Welcome back faithful reader(s?). Indie rock wunderkind Conor Oberst took the stage at Washington DC's historic (well, mostly historic because the racist bastards that ran the place didn't let Marian Anderson play there in 1939) with his Bright Eyes band mates on a chilly, rainy fall evening. After the Felice Brothers (4 bros from New York, if you are scoring at home) opened the show with a interesting bluegrass infused set , Bright Eyes entered and immediately broke into a song I didn't know, so much for making an impression. They followed that up with a song I did know, "Another Travelin' Song" off of 2005's I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. The live version of "Travelin'" provided to be a nice twist on a familiar tune, with the percussion accurately mimicking a clanking locomotive on the way to some far off town. "Arc of Time" showed the bands ability to transition from their classic acoustic, indie rock into a hazy electronica sound. Conor showed off his trademark emotion and intimacy on "Lua" and "Poison Oak".
The highlights of the show came after the intermission, adding the accordion playing Felice brother for fan favorite "Bowl of Oranges". After this, the other three Felices and Nik Freitas joined Bright Eyes on stage. At this point I was a little puzzled. What angst ridden, depressed, self deprecating song could all these guys get into? Well to my surprise Conor led the band into Tom Petty's "Walls" (off the 1996 soundtrack of Jen Aniston flick "She's the One"). The song came off marvelously, providing an emotional release and getting everybody on stage dancing and having a great time. Unfortunately the young crowd didn't resonate the energy on stage, since most were probably in elementary school when the song was released.
The show ended with Oberst finally giving in to his political side, telling the crowd that he is over Bush, but if he ever saw ever saw Dick Cheney he would "knock that motherfucker out". With that the band broke into an up tempo, hard rock protest song that really isn't comparable to anything in their catalog. The crowd was caught off guard as the normally passive Oberst spit venom laced lyrics over power chords. As the song ended, Oberst slammed his amp to the ground and used his guitar to create feedback before walking off.
The setlist could have benefited from the addition of songs like "Middleman" or "Easy/Lucky/Free" and the show end with a perplexing mix of joy and rage, but Oberst and his Bright Eyes mates played a solid and passionate set that was a nice complement to their diverse catalog.
15 November 2007
01 October 2007
How Much Should The New Radiohead Album Cost?
Welcome back students to the school of indie rock. I hope you all had a relaxing summer vacation and had a summer love affair with three Swedes named Peter, Bjorn and John.
Ok, the fun is over, so let's get back to business. The most influential, progressive and important band since 1990 has decided to release their seventh full length. With little media foreknowledge, Radiohead announced that "In Rainbows" would be released digitally (via MP3, f- you Steve Jobs!) on October 10th. While this is undeniably great, it comes with a twist of "cursed monkey paw" proportions. The band, in their infinite wisdom (note: this is NOT sarcasm), has decided that fans can pay whatever they want for the album. While die-hards will undoubtedly snap up the $80 box set due to release sometime in November, the rest of us are left with the question: "What exactly do I want to pay for the new Radiohead album?" Well, I'm here to answer exactly that question.
Now initially two answers come to mind: "Duh, I'm not paying anything for something that is being given away" and "Every red cent to my name". Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. To the small crowd that would sign over their first born, I would first say, "wise financial move, kids are expensive and you would be hard pressed to be a better parent than Jonny Greenwood". I would also say the box set, with two discs, a vinyl album, artwork, pictures, etc., costs $80, so the value of the digital version probably peaks around $20.
Now to you folks that tip 7%. This is Radiohead. They have made five generation defining records in a row. They put on live shows that can best be described as religious experiences. This is Radiohead. To put this in perspective, if someone walked up to me tomorrow and said "you can give me $1000 or never listen to Kid A again", well, there would be a For Sale sign on my car. To those of you that are a little more "rational", well, first you need to listen to Kid A again, but even if this is only a pass-able Radiohead album, it will probably get 20 listens. While I wish that I could have only paid $1 per listen for the most recent Sparta and Feist releases (for a grand total of $2.93), "In Rainbows" will provide at least 12-15 hours of premium entertainment for less than $20, that's value. Let's just say a minimum of ten listens at $0.50 a listen and our low limit is $5.
