Music and Politics (Issue 1)

Music and politics seem to go hand in hand. Often mucisians will use their songs as vessels to put forth a given agenda or idealogy. From hardcore punk bands like BLACK FLAG to more mainstream acts such as REM, U2 or BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, political issues often find their way into song. Additionally, some artists use their fame to expose an issue or bring people to a cause. Avenues such as "Rock The Vote" have given artists the opportunity to connect to the youth and bring about change. These days, musicians are sought on for council by political leaders in areas of race and economic disparity as a way of showing that they are more in touch with the pulse of the nation than their predecessors. President Obama has listened to Jay-Z, Bono and other musical heavyweights on a wide range of topics.

Now we can argue the merits of this sort of blurring of the lines between entertainment and power till the end of time. We can question whether it is better that LADY GAGA is the most viable voice for the gay rights movement than someone with a more nuanced approach to politics. Sometimes to get movement on an issue a little shock value goes a long way. The goal of this post (and the subsequent ones I think will follow) is to highlight lesser known politically tinged songs and try to make some sense of the connection between these two powerful forces.

THE RADIO DEPT. are a Swedish band that makes pop music that is similar to the GO BETWEENS and THE PERISHERS. They deal in the swirling guitars, sunny melodies and longing for lost love lyrical arenas. However, they do have an opinion about the current state of Swedish politics which in some ways mirrored what was going on in the US in the early part of the century. They have made their latest song a free download in what I presume was an attempt to galvanize support behind the leftist part of the Swedish political spectrum. It's a really good song and has a very interesting take on the politics of fear and how mainstream politics can often warp a message to meet it's own needs.

LYRICS

Reallocating property

We engender transformation

We’re not concerned with poverty

Just the rebirth of a nation

No time for hesitation

Not even on occasion

This will be our legacy:

A vengeful population

It’s part of our conspiracy

And our motivation

And who needs integration

When we’ve got isolation?

It’s the rebirth of a nation

The rebirth of a nation

We don’t mind democracy

We have our ways around it

This new improved hypocrisy

Will help us to impound it

An old school education

Will show this generation

Download the mp3 here. While you are there you can get lots of other goodies from the band. They are well worth your time.

Sufjan Stevens channels Radiohead

It is always interesting to see how artists respond to fame. Some embrace the fame and seek to replicate the sound that got them to whatever plateau they find themselves at. Others run and hide behind a creative veil as they try to deal with the repercussions of people singing their songs in commercials. Whatever the response it is a fascinating study to see creative people respond to connecting with people and essentially getting what they want out of art.

Make no mistake, all musicians want to be famous. The ones that say they don't are lying. If they didn't want people to hear they music they wouldn't record and package it and then tour all over hell's half acre getting people to hear them. What does this have to do with Sufjan Stevens? Well, he is the latest of these "true musicians" to grapple with this conundrum. His last record, "Illinois", was a commercial and critical hit (rivaling the ascent of ARCADE FIRE as the lead for a voice of a generation tag). So it was always going to be a hard follow. Here we are now some 5 years later with "The Age of Adz" and their are going to be more than a few comparisons to the path taken by RADIOHEAD in their response to fame.

Let me elaborate. Following the success of "OK Computer" many thought Radiohead would simply reproduce that sound over and climb to the heap of Alternative rock and be the biggest rock band on the planet. However, their follow up, "Kid A", was a challenge to their fan base as they explored new elements of their sound and tried to expand it artistically. What followed was a lot of hand wringing by mainstream media about whether to call it a masterpiece or a piece of unitelligble garbage. In hindsight, my sense was that the band simply wasn't prepared for the widespread fame and tried to make a record that would appeal to only the hardcore fans. Which is partially what I feel Stevens is doing here.

There is nothing on the new album as catchy as "Chicago". Putting that thought aside the record is certainly a departure from his more accessible work. Based on the work of schizophrenic artist Royal Robertson, the record is a smattering of baroque pop songs filtered through bass thumps, electronic fits and starts and orchestral flourishes. It does resemble Radiohead's Kid A in that sense. The songs seem almost like collective ideas rather than pop songs. It challenges the listener to weed through the songs to find the nuggets of melody and snippets of poetry.

