Was once a podcast with Elwood D. Pennypacker (@oldtimeelwood on the Twitter) that went by the old expression "Punk Isn't Dead, It Just Goes to Bed at a More Reasonable Hour".
Surfer Blood; Grooms; Savoir Adore @ Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY - October 24, 2009
The classiest bowling joint in all the world is also a venue (ala Asbury Lanes) and it played host to After The Jump's CMJ day party. The first band went on an hour and a half after advertised, the second played a good 40 after that, and the third band played an hour after the second band and all played for about 20 minutes. Uh huh.
Surfer Blood do "Swim to Reach the End", a rollicking good song that reflects their penchant for afro and carib sounds. Yeah yeah Vampire Weekend I know. Well more than one band can do it you know. Too bad they showed up an hour late, and the guitar player busted his guitar 2 chords into the song and it took them forever to play again.
The gloomy outfit known as Grooms play their instruments well but not well together. Sorry guys. The drummer has chops though.
Savoir Adore look and sound like the excellent Montreal band Stars. They were pleasant almost to a fault. I would like to see them again.
CMJ Music Marathon 2009: I Was A King; Evan Voytas; Eternal Summers; Free Energy; Beach Fossils @ Santos Party House
I Was A King; Evan Voytas; Eternal Summers; Free Energy; Beach Fossils @ Santos Party House New York, NY - October 21, 2009
The Oh My Rockness 5th Anniversary Party for CMJ should have been a celebration of the best concert calendar/song podcast in the Indie Rock universe, what with a booking of bands who have produced some of the best songs of the year. But the piss poor sound guys at Santos Party House somewhat ruined things as they tried to deafen the audience with murderous high volume for music that didn't need it. They tested the amps and speakers but good as whines and blow-outs occurred through the night and the wrong monitors were turned up or turned down at the wrong times. And all the bands suffered for it. But we persevere:
Norway's I Was A King are the possessors of "Norman Bielk", a power pop number of good stock and station. Some of the other songs matched the quality of that one but the loss of guitar on the speakers at certain moments coupled with horrid feedback knocked out the charm. I don't think the band could hear themselves either.
Evan Voytas happens to be the guy behind the most tasteful romantic song to come around in a long time, "We'd Be Good Together", a song which - like the others specifically mentioned in this piece - Oh My Rockness put on its mp3 podcast earlier this year. Yet Evan didn't play it. In fact, the material he played sounded somewhat removed from the style of "We'd Be Good Together" and his vocals, modulated as they were, didn't even sound like the same guy. The idea was entertained that Oh My Rockness had booked Evan Voytas on the strength of a song that was erroneously misidentified as being his. Well, later investigation has proved that "We'd Be Good Together" is indeed an Evan Voytas song but it's from a year or two ago, and not part of his new Peter Gabriel/Duran Duran style sound. What he did play was worthy in great swaths but the audio guys sabotaged the set with all the aforementioned problems.
Eternal Summers are a girl on guitar and a guy on drums with garage grime/dark pop flavor. Not bad but they seemed purposely disinterested which was a turn-off. It is also entirely possible they were just naturally shy.
Free Energy, the band who rose from the ashes of Hockey Night, was the one band I caught that had the sound guys on their side. What would pass for shtick if they were from Hipsterville, NY instead comes off as down-to-earth Philadelphian love of classic rock, no more, no less. A slight hint of hippiedom to their 70's shine (their banner "Dream City" kicks off with a borrow of "Spirit in the Sky") is more of a plus than a negative, at least the way they pull it off. Great solos.
Beach Fossils had way too much reverb for their outright awful lead singer but the rhythm section was tight and the guitar player was sublimely talented, doing more with less in this project that merges surf rock with the Cure.
