Tag: Headlines (Page 55 of 76)

What do Beck and his friends do when they have 12 hours to kill?

March 25, 2010 /

Cover INXS albums, apparently.

Here is the formal explanation of Beck’s Record Club:

Record Club is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. The album chosen to be reinterpreted is used as a framework. Nothing is rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. The songs are rough renditions, often first takes that document what happened over the course of a day as opposed to a polished rendering. There is no intention to ‘add to’ the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens.

Past coverees have included the Velvet Underground and Nico, Skip Pence and Leonard Cohen. This time around, it’s INXS’s Kick. Check out Beck with members of Liars, St. Vincent, and Os Mutantes covering “Guns in the Sky.” Check back here for more updates, which will be released in the same sequence as the album.

Record Club: INXS “Guns In The Sky” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Alternative, Artists, Pop, Rock, Songs, Videos

Goldfrapp: Head First

March 25, 2010 /


RIYL: Olivia Newton-John, ABBA, Giorgio Moroder

Based purely on the duo’s reputation, you might think a new Goldfrapp album would be filled with the kind of trendsetting, cutting-edge synthpop that led Christina Aguilera to hire them as collaborators, but with Head First, Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp don’t have the future on their minds; instead, they’ve hairsprayed Goldfrapp’s breathy vocals to a pillowy cloud of New Wave synths and turned the clock back to 1981. Close your eyes, and the resemblance to Olivia Newton-John is uncanny – the title track, in particular, sounds like a lost ON-J hit from decades ago. It’s kind of fitting that this album is coming out the same week as John Cusack’s “Hot Tub Time Machine.”

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In the wrong hands, this would be empty-calorie cheese, but Head First doesn’t sound like a cheeky exercise in retro irony – it really sounds like it came from the era it’s imitating, and although it’s true that the era in question was responsible for plenty of cruddy synth disco, this is no guilty pleasure, nor does it fall prey to the genre’s many campy pitfalls. If you’ve ever wanted to lace up your roller skates and pretend “Can’t Stop the Music” never happened, Head First might very well be your new “Xanadu.”

Of course, there really was a “Can’t Stop the Music,” and in the long run, Goldfrapp can’t pretend the last 25 years never happened any more than you can, which ultimately makes Head First little more than a really well-crafted stylistic detour – and, as a result, something of an artistic dead end. But so what? Dig your leg warmers out of storage and enjoy one of the sweetest bursts of pure pop pleasure you’re likely to hear all year. The artists that fell along this particular axis of ‘80s synth pop had their drawbacks, but their near-total lack of cynicism or irony was one of their biggest charms, and Goldfrapp has recaptured that spirit perfectly here. Do yourself a favor and follow their lead. (Mute 2010)

Goldfrapp MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Dance, Pop

Jen Gloeckner: Mouth of Mars

March 24, 2010 /


RIYL: Polly Scattergood, Amanda Palmer, Tori Amos

Jen Gloeckner is…odd. That’s the best way to put it. I’m not good enough a writer to come up with a better word to describe her dark combination of dreamy surrealism and Gothic themes that traverse the genres of Americana, rock and electronic music via liberal use of cello, electric violins and what sounds like a wind chime on at lest one track. Some might call her quirky, but quirky implies a sense of goofiness and a lighthearted tone. And while there is some innocent fun to be had here, such on the 50-second interlude “Let’s Get Honest,” most of Mouth of Mars is either deliberately dark or just downright weird. “Burn Me” seems to be an indictment of a former lover but instead of taking an angry tone, it’s a darkly somber one due to a creaky cello and some haunting vocal effects that turn Jen’s already ethereal voice into that of a ghost. It’s followed up with “Die,” a much more obvious attack on a former flame, where she repeatedly proclaims that “I’m not gonna lie / One of us will have to die” over electric violins and a catchy dance beat. Gloeckner is no doubt amazingly talented and with her second album she’s already found her unique voice and style. It probably won’t appeal to most, but those who dig this will more than likely fall head over heels in love with it. (Spinning Hand Records 2010)

Jen Gloeckner MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Concert review: They Might Be Giants, Capitol Theatre, Columbus OH 3/14/10: “We Want Cake! Where’s Our Cake?”

March 22, 2010 /

If you’re looking for Brooklyn’s Finest, avoid the multiplex this weekend; you’ll find them in concert in the form of infectiously catchy geek rockers They Might Be Giants. Supporting their latest kid-oriented, parent-friendly CD/DVD release Here Comes Science, TMBG stopped in Columbus recently and pulled out all the stops.

Frontmen John Linnell and John Flansburgh led a set that drew heavily from Science and its Grammy-winning predecessor, Here Come the 123s, making sure to include tracks that gave their bandmates a moment in the spotlight. Fans were encouraged to cheer for bassist Danny Wienkauf as he sang lead on “I Am a Paleontologist” because “he’s having a birthday this year,” and to welcome percussionist and “High Five” lead singer Marty Beller “straight from the dance halls of New York” – though, regrettably, the stage setup seemed to dissuade fans from actually high-fiving Marty during the song; he had to settle for air-fives. Horn master Curt Ramm was touted as “the hardest-working member of the band,” and he proved it, knocking out a stellar version of “Seven Days of the Week” on trumpet and following up later with tuba, more trumpet, and of course the irresistible horn intro added to “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).”

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But the music, while solid, was only the bare cake. This being a family show, TMBG knew they needed plenty of frosting for the kids. Upon entering the show, every child attendee was given a giant foam finger emblazoned with the band’s name – which came in handy for pre-show tickling and sword fights. Early tracks such as “Kids Go!” encouraged the little ones to get up out of their seats, “move like a monkey” and “move like a jumping bean.” During “Particle Man,” Linnell exhorted his young fans to “keep clapping: It’s the only thing that keeps our spirits up when the chord changes to C Minor.” Ironically, the one missed opportunity with regard to audience participation was the criminal omission of fan favorite “Seven,” with its “We want cake! Where’s our cake?” lyrics just born to be screamed by a theater full of children.

Despite that shortcoming, the band delivered ample visual frosting as well: Beller’s drum kit was accessorized with a toy pigeon, and, in a joke that everyone past the first several rows likely missed, Linnell’s accordion was labeled his “Main Squeeze.” Halfway through the show, Linnell and Flansbaugh disappeared, replaced by a puppet duo dubbed “The Avatars of Men” who shared uncanny vocal similarities with John and John. In a nod to Spinal Tap the parents surely appreciated, the Avatars thanked TMBG for serving as their opening act, and then launched into a goofy, disco-ball-accented version of “Shooting Star.”

And what good is a children’s cake without sprinkles on it? As if the live experience of nearly all their favorite TMBG songs weren’t enough, the audience was showered in colorful confetti at the beginning, middle and end of the show. Kids young and old leapt out of their seats to catch the bright, fluttering sprinkles. Boys stuffed handfuls of confetti into the openings in their foam fingers to hoard for later; a little girl shared some with the three-year-old sitting behind her, who happened to be my son. His eyes gleaming, hands filled with confetti, he beamed at me after the show and said, “We saw Giants!”

We saw Giants, indeed.

Alternative, Artists, Concerts, Pop

SXSW Music 2010, Day 4: Neither Wind Nor Rain…

March 22, 2010 /

The weather took a decided turn for the worse in the middle of the night when a big rainstorm hit town. Festival-goers were spared precipitation on Saturday, but the temperature dropped into the 50s and it was cold and windy throughout the day. It felt more like a late-autumn afternoon in the Midwest than Spring Equinox in Austin, but the chilly conditions would not stop SXSW music fans from getting their fill on the final day of the conference/festival.

The big highlight of Saturday afternoon was Rachel Ray’s day party at Stubbs BBQ, which required a special invite. The general RSVP line was going nowhere, but thank goodness a friend had an extra pass. Free margaritas and bloody Marys were served along with chicken quesadillas and meatball sandwiches. Jakob Dylan and Three Legs (featuring the dazzling Neko Case) played a strong set that had a sound not unlike some of the recent work of Jakob’s dad – slow-burning blues and Americana sprinkled with the Tex-Mex flavor. Case’s backing vocals added an extra element to raise the songs higher for what sounds like some of the younger Dylan’s best work.

Street Sweeper Social Club stole the show though with an incendiary set that provided a needed infusion of heat to the chilly conditions. Tom Morello, Boots Riley and company rocked a heavy sound with a definite Rage kind of vibe that had people bouncing. This was one of the best sets of the week.

She & Him closed out the party with a strong set of their own. Zooey Deschanel sounded great, especially with the Chapin Sisters appearing as guest to harmonize with her. M.Ward led the able band, which even rocked out a deep jam at the end.

Getting indoors became the next imperative and there was a large crowd inside Lovejoys, one of Austin’s best dive bars. They had music too, of course, with Middle Distance Runner rocking a heavy sound. The guitarist even pulled one of Tom Morello’s slide guitar tricks. Caitlin Krisko & the Broadcast followed with a bluesier sound, with the charismatic blonde frontwoman belting out some powerful tunes, while a conga player helped provided polyrthythms.

After a break to eat some dinner and catch some March Madness (how about those Northern Iowa Panthers), it was over to Spill on 6th Street where Antennas Up were showcasing at 8 pm. The Kansas City band has a funky sound accented by some trippy synth samples. They’re clearly into the space vibe with astronaut helmets that were donned during one tune, and Space Invaders stickers on the drum kit.

The highlight of the early evening was the redemptive 9:00 set from the Watson Twins at the Central Presbyterian Church on 8th Street. The venue is an actual church with amazing acoustics. Combining this with an evening headliner slot had a dramatic effect on the Twins, with this set highlighting their dynamic sound in a way that their Friday day party set could not. They still didn’t play anything off their first album, but the new tunes sparkled in a new light in this setting.

The 10:00 hour fell flat for a variety of reasons, but Dengue Fever stepped up with an 11:00 set at Emo’s main to get things rocking again. Cambodian vocalist Chom Nimol started off the set wearing a hoodie and skullcap, but she and the band quickly heated things up with their groovy sound, causing Nimol to strip off layers until she was just wearing a pretty blue dress.

Then it was over to La Zona Rosa on West 4th Street for a great SXSW finale with Pretty Lights, who blew up the joint with their funky beats and trippy sounds. The Colorado duo’s spectacular light show provided a dazzling accompaniment to the dance party which went right up until 2 am.

Much more on the past four days coming in my wrap-up report within the next 24 hours…

Concerts, South by Southwest

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