Breathe Owl Breathe Live at The Echo (Video)

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Thus far, 2012 has been very productive. We are only a month and a half into the year and I have already seen two bands that populated my Must-See List for quite some time.

The first was Wilco. I don’t have a video of that performance since I forgot my camera in the car. That’s unfortunate because Jeff Tweedy and co. put on a major spectacle. Those of you who were fortunate to witness a live version of Misunderstood know what I am talking about.

The second treat of 2012 was seeing Breathe Owl Breathe. I have been in love with this Michigan trio ever since I listened to the first couple of songs on Magic Central, their latest LP. There was something about their straightforward, minimalist and touching approach that captivated me immediately. While on the album they came across as quite melancholic, when playing live they were goofy and amusing. They also have a very distinct sense of fashion that is hard to find these days.

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I Still Believe in Lana Del Rey (Video)

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Lana Del Rey made it to SNL last week. This was a good opportunity to see if the much hyped singer can actually pull off an interesting performance. After all, even Hype-Machine stardom fades eventually if not backed by a decent album and tour.

If Del Rey has one compelling virtue that comes across on the first listen, it is her cool presence. She just can’t help being so cool (and hot at the same time).

That is why it was so disappointed to witness a frozen version of Del Rey on her first prime-time appearance. Del Rey was obviously very nervous as she sang Video Games. Although she had tried hard to keep it together – her singing went from being mildly impressive to completely off-key. As expected, the Twitter storm didn’t disappoint with Chris Cornell and Juliette Lewis leading the angry mob.

 

However, I felt that Blue Jeans, Del Rey’s second song, was much better. She got more comfortable and was able to showcase her vocal capabilities. No, it wasn’t perfect and it was hardly SNL worthy but it wasn’t a complete disaster either.

With all due respect to Cornell and Lewis, I believe there is still hope for Miss Del Rey (and more importantly, there are still two more weeks for her to practice before the album comes out).

 

New Mixtape: My 2011

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2011 will go down in my personal history as an eventful, challenging and occasionally dramatic year. I had my share of those twists of fate, which usually result in lack of sleep and soulful mixtapes. 2011 definitely delivered a bit of both.

However, these 18 tracks were a constant source of inspiration and pure joy, especially when experienced live. Hopefully, you will be able to sense some of that in my mix. Goodbye 2011. Rock on, 2012! ~ Iddo PoP
Stream:
https://iddopop.com/mixtapes/My2011/

Chanukah with Justin (Video)

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So last night I went to see Stevie Wonder’s annual House Full of Toys Benefit Concert at LA Live.  Much of the audience was  there to see Mr. Wonder – a living legend who still sounds great after all these years. However, the most vocal fans were those of the young Justin Bieber.

I spent the early part of JB’s performance praying to the almighty to grant me just one Chanukah wish. My prayers were answered shortly after as Mr. Bieber graced us with an acoustic version of “Baby”.

Happy holidays everybody!

 

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Iggy Pop

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Clearly, Iggy Pop is the devil. He is vicious, he is seductive, he is ageless and he messes with your head.

From the second he gets on stage, he is out of control, unleashing raw power to sweep the room into a hurricane of primal emotions: flying beer cups, ecstatic sweaty adults, frighten children and an endless stream of fanatic crowd surfers.

Hell never seemed so real.




Iggy Pop and the Stooges at The Palladium, Los Angeles, CA.

(All photos: Iddo Shai)