Quite a crowd showed up for Stars' return to Winnipeg since playing the Garrick Theatre in February 2006. Doors opened at 8 p.m. and the line to buy merchandise was about 30 minutes long. Not a bad way to kill time, I suppose. I'm not sure what the attendance was but I would bet it was around 1,300 as there were fans even in the second balcony of the 1,646-seat venue.Miracle Fortress took to the stage around 9 p.m. and at first I wasn't sure what band I was seeing. I can recall that Stars has two lead singers, with the guy having short blonde hair. I quickly realized that they weren't playing anything that I recognized and they must have been some other band, but I didn't catch their name until later. The music was poppy and yet indie at the same time, but not as catchy as Stars' music. The drummer had possibly the best sound that I've heard at that venue. Sitting in the centre of row four I could see, but not as well as I wanted. During intermission I went to the bar for water and my vantage point, looking over the tops of mostly teenage girls, was much better. I would say the audience was mostly teens and twenty-somethings with older folks being in the minority.Opening the show with the infectious "Take Me To The Riot" from their new album, In Our Bedroom After The War, the sound was initially muddy but became better later on. They played a variety of songs from their recordings, including some that the audience sang along to. During those particular moments the band aimed the mics at the audience and the mood turned warm and fuzzy. Songs played included "Ageless Beauty," "My Ex-Lover Is Dead," "Personal," "Bitches In Tokyo," "Midnight Coward," "In Our Bedroom After The War," the funky "The Ghost of Genova Heights" (complete with falsetto vocals that recall Michael Jackson), among several others. The five-song encore began with "The Night Starts Here," another instantly appealing song from the band's new album. Not everything was a simple pop, song however. Some were slow-moving, bitter soliloquies to failed relationships. I wouldn't necessarily describe them as ballads. Throughout the show bassist Evan Cranely plucked flowers that decorated the set and threw them into the crowd, often trying to fling them as high as possible. It proved to be a popular move among the mostly teen and twenty-something crowd. Cranley's bass often stood out and he added some needed visual interest by dancing around a fair bit.Co-lead singer and guitarist Amy Millan, who was in town earlier this year to promote her country solo album, didn't really crack a smile or look as if she was having a great time. That may have been her regular stage persona. Her eyes were like lasers, staring into Cranley's eyes without flinching as they two of them stood close together and played their instruments on a few occasions.Toquil Campbell, the other singer, was an athletic foil to Millan's sombre presence. Stars are one of the few bands around with two lead singers, who sometimes sing the same lines together while other times, their own verses. He wowed the crowd as he knelt down right in front of the stage and sang directly in the faces of the stunned audience members. I absolutely love the sound of the trumpet and Campbell played his a few times during the show, which added even more variety to the overall sound. On a couple of occasions, he praised the audience for showing up, curiously saying that they don't have a lot of friends and that having the turnout was something very special to the band. One thing is for certain, unlike some bands, Stars have managed to play larger and larger venues each time they returned to Winnipeg. During the encore, at the end of one of the songs, the crowd kept on screaming "Amy!" as she handed out some short-stemmed roses to fans in the front. At the very end of the show, as the band members walked off the stage, Millan stayed behind to play the final chords of a song all by herself with her back turned to the audience. It was a poignant moment. As soon as the final note rung, she sped off the stage. I would describe Stars as one of Canada's premiere indie bands, and Campbell, Millan and Cranley also contribute to the Canadian indie kings, Broken Social Scene. Prior to releasing their CD, the band made the entire thing available for a free download, knowing that this would happen anyway, and hoping that fans and newcomers would like what they heard and would buy the CD. Months later, Radiohead tried something similar, where people could pay anything to download it.My rating for this show is 4/5.

