90s…Whatever: Matt Keating

1 love to write about music and I want to include all matters of records, maybe even great albums  that got miscategorized.

There is no doubt, Matt Keating should be in the initial batch. Even his allmusic profile seems like a bit of a slap in the face. Accurate as it may be, it paints a picture of Keating at the same level in the 90s as budding singer-songwriter like Elliott Smith and Mark Kozelek (I might throw in labelmate Mark Eitzel as well) except he never took off.

I realize "underrated" and "unheard" are subjective. Someone like Freedy Johnston probably fits that, but at least there are a fair amount of people who have heard him.

Keating's first two albums are incredibly strong. I pick Scaryarea as my favorite because I really love it but Tell it to Yourself is also good.

Allmusic damns Scaryarea to 2.5 stars and stops reviewing him after his fourth record- 2002s Tilt A Whirl. Probably not surprising that the attention dropped off after his last album with Alias Records- 1997s Killjoy.   

It does occur to me that I do think I have Killjoy in my CD storage. 

It also occurred to me that I should see what Keating has been up to, and he has 12 albums listed on his website. The most recent being re-recordings of Alias material appropriately called Greatest Misses which was released in 2019. 

The album before that was 2015s The Perfect Crime. I have dropped the needle on some of it and I don’t share the enjoyment of the hype on his press release page, but Keating still strikes me as someone who could have more great albums in him. 

I am probably not doing a good job here of expressing how much I do love his first two albums. I can only imagine the difficulty in his career was tied to the Rise and Fall of Alias Records - which went from these weird (but great) bands like X Tal and Hypnolovewheel to a point where they were launching bands like American Music Club and Yo La Tengo to major labels. 

I recently thought of Keating again when talking about the College Music Journal Presents Ten of A Kind- a stab at capturing the best unsigned bands in 1988. That compilation has one bona fide success (Material Issue) some almost famous bands (Gunbunnies, Paul K and the Weathermen) and some ‘never was’. 

The best song on there (outside of the brilliant pop song “Valerie Loves Me”) is by a Boston band called Circle Sky, whose credits make it clear is a vehicle for Keating. 

Anyway, I am glad that every couple of years or so, he comes back to mind and I get these records out again. Scaryarea is (no hyperbole) an all time favorite of mine. . If you like smart songwriter pop, look him up. 

Doc Review- Gimme Danger

 Finding unexpected time on my hands, I am watching musical documentaries of which there are an infinite amount 

I decided I better watch Gimme Danger - the story of one of my all time favorites- Iggy Pop and the Stooges. I am not sure how serious you can take the Stooges but they legitimately are near the top for me- with their crude ramshackle and yet perfect three albums. And directed by my favorite indie movie maker Jim Jarmusch. 

And it was great. I am not sure it has Jarmusch’s minimalism but there can be few complaints. The animation to go with Iggy’s wild stories is perfect. The interview with Iggy is one of his most engaged ever. 

The doc covers all the important stuff. The bands early days- a listing of their influences- the Ventures, the Sonics and Harry Partch. It also covers the band’s deep younger sibling relationship with the MC5. 

In a moment that has come to stand out from the doc, Iggy says he doesn’t like to be classified as a punk. But it’s part of a bigger declaration that he doesn’t want to be grouped in with anything. This shows up in the early days of the Stooges where he decides to go an alternate route to the MC5s Political rock. 

The band go to New York and flesh out an album. Not wanting to be pigeonholed, they record the mantra “We will Fall” for the first album and add jazz sax to the second. Cale and Nico are huge influences working with the band, but Elektra’s excitement ends when Fun House is released. 

Bowie is Iggy’s savior but the addition of Tony DeVries- a manager in the style of Colonel Tom Parker and boy band scammer Lou Perlman is catastrophic. Iggy is able to bring the Stooges to the UK and the addition of guitarist James Williamson is inspired. 

It all takes a toll on the Stooges who just want to go home and bassist Dave Alexander dies at age 27. Williamson and Iggy record a new album (Kill City) but a list of possible promoter invites like Art Garfunkel all decline. 

Sadly, most of the Stooges have died, but Jarmusch has all the right guests to interview. Metallic KO and the early Williamson songs like “I Got A Right” get rightfully covered as does the often played Cincinnati 1970 tv news segment where Iggy goes into the crowd and then smears himself with Peanut Butter. 

