Andy Stott - "Moogfest 2012" (concert)

I've mentioned Andy Stott before (in this DJ Shadow review), but I haven't reviewed any of his material yet.  Part of that is because I'm at a complete loss for words on how to describe his music; "electronic" fails to capture the depth and richness.   Herbert turned me on to Andy Stott almost two years ago (with the two 2011 EPs "Passed Me By" and "We Stay Together") and he's been climbing my iTunes playlist since. 

NPR Music has an hour long live recording of Andy Stott playing at Moogfest, 2012-10-31 in Asheville, NC.  NPR Music also provides a direct link for an MP3.  Until I find the words to describe his music, I urge you to check out this concert.  I haven't worked out the set list yet (and it isn't listed anywhere on the web), but it includes songs from the two EPs mentioned above as well as his 2012 LP "Luxury Problems".

Links: NPR Music, Soundcloud

The Beastie Boys - "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" (spotlight)

Ok, so I always knew that the title of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" was probably a nod to Motorhead's 1981 live LP "No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith".  Slayer's Kerry King providing the guitar solo that cements the metal/rap crossover.  But last night I noticed something in NSTB that has eluded me since 1986: stuck in between the 2nd and 3rd stanzas (at 1:33 in the video) is a one-off lyrical break not used elsewhere in the song:

Another plane - another train
Another bottle in the brain
Another girl - another fight
Another drive all night

How did I miss this?  One of my favorite Motorhead songs is their 1980 song "(We Are) The Road Crew" (from the classic "Ace of Spades" LP), where the lyrics are primarily a long list of "Another this, another that":

Another town, another place,
Another girl, another face,
Another truck, another race,
I'm eating junk, feeling bad,
Another night, I'm going mad,
My woman's leaving, I feel sad,
But I just love the life I lead,
Another beer is what I need,
Another gig my ears bleed,
We Are The Road Crew

I always knew the Beasties were clever, but this is excellent.  Why did it take me some 27 years to catch this?

The Beastie Boys: "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" (full lyrics)
Motorhead: "(We Are) The Road Crew" (studio version, full lyrics), 2005 live instrumental version

Pink Floyd - "Live At Pompeii" (concert)

I own well-worn copies on VHS and DVD, but at work I've recently been playing Youtube versions of Pink Floyd's 1972 concert film "Live at Pompeii" in the background.  I've already covered the similar but far more rare "An Hour With Pink Floyd (KQED)" from 1970.  The latter was never commercially released and is regularly purged from Youtube, while the former concert film is still commercially available and also easy to find on Youtube.  Go figure.

This is an historically important film, showing the group on the cusp of their 1973 watershed, "Dark Side of the Moon".  But I just recently discovered that the interstitial studio footage of the band composing songs for DSOTM was 1) faked, and 2) added for the 1974 re-release of the film.  It is this 1974 version that I have on VHS. 

Somewhat unfortunately, the 2003 DVD version is the "director's cut", and nicely demonstrates that more is not always better.  The songs are the same, but director Adrian Maben has added all kinds of unnecessary of additional space and planetary stock footage.  I get it, "Pink Floyd == Space Music".  But one of the strengths of the original film is Pompeii as a character, almost a fifth member of Pink Floyd.  The long tracking shots of the empty Amphitheatre, the mosaics, volcanic imagery, all help to establish the film's feel, and the director's cut undermines the beautiful (albeit sometimes modishly incorporated) imagery.  Fortunately the 1974 version is an option on the DVD; the 2003 version is to be avoided.

Enough complaining about directorial revisionism -- Maben does deserve credit for making a concert film without an audience (has this been done since?) as well as not attempting to hide the small army of staff supporting the AV gear.  Replacing the audience with staff and infrastructure and playing to an empty Amphitheatre somehow captures the desolation of Pompeii.  The songs are split between 1968 and 1971, with only "Controls" and "Careful" appearing on the "An Hour With Pink Floyd (KQED)".

1. "Intro Song"
2. "Echoes, Part 1" (from Meddle, 1971)
3. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (from Point Me At The Sky, B-side, 1968)
4. "A Saucerful of Secrets" (from A Saucerful of Secrets, 1968)
5. "One of These Days I'm Going to Cut You into Little Pieces" (from Meddle, 1971)
6. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (from A Saucerful of Secrets, 1968)
7. "Mademoiselle Nobs" (from Meddle, 1971)
8. "Echoes, Part 2" (from Meddle, 1971)

Rather than linking to individual songs, all versions uploaded to Youtube in their entirety:

Live At Pompeii: 1972 Version
Live At Pompeii: 1974 Version
Live At Popmeii: 2003 Version

Bonus Links:

From the DVD, an interview with Adrian Maben: part 1, part 2, part 3.

And finally, you can't mention "Live at Pompeii" and not mention the Beastie Boys "Gratitude", in which the entire video is a love letter to "Live at Pompeii".

Negativland - "Live at Lewis's, Norfolk VA, November 21, 1992" (concert)

Terry finally uploaded to Youtube one of my favorite videos of his from back in the day.  Almost exactly 21 years ago Negativland played at Lewis's in Norfolk, right outside of the Colonial Place neighborhood where I live.  Lewis's was a nondescript seafood restaurant that often featured bands in the evening.  Eventually it became Enrico's, a pretty good Greek restaurant, which eventually closed in a dispute with the landlord and in it's place came Phoenix Bar and Grill, which lasted less than a year (we never even tried it).  The building (4012 Colley Ave.) is currently inactive.   Of course, at the time neither Terry nor I were living in Norfolk, and I think Danette had just moved here. 

The point is that both Negativland and Lewis's are amenable to someone like Terry recording the entire event.  We were both big fans of Negativland, and this was right in the middle of their struggle with U2, Island, and SST (see my reviews of "Guns" and "U2" for background info).  I must have watched this video 20 or more times; but since he recorded it on S-VHS, I never got a VHS copy.  And although I've watched it enough that it seems like I was there, I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I missed this concert and attended a VT-UVa football game instead (although Terry has it marked as "October 21", I'm pretty sure this was actually November 21, 1992).  Fortunately, Terry took my copy of "Guns" and got Mark Hosler to autograph the inside fold (see above pic).  Apparently Mark did not approve of my choice of weekend entertainment either (also, it rained and VT lost -- a bad choice all around).

So I wasn't there, and most likely you weren't there either (it's not a big place), but thanks to Terry it can seem like we were there:



I don't normally embed videos, but this one deserves it.  You really should watch the whole thing, but some highlights include:

• 26:20 -- "Time Zones"
• 31:05 -- "Black Lady of Espionage", segueing into "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
• 1:04:10 -- "Christianity is Stupid"
• 1:11:20 -- Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA"
• 1:24:40 -- Terry interviews Mark Hosler (while Mark has a post-show fish sandwich)

Craig Baldwin used part of this concert footage in his film "Sonic Outlaws", earning Terry a credit in the liner notes.

Also, instead of reviewing it as a LP, I'm starting a new series simply called "concert". 

Red Rider - "Lunatic Fringe" (forgotten song)

In recognition of an entire week of government furlough, I'm reaching back to 1981 with Red Rider's "Lunatic Fringe", their single from the LP "From Here to Siam".  I loved this song when it came out in 1981 and still enjoy it. 

Why "Lunatic Fringe"?  Because about 30 people are holding hostage the function of our government, cowing those who should know better.  

Lunatic Fringe
I know you're out there
You're in hiding
And you hold your meetings
...
Cause you gotta blame someone
For your own confusion

Yes, I know the song is a rebuke of neo-Nazis, and yes I know about Godwin's Law but Ted Cruz went there first.  I'm not saying the Tea Party should be compared to Nazis, I'm just saying their minority ideology is a cancerous fifth column that threatens the Republic.  How?  Let's review:

1.  The legislative branch passed the ACA.
2.  The executive branch signed it into law.
3.  The judicial branch upheld it as constitutional.

That's a constitutional hat trick, and it's the law of the land*. 

Red Rider - "Lunatic Fringe"
 


* For those who are unclear about this, I invite you to recall the Schoolhouse Rock videos "I'm just a Bill" and "Three Ring Circus".

The Green Pajamas - "Kim The Waitress" (forgotten song)

"Kim The Waitress" was originally released as a non-LP single in 1986 by the prolific, Seattle-based cult band The Green Pajamas.  Never heard of them?  Me neither, but you might remember "Kim The Waitress" from the more popular 1994 version from Material Issue, off their 1994 LP "Freak City Soundtrack".  Their version received a fair amount of airplay at the time, but that was really their only hit and Material Issue split up shortly after that.  Bonus points if you knew that there was also a 1994 version released by Seattle-based Sister Psychic, off their LP "Surrender You Freak".

What does this have to do with Danette's birthday?  I remember ca. 1997 (before we were together) discussing this song with her.  Although the Material Issue version was released in 1994, but I think it was still a current song on the radio.  I had liked the song immediately, but Danette was somewhat puzzled by the theme.  Exactly what is it about the waitress and men's fascination with them?  Well, it's not really about her as a waitress, although the job description does require that they be nice to you.  Combine that with alluring and possibly mysterious feminine presence, and you get the kind of male obsession that the song aptly captures:

Pressed lips and slender hips
Turning, in my head
Writing poems in a corner booth
That I'd die, if she read
Seeing her in but a silver cross
Lying on her bed 
...
Sometimes she comes with coffee
Reaching over, pouring
I'd like to gently pull her to me
Kiss her, with no warning
Seeing her on some sunny summer Sunday morning
...
She doesn't come around anymore
And that bothers me (I'm unhappy)
It bothers me (I'm unhappy)
It bothers me (I'm unhappy)

Though I don't stand a ghost of a chance with her
She's pretty (and it bothers me)
So pretty (and it bothers me)
So pretty (and it bothers me)
And it bothers me (I'm unhappy)

Sure, that's not yet quite stalking but you can probably see it from there.  Although Danette has never been a waitress, she's been the object of this sort of attention many times before (and often discovering this well after the fact).  And there I was explaining this point of view to her, all the while already my feelings for Danette becoming not entirely unlike the song's protagonist.  It wasn't entirely clear how to say "...and guess what? I feel this way about you."  So while not a typical love song, that's how I've come to link this song to Danette.

Material Issue made one slight change in the lyrics that made the song darker than was written by The Green Pajamas.  The chorus was originally:

No one can save us
But Kim The Waitress

Material Issue changed it to:

No one can save us
From Kim The Waitress

Thereby transforming Kim from the unintentional hero to the unintentional villain.  Turns out there was a real waitress named Kim, and when she learned of this song much later in life she apparently took it in good humor.  However, unlike the song writer I ended up together with the object of my fascination.

The Green Pajamas: "Kim The Waitress", 2009 live version

Material Issue: "Kim The Waitress"

Sister Psychic: "Kim The Waitress"

The trailer for a short film based on the song, by Scott Eriksson.  The full film is also available, but it explores the darker avenue of this song (e.g., "and it bothers me").

Prior Danette Birthday postings, the beginnings of a loving but irreverent mix tape: 

2012: The Cure - "High"
2011: Blink 182 - "Josie"
2010:  Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl"

The Naked and Famous - "Passive Me, Aggressive You" (LP Review)

Quick -- how many bands do you know that hail from New Zealand?  I count three; I'll treat Split Enz & Crowded House as one band, but I'll also include the Flight of Conchords as a band (which I admit is debatable).  The third, and surely deserving of your attention, is Auckland's The Naked and Famous (TNAF).  The local alt-rock station (96.1) started playing "Young Blood" in high rotation over a year ago and after poking around on Youtube, I decided to buy their 2010 debut LP "Passive Me, Aggressive You".

My iTunes play counts don't lie: I really like this LP.  I recall on the first listen, on every track I recounted the various moody, 70s & 80s synth pop influences (e.g., Roxy Music, Joy Division/New Order, Depeche Mode) but there were so many that I eventually decided if you incorporate dozens of different influences and update them by 20+ years then you've really created something new.  Another thing they offer is they rock a lot harder than any of their influences -- they must have every distortion pedal that exists in New Zealand.  The other distinguishing characteristic of the band is that Aaron Philip Short & Alisa Xayalith work the shared, male/female lead vocals to perfection.

I recently I bought their first two EPs and while not bad, they don't give any hint of how well this LP would come together.  Their next LP, "In Rolling Waves", is due in less than a month and the advance single ("Hearts Like Ours") is already out.  We'll see if they can catch lightning in a bottle twice.

Standout songs: "All Of This" (live version), "Punching In A Dream", "Young Blood" (live version), "Girls Like You" (live version), "The Sun"* (live version), "Jilted Lovers", "No Way"

Skip 'em songs: "Eyes" (they carry the John Hughes soundtrack influence too far here...)

Final score: 9/10

Bonus link: lots of good stuff on their Youtube channel



*="The Sun" makes it clear that their LP collection contains "Kid A" too.

Rachel Goswell - "Waves Are Universal" (LP Review)

I love the shoegazing of Slowdive, and I also love the dream-pop, alt-country of Mojave 3 (formed from the remains of Slowdive).  Rachel Goswell is one of the two vocalists of both bands, and she achieves angelic perfection on songs like Slowdive's dreamy "Shine" and Mojave 3's smoky "Love Songs on the Radio".  Nothing against Neil Halstead, the other (and primary) vocalist for both bands, but listening to "Shine" makes you think "why doesn't Rachel sing on more songs?"

Well, 2004's "Waves Are Universal" is Goswell's first (and only) solo LP.  Just what I wanted: twelve songs with just Rachel -- alright!

Turns out, it's kind of boring.  I don't know if it is the song writing (Halstead was the primary song writer for Slowdive and Mojave 3), the production, or what.  None of the songs are bad, but none really stand out either.  I think some of the reviews (e.g., Pitchfork, AllMusic) give her a pass out of respect for her prior work, but if you read between the lines they see many of the same faults that I see.  Her vocals are guarded, and she's backed up by what sounds like a second-rate Crazy Horse. 

Stand out songs: none.

Skip 'em songs: none.

Songs that appear: "Coastline", "Save Yourself", "Warm Summer Sun", "Hope", "No Substitute"

Final score: 5/10.  Again, not bad, but far below what I hoped a Rachel Goswell solo LP would be.

The Brains - "Money Changes Everything" (the song remains the same)

Last night Danette and I went to see Cyndi Lauper at the excellent Portsmouth Pavilion.  Neither of us were huge fans of hers but being children of the 80s, when our neighbor Steve offered us free tickets we couldn't say no.  Cyndi Lauper put on a good show and with "Kinky Boots" she's enjoying a second wind.  But last night's show was about revisiting track-by-track "She's So Unusual", her 1983 breakthrough LP.

The LP (and thus the concert) opened with "Money Changes Everything", which if I had a favorite Cyndi Lauper song, it would probably be this.  But last night I discovered this was actually a cover, and the song was originally done by a little-known Atlanta-based new wave group called The Brains.  "Money Changes Everything" was their initial 7" single released in 1978, and then appearing again on their 1980 debut eponymous LP.   Releasing two LPs and an EP, The Brains never enjoyed much success as a band, and aside from Cyndi Lauper covering their song, their next biggest footnote was upon breaking up one of their members joined The Georgia Satellites. 

Random thoughts:

1. While I love the late 70s garage sound on original version, Cyndi's version might actually be better.
2. I'm certain that I'll have immediate recall of the fact that "The Brains are the original artist for `Money Changes Everything'".  This piece of trivia has surely overwritten something important in my memory, like my work phone number, the names of long-term colleagues, places I've lived, etc.  But surely I'll hold on to this fact like my life depended on it...
3. Does that opening keyboard riff sound familiar?  It reminds me of the guitar riff in "Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs; the original 1981 version, not the more polished 1986 soundtrack version.  Our friend Joy asked for more "Pretty in Pink" references, so there you go.

The Brains: "Money Changes Everything"

Cyndi Lauper: "Money Changes Everything"

Psychedelic Furs: "Pretty in Pink" (1981), "Pretty in Pink" (1986)

The Beastie Boys - "The Mix-Up" (LP Review)

Remember listening to "Ill Communication" and "Check Your Head" and thinking "wow, those instrumental fuzzy/funk/fusion/faux-soundtrack jams sure are cool; they should do a whole LP of them"?  The Beastie Boys sort of delivered that with 1996's "The In Sound From Way Out" but that was a just a collection of instrumentals from IC and CYH with a couple of b-sides thrown in.  It wasn't until 2007 when The Beastie Boys finally gave us "The Mix-Up", an LP consisting of entirely of new instrumentals. 

To be honest, the wait was kind of a disappointment.  "The Mix-Up" is not bad, but somehow it is missing the magic hinted at in the earlier LPs.  Is it because the songs themselves aren't as inspired?  Did they wait too long to do this project -- would this have sounded more fresh in 1997 rather than 2007?  Or do the instrumentals simply sound better when juxtaposed with the Beastie's hip-hop (and occasionally punk) tracks?  I will say "The Mix-Up" is better than the similarly-themed 1995 "solo" LP "Mark's Keyboard Repair" from Money Mark, the unofficial fourth Beastie who also appears here.

I think the LP got a pass in many reviews when it came out because the Beasties were elder statesmen by then and we were happy to have anything new from them.  Here's a 2007 track-by-track review from someone who loved the LP, but I'm more inclined to agree with the Pitchfork review.  This isn't a bad LP, but it isn't essential either: just 12 mostly interchangeable background listening tracks that would not have generated much buzz if the name "Beastie Boys" wasn't on the LP cover.  On the other hand, I'm not sure they were trying to make a grand statement either: there is kind of a "just another funky weekend in the Beastie garage" feel to the LP.  With the death of MCA in 2012, presumably The Beastie Boys discography is complete (modulo some unreleased material that might eventually be released) so you have to enjoy what you have.

Standout tracks: none.

Skip 'em tracks: none.

Full LP: YouTube, Grooveshark

Final score: 6/10

Houndmouth - "Houndmouth" (LP Review)

To borrow from the Tappet Brothers, the last several reviews have been "classic", and by "classic" I mean "old".  Time for something contemporary...

"Houndmouth" is the eponymous 2012 debut by the Indiana-based band, Houndmouth.  This four song EP successfully mines the alt-country, folk, blues, roots music genres: there's not necessary anything new on this EP, but they execute it very well.  Lisa (via Herbert) actually turned me on to this band, kindly dropping the CD in the mail to me a few months ago. 

If you're going to do country music, you need a song about going to jail.  Just in case there was any doubt, the opening song is "Penitentiary":

Come on down
To the Penitentiary
Oh momma the law came crashing down on me

Excellent stuff.  The other standout track is "Krampus", nicely featuring the vocals from Katie Toupin and Matt Myers.  "Houston Train" is also good, with "Oil Spill" being the weakest of the four songs.  I must not be the only one that feels that way since "Oil Spill" is the only track off "Houndmouth" that was left off their 2013 full-length LP "From The Hills Below The City" (which I haven't had a chance to get yet).  A quick search shows that they're booked on a lot of major summer festivals (Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, UTOPiAfest); these guys are poised for success in the future.

Standout songs: "Penitentiary" (studio, live November 2012), "Houston Train" (live UTOPiAfest 2012, live November 2012), "Krampus" (live, live acoustic)
 
Skip 'em tracks: none.

Final score: 8/10 

Husker Du - "Candy Apple Grey" (LP Review)

"Candy Apple Grey" is Husker Du's 1986 major label debut after four critically acclaimed LPs (and one EP) on Reflex Records and SST Records.  This means there are two general reactions to the LP: many long-time fans accused them of selling out, and major magazines (e.g., Rolling Stone) fawned over the LP in an effort to make up for ignoring their 1982-1985 output.

In retrospect, most reviewers feel the truth is somewhere in between (e.g., Punknews, Culture Fusion).  This is a good LP that should be in your collection, but it lacks the intensity and consistency of LPs like "New Day Rising" and "Flip Your Wig".  It is tempting to put the blame on the big, bad major label but apparently the real villain is the increasing rivalry between Grant Hart and Bob Mould.  Perhaps the Warner Brothers deal kept the band together longer than they would have if they had remained on SST. 

Parts of "Candy Apple Grey" would be at home on any of their previous releases: "Don't Want to Know If You're Lonely", "Sorry Somehow", "Crystal".  Some represent a more poppy, college radio sound that hints at their later solo releases, like "Too Far Down", "Hardly Getting Over It", "No Promise Have I Made".  Those songs are fine, but the weakest moment on the LP are songs like "Dead Set On Destruction" and "Eiffel Tower High".  Those two songs, while not terrible, have a kind of awkward self-awareness; I can imagine Bob and Grant saying to themselves "hey, in the next 30 minutes I need to write a song that rocks harder than {Bob's|Grant's}!".

Standout songs: "Don't Want to Know If You're Lonely", "Sorry Somehow", "Too Far Down", "Hardly Getting Over It"

Skip 'em songs: "Dead Set On Destruction", "Eiffel Tower High"

Final score: 7/10.  WB Husker Du pales in comparison to SST Husker Du, but it is still better than most bands.

Bonus link: MTV review of "Candy Apple Grey" (featuring Martha Quinn), complete with May 1986 tour dates in case you invent a time machine and want to catch them live (after killing baby Hitler, of course). 

Stanley Jordan - "Stairway to Heaven" (the song remains the same)

The sale of Virginia Beach's iconic Cavalier Hotel was announced in today's Virginian Pilot.  Despite grand plans for the hotel, I'm betting on the worst-case scenario of razing, as a result of long-term mismanagement and neglect, culminating in a recent law suit with the family members suing each other.  A Southern Gothic family + a developer + the city of Virginia Beach = hard to imagine a positive outcome. 

I think I've been to The Cavalier twice, and the first time was to see jazz guitarist extraordinaire Stanley Jordan, ca. 1991 (I'm actually a little fuzzy on the date).  I've seen & heard a lot of guitar virtuosos, but watching & listening to Stanley Jordan is simply amazing.  I don't own any of his LPs, but that has been by accident more than design.  His concert at The Cavalier Hotel was excellent, but of course the highlight for me was his version of "Stairway to Heaven" (yes, that "Stairway to Heaven"), off his 1988 LP "Flying Home".  One of my favorite memories of all time was watching several 70+ year-old, black, grandfather-types (the audience was mostly older & black; at 21 & white I was a distinct minority) stand in the aisle -- at a jazz concert, may I remind you -- and (sincerely) yell "play 'Stairway to Heaven'!!!".  Yes, my life is fuller because of those memories.

Stanley Jordan - "Stairway to Heaven" (live, late 80s/early 90s judging by the outfit).*

I hope they save The Cavalier, but I'm not counting on it.





* = No, I'm not linking to the original. 

Discharge - "Protest and Survive" (the song remains the same)

Twenty four years ago today (June 4, 1989), the Tiananmen Square Protests ended in a brutal crackdown.  Less than a year after that, President George H. W. Bush decided idealism is bad for business and extended China's "Most Favored Nation" trade status.  And less than a week ago, and very close to home, Shuanghui International Holdings proposed to buy local giant Smithfield Foods.  Perhaps economic ties will eventually prove more subversive to China's regime than supporting the protesters in 1989, but I will never forget my bitter disappointment that when called upon, we turned a deaf ear.

From Discharge's punk classic 1982 LP "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing", "Protest and Survive":

It's up to us, to change the course
Protest and survive, protest and survive
Protest and survive,
Protest and survive  

Anthrax would later cover this song on their 1991 LP "Attack of the Killer B's".

Discharge - "Protest and Survive"
Anthrax - "Protest and Survive (live 1996)"

Galaxie 500 - "Peel Sessions" (LP Review)

I think I've run out of words to describe how much I love Galaxie 500, the hazy, dreamy, nearly-shoegazing Boston band whose existence completely overlapped with my college years (1987-1991).   Unfortunately, this short career left us with only three studio LPs and a posthumously extended discography, most of which I would recommend only to hard-core fans such as myself. 

But that's not true for the 2005 LP "Peel Sessions", which collects two, four song sessions from 1989 and 1990 for the legendary BBC Radio 1 show by John Peel.  This live-in-the-studio LP has excellent sound quality (unlike the live LP "Copenhagen"), offers three "new" cover songs not available on other LPs, and subtly different arrangements of some of their classic songs.  I don't think these sessions were available previous to be released in 2005.  Peel Sessions are an interesting format: you have four songs (or about ~20 minutes) to showcase yourself, and this limited amount of time forces you to economically pick representative songs.  On the other hand, if you just do your "greatest hits" then haven't offered the audience something new.  Galaxie 500 understood this: notice how their quintessential song, "Tugboat", does not appear?

The real highlight here are the three "new" songs.  Galaxie 500 always had a tradition of showing how smart they were with their meticulous selection of covers.  Of course their standard Jonathan Richmond cover "Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste" is present (I think few would argue that Galaxie 500 now owns this song, not Richmond), but they also turn in inspired interpretations of "Submission" (Sex Pistols), "Final Day" (Young Marble Giants), and "Moonshot" (Buffy Sainte-Marie).  Sure you've heard of the Pistols, but "Submission" is an inspired choice; YMG was influential but not famous, and ask your hippie parents about BSM (the Pistols *and* Buffy Sainte-Marie?!  genius.).

I'm going to break with the standard LP review format and just list all eight tracks and claim them all as "standouts" (and obviously there are no tracks to skip).  The first four are from the October 1990 session and the last four are from the September 1989 session:

1. Submission
2. Final Day
3. When Will You Come Home
4. Moonshot
5. Flowers
6. Blue Thunder
7. Decomposing Trees
8. Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste

Bonus links to the original versions:

• Sex Pistols: Submission
• Young Marble Giants: Final Day
• Buffy Sainte-Marie: Moonshot
• Jonathan Richmond & the Modern Lovers: Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste

Final score: 9/10.  While there are only three "new" songs, this is an LP I can easily recommend to those not already familiar with Galaxie 500. 

My Bloody Valentine - "Loveless" (LP Review)

I had been resisting reviewing "Loveless" because it is just too obvious: there are innumerable reviews proclaiming the excellence of this LP (e.g., Allmusic, Wired, Pitchfork, Drowned In Sound).   But with My Bloody Valentine's out-of-print EPs collected on "EPs 1988-1991" and *finally* a new LP,  "m b v", I've decided to include it.

I first heard this LP in 1999, ordering it at the same time as DJ Shadow's seminal "Endtroducing.....".  They don't sound anything alike, but they are similar in that once you listen to them, you'll never hear music the same way again. 

Rather than throw hundreds of words at this LP, the eccentricities and innovations of Kevin Shields, or how the cover art matches the sound, instead I'll offer my initial, visceral reaction from 1999:

Dying Swan Music*.

Yes, that's the best I can do, courtesy of Tennyson:

But anon her awful jubilant voice,
With a music strange and manifold,
Flow'd forth on a carol free and bold;
As when a mighty people rejoice

Standout songs:  All, and it really should be consumed as a whole, start to finish (Youtube playlist).  If forced to pick three, I'd go with: "To Here Knows When", "Sometimes", "Blown A Wish"

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final Score: In addition to "10/10", this LP earns my very rare "beyond music" label; "music" is just too limiting a concept to describe it.

Bonus links: official videos for "To Here Knows When" and "Soon" (radio edit).  I'm pretty sure most of the "official" videos for MBV are the same footage used over and over again, but how else would you do it?



* = Listen to "Touched", a sort of intro to "To Here Knows When", and then get back to me when you come up with a better description.

Sonic Youth - "Diamond Sea" (forgotten song)

"Time takes its crazy toll
And how does your mirror grow
You better watch yourself when you jump into it
Cause the mirror's gonna steal your soul"

I'm not sure how I've managed to blog this long and not really mention Sonic Youth.  I've been reading "Our Band Could Be Your Life", and this has caused me to go back and rip all the various SY cds that I somehow had failed to in the past.  I have a significant portion of their considerable discography, and while I'd love to tell you that my favorite song is "Teen Age Riot", "Kill Yr. Idols", "Death Valley '69", or something like that, the truth is my favorite SY song is actually "Diamond Sea", the first single from their 1995 LP "Washing Machine". 

I was surprisingly disappointed when in late 2011 it was announced that after 27 years of marriage SY founders Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon were splitting up, effectively ending the 30 year career of Sonic Youth in the process.  Individually, Thurston & Kim are the epitome of cool and their long-standing rock-n-roll marriage was even cooler.  Less than a month ago, Kim revealed in an interview that the marriage ended because of Thurston's mid-life crisis.  Shortly thereafter the identity of the "other woman" was revealed, and then the inevitable back-lash for "shaming" the woman while more or less giving Thurston a pass.  I guess marriages break up every day, but most don't claim the careers of seminal bands like Sonic Youth.

"Time takes its crazy toll
Mirror fallin' off the wall
You better look out for the looking glass girl
Cause she's gonna take you for a fall"

"Diamond Sea": 5:45 radio edit, 19:36 LP version, 20 min live version (1996), 1995 live (on "The State")


Although I'm ashamed to admit it, I frequently prefer the radio edit to the freak-out LP version.

Slayer - "Haunting The Chapel" (LP Review)

I had been meaning to review this one for a while, but once again a recent death has influenced the order of reviews:  Jeff Hanneman, a founding member of the seminal thrash metal band Slayer, died on May 2.   While their contemporaries Metallica achieved more commercial success, Slayer arguably has the stronger, more consistent discography. 

While Slayer's 1983 debut LP "Show No Mercy" was a strong, heavy LP, it was their 1984 three song EP "Haunting the Chapel" that really defined the genre.  Especially influential was the double bass work of drummer Dave Lombardo, after this EP came out if you didn't have that double bass sound, you weren't a serious thrash band.  Of the three songs, the one you really must listen to is "Chemical Warfare".  Nearly 30 years after it was released this is still one of the heaviest songs I've ever heard.

Jeff Hanneman shared lead guitar duties with Kerry King as well as writing or co-writing most of their songs.  Although he had been sidelined for a few years due to a spider bite, everyone believed the worst was behind him and he was writing new material for their next LP.  Slayer had always been one of the more stable bands (with only Dave Lombardo leaving and rejoining a few times), so it will be interesting to see if they carry on without Jeff.

Standout songs: "Chemical Warfare", "Haunting The Chapel", "Captor of Sin"

Skip'em songs: none

Final Score: 10/10.  This EP points the way to "Hell Awaits" and "Reign in Blood", as well as reminding me of my tape trading days w/ Scott Kinkade et al.  Honorable mention to the late Bob Muldowney, publisher of Kick*Ass Monthly, for describing the importance of this EP back in the day.

Hank Williams Jr. - "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" (forgotten song)

I wasn't planning to post today, but in the space of an hour:

1.  I received an email from Drew that the usual suspects from HS were planning a get together in early June.

2.  I read that country music legend George Jones died today. 

Put those together, and you get Hank William Jr's 1981 hit "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)". 

We had a great time last year at Drew's wedding & bachelor party, although for the latter starting the festivities in the early afternoon made it a bit of challenge to stay out to last call @ 2am:

All my rowdy friends have settled down
And they seem to be more into laid back songs
Nobody wants to get drunk and get loud
Everybody just wants to go back home

We did manage it, but perhaps we should start later in the day this year (quitting before last call would just be shameful).  Of course, that's the way of things -- what chance do we stand if the epic benders of George Jones and other friends of Bocephus come to an end:

And I think I know what my father meant when he sang about a lost highway
and old George Jones I'm glad to see he's finally getting straight,
and Waylon staying home and loving Jesse more these days,
and nobody wants to get drunk and get loud and all my rowdy friends have settled down.

Yeah I think I know what my father meant when he sang about his lost highway
and Johnny Cash don't act like he did back in '68
and Kris he is a movie star and he's moved off to L.A.
and nobody wants to get drunk and get loud and all my rowdy friends have settled down

"All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)": studio version, live version (ca. 1985?)

Obligatory George Jones song: "White Lightning"




P.S.  Hank, I love your paens about the lovable, self-destructive man-child archetype, but when it comes to political commentary, please STFU.

Unkle - "Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats?" (LP Review)

Although this is "only" a bootleg, it is one of the prized members of my CD collection.  Unkle's* 2001 triple LP "Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats?" might be the best DJ mix I've heard.  Unkle has always been James Lavelle and whomever he is working with at the time (at this point, it was Richard File -- but make no mistake, this is James Lavelle's vision).  Originally intended for a Japanese radio show, this is not your ordinary club/ dance mix and is more suited for a theater than a club.  With the title being a clever nod to Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and the cover art from Futura 2000, the sci-fi theme is clearly established.  In my review of "The Less You Know, The Better", I described Lavelle's vision as "the soundtrack to the weird sci-fi movie that only James Lavelle can see."  If you listen to this mix from start to finish, you'll start to catch glimpses of the movie too. 

James Lavelle is an extraordinary DJ, and the set pulls together various tracks and genres that would fail miserably in less expert hands.  In addition to the usual suspects from Lavelle's label Mo' Wax, there are The Beatles, The Stones, Rare Earth, Fleetwood Mac, Iggy Pop and other surprises.  I could try to write more about it, but fortunately due to its not-quite-legal status, it is pretty easy to find on the web.  Just listen (each disc is just a single track):

Disc one -- "Shin" Youtube, Soundcloud
Disc two -- "Gi" Youtube, Soundcloud
Disc three -- "Tai" Youtube, Salacious Sound

All three discs in a single Youtube playlist.  You'll have to look at the Wikipedia and Discogs sites to piece together the source material for each track. 

Don't even think about finding an original version -- there were only 500 copies made, and even the bootleg versions command a pretty stiff price now.

Standout songs: n/a. 

Skip 'em songs: n/a

Final Score: 9/10  You read a lot about DJ sets being a "journey", well this is a textbook example.  And if "Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats?" is a textbook, then James Lavelle is your teacher.


* I've chosen to credit this to "Unkle", although this was released as Unklesounds, or UNKLESounds, or UNKLE Sounds, depending on what you read.  Add to the confusion is the fact that James Lavelle & guest have also released UNKLE, U.N.K.L.E., and other variations.  I'm lumping them all under "Unkle".

Pink Floyd - "Cymbaline" (forgotten song)

I'm always surprised at the rare concert footage you can find on Youtube.  Not long ago I found this June 15th, 1971 recording of Pink Floyd performing "Cymbaline" in a church (Abbaye de Royaumont, France) for French TV.  Supposedly it is available on the bootleg DVD "Pro-Shot In Europe 1969-1972", but I have not been able to find a copy.  The sound quality is great, but the cinematography is... "interesting".  I think the idea was to capture the feel of the church itself, but instead it seems like the cameraman can't find the band for the first minute or so.  Once the camerman discovers where the band has setup their gear, it settles into a good video (typical for the era, a single cameraman wanders amongst the band as they play).

I've already covered the song in the context of the 1970 concert "An Hour With Pink Floyd (KQED)" (also only available as a bootleg DVD).   The KQED version is similar, but slightly longer and maybe a little bit heavier. Also, it features an odd 30 second pause in the action starting at ~6:00. 

The studio version originally appeared on the 1969 "Soundtrack from the Film More".  A really good LP in its own right, I have this on tape (recorded during college sometime), but I really need to get this on CD. 

The June 1971 recording might be one of the last live performances of "Cymbaline"; by the time of the October 1971 recording of "Live at Pompeii", "Cymbaline" had been replaced by new material from "Meddle".

It might be my favorite Pink Floyd song, and it is surely one that I can listen to over and over again. 

The path you tread is narrow
And the drop is shear and very high
The ravens all are watching
From a vantage point nearby
Apprehension creeping
Like a tube-train up your spine
Will the tightrope reach the end
Will the final couplet rhyme?

Cymbaline - live 1971-06-15 (from "Pro-Shot in Europe 1969-1972")
Cymbaline - live 1970-04-29 (from "An Hour With Pink Floyd, KQED")
Cymbaline - studio version (with footage from the movie "More")


In case you were wondering, the final couplet doesn't rhyme.

The Cribs - "Payola" (LP Review)

"10 years on and 2001 is long gone
So I didn't wanna write another leather jacket love song"

Those are the opening lyrics to "Leather Jacket Love Song", the only previously unreleased song on the The Cribs 2013 singles compilation "Payola".  It's also a great song and an appropriate way to describe a ten year retrospective.  It is also indicative of what's disappointing with "Payola" -- only one unreleased song. 

There are actually two versions of "Payola": a single CD with 21 singles from their first five LPs and the one unreleased song, and a "deluxe" double CD that also includes 18 b-sides, bonus songs, and non-LP singles.   Of course I have all of albums and many of the singles and EPs, so my interest was in the deluxe edition to try to fill out some of the songs that I was missing. 

Much like my review of "Preemptive Strike", I'm reviewing the collection as a collection, not really the songs themselves.  The songs are great, but on a collection like this you have to review how the collection itself was created.  My problem with "Payola" is that 1) it oversamples the later LPs, and 2) doesn't have enough hard-to-find material for completists.  On disc 1, only seven songs (of 21) come from the first two LPs.  But as a collector, I really want to talk about disc 2.  The Cribs have always had a strong focus on singles and their associated b-side; for example, see their 7" collector box set.  Not being a 7" collector, I was hoping to get canonical copies of many of their hard-to-find songs.  Here's a list of their non-LP songs, roughly in order of the time frames of the corresponding LPs, with "*" indicating presence on "Payola":

The Cribs (2004):

On The Floor
Death To The Dead Bodies
Feelin' It!
I Gotta Go To LA
Song From Practice 1

The New Fellas (2005):

Happy's Just A State Of Mind And A State Of Mind Is Just Electrical Impulses           
*It Happened So Fast           
North Of England                               
I'm Still Blaming You          
*Saturday Night Facts Of Life
*To Jackson            
I Was Her Man But I Done Her Wrong             
*Advice For A Roving Artist
*Non-LP single: You're Gonna Lose Us

Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (2007):

*Kind Words From The Broken Hearted            
*Fairer Sex            
Tonight                                
*My Adolescent Dreams          
Run A Mile             
*Get Yr Hands Out Of My Grave          
*Bastards Of Young
I'm a Realist (Postal Service Remix)
*Non-LP single: Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?

Ignore the Ignorant (2009):

*So Hot Now
Curse This English Rain
*Is Anybody There?
Non-LP single: Housewife

In the Belly of the Brazen Bull (2012):

*Glandular Fever Got The Best Of Me
*On A Hotel Wall
*Eat Me
*Better Than Me
*Don't Believe In Me

Again, the bias toward later material is evident -- there are no b-sides from the era of their first LP and five songs from their 2012 LP.  B-sides from the era of their second LP are well-represented, but unfortunately for me those five songs are also on the 2006 Japanese-only EP "Arigato Cockers".  Apparently that EP is hard to get, so I consider myself lucky for having a copy and I guess I can't really fault their inclusion on this collection.  The songs from the era of MNWNW are excellent and deserve more coverage than they receive, but unfortunately for me the only one I did not already have was The Replacements' cover "Bastards of Young".  I did not have any of the included songs from the era of the last two LPs, and although I already have "Curse This English Rain", I don't see how one could exclude this excellent song twice: once on "Ignore the Ignorant" and now on "Payola". 

I'm also disappointed in how they treated the non-LP singles.  "You're Gonna Lose Us" and "Don't You Want to Be Relevant" are excellent songs, but they should appear on disc 1.  Also, the single-sided 7" from the Johnny Marr-era, "Housewife", is still effectively unavailable -- that should be on disc 1 as well. Speaking of Johnny Marr, "Leather Jacket Love Song" is the last song he recorded with The Cribs and it is excellent -- this should have been a single in its own right. 

So in addition to the one unreleased song, I already had 10/18 of the songs on disc 2, and I'm no closer to getting copies of the really obscure songs from 2004 & 2005.  So while "Payola" is welcome, it is also a bit frustrating that the collection falls short of what it could have been.

Standout songs: nearly all of them, but here is a list of songs not covered in other reviews: "Leather Jacket Love Song" (live version for NME), "Fairer Sex" (2007 live version; Payola has the studio version), "Get Yr Hands Out Of My Grave", "Bastards of Young" (2007 live version; Payola has the studio version), "Glandular Fever Got The Best Of Me", "On A Hotel Wall"

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 8/10.  I wish they had included some of the earlier leather jacket love songs.

N.B. Yes, I have not yet reviewed "In the Belly of the Brazen Bull" or "Live at the Brudenell Social Club".  I'm working on it.

Dale Watson - "Quick Quick, Slow Slow" (spotlight)

Today is the first Saturday of SXSW 2013, and it was a year ago today that I last saw Lee Dirks.  On March 10, 2012 I attended one day of SXSW  with Johan Bollen, Josh Greenberg, Margy Avery, Lee Dirks, and others.  They were on a panel about "data visualization and the future of research", which was a great success, but of course the highlight of the trip was city of Austin itself.  I won't try to explain SXSW, other than to say it's a big deal.  On the other hand, Austin is plenty of fun by itself, and the net result of SXSW for us was all ten of Austin's taxis were unavailable.

In the time leading up to SXSW, Lee acted as the social director, coordinating with everyone via email to compress a week's worth of activities into a single weekend in Austin: places to eat, drink, and of course catch some live music.  What to do on Saturday night was of course one of the main topics.  One option he put forward was:

I was thinking another road trip...down to Greune Hall (Texas' oldest continuously running dancehall) to see the Joe Ely Band.  If people like this idea, we'll want to jump on tickets now.

I replied:

Joe Ely? on a Saturday Night?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl1Zw3oqnkQ

to which Lee replied:

Well played on the Ely clip.  Well played, sir.
-jld

That's some pretty obscure fan boy humor, but Lee and I connected on that level.

Instead of seeing Joe Ely*, the group voted instead for catching the critically acclaimed, Austin-based, alt-country legend Dale Watson at the Broken Spoke.   Also an Austin legend, The Broken Spoke is on the outskirts of town, the kind of place that you assume only exists in movies.  Danette had been to the Broken Spoke on one of her business trips and had told me all about it.  So while I was somewhat prepared for what awaited me, the honky tonk that time forgot was an experience all its own.  The song that was playing when we walked in was "Quick Quick, Slow Slow".  I can't find which LP, if any, has this song; I don't know why that song stuck in my mind but it did, and it came to represent the entire experience for me.  We were there for maybe 2 hours, and towards the end Lee came up to me as I was standing by myself near the stage and asked with a smile "what do you think?".  I smiled and replied "it is everything I hoped it would be."

 Although we exchanged emails several times before he and his wife Judy died in an accident while vacationing in Peru in August 2012, that was the last time I saw Lee.   The tributes that followed were many and moving, with many focusing on his considerable impact and influence within the scholarly communication community.  While he and I had that connection, we always eventually steered our conversation to things like our mutual admiration of Joe Strummer and our shared frustration of how people use "bbq" as a verb and not a noun (e.g., "what you're doing is called `grilling'..."). 

I had less than 48 hours in Austin that weekend, but it was a great time largely in part due to Lee insuring we all had great places to go.  There were a lot of memories, including being Johan's "plus one" at a reception (he was insufferable after that).  Many of the folks are shown below, but I regret that I did not take any pictures that weekend -- who really thinks this will be their last opportunity to do so? 

Dale Watson - "Quick Quick, Slow Slow" --  This video is from 2009, but the point about places like The Broken Spoke is they don't change much, so this is pretty similar to the experience we had that night (although on March 10, 2012 the fiddle player was a woman).

Want more Broken Spoke?  This video describes how they make chicken fried steak.  We didn't eat there that night, but if I go back I'll make a point to. 


* It's been almost two weeks since I've mentioned The Clash, so I'll point out that Joe Ely sings back up on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" just so I can check that box.  I'll also mention that I could make the Joe Ely reference because Scott Kinkade introduced me to the music of Jimmie Dale Gilmore ~1992, but that's a story for another time.

The Rave Ups - "Positively Lost Me" (forgotten song)

I've previously mentioned the juggernaut that was the 1986 Pretty in Pink Soundtrack, but did you know that one of the arguably better songs from the movie did not even make the cut for the soundtrack?  "Positively Lost Me" was from the 1985 LP "Town + Country" by The Rave Ups.  The band was featured in the movie, in the bar scene where the four main characters meet up, and "Positively Lost Me" was one of the two songs they played in the background.

A perfect 80s pop break-up song, I love how the song builds a line at a time:

You lost a lot when you lost me

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree
A looking glass and a diamond ring, yeah

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree
A looking glass and a diamond ring
You lost me and you lost some dreams

How did this song get left off the soundtrack?  How did this song not become a huge hit?

"Positively Lost Me": studio version with movie footage, 2011 live version (they still have it, all that is missing are Duckie & Iona in the foreground -- you didn't identify with Andie or Blane, did you?).

Honorable mention: the brief snippet of "Rave Up, Shut Up" that also appeared in the movie.

Damian Marley - "Welcome To Jamrock" (spotlight)

In this post, in my best James Burke impression, we'll go from Bob Marley to "My Fair Lady". 

Riding around in the car earlier this week, 96.1 played a song that I had never heard before.  It was crossover of dub/reggae/rap, but with a hard enough sound to warrant play on an alt rock station. After parking, I pulled out my iphone and discovered that it was Damian Marley's  "Welcome To Jamrock" ("Jamrock" being used as an umbrella term for reggae, dancehall, and other Jamaican musical genres).  Although I had never heard it before, I discovered that it came out in 2005 and its YouTube video had 25M+ views, so clearly it had been important somewhere, but just not on the local alt rock radio.  So why did 96.1 play it:  experimenting with their playlist?  recognition from Damian performing at the 2013 Grammys (even though this song was not featured)?

I'm not sure why they played it, but I liked it.  Sampling the 1984 Ini Kamoze song "World a Music (Out In The Streets They Call It Merther)", the lyrics (slang and Patois delivered in a thick accent) were all but undecipherable, but upon reading the meaning is clear: Jamaica is gripped with poverty, violence, and despair.  Damian is the son of Bob Marley, and whereas his father had a hopeful, spiritual message for Jamaica, the son's message is one of bleak, gritty realism, e.g.:

C'mon let's face it, a ghetto education's basic
And most ah de youths them waste it
And when dem waste it, that's when dem take the guns replace it
Then dem don't stand a chance at all

What made my belated discovery of "Welcome To Jamrock" more interesting is that it was only a few days after really discovering "Safe European Home" by The Clash.  I've written a lot about The Clash, but I (and most others I believe) have overlooked their 1978 sophomore LP "Give 'Em Enough Rope".  It's not a bad LP, but it doesn't really have any memorable singles and is overshadowed by their first LP (by virtue of being first) and their third, 1979's iconic "London Calling".  The first song on the LP is "Safe European Home", and it is arguably the best song on the LP.  But the lyrics are nearly as indecipherable as "Welcome To Jamrock", so only last week did I really sit down and study them.  I've mentioned before where The Clash spearheaded punk's interest in reggae, but "Safe European Home" is the story of their bad experiences on an early trip to Jamaica, the reality of which did not match the tourism image:

Wasn't I lucky n' wouldn't it be loverly?  
Send us all cards, an' have a laying in on a Sunday  
I was there for two weeks, so how come I never tell  
That natty dread drinks at the Sheraton hotel?  

Now they got the sun, an' they got the palm trees  
They got the weed, an' they got the taxis  
Whoa, the harder they come, n' the home of ol' bluebeat
Yes I'd stay an' be a tourist but I can't take the gun play     

So despite both "Welcome to Jamrock" and "Safe European Home" existing for quite some time, I somehow managed to "discover" them both in the space of a few days.  Apparently little has changed in Jamaica in the nearly 30 years between The Clash's initial visit and Damian's dirge. 

The connection to "My Fair Lady"?  Danette pointed out the sly "wouldn't it be loverly" reference in "Safe European Home", "loverly" reflecting Joe Strummer's adopted Cockney, blue-collar focus.   How many punk songs do you know that sneak in a Broadway reference?

In addition to the "My Fair Lady" reference, the last minute of "Safe European Home" also gives us a preview of a song to come: note the the "Rudie, Rudie, Rudie, ... Rudie Can't Fail" lyrics, which would become a song of its own on "London Calling" ("Rudie" = "Rude Boy").  

Damian Marley: "Welcome To Jamrock"

The Clash: "Safe European Home" (studio), "Safe European Home" (live from the 1980 "Rude Boy" film; note that Joe Strummer often improvised lyrics during live performances)

Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros: "Safe European Home"

Ini Kamoze: "World a Music (Out In The Streets They Call It Merther)"

Audrey Hepburn: "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"

Julie Andrews: "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"