"I Just Want to Make Love to You" by Radio Moscow

Do yourself a favor. Before you click play on this tune, remove from your mind any memory you may have of Foghat covering the Willie Dixon blues classic, "I Just Want to Make Love to You." My reasons for forgetting Foghat involve a rib cook off in Akron with Foghat, Iron Butterfly, Mountain, and a bunch of really big and really drunk biker dudes wanting to kick my ass. Your reason should be Foghat. 'Nuff said. Now, Radio Moscow, they do this song the way it's meant to be done, with volcalist/guitarist Parker Griggs channeling his inner Hendrix as he and his bandmates deliver a thick, sticky, and dirty rumble through the blues. Radio Moscow - I Just Want to Make Love to You [download] Radio Moscow's debut disc is out now on Alive Records and they have a slew of tour dates coming up for the midwest, east coast, and the southeast. Radio Moscow Alive

From the Vaults of I Rock Cleveland: "It Falls Apart" by The Odds

Technically, this one isn't from the vaults. That would indicate that I had a dusty jewel case of The Odds CD Bedbugs hiding somewhere in my apartment. Rather, this one comes to you through the magic of the internets. Even in the age of mp3 blogs, torrents, and rapishares, "It Falls Apart" proved itself to be a ridiculously difficult song to track down. I couldn't find a DRM free copy anywhere. I ended up getting a used copy of Bedbugs on Amazon making this one song cost about 6 or 7 times the amount any normal muisc fan would pay. Originally released in 1993, there were other singles on Bedbugs besides "It Falls Apart" that got a lot more play on college radio and mainstream alternative stations, notably, "Heterosexual Man." Still, it was "It Falls Apart," that would stick itself in my head for some 14 years. What's so special about it? Honestly, I don't know. I guess it's the same as any other great power pop song -- the hows and whys can't explain what makes it a great song. It just is. The Odds - Falls Apart [download] It's worth noting that The Odds, now calling themselves The New Odds, have shows lined up in September in British Columbia and Alberta, where they'll be playing classic jams like this one and new material. The Odds

Where to Rock It:: Friday, August 31st through Thursday, September 6th

Friday night is psych night at the Beachland. In the Ballroom, $.99 will get you in to see Sunburned Hand of the Man and Tusco Terror, and in the Tavern, Spectrum (feat. Peter Kember of Spacemen 3) and Emeralds are in the Tavern. The $10 for the tavern also covers entry to the Ballroom. --- For those about to Rock, do I have a show for you Saturday night. The riffs will be relentless when Year Long Disaster, fronted by Daniel Davies (son of The Kinks Dave Davies) is joined by two of Northeast Ohio's premier riff-rockers, The Suede Brothers and The Doctor Teeeth. Also appearing with be Anthrophobia. Year Long Disaster - Mad Shrew --- Now, if I didn't already have plans to witness the rifftasticness at the Beachland, on Saturday night, I'd likely be making my way over to Duck Island for The Very Knees, Johnny Nobody, and Handsome Jack. It's a free night of rock and roll music that I'd be willing to pay like $7 or even $8 to see. --- Sunday, at the Parish Hall is the Cleveland American Festival. There will be two stages of bands, beer, BBQ by Wild Bill's BBQ, and belly dancing. Not sure how that last one fits in, but it's there for you to enjoy. This event kicks off at 5 and a full listing of bands and belly dancers can be found at The Cleveland Americana Festival on Myspace. --- There are two other events I want to mention for Sunday: This Moment in Black History's Family Picnic is going down at Duck Island. THIMBH is headlining the show with four, count 'em four, THIMBH side projects: Short Rabbits (Buddy), The Deathers (Bim), National Suicide Day (Lawrence), and Jukebox Value (Chris). Also, Sunday night, Cloud Cult will be jamming eco at the Beachland Tavern with Jeff D Johnson and User Sets Mode+ (feat. members of The Frans, Racermason, The Lovekill, and Bears) --- Still feeling icky from seeing Donny Osmond and Michael Stanley at Taste of Cleveland? This one might help: Pink Reason, Little Claw, Homo Stupids, and The Pages Monday night at Now That's Class. --- One last show this week that's definitely worth checking out is The Veils, The Muttering Retreats, The Colouring Books, and The Formula at The Grog Shop on Tuesday night. The Veils - Calliope

