The Dead Weather @ 930 Club

Freakin sweet! My review is here.

DC can dance!

Evidently DC folks can dance and move. Since moving here nearly four years ago, I have always wondered what it was about DC that kept people's feet planted and arms crossed at shows. Like the Rapture points out in this here song, 'people dont dance not more.' But DC proved me wrong last night at the 930 club, when the Ratatat came on stage.

As was the case with Modest Mouse, I was rather disapointed with the opener I caught, and took refuge in the back bar. I mentioned to my compadre at the show that my 'band' back in college was of similar quality and far more fun. Our deconstructions of sound and life would make your ears bleed with joy.

Moving on, Ratatat's set was quite good, and I must reinforce that they moved more people to dance that I have ever seen in DC, which I find to be remarkable. I think their unique blend of house and rock is just the right mix to get lots of people into it. Even the folks in the balconies were shakin' it.

I have to say that what does it for me is more the guitars than the thumping beats and awesome wacky samples. I am aware that describing a guitar as 'wailing' is about as over used as Jenna Jameson's nether regions (zing!) but it really seems to be the most apt description. The crowd exploded when the guitars cut in in MIrando (video below, about 1:10 in). It really was intense and it doesn't come accross that way in the video. Neither do the scathing solos or the intensity in their live show. It's easy to see why they sold out the show.

Their sound is just so overwhelming. I don't know how the few people that werent moving werent. I wanted to ask a girl a few feet to my left if she was ok. They also incorporate and amazing amount of sound into their stuff. They're the only guys I know of using harpsichord in music that would not be foreign to a dance club. I think that is what really sets them apart. There's a lot of creativity in what they do. They draw on a boatload of influences to make the music that they do, they play the shit out of it, and they back it with and incredible show.

These guys top the Black Keys and Dan Auerbach with their lighting, which is not an easy thing to do, and match the Flaming Lips in the kick ass, off the wall, visuals to go with their show. From enourmous birds to nose-less faces mouthing the effects to old home movies of folks playing at the beach, theyve got some tripped out video going. This should give you some idea of the visual onslaught that accompanies the amazing wall of sound that is their live show.

Don't hesitate to see these guys live, and pick up an album. I find it to be great driving music, but is just as at home at your next party. And theres a depth that you can explore at home that just isnt accessable at a live gig.

Theres a video with this over here.

dirtbags in yuppie-ville

I have to toot my own horn here a bit, as it seems that the Felice Brothers show was off the radar for most folks in the area. Had I know I would have posted to let the reader know.

Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers opened up for the boys from New York. A couple of things struck me about the ensemble. First, Samantha Crain sounds uncannily like one Leslie Feist, the Canadian songstress of Broken Social Scene fame. On a couple of tracks, you could have sworn it was Feist singing, just with a bit more of an upbeat and more pronounce backing band. However, Crain set herself apart with more up tempo tracks and less melancholy in the music. All things said, it was rather enjoyable. However, it was tough for me to shake that eerie similarity and that kind of overshadowed the set. Also, the Midnight Shivers looked like brothers, with their indie kid mullets and western shirts. I can't fault them too much for that.

If your not in the know, the Felice Brothers play a unique flavor of folk music twinged with rock and blues. Its the northern version of bluegrass, but swap the banjo for an accordion. Its got a similar feel, but a different sound.

The crowd at the Birchmere would be generously described as such. I figured that they would have filled the place near capacity, but evidently my perception of their popularity was a bit off. However, my expectations on their performance were met and exceeded. They played the favorites like Frakie's Gun and Love Me Tenderly. They played some songs I was not familiar with off of their newer release, Yonder is the Clock, which were very nice.

The guys called themselves dirt-bags a couple of times, and it seems that the best music comes from the ridiculously well trained over achievers like Andrew Bird or Rufus Wainwright, or filthy, chain-smoking, hard drinking, dirt-bags. I enjoy both. The Felice Brothers waste not time or energy on appearances or perceptions and let their music win you over. From Ian's Dylan-esque warble and immaculate finger picking, to James' virtuoso accordion solos, and Greg Farley's washboard antics, you wont see many bands that have more fun than these dudes do.