One last big blast of what the industry hopes are massive, can't-miss releases before the shopping season begins - it's pretty obvious looking at the list this week. It's all greatest hits and weird repackagings the likes of which we would never see any other time of the year. However, it's also the day that brings two of the biggest re-releases of the entire year, the ones that will likely not end up under many music freaks Christmas trees - they'll have already bought these themselves.Genesis - Live Over Europe and 1983-1998 (Box and Individual releases): Given the fact that I've seen absolutely no talk about Live Over Europe, I'm going to assume that few really care about this live album that documents the reunion tour from this past summer. It looks almost to be buried by the label with no warning whatsoever of its impending release - it's just here with no fanfare, and given the lukewarm responses to the shows, that's no surprise.On the other hand, the second installation in the remix/remaster campaign curiously focuses on the band's least appealing period, from the self-titled 1983 album through the final, Phil Collins-less Calling All Stations in 1997. It's as if the label actually wants to show you that they're really not tuned in at all. This box of material that few fans are dying to get is readied for the hot Christmas season while the box that all the fans are eager to wrap their ears around, the Gabriel years set, lingers in limbo . . . ? As it is, the material on these albums has been remixed from the masters to update their sound, so they won't sound exactly how you remember them, and each album has a DVD with surround-sound versions of the album tracks. If you opt to buy the box, you get not only the requisite book but also a disc of bonus tracks (and the surround DVD of those as well.) Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the SameCD and DVD: I remember one of the fundamental disappointments when getting into Led Zeppelin was, sadly, this live album. It was just a mess. Sprawling, rambling, incoherent, it just didn't jell, and there was good reason: it had been chopped up to fit on two pieces of vinyl and was never readjusted for CD. We could go on and on about the video version of it, the fantasy segments of which were a complete surprise when my friends and I rented it one night as teens just getting into the band. Confused is about the only word that comes to mind. "What is going on here? Why are his eyes glowing? Why is he sword fighting? Why are we watching cars?" Now, having seen it via VH-1 Classic a few times, those fantasy segments merely look quaint and a bit charmingly self-absorbed.Now we finally get the CDs the way they should have been - all 15 songs represented in the setlist played on the nights at Madison Square Garden in 1973, remastered for sound quality and reflecting the actual concert represented in the film. The DVD, unfortunately, does not represent the concert alone - it is still the movie as it was back then, due to legal reasons that I don't understand that prevented Page and engineer Kevin Shirley from re-editing it back to just the music, but now it's in Dolby 5.1, and includes a second disc with the four missing songs, some interviews, coverage by Tampa news crews of the band's arrival there, and a few other small things.The DVD set can also be had in a special edition with a shirt bearing the album cover, lobby cards, tour schedule, and other stuff.Nine Inch Nails - Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D: 133t!11!! H4×0rd! w00t! LOL WTF?! OK! Pandering title aside, the concept is pretty cool - the usual NIN remix album that follows in the footsteps of a regular album, but this time it's accompanied by a DVD containing all of the multitracks for the songs so you can do whatever you feel like with them, then upload them to nin.com for Trent Reznor's amusement (and, presumably, other fans, too). This is not entirely as unique as Trent and Interscope want you to think it is - Duncan Sheik's 2006 album, White Limousine, also came with a DVD with audio tracks, but I believe the NIN DVD has them broken completely down where Sheik's had them broken down into simple categories - one track of already multitracked vocals, another of multitracked guitars, etc. Regardless, it's a cool idea, and for $11.99, it's kind of hard to pass up the opportunity to play (The disc also includes a demo of Ableton Live so you can get playing immediately, but they will work in other audio programs).Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes (Live): While the Lamentations DVD represented Opeth following the low-key, but amazing Damnation (that is to say, quiet and contemplative - not to mention all singing, no growling), this live set is more representative of a normal Opeth concert, which presents the band in all their glory, touring for Ghost Reveries. Speed, heaviness, and those vocals are in full effect, mixed in, as usual, with Mikael Åkerfeldt's surprisingly beautiful singing voice. Be forewarned: a DVD is likely coming sometime early next year, so if you crave watching and not just listening, you might want to wait.U2 - The Joshua Tree Magical Ultra Super Special Deluxe! Edition: 20 years ago, all I wanted was for people to just stop talking about U2. Oh my God, they were everywhere. My best friend, he'd been brainwashed, plastering his room with posters and hand-drawn replicas of their albums. The song he and his girlfriend called "theirs" was "With or Without You." I couldn't bring myself to tell them it wasn't really all that happy of a song, kind of like how people dedicate the Police's "Every Breath You Take" to loved ones not realizing it's actually about an obsessive stalker. People don't want to hear that, they have to learn some things on their own. But I digress.20 years ago, all I wanted to do was ignore U2. I let the band click with Achtung Baby and it's been a slow climb ever since then. I'm thoroughly in the "fan" category now, and I fully acknowledge that The Joshua Tree absolutely is one of the best albums of the '80s, if not the best. I'm obviously not alone, hence this special edition. Two CDs - the remastered album on one, non-album tracks on the other - and one DVD with a full concert, a documentary, and a couple videos, packaged in a very elaborate box with a 56-page hardback book. If you don't buy this version, you're really kind of wasting your time - you're really missing out on something special. Oh, and my friend? He married that girl - and their song changed to Tracy Chapman's "The Promise." Much better choice.

Well, it looks like this particular Grinch finds himself once again reviewing a Christmas album, but that's OK because it's the kind I like. My Holiday, on the Vanguard label, is talented young vocalist Mindy Smith's third album but her first holiday effort, and she's assembled a very nice mix of traditional holiday pieces and new songs, including some of her own compositions. Coming up via the Nashville route, Mindy has been performing professionally for only a few years but in addition to appearing on the Billboard charts, she's beginning to build quite a reputation as one of the best singers around. In addition to her recording success, she's become a frequent guest on TV shows and has also made appearances with Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss. Returning the favor, Alison here backs up Mindy on harmony with "Away In A Manger," and the two friends display an obvious affinity, making the track one of the best on the album. It's on this and other traditional holiday songs that Mindy's sweet voice and straight-ahead style are shown to best advantage. "Silver Bells" was another enjoyable listen, as was "I'll Be Home For Christmas," with Mindy kicking that old chestnut up a notch or two. Speaking of chestnuts, "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)," is here too, and it's nicely done, but new songs are also deserving of a listen and a couple of Mindy's own compositions are keepers. The title tune starts the album off by setting a soft mood, and the playful "Santa Will Find You" was fun, but Mindy's established fans will find a real comfort level while listening to "Come Around," a tune closer to her normal style. Overall, a good verdict on this holiday album, and an easy to make prediction that the gorgeous and talented Mindy Smith will be heard from again. 1. My Holiday 2. The Christmas Song 3. Santa Will Find You 4. Follow the Shepherd Home 5. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 6. Away in a Manger 7. I Know the Reason 8. Silver Bells 9. I'll Be Home for Christmas 10. It Really Is (A Wonderful Life) 11. Come Around (Follow Amazon link for sound clips.)

I have to begin with yet another admission which makes me think that I should start calling my reviews 'true confessions'; but that's  another story. In any case, I must confess to a certain bias when reviewing bands from Hamilton Ontario.  I feel a swell of pride in my Hammertown guys and gals that may color my perception. I'm confident however that when it comes to The Marble Index, my hometown pride is well placed.Their second release Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is a slick recording showcasing a more mature band with the experience of a successful first launch and allot of touring under their belts.The tracks on this CD are very danceable and alternative-radio friendly  songs that still manage to retain a slight garage band feel.  I guess you could say the Marble Index's sound has moved into a three car heated garage with a kick ass sound system, a lounge space and a mini bar fully stocked for an endless block party.  It's guitar driven dance music minus the techno pop.One of the best tunes in my humble opinion is "All That I Know".  This is the second track on the CD, though it really should have been the first.  It has a great hook that gets your head bopping to the beat from the first pluck of the guitar.Track 5 "Let Me Be The One" is another tune that finds me hitting the replay button. This catchy song has the slightest hint of reggae and demonstrates vocalist Brad Germain's knack for delivering lyrics like "If I can't be yours tonight, let me be the one that could hold you for the rest of your life" in a style that sticks to my brain and gets me singing the harmonies in a fantasy duet. (Then again maybe I just always wanted to be a cool back up singer complete with tambourine and cow bell - "more cow bell!")I've seen track 8 "I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life" performed live at a local gig, so I know for a fact this song gets the crowd jumping on the dance floor and sets the girls screaming.  The Marble Index, I can honestly tell you, put on a fabulous live show.   In this age when any tone deaf, teeny bopper nymphette with the right sound engineer can be a pop diva, the ability to sing and play your instuments well is becoming an endangered skill. These guys however, sound as good live as they do on their CD.   They're also great fun to watch.  The Marble Index, comprising of guitarist and vocalist Brad Germain, Bassist Ryan Tweedle, and Drummer Adam Knickle look like they're  having the time of their lives on stage; and lead man Germain really knows how to connect to the crowd and get a serious party vibe streaming through his audience.The group has demonstrated a good deal of growth on this sophomore release, though I think there is still room for improvement in developing their music. This is really good but somewhat familiar guitar driven dance music. I can hear the potential for a unique distinct sound but I don't think they've quite reached it yet.  That said, if they are already this good then they can only go up from here.  If they keep refining and honing their songwriting skills with each new album then I have no doubt that The Marble Index will still be around cranking out awesome tunes long after the latest flash in the pan party band has fizzled into oblivion.Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives is released on Rock Ridge Music and tracks include: 1. Everyone Else2. All That I Know3. Couldn't Do Without4. Same Schools5. Let Me Be The One6. We Always Complain7. What We Need8. I Don't Want To Try To Change Your Life9. Anytime10. Not Impressed11. Same Old Lie12. Never EndsYou can find out more about The Marble Index by visiting their website.

