Hitchcock Presents

If Bing Crosby is considered the King of Christmas music, then Robyn Hitchcock should be recognized as the Prince of Halloween. For over thirty years the guy has made a career out of singing about the bizarre underbelly of life, as well as the lighter side of death and dying. While he's written absolutely perfect pop gems like "Beautiful Girl" or "So You Think You're In Love," and heartbreakingly gorgeous songs like "Glass Hotel" and "Arms Of Love," he's mostly known for surreal tales that would be a veritable wet dream for a Jungian analyst. Heck, a lot of his songs would make for great Halloween costumes... "The Man With The Lightbulb Head," "Balloon Man," "Happy the Golden Prince," "Surfer Ghost," and "Queen Elvis." So in honor of All Hallows' Eve, here's a mini mix of songs appropriate for today's festivities.

Robyn Hitchcock - "Sounds Great When You're Dead" (mp3) from I Often Dream Of Trains
The Soft Boys - "Sandra's Having Her Brain Out" (mp3) from A Can Of Bees
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - "Sleeping With Your Devil Mask" (mp3) from Globe of Frogs

Standing On The Shoulders of Giants

The Deep Vibration - Veracruz

Over the past few years, the term roots music has kind of become a dirty word. Too often it's been associated with former generic jam bands who suddenly decide to abandon their boring extended instrumental breaks and adopt four minute blues progressions. But when it's done right, it's a perfect description of artists that make a heartfelt exploration of the foundations of American music.

I wasn't the slightest bit familiar with The Deep Vibration before I saw their set at Next Big Nashville last month, but they made one hell of a first impression. I described them at the time as "Gram Parsons fronting Crazy Horse," and listening to their debut EP Veracruz, it's still an apt description. Their sound is quintessential American rock and roll; an amalgamation of blues, soul, country and folk. They may call Nashville home, but their roots are steeped in Memphis and Muscle Shoals. They recall the era in the late 60s and early 70s when the Rolling Stones discovered country, and arguably churned out music that was more American than most bands that called the States home. It takes most bands ten years to make the kind of record that they've managed to accomplish right out of the gate. The fact that a certified legend like Spooner Oldham or Gillian Welch are willing to lend their considerable talents to this debut should tell you all you need to know about just how good it is. The only negative thing I can say about them is that they have one of the dumbest band names I've ever heard, but when Lou Reed christens your band, I guess it's hard to argue.

The Deep Vibration - "Oklahoma City Woman Blues (Veracruz)" (mp3)

The Deep Vibration will be holding their record release show this Friday, October 24 at The Basement in Nashville. The Explorers Club and Vermicious K'Nids round out the bill. Cover is a measly seven bucks, and includes a copy of the new EP.

Is that Dave Coulier?

By now you've probably already seen the literal version of A-Ha's "Take On Me." If not, go watch it right now. It's hilarious.

That video proved to be so popular that the guys at Dust Films have done a sequel, taking on Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels." And believe it or not, it's even funnier. If VH1 has any sense at all, they've already offered these guys a deal for their own show. I don't think I could ever get tired of watching these.

It's For You

The Wedding Present
North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA
Friday, October 10, 2008

In the indie music world, most bands tend to be fairly fan friendly, keeping their ticket prices reasonable and their merchandise priced to move. And it's generally not hard to track down a band member after the show to congratulate them on a job well done. But when it comes to accessibility to fans, The Wedding Present's David Gedge takes the cake. How many bands can you name that have been around for over twenty years where the lead singer can be found hanging out by the merch table literally from the time the doors open until the band takes the stage?

Local Philadelphia band Brown Recluse Sings opened last Friday's show. Their singer had the mannerisms and the boots of a young John Lennon, but their music was obviously filtered through a lifetime membership in the Stuart Murdoch fan club. They got off to a somewhat slow start, but their bookish anglo pop seemed to pick up energy as their set went on. (Sidenote - why is it that having a trumpet player in your band automatically makes you sound British?) Brooklyn's The Jealous Girlfriends were up next. With raspy vocals riding waves of buzzing guitars over a bed of fat synth sounds, they provided a modern take on the early 90s shoegazer sound. They were one of the best opening acts I've seen in quite some time.

The Weddoes 75 minute set ran the gamut of their career, kicking off with their 1989 single "Kennedy" and closing with "Boo Boo," the penultimate track from their latest album. It seemed like there wasn't as much of Gedge's witty banter between songs this time out, perhaps due to the fact that the packed club was hot as hell, and didn't lend itself well to idle chit chat. Although there was a healthy dose of song from El Rey, it never felt like they were out promoting their newest record. The setlist was packed with fan favorites, although that didn't stop one bozo from calling for "Blue Eyes" six songs after they had already played it. After I saw them play "Suck" in Atlanta two years ago I felt like I could die and go to heaven. When they got to the end their set last week with the one-two punch of Seamonsters' "Dalliance" and "Dare," they ensured that I'd be spending eternity with a giant smile plastered across my face.

