Long time no post. Now you see what taxes and my imminent wedding can do to my blogging motivation.
The Pixies opened up their first tour in 12 years at the Fine Line Cafe here in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, I didn't even find out about the Pixies surprise show until after the tickets had already sold out -- they sold in a breakneck three minutes. Here is a review from the Star Tribune, which reveals a setlist primarily featuring tracks off their first three albums. Following is the April 13 Fine Line set list, undoubtedly a classic:
“Bone Machine” “Wave of Mutilation’’ “U Mass’’ “Levitate Me” “Broken Face” “Monkey Gone to Heaven” “The Holiday Song” “Winterlong” “Nimrod’s Son” “La La Love You” “Ed Is Dead” “Here Comes Your Man” “Vamos” “Debaser” “Dead” “No. 13 Baby” “Tame” “Gigantic” “Gouge Away” “Caribou”
Encore:
“Isla de Encanta” “Something Against You” “Velouria” “In Heaven” "Wave of Mutilation" (slow version) “Where Is My Mind?” “Into the White”
As you already know, through DiscLive, you can purchase live recordings of each show within a matter of minutes after the completion of the shows. To add insult to injury, I didn't find out about the DiscLive service until after the 500 presale units had already been purchased by more alert audiophiles. Now, I decided to purchase the second Vancouver show (see schedule here). So, if anyone is willing to trade shows, let me know...
I don't normally use this space to hype bands whose members I consider friends. I usually find that type of puffery to be transparent and it often comes across as insincere. So, given that caveat, I am going to puff up a couple regional acts that deserve your attention and happen to include members who are my friends.
Raised on Zenith
The first of these bands is Raised on Zenith, a Chicago-based quartet that defies easy categorization. I will admit that I don't yet own any of ROZ's records (that is, I have not yet spent my money to purchase a tangible product) but I have listened to several songs, which are easily accessible at the band's website (and kudos to ROZ for realizing the significance of the distinction between streaming and downloading and offering most of their music in both formats).
ROZ's earlier tracks Should I be Clueless and Stand by the Door feel like good, but not distinguished, work in the straightforward "singer/songwriter" genre. The melodies are catchy, the vocals are pleasant, the harmonies are smart (if predictable) and the production is grade A. Overall, these songs show a strong grasp of the art of composition and have certain qualities that impress, but ultimately fail to really engage me. That's okay. The best thing about ROZ's earlier work is that they are weak compared to newer material, which demonstrate growth in composition and production and bode well for ROZ's future.
As I mentioned above, ROZ defy characterization. Songs like Insane and Should I be Clueless use layers of vocals to create robust and powerful choruses reminiscent of bands like Superchunk, Cursive, and Guided by Voices. I am continuously impressed by the high-quality production, particularly the guitar mix that seamlessly brings together a jangly, tiny, acoustic sound with the precision of transistor amplification. And as usual, the melodies are great.
If songs like Monoway and Insane bring to mind early 90s influences (Nirvana, Superchunk, and bands from the Simple Machines 7" series like Rodan), songs like Remember demonstrate ROZ's depth and interest in diverse songwriting. Remember is slower (but not a ballad -- think Black Heart Procession) and more melancholy. One simple riff, sad and pensive, repeated under a light melody and soft female (?) backing vocals. Not all bands can transition between styles in such an earnest and legitimate fashion.
This ability to freely move between sub-genres is one of ROZ's strengths, borne out by their newest song. Blackhole is aggressive yet smart. Precise yet noisy. Echoes of Led Zeppelin and Radiohead. Recorded at Gravity Studios (Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt) and set for an official release date of April 9, you can stream it at the website. And you should. Their future looks bright.
If you are intrigued, check out their website. If you live in the Chicago metro area, get on their mailing list. Looks like you can see them toward the end of the month.
Criteria
You've probably already heard about these guys. Straight out of the heartland, following on the heals of Cursive and others (read all about the incestuous scene here if you want, I get tired of explaining it), the album "en Garde" is just plain good. Authoritative. Tight and catchy. No fucking around, however you decide to describe it. Like so many similarly situated indie rock records, en Garde occasionally lapses into a generic, guitar-driven indie rock sound. Maybe Stephen Pedersen can be forgiven for this, since the record was written and recorded without a formal "band." Now, with an official lineup including my good friend Aaron Druery, as well as AJ Mogis and Mike Sweeney, there is sure to be the growth, nuance, and depth that can only come from a "real" band. The production is excellent (of course it is, everything done by the Mogis brothers seems to be) and the instrumentation is intelligent, if often straight forward. You definitely won't be unaware that Pedersen used to be in Cursive, but you also won't want to be without this record.
