Look up and down and all around, and then look to the righthandside of your screen and you will see two demonic disciples that call themselves Fat History Month. What do they sound like? God only knows. But, if you want to learn more about Fat History Month, check out the wonderful site below.
Artists: Handsome Furs, Earthquake Party
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Venue: Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA
Comments:
Act I: Earthquake Party– Wow, I have to say I was really impressed with this local trio. I am surprised that up until this point I have never heard of them, I suppose I am not the best at keeping up with local acts. In some ways, I wish I had know them before so I could get into the songs more, because I could tell they had some sweet songs beneath their electrifying showmanship. So, due to my unfamiliarity with their material I focused more on the sonic aspect of their performance, which was nothing short of pure, noisy entertainment. I mean noisy in the good sense, I felt like there was a nice wall of jostling noise. At the end of the day, despite my feelings of enjoyment, I don’t know how much time I will devote to getting familiar with their work, but I will keep an eye out for their shows in the future. KLYAM recommend for sure.
Main Act: Handsome Furs- Ahh yes the Handsome Furs, a longtime KLYAM favorite of sorts. One of the first concerts we (meaning Glen, though both of us were in attendance) reviewed for this site (July 2009). And just like then, we were both greatly impressed with their set. In fact, this time around they were even better. The Furs hit the stage and were gretted with an unprecedented amount of crowd response. The couple displayed immense apprecation for their audience’s enthusiasm; seriously I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much fan-performer love. In terms of the sound, it was one of the finest sonic experiences I’ve had at the Brighton Music Hall/Harpers Ferry. Since, I’m not a huge fan of the group (Glen is the big Furs KLYAM guy) I only knew a few songs, but I enjoyed all of them. Classics that I recognized included 2009’s Face Control cuts- “All We Want Baby Is Everything” and “Legal Tender.” As far as showmanship goes, the duo were outstanding. A great moment in particular came when Dan hopped intot he crowd and placed his arms around his many, excited fans, and pogoed- all involved singing along to the Furs’ pop magic. Dan can definitely get a crowd roaring, but Alexi is even better. The way she dances and thrusts with such force is nothing short of spectacular; if this was the 1950s, she would be executed as a Communist spy- God that’s so damn hot! But it’s truly a nice sight, and of course there’s a healthy amount of eroticism in the mix and when you mesh that with the dance rock/electronica of the Furs it just creates an all the more sensuous experience. Speaking of erotic tendencies, there’s plenty of casual sexual play between Dan and Alexi, which teeters back and forth betwen a display of affection and unabashed steamy interactions. Don’t worry, nothing past PG-13 hahaha. All in all, a fine performance, highly recommended.
Grade: 7/10- if I was a bigger fan, this would probably be an 8, so this is a real strong 7 fellas.
Oklahoma fuzz freaks The Boom Bang have made yet another music video. If you recall some months back I posted their video for “Tobacula” and that was just good ole weird. This one follows suit in that department. Just look at the song title. Too crazy for MTV, too crazy for local access television.
From Norton’s Website: Ten spectacular new recordings featuring members of the Black Lips, Gentleman Jesse and his Men and the Carbonas! Nine originals plus an amazing Sanford Clark cover! Pretty Boy / You Were With Him / His Girl / We Are Only Gonna Die / Jesus Didn’t Try Hard Enough To Save My Soul / Cry Of The Castrati / O So Far Away / I Wanna Join The James Gang / Still As The Night / Don’t Get Married
Long live the Rifles! This sounds like a song that would be in FIFA.
