After seeing Ray Davies the last time he played the Wiltern, I was a little apprehensive about shelling out the cash to see him again. I mean, that show was really good, but I've always gotten the feeling that Ray Davies doesn't understand that he's Ray fucking Davies. Fortunately some great tickets landed in my lap and I didn't have to make that tough decision. I mean the guy's my favorite lyricist of all time and Working Man's Cafe is superior to Other People's Lives and I was still apprehensive.
I'm so glad those tickets landed in my lap. Last Saturday's show was superior to the July 2006 show at the Wiltern. Ray started out both shows with the same two songs, "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" and "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" but on Saturday he seemed more energized and excited to be there. I'm guessing that his new guitar player had a big impact on Davies' mood. The guy was relatively young and a long-haired (yes, I'm using that as a noun) which contrasts with a lot of the slick, Biff Clean Teeth-type session guys that many older musicians tend to prefer on the road. The guy had good tone and was having fun playing the songs. The bass player was a a long-haired too.
After those first two songs, the band did "Till the End of the Day," "After the Fall," "Well Respected Man" (with a nice sing-along with the crowd - even I sang along), "Apeman" (which he painfully cut short - such a tease), "Next Door Neighbor," "Celluloid Heroes" (great LA song), "The Tourist," "Working Man's Cafe," and "20th Century Man" (so good). And then there was a 15 minute intermission. Can't complain about that - I got another beer and used the restroom.
After the intermission, Davies came back with an acoustic guitar and started in on "This Is Where I Belong" (again painfully cut short). His guitar player joined him and the two of them did a few of the solo tracks, which benefited a great deal by having stripped down arrangements. They did "In a Moment," "One More Time," "Vietnam Cowboys" (the other members of the band filtered onto the stage at some point, but they still kept the arrangements pretty simple), "Real World," and "No One Listen." They gave me a new appreciation for the recorded versions.
But of course it's great to hear those Kinks tracks. The band broke into "Sunny Afternoon" and the crowd erupted. They went even crazier for "Come Dancing" (not my favorite, but I was a little younger than most of the crowd when that one came out). Then it was some earlier tracks: "Tired of Waiting For You," "Set Me Free," and "All Day and All of the Night." The band left the stage and then came back for an encore of "Low Budget" (which he loves to play, but I can think of about 50 songs I'd rather hear - "Waterloo Sunset" at the top of the list) and "Lola." A bit of a tease for a second encore, but it never happened.
At some point earlier in the evening Davies had introduced the band and noted that he'd finally gotten it right. I had to agree. Really damn good. It made me question how much I really care about seeing him tour with Dave? I mean, I never saw them together, but how important is it? What would be amazing is if he got band together and did Village Green, Arthur, Something Else, Lola or Muswell Hillbillies in their entirety. But I'll happily take what I can get. It made me very happy last Saturday.....
Showing posts with label live review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live review. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Nosayer
The 10 Worst Things about Seeing Yeasayer at the Echoplex on 1/26/08 [Please note, all quotes are paraphrased. I believe I'm fairly representing the essence of what he said, but I didn't have a notebook with me.]
1) It was raining really hard and I had to park far away because there was something going on at the church next door. Then I got soaked running from my car to the venue.
2) Once Yeasayer started there was a rush of people who pushed their way to the front, presumably trying to avoid the bad sound and lack of sightlines under the massive overhang.
3) The BO of the guy who eventually decided to settle in next to me.
4) The lead singer commenting after the first song, “You’re a bunch of shoegazing motherfuckers.”
5) The lead singer asking, “Are there any actors here? You’re all just here to be seen aren’t you. How about agents. Are there any agents here?”
6) The lead singer once again noting the lack of movement in the crowd, “I guess it’s early. They made us come on at 8:00 [it was 9:30]. It’s 11:00 in New York. I bet people are dancing in New York. Maybe by the time MGMT comes on you guys will have had enough drinks and you’ll move. What was with that line outside. 300 people in line to see the show. This club needs to work that shit out.”
