24 posts from September 2009

The Beatles. Really, a giant of rock giants. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Apple Records/EMI recently re-released all of the Beatles albums re-mastered this past 9/9/09 (a reference to their "song", "Revolution 9".)

What I have always found fascinating of Beatles (and, of course, Rolling Stones), were that they were heavily influenced by US rock and blues. However, the cover songs and original music that these British bands were playing had their own style to them, making their music their own unique take.

All of us grew up with The Beatles, and we all love them. However, for every "Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" hit song, The Beatles had at least ten lesser or unknown songs.... and it's these unknown songs that I think only true fans will know and appreciate.

Still, the band's musical output of Paul McCartney and John Lennon (and let's not forget producer George Martin) is legendary: thirteen albums in ten years, for a total of over 200 songs (600 minutes - yep, all of their songs are about three minutes).

Since I actually own many of these albums from their reissue in the 90s (with The Beatles Anthology), I didn't need to get the all of recent 9/9 release. I bought a few, mostly for collecting reasons or filling in a missing discography, and a few were sent in for review.

Overall, each remastered edition comes with a movie file on the disc, with the exception of Past Masters. The often brief video talks about the respective album, with voiceovers of the people involved (including McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Martin). While that's probably not going to be a deal breaker for most people, it's still a very nice bonus.

As for recommendation, if you are a casual fan and/or just looking to get a compilation, look no further than the two-disc Past Masters remastered. These were originally released in 1988 as parts one and two, but with this reissue, they are now one package. The album collects some of the Beatles' best-known singles, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Love Me Do", "Day Tripper", and "Revolution". Plus, I got a kick out of hearing some of their hits in Germany.

What's interesting about "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" (I Want to Hold Your Hand), was that the German vocals were basically overdubs over "I Want to Hold Your Hand" instrumental. I don't speak German, but Paul sounds pretty convincing to me.

The big draw for fans is that the audio's been remixed in stereo. I think sometime the remaster team of Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee, goes overboard - especially with some of the drums (it's hard to explain, but sometime the instruments sounds like it's in 3D, in four quadrant). The stereo mix does sound especially clear and organic... but for the purists, they are making the original mono editions as part of a boxset.

Also, I should point out that the packaging is gorgeous, all in digipack, with a big 32-page lyric booklet. The booklet has an introduction article about the album, a ton of rare Beatles photos, lyrics, and, also, the original album sleeve notes.

PS, all of these releases follows the UK track listing (hello, Rubber Soul).

BEATLES FOR SALE (1964) Beatles For Sale This is one of the few Beatles album that I was missing in my collection, partly because the album was never released in the US (ironic for its title, no?). Technically, the album was re-released in America as Beatles '65 and Beatles VI, but for the full release, I was happy to pick up Beatles for Sale and hearing it for the first time. My favorite song off this album is probably "Eight Days a Week", a song that took only minutes to compose and write in the studio (this was often the case for many of the Beatles' masterpieces!)		SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1967) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Back in high school, in my PASCAL programming class (this should date me), our teacher was obsessed with this album. He played it constantly in the computer class. I think the reason why he loved this album so much, is that, as a conceptual album, it's very different from the Beatles you were used to. Part of this was probably because the band had an idea of "an alter-ego" band. So, you started hearing more orchestral music, more experimenting (Indian sitars!), and just making this a very interesting work than standard rock and roll fair. Most people will probably know "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "When I'm Sixty-Four" from this album.
THE WHITE ALBUM (1968) The White Album After Pepper's very complicated album sleeve, we have the simple "white album". Technically, the album is self-titled and, personally, I don't consider Magical Mystery Tour a "real Beatles album". The Beatles came back to "basic" music, recording a giant treasure trove of songs. They had so much music that the album was, for the first time, issued on double LPs. Some famous songs on the double album are "Dear Prudence" and "Revolution". Personally, I love the all-out rock song "Helter Skelter" - which I'll have to admit the song was tainted after Charles Manson.		LET IT BE (1970) Let It Be Although this is the last Beatles record (see Abbey Road below), it was put together without much Paul or John's input. In fact, legends has it that Paul hated the Phil Spector mixes so much that they eventually released Let it Be...Naked a few years ago. Not a blow to Phil, but I felt that much of this album's recording shows off that the Beatles were a "live" band, and the songs feels like they were played live. Trying to make the album into a "studio" sound didn't help. Some gems off the album, "Let it Be", "I've Got a Feeling", "The Long and Winding Road" and of course "Get Back" (which feels like it the recording was lifted from the infamous rooftop concert.

ABBEY ROAD (1969)

Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence

At their first show in New York since 2005, Kings of Convenience’s Erlend Øye joked, “This next song will sound like an old one, and you’ll probably cheer. But it’s not.” And so it goes with their latest album, Declaration of Dependence. It’s a seamless continuation of their 2004 release, Riot on an Empty Street. It’s all there: the flawless harmonies, the intricate melodies, the blunt, sometimes wordy, lyrics. But despite this, Øye and Eirik Bøe avoid being redundant. Strangely enough, the new songs are so similar to the previous ones that they are immediately welcoming, like a postcard from a long lost friend.

This sense of familiarity works in their favor, as most of their fans have been waiting for Øye and Bøe to reunite for some time now. Through his extensive solo work, Øye has proved his chops at electronica and proper rock music with his DJ Kicks series and Whitest Boy Alive stint. With Bøe, Øye returns to Kings of Convenience’s default format: deceptively simple acoustic songs, brimming with keen insights on love and everyday life. It’s a formula they’ve got down cold, and as a team, they turn their meticulous pop songs into something more and something beautiful.

Most tracks consist of nothing more than two acoustic guitars and Øye and Bøe’s polished vocals. Opening track, “24-25” starts things off quietly, a telltale sign of the boys’ return to form. But sprinkled throughout similar hushed tracks are small details of the band’s small move forward. A jaunty piano in “Me In You” offers a playful tone, while lively strings add a touch of irony to “Boat Behind’s” harsh lyrics. Although the album is primarily acoustic guitar, these minute details stand out, and when used sparingly yet efficiently, they distinguish this album from previous ones.

By only allowing themselves to indulge in subtle details, Øye and Bøe are free to focus on the band’s calling card: their vocals. Bøe sings lead on most songs, with Øye weaving in and out of the songs, adding an extra layer of warmth behind various words and phrases. With such quiet bravado between the two of them, they are able to deliver frank lyrics with a sense of humor. Throughout the album, they play on the idea of dependence and ownership in relation to love and day-to-day life. On the verbose track, “Rule My World,” the boys rhapsodize that “only someone who’s morally superior can possibly honestly deserve to rule my world,” all the while wrapping their pseudo-political message in beautiful rhythms and elaborate guitar work. It’s a lot of work for a song that, at first listen, comes off as just another pretty melody.

The boys have a talent for making their songs appear effortless, but further listening often reveals something new each time. It may be nothing more than the unassuming percussion or a charming turn of phrase, but Øye and Bøe have a knack for passing off the complicated as crisp and concise. Sure, they’ve been doing this since their first album, but it doesn’t make it any less striking. These days, when it usually takes an arsenal of glockenspiels and drum machines to keep a pop song interesting, it’s quite impressive that all these guys need are two guitars and the occasional violin.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher Than the Stars EP

A few months ago, certain people were sure that the apocalypse was nigh. Or at least, (for lack of a better term) the twee-pocalypse. Why else would a band like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart be on the Carson Daly Show or have a commercial on MTV U? The simple answer: they are a solid band who released a solid album. On their latest EP, Higher Than the Stars, the Pains once again showcase their pop prowess, all the while reminding us that it is possible to live in a world where our playlists can intersect with Carson Daly.

Consisting of four new tracks and one remix, Higher Than the Stars maintains all the rollicking melodies and winking lyrics found on their debut album, but there’s clearly something crisper and more focused going on. A track like “103” begins like any other Pains song, with an infectious beat and Kip Berman’s mumbled vocals, but towards the end, the synths and guitars kick in for a last hurrah, seamlessly adding another layer of interest to the song. It’s nothing major, but it’s definitely something new and intriguing.

The band has yet to move away completely from their jangly roots, but the EP hints at a slightly less lo-fi sensibility. “Falling Over” and “Twins” both lack the fuzz from the first album, but they hardly seem to be hurting because of it. “Twins” especially benefits from the cleaner sound, making the guitars more palpable and Peggy Wang’s background vocals all the more prevalent. Lead single, “Higher Than the Stars,” shows the band heading towards a more polished sound but staying true to their shambling aesthetic. It is the surprisingly ethereal remix of the same song that proves that the band has potential for experimenting with other sounds. Even under a heavy wave of drum machines and synths, the song’s simple chorus (“in the back of her mother’s car”) keeps all of its charm and wayward naiveté intact.

Despite the average pop kid’s reluctance to see their favorite bands succeed in the “real” world, I have no qualms about seeing the Pains acquiring even a Belle-and-Sebastian-level of stardom. They definitely deserve it. So go ahead, put them on awkward indie movie soundtracks or even an Outback Steakhouse commercial. I have a feeling it’s not going to change them.

As usual, these news are from our news website, news.weheartmusic.com

Tour Dates 11/29/09 Seattle, WA @ Paramount 11/30/09 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre 12/02/09 Oakland, CA @ Paramount 12/04/09 Indio, CA @ Fantasy Springs 12/05/09 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint 12/07/09 Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre 12/08/09 San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall 12/10/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre 12/11/09 Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre Read More Morrissey http://weheartmus... Being a huge Morrissey/The Smiths fan, people often ask me: "What's your favorite Morrissey song?" My absolute favorite song is "Jack the Ripper". Casual fans might not be hip to this song, as it's somewhat of a rare song. So, it's time the tale was told on "Jack the Ripper"! The song originall... 1 comment

YOU CAN'T SPELL SWORDS WITHOUT WORDS
itsmorrisseysworld.com

Heaven knows Morrissey doesn't need the promotion, but being a loyal fan, I thought I'd at least mention his forthcoming B-Sides album, Swords out on November 3^rd in the US (UK residents will receive the album early on October 26^th).

The thing I like about B-Sides is that for some artists, is that they can let their hair down. Sometime they take some risks, for instance one of my favorite B-Side is "Girl Least Likely To" which was co-written by ex-Smiths Andy Rourke. It was quite rare to see Rourke doing the writing chores... but when he did, it was usually a B-Side. Incidentally, Rourke also provided the music for another favorite B-Side called "Get Off the Stage" (who says Morrissey doesn't have a sense of a humor?)

Hardcore fans will probably own all the singles, but the reason why they would pick up Swords is that it's just very convenient. Instead of compiling your own CD-R, this will do all the work for you and includes a new cover artwork. And as usual, it's definitely worth getting the limited version for the bonus disc.

Here's the tracklisting:

Good Looking Man About Town Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me Ganglord My Dearest Love The Never-Played Symphonies Sweetie-Pie Christian Dior Shame Is The Name Munich Air Disaster 1958 I Knew I Was Next It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small Teenage Dad On His Estate Children In Pieces Friday Mourning My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye Drive-In Saturday Because Of My Poor Education

Limited edition bonus disc: Black Cloud I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris I Just Want To See The Boy Happy Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby Life Is A Pigsty I'm OK By Myself

Tour Dates 10/05/09 Esplanade Concert Hall 10/08/09 Fremantle Arts Centre Fremantle 10/11/09 Palais Theatre Melbourne 10/13/09 Wrest Point Entertainment Centre Hobart 10/14/09 Palais Theatre Melbourne 10/15/09 Royal Theatre Canberra 10/17/09 Enmore Theatre Sydney 10/18/09 Convention Centre Brisbane Read More Elvis Costello http://weheartmus... I've been waiting for Universal to release all of Elvis' catalogue - and I was pleased to see that This Year's Model (the album with Pump it Up) was released a few months ago. My Aim is True (1977) is the first in the reissues, and it's a good start, because it was the first Costello album. Ove...

PUTTING THE "EL" IN ELVIS
elviscostello.com

I guess I'm pretty old. I have a lot of music-stories.

I've seen Elvis Costello at the Berkeley Theater before. I was there to cover Sleeper, the opening band. We had pretty awful seats, I had brought some friends along. They wanted to leave, but not until he played "Veronica" (one of the girl's name in our group). So he played it about half way into his set and we started walking out.

Outside the venue, there was a whole family sitting outside the venue's wall, listening to Elvis Costello. They were somewhat offended that we were leaving the show - "What's the matter? Why are you leaving?" they asked.

To be honest, I would've liked to say for the whole Costello show. I would've love to hear "Pump It Up" live, which I suspect probably would've been encore material.

So what's my point? Next Tuesday, as part of the "Costello Show" series, Live At The El Mocambo, comes out on Hip-O Records, according to amazon.

I got a chance to preview it, and I'll have to say that the recording is clean, probably was originally recorded from the soundboard for radio broadcast. The show was originally recorded in 1978 and released to Canadian radio stations only. As usual, fans got a hold of it, and it was heavily bootlegged. It eventually got an official release in 1993, but only as part of the 2½ Years boxset. Cheapskates will be happy to know that you can now buy Live At The El Mocambo as a standalone release soon.

Read More Michael Jackson http://weheartmus... I grew up in the ghetto in Sacramento, and we were pretty poor. Our color television was probably the most valuable thing we'd own. I don't know how it came into our possessing (probably a find at the Goodwill), but we had this one-hour NBC documentary via VHS on The Jackson Five. At the end of t...

IS THIS IT? THIS IS IT!
thisisit-movie.com

Too soon?

UK tickets for the highly anticipated Michael Jackson film, "This Is It", goes on sale today, September 27^th. If I were a betting man, I would think that tickets will probably sell out - so I suggest if you really want to see it, buy the tickets early.

Here's the kicker, the movie will only be available for two weeks, starting Wednesday, October 28^th. I did check for tickets in my area, there is an HD showing near me for $14, which is a little more expensive than I had hope. Remember when movies only cost $4.50 for matinee ?

While some may argue that the movie-going experience is worth it, I say for about the same amount, I'll get the DVD or Bluray version when it comes out. Which I'm almost certain it will come out.... after all, the soundtrack is available for pre-order.

Here's the official details of the MJ film:

Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing. Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27.

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor Arctic Monkeys 5 comments Tour Dates 09/26/09 The Rave Milwaukee 09/28/09 Newport Music Columbus 09/29/09 Kool Haus Toronto, Canada 09/30/09 Electric Factory Philadelphia 10/02/09 House Of Blues N Orleans 10/03/09 House Of Blues Houston 10/04/09 Austin City Limits Festival 10/05/09 Palladium Ballroom Dallas 10/19/09 Budokan Tokyo, Japan 11/03/09 Lotto Arena Antwerp 11/05/09 Zenith Paris, France 11/06/09 Zenith Paris, France 11/08/09 Berlin Arena Berlin 11/10/09 Heineken Music, Holland 11/11/09 Heineken Music Amsterdam 11/13/09 Echo Arena Liverpool 11/14/09 Sheffield Arena Sheffield 11/16/09 Newcastle Metro Arena 11/17/09 Wembley Arena London 11/18/09 Wembley Arena London 11/20/09 Birmingham NIA 11/21/09 MEN Arena Manchester 11/22/09 Trent FM Arena Nottingham 11/24/09 Glasgow SECC Glasgow 11/25/09 Belfast The Odyssey Belfast 11/26/09 The O2 Dublin 01/26/10 PalaSharp Milan, Italy 01/27/10 Summum Grenoble, France 01/29/10 Liberte Rennes, France 01/30/10 Medoquine, France 01/31/10 Zenith Montpellier, France 02/02/10 Coliseum Porto, Portugal 02/03/10 Campo Pequeno Lisbon 02/05/10 Palacio Vistalegre, Spain 02/06/10 Sant Jordi Club Barcelona Read More Arctic Monkeys http://weheartmus... The Arctic Monkeys are undoutably the biggest band from England right now. I did went to see the...

Unbelievable - how on earth did two of the hottest tickets in town, Arctic Monkeys and The Rural Alberta Advantage, came into town and basically played next door to each other at First Avenue and 7th Street Entry? For those outside of Minneapolis, First Ave and 7th Street are basically one big building. The mainfloor (First Ave) is definitely much larger than 7th Street, which is pretty much like a closet. So with some strategy, I was able to catch four bands last night at both sold-out shows, weaving in and out of bodies and having a pretty good time about it too.

Opening up for Arctic Monkeys are an all-girls group The Like (myspace), which probably didn't fit too well with the "rock n roll" styling of the Arctic Monkeys. I'm not sure if the audience "liked" them, but I thought they were pretty good. They reminded me of 80s girl group, like the Go-Gos. They obviously must love Duran Duran as they ended their set with a song referencing "Hungry Like a Wolf".

Also, they were all cute, especially with the wardrobe (I later spied that singer Z Berg owns a Hello Kitty purse). I was impressed with them enough to check out a free download of "Fair Game" from Work It Media.

I headed over to 7th Street to catch The Love Language (myspace), who Kate II saw a few months ago. She described the band as a "six-member troop hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina". Well, guess what? They've gained another band member along the way, they are now seven people on the very tiny, tiny 7th Street stage.

Between the two keyboardists, three guitars, one bass, one drum, they often explode with very loud melodies ... so loud that maybe it blew out one of their amp - which was quickly replaced for their last three songs on their set.

Arctic Monkeys 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (9/25/09) ♥ photograph by Susan Lueck

Arctic Monkeys Setlist ♥ First Ave, Minneapolis (9/25/09), from Brody

Headed back to see Arctic Monkeys (official / myspace). The last time I saw these guys, I noted that singer/guitarist Alex Turner didn't do much on stage (he just plays and sings). But it didn't matter, because the audience loved it. There were a few songs that sent the audience into apemode, particularly "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", and their new one, "Crying Lightning".

What's changed is that Turner grew out his hair (in fact, the rest of the band seems to all have shaggy-like hair), he's actually doing more on stage like dancing and shaking in his Vines T-Shirt. He still looks youthful, but it's definitely not "I'm new at this rock thing" clean-cut look from last year.

What hasn't changed is the fact that their audience STILL INTENSELY LOVES this band. Every song is sung by a sea of eager fans, every word is clung on like dear life - it's as if they were a military, awaiting orders from the Monkeys.

Rural Alberta Advantage Setlist ♥ 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (9/25/09)

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt This Place The Rural Alberta Advantage Tour Dates 09/27/09 Ohio State Columbus, OH 09/29/09 Tasty World Athens, GA 09/30/09 FL State Uni Tallahassee, FL 10/02/09 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, GA 10/03/09 Duke University Durham, NC 10/04/09 Rock’N Roll Hotel Washington DC 10/06/09 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, PA 10/07/09 Bowery Ballroom NY 10/08/09 Middle East Cafe Cambridge, MA 10/09/09 Higher Ground, Burlington, VT 10/10/09 Iron Horse  Northampton, MA 10/11/09 Soundlab Buffalo, New York 11/04/09 Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario Read More The Love Language http://weheartmus... The Love Language, a six-member troop hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, proved to be ideal op...

Compared to the massive youth crowd of the 800lb Monkey, The Rural Alberta Advantage (official / myspace) is tamer. Their audience is a little older (beards, button shirts, beer-drinkers) and I was impressed at how many people knew the RAA songs, as I was told by Kyle that when the RAA came here a few months ago that it was only half-full.

Being a cover lover, I was obviously keen on the "S.O.S." (Abba) and "Eye of the Tiger" (Survivor) covers. The audience seem to really dig "The Dethbridge in Lethbridge". As for the encore, they didn't really leave the stage. Instead, on the last song, all three band members went into the audience and started singing "Goodnight".

Rural Alberta Advantage at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (9/25/09) ♥ photograph by Leslie Plesser

At first, without a mic, it was hard to hear singer Paul Banwatt, but as the audience shush to hear the vocals - it was pretty intimate. I suppose that they usually end their set this way (especially with loads of people), as they seem to know what they were doing when the final song came on.

So as 'man on the scene', both are fine bands, but both also cater to very different audiences. If you get a chance to see either band, they're definitely worth seeing, if you don't mind that they are both somewhat popular.