Of course now is probably the time to address the obvious, which is, if Radiohead wanted or expected people to pay for this album, they would charge a specific dollar (err, pound) amount for it. Maybe Radiohead is looking to return the favor to their fiercely loyal following, maybe they are making a statement to longtime label Capitol records or maybe they are just "being Radiohead". We don't really know why Radiohead isn't charging, but I could hardly blame someone for taking advantage of their generosity. So $0 is definitely legitimate, however, if you do feel the need to pay for what will certainly be one of the best albums of the year, the going rate should probably be somewhere between $8 and $12.
Ok, the fun is over, so let's get back to business. The most influential, progressive and important band since 1990 has decided to release their seventh full length. With little media foreknowledge, Radiohead announced that "In Rainbows" would be released digitally (via MP3, f- you Steve Jobs!) on October 10th. While this is undeniably great, it comes with a twist of "cursed monkey paw" proportions. The band, in their infinite wisdom (note: this is NOT sarcasm), has decided that fans can pay whatever they want for the album. While die-hards will undoubtedly snap up the $80 box set due to release sometime in November, the rest of us are left with the question: "What exactly do I want to pay for the new Radiohead album?" Well, I'm here to answer exactly that question.
Now initially two answers come to mind: "Duh, I'm not paying anything for something that is being given away" and "Every red cent to my name". Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. To the small crowd that would sign over their first born, I would first say, "wise financial move, kids are expensive and you would be hard pressed to be a better parent than Jonny Greenwood". I would also say the box set, with two discs, a vinyl album, artwork, pictures, etc., costs $80, so the value of the digital version probably peaks around $20.
Now to you folks that tip 7%. This is Radiohead. They have made five generation defining records in a row. They put on live shows that can best be described as religious experiences. This is Radiohead. To put this in perspective, if someone walked up to me tomorrow and said "you can give me $1000 or never listen to Kid A again", well, there would be a For Sale sign on my car. To those of you that are a little more "rational", well, first you need to listen to Kid A again, but even if this is only a pass-able Radiohead album, it will probably get 20 listens. While I wish that I could have only paid $1 per listen for the most recent Sparta and Feist releases (for a grand total of $2.93), "In Rainbows" will provide at least 12-15 hours of premium entertainment for less than $20, that's value. Let's just say a minimum of ten listens at $0.50 a listen and our low limit is $5.
Of course now is probably the time to address the obvious, which is, if Radiohead wanted or expected people to pay for this album, they would charge a specific dollar (err, pound) amount for it. Maybe Radiohead is looking to return the favor to their fiercely loyal following, maybe they are making a statement to longtime label Capitol records or maybe they are just "being Radiohead". We don't really know why Radiohead isn't charging, but I could hardly blame someone for taking advantage of their generosity. So $0 is definitely legitimate, however, if you do feel the need to pay for what will certainly be one of the best albums of the year, the going rate should probably be somewhere between $8 and $12.
07 August 2007
BRMC at House of Blues Cleveland
You've probably been seduced before. There's always promise. Promise, promise of something wonderful, or POWERFUL. Have you? because when you're seduced, it's no fun being let down. If you know what I mean then you may have fit in on Monday night seeing Black Rebel. Unquestionably a great band, BRMC came out with guns-a-blazin'. And they played for two hours. Heavy riffs and bleating vocals, they played hard and satisfied many. But they could have done so much more. The Club played a bunch of new songs to a supposed small town crowd, who theoretically should just be happy that a name band came to their burg. This is the cross that crowds that aren't located in NY, LA, DC, Chi, etc. have to bear. We are their practice field. But that's beside the point. The problem wasn't just the new stuff. The real flaw tonight was that BRMC cut the balls off every good song they've ever written.
There are not many common themes throughout BRMC's four albums. The first two are fairly straightforward garage rock, while the third wanders into territory belonging more to blues. Their latest attempts to straddle the line even more than Howl. But what is never absent is the feeling, the absolute proof, that this band has power to spare. Even when making a conscious effort to harness (some might say suppress) this power, it is always evident. This is a strength. So why oh why would Black Rebel Motorcyle Club ( that's a heavy name - they're not the Socially Conscious Dudes Who Care, they're the fucking BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB) choose to downplay their most rollicking tunes? I don't know and I suspect they don't either. It's the thing to do. Try to sound sophisticated by toning down your toughest tunes to ballads. Well, it didn't fly in this little town and I doubt anyone else would like it either. BRMC played a decent set but never let us revel in the tides of soul and power that they've fed us in the past.
