Category Archives: Music
The Gutter Twins: All Misery/Flowers
With Greg Dulli coming to a sold out Boston show (from what I read most major city stops of his shows have been sold out on this tour), I figured over the next couple of days I would post a few videos taking a look at his work. Here is a video showcasing his longstanding collaboration with Mark Lanegan (Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees). While they have worked together on various projects throughout the years, they officially released (an amazing) album called Saturnalia under then name ‘The Gutter Twins’. Here is the song “All Misery/Flowers”.
7″ Review: LSD Saves b/w Mood Ring [2010]
Band: Harlem
Release: 5/2010
Label: Matador
1. “LSD Saves” – A
2. “Mood Ring” – A-
Comments: How did I not hear about this one? I don’t know! “LSD Saves” is a psychedelic (shocking for Harlem, I know!) rock and roller that sounds quite like a Brit invasion oldie or something. It’s quick and fun.. as driving fast on acid while getting your wing-wang squeezed. “Mood Ring” isn’t quite on the same level of “LSD,” but it’s vintage Harlem. You know? It’s cool.
Grade: A- (93)
Band Rec: The Boy Toys
Another band on Burger Records that pretty much kicks ass. Check out the songs on their MySpace…they play a neat blend of scuzzy, lo-fi bubblegum rock and roll. It’s kind of like listening to Mark Sultan through a tin can. The song “One,” what a helluva track.
Original ‘The Stills’ lineup reunite
Greg Paquet, former vocalist and lead guitarist of The Stills, left the band in 2005 after the tours supporting their debut album ‘Logic Will Break Your Heart’ and was replaced on guitar by drummer, Dave Hamelin. Recently Greg has rejoined the band and Dave has moved back behind the drum kit, essentially reuniting the original lineup that created the excellent pre-mentioned debut album (the line up is the same except it now includes keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals Liam O’Neil). Here is the video from The Stills debut album for the excellent song “Lola Stars and Stripes” (I was really tempted to go with “Still in Love Song” though).
CD Review: Down There [2010]
Band: Avey Tare
Release: 10/2010
Label: Paw Tracks
1. “Laughing Hieroglyphic” – B
2. “3 Umbrellas” – B
3. “Oliver Twist” – B+
4. “Glass Bottom Boat” – B-
5. “Ghost of Books” – B–
6. “Cemeteries” – B-
7. “Heads Hammock” – B+
8. “Heather In The Hospital” – B+
9. “Lucky 1” – B
Comments: Primary song-writer and founding member of Animal Collective, Avey Tare decided to give a go at a solo album. Right from the start, it is fairly obvious that the sound is retro to the direction that Merriweather Post Pavilion went in. The first two tracks are of the experimental variety while “Oliver Twist” is still pretty weird, yet danceable. Credit the drum beat on that one. The next two are old time AC sounding. So yeah if anyone, anyone at all, was expecting some kind of clean pop MPP sort of stuff, you will be disappointed! Fans of early work might be like “yo, this is pretty good” and people sympathetic to these creative voyages might just think “yeah, it’s okay.” If Deerhunter and Atlas Sound and so forth make “efficient ambiance” than Avey makes rather run of the mill ambiance. Your mind won’t be blown after listening to this. In the rare event that it does, you better find a new brain. Then again you might have been listening to this on some kind of psychedelic substance, so who am I to judge such a subjective experience? I’m calling out “Heads Hammock” as the best thing on here. So, yeah, Avey, good attempt, bro. Real solid effort. You did your thing and people should respect it.
Grade: B (84)
Song of the Day: “Black Wave”
By one of my new favorites…Wheels On Fire!
CD Review: Civilized [2009]
Artist:
stellastarr*
Label: Bloated Wife Records
1. “Robot” B-
2. “Freak Out” A
3. “Tokyo Sky” B
4. “Numbers” B-
5. “Graffiti Eyes” A-
6. “Prom Zombie” B-
7. “Warchild” A
8. “People” B+
9. “Move On” B+
10. “Sonja Cries” A-
Comments: After their last album Harmonies for the Haunted that spawned the hit single “Sweet Troubled Soul” the band stellastarr* (sometimes just referred to as Stellastarr) took to their own label Bloated Wife Records (named after a hidden track on Harmonies for the Haunted) after leaving RCA Records, and in 2009 came up with the album Civilized. While not nearly as polished as their previous efforts and nothing is produced that was as marketable as “Sweet Troubled Soul”, major improvements has been made. Most notably, Bassist and back up vocalist Amanda Tannen is used much more frequently and more efficiently, then in previous efforts. Secondly, guitarist and lead singer Shawn Christensen sounds much more relaxed and comfortable on this album. Lastly stellastarr has become much better song writers and crafters, previous efforts has really been hit and miss (although when they hit, their really good), like I said nothing measures up to “Sweet Troubled Soul” or even “My Coco”, but overall the album is much more consistent. The album starts off with a good effort sung entirely by Amanda on “Robot” and comes close to their best work with “Freak Out”. From then out its one solid song after another that will please any hipster, which eventually peaks with the song “Warchild”. The album winds down after that ending on a strong note with “Sonja Cries”. Overall the album isn’t a game changer for music, the post punk genre, or even the band, it just happens to be a solid effort, from a band who has shown sparks of greatness, but has not shown us what they can do. But after listening to this album a few times, I have hope that maybe one day they can craft that masterpiece that they always been hinting at but never delivered on, yet.
Grade: B- (82/100)
King Khan & The Shrines H & E
Hopes: In my own little weird way I hope Khan does something like the above portrait or something equally (or more) outrageous. But, more importantly I wish to see an even greater performance, spectacle, if you will than I saw previously (which was one of my all time favorite concerts). I hope Gentlemen rock out even harder than the last two times I have seen them, playing all my favorites like “All I Need Tonight (Is You),” “Butterfingers,” “I Get So Excited,” and others. Lastly, I envision Red Mass to join my plethora of kick ass artists I have seen live and possibly become favorite of mine.
Expectations: This show is just as good, if not slightly better, than the last show, but lacks some of the intimacy of the Paradise setting. They put on a fun and/or entertaining show, but aren’t as “crazy” as they have been, which is more than ok as that’s not why I am going to see them (music clearly comes first). Gentlemen are just as good as last time, but don’t play all of my faves. And finally I expect Red Mass to be good, but probably not on the road to favoritism (a new word I coined).
In any case, I can’t wait!
Memory #3: Head Banging With King!
Yeah, that’s Glen and Me.
