Category Archives: Music

Concert Review: The Pixies & Jay Reatard @ Wang Theatre (11/27/09)

Bands: Pixies, Jay Reatard
Venue: Wang Theatre (Citi Performing Arts Center), Boston, MA
Date: Friday, November 27, 2009

Act One: Jay Reatard

1. Blood Visions (BV)
2. It’s So Easy (BV)
3. Nightmares (BV)
4. Fading All Away (BV)
5. It Ain’t Gonna Save Me (WMF)
6. My Shadow (BV)
7. Oh It’s Such A Shame (BV)
8. I’m Watching You (WMF)
9. I Know A Place (S 06-07)
10. All Over Again (S 06-07)
11. See/Saw (MS ’08)
12. Hammer I Miss You (S 06-07)
13. Before I Was Caught (WMF)
14. Faking It (WMF)
15. There’s No Sun (WMF)
16. Waiting For Something (BV)
17. Trapped Here (MS ’08)

Jay and His Denmarkian cohorts (Cola Freaks), they robbed the painted nude ceiling women of their respective virginities with their twelve o’clock chunk, even though most of the crowd was settling in through their set. Their sound was great. I only wish that I was standing and bumping into my companions. As soon as they hit the stage, they blasted into the classic “Blood Visions.” Within just a few moments of mayhem, Jay Reatard aficionados, the few of us, could tell he sounded better than ever before. One fan in particular was so excited he stood up and wildly danced and humped the air! The songs were longer (well, by his standards lol) and resembled their studio counterparts a bit more, whilst retaining that noisy assault Jay prides himself on. Highlights were “See/Saw” (as always) and “I Know A Place,” although the entire set was exceptional. Without a doubt Jay Reatard goes down as my favorite opening act. Alas, the performance was underappreciated, since everyone came for the Pixies, but that’s okay because we’re all fucking creeps!

Act Two: The Pixies
Speaking of creepiness, there’s nothing creepier than Salavdor Dali and his eye ball spinning and slicing, short film, Un Chien Andalou, which was displayed on a gigantic screen for the audience to see. As all Pixies devotees should know, the signature song, “Debaser,” was based on Dali’s spooky work of art. With this in mind, you would think they would open with that song. But, instead they opened with most of the Doolittle B Sides: “Dancing the Manta Ray,” “Weird In My School,” and “Manta Ray,” finishing the would be LP tracks later. This was only a minor qualm for me, because I (and everyone else) was so excited to see The Pixies! As Kim Deal noted, they were “crusin” through the B Sides and they cruised right into “Debaser,” continuing with the entire Doolittle album, as planned. While the band cranked out these classics the audience witnessed vairous, often bizarre, images on the big screen. These videos perefectly complemented the wonderfully horrific music of the Pixies. Horrific in the sense of unsettling. But, of course with their pop hooks and rock and roll chops, one couldn’t feel any emotion but sheer thrill and joy. Musically and technically they weren’t as proficient as Sonic Youth, pretty damn close though. Where they may have slightly (and I stress slightly) lacked in musical ability and sound quality they surely made up for in showmanship. The quartet kept the audience standing and bopping and shaking from the moment they hit the stage till the very end. When they finished their magnum opus, they briefly left the stage. Next, they returned to complete their B Sides. A nice little theatric came in the form of smoke, which engulfed the crowd as the band kicked “Into the White.” Then they played a rather familiar song AGAIN: “Wave of Mutilation UK Surf.” The second version of the classic, merrily malevelent number was more serene than it’s original counterpart, giving the eerie lyrics it’s eerie due a la Jay Reatarard- “Searching For You” perhaps. So, after these two tunes, The Pixies said good bye and hit the dustry trail….. for a bit. After highly energized crowd response, the group pulled a Sonic Youth and returned for Encore II. This time, there were no more Doolittle tracks or B Sides left. What would they play?! Well, they began with the endearing, “Where Is My Mind?” much to everyone’s delight. Next came “Caribou,” a solid performance for a solid track. The night concluded with “Vamos,” another Surfer Rosa classic (WIMM being the first).

Chris Overall: A + Yes, it did indeed beat out Sonic Youth, which was tough, tough competition. This concert is unique in that I recognized every song performed, including both opening act and main act. That has never happened before! So, what else is there to say; one of my favorite bands playing one of my favorite albums, what more can I ask for?

Glen Overall: I’d give this a fringe A+. Excellent sets by both bands. Some Pixies songs that really really caught my attention were “In The White,” “Money Gone To Heaven,” and “La La Love You.” I like Jay’s new direction and I sincerely hope that he will be able to find adequate replacements when the two Cola Freaks go back to being Cola Freaks full-time (provided they don’t go full Reatard). Obviously, I’d prefer a more interactive experience to just standing up in amazement. Motion is always a plus.

