I'm not sure exactly what the d-bags in Good Charlotte are trying to accomplish with their new song "Keep Your Hands Off My Girl." If they are trying to explore new musical territory they've succeeded. In the process (however) they have somehow managed to make music that is worse than anything else in their already terrible catalog. Instead of crappy mall-punk they are exploring industrial pseudo rap-rock. Wow. I'm not even kidding when I say that this is probably the worst song I have heard all year. I'd like to hear your opinions.
If (instead) of that Good Charlotte crap, you wanna hear some good radio-ready pop-punk, I present the music of Minneapolis' Quietdrive for your (dis)pleasure. I'd describe them as having catchy-as-fuck songs that (despite having little substance) you'll surely get caught nodding your head to and humming along to. A guilty pleasure for all seasons that is the musical equivalent of eating gummy worms. Eat a few and it's all good. Eat two pounds and you are gonna throw up.
If you live in the vicinity of Chicago and aren't doing anything tomorrow night, you should head out to North Beach in Downers Grove, IL to catch the rock-n-roll extravagance of Team Rockit. These fine Chicago lads dish out great trashy garage-punk-n-roll in the vein of The Hives and are celebrating the release of their fourth record called The Lowest Point In Rock n' Roll History. Find out more details about the band and the show here.
Speaking of all things Chicago, how 'bout da Bears? Also, Chicago's own Pravda Records released a pretty excellent soundtrack for the independent film 'Fortunes' which stars none other than James Urbaniak (of American Splendor) and Tony Hale (he plays Buster on Arrested Development). The soundtrack features snippets of original score and songs from former Guided By Voices member Tobin Sprout. You can buy the soundtrack from eMusic.
Did you know that there ska is still alive and well in Oslo, Norway of all places? Neither did I until I heard the music of Oslo's No Torso. They play the kind of spirited 3rd wave ska (with a little punk thrown in) that I haven't heard since 1999. Imagine the same soulful ska of early RX Bandits, or even Madness and Catch 22. The band's lyrics are in English and although singer Lars Oskarsen's accent is noticeable, it's not distracting (think Millencollin). The band spices things up a little, but sticks mainly to smooth horn lines and a pretty standard ska formula.
I can virtually guarantee that if their latest CD Several Brains had been released in the late 90's, these guys would have been big here in the US. In 2006 (however) they are pretty much unnoticed. Leave it to the always great Asian Man Records to get the music of No Torso available to anyone who wants to hear it.
While road trips can be fun (to Austin, Massachusetts for example), spending 9+ hours in a car with a fidgety 11 month old can be a bit of a challenge. On our drive home from a long weekend in Pennsylvania on Monday we actually discovered that our daughter is a Gnarls Barkley fan. We left to come home early on Monday morning even before sunup and drove pretty much straight through until we stopped for gas and a much needed break on the Indiana Toll Road. We got Hailey out of the car and gave her a chance to stretch her legs a little (fidgety kid, remember?)
All was good and well until the strangest most unlikely most coincidental thing happened. I went inside and who did I see? My former bandmate, Tim from Allister, that's who. Seriously, I'm not kidding (fuzzy picture above as evidence). How totally random.
Now although I was a founding member of the band Allister (read more about it here) I don't see those guys too often anymore because of my (and their) busy schedules. Evidently they were on their way back to Chicago from a short east coast tour and headed into the studio to record a new EP before they leave for Japan in a few weeks.
It was great to catch up with them a little and introduce them to my daughter. If you live in or around Chicago, come out to see them on October 8th at Chicago's Beat Kitchen before they head off to Japan for 2-1/2 months.
Above is what happens when my daughter Hailey gets into some Spaghetti-Oh's. Lucky for me her mom handled the cleanup. (Notice her sweet punk rocker bib).
Did you know that Jeff Tweedy has a live solo DVD coming out on October 24th? Click here to watch the trailer
If you feel like dancing, I'd highly recommend putting a copy of the latest NOMO record, Nu Tones on the stereo and turning it way up. The Ann Arbor based band plays some great polyrhythmic Afrobeat with free jazz influences that is punctuated by sharp brass stabs and a funky low-end. And while I'm not really schooled in this type of music, I do know that it is ridiculously good.
