That Kiss A&E Documentary

 Because I am a sucker for such things, there was no way I wasn’t going to not watch A&E’s two night four-hour Biography on Kiss.

I’m just a bit too young for the prime Kiss years. In a way, they were the remanent of older brother’s music- like the Village People and the Bay City Rollers. I was at the age where MTV was now important and it truly flipped a switch from bands like Triumph, Rush and April Wine to the MTV pop of Culture Club, Duran Duran and Madonna. Yes, there was metal -and it was no doubt influenced by Kiss- with bands like Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister.

But Kiss has always been there and to their credit, their longevity is amazing. They never had a long run of singles - certainly not the chart success of say, Aerosmith or Bon Jovi- but they have always had their name in the headlines.

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons think they are the best band in the world, and listening to the lifelong friends, it’s hard not to get sucked in to their train of thought. It’s clear they wanted to be the American Beatles, and they mostly succeeded.

There is something purely rock about the early ambitions. It is interesting that though they took cues from the New York Dolls and Slate, they kind of took their own concurrent path as the Punk and Metal scenes.

I largely missed on the early hits as a teen, and decades later, am familiar with the biggest “hits” but never really sat down and listened to the albums.

There are some great songs. The populist approach of Kiss meant they didn’t get the critical acclaim of the Ramones. They are of course, two very different bands, but we can’t underplay the influence of Kiss, which is emphasized here by large time given to super fans Tom Morello and Dave Grohl. I do actually love some of the raw rock of those early pre-Ezrin days.

The armchair critic in me sees some similarities between Kiss and the Dictators, and trying to work the numbers, you can see both bands are fairly independent of each other. Famously, Peter Chriss and Jerry Nolan were childhood friends. But of course, the critical approach to both is different and it’s commented on here, but Kiss never strives to be critics darling. Yet, I cannot also discount their own style of being young, loud and snotty.

Kiss always had their eye on filling stadiums with an awesome concert experience. Those early years are fascinating and were surely frustrating. Being a great live band didn’t (and likely still doesn’t) drive radio play, and we know without radio play, there’s going to be a ceiling for record sales and for homes reached.

The setup of this documentary is that Stanley and Simmons are able to craft their own narrative in this doc- and so are also able to scoff at “Meets the Phantom of the Park” and “Music from the Elder” but how could it be otherwise?

“I was made for Loving You” is a double edged sword, even more so than “Beth”. Kiss did need radio hits. I actually think “Made” is a fantastic song. Perhaps you don’t want to get too excited about a song that works equally well as rock and disco, but dang if it doesn’t.

The band downplays the 80s hair metal days. Although the band skips over nearly everything post- Lick it Up- I would have rather seen them celebrate it. It’s clearly that they are taking a ‘victory lap’ so why not embrace the full career.

Sure, they did go a bit off the rails (Gene’s acting career, for example) but I think diehards would disagree and a fuller story would have been nice (Revenge gets a bit of in depth detail, but most everything else gets skimmed over).

I mean it’s a better story to spend time on the Unplugged success and the reunion tour, which leads to a denouement of riding into the sunset.

That said, It is almost a disservice to Kiss, because they always kept themselves in the spotlight, even if their intentions sometimes missed their mark (comic books, symphonic orchestras, arena football). There isn’t a very long length of time that Kiss wasn’t in the headlines for something.

The doc had to rely on interviews from Ace and Peter to get their side of the story, as they did not want to take part. Surely, we only get one side of the story, which is likely not fair. I suspect we might forgive rock stars for wanting to be rock stars, whereas Paul and Gene act like CEO and CFO of Kiss, Inc.

Overall, though, you can’t beat the infectious enthusiasm of Simmons and Stanley and they sincerely believe they are The Best and spending time with them, you might even end up concurring.

Raised On Radio: ZZ Top

 It seems appropriate to write about the death of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top. A bit unexpected as I classify them with Van Halen as some of my most favorite of the truly mainstream bands.

