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Top Concert Experiences

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Updated to include all the recent shows:

Keyword is “Experiences,” which takes slightly more into account how fun the show was than how awesome the bands were. Quality of opening bands are considered as well.

The Best
1. March 2010 – Black Lips/Box Elders/Movers+Shakers – Grade: A+
2. March 2009 – Black Lips/Gentleman Jesse & His Men/Mean Creek – Grade: A+
3. May 2009 – King Khan & The Shrines/Mark Sultan/Homosexuals – Grade: A+
4. October 2009 – KK+BBQ/Dum Dum Girls/Downbeat 5 – Grade: A+
5. April 2009 – No Age/The Beets/Lemonade – Grade: A+
6. October 2009 – Jay Reatard/Nobunny/Hunx and His Punx/Box Elders/Useless Eaters – Grade: A+
7. September 2009 – Walkmen/Here We Go Magic/The Dig – Grade: A+

Amazing
8. December 2009 – Arctic Monkeys/Screaming Females – Grade: A
9. August 2008 – Radiohead/Grizzly Bear – Grade: A
10. November 2009 – Pixies/Jay Reatard – Grade: A
11. November 2009 – Sonic Youth/The Feelies – Grade: A
12. February 2010 – Editors/Antlers/Dig – Grade: A
13. March 2010 – Spoon/Deerhunter/Strange Boys – Grade: A
14. September 2009 – The Rifles/Mike Fiore – Grade: A
15. August 2009 – Arctic Monkeys/Modey Lemon – Grade: A
16. May 2009 – Animal Collective/Grouper – Grade: A
17. September 2009 – Pains of Being Pure At Heart/Depreciation Guild/Cymbals Eat Guitars – Grade: A
18. July 2009 – Head Automatica/Cubic Zarconia – Great: A
19. July 2009 – Handsome Furs/Dri/Cinnamon Band – Grade: A
20. November 2008 – No Age/Soft Circle/Silk Flowers – Grade: A

Great
21. January 2008 – Editors/Hot Hot Heat/Louis XIV – Grade: A-
22. June 2009 – Sunset Rubdown/Elfin Saddle/Witchies – Grade: A-
23. April 2010 – Girls/Dum Dum Girls/Leisure – Grade: A-
24. July 2008 – No Age/High Places/Abe Vigoda/Ppalmm – Grade: A-
25. April 2010 – Harlem/Tulsa/Girlfriends – Grade: A-
26. October 2009 – KK+BBQ/Dum Dum Girls – Grade: A-
27. March 2010 – Beach House/Bacherlorette – Grade: A-

Very Good
28. October 2008 – Built To Spill/Dinosaur Jr/Meat Puppets – Grade: B+
29. February 2010 – The Growlers/Married Men/Forest Fire – Grade: B+
30. August 2009 – Warlocks/Morning After Girls/Vandelles – Grade: B+
31. July 2009 – Jay Reatard/TV Smith/Pretty & Nice – Grade: B+
32. September 2009 – Wavves/Ganglians/Many Mansions – Grade: B+

Good
33. March 2010 – Vivian Girls/Male Bonding/You Can Be A Wesley- Grade: B
34. January 2010 – Mission of Burma/The Konks – Grade: B
35. October 2009 – Rural Alberta Advantage/Lovely Feathers/Arletta – Grade: B
36. September 2008 – Paul Weller/Rifles – Grade: B
37. July 2009 – Trevor Hall – Grade: B
38. January 2009 – Mission of Burma/Neighborhoods/Faces on Film – Grade: B

Pretty Good
39. October 2007 – Morrissey/Kristeen Young – Grade: B-
40. March 2009 – War on Drugs/The Drones/Tsui – Grade: B-

All Right!
41. July 2007 – Psychedelic Furs/Alarm/Fixx – Grade: C+
42. August 2007 – Weird Al Yankovic – Grade: C+
43. September 2007 – Bob Dylan/Elvis Costello/Amos Lee – Grade: C+

Too Long Ago To Remember
44. July 2000 – B-52s/ – Grade: N/A

Glen Maganzini

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P4K…Kill Yourselves

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Pitchfork is seeking an experienced advertising sales professional for its Chicago office. We are looking for someone with a deep interest in independent and emerging music, online media, publishing, and creative marketing. The ideal candidate should have experience partnering with both direct and agency clients, developing creative advertising programs, building long-term client relationships, and managing all aspect of sales– from developing target lists to closing.

