Pick of the Week #10: Alela Diane - To Be Still

I've had Alela Diane in the car for about the last week (and I've been driving every day - I know, boo-driving) and I'm wondering whether I might actually like her better than Jenny Lewis/Neko Case/amIforgettingsomeoneelsehere? I'm not sure this comparison is entirely unreasonable, so, let's make the comparison (shall we?) and see how ridiculous it sounds...

Alela Diane: To Be Still has got some very good reviews on Metacritic (so I'm not completely alone in liking this) and would be dramatically higher if it wasn't for a couple of reviews that absolutely ripped the album. My feeling = if you don't like folk/country/singer-songwriter don't write a review about it... I mean, I'm not going to write about how stupid I think... say, Oprah is. At any rate, the (4) user reviews total a 9.5, so what this suggests to me is that if you like sort of thing (folk/country/singer-songwriter) its an album of the highest caliber.

Lewis/Case: On the other hand, by my count Jenny Lewis - while having a much bigger library - has thrown out a couple of stink bombs lately, namely, Acid Tongue (while the song 'Acid Tongue' is probably my favourite song she's done the album was very, very, bland) and the last Rilo Kiley album was pretty craptacular. Case though, as far as I can remember, has released pretty awesome solo albums (Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and Blacklisted) and the last two New Pornographers were good and excellent (Challengers and Twin Cinema). So, that's going to be tough to top.

The verdict: I've looked at the wiki entries for both Jenny Lewis and Neko Case and they are frighteningly impressive: awards, compilations, and apparently Case's Middle Cyclone just debuted at #3 on Billboard... so, Alela Diane (who is only 25) has some catching up to do, and probably isn't going to be as culturally relevant anytime soon, but, I think To Be Still is pretty close to being in the same league as Rabbit Fur Coat and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

That said, as cultural relevance increases so do ticket prices. So, would I rather pay $10 bucks to see Alela Diane from 10ft. or $33.50 (plus $8 - 10) to see Neko Case from 150ft. (with the entire crowd on backing vocals)? I think I'd go see Alela Diane. Part of that, it probably goes without saying, is because I have a negative $15,000 a year income right now, the other part is that I think its just more fun to see music up close - its more personal, you're supporting people who actually need the money/appreciate the attention, plus (as I understand it) you score more cool points when you tell people you're going/have gone to see a band that they've never hear of....

Pick of the Week #1: Ketch Harbour Wolves
Pick of the Week #2: Rah Rah
Pick of the Week #3: Glasvegas/Animal Collective
Pick of the Week #4: Bruce Peninsula
Pick of the Week #5: The Antlers
Pick of the Week #6: The Darcys
Pick of the Week #7: OhbijouPick of the Week #8: Gentlemen Husbands
Pick of the Week #9: Chris Whitley

Blitzen Trapper w/ Alela Diane @ The Horseshoe Tavern Feb. 21.2009.

(Blitzen Trapper ft. bizzaro Dirk Nowitzki and bizzaro Seth Rogan)

There were a crowd of us that went out to the (Legendary) Horseshoe Tavern last night... and I've come to conclusion that people from northern Ontario should not be allowed to drink. Kudos to Mr. G for organizing the tickets, etc. for last night.

Alela Diane (pronounced A-Leila) went on first and I wasn't really sure what to expect from her. What I heard on her myspace was pretty underwhelming, but her latest album, To Be Still (out now) got an 82 on Metacritic, which is pretty impressive. So, myspace - meh, new album reviews - good, either way I was interested to see her set and went in with an open mind.

She was really impressive... to the point where I would put her in the same league as Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, and Lurlene! She has this really cool Sarah McLauglin(sp? - I'm not looking this up)esque flourish to her voice, which provided a nice contrast with the kind of plodding sound of the band (which featured her dad!). And, while I'm there, who tours with their dad? Really? Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of being in a band?

Great set. Really looking forward to hearing To Be Still.

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Things heated up for Blitzen Trapper. Literally. In a after-3-songs-I-was-drenched-in-sweat kind of way. At one point I seriously considered taking my shirt off, but I didn't want to distract people from the band... it would've been rude.

So, while BT isn't necessarily my scene, I had a great time (hooray for friends and not going to see a show alone!) and I def. understand why the party people in the 'shoe last night were really into the band. I mean, BT was a band that pretty clearly understood how to put on a show and put together a set-list. They spread out their most popular songs, they knew when to slow things down and amp things up, and they jammed, but it wasn't like we were at a Greatful Dead concert (although, there was at least one teacher candidate in the crowd that would've been really into that).

... apollo-geez for spelling/grammar mistake this morning, the Real World: Brooklyn has been really compelling this morning...

[mp3] Alela Diane - My Brambles (live @ the Horseshoe)
[mp3] Blitzen Trapper - Big Black Bird (live @ the Horseshoe)
[mp3] Blitzen Trapper - Stolen Shoes & a Rifle (live @ the Horseshoe)
... thanks Scott!

Adele Diane (and friends)


(Let's hear it for Mike Commodore on the drums!)




Blitzen Trapper