Which makes me wonder, what is the point of this exercise? Should I have to work so hard to find enjoyment? Do I have a right to expect something from an artist or am I just to accept what they have given me and make the best of it? Is the satisfaction I get from "I Walked" worth the near unlistenable "Now That I'm Older"? And what the hell do I do with the 25 minutes that make up "Impossible Soul"? (And who has the time to listen to it in it's entirety?) Stevens seeks to confound our beliefs about him with this record and strip his fan base to the core. The question I cannot seem to answer is was I one that he wanted to keep or not?

(mp3) Sufjan Stevens -- I Walked

The Return of the Manics

I have never been super interested in the MANIC STREET PREACHERS. For some reason I was never really drawn to their music. This is a bit odd since I enjoy the brit rock sound and and usually taken in by bands with a political agenda that mirrors mine. But since they were never really a big sensation over on this side of the pond, they never held my attention. So I was surprised how much I like their new record, "Postcards From A Young Man". Now by their own admission this record is a stab at commercial sounding rock and seems to have abandoned some of the more punk rock stylings of earlier records. Is it a sign of maturity or a bit time sellout move to get records sold? Not really sure. I would usually argue the later but for some reason the genuine sound of the songs and the conviction of the singing makes it seem like the right move.

(mp3) Manic Street Preachers -- All We Make Is Entertainment

--I think this is the best example of the sound the band cultivates here. It's big and has the kind of chorus that sounds great when 50,000 people sing along...

Bring That Beat Back...New Underworld

Talk about a band that brings back fond memories! UNDERWORLD were supposed to take dance/trance/techno into the mainstream along with THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS, PRODIGY and all the rest. If the Chems were techno hip hop, and Prodigy were techno punk, then Underworld were the purest form of dance music to hit the mainstream. Aided by their ubiquitous presence in "Trainspotting" and the subsequent American love affair with house and techno culture, the band seemed poised to hit the pop mainstream with "Born Slippy NUXX". However, the releases that followed were not well received commercially, mostly due to the fact that pop radio couldn't justify seven minutes of air time each time a song was played. Like the others, Underworld slunk back into the clubs and started churning out interesting and creatively challenging music for the next decade.

So I was a bit surprised at how much I like their latest record, "Barking". Maybe because it appears that they have finally merged their techno leanings with pop song structure. "Always Loved A Film" could have been recorded during NEW ORDER's "Technique" era. "Scribble" is a vintage drum and bass song that has that upbeat feel that when played in a club would send the place absolutely bananas. "Grace" is a classic Underworld song that seems like a left over from their debut record. The only drawback is the ending two tracks, "Louisiana" which has a slower tempo and sounds dangerously close to a ballad and the instrumental coda "Simple Peal" which is a bit of a downer. But I can certainly see the intent of bringing the audience done from a very high octane ride.

There is so much to like about this album that it begs several listens. Each song unfolds at just the right length and none overstay their welcome (which can often be an undoing of some dance bands). This is certainly find a way on to my end of the year bests.

(mp3) Underworld -- Scribble (link Removed by request)

Ra Ra Riot are a love child creation

Ra Ra Riot are the perfect mix of the best of VAMPIRE WEEKEND and DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, which makes sense since both bands played a role in producing the band's newest album. The New York based band has been kicking around for the past few years but seem poised to move forward in a big way with the release of their latest "The Orchard". Lead Singer Wes Miles has the kind of falsetto that was made for commercial radio stardom and the songs have enough pop bounciness to be perfect for the late summer, early fall. "Boy" and "Massachusetts" both have bass lines straight from the Vampires catalogue but with less obtuse lyrics. "Foolish" has the earmarks a Death Cab song with it's mid tempo piano line that builds over the course of the song. "Shadowcasting" almost sounds like a PHOENIX song but with the Riots distinct sound to save it from parody.

One might surmise that the name dropping makes the record less enjoyable over repeated spins, but the more you hear the more you can't ignore the insanely catchy nature of the songs. They are just damn good pop songs. You simply cannot stop tapping your toe and bobbing your head. Take the record out the next time you are driving with the top down and the sun shining...it will only make the drive that much sweeter.

(mp3) Ra Ra Riot -- Boy

New Interpol...YAWN and SIGH

Sometimes a band will trick me into giving them one more chance. COUNTING CROWS and LIVE are famous for suckering me into getting their records only to be disappointed after I listen to them three or four times. Which is why INTERPOL makes me sad. I am afraid they are another of those sucker bands. I really thought when their first record came out we were witnessing the beginning of a great band. I gave them the benefit of the doubt on the second record because they were trying to come to terms with their "it" band status. 2007's "Our Love To Admire" was so scatter shot that it is now almost unlistenable. But here I am trying to absorb the latest self-titled release an trying to remain positive.

When I heard "Lights", the free track to tease the record, I was hopeful. It appeared to have some of the early energy of the bands first record. It's got the right amount of obtuseness to the lyrics and the guitar line is hypnotizing. And therein lies the problem. Just like that I was suckered in to getting the record. The rest of the record sounds exactly the same. Now before you jump on my case and say "well you liked that song so shouldn't you then like the whole record?" let me counter. No, variance to an album is a good thing. Songs with different structures keep the listener invested after one listen. "Barricade", "Success", and "Summer Well" have the same mid tempo, off kilter guitar thing going as "Lights". They are in many ways interchangeable. "Try It On" at least changes the drum patterns and has a weird burlesque piano vibe for a bit before the traditional song chorus kicks in. But the whole thing seems like just a rehash of the last two records.

Now I may revisit this album in a month or so to see if my thoughts have changed. Sometimes that happens, but something tells me it will just be another record that resides in my itunes without a playlist attached to it...

(mp3) Interpol -- Lights (LINK REMOVED BY REQUEST)

Arcade Fire Manage Expecations

There will be a lot of talk about the new ARCADE FIRE record "The Suburbs". It is without a doubt one of the most hotly anticipated records of the year both critically and commercially. Their first two records were both musical masterpieces that have had people falling all over lead singer and principal songwriter Win Butler compared to a modern day Dylan and Springsteen. His command of lyrics and his ability to comment on the human condition have placed him in this rarefied air. Like Springsteen, Butler details life for the normal people highlighting the trials and tribulations of the everyman and his struggles to get ahead or merely survive. However, the music is more varied and nuanced than the Boss. Rather than bludgeoning you with big guitars and sax solos, Arcade Fire use a multi-instrumental approach that highlights crafted guitar and bass work with additional flourishes of other instruments.

With their newest album, the band takes on life in modern day Suburbia. "The Suburbs" as an album aims to show the state of life outside of the big city for a typical nuclear family. Now in most people's mind the notion of the post cold war nuclear family is already antiquated but Butler's point throughout the record is that it's still there, just hidden from view. "Modern Man" takes us into the mind of the husband/dad figure and his concerns about where his life is and where it's going. "City With No Children" echoes lost opportunities and laments the author's "private prison".

The album turns both sonically and lyrically with the two part "Half Light" that showcases Regine Chassagne's contribution as lead singer. There is also a sonic shift as the second "Half Light" echoes shades of electronic music that is eerily 80's in sound. The other two part song "The Sprawl" ends the record with the notion that modern society is full of interconnecting lives that really don't connect at all.

"The Suburbs" is musical heavy lifting. It takes several listens to warm to it and get inside the meaning of the record. While on the surface it's not as dark as "Neon Bible" and has less of a blues feel than that masterwork, it becomes a deeper record over time. I have little doubt it will be a top record for the year on most best of lists. And it deserves it.

(mp3) Arcade Fire -- Month of May

**The other option for posting was the title track but to be honest it's my least favorite song on the album so you get this driving rock song instead. Enjoy!!

Tired Pony = Country Snow Patrol

Two records popped up on my radar in the last two days and I still haven't wrapped my head around what I want to say about the new ARCADE FIRE record, so I pontificate about this oddity instead.

TIRED PONY is a side project of SNOW PATROL front man Gary Lightbody. Lightbody has referred to this as a country record using some heavyweight American musicians to support his musings. What the record does is highlights one of the conundrums facing all singers...namely, that he can't change how he sings. "Dead American Writers", the first single, is exactly like every Snow Patrol song ever written only with a slide guitar. Using Singer/Actress Zooey Deschanel as a duet partner on two songs rekindles his work with Martha Wainwright on earlier records. His songwriting style of stream of conscious lyrics with no chorus is still here as well. One would think that a solo venture would challenge Lightbody to tinker with his sound.

Then there is Peter Buck. Buck has long been one of my favorite guitar players for his way of attacking songs and giving them edge and fire. Even when he takes to the mandolin he does it so distinctly that his signature is all over the songs. His work with the MINUS 5, HINDU LOVE GODS and TUATARA showed that even outside of REM he still remains distinct. Here though he seems replaceable. There is no sight of his imprint on the band's sound. It's as if he was swallowed up in Lightbody's songs and can't find his own place in them. "Pieces" does have echoes of some of the guitar work from later era REM, but elsewhere he could be any guitar player for hire.

Is it a bad album? No. It's a remarkably easy record to listen to, like most Snow Patrol records. "Northwestern Skies", "Dead American Writers" and Get On The Road" are nice pop songs that are catchy. But one wonders what might have been if Lightbody had been more adventurous and Buck a little more prevalent in the songwriting mix.

(mp3) Tired Pony -- Dead American Writers (link removed due to DMCA Complaint)

KaiserCartel Live @ Hotel Cafe

Okay, let me get this out of the way first. My wife has long been a fan of this band and I have for the most part ignored them. I tend to be less than enthralled with female singer songwriter stuff. Though I have fond memories of 10,000 MANIACS, TORI AMOS and the like, my tastes mostly fall toward the male dominated stuff (easier to sing in the car I guess). So I approached last night's show at Hotel Cafe with slightly less enthusiasm than the usual musical sojourn. So here it is, I was wrong, my dear wife. They were excellent and I can't stop humming their songs.

There is something endearing about seeing a band in a tiny venue. There must have been about 40 people in the room. The band had no roadies and no pretense to their performance. All you had was a singer/guitarist and a singer/drummer. The sound was crisp and the intimate setting allowed you to really absorb the music. Lead singer Courtney Kaiser has a nice dulcet tone to her vocals that is in many ways reminiscent of THE COWBOY JUNKIES and THE THROWING MUSES. This was most evident on some of the newer songs off their second album, "Secret Transit", particularly "Riverboat Dream" and "The Wait."

When the band turns up the amps they have a nice shuffle and shake to their sound that showed up on the standout songs of the set like "Worn Out Nervous Condition" and "Ready To Go" (which was the catchiest song of the set). When drummer Benjamin Cartel took the lead on "Minefield" the sound morphed into something akin to Elliot Smith. It takes a lot to make me change my mind about a band, but their show did it for me, sealed by their walking through the crowd for a acoustic performance of "Memphis".

Top it off with the fact that the band mans it's own merchandise stand after the show and you can't help but root for them to find at least enough success where they get some help on the road. Take some time to go buy their new record.

(mp3) Kaiser Cartel -- Worn Out Nervous Condition

Meet Delorean (no...not the car)

I cannot take credit in any way shape or form for discovering the joy of DELOREAN on my own. The ever hipper-than-me Ed from 17 Seconds posted about them about a month ago and I have since come to the conclusion that his assessment of the brilliance of the record is very appropriate. What struck me about listening to this is how organic it all seems. Even thou at it's heart, "Subiza" is a get off your ass dance album, it draws many comparisons in my mind to early NEW ORDER. The use of dance rhythms in a rock context was a staple of the Manchester icons sound and much of that imprint has found its way to these Spanish lads. "Stay Close" is about the best example of records sound, with it's high pitched sample vocals and skittering drum beats. As you listen to the record more and more you start to hear the little flourishes of keyboard or guitar that dot the songs and give them context and depth.

The New Order comparison extends beyond the music to include the slightly off key, slightly monotone vocal delivery of Ekhi Lopetegi (who is like Bernard Sumner but with a cool accent) on songs like "Endless Sunset" and "Simple Graces". Hell, they even created their own Hacienda-like club in Barcelona to play and recruit other artists to their sound.

Just how successful the band will be with the absence of any real lyrical threads to their songs remains to be seen. It is clear that they aspire to move beyond club life and into the mainstream of music with this record. It is also clear that this is one of the best records of 2010, and from a place where you wouldn't expect.

