DEAR BURN TO SHINE, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

Every now and then something (a band, an artist, a movie, etc.) comes along that makes you think to yourself, "Goodness, why on earth haven't I heard about this before?" Such is the case with Burn to Shine, the live music DVD series curated by Brendan Canty, former Fugazi drummer.

You'd think I would have known about a bunch of videos put together by the guy who's band I've been a fan of since I was 13 that happen to feature some of my favorite bands of all time. But you know what? I didn't have clue about this until yesterday.

That's how much worthwhile shit there is out there, I suppose.

Anyway, the setup for Burn to Shine is simple. Pick a city and take 8-10 of the best, independently-minded bands from that region. Then rent a big old empty house that's about to be destroyed and film the shit out of everyone playing live.

The resulting film, at least from the clips I've seen, is as intimate as most of us are ever likely to get with some of the best bands making music right now. Here are just a few clips which prove that point beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Good luck scraping your jaw off the floor.

Sleater-Kinney - Modern Girl
At any given moment in my life, I could probably call five different bands my absolute "favorite." Sleater-Kinney has stuck around in that list just about longer than any other since I first heard them back in 2001, and this video right here should tell you why.



The Shins - St. Simon
The vocal harmonies on this song have always brought a tear to my eye. So watching The Shins nail it -- just absolutely nail it -- in a space that small, with sound that good, is, I imagine, like watching your kid win the spelling bee. Just fills you with pride.



Eddie Vedder - Can't Keep
The lead singer for another one of my favorite bands of all time tearing through one of their tracks on a goddamn ukulele. Wow.



Wilco - Muzzle of Bees
Holy mother of god they got Wilco! Not only that, they got THE WHOLE BAND! And they crammed them into a tiny little room and convinced them to play MUZZLE OF BEES! Yeehaw!