At a point in his career when most of his remaining peers are treading
the nostalgia circuit, Nick Cave is attracting sizable crowds for not
just new material but a new band that doesn't include his name. Cave
has always oozed charisma and put on a great show, but he also has the
songwriting chops to engender a continued following. Scaling back from
the sprawling Bad Seeds to the stripped down four piece Grinderman has
created a boost of energy for someone whose energy wasn't flagging, as
seen on Saturday at Boston's House of Blues.
For all of Cave's intensity and command of the stage, this wasn't a
one-man show. Guitarist/violinist Warren Ellis, with his stringy hair
and beard and demonic flailing looked liked he'd gone nuts after years
of solitary confinement in a third world prison. The rhythm section
functioned as the band's anchor to sanity.
The band came out and set the stage on fire with the impolite "Mickey
Mouse and the Goodbye Man." "Worm Tamer" had the texture of a wire
brush. The blues got electric shock treatment with "Get It On." Cave
started out playing guitar, but put it aside for a tambourine, which he
soon pitched during "Heathen Child." His posture demanded attention,
but Ellis was cranking out unearthly sounds. Ellis was down on the
floor for "Evil!" but the impassioned delivery still couldn't fully
save the song from its weak lyrics.
The band scaled back the intensity for "When My Baby Comes," but Ellis
started brandishing his frayed violin bow like a whip and soon was
leaving acres of scorched earth in his wake.
They came up for a breather with "What I Know" but leaped back into the
fire with "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)." But they stumbled with
"Kitchenette;" Cave overstepped the line into self-parody with
heavy-handed double entendres and wacky falsetto utterances of "tippy
toe, tippy toe." Cave regained his footing as gospel preacher who's now
playing for the other team with "No Pussy Blues." During the encore,
"When My Love Comes Down to Meet You" was brimming with psychedelic
distortion. They wrapped the set with "Grinderman" as the band's name
glowed in red on the back curtain.
Cave has shaved off his mustache, no doubt to stay a step ahead of
ironic hipsters. The guy knows how to remain relevant.
Set list:
Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man
Worm Tamer
Get It On
Heathen Child
Evil!
When My Baby Comes
What I Know
Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)
Kitchenette
No Pussy Blues
Bellringer Blues
Encore:
Palaces of Montezuma
When My Love Comes Down to Meet You
Man in the Moon
Love Bomb
Grinderman
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Kickin' It Real Old School
My blog was dormant for two months because I'm back in school, pursuing
a masters in music at Tufts, which has left me with little time to see
shows or even blog. My first major paper was on a historic music text
in one of Tufts' special collections, A General History of Music
by Charles Burney. It was one of the first two comprehensive histories
of music published in England. Burney released his first volume in
January, 1776 but didn't finish the four-volume series until 1789. His
rival Sir John Hawkins released his history 10 months later in its
entirety. The rivalry was immediate and has persisted for 200 years.
Hawkins's strength was in his coverage of ancient music, but that's
about the only advantage he held. Burney's writing style was
accessible, and the clear structure of the work made it a useful
research tool, whereas Hawkins's style was detached and the work is so
disorganized that it is difficult to find a particular subject within
the text. While Hawkins intentionally excluded contemporary music,
viewing it as worthless, Burney embraced it; it is largely because of
his extensive coverage of his contemporaries that he is still cited
today. Besides being an antiquarian, Hawkins was also a curmudgeon,
while Burney's social skills allowed him to travel in more prestigious
circles than his middle class background might have limited him to. The
story has the makings of a great screenplay.
As I gingerly leafed through Burney's and Hawkins's books, it occurred to me that I doubt I've ever touched anything that old other than a building. And as I synthesized my research materials, I started to feel kinship with Burney. I have immersed myself in the world of contemporary music but struggle to make sense of music of the distant past, and until now my knowledge of music history has been through self-study and interaction with musicians. I'd like to think that my writing is accessible, but I am humble enough to seriously doubt that anyone will be quoting me 200 years from now.
As I gingerly leafed through Burney's and Hawkins's books, it occurred to me that I doubt I've ever touched anything that old other than a building. And as I synthesized my research materials, I started to feel kinship with Burney. I have immersed myself in the world of contemporary music but struggle to make sense of music of the distant past, and until now my knowledge of music history has been through self-study and interaction with musicians. I'd like to think that my writing is accessible, but I am humble enough to seriously doubt that anyone will be quoting me 200 years from now.
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Concert Review: Fountains of Wayne with Marshall Crenshaw, Paradise Rock Club
Every attempt to see Fountains of Wayne since I moved to Boston two and
half years ago had been thwarted, so it was with great relief that I
finally saw a full set by them last night. It is the rare band whose
songs make one smile so much that their cheeks hurt.
The band previewed songs from their upcoming album, but only a few. Most memorable was "A Road Song," in which they sing about the cliches of a road song while mining new territory in that subgenre, including the lyrics, "I guess I'm not Steve Perry." And for that, the fans were very thankful.
Without a specific album to promote, they drew from their entire catalog. The set selection included no surprises, as much as I hope in vain for "Little Red Light." They brought a handful of audience members onto the stage for a percussion addition to "Hey, Julie." They explored their roster of songs about transportation from taxis to a lavender Lexus. They worked songs by Billy Joel and Blue Öyster Cult into the extended bridge for "Radiation Vibe." But mainly they did what they did best, wielding perfect power pop with sing-along hooks and sharply detailed lyrics. Their coterie of loyal fans recognized that "Stacy's Mom" is just the tip of the iceberg of their seemingly endless depths of should-be hits.
