Music, reviews, Tours

Thoughts on Peter Hook Presents ‘Unknown Pleasures’

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Peter Hook

I am not going to write a full fledge review of the show because honestly I left after the second-third song, but I am going to make a few comments on it.  The first is Peter Hook is no Ian Curtis, now granted he wasn’t trying to do an Ian impersonation, but if you ever heard any Joy Division song you would no how important Ian’s lyrical style and voice was to the band, but apparently Peter Hook doesn’t.  Hook was confident and cocky with his delivery which would be a fine for almost any other band, but not Joy Division.  I see it as the equivalent as coming of shy and awkward as the front man of a Sex Pistols tribute band, it just doesn’t work.  Honestly the whole thing sounded like a Joy Division themed karaoke night.  Secondly and more importantly, when the bassist of Joy Division goes on tour to play Joy Division songs, I expect him to play bass guitar.  As it turns out Peter wasn’t even acting as lead bassist, his son was.  Besides the nepotism and everything wrong with that, there is a major issue here; Peter Hook thought it was appropriate to play Joy Division in not only a six piece band, but one that included two bassist. I don’t know if he lost touch with his own music or if he was just trying to make a buck, but the end result was just a mess.  At the end of the day I am not sure what I was expecting but Peter, I am sorry I went, sorry I wasted my money on a ticket, and most of all sorry for what you did to the memory of a once great band on that night.  Now if you don’t mind I am going to listen to some Joy Division, the way it was meant to be played, with a melancholy lead singer and one bassist.

Black Lips, Music, No Age

KLYAM Shuffle: Glen

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Going along with the trend.

1. “Union Song” – The Nightwatchman – I haven’t listened to this guy in a year, at least. This is a refreshing song, not one of his best, but politically meaningful at least.

2. “Pick Yourself Down” – Gangbang Gordon – (Warning: this is my own song). I wrote this song on a night that I just wanted to write a song. I made a decent chord progression and then just ad-libbed for five minutes. So lyrically it’s a piece of shit…example: “Might as well call your lawyer. Take a seat in the foyer. If you think you’re gonna wait long, better write a fuckin’ song to help you through the times, to help you un-wind, amount of stress you’re in it’s not even worth telling your kin.” Yeah, for real. One more example, if I may: “She doesn’t get English. She was born in Spain. Bilingual education won’t even give her a reign. All she is is hot, I ain’t talkin’ looks. Just look at her face, you will give her a book. She ain’t nothin’ but a reader. She ain’t nothin’ but Aretha. When she stretches her chords.” Okay, I’ll stop. If anyone wants to listen to this song, let me know.

3. “Hippys” – Black Lips – One of their best non-album tunes. I like its southern country punk slime like a Sherman in a Suuuuuueeeeeeeeebaaaaaahhhhhhruuuuuuueee.

4. “Red Red Wine” – UB40 – Also another song that I don’t play too much. It gives me too much ’90s nostalgia. Good and bad. Usually bad things were associated with song like the show COPS. I definitely appreciate it, though.

5. “Hang On, Siobhan” – The Walkmen – A downer of a song. Beautifully written and meaningful. Nice if I want to get all introspective and shit, but I rarely do.

6. “Losing Feeling” – No Age – I bumped this heavy last year around this time, I think. One of the most ambient-yet-catchy No Age songs pre-Everything In Between. The sped up punk towards the end is pure awesomeness.

7. “Imagine Pt. 3” – The Smith Westerns – I added this song on a limb a couple of weeks ago. They are similar to Magic Kids (at least on this song), but more British and Beatles sounding. Also, pretty MGMT like. I do like this. Not so sure their debut album stuck out, but this next one is shaping up to be a little better. We’ll see.

Art, Honorary KLAYMERS, Lists, Music, Random, The Walkmen

KLYAMER Shuffle: Andrew

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Here is what I have playing when I hit shuffle on my ipod

The Futureheads- Struck Dumb (probably one of my favorite bands out of England right now)

Morrissey- Tomorrow (his so-so songs are better then some of the ‘hot’ new artists best work)

The Walkmen- Angela Surf City (defiantly one of the stronger songs on the new album “Lisbon”)

The All-American Rejects- The Wind Blows (bit of a guilty pleasure band)

The National- Lucky You {Daytrotter Session} (an ok song not their best work)

Julian Plenti- No Chance Survival (from Interpol’s lead singer’s solo album, which is actually one of my favorite albums of the last couple of years)

Hot Hot Heat- Good Day to Die (great band but a weak song from probably their worst album)

Gorillaz- Re-Hash (good song from a very original music project)

Tool- Rosetta Stonned (the vocals are amazing on this song)

Arcade Fire- Suburban War (I have really grown to like this song, also Arcade Fire is my pick at the Grammy’s)

EP Review, Music

EP Review: Hot Tropics [2010]

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Band: The Growlers
Release: 10/2010
Label: Everloving

1. “Graveyard’s Full” – A-
2. “Nosebleed Sun” – B
3. “What It Is” – A-
4. “The Moaning Man From Shanty Town” – B
5. “Sea Lions Goth Blues” – A+
6. “Badlands” – B
7. “Let It Be Known” – B
8. “Camino Muerto” – B+
9. “Underneath Our Palms” – A
10. “Hula Hula Hideout” – B

Comments: The Growlers are pretty distinctly So. Cal, which is a pretty daunting statement to make in an age where there is striking diversity among bands from that area. What I meant to say is they aren’t too far away from Mexico and listening to their music confirms this. Opener “Graveyard’s Full” features lead and bass guitar riffs that border on traditional Mexican/Caribbean. Singer Brook Nielson’s vocal style — part raspy/part laid-back eerie — fits genuinely on tunes like this. Short ditties like “Nosebleed Sun” add to the mystique of the band. What the hell are they singing about, anyway? I haven’t been able to discern such, but such does not matter much. Rhyming, for the win. Anyway, “Sea Lion Goth Blues” is this release’s best song and it’s not like its new or anything. Far from it. Other versions of “Sea Lion” have featured a more prominent lead guitar — one of the best of its kind that I’ve heard in the last year or so. The surf notes are compelling. Still, the added echo and reverb on Brooks’ vocals and the respective instruments are refreshing. My second favorite song on here is probably the second-to-last ditty entitled “Underneath Our Palms.” It’s plainly neat.

Grade: B+ (88)

Almighty Defenders, Art, Bill Hicks, Black Lips, Cole Alexander, Honorary KLAYMERS, King Khan, Mark Sultan, Music, Nobunny, pictures, Punk

KLYAMER Shuffle: Chris

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I put my ipod on shuffle and here’s what exploded on the screen:

The Replacements- Can’t Hardly Wait

Nobunny- It’s True

The Almighty Defenders- Death Cult Soup N’ Salad

Bill Hicks- My Parents

Incubus- New Skin

Bloodshot Bill- Ring the Bell

Tool- Forty Six & Two

Frank Zappa- Muffin Man

The Doors- Alabama Song

Black Lips- Let It Grow

Black Lips Juvenile! (studio version)

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise