• BritPop

    Thanks!

    As we head into Thanksgiving, I just have to give a shout out and say thanks to the Leeds band, The Kaiser Cheifs. Last summer, the band released their fourth album and it came out in the most unique way that I have ever seen a band put out music to date .

    You start here. From this link, your adventure begins in creating your own version of the album. Choose the track list, running order,artwork, and design it all yourself. Then download. The cost? £7.50 or roughly 12 bucks for 10 tracks.

    Now, the Kaiser Chiefs have made 20 tracks available to choose from so if you want all of them you have to buy two albums effectively. For Brit geeks like me who have long bemoaned the extra tracks that usually end up on singles not being easily available, this is pure bliss! So, naturally, I plunked down £15. I sincerely hope that other bands from the UK take a cue from the Kaiser Chiefs and do the same thing.

    Here is my favorite track from the record, “When All Is Quiet,” which has a 10cc feel to it, appealing to some of you 70s hippies!

  • Funk

    Still Wishin’

    I had all but given up checking the news wire for the new release from the original members of The Time.  Jimmy Jam told us it was “coming soon” when I saw them in June of 2010 and I think the last time I googled “The Time” and “New Album” was in September of this year.

    Imagine my surprise (I guess a watched pot never boils) when I opened the Minneapolis Star Tribune today and saw that the original 7 members of The Time (now called The Original 7ven) had played a gig here in town last Saturday night at the State Theater. More shocking was their new album, Condensate, had slipped out on October 18 and I didn’t even notice! Kicking myself for not being more attentive, I immediately scrambled for my iPhone and downloaded it straight away.

    As I was watching each song load onto my iPhone, I wondered if the disc would live up to the hype I had built up in my mind. I had been waiting for a new album from The Time since their 1990 release, Pandemonium and my dream to someday be Morris Day had actually grown stronger as I had gotten older. I admit that I had my doubts about this new offering. Would they still be relevant in the year 2011?

    As soon as I heard the opening dialogue between Morris and Jerome as they visit their old hood in North Minneapolis, I knew that I would be: a) way the fuck off for ever having any doubts whatsoever and b) in for a real treat.

    The first track, “Strawberry Lake,” is straight from the same shop where one can buy paisley dripped rasberry berets. In fact, this tune, being the lead off number, almost makes me wonder if it isn’t a giant middle finger to Prince who would not allow the lads to use the name “The Time” for this record.

    After this we have a “press conference” in which Morris explains to a reporter why he is still cool. The answer is hilarious and leads straight into the title track. This skit, along with many others sprinkled throughout the album, is vintage Morris/Jerome and ranks right up there with “If The Kid Can’t Make You Come” and “Sexy Socialites/Jerk Out.”

    “#Trendin”, the album’s single, fits perfectly into any club at 1am when the bodies are moving and sweating…it’s beat, relentless and pounding…and has lyrics that bring the boys firmly into the 21st century with Morris singing about “tweetie pies posting on blogs.” Regardless of what time it is (:)), we can always count on Morris to be the hippest of the hip. Honestly, our current age of digital vanity and Morris Day are a match made in heaven.

    The next two tracks “If I Was Yo Man” and “Role Play” are up beat love songs that both shine in their own special way. The latter oddly reminds me of Tony Carey/Planet P Project with Morris’ haunting voice seemingly coming from another world. It’s here that we fully realize how important it is to have Jimmy and Terry at the producing helm.

    Then we come to the albums two gems: “Sick” and “Lifestyle.” The former showcases some serious shredding by Mr. Jesse Johnson. His solos are nothing short of stunning and several of the lyrics made me grin from ear to ear. The lyrics to “Lifestyle,” the true ballad of the album, made me laugh out loud at several points and brought my desire to be Morris Day to an all time high. The song is simply perfect for every single thing that these guys are all about….vanity with none of the downside…rampant materialism that’s not shallow in any way but is actually cool…ego with perfectly understandable reasons…swagger that is completely justified because…well, it’s Morris!