They also happen to fall into that lovely category of artists whose albums can't touch the performances. Of course they sound good, but the energy, the smoke, the cursing, and especially the way that songs evolve with the evening. I think the fellas knew that they were among friends and had some fun with their music, which is as it should be.

Some Final thoughts: I was quite happy that they wasted little time in getting to my favorite, Whiskey in My Whiskey. If you know me, this should come as little surprise. If you don't know me, this song speaks my language. I also thought that the Birchmere was a good, if an odd venue. It rubbed me a bit wrong that the they have a mural outside showing 'The Great American Music Cities' that fails to note Detroit. Just because Detroit is, well, crap now, don't discount what it has contributed to music over the years. I think Motown is enough, not to mention the non-freaky MJ (that happened after he moved to LA) and the White Stripes, The MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger, and the Motor City Mad Man, Ted Nugent. Also, the waiter kept tapping me on the shoulder to settle my tab in the middle of the performance, which made me quite irate.

So, Sam Crain, really good, oddly like Feist. Felice Brothers were great, full of energy and whiskey, it seemed, but on point. The venue odd, but good, and a few minor improvements would make it grand, though it is a bit off the beaten track.

also, ive started posting stuff over on the examiner. i plan to post most reviews and such here, but over there youll get the same and some random videos and shorter posts.

pisstopher

i recently came across Benjy Ferree. this shit is outrageous and excellent. he just came out with a new album called 'come back to the five and dime bobby dee bobby dee.' outrageous. oh, and the single of now is called 'christopher pisstopher.' i may have been more on this, except he played the Black Cat on Saturday when i was at the 930 crushing on young Tennesseeans. especially since he claims to be from PG county.

anyhow, i cant really dscribe his style, other than to say it starts with rock and goes from there. it goes to wild and interesting places. i would like to see these places. they seem to have guitars and a piano and interesting rhythms and some cool pedals for that guitar. i would like to witness this music in person. very much.

at this point i would post some content, but i am not one of those cool bloggers who has the rep and rapport with artists, so just click this link and play some tune on his myspace. maybe one day...

loud was the night

ok, so i was kind of lazy yesterday and never wrote this, but here goes.

Saturday night, the final evening of February, Dan Auerbach, Hacienda, and Those Darlins played down the street at the 930 club. i was wondering if he could possibly bring as much to the stage as he did in the fall as one half of the Black Keys. the answer is yes. but that comes later in this little ditty.

first of was Those Darlins. i had intentionally not looked into them before the show. i am familiar with Dan and Hacienda, so i wanted a surprise. that they were. when three girls came out on stage with strings slung round their necks, i admit i was very skeptical. ive seen the act before where a couple girls learn some basic chords and try to ride cute to success. i mean that candy apple hollow body was bigger than the body of the girl holding it. she quickly proved that she had the licks to play it. i was impressed. not surprising for Dan, he picked a lofi, solid band who is better live than the couple recordings i was able to dig up yesterday. at any rate they bring the best of Cash, Carter, Haggard, Kristopherson country and mix it with the best of Ramones, MC5, Black Lips gritty rock. and mix in the fact that they are most assuredly chicks with licks. they rock the fuck out and look damn good doing it. so yea, i dont mind pretty girls playing music, so long as they can play. and in that case, i not only am ok with it, i all out endorse it. go check these ladies out at SXSW or on their tour with Dan on the way.

now with the crowd sufficiently riled up, Hacienda made their entrance. ill spare you the comparisons that wont do them justice, and just say that they play a laid back style of rock. it will get your toes tapping at the very least. these guys from Texas can play and make me not hate Texas. as much. i just dont know what to say. polished but soulful. real, raw, and fully finished. check out some videos. dig the base line in 'she's got a hold on me.'

