Thanks to the nicest proprietors in the music business at Slowtrain Records, I stumbled onto a complimentary pass to the Election Night performance of Best Coast at the Urban Lounge. This was, like most big political nights, an election I worked until after 11:30 so I didn’t pull into the venue on my way home from the station until after Midnight. Despite her disappointment that California did not widen the legal use of marijuana, Bethany Cosentino spared the crowd any political barbs and coasted through some of the bands biggest songs from debut Crazy For You.
You have approximately a billion bands to choose from at the moment writing boozy, beachy, kicked-back surf rock and a music fan can do a lot worse than Best Coast. Still, the band’s real attraction isn’t the sometimes-too-similar songwriting and tempo, it is Cosentino’s voice which is as natural and lovely with her live three-piece band as it is in studio.
Cosentino has an old soul. A friend remarked that her crooning delivery reminded him of Patsy Cline which I think is apt. More contemporaneously, there are moments when she reminds me of Kim Deal and Toni Halliday. Her girl-group choruses are pitch-perfect, summery, and effortless.
I was able to stick around for about six songs before nearing the point of exhaustion for the day. It doesn’t take long to plow through a half dozen songs at 1:30 to 2:00 long, including “Crazy For You,” “Our Deal,” and “When I’m With You.” Each of them, if not a showcase of dynamic arrangement, showed off Cosentino’s infatuating delivery.
Hopelessly dated perhaps for no other reason than I live in Salt Lake City, nonetheless I’ve tried not to make this blog the subject for outright ridicule by posting about music in November that is, you know, so late-March, early-April. Tonight I fail outright by writing about 2009 blog darling Surfer Blood…and fully a month after I caught their October 8 show.
The Florida Atlantic University kids did just play a triumphant set at New York’s Webster Hall that earned them a fawning writeup at vanityfair.com. Nevertheless, I pray for a bit of a pass by pleading “massive computer failure” in the interceding month since the Urban Lounge show. It’s been long enough in fact that I only recall a few vivid impressions to pass along and otherwise just wanted to post some images from the night.
First, JP Pitts may have all the riffs, but still looks to be about 14 years old. Second, debut album Astrocoast definitely holds up live. Third, my only disappointment, I was really hoping things would get a little crunched-up from the studio polish but it felt pretty by-the-numbers to me. I certainly thought “Floating Vibes” or the titanic hook of original single “Swim” would put the show over the top but they really didn’t. I even remember thinking, “I really need ‘Over The Top’ tonight.” If anything, it was somewhat restrained and bloodless. At 14 (or 24 actually…I believe it was the day after Mr. Pitts’ birthday) he has plenty of time to put a rougher edge on things.
Opener Drums were just a visual feast. Jonathon Pierce strutted, danced, and sensually mussed the hair of an audience member as he crooned a moment from the band’s self-titled debut. The reverb was great and all but Pierce’s vocals disappeared in the mix.
It took me a few listens to really appreciate The Monitor by Titus Andronicus. Loosely, and I think needlessly, constructed as a concept album around Civil War themes, The Monitor stands completely on its own as a New Jersey RAWK triump without the need for conceit. Riffs barrel at breakneck speed in double- and then triple-time to slurred and half-shouted vocals that frequently evoke early Replacements or The Pogues from Europe’s New Jersey, Ireland.
Tuesday night they played at Kilby Court, which seemed an acoustic impossibility.
It is, what, 800 feet square? Tin siding is buffered by the barest of carpet to absorb sound. The only other reason I can judge that it works is the decades-old exposed joices above. But as I watched lead singer Patrick Stickle setup, I knew the venue would be pretty well maxed-out sonically.
Titus Andronicus wasted no time, opening with double-barrels in “A More Perfect Union” and “Richard II.” The band rolled though most of the rest of The Monitor along with several tunes from debut The Airing of Grievances. Occasionally Titus simply overwhelmed the space. The guitars, pedals, and shrieking vocals would at times reverberate inside the tiny venue and swallow the song.