    Next up is “Faithful” which showcases some great back up vocals by some very hot sounding ladies. “Cadillac” could easily be on their self titled debut or “What Time Is It?” and continues that materialism-is-the-best meme in yet another successful way. “Aydkmn” makes use of the word persneckity in its chorus which marks the first time I’ve ever heard that used in a song. “One Step” and “Toast To The Party Girl” both sound like they were recorded in 1983 but that’s probably the (wonderful) idea. “Hey Yo” is also straight from that decade (now working on 30 years ago!) that saw so many power ballads just like it.

    The last track, “Go Home To Yo Man,” gives us that last little gift that these guys have always given us: melancholy humor. The story in this song is amusing but also somewhat serious as Morris croons, “Play time is over and you got to go home to yo man.” As the final strains of this last track fall away with Morris (fake?) crying, one has to wonder why the 07 waited so long to make new music. I’ve always been an impatient fellow and this is especially true when it comes to my great love…music. Perhaps they didn’t have the tunes or maybe they were just taking their time (I know, I know…the puns are too easy:)) but do any of us care? I know I don’t because it was well worth the wait. This record is fantastic.

    And I still wish I was Morris Day!

    Here’s the video for the single “#Trendin” although “Sick” “Lifestyle” “Cadillac” and “Strawberry Lake” should be downloaded before it.

  • Rock

    Autumn Delights

    There is something magical about this time of year. It’s hard to put my finger on it but the changing colors, the crispness in the air, and the mood of the people all combine wonderfully for me in a near perfect, romantic and quite comforting melange. Essential to all of this, of course, is great music.

    Many of my favorite bands have released new music this fall (reviews coming soon!) but it’s going to be a while before I decide if any of their albums are Classic Fall Records. What makes a Classic Fall record? Well, it’s not an exact science for me but it starts with an album that came out in the fall (obviously) or sometime a little before that and I just didn’t get around to fully absorbing it until the autumn. Sometimes it’s an album that I have heard a million times, didn’t come out in the fall and simply took hold with me sometime in October.

    This is the case with The Yes Album, which, in my opinion, is the best in their catalog. I played this album constantly on my then newly purchased Sony Walkman in October of 1982 when I was training for cross country. Even though it came out in February of 1971 and I had heard my dad play it a million times, I think of this record as Classic Fall. The music just goes along with the spirit of the season. The same is true for bassist Chris Squire’s Fish Out Of Water album, an often overlooked classic. Here are tracks from each:

    Mostly a Classic Fall Record stirs memories that are profoundly overwhelming. Such is the case with The Lexicon Of Love by ABC, an album also heavily played in the fall of 1982. I first heard it courtesy of the brother of our esteemed host, Pete. He, too, was on the cross country team and he loaned me the tape to play on a long bus trip to a race at St. John’s Military Academy. I had never heard anything like it and was completely blown away. Here is my favorite track from the album, “Many Happy Returns.”

    Saint Etienne’s Finisterre is another album that oozes autumnal magic. A Dickensian voice asks in the first few seconds of Track 1 (“Action”), “Have you ever been to a harvester before?” and we are instantly transported to a world of crunchy leaves, hot chocolate, home, hearth, and our town. Somehow Sarah and the lads have managed to capture leafy Americana while talking about life in the villages and towns of Britain, proving that the moods and feelings of autumn are indeed universal. Here’s the best track on the album, “Shower Scene,”-a must for any scenesters out there.

    One very key element in a Classic Fall Record is the atmosphere. It has to be haunting…echo-y…shimmering…dark, but in a comforting way…and melancholy. Forth by The Verve is a fine example of this theme and style. The atmospheric quality of “Judas” is exactly what I’m talking about here…you just drift when hearing it.

    The expression of home and hearth, as we saw above with Saint Etienne’s Finisterre, really do figure heavily into classic fall records. Tired Pony’s The Place We Ran From radiates both of these themes as does Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. “Northwestern Skies” from the former has that autumnal echo and melancholy while the title track from the latter demonstrates unequivocally that autumn is the most romantic time of the year.

    While these are all fantastic albums, there is only one record that is the pure, living embodiment of autumn and that’s The Unforgettable Fire by U2. Released on 1 Oct, 1984, this record was the soundtrack to my senior year of high school. Every time I listen to it, I’m right back there and can see, taste and feel exactly what that time was like. Sometimes I literally leave my body and travel back in time!

