I got to hand it to Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic on these excellent renditions of Nirvana songs and having some of the most talented female singers perform with them is the biggest fuck-you in the face to Courtney Love could ever get. Here’s a the perfomances as caught by fans on ther smartphones who attended last night’s Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. These are the best videos we found of Annie Clark from St. Vincent doing “Lithium, Joan Fucking Jett doing justice to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. This is so fantastic. Lorde along with St. Vincent and Nirvana playing “All Apologies”. Such a sad but great version and apropo.
The Project Matters Benefit w/ Charles Bissell + music by Green Arrows
BENEFIT SHOW: From what I can gather the Project Matters Organization will help fund and give good advise to young musicians under 21 who aspire to play music. Sort of a PAL for kids who maybe went to School of Rock but maybe just need some good legal advise. Which I think is great. I wish this sort resource was available to guide me as I figured out the music scene landscape.
“TPM’S goal is to empower and encourage these young musicians to reach their creative potential.“
TPM sounds benevolent enough and they are looking for young bands and mentors so get in touch. Back in the day at Westfield, Highschool in Jersey we had the Radical Rock Reactionaries where we took matter into our own hands with a actual club designed to put on shows. Was also a place where some misfits happened to gather and rally around music. The jocks had their sports we had R.R.R. This organization honors a kid named Ben High who was recording a record for his band Green Arrows and Cymbols Eat Guitar with Charles Bissell from the Wrens when he passed away. This show is in effect postumous record release as he and Cymbals Eat Guitars, Escape Directors, and singer Carah Faye Charnow of the band Versant will be playing a song from the record at Maxwells, Jan 23rd,2011 (TOMORROW!). The interesting thing about Charles Bissell solo is that it’s pretty dynamic sounding and trilly at times. The sounds go right up your spine. Meaning if you check out the couple live solo tracks below he’s full electric as if the wrens were behind him filling the space with guitar squealing effects and a subtle groove all around you. We’ll see what he does for this coming show. Lord knows the fans are starving for some new wrens music so maybe he’ll play one (that is if they’ve written any) I’m not sure the 10 years are up since the meadowlands was released. Other than that never heard of these other groups but here’s a couple track reviews. There’s a pretty good backstory on the wrens site for his benefit and that goes into the Cymbals Eat Guitars connection.
DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN:
1. Heartbeats by Versant s/t features Carah Faye Charnow. Think a modern rock version of ABBA with some keyboards whipping around your ears. [BUY]
2. Car Crash by Escape Directors from their release Ladders. There’s a nice balled on her called “Take Me on Home” alla goo goo dolls. The hit “Chicago” is lyrically up there with Gaslight Anthem in it’s narrative form but a little bit more modern rock mid-western. Over-all really good stuff for such young band. One to watch for sure! [ GET THEIR RECORD FREE ]
3. Indiana by Cymbals Eat Guitars from Why There Are Mountains. This is outstanding rock guitar record and totally makes sense the wrens were involved somehow. This track is spooky and spacey which actually sounds like a happy drive through the state of Indiana. [BUY]
4. Everyone Choose SidesCharles Bissell Live at Maxwells 09/26/2004
5. This Boy Is Exhausted Live at Schubas 08/19/2004
Welcome to 7″ Friday again! A little late today as I was distracted by the new 13th sign (see last post) but anyway here’s Elvis Costello And The Atractions Live at Hollywood High recorded in 1978. I found this EP at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ the other day. I think its from a recent Record Store day goody but I don’t know. I got the last copy and that is all that matters. The whole show is available if you’d like to hear the master of pop in his prime.
Here’s a bootleg of some mostly untitled Descendents songs from a 7″ EP called I Don’t Want To Get Bootlegged (1994) put out by some of their fans -parts unknown. This is a pretty rare release that turned up in NJ so I have no clue who printed or pressed it but I own one. The only song on here that has a known title is the 4th track called “3 Red” which is around the “Enjoy” sessions era. Their pop-punk blend is unmistakable in particular with vocal styles of Milo Aukerman.
1. Song 1
2. Song 2
3. Song 3
4. Song 3 Red
Well the first show in support of Stuart Wexler’s ambitious documentary on the 90’s New Brunswick Music scene was a huge success. I never saw so many gadgets and die-hard fans all in once place. The “Scene within the scene” to quote Bryan Bruden the old Mad Daddy’s manager. Was really awesome to see so many oldish faces in one place and sad that I could not talk to everybody. Hadn’t seen some of these characters in 5-8 years or so and glad to most are still alive.
So what does this all mean? Who cares right? it was so 90’s ago? Well first off the music was vibrant like the first time you self discovered. All the colors were represented and none sounded like the other. For quick view go ahead and download or listen to DJSPORK SHOW #29 No Frills Rock podcast. I play a few select tracks mixed in with current talent out there. it’s all about the rock. Cruel But Fair movie page on Facebook or on YouTube. NEXT SHOW: Sat 12.126.09 Court Tavern w/ Horsey, 3 to 6 inches, Prosolar Mechanics, Buzzkill and The Stuntcocks.