Eliminator of course was huge and as I have said before, it fits with VHs 1984, Synchronicity, Born in the USA and Heartbeat City as albums I alternately love and am completely sick of.

I can’t help but think of ZZ Top in that same category of artists and how Warner Bros, Columbia Records and others would (when they had a big hit) sell their older albums at a reduced cost. It’s funny of course, because as a young fan, these records felt like off brand cereal. 40 years later, I realize the diamonds in the proverbial rough. (As an aside I absolutely love that the new John Mayer album has the “Nice Price” sticker. )

Now, Eliminator was the perfect 80s album. Throw it in a Rock or Pop or even dance mix and it holds. The band would be chasing that sound for another ten years, but even those ensuing singles were pretty good.

From there, of course, through FM Radio or wherever, one hears Tush, La Grange Waitin for the Bus, Cheap Sunglasses and a good helping of other older hits.

They are infectious and quite timeless. Although these songs were from the 1970s- ostensibly music from parents and older siblings- yet these songs seem to exist in a period of their own. Indeed, Sharp Dressed Man which has had multiple lives, less a product of a time where it shared the charts with Men At Work, Culture Club and the Jane Fonda Workout, and more of some timeless record that exists outside such things.

Like many bands, that initial euphoria levels off when you realize that unless you go back to the first caveman, nothing is original, and at some point, you realize that ZZ Top owes a debt to John Lee Hooker, Slim Harpo and Elmore James among other blues men.

That said, over time, it is easy to forgive bands who appreciated the music and brought it to the mainstream. ZZ Top certainly forged a path all their own and they are plenty of fun to listen to.

Album Review: The Go! Team

 I’m nostalgic for the early 2000s, some years that I rank with some of the all time creative spurts, and you couldn’t find a much better album than 2004’s Thunder Lightning Strike by the Go Team!

Dropping a needle somewhere in those years, I can give you a whole bunch of artists from that time frame (Grandaddy, The Hives, Modest Mouse, Beck, The Rakes, Kimya Dawson, Neutral Milk Hotel, Daft Punk, Beck) and yet TGT! seems to mostly exist outside of them all.

The Go Team like so many bands with impressive debuts, continued (and continue) to make new albums. None of these particularly received bad reviews, like any band approaching Album number six, it’s more of a case of buzz fizzling out.

Get Up Sequences Part One seemingly more than any recent GT! Album recalls the style of Thunder Lighting Strike. Now LGT is a deep record. There’s probably 5 songs on that 13 track album that would really punch up any mix tape. GUSP1 won’t pull that average but it’s got it moments. “Pow” ranks up there as does “A Bee Without its Sting”- two songs that could hang with TLS.

But as a whole record, there’s really no complaints to be had. For example, closer “World Remember Now” doesn’t flow as effortlessly as the previous songs I mentioned, though I suspect it might be a favorite for other listeners.

Cleaner vocals replace the noisier experimental style of 2017’s Proof of Youth. Naively, one thinks that they could sneak one of these songs along Top 40 songs- a mixture of urban and rock sounds punctuated by the bands seemingly raison d’être- an anthemic cheerleader style sound.

If you somehow missed The Go Team in the past 17 years, here’s your jumping on point.

Naked Raygun- Over the Overlords

All bands eventually reform right? And this year is another banner year.

I honestly don’t have a great feel for the true popularity of Naked Raygun. They eluded my radar which was activated in high school, and at that time I picked up the obvious bands- Husker Du, Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys, but extended to band like Flipper, Suicidal Tendencies and The Minutemen. But once I was a bit older and around Chicago-centric circles, clearly I was taken by the band.

NR was at the end of their career when I discovered them. Pegboy spun off (via guitarist John Haggarty) and similarly produced great music limited to an indie label audience.

