Hi

Check out my newest demo recordings. Hopefully a full length album is in the works for the summer
love Nick

www.myspace.com/nickdimaria

Bandwagon here I go,,

So my list is like Jamie's; more a 25 albums I obsessively listened to this past year.
25.Strung up-String Fingers
24.The Musing of Miles-Miles Davis
23.Quintet-Hank Mobley
22.Early Reflections-Bennie Maupin
21.Zaebos-Medeski, Martin & Wood
20.Kneebody-Kneebody
19. Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Splium Endalaust-Sigur Ros
18.Persistence-Joe Magnarelli
17.Pass It On-Dave Holland
16.Iron Man-Jim Rotondi
15.Dance Like There's No Tomorrow-John Ellis & Doublewide
14.Raw Power-The Stooges
13.Radiolarians-Medeski, Martin & Wood
12.Somewhere in the Between-Streetlight Manifesto
11.McCoy Tyner Quartet-McCoy Tyner
10.Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend
9. Dave Douglas & Keystone Live at the Jazz Standard-Dave Douglas & Keystone
8.Chulahoma-Black Keys
7.Song of Songs-Woody Shaw
6.Dear Science-T.V. on the Radio
5.November-Jeremy Pelt
4.Self-Medicated-The Slackers
3.Stay Positive-Hold Steady
2.Attack & Release Black Keys
1. Evolution-Grachan Moncur III

my 2008 top 25, super lazy comparative version

Since Jamie weighed in, here's my top 25 list again, this time in an easy-to-read list so that they can be compared.

25. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
24. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
23. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
22. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
21. Women - Women
20. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
19. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
18. Sun Kil Moon - April
17. Shearwater - Rook
16. The Dodos - Visiter
15. Esau Mwmamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best
14. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (in retrospect, this probably should be higher).
13. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
12. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
11. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
10. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
9. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
8. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
7. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
6. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
5. The Walkmen - You & Me
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
3. Portishead - Third (isn't it ironic that this is #3???)
2. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
1. Beach House - Devotion

25 Things That Are Certainly Better Than Pizza Hut Tuscani Pasta

My contribution to this blog has been minimal, near nonexistent. And given my employment status it would be mostly impossible to tell you I'm too busy to contribute. Well here is something, finally. I ditched my original reviews because I had only done the first five or so. Plus I was drunk when I wrote them. Incidentally Kings of Leon had been ranked too high. So instead we have a top 25 list.

Sorry there is no justification for these picks. Hopefully some explanation for my taste will become apparent through future posts. Also, I'm aware that at least two of these were released in 2007.

25. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
24. Kings of Leon – Only By Night
23. The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath
22. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
21. The Walkmen – You and Me
20. Adele – 19
19. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
18. Sigur Ros - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
17. She & Him – Volume One
16. Santogold – Santogold
15. Blitzen Trapper – Furr
14. M83 – Saturdays = Youth
13. Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
12. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
11. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
10. The Black Keys – Attack and Release
9. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion
8. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
7. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
6. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
5. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
4. Sun Kil Moon – April
3. Beach House - Devotion
2. Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
1. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Jeremy Pelt at Smalls

