Regardless of your music tastes, whatever you think is cool or wrong with music today, I think we can all safely say that Woodstock festival was one of those seminal events that changed culture and the music industry a lot more than people expected at the time. Now Ang Lee, the guy who directed Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has directed “Taking Woodstock“, a film that tells the story behind the festival, staring Demetri Martin and Emile Hirsch which is out in November.

The three day event in August 1969 featured so many acts that we have been huge influences on many of todays biggest acts: Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Jimi Hendrix all played sets that for many defined a generation. Whilst some in the local communities weren’t huge fans of the 500,000 people descending on Bethel, New York, the event is seen as a roaring success by many in the music biz.

The film is set in 1969, and Elliot Tiber, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in Greenwich Village, New York, has to move back upstate to help his parents run their dilapidated Catskills motel, the El Monaco. The bank is about to foreclose; his father wants to burn the place down, but hasn’t paid the insurance; and Elliot is still figuring how to come out to his parents. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers, thinking he could drum up some much needed business for the motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbor’s farm in White Lake, NY, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

The film is out on November 13th in the UK, and next weekend in the USA – yes, it seems ages away, but to me it looks set to be one of my favourite films of the autumn. Watch the trailer below:

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Coming relatively hot on the heels of 2008’s covers collection “Thing of the Past”, Vetiver’s new record “Tight Fit” doesn’t represent any significant stylistic changes, but rather continues to chug along pleasingly in the same direction. This aesthetic also translates to the band’s live show which is a relaxed yet competent affair that accentuates the JJ Cale shuffle of many of the songs, whilst avoiding the the temptation to jam out too much. There is an elongated passage here and there, where guitarist Kevin Barker gets to display his great touch and tone, but excess is usually curbed in favour of a disciplined tightness. Singer and mainstay Andy Cabic has a relaxed and engaging way with an audience, unsurprising given that the music has a similar charm. Vetiver are well suited to this venue, which feels like some kind of mid-western barn ready to hold a hoe-down rather than an old warehouse in a very industrial part of Brooklyn.

The sound is clear, with every instrument and voice occupying its own territory, though I’m sure this also has to do with the way the band play. No-one steps on anyone’s toes, everything is very considered, and nothing seems out of place. This does sometimes work against them though, especially on less memorable tunes, where it starts to get a little ploddy. There’s also not a huge amount of emotional impact which is a shame as the band obviously have the skills to pull off a great show, but I felt like this was a head-nodder rather than a heart-wrencher of an evening.

But maybe that’s the point, an easier emotional ride rather than layering on piles and piles of angst in the hope that the audience feel some deep connection. Sometimes its better to have a nice mellow ride of an evening and thinking about it, it’s actually fairly rare to see someone pull that off without resorting to any major histrionics.

After the jump: photos
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Just a quick post today, as time’s rapidly running out.

I’ve grown to love Friendly Fires after catching them live twice recently, with their crazy energy andremarkably good tunes that can’t fail to make you move, no matter how much of a bad mood you’re in.

I’ve also increasingly been loving Lykke Li at the moment with her amazingly relaxing tunes with that “morning after the night before” vibe.

So imagine how great a tour with both of them is. A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

And yet that’s exactly what’s going on in the US of A at the moment – on Monday they’ll finish their 2 week stint around the states, and to celebrate their tour, Friendly Fires have covered Lykke’s “I’m Good I’m Gone”, which is below for your download.  It’s changed from chilled out insistent piano and handclaps to mid-90’s full on highlight-of-the-night club classic. Oh yes, it’s that good.

Download and you won’t stop dancing. Cheesy, but oh-so-true.

MP3: Friendly Fires – I’m Good I’m Gone (Lykke Li Cover)

(found on Sterogum)

It’s been a while since I proclaimed my love of Trespassers William, the understated Seattle ambient gurus, and of Zero7,  the London downtempo kids. So imagine my excitement when I was sent an album by Anomie Belle which features TW’s Anna-Lynne Williams on guest vocals and sounds just like Zero7 gone American with the amience of TW. Yes, I almost had a baby I was that excited.

Anomie Belle is the project of composer, producer, audio programmer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Toby Campbell. Originally a classical violinist and songwriter, she released multiple solo records before creating her own beats and making her way into electronic, experimental, trip-hop music. A Portland, Oregon native, Campbell has performed at top venues throughout the Pacific Northwest, and has worked as a musician and producer in Madrid, Glasgow, Amsterdam, New York, Buenos Aires, and London.