This show was disappointing. But only in the sense that they could have given us so much more.
There are not many common themes throughout BRMC's four albums. The first two are fairly straightforward garage rock, while the third wanders into territory belonging more to blues. Their latest attempts to straddle the line even more than Howl. But what is never absent is the feeling, the absolute proof, that this band has power to spare. Even when making a conscious effort to harness (some might say suppress) this power, it is always evident. This is a strength. So why oh why would Black Rebel Motorcyle Club ( that's a heavy name - they're not the Socially Conscious Dudes Who Care, they're the fucking BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB) choose to downplay their most rollicking tunes? I don't know and I suspect they don't either. It's the thing to do. Try to sound sophisticated by toning down your toughest tunes to ballads. Well, it didn't fly in this little town and I doubt anyone else would like it either. BRMC played a decent set but never let us revel in the tides of soul and power that they've fed us in the past.
This show was disappointing. But only in the sense that they could have given us so much more.
29 July 2007
Addendum to "Who's Selling Out Now"
More indie rock in commercials:
M. Ward- "To Go Home" appears in a Mastercard commercial, kinda lame. But the Mastercard commercial is about baseball, priceless. (****EDIT**** apparently M. Ward is neither performing the song, nor is it his original)
Postal Service- Ok, the Postal Service got in a little dispute with the real postal service, the United States Postal Service that is. Due to similarities in their names the musical Postal Service agreed to let the USPS use some of their songs so they didn't get sued, seemed like a practical solution and "Such Great Heights" was used to sell stamps. Then marketing genius Ben Gibbard (and bandmate Jimmy Tamborello) sold "Such Great Heights" to the USPS natural, unsubsidized rival UPS. Apparently negotiations with Fed-Ex are on going.
M. Ward- "To Go Home" appears in a Mastercard commercial, kinda lame. But the Mastercard commercial is about baseball, priceless. (****EDIT**** apparently M. Ward is neither performing the song, nor is it his original)
Postal Service- Ok, the Postal Service got in a little dispute with the real postal service, the United States Postal Service that is. Due to similarities in their names the musical Postal Service agreed to let the USPS use some of their songs so they didn't get sued, seemed like a practical solution and "Such Great Heights" was used to sell stamps. Then marketing genius Ben Gibbard (and bandmate Jimmy Tamborello) sold "Such Great Heights" to the USPS natural, unsubsidized rival UPS. Apparently negotiations with Fed-Ex are on going.
28 July 2007
Who's Selling Out Now
I've been noticing alot of indie songs in commercials lately. Is it because super cool, good looking, intelligent people listen to indie rock and today's corporatations are trying to cash in on that image? I have to think so. Anyway, here is who is doing it for money:
Chromeo - "Needy Girl" in an advertisement for Reese's cups. Yep, nothing says buy some chocolate and peanut butter better than cheesy 80's synthesizer rock.
Feist - "My Man, My Moon" in a Verizon cell phone commercial. Miss Feist apparently turned down a million dollar offer to use "Mushaboom" in a McDonald's commercial. I guess she had a change of heart and joined the Verizon stable that includes super hip artists like Robin Thicke.
Wilco - Nobody knows how to go bigger than Wilco, as they sold most of their new album to Volkswagon. That's approaching territory only Moby has ever ventured into. Beware Wilco, the last time we heard from Moby he was being smacked down by Eminem, yeah, the Eminem that hasn't been relevant in five years.
Peter, Bjorn and John - The catchy whistling of "Young Folks" has appeared in both the edgy CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" (which has also played Islands "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby", damn they have a good music guy), a Cingular commercial and a Levi's commercial (***EDIT**** the song in the Levi's commercial is the equally awesome "Up Against The Wall"), which proves, if you're buying, PB&J are selling.
Chromeo - "Needy Girl" in an advertisement for Reese's cups. Yep, nothing says buy some chocolate and peanut butter better than cheesy 80's synthesizer rock.
Feist - "My Man, My Moon" in a Verizon cell phone commercial. Miss Feist apparently turned down a million dollar offer to use "Mushaboom" in a McDonald's commercial. I guess she had a change of heart and joined the Verizon stable that includes super hip artists like Robin Thicke.
