By the way, I read about how Orwells ‘criticized’ Arctic Monkeys live show and how that became big online news in England. How a puny little opening band ACTUALLY spoke legit (http://www.gigwise.com/newmusic/90254/the-orwells-on-repetitive-arctic-monkeys-live-shows) about how wack arena performances can be and how a band can choose not to be robots every night.
All posts by G. Gordon Gritty
Kal Marks On Serious Business
Some interview, tunes, and LIFE IS MURDER. Seriously pounding rock ‘n roll. I gave it away. Check it out!!!!!
Tape Memo: Jane La Onde – “Elegance”
Artist: Jane La Onde
Release: 2014 (Re-release on Feeding Tube Records, soon)
Comments: Jane La Onde’s tape here, Elegance, is a combo meditative/exercise tape, translating across the excesses of time to this sweet handheld stereo cassette player that I now own. I’ve listened to this in a few different locations – outside and inside – for extra measure in convincing myself that this is really happening. I do not know much about workout style jams, but I can tell you this collection is fairly nontraditional. Elegance is exceptional in its solo-y spirit, I can envision these songs being the sole work of Jane, whose button pushing I can sometimes hear. She triggers drum machines, keyboards, and a host of effects but it is her vocals that stand out the most. Mesmerizing, repetitive. Kinda like a Colleen Green and Tobacco fusion for really brief spans – other than that I am at a loss of words for comparison…something like ‘Miss Information’ is futuristic (if this is the ’90s), spacey, and duh catchy, but really unlike anything I’ve heard nowadays in the psychedelic pop spectrum. This is the quintessential punk jogging record of our time and I hope there’s more!!
A1. Boy Trouble
A2. TV Do Tell
A3. Glow Girls
A4. I See You
B1. Memorize
B2. Livin’ In America
B3. Miss Information
Recollecting BUFU: Fat Creeps (4/26)
Fat Creeps have been the KLYAM band for about two years – yes of course you might have noticed with our countless posts, releasing their debut on wax, going to and reviewing as any many shows of theirs as we can. We’re enthralled by the music of Gracie and Mariam, which is groovy and harmonious and noisy and heavy and light and dark. On this very night, they play a set of oldies and newbies gems, ranging from the dance inducing “Secrets” and “Daydreaming” to some 2014-era material like “Comes In Loudly” and a couple others I don’t even know the names of! Gonna have to wait for their Gnar Tapes release. I feel like I hadn’t seen the Creeps (live, I mean, and for the first time with new dawg Travis Hagan) for a long long while so it was quite the pleasure to take it all in, notably these newer tunes that have a more MAJESTIC feel than the more immediate pop luster of times past. So that’s pretty sick! Also, the spirited background dancing of Noah of ACLU Benefit that hilariously accompanied the Creeps set made me grin big during “Loudly” as he would chill for just occasional seconds before going ape shit flailing around, half naked, just like everyone should during a celebratory Fat Creeps occasion.
Recollecting BUFU: The Lentils (4/26)
BUFU Fest 2014 was quite a time in the history of modern rock ‘n roll. In a time of Bonaroos and Coachellas and the masses that flock to those large events of questionable entertainment, there is no need to kid ourselves by understating the importance of a community nurturing weekend of artistry and rocking out. One need only navigate in the crypts of Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge to take part in the elation of live music that goes down on a daily basis and is supported by truly dedicated bands, fans, and advocacy groups like sites, labels, bookers, spaces, newspapers, organizations, zines, and etc. It was really amazing to see hundreds of people having fun so be sure to thank BUFU – psychedelic gangstas as Frank Hurricane might put it – who made it happen.