The Wedding Present - "Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft (Live)" (mp3) from Singles 1989-1991

photo by Tim Griffin

Underwater Explosions

Boston Spaceships - Brown Submarine

Robert Pollard once famously stated that he could write five songs while sitting on the toilet, and three of them would be good. Anyone who is the slightest bit familiar with the ex-Guided By Voices frontman's output over the years knows there is a lot of truth in that statement. The guy is a pop genius with a gift for packing catchy-as-hell melodies into quick two minute bursts. But ever since GBV broke up, it's felt like he has insisted on releasing all of the songs he's written on the crapper, not just the three-fifths that are good. Part of that might be the way he's recorded his solo albums for the past few years. Rather than go into the studio himself and hash things out, he's sent skeletal recordings of his songs to producer/multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias, who then fleshed out the demos into fully realized recordings. Perhaps that way of working made it too easy for Uncle Bob to put every lyric and melody he dreamt up onto tape. His last few solo albums have certainly had some gems on them, but it felt like the ratio of great songs to filler was starting to slip.

For whatever reason, those quality control issues have been eliminated for his latest release. Maybe it's the fact that after several years of going it alone, he's back to being in a band. Boston Spaceships is rounded out by former GBV bassist Chris Slusarenko and Decemberists drummer Joen Moen, and the result of their collaboration is easily Pollard's best album in ten years. The press materials for Brown Submarine might promote the record's prog rock influences, but the overriding theme is best summed up by one of it's song titles... "Ready To Pop." All but one of the album's fourteen songs clock in at under three minutes, resulting in the tightest, most cohesive album Pollard has released since the GBV banner was retired four years ago. "Go For The Exit," "Two Girl Area," and "Andy Playboy" easily rank right up there with the best of the Bard of Dayton's body of work, while tracks like "Zero Fix" are powder kegs of pure pop/punk energy. Here's to hoping that this latest project isn't just a one off, and that Boston Spaceships can be seen in the night skies for quite some time.

Boston Spaceships - "Go For The Exit" (mp3)

Boston Spaceships play this Saturday, October 18, at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville, with openers The High Strung.

Get Your Vote On

If you've been watching TV lately, or reading the news, or just breathing, you probably know that there is a big election coming up. Well if you live in Nashville, that election starts tomorrow. Early voting begins on Wednesday, October 15. You can see a schedule of hours and locations here. And early voting really is the way to go. It's quick and convenient and WAY better than standing in line on November 4.

I'm not a big fan of mixing music and politics, so I'm not going to promote a particular candidate on here. But if you put two and two together, you can probably figure out who I'm voting for.

Sugar - "Changes" (mp3) from Copper Blue
Frank Sinatra - "High Hopes" (mp3) from The Capitol Years

You'll notice I didn't post this song.

Forth

The Verve - Forth

Richard Ashcroft needs Nick McCabe. It was obvious during the recording of Urban Hymns (prior to which the band had broken up, then reformed without the mercurial guitarist), and it's been especially obvious over the course of Ashcroft's three increasingly lackluster solo albums. Without McCabe there to provide to provide the spark of creative friction, Ashcroft has a tendency to descend into MOR blandness. Reforming The Verve is the best decision these two have ever made.

In general, the songs on Forth hearken back to the band's earlier jam-based writing approach (six of the ten tracks are credited to the band as a whole). "Love Is Noise" ranks right up there with the best songs they've ever released, and the appropriately titled "Noise Epic" recalls the psychedelic cacophony of their first album, A Storm In Heaven. Not surprisingly, the songs that Ashcroft wrote himself, such as "Rather Be" and "Valium Skies," sound very much like they could have been released a decade ago on Urban Hymns. The new album certainly isn't perfect ("Judas" kinda sounds like the worst song a on a recent U2 album), but it's definitely a welcome comeback for a band most of us thought we'd never hear from again.

(NOTE - This post had to be recreated because blogger deleted the original without notice. For that reason, there is no MP3)

One Way Road

The new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, comes out tomorrow. I should be writing about it right now, but despite the fact that I've had a copy of it for a week and a half, I haven't listened to it yet. I have heard the first single, "The Turning," and I quite dig it's almost prog rock groove. I guess the rest of the album will make for a nice soundtrack for my flight to Philly on Thursday.

So in lieu of an album review, here's a Monday morning b-side from the Manchester lads, from the Who Feels Love single.

Oasis - "One Way Road" (mp3)

Get Your Highbrow On

This Saturday, October 4, the Nashville Symphony will hold its 3rd Annual Free Day of Music at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Twenty-eight different groups will be performing over the course of the day, and while the program is obviously heavy on classical music, there is also jazz, bluegrass, and even Scottish Pipes and Drums for those seeking a bit of variety. Doors open at 11 am, and you can view the complete schedule here. In addition to all the free music offered that day, you can also take advantage of a 20% off discount on future concerts at the box office. More information on the day's events can be found here.

As I pointed out last year, even if you're not much of a classical music fan, it's worth going down there just to see the building. It's absolutely gorgeous, and even the most casual music fan will appreciate the amazing acoustics in the Laura Turner Concert Hall.