CMJ 2008: The Hard Lessons; Great Lakes; The Teenage Prayers; The Box Social; The Orion Experience; The Gay Blades; Action Painters
The Hard Lessons; Great Lakes; The Teenage Prayers; The Box Social @ 92 Y Tribeca Makor Center New York, NY - October 25, 2008
The Orion Experience; The Gay Blades; Action Painters @ Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY - October 24, 2008
With the economy in the tank, and everyone hurting, and questions and nervousness and a "too good to be true" attitude abounding among the believers of the big presidential campaign, who really wanted to spend their CMJ trolling the venues for fresh new talent? Besides how much room for new blood could there be when practically every show featured a Reatard or a Vivian Girl or a Muslim (not THAT kind of Muslim you fearful Republicans you)? So alas, the call was made, the die was cast - this CMJ was going to be about old friends, a few of the kids from the Sonic Parthenon family of bands - a one-two weekend punch of reliable favorites. And it was a decision well worth making.
It was a time for fun but polite frontmen, wickedly good guitar heroes, and dames on keyboards. The Hard Lessons are a ven diagram in this scenario: Augie is the chops-heavy, mad-dash man of the ax with a penchant for solid vocals while Ko Ko Louise tickles the electric ivories and herself delivered just about the best damn vocal performance this CMJ. The Michigan kids (recently married by the way - YAY!) brought a touch of that Lower Peninsula rough-and-ready to the swank decor of the Makor Center - a Kosher performance space that is as sleek and fancy as things go these days. It proved a great juxtaposition between the haves and the have-nots: the society with the riches hosting the band that needs gas money. And yet, it worked.
Meanwhile back at Public Assembly (once the site of Galapagos - and itself a volatile mix of yuppies, hipsters, artists and people who just like to rock a bit), Tom of Action Painters and Orion of...Orion anchored their respective bands with a little panache, a lot of gumption, and good old fashioned talent. The bands themselves delivered the goods as they have been known to do. Their divergent sounds offered a great little yin-yang of New York rock - the 70's Partridge-Family-From-Hell grooves of the Experience and the New Wave power-pop anthems of Action Painters. With feisty, punky Linda offering shake-it-if-you-got-it keys for the Orion Experience, and Alison charming vast swaths of the electorate with thoroughly tingling pop constructions for Action Painters, a woman's touch was also never far away.
In these days of Joe the Plumber, and Joe the this and Joe the that, let's not forget Joe the Guitar Player. Specifically, Joe the Action Painters guitar player. With much stealth, this Joe may be the best unknown guitarist in the city - and he doesn't need a license to prove it. So let's make him known.
It was also a weekend for duos. The Great Lakes are a soft-spoken country duo, almost draining in their takes on things. But they were far from bad. Conversely, the Gay Blades are hard, in-your-face, blues rock. In fact, except for a little dance beat thrown in, they are pretty much a rip-off of the early White Stripes. Copying isn't necessarily a bad thing if it wasn't so damn obvious. The lead singer even copies Jack White's squirrley live voice circa 2003. On top of that, he's also rather obnoxious, thinking quite highly of himself as a true rock n' roll badass who is too cool for CMJ - to go along with other "I'm an outsider" shtick. It was all quite a turn off - except damn if those riffs aren't catchy as hell and the foot-stomping stage-slamming dancing isn't smile inducing.
The Teenage Prayers continue to channel the Grateful Dead but I wish they would perk up a bit and show some vigor.
The Box Social are nerd-punks from Wisconsin. They play their semi-sleek riffs hard and fast, making for a pretty fun time. Reminds me of the sunny 90's. Remember those days? The economy was good, we knew our place in the world...memories. Thanks guys.
CMJ Update: What Update? Well...Go See Action Painters and the Orion Experience
In a perfect storm of election, work, and personal affairs, yours truly has been MIA from CMJ. But hopefully you, dear reader, have not been.
Look at the concert calendar and see all the old friends of the blog making the rounds. Looker have done their part but tomorrow, the Orion Experience and Action Painters will own the night at Public Assembly while the Hard Lessons tear it up at Union Hall. Where will I be? Probably another night cancelled - or actually, as of right now - at a third gig entirely but I would be remiss if I didn't encourage you to go out there and catch these bands. This blog has been a little under the weather in its bread and butter lately but don't be discouraged - these bands are still making it happen out there.
Starting Tuesday, it's another five days of the annual CMJ Music Marathon. Like last year, Pennypacker is aiming for all five nights, and considering the recent slack in live reviews, it would be good to see what's out there. That being said, there won't be an itinerary published, I'm just going to try to make it out all five nights. We'll see.
