Lately it seems like my email inbox has been filling up with bands from New York City. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising... New York is a big city, and there are a lot of bands there. But for the past couple weeks every other email has been from another Gotham group. So as a way to play catch up, here's a couple of the better submissions I've received recently from Manhattan and beyond...
The Canon Logic singer Tim Kiely sounds so much like Brandon Flowers that comparisons to The Killers are inevitable. The emphasis on piano gives the Brooklyn transplants a much more grounded sound though, influenced more by the 60's golden age of pop than 80's new wave. They celebrate the release of their debut full length, FM Arcade, with a show at the Mercury Lounge on March 5.
The Canon Logic - "Avenue Of Criminals" (mp3)
After a prolong period of dormancy, Some Awful Bridge both begin their future and turn the page on their past with the release of a new EP, Ankles and Elbows. Although the biographical information on their website is shrouded in mystery, half truths, and outright lies, you can glean together that these six songs serve as auditory evidence of the band's previous incarnation. It's equal parts new wave and art rock, shoegaze and psychedelia, glam and goth. Their new lineup makes their live debut this Wednesday, February 24 at Ace Of Clubs in Manhattan.
Some Awful Bridge - "My Wish, The Bone" (mp3)
I never got into the Moldy Peaches. They always seemed a bit jokey and amateurish for my tastes. So when I got Adam Green's new solo album, Minor Love
, in the mail a few weeks ago, I wasn't expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. His sixth release is much more serious and musically accomplished than anything he's done in his past. Don't get me wrong, he's still the same smart alec he's always been, but he's toned it down a notch this time out.
Adam Green - "What Makes Him Act So Bad" (mp3) from Minor Love
With today being Super Bowl Sunday, and the Colts going for their second Lombardi trophy in four years, I figured it was a good excuse to dust off this gem, from one of the oddest CDs in my collection...
Kenny Chesney & Peyton Manning - "Whatever It Takes" (mp3) from NFL Country
I'll be cheering on Indianapolis today. Partly because Manning is a Tennessee alum, but mostly because my fiance is a huge Colts fan, and I don't want to sleep on the couch tonite.In other Super Bowl music news, Audi will be debuting a commercial tonight that features a pretty kickass new recording of Cheap Trick's classic "Dream Police." You can get a free download of the song my becoming a fan of Audi on Facebook, and you can get a sneak peak of the commercial here.
This is the story of the best ten dollars I ever spent...
In October of 1999, I was living in Las Vegas, working as a supervisor at the Virgin Megastore. One afternoon I was upstairs in the office when one of my managers came in and announced that The Who were playing the next weekend at MGM Grand Garden Arena, and tickets were only ten bucks. Now I should admit that if the tickets had been regular price, I wouldn't have gone. The Who were not coming off the greatest period of their history. Their recent reunion tours had been overblown and underwhelming spectacles, featuring too many additional musicians, guest singers, and worst of all Pete Townsend playing acoustic guitar exclusively due to his issues with tininitus. So I wasn't expecting much, but you simply don't pass up an opportunity to see one of the greatest rock bands of all time for one measly Alexander Hamilton.
The concert was part of iBash'99, an extravagant and expensive launch party for a dot-com company called Pixelon. In addition to The Who, the day long event featured Tony Bennett, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, and a lip synching Kiss. The $10 million event was supposed to be a showcase for their revolutionary new streaming technology, although it turned out to be a huge bust. They claiming Microsoft technology as their own, their servers crashed, and a year later their founder (who turned out to be a fugitive using a fake identity) was in jail and the company was bankrupt.
Like I said, we went into the show with low expectations, and at first it seemed like they were going to be met. The arena was only half full, and the show started late. When the lights went down, emcees David Spade and Cindy Margolis took the stage to what seemed like a chorus of boos. As it turned out, the crowd was yelling "BOOB!" due to a wardrobe malfunction from the world's most downloaded woman. After hyping the internet technology that wasn't actually working, they introduced the band. Roger Daltry, Pete Townsend and John Entwhistle took to the bare bones stage, accompanied only by drummer Zak Starkey and longtime Who keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick. Townsend plugged in a red Stratocaster and immediately started furiously banging out the chords to "I Can't Explain." And our jaws dropped. Far from being the lackluster performance we were expecting, we were blown away. This was The Who that we all loved... a stripped down, powerful and passionate rock band. No frills, no fuss, no filler. The ninety minute set focused almost exclusively on their hits, with only Entwhistle's "My Wife" thrown in as a deep catalog treat for the hardcore fans. But with the raw energy they were projecting, I sure as hell wasn't going to complain. It was a little rough around the edges at times, but frankly thats the way a good rock show should be. No one cared that Daltrey came in early during "Anyhow, Anyway, Anywhere," or that Townsend had to switch guitars in the middle of "Pinball Wizard" due to broken strings. We were witnessing the rebirth of one of rock and roll's all time greats. And when Daltrey let loose his throat shredding yell during "Won't Get Fooled Again" (which is easily the greatest scream in the recorded history of rock and roll), I got goosebumps. It was that good.
There are a lot of people who say The Who should have broken up for good when Keith Moon died (although that would have denied us most excellent and underated "Eminence Front"). And those same people would say the band really stopped being The Who when Entwhistle died in 2002. And I'd have to admit that those people have a point. The Who were definitely one of those band where each member was a singular talent. But having seen three-quarters of the original Who play an absolutely amazing show ten years ago, I still think the Daltrey/Townsend show will be worth watching at halftime on Super Bowl Sunday. It'll sure as hell be better than Up With People.
The Who - "Behind Blue Eyes (Alternate Version)" (mp3) from Who's Next
Pearl Jam - "Baba O'Reilly" (mp3) from 10/22/00 - Las Vegas, Nevada
Sugar - "Armenia City In The Sky" (mp3) from Besides
The 1999 concert is avaible on DVD as The Who - The Vegas Job
.
With everything going on in my life right now (planning a wedding, buying a house, etc), I haven't had time to finish a proper "best albums of the decade" list. But it seems like too monumental an occasion to just abandon the concept completely. So instead of a traditional, detailed write-ups of my favorite albums of the last ten years, I decided to take a "quick takes" approach for them. Usually I'm in love with Top 5 lists, but reviewing an entire decade seemed to call for a Top 10. So here we go... a list of the ten albums that most made my heart go pitter-patter in the oughts.
1. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
From the very first notes of "Untitled" I knew this one was going to be special. It strikes the perfect balance between chiming and driving, dense and sparse, soaring and straightforward, and lyrically between obtuse and profound. And as a drummer, I'm completely smitten with Sam Fogarino's playing on this album. There aren't very many albums I fall in love with at first listen and never get tired of. This is definitely one of them.
2. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun
There was a time in my life when I wouldn't be caught dead listening to a band that sang in a made-up language. But despite the fact that the lyrics are pretty much gibberish, "Svefn g englar" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Pretty much their entire catalog is awe inspiring, but this album is still my favorite.
Sigur Rós - "Starálfur" (mp3)
3. Radiohead - Kid A
I love Radiohead the most when they are a rock band. But this album was so awesome, and so mind blowing, that I didn't care that there were barely any guitars. It was so good in fact that it kept me from breaking up with someone... at least temporarily. Long story.
4. The National - Boxer
I was late to the party on this, so it didn't make my best of 2007 list. But I guarantee you I made up for lost time listening to it in 2008. I'm not sure a band has ever combined brilliant songwriting and offbeat arrangements so well. And it's absolutely become my go to flying album.
5. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
The very first time I heard her sing, it was just her and an omnichord, a drumset, and a guitar. But her voice was really the star of the show, and I was mesmerized. For this debut album, she was joined a band who matched her otherworldly vocals with a massive sound of their own. The result is nothing short of magic. Read our original review from February 2007.
Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3)
6. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
This would have been an amazing record even if it had been released while the Man in Black was still alive. The fact that it basically became Cash singing his own eulogy made it heartbreakingly profound. Read our original review from August 2006.
7. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
What initially sounded like an odd pairing turned out to be a match made in heaven. Mark Lanegan's gruff baritone is the perfect counterpoint to Isobel Campbell's delicate soprano, and added a welcome degree of earthiness to her ethereal folk. Read our review from the Best 0f 2006 post.
8. The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost
It's been a while since I played with psychedelics, but listening to this album is frankly a better trip than any chemical induced voyage I ever took. It's the kind of album was made for putting on headphones and getting lost with. Read our original review from April 2008.
The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3)
9. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
Most bands would love to have as many great hooks over the course of their career as Carl Newman and company pack onto their sophomore album. With a wall of sound and a barrel full of infectious energy, Vancouver's finest unleash a power pop gem that is the perfect soundtrack for driving around on a sunny day with the windows rolled down and the stereo cranked just below the point where it would be harmful for your ears.
10. Mojave 3 - Excuses for Travellers
Who knew that one of the biggest stars of the nineties shoegazer scene would end up making such a great stoner country album? For the longest time I'd just listen to "In Love With A View" and "Return To Sender" endlessly, but once I got past track four I found the rest of the CD is equally great.
