2011

Ani DiFranco: The Fillmore San Francisco, CA 4/06/2011

All in all, it was certainly an off night for Ani DiFranco and her band. But for a performer who is such a regular fixture on the folk circuit, it’s both understandable and forgivable. Still, as DiFranco continues to advance in her career, she could learn from going back and revisiting some of the rawness and emotional honesty of her earlier records to invigorate some of the new work with a similar empathy

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The Arcade Fire: Comerica Theatre, Phoenix, AZ 4/13/11

The Arcade Fire re-write the rules of what a rock band looks like, appearing as the “high school band geeks” gone rock star cool. And as the band and fans sang in unison "ooh ooh ooh oooh” on the set finale “Wake Up,"  the Comerica Theater sounded like a World Cup soccer match – call it a win-win night for all in attendance.

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TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light

Two and a half years removed from Dear Science, TVOTR has returned from their “indefinite hiatus” with a record that is thematic of love and the mind/body universal connection. 

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Friday Mix Tape: Honky Tonk Jukebox

For this week’s Friday Mix Tape we turn the column over to Bret from SupDudeSupGuy for a wonderful collection of honky tonk tunes. This compilation features tracks from the likes

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Televised Tune: On The Tube This Weekend

Late last summer HT faves Grace Potter & the Nocturnals played a set focused on their 2010 self-titled release in front of a few hundred fans assembled in Manhattan’s Bryant

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Friday For the Foodies – L.A. Adventure 2011 Pt 1: Hamburgers & Hot Dogs

Well, I am back from my vacation to the west coast to see some friends and eat some good L.A. food. I know in my last posting  F4tF: Los Angeles, the Return I had some lofty goals like Sushi Zo and Totoraku. However, early on into the trip I realized this was going to be a “the plan is to have no plan” vacation. So with that being said, here is my first dining recap from the trip, appropriately titled Hamburgers & Hot Dogs.


Now I know when most of us east coasters hit the west coast the first thing we do is head to In-n-Out Burger. I had planned to as well. I even tweeted “Wheels down at LAX, ETA for double double animal style less than 30 minutes.” That however was not meant to be as this trip I decided to stop off at Unamiburger which was named Burger of the Year for 2010 by Alan Richman of GQ Magazine. Just by luck I happened to stop by the same Unamiburger location he did at 850 South La Brea Avenue in L.A.

I have to say, I was very impressed with the flavor and texture of the burger. Not quite as great as The Best Burger in America from Le Tub in Miami, but damn good otherwise.

READ ON for more on Jon’s trip to Los Angeles…

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Eisley: The Valley

On Eisley’s third album, The Valley (2011), anger and desperation act as both the record’s centerpiece and Achilles heel. Those looking for a return to the ethereal angst-laden dream-pop of Combinations (2007) or Room Noises (2003) are certainly in for some disappointment. The songs on The Valley are deeply rooted in the visceral rawness of heartbreak and the ensuing waves of disillusionment, wrath and desolation.

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Toad the Wet Sprocket: Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 3/31/11

In the 20 plus songs and slightly less than two hours Toad the Wet Sprocket played in the Ballroom at Higher Ground 3/31, virtually none of the tunes sounded appreciably different than the original recordings some of which date back 25 years. Yet, based on the scattered but nonetheless hearty acclamation so many of those tunes received, the band still hits a chord with their audience, perhaps for that very familiarity.

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