Chris

* POST SHOW UPDATE* It should be noted that this was one of Jay Reatard’s final performances, for he passed away nearly two months later. Long live Jay and long live the Pixies! It was an honor to see both legends on the same stage. RIP Jay.

Recommended Listens

If you are a fan of far out garage/noise/punk then you ought to head over to the blog Teenage Lobotomy and download their Mix Volume 2. Most of the songs on the Mix are by unknowns, at least to me anyway.

Acid Eater‘s “Top of Spot” is straight up noise-punk. Rat Traps‘ “Tennessee Rock ‘N Roll” is precisely the type of song that I am influenced by. It’s lo-fi garage pop to the max. AH Kraken‘s “Axe Vertical” shouldn’t claim to be anything except a really lo-fi cut of a repetitive psychedelic riff. Nice Face‘s extremely quick “Beater” reminds me of good old Thee Oh Sees and No Bunny. Watch out for FNU Ronnies‘ “Meat” because it’s crackly, noisy, and threatening to your personal security. Human Eye‘s “Rare Little Creature” is a manifestation of the band’s alien punk attitude, which doesn’t actually tell you too much about their sound, but that’s fine. It’s got keyboards like the Spooks do, but HE is more notorious. “Mental Shark Bite” by Final Solutions isn’t too awesome, but it gets the job done much like a band called  Scouflaws does. The Spaceshits, yes Mark Sultan/King Khan Spaceshits, were hailed as one of the best garage bands north of the border and I can see that as fact even though the recording of “Bacon Grease” is exactly that. The Homosexual Police Officers (okay…Fag Cop… for short) sound like a Black Lips side project, but no no they aren’t. Their “Skull Splits” is a glass shattering, mumbling, noise tune that gives their mom a kiss, but fucks your sister too. Check out the evolving beats on the spoken word garage popper “The Nihilist” by TV Ghost, an In The Red groupie. Wolfdowners‘ “Tooshie Bagel” doesn’t really present anything new and exciting to the table, unfortunately. Francis Harold and the Holograms is a damn mouthful and so is their song “Glitter Girlz,” which is a bit too hardcore for me. Lamps “Rototiller” is buried so deep in the grave of garage punk that you’d be a hero to dig this Electric Eels-esque shit up. Homostupids (are they homo or what’s up?) “Beneath the Blackman” is a Circle Jerks B-Side or something. Well, it could have been. Monoshock is an acid trip gone bad, or at least that’s what they said about songs like “Mexican Dentistry” from these ’90s ‘cisco psych-punks.

Just listening to this Mix reminds me that I know near- nothing about the type of music I like.

MY Top Songs of the 2000s


Mmmmmmm
I agree with Glen in maitaining a 3 song limit for each artist.
A:
Against Me!:
1) Baby, I’m An Anarchist (2002)
2) Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious (2002)
3) Pints of Guiness Make You Strong (2002)

The Almighty Defenders:
1) Cone of Light (2009)
2) The Ghost With the Most (2009)
3) Bow Down and Die (2009)

Andrew W.K.:
1) We Want Fun (2002)
2) Party Hard (2001)
3) It’s Time to Party (2001)

Animal Collective
:
1) Summertime Clothes (2009)
2) Peacebone (2007)
3) Who Could Win a Rabbit (2004)

Anti-Flag:
1) Turncoat (2003)
2) This Is the End (2006)

Arcade Fire:
1) Rebellion (Lies) (2005)
2) My Body Is a Cage (2007)
3) Intervention (2007)

Arctic Monkeys:
1) Riot Van (2006)
2) Fluorescent Adolescent (2007)
3) I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor (2006)

Audioslave:
1) Like A Stone (2002)

B

Babyshambles:
1) Lust of the Libertines (2007)

Beat Happening:
1) Angel Gone (2000)

Beck:
1) E-Pro (2005)

Black Lips:
1) Bad Kids (2007)!!!!!!
2) Sea of Blasphemy (2005)
3) Fairy Stories (2005)

Bo Burnham:
1) Klan Kookout (2007)

Bobby Ubangi:
1) Greaser’s Lament (2009)
2) Back To You (2009)
3) Another Girl Like You (2009)

Bon Iver:
1) For Emma (2008)

Box Elders:
1) Atlantis (2009)
2) Ronald Dean (2009)
3) Death of Me (2009)