Band: Jacuzzi Boys
Release: 9/2011
Label: Hardly Art
1. “Vizcaya” – B
2. “Automatic Jail” – B-
3. “Glazin” – B+
4. “Cool Vapors” – C+
5. “Libras and Zebras” – C
6. “Crush” – C+
7. “Silver Sphere (Death Dream)” – C
8. “Zeppelin” – C-
9. “Los Angeles” – B
10. “Koo Koo With You” – C-
Comments: Upfront disclosure: I did not expect a softie album from the Jacuzzi Boys. Now, softie to one may be hardcore punk to another. This is a lite album, though, a diet rock ‘n roll. Traditional pop hooks are everywhere on Glazin’…make no mistake. It’s just that No Seasons, the band’s debut from 2009, possessed these hooks and then some. We live in times where bands with even the most marginal independent label support can spend longer time in a studio setting and complete a nicer sounding record. Sometimes, though, nicer sounding comes across as forced. The late great Jay Reatard didn’t find any remote worth in arranging a block of time for recording. He recorded whenever he felt like it. True, many bands don’t have 24/7 access to sophisticated home recording equipment, but Jay’s point holds. I feel like the experimentation that Jacuzzi Boys endeavor in is a result of them having that extra studio time available. In the end, they stick with internal familiarity. Mid-album songs like “Libras and Zebras” and “Crush” don’t sound like anything the Jacuzzi Boys have done, but by that point in the album it’s as if “oh yeah, I’ve heard something like that a few tracks ago, but it was better.” With “Silver Sphere,” we have an excessive song on our hands folks. It drags and stuff. I sense a bit of cheesiness with Glazin’. It’s fun to be fun and the Jacuzzi’s seemed to have carried that kind of spirit in the making of this record, but where’s the “Smells Dead” and “Island Avenue” circa 2011?
Grade: C+ (77)
This was one of the most entertaining Nardwuar interviews I have ever seen. So, I guess the Black Lips have rivals in the urination department. Just watch the interview.
Can’t wait for Friday- Hunx and His Punx @ T.T the Bears!
Band: Dum Dum Girls
Release: 9/2011
Label: Sub Pop
1. “Always Looking” – A+
2. “Bedroom Eyes” – A
3. “Just A Creep” – A-
4. “In My Head” – A-
5. “Heartbeat” – B+
6. “Caught in One” – A-
7. “Coming Down” – A+
8. “Wasted Away” – A-
9. “Teardrops On My Pillow” – B+
10. “Hold Your Hand” – B
Comments: Quick thing that I’ve noticed right off: Dee Dee’s voice goes full-circle in the sexiness/appealing category. “Always Looking” is an Austin Powers 4 sound-track candidate with swampy guitar and even a happy-go-lucky clapping part. FELT! HEART! Haven’t heard that kind of stuff since The Go Team! In terms of stuffiness of hooks and all that stuff (pun intended), this album gets high marks. I’ve always thought Dum Dum Girls had some serious development potential when I saw them open twice for KK+BBQ. It was a relatively new band at the time so things live weren’t as “hitting” as on record. But this record is much fuller than I Will Be. We get better harmonies, better vocal focus. As various press releases indicate, Only in Dreams is about relationship emptiness and life emptiness. Despite this subject matter, it never really gets in the way of fun rock ‘n’ roll. It gives Dee Dee a much better platform as a song-writer. Make no mistaking Dum Dum Girls with their girl group contemporaries. The middle chunk of songs are fine pieces, but it’s not until “Coming Down” that things pick up. This song is powerful (as I’ve mentioned in a previous review) and will knock you on your ass if your susceptible to this kind of excellence. Upon showing it to someone, they quipped… is this a live recording? Not so much the case, though the distorted/washed guitars make one wonder. I am fan of this. Puts more focus on the beautiful songwriting. Bridge is perfect: “I THINK I’M COMING DOWN. HERE I GO…HERE I GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” It does indeed have the same chord progression/vocal stylings as Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You,” but builds on it in a very modern fashion. As a rule, I Will Be packs more immediate punches, more in your face(ness) than Only in Dreams. Only in Dreams takes its time and this just goes to show to you how far this band has come. Going from Sub Pop rookies, to King Khan and BBQ Show openers, to Girls openers, they’ve spent quite a bit of time covering a lot of ground while getting their music out there. And great for them. They are headlining The Paradise in October. Check this out, check that out.
Grade: A- (91)
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 