almost live in 2008

I don't go to very many live shows any more... it takes too much forethought and babysitting moneda. Seeing Rafter, after collaborating with him at a distance for Encyclopedia Asthmatica, was super fun and dance-inducing. And seeing my brother Josh (Garrels) perform at the inimitable Triple Door with Trace Bundy was a true treat. But that pretty much sums up the live-music year for me (yikes!). So I thought I'd funnel some of the moving pieces that have come to me via the humble, but helpful venues of the internet and late night television.

This cover of an Innocence Mission song by schoolchildren in NYC was sent to me by my sister-in-law Michelle, and pretty much speaks for itself:



I like Fleet Foxes. They haven't grabbed me as solidly as I thought they might, but I'm a fan. Seeing this cover by First Aid Kit, though, blows all of their own recordings out of the water for me. There's something about the setting in the woods, the fact that they're sisters, the plaintive and haunting quality of their voices, that makes this version ache and sway and gets right under my skin. First Aid Kit's own music, by the way, doesn't hit the same nerves. So it's just a match made in heaven-on-earth, I guess-- these voices with the Fleet Foxes' lyrics and melody:



But while we're on the subject, seeing Fleet Foxes on David Letterman was a rare treat, and made me wish I could see them live (for real):



And while we're on the subject of David Letterman, I was pretty taken by this performance by Sia. (Sorry about the Bruce Willis prelude... couldn't find it without the beginning blip.) After perusing more info and video about Sia, I don't necessarily want to buy a CD, but I really love the costuming/choreography (signing, or dancing?) along with her passionate performance. There's something about seeing someone sing with full commitment that makes any amount of theater believable, and I think this is a great example:



(Less convincing to me was the equally theatrical performance by Of Montreal... I had high hopes after hearing about their recent stage antics, but didn't sense that the people performing believed in it as much. The music itself, on the other hand, is undeniably smart.)

I gotta get out more.