ROCK SCENE: There is a new night in the Asbury Park music scene which has been bringing you FREE shows every monday night at the Wonder Bar all summer long. Don’t try and find out about it on bars official site though as the Happy Mondays music series has its own facebook page. The shows are continuing in the fall with lots of past local luminaries such as Battery Electric, wreaths and others. Tons of give aways and concert ticket at the Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, Convention Hall or Paramount Theater! So get on it and like them on the facebooks you facehookers!
SINGLE REVIEW: Art collective made-up of smart geeks is the quick high-level on Japan Soul. They have theorized that the beginning of the end started on or around 911 and life as we knew it in the 80’s has been spiraling out of control ever since. Their latest video/single shows us drones monitoring our every move with the track “Hey Yah Hey”. Apocalyptic yes. True? Probably.
Music pulp fiction and future storytelling is the great canvas that these brooklyn manipulators of sound have decided to tell on their dance pop release Plastic Utopia. This is the forth tease but no doubt in age of being able cut–n-paste our errors and revise your intention until it’s perfect here is another slice from the full release. So we’re sure it will sound as utopian and futuristically art-camp as they have shown previously. That is the irony of this all. When electronic music was still done to tape and mixed in analog you could tell there was a human element. It was man and the machine and his ability to reproduce things. So it’s the kind of thing if you have been revising history (as you work) it’s hard to wonder what is truth is even as it happens. The vocals are pitch processed with un-singable parts and with so many layers we’re always wondering if enough is enough already but hey we don’t have to try and reproduce things live. This is the magic of musical editing and the job a of a live band. Hell they could press a button and go from there or just let the DJ do the work. Anyway, enough of the semantics of this. The previous cut “transparent” was more on the Roxy Music side of things which shows more of instrument abilities but in all a good combo of the genre that started with kraftwerk and then co-opted by everyone. Regardless these dream pop rebels make good music and the lyrics are working to tell you real time what is happening as your every move is tracked by weird drones. I’m not sure why everybody would need to be tracked. That would be ridiculous like trying to read all of our email and making sense of it all. Oh Wait? Um, check them out.
BONUS STUFF: Computer World(“Computerwelt”) MP3 by Kraftworks/t (1981) Wonderdrug MP3 by APB from Cure for the Blues (Link Records 1986)
MUSIC REVIEW: Mystic strums of magic created for laptops is the quick summary of the whimsical pop performed by Empty Chairs on Caveat Emptor. This is the kind of music that should be animated into a film feature or laser show. Lots of different movements in the track “Eyelashes”. Their video for the track “Akira” is weird as it has a character which resembles Woody Allen’s Sleeper robot that a girl keeps in her closet to do her chores. Don’t blink too soon or the trip will be over as this is the music dreamscapes are made of in outer space. For people who don’t like drugs this might be a good way to explain what tripping is like. Like a sight seeing person trying to explain what sight is like. This is what that experience could sound like. Very Beautiful music created by Peter Spear originally as solo project into his fold he has added Whitney Broadstreet on synth/vocals and percussionist Matthew O’Koren. Give this sexy dream pop a go. Comes out in Nov so don’t say we didn’t tell you first.
MUSIC REVIEW: Digital EP’s are in vogue as reported by your roving EMO reporters all over the blogosphere. The challenge is to be able to put out a set of songs that rock together. I think for most young bands the album format is pretty much dead unless they can afford to do the vinyl thing. Anyway, you are in luck because CAPTIVES have no issues here with their latest effort called Afterimage which will be available as a 10″. Luck for all you nerds. Sounding pretty alternative rock with their big guitars and throaty delivery these dudes are from Eagle Mountain, Utah and they show us that all good manly things can go beyond the distortion only mantra of your father’s hardcore. While I don’t think these guys have or run Meth labs this music is totally amped. There is some subtle use of delay on the guitars and plenty of throaty ‘scringing’. What is unique to these guys is their dual-vocals are coming at you from both channels via Jeffery Mudgett and Trevor Bookout. I could never tell Guy from Ian until after seeing fugazi live. The feeling was the delivery was as one. Same sort of effect here which works to help give these tunes a little depth. The most accessible song on this release is the emo infused semi-ballad “To Forget” with a line about poking your eyes out. The sounds are big and we recommend giving it a spin. Crap it’s the fucking internet people you can listen before you buy or decide to go see them live. Brought to you by Reveille Records.
