Lots to Do
Let's see. I've got to go to a dance recital for both cooldaughters in Asbury Park on Saturday morning. Then CoolDaughter #1 and I head to... ...Rutgers, I think, for the first long course swim meet of the season.
What's that? You don't care as much about what I'll be doing as what there may be for you to do?
Well, if I had the time tomorrow I'd head over to Marine Park in Red Bank for Riverfest. I'd love to catch Harper's Fellow when they perform at 2pm, but that's unlikely. That doesn't mean you can't check them out, though.
The band are currently running an IndieGoGo campaign to put out their debut album, Thanks for Tonight. Once you've heard them play, you may like to head over to their campaign and give them some support. Just in case, like me, you're booked, you can check out the acoustic version of "Cadillac" that the band put out a little while ago.
Then, tomorrow evening, Little Dickman recording artists The Battery Electric will be throwing a release party for their debut, Weaving Spiders, at Asbury's Berkeley Bar. Surf-rockers Plato Zorba are also on the bill, and rumor has it that DJ Mehalicka will be controlling the music between sets.
In case you're interested, I just may try to make it to that one.
Friday, May 31, 2013
How's The Cell Reception in Long Branch? Edition
Hot Late-Spring Friday
A few meetings today. Then it's a weekend of dance recitals and swim meets.
Stay cool.
Rock on...
A few meetings today. Then it's a weekend of dance recitals and swim meets.
Stay cool.
Rock on...
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sink Tapes Release Free, 5-Song EP
In the tradition of other New Jersey bands like The Feelies and Yo La Tengo, New Brunswick's Sink Tapes pass some sounds of the past through their own filter to come up with a sound that is totally their own.
The quartet's latest EP displays influences from The Velvet Underground, the acoustic indie pop of Evan Dando, early shoegaze like The Jesus and Mary Chain, and, yes, Yo La Tengo. Mattress Cowboys provides a bit of a contrast to Sink Tapes' 2012 full-length, Please Touch, by focusing a bit on the band's quieter side.
On opening track, "A Carnival's a Sure Thing," Ricky Kuczynski vocally channels Lou Reed over distant electric guitar and keyboards. The EP's other songs are mostly acoustic, culminating in the psychedelic, short interlude of closer "Doc Botnik's House Call Band."
The 5-song Mattress Cowboys is available as a "Name Your Price" (which means FREE) download from Sink Tapes' Bandcamp page. If you've got about ten minutes and not much cash, I honestly can't think of a better use of those two resources today.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Movie Review: A Band Called Death
Almost inexcusably, I only just recently finished reading Michael Azerrad's fantastic Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. It's something I should have read long ago.
The thing that struck me about the book's early chapters was how much we now take for granted about the way indie music works. Hearing punk music in small clubs is now commonplace, but it took bands like Black Flag, The Minutemen, and Minor Threat to forcibly carve out a touring trail for bands at a time when, in most of the country, that didn't happen. Imagine, then, the difficult path that a trio of African-American brothers from Detroit who played hard rock and roll and called themselves "Death" must have had in 1974. Their story is chronicled in Jeff Howlett's and Mark Covino's documentary, A Band Called Death.
"Before Bad Brains, The Sex Pistols, or even The Ramones, there was a band called Death," goes one of the film's tag lines. There can be endless arguments over where punk really started; and while that may be the angle that's being used to promote the film, that really isn't what the movie is about. Instead, A Band Called Death centers on a piece of advice that the brothers' father always preached to his boys: "Back up your brother."
In 1974, three brothers, David (guitar), Dannis (drums), and Bobby Hackney (bass / vocals), formed a band. Calling themselves Rock Fire Funk Express, they converted a bedroom in their family's home to a practice space. The band's name reflected an indecisiveness about whether to be a funk band or a rock and roll band. Upon seeing The Who when they came through town, though, de facto leader David Hackney decided that they had to play rock. It was an unorthodox choice for three African-American teenagers living in the land of MoTown. Their always supportive mother told them that they could make as much racket as they wanted between the hours of 3pm and 6pm, and that's what they did religiously.
Following a family tragedy and a personal turn to spirituality, David Hackney came up with a new concept and name for the band: Death. While he recognized the shock value of the name, David Hackney didn't intend the name to be morbid. Instead, he viewed death as a gateway to another plane of existence and he wanted the band to touch that plane through their music. But before Dead Kennedys, Napalm Death, Death from Above, even Death Cab For Cutie, the name was a hard sell to say the least.
Bobby and Dannis were willing to change the band's name in order to get a record contract, but David would have none of it. Bobby and Dannis "backed up" their brother and supported his decision. The rest of the film chronicles the lives of the brothers and their family over the next thirty-five or so years, following the recording and ultimate shelving of the Death project.
A particularly moving story comes when David, at Bobby's 2001 wedding and what would prove to be their final meeting, hands Bobby the Death master tapes saying, "Keep these safe. One day the world will come looking for them." Protesting that he's already got too many tapes lying around, Bobby Hackney ultimately agrees and stashes the tapes in his attic.
Years later, a miraculous series of events follows that leads to the release of Death's long lost album, ...for the Whole World to See, and the re-introduction of the band's music to the world.
The movie is interesting as a piece of rock and roll history and as an illustration of the way the Internet has changed the music business, but it's also a moving story about family. His brothers didn't always understand David Hackney much better than the rest of the world, but they trusted him and remained loyal. Now, when they perform as Death, they're able to give life to their brother's vision the way he always intended.
And when you hear the music, you'll be amazed that something as simple as the band's name could have kept these sounds from the world for so long.
A Band Called Death is available to stream now and is set for a limited theatrical release on June 28th.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Gaslight Anthem Played The Stone Pony with The Hold Steady
We're Gonna Build Something This Summer
After last night, I think I may be a rare breed. I'm what's known as a casual Gaslight Anthem fan. From our position up front, and then even as we moved back through the crowd, I don't think that CoolMom and I came across another one. The sold out Stone Pony Summer Stage was a sea of people cheering the opening chords to every song and singing every lyric.
The weather was iffy all day. Not only had it been raining on and off, but it was also cold and windy. CoolMom put on her winter coat, and we headed out to kick off the summer. We arrived during opener Luther's set as a light rain fell. I convinced CoolMom to move close to the front with me so that we'd have a good view when The Hold Steady came out for their set.
Philly's Luther currently record for The Bouncing Souls' Chunksaah Records. They play pop-punk influenced rock and roll and were a nice fit on the bill with The Gaslight Anthem. Throughout their thirty-minute set, the folks up front with us pumped their fists and sang along.
The rain let up, even stopped, as we waited for The Hold Steady. Just as they took the stage at 7:15, though, it came back. At points during the set, it came down pretty hard, causing a delay when guitarist Tad Kubler's amp got soaked.
The Hold Steady opened with "Constructive Summer" from 2008's Stay Positive. The song's lyric "We're gonna build something this summer / We'll put it back together" wasn't lost on anyone, the crowd raising their arms and screaming in unison through the wind and rain. Frontman Craig Finn gave us his usual frenetic moving and dancing as he preached the lyrics of each song to the crowd, stepping away from the mic from time to time to re-mouth the words while shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, or smiling and laughing. Several times he came to the edge of the stage, arms spread wide, and encouraged the crowd to sing along. Brian Sella and Matt Uychich of The Front Bottoms watched the whole set from the side of the stage as Sella sang along with the rest of us.
The absence of keyboardist Franz Nicolay, who left the band in 2010, was felt on songs like "Stuck Between Stations," "Chips Ahoy!" and "Southtown Girls;" but the band filled out the sound with even more crushingly loud guitar. None of the songs suffered. The roughly hourlong set also included favorites like "Rock Problems," "Sequestered in Memphis," "Your Little Hoodrat Friend," and "You Can Make Him Like You," closing with "Slapped Actress."
As darkness fell, the rain stopped. The Gaslight Anthem took the stage, as scheduled, just after 8:30, opening with "Handwritten." CoolMom and I were pretty well hemmed in at this point, as the crush of not-so-casual fans pushed their way to the front. I think it was during "American Slang" when the drunk, 250-pound plus man mountain with the shaved head and Oxford shirt began hurling himself into tiny female Gaslight Anthem fans and throwing elbows. He received a few punches, pushes, and harsh words which only caused him to turn up the violence. Anticipating a bad outcome to this, CoolMom and I threw in the towel and headed toward the back.
From our new spot, we saw the rest of the set, including "45," "The Patient Ferris Wheel" ("I've never felt so strange / Standing in the Jersey Rain"), and "Too Much Blood." The Stone Pony Summer Stage may have given rise to the first-ever incident of crowd surfing during a Bon Iver song when The Gaslight Anthem covered "Blood Bank."
"Thanks for coming out. A little rain didn't stop you. We had enough rain in the fall. Now it's time to start the summer," said Brian Fallon at one point. That summed up the whole feel of the show. The weather was a little sketchy, but we've all seen worse. Last night ended up being the real release of much of the emotion that's built up over the last seven or so months.
The Gaslight Anthem brought people together. There were hardcore fans, casual fans, and non-fans who just wanted to get the beach season started. After the show, the re-opened Langosta Lounge across the street was packed with people, including many members of the New Jersey and Asbury Park music scene, enjoying a few drinks and listening to even more music from Asbury's Sikamor Rooney.
Summer at the Jersey Shore started in the wind and cold last night. You can still get in on phase 2 as I think there are still tickets available for the second Gaslight Anthem show tonight with The Felice Brothers. And we've got an entire, beautiful, comeback summer ahead of us. Be safe. Have fun.
After last night, I think I may be a rare breed. I'm what's known as a casual Gaslight Anthem fan. From our position up front, and then even as we moved back through the crowd, I don't think that CoolMom and I came across another one. The sold out Stone Pony Summer Stage was a sea of people cheering the opening chords to every song and singing every lyric.
The weather was iffy all day. Not only had it been raining on and off, but it was also cold and windy. CoolMom put on her winter coat, and we headed out to kick off the summer. We arrived during opener Luther's set as a light rain fell. I convinced CoolMom to move close to the front with me so that we'd have a good view when The Hold Steady came out for their set.
Philly's Luther currently record for The Bouncing Souls' Chunksaah Records. They play pop-punk influenced rock and roll and were a nice fit on the bill with The Gaslight Anthem. Throughout their thirty-minute set, the folks up front with us pumped their fists and sang along.
The rain let up, even stopped, as we waited for The Hold Steady. Just as they took the stage at 7:15, though, it came back. At points during the set, it came down pretty hard, causing a delay when guitarist Tad Kubler's amp got soaked.
The Hold Steady opened with "Constructive Summer" from 2008's Stay Positive. The song's lyric "We're gonna build something this summer / We'll put it back together" wasn't lost on anyone, the crowd raising their arms and screaming in unison through the wind and rain. Frontman Craig Finn gave us his usual frenetic moving and dancing as he preached the lyrics of each song to the crowd, stepping away from the mic from time to time to re-mouth the words while shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, or smiling and laughing. Several times he came to the edge of the stage, arms spread wide, and encouraged the crowd to sing along. Brian Sella and Matt Uychich of The Front Bottoms watched the whole set from the side of the stage as Sella sang along with the rest of us.
The absence of keyboardist Franz Nicolay, who left the band in 2010, was felt on songs like "Stuck Between Stations," "Chips Ahoy!" and "Southtown Girls;" but the band filled out the sound with even more crushingly loud guitar. None of the songs suffered. The roughly hourlong set also included favorites like "Rock Problems," "Sequestered in Memphis," "Your Little Hoodrat Friend," and "You Can Make Him Like You," closing with "Slapped Actress."
As darkness fell, the rain stopped. The Gaslight Anthem took the stage, as scheduled, just after 8:30, opening with "Handwritten." CoolMom and I were pretty well hemmed in at this point, as the crush of not-so-casual fans pushed their way to the front. I think it was during "American Slang" when the drunk, 250-pound plus man mountain with the shaved head and Oxford shirt began hurling himself into tiny female Gaslight Anthem fans and throwing elbows. He received a few punches, pushes, and harsh words which only caused him to turn up the violence. Anticipating a bad outcome to this, CoolMom and I threw in the towel and headed toward the back.
From our new spot, we saw the rest of the set, including "45," "The Patient Ferris Wheel" ("I've never felt so strange / Standing in the Jersey Rain"), and "Too Much Blood." The Stone Pony Summer Stage may have given rise to the first-ever incident of crowd surfing during a Bon Iver song when The Gaslight Anthem covered "Blood Bank."
"Thanks for coming out. A little rain didn't stop you. We had enough rain in the fall. Now it's time to start the summer," said Brian Fallon at one point. That summed up the whole feel of the show. The weather was a little sketchy, but we've all seen worse. Last night ended up being the real release of much of the emotion that's built up over the last seven or so months.
The Gaslight Anthem brought people together. There were hardcore fans, casual fans, and non-fans who just wanted to get the beach season started. After the show, the re-opened Langosta Lounge across the street was packed with people, including many members of the New Jersey and Asbury Park music scene, enjoying a few drinks and listening to even more music from Asbury's Sikamor Rooney.
Summer at the Jersey Shore started in the wind and cold last night. You can still get in on phase 2 as I think there are still tickets available for the second Gaslight Anthem show tonight with The Felice Brothers. And we've got an entire, beautiful, comeback summer ahead of us. Be safe. Have fun.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
You're Not Gonna Let Some Weather Get You Down, Are You, New Jersey?
Gaslight Anthem Playing Asbury Park Tonight and Tomorrow
Stone Pony Summer Stage.
Here we go!
Stone Pony Summer Stage.
Here we go!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Memorial Day Edition
Start-of-Summer Friday
I finally get to see The Hold Steady play live when they open for The Gaslight Anthem tomorrow in the rain and cold. I don't care about the weather. Still excited.
Have a safe and constructive summer. Don't forget to spend your money on the Jersey Shore.
Rock on...
I finally get to see The Hold Steady play live when they open for The Gaslight Anthem tomorrow in the rain and cold. I don't care about the weather. Still excited.
Have a safe and constructive summer. Don't forget to spend your money on the Jersey Shore.
Rock on...
Thursday, May 23, 2013
SIMGE Presents: Paper Streets, Mad Feather Group, Dentist, The Everymen, Thomas Wesley Stern at The Saint
Start Your Summer Off with a Bang
Paper Streets are celebrating the physical release of their self-titled EP with a party TONIGHT at the Saint in Asbury Park. The event is hosted by our friends over at Speak Into My Good Eye. Paper Streets will be receiving support from an impressive assembly of New Jersey talent including Jackson's Mad Feather Group and Thomas Wesley Stern, Tuckerton's The Everymen, and Asbury's own Dentist.
So, whether you're into the indie rock
the soulful indie rock
the Americana thing
the 1990's inflected surf rock
or the sweaty barroom rock
You're sure to have your socks rocked off. CoolMom's even joining me for this one. Come say hi, and get yourself ready for a great summer at the Jersey Shore.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Stephen Chopek LP, Solo Tour
If you've ever seen The Everymen play live (and, if you haven't, you've got a chance to fix that tomorrow), then you've probably marveled at the energy and force that Jersey City's Stephen Chopek is able to generate from his wiry frame behind the drum kit. It turns out that, in addition to being a ferocious drummer, Chopek is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.
His solo LP, See Through, features a dozen tracks of short, upbeat, lofi rock. Each song is just Chopek and his overdriven electric guitar, which gives the collection the feel of early Billy Bragg without the overt leftist politics or British accent. Even in the pared down format, Chopek's energy comes through, especially on tracks like "This Old Town" and "Walk First."
Chopek will be touring for See Through this summer, starting at the Bowery Electric Map Room on June 5th. On June 22nd, he'll be appearing as part of the Tiny Giant Summer Bummer at Asbury Lanes, performing a solo set and then manning the drums for The Everymen.
You can grab See Through as a free download and check out the rest of the tour dates over at Chopek's Bandcamp page.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The National Released Their Album Today
Trouble Will Find Me
The National released Trouble Will Find Me today. When the band announced the album, they also announced a series of tour dates, including a night at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 5th. I'm kind of off going to arena shows, so I was hoping for something to pop up the way it did just before High Violet came out in 2010. That year, I was able to scoop up tickets for CoolMom and me to a pre-release show at the Bell House. To this day, that stands as one of the best concert experiences I've ever had.
I was excited today when the band announced, to celebrate release day, that they'd be playing a series of surprise shows around New York City -- a lunchtime set at Brooklyn's tiny Sycamore Bar & Flower Shop, a 5pm show at Public Assembly, and a 10pm show at Mercury Lounge. I readied myself to grab a Mercury Lounge ticket when they went on sale at noon. I think I made my ticket request at some time between 12:00:01 and 12:00:03. Alas, it was not to be. Whatever luck I had back in 2010 when I snagged those Bell House tickets just wasn't there today.
It looks like I won't be leaving my trivia team in the lurch again this week. I'll just have to settle for watching last night's Letterman performance and listening to Trouble Will Find Me, which I plan to review later this week.
The National released Trouble Will Find Me today. When the band announced the album, they also announced a series of tour dates, including a night at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 5th. I'm kind of off going to arena shows, so I was hoping for something to pop up the way it did just before High Violet came out in 2010. That year, I was able to scoop up tickets for CoolMom and me to a pre-release show at the Bell House. To this day, that stands as one of the best concert experiences I've ever had.
I was excited today when the band announced, to celebrate release day, that they'd be playing a series of surprise shows around New York City -- a lunchtime set at Brooklyn's tiny Sycamore Bar & Flower Shop, a 5pm show at Public Assembly, and a 10pm show at Mercury Lounge. I readied myself to grab a Mercury Lounge ticket when they went on sale at noon. I think I made my ticket request at some time between 12:00:01 and 12:00:03. Alas, it was not to be. Whatever luck I had back in 2010 when I snagged those Bell House tickets just wasn't there today.
It looks like I won't be leaving my trivia team in the lurch again this week. I'll just have to settle for watching last night's Letterman performance and listening to Trouble Will Find Me, which I plan to review later this week.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Snowball 37, Suburban Campers
A Couple of New Things
I just wanted to mention some new things I came across over the course of the last few weeks that I think deserve your attention.
I just wanted to mention some new things I came across over the course of the last few weeks that I think deserve your attention.
- Snowball 37, Declasse. Snowball 37 are David and Tim Fagan, James Faust, and Brent Clore. Originally hailing from Jersey City, the band now call Point Pleasant home. Declasse displays some Jersey Shore influence right away, opening with the sound of Brent Clore's saxophone on "Long Dead and Gone." From there, the album's 13 tracks move through the sounds of 1990's alternative rock, pop punk, and even classic rock with lyrical references to Neil Young and Kurt Cobain. Declasse is available now at your favorite digital music retailer and on Spotify. It's "Jersey Fresh" and worth a listen.
