Black Lips were all talk leading up to the Converse Band of Ballers basketball tournament. Could four flower-punks from Atlanta even compete with the likes of Jim Jones and and Shawty Lo? Nah, not at all. They came in dead last, tied with another tandem of rockers, Of Montreal. Jim Jones was victorious.
Uninhabitable Mansions!
I’m very excited for this show. Along with UM, there is Ketman, an extremely catchy rock band from Boston, who have drew comparisons to Shellac and Mission of Burma, Thalia Zedek, a band from Allston that’s hard to describe, but is both on the noisy and soft side, and finally The Big Big Bucks, a powerpop/punk group from Allston as well.
Band: Male Bonding
Release: 5/2010
Label: Sub Pop
1. “Year’s Not Long” – A-
2. “All Things This Way” – B+
3. “Your Contact” – A-
4. “Weird Feelings” – A-
5. “Franklin” – B+
6. “Crooked Scene” – A
7. “T.U.F.F” – B+
8. “Nothing Remains” – A-
9. “Nothing Use To Hurt” – B+
10. “Pirate Key” – B
11. “Paradise Vendors” – A-
12. “Pumpkin” – A-
13. “Worst to Come” – A-
Comments: A band that did not excite me at all live, Male Bonding was actually a “band that I wanted to like.” Could the record make up for their lackluster performance? The answer is “yes!” I’m sort of glad this record isn’t of a terribly low fidelity. Thank you… Sub Pop? Anyway, there are really fun spots in a bunch of these songs. For example, the hook in “Your Contact” is welcoming and the high string notes in “Weird Feelings” save the song from drum-centricness. For some kind of modern reference point, I’d have to point in the direction of Abe Vigoda. Male Bonding is from Dalston, England, which would seem to be like the California of that country, but it really isn’t that at all. I’m getting tropical vibes on “Crooked Scene,” although it may just be the structure of that song that conjures Abe. A casual or first time listener might have alarms going off in their head along the lines of: song A sounds like song B sounds like C. That kind of sucks as it’s hard to make distinctions between tracks, especially at the early stages of familiarity. At other times, the group sounds like Wavves. Bottom line: is this good? Yes. Is it great? Sometimes. There’s even Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone singing on the last track.
Grade: B+ (89)
Band: Brian Flannel
Release: 2/2010
Label: N/A
1. “Restraining Order” – A
2. “Date Rape (Real Estate)” – B
3. “Symptom Set” – B+
4. “Dogs Not Dead” – B
5. “RMPM” – A-
6. “Bonus Track” – A
Comments: Damn catchy start to the cassette. The chorus is really awesome as it features a male/female harmonious assault. “Date Rape” is more lo-fidelity and faster. I’m thinking “Symptom Set” is similar to some heavier Sonic Youth punk jams. “RMPM” is a notable jam. The exchange between the dude and chick leads to a really solid ending in the Bonus Track.
Grade: B+ (89)
One of the bands that I regret not going to see. After all, they did come in late March, when I saw something crazy (for me) like 4 shows in 7 days. If they come to these parts later in the year or next year, I’ll surely try my best to attend.
Not too long ago somebody recommended that I learn about the historical roots of the music that I presently enjoy. You know what? Old time “garage rock” of the 60s just doesn’t have the same appeal to me as newer stuff. I tried Count Five’s Psychotic Reaction and Iggy Pop’s Raw Power and while there are some gems on those records, they just aren’t as fun through and through as say Black Lips! or Blood Visions.
In the spirit of Quebec here is a 2004 hit from one of my favorite bands north of the border, Les Cowboys Fringants:
Band: King Khan & Pat Meteor
Release: 3/2010
Label: Sub Pop
1. “The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent” – B+
2. “Bon Bon” – A-
Comments: The kind of music you’d expect with a title such as The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent. This is slow cooked rock and roll with a distinct rural aesthetic. Would it be okay to call it at least one part country? It’s French-Canadian goodness…what I believe they call néo-trad. I’d like to say Meteor sings on the first track and that Arish Khan spearheads the treat called “Bon Bon.” Even though “Bon Bon” is as lyrically simple as a song can come, it has a great atmosphere that reminds me positively of the culture surrounding the classic visit to Quebec that Chris and I (amongst other students) embarked on five years ago.
Grade: B+ (89)
A story of a father and son (and daughter).
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x75sop_small-town-ecstasy-part-1_lifestyle
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 