PS, no photographs, due to lack of a photo pass - but enjoy this rare vu-art instead.

Update 9/27/09 12:34 pm: Added two photographs.

I came to know and became a fan of Rose Melberg from her DIY all-girls fun group Tiger Trap (the name comes from Calvin and Hobbes), which I often play on my radio show on KFSR 90.7FM, back in the day!

What I love about Tiger Trap is that all their songs (from all three singles they've released) is that they're short, they're cute, and Melberg's twittery vocals. Even though the term "twee" (I hate that word) existed since the 80s, I have often thought that Tiger Trap were pioneers of modernday twee-pop.

Melberg would continue her unique songs with Go Sailor and The Softies, sort of simultaneously in 1994. Between the two projects, it was obvious which one seem more important, since Go Sailor quickly went away after only three singles.

The Softies (Melberg's collaboration would be with Jen Sbragia) was more significant, releasing four albums, their last one being Holiday in Rhode Island, available from K Records. The thing about The Softies, is that they were going for that two-vocals harmony thing and their songs are often pretty mellow... unlike their punk-counterpart with the same name (I think they were from the UK).

Since I left the radio station in the mid-90s, I will admit to not keeping up with the whereabouts of Rose Melberg and her various projects (working as a drummer in another short-lived band, Gaze, working with Elliott Smith, The Potatomen, etc). I did know she went solo, or at least had solo records, but I was still surprise to find out that Rose Melberg is back with her third studio album, Homemade Ship, released last Tuesday on K Records.

I was actually pretty excited to listen to the new album, but since my only knowledge of her music were pre-1996, it seems a lot more mellow acoustic than even the softest Softies music. In fact, with all the background vocals by Larissa Loyva, one could mistaken Homemade Ship to be the latest Softies album.

The album seems very personal to me, especially on "Sidewalk" and "Old Days". But I also get the impression that Melberg must really love two other things in life: nature and animals.

In the form of nature, she seems obsessed with water ("we watch the water float you"), moon, wind, ships, and sailing. As for animals, she just doesn't just write about them, but often singing that she is an animal ("Bear in a Cave", "Sharks", crows on "Old Days", raccoon on "Moon Singer").

In some ways, the title track, "Homemade Ship", about being lost due to instruments failure, is my favorite song, because I feel as if Melberg simply isn't singing about sailing, but more about life and where she is.

If you were hoping for the new record to sound like Tiger Trap or Go Sailor, you will be disappointed. If you're already comfortable with The Softies, then I think you'll feel right at home with this very quiet and tender Homemade Ship album.

Can't get enough of Melberg? Head over to NPR to hear "Old Days" as the Song of the Day for August 19^th. Pick up Homemade Ships at K Records (LP for $10, cheap!).

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Who lives in a house like this?

Space - Me and You Versus the World Space - Spiders

Space was a short-lived band from Liverpool. The most interesting thing about the band is that singer, Tommy Scott sounds like he's trying to be Mexican. You can hear it in the way he rolls his "R"s.

Riding the wave of Britpop, the band found themselves with a hit song, "Female of the Species". While many of their contemporaries was singing songs about being oh-so-British and parklife, Space never really fitted in with that style of writing. Instead, they sound like they were huge film buffs, particularly of Quentin Tarantino and Repo Man (1984) (they used samples from this film on several of their songs, including "Neighbourhood" and "Kill Me").

They were also a bit cheesy, you never really took Space too seriously - especially because of their undying love of Tom Jones. "The Ballad of Tom Jones" with Cerys Matthews (Catatonia), was their tribute to the man. They later recorded a song with Tom Jones for his 34^th album, Reload.

They sort of broke up in 2001, and came back with their third and final album, Suburban Rock 'N' Roll, in 2004. Unfortunately, the album did terrible on the charts, and without a proper record label, they had absolutely no promotional. Without a record deal, the band finally broke up permanently in 2005.

I don't have their final album, but their first two, Spiders and Tin Planet, are fantastic. If you are looking to get an album, be on the lookout for the 2-disc US edition of Spiders. The second disc is basically the single for Female of the Species.

THE ALMIGHTY DEFENDERS
THE ALMIGHTY DEFENDERS
VICE 2009

The Almighty Defenders, pet project sextet supergroup (a title on which I dearly wish could be tacked ‘du jour’), ambles comfortably under the shade of a gospel umbrella. Comprised of garage-revival notables Black Lips, King Khan, and Mark Sultan, the band pares down their respective sounds with minimal ego and very little fuss. The final result is simple, informal, and above all, warm—the sound tastes plainly of sweat and hot salted butter. Even the metallic rattle of the (heavily employed) tambourine gives off a little heat.

Rousing opener “All My Loving” shimmies from the mugginess of some unseen swamp shack and keels forth with a slack-tongued call-and-response refrain, an element featured many times over on subsequent tracks. The bass line is hot-handed; the percussion is most likely the walls and furniture; the production is coarsely ground. Bearing the swagger of an unplanned drunk with unexpected guests, the track behaves as though someone pressed ‘record’ and the resulting sessions issued hence from this very spot. Hanging on its shoulders is second track “The Ghost With the Most,” a spooky, slouchy conversation about the next world. Here, that 'gospel' tag catches the light a little; the Defenders are dipping into spiritual subject matter, although it’s clearly of the non-practicing variety. The flat chorus of sha-la-las-- sung by the Black Lips boys in winking deadpan—sounds like a roundup of local ne’er-do-wells enlisted to paint a few fences. The boisterous vocal red-liner “Bow Down and Die” sounds like someone paid those same ne’er-do-wells for their services in liquor.

Moving beyond the drunken exuberance of the opening tracks is the near-tearjerker “Jihad Blues,” which, despite its slow swayin’ and splashes of sax to taste, isn’t much more than a (soulfully executed) joke. Appearing inexplicably where the peak should be are the ensuing tracks “30 Second Air Blast” and “Death Cult Soup n’ Salad,” two nearly identical cuts whose time-out acts as the smoke break at a get-down all the poltergeists are having in your absence. Somebody comes back to their senses with latter-half kneeslapper “She Came Before Me” --yet another song employing the failsafe combo of tambourine, simple licks, echoes, and callbacks—but the spoken farewell sermon right after it (“The Great Defender”) confounds everything anew.

The Almighty Defenders is fortunate to be propelled by catchy hooks and gritty sonic crackle, but it’s likely that, if not for its members, the album could be dismissed as a gimmicky head-scratcher. Gospel? Maybe in caricature, as a few timely whoops and “oh lawdy”s do not a gospel record make. The album is best for listeners who like their instrumentation rhythmic and unfettered by filler; the ideal candidate is a fan of both groups in their original format. Nevertheless, it's a warm, woolly, and strangely intimate recording-- as if a coupla buzzed  cronies made some tapes over the weekend meant only for one another. Think of it as a big, bouncing, funny-looking baby-- although you're happy for the parents, you've also had to imagine them having sex.

Check out: "All My Loving", "The Ghost With The Most", "Jihad Blues", "She Came Before Me"

Yeah yeah, it hasn't slipped past me that this album was released in June, but it can't go unpraised (I'm sure i just made that word up). Kasabian have been round quite a while, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is the third album under their belts.

If you've progressed through the years with this four-piece from sunny Leicester, you would have to agree that since their first (and self-titled album) album Kasabian have really grown as songwriters. Indie rock at it's finest.

For example, there were some absolute gems of songs on the first album; catchy as they come, but West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is just amazing. You have the first single Fire with it's shifts from the mellow, through to it's loud and catchy chorus (be careful of that volume shift when you're listening on some sort of earpod arrangement) and then back again.

You also have songs like Underdog that you may have first seen on some sort of television ad and thought "Hang on, that sounds like Kasabian, but it's much more awesome than I recall them ever being before!"; Where Did All The Love Go?, Vlad The Impaler and Fast Fuse, which each have incredibly catchy guitar riffs and completely splendid underlying basslines; foot-tappingly so.

On the other hand there's tunes like Happiness and Thick As Thieves (I quite like the pronunciation of the words 'Thick' and 'Thieves' - listen for yourself), which although less danceable than those tracks just mentioned, still have that awesome composition of sounds that runs through the entire album.

