Kyle Gilkeson 
NOMO: “Invisible Cities” (Invisible Cities, Ubiquity, 5/5/10)
Contributing photographer David Sampson shot these photos at the recent NOMO show at Schubas. NOMO’s inventive Afro-jazz-rock sound spans so many styles and eras that it belies its contemporary Ann Arbor, MI origins. Meanwhile, opener In Tall Buildings (Chicago’s Erik Hall, also a member of NOMO) warmed the crowd up with his brand of stripped-down folk rock.
Each Tuesday, Behind the Counter speaks to an independent record store to ask about its recent favorites, best sellers, and noteworthy trends.
Look them up and you’ll find that Mississippi Records is a favorite in Portland. Since owner Eric Mast’s serendipitous encounter with the space 11 years ago, the shop has expanded into a record label, supplying hard-to-find music to the masses for low prices. A unique selection, rapid turnover, and an employee-curated tape series (various covers featured below) are the hallmarks of Mississippi.
Give me three great albums that you’ve enjoyed lately.
Group Inerane: Guitars from Agadez Vol. 3 (Sublime Frequencies), Hasil Adkins: White Light/White Meat (Norton Records), and the Daniel Johnston box set of his first six albums (Munster).
We asked Todd Snider, to tell us about some of his favorite musical storytellers. What we got was a collection of musings on the writers and performers who have informed his stage persona, which is captured on his new double-disc live album, The Storyteller (Aimless, 2/1/11). Read on for some of “The Storyteller’s” favorite storytellers.
My Five Favorite Musical Troubadours
by Todd Snider
1. Bob Dylan
For me, when it comes to being a fan of a troubadour, I have to laugh with you before I’ll cry with you, simply because most troubadours expect you to cry over their journal entries with them. Most troubadours are awful people. Bob, however, is not. I think he’s America’s finest contribution to the world, of any kind. He does not have a song I don’t like, and while he doesn’t talk much on stage, when he does, it’s precise, funny, wise, and everything else. There really is no point in anyone else doing this troubadour thing. Hell, I once paid for a tape of Bob arguing on the phone…and I thought it was a great album.
Synth-pop duo Chromeo recently performed at Alte Borse in Zurich, Switzerland, and contributing photographer Wallo Villacorta was in attendance, capturing the popular twosome in its distinctive neon glow.
