Sonic Parthenon

UPDATED: The Sonic Parthenon Show Returns (Probably) January 29.

2012-01-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

One year ago, we embarked on a new adventure. The scribe turned amateur mp3-jockey. And what we did was bang out 33 episodes over about 45 weeks (someone else can do the math). That should have worked out to 66 hours of rock n roll and mindless banter. Instead it worked out to about 10,364 hours (don't do the math on that one). Then we had to take a bit of a break, not just for the holidays and the football playoffs, but because SPHQ took a hike. The Brookly-Born One-Time Brooklyn Scenester is still in Brooklyn but in more hospitable environs. As it worked out, our equipment had an "upgrade" (it remains to be seen if that is really the case) but it appears it is indeed something of an improvement for the purposes of giving you a faithful rock n roll radio show.

And so it is now the case that Pennypacker can announce to you the return of the Sonic Parthenon Show, scheduled for January 29, 2012. 7PM Eastern. (Why the change to one hour earlier? two words: Downtown Abbey) It'll be a double celebration show: a one year anniversary and of the new digs. Also, like when we started, we'll take another week off for the Super Bowl. But maybe we can do something on the fly Super Bowl weekend to tide you over...we can do that now. In fact, we think we can even do all of this LIVE. Which means anything can happen.

In the meantime, don't forget we have a podcast feed at http://kupad.net/thorradio/sonicparthenon/rss.xml

Casey Shea; Luke Wesley @ Rockwood II

2012-01-17T11:13:00.001-05:00

Casey Shea; Luke Wesley @ Rockwood IINew York, NY - January 13, 2012

Another year, another first concert at Rockwood, though Pennypacker's first at the new deluxe set-up. And another year, and another celebration of a friend's birthday at said site, once again with the catchy hooks of Luke Wesley ("Pretty Boy" ought to be a hit) and this time with the HEY-IT'S-A-ROCK-N-ROLL-BAND punch of Casey Shea. The latter instantly called up the following: the Faces, Exile on Main Street, Nick Lowe, and Black Crowes. That's enough of a spectrum to get the job done and boy howdy did these cats get the job done.

A Slight Hiatus (probably)

2011-12-22T10:38:00.001-05:00

If you've already heard the last show of the year, you heard me say that we're going on a brief hiatus. We're off the two holiday weekends, which is nothing stark, but we may be off for a few more weekends after that. Upcoming playoffs may have something to do with it but more immediate is that Sonic Parthenon Headquarters is moving.

Brooklyn is still home to Elwood's franchise but we've decided it's time to leave the confines of southern Brooklyn. The perfume is getting to be too much. Too much house music. It may be a seamless move and we'll pick right up where we left off or we may be out of commission for awhile as the boys in IT figure out how to rejigger the radio tower in more northern climes.

But there may be a prize for your patience: The show may come back in a new format - LIVE. ON TAPE. We'll see. Stay tuned.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 33: “Pennypacker’s Top 25 Songs of 2011”

2011-12-18T23:32:00.001-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 33: “Pennypacker’s Top 25 Songs of 2011”

SPS33.mp3

Intro“Countdown” by the Black Keys

Set 125. “Eating Paper” by David Bazan
24. “King of Diamonds” by Motopony
23. “Ten-Twenty-Ten” by Generationals
22. “Pineapple Girl” by Mister Heavenly
21. “Down by the Water” by the Decemberists

Set 2
20. “My Mistakes” by Eleanor Friedburger
19. “Through the Floor” by Crystal Stilts
18. “Just Saying” by the Hold Steady
17. “Highway Down” by I See Hawks in L.A.
16. “I Don’t Care” by TV Girl

Set 3
“Another Girl, Another Planet” by the Replacements
“New Pleasure” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“Where Was My Brain?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Set 4
15. “Money and Run” UNKLE featuring Nick Cave
14. “These Times” by Stag
13. “Guilty Girls” by Buffalo Tom
12. “Little White Doves” by Dirty Vegas
11. “Romance” by Wild Flag

Set 5
“Bad as Me” by Tom Waits
“Woe is Me…I am Ruined” by the Lonely Forest
“Just a Creep” by Dum Dum Girls
“Philadelphia (the City of Brotherly Love)” by We Are Augustines

Set 6
10. “Blue Door” by Two Habors
9. “Dressed Sharply by An Horse
8. “Caffeinated Consciousness” by TV on the Radio
7. “Boeing 737” by the Low Anthem
6. “Record Store” by Gold Bears

Set 75. “Mine Smell Like Honey” by R.E.M.
4. “These Days” by Sea Monsters
3. “Jericho” by Jamaica
2. “Under Cover of Darkness” by the Strokes

Outro
1. “Belong” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Sonic Parthenon Year in Music: 2011 (or Part 2 in an On-going Joke of How Elwood Is No Longer With It)

2011-12-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

2011 marked something of a notable change in the music mission of this blog. By the end of last year, I assessed the change was already a done deal but there was a chance to make things the way they used to be. It was clear however in 2011 that the relevant scenesterism perused by Elwood D Pennypacker was a bell graph. So in 2011, it was decided that generally speaking, Sonic Parthenon could not actively, constantly, look forward. It was now time to look back.

A mere 13 concert reviews in 2011 reveals part of the story (and a telling word from an old SP friend points out that old man Elwood started referring to 'concerts' instead of 'shows'). And of the 13, only a couple could be considered a trending, "the place the tastemakers are at tonight" style of show (such as the Joy Formidable and Lonely Forest). The others either spoke to my ongoing love affairs (the Dirtbombs, the National, the Thermals), making rites of passage (Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt, the Blasters), or celebrations of recent appreciations (Deniz Tek and Ivan Julian, Tommy Stinson, Ted Leo).

The bigger story in 2011 was of course the birth of the Sonic Parthenon Show. Yours truly refocused his energies, cast himself in the Orson Welles vein as your "obedient servant", and joined up with the online forces of Thor Radio in order to share audibly with the world what music has meant to him over the last 30 years. A lot of episodes have devoted time to new songs, much of which was noted in the playlists (Editor's Truthful Note: I forgot to put R.E.M. in the Playlist for Early 2011 and grandfathered them into it now. Maybe this is why they broke up a couple of months ago - lack of recognition). But the general schematic for each episode so far has been a review and revue of all things Elwood Rock n Roll. And annoying impersonations of old stars of the Yiddish theater.

Some have said it may be time for Elwood to hang up the rock n roll mantle and give up all pre-tense of having a relevant blog (many read the tea leaves in the official demise of the White Stripes at the beginning of the year). That apart from the show and the occasional nostalgia concert, it's all over, happenin'-wise. As Grampa Simpson once said, "I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too".

Now may be the time to focus on being a "foodie". Indeed, the treat of many Sonic Parthenon Shows so far as been the accompanying show meal, usually involving rocambole garlic, purple cauliflower, and some apricot-infused chorizo. We'll see where 2012 leads us. This indeed may be the future.

But you never know. Some young buck may be working his way up in the ranks of rock n roll, dazzling the hipster crowds, making them shut up, put away the cell phones, and tone down their style of dress. A prospect hell bent on shaking things up, making it all about the music again, and not economy-defying lushing-about. In fact, Elwood thinks he has seen the future and is fully prepared to write in 2012 about the leader of this vanguard that will make rock n roll (and this blog) relevant again. This brash rook is named Tom Waits. And I think you're going to hear a lot from him real soon.

The Playlists

The Shows (or Concerts if you prefer)

Shwa and Bryan Dunn @ Rockwood

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt @ Beacon

The Blasters @ Bell House

The Joy Formidable and Lonely Forest @ Webster

The Thermals @ le Poisson Rouge

The Dirtbombs and Dennis Coffey @ Bell House

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Screaming Females @ the Seaport

Joan Jett @ Coney Island

U2 @ the Meadowlands

Cheap Trick @ Coney Island

Tommy Stinson @ Bowery Electric

Deniz Tek and Ivan Julian @ Bell House

The National @ Beacon

The National @ Beacon Theater (Or Part 1in an On-going Joke of How Elwood Is No Longer With It)

2011-12-15T10:50:00.006-05:00

The National; So Percussion
@ Beacon Theater
New York, NY - December 14, 2011

Sure I could write about how the National have AMPED up. How they are more of a full-on rock band than ever before without actually changing their songs or their sound. How they are now halfway to being a rock spectacle like their old forerunners the Arcade Fire. How Padma and Doveman weren't there but the horn section is a permanent component of the band. How Berninger was as playfully fun as he's ever been (A Dessner mess-up to the opening of "Fake Empire" prompted a faux "WHAT THE FUCK!" that I found endlessly hilarious for reasons I am still unclear on). And how they do not forget their Fine Arts-y affiliations (witness the Steve Reich-playing Blue Man Group/Stomp for the Caviar set opener called So Percussion).
But nah. Let's talk about me! It's the Internet, you know.

It wasn't that long ago that seeing the National was regular "Pennypacker-on-the-town" business. I was the first person through the door at Terminal 5 when they christened it. I was at the great BAM shows. Etc. Etc. The National were (and still are) part of my elite favorites that I go to on a regular listening basis when nothing else will suffice (you know the crew - the Hold Steady, Metric, and my beloved misfit Dirtbombs). But that's just it. The National were (are) part of the last wave of bands-of-the-moment that I attached myself to. I've been musically stuck in 2007, 2008 for all these years. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been great. Grinderman/Nick Cave and Tom Waits have been the most exciting musical stories to me of late. See my upcoming Year in Review for more on the few new bands and much older bands that Pennypacker has been listening to.

I spent more time listening to the Replacements this year than any other band.
This is why this blog is no longer relevant.

But that's OK.

I didn't mean for this to happen. I meant to stay hip and cutting edge for a long time. I've already blamed myself and others (bad concert audiences, the Chillwave scene) for this as being a problem. But maybe it isn't a problem. Maybe it's perfectly reasonable stasis. There is nothing wrong with a band like the National being part of the apex, the climax, the ne plus ultra, of a music-learning life. Especially if part of the change is life around you.

The National, maybe more than any other band in the Pennypacker Trust, provide a soundtrack. Matt Berninger's seemingly non-sensical but probing lyrics have the right kind of mature ambiguity to narrate that time you went to a party and felt out of place (or worse, went to a party and felt completely IN place!), the time you went to buy a dryer with your girlfriend's mother, the time you told your friend about having this exact kind of pretentious meta-conversation with yourself and share it on an obscure slice of the Internet. And of course the soundtrack for when they don't have Ewephoria cheese at Fairway and you belt out a Berninger-style "WHAT THE FUCK!".
So this review should not serve as a final goodbye letter to Pennypacker the Schmuck Who Likes Rock n Roll. But it looks like it is the final goodbye to Pennypacker the Schmuck Who Thinks He Can Tell You Which Band to See Right Now. You're on your own. Good luck.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn and Late 2011

2011-12-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

Our final reflection of 2011 demonstrates again the bevy of singles that dominates the Pennypacker experience in music but behold! At the end! A rather large number of albums - and I mean albums - that stood out. So while the "Album is Dead" theory took a blow this Fall, it is more likely the case that this was merely an anomaly. And unlike all the other changes in the Sonic Parthenon universe, the theory is reflective of a greater change in music overall, and not merely the ongoing devolution of a pseudo-scenester turned homebody preservationist.

There'll be more to come on the above theories as conclude the year.

Singles:
Tori Amos - "Job's Coffin" (featuring Natashya Hawley)
Asa - "Why Can't We"
Braid - "The Right Time"
Jimmy Cliff - "Ship is Sailing"
Fool's Gold - "Wild Window"
Gross Relations - "When You Go Down"
John Wesley Harding - "There's a Starbucks Where the Starbucks Used to Be"
Hillbilly Casino - "The Doctor"
Ivy - "Fascinated"
Japandroids - "Younger Us"
The Jim Jones Review - "Elemental"
Matt Latterell - "Hostage"
Little Dragon - "Ritual Union"
Rene Lopez - "Shing-a-ling is What I Bring"
Los Campesinos! - "By Your Hand"
M83 - "Midnight City"
Mariachi el Bronx - "Revolution Girls"
Mates of State - "Palomino"
Spectrals - "Big Baby"
Two Harbors - "Blue Door"
Youth Lagoon - "Montana

Albums:
Black Keys - El Camino
Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams
Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
We Are Augustines - Rise Ye Sunken Ships
Wild Flag - Wild Flag

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 32: “A Pennypacker Festivus…or…Why We Should Celebrate the Winter Harvest and the Revolution of the Earth Around th

2011-12-11T21:07:00.002-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 32: “A Pennypacker Festivus…or…Why We Should Celebrate the Winter Harvest and the Revolution of the Earth Around the Sun”

SPS32.mp3

Intro
“Rock and Roll Christmas” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers

Set 1
“Fuck Christmas” by Fear
“The Christmas Song” by the Raveonettes
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
“Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by the Ramones
“Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” by the Darkness

Set 2
“Santa’s on His Way” by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
“Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan
“Dear Santa” by Amy Gore
“Santa Claus” by Thee Headcoatees
“Father Christmas” by the Kinks

Set 3
“Christmas with the Devil” by Spinal Tap
“Mistress for Christmas” by AC/DC
“Fruitcake” by the Superions
“O Tannenbaum” by Vincent Guaraldi

Set 4
“Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” by Tom Waits
“Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
“Annunciation Day/Born on Christmas Day” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
“I Wish It Was Christmas Today” by Julian Casablancas

Set 5
“Christmas All Over” by Tom Petty
“Merry Christmas Baby” by Elvis Presley
“Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses
“Everything is One Big Christmas Tree” by the Magnetic Fields
“The Blizzard” by Camera Obscura

Set 6
“Candy Cane Children” by the White Stripes
“Tell the Lord (What Santa’s Done)” by Goober & the Peas
“Don’t Forget to Feed the Reindeer” by the Come Ons
“My Last Christmas” by the Dirtbombs

Set 7
“Future is in the Future” by Electric Six
“2012” by Box Elders
“2012 Blues” by Thomas Function
“New Year’s Eve” by Tom Waits

Outro
“Auld Lang Syne” by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 31: “This is Dedicated to Those I Am Moderately Fond of…Or…Hard Times Thanksgiving Blues”

2011-11-30T22:53:00.002-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 31: “This is Dedicated to Those I Am Moderately Fond of…Or…Hard Times Thanksgiving Blues”

SPS31.mp3

Intro
“Dedicated to the One I Love” by the Temprees

Set 1
“Hallelujah, I’m a Bum” by Harry “Mac” McClintock
“Gimme Some Money” by Spinal Tap
“Livin’ in the Red” by War
“Broke in Detroit (Again)” by the Dirtbombs
“Hard Times in New York Town” by Bob Dylan

Set 2
“Money Changes Everything” by the Brains
“No Money No Luck Blues” by B.B. King
“Debt Collector” by the Deadly Snakes
“There’s a Starbucks Where the Starbucks Used to Be” by John Wesley Harding
“Headlong Into the Abyss” by We Are Augustines

Set 3
“Blue Door” by Two Harbors
“Wild Window” by Fool’s Gold
“Big Baby” by Spectrals
“Pineapple Girl” by Mister Heavenly*

Set 4
“Satisfied” by Tom Waits
“Methamphetamine Blues” by Mark Lanegan
“Job’s Coffin” by Tori Amos
“The Hula Hula Boys” by Warren Zevon

Set 5
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters
“Breed” by Nirvana
“When She Begins” by Social Distortion
“I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement” by the Ramones
“Suzanne Beware of the Devil” by Nicky Thomas

Set 6
“I Can’t Hardly Wait (The Tim Version)” by the Replacements
“Not Fade Away” by Buddy Holly
“The Rat” by the Walkmen
“Stone Free” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Outro
“Rubber Biscuit” by the Blues Brothers

*Post-Show Note: It would have been nice if I had something to say about Mister Heavenly during the program. The band is made up of members of Islands, Modest Mouse, and Man Man, and Michael Cera used to be the touring bass player.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 30: “Ode to the Auteur”

2011-11-18T07:17:00.003-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 30: “Ode to the Auteur”

SPS30.mp3

Intro
“Hooray for Hollywood” featuring Benny Goodman and various artists

Set 1
“Blank Generation” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“I Wanna Be Your Dog” by the Stooges
“You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)” by the White Stripes
“There’s An End” by Holly Golightly & the Greenhornes

Set 2
“Down, Down, Down” by Tom Waits
“Mystery Train” by Elvis Presley
“Tommy Gun (Live)” by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros
“I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Set 3
“Misirlou” by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
“Rumble” by Link Wray & His Ray Men
“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Nancy Sinatra
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmerelda
“Goodnight Moon” by Shivaree

Set 4
“Who’s That Knocking?” by the Genies
“Layla” by Derrick & the Dominoes
“Breakaway” by Sidney Stripling

Set 5
“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys
“Sail on Sailors” by the Beach Boys
“Like a Rolling Stone (Live Version)” by Bob Dylan
“Devil Got My Woman” by Skip James

Set 6
“Judy is a Punk” by the Ramones
“Everyone” by Van Morrison
“Mongoloid” by Devo
“Ooh La La” by the Faces

Set 7
“Chains of Love” by the Dirtbombs
“Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” by Ultra Orange & Emmanuel
“24 Hour Party People” by Happy Mondays
“True Faith” by New Order
“I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” by Kenny Rogers & First Edition
“In the Jailhouse Now” by the Soggy Bottom Boys
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder

Outro
“I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Woody Allen

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 29: “All The Love That’s Fit to Print”

2011-11-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 29: “All The Love That’s Fit to Print”

SPS29.mp3

Intro
“Love Stinks” by J. Geils Band

Set 1
“My Love for You” by the Dirtbombs
“Love Bomb” by Grinderman
“I Hate Myself for Loving You” by Joan Jett
“Ever Fallen in Love” by the Buzzcocks

Set 2
“Oh Oh I Love Her So” by the Ramones
“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by the Rubinoos
“Honey in the Sun” by Camera Obscura
“Second, Minute, or Hour” by Jack Penate
“What a Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke

Set 3
“Say No to Love” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
“Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan
“That Was Yesterday” by Wynonna Judd

Set 4
“Obsessed With You” by the Orion Experience
“The Seed 2.0” by The Roots (with Cody Chestnutt)
“Come on Over (Turn Me On” by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
“We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” by Jermaine Stewart

Set 5
“High Fidelity” by Elvis Costello
“Lovers Who Wander” by Dion
“Thinking About You” by Norah Jones
“My Lover’s Prayer” by Otis Redding
“Love That Girl” by Raphael Saadiq

Set 6
“Palaces of Montezuma” by Grinderman
“Encrypted” by the Dirtbombs
“Be My Wife” by David Bowie
“All I Want Is You” by U2

Outro
“I Love You, Suzanne” by Lou Reed
“Goodnight Irene” by Leadbelly

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 28: “The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol II”

2011-11-11T10:31:00.003-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 28: “The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol II”

SPS28.mp3

Intro
“Sunshine” by Regina Spektor

Set 1
“Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
“Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke
“The Great Communicator” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
“Dance with Me” by the Modern Lovers
“Smoke and Mirrors” by the Gentlemen Callers

Set 2
“I Think I Smell a Rat” by the White Stripes
“Stadium Love” by Metric
“(Baby) I’m Your Fool” by the Black Hollies
“Be My Somebody” by Norah Jones
“I Hate You, I Love You” by the Dead Milkmen

Set 3
“Primal Scream” by Motley Crue
“Perfectly Good Guitar” by John Hiatt
“Temptation” by Elvis Costello
“Going to California” by Led Zeppelin
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John

Set 4
“Acony Bell” by Gillian Welch
“Now, Right Now” by Reverend Horton Heat
“Like a Secret” by Sam Champion
“By My Side” by the Gentleman Callers
“She Put the Hurt on Me” by Otis Redding

Set 5
“Sex Objects” by the Briefs
“Riding With Mary” by X
“Come in Alone” by My Bloody Valentine
“Children of the Grave” by Black Sabbath
“Girls” by Marina & the Diamonds

Set 6
“Freedom” by Jimi Hendrix
“A New Day Yesterday” by Jethro Tull
“A-Tisket A-Tasket” by Ella Fitzgerald
“Broken” by the Love Me Nots

Outro
“Race for the Prize” by the Flaming Lips

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 27 – “Bands A-Z, Vol. 2: No Good Lousy Punks”

2011-11-11T10:29:00.001-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 27 – “Bands A-Z, Vol. 2: No Good Lousy Punks”

SPS27.mp3

Intro
“Woo Hoo” by 5.6.7.8’s

Set 1
“Chinese Takeaway” by The Adicts
“X Offender” by Blondie
“I Don’t Mind” by the Buzzcocks
“White Riot” by the Clash
“Uranium Rock” by the Cramps

Set 2
“New Rose” by the Damned
“Sonic Reducer” by the Dead Boys
“Rock and Roll Evacuation” by Electric Six
“Modern Kicks” by the Exploding Hearts
“Let’s Have a War” by Fear
“Swagger” by Flogging Molly

Set 3
“Ready Steady Go” by Generation X
“Hey Hey, We’re the Gories” by the Gories
“Get off the Phone” by Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
“Declare Guerre Nucleaire” by the Hives
“Sailor Itch” by the Intelligence
“In the City” by the Jam

Set 4
“Dock It #8” by the King Khan & BBQ Show
“No Love Lost” by LCD Soundsystem
“Corona” by Minutemen
“(You Must Fight to Live) on the Planet of the Apes” by the Mummies

Set 5
“Trash” by the New York Dolls
“Something for Nothing” by the Oblivians
“Boys from County Hell” by the Pogues
“Punk Rock Girls” by the Queers

Set 6
“Havana Affair” by the Ramones
“Fuck School” by the Replacements
“Holidays in the Sun” by the Sex Pistols
“If the Kids are United” by Sham 69

Set 7
“Paper” by Talking Heads
“See No Evil” by Television
“Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones
“Love Comes in Spurts” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids

Set 8
“Red Bowling Ball Ruth” by the White Stripes
“Ex Lion Tamer” by Wire
“Sex and Dying in High Society” by X
“Oh! Bondage up Yours!” by X-Ray Spex
“Date with the Night” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Outro
“Inergy” by Zero Boys

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 26: “Alliances: Holy and Unholy Alike”

2011-10-20T23:23:00.004-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 26: “Alliances: Holy and Unholy Alike”

SPS26.mp3

Intro
“Walk This Way” by Run D.M.C. with Aerosmith

Set 1
“Common People” by William Shatner with Joe Jackson
“I’m Waiting for the Man” by David Bowie and Lou Reed
“Strange Overtones” by David Byrne and Brian Eno
“Disorder in the House” by Warren Zevon with Bruce Springsteen
“When Love Comes to Town” by U2 with B.B. King

Set 2
“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
“Hootchie Cootchie Man” by Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones
“The Weight” by the Band with the Staples Singers
“Ball & Biscuit” by Bob Dylan and Jack White

Set 3
“Date to Church” by the Replacements with Tom Waits
“Dear John” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals with Norah Jones
“I’ll Fly Away” by Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

Set 4
“Tramp” by Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
“It’s a Natural Fact” by Billy Childish & Holly Golightly
“Post Modern Girls” by the Strokes & Regina Spektor
“Ode to L.A.” by the Raveonettes with Roni Spector

Set 5
“La Di Da Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick
“The Girl from Ipanema” by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
“U Got the Look” by Prince with Sheena Easton
“Where the Wild Roses Grow” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue

Set 6
“Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis with Elvis Costello
“You’re Never Alone in New York” by Mark Mallman
“Mama Told Me Not to Come” by Tom Jones & Stereophonics
“History Repeating” by Propellerheads with Shirley Bassey

Outro
“My Sweet Hunk o’ Trash” by Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 25 – “Paging Dr. Rock… or…The Show Must Go On…”

2011-10-02T19:07:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 25 – “Paging Dr. Rock… or…The Show Must Go On…”

SPS25.mp3

Intro
“The Show Must Go On” by Pink Floyd

Set 1
“Dr. Rock” by Ween
“Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine” by the White Stripes
“Planet Health” by Chairlift
“I’m Sick Y’All” by Otis Redding
“The Sick Bed of Cuchulain” by the Pogues

Set 2
“Miracle Man” by Elvis Costello
“If You Don’t Start Drinking (I’m Gonna Leave)” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett
“Sunday Papers” by Joe Jackson

Set 3
“Younger Us” by Japandroids
“When You Go Down” by Gross Relations
“Why Can’t We” by Asa
“Palomino” by Mates of State
“East Harlem” by Beirut

Set 4
“Banquet” by Bloc Party
“Being Here” by the Stills
“Them or Me” by Finding Fiction
“It’s Casual” by Maritime
“The Runout” by Maps of Norway

Set 5
“Kids in America” by Kim Wilde
“Say What You Want” by Texas
“Red, White, and Blue” by Cast of Thousands
“Rebellion (Lies)” by Arcade Fire
“What is Life” by George Harrison

Set 6
“Waterloo” by ABBA
“Working on a Building” by Elvis Presley
“Career Opportunities” by the Clash
“1 2 3 4” by Feist
“Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show

Outro
“Coming Down” by Dum Dum Girls

25 Episodes of the Sonic Parthenon Show: The Numbers So Far

2011-09-29T14:44:00.004-04:00

Number of Times I've Played the Dirtbombs: 10 (Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs has been played 12 times total, also counting the Gories and Blacktop).