Too, Stickles made the unfortunate call to engage a babling and clearly delusional teenage girl who yelled over his stage banter and created repeated cringe-worthy moments. That aside, Stickle’s conversation with the audience between songs was generally awkward and several times took me out of the moment.
Titus Andronicus was at its best rocking like they didn’t care. The musical and emotional climax of the night was “No Future Part Three” as the band sang-shouted, “You will always be a loser/You will always be a loser and that’s OK.”
The night’s performance opened with Philadelphia’s Free Energy. Performing with youthful brio and all the rock moves, Free Energy specialized in galactic-sized hooks for your ultimate party pleasure. Stickles joined the band for a romping version of “Bang Pop” to close their opening set. It was power pop joy.
Today is the insufferably self-amused Talk Like a Pirate Day. What better way to avoid criminally not funny imitations of Johnny Depp than by downloading a free EP by Pete and the Pirates.
One of my favorite labels, UK’s Stolen Recordings is offering a free EP of Pete and the Pirates demos called Precious Tones. The short-player is full of angular, super-catchy audience sing-a-longs like “Selina.” The band also steps down to smoother compositions like “My Sun Hat” that resemble PATP side project Tap Tap.
It’s been more than two years since Little Death, one of 2008’s best records. Until the band finishes its new CD, treat yourself to Pete and the Pirates’ free download for the cost of your e-mail address. We can also hope they tour more broadly, having only stopped ashore for brief appearances in New York and Austin.
The highlight of August was our 3 week trip to Bali, an Indonesian paradise off the coast of Australia. A sly observer snapped this moment when Alexandra and I were perched over a lovely sunset at dusk. Ah, it was a winsome time those precious days on the other side of the planet.
Actually none of that is true I spent August like most of you, grinding away at work. The photograph is obviously photoshopped. Seriously, who does that? Characters in Avatar, that’s who.
While I haven’t posted for several weeks, I did keep up on new music and I hope that you did, too. And Labor Day was a good reminder to update you on what will undoubtedly be the finest collection of live shows in Salt Lake since I moved here. The highlights which I personally suggest you begin saving for now:
Sept 25 School of Seven Bells. Really liked Disconnect from Desire in a way that I didn’t SoSB debut. Sept 28 Erik Blood. Swooning, shoegazing, homoerotic songs from Seattle. Never thought I would string those 3 descriptors together in one sentence. Oct 8 Surfer Blood and The Drums. Don’t let the blog buzz scare you. Both bands are worth your hard-earned rock dollar playing alone, certainly together. Oct 18 Phantogram. One of this year’s many great dance records is Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies. Oct 19 LCD Soundsytem and Hot Chip. Strictly commercially speaking, this is the hottest tour in the country. And for good reason…don’t miss it. Oct 22 Sleigh Bells. Friend of mine saw Sleigh Bells in Jacksonville and was sold on their song “Infinity Guitars.” Nov 2 Best Coast. Singer Bethany Cosentino croons Best Coast’s surf-garage pop somewhere between Patsy Cline and Kim Deal. Nov 6 P.O.S. I’ve missed I bet five P.O.S. appearances in Salt lake the last two years, so I won’t miss November’s punk rap performance.
See the complete list in the right column of the home page, which is finally updated after recovering from the jetlag from Bali.
UPDATE: The LCD Soundsystem show at The Complex, a venue I am still not sure actually exists, has been cancelled. Sucks for everyone else but good for me because I was going to miss the show of the year because of a trip to DC. Also the September 23 Phoenix show has been moved to In the Venue from the equally mysterious Rail Center.
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Crushing defeat. Kilby’s Sept 28 booking is apparently not with Erik Blood of Seattle but Eric Blood of Orem. A nice guy, I’m sure, but Orem’s EB quotes as his influences Phish, Dave Matthews, and Jack Johnson. And that’s enough said about that.
Noisy, stoned, bored Nathan Williams’ 3rd record as Wavves, King of the Beach, is a veritable family sing-a-long of garage bedroom rockers compared to his previous two releases. Where Wavves and Wavvves were exercises in amp-distorting, face-melting sonics, King of the Beach not only benefits from a more deft touch in production, it also boasts more dynamic arrangements. At certain moments (“Super Soaker’s” STUPID! refrain), King of the Beach edges a wee too close to Green Day, but for the most part this is still the soundtrack of a disaffected and self-deprecating young man who can still bust out a pretty charming Brian Wilson hook.
And, hey, he avoided what would have been the insufferably-titled Wavvvves.
One of my favorite albums so far this year, At Echo Lake, is a devastating leap forward for Woods. Eccentric and feminine where the Dutchess and the Duke are ill-tempered and unshaven, Woods brings several complimentary pieces to the whole. Southern gothic tones, some freedom-rocking David Crosby, and doses of 60’s Syd Barrett psychedelia, all bound together with a way-cool AM lo-fidelity better hummed than sung. At Echo Lake is sure to end up on my Top 10 list this year, and I can only hope the band strays far enough west to see live.
Thousands of middle-aged music lovers tonight relived their (parents’) youth watching a nearly 70-year-old Beatle rerack his antiquated discography for Utah. Five words: The Who Superbowl Halftime Show. Weren’t you just a little embarrassed to be watching? At least you didn’t pay $160/ticket. Better to have saved those 16,000 pennies to support a new era of local music that begins Sunday night.
Chris and Anna Brozek
opened Slowtrain records in 2006 and have spent the last four years growing an exemplary local business built with one-on-one customer relationships, a passion for new music, and, increasingly, live performances hosted from aisles of the record store at 221 East Broadway and in its basement performance space the Subterranean. What more natural extension, then, to birth the Slowtrain Records Label which is commemorated Sunday July 18. (Photo: Russ Isabella)
Most any emo singer-songwriter with a 4-track recorder, ProTools, and Photoshop can burn his own CDs with homemade sleeves and sell them out of the back of his van. Pressing vinyl is a more complicated and esoteric process. Getting a gig with the Slowtrain label means you have the opportunity for CD and vinyl release, plus bands will enjoy in-store marketing and the Brozek’s regional music relationships in Portland, Phoenix, and probably some other cool town I’ve never visited like Stockholm or some such place.
So leave the Paul McCartney concert to your socially awkward uncle and instead join Slowtrain’s pre-release show for premier label release The Devil Whale. A $20 ticket gets you a pre-order copy of the vinyl, a CDEP, the band’s private performance, complimentary adult beverages while they last, and assorted raffle fun. And it guarantees your participation in authentic musical democracy. Vote with your financial support: Today’s Devils Whale is tomorrow’s Soft Pack, Lightspeed Champion, and Ty Segall.
Honestly, I’m not much of a Josh Ritter fan. If for no other reason than the Adult Alternative focus-grouped title So Runs the World Away, there’s little chance I’ll buy his new album. But just about any video in claymation or puppeteering is candidate for my instant seal of approval. Ritter’s elegant, waltzing “The Curse” is the touching memoir of a mummy who falls in love with the paleontologist who discovers him.
The lyrics alone are precious enough to reanimate the dead:
What beautiful lines
Heart full of life
After thousands of years, what a face to wake up to
Add to that the lovingly-produced video and you have yourself a heartwarming classic. Last month, National Public Radio profiled how Ritter’s drummer Liam Hurley created the video.
Mitchell: “Remember when I told you everything I needed to know about fighting I learned from West Side Story?” Jay: “Yea, so how’d that work out for you? Mitchell: “Ah, I’ll let you know the next time I’m in a dance fight.”
I’ve stolen that great line from Modern Family at least two other times, so I figured I’d make it the subject of a quick post. Some great, danceable music has been part of 2010 and I thought I’d share with you a few highlights. Click to listen!
Goldfrapp – “Rocket” from Head First. If Olivia Newton-John recoved from a decade of plastic surgery to record a 1981 self-caricature it would be the first single from Head First. Maybe I just assumed based on Alison’s sensual 80’s hair on the airbrushed album cover that “Rocket” was some kind of phallic metaphor. Even more appropriate to the era of the space shuttle, it’s about shooting an ex-lover into space. Admittedly the chorus, “Oo oo oo I’ve got a rocket,” is so bubblegum my 5-year-old daughter requests it in the car. But the ELO swooshes in the background are irresistable.