The Village Voice has an interesting article by Laura Sinagra on the Mountain Goats. Of main goat John Darnielle, Sinagra writes: "His bedroom recordings challenged Barlow burble and four-tracker twee with aggro pique, rivet-head strum, flash-fiction narration, and lyrics that spiked recrimination with mythological allusion." Quite literary journalism, indeed.
05.14.04 L.A.: El Rey Theater 05.15.04 San Diego: The Casbah 05.16.04 Phoenix, AZ: Old Brickhouse 05.19.04 Austin, TX: The Parish (Mercury) 05.20.04 Dallas, TX: Trees 05.21.04 Houston, TX: The Proletariat 05.22.04 New Orleans, LA: The Parish 05.23.04 Birmingham, AL: Zydeco 05.25.04 Tampa, FL: The Orpheum 05.26.04 Orlando, FL: The Social 05.27.04 Jacksonville, FL: Jack Rabbits 05.28.04 Atlanta, GA: The Earl 05.29.04 Nashville, TN: 12th & Porter 05.31.04 Carrboro, NC: Cat's Cradle 06.01.04 D.C.: Black Cat 06.02.04 Philadelphia, PA: Northstar 06.03.04 Brooklyn, NY: North Six 06.04.04 NYC: Bowery Ballroom 06.05.04 Boston, MA: Middle East (down) 06.07.04 Pittsburgh, PA: The Rex Theater 06.08.04 Newport, KY (Cincy): Southgate House 06.09.04 Columbus, OH: Little Brother's 06.10.04 Detroit, MI: Magic Stick 06.11.04 Chicago, IL: The Abbey 06.12.04 Chicago, IL: The Abbey 06.13.04 Minneapolis, MN: 400 Bar 06.15.04 Denver, CO: Bluebird Theatre 06.26.04 San Francisco: The Fillmore
Paul at the Rub, who is always on top of his game, has added a sweet new feature to his site that I may have to try out soon -- Radio Rub. Check out Radio Blog Club for more details. This week, you can stream new tracks on Radio Rub by Wilco ("Hell Is Chrome"), The Beta Band ("Assessment"), Magnetic Fields ("I Wish I Had an Evil Twin"), Felix da Housecat ("Watching Cars Go By (Cyberwhore)"), and Electrelane ("You Make Me Weak"). Oh, and the timely remake of "Hey Ya" is freaking brilliant.
I hope all music bloggers check this out and incorporate it into their sites. I assume that this has the same copyright implications as p2p filesharing. But, I would posit that listening to, for example, Paul's selections might make me more likely to buy an album than I otherwise would. I guess that's my same argument in favor of good ol' fashioned p2p too.
Posting has been scarce.... I have all the intentions to change that. I remember going through an equally sparse posting run during the spring last year -- must be time to thaw up here in Minneapolis.
Parry Farrell is back with the sophomore attempt at recreating the Lollapalooza music festival. This year, the festival expands to a two-day format and has confirmed the appearance of Morrissey, Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, the Polyphonic Spree and String Cheese Incident. According to Billboard, Lollapalooza has also extended offers to psych-rock outfit Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, one of my favorite groove-punk acts, Le Tigre, and the Fire Theft (former Sunny Day folks). Billboard claims that one of the goals is to feature a more diverse lineup this year.
Perhaps one could consider it diverse compared to 2003's nu-metal-heavy lineup. But does more diverse mean cutting the hip hop? The early- to mid-90s incarnations of the festivals consistently featured cutting edge hip hop (Ice-T, Ice Cube, Arrested Development, Tribe Called Quest, Beasties). Even Jurassic 5 played at last year's renaissance, the first Lollapalooza in 6 years.
Perry Farrell was recently asked by Rolling Stone who he had in mind for the 2004 Lollapalooza. Here was his answer:
Q: What younger artists do you have your eyes on for Lollapalooza 2004?
A: Galactic is really hot. I love the Libertines. Muse is very Radiohead, but it's hard to be Radiohead. Super Furry Animals have a psychedelic, beautiful feeling. The Thrills are happening. Right now I'm listening to people like Bright Eyes, Athlete, Cat Power, Bumblebeez, Royksopp, Detroit Cobras and Eagles of Death Metal.
Already, Galactic is rumored to be on the bill.
