Tag Archives: the beatles

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Poetic Memory: The Midwinters (List)

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Photo credit: Rosemary Bystrak/SDDialedIn.com

MP3s: The Midwinters – Hinges (EP)

Back in 2006, a bunch of San Diego scene regulars decided to try something new. Soon, Americana was introduced to power pop and The Midwinters began to catch on. The band — currently comprised of Paul Donovan on vocals, Chris Hobson on keys, Jeff Hoyer on guitar, Matt Cliff on bass, and Erik Ekdahl on drums — has been writing, playing shows, and recording ever since, with the excellent EP Hinges released last year (download it for free at the link above), and another scheduled for 2011.

The band will play the Tin Can Ale House tonight, April 13. If you’re lucky, you might hear some of those new songs. In anticipation of the show, Paul and Matt sent us lists of their influences. Check it out below…

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Poetic Memory: Ivan & Alyosha (List)

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MP3: Ivan & Alyosha – “Glorify”

In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s final novel, The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan reads a parable to Alyosha called “The Grand Inquisitor,” in which Jesus returns to earth during the Spanish Inquisition, only to be arrested and sentenced to death by the church. This take on human nature is regarded as one of the most important passages in modern literature.

It’s that kind of source material that lends Ivan and Alyosha — an indie-folk outfit named after the novel — their air of intrigue. New light will be shed on the Seattle quartet, however, as it plays SxSW and travels the West Coast like a band of Karamazov brothers. Ivan and Alyosha are touring to support their new Fathers Be Kind EP, a harmonious collection of soulful, sincere songs with a pop sensibility to match, and they play the Tin Can Ale House on March 24th.

Band member Tim Kim was kind enough to send us a list of the songs inspiring the guys as they travel, and you can read it below. Continue reading…

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A Mighty Wind Blows In

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The Wind don’t do anything half-assed. Whereas most bands scramble to amass enough top-shelf material to fill an album, the members of the San Diego/Long Beach four-piece decided to set themselves apart by releasing the double-disc, 23-song Harum-Scarum as their debut, and there isn’t a moment of filler on it. Continue reading…

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Live Review: Mini Mansions at Tin Can Alehouse, November 29, 2010

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Photo credit: Chris Maroulakos

MP3: Mini Mansions – “Heart of Glass” (Blondie Cover)

In rock and roll, the use of harmony has become a dying art. From the genre’s formative years onward, harmonies were a crucial part of its aesthetic, yet somewhere along the line, bands just stopped putting forth the effort. Today, harmonizing has become the infrequent exception rather than the rule. But whenever bands do make the effort — and have the chops to pull it off — it can be a powerful weapon that add leagues of depth to their sound. And that’s what made Mini Mansions‘ show at the Tin Can such a treat. Continue reading…

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Mini Mansions Get Big

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MP3: Mini Mansions Daytrotter Session

LA’s Mini Mansions, the side project of Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman, will play the Tin Can Alehouse on Monday, November 29th.

The trio released its self-titled debut earlier this month on QOTSA front man Joshua Homme’s Rekords Rekords label, and it’s truly a stunning piece of work. The record fuses elements of Grizzly Bear’s psych-pop with Mike Patton’s sinister, cinematic tones, resulting in one of the year’s strongest and strangest releases. Continue reading…