Time seemed to be cruel- Chicago was a ‘scene’ town now and the Alt press fawned over Liz Phair, the Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt and Urge Overkill among others. One can only imagine that the wave just missed NR.

But the post punk sound of NR - working class, informed by Heavy Metal doesn’t lend itself to hero worship. They would have to settle for influencing David Grohl and thus changing music forever. It is certainly difficult to picture the existence of Emo without a band like Naked Raygun.

The new album could be thrown into a band mix and fit right in. Different songs recall the various moments from more melodic Buzzcocks pop to the pretty standard Dag Nasty/Government Issue/Youth Brigade 80s hardcore bands you would line them up with.

While that’s unlikely to excite all but the most devoted fans, in the wake of a lot of other recent albums of a similar nature, it’s a pretty solid compliment.

I’m not sure if Paul Barker produced the whole thing or just the single remix that is featured here, but the album does capture the crunch which is the best sound for the band.

There’s probably nothing here that tops “Treason” or “Home of the Brave” but a couple of songs are in the area, and (perhaps naively) one could believe that someone who had never heard the band, only it’s successors would be blown away. That this could even make inroads to unheard ears, well, let’s say Pitchfork reviewed the new Peppa Pig album, but didn’t pick up this one.

But this one is pretty good, check it out.

Album Review- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

I will follow up last weeks post with another pick from the youth movement- 22 year old Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who released his sophomore album “662” this year. I don’t think my view on the Blues is much different than many Rock fans, but I must say I actually catch the local Blues Radio show quite a bit, and was lucky to see more than a few Blues live shows at the beginning of the century. A lot of modern blues songs have a certain sound that is a bit too slickly produced for my ears. Not that there aren’t a few Blues artists who quite simply are too good to be ignored (Bettye LaVette and Shemekia Copeland to name a couple) and get picked up by Indie Rock media. My ears are drawn to the Pre-Stones/Yardbirds blues artists like Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, BB King and so many more. My idea of the Blues is likely based on my particular time and place, which was the strain of guitar rock (most famously carried through Albert King/Freddie King/Buddy Guy and so on) that made a run on the pop charts in my early teenage years most prominently by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey and Robert Cray. Now that genre never really went away (Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Samantha Fish, Gary Clark Jr and many others) but there’s something about listening to Kingfish that is particularly exciting. His music grabs me as something for FM Rock ears like little else on Blues Radio with few exceptions like The Cash Box Kings and the late Michael Burks. Drawing from all these blues influences I mentioned (both recent, old and inbetween) but young enough to draw in all these normally unrelated influences like Hendrix, Prince, Funkadelic, Living Colour Thin Lizzy, and some punk, funk, country and rap to really doing something interesting and fresh.

album Review- Justin Sullivan

You have likely already heard me ex till the virtues of New Model Army. In the US, there main claim to fame came during the Reagan years when they were denied visas to come here because they had ‘no artistic merit’. I was lucky enough to be introduced to them in the early 90s. Decades later, I am still a fan, primarily for two reasons. They have a pretty solid “greatest hits” record. While a couple songs dominate their history, they have a set of songs as good as anyone. The second reason is that the band continues to make interesting music. Though they aren’t charting undiscovered territory anymore, they still bring passion to their records. In my undoubtedly naivety, it’s hard to imagine they couldn’t have broken bigger in the States (then again, Sony also took the gamble on them in those exciting anything can happen post-Nirvana years). They certainly shared roots in anthemic punk (Clash, Jam, Undertones) with bands like U2 and the Alarm, but their roaring guitars could have gotten them across with the more FM rock friendly alternative sounds of the day like The Cult, Killing Joke and Sisters of Mercy. 2021 brings lead singer Justin Sullivan’s second solo album (roughly 20 years later from his solo debut). The band follows a similar template as (and features members of) NMA, but instead, has an “unplugged” feel. Like many of his gothic brethren, age only helps make him sound more like a wisened sage. The benefit of this is that focuses on Sullivan’s voice and lyrics, which have always been good, and in this case, he seems to be telling personal stories. The drawback is that the songs work better independently (say on a playlist) but have a repetitive effect on an album. This one won’t be for everyone but it is the kind of album that some people may really love. Also likely contains the best (and possibly only) song about Roald Amundsen written this year, but you will have to look that one up yourself.