There’s been ill feelings festering away between Naeem of Spank Rock and emo-king/actor Jared Leto for some time, and it all came to a head at the recent MTV Woodie Awards in Canada when the notoriously capricious Baltimore MC chucked a glass at the 30 Seconds To Mars frontman. It could be said that Leto – who has been given the title “King of Douche” thanks to his self-absorbed parading and egocentric antics in 30 Seconds To Mars – is a pretty easy target, and since the incident blogs have been going ga-ga. None of them seem to be able to explain exactly why Naeem felt the need to hurl the glass at Leto in the first place. Some have said that it stemmed from El-P talking trash about Spank Rock’s new 2 Live Crew-inspired EP ‘Bangers & Cash’ backstage at the awards… but what exactly does that have with Jared Leto? Who knows! Video of the incident has, unremarkably, made it onto the web, with the YouTube clip below documenting the whole skirmish. What’s On Events 31st Dec : Killer w/ Felix Da Housecat, Spank Rock, Chromeo, Melbourne 6th Jan : FBi Night feat. Spank Rock, Sydney

In a sad blow for electronic music, UK-based Amato Distribution is shutting shop and filing for liquidation. The respected distributor currently oversees a who’s who of innovative labels, among them Border Community, BPitch Control, Crosstown Rebels and Kompakt. Amato’s output is across both physical and digital formats, including downloads, CD, DVD and vinyl. Considering the roster of talent that relies on this distribution, it’s fair to say the liquidation is going to be widely felt. The future is looking even bleaker for the humble 12”… There’s no news as yet on the Amato WEBSITE, but stay tuned for an update.

Daughtry's eponymous rock band and country singer Underwood overshadowed the likes of superstars Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, possibly with some help from new voting rules. In a move that mimicked the fan-based element of "American Idol," the producers of the ratings-challenged awards show allowed fans to vote online. Winners were traditionally determined by an opinion poll of 20,000 music buyers. Producers said about 1.2 million people voted online at a Web site established by the show's U.S. broadcaster, ABC. By contrast, 74 million votes were cast by telephone for the grand finale of "American Idol" on Fox in May. Daughtry, a finalist on the fifth season of "American Idol" in 2006, won for favorite breakthrough artist, favorite adult contemporary artist, and favorite pop/rock album for their chart-topping self-titled release. While he thanked the English creator of the "Idol" format, Simon Fuller, Daughtry noted that he was an artist before he entered the show. "The show didn't make me who I am. It just gave me an opportunity to show everybody else who I was," he told reporters backstage. "HECK OF A NIGHT" Underwood's American Music Award honors were for favorite female artist and favorite album, both in the country category. She also won a special award determined by text messages. She received the album award for her debut release "Some Hearts." "This is one heck of a night," Underwood said. She won the fourth season of "American Idol" and went to No. 1 last month with her second album, "Carnival Ride." Earlier this year, she won two Grammys, including the coveted best new artist award. Also receiving three nominations each were pop star Justin Timberlake, R&B singer Beyonce and rock band Linkin Park. Timberlake won for favorite male artist in the pop/rock category, and favorite soul/R&B album for "FutureSex/LoveSounds." He sent in an acceptance speech from Australia, where he is on tour. Beyonce was snubbed in the competitive races but was given a special "International Artist Award of Excellence" prize. Los Angeles rockers Linkin Park, who did not show up at the event, were named favorite alternative rock artist. Another multiple winner was rapper T.I., who won for favorite male artist and favorite album in the rap/hip-hop category. He is confined to his Atlanta home, awaiting trial on federal weapons charges. Rascal Flatts was named favorite band, duo or group in the country category. Tim McGraw, another no-show, was named favorite male artist in that category. Winners were announced during a ceremony held at the new Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. For the fourth year, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show. Reuters

