The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Spring 2011, Vol. 1

A little bit different for this recap of the passing season.

Albums
Airborne Toxic Event - All at Once ("Changing" is by far the stand-out on what may prove to be a sophmore slump record for a band that has exploded.)
The Lonely Forest - Arrows (as of right now, my album of the year - except I didn't think to put this in the list when I first published it, and I forgot to play them as I intended on last week's Sonic Parthenon Show.)
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh ("Boeing 737" sounds like nothing else as their road of a record.)
Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong (the title track and "Heart in Your Heartbreak" rule the roost but overall the Pains have asserted themselves as one of THE bands of the era. They're in this for the long haul.)
The Strokes - Angles ("Taken for a Fool" is great. "Under Cover of Darkness" could be the single of the year. Everything else is essentially dreck. Letdown.)
Tv on the Radio - Nine Types of Light (With each record, TVOTR not only improves but makes the case that they may be the band we cite first and foremost for this generation of music, the way we cite Nirvana).

Songs

4 on the Floor - "Junkie"
Boat - "Forever in Armitron"
The Dogs - "Dance More"
Manhunt - "Just in Time"
A quartet of rockers that I've grouped for simply being straight-up rock n roll. "Junkie" is straight out of the playbook and "Just in Time" sounds like the stepchild of Dinosaur Jr (only missing of course the solos).

Usonia - "It's Your Night"
Starfucker - "Bury Us Alive"
A pair of dance numbers for that warm weather groove. There are two more that I just started listening to that will be around for the summer recap. Dirty Vegas on the Sonic Parthenon Show?! Anything is possible...

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Early 2011, Vol. 2

I See Hawks in LA - "Highway Down"
Every now and then, a classic, textbook country song - post-Hank and Johnny, pre-modern garbage, something in the Bakersfield vein - comes along and is just one big home run. I can't remember the last time I loved a pure country song like this one. I need to see these guys.

Jamaica - "Jericho"
I only first heard this song a couple of weeks ago but have played it so many times that it deserves mention in this first chapter of the year. A French duo calling themselves Jamaica, these croissant-eating, beret-wearing (they must, right?) wine-drinkers tap into the 80's nostalgia-wave but use the synths for the Forces of Good, combining them with a rock n roll riff that would make any blue jeans bandana lover proud.

Marina & The Diamonds
I actually really don't think I like this. I know I don't like the record. Her voice leaves a lot to be desired. But there's something about "Oh No!" and a couple of the other tracks on the self-titled record that work. Maybe it was the emotion of getting through an airplane ride on my maiden voyage to London and the "cool Britania" aspect of hearing this record on Virgin Airways. I don't know.

R.E.M. - "Mine Smells Like Honey"

Leave it to these guys to come up with an immediate Song of the Year contender.

Small Sins - Why Don't You Believe Me?
Nice-sound guys from the nice city of Toronto.

Stag - "These Times"
The first number 1 of 2011 on the weekly Top 25 Countdown on the Ipod, this is one for the lovers - the lovers of three chord, big solo in the middle rock n roll.

The Strokes - "Under Cover of Darkness"
It remains to be seen if Angles is the great return of the Strokes that this song promised it to be (see the next volume of the playlist). In the meantime, the New York kids (they ain't kids anymore) just made one hell of a stab at Single of the Year.They haven't sounded this good album one, track...oh...7.

TV Girl - "I Don't Care"
It's actually kind of nice that after all the zombie-like indifference to the world that Yuppie Hipsters invoke on a daily basis, someone wrote a song about it. Another one with the synths but to good effect...it's a New Wave song from Heck.

The Twilight Singers - "On the Corners"
The brain child of Greg Dulli returns with another dark, forceful serenade. But I wonder if he'll work with Mark Lanegan again? That was great.

Voxhaul Broadcast - Leaving on the 5th
This OC band reminds me of U2. Not 100% sure why. But they do.