Marshall Crenshaw's voice has weathered since his '80s heyday, but his songs haven't aged at all. As he poured out semi-hit after semi-hit, from "Cynical Girl" to "Whenever You're on My Mind" to "There She Goes Again," it was an immediate reminder why he made such a splash and earned critical plaudits when he came onto the scene. Of course he played, "Some Day, Some Way," but I had forgotten how much other great material he had to draw from, so much so that he skipped the songs I specifically remembered beforehand, "Mary Anne" and "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)." His new material was in the same vein. Although he is nothing but sincere, without a trace of Fountains of Wayne's snarkiness humor, his singer/songwriter power pop was a well-suited pairing with the headliners.
The band previewed songs from their upcoming album, but only a few. Most memorable was "A Road Song," in which they sing about the cliches of a road song while mining new territory in that subgenre, including the lyrics, "I guess I'm not Steve Perry." And for that, the fans were very thankful.
Without a specific album to promote, they drew from their entire catalog. The set selection included no surprises, as much as I hope in vain for "Little Red Light." They brought a handful of audience members onto the stage for a percussion addition to "Hey, Julie." They explored their roster of songs about transportation from taxis to a lavender Lexus. They worked songs by Billy Joel and Blue Öyster Cult into the extended bridge for "Radiation Vibe." But mainly they did what they did best, wielding perfect power pop with sing-along hooks and sharply detailed lyrics. Their coterie of loyal fans recognized that "Stacy's Mom" is just the tip of the iceberg of their seemingly endless depths of should-be hits.
Marshall Crenshaw's voice has weathered since his '80s heyday, but his songs haven't aged at all. As he poured out semi-hit after semi-hit, from "Cynical Girl" to "Whenever You're on My Mind" to "There She Goes Again," it was an immediate reminder why he made such a splash and earned critical plaudits when he came onto the scene. Of course he played, "Some Day, Some Way," but I had forgotten how much other great material he had to draw from, so much so that he skipped the songs I specifically remembered beforehand, "Mary Anne" and "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)." His new material was in the same vein. Although he is nothing but sincere, without a trace of Fountains of Wayne's snarkiness humor, his singer/songwriter power pop was a well-suited pairing with the headliners.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Concert Review: Jody Porter, Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, August 14
Guitarist Jody Porter is the secret weapon of Fountains of Wayne. He puts the power in their power pop, is the muscle that keeps them from being helplessly twee, the musical punctuation marks in their quippy lyrics. So what happens when he's no longer reined in by his wordy band mates, when he and his guitar take center stage? Will it be Arcardia to Tinted Windows' Power Station, the less-successful splinter act but still with one hit up his sleeve? As he proved at the Lizard Lounge on August 14, he is mererly a solo act that meets expectations.
He is touring as the frontman of full four-piece band. It wasn't so much that they were too loud for the small club as much as too loud for the small audience. The opening act attracted a coterie of giggly, high-heeled blondes who looked out of place in a bar featuring unknown indie rock, and they evaporated before Porter's outfit took the floor. That left only a dozen or two in the audience while the band was amped to a volume for a crowd ten times that size. But Porter was clearly volume-minded. His solo style is surprisingly similar to Straitjacket Fits, New Zealander also-rans from two decades ago who were eclipsed by the likes of Chills but who churned up some blistering psychedelia at their creative peak. That the guy has chops was never in question. The problem is that as a solo act, he's got nothing but chops. In a group, there is creative push and pull, editing and containment of egos; in something resembling the democratic process of a band, the components of individual talent are ultimately subservient to the overall material. With Porter in charge and no one to say otherwise, the solo act is essentially one long guitar solo, with song structure and lyrics clearly an afterthought or just not his strong suit.
The set didn't end so much as peter out. Porter walked off leaving behind a guitar trapped in a feedback loop. The rest of band eventually followed, the drummer shrugging as he exited, conveying a lack of game plan. It looked like there was a mistaken assumption of an encore, but the attenuated audience was hardly demanding one. The show was a curiosity for die-hard Fountains of Wayne fans (not that they were in evidence), but proof that Porter shouldn't quit his day job.
He is touring as the frontman of full four-piece band. It wasn't so much that they were too loud for the small club as much as too loud for the small audience. The opening act attracted a coterie of giggly, high-heeled blondes who looked out of place in a bar featuring unknown indie rock, and they evaporated before Porter's outfit took the floor. That left only a dozen or two in the audience while the band was amped to a volume for a crowd ten times that size. But Porter was clearly volume-minded. His solo style is surprisingly similar to Straitjacket Fits, New Zealander also-rans from two decades ago who were eclipsed by the likes of Chills but who churned up some blistering psychedelia at their creative peak. That the guy has chops was never in question. The problem is that as a solo act, he's got nothing but chops. In a group, there is creative push and pull, editing and containment of egos; in something resembling the democratic process of a band, the components of individual talent are ultimately subservient to the overall material. With Porter in charge and no one to say otherwise, the solo act is essentially one long guitar solo, with song structure and lyrics clearly an afterthought or just not his strong suit.
The set didn't end so much as peter out. Porter walked off leaving behind a guitar trapped in a feedback loop. The rest of band eventually followed, the drummer shrugging as he exited, conveying a lack of game plan. It looked like there was a mistaken assumption of an encore, but the attenuated audience was hardly demanding one. The show was a curiosity for die-hard Fountains of Wayne fans (not that they were in evidence), but proof that Porter shouldn't quit his day job.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Book Review: The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk by Steven Lee Beeber
It's an odd bit of nomenclature, the difference in implication in the
expressions "Christian musician" and "Jewish musician." To call someone
a Christian musician is taken to mean an artist whose material deals
with religious and spiritual matters. Christian music is a recognized
genre, even with its own Billboard
charts. However, to call someone a Jewish musicians refers only to
their religious background but says nothing about content of their
songs. To talk about Jewish musicians, the default assumption is
secular music by people who happen to be Jewish.
