[PHOTOS] Better Oblivion Community Center at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro

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All photos by Agatha Donkar Land

Words and photos by Agatha Donkar Lund

Better Oblivion Community Center - the joint project of Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers - released its debut self-titled record to a lot of fanfare back in January, and for me, that fanfare has held up. The combined songwriting of Oberst and Bridgers, who are each by themselves an extraordinary lyrical talent, is hugely evocative, and the blend of their voices emphasizes Bridgers' delicately strong vocals and Oberst's ear for melodic rhythm. The band played a fantastic set at Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC on April 4, to a sold out crowd who knew every word and sang along with them. If you haven't checked the album out yet, you should; if you listened once, listen again. And if, like me, you've listened more than once, you might have been in the crowd last Thursday, and I hope you enjoyed the set as much as I did.

2017 Forecastle Festival: Making Up For Lost Time

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ALL PHOTOS BY JASON GONULSEN

"Saw the Stones one time," my Uber driver said.

I'm on the way to my fourth consecutive Forecastle Festival in Louisville, and the stories keep coming. I sit back and listen.

"See, back then it was different. People I knew, they started climbing that scaffolding near the stage while the show was going on. I look up, there's my friends waving to me. We were taking Xanax, which is exactly not what you should be on when you want to climb stuff."

I ask if it was during the first song.

"No," he says with a laugh. "No, this was somewhere in the middle, I think. There's a live recording out there, and you can hear the security tell them to get down."

He drops me off near the gate and drives away.

What was it really like back then, I wonder. And how does it compare to now?

I haven't seen any fans climb anything during a show, but there are performers who do: St. Vincent, twentyonepilots, to name a couple. Of course, Eddie Vedder once did that, too. And so did Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant.

Those theatrics are secondary to the music, but of course they no longer create mystery. Everything is recorded now, posted instantly to social media. There is no folklore, no evolving story to tell. And it's changing with virtual reality, which may or may not take over. (I really dislike virtual reality, but that's a story for another post.)

My point is, if you want a real experience, there is Forecastle, the music festival that started as the underdog and has grown into a beaming force for the city of Louisville and music fans anywhere. It's still here, thriving, and waiting for you to get on board. Don't wait for the world around you to change: get it on your 2018 calendar now.

And with that, here are my top 6 sets from this past weekend not named LCD Soundsystem, Weezer, Spoon, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff, or Cage the Elephant. (Those were all top notch as well.)

Phantogram

Known for it's danceable, powerful electronic vibe, Phantogram was that and more at Forecastle. Sarah Barthel took a moment in between songs to give awareness to suicide prevention. Barthel lost her sister last year to suicide, and her words to the audience made an impact: "It's okay to say something." In short: if you see someone who may need help, even if you just feel it, it's okay to speak up. Barthel then stood near the back of the stage and delivered an absolutely amazing performance of "Destroyer," which ripped out my insides and left me leaving the photo pit a little more aware of my surroundings and the love that everyone around us deserves. "Was there something that you wanted to say," she sang. Thank you, Sarah.

Adia Victoria

I had never seen Adia Victoria perform before the weekend, but I'm certainly glad I didn't miss her set this time around. She is a gifted songwriter and guitarist, full of emotion that she lets drip out slowly, and then, when the time is right, lets it explode all at once. Find her album, Beyond the Bloodhounds.

John Moreland

My favorite songwriters say whatever they want, and John Moreland is no different. While not your typical festival performer -- Moreland sits while he plays and sings -- he was perfect for the afternoon festival-goer who was there to listen. And what songs! "Love's a violent word," Moreland sang. "Don't you forget it." That's from a song called "Old Wounds," off of Moreland's latest album Big Bad Luv, which is definitely one of the best of 2017.

Conor Oberst

Another artist who I had never seen live, either in solo form or with his bands Bright Eyes or Desaparecidos. The songs I heard were staggering, especially "Time Forgot," which featured a false start because of an out-of-tune guitar.

Boarding a train to take my memories back
Make up for time that I have lost
I'll never know if I'm delusional
I just believe that I am not
I'm going to work for my sanity
Give it everything I got
Though so far I have cheated death
I know someday I'll get caught
Just living

Funny how real life coincidentally mimics the song about to be performed.

Mandolin Orange

Okay...yet another band I had yet to see. I guess this was the Forecastle for me to make up for lost time. Mandolin Orange drew me in right away with a beautiful song called "Hey Stranger" from their latest album, Blindfaller.

Hey stranger
There's danger down the line
You'll find heartache and trouble
And all your good time

They had me under their thumb within seconds.

Charles Bradley

The Man. What an inspiration. He just had to cancel tour dates last October with an announcement stating that he had to take time off to beat stomach cancer. Apparently, he kicked its ass. Bradley performed in the sweltering heat, but did not rest on any laurels: he looked more alive than ever, smiling, dancing, howling. What a treasure to see him again.

Jam of the Day | Desaparecidos - City on the Hill

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As a blog that features the saddest of sad-bastards more frequently than occasionally, Conor Oberst has been a staple for us over the years, mainly through his non-side-project Bright Eyes. But with the revival of his other project, the refreshingly upbeat Desaparecidos, we're happy to bring you "City on the Hill" as our Jam of the Day for Thursday.

So get off that couch, and leave your depression-pants on the floor, cuz this shit is pretty damn awesome.  Check it below.