7) The lead singer saying, “You have a lot of dreamcatchers out here. You know, out in Topanga. We don’t have that kind of thing where I’m from.”
8) The lead singer reflecting, “A lot people think we’re hippies. But we’re not.”
9) The lead singer throwing something into the crowd and hitting a girl. I didn’t see what he threw because I was walking from one side of the club to the other because I didn’t want to stand next to the hippies who were smoking a joint next to me. “Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to hit the guy next to you. Find me after the show and I’ll give you $20.” (A few people booed) “You can throw stuff at me if you want.” (A few people obliged.)
10) In addition to the lead singer being completely unlikable as a person, the live performance wasn’t compelling. There’s nothing worse than spending your cash and your Saturday night getting insulted by an out-of-towner spewing puerile insults about your city (after all, that’s what our friends from San Francisco are for). Touring the world in a popular band with 700 people at your show and a line around the block after putting out only one record just a few short months ago must be really awful. People at your shows should jump up and down and happily get down on their knees and suck your dick if you ask them to. It doesn’t matter if you’re not putting much into the performance and you’re moping around the stage singing along to backing tracks. Don’t these asshole kids know that you're a vital artist?
The whole night made me feel a little sad that I put their record in my top 20 of 2007. Now when I listen to the songs, all I can think about is a grouchy guy sitting around a computer in a cramped studio apartment in Brooklyn alternately laboring over Pro Tools and trying to line up interviews on Pitchfork. How Rock ‘n’ Roll. What would Steve Albini say?
1) It was raining really hard and I had to park far away because there was something going on at the church next door. Then I got soaked running from my car to the venue.
2) Once Yeasayer started there was a rush of people who pushed their way to the front, presumably trying to avoid the bad sound and lack of sightlines under the massive overhang.
3) The BO of the guy who eventually decided to settle in next to me.
4) The lead singer commenting after the first song, “You’re a bunch of shoegazing motherfuckers.”
5) The lead singer asking, “Are there any actors here? You’re all just here to be seen aren’t you. How about agents. Are there any agents here?”
6) The lead singer once again noting the lack of movement in the crowd, “I guess it’s early. They made us come on at 8:00 [it was 9:30]. It’s 11:00 in New York. I bet people are dancing in New York. Maybe by the time MGMT comes on you guys will have had enough drinks and you’ll move. What was with that line outside. 300 people in line to see the show. This club needs to work that shit out.”
7) The lead singer saying, “You have a lot of dreamcatchers out here. You know, out in Topanga. We don’t have that kind of thing where I’m from.”
8) The lead singer reflecting, “A lot people think we’re hippies. But we’re not.”
9) The lead singer throwing something into the crowd and hitting a girl. I didn’t see what he threw because I was walking from one side of the club to the other because I didn’t want to stand next to the hippies who were smoking a joint next to me. “Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to hit the guy next to you. Find me after the show and I’ll give you $20.” (A few people booed) “You can throw stuff at me if you want.” (A few people obliged.)
10) In addition to the lead singer being completely unlikable as a person, the live performance wasn’t compelling. There’s nothing worse than spending your cash and your Saturday night getting insulted by an out-of-towner spewing puerile insults about your city (after all, that’s what our friends from San Francisco are for). Touring the world in a popular band with 700 people at your show and a line around the block after putting out only one record just a few short months ago must be really awful. People at your shows should jump up and down and happily get down on their knees and suck your dick if you ask them to. It doesn’t matter if you’re not putting much into the performance and you’re moping around the stage singing along to backing tracks. Don’t these asshole kids know that you're a vital artist?
The whole night made me feel a little sad that I put their record in my top 20 of 2007. Now when I listen to the songs, all I can think about is a grouchy guy sitting around a computer in a cramped studio apartment in Brooklyn alternately laboring over Pro Tools and trying to line up interviews on Pitchfork. How Rock ‘n’ Roll. What would Steve Albini say?
Monday, July 09, 2007
They all fall down togetherLive Review
Saturday night was the big Band of Horses / Andrew Bird / Decemberists show at the Hollywood Bowl. My friend and I got took the shuttle over from the zoo and got there at 7:30, just as Band of Horses was taking the stage, so pay attention to those start times at the Bowl. [Side note: Have a little awareness. Once people start rushing towards the entrance, if you’re standing there spread out with all your friends finishing off your wine, please step to the side. It’s really fucking annoying to have to navigate around you just to try to get inside.] I was apprehensive about the Band of Horses. While I love their album, they haven’t been able to pull it off the times I’ve seen them. Apparently they read their reviews, because this time they had three guitar players. He also had almost enough reverby echo on his vocals. Unfortunately they suffered a little from that opener at the Bowl syndrome where the sound just isn’t quite full enough. You see it pretty much every time you go there; the opener never sounds fully plugged in. They played one new song that they “think will be” on their upcoming Sub Pop album and finished with a really good cover of Jagger/Richards’ “Act Together” from Ron Wood’s solo record. Overall, it was the best performance I’ve seen from them and after writing them off as a live band, I’ll be back to see them again. Download “Funeral” and “Bass Song”
Up next was Andrew Bird, who I’ve only recently familiarized myself with. I picked up Armchair Apocrypha, and I really enjoy about half of it. He’s an ambitious and knowledgeable musician who’s capable of pulling off multiple styles of music. Amazingly, the Bowl was awash with lush sounds from the moment he came out plucking his violin. He completely filled the space, just moments after the Band of Horses (with their three guitarists and six musicians) sounded thin. Watching him build his songs was a little bit like seeing Jon Brion at Largo. He would lay down and loop a violin part, then swing his guitar around while singing and intermittently play the xylophone. Compared to the indie rockers I usually see, he’s on a whole different level. Meanwhile the drummer would lay down and loop his drum beat before switching to the keyboards. The bass player seemed to be triggering pre-recorded tracks for some of the orchestral parts of the album. I was very impressed with how much these three guys were able to do on stage. They sounded great and it was compelling to watch and unlike Peter Bjorn and John he actually seemed capable of live whistling. Some of the highlights were: “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left,” “Fiery Crash,” “Plasticities,” “Imitosis,” and “Darkmatter” [ed. note - apparently performance of this song only happened in my mind. you can see a photo of the setlist HERE.] Download “Heretics.” I strongly encourage you to check him out next time he comes to your city.
Adding a full orchestra to a rock band is always a mixed bag. Fortunately I’m not the world’s biggest Decemberists fan, so the songs aren’t too precious to me (although they are quite precious). Tonight, with one exception, the arrangements complemented the songs quite well. The one exception was “Los Angeles, I’m Yours,” which as my friend Tony pointed out, ended up sounding like the theme song to the Oscars. Hearing somebody from Portland sing “Its hollowness will haunt you,” and “How I abhor you” about our city seems like a little bit of a fuck you. It’s especially biting when you consider that it’s one of the few songs where Meloy’s not singing from the perspective of an 18th century sea captain. At the same time, that directness makes it one of their best songs. That contradiction/dissonance pretty much sums up my feelings about the band in general. I mean, do you think that after the show, as they read Chaucer on their tour bus, they occasionally glance up from their books and share a laugh about how they got 14,000 Angelinos to sing along to those lyrics? I do. The crowd loved every moment, especially any time their organ player Jenny Conlee was the center of attention. Four years ago, when I walked out of their half full show at Spaceland, I never would have guessed that one day I’d be watching Meloy repeatedly push the glasses up on his nose in front of so many people at the Hollywood Bowl. Good for them.
