Album Review- John Doe- Fables in a Foreign Land

One of the consistent albums in 90s cutoff bins was 1990 Geffen/DGC release Meet John Doe. The solo debut from the X leader featured Richard Lloyd on guitar and writing contributions from Exene Cervenka and John Hiatt. It is a decent album that I’ve played quite a bit over the years. It’s easy to second guess why it wasn’t a bigger success. Maybe it needed to be released a few years sooner (in the prime days of Tracy Chapman, Cowboy Junkies and Roseanne Cash), I’m not sure, and maybe it’s naive to suggest it ever would have been a big seller regardless. It’s nothing flashy, just a country and blues tinged raw roots record. I have followed Doe’s solo career, and have always expected him to do an album that surpassed his debut and is on par with the great X albums. I don’t think he has quite managed to do it. 2016’s The Westerner came close- an album that paired him with Howe Gelb of Giant Sand. So I guess it is a little surprise that the follow up to that album and the acclaimed 2020 X album Alphabetland- that Doe may have his best solo album yet. It could be called the John Doe Trio (which is the way the tour is being marketed) but that’s probably why it’s a consistent listen. Making up the trio is Kevin Smith (Willie Nelson, Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks) on upright bass and Conrad Choucron (Patty Griffin, NRBQ) on drums. Occasional accompaniment There’s an impressive list of songwriters too that includes Cervenka, Shirley Manson and Doe co-writes with Terry Allen and Louie West (Los Lobos). I’m reminded of Chuck Mead’s recent work- songs that harken to an older time -not only musically (to the early rock n roll years), but also lyrically (big 19th Century western vibes); are often serious but occasionally punctuated with humor (see “El Romance-O”), and can only fit in some uncategorizable Americana singer-songwriter box like say, David Alvin or Neko Case or James McMurty.

What I am listening to : FJ McMahon

One of the recent trends is “lost albums”. In a musical industry context much different than even a decade or two ago. I have mentioned a few albums that were released to near complete silence and have been embraced by a new generation of indie rockers. I can only picture record scouts traveling across the country hitting garage sales and thrift shops, the way they used to go to small clubs. “Spirit of the Golden Juice” by FJ McMahon was first recorded and released in 1969, but in 2017 was released by Sacred Bones records- a fantastic record label known for bands who usually make a certain amount of noise like The Men, Crystal Stilts, and Moon Duo. I’m my mind, there are similarities to Jim Sullivan’s lost classic UFO. For one, both were championed by Uncut magazine which is where I first discovered them. They both came out in 1969 and show a hint of the songwriting boom of the 70s. Both stay close to the Fred Neil/Tim Hardin school - a rich voice telling personal stories. In McMahon’s case, he was a California musician whose life took him from playing surf rock to returning a Vietnam War veteran. He released a small presssing of his album and toured the coast. So it was a career in computer electronics for him, until he picked up a guitar again in 2017 to relearn his classic album and play backed by the band Quilt. “Golden Juice” is sparse, but couple that with McMahon’s talent as a guitarist really creates something magical. It is for me, some stronger songs that being this album along. It also no doubt benefits from brevity. Surely at some point, McMahon would have had to recorded more pop schmaltz. “Five Year Kansas Blues” is one of those first listen “grabber”s. It is pretty clear that it’s about a conscientious objector but it took me a couple of listens to piece together the references to the Draft and Leavenworth, as it has an old Western feel. I was imagining 1860s and not 1960s on first listen. Opening track “Sister Brother” sounds like the song selected for a single. It’s a little bit more produced but the same elements are there. “One Alone Together” is a juxtaposition of a plaintive ballad over a guitar and drums that seemingly want to break free. Vietnam themes pop up with regularity. Production inevitably helps differentiate the songs, which can feel similar end-to-end which is probably the weakest part of what is otherwise a contemplative and melancholic lost classic.

Documentary Watch - American Masters: Brian Wilson

The most recent PBS installment of American Masters is Brian Wilson. I think it does as good of a job of telling the Wilson story as one can given only 80 minutes. Wilson is of course, anxious and interviewer Jason Fine from Rolling Stone magazine is someone who Wilson has a comfort level with. So we get a good conversation and a few insightful moments like Brian listening to the “Pacific Ocean Blue” album in its entirety for the first time. Wilson is someone we have wrapped with the great Rock n Roll myth. I suspect we tend to take those young and hugely famous as Brian and mentally stereotype them, as he talks about the infamous living room sandbox. We do get a very human side of Brian. He feels like an uncle or an older relative. It’s clear life is not easy for him, but he is not a totally mental casualty as sometimes he gets portrayed either. Wilson improbably has become a very active live performer recently, but you can still tell life outside his home is difficult for him. Through Fine, we get as close as a sit down with the legend as most anyone ever will. It is probably impossible to tell the story of Wilson without mentioning Eugene Landy, the disgraced celebrity psychologist. It’s still a complicated relationship in that it was surely hurtful for Brian, but Brian still sees positive in it. There are a great deal of celebrities and collaborators who chime in - Elton John, Springsteen, Nick Jonas, Linda Perry, Don Was, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Jakob Dylan as well as archival footage of Carl and Dennis and on a sad note, the recently late Taylor Hawkins. I’m not a huge fan of Brian Wilson I’m the expected sense of the word. I love the early Beach Boys hits. I think “Pet Sounds” and “Smile” are just ok. There I said it. There are going to be a lot of opinions around this movie, and certainly about Brian. I think it is a good portrait, done respectfully and I enjoyed it. (I did not realize this but this episode was released last year as the movie “Long Promised Road”)