A Whole Mess of Reasons Why You Should Check Out Dolby Fuckers

1. Their self-titled debut release just came out on We Want Action and it is highly recommended by my brother blog, Columbus' Donewaiting. 2. They're playing at Pat's in the Flats tonight with not one, but two This Moment in Black History side projects: Buddy's Short Rabbits and Lawrence's National Suicide Day. 3. Yes, there's a Browns game on tv tonight, but it's only an exhibition, and you'll have plenty of chances to see Brady Quinn once Charlie Frye and/or Derek Andereson prove to be utterly useless during the regular season. Besides, since Quinn got the buzz cut, his dream factor went down by like 207%. 4. Just look at that band photo of the Dolby Fuckers. They look like fine, upstanding Ohioans. If it had a caption, it would undoubtedly read, "Come see us play. We promise to put on a good show." 5. Check out this tune, Pattern Dykes [download] 6. And this tune, Sharpshooter [download] 7. I forgot to mention in Reason #1, the self-titled release by Dolby Fuckers, recorded in glorious lo-fidelity, came out on old fashioned cassette tape (with a voucher for digital download). And this leads me to Reason #8... 8. If you don't buy their cassette or go to their show how will they ever afford to record with proper equipment and make CDs? 9. Hold on a second, let me rephrase #8. Because Columbus, Ohio, with bands like Times New Viking and Dolby Fuckers, is once again, at the center of an exciting lo-fi movement in indie rock.

The Return of British Sea Power

I picked this one up from The Tripwire: All those trans-Atlantic recording sessions have finally produced new tuneage from British Sea Power. A new five song ep will be out this October and a full length will follow shortly thereafter. They've also got some live dates lined up in the states around this fall's CMJ. British Sea Power - Remember Me [youtube]

Vampire Weekend at The Beachland Tavern. 08.28.07

My first impression of Vampire Weekend: These dudes are young. Like, really young. They could stop shaving for the entirety of their tour and they'd still look like baby faced college kids. My second impression of Vampire Weekend: These dudes are good. Like, really, really good. It's like seeing The Police for $8, not $80, in a room that a room that holds a couple hundred and not 20,000. All of those other comparisons people make to Vampire Weekend -- Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, David Byrne, are pretty spot on, too. They weave world sounds effortlessly and intelligently into their music, and there's nothing to "get." If you spend too much time trying to "get it," you'll forget that this music is meant to move you. At one point last night, vocalist Ezra Koenig introduced the bouncy, ska flavored number "A-Punk," by saying, "Not too be pushy, but this one's pretty good to move to...If you're into that type of thing." His cajoling got a couple people to shake it, and a few more to bounce a bit, but the crowd didn't really move until Vampire Weekend closed their short set with "Oxford Comma" and "Mansard Roof," left the stage, and made it back to the merch table where the VW t-shirts started flying. I'm sure the tunes would have gone briskly, too, if they hadn't sold out before they even got to Cleveland. My third impression of Vampire Weekend: I didn't particularly care for Yacht or The Dirty Projectors. Yacht, is probably one of the nicest, most sincere people you'll ever meet at an indie show. If I needed someone to watch my cats when I'm out of town, I'd call him. I just wouldn't buy his cds. The Dirty Projectors didn't do much for me either. I was curious to hear their new album, the one where they reinvent Black Flag, but after a few songs, I decided to call it a night. On my way out I saw VW's keyboard player, Rostam Batmanglij, outside the Tavern smoking a cigarette, and stopped and told him I enjoyed their set. We had a curious exchange where he asked me about the Dirty Projectors. I reluctantly said, "Don't hold it against me man, but they're really not my thing. They're all impressive musicians, that guitar work we're hearing right now, that's amazing, but they really do nothing for me" To this Batmanglij replied, "I am going to hold it against you, they're like my favorite band ever. What don't you like about them? Dave (Longstreath) is always five, ten years ahead of his time." We went back and forth for a while, it wasn't a nasty debate, or anything like that, he just couldn't believe that The Dirty Projectors could drive me out of the bar. I didn't take up his suggestion to pick up their album on my way home. Instead, I got in my car and put in the new one from Prinzhorn Dance School. Oh well, looks like I won't be receiving any gift baskets full of fresh fruit from Vampire Weekend any time soon. Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa [download] Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend Myspace

New Episode of Michael Stanley Made Me Do It

You may have to make some extra room on your hard drive for this one -- nearly 80 minutes of goodness from the likes of Dolby Fuckers, Residual Echoes, The Busy Signals, The Coathangers, The Blakes, Black Before Red, El Ten Eleven, DEVO, The Manhattan Love Suicides, Holy Fuck, Kevin Drew, Goldrush, The People's Revolutionary Choir, Deer Tick, Band of Horses, Clockcleaner, Qui, UNKLE, The X Bolex, The Octopus Project, Future of the Left, Arks, Mother and the Addicts, and Taken by Trees. Michael Stanley Made Me Do It - Episode 8 [download] Subscribe to the podcast Full Tracklisting

New Audio Eagle Compilation Due Out This Fall

Audio Eagle Records, the label co-founded by the Black Keys' Patrick Carney, is putting together a new compilation cd of Ohio bands for release later this fall. According to Ted Mallison of Audio Eagle Records and Houseguest, this as of yet untitled disc will feature new tracks by Beaten Awake, Houseguest, Doug Gillard, and Strange Division. Other acts scheduled to lend a tune include Machine Go Boom, Coffinberry, Circus Devils (Robert Pollard), and The Celebrity Pilots. They are still in the process of finalizing the line up and the track listing, and once the legal ins, outs and what have yous are taken care of, you might just find another big name or two from the Northeast Ohio music scene on this one.

New Freshness from Shooting Spires, aka Bj Warshaw of Parts and Labor

If you're familiar with BJ Warshaw's work with Parts and Labor, then you probably have a pretty fair idea of what his solo material (recorded under the name Shooting Spires) would sound like. You really don't expect him to trade in that electrical fire waiting to happen array of knobs, pedals, and keys for some soul-bearing, bearded man and a guitar suite, do you? It's going to be a beepy, glitchy, artsy, noisy, and yet, strangely melodic clash of sounds. Shooting Spires - Right [download] Although, it's not apparent on this track, the other songs streaming on myspace ("Alive and Well," "A Million Drops," and "Silent Alarms") do start to distinguish themselves from the frantic nature of Parts and Labor. "Alive and Well" and "A Million Drops" in particular, exhibit a type of patience and spaciousness that one wouldn't readily associate with Warshaw's primary band. The debut s/t cd by Shooting Spires is due out October 30th on Cardboard Records. Shooting Spires Shooting Spires Myspace Cardboard Records

"The Girl With One Eye" by Florence and the Machine

Ms. Florence, of Florence and The Machine, has the type of voice that makes me go ALL CAPS and add multiple exclamation points at the end of my sentences!!! She also inspires me to make totally unfounded statements like, "Florence and The Machine will succeed Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse as the next big English thing here in the states." Oh, I could be wrong (my baseless prediction about the Cleveland Browns winning the Super Bowl last year turned out to be very, very wrong), but after seeing this love performance from this Blue Flowers gig, the probability of me being wrong seems less and less likely. Florence and the Machine - The Girl With One Eye [download] Florence and the Machine

"Dead Kids" and "Pigpen" by Mannequin Men

The Mannequin Men shouldn't have to apologize for playing snotty, proto-punk and singing choruses about private school girls and the new nowhere generation. Since when did drawing inspiration from Iggy, The New York Dolls, Television, or Cleveland's own Dead Boys mean you're a meathead? Yet, in an age where we've created the micro genre literary rock for the smart kids, they're interviews often include the defense, we're smarter than you think (see recent features Paper Thin Walls and Aversion). If anything, it's the other side that should be apologizing for making safe music and taming the spirit of Rock 'N' Roll. Lord knows, I've complained enough on these pages about bands over producing their work, and cleansing their sound of spontaneity and vigor. Mannequin Men, you don't have to explain yourselves to me. I'll get gritty and crude down at the altar of Iggy with you. I'll swear, spit and booze. I'll dance the pigpen, too. Mannequin Men - Pigpen [download] Mannequin Men - Dead Kids [download] Fresh Rot by the Mannequin Men is due out September 18th on Flameshovel. They'll be out on the road through September and October, and a Cleveland date is in the works. Check that myspace place for the latest. Mannequin Men Mannequin Men Myspace Flameshovel photo by C. Anderson

"So Paranoid" by The Warlocks

I'm fighting the urge to turn this into an anti-p4k screed. It isn't easy. Few bands in the Pitchfork era incite as much vitriolic criticism as The Warlocks. Jet's probably number one on the list (who can forget that primate drinking its own piss review), followed closely by Travis Morrison, Audioslave, Louis XIV, and The Warlocks. Of The Warlocks' new material, I've only heard "So Paranoid," but I can guarantee that whomever the editorial staff at p4k chooses to review it will give it a 1.5 and toss in some choice lines about Guitar Center and guitar wankery. Maybe Bobby Hecksher f*cked all their girlfriends, or maybe it's something less sinister, like they can't imagine that there's a market for slow, droning psychedelic rock that doesn't aspire to be anything greater. Like I said, it's hard not to get on that road to ranting when talking about The Warlocks. Sure, some people aren't interested in six minutes of slow, hazy, summer daydreams. Not me. I'm a big fan of escapism and getting lost in fuzzy waves of sound. I love a slow building number where the organs creep in at the moment you get comfortable inside that sound. You guys know me, I'll take guitar wankery over harp wankery any day of the week. The Warlocks - So Paranoid [download] The latest from The Warlock's, tentatively titled Heavy Deavy Skull Lover, will be out October 23rd on Tee Pee Records. "So Paranoid" is also available on the Tee Pee Records sampler Manifest Destiny, out now as a free album download on eMusic. This comp features tracks from Entrance, Teeth of The Hydra, High on Fire, Earthless, Titan, Sleep, and The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound. The Warlocks The Warlocks Myspace Tee Pee Records Photo by Grant Peterson

Two Cow Garage. Beachland Tavern. 08.25.07

After meeting Shane Sweeney and Micah Schnabel of Two Cow Garage Saturday night, I'm hard pressed to name two dudes who enjoy being in a Rock 'N' Roll band and playing live more than they do. It's evident in their enthusiasm when you get them talking about Two Cow Garage, and it's even more evident once they plug in, and start blasting away the stage. I asked Sweeney about what happened with their old drummer, Dustin Harigle, who quit the band just a few weeks back, and what surprised him the most about Harigle's departure was that he didn't share their same enthusiasm for the job. Everyone else in the band just assumed that he was in it for the long haul. This left the band in a real tough spot, as they were hours away from leaving on yet another trek across the country, but instead of canceling dates and stewing over this unfortunate turn of events, they decided to get in the van, and do, as Sweeney put it, "The Storyteller's thing" for a few dates. Saturday they took the stage as a full five-piece band with a second guitarist, keys, and George Handroulis from Columbus' Evil Queens filling in on drums. It wasn't until later in the night that I would find out Handroulis only played a handful of practices and even fewer shows with the band prior to the Beachland set. He fit in so well that by the end of the night Sweeney, Schnabel, and the rest of Two Cow Garage were joking about stealing him away from The Evil Queens. Fitting in with Two Cow Garage means living, breathing, and sweating small town Rock 'N' Roll like the big sing-along chorus of set opener, "The Great Gravitron Massacre," to revved up rural rockers like "135" and "Come Back to Shelby." It means hitting every chord on the guitar like it's your last and pounding that drum like it's your only way out of that one stoplight town. It's also a sound tailor made for that old, smoky bar room that clean air laws make harder, and harder to find. The contemplative ballad "Should've California" would have been a perfect time to light up before the next tall boy, and the bar room rocker "Now I Know" sure could use that old bar room smell to go along with its gruffy, gravely vocals and wailing six strings. A running joke through the night was Schnabel's sarcastic line "Two Cow Garage invented writing songs about small towns." Well, we all know that they weren't the first ones to come up with the idea. Yet, when you witness the way they light up the stage, that little bit of revisionism seems almost believable.

Where To Rock It: Cleveland in Brooklyn Edition

Friday, August 24th to Thursday, August 30th. Friday night at The Grog Shop, there's a free art opening featuring John Hicks and a dj set by Bim from This Moment in Black History. After the party at B-Side, there's a show at the Grog featuring Mystery of Two, Paleo, Brian Straw, Chum, and Blk Tygr. It's free, too. --- Saturday, in Brooklyn, as in New York, it's Cleveland Fest at The Hook. Hey, New Yorkers, I go to see your bands when they're in Cleveland, so how 'bout checking out some of mine. 04:30 - The Pianos 05:00 - Jesse Bryson 05:30 - Hightower Smith 06:00 - The Heathers 06:30 - Rahu-Ketu 07:00 - Roger Hoover 07:30 - Ian Screams 08:00 - Coffinberry - Earthworms in the Sun [download] 08:30 - Duvalby Brothers 09:00 - Fall Back 09:30 - Biblical Proof of UFO's 10:00 - Roue' - Soft and Easy [download] 10:30 - Mussels 11:00 - American Werewolves - Little Red Ridin Hood [download] 11:30 - This Moment in Black History - Garbage In Garbage Out [download] Now, if they guilt trip thing won't work, what if I told you that it's for a good cause. All proceeds from this show will go to AIDS charities in NYC and Cleveland. --- Saturday at The Beachland Ballroom is Devotional 2007. A Devo convention featuring all things Devo. Details for this day long event can be found at the Beachland Ballroom's website. --- Two Cow Garage are playing the Beachland Tavern Saturday night. Have you read the review? The interview? Do I have to tell you again that this Columbus band is undeniably rocktastic? --- Tuesday night at The Beachland Tavern is a triple bill with The Dirty Projectors, Yacht, and Vampire Weekend. You may recognize the name The Dirty Projectors as they made a bit of buzz for themselves when they announced their latest disc, Rise Above, would be a song for song re-imagining (not cover, there's an important difference there) of the Black Flag classic Damaged. If yo plan on attending this one, I cannot stress enough that you get there early for Vampire Weekend. I expect big things from these boys in the near future. --- I don't know how this one almost slipped my mind. Party of Helicopters are reuniting for a one-off show at The Lime Spider in Akron on Wednesday, August 29th. Trouble Books and Goodbye Ohio are also on the bill. --- Dolly Varden will be at The Beachland Tavern on Thrusday night with Rambler 454 and Nathaniel Maloney. Their latest release, The Panic Bell, received some great press from the likes of Harp and No Depression and this is their first outing as a full band in some five years. --- As always, if I forgot to mention an event going on in Cleveland that's well deserving of your rock dollars (i.e doesn't include Hinder, Buckcherry, and/or Papa Roach), please leave a note in the comments.

El Ten Eleven

If there's any sort of positive that can be found from spending my morning traffic jamming on 480 F*ckin East, it's that I had plenty of time to get myself acquainted with Every Direction Is North, the new disc from LA's El Ten Eleven. In between coffee and cigarettes and moving a few feet a minute, I took out the ole Moleskine and wrote down some notes: F*ck this traffic jam. F*ck 480. F*ck this job that got me in this f*ckin traffic jam on f*ckin 480 East. El Ten Eleven is pretty f*ckin sweet. Why's that f*ckin semi creeping on my f*ckin rear. No one's going anywhere. "Living on Credit Blues?" More like "Traffic Jamming on 480 F*ckin East Blues." I think you see where I'm going with this. It's probably best that I don't include the rest of my F Bomb bountiful notes. In the end I think I made it through the disc two times and my top jam, "Living on Credit Blues" at least five or six times. Spin came up with the clever moniker, "The Sigur Ros of Silver Lake" which sounds pretty cool, but I'm not sure it's the most accurate description. They play instrumental rock that isn't quite as transcendent as Sigur Ros, and they don't speak in a made up Elfin language. I'd be more apt to call them The Ratatat of Silver Lake, if Ratatat of Silver Lake, sounded cool, but it doesn't. Let's just call them El Ten Eleven, wielders of the wicked dual guitar bass, and purveyors of prime instrumental jams. El Ten Eleven - Living on Credit Blues [download] El Ten Eleven

Parts and Labor's Video for "The Gold We're Digging"

I really digging this new video by Parts and Labor for "The Gold We're Digging," one of the strongest cuts, on personally, one of the top albums this year. It may be hard to believe, but Christopher Weingarten drums just as fast, or even faster without the stop-motion effects. Dude's going to be missed behind the kit. Parts and Labor Parts and Labor Myspace Jagjaguwar

"There's a Reason" and "Vice Rag" by AA Bondy

During the Nineties, and the early part of this decade, AA "Scott" Bondy could be found fronting the Birmingham, Alabama band Verbena. They made a few ripples in the music scene, made it to a major, and crashed in burned in 2003. I think I still have a Verbena cd, the one produced by Dave Grohl, hiding somewhere in my overflowing mess of a cd rack. After Verbena, Bondy soured on the whole music biz thing, and did his best Henry David Thoreau, by moving to The Catskills, swearing off music, and living the simple life. Something happened, the what isn't that important, but whatever it was, it inspired Bondy to pick up his guitar and start writing again. I find this little bit of back story helpful in understanding AA Bondy's American Hearts. He has a slightly gruffy, worn-in voice bearing the scars of his past. His songs are barren and his words feel genuine. In a lot of ways American Hearts reminds me of Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams. When you listen to American Hearts you get that same feeling of intimacy that you get from Adams' best work. It's as if you're with Bondy in that cabin in the woods with the full ashtray and empty bottles, working out life through song. AA Bondy - There's a Reason [download] AA Bondy - Vice Rag [download] While American Hearts by AA Bondy isn't due out in the usual places until September 18th, it is now available for purchase directly from Superphonic Records. AA Bondy Superphonic Records

Scuzztastic Rock 'N' Roll From Clockcleaner

There's a lot of stories out there about Clockcleaner. A certain pissing incident and a more recent dissing incident (both detailed in this excellent feature from the Philadelphia Weekly) have made them persona non grata in many parts of the Philly music scene. Clubs won't book 'em, bands are afraid to share a bill with 'em, and that seems to fit Clockcleaner just fine. They'd rather make noise than make friends. And what fine noise they make. "Vomiting Mirrors" from Clockcleaner's forthcoming second release, Babylon Rules, is a thick slab of sludgy and scuzzy Rock 'N' Roll. It's the type of song that makes rock music sound dangerous, by a band threatening to break out of the underground. The monotonous keys may recall VU's "Waiting for the Man," but this isn't a song about waiting for the dope man, rather, it's the sound of some really, shady dude with drugs in his pocket knowing full well that he's going to f*ck you over. Clockcleaner - Vomiting Mirrors [download] Clockcleaner's latest, Babylon Rules, will be out October 2nd on Load Records. Clockcleaner Clockcleaner Myspace

The Rockometer: Black Before Red, Nina Nastasia and Jim White, The Deathset, and Fucked Up

