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It's Only Rock n' Roll
Please forgive me for this indulgence, but I want to get this off my chest:
Realizing I am predisposed to enjoy a U2 concert regardless of its quality, Friday and Saturday's shows were particularly and notably satisfying. These were the first concerts I've been to in awhile where there was absolutely no hipster B.S. to contend with. Madison Square Garden was not packed full of chin stroking, head nodding ambivalence. People were actually having a good time and showing it by singing and dancing along. Imagine, having a great, sweaty time at concert!
And that's the point of this particular ramble. I am committing to the following live show credo for myself: lighten up, have a great time, and damn worrying about being "cool". I'm sick of pseudo detachment, cranky arrogance, and crippling analysis.
I no longer care about being labeled "that guy" at shows. You know, the one dancing like an idiot, spilling beer and singing off key. Feel free to mock me.
Rather than documenting every detail of every song, snippet, and sidebar from Friday and Saturday's U2 shows at Madison Square Garden (or GardenS, as Bono likes to call it), I will outline my personal highlights:
Friday, October 7: I picked up excellent tickets for both shows from Ticketmaster about two weeks before the shows happened. Friday night I was sitting one section above the floor, looking directly down into the VIP area. About five minutes before U2 hit the stage, the A-listers (and B and C-listers too) started filing in. First I spotted Denis Leary and his family. Then Gina Gershon. Next I noticed a very tall man wearing a newsboy hat. It was none other than Liam Neeson. He walked to the back of the pit and gave another man a rib-cracking bear hug. That would be Ralph Fiennes getting the Liam love. Mr. Neeson's beautiful wife Natasha Richardson was also in house, as was Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Chelsea Clinton. Check out the following jasminlive photo and see if you can spot the celebs.
Get to Know Amandine
Amandine's debut album This is Where Our Hearts Collide (Out October 18 on FatCat records) has recently found a choice spot in my late night listening pile, right next to Doveman and the new Sigur Ros. I highly recommend this album for fans of melancholic ballads and elegant, low-key Americana (as interpreted by a Swedish four-piece, in this case). If you are skeptical, check out these reviews:
It's a Trap: "This is where our hearts collide" is crammed with marvellous songs that have a hint of Will Oldham over them, but they're more indie than alt.country, and with my admiration for Will Oldham subduing a bit lately, Amandine give me those melancholy feelings that you so insanely cherish."
Funky Mofo: `This Is Where Our Hearts Collide' is a beautifully produced album. Each track has been adroitly crafted and within them is a sense of natural space and warmth resulting in a very mellow sonorous sound."
Funprox: "Untill recently I associated the combination Sweden and music either with bubblegum pop, nasty noise or darkest ambient. The chaturbate members of Amandine though seem to have lived in southern parts of the USA in their former lives. Their music, though also inspired by indie pop, comes probably close to Americana or 'alt country', genre labels which I'm not very familiar with. In general you can say that Amadine makes melancholic acoustic pop, and they're quite good at it."
I posted a couple Amandine MP3s last week, but here they are again: "Halo" (MP3) and "Blood and Marrow" (MP3). Amandine are touring the U.S. in November and will play Northsix in Brooklyn on November 18, with Tristeza.
My Memories of JAMC
Back in the '80 and `90s, the best shows in Arizona happened in Phoenix. In March of 1990 just after I got my first driver's license, I borrowed my parent's mini-van and made the 99-mile trip from Tucson to the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix to see The Jesus and Mary Chain.
The JAMC were touring behind 1989's Automatic, a crunchy and slick record that traded the desolate feedback shrapnel of Psychocandy for motorcycle riffs and sleazy distortion. In retrospect, there is no comparison between the two albums, but Automatic had "Head On" and "Blues From A Gun", two ultra-cool tracks that still work today.
The trip itself was uneventful and the show disappointing. The Reid brothers weren't known for their stage presence or warmth with jasminelive audiences. In fact the JAMC were upstaged by the opening act, a little-known band called Nine Inch Nails. Automatic was the JAMC's U.S. commercial climax. They would continue to make records and tour, playing the Lollapalooza tour in '92 for example, until splitting in 1998.
Despite their failings in marketing, the JAMC succeeded immensely by becoming one of the most influential bands in indie rock history. With bands like The Raveonettes and Black Rebel Motorcycle aping their sound today to Sophia Coppola's prominent use of "Just Like Honey" in Lost in Translation, perhaps now is the right time for a real JAMC revival.
Today NME reports some kind of a reunion is happening. Transistor Records will release a split single featuring a new Jim Reid track, "Song for a Secret", and a Sister Vanilla song "Can't Stop the Rock," written and produced by William Reid. The single will be drop on October 17 in the UK. Jim Reid will also perform a solo show at Sonic Cathedral in London on John Peel Day, October 13. The Morning After Girls will join Reid on the bill.
Sup Magazine Party with The Juan Maclean & Tim Sweeney TOMORROW
Sup Magazine, in conjunction with Cliktrax and Music For Robots, will celebrate the release of its 15th issue on Thursday night at the Delancey Lounge (168 Delancey Street). The mag has lined up a number of bands and DJs, including One Louder faves The Juan Maclean and Tim Sweeney.
The party starts at 8 PM. Admission is $5. The full lineup is: The Juan MacLean, The Rinse, Gym Class, Prowler, The Subjects and DJs Music for Robots, Patrick O'Dell, Tim Sweeney, and DFA and friends. In addition, Cliktrax will screen music videos at 10 PM.
Bonus: Complimentary Svedka Vodka cocktails and Tiger Beer and Ruben's Empanadas at 9 PM and 3$ Tiger beer and 5$ Svedka cocktails all evening.
In other Juan Maclean news, "Give Me Every Little Thing" will be released as a single and video in the U.S. on October 18. Check out the Radio and Video sections of the Juan Maclean site to listen to "Give Me Every Little Thing" remixes and watch the video.
I'd link directly to those pages, but the site is built in Flash. I hate Flash. So, as an alternative, head over to Banana Nutrament and download the Cajmere remix of "Give Me Every Little Thing".
The apt way to review last night's Brakes gig at Pianos would be to employ the same brevity the band does:
Brakes were funny, ear-splittingly loud, and exceptionally brief. Full stop.
Sure, more could be said about them, but waxing philosophical defeats the purpose of Brakes. They're just a ragged, droll little rock combo that takes itself seriously never. Consider them members of the Art Brut School of rock, British division. Have a laugh, rawk out, and don't overstay your welcome.
Death of a Party has more photos and comments on this show.
This isn't what I expected.
Where are the bouncy, happy synth-pop tunes? Didn't Depeche Mode realize a boppy rehash of their classic "I Just Can't Get Enough" sound would capitalize on a ripe '80s nostalgia market? Fire up the drum machine, down the prozac and smile.
Instead Depeche Mode's new record, Playing the Angel, is a dark beast of an album. It is not a soundtrack to a "and they all lived happily ever", Behind-The-Music moment. Rather it's the expression of honest pain and sincere struggle. It replaces DM's early days of smoke-machined adolescent melancholy for the clarity of mid-life angst.
What a downer, right? Hardly. Depeche Mode have always had a way of making misery sound seductive and Playing the Angel is no exception. The album's first single and most upbeat moment, "Precious" is surprisingly minimal in its approach, but its melody is strong and memorable. "John the Revelator" roils with industrial blues, while "The Sinner in Me" burns with lust and guilt. "I'll never be a saint," David Gahan sings. "That's not a picture that your memory paints."
Playing the Angel is released October 18 in the U.S. Depeche Mode will tour the States in November and December, including one night at Madison Square Garden, December 7. Tickets go on sale Monday.
Three Addictions
Alfie - "Your Own Religion": This is song one on Alfie's new album Crying at Teatime and I'm wondering: Is the rest of the album as good as this song? I've only made it past "Your Own Religion" once or twice. This track, however, has been on repeat for about a week now. It's a very catchy, driving pop song that rises to the level of an addiction because of that wailing guitar. It's the part that goes "waaaaaah, waah waah waah". If you've heard it, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, watch the video here. Maybe after another 20 repeats, I'll get around to hearing the rest of the album.
Broadcast - "America's Boy": Droning, noisy, and murky, "America's Boy" is the track I keep coming back to on Broadcast's Tender Buttons. It's likely a political song, but I'm less interested in its meaning than in its warped vibe. That caustic synth or guitar line that floats in the background like cosmic distortion is one the most delicious noises I've heard in a long time. Listen to "America's Boy" on Broadcast's site (look under Releases/Singles), stream it on their MySpace page (thanks Coolfer) or download it from Feed Me Good Tunes.
Jahcoozi - "Black Barbie": Paul from Hallmonitor.org tipped me off to Jahcoozi and I'm still thanking him. If M.I.A. explored dark, foreboding clouds instead of sun showers and silver linings, she might sound a little bit like Jahcoozi. "Black Barbie" is just one of many excellent MP3s available here. If a hype storm breaks over Jahcoozi, it won't be a surprise.
Cut Copy - Theatre at Madison Square Garden
A 7:30 opening slot for Franz Ferdinand at the Theatre at MSG is not exactly the optimal showcase for an unknown electronic act like Cut Copy. Besides indifference and unfamiliarity, Cut Copy would have to deal with the unfortunate stigma attached to performing with prerecorded sounds.
Simply standing still behind racks of sequencers, drum machines, and keyboards would not, um, cut it. If Cut Copy were to make an impression, win a couple fans, or at least make the best of the Theatre's meaty sound system, they had to put forth some effort.
That would not be a problem. Dashing about the stage with manic energy, Cut Copy ripped quickly through a brief set, featuring "Future", "That Was Just A Dream", "Saturdays", and "Bright Neon Payphone". The small gathering of early arrivers on the floor danced, jumped around, and in the end was left asking, "Who were those guys?" They're Cut Copy. Remember the name.
Friday's Town Hall show
Normally Rajeev would review the Fiery Furnaces' show at Town Hall last Friday night, but since he is currently swamped with law school duties, I'll take a crack at it. Rajeev may still have a chance to post his thoughts, which will likely be much more insightful than mine.
The Furnaces are a band I appreciate, but not a group I love. They're a mystery I keep trying to solve. Their sound is a barrage of words, words and more words. I'm amazed that Eleanor Friedberger can remember them all. Call it laziness, but I've never investigated what the Furnaces are on about. Would understanding the meanings behind their songs make it all click into place? Seriously, I can study their lyrics if it would help, because I really want to love this band.
This show did not change anything for me. The Furnaces are still an interesting, confounding band and I remain incapable of grasping their point. The Furnaces burst with ideas, throwing them out in bunches. Their appeal lies in the intricacies of their frenetic, conceptual compositions. Tear the songs apart, diagram them like sentences, and they will reward you. Approach them casually and they may frustrate.