The setlist was [ed. note - thanks to Steven for pointing out the previous error]:
The Crane Wife, Pts 1 & 2
The Infanta
We Both Go Down Together
The Bagman’s Gambit
Odalisque
The Perfect Crime #2 (which is a pretty weak song, and on which they didn’t use the orchestra)
Los Angeles, I’m Yours
The Tain
O Valencia! (a highlight)
I Was Meant for the Stage
The Chimbley Sweep
Up next was Andrew Bird, who I’ve only recently familiarized myself with. I picked up Armchair Apocrypha, and I really enjoy about half of it. He’s an ambitious and knowledgeable musician who’s capable of pulling off multiple styles of music. Amazingly, the Bowl was awash with lush sounds from the moment he came out plucking his violin. He completely filled the space, just moments after the Band of Horses (with their three guitarists and six musicians) sounded thin. Watching him build his songs was a little bit like seeing Jon Brion at Largo. He would lay down and loop a violin part, then swing his guitar around while singing and intermittently play the xylophone. Compared to the indie rockers I usually see, he’s on a whole different level. Meanwhile the drummer would lay down and loop his drum beat before switching to the keyboards. The bass player seemed to be triggering pre-recorded tracks for some of the orchestral parts of the album. I was very impressed with how much these three guys were able to do on stage. They sounded great and it was compelling to watch and unlike Peter Bjorn and John he actually seemed capable of live whistling. Some of the highlights were: “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left,” “Fiery Crash,” “Plasticities,” “Imitosis,” and “Darkmatter” [ed. note - apparently performance of this song only happened in my mind. you can see a photo of the setlist HERE.] Download “Heretics.” I strongly encourage you to check him out next time he comes to your city.
Adding a full orchestra to a rock band is always a mixed bag. Fortunately I’m not the world’s biggest Decemberists fan, so the songs aren’t too precious to me (although they are quite precious). Tonight, with one exception, the arrangements complemented the songs quite well. The one exception was “Los Angeles, I’m Yours,” which as my friend Tony pointed out, ended up sounding like the theme song to the Oscars. Hearing somebody from Portland sing “Its hollowness will haunt you,” and “How I abhor you” about our city seems like a little bit of a fuck you. It’s especially biting when you consider that it’s one of the few songs where Meloy’s not singing from the perspective of an 18th century sea captain. At the same time, that directness makes it one of their best songs. That contradiction/dissonance pretty much sums up my feelings about the band in general. I mean, do you think that after the show, as they read Chaucer on their tour bus, they occasionally glance up from their books and share a laugh about how they got 14,000 Angelinos to sing along to those lyrics? I do. The crowd loved every moment, especially any time their organ player Jenny Conlee was the center of attention. Four years ago, when I walked out of their half full show at Spaceland, I never would have guessed that one day I’d be watching Meloy repeatedly push the glasses up on his nose in front of so many people at the Hollywood Bowl. Good for them.
The setlist was [ed. note - thanks to Steven for pointing out the previous error]:
The Crane Wife, Pts 1 & 2
The Infanta
We Both Go Down Together
The Bagman’s Gambit
Odalisque
The Perfect Crime #2 (which is a pretty weak song, and on which they didn’t use the orchestra)
Los Angeles, I’m Yours
The Tain
O Valencia! (a highlight)
I Was Meant for the Stage
The Chimbley Sweep
photo courtesy of flikr user anclroo - click on his name for pics of the other bands as well.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Acute Review - Live at the Troubadour
I got invited to see Acute last week at the Troubadour but couldn't make it. I haven't seen the local press cover these guys too much, so I thought it would be good to invite Donny to go in my place. Unfortunately there was some miscommunication between the publicist and the label and he wasn't on the list. Being the good guy that he is, he still turned in this review. Thanks Donny. On a side note, I hate when guest reviewers write more coherently than I.
Here's his review:
As Duke mentioned last week, Los Angeles-based band Acute has largely been overlooked by our local music blogs. The band, made up of singer/guitarist Isaac Lekach, drummer Patrick Edwards, keyboardist Jason Borger, and bassist Matt Herman, has been playing shows locally and nationally since the release of their debut album, Arms Around a Stranger (Help Records). Acute came together after Lekach's previous musical project, Poulain, dissolved. Lekach recruited drummer Edwards and bassist Colt Maloney (who recorded the album but subsequently left the group) to start a new project. The trio began writing music together, and the new band was born. While Herman came onboard recently to replace Maloney, Borger helped the band arrange string parts and record keyboards for the album, joining the group full time after that. The band describes their sound as "orch-pop." Try to think of the lyrical poignancy of the Magnetic Fields crossed with the orchestral ambition of the Beach Boys and the whimsical charm of film legend Frederico Fellini (in fact, the album cover for Arms Around a Stranger is based off the original movie poster for Fellini's 1973 film Amarcord).