    I also played it quite a bit on the drive between Minneapolis and Racine for the holidays so it really became the soundscape for Interstate 94 in Wisconsin. I bring it with me every time I drive home to see my mom and all the great memories of autumns past wash over me and warm my heart and soul. Here is the title track.

    How about you? What are some of your Classic Fall Records?

  • Rock

    How Did I Survive, Survive, Survive, Survive…?

    Early last year, Brooklyn’s great new band The Drums released an EP entitled Summertime! Later that year, just before summer, they released their first full length, self titled album. Both have been in regular rotation ever since. Their latest offering, Portamento, also does not disappoint.

    The missus and I caught their show last night at the 7th Street Entry (the closet that is part of First Avenue) and straight away I wondered how I survived this long without seeing them live. They had been to town twice before and, for whatever reason, I didn’t go. Their music, a delicious combo of under-the-boardwalk Americana and 80s guitar/synth pop, simply makes you smile. And want to skip around without a care who notices!

    Their 17 song set last night brought all of this and more as lead singer Jonny Pierce and the lads bopped their way through tales of heartache, pain and rejection. Jonny reminded me frequently of a blond, surfer Jim Morrison…or was it Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison? Ah, the whole life imitating art imitating life thing…

    Check out “Down By The Water” last night, preceding by a very special dedication.

    The band is heading out west for the next 11 days so you should check them out!

  • BritPop

    Widescreen Music

    As the dog days of summer wind on, my thoughts have turned to the disc that I have been obsessed with since its release last May. Pala by St Albans, Hertfordshire band Friendly Fires is an astounding record that achieves what I continually look for in good music: creating nostalgia for a time that never was.

    Their first offering (the self titled Friendly Fires) is still played heavily in my house, in my car, and on my iPod even three years after its release. Whether it’s a long run (inside or out), a van ride with the kiddos, or 2AM at the club, Friendly Fires fits any mood or setting. I tried my best to curtail my expectations for their second album but it didn’t matter. Pala is fucking stunning and it has become the soundtrack for my summer, taking its place along their debut in continued rotation.

    “If we had an manifesto for this album” says Friendly Fires’ singer and bass-player Ed Macfarlane, “it was a simple one; make an exciting, colorful pop record”

    “Our goal is to make vibrant, widescreen songs” adds guitarist Edd Gibson. “but they must retain a spontaneity, have an energy and mysticism around them.”

    Achieved, lads. Very well done.

    Here is live version of my favorite track from the record which will likely be my Track of the Year. I’m not ashamed to admit I well up a little every time I hear it simply from how amazing this song is in both theme and style.

  • Rock

    A North Woods Blessing

    The debut album from a new band is always something special. When it is a band from my hometown, it’s even more exciting. If that disc completely blows away all my expectations, it’s shovel to the head stunning.

    Having listened to The Worst Is Over Now by the Twin Cities’ American Revival several times over the course of the last week, I must admit that the above description massively understates the wonder and beauty of this disc. Maybe it’s my new found love for alt-country or the soulful, widescreen voice of lead singer Thomas Pendarvis but the 11 tracks on this record have overwhelmed me with a blessed North Woods melancholy that I am praying endures forever.

    During the second track on the disc, “Boogabear,” Pendarvis croons, “I make the couch into a bed so I can rest…I’m so tired…fighting the battle of who could care less,” and I can smell the 25 year old fabric that has heard far too many arguments. The John Bonhamesque drumming of Jeremy Krueth snaps us immediately into this world during the intro of the song and we are instantly propelled down a dusty road filled with broken hearts.

    Of course, the opening track, “King Kong,” sets the stage for all of this.

    You can always do what you want to do
    Hell, you can always say what you want to say
    You can always lie if you wanted to
    Turn yourself into somebody new

    It’s every girl or every boy…everywhere…that has fallen in love for the first time or out of love for the last…

    The characters that make up the tapestry of The Worst is Over Now are woven with great clarity and detail by the band. The themes of the heartache and loneliness that results from failing or failed relationships resonates throughout the entire album. Instead of making me wallow in the muck of it all, I feel comforted…just as I do when I listen to the blues…in knowing that the gutting that I have felt in my life is shared by a universal connection of far too many people slump shouldered over a bottle of beer.

