So to say I'm a little excited would be an understatement. There's probably some disbelief mixed up in all that excitement as well.

Jude is touring. Yes, Jude. The Jude that hasn't been in Texas in years. The JudeI described in an earlier post as having the most beautiful male voice in the singer/songwriter 'verse today.

The last time Jude came around was when he was touring with Tori Amos in 1999. Yea, its been a while. And he's amazing. Not only is his voice pristine, but he writes the softest, kindest, and cruelest songs I've ever heard.

So he's got a new record - Redemption - on October 4th in France (and via your favorite online retailer in the States). I'm sure Jude will be highlighting tracks at the upcoming shows - but if you want to check out a couple go to his homepage or his MySpace page.

You must check him out - take a date. Tell your friends. I'll see you at the Texas shows. Peace

Tour:
10-15-2006: Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
10-16-2006: Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
10-18-2006: Swedish American Hall San Fransisco, CA
10-23-2006: Stubbs Austin, TX with Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
10-24-2006: Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, TX
10-25-2006: Continental Club Houston, TX
11-16-2006: Ninkasi Lyon, France
11-17-2006: Post-a-Galene Marseille, France
11-18-2006: La Cooperative de Mai Clermont-Ferrand, France
11-20-2006: Le Point Ephemere PARIS, France
11-21-2006: Le Point Ephemere PARIS, France
11-23-2006: Le Grand Mix Lille, France
11-24-2006: L'Olympic Nantes, France

Here's a topical post for you.

Got to catch The Blow opening for Architecture in Helenski last Wednesday. Or, to be more accurate, I saw Khaela Maricich, one half of the Blow duo, rocking the microphone. Jona Bechtolt, the self-described "technological multi talent" and the Blow beat-master was not present, as he was off on some other tour.

But even without Jona, Khaela put on a great show highlighting some of her older tracks - while devoting the bulk of the show to songs from the upcoming Blow record - Paper Television which is dropping on October 14th. If you havent heard the new songs - head over to their MySpace page and check them out.

Highlights from the show off of Paper Television include Parentheses and Big U - which has got to be the oddest *Love Song* (or maybe thats Lust Tribute?) I've ever heard. But the highlight of the evening for me was the artfully-rendered, accapella version of How Naked Are We Going to Get - featuring significantly better timing then its studio counterpart on 2003's The Concussive Caress, Or, Casey Caught Her Mom Singing Along With The Vacuum

Enjoy - and buy the new Blow album on 10/24/2006.

Live MP3s:
Intro
How Naked Are We Going To Get
Intro to...
Big U
Eat Your Heart Up
Pile of Gold
Knowing The Things I Know
Hock It
Pardon Me
Intro to...
What Tom Said About Girls
Parentheses
True Affection
Outro

***NOTE*** I've been having extreme difficulties posting lately in Blogger. Every time I try to post I get a "001 Broken Pipe" error. I've Googled it and it seems to be a known problem between Blogger and my web hosting company. It's been going on for weeks - and none of the work arounds I've found on the web are working. I was able to post last Sunday, and now today. Didn't work one time during the week. If anyone has any advice, drop me a line.**

Spoon's last record, GIMME FICTION, was just an absolute beauty. A collection of ragged pop songs, crafting start-stop, near-dance rhythms with pounding bass and punchy guitars/pianos. And Britt Daniel's vocals.

Needless to say, GIMME FICTION was on repeat for months. I was ready to see them live. Even though Spoon is from Austin, and have toured around Texas many many times, I'd never had a chance to check them out.

With that said - It was pretty much an adventure getting to the show. I'd come back from a trip, a few days before the show - and had driven from the airport to the local record store that was selling tickets. As I got out of the car I saw a little handwritten sign on the door. "Spoon - Sold Out"

No!

So from the store straight to the Interweb - looking for a Good Samaritan on various local boards. Fortunately, some good person emailed me the next day and offered to sell me a ticket. We met up and I got the ticket. Excellent, and just in time for the show, which was the next day.

The unthinkable happened. I went to get my car washed a few hours before the concert and my ticket was taken out of my center console. Of course, I didnt notice until I got home about 40 minutes before doors were to open. In a panic I called the car wash - sorry, they said, no one knows anything about your ticket.

Shit.

I raced over to the venue with a desperate hope that I'd find another ticket. Like a slightly-crazed fan I wandered down the sidewalk of fans, lining up at the venue doors. Anyone got an extra ticket?

Thank God for friends that get ill, otherwise one Fan wouldn't have had an extra ticket. Excellent.

Spoon played an expansive, 20+ song set that ranged over a good chunk of their discography.

My one regret at this show was that I didn't get Soundboard. Sorry. Maybe next time. Of course, you can get this lovely little Britt Daniel show from SXSW - right here.

Live MP3s:
Intro
The Beast and Dragon, Adored
The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine
Someone Something
Lines In The Suit
Small Stakes
The Delicate Place
I Turn My Camera On
Jonathon Fisk
Anything You Want
Paper Tiger
Telamon Bridge
Vittorio E
They Never Got You
I Summon You
The Way We Get By
Sister Jack
The Fitted Shirt
Get Out the State
(BREAK)
Everything Hits At Once
Me And The Bean
My Mathematical Mind
Outro

Quick post tonight!

Had the pleasure of catching Austin-based band Voxtrot the last time they came through Houston, on the eve of the release of their second EP - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives (say that 10 times, quickly).

It was a great show, and captured pretty damn well. Enjoy!

Live MP3s:
Intro
Raised by Wolves
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives
Rise Up In the Dirt
Wrecking Force
Give Us Something Wonderful
Fast Asleep
Soft and Warm
Swim Back
The Start of Something
Outro

Hello again.

As you may know from my last post, I went away on Holiday last month. Since then I've been out of town a bit, then had a majestic motherboard failure which took me out of commission for another couple of weeks! But let's just call it a Summer Vacation, from which I've returned.

So I'm fairly excited right now. The Fall is bringing ALOT of amazing shows to town, and I'll be out and about capturing as many as possible. Good stuff to look forward to. Plus Austin City Limits Festival is next weekend! I've gone every year and besides the blistering heat its always an awesome time.

Moving onto the music - There's this band called Minibar - they're British, but they live in LA and don't sound like a British band at all. In fact they kinda sound like they've been influenced by bands like Ryan Adams and Counting Crows. They've got this song, its called "It Is What It Is." I remember the first time I heard it, I thought - what a brilliant premise for a song, that you don't have to fight against what you can't control. That you accept the inevitable, be okay with it and move on.

"It is what is it, theres no need for argument, at all."

So Minibar. Good songwriters. Great songs. Check out this show from MoMo's in Austin from 2002. I drove about 3 hours to catch this show, and it was worth every second of drive time.

Live MP3s:
Intro
Retrospect
Choked Up
Road Movies
Unstoppable
New Mexico
Fragile
It Is What It Is
Ask
So Long Soho
So Long Soho (Rock Ending)
Somebody Down Here Loves You