Acute is currently on a national tour with ex-D Generation main man, Jesse Malin. Check out a play-by-play review of the band's hometown show at the Troubadour last Wednesday here. Due to some hiccups, I wasn't able to catch the full show, but Josh from LAist gives a good account of the details. For me, having seen Acute perform live many times before, it seems the addition of Borger and Herman has been vitalizing. Borger has been invaluable with his dual keyboard setup, allowing the group to recreate many of the memorable orchestral flourishes from the album live. And Herman's bass playing has made the band much more dynamic. Since they've come onboard, some of the songs from Arms Around a Stranger have been updated live. The new version of "We Can't Stop" was a highlight at the Troubadour show. We also saw the talents of Lekach and Edwards at that show. Live, and on record, Edwards's understated, yet dynamic, drumming gives the songs room to breathe. Many drummers have the inclination to overplay, but Edwards's sense of musicality never allows that to happen. Lekach is the voice of the band in every sense, serving also as Acute's principal songwriter. In this age of Brock-yelps and Buckley-gushes, Lekach's vocal style is a welcomed relief. Like Edwards's approach to drums, Lekach never oversings. Instead, he employs the sweet timbre of his baritone to carry his lyrics and melodies—what a brilliant idea. It is all these elements collectively that gives Acute its unique sound; one that is immediately recognizable and ultimately comforting. All the members of this band come together to serve the song. And with Acute, it's always about the song. Here's hoping for every two articles written about buzzed-out local bands like the Deadly Syndrome, the Broken West, No Age, or the Parson Redheads, there's at least one written about Acute. These guys certainly deserve it.
Download "The City" and "Follow You Home"
Monday, April 30, 2007
Bill's Guest Review - Coachella Saturday
Since I didn't have the will to attend Coachella this year, here's a guest review from my friend Bill. He's got good taste in music (loving the hip-hop, indie rock but probably digging upbeat music a little more than I). Bill went on Saturday, saw quite a few of the same bands I wanted to see (with a few exceptions of course).......
First thing I did was drink a water and have a slice of pizza.
Fields - I really enjoyed their set of poppy rock with nice harmonies. The male /female lead voices worked really well together. It was a nice way to start the day I may buy their new record.
Pharaoh Monch - I had fun with him, he did the three songs by him I know and a few others. We raised our fingers at the war and all all agreed that the only thing that can beat hate is love.
Fountains of Wayne - I liked their set a lot. Of course I am a staunch supporter of this band and I don't understand why no one else likes them. I thought they picked great songs to play, except maybe one too many from the new record. Also I thought the mix was too loud, but I was close. And no, they did not do "Stacey's Mom."
Lunch!
Roky Erickson - Blues infused rock. Saw a few songs - Rockin!
Jack's Mannequin - I saw the end of this set. He did a cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl." The band was tight, the lead singer plays piano. They were quite enjoyable.
Hot Chip - I saw the end of this set as well. I want to hear their record. People were dancin' up a storm. They were fun.
Peter, Bjorn & John - They were very good. They played most of Writer's Block, with a couple of older songs and the audience clapped appropriately. The woman who sings the girl part of "Young Folks" came out for that song [ed note: apparently this was actually Bebban Stenborg of the Shout Out Louds, not Victoria Bergsman who sings on the record]. After which most people left. But they rocked harder than I expected. Although all the lyrics are in English - when they talked to the audience it did not feel that it was their first language [ed note: they're Swedes, English is not their first language, but they're fluent]. I would love to see them again.
MORE FOOD!
