Fatal Flaw – Titus Andronicus – As we get closer to the release of The Most Lamentable Tragedy, it becomes clear there is a whole lot of baggage to go along with Patrick Stickles epic disaster disaster, sort of “Inside Outside” for solipsistic egomaniacs. And with songs as great as this, a flat out masterpiece and one of his greatest Stickles’ songs of all time, I could care less.
there must be some reason there is nothing to do today, with the possible exception of the Soft Parade, the great Doors cover band, at BB Kings. Meanwhile, the big rumor of the moment is Pearl Jam are performing at this year’s “Global Citizen’s Festival” on September 26th. This will be my third year, so far I’ve seen (among others) Stevie Wonder and No Doubt each perform great sets. Finally, P-Funk on Governors Island.
Of course the story of the video, if you can say that it has a coherent story, is about Rihanna and her gang kidnapping the wife of a rich accountant, so the fans’ kidnapping story was totally making sense in this context, but isn’t it a lot of effort for a short movie? According to the participants, the whole deal, including the wait to get in the bus, lasted 4 hours, 4 hours of their life to see a 7-minute clip!…Still they got to see and meet Rihanna, which has to be priceless if you are a fan. Plus she poured dollar bills on the crowd, so it was not too shabby.
Future Is Mine – DJ Cassidy – Featuring Chromeo, this takes the sound of prime disco and tries to copy it, to exhilarating effect, this is like a step backwards into the present, tinny but smooth as well – B+
Really, talk show hosts? Really? I am getting one day off from my advertising job and no days off from rock nyc, and what are the other half doing? They are getting two weeks of reruns. Not for nothing, but do some damn work. What the hell is this. If I was James Corden I would go out of my way to make sure I’m working. God save Conan, the only guy to wake up and do his job. A two week vacation… I dunno, man…
The thing to keep in mind about this week is it is much less a great song than great album week, the albums accumulate force but without too much stuff sticking out. “people Want to Hear About Love” is the perfect example of a pretty good song on a pretty good album. Most things here are pretty good and also? There will be a lot more of them…
Believing the confederate flag should be taken down from Government buildings is not the same as approving TV Land canceling The Duke Of Hazards… This is the problem with attempting to do the right thing, censorship, in this case completely ridiculous censorship, is the next step… I don’t know of the TV show being a gateway to racism anywhere at anytime TVL is the problem not the solution
– Nobody Hangs Out Anymore – London O’Connor – This is the modern equivalent of bedsitland, a place where young people mope to a purpose, but it is great, a beautiful low key triumph for the rap slash singer songwriter wondering where the good times have gone – A-
What is with this institutionalized lying? It is a little on the unseemly side, especially for a website whose job is to give a fair counting of sales. Perhaps, and I’m just saying here, it has something to do with their advertisers here? Why bite the hand that feeds you?
Dylan went home in 1974 with a copy of his freshly recorded album ‘Blood on the Tracks’ and his brother suggested that he re-records some of the songs ‘because too many sounded the same’. Dylan executed and re-recorded half of it at Sound 80 in Minneapolis with other musicians.
I wish he would talk less, especially since I’ve heard most of these stories before. A few times he brought out his guitar rack and started talking about the different individual instruments and what sounded good on each one. Interesting for a guitar nerd like me but probably not so much for most of the crowd.
So far I’ve gone from Highway To Hell to Back In Black to the latest and have done nothing but enjoy it. Welcome AC/DC to the 21st Century, stream em now.
They played a set of six songs, a few new ones and some old stuff, as they said, for the crowd’s greatest pleasure. Their heavy rock sound was guitar-driven with discordance and morose vocals… may be Interpol and all these new bands embracing the detached-mournful vocals have been schooled by Failure
‘WATCH “Our Hero” awake to a world of wonder! GASP at the shocking secret of “The Lookalike!” MARVEL at the mysterious transformative powers of the Vernal Equinox! DANCE to those which are already being called Titus Andronicus’s Greatest Hits Yet!” UNDERSTAND the underlying themes and motifs that elevate TMLT far beyond the petty constraints of a mere “rock album” and into the realm of that which the German philosopher K. F. E. Trahndorff first called, in 1827, Gesamtkunstwerk (“total art”—look it up)!!!’