Another concert review/author's thoughts but this time on trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, who in the last 2 years has gone from occasional sideman appearance to consistent choosing from my CD rotation. I first heard Jeremy Pelt by complete coincidence. I was late seeing the Village Vanguard Orchestra and a few friends of mine decided instead to check out what was happening at Sweet Rhythm down the street. Turns out it was a random pick-up band consisting of current working cats just playing standards and jamming. As a jazz performance major, it was quite a treat just to hear some real working musicians blow over classics such as "There is no greater love." From 2006 on I started picking up JP's albums. I can't quite remember as to how I found out about this first one I picked up which just came out, called "Identity" (probably looking through jazz times or downbeat issue). I became completely hooked on it either way. The album was primarily a trumpet/keys/bass/drums album with augmentation of vibes, guitar and bass clarinet on various tracks. It then became one of my favorite albums ever. Later he released an 'electric' album recorded live at Smoke Jazz club in NYC. It was interesting because he played/recorded about 4 tunes from the Identity album with his same quartet but JP was playing his trumpet through an effects board and added guitar. It was really enjoyable to hear a related yet different approach to his music and playing.
Around that time JP was invited to perform with my other two fav's on the horn: Dave Douglas and my teacher Dr. Eddie Henderson, who has been especially influencial on me as a musician and artist. They should have renamed the show as "The Nick Di Maria Orgasm Fest" because I was in utter euphoria sitting and listening to these guys play. I even went to the show by myself because I couldn't get anyone to go with me, sat in the front row and took in as much as possible.
A highlight of the night was being introduced to JP and Dave Douglas by Eddie personally. It was like meeting George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt at once...and if they were trumpet players. (I hear Andrew Jackson though, was quite the sack butte player) Before the beginning of the second set, I enjoyed a few of the most important moments of my life sitting at the bar inbetween JP and Eddie. They were sharing stories about various musicians and such, letting me in on all the inside details of player's lives...like how Freddie Hubbard would fuck a mother fucker up at a concert he played with Woody Shaw in the 70's or something. (that mo-fo was infact Woody he was refferring to)
At one point Eddie got up to use the bathroom and I was left sitting with JP who was just sippin' and looking forward when all of a sudden he turns to me and says: "So what horn do you play?" I don't remember what I said exactly, but I am sure I sounded retarded. I told him I was actually shopping currently and he recommended the horn I play now to me so thanks JP.
Flash forward to last saturday 1/31 at Smalls. I took my lovely girlfriend to catch the band and by band I mean JP's new quintet that released the album November last July. It was quite the show. They opened with the second track on the album: "Avatar" which is a highlight on the album itself. The sideman presence of J.D. Allen were imactculate. The two horn men resembled Miles and Wayne with their interweaving lines. The band also showcased the tune 466-64 which is a tribute to Nelson Mandela's prison number. The tune is a great work out over a modal vamp, and gave pianist Danny Grissett a moment to shine. The band handed the spotlight over to drummer Gerald Cleaver on the tune Monte Cristo which was written under the influence of Pelt's recent trip to Africa. Pelt's playing throughout the first set was stellar. His playing isn't about notes and chops as it is about music. You hear his influences, Booker, Miles, Freddie, Woody but you hear an original voice that is so enoyable and influential. It will only be a matter of time when JP stops winning the best up and coming trumpet award to best trumpet award in the jazz polls, and hell, he's going to have his number of composition awards as well.
Unfortunetly we had to leave in the middle of the second set due to the fact we had to make the last train out at 2 am, so I am hoping that I didn't miss my favorite tunes of his, Eddie's Story and Suspicion, from the Identity album.
Jeremy Pelt 5 breadsticks
Indentity 5 breadsticks
November 4 1/2 breadsticks

yeah monkey, GIG some!: Los Campesinos! and Titus Andronicus at Club Dada, 1/31

(Talk Soup reference, anyone? see bottom if you don't get it.)



A respectable mix of whippersnappers and older indie enthusiasts crammed around Club Dada's stage on Saturday night for powerful sets from both Jersey's Titus Andronicus and Los Campesinos!, Wales' surnammed counterparts to the Ramones. I kept hearing that Dada's stage was incredibly tiny, and yet all 7 of LC! felt comfortable in their own personal sqaure foot (with the exception of Gareth, who finished the set with each foot on a monitor, stood up tall).







Considering the differences in their sounds and styles, TA and LC! matched each other in energy and drive for their material. I was particularly impressed with Titus Andronicus, who payed past the fuzziness of their debut record as frontman Patrick Stickles took chances seemingly beyond his vocal abilities. Highlighting the set was a medley of tunes amounting at times to high school-level drama in its most epic form ("you'll always be a loser" seemed an endless chorus). Though the audience didn't flock to the floor for TA, the band slammed through their catalog quickly and seemed to make believers of those listening.





Los Campesinos! were equally on point, finding few moments necessary to catch their breath. As with a group of their size, instruments popped in and out of the mix, with Gareth Campesino's vocals. somewhat shoddy for brief stretches and probably overshadowed slightly by Stickles in the first set, sitting atop as the consistent peak of the sound. Maybe he was fazed by just how many people were singing along. I know I was: Los Campesinos are no flash in the pan, but their emergence has been quicker than most realize, probably because they released two LPs last year. After their set, a fan commented that they "wish it could have gone on for another hour." Does she realize that they just don't have any more material yet?










AS PROMISED: