Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Walkmen - "In the New Year"
Thank you Stereogum. Thank you for posting the debut track from the new Walkmen record, You & Me. After seeing them forcefully jam out on some new tunes back in April with Spoon, I have been anticipating any hints as to how those songs would sound recorded. This album should be awesome. Just listen to the Dylan-esque crooning. That grating reverby guitar we have come to know The Walkmen for. The calypso sounding keys. That drumming, HOLY SHIT THE DRUMMING. If it's not great, I will just die.
Anyway, I got myself an imeem account, so listen for yourselves.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Zoos of Berlin EP
Zoos of Berlin EP
Zoos of Berlin
(Self-released, 2007)
Rating: 84%
After a few years of playing shows without any recorded material (aside from demos), Detroit’s Zoos of Berlin have finally blessed our ears with this beauty of an EP.
“Below the Old House” opens things up with some pretty feedback swells then flows nicely into a jagged funky rhythm. When the vocals hit you can tell these dudes love them some Bowie. The rich harmonies at the end are reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. All hopped up on Bowie, of course.
Where the keyboards take center stage instrumentally on “Below the Old House,” “Speak Well of Manderlay” boasts distorted guitars and a sort of 70s rock swagger. “On Large Amusements” brings things to a mellow close and throws a wrench in traditional pop chord progression. The drums throughout are played with a precision and jazziness not too unlike John McEntire.
It is evident these dudes really know how to play their instruments. There is no wankery here. Zoos of Berlin are easily one of the tightest, most talented bands in the Midwest and these three songs are a great representation of what an EP should be. The listener is left wanting much more. And this is just their debut. Just you wait for that full length!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
David Bowie - Sense of Doubt (Rare Footage)
I found out about the following video thanks to my friend Zach who had purchased a bootleg David Bowie DVD compiling a ton of his television appearances. Of all the live performances and other miscellaneous tidbits, this footage was my favorite. It's hard to tell exactly what is going on, but it seems to be the filming of some promo material for Bowie's 1977 album (and the second installment in his Berlin trilogy) Heroes. It is equally creepy, hilarious, and utterly bizarre. Watch David get really frustrated at about 1:37. That dude is insane.
5/31/08 - Javelins/Bob Nanna/The Silent Years/Nouns
May 31st, 2008
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
Sorry, no pictures to accompany this show review. I also apologize for no real deep analysis of it, as I was way more social and drunk than attentive for the later portion of it.
Anywho, this weekend finale in May brought me to Chicago for the weekend for I attended a rock concert of moderately great proportions. Moderate in the sense that there weren't really any big name bands. Great in the way that all the acts consisted of incredibly talented musicians that I adore.
Let's do this.
Chicago's new sexy electronic pop sons Nouns started things off with some smooth jams. This duo is so new and so good. Imagine The Sea and Cake but slower, or a subtler Zoos of Berlin. Nice chorusy, jazzy guitar lines, that classic Rhodes electric piano sound, and some crazy technical drumming. Admittedly, sometimes a little too technical. Nouns are not the perfect live band yet. I can't deny that their songs run together a little too closely, sounding a bit too similar. And the vocals are obviously the most important part, and are lacking a bit on stage. But they are young in both age and experience performing together, and all of this will work out in due time. And when it does... well then, shit. We're in for it.
Playing next, The Silent Years were definitely the highlight of the night. Not only are they the nicest band in Michigan, mayhaps even America, but they are one of the best coming out of Detroit right now. And they confuse the hell out of me. It's like they're ready to make that huge jump to 89X rock. Let me explain. Their songs are so catchy, so accessible, they could and should get HUGE. Like touring with Death Cab for Cutie huge. BUT, at the same time, the band doesn't sound like anyone putting out records these days. Seriously. If you can enlighten me on who you think The Silent Years sound like, then I'd like to know. And don't say Rescue. Sure, three former members of that band that I miss so much are here, but the two sound nothing alike. I have thought long and hard about this, and cannot come up with an answer. Completely original, that is why they are fantastic. The live performance is no insane spectacle, but the songs are so awesome, they speak for themselves. I could explain more, but I'll leave that for when/if I write up a review for their album.
This is the point where I realized I was drunk, and just wanted to hang out. But I couldn't miss one of my alltime musical heroes, Bob Nanna. Bob played in the influential 90s indie/emo band Braid (their third and final full length, Frame and Canvas, is easily in my top ten favorite albums of all time list)! And then Hey Mercedes. It breaks my heart to say this, but his set was a boring heap of sleep. I missed his opener, which I heard was a Hey Mercedes song. Bummer. The rest of the songs were sleepers. But, I am incredibly picky about my acoustic singer/songwriters. If you're going to play a set with nothing but an acoustic guitar, then your songs better be fucking amazing. Or at the least incredibly interesting. And, well, that's all I'm going to say about that.
My boys Javelins finished the night out, and unfortunately I missed their first three songs, which included "Heavy Meadows," my #2 jam from their upcoming album of the same name. I honestly don't have much to say as my attention span was all over the place. But what I will say is that you better pick up that new album as soon as you possibly can, for it is INCREDIBLE. Do you like The Sea and Cake? The Smiths? Talking Heads? The Cure? The Police? Me too! If the idea of all those groups fused together into a superband gives you a boner, then please listen to these jams.
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
Sorry, no pictures to accompany this show review. I also apologize for no real deep analysis of it, as I was way more social and drunk than attentive for the later portion of it.
Anywho, this weekend finale in May brought me to Chicago for the weekend for I attended a rock concert of moderately great proportions. Moderate in the sense that there weren't really any big name bands. Great in the way that all the acts consisted of incredibly talented musicians that I adore.
Let's do this.
Chicago's new sexy electronic pop sons Nouns started things off with some smooth jams. This duo is so new and so good. Imagine The Sea and Cake but slower, or a subtler Zoos of Berlin. Nice chorusy, jazzy guitar lines, that classic Rhodes electric piano sound, and some crazy technical drumming. Admittedly, sometimes a little too technical. Nouns are not the perfect live band yet. I can't deny that their songs run together a little too closely, sounding a bit too similar. And the vocals are obviously the most important part, and are lacking a bit on stage. But they are young in both age and experience performing together, and all of this will work out in due time. And when it does... well then, shit. We're in for it.
Playing next, The Silent Years were definitely the highlight of the night. Not only are they the nicest band in Michigan, mayhaps even America, but they are one of the best coming out of Detroit right now. And they confuse the hell out of me. It's like they're ready to make that huge jump to 89X rock. Let me explain. Their songs are so catchy, so accessible, they could and should get HUGE. Like touring with Death Cab for Cutie huge. BUT, at the same time, the band doesn't sound like anyone putting out records these days. Seriously. If you can enlighten me on who you think The Silent Years sound like, then I'd like to know. And don't say Rescue. Sure, three former members of that band that I miss so much are here, but the two sound nothing alike. I have thought long and hard about this, and cannot come up with an answer. Completely original, that is why they are fantastic. The live performance is no insane spectacle, but the songs are so awesome, they speak for themselves. I could explain more, but I'll leave that for when/if I write up a review for their album.
This is the point where I realized I was drunk, and just wanted to hang out. But I couldn't miss one of my alltime musical heroes, Bob Nanna. Bob played in the influential 90s indie/emo band Braid (their third and final full length, Frame and Canvas, is easily in my top ten favorite albums of all time list)! And then Hey Mercedes. It breaks my heart to say this, but his set was a boring heap of sleep. I missed his opener, which I heard was a Hey Mercedes song. Bummer. The rest of the songs were sleepers. But, I am incredibly picky about my acoustic singer/songwriters. If you're going to play a set with nothing but an acoustic guitar, then your songs better be fucking amazing. Or at the least incredibly interesting. And, well, that's all I'm going to say about that.
My boys Javelins finished the night out, and unfortunately I missed their first three songs, which included "Heavy Meadows," my #2 jam from their upcoming album of the same name. I honestly don't have much to say as my attention span was all over the place. But what I will say is that you better pick up that new album as soon as you possibly can, for it is INCREDIBLE. Do you like The Sea and Cake? The Smiths? Talking Heads? The Cure? The Police? Me too! If the idea of all those groups fused together into a superband gives you a boner, then please listen to these jams.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Paul McCartney Performs "A Day in the Life"
After more than 40 years of neglecting one of the greatest songs ever recorded, on June 1st in Liverpool, Paul McCartney performed the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band masterpiece "A Day in the Life" on stage, in front of tons of people. Fortunately, a video with decent sound quality is up on YouTube (as well as down below). Unfortunately, McCartney and band did not play the entire song, instead segueing into John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance." Not that there's anything wrong with peace.
It's still awesome to see at least a portion of the song in a live setting. Thank you, Stereogum.
The Pop Project Release Stars of Stage and Screen
Photo by Doug Coombe
Detroit/Ann Arbor area band The Pop Project announced last week that their anticipated third full length album, Stars of Stage and Screen, after four years in the making, is finally in their hands.
Showcasing the talents of three songwriters, the album consists of 12 catchy, complex, poppy-ass jams produced by Andy Thompson. If you're into the likes of Electric Light Orchestra, Supertramp, XTC, Queen, and even Weezer, then buy this now, here. Trust me, it's worth it.
The highlights include "Secondary Players," "Never Got the Breaks," "Hearts and Flowers," "House of Books," "Not the One," and "You've Won the Lottery," which I consider the band's "A Day in the Life."
Stars of Stage and Screen is released by Suburban Sprawl Music, where it is available for purchase. It also will be on sale at the following shows.
