VideoTape #8

A Poet Named Revolver, "Gypster"

Meets Gruesome (No Kings Record, 2007)

Director: Geoffrey Sexton

VideoTape #7

The Dawns, "Mirage"

Dawns/Pink Priest-Split (Bathetic Records, 2009)

Director: The Dawns

Sonic Youth > Coliseu do Porto > Live Recording

If it wasn't for the two encores, this would have been a very nice concert from a band that proved to still be -- as if they needed to -- in great shape. With the two encores featuring songs as "Candle" and "Death Valley 69" this was a memorable concert. I'm not one of those who thinks that Sonic Youth should be paying more attention to their old stuff. No, they don't really need to. They're still releasing good and relevant material. Yesterday -- as in their recent shows, with the exception of two dates in Spain last week due to Mark Ibold's absence -- they played The Eternal almost in its entirety in a bit more than one hour plus two songs from Sister, "(I Got A) Catholic Block" and "Stereo Sanctity". The album works extremely well live, but it was the last four songs that made the night so special. And this is not a bad sign. This is what happens when a band has to carry the burden of releasing albums such as Daydream Nation and EVOL relatively early in their career. Albums that were not only genre-defining, but also crashed into people's lives and crossed generations.

The recording is not as bad as i thought it would be, considering the high, echoing ceiling of Porto's Coliseum and the fact that i was way more focused on Kim Gordon's legs than on my recorder. Anyway, you can tell for yourself.

Setlist

1. No Way | 2. Sacred Trickster | 3. Calming The Snake | 4. Anti-Orgasm | 5. (I Got A) Catholic Block | 6. Malibu Gas Station | 7. What We Know | 8. Antenna | 9. Leaky Life Boat | 10. Stereo Sanctity | 11. Walkin Blue | 12. Poison Arrow | 13. Massage The History | (Encore 1) | 14. The Sprawl | 15. Cross The Breeze | (Encore 2) | 16. Candle | 17. Death Valley 69

Sonic Youth - Sacred Trickster Live At Coliseu by ashtapes
Sonic Youth - Candle Live at Coliseu by ashtapes

Download: Sonic Youth at Coliseu do Porto

Crystal Antlers + Times New Viking + The Sticks > Plano B > Live Recording

I wanted to see Crystal Antlers live since I heard their terrific first EP on Touch&Go two years ago. And last night's show - their first in Portugal - did not disappoint at any level. Actually I was surprised with how faithful they are to their sound on record. They go from tempestuous noise songs to more contemplative and organ-driven moves, giving everything they have in each song, as you could see from the sweaty faces, some shirtless bodies and an incredible percussionist named Sexual Chocolate who played cymbals and hand-drums while doing a sort of odd tribal dance. Great concert.
Before Crystal Antlers we had The Sticks playing a very cool, very cheerful 60's-influenced punk and Times New Viking. These last ones were a total bummer. That nice lo-fi garage they have on record was completely lost on stage and replaced by some flimsy rock songs. Nothing else to add, besides that I regret having recorded their whole performance and just one song from The Sticks.
The Crystal Antlers' live recording includes 3 songs I couldn't identify (one of them was "recorded last month in Mexico"), one surprising Bob Dylan cover and a very special moment - Crystal Antlers playing an unorthodox Happy Birthday to the promoter of the show. Lucky guy!

Crystal Antlers - Vexation Live at Plano B by ashtapes
Times New Viking - Live #8 by ashtapes
The Sticks Live at Plano B by ashtapes

Set List
1. Until The Sun Dies (Part 2) | 2. Vexation | 3. Dead Horses | 4. ??? | 5. Little Sister | (6. Happy Birthday Joaquim) | 7. Andrew | 8. A Thousand Eyes | 9. ??? | 10. ??? | 11. Owl | 12. Swollen Sky | 13. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan) | 14. Parting Song For The Torn Sky

Download: Crystal Antlers at Plano B

Download: Times New Viking at Plano B

VideoTape #6

How To Dress Well, "Decisions" (feat.Yuksel Arslan)

Can't See My Own Face - The Eternal Love Pt 2 (Self Released, 2010)

Director: Jamie Harley

M*ASHtape #5

Fighting against my own confusion about genres, about what it means no-fi or no-wave nowadays, I'm finally done with this last mixtape. Just few songs in which I'm really into lately + some discovered in my research for new sounds and no-melodies.

Download

jamaican_tune-yards | DedNd_gonjasufi | no coins for a kingdom_the creeping nobodies | clear light_mi ami | ethiopia_wet dog | untitled III_raccoo-oo-oon | sharpen the knife_explode into colors | 100 apaches_el resplandor | bravery_WEAVE! | greenock_pumice

Um Beijinho Para A Minha Mãe > Passos Manuel > Live Recording

A friend of mine organized this 2-day, 100% new portuguese music festival in Porto - so new that some of the bands were actually playing live for the first time. I particularly enjoyed a sort of jam session between Manuel Gião and Lobster's drummer (and a hell of a drummer) Ricardo Martins. I'll leave you with a few recordings I made from each act and myspace links, in case this whets your appetite.

