But the little Ghouls understand.....Groovie Ghoulies--An All-American Halloween Tradition!

Here's a few more quickies for America's favorite evil holiday. A little number from The Groovie Ghoulies....Lookout Records answer to the Cramps.

You know, Green Day but with monsters.............!




As we celebrate again this wicked night, when the Great Pumpkin rises once more from his pumpkin patch, here is more macabre music from my favorite Halloween-themed Punks!





They may be gone for now, but like any broken band, they can be re-animated someday. Right now, though Kepi is due to drop a Country album shortly.......

Halloween is for SUPER Rock--Fleshtones---Screaming Skull!

Just a quickie for Halloween!

One of my favorite creepy Halloween tunes by the Gods of Super Rock, the Fleshtones.




Both of their great 80's IRS albums, Roman Gods and Hexbreaker! were reissued a few years ago on Raven Records, so you have no excuse! Brilliant 60's party music for one and all.

Happy Halloween!

Dishrags! Past is Future---Vancouver Punk at Its Finest!!! Love/Hate Anthology...

I first heard the Dishrags on the excellent and essential Vancouver Complication compilation (available from Sudden Death records). Though I was familiar with some of the bands represented, of the unfamiliar ones The Dishrags really stood out to me. Eventually I picked up this super fine compilation of their music Love/Hate, released on Other People's Music in 1997.

In the US I suppose they aren't so well known, but they certainly should be. They never put out a single studio album. Unfortunately Love/Hate, a collection of their singles, EPs, demos, and live tracks is out of print and is commanding a high price. A veritable Punk Rock treasure trove. Earlier this year Three was released, a vinyl release containing mostly unreleased material from their early days. On the recent excellent documentary of the Vancouver scene Bloodied But Unbowed,the band is also well represented. I mean it took me about 30 seconds to realise (about 1/3 the length of one of their songs)that these guys were pretty tremendous--they even opened for The Clash, by request from Joe Strummer, clearly a man with good taste in music.



When I listen to them its easy to be reminded of The Avengers, Penelope Houston's band who were one of the great American bands of the era. Certainly you can hear The Clash and Ramones influences with the Dishrags, but I especially like it when they slow down and operate in Wire Post-punk mode. Apparently they were the first all-female punk group in Vancouver, which is a big deal, being teenage trailblazers in a mostly boys club--but I would rather think of them more as a great band in a very special music scene. Because they could hold there own with the male talent and then some. And in my opinion, I think the punk name Jade Blade is one of the best I've heard.



Lineup I--1977-1979
Jade Blade: Vocals, Guitar
Scout: Drums
Dale Powers:Vocals, Bass

Lineup II--1979-1980
Jade Blade:Vocals, Guitar
Sue MacGillivray: Vocals, Guitar
Scout: Vocals, Drums
Kim Henriksen: Vocals, Bass




I don't have that much more to say except, let the music speak for itself! Hopefully the songs on Love/Hate will be more available to the public in the near future, as the songs really need to be heard. The Dishrags have so much energy and punk swagger that the songs are simply irresistible. My only regret is that there isn't more here. I love this release so much--so much of what makes Punk Rock important to me and why Vancouver was such an important Punk music scene is right here!

Blue Skies & Bad Salads: Pugwash's 1st US gig before Adoring Crowd in Hamden Ct.

I don't know for sure, but I would guess that most people reading this post are familiar with the legendary gig of the Sex Pistols at Manchester. They say that of the 50 people in attendance, most were inspired enough by the show to form bands of their own. The concert was lovingly re-enacted in the wonderful Tony Wilson/Factory records bioflick 24 Hour Party People. (If you haven't seen this movie go see it now.) Cut to decades later, and a running joke is that if you added up all the kids that claimed to have been there that night, there would have been enough people to fill a soccer stadium!

Anyway, if the Irish Pop geniuses Pugwash go platinum or viral, or they wind up with the first track on a Hunger Games or Transformers soundtrack, I just wanted you to know that I was there before the levees broke. This past Sunday evening. I was in attendance for their first US show at the Outer Space in Hamden, Ct.! One of the lucky 50 in attendance, in other words. It was a bit of a haul to drive from NY across the Nutmeg State, but I'm glad that I did. It was my first visit to the Outer Space, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. I think they could become my new Maxwell's. Good bands, nice varied craft beer selection, and they serve up food (which at least looked pretty good) from the kitchen.

If you are not familiar with Pugwash, they are a pop band from Ireland led by Thomas Walsh. They have pout a number of albums out, which are mostly hard/expensive to obtain, at least in the U.S (until now, anyway--I'll elaborate later). Their music is influenced greatly by the classic pop acts of the sixties and seventies, like Beatles, ELO, Move, Idle Race, Beatles, and more recent artists like Swindon's finest, XTC. But I do believe they do navigate their way in the pop world in their own distinct way. Live they reminded me a little of The Smithereens, sort of an updated more guitar-centric version of the aforementioned artists.

I have found in my experience with live shows, that bands are rarely funny. And sometimes the moments of humor are entirely unintentional. Exceptions to this are bands like Mekons, and the amazing Billy Bragg, whose between song patter is at times superior to the music. I'm mentioning this now because Pugwash is a band that likes to horse around a bit on stage. I know that national stereotypes can at times be hurtful, but Thomas Walsh has a bit of that gift of gab we've heard so much about. Of course with the brogue, the entertainers and audience seemed equally baffled more than once.

It goes beyond saying Tink and Tanks instead of Think and Thanks. Walsh said "this next song is off our Forest album". ?. It took a few seconds for me to realize he said 1st album.

For example: guy next to me keeps shouting out for some reason "play Christy Moore"! Finally Walsh responds. "We're not playing Christy Moore, because noone plays a Christy Moore song better
than Christy Moore! Next time you go see Christy Moore, ask him to play one of ours and see how he does. And you know I know him. I ran into him once when he was putting out his garbage bins one morning. These things do happen you know.........

Another guy wanted them to perform Mayor of Simpleton. But no. According to Walsh, "you know Partridge stole all the good bits from me....."

They liked to take the piss between their songs also, playing little jokey snippets of covers, like
the soft-rock classic Mandy, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love, and Sgt. Peppers LHCB. The ultimate of course was their little run through the theme song of "King of Queens". I think they were a little disappointed they didn't get a bigger response from the audience, because I bet they practiced this one in anticipation of America.

USA, USA!!!!

Getting back to originals, you should know that in conjunction with Pugwash's US tour, Omnivore Recordings has released a career-wide anthology of their music "Rose in a Garden of Weeds", the first North American release of their music. And if you enjoy a well-crafted rock tune, you really can't go wrong with this. And if you manage to see Pugwash live, the nice gentleman at the merch table will happily assist you in selecting repressings of Pugwash's ultra scarce first two albums, Almond Tea and Almanac, and their latest full length album, Olympus Sound (which was nominated for a Meteor Choice Award for best Irish album). Or a T-shirt or two. If you can't get to a gig, maybe you should check out Facebook.....




So in conjunction with the compilation record, Pugwash performed songs from their early days to now. Songs like Apples, or Be My Friend (Jeff Lynne's favorite), Take Me Away. They did It's Nice to Be Nice, from their Jollity album. They performed their contribution to Colin Farrell's movie "Pride and Glory", Anyone Who Asks. Nice. They finally did bow to pressure and played a cover, a bangup version of ELO's Mr. Blue Sky. And to fully explain the title of this post, Pugwash sang Dear Belinda, a Sad Ballad--or Bad Salad.........




Pugwash are probably completing their NY show as I type, but they will be playing other select venues in the States. I really enjoyed myself that night. They are definitely worth seeing live.

And before Pugwash came on stage I got to hear 2 Balkan Brass bands, two more than I have ever heard live before. While I didn't come to the Outer Space for this reason, I enjoyed listening to them. One was a local group & the other was a group from Boston, Cocek! Brass Band, who actually wrote their own original songs. They were a lot of fun to hear, and the elaborate interweaving stuttery horn parts were amazing. And it was fun watching the people who came to see these bands, because this music was in their DNA, and they were dancing around, really enjoying themselves, which is a beautiful thing. One of the principles I adhere to when I go see a show, is never write another band off. Opening bands are sometimes brilliant, often interesting--which is one of my favorite kind of surprise! And I like to be polite, I suppose.




So, now that Pugwash has visited the States, can the Duckworth-Lewis Method be far behind?
Come on, you aficionados of Rounders, surely you must know of Walsh's Cricket-themed side band with Neil Hannon! They recently released their 2nd album!

Joanna Gruesome---Noisepop Mashup from Cardiff!!--Weird Sister

Maybe it all started with Psychocandy back in the 1980's. When Jesus and Mary Chains 1st album came out. I still recall what a huge reaction it made. That combination of pop and guitar noise. To may ears, it sounded like they recorded an electric razor and turned it up high in the mix. The concept has had a pretty good run since then.

So here in 2014, I'm listening to a stellar album by Joanna Gruesome, which came out in 2013. And it definitely is melodic and damn noisy. The album is Weird Sister, released on Slumberland Records, a label with its fair share of interesting bands. They must have some good scouts.

It seems as though this album has got a fair share of critical attention already. So I don't know if they are truly underappreciated, as the story goes.

But I really like this one, so a little more attention can't hurt. Another great band from Wales, namely Cardiff.

Slumberland describes the band's sound as Noisepop, which pretty much nails their musical style succinctly. The phrase "twee" is thrown about a lot, but I don't really see it. The songs do not have that sort of preciousness to them. But certainly the rriot girl comparisons have some truth to them. The music sometimes sounds like two songs going on at the same time, like a super hook laden pop melody by The Primitives with a Sonic Youth, Pixies or Shoegaze track blended in. At other times you have a pop song that segues into sonic whiteout. For all the jangle there are heavy rock riffs too. And for all the dissonance to the songs, the music is still pretty upbeat and energetic, though honestly I have a lot of difficulty understanding what they are singing about.

Here is a fine example of their craft:



Alanna McArdle:Vocals
Owen Williams: Guitar, Vocals
George Nicholls: Guitar
Max Warren: Bass
David Sandford: Drums

So check these guys out, if you haven't already. I think you will be impressed. Hopefully this is just a really great beginning.

or just substitute the last name with Gruesome, a la The Ramones.

For some reason I'm reminded a little of the early Pooh Sticks, a pretty sublime Welsh band from the 1990s. Particularly the early stuff. The bands don't really sound the same at all, but there is a great pop sense working with Joanna Gruesome behind the veil of fuzz. Perhaps many people don't know about the Pooh Sticks (actually were signed to a big label but now unjustly overlooked), but I am paying a high compliment. And don't misunderstand what I am saying. I don't mean that the band only needs sweetening up to get on track. I say give me noise! Often you see a progression toward pop (to attract a wider demographic of consumers) with bands, and while it isn't always a bad thing, it often makes for a bland evolution. Change is good--creative bands do that, but let's hope Joanna Gruesome stay as edgy sounding as they are today!

Dublin's #1s Release 1st album! Gritty Pop Punk from Dublin

A few weeks ago my package arrived from Deranged records in Vancouver. Yes, finally the #1s have released their debut album. Highly anticipated in some circles--guilty as charged am I. So let me jump on this bandwagon, if one in fact exists.

I've already done a post extolling the virtues of this Dublin 4-piece. If you like The Undertones, The Clean, The Records, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this today! Sure there is nothing terribly new here, but what they do here, they do well.

Look at the cover quickly and you would think they were posing for the cover of Tiger Beat magazine. Like 4 dapper young Danny Bonaduces. The things you have to do for world domination.

This a pretty great debut, compiling a lot of the great singles they have made, some of which are probably impossible to get. Most of the songs are pretty energetic and gritty. Though rough around the edges they have a keen pop sense, like early Teenage Fanclub somewhat, though I detect a little Dinosaur Jr influence in the terrific song Sharon Shouldn't (see prior post).

They don't sound much like U2 or Cranberries, so they probably won't be appearing on any Irish music documentaries on public television anytime soon.

I'll just post one song here, the brashly melodic Heartsmash! I think the song is about unrequited romantic infatuation, but it could also be about Professional Wrestling.




Great stuff here. Eddie Kenrick on vocs, Sean Goucher on guitar, Cian Nugent bass, and Conor Lumsden, drums. Buy the album, buy the t-shirts and beer coozies.  The album is available from Deranged Records and Static Shock Records in Europe. Well done. 10 songs in 20 minutes--tight editing here.

Cian Nugent appears to have a few albums out himself, he of Cian Nugent & the Cosmos. I'm listening  to a few of his songs right now. The music is quite different from #1s. It sounds like contemplative instrumental folk music. Not bad at all, really, but what I've heard seems pretty laid back.

The Undertones had John Peel in their corner. Since such influential giants like Peel no longer walk the earth (sadly), the little guys like me have to pull their weight. So check these guys out. You'll be glad you did!

Don't Freak Out, But Be Prepared----Bloods---Golden Fang EP

You know what? I haven't even gotten my mitts on a copy of Sydney three-piece Bloods new EP (yet), but I can't wait to say something about the band. I've seen and heard some of their tunes, and I think I'm hooked. Their combination of pop crunch, punk drive, and Stoogelike attitude is a winner. In fact, their EP Golden Fang is not all that new, having been released about a year ago.

In that long gestation and migration period, from recording, to factory manufacturing of product, to my American eardrums, Dirk, MC & Sweetie have earned a lot of critical praise in Oz. And why not? To paraphrase enforcer Ross Rhea from the immortal movie Goon, they've got The Stuff. The Shit. The Grit. For a long time I have intended to do a bit on that stellar Do The Pop! anthology of Australian music, and I thought about using the old line that the 1978-88 period being the "Golden Age" of Australian rock music. With all the new bands out there I can't be sure that the Golden Age isn't now! And I'm still playing catchup to the great music made in-between. You can't stop the future, and if you don't grasp this, you simply have stopped listening.

Oh, yeah. Do the Pop!--absolutely great anthology. Don't hesitate. Seriously.

But 2 minutes + of punk-pop excitement are worth a thousand words. See if you are into this as much as me. You might think that I have Stooges on my mind merely because Bloods share a song title with Iggy & Co. You know, that hardwired human tendency to have to associate things for the sake of association. But Bloods don't really sound like the Stooges---it's just their vibe that I can't overlook, the confident swagger.

But of course, the hard rocking Detroit-Australia connection is no mere matter of conjecture, it's a scientific fact. Someday they will probably have a show on the History Channel stating that it could only have been aliens that brought the Detroit sound so many thousands of kilometers from home. You never know.




Here's another one just for kicks!

You can get a lot of their music at BandCamp, plus Bloods merch, like pizza-inspired clothing and totes. So far I only see Golden Fang available in vinyl or download. Supposedly they are working on their first full album as we speak. I think we'll be hearing a lot more from these guys. Soon.

Black road long & I drove and drove....Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Hammerstein Theater

Not too long ago I went to see a comedy show with friends around town, and one of my friends confessed that seeing this famous 80's comedian was sort of a "bucket list" event for him, though hopefully we all have some good years ahead of us.

I suppose that's how it is for me with Nick Cave. Probably ten years ago I purchased tickets to see him perform. The show was postponed due to illness, and eventually rescheduled. At the time, I was so preoccupied by work, that I finally remembered that I had a show to see, only three days after the concert. Lately, I've tried to get tickets, but usually by the time I realize he is doing a North American tour, every venue on the East coast from Atlanta to Toronto is sold out, and I really don't enjoy scalping tickets. The funny thing is, most people I know have no idea who he is--I would venture that an artist of his pedigree must be as famous as AC/DC or Men At Work in his homeland of Australia.

Well this time, Nick & the Seeds are touring without a new album & in New York between college semesters, so I hit paydirt & bought a standing room seat. I drove down to the venerable Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan and I was glad I did. Though I don't grouse about set lists, for me, him not having a new album to promote became a great opportunity for me because the show was a veritable greatest hits showcase. He played songs off of nearly every album, including his first two albums, From Her to Eternity, and The First Born is Dead. From concept to execution, I was always deeply impressed with "Tupelo", so seeing him perform it live was a treat. My only regret was that they did not do any Birthday Party songs. I saw this on YouTube & was hopeful.... but no real regrets. Though I would not have been disappointed if Chris Bailey came on stage and dueted with Nick on Bring It On, or Ed Kuepper hopped on stage as a guest axeman.




Nick Cave is a formidable live performer, still riveting after 30 years of touring. He paces the stage hyperactively, zooming in and out of focus, alternately interacting and at times stalking the audience. His guise is both theatrical and visceral, taking on different roles, from carny to confidence man to preacher to killer. And while he can croon like a jazz stylist, he still can yowl like a psychotic tomcat. While watching him perform, I was thinking how this sort of show could come off as a parody or as lame, but with his out-sized stage presence and gravitas he brings to each song/tale, he pulls it off. Nick and the audience are co-conspirators. It's fascinating to see how he contorts himself on stage, with his tall gangly physiognomy, twisting & twitching in the air, dancing, jiving, then lunging forward into the audience, laying hands upon them. Jingle, Jangle. Unlike everyone else in the audience, I found myself staring at his gyrating shadow on the black curtains on the right side of the theater. The Bad Seeds are one hell of a backing band, but with the exception of Warren Ellis (he of the Dirty 3), they really keep themselves in the background. At times I thought I was watching a Broadway musical. I would be surprised if they weren't cooking up a plan to put together a Nick Cave show ala Mamma Mia! I think it would have a lot of potential---all the tension in those Jim Thompsonesque murder songs, plus all the tender ballads he has amassed over the past 20 years or so.

Below is video from my concert experience. Shiny shirt, crazed like Evil Neil Diamond. Song Sung Red my friends....


From Her to Eternity!



People Ain't No Good!



Jubilee Street, from Lift High the Sky...




Other songs I got to see were God is in the House, The Ship Song, Mermaids, Stagger Lee & The Mercy Seat, to name a few.

Well I don't know if I am so obsessed with bucket lists, really. I just like seeing a good show from time to time. And this one was A-list.

Maybe grabbing a bunch of shows and mixing them all in a bucket is more appropriate to food, as the culinary bloggers on those commercials for KFC can attest. It feels a little like soul stealing, or idle fodder for the watercooler.

These last threes videos can attest to the power of a great live show, where the entertainer and the audience are working together. This was an amazing show, for the most part a band just performing without a bunch of silly props. Thanks to all the fans in the audience holding up their cell phones for 2 hours you can catch a glimpse of what I was seeing. But it still isn't the same. Visceral, theatrical, intellectual, psychotic at times--not many people are capable of bringing what he does. And its obvious he puts in tremendous effort to have become the songwriter and entertainer he is. If anyone out there has these sort of lists laying around, think long and hard about including a Nick Cave show in there somewhere.

Maus--Classic 90's Icelandic Alt-Rock--Lof Mér Að Falla Að Þínu Eyra!!!

I'm probably beating this story to death, but I remember seeing Maus, the great Icelandic alternative band. Only not on stage. I saw them in Hljomalind, a really nice record shop in Reykjavik. No longer open I've heard. They had just released their first album and I suspect that they had just got out of school and they rushed inside to see how sales were. They were so young then.

After the band cut out, the store clerk asked me if I wanted to hear the album. I said, sure. And I have to admit I was very impressed. The band had a lot of chops, and the music was nice and loud, but really accomplished. Of course I bought the album. It seemed to me that these guys were onto something that could only get better.

And you know what? They got a lot better.

Meeces to Pieces

Because today my focus is their 3rd album, Lof Mér Að Falla Að Þínu Eyra,  which came out in 1997 on the Sproti label. I think I saw somebody list this as #15 on a list of classic Icelandic albums, and though I am nothing more than a novice when it comes to Ice-Rock, I am not at all surprised about the high props. But that is domestic consumption of course, where this band was hugely popular. I don't hear a lot said about this album--I suppose at that time there weren't a lot of people internationally that wanted to hear a group with Icelandic lyrics to their songs. They cut some music in English, but the Great Pop Crossover Potential, as so many other Icelandic bands sought, proved too elusive for them. Read Dr. Gunni's splendid Blue Eyed Pop book for the whole history of  "World Domination or Not."

Of course, in this new millenium, the Icelandic music scene is the focus of much international attention, so it is a very different world today than the 90's. People are more likely to accept the notion that excellent music can come from anywhere. And the music scene has also developed and grown more sophisticated, realizing quantum leaps in diversity and quality, and of course marketing.



Maus:
Birgir "Biggi" Orn Steinarsson: Gitar, vocals
Daniel Þorsteinsson: Drums
Eggert Gislason: Bass
Pall Ragnar Pálsson: Gitar




I was trying to figure out how to describe this band and they sounded so very familiar but I couldn't grasp the connection. I then read that Roger O'Donnell of The Cure guested on this album---it was that very familiar keyboard sound I was hearing.  But certainly I would not be writing this post if they were merely band of Cure clones.They still manage to rock fairly hard in places, but with a highly developed pop-sense. Even though I don't know what they are singing about, I am really enjoying this album.  They are just a very skilled band, and that gives them the latitude to mix things up and do a variety of interesting things, though there is no doubt that they are definitely a band of their era.

Maus has been inactive since 2004, though band members have been involved in various projects.
Who knows? All bands seem to reunite--it's what bands do.

Overall, Maus' Lof Mér Að Falla Að Þínu Eyra  is a pretty terrific album. Unfortunately I'm not certain where you could get yourself a copy these days. The title apparently can be translated as "Let Me Drop into your Ear", which in my opinion is extremely sound advice.

Burning Light into Scars---White Lung---Deep Fantasy

Just for laughs, I decided to finally talk about an album in the same year that it was released.

Grind your bones to sand.........

Deep Fantasy by White Lung.....



I know that this is getting a lot of attention from various sources, but this is such a superb record that everybody ought to be talking about it, even me. Now that they have gotten released their 3rd album on a big indie label, Domino, let's hope that this sends this band to a higher level of public consciousness. No one expects a Franz Ferdinand level breakout, but this release is serious, serious stuff.

Angry, melodic hardcore from Vancouver. At this point, it is as Canadian as Maple Syrup. But they are not followers, but actively trailblazing with scorched earth and extreme prejudice, adding to and embellishing a renowned Northern pedigree.

One of the pitfalls of hardcore is that a lot of the bands wind up sounding the same. Speed is the guilty party here. And not all of the bands have interesting unique things to shout about. True, it is often as much about community as the music. But then again there are a lot of mediocre bands to found in any of the many subgenres out there. But there are always exceptions...., which is why we still listen.

Certainly White Lung are by all accounts taking a genre and reinventing it. In addition to loud and fast rules, there is a lot of great guitar pyrotechnics going on, like a revved-up version of the great NYC band Live Skull, or even the noise synchronicity of classic Leatherface. And I'm unsurprisingly reminded of Penelope Houston and the Avengers. I'm just listening to the powerful visceral sounds coming out of my headphones right now, and I know that it will be over before I realize it--10 songs in 22 minutes, not a lot  of proggy guitar noodling here.




And in this case, lead singer Mish Way, has a lot to say. And these lyrics are very very personal and on her owns terms. The imagery seems to be about relationships gone worn, about humiliation and abasement, about hard-won life lessons. But also about fighting back. But those are just my impressions. Let me just say that she is a formidable front woman, with kind of unique power we've seen in say, Kurt Cobain. had. And as far as impressions go, this is an album you will not sit on the fence about. You'll either dislike it or absolutely embrace everything they are about. Deep Fantasy will grab you by the throat. For me this album is like a breath of fresh air on the music scene.

Mish Way: Vocals
Anne-Marie Vassiliou--Drums
Kenneth Williams--guitar/bass

If you love punk rock, or great rock music in general, this is the shit, folks. I can't wait to see them live!

 

Welcome to this Place, it's got so dull....Power of Dreams' Immigrants, Emigrants, and Me!

So, I'm listening to the first album by Dublin's Power of Dreams, Immigrants, Emigrants, and Me, released in 1990 on Polydor. And once again I scratch my head in wonder.



100 ways of killing, 200 ways of breaking........

I  have often been perplexed, that in the wake of the international transcendence and ultimate global domination of U2, i.e. Bono and Soggy Bottom Boys, why I suddenly did not come face to face with a glut of Irish bands in that era. So many, that there would be dozens upon dozens of terrible bands signed plus a handful of keepers.

Certainly with Nirvana breaking out in the 1990's, record people invaded Seattle like Seal Team 6. I have this image of industry executives parachuting in, with the Space Needle in the backdrop, briefcases filled with contracts, with the intention of signing every band in a 50 mile radius. Congregating in a fashion similar to the results of throwing red meat into a Shark tank.

I can't honestly believe that some of that did not happen on the Emerald Isle. Of course we had Fatima Mansions/Microdisney, Frank and Walters, A House, My Bloody Valentine, Roller Skate Skinny and of course a band that should be known by those that read this blog, Whipping Boy. Yeah, there were others, I know.

But I've listened to Immigrants, Emigrants, and Me, this aforementioned 1st album for about my 10th time, and I am fairly amazed that this album did not strike a chord with the music fans in the U.S. I was not aware of them until recently at all. The explanation I keep seeing in my investigations, is that there was a timing problem. That what happened was a so-called "U2 backlash", where people were fed up with the band, and consequently some otherwise worthy bands were ignored. But in a country like mine, where so many people take a great pride in their Irish heritage, I would have thought they would have gone down as smoothly as a well-drawn pint of Guinness.



One listen to this album, and I think you would agree that the songs were made to be sold in mass quantities and given heavy radio rotation. The band plays melodic, moody pop, with anthemic choruses. You could make some comparison to U2 in their sound, but I could also make comparisons to REM, The Smiths, even the Hoodoo Gurus, so I suppose it means that their music was relevant to the music of that era. I mean, they do have their own special charisma. I like how they sing out "tink" instead of "think" on their songs.

From top to bottom a very solid album, with some especially nice tracks, like Stay, Where is the Love?, and The Jokes on Me. I particularly like the tune Mother's Eyes, with its melancholy jangle.




From what I've found out, Power of Dreams was big in Ireland, U.K., Japan and in a few European countries. In many lists of the best Irish rock albums of all time (by critics and polling within Ireland), you would likely find this album featured prominently. Not in the top five (there you would probably find Whipping Boy rubbing shoulders with Van the Man and Bono), but nonetheless, being on the list is a testament to the quality of the music, and the enduring reverence for a nearly 25 year old album by the music fans of Ireland.

Power of Dreams:
Craig Walker: Guitar/vocals
Keith Walker: Drums
Michael Lennox: Bass

So if you were interested in Irish bands, or good 90's bands, I would highly recommend Power of Dreams Immigrants Emigrants and Me. The music is top notch pop. The only thing I could say negatively is that there is a tendency in most songs to have choruses where one line is repeated over and over again, which gives the otherwise excellent songs a certain songwriting pattern. A few years ago deluxe 2 disc version of this album came out in limited qualities, but that has long sold out. Finding a copy of that may be cost prohibitive. I have been trying.

These days, the band members are involved in various other projects, though there have been reunion shows now and again. Craig Walker has a band called Mineral, but still is continuing with Power of Dreams, as you can see by checking out the bands functioning website. Maybe this band has slipped through the cracks as it has for me, but it isn't too late to make up for lost time!

They Shut Down the Dock, Thrown our Lives on the Rocks! Skull Orchard Revisited--Jon Langford's Welsh Multimedia Extravaganza!

When I heard some of the detail of Jon Langford's reissue of Skull Orchard, I knew I had to get on board with this. But what exactly is this product?

Is it a mini Coffee table book, the sort of thing you find reviewed in the NY Times book review a few weeks before Christmas?

Or is a CD reissue, with some of the most elaborate liner notes you could ever hope to find?

Though I'm usually not one to equivocate, it's pretty much "all the above" plus a whole lot more, my friends.



For my purposes, first and foremost, it is a reinvention of the original Skull Orchard album from 1997, with the inclusion of the Burlington Welsh Chorus, which I think is a very traditionally Welsh thing to do. Though the music has to do with Wales (Newport most specifically, his hometown), I feel that the songs touch on issues that affect us here in the US and around the world, while name checking Cymru icons like Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey John Cale, places  like Cardiff Bay, Newport's transporter bridge, soccer clubs, pubs, and abandoned coal mines.



"Tom Jones Levitation"


Secondly, its loaded with Art by JL, his sort of take on Folk Art, Populist Art, Insurgent Art. I used to see placards like these in gift shops when I went on vacation when I was a kid. But of course, he has used the form for his own ends--someone unfamiliar with his art might very well view the paintings as something else. And of course, if any of you art aficionados like his work, plenty of his paintings and prints are for sale at Yard Dog.

Thirdly, it is a family affair of sorts. I don't know if this qualifies as scrapbooking. His brother David provides an interesting compendium of Welsh culture and history, plus some choice family anecdotes.

His father Denis supplies photographs also. So, while the Langfords still are a long way from being deemed by media outlets as the Welsh version of our own celebrated, Jackson Family, all of this entertaining, intelligently done, and definitely made me laugh in spots.

Fourthly, it's literature! Jon has included a short story involving Herman Melville's Albino Whale, chopped up in pieces through the book, which I found interesting. And of course, there are the song lyrics, which qualify as poetry.

I know that some of you are thinking of all the elaborate limited edition reissues circulating these days. I think it may have started in rock with that gigantic Stooges reissue, which must have included every single outtake from Fun House. (I sometimes think everything the Stooges ever did must have been put to tape, with all those live releases out there.) But many of these new super deluxe reissues carry such a high price tag! And I doubt many of them are half as wildly idiosyncratic as Skull Orchard reissues. The price for this multi-media mini event is quite affordable in comparison. And what you get is well thought out, not merely fan fodder. This, I say, is a product for the discerning musicophile. I mean, who creates things like this? Certainly not to get rich....

I guess I'm reminded a little of the super elaborate children's album Harmelodia by the Rheostatics, where they made the artwork, wrote the songs, and put together a narrative designed to get children excited about music. I reviewed that one a while back if anybody is interested....

Techheads might be disappointed that there are no DVDs, holograms, iphone aps, Newport: Transporter Bridge the Video Game,etc., but understand that S.O.R. came out a few years ago. Maybe that will be a part of Skull Orchard 2.0 in 2020.

Of course Jon Langford has just come out with a new one, which has gotten great reviews, Here Be Monsters. He, and his Mekons (Waco Brothers, and of course the mighty 3 Johns) have pretty successfully continued to put out rewarding music over a long period of time, while staying true to their ideals and expressing their views on important issues, without the sort of pandering or self-aggrandizing posturing that many a lucrative career has been based upon.

Skull Orchard revisited, in a nutshell is a pretty amazing little item, somthing that any fan of the arts should appreciate. I don't believe there is anything quite like this, so grab one while you can.


Here's a taste of his latest recording, Here Be Monsters! Support our artists, please.

I know we're done for. The Mountain Goats: Nothing for Juice. Where the Trip is really the Journey.....

I first became acquainted with the California's Mountain Goats through Chicago's Ajax records, the label they were releasing records through in the 1990's. I bought music pretty regularly through Ajax's mailorder service. When I got a new catalog in the mail, it was a big thing. Used to pore through it like scripture.

We heard the Owls crashing about...........

Nothing for Juice was released back in 1996 and it immediately became a deserved favorite album of mine. At the time I probably didn't really understand what lo-fi meant exactly, though I understood that cash spent in a state-of-the-art studio would not turn a turd of an album into a gem. Studio technology has also taken batches of perfectly good songs and ruined them.

Nothing for Juice would definitely qualify as lo-fi, a duet of John Darnielle and Rachel Ware at the time, with a number of songs not recorded in a studio at all. Many of them sound like live performances. But what is important here is that there are a lot of great songs here, played with heart. Intelligent, vivid, funny, poignant lyrics. Good with or without orchestra.





What initially caught my ear with the Mountain Goats was the numerous musical trips being taken. The song titles invariably were going Somewhere. Like a musical Rand McNally Atlas. In the case of Nothing for Juice, Darnielle  had us Going to Catalina, Going to Kansas, Going to Reykjavik, Going to Scotland. I was wondering if he had a goal about this, like people who want to go to every baseball stadium before they die, or Sufjan Stevens' threat to make an album about all 50 US states.

But you get the impression of people on the move, which honestly must be a big part of the life of an itinerant musician. But the journey is all about where you go, but the trek you must take to get there.





Eventually, The Mountain Goats found a much larger audience, but I still love the early stuff. On three of the songs on Nothing for Juice, Graeme Jefferies (Cakekitchen, This Kind of Punishment)sits in, and provides some bracing guitar, particularly on Going to Kansas.

I saw Darnielle perform quite a while back, at The Knitting Factory. It was definitely an interesting lineup that night. First, Alistair Galbraith, then Barbara Manning, and ending with Mountain Goats.




As Barbara Manning said, a Kiwi, a Seal, and a Goat. It was a good night for music that particular night. As far as Darnielle, it was him on a stool singing, strumming an acoustic guitar, and it was a great set. He had a about a million songs to sing even at that stage of his career. I remember him doing his version of Ace of Base's hit song, The Sign, which it seems he still performs live. I guess he wasn't joking about being a fan.

I consider this album a classic--but it might not be for everybody. I've probably listened to it more than 50 times. There are subtleties here--its not an album that beats you over the head or grabs you by the collar. But it resonates because a lot of what's done here is a continuation of what people have been doing thousands of years, long before there were recording studios, or methods to preserve live performances. Its not about what you hear, but what the music makes you feel.

And invariably, as Spring returns once again to the beautiful Hudson Valley, my thoughts return to The Mountain Goats, mainly because of the first song from their 9 Black Poppies disc. It's one of the best baseball songs I can think of (though I am a Yankee fan), but even more, it is about the indomitable spirit of hope that exist in the human spirit, with funny bits.

What made Milwaukee Smile---The Blow Pops' American Beauties

 

 

I always find it astonishing when I stumble on a great pop band years after the fact. That is exactly what has happened to me with Milwaukee's Blow Pops.

They only released two albums, Charmed I'm Sure, and the topic of this post, American Beauties, which was their sophomore full length, released in 1994 on Get Hip Records. Some groups have an amazing ability to inhabit a sixties pop template years after the fact. I did a post a while back on The Beatifics, a terrific band from Minneapolis, or a band with an advanced degree pop smarts like Champaign, Illinois products Velvet Crush.

I wouldn't say anything groundbreaking on American Beauties, but The Blow Pops have created an album chock full of catchy pop songs that sound like mystery 60's songs that were found on reels in some recording studio vault 20 years after the fact.

When I was a teenager, that was a seemingly tangible musical fantasy. I used to pray that there would be lost Who songs or Beatle songs that would suddenly appear out of mothballs, songs of the caliber of the Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy anthology, or the peerless Revolver. Usually I was listening to those very albums when I thought like this, with the special sort of enthusiasm you have when you fall in love with music for the first time. You're enjoying the music, but you wish there was more!





Unless Neal DeGrasse Tyson is correct about the existence of multiverses, albums like American Beauties are the next best option, the closest thing to an archaeological musical breakthrough we can reasonably expect. If you like The Beatles (I know there must be a few of you out there), Hollies, Byrds, Raspberries, you really can't go wrong with these guys. They make it seem so easy, like pushbutton pop.

Tim Buckley: Guitar, Vocals
Jack Rice: Bass, Vocals
Mike Jarvis: Vocals, Guitar
Nick Randazzo: Drums




Hearing songs like All Night Long, I'm not entirely surprised that Mike Jarvis was at one time a member of Green, the 80s-90's Chicago pop band led by Jeff Lescher. (Their 1st album was reissued by Lion Productions a few years ago)


An essential pop album, which I listened to a lot in the 80's.


Unfortunately, The Blow Pops albums have been out of print for awhile. If you see them being sold for a reasonable price, I would not hesitate. A saving grace is that three of the four members of The Blow Pops have released several more excellent albums of pop music as The Lackloves. The Blow Pops had a reunion back in 2009, but not much has been heard from either band in a while. But they certainly have put together an impressive catalog of pop pearls, well worth your investigation/investment.

"We are Saucy to make People Free"---Blue Eyed Pop---The History of Pop Music In Iceland

Originally I was going to go with the phrase Eru ekki allir í stuði? (Are we having fun yet?) as the Title for this post, but I just found out that this is the title of another book by Dr Gunni from 2001, which Blue-Eyed Pop may well be an updated English language version of. So it no longer seemed like a clever thing to do.

Dr Dr, give me the news........

So I went with the quote made by Helgi Stingrimsson of the band Haukar back in 1972. It sounds weird yet the sentiment rings with a sort of obvious truth that I have trouble elaborating on.

I just finished reading through Blue Eyed Pop, the History of Popular Music in Iceland, by Dr Gunni, a musician/journalist/game show host guy/etc. from Iceland. It is basically what the title says, a history of Icelandic music from the early days to the present. I have to say its a very nice book, loaded with band photos, album and anecdotes. And of course, pithy observations by the good doctor.

The book is a fairly pricey purchase, but this is the sort of stuff I eat up, so I didn't hesitate picking this up directly from Gunni directly. It reminds me of John Dix's History of New Zealand music, Stranded in Paradise, which I picked up a few years ago after a lengthy search.

And as an outsider looking in, all my predispositions about Icelandic music turned out to be correct.
Their music scene is all due to the confluence of excessive Brennivin, eating Puffins, and co-existing with Elves. I'm just kidding......

The book starts early, and details the development of technology and media. I mean you couldn't have autos without gas stations, so for music you need instruments (moving from accordians to guitars), microphones, recording devices, venues where music could be played, radio stations, the development of television. There of course are outside influences like the influx of rock and roll music from the former US airbase at Keflavik in the 1950's.



Like a lot of places, there was a lot of emulation of the music being made in the US and England. And of course, plenty of that went on with succeeding generations of bands in those countries too. It seems like every country has had their own approximation of Þorsteinn Eggertsson, the Icelandic Elvis, or Hljomar, the Icelandic Fab Four. It's a part of how scenes develop, how cultural evolution operates.

Reading Blue Eyed Pop has also had me waxing nostalgic. I've been to Iceland a couple of times, but not in quite a while. When I saw the Sugarcubes for the first time on TV, I was very intrigued with Bjork--she seemed to me to be an amazing talent and I immediately tracked down the 1st Cubes album. Though I couldn't have know for sure, I had an impression that there was more going on there than just 1 band. So I decided to go check the place out for myself.