How many buzz words in here go against the DIY punk ethic? I’ll get you started:
1. marketing
2. sales
3. target lists

Art, Concer t Review, Entertainment, Lists, Music, pictures, Video

Concert Review: Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Leisure @ Paradise (4/1/10)

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I'm pretty sure our friend C.O wore this shirt when we saw him!

Artists: Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Leisure
Location: Paradise Rock Club, Boston
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2010
Grade: B+/A-

Act I: Leisure – They were ok, nothing special. Clearly, they had musical chops and they were decent performers, but the music just never came through for me. I didn’t hear great songs. In other words, the parts were better than the whole; for me, with a great band, live or on record, but especially live it’s vice versa.

Glen: Unlike Chris, I actually dug this band. As I said to him, I couldn’t really find a problem with their music. In other words, I might not have loved their brand of glam/dance rock, but I thought it was pretty catchy and the lead singer was a funny character. They reminded me of the Lovely Feathers with the keyboard and song structures.

Set List:
follow me
heartbeats
sway
other people
no other place
suez
outside

Act II: The Dum Dum Girls – Things start to heat up. I saw these girls last October, opening for King Khan & BBQ and honestly they didn’t floor me. Don’t get me wrong, I thought they were decent, but nothing notable. This time around, I appreciated their performance more. I don’t know if anything changed with them, so it was probably just me. Anyway, I really dug their vocals the most. Still, this time, they didn’t send me flying off my rocker, but I thought they did a good job and I enjoyed it. Not to mention, as before, their dress and body movements on stage both caught my eye. I love the head bobbing and almost elegance in their appearance. I mean they look rather attractive in their all black get up and it’s certainly a sight for sore eyes!

Glen: Of course, it’s hard to go without mentioning the DDG appearance unless one wears a blind fold during their performance. They played a tight set that showcased some new songs like “Bhang, Bhang,” my favorite “Jail La La,” “Rest of Our Lives,” and “Yours Alone.” Also played were older ones like “Catholicked,” and some other song that I can’t think of the name, but they’ve been playing for a while. Like I said in my review of their 2010 album I Will Be, the drum beats are absolutely fantastic, but like Chris said their voices are beautiful.

Act III: Girls: Ahh my favorite Girls are Guys! Of course, the band I came to see and they did not disappoint. The group opened with the classic, “Laura” and immediately all in attendance it seemed, began singing along. The music was nice and soft, almost warm? lol The lights were a flashin’ but slowly and matched the music perfectly. Singer/Guitarist, Christopher Owens modestly rocked out with his funky, moonwalking dance moves. He really looked fly, definitely flyer than Whacko Jacko. They continued the set with other Album classics, such as “Darling,” “Ghost Mouth,” and their signature number, “Lust For Life,” which unsurprisingly garnered the greatest reaction from the audience. They created one hell of a song transition, actually three song transition, from the soft, yet infinitely endearing, “Hellhole Ratrace,” into the noisy (a first for the evening), garage like, “Morning Light,” then finally into the Grease resembling, “Big Bad Mean Motherfucker,” which also generated large enthusiasm from the crowd, including a trio of femmes gyrating on stage. Girls also played about six or seven non-Album lol tracks, including the new song, “Substance.” This is sort of a criticism of mine, but not really. Let me explain… Well, I anticipated knowing all but one or two songs they would perform, three tops! This was considering, I knew and loved all of their record. Incidentally, I didn’t know any of the tunes that didn’t appear on their record. Ohh well, I suppose this is not their flaw, but a bad on my part as a fan. Anyway, they came back for a sound encore featuring the classic, “Lauren Marie,” a track I was waiting for all night! Overall, they were a fabulous live band and I recommend everyone to see them, if you get the chance.

Glen: Like Chris said that three song transition — Hellhole to Morning Light to Big Bad — was awesome. It will go down in the history books as one of the most memorable parts of a concert for me. My only response to them playing five or six non-Album tunes is that they toured behind Album last fall. They are probably getting ready for whatever is next and want to get a feel for the new material.

Chris

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Classic Album Review: The Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape

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Artist: Big Black
Full Title: The Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape
Year: 1987
Label: Touch and Go
Grade: B+
Tracks:

1) Jordan, Minnesota- 9
2) Passing Complexion- 7
3) Big Money- 7
4) Kerosene- 10
5) Bad Houses- 8
6) Fists of Love- 8
7) Stinking Drunk- 8
8) Bazooka Joe- 9
9) Cables (live)- 9
10) Heartbeat (Wire cover)- 9
11) Things to Do Today- 8
12) I Can’t Believe- 8/9
13) My Disco- 9
14) Grinder- 8/9
15) Ready Men- 8/9
16) Pete, King of the Detectives- 9

This record is a compilation consisting of the LP Atomizer (tracks 1-9), the single Heartbeat (track 10), and the EP Headache (tracks 11-16).

