Billing itself as a revolving collective rather than an actual band, New York-based Gramercy Arms is somewhat of an indie-pop supergroup as well, comprising former members of Guided By Voices, Luna, Joan as Police Woman, The Dambuilders, Fuzzy and Too Much Joy…and guest appearances by Lloyd Cole and Sarah Silverman (yes, the comedienne), as well as Chris Brokaw, members of the Pernice Brothers, Mascott, Shudder to Think and others. As you’d expect with those kind of pedigrees kicking around the recording studio, the music is shimmering and gorgeous, and exquisitely produced. It’s a short, joyful blast of summery pop-rock, and repeated listenings reveal numerous charms. The stuff they’re doing with vocals alone will entice any fan of the New Pornographers, Stars, Metric, et. al. The only real complaint? At just over 30 minutes (!), it’s over far too soon.
Hoo boy. From the silly cover art down to the synth bass lines and programmed drums, everything about this EP by Rhett May just screams embarrassing. Definitely one of those discs that should have just been given out to friends and left at that, but undoubtedly there was someone out there who told Rhett to go for broke and let everyone else hear this stuff. Well, suffice it to say it’s a complete train wreck, with some of the worst canned, DIY production to be heard in a long time. Is this guy country? Is he pop? Who knows? It’s just tough to listen to a song like “There’s a Little White Powder” or “African Queen” and not think you could be listening to something – anything – better than this. On the third track, May asks “Have Your Arms Been Missing Me?” I can’t answer that question, but I can say that my ears won’t be missing the auto-chord settings on Rhett’s old clunky keyboard. (self-released)
Tonight’s installment of “Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…” finds our man Elvis opening the proceedings with a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale.” One presumes that his guest for the evening, Lou Reed, was at least tolerant of the rendition, since it’s not as though ol’ laughing Lou has ever been afraid to speak his mind. (Plus, the two of them team up later in the episode for performances of “Perfect Day” and “Set the Twilight Reeling.”)
Maybe it’s just the interviews I’ve read, but most of the time, Reed tends to come off as not just prickly but downright grouchy; it’s therefore a testament either to Elvis’s ability as a moderator or Lou’s respect for him that the conversation between the two of them is actually rather illuminating. Mind you, there was no discussion about Lester Bangs (I’m sure Reed is tired of being asked about Bangs’ love/hate relationship with his work, but I’d still love to have heard Elvis pose a question about it), but be sure to catch the discussion of the R&B great who played on Reed’s very first record, the relationship between Reed and Doc Pomus, the hard and fast rule in the VU about not copping blues licks, the secret chord in “Sweet Jane” that everybody gets wrong, and how he thought he spent his youth convinced that he was utterly unemployable.
The most fascinating moment of the conversation, however, comes when filmmaker Julian Schnabel joins Costello and Reed onstage. At first, it sounds like Schnabel more or less just happened to be in the crowd, but we soon learn that Reed and Schnabel are longtime friends, and before long, the discussion leads into a moment that the two of them shared as a result of the death of Schnabel’s father. It’s a story that starts out rather disconcertingly, but as it progresses, it becomes a testament to the healing power of music.
Erin McCarley was born in Dallas and cultivated her music career in San Diego, but she now resides in Nashville, home of country music and great songwriters. And right now, she is fitting in as one of the top pop artists on Music City. McCarley was on the Ten out of Tenn compilation recently and her debut album, Love, Save The Empty, on Universal Republic, comes out in early 2009 (January 6 to be exact). Folks, you need to keep an eye on Miss McCarley, because not only does she know how to craft infectious pop, but she delivers it with a humble charm and with a compelling voice. Here are a couple of samples courtesy of the label:
Most fans of Adult Swim’s “Home Movies” series are probably still angry and bitter over creator Brendon Small’s decision to make his next project about a death metal band, but while the animated adventures of young Brendon, Jason, and Melissa regularly skewered the world of Hollywood, so does “Metalocalypse” poke fun at the music industry. The series focuses on Dethklok, a death metal band so popular that, indeed, by the second season of the series (:::coughing::: now out on DVD :::coughing:::), they rank as the seventh largest economy on the planet Earth; as a result, they answer to no authority but their own, lest the world’s financial solidity fall apart. If you can get past the music and the rampant violence, it’s actually an extremely funny and clever series.
Here’s the test: if you can get through the video for Dethklok’s song, “Mermaider,” and not feel repulsed in any way, then you should give “Metalocalypse” a chance…possibly starting with the Season 1 DVD set.
Be forewarned, however, that it’s very much for mature audiences only.
