Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City

Back in college - April of 1992 to be exact - I was conducting my first on-air interview on my weekly radio show. Buffalo Tom, on the heels of the release of Let Me Come Over, had made their way to scenic and lovely Hartford for a show. Chaperoning my interview was Music Director and radio goddess, Margo Edwards (who would go on to be a booker at the Middle East). The two of us threw some softballs early but eventually I treaded down the path of how their sound was becoming more accessible (read: selling out). No longer were they Dinosaur jr. jr. - and as a fan of their first two albums I was a little upset about the change. I quickly embarrassed myself and Margo did all she could to rescue the interview. All of this seems quite ridiculous now since Let Me Come Over is one of my favorite albums of all time.

So what is the developmental milestone that music lovers must attain that allows us to appreciate a musician's evolution? I stopped listening to R.E.M. when Peter Buck decided to play the mandolin full time - but that was nearly 16 years ago! At some point we learn that Bowie or Elvis Costello or the Beatles (for Christ's sake) were on to something when they moved their music forward (and frankly, sometimes backwards).

Probably the key to this successful evolution is the attainment of new attributes while remaining true to the base elements of the music. It is with this longwinded introduction that I am able to describe my approach to the new Bloc Party album, A Weekend In The City. 2005's Silent Alarm was on my of favorite 2 or 3 records of that year so I was eagerly anticipating this release.

Everything I had read in the last few months was that Weekend was a departure for the band (too much for me, or have I grown up?). I happy to report that the band has grown rather than changed. Still there is the influence of Gang of Four with the dueling telecasters riding a driving beat - one good enough to dance to. Weekend is augmented by synths and the occasional drum machine (which is usually a negative for me). But it is Kele Okereke's vocals that are more polished on this album - really an instrument rather than vocals.

I've only had a couple of listens as of this writing, but my impression so far is that it rivals Silent Alarm and may even surpass it.

Kruezberg (mp3)
Sunday (mp3)

Paul Westerberg - Open Season

I've always found it interesting that fans of the Rolling Stones continue to buy their new albums no matter if the material is good or not. It is a hard habit to break not buying the albums of your childhood heroes. I stopped buying R.E.M. albums in 1995 with Monster and I pick and choose the Bob Mould releases I buy (yes for the rock stuff, no for the dance stuff). Paul Westerberg is one artist that I have yet to abandon. No matter what he has done in his post-Replacements career I tend to find something with each release that I just love. So it was with some eagerness that I purchased the Open Season soundtrack over the holidays.

With a toddler at home, I was praying that the soundtrack would have all the aspects of Paul's work that a 35-year-old would need wrapped in a package fit for a kid. The songs run from Don't Tell a Soul -era Replacements like "Love You in the Fall" (see mp3 below) to piano driven numbers like "I Belong" (a second version by Pete Yorn also appears on the soundtrack). Paul's penchant for cleaver lyrics abound - "I'm a knight in shining armchair", "The right to arm bears" - are a couple of examples.

The DVD was released in late January and we had a little family movie night yesterday. Like movies of recent years, Open Season follows the same formula of Madagascar - get some comedians to play animals that are out of place in the wild and adventure will ensue. All ages will enjoy the film. Be sure to check out "Love You in the Fall.

Love You In The Fall (mp3)

Kristin Hersh

September 22 & 23rd, 1989 Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD. As a 17-year-old high school senior out seeing R.E.M. play two nights in a row on the Green tour I was as close to heaven as my adolescent life had brought me up to then. While R.E.M. was clearly the focus of my nights I remember being intrigued by the openers both nights, Throwing Muses.

The next year they would release Hunkpapa which would garner some Mtv 120 Minutes attention, but it was 1991's The Real Ramona that had me hooked. "Counting Backwards" is still one of my favorite songs with it's intertwining guitars. The mid-1990's saw Kristin Hersh try her hand at solo work while her half-sister Tanya Donnelly went on to form the highly successful if not short-lived band, Belly.

Over the last 10 years, we've seen Kristin move from her more personal solo work to band oriented material with Throwing Muses (minus Tanya who continues to work as a solo artist) to hardcore influenced postpunk with her band, 50 Foot Wave. All of her work tied together by her distinctive voice and thoughtful lyrics.

