'Another is Waiting' : Avett Brothers

Upbeat banjo, yo. The Avett Brothers bring us this latest offering of spunky folk with "Another is Waiting," the first single off their Oct. 15 album, Magpie and the Dandelion. You'll remember we got wind not so long ago that a follow up album to last year's The Carpenter was much closer than we would have guessed. Hop on over to NPR to hear the new song.  

Five Reasons the Avett Brothers Still Surprise Us

Ever since I started writing the Five Reasons feature for Consequence of Sound, I've been trying to come up with a way to write about the Avett Brothers. That means biding my time for the next news hook. Happily, it came last week with their unexpected announcement of a new album this fall. YAHTZEE. Check out my lastest Five Reasons on why the Avett Brothers still have a few tricks up their  sleeves. Also, please enjoy this photo of Scott Avett with kittens because why not. 

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Avett Bros to Release New Album Fall 2013

Perhaps I've underestimated Elle.com as a source for breaking news in the music world. The Avett Brothers tweeted a link earlier today to an interview with Elle discussing a new album, set for release in the fall.

The songs come from the same session that gave us The Carpenter last year. "The album was sort of made naturally on its own," Scott Avett told Elle. Not all of them were written specifically for the session, though. Avett said some are as old as seven or eight years.

Check out the rest of the interview here.

A Decade of Concerts

Things I learned in Grad School: Wordle

Today marks the end of the first decade of my concert-going life. Back in 2003, my dad got me tickets to see Matchbox Twenty with openers Sugar Ray at the AmSouth Amphitheater here in Nashville, and ever since I've been chasing the good spirits that come with catching a much-loved band live.

If you're interested in a full account of that first show, you can check out a post I wrote last year for all-around-cool Tumblr Gigs Reflex.

I'm a big believer in documenting things, so I got a little excited when I found a MB20 concert DVD tapped in Atlanta, a mere three nights after their Nashville date called Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty. Rest assured it's on my Amazon Wish List.




But beyond capturing MB20 on video or blogging about some of the bigger shows I see, I decided this year to put together a Google Docs spreadsheet with the nuts and bolts of every show I've been to in the past ten years– headliner, opener, venue, date, and who came along. While seeing shows shouldn't be a numbers game, I can't say I don't enjoy adding rows to the document. I used the columns devoted to venues and artists to make a word cloud using Wordle. I suppose the big story of my concert-going life is that I end up at the Ryman Auditorium more often than not. I was surprised to see Syracuse's Westcott Theater as big as it is since I was only up North for a year, but I guess looking back, I made more than a few stops. I was also pleasantly amused to realize that I've seen friends' bands as many time as I've seen some of my favorite acts like Andrew Bird or The National.

Style-wise, the outliers in this mix are definitely T.I. and Public Enemy, but yes, I have indeed seen them. Dawes should probably be a bit bigger considering that the three times I've seen them have been well inside of one calendar year. Special points for that, right? What else. I'm weirdly proud to have seen the Flaming Lips. Even if they're not my favorite or even most familiar band, they are probably my favorite live show to date for not only being a joyous spectacle, but for this particular performance at Rites of Spring when it started raining lightly as they came on stage and we were just all so happy to have survived the mosh pit for N.E.R.D.. The show that represents the biggest achievement is probably the Avett Brothers from last month. You can't even really make it out on the Wordle, but know that it took me six years to catch them on tour.

So, that's the decade. It's been great and my hearing has probably suffered as a result, but I've also found that going to shows is one of my favorite things to do. I'd call that a gift.

Here's to the next ten years.

Avett Brothers Play the Bridgestone Arena

I found a few videos of the show on YouTube. 

It's been quite a weekend here in Nashville. On Saturday night, I found myself at the end of a six-year quest to see the great Avett Brothers live. By more than a few twists of the universe, I've managed to miss them for one reason or another more times than I can count, and across two different states. Even though these misses have driven me half crazy, I don't think I'd trade in Saturday's show for an earlier one because it so well punctuated a weekend that was marked in other ways by endings and shifts.

The Avett Brothers played a sold out show at the Bridgestone Arena. Though their reputation for wildly energetic concerts is well known, I was unprepared for just how much power they generated. They could give any rock band a run for its money. From the second their silhouettes appeared on a curtain at the front of the stage, they blazed through the show with a musicianship both scary precise and crazy raucous. Their set incorporated songs mostly from their past three albums, several traditionals, and a Buck Owens cover– The Avetts slid between amped up bluegrass and deafening rock, with just a little church in there to stay on the good Lord's good side.



When the show was originally announced at the beginning of the year, I wondered what might be lost in the move from playing a venue like the Ryman Auditorium, to playing the mammoth Bridgestone. The concern was unfounded. I love the Avett Brothers in part because for me their music is a little ragged and always poignant, much in the way Scott and Seth (who each did a traditional) sing with gravel and purity respectively. When they played "Down with the Shine," Scott Avett singing "Things change and get strange with the movement of time, it's happening right now to you" while gesturing at the crowd couldn't have affected me to any greater extent. The same is true for the sound of the arena singing "I and love and you" together back to the band. All those voices sounded so much sweeter than I could have guessed.

There were several moments when I could hardly believe I made it out to the show. When they played "Salvation Song," it felt so surreal and so good to hear what I've always thought to be something of their mission statement: "We came for salvation, we came for family, we came for all that's good, that's how we'll walk away. We came to break the bad, we came to cheer the sad, we came to leave behind the world a better way." And that's why I've chased them for so long. I can't think of another band that manages aspiration against life's struggles and confusions with more heart and reassurance.

I caught my white whale, which is proving to be slightly melancholic as things tend to be when they end. But most of all, I think how much I enjoyed this show and how far it surpassed my hopes, and it casts back a really nice hue on the past six years.

Here's to endings.

Avett Bros Release 'February Seven' Trailer

I guess we make trailers for music videos now. Ok! I'll roll with that. Check out the Avett Brothers' video on the making of their upcoming music video for "February Seven" from last fall's The Carpenter. They shot the video at an antique store Scott and Seth went to as kids. Will the video be a masterpiece, as Seth Avett posits? Maybe. Just Maybe.

Seth Avett Designs Martin Guitar

You know, if I had $4k lying around. Maybe. That's the price tag on the brand new Martin D-35 Seth Avett Custom Signature Edition guitar. Martin gave the Avett bro the chance to design a D-35 because that's the type of guitar he's been playing for a solid decade and hey, why the hell not?

Even if the descriptions of various type of woods (East Indian Rosewood!) and inlays (copper snowflakes!) don't make your mouth water like the menu at an out-of-your-league restaurant, you can still appreciate some of Avett's back story described in the pdf of the catalog pages. For instance, Avett has a solo project called Timothy Seth Avett as Darling that used to be exclusively sold at Avett shows.  And now you know.

Above is a video Guitar World Magazine shot at NAMM recently. The guy working the Martin booth gives a pretty good tour of the guitar, if you're interested.

September Roundup

Music loves September, apparently. Here's a rundown of some of the stuff I probably should have been posting about this month.

+ The Avett Brothers album The Carpenter came out on the 11th. The best part of the album is how immediately familiar it is. I felt like it took two listens to learn all the songs. Was it safe? Ok, maybe a little bit. Would I counter that argument by saying,  "hello, guitar distortion and drums?" You bet.

+ Babel by Mumford and Sons hits shelves tomorrow. The band played Saturday Night Live this week. The sound was subpar as usual, but that's ok because seeing them dressed as a Beatles tribute band almost made up for it. #cheaplaughs

+ The Killers released Battle Born last week. If you're anything like me, you miss the days when The Killers were sleazy. Synth, eyeliner, tight white suits. Hell, at this point I'd settle for that Day and Age-era jacket with the feathery epaulets. (Maybe) Now frontman Brandon Flowers sings about good character. I guess one of us had to grow up.

+ All Songs Considered posted a fall music preview. The potential of new music is always exciting. It's been a while since I've found anything interesting.

+ If you're in Nashville, the Alabama Shakes are going to be at Live on the Green this Thursday, and that's excellent.

NPR Streams New Avett Brothers Album

Here's what you need to know today: NPR is streaming the new Avett Brothers album The Carpenter.

Here's some additional info: It's pretty good, especially "Pretty Girl from Michigan," "Geraldine," and "Paul Newman v. The Demons."

Avett Brothers Cover Dylan

The Avett Bros made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon the other night in promotion of an Amnesty International charity record of Bob Dylan songs. No surprise, they performed a Dylan song. And you know what? Their cover of "One Too Many Mornings" was lovely.

Avett Brothers Talk New Album

May all siblings get along this well. 

File this one under "Are we there yet?" The Avett Brothers told Rolling Stone that they're nearly finished with their new album. There's not tons of concrete info, but Rick Rubin returned as producer, and the Avetts did divulge a few details about several tracks. Of course, we can expect typical Avett Brothers fair (The Once and Future Carpenter, Down with the Shine), but apparently there's a "grunge"-type tune called "Paul Newman Versus the Demons."

Sounds promising.

Anyhoodle, stay tuned for a release date. Hopefully it's not too far off.

Paste Interviews The Avett Brothers

Photo from Paste

Recently, the folks at Paste Magazine caught up with the Avett Brothers at Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. There's a six-minute interview as well an acoustic version of "Slight Figure of Speech" from 2009's I and Love and You. While the Avett Brothers said they're working on a new LP, they didn't elaborate much, but that's okay. It's probably safe to say this band is zestier on stage than in an interview. Check the link above.

Catch Up: Not Just for Burgers

I've seen so many interesting items pop up on my Google Reader over the last couple of weeks, I can't even describe the agony it's been to not write them up. Fortunately, I am back in town and steeling a few minutes to pass some opinion on the highlights.

+ Avett Brothers to release new album - My favorite North Carolinian band of brothers is back in the studio working on a follow up to their stellar 2009 album, I and Love and You. Scott Avett told Paste that they'd already finished one session of recording. Money line: "Avett did not offer a specific timeline for the release, but did say that the band hopes to have “something done” by mid-2011." Sweet.

+ White Stripes call it quits - After two years of releasing no new music, the Detroit duo announced they'd broken up. Nashville native Erin Carson yawned. But really, what will Meg White do without the hype machine that is Jack White? TMI has no idea, but wishes her the best of luck. I did get to thinking though, so many fans had panic attacks when the news came out, what would have happened if they never announced anything but just never released anything else?

+ Death Cab for Cutie set release date for new album - Codes and Keys just might be the most perfectly Death Cab-tastic name for an album. Key points: 1. Less strumming, more synth and reverb 2. It's out May 31st 3. Guitarist Chris Walla said the first single will probably be "You are a Tourist." 4. There is a punctuation mistake on their website.

+ The Travelling Band are giving away free tracks - If you don't know who these guys are, then familiarize yourself. To start, check out my review of their debut album Under the Pavement from way back when in 2009. They're a terrific band from Manchester and for the price of an email address, you can download four new tracks. The new stuff has a feel that's little less sentimental and dreamy (except the live version of "Only Waiting" off the Under the Pavement), but it's still solid. Also, I am happy to know these guys are still in business.

+ Radiohead is sneaky - Last week we found out that the much anticipated follow up to 2007's In Rainbows was all of three days away. Yes. No more dodgy projections for release, just a ambush version of a release. Then, it apparently came out a day early. It's titled The King of Limbs and they're calling it a "newspaper album." I'm going to be really honest. I do not know what that means. So long as that doesn't mean it will turn my hand gross and inky, I will be purchasing it when the physical copy comes out March 29.

Musically Inclined "Things," For Lack of a Better Word

Well folks, TMI's been laid up sick since Friday, and by TMI, I mean yours truly. In the spirit of not having the focus to write about one thing, here are a few items of interest that I thought were worth mentioning.

- Obligatory Beatles/iTunes post: We all knew it was going to happen at some point. There's just way too much money there. Though, before the news leaked or whatever last night, I was hoping the announcement had something to do with the fabled iTunes Cloud. Gizmodo did a funny post on the the matter.

- Avett Bros in unexpected places: There's a website called Design Sponge that I nothing short of adore, we'll say. While perusing my Google Reader this morning, I saw they posted about the Avett Brothers and upon scrolling realized they did an interview with Scott Avett about his artistic pursuits. Great stuff!

- Speaking of cool brothers: The Gregory Brothers turned up on the Today show recently. Points to the dweeb reporter for the stiffest, most out-of-touch explanation of Auto-Tune. Speaking of Auto-Tune, it couldn't even save the Today Show crew from the most painful a capella cover of "Dynomite."

- You Can't Tell Me Nothin': Apparently some guy put out a book with lyrics from rap songs, saying what fine poetry it is, without ever actually having listened to the songs. NPR sent him links to the songs on Youtube and had a conversation with him about his impressions and the relationship between the lyrics and beats/rhythms of rap. I just thought this was really interesting because for the most part, I always thought the rhythms were rap and hip-hop's saving grace. Then again, one of my mottos for a happy life is "quote Kanye whenever possible."

- Make it stop: Pop is so much better than it was in the 90s. Evidence: I can't get this song out of my head. I'm mildly ashamed, but mostly perplexed by why it works at all. Stupid Glee. I think I will be blogging about the value of a solid pop song very soon. Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Katy Perry-- your credibility will suffer death by cotton candy.

Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise : Avett Brothers

Just to drop a quick line, I finally picked the Avett Brothers' last album I and Love and You this weekend. It's been on my list a while. I first heard about them in 2007 around the time their album Emotionalism came out. It was this summer though, that I really started to dig the North Carolinian trio. Their Bonnaroo performance (Not that I was there. Thank you Youtube and NPR.) was so energetic and so entertaining. I think I played it back a several times over the next few days. When cheap synth and poorly-used Auto-Tune threaten to overtake us all, it's bands like the Avetts whose sound keeps us grounded.

Anyway, here's a video they put out this summer for "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise." Take a look if you're not already quite captivated by these guitar/piano/upright bass/banjo-playing/foot-stomping fellows.