[...music...]

2011-04-20

100 lovers

about a month after i ordered this online, i received devotchka's latest "100 lovers" in the mail.

i got the deluxe edition. the disc comes encased in a box, with a clear cover held onto the box with grommets:

included in the box is a bonus dvd, a zoetrope to assemble...

... and a cherry-flavoured chapstick that serves as the spindle. the zoetrope shows a man struggling with an umbrealla in the wind, in keeping with the umbrella theme of the album artwork.

musically, there are no surprises. pretty much what i expect from this band: gypsy-inspired folk music with americana touches.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, devotchka

2011-04-13

devotchka @ le national

oh wow, i just realized that i am really behind on my blogging.

at the end of last month, i went to the devotchka show with rox.

the opening band was b.e.t.a.l.o.v.e.r.s. their music was kind of folk/americana with a hint of jazz, so i initially thought they were american. when the singer started talking, i realized they were a local band.

this was my first time seeing devotchka play a full set. i hadn't listened to the new album yet, so i was glad they decided to play quite a few old song, including my favourites: "how it ends", "the clockwise witness", "the enemy guns". it was a nice evening.

no aerial silk performer this time. but they had a dancer with an umbrella perform during "100 other lovers", as show in this video i found on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKa_GTSq96s
from the angle, i think this was filmed by the girl standing next to us.

they ended up playing a 2.5+ hour show.

we were standing next to the stage, so after the show, rox was able to grab a copy of the setlist.

setlist:
the alley
head honcho
queen of the surface streets
poland (?)
the clockwise witness
the man from san sebastian
how it ends
all the sand in all the sea
we're leaving
vengo! vengo!
basso profundo
exhaustible
contrabanda
i cried like a silly boy
100 other lovers
the enemy guns

encore:
only love can break your heart (neil young cover)
undone
ranchero (?)

~~~

Labels: betalovers, devotchka, le national, shows

2010-05-02

gogol bordello + devotchka @ metropolis

ayoye, i've fallen behind on my blogging. this entry will be brief.

on april 18, i went to the gogol bordello show with roxanne and fil. devotchka was one of the openers. this was the line-up we'd been dreaming of. we got our tickets on the day they went on sale, more than two months before the show.

we got a spot in the front, right at the barrier. the first opener was jesse malin & the st. marks social. it was typical rock, with hints of folk/punk, i guess. they had a couple of catchy songs.

the next openers were devotchka. i'd been wanting to see them play ever since roxanne introduced their music to me, via a mix cd, some years ago. their live show was really good. the singer had an old-fashion microphone. for one of their songs, they had an aerial silk performer. so cool!

they played my favourite song "how it ends" so i was happy. i tried to steathily capture a video before the security dude stepped into my camera's field of view, ruining the shot as he gave me the bad eye...

devotchka setlist:
basso profundo
venus in furs
the clockwise witness
head honcho
i cried like a silly boy
vengo (manya)
we're leaving
how it ends
poland
international
the enemy guns

finally, gogol bordello were on stage. i managed to snap a few pictures before it got too crazy.

and oh my, it was pretty crazy. it was so packed. the whole time, there was someone on my back; in any other context, it would have been some form of sexual harrassment. for most of the time, i was thinking "i'm getting too old for this...". i spent more energy trying to push people off my back than trying to enjoy the music.

i only recognized the few songs from "underdog world strike", such as "not a crime" and "start wearing purple". i guess most of the set were songs from the new album.

there are some videos on youtube.

~~~

cd purchases: i got the devotchka albums that i was missing, "supermelodrama" and "una volta".

hearing damage: yeah, my ears were ringing. my arms and knees were also bruised from being constantly pushed against the metal barrier. ugh; i'm too old for this shit.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, devotchka, gogol bordello, jesse malin, metropolis, shows

2008-03-18

devotchka

i still remember that one email rox sent me, with a devotchka song "how it ends" as an attachment. hearing that song, i immediately liked it.

devotchka are back, with a new release today, their most recent album "a mad & faithful telling". listening to this, i am not as impressed as i was with their previous album "how it ends". there are no surprises; they're still playing their balkan-inspired type of music.

however, overall, i find that the new album sounds somewhat "happier".

my favourite part of this album is during the song "the clockwise witness", at around 3:54, when the violins start. almost an eargasm, but not quite, because that part reminds me a little of final fantasy.

they've some tour dates in support of the new album, but none in montreal. boo...

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, devotchka

2006-08-09

devotchka, indochine, regina spektor

the discs i ordered a few weeks ago finally arrived by mail today.

devotchka - how it ends
when i first heard about them, i confused them with the punk band devotchkas, and so never really checked out their stuff. finally, my friend roxanne sent me a devotchka song "how it ends". it was absolutely beautiful, with the stringed instruments near the end. this album is a mix of genres, mostly gypsy folk, with some polka, and cabaret rock.

indochine - paradize
when their album "danceteria" was released, i heard a bit about indochine. but it was seeing their video "mao boy" from the album "paradize" that i realized i really liked their music. and after seeing them live, i loved their show so much, i had to get this album. this is one of the few french bands i really love. i am hoping to find their older albums, but it appears most of them are imports...

regina spektor - soviet kitch
i first heard about her when a musiqueplus vj was presenting her video for "us", and described her as "comme une tori amos fuckée." it's actually quite accurate. a strong singing voice with piano, and the occasional band to accompany some songs.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, devotchka, indochine, regina spektor