A month ago, we went to the Outlaw Music Festival in Va Beach. It was an outstanding lineup: Allison Krauss & Robert Plant, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson. Unfortunately, Willie Nelson was sick and while he was originally projected to return to the tour in time for the Va Beach show, he did not join until the next show on the tour. I missed a chance to see Willie Nelson in Norfolk in 2008, and I had hoped this would be a chance to make up for that. He's 91, so realistically my chances of seeing him live are running out.
Allison Krauss and Robert Plant were the opening act, and were definitely the highlight of the show -- we would definitely see them again. For example, their interpretation of "When the Levee Breaks" was darker, more predatory and menacing that Led Zeppelin's version. Drew had seen them a couple of times before, so I sort of knew what to expect, but they exceeded my expectations and we would definitely see them again.
I saw Bob Dylan once in college (ca. 1988) and he's not exactly a showman. I mostly enjoyed his show here, even though he purposefully did some of his most obscure songs. His set fit the bar room, honky tonk aesthetic of this tour, but I certainly would have appreciated at least a couple more of his classics.
Since Willie was still too ill to perform, Lukas played his set. He looks and sounds like a lot like his father, and they made the best of the situation. We enjoyed the set, but we couldn't quite shake the feeling that we were watching a Willie Nelson tribute band.
Even with the limitations, we enjoyed the concert and it was an evening well-spent (even though it was a million degrees). But the song that I am choosing to mark the event is not one that they performed, but one that we heard in between sets. It is a cover of Pearl Jam's 2009 "Just Breathe", a single from their 2009 LP "Backspacer", a late-career "hit" for Pearl Jam that I always enjoyed. I did not know until that evening that Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson did this as a duet for Willie's 2012 LP "Heroes". It's a great song, and they turn in an inspired cover, and I could not help but think of Johnny Cash's work with Rick Rubin.
I heard this on 96X in the car the other day and the song stuck with me. The DJ said it had been "big in France" for a while but it had just arrived here. Googling the next day I found out that it requires some unpacking. The song is "This Girl", and the 2016 release is from the French DJ Kungs (aka Valentin Brunel) and it's a remix of the 2009 song by the Australian funk/soul/Motown revival group Cookin' on 3 Burners (who remind me of St. Paul and the Broken Bones), featuring Kylie Auldist.
The original version sounds like it was recorded in the mid 70s and the Kungs version is a sped up, house version. Both are enjoyable and worth checking out.
Kungs vs. Cookin' on 3 Burners: "This Girl"
Cookin' on 3 Burners: studio, live
Happy birthday Danette! Continuing the long tradition of birthday mix tape songs, this year's entry is The Avett Brothers "Kick Drum Heart", from their 2009 major label debut "I and Love and You".
It's a fun song and a fan favorite at concerts, but it makes the
Danette birthday list for two reasons. First, it poetically captures of
the ecstatic moments of breathless young love:
Mother Mary heard us approaching her door
Though we didn't make a sound
and second, it fast forwards and nicely describes the small wonders of everyday love:
There's nothing like finding gold
Within the rocks hard and cold
I'm so surprised to find more
Always surprised to find more
I won't look back anymore
I left the people that do
It's not the chase that I love
It's me following you
With Danette I'm lucky enough to continually & simultaneously experience both aspects.
I wish I had a better story of my discovery of We Were Promised Jetpacks... Perhaps a recommendation from one of my well-connected friends (Butch, Terry, Herbert, Johan, Joy, Scott, etc.), or hearing them at a small club while on travel, or some connection to The Cribs, or something equally cool. Instead, I first heard them in the soundtrack of "Hall Pass", which featured the song "Quiet Little Voices" as the otherwise bland film's most memorable moment. From the little snippet of lyrics I heard ("I'm young again..."), it took me a while to determine the artist and song, but afterwards I quickly sampled some of their other music and then ordered their debut 2009 LP "These Four Walls".