- Suburban Campers, Suburban Campers EP. This one was a surprise, hitting my radar with a "suburbancampers is now following you" email from Tumblrhoo!. According to the San Diego quartet's Tumblr, "we had very little resources upon first recording so we recorded most of our songs with a cassette recorder in our friends livin room. we ended up liking how it sounded so we recorded our entire ep that way." The resulting 5 songs are a lo-fi, reverb soaked collection of dreamy surf pop reminiscent of New Jersey's Real Estate. I think it's been firmly established here how much I love lo-fi, reverb soaked, dreamy surf pop; so this one really struck a chord with me. Suburban Campers' self-titled EP is available as a "Name Your Price" download from the band's Bandcamp site.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Nicole Atkins Helped Re-Open Langosta Lounge
Summer Is Coming
The Jet Star has finally been removed from the ocean, and Seaside Heights says they'll have their boardwalk ready in time for the summer. The Asbury Park boardwalk officially re-opens today.
As kind of a mini kickoff to everything, I headed out to the re-opened Langosta Lounge last night to catch a Nicole Atkins solo set. The place looks great now. It's got a new, much larger stage; and I wouldn't be surprised to see some big performances in there this summer. Nicole Atkins was great as usual, stunning everyone with some material from her just-recorded upcoming LP and an unbelievable rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying." She even told me she remembered signing the top to CoolDaughter #1's takeout food at Langosta Lounge a few years ago.
You've got two more chances to catch Nicole Atkins in Asbury Park this weekend. She'll be appearing at the Stone Pony tonight with Dead On Live, and tomorrow she's doing a DJ set at the Watermark.
Later today, starting at 6pm, Speak Into My Good Eye will be presenting a free showcase at Jimbo's in Seaside Heights as part of the Jersey Shore Festival. There are some great bands on that bill, and you should check it out if you can.
Next week, things kick off in earnest when the Gaslight Anthem opens the Stone Pony Summer Stage with a two-night stand on Saturday and Sunday.
This is all fantastic news; but for many towns in the area, the effects of Superstorm Sandy are still felt daily. Shark River Hills, the hometown of Nicole Atkins, will be holding a concert on June 1st to benefit the Recovery Along the River Fund which aims to aid residents still recovering from the storm. Atkins will be performing, along with Steve Forbert and many others. Last night, Atkins promised that the event would feature plenty of sausage sandwiches.
The Jet Star has finally been removed from the ocean, and Seaside Heights says they'll have their boardwalk ready in time for the summer. The Asbury Park boardwalk officially re-opens today.
As kind of a mini kickoff to everything, I headed out to the re-opened Langosta Lounge last night to catch a Nicole Atkins solo set. The place looks great now. It's got a new, much larger stage; and I wouldn't be surprised to see some big performances in there this summer. Nicole Atkins was great as usual, stunning everyone with some material from her just-recorded upcoming LP and an unbelievable rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying." She even told me she remembered signing the top to CoolDaughter #1's takeout food at Langosta Lounge a few years ago.
You've got two more chances to catch Nicole Atkins in Asbury Park this weekend. She'll be appearing at the Stone Pony tonight with Dead On Live, and tomorrow she's doing a DJ set at the Watermark.
Later today, starting at 6pm, Speak Into My Good Eye will be presenting a free showcase at Jimbo's in Seaside Heights as part of the Jersey Shore Festival. There are some great bands on that bill, and you should check it out if you can.
Next week, things kick off in earnest when the Gaslight Anthem opens the Stone Pony Summer Stage with a two-night stand on Saturday and Sunday.
This is all fantastic news; but for many towns in the area, the effects of Superstorm Sandy are still felt daily. Shark River Hills, the hometown of Nicole Atkins, will be holding a concert on June 1st to benefit the Recovery Along the River Fund which aims to aid residents still recovering from the storm. Atkins will be performing, along with Steve Forbert and many others. Last night, Atkins promised that the event would feature plenty of sausage sandwiches.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Lemonheads Edition
Playing Wonder Bar in July
The Lemonheads are a strange and interesting story. They started as kind of a hardcorish band of teenagers. Evan Dando's good looks, his penchant for performing excellent cover songs, and his talent for writing some truly brilliant pop songs got the band swept up in the whole "alternative" explosion in the early 1990's.
Their second major-label effort, It's A Shame About Ray, is a landmark record of the 1990's corporate alternative era and an album that CoolMom and I bonded over during the early years of our life together.
Being the type of person that I am, though, -- the kind of person that claims to love Darkness on the Edge of Town more than Born to Run -- my favorite Lemonheads record has to be Lick. The album came out on Taang! records just before Dando took the band to Atlantic, and I think it really shows the band transitioning from their beginnings to Dando's alt-country pop.
It also contains one of my favorite songs of all time, "Mallo Cup."
Tickets for the Wonder Bar show go on sale at 10AM today. It's a great place to see a show.
Rock on...
The Lemonheads are a strange and interesting story. They started as kind of a hardcorish band of teenagers. Evan Dando's good looks, his penchant for performing excellent cover songs, and his talent for writing some truly brilliant pop songs got the band swept up in the whole "alternative" explosion in the early 1990's.
Their second major-label effort, It's A Shame About Ray, is a landmark record of the 1990's corporate alternative era and an album that CoolMom and I bonded over during the early years of our life together.
Being the type of person that I am, though, -- the kind of person that claims to love Darkness on the Edge of Town more than Born to Run -- my favorite Lemonheads record has to be Lick. The album came out on Taang! records just before Dando took the band to Atlantic, and I think it really shows the band transitioning from their beginnings to Dando's alt-country pop.
It also contains one of my favorite songs of all time, "Mallo Cup."
Tickets for the Wonder Bar show go on sale at 10AM today. It's a great place to see a show.
Rock on...
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Black Francis Played the Wonder Bar Last Night
May 14th, 2013, Asbury Park, NJ
I felt pretty bad. Fourth place at the half, but all of the teams had used their bonus round; so we still had a shot at finishing in the money. With the upcoming picture round set to be "Know Your Internet Meme," I knew that my many hours spent in front of the computer could not help but be of some value to my trivia teammates. But I just couldn't stick around any longer.
Under the glare of at least one very disappointed look, I waved to the Quizzard as he started dialing a friend in the Great White North for the new "Ask a Canadian" round; and I left Asbury Lanes to head over to the Wonder Bar to catch the Black Francis show. I'm still not sure how my team finished, but I got a voicemail that made it sound like the end wasn't pretty. I don't think I would've been much help.
My Tuedsay Night Trivia commitment forced me to miss opener Reid Paley, with whom Black Francis released an album in 2011. I arrived just as Paley was leaving the stage, made a stop at the bar and was able to weave my way right up to the front. The Wonder Bar was pretty packed, but I'm not sure that the show sold out.
Black Francis walked onto the stage just after 9:30 to a burst of applause even though he was just performing some final setup. He acknowledged the reception and held up his Fender Jaguar. Applause! He held up his electric guitar cable. Applause! He held up his pick. Applause! He pointed to the mic stand. Applause! "OK. That's it. I'm not going to make you clap for a tuner." "We would!!!" was the response from someone in the crowd.
From there, Francis opened the set with "Cactus" and "Wave of Mutilation," shouting "Rock me, Joey Santiago," to his imaginary bandmate at the moment of the latter's mini guitar solo. I didn't keep a set list, but I think the next song was "Subbacultcha," after which Francis said, "OK. I started you off with three moldy oldies... ...let's do a newby booby."
That's how the rest of the evening went. Francis rattled off song after song with barely a break in between, mixing in Pixies classics -- "Mr. Grieves," "Nimrod's Son," "Monkey Gone to Heaven,""Gouge Away" -- with songs from each of his solo incarnations -- "Sing for Joy," "Tight Black Rubber," "Bullet," "She Took All the Money," "California Bound." He added several covers, including "Wheels" by Graham Parsons, "That Burnt Out Rock and Roll" by Gary Green, and a great version of "The Black Rider" by Tom Waits.
One of the most interesting aspects of Black Francis has always been the way he uses his voice. Just like the quiet-loud-quiet approach that defined The Pixies' music, Francis takes his voice from a whisper to a scream or bellow and everything in between. "The Black Rider," especially in the solo format with just electric guitar accompaniment, had Francis running through all of his vocal tricks and affectations in excellent Waits-like fashion.
Paley joined Francis for a four-song encore that included the duo's "Ugly Life" along with Kinky Friedman's "Wild Man from Borneo."
"Intimate" is a word often used to describe solo sets like this. This one came about as close to that as I've seen in a while. Black Francis regularly made eye contact with and acknowledged those of us in the front. The stripped down versions of all of the songs had people singing along, filling in the Kim Deal parts or additional instrumentals on many of The Pixies' selections. And Francis seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the crowd.
It was a truly fine evening, even if I do still feel a little guilty.
I felt pretty bad. Fourth place at the half, but all of the teams had used their bonus round; so we still had a shot at finishing in the money. With the upcoming picture round set to be "Know Your Internet Meme," I knew that my many hours spent in front of the computer could not help but be of some value to my trivia teammates. But I just couldn't stick around any longer.
Under the glare of at least one very disappointed look, I waved to the Quizzard as he started dialing a friend in the Great White North for the new "Ask a Canadian" round; and I left Asbury Lanes to head over to the Wonder Bar to catch the Black Francis show. I'm still not sure how my team finished, but I got a voicemail that made it sound like the end wasn't pretty. I don't think I would've been much help.
My Tuedsay Night Trivia commitment forced me to miss opener Reid Paley, with whom Black Francis released an album in 2011. I arrived just as Paley was leaving the stage, made a stop at the bar and was able to weave my way right up to the front. The Wonder Bar was pretty packed, but I'm not sure that the show sold out.
Black Francis walked onto the stage just after 9:30 to a burst of applause even though he was just performing some final setup. He acknowledged the reception and held up his Fender Jaguar. Applause! He held up his electric guitar cable. Applause! He held up his pick. Applause! He pointed to the mic stand. Applause! "OK. That's it. I'm not going to make you clap for a tuner." "We would!!!" was the response from someone in the crowd.
From there, Francis opened the set with "Cactus" and "Wave of Mutilation," shouting "Rock me, Joey Santiago," to his imaginary bandmate at the moment of the latter's mini guitar solo. I didn't keep a set list, but I think the next song was "Subbacultcha," after which Francis said, "OK. I started you off with three moldy oldies... ...let's do a newby booby."
That's how the rest of the evening went. Francis rattled off song after song with barely a break in between, mixing in Pixies classics -- "Mr. Grieves," "Nimrod's Son," "Monkey Gone to Heaven,""Gouge Away" -- with songs from each of his solo incarnations -- "Sing for Joy," "Tight Black Rubber," "Bullet," "She Took All the Money," "California Bound." He added several covers, including "Wheels" by Graham Parsons, "That Burnt Out Rock and Roll" by Gary Green, and a great version of "The Black Rider" by Tom Waits.
One of the most interesting aspects of Black Francis has always been the way he uses his voice. Just like the quiet-loud-quiet approach that defined The Pixies' music, Francis takes his voice from a whisper to a scream or bellow and everything in between. "The Black Rider," especially in the solo format with just electric guitar accompaniment, had Francis running through all of his vocal tricks and affectations in excellent Waits-like fashion.
Paley joined Francis for a four-song encore that included the duo's "Ugly Life" along with Kinky Friedman's "Wild Man from Borneo."
"Intimate" is a word often used to describe solo sets like this. This one came about as close to that as I've seen in a while. Black Francis regularly made eye contact with and acknowledged those of us in the front. The stripped down versions of all of the songs had people singing along, filling in the Kim Deal parts or additional instrumentals on many of The Pixies' selections. And Francis seemed to be enjoying himself as much as the crowd.
It was a truly fine evening, even if I do still feel a little guilty.
Monday, May 13, 2013
mbv Coming to USA
FYF Fest in LA
Hat tip to Mike over at Speak Into My Good Eye for letting me know that My Bloody Valentine will be headlining one of the days at this year's FYF Fest... ...in Los Angeles, California.
Also of interest to me on the bill:
Saturday, August 24
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Breeders, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Eleanor Friedberger, Joyce Manor, Foxygen, Metz, Waxahatchee
Sunday, August 25
Beach House, Yo La Tengo, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Jonathan Richman, Fear of Men
MY BLOODY F'ING VALENTINE!!!!!!
Not to mention that me at a music festival could make for some pretty funny blog posts.
CoolMom and I need to have a chat.
Hat tip to Mike over at Speak Into My Good Eye for letting me know that My Bloody Valentine will be headlining one of the days at this year's FYF Fest... ...in Los Angeles, California.