Brand New:
1) Degausser (2007)

Bright Eyes:
1) Road to Joy (2005)
2) Lua (2005)
3) We Are Nowhere and It’s Now (2005)

C

Chimaira:
1) The Impossibility of Reason (2003)
2) Pure Hatred (2003)

CKY:
1) Flesh Into Gear (2002)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!:
1) In This Home On Ice (2005)
2) Clap Your Hands! (2005)
3) Satan Said Dance (2007)

Cold War Kids:
1) Passing the Hat (2006)

Cyrpess Hill:
1) (Rock) Superstar (2000)

D

Daphne Loves Derby:
1) How’s It Going to End? (2007)
2) You Versus the Sea (2005)
3) Pollen and Salt (2005)
Dead Prez:
1) Hip-Hop (2000)

Death From Above 1979:
1) Little Girl (2004)

Deerhunter:
1) Disappearing Ink (2009)
2) Game of Diamonds (2009)
3) Famous Last Words (2009)

Deftones:
1) Change (In the House of Flies) (2000)
2) Knife Party (2000)
3) Feiticeria (2000)

Dinosaur Jr:
1) I Want You to Know (2009)
2) Over It (2009)
3) Pieces (2009)

Dresden Dolls:
1) Girl Anacrhonism (2003)
2) Coin-Operated Boy (2003)
3) First Orgasm (2006)

E

The Early November:
1) Never Coming Back (2006)

Editors:
1) Distance (2005)
2) Dust In the Sunlight (2005)
3) Munich (2005)

Elliott Smith:
1) I Better Be Quiet Now (2000)
2) Son of Sam (2000)
3) L.A. (2000)

Eminem:
1) Stan (2000)
2) Kill You (2000)
3) Lose Yourself (2002)

F

Fall Of Troy:
1) Oh the Casino! (2007)
2) Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man’s Bones (2005)
3) The Dark Trail (2007)

Fatlip:
1) What’s Up Fatlip? (2000)

Finger Eleven:
1) First Time (2001)
2) Sick Of It All (2001)

Flobots:
1) Rise (2007)
2) Handlebars (2007)

Foo Fighters:
1) Best of You (2005)
2) All My Life (2002)
3) Times Like These (2002)

Frou Frou:
1) Let Go (2002)

Fucked Up:
1) Twice Born (2008)

Fugazi:
1) Epic Problem (2001)
2) Cashout (2001)
3) Argument (2001)

G

Gary Jules and Michael Andrews:
1) Mad World

Gaye Blades:
1) Bobby Is A Lover (2008)
2) Treat Me Like A Man (2008)

Girls:
1) Lust For Life (2009)

GlassJaw:
1) Lovebites and Razorlines (2000)
2) Pretty Lush (2000)
3) Siberian Kiss (2000)

H

Handsome Furs:
1) All We Want Baby Is Everything (2009)
2) Legal Tender (2009)
3) Evangeline (2009)

Head Automatica:
1) Beating Heart Baby (2004)
2) I Shot William H. Macy (2004)
3) The Razor (2004)

I

Immortal Technique:
1) Freedom of Speech (2003)
2) Dance With the Devil (2001)
3) Bin Laden (2005)

Incubus:
1) Talk Shows on Mute (2003)
2) Megalomaniac (2003)
3) Nice to Know You (2001)

Interpol:
1) NYC (2005)

Iron and Wine:
1) Such Great Heights (2003)

J

Jay Reatard:
1) See/Saw (2008)
2) No Time (2008)
3) Rotten Mind (2009)

Jens Lekman:
1) Maple Leaves (2004)

Johnny Cash:
1) Hurt (2003)

K

Kimya Dawson:
1) So Nice, So Smart (2004)
2) Tire Swing (2006)
3) My Mom (2006)

King Khan & BBQ Show:
1) Too Much In Love (2006)
2) Anala (2009)
3) Invisible Girl (2009)

King Khan & The Shrines:
1) Land Of the Freak (2007)
2) Crackin’ Up (2001)
3) Took My Lady to Dinner (2007)

Kings of Leon
:
1) Use Somebody (2009)

L

The Libertines:
1) Time For Heroes (2003)
2) Narcissist (2004)
3) Up the Bracket (2003)

Louis XIV
:
1) Finding Out True Love Is Blind (2005)

Lovely Feathers:
1) Pope John Paul (2006)
2) Rod Stewart (2006)

M

The Mabuses:
1) Dark Star (2007)
2) I’m the Greatest (2007)
3) Seasider (2007)

Mando Diao:
1) The Band (2002)