(mp3) Delorean -- Stay Close

New Future of Forestry

Usually when I sit down to write a review of something I use the same process. I start by listening to the record once or twice before starting to formulate ideas about angles I will write on. Then I start to research the band looking for information about history and influences. So when I started looking into FUTURE OF FORESTRY I was suprised to see that they are listed as "Christian Rock". Why did this suprise me? Because often bands will shy away from this moniker for fear that it will lessen their ability to be marketed to the mainstream. In fact, lead singer Eric Owyoung said as much in a 2007 interview. But does this change the way I relate to the record?

Musically the album has a lot of similarities to RADIOHEAD and their offspring. It's actually a pretty good record. But does the band's openness about their desire to not only play music but to preach to the unconverted change my feelings about what they play? Now I'm not trying to challenge anyone's faith (far be it for me to delve into any level of spiritual discourse on such a trivial thing as a blog. In fact, I am trying to purposely keep my own spiritual affiliation vague for that reason) and after all, didn't U2 start out with the same mission? Have they and other artists used music as an exploration of faith and devotion to a higher being or purpose? Why is that we only classify Christian rock and not Buddhist or Muslim rock? Ultimately, if the music is good and the songs have depth and passion and conviction in their message that should be enough. So as I type now with the knowledge that Future of Forestry sees itself as both a religiously convicted band as well as a band with a desire to be heard by a greater audience I don't feel as limited in my thinking. Before I might have dismissed the record as something that is "not for me" but I still listen to the songs and the music and fall in love with the melodies and the guitar work.

Music is about moving people to places of deep emotion, whether be in the service of love or pain or sadness. A band's personal beliefs, or their stated mission to share those beliefs with others, does not interfere with that pursuit. Just trust me and listen to the songs. They are really good and deserve to be heard...

(mp3) Future of Forestry -- Protection

It's almost embarrassing to admit liking this song.

As I dabbled in a variety of musical genres throughout high school and college I picked up some peculiar songs along the way. I'm sure we all have these little hidden treasures from the time we jumped head first into liking rap music or that month long flirtation with glam rock that came with dating a girl who teased her hair and used a bit too much Aquanet. There was a time when I spent some of my days perusing the goth world mostly due to the fact that I was hanging out with a lot of drama students and trying hard to seem edgier than I really was. Out of this time period came an appreciation for BAUHAUS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, SISTERS OF MERCY and THE MISSION UK. I can't really say what appealed to me about the style of music other than it was so over the top that you had to appreciate the sheer conviction of the artist for putting such noise down for public consumption. So when I rolled across an old Mission UK song in my catalogue, all the sights and sounds of that sophomore year in high school came rushing back.

Now I was what you might call a poser to the goth scene. I own no eye-liner or have ever dyed my hair. I have nothing pierced or tattooed. I can't claim any sort of inner turmoil to send me scribbling into a notebook (which is probably why I never learned to play guitar...damn you normal, stable family life!!). But for some reason, "Deliverance", with it's allusions to fairy queens and the fall of Babylon screamed at the top of one's lungs in a 1986 red Dodge D50 pickup seemed right to me. Upon reflection it must have been a bit disconcerting seeing a preppy white kid with short blond hair modeled more after Zach from SAVED BY THE BELL without the impish charms shouting "Give Me Deliverance...brothers, sisters." But damn it all if the song didn't sound kick ass at the time. And you know what, after three listens as I write this...it still kind of does. Let the mocking begin.

(mp3) The Mission UK -- Deliverance

Glass Vaults make pretty music

I often wonder how new bands have a prayer of getting discovered in today's highly fractured marketplace. With radio being overrun by American Idol and bad pop music and no real major print outlets left (sorry but Rolling Stone just ain't what it used to be), it seems that it takes a major alignment of the stars to get a band any sort of exposure. Even the blogosphere is so vast that it would take a huge serendipitous chain of events and postings to get the exposure necessary to be found. Now, that's not to say it doesn't happen. Bands like FRIGHTENED RABBIT, THE ARCADE FIRE, and BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE have all found a modicum of success without the traditional methods of exposure to the listening audience. But in most cases, all a band can do is plug away and hope for the best.

