1. “Your Mouth” – B- 2. “Oh Cody” – B 3. “Mask’s On” – A- 4. “Monster Kiss” – B 5. “Apple Tree” – B+
6. “Hippy Witch” – B 7. “I Am A Girlfriend” – B+ 8. “It’ll All Come Back” – B 9. “Tonight You Belong” – B- 10. “Mess Me Up” – A
11. “The Gutter” – A-
12. “Vicious Circle” – B+
Comments: Nobunny loves you! This piece of music was released on cassette, which is just about as outdated as Nobunny. Unlike Love Visions, Raw Romance is chalk full of slow and modest twee pop. You won’t have much luck finding something as energetic as “Chuck Berry Holiday” on this cassette. If you just want to chill in your chair and intake psilocybin mushrooms or the like then go for this thing. If you want to go up, down, north, south, east, or west then you’ll definitely prefer Love Visions. The sound quality on Raw exceeds Love, which is something I certainly didn’t expect. It’s funny hearing an extremely lo-fi demo version of “I Am A Girlfriend,” my favorite Nobunny song this side of “Chuck.” The demo of “Mess Me Up” is mad good. Funny Johnny Cash impersonation on “The Gutter.”
Band: The Morning Benders Release: 3/2010 Label: Rough Trade
1. “Excuses” – B+ 2. “Promises” – B+ 3. “Wet Cement” – B- 4. “Cold War” – B 5. “Pleasure Sighs” – B 6. “Hand Me Downs” – B- 7. “Mason Jar” – C 8. “All Day Day Light” – B
9. “Stitches” – A- 10. “Sleepin’ In” – B
Comments: Let’s get some shit straight: bands from California are pretty fun. I’ve said it a bunch of times, but it’s refreshing for a kid in Boston to hear some warm weather music. Don’t get me wrong though, The Morning Benders put together just an okay record. My favorite is “Stitches” so try checking that one out.
Bands: Forest Fire, The Married Men, The Growlers Venue: TT The Bears (Cambridge, MA) Date: February 16, 2010
Act One – Forest Fire –Unlike most of the bands that we see, the singer actually had an amazing voice to back up an amazing band. He also did a few song solo acoustic set which was pretty sweet. Campfire folk songs mainly, both of the depressing and uplifting variety.
Act Two – The Married Men – Picture like five dudes and one lone female who just got of work, but really didn’t. Dressed up for the junior prom or some shit like that and ready to kick some ass, they banged out a lengthy six song set that admittedly had some decent points, particularly the instrumentals. The music was a bit drawn out and stuff. The only thing they seemed excited about was their CD coming out that day.
Act Three – The Growlers – Oh shit The Growlers!!! The second Brooks Nielsen made it on stage, I could tell we were in for an experience. He was a genuinely funny man during set up, asking for one of his mics to be “wet as hell” and jokingly requesting if one of the guitarists could get some piss in his monitors, because he really had to go to pee. At any rate, the band performed two songs under your average white lights: “Sea Lion Goth Blues” and “Acid Rain.” These songs were among my pre-show favorites and it was just great to see them performed. Brooks then said “I know why people aren’t getting into us. It’s because of the lights. Turn them to fucking red or something.” And just like that Brooks was “stoked” and so wasn’t the rest of the audience and groupies/band members (hard to tell because they outnumbered the hoi polloi). Their fifty minute set had a bunch of other fun psychedelic numbers that entranced us all quite easily like “Stranger’s Road” and “Something Someone Junior.” The cross-dressing percussionist is a pretty damn random member, but he gets the job done well.
Final Grade:B+ – In terms of performance, persona, stage antics, and attitude, The Growlers definitely will long be remembered. I had an enjoyable time and I’m glad I found out about them so if they ever do come back (this was their first time in Boston) I’ll definitely attend.
Artist: The Kinks Full Title: The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society Year: 1968 Label: Reprise Grade: A Tracks:
1) The Vilage Green Preservation Society- 8
2) Do You Remember Walter?- 10, Best Track!