Wilco - Nobody knows how to go bigger than Wilco, as they sold most of their new album to Volkswagon. That's approaching territory only Moby has ever ventured into. Beware Wilco, the last time we heard from Moby he was being smacked down by Eminem, yeah, the Eminem that hasn't been relevant in five years.
Peter, Bjorn and John - The catchy whistling of "Young Folks" has appeared in both the edgy CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" (which has also played Islands "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby", damn they have a good music guy), a Cingular commercial and a Levi's commercial (***EDIT**** the song in the Levi's commercial is the equally awesome "Up Against The Wall"), which proves, if you're buying, PB&J are selling.
24 July 2007
May '07 Releases
Ah, May, it wasn't super hot and the All-Star game was still two months away, yeah, May is all right by me. Aside from being the most pleasant month of the year, May also brought us these albums:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81
BRMC followed up 2003's critically acclaimed "Take Them On, On Your Own", with a more laid back, more accoustic, and more reflective sound on 2005's "Howl". The natural question is where will "Baby 81" fit into BRMC's catalog? Will it be the hazy, straight ahead rock reminicent of Jesus and the Mary Chain or will it be the blues-y, Americana sound they most recently experimented with? The answer is, of course, somewhere in the middle with some deviations.
"Baby 81" gets a kick start with "Took Out a Loan" and "Berlin" two straight forward rock songs. However, where early BRMC had subtlety, these two songs add up to little more than what is heard on the first listen. Unfortunatly this is a problem that plagues "Baby 81". The more soulful and blues based songs like "666 Conducer" and "All You Do Is Talk" aren't so charming or insightful that they can stand on their own, while rock songs like "Lien On Your Dreams" and "Need Some Air" lack the sexiness and edge needed to make them interesting.
Now don't get me wrong, none of the songs on "Baby 81" are bad, in fact most sound like they require a good bit of technical expertise, but in the same respect they are songs trying to live in two worlds and getting stuck somewhere in the middle.
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Wilco's last two albums ("Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born") were undoubtable brilliant and cemented Wilco as one of America's greatest band, but they were also uneven and aloof. "Sky Blue Sky" appears to be a reflection of lead singer Jeff Tweedy's attempt to slow down and level out after a multi-year struggle with pain killers and depression. Whether it's the apathetic, life goes on attitude of opening track "Either Way" or Tweedy's unique way of looking on the bright side on the title track, "Sky Blue Sky" is fluid, genuine and unforced. Jams on "Side With the Seeds" and "Shake It Off" are pleasant but sound restrained, as if a conscious effort not to relapse into previous destructive behavior. Wilco does take a courageous step on "Hate It Here", a song about being left in middle age, but performed with all the angst and desperation of teenage heartbreak. "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" tenderly outlines Tweedy's dependence and loneliness. "Walken" follows in the mold of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "I'm a Wheel", relieving the tension Tweedy has slowly been building. The single "What Light" touches on Wilco's country roots, but is fairly indescript.
"Sky Blue Sky" closes with "On and On and On", frankly one of the most romantic alternative songs I think I have ever heard. "On and On and On" describes a couple going, well, on and on and on through life, staying together, working things out and trying to make things better. It's not the type of song one would play at their wedding reception, but rather a song that would be better suited for a few hours after the guests had gone home, genuine, unassuming and intimate. Unfortunately, it probably won't help Wilco sell any Volkswagons.
Feist - The Reminder
Until recently, Leslie Feist hadn't had alot of commercial success in here career. While she was lauded for her part as one of the brilliant Canadians that make up Broken Social Scene and her most recent album, 2005's jazzy "Let It Die", was very smooth and sexy, the records just weren't flying off the shelf. Then middle America came calling, Feist was selected to be one of the VH1's always edgy "You Oughta Know" artists, spiking "The Reminder" into the Billboard Top 20 albums along side the likes of Fall Out Boy and Fergie.