With a new blog name, new pen name, new everything this year, it makes sense to tackle the year in review a little differently from the last few years. Scrapping the traditional awards-style listing, and ignoring the countdown listings that everyone else does, here is just an all-things-equal review of a LOT of the music heard in 2007, broken over several parts this week. And only 1 mention of Amy Winehouse, promise!
Action Painters
Live Show
Record: Chubby Dancer
Songs: “Absolutely Clear”, “Sooner or Later”
Well it never worked out that a second Action Painters live review took place in 2007, but the random drunken entry on an August Thursday, just a few songs worth made a big impact. The Chubby Dancer EP justified what was heard, especially the lead off tracks, “Absolutely Clear” and “Sooner or Later”. The former could have been a hit single in the last 25 years and the latter is a modern rock power pop bit of heaven. If the band likes this kind of attention, they should personally thank ol’ Pennypacker’s crazy Latina ladyfriend, whose bootyshaking and drink pouring antics drove the old man out of the yuppie bar and in a cab to the Merc.
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Live Show
Record: Easy Tiger
Song: “Halloweenhead”
Quite a year for Ry. He limited himself to just one record and solidified his bond with the Cardinals. Neal Casal, Jon Graboff, Chris Feinstein, and Brad Pemberton, helped steer Ryan through his new, aware sense of the world around of him. “Halloweenhead” showed off the project’s ability to bust out a single so smoothly made that the rough edged vulgarity almost slips by entirely. The small show at the Hiro Ballroom was one of the highlights of the year, with a funny Ryan sounding excellent and the acoustics of the small room matching the band’s fluidity. The Halloween night mega-show was too long for its own good but the band still sounded in fine form. Here’s hoping Ryan has an even better 2008 and if not, there’s always DJ Reggie to fall back on. "Halloweenhead" live at the Hiro:
Apples in Stereo
Live Show
Record: New Magnetic Wonder
Song: “Energy”
Sweet, syrupy, but nevertheless 3-chord bad ass fun, Robert Schneider’s Apples in Stereo is the most accessible spin-off of Elephant Six. Their LP was a treasure chest of single-friendly anthems, led by the begging-to-be-commercialized (in a good way) “Energy” and their live show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg was every bit as fun as it should have been. Hey! This summation was completed without using the word “Psychedelic”. Yes!
Yeah, It’s A Bit Complicated was all right and “Direct Hit” and “People In Love” were the best tracks on it. “Direct Hit” in particular was a solid single. But let’s not kid ourselves. Art Brut is all about the live experience. Whether it was the headlining spot at the Highline Ballroom or opening for the Hold Steady at Terminal 5, it was proved that Art Brut’s songs are nothing without Eddie Argos’ spoken word engineering. Direct Hit SPTV:
“Atlas” by Battles Seven-minute singles are really unheard of, now and pretty much ever, but New York math rockers Battles did just that. A song straight from Munchkinland in Hell, “Atlas” is a stomp-filled, metal-inspired opus that actually says something good about prog rock.
Band of Horses
Live Show
Record: Cease To Begin
Song: “Is There A Ghost”
They look like they should be a jam band but instead Band of Horses crafts an ethereal mix of Indie pop. Making South Carolina a respectable place to be, Ben Bridwell and company look past their “Weed Party” shenanigans for the magnificence of a single like “Is There A Ghost”. Admittedly it’s so simple as to be annoying, but Indie pop should always be this simple. Punk sensibilities never heart good pop music. Their Terminal 5 show was more than decent and kudos to Ben for actually mapping out the plan for everyone there: (Paraphrasing) “Ok so 2 more to go, and then we’ll come back out for four more, so six songs total and then you guys can go, OK?) Video
“Because I’m Awesome” by the Dollyrots This is a really dumb song on a really terrible album by a pretty bad band. That being said, the song can be played on repeat for hours. It’s so good and so bad at the same time, it makes you want to listen to Little Steven’s Underground Garage all over again…and then turn it off forever. Video
“Been There All The Time” by Dinosaur Jr One of the absolute singles of the year. Dinosaur Jr. has been through a lot over these many years and this ode to early 90’s-style fun-rock is a reminder that there’s been a lot of crap out there on the radio, and the old guard still do it better than anyone else. What a song. Video
Scott H. Biram
Live Show
Record: Graveyard Shift
Graveyard Shift is more than fine but it was the live show at the Luna Lounge, which has matasticized into a sprawling, experimental thing, that keeps Biram relevant and, more importantly, damn good. Live in Texas:
Black Tie Revue
Live Show
Eh, take Code Fun for what you will. It grows on you but none of this matters as Pittsburgh’s BTR is one of the best live rock n’ roll bands around. A little power punk, a little garage, a little bar band-y, they cover all the bases equally without falling off the cliffs. Solid, solid, solid sets at the Cake Shop and Southpaw this year. SPTV at CMJ
Cake Shop The neatest little idea on Ludlow Street (and the Lower East Side and lower Manhattan for that matter), the Cake Shop really came into its own this year with a host of reviewed gigs (some great, some not) and a ton of other shows that didn’t make the Sonic Parthenon calendar but nevertheless assuredly tore the house down (The Clean, Jay Reatard, King Khan & BBQ Show, etc). Camera Obscura
Live Show
Record: Let’s Get Out of This Country
Let’s Get Out of This Country came out in 2006 but was not heard by Pennypacker ears until this year. In retrospect, it was the Best Album of 2006 and will make a big claim on the Album of the Decade title in a few years. The band made two trips to New York this year, the second of which fell into the Sonic Parthenon purview. A beautiful, intimate set at Sound Fix Records in Williamsburg was one of the most singularly enjoyable moments possible (even with the ultra-packed crowd and a stomach ache). And the little stage banter between Obscura leader Traceyanne Campbell and this writer was as cute as it was sudden. It was so thoroughly a great gig, it inspired the birth of Sonic Parthenon TV. And the next night’s spectacle at the South Street Seaport should be wrapped up in a little box and held tightly forever. One of the best bands in the world, period. SPTV at South Street Seaport:
Chicago (the city) City-based scenes will come and go but take note of this one right now as it begins its ascent up. The Changes, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and the 1990’s, are the vanguard in the Windy City’s more pop-infused efforts. The Changes were last year’s best new act and the latter two are duking it out for this year’s title (good thing the old award process was scrapped). And to top it all off, the garage rock sound is still being served well, namely by the continuing presence of the charmingly feisty Miss Alex White and the arrival of the Yolks. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bands. 1900's at CMJ, SPTV:
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir at the Empty Bottle
The Changes' "When I Wake", video released this year:
The Yolks
Miss Alex White at CMJ, SPTV
CMJ Music Marathon In accordance with the revamped spirit of this blog, this year’s CMJ was the first to be reviewed on all five nights. Wormburner and Looker owned night 1 but Mixtapes and Cellmates, by a razor thin margain, were the previously unknown act that became the find of the night and the marathon. Black Tie Revue kept things going on night 2 and then the Dirtbombs anchored the In The Red label show at the Mercury Lounge on night 3, with Jay Reatard, Miss Alex White, and Turbo Fruits helping out and then some. Night 4 started off with the sweet sounds of the 1990’s and Sahara Hotnights (and Drug Rug too for that matter) before the Dirtbombs brought it home at Southpaw. And Saturday night was a little return to the old Detroit days with the Hard Lessons in Brooklyn and the Dirtbombs in Hoboken. CMJ Personal Highlight: Chicks. CMJ Lowlight: Missing out on Looker’s house party down the block from the Dirtbombs gig. Drag. SPTV at CMJ
Elvis Costello
Live Show
The May show at the Nokia was a lesson in legend. Dapper in a suit, with sparkly slippers to keep himself comfortable, Costello dished out “High Fidelity”, “Alison”, “Watching The Detectives”/”Let Him Dangle”, and “Welcome to the Working Week” among other chestnuts. Always independent minded, no one tells Elvis what to do and no one wants to.
“D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice THE Hipster dance song of the year and giving Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” a run for its money. The child-turned-melisma drenched singing voice was disturbing but the beats brought it home. The Terminal 5 shows were missed but that’s probably the best way to treat that venue: as a dance club with DJ’s.
The Dirtbombs
Live Show
No new record, no matter. Five New York area shows by one of the best live bands in the world, and what do you expect? The end of the revolving door really seems to have meant something. This is the only Dirtbombs line-up this blog has ever known and it may as well stay that way. Great people, great band, great times. Next year, a new record (which already sounds great, by the way) and a return to the Bowery Ballroom. 2008 could very well be the Dirtbombs’ year. SPTV at CMJ:
“Don’t Let Him Change Your Mind” by Jarvis Cocker One of the nicer, sweeter singles this year, from the Pulp helmsman. A likeable fellow with a loveable track. Video
Electric Six
Live Show
Song: “Dance Pattern”
This was the year that Electric Six was supposed to go away. Enough was enough. How much longer can someone parlay the Disco-Metal thing? And sure enough, a large chunk of the egregiously named I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being The Master was D.O.A., how it was with Switzerland. But something happened: “Dance Pattern” was one of the best songs of the year, and the live show actually not only remained good, and not only improved from 2006’s mid-year funk, but the last outing was their best yet. And credit has to go to Dick Valentine for potentially making a serious impact on the culture with the phrase “put a little mustard on it”. "Dance Pattern" live at Southpaw:
“The Equestrian” by Les Savy Fav One of the more rollickin’ punk songs of the year, from an eclectic band whose live show is hyped to death but has yet to be reviewed here. Hear it with this video
CMJ 2007, Night 4: Dirtbombs, Intelligence, Sahara Hotnights, 1900's, Drug Rug
Sahara Hotnights; 1900s; Drug Rug @ Bowery Ballroom New York, NY - October 19, 2007
Sweden's Sahara Hotnights were once a punk band then popped it up in subsequent years and they sounded fine either way. The new songs continue the pop trend and while it is unclear if this band will ever have another hurrah, it's good to have these ladies around. Mini-clip
The 1900s are really inspired by a host of 70's country-rock and pop bands, from America to the Eagles (ugh) to Marshall Tucker Band to John Denver and so on and so forth. It may not be the most exciting brand of rock to draw from, but they pull it off with finesse and legitimacy. And for a pretty serious band, they seem to be having fun. Just don't venture into Fleetwood Mac territory kids (ahem, Rilo Kiley, ahem) and you'll do just fine. For the money, nothing beats "Georgia".
Drug Rug, as the name may suggest, is a hippie-ish jam band. As a general rule nowadays, this is kind of a bad thing. But unlike other jam band acts, Drug Rug doesn't squander good songs on boring long jams. The band takes mediocre to half-decent tunes and turns them into into solid, fun, foot stompin' jams. The jams are actually the best part, maybe because it's based in a general band-wide country freakout rather than a series of show-offy solos. And for the record, the girl in this band, may just be about the most cutest thing on the face of this planet. Seriously. So cute that it needed to be mentioned in serious consideration of this review. Cute shouldn't be this beautiful. It's almost scary. Mini-clip
The Dirtbombs; The Intelligence @ Southpaw Brooklyn, NY - October 19, 2007
Tonight's show is noteworthy in that Mick and the gang attracted both a legion (hehe) of new fans and found some old ones not seen in awhile. It was good times all around, up front, in the back, and all over. Tonight's version of "Candy Ass" wasn't as sexed up as the night before, but it was still the Dirtbombs at their best.
A second helping of the Intelligence left a satiated but not entirely satisfactory feeling. There's got to be something untapped that needs to bust out to make this one work 100%.
CMJ 2007, Night 3: Dirtbombs, Jay Reatard, Intelligence, Miss Alex White, Cheap Time, Turbo Fruits
The Dirtbombs; Jay Reatard; The Intelligence; Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra; Cheap Time; Turbo Fruits @ Mercury Lounge New York, NY - October 18, 2007
Yadda yadda Dirtbombs yadda yadda nothing better live than this yadda yadda new material sounds great yadda yadda particularly "Wreck My Flow" yadda yadda special cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" yadda yadda "Candy Ass" was reworked into a gloriously sexed up, funkified version that made the band sound as fresh as ever yadda yadda gabba gabba hey yadda yadda Dirtbombs forever.
Hardcore garage punk is not really this blog's thing, but let's not mince words. Jay Reatard is f-ing great. He's the best at what he does. The raw power and energy behind the thrashy, trashy rock n' roll could give you an apoplectic fit if you weren't careful. And again, the best part: Beneath that gruff exterior lies a sucker for 3-chord rock n' roll melody. This Memphis boy could be just at home in an arena as a small club, but that's something a lot of people probably don't want to hear.
The Intelligence certainly sounded different, at least at first, from every other band of the night. But what started as a potentially provocative experimental hybrid of a few types of rock n' roll sort of devolved into basic, pound-away attempts at punk. They were not bad though. Video
Miss Alex White has enough charisma, presence, and authenticity to be Chicago's only prized export, but even though she has to share the burden, she's still got it all. In The Red is lucky to have her.
Cheap Time was really hyped for this blog. So it's not their fault that it then became impossible for them to live up to the hype. But with hard work and good direction, they'll get there. But wasn't Jemma Pearl supposed to be in this band? Video
Turbo Fruits did not sound quite as good as they did at the Bowery this past summer but these kids have such gumption and spirit, they can't be denied. The wellspring of Tennessee rock does have its cup flowing over. Or something like that. Video
Black Tie Revue @ Southpaw Brooklyn, NY - October 17, 2007
With frantic gig hopping last night, and the big all night In The Red showcase tomorrow night, tonight was the ripe opportunity for a one-and-done affair. Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue is an excellent live band, delivering crafty power chords and melodies with every tune. They get better each time they play, and they sounded great in the relatively large confines of Southpaw. It can only go forward from here.
CMJ 2007, Night 1: Looker, Wormburner, Vegabond, Teenage Prayers, Mixtapes and Cellmates, John White
Unlike other multi-gig reviews, we're doing this one in chronological order, not the usual reverse.
John White @ Cake Shop New York, NY - October 16, 2007
Sonic Parthenon's CMJ Music Marathon coverage got underway with a stop-in at the free show going on at the Cake Shop. New Zealander John White offers delicate acoustic folk in the vein of Iron & Wine. Gentle, mellow, but also ethereal and a bit spooky.
Teenage Prayers; Mixtapes and Cellmates @ Arlene's Grocery New York, NY - October 16, 2007
The Teenage Prayers began their set with a bit of bar-band rock and it was looking good but they were foiled by sound problems. Another problem for the New York band, was that some of the better tunes were sidelined by the cluttered, noisy ones. The band sounds better when it is organized. Their 70's pop-rock inspirations work better than their Grateful Dead and Band inspirations. The Teenage Prayers Mixtapes and Cellmates, a young quartet from Stockholm opened the CMJ festivities at Arlene's with their own sound problems and they thought for sure they had played a trainwreck. But surprise, surprise, they sounded alright and maybe more importantly their overall sonic template is really good. A bit Britpop, this band sounded familiar but was hard to define. If anything, their synth backbeat leads to something on the order of Coldplay meets VHS or Beta. They make good, thinking music, but you can move to it, or just let it wash over you. This is music ripe for a good soundtrack. This may be one of the better discoveries at this year's marathon. Mixtapes and Cellmates
Wormburner; Vegabond @ Midway New York, NY - October 16, 2007
Last time (the first time) I saw Wormburner I was really drunk. Incredibly, and needlessly, drunk. And I liked what I heard. Wormburner had to pass the sobriety test and the band passed it with flying colors. Glorious power rock, at times pop, at times all out rock n roll, Wormburner blends the needless rock labeling system and spits out something incredibly catchy and fun. They are having a great time up there and they bring it out in the audience. Stay tuned, this is going to be one of New York's best. Wormburner
It's not often, if ever, an overtly hostile review of a band is put on this blog. I try to go out of my way to not overtly criticize a band beyond the flaws that I, as an average listener with no personal musical expertise, may see. But then there are times like Vegabond. I am sorry, guys, I really am. I don't mean to be a total insensitive ass about this but...this was awful. Utterly awful. It's not that Goth-metal can't be my thing at times - anything can be good at some point - but this was just trite, uninspired, shlock rock. Looker @ Pianos New York, NY - October 16, 2007
By a stroke of luck, I caught the last 2 and a half songs by Looker for the fourth and final gig of the night. The sound at Pianos was much kinder to the band than the set-up at the Lucky Cat's, showcasing the quartet's knack for pop hooks and rock n' roll. The sizable crowd was really into it. A great nightcap to end a packed first night of CMJ 2007. Looker
Artist of the Week: Bands of CMJ; AKA The Attempted Sonic Parthenon CMJ Itinerary
Killing two birds with one stone, this weeks' artists of note are the bands to be seen, or to try to be seen, for the CMJ Music Marathon. Some of these shows overlap so there won't be reviews of some of these bands but it is heartily recommended that if you don't see one, see the other.
Tuesday, October 16
Teenage Prayers @ Arlene's Grocery These New Yorkers got short shrift when they opened for the Hold Steady at Prospect Park now is the time to make it right.
Wormburner @ Midway Fun local guys that know how to party. This time, we're seein' 'em sober!
Sam Champion & Looker @ Pianos How much can a band capitalize on the name of a weatherman? Find out. And before that, see New York's best pop-punk band.
Wednesday, October 17
Nikki Corvette and the Stingrays & Black Tie Revue @ Southpaw A hot rockin' gal and Pittsburgh's best and brightest all on one bill. The latter have a pop-punk record but they are pure good time garage live.
Thursday, October 18
The Dirtbombs, Jay Reatard, The Intelligence, Miss Alex White, Cheap Time, & Turbo Fruits @ Mercury Lounge Two bands from Nashville, one from Memphis, one from Seattle, one from Chicago, and the headliners from...what's that city? I forget. But they're good. And half of this bill is practically guranteed good and the rest are looking good. Maybe the bill of the festival.
Action Painters @ Europa A great New York band. Utterly great. Friday, October 19
Sahara Hotnights & The 1900's @ Bowery Ballroom The Sahara Hotnights won't go away and they prove it by flying over from Sweden just to play this one set. We may have to check them out just because. The 1900's are a cute little pop band from Chicago. 2008 may be Chicago's year, and if it is, this band will play a big part in it.
The Nouvellas @ Magnetic Field Dansettes 2.0 take off on Atlantic Ave. The Dirtbombs @ Southpaw The Dirtbombs for the nightcap. Saturday, October 20
The Hard Lessons @ Magnetic Field Get the last night of CMJ off to a rockin' start with these kids. But don't wear yourself out just yet...
The Dirtbombs @ Maxwell's The SP house band, and this year's CMJ house band it seems, end the fest with their traditional hour-plus party in Hoboken.
Oh well, one less "ettes" to go around. Kind of sad when these things happen. But things move on and some of the members have reformed as the Nouvellas, and they will be joining the Insomniacs for CMJ at Magnetic Field on the 19th. (Funny enough, the next night at Magnetic, a band actually called The Ettes will be playing).
-Mountain Goats is sold out tonight but he's playing Studio B tomorrow.
-On Saturday, there is a great alternative to the Arcade Fire-led mega show at Randall's Island: The Hard Lessons at Union Hall.
-The Pipettes cute it up at the Filmore on the 8th.
-Jay Reatard is basically a resident in New York for a chunk of this month with 2 sets of 3 nights in a row, first the week of the 9th at Death by Audio, the Cake Shop, and Don Hill's and then later at CMJ.
-Remember the Hives? They're playing Webster Hall on the 9th before they open up for...wait for it...Maroon 5 at Madison Square Garden. While my exterior patrician facade shows no change, know that inside I am laughing my ass off.
-Remember the Donnas? You're better off seeing them than the Hives on the 10th. They'll be at the Highline Ballroom if you're feeling silly.
-Some chick named P.J. Harvey is playing the Beacon on the 10th.