We are only bound by the things we let bound us, we are all captives.
ALBUM REVIEW: The shear velocity of the punk rawk squaks coming out of the band Poor Lily (Bronx, NY) reminds is what we liked when we first heard Fresh Fruit for Rotting vegetables by the Dead Kennedy’s or Circle Jerk’s – Group Sex. There are more to the dynamics besides playing fast and the tidal wave of the 19 rip-roaring tunes on Vuxola is surely the evidence. You could easily bag and tag it with tunes titled “Microwave” and “Slurping Sludge” which seem to even harp back to themes that were sung about in the 80’s! Hell the singer even seems to be channeling Jello but you know what? It’s super fun and we don’t care. This is a great gate-way to the punk rock genre for the kids. Don’t we need more gutter punks anyway to remind us why we rebelled in our youth in the first place? Highly recommended so you can annoy your neighbors. What evidence do you really need?
BOOK REVIEW: The day was already going to be a loverly morning. The kids were going with their Mom, Aunt and cousins to a kids zoo and I got a pass to enjoy the last day of vacation carousing around to do whatever I wanted. This never happens. So I did some research and wrote down a list of record and bookstores to hit up for a vinyl dig. Sure friends wanted me to hit Ameoba which if I had time would be on the agenda. Without GPS drove around downtown Oakland in my brothers old stick-shift Subaru until I finally stumbled upon the first place. 1-2-3-4 Go Records which was 98% filled with well organized Rock, Metal, Indie and Misc vinyl albums. Literally had about 200 CDs and rest all stax of wax. Since I was traveling browsing the selection of 7″s was in order. Anyway half thru new album release section some skinny older slender gentleman looking like John Waters with his slightly grown in mustache and backpack starts talking to the Clerk and then they both point to some books that were stuffed next to a bunch of fanzines. I don’t see fanzines anymore at records stores on the East Coast but there was comet bus and couple others.
Actually come to think about it there are barely any record stores anymore at all in New Jersey. Never mind stalking hand-made xeroxed fanzines! I can count like 4 stores from the dozen or I used to frequent. Anyway, the point this guy turned out to be Larry Livermore himself. The first hippie punk rocker.
They gestured some more and off he went and disappeared into the great abyss which is Oakland. Which is pretty much how his book ends. He mostly strays away from day to day grind of running his label Lookout Record which at the time was easily a Million Dollar business a couple times over. He instead focuses on how he went from city guy to mountain man. In fighting with his neighbors, growing pot, learning how to irrigate his food and where he started his first local fanzine. He interweaves his hippie activism roots which are at the core of most of his adventures which led him to help found Gilman street during his stint living at MMR HQ (that’s Maxium RocknRoll for you newbs). He tells the story how one of his own bands he started with basically local mountain kids. One of them we all know as Tre from Green Day who were one of biggest bands on his roster along with the likes of Operation Ivy. Either way this is a good read and you and should inspire you to read more books and do more things. Even if on a whim like my venture to a little record store.
MUSIC REVIEW: Perth Australia, I don’t know much about this country but we sure do get a lot of amazing music from there and Water Graves are no exception. Their new EP is mystic. Like fluffy little clouds mystic. Like AIR meets… we’ll you get it. Born in a bedroom like the rest of us Coel Healy and Blake Hart create lo-fi synth music for the jet set. Soundscapes that may ease your ride up in mall elevator perhaps with the air conditioning cranked up to the point you need to wear a coat and goggles. This music will take your mind places in the same way psychedelic colors might distract you. You’ll end up rubbing the walls and seeing if this music is scratch n’ sniff. The Good shit or maybe you’ll just enjoy a nice cup of coffee while you listen. File under: psychedelic /Electronic
I’m guest blogging for the review stalker while he’s away on vacation. My summer holiday has consisted of me sending my son off to sleep away camp which gave me the opportunity to see more rock shows since he was born 13 years ago! The season has offered the usual summer touring from bands from now and then with many noteworthy free shows all over the New York City area.
Many of the nights have been spent reliving several harmonious music memories seeing mostly older acts and hearing songs from my youth. Over a 6 week period I took in performances from The Zombies, She & Him, Camera Obscura, The Rascals, Leon Russell,Cheap Trick, B.B King, James Hunter Six, New Order, NRBQ, Bob Dylan, Wilco (w/ special guest Ian Hunter) and a tribute to Big Star. Combined these acts performed a myriad of unforgettable classic songs including “She’s Not There”, “Sunday Girl’, “People Got To Be Free”, “The Letter”, “September Gurls”, “Delta Lady”, “Surrender”, ‘Blue Monday”, “All The Young Dudes” and so many more.
The Letter from the Big Star Tribute in Central Park on June 30
The Dylan/Wilco show was billed as the AmericanaramA fest and went down on the Hoboken pier on July 26. That was appropriate since days later and blocks away, the home of American music Maxwell’s was closing their doors.
All The Young Dudes-Wilco w/ Ian Hunter, James Mastro, Warren Haynes & My Morning Jacket on Hoboken Pier on July 26
I was fortunate enough to have had the venue be a big part of my life throughout some of my formative years in the mid-‘80s where I attended more shows there during that period then any other rock club. I hadn’t had the chance to make it back throughout the month for the final shows so it was imperative that I venture back to Hoboken one last time for the closing festivities on July 31.
The celebration started off with a block party that had 11 street closed off with beer and food stands. Raucous party tunes blared throughout the street as various DJs from the club’s 30 plus years (Guy Ewald, Charles Charas, Gaylord Fields, Vince Brnicevic, Billy Miller, Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan) took turns spinning records while the crowd built up throughout the evening to pay their respects to the club. Hundreds of people were packed into the bar spilling onto the street. Both the Individuals and the Bongos were booked to close the back room. I was lucky enough to pick up tickets for the earlier set from the Individuals. The band was in fine form and had a blast playing as one of the final bands on the Maxwell’s stage. They brilliantly recreated the sound of the early ‘80s NYC rock club scene. I stood there and realized, this is the sound that’s categorized as post-punk. I flash backed to watching bands in that same room and other NYC area clubs in the ‘80s. I realized after seeing so many remarkable bands, hearing various legendary songs and reliving magical music moments over this summer season this tiny back room of a bar/restaurant was where so much of ’80s music was born influencing me and so many others.
It reminded me that there were so many punk and new wave spin-offs incubated and championed at Maxwell’s. Alt-country, grunge, power pop, roots rock, college rock, garage, paisley underground, shoe gazing and the most peculiar named genre, indie rock were all heralded there. That ubiquitous tag came from the countless acts that recorded for scores of independent record companies. Twin Tone, SST, Slash, Homestead, Enigma, Dolphin, Frontier, K Records, Ace of Hearts and Hoboken’s own Coyote and Bar/None were just some of the bigger players in the growing soon to be coined “alternative” music business.
Adding to the sounds and styles were cities and towns the labels and music originated from. Musicians arrived from all over the USA. They piled in vans and drove miles to play at the club. Some performed at Maxwell’s numerous times over several years. They traveled from Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis, Athens, Boston, Seattle, Chapel Hill and many other American regions. The list of acts I’d seen (or heard from the front bar!) is endless and in no particular order.
The Replacements, The dbs, Husker Du, X, Alex Chilton, Meat Puppets, Long Ryders, Pylon, Dreams So Real, Tommy Keene, Young Fresh Fellows, Redd Kross, Gun Club, The Three O Clock, Jason and the Scorchers, The Dream Syndicate. Dumptruck, Miracle Legion, Del Fuegos, EIEIO, Soul Asylum, The Chesterfield Kings, Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, Game Theory, Let’s Active, The Neats, Ben Vaughn Combo, Leaving Trains, Guadalcanal Diary. The Minutemen, Rain Parade, Green on Red, The Wipers, Daniel Johnston, Camper Van Beethoven, The Bodeans, 10,000 Maniacs, Beat Happening, Rank and File, The Lyres, Dinosaur Jr, Galaxie 500, The Morrells, True Believers, Fetchin’ Bones, Big Black, Southern Culture On The Skids, House of Freaks, Naked Raygun, Salem 66, Big Dipper, The Dead Milkmen, The Dogmatics, Swimming Pool Qs, Drivin’ N Cryin’, Green River, The Flies, Pontiac Brothers, Giant Sand, Scruffy The Cat and many others.