The Lentils is a band I was real real pumped to witness. For one, I never got the great chance to see Happy Jawbone while they were in existence. I don’t know how that happened and I’m not particularly well endowed to admit such a thing. Their quirky pop orientation is something I’ve dug hard from bands across the rock N roll spectrum for years and if I had to say their 2013 LP kinda proves the point that good sounding things can be really demented at their core. With all this in mind of course I’m giddy upon hearing in-the-know-bro Chris Collins tell me that The Lentils rise from Happy Jawbone mastermind Luke Csehak. I knew good things were to come from this guy who looked familiar from way back when we were patiently waiting in the Gentlemen’s Room section of the Lodge. And ya a superb performance followed from the three Brattleboro Vermont based Lentils. Luke is an interactive frontman, moosying his way into the crowd, you know, sorta erupting twangs from his guitar with real ease and character. The tunes feel a half a century old in the best way, but what draws me hooked is Lou Reed would be smiling just the same. Being bizarre is being endearing and The Lentils could try anything out, give it their own Lentil spin, and well who knows as far as I am aware they don’t have any recordings up, so we gotta wait and see! Soon I hope, I’m ready!!!!
Louder Than War Black Lips Interview!
The most informative and interesting Black Lips interview I’ve ever read! Carrie Quartly, who we had the fine pleasure of meeting at last month’s Nobunny show, asks Jared about all sorts of fun – past, present, and future.
Must read!
http://louderthanwar.com/black-lips-interview-by-carrie-quartly/
Album Review: Free Pizza – “BOSTON, MA”
Release: 3/2014
Label: BUFU Records
George Moshington, the former front man of the Casa Blanca himself, is right there on the cover of Free Pizza‘s latest release: BOSTON, MA. Not to be confused with Washington, the tru capital (in spirit, nurture, and commitment) of underground music is right here where Free Pizza resides and sings about. The trio of Jesus Vio (bass/vocals), Santiago Cardenas (guitar), and Nick Rasmussen (drums) have spent approximately the last year playing several shows in Boston, in surrounding areas, and beyond. For those in tune with what’s good around these parts, this tape has been highly anticipated!
Free Pizza have been ruling for about three years; they released their debut 5 songer in 2011. All five of these songs make a return on BOSTON, MA in bigger, juicier style, credit to the dudes recording in a studio (Mystic Valley) for this go around. When I listen to Free Pizza, more than half of the time I kinda do this thing where I slowly move my head from left to right, shake it up and down, and flex my shoulders. Some songs call for a quicker variation like finale “Boston, MA,” all swirlin’ guitar, bass, unforgettable lyrics and “Net Babes,” which has an equally sweet rhythm plus an instrumental towards the end that is like flowers blooming or several women dancing around you.
What I hear from the getgo is Jesus’ ultra memorable singing voice positively ranging from sweet and tender to immediate and demanding. The guy’s always convincing, but ‘specially so on the more relaxing numbers “Come Close To Me” and “Baby Girl”. One thing that’s challenging for me to do in this space is to remark on how Free Pizza comes through with their sound! They’re a funky band (if you recall my movements from earlier) so be prepared to move. I’ll throw out [early] Abe Vigoda and The Minutemen, both bands that got that BOUNCE to ’em. Punk rock not how ya expect it to sound and they’re better off for that! BOSTON, MA is an urban record for all kinds. “Forward” packs the most pleasure for me in its mere 78 seconds. In fact, all of these tunes clock in at under 3 so if you’ve got an hour to spare, you’ve got three full listens in order!
Get yourself over to their BC and spend some alone time: http://freepizzarocks.bandcamp.com/album/boston-ma and they are on tour! to SXSW.
Liquor Store Hustle Meets Muscle US Tour
We personally didn’t get to see Liquor Store play on Friday night cuz of the po, but all you East Coast / Texans check out them on tour/at SXSW starting tonight.
ALL Things Peach Kelli Pop – New Recs / Tours !!!
Peach Kelli Pop has been doin’ oh so sweet things for years, but she’s really really doing some things this year! Let me give you a breakdown:
New Releases:
- 7″ out now on Porchcore Records (two brand new pops!) [LINK]
- Demos & Rarities (Cassette) out now on Lolipop Records [LINK]
TOUR
Oh yes and after that?? 4/26-5/4 JAPAN tour and 5/9-6/1 EURO tour.