Comments: Having been a huge fan of Big Black’s magnum opus, Songs About Fucking, my thirst for pure fucking noise grew into dehyrdration. With RMETT I feel stuffed and then some! In terms of the chaotic nature of Big Black’s music, this compilation showcases head spinning material far more than SAF. Now, I’m not saying it’s better, but if noise rock is your thang, then you will really dig this piece. The whiplash begins with “Jordan, Minnesota,” a terrifying ditty about a child molestation ring in said community; Albini hollers, “This is Jordan, we do what like… this will stay with you until you die and I will stay with you until you die.” I’m still baffled as to why Disney never returned his phone calls to feature Big Black’s music on one of their film’s soundtracks?! Musically, Roland, the drum machine is hard at work throughout the record, complementing the chainsaw guitars, literally, these motherfuckers sound closer to chainsaws than most wimpy musician’s guitar playing. Other lyrical themes include domestic abuse (“Fists of Love,” “Stinking Drunk,”), the innocent hobbie of watching cattle slaughtered at a local ranch to pass the time (“Cables”), and racism (“Pete, King of the Detectives”), where Albini roars in his deliberately, white liberal hipster, offending lyrics, “I am Pete!… I’m a hard working man, I ain’t no drunkard, I ain’t no coloured man!” Don’t worry kids, it’s all good fun… Moving on, “Kerosene,” is the best track and by far Big Black’s greatest offering, in fact, I’d say it’s Albini’s “Let It Be,” with Shellac’s, his other band, “My Black Ass,” being a potential rival. Kerosene features everything that made Big Black kick ass and harsher than just about any other band one cares to name: musical intensity through violent, slashing, guitars, pounding drum beats, extremely morbid subject matter (some kiddies decide to burn themselves to dust because it’s “something to do”). Other notable treats include, “Heartbeat,” a catchy cover of the Wire number of the same name and “My Disco,” a tune that puts a whole spin (ha!) on said genre. Overall, this record is for the Ready Men, not for you wee, little pussy wussies out there, I insist y’all find some kerosene.

Chris

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Favorite Film Femmes

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This is NOT a list of favorite actresses, but rather a list of the actresses I find most attractive in no real order after # 1. Pornstresses, nude models, etc. are not listed because they have an unfair advantage.

1) Zooey Deschanel
2) Rosario Dawson
3) PJ Soles circa late 70s
4) Jessica Alba
5) Uma Thurman
6) Marilyn Monroe circa when she was famous up until her death
7) Winonya Ryder
8) Rachel McAdams
9) Heather Graham
10) Vivica Fox
11) Pam Grier circa 70s
12) Marissa Tomei
13) Diane Kruger
14) Michelle Williams
15) Britney Murphy
16) Megan Fox
17) Penelope Cruz
18) Isla Fisher
19) Diane Keaton circa 70s
20) Sharon Tate circa 60s

And Last, but certainly not Least, Ms. Jessica Rabbit!

That’s enough for now. I don’t want to go blind.

Chris

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Classic Album Review: Lost Sounds

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Artist: Lost Sounds
Full Title: Lost Sounds
Year: 2004
Label In the Red
Tracks:

1) There’s Nothing- 9
2) Destructo Comet- 9
3) I Get Nervous- 9
4) Clones Don’t Love- 9
5) I Sit I Watch I Wait- 8
6) Ophelia- 8
7) Your Looking Glass- 8
8) Let’s Get Sick- 8/9
9) And You Dance?- 8
10) We’re Just Living- 8
11) Mechanical Feelings- 9
12) Bombs Over M.O.M.- 9

