A lot of people seem to revere MUSE in much the same way that I worship, prostrate myself, and just generally kiss-ass at the altar of RADIOHEAD. And, of course, the two bands are often spoken of in the same bated breath. A shared flair for melodrama... two falsetto-prone crooners... blah blah blah.
Listening through Muse's back-catalogue in recent days, though, I found the songs below to be the only ones even remotely time-capsule-caliber. Rumor has it that they put on one hell of a live show, but unless their tour bus should happen to break down in front of my house -- and unless they should happen to mount an impromptu performance in my driveway -- that doesn't do a hell of a lot for me. So, drawing solely from their studio work....MUSE on MySPACE.
MUSE making Europe their playground >>>
Oct 4 2007 8:00P/Terra Vibe/Athens
Oct 6 2007 8:00P/Arc de Triumf/Bucharest
Oct 7 2007 8:00P/Belgrade Arena/Belgrade, Serbia
Oct 9 2007 8:00P/Dom Sportova/Zagreb
Oct 10 2007 8:00P/Budapest Arena/Budapest
Oct 13 2007 8:00P/Kiev Sports Hall/Kiev
Oct 15 2007 8:00P/Ds Luzkiki/Moscow
Oct 17 2007 8:00P/Old Ice Hall/Helsinki
Oct 19 2007 8:00P/New Arena/St. Petersburg
Oct 21 2007 8:00P/Arenan/Stockholm
From the LP SHOWBIZ, 1999 >>>
[MP3] "Muscle Museum"
[MP3] "Sunburn"
From the LP ORIGIN OF SYMMETRY, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "Plug In Baby"
From the LP ABSOLUTION, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Time is Running Out"
[MP3] "Sing for Absolution"
From the LP BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Starlight"
[MP3] "Exo-Politics"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] "In Your World"
THE CORAL. They be Brits. Prolific. Whippersnappers. Not to be confused with THE CORAL SEA or THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CATHEDRAL CHORAL SOCIETY. Genre: retro-psychedelia. Genre: retro-folk. Too young to know the '60s except by rumor, yet there it is. Not overly known in the U.S., yet they keep producing music. Ballsy.
THE CORAL on MySPACE.
THE CORAL across the UK >>>
Oct 8 2007 7:30P/Rock City/Nottingham, Midlands
Oct 9 2007 7:30P/Carling Academy/Bristol, Southwest
Oct 11 2007 7:30P/Roundhouse/London, London and South East
Oct 12 2007 7:30P/University/Manchester, Northwest
Oct 13 2007 7:30P/University Union/Leeds, Northeast
Oct 14 2007 7:30P/Carling Academy/Birmingham, Midlands
Oct 17 2007 7:30P/Guildhall/Southampton
Oct 18 2007 7:30P/University/Sheffield, Northeast
Oct 20 2007 7:30P/ABC1/Glasgow, Scotland
From the LP ROOTS & ECHOES, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "She's Got a Reason"
[MP3] "Jacqueline"
From the LP THE INVISIBLE INVASION, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Late Afternoon"
[MP3] "Something Inside of Me"From the LP MAGIC AND MEDICINE, 2004 >>>[MP3] "Bill McCai"[MP3] "Pass It On"
From their self-titled LP, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Dreaming of You"
From the EP SHADOWS FALL, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "The Ballad of Simon Diamond"
EMMA POLLOCK used to be a member of THE DELGADOS. When that group called it quits in 2004, she easily could have fallen into a funk, gotten hooked on heroin, turned to prostitution, contracted syphillis, and ended up slitting her wrists in the rusty tub of a Motel 6.
Instead, she made a solo record.
EMMA POLLOCK on MySPACE.
EMMA POLLOCK solo but supportive >>>
Sep 26 2007 8:00P/Lemon Tree (supporting King Creosote)/Aberdeen, Scotland
Sep 29 2007 8:00P/Queens Hall (King Creosote)/Edinburgh, Scotland
Oct 2 2007 8:00P/City Varieties (King Creosote)/Leeds, Northeast
Oct 3 2007 8:00P/Boardwalk (King Creosote)/Sheffield, Northeast
Oct 4 2007 8:00P/Arts Centre (King Creosote)/Norwich, South
Oct 5 2007 8:00P/Academy 2 (King Creosote)/Manchester, Midlands
Oct 6 2007 8:00P/Arts Centre (King Creosote)/Pontardawe, Wales
Oct 11 2007 8:00P/Edmonton Event Centre (supporting The New Pornographers)/Edmonton, Alberta
[MP3] "If Silence Means That Much to You"
[MP3] "Paper and Glue"
BONUS TRACKS >>>
[MP3] THE DELGADOS/"Coming in from the Cold"
[MP3] THE DELGADOS/"Make Your Move"
Once upon a time, there was a crazy-ass socialist Swede named ANDREAS MAGNUSSON who dreamed of writing and performing short, great songs under the name PINTO. I first met Andreas at an ABBA concert in 1981 in Jonkoping (or was it 1980 in Linkoping?). Either way, there I was, holding my lighter aloft during an especially poignant performance of "Fernando," when I stepped on a half-empty bottle of Absolut, went ass-over-tea-kettle, and nearly succeeded in singeing Andreas' vintage, autographed (by BJORN but not BENNY; FRIDA but not AGNETHA) ABBA concert T. Fortunately, it turns out that all clothing in Sweden is made from flame-retardant sheep and goats, so no harm, no foul.
After Andreas rather sheepishly helped me back to my feet (turns out, it was HIS half-empty bottle of Absolut I'd stepped on), and after we both basked in ABBA's unforgettable, effervescent, and utterly ingenious encore of "Honey Honey," "Money, Money, Money," and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!," Andreas invited me back to his place for some kringle and lingonberries. "Jag trivas litet flickas och litet flickas trivas jag!" I exclaimed. (In Swedish: "Yes, by all means, let us transport ourselves now together to that place which you suggest!")Andreas transported us then together to his apartment (in Swedish: utedass) in Gothenburg (in English: "Land of Goats"). The kringle was delicious. The lingonberries: luscious. We discussed our love of ABBA. We agreed that "Super Trouper" was no "Voulez-Vous." Andreas made a sharp, well-reasoned argument that "Dancing Queen" was, in point of fact, written about John Travolta. I admitted that listening to "Chiquitita" made me cry. Every time. Often for hours. And even though we had only just met that night, I felt secure and comfortable enough in Andreas' presence to ask him if he thought that meant I needed to see a psychiatrist. "No, no, of course not," he said, seeming to think the idea itself insane. But then, after just the right amount of pause, he added: "You need electro-shock!" Can you believe that? Such a kidder! We laughed and laughed.Eventually, Andreas and I got around to talking about our dreams. I told him the one where I'm naked and falling. I told him the one where I'm wearing clothes and falling. I told him the one where my teeth are falling out and I'm falling -- sometimes naked, sometimes in clothes. Andreas told me that it was his dream to write and perform short, great songs that he would provide free to the public under the name Pinto. I laughed. I thought he was being a kidder. "Pinto?!" I said, nearly choking on a lingonberry. "A Pinto's a cheap American car that blows up when you bump it from behind. Also, it means 'penis' in Portuguese. And 'free to the public'? What the hell are you -- some kind of crazy-ass socialist?" Andreas did not laugh. Instead of laughing, Andreas asked me to leave. I wanted to tell him about the dream where I'm half-naked and have half my teeth and my father suddenly shows up wearing pink slippers and a see-through muu muu, but, instead, he asked me to leave.That was in 1981 (or 1980). First: the ABBA concert in Jonkoping (or Linkoping). Then: Kringle and lingonberries in Andreas' utedass in the "Land of Goats." In the 26 (or 27) years since, many things have happened -- most of them just plain crazy-ass awful. AIDS. Reagan. Bosnia. Darfur. 9/11. Iraq. O.J. Paris, Lindsay, and Britney. And, of course, worst of all: ABBA broke up. "Chiquitita" still makes me cry. I still dream of falling and my father in see-through muu muus. And I've wasted 26 (or 27) years of my life enduring electro-shock treatments that have done nothing to make me satisfied or sane (but have, in point of fact, had a miraculous effect on my back acne).Then, just the other day, something caught my eye while I was online. It was something involving a woman, a pygmy, and a pony (and I'm still not sure I understand what it was, exactly, they were trying to accomplish in that rather badly-lit barn). Just a few days after that, though, I came across this:"September 26 is the official release date for the debut CD from Swedish indie-pop act PINTO. The CD is entitled HOOK ME UP. Pinto was formed in 2006 in Gothenburg, Sweden and consists of ANDREAS MAGNUSSON (with a little help from his friends). Pinto plays catchy guitar pop, mainly influenced by American acts like R.E.M., THE SHINS, and MATTHEW SWEET. Many of the songs on HOOK ME UP were previously released as free web singles. The CD will be available in Scandinavia through DEAD FROG; in Europe through CDON; and in the U.S. through CD BABY."Can you believe that? He wasn't kidding. His dream came true. Which puts me in mind of that most famous of Swedish sayings: "Min fotter luktar penisen och min penisen luktar fotter." (In English: "May your kringle be crisp; your lingonberries sweet; and your sheep and goats free from flame." Amen to that.) PINTO on MySPACE. [MP3] "Armchair Anthropologist"
[MP3] "Hard Inside the Heart"
Seeing as this is Sunday (the high holy day of futbol americano), it seems as apt a time as any to release THE GO! TEAM from their locker room/pleasure den (where they've been busy cavorting with horny, cocaine-and-Red-Bull-flushed mascots & midgets).A little of this music goes a really long way, but there's something undeniably fun and frenzied in the sonic collage. Like a swarm of yellow jackets on ecstasy (their stings packing all the punch of butterfly kisses), there's a ticklish joy to be had before the inevitable annoyance sets in.
THE GO! TEAM on MySPACE.
THE GO! TEAM on the go! >>>
Sep 27 2007 8:00P/Northumbria University/Newcastle, Northeast
Sep 28 2007 8:00P/Liverpool Guild/Liverpool
Sep 29 2007 8:00P/Loughborough University/Loughborough, Midlands
Oct 1 2007 8:00P/53 Degrees/Preston, Northwest
Oct 2 2007 8:00P/Bangor University/Bangor, Wales
Oct 4 2007 8:00P/Cardiff University/Cardiff, Wales
Oct 5 2007 8:00P/Warwick University/Leamington Spa, Midlands
Oct 6 2007 8:00P/Plymouth University/Plymouth, Southwest
Oct 7 2007 8:00P/Old Fire Station/Bournemouth
Oct 9 2007 8:00P/Astoria/London, London and South East
Oct 13 2007 8:00P/Double Door/Chicago
From the LP PROOF OF YOUTH, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Keys to the City"
[MP3] "Flashlight Fight" [w/CHUCK D]
From the LP THUNDER, LIGHTNING, STRIKE, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Junior Kickstart"
[MP3] "Huddle Formation"
Yesterday, we took a look at GRAHAM COXON (above, upper-left). Today: BLUR as a whole. (OASIS, wherever you are, eat your hearts out.)
BLUR on MySPACE.
From the LP PARKLIFE, 1994 >>>
[MP3] "Clover Over Dover"
[MP3] [VID] "To the End"
From the LP THE GREAT ESCAPE, 1995 >>>
[MP3] "Entertain Me"
[MP3] [VID] "The Universal"
From their self-titled LP, 1997 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Song 2"
[MP3] "Death of a Party"
From the LP 13, 1999 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Coffee & TV"
[MP3] "Caramel"
From the LP LIFE IS RUBBISH, 1993 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Sunday Sunday"
[MP3] [VID] "For Tomorrow"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Girls & Boys" [Pet Shop Boys 12" remix]
Rumor has it that former BLUR guitarist GRAHAM COXON will be re-joining DAMON ALBARN & Co. to record a new album in the not-too-distant future.
Today, though, we take a look (and listen) at (to) the man's solo output over the years. Personally, I find his early stuff all-but-unlistenable, so we'll just skip ahead to the better (IMO), more mature (also IMO) material of recent years....
GRAHAM COXON on MySPACE.
From the LP LOVE TRAVELS AT ILLEGAL SPEEDS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Tell It Like It Is"
[MP3] "Don't Let Your Man Know"
From the LP HAPPINESS IN MAGAZINES, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery"
[MP3] "Are You Ready?"
From the LP THE GOLDEN D, 2000 >>>
[MP3] "Fame and Fortune"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] "Say So What"
SADDLE CREEK regulars THE GOOD LIFE released their latest full-length, HELP WANTED NIGHTS, earlier this month. Of course, this group started off as a TIM KASHER (of CURSIVE) side project, but has gradually developed into its own honest-to-goodness, legitimate "thing." (Perhaps not altogether unlike the BEN GIBBARD/DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE/THE POSTAL SERVICE "thing"). (Or BLAKE SENNETT/RILO KILEY/THE ELECTED, for that matter.)
THE GOOD LIFE on MySPACE.
THE GOOD LIFE on tour >>>
Sep 24 2007 8:00P/The Waiting Room/Omaha, Nebraska
Sep 25 2007 8:00P/Gargoyle/St. Louis, Missouri
Sep 26 2007 8:00P/The Picador/Iowa City, Iowa
Sep 27 2007 8:00P/Triple Rock/Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 28 2007 8:00P/Subterranean/Chicago, Illinois
Sep 29 2007 8:00P/Grog Shop/Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 30 2007 8:00P/The Union/Athens, Ohio
Oct 1 2007 8:00P/Mohawk Place/Buffalo, New York
Oct 2 2007 8:00P/Middle East (downstairs)/Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 4 2007 8:00P/Bowery Ballroom/New York, New York
From the LP HELP WANTED NIGHTS, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Heartbroke"
[MP3] "Keely Aimee"
From the LP ALBUM OF THE YEAR, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Notes in His Pockets"
[MP3] "A New Friend"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] CURSIVE/"The Game of Who Needs Who the Worst"
A few songs tonight from Aussie folk-rockers AUGIE MARCH. The slow-builder "One Crowded Hour" led off my Best of August mix, while "Just Passing Through" looks promising for Best of September. "Song in the Key of Chance," meanwhile, found a place on my mix CD "Indie-licious" on October 3, 2004. That must mean that I liked it (on October 3, 2004, at the very least).
AUGIE MARCH on MySPACE.
AUGIE MARCH in North America >>>
20th Sept 07 Great Scott/Boston, MA21st Sept 07 Rock N Roll Hotel/Washington, DC22nd Sept 07 Lee's Place/Toronto, ONT 24th Sept 07 Magic Stick/Detroit, MI 25th Sept 07 Schuba's Tavern/Chicago, IL 26th Sept 07 Varsity Theater/Minneapolis, MN 28th Sept 07 Larimer Lounge/Denver, CO 1st Oct 07 Richards on Richards/Vancouver, BC 2nd Oct 07 Crocodile Cafe/Seattle, WA 3rd Oct 07 Fir Lounge/Portland, OR 5th Oct 07 Slim's/San Francisco, CA 6th Oct 07 DETOUR FESTIVAL - CITY HALL/LOS ANGELES, CA From the LP MOO, YOU BLOODY CHOIR, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "One Crowded Hour"
[MP3] "Just Passing Through"
From the LP STRANGE BIRD, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Song in the Key of Chance"
Seems I missed the boat on KT TUNSTALL the first time around. 4+ million of her debut album sold? Mercury Prize and Grammy nominee? "American Idol" and DIDO hater? Huh. I must have been out to lunch. Or on one hell of a bender.Not this time, though. Ms. Tunstall's second LP, DRASTIC FANTASTIC, receives its U.S. release today. As far as I know, Dido has yet to weigh in on its merits.
KT TUNSTALL on MySPACE.KT TUNSTALL on American TV >>>Tuesday, September 18, 2007: Live with Regis and Kelly
Thursday, September 20, 2007: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Friday, September 21, 2007: The Ellen Degeneres Show
Saturday, September 22, 2007: CBS Saturday Early Show
[MP3] "Saving My Face"
[MP3] "Funnyman"
One normally wouldn't expect this determinedly anti-deity blog to suddenly go all hallelujah-happy over a "Lord," but what the hell. It's MARY LOU LORD, not THE Lord. And these pretty, acoustic-guitar-based ditties are worthy of praise.
[MP3] "I Figured You Out"
[MP3] "Turn Me Round"
L.A.'s post-punk, dance-rocking MOVING UNITS will release their second album, HEXES FOR EXES, October 9 on METROPOLIS RECORDS.
MOVING UNITS on MySPACE.
MOVING UNITS on the move >>>
Oct 6 2007 12:00A/LA Weekly Detour Festival/Los Angeles
Oct 11 2007 8:00P/Popscene - SF/San Francisco
From the LP HEXES FOR EXES, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Pink Thoughts"
[MP3] "Paper Hearts"
From the LP DANGEROUS DREAMS, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Between Us & Them"
As was done with the '60s shall now be done with the '80s. Thus, herein lies the first of three '80s mixes to help you get your nostalgic rocks off....
Just left-click [HERE] to download the following....
TRACKLIST >>>
01. INXS/Don't Change
02. Berlin/The Metro
03. Erasure/Oh L'Amour
04. Kim Wilde/Kids in America
05. The Vapors/Turning Japanese
06. Depeche Mode/People Are People
07. Pet Shop Boys/Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
08. Eurythmics/Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
09. Frankie Goes to Hollywood/Relax
10. Animotion/Obsession
11. New Order/Bizarre Love Triangle
12. Total Coelo/I Eat Cannibals
13. Real Life/Send Me an Angel
14. Scandal/The Warrior
15. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark/If You Leave
16. Human League/Don't You Want Me
17. Soft Cell/Tainted Love
18. Men At Work/Who Can It Be Now?
19. The B-52's/Private Idaho
20. Tears For Fears/Shout
THE '60s - V. 1 [HERE]
THE '60s - V. 2 [HERE]
THE '60s - V. 3 [HERE]
L.A.-based EARLIMART has always been a bit too averse to verse-chorus-verse convention for me to ever feel overly cuddly and comfortable with them. That's probably just the way they wanted it.
I'm not sure I'd say that band leader AARON ESPINOZA has toned down his experimental impulses all that much on new CD MENTOR TORMENTOR, but I'll be damned if "Answers and Questions" doesn't sport a legitimate, buoyant chorus. And things get almost-but-not-quite sprightly on the piano-dotted, ARIANA MURRAY-whispersung "Happy Alone."
EARLIMART on MySPACE.
EARLIMART in various North American locales >>>
Sep 16 2007 8:00P/Treasure Island Music Festival/San Francisco, California
Sep 27 2007 8:00P/Doug Fir Lounge/Portland, Oregon
Sep 28 2007 8:00P/Crocodile Cafe/Seattle, Washington
Sep 29 2007 8:00P/Pit Pub/Vancouver
Oct 2 2007 8:00P/400 Bar/Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 3 2007 8:00P/Schuba’s/Chicago, Illinois
Oct 4 2007 8:00P/Grog Shop/Cleveland, Ohio
Oct 5 2007 8:00P/El Mocambo/Toronto
Oct 6 2007 8:00P/Pop Montreal Music Festival @ Main Hall/Montreal
From the LP MENTOR TORMENTOR, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Answers and Questions"
[MP3] "Happy Alone"
From the LP TREBLE & TREMBLE, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "The Hidden Track"
[MP3] "Sounds"
From the LP EVERYONE DOWN HERE, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "The Movies"
From the EP THE AVENUES, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Interloper"
I remember arguing (albeit tepidly) that HOT HOT HEAT hadn't jumped the shark with 2005's ELEVATOR
Now, with yesterday's release of the blander-than-bland HAPPINESS LTD., I'm not arguing anymore.
HOT HOT HEAT on MySPACE.
HOT HOT HEAT in performance >>>
Sep 13 2007 8:00P/Pop Scene/San Francisco, California
Sep 14 2007 5:30P/El Capitan Entertainment Center (Jimmy Kimmel Live)/Hollywood, California
Sep 15 2007 12:00P/Home Depot Center (KROQ L.A. Invasion)/Carson, California
Sep 18 2007 8:00P/Commodore Ballroom/Vancouver, British Columbia
Sep 20 2007 9:00P/Sugar Nightclub/Victoria, British Columbia
Sep 22 2007 12:00P/North Stadium Lot/Qwest Field (Endfest 16)/Seattle, Washington
Sep 23 2007 7:30P/Domino Room/Bend, Oregon
Sep 24 2007 7:00P/Wonder Ballroom/Portland, Oregon
Sep 26 2007 7:00P/Soma/San Diego, California
From the LP HAPPINESS LTD., 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Harmonicas & Tambourines"
[MP3] "Outta Heart"
From the LP ELEVATOR, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Goodnight Goodnight"
[MP3] "Pickin' It Up"
From the LP MAKE UP THE BREAKDOWN, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Talk to Me, Dance With Me"
[MP3] "Bandages"
From the EP KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Touch You Touch You"
Brooklyn's THE HONORARY TITLE released their sophomore album, SCREAM & LIGHT UP THE SKY, on August 28.
At times, the record sags under the weight of some rather generic alternative/emo trappings, but a few of the tunes manage to separate themselves from the pack. I would nominate the two below, for starters....
THE HONORARY TITLE on MySPACE.
THE HONORARY TITLE, west to east >>>
Sep 11 2007 7:00P/Hawthorne Theatre/Portland, Oregon
Sep 12 2007 7:00P/El Corazon/Seattle, Washington
Sep 13 2007 7:00PThe Venue Boise, Idaho
Sep 15 2007 7:00P/Ogden Theatre/Denver, Colorado
Sep 16 2007 7:00P/Granada Theatre/Lawrence, Kansas
Sep 17 2007 7:00P/The Rock/Omaha, Nebraska
Sep 18 2007 7:00P/First Ave./Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 20 2007 7:00P/The Rave/Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sep 21 2007 7:00P/Clutch Cargo/Detroit, Michigan
Sep 23 2007 7:00P/Opera House/Toronto, Ontario
From the LP SCREAM & LIGHT UP THE SKY, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Untouched and Intact"
[MP3] "Apologize"
From the LP ANYTHING ELSE BUT THE TRUTH, 2004 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Bridge and Tunnel"
VELOCETTE: mystery artist du jour. No websites. No pics. British. Girl singer. Cute voice. SARAH CRACKNELL-esque. NINA PERSSON-esque. "Bitterscene": '80s-twee meets pre-murderous PHIL SPECTOR. "Submarines": airy-fairy (in a good way) dream-pop. "Get Yourself Together": the song they're most known for (apparently).
All selections taken from the 1999 LP FOURFOLD REMEDY, which CD UNIVERSE suggests may have been re-released (someplace or another) on August 28 of this year.
And that's all I've got.
[MP3] "Bitterscene"
[MP3] "Submarines"
[VID] "Get Yourself Together"
Not to be confused with IDA, IVY, OPERATION IVY, IRENE CARA, or DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS' "Come On Eileen," Sweden's IRENE will soon be releasing their second full-length record, LONG GONE SINCE LAST SUMMER.
Already, first single "By Your Side" has become Internet-ubiquitous, and lead singer BOBBY's distinctive, lounge-y croon (comparable, to some extent, to his countryman JENS LEKMAN's) is once again on full display (along with some highly pleasant female harmony vocals).
Irene like to keep their songs on the short side (generally less than two-and-a-half minutes each), so if you don't happen to fall in love with the tracks below, at least you will not have wasted much of your day.
IRENE on MySPACE.
IRENE driving & jetting about >>>
Sep 12 2007 8:00P/Woody West vardagsklubb @ Pustervik (release party!)/Göteborg
Sep 14 2007 8:00P/Klubb Igloo @ Debaser Malmö/Malmö
Sep 22 2007 8:00P/Club Feber/Trollhättan
Oct 5 2007 8:00P/Lost Music Presents @ Brixton Jamm/London
Oct 6 2007 8:00P/Popklubb @ The Dog And Parrot/Newcastle
Oct 18 2007 8:00P/John Doe @ Herrgårn/Linköping
Oct 20 2007 8:00P/Falling And Laughing @ Debaser Medis/Stockholm
Nov 17 2007 8:00P/Klubb Populär @ Storan/Göteborg
From the LP LONG GONE SINCE LAST SUMMER, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Looking for Love"
[MP3] "September Skies"
[VID] "By Your Side"
From the LP APPLE BAY, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Stardust"
[MP3] "Only You"
For some reason, I was under the impression that THE REAL TUESDAY WELD specialized in twee indie-pop. I'm guessing it was the band name that threw me. Damn the bastards for false advertising.Head honcho STEPHEN COATES calls this music "antique beat." Damn the bastard for vague labeling.However the hell you want to pigeonhole things, "Ruth, Roses and Revolvers" has a certain gypsy swagger to it; "Dorothy Parker Blue" casts a woozy, narcotic spell; and "The Ugly and the Beautiful" plays like a last-call-at-a-less-than-respectable-cabaret singalong. Just right for a Sunday night? Depends, I guess, on your mood.In this case, "antique beat" trumps "twee." THE REAL TUESDAY WELD on MySPACE.
From the LP THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Ruth, Roses and Revolvers"
[MP3] "Dorothy Parker Blue"
From the LP I, LUCIFER, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "The Ugly and the Beautiful"
Imagine my surprise (and horror) this past week when I realized that I'd never produced a proper post on PULP, one of my favorite bands of the past dozen years.
In a review I (over)-wrote some years ago on the great 1995 LP DIFFERENT CLASS, I had these things to say, amongst others:
"For better than two decades, whippet-thin singer/lyricist JARVIS COCKER has served as the band’s jigging-jester bedrock. A dandy deviate with a lurid libido, he is the Benny Hill of pop performers -- the sort whose outlandish, unzipped-knickers shenanigans ultimately prove charmingly harmless. On DIFFERENT CLASS, Cocker dips into his patented bag of thematic tricks -- voyeurism, fetishism, illicit trysts -- and, sporting a vocal delivery alternately deadpan and camp theatrical, essays a range of naughty narrators -- whether they’re shouting from the mountains the importance of non-conformity ("Mis-Shapes") or just sitting listlessly in the dark, emitting sordid smoke rings (the unsettlingly sinister "I Spy" and "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E."). The gorgeous, irony-free "Something Changed" features a soaring synthesizer line; "Disco 2000" appropriates its riff from the LAURA BRANIGAN "classic" "Gloria"; and the record’s sterling centerpiece -- the relentlessly catchy "Common People" -- makes delicious mincemeat of a shallow-souled West End girl slumming her way through an East End summer."
Well, Mr. Cocker no longer looks to be "whippet-thin," and, as far as I know, Pulp has been laid to a permanent, gentle rest. But that's no reason not to take a look back at the "glory days" of one of Britpop's brightest lights of the '90s.
The first two songs below are from Cocker's solo release of 2006. The rest -- except where noted -- are drawn from the Pulp canon. Dig in. Evaluate. Luxuriate.
JARVIS COCKER on MySPACE.
From the LP JARVIS, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Tonite"
[MP3] "Fat Children"
From the LP WE LOVE LIFE, 2001 >>>
[MP3] "The Birds in Your Garden"
[MP3] [VID] "The Trees"
From the LP THIS IS HARDCORE, 1998 >>>
[MP3] "The Fear"
[MP3] [VID] "This is Hardcore"
From the LP DIFFERENT CLASS, 1995 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Common People"
[MP3] [VID] "Disco 2000"
From the LP HIS 'N' HERS, 1994 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Razzmatazz"
[MP3] "Pink Glove"
BONUS TRACKS >>>
[MP3] PULP/"We Are the Boys"
[MP3] PULP/"Ansaphone"
[MP3] JARVIS COCKER/"I Can't Forget" [LEONARD COHEN cover]
[MP3] JARVIS COCKER with LUSH/"Ciao!"
Once upon a time, RICHARD HAWLEY played guitar with one of my very most favoritest of bands, PULP. He did so for others, as well. ROBBIE WILLIAMS. BETH ORTON. NANCY SINATRA. ALL SAINTS. GWEN STEFANI. Et al., etc. For years now, though, he's also been doing the solo thing -- releasing album after album of sophisticated lounge-pop that will either make you swoon or grow sleepy. For me, depending on the track, it's sometimes the former, sometimes the latter. The songs below, of course, I find uniformly swoon-worthy. If you disagree, you were probably already in need of a nap.
RICHARD HAWLEY on MySPACE.
RICHARD HAWLEY hauling ass >>>
Sep 7 2007 8:00P/Symphony Hall/Birmingham
Sep 8 2007 8:00P/Philharmonic Hall/Liverpool
Sep 9 2007 8:00P/Rock City/Nottingham, Midlands
Sep 10 2007 8:00P/Colston Hall/Bristol
Sep 12 2007 8:00P/City Hall/Sheffield
Sep 14 2007 8:00P/Queens Hall/Edinburgh
Sep 16 2007 8:00P/City Halls/Glasgow
Sep 17 2007 8:00P/The Sage/Gateshead
Sep 20 2007 8:00P/St George's Hall/Bradford
Sep 21 2007 8:00P/Bridgewater Hall/Manchester
From the LP LADY'S BRIDGE, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Tonight the Streets Are Ours"
[MP3] "Valentine"
From the LP COLES CORNER, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Hotel Room"
From the LP LOWEDGES, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Run for Me"
From the LP LATE NIGHT FINAL, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Baby, You're My Light"
ZAMBRI is a NYC five-piece led by sisters JESSICA and CRISTI JO. What do they sound like? Maybe t.A.T.u., a bit. EISLEY, ever-so-slightly. TEGAN AND SARA, from certain angles (and if you squint). TORI AMOS, at the fringes. Or maybe a little like all of them. Or like none of them at all. Yes, this is me, being my ever-helpful self. (Indeed, I should be winning awards for this crap. Trophies. Stipends. $10-off coupons to Applebees. Gift-baskets of Chinese-manufactured Matell toys and toothpaste. Anything, really. I am not picky. Merely greedy. And greed, said Gekko, is good.)Zambri's six-song, self-titled EP is currently available for purchase on their websites. So, off you go. Investigate.
ZAMBRI on MySPACE.
ZAMBRI hoppin' to it >>>
Sep 12 2007 8:00P/Mercury Lounge w/Calvin Harris/New York, New York
Sep 14 2007 8:00P/The Lolita Party @ Glasslands Gallery/Brooklyn, New York
Sep 28 2007 10:30P/Pianos/New York, New York
[MP3] ":20"
[MP3] "Aliens"
Former Mercury Prize nominees HARD-FI are back with their follow-up to 2005's hard-popping STARS OF CCTV. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (released in the UK yesterday, I do believe) seems less catchy than its predecessor on first and second listen(s). Perhaps, like so many sophomore efforts, it's striving to be "deeper" and "more meaningful." Yeah, well, whatever. Still, some highly hummable tracks can be uncovered here....Americans with an itch to pre-order ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST can go right [HERE] right now.
HARD-FI on MySPACE.
HARD-FI on the road >>>
Sep 6 2007 8:00P/Hippodrome/London
Sep 7 2007 8:00P/Coliseum/Coventry
Sep 8 2007 8:00P/Trinity/Bristol
Sep 9 2007 8:00P/Cardiff University/Cardiff
Sep 10 2007 8:00P/Pavillion/Worthing
From the LP ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Suburban Knights"
[MP3] "Help Me Please"
From the LP STARS OF CCTV, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Gotta Reason"
[MP3] "Tied Up Too Tight"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] "Sick of It All"
Queer bunch, THE POLYPHONIC SPREE. They finally retire their Druid/Hare Krishna robes/togas, only to replace them with... what? Why, black military garb, naturally. No doubt going for that artful compromise between Nazi stormtrooper and Kim Jong-il. I must say: These people positively reek of future mass suicide. Kool-Aid, anyone?Dodgy fashion statements aside, how's about we take a trip down memory lane with TIM DELAUGHTER and his supporting cast of kooky converts....
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE on MySPACE.
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE on parade >>>
Sep 4 2007 7:00P/Academy 3/Manchester, UK
Sep 5 2007 7:00P/Glee Club/Birmingham, UK
Oct 12 2007 8:00P/The Echo Project/Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 14 2007 8:00P/Crofoot/Detroit, Michigan
Oct 15 2007 8:00P/Bogarts/Cincinnati, Ohio
Oct 17 2007 8:00P/Vic/Chicago, Illinois
Oct 18 2007 8:00P/Pabst Theatre/Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 19 2007 8:00P/Pantages/Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 22 2007 8:00P/The Gothic Theatre/Denver, Colorado
Oct 25 2007 8:00P/Showbox/Seattle, Washington
From the LP THE FRAGILE ARMY, 2007 >>>
[MP3] "Oh I Feel Fine"
[MP3] "Get Up and Go"
From the LP TOGETHER WE'RE HEAVY, 2004 >>>
[MP3] "Section 12 (Hold Me Now)"
[MP3] "Section 19 (When the Fool Becomes a King)"
From the LP THE BEGINNING STAGES OF..., 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Light & Day/Reach for the Sun"
[MP3] "Days Like This Keep Me Warm"
BONUS TRACKS >>>
[MP3] "Lithium" [NIRVANA cover]
[MP3] "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" [JOHN LENNON cover][MP3] "Wig in a Box" [from HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH]
A lot of people seem to revere MUSE in much the same way that I worship, prostrate myself, and just generally kiss-ass at the altar of RADIOHEAD. And, of course, the two bands are often spoken of in the same bated breath. A shared flair for melodrama... two falsetto-prone crooners... blah blah blah.