Number of Times I've Played the Hold Steady: 10

Number of Times I've Played Bob Dylan: 9

Number of Times I've Played the Ramones: 13 (the Ramones also hold the record for number of consecutive episodes played with 6 - Episodes 13 through 18; Furthermore, the Ramones were played 8 times over 10 episodes, for a batting average of .462, thereby breaking Ted Williams' long-held record).

Number of Times I've Played the Beatles: 1

Number of Times I've Mentioned Not Liking the Beatles: 2

Number of Times I've Played Aerosmith Despite Also Saying I Don't Really Like Them: 2

Number of Artists I've Played Twice in One Show: 3 - the Hold Steady (twice), Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams

Number of Songs I've Played More Than Once: 1 - "Alex Chilton" by the Replacements

Number of Times I've Played Alex Chilton the person, not the song: 2 (both times as Big Star)

Number of Times I've Played the Replacements total: 7

Number of Times It Feels Like I've Played the Replacements: approximately 21

Number of Contemporary Pop Starletts I've Played: 1 (Adele)

Number of ads for Rocky Barnes, Secret Agent: 3

Number of Times I've Mentioned New York: Every episode, too many to count

Number of Times I've Mentioned I Love New York: 5

Number of Times I've Mentioned I Hate New Yorkers: 15

Number of Times I've Mentioned Philadelphia or my College Experience: almost every episode, also too many to count

Number of Times I've Mentioned Detroit - on purpose: about 6

Number of Times I've Mentioned Detroit - by accident: about 18

Number of References to No Longer Being "With It": surprisingly, only twice.

Number of References to my non-existent producer behind the non-existent glass, Horatio Huffnagle: 2

Number of References to my non-existent ex-wife, Zezu Pennypacker: 1

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2011, Vol. 2

2011-09-20T19:40:00.003-04:00

Mister Heavenly - "Pineapple Girl"
Fine and dandy like sour...pineapple...no. Just a fine song.

Motopony - "King of Diamonds"
Motopony may make it big. Not only do they have a buzz going, NPR loves the hell out of this song for between-story music. Their look and their bio do not match this sound.

Pickwick - "Hacienda Hotel"
All I keep thinking is Orson Welles' pronunciation of "PICKWICK!" in his adaptation of the Pickwick Papers.

Sea Monsters - "These Days"
Put these guys on the bill with Ted Leo, the Gaslight Anthem, and that Hold Steady band and I'll be very happy indeed. This song is immense.

Smoove and Turrell - "Hard Work"
Requisite retro soul entry.

Stone Darling - "All I Wanna Do"
A very nice dash of some more of that slightly-trippy pop music.

Frank Turner - "I Am Disappeared"
Strong ballad.

Wild Flag - "Romance"
Last but not least, the band redefining the concept of a supergroup. Not just super for arising from an assortment of respected, beloved bands, but super for what they are doing now. This is tantamount to Audioslave for Indie people.

Honorable Mentions:
Pink Mink - "Ghost Bike"
Ceremony - "Not Tonight"
Bootsy Collins - "JB-Still the Man, featuring Rev. Al Sharpton" (Novelty song of the year)
Gomez - "Options"

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2011, Vol. 1

2011-09-20T19:30:00.000-04:00

Well it happened. I can't think of one album to write about for this past Summer of 2011. It was truly a summer of singles for yours truly.

About Group - "Don't Worry"
Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip has a solo project full of the blue eyed soul (well not really blue eyed but why not) hinted on some of his main project's best work. I'm a sucker for a soul organ, this is well established.

An Horse - "Dressed Sharply"
The sleeper hit of the summer as they say. Slick Australian duo has a hearty, intense, bit of substance here.

David Bazan - "Eating Paper"
David Bazan strikes again! In the vein of Neil Young comes this burning bush.

Beirut - "East Harlem"
Mr. Condon makes me wish it was the mid-2000's all over again with this serene, magisterial try-out.

California Wives - "Tokyo"
More of a spring hit but it stuck around through the early summer. Finely crafted electro-pop.

Dirty Vegas - "Little White Doves"
As promised in my Spring round-up, here came Dirty Vegas. I can't believe it. But I guess a small part of me still has a thing for that Saturday night clubbing build-up. I just don't have a thing for the actual Saturday night clubbing.

Eleanor Friedburger - "My Mistakes"
A certified, bona fide smash in the Pennypacker playbook. The Fiery Furnaces have very little home here (save for maybe "Tropical Iceland"). But Eleanor takes a shot solo, does a pop record, and holy howdy listen to this. It's like the Stones' "Waiting on a Friend" but with vigor.

Ghost in the Water - "The Young"
Requisite 80's retro hipster entry.

Gold Bears - "Record Store"
Another of the big smashes of the summer. I listened to this part and parcel with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart record of the spring, making for choc-a-bloc slightly-distorted power pop days.

JEFF The Brotherhood - "Bummer"
A return trip to the classic rock sludgeworks courtesy of these forever-up-and-comers.

Hanni El Khatib - "Loved One"
I like this guy. Nothing says vintage rock n roll like a half-Filipino, half-Palestinian skateboarder from San Francisco. I can't make him up if I tried. How does he not have a pompadour?!

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 24 – "Party"

2011-09-18T21:25:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 24 – "Party"

SPS24.mp3

Intro
“Party Hard” by Andrew W.K.

Set 1
“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung
“Improper Dancing” by Electric Six
“Are You Ready?” by AC/DC
“Do You Wanna Dance” by the Ramones

Set 2
“Party at Ground Zero” by Fishbone
“Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads
“The Party” by the Star Spangles
“Big Fuckin Party (Part 1)” by Devil Dogs

Set 3
“Burn It All Down” by VHS or Beta
“Whoo! Alright Yeah…Uh Huh” by the Rapture
“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” by the Jacksons
“Dashboard” by Modest Mouse

Set 4
“Dancing with Myself” by Billy Idol
“Dance Little Sister” by the Rolling Stones
“The Neutron Dance” by the Pointer Sisters
“Eau d’Bedroom Dancing” by Le Tigre

Set 5
“Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand
“Listen Up!” by the Gossip
“Seven Days a Week” by the Sounds
“The Queen of White Lies” by the Orion Experience

Set 6
“Carwars” by Funeral Party
“Such a Scene” by the Changes
“Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” by We Are Scientists
“Over & Over” by Hot Chip

Set 7
“Word Up” by Cameo
“Heads are Gonna Roll” by Rocket from the Crypt
“Livin’ for the Weekend” by the Dirtbombs
“Massive Nights” by the Hold Steady

Outro
“Living After Midnight” by Judas Priest

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 23 – “What I’ve Learned”

2011-09-11T18:26:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 23 – “What I’ve Learned”

SPS23.mp3

If there's one thing I've learned in the last ten years, it is that happiness is a warm puppy.

Intro
“Rock n Roll” by the Velvet Underground

Set 1
“My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
“Beyond Beautiful” by Aerosmith
“Mansion on the Hill” by Bruce Springsteen
“Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2

Set 2
“Hotel Yorba” by the White Stripes
“Poison Heart” by the Ramones
“Monster Hospital” by Metric
“She’s a Rebel” by Green Day
“See How We Are” by X
“Hurt” by Johnny Cash

Set 3
“The Modern Age” by the Strokes
“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“City Middle” by the National
“You, South Dakota” by Bryan Dunn

Set 4
“Stuck Between Stations” by the Hold Steady
“Talent Show” by the Replacements
“These Days” by Sea Monsters
“Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Set 5
“God is in the House” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“God’s Away on Business” by Tom Waits
“Graduated” by John Hiatt
“Mutineer” by Warren Zevon

Set 6
“Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison
“Life is Beautiful” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
“Bye & Bye” by Bob Dylan
“Not Too Late” by Norah Jones

Outro
“F.I.D.O.” by the Dirtbombs

Deniz Tek; Ivan Julian @ the Bell House

2011-08-27T13:07:00.003-04:00

Deniz Tek; Ivan Julian
@ the Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - August 26, 2011

Why is punk rock n roll so good? I don't know. Well I do. But for tonight, let's just say the reason is that punk rock fears not an impending hurricane. It was Good Night, Irene at the Bell House as first Voidoid Ivan Julian and then Radio Birdman Deniz Tek, the Iceman himself, gave this tropical storm the middle finger. Ivan Julian ran the gamut of punk rock, shuffling his boots through the classic approach as well as through some blues, country, and that No Wave Blank Generation vibe (yes, that song was played). Deniz Tek didn't mess around, slashing between punk rock and some sludgy blues, backed by some pomade-happy, tatooed-up twins with some extra help by Keith from the Fuzztones. The "New Race" ending was smashing.

And in the ultimate expression of why it's ok to be a punk rock elitist: There were more people in the front bar at the 80's dance party (few if any of the participants appeared to be old enough to remember the 80's) than there were in the back room for the gig. These bubble gumming yuppie hipsters had no idea who exactly was back there. You know what? That's OK.

Tommy Stinson @ Bowery Electric

2011-08-26T07:15:00.003-04:00

Tommy Stinson; the Jay Vons
@ Bowery Electric
New York, NY - August 25, 2011

Someone shouted out "Replacements!" when Tommy Stinson speculated on what to play next. His response was as follows: "I will forever be. But I will never play again. Unless Paul decides he wants to have fun again maybe." And that's all there is to say about that.

I mean...I could take this opportunity to write about my long winding come-around to loving the music of the Replacements in the last couple of years. How I only liked a few songs for a good while but liked them more as an idea, as more than the sum of their parts. And that only in the last few months have I finally gone over and decided that the entire catalog is actually worth a damn. But whatever...that's just what someone, somewhere would want me to do and in true 'mats fashion, I'll do something else instead.

Tommy Stinson played his solo work, wrapping up his residency at Jesse Malin's Bowery Electric. After years of Minnesota nice, classic rock upbringing, 80's non-stardom, his own post-non-stardom project, and an addendum in Los Angeles that has included something that used to be Guns n Roses, the result is a very-understandable, easy-to-like, sound. Tommy Stinson is just a guy that wants to play nice sounding rock music. And he succeeds. He has an able voice to go with the reserve of hooks and melodies. There's a nice run of across-the-board rock, not surprisingly absorbing country and blues in its essence. And the backing band, assembled for the residency, may as well have been his full time band.

The Jay Vons are a local soul-garage band that made me nostalgic not for the era of music they play (I can't be nostalgic for that, I wasn't born yet), but for about 5 to 10 years ago when this kind of retro-fitting rock n roll was all the rage. Before the 80's synths and the bearded folkies came back full blown, there was a lot of this going on. And it was up my alley. Boy howdy. To fit in with today's crowds, the Jay Vons have a guy with a mighty beard on the order of Garth Hudson or a Winter brother. But they don't need to fit in. They need to keep doing what they are doing.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 22: “On My Mind”

2011-08-21T19:16:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 22: “On My Mind”

SPS22.mp3

Intro
“Romance” by Wild Flag

Set 1
“Color Me Impressed” by the Replacements
“Dyslexic Heart” by Paul Westerberg
“Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” by Husker Du
“I’m Sorry, Baby, But You Can’t Stand in My Light Anymore” by Bob Mould

Set 2
“Radioactive” by Kings of Leon
“Taken for a Fool” by the Strokes
“Julius” by Phish
“Spasticus (Autisticus)” by Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Set 3
“My Mistakes” by Eleanor Friedburger
“Ten-Twenty-Ten” by Generationals
“King of Diamonds” by Motopony
“Dressed Sharply” by An Horse

Set 4
“Scent of a Woman” by Cheap Trick
“What Do I Get?” by the Buzzcocks
“Sick to Move” by Superchunk
“I’m Gonna Change Your Life” by the Thermals

Set 5
“This Ain’t No Picnic” by Minutemen
“3 Dimes Down” by Drive-in Truckers
“Don’t Come Home a-Drinkin’” by Loretta Lynn
“Fallin’ & Flying” by Jeff Bridges

Set 6
“50’s” by Pomegranates
“Collide” by Elks*
“Butch” by Saint Motel
“Albatross” by Besnard Lakes

Set 7
“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
“Pop Song 89” by R.E.M.
“Excitable Boy” by Warren Zevon
“We Started Nothing” by the Ting Tings

Outro
“Rock and Roll Babe” by Cocktail Slippers

*(Update on August 30, 2011: It turns out indeed that the Elks band I mention performing in September at Union Pool is quite NOT the Elks band I played on this particular program. The Elks band that is playing is in fact a hardcore thrash band - to wit).

Cheap Trick @ Coney Island

2011-08-18T23:45:00.005-04:00

Cheap Trick
@ Coney Island
August 18, 2011

Cheap Trick is often a duality, a yin-yang unto itself. Back in the day, they were both a pretty-boy-pop-band and a classic rock n roll phenom. In the later years, this translated to being both a perceived-has-been-relic and a reliable-still-damn-cool-almost-punk-in-their-spirit legend. And let's not forget the time they did a hair band ballad better than any hair band could muster on their best day ("The Flame").

I used to hate this band. "I Want You to Want Me" was ruined for me by smug, suburban assholes of America. This was all I knew. Then in 2003, "Scent of a Woman" was released. Who would have thunk that not only did Cheap Trick make a song of the year, they made a song of my life? To this day and beyond, that recording will be one of perennial favorites. When that broke, I had no choice but to give the band a second chance. And it worked. They even made That 70's Show tolerable.

That duality remains. This is a band arrogant enough to come out on stage to the tune of their own music, but also a band humble enough to come out to the audio of all of the references made to the band on The Simpsons.

Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen hide behind sunglasses at night and their usual off-kilter fashion senses. Nevertheless, the pretension drops when the riffs wail, and the band pumps rock n roll like "Rocket '88" never went out of style.

Now a dose of reality: the truth on this August night is that Cheap Trick is freaked out. We nearly lost them at a storm-caused stage collapse last month in Ottawa. They made no bones about that in this abridged set, still feeling it from that incident (and not helped by last weekend's deadly stage collapse in Indiana and today's deadly stage collapse at Pukklepop in Belgium). "Union rules" caused the storm-threatened show to cut short (and there was no opener to boot because of the storms) but I gathered from Zander's emotional distance and Nielsen's "make the best of it" earnestness, that the band was a bit rattled. Also, no Bun E. Carlos on the drums. That doesn't help (not that Nielsen's son Daxx is a slouch). I briefly worried Bun was still in Tinted Windows. Someone assure me that is not the case.

So only a handful of songs. But there's that Cheap Trick duality. It wouldn't surprise me as I walked away that the band would come back for a full set. They are that kind of band. They always have been.

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 21: “Elwood’s Blues”

2011-08-17T20:40:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 21: “Elwood’s Blues”

SPS21.mp3

Intro
“Early in the Morning” by the Gories

Set 1
“Stop Breakin’ Down Blues” by Robert Johnson
“Stop Breakin’ Down (Live, at Maida Vale)” by the White Stripes
“Stack O’ Lee Blues” by Mississippi John Hurt
“Stagger Lee” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Set 2
“Low Down Mojo Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson
“What is a Soul of a Man?” by Blind Willie Johnson
“Broke Down Angel” by Blind Willie McTell
“Blind Man Blues” by Muddy Waters

Set 3
“Boogie at Russian Hill” by John Lee Hooker
“Madison Blues” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“Midnight Special” by Leadbelly
“Bluebird” by Howlin’ Wolf

Set 4
“T’aint Nobody’s Bizness If I Do” by Bessie Smith
“Foreclose on the House of Love” by Marcia Ball
“What am I to You?” by Norah Jones
“Black Cat Bone” by Mr. Airplane Man

Set 5
“John the Revelator” by Son House
“Bundle Up & Go” by Dooley Wilson
“Goin’ Back to Memphis” by Soledad Brothers
“Birdsnest” by Mr. David Viner

Set 6
“Red House” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
“Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughn
“Shotgun Blues” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
“Are You Gonna Go My Way? (MTV Unplugged) by Lenny Kravitz

Set 7
“Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers Band
“If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day” by Eric Clapton
“Spoonful’” by Scott H. Biram
“Hey, Hey (What Can I Do)” by Chris Thomas King

Set 8
“The Thrill is Gone” by B.B. King
“You Gonna Need Somebody When You Die” by Charly Patton
“Way Down in the Hole” by the Blind Boys of Alabama
“Sweet Home Chicago” by the Blues Brothers

Outro
“Ride On” by AC/DC

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 20 - "Don't Panic"

2011-07-31T18:59:00.004-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 20: “Don’t Panic”

SPS20.mp3

Intro
“Just Like Honey” by the Jesus and Mary Chain

Set 1
“Lord I’m Discouraged” by the Hold Steady
“Fight Test” by the Flaming Lips
“Fall Down Lightly” by VHS or Beta
“Cold Hands, Warm Heart” by Brendan Benson
“Collect Call” by Metric

Set 2
“Fix You” by Coldplay
“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
“Life is Beautiful” by Vega4
“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” by U2

Set 3
“Orange Sky” by Alexi Murdoch
“Pink Moon” by Nick Drake
“The Wind” by Cat Stevens
“Tomorrow is a Long Time” by Bob Dylan

Set 4
“Pet Sematary” by the Ramones
“The Only Living Boy in New York” by Simon & Garfunkel
“Manhattan” by Kings of Leon
“Pale Blue Eyes” by the Velvet Underground

Set 5
“Sometime Around Midnight” by the Airborne Toxic Event
“Wrapped in My Memory” by Shawn Smith
“Spirit” by the Caesars
“I Don’t Want It” by Ween

Set 6
“Thru and Thru” by the Rolling Stones
“The Lengths” by the Black Keys
“Nothin’ Left to Say” by Erica Cashman
“More News from Nowhere” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Outro
“Stay Positive” by the Hold Steady

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 19: “Chain Gang, Volume 1”

2011-07-24T21:04:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 19: “Chain Gang, Volume 1”

SPS.mp3

Intro
“Chain Gang” by Sam Cooke

Set 1
“When My Baby’s Beside Me” by Big Star
“Alex Chilton” by the Replacements
“The Replacements” by Art Brut

Set 2
“Keys to Your Heart” by the 101’ers
“White Riot” by the Clash
“The News” by Carbon/Silicon

Set 3
“Every Day I Have To Cry” by the Valentines
“Rockin’ in the Parlor” by AC/DC
“Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones

Set 4
“Memphis, Tennessee” by Chuck Berry
“Tennessee” by Gillian Welch
“Tennessee” by Arrested Development

Set 5
“Fish Fight” by the King Khan & BBQ Show
“Land of the Freak” by King Khan & the Shrines
“Burn This Town” by BBQ
“Can’t Fool With Me” by the Spaceshits

Set 6
“To Live and Die in the Airport Lounge” by My Teenage Stride
“Bonerack” by Teenage Head
“Starlett Johansson” by the Teenagers
“Summertime” by Scarlett Johansson

Set 7
“Sentimental Heart” by She & Him
“Chinese Translation” by M. Ward
“Four Winds” by Bright Eyes
“Say Please” by Monsters of Folk

Set 8
“The Only Ones” by Lookbook
“Another Girl, Another Planet” by the Only Ones

Set 9
“Apache” by Sugarhill Gang
“Apache” by Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band
“Good Times” by Chic

Outro
“Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang

U2 @ New Meadowlands Stadium

2011-07-21T07:22:00.003-04:00

U2
@ New Meadowlands Stadium
East Rutherford, NJ - July 20, 2011

On this date in 1969, man stepped onto the Moon. It's all been underwhelming since then. July 21, 2011 marks the end of the American space program as a leading national endeavor. U2 appears to be aware of this. They took the occasion to make a more space-oriented version of their on-going 360 tour. Expanding the use of Bowie's "Space Oddity" throughout the show, there was a definite theme of interstellar exploration mixed in with the usual array of good-cause-down-your-throat Bonoism (now under the philosophical heading of "What time is it in the world?"). The NASA lover in me was moved when "Beautiful Day" was set-up by a message from Mark Kelly, NASA Commander, and husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Despite both Bono's mistitling of the man's recent role in Space,and despite his creepy similarity to Terry O'Quinn (John Locke) from Lost, it was unnervingly dramatic. Hearing a real life space commander whose wife was nearly killed by a deranged maniac say "tell my wife I love her very much, she knows" was a Kubrickian/Adamsian (as in Douglas) moment of seriously absurdly wonderful proportions (I'm getting a little choked up just retelling it).

Besides Bowie, many others were honored by Bono and the boys. Springsteen (and Clarence of course), and Sinatra, per the Jersey rule, were cited and quoted. Talking Heads and Leonard Cohen also made the grade. And in the "I'll-never-actually-dislike-these-guys" moment of rock n roll for the night, Bono read out the setlist from a show at the Fast Lane in Asbury Park, a gig some 30 years ago. U2 ended the show with their very first single, as they played it at the Fast Lane, "Out of Control". The fact that for all the spectacle, all the causes, the mission statement and agenda of this NGO called U2, they still remember being four semi-punky Irish lads hopping the pond to play the swamps of Jersey, is endearing beyond anything I could normally stomach. Exceptions can be made.

Adam and Larry never seem happier than when they are doing those early songs. Hell, Bono and Edge never seem happier too for that matter, but they also rely on the big later hits and everything else to get by. I still can't explain though that house remix of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight". I don't know what any of them are thinking. (No more disco U2 heads on the screen please).

Almost 10 years ago, in the ass of the Philadelphia Spectrum, Bono looked at me and kicked a cup at me (this is not some cleaned-up recreation of the scene in American Psycho). He's not the only one for nostalgia and memories. They may be doing Spider-Man Broadway shows, they may be a never-depleted source of Human Rights Campaigns, they may be the most un-rock biggest rock band in the world to still be a rock band, but after all that - they really are just a bunch of Irish guys who kick cups at their fans. That's good enough for me. That and Interstellar Space Exploration.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts @ Coney Island

2011-07-15T00:05:00.004-04:00

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts; Girl in a Coma
@ Coney Island
Brooklyn, NY - July 14, 2011

You wouldn't think it going in, but the Battle of Brooklyn played itself out at the free Joan Jett concert in Coney Island. After 32 years in a nice park, Borough President Marty Markowitz's concert series had to relocate to a concrete parking lot to appease angry locals of a religious sort. But now the concert series basks in the glory of the Parachute Jump, and the new ball park, and the landmarked Childs restaurant, and all the back-and-forth of the Warriors' old playground. A gallery of old natives, Pratt school hipsters, over-the-hill tramps drunkenly cursing out Marty, washed-up scuzz, and plain ol' families populated the parking lot. When an old native put his finger into the face of a phoning-it-in fake gutterpunk blocking his view and cramping his space, I thought Do The Right Thing 2011 Edition was about to break out.

Marty Markowitz himself helped showcase the disconnect in New York's multi-cultural melange when (among other things he's done over the last couple of years) he introduced "Rick Russo" from "WRKP" when he actually meant RicH Russo from WRXP which, unknown to Marty, was going off air this very day. The bittersweet mood from those who knew of the demise of the last non-classic rock station on the main dial in New York, emanated from the crowd. Who would sing up for those without a voice? Who would release the battle cry of those who like their rock n roll pure, independent, spirited, and unadulterated? Joan Jett, that's who.

Though she was friendly and even (sort of) sweet, Joan Jett, at 53 - in studded leather attire - is still intimidating. With her ice black hair, iron arms, working class accent, and of course her domination of all-things rock n roll, she is still a force to be reckoned with, even if the Blackhearts play a little bit slower than their heyday.

The open secret of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is that they are, in some respects, a covers band. They pay tribute to those before and along side of them. But Joan's ability to make songs her own quickly makes one forget that tidbit. With exceptions like "Bad Reputation" (the opener tonight), "I Hate Myself For Loving You" (the closer tonight), and "Love is Pain", it certainly seems that most of the canon is indeed from a canon. Even "I Love Rock n Roll", her anthem that has Joan in the rock n roll history books, is a cover of the band Arrows. Songs spanning the history of rock n roll - Sly and the Family Stone, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Stooges, the Sweet, the Replacements - all re-done and made anew by Joan Jett. And for good measure, she threw a couple of Runaways songs in there too.

When all was said and done, Joan Jett tore Coney Island up. There was a peace because of it. And a realization. The Battle of Brooklyn is on going but at least we're all in the fight together.

Girl in a Coma, the band named after Morrissey song, who I once saw open for Moz, and on the Blackhearts label, are exactly as I remember: well-meaning but just not doing anything for me.

WRXP 101.9 Signs Off Today

2011-07-14T10:47:00.005-04:00

And that's it. The three year saga of RXP comes to an end today. Despite my rantings, complaints, etc, etc, I'm a little sad. In fact, I'm very sad. What could have been? It's more than just the station itself. It's radio. This was rock n roll radio's last stand on terrestrial airwaves. It's really all over and it's been over since the Internet took shape into what it is today.

WFMU, KEXP, WFUV, KCRW, the Current in Minneapolis, and other stations are keeping the spirit alive but what's the best way to hear these stations? The internet. Streaming or podcasting. The last of the rock n roll personalities who teach and share music, instead of just playing the music, can be found on at these stations. And when the day comes that terrestrial rock radio is finished forever everywhere (and that day is coming, in fact all of terrestrial radio may be gone in the coming couple of decades, save for a right wing talk network, a disco/hip hop/dance network, and maybe a suburban white boy/girl downer arena rock network which doesn't count as rock n roll).

My complaining about RXP was pointless because this was inevitable. The future of my music listening is as it has been. On my own time. But when RXP was good, at the beginning, it reminded me of why my first media love is radio. The power of the voice and the ability to shape a narrative around anything, including rock n roll. This is why I'm a Public Radio man above all, but those first 18 months or so of WRXP (along with Little Steven's Underground Garage syndicated on 104.3) really sewed the seeds of my now hap-hazard weekly "radio" show. And where is my haphazard "radio" show? On the internet of course.

They're playing "Fell in Love with the Girl" by the White Stripes right now...this is what it was all about.

A brief word on the personalities: Rich Russo's "Anything, Anything" was great. A WFMU show on the big dial. It was great to hear Matt Pinfield again. He gave out tickets to see the Dirtbombs. He really did. Paul Cavalconte was so deceptively cool, such sublime taste when he controlled his playlist, he still kept the original mantle of RXP alive when he was on. Brian Schock, the original curator of the station, his vision and idea was so fantastical, it was like he came up with the station JUST FOR ME.

And finally there was Steve Craig. The friend of the punks. The man who played The Damned. Who played his friend Mike Ness and Social Distortion. The man who introduced me to Split Endz. Wheel of Ramones! The man who most personified the kind of rock that SHOULD be played in these last throes of rock n roll radio. Above all, he was the guy who introduced me to a song called "Alex Chilton" by a band called the Replacements. For that reason alone, I thank him and wish him all the best. Rock n roll, and Rock n roll radio is not really a place that has heroes (except Joey Ramone), but damned if Steve and these folks didn't give it their best shot in this ridiculous little slice of life.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists; Screaming Females @ South Street Seaport

2011-07-12T14:24:00.005-04:00

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists; Screaming Females
@ South Street Seaport
New York, NY - July 9, 2011

Exactly 51 weeks ago, in-what-proved-to-be the last Siren festival at Coney Island, the collective mind of a couple thousand people was blown away by several bands. Yours truly had his slice of the overmind utterly wiped out by two acts - Screaming Females and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. Marissa from Screaming Females helped Ted Leo at one point during his set, proving that the chemistry was in the air. That certainly proved to be the case as now, a year later, the bands are back together, once again under the flag of the Village Voice.

Forgetting the insult that this bill was the "kick-off show" to the new, Seaport-based 4Knots Festival of July 16 (Ted Leo is no pre-show show! Ted Leo IS the show!), the bands so thoroughly slayed the mix of hipsters, rockers, and tourists, they no doubt will prove to have outshone the coming roster on Saturday.

Screaming Females' devotion to 70's rock and Dinosaur Jr-inspired revivalism of that sound, make for mongo riffs and shred of the highest order, with a gift ribbon of Marissa's Corin Tucker-heavy vocals (with occasional screaming).

What can I say about Ted Leo? It's been a long time coming. Ten years after his first Pharmacists-record, The Tyranny of Distance, yours truly is finally appreciating what this dude has been slinging. To demonstrate what I had been lacking for so long before last year's monster set, Ted played all of the Tyranny record between some select rockers, and wrapped it all up with "Where Was My Brain?", two and a half killer minutes from his last triumph, The Brutalist Bricks.

Did I mention these bands are from Jersey? Uh oh...this Jersey thing I've been hearing about...man, don't make me like Jersey man...uh oh....too late?

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 18: Almost Live/Mea Culpa

2011-07-10T21:34:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 18: Almost Live/Mea Culpa

SPS18.mp3

Intro
“News of the World” by the Jam

Set 1
“Pretty in Pink” by the Psychedelic Furs
“Banditos” by the Refreshments
“Living Stone” by Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars
“Raleigh & Spencer” by Pert’ Near Sandstone
“Crazy Beat” by Blur

Set 2
“The Wanderer” by Dion
“Gilt Complex” by Sons & Daughters
“TKO” by le Tigre
“Jesus & Tequila” by 2 Star Tabernacle
“Rebel Side of Heaven” by Langhorne Slim

Set 3
“I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In” by Grudge
“Work-a-day World” by The (Paul Collins) Beat
“Metal on Metal” by Anvil
“Bitch School” by Spinal Tap
“Fox on the Run” by Sweet

Set 4
“Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis (with Elvis Costello)
“Walking the Cow” by Daniel Johnston
“Tell Me Why” by Neil Young
“Sheep” by Screaming Females
“The Mighty Sparrow” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Set 5
“Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett
“Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees
“Rubber Band Man” by the Spinners
“How You Like Me Now” by the Heavy
“Money Grabber” by Fitz & the Tantrums

Set 6
“Blank Generation” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“Born to Lose” by Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers
“Born Toulouse-Lautrec” by New Bomb Turks
“My Sharona” by the Knack
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

Set 7
“Through the Floor” by Crystal Stilts
“Eating Paper” by David Bazan
“Don’t Worry” by About Group

Outro
“Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment” by the Ramones

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 17: “Summer Night Dance Party 2011”

2011-07-05T07:45:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 17: “Summer Night Dance Party 2011”

SPS17.mp3

Intro
“Constructive Summer” by the Hold Steady

Set 1
“Summer is Almost Here” by Pas/Cal
“Celebrate Summer” by the Paybacks
“Celebrated Summer” by Husker Du
“Summertime” by Billie Holiday

Set 2
“King of the Beach” by Wavves
“Dance Commander” by Electric Six
“Dance, Dance, Dance” by the Beach Boys
“Electric Feel” by MGMT”

Set 3
“Rockaway Beach” by the Ramones
“Cedar Point ‘76” by the Dirtbombs
“Coney Island Baby” by Tom Waits
“Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night” by the Hold Steady
“Rock n’ America” by the Catholic Girls

Set 4
“American Slang” by the Gaslight Anthem
“American Names” by Sebastian Grainger & the Mountains
“The Body of an American” by the Pogues
“4th of July” by X
“True Patriot Love” by the Joel Plaskett Emergency

Set 5
“I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” by Ida Maria
“Girls in Their Summer Clothes” by Bruce Springsteen
“The Girls in Their Summer Dresses” by the Airborne Toxic Event
“September Gurls” by Big Star

Set 6
“Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran
“Summer Days” by Bob Dylan
“Another Lost Summer” by Blanche
“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama
“Pain Killer (Summer Rain”) by Turin Brakes

Outro
“Diablo Rojo” by Rodrigo y Gabriela

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 16: “30”

2011-06-20T00:33:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 16: “30”

SPS16.mp3

Intro
“My Back Pages” by Bob Dylan

Set 1
“Beat It” by Michael Jackson
“Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr
“See Ya Alligator” by Bill Haley & the Comets
“Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

Set 2
“Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week” by Frank Sinatra
“I’m in a Hurry” by Alabama
“Jesus He Knows Me” by Genesis
“The Weight” by the Band

Set 3
“You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon
“Sometimes a Fantasy” by Billy Joel
“Dear God” by Sarah Mclachlan
“Under my Thumb” by the Rolling Stones
“I’m Going Down” by Bruce Springsteen

Set 4
“Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
“Gallows Pole” by Led Zeppelin
“Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd
“Things Have Changed” by Bob Dylan
“Shoot to Thrill” by AC/DC

Set 5
“Stop” by the Dirtbombs
“Black Math” by the White Stripes
“Superstition” by Blanche
“Walk Idiot Walk” by the Hives
“10 A.M. Automatic” by the Black Keys
“Out of the Blue” by Julian Casablancas

Set 6
“Mack the Knife” by Louis Armstrong
“Evil” by Howlin’ Wolf
“Mannish Boy” by Muddy Waters
“Payin’ the Cost to be the Boss” by B.B. King
“Cocaine” by Johnny Cash

Set 7
“Where in the Hell Did You Go” by Reverend Horton Heat
“Everybody Went Low” by John Hiatt
“Lonestar” by Norah Jones
“Let It Ride” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
“Wrecking Ball” by Gillian Welch

Set 8
“Judy is a Punk” by the Ramones
“Your Phone’s Off the Hook” by X
“Clampdown” by the Clash
“Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones
“The Kilburn High Road” by Flogging Molly

Set 9
“Hot Soft Light” by the Hold Steady
“Wolf Like Me” by TV on the Radio
“Apartment Story” by the National
"Looks Could Kill" by Camera Obscura
“Young Adult Friction” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
“Stadium Love” by Metric

Set 10
“I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” by Elvis Costello
“Frank’s Wild Years” by Tom Waits
“Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man” by Grinderman
“Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” by Warren Zevon
“Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll” by Ian Dury
“I Love You Suzanne” by Lou Reed

Set 11
“Life During Wartime” by Talking Heads
“Alex Chilton” by the Replacements
“Keep on Knocking” by Death
“Cradle of Love” by Billy Idol
“Situations” by Slaughter & the Dogs

Outro
“Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Spring 2011, Vol. 2

2011-06-10T11:33:00.002-04:00

Songs (cont.)

Keren Ann - "My Name Is Trouble"
Keren Ann has always piqued my curiosity and I've always said "I'll get into her on a steady basis" but while that hasn't materialized, there was room for this charmer.

Buffalo Tom - "Guilty Girls"
Confession. I've never heard of Buffalo Tom before I heard this song. After learning my lesson (via a comp tape found on Ave A), I got all caught up. They've redefined themselves as they've regrouped, and now Buffalo Tom may have hit a stride with this Americana rocker, a perfect burst of rock n roll.

Anna Calvi - "Blackout"
Anna Calvi has a lot of buzz. This song is near justification. What else I've heard...total justification. I will let you know after the Summer.

Crystal Stilts - "Through the Floor"
A band I think I once vowed to dislike since I was sick of distortion pop and bands with Crystal in their name. Oops. This song is fantastic.

Generationals - "Ten Twenty Ten"
I didn't expect Generationals to come back after "When They Fight, They Fight" two years ago but boy have they ever with this peppy prance.

Porcelain Rift - "Tip of your Tongue"
A sweet sounding, slightly fuzzy pop song.

Shrag - "Tight in August"
I HATE the vocals on this song, especially the female vocal. At least the male vocal sounds like a less-over-feminized version of Fred from the B-52's. And yet - in spite (or because of?) the incongruent vocals - the song works. The composition is made for a radio hit and that organ is irrestible.

UNKLE with Nick Cave - "Money and Run"
You tell me how UNKLE sounds. All I know is, anytime that I hear Nick's vocals now, I immediately feel like Grinderman is surrounding me. That's a good thing, just so you know. It may not, however, be a good thing for YOU.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Spring 2011, Vol. 1

2011-06-10T06:58:00.002-04:00

A little bit different for this recap of the passing season.

Albums
Airborne Toxic Event - All at Once ("Changing" is by far the stand-out on what may prove to be a sophmore slump record for a band that has exploded.)
The Lonely Forest - Arrows (as of right now, my album of the year - except I didn't think to put this in the list when I first published it, and I forgot to play them as I intended on last week's Sonic Parthenon Show.)
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh ("Boeing 737" sounds like nothing else as their road of a record.)
Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong (the title track and "Heart in Your Heartbreak" rule the roost but overall the Pains have asserted themselves as one of THE bands of the era. They're in this for the long haul.)
The Strokes - Angles ("Taken for a Fool" is great. "Under Cover of Darkness" could be the single of the year. Everything else is essentially dreck. Letdown.)
Tv on the Radio - Nine Types of Light (With each record, TVOTR not only improves but makes the case that they may be the band we cite first and foremost for this generation of music, the way we cite Nirvana).

Songs

4 on the Floor - "Junkie"
Boat - "Forever in Armitron"
The Dogs - "Dance More"
Manhunt - "Just in Time"
A quartet of rockers that I've grouped for simply being straight-up rock n roll. "Junkie" is straight out of the playbook and "Just in Time" sounds like the stepchild of Dinosaur Jr (only missing of course the solos).

Usonia - "It's Your Night"
Starfucker - "Bury Us Alive"
A pair of dance numbers for that warm weather groove. There are two more that I just started listening to that will be around for the summer recap. Dirty Vegas on the Sonic Parthenon Show?! Anything is possible...

