Baby 81 by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81 RCA 2007 It's tough being Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. You record two albums of dark, reverb-heavy rock and roll and people say you sound too much like Jesus and Mary Chain. You stop sounding like Jesus and Mary Chain, and release Howl, an acoustic album of swampy, American blues, and people complain that you don't sound like Jesus and Mary Chain anymore. What's a band to do? If you answered my rhetorical question by saying, "Develop their own sound," give yourself a pat on the back. By taking the middle road between swamp-boogie and shoegaze on Baby 81, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, may finally distance themselves from those nagging comparisons that have dogged them for the better part of their career. Songs like the lead number on Baby 81, "Took Out A Loan" as well as the first single, "Weapon of Choice" find that sweet spot by working a blues heavy guitar riff into a droning, repetitive rhythm. While the best example of this synthesis of sounds may be the driving, and decidedly poppy, "It's Not What You Wanted," where the electric squeals are layered on top of an up-tempo campfire jam. Admittedly, many of these songs work much better on a primal level than they do on a critical level. You're better off taking in the heavy riffs of "Berlin" than you are reading the lyrics to the chorus "Suicide's easy/Whatever happened to the revolution." Similarly, while it's easy to get lost in the grooves on "Weapons of Choice," the anti-war sentiments are vague, ("What’s your weapon of choice /There is no weapon to free us all /I won’t waste it, I won’t waste it, I won’t waste my love on a nation") rather than pointed. It's a fair criticism, but at the same time, I've never listened to BRMC to get insight into the workings of the world. I don't know what "American X" is trying to say during the nine minute drone, and quite honestly, I haven't bothered to find out. The boys found a good, heavy riff, accompanied it with some tasty reverb and echo, and I'm more than content to ride it out. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Multiple Songs [myspace stream] Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 [full album stream via Spinner] Baby 81 by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer.

Beyond by Dinosaur, Jr

Dinosaur, Jr Beyond Fat Possum 2007 For most of my Rock 'N' Roll lifetime I've been scared of Reunion Rock. Rarely does the "Getting the band back together" album come close to the band's original work. My stance on reunion rock softened a bit last year after Mission of Burma returned with their second solid release this decade with The Oblierati and Radio Birdman further solidified their reputation as the godfathers of Australian punk with Zeno Beach. Yet, if you need a reminder that these releases are the exception and not the norm, go back and read the biting reviews for The Stooges 2007 release, The Weirdness. One of the most important bands in rock history released a mess of an album that was called hideous (Pitchfork), horrible (Alternative Press), and pathetic (Drowned In Sound). Now, with 2007 shaping up to be the year of Reunion Rock, with everyone from Rage Against The Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Police to The Happy Mondays, Crowded House, and James getting the band back together, there are bound to be even more career damaging reunion releases on the horizon. Thankfully, Dinosaur Jr's reunion rock album, Beyond -- the first new album in 10 years, and the first with the classic lineup of J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph, in nearly 20 years, does nothing to diminish their reputation. If anything, this album will solidify their standing as one of the preeminent guitar rock bands of our time, and if we're lucky, it will introduce a new generation of fans to the glory that is the J Mascis guitar solo. Go ahead and skip over the rest of my words and listen to those mp3s, watch that video, then tell me that this isn't the best work that Mascis has produced since 93's Where You Been. Let yourself go, release your inner air guitar hero, then set your stereo speakers to rumble and play along with the boisterous opening chords of "Almost Ready." Keep that air guitar handy, you'll need it when you get to the wailing, screeching, squealing guitar jam on "Pick Me Up" and again when you get to the propulsive lead single "Been Here All The Time." Your neighbors may not like the racket, and your parents may not want to hear these sounds coming out of the family sedan, but damn, Dinosaur, Jr have gone and made one of the finest sounding albums I've heard this year. Dinosaur, Jr - Almost Ready [download] Dinosaur, Jr - Been There All The Time [youtube] Dinosaur, Jr - We're Not Alone [download via Pitchfork] Dinosaur, Jr - Beyond [full album stream via Spinner] Dinosaur, Jr's Beyond: 9 out of 10 on The Rockometer

"Speak or Spill Down" by Tin Cup Prophette

After the bender that was my weekend trip to Canada, I'm finding a bit difficult to step right back into the rock. My mind's a bit slow and sunlight still stings my eyes. Babysteps and we'll be back with my beloved guitars. In the meantime, let's enjoy this downtempo number from Athens, Georgia's Amanda Kapousouz, who records under the name Tin Cup Prophette. "Speak or Spill Down" is a slow, loopy, mesmerizing number punctuated by Kapousouz's haunting voice and evil, slithery violins. It may not be the stuff to cure an ailing mind. In fact, the longer it's on repeat, the more likely this day will be a waste. I'm ok with that. Tin Cup Prophette - Speak of Spill Down [download] Tin Cup Prophette

Where To Rock It

I Rock Cleveland's live picks for Friday, April 27th to Thursday, May 3rd Sunday, I plan to be hungover from a weekend bachelor party for a good bud of mine, you should plan on being at The Beachland Ballroom for Richard Buckner and The Six Parts Seven where 6X7 will serve as both the opener and the backing band for Buckner. Wednesday night, the afro-beat, latin, jazz, funk awesome sounds of Antibalas take over The Beachland Ballroom. Thursday, El-P, headlines the Ballroom. I don't even pretend to be an expert on rap, but those that do know have been saying that El-P has released the rap album of the year so far.

God Dam Dogs by Coffinberry

Coffinberry God Dam Dogs Morphius 2007 God Dam Dogs, Coffinberry's latest long player, still has a good deal of that New York city cool that oozed from 2005's From Now On Now and earned them comparisons to The Strokes and The Walkmen. This time around, however, that vibe from their earlier work is mixed with Seattle sonic sludge to create a fuller, heavier sound. Its dirty, gritty, fuzz fueled melodies are nearly (dare I say) grungy. I'm reluctant to use the G word (grunge) as it's gotten such a bad rap from the third generation grunge bands still alive on the airwaves. Yet, as 2007 will see a reunion album from Dinosaur Jr, a band who was lumped into that movement, maybe it's time to release the G word from its Rock 'N' Roll prison cell. Really, how am I going to convey the sound of the skinny tie rockers of the modern age meeting with the flannels and docs of Nineties, if I don't toss in the word "grunge." And why should NME and its "New Rave" writers have all the fun. I'd can use grunge in combination with garage to create a whole new genre. I'd call it grungerage, or maybe, garunge -- something catchy to perfectly capture the sound of Coffinberry. All joking aside (and I was joking about calling Coffinberry a garunge band), these Cleveland boys have gone out and made one of the finest guitar rock albums to come out of Northeast, Ohio in some time -- right up there with Rubber Factory by The Black Keys and Easy Listening by Cobra Verde. From the first notes of "Packrat/Survivalist" this new fuller, more mature sound of Coffinberry is quite evident. On past efforts, guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Cross and guitarist Tony Janicek, supplied slinky fashionable riffs, now in their place are thick, roaring buzzsaws. The rhythm section remains propulsive with drummer Anthony Cross and bassist Patrick O'Connor ensuring that they get in and efficiently rock out of each number. "Earthworms in The Sun" finds the band toying with a wild campfire vibe, before plugging in and laying down some thick, meaty guitars. The straight up rocker, "Freeway Ends" flows freely into the delicately damaged piano and guitar ballad, "Aims Retreat," where Cross' vocals, battered and scratched, become the perfect compliment. Later, Coffinberry even dabble in Brazilian bossa nova, with the intro to "Clcoktower Blues." The maturing musicianship and songwriting is a big part of God Dam Dogs, but an equal, or even bigger part of this album, is their continued ability to lay down swift 2 and 3 minute rockers. The static charged, reverb heavy numbers like "The Ram" and "Bombs and Palm Trees" would have made Coffinberry pin-ups of the Lollapalooza generation 10 years ago. While tracks on the back end of the album, "Sonogram," "Welcome To Hell," and "Little Child of Dementia" recall the sloppy pop genius of producer Todd Tobias' work with Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices. I can toss around labels like garage, grunge, lo-fi, and even the mock genre garunge, but none of those terms are a comfortable fit for this band. God Dam Dogs finds them making their own sound, and it just happens to be god dam great. Coffinberry - Earthworms In The Sun [download] Coffinberry - Write This [download] Coffinberry's God Dam Dogs is God Dam Great -- 9 out of 10 on The Rockometer.

Ins, Outs, What Have Yous

The Tim Armstrong scavenger hunt is on. As reported in Harp earlier this week, tracks from the forthcoming solo album by Rancid's Tim Armstrong, A Poet's Life, are going to start popping up on the internet one at a time until the album's release on May 22nd. The first two have been available at Epitaph for a few months now, and a new one, "Inner City Violence," just showed up on Rancid's Myspace. Keep your eyes on Hellcat, Rats In The Hallway, Rancid on Myspace, Rancid, and Tim Armstrong on Myspace for more tuneage. Cleveland's Suede Brothers have just posted two new demos for download at Myspace: "Serenade" and "Catch." That debut ep on Bad Breaker is still on target for later this spring with a full length to follow this summer. The title track from Three Easy Pieces, Buffalo Tom's first new release in 9 years, is streaming now on Myspace. Three Easy Pieces will be out July 10th on New West/Ammal Records.

"In The City" and "Sliding Doors" by Peel

At first I couldn't tell if this re-emergence of lo-fi and slacker rock was real, or if it was only a re-emergence in terms of my own listening experience. In the fractured scenes of the 21st Century, it only takes a few like minded souls and a broadband connection to feel part of a movement. Yet, as more and more slacker bands make their way into my soundsystem, it's becoming harder to ignore. Peel came my way through a very misleading email introduction. When I read the line, "Peel are influenced by Brian Eno and Blondie," I said, "Hmm...that's nice. Next." A few weeks later, I hear Peel on KEXP and they're sound is all about the classic lo-fi and slacker sounds. It's like taking big bong hits with Lou Barlow at a weed party in 1993, and all those memorable pop tunes built with lots of feedback, fuzzy static, and keyboards gone wild filtered through a busted up boombox. Now, we've got something. Peel - Sliding Doors [download] Peel - In The City [download] Peel Peel Myspace Peek-A-Boo Records

"Night At The Knight School" by Thee More Shallows

It's weeks like this that being a music blogger is a both a blessing and a curse. There's so much cool that came out this week that it's nearly impossible to keep up with it all. Let's see, Arctic Monkeys, Pterodactyl, Midnight Movies, Detroit Cobras, Alex Delivery, Two Cow Garage, and Thee More Shallows all have new discs out. I could really use a couple 28 hour days to keep up with my listening. About Thee More Shallows, I first featured this tune, "Night At The Knight School," on the Michael Stanley Made Me Do It Podcast back in March. As far as I can tell, it really doesn't have anything to do with swords and trusty steeds -- boredom and creative ways of killing time aren't exactly the stuff of legends. Interestingly, while the lyrics are rooted in the mundane, musically, "Night At The Knight School" is anything but boring. It builds slowly with some fuzzed out keys, and subtle percussion. Layers come and layers go -- a little horn here, some more low end fuzz --it's built up for the sole purpose of being broken down. At times it can be smooth and elegant, and other times frantic and loud. This is the stuff of headphone legends. Thee More Shallows - Night At The Knight School [download] For the Cleveland Rockers, Thee More Shallows will be in town at The Beachland Tavern on Sunday, May 20th. Thee More Shallows Anitcon Records

Ted Leo Cleveland Date Announced

Just got word from my friends at Music Saves that Ted Leo will be playing at The Beachland Ballroom on August 1st. Needless to say, I am so stoked.

Upon First Listen: Your Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys

Love 'em, hate 'em, pretend that they're dead, Arctic Monkeys are back with their follow up to 06's Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. I didn't have an advance of Favorite Worst Nightmare, I didn't find my own copy in the back alleys of the internet. This is my first spin of the new disc accompanied by my initial thoughts of it on a track by track basis. 1. Brianstorm: It's not a Brainstorm. I was shocked when I read the ep cover and learned it was Brianstorm. I had been mis-reading the title for weeks. Nevertheless, I still dig the full power guitar attack of Brianstorm. This is the proper way to open a second album. 2. Teddy Pickers: A faux funk, almost Flea-like bass line dominates this tune as "Teddy Pickers" continues the bigger, darker, and more muscular sound of Brianstorm. 3. D Is For Dangerous: This is cool and all, but I'm dying for a big melody. Something along the lines of "A Certain Romance" from Whatever... 4. Balaclava - Again my mind is playing tricks on me. This track is not "Baklava." The Monkeys are still working that dark vibe. I'm still waiting for a top jam...Ok, I'll forgive the absence of a memorable melody. The breakdown at 1:45 is maddening -- in a good way. 5. Fluorescent Adolescent: A big shift in tone. Here's the first track on Favourite Worst Nightmare that fits the Post-Libertines Brit Guitar Rock tag. It's also the catchiest one I've heard so far... Now some slang, and a cutting line in the chorus, "All the boys you've slagged. The best you ever had. Is all just a memory." Note to the Yanks in the house. Change the 'l' in slagged to an 'h.' 6. Only Ones Who Know: We're really slowing things down now with some balladry and echo, reverb, and regrets. Let's not look at the word "ballad" as a bad thing here. "Only Ones Who Know" is actually a solid track. 7. Do Me A Favor: And we're back. Not quite rocking like tracks 1-4, but we've got a nice surf rock vibe going on with this one. I should note that this isn't a surf party, it's a little too ominous for that...Wait, what's that I hear? It's not Jaws, it's loud guitars at the 2:40 mark. Another quality cut. 8. This House Is A Circus: Just as I'm about to write that this one does nothing for me, it picks up midway through. Again, we're back with something more sinister than what you'd expect from these lads. 9. If You Were There, Beware: We're at that point again, where I want more melody...This Rob Zombie horror flick opening is spooky cool...I think at this point, I should change my expectations and just go with the Nightmare theme and enjoy the ride...See, now when the guitars get really big and vicious, I'm not pining for a sing-a-long, instead, I'm finding the volume button on my remote control. 10. The Bad Thing: It's as if I can influence Fav Nightmare as it's being played. Whenever I say bring on the melody, the boys break out of the gloom, and bring something lighter and bouncier.,..An alternate theory is that the people responsible for engineering, sequencing, and publishing Fav Nightmare, know how to properly balance an album. 11. Old Yellow Bricks: Much of the heft added to their sound has to be credited to the new bass player, Nick O'Malley. The back end has been packing quite a punch on this disc. 12. 505: Dream-like. Not the nightmare of the title. Well maybe not dream-like, more like slipping off into some much needed sleep after stress and exhaustion. Final thoughts: This isn't the soundtrack for drunkenness, tom-foolery, and youthful shenanigans like Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, and I'm cool with that. Favourite Worst Nightmare is heavier, more mature, more dangerous, and quite fine on its own.

Four For The Rockometer: Pterodactyl, Mando Diao, Midnight Movies, and Alex Delivery

Pterodactyl S/T (Blue Jay) Brah/Cardboard 2007 When trying to tell the difference between noise rock and a lousy racket, I turn to Potter Stewart, the Supreme Court justice, who stated in his opinion on the obscenity case, Jacobellis vs Ohio, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that." Like the blurry lines between eroticism and obscenity, it may be difficult at times to distinguish between noise and racket, but I know it when I hear it. Granted, I've never heard the screech of real Pterodactyls (yeah, they've been extinct for eons), still, I imagine that they wouldn't be so dissimilar from the piercing sounds produced by Pterodactyl (the band) . Shrill, shrieking guitars, rugged drums, and rumbling bass lines dominate many of the numbers on the Blue Jay album. Surprisingly, there's also a substantial amount of melody hiding in the mix waiting to be uncovered, and this is what ultimately distinguishes it from being an unlistenable racket. Aside from the hypnotic album closer, "Esses," there is little in the way of instant gratification (And even this one has its fair share of maniacal noise). It's underneath the trash of "Polio" and "Ask Me Nicely," and deep within the slow, scandalous howl of "Safe Like A Train" and "Rampage Pt 1," that you'll find honest to goodness songs. Oh, you may be required to focus your ears away from the high pitched wails and separate the melody from some of the more grating sounds, but the tunes are there waiting for your attention, and once you start to really to pick this album apart it becomes infinitely more rewarding. Pterodactyl - Esses [download] Pterodactyl - Polio [download] The Blue Jay album by Pterodactyl (the band) is a 7 out of 10 on The Rockometer. Mando Diao Ode To Ochrasy Mute 2007 Like it's cousin punk rock, garage rock, can be a very constrictive and repetitive genre. For garage rockers, like myself, this isn't much of a problem. We can spot the subtle variances in the levels of rock, rhythms and blues, and soul that differentiate one band from the other. However, for the casual listener, all of these bands can start to sound the same -- there's only so much you can do with verse, chorus, verse, song structures and traditional band lineups of guitar, bass, drums, and sometimes keys. And so it is with Ode To Ochrasy that Mando Diao continue their move out of the garage into more expansive quarters. As expected for a band in transition, the move away from the more traditional sound, isn't without its stumbles. The garage rockin rave-ups on Ode To Ochrasy, like album openers "Welcome Home, Luc Robitaile"and "Killer Kacynski", fail to hit the speakers with the ferocity of "God Knows" from 2005's Hurricane Bar. The old sound is most effective for Mando Diao, when they keep it loose, let their guard down, and have a good time. "Song For Aberdeen" benefits from the piped in party sounds -- the only thing missing is the clinging of beer bottles. While "Long Before Rock 'N' Roll" creates its feel good vibe with playful vocal interchanges between Bjorn Dixgard and Gustaf Noren, and a swift sing-a-long of "Na Na Na Na's." Ultimately, it's the numbers that stray the farthest from Mando Diao's garage rock home, that save Ode To Ochrasy. Pop numbers like "The Wildfire (If It Was True)" and "Josephine" share more in common with fellow Swedes Peter, Bjorn, and John, than they do with The Hives, and add some much needed freshness to their sound. Mando Diao - Long Before Rock 'N' Roll [download] Mando Diao's Ode to Orchrasy is a 6 out of 10 on The Rockometer. Midnight Movies Lion The Girl New Line Records 2007 Yaysayers will look upon Midnight Movies as 2007's Silversun Pickups, a Los Angeles band with a love for shoegaze, psychedelica, and fuzzy Nineties alternative sounds. Naysayers will also look upon Midnight Movies as 2007's Silversun Pickups. Whereas Silversun Pickups were labeled in some quarters as a Smashing Pumpkins clone, Midnight Movies run a similar risk of being tied to another Nineties alternative band, Lush. Although this cd may scream 4AD at times, the dream pop and shoegaze sound is one I'm rather fond of, and quite honestly, I dig their take on it. Beginning with the creaking soundscapes that serve as the intro to "Souvenirs" Midnight Movies lay down a lush, mystical, and sometimes sinister vibe that permeates throughout Lion The Girl placing it somewhere between dreams and hauntings. It's primal and foreboding, with vocalist Gena Olivier serving as both siren and savior. The drums are forceful, the keyboards spooky, and guitarist Larry Schemel is not afraid to produce a caustic riff to accentuate the atmosphere. "Patient Eye," with its combination of mesmerizing keys, wobbly bass lines, and Olivier's breathy vocals, evokes a tenuous sense of calmness around a situation of paralyzing fear. While songs like "Coral Den" and "Hide Away" do away with any of that calmness, opting instead to channel the nightmare of fleeing an unknown evil in the dark of night. Like any good horror flick, or nightmare for that matter, these scenes of despair are tempered by the occasional ray of light, as is the case with the delicate, airy ballad "Ribbons." It's short lived, of course. You can open your eyes for a moment, roll over and find a new sweet spot on the mattress, but whatever it was that brought you into this dark scene, is still lurking off in the distance. Midnight Movies - Coral Den [download] Midnight Movies - Patient Eye [download] Lion The Girl by Midnight Movies: 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer. Alex Delivery Star Destroyer Jagjaguwar 2007 Alex Delivery are a band of the future. No, not the imaginary future constructed in the fifties and sixties where silver jumpsuits, talking computers, and jet packs signified progress. Neither is this is the sound of the near future where technology keeps us connected and makes anything possible. Rather, it's a damaged, distorted vision. It's like traveling through the depths of the Milky Way in the spaceship equivalent of a Delta 88 with duct tape holding the muffler together. Peace, beauty, and calm are interrupted with the occasional clink and clunk of mashing gears, and the feeling of wonder inspired by infinite space is ruined by that insistent, red flashing of the check your engine light. Star Destroyer's strength relies on the ability of Alex Delivery's troupe of musicians to unify a diverse musical vision through numerous transitions and transformations. There are only six songs on Star Destroyer, yet it clocks in around 40 minutes. Three numbers go well beyond nine minutes. "Komad" is a ten minute journey marrying the most unlikely of musical elements: slacker rock and kraut rock. The vocal delivery is reminiscent of Pavement's Malkmus, while musically, it starts with robotic machine shop sounds, before yielding to vintage German techno. "Milan" undergoes a similar metamorphosis. It begins with the sound of sweeping an empty warehouse. Voices mumble in the background. Eventually, it moves from the factory ground, to the otherworldly landscapes of Orbital in one seamless movement. Lastly, following the lead of "Komad" and "Milan," "Sheath-Wet" shoots for the stars, but it's not an entirely smooth blast off. It's wobbly and vulnerable, with slightly off-kilter orchestrations and a percussion section valiantly trying to keep the pace. Like the world we live in, or any future we may lay our eyes upon, these songs are fractured, imperfect, and fascinating. Alex Delivery - Komad [download] Star Destroyer by Alex Delivery is a 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer.

Huzzah! Huzzah! Hooray! Hooray!

I was just thinking the other day, "Hmm...there's not enough songs about brave heroes, fair maidens, and fierce dragons." C'mon, who amongst us doesn't want to slay the dragon and rescue the princess? That's the stuff that dreams are made of. Well, perhaps those are the dreams of dungeon masters, sci-fi B-movie fans, and World of Warcraft addicts. I may be kidding when I say that there's not enough songs about dragon slaying heroes, but there's nothing funny about indie rock's loss of humor. Stylus recently published a lengthy essay on our inability to laugh, and have fun with music. Even bands like Hot Chip and Art Brut struggled for acceptance early in their careers as their humor interfered with critics' ability to take their art serious. Now, I'm not about to say Witch's Hat belong in that select company. Yet, I can't deny that this epic tale of a young hero, killing a dragon to save the virgin princess set to chugging guitars, and lifted to the heavens by the feel good chorus, "Huzzah! Huzzah! Hooray! Hooray!" is the most fun I've had listening to a song in ages. Huzzah! Witch's Hat - Huzzah [download] Witch's Hat Emergency Umbrella

Where To Rock It

Friday, April 20 to Thursday, April 26th. 2005's Horrible Fest had its fair share of moments like the live eel in the bar room, a dust up at The Beachland, and lots of booze fueled rock and roll. After taking 2006 off, it's back. There'll be three days garage, punk, and noise at Tower 2012 and Now That's Class. You can get the full list of bands at The Horrible Fest on Myspace. Also this weekend, The Willowz are doing the Northeast, Oh tour hitting the Lime Spider in Akron on Friday night, and joining fellow longhair rockers, The Buffalo Killers, Saturday night at The Beachland Tavern. At Bela Dubby, in Lakewood, it's indie pop weekend with Arrah and The Ferns and Paper Airplanes on Friday night, and Cleveland's Bears on Saturday night. Lastly, Sunday night is rock night at The Grog Shop with The Ponys, This Moment in Black History and Tall Pines. Update: Here's one more that I missed yesterday. Thursday night is rock night at Touch Supper Club and this week Boatzz and JJ Magazine will be topping the bill.

Bellavista

Man, you gotta love the Wiki. Take this quote on the page about The Vue that I found on Subpop: "The band is now known as Bellavista. Much controversy has surrounded the band since their reformation, including allegations of illicit drug use and promiscuity." Even though I'd like to think that sentence is steeped in sarcasm, it's really impossible to tell if the author was serious or not. To their credit, Wiki did note that "Citation is needed" for that part about sex and drugs and controversy. This next statement I make should be a little less controversial: Bellavista f'n rock. Playing a mix of the good stuff (garage, psychedelic, shoegaze), their debut album has found itself in heavy rotation on the IRC Soundsystem of late. The first tune I'm featuring, the buzzing rocker "Temptation By Your Side," features some of that heavy drumming in the style early U2 or the Walkmen, guitars that screech, scream, and wail, and a chorus, "I just wanted to hang out with you" that is sung in such a manner that it suggests that "I just wanted to hang out with you" really means hanging out is pretty cool and all, but I'd rather be doing you than hanging out with you. While, our second number, "Put It On," moves in an entirely different manner. Think Spiritualized or Primal Scream and their slow, drawn out spacey explorations oozing out of the speakers, with the slow drone occasionally broken by some fine sounding guitar ruckus. Bellavista - Temptation By Your Side [download] Bellavista - Put It On [download] Bellavista's self titled debut is out now on Take Root. Bellavista Take Root Records photo by Ann Sullivan

"Advice For Young Mothers To Be" by The Veils

Turns out that Nux Vomica, the title of The Veils long delayed US release may have something to do with vomiting Latin after all. From the press section on The Veils US label, World's Fair, I discovered that Nux Vomica is the scientific name for "The Poison Tree," an evergreen found in Southeast Asia. It can be used to make the poison strychnine, but it can also be used as a natural cure for stomach ailments. So, if I'm reading this correctly, Nux Vomica, can either stop you from vomiting or kill you. Nice. In keeping with the kill or cure theme, Nux Vomica the album has a similar sense of duality. While songs like "Not Yet" and "Jesus For The Jugular" (previously featured on I Rock Cleveland) have a decidedly sinister edge, there are others like "Advice For Young Mothers To Be" that hide their dark secrets underneath a innocent, shimmering pop shine. The Veils - Advice For Young Mothers To Be [download] Though released in the UK on Rough Trade last fall, Nux Vomica will finally see its state side release next Tuesday as part of World's Fair's distribution deal with Rough Trade for the US. The Veils The Veils on World's Fair/Rough Trade

Things I Learned That I Never Meant To Learn After Watching "Going Down To Liverpool" by The Bangels

1. "Going Down To Liverpool" was originally written by Kimberly Rew of Katrina And The Waves fame. 2. Leonard Nimoy, prominently featured in this video as a taxi driver, is the uncle of Susanna Hoffs of The Bangels. 3. The Bangels actually had more than one good song, the other being "Hazy Shade of Winter" from the Less Than Zero soundtrack.

From The Vaults of I Rock Cleveland: "Shine" by The Doughboys

Sunny days call for the big hooks and soaring choruses of power pop. Unfortunately, we haven't had many of those sunny days of late. So, I'm taking a different approach. Instead of celebrating Spring with a big melody, we'll try to invoke the gods of pleasant weather to deliver spring to the shores of Lake Erie. Originally released in 1993, "Shine" is one of the finest pieces of power pop to come out of the genre's revival in the 1990's. It brings back memories to my days at Bowling Green State University during the mid 90's, listening to 89X when big radio wasn't that big and bad, and skipping spring class for frisbee on the lawn. Those were the good old days. It sure beats the office, the commute, and this springtime that isn't really spring at all. The Doughboys - Shine [download] Doughboys Wiki Doughboys Fansite

Save Internet Radio

Did you notice the Save Net Radio ad in the top corner of I Rock Cleveland? Long story short, the CRB (Copyright Royalty Board) has put in place new roayalty rates for internet radio that will likely force your favorite streaming station out of business. A coalition of broadcasters and independent labels had attempted to appeal this decision. Yesterday, they were turned down. While I am in favor of artists and labels getting their fair share for their music, these new rates go beyond fairness to the point where independent broadcasters will be forced silence their stations. The only broadcasters that will be able to survive these new rates will be the large media congolomerates. You don't need me to tell you that terrestrial radio has turned into a wasteland. We can't let the same thing to happen to net radio. Please get involved. Click the banner and send a letter to your representatives in Congress. For more information: Story on Hypebot KEXP's statement Save Net Radio

"No Shame" by Two Cow Garage

I've never been one to bother with the whole "Artist of The Day","Best New Music", or "Highly Recommended" type things, but let's say for a second that I did, then this trio from Columbus, Ohio, Two Car Garage, who sound as if they were raised on Budweiser, The Replacements, and The American Quarter Horse Congress, would surely be my highly recommended best new artist of the day. "No Shame," is Two Car Garage's lament on hard work, Rock 'N' Roll, and endless touring, and one of the strongest cuts from III. I'm sure this sentiment resonates with countless others who have dedicated their lives to rock, where "There's a guitar, that's leaning on my wall, the instrument of my ultimate downfall. And notebooks scattered all over my floor. Six hundred pages all filled with regrets, and hundreds of songs that ain't finished yet. And a job application getting harder to ignore." Yet, in spite of these doubts, there's this hint of resolve in the chorus, not necessarily in the words themselves, "There ain't no shame in just giving up and walking away," but in the way they're delivered with so much conviction. If you play 200 dates a year and do your damned best every night, then what's there to regret? No, it's not the traditional American dream, where anyone can be a millionaire with dedication and desire. This is something much more real. Two Cow Garage - No Shame [download] III is available now on eMusic and will see its proper release on April 24th. You can stream the cd in its entirety on the Two Cow Garage website. Two Cow Garage Two Cow Garage Myspace

It's Ladies Night At I Rock Cleveland

Jenny Owen Youngs has something like 31,000 friends on Myspace. That makes her roughly 1,500 more popular than yours truly. After listening to "F*ck Was I" quite a few times, she can add one more fan to her list. Yes, I'm a sucker for crass young ladies who drop f bombs. And before you accuse me of being another critic who's a sucker for attractive women who drop f bombs in their songs, I would still be a fan if it was titled something more Battlestar friendly like, "Frack Was I." Who the frack am I kidding? If she sang "Frack Was I," I would be sending her love letters every night. Jenny Owen Youngs - F*ck Was I [download] If you're a music dweeb like me and a band bio lists Phil Spector, The Pixies, Patti Smith, Dusty Springfield, Television, and The Smiths in one write up, you're either drooling or claiming foul play on the pr folks for toying with your emotions again. It's cool. Go ahead and drool. "Cherries In The Snow" by Elk City delivers on that promise. Elk City - Cherries In The Snow [download] I'm hoping some of you made it out to The Lime Spider in Akron last night to catch the Gore Gore Girls. Their next album, Get The Gore, is due out this June on Bloodshot, home to that other Detroit rock and roll machine, The Detroit Cobras. Like their neighbors and labelmates, the music of the Gore Gore Girls draws heavily from garage rock and sixties girl group sounds. It's highly recommended for fans of three out of the four following things: hip-shaking, guitars, sing-a-longs, and leather. Gore Gore Girls - All Grown Up [download] The rock gods can be rather cruel. Holly Golightly has fourteen albums and a load of singles in her discography, yet she may be best known for her one collaboration with The White Stripes on "Well It's True That We Love One Another" from Elephant. "Black Heart" comes from her latest release, You Can't Buy A Gun When You're Crying. It probably isn't a good idea to buy a fire arm with tears in your eyes and black in your heart. Here's a better idea: give this pained, country ballad a few spins. Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs - Black Heart [download]

"Get It On" by Grinderman

The opening cut on Grinderman's self-titled release, "Get It On," is a fierce representation of what you can expect from Nick Cave in this new slimmed down model of The Bad Seeds. Consider it their devolution - taking the music away from grand arrangements, back to its purest, most primal form with four men in a band plugging in and rocking out. There's one shard of guitar, in "Get It On," before Cave spits out like a madman: "I've got to get up to get down and start all over again/Head on down to the basement and shout/Kick those white mice and black dogs out/Kick those white mice and babboons out/Kick those babboons and other motherf*ckers out and get it on." At that point, the band responds to the call to arms the only way a rock and roll primate can: with teeth baring tenacity. Grinderman - Get It On [download] Grinderman

Where To Rock It

A few shows of note this coming week: WRUW's 40th birthday bash is this Saturday night at The Grog Shop. It's a free event and This Is Exploding are headlining. Also Saturday, Bears are having their cd release party with Southeast Engine and His Hideous Heart. It's worth noting, that if you're hip to The Tragically Hip, their show on Saturday at The House of Blues is sold out. The Moaners are doing the Northeast, OH two step, hitting the Lime Spider in Akron on Sunday night, then The Beachland Tavern on Monday night. The New Lou Reeds open the Cleveland date, and The Suede Brothers are on the Akron bill. The big one is Tuesday night as a band that many (Ok, that's really just me and a handful of other like minded folks, but we're right about this one) consider the future indie rock, Times New Viking, opens for indie legends Yo La Tengo. And if you don't have to work a day job the next morning, stick around for a free after show with Coffinberry in the tavern. Lastly, Thursday night is alternative rap night at The Grog Shop with Columbus, Ohio's RJD2 with Busdriver.

Brianstorm EP by The Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys Brianstorm 2007 Domino Records UK guitar bands have had quite a time with the sophomore slump of late. England's Futureheads and The Rakes, and Scotland's Franz Ferdinand all saw a steep decline in quality with their second release. Bloc Party fared a bit better with A Weekend In The City. Even so, the reviews on that one were a mixed bag at best. It's a very competitive scene -- make one slip and some up and comers like The View or The Fratellis are ready to take your spot on the list of 100 best rock albums ever. With this in mind, I approached the Arctic Monkey's Brianstorm e.p. with a fair amount of trepidation along with a serious dose of lowered expectations. Look, here in the states we never elevated the Monkeys to top artist ever status. Whatever You Think I Am, That's What I'm Not was a fresh, enjoyable listen from a young guitar band with a distinctive voice. One of the best ever? Oh, I don't know. The first thing that struck me about the Brianstorm e.p. was the lettering on the front cover. It seemed oddly Styper-esque. Then, on the inside cover, there's this odd electric vampire boy and it got me thinking My Chemical Romance. Now, I'm worried. Stryper vs My Chemical Romance with a cameo from Dizzee Rascal is a veritable recipe for a four song trainwreck. Surprisingly, if there is any wreckage to be heard on Brianstorm, it's the sound of their peers crashing towards obscurity. Though, this is only a four song e.p., there is plenty to suggest that the Arctic Monkeys may be the first of their ilk to survive, or even thrive on their second outing. "If You Found This It's Probably Too Late" reintroduces the Arctic Monkeys with an ominous string section foretelling the dark moods that permeate Brianstorm, before switching gears into a punk rock slaughterhouse with singer, Alex Turner, toasting his lyrics above a noisy ruckus. This leads us to the title track, and first single from the forthcoming album Favourite Worst Nightmare, "Brianstorm," a fierce, chugging rocker, heavier than most anything they've released to date. Next, "Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend" is the anticipated collaboration with English mc Dizzee Rascal. The rhythm section lays down a tight, cut-up dubby foundation for the verses, then lead the band on a seemless transition to the big chorus. Dizzee Rascal steps up to the mic to take the lead on the third verse, and provides a stark contrast to Turner's croon with his frantic, skittish delivery. The Monkeys seal the deal with "What If You Were Right The First Time," a scorching number that lays on the freakish vibe that had been building over the course of the e.p. Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm [stream] Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm [youtube] Brianstorm by The Arctic Monkeys: 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer

Introducing The Suede Brothers

This past March, Cleveland's rocket fueled retro-rockers, The Black Diamonds, abruptly broke up the band and depending on your source, that break-up wasn't exactly a smooth one. The timing of this announcement was very curious as many local publications, including this one, had these boys tipped for a huge year in 2007. Fortunately, the day the news hit that The Black Diamonds had split, details emerged on a new band, The Suede Brothers, one that contained 3/4 of the original line-up, minus singer Chad Van Gils. Don't fret rockers, the sound remains the same -- good, honest Rock 'N' Rill with plenty of hard charging guitar riffs. The Suede Brothers - Lay It Down [download] "Lay It Down" was recently released as a demo on Myspace. You can expect more material from the Suede Brothers in the coming months. The Suede Brothers on Myspace

Band-A-Minute

I can't remember if I really remember Band-A-Minute, or if I just think I remember Band-A-Minute. Either way, I came across a reference to the old zine section from the 90's while I was reading a review for Archers of Loaf cd on eMusic. The Band-A-Minute review for Archers of Loaf was simply, "College Was Fun." I needed more, so I turned to my friend google. After a little bit of googling, I found a pretty good listing of Band-A-Minute: Sebadoh - Boy gets kicked out of hip band, writes many songs about it. Boy gets dumped by girlfriend, writes many, many songs about it. Boy gets married, moves to L.A. and has nothing to write songs about. Jets to Brazil - I swear I used to have a distortion pedal. I swear I used to be enormously influential. I swear this many college kids didn't always screw to my album. Dub Narcotic Sound System - Calvin, any of these three notes can be yours. Choose wisely. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - BLUES EXPLOSION!!!!!! (these white kids will never know better). Nashville Pussy - Motorhead RULES!!!! (all these tits and pyrotechnics draws attention from our lousy music) Modest Mouse - See a retarded boy singing Pixies songs. Screaming Trees - We're just big boned, that's all. Fugazi - We're sorry. Two of our members are responsible for hardcore and emo, respectively. We're much better now, though. Guided By Voices - I am a heavy drinker who enjoys The Who. You are fired. Now, a high kick. Trans Am - Hey! Who put that Rush in my Kraftwerk?! So, after all this goodness, I got to thinking. Hmm...there's quite a few bands who could use the type of humility that only could happen from Band-A-Minute. What would happen if Band-A-Minute we're still around today. Perhaps, it would read something like this: The Strokes - Do these jeans make my ass look big? LCD Soundsystem - Hey kids! Look at me! I'm dancing! Sufjan Stevens - When I'm sixty-four I'll still have more than 10 states to go. What did I get myself into? Joanna Newsom - It's not me. It's the harp. It's the goddamn harp's fault! The Killers - We're an American band, and to prove it we will do our best Bruce Springsteen. The Hold Steady - We're an American band, and to prove that we're a better band than the Killers, we will also do our best Springsteen. The Arcade Fire - We're an American band. Oh shit, we're Canadian. We will do our best Springsteen, and do it with strings! The Thermals - Screw you America. Panda Bear - Mmm...Acid. Who's there?!?! Is that you Brian Wilson? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Everything sounds better in New York. Fujiya and Miyagi - Repeat our name three times and Underworld will magically appear in your living room. Didn't work? Slip this under your tongue and say our name three times. Tapes 'N' Tapes - Did I tell you about the time I met Frank Black? No? Let me sing you a song. Broken Social Scene - How many Canadians does it take to make a record? I'm thinking 16. Maybe 17. Deerhoof - I have a short attention span. Do you want to listen to my band? It's ok if you say no, I'll be screaming so loud that I won't even hear your answer. I have a short attention span. Interpol - You wanna know why I'm so depressed??? Did you know that Ian Curtis committed suicide? That's why I'm so f'n depressed.

"To The East" by Electrelane

Electralene give the warm and fuzzies. They're nothing like that band who gave me the warm and fuzzies yesterday. I understand this is a lot of warm and a lot of fuzzy for two days, but there's still way to much snow on the ground in Cleveland for April, and I'm desperate for anything that won't get my socks all soggy. "To The East" with its irresistable mix of vintage organs, sparse guitars, and vocal harmonies can take me anywhere away from the frigid, snow covered shores of Cleveland. I'm not concerned where. It could be Buffalo or Pittsburgh as far as I'm concerned. I've got an afternoon, a sweet tune in my head, and plenty of dreaming to come up with a better place than here. Electrelane - To The East [download] The latest by Electrelane, No Shouts, No Calls, will be out April 30th on Too Pure. Also of note, Electrelane will be at the Grog Shop on May 21st with The Blow and Tender Forever. Electrelane Electrelane Myspace Too Pure

Four For The Rockometer: Black Diamond Heavies, The Twilight Sad, Wolf and Cub, and The Rakes

Black Diamond Heavies Every Damn Time Alive Records 2007 Man, Alive Records have quietly become the underground rock label. Starting with last year's releases from Buffalo Killers and The Trainwreck Riders, and continuing with their first three releases this year -- The Bloody Hollies, Radio Moscow, and Black Diamond Heavies, everything they've put out has been really, f'n solid. Unlike the more traditional blues duos of guitarists and drummers (or Mirambists and drummers -- damn you Jack White), the dirty delta blues of The Black Diamond Heavies are delivered with keys and drums. Although the no-frills, analog production style of Every Damn Time gives me the warm and fuzzies, there's a dark and sinister side to their music, supplied primarily by the wicked howl of John Wesley Myers, a vocalist who sounds as if he lives on a steady diet of thumb tacks and shards of broken glass. Every Damn Time plays like a road trip through the bar rooms and back alleys of the American South, albeit one leaving a good deal of carnage behind. Tales range from the rabid ("Fever In My Blood"), and the raging ("White Bitch") to the busted up ("Guess You Gone and Fucked It All Up") and broken hearted ("Leave It In The Road"), and the Black Diamond Heavies deliver on every damn one of them. The Black Diamond Heavies - Fever In My Blood [download] Every Damn Time does it every damn time for me. 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer. The Twilight Sad Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters Fat Cat 2007 Lovers of long song titles rejoice! The Twilight Sad have come bearing gifts: "The Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy." "Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard," and "And She Would Darken The Memory of Youth" to name a few. Lovers of quiet, loud, quiet, louder, you may also rejoice! As with their Scottish countrymen, Mogwai, The Twilight Sad have a real knack for the dramatic and dynamic. The Twilight Sad's adherence to Mogwai School of Musical Dynamics, while quite effective, can have some unintended consequences. If you're not careful, those soaring, powerful every man anthems like "Cold Days From The Birdhouse" and "Talking With Fireworks/Here It Never Snowed" can get lost amidst the noise. Thankfully, they seem acutely aware of this danger, and temper Fourteen Autums/Fifteen Winters with some change of pace numbers like the repetitive drone of "Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard," and the ambient, atmospheric album closer "Fourteen Autumns/Fifteen Winters." The Twilight Sad - Cold Days From The Birdhouse [download] Fourteen Autums/Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad: 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer Wolf and Cub Vessels 4 AD 2007 I had high hopes for this one. After hearing the lava lamp explosion of the title track, "Vessels," then the rowdy fuzz rocker, "Steal Their Gold," I thought I was buying another sludgy rock record like the debut from Wolf and Cub's Australian wolf brothers, Wolfmother. Instead, once I took in the rest of the album, I found a band desperately seeking their own sound. Vessels is a disjointed combination songs like the aforementioned throwback rockers, Primal Scream style tripped out jams ("Kingdom" and "Conundrum"), drippy, sticky psych rock ("Hammond" and Vultures (Part 2)"), and regrettably, as Eric Harvey identified in his Pitchfork reiview, some Kula Shakers ("This Mess" and "Seeds of Doubt"). The rockers work just fine, and some of the trippy psych stuff can stay, as they add a nice change of pace to the heavier numbers, but those Kula Shakers have got to go. Wolf and Cub - Steal Their Gold [download] Wolf Cub's Vessels is a hit and miss affair, hence, the hit and miss score. 5 out of 10 on The Rockometer. The Rakes Ten New Messages V2 2007 I love eMusic. Not only can you get over 100 mp3 downloads a month at a reasonable price, but you have this glorious section called "Members Say" where members of eMusic write their own reviews. I've seen some good ones in my day, like this one from Guided by Voice's Mag Earwhig by someone named Batman from Brooklyn: "Outside of Doug Gillard on guitar, the dudes Pollard poached from Cobra Verde for this record are a bunch of dweebs. Even so, this CD hasn't left my disc-changer since it came out in nineteen-diggity-doo." That was my favorite until I came across this line about Ten New Messages by The Rakes courtesy of Daviso from New Jersey: " They sound 20% better than the Strokes ever could." 20% better than The Strokes isn't hard to accomplish if we're talking about First Impressions of Earth Strokes. Now, if we're talking about Is This It Stokes, then that's a tall order. Strokes comparisons notwithstanding, British buzz bands have had a hard time of it lately with their sophomore discs, so I'm willing to settle for 80% as good as The Rakes debut release Capture/Release. Ten New Messages is a pleasant enough listen, and therein lies its problem. From the opening track, "The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Pefect" The Rakes settle into a nice groove of skittish rhythms and hip NYC meets equally hip London guitar lines, accompanied by the disengaged croon of vocalist Alan Donohoe. Then they keep that groove going for 11 tunes with the next one not particularly distinguishable from the previous one. It turns out now that they're no longer working 22 grand jobs in the city, daydreaming about being secret agents, and plotting their next night out on the town, they've lost their bite and don't have many interesting things to say. The Rakes - Multiple Songs [Mypsace] Ten New Messages by The Rakes - 6 out of 10 on The Rockometer

Double Shot of Cleveland Rock with Coffinberry and The Very Knees

All you Rockers should mark down the date May 1st. Not only are new albums by Dinosaur, Jr and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club due out that Tuesday, but Coffinberry's latest, God Dam Dogs, is due out that day as well. You're going to be really surprised when you hear this one. It'll hold its own against those high profile releases, and it may even be better. I'm not sayin' this because Coffinberry are Cleveland Rockers and I'm a Cleveland Rocker, I'm sayin' this because God Dam Dogs is that goddamn good. Coffinberry - Earthworms In The Sun [download] Coffinberry Coffinberry Myspace When I bought the Very Knees single for "Pour Poor Moi" and "Ohio Peaches" after their show opening for The Thermals and The Big Sleep, I distinctly remember joking with singer/guitarist Dave Petrovich about "Leaking this sh*t all over the internets." You see, this is funny since The Very Knees aren't the type of band that would excite all of the bittorrent jockeys scouring internet's black market for the latest Arcade Fire cd. It's also a bit ironic, since here we are a month later, and "Pour Poor Moi" is available as a free download at myspace (and now as a free download on I Rock Cleveland). All leaking aside, "Pour Poor Moi" is yet another trashy, art punk burner from one of Cleveland's finest undergound acts. The Very Knees - Pour Poor Moi [download] The Very Knees Coffinberry photo by Angelo Merendino The Very Knees photo was originally by Jeff Sierputowski

MSMM Episode 4 Is Live

Lots of rockin' goodness in Michael Stanley Made Me Do It Episode 4 including tracks from Cleveland Rockers Machine Go Boom and Mr Gnome, plus The 1900's, The New Rags, Jarvis Cocker, El-P with Trent Reznor, Pterodactyl, The Twilight Sad, Clockcleaner, Los Campesinos! and many many more. Michael Stanley Made Me Do It's Home On The Internet Download Episode 4 Subscribe to Michael Stanley Made Me Do It

Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame Turns Its Back On Cleveland (Again)

John Soeder from the Plain Dealer broke the news today that The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has canceled this year's CMJ/Cleveland due to the amount of work and resources it took to put on the yearly festival, as well as the additional burden to the hall's staff. "Overall, we felt good about the program, but . . . the resources it took for us to produce it were larger than we could bear," said Todd Mesek, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's vice president of marketing and communications. Mesek declined to reveal the cost of mounting the festival, which was partly underwritten by sponsors. The event put a strain on Rock Hall staffers, too. "On top of their day jobs here, they had to run the festival," Mesek said. "They weren't getting paid extra." Nice. In other words, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame didn't want to do the work that was required to make this happen. It's just further proof that the Rock Hall is not dedicated to the local music community. Quick, name another hall of fame who holds their induction ceremonies other than the hall of fame's home. Baseball could make their induction ceremony into a gigantic event if it was in NYC, but i's home and its ceremony is in Cooperstown. Surely, the NFL could do the same, yet their yearly induction ceremony is held in Canton. The Rock Hall finally shows the community that they're serious about Cleveland by putting on a small music festival, and then decide it's too much work. This is insulting. I don't think any of us thought that this would some day rival CMJ/NY or SXSW. We just wanted a yearly music event in the city of Cleveland that we could be proud of. Earlier comments by The Hall of Fame signaled that they wanted to start with a small festival, and work on slowly building the festival into something bigger. Notice, how that sentence implies a certain amount of work on behalf of the organizers. Work, that they no longer want to do. I could handle reasons like we were losing money (the Hall of Fame did not release any financial details), or there was lack of interest in the community (attendance was up in the past year), but neither of these reasons were cited. Instead, the Hall of Fame, takes the easy way out. Now, how hard would it have been for the Rock Hall to ask for volunteers from the local music scene to do the work that was so overtaxing for their own staff. Did they even make the effort? If they had, they would surely have found out that there would have been more than enough people who would have put in the time and effort to ensure the festival's viability. To Mesek's credit, he did say that the Rock Hall is looking to step up programs for the local community (including more free summer shows at the Rock Hall) and is also looking for ways where they work with local clubs to promote music in the city. It makes for a nice sound bite, and it softens the blow a bit, but I'm more than a little skeptical of his claims. Comments for the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame may be left here

"Fractured Skies" by Parts and Labor

Now that we're in the 21st century, I love watching all those old Sci-Fi movies where their future is our present. Cities were filled with jet packs, sky cars, and robots. Everyone dressed in way cool silver jumpsuits. Man, the 21st century looked so rad. Sadly, the reality is that culture and technology move a lot slower than Hollywood would lead you to believe. Sure there's been plenty of technological advances, but look outside and the landscape looks a lot like it did when I was a child in the Eighties. Screw broadband, I want a goddamn jetpack. I don't know what I expected music to sound like in the 21st century, but I'm pretty sure that I haven't been hearing it. By most accounts, the output of the current decade has been a bit of a downer. We're stuck in a collective rut where bands keep putting a subtle spin on the same bunch of hipster approved influences. The difference between a 6 and a 10 on Pitchfork is less of a measure of artistry, and more of a measure of weaving the right influences into your artistry. Blues rock will get you sixes. Krautrock gets you nines. It wasn't until a month ago that I really felt like I heard something of the 21st Century. I got an advance of the new Parts and Labor disc, Mapmaker, and my immediate thought was that this is the sound of punk in the new millenium. Christopher R. Weingarten pounds the drums like a maniacal machine. A wild menagerie of guitars and electronics fight for your attention. Individually, these sounds are dissonant and fractured. Yet, when these elements are combined with BJ Warshaw's transmitted vocals, a wonderful sense of melody arises. There's real tension and movement, and the choruses soar. Finally, we have the music of the future. Parts and Labor - Fractured Skies [download] Mapmaker is out on May 22nd on Jagjaguwar. Parts and Labor will be at The Beachland Tavern on June 30th with Proletarian Art Threat and Self Destruct Button. Parts and Labor Jagjaguwar

Where To Rock It

This is one of those weeks where I could use three Bills. One to go to shows at the Grog, one to head to the Beachland, and a third to do my day job for me. I still haven't decided where I'm rocking it tomorrow. At The Beachland Ballroom, The Detroit Cobras are headlining a show with The Living Stereo, and we all know how I feel about The Detroit Cobras. While on the same night, Machine Go Boom are hosting a CD Release show at 10 PM at The Grog Shop. The strength of the latest disc, Music For Parents, is enough to get me out to The Grog, and then consider that two of Northeast, Ohio's finest -- Houseguest and Coffinberry are handling the opening duties, and that makes for one incredible three band bill. Sunday night, Calla are at the Grog Shop for a show for the non-christians and christians who have had enough of their folks on Easter. Monday at The Agora, locals Mobile Crime Lab USA and Lines Across Lines open for Vedera, This Is Me Smiling. Tuesday at the Beachland Tavern, Pere Ubu founder, and Cleveland rock legend, David Thomas takes the stage with his avant garde, post rock project David Thomas and The Two Pale Boys. Wednesday night and Thursday morning, is when the three Bills would really come in handy. Low, Loney, Dear and Brian Straw are at the Grog Shop, while there's some great Rock 'N' Roll at The Beachland Ballroom with Lucero, Catfish Haven, and American Princes. Finally, Thursday at Parish Hall, there's yet another solid triple bill with King Kong, Gowns, and Machine Go Boom. Mark It Down: Times New Viking have been added to the Yo La Tengo show on April 17th at The Beachland Ballroom. Fountains of Wayne and The Broken West will play HOB Cleveland on Saturday June 9th. Fujiya & Miyagi headline The Grog Shop on July 12th.

The Detroit Cobras: Preview and Giveaway

Fun. Such a plain and simple word. Yet, it's the best word one can use to describe The Detroit Cobras. Their mix of garage, rock, and soul is pure and simple fun. You see, when I've got the Detroit Cobras on the Soundsystem, I can't help but get up, get down, shake, shimmy and boogie across the floor. True, this can lead to some embarrassing moments, like when I've gotta boogie through the office corridors, but I can guarantee those other cubies aren't having a good time. I first got hip to The Detroit Cobras with 2005's Baby, and now with 2007's Tied and True, I find myself falling in love with this band all over again. Rachel Nagy has one of the sexiest, most powerful voices in Rock 'N' Roll today. Partner in crime, Mary Ramirez, supplies the hot, nasty licks on the six string. Fun. It seems to be a lesson lost on many of today's rockers. I've got an idea and it goes like this: instead of trying so hard to make the biggest, baddest album ever, why don't you plug in and rock out. Songs like "Green Light" make fighting suburban traffic a blast. If "Leave My Kitten Alone" is on the stereo, I don't mind taking care of the cat boxes. While "(I Wanna Know) What's Going On" has introduced a move I like to call "The Kitchen Sink Boogaloo." Forget high art and haircuts, it's time for some Rock 'N' Roll fun. From the forthcoming Tied and True: The Detroit Cobras - (I Wanna Know) What's Going On [download] From 2005's Baby: The Detroit Cobras - I Wanna Holler (But This Town's Too Small) [download] Since we're talkin' about good times, even better than the "Kitchen Sink Boogaloo" is seeing The Detroit Cobras Live. To enter a chance to win two tickets to this Friday's show at The Beachland Ballroom courtesy of I Rock Cleveland and Bloodshot Records, send an email to irockcleveland at gmail.com with the phrase "Detroit Cobras Tickets" in the subject line. The Contest will be open until midnight Thursday. The winner will be notified Friday morning. The Detroit Cobras Bloodshot Records