Grade: A
Comments: I’m always glad to hear “new”- meaning music I’ve never heard before- material from my favorite artists. Being a massive Jay Retard fan, I had to check out his earlier, Synth Punk band, The Lost Sounds. This was their last record and it is simply a delight. Much of it sounds nothing like Jay’s previous and later works. This is obviously due in part to the excessive (in a good way!) use of keyboards and vocalist/guitarist/synthist lol, Alicja Trout. “There’s Nothing” is a solid opener and sets the mood for the rest of the album. In fact, the songs do not really vary in sound/presentation all that much, but I do not see that as a flaw, it works very well here. The songs nicely flow into one another, creating an entire experience, rather than simply some songs thrown together, which often happens with other records. With that being said, the best tracks are at the beginning and the end, as indicated above. Most of this record, as I mentioned before, to me, does not resemble other Reatarded music, but the track “Mechanical Feelings” really does, especially the lines “don’t count me out, don’t count me out, I’ll scream and shout, don’t count me out.” The “ohh no no no, they won’t get me, they won’t get me” in Jay’s “Waiting for Something,” but faster and more intense. Anyone? Well, for me they sound alike. The LP concludes with the triumphant, “Bombs Over M.O.M.” one cannot help but chant along to the impassioned chorous, “All the Walls are Falling, Falling DOWN!” Trout then continues to sing, “FALLING FALLING FALLING….” for what seems like an eternity. Excellent closer, one of the best I have ever heard. Most closers are weak, in my opinion, parce que, they make overly ambitious attempts to floor the listener with an EPIC! ending. BOM is just right. This record honestly sounds like it could be a follow-up to 2009’s Watch Me Fall , if Jay added synth and a feamle vocalist. In other words, it’s nothing like his earlier Reatards work and in some ways sounds futuristic, if you will. All in All, I recommend this to Jay fans and anyone else. It’s KLYAM RECOMMENDED, but I’m not grabbing that little logo lol.

Chris

Entertainment, humor, Lists, Music

Analysis of “MIA” Vid

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I love concert-goer descriptions. It’s just a fun topic. Pretty much everyone reacts differently to live music.

Instructions:
1. Watch this video of Black Lips “MIA” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_kNZOjMto

Observe:
A. Bradford Cox – White Sweatshirt W/ Hood – Cox is all head…no pun intended. He has his arms folded and seems a bit chilly. But vigorous head motions? That’s what he does..

B. Man With Hat – He’s sort of bobbing up and down, but he’s too worried about spilling his beer. He’s loving life.

C. Black Shirt, White Tie – Looks like he just got out of a tough meeting with a client. Interesting attire for a punk gig. He’s awfully afraid of getting hit by a firecracker. He progressively has more fun. At first he’s just kind of there but then he really starts getting into it…until the firecrackers.

D. Coffee Lady – She clearly stumbled upon the show after getting her mochafuckachino from Starbucks. Like the Man With Hat, she doesn’t want to spill that $3.00 concoction. God forbid.

E. Grey Long Sleeve Druggie – This guy takes the cake for being a pretty die-hard fan, but it’s all about the weed for this guy. Take a hit, dance around. Take a hit, dance around. He knows his routine. Stomp it out. Pull out expensive digital camera from pocket? What the fuck! Where’d that come from? Gets really fucking scared when the firecrackers set in. He curls up behind Black Shirt.

F. Frat Boy W/ Scarf – This guy is only shown for like 10 seconds total, but he’s worth nothing. He has on a pink scarf and is drinking from a solo cup. Frat party sucked so he took a road soader. He was also a late arrival.

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Band Spotlight: Box Elders

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Band: Box Elders
Year Formed: 2005
Label(s): Goner, Shattered, Hozac, Grotto
Members: Clayton McIntyre, Jeremiah McIntyre, Dave Goldberg
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Genre: Cave Pop (according to Facebook page), Garage Pop, Garage Rock, Rock and Roll, etc.
Influences: Redd Kross, Jeff Barry, The Clean, Science Fiction (all according to FB page)
Influenced: Time will tell
Top Songs: Jackie Wood, Alice and Friends, Atlantis, Hole In My Head, Ronald Dean, Isabella, Death of Me
Top Album: Alice and Friends (2009, Goner)
Note: If you like BE, you will probably also dig Nobunny, Black Lips, Thee Oh Sees, The Okmoniks, Hunx and The Punx, Jay Reatard, King Khan & BBQ Show, Mark Sultan, Bobby Ubangi, Gaye Blades, and others of similar styles/genres
Note II: Box Elders are opening for the Black Lips at the Middle East on March 25!
Comments: These guys create some of the catchiest, funnest, Rock and Roll around! Their live show is incredibly entertaining, especially due to drummer/keyboardist (yep, he plays both simultaneously!), Dave Goldberg’s exqusite dance moves/antics.

I’d rather post live versions, but they just don’t do justice to the studio versions. The videos themselves, that is, not the actual performances.

P.S. Glen and other Klyamers, why haven’t we done more BS on here like WE?!

Chris