I haven't been disappointed. WWPJ works the Pixies loud-soft-loud formula to perfection, and their Scottish burr makes it sound all the better (e.g., "beh-her star-ah naow" --> "better start now"). I think there is a rule that all reviews of WWPJ must compare them to fellow Scotts & label mates "Frightened Rabbit" (e.g., the Allmusic review). I realize I discovered WWPJ first, but after several listenings of "The Midnight Organ Fight", I can say WWPJ rawks much harder than FR. In fact, that might be what I like best about this LP: this is basically a metal LP for grown ups. And I don't mean that in an alt-metal, later Queensryche Pink-Floyd-wannabe kind of way, but rather in a more Pixies or Weezer kind of way, but without the wry humor. For example, when Frank Black sings "Got me a movie / I want you to know/ Slicin' up eyeballs / I want you to know", its playful and mischievous. But it is just disturbing when Adam Thompson sings:
Somethings happened in the attic,
There's no way I am going up there,
Somethings happened in the attic,
We both know I'm not going up there,
Somethings happened in the attic,
This is my house, This is my home
Lyrically, many of the songs have a creepy ambiguity between the victim and antagonist. Musically, it is more like metal (albeit with a melodic pop sensibility), with an almost martial, heavily structured and almost formal progression from segment to segment. Listen to "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" and how the tension builds from 1:20-3:10 on the way to the chorus. That's not how punk songs are structured (the Pixies would never take two minutes to reach their destination); that's pure metal. Weezer occasionally does that with songs like "Only In Dreams".
I suppose an unkind review could say WWPJ has just written the same song 11 times. Sure, there is a formula here but who cares when the formula is this good.
My fascination with Camera Obscura continues; they're still perhaps the biggest cult band that you've never heard of. 2009 saw the release of their fourth studio LP, "My Maudlin Career". I have to confess that I was disappointed at first, especially considering how much I loved their prior LP "Let's Get Out Of This Country". The lead single and the LP's opening song, "French Navy", might be their strongest song ever, but after that the LP treads water. While none of the songs are bad -- some are even quite good -- it just doesn't come together as well as their prior LPs even though all the standard Camera Obscura motifs are present.
Having said that, Camera Obscura treading water is still better than most bands and after repeated listening my opinion of this LP has improved. In prior reviews I've struggled to describe their sound with terms like "NPR indie rock" and "pop songs for adults", so I won't try further here. Even though it might be their weakest LP to date, it should still be in your collection.
Some things you just have to listen to... "Cell Mates" is the single off the 2009 self-titled LP by Mariachi El Bronx. The twist is, in a sense, there really is no band called Mariachi El Bronx -- it is just the mariachi alter-ego of the punk band The Bronx. How does a punk band decide to do mariachi music? Prolonged cultural exposure, not unlike the observation I made about Danette and myself with respect to hip hop in the review of "My Philosophy". Quoting frontman Matt Caughthran:
"[the LP] was something that was a part of us that we didn't really realize. I
mean, being from Los Angeles and, you know, growing up and surrounded by
Mexican culture, it just kind of happened."
I'm not qualified to evaluate this song as mariachi music, but it sure is fun. And the b-side of this single? A mariachi cover of Prince's
"I Would Die 4 U". That's right: a punk band masquerading as a mariachi band, covering Prince.
I've been putting this one off for almost two years now... Here's the short version: The Cribs' fourth LP, 2009's "Ignore the Ignorant", is a good LP, but the addition of Johnny Marr in 2008 ultimately hurt them more than it helped.
It is ok to speak of this now, since in April The Cribs announced that Johnny Marr had left the band amicably. While I respect Marr & The Smiths, and The Cribs have a history of working with a number of alt-rock veterans (e.g., Lee Renaldo on "Be Safe", Jon Slade on "Advice From a Roving Artist"), I'm first and foremost a Cribs fan. And although I liked the idea of an extended collaboration with Johnny, it just didn't work as well as it might have. I'm glad they tried it; the Jarman brothers are cool with it, Johnny is cool with it, so I can be cool with it too.
The primary problem with this LP is the song writing is not as crisp as it was on their previous releases. Perhaps that reflects the presence of Johnny Marr upsetting the song writing dynamic of the Jarman brothers: either his input didn't always mesh with them, or maybe they changed their style to accommodate him (Marr is about finesse, while The Cribs, let's be honest, are at their best just bashing it out). Or maybe it is just The Cribs are no longer "sixteen and really bored" (I lifted that association from someone, but I've forgotten where) and they're not going to have that earnest urgency of their youth. Whatever the reason, it seems like there are fewer Cribs trademarks: sing-along choruses, hooks and memorable riffs, and vocal trade-offs between twins Gary and Ryan.
The secondary but still critical problem with this LP is its production. Producer Nick Launay should be shot. Yes, Alex Krapanos's entry in the "loudness war" from the previous LP is gone, but in its place Launay appeared to have recorded the band from a building next door to where they were playing, with the music piped through a muddy tube. He's managed to find the no man's land between the (overly) bright loudness of the prior LP and the endearing lo-fi sound of their first two. Please work with Edywn Collins again.
Because of the addition of Marr and his influence on the song writing, I'm going to break with my typical review structure and instead go song-by-song (all songs are listed as co-written by all four band members):
We Were Aborted: Wow, what a strong start. Although not officially released as a single, the band made this song a free download prior to the release of the LP. Lyrically and musically, this song rawks as hard as any of their earlier material (i.e., it sounds pre-Marr).
Cheat on Me: This was their first single from the LP and it is a great song. I hear a small Marr influence in the guitar riffs, but it works great and if the entire LP sounded like this I'd have no complaints. We Share The Same Skies: Their 2nd (and last) single sounds like a long-lost demo from The Smiths. If Morrisey ever did a cover of this song, you'd swear it would belong on "Louder Than Bombs". It is actually a good song, but it doesn't sound like The Cribs at all.
City of Bugs: WTF?! Where did this Sonic Youth sound-alike come from? It is also a pretty good song, even though it doesn't "sound like" The Cribs until the break about 3 minutes in.
Hari Kari: An almost classic Cribs song. All the pieces are there, but they just don't come together. Last Year's Snow: Similar to "We Share The Same Skies"; Gary belts this one out, but it would be easy to imagine Morrisey singing. Emasculate Me: Like "Hari Kari" above; it sounds like someone else (Marr?) trying to write a song that sounds like The Cribs. Skip.
Ignore the Ignorant: The title track is strong, sounds like The Cribs, and is a primary exhibit for what a bad job Launay did. Save Your Secrets: Another song that appears to have all the elements, but they never come together. It treads dangerously close to piano ballad territory. Skip.
Victim of Mass Production: On any of their other LPs, this would be considered a weak song. The influence of The Replacements can be heard here ("we're not supposed to be here anyway!").
Stick To Yr Guns: A pretty good song, similar to pre-Marr songs like "Shoot The Poets" and "Haunted". This is the song that "Save Your Secrets" (above) wanted to be but failed.
All of the above adds up to a good, solid LP that should be in your collection. And if you've never heard of The Cribs, you'll probably even like this more -- at least until you discover how excellent their prior work is. Yes, I realize going on about how much better their earlier LPs are is so cliche that it deserves its own song (cf. "Our Bovine Public"). On the other hand, NME & Pitchfork rate this LP highly because their trying to make up for completely whiffing on their earlier LPs.
Hopefully their future work will return to their lo-fi roots and we'll just think of "Ignore the Ignorant" as a curious collaboration that lasted 2+ years and produced over one LP's worth of material.
* In August 2010, the 4-piece Cribs released a one-sided 7" single, "Housewife". It's not a bad song, but it is so different I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
2020-08-29 update / bonus link: I found the documentary "Secrets Saved", covering the recording of the LP. It was included as part of the "Roses Edition" box set. It's interesting to see what went into the recording of the LP, as well as the interaction with Johnny Marr. But it's hard to hear them praising Nick Launay when I consider him the villain of this story.
I've listened to this EP enough times to render an opinion: despite how much we (the collective we) want Lissy Trullie to be the next Lissy Phair / Lissy Ramone / Lissy Hynde, she's not quite there. She's got the style, but not (yet) the substance. Released in 2009, her 6 track EP "Self-Taught Learner" generated a lot of buzz (e.g., reviews in altsounds, Rolling Stone), but ultimately this emperor has clothes, but not fully matured song-writing chops. The neo-punk attitude's there and the production is clean enough not to inhibit mainstream appeal, but I guess there is a reason why the record labels have been riding this first release for the last two years.
The version I have was actually re-released later in 2009 on Downtown Records and features slightly different cover art (and no, that's not Lissy on the cover) and an additional 4 songs: 2 new songs, an unreleased demo, and a phoned in version of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" (with Adam Green). If you have the 6 track version, you're fine -- the 4 new tracks don't add much. None of the 10 songs are really bad, but only a couple really stand out. Here's hoping her song writing improves, she hooks up with a better partner, or does more inspired covers like her version of Hot Chip's "Ready for the Floor".
Earlier this year I reviewed Lukid's first LP, "Onandon". I was especially impressed with the depth, variety, sophistication and restraint Lukid (real name: Luke Blair) showed in his music. Not long after that review, I got a copy of his second LP, 2009's "Foma" (also released on Werk Discs like the first LP). I've been putting off reviewing "Foma" because I was trying to absorb everything it presents. Most LPs I review here are with the benefit of repeated listens and reflection (read: the reviews are "less than timely"). And while Danette has accused me of handing out too many "10/10" scores, I don't see how I can give this less than a perfect score -- I can't find a single fault with the entire LP.
This is more than just yet another electronica record. There are quiet, subtle songs ("Ice Nine", "Raise High the Roof Beam", "Foma"), smooth grooves ("Veto", "Ski Fly", "Slow Hand Slap", "Time Doing So Mean"), thick base lines ("Saddlebags", "Fall Apart") and dubstep ("Chord"). There's even a prog rock homage: "Laughin". Ok, maybe "Laughin" should be labeled post rock, but whatever -- it's excellent. It's always unfair to compare artists, but I'd triangulate Lukid somewhere between Plastikman, RJD2, and Fatboy Slim.
This is an LP that you can really listen to & study, and it's also something you can just put in the background and enjoy the beats. It rewards your attention, but does not demand it.
"The Golden Spike" is the 2009 debut LP from the UK trio Sky Larkin. I discovered them on Wichita RecordingsYouTube page, a place from which I've discovered many great bands (including The Cribs and Peter Bjorn and John) in the last year or two. Wichita Recordings is signing amazing bands and doing a great job of promoting them via the web (many are in the queue to be reviewed).
I was so excited about "The Golden Spike" that I ordered the UK copy as soon as it was released -- I couldn't wait for the US version that was to follow a few months later. Prior to the release of TGS, Sky Larkin released two singles from the LP. The first, "Fossil, I", is a good song but the second, "Beeline", is an infectious indie pop song tour de force. I can't imagine why this song has not received more buzz. Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Ones" received well-deserved radio airplay -- why not "Beeline"?
Nestor Matthews (drums) and Doug Adams (bass) are a good rhythm section but it is fair to say that the band's unique sound is defined by Katie Harkin, both as a vocalist and guitarist. Harkin perfectly captures the lo-fi, indie sound -- the closest comparison I can think of is Juliana Hatfield (updated by 15-20 years).
My only criticism of this LP (and it is a small criticism) is that at this point Sky Larkin seems to be a better singles band than LP band: the songs work a bit better one or two at a time than 12 (or 13, counting the hidden track) in a row. There are no bad songs on the LP, but they're not all at the level of "Beeline", "Matador" or some of my other favorites.
2009-10-19 Update: I found this short interview with the band discussing Wichita Recordings, making the "Fossil, I" video and other tidbits on the "BenevolentShadows" YouTube Channel. It closes with a sample of this live version of "Matador".