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — When invited to the set of the new film from the makers of “Crank,” the e-mail said the flick was simply called “Game.” The backs of the director’s chairs, the clapboard and everything else around the set also referred to the winter ‘08 release with the same word. Toward the end of the visit, however, the studio explained that the monosyllabic moniker likely wouldn’t stick, and that we could refer to the film with any “untitled” listing we deemed appropriate. Based on what we saw, we’re going with “Untitled, Super-Intense Sci-Fi Flick Starring the Guy From ‘300′ and Ludacris, Overflowing With Action, Adrenaline and a Plot So Ambitious It Will Either Be an Instant Classic or Something That Doesn’t Make a Lick of Sense.” OK, maybe that’s too many letters for the theater marquee, but it at least summarizes a flick that defiantly dodges such attempts at summary. “This is one of those movies where I’d rather be at work than not be at work,” laughed an ecstatic Gerard Butler, the aforementioned leader of the “300″ Spartans. “A lot of movies, I want that time off [when they don’t need me]. But this one, it’s like, ‘I’m going in! I’m going to the BMX park today!’ ” As if to punctuate the point, moments later a loud explosion was heard, accompanied by a flame so hot that it could warm your face from 200 feet away. After the smoke cleared and the debris hit the ground, writer/director Mark Neveldine climbed up from the dirt pits of the enormous motorcycle-racing course, filth forming a blanket over everything but his ear-to-ear smile. One thing was for sure: This wasn’t no Spielberg movie. “This rig will allow Logan Lerman, who’s playing Simon, to glide along with Gerard when he’s running,” explained Neveldine’s equally energetic partner, Brian Taylor, while showing off an on-the-spot contraption they’ve created to make it look like a young boy has immersed himself inside a futuristic video game. “When you see it, it won’t seem like he’s moving; it’ll seem like he’s standing still and tracking a character like you would in ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ It’s a little bizarre, but it’ll make sense visually.” Neveldine and Taylor made that promise many times during the “Crank” shoot, going so far as to film chase scenes on roller skates, all in the name of giving the audience an in-your-face view it had never seen before. This time around, the duo have created something they’ve dubbed the “Peter Pan Cam,” basically a system of wires lifting the director up and down, dipping him dangerously into the middle of the action. “Neveldine and Taylor like to work with a lot of ideas, and we’re constantly exploring them and taking them to their fullest potential — and then seeing which ones are going to live,” explained producer David Rubin. “We’re still processing all the ideas for this movie.” Which brings us to the film’s constantly evolving “The Sims”-meets-”The Running Man” plot. Set in a time described as “some years from this very moment,” the story follows Kable (Butler), a burly prisoner in a jail system now financed by a private company. Video games have hijacked pop culture to the point where the most popular diversion is “Slayers,” a first-person shooter set in a “Second Life”-like environment. But the avatars are actually prisoners like Kable, controlled by implants they willingly install in their brains in exchange for the faintest hope of freedom. “We have four main games, and every single one is going to be different,” explained Butler, looking around at the motorcycles-and-machine-guns setting of one of the game’s levels. “There’s so much character and gruesomeness to it all.” A prisoner needs to successfully complete 30 games to earn amnesty, and the script begins with Kable as the only prisoner to have ever reached 27 wins. Fifteen-year-old “3:10 to Yuma” actor Lerman is the gaming rock star who has been manipulating Kable from his wealthy family’s living room, engaged by a gaming system that follows the boy’s every gesture like a Wii on steroids, then forces Butler’s character to do the same in real life. “I didn’t see the body parts till I got to the car; there’s a lot of that in this movie,” grinned the affable Butler, moments after filming a scene that has him shooting and running his way across the BMX track, dodging bullets, bikers and bodies. “I played it real tough, but to turn around and see bodies and half-heads? That’s really disgusting. It’s intense.” If you haven’t wrapped your mind around the plot at this point, it’s probably useless to mention that Kyra Sedgwick plays a reporter trying to take the game down, Ludacris and Alison Lohman are militant protesters trying to free Kable, and John Leguizamo is a fellow prisoner. It would also further confuse you if we brought up the “fly cams” that film the prisoner’s adventures, the secondary game that controls the pedestrians fleeing from every explosion, or the manner in which Kable and Simon eventually start communicating with each other. “Here’s the thing: I’m always amazed how, in films, it’s the scenes you think are going to be awesome that sometimes aren’t … and the scenes that you never really thought [would work] end up being amazing,” marveled Butler, arguably the fastest-rising Hollywood star of 2007. “We’ve only been filming for eight days now, and every day has been amazing. Every set has been incredible. There’s something very open and yet intense and involved and real and gripping about it. … I think this is turning out to be really cool.” For now, we’ll have to take Butler’s word for it. But whatever this thing ends up looking like, whatever it’s eventually called, it just might become a name worth remembering.

