Random title indeed. This is an extremely brief commentary or rant if you will on something that occurs quite often when I am discussing music with other music devotees. Here’s the setup:
Someone asks me if I like some Progressive Rock band like Dream Theater or King Krimson and then I respond that I’m not really into Prog Rock, yet every time this incident happens I am sporting a shirt with one of the few prog bands I listen to (i.e. Tool, Pink Floyd). Most of the music related shirts I wear would be appropos, like the Ramones or the Black Lips, but for some strange reason, I am never seen wearing such shirts when this question arises. I don’t know, I think it’s slightly amusing enough to make a post out of the situation…. and I’m also procrastinating my french homework.
They still are on the road like 98% of the time, don’t get me wrong, but they were here in July ’08 then November ’08 and then April ’09 (on a special occasion). My luck they’ll schedule a date here the same night as the Pixies or Sonic Youth show.
I dig if tickets aren’t sold out. The date is December 13 and that’s a Sunday night. If I do manage to get a ticket, I know that I’ll do all that I can do to get there earlier than last time when I saw Animal Collective from the way back, but by the grace of God (and a few pushy-shove people) I managed to get really close to the front. I don’t think that will happen at an Arctic Monkeys show.
Haven’t gotten all crazy over them, though I do recognize they have put out some great tracks over the years. That said…seminal indie powerhouses? Been signed to Epic since 2000 thus I thinks not.
The Atlantic
Ticket distributor Ticketmaster and concert promoter Live Nation have been hoping to merge. Britain’s antitrust regulator objected today in a preliminary ruling. It believes the merger would severely limit competition and hurt consumers. I think it’s right, and its decision is something of a no-brainer.
Let’s break it down. Imagine you want to go see a concert. Since Live Nation has, by far, the strongest influence in the concert space, you will probably be going to one they promoted or produced. So to buy those tickets? Well, you probably have to go through Ticketmaster, since it has vast control over concert ticket distribution.
How cornered would they have the market? According to this CNN Money article from back in February about the proposed merger, their combined market share would be close to 80%. If that isn’t a threshold for antitrust regulation, then I’m not sure what is.
It makes sense business-wise for them, but as a frequent concert attender I am concerned about prices sky-rocketing.
Band: Cotton Jones (Formerly of Page France) Release: 2009 Label: Suicide Squeeze
1. “Up A Tree (Went This Heart I Have)” – 9.6 2. “Gotta Cheer Up” – 9.7 3. “Some Strange Rain” – 9.5 4. “Gone The Bells” – 9.6 5. “Photo Summerlude” – 9.3 6. “By Morning Light” – 9.2 7. “Cotton & Velvet” – 8.9 8. “Little Ashtray in the Sun” – 8.7 9. “Blood Red Sentimental Blues” – 8.7 10. “I Am The Changer” – 9.3
Comments: What we all loved as Page France died as Page France in 2008. Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw, the two main pieces of the PF puzzle, decided to do a thang by themselves called Cotton Jones. Cotton Jones is a bit jazzier/bluesier and less deep lyrically than Page France. I get this sort of Doors vibe with tracks on here being predominately vocal-centric and mellow. As a really big Page France devotee back in my day, I don’t sense a lot of lasting appeal to these songs like I did with Hello, Dear Wind (2005), for example. So why I have given them such high ratings? They have a good amount of now appeal. Beautifully written, beautifully sung. Versatile, too. Jazz, blues, folk, country, rock…Michael and Whitney can do ’em all no problem. Admittedly, things get a bit boring (“done before”) toward the end.
Upcoming Releases! Lupe Fiasco – Lasers – December 15, 2009
In The Queue For Review!
Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be – October 27, 2009
Stellastarr – Civilized – July 7, 2009
The Raveonettes – In and Out of Control – October 6, 2009
Muse – The Resistance – September 14, 2009
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum – June 6, 2009
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand – January 26, 2009
Band: Thee Oh Sees Release: April 28, 2009 Label: In The Red Records
1. “Enemy Destruct” – 9.4
2. “Ruby Go Home” – 8.9
3. “Meat Step Lively” – 9.2 4. “A Flag In The Court” – 8.3 5. “The Turn Around” – 7.5 6. “Can You See?” – 8.6 7. “Rainbow” – 9.4
8. “Go Meet The Seed” – 9.3 9. “I Can’t Get No” – 8.9 10. “Soda St. #1” – 8.6 11. “Destroyed Fortress Reappers” – 9.2 12. “Peanut Butter Oven” – 9.0
Comments: Pursuing a recommendation from No Bunny drummer Billy, I decided to give this esteemed album a listen. Reminds me to some degree of the kind of rock that good old Chuck Berry was spitting out in his day, though this is dirtier and more prone to experiment. So I can see why this band has been influential to the emerging “coaster” garage scene that includes No Bunny and company. But at a few points throughout, I feel like there are too many layers of different instruments that distort the main rhythm and vocals, making the listening experience a sort of pain in the ass. At a few points, I hear a simplicity reminiscent of Jay Reatard lyrically and musically. It’s the kind of garage-y music that I can’t call awesome, but that I can give a pretty decent amount of respect to. A band I probably won’t make an exaggerated effort to go see, but might if they are playing alongside another good band.
Band: Cotton Jones (Formerly of Page France)
