By Todd Lavoie

Bowler hats, banjos, backwoods hollers, and burlesque hawkers - sounds like old-timey goodness to me. San Diego's mountain music-loving vaudeville-revivalists the Silent Comedy will be dishing out sepia-toned balladry and carny-shouted hootenannies to the Café du Nord crowd Friday, Nov. 21.

It should be one hell of a rompin'-stompin', suspender-slappin' shindig. Whether or not the band will share their homebrewed bathtub-gin onstage remains to be seen, but they're certain to be generous with everything else you might need for a round or two of Prohibition-era revelry. OK, the bathtub-gin thing is pure speculation on my part; what else could possibly be fueling their deliciously unbridled rip-ups?

The quintet, formed in 2005 by brothers J. John and J. Benjamin from the remnants of their San Diego post-punk band Dehra Dun, is rooted in acoustic-based roots music - banjo, mandolin, and violin figure prominently - but indie rock has clearly played a significant role in shaping how they approach country and folk idioms.

Electric guitars and keyboards find their way into the Silent Comedy game plan as well, and the guys seem just as comfortable in rock-out mode as they are in evoking images of decades gone by. Their sound has also been largely informed by the brothers' discovery that their great-grandparents were vaudeville performers; much of their work swaggers with a boozy carnival-shout recalling (inevitably) moments of Tom Waits, or perhaps more accurately, Man Man or later-period Modest Mouse.

Onstage, bowler hats and suspenders, antique button-shirts and tailored slacks - and when is the last time you've seen the word "slacks" in print, honestly? Titillated? You should be! - tend to be part of the deal, as is an old-time-religion/snake-oil salesmen level of theatricality. If the original Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus took a trek up to Walton's Mountain - armed with a thorough knowledge of Nineties and Oughties indie history - the resulting after-hours barn dance would perhaps sound much like the Silent Comedy.

The year's self-titled EP (Singleton) presents ample sweat-streaked testimony to such assertions; it also offers convincing evidence of the band's versatility. Opening track "Daisy," for example, is a graceful, swelling ballad - somewhere between American Music Club and Damien Jurado in feel - boasting a potent pairing of loping piano chords, courtesy of J. Benjamin, and tear-stained banjo from J. Michael. On top of it all, I. Forbes' violin tugs and sighs in equal measures - a glorious backdrop, then, for J. John's yearning vocals. The chorus - "shake, shake, Daisy, add some salt, add some salt and shake me up" - feels simultaneously like a come-on, a taunt, and a cry of resignation.

A serious gear-shift arrives with the follow-up, however: "'49" is a growling charge of deranged vaudeville, in which John's switch-over to carnival-barker persona is joined by thumping, clattering rhythms - pummeled by J. Benedict - and debauched barroom piano. "You're breaking my patience down," John roars over an angry tumble of colliding, fisticuff-seeking instruments. It's a dark, furious piece, akin to some of Tom Waits' 1992 brawling masterwork Bone Machine (Island).

The Benjamin-sung "Gasoline" is a thrilling build-up of tension rewarded by glorious release, starting off with hushed vocals delivered over circular acoustic guitar patterns - echoes of onetime Jayhawk Gary Louris came to mind - before giving way to sparkling piano, a propulsive brushed-drum rhythm, and slow-gushing violin flourishes. Gradually, steadily, the song gets carried off into a blazing, us-against-the-world rush of passion a la the Arcade Fire, and when the band lets loose in full-throated shouts of "I am all right… I'm doing just fine!," there's a genuine sense of catharsis.

"Beware," with its bleary-eyed trombone slides and eerie toy piano, herald the Silent Comedy's return to the dark side, particularly in its grim warnings of "Hey little darlin', you'd better beware / if you find yourself peekin' in your lover's hair."

The EP ends on a high note: the galloping, Balkan-flavored "Carnival" starts innocently enough with a slow lull of twinkling keys and clip-clop percussion before riding off into a thundering trounce of triple-time rhythms and wailing violin. Benjamin practically revels in the dark undercurrent swirling underneath the song's drunken hysteria - and once the entire band kicks in with their leg-kicking, arm-linking unison whoops of "la la la," the waft of liquor is tough to miss.