All of which boils down to this: don't approach Steven Lee Beeber's book The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk expecting to learn about an unknown subgenre of punk featuring the likes of a sped-up, angry version of "Kol Nidre," not that anyone is apt to make that mistake. Beeber even makes his outlook explicit, examining what it means to be Jewish from a cultural rather than religious perspective, on par with being Italian, Irish or Indian rather than Catholic or Hindu. He may trot out anecdotes about bar mitzvahs as evidence of Lou Reed's religious heritage, but Beeber is much more interested in Jews as an ethnic rather than religious group. And the big surprise is that the history of punk includes a lot of Jews in crucial roles.
Beeber goes far beyond the mere curiosity "outing" Jewish punks. Sure, you know that Joey Ramone was Jewish, but did you guess that Tommy Ramone is, too? The author even questions his own motivation when Richard Hell (né Meyers) asks Beeber his point in writing the book. Beeber examines the common cultural forces that influenced this set of people. Some manifestations are overt, such as the Ramones' exhortation to eat Kosher salami. Others are more subtle, such as the status of Jews as outsiders in American society and rebellion against parental desires to assimilate via respectable high-paying professions.
The author trips up when he lacks primary sources. Most notably in the chapters on Lou Reed and the reclusive Jonathan Richman, he struggles to interpret their inspiration through their lyrics and other press clippings. In doing so, his analysis gets stretched too thin and his writing becomes repetitive. In other instances, he worked around his inability to interview his subjects by drawing on other sources. Richard Hell was suspicious of Beeber's angle and refused to be interviewed, but Beeber researched Hell's archival materials at NYU for insights. Joey Ramone died before Beeber began to work on the book, but those close to Joey were clearly forthcoming about him.
The book's greatest strength is in examining early punk's obsession with Nazi Germany. The Ramone's brought it to the forefront with one of their most political songs, "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg." But before that, many in the scene used Nazi iconography in their work or collected it privately. Beeber teases this out, observing the place of this generation of Jews in history. For many, they were just young enough to have not been directly affected by the Holocaust but just old enough to grow up around those who were. Drawing on Susan Sontag's work in Notes on "Camp," he theorizes that the obsession is a manifestation of an ultimate psychology victory over the Nazis.
Many ethnic groups take justifiable pride in the accomplishments of its members in various fields. But in chronicling the impact of people such as band managers Danny Fields and Malcolm McLaren, CBGB's founder Hilly Kristal, Chris Stein of Blondie and Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group as well as lesser lights in the punk spectrum, Beeber assembles a compelling argument. The Jewish experience provided a unique influence on this group of people, and without this cluster of Jews, punk as we know it would not exist.
All of which boils down to this: don't approach Steven Lee Beeber's book The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk expecting to learn about an unknown subgenre of punk featuring the likes of a sped-up, angry version of "Kol Nidre," not that anyone is apt to make that mistake. Beeber even makes his outlook explicit, examining what it means to be Jewish from a cultural rather than religious perspective, on par with being Italian, Irish or Indian rather than Catholic or Hindu. He may trot out anecdotes about bar mitzvahs as evidence of Lou Reed's religious heritage, but Beeber is much more interested in Jews as an ethnic rather than religious group. And the big surprise is that the history of punk includes a lot of Jews in crucial roles.
Beeber goes far beyond the mere curiosity "outing" Jewish punks. Sure, you know that Joey Ramone was Jewish, but did you guess that Tommy Ramone is, too? The author even questions his own motivation when Richard Hell (né Meyers) asks Beeber his point in writing the book. Beeber examines the common cultural forces that influenced this set of people. Some manifestations are overt, such as the Ramones' exhortation to eat Kosher salami. Others are more subtle, such as the status of Jews as outsiders in American society and rebellion against parental desires to assimilate via respectable high-paying professions.
The author trips up when he lacks primary sources. Most notably in the chapters on Lou Reed and the reclusive Jonathan Richman, he struggles to interpret their inspiration through their lyrics and other press clippings. In doing so, his analysis gets stretched too thin and his writing becomes repetitive. In other instances, he worked around his inability to interview his subjects by drawing on other sources. Richard Hell was suspicious of Beeber's angle and refused to be interviewed, but Beeber researched Hell's archival materials at NYU for insights. Joey Ramone died before Beeber began to work on the book, but those close to Joey were clearly forthcoming about him.
The book's greatest strength is in examining early punk's obsession with Nazi Germany. The Ramone's brought it to the forefront with one of their most political songs, "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg." But before that, many in the scene used Nazi iconography in their work or collected it privately. Beeber teases this out, observing the place of this generation of Jews in history. For many, they were just young enough to have not been directly affected by the Holocaust but just old enough to grow up around those who were. Drawing on Susan Sontag's work in Notes on "Camp," he theorizes that the obsession is a manifestation of an ultimate psychology victory over the Nazis.
Many ethnic groups take justifiable pride in the accomplishments of its members in various fields. But in chronicling the impact of people such as band managers Danny Fields and Malcolm McLaren, CBGB's founder Hilly Kristal, Chris Stein of Blondie and Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group as well as lesser lights in the punk spectrum, Beeber assembles a compelling argument. The Jewish experience provided a unique influence on this group of people, and without this cluster of Jews, punk as we know it would not exist.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
RIP Dick Buckley, Jazz DJ
Dick Buckley, a jazz DJ who had a 50-year career on radio, has died. I
have probably listened to more jazz on his WBEZ Chicago radio shows
than I have from any other source in my life because his extensive
record collection, encyclopedic knowledge of the genre, his turn of
phrase and his melifluous baritone voice made his shows so appealing.
Some typical comments from him were that a trumpeter played a piece,
"with all ten fingers and both elbows," or that a song was from album
entitled Greatest
Garner but that any song by
Erroll Garner was great. He'd provide extensive details on a particular
recording then add, "Although the liner notes say that so-and-so was on
that track, it was clearly the style of what's-his-name who was in the
band at the time."
He was an absolute treasure. The Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library Center houses Dick Buckley's Archives of Jazz in the Music Information Center. It covers 1989-1993, takes up 32 linear feet and contains over 400 hours from Mr. Buckley’s show on WBEZ, recorded on reel to reel audiotape, often with a program log included.
The Chicago Tribune web site had a brief obituary. I anticipate that more complete coverage will appear in tomorrow's print edition.
He was an absolute treasure. The Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library Center houses Dick Buckley's Archives of Jazz in the Music Information Center. It covers 1989-1993, takes up 32 linear feet and contains over 400 hours from Mr. Buckley’s show on WBEZ, recorded on reel to reel audiotape, often with a program log included.
The Chicago Tribune web site had a brief obituary. I anticipate that more complete coverage will appear in tomorrow's print edition.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Concert Review: Alejandro Escovedo, the Middle East, July 19
Boston, what the hell is wrong with you? Why don’t you recognize the talent and glory that is Alejandro Escovedo?
I moved to Boston from Chicago two years ago. One thing Chicago has over Boston is that the city appreciates Escovedo. As I looked over the far-from-capacity crowd at the Middle East last night, I contemplated what has fostered Chicago’s love for him that Boston lacks. There are venues such as the Hideout and FitzGerald’s that cultivate an audience for Americana. There’s the trickle-down effect of the Taste of Chicago in the culture of free outdoor concerts throughout the summer, manifesting itself is such events and Escovedo opening for Patti Smith at a free show by Tribune Tower a few years back, which encourages residents to explore music they wouldn’t necessarily pay to see. He can get airplay on WXRT, an adult album alternative radio station with DJs who care about music rather than air personalities hired only to fill the space between songs that have been market-tested for their target demographic.
But these are excuses, rather than reasons. The guy keeps releasing great albums, coming to town and putting on great shows, and yet most of Boston ignores him. The fools.
While his previous visit to town was an intimate, acoustic evening, accompanied by David Pulkingham, now he was back with a full band, dubbed the Sensitive Boys. It was only twice as many musicians, but the additions of bass, drums and electricity made the volume grow exponentially. They blasted into “Always a Friend” to open the set and tore through a handful of songs, mostly from Escovedo’s latest album, Street Songs of Love and 2008’s Real Animal. Despite being a working musician for decades, he has never had a hit single, the advantage being that he is not beholden to his past. He barely dipped into his back catalog except for a “Castanets” sing-along.
But it wasn’t all brashness. The middle of the set took a more subdued tone, highlighted by “Down in the Bowery,” his homage to his teenage punk rocker son. As he sang, “I’d buy you a smile in a minute, but would you wear it? If I had one moment of time, would you come down and share it?” I thought of my own young boys, carefree and cuddly, and choked up at that thought of the days ahead when I’ll ask such questions.
Ian Hunter provided vocals on the album but didn’t come along for the tour, which partially explains the decision to cover Hunter’s biggest hit, Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes.” These days, all the young dudes carry the news on their smart phones. Fortunately Alejandro Escovedo is the rare old dude who can still rock without just riding on past glories.
I moved to Boston from Chicago two years ago. One thing Chicago has over Boston is that the city appreciates Escovedo. As I looked over the far-from-capacity crowd at the Middle East last night, I contemplated what has fostered Chicago’s love for him that Boston lacks. There are venues such as the Hideout and FitzGerald’s that cultivate an audience for Americana. There’s the trickle-down effect of the Taste of Chicago in the culture of free outdoor concerts throughout the summer, manifesting itself is such events and Escovedo opening for Patti Smith at a free show by Tribune Tower a few years back, which encourages residents to explore music they wouldn’t necessarily pay to see. He can get airplay on WXRT, an adult album alternative radio station with DJs who care about music rather than air personalities hired only to fill the space between songs that have been market-tested for their target demographic.
But these are excuses, rather than reasons. The guy keeps releasing great albums, coming to town and putting on great shows, and yet most of Boston ignores him. The fools.
While his previous visit to town was an intimate, acoustic evening, accompanied by David Pulkingham, now he was back with a full band, dubbed the Sensitive Boys. It was only twice as many musicians, but the additions of bass, drums and electricity made the volume grow exponentially. They blasted into “Always a Friend” to open the set and tore through a handful of songs, mostly from Escovedo’s latest album, Street Songs of Love and 2008’s Real Animal. Despite being a working musician for decades, he has never had a hit single, the advantage being that he is not beholden to his past. He barely dipped into his back catalog except for a “Castanets” sing-along.
But it wasn’t all brashness. The middle of the set took a more subdued tone, highlighted by “Down in the Bowery,” his homage to his teenage punk rocker son. As he sang, “I’d buy you a smile in a minute, but would you wear it? If I had one moment of time, would you come down and share it?” I thought of my own young boys, carefree and cuddly, and choked up at that thought of the days ahead when I’ll ask such questions.
Ian Hunter provided vocals on the album but didn’t come along for the tour, which partially explains the decision to cover Hunter’s biggest hit, Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes.” These days, all the young dudes carry the news on their smart phones. Fortunately Alejandro Escovedo is the rare old dude who can still rock without just riding on past glories.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Consider this before you download music without permission
Other artists such as Marillion and Jill Sobule have asked fans for
direct financial support already, but Dayna Kurtz explains why in clear
and precise detail in response to hate mail she got for doing so. More
specifically, she points out that her latest record sold only 900
copies but was illegally downloaded 50,000 from four pirate sites alone.
