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As I previously stated, the band Dark Dark Dark came out of nowhere this year and put out a little EP called Bright Bright Bright. You can listen to it here. It was unequivocally my favorite release this year. The band’s co-leader Marshall was awesome enough to give an interview in March. He was also kind enough, fittingly so, to participate in this final post of the year known as First/Last.

We’ve spent a good amount of time in Pittsburgh and in Braddock. We have many friends there and love a lot of people. We came through on Why? tour and played at the college, but in the past we’ve played at the Nerve, at Morning Glory, at the Cemetery on Easter, and in basements. There is a really great community in Pittsburgh, doing interesting and important things. While I’m at it, I’ll plug The Transformazium in Braddock. It is a very great and ambitious endeavor, and needs lots of help and resources.

Thanks so much Marshall. You have been incredibly nice to me this year. It was such a pleasure to finally meet you and hear you play. Your music will always be something very special to me.

As the band came out to the most amazingly spectacular opening I will ever see, Wayne knocks me in the head with his huge balloon. He looks at me to see if I was all right and giving a wink to only me, proceeds to put on the funnest show this year.


Jeff Baron is my favorite musician in this city. I only saw him play once this year.

I was the only photographer this night. At the last minute, my man from Clear Channel hops up with a point and shoot and tells me that the boys play to the cameras. A few minutes later Mike is in my face shredding.

Making a horror movie is fun. I know. I worked on ‘Silence of the Lambs’. I know what a fake gun feels like in my hands. Chill Josh, Dan is trying to do something other than act.

Did I say Jeff Baron? I meant Becky Corrigan. Playing a coffeeshop that closed down this year is heartbreaking to me. I want to see her play again.


My Wilco photo got into the newspaper. Not this one.

My friends chill before the show.

This was all the right lighting. Soldiers & Sailors is a cool place to shoot.

I asked them if it was cool to take a few pictures. They both said sure, like someone wanted to take a picture of them talking about the setlist? I did.

How cool it is to be a music fan and watch people create? I have been incredibly lucky this year to be able to be that ‘fly on the wall’.


















Again, this is a futile exercise. Seeing many great sets this year I have to divide this list in two. Second installment posted tomorrow. No rhyme, no reason, just great music. Click the image for the review









It’s almost impossible to list my favorite shows of 2010. I actually saw well over a staggering 150 bands play this year. Most of them were great, very few dogs in the bunch. This is hardly a ‘best of’ but for some reason or another, I dug them. Tomorrow I will list some shows from Pittsburgh bands. Presented in no particular order, click the photos for the reviews.










Even though I was fortunate enough over the last week or so to give you some examples of my favorite albums I heard this year through the voices of the artists themselves, there are are few more releases that deserve attention. Just one blogger’s opinion, mind you. Whether I mean to call it a top ten or not, I listened to these albums a bunch, and absolutely loved them.

Dark Dark Dark-Bright Bright Bright

Maybe I have expressed this here before, maybe not. The truth is, I have never listened to anything more in my life than this simple, stark EP, which was released in the spring before their full length, Wild Go, in the fall. It was/is absolutely inconceivable how many times I would enjoy this. I was obsessed in playing it on repeat for about two weeks till I got sick with myself for still wanting to hear it. Crazy is that still to this day I can put it on and still enjoy it more than any other album this year or next. How can you adequately describe something like that?

Arcade Fire-Suburbs

I never hated this band at all. I just never ‘got’ them. They were bombastic, too intelligent, maybe a little full of themselves for me to appreciate what they were doing. It’s funny because I think those are the reasons I love this album. I mean it, I LOVE this album. From the very first time I heard it, I was hooked. People complain that it may be too long. Maybe…what song would you cut? I think it’s perfect. All the praise and press and adulation is well deserved to me. Where Radiohead leaves off Arcade Fire takes that baton.

Band of Horses-Infinite Arms

I felt weird liking their debut. Was I jumping on the bandwagon with no regard to my own opinion? Their second album came along and was O.K. but didn’t bowl me over in the least. Then this came out in May and I was so ready to dismiss it in a blink of an eye but could not believe how it grew on me. That’s the key with this album, it’s a total sleeper and when you listen to it for the second/third time, it’s astonishing how amazing it is. I didn’t/haven’t stop listening to this for a long time.

Dean & Britta-13 Most Beautiful

How they took a rather dumb concept (single shot Andy Warhol portrait films) and made an accessible, and ultimately listenable album is remarkable to me. I can play this any time and don’t need the movies to do so. Dean Wareham is the man.

Mumford & Sons-Sigh No More

I don’t think I heard more negative backlash this year towards any other band than these guys because…why? I really don’t get it. Please explain it to me so I can understand. This album is fresh, spirited, and the songs are great. Stop the hate till there’s a real reason. For now, this debut is proof that the future is something to look forward to with these dudes.

Admiral Radley-I Heart California

I LOVED Grandaddy. I LOVE Earlimart. They get together and offer up an album of collaborations that is as beautiful as either band can produce. I HEART AdRad!

Jenny & Johnny-Are We Having Fun Yet?

One of my favorite unsung albums of all time is Johnathan Rice’s Further North. He teams up with his girlfriend who happens to be one of my favorite solo singers of the last few years. This album is just so damn good. You probably aren’t that familiar with it? Your loss.

Jackie Greene-Till The Light Comes

Why I didn’t see Jackie open for Gov’t Mule at the Trib Total Amp is THE regret I have this year!

Frazey Ford-Obadiah

This is the most ethereally beautiful album released this year. Her voice is amazing. Her songs are worthy of such a voice. Incredible.

Radar Brothers-The Illustrated Garden

They have six albums. They are one of my top five favorite artists of all time. I met Jim Putnam this year! This album is awesome.

The Mynabirds-What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood

What a beautiful album. Expect to hear more from my girl Laura on this very blog in the new year!

Nada Surf-If I Had A Hi-Fi

A covers album? I didn’t think so either but what they pulled off is just a taste of what’s coming from this amazing band. Trust me.

I end my 2010 year end Advent album countdown with Miles’ solo album. Better known as the front man to Beulah, he not only released a great disc but put on one of the better concerts I saw this year. Not only was he cool as hell dude in person, he was nice enough to participate in the final installment of First/Last for 2010!

One of the great surprises for me this year was discovering The Moondoggies. They opened for Blitzen Trapper at Diesel in June and I thought they were great, even better than the headliner. They put out their second album in the fall and singer/guitarist Kevin Murphy was cool enough to participate in this penultimate edition of the 2010 year end First/Last countdown.