Also of interest to me on the bill:
Saturday, August 24
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Breeders, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Eleanor Friedberger, Joyce Manor, Foxygen, Metz, Waxahatchee
Sunday, August 25
Beach House, Yo La Tengo, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Jonathan Richman, Fear of Men
MY BLOODY F'ING VALENTINE!!!!!!
Not to mention that me at a music festival could make for some pretty funny blog posts.
CoolMom and I need to have a chat.
Janet LaBelle Releases New Single
"Wide Awake Dreaming"
She currently calls Brooklyn home, but Janet LaBelle is a product of the New Jersey pop punk scene. As a solo artist she's so far specialized in retro, surf, or girl group-inspired pop. On "Wide Awake Dreaming," LaBelle goes for a slightly different sound from the same era.
Piano and strings give the song a kind of early 1960's ballad feel, and had me thinking of a (much) more stripped down version of something like Wilco's "Reservations" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
LaBelle and many, many others from the Tiny Giant Artists Collective will be appearing at Asbury Lanes on June 22nd for the Summer Bummer, which is the rescheduled version of the canceled-by-Nemo Winter Beach Ball.
She currently calls Brooklyn home, but Janet LaBelle is a product of the New Jersey pop punk scene. As a solo artist she's so far specialized in retro, surf, or girl group-inspired pop. On "Wide Awake Dreaming," LaBelle goes for a slightly different sound from the same era.
Piano and strings give the song a kind of early 1960's ballad feel, and had me thinking of a (much) more stripped down version of something like Wilco's "Reservations" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
LaBelle and many, many others from the Tiny Giant Artists Collective will be appearing at Asbury Lanes on June 22nd for the Summer Bummer, which is the rescheduled version of the canceled-by-Nemo Winter Beach Ball.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Foxygen Premiere Video for "No Destruction"
Song for a Summery Day
One of my very favorite songs of 2013 gets an official video today. Stereogum has the premiere of Foxygen's video for "No Destruction."
The video includes clips from student films made by and featuring Foxygen's Sam France and Jonathan Rado and director Bryan Felber.
Perfect song for a warm May day.
One of my very favorite songs of 2013 gets an official video today. Stereogum has the premiere of Foxygen's video for "No Destruction."
The video includes clips from student films made by and featuring Foxygen's Sam France and Jonathan Rado and director Bryan Felber.
Perfect song for a warm May day.
80 Degree Edition: Crowd Funding, Book Review, Vampire Weekend
Recap Friday
Just wanted to point out a few things:
There are a couple of crowd funding campaigns going on right now that I think deserve your attention:
Eternal Summers have a pre-order project going on PledgeMusic to finish their third LP. Correct Behavior is one of my favorite albums from last year, and the band's singer / guitarist, Nicole Yun, was kind enough to answer some questions over email for me.
Local Americana act Harper's Fellow are doing something similar over at IndieGoGo. They'll be using some local Asbury businesses to complete their record, and they'll be donating 10% of the proceeds from the sale of the record to help with Hurricane Sandy relief.
I also did a review of Jesse Jarnow's book, Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock.
Speak Into My Good Eye has the review I did of the upcoming album from Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City.
So have a look at all of those if you like.
And rock on...
Just wanted to point out a few things:
There are a couple of crowd funding campaigns going on right now that I think deserve your attention:
Eternal Summers have a pre-order project going on PledgeMusic to finish their third LP. Correct Behavior is one of my favorite albums from last year, and the band's singer / guitarist, Nicole Yun, was kind enough to answer some questions over email for me.
Local Americana act Harper's Fellow are doing something similar over at IndieGoGo. They'll be using some local Asbury businesses to complete their record, and they'll be donating 10% of the proceeds from the sale of the record to help with Hurricane Sandy relief.
I also did a review of Jesse Jarnow's book, Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock.
Speak Into My Good Eye has the review I did of the upcoming album from Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City.
So have a look at all of those if you like.
And rock on...
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The National's Latest Video
"Sea of Love"
Being a fan of both the mindie and dad rock genres, I'm pretty excited that the next couple of weeks will see new album releases from both Vampire Weekend and The National.
The National's Trouble Will Find Me comes out on May 21st. It seems almost impossible for the band to continue the great run that they've been on with Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet; but I've really enjoyed what I've heard so far.
Yesterday The National released the video for "Sea of Love" from their upcoming LP, which pays homage to a 1990's video by Russian punk band, Zvuki Mu. The song is a good one and viewing the videos side by side is pretty cool.
Being a fan of both the mindie and dad rock genres, I'm pretty excited that the next couple of weeks will see new album releases from both Vampire Weekend and The National.
The National's Trouble Will Find Me comes out on May 21st. It seems almost impossible for the band to continue the great run that they've been on with Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet; but I've really enjoyed what I've heard so far.
Yesterday The National released the video for "Sea of Love" from their upcoming LP, which pays homage to a 1990's video by Russian punk band, Zvuki Mu. The song is a good one and viewing the videos side by side is pretty cool.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
New Shellshag Video
"Driving Song"
One of the best shows I've seen in a long time was Shellshag's record release show at Maxwell's last month. On both their latest LP, Shellshag Forever, and during their live show, it's just obvious that Shellshag are having a blast.
That carries over into this hilarious video, released yesterday, for "Driving Song."
One of the best shows I've seen in a long time was Shellshag's record release show at Maxwell's last month. On both their latest LP, Shellshag Forever, and during their live show, it's just obvious that Shellshag are having a blast.
That carries over into this hilarious video, released yesterday, for "Driving Song."
Monday, May 6, 2013
Harper's Fellow Crowd Funding Their Debut LP
Thanks For Tonight
Things are moving quickly for Jersey Shore neo-country / folk rockers Harper's Fellow. The brainchild of singer / songwriter Cortney Metzler, the band came together and started performing late in 2012. They recently spent time in the studio recording their debut LP and released a studio performance video for "Bow & Arrow." Today, they launched a crowd funding campaign to put the finishing touches on their record via IndieGoGo.
Contributors can pledge and receive perks ranging from a personal thank you call from a band member to a private house concert from the full band. In addition, the band are using the campaign to give back to the community by mixing and mastering the album with local businesses Lake House Music and Asbury Media and by donating 10% of the proceeds from sales of Thanks For Tonight to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.