Not everyone realizes that such downloading is illegal. Those who do come up with all sorts of rationalizations. "A huge artist is already rich so they don't need my money." "A new artist needs exposure to build an audience." These arguments fall apart for the glut of midlevel artists who have built a following but aren't getting rich and aren't even making enough to front their own recording costs.
As Kurtz points out, "the only thing that causes me some degree of regret about this venture is that i'd bet my bottom dollar that the the vast majority of people that donate are the sort of fans who already buy my music, legally and conscientiously."
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=56856324&blogId=534038996
Not everyone realizes that such downloading is illegal. Those who do come up with all sorts of rationalizations. "A huge artist is already rich so they don't need my money." "A new artist needs exposure to build an audience." These arguments fall apart for the glut of midlevel artists who have built a following but aren't getting rich and aren't even making enough to front their own recording costs.
As Kurtz points out, "the only thing that causes me some degree of regret about this venture is that i'd bet my bottom dollar that the the vast majority of people that donate are the sort of fans who already buy my music, legally and conscientiously."
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=56856324&blogId=534038996
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Rock and Roll GRE
Analytical Writing
Issue Task: Write a response to following statement. You can accept, reject, or qualify the claim made in the topic, as long as the ideas you present are clearly relevant to the topic below. Support your views with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, or academic studies.
The Beatles are overrated.
Argument: Write a critique of an argument presented in the following short passage.
Bon Jovi is great band. They have sold a shitload of albums. They are really nice guys. They have awesome hair.
Quantitative Ability
1.
A) The quantity in Column A is greater
B) The quantity in Column B is greater
C) The two quantities are equal
D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
E) Well, are we comparing quantity or quality here?
2. Dave Clark x + Ben Folds x = yCC
Solve for y
A) 2
B) 5
C) 10
D) 17
E) 23.56432
3. Seven & Seven Is
A) 14
B) A song by Love
4. Haircut x²
Solve for x
A) 1982
B) Love + 1
C) 16
D) ±10
E) 45
Verbal Ability
In the following questions, a related pair of words is followed by five more pairs of words. Select the pair that best expresses the same relationship as that expressed in the original pair.
1. NIRVANA : FOO FIGHTERS
A) Soundgarden : Candlebox
B) Roxy Music : Bryan Ferry
C) Joy Division : New Order
D) New York Dolls : KISS
E) Blue Oyster Cult : Foghat
2. DAVIES : KINKS
A) Deal : The Breeders
B) Followill : Kings of Leon
C) Taylor : Duran Duran
D) Gallagher : Oasis
E) White : The White Stripes
3. The REVOLUTION: THE NEW POWER GENERATION
A) The Attractions: The Imposters
B) Crazy Horse: The Band
C) The Heartbreakers: The Traveling Wilburys
D) The E Street Band: The Asbury Jukes
E) The Raiders: The Detroit Wheels
Each of the following questions provides a given word or phrase in capitalized letters followed by five word choices. Choose the word or phrase that is most opposite in meaning to the given word.
4. THE FALL
A) Sonic Youth
B) The Pretenders
C) The Wedding Present
D) The Cure
E) Dinosaur Jr.
5. BRITNEY SPEARS
A) Usher
B) Tom Waits
C) Pink
D) Tom Jones
E) Cher
6. MINISTRY
A) Revolting Cocks
B) Lead Into Gold
C) Lard
D) 1000 Homo DJs
E) The Bee-Gees
The sentences has blank spaces that indicate omitted words. Choose the best combination of words that fit the meaning and structure within the context of the sentence.
7. After _________ left __________, the band started selling more records while he ironically found both critical and commercial success by sticking with his arty instincts that had limited the band's audience.
A) Peter Frampton, Humble Pie
B) Peter Gabriel, Genesis
C) Justin Timberlake, the Backstreet Boys
D) Paul Weller, the Style Council
E) David Lee Roth, Van Halen
Please use this essay to answer the following questions.
8. The author's main point is that:
A) Inexpensive videos are the best way for bands to build an audience.
B) Record companies are short-sighted in viewing all artist activities as revenue sources.
C) Record companies have always expected to recoup all advances.
D) Bloggers are more important than radio for breaking new bands.
E) The treadmill video is really cool.
9. According to the author, the main function of record companies is to:
A) get CDs distributed to retailers.
B) get radio airplay for artists.
C) provide financial advances.
D) find directors who can create concepts for videos.
E) put bands on metaphorical treadmills.
Answers:
Analytical Writing
Issue
Sample response:
Well, yeah. Kinda.
Argument
Sample response:
You're out of your fucking mind.
Quantitative Ability
1. B or E
2. C
3. A or B
4. D
Verbal Ability
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. E
7. B
8. B
9. C
Issue Task: Write a response to following statement. You can accept, reject, or qualify the claim made in the topic, as long as the ideas you present are clearly relevant to the topic below. Support your views with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, or academic studies.
The Beatles are overrated.
Argument: Write a critique of an argument presented in the following short passage.
Bon Jovi is great band. They have sold a shitload of albums. They are really nice guys. They have awesome hair.
Quantitative Ability
1.
| Column A | Column B |
| The Smiths' recorded output | Morrissey's recorded output |
A) The quantity in Column A is greater
B) The quantity in Column B is greater
C) The two quantities are equal
D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
E) Well, are we comparing quantity or quality here?