Keep yourself updated thru Peach’s blogspot and her FB. It wouldn’t be KLYAM to not say Boston misses you and wants ya back soon :)
Review: Black Lips – “Underneath The Rainbow”
Release: 3/2014
Black Lips, my friends, the godfathers of this website, the band that started it all for us. And for thousands of others that have partaken in the pleasure of the Black Lips experience over the course of the last fifteen years. That’s no easy feat for any band; though there have been many a stimulating garage/punk band in rock ‘n roll’s history, Black Lips have gone from DIY Atlanta naughty boys to Vice’s most prized musical possession. And this wasn’t over night. They toured the world relentlessly for years, maybe a couple times over, before getting any ‘legitimate’ attention from the press. Once that came, some of their old time fanatics abandoned their former favorite sons on the basis of their new found hip major label, but in came so many more others, who like us, never heard or seen anyone like ’em. Call that musical naivety, if you will, but hey, ya gotta start somewhere. That brings us to Underneath The Rainbow or not really.
I’ll call this their eighth album – for those unfamiliar with these guys, I’ll recap real quick: ’03, ’04, ’05, one album per year, each one funner than the previous. Then came the ultimate live/studio LP (they fooled us for years, maybe never fooled Jay Reatard, though) Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo. That was ’07. Later that year came their Vice debut, Good Bad Not Evil, an introduction for the masses. Their gunky, excitable style still very much in tact, they popped out 200 Million Thousand in 2009. Two years later they got Mark Ronson to work with them in the studio and eat some raw meat. That was 2011’s Arabia Mountain. We really enjoy that one like the rest before it. Stained and pristine. Black Lips just doing their thing as they’ve always done.
Sure, it’s a little early to be writing about a Black Lips album before it’s released. This ain’t nothin new for nuts like us that make the trip to NY to see these guys every time Boston’s not on the itinerary. For the best live band in the world – there I said it and I’m not alone in my view – a blase record is not gonna stop us from appreciating these dudes. Underneath The Rainbow is quite Black Lips. No one’s going to be confusing the voices of Cole, Jared, Joe, and Ian for anyone else. The instrumentation is trademark BL as well: distorted, fuzzy, dying guitars, big bass sound some of the time, Joe’s drumming. You know. As I listen over and over again to this new batch of songs, I find myself searching for something that the Lips have previously always stuffed deep into my ear drums. Maybe I have always taken for granted the immediacy of Black Lips songwriting. For the first time I feel almost as if a decent number of ’em were crafted while the band was on a creative vacation.
“Waiting” is just like Arabia‘s “The Lie,” with its skeleton guitar lead, “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” is a genericy synthesis of the bells and whistles of Side B of that same album. Then there’s “Do the Vibrate” and “Dog Years,” that revisit some of the band’s rougher/punk inclinations, yet just don’t have that ole rawness that might freak out some arena attendin’ Black Keys fans. The bluesier, southern rock that the Lips have spoken of as inspiration for this record shows through most notably on the fine first taster “Boys in the Wood” and album opener “Drive By Buddy”. Both tunes have really catchy choruses, not sounding rushed or put together in any noticeable way. My jam for this record is “Funny,” the Mr. Driver of 20-14. Cole’s always had a crazy way about him, the way he sings, plays guitar, acts, etc. I’ve met him a few times now, he’s the man…a catalyst that gets the juices flowing in the dullest of spirits. So ya, “Funny” is exactly that – eccentric, a “banger for the club” as Ian might say, with some real real lines, maybe the most accessible song on the album in its irreverence i.e. COME SUCK SOME MILK FROM MY TITTIES.
Where do I go from here? I love Black Lips and you know it, I’m not counting this album out just yet. I’m still longing for a propa “Italian Sexual Frustation” in a post “Hippys” society. But hey it’s only March 3rd and all them Spin / Pitchfork ‘writers’ are gonna miss the mark in some way shape or form. Go see Lips and buy all their records, ya nerds! I don’t know what I’m talking about either, ask me more soon. Or I’ll just tell ya right here on Kids Like You and Me. Bad Kids.
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BL Website: http://black-lips.com/
Stream of Underneath The Rainbow: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/stream-the-first-black-lips-lp-in-three-years-two-weeks-before-release
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 