There isn’t enough room for cover all of Iggy but the doc does a good job of tracking the other post- Stooges work - Ron Asheton in The New Order and Destroy Allen Monsters, Scott Asheton in Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and most famously and bizarrely, Williamsln in Silicon Valley - not a band but a tech career. 

I know the Stooges reunion doesn’t get a lot of press these days - but it makes an interesting story and is covered well here - originating and coordinating mostly by J Mascis and Mike Watt first via the Todd Haynes movie Velvet Goldmine then via collaboration with Ron Asheton and then lastly with record company pressure for Iggy to make an All Star album (but Iggy decides asks who are bigger stars than the Stooges). 

The reunion ironically taking a similar path as the original when Ron passed away and again James Williamson stepping in to the new lineup. The band is inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Jarmusch then features the many followers- The Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, Damned, Sonic Youth and so on. 

The two reunion albums are covered here but generally critics reviled 2007s The Weirdness and liked 2013s Ready to Die is liked, though my opinion was the opposite. 

As a Stooges fan I loved it but even from the perspective as a documentary in itself, it’s top tier- well paced, fun and funny, emotionally touching when it should be. With all the right people- Iggy, Williamson, reunion Stooge Mike Watt, Fun House era Stooge Steve MacKay, Asheton sister Kathy (Ron had passed but footage is used), early Stooges (and later Ramones) manager Danny Fields. 

Criticism that there’s not enough coverage of Raw Power or of solo Iggy’s Berlin years may be valid but I feel it was appropriate to focus on what Jarmusch chose. I loved hearing about the early days of the band, the Fun House sessions and the lives of the non - Iggy Stooges. 

As a personal aside, I acquired Metallic KO (the 1976 version not the updated twelve track reissue) and Kill City from a friend who discarded it. The crowd baiting live performance Metallic KO is legendary and I think it’s peak punk rock. 

I used to think Kill City was a flop album (and was treated as such anyway) but it does sound better these days in the context of a mature almost post punk (though conceived in 1975) sensibility. Some rock critics even elevate it to classic status. I won’t go that far though it’s a decent start to end listen 

I feel I must add one more personal antidote that is important not only to my Iggy fandom but also my life in general

I was in the next generation of American hardcore punk (born in the early 70s). It belonged to the preceding class - the “older brothers” born in the late 60s. 

My friend’s older brother was the knowledgeable punk of the town and sadly, he passed away at a young age. 

From the younger sibling, I borrowed, ‘dubbed’ and adored two cassettes. One was a collection of hardcore punk now-classics like “institutionalized”, “ Mommy, Where’s Daddy” and Flipper’s “Ha ha ha”. The other was Iggy Pop. 

That 1983 release of I Got Right by Enigma Records was a mix of seven Stooges outtakes on the A Side and the near entirety of Kill City on the second. The 1987 release that I eventually find and own, cuts two songs off both sides. 

I have heard many postulate that the tape recorder must have been present every time the Stooges picked up their instruments. I may have lost track of all the recordings I have bought by the band. But one worth mention is Heavy Liquid- released in various permutations-notably in a 2005 six disc set

I wouldn’t change Raw Power but those “lost” (and yet readily found) tracks like “I Got A Right”, “Tight Pants” which eventually became “Shake Appeal”, “Scene of the Crime” are really among the most extreme songs of all time- influencing punk and metal.

What I am listening to: Graham Parker

2023 brought Graham Parker back into the light with the Last Chance to Do the Twist album. 

Word of mouth has changed over the years, and much like another legacy artist Blue Oyster Cult, the buzz brought him back. 

In this case, the Americana crowd. I have written about Parker whose Squeezing Out Sparks is a critically acclaimed album and is a favorite, but after a lot of buzz in the early 90s, has generally been ignored since 1996s Acid Bubblegum. 

 But Parker wasn’t quiet and probably weirdest of all had a mainstream moment playing himself in the 2015 movie This is 40. He wasn’t silent- he was surprisingly proficient- but outside of the aforementioned cameo and a 2005 tour backed by the Figgs- the media largely ignore him. 

 At least I had too until the end of 2021, when I jumped back in with 2007s Don’t Tell Columbus And it rocked me. It isn’t often that Parker (or anyone) was firing on all cylinders. I would consider a Mount Rushmore of late 70s angry young British Angry Songwriters- Parker, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Nick Lowe. And for some reason Parker never seems to get as much attention as the others (also possibly connected, he never had that evergreen radio hit the others had). 

 It’s hard to imagine why this album never found a bigger audience, though at that time, I doubt even Springsteen would have been able to get that kind of material on the radio. 

 The almost title track I Discovered America is a first listen hit but the album is surprisingly deep. In fact, I may have been less excited about his 2023 album since I had been listening to this one. There’s humor in Stick to the Plan, ballad in All Being Well and another radio ready single in Total Eclipse of the Moon. 

 I don’t know the band details except they seem to be New York based keyboardist Ryan Barnum and the Figgs Mike Gent on drum with Parker handling all or nearly all guitar and bass work himself and produced by Figgs producer Eric Ratchet. Anyway, it’s hard to get excited about a decade and half old album I know and that’s generally not what I try to review and push, but this one particularly grabbed me, I couldn’t resist!

New Music Initiative: Brigitte Calls Me Baby

Describe the Smiths in one sentence and you might say “Crooner fronts rock n roll band”. 

That was never completely true but it became a template for everyone to follow. Like “Beatlesque” or “Morrisonesque” or “Elvis influenced” the sound of the “children of ‘Moz” has become a sound into itself. 

The bands in this category likely sound more like each other than they actually sound like the Smiths.  

Suede, Echobelly and the Dears all put their spin on the sound over the years, but it may be Gene that most closely evolved into rhetorical new stereotype - 70s art rock influence meet tragic lyrics with pit stops in Punk, Motown, and Guitar Hero riffery. 

In the US, the Smoking Popes kept it to its most basic- predating some of the most successful 21st Century rock bands by stripping it to an American punk sound only with a heart-on-his-sleeve lead. 

Another American band, Harvey Danger had a Top 40 hit with “Flagpole Sitta” perhaps the most successful chart example. And also perhaps the most Americanized version of the template - crooning over a power pop band with some Green Day style wiseassery. 

From the ambitious to the mundane, there always seems to be someone who follows the template, but I have to admit it’s been a few years since one of these bands have caught my ear. 

But with 2023s This House is Made of Corners EP, Chicago five piece Brigitte Calls Me Baby stakes out their claim as the next to the coiffed throne. The EP was produced by Dave Cobb who’s a produced a who’s who in Americana (Isbell, Stapleton, Shooter Jennings, Highwomen, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson). 

Frontman Wes Leavins’s CV includes performing as Elvis in the Million Dollar Quartet and playing on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. That means the debt it owes will likely make it a deal breaker for some and an obsession for others. 

The five song EP is pretty great though. Staking some claim to the Popes (whose bio includes the band self destructing after being Morrissey tour support) and the Dears (who evolved into so much more than Smiths soundalikes). My excitement builds for a full length.

 

What I am listening to: Sam Barber

Now is probably as good of time as any to talk about reality singing competitions.

The discussion for American shows has to start with American Idol. Love it or loathe it, that first season was so huge you couldn’t avoid it. I still keep tabs on these kinds of variety shows. 

The most interesting aspect to me is how The Voice has seemingly overtaken American Idol in popularity. However, Idol still has the unknown to pop star pipeline, while the Voice stars' post-show fame still reminds me kind of a Gong Show word of mouth talent. 

I watched the two seasons of Rockstar which was more my speed. I loved INXS and although I think we would all agree Michael Hutchene cast a Jim Morrison sized shadow, I never faulted the Farris Brothers et al for trying to continue. It did seem doomed from the start, but it was enjoyable. Similarly, the second season supergroup put together by Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee also had an extremely short shelf life. But I watched every episode. I don’t fault bands for trying to gain attention though. 

Take OK Go, an otherwise fantastic power pop band who would be an obscure power pop band if not for their viral videos. And I have to admit of being one of those people who want to hear stuff first. 

I was the right age to pick up CMJs 1988 compilation Ten of a Kind- their picks for the best unsigned artists in the US. And they got Material Issue right so my teenage self would have expected more, that’s probably a better average than they could have hoped. As for the others, the Gunbunnies had some degree of success, though their 1990 debut was also to be their last. Paul K and the Weathermen achieved a cult status and made an album for Homestead in 1992. Circle Sky frontman Matt Keating would end up having a long solo career and made one of my all time favorite records 1994s Scaryarea for Alias 

In any case, I find I don’t fault anyone for going on these shows. The days of Clay and Ruben are long past. Missouri born country singer songwriter Sam Barber gave the American Idol route a try, even making it to Hollywood though Wikipedia says his performance didn’t make it to air. Aged 20 Barber is a bright young talent. Part of that first generation that grew up on Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan (all mentioned frequently in his interviews). 

Barber is a perfect fit into the Bryan-style sound. His debut EP last years Million Eyes had success on country and rock charts. Like Bryan and another recent hitmaker Noah Kahan, it's the current sound that straddles country and post-Mumford and Sons folk- it wouldn't sound out of place on the radio or in some jamband-heavy playlist Early 2024 saw the release of a live EP. He’s playing some middle sized venues around here and his future looks bright.

 

Marley : A Film by Kevin Macdonald

 

A Bob Marley biopic is in theaters now so that’s probably why Streaming is pushing out a lot of Marley content. 2012s Marley by the great documentarian Kevin McDonald is probably the most known so I had to check it out.

 I am not always a fan of biopics but I do have hopes for the Marley one. I have grown to become quite a big fan of reggae and ska. I still listen to a ton of Bob Marley. He seems to be a pretty standard part of a musical diet like the Beatles or Queen or the Doors. Still, there’s something magical about Marley. Marley delivers on its promise. 

Sadly, a decade or so later- all these important people in the Marley story have passed- Rita Marley, Lee Scratch Perry, Bunny “Wailer” Livingston, Aston “Family Man” Barrett and footage of mother Cecelia Booker- as well as Cindy Breakspeare, Chris Blackwell, Ziggy Marley, Junior Marvin and others. There is also the famous 1980 Gil Noble WABC-TV interview that catches Marley in his own words. 

 The movie does a good job of balancing the personal side and the musical side. It covers the Wailers’ early years (along the invention of ska in the 1960s- the influence of pop hits by Frankie Lymon and Dion and then characterized by the guitar chop on the offbeat) and culminates with “Small Axe” finding the band going to Perry to fight against the Jamaican producer “Big T(h)ree of Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster and Duke Reid. 

There plenty of 20th century world politics that come into play - Ethiopian emperor Halie Selassie’s 1966 visit to Jamaica (and Bob’s conversion to the Rastafarian movement) as well as Marley’s 1980 concerts in Gabon and Zimbabwe. Of course, most famously the 1976 Smile Jamaica concert (in which Marley had been shot by assailants two days before during rehearsal) and the 1978 One Love Concert where Marley held hands with the two political leaders Manley and Saega. 

I like to play the “what if” game with artists like Ronnie Van Zant, Terry Kath, Buddy Holly and so on. It’s hard to imagine Marley having any more impact. He was 36 when he died. His early musical career in Jamaica was likely why he was so good later on. The doc (like his life) ends with him planning to open a US tour for Stevie Wonder. His friends thought it was beneath him but Marley (likely rightly) knew that this was a smart career move if he wanted radio airplay. 

But what else could he have accomplished. The closing credits show the impact he has had all across the Globe. His trip to the UK (covered briefly here) no doubt influenced punk and post punk rock in obvious and not so obvious ways. He never had radio success (the Clapton cover isn’t mentioned here) but his songs have become all time classics anyway. We could look at Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh’s careers , maybe even artists like John Lennon and U2, for example- but Marley no doubt is among the artistic peaks. Marley is surely as much Bob as you can encapsulate into a two hour period. I am a huge fan and have read the many words written over the years in magazines like Uncut and Mojo, and various tv moments. It’s definitely hard to suggest how could it be any better.

What I Have Been Listening to: CATHEDRALE

One of my joys is discovering new music and as things change, some times there are positives. I would say that my favorite way of discovering music is still what I would call a curated playlist. 

My local public radio station plays a “college radio” style format and that is still # 1 for me. 

Friend recommendations probably are a close second (maybe even first at times now). These are generally more on social media these days than in person, but it really isn’t much different than it was during teenage years.  

There are also of course algorithmic ways to stream music which have their benefits (though I don’t feel like I often “discover” music as much that way), and blog sites and samplers and what not. 

 When comes to CATHEDRALE, I am not 100% sure where I ran into the French post punk band first. A Bandcamp sample for Howlin Banana Records, I believe. 

From half way around the world to my ears. I love the mix of jagged guitars joined to garage, even shoegaze influences. 

 

U2 roundup

 

U2 was my favorite band of my high school years. I can’t help but be fanatical about him. Today I am going to catch up with reviews of their recent activity. 

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story: Book by Bono

Surrender is surely a bit of a Rorschach Test for what you think of Bono. I am a huge fan, bordering often on obsessed, so of course I loved it. But if you find Bono pompous or arrogant or just plain annoying, this won’t change that. And most people probably fall somewhere in between, and will find this a mixed bag.

The first pages of the book open up with a lot of purple prose but after it settles down to standard bio after 20 pages or so, it isn’t so bad. The end of the book seems similarly appended with two dozen unnecessary pages.  

I wasn’t sure what I expected, but Bono is a good storyteller in that he has generally come off to me as  the most relatable human Everyman musician.

He’s not dramatic like Nick Cave or poetic like Leonard Cohen or angry like John Lydon, for example. Perhaps that is what made U2 so good.

The U2 story has been covered in depth for years, so fans won’t find anything much new. Still, if you find yourself as someone who relates to Bono, you probably won’t mind.

A 45 year career is a lot for one book. Especially as the 20th Century U2 was a music entity and the 21st Century U2 is largely a political entity. Both are interesting and important but it’s a lot to fit in.

I think most people would agree that the book could use some trimming. Maybe Bono doesn’t need to add all 500+ pages of his thoughts. But otherwise, I have no real complaints and while the political stuff won’t interest everyone, it does interest me.

As interesting as the band’s interactions with Presidents Clinton and Obama are, it’s the interaction with the people he generally disagree with like Bushes (and lack of interaction with Trump) that is most interesting.

As an aside, I hate the cover, which i find pretentious and awful and I don’t like the 40 song tie in- which is a reference to the chapters because I don’t think it quite fits. 

Which is a tie in to the 2023 album 

Songs of Surrender by U2

The first “album” from U2 in six years (and I have liked their last two albums more than I hated them) is a reinterpretation of the band’s catalog re-recorded largely without the band’s rhythm section. 

I streamed these songs when they were first released and my wording was  their classic songs redone as an incredibly boring piece of art”.  It consists of four albums of ten tracks picked by each member. 

Lyrics are rewritten- Walk On becomes about Ukraine, Bad becomes a first person narrative. 

Projects like this seem self indulgent (and U2 is the most self indulgent of bands). It is easy to pencil this in as in similar vein of recent Rod Stewart albums. It is at once too long and though there are changes, they don’t feel like enhancements. 

Allmusic user reviews are a fun read to tell you exactly what is wrong with the album as one one-star review after another complains about what feels like an uninspired cash in. 

But as I reflect now a year later, I seem to fit more into my fandom and less as a critic. Is it for anyone but the most diehard U2 fan? No. Is it anywhere meeting the expectations a fan might have?  Not really. 

But in small pieces, there are enjoyable moments. I just can’t find myself hating it completely. It will be forgotten quickly as time goes by but given that it came out to virtual thrown tomatoes, I hate to see it buried completely 

The album is accompanied by a film that streamed on Disney + 

Bono and the Edge- A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman

The album and the documentary feel like U2 are in their autumn years and that is okay. They are and it has been 30 years since they felt like the most important band on the planet. 

Pairing them with David Letterman only doubles down on nostalgia. That’s ok because it gives the film a sense of importance. There were always Beatles comparisons and they do seem like the 80s/90s version

Adam Clayton is busy acting and Larry Mullen injured, explaining why they are not here and largely missing on the album. 

Still, Bono and the Edge feel intimate- telling their story (again once over shared but it still feels important here)

Letterman walks around Dublin in his usual way. The band plays their Adam and Larry less versions of their songs, but they sound good in this particular live environment. 

The mood stays light throughout which is probably for the best. It’s another postcard for the fans, but Letterman’s involvement help frame it in an interesting way. 

Album Review- NewDad- MADRA

NewDad is one of my favorite bands in recent years. I first heard of the Irish band when Johnny Marr championed them in Uncut magazine. 

That Marr would like the band (and the band would listen to Marr) is pretty obvious. 

I do admit that I was a bit afraid to see if the band would survive that initial excitement. 2021s six song Waves EP was followed by 2022s five song Banshee EP but nothing came out in 2023 except three songs released to streaming. 

Reaction to the new debut album Madra is mixed at best and I am not quite certain why. Perhaps because the novelty is gone three years later (or the hype was too much to overcome). Perhaps the spot-the-influence shoegaze tinged dream pop that pulls from New Order and the Breeders doesn’t exactly turn the critics on. 

Madra may not be a perfect album and one could argue that changing out a few songs from the two EPs would make it a stronger debut, but I can’t imagine anyone who loves this kind of music would find any disappointment at all.

 

Album Review- New Model Army- Unbroken

 I loved New Model Army from my first listen in the 90s. They had already released their masterpiece album (1989s Thunder and Consolation) and a signature song (1986s “51st State”).

Their music was rare to find in American record stores. Their tales legendary. The American Musicians’ Union banned them from touring the US due to “no artistic merit” (though likely to the sentiment of the aforementioned single). Diehard fans attended concerts wooden clog footwear.

They are easy to categorize into the post-Clash political punk movement though stylistically Justin Sullivan’s goth style vocals and the bands anthemic hard rock/ near metal presented a sound that seemed like a commercial breakthrough was possible. (No shock that the people I knew who loved the band were also big fans of Sisters of Mercy). Even to the point that Sony/ Epic Records signed them for 1992s Love of Hopeless Causes record.

It wasn’t to happen (Apparently, the first single “Here Comes the War” came packaged with instructions on how to build a nuclear device). The band (mostly Sullivan and the same supporting cast since 2007) has remained consistently good.

While they remain to exist outside mainstream media, they are much loved by the punk community and their recently finished trilogy of albums- 2013s Between Dog and Wolf 2016s Winter and 2019s From Here are highly venerated in the fans’ and critics’ circles.

The band finished 2023 with Sinfonia- a live album that builds on the bands anthemic hymns by pairing up with the Sinfonia Leipzig Orchestra and a deep dive into the bands catalog - featuring a few of their standards and some unexpected selections.

2024s Unbroken doesn’t change the formula (no one would expect otherwise) but it does double down on some of the bands harder rock and more epic speaker booming sounds. For new fans of the band, it’s probably a better introduction than From Here.

The Production is a little more aggressive. Advancing Age suits Sullivan’s voice as a positive. I haven’t found that takeaway late career song on here as I have throughout - 2000s Orange Tree Roads and Autumn and You Weren’t There (both from 1999) are songs that rank to me with decades now old favorites like “Vagabonds” but they definitely have some in that mood here like “Language”

New stuff from Hutch Harris (The Thermals)- Clear Rivers

One of my favorite bands of the last 20 years is the Thermals. 

I loved them from pretty much the first listen off of their 2003 debut More Parts Per Million. They made 7 studio album through their tenure ending in 2016. The band comparison that probably showed up the most in reviews was the Ramones but I would say more accurately- They are in the lineage of Lo fi heroes Eric’s Trip and peers Mountain Goats and of course, if we must, the Ramones simplicity but with a mix of Buzzcocks Pop punk and Talking Heads art rock. 

The Portland band spent much of its life as a trio with singer guitarist Hutch Harris and bassist/drummer Kathy Foster as the core of the band with six other people in service of the band (of these, most notably original drummer Jordan Hudson and Westin Glass, their drummer for the last decade). I don’t think any of their albums are bad. 2006s The Body, the Blood and the Machine perhaps their epic work. I was lucky that even though my concert going slowed, I did see the band live. The band took to social media in 2018 to announce their break up- their last album - the well received and appropriately named We Disappear. I haven’t heard from them since. 

At some point, recently I was in a Facebook group and lamenting and celebrating the band, when someone asked me if I was following Hutch’s solo career. Wait, what? I find out not only Harris has a solo career but a pretty prolific one at that. Harris has two solo albums since the Thermals broke up. One is 2018s Only Water- the other a compilation of pre- Thermals songs called Old Lost Days. Additionally, 2015 saw a wide release for Hutch and Kathy - a pre Thermals album recorded by Harris and Foster and more early Harris recordings are available under the band name Urban Legends Foster has also been busy. Spotify lists Roseblood as a project that may be ongoing that has been listed as being primarily her work but only lists a single . She had been playing drums for twee poppers All Girl Summer Fun Band while working concurrently in the Thermals Hurry Up is a trio with Foster and Glass that have a 2022 album. Wiki lists even another Foster project called Butterfly Transformation Service but info is pretty limited to a small comment on Discogs. 

The biggest Post- Thermals project might be Clear Rivers - Harris fronted trio (with Hudson on drums). The band self released their debut self titled album in April of 2023. Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino went viral last December for a TikTok video that spoke to many things but calls out that the media tends towards the new thing and the established thing and hurts veteran performers. For sure, Spotify shows the Thermals have 98,000 listeners a month but all of the other acts I have mentioned seem to top out at around 300. 

To be fair, Clear Rivers is missing Foster’s energy but is still a decent album - a bit closer to the more introspective moments of the late Thermals career. Also I did see that Harris has embraced the post-Cameo world of social media and will perform requested songs on Instagram for $25 (he has done 150 cover songs and counting) 

 

What I have been listening to : Van Morrison - The Bang Collection

 I haven’t written about Van Morrison, so here goes. When I was coming of age, music critics were male and white and usually so were their favorite records. Moondance and Astral Weeks were considered some of the best albums ever, and I have to admit that the moment I listened to them, I had to concur.

Morrison like many of his peers was having a bit of renaissance in the late 80s/early 90s. Rolling Stone and everyone else feted 1988s Irish Heartbeat (his collaboration with the Chieftans) and my local radio station played the heck out of “Real Real Gone” (a # 18 placing on the US Rock Chart) from 1990s Enlightenment.

The 90s were good for his songs. Rod Stewart and John Mellencamp had big US hits with “Have I Told You Lately” ( # 5) and “Wild Night” (# 3)

Morrison’s records have always been events even with the weird misstep of 2021s “Latest Record Project Vol 1” with an “old man yelling at clouds” kind of song titles like “Why Are You on Facebook” and “They Own the Media”

Now when it comes to listening to music, I get my ideas from different places but friends’ references are still near the top. Which is where I first heard of the Bang Collection.

It contains recordings of Morrison that had become Van’s 1967 solo debut Blowin Your Mind- that album contains perhaps the most evergreen of pop songs “Brown Eyed Girl”, and a second disc of outtakes from the same sessions. Now, Van says he didn’t expect these recordings to be released as his solo record and because they did without his knowledge, he felt he couldn't trust producer Bert Berns and Bang Records.

It is the third album of the Bang Collection, though that is the part most people talk about. Morrison recorded an album worth of songs to fulfill his contractual obligation. The songs are mostly fragments pulled off the top of Van’s head and played on an out of tune guitar.

There are songs that only seem to consist of silly noises (Chickie Coo) silly lyrics (Scream and Holler and a half dozen of its variations) and just silly (Blowin Your Nose, You Say France and I Whistle, Want a Danish?, Ring Worm). If Van didn’t want anyone to make money off his record, he was trying his darnedest to make sure of that. (Morrison biographer Ryan Walsh compares the album to the lo-f simple music commonly made by outsider artist Jandek)

And now of course, almost 60 years ago, the audience says “Jokes on you. We are into that”.

And lest we think that Van was just being contrary, Neil Diamond had the same issues with Berns and as the story goes after Bern’s’ untimely death, the Bang label was ran by mobsters.

But these often bootlegged recordings of Van banging out 32 songs in an hour- are now part of a 2017 official release.

If you want a nice story and sample check out the episode of Bizarre Albums podcast that focuses on the record.

It also explains some of the inside jokes of how Van felt about an album being released (Blowing Your Nose" a riff on "Blowing your Mind") the silly dance songs (reference to Berns hit “Twist and Shout”) and the saga of George who goes to Boston to record (as sang by George Ivan “Van” Morrison)

I am not a huge fan of podcasts, but I often check out the Bizarre Records podcast (the brainchild of Emo band Motion City Soundtrack drummer Tony Thaxton) - it isn't perfect, usually skimming the surface of its topics- but it can’t beat it for the fascinating content and a brief listening time (usually 15-20 minutes an episode)


Anyway, thanks to the friend who turned me onto the album. I have got a real kick out of listening to it.