Hem's Album Comes Out Tuesday

Departure and Farewell

Yesterday I told you about the debut album from Bleached. Also coming out on April 2nd is the latest from Brooklyn's Hem. Departure and Farewell marks a much-anticipated return, after a six-year respite, for the quartet.

While the short, simple, catchy songs from Bleached will make for some excellent blaring-from-the-car-windows-while-stuck-on-Ocean-Avenue summer fare; Hem's cinematic, orchestral, Americana dream pop will be a fine soundtrack for long spring or summer drives through the backroads.

Time to start building those playlists.

Departure and Farewell comes out on Tuesday via Waveland Records.

Stream the New Bleached Album

Ride Your Heart

It's been a long time coming, and the wait has been excruciating for me; but you can finally hear the debut album from Bleached. California-based sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin craft short, hooky, reverb-laden nuggets of garage pop.

Masterpiece "Searching Through the Past" has been floating around for some time. On Ride Your Heart, it's surrounded by 11 other tracks that will sound great coming from your car windows as you drive up and down the Jersey Shore all summer, spending money and helping those towns get back on their feet.

Stream Ride Your Heart over at The Fader. The record comes out via Dead Oceans on April 2nd.

Pop Hangover Edition (UPDATED w/ Review Link)

Good Friday

Last night, I got to hear Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise," Ed Sheeran's "The A Team" and "Lego House," Neon Trees' "Everybody Talks," The Lumineers' "Ho Hey!" and 16 of Taylor Swift's top hits.

Look for a review later. You can check out my review over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

It was fun. I like pop. I also like pop punk. Especially when it comes from the Great State of New Jersey. Especially when it is brand spankin' new.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, and...

ROCK on.

New Video from Shellshag

"Forever"

Punk duo, Shellshag, premiered a video from their upcoming Shellshag Forever today over at Stereogum. "Forever"finds the band, basically, being exactly where they want to be.

I know lots of people, myself included, that spend a good deal of time trying to get to that very place.

Shellshag Forever comes out via Don Giovanni on April 16th. You can catch them at Maxwell's for a record release show (along with Screaming Females, Hilly Eye, Swearin', and Great Thunder) on April 20th. See you there.

Taylor Swift Tomorrow

My Girls and Me

So tomorrow night, CoolDaughters 1 & 2 (10, 6), CoolNiece (8), and I are headed up to Newark to catch the second night of Taylor Swift's three-night stand in Jersey.

I'm ready to rock. Look for a review on Friday.

Marnie Stern's New Video

"Immortals"

I consider posting this to be a public service. My hope is that by posting this, I can help The Chronicles of Marnia crack the top 4 most popular releases at Jack's in Red Bank.

Get out there, people!

So So Glos / Everymen Review at SIMGE

Regional Pride

Despite what Lou Barlow thinks of regional pride, I'm often guilty of it. Last night presented an excellent opportunity for me to revel in geographic connections as The So So Glos (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn-born, just like me) and The Everymen (pride of the Jersey Shore) joined forces at Maxwell's in Hoboken last night.

I wrote a review of the show, which you can find over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

As my friend and I chatted with Alex Levine of The So So Glos on the way out, he was quick to point out that there are plenty of lousy people in great places and vice versa. I agree whole-heartedly, but it's still fun to talk to someone you don't really know about the places and experiences that you have in common.

What Year Is This Again?

I Was Sure It Was 2013

I did my usual Friday trip to Jack's today. I picked through the new vinyl and the used CD's and saw, mostly, the same stuff I see every week with a few, new additions here and there.

Jack's has a wall display where they display new releases and the top sellers in the store. As I walked out, I walked past the top sellers and this is what I saw:

1. Eric Clapton, Old Sock

2. David Bowie, The Next Day

3. Bon Jovi, What About Now

4. Jimi Hendrix, People, Hell & Angels

I think Van Morrison was number 9.

Really, people?

Nothing wrong with any of those artists, and I'm sure the albums contain some fine, fine music. But is this really where we're at now? Are we this conservative, nostalgic, resistant to change, whatever when it comes to our music? Is it a local phenomenon? Or is this saying something about the state of the music industry, who gets promoted, who buys albums?

This is just another one of those times when I'm jolted out of the little hermetically sealed bubble that is "indie" music, which, I'm beginning to agree, gets a great deal more press and attention than its cultural impact merits.

Maybe it's just temporary, and Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers will be back on top next week.

If it is more than just a temporary, local phenomenon, though, it sure would explain the lineup at that 121212 concert.

CoolMom Needs A Drink Edition

Cyprus Friday

CoolMom has this weird job where what's going on in the island nation of Cyprus can give her agita for a week.

For me, any mention of Cyprus reminds me of the self-titled, debut, solo album by Stephen Malkmus. I really liked that record. It was a bit strange, though, as many of the songs, like the Lou Reed-esque "The Hook," were straightforward and story-driven. There was a lot less of that Pavement-y word salad that I'd grown to love over the years, but it still worked for me.

For CoolMom's sake, here's hoping for a little "Cypriotic good luck."

Rock on...

Like This Blog

This May Take A While

The Facebook likes for this blog's page have been pretty static. They've been hovering around 65, 66, 67 for some time. That's fine. I'm grateful for each one, and I'm happy that people come here to see what I have to say.

I thought it would be fun, though, to try and get the number a little higher; so I have a proposition: once the number of likes for CoolDad Music reaches 100, I'll run another comment contest. The prize will be my extra, unopened copy of the Record Store Day 2012 Smuggler's Way flexi-zine that Domino Records released. It's a cool, quirky thing and fun to have even if you don't own a turntable.

I'm sure everyone knows how to like a page on Facebook, but I've made it even easier for you and your friends by placing a little button just for that purpose over in the right-hand corner of this page:

You and your friends can click that, and we'll be another like closer to the contest.

Thanks. And, as always, thanks for reading.

New Kurt Vile

Infomercial for "Never Run Away"

Philadelphia's Kurt Vile bought some ad time on the CW affiliate in his home city last night to premiere a single from his upcoming Wakin on a Pretty Daze, the follow-up to 2011's wonderful Smoke Rings For My Halo.

The song has the same easy-going vibe as Smoke Rings For My Halo and should please fans, like me, of that record. It turns out that Vile also has a large vinyl collection and a beautiful daughter.



You can grab a free download of "Never Run Away" now, and Wakin on a Pretty Daze is out April 9th on Matador.

Did You Get Your Tickets for The Gaslight Anthem?

CoolMom and I on Saturday 5/25



Stone Pony pre-sale for both shows is happening now (password: SWOON).

CoolMom and I will be attending the show to be opened by The Hold Steady on the Saturday. Seems appropriate for the kickoff to the first post-Sandy summer at the Jersey Shore.

Two Album Reviews at SIMGE: Bleeding Rainbow, Billy Bragg

SIMGE Update

I know you know this already because you're a loyal site visitor who clicks regularly on the Speak Into My Good Eye link to see if there have been any new CoolDad Music postings at that site. Just in case that's not you, though, I'm here to let you know about my last two album reviews.

Last week, I reviewed one I've been meaning to get to for a while: Yeah Right by Philadelphia's Bleeding Rainbow. It's shoegazey, poppy, and kind of psychedelic at the same time; and I definitely felt a connection with the album's outlook on life.

Today, my review of Billy Bragg's latest, Tooth & Nail went up; and I was able to reflect a bit on what a big part Billy's music has played in my life over the years. I also really like the record.

Head over there and check those out, along with all of the other great content those guys provide, if that's what you feel like doing.

And don't forget. Trivia at The Downtown has moved to Tuesdays, which would be tonight.

Vampire Weekend Premiere Two New Songs

"Step" / "Diane Young"

As promised earlier in the day,

We're dropping two new songs from MVOTC in ONE HOUR
— Vampire Weekend (@vampireweekend) March 18, 2013

Vampire Weekend have given us two new songs in advance of their upcoming Modern Vampires of the City.

"Step" is somewhat reminiscent of "Ottoman" from the Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist soundtrack. The upbeat, electronic rockabilly of "Diane Young," like "Giving Up The Gun" or "California English" from Contra, takes the band's sound in sort of a new direction while still retaining a lot of what makes Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend.

Each of these songs just reinforces the fact that what I've always found cool about Vampire Weekend is their uncoolness, if that makes any sense.

Modern Vampires of the City is out on May 7th, and you can get a limited 7" of the two songs released today on April 9th.

The Gaslight Anthem to Open Stone Pony's Summer Stage

Memorial Day Weekend

In what's going to be one of the first, big, post-Sandy summer events of 2013, New Jersey's own Gaslight Anthem will kick off this year's Stone Pony Summer Stage series with two Memorial Day Weekend performances on the venue's outdoor stage.

On Saturday, May 25th, Brooklyn's The Hold Steady is the opener with The Felice Brothers taking that duty on Sunday, May 26th. There is an online ticket presale on Wednesday March 20th, followed by a sale to the general public that starts on Friday, March 22nd. If you can make it to the box office, you can get tickets there starting Thursday and save yourself a bit in fees.

It's appropriate, I think, to kick off what's going to be an important summer here at the Shore with a band, loved the world over, whose heart and soul is here in The Garden State. I reviewed the band's latest album, Handwritten, earlier this year; and I got a chance to see Brian Fallon as part of the On The Beach benefit at the beginning of the year. I'm looking forward to finally getting a chance to see the whole band.

I also love The Hold Steady. If you're planning to go to either of the shows, that's the one where you'll likely see CoolMom and me.

The Gaslight Anthem shot the video for "45," the first single from Handwritten, in Asbury Park.

Here's the video for "Here Comes My Man."

St. Patrick's Day

I Point This Out Every Year...

...but there are some really great things that are 50% Irish.

I've been on a bit of a kick with this record after finally receiving my vinyl copy the other day. CoolMom and I listened to it in the car on the way home from NYC the other night, and we enjoyed a drink or two last night as it was spinning.

Have fun today. Don't overdo anything.

My Bloody Valentine Live

"Inside a volcano of sound..."

I just read this great piece by Nick Southall on his experience seeing My Bloody Valentine live for the first time. You should go check it out, and you should follow @sickmouthy on Twitter.

"Not everyone was wearing earplugs. Who knows how those who didn’t managed to get home afterwards; their senses and orientation must have been mashed."

As we listened to mbv on the drive home from New York last night, I asked CoolMom, "Do you think this borders on 'not music?'"

"Yeah, maybe," she said.

I love it.

This is my promise: I will go to wherever it is in the U.S. that My Bloody Valentine decide to play this year. I will bring earplugs.

Post-Cabinet Edition

Après Cabinet Friday

For a few years now, I've been attending -- usually with MomVee and her husband -- the John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders shows at City Winery.

I've been a fan of John Wesley Harding's since his 1990 debut album, Here Comes the Groom. The Good Liars, which included Pete Thomas and Bruce Thomas of The Attractions, backed Wes back then. Many of the cuts on that record have the feel of Attractions-era Elvis Costello, but the album includes the unmistakably folky "Things Snowball" (a song that I love and that I love to sing in the voice of Peter Case who co-wrote and sings on the song) and "The Red Rose and the Briar."

I've seen Wes live several times over the years, including shows at New York's Bottom Line, The Fast Lane in Asbury Park, a show at some venue in Seattle that reminded me of a college classroom, the old Internet Cafe in Red Bank where he had to tell the baristas to stop steaming milk during his set, and one other time in Red Bank as part of WBJB's Songwriters in the Park series. Those were all shows with his various backing bands -- The Good Liars, The Radical Gentlemen, The English UK -- or solo acoustic sets.