This is awful bland though Billboard made an interesting comment, Silento is the third rapper, Fetty and T Wayne were the first two, to go viral on youtube and then break pop. None of the songs are particularly good, though they aren’t terrible either. The “nae nae” hook is addictive. Otherwise, another boring week on the charts.
They were a great surprise with a formidable energy and a lot of soul. I am not using the term soul lightly, despite the cowboy hat on the head of one of the guitarists, they undoubtedly had an old-school rhythm & blues sound, and one of their songs even had a true Sam & Dave vibe. The sax, the horns and the wobbling Hammond were part of their audacious and lively R&B, with an explosive sound and a powerhouse that may have channeled some Springsteen or Joe Cocker gig.
How could the charts be any more jumpy? Five new releases, two newish releases, and three holdovers from 2014. One neo soul, one American, one country, one old school, and five pop albums. Break it down any way you cant this is a highly caffeinated piece of work, and if you added up all the units, you would go Gold combined.
Some weeks are bigger than others and some are just ridiculous in their greatness. This is one of the biggest weeks for pop records in recent history: Miguel, Vince Staples, Neil Young, The Internet, Bilal and Joy Williams all had potential albums of the week. And I can’t listen to them fast enough.
Well, I know for sure what is not the most anticipated new album of net week (late next week to be precise), and that would be the new Jason Isbell, one of the biggest disappointments of 2015. I have a full review in mind, maybe by Sunday, and will not be a happy thing at all. Alan Jackson? He sucked so bad at Carnegie Hall a coupla years ago, I am not too thrilled any more. Pitbull releases album after song after album, Chemical Brothers -wasn’t crazy about the single. I think I’ll go with the psychedelic weirdos who were so good at Governors Ball earlier this year, win first place.
Hells Bells – AC/DC – From the death knoll that opens it to the blues breaker lick that follows, all the way through the end of the song, this does two things at the same time, it toughens out AC/DC even in the midst of intense loss, and connects the extremeness of power pleasure and power sorrow: a mythic “you’re only young once but you’re gonna die” – A+
I took this portrait of Nina from a still photo in the Liz Garbus documentary. This was done in oil. I chose to put Nina on black canvas because she was such a strong voice in the black culture and will always be associated with such. Her portrait is done in an angelic white with a hint of blues illuminating her hair. I used shapes in the background (acrylic) from a stage show that was filmed later in her career. The font was my interpretation of a royal African style that is done in a gold and bronze in tribute to her regal ness
Overlord – Lamb Of God – Three years after their last release, Randy on the bombs sound more like Soundgarden than anything human, and while the plod of the hard rock first three minutes is new territory it is only new for them, the final three minutes is business as usual but the riff remains the same and it isn’t one of their best – C
And so the wars begin in earnest and at first look, Apple has done a good job of integrating their streaming service into their Itunes library. I said at first look, I am already having problems on the client. I prefer the Itunes search engine to Spotify but otherwise, Spotify is superior
He was holding his guitar very high and tight, pointing it like a gun toward the amp, he has recently collaborated with Ty Segall and his sound couldn’t have been more punk-psychedelic with a heavy layer coming straight from the 70’s.
Which makes me think, I have probably use the terms psychedelic/psychedelia way too many times in this review, but try to see 24 bands in 10 hours!
Candidate – Johnny Marr – With his first solo album, he had at least a handful of ace songs to go along with his guitar playing and what this boring piece of UK rock proves is… now he doesn’t – C
Live is where he comes into his own as a no nonsense UK rocker who has a better feel for harmolodics then you might imagine, everything here is about arranging a sound where nothing sticks out and nothing goes under, just like Be Here Now taught us, it is like a mountain that is all peak.