    Yet, heartache is not the only theme prevalent on the album. In many ways, “Virginia,” “Singapore Blues,” and “Poza” all intimate the sacred journey that each of us takes during our lives. This all comes to a zenith during the best track on the record, “Austin,” a personal saga that relates a Homeric quest for the one that got away. But this festival anthem (if there ever was one) begs the question: is the lamentation over a girl or a city? It’s not clear and that’s what is so magnificent about it.

    It’s the mystery of the journey…

    For those of you who live in the Twin Cities, American Revival’s CD release party is Saturday, August 20th at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis. Information about this event can be found by clicking on this link.

    For outside the Twin Cities, friend American Revival on Facebook and download music from there.  

    Check out this video of “Poza” from a recent concert performance.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_P3zC1W7JI

  • Rock

    U2 at TCF Bank Stadium 23 July 2011 (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Survive A Miserable Show)

    After a long delay of one year (due to Bono injuring his back), U2 finally got to play their massive 360 Tour show in Minneapolis at the new home to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, TCF Bank Stadium. As you can see by my photo, the set was massive!

    My friend Heather and I got there at the tail end of the Interpol set and we scoped out the stadium. I had never been there before and am now looking forward to taking my son to a Gopher football game at some point in the future..hopefully this fall!

    Once we took our seats, I knew straight away that we might be in some trouble with the couple sitting next to us. They both seemed ripped to the tits on some sort of intoxicant and the woman proceeded to get overly friendly with me almost immediately. Normally, I don’t necessarily mind this but she was dumber than a sack of hammers. I tried to avoid eye contact with her but she kept doing odd things like putting her head on my shoulder for no reason whatsoever. The guy with her just laughed and, sadly, was even less intelligent than her. He reminded me of one of the characters from Idiocracy if that gives you an idea of what I was dealing with right before the show started.

    At about 9pm, the lights went down and the woman with the attraction to my shoulder proceeded to scream at the top of her lungs, “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” And that’s exactly how many “O’s” it was. It seemed to go on forever.

    She did this for the entire show. Every fucking song…but hey, that’s show business.

    As she was piercing my inner ear drum, I settled in to enjoy the lads from Dublin for the seventh time in my concert going career. The first few songs were from Achtung Baby and they sounded great. As they were doing “I Will Follow,” the rain started to come. At first it was just a drizzle but by “Pride” it was pouring. I had brought a rain coat but it really didn’t help. Within about five minutes, my Chucks were filled with about an inch of water and between that, the screaming idiot next to me, and the fact that my view of the stage was blocked by a spot light tower, I was miserable. To get an idea of how hard it was raining, check out the video below.

    I started to wonder if I was pulling a Murtaugh but quickly dismissed that notion as I love being at shows at First Ave with all sorts of craziness and problems. Perhaps it was the ginormousness of the show or the aforementioned problems but I just wasn’t into it. Sure, there were bits and pieces of coolness. “Zooropa” was wonderful and brought back many memories of my life during the early 90s. “Scarlet” was a rare treat as October is one of my two favorite U2 albums (the other being The Unforgettable Fire). During “One” we all got to see a home movie (on the huge screens) of U2 cavorting in a Trabant in East Germany during the Achtung Baby sessions in 1990-91. That really was mega!

    For the most part, though, it sucked. But that was OK. Sometimes you have to have a miserable show to remind you how great the other ones are. They can’t all be perfect and a craptacular one every so often really sets the perspective. Even with all the bullshit, the show last night was still better than the Pop show in 1997.

    And does it really have to be all about me? Heather was a ball to hang out with throughout the whole evening and I saw some other friends over the course of the night who were a blast. They all had fun…which is very important to me. Even the woman next to me made me laugh when, after her 89th “WOOOOOOOOOO” resulted in a few cold Scandinavian stares, she remarked, “Hey, I have lungs people!!!”

    My left ear understood that all to well. It’s still ringing.

    Here is the set list from last night.

  • Rock

    This House Is A Circus, Berserk As Fuck

    In what now has become a bi-annual tradition, The Arctic Monkeys descend on First Avenue and remind the Twin Cities why they are the Colossus of UK Banks. Last night’s show was unique in several ways.