3) Picture Book– 9
4) Johnny Thunder- 8
5) Last of the Steam-Powered Trains- 8
6) Big Sky– 9/10
7) Sitting By the Riverside– 9
8) Animal Farm– 9
9) Village Green– 10
10) Starstruck– 9
11) Phenominal Cat- 8
12) All of My Friends Were There– 9
13) Wicked Annabella- 8
14) Monica- 8
15) People Take Pictures of Each Other- 8/9
Comments: Everyone knows at least a few Kinks songs. Believe me, for you buzzcocks out there, maybe you do not know who the Kinks are or were, but I am positive you have heard the classics, “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All Night, ” “Lola,” and so forth. Of course these are praiseworthy, but sadly the general public merely focuses on the aforementioned Kinks tunes and eshews their LPs, which are truly masterpieces of Pop and Rock and Roll music. When Village Green hit the stores it sold poorly in both the UK and the US, but especially in the states. This is due in part to the heavy use of British themes and the fact that the Kinks were banned in America; yeah they were badasses! But, clearly there was/is more to the lack of enthusiasm amongst music listeners than the above reasons. This begs a question I often ponder: What am I hearing in certain “pop” artists that seems so beautiful and catchy, that others are not hearing? Or what are they hearing that sounds so unappealing or atrocious to them? Perhaps, I have just developed taste, rather then simply looking to the mainstream for answers. But, seriously, it’s like why don’t or won’t people enjoy such diverse pop artists as Jay Reatard, Ween, or the Jesus and Mary Chain? Well…. early JAMC is pretty noisy lol. Anyway, I’ve leapt off into a wild tangent for too long. Back to the record, which by the way, is probably far more commercially successful then other critics and I will lead you to believe, when you compare the album’s sales to the likes of the Strange Boys and most of the other obscure artists chronicled on this blog. On the other hand, it is peculiar that such a mega rock act like the Kinks can have an album that is critically well receved and yet commerically flops. Other bands of the era like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones did not suffer from this syndrome, if you call it suffering. Ok, I am really done with that stuff for now! Sonically, this is a pop masterpiece, if I haven’t made that as clear as day, by this point. The music is cheery and upbeat, often matching with the colorful lyrics/themes displayed on this record. We have phenominal cats, big skies, stars, villages, plenty of pictures, riversides, and an animal farm. A recurring motif is the loss of childhood, suburban innocence (“Do You Remember Walter?” and “Village Green”) in exchange for superficial fame and glory, which turns sour (“Big Sky” and “Starstuck.”). In terms of the music, it’s farily soft, for the early practicioners of Hard Rock, but one can still jive to the group’s grooves. I don’t even know exactly what that means… With this record, the band expanded their seminal pop dynamics and displayed far more musical prowess and creativity, without abandoning their hooks. Overall, I can see why this is the Brits’ most critically acclaimed album; I highly recommend it to anyone and it is now amongst my favorite albums of all times. Top 50, yeah it’s that exqusite!
Artist: Bright Eyes Full Title: Lifted Or The Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground Year: 2002 Label: Saddle Creek Comments: Ok, so this review will be a la Glen. For the past two years I have adored Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning; it’s in my top ten favorite albums of all times. Now, I’ve heard some songs from various BE records, but I have not heard another album in its entirety, until now. And I must say after experiencing another BE LP, I am not as moved, sonically or spiritually. I tried my darnedest to get into this record, but it just wasn’t happening. I gave it 4/5 listens and it just never sent me flying off my rocker like IWAIM did. I’m suffering from classicalbumism, where you hear one album by an artist and you want everything else to sound like that gem. Well, don’t misconstrue me here, ‘Lifted’ is a sound recording and certainly worthy of at least a few listens. In fact, many of the styles later employed on IWAIM are displayed here, perhaps in a less accesible manner. The opening track, “The Big Picture,” however, drags on for far too long and would benefit from some trimming. On a positive note, I think Conor Oberst’s trademark, minor caterwoul and humorous declaritive language serves as a highly memorable way to close the LP in “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and Be Loved).” Haha, great title! So, I have decided to leave this ungraded for now; time will tell how I feel about it. Who knows, in a few months, years, possibly, it may appear on my list of favorite albums. It has happened before.
Comments: Beat Happening is very much a garage pop band. That might sound a little messed up, but what really makes that statement somewhat valid are the simple “punk” drum beats and the feedback heavy guitars. As far as vocals, that’s where Beat Happening is classically “twee” as Calvin and Heather both sound pretty indifferent and “outsider” in their singing. This album is extremely influential for me. There a bunch of songs that I just discovered that are really awesome on here.
Band: Waylon Thornton and the Heavy Hands Release: 1/2010 Label: White Moon Recordings
1. “Yours Truly” – A-
2. “Meet Me By The Garbage Can” – A 3.”I See Evil” – A 4.”Color TV” – A 5. “Walking With The Wicked” – A- 6. “I Slayed The Hydra” – B+ 7. “Men Don’t Cry” – A-
8. “Teenage Gluehead” – A
9. “Coca Cola Rock ‘N Roll” – A- 10. “Wolf Wagon” – B- 11. “The Man With The Golden Arm” – B+ 12. “Tuned Out” –A+
13. “Black Fur” – A- 14. “Manson Halloween” – N/A [Funny, though]
Comment: Ding Dong! First came Waylon Thornton then came the Ding Dongs, I know. As far as a point of reference go I’m thinking three parts Bloodshot Bill and two parts Mark Sultan on this one. Bill’s instrumentation and Mark’s singing. This psychobilly filled mother father was released on cassette! How 1995 of Waylon! The best song on here is “Tuned Out.” It’s a quickie, clocking in @ 1:38. Definitely give this crazy thing a listen if you are into Ding Dong kind of tomfoolery.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 