Mark Sultan:
1) Something Wrong (2007)
2) Mortal Man (2007)
3) Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey (2007)

Mewithoutyou:
1) In A Sweater Poorly Knit (2006)
2) Orange Spider (2006)
3) Messes of Men (2006)

Mika Miko:
1) I Got A Lot (New New New) (2009)
2) On the Rise (2009)
3) Beat the Rush (2009)

Miracle Johan:
1) Gets Me Thinking (2005)
2) How I Awoke (2005)

Modest Mouse:
1) Float On (2004)

The Moldy Peaches
:
1) Anyone Else But You (2001)

N

Necro:
1) Your Fucking Head Split (2000)
2) I Need Drugs (2000)

The Nightwatchman:
1) Battle Hymns (2007)
2) No One Left (2007)
3) California’s Dark (2007)

Nine Inch Nails:
1) The Hand That Feeds You (2005)
2) Only (2005)

No Age:
1) Everybody’s Down (2007)
2) Eraser (2008)
3) You’re A Target (2009)

No One’s Kind:
1) Unwelcome (2003)
2) Drama (2003)
3) The Art of Breathing Underwater (2003)

Nobunny:
1) Chuck Berry Holiday (2009)

O

Ok Go:
1) Here It Goes Again (2006)

P

Page France :
1) Chariot (2005)
2) Feather (2005)
3) Spine (2004)

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart:
1) Hey Paul (2009)
2) Come Saturday (2009)
3) A Teenager In Love (2009)

Panda Bear:
1) Bro’s (2008)

A Perfect Circle :
1) 3 Libras (2000)

Peter Bjorn and John:
1) Amsterdam (2006)
2) Young Folks (2006)
3) Tailormaide (2006)

The Polyphonic Spree:
1) Light and Day (2003)

Postal Service:
1) Such Great Heights (2003)

Puscifer:
1) Cuntry Boner (2007)

R

Radiohead:
1) You and Whose Army? (2001)
2) Nude (2007)
3) Videotape (2003)

Rage Against the Machine:
1) Beautiful World (2000)
2) How I Could Just Kill A Man (2000)
3) The Ghost of Tom Joad (2000)

Richard Cheese:
1) Gin and Juice (2004)

The Rifles:
1) Peace and Quiet (2006)

Rogue Wave:
1) Kicking the Heart Out (2003)

The Roots:
1) Somebody’s Gotta Do It (2004)
2) Boom! (2004)
3) Don’t Say Nuthin’ (2004)

S

Sam Roberts:
1) Bridge To Nowhere (2006)

Shellac:
1) Prayer to God (2000)
2) Squirrel Song (2000)
3) Mama Gina (2000)

The Shins:
1) New Slang (2001)
2) Caring Is Creepy (2001)

Sigur Ros:
1) Heysatan (2005)

Silhouette Rising:
1) Riverside (2009)
2) Behind Closed Doors (2009)
3) Perserverence (2009)

The Soggy Bottom Boys:
1) The Man Of Constant Sorrow (2000)

Sonic Youth:
1) Incinerate (2006)
2) What We Know (2009)
3) Anti-Orgasm (2009)

Spinto Band:
1) Oh Mandy (2005)

The Spooks:
1) Steal Your Soul (2008)

The Strange Boys:
1) Woe Is You and Me (2009)
2) No Way For A Slave to Behave (2009)
3) Then (2009)

Street Sweeper Social Club :
1) 100 Little Curses (2009)

The Strokes:
1) Is This It? (2001)
2) You Only Live Once (2006)
3) Reptilia (2004)

Sufjan Stevens:
1) Chicago (2005)

Sunset Rubdown:
1) Idiot Heart (2009)
2) They Took A Vote and Said No (2006)
3) Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh! (2009)

System Of A Down:
1) Prison Song (2001)
2) Boom! (2002)
3) Radio/Video (2005)

T

Tapes ‘n Tapes:
1) Manitoba (2005)
2) Insistor (2005)

Tokyo Police Club:
1) Cheer It On (2006)

Tool:
1) Schism (2001)
2) Right In Two (2006
3) Vicarius (2006)

Trevor Hall
1) Lime Tree (2006)

Two Gallants:
1) Las Cruces Jail (2006)

U

Uninhabitable Mansions:
1) Speed Is Deceiving (2009)

The Used:
1) A Poetic Tragedy (2002)
2) Buried Myself Alive (2002)
3) Maybe Memories (2002)

V

Vampire Weekend:
1) I Stand Corrected (2008)

The Veils:
1) The Leavers Dance (2004)

