Why, oh why, am I being asked to choose between the Japanese post-rockers in Mono and industrial music’s pioneers in KMFDM? Sure, the bands obviously share more differences than similarities, but I can’t be the only one who jumped for joy a little bit the moment that I saw the announcement of each of these shows, can I?
.. that is, until I realized that they are both scheduled on the same night across town from each other, that is.
Sometimes this city does that to you though (just like I was forced to decide between the Acid Mother’s Temple show at the Entry and the FMTM/Torche/Dredg show at Varsity earlier in the year), and I guess I should just be glad that area booking agents are at least giving me 4 solid months to debate the positives and negatives of attending either gig.
Right now, I’m leaning towards attending the KMFDM gig purely because I’ve never had the chance to see these legends at work. While industrial music’s definitely not my forte, I’ve got a special place in my heart for the noise rock and underground electronic scenes in New York, Germany, and other niches throughout the world which birthed KMFDM and their contemporaries during the early 1980s. The abrasive electronic sounds that were spearheaded by KFMDM and a few others have seemed to eventually seep into the DNA of pretty much every band I enjoy, and though I don’t know much of their output, I’m pretty sure I’d still be fascinated to see a band that has indirectly had so much influence on my musical taste. Really though, I just want to see THE band who former La Crosse, WI vagabond Pete Missing continuously mentioned when we’d stop by his art gallery some years ago..
KMFDM, ANGEL SPIT
First Avenue
Oct. 5, 2009 | 7 PM
$20 ADV | $20 DOS | 18+
However, post-rock shows are my favorite kind of concerts to attend, and (with very few exceptions) nobody executes better than Mono. Seeing these dedicated musicians playing their soul-stirring psychedelic epics live at top volume is typically a can’t miss event for me, and this time they’ll be playing with Maserati. Considering that they also only visit the U.S. every few years, that I’ll have many more friends in the crowd with me here, and that Mono’s new album Hymn to the Immortal Wind is one of my favorites from the year, I feel like I’d be especially stupid for for missing this one, as well.
MONO, MASERATI
Triple Rock Social Club
Oct. 5, 2009 | 8 PM
$12 ADV | $15 DOS | 21+
Keep reading on the next page for all of KMFDM’s and Mono’s scheduled 2009 tour dates… Continue reading
As I sit in my new favorite cafe here in La Crosse, 
officially sold out of The Animal Crack Box vinyl set that everyone and their mother have been salivating over. The triple-vinyl box set collects various live tracks and unreleased material from the bands tribal years from 2000-2003 period. If you happened to have $92 laying around and happened to be on the internet and happened to stumble upon the first blog that wrote about it (Pitchfork) you might have been lucky enough to load the page fast enough to get a copy. Oh well I guess, The rest of us poor souls will just have to wait for the MP3s to come leaking out of some dude’s basement. 
The beloved folk-pop group Fleet Foxes have already toured once in support of their chart topping 2008 release of the same name, and now they’re sketching out some more dates for this summer as well.
side. MP3s of False Knight have been floating around on the web for a while now, but here it gets a well deserved official release. “False Knight On The Road” is well worth the purchase, the echoing vocals recorded mostly by frontman Rob Pecknold are much more in line with his or fellow Fox’s J. Tillman solo projects, but the song could have just as easily appeared on their self-titled group debut. If you’re broke though, or out a record player, check the MP3 below for what you’re missing. Enjoy!
May 30, 2009
July 21, 2009
mewithoutYou
Grooving to a beat unmistakably of their own, Junior Boys kick off their North American tour on March 28th in Ontario, Canada. No need to worry though, they will be slowly steppin’ into First Ave on the 3rd of April. These slippery melodies are easy-on-the-ear, while allowing space to wander back to days of innocent youth. The track “Like a Child” is simple and fun, just like being a child. Soft vocals and subtle synths are enough to make any inner-child feel warm and cozy.
MIND INVERSION 