Sunday, July 29, 2012

All That Was Old Is New Again

I was talking with a friend at work about the new record from The Gaslight Anthem. His point, if I remember it rightly and frame it correctly, is that TGA are too derivative for him, that they ape the Springsteen vibe to too heavy a point and that there is nothing original present. I agreed in that the album, well the entire catalogue, is derivative but that most music has no choice but to be derivative because pretty much everything that can be done has been done. He didn't think that was true so I said let's leave this topic for a future happy hour. That works for me because it gets me an opportunity to work on my argument. HA!

Here's the lead single off of their new album Handwritten. The song is called "45" as in revolutions per minute, not a caliber.


If you take away the fact that TGA are from New Jersey you still get the Springsteen vibe. It's got that mid-70s Bruce earnestness and energy thing going. If I had to pick a record they most channel it would Darkness At The Edge of Town. Here's that album's leadoff track, "Badlands."


So the potential knock is go-do-your-own-thing-an d-stop-copying-other-people. That's a really hard thing to do whether it's consciously or unconsciously. Music is something that all musicians have embedded in them. A specific genre or band or artist leaves an imprint and it becomes near impossible to get away from it. For me, I find the songs I write mirror a band called Vigilantes of Love. Their song structures are pretty standard but lyrically they are a bit verbose and, as my wife chides, plot-y. Every song of theirs seems to have a story to tell and mine do to. I think that's just how my writing gravitates. I did not start writing with a desire to mimic what Bill Mallonee does in VoL it just sort of happened that way. You can take any band out there now and point to another band before them and say "They are just doing that!" Unless you are Radiohead. But if you are still playing guitars and want them to actually sound like guitars there is no band you will not get compared to or accused of stealing from.

Here's another story from my band. I wrote a song and brought it to the band and we played it and everybody seemed to dig it. Patrick the bass player said the verses sounded a bit too "Sunny Came Home" (the old Shawn Colvin hit). I hadn't heard that song in years and years but I reflected on that and got the comparison and said I would work to change it. When I tried it I thought anything I come up with is going to sound like something else. There's no way around it, it's just whether you spot it or not. Another point, Tom came up with a new riff. He played it and after the first time through it I started laughing, not because it was bad but because it sounded exactly like the start to "Fly Me Courageous" by drivin' n' cryin'. Tom had never heard DNC and when I pulled out the iPod and played it for him he just had to grin and say "oh well."

So what is TGA going to do? Brian Fallon obviously grew up listening to a shitload of Springsteen. If he didn't well then it somehow rubbed off on him, or he's just wired the same way musically as Springsteen. That's not to say he's as good as Bruce but he's got the same "connections" for lack of a better term. I think with all rock and roll you have to build on what has come before. I used to joke and say we might as well just start re-doing Chuck Berry licks because everything has been written so let's just copy from the beginning. I think every band has an obligation to their efforts to build on the previous. Oasis called an album of theirs Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants. Everybody copies the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. If you play guitars you copy the them. Nobody has ever been denigrated for redundancy more than Oasis. But does it make "Rock n Roll Star" any less of a song? By the Giants album they at least had the good sense to poke fun at it, assuming Oasis has a sense of humor.

Back to the point. Music is organic, it's continually evolving and building on what's next. It is going to be very difficult for someone to come along and play something that one can say "I have never heard anything like this before" and mean it. The job of the musician is to expand on it. To take it up a notch. Or if they can't do that just have a killer melody and say something interesting. And if they can't do that then just have fun making a racket. Creation is not always pretty but it's always a blast.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

New Gets July 24

Sorry for the lack of posts. Here's some random thoughts on today's new interesting records.

Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem - Straight-forward bar-room rock n roll. I read a much better essay on them on Grantland today and I get what the writer is trying to say. Sure it's derivative, but derivative can still be pretty cool when done well. Listening to this I liked it a lot. The cover of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky" is a nice touch, though it sounds kind of predictable. But that goes back to my point: if you do it well why not. Not everything needs to be cutting edge or new or different. Sometimes you can just nail it. (It's still not as good as anything by The Hold Steady, who are the masters of this sound).

Dark Shores by Strand Of Oaks. SoO is basically a one-map operation named Tim Showalter. I have not listened to this yet (already have the latest Shins record going and I don't like to interrupt records currently going. yes i am anal.) but I have high hopes for it. His last record, Pope Killdragon was a great slice of indie-rock. I got to meet Tim when he played for about ten people at Iota. We talked about music and influences. Really nice guy. Do check out his record.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

New Gets July 17

After a few dud weeks finally a week of interesting albums. They run the gamut to. Here's some quick thoughts on some of the new purchases:

One Lovely Day by Citizen Cope - Was introduced to the musings of Clarence Greenwood by my old friend Kevin. CC is an interesting artist: a DC guy who makes what I think of as urban indie. Very soulful kind of acoustic r&b. He is doing a couple shows around Thanksgiving that I am thinking of checking out.

Songs Of Patience by Alberta Cross - Been waiting for this one for a while now. Swedes by way of England now based in New York. Their first record was really good, sort of a British take on Son Volt. This one amps up the British-ness.

Hypnotic Nights by JEFF The Brotherhood - I downloaded their EP because it was cheap and was noisy. Cool loud Pitchfork-friendly rock band like The Men and Japandroids.

Yellow/Green Album by Baroness - Here's a record that has a chance to make the Top 10 of the year. Metal band out of Georgia who's previous albums have been called Red Album and Blue Album. This one is, go figure, a double album. More proggy and poppy than the previous two and I mean that in the most positive ways. I hope they tour because I want to see them.

One things of interest was a free download of a Rhett Miller solo live record. Really dig that.


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The Tragically Hip: A Primer (Part 2)

When we last left our intrepid adventurers they had mad ether way through the first half of The Tragically Hip's catalogue. After an evening's rest at the hundredth meridian, they push their way through the tangle and discover the next batch of albums.

Phantom Power - 1998
After an odd record the Hip come back with another classic. "Poets" and "Something On" are a great one-two punch opening the album. The latter was written while the band was stuck during an ice storm:

Outside there's hectic action The ice is covering the trees And one of em's interconnecting With my Chevrolet Caprice


Other gems include "Fireworks," "Chagrin Falls," "Emperor Penguin," and "Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man," written in honor of the late great Jim Ellison of Material Issue.


The best song on the record is a mellower number called "Bobcaygeon." It's another song that is really quintessential Hip. It's such a pretty melody and performance and the lyrics are great, yet strange in spots. Here, take a listen:




Music@Work - 2000
Here stands my least favorite Hip record. It's a strangely uninteresting record; it sounds like the band is looking for a direction to go in. Maybe they are bored; maybe they needed a break. The songwriting just isn't as strong here. The melodies on't hit.


That said, it does have one classic, and that is the title track that is the album opener. After that, the only other track I can recommend is "Putting Down." Here's "My Music At Work."




In Violet Light - 2002
When I originally started writing this I thought this would be the point where I'd say something like the band started to coast. But revisiting these last few records I find they stand up much better than I remember. I admit that after Phantom Power the later records don't get listened to as much.


The first side is definitely the better side with tracks like "Are You Ready," "The Darkest One," "It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken," and "Silver Jet." The second half is OK but doesn't have as much that's memorable.


One of their prettiest songs is "It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken." It's mellow and sad and affecting.




In Between Evolution - 2004
The Hip have always liked hockey and have written lots of songs about it. "Fifty Mission Cap" and "Fireworks" spring to mind. The lead track on IBE is about Atlanta Thrashers hockey player Dan Snyder who passed away in a car wreck while they were recording.


This part of the catalogue is very workmanlike. There's a handful of great tracks. The rest isn't filler but it's not as good as the secondary tracks from the older records. By now The Hip know right where their niche is, know what their sound is. They've built it up and it's almost like a factory where they churn out a new record every two years. These records are hard to differentiate. I have a difficult time remembering what order they came out in or which great song is on which.


Here's one of the songs: "It's Can't Be Nashville Every Night." It has one of my favorite Hip lyrics kicking it off: He said fuck this and fuck that/And this guy's the diplomat."




World Container - 2006
Another solid entry. I said before that they have found their niche. That's not a bad thing. I admire when a band knows what they do best and they do it well enough where it doesn't get stale. One of the strengths is Gordon Downie's lyrics: he is such a great lyricist that the songs are always interesting. I think if the band digressed down paths it just wouldn't work. Take a band like Radiohead or Wilco. There are bands who started as one thing and took a major detour. Call it evolution, call it experimentation. Sometimes it works, like OK Computer and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but sometimes it doesn't (i.e. Kid A and A Ghost Is Born). That's my opinion there. I know Kid A especially is held up as some major work of art but to me it's unlistenable.


"The Lonely End Of The Rink" (another hockey song!!), "Luv(sic)," "Family Band" are great tracks here. My favorite is "Fly:"




We Are The Same - 2009
And finally we come to the end of our current journey. A new record is going to be out this fall and I can't wait.  


Here is a mellower record, a portrait of a confident band still together, still making great music, still enjoying that creative process. It features their longest song: "The Depression Suite" which clocks in at just under 10 minutes. And features one of their loveliest songs: "Morning Moon."


So this has been a fun journey through the catalogue. So many great songs. So many affecting songs. One of the things that makes music great is it's ability to affect one emotionally. Songs like "Nautical Disaster," "Bobcaygeon," "38 Years Old" still bring lumps to my throat. One of the other great things about music is what affects me might not necessarily affect you. And there is nothing wrong with that. Music should touch people differently; in your own personal way. Just pop in your favorite record and put in the earbuds and let it wash over you. In that way indeed, we are the same.


In closing here is "Morning Moon." Gordon says this is the third best song they have ever written. I won't argue with that.



Monday, July 2, 2012

The Tragically Hip: A Primer (Part 1)

My second most favorite band in the world is The Tragically Hip. Who? Not surprising you'd say that. Unless you know me well or are from Canada or are especially cool like me you probably have not heard of them. They are a band from Kingston, Ontario and make some of the best and smartest rock music around.

The band is made up of Paul Langlois and Rob Baker on guitars, Gord Sinclair on bass, Johnny Fay on drums, and Gordon Downie on vocals. Of course a Canadian band will have two guys named Gord. In Canada they will sell out a place like the Molson Centre three nights in a row. Stateside they will play the 930 Club.

Gordon Downie is one of the most unique performers in rock. To say he's odd is to do oddness a dis-service. He's mesmerizing to watch. At some point in their show they'll do an extended jam where GD pretty much goes off on whatever tangent he feels like. Listening to old tapes of these shows you can hear song ideas being born and getting honed. Sometimes it's just an exercise in controlled chaos. Regardless it's awesome.

I figured that since you are reading this to learn about the music I like, a primer on my most favorite band might be a cool thing. If not, then adios. If so, check it out! I am going to do it in two parts, because there are a bunch of records to get through.

The Tragically Hip - 1987
This is their 7 song debut and it sounds like it. The production is very 80s sounding and the band sounds like what they were at the time: a bar band on the cusp of making it. There's a couple classic Hip songs here: "Last American Exit" and "Highway Girl." Here is the former:


It is a song that is distinctly Canadian. Many of their songs as you journey through their catalogue are Canuck-centric, but that is part of what makes them great: they wear their identity as a point of honor. See them live here and you will see hockey jerseys and maple leaf flags galore.


Up To Here - 1989
The first song of theirs I ever heard was "New Orleans Is Sinking." 



I was living in Dallas at the time and I listened to Q102 pretty obsessively. Redbeard was the name of the DJ I liked best and back then DJs, at leads at Q102, appeared to be able to play what they liked and he played this song all the time. I was pretty much a classic-rock-only kind of guy. But this opening riff just grabbed me. It sounded dirty, sexy, dangerous. Plus Gordon Downie is one of the most clever lyricists around.

I had my hands in the river, my feet back up on the bank
Looked up to the Lord above and say "Hey man thanks!"
Sometimes I feel so good I gotta scream
She said Gordie baby I know exactly what you mean.

The band here is still in bar-band mode but the production is better, it snarls and bites in songs like "Blow At High Dough" and "I'll Believe In You (Or I'll Be Leaving You Tonight)" while it gets full and pretty in tracks like "38 Years Old" and "Another Midnight." This record is the beginning of an amazing four album run....

Road Apples - 1990
...Which continues with this record. It's a bit of more-of-the-same as the last record. You can hear them breaking out of the bar band restrictions with tracks like "The Luxury" and "Fiddler's Green."


Though it still rocks with songs like "Little Bones," "Twist My Arm," and "Born In The Water," it's more contemplative and interesting in spots. It's a bridge to the real leap they take with the next record.

Fully Completely - 1992
I bought this on Inauguration Day in Washington DC in 1993. This was back when Hip records came out in Canada first, then came out in America a few weeks (or months!!) later. I was at The Wiz in Tenley Circle and when I asked the clerk if they ahd it he told me to check the rap section. You know, because they have Hip in their name. Idiot!

Anyway I happily found the record. Here is where the band is at growing into maturity. "Courage" is one of the best opening record songs ever. And there is a trove of Hip classics here: "Locked In The Trunk Of A Car," "At The Hundredth Meridian," "Fifty Mission Cap," "Looking For A Place To Happen," "Fully Completely." MAN what a good freaking record.

How do I pick one song? Let's go with "Fifty Mission Cap" which is about hockey player Bill Barilko. This video is circa 1993 so you get an idea of what their shows were like.


Day For Night - 1994
Their fourth LP is their masterpiece, in this writer's humble opinion. Sensational song-writing, great musicianship, a band at the height of their powers. This was the tour I first saw them at, at the original 930 Club around the corner from the FBI building. One of the most amazing shows I have ever seen. A powerhouse of a band in a shitty little hellhole of a club that stunk of smoke (both cigs and pot) and beer and sweat and puke with a crowd that was in absolute frenzy. Hip crowds are the best; they know every line to every song and aren't afraid to sing along.

I had to special order this record from Canada because I couldn't wait for it to be released here. HA those were the days.

I can't even pick songs to list because they are all awesome. I'll just include what I think is their best song ever. It's about a shipwreck and survival and the guilt that comes when you are one of the few who make it through. Even today it gives me chills. The lyrics are so good, I'll re-print them here. Then please watch the video. It's from their 1995 appearance on Saturday Night Live, invited by Canadian Dan Aykroyd. It's an amazing performance (and is probably where Jim Parsons got his Sheldon Cooper look). If you only watch one of the videos here please make it this one. This song and performance is to me everything that makes this band so special and great and amazing.

"Nautical Disaster"

I had this dream where I relished the fray
And the screaming filled my head all day
It was as though I'd been spit here
Settled in, into the pocket
Of a lighthouse on some rocky socket
Off the coast of France, dear
One afternoon four thousand men died in the water here
And five hundred more were thrashing madly
As parasites might in your blood
Now I was in a lifeboat designed for ten and ten only
Anything that systematic would get you hated
It's not a deal nor a test nor a love of something fated
The selection was quick, the crew was picked in order
And those left in the water
Got kicked off our pant leg
And we headed for home
Then the dream ends when the phone rings
"You doing all right?"
He said, "It's out there most days and nights
But only a fool would complain"
Anyway, Susan, if you like
Our conversation is as faint a sound in my memory
As those fingernails scratching on my hull




Trouble At The Henhouse - 1996
This is probably their strangest record. It is easily their most experimental yet mellow. As a whole the lyrics get a bit too obtuse in spots but others have some indelible amazingly beautiful images. Take this one from "Don't Wake Daddy"

Sled dogs after dinner close their eyes on their howlin' ways

Kurt Cobain, reincarnated, sighs and licks his face
Then they drift past strips of Seregeneti and the gates of sleepy hollow too
You can pause and wonder they pause and wonder yeah I pause and wonder too


The opening three tracks are amongst their best: "Gift Shop," "Springtime in Vienna," and "Ahead By A Century." After that it's honestly hit or mist. "Don't Wake Daddy," "700 Ft Ceiling" and "Put It Off" are strong, but "Butts Wigglin," "Cocoanut Cream," and "Sherpa" are sort of meh. It's a more difficult record; it's less anthemic, much more nuanced. After four records of kicking ass you get the sense they needed to chill out a bit.

Here's the video for "Ahead By A Century," which is one of their prettiest songs. And it has weirdo Canadian kids in it. Sweet!


I'll pick it up tomorrow!!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Up The Irons!

Only thing missing is the fire coming out of his head
Last night Jodi and I went out to Jiffy Lube Live to see Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper. This was the first time I have seen Maiden since 1990. I was especially excited to see this tour because Maiden are using a version of the set list from the 1988 Maiden England tour which supported my most favorite of Maiden records: Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. Jodi is not what I'd call a Maiden fan but she likes to run to "Run To The Hills," knows to yell UP THE IRONS! and had seeing a Maiden show on her bucket list.


Eddie as General Custer. Jannick could run between his legs
The show was, as I expected it to be, GREAT! They opened with the awesome "Moonchild" before going right into "Can I Play With Madness." From 7Sof7S they did my fav "The Clairvoyant," the title track, and "The Evil That Men Do." Other natural hits trotted out were "The Trooper," "Run To The Hills" (with Eddie coming out dressed like General Custer), "The Number Of The Beast," "Wasted Years," "Phantom of The Opera," "Iron Maiden," "Running Free," "The Prisoner," "Aces High" (opening the encore), "2 Minutes To Midnight." The outlier tracks were "Fear Of The Dark" and "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" from 1992s Fear Of The Dark. The latter was a god sing-a-long while the former was a bit of a momentum-staller, complete with Bruce rambling on a bit before hand.


Hail Britannia!
Speaking of Bruce Dickinson he was in great form. He's one of my favorite front-men in rock. The stage gives him lots of ramps to run around on and man does he run. He still his classic-Bruce-move: plants his feet far apart, crouches down and points back-and-forth to the audience. His still brings out the giant Union Jacks during "The Trooper."








Low-end menace!!
The rest of the band was in great form. Steve Harris is one of the most under-rated bass players on the planet. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are great co-lead guitarists. Jannick Gers is the third guitarist and he tends to stay off to his side of the stage acting strange. I wonder if he and Adrian Smith get along because they didn't really spend any time next to each other. Jannick replaced Adrian when he left the band for a couple years so I hope there isn't any bad blood.

Alice Cooper was the opener and he was surprisingly good! He also had three guitarists with him, which seemed like a bit of overkill but why not. He also had more costume changes than Taylor Swift. It's mainly about the spectacle with AC but the band was real tight and put on a good show. The one guitarist looked like CC DeVille. For all I know it was CC. Alice came out dressed like a giant spider, had the giant Frankenstein walking around, had the big snake around his shoulders for "Billion Dollar BabiesNo More Mr. Nice Guy." He ran a sword through a photographer running around the stage. They chopped his head off before finishing the set with "School's Out." For a 64 year old man he can still bring it.

A few words on the crowd. First the negative: boy, Americans are FAT. I mean big and fat. I wonder if the merchandise tent bothers bringing any tee-shirts smaller than large. The median weight had to be somewhere around 250. That said, I stand by my earlier statement that metal crowds are the awesomest. No fights, no shit getting started, scary looking dudes with Slayer t-shirts and tattoos of eagles on their neck politely begging my pardon as they squeezed past me in the slushee line. Lots of kids with their dads there; I get the feeling the dads remember going to the World Slavery tour and were more than happy to bring their metal head kids to the show. Yay bonding!!

So, an evening of awesomeness in Northern Virginia. Even with the 100 degree heat it was a great evening!

Pictures are courtesy Jodi because she has a better iPhone than I do!