Decemberists - I saw the end of their set as well. And it was good. Who knew I knew a song they did. Well I do. And they played it! I liked them. I will buy their record. There were some silly hippies dancing at this set.
Arcade Fire - Simply excellent. It is up there with the sets by The Pixies and QOTSA as the best sets I have seen at Coachella. They played everything I wanted to hear and I danced like a fool. (One of the benefits of going alone is that you can dance like an idiot and provide stories for those around you.) The quote from the lead singer “Thank you for your good manners, manners are the cornerstone to any great society” (weird eh – that’s approx what he said.) I will see them again!
Blonde Redhead - I saw the last 30 min of this set. I was amazed at so much sound coming from 3 people. But then I noticed the drummer had a trigger pad. The girl lead singer looks hot from a distance standing in moody lighting and fog. I have no idea if she really is. But I liked what I heard considering I didn't know them.
The Gotan Project - 10 well dressed individuals playing dance/world beat music. I enjoyed them. And would very much enjoy dancing to them with my girlfriend. 2 DJ/computer guys - 4 ladies in the string section, a piano player, a acordian player a singer, and a guitarist. Also fun video projections. A great (cut short) live show. They got started late and got kicked off because The Good The Bad And the Queen were coming on.
Cornelius - Crazy Japanese pop. 4 peeps on stage, cool visuals and I didn't understand a word. I saw a few songs then headed for the car. I liked it and would like to get a record by them. I would have watched more but it was getting late and I had been there for 12 hours. A great day.
Bill
First thing I did was drink a water and have a slice of pizza.
Fields - I really enjoyed their set of poppy rock with nice harmonies. The male /female lead voices worked really well together. It was a nice way to start the day I may buy their new record.
Pharaoh Monch - I had fun with him, he did the three songs by him I know and a few others. We raised our fingers at the war and all all agreed that the only thing that can beat hate is love.
Fountains of Wayne - I liked their set a lot. Of course I am a staunch supporter of this band and I don't understand why no one else likes them. I thought they picked great songs to play, except maybe one too many from the new record. Also I thought the mix was too loud, but I was close. And no, they did not do "Stacey's Mom."
Lunch!
Roky Erickson - Blues infused rock. Saw a few songs - Rockin!
Jack's Mannequin - I saw the end of this set. He did a cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl." The band was tight, the lead singer plays piano. They were quite enjoyable.
Hot Chip - I saw the end of this set as well. I want to hear their record. People were dancin' up a storm. They were fun.
Peter, Bjorn & John - They were very good. They played most of Writer's Block, with a couple of older songs and the audience clapped appropriately. The woman who sings the girl part of "Young Folks" came out for that song [ed note: apparently this was actually Bebban Stenborg of the Shout Out Louds, not Victoria Bergsman who sings on the record]. After which most people left. But they rocked harder than I expected. Although all the lyrics are in English - when they talked to the audience it did not feel that it was their first language [ed note: they're Swedes, English is not their first language, but they're fluent]. I would love to see them again.
MORE FOOD!
Decemberists - I saw the end of their set as well. And it was good. Who knew I knew a song they did. Well I do. And they played it! I liked them. I will buy their record. There were some silly hippies dancing at this set.
Arcade Fire - Simply excellent. It is up there with the sets by The Pixies and QOTSA as the best sets I have seen at Coachella. They played everything I wanted to hear and I danced like a fool. (One of the benefits of going alone is that you can dance like an idiot and provide stories for those around you.) The quote from the lead singer “Thank you for your good manners, manners are the cornerstone to any great society” (weird eh – that’s approx what he said.) I will see them again!
Blonde Redhead - I saw the last 30 min of this set. I was amazed at so much sound coming from 3 people. But then I noticed the drummer had a trigger pad. The girl lead singer looks hot from a distance standing in moody lighting and fog. I have no idea if she really is. But I liked what I heard considering I didn't know them.