Anna Waronker: I Don't Wanna
Is it a boogie woogie blues number? Is it a punk sparkplug? It's both!

War on Drugs - "Comin' Through"
The Philadelphia band returns with a long awaited (and probably forgotten about, to be honest) follow-up to their '08 success. Spending time with Daniel Johnston didn't fry their brains out thank goodness. They're even bigger fans of sharply spun 70's rock than before.

Yuck
The trending band of the moment. Probably because of the one dude's hair. But everyone likes them right off. It's another case of demo to blogger stardom to more professionally paid buzz all in a matter of weeks. "Get Away" is the best of the bunch. A lot of it clicks, some of it does not.

Honorable Mentions:
Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks
British Sea Power - Who's in Control
The Goondas - Jackalope Jesus
Pert' Near Sandstone - Raleigh and Spencer
Fergus & Geronimo :: Powerful Lovin'
MADE IN HEIGHTS - All the Places

New Venue News; Spektor/Hammond at McCarren

• The old Galapagos site (still operating for a bit longer) will be renamed Public Assembly.
• The Union Hall-related venue being constructed on 7th St between 2nd and 3rd Aves in Gowanus/Slope/Sunset will open in the autumn and will be named the Bell House.
• Remember when a little known singer named Regina Spektor collaborated with the Strokes? And remember when the Strokes would pack in major shows at places like the Hammerstein? Well one of those Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr., also known as The Happy Stroke, or The Stroke Who Shows Emotions, is now opening for Regina at McCarren Park on August 15th.
  

Lou Reed & Bright Eyes; New Video for Old Strokes

Lou Reed helped out Connor and the gang at Town Hall on night 1:


A new video for the Strokes' "You Only Live Once".
Why did the band have the website revamped, let alone commission a new video for an old song, if they are on such a long hiatus?

2006: The Year In Music

Before we get into it, let me warn you that this is, like pretty much all lists, a grossly uninformed and limited view of pop and rock music. And in comparison to previous years, I don't personally feel satisfied with the amount of music I have heard by which to judge these categories. So take everything with a grain of salt and the notion that this is the opinion of one rock n roll fan and the music he has heard, and not a music critic instruction manual in what was good in music in 2006:

Best Artist With A New Album
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years

If only because this is a classically perfect album. It's almost too good and mechanically so. Every song is a melodic radio friendly bit of singer-songwriter pop. And yet this kind of music doesn't make a dent in the charts anymore. And although garage rock and blues are arguably my favorite genre of music, this is the third year in a row that an undeniably non-garage rock record wins. Blanche won 2 years ago and the Decemberists won last year, indicating that it takes something special and different to stand-out, even if, as in the case of Ritter, sounding different means sounding so predictable. Not to mention, The Animal Years wins by eeking out other albums that were near-perfect and split the difference. Listen to some stuff here.

Runner-Ups:
Bob Dylan – Modern Times

At the top of many other lists this year (and shockingly shun by the Grammys), the legendary Dylan's new record is one of many albums this year that are half-perfect and half-flawed. Like many other records, it peters out with some filler but what's good about it is so good that it is still part of the Top Albums of the Year. See the video for "Thunder on the Mountain" below.

The Black Keys – Magic Potion

Like the Dylan record, what's great on this record is great enough but it sort of weakens out as it goes on. Not to mention, trying to follow up Rubber Factory is like God trying to show up...well...Dylan. Here's the video for "Your Touch".

The Changes – Today Is Tonight

A sharp, sudden, and stylish debut from these pop-rockers out of Chicago. Jingle-jangle all the way. Listen.

The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

After having last year's Best Album with Picaresque, it was going to be hard for the Decemberists to match it completely just one year later. They almost pulled it off with a handful of solid tracks and a couple of shocking departures but all together it's a bit too much to take in at once. Plus, it's way too derivative of Pink Floyd, ELP, and Talking Heads at different times, and even as the Decemberists do the homages well, they're above it. But still...a fine record to remember the year by. Expect the Decemberists to stick around a long time, if they choose to do so. Now how about some Colbert-inflamed "Valencia"?!