The Monsanto Years – Neil Young And And Promise Of The Real – From “Harvest” to “Harvest Moon” to “Wolf Moon”, this isn’t the devolution we have been promised but rather a wildly eccentric rock and folk mash up, that works better than anything Young has done since Psychedelic Pill. Even the seven minute song that gives the album its title is a goodie, plus it is politically smart – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Unlike most months you can think of, June belonged to two songs, Dawes “All Your Favorite Bands” and Titus Andronicus’ “Fatal Flaw”. The former is easily their best song, a genius benediction to a former love and the latter was so good it made the brilliant “Dimed Out” sound like an also ran. If these don’t end up in the top five singles of the year, I assure they will be in the top ten.
Before This World – James Taylor – A late career masterpiece by Sweet Baby James Uncle, songs as sweet and strong as memory and as strong and lasting as this exact moment, as though before this world there was this world and just this world was then and now.
But most of my day was occupied with all these 60’s revival surf-rock-worshiper bands, and they keep multiplying with more nuances than I can describe. Most of them played with a punk spirit and a personal twist each time, but as I said, they duplicate themselves at infinity.
‘We were told we only had one guest each this time,’ said The Maccabees guitarist Felix White. ‘I’ve not got that many other friends who want to come, but I’m just making a point!’ And The Maccabees were not even performing on the same stage than Kanye. ‘We were told that this viewing platform’s been set up just for Kanye so he’s got hundreds and hundreds of guests apparently,’ added White.
Marshall Crenshaw’s album by segments is now in its second year and sixth installment with no lessening in quality: six new songs, six covers, six live songs, six re recordings, and all about exactly what you would’ve have hoped. Much like the Easybeats cover here, “Made My Bed, Gonna Lie It”, it is youthful, quirky, superbly arranged with some great harmonies
You Are In Love – Taylor Swift – As my own personal Taylor Swift backlash continues unabated, I so regret she lost her balance and became removed from the world she created and I guess I’ll feel that way till I see her on stage next week. Meanwhile, this song, written for Lena Dunham, reminds us how though the world has changed her, it hasn’t infected her songwriting – A
One more day, one more day,just one more day and a whole lotta new albums with Miguel’s newbie actually already out. Can you feel the excitement in the air? I wasn’t crazy about his breakthrough album Kaleidoscope Dream, and was vaguely cool to his opening slot on last years Drake tour, but Wildheart is much better. Actually, it is really really good.
Bloodlines – Tyga – Hand it for Tyga’s flow here, and if that isn’t T-Pain between autotuned (it isn’ -it’s from Mark Z’s “Its Easy”) it sure is a smart little hook, and the lyric is stranger than strange -an ode to his family and friends – B
‘The guy from INXS has just died, I drew a monument, a scaffolding as a proof of my sorrow and at the top I put INXS. It was a way to express my sadness about losing this great pop star’. If there’s a devotional aspect to Devendra’s art, his function stays in the perpetual practice: ‘There’s no goal, it is a practice’ he repeated several times, ‘even if it is a homage’.
US: The Supreme Court ruled gay marriage was legal and the world rejoiced though Canada enacted the same law ten years ago in 2005. Even so the world became a rainbow and freedom rang as the world became gay for a day, during Gay Pride Week
I wanted to call this post the small label which could because this is a real phenomenon here in Los Angeles, two minuscule labels are revolutionizing music festivals, Burger Records has its Burgerama now in its 4th year and taking some mini-Coachella proportions, then Lolipop Records has just put its second Lolipalooza – great name by the way – at the Echo/Echoplex and the festival is simply here to stay and grow every year.
Wow, talk about catching a band at the height of their heat! Following my viewing of Wolf Alice last week, they have killed it at Glastonbury and were only stopped from the top spot, on their debut album I might add, by another artist who killed it at Glastonbury, who I have also seen recently and also wasn’t crazy about live. PS: I took Taylor down a notch because, frankly, she is losing her sweetness.
