FoeWeel !!! ???

As another year approaches it’s finale, I find it harder to reflect on such a length of time, or actually remember the time during the year that an event actually took place.  A week, or two may work for me, but months are getting tougher to remember without some type of visual aid.  Every year, even though I do enjoy lists, I tell myself that I will not do a year end list, especially this year when I barely could find 10 albums worth listing, but in the last few weeks I’ve found a few more candidates that have found itself burned onto CD’s and in my car.  This list is what I discovered in 2009, so the bulk of it was released this year, but some were released in 2008, or even earlier.

The shows that I attended this year, according to my computer’s calendar: Lykke Li, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Doves, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Wighonomy Bros, Micachu, Tune-Yards (4times), Bon Iver, Flight of the Conchords, The Jesus Lizard, McCoy Tyner.

Have a great holiday season, and remember to share music, always !!! Also, our good friends at Red Choo Choo have extended their holiday coupon for our readers.  Please enter FOEWEEL at check out for a 10% off coupon until the end of the year.

2009 Best Albums (in no particular order)

Bibio-Ambivalence Avenue (Warp) Lover’s Carving

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Fever Ray – Fever Ray (Mute) If I Had A Heart

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The XX – XX (Young Turks) Basic Space

__________________________________________________________________________ Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote/Loyaute) Girlfriend

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Matias Aguayo - Ay Ay Ay (Kompakt) Rollerskate

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St. Vincent – Actor (4AD) Save Me From What I Want

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Beach House – Devotion (Carpark) Heart Of Chambers

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Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca (Domino) No Intention

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Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)

Summertime Clothes

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Micahu & The Shapes – Jewellery (Rough Trade) Vulture

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Tune-Yards – Bird Brains (4AD/Marriage) Lions

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Mix of the Year:
Richie Hawtin – Tsugi 100th Podcast (Big Outside Festival 2009 Live Mix)

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Reissue of the Year:
Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (Sony) Cop Shoot Cop (Demo)

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Compilation of the Year:
5: 5 Years of Hyperdub (Hyperdub) Burial – Fostercare

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Live Recording of the Year:
Jeff Buckley – Live @ King Theater, Seattle May 7th 1995 (Sony) What Will You Say

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Box Set, Old but New Release of the Year:
Ella Fitzgerald – Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Hip-O Select) Angel Eyes

Red Choo Choo is open for business. Help out the kids at 826, and buy a 826 Flower shirt !!!
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Micachu, Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, July 22, 2009

Here’s the video of the last song, Hardcore from that evening.

Micachu & The Shapes – Hardcore (Live @ Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco 07.22.09).

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tUnE-YaRdS, The Palace, Berkeley, August 11, 2009

This past Tuesday, we had the pleasure of going to Berkeley to some random house where Tune-Yards, along with some other talented musicians played in essentially what is normally used as a living room. We could only stay for 2 songs by Tune-Yards, and James Miska and friends were also a talented group. I have video of tune-Yards playing ‘News’, but due to low-lighting, the picture was less than ideal, so I ripped the audio from it. She started out by sampling 2 beats from the floor and then towards the end of the song, she samples her voice twice which created this nice harmony for her to sing over. An incredible experience which basically took place in someone’s living room with about 20 people huddled about on the floor. Enjoy.

tUnE-YaRdS – News (Live @ The Palace, Berkeley, August 11, 2009)

Green Glen, San Francisco

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The Dirty Projectors show from a few weeks back was inspirational. Great harmonies and songs to compliment an incredible album, Bitte Orca. The only thing that annoyed me aside from the drunk girl behind us slurring to everyone to dance their way out of a narrow thru-way to the bathroom, was the one singer of the group who’s vocal gymnastics was better left at home in front of a mirror.

The Micachu & The Shapes show was great as well, but not for the headliner, who was good and spirited, but for the opening act of Tune-Yards. Similar to when Wildbirds & Peacedrums opened up for Lykke Li, you could tell with each song, more and more of the audience became caught in the grasp of her musical sermon. With face paint on, a mini drum kit, a ukulele all being sampled, looped and her powerful multi-octave voice, this performer from Montreal made people move to her beat. Amazing.

Tune-Yards – Fiya - From her Bird-Brains album which will be re-released by 4AD, all recorded on a voice recorder, a great album to match a performer who has the talents to exceed any expectation.

Audion – I Am The Car - aka Matthew Dear, False….a subtle approach and a direction which makes your mind move.

The Mighty Lemon Drops – At Midnight – 1989, the year that I graduated high school, and the year that this song was released. Wow. Off of Laughter, a favorite of mine around that time, and I think it still stands up pretty well now. I remember going to see them in Washington DC at the 9:30 club with House of Love.

Rain Machine – Give Blood - This one is from Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio). It has the slippery off the edge vocal takes from Malone and the off kilter songs that made his songs from TVOTR’s last release, some of the best on the album.

SF Walking Architecture Tour, Crown Zellerbach Building with Shell Building Reflection

Micachu – Golden Phone – When I was younger, and my mom fed me food that looked unusual to me, I would always refuse to eat it, or even try it. I knew I would hate it. Of course, later on in life, I’ve come to love that particular food, and regret not trying it before. This Micachu person is that food and it’s some of the strangest and most unique cuisines that I have tried in a long time. It will help with your digestion and make everything else you try seem bland. A true artist that takes acoustic guitars, electronics and blends it up for a never ending food fight.

Micachu – Calculator – (see above)
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Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Pony – This husband and wife team from Sweden opened up for the Lykke Li show recently at the Fillmore. What seemed like a Patti Smith reincarnation had me captivated with a voice that stayed in pitch with minimal strums and spare, but tribal percussive strikes.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Lost Love (see above)
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Ella Fitzgerald – Cheek To Cheek – Standards, Jazz, Pop, the smoothest voice of perfection.

Ella Fitzgerald – Summertime featuring Louis Armstrong