I remember seeing the Hljomalind shop downtown and just going in by accident. It was early afternoon and noone was in the store except for myself and the clerk, so we started chatting about music. I told him of my interest in what was going on musically in the country, and he played me a variety of things. I remember hearing the music of Kolrassa Krókríðandi, for the first time--I thought they were amazing, unique sounding. He played some noisy screamy Big-Black type singles by Dr Gunni, which were completely over the top, and interesting electronic stuff by Curver. A bit later a bunch of kids came in the shop and had a conversation with the clerk. They must have just got out of school. I found out that this was a band called Maus, who had just put out their first album and wanted to see how it was selling. It sold me--I wound up buying a copy after a few songs were played for me in the shop. It still has the little Hljomalind sticker on the back. I think that I did meet Kiddi briefly--at the time of course I had no idea how important he was to the music scene there. What a small scene, but my ears were not lying to me at all.

It struck me that some unique tendencies did exist in the music scene there. Probably part of it has to do with the small population. A small scene, where people collaborate and bands break up to form other bands. And unlike say the US where people want to form bands in a Beatle set up, or a classic power trio, etc., at least until recently, I had the impression that kids in Iceland would go out and form a band, and one friend would pick up a guitar, another drums, but somebody would say, oh my girlfriend plays accordian, or my best friend plays clarinet. And they would proceed from there, which is something you would not see happen often in the states. It seemed like someone in a punk band would start making country or disco albums without any problems. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there was a freedom there to try things and to experiment. Less rules about what to do and what not to do. Maybe the childhood dream I had of being part of the American version of the Who doesn't translate within a country with a population smaller than the County I live in in New York. At least not until a certain tangible amount of success occurred for any band on a local level.

Given some success, Icelandic bands have attempted to break out onto the International scene, with mixed success over the years. It has been an ongoing thing, probably since the Beatles. For the most part unsuccessfully. But these days there are a lot of interesting things happening. Since Sigur Ros came on the scene, hipsters are paying close attention to the little island that could. And since then, with Mugison, Mum,  Monsters & Men, Asgeir Trausti, Singapore Sling, Minus, Grisalappalisa, Olof Arnalds, Ghostigital Hafdis Huld, Hjaltalin, just to name a few artists, there is a lot of interesting music being made. There is a reason why so many music people and music fans attend the Icelandic Airwaves Festival each Fall. Maybe someday I'll get to go.

Gunni has an interesting, pithy way with words in the book. I enjoy his sense of humor throughout the book, whether it be discussing country balls, hair metal festivals, pop icon Bubbi Morthens, roadies with odd habits, or Iceland's attempts to win awards at the Eurovision song contest. What is nice about the book is that while you can find out who was making some of the best music of the different eras, he also discusses what was popular, what everyone was listening to at the time, and what popular styles were like, and about music stores, venues and even pizzarias that once existed in Reykjavik.





Gunni also mentions a fair number of children's albums, which is not surprising given that his album Abba Babb is a terrific album for kids. Unfortunately, that album is barely given a mention here, which is too bad. Hopefully, on the 2nd pressing of Blue Eyed Pop he will overcome his humility and expand on Abba Babb, because it deserves some more attention.



Overall, I enjoyed the book immensely, but it probably isn't for just anybody. Sure there are chapters on Bjork & Sigur Ros, but I liked reading about less known artists like Megas, Curver, Purrkur Pillnikk, Siggi Armann, Bogomil Font, Maus. And I learned about groups that I want to listen to that I hadn't heard of before, like Retro Stefson, 200.000 Naglbitar, or Grisalappalisa, or FM Belfast.
And about cultural things like Stuð music, the Rokk i Reykjavik movie, hair-do pop, Krutt music, and Pludo Sweaters. I was glad that I got this book. I wish there were more books out there like this.

If you want to hear more interesting music from Iceland check out Gunni's playlists at 8tracks.com/dr-gunni. A good way to learn some music history, and also find out what's happening in Iceland today.‎

Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys--Live from Fairfield Ct.--Punk Energy meets Alt-Country

On April 11 I went to see Alejandro Escovedo live for the 3rd time, at the FTC in Fairfield, Ct.

Pointy toed wonder visits Nutmeg State

In retrospect, I should have gone again the next night there too. I really had a great time. I had hoped he would play a little closer to me, but it was worth the drive. I never saw him perform with a full band before (& the Sensitive Boys), so I was looking forward to this show. The first time I saw him, he played with guitarist David Pulkingham, and the 2nd time he was accompanied by Susan Voelz on violin. Both shows were superb--in particular, the show with Pulkingham was one of my favorite shows I have seen at the Tarrytown Music Hall.

Let me just briefly say that the FTC is a terrific place to see a show. It is a matchbook size venue, not much larger than late lamented Maxwell's was in Hoboken--not one bad seat in the house. It's right in downtown Fairfield near the train station. Plenty of places to eat and hang out nearby.

I got there pretty early and was chatting a little with the woman who was setting up the merch table in the lobby outside the theater. Apparently, there had been some personnel changes in the group. Pulkingham was no longer in the band, and there was also a new drummer. While I was a little disappointed that Pulkingham was no longer involved, as he and Alejandro seemed to have a real synchronicity together on stage, I have been around the block enough to know that change can make things interesting.

Once again the show was fantastic. The combination of Alejandro's music and the intimacy of the venue (I was about ten feet from the stage), made the show more like a party than a concert. He had the whole place singing along and dancing, a crowd composed of mostly greybeards and large people from Texas. I didn't realize it but there seems to be a real Austin vs Houston thing going, as was evidenced in Escovedo's preemptive remarks for his song "Bottom of the World". But it seemed as though no Texans seemed to mind that night.

While the previous shows were rather quietly intense and emotional, this concert rocked quite hard. In fact, when he performed the song "Arizona" he apologized for creating a buzzkill, well, because its a very sad song, kind of about him almost dying a little over ten years ago. While I don't have other full band shows to compare it to, I have to believe that this new lineup may be injecting some new vitality into the band. This was a simple four piece, not the gigantic band I saw him with on Austin City Limits. But the new guitarist, Johnny Sanchez, is without a doubt a true gunslinger, who played with a lot of fire. My take is that I don't think he has been in the band for too long and maybe the on-stage timing is still a work in progress, but it in no way detracted from the performance.



While most fans probably acknowledge him as an Alt-Country performer first and foremost, Alejandro was letting his his punk rock roots that night. By the second song of the night the band was in full throttle, with a rip-roaring version of Tender Heart, from Street Songs of Love. Alejandro was pumped up--it seemed like he Sanchez were picking up energy from each other. Throughout the night when they were riffing out together, their postures on stage kept reminding me of the Clash on the cover of London Calling, rather than sensitive singer song-writing fare.

I can't emphasize how much people need to get out and see him live. I won't name names, but somebody who obviously has seen a few of his shows mentioned to me that Alejandro is much better live than on record. I agree, with the caveat that his albums are great, in particular his most recent four. It is only by comparison. He really is one of our best modern American songwriters and a great live act. He seems to tour constantly so he probably is coming to your area soon.

The warm-up artist was Amy Cook, a singer-songwriter who I think is also from Austin, Texas. She was pretty entertaining. I would idiosyncratically describe her as Stevie Nicks singing Billy Bragg songs, only not the political ones. I guess I'm saying that she sings with a lot of heart, on stage being herself and not a poor imitation so somebody else. I thought she was a real talent.

Toward the end Alejandro and the band performed a few choice covers, which gave Sanchez a chance to show Fairfieldites his chops. Alejandro and Johnny traded leads on their version of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane". I'm not always thrilled about things like this, but I thought it was a lot of fun. They also performed Mott the Hoople's classic "All the Young Dudes" perhaps in homage to the young blood in his revamped lineup, and that was also a blast. He must have been really influenced by Mott, as I had the privilege of seeing him duet with Ian Hunter on "I wish I was your Mother" at Tarrytown a few years ago.

So go see Alejandro while you can. He said he was working on a new album with Chuck Prophet, so expect more great music soon. And always support great venues like the FTC, because without our support, the Arts wither and die on the vine. Every town should be so lucky as to have a spot like this!

