OK, finally back from Big Sur, when I assisted in an epic grunion run. I had to take a nature break and rest up from all the big city concert going and hip-hop madness that is going around right now.
I did manage to squeeze in a couple of shows before I left though. I read a rave review of The Cinematic Orchestra's London concert in Mojo. I also like their mellow new album Ma Fleur quite a bit.
So, I went and checked them out over at Bimbo's. 
For their British tour, the Cinematic Orchestra had violins, cellos, vibraphones, backing films and a supporting cast of hundreds. While Bimbo's is undoubtedly the swankiest club in San Francisco, it doesn't have the capacity to hold that many people, so the band was stripped down to its core members. It was a solid mix of jazz, ambient rock and electronic music with echos of what Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Miles Davis did back in the '60s. The sellout crowd dug it.
While Cinematic Orchestra are definitely more about mood than tunes, songs are something that the Canadian outfit the New Pornographers have in spades.
Though I've often loved such NP songs such as "The Laws Have Changed" (which, like a lot of their numbers, deserved major radio play) their albums can be too full of non-stop catchy hooks and smart pop goodness to take in all at once. Like with the Pernice Brothers, I often end up liking the New Pornographers better when I take them in one song at a time.
That's changed with their latest album, Challengers. From the start of "My Rights Versus Yours" I'm hooked into the album all the way through to the end of the set. This one just has a little breathing space on it between all the hooks and its made all the difference -- Challengers is one of the year's best albums.
I had seen the New Pornographers in concert a few years ago and they've only gotten better since then. Great show all around, with the Warfield's sellout crowd greeting the band like they were Cheap Trick playing Japan circa 1979. Whereas Neko Case once ruled the New Pornographers stage, now she and chief songwriter A.C. Newman have formed a real comedic partnership. She'd crack a joke and he'd follow it up and she's rejoiner and he'd mutter something ironically and then they go directly into another song. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- "Showmanship, People! Showmanship." The New Pornographers can now do it all -- some rock, some jokes, a little soft shoe. Just the way I like it.
The New Pornographers are now following up their roadshow with a new video contest over on youtube. Basically, they want you to film your silly dances or do a N.P. song parody or go on a grand journey to get a ring back. There seem to be many challenges they are issuing out there in cyberspace. So, head over to youtube and either compete for prizes or just join the fun.
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