The Cabinet of Wonders, on the other hand, is kind of a variety show. Wes will do a few songs to open the proceedings, but then he turns things over to a bevy of guest performers whom he introduces with a poem. I've attended Cabinets that have included performances by Eugene Mirman, Sarah Vowell, Ted Leo, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield, Edie Brickell, Josh Ritter, The Spinto Band, Punch Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Eleanor Friedberger & Britt Daniel, Peter Buck, and another backing band called The King Charles Trio made up of members of the Decemberists. The bill usually includes one or two authors who read from their work. I've heard readings from Patrick McGrath, Haley Tanner, Rivka Galchen, and Myla Goldberg.

Last night's line-up included Dan Zanes, comedian Leo Allen, authors Amy Sohn and Peter Carey, Fred Armisen, Hospitality, and the legendary Graham Parker. Going all the way back to the way he introduced himself to the world on Here Comes the Groom, you could say that John Wesley Harding owes a lot of his musical career to Graham Parker; and his happiness at being able to perform "Local Girls" with Parker came through last night.

You can hear bits of some of the recent Cabinets over at NPR, but get out to one of these things if you can. Go with some excellent company as I usually do. You'll likely get to see an act that you already enjoy, performing in a relaxed, free-form environment; and you'll almost definitely discover a band or an author that will bring you happiness for years to come.

Wow. That one was longer than usual.

Anyway, rock on...

 

Nicole Atkins Premieres New Track

"Red Ropes"

I credit Nicole Atkins, in large part, with turning me on to the idea that there is still a vibrant and eclectic music scene here on the Jersey Shore. I've been following her career since Neptune City, and it looks like she'll soon be releasing her third LP.

She gives us the first taste of that LP, Slow Phaser, via a premiere of "Red Ropes" over at The Von Pip Musical Express. Neptune City producer Tore Johansson returns for Slow Phaser. "Red Ropes" retains a good deal of the darkness and foreboding of many of the tracks on the first record, this time without the big string section. Atkins's powerful voice is once again the focus, as it should be.

Wednesday Night Trivia at The Downtown Tonight

Come Join a Team with Me

I've been meaning to do this for a long time now -- even while my friend Jim (who was instrumental in my meeting Bob Mould, Jon Wurster, et al.) was running it down in Asbury Park. Now that it's moved to Red Bank, I really have no excuses anymore.

A general reticence over meeting new people and competing at things which I'm likely to lose have been my main excuses lately, but tonight I'll be throwing caution to the wind and heading over to The Downtown to sign up by 7:15. My current events knowledge has decreased a bit as I've grown more cynical with the world and watched less news, but I'm still pretty good at baseball trivia and anything that requires one to have watched a great deal of TV from the 70s until the late 90s.

If you think you can round out our team on the other categories listed on the awesome poster, then come join me.

Same offer as always:  I'll buy you a beverage.

Poster says 1/6, but that's just when it started. There is most definitely trivia tonight at The Downtown.

Added a Speak Into My Good Eye "Page"

For Easy Access

Check out the labels across the top. Blogger calls those Pages. Clicking on the one that I've helpfully highlighted below with the red circle will take you to my section over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

I'm always trying to make life easier for you. You're welcome.

Allison Weiss Premieres a New Song

"One Way Love"

Allison Weiss is premiering her latest two-plus minute, indie power pop confection over at glamourkills.com today. The song is on her upcoming, sophomore LP, Say What You Mean, due out April 16th on No Sleep Records.

Weiss became a bit of an Internet celebrity back in the pre-Amanda Palmer days of Kickstarter by reaching the funding goal for her first album in just 10 hours. She continues to capitalize on that initial boost by producing an ever-growing catalog of witty, well-crafted songs and by touring relentlessly.

The current tour will bring her to our area for a hometown show at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium in April and as part of the Vans Warped Tour at PNC Bank Arts Center (Don't you always want to call that the Garden State Arts Center?) in July.

New Jersey Junior Olympics Postscript

Sports (and these kids) Are Tough

The three trips that CoolDaughter #1 and I took up to Rutgers this weekend (CoolMom joined us for two) resulted in one best time for her, one not-so-best time for her, and two relays. In the medley relay on Sunday, her team had a great shot for a top-8 finish.

