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.

Looker; Orion Experience; Other Local Faves' Upcoming Shows

We're slipping here at the SPHQ because Looker and the Orion Experience are playing Maxwell's tonight and yours truly had no idea till just now. Booooo.

You can catch also Looker tomorrow night at Public Assembly (the rock n' roll venue that was once Galapagos Art Space, which itself has officially moved into DUMBO and will no longer host rock shows). They will also be playing the Mercury Lounge on the 25th and Union Hall on August 22nd.

The Orion Experience will be at the Knitting Factory on July 24th and the Highline in October.

Action Painters are playing the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night, opening for TigerCity, making for a nice alternative Siren festival after-party.

The Teenage Prayers have joined Eli "Paperboy" Reed for his show at Union Hall on August 1.

NYC's other Teenage band of note, My Teenage Stride, is also playing Union Hall in August...the 20th to be exact.

Psst...Joan Wasser is playing the Bowery Ballroom on September 25th. Don't tell anyone till I have a ticket.

In another slip-up, Wormburner played the Merc last night and now you'll have to wait till the Fall to see them again. Drats.

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

SPTV: CMJ Music Marathon 2007

Photos

CMJ 2007 Schedule

Tue 10/16:

Voxtrot (later); Dean & Brita; Most Serene Republic @ Bowery Ballroom

Voxtrot (earlier) @ Other Music

Looker @ Pianos

Wormburner @Midway

Teenage Prayers @ Arlene's Grocery

Dean Deacon @ Silent Barn

NYC Smoke @ Fat Baby

Bella Noir @ The Delancey

Brad @ Highline Ballroom

Tigers & Monkeys @ Luna Lounge

St Vincent @ Other Music

Wed 10/17:

Vampire Weekend (early) @ Cake Shop

Mates of State @ Avalon

Xiu Xiu @ Blender Theater at Gramercy

Nikki Corvette; Black Tie Revue @ Southpaw

Eskimo Joe; Robbers on High Street; Eagle Seagull @ Mercury Lounge

Deerhunter; Dan Deacon @ Bowery Ballroom

The Giraffes @ Crash Mansion

Serj Tankian; The Nightwatchman @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza

Sam Champion @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Imperial Teen @ Maxwell's

Excellent @ Europa

Teams Robespierre @ Knitting Factory Tap Bar

Division Day; Arizona @ Canal Room

Barcelona @ Arlene's Grocery

Via Audio @ Lion's Den

Dayna Kurts; Adam Levy @ Banjo Jim's

Thu 10/18:

The Dirbombs; Jay Reatard; The Intelligence; Miss Alex White; Cheap Time; Turbo Fruits @ Mercury Lounge

British Sea Power; Pela; 1990's; Tiny Masters of Today @ Bowery Ballroom

Spoon; 1990's (later) @ Blender Theater at Gramercy

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead @ Highline Ballroom

Division Day; 1900's @ Union Hall

Action Painters @ Europa

Vampire Weekend (early) @ Other Music

Palomar @ Arlene's Grocery

Meat Puppets @ Maxwell's

M.I.A. @ Terminal 5

The Giraffes; Beat the Devil @ The Delancey

St. Vincent @ Knitting Factory

UKLE; Holy Fuck; Walter Meego @ Webster Hall

Catfish Haven; Eagle Seagull @ Puck Building Day Stage

Imperial Teen; Catfish Haven @ Southpaw

Mates of State @ The Annex

Pterodactyl @ Cake Shop

Fri 10/19:

Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Roseland Ballroom

The Dirtbombs; The Intelligence; Turbo Fruits @ Southpaw

The Spinto Band; Sons & Daughters; The Maccabees; Sahara Hotnights; 1900's @ Bowery Ballroom

Coheed & Cambria @ Highline Ballroom

Jay Reatard; Miss Alex White @ Galapagos

M.I.A. @ Terminal 5

Spank Rock; Noisettes @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza

Mates of State @ Joe's Pub

The Insomniacs; The Nouvellas @ Magnetic Field

O'Death; The Black Hollies; Takka Takka @Union Pool

The Maccabees (later) @ Blender Theater at Gramercy

Catfish Haven @ Arlene's Grocery

Capital Years @ Pianos

Japanther @ Kntting Factory

Bowerbirds @ Puck Building Day Stage

Sat 10/20:

The Dirtbombs; Jay Reatard @ Maxwell's

Spoon; The Ponys @ Roseland Ballroom

Band of Horses; The Brunettes @ Bowery Ballroom

Justice @ Terminal 5

The Hard Lessons @ Magnetic Field

Great Northern @ Pianos

The Contrast @ Arlene's Grocery

Matt & Kim; Art Goblins (Brut) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Coheed & Cambria @ Blender Theater @ Gramercy

Eli Paperboy Reed @ Crash Mansion

Tigercity; Harlem Shakes; Georgie James @ Mercury Lounge

Arizona @ Galapagos

Via Audio @ Ace of Clubs

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.

Minneapolis Bar Band Blows Brooklyn Away

The Hold Steady; The Big Sleep; The Teenage Prayers
@ Prospect Park Band Shell
Brooklyn, NY - August 9, 2007

Craig Finn is a guy who likes to sing about hoodrats, getting high, bars, parties, Minneapolis, and the Mississippi River. And yet somehow this gets interpreted as being highly literary, as if Colin Meloy of the Decemberists isn't the only literary-minded singer-songwriter with a jarringly off-kilter voice who fronts a very accomplished set of musicians. How literary (last time I use the word, promise) Finn is, is up for debate. But the stories he weaves are compelling. And even more compelling are his frontman antics. And just as compelling are the exuberant antics of his band (particularly the keyboardist whose name I didn't know until recently, and as I am unsatisfied with the name Franz Nicolay, I shall rename him Giuseppe McSorley). And even more compelling than that is the combined joy of the band with the quality of the songs that they play. Put it all together and you have one of the greatest bands in America. I can't recall the last time a bar band was so good and achieved such success.
As soon as the Hold Steady began to climb, the backlash began. But as with most things, I'm about a year to two years behind schedule, so as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the most perfect things out there right now. And everyone knows it, really. Especially those young hooligans known as the Rolling Stones who are having the Hold Steady open up for them next week in Dublin.
Oh, and for all the months (and for some, years) of "they sound like Springsteen!, they sound like Springsteen!", what I wouldn't give to hear these guys belt out "Bastards of Young". Minneapolis ties and all that.
Photos from Dfactor, via Waved Rumor

The Big Sleep have a fitting name. They would have entirely crossed over into snoozeville if it wasn't for their obvious talent-in-waiting. The Big Sleep, unless they were stymied by sound problems, have down all the basics for great rhythms, great backbeats, great songs - but then they don't do anything with it. Where are the melodies? Where are the vocals? What exactly are they trying to do?
I only caught the last couple songs of the Teenage Prayers and I wasn't paying much attention but what I heard wasn't too bad.