Southern Culture On the Skids- Album Review

One might classify Southern Culture on the Skids as a gimmicky 90s band as one would say, Squirrel Nut Zippers. And the truth is everyone had a unique ‘gimmicky’ sound. You could probably list nearly a dozen bands that fit the bill (Supersuckers, Deadbolt, Bad Livers, Rev Horton Heat, Los Straitjackets, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Legendary Shake Shackers, Nashville Pussy and so on). For SCOTS, their sound in the most simplified terms are a Cramps inspired band but as if the Cramps were Southern fried (and not just Nashville but a bit of Athens, Georgia).

They popped up with some colorful EPs and then when major labels were signing anything to throw it against the wall and see what stuck, they released 1995’s Dirt Track Date for Geffen Records. Dirt Track Date stands out even now as a classic of the genre- whatever kind of surf meets rockabilly meets roots rock genre that might be.

I haven’t followed the band that closely but they never rested. Largely releasing records on their own label, they don’t quite grab headlines. “At Home with..” was released this March with little fanfare.

Maybe that isn’t surprising. SCOTS are no longer the new guys, and the album is essentially a Covid record- forced to record in the studio because touring wasn’t an option.

But in this case, we really have a hidden gem of the record. Perhaps, it’s a bit subdued if you haven’t listened to the band in some time, but it works to the bands advantage. When you consider the Cramps final records failed because that band wouldn’t try to recreate themselves, a mature SCOTS brings humor to a more traditional sensibility.

At Home sounds like the an Up and Comer and less the work of a band that has crisscrossed the country on endless tours and a dozen-plus records in. It actually holds together over the breadth of the album with the only real misstep (in my opinion) being an unusually SCOTS-ed but faithful cover of Traffic’s Dear Mister Fantasy.

New Music Initiative: Ryan Glenn

2021 has not been a banner year for music for me. Certainly not to the extent 2019 and 2020 were. Now that may be because of Covid or just my own experiences. But don’t let the memes fool you. There’s always good music being made, and if anything i am just forced out of my comfort zone.

Anyway on the search for new music, I discovered Ryan Glenn. Unlike most of the artists I listen to, he’s on the early side of this career- 19 years old out of Denton, Texas and just releasing his first album. He is joined by members of the Old 97s, Bowling for Soup and Two Tons of Steel.

That guest list is a bit revelatory as Glenn is definitely stuck in the 1950s but he’s definitely got modern sensibilities.

The influence is classic early 50s country, a fair amount of rockabilly, and pre-Elvis in the army rock n roll. Critics pick up on his vocal hiccup and write Buddy Holly, though I would suggest (not that they are wrong, but) the first thought for many will be Hank Williams 3.

In fact, Far-away Rose is about as close as you can get to combining the influences of Hank and Hank 3. (Or combining the sounds of Buddy Holly and Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”). The subject matter probably puts him closer to 2022 to 1952- but then that probably shouldn’t be a surprise.

I’m really impressed. I hope we hear more from Ryan Glenn.

Iowa State Fair Free Stage Review 2021

 Each year, I do a little write up on the bands playing the Iowa State Fair. Everyone knows all the jokes, but there is generally a reason behind them- the bands can usually be put into two categories- hot rising country band or past-their-prime rock band. 

But I don’t write about the Grandstand bands but the Free Stage bands who take those descriptions to the next level. Not that I couldn’t write about the headliners. 

The Mike Love Band (dba The Beach Boys) is making their near annual trip here (with openers Hanson) and will have John Stamos in tow. 

Five Finger Death Punch is the rock band du jour to get the main stage treatment. 