I saw the band live a few weeks ago. Metzler's voice, some excellent musicianship, and a strong set of songs set Harper's Fellow apart in a very crowded genre. This is a record that deserves to see the light of day.
Things are moving quickly for Jersey Shore neo-country / folk rockers Harper's Fellow. The brainchild of singer / songwriter Cortney Metzler, the band came together and started performing late in 2012. They recently spent time in the studio recording their debut LP and released a studio performance video for "Bow & Arrow." Today, they launched a crowd funding campaign to put the finishing touches on their record via IndieGoGo.
Contributors can pledge and receive perks ranging from a personal thank you call from a band member to a private house concert from the full band. In addition, the band are using the campaign to give back to the community by mixing and mastering the album with local businesses Lake House Music and Asbury Media and by donating 10% of the proceeds from sales of Thanks For Tonight to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.
I saw the band live a few weeks ago. Metzler's voice, some excellent musicianship, and a strong set of songs set Harper's Fellow apart in a very crowded genre. This is a record that deserves to see the light of day.
Book Review: Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock by Jesse Jarnow
To paraphrase the introduction at the beginning of each episode of Brian Fellow's Safari Planet on Saturday Night Live: "CoolDad is not a trained music journalist, nor does he hold an advanced degree in any of the media arts. He is simply an enthusiastic middle-aged man with a masters degree in economics and an abiding love for popular music."
Placed up against the encyclopedic knowledge of the members of Yo La Tengo or their biographer Jesse Jarnow, my personal level of indie music knowledge should disqualify me from ever writing another word about it. One outcome of reading Mr. Jarnow's book for me, therefore, has been to add to my reading / listening list many of the selections in Big Day Coming's bibliography. Jarnow's knowledge, research, and attention to detail help take what could be a relatively narrow subject and expand it to show the part that New Jersey, and Hoboken in particular, have played in the development of the musical genre we now describe with the catchall term "indie."
Yo La Tengo have meant a lot to me over the years. Part of their appeal for me, I think, has been their low key public persona and their "normalness." Understandably, this makes for probably the tamest rock biography ever written. Anecdotes range from the band's annoyance with the constant misspelling of their name to singer/guitarist Ira Kaplan's losing his wallet in the snow upon jumping out of the car. While this may not make for a voyeuristic page-turner, the story of Yo La Tengo and their steady persistence over nearly 30 years is inspiring on a certain level.
Jarnow points out that, at any given point in time, Yo La Tengo could be a cover band, a folk duo, a power pop trio, or a shoegaze noise machine. Kaplan is usually the guitarist; spouse Georgia Hubley is usually the drummer; James McNew is usually the bassist. But they may change that around at any time. Basically, Yo La Tengo are a group of people who have been able to make a living doing what they love pretty much the way they want to do it for almost three decades.
In order to provide some context for his main subject, Jarnow also chronicles the development of indie rock. He discusses the elements that were present in Hoboken (and Minneapolis and Athens, etc.) that made the development of a scene possible: a low cost of living, a college radio station in nearby WFMU, and a homebase in the form of Maxwell's. In addition to individual biographies of each member of Yo La Tengo, Jarnow covers fanzine culture, the history of the important Matador records, the effects of the Internet, MP3's, and indie taste-making sites like Pitchfork.
Jarnow does sound (justifiably) wary of the developments in the world of indie rock over the past decade: NPR's purchasing of much former independent college radio bandwidth, blog culture, coporate sponsorship of artists, the importance of a Pitchfork rating, and the compartmentalization of music via outlets like SiriusXM; but he doesn't come off as overly curmudgeonly.
Everything is covered with an impressive level of detail. That detail, while valuable, can also make the book drag in some places; but I'm glad it's all in there. And a book about a band who, according to the author, have performed over 1,000 different covers in their career just couldn't skimp on the minutiae.
Fans of Yo La Tengo or those interested in the part New Jersey has played in popular music beyond Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, and Bruce Springsteen will get the most out of this book. And if you think you know your indie music history, Big Day Coming could provide you with a nice reality check.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Happy Mondays -- Beach Day
A while back, I stumbled across Beach Day and their song... ..."Beach Day." As I said back then, the Hollywood, FL band sounded like just my thing. Since then, they've announced their debut LP Trip Trap Attack and released another short, reverb-drenched single.
This Monday, they'll be coming to Asbury Park as part of the Wonder Bar's Happy Mondays series. It's a great series with some great bands. It's where I had my first encounter with Harper's Fellow, and I'm planning on heading over there again for this one.
Come out on a Monday night and I'll buy you a $3 PBR or whatever else you might be drinking.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Johnny Marr Played Irving Plaza
May 2nd, 2013
I think seeing Johnny Marr and Morrissey separately, within a few months of each other is instructive. Morrissey is a showman: satin shirt or no shirt, fans rushing the stage to hug and kiss him, his voice, his words, his pompadour. Johnny Marr is a rock star. He connects with his audience, but he also maintains a distance typical for rock stars of a certain stature. But as huge a part as Morrissey's words and persona play in the overall feeling of The Smiths, for me it always comes down to the sound of Johnny Marr's guitar.
Last night Johnny Marr brought his guitar -- now it's a Fender Jaguar instead of the Rickenbacker he famously played with The Smiths -- and an excellent backing band to Irving Plaza where he reeled off tunes from his first-ever solo record, from his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic, and from The Smiths.
I took the train into the city this time, figuring that a show at a place like Irving Plaza would end early enough that I'd be able to catch a train home at a reasonable time. I arrived a song or two into opener Alamar's set. Meredith Sheldon and Jen Turner were impressive, Sheldon's beautiful voice filling the room and actually, at times, diverting some of the already large crowd's attention away from their drinks and their smartphones.
Irving Plaza is kind of a mini Terminal 5 with the balcony section reserved for VIPs. I squished myself as close to the stage as I could, but I didn't make it very far. The show was totally sold out and space was at a premium.
Johnny Marr and his band took the stage at around 9:15 and launched into "Right Thing Right," the opening track from Marr's The Messenger. From the start, wearing a plaid blazer, Marr mugged and grimaced in true guitar hero fashion. He stepped from behind the mic several times and held his guitar out over the heads of those in the front as he strummed chords or picked out a solo. When the opening strains of "Stop Me If You Think..." began, the crowd went crazy. Marr's vocals were quite good, and his guitar is the sound of The Smiths.