Late January saw the release of Kristin's Learning to Sing Like a Star on Yep Roc Records. Moving between her intimate work (like on 2003's The Grotto) and her most rocking Throwing Muses work, Learning to Sing Like a Star has something for everyone.

Almost 6 years to the day of those first shows, I took by then girlfriend, now wife, to see Throwing Muses at the old 9:30 Club in DC. The show was amazing - how does such a little woman make her guitar roar like that? Kristin has, in many ways, remained OUR artist as she has always offered something for both of us. Check out "In Shock" (mp3) and "Ice" (mp3).

From 2003's The Grotto - Snake Oil (mp3)
From 2003's Throwing Muses - Speed and Sleep (mp3)
From 50 Foot Wave - Hot Pink, Distorted (mp3)

The Pixies Sell Out

After reviewing the Pixies film LoudQUIETloud in my last post I decided to continue on my DVD journey and got The Pixies Sell Out 2004 from Netflix. For what it's worth, Sell Out is nothing more than a concert performance. No interviews (other than their Road Manager and their Lighting Director in the Special Features section) or other backstage intrigue. Culled from a 2004 show in France the set list is expansive. The Special Features section also includes 14 extra songs from a slew of shows including the 2004 Coachella festival.

What is strange having watched LoudQUIETloud just last week is that while watching Sell Out the viewer has absolutely no idea of the level of non-communication going on between the band members offstage. If you are just looking for incredible footage of the Pixies rocking out, then Sell Out is for you. The set list is heavy on the first three albums - 27 songs but only two ("Is She Weird" and "Velouria") from Bossanova and two ("UMass" and "Subbacultcha") from Trompe le Monde. The smart thing for the average Pixies fan out there would be to get both of these films - watch LoudQUIETloud first and just when you're really depressed at how much they don't talk to each other, throw Sell Out into the DVD player and watch them play both versions of "Wave of Mutilation". Only two more DVDs from the reunion tour and I'm done.

Dig for Fire (mp3)

The Pixies loudQUIETloud

As it often happens when the Mrs. heads out of town for work I stack the Netflix queue with rock DVDs. I put the kid to sleep, slap on my headphones and fall off into another world in front of the television. Last night was no exception as loudQUIETloud arrived in the mail yesterday.

2006 saw a barrage of DVD's documenting the reformed Pixies on tour (not to mention the multi-disc live record Hey). There's one from a show at the Paradise in Boston. One from their acoustic show at the Newport Folk Festival and yet one more that centers on one of their dates in France. I have yet to see any of these though they in the aforementioned queue. I started with loudQUIETloud because it sold itself as a film, not a documentation of one single show, and I was generously rewarded.

This is not a performance film although the live performances featured are gorgeously shot with impeccably recorded audio. No, this is the story of four extraordinary people who view themselves as ordinary even though they are most likely the most influential band of the last 25 years. Twelve years removed from their acrimonious parting, they reluctantly get back together to tour the world.

The title of the film not only describes the dynamics of their songs (a style that has influenced...well, everyone) but the state of their relationship as a band. On stage, they rip through their catalog as if it's 1989 and they're playing the Middle East or 9:30 Club or Metro. Off stage, there is a complete lack of communication between members that left me saddened at times. The filmmakers do an excellent job of interweaving compelling off stage story lines with the live show - David's father dying of cancer while on tour leading him to substance abuse; Joey trying to maintain his balance between family and career; Charles finding out his girlfriend is pregnant while on the road. The interplay between Kim and her twin sister, Kelley, give the film its comic relief which is greatly needed at times.

In the end, the viewer is left with a sense of resolution as the four members hug on the stage at the Hammerstein Ballroom at the end of the tour. The fact that the band has continued to tour demonstrates they can still tolerate each and they are unapologetic about the funds derived by the reunion - why shouldn't they cash in on it. I highly recommend this film and encourage any fan to watch it a second time with the commentary track.

