Hahahahahhahah. You tell em’ Jello!
Chris
CD Review: Nothing Hurts [2010]
Band: Male Bonding
Release: 5/2010
Label: Sub Pop
1. “Year’s Not Long” – A-
2. “All Things This Way” – B+
3. “Your Contact” – A-
4. “Weird Feelings” – A-
5. “Franklin” – B+
6. “Crooked Scene” – A
7. “T.U.F.F” – B+
8. “Nothing Remains” – A-
9. “Nothing Use To Hurt” – B+
10. “Pirate Key” – B
11. “Paradise Vendors” – A-
12. “Pumpkin” – A-
13. “Worst to Come” – A-
Comments: A band that did not excite me at all live, Male Bonding was actually a “band that I wanted to like.” Could the record make up for their lackluster performance? The answer is “yes!” I’m sort of glad this record isn’t of a terribly low fidelity. Thank you… Sub Pop? Anyway, there are really fun spots in a bunch of these songs. For example, the hook in “Your Contact” is welcoming and the high string notes in “Weird Feelings” save the song from drum-centricness. For some kind of modern reference point, I’d have to point in the direction of Abe Vigoda. Male Bonding is from Dalston, England, which would seem to be like the California of that country, but it really isn’t that at all. I’m getting tropical vibes on “Crooked Scene,” although it may just be the structure of that song that conjures Abe. A casual or first time listener might have alarms going off in their head along the lines of: song A sounds like song B sounds like C. That kind of sucks as it’s hard to make distinctions between tracks, especially at the early stages of familiarity. At other times, the group sounds like Wavves. Bottom line: is this good? Yes. Is it great? Sometimes. There’s even Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone singing on the last track.
Grade: B+ (89)
Cassette Review: Tape [2010]
Band: Brian Flannel
Release: 2/2010
Label: N/A
1. “Restraining Order” – A
2. “Date Rape (Real Estate)” – B
3. “Symptom Set” – B+
4. “Dogs Not Dead” – B
5. “RMPM” – A-
6. “Bonus Track” – A
Comments: Damn catchy start to the cassette. The chorus is really awesome as it features a male/female harmonious assault. “Date Rape” is more lo-fidelity and faster. I’m thinking “Symptom Set” is similar to some heavier Sonic Youth punk jams. “RMPM” is a notable jam. The exchange between the dude and chick leads to a really solid ending in the Bonus Track.
Grade: B+ (89)
What’s In Soft Pack’s Bag
One of the bands that I regret not going to see. After all, they did come in late March, when I saw something crazy (for me) like 4 shows in 7 days. If they come to these parts later in the year or next year, I’ll surely try my best to attend.
Classic DVD Review: Wildmen In Action
Full Title: Black Lips: Wildmen In Action
Concert Location: Madrid, Spain
Year: 2007 (concert itself: May 18, 2006)
Comments: THE BLACK LIPS! Naturally, since they are my favorite band, I really dig this performance. Musically, it’s a typical (which is atypical for almost every other band) BL show: fun, wild, and great, simple, stripped down Rock N Roll! Since this video takes place pre-Vice days we see no material off Good, Bad, Not Evil (2007) and 200 Million Thousand (2009), save “O Katrina!” which was recorded (or at least written) during the bedlam of the tragedy. We hear most of the Let It Bloom era classics along with some other early, sloppy, Lips era jams as well as some other unknowns, like “Hott Pistil.” My only complaint is that there are virtually no shots of the crowd, which is usally a crazy site to be seen. The show ends with Cole whipping out his wee wee and punishing it with his guitar. They then come back for an encore of “Wildman,” which is featured as a music video documenting the euphoric abandoment and chaotic times of their 2005 tour including Cole drinking his own piss and spitting it at the camera, ohh Cole… The video looks more like a trailer for a movie that was never released as far as I know. Also featured is the timeless music video for “Fad.” Here’s the set list:
1. Born To Be A Man
2. O Katrina!
3. Boomerang
4. Sea Of Blasphemy
5. Buried Alive
6. Stranger
7. Time Of The Scab
8. Dirty Hands
9. Not A Problem
10. M.I.A
11. Hott Pistil
12. Gung Ho
13. Hipi, Hipi, Horah
14. Take Me Home (Back To Boone)
15. Ain’t Coming Back
16. Make It
17. Juvenile
18. Freak Out
Encore: Wildman (after credits, so watch for it, I missed it the first few viewings!)
Grade: A-
Here’s a live video of”Wild Man,” they used to have a video for this DVD’s trailer, but I cannot find it, so y’all will have to settle fot his vid
Chris
Saicomania!
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here’s Los Saicos!
Chris
Classic Film Review: Small Town Ecstasy
Full Title: Small Town Ecstasy
Year: 2002
Director: Jay Blumenfield
Comments: Small Town Ecstasy is a documentary that offers us an up close and personal look at the perils of a modern suburban family: divorce and the resulting custody issues, generation gaps between kids and their parents, oh and a father that attends raves and does ecstasy with his children and other young people. Whattttttttt?! you must be thinking. But, it’s true. This man is cuckoo for E and we watch as it tears him apart from his beloved ones. His son, an experienced drug user, questions why his father is acting the way he is and why he does not feel the need to intefere with the well being of his children (i.e. them experimenting with E and other drugs). Despite what you have just read (and yes it is nauseating and uncomfortably laughable) this man in many ways is a good father and clearly loves his children, but because of his increasing drug use and resulting loss of custody, he sees them less and less. That’s one thing I dig about this doc, the fact that he has redeeming qualities; in most of such videos, the parent steals their little babies’ lemonade money and buys crack with it on their birthday or slaps them senseless in the midst of a vicious meth binge… Here, instead we see a different kind of dysfunctional family. Overall, this is a good doc, highly entertaining and fascinating, but at the same time, I always asked myself, “where is this going?” It didn’t move that much, but it was a nice slice of life, which is exactly what this kind of documentary should do. A spin on the mid-life crisis hoopla! If you want to find out what happens to the man and his family, then see the film, part one can be seen below.
P.S. All seriousness aside for a moment, wouldn’t this premise of your clean cut, forty something, dad suddenly dropping E and attending raves make for one helluva of It’s Always Sunny style sitcom?! It could be called “XTC Dad!” as Glen referred to the leading man. Producers reading, take notice, I think I have something up my sleeves!
Grade: B
Chris
Old Music
Not too long ago somebody recommended that I learn about the historical roots of the music that I presently enjoy. You know what? Old time “garage rock” of the 60s just doesn’t have the same appeal to me as newer stuff. I tried Count Five’s Psychotic Reaction and Iggy Pop’s Raw Power and while there are some gems on those records, they just aren’t as fun through and through as say Black Lips! or Blood Visions.
Song of the Day
In the spirit of Quebec here is a 2004 hit from one of my favorite bands north of the border, Les Cowboys Fringants:
7″ Review: The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent [2010]
Band: King Khan & Pat Meteor
Release: 3/2010
Label: Sub Pop
1. “The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent” – B+
2. “Bon Bon” – A-
Comments: The kind of music you’d expect with a title such as The Fiery Tears of St. Laurent. This is slow cooked rock and roll with a distinct rural aesthetic. Would it be okay to call it at least one part country? It’s French-Canadian goodness…what I believe they call néo-trad. I’d like to say Meteor sings on the first track and that Arish Khan spearheads the treat called “Bon Bon.” Even though “Bon Bon” is as lyrically simple as a song can come, it has a great atmosphere that reminds me positively of the culture surrounding the classic visit to Quebec that Chris and I (amongst other students) embarked on five years ago.
Grade: B+ (89)
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 