Some bands traveled from overseas: Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, The Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus, The Lime Spiders, The Fall, The Mekons to name a few.
And then there were those from the NY/NJ metro area that kept the venue thriving as opening acts for many out of town bands or headlining the club and packing it with their family, friends and fans:
Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, The Feelies, Mofungo, Syd Straw, The Nightmares, The Raunch Hands, The Wygals, The Clintons, Pianosaurus, Laura Cantrell, The Scene is Now, Deep Six, The Last Round Up, World Famous Blue Jays, Beat Rodeo, Gutbank, The Vacant Lot, Fleshtones, Das Damen Del-Lords, Hugo Largo, The Raybeats, The Golden Palominos, Phantom Tollbooth, The A-Bones, Crazy Sunday, Chris Stamey Group, Soul Attack, The Ambivalent Brothers, House of Usher, Leap of Faith, Fish & Roses, Winter Hours were just some of the local names that kept the scene and spirit alive.
There isn’t one room in the NY metro area that could boast all of these accomplishments showcasing quality music with integrity for over three decades.
It was a space and a moment in time that will never be recreated. I feel lucky to have been there when both the club and I were coming of age. It’s bittersweet that Maxwell’s is gone but its legacy will continue to live on through the music and the influence it had on a vast group of music fans that sometimes fit into a small room with a legal capacity of 200 people.
We got lots of new tunes packed in this cast with music by Beastie Boys, Mr. thom Yorks and his radioheads, some soul, Criminal Hygene from LA, Speed Ortiz, Doug Gillard, Charles Bradley, Butthole Surfers and much more. Just listen. We have not done a podcast in over a couple years so we’re still working out the kinks. These are all hits.
DOCUMENTARY: The story of making a band and living with a band are these things you see played out. Asking the question “Is Everybody Happy?“(Amazon) might not dawn on a band mid-until they are deep in a tour. At that point it’s too fucking late so you might as well make the best of it. If band is asking that question then they should just break-up. Nobody really understands or least usually 3/4 of people in bands themselves understand the effort to make things work. There is always somebody driving and then there are passengers who don’t do anything except just freaking show-up. The day in and day out of booking and playing low attended gigs would deflate the air right out of anybody’s aspirations or relationships unless there was something to look forward to besides another low attended show. Without some sort of radio push or pr buzz going on tour as an independent band will only promise you failure and frustration unless you have a good attitude. Well at least the first few times unless you make it your business to play with “friends” or bands you think might have a local draw and forget about ever making money. Something to give you that sense of purpose is important. While you won’t be able to make everybody happy all the time ever. It’s a tricky thing to think you can conquer fans just like that. First of all you need to be good and not just in your mind. The second trick is making sure there are at least a couple bodies where-ever a your band ends up playing.
First rule of touring or playing gigs Is always make friends with the bartender and sound man. If they are not having fun then nobody is. Director Tim Marklevitz tells the story thru his lens in documentary about his friends. He was the defacto documentarian and paints a pretty honest picture of what it’s like to try and forge things on your own. Playing in front of your local draw is much different when you try and replicate the experience in towns you don’t know anybody in. This film which Mr. Marklevitz edited in between his reality TV job is really well cut. The band in this documentary were called Bless You Boys. They’re now just another defunct indie rock band from Grand Rapids, MI. I’m one of many from Anytown USA. They only played together for 3 or 4 years then split-up. This Documentary chronicles their first and last tour. They recorded demo’s for their third album and never end up releasing it but point is they gave it a college try and then released the dream of rock super stardom. Or did they?
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