U-Mass (mp3)
Where is My Mind? (mp3)
Wave of Mutilation (mp3)

Of Montreal

Just over a year ago I posted about my close childhood friend, Davey Wrathgeber (nee' Rathgeber), who performs under the moniker Visitations. He moved to my town in 6th grade (1984 for those of you keeping track) and we became fast friends. As we moved through high school Dave formed the creative nucleus of our group of friends as we attempted to make music, movies, etc in Suburban DC. In the fall of 1990, he headed off to Athens, GA to attend college and hasn't returned. Dave's freshman roommate at UGA was Andrew Reiger of Elf Power (how creative was that dorm room?).

Over the course of the last 16 years, Dave has formed both creative and personal relationships with a number of the Elephant 6 crew - Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, Of Montreal and the like. While each band has its own distinct sound, I can't help but think that all of them were big fans of 1967-era Beatles, and early 70's-era Bowie. Finely crafted pop songs with a psychedelic edge.

As much of the hype over the Elephant 6 crew has waned in recent years (despite Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo singing on the Colbert Report a few weeks ago), Of Montreal has continued on - moving to Polyvinyl and continuing to put out beautiful pop music. January 23rd will see the release of Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? In keeping with tradition, the songs have absolutely absurd titles. Check out the first single from their new album, "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse".

Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse (mp3)
Disconnect the Dots (mp3) from Satanic Panic in the Attic
A Question For Emily Foreman (mp3) from Aldhils Arboretum

Backbeat

It is an interesting phenomena when a soundtrack overshadows a film. Singles, Marie Antoinette, and Garden State all come to mind even though all three were, at the very least,
decent movies. Add another entry to the OK Movie with a Great Soundtrack file in 1993' Backbeat. I try to overlook the fact that this was the movie that launched the awful Stephen Dorff's stardom and focus on the soundtrack.

For the uninitiated, Backbeat is the tale of Stu Sutcliffe, the original Beatles' bass player and Lennon's closest childhood fan. It track the young Beatles during the summer of 1961 when they lived in Hamburg, Germany playing 8 hour shows at strip clubs. Sutcliffe eventually leaves the band for German photographer, Astrid Kircherr - who took all those shots of the band looking totally badass in black (pre-mop top). The plot focuses on how Sutcliffe's relationship with Kircherr strains his relationship with Lennon (a little Yoko foreshadowing if you ask me). Anywho, it's a solid 2 1/2 star film. Throw it on the Netflix queue.

The soundtrack, on the other hand, is fan-freaking-tastic. Producer Don Was put together an early 90's supergroup for the session: Greg Dulli (of the Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers) on Lennon's vocals, Dave Pirner (of Soul Asylum) on Paul's vocals, Mike Mills (of R.E.M) on bass, Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth) on guitar, Dave Grohl (ever heard of him?) on drums and Don Fleming (of Gumball and the Velvet Monkeys) on lead guitar. It raw, it lean, and Thurston has to play a guitar with standard tuning (imagine that).

Check out
1. the music video for "Money" introduced by Greg Dulli
2. a live performance from 1994 of "Money" and "Long Tall Sally"

Top Songs of 2006: 10 - 1

Here's the top ten. I didn't realize it until now, but SubPop must be the label of the year with three songs in the top ten. Enjoy.







10. Band of Horses "Funeral" (mp3)
I've read a lot of positive reviews of this album over the last several months, but none have made the obvious (to me at least) comparison to the great mid-90's albums by the Catherine Wheel. "Funeral" has the best atomospherics of any song of the year.







9. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Cheated Hearts" (mp3)
It took me forever to give this band a chance - I was very skeptical. But with this song I stand corrected.







8. Oxford Collapse "Please Visit Your National Parks" (mp3)
Simple song structure with a little bit of Built to Spill back there somewhere - it just works.






7. Plus/Minus "Leap Year" (mp3)
What do you do after spending the majority of your career in the background of one of the 90's best indie rock bands? Well, you start your group. After being overshadowed by Richard Baliyut and Fontaine Toups in the great Versus, James Baliyut and Patrick Ramos started +/- a few years back as a laptop band. This song along with #35 "Steal the Blueprints" make great strides in helping these guys get out of the shadow cast by Versus.