    To begin with, First Ave recently installed a high capacity roof air conditioner (announced on their Facebook page to much rejoicing) so the sold out show would be cool and comfortable. This proved to be extremely beneficial as the pit became insane about a third of the way through the Monkey’s set.

    This was also the first time I had ever seen the Monkey’s before they released their new album. Suck It and See is not due out until June 6th in the UK (June 7th stateside).  I had only heard one new track (“Brick by Brick”) so the rest were going to be new to me. I was pretty amped to hear the new songs for the first time AND live!

    They also brought a support band with them that has blown up quickly just like the Monkeys did when they released their first album. The Vaccines took the stage a little after 7pm and played a fantastic 35 minute set which included many tracks from their debut disc, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? Check out their video for the instant and hilarious classic “Post Break Up Sex.”

    After The Vaccines left the stage, the pit began to swell with humanity. My buddy Paul and I camped out underneath The Forbidden Staircase which has an excellent view of the stage from the right side of the pit. The Premier League like crowd started to get rowdy and sweaty when the announced set time (now posted on Facebook (mega!) for each show) came and went. I quietly blessed the owners of First Ave as I felt the soft wisps of cool air coming down on my head and shoulders.

    Finally, the Monkeys took the stage and, without playing a note, the crowd went berserk. As all of us sang “O-lay, O-lay, O-lay, O-lay” as the lads led off with “Library Pictures” from their new record. A fast tempo surf punk diddy, the song impressed me immediately as being (yet another) departure from their previous work. After that was “Brianstorm” and that was pretty much it for any sort of control in the pit. Bodies flew everywhere as the set progressed through songs from all four of their releases.

    Highlights for me were, first and foremost, the new tracks. “Don’t Sit Down Because I’ve Moved Your Chair” and “Brick by Brick” were amazing. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala,” aside from being a fantastic song title, recalled (of all bands) The Doors and late 60s/early 70s California.

    A very large highlight for me was the crowd. As the lads played their older songs, their ridiculously loyal fans sang (no, screamed) along with every word. I, of course, was one of them. In many ways, we were all part of the performance as they did “Still Take You Home,” “Teddy Picker,” “Crying Lightening” and all of the others.

    Coming as the second to last song of the night, “The View From The Afternoon,” took on a whole new meaning. The first track on their first album, which sets up the journey that a late adolescent man takes as he imagines what sort of evening he is going to have round the pubs and clubs, seemed last night more like confirmation of a premonition fulfilled completely. In looking at their body of work, on full display at First Avenue, The Arctic Monkeys have managed to evolve past that young man while still maintaining that spark of anticipation of what will always be a fucking riot of a night if they are playing a gig.

    For the full set list, click here.

    For my photos from the evening, click here.

    Here is a live performance of “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” from the Jools Holland Show.

  • Rock

    Some Kind Of Fine

    People make fun of me because I like the band Heart. Actually, I don’t just like them. I love them. I love Heart.

    I ♥ Heart.

    There, I’ve said it. Heap your crooked looks and gas faces all over me if you wish but they were, are and always will be a mega fucking band. Much of the reason why I think so has to do with those magic herbs that are still lingering around in me from the 70s. More importantly, they bring that sacred feminine spirit to rock music like no other band.

    Their latest disc, Red Velvet Car, is quite good. The album came out last August but I just got around to buying it about a month ago. It is their first new studio album since 2004’s Jupiter’s Darling which I also enjoyed a great deal. New studio albums from Ann and Nancy have been sparse over the last couple of decades but what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality.

    Their latest effort represents a return to the sound of Dreamboat Annie which is one of the greatest albums of all time. I have a number of things to say about that album but I will wait until I am drenched in the glorious heat of the summer before I share. I need to be in the right frame of mind to convey, in those debilitating things they call words, how I feel about that mystical piece of wonder.

    For now, let’s take a look at Red Velvet Car. The album opens with a slinky rocker called “There You Go” and right away we can tell that Ann is in fine form. “WTF,” “Queen City,” and the title track firmly ensconce us in that groove that only Heart can carve. “WTF” goes for (and achieves) the power of “Barracuda.” But that’s the point, right?