Vivian Girls:
1) Before I Start to Cry (2009)
2) When I’m Gone (2009)
3) Double Vision (2009)

W

The Walkmen:
1) Passing Through (2008)
2) In the New Year (2008)
3) Louisiana (2006)

The Warlocks:
1) Shake the Dope Out (2002)

Wavves:
1) So Bored (2009)
2) No Hope Kids (2009)
3) Summer Goths (2008)

Weezer:
1) Keep Fishin (2002)
2) Hash Pipe(2001)
3) Island In the Sun (2001)

Wolf Parade:
1) Modern World (2005)

Wolftron
1) Steps (2007)

Wu-Tang Clan:
1) In Tha Hood (2001)

40 Below Summer:
1) We the People (2001)
2) Rope (2001)
3) Step Into the Sideshow (2001)

Chris

Top Songs of 2000s (A-C)

It was hard choosing just three songs for these guys!

A maximum of three songs per band and they must be favorites!

Alec Ounsworth
1. Pass Along This Way – 2003

Almighty Defenders
1. Cone of Light – 2009
2. Ghost With The Most – 2009
3. All My Loving – 2009

Animal Collective
1. Fireworks – 2007
2. Grass – 2005
3. Peacebone – 2007

Arcade Fire
1. Rebellion (Lies) – 2004
2. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) – 2004

Arctic Monkeys
1. Fluorescent Adolescent – 2007
2. I Bet You  Look Good on the Dancefloor – 2005
3. Dancing Shoes – 2005

Atlas Sound
1. Walkabout (Featuring Noah Lennox)

Beirut
1. Postcards From Italy

Black Lips
1. Not A Problem – 2007
2. Fad – 2003
3. Juvenile – 2007

Bobby Ubangi
1. Back To You – 2009

Bon Iver
1. For Emma – 2007

Bright Eyes
1. Road To Joy – 2005
2. We Are Nowhere and It’s Now – 2005
3. Lua – 2005

Built to Spill
1. Strange – 2001

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
1. Over and Over Again – 2005
2. Heavy Metal – 2005

Cold War Kids
1. Passing The Hat – 2006
2. Pregnant – 2006
3. Hang Me Up To Dry – 2006

Crystal Castles
1. Crimewave (Crystal Castles Vs. Health)

Dandy Warhols
1. We Used To Be Friends – 2003

Deerhunter
1. Disappearing Ink – 2009

Editors
1. Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors – 2007
2. Munich – 2007
3. Papillon – 2009

Flashy Python
1. Obscene Queen Bee – 2009

Fleet Foxes
1. White Winter Hymnal – 2008
2. Mykonos – 2008

French Kicks
1. Abandon – 2008
2. So Far We Are – 2006
3. 1985 – 2002

Fugazi
1. Argument – 2001

Grizzly Bear
1. Colorado – 2006
2. Knife – 2006

Handsome Furs
1. Dead + Rural – 2007
2. All We Want, Baby, Is Everything – 2009
3. Evangeline – 2009

Head Automatica
1. Please Please Please – 2004
2. The Razor – 2004

Immortal Technique
1. Freedom of Speech

My Christmas Must Sees

Films (in no particular order):
1) It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
2) A Christmas Carol (in any of it’s versions, specifically 1951. I usually attend the play, as I will be in two weeks. One of the few plays I enjoy seeing)
3) A Christmas Story (1983)
4) Home Alone (1990)
5) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
6) The Santa Claus (1994)
7) Edward Scissorhands (1990) (okay, so only towards the end of the film this is applicable, but for me it gets me in the mood)
8) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) (I suppose this is more apropos for Halloween)
9) Bad Santa (2003)
10) Die Hard (1988)

Tv:
1) The Simpsons- Most of their Christmas specials are worthy, but specifically, “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire” (1989)
2) South Park- Same deal as above, but especially “Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo” (1997)
3) Family Guy- “A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas” (2001)
4) At least one Johnny Cash Special
5) Dr.Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1964)
6) Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
7) Frosty The Snowman (1969)
8) It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas (2009)- Potentially Must See because the show is great, but I have not yet seen this special
9) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
10) SNL- various skits

Reading:
A Christmas Carol By:Charles Dickens (1843)
A Story A Day Till Christmas Various Authors (1985)
The Catcher in the Rye By: J.D. Salinger (1951)

I usually end up viewing only half of these! But, either way, I have a lot of work to do and I recommend others to watch/ read them too. I would recommend music, but that will take too long. I’ll save it for another day. To kick things off, here’s Adam Sandler in a classic SNL skit. It’s too bad that Youtube doesn’t have the actual video, oh well.

Chris