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 15 – “The Island of Misfit Toys”

2011-06-05T19:56:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show : Episode 15 – “The Island of Misfit Toys”

SPS15.mp3

Intro
“Representing Memphis” by Booker T. Jones (featuring Matt Berninger & Sharon Jones)

Set 1
“Where Was My Brain?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
“I Don’t Mind It” by Screaming Females
“Obsessed With You” by X-Ray Spex
“Me and the Devil” by Gil Scott-Heron

Set 2
“The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo” by Lucero
“Do You Remember?” by Sweet Apple
“Nowheres Nigh” by Parts & Labor
“No Direction” by Longwave

Set 3
“Guilty Girls” by Buffalo Tom
“Crossed Wires” by Superchunk
“Changing” by the Airborne Toxic Event
“Heart in Your Heartbreak” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
“Record Store” by Gold-Bears

Set 4
“Smash It Up” by the Damned
“Public Image” by Public Image Ltd
“Lost in the Supermarket” by the Clash
“Don’t Go” by the Ramones

Set 5
“Earthquake Heart” by the Dirtbombs
“What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye
“Revolution Get Down” by the BellRays

Set 6
“Looking for a Love” by the J Geils Band
“Rosalie” by Thin Lizzy
“Three Button Hand Me Down” by the Faces

Set 7
“Walk With Me” by Neil Young
“Bless This Mess” by David Bazan
“If I Had a Boat” by Lyle Lovett

Set 8
“Oh No!” by Marina & the Diamonds
“Intuition” by Lonelady
“Treat Her Like a Lady” by the Temptations

Outro
“Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money (featuring Ronnie Spector)

The Dirtbombs; Dennis Coffey @ The Bell House

2011-06-05T12:03:00.004-04:00

The Dirtbombs; Dennis Coffey; the Step Kids
@ The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - June 4, 2011

Remember when the Dirtbombs played New York every few months? Yes those were indeed the days. Certainly those were the days for this particular publication. But nowadays the Dirtbombs come around only ever so often. Here came that sound again, but affixed to a new record, a techno-covers LP called Party Store and a new bass player, Chris Sutton, thereby creating Line-Up Number 20.
The first half hour of the set was devoted to the new, and admittedly challenging, record. The conversion of digital music to analog instrumentation is an impressive feat to pull off but if this isn't your thing then it can wear on you. The second half of the show was, at Mick called it to the crowd, "the hits". A quick mix of songs from the other LP's and their treasure trove of singles - driven forcefully by both the change-up from playing Party Store and the long time since the last time playing live - felt very, very right.

Mick smiling about something as the Dirtbombs return to Brooklyn (maybe it was being subject of the first Sonic Parthenon-taken photo at a concert in several years).

Motor City session man Dennis Coffey played some very cruising funk, soul, and jam Jazz with his large band. Made for driving a big car down a big avenue and cool all the way. This is not a style of music I hear live very often but it's certainly something to love each time.

The Step Kids out of Connecticut play some tripped-out psych soul and funk, aided by visual effects. The more sludgey stuff wasn't for me but the faster and more pop stuff reminded me of a good night on the old Soul Train with Don Cornelius.

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 14 – “The Dancing of Politics”

2011-05-22T21:36:00.002-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 14 – “The Dancing of Politics”

SPS14.mp3

Intro
“Politics of Dancing” by Reflex

Set 1
“In a Free Land” by Husker Du
“You’ll Never Pay for the Farm” by Gang of Four
“I Was a Teenage Anarchist” by Against Me!
“Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young

Set 2
“Ready for the Floor” by Hot Chip
“F the CC” by Steve Earle (bad file, didn't work right)
“Politicians in My Eyes” by Death
“Orange Soda” by Little Red Rooster

Set 3
“Sumthin’” by Devo
“Kill the Poor” by Dead Kennedys
“Wreck My Flow” by the Dirtbombs
“The Minority Song” by Green Day

Set 4
“The New World” by X
“My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)” by the Ramones
“This is Radio Clash” by the Clash
“(What’s So Funny) About Peace, Love, and Understanding?” by Elvis Costello
“Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads

Set 5
“Fat Children” by Jarvis Cocker
“Dead Disco” by Metric
“Going Underground” by the Jam

Set 6
“Anarchy in the U.K.” by the Sex Pistols
“American Squirm” by Nick Lowe
“Think Locally, Fuck Globally” by Gogol Bordello

Set 7
“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley
“Into the Fire” by Bruce Springsteen
“My Dear Country” by Norah Jones
“Future is in the Future” by Electric Six

Outro
“Democracy” by Leonard Cohen

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 13 – It’s a Cover-Up

2011-05-15T18:39:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 13 – It’s a Cover-Up

SPS13

Intro
“Gloria” by Them
“Gloria” by Patti Smith

Set 1
“Day Tripper” by the Beatles
“Day Tripper by Otis Redding
“Nobody Told Me” by John Lennon
“Nobody Told Me” by the Flaming Lips

Set 2
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by Devo
“Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver
“Take Me Home Country Roads” by Toots & the Maytals

Set 3
“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” by Tom Waits
“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” by the Ramones
“Got to Give It Up (Part 1)” by Marvin Gaye
“Got to Give It Up” by the Dirtbombs

Set 4
“I Fought the Law” by the Bobby Fuller Four
“I Fought the Law” by the Clash
“Hanging on the Telephone” by the Nerves
“Hanging on the Telephone” by Blondie

Set 5
“Move It On Over” by Hank Williams
“Move It On Over” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“Rave On” by Buddy Holly
“Rave On” by M. Ward

Set 6
“Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen
“Atlantic City” by the Hold Steady
“Raspberry Beret” by Prince & the Revolution
“Raspberry Beret” by Hindu Love Gods

Set 7
“Have Love Will Travel” by the Sonics
“Have Love Will Travel” by the Black Keys
“Handle with Care” by Traveling Wilburys
“Handle with Care” by Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins

Outro
“Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg
“Gin and Juice” by the Gourds

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 12: "The Art of the Long Song"

2011-05-08T18:47:00.004-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show – Episode 12: "The Art of the Long Song"

SPS12.mp3

Intro
“Atlas” by Battles

Set 1
“When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin
“Kitti’s Back” by Bruce Springsteen

Set 2
“Heroin” by the Velvet Underground

Set 3
“Champagne Supernova” by Oasis
“Ball & Biscuit” by the White Stripes

Set 4
“Delaware Slide” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers
“I Don’t Wanna Go There” by Dinosaur Jr

Set 5
“Bop Gun (Endangered Species)” by Parliament
“Purple Rain” by Prince

Set 6
“Take Me!” by the Wedding Present

Set 7
“Thin Blue Flame” by Josh Ritter
“Nobody Girl” by Ryan Adams

Set 8
“Marquee Moon” by Television

Outro
“Brownsville Girl” by Bob Dylan
“Straight Edge” by Minor Threat

This episode of the Sonic Parthenon Show was followed by a reading of “Madame La Gimp”, written by Damon Runyon.

Happy Mother's Day

The Thermals @ le Poisson Rouge

2011-05-05T23:19:00.002-04:00

The Thermals
@ le Poisson Rouge
New York, NY - May 5, 2011

It's hard to believe it's been 7 years since I first/last saw the Thermals live, when they opened for Sleater-Kinney. It's hard to believe that the Thermals have been a going concern for over 7 years and have as many as albums as they do. It seems like only yesterday they were young punk kids turning heads. They certainly still look the part - though they do play insanely well together as should be expected after all this time. And they're still turning heads because of it.

If the tight, fierce playing wasn't enough, the fantastically named Hutch Harris drives through the vocals with an off-kilter, discordant tone that nevertheless sounds like pop finesse. My show-going buddy Jason said Hutch sounds like John Darnielle, which is practically a revelation yet also makes perfect sense. That Mountain Goats-meets-Ramones, Nirvana-meets-the Buzzcocks mix also explains how the Thermals come from the Northwest, but specifically Portland, and plant their flag as Portland's truest hard rocking band.

"A Stare Like Yours", "St. Rosa and the Swallows", and "Now We Can See", three tracks from three different Thermals albums, as played live, show a steady devotion to the band's sound but also an evolution from their wound-up punk to pop (without ever sounding like a "pop-punk" band, as that label is exampled).

7 years. Woah daddy.

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 11 - “Not Your Sister's 1980's”

2011-05-01T19:40:00.006-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 11 - “Not Your Sister's 1980's”

SPS11.mp3

Special 5/1/11 Intro
“God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols
“Identity” by X-Ray Speks

Intro
“King of Rock” by Run-D.M.C.

Set 1
“Real Wild Child” by Iggy Pop
“That’s Good” by Devo
“D.C. Cab” by Peabo Bryson

Set 2
“Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You” by Spinal Tap
“The Boys Are Back in Town” by the Bus Boys
“Lookin’ Out the Window” by Stevie Ray Vaughn
“If I Should Fall From Grace of God” by the Pogues

Set 3
“867-5309” by Tommy Tutone
“Mexican Radio” by Wall of Voodoo
“88 Lines About 44 Women” by the Nails
“Mystery Achievement” by the Pretenders

Set 4
“Punk Rock Girl” by Dead Milkmen
“The Hungry Wolf” by X
“Too Many Creeps” by Bush Tetras
“Cables” by Big Black

Set 5
“I Will Dare” by the Replacements
“I Got You” by Split Enz
“A Million Miles Away” by the Plimsouls
“Some Candy Talking” by Jesus and Mary Chain

Set 6
“Radio Free Europe” by R.E.M.
“Town Called Malice” by the Jam
“Panic” by the Smiths
“Listen Like Thieves” by INXS

Set 7
“I’m a Rocker” by Bruce Springsteen
“Jockey Full of Bourbon” by Tom Waits
“The Boy in the Bubble” by Paul Simon
“Dirty Blvd” by Lou Reed

Set 8
“The KKK Took My Baby Away” by the Ramones
“Police on My Back” by the Clash
“People Like Us” by Talking Heads

Set 9
“Amplifier” by the dB’s
“I Apologize” by Hüsker Dü
“Glamour Boys” by Living Colour
“From Out of Nowhere” by Faith No More
“Kennedy” by the Wedding Present

Outro
“Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners

The Joy Formidable; The Lonely Forest @ Webster Hall

2011-05-01T14:23:00.002-04:00

The Joy Formidable; The Lonely Forest
@ Webster Hall
New York, NY - April 29, 2011

Going by my Ipod and the history it contains, it appears I listened to a song called "Whirring" by a band called the Joy Formidable in January of 2010 and didn't think much of it. About 4 or 5 months later, I heard it again and thought it one of the greatest songs of the year. Now all these months later, I finally saw the Welsh band on their second big headlining tour in a year, on the march upward, and now equipped with a new LP, The Big Roar, that includes a more epochal version of "Whirring". The new version is more in keeping with the live sound alluded to on A Balloon Called Moaning.

The Joy Formidable are fans of, and masters of, intense, thundering, crashing riffs. Headbanging, fist pumping, crazed jumping riffs. A little grunge, a little Brit 90's, a little arena. But to get there and back, they obsess over long build-ups and send-offs, that showcase their unquestionable talent and ability to keep pace with each other. But the trade off for showcasing this skill to the degree that they do it, leads to "OK already where's the riff, where's the next song" questioning.

The songs other than "Whirring" include a couple of stand-outs, namely "Cradle" but nothing has yet to imitate or recast the unnerving power of "Whirring". But having a gong on stage helps (a gong amidst a strange set-up of furniture and a couch and lamps, and Chinese cats, including a blow-up cat brought out during "Whirring").

The Lonely Forest, out of Anacortes, Washington, have been on my radar for a couple of months now because of their song "Coyote". As it turns out, the Lonely Forest are everything that song hints at. They share with the Joy Formidable a love of the thundering riffs but the Lonely Forest care more to create pop songs with that love. Considering they come from the very tip of the Northwest, and considering their age, there is a healthy respectful ode to some of that Northwest sound we've come to known over the years but combined with some Buddy Holly style machismo to go with it. There is terrific songwriting at work here and the kind of talent it takes to convey it. This is a band to keep an eye on for the long haul.