so by the time the two kick ass starter courses are through, ive got just the right amount of whiskey coursing though me. then, Dan comes out with Hacienda playing behind him. what could be better? i mean, if youre not familiar, then shame on you. i mean, in the Black Keys he has amassed a rather large following. their simple blues rock is killer. and Dan by himself is just as killer. the difference is that the blues rock is the jumping off point. 'i want some more' is just dirty and soulful and sweet. i want the kind of girl who falls for a song like this. falls hard. 'heartbroken in disrepair' has tones of psychedelia. you can feel a little Jimmy in there. at any rate, like the others who warmed up the stage, he for outplays his recordings in person. you cant waste money on seeing this cat live. plus, hes got a rad beard.

so between the whiskey, good company, and tunes that cant be beat, it was a great night. the only problem is that i got separated from a couple of my cohorts. normally, not a big deal, were all capable of taking care of ourselves. but they ran into the ladies that had stolen my marinated heart earlier in the evening. i was pissed when i got that text. i mean, im still kinda crushing on this girl. c'mon, just look at her.

i woke up last night with this song in my head

i wake up at 4am or so and stumble to the bathroom. i stumble back to be and lay down then realize im humming this song. its odd, but its a good song. what really made me stop is that i havent heard this song in years and years, and there it is. i remember the whole song. not all the words, but the beginning and end and the tune in between. and, dear subconcious, what conjured up this song from the depths of my memory. but props to mom and dad for listening to this along side the Cream and Bill Monroe and Neil Young.

Mills Bros - Paper Doll

creepy memory

im a rememberer of people. other things too, but theres no awkward conversations or any of that with a coffee shop, bar, forest, or beach. they tend to be equally welcoming to all.

at any rate, memory has its purpose in the grand scheme of things. you know where to find food and water and not to touch a hot stove. you know where to find the people, things, and places that are of comfort. but there are some things i would rather forget. and it seems that many other people do. and i will, in all likelihood, forget your name when i first meet you. but if you make any kind of impression on me, i will remember your face forever it seems.

so what to do then? when i see a random acquaintance do i talk to them? i feel like i would come off as some sort of idiot savant. 'we meet two years ago a a bonfire in the summer and talked about canadian bacon and how its just ham and that actual bacon is far superior, but for the life of me i cant recall your name.' or not acknowledge them, and if they remember, you could come off like some arrogant jerk. this is where social anxiety comes from, i think. well, its one source. and my primary source. however, since i love awkward situations its not really that bad, only a little creepy to some.

anyway, this whole remembering things also seems to make it a bit difficult to let the past be. it seems i am always dredging things up in my mind. theres second gussing. theres wondering 'will it ever be that good again?' hoping that something like that never happens again. replaying the car crash, the pain, the joy, the love, the loss of yesterday, last week, last year, a decade ago. its this memory that gets annoying sometimes. why do these names and places and things come back years later? far past their useful shelf life. surely i could use that space to recall things of greater import to my life now.

oh well, perhaps one day the meaning of all this will reveal itself. mayhaps not. at any rate, i have enough to wory about, and id rather not creep people out or feel awkward about ignoring them.

musical thoughts

i'm loving Dan Auerbach's Keep It Hid. he is once again getting the Jack White comparison, which is probably annoying, but not a bad crowd to be in. theres a good interview from Aquarium Drunkard here. check out some tracks here. and there are still tickets available for his show in DC on the 28th here. im super pumped for it.

i still think that Neko Case and the New Pornographers are overrated. i only mention it because some folks around here are freaking the fuck out about her show. i mean, the both definitly dont suck, but i see no reason for the frenzy. i would absolutley take them over most pop radio, but probably wouldnt listen to them much on my own.

The Hard Lesson's new disc drops May 26. fuck yea. you can check out some tracks here. if their last show is any indication, its going to be grand.

The MC5 still fucking rock, in case youve forgotten or, more likely, never knew. check out Wayne's wicked toe drag at 1:50. not too many bring it like this.

I got my hands on the Black Lips latest late last night, but have yet to digest it. 200 Million Thousand promises to be raucus and awesome. check it out here. theyve got a killer sound that draws on the Dead Kennedys and Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Cash. theyre also about to kick off their tour, so check that link. it looks like they are hitting up most major cities and SXSW.

and finally, ive been fooling around with a harmonica, but i pretty much suck. but its fun, and less intimidating than a guitar. less sanitary too. but i figured out some basic blues stuff, so thats rad.