6. Silversun Pickups "Well Thought Out Twinkles" (mp3)
"Lazy Eye" got most of the press (I have it at #25) but this song is the better gem - just enough in common with the best stuff that The Posies ever did to put a smile on your face.







5. Eric Bachmann "Lonesome Warrior" (mp3)
See my Eric Bachmann post from a few weeks back for all the details on this one.






4. The Thermals "A Pillar Of Salt" (mp3)
This is the most pure rock and roll song (punk-rock category) in the top ten (and the only one about the fear of a Christian fascist state).







3. Cat Power "Lived In Bars" (mp3)
My friend Joanna got my wife and me a copy of Dusty Springfield in Memphis for our wedding and I love it. This is the closest anyone has ever gotten to that masterpiece.







2. The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations" (mp3)
The best song on the best album of the year. This album is made or broken by the fact that this is the opening track. The best rock and roll song (indie rock category) on the list.







1. William Elliot Whitmore "Dry" (mp3)
Just a man's voice and his banjo - it's that simple. But if you can put out a song that gives me the chills every time I hear it - you win.

Top Songs of 2006: 20 - 11

As I look at how I've ranked my favorite 40 songs of the year it has become increasingly clear to me that this year has been all about bands returning a previous sound. Or in the cases of newer bands, working off the foundation of the sounds of previous bands' work. That's probably not entirely true. What's true is that as I get older I do appreciate music that is somewhat nostalgic of my late teens and 20's. Read on and you'll see...







20. The Twilight Singers "Andiamo" (mp3)
Powder Burns is not a great album, despite what Denis Leary states on national television. "Andiamo", however, is a great rock and roll song - incendiary, sultry, even absurd. It is, by far, the closest thing to the Afghan Whigs that Greg Dulli has done since forming the Twilight Singers ("Teenage Wristband" notwithstanding). Hey, I love the Twilight Singers and I respect Dulli enough to support his growth as a songwriter, but those Afghan Whigs lovers out there can't help but be excited by this song combined with the recent news that the Whigs are rehearsing together again.












19. Channels "Chivaree" (mp3)
With Waiting For The Next End Of The World, J. Robbins returns to his My Own Special Sweetheart - Jawbox strength. Originally released on the 2004 EP Open, Channels (J. on guitar, his wife Janet on bass, and former Kerosene 454 drummer Darren Zentek on drums) rerecorded this track for Waiting and the difference is staggering. The reworked version shows a band that's tight, raw and desparate to rock out.







18. Sonic Youth "Incinerate" (mp3)
I've been a big fan of the last two Jim O'Rourke-influenced Sonic Youth albums (Murray Street and Sonic Nurse) - replete with the requisite sound/noise-scapes that the band first developed in the 80's. With O'Rourke's departure, the band returns to early 90's form on Rather Ripped.
The dueling guitars of Ranaldo and Moore backed by the rhythm section of Gordon and Shelley on this "pop" song remind you why they are one of the most influential bands of the last quarter century (see Pavement, Archers of Loaf and a host of others).







17. The Lovely Feathers "In the Valley" (mp3)
Yes, yes, yes. Everyone loves the bands from Montreal (and Toronto and Vancouver for Pete's sake). But The Lovely Feathers are the only the dance-punk group of the entire Canadian invasion, so they're getting points for originality already. If you don't shake your ass to this song there is something really wrong with you.

16. The Walkmen "Many Rivers to Cross" (mp3)

The best cover song of the year. Well, it's really a cover of a cover which makes it even more interesting. In 1973, Harry Nilsson with the production help of John Lennon, covered the Jimmy Cliff original. Now, 23 years later the Walkmen release their version with a genuine blue-eyed soul that would never let on that 80% of the band went to DC's swankiest prep school.






15. Richard Buckner "Canyon"
Edmonton native and Brooklyn resident, Richard Buckner, has alway been adept at writing striking folk songs. With his 2006 release, Meadow, Buckner working with a full band gives his songwriting just the jolt of energy it was looking for - "Canyon" is the highlight of this album.







14. Sufjan Stevens "The Henny Benney Band" (mp3)
Sufjan Stevens owned 2005 with Illinoise - album of the year, song of the year for "Chicago". It is insane to think that this song was left off that album. How many fucking songs did he write? Ordinarily, I would have found it obnoxious for an artist to release an album of extras when the original already had over 20 tunes, but this is clearly the exception.







13. Gnarls Barkley "Just a Thought"
I know jackshit about any hip hop song released in the last 10 years. But I happened upon this song thanks to a friend. Imagine, a hip-hop song talking honestly about depression and the contemplation of suicide. The drum track alone would have made my top 40.






12. Lemonheads "No Backbone" (mp3)
Why is this song so high up? Easy. It effortlessly brings me back to 1992 - a time when people actually gave a shit about Evan Dando as a songwriter (It's A Shame About Ray). Dando returns to his roots on this track and gets J. Mascis to masturbate lead guitar all over it. God Bless Massachusetts!










11. Les Savy Fav "Ragin' in the Plague Age"
"No one is getting sober until the liquor is all gone" - that line itself gets you in the top 20. The former RISD students, now all grown up and living in NYC, continue to make the smartest art punk out there best exhibited by this song - that and Tim Harrington's insane stage show. Allegedly the comic David Cross has an instructional video on how to dance like Harrington. Get me YouTube, STAT!

Top Songs of 2006: 30 - 21

30. Beth Orton "Pieces of Sky" (mp3)
Not unlike Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Beth Orton has a voice that is so singular that it makes it possible to listen to her for only a finite period of time. There is, in fact, a scientific formula that proves that 45 minutes is the maximal pleasurable time to listen to her (true for Death Cab as well) and any listening beyond that will have diminishing returns. Consider including this song in your 45 minutes.






29. La Rocca "Sing Song Sung"
My sister-in-law got me a subscription to Filter magazine for Christmas last year and this was one of the few bands that I really liked that I discovered through the magazine.





28. Amy Milan "Skinny Boy" (mp3)
Of the three Broken Social Scene ladies, Leslie Feist owned 2005 and it looks like Emily Haines will own 2006. But for me, I like the more folk/blues influenced work of Amy Milan. Plus she's been touring with Eric Bachmann, which has got to help her indie cred.







27. Jennifer O'Connor "Exeter, Rhode Island" (mp3)
Yes, the fact that I live in Rhode Island helps this song. But it is catchy as hell and Jennifer has one of my favorite voices in music today.






26. Pearl Jam "Life Wasted"
I stopped listening to Pearl Jam in 1994, just before college graduation. Not for any good reason, but I was just sort of done with them. "Life Wasted" is by far the best thing they've done in 10 years and the album as a whole is a triumph.







25. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye" (mp3)
I've been hard pressed to take too many recommendations from Bob Mould these days. I love the man, but dance music is not my thing. I gave this rec a chance especially after a promising article in Under the Radar.







24. French Toast "Settle In"
My DC loyalties are all over this pick. I've been a big fan of James Canty's previous work in Nation of Ulysses and Make Up, but I was a litte underwhelmed by French Toast's debut In A Cave. With the addition of multi-instrumentalist, Ben Gilligan (who has happens to be the fiance of my very good friend, Kandy), the band finds itself trying its hand at different styles throughout the course of the album and it works.







23. The Hold Steady "Party Pit" (mp3)
With all due respect to Sonic Youth and Cat Power, Boys and Girls in America is the best album of the year. The Brooklyn via Twin Cities band plays homage to all the great bar bands from The Replacements to Soul Asylum to the E Street Band on this masterpiece. "Party Pit" has all the elements of a great bar band song replete with the repeating "Gonna Walk Around and Drink Some More".







22. Rye Coalition "Pussyfootin'"
With songs like "Communication Breakdance" and "Vietnam Vetrinarian", these guys clearly have an exceptional sense of humor. Combine that with their serious rock and roll chops, Dave Grohl's production (which only helps the humor) and the result is the best album AC/DC didn't put out this year. Yes my friends, Jersey does rock.





21. Camera Obscura "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" (mp3)
Camera Obscura finally gets out of Belle and Sebastian's shadow with this homage to Lloyd Cole's 1984 hit.

