Just got back from a visit throughout the northwest: SF, Portland & Seattle. In Portland and Seattle I managed to catch Amon Tobin live on the decks at the Doug Fir and Neumo’s respectively. Haven’t felt my bass move me like it did at those two performances since Radiohead did a few years back.
Should be a fun show this Saturday night as he is joined by a number of friends. 
A bit about All Smiles (Jim Fairchild of Grandaddy) - in case you need to know:
Jim Fairchild is the singer/songwriter and general creator of All Smiles, his first solo outing after his days in the band Grandaddy. His debut record was made along with drummers Janet Weiss (Sleater Kinney, Quasi), Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse, Black Heart Procession, Magic Magicians), Danny Seim (Lack Thereof, Menomena), and Solon Bixler (Great Northern).
The record was almost entirely created on 8-track, recorded in living rooms up and down the West Coast. “It was a no-budget record,” says Jim. “There wasn’t any backing yet. I just set up whatever gear I had in the kitchen of our borrowed house in Portland, and our living room in Los Angeles. It sounds like the places it was recorded in. You can hear the walls, and the floors, and the ceilings, and you can hear the cars, and the trees, and the guys selling drugs outside.”
The album was mixed by Brian Deck (Iron and Wine, Modest Mouse). All Smiles is held together by Jim Fairchild’s spare and decisive sounds, and a resistance to over-embellish. “It couldn’t be any other way. I didn’t want it to be bigger than it was supposed to be.”And now that you know - you can see the love on the “internets”:
PENSATOS
“Ten Recordings in nothing but honest and emotionally real; void of studio wash and pure as the surrounding ambiance picked up in each home-brewed recording.”
TREBLEZINE
Excellent review posted!
“Be it strumming an acoustic guitar, shredding on an electric, or plunking away on the piano, his compositions never suffer from a lack of lush instrumentation.”
BLOGCRITICS
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/14/080253.php
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/blogcritics/2007/04/all_smiles_ten.html
“his approach is modestly enticing throughout.”
THE MUSIC BOX
“All Smiles’ Ten Readings of a Warning obliterates the notion that Lytle was the only source of Grandaddy’s talent.” read more here.
AVOID PERIL
http://avoidperil.com/blog/2007/04/all_smiles_fanfreakingtastic.html
“Can’t say enough good things about this record right now”
BLOG ARE FOR DOGS
http://blogsarefordogs.com/?p=394
“Ten Readings Of A Warning is a charming, melodic album, as pleasant and self-assured a first effort as you’d expect from such an experienced musician.”
A PLAGUE OF ANGELS
http://plagueofangels.blogspot.com/2007/04/all-smiles.html
“The proceedings on ALL SMILES’ first LP, TEN READINGS OF A WARNING, are low-key but assert a certain undeniable undertow — whether propelled by subdued acoustic guitar or jaunty, saloon-styled piano.”
Even Pitchfork showing the love:
KCRW officially hearts Matthew Dear. Great news! The second most added album on KCRW this week was Asa Bread - the new release from Matt due out June 5 on Ghostly International. You can listen to Matthew Dear’s entire album - now exclusively on hank.
Our friends on Better Looking Records - have hit the road!!! They will be passing thru LA on May 30 playing a show at Spaceland. So best. Come out and say hello to Ten Music’s newest friends.
May 22, Tue : San Diego, CA @ Casbah w/ The Clientele
May 23, Wed : Hollywood, CA @ Club Moscow (Boardners) w/ Wallpaper 18+
May 25, Fri. : LIVE ON KCRW 89.9fm “Morning Becomes Eclectic” 11am
May 25, Fri : San Jose, CA @ The Portable w/ Facing New York
May 27, Sun : San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill w/ Wallpaper
May 28, Mon : Sacramento, CA @ Club Pow! w/ Wallpaper
May 29, Tues : Long Beach, CA @ INSTORE at Fingerprints Records (7pm)
May 30, Wed : Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland w/ Brakes
June 2, Sat : Portland, OR @ Dantes w/ Brakes
June 3, Sun : Vancouver, BC @ Media Club w/ Brakes
June 4, Mon : Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey w/ Brakes
June 6, Wed : Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court w/ Brakes
June 7, Thu : Denver, CO @ Hi Dive w/ Brakes
June 8, Fri : Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room w/ Brakes
June 9, Sat : Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar w/ Brakes
June 10, Sun : Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ Brakes
June 12, Tue : Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace w/ Brakes
June 13, Wed : Montreal, QB @ Club Lambi w/ Brakes
June 14, Thu : Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bears w/ Brakes
June 15, Fri : Hoboken, NY @ Maxwells w/ Brakes
June 16, Sat : New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ Brakes
June 17, Sun : New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ Brakes
High fives! Aussie sextet Architecture in Helsinki has signed to our very own Polyvinyl Record Co. for North America. AIH will release its new single on the Heart It Races EP on the label on CD, 12″ and digital formats on June 5th and its eagerly awaited third full-length album Places Like This on Aug. 7th. To make things more interesting, there will be several different remixes and cover versions of “Heart it Races” released as B-sides. The band will be touring the US in June and again later in 2007.
As we all await the upcoming release of Matthew Dear’s latest work - Asa Bread - XLR8R has decided to do a cover story on our friend from Ghostly. Enjoy it over at XLR8R.com.
The Silversun Pickups played Webster Hall last night - here is the review from The New York Times.
We are all very proud of these guys as they continue their prolific march across the U.S. Here are a few more dates to catch them on tour:
May 18, Area 108’s Gathering @ The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel / Las Vegas, NV
May 19, KROQ’s Weenie Roast y Fiesta @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater / Irvine, CA
May 20, 91X’s X Fest @ Coors Amphitheater / Chula Vista, CA
UK TOUR
May 23, Water Rats Theatre / London, UK
May 24, Proud Gallery / London, UK
May 25, The Social / Nottingham, UK
May 26, Leadmill / Sheffield, UK
May 30, Barfly Camden / London, UK
May 31, Night & Day / Manchester, UK
June 01, Barfly Birmingham / Birmingham, UK
June 02, Barfly Cardiff / Cardiff, UK
June 03, Nice N Sleazy / Glasgow, UK
June 6, WFNX’s Best Music Poll 2007 @ Lansdowne St / Boston, MA
June 8, KJEE’s Seaside Beach Ball @ Ventura Country Fairgrounds / Ventura, CA
June 9, Live 105’s BFD 07 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre / Mountain View, CA
June 10, KWOD’s Summer Buzz @ Sacramento Memorial Auditorium / Sacramento, CA
June 29, WLUM’s Summerfest Stage / Milwaukee, WI
July 27, Capitol Hill Block Party / Seattle, WA
July 29, In The Venue / Salt Lake City, UT
July 30, Ogden Theatre / Denver, CO
August 1, Slowdown / Omaha, NE
August 3, Lollapalooza / Chicago, IL
OPENING FOR FOO FIGHTERS
August 21, Meadowbank Sports Center / Edinburgh, Scotland
August 22, Marley Park / Dublin, Ireland
So this is going to my little home here on the Ten Music website, the buzz section. A little place for me to keep you updated on my world over here - and all the information you need to stay on top of music here in LA.
Have something cool to mention? Want to let me know about a great new artist or show? I’d love to hear it. Drop me a line at maxwell@tenmusic.tv - and remember - every morning you should get a little buzz.
