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Black Lips, Music, reviews

LP Review: Black Lips Live @ Third Man

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Band: Black Lips
Release: 2012
Label: Third Man Records

[A Side]
1. “Family Tree” (Arabia Mountain)
2. “Stuck In My Mind” (7″)
3. “O Katrina” (Good Bad Not Evil)
4. “Make It” (7″)
5. “Lock and Key” (Good Bad Not Evil)
6. “Modern Art” (Arabia Mountain)

[B Side]
1. “I Saw A Ghost (Lean) (Good Bad Not Evil)
2. “You Must Be A Witch” (Cover)
3. “Fad” (Black Lips!)
4. “Dumpster Dive” (Arabia Mountain)
5. “Drugs” (200 Million Thousand)
6. “I Got A Knife” (Black Lips!)
7. “Bow Down and Die” (Almighty Defenders)

Comments: Here we are at last, another Black Lips live album! Fear not all ye doubters, this one is the real deal! There are no promotional clips that try to sync audio with visuals, but rest assured – this event was recorded live to tape at Third Man Studios on a nice June 11th 2012 evening. So if you can insinuate what I am alluding to, good for you. For others, the Black Lips tried their hand at a live album a half decade back. The result was Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo, a helluva record that really brings to life some of the best cuts on Let It Bloom and We Did Not all while maintaining the live energy of one of the best, if not THEE best rock and roll bands the 21st century has been blessed with. Well, live wasn’t live, at least by the traditional definition; a show did occur in Tijuana, some sounds from the show were captured and can be heard (you can’t fake a Mariachi band, can ya?), but a good deal was the result of some ole fashion studio trickery. This according to Cole Alexander himself. Either way, I argue it does not matter one bit. That album is my favorite.

Onto Live @ Thirdman. First things first, the record sounds GREAT. It doesn’t pretend to be a by-the-books Black Lips experience, but it does do a naturally amazing job at becoming one. The stage banter is priceless and genuine – Ian mentions Coors Light and after parties, Cole is random (“fuck me slowly”, “there’s nothing to fear from reading a book!”), and Jared warns against the consumption of fried foods.

The choice of tracks is interesting and fairly sensible, if not down right surprising in some spots. The Lips steer clear of their In The Red material, opting for a barrage of cuts ranging from their very early stuff (“Stuck In My Mind,” “Fad,” I Got A Knife”) to some Good Bad Not Evil staples (“O Katrina,” “I Saw A Ghost”), an inkling of 200 Million Thousand (“Drugs”), and finally some Arabia Mountain classics. For fans of all ages and time periods, Live @ Thirdman showcases in one sitting more of the complexities behind the band’s songwriting. If ya haven’t noticed, the Lips aren’t all about sweeping mosh inciting garage punk. This is where the principal contrast with Los Valientes is at. The Black Lips early stuff sounds just as good now as it did ten years ago and I’d like to say that’s a testament to their aptitude at crafting a keen dirty melody. A tune like “I Saw A Ghost (Lean)” is probably one of the band’s most spirited attempts at going beyond the traditional BL framework and extending it into a three plus minute jam of epic proportions.

The Lips aren’t afraid to reveal their roots, either. They throw in a cover of The Lollipop Shoppe’s “You Must Be A Witch,” famously released on the Pebbles garage/psych compilation of ’60s rarities. I absolutely love the inclusion of “Fad,” which has probably been performed by the band live less than a dozen times in the past few years. One of those times was April 2011 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at the request of me to Jared. Cole dedicates “Dumpster Diving” to the gospel/country duo of Bill Anderson and Brenda Lee. Another surprise is “I Got A Knife,” which embodies the multiple vocal simplicity that dominated those old recordings (“we wrote this before we knew what a guitar solo was”). Finally, the band ends with a cover of their own song as Almighty Defenders – “Bow Down and Die”. This track has been a closing staple in their live performances for a couple of years now. A great sing-a-long to end things as only Black Lips know best.

Live @ Third Man is a record to put on when you want to sit down and appreciate a genius band. Whereas Los Valientes has you front and center in the pit, Live @ Third Man places you back stage behind the band. You aren’t being continuously thrown around. You are admiring and dancing at your own rate. Pick this essential up!