Black Before Red Belgrave to Kings Circle I Eat Records 2007 Belgrave to Kings Circle by Austin's Black Before Red is the type of album I thought I was getting with the new New Pornographers disc -- 11 pop songs with hardly a throwaway in the set ranging in sound from collaborative Canadian indie pop ("Underneath Gold" and "Bossa Nova #7"), classic Beach Boys and Beatles style songwriting ("Matagorda") to American indie pop in the vein of The Apples in Stereo ("Waiting for the Bang.") And unlike that Canadian supergroup who forgot to include the hits on their latest release, Black Before Red have included a number of highly hummable, ear-worm inducing gems. "Teenage America" is a perfect piece of power pop replete with sticky sweet "La la la's," "Aah Aah Aah's" and "Bah Bah Bah's." "Halliberlin Petroleum" is the missing link between the space glam of Bowie and the space pop of Grandaddy. While "Goddess in Trauma" is a number full of shifts, subtle switches, and boundless melody, blissfully ignorant of its ambition. Black Before Red - Teenage America [download] Black Before Red - Halliberlin Petroleum [download] Black Before Red - Goddess in Trauma [download] Belgrave to King's Circle by Black Before Red: 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer. Nina Nastasia & Jim White You Follow Me Fat Cat 2007 There are times when this whole using words to write about something that needs to heard and experienced thing seems like a completely worthless endeavor. I read a couple reviews for You Follow Me by Nina Nastasia and Jim White, and I found them hard to believe. You may read my review of this album and see the score at the bottom and find it equally hard to believe. These songs on You Follow Me range from bare arrangements of voice, acoustic guitar and drum to bare arrangements of voice, acoustic guitar, and drum. Yet, I'm compelled to use such words as startling, captivating, beautiful, and brave. It helps when that voice is no ordinary voice, but one that can be haunting, vulnerable, passionate, or proud. It also helps that the man behind the drums is no ordinary drummer, but Jim White of Dirty Three, whose complex and adventurous rhythms steadfastly caress the calm moments, and rapturously punctuate the passionate ones. Just listen how he so accurately conveys the despair of a disintegrating relationship in fractured and frantic beats as Nastasia laments "I don't believe in the power of love," and "I don't believe in a god or the mind" during "Our Discussion," and how he's able to seamlessly transition from barely audible, to wood floor rattling on "Late Night" as he skillfully mimics Nastasia's emotional twists. For an album barely over 30 minutes, and one that appears so barren on its surface, there are endless joys to be found in the wistful interplay of nothing more than an honest voice, an acoustic guitar, and a set of drums. Nina Nastasia and Jim White - I Write Down Lists [download] Nina Nastasia and Jim White - Multiple Songs [stream via Fat Cat] I Write Down Lists by Nina Nastasia and Jim White: 9 out of 10 on The Rockometer. The Deathset Rad Warehouses Bad Neighborhoods Morphius 2007 Don't let the bio fool you. The Deathset claim to originally be from Australia before they relocated to Baltimore. I know the truth. The Deathset aren't from Australia and they're not from Baltimore. The Deathset aren't even human. Have you ever watched Pokemon? That's where the Deathset are from. These ragged, raging, one minute missiles of Nintendo rock could have only come from the land of bug eyed humans, funny looking furry creatures, and seizure inducing light shows. If someone tries to tell you otherwise, they're obviously a liar. The Deathset - Collision [download] P.S. Skip the bonus cuts. I prefer this album much better when it's 10 songs in 10 minutes. The remixes, at two and three minutes long, ruin all the fun. Rad Warehouses and Bad Neighborhoods by The Deathset: 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer. Fucked Up Year Of The Pig What's Your Rupture 2007 I think this one falls into the category, "If it hasn't been done before, there's a good reason for it." In all my years listening to music, and seeking out the newest sounds, I never asked for an epic, 18 minute, post hardcore song. Yet, when faced with the possibility to purchase Fucked Up's "Year of the Pig" single with the epic, 18 minute post-hardcore a-side, I couldn't pass it up. The first six minutes saunter about on the back of steady, yet ominous bass line. The vocals alternate between the light innocent voice of guest vocalist Jennifer Castle, and the rough, bucket of nuts howl of Pink Eye. Things get interesting in the middle third, where organs, bongos, and guitars befitting of 18 minute post hardcore, collide. We're at about the ten and a half minute mark and there's still eight to go. It proceeds to flirt with space rock, falls in love with Motorhead, then at the 15 and a half minute mark, the original melody re-emerges with some extra heft. Really, this is all very fascinating. Would it help if I told you that the 18 minutes and 33 seconds of "Year Of The Pig" goes by faster than most 18 minute and 33 second songs? If you don't check the time, you'd swear it was only 14 or 15 minutes long. Really, the question of whether this song works or not is secondary to the fact that it was made in the first place. It takes gigantic, mega balls to even try something like this, and the fact that it remains an interesting listen throughout its duration is reason enough to give it a spin. Fucked Up - Year Of The Pig [stream via PTW] Fucked Up - Year Of The Pig [stream via P4K] Year of The Pig by Fucked Up: 7 out of 10 on The Rockometer.