    After the first four tracks, we get to the album’s true gem. “Hey You” written and sung by Nancy. This is sacred feminine rock in all its beautiful acoustic glory. In many ways, Nancy Wilson is THE eternal rock and roll girl-carrying with her all the swagger and history of wine soaked passion. Hammer of the Gods indeed!

    Next up we have a classic road song (“Wheels”) which made me laugh with its pomp and shameless preening for victory…reminding me quite well of MTV and the various Scorpions, Loverboy, and Journey videos I watched over and over again as a young lad. “Saffronia’s Mark” evokes the mystical whereas “Death Valley” dips a toe into Heart-1980s version. “Sunflower” is another Nancy track which means amazing. “Sand” rounds out the album proper (various editions have bonus tracks which are also quite good) and is another classic Annie reflection.

    Chuckle all you want at me, folks, but I will always love this band. They are one of a very few bands that epitomize the spirit and legacy of rock and roll. Here is a video I found for “Hey You.” I recommend downloading the studio version though. My inner vagina is always soaked after listening to this one!

  • Rock

    Here We Go Again…Again…

    Every couple of years it happens. Each time I think it will be different. My expectations are high and, as I listen, I lie to myself. “This is the one. It’s good. Finally, they are back.”

    But it’s not the one. It’s not good. And they aren’t back.

    Before we take a look at Collapse Into Now, the new disc from R.E.M, let’s briefly review their catalog and rate them on a 10 point scale.

    Chronic Town (1982)- Fun loving and brilliant first volley. 9
    Murmur (1983)-The timeless classic. 10
    Reckoning (1984)- The one that proved they had width of vision. One of the many soundtracks to my senior year. Goofed off with them at their Summer Fest show in Milwaukee in July 1984. My friend Matt wouldn’t give Michael Stipe any of his bbq ribs. Matt was very possessive of his food. 10
    Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)– Straddling the next level with authority. 9
    Life’s Rich Pageant (1986)– The “lost” underrated one. 8
    Document (1987)– Indie fame and more achieved. “End of the World” and “The One I Love” played endlessly in every dorm room everywhere for several generations of college students. 9
    Green (1988)-The calm (meaning they were still an alt college kept secret) before the storm. 8
    Out Of Time (1991)– Boom! 8
    Automatic For The People (1992)– Still Boom! Almost like Disc 2 of Out of Time. 7
    Monster (1995)– My favorite R.E.M. album. Why? Because it proved that they were still relevant and could grow beyond their signature sound. Such a great record. 10
    New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1997)– The beginning of the decline. 5
    Up (1998)– No. Absolutely not. Never. 2 (simply due to the warmth of the glow from the previous efforts).
    Reveal (2001)-A slight return…almost a tease but still a 6
    Around The Sun (2004)– And back to sleep again. 4
    Accelerate (2008)…into what exactly? More snoring? 4

    And that brings us to their latest disc. Again, we have critics saying this is their “Comeback” but in three years when their next disc comes out, this one will suck and that future one will be the “Comeback.”

    I don’t get Peter Buck. How can he make such a great record with Tired Pony and then go back to boring the shit out of me with a new R.E.M. album. Maybe they need a Brit in their band to make it right. More importantly, does Michael Stipe have anything relevant to say anymore? I don’t think so. In the 80s, he was so youthful and fun. R.E.M has such a different sound to everything that was coming out back then that is was so fresh and different. In the 90s, when they achieved “god like genius” status, they epitomized that decade. But that’s just it….they were (and still are) soooo 90s…the faux hippie shit…the “sharing time”…the film Point Break…in so many ways it was the suckiest decade. I know, I know….how can that be, Mark? With Blur, Oasis, The Verve, and Stereophonics all launching that decade? Well, those bands (and a few others) were my saving grace in a decade that truly gargled my balls from a sociocultural and contextual standpoint.

    And that’s why Collapse Into Now is another 4. “Überlin” is worth a download because it addresses the struggles of middle age. At least Stipe here is writing about things that matter and are relevant in the year 2011. And stylistically it does bring a hearty whiff back of the greatness that was once R.E.M. But the rest of the tracks aren’t really there at all.

    So, now we begin the countdown to the next album in around three years in which the same thing will happen all over again. Super!