6/14 - Detroit, MI @ The CAID w/ The Frustrations, Great Lakes Myth Society, Kiddo, Serenity Court, The Decks, The Mahonies, The Word Play, The Silent Years, Fontana
7/18 - Detroit, MI @ Alvin's w/ Great Lakes Myth Society, Friendly Foes
8/15 - Detroit, MI @ Alvin's w/ Zoos of Berlin, Child Bite
5/23/08 - The Submarines/Headlights/Champions of Breakfast
May 23rd, 2008
The Pike Room
Pontiac, MI
This post has been a long time coming.
All photos by Matthew Franklin, for Detour Magazine
Two weeks ago while I was at the Crofoot Ballroom and found out Champions of Breakfast were playing upstairs at the Pike Room. I had been reading so much about the zany electronic pop duo on the various Detroit blogs, and decided to check it out.
The evening also celebrated the release of a full length album, titled Pleasure Mountain. The artwork as well as the stage accessories (cardboard guitars, keyboard, as well as a giant cardboard computer) accompany the obnoxiously joyous performance perfectly.
To describe their set, just imagine two skinny dudes with shaggy hair, thick mustaches and tight, colorful clothes that I wouldn't be caught dead in. Now picture them dancing around like idiots, dramatically playing fake instruments (pretty much air guitaring), and sometimes singing, sometimes lip-syncing. They came with a gimmick and proved that if you pull off a shtick really well, it can be overlooked. They did it, and it was awesome.
As for the songs, they were blatantly upbeat, synthy, corny as hell. Which is the whole point, and to see the dudes do what they do live, I couldn't ask for a better soundtrack. Listening to the songs without the visuals might be a less entertaining challenge. "Unicorn Bible" is a total jam though.
Next up was Champaign, Illinois' Headlights. In spite of their label Polyvinyl's winding path into blandness, the band is an easy one to like. They play expansive indie pop like Stars, only much less dramatic. And better. The live sound consisted of boy/girl harmonies, Mates of State-ish keyboards, big, rich guitar tones, and the tight and simple drumming that the songs require. There were some really drunken douche bags in the crowd, which put only a slight damper on the set, but the band handled it well.
The Submarines closed the night out with a modern take on 60s pop/rock. To be honest, I don't pay attention to their entire set, but what I did hear sounded nice, though a little boring. Some more of those co-ed vocals, some twinkle here, a tiny bit of shoegaze there, and some painfully simple drumming by a dude who looked exactly like Josiah Wolf from Why?. A somber ending, especially when I realized I had to drive all the way back to Ann Arbor.
The Pike Room
Pontiac, MI
This post has been a long time coming.
All photos by Matthew Franklin, for Detour Magazine
Two weeks ago while I was at the Crofoot Ballroom and found out Champions of Breakfast were playing upstairs at the Pike Room. I had been reading so much about the zany electronic pop duo on the various Detroit blogs, and decided to check it out.
The evening also celebrated the release of a full length album, titled Pleasure Mountain. The artwork as well as the stage accessories (cardboard guitars, keyboard, as well as a giant cardboard computer) accompany the obnoxiously joyous performance perfectly.
To describe their set, just imagine two skinny dudes with shaggy hair, thick mustaches and tight, colorful clothes that I wouldn't be caught dead in. Now picture them dancing around like idiots, dramatically playing fake instruments (pretty much air guitaring), and sometimes singing, sometimes lip-syncing. They came with a gimmick and proved that if you pull off a shtick really well, it can be overlooked. They did it, and it was awesome.
As for the songs, they were blatantly upbeat, synthy, corny as hell. Which is the whole point, and to see the dudes do what they do live, I couldn't ask for a better soundtrack. Listening to the songs without the visuals might be a less entertaining challenge. "Unicorn Bible" is a total jam though.
Next up was Champaign, Illinois' Headlights. In spite of their label Polyvinyl's winding path into blandness, the band is an easy one to like. They play expansive indie pop like Stars, only much less dramatic. And better. The live sound consisted of boy/girl harmonies, Mates of State-ish keyboards, big, rich guitar tones, and the tight and simple drumming that the songs require. There were some really drunken douche bags in the crowd, which put only a slight damper on the set, but the band handled it well.
The Submarines closed the night out with a modern take on 60s pop/rock. To be honest, I don't pay attention to their entire set, but what I did hear sounded nice, though a little boring. Some more of those co-ed vocals, some twinkle here, a tiny bit of shoegaze there, and some painfully simple drumming by a dude who looked exactly like Josiah Wolf from Why?. A somber ending, especially when I realized I had to drive all the way back to Ann Arbor.
Know Your Onion #1
I know this has nothing to do with music, but I really love The Onion (that awesome hilariously satirical newspaper), and came across an article this week that I thought was exceptionally funny. I've decided that I will share with you my favorite Onion write-ups in a blog segment (or blegment) I will call Know Your Onion, of course after the great Shins song.
Following is the first I shall share with you.
Liberty City Police Face Allegations Of Incompetence, Brutality
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