Manuel Gião + Ricardo Martins
myspace.com/manuelgiao
myspace.com/wearelobsters
Manuel Gião & Ricardo Martins at Passos Manuel by ashtapes

Dreams
myspace.com/dreamsdontloveyou
Dreams Live at Passos Manuel by ashtapes

Coelho Radioactivo
myspace.com/ocoelhoradioactivo
Coelho Radioactivo at Passos Manuel by ashtapes

Cão da Morte
myspace.com/ocaodamorte
Cão da Morte at Passos Manuel by ashtapes

Peltzer
myspace.com/peltzermusic
Peltzer - Live at Passos Manuel by ashtapes

VideoTape #5

Active Child, "Wilderness"
Curtis Lane (out on May, Merok Records, 2010)
Director: Jheri Evans

M*ASHtape #4

This is just a short mixtape I made some days ago, nothing special. It was essentially inspired by Wooden Shjips, whose psychedelic rock is one of my favorite things to listen to lately. Don't ask me why it starts with this Robert Wyatt song, but somehow that makes sense in my mind. I hope it works.

Download

p.l.a._robert wyatt | losin' time_wooden shjips | bounce four_gary war | dead west_moon duo | dreamcatcher panoramic_young prisms | visits_forest swords | in the back_religious knives | brotherhood of the harvest_comets on fire | poison tree_grouper

Kylesa > Porto Rio > Live Recording

Here's the live recording of Kylesa's first concert in Portugal. I was never a metal guy, but thanks to this wonderful promoter I've been opening my horizons to some heavier stuff. There was a very good atmosphere in the room, almost everyone was jumping and moshing and screaming like crazy. I think Kylesa pretty much gave people what they wanted: 1 hour of epic hard-core songs full of energy and anger.

The beginning of the recording is a bit strange, but in general the sound is good and you can really feel the vibe of the crowd. Stream "Running Red" and one song from the opening band, Dark Castle, below. Download link is at the end of the post.

Kylesa - Running Red Live at Porto Rio by ashtapes

Dark Castle - Live at Porto Rio by ashtapes

Download: Kylesa at Porto Rio

M*ASHtape #3

Download

eXorcism of the hippies_mater suspiria vision | heat high_fostercare | boyz_modern witch | SaiLoRs bLaCK virGiN miLFs_GR†LLGR†LL | sOng fO u_martin norman johanssons | sounds of sunday_snow in texas | your world is night_sleep ∞ over | akko_water borders | sedsumting_oOoOO | PALMS der koening (YIY ZU edit)_twYlYZoNe | suffocation_white ring | redlights_salem

VideoTape #4

Mirror Mirror, "New Horizons"
The Society for the Advancement of Inflammatory Consciousness (Cochon Records, 2008)
Director: Mirror Mirror

A post for Phil

As there's nothing from Phil Selway's debut solo record out there yet and we got the chance to record him live this week with Lisa Germano in Porto, we decided to put all the 11 songs he played in one folder (without the talking/clapping parts), so you can have a closer look to what Radiohead's drummer is working on. Sounds good, hmm?

Tracklist:
All Eyes On You | The Ties That Bind Us | Patron Saint | Running Blind | What Goes Around | Every Spit And Cough | Breaking Promises | By Some Miracle | Falling | Don't Look Down |The Witching Hour

Download

Lisa Germano + Phil Selway > Casa da Música > Live Recording

I didn't really know what to expect from this Lisa Germano + Phil Selway show. I knew they were going to be together on stage, but i didn't know what they were playing exactly. It came out to be an intimate, informal and unusual concert: each one played their own stuff alternately (check the setlist below), Lisa exploring mostly her latest album, Magic Neighbors, on the piano and Phil introducing his debut solo record to be released later this year. This was the last show of their tour together and they were joined by multi-instrumentalists Sebastian Steinberg and David Coulter. Lisa Germano is a brilliant singer-songwriter with a great voice and live her songs get a new and bigger dimension. While Lisa was singing, Phil basically stayed there still, sat down behind his floor tom watching her. As for Radiohead's drummer, he is essentially playing beautiful and stripped down folkish songs on his acoustic guitar with the support of some strings and Lisa's piano or electric guitar. No echoes of Thom Yorke and Co. here. It reminded me of some Wilco (who are producing his upcoming album) and Josh Rouse.

The live recording came out with a very good quality (turn the volume a bit up to take the most of it). I split the files, but there are no cuts. I hope you enjoy it.

Here's two previews of the show and at the end you can download the whole thing:

Lisa Germano - Snow Live at Casa da Musica by ashtapes
Phil Selway - Breaking Promises Live at Casa da Musica by ashtapes

Setlist:
Lisa Germano:
1. Pearls | 2. In the Land of the Fairies | 3. The Prince of the Plati | 4. From a Shell
Phil Selway:
5. The Ties That Bind Us | 6. Patron Saint | 7. Running Blind | 8. What Goes Around | 9. Every Spit and Cough
Lisa Germano:
10. Simple | 11. A Million Times | 12. Magic Neighbors | 13. Suli-Mon | 14. Snow | 15. Electrified
Phil Selway:
16. Breaking Promises | 17. By Some Miracle | 18. Falling | 19. Don't Look Down | 20. The Witching Hour
Lisa Germano:
21. It's Party Time
(Encore)
Phil Selway: 22. All Eyes on You
Lisa Germano: 23. Except for the Ghosts

Download: Lisa Germano + Phil Selway at Casa da Música

M*ASHtape #2

Download

running scared_dead luke | stay, don't stay_dead gaze | vireo's eye_future islands | #4_washed out | 8 / 29 / 91_foxes in fiction | milky way_danger beach | royal orange_CAMPFIRES | the morning sun_false jesii | water tongue_aaron martin

VideoTape #3

Felix Kubin, "Hotel Super Nova"
Jetlag Disco (A-Music, 2002)
Director: Mariola Brillowska