2. Dave Clark x + Ben Folds x = yCC
Solve for y
A) 2
B) 5
C) 10
D) 17
E) 23.56432
3. Seven & Seven Is
A) 14
B) A song by Love
4. Haircut x²
Solve for x
A) 1982
B) Love + 1
C) 16
D) ±10
E) 45
Verbal Ability
In the following questions, a related pair of words is followed by five more pairs of words. Select the pair that best expresses the same relationship as that expressed in the original pair.
1. NIRVANA : FOO FIGHTERS
A) Soundgarden : Candlebox
B) Roxy Music : Bryan Ferry
C) Joy Division : New Order
D) New York Dolls : KISS
E) Blue Oyster Cult : Foghat
2. DAVIES : KINKS
A) Deal : The Breeders
B) Followill : Kings of Leon
C) Taylor : Duran Duran
D) Gallagher : Oasis
E) White : The White Stripes
3. The REVOLUTION: THE NEW POWER GENERATION
A) The Attractions: The Imposters
B) Crazy Horse: The Band
C) The Heartbreakers: The Traveling Wilburys
D) The E Street Band: The Asbury Jukes
E) The Raiders: The Detroit Wheels
Each of the following questions provides a given word or phrase in capitalized letters followed by five word choices. Choose the word or phrase that is most opposite in meaning to the given word.
4. THE FALL
A) Sonic Youth
B) The Pretenders
C) The Wedding Present
D) The Cure
E) Dinosaur Jr.
5. BRITNEY SPEARS
A) Usher
B) Tom Waits
C) Pink
D) Tom Jones
E) Cher
6. MINISTRY
A) Revolting Cocks
B) Lead Into Gold
C) Lard
D) 1000 Homo DJs
E) The Bee-Gees
The sentences has blank spaces that indicate omitted words. Choose the best combination of words that fit the meaning and structure within the context of the sentence.
7. After _________ left __________, the band started selling more records while he ironically found both critical and commercial success by sticking with his arty instincts that had limited the band's audience.
A) Peter Frampton, Humble Pie
B) Peter Gabriel, Genesis
C) Justin Timberlake, the Backstreet Boys
D) Paul Weller, the Style Council
E) David Lee Roth, Van Halen
Please use this essay to answer the following questions.
8. The author's main point is that:
A) Inexpensive videos are the best way for bands to build an audience.
B) Record companies are short-sighted in viewing all artist activities as revenue sources.
C) Record companies have always expected to recoup all advances.
D) Bloggers are more important than radio for breaking new bands.
E) The treadmill video is really cool.
9. According to the author, the main function of record companies is to:
A) get CDs distributed to retailers.
B) get radio airplay for artists.
C) provide financial advances.
D) find directors who can create concepts for videos.
E) put bands on metaphorical treadmills.
Answers:
Analytical Writing
Issue
Sample response:
Well, yeah. Kinda.
Argument
Sample response:
You're out of your fucking mind.
Quantitative Ability
1. B or E
2. C
3. A or B
4. D
Verbal Ability
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. E
7. B
8. B
9. C
Monday, April 26, 2010
Concert Review: The Church, Arts at the Armory, April 21
A funny thing happened on the road to nostalgia for the Church. They
took a detour and became relevant.
The initial route was a familiar one. After slowly building an audience, they scored a Top 30 hit, "Under the Milky Way," several albums into their career. The pressure to repeat their success nearly destroyed the band. Last summer they played Showcase Live, a venue at a football stadium's complex whose main selling point to suburban audiences is vast amounts of free parking, key for acts that are just trading on their long-past glories. The typical chain of events for such bands is that, if they even bother to record new material, it is at best forgettable but provides an excuse to tour. At worst, it squanders their legacy.
But that isn't what happened to the Church. The band is celebrating it 30th anniversary with a special tour. They deserved better than the nostalgia circuit room they played in Foxboro last year and got it with Somerville's Arts at the Armory on April 21. The gimmick of the tour is that they play one song from each album in reverse chronological order, starting with 2009's Untitled #23. The surprise to casual fans is that their newer material is worthy of both the band and the audience. Admittedly, the group have winnowed their following, but this was a crowd who was in it for the long haul, not the ones who would be disappointed that they didn't faithfully recreate "Reptile" from its Starfish incarnation.
In honor of the occasion, they provided a program highlighting their career, including a page devoted to each album and concluding with an inventory of their career, cataloging everything from the number of concerts played to the number of overdoses. Combining their between-song banter, mostly from Steve Kilbey but with the others chiming in, and the written materials about their releases, the full narrative emerged. Their label largely ignored them in the early '80s in favor of acts like Loverboy. They eventually hit pay dirt and sold a bunch of albums, but that same success tore the band apart. They eventually regained their footing as the '90s progressed, with guitarist Peter Koppes rejoining the band, Tim Fowles settling in behind drums and the band finding a new creative freedom, in part from shedding expectations. They've weathered the failure of several indie labels by ultimately creating their own imprint.
It was a journey through their history, but they chose to not necessarily retrace their steps. They billed it as an intimate space, which manifested itself as a very casual atmosphere with no electric guitars. Since two of their albums were built around reinterpretations of their own songs, they were hardly married to their past. For example, they stripped away the layers of "Almost Yesterday." "The Unguarded Moment" felt like a Velvet Underground cover song. "Invisible" took the train theme of its lyrics as the basis for its tempo variations, speeding up then slowing down like a training pulling into the station.
They broke the proceedings into two sets then returned for two encores. For their first encore, they offered up the Smashing Pumpkins song "Disarm" as a thank you and response to their cover of "Reptile." They followed it up with "Space Saviour" from Untitled #23 that was so hypnotic it practically induced seizures and left audience drowning in puddles of their own drool. They wrapped up the evening with "Grind;" Marty Willson-Piper peppered it with Led Zeppelin-worthy fat riffs, but the rendition also lived up the song's own lyrics of "jangled decay." The band proved themselves worthy of the 30th anniversary celebration.
