ordained or not, i don't care...

i cannot stop listening to bishop allen. if you're a fan of loney, dear or like bright eyes but hate that feeling of impending suicide then please check out bishop allen. in all honesty, bright eyes isn't the best comparison. if you like poppy fun, but don't want to feel immature for it, click here and you can download "click, click, click, click," a song so full of charm and inventive pop that it practically begs you to put it on repeat. which is actually a problem because every song on the broken string is worth listening to over and over. the entire album plays like a backdrop to any wes anderson movie (only no french).

in 2006 they released one ep a month and you can go their website and order any of the 12 eps in addition to two full lengths (july is the most popular if you're looking to buy, followed by september).

they just released a blog post announcing that they're planning on having another full length ready for release in 2008. anyone else feel like an underachiever?

Are you ready for Hollywood??

Hey Hollywood, that is. Yes! That's right! and they are coming to the cafe this Thursday (January 31). This group of guys has come up with a very like-able sound that I think a lot of people will enjoy right off the bat. From the few songs I have heard I can definitely tell that they are very promising. They have a nice sort-of-copeland sound with something else...I just can't place my finger on what it is...but I like it and it's good, so you shouldn't miss out.

Well that's all I have really. Sorry about the length and quality of this article. If I was any busier these days I might just collapse. So I hope you go to the show and enjoy them for me because I can't go. So...

P&L

free music mondays...

i wish we had free music every week, but some free music is better than no free music...

click here to download free music from gazelles, a four-piece indie-rock outfit from texas. unfortunately, according to a bulletin i read today, they had a significant amount of their stuff stolen this weekend in washington. of course this is a horrible thing, but think about it this way: they're in great company.

some of my favorite bands have had their stuff stolen: colour revolt, vedera, and lovedrug just to name a few. so maybe getting ripped off is the new sign of success? i hope so, because gazelles are good.

gazelles play the cafe on thursday with hey hollywood.

nice pipes.

say hello to sara bareilles, the brown-eyed bombshell from california. her difficult-to-spell name has been spreading and this is quite understandable due to her powerful voice. she definitely a nice set of pipes. perhaps you've already heard of her and that nice "i don't want to write you a love song" chorus line has already been stuck in your head for a day or two. her album, little voice (haphazardly named?), is worth picking up for the rest is not a disappointment. she's a mix of all those female vocalists such as fiona apple and norah jones. she's jazzy with an edge and can hold a note. what more do you need? some favorite songs on this album include "love song", "love on the rocks", and "come round soon".

all's well for bidwell

it's extremely worrisome when a manager won't allow their band to be interviewed...but with a name like bidwell, you have to assume the best about them (plus i know their manager and he's a good friend).

what do we know about bidwell? well they sound like jonzetta and name the format, acceptance and all american rejects as their influences. they're allegedly flirting with tooth & nail, virgin, atlantic, fueled by ramen, columbia, interscope and epic for a label home. they're happy at this point to work on making music and touring. they're currently working on 25 songs that they will boil down to a 7-song ep that they hope to release in 2008.

bidwell plays the cafe on tuesday with this is anfield and more.

How many of you know?

How much I love My Morning Jacket? I mean really? Jim James, is there anyone cooler? I don't know, I just don't. He's got a voice that makes me want to fall in love with an animal, in a strictly platonic sense... I'm just rambling, that makes no sense.

The point that I'm trying to make is that Fleet Foxes is coming to Salt Lake, at the lovely Urban Lounge, in April. Am I happy about this? Yes. Am I willing to pay to go? Yes. Do I fall in love with Sub Pop bands on a regular basis? Yes. Do I want you to listen to Fleet Foxes, fall in love with them, and go to the show with me? I think that's pretty obvious.

I don't want to be too assuming here, but I think reverb is something that fleet foxes really enjoys. However, just like My Morning Jacket, Dan from Olé Bravo (did I really?), and to a lesser extent Band of Horses, the reverb sound absolutely works for Fleet Foxes. They're definitely not as electric, or should I say, um...they use a clean guitar the way it should be used, and they do it well.

As I'm sure this random babbling about the band may be slightly confusing to some, just check out their myspace (may I recommend the songs "Drops in the River" and "White Winter Hymnal"), buy the cd, do whatever it is you do and I'll see you at the show. Seriously, March and April are looking good for this city.

legit in 2007?

we did the math. four times. cause we stink at math (except keni).

4,758 people came out to shows at the cafe in 2007. we kept track.

are we poised to finally achieve some lasting success at the cafe in 2007? before we get too cocky, please consider the following:

• seve vs. evan won't respond to our emails (uzi and ari do though!).

• slowtrain and some of the graywhale's still take our posters down.
  
  
• parents still come out and watch their kids play at the cafe.

• our door girls still get hassled (see: underage).

• we still bomb shows (we had one in 2007 with 6 people, one with 0 and another with 8).

• bands still assume our sound guys don't know what they're doing.

• we still keep an emergency stash of ear plugs because we still have bad bands open shows every once in a while.

to be honest, that's a decent list. gives us something to shoot for. on a serious note, thanks to all of you who show the cafe so much support. you're the reason we keep it open. i mean, we made $18 in 2007 so it's not the money!