RIP Chris Bailey

Chris Bailey, former lead singer of Australian punk band The Saints passed away this April. I have to admit my knowledge of the Saints doesn’t go much past the classic single “I’m Stranded” But I was aware of the band. A friend with more knowledge than me encouraged me to pick up some Ed Kuepper discs from the cutouts in the 90s. I saw Bailey open for Nick Cave. Bailey had appeared on Nocturama and I’m sure Cave was paying tribute and homage to Bailey by including him on the song "Bring It On" and the tour which Bailey opened and joined for the song. Nocturama by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds is an unloved record. Released in the Web 2.0 days, the reviews are well documented and most of the regular players hated it. Allmusic gave it 2.5 stars out of 5. I remember being disappointed on first listen. Cave, known for his dramatic lyrics and themes, seems to be trying to be extremely accessible and simple. Over the years, I actually like Nocturama quite a bit. A Cave album I might be more likely to pick up for a listen than more critically acclaimed Cave records. “Bring it On” is a tour de force. Cave always had great duets with women, but I felt his male duets (Blixa Bargeld, Shane MacGowan) sometimes don’t reach those peaks. The video for Bring it On is over the top like a rap video, made for Web2.0 services like Yahoo Music and others that were filling the MTV void. Naively, one can almost imagine the song on radio, but even released in the golden age of White Stripes, Radiohead, the Strokes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs et al, Nick was always going to be too weird for that. (One of the paradoxes of the current music businesses is songs break through other ways than radio. Via Peaky Blinders, Cave songs have got tens of millions of views on streaming music services and YouTube. By any definition, that is a hit) But it is still one of my all time favorites. Bailey and Cave have so much swagger between them, that the result is a powerhouse (and on record, as it builds, to (presumably) Blixa’s piercing scream) I also recently read Heylin’s “From the Velvets to the Voidoids” which documents NYC punk but gets the fact (and a quick glance at Wikipedia) that Australia was already head of the game before “Ramones” was released. The Saints formed in 1973 and “I’m Stranded” released in September of 1976 predates any releases by the Damned, Buzzcocks, Clash or Sex Pistols.

Documentary Watch - Reelz Front Man: Axl Rose and Front Man: Alice Cooper

I am a sucker for music documentaries so of course I checked out the Reelz “Front Man” series. Specifically some of my favorite metal men - Axl Rose and Alice Cooper. In certain crowds, it’s not cool to like Guns N Roses, but I am a fan. Even worse, I am actually a big fan of when Axl fully embraced his inner Freddie Mercury and started writing rock epics. Heck, I even like Chinese Democracy at least a little bit. I relate to the small boy who moved to the big city and Axl certainly reminds me of metal head friends I had in high school. I never met a rock doc I didn’t like, but Front Man isn’t making great docs. The focus is on the sensational aspects of its subject. Axl has certainly had a volatile personality. Guests include early friend Vickie Hamilton and people like Tom Zutaut who “found” the band and biographer Mick Wall. But it doesn’t diverge much from talking about how messed up Axl was and the (genuine) reasons he was that way. Music is only the background occupation he has. Im not sure Use Your Illusion was even mentioned at all. Like most of the Reelz docs, it draws largely from one interview ( in this case, 2012 with Jimmy Kimmel). It at least gives a decent coda with Axl finding stability with manager Beta Lebies. I am not sure there are romantic attractions between the two as the doc implies, but I have seen her credited as a “ mother figure” or “work wife” elsewhere. I would mostly recommend this doc for only people interested in the early life of Axl. Front Man Alice Cooper fares a bit better. Once again the music is a background mention to the more flamboyant life of the performer. In this case, that means it is more focused on the breakup of the Alice Cooper Band, with Alice going solo and the cocaine binge years called “Alice’s lost years”. On the plus side, there’s a lot of input from Dee Snyder who knows a thing or two about the kind of rock musician life as Alice. If you are a Cooper fan, there’s probably nothing new here, but it does cover his recent career- with a focus on his Christianity and playing Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. Again, not much about the great albums he recorded but fans of modern day Alice will no doubt enjoy it. Casual fans could do better going elsewhere. Either way, give Dee Snider the mic for an hour and you’re going to be entertained.

Documentary Watch -Classic Albums - Rio

I caught the “Rio” episode of the British documentary series “Classic Albums”. I don’t know that I considered Rio to be the best of best albums though I do consider Duran Duran a great singles band and they are definitely an all time favorite of mine. For me, if asked to name ‘the’ classic Duran album, I might opt for the first one. It’s got some sublime moments and in the case of “Planet Earth” an all time great hit. Wanting to emulate Bowie, Roxy et al- they did in fact reach the peak and defined an era with that song (“like some new romantic looking for the TV sound”. ) The title track is nearly enough in itself to cement Classic status along with the yacht video and the Nagel album cover. Rio is surprisingly deep when you revisit it 40 years later. “My Own Way” is one of the band’s least favorite singles, but it’s a hidden 80s classic- like many of the songs here, as much Chic as Bowie/Ferry. Of Duran songs (and 80s songs in general) Lonely in your Nightmare isn’t particularly a standout track, but has aged better than most songs of the time. Hungry Like The Wolf is on par with Rio as being a decade defining moment, after that, it’s largely album tracks. But in that, not necessarily unremarkable, “Hold Back the Rain” in any other timeline would have been a smash pop hit. “New Religion” sounds awful on paper, going deeper into the funk sounds with LeBon rapping. It works though, with the underappreciated Andy and John Taylor”s guitar and bass work, sort of anticipating the “dark wave” movement. You likely know “Save A Prayer”, a successful single and one of my favorite Duran moments- LeBon sings plaintively while the band backs with an exotic sound that was promised from the album’s title and cover (and infamous video, check out the Wikipedia entry for that story). “The Chauffeur” ends the album - likely best known for the infamous R rated video. While it lacks the arena prowess of Duran’s biggest singles, it is one of the bands finest musical moments. If you only considered the band a pop band, surely this song will change your mind. What this episode did was remind me of course of just how talented this band was, but more surprisingly how instrumental Nick Rhodes was in crafting the end product. Nick creating the infectious Rio opening, the “do”s in Hungry like the Wolf, and finding the distinct sound for “Save a Prayer”. While I don’t think the rest of the band gets enough credit (John Taylor and Andy Taylor did some amazing things, and I haven’t even mentioned LeBon as the perfect front man for a group like this), I was impressed with how much Rhodes contributed and am surprised he never went on to do more outside of Duran. Now, he did coproduce the very Duran-y “Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo, but the only other significant work I know of besides that is the Dandy Warhols 2002 “Welcome to the Monkey House” record. Not surprisingly, I like that album quite a bit. The Warhols aspired to be heirs to the Durans, and they are one of my favorite bands of the last 20 years. If you are a fan, check out the video “You Were the Last High” which is a recreation of the “Planet Earth” video. You got me Classic Albums, “Rio” is really an excellent record.