They were in the first of three heats, and they took it going away. That time was also good enough to top every time in the second heat. By the end of the third heat, they were in fifth place. Mission accomplished.

Not so fast. They'd been disqualified for a false start.

Tears on the pool deck. Tears in the car. Tears at Smash Burger. More tears in the car.

This is where I gave CD #1 my Temple Run 2 analogy. We've, all of us, been playing a lot of Temple Run 2 at home. I said, "What happens in every single game of Temple Run 2? Whether you get 1,000 points or 2 million points, what happens?"

"You die," she said.

"That's right," I said. "You die. You lose. When that happens, you can either quit playing or use all the gold coins you picked up on that last run to level up and go again. That's like sports. In sports, sometime, no matter what, you're going to lose. The trick is to take that experience, bank it, and use it to keep getting better."

Cliché, I know; but, really, the only thing that sports are better at than getting you fit are producing fodder for clichés.

I played sports as a kid. Baseball and football through high school. But I was never a "jock," and I never competed at the level, especially at 10 years old, that the kids on these swim teams are competing at right now. I'm actually amazed by not only my own daughter, but also by the rest of the kids on her team. They bond and laugh while waiting for their races. They run to the deck to cheer on their teammates. They give each other a hug and a smile after a DQ.

Here's another sports cliché: they're learning a lot about life through swimming. They're learning, on their own, things as simple as you can't win 'em all along with more subtle things like the value of hard work and how to be there for your friends. I don't know if I got all of that when I was 10 years old.

JO's represent the last meet for a couple of months, but they'll all be back at practice today getting ready for the next one. There will be plenty of smiles and laughs mixed in with all the huffing and puffing. JO's, after all, are yesterday's news.

Interview with The Everymen's Mike V Coming Next Week

I'm an Interviewer Now

One of my favorite records from last year was The Everymen's New Jersey Hardcore. As much as I love dream-pop, pop punk, surf rock, jangle pop, shoegaze, psychedelic rock, electro pop, americana folk punk, or whatever, I think we're all programmed to have a soft spot for pure, unadulterated rock and roll. Nobody is doing that better right now than Tuckerton, NJ's The Everymen.

The Everymen's fearless leader, Mike V, answered some questions for me just as the band were preparing for their inaugural tour through the American South that will take them down to South By Southwest. Topics ranged from New Jersey to The Everymen's musical philosophy to Superstorm Sandy to Jonathan Richman, the subject of The Everymen's upcoming tribute EP.

Mike V on New Jersey bands:

"...the one thing that is inherent about Jersey bands is our blue collaredness. Our work ethic is unmatched. You can probably find bands better than Jersey bands. You can probably find bands sexier than Jersey bands. But you will be hard pressed to find a band who can outwork a Jersey band."

The Everymen live that philosophy, producing a constant stream of recordings, touring relentlessly, and leaving it all on the stage when they play live.

The rest of the interview should be up in the CoolDad Music section of Speak Into My Good Eye just in time for The Everymen's arrival in Austin. If you'd like to read more about the passion that Mike V has for music, life, and his home state, delivered in his own unmistakable style, then you will not want to miss it.

I think I could get used to this just writing up a bunch of questions and letting some really interesting people do the rest of the work for me.

New Jersey Junior Olympics Edition

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

3 days. 3 races. Less than 3 minutes of total swimming. 6 hours of driving back and forth to Rutgers.

But I love it.

Good luck, CoolDaughter #1.

Swim good and

Rock on...

First-Ever CoolDad Interview: Erika Simonian of Little Silver

Catching Up with a Friend

I had a chance to interview my old friend -- old as in "long-time," not old as in "old." We're not old. -- Erika Simonian of the band Little Silver for Speak Into My Good Eye. We spoke, live and in-person, and reconnected at Little Silver's Glasslands show in February. Afterwards, we exchanged a few emails in which Erika answered a bunch of questions for me about Little Silver's songwriting and recording process and how becoming parents has affected their lives as musicians.

This was one of my favorite answers:


Has becoming parents affected your songwriting?