Okay, with the estimable Jess Glynne handling the hook, this is the word to crack Tinie Tempeh Stateside. He has come close in the past , “Written In The Stars” reached #12 back in 2010, but it hasn’t happened big time as well as appearing on Swedish House Mafia’s “Miami To Ibiza” , so this one could finally do it. Meanwhile, Flo, Fet, the Felix remix -lotsa good stuff.
The MSG set was a goodie, maybe a little better than his Radio City Music Hall set from 2012. A solid B+, except Helen Bach just warned me I better give it an A-. I never said, I never her grade was completely unfounded…
The Tide Is High – Blondie – Is this an official gay anthem? Blondie’s famous cover of the Paragons masterpiece survives as their encore. It was the highlight of their set at Roseland, with a full brass section coming out to join her and the highlight of a whole day of music yesterday with Debbie literally wrapping herself in a rainbow flag – A
“I AM THE GREATEST LIVING ROCKSTAR ON THE PLANET!” Kanye West claimed at Glastonbury yesterday and if you disagree maybe you should move on to bro country… I can’t think of a planet where that probably isn’t true and if West is the divining line in modern pop music stick me on any side he is on.
Murder isn’t baseball, Denis Hamill claimed in the New York Daily News today, it isn’t a staticians game. Essentially telling us all to sit down and stop fretting. Perhaps, but homeless men with machetes attacking defenseless women in Bryant Park is rife with symbolism.And if murder was baseball, New York City has transitioned from the 2000 Yankees to the 2000 Mets, and that is far enough or we will be the 2014 Yankees before we know it.
The website also includes a listen section where you can stream the iconic ‘Closer’, set to ‘photographs by Charlie Meecham, the Lancashire-based artist whose work was used on the cover of Atmosphere’. They also promise us to add more ‘specially-commissioned videos, inspired by the band, in the future’.
Maxi Priest we expected to be great, on record he is pop and reggae and on stage he is a rock and reggae with a masterful lead guitarist. Sly and Robbie produced some of last years Easy To Love, but on stage this was not Lover’s Rock. he opened the set with the 1990 “A Little Bit Longer” but while the recorded version is bright eyed UB40ish reggae riddem soul pop, on stage it was a barnstormer
But this is beside the point, there’s more to the story, some people are becoming more and more suspicious that the whole deal was just a stunt, and that Swift was secretly cooperating with Apple from the beginning. Who are these people, some new conspiracy theorists? They are random faces on Twitter expressing doubt, but also Tom Conrad, Pandora’s co-founder, who tweeted a series of interesting sentences:
The two songs are perfect examples of jangle, “This Soul Is Not For Sale” is a rethinking of the “The Bells Of Rhymney” with the folkness replaced by Beatley power pop. My Buddy Robert Ross will flip for it, I promise, and while I know it looks easy to wear your influences so on your sleeve, if it was easy, why doesn’t everybody do it. There is a magic to renewing something so great and making it your own.
I am gonna miss this because 1) I’m broke, 2) it is at Jones Beach and I don’t have a car on 3) a weekday, 4) The Big Huerta and little Stevie Crawford have already written terrific reviews of the concert in LA and Dallas, 5) plus Alyson reviewed the tribute gig months ago and 6) did I mention I’m broke? However, if you have a car and are not broke, get to Jones Beach on Tuesday and check out Brian Wilson.
Bilal might be a biggie true, 2013’s A Love Surreal was terrific and the one time I saw him live he was very good. The current single with Big K.R.I.T. is a goodie. Bassnectar released one of the best albums of 2014, but he was a bore on stage and it is a little soon for an new album, also the EP sampler was a disappointment. I’m going with Vince Staples.I’ve got a feeling about his first solo album, the Odd Future collaborator has been waiting years for his turn and the three songs I’ve already heard off Summertime ’06 have been excellent.