The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics

By Lips standards, this is an eclectic record filled with nice twists and turns. No Flaming Lips record is a complete masterpiece (though The Soft Bulletin came closest) but this album held on from its spring release to remain a top entry. Scroll down below in the video section for the "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song".

James Hunter – People Gonna Talk

I first heard James Hunter on Dave Raven's Raven N Blues podcast and it turned out he was getting help from some big time stars, Starbucks, and Virgin Records Stores. So he was stuck in my head. The second coming of Sam Cooke provided the most lighthearted and pleasant record of the year. Listen to some of the stuff here.

Mondo Topless – Take It Slow

The best garage rock record of the year, Philadelphia's Mondo Topless takes too long to put out new albums but if consistency requires big lapses of time, then let them do what they want. Listen.

The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers

Yeah yeah yeah yeah, I know. How could the official band of the Blue Republic blog not have the Album of the Year? In all honesty, it would be a little unfair. The Raconteurs were not the only band around in 2006. That's obvious. And if I have to get technical, let's just say "Call It A Day" cost them the victory. They should have put the live version of it on the record and we'd have a different story. My Baby's on the "Level".

M. Ward – Post-War

M. Ward has yet to make an album I completely love from beginning to end, but he gets better every time and he's become of the most endearing authentic artists out there. Listen to some tunes.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones

For most of the year, it was probable that the YYY's third album would shock the world and be the Best Album of the Year. It was tough not giving it to this unique and important (band-wise) record which showed the trio could shift their sound without changing their aesthetic. See the videos for "Gold Lion" and "Turn Into" below.


Best Song/Single Released by Band , Group, or Duo

TV on the Radio – “Wolf Like Me”

Usually I break this category down into three winners but this year there was almost no contest. The true number 1 - and certainly one of the best singles of this decade - is TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me". It's everything that experimental rock n roll should be. Their albums remain too much for my taste but I appreciate where they are coming from and what they are trying to accomplish and producing songs like this certainly make that possible. Listen here and see their Letterman performance here.

Blanche – “What This Town Needs”

Oh boy - here they are again. 2 years after winning it all, Blanche is back. Those of you who thought I shilled for the Raconteurs (and for that matter, the Dirtbombs)...just wait till 2007 when the full Blanche lp is released! This sneak preview, released off an October EP, demonstrates that Blanche is going down true rock n roll paths on their continuing unique road. Listen.

The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldier”

Yep, here they are. But it can't be helped. By the sheer technicality of releasing this mostly-title track as a single at the end of the year, the Racs sneak into the winners circle. But they deserve it. It's Led Zeppelin, Decemberists, White Stripes all in one and all at their finest moments. Scroll down to the video category to check it out.

Runner-ups:
The Black Lips – “Oh Katrina”

Atlanta's Black Lips are fast becoming a band that when they're good, they're good and when they're not good, they're not good. "Oh Katrina" is pure good. Hookish, garage-ish, fun-ish. Good. Google search - find it.

Electric Six – “I Buy The Drugs”

Switzerland may have been an overall bust, and even the live show slacked off at least one night, but E6 can still put out the singles that ought to be hits. Here's the video and here's hoping they pull out all the stops on New Year's Eve at Maxwell's.

The Flaming Lips - “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”

See below.

Gnarls Barkley – "Crazy"

It had to be on here. It was that good. And that's the end of it. The video.

The Soledad Brothers – “Good Feeling”

They came, they saw, they broke up. But they left this shoulda-beena-classic behind. See the video below.

The Strokes – “You Only Live Once”

Last year's First Impressions of Earth came out too late to matter last year and had too much filler to be considered this year but the band wisely released the opener as a single. It's the best song on the album. the video.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Gold Lion”

The video.

Best Song/Single Released by a Female Artist
Jenny Lewis (w/the Watson Twins) – “Rise Up With Fists!!!”

No contest this year. No female-sung song stuck in my head quite like this one. See the video below.

Runner-ups:
Cat Power – “The Greatest”

Chan Marshall gets better all the time and less of a secret each time at that.

Neko Case – “Margaret vs. Pauline”

Neko's voice is one of the best in the world and she shows it off on this diddy from Fox Confessor Brings The Flood. Watch

Best Song/Single Released by a Male Artist
M. Ward – “Right In The Head”

How did M. Ward fend off Bob Dylan and the album-winning Ritter? By combining rock, country, folk, and pop into one haunting little song that's how. Watch.

Runner-ups:
Bob Dylan – “Thunder on the Mountain”

Nothing was finer on Modern Times than this opening track. The video.

Josh Ritter – “Girl In The War”

Barely losing to M. Ward in this category, it's the best song on the best album. Listen again.

James Hunter – “I’ll Walk Away”

Listen to this episode of Raven N The Blues to hear it.

Best New Artist
The Changes

An impressive combo of a great live show with a solid debut album is all it took for these boys to win it.

Runner-ups:
James Hunter

Did I already mention he's the second coming of Sam Cooke?

Les Sans Culottes

The live show says it all. So much fun. Listen.

Best Live Act
The Dirtbombs

Winning it outright 2 years ago, and sharing the title with about two dozen bands last year, the Dirtbombs sieze it outright again this year. No one does it better. No one. Listen to the live "Missionary Man" on the greatest MySpace page in the world. Watch something.

Runner-ups:
The Changes

You'll want to date Molly Ringwald after listening to this band live. Maybe.

The Decemberists

Colin Meloy remains the great frontman and the band remains a killer live show. Watch.

Electric Six

Yes they had one sour show but they are still E6 and they are still better than you on your best day. Watch.

Les Sans Culottes

If you see them live, request "Les Enfants Terrible". But here's "Ecole De Merde" in the meantime.

The Mooney Suzuki

I caught the Suzuki three times this year in three radically different stages. No bass player, a brand new bass player, and finally, a working band. I don't know how the next album will turn out, but live-wise they're getting it back together. A taste.

Mondo Topless

The best way to appreciate the Topless is to see them live. Give them a beer!

Pas/Cal

Not your typical Detroit band, Pas/Cal stays outside the box with their own brand of pop. Listen. Watch (kind of - the idiot cameraman is an idiot friend of mine).

The Raconteurs

Despite breaking the single-year record for most times I've seen an act live, the Racs came up just short in this category too. And they did so if only because it's impossible to best the Dirtbombs and because it was more interesting seeing them perfect their sound each time they played. The Raconteurs of April were good but they were not the Raconteurs of September, who were flawless. Also, it helps to have the world's greatest living rock n roll guitarist in your band. Nothing beats "Headin' For The Texas Border".

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Sexy sexy nights out thanks to YYY. Believe it.

Best Music Video
The Raconteurs – “Broken Boy Soldier”
If only for the cannon-firing squirrel, here's the winner.
Plus, for all the non-stop attention I gave them, they deserved more than just a co-win for Best Single and coming in second in two other categories.

Runner-ups:
The Flaming Lips - “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”
Why is Wayne Coyne the goddamned greatest?

Jenny Lewis (w/the Watson Twins) – “Rise Up With Fists!!!”
Dang cute.

The Soledad Brothers – “Good Feeling”
The band put together this one official video, filled with friendly cameos (including the one and only Dan Miller). A fond farewell to some good time guys.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Turn Into”
As intoxicating as the song.

Major April Gig Update

3 days after I post the monthly calendar I get blindsided with all this:

• The High Dials play Tiswas@The Annex this Saturday, the night after they open for Neko Case.
  
