– Black Mold Lightning (Really endearing folk pop)
These New York based folks are all on tour together and put on a very fun live show full of cheer! DON’T MISS THIS!!!!
P.S. – The Missionaries were supposed to play this show but could not make it due to the holidays and lack of practice stemming from bad weather conditions.
-Sean
(The Water Heater is located at 813 5th St. SW in Roanoke. For more information, you can find their blog here. -L.H)
Eternal Summers
w/Daniel Pujol & ASDFGH
All Ages $5
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The Bazaar is located at 675 Brandon Ave. For more information, email TheBazaar.Jamie@gmail.com.
Circulatory System – Self-Titled (2001, Cloud Recordings)
An album full of catchy sounds and melodies. From the very first track, “Yesterday’s World”, you are hooked. This album made my summer in 2005, four years after its release!
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Caribou – Andorra (2007, Merge)
Caribou’s Daniel Snaith completely blew my mind with this record. I loved his previous release, Milk of Human Kindness, but Andorra is in a league of its own. All of the tape loops, melodies, and beats you could want are in this album. I listened to it non-stop for about six months. The live shows are incredible too!
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The High Llamas – Can Cladders (2007, Drag City)
This album is a bit different for Sean O’Hagan and crew but I still love how mellow and happy it is. The perfect mixture of Burt Bacharach & Brian Wilson.
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Of Montreal – Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies (2001, Kindercore)
A great concept album from Kevin Barnes and this Athens, GA based group. Think Paul McCartney meets David Bowie!
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Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002, Nonesuch/Warner Bros.)
This album has always amazed me. This album made me a fan of Jim O’Rourke’s production skills and Jeff Tweedy’s voice.
Honorable Mentions are….
Yo La Tengo – Summer Sun (2003, Matador)
M83 – Saturdays=Youth (2008, Mute)
Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature (2007, Mute)
Belle & Sebastian – Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (2000, Matador)
Jim O’Rourke – Insignificance (2001, Drag City)
Masters of the Hemisphere – Protest A Dark Anniversary (2002, Kindercore)
The Exploding Hearts – Guitar Romantic (2003, Dirtnap)
The Clientele – Strange Geometry (2005, Merge)
I’m sure I’ll kick myself later about missing a few other great albums. It was a good decade, for some. Haha.
Someone once wrote in a music review that our generation currently possesses the ability to listen to more music, in more ways than any generation that has preceded us. It’s a strange thought, really. I’ve all but abandoned my car radio for my iPod; I read 5 different internet music ‘zines before taking the recommendation of a friend of mine in Baltimore via Facebook of a new band that put some demos on MySpace. And did I mention YouTube?
Anyways, for our first music post, we came to a decision: rather than give 3 long, overlapping “Best of 2009” lists, we would shorten (and expand) to a Top 5 format, so that readers could get a better idea of the tastes and leanings of the individual writers at this blog.
It was the question that started the blog. One of us brought it up; to know if there was a publication in Roanoke dedicated to covering underground music and art. Richmond has RVA, and most major cities have their alternative weekly mags. But, Roanoke seemed to be lagging behind.
So, the three of us (Lance, Sean and Wil) came up with an idea. Why don’t we just start a blog ourselves? It would be a way of documenting all the ideas and the creative people that were around us, giving recognition to those that we knew and inviting others to join in.
We tinkered around with the idea, and out came “[A] Scenic Recovery”. It’s a modest little blog (for the moment), but we hope that you, our readers, will get to know us and rely upon us to know what bands to check out, what shows you might want to go to, and who’s been making good films in your area. We hope to fill the gap in covering ‘all things local in the Roanoke Valley (and beyond)’…
At the moment, our primary focus will be on local musicians in the Roanoke area, including Lynchburg, Blacksburg, Floyd and various areas in Southwest Virginia. In the future, we hope to be able to feature local filmmakers, artists, and other interesting folk that may not grace the pages of the regional print publications, but should still warrant your attention.
But it starts with you. Yes, you reading this. Right now. Let us know about any creative folk in your neighborhood! Email us at ScenicRecovery@gmail.com. We’re ready to hear from you.
Be on the look out because in the next few weeks this page will be highly active. On the horizon for Scenic Recovery….
– Review of the Late Virginia Summers show in Lynchburg, VA*
– Review of Julian Koster (Music Tapes/ Neutral Milk Hotel) and his singing saw’s performance in Eagle Rock, VA *
– Lance, Wil and Sean’s picks for best albums of the decade
We will also be putting up and coming show dates for the Roanoke area on our calendar.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED!!!!
-S.P.
(*Events were canceled due to the Great Snowstorm of 09′. See above post. -Lance)
lancemharris
Scenic Recovery
seanpoff
Scenic Recovery 