I bring this up due in large part to a weekly e-mail I get from Insound. I signed up for their free mp3 of the week ages ago and on most weeks I ignore it. I have no real reason for playing this week's submission other than I was bored with what is currently on my playlist and needed to hear something new. So color me shocked with the sample track from Wellington, New Zealand's Glass Vaults. "Forget Me Not" inhabits the space occupied by m83, loopier RADIOHEAD tracks, and ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (which I swear is what I heard prior to reading their bio which name checked those exact bands.) Although the rest of their ep is a bit spacier and tends to find it's way into the SIGUR ROS territory, it still is a very intriguing listen (particularly late at night in headphones). Will GLASS VAULTS be a big success and sell loads of records? Probably not. But do the deserve to be heard? Very much so and you should take time to listen to what they have created...you won't be sorry.

(mp3) Glass Vaults -- Forget Me Not

Visit the bands bandcamp site for more of their stuff

Tokyo Police Club Make A Move To The Big Time

I know, I know. It's a hollow apology for waiting for a month in between posts and that any attempt to make up some excuse would only be met with cold indifference. I could say that work and family have consumed me but the fact is that every time I sat down to blog I got distracted by ESPN or some other website. But I am now back in the creative spirit and I hope to write more frequently. Having said that...

TOKYO POLICE CLUB got a considerable amount of publicity for the debut record a while back which did a good job of combining early WEEZER with the more pop oriented JAM catalogue entries. Throw in some PAVEMENT and mix it up and you had "Elephant Shell". I was a bit surprised how often I went back to listen to their record and it made me anxious to hear some new stuff. Glad to say I was not disappointed with their new record "Champ". There is always that obvious move that many bands make to a more commercial sound on their second record that refines some of the edges and takes away some of the urgency of their early material. This is usually due to a combination of commercial desire, record label pressure and the fact that all the performing a band does makes them better musicians and that means a greater sense of harmony and melody.

Gone are a lot of the fits and hiccups of the last record and replaced by a stronger sense of song structure. "Breakneck Speed" and "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)" have that ready for radio accessibility that will get them airplay and commercial endorsements. (We will conveniently ignore the fact that the band once played on an episode of Desperate Housewives...that's just wrong. "Gone" has a bit of that Pavement sound which makes it a braver choice as a single. While the record is good, you wish they would let loose a bit. The punkier elements of the record seem a bit tame, like they are afraid to really hit those instruments and see what happens.

What does appeal is the slow build of the opening "Favorite Food" and the closing coda that is "Frankenstein". In both cases the band tinkers with their sound enough to suggest that they might be ready to really make a creative leap with their future work. That and the simple fact that these lads make catchy, poppy music for a sunny day will keep me coming back to their material again and again.

(mp3) Tokyo Police Club -- Favorite Food

Let The National Love Continue

There was little doubt walking into The Wiltern last night that I was going to enjoy THE NATIONAL live. With some bands you just get a sense that they will transition live based on what you hear on record. Bands that have a large amount of interplay between members and a clear understanding of pacing on record usually put on a pretty good live show. So allow me a few thoughts on what I experienced last night:

1) Credit the band with starting the night with "Start a War". The song live builds nicely a set a tone for the evening. On most nights they open with either "Mistaken For Strangers" or "Anyone's Ghost". These were slotted down to two and three and allowed the audience the chance to get prepped.

2) Even though this was my first time seeing them, the band is obviously tour vets and has a much more powerful live sound. The guitars crash and shred through the songs and the drums have a larger power live then on record (which is surprising given that drums are usually very prevalent in the final mixes of most of their songs).

3) The newer material does not suffer by comparison to the older songs. "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Afraid of Everyone" and "Lemonworld" hold their own and will surely be in the live show in some form for awhile.

4) Even songs I am not particularly fond of, such as "Baby, We'll Be Fine", played well live. This is a testament to Matt Berringer's conviction to making each song have a distinct feel. When your voice is that unique it helps even the lesser material shine.

5) They deliver on a set list that's for sure. 21 songs and almost two hours (including all but one of the new songs.) Well done indeed!!

6) Kudos to the band (or their management) for getting a quality opening act. RAMONA FALLS were very good in their own right. When you wake up the next day and rehash the show in your head and it includes songs from the warm up act, that's a testament to the chops of the first act to take the stage. However, if they ever want to get anywhere the lead singer is going to have to speak at some point.

