Tag Archives: tom waits

Poetic Memory: Luke Rathborne (List)

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MP3: Luke Rathborne – “I Can Be One”
MP3: Luke Rathborne – “You Let Me In”
MP3: Mrs. Magician – “Tabloids”

Like clockwork, the Rumble— the monthly musical roadshow that takes place in nine U.S. cities every month — returns to San Diego’s Bar Pink tomorrow.

This month’s event features San Diego surf popsters Mrs. Magician, sludgy shoegazers Colony, and superb singer/songwriter Luke Rathborne. (DJs Pet Rock and Rob Dylan will spin vinyl between sets.)

We at O&B are especially excited to see Luke Rathborne, whose The Dog Years and I Can Be One EPs show a songwriter with a true artistic vision — one that (unlike many of his peers) is not overly fixated on the meaning of life, but about telling its stories.

In anticipation of the show, we asked Mr. Rathborne to provide us with a list of influences. He kindly obliged, and you may find his “10 favorite records of 1977” below. Continue reading…

Contest: Win Tickets to See Man Man on May 11

Photo credit: Mike Persico

Full album stream: Man Man – Life Fantastic
MP3: Man Man – “The Ballad of Butter Beans” (from 2008’s Rabbit Habits)

If Tom Waits joined a troupe of deranged carnies during the end of days, it would probably sound a lot like Philly five-piece Man Man.

The O&B Best of 2008-ranked band has been blowing minds for years now, putting astounding musicianship and experimental songwriting into a blender and hitting “liquify.” Man Man haven’t been to San Diego in a while, but even if they came to town every week, we’d still go to every show.

Fortunately for us, lead singer Honus Honus and his band of merry mischief-makers are currently touring to support their upcoming album Life Fantastic (which is, as the title says, fantastic.)

If the above full-album stream has you excited to see Man Man live, you’re in luck, because we’re giving away two tickets to the band’s May 11 Casbah show. To enter the contest, please comment below and include your email address in the form (your email won’t be visible to the public). The winner will be chosen at random on May 9, 2011. Click here for more tour dates.

Radiohead – “Lotus Flower” (Video)

By now the internet is ablaze with excitement about Radiohead‘s The King of Limbs. The album was just announced on Tuesday and set for a digital release tomorrow, but in a surprise move, the band went ahead and made it available for download today. Those of you who purchased the album can now log in to your tracking page and start your voracious downloading.

For everyone else, Radiohead just released the video for “Lotus Flower,” the first single from The King of Limbs. The black and white clip — reminiscent of the classic one for Tom Waits’ “It’s Alright With Me” — features Thom Yorke in a bowler hat executing a fascinating array of herky-jerky dance moves, air humping, and general gyrations. Your move, Napoleon Dynamite.

Poetic Memory: Infantree (List)

MP3: Infantree – “No One’s Home”

Like L.A.’s Dawes, Infantree are another rootsy California band whose members still aren’t old enough to drink. Also like Dawes, despite their youth, Infantree sound like they’ve been recording and playing music for years — with no shortage of expert musicianship in any corner of the stage.

Basically endorsed by Neil Young — they’re signed to his Vapor Records imprint and have played Young’s Bridge School Benefit festival — Infantree are currently touring to support their 2010 full-length, Would Work. They also released an EP last year, called Food For Thought, and Would Work is scheduled for deluxified re-release this March.

Infantree will play the Casbah on February 15; in anticipation of their show, the band provided us with lists of their influences. Since the band prides itself on collaboration, we weren’t surprised a bit when all four members sent us individual lists. Check out Infantree’s Poetic Memory below.