Entertainment, humor, interviews, Music, News

Black Lips Are Old?

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From OC Weekly:

Alexander’s first band, the Renegades, co-helmed by current Lips bassist Jason Swilley, landed a slot in the Dunwoody High School talent show, but the guys got drunk, kicked stuff around, were hooked from the stage and cut from the video. One of their classmates was American Idol host and radio personality Ryan Seacrest, heard locally on KIIS-FM 102.7 and Live 105.5. “We were freshmen, and he was a senior—a total douchebag metrosexual,” Alexander says. “We used to fuck with him in the halls, but he was a senior and had some big friends, and we were scrawny, so we didn’t fuck with him too much.”

Seacrest graduated from Dunwoody in 1993. Unless Cole entered high school when he was 11 years old, this story doesn’t quite add up. Wikipedia has Cole’s birthday on June 8, 1982. If he was supposed to graduate in 1997, he has to at least be at least thirty years old or older right now. He was a senior when Columbine happened. I do remember him saying he was in special needs classes so it could be possible that he was in school for six years instead of four. The bottom line is that he was probably born in 1979 not 1982.

Entertainment, interviews, Music, News

GZA On Black Lips/KK/Hip-Hop

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Check out this interview with Wu-Tang member GZA:


…LA Times…
How did you end up collaborating with The Black Lips and King Khan?

Originally, it came about through my manager Heathcliff [Berru]. The bands were fans of Wu-Tang and I and we decided to perform together. It worked out well; they’re good musicians and we have a mutual admiration and love. The thing is, they were already connecting with me in some way first. I’d never heard their music before, but I was feeling it and when I saw both of those groups perform live, I knew I could work with them. The vibe was there.

Much of current hip-hop — particularly the more mainstream iteration — is characterized by glossy shiny-sounding production. Did some of your desire to work with the Black Lips and  King Khan stem from the similarity of their lo-fi aesthetic to the beats you came up rhyming on?

That’s my problem with the stuff today — it doesn’t sound raw and uncut. When the Black Lips sent a track over to me, I thought it sounded like a Beastie Boys track, the way the singer was singing and flowing on it. He was right in the pocket. You don’t get hip-hop that sounds that gritty anymore, you get some Auto-tune, ping-pong computer-made and Casio stuff.

A lot of rappers have tried to chase whatever trend was hot, whether it’s Auto-tune or getting the hottest R&B hookman on a track, but you’ve carved out a different path.

I think it’s about being original and creative. You’ve got to be comfortable with yourself. There’s no set way to do anything. Sometimes you have to go outside the box, sometimes you can do things the standard way. Like you don’t have to have a beat to write a song, sometimes you can write lyrics without the music. A lot of artists think that to be current, you have to follow what’s out there and do something that’s so unlike what you normally do. It can work but it doesn’t if you chase it.

concert review, Entertainment, Music

Concert Review: Mission of Burma (Paradise)

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Bands: Mission of Burma, The Konks
Location: Paradise Rock Club (Boston, MA)
Date: January 15, 2010

Introduction: A last minute decision was made to go to this show. I heard about it back in December and I was really excited and planning on going. I sort of forgot about it until the day of so at that point I got a hold of some tickets. Ben and I made the grueling walk to Commonwealth Avenue from Ruggles Station. We made pretty good timing, with only the diehards (including a J. Mascis look-a-like) standing there before us.

The Konks: I hate to say that these guys are your typical middle age garage rock band, but they really do embody that persona. “With cheap guitars and only two lousy drums,” they play fast paced Bompalicious rock that sounds incredibly polished given their frugality. Drummer Kurt Davis (looks like he is going to kick your ass at any given moment) knows how to command his two lousy pieces with precision and the two guitarists do their thing well enough. Most of the time I couldn’t make out what the fuck Davis was saying, but I did happen to notice a song that really stuck out. “God says ‘woah, motherfucker’ God says” is pretty messed up and I’m sure that’s their point.

Mission of Burma: “Wait, who are we seeing tonight?” joked (or was he being serious?) Ben as we approached the venue. In the grand scheme of things, I’m not too familiar with MoB myself, but still I was able to have a pretty great time. I recognized their older classic “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver” and new hit “1, 2, 3, Partyy,” but unfortunately the buck stopped there. I’m sure they played a good chunk of material from 2009’s The Sound the Speed the Light, but shame on me for not extensively listening to that (even though I gave it a 9 out of 10 rating). Peter Prescott’s between song banter was humorous and Bob Weston did a tight job on audio engineering. I was convinced Miller said “here’s a Jay Reatard cover” at one point, but looking back I’m almost positive he said “here’s a new one.” So yeah, these guys gave us an awesome show. It was nice to see a few under 30s in the crowd. I mean they might as well make it 40+ instead of 18 for these guys.

Grade: B

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Hidden (2010)

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Band: These New Puritans
Label: Angular/Domino
Release: 2010

1. “Time Xone” – C
2. “We Want War” – B-
3. “Three Thousand” – B-
4. “Hologram” – C-
5. “Attack Music” – B-
6. “Fire-Power” – C
7. “Orion” – C-
8. “Canticle” – C+
9. “Drum Courts (Where Corals Lie)” – C
10. “White Chords” – C+
11. “5” – B-

Comments: This is a classical album, what? After “We Want War,” I’m wishing they stuck with classical. That song is a screwed up cross between rap-rock and experimental post-punk. I hate to be the one to shit on TNP parade (considering this release has gotten pretty much across the board high marks), but what makes this special? Most of these tunes barely get by as average and probably would work semi-well on a major motion picture soundtrack. Filler alert: “Canticle.” “5” is pretty tolerable and might just be the best on here.

Grade: C (76)

Art, Articles, Entertainment, Music, pictures, Quotes, Video

Bradford Cox on Jay Reatard

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“Jay was what few people have the capacity to be. He created an undeniably classic album that contained so much pain transfered to tape in such an explosive way that it made you feel different after hearing it. He was transgressive and honest. His flaws were something he focused on and overdubbed and distorted until they made you forget who he really was – a person with feelings and a good heart. He loved music and worked hard from a young age to pursue it. He was a self-made and unmade man. I am truly sickened to see him go. “- Bradford Cox. Below is Jay’s cover of Deerhunter’s Fluorescent Grey.
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Chris

Art, Articles, Entertainment, Music, pictures

Pop Master

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Perhaps two of the best words to describe the late, great (it still sounds strange) garage rocker. In my opinion he wrote the catchiest music in the history of Rock and Roll. Well, The Ramones probably have him beat and The Misfits are close, but yeah I’d say he is the 2nd catchiest artist of all time. At least for my money. In his own words, he described his aesthetic: “I make it up on the spot, improvise lyrics, usually start with a drum beat, come up with a chord progression and then start layering melodies and pulling ones out that don’t work. I end up with what I end up with. It’s kind of like a Polaroid of your music. It’s right then and there and I think that’s how it should be… It’s easier to hear they’re pop songs now.You can add anything you want to a pop song, but when you get away from that being a base, you kind of lose people.”- http://newsroom.mtv.com/tag/jay-reatard/

Chris

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise