I'm not one of those people that can't stand to be around smarter people. I actually love being the dumbest one in the room. It means that I can spend my time focusing on stuffing my face with day-glo CheezeBalls, and nodding along to the scintillating conversation pretending not to be getting secretly very drunk, with no expectation that I will ever have any valuable contribution anyway. Especially if that discussion is about politics, religion, automobiles, or science of any kind. Bachelorette's songs kind of give me that same feeling, only wrapped in really pretty music. I can just sit back while Annabel and her IBM (the two studio members of Bachelorette...and yes, that's IBM as in the computer) tell me all kinds of stuff about astronomy, robotics, and computer interfacing, and enjoy the fact that she can make appealing music about these kinds of things while I ponder the rice in my burrito, or watch my cat lick his butt.
In all seriousness, though, Bachelorette does make gorgeous music. The cerebral lyrics and warm and wispy vocals lay over a humming drone and popping plastic beats, with layered ah-ha-ah, ah-ha-ha backing vocals that would make the late Mary Hansen of Stereolab (RIP) smile down upon it happily. Who knew that a girl could have a love affair with a computer and then convince that computer to make dinner party music? I'm pretty impressed by this, because I can't even seem to get my computer to send a convincing email.
This post is timely, because Bachelorette will be making a rare trip over from New Zealand to do a sweeping tour of the US over the next couple of months. In LA, she'll be at The Smell on June 1st, then back again to play the Troubadour July 1st supporting Bill Callahan.
http://www.myspace.com/bachelorettepop
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
5/27 - Ghostcat
"Put your hands up, put your hands up, put your motherfuckin' hands up!" So Ghostcat commands us in the chorus of their upcoming single "This is a Bust," and it's as catchy as poison ivy, and bouncy as a Mexican jumping bean, with nothing but the profanity keeping it from likely iPod commercial candidacy. Ghostcat's another one of those bands in the long line of cute, charismatic females backed by dudes no one will ever approach with sentences starting with "Hey aren't you...?" unless the end of the sentence is "...Jim's cousin?" or "...the guy from my video store?" But don't let it sway you, because of course there are a lot of great bands that follow that pattern - Blondie (apologies to Chris Stein, et al). Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The Culture Club... Whatever.
To my ears, I'd say that Ghostcat seems most likely poised to be the next in line for the hopping-up-and-down dance floor quality hit of, let's say, "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings. "This is a Bust" has a lot in common with that tune - a chant worthy chorus, chunky and stiffly halting guitar accompaniment, and a thumping drum track. It's not cerebral dance music, or art-anything, but it's exactly the kind of music that gets a Summer fiesta off the lawnchairs and dancing around the pool, so I approve heartily.
Follow-up songs "Everybody on the Dancefloor" and "Just a Little Bit" are equally commanding. The former orders you all to get your asses, well, on the dancefloor. The latter demands that after you're done dancing you need to meet singer Ali Cat (not her Christian name, I'm willing to bet) in the bathroom for a little sexy action. So demanding, yet so free spirited! Sounds like my kind of girl...as long as I don't have to call her Ali Cat.
Looks like "This is a Bust" will be available as a single sometime next month.
http://www.myspace.com/ghostcatmusic
To my ears, I'd say that Ghostcat seems most likely poised to be the next in line for the hopping-up-and-down dance floor quality hit of, let's say, "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings. "This is a Bust" has a lot in common with that tune - a chant worthy chorus, chunky and stiffly halting guitar accompaniment, and a thumping drum track. It's not cerebral dance music, or art-anything, but it's exactly the kind of music that gets a Summer fiesta off the lawnchairs and dancing around the pool, so I approve heartily.
Follow-up songs "Everybody on the Dancefloor" and "Just a Little Bit" are equally commanding. The former orders you all to get your asses, well, on the dancefloor. The latter demands that after you're done dancing you need to meet singer Ali Cat (not her Christian name, I'm willing to bet) in the bathroom for a little sexy action. So demanding, yet so free spirited! Sounds like my kind of girl...as long as I don't have to call her Ali Cat.
Looks like "This is a Bust" will be available as a single sometime next month.
http://www.myspace.com/ghostcatmusic
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
5/26 - Rainbow Arabia
Oh hell, why not? Let's start the week out with an "Arabia" double feature. This band of bedoins are a male/female duo named Danny and Tiffany Preston out of Echo Park (finally, a score here for the West Coast...take that Brooklyn!), and actually seem to take the Arabia moniker somewhat more literally than our friend Lawrence below. Last year, the duo released an EP called The Basta that introduced the world (or at least the LA Eastside hipsters and electronic music bloggers) to their convincingly unique combination of Middle Eastern beats, stuttering drums, prickly guitars and hypnotically unintelligible chanted lyrics. All of which combines in a way that makes you want to break out the bidi cigarettes, and wonder how a girl named Tiffany ever became qualified to emit such an ethnic-sounding caterwaul. Ah, but it all sounds pretty sublime, actually. Turns out, as well, that the duo has something of a sense of levity as evidenced by their extremely indiosyndratic video for that EP's single, "Omar K." It's a little mindblowing, actually, and certainly something that defies description.
Rainbow Arabia have a new EP on the horizon this summer. If you are in Los Angeles, and the music is to your liking, they will be returning from a tour of Europe in time to play the Echoplex on June 28th.
http://www.myspace.com/rainbowarabia
Rainbow Arabia have a new EP on the horizon this summer. If you are in Los Angeles, and the music is to your liking, they will be returning from a tour of Europe in time to play the Echoplex on June 28th.
http://www.myspace.com/rainbowarabia
5/25 - Lawrence Arabia
If you know me, you know I love a good Brian Wilson-style harmony in my music as often as possible. Something about that male falsetto harmonization makes my skin feel all warm and sexy. Luckily for me, the trail blazed by Mr. Wilson is still being trod upon with regularity today, and my latest discovery along that path is a singer from New Zealand who goes by the moniker Lawrence Arabia.
"Lawrence" is actually James Milne, who was also frontman for the under-the-radar group The Reduction Agents, was involved with The Brunettes before they made any kind of splash as one of NZ's sweeter sounding exports of the past few years (no disrespect to the Flight of the Conchords boys, who are pretty sweet themselves), and played with the delightful Ruby Suns for a stint. I guess saying that you are a member of several of New Zealand's most well-received bands isn't too terribly difficult, as I'd suppose that the musician pool in this lightly populated land must be fairly limited until they can teach the sheep how to slap a bass. But nonetheless, Milne has also managed to expand his horizons from Kiwi country to tour with both Okkervil River and Feist. I'd say that it's fair to say that he's got a pretty solid musical pedigree, as well as some great taste in collaborators.
As Lawrence Arabia, Milne's sound focuses on a spare but lush arrangement of tongue-in-cheek vocals and those pretty Wilson harmonies. The music doesn't so much as drive itself home, as it meanders the scenic route to end up at the same sonic destination. Actually purchasing this music in the US is somewhat difficult and mostwhat pricey, but as usual, Myspace and YouTube provide. In the latter's case, Lawrence Arabia's sense of humor is prevalant in the latest video, which is fashioned to look like a political campaign for the "Lawrence Party" where Milne shakes hands to the lyrics, "We love each other, but we hate each other. We're afraid of each other, because we want to screw each other." Brilliant.
http://www.myspace.com/lawrencearabia
"Lawrence" is actually James Milne, who was also frontman for the under-the-radar group The Reduction Agents, was involved with The Brunettes before they made any kind of splash as one of NZ's sweeter sounding exports of the past few years (no disrespect to the Flight of the Conchords boys, who are pretty sweet themselves), and played with the delightful Ruby Suns for a stint. I guess saying that you are a member of several of New Zealand's most well-received bands isn't too terribly difficult, as I'd suppose that the musician pool in this lightly populated land must be fairly limited until they can teach the sheep how to slap a bass. But nonetheless, Milne has also managed to expand his horizons from Kiwi country to tour with both Okkervil River and Feist. I'd say that it's fair to say that he's got a pretty solid musical pedigree, as well as some great taste in collaborators.
As Lawrence Arabia, Milne's sound focuses on a spare but lush arrangement of tongue-in-cheek vocals and those pretty Wilson harmonies. The music doesn't so much as drive itself home, as it meanders the scenic route to end up at the same sonic destination. Actually purchasing this music in the US is somewhat difficult and mostwhat pricey, but as usual, Myspace and YouTube provide. In the latter's case, Lawrence Arabia's sense of humor is prevalant in the latest video, which is fashioned to look like a political campaign for the "Lawrence Party" where Milne shakes hands to the lyrics, "We love each other, but we hate each other. We're afraid of each other, because we want to screw each other." Brilliant.
http://www.myspace.com/lawrencearabia
Friday, May 22, 2009
5/22 - Little Boots
I'm not really hot on the heels of this one. I'd say Little Boots has already been out there generating a considerable amount of buzz in the world. She was a super hot ticket item at SXSW, and is currently blazing her way across Europe. All accounts state that her live show tops the recorded music - which I actually find really rare with singers of this kind of dance/electro, who more often tend to be standing in front of a couple of guys pressing a button every few minutes and singing what amounts to glorified karaoke. Thankfully, a Little Boots show is purported to be quite the party. Her debut EP, Aricebo is exclusive to iTunes and has two standout tracks "Stuck on Repeat" and "Meddle" that come off as a bit of a rougher-edged Goldfrapp, with swagger to spare. "Stuck on Repeat" starts with quite a lot of house loop noodling, but shapes up to be quite a disco symphony.
Though I find both of those songs appealing, I'm most excited about her forthcoming full length album, at least judging by the newly debuted single, "New in Town." "New in Town" improves on the formula laid down by "Meddle," has a rip-roaring sing-along-able chorus, and will probably be a big Summer hit. It comes complete, also, with a terrific video that sports what I've decided to refer to as "sexy homeless choreography" and dancing gangs straight out of West Side Story by way of Michael Jackson's "Bad."
Doesn't hurt that Little Boots herself is quite easy on the eyes as well.
http://www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic
Though I find both of those songs appealing, I'm most excited about her forthcoming full length album, at least judging by the newly debuted single, "New in Town." "New in Town" improves on the formula laid down by "Meddle," has a rip-roaring sing-along-able chorus, and will probably be a big Summer hit. It comes complete, also, with a terrific video that sports what I've decided to refer to as "sexy homeless choreography" and dancing gangs straight out of West Side Story by way of Michael Jackson's "Bad."
Doesn't hurt that Little Boots herself is quite easy on the eyes as well.
http://www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic
5/21 - Mickey Lee Lane
I suppose I owe my debt to the Detroit Cobras circa 2001 for introducing me obliquely to Mickey Lee Lane, though I didn't know it at the time. On their Life, Love and Leaving album (their best, if you ask me), they open with a floorshaker called "Hey Sailor" on the track list, which was a fast favorite of mine. I listened and actually still listen the shit out of that CD, and marvel at whoever in the band has the taste to pick such gems out of the vaults of rock and roll, girl groups, and '60s soul to cover. When I found that "Hey Sailor" is a cover of Mickey Lee Lane's "Hey Sah Lo Ney," I looked the fella up and found a picture of a hepcat looking dude that resembled a bit of a blonde Phil Spector blended with a space alien version of Roy Orbison, sunglasses and all.
Lane worked in the Brill Building as a teenager as an engineer and sometime songwriter, and floated around the late '50s, early '60s New York music scene always somewhat on the fringe of success and recognition. Many of the songs he cut for himself were shelved and only appeared somewhat recently remastered by Mickey and his brother on a compilation CD, but the few sides he cut for Swan records are almost all frantic, danceable soul-a-billy gems. I've noticed a glut of copies of "Shaggy Dog" on eBay lately, and managed to pick up a couple for only a buck or two each. Anytime I put the needle to that song, whoever is in the room wants to know "what the hell is this?" I'm going to assume that they are asking that in a good way, but you can decide for yourself...
Lane worked in the Brill Building as a teenager as an engineer and sometime songwriter, and floated around the late '50s, early '60s New York music scene always somewhat on the fringe of success and recognition. Many of the songs he cut for himself were shelved and only appeared somewhat recently remastered by Mickey and his brother on a compilation CD, but the few sides he cut for Swan records are almost all frantic, danceable soul-a-billy gems. I've noticed a glut of copies of "Shaggy Dog" on eBay lately, and managed to pick up a couple for only a buck or two each. Anytime I put the needle to that song, whoever is in the room wants to know "what the hell is this?" I'm going to assume that they are asking that in a good way, but you can decide for yourself...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
5/19 - The Soundcarriers
With all the electronic music making a thumping comeback, it's nice occasionally to sit back and listen to something with it's feet firmly planted in chunky, shimmering analog bliss. The Soundcarriers are happy to provide. The quartet, from Nottingham, seem to draw equal influences from the spooky psych-sounding minor and major7 chord orchestrations of the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack, the jazz-like improv of Krautrock giants CAN, and late '60's European baroque pop acts like the Free Design or the Incredible String Band. Taken together in their debut single, "I Had a Girl," all these influences class them in a modern context with some of Stereolab's earlier more ruminitive efforts, and even moreso with the likes of the sublime Broadcast.
It's almost easier imagining this music in the long lost soundtrack to a 1960s British coming-of-age film, than it is conceiving of it being released this month. But there's no dust on this one, it does in fact become available for the first time on May 25th.
http://www.myspace.com/thesoundcarriers
It's almost easier imagining this music in the long lost soundtrack to a 1960s British coming-of-age film, than it is conceiving of it being released this month. But there's no dust on this one, it does in fact become available for the first time on May 25th.
http://www.myspace.com/thesoundcarriers
5/18 - Fever Ray
I'm not going to waste much time rhapsodizing about all the ways in which I think that Fever Ray is amazing, or how I think that it's some of the most original music I've heard in a long while. Suffice with these facts:
1. Fever Ray is a solo project by Karen Dreijer-Andersson who is one half of the strange, experimental and wonderful Swedish band, The Knife.
2. Fever Ray is spare, dark, moody, scary and beautiful.
3. Fever Ray makes some really kick ass videos.
http://www.myspace.com/feverray
1. Fever Ray is a solo project by Karen Dreijer-Andersson who is one half of the strange, experimental and wonderful Swedish band, The Knife.
2. Fever Ray is spare, dark, moody, scary and beautiful.
3. Fever Ray makes some really kick ass videos.
http://www.myspace.com/feverray
Friday, May 15, 2009
5/14 - Juliette and the New Romantiques
For a while, those slides that you see before you see a movie in the theater included these bits about entertainers who had two jobs. Something like Queen Latifah who was a rapper! AND an actress! Or Rebecca Romijn who is a model! AND an actress! I always thought, "big fucking deal. I wanna see someone who is an actress AND a physicist, or an actor AND a garbageman." Or something equal to that. Because more often than not, even when someone acts and models, or acts and sings, it's pretty groan-worthy anyway. But, whatever, this isn't news. Actors want to sing, and singers want to act, and for the most part, it would be really great if they'd just stick to their day job and not torture us (I'm looking at you Lindsay Lohan). So, when Juliette Lewis formed The Licks all those years ago, I pretty much thought what most people might - Oh, Jesus, why?
Surprisingly, they actually rocked. I wouldn't say that I loved everything they did, but at the same time, it was MUCH better than it should have been. She seemed to fall into a narrow category of actors who were also legitimately singers. She wasn't so much acting like a rock singer, but she really believed and thus she was. And, reluctantly, I felt myself beginning a conversion.
Last summer, I fell into working on a movie with her and teaching her how to rollerskate. After getting to know her fairly well, I realized that whatever she's doing on stage really is very much who she is, so when she scrapped The Licks this year (which may or may not have occurred amidst some rumored drama), and formed Juliette and the New Romantiques, I was interested.
I saw a couple of shows that they did, and while the music itself is definitely good, and probably a cut above what The Licks were doing, the live show was absolutely off the charts. Her voice has honed itself to an almost Janis Joplin-like bluesy rasp, and she works the crowd like Tina Turner. At one show, she thanked the audience for coming out: "especially you - boy in the bra, and you - my lesbians in the front, and you - tall guy, and you - guy with the crooked teeth, never fix those, they are sexy!" I completed my conversion. I thought they were great.
An album is forthcoming, but until then, you can hear some songs here:
http://www.myspace.com/juliettelewis
Surprisingly, they actually rocked. I wouldn't say that I loved everything they did, but at the same time, it was MUCH better than it should have been. She seemed to fall into a narrow category of actors who were also legitimately singers. She wasn't so much acting like a rock singer, but she really believed and thus she was. And, reluctantly, I felt myself beginning a conversion.
Last summer, I fell into working on a movie with her and teaching her how to rollerskate. After getting to know her fairly well, I realized that whatever she's doing on stage really is very much who she is, so when she scrapped The Licks this year (which may or may not have occurred amidst some rumored drama), and formed Juliette and the New Romantiques, I was interested.
I saw a couple of shows that they did, and while the music itself is definitely good, and probably a cut above what The Licks were doing, the live show was absolutely off the charts. Her voice has honed itself to an almost Janis Joplin-like bluesy rasp, and she works the crowd like Tina Turner. At one show, she thanked the audience for coming out: "especially you - boy in the bra, and you - my lesbians in the front, and you - tall guy, and you - guy with the crooked teeth, never fix those, they are sexy!" I completed my conversion. I thought they were great.
An album is forthcoming, but until then, you can hear some songs here:
http://www.myspace.com/juliettelewis
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
5/13 - Bell Gardens
Kenneth James Gibson loves the sound of sunshine and Southern California. If I had to write one sentence about him that didn't contain the word "genius" at least once, that's the one. If I had to go way back on this one, I'd have to talk about being 19 years old, coming back to Austin after a dreadful and stoned summer away in Dallas, and finding that in the amount of time I'd been gone, my best friend Cathy had met this guy Ken, and suddenly Cathy, lo and behold, was playing bass in a band. Well this was all pretty dubious sounding to me until she played me this demo they'd made called "Still California." It was noisy, loopy, spacey, and dirty, but it was also a pretty good dreamy approximation of what was going through my head at that time - which was a burning desire to leave Texas and move to Los Angeles as soon as humanly possible. And I loved it.
Ken liked Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He liked My Bloody Valentine. He loved the Beach Boys. And believe it or not, it wasn't too cool to love the Beach Boys back then. He also could make the most incredible racket with a guitar that I'd ever heard. And I'm sure he still likes all those things.
That demo made it to a 7" by their band, The Little Furry Things (later to become simply Furry Things), and later was a key track on their first album, "The Big Saturday Illusion." They were a great young band - a bunch of kids learning how to be great at what they did in front of really receptive audiences. Killing us with monstrously intentional feedback, loops of earsplitting sonic fire, and tightening it up as they went along until they found a thumping, blissful, spacey dub infused funk that blew their fellow Texan spacerockers out of the water by the time their next EP was released. It was a great band, getting better all the time, until about 1998ish. Everyone moved to Los Angeles. Ironically, California killed the band that California inspired.
Chris Michaels - 2nd guitarist, harmonies, organs/keyboard - peeled off the scene to return to the South where he found a home playing with Sparklehorse. Cathy Shive went back to school and became, incongruously, a computer programming superstar in New York. Only drummer Charlie Woodburn and Ken stayed behind to tackle LA.
Just prior to Furry Things' inception in Austin, another band was making music there that might as well have been the yin to Furry Things' yang. While Furry Things kicked up a heartswelling, moody racket, Stars of the Lid were creeping in your ears with minimalist pocket symphanies of warm chords and sad refrains. Stars of the Lid's Brian McBride and Ken are both perfectionists in their own way, and friends as well. Hearing the chorale-quality swell of Brian's music, mixed with Ken's ear for harmony and sundrenched melody only seems like a strange fit until you describe it like that. And definitely never seems a strange fit again after you hear how nice it comes together.
California is still being very good to Ken Gibson, and very good to those who love his music. Brian and Ken's new collaboration is called Bell Gardens, and they're wonderful. Unfortunately, they are also taking their sweet time to come out with a proper album of songs. But, snippets at least can be heard currently on their myspace. And of all the things these guys have done so far, I like this one the best.
http://www.myspace.com/bellgardensmusic
Also check out Furry Things, Stars of the Lid, and some of Ken Gibson's electronic and dub projects:
http://www.myspace.com/kennethjamesgibson
http://www.myspace.com/furrythings4
http://www.myspace.com/starsofthelid
Ken liked Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He liked My Bloody Valentine. He loved the Beach Boys. And believe it or not, it wasn't too cool to love the Beach Boys back then. He also could make the most incredible racket with a guitar that I'd ever heard. And I'm sure he still likes all those things.
That demo made it to a 7" by their band, The Little Furry Things (later to become simply Furry Things), and later was a key track on their first album, "The Big Saturday Illusion." They were a great young band - a bunch of kids learning how to be great at what they did in front of really receptive audiences. Killing us with monstrously intentional feedback, loops of earsplitting sonic fire, and tightening it up as they went along until they found a thumping, blissful, spacey dub infused funk that blew their fellow Texan spacerockers out of the water by the time their next EP was released. It was a great band, getting better all the time, until about 1998ish. Everyone moved to Los Angeles. Ironically, California killed the band that California inspired.
Chris Michaels - 2nd guitarist, harmonies, organs/keyboard - peeled off the scene to return to the South where he found a home playing with Sparklehorse. Cathy Shive went back to school and became, incongruously, a computer programming superstar in New York. Only drummer Charlie Woodburn and Ken stayed behind to tackle LA.
Just prior to Furry Things' inception in Austin, another band was making music there that might as well have been the yin to Furry Things' yang. While Furry Things kicked up a heartswelling, moody racket, Stars of the Lid were creeping in your ears with minimalist pocket symphanies of warm chords and sad refrains. Stars of the Lid's Brian McBride and Ken are both perfectionists in their own way, and friends as well. Hearing the chorale-quality swell of Brian's music, mixed with Ken's ear for harmony and sundrenched melody only seems like a strange fit until you describe it like that. And definitely never seems a strange fit again after you hear how nice it comes together.
California is still being very good to Ken Gibson, and very good to those who love his music. Brian and Ken's new collaboration is called Bell Gardens, and they're wonderful. Unfortunately, they are also taking their sweet time to come out with a proper album of songs. But, snippets at least can be heard currently on their myspace. And of all the things these guys have done so far, I like this one the best.
http://www.myspace.com/bellgardensmusic
Also check out Furry Things, Stars of the Lid, and some of Ken Gibson's electronic and dub projects:
http://www.myspace.com/kennethjamesgibson
http://www.myspace.com/furrythings4
http://www.myspace.com/starsofthelid
Friday, May 8, 2009
5/8 - Gino Washington
I suppose this week is a lot less about brand new music for me, because I've been revisiting some of my 60s soul collection and enjoying the hell out of it. Not too long ago, I bought this Gino Washington CD off of my friend Mr. Tim Murphy (prounounced like Timurphy - one word, like Prince, and other super important people who don't need two names), who is pretty much my guru for all things Soul and R&B, and frankly, Garage Rock as well. He assured me I would love Gino Washington, and indeed I do.
Gino served his musical time in the burgeoning R&B scene in Detroit in the early '60s - around the same time Motown was making its indelible mark in the world of popular music. Unlike the Motown acts, however, Gino represented a little bit more of a raw, untamed brand of dance music - with the stage moves of James Brown and a rough-hewn Jackie Wilson delivery. He was just 13 when he wrote his hit "Out of this World" and I'd go so far as to say that it's one of the finest teen-written songs I've ever heard. It holds up mightily alongside bigger hits of the day. Gino was purportedly inspired by Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley and Johnny Mathis, and each of those inspirations shows in the music. He's frantic, yet smooth - alternately brash, and subtle. Equally adept at floorshakers and clutch-and-hug crooners.
Just for the record - this is not the same as Geno Washington who recorded some light weight soul sides in England in the later 6os as Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band. As a result of Geno-with-an-E, Gino-with-an-I never made it over to England to play due to the confusion of the monikers. When he finally heard Geno Washington's stuff, his response was a very indignant, "I NEVER RECORDED NONE OF THIS CRAP!" He said, "I herd this guy's records and got physically sick! he better hope he never meets me. I told a promoter in England to book a duel." You gotta love the man's fire, and I'll guarantee that every spark of it burns in his music.
Gino served his musical time in the burgeoning R&B scene in Detroit in the early '60s - around the same time Motown was making its indelible mark in the world of popular music. Unlike the Motown acts, however, Gino represented a little bit more of a raw, untamed brand of dance music - with the stage moves of James Brown and a rough-hewn Jackie Wilson delivery. He was just 13 when he wrote his hit "Out of this World" and I'd go so far as to say that it's one of the finest teen-written songs I've ever heard. It holds up mightily alongside bigger hits of the day. Gino was purportedly inspired by Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley and Johnny Mathis, and each of those inspirations shows in the music. He's frantic, yet smooth - alternately brash, and subtle. Equally adept at floorshakers and clutch-and-hug crooners.
Just for the record - this is not the same as Geno Washington who recorded some light weight soul sides in England in the later 6os as Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band. As a result of Geno-with-an-E, Gino-with-an-I never made it over to England to play due to the confusion of the monikers. When he finally heard Geno Washington's stuff, his response was a very indignant, "I NEVER RECORDED NONE OF THIS CRAP!" He said, "I herd this guy's records and got physically sick! he better hope he never meets me. I told a promoter in England to book a duel." You gotta love the man's fire, and I'll guarantee that every spark of it burns in his music.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
5/7 - The Rockafire Explosion
When I was a little girl, all of the best birthday parties were always held at Showbiz Pizza. There were games, there was pizza, there was beer for your parents, and there was the Rockafire Explosion. The Rockafire Explosion, to me, was pretty much the most rock and roll, totally awesome thing I'd ever seen. It was a band of animal robots. Some people might say that the Rockafore Explosion isn't a real band, but when I was 8 joining that band was one of my dreams in life. There was something completely awesome about watching a big fat gorilla rocking the piano, and a bipedal wolf ventriloquist trading barbs with a hayseed bear in striped pants. When other kids were pretending to be Cyndi Lauper, I shit you not, I was putting a collander on my head and sitting behind a mini piano with a home made Rockafire logo, and lipsyncing to one of the Rockafire 45s I won from skeeball tickets. It sounds crazy, and it's a little embarrassing, but it's true.
In the late 90's Showbiz was no more, and the Rockafire became a thing of the past to everyone but for a few lucky diehards who bought whole band set-ups and put them in their garages. But thanks to those guys, we get some really unbelievable YouTube brilliance.
I can describe it as much as I want, but it's nothing like seeing it, so here's a few clips. The first is a trailer for a great documentary I just saw tonight, actually. The second is a video of the band singing "Pop Lock and Drop It" which is pretty much one of the most mindblowing things I've ever seen. I only wish I could still go to my local pizza place, order a pie and a pitcher and see this stuff live again. It makes me smile.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
5/6/09 - The Do
From Finland via Paris, The Do (pronounced "doe" as in do-re-mi-fa-so-etc.), this duo has recently sprang onto the scene with a very infectuous single called "On My Shoulders," which has already be treated to a few obligatory remix efforts. In this case, the remixes never quite add to what is so wonderful and simple about the original. Singer Olivia Merilahti sounds like a pixie hitting puberty - one of the first raspy sopranos I've heard in a long time - with inflections a bit like Bjork, purposely tripping over her words.
The other available songs run the gamut. "Playground hustle" sounds like a gaggle of children rapping to synthetic sitars, toms, and pennywhistles. Then "Queen Dot Kong" sounds like Eminem by way of Nellie McKay. Honestly, nothing quite lives up to the stuttering brilliance of "On My Shoulders," but boring they are not.
Their myspace page reads like it was written by someone on a three day meth binge, so there's not really anything coherent to learn there, but I doubt they'll remain mysterious for long.
Find The Do on myspace here: www.myspace.com/thedoband
The other available songs run the gamut. "Playground hustle" sounds like a gaggle of children rapping to synthetic sitars, toms, and pennywhistles. Then "Queen Dot Kong" sounds like Eminem by way of Nellie McKay. Honestly, nothing quite lives up to the stuttering brilliance of "On My Shoulders," but boring they are not.
Their myspace page reads like it was written by someone on a three day meth binge, so there's not really anything coherent to learn there, but I doubt they'll remain mysterious for long.
Find The Do on myspace here: www.myspace.com/thedoband
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
5/5 - Miike Snow
Instead of keeping up with my Bombs of the Day, I decided to take advantage of the great weather and my friend's birthday and go drink a lot of wine up in Solvang and Los Olivos. I'd be lying through my grape-stained teeth if I said I knew a damn thing about wine going into it, other than the fact that I like it, and that if it comes in a box, a jug, or costs $2 you'd better hold on to you fucking head, because it's gonna want to run screaming from your body the next morning. After sampling no less than 100 different wines this weekend (miraculously sans screaming head and roiling stomach), I think it's safe to say that I've gone from knowing nothing to knowing exactly as much as I could absorb faster than the wine. That is to say, if I was told about anything past the 8th sample or so each day, you can bet that I wasn't really listening.
As per usual, I made a mix tape for the drive up the coast and through the mountains. I tried to pick some happy, upbeat, sunny songs that would complement an early day drive on a much-needed vacation, and I think that succeeded. My traveling companion, however, is more the turn-the-radio-down-to-inaudible-levels-while-we-talk than the oh-shit-I-love-this-song-let's-tunr-it-up-and-just-talk-louder type. So, given that there really isn't much time when one of us isn't talking, I didn't get to much of it until this morning while sitting in my much less conducive cubicle.
But I do remember one recent download that I put on there that caught my ear Saturday night on our way back from 40 sampled wines, an Italian feast, two beers, and a honkytonk bar, and that was Miike Snow's "Animal."
Miike Snow is a group, not a dude. It's made up of three guys - Pontus Winnberg and Christian Karlsson (also known as Bloodshy and Avant, who are responsible, oddly enough for Britney Spears' "Toxic") and Andrew Wyatt (the frontguy for Fires of Rome). I've found myself singing "Animal" to myself on my scooter off and on since I downloaded it last week, and as far semi-sparse, textured, and earnest electro-pop songs go, it's pretty epic. And if it's not quite epic enough for you, you can check out some pretty sweet remixes by Crookers and Treasure Fingers. It says a lot about the state of pop music today that something created by the creators of wildfire FM mainstream hits such as "Toxic" can also make music that fits right in with the Coachella/All Tomorrow's Parties set...without significantly changing the overall feel of the music! As alternative music goes more toward house, dance, and disco, oddly enough it starts to converge with the light oblivion of mainstream music, then vice versa, until there's not as much difference between the two as there used to be.
I used to listen to Saint Etienne back when I was in college in the 90s, and I remember wondering what it is that makes them destined to fail for general crossover appeal for American audiences. Eventually I landed on the notion that they just weren't ironic or deep (or pseudo-deep) enough for the U.S. At that time there was just no room for a band that just wanted to play unapologetically happy-sounding music that you could dance and sing along to. At that point, even Madonna was trying to take herself seriously for fuck's sake! But, it seems like what goes around comes around. Lord knows, you can't throw your neighbor's baby without hitting a bar or a party or a club still playing the same old tired 80s hits to get the drunks dancing. There's a good reason for this - there just hasn't been as big a collection of accessible, singable, danceable music since then. Maybe now is the time. Or maybe this music will prove to be as disposable as the early 90s rave output. But I do know this - it feels good. And if it feels good, do it.
Miike Snow has just recently (within the last week, I think) built a myspace page, and it's proved that "Animal" isn't just a one-off by any means. "Song for No One," "Silvia," and "Burial" all start out sounding like they could well be Saint Etienne covers themselves, but all built texture and momentum as they go along until you find yourself suddenly listening to quite a symphony of sound. As a bonus there's a remix they did of Vampire Weekend's "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" on there, which - if there are any yous out there to ask me - is a nice improvement on the original.
The full album hits iTunes and stores on June 9th. For now, check them out here:
http://www.myspace.com/miikesnow
Here's a video a YouTuber made for "Animal." All the other posts are the Crookers remix, which isn't as nice at the original, so this is the best I've got. And following is an audio track of Miike Snow's stellar Vampire Weekend Remix.
As per usual, I made a mix tape for the drive up the coast and through the mountains. I tried to pick some happy, upbeat, sunny songs that would complement an early day drive on a much-needed vacation, and I think that succeeded. My traveling companion, however, is more the turn-the-radio-down-to-inaudible-levels-while-we-talk than the oh-shit-I-love-this-song-let's-tunr-it-up-and-just-talk-louder type. So, given that there really isn't much time when one of us isn't talking, I didn't get to much of it until this morning while sitting in my much less conducive cubicle.
But I do remember one recent download that I put on there that caught my ear Saturday night on our way back from 40 sampled wines, an Italian feast, two beers, and a honkytonk bar, and that was Miike Snow's "Animal."
Miike Snow is a group, not a dude. It's made up of three guys - Pontus Winnberg and Christian Karlsson (also known as Bloodshy and Avant, who are responsible, oddly enough for Britney Spears' "Toxic") and Andrew Wyatt (the frontguy for Fires of Rome). I've found myself singing "Animal" to myself on my scooter off and on since I downloaded it last week, and as far semi-sparse, textured, and earnest electro-pop songs go, it's pretty epic. And if it's not quite epic enough for you, you can check out some pretty sweet remixes by Crookers and Treasure Fingers. It says a lot about the state of pop music today that something created by the creators of wildfire FM mainstream hits such as "Toxic" can also make music that fits right in with the Coachella/All Tomorrow's Parties set...without significantly changing the overall feel of the music! As alternative music goes more toward house, dance, and disco, oddly enough it starts to converge with the light oblivion of mainstream music, then vice versa, until there's not as much difference between the two as there used to be.
I used to listen to Saint Etienne back when I was in college in the 90s, and I remember wondering what it is that makes them destined to fail for general crossover appeal for American audiences. Eventually I landed on the notion that they just weren't ironic or deep (or pseudo-deep) enough for the U.S. At that time there was just no room for a band that just wanted to play unapologetically happy-sounding music that you could dance and sing along to. At that point, even Madonna was trying to take herself seriously for fuck's sake! But, it seems like what goes around comes around. Lord knows, you can't throw your neighbor's baby without hitting a bar or a party or a club still playing the same old tired 80s hits to get the drunks dancing. There's a good reason for this - there just hasn't been as big a collection of accessible, singable, danceable music since then. Maybe now is the time. Or maybe this music will prove to be as disposable as the early 90s rave output. But I do know this - it feels good. And if it feels good, do it.
Miike Snow has just recently (within the last week, I think) built a myspace page, and it's proved that "Animal" isn't just a one-off by any means. "Song for No One," "Silvia," and "Burial" all start out sounding like they could well be Saint Etienne covers themselves, but all built texture and momentum as they go along until you find yourself suddenly listening to quite a symphony of sound. As a bonus there's a remix they did of Vampire Weekend's "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" on there, which - if there are any yous out there to ask me - is a nice improvement on the original.
The full album hits iTunes and stores on June 9th. For now, check them out here:
http://www.myspace.com/miikesnow
Here's a video a YouTuber made for "Animal." All the other posts are the Crookers remix, which isn't as nice at the original, so this is the best I've got. And following is an audio track of Miike Snow's stellar Vampire Weekend Remix.
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