The Almighty Oracle

“Everybody loves you, baby; of course, they do
Do you miss me? I miss you.“

Yesterday was New Year’s eve but it’s spring already? This year is passing me by unlike any other before.

Poor light but this is my calendar.

These past 3 months have been quite good, musically speaking. With new albums by Andrew Bird, Antony and the Johnsons, Beirut [double EP but still], Morrissey, LGS, Mansfield.Tya and some promissing upcoming releases from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric, Placebo and Bat For Lashes you can’t honestly say there hasn’t been good music around.

Then, you have the gigs. Emiliana Torrini was amazing and I have a feeling every concert I’ll choose to attend this year will be just as special. First one coming up : Kaki King in Cologne followed by Moriarty, LGS and Mansfield.Tya the same week and Loney Dear, Gossip, Andrew Bird, Laura Marling and Bat For Lashes before June. Insane.

Here are my favourite songs these days :

[Metric - Sick Muse / Beirut - My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille / Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll / Schuyler Fisk - Hello / Bat For Lashes - Siren Song]

(side note : if you live in or near Cologne, Germany and have a couch or soft enough carpet I could crash on next week (Friday night,  March 27th) after Kaki King’s gig, do tell! Please. I don’t snore, don’t sleepwalk nor need any special attention. Driving 3 hours is ok, but at night it can be harsh.
And if you just want to hang out before the concert, have some awkward silent moment [I really am not a big talker! be warned.] or anything, let me know! I’m in Germany only once or twice a year, after all) didn’t happen; family happened.

“Did they tell you
You should grow up
When you wanted to dream?

Did they warn you
Better shape up
If you want to succeed?

I don’t know about you
Who are they talking to?
They’re not talking to me

All the questions
And suggestions
They mean nothing to me”

mel :: Mar.21.2009 :: Andrew Bird, Antony and the Johnsons, Bat For Lashes, Cologne, Emiliana Torrini, Germany, Gossip, Kaki King, Loney Dear, Metric, Moriarty, Placebo, Random :: No Comments »

Can Anyone Who Has Heard This Music Really Be a Bad Person? is the title of a song off Kaki King’s latest release, Dreaming Of Revenge but judging from the atmosphere and crowd reactions during her Cologne concert last night the answer may just be a flat no.

Dan Brantigan and Kaki King

The show started on Bone Chaos In The Castle and kept on for about an hour and a half with, in no particular order, Playing With Pink Noise, Jazz ["this was called Jazz. Jazz is dead so this was Jazz"], Life Being What It Is, Sad American ["I wrote this thinking about how it sucks to be an American and now that it sucks even more, I’m glad I’m playing it in the land of the strong Euro"], So Much For So Little, Saving Days In A Frozen Head, Carmine St., Doing The Wrong Thing, Lies, First Brain [with Dan making the oddest sounds with his trumpet] and, of course, Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers which is probably my favourite song. There was also a creative section for the “side project” having Kaki first play the beat on a square thing [if anyone knows the name for it, do tell!] Stomp Box then while looping said beat she adds guitar and Dan adds sounds from his electronic trumpet. This results in “crap that gay people dance to” as Kaki said.

It was interesting to see the music being built from scratch for all the songs and Kaki’s amazing talent being so simply displayed. And her in-between songs little funny sentences helps keep the connection with an audience that was attentive to every note. It was nice of her to stand up when she “was too short for the people standing all the way back” and then sorry she had to sit down again because she “only had one strap“.
The night was very enjoyable, the crowd was fantastic and Kaki King put on a captivating show with good little help from Dan Brantigan. If they come close to you, go see them! I drove 3 hours+ to have the opportunity to do so and I don’t regret it at all!

Here’s the video for Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers :

And my photos of the night:

On a personal note : A big thank you goes to Jules for playing guide in Cologne and not hating me by the end of day because I don’t talk or can’t make a decision. Also, props to Vicky, trilingual extraodinaire. It was very nice meeting you!

mel :: Sep.22.2008 :: Cologne, Concert Review, Germany, Kaki King, Studio 672 :: 4 Comments »