WTF Pandora!?

seriously? audio ads. you do realize that one of your big perks was not having to listen to asinine commercials about TV shows i am less likely to watch with every add i have to see or hear. aside from being able to pick the type of music and artists to hear, the lack of ads was the best thing you had going. well, you always had ads, but they didnt interrupt the music. now, evidently they do.

ive praised pandora.com time and time again for preserving my sanity. theyve been drowning out the country and other crummy music that is piped into my office. i appreciate it, i really do. but if this add thing becomes regular, im sure there is another source for online music. say it aint so...

CAW!

andrew bird's new disk, 'noble beast' is up on npr.org, oddly enough. theres also an interview there, which is more in NPR's purview. i mean, i know those guys are all over as far as coverage, but it seems an odd spot for mr bird to pre release his album. anyway, it sounds good to this guy, and i get to see him in a couple weeks. for joy!

the R&R hall of fame 'snubbed' the Stooges again. its disappointing. but its not really surprising. i think the only reason that theyve been on the ballot recently is their album, The Weirdness, was recently released with high praise. but the stooges never really achieved great fame. and it is the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Ability or Hall of Influence.

the Stooges and the MC5 had great ability and influenced rock and punk rock as we know it today. but neither were huge commercial successes, and its hardly surprising that Run-DMC were given the nod over them. i think that Run-DMC have every right to be in the R&R Hall of Fame. they were the first platinum hip hop act, and defined the genre. similarly, the Ramones were inducted as the acheived wide notoriety and defined the US punk scene. while i think the MC5 deserve a nod and the Stooges as well, and think they will get it, it will be a waiting game. there are planty of bands ahead of them as far as norotiety goes. it wouldnt surprise me to see U2, Radiohead, RHCP, Nirvana, and even the B-52's get in first. the void that was much of the 80's and 90's as far as real music ability may provide a chance for these guys to get the votes. either way, im okay with the stooges and the 5 staying a motown secret.

music gadgets

so i mentioned Myine Electronics before when they were mentioned in the Freep. i decided to swing back by their website and see what progress had been made. well the site is pretty well developed and nicely designed. its simple and thats good.

the big news is that they have two pretty cool products on the site, an internet radio device called the Ira lets you search thousands of online stations by genre or by geography. this is all without a computer, which i think is pretty bad ass. plus its wireless so you can just set it up with your home stereo and start listening without any more cables. another device, called the Abbee, records FM radio and removes all the talk and commercials for you. it also will record a song at the touch of a button. it can hold up to 500 songs and has a 12hr rechargeable battery. my biggest problem with the idea of the Abbee is that FM lacks many of the artists that i like and reception can be an issue. still a very cool idea that would be great for less computer savvy folks and people with more mass market music tastes. i think my parents would love this.

oh, and beside having some pretty innovative ideas and products, theyre based out of Ferdale, MI, just outside Detroit. therefore, im pulling for 'em extra hard, but im not getting paid for this.

oh yes, it very nice-uh.

Dan Auerbach's much anticipated(at least by me) new solo album entitled Keep It Hid will be released on February 10th. i mentioned this a month or two back when i first got word. if you click on over to his page on Nonesuch Records youll find that three of the new tracks have been posted. i think youll also find them rather enjoyable. as i suspected these three songs vary a bit from the Black Keys mold, but benefit from that. he remains soulful in all the new tracks, but heads folky on Trouble Weighs a Ton while remaining typically simplistic. its just Dan, Guitar, and an accompanying vocalist. on I Want Some More he has his Keys' wail back, but in a more psychodelic style with the addition of a keyboard. its still bluesy and definitely rock, but a bit outside the Keys' mold. The Prowl is the most Keys-esue of the preview tracks, and wouldnt be out of place on their most recent record. its a rather dark sounding tune, but has a unmistakable beat that will get your head nodding and foot tapping. i cant wait for the rest of this. or for the show in late in February here in the district.