Maps of Norway at Big V's 6/23/07

I recall Maps of Norway bassist Matt Helgeson once saying (or writing somewhere on the internet) that listening to Joy Division as a younger man opened his eyes to the power of repetition. The rest of Maps of Norway seem to have taken this lesson to heart as well, as their newer songs tend to be heavy on repeating, lock-step grooves, anchored by Helgeson and drummer Jeff Ball. Case in point: the first song in this set focuses intently on one riff, built from the ground up starting with Eric Hanson's perma-delayed guitar, for over four minutes minutes before Rebecca Leigh graces the microphone. It would suck if it weren't so awesome.

Few bands have grown on me as much as Maps over the past year or two, and this set features a bunch of new material not found on their debut album (out last year on Guilt Ridden Pop) so check it out, will you?

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?3mz2ajwm8ka

Track list:
1. Strict Ritual (8:43)
2. Cage the Lions (5:14)
3. Tyranny is Over (3:21)
4. Glass (3:10)
5. Marathon (3:13)
6. Champion Ghost (2:26)
7. Polo Grounds (4:27)

Total running time: 30:34

Lazer Forever at the 7th Street Entry (8/12/06)

This was Lazer Forever's last show with original drummer Adam Patterson, who was planning to attend college in Wisconsin, and whose spastic, hard-hitting style was the perfect companion to Clint Boylan and Dustin Tessier's jittery pop sensibility. Though they were the opening band on that night's bill at the Entry, the band gave Patterson a fitting send-off, playing a 40+ minute set with nearly every song from their excellent debut Visage Cage (with a newer tune thrown in for good measure). This an impassioned, invigorating performance with great melodies and infectious energy for days, the occasional technical flub or off-key harmony serving only to add to the atmosphere of reckless abandon. This is worth hearing for, if nothing else, the stellar renditions of Visage Cage standout tracks "Stairs & Bed" and "Floor of the Ocean."

LF has soldiered on with Jon Warnberg, perhaps the only drummer in town fit to take Patterson's place. The latter barely left town before dropping out and returning home, and has been heard to say that he may play with the band again in the future. I'm keeping my figures crossed.

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?2sahtvouxdc

Track list:
1. The Witch (4:37)
2. Sketches of a Ghost Town (3:13)
3. Auto Fellatio (3:09)
4. Stairs & Bed (2:55)
5. Slipped Disk (4:00)
6. Come clean (3:36)
7. Good Advice (3:09)
8. Right Now (4:46)
9. Animals (3:17)
10. Umbilical Cord (4:41)
11. Fountain Head (2:18)
12. Floor of the Ocean (4:08)

Total running time: 43:48

Shotgun Monday at Big V's 3/23/07

I can already tell that it's going to be a challenge in writing these entries not to overuse to the term "underrated." I think nearly every local band I like is underrated (the only exception that comes to mind at the moment is Plastic Constellations). But the term applies particularly in the case of Shotgun Monday, who seem to be underrated even by the crowd that should appreciate their muscular Dischord-meets-AmRep stylings the most. Their newer material, showcased in this set (only one song, "Resting Vessel," comes from their second and mot recent album Read Compare Adjust) is their strongest yet, so hopefully it is not too late for Shotgun Monday to get the recognition they deserve.

This is a mere cassette tape recording, so the quality isn't quite as high as, say, the BMGH or Falcon Crest sets posted here previously. But it sounds about as good as a cassette can sound, which is good enough.

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?3j8njx9g00f

Track list:
1. Unknown #1/Unknown #2
2. Unknown #3
3. Unknown #4
4. Resting Vessel
5. Unknown #5
6. Unknown #6

Total running time: 25:48

The Deaf at Memory Lanes 1/20/07

Memory Lanes is my least favorite venue in town sound-wise, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this recording actually sounds pretty good. It finds the Deaf running through nine songs in under 20 minutes, as is their wont, including a couple new ones not found on their debut record This Bunny Bites. For the uninitiated, the Deaf seem to operate on the principle that if sludgy stoner rock is a good idea, then surely sludgy stoner rock distilled into catchy, sub-3-minute nuggets is also a good idea, if not a better one. For the record, I agree.

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?2mmp9x214ml

Tracklist:

1. Air Raid / Pocket Change (3:54)
2. Beatdown (2:08)
3. Unknown #1 / Get'er Done / Chim Cham (4:56)
4. Unknown #2 / Fuck That Shit
5. Let's Go

Total running time: 17:17

Glass Organ at the Church 5/26/07

I have a love-hate relationship overall with the noise/experimental improv type of stuff I've seen around town. For every really good set, there seem to be five that run on twice as long as they should as the various performers try and fail to happen upon something interesting. What's worse is that often the same musicians seem to be capable of both grating feats of self-indulgence and inspired, genuinely interesting performances, and you can never be sure which one you're going to get.

Naturally, what we have here is one of the latter. Glass Organ, which consists of Tom Helgerson (ex-Thank You, Shahs) and Tonefilth label head Justin Meyers, set up for one of the final shows at famed underground venue the Church with Helgerson on one end of the stage toting a Telecaster, Meyers on the other with various sound-manipulating machines, and a set of cables stretching between them. What followed was one of the rare "noise"-type sets that didn't overstay its welcome and remained interesting throughout. I was recently told that Meyers is reluctant to perform live, so if you ever see these guys listed on a bill, consider it a priority!

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?699w0mm9cx1 (one track, 11:36)

Falcon Crest at Big V's 4/8/06

What we have here is an exceptionally RAW and LOUD (in a good, listenable way) recording of what has been a typical Falcon Crest for the past year or so: this set of songs, give or take two or three, played with unwavering intensity and enthusiasm at a crushingly high volume. The one exception here is the closing song, the origins of which are a mystery to me. Lord willing, they'll do a record like this eventually.

All the song titles, except for "This Is Where the Crunked Comes In" (which appears on their excellent mini-album Taste the Thunder, Raise the Flag, the best argument going for why one shouldn't judge a record by its cover art) are approximate based on pilfered set lists.

Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/xpmpko

Track list:

1. Murder (3:35)
2. Pop (2:24)
3. A Chord (4:52)
4. Classic (3:02)
5. Unknown #1 (3:36)
6. Floyd Hill (3:35)
7. This Is Where the Crunked Comes In (1:44)
8. Unknown #2 (4:32)

Total running time: 27:20

Build My Gallows High at the Dinkytowner 8/6/06

These recordings are hit-or-miss in terms of sound quality, so perhaps it isn't a great idea to start with the best sounding one I've listened to yet. Maybe it would be a better idea to start with one that is roughly average amongst those that sound good enough to post. But in the interest of starting things off on a high note, I'm going with the former. I guess what I'm saying is, I wish they could all sound this good.

Build My Gallows High are one of Minneapolis's innumerable great and under appreciated bands. I'll admit that the whole "epic instrumental rock" deal has been done to death, but that only makes it all the more impressive that this band does it so well, without ever coming off as trite or derivative. I'm no expert on that particular sub-genre but I can tell you that I enjoy listening to these guys way more than Mogwai and at least as much as Explosions in the Sky.

Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F4PYMI6S

Tracklist:

1. Earthworm (5:16)
2. Princess Move-My-Monitor (4:24)
3. Creepy Neighbor (5:02)
4. Flesh of Five Beasts (5:47)
5. The Long Arm of the Lame (5:46)

Total running time: 26:15