August 25, 2008
Posted by Toby on Monday, August 25th, 2008
Last night I had the pleasure of catching two of the Twin Cities finest bluegrass/folk groups - Pocahontas County and LOUDRAY - at the Acadia Cafe on the West Bank of the U. Pocahontas County played a laid back set of new and old stuff, while LOUDRAY burned through their set in their signature rawkus manner, highlighted by a clapping solo by their new box-bass player.
Here are my photos of Pocahontas County:
And here are my photos of LOUDRAY:
August 20, 2008
Posted by Toby on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
Jenny Dalton truly is a gem. An enigma to be embraced. An artist in the purest sense of the word. A musician that pushes boundaries. Rusalka’s Umbrella finds new ways to mezmerize, scare, and outright entertain. Crafted with precision and the perfect mix of great musicianship and the right amount of flair, Rasulka sits somewhere in that enchanted place between pop and avant-garde art rock.
According to Dalton’s website, “a rusalka is a female water spirit in Slavic folklore….the overarching theme (of the album) is water as an element of change.” Change clearly defines this album. It is Dalton’s best to date, her most melodic, and her most daring. It builds on the momentum developed in her early recordings and Fleur De Lily, but the way that the songs are presented has changed dramatically. If her earlier recordings were shiny, these are brilliant. If her earlier heartbreak was on display for all to see, her emotions on Rasulka remain thoughtfully hidden under an ocean of dangerous currents that say, “Enter if you dare.”
The CD-Release party for Rasulka’s Umbrella will take place on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Ritz Theater in Minneapolis. It will no doubt be a night of artistic celebration, as Dalton will be co-performing with Lamb Lays with Lion Theater Company. Also performing are Fort Wilson Riot, Massgraves, and Kill the Vultures.
August 17, 2008
Posted by Toby on Sunday, August 17th, 2008
HOLY SHITE!!! We’ve been hacked!!!
It’s actually not that bad, but I had to do a whole lot of computer nerd stuff to fix the website. Now we are back online, free of computer-transmitted-diseases (CTD’s), and ready to roll! If you have recently emailed, called, or bat-signalled us asking us to write up a review, we MIGHT be totally in the dark about your communication. Please feel free to re-send!
Very Truly Yours,
Toby C.
Editor, Lunch of Champions
July 30, 2008
Posted by Toby on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Posted by Toby on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Ummm… I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by a New Kids on the Block reunion. But I guess I am, for some reason, surprised that their new music is just as crappy as their old music. I don’t mean to pile on here, but is it really legit for 30+ year old men to be singing,
I was like, “hey, girl, can I get your number”
I remember what you told me too,
“Don’t call after ten”
But you know that I did,
‘Cause I couldn’t stop thinkin’ ’bout you.
?
Surely, their desperation for the limelight could have been better spent by doing a duet with Kid Rock or Santana.
July 29, 2008
Posted by Toby on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Nirvana recorded this version of the traditional song, “They Hung Him on a Cross”, which is on their posthumous record, With the Lights Out.
I had never heard it until this morning, when it popped up on my iTunes Party Shuffle. I must say that it moved me.
July 25, 2008
Posted by Toby on Friday, July 25th, 2008
One never knows what to expect when he clicks on a comedian doing a rap song on Youtube, but this “Everyday Normal Guy” video by Jon Lajoie is hilllllarious!
July 11, 2008
Posted by JP on Friday, July 11th, 2008
It seems like Mother Nature has something in for the Twin Cities as of late. Yesterday, the storm that I thought looked like the apocalypse made its way through the South Metro area. At my office in Richfield we were all rushed to the extreme weather shelter area - fun stuff. And portions of today’s Macy’s Day of Music at Orchestra Hall were cut short due to some more severe weather that cut across Minneapolis.
By the time I arrived downtown, I missed Haley Bolar but was able to catch The Honeydogs go on. Unfortunately, they had to play an abbreviated set of four or five songs before closing down the stage due to the incoming weather. KaiserCartel was supposed to go on next on the other outdoor stage; fortunately they moved them inside to the lobby state at Orchestra Hall.
(Benjamin and Courtney from KaiserCartel - you guessed it, they’re from Brooklyn.)
I hadn’t heard them before, but was intrigued because Chris Riemenschneider described them as a stripped down version of Rilo Kiley. I would agree with that but also add in a bit of Mates of State to the mix. Not only because they are married, but also in terms of singing dynamics and the tone of the songs. They sounded very good considering the lobby environment with a mix of acoustic guitar (Courtney Kaiser playing an open tuned Epiphone) and Benjamin Cartel spending most of him time on drums and xylophone. Their songs were both catchy and haunting. The good news is that they are playing again this weekend at the Bryant Lake Bowl with a trio of shows throughout the day. I suggest giving them a listen and swing by and see them in Lyn-Lake if you’ve got the chance this weekend.
July 7, 2008
Posted by Toby on Monday, July 7th, 2008
July 6, 2008
Posted by Toby on Sunday, July 6th, 2008
We always have great things to say about Invasion from Planet K here at Lunch of Champions. They truly are, as their myspace page states, “the hardest rockin’ guitar-driven funk band in Minneapolis!”
Their new video for “The Mysterious Professor Tweak” is quite awesome. Paying no attention to the annoying 1/10th of a second rule of video clip splicing that is partially responsible for making MTV the wasteland of anti-artistic filth that it is, Tweak cleverly transports the viewer back to the 1970’s era of music videos complete with star wipes and semi-transparent guitar solo overlays. Booyah!
Front man, Kevin Schafer pretty much sums it up in his myspace blog when he describes the video as “Campy and dated and a bunch of fun!!” Haha! Love it! Check it out:
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