Major leage props to pitchfork (yes I know who knew this day would come) for posting 7 songs from their festival on their TV channel of the hold steady playing live. Damn. These guys were nerds. Nobody was paying attention to them years ago in their earlier incarnation of Lifter Puller. I had their cd back in the zines daze and thought they were just another rocknroll band too. Now they are doing the same thing on south and main from Brooklyn usa and still killing it 4 albums in. Drinking budweisers and talking at you live before happy hour starts. Check them out when you get a chance. If you dig the replacements and ac/dc and kiss. Chances are they will be as drunk as you are but still be able to hold their tune drinks above the bar as they have learned from the mistakes of their former masters and on their own. To repeat this is a bar band so you’re going to need to know the words because there are a lot of them.
Saturday Sunday live review: Last minute phone call last night led me to the Mercury Lounge on 5.30.09 with my bud Jim to catch a early show by The Rural Alberta Advantage who recently signed to Saddle-creek, I Was A King from Norway and Elevator Fight (Philly).
Ok so we totally missed Elevator Fight, who apparently have some star power in the band with the offspring of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. Zoe freaking Kravitz who my daughter is named after on vocals. Can’t believe it honestly. Has it been that long? But we had a decision to make at the bar as to what to drink as they played their last song. I’m sure they will get other Saturday nights and I’ll try not to miss it; just somebody send me an invite and we’ll be cool. They play this sort of cliche roots rock from the couple tunes I heard on their myspace.com page. I think her band needs to do some more digging in Daddy’s record collection and find their own voice but I get the sense they are going for a straight up pop direction so there may be no hope. Her voice is good so hopefully they put that to good use as you would expect she got her mamma’s looks. This is all pretty funny to me because I’m now recalling as we were waiting for the next band that I noticed this smashing gal that reminded me of a grown up Cosby kid and it all makes sense.
In the grand scheme of things culturally America has influenced the world musically and I Was a King is proof positive of that. The first hurdle I always wonder about is how do bands write melodic pop songs in Nordic and then sing them in English? Ok, I know the rest of world needs to learn more than one language so that is probably a barrier on our part. I Was A King borrow nicely from art of the short song by gbv and blast out equally potent and abbreviated J Mascis like solos. This band’s performance was a surprise and in this configuration was truly driven by their rhythm section as the two guitarist pretty much played the same shoegazer parts. They were most powerful when they broke away from that but damn I don’t think I’ve seen more capos used in a single show– that’s got to be a pain in the butt to remember so kudos just for that. The real glue was in the singing above the mask of the guitar wash. Guy/Gal vocals really is part of their magic that could be compared to Belly and Swervedriver jamming the black angels without the heroin parts. heh? The lead singer Frode Strømstad has got his song writing machine down Anne Lisa can sure hold her own vocally. I was impressed.
Live I don’t think they sounded anything like Apples In Stereo or Neutral Milk Hotel like their bios says to file them under; in particular because of the lack of additional instrumentation in the live configuration joining them on stage but allas this is a good band and worth catching. I tried to chat with the other guitarist about her guitar playing and pedals but she was chatting up some haggard looking new yawker dude. Check out their most recent self titled album on emusic which was recorded in Brooklyn U.S.A btw.
Now The Rural Alberta Advantage (gotta love that nationalistic Canadian pride) sounded more like NMH in the singing delivery department with the support of their diverse but bare bones instrumentation. With barely any gear on stage you could fit this trio in a Fiat! The powerful vocal melodies indeed carried them from song to song. If you had to file and tag them under quirky and diverse would be appropriate like tapes n tapes is to spazzy drumming and their keyboard parts. Was cool to see the main singer guy Nils Edenloff playing a Seagull acoustic guitar. The string that was holding it looked uncomfortable but he seemed truly happy to hold it up and carrying the band out of obscurity coming from a self-released record and now being picked up by Saddle-Creek quite a story actually with a little push from emusic for RAA is all it took which is one of them stories in the big scary city. So expect lots of interesting things from them if they survive their first big tour. At the end of their set they pulled a move straight out of the small band playbook and sang in the middle of the crowd alla Violent Femmes/Arcade Fire. If you never got a chance to see neutral milk hotel and you have 10 bux burning a hole in your pocket this summer go check RAA or I Was A King when they are in your town. The experience will be worth it. A good time was had and thanks for filling my night this past Saturday. No thanks for $7 Sierra Nevada’s Mercury Lounge. Please send this writer beer money.
We are a couple weeks away from the anual Union County Music Fest in NJ. This year’s show has a couple local bands actually from Jersey who are not interantional super stars including Val Emmich and The Roadside Graves. The big headliners are Everclear and cracker on Fri 9/5 and The B52’s and Gin Blossoms On Sat 9/6. For the kids Saturday at 11Am is Dan Zanes! Very cool. Last years show was pretty good with Fountains of Wayne and the addition of a beer garden. Bring your own food and cooler with mixed drinks to save a few bucks. The kids area was really fun last year and I can’t wait to let my daughter run around.
The main batch of tickets for the show are “sold out” but River will be distributing unclaimed tickets 9AM the morning of the concert in Battery Park this July 4th. As part of WFMU’s 50th Anniversay celebration freebie concert series. Both bands are legendary in their own rights. If you stop by the tent the FMU djs will give you the poster. Just give em’ a donation. Bootleggers, shut-ins and out of towners be ready; Sonic Youth’s set will be broadcast live on wfmu.org around 4:45 EST.
From WFMU’s free mp3 archives here are some selects:
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