Lest anyone get the mistaken impression that the carny life is all glamour and good times, however, how about a few closing thoughts from the Silent Comedy? "She will never let him back in his life / But at least she'll never end up on the end of his knife."

Here's a video for an earlier, less high-strung version of "Carnival," titled "Carnival Song":

THE SILENT COMEDY
With Joe Pug, the Harbours, and Or the Whale
Fri/21, 9:30 p.m., $12
Café du Nord
2170 Market, SF
(415) 861-5016

Chip Tha Ripper “It’s Me Freestyle”

FULL, CDQ, Track off the Leak Jones mixtape *Tibs Fav.™

Here’s our boy Chip Tha Ripper reppin’ Cleveland well with a nice, clear slow flow freestyle up above! The clarity makes it easy for listeners 2 catch the wordplay as well. Head over 2 Chip’s Official Blog 2 DL the mixtape which also features the 3 rap stars on the cover above! Down below is some more good hip hop trax featuring Talib Kweli, Nas, Blu, Kid Cudi, & MORE including videos featuring Kanye West, Ludacris, Joe Buddne, The Game, and Avant! Enjoy!

Idle Warship (Talib Kweli & Res) “Black Snake Moan”

FULL, CDQ *Tibs Fav.™

DJ Drama “Yacht Music” f/ Nas, June Summers, & Smoke Dza

FULL, CDQ *Tibs Fav.™

The Alchemist “Therapy” f/ Evidence, Blu, & Kid Cudi

FULL, CDQ, Track off the upcoming Cookout EP *Tibs Fav.™

————————————————————————————–

Avant “Break Your Back (In A Good Way)”

VIDEO PREMIERE!

Big Sean & Kanye West LIVE In London

Ludacris & DJ Premier In The Studio

Joe Budden “The Future” f/ The Game [TRAILER]

~ Sgt. Tibs

Stranjj Selections 002 - Kev Obrien vs CId Inc
The second installment of Stranjj Selections on danceradio.gr features myself vs Mashtronics’s Cid Inc.

During the first hour, I lay down some of the sickest new techno and tech house; starting off deep and groovy, into pure tech-driven hysteria. Cid Inc from Mashtronic takes over on the decks during hour two, gracing us with some amazing progressive and tech, while throwing down many of his own upfront productions.

Tracklist:

Kev Obrien:

01. Petter - Robotfood (Hazendonk’s Humanoid Remix) [Manual Music]
02. Dub Kult - Crypt (District One Remix) [Curle Recordings]
03. Matthew Dear - Free to Ask (D’Julz Remix) [Get Phyisical]
04. Matt Samuels - Enjoy The Silence (Workidz Remix) [Toolroom]
05. Oliver Huntemann & Dubfire - Dios (Original) [Ideal]
06. Pault Ritch - Walk the Line (Original) [Quartz Recordings]
07. Sydney Blu - Senses and the Mind (Oliver Giacomotto Remix) [Mau5trap]
08. Format:B - Edding 850 (Original Mix) [Highgrade Records]
09. Abigail Bailey and Delicious - Bounce (original Mix) [Cr2 Records]
10. Wally Lopez - Hijinx (Siwell & Simone Remix) [Formula Recs Digital]
11. Rejected - Cliche (Polder Remix) [Rejected]
12. Paul Hunter - Manimal (Peter McGill Remix) [Backwater Community Rec]

Cid Inc (starting at approx 64 mins) :

13. Snake Sedrick - First Lie (Original Mix) - Tilth Music
14. Mango Pres. Shoreliners - Sandcastle (Squash84 Remix) - Mango Alley
15. Goran Tech & Dejan Dex - Another Reason (Original Mix) - CDR
16. Id - Id (Cid Inc Remix) - CDR
17. Rockets And Ponies - Chinese Message - Rockets & Ponies Germany +
18. Vito - Ankle Breaker (G’N'P Tauro Remix) (EDIT) - Balkan Connection
19. Ogi Gee Cash & Dimiz - VOcalizer (Cid Inc Remix) - CDR
20. Facundo Mohrr - Wooster St. (Cid Inc Remix) - Frisky
21. Autovelox - Freekflame (Cid Inc Remix) - CDR
22. Cid Inc - Total Recall - New School
23. Cid Inc - Velvetteen - Full Tilting
24. Devilfish - Manalive (Jon Rundell Remix) - Bush Records
25. Quivver - 2 Notes N A Beat (Original Mix) - Boz Boz

Download (right click, save as) (117MB, 128kBit/s)

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French artist Lexithimie debuts on Rope Swing Cities with The Poems of Longfellow a stunning EP of emotionally engaging IDM music, perfect for the end of summer and the encroaching winter.

