff are thriving at the Phoenix-based record store.

The store’s success, Jordan said, is down to one thing: It’s appealing to music lovers in search of something new.

“The people who come into record stores are coming in because they want something unique,” he said. “They’re not coming into to buy the latest Lil Wayne record. The only way record stores are going to stay in business is by appealing to the people who actually want to buy records.”

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By Matthew Montgomery Mar 20, 2010 Interviews, News, Record Stores at the Crossroads, Regional MusicGeek, Video Comments (0)

Wes Anderson flexes musical muscle in The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson, film director known best for emergent classics like The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore clearly knows what he’s doing with film — but can we say the same about the use of music in his films?

The Royal Tenenbaums proved definitive in capturing the feel of music in a Wes Anderson film; by now, it has become a trait of his cinematic auteur theory. The overarching style — especially as it’s exercised in the film — is most crisply defined by the Mutato Muzika Orchestra’s rendition of the Paul McCartney-penned classic, “Hey Jude.” Replete with harpsichord, the track defines the mood and feel of the film as a whole.

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While we may be able to attribute much of the musical consistency across Anderson films to the use of the Mutato Muzika Orchestra — the Mark Mothersbaugh-helmed production company has also made at least some appearance on Anderson’s Bottle RocketRushmore, and The Life Aquatic — we can pinpoint some other important attributes of Anderson films that extend beyond Mutato Muzika.

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By Matthew Montgomery Mar 13, 2010 MovieGeek, Music and Film, MusicGeek.org, Playlists, Video Comments (0)

Drum legend Lenny White to release new solo album

Lenny White with Stanley Clark 1976 Credit: Tom Marcello

Lenny White, best known for his work on drums in fusion jazz outfit Return to Forever, is readying his first release in ten years as band leader. Anomaly, White’s effort, comes off the back of a worldwide tour in 2008 with Return to Forever and a 2009 tour with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke — together, they make up three-quarters of the group’s 2008 tour.

 

“We need to restart a revolution so that we can take back the music and stop the fluff,” White said in a press release from publicity group Big Hassle. “I’m hoping that this new album is a representation of that ideal.”

White’s most recent effort includes collaboration with Pink Floyd alumnus David Gilmore and former bandmate Stanley Clarke, as well as other musicians from jazz and rock music alike.

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By Matthew Montgomery Mar 11, 2010 News, Video Comments (0)

Pavement videos a classic view of ’90s indie rock

Just time for something short today — here’s a quick collection of Pavement music videos. Classic ’90s indie rock for you; awesome.
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By Matthew Montgomery Mar 10, 2010 Video Comments (0)

Latest from Aloha, Home Acres, blasts indie prog into perspective

The latest effort from American indie outfit Aloha is bold and refreshing: While not necessarily the pinnacle of progressive indie rock from Aloha, it’s 1) something new, and 2) something good. How many other indie rock bands are out using marimbas and bells? Home Acres features plenty of their musical trademark, but we get some delicious additions. The guitars are  magnanimous in their distorted quality, and I think at one point, we may hear an idiophone with gourds — maybe the balafon — resonating and buzzing away. Home Acres hits shelves tomorrow.

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By Matthew Montgomery Mar 08, 2010 Albums in Brief, News, Video Comments (0)