BlogWorld New Media Expo wound up last week, leaving hundreds in attendance happy and blogged out! The event was filled with exhibition booths, great panel speakers and an opening party filled with web celebs and up and coming stars. While the number of general people off the street was relatively small, it made it easier for those who made the trek to Vegas to actually meet the vendors, speakers and media. As soon as I walked into the expo with JhaVoice and the band, (shouts to Alex, Jorge, and Ozmo!) I was greeted by Patti from BlogWorld. She guided us through the gates and we were soon mingling with some of the best bloggers alive!We stood up front for a second, listening to the live broadcast from Townhall.com and Pajamas Media’s booth both vying for attention! Later I was interviewed by Carmen of SiTV.com and LuvCarmen.com The hot and steamy questions she asked me got a little hot under the collar for a second, but was a fun little bit thanks to Talitha and the guys behind the lens at Luv Carmen.com. Make sure you check her blog at Sitv.com.  I spent the majority of Thursday evening wearing the manager hat, as JhaVoice, our amazing recording act here at the Kayaro compound, prepared for the performance at the opening party, held in the Hard Rock Casino. As we made our quick rounds through the expo and jetted back and forth from the hotels and The Hard Rock, I tried to stop and smell the digital roses that were the numerous contacts in the blogosphere! People from all corners of the Internet were in the house that night, movers and shakers like Matt Mullenweg and the guys behind Wordpress.com, Leo Laporte, Will Leitch, and a host of others. Once we got the show on the road all the tension and jitters faded and we were able to relax and party with everyone in our hidden dressing room. If you were in the house that night, I must apologize for the sound crew at The Hard Rock as they decided to turn down the main volume half way through the performance that night, causing all in attendance to jerk their heads toward the BOH system in unison, with puzzled looks on their face like “What happened to the sound?” Seems like JhaVoice was overpowering the social mixer and people couldn’t hear themselves schmooze. Once that minor setback was overcome, JhaVoice and the crew got back into the groove with an impromptu live session, as Deana Tha Poet, Sincere and Lioness rocked the freestyle spoken word set to the live guitar work. The night was topped with a tremendous response, despite the sound setbacks! The next day was just as exciting. I got to take a slower paced walk through the booths and hang out with some of my Blogcritics & B5 friends for a bit. It was fun finally putting faces to the names of some of our editors here at the sinister cabal of superior writers, and when we all put together the next big event, you all really should try and make it out! If anything, I wish I had more time to hang with everyone as it was really cool to take a look at our little family, all nestled up together, watching some of the side companies blatantly trying to take some of our shine! I mean was it me, or did everyone in attendance step up Blogcritics booth at least twice? We were the cool kids on the block, hands down, sans poker table and stand up-comedians. While Phil took a quick run to In & Out for burgers, I chatted with Dave Nalle a bit about one of the great loves of anyone southern: barbecue. He has a new book out that already has me getting ready to plan a trip to Austin to sample the Texan BBQ grills! The whole conversation reminded me just how long it’s been since I’ve been to Memphis. I may have to head down there to do some research! Eric and I spoke briefly about plans to expand our horizons at Blogcritics, with podcast and video streams all being considered. The future looked so bright at the BC booth that we all really should have had our shades! From there we headed to the panel and briefly spoke at a pop culture panel, put on by Eric. We actually had a handful of people in our room, as I winged it and tried to sound like I had a clue.  The conversation was fun though, and was one of the highlights of the expo for me personally. I had a chance to set up a radio interview on BlogTalkRadio.com, with JhaVoice and I sitting in with Josh for a second. The guys at BTR were very welcoming and we look forward to speaking with them soon! Thanks to Lisa for kicking it with us, and the kind words. See you in San Fran soon! Be on the lookout for more from us at Blog Talk Radio. The thing about going to an event like this one is that you want to try and meet everyone. The closer you get to meeting that goal, the more your head begins to spin! We met tons of great people at BlogWorld and hope to stay in touch with you all. After listening to the keynote address for a bit and managing to meet Lynne d. Johnson of Fast Company for about a second, I headed back to the hotel for some overdue lunch.  Our plans to catch up to the rest of the BC crew fell apart, as the dinner started to weigh in and slow our motivation. The 3 a.m. last minute recording session booked later that night also took some of the wind out of my sails as I called it a wrap on BWE. I am compiling a list of all the assorted BC/BWE links of the event, to share with you. Feel free to share your links and pics from BlogWorld here! Thanks again to Rick, Patti, and everyone at the expo for a great time! See ya at the next one!