Dreamy like Zero 7, Anomie Belle has a smoother sound than Trespassers William, and whilst at times the subject matter is rather dark and deep (throughout the collection American political apathy, suburban alienation, passive media spectatorship, social injustice, and consumerism are all tackedled) the music just washes over you in such a gloriously smooth way you can’t help but almost fall asleep in bliss. This isn’t a insult – very few bands and artists can be as gentle and relaxing after just a few listens as Anomie Belle is to me.

Almost every track on the new album, Sleeping Patterns, features lush strings and multilayered effects, which gives you something different everytime you hear it – different instruments, different words, different meanings. My only complaint? Sometimes the vocals are a little too buried down in the mix for my liking, however that’s more of a personal preference, and I have a feeling that if they were higher up the mix they would be distracting and lose some of the dreamyness of the collection.

Although she’s based in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, make sure that if you’re over there anytime soon, or if she make it over to the UK, be sure to catch her live. Hell, if I have to, I’ll pay for your ticket!

MP3: Anomie Belle – Down

Anomie Belle’s new album, Sleeping Patterns is released on 2nd November.

Like your music loud, dirty and played by men with long hair? Then why not check out hot up-and-comers Jubilee.

Made up of Aaron North on vocals and guitar (from Nine Inch Nails, Buddyhead, The Icarus Line), Michael Shuman on vocals and bass (from Queens of the Stone Age, Wires On Fire), Jeff Lynn on guitar and organ (from Wires On Fire), and Troy Petrey on drums (from The Icarus Line), you can pretty much guarantee before listening that Jubilee were going to be good.

Then you actually listen to them, and just fall slowly in love with their britpop mixed with Jane’s Addiction style euphoric rock. Hailing from LA they’ve decided to come over the pond to test out their new material, and it’s already going down a storm with rave reviews from Kerrang,

I’m not normally one for this sort of stuff, but they really are quite good. Check them out on tour at the dates below, tickets available from the usual places.

MP3: Jubilee - Fuzz Are Down

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Tour dates after the jump.

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Going to a gig in a new city is always fun – different crowds, different venue policies. In a different country is even more fun.

Tonight I went to see José González at Aladdin’s theatre, Portland, a former burlesque theatre in a shady part of town. Full of character, the venue was one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in recent years. Clean, tidy, simple and yet still having that air of mystery that all former theatres of ill repute have, it has great acoustics and friendly staff.

Soon after taking my seat, Tiny Vipers came on. The Seattle rising star slowly worked her way through a reasonable back catalogue, sounding like a poor man’s Trespasser’s William. Backed up by an electric guitar, Jesy Fortino’s strumming becomes easy to get lost in. Many people have tipped her for big things, but whilst she was very good and skilled, I personally found the lack of other instrumentation rather boring.

A short break before the houselights goes down again and José ambles on stage. Warming up, he worked his way through some of the stuff from his new second album, In Our Nature. Slowly building the crowd up, the quiet Swede got a tad flustered when a guy yelled out “I love you José!” to which José replies “I love you too… actually, not really, I’m not into that sort of thing!”. Banter was distinctly thin on the ground, but to be honest this was to be expected: José is the sort of guy who lets his music do the work, his mesmerizingly beautiful songs.

Slowly things build, and before we know it we’re at the closing three numbers: The infamous “Heartbeats” – the song that perhaps launched him to the big time, thanks to the Sony Bravia advert featuring the thousands of bouncy balls hurtling through San Francisco. “Crosses” followed, sounding even better live than on record, before finishing off with a duo of stunningly beautiful covers, of Kylie’s “Hand On Your Heart” and Massive Attack’s “Teardrop”. Both of these were every bit as good as the original, though remarkably different.

Coming back for an encore, we were treated to another re-working of a modern classic, a formidable cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” that would have had Ian Curtis jumping for joy no doubt at the simplicity yet inherent quality of it.

And with that José quietly leaves the stage, ready to continue his way around the US before jetting over to the UK on 17th October for a full UK Tour. Make sure you catch him – it’s sure to be a good evening.

Photos are after the jump. Enjoy. Sorry they’re a bit rubbish – e weren’t supposed to take pictures so I didn’t experiment much.
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