The Smiths' songs, including "London" and "Big Mouth Strikes Again," got the biggest responses. Following "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out," Marr commented, giving us his best Brit-poppy snark, "That was a good one! But, damn. I always forget to remind you to get your phones out for that one. Don't worry. I'll let you know before we play the Oasis song."
No Oasis song was forthcoming, obviously, but we did get a couple of Electronic songs: "Forbidden City" and, as part of the encore, "Getting Away With It." And Marr's new material slotted in well with the classics. Johnny Marr is still Johnny Marr, and the new songs feature most of his old tricks.
The main set closed with The Messenger's "I Want The Heartbeat." Marr returned for the encore wearing a red "Johnny Fuckin Marr" t-shirt and did a Clash-like rendition of "I Fought the Law." The unmistakable, tremolo'd riff of "How Soon Is Now?" signaled the final song of the evening.
I instantly thought back to the same moment at Morrissey's show in Red Bank. Both crowds exploded at the moment of recognition. Both versions of the song were excellent. I'd always thought that it was Morrissey's delivery that made the song. I was wrong.
In a documentary called The Story of the Guitar, Johnny Marr discusses how he came to his distinctive guitar style. "Yeah, it's all kinda ringy and melodic, and.... There's a lot of emotion in there, I think. So I ...I play that way cause that's how I feel." That simple -- and it is simple -- opening riff to "How Soon Is Now?" is meant to be played by Johnny Marr. I saw and heard him do it last night, and while those chords were pulsing through Irving Plaza; it didn't matter at all who was singing.
I think seeing Johnny Marr and Morrissey separately, within a few months of each other is instructive. Morrissey is a showman: satin shirt or no shirt, fans rushing the stage to hug and kiss him, his voice, his words, his pompadour. Johnny Marr is a rock star. He connects with his audience, but he also maintains a distance typical for rock stars of a certain stature. But as huge a part as Morrissey's words and persona play in the overall feeling of The Smiths, for me it always comes down to the sound of Johnny Marr's guitar.
Last night Johnny Marr brought his guitar -- now it's a Fender Jaguar instead of the Rickenbacker he famously played with The Smiths -- and an excellent backing band to Irving Plaza where he reeled off tunes from his first-ever solo record, from his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic, and from The Smiths.
I took the train into the city this time, figuring that a show at a place like Irving Plaza would end early enough that I'd be able to catch a train home at a reasonable time. I arrived a song or two into opener Alamar's set. Meredith Sheldon and Jen Turner were impressive, Sheldon's beautiful voice filling the room and actually, at times, diverting some of the already large crowd's attention away from their drinks and their smartphones.
Irving Plaza is kind of a mini Terminal 5 with the balcony section reserved for VIPs. I squished myself as close to the stage as I could, but I didn't make it very far. The show was totally sold out and space was at a premium.
Johnny Marr and his band took the stage at around 9:15 and launched into "Right Thing Right," the opening track from Marr's The Messenger. From the start, wearing a plaid blazer, Marr mugged and grimaced in true guitar hero fashion. He stepped from behind the mic several times and held his guitar out over the heads of those in the front as he strummed chords or picked out a solo. When the opening strains of "Stop Me If You Think..." began, the crowd went crazy. Marr's vocals were quite good, and his guitar is the sound of The Smiths.
The Smiths' songs, including "London" and "Big Mouth Strikes Again," got the biggest responses. Following "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out," Marr commented, giving us his best Brit-poppy snark, "That was a good one! But, damn. I always forget to remind you to get your phones out for that one. Don't worry. I'll let you know before we play the Oasis song."
No Oasis song was forthcoming, obviously, but we did get a couple of Electronic songs: "Forbidden City" and, as part of the encore, "Getting Away With It." And Marr's new material slotted in well with the classics. Johnny Marr is still Johnny Marr, and the new songs feature most of his old tricks.
The main set closed with The Messenger's "I Want The Heartbeat." Marr returned for the encore wearing a red "Johnny Fuckin Marr" t-shirt and did a Clash-like rendition of "I Fought the Law." The unmistakable, tremolo'd riff of "How Soon Is Now?" signaled the final song of the evening.
I instantly thought back to the same moment at Morrissey's show in Red Bank. Both crowds exploded at the moment of recognition. Both versions of the song were excellent. I'd always thought that it was Morrissey's delivery that made the song. I was wrong.
In a documentary called The Story of the Guitar, Johnny Marr discusses how he came to his distinctive guitar style. "Yeah, it's all kinda ringy and melodic, and.... There's a lot of emotion in there, I think. So I ...I play that way cause that's how I feel." That simple -- and it is simple -- opening riff to "How Soon Is Now?" is meant to be played by Johnny Marr. I saw and heard him do it last night, and while those chords were pulsing through Irving Plaza; it didn't matter at all who was singing.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Home From Italy
CoolMom and I got back from our extended weekend in Italy yesterday. It was a great time. We did Florence and a day in Siena. I ate some great steak; we both gorged on pasta and gelato and made a serious dent in the Italian wine supply.
I love going to churches and basilicas in Europe to see the architecture and the art, but I mostly love checking out whatever creepy and weird stuff they have inside. Santa Croce in Florence has some very important tombs like Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli, Galileo, and Marconi. Those, though, really just look like plaques on the wall. San Miniato al Monte, which sits on a hill overlooking the city of Florence, has a fantastically creepy cemetery containing many busts and statues of those buried there.Siena is where things get serious. The Museo dell'Opera of the Duomo in Siena has a room full of relics from various saints -- teeth, digits, full skeletons. In the Basilica of San Domenico, they've got the head of Siena's (and one of Italy's, along with St. Francis of Assisi) patron saint, St. Catherine.
On the secular / scientific side of things, you can see a couple of Galileo's fingers in the museum dedicated to him back in Florence.
Obviously, if that kind of stuff isn't your thing then there are many, many other wonderful things to see in those two cities -- Michelangelo's David and a beautiful synagogue in Florence, Caravaggio's John the Baptist in Siena just to name a few -- and we saw them all. I got more exercise than I've had in a while; and I'm ready to get going again.
I've been obsessing on The So So Glos new album, Blowout, a bit lately. Through the magic of robo-posting my review of that record went up over at Speak Into My Good Eye just as I was leaving for Italy.
I'll be back to driving swim carpool this evening, and LiveNation just informed me that my tickets for Johnny Marr at Irving Plaza are for tomorrow night. I've also got a few EP's and LP's that I'd like to write something about; so watch this space if you're interested in any of that.
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