Some interesting choices. I think that Perry should change it up and cross the Queens of the Stone Age spinoff, Eagles of Death Metal, off the list. R?yksopp might be kind of boring at an outdoor show. I guess I'd trash most of these cats, except for Cat Power and Detroit Cobras. I haven't heard the Bumblebeez (hip hop!) or Galactic, but both sound promising. Any other ideas?
If Modest Mouse is on your radar, they (and their label, Epic) are staying quite busy with a slew of new releases. Brock and gang have released a digitally remastered version of 2000's acclaimed Moon and Antarctica, paired with 4 songs that were recorded during a late-90s BBC session. One of those songs is a favorite of mine, Custom Concern, off the band's first release Long Drive (Up, 1996).
Of course, Epic administered the full-court press to publicize April 6th's new (!) release, the long-awaited Good News for People Who Love Bad News (pictured top left). I mean, I almost forgot about them, since it's been, what?, 4 years since the last Modest Mouse release? What the hell is up with a four-year sabbatical in between releases? And don't tell me about that mediocre Ugly Cassanova record that some critics were fawning over. Who does Brock think he is? Bono? You can stream snippets of tracks here.
Finally, the band is releasing on its own a live album called Baron von Bullshit Rides Again (pictured to right). The recording from a couple gigs at The Social in Orlando, FL in February 2004 sounds pretty tight -- you can download morsels here. You can order both the live album and the new studio album for twenty bucks here.
So it's been 10 days since I've been able to post. Work has just decimated my extracurricular activities. And now I hope to review a few albums, in a more brief fashion than usual, this week.
NMWYH Rating: out of FIVE stars. Let's kick it off with one of the most promising releases this early year, 90 Day Men's Panda Park, which was issued a few weeks ago by Southern Records. From the reading that work has permitted me in the past few busy weeks, Panda Park is one of the most anticipated underground rock albums in recent months.
Panda Park overflows with Eno-esque linear prog-pop progressions in which beauty and soulfulness pervade. The musical compositions of these seven songs are rich and complex, and the instrumentation is singular in present underground rock relying on the piano (and organ) as a driving force. Keeping the piano in check is a brilliant array of orchestral maneuvering, impeccable timekeeping, and acoustic guitar.
To illustrate, check out the spellbinding "Too Late or Too Dead," one of the best tracks I've heard all year with its urgent piano melodies, shimmering guitar, and marching rhythm. Also captivating is "When Your Luck Runs Out," in which Andy Lansangan's piano skills are translated into a tripped-out keyboard stomp. Or check out the sprawling eight-and-a-half minute epic closer, "Night Birds," that best evidences the album's masterful balance between electronic experimentalism and acoustic prowess.
The dual vocal attack is also intriguing, alternating between Case's whispery mutterings and Lowe's yelps that recall Jeff Buckley singing with his nuts in a sling. While Lowe's wailing is, at times, a bit theatrical, it ultimately is used with reservation and, consequently, does not overtake the stunning intstrumentation. The most significant detraction from Panda Park is the appearance of a third vocalist on "Silver and Snow," the album's penultimate track. While the musical composition of the track remains on par with the other six tracks, the exaggerated vibrato vocals remind me of a 1950s Las Vegas lounge singer. No doubt, the guy's got a great voice. It just seems wholly misplaced on this album (especially if added solely for kitsch value), and has prompted me to program MusicMatch to skip over the song.
Panda Park will almost certainly appear on my year-end best-of list, my dislike of one song notwithstanding. You can stream the breathtaking "Too Late or Too Dead" at Insound, by opening up the radio in the top right-hand corner -- it is song #22 or so. You claim you're looking for a different brand of rock? Now you've found it. Panda Park is not for the masses, but it will satisfy your need for creative and intelligent music.
Jack White plead guilty to assault and battery yesterday for having accosted the lead singer of the Von Bondies. If White keeps up the attitude, he's going to get his ass handed to him by someone of only average stature -- that is, much bigger than White.
*rock, punk rock, indie rock, electronica, new wave, hardcore, hip hop, rap, post-rock, post-punk, and any other post- genre that the real music critics beget.
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The first of these bands is Raised on Zenith, a Chicago-based quartet that defies easy categorization. I will admit that I don't yet own any of ROZ's records (that is, I have not yet spent my money to purchase a tangible product) but I have listened to several songs, which are easily accessible at 
You've probably already heard about 
If 
Finally, the band is releasing on its own a live album called Baron von Bullshit Rides Again (pictured to right). The recording from a couple gigs at The Social in Orlando, FL in February 2004 sounds pretty tight -- you can download morsels 
NMWYH Rating: 