Becoming parents has affected our songwriting in the sense that it’s harder to find flexible time to do it, the way we did when we were childless. Pre-baby, if an idea struck, you could pick up a guitar right then and there and start working. Now it’s about quickly recording a semblance of the idea that floated through your head, and waiting for nap time or bed time. Actually, one morning Steve woke up saying, “I just dreamed the coolest lyric,” and he related to me this confusing and enigmatic line. I responded with, “I just woke from a dream that we washed Hazel’s winter coat, and I was so sad to wake up and realize it’s not true.”

My own father was chastising me the other day over the fact that CoolDaughter #2's winter coat was so dirty. If you're working, blogging, exercising, making music, trying to keep your house together, you don't always have as much time to wash the kid's winter coat as you'd like. It would be great if it could just happen while you slept.

Go over to Little Silver's Bandcamp page and get yourself some of their music.

Eleanor Friedberger Announces Next Solo Record

Personal Record

Eleanor Friedberger, usually one half of Fiery Furnaces, has announced her second solo LP, the follow-up to 2011's genre-spanning ode to (mostly) Brooklyn, Last Summer.  I loved "My Mistakes" off of Last Summer, and I find myself still going back to it for a fix from time to time.

Personal Record is due out June 4th on Merge, and Friedberger has started streaming the first track from the new record.  "Stare at the Sun" features a sound very similar to the one I heard when Friedberger premiered some new arrangements for the songs on Last Summer, featuring simply guitars, bass, and drums, at The Bell House last year.

Thanks Release First EP

The Age of Missing Information

River City Extension's John Muccino and Mike Costaney have their own project called Thanks.  Today Thanks released their first EP, The Age of Missing Information.  It's four songs of experimental, piano-based pop.

If Fiona Apple, Built To Spill's Doug Martsch, and Radiohead... ...well, not sure I like where that's going; but let's just say that Thanks meld some interesting influences into a sound that's all their own.

I had the chance to see Thanks at the Berkeley Bar a few weeks back.  It was a fun show and it's had me looking forward to hearing the recorded and mastered versions of the Thanks repertoire, especially the EP's title track, ever since.

The Age of Missing Information is available as a free download at the band's Bandcamp page.  Thanks, Thanks.

One Year Blog-versary

Twelve Whole Months

I've got several activities planned today as I celebrate the first anniversary of CoolDad Music.  Things have already gotten under way as I've fed CoolDog and CoolDaughter #1 their breakfast.  CoolDaughter #2 should be waking up soon, and she'll be joining in the fun by getting ready for school and enjoying her own morning meal.

The day will be full of things like conference calls, dog walks, and my telling myself I'm going to go running and then not going.  Then, this evening will ramp things up when I pack everyone into the minivan to take them to their dance class.  I'll head home to make dinner.  CoolMom will get home from work, and I'll ask her if she would mind terribly if I went to see The Men and Parquet Courts on Thursday night.

The glamorous life of a CoolDad.

In all seriousness, I've loved doing this over the last year.  CoolMom and the rest of my family have been extremely understanding as I've fueled my little vanity project by attending show after show and by boring them all with my constant chatter about bands and blogging.  I've met some very cool people through this blog, including Chris and Mike at Speak Into My Good Eye, first-ever CoolDad Music contest winner @scotchlarock, and some of the artists whose music keeps me going on a daily basis.

Self-promotion warning:  I'd love to grow CoolDad Music over the next twelve months.  If you'd like to give me a blog-versary gift (none required), then use those little buttons below each of the posts to share and like anything you find interesting, past or present.  Follow me on Twitter.  Like the blog on Facebook.  Most of all, leave a comment or tweet at me to say hi or that you loved or hated something I've written.

Thanks so much for reading.  Come say hi at a show one of these days.  I'll buy you a beverage.

