Category: Artists (Page 186 of 262)

Notes from the Orphanage, Part Deux

October 25, 2006 /

Like Herr Medsker, my history as a music critic can be tied directly back to one concept: getting free music. I went to a high school journalism conference in 1987, and one of the speakers assured his audience that if you sent a copy of your publication to a record label and told them that you wanted to review one of their albums, they’d send you a free copy. It’s still true today…except in our case, we send them a link to our site, and more often than not, we don’t have to request this stuff; it’s sent to us whether we have any interest in it or not. So here are a few rapid fire critiques of discs that I never really wanted in the first place, but, hey, they were free…

The 1900s, Plume Delivery (Parasol): These Chicago-based popsters are a little bit Belle and Sebastian, a little bit New Pornographers, and are influenced a hell of a lot by late ’60 pop and early ’70s bubblegum. This, their debut EP, is full of lots of pop goodness. Even the 7+ minutes of “Patron Saint of the Mediocre” are full enough of enough musical diversity to keep things interesting throughout.

Doleful Lions, Song Cyclops Volume Two (Parasol): This album was recorded in the home of Jonathan Scott – who is, for all practical purposes, the Doleful Lions – in 1999, and there’s never a moment when you aren’t completely aware that it’s a bedroom production. I admit it, the songs – originals sitting alongside covers of the Beach Boys, the Misfits, and the Close Lobsters, among others – are all catchy as hell…but, damn, never before have I wished that I was Phil Spector, just so I could clean this shit up!

Jonny Lives!, Get Steady (Eleven Seven): There are way too many punk-pop bands out there who sound approximately the same for me to be able to write anything other than approximately the same review. These guys warrant at least a few extra words, though, because frontman / songwriter Jonny Dubowski seems to be interested in having his band be more than being just the next Jimmy Eat World. They’re not Sugarcult, but they’re certainly better than average…and lord knows that most of their peers are terribly, terribly average.

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Alternative, Artists, Pop, Rock, Songs

Riki, please lose that number

October 25, 2006 /

First they skewered Owen Wilson in an open letter to his brother, Luke. Now the guys from Steely Dan (Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) have set their sites on Wes Anderson, writer/director of “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” Apparently, Steely Dan is a big fan of Anderson’s first film, “Bottle Rocket,” but they feel that his subsequent films have been progressively worse.

These follow-ups have all concerned themselves with the theme we like to call “the enervated family of origin”©, from which springs diverse subplots also largely concerned with the failure to fulfill early promise. Again, each film increasingly relies on eccentric visual detail, period wardrobe, idiosyncratic and overwrought set design, and music supervision that leans heavily on somewhat obscure 60’s “British Invasion” tracks a-jangle with twelve-string guitars, harpsichords and mandolins. The company of players, while excellent, retains pretty much the same tone and function from film to film. Indeed, you must be aware that your career as an auteur is mirrored in the lives of your beloved characters as they struggle in vain to duplicate early glories.

Steely Dan goes on to outline two strategies to “help” Anderson get back on track, providing lyrics to two separate songs that they’ve written for his next project. But before they agree to work with Anderson, there are a few conditions…

Same thing for the mandolins and the twelve-string stuff and the harpsichord, they’re out. You yourself may be partial to those particular instruments. We’re not. Remember, we saw “Tom Jones” in its original theatrical release when we were still in high school, we had to listen to “Walk Away Renee” all through college and we fucking opened for Roger McGuinn in the seventies, so all that “jingle-jangle morning” shit is no big thrill for us, OK?

I find these letters fascinating, not so much for their flowery words or content, but for the simple fact that these guys from Steely Dan actually think that anyone gives a fuck what they think about a movie.

The only explanation I can come up with is that somewhere in this universe, there is a tear in the space/time continuum, which leads to a parallel universe where the guys in Steely Dan are highly respected film critics. And somehow these letters got through…damn wi-fi.

Artists, External Music, Rock

Kurt pries the crown from the King’s cold, dead hand

October 24, 2006 /

Did you realize when you woke up this morning that it was in a whole new rock and roll era? Probably not. But we’re definitely in a new world, now that it’s been confirmed that Kurt Cobain has dethroned Elvis Presley as the top-earning dead rock star, having pulled in $50 million from October 2005 to October 2006.

Actually, I say “top-earning dead rock star,” but, in fact, he’s the top-earning dead celebrity, period; coming in second is Presley, followed by Charles Schulz (creator of “Peanuts”), John Lennon, and Albert Einstein. (Funnily enough, much of Albert’s bucks came courtesy of his name being attached to the “Baby Einstein” series.)

Either way, it’s clear that anyone who thought that Cobain’s popularity would dwindle within a few years of his suicide was, in a word, wrong.

Alternative, Artists, News, Pop, Rock

Notes from the Orphanage, Part I

October 18, 2006 /

When I graduated from college, the joke that was written about me by my staffmates at the Ohio University Post was that “I’ll follow my heart…and the free CD’s.” It’s funny, because it’s true. I definitely followed my heart, and then after landing some writing gigs, I was pleased as punch when the free CD’s started rolling in.

These days, they’re stacked in piles next to my laptop like an unfinished Jenga game.

Yeah, I know: nice problem to have, right? Sure, but still a problem just the same, since I invariably under-deliver to someone in terms of a timely review. This column looks to rectify that. And so, let us begin the first installment of Notes from the Orphanage.

Phil Aiken: It’s Always the Quiet Ones (TGRC)
If Billy Corgan did an album of piano-driven pop, it’d sound like this. Actually, that’s not exactly true; Corgan’s attempt probably wouldn’t be this good. Check out the title track. It has a spooky vibe to it, as in the Classics IV song “Spooky.” He even covers a Pete Shelley song (“What Do I Get?”) and recruits Tanya Donelly to sing backup on a song. Good stuff.

Dan Wallace: Neon and Gold (Torito Bravo)
This Chicago native wisely leads with the album’s best song, the Kinks-style ditty “Fell.” From there things take a much different path, more into Rufus Wainwright territory pre-Want One. He’s clearly picked some good role models in Wainwright, Ray Davies and the Divine Comedy (“The Lizard and the Cat” is soooo Neil Hannon), but he doesn’t quite rise above his influences. Not this time, anyway.

Max Sedgley: From the Roots to the Shoots (Sunday Best)
A little Daft Punk, a little Chic. The album sports block rocking beats by the pound, but the opening track, “Happy,” clearly does not know when it has worn out its welcome. When this disc hits a groove, like they do on “Celebrity,” the disc is quite fun. A little editing, though, would have gone a long way.

Skye: Mind How You Go (Cordless)
You know, I was wondering what Patrick Leonard had been up to. The man who helmed Madonna’s best records from the ‘80s is behind the boards for his London siren. Dido crossed with Morcheeba is how I’d pitch this if I were in Hollywood. It also brings to mind Tasmin Archer, who had one fabulous hit in 1993 with a song called “Sleeping Satellite.” Man, that was a great song.

Here’s that lost song, for anyone who doesn’t remember it. Think Seal, as a girl.

I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness: Fear Is on Our Side (Secretly Canadian)
Best band name since Eagles of Death Metal, and Ministry’s Paul Barker is behind the boards. But this is no thrash-fest. Hypnotic grooves circa late-period Talk Talk, and darkly danceable rock like the Sisters of Mercy or maybe New Order. If I gave this record more time, they might become my new favorite band.

Golem: Fresh off Boat (JDub)
Jewish gypsy punks. There, I said it.

Bedtime Beats: The Secret to Sleep (Rhino)
How about this for a challenging assignment: when do you listen to a disc like Bedtime Beats, something that’s specifically designed to knock you out? As you’re going to bed? Then you won’t hear the whole thing. While you’re working? Then you’ll fall asleep at your desk. I’m definitely not listening to this in the car; the disc even has a warning instructing me not to. So I put this off for weeks, but here goes nothing…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

Wow. This thing really works. Get this for the insomniac in your life, stat.

Artists, Pop, Rock, Songs

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