Chris Stapleton with opener Nikki Lane (and Colter Wall on the free stage earlier in the day, I believe ) makes a solid night for Outlaw Country. 

Also of note, the current Doobie Brothers line up closing the fair features Michael McDonald.  

Besides Wall, Niko Moon, Jake Hoot and Blanco Brown look to further launch their careers on the free stage

Enough niceties. Let’s dish. 

The Lettermen

I remember: The Lettermen have been performing at state fairs since I was too small to ride the rides. You think they would have graduated by now, amirite?  Hey oh!

I learned: Like so many of these early rock bands, there is only one of the members of  this trio still living. Their credentials- 20 top 100 singles (1962-1971) and 11 gold records. It’s the kind of longevity that makes the Stones look like young pups. 

The band has essentially been Tony Butala’s since 1976 and in 2019, Butala semi retired so at some point, this may just be a franchise deal, though I’m sure you can’t beat them for harmonies. Meanwhile, Mick Jones is attempting the same thing as Butala with the Foreigner name. 

Skid Row

I Remember: You. Ha!  Skid Row were one of the more talented of their hair band brethren. A little bit more crunch than their peers. They took three albums to the charts. You will likely remember the first album and Slave to the Grind. 1995’s Subhuman Business got to 35, but even with positive reviews, things had changed, Sebastian Bach left and the chart run was done. To be fair, despite their talent and music sea changes, I think Bach’s mouth would have sunk them sooner rather than later anyway.

I learned: Skid Row is just the same band without Bach (and who can blame them). They released albums in 2003 and 2006 and a bunch of new songs in 2013-14. They opened for Kiss’s Farewell Tour in 2000. The band has had three vocalists Johnny Solinger, Tony Harnell (TNT) and current screamer ZP Theart (Dragonforce). 

Tony!Toni!Tone!

I remember: Too poppy in the time of gangsta rap. They were quite fun. Four charting albums (88-96). Ten Hot 100 songs. Three Top 10 songs. Everyone should remember “Feels Good” and “If I had no Loot”. Loot took the unlikely Ice Cube sample “You can New Jack swing on my nuts” and threw it into an all out party song. 

Also that pop country Walker Hayes song “You Broke Up With Me” is the same melody as T!T!T!s hit. 

I learned: You may not recall Raphael Saadiq as part of the band, but he would have his own success. The current band- founder DWayne Wiggins, his brother and his cousin- tours and had one last chart trip- backing Alicia Keyes for her #8 “Diary” in 2010. 

LIT

I remember: The Popoff brothers had ridiculous hair but were able to chart two albums in the Top 40 (1999, 2001) in those post grunge years. “My Own Worst Enemy” was their one big hit, though they took seven songs to the Alternative chart- the last in 2004. For some reason, I more remember the record company promoting the hell out of it than anyone actually liking their music. 

I learned: Perhaps I was a bit harsh on Lit. They always struck me as  ripping off the late 80s Orange County bands. Guess what?  They were a late 80s Orange County band whose success took twelve years. The band is still intact (minus the late drummer) and last released These Are The Days in 2017 which is a detour into country rock. 

Color Me Badd

I remember:  Oh you know. So let’s get it out of the way. I wanna sex you up. Har har! George Michael, Kenny G, Vanilla Ice and Rick James supergroup. Hey oh!

But seriously- three Top 3s, nine Top 40 songs ( a chart run from 1991 to 1996) and an appearance at the Peach Pit 

Of course, the indelible image in my mind is from 2018 when during a concert, when Bryan Abrams appeared on stage, yelled “I’m MFing Color Me Badd” and shoved Mark Calderon to the ground. 

I learned: The route after chart success was a weird one - solo careers, Reality shows (Mission: Man Band) and collaborations with the Insane Clown Posse. As far as I can tell, it’s just Calderon and hired hands at this point. Wiki helpfully adds the Abrams incident may have been caused by alcohol. 

Tag Team

I remember:  I love everything about Tag Team. DC the Brain Supreme was 27 when him and his high school friend Steve Rollin’ hit the charts in 1993, but they looked like middle aged men at the time. 

Whomp went to #2 (kept from #1 by Janet Jackson’s “That’s the Way Love Goes”). Such a big hit, it took the accompanying long player into the Top 40 and the song held the record for longest run in the Top 10 until Toni Braxton came along four years later. It would have been the biggest song of the year, if Whitney hadn’t covered an old Dolly Parton tune. 

You probably don’t know that the band has had three songs chart on the Top 100, but you can probably guess they are Addams Family and Mickey Mouse related take offs of their hit and both charted in 1994. 

Of course, last year, Tag Team had one of the most talked about commercials of the time appearing in a Geico ad,but for me nothing tops the circa -2010 rumor that Barack Obama was in the Whoomp video. It’s of course preposterous, but it just cements how great of party that song evokes.

I learned: Tag Team just might not have enough hits, which is why they are paired with Color Me Badd. I was surprised to find that the band had resisted reuniting for the subsequent decades and their record label went belly up because of the usage of early 80s Italian disco band Kano’s “I’m Ready”. But things look to be back on the upswing for the duo once again. Not the reunion we wanted, but the one we needed. 

Riley’s LA Guns

I remember: LA Guns were probably most famous for their alumni (Axl Rose and the Hollywood Rose predecessor) but Ballad of Jayne went Top 40 and three Top 50 albums were enough to get them out of that shadow. 

I learned: As you can guess, the name means there is contested rights over the name. On one hand, Tracii Guns isn’t part of this band and that is surely enough for most to not consider these the real Guns, but from a lineage point of view, Riley’s La Guns is the closest to the real thing. 

Riley who played with WASP in their latter heyday was the drummer for the Guns in their best selling, best charting years, and  Riley has kept the band going past Tracii’s departure and continuously recording new albums. Also adding legitimacy is bassist Kelly Nickels who played on the three charting Guns albums and wrote “Ballad of Jayne”. 

Country Gold featuring Leroy Van Dyke

I remember: Leroy’s classic country show is an Iowa State Fair perennial.  When I was a kid, I heard “The Auctioneer” and was blown away. If you don’t like that song, I question just how American you really are. The other song closely related to Van Dyke is equally enjoyable if less frenetic “Walk on by” (not to be confused with the Bacharach/David/Warwick/Isaac Hayes/Stranglers song). 

I learned: Van Dyke is now 91. Walk On By was number one on the country chart for 19 weeks and held the record for 52 years until Florida Georgia Line came along. 

Vocal Trash

I remember: I will mention this band since my wife loves them and they are another perennial Iowa State Fair act. The idea of taking trash and making music out of banging on trash cans isn’t a new one but they have certainly owned the concept. Steve Linder started the band in 2000, so while it doesn’t quite predate say, Stomp or Blue Man Group or other experimental bands, they have certainly made their own way to numerous state fairs and blazed their own path. 

I learned: Certainly, this band has more in common with entertainment options like Riverdance, Broadway shows and the like. When I finally saw them, they were a bit disappointing as they have definitely evolved to include guitars and electronics made out of recycled materials. While they are still high energy, it is a different vibe from if you see their early performances on YouTube 

All those cover bands 

I remember: State Fairs have their staples- corn dogs and mullets. In Iowa, that means Hairball- 20 years blending Kiss, Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Queen and various larger than life arena rock legends with all of the songs of those days from Ozzy to Journey, AC/DC to Guns N Roses. 

I learned: Since you can’t beat the combination of arena rock and state fairs (and you can't), why not book Hairball and the Rock of Ages band. 

While both bands would probably tell you they are very different (Hairball’s experience tends towards the era’s on stage excess) it’s hard not to group them together somewhat. 