Album Review | First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

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The Lion's Roar album art courtesy of Wichita Recordings

Speakers Rating: 85/100

Sisters Söderberg, Johanna and Klara of Sweden's First Aid Kit, bowled over critics, music lovers, and esteemed colleagues alike with the release of their folkie debut LP, The Big Black and The Blue, back in 2010. The effort was easily one of our favorite albums of that year, not to mention the girls' insane charm was enough to catch the ears of one Jack White, who declared he loved "their voices and their innocence." He went on to record a 7" with them, featuring covers of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier" and the classic blues standard, "It Hurts Me Too" at his own Third Man Studios.

What's interesting is White's attraction to First Aid Kit's unsullied allure when many reviewers (us, included) were simultaneously drawn to the duo's wise-beyond-their-years lyricism. How can two youngins embody both childlike wonder and a traveled world weariness? How can they then successfully weave those differing perspectives throughout their songwriting? It takes a cautious pen, but First Aid Kit has managed such balance on The Lion's Roar once again.

The album kicks off with the first single and title track, a down tempo yet brazen, traditional folk offering, which immediately showcases the girls' penchant for inventive - and sometimes rushed - phrasing. In the chorus, they declare themselves "goddamn cowards," but the tone set in the first few bars of "The Lion's Roar" says otherwise.

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar


The next track, "Emmylou," finds First Aid Kit in alt-country territory, and the change of scenery suits them just fine. A former Jam of the Day, "Emmylou" pays homage to the girls musical heroes: Miss Harris, Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, and June Carter. One doesn't have to exert much effort to comprehend this song's simple loveliness.

First Aid Kit - Emmylou


Truth be told, the middle tracks of The Lion's Roar aren't immediate standouts, like the powerful beginning and ending that bookend this section of the album. Songs like "Blue" and "This Old Routine" are perfectly pleasant, if not as memorable. They feature quaint storytelling, painting sweet vignettes of perhaps too familiar characters: the aging woman who lost her lover in her twenties and never recovered, the lonely husband who is burdened by palpable distance from his family. Of course, these subjects can always be elevated with beautiful harmonies, so don't discount the value of a powerful girl-girl vocal cocktail, especially of the Nordic variety.

First Aid Kit | Photo by Neil Krug

Nearing the album's conclusion, the duo takes us to new heights. The most spartan of all the songs, "New Year's Eve" truly allows the Söderberg voices to shine. Against a guitar strum, the lyrics find a way to remove the cliché from the overdone New Year's resolution theme: "Gotta stop lookin' at things like they're black and they're white/ gotta write more songs of a little more/ treat my friends better/ gotta stop worryin' about everything to the letter..."

The album finishes on a high note with the jubilant "The King of the World," a continued nod to the absurdist themes originally seen on The Big Black and The Blue. With a treasure trove of instruments (accordian! hand claps! fiddle! mariachi trumpets!) provided by The Felice Brothers and Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) taking a verse, the tenth and final track of The Lion's Roar feels like a celebration, a puffing of the chest as the Söderberg gals declare themselves royalty.

This time, we agree. 

First Aid Kit - The King of the World


The Lion's Roar is out January 24th on Wichita Recordings. Friends, we think it's worth your while. Pick it up here.

Jason Boesel Goes it Alone

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Word on the street is that Jason Boesel is the real deal.  A former drummer for such indie heavyweights as Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley for fifteen years, only recently has Boesel begun investigating his own songwriting skills. Encouraged by Conor Oberst to find his unique voice, Boesel recruited a jaw-dropping list of artists like Blake Mills (Band of Horses), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Orenda Fink (Azure Ray), Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley) and David Rawlings (Gillian Welch) to work on his first solo album.  You can go ahead and say it: giggity.

The result is Hustler's Son, out January 12, 2010 on Team Love Records.  According to the Team Love website, the album "is an 11-song Americana album filled with powerful imagery and a sound that brings new colors to the sonic palette of country-folk greats like Townes Van Zandt, mid-'70s California rock, and the alt-country scene of today." Ok, don't mind if I do!

The first single, "Hand of God," is a compelling look at...well, the constant shit life seems to throw at us on a regular basis. Just when we think we've recovered from the last bit of turmoil, another dose of drama heads our way. But, "Hand of God" would prefer to trigger some self-reflection than self-pity in its listeners, that's for sure.

Jason Boesel - Hand of God
Jason Boesel - French Kissing (Daytrotter Premiere)

Tour Dates:
2/5 - Santa Cruz, CA – The Crepe Place
2/8 - Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
2/9 - Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
2/12 - Minneapolis, MN – The Triple Rock Social Club
2/13 - Madison, WI – Der Rathskeller, University of Wisconsin
2/14 - Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
2/15 - Rock Island, IL – Daytrotter Presents at Rock Island Brewing Company
2/16 - Chicago, IL – Double Door
2/17 - Columbus, OH – Rumba Café
2/19 - New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
2/20 - Allston, MA – Great Scott
2/23 - Arlington, VA – IOTA Club and Café
2/24 - Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
2/25 - Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
2/26 - Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
2/27 - Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
2/28 - Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic
3/2 - Little Rock, AR – Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
3/3 - Oklahoma City, OK – The Conservatory
3/4 - Dallas, TX – The Cavern
3/5 - Houston, TX – Rudyard’s
3/6 - Austin, TX – Emo’s
3/9 - Phoenix, AZ – The Rhythm Room
3/10 - San Diego, CA – The Loft at UCSD
3/11 - Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour