'Tis the season for giving...to myself. I've been super busy these days, but i was able to make it out the other afternoon to do a little record shopping for myself. I didn't overdo it, surprisingly, but I did make it away with a pretty good haul.
Buzzcocks
Singles Going Steady
4 Men with Beards (re-issue)
LP
This is another one of those that I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I don't already own on vinyl. Regardless, I've remedied that situation, and have been listening to this one a lot. Gotta love the Buzzcocks. I sometimes wonder how successful they could have been in the U.S. given the proper push. The musicianship isn't quite on par with that of the Clash, but it's not all that far off, and I would put their pop sensibility up against just about everyone else. I definitely think they're the greatest thing to ever come out of Manchester.
Sweet
Desolation Boulevard
RCA Records (U.S. Release)
LP
Of all the studio albums by Sweet, this is definitely the one to own. This is the first record they made after they decided to shed the teeny-bopper image, although this is still about a year or so before they started writing their own stuff. Granted, a lot of their glossy stuff is pretty fun, too ("Little Willie" and "Wig Wam Bam" come to mind), but the real heavy hitters are on this one ("Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run"). The deep cuts on here are solid, too. I particularly like "A.C.D.C." and "The Six Teens".
Wilco
Summerteeth
Nonesuch Records (re-issue)
LP
This is definitely my favorite Wilco record, although YHF is not far behind. I like this one the best because it reminds me the most of Big Star. It sounds really nice on the 180 gram vinyl, and it includes a CD version, as well. Done and done. I'll probably have to get my hands on the re-issues of A.M. and Being There pretty soon, too.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Racounteured
Brendan Benson
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
12/11/09
I apologize for the lapse in writing, but I've been super busy of late. Well, that and Christmas shopping has left me too broke to buy anything worth reviewing, and the shows worth going to see have been few and far between for the last couple of weeks. Until going to see the film It Might Get Loud a couple of months ago, I had very little interest in anything Jack White had ever done. I swear this would have been totally different had I known that he was the drummer for the early-90's Cowpunk/Alt-Country outfit Goober and the Peas. I never made the connection, because he was credited under his given name, John Gillis. Regardless, I never paid a lot of attention to what the guy was doing, but he made quite an impression on me after I realized what he was really about. While I like certain things about the White Stripes, the fact that most, if not all, of it lacks a lovely invention called the bass guitar leaves a little something to be desired. I love what little I've heard of The Dead Weather, but that's only a couple of songs. Much like White Stripes, I'd largely ignored The Raconteurs. After giving it an honest chance, it's the most conventional of all of Jack White's projects. Coincidentally, it's the one I think I enjoy the most. Another thing that I didn't realize until digging a little deeper is that The Raconteurs is really more Brendan Benson's band than Jack White's.
When I saw that Brendan Benson would be playing a solo show at The Earl, I didn't know what to expect, but I also knew that I probably didn't want to miss it. I had never heard a single song from his solo catalog going in. That, coupled with the fact that I once again got pretty drunk (a recurring theme, I know), means that you're not getting too thorough of a review out of me. Let me put it to you this way, though: I may not have known any of the songs he played, but this show was absolutely brilliant. Benson is a great singer, a fine guitar player, and he was backed by stellar accompaniment, which included fellow Raconteur Mark Watrous, and Brad Pemberton and Jared Reynolds, sidemen of Ryan Adams and Ben Folds, respectively.
Watching and hearing Benson was like going back in time and watching one of the early-to-mid 70's power pop masters have a go of it. For me, it conjured up many of the great ones like Big Star, Cheap Trick and The Raspberries. The hooks were ubiquitous, and it seemed like with each song, you'd hear the first verse and whether you were familiar with it or not, you'd be singing along before it was over. And he did this non-stop for over an hour. When the set finished, he came out to do an encore with the opening act, Cory Chisel, joining him. They closed the set out by doing an outstanding version of Tom Petty's "American Girl", and a really good version of one of the more non-descript Petty hits that I can't recall (as I said, I was pretty loaded, and honestly I don't care much for Tom Petty), that brought the nearly packed house down. Yeah, this guy really knows what he's doing.
I was impressed enough by Benson to pick up a copy of his latest LP, My Old, Familiar Friend. I haven't given it a listen yet, but he appeared to have played most of the album, so I think I'm going to like it enough to work backwards and pick up some of his earlier records. I regret that I was only able to catch the last couple of Cory Chisel's songs, because based on those, he seems to be pretty good, too. I'd recommend checking either of these acts out in the future. And while I never thought I would find myself saying this, I think I'm going to have to see The Raconteurs next time they hit the road.
That's all for now, but expect a barrage of lame-ass 'Best of '09' posts between now and the end of the year. After all, I can't let Pitchfork and Paste have all the fun. See ya.
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
12/11/09
I apologize for the lapse in writing, but I've been super busy of late. Well, that and Christmas shopping has left me too broke to buy anything worth reviewing, and the shows worth going to see have been few and far between for the last couple of weeks. Until going to see the film It Might Get Loud a couple of months ago, I had very little interest in anything Jack White had ever done. I swear this would have been totally different had I known that he was the drummer for the early-90's Cowpunk/Alt-Country outfit Goober and the Peas. I never made the connection, because he was credited under his given name, John Gillis. Regardless, I never paid a lot of attention to what the guy was doing, but he made quite an impression on me after I realized what he was really about. While I like certain things about the White Stripes, the fact that most, if not all, of it lacks a lovely invention called the bass guitar leaves a little something to be desired. I love what little I've heard of The Dead Weather, but that's only a couple of songs. Much like White Stripes, I'd largely ignored The Raconteurs. After giving it an honest chance, it's the most conventional of all of Jack White's projects. Coincidentally, it's the one I think I enjoy the most. Another thing that I didn't realize until digging a little deeper is that The Raconteurs is really more Brendan Benson's band than Jack White's.
When I saw that Brendan Benson would be playing a solo show at The Earl, I didn't know what to expect, but I also knew that I probably didn't want to miss it. I had never heard a single song from his solo catalog going in. That, coupled with the fact that I once again got pretty drunk (a recurring theme, I know), means that you're not getting too thorough of a review out of me. Let me put it to you this way, though: I may not have known any of the songs he played, but this show was absolutely brilliant. Benson is a great singer, a fine guitar player, and he was backed by stellar accompaniment, which included fellow Raconteur Mark Watrous, and Brad Pemberton and Jared Reynolds, sidemen of Ryan Adams and Ben Folds, respectively.
Watching and hearing Benson was like going back in time and watching one of the early-to-mid 70's power pop masters have a go of it. For me, it conjured up many of the great ones like Big Star, Cheap Trick and The Raspberries. The hooks were ubiquitous, and it seemed like with each song, you'd hear the first verse and whether you were familiar with it or not, you'd be singing along before it was over. And he did this non-stop for over an hour. When the set finished, he came out to do an encore with the opening act, Cory Chisel, joining him. They closed the set out by doing an outstanding version of Tom Petty's "American Girl", and a really good version of one of the more non-descript Petty hits that I can't recall (as I said, I was pretty loaded, and honestly I don't care much for Tom Petty), that brought the nearly packed house down. Yeah, this guy really knows what he's doing.
I was impressed enough by Benson to pick up a copy of his latest LP, My Old, Familiar Friend. I haven't given it a listen yet, but he appeared to have played most of the album, so I think I'm going to like it enough to work backwards and pick up some of his earlier records. I regret that I was only able to catch the last couple of Cory Chisel's songs, because based on those, he seems to be pretty good, too. I'd recommend checking either of these acts out in the future. And while I never thought I would find myself saying this, I think I'm going to have to see The Raconteurs next time they hit the road.
That's all for now, but expect a barrage of lame-ass 'Best of '09' posts between now and the end of the year. After all, I can't let Pitchfork and Paste have all the fun. See ya.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Xmas
I finished up my annual Christmas compilation CD last night. I didn't deviate too far from what I typically put on it, but I put much more of a concerted effort to make a CD that's enjoyable from start to finish. In my opinion, this one is good enough to copy and give to friends. Here's how it turned out, in order:
1. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – the Ventures
What better way to get it started than having an instrumental reworking a of Christmas classic.
2. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” – Wizzard
Probably my third favorite Christmas song of all time. Wizzard was an interesting time in Roy Wood's career, and this song is basically a Phil Spector/Girl Group sendup. It works beautifully.
3. “Run Rudolph Run” – Chuck Berry
Another classic. I don't really see how you can leave this one off. I briefly thought about omitting this one in favor of Keith Richards' version of it. I just couldn't do it, though.
4. “Frosty the Snowman” – The Ronettes
Not only is this an amazing song by an amazing singer, it was prominently featured in the film Goodfellas.
5. “Fuck Christmas” – FEAR
Being that it's under a minute long, I can't think of a reason why this shouldn't be on everyone's Xmas playlist. Especially after getting to see them play it live. In the summertime.
6. “White Christmas” – Stiff Little Fingers
I actually didn't know this existed until a few days ago. It's pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. It sounds like a relatively recent(definitely not from the 70's), but I can't say for sure.
7. “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” – Tom Waits
I really wanted a Tom Waits song on here. Basically, it came down to including either this song, or "Christmas Sucks" by Tom Waits and Peter Murphy. The cons against this song are a) Christmas is only referenced in the title and not in the lyrics of the song, and b) it's about a minute longer than "Christmas Sucks", and I probably could have jammed one more song in there had I opted for the shorter one. This one is much, much funnier, though, and the other one, well, that one has Peter Murphy on it. This one wins.
8. “Merry Christmas, Baby” – Otis Redding
Great rendition of a great song. This sure beats the shit out of Springsteen's. I'd like to track down the original, which was recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in 1947. I bet it cooks.
9. “Father Christmas” – The Kinks
My second favorite Christmas song of all time. It fucking rocks, and the lyrics are hysterical in a way that only Ray Davies can pull off. I have fond memories of hearing this song around the holidays on AOR stations. I can't recall the last time I heard a rock station play this, and that's a shame.
10. “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy” – Buck Owens and his Buckaroos
I never knew this one existed until a couple of years ago. Of all the songs on here, this isn't my favorite, but it's the one that I'm most proud of including on my own compilation. Buck Owens gets name dropped in a lot of circles, but I can't think of any radio station, terrestrial or satellite, that would ever play this song. It came out in 1965 on Buck's Christmas Album, and I think I want to seek that out to see what other gems are on it.
11. “Christmas Vacation” – Descendents
It's really just another classic Milo song about getting dumped, but the dumping in question happens to occur over Christmas break, so that's good enough for me. I love this tune.
12. “Jingle Bells” – Booker T. and the MGs
I love Booker T. and the MGs and I love what they do with this song. I used a total of three songs from Stax artists.
13. “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues
It's nearly impossible to escape this song during the holidays, but I don't care. It's still iconic.
14. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love
This is the best version of an amazing song. I don't know why anyone else ever bothered to try their hand at this.
15. “Merry Xmas Everybody” – Slade
Best. Holiday Song. Ever. And of course it's virtually unknown in the U.S. Slade is one of my favorite bands, and this is arguably their masterpiece. Noddy Holder does his best John Lennon on this song, and it works because Noddy was a lot better singer than Lennon (and virtually everyone else, for that matter).
16. “Mr. Grinch” – Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors
This was the most palatable choice of Nixon's Horny Holidays record, and I wanted to include something off of that one to keep things fun.
17. “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” – Carla Thomas
The third and final song by a Stax artist is this one. It's a nice song, although basically just a simple reworking of Thomas' hit song "Gee Whiz". It's relatively obscure, but somewhat recognizable, so I thought it was a good choice.
18. “Little St. Nick” – The Beach Boys
Classic Beach Boys and there's nothing wrong with that.
19. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” – Ramones
I don't think my conscience would allow me to leave this one off of any Christmas compilation.
20. “Feliz Navi-Nada” – El Vez
I had never heard this before the other day and it's a fun one. I also put it on here because I missed El Vez' early Christmas show at the Earl this past Tuesday, and I feel bad about it.
21. “Santa Baby” – Eartha Kitt
I really wanted to include a fabulous cover of this song by defunct Atlanta band 6x, but I couldn't find an mp3 copy of it. That's a tragedy, but the original version will have to suffice.
22. “Christmas with the Devil” – Spinal Tap
Even though this song never appeared on a recording until Spinal Tap released Break Like the Wind, I remember them performing this on Saturday Night Live in '83 or '84, so it could be considered an extension of the stuff they made for This is Spinal Tap.
23. “Blue Christmas” – Elvis Presley
This is one of the usual suspects for Christmas tunes, but I really wouldn't have felt right if I'd left it off.
24. “Christmas in Hollis” – Run-D.M.C.
See explanation for track 23.
25. “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon
See explanations for 23 and 24.
26. “Merry Christmas” – Wesley Willis
There was no way I was going to make a Christmas compilation without my man Wesley Willis on it. It came down to either this one, or "Kris Kringle Was a Car Thief". I figured that of the two, this would be the one less likely to result in everyone else in the room running for the door, or violently beating on me with lead pipes. It's still distinctly possible that this will happen with this selection, mind you, it's just less likely.
27. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” – The Ventures
Start with the Ventures, end with the Ventures. Seems like a pretty good recipe for success to me.
On a side note, I remember back in the days of the actual mix tape, one of the many reasons I grew to love the Ramones was that no matter how little room there seemed to be when you approached the end of a cassette's side, there was ALWAYS room for a Ramones song. That's how I feel about the Ventures in the era of the mix CD. A virtual treasure trove of classic songs, with none of them exceeding two minutes and thirty seconds. Of course, the days of the mix CD are falling by the wayside, but that's another story for another time.
What do you think? What would you have done differently here?
1. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – the Ventures
What better way to get it started than having an instrumental reworking a of Christmas classic.
2. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” – Wizzard
Probably my third favorite Christmas song of all time. Wizzard was an interesting time in Roy Wood's career, and this song is basically a Phil Spector/Girl Group sendup. It works beautifully.
3. “Run Rudolph Run” – Chuck Berry
Another classic. I don't really see how you can leave this one off. I briefly thought about omitting this one in favor of Keith Richards' version of it. I just couldn't do it, though.
4. “Frosty the Snowman” – The Ronettes
Not only is this an amazing song by an amazing singer, it was prominently featured in the film Goodfellas.
5. “Fuck Christmas” – FEAR
Being that it's under a minute long, I can't think of a reason why this shouldn't be on everyone's Xmas playlist. Especially after getting to see them play it live. In the summertime.
6. “White Christmas” – Stiff Little Fingers
I actually didn't know this existed until a few days ago. It's pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. It sounds like a relatively recent(definitely not from the 70's), but I can't say for sure.
7. “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” – Tom Waits
I really wanted a Tom Waits song on here. Basically, it came down to including either this song, or "Christmas Sucks" by Tom Waits and Peter Murphy. The cons against this song are a) Christmas is only referenced in the title and not in the lyrics of the song, and b) it's about a minute longer than "Christmas Sucks", and I probably could have jammed one more song in there had I opted for the shorter one. This one is much, much funnier, though, and the other one, well, that one has Peter Murphy on it. This one wins.
8. “Merry Christmas, Baby” – Otis Redding
Great rendition of a great song. This sure beats the shit out of Springsteen's. I'd like to track down the original, which was recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in 1947. I bet it cooks.
9. “Father Christmas” – The Kinks
My second favorite Christmas song of all time. It fucking rocks, and the lyrics are hysterical in a way that only Ray Davies can pull off. I have fond memories of hearing this song around the holidays on AOR stations. I can't recall the last time I heard a rock station play this, and that's a shame.
10. “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy” – Buck Owens and his Buckaroos
I never knew this one existed until a couple of years ago. Of all the songs on here, this isn't my favorite, but it's the one that I'm most proud of including on my own compilation. Buck Owens gets name dropped in a lot of circles, but I can't think of any radio station, terrestrial or satellite, that would ever play this song. It came out in 1965 on Buck's Christmas Album, and I think I want to seek that out to see what other gems are on it.
11. “Christmas Vacation” – Descendents
It's really just another classic Milo song about getting dumped, but the dumping in question happens to occur over Christmas break, so that's good enough for me. I love this tune.
12. “Jingle Bells” – Booker T. and the MGs
I love Booker T. and the MGs and I love what they do with this song. I used a total of three songs from Stax artists.
13. “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues
It's nearly impossible to escape this song during the holidays, but I don't care. It's still iconic.
14. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – Darlene Love
This is the best version of an amazing song. I don't know why anyone else ever bothered to try their hand at this.
15. “Merry Xmas Everybody” – Slade
Best. Holiday Song. Ever. And of course it's virtually unknown in the U.S. Slade is one of my favorite bands, and this is arguably their masterpiece. Noddy Holder does his best John Lennon on this song, and it works because Noddy was a lot better singer than Lennon (and virtually everyone else, for that matter).
16. “Mr. Grinch” – Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors
This was the most palatable choice of Nixon's Horny Holidays record, and I wanted to include something off of that one to keep things fun.
17. “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” – Carla Thomas
The third and final song by a Stax artist is this one. It's a nice song, although basically just a simple reworking of Thomas' hit song "Gee Whiz". It's relatively obscure, but somewhat recognizable, so I thought it was a good choice.
18. “Little St. Nick” – The Beach Boys
Classic Beach Boys and there's nothing wrong with that.
19. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” – Ramones
I don't think my conscience would allow me to leave this one off of any Christmas compilation.
20. “Feliz Navi-Nada” – El Vez
I had never heard this before the other day and it's a fun one. I also put it on here because I missed El Vez' early Christmas show at the Earl this past Tuesday, and I feel bad about it.
21. “Santa Baby” – Eartha Kitt
I really wanted to include a fabulous cover of this song by defunct Atlanta band 6x, but I couldn't find an mp3 copy of it. That's a tragedy, but the original version will have to suffice.
22. “Christmas with the Devil” – Spinal Tap
Even though this song never appeared on a recording until Spinal Tap released Break Like the Wind, I remember them performing this on Saturday Night Live in '83 or '84, so it could be considered an extension of the stuff they made for This is Spinal Tap.
23. “Blue Christmas” – Elvis Presley
This is one of the usual suspects for Christmas tunes, but I really wouldn't have felt right if I'd left it off.
24. “Christmas in Hollis” – Run-D.M.C.
See explanation for track 23.
25. “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon
See explanations for 23 and 24.
26. “Merry Christmas” – Wesley Willis
There was no way I was going to make a Christmas compilation without my man Wesley Willis on it. It came down to either this one, or "Kris Kringle Was a Car Thief". I figured that of the two, this would be the one less likely to result in everyone else in the room running for the door, or violently beating on me with lead pipes. It's still distinctly possible that this will happen with this selection, mind you, it's just less likely.
27. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” – The Ventures
Start with the Ventures, end with the Ventures. Seems like a pretty good recipe for success to me.
On a side note, I remember back in the days of the actual mix tape, one of the many reasons I grew to love the Ramones was that no matter how little room there seemed to be when you approached the end of a cassette's side, there was ALWAYS room for a Ramones song. That's how I feel about the Ventures in the era of the mix CD. A virtual treasure trove of classic songs, with none of them exceeding two minutes and thirty seconds. Of course, the days of the mix CD are falling by the wayside, but that's another story for another time.
What do you think? What would you have done differently here?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
No Thugs in Our House
Nigels with Attitude
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
November 24, 2009
As a general rule, I think tribute bands are complete and total dogshit. No matter how well they can play the songs of the band they're mimicking, there's always something about the set, or the band, or one member in particular that chaps my ass to no end. I once went to see a Replacements tribute band from South Carolina play a show here in Atlanta. When they took the stage, the singer didn't have a guitar, or any other instrument, in his hand. If someone is going to pretend to be Paul Westerberg, and is planning on doing so without a guitar in his hand, that's something to which I will not be a party. I left as they started playing their opening number: a boring, one-guitar version of "I.O.U.". Among the myriad problems this band had, there wasn't one greater than the fact that it lacked imagination. Sure, you could make a pretty compelling argument that the whole point of a tribute band is that it's supposed to lack imagination; you are covering another artist's material, after all. But I think imagination is what sets the really good ones apart from the really bad ones. A good tribute band is able to use their own imagination to channel that of the artist they're honoring. Nigels with Attitude is probably the best tribute band I've ever seen, and it's probably because they were able to dream really big, just like XTC did for so many years.
The Nigels, led by Sheryl Crow sidemen Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, tore through a 19 song set that spanned XTC's entire career and they did so in style. They began the set with "This is Pop?" from XTC's debut White Music, finished with a raucous encore of "No Thugs in Our House", and did their take on many other classic XTC songs in between. The band, which also included most of the recently disbanded Y-O-U, was spot on, used a lot of different instruments in order to duplicate the big sound of many of the original songs and they received quite a boost behind the boards from EARL sound man Curt Wells, who was obviously a big enough XTC fan to know where they echoes and the delays and such were supposed to go.
The set seemed to include anywhere from one to three songs off of each of XTC's major releases, and that was enough to keep everyone in attendance happy (although, admittedly I would have preferred it if they would have played more songs off of my favorite, Drums and Wires). They even included a couple of tunes from the Dukes of Stratosphear releases, which I hope would silence even the toughest critics. I considered the highlights of the set to be "Life Begins at the Hop", "Generals and Majors", "Senses Working Overtime", "Mayor of Simpleton" and "Ball and Chain".
What I saw on stage that night was a group of guys who are all professional musicians, that did this gig for fun. There's no telling when or if there is going to be a next time for Nigels with Attitude, but if there is, I will be there. As I stated before, as much as I generally detest tribute bands, there are exceptions to every rule, and this was rather exceptional. And it certainly didn't lack imagination. All it lacked was a version of the song "Helicopter", and hopefully next time they'll have the imagination to work that into the repertoire.
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
November 24, 2009
As a general rule, I think tribute bands are complete and total dogshit. No matter how well they can play the songs of the band they're mimicking, there's always something about the set, or the band, or one member in particular that chaps my ass to no end. I once went to see a Replacements tribute band from South Carolina play a show here in Atlanta. When they took the stage, the singer didn't have a guitar, or any other instrument, in his hand. If someone is going to pretend to be Paul Westerberg, and is planning on doing so without a guitar in his hand, that's something to which I will not be a party. I left as they started playing their opening number: a boring, one-guitar version of "I.O.U.". Among the myriad problems this band had, there wasn't one greater than the fact that it lacked imagination. Sure, you could make a pretty compelling argument that the whole point of a tribute band is that it's supposed to lack imagination; you are covering another artist's material, after all. But I think imagination is what sets the really good ones apart from the really bad ones. A good tribute band is able to use their own imagination to channel that of the artist they're honoring. Nigels with Attitude is probably the best tribute band I've ever seen, and it's probably because they were able to dream really big, just like XTC did for so many years.
The Nigels, led by Sheryl Crow sidemen Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, tore through a 19 song set that spanned XTC's entire career and they did so in style. They began the set with "This is Pop?" from XTC's debut White Music, finished with a raucous encore of "No Thugs in Our House", and did their take on many other classic XTC songs in between. The band, which also included most of the recently disbanded Y-O-U, was spot on, used a lot of different instruments in order to duplicate the big sound of many of the original songs and they received quite a boost behind the boards from EARL sound man Curt Wells, who was obviously a big enough XTC fan to know where they echoes and the delays and such were supposed to go.
The set seemed to include anywhere from one to three songs off of each of XTC's major releases, and that was enough to keep everyone in attendance happy (although, admittedly I would have preferred it if they would have played more songs off of my favorite, Drums and Wires). They even included a couple of tunes from the Dukes of Stratosphear releases, which I hope would silence even the toughest critics. I considered the highlights of the set to be "Life Begins at the Hop", "Generals and Majors", "Senses Working Overtime", "Mayor of Simpleton" and "Ball and Chain".
What I saw on stage that night was a group of guys who are all professional musicians, that did this gig for fun. There's no telling when or if there is going to be a next time for Nigels with Attitude, but if there is, I will be there. As I stated before, as much as I generally detest tribute bands, there are exceptions to every rule, and this was rather exceptional. And it certainly didn't lack imagination. All it lacked was a version of the song "Helicopter", and hopefully next time they'll have the imagination to work that into the repertoire.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Hank Done it This Way
Son Volt
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
11/19/09
It takes a really special band to make me even consider driving all the way to Athens on a weeknight and endure the inevitable hell that the next day is certain to be. Son Volt, however, is definitely that special of a band. When all was said and done, I didn't get back to my house until 2:30 in the morning on Friday, and at that point I had a hard time falling asleep because of the large coffee I guzzled on the way back to prevent me from passing out behind the wheel. I had a miserable Friday at work, slugging through it like a zombie and avoiding human contact as much as I possibly could. But goddamn, it was worth it.
I got to Athens a little before 6 PM on Thursday, and that gave me time to check out some gear at Music Exchange before they closed. After that I killed a few drinks in the Flicker Bar (my favorite bar in Athens, for sure). Then, it was off to dinner with some friends, and a couple of friends of friends, who incidentally turned out to be Son Volt's rhythm section, Andrew Duplantis and Dave Bryson. I resisted the urge to go all fanboy on them, and I just kind of enjoyed the fact that I was sitting down to a meal with two members of one of my favorite bands. Suffice it to say that they were both extraordinarily nice and personable fellows, and it's always good to meet musicians that you look up to and have them not turn out to be total dickheads. After dinner it was time to head back to catch the opening act, and I couldn't help but feel like my night was already made. If the show was even remotely good, that just would have been gravy.
The one downside to going to shows in Athens is that they tend to start late. In this instance, the doors weren't until 9 PM, and opening act Peter Bruntnell didn't take the stage until 10 PM. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait. Bruntnell is a stellar singer/songwriter with great songs, a nice voice and he's quite skilled with the acoustic guitar. He's also an extraordinarily charming chap, and his stage banter was worth the price of admission by itself. He played about half of his set by himself, a few songs with Son Volt's lead guitarist, James Walbourne, accompanying him, and the last few songs with Walbourne, Duplantis and Bryson backing him. I picked up a copy of his most recent CD, Peter and the Murder of Crows. It's really good stuff, kind of like English Americana if I had to define, and I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Son Volt took the stage around 11:15 PM and it turned out to be a unique experience. I'm used to seeing them at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta; they play there every year to a sold-out or close to sold-out crowd of 1,500 or so. The 40 Watt seemed like way too small of a venue for this band to be playing, but nobody, including the band, seemed to mind. The band was actually much looser than I was used to, but given the fact this was a show at a small, intimate club, coupled with the late start and the several drinks I'd already knocked back made it work so perfectly. It was a venue appropriate show, to say the least. They rocked it out for over 90 minutes, tearing through a good portion of American Central Dust, and a diverse range of songs from all of the other Son Volt albums.
The band was on point once again. Bryson and Duplantis had already been rapidly moving their way up my list of favorite rhythm sections, and now they're pretty damn close to the top. I'd love it if this current lineup of the band doesn't change, but I would be downright upset if either one of these two split or got the axe. Mark Spencer was right on with the pedal steel and keys, just like always. If it were possible to steal the show away from Jay Farrar, James Walbourne would have done so. The first time I saw him with the band was only his second appearance with them on this tour. I was plenty impressed then. Now that he's actually had time to learn the songs, and get some more gigs with this incarnation of the band under his belt, I'm ready to anoint him as the absolute best country guitarist I've ever seen.
Walbourne's stellar playing aside, it's actually not possible to steal the show from Jay Farrar. Jay is the show. Jay is one of my ten favorite singers of all time, regardless of genre. And while he isn't out there doing leg kicks and playing his Gretsch with his teeth, that doesn't prevent him from being an extremely engaging front man. Actually, his calm and reserved presence suits his songs very well. This is one of many reasons why most people who go see Son Volt wind up going see them again the next time they come town.
When the set ended and it came time for the encore, they did not disappoint. After starting it with a song from American Central Dust, they played a brilliant version of "Windfall", and a cover of Doug Sahm's "I'm Not That Kat Anymore" that absolutely rocked my face off. As if that wasn't enough they came out and did a nearly six minute long rendition of Waylon Jenning's "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?", which someone captured with a video camera and posted on Youtube. It really starts to rock around the 4:00 mark.
And that was it. They could have kept playing, and I wouldn't have complained, but I'm kind of glad they quit right there. For the second time in a row that I saw them, they did not play "Drown". Although I wished they had played it, as it's a genre-defining song in my eyes, I did come to the conclusion that I would have been a bit more upset if they had played "Drown" and omitted "Windfall" from the set. All nit-picking aside, if Son Volt wants to play over 90 minutes, they can play whatever they damn well please, and I'll just shut up and enjoy it.
I need to point out one more observation that I've made over the last few months. If you would have told me in late '05 or early '06, when Wilco was in their YHF/A Ghost is Born period, had just added the amazing Nels Cline as their lead guitarist and released Kickin' Television that I would ever be more interested in what Jay Farrar is doing than what Jeff Tweedy is doing, I would have asked you if I could have some of what you were smoking. Alas, it's 2009, Wilco is making boring daddy-rock that puts me to sleep, and Jay is out there keeping it simple and leaving me wanting more. Times have changed, to say the least.
It looks like there is a brief West Coast engagement over the next couple of weeks, and then the band is done for the rest of the year. I sure hope a Son Volt album and lengthy tour is in the works for '10, because I'll do Athens and Atlanta again. I don't give a damn how sleep deprived I get. Give me my Son Volt fix now; I'll sleep when I'm dead.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
11/19/09
It takes a really special band to make me even consider driving all the way to Athens on a weeknight and endure the inevitable hell that the next day is certain to be. Son Volt, however, is definitely that special of a band. When all was said and done, I didn't get back to my house until 2:30 in the morning on Friday, and at that point I had a hard time falling asleep because of the large coffee I guzzled on the way back to prevent me from passing out behind the wheel. I had a miserable Friday at work, slugging through it like a zombie and avoiding human contact as much as I possibly could. But goddamn, it was worth it.
I got to Athens a little before 6 PM on Thursday, and that gave me time to check out some gear at Music Exchange before they closed. After that I killed a few drinks in the Flicker Bar (my favorite bar in Athens, for sure). Then, it was off to dinner with some friends, and a couple of friends of friends, who incidentally turned out to be Son Volt's rhythm section, Andrew Duplantis and Dave Bryson. I resisted the urge to go all fanboy on them, and I just kind of enjoyed the fact that I was sitting down to a meal with two members of one of my favorite bands. Suffice it to say that they were both extraordinarily nice and personable fellows, and it's always good to meet musicians that you look up to and have them not turn out to be total dickheads. After dinner it was time to head back to catch the opening act, and I couldn't help but feel like my night was already made. If the show was even remotely good, that just would have been gravy.
The one downside to going to shows in Athens is that they tend to start late. In this instance, the doors weren't until 9 PM, and opening act Peter Bruntnell didn't take the stage until 10 PM. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait. Bruntnell is a stellar singer/songwriter with great songs, a nice voice and he's quite skilled with the acoustic guitar. He's also an extraordinarily charming chap, and his stage banter was worth the price of admission by itself. He played about half of his set by himself, a few songs with Son Volt's lead guitarist, James Walbourne, accompanying him, and the last few songs with Walbourne, Duplantis and Bryson backing him. I picked up a copy of his most recent CD, Peter and the Murder of Crows. It's really good stuff, kind of like English Americana if I had to define, and I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Son Volt took the stage around 11:15 PM and it turned out to be a unique experience. I'm used to seeing them at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta; they play there every year to a sold-out or close to sold-out crowd of 1,500 or so. The 40 Watt seemed like way too small of a venue for this band to be playing, but nobody, including the band, seemed to mind. The band was actually much looser than I was used to, but given the fact this was a show at a small, intimate club, coupled with the late start and the several drinks I'd already knocked back made it work so perfectly. It was a venue appropriate show, to say the least. They rocked it out for over 90 minutes, tearing through a good portion of American Central Dust, and a diverse range of songs from all of the other Son Volt albums.
The band was on point once again. Bryson and Duplantis had already been rapidly moving their way up my list of favorite rhythm sections, and now they're pretty damn close to the top. I'd love it if this current lineup of the band doesn't change, but I would be downright upset if either one of these two split or got the axe. Mark Spencer was right on with the pedal steel and keys, just like always. If it were possible to steal the show away from Jay Farrar, James Walbourne would have done so. The first time I saw him with the band was only his second appearance with them on this tour. I was plenty impressed then. Now that he's actually had time to learn the songs, and get some more gigs with this incarnation of the band under his belt, I'm ready to anoint him as the absolute best country guitarist I've ever seen.
Walbourne's stellar playing aside, it's actually not possible to steal the show from Jay Farrar. Jay is the show. Jay is one of my ten favorite singers of all time, regardless of genre. And while he isn't out there doing leg kicks and playing his Gretsch with his teeth, that doesn't prevent him from being an extremely engaging front man. Actually, his calm and reserved presence suits his songs very well. This is one of many reasons why most people who go see Son Volt wind up going see them again the next time they come town.
When the set ended and it came time for the encore, they did not disappoint. After starting it with a song from American Central Dust, they played a brilliant version of "Windfall", and a cover of Doug Sahm's "I'm Not That Kat Anymore" that absolutely rocked my face off. As if that wasn't enough they came out and did a nearly six minute long rendition of Waylon Jenning's "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?", which someone captured with a video camera and posted on Youtube. It really starts to rock around the 4:00 mark.
And that was it. They could have kept playing, and I wouldn't have complained, but I'm kind of glad they quit right there. For the second time in a row that I saw them, they did not play "Drown". Although I wished they had played it, as it's a genre-defining song in my eyes, I did come to the conclusion that I would have been a bit more upset if they had played "Drown" and omitted "Windfall" from the set. All nit-picking aside, if Son Volt wants to play over 90 minutes, they can play whatever they damn well please, and I'll just shut up and enjoy it.
I need to point out one more observation that I've made over the last few months. If you would have told me in late '05 or early '06, when Wilco was in their YHF/A Ghost is Born period, had just added the amazing Nels Cline as their lead guitarist and released Kickin' Television that I would ever be more interested in what Jay Farrar is doing than what Jeff Tweedy is doing, I would have asked you if I could have some of what you were smoking. Alas, it's 2009, Wilco is making boring daddy-rock that puts me to sleep, and Jay is out there keeping it simple and leaving me wanting more. Times have changed, to say the least.
It looks like there is a brief West Coast engagement over the next couple of weeks, and then the band is done for the rest of the year. I sure hope a Son Volt album and lengthy tour is in the works for '10, because I'll do Athens and Atlanta again. I don't give a damn how sleep deprived I get. Give me my Son Volt fix now; I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Coming and Goings On
Tomorrow I head to Athens to see Son Volt play the 40 Watt. I'm excited about this for two reasons. One, Son Volt absolutely destroyed at the Variety back in September. Two, I made my first trip to the 40 Watt last month to see Social Distortion, and it may be the coolest music venue I've ever been to. I should have a full write-up by the end of the weekend. I can't wait to see what Jay Farrar does on what he may very well consider to be hallowed ground. REM's Peter Buck was a big fan of Uncle Tupelo, and he produced their third album, which was recorded in Athens.
Nigels with Attitude, the XTC tribute featuring Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, is at the Earl next Tuesday. Be there.
The Queers are playing the Drunken Unicorn on Sunday, December 13th. That might be a fun one; I've never seen them live before, and it's on a Sunday, so it'll be an early show. I might have to make it out for that.
Besides the XTC thing, the Earl has a lot of kinda interesting shows between now and the end of the year, but nothing that I would call a must see. Well, there is one exception to this: On Christmas night, Fiend without a Face will be playing what I believe is their first show since last New Years Eve, and the amazing Dan Sartain will be opening. Unfortunately, I will be in Florida. Drag.
Reactionary Records is putting on a 2 day event at 529 on the 27 and 28th of this month. It might be worth going to on one of the nights, but the lineup doesn't jump out enough at me to want to buy the 2-day pass (although it is kind of a bargain for $15).
There's nothing that I consider to be worth going to see at either Smith's Olde Bar or Lenny's between now and the end of the year, so they're both officially off my radar until 2010.
Now that Criminal Records is in their new space, I think it's time they are officially anointed the coolest record store in the Southeast. I still spread the love around to Reactionary, Wax n Facts, Wuxtry, and even Full Moon from time to time, but they're really killing it on Euclid Ave. In addition to the in stores they've already had so far this year, including Dinosaur Jr. and Yo La Tengo, The xx did one in there yesterday prior to their sold out show at 529, and Heavy Trash (featuring Jon Spencer!) will be doing one there tomorrow prior to their show at the Earl. That is where I would be headed were I not already going to Athens.
There haven't been too much in the way of new releases or re-releases that has struck my fancy. Hopefully that will change because I'm eager to do some reviewing.
Nigels with Attitude, the XTC tribute featuring Tim Smith and Peter Stroud, is at the Earl next Tuesday. Be there.
The Queers are playing the Drunken Unicorn on Sunday, December 13th. That might be a fun one; I've never seen them live before, and it's on a Sunday, so it'll be an early show. I might have to make it out for that.
Besides the XTC thing, the Earl has a lot of kinda interesting shows between now and the end of the year, but nothing that I would call a must see. Well, there is one exception to this: On Christmas night, Fiend without a Face will be playing what I believe is their first show since last New Years Eve, and the amazing Dan Sartain will be opening. Unfortunately, I will be in Florida. Drag.
Reactionary Records is putting on a 2 day event at 529 on the 27 and 28th of this month. It might be worth going to on one of the nights, but the lineup doesn't jump out enough at me to want to buy the 2-day pass (although it is kind of a bargain for $15).
There's nothing that I consider to be worth going to see at either Smith's Olde Bar or Lenny's between now and the end of the year, so they're both officially off my radar until 2010.
Now that Criminal Records is in their new space, I think it's time they are officially anointed the coolest record store in the Southeast. I still spread the love around to Reactionary, Wax n Facts, Wuxtry, and even Full Moon from time to time, but they're really killing it on Euclid Ave. In addition to the in stores they've already had so far this year, including Dinosaur Jr. and Yo La Tengo, The xx did one in there yesterday prior to their sold out show at 529, and Heavy Trash (featuring Jon Spencer!) will be doing one there tomorrow prior to their show at the Earl. That is where I would be headed were I not already going to Athens.
There haven't been too much in the way of new releases or re-releases that has struck my fancy. Hopefully that will change because I'm eager to do some reviewing.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Charlie Louvin Story
So here's the thing: I have a tendency to be inappropriate a lot of the time. I have a pretty sick sense of humor to begin with and I really love beer; hijinks are bound to ensue with that sort of combination. I've said and done some monumentally stupid things in my day. But on November 13, 2009 I achieved a personal best for being unintentionally inappropriate.
On Friday afternoon, I was driving home from work pondering whether or not to attend country legend Charlie Louvin's performance at the EARL. I was listening to 1690 AM, and Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark was filling in as the DJ. He made mention of the show, and then played the Louvin Brothers' classic "Cash on the Barrelhead". I decided at this point that I needed to go, and figured it might have been close to selling out. I stopped by the EARL to purchase a ticket and make sure I didn't miss out on the opportunity to see one of the old masters, even if he is 82 years of age.
I got my ticket and decided to have a couple of beers before heading home to regroup and come back out for the show. At one point, another patron (Frederick from Degenerate Press, incidentally) asked the bartender if he could pick up a ticket for the show. Upon being told that the cost of the ticket was $18, he playfully acted as though he wouldn't pay such a hefty sum for a show at the EARL. Wanting to join in on the fun, I loudly announced the following:
"Look at it this way, think about how much money that ticket stub will be worth if he drops dead on the stage tonight."
Immediately after I said this, the bartender, who is a good friend of mine, snapped at me in a very authoritative tone. This took me by complete surprise, because knowing her, she would have only addressed me in such a manner if I'd done something truly awful to deserve it. I quickly scoped my surroundings, and then it hit me: the elderly gentleman literally 18 or so inches to my left was Charlie Louvin.
After realizing what I had just done, I did what any reasonable person would do: I ran like hell out the front door, busted out my phone and pretended to answer a non-existent phone call. After I was able to calm down a bit, I went back inside and it appeared that Mr. Louvin either didn't hear me, didn't realize I was talking about him, or perhaps he just didn't care. Needless to say, I could not remember being that embarrassed in recent history. I sure am glad he didn't drop dead on stage that night, because he put on a great show.
Charlie Louvin
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
November 13, 2009
Stopping by the bar to get a ticket in advance was a good move on my part. However, putting down a couple of beers and a couple shots of Jameson between 6 and 7 PM turned out to be a tactical error. That kind of head start pretty much guaranteed I would wind up getting too drunk before the night ended. Fortunately, I was not too drunk to absorb Anna Kramer's set. I always enjoyed her, but I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was loads better than I ever remembered her being. It seems, although I could be wrong about this, that she has been playing out with less frequency in the last year or so. I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her shows because she was fantastic that night, as were the Lost Cause.
I was starting to get pretty loaded by the time The Dexter Romweber Duo took the stage. It mostly seemed unremarkable to me. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it left me with the feeling that I usually get when I watch or listen to a two-piece act: I wished they were at least a three piece. It wasn't as good as Romweber's Flat Duo Jets, who were a two piece I would love to have seen perform live, but it was OK.
I was essentially plastered by the time Charlie Louvin took the stage, but I was still able to enjoy some of his set. At 82, he still has an amazing voice and a very commanding stage presence. He was kind of like your grandfather, but only if your grandfather happened to be a pioneering country artist with a golden voice and six decades worth of material so impressive that everyone from George Jones to Elvis Costello to Jeff Tweedy wanted to work with him. My biggest regret of the night, other than accidentally making a joke about the artist being so old that he might drop dead on stage, was not purchasing one of the t-shirts that had the picture of one of the most ridiculously bad album covers of all time, The Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real.
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing if he had heard my joke, because anyone who would put out an album with that undeniably horrendous cover, and then be okay with printing t-shirts with that image on it has got to be someone who digs unintentional comedy and doesn't mind being the butt of the joke sometimes. Either that or he's just a savvy business man; I'm certain that shirt is probably a hot seller everywhere he plays.
It was a real treat being able to see and hear Charlie Louvin in person. I hope there gets to be a next time for it, and if there is I'll remember to stay reasonably sober. And one thing I can say with a great degree of certainty is that from now on, I'm going to do a visual scan of the whole room before I make a crude joke about octogenarians.
On Friday afternoon, I was driving home from work pondering whether or not to attend country legend Charlie Louvin's performance at the EARL. I was listening to 1690 AM, and Stomp and Stammer's Jeff Clark was filling in as the DJ. He made mention of the show, and then played the Louvin Brothers' classic "Cash on the Barrelhead". I decided at this point that I needed to go, and figured it might have been close to selling out. I stopped by the EARL to purchase a ticket and make sure I didn't miss out on the opportunity to see one of the old masters, even if he is 82 years of age.
I got my ticket and decided to have a couple of beers before heading home to regroup and come back out for the show. At one point, another patron (Frederick from Degenerate Press, incidentally) asked the bartender if he could pick up a ticket for the show. Upon being told that the cost of the ticket was $18, he playfully acted as though he wouldn't pay such a hefty sum for a show at the EARL. Wanting to join in on the fun, I loudly announced the following:
"Look at it this way, think about how much money that ticket stub will be worth if he drops dead on the stage tonight."
Immediately after I said this, the bartender, who is a good friend of mine, snapped at me in a very authoritative tone. This took me by complete surprise, because knowing her, she would have only addressed me in such a manner if I'd done something truly awful to deserve it. I quickly scoped my surroundings, and then it hit me: the elderly gentleman literally 18 or so inches to my left was Charlie Louvin.
After realizing what I had just done, I did what any reasonable person would do: I ran like hell out the front door, busted out my phone and pretended to answer a non-existent phone call. After I was able to calm down a bit, I went back inside and it appeared that Mr. Louvin either didn't hear me, didn't realize I was talking about him, or perhaps he just didn't care. Needless to say, I could not remember being that embarrassed in recent history. I sure am glad he didn't drop dead on stage that night, because he put on a great show.
Charlie Louvin
The Earl
Atlanta, GA
November 13, 2009
Stopping by the bar to get a ticket in advance was a good move on my part. However, putting down a couple of beers and a couple shots of Jameson between 6 and 7 PM turned out to be a tactical error. That kind of head start pretty much guaranteed I would wind up getting too drunk before the night ended. Fortunately, I was not too drunk to absorb Anna Kramer's set. I always enjoyed her, but I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was loads better than I ever remembered her being. It seems, although I could be wrong about this, that she has been playing out with less frequency in the last year or so. I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her shows because she was fantastic that night, as were the Lost Cause.
I was starting to get pretty loaded by the time The Dexter Romweber Duo took the stage. It mostly seemed unremarkable to me. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it left me with the feeling that I usually get when I watch or listen to a two-piece act: I wished they were at least a three piece. It wasn't as good as Romweber's Flat Duo Jets, who were a two piece I would love to have seen perform live, but it was OK.
I was essentially plastered by the time Charlie Louvin took the stage, but I was still able to enjoy some of his set. At 82, he still has an amazing voice and a very commanding stage presence. He was kind of like your grandfather, but only if your grandfather happened to be a pioneering country artist with a golden voice and six decades worth of material so impressive that everyone from George Jones to Elvis Costello to Jeff Tweedy wanted to work with him. My biggest regret of the night, other than accidentally making a joke about the artist being so old that he might drop dead on stage, was not purchasing one of the t-shirts that had the picture of one of the most ridiculously bad album covers of all time, The Louvin Brothers, Satan is Real.
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing if he had heard my joke, because anyone who would put out an album with that undeniably horrendous cover, and then be okay with printing t-shirts with that image on it has got to be someone who digs unintentional comedy and doesn't mind being the butt of the joke sometimes. Either that or he's just a savvy business man; I'm certain that shirt is probably a hot seller everywhere he plays.
It was a real treat being able to see and hear Charlie Louvin in person. I hope there gets to be a next time for it, and if there is I'll remember to stay reasonably sober. And one thing I can say with a great degree of certainty is that from now on, I'm going to do a visual scan of the whole room before I make a crude joke about octogenarians.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Face to Face with a Face
Ian McLagan
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA
November 9th, 2009
Considering how much I love music, and the high rate at which I attend live shows, I find it a bit surprising how infrequently I find myself in awe of an artist or band. Sure, most of the shows I go to are really good, and I am impressed by the performer, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in awe. To say that Monday night at Smith's Olde Bar was an exception to this would be an understatement. As far as I'm concerned, Ian McLagan is practically a god. His pioneering work with a Hammond organ in his days with the Small Faces pretty much elevates him to that status by itself. Throw in his days with The Faces and he's there for sure. Studio sessions and touring with the Stones? Yeah, he did that too. He's also done session work for Dylan and Springsteen, and he backs Billy Bragg whenever he's on the road. To put it simply, Ian McLagan is a badass.
I didn't know what to expect at Smith's on Monday. The evening was being billed as "An Intimate Evening with Ian McLagan", which led me to believe this would be a solo performance, and not with the Bump Band, his accompaniment since he officially launched his solo career in 1977. One of the first things noticed was that the GA area in Smiths was filled with tables and chairs, which I had never seen before. The second thing I noticed was that there weren't nearly enough people who turned out to watch a living legend. I was not alone in this observation. I overheard Rick Richards, Georgia Satellite and legend is his own right, tell one of his rocker pals "this is a piss poor turnout for one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time". Well done, Mr. Richards. I couldn't have put it any better myself.
It had been so long since I'd been to Smith's that I forgot how much I like the room. The sound is fantastic, and the setting is appropriate for nearly any type of act. The opener, Dave Sutherland from the U.K., did an excellent job. It was nothing too out of the ordinary; he's just a guy with a good voice, good guitar chops and good songs. Actually, the idea of an artist being good at all three is out of the ordinary these days, it just shouldn't be.
Mac took the stage a little after 9 and delivered a fantastic set. He started out playing solo with his electric piano, and later was joined by Bump band member Jon Notarthomas on bass and guitar for a handful of numbers. He predominantly drew from his vast solo catalog; he has released 8 albums since 1977. Each song featured his amazing piano playing and a very good singing voice that doesn't sound like it's 64 years old. He was extraordinarily witty and charming, and his banter with the audience was top notch. He told stories of his days with the Small Faces, and then the Faces, and took some lighthearted potshots about playing with Rod Stewart during his commercially successful (read: shitty) years. He did a two song dedication to fallen comrade Ronnie Lane that include a rendition of the Faces' classic "Debris" that nearly brought me to tears.
The most remarkable thing to me was that this legend (and I think we can call him our own national treasure now that he's been based out of Austin for over three decades) was playing to such a small audience and it didn't seem to bother him or anybody else there. He gave his best performance, and every single person there applauded loudly after each number was finished. And then after the set he manned the merch booth himself and invited everyone to come say hello. I was honored to be able to shake his hand, buy a CD re-issue of his first solo record, which he signed for me, and tell him it was a pleasure to see him play. I can't wait to see the man again, whether it's solo, with the Bump Band, a Faces reunion or whatever. I will be there.
What did you do on Monday night? I got to meet one of the Faces. That sure beats the shit out of Monday Night Football in my book.
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA
November 9th, 2009
Considering how much I love music, and the high rate at which I attend live shows, I find it a bit surprising how infrequently I find myself in awe of an artist or band. Sure, most of the shows I go to are really good, and I am impressed by the performer, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in awe. To say that Monday night at Smith's Olde Bar was an exception to this would be an understatement. As far as I'm concerned, Ian McLagan is practically a god. His pioneering work with a Hammond organ in his days with the Small Faces pretty much elevates him to that status by itself. Throw in his days with The Faces and he's there for sure. Studio sessions and touring with the Stones? Yeah, he did that too. He's also done session work for Dylan and Springsteen, and he backs Billy Bragg whenever he's on the road. To put it simply, Ian McLagan is a badass.
I didn't know what to expect at Smith's on Monday. The evening was being billed as "An Intimate Evening with Ian McLagan", which led me to believe this would be a solo performance, and not with the Bump Band, his accompaniment since he officially launched his solo career in 1977. One of the first things noticed was that the GA area in Smiths was filled with tables and chairs, which I had never seen before. The second thing I noticed was that there weren't nearly enough people who turned out to watch a living legend. I was not alone in this observation. I overheard Rick Richards, Georgia Satellite and legend is his own right, tell one of his rocker pals "this is a piss poor turnout for one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time". Well done, Mr. Richards. I couldn't have put it any better myself.
It had been so long since I'd been to Smith's that I forgot how much I like the room. The sound is fantastic, and the setting is appropriate for nearly any type of act. The opener, Dave Sutherland from the U.K., did an excellent job. It was nothing too out of the ordinary; he's just a guy with a good voice, good guitar chops and good songs. Actually, the idea of an artist being good at all three is out of the ordinary these days, it just shouldn't be.
Mac took the stage a little after 9 and delivered a fantastic set. He started out playing solo with his electric piano, and later was joined by Bump band member Jon Notarthomas on bass and guitar for a handful of numbers. He predominantly drew from his vast solo catalog; he has released 8 albums since 1977. Each song featured his amazing piano playing and a very good singing voice that doesn't sound like it's 64 years old. He was extraordinarily witty and charming, and his banter with the audience was top notch. He told stories of his days with the Small Faces, and then the Faces, and took some lighthearted potshots about playing with Rod Stewart during his commercially successful (read: shitty) years. He did a two song dedication to fallen comrade Ronnie Lane that include a rendition of the Faces' classic "Debris" that nearly brought me to tears.
The most remarkable thing to me was that this legend (and I think we can call him our own national treasure now that he's been based out of Austin for over three decades) was playing to such a small audience and it didn't seem to bother him or anybody else there. He gave his best performance, and every single person there applauded loudly after each number was finished. And then after the set he manned the merch booth himself and invited everyone to come say hello. I was honored to be able to shake his hand, buy a CD re-issue of his first solo record, which he signed for me, and tell him it was a pleasure to see him play. I can't wait to see the man again, whether it's solo, with the Bump Band, a Faces reunion or whatever. I will be there.
What did you do on Monday night? I got to meet one of the Faces. That sure beats the shit out of Monday Night Football in my book.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Musings from the Weekend
I had a last minute offer to snag somebody's extra ticket for Jesus Lizard on Friday. I decided not to pull the trigger on it, and figured that I would probably regret it. Everyone I know who went said it was great. I instead opted to see Captured! by Robots at the Earl. I ended up not sweating the decision to pass on JL, as C!bR were fantastic this time around. I'm not doing a full write up on it, but I will say this guy impresses me each time I see him. The theme of the current tour is "I Got Motivated at Captured! by Robots!". The set consists entirely of covers of songs with motivational themes, such as "Eye of the Tiger" and "Gonna Fly Now" from the Rocky movies, "You're the Best" from Karate Kid and the like. He also threw in a pretty sweet cover of "Born to Run". It was a very fun show, and this time he put cardboard faces on the Headless Hornsmen: Tony Robbins, Dr. Phil and Sanjay Gupta, respectively. Comedy/music shows really aren't my thing, and that's usually because the comedy isn't that funny and the music isn't that good. In this case, the music is solid and the comedy is hilarious. Captured! by Robots was better this time than the previous two times I've seen it, and it gets my stamp of approval.
I attended the Cabbagetown Chomp n' Stomp on Saturday. I love that festival, but apparently everyone from OTP is now able to find Cabbagetown, so it's starting to get overcrowded. At least there was enough chili to last until 2 PM or so this year. As far as the music went, it was unremarkable, with the exception of Grinder Nova, which is always a lot of fun. Everything on the bluegrass stage was pretty boring, but given the history of Cabbagetown (which is pretty damned interesting, in my opinion), is a necessity. I just wish there were more people who were good at playing it. At any rate, if you want to check out a neat musical link between Appalachia and Cabbagetown, check out this Wikipedia page about Fiddlin' John Carson.
Ian McLagan plays Smith's tonight. I'm about 50/50 as to whether not I'm going to go. If I do, expect a writeup of the show within the next couple of days. If I don't, expect a brief mention of how much I regret not going.
Another one I'm on the fence about is country legend Charlie Louvin, who is playing the Earl this Friday. They've been playing him a lot on 1690 AM of late, and it sounds pretty good. He's also 81 years old, so there is a strong possibility I may never have the chance to see him again.
That's all I have for now.
I attended the Cabbagetown Chomp n' Stomp on Saturday. I love that festival, but apparently everyone from OTP is now able to find Cabbagetown, so it's starting to get overcrowded. At least there was enough chili to last until 2 PM or so this year. As far as the music went, it was unremarkable, with the exception of Grinder Nova, which is always a lot of fun. Everything on the bluegrass stage was pretty boring, but given the history of Cabbagetown (which is pretty damned interesting, in my opinion), is a necessity. I just wish there were more people who were good at playing it. At any rate, if you want to check out a neat musical link between Appalachia and Cabbagetown, check out this Wikipedia page about Fiddlin' John Carson.
Ian McLagan plays Smith's tonight. I'm about 50/50 as to whether not I'm going to go. If I do, expect a writeup of the show within the next couple of days. If I don't, expect a brief mention of how much I regret not going.
Another one I'm on the fence about is country legend Charlie Louvin, who is playing the Earl this Friday. They've been playing him a lot on 1690 AM of late, and it sounds pretty good. He's also 81 years old, so there is a strong possibility I may never have the chance to see him again.
That's all I have for now.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Magazine Called Paste: In Your Face with Questionable Taste
Paste Magazine has released a list of the best 50 albums of the last decade. Much to my dismay, Surfjan Stevens' grossly overhyped Come On Feel the Illinoise (or just Illinois) topped the list. I find Surfjan Stevens so offensive to the senses that I cannot explain it. I tried listening to Illinois several times, so it's not like I didn't give it a chance. There are some people whose opinion I respect that adore this record, so I tried my damnedest to give it a shot. Yeah, it didn't take. But even those Surfan lovers I know wouldn't be nearly idiotic enough to suggest it's anywhere close to the top of the list of the last decade. Better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? Yeah, whatever. This is probably why the douchebags at Paste are going to be looking for work within the next six months.
Here's the list:
50. Björk: Vespertine [Elektra] 2001
49. Libertines: Up The Bracket [Rough Trade] (2002)
48. Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose [Interscope] (2004)
47. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not [Domino] (2006)
46. Once: Music From The Motion Picture [Columbia] (2007)
45. Radiohead: In Rainbows [Self-released] (2007)
44. The Jayhawks: Rainy Day Music [Lost Highway] (2003)
43. Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala [Secretly Canadian] (2007)
42. Jay-Z: The Blueprint [Roc-A-Fella] (2001)
41. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver [Capitol] (2007)
40. TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain [Interscope] (2006)
39. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible [Merge] (2007)
38. Gentleman Jesse: Introducing Gentleman Jesse [Douchemaster] (2008)
37. Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
36. Pedro The Lion: Control [Jade Tree] (2002)
35. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino] (2009)
34. Various artists: O Brother Where Art Thou? [Mercury] (2001)
33. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head [Capitol] (2002)
32. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots [Warner Bros.] (2002)
31. Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism [Barsuk] (2003)
30. Damien Rice: O [Vector] (2003)
29. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago [Jagjaguwar] (2008)
28. Paul Westerberg: Folker [Vagrant] (2004)
27. Drive-By Truckers: Decoration Day [New West] (2003)
26. Over the Rhine: Ohio (2004)
25. Sigur Rós: Med ud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust [XL] (2008)
24. The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow [Sub Pop] (2003)
23. Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker [Bloodshot] (2000)
22. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife [Capitol] (2006)
21. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend [XL] (2008)
20. The National: Boxer [Beggars Banquet] (2007)
19. Beck: Sea Change [Interscope] (2002)
18. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black [Universal Republic] (2007)
17. Kanye West: The College Dropout [Roc-A-Fella] (2004)
16. Rufus Wainwright: Want One [Dreamworks] (2003)
15. Patty Griffin: 1000 Kisses [ATO] (2002)
14. The Strokes: Is This It [RCA] (2001)
13. Josh Ritter: The Animal Years [V2] (2006)
12. Spoon: Kill the Moonlight [Merge] (2002)
11. The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America [Vagrant] (2006)
10. M.I.A.: Arular [Interscope] (2005)
9. The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You [Columbia/American] (2009)
8. OutKast: Stankonia [Arista/LaFace] (2000)
7. Gillian Welch: Time (the Revelator) [Acony] (2001)
6. The White Stripes: Elephant [V2] (2003)
5. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning [Saddle Creek] (2005)
4. Radiohead: Kid A [Capitol] (2000)
3. Arcade Fire: Funeral [Merge] (2004)
2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [Nonesuch] (2002)
1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois [Asthmatic Kitty] (2005)
As I see it, there are a total of 13 albums on this list that are worth listening to, let alone buying, let alone ranking inside the top 50 of the decade. They are as follows:
1) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - It's absolutely brilliant and the fact that it's not in the top spot is a disgrace. I mean, if you don't like Wilco, you could leave this off your list and I'd be okay with that. But if you like Wilco, I don't see how you couldn't think this was not #1. If you like Wilco, and you think Surfjan Steven has done anything that's better than any Wilco record, go suck on a tailpipe. A Ghost is Born belongs on this list as well.
2) Radiohead - Kid A - Ok, this belongs in the top 50. Probably not at #4, but sandwiching it as the lucky pierre between Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes makes it look pretty fucking good in comparison.
3) The White Stripes - Elephant - Sure. This deserves to be here; it probably shouldn't be so high, but it's not far off.
4) Avett Brothers - I and Love and You - I love this album. That said, I don't necessarily think it's one of the 50 best of the last 10 years. Maybe it is, but it's way, way too early to vault it into the top 10. How history treats something is a big factor. Unfortunately, this is a concept lost on most critics. Let's see how this one changes the way other bands do things before we anoint it with 'new classic' status, okay? If Americana music fucks off and dies within the next year, nobody is going to give a shit about the Avett Brothers anymore. I will say that if Americana fucks off and dies, this is one of the few bands I would miss, I just think this is a vastly overinflated ranking. If I were desperately trying to stay relevant like Paste is, I probably would have done the same.
5) The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America - No beef here other than that it's probably ranked too high, but whatever. That fact that fucking M.I.A. is ranked at number 10 makes me think these guys should be #9.
6) Kanye West - The College Dropout - I'm not a big hip hop guy, but this is a pretty stellar record. It's so great that when I hear it, it almost makes me forget about what a gigantic turdburglar Kanye has become. Do you like Fishsticks?
7) Beck - Sea Change - The fact that this didn't crack the top 5 and Surfjan nailed the top spot should be a fucking felony.
8) Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker - Separate the art from the artist. This is a great album, and somewhere in the high 20's is probably lower than where I would put it on my own list. It might be looked upon more favorably if he learned how to self-edit and stopped putting out a new album every 36 hours. His infamous asshattery probably doesn't help much, either..
9) Paul Westerberg - Folker - Aww, that's great they put a Westy release in the top 50. Too bad it was the wrong one. Folker, although it does include the brilliant song "As Far as I Know", it's one of his weaker efforts of the last several years (although decidedly better than anything that putz Surfjan Stevens is capable of). Stereo/Mono and/or Dead Man Shake would have been the more appropriate choice here.
10) The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - It came in at #32 on Paste's list. That's about where it would have come in on mine, but relative to most of the other shit these fucktards put on their top 50, it belongs in the top 10 for sure.
11) Gentleman Jesse - Introducing Gentleman Jesse - This is a very good record. It probably doesn't belong in this top 50, but it's really good nonetheless. Jesse scores extra points for backing Paul Collins when he comes to town. I have no beef with this selection, but if Paste wanted to give love for local artists, which is undoubtedly what they did here, I wonder why Mastodon didn't make the list at all. I suspect it's because Mastodon is metal and that would scare the pants off of all the pussies who read Paste. The indisputable truth here is that when talking about artists from Atlanta who have made an impact in the last 10 years, there's Mastodon, and then there's everybody else. End of discussion.
12) The Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music - It's nowhere near the best thing The Jayhawks have ever done, but it's ok. Most of the things on their shitty list is significantly below "ok", so this gets a mention.
13) Libertines - Up the Bracket - A very solid record by a very solid band. This probably should have been higher up on the list.
So there you have it. I never had a lot of respect for Paste Magazine, but now I just flat out can't stand them. One thing I do wonder about is why Paste poster child Ryan Adams only had one entry on the list (Heartbreaker, which probably does legitimately deserve top 10 consideration), and why did it come in at a pedestrian 23rd in the rankings? He must have bit Paste President Tim Regan-Porter a little too hard when came the other night.
The first round is on me when this shitty magazine's ship sinks. They gotta go.
Here's the list:
50. Björk: Vespertine [Elektra] 2001
49. Libertines: Up The Bracket [Rough Trade] (2002)
48. Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose [Interscope] (2004)
47. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not [Domino] (2006)
46. Once: Music From The Motion Picture [Columbia] (2007)
45. Radiohead: In Rainbows [Self-released] (2007)
44. The Jayhawks: Rainy Day Music [Lost Highway] (2003)
43. Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala [Secretly Canadian] (2007)
42. Jay-Z: The Blueprint [Roc-A-Fella] (2001)
41. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver [Capitol] (2007)
40. TV on the Radio: Return to Cookie Mountain [Interscope] (2006)
39. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible [Merge] (2007)
38. Gentleman Jesse: Introducing Gentleman Jesse [Douchemaster] (2008)
37. Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
36. Pedro The Lion: Control [Jade Tree] (2002)
35. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino] (2009)
34. Various artists: O Brother Where Art Thou? [Mercury] (2001)
33. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head [Capitol] (2002)
32. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots [Warner Bros.] (2002)
31. Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism [Barsuk] (2003)
30. Damien Rice: O [Vector] (2003)
29. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago [Jagjaguwar] (2008)
28. Paul Westerberg: Folker [Vagrant] (2004)
27. Drive-By Truckers: Decoration Day [New West] (2003)
26. Over the Rhine: Ohio (2004)
25. Sigur Rós: Med ud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust [XL] (2008)
24. The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow [Sub Pop] (2003)
23. Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker [Bloodshot] (2000)
22. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife [Capitol] (2006)
21. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend [XL] (2008)
20. The National: Boxer [Beggars Banquet] (2007)
19. Beck: Sea Change [Interscope] (2002)
18. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black [Universal Republic] (2007)
17. Kanye West: The College Dropout [Roc-A-Fella] (2004)
16. Rufus Wainwright: Want One [Dreamworks] (2003)
15. Patty Griffin: 1000 Kisses [ATO] (2002)
14. The Strokes: Is This It [RCA] (2001)
13. Josh Ritter: The Animal Years [V2] (2006)
12. Spoon: Kill the Moonlight [Merge] (2002)
11. The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America [Vagrant] (2006)
10. M.I.A.: Arular [Interscope] (2005)
9. The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You [Columbia/American] (2009)
8. OutKast: Stankonia [Arista/LaFace] (2000)
7. Gillian Welch: Time (the Revelator) [Acony] (2001)
6. The White Stripes: Elephant [V2] (2003)
5. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning [Saddle Creek] (2005)
4. Radiohead: Kid A [Capitol] (2000)
3. Arcade Fire: Funeral [Merge] (2004)
2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [Nonesuch] (2002)
1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois [Asthmatic Kitty] (2005)
As I see it, there are a total of 13 albums on this list that are worth listening to, let alone buying, let alone ranking inside the top 50 of the decade. They are as follows:
1) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - It's absolutely brilliant and the fact that it's not in the top spot is a disgrace. I mean, if you don't like Wilco, you could leave this off your list and I'd be okay with that. But if you like Wilco, I don't see how you couldn't think this was not #1. If you like Wilco, and you think Surfjan Steven has done anything that's better than any Wilco record, go suck on a tailpipe. A Ghost is Born belongs on this list as well.
2) Radiohead - Kid A - Ok, this belongs in the top 50. Probably not at #4, but sandwiching it as the lucky pierre between Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes makes it look pretty fucking good in comparison.
3) The White Stripes - Elephant - Sure. This deserves to be here; it probably shouldn't be so high, but it's not far off.
4) Avett Brothers - I and Love and You - I love this album. That said, I don't necessarily think it's one of the 50 best of the last 10 years. Maybe it is, but it's way, way too early to vault it into the top 10. How history treats something is a big factor. Unfortunately, this is a concept lost on most critics. Let's see how this one changes the way other bands do things before we anoint it with 'new classic' status, okay? If Americana music fucks off and dies within the next year, nobody is going to give a shit about the Avett Brothers anymore. I will say that if Americana fucks off and dies, this is one of the few bands I would miss, I just think this is a vastly overinflated ranking. If I were desperately trying to stay relevant like Paste is, I probably would have done the same.
5) The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America - No beef here other than that it's probably ranked too high, but whatever. That fact that fucking M.I.A. is ranked at number 10 makes me think these guys should be #9.
6) Kanye West - The College Dropout - I'm not a big hip hop guy, but this is a pretty stellar record. It's so great that when I hear it, it almost makes me forget about what a gigantic turdburglar Kanye has become. Do you like Fishsticks?
7) Beck - Sea Change - The fact that this didn't crack the top 5 and Surfjan nailed the top spot should be a fucking felony.
8) Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker - Separate the art from the artist. This is a great album, and somewhere in the high 20's is probably lower than where I would put it on my own list. It might be looked upon more favorably if he learned how to self-edit and stopped putting out a new album every 36 hours. His infamous asshattery probably doesn't help much, either..
9) Paul Westerberg - Folker - Aww, that's great they put a Westy release in the top 50. Too bad it was the wrong one. Folker, although it does include the brilliant song "As Far as I Know", it's one of his weaker efforts of the last several years (although decidedly better than anything that putz Surfjan Stevens is capable of). Stereo/Mono and/or Dead Man Shake would have been the more appropriate choice here.
10) The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - It came in at #32 on Paste's list. That's about where it would have come in on mine, but relative to most of the other shit these fucktards put on their top 50, it belongs in the top 10 for sure.
11) Gentleman Jesse - Introducing Gentleman Jesse - This is a very good record. It probably doesn't belong in this top 50, but it's really good nonetheless. Jesse scores extra points for backing Paul Collins when he comes to town. I have no beef with this selection, but if Paste wanted to give love for local artists, which is undoubtedly what they did here, I wonder why Mastodon didn't make the list at all. I suspect it's because Mastodon is metal and that would scare the pants off of all the pussies who read Paste. The indisputable truth here is that when talking about artists from Atlanta who have made an impact in the last 10 years, there's Mastodon, and then there's everybody else. End of discussion.
12) The Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music - It's nowhere near the best thing The Jayhawks have ever done, but it's ok. Most of the things on their shitty list is significantly below "ok", so this gets a mention.
13) Libertines - Up the Bracket - A very solid record by a very solid band. This probably should have been higher up on the list.
So there you have it. I never had a lot of respect for Paste Magazine, but now I just flat out can't stand them. One thing I do wonder about is why Paste poster child Ryan Adams only had one entry on the list (Heartbreaker, which probably does legitimately deserve top 10 consideration), and why did it come in at a pedestrian 23rd in the rankings? He must have bit Paste President Tim Regan-Porter a little too hard when came the other night.
The first round is on me when this shitty magazine's ship sinks. They gotta go.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The (b)Low Anthem
I heard a band called The Low Anthem doing an in-studio performance on 1690 AM yesterday. Of all of the miserable, boring, sissy folk crap that is so popular today, this might be the band who takes the cake as the most miserable, most boring, and the biggest bunch of sissies. Maybe the sissy bit is unfair, because one of the members is a girl, but it's still pretty limp. Singer Ben Knox Miller has a voice that can only be described as rohypnol for your ears. And that's not only when he's singing. While he was talking to the DJ, I thought I was going to fall asleep in traffic. Then they played another song, and I started hoping I would fall asleep at the wheel and get in a fatal wreck just to put me out of my misery.
I don't want to delve too much deeper into this, because I'm starting to get mad. Here is the point that I think needs to be made. Folk music isn't hard rock. That's obvious. But if you look at its roots, it is rugged music. It's a music about struggle, about being beaten down and hoping or trying to overcome. So authentic folk, even when it's just a guy finger-picking on an acoustic guitar, has an edge to it, when it's done right. Unfortunately, the current wave of this shit is made by a bunch of people who wouldn't even know how to change their own tire if they had a blowout. That's not so rugged now, is it? Nope. Low Anthem falls into the category of American'ta.
Now all that needs to happen is for these douchebags to sign with Sub Pop, because that is clearly where they belong. Why do assholes like these guys insist on taking the fun out of it?
If nothing else, it is making me further anticipate Son Volt's show at the 40 Watt on 11/19. Roots music with balls didn't seem like that foreign of a concept a few years ago, but Jay Farrar appears to be one of the last of a dying breed.
I don't want to delve too much deeper into this, because I'm starting to get mad. Here is the point that I think needs to be made. Folk music isn't hard rock. That's obvious. But if you look at its roots, it is rugged music. It's a music about struggle, about being beaten down and hoping or trying to overcome. So authentic folk, even when it's just a guy finger-picking on an acoustic guitar, has an edge to it, when it's done right. Unfortunately, the current wave of this shit is made by a bunch of people who wouldn't even know how to change their own tire if they had a blowout. That's not so rugged now, is it? Nope. Low Anthem falls into the category of American'ta.
Now all that needs to happen is for these douchebags to sign with Sub Pop, because that is clearly where they belong. Why do assholes like these guys insist on taking the fun out of it?
If nothing else, it is making me further anticipate Son Volt's show at the 40 Watt on 11/19. Roots music with balls didn't seem like that foreign of a concept a few years ago, but Jay Farrar appears to be one of the last of a dying breed.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Here's Something We Hope You'll Really Enjoy
I had heard a few months ago that since Spike Cassidy's cancer has gone into remission, D.R.I. would start playing some dates again in late 2009. This was great news, of course, and today the news got even better. D.R.I. will be coming to Atlanta to play at the Masquerade on 3/26/09. The last time I saw these guys was in '96 at Harpo's in Detroit, and it was a phenomenal show. It doesn't look like they've put out too much new material in the last decade, so I expect this show will be chock full of nostalgic classics from Dirty Rotten LP, Dealing With It, Crossover, 4 of a Kind and Thrash Zone. Sounds pretty fuckin' good to me. They rocked my face off then, I don't know why it would be any different this time.
Sure, it sucks they're playing at The Masquerade. But when Dirty Rotten Imbeciles call, you gotta accept the charges!
Here's some vintage stuff from the fellas. I can't wait for this show.
Sure, it sucks they're playing at The Masquerade. But when Dirty Rotten Imbeciles call, you gotta accept the charges!
Here's some vintage stuff from the fellas. I can't wait for this show.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Kind of a Drag
It appears that Mika Miko is calling it quits. I'm disappointed to hear this for a couple of reasons. For one, as far as girl punk goes, they were pretty friggin' good at it. Second, the last time they played Atlanta, they headlined the Drunken Unicorn. I went to that show to see the Strange Boys open up, and I had planned to stick around for Mika Miko, but left because it was running late and I had an early start the next day. My rationale was that they would likely pass through town again soon, as they had played here several times before. Rats.
Speaking of the Strange Boys, it looks like they're changing their makeup pretty radically. As I mentioned yesterday, Matt Hammer is no longer their drummer. He has been replaced by Seth Densham from Mika Miko. Bands change drummers all the time, but according to The Strange Boys' Myspace page, they're now a 6 piece, with Jenna from Mika Miko as a vocalist and sax player, and Tim Presley from Darker My Love as a backing vocalist.
I don't know what to think about this, but my instincts tell me it's not going to be good. It may be nothing to worry about it; they may just be using a sax and backing vocals on a couple tracks in the studio and still touring as a four piece. That wouldn't be such a big deal. However, touring as a six piece and featuring saxophone on every song would be a drastic change to what I think is already a fabulous thing. The Strange Boys are the only jaw-dropping act I've seen in the last year. I saw them open for Darker My Love at the Earl last December, I saw them headline the Earl in April while my alma mater was getting the shit stomped out of them by UNC in the NCAA men's basketball championship game, and I saw them at the aforementioned Drunken Unicorn show. They were outstanding all three times. They are living proof that just because you're putting out a lo-fi sound, you can still have good songs, great tone and can be a tight band. If any band has earned the benefit of the doubt, it's them, but I can't help but be a little skeptical. The Strange Boys' ...and Girl's Club is still one of my favorite albums from 2009, so hopefully they won't veer too far off of the course they've already set.
Speaking of the Strange Boys, it looks like they're changing their makeup pretty radically. As I mentioned yesterday, Matt Hammer is no longer their drummer. He has been replaced by Seth Densham from Mika Miko. Bands change drummers all the time, but according to The Strange Boys' Myspace page, they're now a 6 piece, with Jenna from Mika Miko as a vocalist and sax player, and Tim Presley from Darker My Love as a backing vocalist.
I don't know what to think about this, but my instincts tell me it's not going to be good. It may be nothing to worry about it; they may just be using a sax and backing vocals on a couple tracks in the studio and still touring as a four piece. That wouldn't be such a big deal. However, touring as a six piece and featuring saxophone on every song would be a drastic change to what I think is already a fabulous thing. The Strange Boys are the only jaw-dropping act I've seen in the last year. I saw them open for Darker My Love at the Earl last December, I saw them headline the Earl in April while my alma mater was getting the shit stomped out of them by UNC in the NCAA men's basketball championship game, and I saw them at the aforementioned Drunken Unicorn show. They were outstanding all three times. They are living proof that just because you're putting out a lo-fi sound, you can still have good songs, great tone and can be a tight band. If any band has earned the benefit of the doubt, it's them, but I can't help but be a little skeptical. The Strange Boys' ...and Girl's Club is still one of my favorite albums from 2009, so hopefully they won't veer too far off of the course they've already set.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Coming Distractions
After a Rocktober that I felt lucky to survive, I'm kind of glad that November looks to be a little more low key. Here's what seems to be going down these days:
The King Khan and BBQ Show are playing the Star Bar this Wednesday, November 4th. After overdoing it for Halloween weekend, I need to behave myself at least until Friday, so I'm going to have to pass on this one. They put on a phenomenal show, though. You won't regret going to this one if you can make it happen.
The Kinks Choral Collection is slated for its U.S. release on November 10th. It's essentially a bunch of re-recorded Kinks classics with new arrangements; each song contains a choir. Yawn. I heard "Days" on the radio yesterday, and it was pretty boring. You can listen to samples of all of the songs on the Amazon link.
The show I'm most looking forward to this month is Nigels with Attitude. It's an XTC tribute show featuring a pretty impressive group of musicians, including Tim Smith and Peter Stroud from Sheryl Crow's band. I couldn't be any more indifferent towards Sheryl Crow's music, but Stroud is a really good guitar player. Watching him do this demo for Electro Harmonix is the reason why I bought this particular distortion pedal for myself.
I was planning on writing a mini-rant about how Smith's Olde Bar hadn't booked anything in several months that struck my fancy, but I just noticed that Ian McLagan is playing there on Sunday. I think I'm going to have to check that one out. I don't know if he's going to be doing a bunch of Faces/Small Faces material or not, but he is one of my favorite keyboard players of all time.
Edit - I looked at this wrong; McLagan is playing on Monday. I'm still probably going to go, though.
Speaking of places that only book shows about which I don't give two shits, I wonder how Lenny's stays open. I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a band playing there in November that I've even heard of.
Drunken Unicorn books a lot of pretty decent act, but boy do I really have to like a
band to go there and put up with the 18+ crowd. Customers are playing there later this month, so I might consider going to that.
Speaking of the Unicorn, the last show I saw there was the Strange Boys. I really wish they would come back to Atlanta. I would gladly put up with an 18+ crowd again. I just looked at their Myspace page for the first time, and it looks like Matt Hammer is no longer their drummer. That's too bad, as that kid has been fantastic all three times I've seen these guys, but I'll hold off all judgment until I've seen them play again.
My favorite Atlanta band, The Howlies, are rumored to be working on a new album, and I've heard it should be out in early 2010. Maybe by that time, their debut effort,the fabulous Trippin' with Howlies, will finally be able to stay off my turntable for more than a few days. Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I'm keeping an eye out for new releases in November, and nothing is jumping out at me yet. There is another Time Life box set of previously unreleased Hank Williams stuff, but I may hold off on that for a while.
That's all I got for now.
The King Khan and BBQ Show are playing the Star Bar this Wednesday, November 4th. After overdoing it for Halloween weekend, I need to behave myself at least until Friday, so I'm going to have to pass on this one. They put on a phenomenal show, though. You won't regret going to this one if you can make it happen.
The Kinks Choral Collection is slated for its U.S. release on November 10th. It's essentially a bunch of re-recorded Kinks classics with new arrangements; each song contains a choir. Yawn. I heard "Days" on the radio yesterday, and it was pretty boring. You can listen to samples of all of the songs on the Amazon link.
The show I'm most looking forward to this month is Nigels with Attitude. It's an XTC tribute show featuring a pretty impressive group of musicians, including Tim Smith and Peter Stroud from Sheryl Crow's band. I couldn't be any more indifferent towards Sheryl Crow's music, but Stroud is a really good guitar player. Watching him do this demo for Electro Harmonix is the reason why I bought this particular distortion pedal for myself.
I was planning on writing a mini-rant about how Smith's Olde Bar hadn't booked anything in several months that struck my fancy, but I just noticed that Ian McLagan is playing there on Sunday. I think I'm going to have to check that one out. I don't know if he's going to be doing a bunch of Faces/Small Faces material or not, but he is one of my favorite keyboard players of all time.
Edit - I looked at this wrong; McLagan is playing on Monday. I'm still probably going to go, though.
Speaking of places that only book shows about which I don't give two shits, I wonder how Lenny's stays open. I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a band playing there in November that I've even heard of.
Drunken Unicorn books a lot of pretty decent act, but boy do I really have to like a
band to go there and put up with the 18+ crowd. Customers are playing there later this month, so I might consider going to that.
Speaking of the Unicorn, the last show I saw there was the Strange Boys. I really wish they would come back to Atlanta. I would gladly put up with an 18+ crowd again. I just looked at their Myspace page for the first time, and it looks like Matt Hammer is no longer their drummer. That's too bad, as that kid has been fantastic all three times I've seen these guys, but I'll hold off all judgment until I've seen them play again.
My favorite Atlanta band, The Howlies, are rumored to be working on a new album, and I've heard it should be out in early 2010. Maybe by that time, their debut effort,the fabulous Trippin' with Howlies, will finally be able to stay off my turntable for more than a few days. Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I'm keeping an eye out for new releases in November, and nothing is jumping out at me yet. There is another Time Life box set of previously unreleased Hank Williams stuff, but I may hold off on that for a while.
That's all I got for now.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Social D - continued
I knew the show in Athens was going to be a tough one to top, but I was still looking forward to seeing the band again. I was also extraordinarily curious to see what a punk rock show would be like in Hilton Head. If Michael J. Fox is the only man with no Elvis in him, then Hilton Head Island, SC is the only city in the United States with no punk rock in it. But I knew Mike wouldn't let me down.
Shoreline Ballroom
Hilton Head Island, SC
10/25/09
Excepting two dates as Pearl Jam's opening act (more on this later), the Hilton Head gig was the last stop on Social Distortion's tour. The Shoreline Ballroom was a curious choice, but it turned out to be kind of interesting. There's nothing really remarkable about this place, but their beer was cheaper than at most of the stuffy bars in HHI, the room was big, and the sound was pretty decent. Because everything within the city limits of Hilton Head Island is damned impossible to find, and because this particular joint makes you drive a few miles away and take a shuttle to get there, I wound up missing all of MC Rut's set, and about half of the Stranger's.
Social D hit the stage right around 10, and they got down to business right away; they once again opened the set with "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster". I don't care that this was the same way they opened the 40 Watt show. As a matter of fact, if they open every show for the rest of their existence with these three numbers, I don't think you're going to hear too many people complaining. They played mostly the same songs that they did in Athens, shuffling around the order a bit, and they omitted "Highway 101" from this set. I spent a good bit of the 40 Watt show in the pit (most bars in Athens only charge $3 for Jameson shots, this is not good for my well being), so this time around I was content to stand near the back, sip beer and just enjoy the show. In doing so, I was able to make a lot of observations about the band.
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham has got the coolest job in the world. He's Mike Ness' personal lead guitar player. I've now seen him play 6 times with Social Distortion and once with Ness' solo band. I think it's reached the point where it would be weird to see Ness on stage without him. He's also a great guitar player. The only person that ever looked more at home playing Les Paul Junior was Johnny Thunders.
I've seen Social D with a few different bass players, and I think I like Brent Harding the best out of all of them. The first time I saw him play with the band was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA in early '08. They opened the show with a three song acoustic mini-set with Harding on the upright bass. I would love to see them do more of this. He was also in Ness' solo band when I saw them last year, and he plays the upright rather well. He does a solid job of holding down the bottom end, and he's an excellent backup singer. He's a very diverse player with a background that ranges from punk to bluegrass. I cannot describe what an asset this can be to the band, particularly when it comes to recording new material. I hope he sticks around for a while.
Adam "Atom" Willard (Angels & Airwaves) is behind the drum kit for the band now. He's just a straight up basher, and he's pretty damn good at it. He almost makes me forget about Charlie Quintana. Almost. The kid is good, though, and he didn't seem out of place up there.
All in all, the band delivered another solid set. And they proved they can put on a punk rock show wherever they damn well please. Fortunately, since I wasn't in the shit, so to speak, I was able to note the entire set list, in order.
"(I Just Wanna Give You) The Creeps"
"Another State of Mind"
"Mommy's Little Monster"
"Sick Boys"
"Don't Drag Me Down"
"Ring of Fire"
"Bad Luck"
"Reach for the Sky"
"Can't Take It with You"
"Ball and Chain"
"Bakersfield"
"Nickels and Dimes"
"Sometimes I Do"
encore
"Making Believe"
"99 to Life"
"Still Alive"
"Story of My Life"
Just take a minute and read that set list. It's really quite amazing what a repertoire Mr. Ness has been able to put together through the years. All three of the new songs are pretty good, by the way. "Still Alive" is a pretty straightforward Social D tune, and my least favorite of the three. "Bakersfield" is a great song which, unsurprisingly, draws heavily from the Bakersfield sound. I cannot wait to hear the studio version of this. Jonny 2 Bags can play the chicken pickin' style with the best of them. "Can't Take It with You" is the best new Social D song I've heard since Sex, Love and Rock n' Roll. It's got a heavy soul, you could even call it gospel, feel to it, and I would bet money it's going to achieve new classic status with fans when the next record comes out.
After the Hilton Head show, the band headed to Philadelphia to open two shows for Pearl Jam at the Spectrum. I'm not really a big PJ fan, but goddammit I wish I could have seen this:
That looks like the coolest thing to happen at the Spectrum since Rocky Balboa went the distance with Apollo Creed.
Mike Ness got to wrap up the best tour I've seen him do in a long time, and then he got to play two gigs in front of an enormous audience. I got to see one of my idols play twice within the span of 48 hours, and I get to cross 'watch punk rock concert on stuffy resort island' off my list of things to do before I die. Everybody won.
Shoreline Ballroom
Hilton Head Island, SC
10/25/09
Excepting two dates as Pearl Jam's opening act (more on this later), the Hilton Head gig was the last stop on Social Distortion's tour. The Shoreline Ballroom was a curious choice, but it turned out to be kind of interesting. There's nothing really remarkable about this place, but their beer was cheaper than at most of the stuffy bars in HHI, the room was big, and the sound was pretty decent. Because everything within the city limits of Hilton Head Island is damned impossible to find, and because this particular joint makes you drive a few miles away and take a shuttle to get there, I wound up missing all of MC Rut's set, and about half of the Stranger's.
Social D hit the stage right around 10, and they got down to business right away; they once again opened the set with "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster". I don't care that this was the same way they opened the 40 Watt show. As a matter of fact, if they open every show for the rest of their existence with these three numbers, I don't think you're going to hear too many people complaining. They played mostly the same songs that they did in Athens, shuffling around the order a bit, and they omitted "Highway 101" from this set. I spent a good bit of the 40 Watt show in the pit (most bars in Athens only charge $3 for Jameson shots, this is not good for my well being), so this time around I was content to stand near the back, sip beer and just enjoy the show. In doing so, I was able to make a lot of observations about the band.
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham has got the coolest job in the world. He's Mike Ness' personal lead guitar player. I've now seen him play 6 times with Social Distortion and once with Ness' solo band. I think it's reached the point where it would be weird to see Ness on stage without him. He's also a great guitar player. The only person that ever looked more at home playing Les Paul Junior was Johnny Thunders.
I've seen Social D with a few different bass players, and I think I like Brent Harding the best out of all of them. The first time I saw him play with the band was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA in early '08. They opened the show with a three song acoustic mini-set with Harding on the upright bass. I would love to see them do more of this. He was also in Ness' solo band when I saw them last year, and he plays the upright rather well. He does a solid job of holding down the bottom end, and he's an excellent backup singer. He's a very diverse player with a background that ranges from punk to bluegrass. I cannot describe what an asset this can be to the band, particularly when it comes to recording new material. I hope he sticks around for a while.
Adam "Atom" Willard (Angels & Airwaves) is behind the drum kit for the band now. He's just a straight up basher, and he's pretty damn good at it. He almost makes me forget about Charlie Quintana. Almost. The kid is good, though, and he didn't seem out of place up there.
All in all, the band delivered another solid set. And they proved they can put on a punk rock show wherever they damn well please. Fortunately, since I wasn't in the shit, so to speak, I was able to note the entire set list, in order.
"(I Just Wanna Give You) The Creeps"
"Another State of Mind"
"Mommy's Little Monster"
"Sick Boys"
"Don't Drag Me Down"
"Ring of Fire"
"Bad Luck"
"Reach for the Sky"
"Can't Take It with You"
"Ball and Chain"
"Bakersfield"
"Nickels and Dimes"
"Sometimes I Do"
encore
"Making Believe"
"99 to Life"
"Still Alive"
"Story of My Life"
Just take a minute and read that set list. It's really quite amazing what a repertoire Mr. Ness has been able to put together through the years. All three of the new songs are pretty good, by the way. "Still Alive" is a pretty straightforward Social D tune, and my least favorite of the three. "Bakersfield" is a great song which, unsurprisingly, draws heavily from the Bakersfield sound. I cannot wait to hear the studio version of this. Jonny 2 Bags can play the chicken pickin' style with the best of them. "Can't Take It with You" is the best new Social D song I've heard since Sex, Love and Rock n' Roll. It's got a heavy soul, you could even call it gospel, feel to it, and I would bet money it's going to achieve new classic status with fans when the next record comes out.
After the Hilton Head show, the band headed to Philadelphia to open two shows for Pearl Jam at the Spectrum. I'm not really a big PJ fan, but goddammit I wish I could have seen this:
That looks like the coolest thing to happen at the Spectrum since Rocky Balboa went the distance with Apollo Creed.
Mike Ness got to wrap up the best tour I've seen him do in a long time, and then he got to play two gigs in front of an enormous audience. I got to see one of my idols play twice within the span of 48 hours, and I get to cross 'watch punk rock concert on stuffy resort island' off my list of things to do before I die. Everybody won.
Friday, October 30, 2009
A Double Shot of Social D - part 1
It was around mid-July when I got the news that Social Distortion would be coming to the southeast. At this point, I realized two things:
A) Although Mike Ness did play a solo show at the Variety Playhouse last year, which I did attend, Social Distortion had not played in Atlanta since the fall of 2007.
B) I had not ventured across the Georgia state line since last Christmas.
Since they decided to skip Atlanta this time around (a rather bizarre development, being that they have sold out the Tabernacle at least the last four times they have played in Georgia), and upon realizing what a lame-ass I've been, I saw fit to make a road trip out of it and catch two shows.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
10/23/09
Apparently, Mike Ness would like to remind everyone that while Social Distortion may not have released what most people would call a true punk rock record since the 1983 classic Mommy's Little Monster, they are most definitely still a punk rock group. They established this by beginning their set at the 40 Watt Club with three songs off that album: "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and the titular track. It was like a left hook to the jaw right after the opening bell, and they refused to let up after that, tearing through 15 or 16 more songs in a set that lasted approximately 90 minutes. With the exception of three new songs, "Can't Take It With You", "Bakersfield" and "Still Alive", the rest of the set consisted almost entirely of crowd pleasing sing-alongs. I guess that must come fairly easy to those guys, as a good bit of the SxDx catalog would fall under that category. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell was heavily represented ("Bad Luck", "Sometimes I Do", "Making Believe", "99 to Life"), as was the eponymous release from 1990 ("Ball and Chain", "Sick Boys", "Ring of Fire", "Story of My Life"). Throw in a few newer classics from 2004's Sex, Love and Rock and Roll ("Reach for the Sky", "Highway 101", "Nickels and Dimes"), and the live staple "Don't Drag Me Down" and you have a raucous hour and a half long slugfest that didn't seem to leave a single person in the jam-packed 40 Watt Club feeling like he/she got cheated.
Being able to put together a 90 minute set of classic songs that everyone in attendance knows all of the words to is an impressive feat, indeed. What I find equally impressive is that Mike's got at least another 90 minutes worth of classic songs under his belt that the band didn't play. They didn't play any songs off of Prison Bound, nor did they play anything that predates Mommy's Little Monster ("1945", "Mass Hysteria"). They only played one song off of White Light, White Heat, White Trash (overall it's an uneven record, but "Dear Lover" and "I Was Wrong" are excellent live numbers), and while they did go heavy on the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and self-titled albums, they omitted some of my favorites from those two ("King of Fools", "When She Begins", "Born to Lose", "So Far Away", "Drug Train"). Yeah, that skinny junkie from the Another State of Mind film sure has come a long way in the last three decades.
It was also refreshing to check out Social D in a more intimate setting than is the norm. The 40 Watt is a stellar live music venue, and seeing the band play there was a refreshing change of pace from seeing them at the much larger Tabernacle. The Tabernacle shows are always fun, but they're also always claustrophobic and overloaded with the overly aggro Rockabilly kids. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of overly aggro Rockabilly kids at this show, just far less than there typically are at the Tab. I don't know why they decided to play a gig at the 40 Watt, but I sure am glad that I got to see it.
The two opening acts on the tour both took full advantage of their respective opportunities this night. Sacramento's Middle Class Rut (also known as MC Rut) are a guitar/drum 2 piece, but interestingly enough aren't out there trying to make lo-fi noise, which is a change of pace from what seemingly every other 2-piece is trying to pull off. They sound really good, as a matter of fact, and I would definitely pay to see them headline in a smaller club. The Strangers, from Los Angeles, went on second, and played the role of warmup band extremely well. Singer and rhythm guitarist David Stucken went out there and did his best Mike Ness. From the stance, to the swagger, to the Les Paul goldtop with P-90 pickups, he made no bones about who he's trying to sound like. I don't mean that in a disparaging way, either. This guy is pretty good at it. The Strangers are a pretty decent band and I would go see them again, as well.
In the end, of course, the show is all about Mike Ness. He has always been Social Distortion (he's been the only lasting member of the original band since the passing of Dennis Danell), and the band can only be as good as he allows them to be. And just like every other time I've seen him play, whether it be with Social Distortion or with his solo project, he delivered the goods. His singing, his guitar playing, his tough guy banter was on point. And maybe none of the things he does is all that hard; but then again if it's that easy, then why is nobody else able to do it anywhere near as well as he does? There is a reason why he's essentially outlasted all of his contemporaries, and the reason is because he's Mike Ness. He's still consistently selling out 1000-2000 capacity venues at $30-$40 a pop every time he tours; if a band like The Adolescents, T.S.O.L. or The Vandals is playing to more than a couple hundred people who laid out ten bucks a head, they're probably doing it on the Vans Warped Tour. Ness is a man who made one seminal hardcore punk album, Mommy's Little Monster, and then found a niche, call it cowpunk if you'd like, where he could really make his mark. And not only did he make his mark, he somehow he found a way to keep building on it. Social Distortion has been around for three decades now, and with a new album in the works for early 2010, they don't appear to be letting up anytime soon.
To paraphrase Jonathan Richman, Mike Ness was never called an asshole. Not like you. Not in New York. Ok, well he probably has been called an asshole quite a few times, but he's still a bad motherfucker and he can do whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned. I'll keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
A) Although Mike Ness did play a solo show at the Variety Playhouse last year, which I did attend, Social Distortion had not played in Atlanta since the fall of 2007.
B) I had not ventured across the Georgia state line since last Christmas.
Since they decided to skip Atlanta this time around (a rather bizarre development, being that they have sold out the Tabernacle at least the last four times they have played in Georgia), and upon realizing what a lame-ass I've been, I saw fit to make a road trip out of it and catch two shows.
40 Watt Club
Athens, GA
10/23/09
Apparently, Mike Ness would like to remind everyone that while Social Distortion may not have released what most people would call a true punk rock record since the 1983 classic Mommy's Little Monster, they are most definitely still a punk rock group. They established this by beginning their set at the 40 Watt Club with three songs off that album: "The Creeps", "Another State of Mind" and the titular track. It was like a left hook to the jaw right after the opening bell, and they refused to let up after that, tearing through 15 or 16 more songs in a set that lasted approximately 90 minutes. With the exception of three new songs, "Can't Take It With You", "Bakersfield" and "Still Alive", the rest of the set consisted almost entirely of crowd pleasing sing-alongs. I guess that must come fairly easy to those guys, as a good bit of the SxDx catalog would fall under that category. Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell was heavily represented ("Bad Luck", "Sometimes I Do", "Making Believe", "99 to Life"), as was the eponymous release from 1990 ("Ball and Chain", "Sick Boys", "Ring of Fire", "Story of My Life"). Throw in a few newer classics from 2004's Sex, Love and Rock and Roll ("Reach for the Sky", "Highway 101", "Nickels and Dimes"), and the live staple "Don't Drag Me Down" and you have a raucous hour and a half long slugfest that didn't seem to leave a single person in the jam-packed 40 Watt Club feeling like he/she got cheated.
Being able to put together a 90 minute set of classic songs that everyone in attendance knows all of the words to is an impressive feat, indeed. What I find equally impressive is that Mike's got at least another 90 minutes worth of classic songs under his belt that the band didn't play. They didn't play any songs off of Prison Bound, nor did they play anything that predates Mommy's Little Monster ("1945", "Mass Hysteria"). They only played one song off of White Light, White Heat, White Trash (overall it's an uneven record, but "Dear Lover" and "I Was Wrong" are excellent live numbers), and while they did go heavy on the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and self-titled albums, they omitted some of my favorites from those two ("King of Fools", "When She Begins", "Born to Lose", "So Far Away", "Drug Train"). Yeah, that skinny junkie from the Another State of Mind film sure has come a long way in the last three decades.
It was also refreshing to check out Social D in a more intimate setting than is the norm. The 40 Watt is a stellar live music venue, and seeing the band play there was a refreshing change of pace from seeing them at the much larger Tabernacle. The Tabernacle shows are always fun, but they're also always claustrophobic and overloaded with the overly aggro Rockabilly kids. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of overly aggro Rockabilly kids at this show, just far less than there typically are at the Tab. I don't know why they decided to play a gig at the 40 Watt, but I sure am glad that I got to see it.
The two opening acts on the tour both took full advantage of their respective opportunities this night. Sacramento's Middle Class Rut (also known as MC Rut) are a guitar/drum 2 piece, but interestingly enough aren't out there trying to make lo-fi noise, which is a change of pace from what seemingly every other 2-piece is trying to pull off. They sound really good, as a matter of fact, and I would definitely pay to see them headline in a smaller club. The Strangers, from Los Angeles, went on second, and played the role of warmup band extremely well. Singer and rhythm guitarist David Stucken went out there and did his best Mike Ness. From the stance, to the swagger, to the Les Paul goldtop with P-90 pickups, he made no bones about who he's trying to sound like. I don't mean that in a disparaging way, either. This guy is pretty good at it. The Strangers are a pretty decent band and I would go see them again, as well.
In the end, of course, the show is all about Mike Ness. He has always been Social Distortion (he's been the only lasting member of the original band since the passing of Dennis Danell), and the band can only be as good as he allows them to be. And just like every other time I've seen him play, whether it be with Social Distortion or with his solo project, he delivered the goods. His singing, his guitar playing, his tough guy banter was on point. And maybe none of the things he does is all that hard; but then again if it's that easy, then why is nobody else able to do it anywhere near as well as he does? There is a reason why he's essentially outlasted all of his contemporaries, and the reason is because he's Mike Ness. He's still consistently selling out 1000-2000 capacity venues at $30-$40 a pop every time he tours; if a band like The Adolescents, T.S.O.L. or The Vandals is playing to more than a couple hundred people who laid out ten bucks a head, they're probably doing it on the Vans Warped Tour. Ness is a man who made one seminal hardcore punk album, Mommy's Little Monster, and then found a niche, call it cowpunk if you'd like, where he could really make his mark. And not only did he make his mark, he somehow he found a way to keep building on it. Social Distortion has been around for three decades now, and with a new album in the works for early 2010, they don't appear to be letting up anytime soon.
To paraphrase Jonathan Richman, Mike Ness was never called an asshole. Not like you. Not in New York. Ok, well he probably has been called an asshole quite a few times, but he's still a bad motherfucker and he can do whatever he wants, as far as I'm concerned. I'll keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Updates
I've been super busy over the past couple weeks, as Rocktober has been in full effect, but I wanted to touch on a few things:
1) Social Distortion was fucking fabulous on this tour. I saw them at the 40 Watt in Athens on Friday, and at the Shoreline Ballroom in Hilton Head on Sunday. Expect a 2,000 word fluff piece about how awesome Mike Ness is within the next couple of days. It's coming.
2) Last Tuesday, I caught Art Brut at the Earl. Unfortunately, I was too busy getting ready to get out of town to write at length about it then, and now it's not fresh enough in my mind to recount. Suffice it to say that they were a tremendous live act. Eddie Argos is one of the best frontmen I've ever seen, and their set is pure fun. Don't pass up an opportunity to see them in a small club. You'll probably also be surprised at how many of their songs are familiar. I've never owned any of their stuff (that's going to change), and I knew at least half of the songs they played.
3) The soundtrack to the movie about Jack Kerouac, One Fast Move or I'm Gone, has been released. It's a collaboration between Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard. I might check it out, but I probably won't review it. I actually never read Kerouac, so I doubt I'll fully get it. Maybe if it was just a Farrar project, I would be more amped up about it.
4) Speaking of Farrar, since Son Volt was so badass at the Variety Playhouse back in September, I got a ticket to see them at the 40 Watt in November. This is going to be a great show in a great venue. Tickets are still available now, so you should make it happen.
5) I'm going to a party on Halloween night, but I may be looking for a late starting show after that's over. The leading candidates right now would be the Howlies at the Star Bar, or possibly the Modern Skirts at Smith's. If anything else decent is going on, I'm open to suggestion.
Let's look alive and finish Rocktober strong. It's been one for the ages.
1) Social Distortion was fucking fabulous on this tour. I saw them at the 40 Watt in Athens on Friday, and at the Shoreline Ballroom in Hilton Head on Sunday. Expect a 2,000 word fluff piece about how awesome Mike Ness is within the next couple of days. It's coming.
2) Last Tuesday, I caught Art Brut at the Earl. Unfortunately, I was too busy getting ready to get out of town to write at length about it then, and now it's not fresh enough in my mind to recount. Suffice it to say that they were a tremendous live act. Eddie Argos is one of the best frontmen I've ever seen, and their set is pure fun. Don't pass up an opportunity to see them in a small club. You'll probably also be surprised at how many of their songs are familiar. I've never owned any of their stuff (that's going to change), and I knew at least half of the songs they played.
3) The soundtrack to the movie about Jack Kerouac, One Fast Move or I'm Gone, has been released. It's a collaboration between Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard. I might check it out, but I probably won't review it. I actually never read Kerouac, so I doubt I'll fully get it. Maybe if it was just a Farrar project, I would be more amped up about it.
4) Speaking of Farrar, since Son Volt was so badass at the Variety Playhouse back in September, I got a ticket to see them at the 40 Watt in November. This is going to be a great show in a great venue. Tickets are still available now, so you should make it happen.
5) I'm going to a party on Halloween night, but I may be looking for a late starting show after that's over. The leading candidates right now would be the Howlies at the Star Bar, or possibly the Modern Skirts at Smith's. If anything else decent is going on, I'm open to suggestion.
Let's look alive and finish Rocktober strong. It's been one for the ages.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
New Music Review
Lucero1372 Overton Park
Universal Records
CD
When I call a band, or anything else for that matter, a one-trick pony, a lot of people are quick to assume that I mean it in a disparaging way. I actually think that in most instances, nothing could be farther from the truth. As a matter of fact, I think being a one trick pony can be a fabulous thing, provided the artist in question is really good at whatever that trick happens to be. You can't be any more one-dimensional than the Ramones were, and they will remain one of my favorite bands until the very end. Memphis alt-country-indie-americana-whatever-else-you-want-to-call-them-rockers Lucero are a one trick pony. And while I've never been that big of a fan, I always thought they were pretty decent and appreciated their output. It was never the most original sounding thing that I'd ever heard, but Ben Nichols has a really cool, gruff sounding voice, and the songs were edgy-sounding but still well crafted. I will forever call bullshit on Nichols' insistence that he had never heard Uncle Tupelo when Lucero started playing, but I may be taking that a little too personally because Tupelo is one of my favorite bands. Regardless, I still thought Lucero was pretty decent in their own right, and I was curious to hear what the major label debut would sound like. Unfortunately for Nichols and crew, on 1372 Overton Park, they sound more like an aging hooker turning a trick, than a show pony performing one.
When I first listened to this album, I couldn't put my finger on exactly where it failed. This was probably because it fails nearly everywhere, and I only have 10 digits. The songs are stale and unimaginative; the lyrics are tired and unimaginative, the arrangements are boring and unimaginative. Are you sensing a theme here? There is nothing on here that hasn't been done before, and rarely have I heard it executed this poorly. The entire effort reeks of a cologne I would call 'trying too hard'. I was taken aback by how bad it was, but then I discovered this little nugget of information about the producer, Ted Hutt: He was an original member of Flogging Molly. Then it all started to make sense. If you want to create a drab record that lacks imagination, who better to hire to record it than a band mate of a guy who made a living out of ripping off The Pogues, and then had the audacity to deny that he was influenced by them?
The production on this record is what stands out as the worst thing about it; Hutt did a miserable job. The bands greatest asset, Nichol's voice, sounds too nice and polished and completely goes to waste. Hutt tries to make the overall sound too big and too pretty, and I don't know why any reasonable person would have thought this was a good idea. If anything, it exposes the band's flaws as musicians. Several songs feature horn arrangements that sound completely out of place and artificial. Sure, Lucero is from Memphis, and that probably means listening to Stax stuff played a big role in their musical upbringing. That doesn't mean they should attempt to emulate it. All it does for this record is further take away any edge the band's sound used to have, rendering it completely dull. There is not one song on this album that I care to hear again, and if a different approach had been taken to its recording, it could have been a completely different story. Unfortunately, since this is the band's major label debut and they seem to be getting a push from Universal, it will probably sell fairly well, and they will continue to go in this direction. I remember something similar happening with Drive By Truckers; they were a great band, and then overnight they got really boring and started playing shows packed with dickhead frat boys. Now they've been at that point for so long that I almost forgot how much I liked them the first time I heard Pizza Deliverance. There's still time for Lucero to right the ship; unfortunately, I think they're going to wind up lost at sea.
If there is one positive to take from this album, it's that Ted Hutt could probably introduce Ben Nichols to his former bandmate, Dave King. And then Nichols could tell King about how he's not influenced by Uncle Tupelo, and King can tell Nichols about how he's not influenced by The Pogues, and they're probably the only two people in the world who would actually believe each other. They could be BFFs or perhaps soul mates. In fact, the thought of it is starting to conjure up images of Jon Lovitz and Tom Hanks on SNL in the pathological liars sketches.
Yeah, Lucero is one trick pony. The real bummer is that after listening to 1372 Overton Park, you don't get a picture of how good they can actually be at that trick under the right set of circumstances.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Records
I spent last weekend celebrating, and then celebrating some more. I made it out to see a fantastic show at The Earl on Saturday night. I was entirely too loaded to analyze or do anything other than just enjoy it. Suffice it to say this: if you get the chance to see Brownout or Lloyd's Rocksteady Revue, buy the ticket and go. No questions asked and you can thank me later.
Brownout is a side project of several members of the marvelous Grupo Fantasma. Brownout is similar, but I would describe it as being more guitar-driven than Grupo. I would also say it more closely resembles Funk music than Grupo, but it's still very diverse and loads of fun. Your also more likely to catch this in a small venue, and it's just a lot of damn fun to watch nine guys with instruments packed onto a little stage.
Lloyd's Rocksteady Revue is led by Cadillac Jones frontman Jonathan Lloyd. It's a 9-piece or 12-piece (12 fuckin' people on stage at once!), depending on whether or not the backup singers are around at the time. The revue consists of a set of covers of classic Ska, Reggae, and Rocksteady stuff. It was nothing short of mindblowing. Just keep an eye out for it and go see it.
I attended a tremendous wedding on Sunday (and of course the bachelor party on Friday, and pre-wedding celebration on Saturday), and fortunately, I had the foresight to take Monday off. This of course led to an impromptu 'day-after-wedding' celebration between myself and a couple of the other folks who took Monday off. Needless to say, I wound up getting drunk and popping into a record store.
New York Dolls
in Too Much Too Soon
Mercury Records
LP
This is an easy album to forget about. The Dolls' eponymous record is one of the most amazing and influential recordings of all time. This one really isn't that far from it. Shadow Morton produced this one, and while doesn't quite do as good of a job with this as Todd Rundgren did with the first one, he throws every dirty studio trick in the book at you. You might think that doesn't sound appetizing, but it definitely works. If I were to draw a parallel, I would say the finished product is similar to what Phil Spector did with the Ramones on End of the Century. Too Much Too Soon is not as good as New York Dolls. But really, what is? If the first one is Babe Ruth, this one is Lou Gehrig; not quite as good, but still a hall-of-famer.
The Robustos
The New Authentic
Beatville Records
LP
The aforementioned show I attended on Saturday, Lloyd's Rocksteady Revue, left me wanting more. As far as what's on wax, this is the closest thing available to me. The bandleader for the Revue, Jonathan Lloyd, was in the Robustos, as were apparently a couple of other people who were on the stage. The Robustos started out as a ska band, but on this, their second album, they incorporated more elements of jazz and soul. The singer, Tonya Abernathy, has a wonderful voice with lots of soul. This band broke up ten years ago; five years before I even moved to Atlanta. I wish I could have seen this the first time around. But alas, the record will have to suffice, and it's a damn good one. Pick it up if you see it in a store somewhere.
Brownout is a side project of several members of the marvelous Grupo Fantasma. Brownout is similar, but I would describe it as being more guitar-driven than Grupo. I would also say it more closely resembles Funk music than Grupo, but it's still very diverse and loads of fun. Your also more likely to catch this in a small venue, and it's just a lot of damn fun to watch nine guys with instruments packed onto a little stage.
Lloyd's Rocksteady Revue is led by Cadillac Jones frontman Jonathan Lloyd. It's a 9-piece or 12-piece (12 fuckin' people on stage at once!), depending on whether or not the backup singers are around at the time. The revue consists of a set of covers of classic Ska, Reggae, and Rocksteady stuff. It was nothing short of mindblowing. Just keep an eye out for it and go see it.
I attended a tremendous wedding on Sunday (and of course the bachelor party on Friday, and pre-wedding celebration on Saturday), and fortunately, I had the foresight to take Monday off. This of course led to an impromptu 'day-after-wedding' celebration between myself and a couple of the other folks who took Monday off. Needless to say, I wound up getting drunk and popping into a record store.
New York Dolls
in Too Much Too Soon
Mercury Records
LP
This is an easy album to forget about. The Dolls' eponymous record is one of the most amazing and influential recordings of all time. This one really isn't that far from it. Shadow Morton produced this one, and while doesn't quite do as good of a job with this as Todd Rundgren did with the first one, he throws every dirty studio trick in the book at you. You might think that doesn't sound appetizing, but it definitely works. If I were to draw a parallel, I would say the finished product is similar to what Phil Spector did with the Ramones on End of the Century. Too Much Too Soon is not as good as New York Dolls. But really, what is? If the first one is Babe Ruth, this one is Lou Gehrig; not quite as good, but still a hall-of-famer.
The Robustos
The New Authentic
Beatville Records
LP
The aforementioned show I attended on Saturday, Lloyd's Rocksteady Revue, left me wanting more. As far as what's on wax, this is the closest thing available to me. The bandleader for the Revue, Jonathan Lloyd, was in the Robustos, as were apparently a couple of other people who were on the stage. The Robustos started out as a ska band, but on this, their second album, they incorporated more elements of jazz and soul. The singer, Tonya Abernathy, has a wonderful voice with lots of soul. This band broke up ten years ago; five years before I even moved to Atlanta. I wish I could have seen this the first time around. But alas, the record will have to suffice, and it's a damn good one. Pick it up if you see it in a store somewhere.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Mojo Nixon Can Be Everywhere, Just like Elvis. And it's free.
Here is some pretty cool news. For the next three weeks or so, Amazon.com is allowing you to download virtually the entire Mojo Nixon catalog for the low, low price of nothing. Here is a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Mojo-Nixon/dp/B000QKA298/ref=amb_link_85627811_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=1VYBKMM919W3FCS28K61&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=493637111&pf_rd_i=mojo%20nixon
If you download the amazon downloader software, you can easily download the mp3 albums, or just pick and choose the songs you want. I cannot think of one good reason why anybody would not want to download his whole catalog.
Unfortunately, his collaboration with Jello Biafra, Prairie Home Invasion, is not included in the offer. I chalk that up to Jello's transformation into a money-grubbing douche, which occurred at some point after DK split up.
Go to Amazon.com and get your Mojo on!
http://www.amazon.com/Mojo-Nixon/dp/B000QKA298/ref=amb_link_85627811_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=1VYBKMM919W3FCS28K61&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=493637111&pf_rd_i=mojo%20nixon
If you download the amazon downloader software, you can easily download the mp3 albums, or just pick and choose the songs you want. I cannot think of one good reason why anybody would not want to download his whole catalog.
Unfortunately, his collaboration with Jello Biafra, Prairie Home Invasion, is not included in the offer. I chalk that up to Jello's transformation into a money-grubbing douche, which occurred at some point after DK split up.
Go to Amazon.com and get your Mojo on!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
New Music Review
The Avett BrothersI and Love and You
American Recordings
Double LP
I was very excited on September 29th, when I picked up the new Avett Brothers release, I and Love and You. With the building anticipation, it surely looked like the right band hooking up with the right producer (Rick Rubin) at exactly the right time. To say that indie rock is dominated by folk, or Americana or whatever you want to call it, is an overstatement, but the genre certainly has a high profile these days. It wasn't always that way. Sub Pop Records made their name by putting out nearly all of the seminal Grunge records in the late 80's and early 90's. As of now, there are a few exceptions, such as Pissed Jeans and the Gutter Twins, but for the most part the label has sold it's rock and roll soul to put out limp folksy recordings by bands such as Blitzen Trapper, Fruit Bats, and the shittiest band to ever get popular - Band of Horses.
Am I mad at Sub Pop about this? Of course not. Who can blame them? They found a niche and a bunch of dumbass American consumers. It's damned hard running an indie label (although Warner Bros. now owns a substantial stake) and you can't fault them for finding a way to sell records. In the immortal words of H.L. Mencken: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
Whenever something like this happens, when a typically tame musical genre becomes popular, there are certain advantages. I can think of two of them off the top of my head. The first is that it tends to start a revolution. Punk rock was a revolt against prog rock and arena rock. Grunge was a revolt against the hair bands. The other advantage is that it paves the way for the bands of the genre that are actually good at writing songs and playing the music. The Avett Brothers to be one of the few bright stars of this genre today.
The first thing about I and Love and You that stands out to me is the production. Rick Rubin is a tremendous producer, especially when working with artists like this, and this record is no exception. The sound on it is impeccable. When this album needs to sound raw, it sounds raw. When it needs to sound big, it sounds big. When it needs to sound pretty, it sounds pretty. Kudos to Rubin for another job well done.
The second thing about this record that stands out are the songs, and make no mistake, there are some damn good ones. The titular track is a beautiful piano-driven ballad that should absolutely become a hit. The other highlights include the catchy "And it Spread", and another piano-driven number, this time upbeat, "It Goes On and On". There are two fabulous Violent Femmes-ish rockers on here: "Slight Figure of Speech" and "Kick Drum Heart", both of which contain power-pop hooks that would make the fellows from The Nerves stand up and applaud. The band is extraordinarily tight, the melodies sweet, and the harmonies are dead on. The brothers also display a knack for being clever lyricists on this record, most notably on the song "Tin Man".
The third thing about I and Love and You that stands out, unfortunately, is that I don't really think it's going to stand out enough to make a splash. The songs are good, and the sound is good, but after listening to it, I walk away wondering why it wasn't better. It may be that the filler songs are unremarkable, or too similar to the better songs. I definitely don't feel like there are enough rockers, but that's a matter of personal preference, and I say that about almost everything. Don't get me wrong, there will be hit songs on this record, it will bring new fans to the band, and they will play bigger shows to larger crowds. But I don't foresee this being the springboard to (relative) superstardom that I thought it might.
I and Love and You is a very good record, and a step in the right direction. My hope is that they keep at it with Rick Rubin behind the boards, and that the next one is a excellent record. I look forward to seeing how the live arrangements of these songs work. While this album didn't meet my significant hopes for it, The Avett Brothers are definitely a band on the way up.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
It Might Get Loud
I went to the Plaza Theater over the weekend to see It Might Get Loud. This is a blog about music, not about movies; but since this is a movie about music, I wanted to touch on it briefly. This is a documentary film about the electric guitar, and it features Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge. I thought it was quite good, for the gear porn if nothing else. Here is the DOCTalk preview of it:
Some thoughts about the principals featured in this film:
I've never been a hater of the White Stripes, but I've never really been a fan either. I like some of it, I dislike some of it, I just never really felt like I got it. Or maybe it was the legions of piss-poor imitators that spawned from it that made me indifferent. I can definitely say I have a newfound respect for Jack White after seeing this. I still don't consider myself a fan of the White Stripes or the Raconteurs, but he is a very hardworking cat and a real scholar of blues and rock.
I was a U2 fan when I was a kid, but that gradually started to change when The Joshua Tree came out. I was in Junior High then and it seemed like a huge fuss about something that I didn't think was even close to being as good as War or Unforgettable Fire. I enjoyed bits and pieces from Rattle and Hum, but a significant portion of that record is total dogshit. Achtung Baby, and everything after that is awful, as far as I'm concerned and I have no interest in listening to it. The Edge talks largely about guitar effects. I think he goes way overboard with them (his pedalboard is the size of a small Congolese village), but that's probably why he was selected, because effects are a big part of the landscape. He is a fine guitarist, and seems like a pretty cool guy; I just don't care for his band anymore.
Jimmy Page goes on to steal the show in this film, and that should come to the surprise of nobody. Granted, I almost never listen to Led Zeppelin anymore, but that's only because I listened to it so much as a teenager that I made myself sick of it. He is still the man. There is some pretty neat footage of him playing in a skiffle band as a 14-year old, and watching him air-guitar along to Link Wray's "Rumble" is probably the coolest thing I've seen all year.
It's a good flick. You should definitely check it out while it's still playing on the big screen.
Some thoughts about the principals featured in this film:
I've never been a hater of the White Stripes, but I've never really been a fan either. I like some of it, I dislike some of it, I just never really felt like I got it. Or maybe it was the legions of piss-poor imitators that spawned from it that made me indifferent. I can definitely say I have a newfound respect for Jack White after seeing this. I still don't consider myself a fan of the White Stripes or the Raconteurs, but he is a very hardworking cat and a real scholar of blues and rock.
I was a U2 fan when I was a kid, but that gradually started to change when The Joshua Tree came out. I was in Junior High then and it seemed like a huge fuss about something that I didn't think was even close to being as good as War or Unforgettable Fire. I enjoyed bits and pieces from Rattle and Hum, but a significant portion of that record is total dogshit. Achtung Baby, and everything after that is awful, as far as I'm concerned and I have no interest in listening to it. The Edge talks largely about guitar effects. I think he goes way overboard with them (his pedalboard is the size of a small Congolese village), but that's probably why he was selected, because effects are a big part of the landscape. He is a fine guitarist, and seems like a pretty cool guy; I just don't care for his band anymore.
Jimmy Page goes on to steal the show in this film, and that should come to the surprise of nobody. Granted, I almost never listen to Led Zeppelin anymore, but that's only because I listened to it so much as a teenager that I made myself sick of it. He is still the man. There is some pretty neat footage of him playing in a skiffle band as a 14-year old, and watching him air-guitar along to Link Wray's "Rumble" is probably the coolest thing I've seen all year.
It's a good flick. You should definitely check it out while it's still playing on the big screen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