Art, Maine Coons, Music, pictures, Punk

Pick Up Maine Coons 7″ On Stencil Trash Records!

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Maine Coons, one of KLYAM’s beloved bands and one of the finest punk slimers in existence, is releasing a 7″ on Stencil Trash Records! Pick it up here with the new Gremlins UK 7″ EP: http://spentplanet.bigcartel.com/product/maine-coons-lathe-cut-gremlins-uk-7

Tracklist:
1) Ghetto Queen
2) Uniform Choice
3) Tired and Inspired

Hot damn!

Art, Black Lips, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, pictures, Punk, Tours

Read Excellent Article On Black Lips Middle East Tour & Documentary/Interview With Director Bill Cody

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Photo: Crack Magazine

“After a last minute scramble to find a spot to play and some cautiously limited promotion, a low-key show ensued, which for me really revealed the non-commercial nature of the band that demonstrably stands in contrast with the band’s recent studio produced work alongside prodigious producer Mark Ronson.”- Crack Magazine

This is a fantastic point. The Black Lips (and all involved) really aren’t getting the recognition they deserve for organizing and completing this epic tour. It’s just another example of how they are a distinguished group among their contemporaries. Read the full article and interview with Bill Cody (tour documentary director): http://crackmagazine.net/music/black-lips-in-iraq/

Animal Collective, Art, Atlas Sound, Black Lips, Bradford Cox, Cole Alexander, Deerhunter, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, No Age, pictures, Punk

ATP “Pardons” Black Lips

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Getty Images
Ahh, it felt like just yesterday when we were reporting that the lips were considered “assholes” from the ATP camp. Actually, it feels like centuries ago, uhh, I don’t even know anymore. Now, they are back on the All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP) festival line up during the weekend of June 21- 23 (thanks to Deerhunter), good for them! This year is looking hot, what with Deerhunter co-curating (with TV On The Radio) the festival and playing their three magnum opuses: Cryptograms, Microcastle, and Halcyon Digest each in their entirety. Holy smokes, Batman! And a Black Lips set too,  damn I wish I could go :( Donate money, help sponsor the KLYAM ATP trip!

Read about the official Black Lips “Pardoning” here:  http://www.spin.com/articles/the-black-lips-pardoned-atp-lineup

Here’s the line up (which is to include the Black Lips!)
All Tomorrow’s Parties: Weekend 2 
Curated By Deerhunter – June 21-23, 2013
Deerhunter (performing Cryptograms, Microcastle, Halcyon Digest)
Atlas Sound
Panda Bear
Avey Tare
Animal Collective DJs
Pere Ubu
Dan Deacon
Tim Gane
Laetitia Sadier
No Age
* Plus more to be announced
I want to make love to this line up. Get Nobunny, Hunx and His Punx, Ty Segall and Wavves on there and I go into cardiac arrest.
 

Art, Band Recommendation, Music, pictures, Punk, Video

Brooklyn Band Recs: Robot Death Kites & Hector’s Pets!

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Here are two fine ass bands hailing from Brooklyn, New York that have entered the world of KLYAM in 2012…
Robot Death Kites

Loud, lewd, wild, chaotic, and shirtless. Get loose with Robot Death Kites! http://robotdeathkites.bandcamp.com/


We saw these Brooklyn boys this past July opening for the holiest, King Khan & The Shrines, amazing show! Hector’s Pets blast you with some soul induced garage rock grooves with some Zappa flavored love. Just fun lovin’ dudes. Listen here: http://soundcloud.com/hectors-pets

Art, Big Mess, Local Music, Music, Punk

Listen to Big Mess – “New Wave” Live @ Barre Fest

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http://soundcloud.com/bricolagemusic-1/big-mess-live
Some cool Big Mess tunes live from Barre Fest this past August.  If you don’t know Big Mess, I urge you to listen and not just ignore it because you don’t know them. Who knows, you could discover one of your favorite bands, definitely one of my favorites. Sludgy, heavy, bluesy, catchy, it’s all there.

Art, concert review, Fat Creeps, Honorary KLAYMERS, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, reviews

Concert Review: Fat Creeps & Creaturos @ Great Scott (11/4/12)

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I love this flier, for the record, which I’m sure is a surprise to no one.