7) The ending of a show is of particular importance. This is usually reserved for their more popular songs. With THE NATIONAL, that includes "Mr. November" (which got the second to last spot) and "Fake Empire" (which ended the main set). Both were brilliant and worth the wait and yet...

8) Special props to the version of "Terrible Love". A gutsy move to end with a new song (which U2 tried with "Moment of Surrender" on the last tour and flopped) but here it was a good call. The band clearly enjoys playing it. It's tempo and sound sum up the night well and was well received by the crowd. A new classic was born.

So what does all this mean. THE NATIONAL are amazing live. Like there was going to be any doubt.

(mp3) The National -- Terrible Love (live)

Everything about this screams INDIE ROCK!!

When you name your band you have to be careful. Often it will go a long way to determining who will listen to you and which people will even take the time review your material. When you don't put enough effort into your name it can be highly detrimental to your success. Take THE FOO FIGHTERS for example. Coming on the heals of the end of NIRVANA, Dave Grohl had to form a new band to allow him to continue his creative output. Back then I was working at a record label and a friend handed me a cassette with the band's name and nothing else. Now, had I not done my homework I might of just passed on it just like I had several thousand other promo cd's and tapes that I had received. But for some reason I didn't. Imagine if the same thing had happened if no one knew who Dave Grohl was. We would have missed out on a truly great band.

(this is not to say I had any hand in THE FOO FIGHTERS success, I merely had an early release copy and played it on my show before anyone else in Southern California, but since my radio station had the transmission strength of two cans and a string, it had no real historical impact.)

Which brings us to SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN. This would be an easy band to dismiss since the name is so preposterous and in some ways overly pretentious. We get it, you're smart. Must you bludgeon us with your knowledge of Cold War era Russian politics? I bring this up because I did initially dismiss this Missouri band precisely for this reason. I am here to admit I was wrong. They are in fact, a very good indie rock band. They have inhaled the REM and PAVEMENT catalogues to produce a pretty high quality catalogue of quirky pop tunes. Their latest record, "Let It Sway" is due out in August and they have released the title track first single. A perfect piece of jangly, shining pop music that has piqued my interest in their older material as well as whet my appetite for the new record. I think I have now played this about 7 times in a row. It's just that addicting.

Just another case of judging book by it's cover (or band by it's name)...

(mp3) Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin -- Sink/Let It Sway (link courtesy of the awesome THE PHOTON GOD blog)

New Band of Horses

Band of Horses is one of those bands that seems out of place in the current music universe. The have developed a sound that is reminiscent of 70's rock in the use of layered vocals, a slight country tinge to the guitars and a soft feel to the lyrics. Their latest, "Infinite Arms", builds on the formula with little tweaks here and there to separate it from the earlier work. "Laredo" has all the markings of the traditional BOH song, where "Dilly" uses a nice keyboard line to drive the mid tempo track. Of the slower songs, "Way Back Home" has a sweet southern sound as if played on the front porch in the summer. The title track meanders around with a slight Cowboy Junkies vibe to it.

The thing I most enjoy about the record is the way that each listens reveals a new sound or texture. The record has not gotten stale as it has moved from new rotation to simply coming up on random on the iPod. A sign of a good record is one that continues to surprise.

Link Removed per request...

Returning to the Scene of the Crime

For over two months I have sat dormant in the blogging universe (a self imposed exile). The reasons are not important, but I have gotten the itch to write again mainly because my wife has bohtered me to start again but also because I enjoy sharing music with others. So I will dive back in and see how long I can keep it up.

I would like to think that THE NATIONAL released a record partially to get me to start writing again. Long time favorites of Your Moment of Zen, the Ohio bred collective have released "High Violet" to quite the critical acclaim. This is in no way suprising since there last two records have also be highly lauded efforts. "High Violet" sounds fresh and yet comforting at the same time. There is something about Matt Berringer's bariotone voice that is so distinctive, like a well aged scotch or a fine cigar. It just has that smokey sound that gives the songs a different feel then the run of the mill indie rock out there today. But with the new record he does sing a few songs in a higher range that is new and yet does not sacrifice the overall sound.