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 10 - "Sesquicentennial/Cities”

2011-04-10T22:51:00.004-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 10 - "Sesquicentennial/Cities”

SPS10.mp3

Intro
Part 1
“Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Jay Ungar & Jacqueline Schwab
“The Ghost of Abe Lincoln” by Bryan Dunn
“When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Jay Unger, Yonatin Malin, Jacqueline Schwab, Molly Mason & Peter Amidon
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by the Band
Part 2
“Cities” by Talking Heads

New Orleans
“Oh Marie” by Louis Prima
“You Rascal You” by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan
“When My Dreamboat Comes Home” by Fats Domino

Memphis
“Time Bomb High School” by Reigning Sound
“Respect” by Otis Redding
“A New Way of Driving” by B.B. King

Boston
“Academy Fight Song” by Mission of Burma
“Girlfren” by Modern Lovers
“All Kindsa Girls” by The Real Kids

Philadelphia
“Get Ready for Action” by Mondo Topless
“And We Danced” by the Hooters
“Dream City” by Free Energy

Washington & Baltimore
“Out of Step (with the World)” by Minor Threat
“Big Takeover” by Bad Brains
“Evergreen” by Celebration

Detroit
“Your Love Belongs Under a Rock” by the Dirtbombs
“Me” by the Paybacks
“Looking at You” by the MC 5

Minneapolis
“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince
“Bastards of Young” by the Replacements
“Makes No Sense at All” by Hüsker Dü

Chicago
“Nub” by Jesus Lizard
“Casino Queen” by Wilco
“Two Ways” by 1900’s

Los Angeles
“Rise Above” by Black Flag
“The Once Over Twice” by X
“I Don’t Care About You” by Fear

San Francisco
“Shake Some Action” by Flamin’ Groovies
“California Uber Alles” by Dead Kennedys
“Volunteers” by Jefferson Airplane

Pacific Northwest
“Touch Me I’m Sick” by Mudhoney (Seattle)
“July, July” by the Decemberists (Portland)
“Modern Girl” by Sleater-Kinney (Olympia)

Outro - San Antonio & Austin
“Pepper” by Butthole Surfers

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 9 - "The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol.1"

2011-04-04T06:15:00.003-04:00

Sonic Parthenon Show 09 – “The Pennypacker Shuffle, Vol. 1”

SPS09.mp3

Intro
“Rock Me Baby” by Otis Redding

Set 1
“An Eye for an Empty Heart” by Holly Golightly
“Situation (Larry Levan mix)” by Yaz
“Woke Up This Morning” by A3
“Fake Empire” by the National
“It’s So Obvious” by Wire
“I Smoke Weed” by Wesley Willis

Set 2
“Draw the Line” by Aerosmith
“Burn This Town” by BBQ
“I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley
“Girlfriend in a Coma” by the Smiths
“The Promised Land” by Bruce Springsteen
“Angel of Harlem” by U2

Set 3
“Slime & Oxygen” by the Black Lips
“Where Does the Good Go?” by Tegan & Sara
“My Baby Loves the Secret Agent” by the Detroit Cobras
“The Great Escape” by We are Scientists
“Go On” by Basia Bulat

Set 4
“Get Drunk Tonight” by M.O.T.O.
“Chinese Rocks” by Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
“Kissability” by Sonic Youth
“Gone Till November” by Wyclef Jean

Set 5
“We are the Pipettes” by The Pipettes
“The Runner” by Kings of Leon
“Wolcott” by Vampire Weekend

Set 6
“Little Things” by Wormburner
“Hellocopter/On and On” by the Come Ons
“Run Chicken Run” by Southern Culture on the Skids
“Trashville” by Hank Williams III

Outro
“Keep Your Hands Off My Baby” by the Gore Gore Girls

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 8 - "The 90's I Knew, the 90's I Didn't"

2011-03-27T22:50:00.006-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 8 – “The 90’s I Knew, The 90’s I Didn’t”

SPS08.mp3

Intro
“Do the Bartman” by The Simpsons

Set 1
“Fast As You” by Dwight Yoakam
“Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden
“Backwater” by Meatpuppets

Set 2
“The Way” by Fastball
“Hook” by Blues Traveler
“Dirt Road Blues” by Bob Dylan

Set 3
“Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage
“Walking on Broken Glass” by Annie Lennox
“Circle” by Sarah Mclachlan
“Stolen Car” by Beth Orton

Set 4
“Zoot Suit Riot” by Cherry Poppin Daddies
“It’s Martini Time” by Reverend Horton Heat
“Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” by Urge Overkill
“Somehow, Somewhere, Someway” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

Set 5
“Ultra Violet (Light my Way)” by U2
“Tripping Billies” by Dave Matthews Band
“Enid” by Barenaked Ladies
“Good” by Better Than Ezra
“In the Meantime” by Spacehog

Set 6
“The Professional” by Sleater-Kinney
“Velouria” by the Pixies
“Ball and Chain” by Social Distortion
“Fuzzy” by Grant Lee Buffalo

Set 7
“Nitroglycerine” by the Gories
“Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine
“Skip Steps 1 & 3” by Superchunk
“Never Said” by Liz Phair

Set 8
“Common People” by Pulp
“Stutter” by Elastica
“Nearly Lost You” by Screaming Trees
“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star

Outro
“Let’s Shake Hands” by the White Stripes

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Early 2011, Vol. 2

2011-03-23T22:01:00.005-04:00

I See Hawks in LA - "Highway Down"
Every now and then, a classic, textbook country song - post-Hank and Johnny, pre-modern garbage, something in the Bakersfield vein - comes along and is just one big home run. I can't remember the last time I loved a pure country song like this one. I need to see these guys.

Jamaica - "Jericho"
I only first heard this song a couple of weeks ago but have played it so many times that it deserves mention in this first chapter of the year. A French duo calling themselves Jamaica, these croissant-eating, beret-wearing (they must, right?) wine-drinkers tap into the 80's nostalgia-wave but use the synths for the Forces of Good, combining them with a rock n roll riff that would make any blue jeans bandana lover proud.

Marina & The Diamonds
I actually really don't think I like this. I know I don't like the record. Her voice leaves a lot to be desired. But there's something about "Oh No!" and a couple of the other tracks on the self-titled record that work. Maybe it was the emotion of getting through an airplane ride on my maiden voyage to London and the "cool Britania" aspect of hearing this record on Virgin Airways. I don't know.

R.E.M. - "Mine Smells Like Honey"

Leave it to these guys to come up with an immediate Song of the Year contender.

Small Sins - Why Don't You Believe Me?
Nice-sound guys from the nice city of Toronto.

Stag - "These Times"
The first number 1 of 2011 on the weekly Top 25 Countdown on the Ipod, this is one for the lovers - the lovers of three chord, big solo in the middle rock n roll.

The Strokes - "Under Cover of Darkness"
It remains to be seen if Angles is the great return of the Strokes that this song promised it to be (see the next volume of the playlist). In the meantime, the New York kids (they ain't kids anymore) just made one hell of a stab at Single of the Year.They haven't sounded this good album one, track...oh...7.

TV Girl - "I Don't Care"
It's actually kind of nice that after all the zombie-like indifference to the world that Yuppie Hipsters invoke on a daily basis, someone wrote a song about it. Another one with the synths but to good effect...it's a New Wave song from Heck.

The Twilight Singers - "On the Corners"
The brain child of Greg Dulli returns with another dark, forceful serenade. But I wonder if he'll work with Mark Lanegan again? That was great.

Voxhaul Broadcast - Leaving on the 5th
This OC band reminds me of U2. Not 100% sure why. But they do.

Anna Waronker: I Don't Wanna
Is it a boogie woogie blues number? Is it a punk sparkplug? It's both!

War on Drugs - "Comin' Through"
The Philadelphia band returns with a long awaited (and probably forgotten about, to be honest) follow-up to their '08 success. Spending time with Daniel Johnston didn't fry their brains out thank goodness. They're even bigger fans of sharply spun 70's rock than before.

Yuck
The trending band of the moment. Probably because of the one dude's hair. But everyone likes them right off. It's another case of demo to blogger stardom to more professionally paid buzz all in a matter of weeks. "Get Away" is the best of the bunch. A lot of it clicks, some of it does not.

Honorable Mentions:
Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks
British Sea Power - Who's in Control
The Goondas - Jackalope Jesus
Pert' Near Sandstone - Raleigh and Spencer
Fergus & Geronimo :: Powerful Lovin'
MADE IN HEIGHTS - All the Places

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Early 2011, Vol. 1

2011-03-23T22:00:00.001-04:00

The first installment of this year's series of playlists is accompanied of course this year by the development of the Sonic Parthenon Show over at Thor Radio. And much of this two-volume set was hear on the March 20th episode of that program so you can hear more details there on a lot of these songs. The year has once again begun singles-heavy (only two or three LP's merit any mention) but that may change. The next few months will witness an unbelievable array of full-length albums worth thinking about - and two are getting a taste in this list as well.

Arms Akimbo - "Skins Have More Hair Than Brains"
This is NOT Elvis Costello as much as it sounds like it is. It is most certainly inspired by Declan's early work and it is all the better for it.

Charles Bradly - "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)"
Another chapter in the Daptones story, another saga of a lost voice discovered anew for the world to hear in all that glorious soul. BUTTAH!

Exene Cervenka - "Already in Love"
Her Most Humble Highness of the Country Beatnik Hardcore Punks is rolling along with a new solo record that features this deceptively soft-spoken heart-felt pop song. Maybe it's a surprise, maybe it isn't. The X gang have always excelled at being able to mix it up.

Cowboy Junkies - "See You Around"
Go figure - the Canadian crew are still going strong, and covering Vic Chesnutt. This Soul-drenched dirge harkens back to the glory days of Muscle Shoals.

David Wax Museum - "Yes, Maria, Yes"
In the line of bands like DeVotchKa comes this eclectic ensemble with a sparkling song that goes well with Mexican food.

Deerhoof - "Super Duper Rescue Heads!"
If bear is the animal most overused in Indie band naming in the last decade, then Deer is running a healthy second. I don't think that has anything to do with the fact that few of the deer bands interest me - though Deer Tick sounds good. This is the first time Deerhoof has struck my fancy.

The Decemberists - The King is Dead
Hey the Decemberists are back! After going way deep into prog territory with their last opera, Colin and company have scaled it back, going in the other direction - IT'S A POP RECORD! "Down by the River" is one for the ages - up there with the best of the Boss and Neil and the band most cited in the write-ups on this record, R.E.M.

Gang of Four - "You'll Never Pay for the Farm"
Another seminal band back in the mix, the politically studious Gang of Four occasionally try to break through with something for the actual masses they sing for.

Girls - "Heartbreaker"
I hated this band name and hated their first single to get them buzz with their stupid NSFW video. But then came this song, a perfectly executed pop number. Now I can't hate them and anyone who knows Pennypacker knows he hates it when he can't hate something anymore.

Grouplove - "Don't Say Oh Well"
I'm still a little sketchy on this band's origins - I've read items about being a supergroup and being from Crete and I don't know what. I'm pretty sure it's just a band from LA. But a good band.

The Hold Steady - "Just Saying"
Oh look at this, it's the Hold Steady. Their contribution to the Dilemma soundtrack is an original one (if they're going to partake in this, they may as well make the most of it). And it's another tight one, definitely in the direction of the classic rock that people who would actually buy the soundtrack would care to hear.

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 7 – Spring Forward

2011-03-20T20:14:00.003-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 7 – Spring Forward

SPS07.mp3

Intro
“Mine Smell Like Honey” by R.E.M. (from Collapse Into Now)

Set 1
“Digging for Something” by Superchunk (from Majesty Shredding)
“Tear the Club Up” by the Dirtbombs (from Party Store)
“Worm Tamer” by Grinderman (from Grinderman 2)
“Already in Love” by Exene Cervenka (from The Excitement of Maybe)
“The World (Is Going Up in Flames)” by Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band (from Daptone Gold)

Set 2
“Whirring” by the Joy Formidable (from The Big Roar)
“Belong” by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart (from Belong)
“Caffeinated Consciousness” by TV on the Radio (from Nine Types of Light)
“Boeing 737” by the Low Anthem (from Smart Flesh)

Set 3
“Jericho” by Jamaica (from No Problem)
“Get Away” by Yuck (from Yuck)
“Skins Have More Hair Than Brains” by the Arms Akimbo (from the Arms Akimbo)
“Why Don’t You Believe Me?” by the Small Sins (from Pot Calls Kettle Black)
“Something Else” by Diamond Rings (from Special Affections)

Set 4
“Skull Cakin’” by Pomegranates (from One of Us)
“These Times” by Stag (from These Times Are For All Of Us)
“Quiet Wars” by the Capstan Shafts (from Revelation Skirts)
“Comin’ Through” by the War on Drugs (from Future Weather)

Set 5
“Don’t Say Oh Well” by Grouplove (from Grouplove)
“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (from Foster the People)
“Oh Goodbye” by The Colourist (from The Colourist)

Set 6
“I Was Denied” by Thee Oh Sees (from Warm Slime)
“TAOS” by Menomena (from Mines)
“Book of James” by We are Augustines (from Rise Ye Sunken Ships)
“Swift Coin” by Land of Talk (from Cloak and Cipher)

Set 7
“Kill My Baby” by Nick Curran & The Lowlifes (from Reform School Girl)
“Leaving on the 5th” by Voxhaul Broadcast (from Timing is Everything)
“I Don’t Care” by TV Girl (from TV Girl)

Outro
“See You Around” by Cowboy Junkies (from Demons)

The Sonic Parthenon Show Episode 6 – “The Novelty of It All”

2011-03-13T20:49:00.004-04:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show Episode 6 – “The Novelty of It All”

SPS06.mp3

Intro
“Take Off!” by Bob & Doug McKenzie

Set 1
“The Boo Boo Song” by King Coleman
“Rubber Biscuit” by the Chips

Set 2
“Cretin Hop” by the Ramones
“Bop-a-Hula” by Jimmy Newman
“I Can’t Dance (I Got Ants in My Pants)” by Valaida Snow
“The Time Warp” by the Cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
“Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” by the Cast of Little Shop of Horrors