Bands: Creaturos, Fat Creeps, Grass Widow
Date: Sunday, November 4, 2012
Venue: Great Scott (Allston, MA)
Comments:
Act I: Creaturos– It’s been a while since my last time at the Great Scott, roughly five months to be exact. It feels good to be back and to be seeing some kickass bands to boot. Creaturos are a nasty garage trio I saw about a month ago at the Big Stink. They were the fourth (out of five) bands to play and at that point in the evening I was heavily intoxicated and I don’t remember much of their performance, though I do remember it being fun and everyone was bopping and bashing into each other, good times. Tonight, there isn’t so much of that, but on the bright side I gain a good sense of what Creaturos are all about. They are some loud motherfuckers and they serve their brand of catchy, psych drenched  rock ‘n’ roll with fast, heart pounding intensity, guaranteed to wake up the neighbors. Here’s their bandcamp page: http://creaturos.bandcamp.com/ Knock yourself out.

Set List:
Face
Summer
UFO
James Day
Charity
Bead
Go Out
Get Low
Corners

L-R: Gracie Jackson and Mariam Saleh of Fat Creeps


Act II: Fat Creeps– It’s funny to think  that it was only seven months ago when I first discovered this band.  Discovered haha, makes me sound like I am fucking Christopher Columbus, I could be. Over the course of the past seven months I have seen the Fat Creeps ten (10) times! That’s right, ten. A personal record that no other artist can touch. So, what is it that keeps me consistently fascinated, you may ask (or not give a flying rat’s ass, I don’t care,  either way I’m going to tell you). What I find appealing in the Creeps is what I admire and desire in all bands I/we excessively promote on KLYAM, put simply: strong songs and personality. Maybe it’s just me, but only a handful of music makers can fully satisfy these two standards of mine. Each Creeps song is unique and instantaneous; you can pick them out of the batch immediately. Their memorable quality can be attributed to the strength of the hooks, which are present in pretty much all of their songs. So, I get giddy when I hear those first few gorgeous guitar riffs to tonight’s surfy set opener “Fooled,” one of the trio’s catchiest tunes.  They go on to perform some of  my other favorite hits and also include two new songs that seem pretty rad, one of which is an instrumental that closes the set. Before the closer, however, they play my favorite Creeps song, “700 Parts.” I always thought it was a dark song, and even after listening to the thing a million times and seeing it performed on numerous occasions, I still get shivers from Gracie’s powerful vocals. It’s just another reminder of how badly more people across America and beyond need to hear this band.

You can start here http://fatcreeps.bandcamp.com/

Jim Leonard of Fat Creeps


Set List:
Fooled
Secrets
Horoscope
Dadweed
Daydreaming
Go to the Party (*WORKING TITLE*)
Nancy Drew
700 Parts
Back to School (*WORKING TITLE*)

Act III: Grass Widow– Unfortunately, we missed these San Franciscans (is that the correct nomenclature?) :( next time!

Art, Honorary KLAYMERS, Music, Punk, TV, Ty Segall, Ty Segall Band

Watch Ty Segall Destroy On David Letterman

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Tune in to The Late Show with David Letterman tonight at 11:35/10:35c to catch KLYAM fave Ty Segall perform live. First Conan, now Letterman!

WATCH ABOVE !

There’s just something exciting about seeing a guy like Ty Segall live on TV. Reminds me of when I was a little kid and I could see my favorite bands on the boob tube. Rock ‘n’ Roll and remember to vote!

Art, Band of the Week, Local Music, Music, pictures, Punk, SKIMASK, Video

Band of the Week: SKIMASK!

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This week’s Band of the Week is the ass kicking, mind bending, spellbounding, stupdendous SKIMASK, one of Boston’s greatest stars and noisemakers, no fakers. If you scroll down the KLYAM page, you can catch an interview we just conducted with thee SKIMASK drummer (Z). Okay fine, here’s a link, you lazy bastards. https://klyam.com/2012/11/04/check-out-this-sheeet-klyam-interviews-skimask/
SKIMASK’s forthcoming LP Cute Mutuant will be released on November 27, 2012 on Infinity Cat Recordings, Sophomore Lounge Records, and 100% Breakfast. Goddamn, that’s a delicious dish!