The initial route was a familiar one. After slowly building an audience, they scored a Top 30 hit, "Under the Milky Way," several albums into their career. The pressure to repeat their success nearly destroyed the band. Last summer they played Showcase Live, a venue at a football stadium's complex whose main selling point to suburban audiences is vast amounts of free parking, key for acts that are just trading on their long-past glories. The typical chain of events for such bands is that, if they even bother to record new material, it is at best forgettable but provides an excuse to tour. At worst, it squanders their legacy.
But that isn't what happened to the Church. The band is celebrating it 30th anniversary with a special tour. They deserved better than the nostalgia circuit room they played in Foxboro last year and got it with Somerville's Arts at the Armory on April 21. The gimmick of the tour is that they play one song from each album in reverse chronological order, starting with 2009's Untitled #23. The surprise to casual fans is that their newer material is worthy of both the band and the audience. Admittedly, the group have winnowed their following, but this was a crowd who was in it for the long haul, not the ones who would be disappointed that they didn't faithfully recreate "Reptile" from its Starfish incarnation.
In honor of the occasion, they provided a program highlighting their career, including a page devoted to each album and concluding with an inventory of their career, cataloging everything from the number of concerts played to the number of overdoses. Combining their between-song banter, mostly from Steve Kilbey but with the others chiming in, and the written materials about their releases, the full narrative emerged. Their label largely ignored them in the early '80s in favor of acts like Loverboy. They eventually hit pay dirt and sold a bunch of albums, but that same success tore the band apart. They eventually regained their footing as the '90s progressed, with guitarist Peter Koppes rejoining the band, Tim Fowles settling in behind drums and the band finding a new creative freedom, in part from shedding expectations. They've weathered the failure of several indie labels by ultimately creating their own imprint.
It was a journey through their history, but they chose to not necessarily retrace their steps. They billed it as an intimate space, which manifested itself as a very casual atmosphere with no electric guitars. Since two of their albums were built around reinterpretations of their own songs, they were hardly married to their past. For example, they stripped away the layers of "Almost Yesterday." "The Unguarded Moment" felt like a Velvet Underground cover song. "Invisible" took the train theme of its lyrics as the basis for its tempo variations, speeding up then slowing down like a training pulling into the station.
They broke the proceedings into two sets then returned for two encores. For their first encore, they offered up the Smashing Pumpkins song "Disarm" as a thank you and response to their cover of "Reptile." They followed it up with "Space Saviour" from Untitled #23 that was so hypnotic it practically induced seizures and left audience drowning in puddles of their own drool. They wrapped up the evening with "Grind;" Marty Willson-Piper peppered it with Led Zeppelin-worthy fat riffs, but the rendition also lived up the song's own lyrics of "jangled decay." The band proved themselves worthy of the 30th anniversary celebration.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Concert Review: Alejandro Escovedo, Somerville Theater, April 6
Alejandro Escovedo came to town with a just a buddy to upend
expectations. Yes, it was just two guys with acoustic guitars, but this
was not evening of polite, gentle strumming; it's surprising they only
broke one string in the course of the evening. Ecovedo's lyrics suggest
that he's a singer/songwriter, but he knows how to rock. To put it
another way, he knows how to make a lot of noise, but his lyrics convey
genuine emotional complexity. He hits you in the heart, the feet and
the brain. I frequently found myself with an irrepressible smile on my
face.
The pair were previewing songs from Escovedo's upcoming album, due in June. Although he described it as a rock album with a full band, he was touring unplugged with fellow guitarist David Pulkingham. Their interaction was a paradox, effortlessly spontaneous and organic as a result of lots of practice. They had worked hard to make it look that easy. With a quick exchange of glances they could alter the tempo or intensity, and both clearly enjoyed the freedom they had in working together to make something so beautiful or so raucous.
Boston just isn't showing Escovedo the love he deserves, with the 900-seat venue maybe a third full. Rather than lamenting the poor turn-out (and he didn't mince words about another nearby venue where he'd played earlier in his career), he used the intimacy to his advantage. Especially since no one was in the balcony, the pair stepped down from the stage, away from the microphones, to perform a handful of songs in the aisles among the audience.
Escovedo peppered the set with stories about his family, taking great pride in their musical accomplishments. His father was a musician who bore 12 children, eight of whom went on to become professional musicians themselves. His 17-year-old son Paris is a punk rocker, and Alejandro is amused that Paris dismisses his father's current output at old man music for old people.
Escovedo was once a young punk rocker himself as a member of the Nuns in the mid-'70s. That band is now most famous as the launching point of his eventual solo career. Ironically, he emerged from a genre that disparaged virtuosity through his virtuosity, but the punk spirit still lives in this "old man."
The pair were previewing songs from Escovedo's upcoming album, due in June. Although he described it as a rock album with a full band, he was touring unplugged with fellow guitarist David Pulkingham. Their interaction was a paradox, effortlessly spontaneous and organic as a result of lots of practice. They had worked hard to make it look that easy. With a quick exchange of glances they could alter the tempo or intensity, and both clearly enjoyed the freedom they had in working together to make something so beautiful or so raucous.
Boston just isn't showing Escovedo the love he deserves, with the 900-seat venue maybe a third full. Rather than lamenting the poor turn-out (and he didn't mince words about another nearby venue where he'd played earlier in his career), he used the intimacy to his advantage. Especially since no one was in the balcony, the pair stepped down from the stage, away from the microphones, to perform a handful of songs in the aisles among the audience.