I was curious to see who is in the Rock of Ages band and was surprised by a recent lineup. Constantine Maroulis leads the band, best known as Drew from the musical which he won a Tony and yes, you might remember him from the fourth season of American Idol. The band includes Tommy Kessler (member of Blondie since 2010) and Winston Roye (member of Soul Asylum since 2012). 

Besides those two bands, there is also “I am.. I said” a Neil Diamond tribute. While this makes me think of Will Ferrell, I can’t really think of many more beloved singers in the current day than Diamond, and I’m basing that on public sing-a-longs. In this case, the band isn’t technically "a tribute" in that they don’t try to recreate a Diamond show, but playing his biggest hits. Of interest, the band consists of the sons of that State Fair perennial Bobby Vee who had a half dozen Top 10 hits himself 

Dinosaur Jr- Sweep It Into Space

Everyone knows Dinosaur Jr right? There’s the unlikelihood of Mascis and Barlow coexisting for very long. The improbability that new music from the band would be (maybe except a song or two) worthwhile. But here we are fifteen years and five albums in. If you could be exposed to only the band’s 21st Century output, you still no doubt would be in awe of them. My comment on the current band still stands for the new record Sweep It Into Space. It sounds as if J, Lou and Murph can just step into a studio and effortlessly crank out 12 tunes that sound just like a Dino Jr album. For example, I’m not sure if I Met The Stones is metaphorically talking about the planets or a blog entry about Mick and Keef. Which is my problem with the current incarnation of the band. I don’t find the songs particularly memorable (this album even less so than the prior) and though maybe catchy choruses were always secondary, this is the band who gave us The Wagon and Feel The Pain. But at the end of the day, I don’t have a problem putting this album on and slipping away for 40 minutes. A lot has been made about Kurt Vile being in the producer’s chair. I don’t really know that I notice much difference but Mascis’s guitar does sound good and has a robust sound.

Olav Larsen & the Alabama Rodeo Stars- Stream of Conciousness

I don’t think I can mention Olav Larsen without bringing up the cliche. At least, until he’s more well known. He is, as his name might suggest, African-Norwegian and he makes the most authentic Americana music. I mean, they are the Alabama Rodeo Stars. Of course, a description like that isn’t going to get anyone to listen (at least repeatedly) if the music wasn’t any good, and believe me, the music is that good. The new album Stream of Consciousness has Olav finding duet partners for nine songs. I don’t know if I can find a better RIYL than alt country. But I know that doesn’t help much, even if he seems tangential to a lot of great artists. Perhaps, of course, because the band doesn’t stick to one extreme. At their quietest, I can’t help but hear some Lyle Lovett (and probably a good bit of Prine). Yet, sometimes they seem to go down paths that only get travelled by bands like Freakwater or Giant Sand, bands that seem to be in a different direction altogether. Still, I think this is a pretty interesting disc and would recommend to any fan of Alt-Country however they see that.

Gary Numan- Intruder

“Underrated” is one of those terms that everyone throws around, but Gary Numan seems appropriate to use it. The first four Numan/Tubeway Army albums are as solid as you might hope from any artist in a roughly two year period.

Although Numan famously had a second career in aviation, he really never stopped making albums. As opposed to most artists with a 40-plus year career, there really aren’t any gaps.

Artists have embraced Numan throughout the years, the most visible being Nine Inch Nails, but also a disparate group that includes Fear Factory, the Orb, Marilyn Manson, Tool, Nirvana and J Dilla.

I dipped back into Numan in the early Aughts but did not stay with his new material. What I missed was the buzz that began to generate with 2013s Splinter and continued with 2017s Savage- theme albums that inhabited a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Electronic sounds of course informed by plenty of Influences from all over the world.

One Intruder won’t replace say, Replicas, but it’s an intriguing listen. I’m struck immediately by two things. First, it feels very much like a Numan album in that it would surely be recognizable to any time traveler who might have happened across it in the Tubeway Army days

Second, there are a ton of electro influenced albums out there. After the success of Nine Inch Nails, similar albums flooded the market. It’s not just NIN of course, and it’s not just one genre, but just a ton of post NIN/Marilyn Manson/Smashing Pumpkins electro rock, and Numan doesn’t get any special treatment because he predates them all.

That said, despite a bit of lack in song-to-song variety (maybe more in time than instrumental variety, every song is a bit of a downer) it is a pretty solid genre album. If anyone can pull off the detached outsider from another world, it’s Numan and the music competently backs him up.

While it has too many flaws to be considered in the same conversation as Low or Station to Station, or even Holy Wood, it is an interesting piece of work.

What I am Listening to: Farmer Jason

 If these posts are ostensibly ‘what I am listening to this week’, then I guess I better mention Farmer Jason.

Having conversation about 2019’s Stand Tall, a close friend told me that if I liked Jason and the Scorchers and had small kids, I should check out Jason Ringenberg’s kid albums as Farmer Jason.

Needless to say, they have been a hit. 2003’s Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason has been an every day listen for the last six months with my newly turned five year old.

You can’t beat songs about the farm with kids and if I have to listen to kids’ songs, make them by someone with as much wit as Jason Ringenberg.

I would suggest that we are reaching the upper age limits of this record, but it’s been a hoot. Each song starts with an educational monologue which gets repetitive, but the songs are infectious and fun.

2006’s follow up Rockin in the Forest is a bit more *ahem* evergreen. It isn’t terribly different than his recent solo adult work. “Arrowhead” is a plaintive historical statement. While Punk Rock Skunk, Opossum in a Pocket and Moose on the Loose betrays that this is the same guy who led a band best known for ripping through Absolutely Sweet Marie and Take Me Home Country Roads.

I don’t know that I would listen to Rockin in the Forest if I didn’t have kids, but I also don’t know that I wouldn’t.

Outside of a Christmas album, the last we heard from Farmer Jason before his alter ego returned is 2012’s Nature Jams which is credited to Farmer Jason and Buddies with each song has a friend of Jason’s guesting.

Mike Mills, Tom Petterson of Cheap Trick, Iris DeMent, Brandi Carlile, Todd Snider and (most unexpectedly on Manatee) Hank Williams III and Tommy Ramone are some of the A-Listers who help out.

I also crowdsourced some music for my kids because I know some musicians have a career moonlighting with kids records. Between that and our regular listening habits- I thought I’d share some thoughts

I suspect everyone knows They Might Be Giants have been prolific in their Kids records (Five in 13 years). Adults have likely heard them on Mickey Mouse shows on Disney. Needless to say, these songs are huge in my household. Of course, as niche as TMBG are in their ‘adult’ records, it seems like it could be a blurry line between the two separate projects.

We are fans of the Amazon Prime series Pete the Cat. More musical than most, I always find it interesting that (for the first season, at least) Pete’s “parents” are Elvis Costello and Dianna Krall.

Jad and David Fair made an album called 26 Monster Songs for Kids in 1998 for Kill Rock Stars. I think it’s too out there for my boys currently but we will see.

In a similar direction, if you are so inclined check out the Wee Hairy Beasties. The kids don’t love it or hate it, but from an adult perspective, it is one of the most enjoyable Rated G records I have heard. Who are the Beasties? Well, they are the already genre-defying have-done-it-all Sally Timms and Jon Langford of the Mekons with Kelly Hogan and eccentric Chicago folk band Devil in a Woodpile.

There is surely more music now than one can imagine and don’t be surprised if a lost favorite (say Velocity Girl’s Sarah Shannon) is making kids music (in the Not-It’s in this case).

I did do something I normally wouldn’t, and did send Jason Ringenberg a short fan letter via social media for bringing so much joy in the last six months (and indeed 35 years) and was nice to have him have read it and thank me for it.