So many melodies that are just going to stick right in your head and not shift for a good hour. You'd best fire up the vacuum cleaner now, or get in the car and go for a 51 minute and 59 second drive.... the perfect soundtrack for either.

A couple of little tidbits for you:
1. if you head here: http://www.kasabianasylum.com/ you can play a splendid little game.
2. If you gaze down there and do a little clicking you'll notice a Mr Noel Fielding from one of our favourite telly shows The Might Boosh in a promo video for Vlad The Impaler.

They were just in Australia.... and I just happened to miss them... but if you're lucky enough to be more on the ball than me get yourself along to one of these upcoming shows:
Paris / Bataclan, France - 23/10/09
Lyon / Le Radiant, France - 24/10/09
Toulouse / Le Bikini, France - 25/10/09
Köln, Live Music Hall, Germany - 28/10/09
Bochum, Zeche, Germany - 29/10/09
München, Germany - 31/10/09
Hamburg, Germany - 01/11/09
Berlin, Huxley's, Germany - 02/11/09
Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena, UK - 10/11/09
Aberdeen, AECC, UK - 11/11/09
Glasgow, SECC, UK - 12/11/09
London, Wembley Arena, UK - 14/11/09
London, Wembley Arena, UK - 15/11/09
Liverpool, Echo Arena, UK 16/11/09
Nottingham, Trent FM Arena, UK - 18/11/09
Birmingham, NIA, - UK 19/11/09
Manchester, MEN, - UK 20/11/09
Cardiff, International Arena, - UK 22/11/09
Sheffield, Arena, - UK 23/11/09

Links - http://www.kasabian.co.uk - http://www.myspace.com/kasabian

Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com

Ladyhawke Setlist ♥ Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis (9/21/09)

Pip Brown, aka Ladyhawke, is the cute-shy unsuspecting headliner for Perez Hilton tour, when it was announced that, due to illness, that main headliner, Ida Maria will not be playing the Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis 9/22/09.

The good news was that the show was free, so it was still a pretty decent turnout, lots of young underage students (you can tell by the sea of black "X" on the back of their hands. It also seems to me that this night is possibly the best night of their lives.

Sliimy (official / myspace / twitter) opened up the whole thing. I thought he was joking when he said he was French ("with a bad English accent"), but he was telling the truth. He also reminded me of Prince, but with glasses and a gold lamé jacket. I expected Sliimy (incidentally pronounced "slimmy", not "slimey") to sound like Lady Gaga or something fitting on Perez Hilton's record label - but they don't sound quite as poppy.

In replacement for Maria was Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (myspace / twitter.com), which you may know is a reference to V For Vendetta. They are a young, energetic band, singing songs about "Sophisticated Side Ponytail" and "Holding Hands in the Shower" (and possibly with your daughter). You half expect them to burst out singing, "I'm on a motherfucking boat".

Speaking of energetic, Semi Precious Weapons (official / myspace / twitter.com) are unforgettable. I first saw this band at SXSW but didn't know who they were. I thought to myself, "this band is going to be huge", never thinking I would actually see them randomly at some point in the future. They are definitely a band to catch live, the bassist is insane!

Ladyhawke ♥ Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis (9/21/09)

When Ladyhawke took the stage, she's nervous happy. Between songs, she was at a loss of words, or when she did speak they sound nonsensical to me. However, she did manage to sneak in the story about seeing a man on a unicycle. She called it the dumbest thing she's ever seen. I suppose growing up in a small town in New Zealand, you don't see too many weird stuff like that.

Ladyhawke seems more comfortable when she's playing guitar, and as much as I like "Dust Till Dawn", it didn't sound as good as some of her other songs - particularly "Love Don't Live Here", "Paris Is Burning", and "My Delirium". Yes, the hits keeps on coming.

You'll be happy to know that Ladyhawke is continuing her tour through America until early October, before heading back to Australia. She did mention that she'll be back in the US "very soon", which I get the impression that means three months.

Her self-titled album was released last year, but there is a re-issue with extra acoustic tracks, according to amazon.