Escovedo peppered the set with stories about his family, taking great pride in their musical accomplishments. His father was a musician who bore 12 children, eight of whom went on to become professional musicians themselves. His 17-year-old son Paris is a punk rocker, and Alejandro is amused that Paris dismisses his father's current output at old man music for old people.
Escovedo was once a young punk rocker himself as a member of the Nuns in the mid-'70s. That band is now most famous as the launching point of his eventual solo career. Ironically, he emerged from a genre that disparaged virtuosity through his virtuosity, but the punk spirit still lives in this "old man."
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Concert Review: A Place to Bury Strangers, Paradise Rock Club, March 27
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Reconsidering Peaches
From the first time I saw Peaches, I reached the conclusion that she
was trading exclusively in shock value in the absence of any other
discernible talent, that she had nothing going for her other than
sexual provocation. If she didn't exist, someone would have to invent
her if only as fodder for gender studies academics.
My basis for this opinion was established by my initial exposure to her, opening for Elastica at the Park West in Chicago in 2000. But I have been forced recently to rethink my assessment. Peaches was interviewed on the January 29 episode of Sound Opinions. Jim DeRogatis starts off by calling the performance "infamous." Peaches responds that it was her "worst show ever." DeRogatis continues by explaining that the venue has been around since the days of Al Capone, and they still talk about it as the single worst show in its history. She recalls that it was the fourth show of her first tour ever and she was experimenting on stage to develop her new persona.
In other words, to say that I caught her on an off night is an understatement. I'll have to be a little more open-minded about her work, although I'll stick with Patti Smith for upending expectations of female performers.
My basis for this opinion was established by my initial exposure to her, opening for Elastica at the Park West in Chicago in 2000. But I have been forced recently to rethink my assessment. Peaches was interviewed on the January 29 episode of Sound Opinions. Jim DeRogatis starts off by calling the performance "infamous." Peaches responds that it was her "worst show ever." DeRogatis continues by explaining that the venue has been around since the days of Al Capone, and they still talk about it as the single worst show in its history. She recalls that it was the fourth show of her first tour ever and she was experimenting on stage to develop her new persona.
In other words, to say that I caught her on an off night is an understatement. I'll have to be a little more open-minded about her work, although I'll stick with Patti Smith for upending expectations of female performers.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Concert Review: The Magnetic Fields, Wilbur Theatre, February 11
Oh, Stephin Merritt, you are so droll. You are so witty. Your songs are
so exquisite. If only you were so lively. Please, can Magnetic Fields
concerts be inspired by your opening number, "Kiss Me Like You Mean
It"? The band takes the notion of chamber pop too seriously in the live
setting. The material was perfectly presented except for a few bum
notes caused by laryngitis going through the tour bus, but it was
staid. The band's performance was pleasant enough but hardly vital. As
a songwriter, Merritt mines so many nuances of emotion, but the band
didn't convey that emotion. They replicated the recordings but didn't
bring the songs to life. Apart from some awkwardly amusing repartee
between Merritt and Claudia Gonson, there was little to recommend for
their concert over their albums.
There was are recurring theme of songs about vampires, surprising considering they never played the Future Bible Heroes song, "I'm a Vampire," even though they played songs by Merritt's other outfits, the Sixths and the Gothic Archies.
Opener Laura Barrett's main accompaniment was the kalimba, a thumb piano that sounds like a music box. Her quirkiness would have worn thin quickly if she had just tried to coast on her charms, the way too much '90s indie pop relied on the mistaken belief that cuteness compensates for ineptitude. But she and her accompanist were fully competent of their hodge podge of instruments, and she never sang a bum note, making her odd songs were appealing.
Magnetic Fields set list:
Kiss Me Like You Mean It
You Must Be Out of Your Mind
The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
We Are Having a Hootenanny
Walk a Lonely Road
Shipwrecked
When Will You Love Me Again
All I Want To Know
I Have the Moon
Looking for Love [In the Hall of Mirrors]
[Intermission]
Xylophone Track
Interlude
Long Vermont Roads
You You You You You
The Nun's Litany
I'm Sorry I Love You
Don't Look Away
The Little Hebrew Girl
The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent
Better Things
Fear of Trains
The Dolls' Tea Party
Always Already Gone
100,000 Fireflies
[Encore]
I Die
From a Sinking Ship
There was are recurring theme of songs about vampires, surprising considering they never played the Future Bible Heroes song, "I'm a Vampire," even though they played songs by Merritt's other outfits, the Sixths and the Gothic Archies.
Opener Laura Barrett's main accompaniment was the kalimba, a thumb piano that sounds like a music box. Her quirkiness would have worn thin quickly if she had just tried to coast on her charms, the way too much '90s indie pop relied on the mistaken belief that cuteness compensates for ineptitude. But she and her accompanist were fully competent of their hodge podge of instruments, and she never sang a bum note, making her odd songs were appealing.
Magnetic Fields set list:
Kiss Me Like You Mean It
You Must Be Out of Your Mind
The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
We Are Having a Hootenanny
Walk a Lonely Road
Shipwrecked
When Will You Love Me Again
All I Want To Know
I Have the Moon
Looking for Love [In the Hall of Mirrors]
[Intermission]
Xylophone Track
Interlude
Long Vermont Roads
You You You You You
The Nun's Litany
I'm Sorry I Love You
Don't Look Away
The Little Hebrew Girl
The Flowers She Sent and the Flowers She Said She Sent
Better Things
Fear of Trains
The Dolls' Tea Party
Always Already Gone
100,000 Fireflies
[Encore]
I Die
From a Sinking Ship
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
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.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
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.
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
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