July 6, 2008
I haven’t hit y’all in the face with a Clash-related post in a couple weeks, so yer due. I rarely get comments on my Clash posts, though, so I’m thinking of cutting them out. Keeping my Strummerlove to m’self, unless some of y’all tell me you appreciate it. I’m not digging these things up for my health, after all.
This one is from the 1991 tour Strummer did with The Pogues, the great Irish punkers. I don’t know the exact date of the show, but the quality is top notch. A few tastes, and a zip. And remember, if you don’t like these posts, don’t comment. But if you do, speak now or I’ll be holding my peace.
Full Set List:
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
Sayonara
Cotton Fields
Young Ned of the Hill
Rain Street
Repeal of the Licensing Laws
Tombstone
Turkish Song of the Damned
Gartloney Rats
London Calling
Metropolis
1,000s Are Sailing
Sunny Side of the Street
Straight to Hell
Medley(The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road To Dublin/The Galway Races)
Dirty Old Town
Sick Bed
Yeahx5
Star of the County Down
I Fought the Law
Brand New Cadillac
Parting Glass
Zip file!
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July 4, 2008
DEAD LEAF ECHO-“Pale Fire”
New York’s Dead Leaf Echo aren’t the easiest band to classify, which isn’t a bad thing. The swirling “Warm Body” has all the gritty atmosphere of The Gutter Twins, but title track “Pale Fire” (mixed by Ulrich Schnauss) is downright shoegazey. “Cry the Sea” is ‘80s Euroangst, though, recalling Joy Division and New Order, with great drumming. Overall, the band’s second album is a tragic, romantic tribute to the ‘80s, but with more goth than most bands who harken back to this sound (I’m thinking of Interpol specifically).
Pale Fire
DR. DOG-“Fate”
Dr. Dog make big-sounding folk songs—simple, quaint,
themes weave a full, rich musical tapestry. It’s far from easy to listen to, as every song constantly reinvents the band’s sound, which means that hearing the record can take a little effort. But it’s a
rewarding one. Dr. Dog have received much blog love, so there’s really no need for me to write up a long review here. I can’t help thinking, as I listen, that this band is capable of much more than what’s on “Fate.” They seem to have endless, bottomless potential. With each record, they stretch out just a
little more, making each new release a rewarding experience.
My Friend
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July 3, 2008
“Breeze” is the opening song on “Shall Noise Upon.” It’s a light, airy, wafer-thin crisp that fades a soon as it begins, leaving little behind. It’s followed by “Singing to the Earth (To Thank Her For You),” which sounds exactly like its title. It could have been on the Hair Soundtrack. Another tune, “Fog and Shadow,” may be the first psychedelic country song I’ve heard. It sounds like a Hank Williams 45 played at 33 1/3 RPM. For those who don’t know, that refers to record speeds. Records were these black, plastic discs that looked kind of like big CDs. Folks listened to them all the time in the 1960s.
And speaking of the 1960s, no review of Los Angeles’ Apollo Sunshine can be complete without reference to that decade, and the early 1970s, because there’s few bands as unashamedly hippie-retro as this one. Following up their 2005 self-titled debut, “Shall Noise Upon” (to be released on September 2nd), features Byrdsy rock (“666: The Coming of the New World Government”); prog-rock psychedelia (“Green Green Lawns of Outer Space”); idealistic folk (“Money”); atmospheric instrumentals (“Shall Noise Upon;” “Happiness”); samba (“Honestly”) and even Moby Grape/Steppenwolf blues (“The Funky Chamberlain;” “The Mermaid Angeline”). There’s something for every Easy Rider on what sounds like a mixtape from your dad’s old vinyl, only with much better production quality.
Man, this is a radical ride that breaks from society’s rules and conventions, and totally blasts you into a 5th dimension, dude. But don’t take my word for it, I’m over 30.
666: The Coming of the New World Government
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June 30, 2008
God, I hate the band Thailand. What they’ve done with “The Remote Controller” is unforgivable. Because it’s only an EP.
Marc Linquist is, frankly, one of the best indie rock (new new wave) songwriters performing today. He’s a fantastic abstract lyricist (From Down in the Trenches: “You look great now how’s your coma?/Sugar and dough and we’re all bleached out/Check the body count, look you dropped ten more/Does it feel like we’re down in the trenches?” From Heartland Failure: “One more year hating your country/One more year tearing your hearts in two.”) He writes powerful music as well, and his bandmate Jonah Flicker (on guitars) and Staci Roark (synths, vocals) are perfect by his side, all of them playing together, incredibly tight. The band manages to be lucid and soaring without being shoegazy, and their debut album, Motorcade, was my pick for the third best indie album of 2007.
“Control Control” sounds much like Thailand’s debut, which is to say that it’s lo-fi, low-key indie rock
that washes your ears and mind with a sense of calm and wonder. The vocals stretch a little more than last time, approaching an Arcade Fire whine-and-howl, but all in all, this is just more Thailand. Which is to say, I love it!
Why is it an EP? There’s only one answer: They suck.
Down in the Trenches
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June 29, 2008
Jamie Lidell’s been in the business for a while,
making top-notch whiteboy soul, and he’s releasing “Jim” this summer. It’s an old-sounding album, a la Amy Winehouse (but Jim was doing it before she was), that borrows from gospel, funk, R n’ B, disco . . . There’s a little something for everyone here. A touch of Otis Redding, a pinch of Marvin Gaye . . . The influences are obvious, but that doesn’t mean Jamie doesn’t make his own music here.
“Wait for Me” sounds like a Ray Charles cover, complete with blazing piano solo in the classic my-piano-is-a-guitar style of Jerry Lee Lewis. And if you think that sounds like tons of fun, you’re right. “All I Wanna Do” sounds like The Neville Brothers, a sweet, gospel lament much like Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come.” This is a solid album with just enough nostalgia to make you smile, and enough originality to keep you guessing.
Out of My System
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