Concert Recommendation: That Petrol Emotion, The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY, December 12

I usually limit my concert recommendations to those in and around Boston, but I'm making an exception for That Petrol Emotion playing tonight in Brooklyn. The band arose from the remnants of the Undertones in the late '80s then went dormant after a few albums; they showed great promise and got critical praise, but their clattering rock never found a big audience. Still, they hold a place near and dear in my heart. I ripped off their look from 1987's Babble of writing on sunglasses with correction fluid; photos of me made the college paper and yearbook, but no one recognized the inspiration. 1988's End Of The Millennium Psychosis Blues captured how I was feeling at that time. The first time I saw them live, I knew all the words to their songs even more than the words to a Beatles song they covered; it's not as if "Hey, Bulldog" was ever ubiquitous like other parts of the Beatles catalog, but I certainly listened to TPE far more. I got to interview drummer Ciaran McLaughlin for B-Side Magazine; that I could cover them was a reason I loved writing for B-Side; that I had to battle another writer for the chance was why I loved our staff (The other writer got to interview the Chills, so we were even.)

Anyway, the Undertones reunited and toured a few years ago, so it was almost inevitable that That Petrol Emotion would follow suit. They were never hugely beloved, so I hope they find enough of an audience to warrant another U.S. tour that includes Boston.

That Petrol Emotion play with the Mad Scene at 7:30 tonight at the Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 718-643-6510.

Concert Recommendation: Ted Leo/Pharmacists, UMass Lowell, December 4

As someone who has promoted campus concerts, I know how hard it is to spread the word beyond campus. I only found out that Ted Leo/Pharmacists are playing a charity benefit show at UMass Lowell because I'm taking a continuing education class there and flyers were posted in the music building. I saw the band open for Dismemberment plan about 8 years ago, and they made a bigger impression than the headliners, partially because "The Ballad of the Sin Eater" has rightfully become a college radio standard.

Ted Leo/Pharmacists headline Rock for Tots 2009 at Cumnock Hall, UMass Lowell on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. More information at www.wuml.org. Public tickets at www.umltickets.com.

Concert Recommendation: Nitzer Ebb, Paradise Rock Club, December 3

It's been long enough to ride the nostalgia train. Some industrial bands of the late '80s and early '90s such as KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails have just kept chugging along to varying degrees of fame. Nitzer Ebb took a long breather after interest in the genre waned, but they're back, and they're on tour, still with Bon Harris, Douglas McCarthy and Some Other Guy on percussion. Their Teutonic name and sound implied that they're German, but they're British; their moniker is the equivalent of Häagen-Dazs, foreign-sounding but meaningless. But that Teutonic sound was great, taking the spareness of synth-pop but adding an aggressive edge with hits like "Control I'm Here," (but not "Strike to the Body" by sound-alike Chicago duo Die Warzau). They honed their live act opening for the likes of Depeche Mode and working the summer festival circuit.

Catch them now before they relive the old days, opening for Depeche Mode in Europe early next year.

Nitzer Ebb play with Provocateur, DJ Chris Ewen at the Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617-562-8800 at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 3.

Concert Review: Art Brut, The Middle East, Cambridge, MA, October 16, 2009

I'd initially written off Art Brut for their bedsit preciousness but was finally starting to embrace them for embodying the spirit of late '70s/early '80s British punk, the inept rather than the angry strain. My interest was rewarded by their energetic performance at the Middle East last Friday. What they lack in technical competence they more than make up for in enthusiasm and bravado. Their absolute commitment to the material and the performance outweighed any bum notes.

In nod to the show's location, they opened with a cover the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner," and kept on running. These are no poets, and their songs were very literal with a focus on the mundane, an everyday existence that includes love of music and comics. Both the subject matter and the style of the backing vocals was reminiscent of the Undertones. Had they done a straight cover of "Mars Bars," those unfamiliar with the original would easily assume it was their own next to songs like "D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshakes."

Freddy Feedback's bass lines gave a nod to the Fall, although Eddie Argos's voice suggested sinus infection rather than dentist's drill, as does Fall frontman Mark E. Smith's. It was an exuberant rhythm section. Mikey Breyer played his drum set standing up because he appeared too excited to ever sit down. Feedback looked like she'd developed muscle tone in her cheeks from grinning so much at the shear delight in playing in her band.

They already have their own version of "Hey, Ho, Let's Go!" in "Art Brut. Top of the Pops," which the crowd started chanting until the band returned for an encore. They obliged with "Slap Dash for No Cash," in which they self-referentially praised their own brand of ramshackle rock and roll and made a convincing argument for its value.

Get Rid of Your Stupid Band Name

A word of advice to up-and-coming bands. If your group aspires to anything greater than being a means to picking up girls at frat parties, change your stupid band name. How can you tell if your band name is stupid? If it includes reference to a living person, particularly a celebrity, it's stupid. Yes, I'm talking to you, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and the House that Gloria Vanderbilt. If it contains words that are likely to be blocked by the most rudimentary internet filters, it's stupid. Yes, I'm talking to you, Fuck Buttons. If you are overly amused by its novelty value, it's stupid. There have been plenty of bands through the years called Free Beer, and you see how far they've all gotten. If you're convinced that changing your stupid band name will make you lose your following, you are stupider than your band name and don't have much of a following to squander.

Anvil Coda

I'm not a big metal fan and usually treat the press releases that hit my inbox with indifference, but this one sent shivers up my spine. It is a heartwarming epilogue to the documentary Anvil: the Story of Anvil. The film chronicled the aborted rise of little-known but well-regarded Canadian metal band Anvil. They were on brink of stardom in the early '80s, and while their contemporaries went on to great fame, that next step eluded Anvil. Bad luck, bad circumstances and bad decisions kept them from ever making it big, but founders and brothers-in-spirit Lips and Robb Reiner have kept the band going all these years. The film ends with Lips' endless optimism finally paying off as they play before thousands of rabid fans in Japan.

Well, it gets better. The interest in the band generated by the film has them opening for AC/DC on a few stadium dates, and their latest album is getting wider release. The mere fact that they have an experienced, competent publicist spreading the word is a sign that things are finally heading in the right direction for them.

ANVIL CONTINUES EXTRAORDINARY COMEBACK
WITH AC/DC DATES AND NATIONAL RELEASE OF 'THIS IS THIRTEEN'

Los Angeles, CA - July 22, 2009 -- Certainly one of the most feel-good rock n' roll comeback stories of recent times is that of Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. The band, considered a major influence for a generation of hard rockers including Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Guns N' Roses, was the subject of a critically acclaimed, must-see rock-doc, 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil,' directed by Sacha Gervasi. And in the process, the film has made the group (led by singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner - both founding members) a household name. But the group's story will certainly not end with the film.

First up for Anvil are U.S. shows opening for Aussie rock legends AC/DC - in football stadiums. We're really excited about these shows, we've only heard awesome things about playing in football stadiums. I was with the Green Day guys last night, and they were telling me, 'Man, it's probably going to be the gig of your life'!"

And then on September 15, This is Thirteen will finally see proper national distribution on CD and vinyl via VH1 Classic Records. The CD will feature the newly recorded, never-before released bonus track "Thumb Hang." The collectible double vinyl LP boasts newly re-recorded versions of Anvil classics "Metal on Metal" and "666." The album, originally recorded in 2007 and produced by Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy), was primarily available directly from the band via their website and at their concerts.

"'This is Thirteen' is more like our first three albums," says Lips, "which represent our real identity. For many of our albums, we went on an 'integrity hunt' instead of on a 'commercial/radio hunt,' so we became extremely inaccessible to radio. This time, we stepped back and said, 'What were we originally?' And we rediscovered ourselves, I suppose." Reiner adds, "There are three tracks that in my opinion, are definitely, 100% AOR/hard rock/commercial radio tracks - 'American Refuge,' 'Flying Blind,' and 'Feed the Greed.' Catchy melodies, incredible drum feels - they just all rock."

The title track is about as classic Anvil as you can get - that slow, powerful, heavy backbeat with cool changes. The violent-sounding "Bombs Away" is, according to Reiner, "the almightiest metal track on the entire record," "Ready to Fight" is pure speed rock 'n roll - Nugent on steroids - that boasts super-heavy drumming, and "Big Business" is akin, musically-speaking, to Cream's classic "Sunshine of Your Love." And then there's the true classic, Anvil near-anthem, "Shoulda' Woulda' Coulda'," that's about living life with no regrets.

Reiner points out that the input from acclaimed producer Tsangarides (who produced early Anvil albums) was a major reason for This is Thirteen turning out the way it did. "The last four or five albums, material-wise, were all similar. We had been trying to find the direction back to the classic Anvil style and sound - it's just that the production hadn't been up to scratch. Chris was a big missing part on our past albums."

Despite some zany Spinal Tap-like parallels between Anvil and David St. Hubbins and company in the film, Anvil has always been taken seriously by metalheads, including some very well known rock stars, who praise the band in the film. "Anvil was one of those bands that just put on this really amazing live performance," said Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, while Motorhead singer/bassist Lemmy added, "They were a great band - I always liked Anvil," and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich gushed, "These guys were going to turn the music world upside down."

So, the AC/DC dates, the release of This is Thirteen, what else can fans expect from Anvil in the future? Lips was willing to provide a hint: "Working. More recording. More gigs. More - more than ever!"


AC/DC DATES:
JULY
28 Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
31 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

AUGUST
6 Magnetic Hill, Moncton, New Brunswick CANADA

Quadrophenia Musical

Cold on the heels of the Tommy stage musical in the mid '90s, there is now a stage musical version another Who rock opera, Quadrophenia. The show is currently touring England with hopes of landing on the West End. (I'm assuming this is the British equivalent of playing Madison and Buffalo to fine tune and road test a show on its way to Broadway.) Here's a trailer for it:



The fact that the characters sing will distinguish this from the outstanding movie. The only obvious shortcoming is "Lover Reign O'er Me." I'm a fan of the Who because I'm a fan of Pete Townshend, but "Love Reign O'er Me" is my favorite song in part because it is such a grand showcase of Roger Daltrey's vocal talents. No one can match his towering majesty on that song, and the star of this show has no option but to pale in comparison.