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".
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Long Blondes Break Up...NOOOOO :(
Two records and it's over - based on some sad news from the band's guitarist on the MySpace page.
Maybe he'll recover someday and the band will carry on. They put on a good live show, and they had a knack for good singles. These sudden band demises are the pits, worse than the break-ups of long-lived bands.
Two Instant Classics of the Decade from the Long Blondes:
No speculations as to why here but considering how explosive the music is of the Nashville Teen Garage Punk Scene, why should anyone actually be stunned? Well, considering they were signed to a major label, were getting solid reviews, and expanding their fanbase, it's a bit of a stunner. And it's too bad. They were a good kick in the pants to all the mall-punk bands.
Start Feeling Old: The Next Generation of Best-Of's Begin
Best-Of's, Greatest Hits, etc etc, whatever you call the compilation of an artist's history, these things are a dime a dozen in popular music. It could take as little as 2 records, or as many 5 or 6, before an artist, or really an artist's label, contemplate putting out a compilation. But in the world of Indie, underground, alternative music, compilations are rarer, and in fact, they are often used as a one-stop resource for a band that never really sold records in the first place. And of course, in both the mainstream and Indie worlds, the 21st century combination of MP3 playlists and the depletion of album sales has put a chilling effect on comps.
In addition to the Ipod revolution, the 21st century's first real music moment was the garage and retro rock revivals of the early 2000's. The U.S.A. and Scandinavia really dominated those scenes, and the four bands that broke into the mainstream (of sorts) in 2002 and 2003 were the White Stripes, the Strokes, the Hives, and the Vines (who were from Australia and didn't last long because their lead singer was unstable and that's OK because they stunk). The British, rather surprisingly, did not contribute much during this brief wave (they were too busy loving the White Stripes and their cohorts like Electric Six). The one band they really contributed were the Libertines who essentially share the same biographical saga as the Vines.
But as 2007 draws to an end, the Libertines become the first band of that generation to get a compilation record. Why them? Because they folded rather completely, and their leader, Pete Dougherty, remains a non-stop tabloid machine in the U.K. What's a bit wrong is that the Libertines didn't have the quantity of work (let alone quality but that's subjective) to merit a compilation and considering they're long finished and that conventional albums are dying, and especially considering that the MP3 player has killed any need for official compilations, this is a rather pointless release, innit? If the Libertines should be remembered for anything it should be for their one decent song, "Vertigo", and that their quick demise gave way to the next British band of the moment, the Darkness, who were much more fun before their own lead singer's troubles led to their own implosion.
How much are the disavowed, trashed emo-ish "rock"ers Panic at the Disco hated? The fans of the disavowed, trashed hipster dance "rock"ers Bloc Party throw shit at them. (For the record, Panic at the Disco is a great band name and they have great record art but they are shit in every other sense of the word; Bloc Party has one great song)
Sleater-Kinney, the best Pacific Northwest rock export of the last 10 years (and to be daring, maybe ever...gasp), is breaking-up. Known for their social-political tint, Sleater-Kinney were able to sing socially concious songs with a personal, intimate touch. They were able to communicate important ideas through simple heartfelt emotions. Musically, guitarists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein had impeccable, wonderful voices and Brownstein especially could play some mean licks on her axe. Janet Weiss played some powerful dreams, whether it be with a ferocious rock n' roll flare on songs like "Hollywood Ending" or on touching, risky material like "Modern Girl". The very small Summer tour will be their last. It seems as if this is a pretty sudden development, considering the limited number of existing dates and their locations (nothing on the West Coast).
Sat 7/29 Mellwood Arts Center, Louisville,KY Mon 7/31 Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia,PA Tue 8/1 930 Club, Washington,DC Wed 8/2 Webster Hall, New York City,NY Fri 8/4 Lollapalooza @ Grant Park, Chicago,IL
The New York date had tickets available for awhile...then within hours of the announcement, it sold out. I missed my chance to say goodbye.
