Trixie DVD - tons of new clips

I mentioned the great Brendan Canty/Christoph Green DVD series Burn To Shine here in the past (see posts). In addition to upcoming BTS installments in Seattle and Louisville, the production company that Canty and Green started, TrixieDVD, has ventured into new territories. Out now is a live Jeff Tweedy disc and in the coming months, Trixie plans on releasing live DVDs from Bob Mould (featuring Canty on drums), Wilco, and Glen Kotche. The boys also filmed The Decemberists at the 9:30 Club in DC although no word on whether that material will be released.

Trixie has now posted clips from each of its releases. I, for one, am most eagerly awaiting the Bob Mould live at the 9:30 club DVD which was filmed in October of 2005 and set for release this fall. I saw Bob and his band just a few days prior to filming at the Paradise in Boston and it was amazing to see him back in peak form. If you are in a rush and can only check out one clip then pick the Burn To Shine 1 in DC. This clip features Ian Svenonius (Make Up, Nation of Ulysses) and his new band Weird War singing the brilliant yet absurd "AK-47" - you also get a little taste of Ted Leo performing a solo rendition of "Bleeding Powers" months before the release of Shake The Sheets.

From Burn To Shine 1 in DC - clips of Weird War and Ted Leo
From Burn To Shine 2 in Chicago - clips of Shellac and Tight Phantomz
From Burn To Shine 3 in Portland - clips of The Shins and The Gossip
From Bob Mould - Circle of Friends - Live at the 9:30 - A Good Idea
From Wilco - Shake It Off - Shake It Off
From Jeff Tweedy - Sunken Treasures - clips
From Glenn Kotche Electronic Press Kit - Monkey Chant
From The Decemberists - Live At the 9:30 Club

The Ponys

I first became aware of this Chicago-based psych/garage rock band upon viewing Brendan Canty's second Burn to Shine DVD (the one filmed in Chicago, duh). Lots of reverb, simple rhythms that sound like they're coming straight from 1964. Having recently signed to Matador, their most recent release Turn the Lights Out came out last month and features the songs linked below. Short post today, what are you gonna do?

Double Vision (mp3)
Poser Psychotic (mp3)

Burn to Shine 3 - Portland

The collaboration between filmmaker Christoph Green and producer/drummer Brendan Canty continues with part 3 of their series Burn to Shine. This time out they traveled to Portand, OR for a day of music curated by Chris Funk of The Decemberists. The format remains constant - each band has one hour to set-up, soundcheck and play in a house that set for destruction.

As was the case with the previous volumes shot in DC and Chicago the line-up features some big names (Sleater-Kinney, the Shins, the Decemberists) with lesser-known yet no less capable bands (The Thermals, The Gossip).

After a short intro by Brendan Canty explaining the concept of the series and providing a sense of history of the house about to be destroyed, The Thermals launch into a flawless version of "Welcome to the Planet" - further evidence that this band is on the verge of taking over the planet. Other highlights of the first half of the disc include Quasi (contributing further to my hard to explain crush on Janet Weiss), The Planet The (who may just be the west coast answer to Q and Not U), and an understated performance of "Modern Girl" by the recently disbanded Sleater-Kinney.

The second half of the disc is notable for the first appearance of a hip-hop group, The Lifesavas, in the series. The Shins provide a rawer (read: better) version of Chutes Too Narrow's "Saint Simon". Full disclosure - I don't totally get The Decemberists - I'm sorry but Colin Meloy's voice gets on my last nerve. That said, "The Mariner's Revenge Song" from 2005's Picaresque is well, not bad and definitely worth a view. The disc wraps up at dusk with The Gossip and a seductive version "Listen Up!" - one of the great highlights of the disc.

You can purchase the dvd here.

See my previous post on Volume 2 which was shot in Chicago and featured Wilco, Tortoise and The Ponys.

The Gossip "Listen Up!" (mp3)
The Thermals "A Pillar of Salt" (mp3)
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers" (mp3)

Burn to Shine, Volume 2

The basic premise of the Brendan Canty produced series of dvd's is - find a house that is about to be demolished, set up a camera crew and then have eight or nine bands come through every hour on the hour to play one song. Volume 1 of the series, shot in Washington, DC, documented the likes of Q and Not U, Bob Mould , Ted Leo and Medications. Volume 2 takes us to Chicago where indie-rock producer Bob Weston has gathered nine bands, including his own Shellac for a day of music in a house slated for demolition.

Track Listing
The Lonesome Organist “Catching Flies With Teeth”
Pit Er Pat “ The Bog Man”
Shellac “Steady As She Goes”
The Ponys “Shadow Box”
Wilco “Muzzle Of Bees”
Tight Phantomz “Ninja Talk”
Freakwater “Jewel”
Red Eyed Legends “Je M’appelle Macho”
Tortoise “Salt The Skies”

The film is shot beautifully in high definition (as was volume one) and the sound recording is fantastic. Standout performances include Wilco and Tight Phantomz, whose singer-guitarist, Mike Lust, worships at the altar of David Lee Roth, Dexter Romweber and Jack Black. The highlight performance, however, is Tortoise whose avant/indie/cool jazz/space, however you want to classify it, was jaw dropping (plus they’re bringing the xylophone back, which is cool). Check out www.trixiedvd.com for more info.

Pit Er Pat "3D Message" (mp3)
Tight Phantomz “Stranded” (mp3)