Top Songs of 2006: 40 - 31

40. Soccer Team "Solid Ring Fighters" (mp3)









39. Stereolab "I Was A Sunny Rainphase"











38. The Sounds "Song With A Mission" (mp3)










37. Belle & Sebastian "Funny Little Frog" (mp3)












36. The Evens "No Money" (mp3)











35. Plus/Minus "Steal The Blueprints" (mp3)











34. Islands "Rough Gem" (mp3)










33. The Ettes "No More Suprises" (mp3)












32. The Flaming Lips "The W.A.N.D." (mp3)










31. Division Day "Tigers" (mp3)

J Robbin's Son

In the summer of 1989 I worked at a summer camp in Northern Virginia. At the age of 17, I thought I was pretty alternative because I liked The Replacements, Husker Du and R.E.M. (I hadn't heard the Pixies at this point). But I took many of my music cues from a 21 year old co-worker named Anthony. I'd known him for a few years, mostly because when I was a freshman, he was a senior at my high school and he was one of the few truly "alternative" people at my high school (whatever that meant in 1987). How do I know Anthony was one of the coolest people I'd ever met in my life? Well, for one, he had a Jawbox t-shirt back in the summer of 1989 - yes, that's right the summer the band formed and a full year before their first release and he's got their fucking t-shirt. This guy was out of my league, but he was always cool to me. And every now and then, usually when I'm listening to Jawbox, I imagine that even at age 38 Anthony is probably still pretty cool (I wonder what he's up to?).

It took me another couple of years to get into the band - working at the college radio station helped. Over the next several years, I saw the band countless times and tried to no avail to learn J's guitar part on "Savory". When the band parted ways, I followed J on to Burning Airlines and most recently, Channels in which he is joined by his wife, Janet, on bass (see post from Ask Me About My Inivisible Friends).

Now comes word that J and Janet's 10-month-old son, Cal, has been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is a rare, but devastating genetic condition that often results in death by age two. As a pediatrician, I have had the sad distinction of taking care of a couple of these children. It goes without saying, that this is a heartbreaking condition to watch a family cope with. In response, Bill Barbot and Kim Colletta (J's bandmates in Jawbox) have set up a fund for Cal Robbins to offset medical bills and pursue experimental treatments. Please consider visiting the DeSoto Records site to donate.

Thanks,
Mike

Eric Bachmann

Back in the mid-90’s my friends and I had an outgoing debate over which band was better: Archers of Loaf or Pavement. It went without saying that one of these two bands was the best indie rock band in America. The problem was, which one? It was a debate where I often found myself fighting solo for the Archers against my friends wielding the mighty sword that Slanted and Enchanted brought with it. When it came down to it, my argument rested on one principle: the Archers of Loaf just rocked harder. You can't argue that point - it's FACT.

As I look back on this epic battle (the notion that one could only truly love one of these two bands has long been abandoned) I think that the allure of Archers of Loaf was so much more than “they rocked harder”. Why did they rock harder? They rocked harder because Mark Price was a kickass drummer who kept time often behind an insane arrangement of dueling guitars and white noise. They rocked because Matt Gentling became the most active bass player of his generation – rocking bass chords while being the response to Eric Bachmann’s call. They rocked because Eric Johnson played lead guitar like a mad scientist who discovered some new musical language. But most of all, they rocked because of Eric Bachmann’s vocal shrapnel.

After the demise of the Archers, Bachmann moved on to the more folk-influenced indie rock of Crooked Fingers. Now, after a year of living out of his car in the Pacific Northwest, Bachmann returns with a solo effort To The Races. The songs are simple and gourgeous, often just Bachman, his nylon-stringed acoustic and sparse orchestral arrangements. No longer singing about shady A&R men or audio whores, Bachmann's evolution as a singer/songwriter has allowed the listener greater access into his mind.

Eric Bachmann
Lonesome Warrior (mp3)
Carrboro Woman (mp3)


Crooked Fingers
Under Pressure (mp3)
Call To Love (mp3)


Archers of Loaf
Wrong (mp3)