Lexithimie’s production is peppered with Snow flake pitter patters of percussion which gently guide us through the snow fields of tone and melody. Soft and thoughtful songs filled with a hopeful longing for what comes next. The opening track, Hotslash, opens the release in perfect style; inviting washes of sound give way to a gently pulsing four four, ushering the listener on to explore the further landscapes contained in The Poems of Longfellow. And likewise, Snake Rolls, releases the listener at the end, a comforting sleepy ending to a marvelous musical journey.

With these ever so charming words in mind, please join us in welcoming a new member to the Rope Swing Cities family, Lexithimie, with the thoughtful and cuddly EP The Poems of Longfellow. For more about Lexithimie, you can check out his myspace page, here.

01. Hotslash
02. Ashtonfield
03. Station 0I0II0
04. Sunday
05. Moonlight
06. Flower and Reappear
07. Snake Rolls

Download (right click, save as) (59MB, 320kBit/s)

zip

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myspace
netlabel

The two-Disc Collection includes unreleased recordings of the band playing a small club in San Francisco just weeks before “Light My Fire” made them stars.

Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives present ‘Live At The Matrix 1967′, the latest instalment in The Doors‘ acclaimed series of archival concert releases.

Watch “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” video:

Live At The Matrix on amazon.com

Live at the Matrix 1967: San Francisco on amazon.co.uk

This two-disc addition to the band’s live canon contains two club shows witnessed by few but bootlegged by many. Restored and carefully mastered from first-generation tapes acquired by Elektra Records and The Doors 40 years ago, these historic shows never sounded better. The collection, featuring cover art by legendary San Francisco artist Stanley Mouse, will be available November 18, 2008 at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.co.uk.

Where the previous three Bright Midnight Archives releases documented The Doors’ final tour in 1970, ‘Live At The Matrix 1967′ rewinds to the band’s early days for a pair of shows at a San Francisco club in March 1967.

Only a handful of people showed up, so Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek played for each other, exploring song arrangements and jamming on a few blues favourites. Ironically, only a few weeks after the Matrix shows, the band’s second single, “Light My Fire,” would make them famous, selling a million copies on its way to topping the chart during The Summer of Love.

“It was early 1967 and The Doors were about to enter the consciousness of the nation. And this is the way it sounded,” Manzarek writes in the album’s liner notes.

In spite of the empty room, the band is fully engaged, using the time to give “The End” and “Back Door Man” extra lyrics and extended sections. “This is probably the closest we’ve come to a true document of The Doors without constraints,” says Bruce Botnick, the album’s producer and the band’s long-time co-producer and engineer.

The band performs much of its self-titled debut on the first disc, including “Soul Kitchen,” “Alabama Song (Whisky Bar),” and the first single, “Break On Through (To The Other Side).”

Along with those early originals, the band indulges its love of the blues with Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love,” Muddy Waters’ “I’m A King Bee,” and Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out Of My Life, Woman,” which has never appeared on any previous Doors albums.

The second disc offers a glimpse of the band mapping out its future, working out early versions of several songs from upcoming albums: “Crawling King Snake” (LA Woman); “Summer’s Almost Gone” (Waiting For The Sun); and nearly half of the songs from The Doors’ second album, ‘Strange Days’.

‘Live At The Matrix 1967′ Track Listing:

Disc One

1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. Money
4. The Crystal Ship
5. Twentieth Century Fox
6. I’m A King Bee
7. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
8. Summer’s Almost Gone
9. Light My Fire
10. Get Out Of My Life Woman
11. Back Door Man
12. Who Do You Love
13. The End

Disc Two

1. Unhappy Girl
2. Moonlight Drive
3. Woman Is A Devil/Rock Me
4. People Are Strange
5. Close To You
6. My Eyes Have Seen You
7. Crawling King Snake
8. I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind
9. Summertime
10. When The Music’s Over
11. Gloria

The Doors Official Website
The Doors MySpace