concert review, Entertainment, Music

Concert Review: Editors

Leave a comment

Bands: The Dig, The Antlers, Editors
Venue: House of Blues Boston
Date: February 18, 2009

Act One – The Dig – Love this band, man. When I saw them twice back in September, they rocked. The bassist/singer again stood out as an absolutely slick musician, keeping a great rhythm to compliment his singing. The amplification at the House of Blues really did push the pulse over the limit and, in fact, made all the instruments sound louder and more impacting than at the Middle East. “Penitentiary” and closer “Just Wanna Talk To You” stuck out to me as the two best songs from the band’s 30 minute set. The audience took notice of the band’s genius, as I heard a few people next to me comment on how good they were.

Act Two – The Antlers – Okay, so the Antlers. I’d say they were a good fit for pre-Editors opening band. As opposed to Hot Hot Heat, the band that performed before Editors in 2008, the Antlers relied on epicness. Keyboards, guitar, no bass, and loud ass drums. Most songs started out sort of slow, but by the end the band was in a full out jam and things really came together. The singer’s voice is powerful and as one kid said “angelic,” so definitely I got to say I didn’t mind them at all. Would I listen to them again? Probably not. They are probably great on record, too, considering bitchfuck and friends gave their last album a really high rating.

Act Three – Editors – This band has been a consistent favorite of mine for the past couple of years. Their live performance on this night definitely proved why. The light show is fantastic as always and as expected. That’s nice and all, but at the end of the day all four members gave it their all and gave the audience a great time. Classics like “Blood,” “Munich,” “Bones,” “Racing Rats,” “Escaping the Nest,” and “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors” simply got the audience into a frenzy as did new tunes like “Papillon” and “Raw Meat = Blood Drool.” In fact, the entire set didn’t really have a disappointment in it. Tom smoothly and effortlessly moved from synths to guitar to piano. It’d be a disservice not to mention his stage antics. He loves his mics, that’s for sure. Chris played a mean lead guitar as the guy next to me consistently noted. By the way, you don’t need to remind the dude that he has synesthesia by shouting “colors” after every song and demanding multiple picks. Russell’s a fun guy. The band added in several quirks that really pushed the limits on what I thought they could do live. I really realized how much fun I had watching Editors during the encore. I started to really miss what I had just listened to. That usually means I had a great time.

Set List
In This Light And On This Evening
Lights
An End Has A Start
You Don’t Know Love
Bullets
The Boxer
The Big Exit
Blood
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
The Racing Rats
Escape The Nest
Like Treasure
Bones
Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors
Bricks And Mortar

—-ENCORE—-

Walk The Fleet Road
Munich
Papillon
Fingers In The Factories

Note: Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see the kiddie masses listening to good music. It’s kind of messed up to see them outnumber every other age group. I was once a kiddie who saw Editors so I can’t hate, but that was at a sit down venue. I don’t mind it; it’s sort of shocking since I’m used to being the youngest at most shows, 18+.

Grade: A – Definitely a Top 10 show.

Art, Entertainment, Films, humor, pictures, reviews, Sex

Classic Film Reviews

Leave a comment

Ok, so whenever we see new movies at the theaters we write up reviews for them. When we hear new albums, we crank out reviews for them. In addition to new releases, we critique older, “classic” records as well. So, considering this, I figured we, or at least I, should review classic films we view for the first time or whatever. But, I do not plan on writing full fledged reviews here, just a quick blurb and a grade. So, here are two films I recently saw for the very first time this past week.

Platoon:

Director: Oliver Stone
Year: 1986
Grade: A, Stone effectively transforms his own miserable experienes of Vietnam into an ugly, but realistic look at the inhumanity of War and it’s effect on man; absolutely deserved the Academy Award for Best Picture that it obtained.

<img alt=""

From Dusk Till Dawn:

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Year: 1996
Grade: A, Fun, bizarre action/horror/gangster/vampire flick from Rodriguez and Tarantino (writer, co-star with George Clooney); it’s a straight up ‘guy’ flick with blood, bullets, boobs and basterd vampires, not of the pussy twilight variety, but real serious motherfuckers. Oh and Salma Hayek….

Chris

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

Classic CD Review: Raw Romance

2 Comments

Band: Nobunny
Release: 2009
Label: Burger Records

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.”

Grade: B (86)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Big Echo

Leave a comment

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.

Grade: B- (83)

concert review, Entertainment, Music

Concert Review: The Growlers, The Married Men, Forest Fire @ T.T. The Bears (2/16/10)

1 Comment

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.

Art, CD Review, Entertainment, Music, pictures, reviews, Video

Really Classic Album Review: The Village Green…

1 Comment

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!

Chris

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise