Archive for the ‘ Video ’ Category
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2595373&w=425&h=350&fv=]
My friend Godfrey had this concert on his blog so I thought I’d post it here as well, seeing as I’m a pretty big fan of Pains… I’d never heard of Baeblemusic.com before now, but it seems like a pretty nifty place to check out high-quality live shows. Hit the “setlist” button to skip tunes.
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Live Review: Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ Lee’s Palace
Via Exclaim.ca’s Click Hear…
Eels have been MIA since dropping the double album Blinking Lights and Other Revelations back in 2005. Main man Mark Everett, E to his friends, has kept the brand alive through live records, greatest hits and rarities comps and some curious soundtrack work (Jim Carrey’s Yes Man?). Finally though, a light at the end of the tunnel: after four years Eels will release their seventh album Hombre Lobo on June 2.
The album’s first single, “Fresh Blood” finds the band at their most stripped down and bluesy, sounding like a 21st century Tom Waits. A slinky, brooding drum and bass line propels the track with E throwing out the blood curdling “whoos” in between his usual laconic vocals. The accompanying video, complete with a blood red wash and a heavily bearded E howling at the moon, is downright frightening.
Depeche Mode‘s past-their-prime output has been surprisingly potent, particularly given the internal personal problems that once plagued the band. Two well-received studio albums and a handful of best-of and remix collections have gone a long way to establishing the group’s legacy.
Sounds Of The Universe mixes the groove-driven sounds of 2001′s Exciter with the more organic sounds of their last album, 2005′s Playing The Angel. There’s a brooding morbidity to many of the songs and a sense that something dark is at work, but there’s no payoff or catharsis.
As with Angel, frontman Dave Gahan contributes to three songs on Sounds, while multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter Martin Gore penned the balance of the album’s 13 tracks. “Fragile Tension,” “Perfect” and “In Sympathy” recapture some of the mood and energy of the band’s late ’80s dark synth-pop sound, but the group are unable to really match any of their previous heights.
While Sounds Of The Universe won’t tarnish the group’s reputation, it’s doubtful it will convince newbies of the band’s past brilliance, as everything here has been done before — and better.
This review originally appeared at Chartattack.com
“Wrong”
Art Brut‘s wonderful debut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, was saved from the novelty bin by the English group’s raucous playing and lead singer Eddie Argos’ witty, off-the-cuff lyrics. Listening to “Formed A Band” gave you the impression the track might really have been recorded during their first practice. But follow-up It’s A Bit Complicated somehow missed the mark, revealing just how fine a line the band were walking.
Their latest doesn’t restore them to the inspired brilliance of their debut, rather it feels more like the follow up they should have made. Producer Frank Black (of Pixies fame) wisely sticks to the “put them in a room and press record” aesthetic Argos celebrates on “Slap Dash for No Cash.” Elsewhere the band explore the nuances of a morning after hangover (“Bring me tea/bring me coffee!”) and the joys of public transportation.
At times, Argos’ lyrics feel forced, like on “DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake,” but then he drops a tune about how he’s just discovered the Replacements (even he can’t believe it took him this long) and all is forgiven.
This review originally appeared at Exclaim.ca
“Alcoholic Unanimous”
Superdrag were a cynical bunch from the get go. The Knoxville, Tenn. group’s breakout single, “Sucked Out,” was a scathing indictment of flavour of the month bands buoyed by frontman John Davis’ pitch-perfect whine of “Who sucked out the feeling.” So it was unsurprising that their own fall into one-hit wonder status occupied a large portion of their lyrics on subsequent records.
Industry Giants is the group’s first record since they reformed after a four-year break that saw Davis kick booze, find God and release a pair of Jesus-inspired solo albums. Given the aforementioned circumstances, it’s a minor miracle the band were able to set aside whatever differences they may have had and write a dozen new songs. That the final product rivals the band’s major label heyday is astounding.
While the record lacks a “Sucked Out” or “Do The Vampire” that might bring them back to mainstream ears, every track is a winner filled with enough distorted hooks to take you back to 1996.
And then there’s that whine. Davis rips a drawn out “Yeah” — probably one of the biggest cliches in rock — halfway through barn-burning opener “Slow To Anger.” But the singer makes the cry all his own, injecting it with both excitement and melancholy, and reminding you just how much you missed this band.
This review originally appeared at Chartattack.com
“Destination Ursa Major”
The Juan MacLean are often overlooked in the DFA oeuvre and are overshadowed by higher profile acts like The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. But where those two are rock bands appealing to a dance music crowd, MacLean have always been the dance act that wins over the indie kids.
The duo continue this trend on their sophomore record, a booty-shaking journey into the heart of dance music. Four years after their debut, MacLean continue to mine European and North American dance influences (giving a nod to the former with closing track “Happy House“) to create a surprisingly captivating and unique-sounding record aided by partner in crime, vocalist Nancy Whang.
While MacLean’s music would certainly hold up on its own merits in the dance world, Whang’s lyrics anchor the duo in more traditional pop music structures even in the face of 10-minute-plus jams. Her voice keeps the music accessible for suburban white kids who’d otherwise never be caught dead clubbing.
The Future Will Come is rare in that it works both as a headphone masterpiece and a visceral dance floor experience. Dance music would be a much bigger deal in North America if there were more records like this.
This review originally appeared at Chartattack.com
The Juan Maclean – “One Day”
Those disappointed by Nick Zinner’s reined in guitar lines on 2006′s Show Your Bones will be equally frustrated by Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ latest, It’s Blitz. Where the guitar, drum and vocal sound still dominated Bones, many of It’s Blitz‘s tracks see Zinner dump the instrument all together in favour of keyboards and synthesizers. But the Brooklyn trio’s insistence on zigging when we all want them to zag is what’s kept them from falling prey to the indie hype machine.
Of course, writing killer songs always helps, and It’s Blitz has them in spades. The opening two tracks, “Zero” and “Heads Will Roll,” easily fit in with the band’s best work. And as always, Karen O’s voice is the band’s through line — album to album, songs to song, O never fails to give an impassioned performance. Even at her most vulnerable her voice is a powerful instrument that conveys a multitude of emotions.
“Zero”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGNo8RL5kM
This review originally appeared in the April issue of Exclaim!
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Celebrating the best(?) of 90s Cancon sanctioned modern rock.
Okay, so Matt Good has actually done a lot with his lengthy career, first solo, the with Matthew Good Band and now solo again. My favourite incarnation remains the early Matt Good Band records Last of the Ghetto Astronauts and Underdogs (not to mention his 1992 demo cassette tape Broken that I have tucked away somewhere in my parent’s house) back when he didn’t seem like such a prick and before writing partner Dave Genn split and married the local weather girl in Vancouver. These days Matt plays the role of professional asshole (or now that’s he’s getting on in years is he just a curmudgeon?). Just the other day he was cutting down on the Junos for their crass commercialism, despite having won three himself back when people gave a shit. Oh Matty…
I saw Matt many times at festivals in Vancouver, but my fondest memory is seeing him open the three day “Fox Fest” festival at the Plaza of Nations. This was his only single at the time and he seemed genuinely happy to just be there with people listening.
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Wavves is The Beatles to No Age‘s lo-fi Rolling Stones.
The San Diego native, otherwise known as Nathan Williams, creates warm surf rock-meets-shoegaze tunes about goths, demons and the beach, often combing his inspirations on tracks like “Beach Goth” and “Beach Demon.”
Of course, the vocals on the non-instrumental tracks are buried under a haze of mic effects, so speculating as to what he’s really getting at is anyone’s guess. Though the instrumental noise tracks are interesting, they get a little monotonous and throw off the record’s pacing.
Williams’ spiritual cousins up in L.A. inject an art school cool into their music, while Wavvves best songs exude bedroom-pop charm and innocence underneath the cacophonous noise. It’s no wonder the blogosphere has thrown up reams of praise for the one-man band, although ’90s lo-fi nostalgia probably helped too.
Wavves’ logo, a re-appropriation of The Wipers, is incredibly telling of their sound — pop music buried under a mountain of overdriven riffs. Can the grunge revival be far behind?
This review originally appeared on Chartattack.com
The Josh Reichmann Oracle Band take ’70s funk and glam rock, mix them with a dash of post-millennial indie rock and end up with a record that sounds like a space rock version of the last TV on the Radio album. At least that’s the simplest way to put it. For his debut full-length, Reichmann enlisted former Tangiers band-mate James Sayce and Sebastien Grainger to help bring his creation to life, and got former Thrush Hermit bass player Ian Maggetigan to put the whole thing on tape. Crazy Power‘s best tracks tend to employ the “everything and the kitchen sink” mentality, like on opener “Spirits Don’t Leave,” thanks to the inclusion of Steve Singh on keyboards and Joseph Shabason playing sax. They give the songs a robust vibe without feeling gimmicky, and Grainger’s swing beats keep the whole thing from falling apart and gives the album some swagger. Consequently, when Reichmann and his pals do slow it down things quickly loose momentum. Crazy Power is a lot to take in one sitting, as songs begins to blend together, but repeated listens reveal something new to love each time.
This review originally appeared on Exclaim! Magazine’s website.
Josh Reichmann on Exclaim! TV
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