Feb/090
German electro-rockers invade my inbox
German electro-rockers invade my inbox
Those crafty Deutschlanders. Someone from the same country that brought us such aural weirdness as krautrock, power metal, and Oomph! just dropped me an e-mail about Super 700, a Berlin-based seven-piece band whose sound manages to completely baffle me. And, for all intents and purposes other than my ability to write this blog post, that’s a very good thing.
Lovebites, the band’s debut album, is a diverse venture, full of lush soundscapes but never quite crossing the line into the pretension of post-rock or shoegaze’s oft-overwhelming walls of noise. At times, the eclectic blend of synths, live instrumentation, and singer Ibadet Ramadani’s artful vocals called to my mind: Laika, The Decemberists, Cocteau Twins, The Cure (specifically on “The Fortuneteller”), Goldfrapp, Explosions in the Sky, Hooverphonic circa-The Magnificent Tree, and Enigma, among others. Yes, that’s quite a list, but these guys are just that unique.
So if the above doesn’t give you a general idea what Super 700 sounds like (and how could it?), feel free to stream or grab the album gratis. And of course, if you like it, you should support the band by buying a higher-quality version.
Feb/095
Kanye defends Chris Brown; bashes Radiohead
Kanye defends Chris Brown; bashes Radiohead
When everyone’s favorite Autotune-loving rapper appears on VH1’s “Storytellers,” a couple of choice bits will be missing from the interview. For one, Kanye told the interviewer that when Radiohead performed at the Grammys, he “sat the f*** down” due to lead singer Thom Yorke’s apparent snubbing of him back-stage. Mr. West is apparently a huge fan of the British post-rockers, but it apparently doesn’t take much to sway his loyalties.
A bit more startling, however, is his attempted defense of Chris Brown, otherwise known as “that moron who beat on Rihanna.” “Can’t we give Chris a break?” Kanye complains, “I know I’ve made mistakes in life.” Yeah, Kanye, everyone’s made mistakes in their life – but most of us haven’t socked our defenseless girlfriends unprovoked. (Mine could probably take me besides.)
Still, I am getting tired of the Chris Brown media hoopla, and Thom is generally kind of a snob. Therefore, methinks this ranks fairly low.
Feb/090
Tour Spotlight: Dinosaur Jr. spring into action
Tour Spotlight: Dinosaur Jr. spring into action
There’s no questioning that Amherst-based noise-rockers Dinosaur Jr. were one of the more influential rock bands of the ’80s and ’90s. Their trademark use of distortion, in conjunction with contemporaries like Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain, set the stage for the loud, aggressive walls of sound that became the trademark of the grunge era and ’90s alt-rock in general. And this spring, they’re setting out to rock the States.
Yesterday, the band announced nearly thirty shows in smaller venues spanning mostly the month of April, with a few in the bordering months for good measure. And even better, everyone attending the concerts will receive a free, exclusive 7″ vinyl record or digital download. What more reason do you need to go out and see what these guys are all about?
Our content-management department here at ShowClix will be adding the shows soon enough, so look for them shortly.
Feb/090
Aging men with silly names write songs about comic books
Aging men with silly names write songs about comic books
Okay. I’ve started – and scrapped – several different approaches to this story, but nothing seems to quite capture the sheer absurdity of it. So I’m just going to be blunt:
There’s a Broadway musical. About Spider-Man. And somehow, someone at Marvel managed to blackmail U2’s Bono and The Edge into writing all of the music.
Yeah, I have no idea either. All I want to know is how much tickets are to this impending train-wreck, because it sounds too good (in an awful, awful way) to miss.
Feb/090
Correlation, causation… eh, what’s the difference?
Correlation, causation… eh, what’s the difference?
Straight from our very own University of Pittsburgh comes a study that links regularly listening to music with sexually explicit lyrics to increased teenage sexual activity. Simultaneously intrigued at the implications and fearful for the state of our nation’s youth, I drafted an open letter to Pitt’s sociological research department commending them for their find. Below is the text of that letter.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I recently happened upon a very interesting research study that your team, apparently in possession of no small amount of wisdom, has conducted in recent times. Being of sound mind and a staunch supporter of traditional values, I must extol said team for their infinitely moral and just findings in favor of modern music’s degrading effect upon young people today. Thank you, good people of this University, for standing up for what is good and right in this world.
To that end, having given the subject no small consideration myself, I have enclosed a short list of follow-up studies concerning several other aspects of the filth that teenagers regularly spew into their own ears. They are as follows:
1) …whether regularly listening to new wave endows one with a propensity to use video to brutally murder the radio star;
2) …whether regularly listening to grunge rock causes teenagers to overdose on illegal substances and/or marry Courtney Love;
3) …whether regularly listening to country forces a subject to sport cowboy hats, drive a Ford pickup, and name his/her children unacceptable things like “Cletus,” “Toby,” and “George Bush;”
4) …whether regularly listening to post-rock leaves teens with a propensity to attend poetry slams and create horrible postmodern art;
5) …whether regularly listening to power metal gives one a sudden and insatiable urge to dress up in ren-faire gear, hoist a magic sword, and shout to any passers-by on the street about how you’re a mighty warrior and vanquish dragons and stuff, and how you’re embarking on an epic quest to save the land from a dark evil wizard and his army of malevolent oh god I can’t go on with this; and
6) …whether regularly listening to Kanye West makes you a complete and utter moron.
Again, you have my gratitude for both your work and for taking a few moments out of what must undoubtedly be a busy schedule to peruse this humble Letter. I look forward to reading about any further findings from your admirable squad in the future.
Sincerely,
Samuel Pynchon Haverbottom III
So, what do you think?
Feb/090
Yet another reunion, but this one involves Mike Patton
Yet another reunion, but this one involves Mike Patton
Further cementing this year as the Year of ’90s Alt-Rock Reunions, it looks like influential ‘Frisco-based rockers Faith No More will be taking to the road this summer for a tour. This tour will be the first time that the band performs together since breaking up in 1998, and will feature vocalist and all-around awesome guy Mike Patton at the helm.
Sad thing is, however, Patton confirmed that it’ll only take place in Europe. C’mon, guys; you’ve got a ton of fans here on the other side of the Atlantic too! Fans with money. Lots of money. And not that crazy moon currency that the Europeans use. You do like money, don’t you?
Feb/090
Tinted Windows are… actually pretty good
Tinted Windows are… actually pretty good
Last week, when former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha announced his new motley-crew supergroup to the world, I don’t think anybody expected it to be any good. In addition to Iha and Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger, Tinted Windows boasts the drummer from Cheap Trick, who’s easily fifteen years older than anyone else in the band, and Taylor Hanson (yes, that Taylor Hanson.)
But then I stumbled across the group’s first single on the Smoking Section. And… well… it kinda’ rocks. Not only do they actually sound like a band, but – surprisingly – Tay’s competent vocals prove that there’s quite a bit more to him than his Hanson gimmick. This is quality power pop, folks. I just hope that the impending album is this solid.
Feb/090
(Belated) Monday Album Roundup: Weird week
(Belated) Monday Album Roundup: Weird weekHappy Tuesday, all! I’m back after a short hiatus to focus on work concerning our little new venture here in the ShowClix offices. And to begin with, here’s a little rundown of some new music for y’all!
In addition to the albums below, we’ve got new releases this week from The Black Lips (show listings), Lamb of God (show listings), Clem Snide (show listings), and Chris Isaak’s big comeback.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who will defend latter-day KMFDM, but I’m about the closest you’ll find. Attak was excellent, WWIII only marginally less so, and I’ll even defend Hau Ruck’s guitar-heavy sound to the death, but… my god, what happened with Tohuvabohu? (Personally, I blame Sascha Konietzko’s wife.) Thankfully, Tim Skold, who not only worked with the band to produce some of their best material, but also performed stints with OhGr and Marylin Manson producing some of their best work, is back in action. Skold vs. KMFDM consists of two sets of 11 songs – one set of full songs and one set of remixed “interludes” – featuring the combined influences of Sascha and Skold. From what I’ve heard so far, it can’t quite measure up to KMFDM’s classic ’90s period, but it’s the best we’ve got – and with Skold also performing on the upcoming Blitz, hopefully we’ll never have another Tohu on our hands again
Singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson is, at least in my opinion, one of the most prolific modern musicians out there. In his many projects over the span of two decades, he’s tackled genres as diverse as psychedelic rock, dreampop, experimental electronica, heavy metal, alternative rock, and minimalist ambient, all with a unique flair for layered sound and impeccable production. In Insurgentes, his first solo album, Wilson recruited a stellar list of prog-rock musicians – bassist Tony Levin, sax and flute player Theo Travis, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, among others – to produce ten experimental, drone-heavy tracks that remind me of Robert Fripp in some places and Sunn O))) in others. All in all, it’s an excellent effort, and I look forward to the inevitable second.
Finally, we delve into the truly bizarre. Merzbow – whose real name is Masami Akita – may be a native Japanese musician, but his music is the pure antithesis of the peppy, shrill bubblegum pop we’re used to coming from that country. With a discography spanning 30 years and over 200(!) releases, Merzbow crafts experimental-noise albums that are avant-garde in the truest sense of the word – sometimes harsh, grating, and bordering on true atonal noise, and other times ambient and even melodic. 13 Japanese Birds is a 13-month-long, 13-album project, with one album released each month (the second one was released today). Each is to be produced in a limited print run of just 1000 copies, too, so if you’re truly interested in the forefront of experimental music, you’d better grab these while they’re still around.