Video from the first show ever reviewed here, uploaded by Chris Rotolo at Speak Into My Good Eye:

Stream the New Marnie Stern

The Chronicles of Marnia

NPR used to be the place to get your early fix of the latest mindie music coming down the 'pike.  Then Pitchfork Advance came along, and it felt like the well had gone a little dry over at public radio.  Well, they're back on their game now, recently giving us the latest from Waxahatchee and now The Chronicles of Marnia from shredder extraordinaire, Marnie Stern.

So far, this latest album is sounding like Stern's most poppy and accessible yet.  Stern's still got the same... ...unique... voice, and she continues to burn up the fretboard; but it all comes out sounding like some slightly off-kilter, joyous pop.  The songs that grab me right out of the gate are "Noonan," "East Side Glory," and since I'm always a sucker for an Infinite Jest reference, "Year of the Glad."

Stream The Chronicles of Marnia via the NPR player.  The album is due out March 19th on Kill Rock Stars.

Bow Wow Wow

Tough Night

As I said we would, CoolMom and I went to the Bow Wow Wow show on Saturday night.  You can read my review of it over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

I'm happy that CoolMom saw fit to head home and spell the babysitter before the headlining set.  She's much worse than I am at dealing with uncomfortable situations, and I'm not sure she would've been able to take this one.

Maybe my Morrissey/Johnny Marr analogy at the end of the review isn't totally apt.  Neither of them is trying to sell themselves as The Smiths, after all.  But the whole experience just got me thinking about how many changes in a band we're all willing to accept before we start calling them a tribute band or a cover band.  I mean, Guns n' Roses have a headlining spot at The Governor's Ball Festival.  As far as I know, that's just Axl and nobody else from the original line-up.

I get that people were upset on Saturday at not getting what they thought they paid and traveled to the venue for; but if they're being honest, they'll say that Bow Wow Wow sounded pretty good.

Eh.  Not quite sure why I'm obsessing so much on this.  It just ended up being an interesting and thought-provoking night for me.

Dentist were great, by the way.  Head over to their Bandcamp page and listen to some tracks.

Brighton Bar for Bow Wow Wow and Dentist

Another Night Out with CoolMom

My friend was feeling a little guilty about taking CoolMom's place for the Bob Mould show last week.  CoolMom loves Hüsker Dü, Sugar, and Workbook in a major way.  I told my friend not to worry, since CoolMom and I were going to see Bow Wow Wow at The Brighton Bar in Long Branch on Saturday.  CoolMom is a big Bow Wow Wow fan as well.  She even owns The Best of Bow Wow Wow, which actually has like 15 or 20 songs on it.

Well, my friend informed me that lead singer, Annabella Lwin, had recently left (been ousted from?) the band.  The only original Bow Wow Wow member who'd be playing on Saturday would be bassist, Leigh Gorman.  Now, I'm not sure when a band crosses that line from being the original band to being a band that covers the original band; but I'm thinking that the Mike Love Beach Boys and this version of Bow Wow Wow may be there.  But I'll go in with an open mind.

Any doubts I had about attending the show following the Annabella Lwin news went away when I heard that Dentist were one of the acts on the bill.  Dentist are the Rick Barry-less version of Asbury Park-based No Wine for Kittens, and I've really been enjoying where they've taken their sound.  It's a combination of 90's indie rock and jangly surf.  I got to see No Wine for Kittens at their last-ever show at the end of last year, and I'm honestly excited to check out this new project.

I hope to see you at the show tonight.  I'm sure you and CoolMom will love Dentist, and I'm sure it will still be fun to hear "I Want Candy," "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" "C30 C60 C90, Go" and... ...those other dozen plus songs.

Championship Meet Edition

Silver/Bronze Friday

CoolDaughter #1 and I head to TCNJ tomorrow and Sunday for the 12/Under Silver/Bronze swimming championships.  The fact that it's a silver/bronze meet means that she's not allowed to swim her best events, so it should be a good chance for her to improve her times in other strokes.

Next weekend will be the NJ Junior Olympics at Rutgers where she gets to swim one event per day over the course of three days.  I think her longest single swim should take all of about one and a half minutes.  Fun.

Anyway, enjoy your weekend and...

...Rock on.