Jim Bianco, Jenny Owen Youngs, and Sean Hayes played a show at the High Dive in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood Monday night. The venue is a narrow, intimate space with a full bar and kitchen. The food is of the tasty pub food variety, and the bar selection is adequate. I mainly go there for the music. Prior to the concert, I had not listened to any of the acts, and had only a passing familiarity with their names. Probably not the best example of research, but I went with an open mind and low expectations. In some cases, those expectations were exceeded far beyond my imagination, and in others, not so much. Managing to score a seat relatively close to the stage, I settled in for the evening. Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Jim Bianco and his band were the first ones up. They started their set with a song that has a French or Latin rock vibe, including the accordion and a small brass horn that looks like a half-sized cornet. As it turns out, this was just a sample of the styles the band incorporates in their music. Overall, I would describe Bianco's music as roots or folk rock, drawing from a variety of Americana musical traditions. The music itself is on the fringe of my interests, but that was not an issue thanks to Bianco's performance and stage presence. His personality goes far beyond the stage, and he is comfortable with interacting with the audience, even when there is a fifteen foot gap between us and him. For Bianco, the fourth wall does not exist. As if his stage antics weren't enough to reinforce that, he brought the band down to the floor to stand inches away from the front line of the audience to perform the penultimate song in his set. With tight harmonies, the cohesive sound of the quartet stilled the audience, and for those of us who were not in the back of the room gabbing with our pals, it was a magical moment. Bianco followed it up with a sultry tune that brought out the catcalls, whoops, and hollers from the audience. Even though most seemed to be there to hear the other two acts, Bianco clearly impressed the crowd. If you get a chance to see him, I recommend you do. Whether his music is your thing or not, he puts on a good show. Chris Kuffner on bass and Adam Christgau on drums put in double time last night, playing with both Jim Bianco and Jenny Owen Youngs, who was the second performer of the evening. Youngs was also joined by guitarist Bess Rogers, who has a sweet voice, and I wish I could have heard more from her. Compared to Bianco's set, Youngs' was a study in understated intensity, heightened mainly by the electrified indie pop pouring forth from the speakers. Her vocals are the love child of Erin McKeown and Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), delivered with almost no physical expression. Youngs couldn't stand still while performing, but the activity of her body stopped at the neck, leaving her facial expressions bland and seemingly uninterested. Where her stage presence lacked the punch of Bianco's, she attempted to make up for it with the liberal use of profanity. I'm no prude, but it quickly wore thin for me, and I silently wished she would say something clever and witty rather than resorting to curses meant to titillate the audience. On the other hand, I really shouldn't have been so surprised since the song "Fuck Was I" is currently her most well-known composition. After a series of long, slow, expressionless songs that drug the momentum of the evening down to a near halt, things picked back up again with the final song of the set, the aforementioned "Fuck Was I." Still, I found myself feeling less interested in Youngs' music than I was after the first few songs of her set. On the up side, she wasn't the first performer on the bill, which meant I stuck around longer than I would have. After a short set change, Sean Hayes came out to play. Kuffner and Christgau finally got a chance to relax for the evening, since Hayes brought his own band. The crowd that had gathered in the space in front of the stage for Youngs stayed put, and they seemed to be equally interested in listening to Hayes' set. So was I, but in the middle of his first song, his monitor started smoking and the smell was enough to drive me to the back of the room for fresh air. At which point, I decided that his tenor vibrato, the uncomfortably packed room, and the late hour, were enough to tip the balance towards driving the two hours over the mountains back to my waiting bed. There are still a few days left of their tour, and it would be well worth your time to go, if just to bask in the energy emanating from Jim Bianco.