-The Raveonettes are also doing a 3 night run around town starting on the 10th.
-Terminal 5, the city's next mega venue, kicks off its impressive calendar with the National and St. Vincent on Thursday the 11th. The following two nights, the National will be playing at the smaller confines of the Music Hall of Williamsburg.
-The CMJ Music Marathon kicks off on the 16th. Check back for all the details.
-Starting Monday the 22nd, Morrissey begins a week-long at the Hammerstein. What a guy!
-Khannie and the B, also known as the King Khan and BBQ Show will be at the Cake Shop on the 25th and in Williamsburg the next two nights.
-The Go Team has already sold out their Bowery Ballroom show for the 28th. They'll be at Studio B the next night.
-Halloween night is pretty major this year: The Police, The Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, Demons Claws, and Zap Mama. The best bet is with Ryan but it sold out in just a couple days back in August. Rats.
Dirtbombs CMJ Music Marathon Schedule (It's A Doozy!)
The Sonic Parthenon House Band, AKA The Dirtbombs, have officially taken over CMJ this year. THREE shows in three nights in the New York City Metro Area with line-ups sure to please the ears, eyes, and anything else in need of rock n roll stimuli.
Thursday, October 18th @ the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan: The Dirtbombs will be joined by: -Jay Reatard -The Intelligence -Miss Alex White -Cheap Time -Turbo Fruits
Friday, October 19th @ Southpaw in Brooklyn: The Dirtbombs will be joined by The Intelligence and Turbo Fruits
Saturday, October 20th @ Maxwell's in Hoboken: Line-up TBA
And a reminder, say hey to ol' Elwood here at the shows.
I remember three years ago when the Mooney Suzuki sold out the Bowery Ballroom on a Monday night. Now they 3/4's filled the new (and great looking) club Rebel, which is about a fifth or a sixth of the size of the Bowery, on a Saturday night. Take that for what you will. I've seen the Suzuki three times this year now. The first time, very early in the year, had them testing out new songs, and it wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't great. The second time, not quite at the halfway point of the year, was a super-short set with a brand new bass player and they were still feeling out their new ways. Last night, however, the Suzuki were back in form. Playing mostly their established stuff, they were solid through-and-through. The new songs sounded a lot better, but it will be interesting to see how they turn out on the new record. Margaret & The Nuclear So & So's were stale indie pop. The Willowz came on stage looking like Southern Mountain folk, so I expected either hippy dippy music or something like metal. Instead, it turns out they're from California and they play garage rock with a high-pitched singer. Lots of promise but still working on it. Them nice goils and boys in the Dansettes stunned the hipster crowd with their Motown/soul revival and that's a good thing. The Changes started off the night and very nearly stole the whole night. Recalling equally The Smiths as well as a bit of the Jam and a tiny bit of the Replacements, these Chicago pop-rockers mixed dance-beat background with solid pop-hooks. But the last time I heard a band sound this good with this kind of music, The Golden Republic, the record turned out to be a completely different story. So there's a caveat for you.
The Decemberists returned to New York with a sold out show at the Hammerstein as part of the CMJ Music Marathon and while the band concentrated too much on the new uneven album, Colin Meloy kept things moving along with his mandatory audience participation, including a band-led renactment of the Charge of the Light Brigade in the crowd. This provided ample cover from the direct (but OK) lifts of Pink Floyd, ELP, and Talking Heads that the new songs are populated with (though my favorite new tune is "O Valencia" since it is directly lifted from the Decemberists).
This ain't your daddy's educating, edifying, and entertaining indie pop band...but then again, maybe it is, college boy.
Opener Alasdair Roberts is a Scottish act that is so soft, subtle, mellow, and melancholy, he's almost too much of all that even for a Decemberists gig.
Blue Republic's My Space Band of the Week: The Decemberists
Collin Meloy and co. are back after last year's Best Album of 2005, Picaresque, with The Crane Wife and they're playing the Hammerstein Ballroom this Friday as part of CMJ. Listen to "O Valencia" from the new album and watch the video for "Sixteen Military Wives" from Picaresque, at my page, then go to the official page and official site.