• Danielia Cotton, who opened for Living Colour last year, plays the Knit on Wednesday the 12th.
• Mondo Topless, the best band from Philadelphia, returns to Brooklyn on Saturday April 15th to play Magnetic Field. The Black Hollies will be opening up, they play Maxwell's the night before.
• Scissor Sisters are playing two nights at Bowery Ballroom: Saturday April 22 which sold out instantly, and Sunday April 23, which still has tickets left.
  
• Eagles of Death Metal, a month and a half after opening up for the Strokes at Hammerstein, will headline a night at Irving Plaza on Sunday, April 23.
• The Blue Van are headling at the Mercury Lounge on a very busy Sunday April 23rd.
• The Fatals, one of Cass Records' prize artists, plays Maxwell's on Wednesday, April 26.

March: In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lion

Ok so I missed a couple days. Sue me. All I missed was a Strokes show and a Belle & Sebastien show and a Jonny Lives show....yeah, ok.

But that's March. It is jam-packed, chocked-full, and other annoying descriptions worth of gigs.

Start the month off right on a Friday anyway, I say. And we pick up where we left off...The Strokes and Eagles of Death Metal play the Hammerstein Ballroom tonight and tomorrow night while Belle & Sebastien wrap up their stand at the Nokia Theater tonight. Both shows are sold out (which is ok, since moshing assholes have crashed the Strokes gigs), but have no fear: Les Sans Culottes is back at Southpaw tonight, and the Mooney Suzuki will finally play at the Annex tomorrow night for the Tiswas party. Sunday night is Oscar night but if you feel like doing something, go see the Misteriosos at Sin-é or Curtis Eller at the Living Room.

The local acts have a field day starting next week: Jonny Lives is a local pop rocker who basically never stops performing so you have no excuse to not go (unless my word of praise means shit to you, then I understand). Next week, Tuesday, he's at Southpaw, then back there 2 weeks later. Then a week after that he's back at Sin-é. Meanwhile, the Violets are playing CBGB's next Tuesday as well and Crash Mansion on the 27th. Langhorne Slim is doin' time at the Mercury Lounge next Wednesday.

British indie-gal Carina Round has a 3 night stand next week at 3 different venues: Pianos on Thursday, Rothko on Friday, and Mercury Lounge on Saturday. And also next Thursday, the Allman Brothers Band begin their annual two week stand at the Beacon Theater.

Friday March 10 is a frustrating night. What to choose?! Metric at Webster Hall? or Les Sans Culottes at Magnetic Field? Argh! Some of you should split the difference and go see the Datsuns at Maxwell's. Some of you must like them. You can also see them the next night at the Merc.

Isobell Campbell comes to Southpaw on the Ides of March while the Pogues (yes that's right...the POGUES!!!) begin a 4 night sold-out stand at the Nokia Theater on the 16th. And that brings us to St. Patrick's Day. If you don't have a ticket to the Pogues (like me, the idiot), you can see Black 47 at the Knitting Factory. They are playing two shows in one night. You can skip the Corned Beef and Potatoes and Parade, and go see the one and only John Doe at Maxwell's.

Indie darlings Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins return to New York for the second time in a month for two nights at Irving Plaza, starting on the 18th.

There's nothing going on until the 23rd (as far as I can tell, it's always subject to change) then you have more hard choices: Richard Hawley at Sin-é? Controller.Controller at the Merc? Animal Collective at Webster Hall? Sigh.
The next night, Ray Davies begins three nights at Irving Plaza. And Saturday the 25th is again full of choices: Davies, Animal Collective again - this time at the Bowery Ballroom, The Gossip at the Knitting Factory, and the most hyped band in the world, the Arctic Monkeys, making their New York debut at Webster Hall.

And yet the month is still not over! On Monday the 27th, the White Rose Movement finally plays the Mercury Lounge. And the month ends triumphantly with the Flaming Lips at Webster Hall on the 31st. And sure enough, they kick off what's going to be another insane month, the next night.

Call Me Crazy...

...But people crowd surf and mosh to the Strokes?

• Gothamist

• The Modern Age

And this is a good thing?

I don't get New York. No one moves an inch for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but they go ballistic for the Strokes...I love my city, I love just about everything there is, but I don't get this inconsistency of when to go nuts and when not to...

Of course, I never go nuts. I like to dance and headbang a little. Moshing and crowd surfing is for the birds. And for the Strokes? What are you fucking kidding me here??? Maybe it has to do with the age rules at certain gigs? I really don't know.

While I'm at it, other things I hate about my beloved hometown:

• The fucking cost of living, particularly in the housing department.

• The weather in winter. This ice...I hate it. I hate ice. Oh lord do I hate ice. I hate it so.

Blue Republic has drifted off to some neurotic, personal place tonight. Good night everybody.

Fire In The Disco

There is no escape. Rock magazines, web-zines, message boards, even NPR...the Arctic Monkeys are everywhere. A DIY band like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, these boys from Sheffield (I think the last band to make it out of that town was Def Leppard...yeesh) have the most hype of any band I have seen come around since the Strokes. Personally, the hype ruined the Strokes for me until I gave them another listen and liked them for what they are. I listened to the Arctic Monkeys before the hype even really kicked in and I wasn't impressed. My girlfriend thinks they're good and I am willing to give them a second chance, so let's give it some time. They remind of me old timers like the Jam and new blood like Franz Ferdinand...so it's not horrible...it's just not special.

And in case you can't tell, this dance-rock thing is everywhere. It isn't just the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand. It's We Are Scientists. It's The Editors. It's She Wants Revenge. It's Metric (Metric's "Monster Hospital" is probably the best song by any of these bands, with their own "Combat Baby" and a few Franz Ferdinand singles to rival). Last year, it was The Killers and Bloc Party. Before that, Interpol. Even The Strokes turned to dance-rock on a couple of tracks on their latest (and most dissapointing) album, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have new, dancey sounds. And of course, there's Electric Six, who sound just a little bit different from the rest of these cats.

Someone took the garage and put it in the disco. Everyone wants to be the Talking Heads or the Jam (which explains why almost all these bands are either from New York City or from Britain) or, if they're darker, The Cure. Fire in the disco, indeed.

Yeah New York

Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Oakley Hall
@Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY – February 25, 2006

When the indie rock scene was smoking hot at the turn of the century, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were considered the cream of the crop without really doing much. Along with the Strokes and the Mooney Suzuki, they represented New York’s presence in the scene, standing out with an art-rock edge, taking chances (rather than sticking to a repeated formula), and led by an ambitious, talented young woman who recalled the aura of New York’s great rock n roll dames before her. And all this happened before YYY put out their first full-length album. Once that full-length album dropped, the band faced the inevitable backlash from the picky critics but managed to pick up an unexpected surprise mainstream radio hit with “Maps”. Fast forward a couple years, and YYY is finally back, taking more chances, defying the odds, and doing it all in more ways than one. First, Karen O, Nick Zinner, Brian Chase, and a new keyboardist/guitarist decide to take the band’s sound in a new direction: a darker but smoother form of pop music one can move to, without sounding Goth or industrial. For the sake of comparison, I’ll throw Roxy Music out there, but I expect to be properly chastised for such a size-up. The next step: playing live with almost exclusive concentration on the new material. With the exception of “Art Star”, “Y Control”, the aforementioned “Maps”, the hidden track on Fever to Tell, and “Tick”, YYY played nearly 2 full hours of brand new music that sounded different from the work that made them a success, both critical and commercial (Well, “Maps” is sort of dark pop, but it’s not very danceable). But is this new stuff any good? The studio results remain to be seen but live wise, it’s fantastic. The band is entirely in synch, Karen O’s voice was perfect on this night, and the songs, both old and new, resonate with syncopated clarity. In a word…outstanding.



Openers Oakley Hall looked like the entire set-up for Lynyrd Skynyrd, and tried to sound more like Whiskeytown and My Morning Jacket and it just didn’t work. Snooze factor on 10.