Rolling Stone: Critics Tops of 2003
Blackberry Belle was mentioned twice in Rolling Stone Magazine’s Critics Top 10s of 2003.
#3 on Steve Baltin’s list:
3. Twilight Singers, Blackberry Belle (One Little Indian): Twilight Singers at Spaceland [in Los Angeles] was the show of the year, highlighted by the rock hook of the year: “Teenage Wristband.”
And it was #2 on Andrew Strickman’s list:
2. Twilight Singers, Blackberry Belle (One Little Indian): Greg Dulli’s promise has never been better realized than on this dirty soul ode to hedonism and its sometime unfortunate psychoses.
Twilight Singers Dates in 2003
08.20.2003 Spaceland Los Angeles, CA
08.23.2003 Sunset Junction St. Fair Los Angeles, CA
11.04.2003 Bluebird Denver, CO
11.06.2003 Sokol Underground Omaha, NE
11.07.2003 400 Bar Minneapolis, MS
11.08.2003 Double Door Chicago, IL
11.09.2003 Double Door Chicago, IL
11.10.2003 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
11.11.2003 Southgate House Newport, KY
11.12.2003 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
11.14.2003 Black Cat Washington, DC
11.15.2003 Khyber Pass Philadelphia, PA
11.16.2003 TT The Bears Cambridge, MA | View Setlist Photo
11.17.2003 Bowery Ballroom New York City, NY
11.19.2003 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
11.20.2003 Tipitina’s New Orleans, LA
11.21.2003 Rhythm Room Houston, TX
11.22.2003 The Parish (aka Mercury) Austin, TX
11.23.2003 Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, TX
11.25.2003 Nita’s Hideaway Tempe, AZ
11.26.2003 El Rey Los Angeles, CA
11.28.2003 Slim’s San Francisco, CA
11.30.2003 Berbati’s Pan Portland, OR
12.01.2003 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
LA Citybeat’s Best of 2003
Natalie Nichols of LA Citybeat named Blackberry Belle #4 in the “Lack of Consensus” Top 10 of 2003.
4. The Twilight Singers, Blackberry Belle (One Little Indian/Birdman). Singer-songwriter Greg Dulli’s back, with an album recalling the potent alt-soul of his erstwhile Afghan Whigs, tinged with regret yet resigned to its various obsessions with sex, drugs, and vice in general. Let’s get it on, indeed.
WOXY’s Best of 2003
The Twilight Singers’ Blackberry Belle came in at #32 in WOXY’s best of 2003 list.
WOXY is Cincinnati’s alt-rock station at 97.7 FM. They’ve long been a great supporter of TS and the Afghan Whigs.
Thanks Alexis, Bill
Dulli in Rockerilla
Earlier this year, Greg Dulli was interviewed by Italian music magazine Rockerilla. The interview was published in their November issue.
You can read the interview, archived in the press section.
Related: An Italian leg was added to the Twilight Singers’ upcoming European tour. I can say this was sorely needed from the dozens of emails I received from the band’s Italian fans. Check out the Calendar in the sidebar for more info.
Thanks to Raffaele for the interview and translation.
Rockerilla
Interview with Greg for the Italian magazine Rockerilla.
November, 2003 Edition
Raffaele Zappala
Read more
Best Concert in Denver of 2003
Matt Sebastian, of The Daily Camera, compiled a list of Denver’s best concerts of 2003. The Twilight Singers came in at number one.
1.) The Twilight Singers, Nov. 4 at the Bluebird Theater: Ex-Afghan Whig Greg Dulli may just be one of rock’s best frontmen, and, on this night, he led his new razor-sharp band through a two-hour set that was part stand-up comedy act, part aural history lesson. The few fans who showed up — the theater wasn’t even half full — saw the Singers tear through selections from the band’s two albums, plus nuggets by Marvin Gaye, Kate Bush, the Zombies, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, John Coltrane and, of course, the late, great Whigs.
Link - Thanks Eric
PopMatters Best of 2003
Popmatters.com Top 100 of 2003
— Michael Christopher
#2
Read more
Scott Ford’s Top 5 of 2003
I asked Twilight Singers bassist Scott Ford to put together a Top 10 list of his favorite albums of 2003. Being a bit of a dry year, Scott wrote up an impressive Top 5. Enjoy. - Lee
Grandaddy - Sumday
I’ve always been a big fan of people going out on a limb musically and doing stuff which grabs my attention. There’s no better example than this album. I fell in love with it from the first listen. The simplicity of the songs and the instruments used to craft them make this an all time fave. It’s also worth mentioning that the previous album, The Sophtware Slump, is an instant classic too.
http://www.grandaddylandscape.com/ | Amazon
The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages Of
So I was at the Coachella festival this year (mainly to see the Stooges reunion), when I stumbled across TPS. There’s nothing more impressive to me than a 23 piece band that rocks. Let’s put it this way, they ain’t in it for the money. The album reminds me of Jesus Christ Superstar but recorded with a lot more drug use. All in all, an amazing album and one of the best live acts I have ever seen.
http://www.thepolyphonicspree.com | Amazon
Tim Easton - Break Your Mothers Heart
Imagine Ryan Adams without being a complete prick, and you have Tim Easton. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this guy on a night out to my local coffee shop, and he floored me with his songs. One of the best songwriters on the planet, coupled with great guitar skills, makes for one hell of an entertaining album.
http://www.timeaston.com/ | Amazon
Rancid - Indestructible
I grew up in the middle of punk, and what passes for punk these days is nothing short of pathetic. Rancid is the exception to the rule. Staying true to their DIY ethos, the album flows with incredibly well crafted tunes that remind me of better days. I’ve always loved these guys, and let’s face it, Matt Freeman is the best bass player of my generation.
http://www.rancidrancid.com/ | Amazon
Marc Ford - It’s About Time
The one time lead guitar player for the Black Crowes released this independent album this year, and it’s amazing. This guy puts any other guitar player to shame, and backed by a bevy of accomplished artists including Ben Harper, Chris Stills and Berry Oakley Jr., he pulls off the Crowes album I always wanted to hear. And no, we aren’t related.
http://www.marcford.viachicago.org/
Blackberry in City Paper Top 10
Baltimore’s City Paper named Blackberry Belle number 9 in their Top 10 Albums of 2003 list.
Twilight Singers Blackberry Belle (One Little Indian) Is former Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli on track to be America’s Serge Gainsbourg? A soused, red-nosed rambler live, Dulli occupies a dusky sepia-toned vignette he so perfectly captures on Twilight Singers’ swooning sophomore album, Blackberry Belle. You can practically feel the groove’s grain and the neck’s pulsing vein as Dulli belts delirious, darkly erotic tales of decadence and desperation over his amorphous assemblage’s devilish harmonic swagger. At least a Leonard Cohen on his way to being a Dirty Old Man, national-treasure status as a prowling balladeer may just be in store for Dulli if he continues at this rate.
Thanks to Chris for the tip.
The Gutter Twins: Saturnalia The long awaited debut from Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan
Order CD at Amazon.com