The New Pornographers and Sky Blue Sky Syndrome

Sky Blue Sky Syndrome def. A serious medical condition that occurs within a band that is characterized by a disappointing album released after a series or solid releases, and a sudden, surprising embrace of lite rock. This condition is easily identifiable by the listener, but it is nearly impossible for the band to self diagnose this condition until it's too late. See Wilco's Sky Blue Sky. Also see Challengers by The New Pornographers. Stuck in second gear. Radio stations that promise the greatest hits of the Eighties, Nineties, and today. Symptoms: Sagging tempos, quieter volumes, unnecessarily ornate arrangements, lower levels of guitar and drums, and a noticeable lack of spontaneity. Often times band members will openly talk about their symptoms. Statements like this one made by Carl Newman while recording Challengers would seem to indicate that the band were already suffering the ill effects of Sky Blue Sky Syndrome. Notice the statements about making a quieter record, toning down the drums, and adding more strings, horns, and flutes. It definitely sounds like something that, when it's quiet, I think it's much quieter than it ever has been, to the point that there are actually songs that don't really have any drums. Or, a song that has no drums for the first half, but then the drums come in, and even then they don't come in that much. There's a little more instrumentation than we've really tried having before. We brought in a string quartet, and there's actually flute on it, there's going to be a little bit of trumpet. I feel like I kind of shied away from that in the past, but I thought, why not try it now? There was a long stretch there where I thought there were too many bands with strings and horns and flutes. Then I thought, I like those instruments, so I brought them in. Not that there's going to be that much of it on the record, per se, but you know, just wanted to add a few more colors to the palette. It is quite common for a band who is suffering from Sky Blue Sky Syndrome to be completely unaware of the fact that they are sick. In the case of Wilco, it was post release press that made their case of Sky Blue Sky Syndrome painfully obvious. In an interview with AOL's Spinner, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco was more than a bit peeved when a critic from Entertainment Weekly suggested that Sky Blue Sky was the best Eagles record not recorded by The Eagles. The quote in question, which compared Wiclo to the kings of lite rock, was meant to be a complement. Yet, Tweedy was in such denial that his band had just released a lite rock album that he could not comprehend how anyone could compare his band to The Eagles. If you're unsure whether a band is indeed suffering from Sky Blue Sky Syndrome, there are some steps that you can take to aid in the diagnosis. One thing you can do is to pick up mom and dad and take them out to dinner, and while you're driving to the restaurant put the cd on the stereo and pay close attention to their reaction. On the way home, put in one of the band's earlier albums. At the end of the night, ask your parents which album they liked better. If they answer that they preferred the one you played when you were driving to the restaurant, then you may have a case of Sky Blue Sky Syndrome. You can also try this experiment with your co-workers, or any one else with notably poor taste in music. Other options include playing the cd during a party and monitoring the energy level of your guests, and endless varieties of field experiments where you mix numbers from the cd in question in with lite rock standards. What You Can Do: Criticism is an important tool in combating Sky Blue Sky Syndrome. If you're a professional critic, or if you have a blog, write statements like "Challengers would benefit from the inclusion of some simpler melodies and quicker tempos," "There's nothing wrong with a three minute pop song with a big melody and vocal harmonies, accompanied by the standard guitar, bass, and drums," and "Still, even with those glimpses of pure pop satisfaction, I can't help but compare Challengers to their earlier work. There is definitely something missing in this collection of songs. It's in need of some extra thump from the drums and more guitars ringing out from those old blown speakers." Under no circumstances should you hide your disappointment. DO NOT write, "Hey, the new album by New Pornographers is out today. Here's my favorite song," while completely ignoring the shortcomings of the album. DO NOT leave a comment on Myspace reading, "Thanks for the add. I luv yer tunes." These types of comments will only worsen their condition. You may still go to one of their live shows, but make sure you save your biggest reaction for the back catalog. If you must clap for the new material, be careful that the volume of your clap does not exceed the level of a courtesy clap. Again, it is important not to encourage lite rock. There is hope. While some bands never recover from Sky Blue Sky Syndrome, for the majority of affected artists, it is nothing more than a one album cycle illness. By the end of the European tour, they will come to the realization on their own that the new material isn't merely as exciting to play on stage as the back catalog. In fact, most doctors won't even recommend treatment for Sky Blue Sky Syndrome until it extends into the second album cycle as all of the drugs currently available for Sky Blue Sky Syndrome require high doses that carry serious side effects like extreme fatigue and sleepiness, splitting headaches, and increased sensitivity to light and loud noises. New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour [download] New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours [download] Challengers by The New Pornographers: 6 out of 10 on The Rockometer.