The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn and the End of 2010, Part 1

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Every year it seems the Indie Rock world gets one representative to the big dance - the top of the charts, the Grammy awards, etc. The Arcade Fire appear to be the perennial delegate for as long as they release something. When The Suburbs debuted at number1, it arguably spelled the moment where the number one record in the country was heard - or even heard of - by the fewest number of people yet. That's the bittersweet rub in the Arcade Fire's success. And it makes tracks like "We Used To Wait" and "Month of May" ironic.

Atomic Tom - The Moment
The hard working boys in Atomic Tom hit pay dirt while yours truly was away in London being locked out of the 20-20's show in Islington. Taking advantage of modern bits of technology - namely Iphones and YouTube, the band made a video, the world went wild, and now they are living it up on the television and the charts. But they are the still the work-incensed band that was slugging it in New York City in the last couple of years.

Augustines - "Book of James"
With a flair for the dramatic and a voice to give you the shakes, this song made me think "it reminds me of the late, great Pela". Well what do ya know?! It IS Pela! Sort of. I should have recognized Billy McCarthy's voice in an instant. In fact I did. But I didn't think it was actually the man himself. Pela lives! Sort of.

The Capstan Shafts - "Quiet Wars"/Massy Ferguson - "Long Time, No See"/Poison Control Center - "Being Gone"
A trio of songs that got a lot of Ipod play that fall into a family of country/bar band mixes. The college rock anthem style of the Capstan Shafts is slightly different from the more twangy Ferguson and the jammy PCC, but together they make for a steady stream of Americana.

Cee-Lo Green - The Ladykiller
"Fuck You" - the song that dare not be named - would have been a scandal just ten or twenty years ago. Now it is an automatic hit and no one bats an eye. That's a victory. The Glee treatment was sort of a defeat (we're not on that bandwagon). The Goodie Mob half of Gnarls Barkley is still too dangerous for Ma & Pa America but he's too mainstream for Pitchfork, which makes him the King of the Sonic Parthenon Universe. If "Fuck You" wasn't enough, "Satisfied" and an unbelievably fantastic re-do of Band of Horses' "No One's Gonna Love You" bring home the bacon. If Soul Train was still going, Cee-Lo would be doing it on there, with Ben Bridwell probably helping him out.

The Colourist - "Oh Goodbye"
For a good run there, NPR's Second Stage podcast was delivering songs-to-notice as good as any of the big boy podcasts. This one sort of boggles the mind as being obscure. It is catchy, well-structured, and made for a hit. One of the best songs of the year.

The Corin Tucker Band - "Doubt"
The haunting voice of Sleater-Kinney finally got back into the mix in 2010 with a very natural record. She's sounding great and feeling great and doesn't seem to have lost any time since those first days when Sleater-Kinney made their mark. As if on cue, Carrie and Janet are now working together again as Wild Gift (with Mary Timoney no less). Could it be possible that 2011 will spell the return of...? A fella can dream can't he?

Diamond Rings - "Something Else"/The Hundred in the Hands - "Commotion"
The 80's are back. They've been back for a few years now. In fact, they are too back. Synthesizers are as prominent now as they were when George Michael and Mister Mister were breaking hearts (god help us). Throw in the auto-tune for good measure, and it appears the robot dystopia has finally come to pass. But it's not all doom and gloom. These two songs reflect what works. The Diamond Rings song has that dark side of the New Order tone to it, with a revved up rift to boot. Hundred in the Hands are building a lot of momentum, taking more of the club tack that Ladyhawke rolled with last year - in other words, the lighter side of the New Order tome.

Eliza Doolittle - "Skinny Genes"
A sweeter, friendlier spin on the saucy British ingenue, Eliza Doolittle has a nice, almost too-catchy, too-sweet ditty here. But this isn't what matters. What matters is getting her and Holly Golightly together for a tour.

Fight From Above - "Between The Curves"
Another NPR Second Stage winner - from a concept album about the City of Angels.

Fol Chen - "In Ruins"
If I was to think of what constitutes the music a trendy hipster would listen to in 2010, this is it. Making use of samples (including, yes, 80's samples), bubblegum pop melody, and a sassy female voice, what's missing? Feedback and distortion? I realize I am actually trashing all of this - but I still like this song.

Grinderman - Grinderman 2
The Fall of 2010 belonged to Grinderman, unopposed. With an album that actually sounded good from beginning to end, and a live show that spanked you red, it all seemed to flow easy and inevitably from the delirious "Heathen Child" video. After the smart roll-out, the sequel to 2007's glorious effort upped the ante with the best kick-off song in years - "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man" - a twisted slice akin to the first half of From Dusk till Dawn. As if that wasn't enough, "Worm Tamer" nailed it (especially as done by Warren on the Jools Holland program), "Evil" almost made Howlin' Wolf's song of the same name seem angelic, and "Halls of Montezuma" almost sounded from the U2 mold except in that much more derelict Cave sense of things.

Gross Relations - "You Don't Know Me"
While others are trying to sound 80's, this act is going for more 70's power pop. In fact, this song could be a dead ringer for Bowie's "Heroes".

Black Taxi, The Frontier Brothers, Atomic Tom, Hailey Wojcik & Her Imaginary Friends @ The Studio at Webster Hall

Black Taxi, The Frontier Brothers, Atomic Tom, Hailey Wojcik & Her Imaginary Friends
@ The Studio at Webster Hall
New York, NY - February 13, 2010

Webster Hall's decision to create a Mercury Lounge/Southpaw type sub-venue downstairs was a stroke of genius and worth it alone for the startling contrast when exiting the place, having paid 10 dollars to see prime rock music live in intimate quarters and barreling through a super-packed parade of nitwits lined up to pay 50 dollars to stand around while loud recorded music blasts away.

Black Taxi are a sleek but gritty amalgam of sight and sound. Both edgy and familiar, the quartet make it look easy but are definitely putting together a rough mix of funky chops, alternative echoes, and pumping rock. It's been awhile since bullhorn, trumpet, and washboard-style xylophone all came together with solid guitar, bass, and drum and sounded fresh.

The Frontier Brothers are indeed the Austin depiction of old time New Wave. A good chunk of style offset by that punk-ish spirit of twisting and turning, they were a solid set.

I saw Atomic Tom at a Deli Magazine party in the summer of 2008 and I remember being impressed by their ability to be a new sounding band that perked my ears without having to summon the retro sounds that mark this generation. Almost 2 full years later, this band is ready to explode. In the utmost professional sense, these four guys are bringing their A-game from the opening chord to the last note. Never a missed chord or a false start, never wasting time futzing around on their instruments, you'd think you were seeing an arena-sized band in their prime. The sound of Atomic Tom is a little more fleshed out these days, sounding as ready-for-modern-radio as ever but devoid of the kind of sap and hollowness that a band could fall victim to. Their obviously growing fan base is an interesting mix of those who know good music and those who need a lesson in good music and this band should feel proud of themselves for giving an education to those who need it.

Hailey Wojcik & Her Imaginary Friends were the most eclectic band of the night, running along from minimal folk-pop to speak-sing art house before finishing off with a startlingly perfect rock song that nearly blew the basement up onto the Webster Hall dance floor. Have to see them again.

The Deli Party @ Galapagos, Featuring Action Painters and La Strada

Action Painters; La Strada; Fools for April; Atomic Tom
@ Galapagos Art Space
Brooklyn, NY - July 3, 2008

Deli Magazine's party at Galapagos featured the return (finally) of Action Painters to the Sonic Parthenon review page. After seeing them for a few minutes last August, it has been a series of missed opportunities, one after the other, but at long last, all things are right. And the band did not disappoint. In a just a handful of songs, they proved the right mix of power pop and garage rock. Their songs would be slick and creamy if it wasn't for the fact that they are a straight up rock n' roll band. They are so much fun, it isn't funny. And they are yet another example of the vanguard of New York bands that make this city refuse to go quietly into the rock n' roll night.


La Strada were recently hyped by L Magazine as a band to watch this year, and while their recorded stuff didn't really lead one to feel that way, their live show is another matter. Few bands need 6 or 7 members but La Strada is one of the few projects that can work with that number. A compelling string section back up the acoustic sounds of accordion and percussion, and an able singer to anchors it all. This is pretty serious stuff and it is executed rather sharply.
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Fools for April are an acoustic pop band with light, sprinkly stuff. Good for your girlfriend. If she's into that sort of thing.

Atomic Tom should suck. They really should. Contemporary sounding power pop is really just a few shaves away from being Hoobastank or something awful like that (I don't know, is that band even still around? What's popular these days?). But here comes Atomic Tom doing it right. A sensationally powerful lead singer, driving riffs, and some winding, tightly crafted melodies make for full-on excellent affair. There is very little, if anything, retro about them. They are very new sounding. And while that can be a tricky road to navigate, they make the most of it.
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