Concert- Mark Wills

Des Moines has a special relationship with Inside (Arena) Football. Famously, Kurt Warner went from stocking grocery store shelves to Arena Football to being a NFL star. There was recently a movie about it, you might have even heard about. The Arena Football League stands as the most successful Spring football league ever. At various points, Des Moines was in and out of this league. The AFL was often on national tv. I think most sports fans knew Jon Bon Jovi co-owned a team called the Philadelphia Soul. Few others may remember in the peak that Vince Neil and the rock band Kiss (separately) bought into franchises. I was a bit bummed when the Barnstormers jumped to the Indoor Football League in 2015, but in retrospect, the Arena league had seen a high watermark and folded in 2019. The last few years have seen a lot of alternative leagues like the USFL, the XFL and the AAF. It doesn’t leave a ton of talent for the indoor leagues. Noticeably, the Barnstormers don’t draw like they used to, yet I know quite a few diehard fans. For the most part, the IFL is a spot for otherwise under the radar players getting a chance to show themselves. The Barnstormers most dynamic star is from a small university (Carson-Newman) running back/wide receiver Antonio Wimbush. The Quarterback too (U of Idaho) is undersized 5’11” but talented and fast- Darius James Peterson. Before the game, there was a free concert by Mark Wills. I suspect the name might not ring bells, but he was a very successful country artist for a time. He is not my normal cup of tea- one of the many 90s Sonic descendants of George Strait, but hugely popular and my wife is a fan. He charted 16 songs in the Country Top 40 from 1996-2003 - eight went Top 10 with two reaching #1 and three more that reached #2. He took five songs to the Hot 100. Wills biggest song was 2002’s nostalgic “19 Something” which was one of the biggest hits of Y2K era country. I suspect many would know “I Do (Cherish You) which though Wills did it first, was probably even bigger when performed by 98 degrees. Another big hit was his cover of Brian McKnight’s “Back to One”. Although he performed all his big hits, he did not perform “What Hurts the Most” which he recorded originally- three years prior to Rascal Flatts having a huge crossover hit with it. An interesting bit of the Setlist was three songs from the group Alabama, which I thought was interesting. Alabama kind of dominated country in the pre-Garth days and crossed over to the pop charts quite a bit in the 80s. Although we didn’t hear much about Alabama, they seem to be popping up again. There is certainly a line from the rock-influenced country of Alabama to modern country music like Luke Bryan (and a music detective would no doubt find that string through the aforementioned artists like Wills and Rascal Flatts but also a lot of the Y2k era contemporaries like Lonestar and Montgomery Gentry. That Eagles/Poco/Charlie Daniels/Marshall Tucker derived rock sound now dominating the “cowboy hat” market that Wills arrived initially in.

Album Review- The Arcade Fire- WE

I think there were a lot of us impressed by Arcade Fire’s “Funeral”. I (at least very briefly) contemplated traveling across the country to see them live. It was such a scene-changing disc. Arcade Fire seemed a bit more grounded in rock on their next two records, shifting into a band that was defining 00s indie rock as influenced as much by Bruce Springsteen as anyone. I still rate “The Suburbs” quite highly. With a three year layoff, they made another direction change with Reflektor. A Sandinista size mess that had some of their best singles hidden in it’s nearly hour and a half run time. 2017’s Everything Now seems an extension of the move to electronic dance rock and I thought then my love affair with the band had come to an end. Those thoughts lingered as I first heard WE, the surely difficult sixth album (I’m just making that up- is it a thing -LA Woman, Green, The Head on the Door, Physical Graffiti, Music for the Masses, New Order’s Republic, Van Halen’s 1984- you decide). But I have come around to WE which is a slight turn on the Arcade Fire experience which is likely to win as many as it turns away. The titles suggest a throwback to Funeral, but it’s a mix of the personal themes of those follow ups and then the electronic dance beat of Reflektor. Reviews seem to be either really high or really low. I think after a few listens, I am with the former, while acknowledging the shortcomings that cause the latter. In many ways, I am reminded of their contemporaries (a band whose timeline is very similar with just one more album in the discography) the Killers- a band that might not immediately spring to mind sonically. However, like the Killers recent work, Arcade Fire seems to be pushing through on just raw ambition, confidence and conviction. WE is an album that doesn’t sound like much on paper, and I suspect the lyric sheet looks more like The Stooges than Dylan. But Win Butler is as unshakable as Brandon Flowers, and the band is in fine form (and Régine Chassagne’s contribution can’t be overlooked). I think a big asset is that it’s a relatively short album (40 mins) and most songs generally end around four minutes with rare exception (“Rabbit Hole” follows “Reflektor” and “Nightlife” as a song that succeeds despite being essentially a repetitive dance floor jam). Another interesting and a bit ironic part to me has also been remarked upon by others in passing or in part. When Funeral came out in 2004, it did not sound like anything else. WE sounds like a band who has binged on the music that immediately preceded 2004 and it is chock full of that influence- Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, Flaming Lips, and Radiohead. Overall, I think Arcade Fire succeeded in what they wanted to do with WE. Now, listening to a new Arcade Fire album while not considering the band’s legacy is going to be next to impossible. I can’t do much to convince people who won’t like this, but I think I am a fan

Album Review- Tejon Street Corner Thieves- Thick as Thieves

One of my recent discoveries is the Colorado based Tejon Corner Street Thieves. Last years Stolen Goods was an enjoyable listen- old folk songs given a modern touch TCST are out of that tradition of mixing punk ethos and classic Americana themes. They call their music “trashgrass”. There weren’t many bands like this 20 year ago, but there’s quite a few now whose stock in trade is Murder Ballads and Southern Goth. It is probably descended from the mix of the 80s Cowpunk bands, the 90s No Depression crowd and the Outlaw Country genre (with occasional nods to Cave and Cash). Denver’s 16 Horsepower were surely one of the first of this strain of alt country, but the list has just grown, with along the way, with some of the biggest names being Those Poor Bastards, The Devil Makes Three and Murder By Death. If you haven’t heard these bands, they’ve been covered by bigger names like Hank Williams 3 or showed up in movies like Inglorious Bastards. These days, it isn’t an original idea any more, so it comes down to whether these bands have a charismatic front person and whether the band has tunes. That’s where TCST stands out. Also as an aside, TCST are given credit as the first band during the pandemic to do “drive by” concerts where they would literally drive where their fans requested them.

Album Review- Belle and Sebastian- A Bit of Previous

I’ve written about Belle and Sebastian plenty, but here goes. The first four albums are every superlative in the book in my eyes. After the fourth album, Isobel Campbell left the band and the band seemed to move into a more pop oriented (or as pop as this band could possibly get) direction that has defined them since. (All writing about the band indicate that Isobel had very little creative input into the band at that the two points are coincidental. I just say the two happened at the same time). The band would title a later album “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance” but the band in this second stage did seem to add a little boogie to their melancholy. Although it took me some time to come around, there are plenty of latter era songs that can hang with their best. At 25 years in, they have unexpectedly became a dependable rock (in their terms) workhorse, even releasing live albums. I have seen very high rated and very low rated reviews for this album. If you like the last decade of their work, I think it is good odds that you won’t be disappointed. But as a longtime fan myself, I also wish there were a couple of songs that were on the same level as the highlights of Girls in Peacetime. I think for me, this means I imagine this will place lower (over time) in rating my favorite B&S discs, but it is still a consistent listen and it is a rewarding listen, just a throwback to a bit of the “recent” previous.

Album Review- Calexico- El Mirador

Let’s talk first a bit about Calexico’s “Hot Rail”. When I first heard the 2001 album, I was blown away. It was the kind of genre mashup like the first time I heard the Pogues (Celtic punk) or the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (ska and hardcore punk). Though not the bands first album, it was my first exposure to them and still holds up as this completely inventive idea- traditional Tex-Mex music meets Rock. Such a game changer that Uncut just named it # 214 of the best albums of the last 30 years. On a side note, outside of Uncut’s championing (which led to my discovery) -Allmusic, Rolling Stone and Christgau all panned it. Ironically, the UK press being a bigger fan of Americana than the States. Also, I was aware of Jump For Joey, the pre-Calexico ska meet big band group with Joey Burns and I thought they were lame. What’s interesting about Jump With Joey is that they predate the Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Cherry Poppin Daddies and that swing 90s revival as well as predating a lot of Third Wave ska bands. I truly should revisit that band. (Lest you forget, like I did, Burns next move, taking advantage of 90s trends, was the Friends of Dean Martinez) In any case, from those unlikely roots came Calexico, a band that has been prolific (12 albums and plenty of EPs in 26 years) and has done the unexpected (collaborating with Iron and Wine, Lisa Germano and Howe Gelb and various times crossing paths with artists as diverse as Tortoise, Neko Case and musician/producer JD Foster (Dwight Yoakum, Patti Griffin, Chris Mars)). Calexico has carried on, often to critical acclaim (2006's Garden Ruin and 2012 Algiers, to name maybe the most loved outside Hot Rail). With the workhorse element of the band, I have to admit I have watched their activity but not necessarily closely. It would be incorrect to say “El Mirador” is a return to form, but it certainly feels like an album that states “You may have not listened to us in awhile, but check this out”. There’s a very clean feel to the album, so I am not sure that any Top 40 radio station would ever play this, but one would like to think they could sneak it in. It’s hard to otherwise point out what is different about this album, but it feels like a lot went into putting together the best 12 songs that fit their style. There is (as always) a number of guest contributors who I am sure provide an extra creative spark. It is interesting for me (as far as the desert as I can be in Iowa) that a local artist Pieta Brown has become a consistent member of the band going back over a decade, and has a couple of writing credits on this record.

What I am listening to - The Pixies (Live from Murat Theatre, Indianapolis June 7, 2005)

Over the years, the Pixies have released albums of somewhere around 17 concerts they have performed. These were released as limited edition vinyls in pressings of 1000 copies. They have also slowly been releasing these concerts to streaming services over the last couple of years. I am a big Pixies fan, and though the classic lineup has maybe six albums worth of material (albums, EPs and Bsides), it never gets old to me. (As an aside, it’s hip not to like the Pixies Mk. 2, but they have had a few worthwhile moments and I haven’t counted out the possibility of a later era masterpiece). Of all these shows, I gravitated to the June 2005 performance at the Murat Theater. The reason was because of all the performances, the location most pertinent to my experience was Indianapolis. Without speaking to other concerts, this one is a pretty high energy show. The fidelity isn’t perfect but it’s good enough given the quality of the show. Like many of the performances that were committed to vinyl, this was from the band’s last tour with Kim Deal. Bizarrely, the set list for this show was performing the songs in alphabetical order. Probably not surprising, the set list is Doolittle heavy (12 of 27 songs) with Bossanova limited to two, and Trompe le Monde solely represented by “UMass”. Of note, other set list additions are “Into the White” (“Here Comes Your Man” b-side the band loves) “In Heaven” ( from the movie Eraserhead, another Pixies concert staple) and “Winterlong” ( the Neil Young song from the Tonight’s the Night era featured on Decade that would become an addition to the Pixies Mk 2 set list)

Album review- Harley Poe- Horrorful

CAUTION: Shock Rock ahead A few years ago, someone shared an Indianapolis and Indiana-centric Punk playlist with me. Although there was a lack of big names (Sloppy Seconds probably remain the biggest punk band to come out of the Circle City, or at least were until Margo and the Nuclear So and Sos), there was a lot of talent. One that especially grabbed me was a relatively obscure artist named Harley Poe. Now, a few years later, I see his name popping up on Reddit and gaining traction in a few places. I am not the first to say it, but Poe reminds me of the excitement of being in High School and hearing the Violent Femmes and the Dead Milkmen. Imagine that (if you were like me), but then never listening to anything else except maybe adding Misfits records into the mix. Harley Poe mix country goth with gross out horror movie lyrics. Like Spiritual forefather Alice Cooper, Harley Poe was a band, but I think the name is pretty much synonymous with Joe Whiteford. Bizarrely for a band that could almost pass for an unplugged Gwar, the core of the band started as Christian rockers. I am not sure I can reconcile that with a band who recorded an album named “Satan, Sex and No Regrets”, except I think he’s sincere (about his faith, if not the lyrics) and people probably thought the Cramps were the end of civilization, too. Fair warning, it’s hard to find a Harley Poe song without swearing. I can’t even pretend that most people will like it. But if you like genres that are called things like Ukulele Punk, Horror Folk, Acoustic Horror, and Folk Punk, if you find the Pogues more interesting than the Sex Pistols and if you think Woody Guthrie is more punk than Joe Woody Strummer, well, this might be for you.

Album Review- Soft Cell

I have spent a quite a bit of time on the Marc Almond discography (also lest we forget the still active Dave Ball dba The Grid who made an album with Robert Fripp last year) so on the event of the first Soft Cell album in 20 years ago, I’m going to focus on the duo’s albums. 1981’s Non Stop Erotic Cabaret is as good as it gets. It’s a great rock trope (small town boy in the big city a la Appetite for Destruction) and even the cover is perfect (Almond with the under the counter goods- presumably the album- in hand under his trenchcoat.) Its a fantastic start to end listen, and if it’s a bit camp, that’s only because if it wasn’t, if it was straight and sincere, it’d probably be too painful to listen to. 1983’s The Art of Falling Apart is as good as titled sequel as “The New York Dolls in Too Much Too Soon” and similarly it features a band in turmoil ready to break up. Soft Cell made a conscious decision to steer away from making a commercial radio friendly follow up and the album is generally described as a disaster. As a fan, I don’t want to oversell the second record, but it certainly is a worthwhile in that it does have some great songs. It is darker but generally always interesting. It also features the 10 minute Jimi Hendrix (?!?) medley and the George Romero inspired 10 minute “Martin” and these latter album songs are better (in my mind) than their descriptions (or reviews) imply, as they usually get a lot of blame for this albums reputation. The album is probably as good as a litmus test on how big of a Soft Cell fan you are. 1984’s This Night In Sodom is that path to the extreme. It is a difficult album in that it’s closer to Almond’s short-lived Immaculate Consumptive pals (Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch, JG Thirlwell) than new wave pop tunes. Considering myself a big fan, I would nonetheless steer most people away, even then, carrying forth the maniacal perspective of the predecessor, it does contain a few songs that are truly great- Meet Murder My Angel, Where was your Heart when you Needed it Most and Mr Self Destruct (not the Nine Inch Nails song). In 2002, the band reunited and recorded the album Cruelty Without Beauty. It could possibly be considered a great “lost album” in so much, that it didn’t get a ton of attention. It is very much in line with the bands that Soft Cell influenced (OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Yaz, etc) and is surprisingly solid as far as reunion records go. The band called it quits very publicly in September 2018 with a final show at the O2 Arena which was released as an album The new album comes somewhat as a surprise to me then, and has received generally very good reviews. As a fan, I hate to say it, as I would love to be gung ho, but I think it’s a good, not great album. The album feels very much a continuation of where TLN..IS left off. The mood is dark, outlook negative. Almond takes a couple of shots at the Holy Trinity (not only, but especially on a track called “I’m Not A Friend of God”) Thematically, it could be a sequel to N-SEC. Songs like Polaroid, Tranquiliser and Bruises on my Illusions are very much revisits and all throughout run the same themes, or reference to revisiting the time (check the title “Nostalgia Machine”). The nsfw “Nighthawks” which recalls Acid House Psychic TV with guest Christeene as some truly nonstop erotic cabaret. The most talked about song is the lead single Heart Like Chernobyl. The writer of “Sex Dwarf” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” gives us one last jaw dropper with a song that begins with “Oh dear, I feel like North Korea in the winter”. The highlight for me is probably “The Purple Zone” which is a duet with the Pet Shop Boys and sounds exactly like the intersection of the two as you might expect. I get a kick out of the video of the pairing of the synth pop legends - both duos with a wry singer and a hard working instrumentalist- surely would love to grab a beer and sit at that table. In many ways, Purple Zone incorporates the theme of the album- hitting on outsider status and aging. It’s video reflects that - with reference to the story of the LGBT+ community as shared by those who survived the 80s and 90s but also (stealing from Dickens) “the best of times and worst of times” of modern today. Also in contrast to the downbeat lyrics, the melody is a celebratory anthem that fits with the Pet Shop Boys' best. As a big fan of the band, saying I am somewhat disappointed is not meant to give the wrong impression. I will listen (and have listened) to some of the songs quite often. Other songs I am unlikely to revisit often. Most songs fit somewhere in between, but the aforementioned Purple Zone and Heart Like Chernobyl, the opener Happy Happy Happy (which fits the mold of their 2002 record) and the title track (a more upbeat variation on the Chernobyl theme) are all worthwhile additions to inevitable career spanning retrospectives.

What I am Listening To - Curtis Harding- If Words Were Flowers

One of my favorite things each year is putting together a list of my favorite 20 albums of that year. I’m probably close to having done this for 20 years. It is of course impossible to hear every album released in a year. Though with the current environment, I suppose one could get close. To a certain extent, the “old ways” are the best. One needs albums to marinate sometimes, and at some point, the task of listening to as many albums as possible becomes a full time unenjoyable job. Nor would I ever take an approach that I would only listen to “new” music so that means a favorite album of Q1, 2022 is an album that came out in 2021 but missed my ears in 2021. I am not sure how I missed Curtis Harding. It seems criminal. Yet even after three albums, he’s not quite a household name. I loved Harding on first listen. He reminds me of the 70s soul records that have become a recent soundtrack of mine with artists like Curtis Mayfield, Al Green and Bobby Womack, among many others. The so called neo-soul genre has thrived though it often gets played as an affectation (Cee Lo Green, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, the Heavy, Aloe Blacc, Anthony Hamilton, Baba Ali, Nathaniel Ratliff and so on) But listening to Harding, I don’t feel that it’s playing for a joke (though the video for “Can’t Hide It” has those vibes). A look at Harding’s history is well, unexpected. He’s recorded for Burger and Anti records- labels most well known for bratty punks. The musicians he has worked and crossed paths with are so varied - Cee Lo, OutKast, the Growlers, Mastadon, the Black Lips, the Oh Sees, and Danger Mouse I bring this up because it is important to note that we look at music legends from a long distance to present day lens, and we do give them modern day attributes. We view Johnny Cash via a punk rock and Rick Rubin scope to a point where his image assumes a personality indistinguishable from a hard drinking, brawling, flipping the bird Mike Ness character or a gothic bible-quoting Nick Cave character. So it is with classic soul which these days brings to mind, Tarantino soundtracks and driving rap samples. While I would suggest both Marvin Gaye and Mr Harding have made timeless music, I would also suggest that Harding has the benefit that no circa-1971 soul singer would have - extensive knowledge of the discographies of Parliament-Funkadelic, Gil Scot-Heron and Outkast. Anyway, this is the first “new” artist that I have been this passionate about in awhile.

Album Review- Johnny Marr- Fever Dream Parts 1-4

Johnny Marr’s solo career has been unlikely. When everyone might have expected him to cash in on his fame in the 90s and 00s, he played the hired gun. It’s probably for the best as when he finally launched a serious solo career, there weren’t unwieldy expectations. Fever Dreams Parts 1-4 is the new album. Conceptually, it is a double album consisting of 4 EPs. (In reality, only the first two EPs were released individually as such). Perhaps for this reason (if not literally then perhaps psychologically), this doesn’t feel like an album any more than it does a group of songs. Maybe there is also an inevitability of a letdown after his last couple of records like 2018s Call the Comet and the non-album single Armatopia (which went synth heavy) were so strong. If you read one of the many negative review of Fever Dreams, I will tell you the comments therein are correct. The production and mix tend to treat the music in such a way that a lot of songs fade from memory- “background music” someone called it and I tend to agree. There certainly is a tendency for the songs to sound similar to Marr acolytes. Someone mentioned the Strokes and I’m not sure of that, but certainly there are similarities to this new crop of Marr influenced bands like NewDad. But that’s only half of the story. There are 16 songs here and at least a few are strong singles -songs like All These Days, Gods Gift, Ghoster, Tenement Time, Night and Day and Spirit Power and Soul. Those songs alone are enough to justify this CD length (or 2 Record) album and makes it stand out as a worthwhile choice for any fan of Marr and his similar sounding contemporaries like New Order and Suede. So the casual listener might not be instantly attracted to this mix match of styles with some filler, but I think a few years down the road, Fever Dreams will hold solid in the Marr discography. For your audio needs, here’s God’s Gift. With Marr, there’s much more to his career than the Smiths, but this song about an egotistical blowhard, well, one comes to mind anyway.

Album Review -The Soundcarriers- Wilds

Lately, I’ve been posting veteran rock bands and I begin to wonder why they hang around for those seventh and eighth albums when most bands have peaked by their third. But the reason is that they might get a new audience and I’m reminded that some recent “finds” like the Orange Peels are bands I got around to at a late date. So it is with the Soundcarriers - album #4 after a seven year hiatus- but even still, Wilds has been championed as one of the best new albums by Uncut magazine and Allmusic. The name is perfect for what is an otherwise indescribable band- that dabbles in baroque pop, psychedelia, garage rock, tropicalia, lounge, folk, movie music, jazz, Krautrock and other “found sounds”. The band that shows up most in their reviews is Stereolab. I think the link is more spiritual than sonic, but I suppose it’s not easy to decide where to start. More than anything they remind me of the producer -led groups like Whyte Horses (of note, Lenore Wheatley has been involved in both bands.). I find it interesting that their press often references that they are equally influenced by Os Mutantes and Sergio Mendes/Brazil 66 (two of Brazil’s most well known acts but certainly musically very different), but it goes to show how many ways this music can be approached. Maybe you’re listening to this because you like Psychedelic Syd-era Floyd (and it’s descendants) or maybe you are more interested in modern Coral-style indie rock BBC6 playlist fodder, or it could be you are looking for some thing shoe-gaze (in the original sense of the term). Whatever brings you in, the album will reward you.

Album Review- Red Hot Chili Peppers- Unlimited Love

So I guess, Um, I’m a pretty big Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan. When I first heard them, it wasn’t that I didn’t like them, but I felt the hype was unbearable. But I was getting introduced to a lot of things, Mothers Milk was a bit too much for me in terms of advertisement, but I was also hearing some of the silly punk stuff and I didn’t hate the funk stuff, and it would be incorrect to say I wasn’t a fan. Some of it was great. Then the Huge album was next. I was not overly impressed, even while I was hitching my saddle with REM, U2, Nirvana, The Cure and some of the big records of the day. Something funny happened to the Peppers. Like every band in the history of time, they couldn’t stay at the top forever and the follow up four years later was One Hot Minute, which by all measures, a flop. But here’s the thing, I kind of dug it. Adding Dave Navarro to the mix changed things and the darker sound wasn’t what people expected, but I actually think it’s a fairly good listen. The Peppers had transitioned into a more ‘mature’ sound and with John Frusciante back would continue to release albums and return to chart success. For me, the apex of this direction was 2002’s By the Way- one of those love-it-or-hate-it records that solely depends on if one is interested (or not) in a more mature and introspective Peppers. The last couple of RHCP discs feature Josh Klinghofer replacing Frusciante. They were generally well received, but the Peppers are rock lifers now. We won’t likely see much more in terms of inventive music. But Frusciante’s (and Rick Rubin's) return means Unlimited Love will get a lot of attention and scanning the reviews, the album is a bit of a Rorschach test for the reviewer. At 17 tracks and near the standard compact disc length of 80 minutes, it’s a bit of an “all of the above”. Is it a continuation of the current trajectory or is it a mature return to Blood Sugar Sex Magick as the rap of Poster Child or Aquatic Mouth Dance implies? Yes. Bits of both sides interweave throughout. What is your status as a fan? Do you think they are irrelevant dinosaurs? Do you await their every new release? Have you not listened to them in 20 (maybe more) years? With that many songs, all of the above elements are there- throwback to BSSM, introspection like By the Way and effortless arena rock like Stadium Arcadium; and with plenty of songs near or over 5 minutes, again all aspects are present. But as a reviewer, I’m compelled to make some kind of judgement, so I will say it’s a generally very good record. It’s hard not to talk about it in terms other than “lifer”. The band seems to be able to produce 70 minutes with little struggle in effort, much like those late era Stones or U2 albums. Oddly, the artist that comes to mind for me the most isn’t necessarily a stylistically similar one. I hear Alice Cooper insomuch as Anthony and Flea can’t really reinvent themselves at this point. Like Alice, Kiss, or Ozzy, it would be ridiculous to expect anything else. The album is likely not helped by containing that killer single (Black Summer, These are the Ways and She’s a Lover are serviceable enough for the fans and career retrospectives) or that many of the gems are hidden near the end of the album like The Great Apes and Veronica and the much buzzed about guitar workout of the Heavy Wing. I do think if you like this stage of the bands career, you can at least say they stepped up to the plate on this one, and even if it doesn’t measure up to previous albums for the reasons above, it’s still a very worthwhile record.

Concert Review- The English Beat

The English Beat are one of my favorite all time bands. You don’t probably need a history lesson, but let’s just say they’re a band that I had on cassette, had to update to CD, and in the land of streaming, where things are quantifiable, are among artists I still listen to the most. They were already broken up by the time I got to them, but I have always wanted to see them- a bit of the great ‘big white whale’ for me for 30 years as various descended bands like the Special Beat, the International Beat and even General Public reformed and toured, but I never got the chance to see. . Around 2016, both primary members of the English Beat resurrected versions of the band. Dave Wakeling in the US with a new incarnation that would release a new album Here We Go Love, and Ranking Roger (with his son Ranking Jr and Beat drummer Everett Morton) and release two records. Honestly, I initially dismissed these records. I will say that I never took to Wakeling’s record (despite it being a fine record that got plaudits) the Roger albums are fantastic and I can’t recommend them enough. It has been a long time without concerts and I was shocked when the resumption of normal activity brought the English Beat into my smaller town. The cynic in me will point out that the current iteration of the Beat only has Dave Wakeling from the original band, although his gang has been performing Beat/General Public songs for over a decade. But there also isn’t anyone left. Roger and Morton have since passed. Famously, Andy Cox and David Steele joined Roland Gift to form the Fine Young Cannibals, and for whatever reason, have never came back to any of the Beat reunions. Saxaphonist Lionel “Saxa” Morton was already older than everyone else, already a ska legend before he joined the band, and has also recently passed. So I suppose the English Beat can be whatever Wakeling says they are, and that is fine; and they are pretty good at it. I don’t envy anyone forced to replace Ranking Roger, but Antonee First Class has a great personality and voice for it. (I was curious to how I joined, so I researched and saw where AFC saw Roger’s group in London and asked Dave why his group didn’t have a toaster.) In my minds eye, Wakeling is the photogenic frontman of the 80s General Public sleeves and energetic videos from their 90s Chart run. Like Terry Hall, he is nearly unrecognizable now, though he does resemble a respectable elder statesman of rock (meanwhile Suggs always looked like a middle aged man even when he was 20). But when he puts his head down and strums that famous Teardrop guitar, he looks like he did in 82. I know that he stays very active in the 80s Nostalgia circuit and it shows. At 66, he’s a charismatic frontman. He has great interaction with the crowd and his voice which I love sounds like it did on 40 year old records. The set list as it has been a stable greatest hits with long time band opener Rough Rider and the usual suspects (excluding “I Confess”) including three of the best known General Public songs But the band was acutely aware of the location. Antonee with the ska-friendly patois sound of “Io-wa”. Dave seemingly knowledgeable that Andy Williams was the most famous musician the state has produced (and the only person with a more recognizable version of “Can’t Get Used To Losing You”). Mirror in the Bathroom is the big build up as it should be. A song that somehow taps into everything exciting every single time. The show closes with Antonee toasting from Jackpot and a U-Roy inspired freestyle. (He specifically mentioned U-Roy though as far as I know it wasn’t necessarily a U-Roy tune). Wakeling’s accent was a bit too much to grab all of the one liners but he needled Sting a few times and took the blame for Margaret Thatcher (Paraphrasing: She would have probably only served four years but she heard “Stand Down Margaret” and took umbrage and stayed 20). It feels odd to praise a concert for a band who has only one original member and hasn’t had a significant album in 40 years, but surely it was as fun of a concert as someone a third of the age. I would definitely recommend seeing them if you get the chance. Rough Rider Hands Off She’s Mine Twist and Crawl I’ll Take You There Tenderness Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret Save it for Later Can’t Get User to Losing You Too Nice to Talk To Never You Done That Doors of Your Heart Ranking Full Stop Mirror in the Bathroom Jackpot

Album Review- Sea Power

2003’s Decline of ..British Sea Power is on the list of life changing albums for me. It actually predates Arcade Fire’s Funeral with its Pixies meets Joy Division bombast. The second album Open Season is often referred in sophomore slump terms and that probably isn’t fair. It is a quieter album that recalls the gothier side of British New Wave that reflects time spent with Will Sergeant of Echo and the Bunnymen. It’s not a bad disc, just overshadowed. To me, the third album Do You Like Rock Music blends the first two albums perfectly- a more accessible version of the debut. But having perfected the sound, it’s been hard for Sea Power to really get back to this artistic peak. It doesn’t help armchair critics like myself when the band seemed quite content on making all sorts of music projects that aren’t the typical 80 minute disc. For me, the fourth album Valhalla Dancehall comes close but is the start of a vague sameness that pervades in the latter discography. Handled individually, the albums aren’t bad. (Allmusic lavishes plenty of praise, while Pitchfork is generally down on the band save 2017s Let the Dancers Inherit the Party and misspell lead singer Yan’s name in the newest review). They just are the product of an established band. Last year, the band dropped the “British” from their name- hoping to prevent any unintended nationalistic implications. In that spirit, this - the bands eighth “proper” (non soundtrack /non instrumental) album “Everything Was Forever” has a sense of relaunch. It is and isn’t. In many ways, it just another continuation- more of the same if you will. Yet, it is also likely their best album since Do You Like Rock Music? Songs like Two Fingers and Folly sound like singles. Green Goddess has the power of the band’s debut. Even a song like Fear Eats the Soul might not otherwise stand out, but surely would convert any first time listeners with its orchestral charm. Of note Bark Psychosis’ Graham Sutton produces (he produced the bands afore mentioned second, third and fourth records). For the most part, the album is best when they lean into the sound of the first record, though on a song like “Folly” with New Order-ish keyboards suggest. As a fan of a 20 year old band, one can’t expect too many surprises but this one is bound to stick in my playlist for a few weeks

What I am listening to: Nervous Norvus

 There’s not a lot of info on Nervous Norvus but I think I have it right. Jimmy Drake was a 41 year old truck driver who listened to San Francisco DJ Red Blanchard. Inspired, he sent a series of recordings that he hoped others would sing.

This led to a series of three singles released by Dot Records including the #13 hit Transfusion, #28 Ape Call and the non- charted The Fang. Transfusion was one of the first rock novelty songs predating Sheb Woolley, David Seville and Kim Fowley’s charting songs, and it’s content got it banned on some stations.

Nervous was indeed just that. From all accounts, he lived with his mother, never had a girlfriend and was an alcoholic who drank himself to death. At the height of his popularity, he received a call from Ed Sullivan to appear on his show, but turned it down.

Playing “Transfusion” kick started Dr Demento’s career, and it would also be covered by Mark E Smith. “Ape Call” is allegedly the first 45 that David Bowie ever bought. For its recording method and presumably from the vacuum noise at the intro/outro, I have even seen “The Fang” referenced as the first industrial music recorded.

Besides the six Dot songs (A and B sides), there are maybe 30 Norvus songs compiled on various Greatest Hits records- from Blanchard’s records and small labels that followed. For the most part, these recordings aren’t nearly as striking as the Dot songs but the right person (like myself) might find them enjoyable -strictly old timey novelty records with Norvus banging away on his ukulele that recalls 1930s & 40s English comedian George Formby.

In some ways the media-shy noncelebrity Drake is the most relatable of rock stars. Perhaps you can relate to the anxiety or perhaps you know someone like him. In any case, he now has quite a legacy

Concert Review: Old 97s

 I saw one of my favorite bands this week - The Old 97s. Of interest, Rhett Miller has a brand new album out but here he is with his band (and only giving himself one song for the setlist). As big of a fan of the band I am, Miller’s solo stuff is a bit too pop for my tastes.

The opening band was the Vandoliers. Now while the stuff I checked out of theirs beforehand wasn’t really to my tastes, we’re a very fun live band. I would have to describe them as a “Cowpunk” band. I realize that this is a term that gets more broadly used to describe Americana in general, but the band really sounded like the bands of that genre in the 80s like Jason and the Scorchers and The Long Ryders.

The band recently opened for Flogging Molly and weirdly there are also similarities with that band as well, with a fiddle and a horn in the band.

As far as the 97s, I’m a fan, but definitely would say it was a Top Tier concert based on music and crowd interaction. I have been looking at their set lists and they seem to vary it every night. 22 songs which covered 10 of the 12 albums (their classic Too Far to Care getting the lion share), and a cover of “Mama Tried”.

The band came out to Devo’s “Gut Feeling”. Frontman Miller, seemingly impervious to age. Part 80s Steve Earle, part Robin Zander, and part Bradley Cooper. it’s possible to imagine an alternate universe where Miller, Jeff Tweedy and Ryan Adams are bedroom pinups.

While with age, Murry Hammond is edging more in Bun E Carlos territory. Ken Bethea and Phillip Phillips meanwhile look like rock lifers but are part of what is surely an underrated band when calling out the individuals members. It is tempting to focus just on the charismatic Miller, but there is a real REM type quality to the band and its parts.

The band had great rapport with the audience. Bethea telling a story of walking on the Des Moines River bridge (and picturing being a victim of a 48 Hours-style demise.). Miller claiming he wrote “Turn off the TV” off Twelfth in Des Moines. (He may claim that at every concert locale but it seems to fit)

Anyway, great show. Definitely recommend to see them if they come to your town

• Won't Be Home

  Niteclub

  Jesus Loves You

  The Other Shoe

  W. TX Teardrops

  Oppenheimer

  Champaign, Illinois

  Turn Off the TV

  Big Brown Eyes

  Good With God

  Mama Tried

  Go Through You (Rhett Miller song)

  Rollerskate Skinny

  Stoned

  Let's Get Drunk & Get It On

  Barrier Reef

  Smokers

  Four Leaf Clover

  Doreen

  Longer Than You've Been Alive

  Murder (or a Heart Attack)

  Timebomb