Feist's push to the attention of the VH1 crowd doesn't seem to be entirely coincidental. Her vocals have been pushed to the forefront of the "The Reminder", despite Feist saying less than she did on "Let It Die". Single "My Moon My Man" makes a conscious effort not to deviate into anything interesting. "The Park" drags on for nearly five minutes without any real focus. "The Water" unsuccessfully tries to stretch Miss Feist's vocal range without providing anything tangible for the listener to latch onto. "Sea Lion Woman" and "Past in Present" return to Feist's usually jazz infused style, but I have to be skeptical anytime hand claps are used on back to back songs.
Very few of the songs on "The Reminder" feel relaxed, spontaneous or personal. The lack of these characteristics makes Feist's current work little better than slightly interesting background music.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81
BRMC followed up 2003's critically acclaimed "Take Them On, On Your Own", with a more laid back, more accoustic, and more reflective sound on 2005's "Howl". The natural question is where will "Baby 81" fit into BRMC's catalog? Will it be the hazy, straight ahead rock reminicent of Jesus and the Mary Chain or will it be the blues-y, Americana sound they most recently experimented with? The answer is, of course, somewhere in the middle with some deviations.
"Baby 81" gets a kick start with "Took Out a Loan" and "Berlin" two straight forward rock songs. However, where early BRMC had subtlety, these two songs add up to little more than what is heard on the first listen. Unfortunatly this is a problem that plagues "Baby 81". The more soulful and blues based songs like "666 Conducer" and "All You Do Is Talk" aren't so charming or insightful that they can stand on their own, while rock songs like "Lien On Your Dreams" and "Need Some Air" lack the sexiness and edge needed to make them interesting.
Now don't get me wrong, none of the songs on "Baby 81" are bad, in fact most sound like they require a good bit of technical expertise, but in the same respect they are songs trying to live in two worlds and getting stuck somewhere in the middle.
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Wilco's last two albums ("Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born") were undoubtable brilliant and cemented Wilco as one of America's greatest band, but they were also uneven and aloof. "Sky Blue Sky" appears to be a reflection of lead singer Jeff Tweedy's attempt to slow down and level out after a multi-year struggle with pain killers and depression. Whether it's the apathetic, life goes on attitude of opening track "Either Way" or Tweedy's unique way of looking on the bright side on the title track, "Sky Blue Sky" is fluid, genuine and unforced. Jams on "Side With the Seeds" and "Shake It Off" are pleasant but sound restrained, as if a conscious effort not to relapse into previous destructive behavior. Wilco does take a courageous step on "Hate It Here", a song about being left in middle age, but performed with all the angst and desperation of teenage heartbreak. "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" tenderly outlines Tweedy's dependence and loneliness. "Walken" follows in the mold of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "I'm a Wheel", relieving the tension Tweedy has slowly been building. The single "What Light" touches on Wilco's country roots, but is fairly indescript.
"Sky Blue Sky" closes with "On and On and On", frankly one of the most romantic alternative songs I think I have ever heard. "On and On and On" describes a couple going, well, on and on and on through life, staying together, working things out and trying to make things better. It's not the type of song one would play at their wedding reception, but rather a song that would be better suited for a few hours after the guests had gone home, genuine, unassuming and intimate. Unfortunately, it probably won't help Wilco sell any Volkswagons.
Feist - The Reminder
Until recently, Leslie Feist hadn't had alot of commercial success in here career. While she was lauded for her part as one of the brilliant Canadians that make up Broken Social Scene and her most recent album, 2005's jazzy "Let It Die", was very smooth and sexy, the records just weren't flying off the shelf. Then middle America came calling, Feist was selected to be one of the VH1's always edgy "You Oughta Know" artists, spiking "The Reminder" into the Billboard Top 20 albums along side the likes of Fall Out Boy and Fergie.
Feist's push to the attention of the VH1 crowd doesn't seem to be entirely coincidental. Her vocals have been pushed to the forefront of the "The Reminder", despite Feist saying less than she did on "Let It Die". Single "My Moon My Man" makes a conscious effort not to deviate into anything interesting. "The Park" drags on for nearly five minutes without any real focus. "The Water" unsuccessfully tries to stretch Miss Feist's vocal range without providing anything tangible for the listener to latch onto. "Sea Lion Woman" and "Past in Present" return to Feist's usually jazz infused style, but I have to be skeptical anytime hand claps are used on back to back songs.
Very few of the songs on "The Reminder" feel relaxed, spontaneous or personal. The lack of these characteristics makes Feist's current work little better than slightly interesting background music.
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