Brandon Butler

It's the kind of mood I'm in. First, fatigue set in, then my sinuses went on the fritz when the weather went from seventies to thirties in the span of 24 hours. What I'm saying, is that I'm a bit down today, and in the mood form some good, honest songwriting, and this new disc from Brandon Butler, Lucky Thumbs, does the trick. With 8 tracks of pained strummers and whiskey bottle rockers, it's either the cure for what ails me, or the sound to keep my down. "Sparks" is the lead number on Lucky Thumbs, and all it took was to hear that rugged, back country guitar riff, followed by some down home harmonica, mixed with Butler's rough and scruffy voice, and I was hooked on this back country stomper. "Happy Sound (Dark and Pretty)" showcases the other side of Butler's work. This gothic country number speaks in terms that are dark and dire. You can almost hear a fire crackling in the background. It's not that sound of a campfire with buddies and beers, rather, it's the remnants of a part of your life, smoldering before your eyes. Brandon Butler - Happy Sound (Dark and Pretty) [download] Brandon Butler - Sparks [download] For Lucky Thumbs, Butler brought together some very talented musicians as his backing band, including: Amy Domingues (Ted Leo, Jets To Brazil, Benjy Ferree, and Bob Mould, Garland of Hours), Jonah Takagi (Benjy Ferree, Garland of Hours), Winston Yu, Matt Frazeo, and Brendan Canty (Fugazi). Lucky Thumbs is out on April 17th on Gypsy Eye. Brandon Butler Gypsy Eye Records

The Black Angels and Vietnam. Beachland Tavern. 04.02.07

Sometimes I wonder why I do it. Why have I dedicated my life to Rock 'N' Roll. Why do I spend all this time keeping up I Rock Cleveland -- every day during my lunch break, an hour or so every night, long stretches of the weekend. It seems like a lot of effort just to get a bunch of emails saying, "Dude, thanks for doing what you're doing." Then, there are times like last night, where it all seems worth it. You're in a small, cramped up. The amps are turned up and the lights way down. The Black Angels are on stage. The sounds of "Black Grease" are rumbling through the building, covering every inch of your body, and absolutely nothing else matters -- it's just you and the music. There's no drug that can make that feeling. It can only come from Rock 'N' Roll. This was the third time I've seen The Black Angels in the past year, 2nd time headlining The Tavern, and this past fall when they opened for The Black Keys. I'm not sure it was their best performance -- that would still be that night at The Agora -- yet, any night with The Black Angels is a fine night for rock. The Angels' Psychedelic Drone Machine was operating at full force last night. Their set started with this slow, marauding number (I'll call it New 1, until I find out its real name) and ran straight into the fiercely hypnotic "Sniper At The Gates of Heaven." The style of these first two numbers would set the tone for the night. The Black Angels took their time last night, adding extended intros and outros to some of their older numbers like "Empire" and "The Prodigal Sun." They also tested out a handful of new tunes. Aside from "You In Color," a rocker that by all means should be track one on their next album, many of them were slow, mesmerizing psychedelic explorations. The Black Angels closed their set with a cover of The Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," and thanks to our new clean air laws, had to leave for a bit to find a safe place for a smoke before returning for an encore. The second set was highlighted by a ripping rendition of "First Vietnamese War" followed by The Stooges' classic shredder, "I Wanna Be Your Dog." They could have ended it there. Maybe they should have, since what followed was a twenty minute freak out. I don't blame them for the extendo-jam -- you gotta have a good time when you're out on the road, but as the jam went on, well past 1 AM, the crowd dwindled. Vietnam took the stage before the Black Angels and treated the crowd to some top jams off of their 2007 self titled release on Kemado. If possible, they looked even skinnier than when they were here with The Lemonheads. C'mon guys, buy their records so they can get some cheeseburgers, or better yet, some protein shakes. At times during last night's set, they seemed a bit languid. The jams like "Welcome To My Room" sounded just as tight, but there wasn't much on stage motion from the boys in the band.

Keith Richards' Secret To Immortality?

Cocaine and Dad From NME via Yahoo News: "The strangest thing I've tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father. He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared... It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive."

A Popular Music Composition By An Untitled Music Project

A generic band name. A generic song title. The chorus about the most mundane of topics -- talking about the weather. I don't want to know anything else about this band. It's perfect in its anonymity. I can tell from their accents that these blokes are from England, maybe Scotland or Wales. They could be from San Francisco and pretend to have accents. I'd rather not know where they come from. I don't want to know if their friends on myspace think that they're awesome. I already do think they're awesome. It's punk rock. It's under two minutes. And it f'n rocks. I don't want to know anything else about this band. It would ruin it. I don't want to know who produced it. I don't want to know about their influences or idols. A Popular Music Composition is a perfect statement on modern life -- How we're constantly connected, and yet how we fail in personal connections. If I knew anything else about it, then it would cease to be an popular song by an untitled band. We'd have made a connection. Untitled Music Project - A Popular Music Composition [download]

Music For Parents by Machine Go Boom

Machine Go Boom Music For Parents Collectible Escalators 2007 On the surface, the title of Machine Go Boom's latest cd, Music For Parents is a bit misleading. The ramshackle indie pop of Machine Go Boom probably wouldn't sit well with my folks -- I seriously doubt my mom would play Machine Go Boom after her favorite Shania Twain album. However, look a little deeper, and consider the themes of youth that are prevalent throughout Music For Parents: the wild eyed wonder that comes with new experiences, the times of confusion and despair, and being in love, losing your love, and feeling like you'll never love again, and it does have meaning for both young and old. Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll's The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, and its duality of fantasy and peril, Music For Parents begins with the mystical "Small," where vocalist/guitarist Mikey Machine details how "The grass blades standing before you/Seem so incredibly tall," and the "The dark clouds loom up above you/But then again, you don't see them at all/'Cuase you're small." In addition to thematically setting the stage for the rest of the album, "Small", also displays a new diversity in instrumentation and arrangements for Machine Go Boom. It's lush, moody and atmospheric – acoustic guitars are delicately plucked, rhythmic congas beat off in the distance, and Machine's vocals are chanted in a trance. This new sense of adventure is further evidenced by the dirge-like "Oh My" with its backing of strings and woodwinds, and the gypsy-folk vibe emanating out of "Parents." Now, if you're a long time fan of Machine Go Boom, you shouldn't feel threatened by these numbers. While they have grown up considerably since 2004's Thank You Captain Obvious, they have not abandoned the hyperkinetic pop of rapid fire guitar chords, and swirling keyboards that originally made them a favorite on the local scene. Do you remember that slow, brooding number, "Small?" Well, it runs right into the helium fueled "Build Me a Ladder," then the six cans of Red Bull on a road trip, "All The Way to PA." Should the words dirge and Machine Go Boom, make you shudder, you'll be thanking your lucky jumping beans and back to bouncing of the walls in no time, as it's quickly succeeded by wildly infectious "Mummy (Oh My)" and the rocket-powered pogo of "Quarantined." Ultimately, it's this juxtaposition of age and maturity with the uncontrollable vigor of youth (often within the same song), that makes Music For Parents so compelling. "Parents" may musically sound grown up, but thematically, it deals with young lovers running away. Or, consider the circus carnival sounds of " M.I.A.," and how it hides fear and death behind a clown disguise. Parents, young adults, and teenagers can all learn a valuable lesson from this album: getting older may mean dealing with grown-up problems, but it doesn't mean that you have to stop having fun. Machine Go Boom - Parents [download] Machine Go Boom - All The Way To PA [download] Machine Go Boom's Music For Parents bounced it's way straight to the heart of The Rockometer. 7 1/2 out of 10. Please note: A review very similar to this one will run in Cool Cleveland this week. CC and I are cool like that. More importantly: Machine Go Boom's CD release party is this Friday night, 10 PM, at The Grog Shop with Coffinberry and Houseguest.