Rhetorical question time in lieu of yet another apology concerning my missing an update: "Who's got two thumbs and is getting their ass kicked by finals?" Ohhh it's me. And you know, it'd be a helluva lot worse in 407A if not for the tremendous amount of good music going down this week, all of which has found it's way onto my iTunes studying list. That is, in between the constant spins of James Brown's Black Caesar (dude, go get this LP pronto, it's way too good for it's own good). So hunker down all you students, it's time to get the nitty-gritty done with so that you can PARTY all summer long. Or, as some are wont to do, find yourselves your own personal John Travolta and boogie a la Grease. Or at the very least, as was said on my pantheon of pop culture, I Love The 70s, realize that in order to snag that greaser you've had a crush on all summer, you're going to have to become a whore. Simple as that.
And, though I don't usually do this, it's been awhile and damnit I have news to give you all. Now, I'm sure that if any of you reading LARS are musicians, you probably already know about this place. But I'm going to put it out there for all of you, regardless of knowledge or profession. ROGUE MUSIC, this sweet place over on 251 W. 30th between 7th and 8th (10 Floor), is your place for all things instruments and music in general. I just went there today for reasons that won't go explicitly mentioned but, shall we say, involve obtaining the means to continue seeing shows/buying records. They've got every sort of equipment imaginable, and the help is super cool and informed. Plus, according to their website (http://www.roguemusic.com), they've served everyone from Madonna to Michael Jackson. Yeah, I'd say it's pretty boss as well. Best part was, as I was waiting around, they were playing what had to be by far one of the best mixes: "Maybe I'm Amazed" followed by "Reeling In The Years" and subsequently a little Kinks action. The best part about all of this, besides Rogue itself, is that the buiding it's housed in is right next to a) a vintage and antique radio equipment shop which has this amazing phonograph that I want to save up and buy, and b) a hole in the wall across the street where shady characters sell buckets and bins of LPs. So now, consider this a shameless plug from your friendly local music geek, and then get down (or for me, up) there. At the very least, taking the ACE to Penn will give you an excuse to stop at the Smoothie King as I did. Ohhhh Smoothie King, there's nothing like it....
Alright now, music....
CMJ New Music Monthly is holding a showcase tonight at Northsix with some awesome bands who I all but guarantee are going to crossover onto the national circuit. They include: ELECTRIC TURN TO ME, whose darkly rocking combination of Lotte-Lenya-does-American-rock style vocals and jangly guitars makes for shrewd and hardened music; YOUR ENEMIES FRIENDS, whose sheer tenacity in rocking nearly every single club in NYC within this past week is quite admirable; and THE CHINESE STARS, whose website pictures may be great (see below), but whose music is fucking boss. "Sick Machine" scales the walls with the opening guitars, and then unleashes what have to be some of the oddest vocals to come out this side of...I don't know what. But whatever it is, it's amazing, particularly because this music/noise works perfectly. I'd say you'd best get yourselves down to Northsix tonight to witness three superb rock bands in their independent prime (66 North 6th St, Bklyn, $7, 7:30).
Electric Turn To Me: (One of my favorite songs to come out this past year) "Wrestle With Me Angel" http://www.electricturntome.com/Musicfiles/Wrestle_with_me_Angel.mp3
Your Enemies Friends: "A Figure of Speech" http://www.buddyhead.com/mp3/Your_Enemies_Friends-The_Wiretap_EP-02-A_Figure_Of_Speech-Buddyhead.MP3
The Chinese Stars: "Sick Machine" http://www.skingraftrecords.com/mp3/LP%20MP3's/chinesestars_sick.MP3
I ask you now, does it get any better than that? Dude, you're living in New York City, capital of Rock N Roll no matter what anyone tells you. Of course it does. In case you still can't shake your Brooklyn-hipster-phobia, get down to Pianos tonight to witness an equally tight bill (158 Ludlow at Stanton). We've got THE TWENTY TWOS, LOW FLYING JETS, and SCOUT to satisfy your every need in the "Let's Spend the Night Together" sense. Party begins at 8pm and nevermind the cover: you've got yourselves scores of cheap alcohol at your disposal since, once again, your musically savvy friend Rheingold is sponsoring the Fearless TV Wrap Party event (dude, someone please fill me in on how Rheingold managed to weasle their way into the independent music scene. I seriously would like to know). Anyways, regardless of who's offering you practically-free beer (hey, it never stopped me), you need to witness these three bands live. "Make Fun" is one of the catchiest guitar-driven rockers, and I like the way The Twenty Twos have employed Looker-style harmonized background vocals instead of more rrrocker ones, it adds some nice melody to the music. LFJ combine pseudo-Jack White vocals (which can, however, sometimes thrill and surprise if you let them) with their apt and tight style of music; basically well-done and slightly ambient guitars melding with go-ahead drumming and major/minor shifts. Scout, finally, are much more laid back than the other two bands. However, they are an emotional force to be reckoned with, a band whose soft style escapes the pitfalls of overly poppy hooks and chords, going instead for heartfelt harmonies and nicely thought out guitar riffs. All in all, Pianos is going to shine tonight. Don't miss it.
The Twenty Twos: "Make Fun" http://www.thetwentytwos.com/tunes/make%20fun.mp3
Low Flying Jets: "Murderers" http://www.lowflyingjets.com/music/murderers.mp3
Scout: "Good Enough For Now" http://www.scoutisaband.com/mp3/goodenough.MP3
Finally, I'd like to take the time to let you in on a song which has all but taken over my life at the moment. This is beauty captured on wax, and so many elements of it make me want to cry out of sheer joy and love of good music. The simple guitar progressions. The rising folksy harmonies on the chorus, particularly the cracked voice on "Clear as a bell"... All of this fits so well together, it's shocking that in truth, it's such a simple song. Beauty, thy name is PEDRO THE LION.
"I Am Always The One Who Calls" http://www.pedrothelion.com/mp3/PedroTheLion-I_Am.mp3
-And, for good measure, the latest mp3 off their new album-
"Discretion" http://www.pedrothelion.com/mp3/PedroTheLion-Discretion.mp3
Rock Photo:
A little mini LARS tribute to living legend Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers, one of the finest Southern rock guitarists to ever grace the stage.
All photos were taken by my personal photography hero, Neal Preston (http://www.prestonpictures.com/) for CORBIS.
And one more comment: I know it's going to be greeted by many rolls of the eyes, but damnit, I don't think you can safely argue that this was a bad song. The year is 1996, and John Cougar Mellencamp has just come out with a new album titled Mr. Happy Go Lucky. A young music geek (6th grade to be exact) comes home from her Long Island Catholic school, flips on VH1, and finds herself confronted with what has to be a) one of the most wistful and beautiful videos she's seen in a long time, and b) poetry over music sung by a sultry-voiced man whose face looks oddly familiar ("Jack and Diane" perhaps?). It's true, I admit it: I still love "(Key West Intermezzo) I Saw You First". It's just too good of a song not to, even though I'll be the first to admit that Cougar comes off as an ass (dude, who puts "Intermezzo" in their song titles since Sinatra died, I ask you?) and has committed more music felonies than heroics. but I'll be damned if it's still not one of my favorite songs. Period.
Key West Intermezzo it is: http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/videoplayer/index.jhtml?vid=9295&channelID=1&gateway=bands&paid=12334&s1=az&s2=mellencamp_john&adPth=/adsetup/bands/&adPN=audvid
On a moon spattered road in her parrot rebozo/Gypsy Scottys driving his big long yellow car/She flies like a bird over his shoulder/She whispers in his ear, boy, you are my star-S.
And PS: I don't think you can get a better lyric than "A loud Cuban band is crucifying John Lennon". -S.