"NOMO performs a style of Afrobeat heavier on the jazz influences (without neglecting the funk or African musics) and lightly touching on electronic play. The group could be a dissection specimen for a look at the confluence of various sounds in a new setting, but what you really need to know is that its new album will get you moving, even if (perhaps especially if), you’re more used to sitting and nodding your head to post-bop sax solos." - Pop Matters
Nu Tones is out now on Ubiquity Records. Can u dig it? RIYL: YNQ, Pharoah Sanders, afro-pop, etc...
In recent years/months I've begun to accept that I really enjoy a lot of roots music or (at least) music based on roots music. I'm really not sure why that is since I've always had punk blood pumping through these veins. It's something that I really can't explain. One such roots music band that I've recently come across is Boston's Crooked Still.
This is bluegrass music from Boston (members attended Berklee and The New England Conservatory of Music) and not from the front porches of Makanda. It's old-time mountain music with a touch of backwoods chamber folk thrown in for good measure. On their latest Shaken By A Low Sound they use banjo, cello, and double-bass to back Aoife O' Donovan's folk-tinged vocals on a number of covers including songs by Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, and (a favorite of mine) the classic "Ain't No Grave." This is great new lonesome Americana and is (for whatever reason) right up my alley.
So I am currently in Pennsylvania with the Mrs. and the Baby. My wife was a bridesmaid in her good friend's wedding last night. Congrats Becki & Troy!! It was a blast and it was great to see everyone. The music of this next band is the perfect soundtrack for driving through the Allegheny Mountains and sippin' on a Straub.
By viewing the resume of the musicians that make up the Colorado band Drag The River, you might expect a pop-punk supergroup of sorts. Around since the late 90's with various lineups, their current one includes former members of Armchair Martian, ALL, The Nobodys, Pinhead Circus, and Hot Rod Circuit. Heck, their first record came out on a label run by the ALL/Descendents crew. (Un)fortunately or not, punk is something this band ain't.
If Lucero played a little slower and with a litte more twang, you might get something close to Drag The River. This is alt-country played by punks, but with an emphasis on the country. This is music that you can either line dance to, or (if you perfer) just sit at the bar and cry in your beer. Their latest album It's Crazy came out this summer on Suburban Home Records. Drink up!
Did anyone see the Andy Warhol biography on PBS last night? It was part one of two and was fantastic.
I also just learned that the drummer of Rogue Wave's only kidney just gave out and it is pretty serious. The band is playing a benefit show next Saturday in San Francisco and the lineup includes: Rogue Wave, Ben Gibbard, Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), John Vanderslice, & Ryan Miller (Guster). Help out if you can and read about it at www.roguewavemusic.com
In addition, I was just perusing the Hype Machine to see what is popular with the kids these days. Here is a little sampling.
The word is out now on the Chicago locals in Bound Stems and (from what I can gather) their latest album Appreciation Night is making quite a splash. I wrote about them once before, but I don't want to repeat myself.
Often compared to bands like Modest Mouse, The Arcade Fire, and The Walkmen, the band plays a jittery effortless brand of indie-pop rock. The songs and arrangements are complex and unusual but so easy to get into. The vocals are often (almost) conversational in nature. Choppy guitars bang up against assymetric synths in a sinister but warm poppy post-punk. The laid-back (but strangely urgent) fractured indie-pop melodies twist and turn but will (ultimately) find their way up inside your head.
Pick up a copy of Appreciation Night now. It's out on the ridiculously awesome Flameshovel Records.
Rainer Maria has been making music since the mid 90's, and is one of the few bands that is actually still together (even if they have moved from Madison to Brooklyn) from the glory days of the Midwestern emo scene. Seeing them perform new material at Lollapalooza was all I needed to make me go get a copy of their latest album Catastrophe Keeps Us Together.
The songs on Catastrophe are more streamlined and more tightly focused than much of the band's recent work. And (surprisingly) they seem to have shaken off some of the indie-rock dust that covered up their last few records and have ended up sounding energetic and almost youthful. They sound like a band with a smile on their collective face even when things look their bleakest. Everything aside, I really really like this new album of theirs.
Caithlin De Marrais' vocals are smooth and powerful and (without much from guitarist Kyle Fischer) end up as a focal point of the album. There are no shortage of great melodies on the album, which (at times) almost reminds me of an amped-up Rilo Kiley. As much as I miss the Caithlin/Kyle tension, it works. While some may criticize the band as being less adventurous and sounding more radio-ready than ever before, don't be so quick to judge. Catastrophe is a big and sprawling album on which the band (for better or worse) returns to some of their emo-rock roots. The songs are hopeful, urgent pleadings for times in which we really need some.
Last week or the week before I got a copy of the forthcoming cd from Rodrigo y Gabriela. I was actually a bit hesitant to listen, but as soon as the first few furious flamenco-esqe tones hit my speakers, I was hooked. The duo's music is instrumental that weaves Latin harmonies around a percussive "fusion" of rock and classic flamenco-esqe music. Their heavy metal roots also show through (at times) in both style and composition and has to be heard to be fully appreciated. Rodrigo y Gabriela's sound has such a percussive punch that it oftentimes sounds like much more than just two musicians with acoustic guitars. They also do amazing covers (on the album) of "Stairway To Heaven" and Metallica's "Orion." This is easily one of the best albums I've heard all year and will leave you speechless.
The debut CD from these two Mexicans by way of Dublin is due out October 3rd on ATO Records (also the home of MMJ and David Gray). They are also on tour in the US, so go check them out if you can.
Who knew that you could make the word blog with your hands like a gang sign? What they don't tell you is that you'll sprain every finger trying to get it to look right.
Do you like to laugh? Head over to Gerard Vs. Bear to laugh your ass off. Gerard's blog trashing rants should be required reading for all music bloggers.
Okay. By now you all should know that the legendary post-hardcore/emo band Texas Is The Reason is reuniting for one show at NYC's Irving Plaza on November 25th. Supposedly the show is an attempt provide a little closure (they abruptly broke up in early 1997 while on tour in Germany) for both the band and the fans.
"The one thing we all agreed on, even back then, was that our last show should have been in New York City. We've had reunion offers in other states, but we turned them down. This show has been in the back of our minds for a long time." - guitarist, Norman Brannon
That much is fact. What I'm not so sure about is the rest of the story. It just seems to me that there might be more to this reunion than just one show. For example, their Myspace page has new press photos of the band from the past few months. They are an official member of the Riot Act Media promotions roster. And their official site indicates "full website coming soon." These actions (to me at least) are not those of a band that has been apart almost 10 years and plans to remain that way. Am I crazy, or might I be onto something here?
Now I realize that it wasn't really a throwdown when Chris from Gorilla Vs. Bear said he thought Austin has the best music scene in the country, but I just couldn't resist the challenge. There are a ton of great bands coming out of Austin right now, but what about Chicago?
Chicago has such a great and vibrant music scene that easily ranks up there with anyone else's. So I present you with 'Can You See The Sunset's Chicago Mixtape' featuring twenty songs by some of my favorite Chicago bands, but there are so many more. In reality this is only the tip of Chicago's massive musical iceberg.
Can You See The Sunset's Chicago Mixtape.zip (I'm having .zip issues)
First Austin and now Chicago. Tomorrow the world! I'd actually be quite interested to hear "mixtapes" featuring the artists of other cities with great local scenes. Anyone else up for the challenege?
Yes, this is a music blog, but I just felt the need to share the awesome artwork of Nozzman with all of you. He is a cartoonist/illustrator from The Netherlands and actually designed a new header for CYSTSFTS? that will grace the top of this here site within the next few weeks. Seriously, check this dude's work out at http://www.nozzman.nl. I wanted to know more, so I asked him a few questions that he was gracious enough to answer.
So Nozzman, what is your real name?
Bram van Rijen
Where exactly are you from?
I’m from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The second largest city of our country.
How long have you been making cartoons/illustrations?
I’ve been drawing all my life, but back in 2001 I reinvented illustrating for myself. In 2002 I made my first cartoon for a local music-website.
Did you go to art school?
Yeah, I went to St. Joost in Breda for 1.5 years, but it was all too arty farty for me, so I left.
What inspires your work?
The world around me. There is is so much crazy stuff going on!
What do you do when you are not drawing, painting, and making art?
I love music. I used to be in a punkrock band. I played guitar and did some vocals. We we’re called Cumshot, so our chances of succes were pretty limited. I’m into photography as well. Check out my flickr photos. I’m not good or anything, but I just like to shot the world. And I love to travel too with my girlfriend.
How important is music to you?
Couldn’t live without it. Music has always been very important to me. It started back in 1989 when a friend of mine made me listen to 'Garage Days Revisited' by Metallica. And that blew me away. I was a huge fan of them for years. And then I discovered 'White Trash Two Heebs And A Bean' by NOFX, which was the album that made me listen to punk rock. Nowadays I kinda listen to everything, as long is it’s got some balls.
What music are you currently listening to? What is in your CD player?
At the moment I’m into As I Lay Dying, awesome band, and Shadows Are Security is an amazing album. Reuben, a British band. And I’m listening to Bill Hicks a lot, he’s the best comedian your country has ever had. A lot of his topics our outdated of coarse, but man, he had the finger on the pulse of America.
I love all your crazy little characters. How do you come up with them?
I don’t have a standard way of drawing figures, so I just put a pencil down and see what it will look like this time. One of my handicaps is the nose, those always look pretty fucked up ;)
Your work is very colorful. Explain how color plays a role in your art.
I hate black-and white! I love to do vivid colors and make them contrast the topic I’m painting. Happy pink colors on a tragic scene, that rocks!
Don't forget to visit Nozzman's website for tons more of his artwork.
The story of The North Atlantic evidently goes something like this... These guys from San Deigo by way of Kalamazoo, MI (Bells shout-out) broke up shortly after the initial release of Wires In The Walls in 2003, but couldn't stand the heartache that being apart left them all with. So now the year is 2006 and the reuinted band has re-released the album on We Put Out Records for the world to have a second look.
On Wires In The Walls The North Atlantic deliver frenetic post-punk that never loses steam despite sometimes wandering (but not far) into what sounds to my ears to be almost new-wave synth. Jagged guitars and pummeling drums shift and contort with every tempo change like an out of control freighttrain. The band also showcases a humorous side on songs like "Scientist Girl." How can you not love a band with lyrics like, "I'd rather listen to The Clash all night than be with you."
RIYL: The Blood Brothers, Bear Vs. Shark, Small Brown Bike, etc...
I saw Nashville's Oh No! Oh My! at Lollapalooza and thought they were great. I even made a note to pick up their self-titled album, and finally did. So now what I have blasting through the stereo is a stellar slice of twee indie pop with plenty of catchy little "la la's" and "ba ba's" for me to sing to my daughter.
The band even goes so far as to briefly touch on electo-pop, and "did I hear a banjo somewhere in there?" This album is bouncy, fun, and just what I needed to hear to combat the summer-is-gone blues that are descending on gloomy, cloudy, rainy Chicago. Simple, cute, happy-go-lucky indie pop that fans of The Boy Least Likely To and Page France should really like. Nothing more, and that's perfectly fine by me.
Amputechture. A combination of the words amputate and architecture, but (even so) what does it mean? Is it a reference to designing and engineering artificial limbs? Maybe constructing structures from leftover body parts? Perhaps we can all find out by listening the The Mars Volta's adventurous third full-length album conveniently titled Amputechture.
The music of The Mars Volta is the creation of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (both ex-members of post-hardcore megastars At The Drive-In). But it is (in most ways) almost completely dissimilar to the work of their former band. Both musics are intense and impassioned, but musically speaking (as most of you know), The Mars Volta has jumped headfirst off the ledge. Amputechture is even more far-out than their last studio album Frances The Mute (an impressive accomplishment indeed).
Amputechture is not an easy listen. The first time I put it on the stereo, I eagerly anticipated the end of the record for a little aural and mental relief. I couldn't (and still really can't) wrap my head around the album. Gone are the concise (relatively speaking) songs from De-loused. The interludes have gotten longer and the freakout jams have grown more intense. When you think a song should naturally end, it doesn't. To even think in terms of songs will simply confuse you more. Blending elements of rock, dub, latin music, free jazz, funk, flamenco, and more, the Mars Volta creates a complex, cacophonous, and oftentimes chaotic album, but is it necessary? Is it all gratuitous?
At first, I kept thinking that Amputechture had devolved into pretentious sonic noodling and guitar wankery. It seemed to me that Omar & Cedric had become a little too free-spirited without Jim Ward (former ATDI guitarist and current Sparta frontman) to impart a little structre on the songs. But I kept listening, and then listened some more. I heard horns blaring in a wash of squelching feedback. I heard the pyshcedelic dissonance of John Frusciante's ever-present guitar riffage. I heard a lot that I had a hard time fully making sense of.
I like fee jazz as much as the next guy (OK, probably more than the next guy), and like so many great albums and great artists of that genre, The Mars Volta's Amputechture can be a difficult and exhausting listen. The music takes time to seep into your mind and into your soul, but once you finally "get it" the music becomes magical, almost like an escape from reality. This is a rich, dark, and complex album that is like treasure chest filled with the world's greatest riches. But it's up to you to find the key.
The album is out Spetember, 12th (tomorrow) and will feature the first single "Viscera Eyes," which evolved from a song that was originally intended for At The Drive-In. The Mars Volta will also be on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for most of the fall. Check their Myspace page for tour dates.
I realize that this is only the first Sunday of the NFL season. I also understand that the Packers aren't all that good, but damn, the Bears look like they have a more complete team than they've had in quite some time. They look like (gasp!) Super Bowl contenders.
Everyone knows that their defense is tough and they proved it by shutting out the Packers. We knew that Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson could run (they combined for 97 yards today), but a passing game? Yep. Rex Grossman threw for 262 years and Mushin Muhammad had 6 catches for 102. They were on the same page. The Bears even used their tight end Desmond Clark (5 catches for 77 yards) successfully. Folks, I think there might be shades of 1985 here, so enjoy the songs below.
Very few bands can play contemporary emo-pop-punk-rock music that doesn't sound totally overdone, juvenile, and shallow. Even fewer can make it appeal to a more mature audience. Whether is it an infusion of indie rock, straight-forward pop, or even hardcore, most bands seem to fail miserably at the task.
Springfield, IL's Park (however) is a band that actually does it quite well. They've been around in some form or another since the late 90's and it's kinda funny that I recently came across the band because (although I've never seen them live) I remember seeing flyers for their shows all over central Illinois when I was going to school at UIUC.
Their latest album Building A Better_______ sounds like cornfields hitting the foamy surf of the west coast in the late afternoon. It has the charm and technical complexity of Midwestern emo (a la Braid) combined with a more laid-back, slick (but slightly dark) SoCal pop-punk sound. The hooks and catchy choruses aren't necessarily immediate, but they are there. Park isn't breaking any new ground, but they don't have to. Building A Better______ is out now on Lobster Records. RIYL: Sensefield, old Cursive, Midtown, etc...
As Ryan over at Muzzle Of Bees also mentioned, California's Cold War Kids are preparing for an October, 10th release date of their debut full-length Robbers & Cowards (he also has a link to their YouTube video for "Hang Me Out To Dry"). This marks the (count 'em) third Cold War Kids release of 2006. They released two six-song EP's (Up In Rags and With Our Wallets Full) earlier this year.
Now when all the major blogs started telling the world how great the Cold War Kids were a few months ago, I (as I usually do) approached with caution and trepidation. I listen to a few tracks that had been posted here and there and wasn't all that impressed with what I heard. I thought it was pretty typical indie rock stuff, but (in hindsight) I totally dropped the ball. I'm more than happy to admit when I screw up or make a bad first judgement, and this Cold War Kids situation is a perfect example.
It probably just took seeing the band live at Lollapalooza for me to appreciate them, for I can not begin to explain the level of aweseomeness they had that day (uhhh). They bounced around the stage like monkeys on crack and layed down a groove as thick as molasses. Interesting rhythms and percussion banged headfirst into huge melodies and anchored firmly to the smart and literate (read: outstanding) lyrics. Needless to say, after seeing the band live I revisited the songs from their EP's and was (this time) blown away.
Cold War Kids have even been the band of the day at Spin.com and also featured over at Daytrotter. Hopefully you haven't missed the boat. This is your chance to hop on.