The Gotan Project - 10 well dressed individuals playing dance/world beat music. I enjoyed them. And would very much enjoy dancing to them with my girlfriend. 2 DJ/computer guys - 4 ladies in the string section, a piano player, a acordian player a singer, and a guitarist. Also fun video projections. A great (cut short) live show. They got started late and got kicked off because The Good The Bad And the Queen were coming on.
Cornelius - Crazy Japanese pop. 4 peeps on stage, cool visuals and I didn't understand a word. I saw a few songs then headed for the car. I liked it and would like to get a record by them. I would have watched more but it was getting late and I had been there for 12 hours. A great day.
Bill
Friday, April 27, 2007
Jesus and Mary Chain at the Glasshouse 4/26/07
The Jesus & Mary Chain show last night at the Glasshouse in Pomona was sweaty, packed and smelled like butt. It took a few songs for the soundman to get the mix right, but they eventually sounded good. The sound was much cleaner and less tinny than I expected. Fans of Psychocandy were probably a little disappointed how palatable it was (I heard a lot of complaints that it wasn't loud enough). William's still got big hair and he and Jim seemed to be getting along. Not much interaction with the crowd. The only hiccup was that Jim stopped short once and said "I don't even sing this fucking song, he does." They played 14 songs, most of which were released as singles. From Psychocandy they did "Never Understand," "Just Like Honey" (with Annie from Giant Drag on backup vocals, not Scarlett Johansson as reported). Unfortunately only one song from Darklands, "Happy When It Rains." Three songs from Automatic: "Head On," "Between Planets," and "Blues From a Gun." Another three songs from Honey's Dead: "Far Gone & Out" and then their last two songs: "Teenage Lust" and "Reverence." One song from Munki, "Crackin' Up." Three singles that are available on the singles compilation "Sidewalking," "Snakedriver," and "Some Candy Talking." And they even did one new track that was pretty good.
Complaints? I wish the set was a little longer and I wish they would have done more material from Darklands. I honestly never expected to hear the songs live, so I was happy. The vocals were a little bit muddy throughout, but the band had it together. Apparently they've been rehearsing for less than a week, so the shows should only get better. The backup band included Ride's drummer, Loz Colbert and Phil King on bass (who played with Lush and Felt). They're well worth checking out if they come to your town.
Complaints? I wish the set was a little longer and I wish they would have done more material from Darklands. I honestly never expected to hear the songs live, so I was happy. The vocals were a little bit muddy throughout, but the band had it together. Apparently they've been rehearsing for less than a week, so the shows should only get better. The backup band included Ride's drummer, Loz Colbert and Phil King on bass (who played with Lush and Felt). They're well worth checking out if they come to your town.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Annuals Review - Thursday Night Music Options
There’s a fairly lengthy article about Silver Lake in the LA Weekly this week. The writer can’t seem to help himself, and gets really condescending at times. We get it; you’ve seen it all before. Plus it’s set in the distant past…so much has happened since August. Did it really take four months to put that article together?
Sorry folks. They’re not all winners. I took my own advice and went to Spaceland last night for the Annuals/Jim Noir/Tralala show. Let me start by saying that I still had a really good time at the show. When I arrived there was a nice line around the corner, because the Annuals were going on first. How’d people know? I assumed they’d go on later. Anyway, as I watched them I experienced the same feeling I got when I listened to the record. I got a little into it, then thought it was pretty average and then I just got sick of it. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a jaded music fan (I’ve seen it all before). I’ve seen thousands of bands live and owned thousands of records (I’ve seen it all before). I’ve probably heard at least 200-300 records that came out this year alone (I’ve seen it all before). Anyway, they’re just young kids who seem to be weaned on equal parts emo, Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. I don’t want to discount them completely, but for a jaded music fan there’s just not a whole lot there. And the newest indie rock cliché is for multiple members of the band to grab drumsticks and play percussion to the last song. The Arcade Fire might be the ones to blame for this one, but in the past few months I’ve seen many bands do it (the Little Ones, Birdmonster and Annuals come to mind, but I’m sure there have been more). Jim Noir was next. The downstairs was still packed with a smattering of record collector types towards the front. He takes the stage and….has absolutely no stage presence. He strikes me as an introverted guy that writes nice songs, but is probably scared to be in the public eye. He finally warmed up a little for the last few songs, but it was a little too little too late. Last up was Tralala. I knew very little about them with the exception of what I’d read in the Other Music update. By the time they came on, most of the crowd had vacated. And? They were OK. They’re a male band with three female singers who don’t play instruments. The women kind of stood around and looked awkwardly at each other. You could probably form your own version of Tralala. First, buy that Phil Spector box set, then hire a drummer, guitarist and bass player and finally go down to the Cha Cha or Little Joy and recruit three hip girls without any real singing experience. I’m sure if I knew the three girls I’d like the band and go see them when they played. But as a touring band on a night when there are a bunch of other options, I wouldn’t pay to see them again.
