Wire - "On The Box: 1979" (concert)

This gem comes from Herbert who tweeted about a week ago "whatever your indie band does, [Wire] did it first".  Prior to this tweet, I wasn't really familiar with Wire -- I knew that a band of that name existed, and I have some of their stuff on remix LPs, but that's not really representative of their sound.  Apparently they've been active off and on since 1976, as well as being quite influential if not exactly popular.  Unlike some of their contemporaries (e.g., The Clash, The Jam, The Cure) I don't think they ever made it in the US onto radio, MTV, etc.  Maybe they should have been "The Wire" instead of just "Wire".

Herbert's tweet included this 1979 concert for the German TV show "Rockpalast", which Wire released in 2004 as "On The Box: 1979", a joint CD/DVD.  Despite having the standard issue awkward, subdued TV audience, this is actually quite a nice time capsule of a band I was mostly unaware of.  A track listing is available, but trust me: you probably haven't heard any of these songs.



I'm not really familiar enough with the band to rate this, so I'll just link to the Pitchfork review.

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.

Air - "Cherry Blossom Girl" (LP Review)

I hadn't planned to review this, but it came up in my iTunes playlist today... I really like Air and I absolutely love Hope Sandoval, so the combination of the two can't go wrong, right? Well, that's pretty much true. "Cherry Blossom Girl" is a single from Air's 2004 LP "Talkie Walkie", one of the few Air LPs I don't have. But as much as I like Air, I bought this single because of their collaboration with Hope Sandoval.

The CD single released on Astralwerks has four versions of the "Cherry Blossom Girl": a "radio mix" by Air, a version with Hope Sandoval, a mix by Simian Mobile Disco, and a demo version by Air.

I'm not sure what differentiates the radio mix from the LP version, but it is a typically good song by Air: smooth, airy, non-offensive, pop electronica. The version with Hope Sandoval is different enough to be an entirely different song: all the electronics are stripped out and Hope turns in a typical quiet, dreamy, breathy performance.

The Simian Mobile Disco version is entirely skippable. I really like nearly all the acts on Wichita Recordings, but SMD is one of their biggest artists, along with Bloc Party, and I just haven't liked anything I've heard from either of them. As far as the demo version... it is interesting to compare it with the final version, but it is skippable too.

So, whether or not you need this single depends on if you are a Hope Sandoval completist. Obviously, I am.

Standout songs: radio mix by Air, Hope Sandoval version

Skip 'em songs: Simian Mobile Disco mix, "Fanny (cbg demo)"

Final score: 6/10. Good, but necessary only for Sandoval fans.

The Cribs - "The Cribs" (LP review)

"The Cribs" is the eponymous debut LP from the West Yorkshire-based band, The Cribs. Although this LP was released in 2004, I did not discover them until 2007 on the YouTube Channel for their label "Wichita Recordings". This will be the first of many Wichita Recordings LPs featured on "F-Measure".

Quite simply, The Cribs are currently my favorite band and all of my friends have had to suffer my extolment of the band. They represent the pinnacle (?) of lo-fi -- listening to their music puts you right there, in the garage with them -- complete with constant feedback squeals and other deliciously unpolished reminders. They are not musical virtuosos, but they are songwriters almost without peer. It almost seems like damning with faint praise to say so, but they write consummate power pop songs -- three minutes of perfection with strong hooks, snarky lyrics, and a liberal dose of "whoah!" and "oh yeah!" distributed through each song.

I simply cannot understand why 1) more people don't know about this band and 2) they are not in heavy rotation on the radio. Perhaps they have suffered from comparison to "The Libertines". While I have nothing against The Libertines, such a comparison seems superficial and for my money the song writing of The Cribs is far better. If I was forced to compare, I would actually say if Weezer is quintessentially American, then The Cribs are their UK counterpart. I would go further and say The Cribs should be spoken of in the same breath as The Ramones. Yes, I think they're that good.

Standout tracks: Nearly of them, but we'll settle on: You were always the one, What about me, Baby don't sweat, Direction, Learning how to fight.  Full LP.

Skip 'em tracks: The LP-closing track "Third Outing" doesn't really work for me, but not enough for me to complain. The opening track "The Watch Trick" is not bad, but not really representative of the rest of the LP.

Final score: 10/10