Rockin' in Rijeka----My Buddy Moose--Alt-Country Croatian Sensations

The Majestic Moose. An iconic noble beast whose image has many meanings in many cultures.

 

Alces alces......

In New Hampshire, the Moose is the large animal that mashes the crumple zone of your SUV like an accordion, as you head northwards for your drunken ski weekend. The highway signs listing roadkill stats along the way attest to this irrefutable fact.

In Sweden, the Moose is a delicious stew often served with lingonberries. I know this from my travels in Sweden, home of some of my many ancestors.

In Minnesota, the Moose is an American hero from Frostbite Falls, with a flying squirrel as a sidekick. I know this because I watched too much TV as a child. I was that kid that got up at 5:00 A.M. on Saturdays to watch "Agriculture U.S.A."

In London, Moose is synonymous with 90's Shoegaze music--thanks Big Takeover for the tip!

But in Central and Eastern Massachusetts, the Moose is oft regarded as a symbol of awesomeness...........

But unfortunately, with more of the beasts' natural habitat being destroyed daily, the herd may be thinning.....

Shed a tear, Boston......R.I.P.

But I will save such an insider story (stories) for another time....

Today I will be touting a pretty great alt-country band from Rijeka, Croatia.
They are My Buddy Moose, and they are definitely worth your time.

Got everything I Need.....

I found out about them accidentally, when I was checking out the website of Chris Eckman of The Walkabouts. Clearly he works with a lot of interesting groups, from Eastern Europe and Africa, and My Buddy Moose is one of the groups that he has spent some time with. I gave this group a listen and I liked what I heard very much. So I grabbed a copy Shine! Shine! Shine!, which I believe is their 3rd album, released in 2013, which Eckman was the producer on.



Luka Bencic--Vocals, Guitar, Organ
Matko Botic--Guitars, Mandolin
Jasmin Decevic--Drums, Tambourine, Backing vocals
Istvan Sirola--Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocs on Roulette

I'll simply say that if you enjoy groups like Wilco (or Uncle Tupelo), The Band, R.E.M., Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Replacements, or The Felice Brothers, you will really have fun with this one. If it matters to you at all, the vocals are all in English. Except for a slight accent in places, you would imagine that this band is 100 % American. It doesn't matter that much to me what language they choose to use.

There is some very nice guitar work throughout, and the songs are full of big meaty hooks. The music is fairly high energy--these guys rock out rather nicely. I don't know if they bring anything particularly new to this genre (so what), but they are very very good at what they do. At least 2 of their albums including Shine, are available digitally. For a hard copy, Discogs would be a good place to look, or maybe Ebay.



And check out Chris Eckman's website---you will find some interesting music to listen to there.

This song is not on Shine! Shine! Shine!, but I like it so much that I couldn't resist. From their  eponymous 1st album...

I was stranded in the Combat Zone....

Found in Translation: Finnish Punk Covers

I've looking into classic Punk rock from Finland, but for now here are some Finn grown versions of
Punk rock classics.

Here's some Eddie & the Hot Rods from Pelle Miljoona.



Here's some Stiff Little Fingers as performed by Ratsia.




And do you remember my curiosity about Humppa, from yesterdays post. Here's Eläkeläiset torching up Nirvana, Humppa style! Strange but compelling.





Enjoy!

Soundtrack to Saint Patrick's: Dreadnoughts: Polka's not Dead!

At about this time last year, I ran a post about Songs from the Bunker by the great Celtic punk group Greenland Whalefishers, from Norway. A great, raw and ready band that I highly recommend. This year we head to the west coast of Canada for great Celtic punk!

Greet the sun with bottles high, your bodies pale against the sky...

This year I have discovered this terrific album by Vancouver's own Dreadnoughts, who combine Celtic music, punk, polka, and pirate shanties into a manic, boisterous mix. Polka's Not Dead, which came out in 2010 on Stomp Records, combines ferocious energy with great musical chops. I have little doubt that they must be a really entertaining live band. (check out the 3rd video)

This is about as much fun as it gets.

East meets West here, and then some. I was thinking that it wouldn't be a stretch to convert this album into a musical play like Les Miserables or Sweeney Todd. Songs like the Dickensian Gintlemen's Club or the a capella sea song Randy Dandy-Oh are examples of what I mean. In addition to the stirring vocal performances, they manage to deftly bang out a few fast and furious instrumentals, like Goblin Humppa. What's a Humppa? I'm guessing that its some sort of Finnish traditional music. The liner notes lists what the band was listening to when they made Polka's Not Dead, and one of the bands was Eläkeläiset, a Finnish group that apparently plays Humppas 24-7.

The album flies right out of the gate with the raucous Cyder Road. As much Clash as traditional folk,
this song rips!



Equally exciting is the title track Polka Never Dies. Lawrence Welk's worst nightmares realized. Make sure granny takes her heart pills before you play this for her.



This is another great band continuing and expanding on the legacy of The Pogues. Probably some purists may slag off the band due their globe-trotting musical tendencies, but they would only be doing themselves a disservice. This is kick-ass traditional music that is a load of fun to listen to.

Music What Happened? Scott Miller, Modern Musical History & the Art of the Annotated Mix-Tape!

I found out about Scott Miller's brilliant music book Music What Happened? shortly after he passed away. Just a short description of the book and I knew that this book would be something worth reading. It was so beautifully written that about a month ago, I read through it once again.

Like Bands through the hourglass....

Miller is best known for his work in the pop group Game Theory. I always liked what he did. Anybody who has even heard a few of his songs knows that he knew how to concoct a infectiously catchy pop song, while not falling into a formulaic rut. But what I find most interesting is his singing, the way he phrased lyrics, always striving to find a new and interesting way to express himself, in some ways reminding me of a great jazz soloist. I mean, you can recreate a jazz or pop song, but you can't really recreate unique performers--and if you try, it's really no longer unique.

Unfortunately, as far as I know all Game Theory recordings are long out of print and pricey--if you see something by the band at a reasonable price, don't wait around. He also made a number of discs as the Loud Family, which seem to be readily available, if not in print.

But I have to say that I enjoyed Music What Happened? immensely. For me, the book is not a like a conventional book about music at all, but more resembling an interactive conversation with a knowledgeable, quite enthusiastic music fan, who also happens to be in the music biz. I know that this sounds creepy, but due to the vibe of the book (I mean his candor, and his generous sharing of his musical worldview with the public), I have to keep pinching myself to remind me that he isn't some long-lost buddy of mine. I won't say that I am in alignment 100% with his musical tastes, but I have to say that for the most part we are in agreement, even at times to the degree that I feel the thing when you and your friend, or girlfriend say the same thought at the same time. And if Scott Miller is raving about an album I don't know about, I want to hear it. And if he spends a fair enough time evaluating artist or band I am lukewarm about, maybe I respect his opinions enough so that I should listen again with fresh ears.

Basically, this book is a chronological collection of mix-tapes, with pithy, revelatory, thoughtful, sometimes hilarious annotations. The chapters begin with 1957 and end in 2011. Most of the songs are Pop songs, Rock songs, RnB, Soul, and some Rap. In the preface of the book he basically explains what he is doing. If someone did a book like this and just made mixtapes based on very narrow personal interests, the book would not be worth looking at. But in a very clever way he blends in songs that he likes (sometimes songs that have fallen through the cracks or are under appreciated) with big classic songs or songs that were emblematic of what was going on in music each year. Songs that made 1985 different from 1987, whether it be a new breakout talent, or the introduction of some new form of recording technology. And it probably was a bit of a challenge to limit the songs to the length of a mixtape. But I think that if he merely made up mixtapes in the 80's loaded with dBs and Let's Active he would have felt he was going the whole process a disservice.