Tonight's Pick:
Sorry folks. They’re not all winners. I took my own advice and went to Spaceland last night for the Annuals/Jim Noir/Tralala show. Let me start by saying that I still had a really good time at the show. When I arrived there was a nice line around the corner, because the Annuals were going on first. How’d people know? I assumed they’d go on later. Anyway, as I watched them I experienced the same feeling I got when I listened to the record. I got a little into it, then thought it was pretty average and then I just got sick of it. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a jaded music fan (I’ve seen it all before). I’ve seen thousands of bands live and owned thousands of records (I’ve seen it all before). I’ve probably heard at least 200-300 records that came out this year alone (I’ve seen it all before). Anyway, they’re just young kids who seem to be weaned on equal parts emo, Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. I don’t want to discount them completely, but for a jaded music fan there’s just not a whole lot there. And the newest indie rock cliché is for multiple members of the band to grab drumsticks and play percussion to the last song. The Arcade Fire might be the ones to blame for this one, but in the past few months I’ve seen many bands do it (the Little Ones, Birdmonster and Annuals come to mind, but I’m sure there have been more). Jim Noir was next. The downstairs was still packed with a smattering of record collector types towards the front. He takes the stage and….has absolutely no stage presence. He strikes me as an introverted guy that writes nice songs, but is probably scared to be in the public eye. He finally warmed up a little for the last few songs, but it was a little too little too late. Last up was Tralala. I knew very little about them with the exception of what I’d read in the Other Music update. By the time they came on, most of the crowd had vacated. And? They were OK. They’re a male band with three female singers who don’t play instruments. The women kind of stood around and looked awkwardly at each other. You could probably form your own version of Tralala. First, buy that Phil Spector box set, then hire a drummer, guitarist and bass player and finally go down to the Cha Cha or Little Joy and recruit three hip girls without any real singing experience. I’m sure if I knew the three girls I’d like the band and go see them when they played. But as a touring band on a night when there are a bunch of other options, I wouldn’t pay to see them again.
Tonight's Pick:
The Faint / Ladytron / Ratatat @ Hollywood Palladium (Sold Out) – This show should appeal to the post-whatever, dancey-indie crowd. As such, one of the local tastemakers in that scene, Steve Aoki will be DJ’ing. I haven’t been there in a while; does the Palladium still have the worst sound in town? The Faint were a little ahead of the curve on that scene and they’re from Nebraska. Ladytron makes yet another local appearance. They’ve been hear a lot lately. Ratatat are the newcomers.
Also Appearing:
Lily Allen @ Avalon (Sold Out) - In the past I said that she's overrated. But my lady put her in the proper context when she said the Lily Allen record reminded her of Sporty Spice's first solo record.
Amy Millan (of Stars) @ Troubadour ($14) – Indie fans. She’s part of that Arts & Crafts scene from Canada (Broken Social Scene’s label).
Brant Bjork @ Safari Sam's ($12) - Rock 'n' Roll fans. He was in Kyuss and Fu Manchu.
Very Be Careful / Restaurant @ Pershing Square – 532 South Olive Street (Free) – Do some ice skating.
Very Be Careful / Restaurant @ Pershing Square – 532 South Olive Street (Free) – Do some ice skating.
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