(Seriously) how have I not posted anything from the forthcoming Lucero album? For real? I love Lucero and I've been listening to this one so much it seems like it's already been out awhile. The lowdown is that the album is called Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn Brothers and it will be released on September 26th. But...
Pre-order the album from Lucero's website and not only will you get the CD shipped to you one week prior to the street date, you will get an immediate digital download of the album and a limited-edition 3 pin set. What more could you ask for?
Anyway, I've written about Lucero briefly before and certainly mentioned how incredibly great this band is live. What could be better than a little southern-countrified-punk rock? And where their last album Nobody's Darlings was a more stripped-down guitar-based record, Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn Brothers finds them incoporating more piano, organ, and keys into the mix. The music is still trademark Lucero (though) with songs about love, loss, and drinking. Get it now.
Oh yeah, Lucero is also on tour with Rocky Votolato and William Elliot Whitmore opening. See you at Metro.
For more pictures of Mr. & Mrs. Pishko and the mayhem that was their reception/party, visit my Flickr page. For another Lawrence Arms video, just watch below.
Earlier this summer my old friend Andy and his (then) girlfriend Julia took a road trip and (much to everyone's surprise) ended up getting married in Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. Their quasi reception just happened to be last night at Chicago's Liar's Club on Fullerton. And in true Pishko fashion, the beer choices from the bar were Pabst Blue Ribbon or Bell's Oberon. I think everyone had a great time.
Amy and I drank a little with my brother Kurt and his fiancee Kelly and got to see a lot of old friends and acquaintances including Andy, Kris, KP, Bill, Chad, Nolan, and probably a bunch more that I'm forgetting about. The nostalgia is slowly creeping back.
They also had Chicago's finest wedding band to entertain the lot of us. Earlier this year the wedding band released their fifth proper full-length on Fat Wreck Chords, but last night they played cover songs from the likes of Salt N' Pepa, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Tiffany, The Mushuganas, Scorpions, Jawbreaker, Cutting Crew, and more... Fuckin-a-right!
Since this is a music blog, watch a video snippet of their performance and also the original song.
I realize that some of you readers won't care two bits about this, but you should. If you like pop-punk (or even if you don't) you really should check out the Atlanta, GA quintet Cartel. They play catchy as hell pop-punk that I've written about before. Keep reading. Did I mention that you can win a copy of their debut full-length Chroma?
Here’s the contest (open to US residents only). Just email the answer to the following question to canyouseethesunset(at)gmail.com by 7:00PM CST this Friday, September 8th. Five winners will be selected randomly.
Here's the question: Who is the youngest member of Cartel?
A. Will Pugh (vocals) B. Nic Hudson (guitar) C. Kevin Sanders (drums) D. Joseph Pepper (guitar) E. Jeff Lett (bass)
Have fun and check out their Myspace page as well.
Even though, Frank from Chromewaves beat me to it, I feel compelled to post about the new album Offshore from Bloomington, IN's Early Day Miners because it is fast becoming one of my favorites of 2006. While the song "Offshore" was initially released on the group's sophomore album Let Us Garlands Bring, it serves as the foundation for this new album, much like a director's cut of that particular song.
Offshore is gorgeously textured and virtually seamless from start to finish. It sucked me into the vast lonesome alternate reality where there is nothing for miles but grey skies and abandoned wheat fields. Just imagine filtering sad Midwestern Americana through the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Isis. The music isn't heavy, but it is weighty. It is awash is shifting atmospheric tones that never allow the droning ambience of the music to lose focus. This is a crushingly beautiful album that is enormous in emotional scope.
This one's a little of the beaten path. So my brother is getting married this fall way down south (to me at least) in the little town of Makanda, Illinois. Makanda is a town of less than 500 people down near Giant City State Park. And while there isn't a whole lot in Makanda, it is the home of the Broke Strang Band.
They play mountain music that they describe as "hillbilly shit." It's a lot of banjo, fiddle, and geetar that you'll certainly like if you like the music from O Brother Where Art Thou. This is roots music that will make you stomp your feet and dance a little jig. They don't (from what I can tell) have a record, I don't even think they use amplifiers, but they do have a Myspace page. I hope they are the house band at my brother's wedding reception.
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