The fact that Scott Miller was a musician and produced and engineered other peoples albums and therefore a person knowledgeable about the music business in general adds other dimensions to this project. It is very interesting to read the annotations when he breaks down a songs structure, or talks about the hit on the snare on the third beat in another song. Or musical trends, like DX7 synth and drum machine sounds, big studio recording excess, or the return to prominence of the guitar in the 90's.

One of the touchstones behind his musical evaluations, is How does this song make you feel?, an aspect of music that is surprisingly absent from a lot of music criticism. What does the music do to you at a most personal level? And I think that he is successful at communicating the emotional/intellectual power that music can convey. Some songs are included in the book because they were important to him when he was 10 years old, not because there is anything inherently more interesting about them than any dozen or two other songs that were released the same year. So often you see people responding to critics best-of music lists with crazed rage and personal attacks. "How could you possibly ignore this record!!!", as though there was a real and final answer to this question, which is really all conjecture. As though someone could also actually listen to all the new releases that come out each year! I would advise you to go with the flow, check out Van Duren, or Julian Cope, Kanye, Arthur Alexander or Shearwater. "You never know until you try", a great philosopher once said.

Part of the fun of course, was the corroboration of songs with my tastes, sometimes surprisingly. I don't want to give away to much, but I didn't expect to see Squirrel Bait here. Of course you know the Beatles are heavily represented, but it was great to see him come up with great music that really needs to be better appreciated, while giving a reasonable representation of different eras.

But there were some moments when he really struck a nerve for me, like when he made reference (I can't recall exactly where) to the la-la-la's in the verse section of The Beatles classic "You Won't See Me".

Or this quote about the Chills from 1985.

Heavenly Pop Hit is simply magical in its freshness and luminosity. "I stand and the sound goes straight through my body/I'm so bloated up happy I could throw thing around me", is so peculiar a choice of words that it could only be the truth.

And that my friends, could be a manifesto for what this wonderful book represents. I'm very grateful that Scott Miller was willing to share his thoughts with us. If you are a fan of pop music, you really need to pick up a copy of this!

Between a Clenched Fist and a Kiss: Useless......: The Very Best of T.V. Smith!

If you don't know about the work of T.V. Smith, I encourage you to get educated.

A great way to find out about his music (you can buy his whole catalog later). Originally with punk legends The Adverts, he has persevered over the years, accumulating a very impressive songbook.
While staying true to his ideals. He's one of the good ones.

If it tastes so good, why do you feel so sick?

Useless is a greatest hits collection of his music which came out in 2001 on JKP records in Germany. Fans may quibble over individual song selections, but I think it is pretty damn great. It was released at a time when most of his music was out of print, so this was produced as a quick fix to that problem.

But the collection was re-recorded versions of the originals, which would normally give me pause to consider purchasing it. But this greatest hits set is pretty essential in my view. First of all case, Smith is in very fine form. Which is no great surprise. But his backing band?

None other than German Primo Punks, Die Toten Hosen! So you have a world-class songwriter teamed with a completely kick-ass rock band. It's a perfect storm of punk rock perfection!





Previously he has made similar collaborations, making an EP with Finnish punks Punk Lurex Ok, the Future Used to Be Better, which is also another amazing collaboration.

But what make Useless so good is that while the songs have a great anthemic quality to them, Smith's lyrics are smart. The music never fails to get you worked up, while making you think. And the song My String Will Snap was put on record for the first time, for all you completists.



The disc isn't that easy to get, but seems to be available at Smith's on-line store, where there is plenty of other items worth checking out, like many of his recently reissued solo albums and even tour diaries. A good place to help support a worthy cause.

At Home He's a Tourist, Part 4: Maybe Jonathan Swift was right.....Gulliver's Travels Part 4

I recently finished reading Gulliver's Travels, the satiric tale by the great Jonathan Swift. I had been a fan of Swift since I was a child, watching Gulliver's exploits in Children's movies and cartoons. Of course the novel is not a child's book at all. It is very much a book for grown-ups.

And the movies did not get to the third or fourth journeys. Only Big G and sometimes Big G and Tiny G. Even worse,  I feel sorry for the moviegoers of today who only know Lemuel Gulliver from the recent movie where Jack Black portrayed the big man. Not his best moment, particularly his little dance to "War" at the end.

Some would call Swift's novel a thinly veiled screed directed at his political enemies, a form of literary vengeance.

I would rather like to believe that the novel is in fact a thinly veiled screed against the human race. Or Yahoos, as they are called in Houyhnhm land. Which is a place where (in Swift's words)....

I enjoyed perfect health of body and tranquillity of mind; I did not feel the treachery of inconstancy of a friend, nor the injuries of a secret or open enemy. I had no occasion of bribing, flattering or pimping to procure the favour of any great man or of his minion. I wanted no fence against fraud or oppression; here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers, attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics, tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers, virtuosos: no leaders or followers of party and faction: no encouragers to vice, by seducements or examples: no dungeon, axes, gibbets, whipping-posts, or pillories: no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics: no pride, vanity or affectation: no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling whores, or poxes: no ranting, lewd, expensive wives:no stupid, proud pedants: no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty, conceited, swearing companions: no scoundrels, raised from the dust upon the merits of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their virtues: no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing masters.

I think Swift's problem may have been that he kept his feelings bottled up. But maybe a world run by horses could be a Utopia. I may be wrong but as far as I know we haven't tried it for years.

I think Swifty was on to something. I'm not talking of course about Lemuel Gulliver's Third Journey, the flying island, where he makes fun of scientists (philosophers) and other modern intellectuals. We already have the Tea Party.

I'm talking about the 4th journey, to Houyhnhms land. The land ruled by talking horses.... But maybe a world run by horses might be a Utopia after all.

These days most ordinary Americans no longer trust their governmental leaders. Many people believe a female president would do a better job as President, and I would not necessarily disagree. Certainly other nations are way ahead of the curve with this.

But perhaps it might be even better to look to another species. I do believe most of us would trust a talking horse. Maybe even more than they would trust Ronald Reagan. Many  A talking horse would be electable in the United States. Think of how many hits cute animal videos get on YouTube.

And America has had a long love affair with talking horses.....and and an even longer love affair brown-nosing celebrities...

TV's The Famous Mr. Ed.......
 

See, a horse with glasses is a brainy horse. You can't tell me Sarah Palin's trainers didn't glean some ideas from 1960's television.

 

 

Don the Wonder Horse from Hot to Trot

I would pick a stock picking horse over a stock picking baby any day. A stock picking baby needs a good exorcism.

So we celebrate the lives of two Patriotic Americans, trailblazers for their species. Their hard work and perseverance has paved their way for America's next greatest hope, today's generation. Perhaps these highbrow horses emigrated from Houyhnhm land and therefore were unable to hold political office in America. Or maybe or nation was just not ready yet, not open minded enough. Today, however,  is a different story altogether.

 

American Beauty

Yeah, that what I'm talking about. The eloquent, fun-loving, hearty-partying talking horse from the Empire Casino commercials in Yonkers! Aside from Mary J Blige and Ella Fitzgerald, he is probably Yonkers' biggest celebrity. Definitely a dude I could see myself hanging out with at a barbecue. You have to agree that it must be an awesome thing to enter a casino and get greeted by a real live horse. I am a bit concerned that I haven't seen him in many commercials lately. He may be in rehab--he looks he may have a cocaine-coated snout (a la Rob Ford) in the above picture. Maybe ran up too big a tab, maybe skimmed a few oats off the top.

Supposedly there was a contest to give him a name. I don't know how that turned out. Perhaps he cherishes his privacy. As a celebrity, I'm sure he doesn't want wackos hanging around his townhouse. Or perhaps he had to go into the Witness Protection Program and is working in a Deli somewhere in Indiana now. One day you are on top of the world, people buying you free hot dogs at Nathans, and the next day they're giving your regular table away at X2O.

I think we should give this a shot. Last presidential cycle, the Republican primary was run like a reality show. This feels like the next winning concept. I think I can smell a ratings bonanza. Or something similar....


I say we name him Morty.