Musically, the record is not a huge departure from the previous two efforts. Although there is nothing as gorgeous as "Fake Empire" from the last record, there are some memorable moments. "Terrible Love" opens the album with a slow building anthem that uses guitars to cascade over a pulsing stop start drum beat. "Sorrow" is a prototypical National song, full of somber lyrics, textured guitars and a steady bass line. "Afraid of Everyone" is an overtly political song that has a feel of earlier era U2. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" kicks off with a great drum break before settiling into a nice rhythmic track that will certainly sound better live. The highlight of the record for me has to "Lemonworld". Starting off with a simple guitar line and building on the drums and bass, Berringer recalls the tale of traveling through New York in a surreal dream post military life.

The National are poised for greatness with this record. It has enough mass appeal to be commercially viable and yet artistically challenging to satisfy their hardcore fan base.

The National--Bloodbuzz Ohio

We Have Come To The End My Friends

All things must end and so it is with this little enterprise. There have been 278 posts (not counting ones that were removed by DMCA notice or other circumstances), each one designed to highlight music that I have either loved for a long time or been exposed to along the way. Without this, I would not have had the chance to experience what others have written about music, love and life. I certainly never developed the following of the larger blogs, but I hope that in my small way I have exposed those you that have come my way to some songs and bands that you have grown to love. I end this because life moves us in other avenues and other directions. I end this because I just can't keep up with it in the way I would like.

Readers may not have always agreed with me but I hope I have expressed myself and my love of music in simple terms. This blog was meant to celebrate music and all that it can achieve. It was meant to show people that there is beauty in the world and that it can be enhanced by the common search for the perfect sound. For those of you that blog I say, keep it up, you have a gift and need to share it. For those of you who read these sorts of things, I say keep supporting those willing to express their loves to others.

I leave you with these parting songs and say thank you to those of you who took a few minutes to care enough to read what I have had to say.

(mp3) The National -- Fake Empire (live)

Probably the best song I heard in my time blogging. Still sounds great no matter how many times I listen.

(mp3) U2 -- Where The Streets Have No Name (live)

Any reader know why this is here. There will never be a greater song written in my mind.

**pics of are of my boys. All of whom love music and will have larger record collections than I could impossible imagine...

Frightend Rabbit -- Too Brilliant for Words

We all knew it when we circled the date on our collective musical calenders that the new FRIGHTENED RABBIT record was going to be a big deal (at least to those of us in the blogosphere). There was the appropriate amount of worship of their last record (and a wee bit of sell out backlash for those who loved their debut) and our appetites had been whetted with "Swim Until You Can't See Land" being played live and released as a stand alone single well in advance. But I for one was not prepared for what I have been hearing over the past week. It is the sound of a band coming into focus in ways I could not have imagined. Freed from the constraints of writing about lost and jilted love, Scott Hutchison has found new depth in his poetry that is now matched with the power and drive of a fully realized band.

Whether it's the droning guitar that anchors the lead track, "Things" or the string arrangements that float around "Skip The Youth", the Rabbit have expanded their arsenal of sound without sacrificing their basic song structure. They are still, for lack of a better term, a pop band writing songs that are meant to be sung along to and they still find their way to the catchy tune for each track. "Nothing Like You" is a clean, simple pop number that is the closest to the Midnight tracks in style and tone. "Swim" feels right at home with this record where live it stuck out from the earlier stuff. "The Loneliness" and "The Wrestle" form the core of the record and seem to share a theme of isolation and despair that Hutchison rides throughout the album. "Not Miserable" sounds like the response to "Floating on the Forth" as the writer has now come to gripes with what happened and has started to move on. (which may explain why Hutchison has already stated he will not play this live, much like he rarely plays the other song). The album ends with "Yes I Would", which is soft coda to a work of upheaval and noise.

I can't really tell you what will happen with this band. There is so much depth to what they do that the possibilities are endless. My fear is that they will be pushed out as a middle of the road alternative band and get played on TV shows and movies. The reason that scares me is I think they could be so much more. They have a chance to be truly great. It's hard to remember it's still early. Someone with this much talent needs time to harness it and develop it. Scott Hutchison is that sort of talent. I'm glad I'm here to hear it unfold. You should be too...