Solid Gold – “One in a Million” from Synchronize EP. Maybe you’ve heard? Soft 70’s is the new black. There’s just not a lot Midlake has done that has ever gotten me on board, but I have been loving the restrained cheese from Minneapolis moodsters Solid Gold. Synchronize is smooth and soulful glam but “One in a Million” begs for a weary 3AM dance at some dimly-remembered after-hours bar. The EP includes a much-written about cover of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.” One reviewer called it “possibly homoerotic” which I can’t say I disagree with and has started to creep me out a bit.
Hot Chip – “Hand Me Down Your Love” from One Life Stand. Hot Chip mix a subtler groove, not all of them made to shuffle your feet to, but “Hand Me Down” certainly is. Coming right out of the chute at the beginning of 2010, there’s hardly a stinker on the entire album. OK, “Alley Cats” kind of sucks but this is a record that I just got deeper and deeper with all year long. Especially impressive are the Up With People-inspired “Brothers” and the gorgeous ballads, “Slush” and “Take It In.” Alex Taylor’s voice has never sounded more dynamic and controlled.
LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls” from This is Happening. LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip swap a lot of spit but really live in two different spaces. Both are critical darlings, but James Murphy breathes pretty rarified air in his pop trajectory. Seriously, he could release an album of fax noise and wouldn’t most of us buy it? “Drunk Girls” is destined to be a house party classic. The Spike Jonze video is hilarious and disturbing.
Sambassadeur – “I Can Try” from European. Maybe I have Olivia Newton-John on the brain but at certain moments Sweden’s Sambassadeur sound like ABBA covering Xanadu. Adding even more to the coctail, Anna Persson sings like a resurrected Kirsty MacColl. “I Can Try,” available for free download, is pure 80’s joy, although the equally entertaining “Stranded” which opens European is most evocative of ABBA. European is a great improvement over 2007’s Migration and is on my summer “must buy” list. It should be on yours, too!
See there, I threw out several without even touching Phantogram, this year’s Phoenix. Eyelid Movies is endlessly danceable, probably a Top 5 album for me this year, and deserves a separate treatment.
The ubiquitous and appropriate comparisons to Bob Dylan notwithstanding, Kristian Matsson has recorded a pair of truly fine albums under the name The Tallest Man on Earth. The Swedish singer-guitarist played the greater parts of Shallow Grave from 2008 and this year’s The Wild Hunt for a sold out audience last Monday at Kilby Court. Although you might not guess from his songwriting, Matsson is quite the presence on stage. Particularly as he would open and close songs, the TMOE prowls the stage, sits and stands melodramatically, climbs sound equipment, and pumps his guitar to elongate a closing flourish.
Matsson is a songwriter first, a (really extraordinary) guitarist second, and a singer third. Certainly it is the first two qualities that set him apart, and they were both on fine display amid mischievous banter with the crowd. The performance possessed biting urgency but seemed at the same time effortless, making the Freewheelin’ comparisons apt. Mattson rolled (sorry) through “I Won’t Be Found,” “Pistol Dreams,” “The Gardener” and most of the rest of Shallow Grave and from The Wild Hunt: “Burden of Tomorrow,”Troubles Will Be Gone,” “King of Spain,” and the title track. He spared us from what I personally found Wild Hunt’s ill-conceived Tom Petty tribute, “Kids on the Run.”
As though the stage antics and a guarded allusion to “the prettiest girl in the world” who flew into Salt Lake to meet him that day weren’t charming enough, Matsson performed the last song of his encore in absolute silence. Shutting down Kilby’s fans, the hum from the sound system, and climbing on a stage speaker one last time, the TMOE played a raptuous version of “Like the Wheel” so close to me I could smell the cigarettes on his breath. Kilby was achingly quiet and the song and its lyrics were enough to make you teary-eyed.
The Wild Hunt is easy to find, Shallow Grave less so, but find yourself a copy of both for a real lesson in the American folk tradition from the farthest reaches of Sweden!