Set 3
“Along Came Jones” by the Coasters
“If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked a Cake” by Eileen Barton & the New Yorkers
“Sly Cigarette” by Tiny Tim
“Constipation Blues” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Set 4
“Traditional Irish Folk Song” by Denis Leary
“Elmo’s Song: Johnny Paycheck” by George Carlin
“They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV

Set 5
“Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen
“Rock Island Line” by the Knitters
“Vidalia” by Andrew Bird’s BonFire
“Red Hot” by Billy Lee Riley

Set 6
“Tony’s Got Hot Nuts” by Faye Richmond
“Animal Crackers” by the California Ramblers
“Hot Chocolate Crazy” by Eden Kane
“Mountain Dew” by Grandpa Jones
“We Love Bananas Because They Ain't Got No Bones” by Hoosier Hot Shots

Set 7
“Makin' Wicky-Wacky Down in Waikiki” by Sophie Tucker
“How to Catch a Man” by Minnie Pearl”
“Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy” by Marion Ryan
“Bloodshot Eyes” by Jimmy Justice
“You’re the Reason Our Kids are Ugly” by Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty

Set 8
“Tiny Pants” by the Aquabats
“Big Irons” by Phenomenauts
“Piccolo Pete” by Stan Greening & His Orchestra
“My Favorite Record” by Asylum Street Spankers

Outro
“The Bright Side of Life” by Monty Python

The Blasters; Robert Gordon @ The Bell House

2011-03-13T00:53:00.002-05:00

The Blasters; Robert Gordon
@ The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - March 12, 2011

No one did it better than the Blasters - brothers Phil and Dave Alvin brought back pure, unadulterated, and original 1950's rock n roll in 1980's California. Phil Alvin continues to smile that big demented Bob's Big Boy-esque grin as he leads the Blasters in their latest go-round. Phil's voice is mostly unchanged from the glory days and the band is as crackin' as on those perfect records of old. Kicking off with a power chugging of "Dark Knight" and making their way through "Border Radio", "Marie, Marie", "So Long Baby Goodbye" (a few minutes of some of the greatest stuff ever made), and a batch of other boogie woogie bops before wrapping it up with "American Music", the Blasters prove to still be something of a lost treasure, a slice of Americana only known to a select few. The glorious pity of it all.

Robert Gordon's slick, veteran rockabilly voice was so classical that he almost made it seem too easy. Playing from the great rock n roll songbook, this old silvering fox crooned his way through his set backed by an able band.

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 5 - "The Opening Act"

2011-03-06T20:59:00.004-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 5 - "The Opening Act"

SPS05.mp3

Intro
“Blood Vision” by Jay Reatard – opened for the Ponys, July 21 2007 at Bowery Ballroom

Set 1
“Throw a Boogie” by Scott H. Biram – opened for Hank Williams III, February 16, 2004 at CBGB
“Big Boat” by M. Ward – opened for the White Stripes, September 25, 2005 at Keyspan Park
“Satisfied Fool” by Nathaniel Mayer – opened for the Black Keys, November 10, 2005 at Warsaw
“Small Town Parade” by Laura Gibson – opened for 1900’s, January 10 2008 at Union Hall

Set 2
“Smoked” by Mark Selby – opened for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, October 24, 2000 at TLA
“Maybe Tomorrow” by Stereophonics – opened for U2, November 2, 2001 at First Union Center
“St. Rosa and the Swallows” by the Thermals – opened for Sleater-Kinney, April 26, 2004 at Irving Plaza
“Your Love is a Fine Thing” by Reigning Sound – opened for the Hives, July 22, 2004 at Irving Plaza
“Them Kids” by Sam Roberts – opened for the Jesus & Mary Chain, May 27, 2007 at Webster Hall

Set 3
“Damn Damn Leash” by Be Your Own Pet – opened for the Dirtbombs, February 17, 2006 at Maxwell’s
“Les Enfants Terribles” by Les Sans Culottes – opened for the Dirtbombs, February 18, 2006 at Southpaw
“Oh My!” by the Danesettes – opened for the Dirtbombs, July 29, 2006 at Maxwell’s
“Button Nose” by the A-Bones – opened for the Dirtbombs, February 17, 2007 at Southpaw

Set 4
“Go-Getter” by Ko & the Knockouts – opened for Holly Golightly, October 20, 2003 at Southpaw
“Mad Dog 20/20” by the Woggles – opened for Holly Golightly, July 15, 2005 at Maxwell’s
“Wicked and Weird” by Buck 65 – opened for Blanche, October 15, 2004 at Housing Works
“The Cactus That Found The Beat” by Missy Higgins – opened for Blanche, June 9, 2005 at Mercury Lounge

Set 5
“Shakin’ Around” by Mr. Airplane Man – opened for Reverend Horton Heat, May 28, 2004 at Bowery Ballroom
“Fall Hard” by Shout Out Louds – opened the CMJ show, October 14, 2004 at Mercury Lounge
“On a String” by the Changes – opened the CMJ show, November 4, 2006 at Rebel
“I’m So Sure” by Black Tie Revue – opened for Bamboo Kids and Mondo Topless, March 26, 2005 at Trash Bar

Set 6
“Reveille” by the Bamboo Kids – opened for the Star Spangles, April 10, 2004 at CBGB
“Not Getting Better” by the Hong Kong – opened for Sahara Hotnights, September 10, 2005 at Mercury Lounge
“The Mountain” by Heartless Bastards – opened for Soledad Brothers, April 8, 2006 at Mercury Lounge
“Buriedfied” by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – opened for Langhorne Slim, April 30, 2008 at Mercury Lounge

Set 7
“Get Steady” by Jonny Lives! – opened for Mooney Suzuki, January 10, 2006 at Sin-é
“Arkansas” by Damien Jurado – opened for Okkvervil River, September 28, 2007 at Webster Hall
“Take Me Out” by Atomic Tom – opened Deli Magazine party, July 3, 2008 at Galapagos
“Easy Chair” by Suckers – opened a magazine party for Amazing Baby, August 16, 2008 at Union Pool

Outro
“Whole Lotta Rosie” by AC/DC – opened for the Dictators, August 24, 1977 at the Palladium (I wasn’t there).

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 4 - “All My Friends, Acquaintances, and People I’ve Been Drunk In Front of”

2011-02-27T19:22:00.004-05:00

SPS 04 – “All My Friends, Acquaintances, and People I’ve Been Drunk In Front of”

SPS04.mp3

“All My Friends” by Amos Lee
“All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem
Intro
“All My Friends” by the Dirtbombs
“All My Friends” by the XYZ Affair

Set 1
“Lo-Cal So Cal” by Cell’r Dwellr’z
“Friends” by Ween
“Impossible One” by the Yarrows
“Friends “ by Led Zeppelin
“Public Enemy No 1” by Motley Crue

Set 2
“Chop Chop” by Shwa Losben
“Flowers” by Bryan Dunn
“Just Saying” by the Hold Steady
“Sara with no H” by Andy Mac
“Until You’re Mine” by Alec Gross

Set 3
“Gates of the Old City” by Looker
“Like Sexy Dynamite” by the Orion Experience
“Absolutely Clear” by Action Painters
“Sleepy Jane” by Wormburner
“Page Six Junkie” by the Violets

Set 4
“We’re Going to be Friends” by the White Stripes
“What This Town Needs” by Blanche
“Be Like Normal” by the Sights
“Jumpy” by the Paybacks
“See and Be Scene” by the Hard Lessons

Set 5
“Don’t Turn Me Up” by Miss Alex White & the Red Orchestra
“There’s An End” by Holly Golightly & The Greenhornes
“Broken Boy Solider” by the Raconteurs
“FKS” by the Come Ons
“Stupid” by the Dirtbombs

Set 6
“Does This Mean You’re Moving On?” by the Airborne Toxic Event
“Ammunition” by the Blacks
“Move in Tight” by the Love Me Nots
“Aspidistra” by Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
“One, Two, Three, Me” by Mondo Topless

Outro
“Destruction” by the Willowz

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 3 – “Bands A-Z, Volume 1”

2011-02-20T19:28:00.004-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 3 – “Bands A-Z, Volume 1”

SPS-03.mp3

Intro
“ABC” by The Pipettes
“Month of May” by Arcade Fire

Set 1
“Tornado Love” by Blacktop
“Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken” by Camera Obscura
“Been There All the Time” by Dinosaur Jr
“She’s White” by Electric Six

Set 2
“Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon” by Flogging Molly
“Great Expectations” by the Gaslight Anthem
“Outside Chance” by Heavy Trash
“Norman Bleik” by I Was A King

Set 3
“Darklands” by Jesus and Mary Chain
“Shake Real Low” by King Khan & BBQ Show
“Once and Never Again” by the Long Blondes
“Brother” by Murder By Death

Set 4
“True Faith” by New Order
“Our Life Is Not Like a Movie but Maybe” by Okkervil River
“Wave of Mutliation” by Pixies
“Mama we’re All Crazy Now” by Quiet Riot

Set 5
“Alex Chilton” by the Replacements
“Under Cover of Darkness” by the Strokes
“Crying” by TV on the Radio
“Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” by Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle

Set 6
“Waiting for the Man” by the Velvet Underground
“Even If You Don’t” by Ween
“VCR” by the XX
“Hey Mr. Tough” by Yo La Tengo

Outro
“Jesus Just Left Chicago” by ZZ Top

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 2 – “Gotham, My Gotham or New York I Love You But…”

2011-02-13T22:50:00.003-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 2 – “Gotham, My Gotham or New York I Love You But…”

SPS02-MP3

Intro
“New York Groove” by Ace Frehley
“Talkin’ New York” by Bob Dylan

Set 1
“Miami 2017” by Billy Joel
“People Who Died” by Jim Carroll Band
“Romeo Had Juliette” by Lou Reed
“Miss You” by the Rolling Stones

Set 2
“New York I Love You” by LCD Soundsystem
“New York’s Alright If You Like Saxophones” by Fear
“Caught in New York City” by the Bamboo Kids
“New York City” by the Cult
“New York, New York” by Ryan Adams

Set 3
“New York Girls” by the Mooney Suzuki
“New York City Girls” by Reverend Horton Heat
“New York Girls” by Finbar Furey
“Brooklyn Girls” by Shwa Losben

Set 4
“The Brooklyn Bridge” by Frank Sinatra
“Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon
“Back to Manhattan” by Norah Jones

Set 5
“L.E.S. Artistes” by Santogold
“Avenue B” by Gogol Bordello
“Hotel Chelsea Nights” by Ryan Adams
“53rd & 3rd” by the Ramones
“Across 110th Street” by Bobby Womack

Set 6
“Personality Crisis” by the New York Dolls
“Art Star” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Alphabet City” by Clare & the Reasons
“So Far Around the Bend” by the National

Outro
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z
“Why Should I Worry?” by Billy Joel

33 Memories of the White Stripes

2011-02-03T16:35:00.004-05:00

1. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", the second time around, while walking through Center City Philadelphia.

2. Desperately trying to get a ticket to the Hammerstein Ballroom show with Loretta Lynn and some opening act named Blanche and joining an Internet message board in a last ditch effort to get one. And willing to take an Amtrak train to get there too.

3. Going to a Flaming Lips concert on the chance that they would show up, coming from the New York show. I became a fan of the Flaming Lips in the process.

4. Leaving friends behind, racing home in a cab, to catch night 4 on Conan just because I didn't trust the VCR to work.

5. The event of buying Elephant.

6. Finally seeing them for the first time, at Roseland Ballroom, the night Jack cursed out "frat fuckers" for moshing on unwilling people. Also learning that Jack purposefully leaves his guitar feedbacking on the amp to deafen the audience.

6. Jack answering my question regarding the above mentioned "Frat fuckers" - this was the first response to anything I've written and also the last response to be civil.

7. The day "Blue Orchid" came out and I told everyone this was the wrong mp3, this was actually the new Prince record, and really meaning it.

8. Beginning a steady string of internet crushes, bonding over the band, resulting in one lifelong friendship and one nearly 2-year romantic relationship with a married woman that went off the internet and into real life.

9. The endless numbing hours posting excessive comments on the board and having an entire life on there that wound up having almost nothing to do with the band except when things happened and Jack got mad.

10. The tiny-record single and tiny-player fiasco - the first time Jack accused fans of being disloyal.

11. The birth of the Raconteurs and the wristband process to see them at Tower Records - the second time Jack accused fans of being disloyal. A relative's letter.

12. Meeting the born again christian woman, whom I credit myself with converting to atheism, at the first Coney Island concert. Meeting her then-husband and little children. The woman eventually became an atheist celebrity, went on Nightline to fight Kirk Cameron, left that movement behind, and became a porn star. This is all true.

13. Dirtblanche: Two bands whose fan bases extended -in part- in having something to do with the Stripes, who sound nothing alike, who played together one night in Cleveland.

14. Delia

15. The time one of Jack's brothers told me not to bother with trying to be a voice-over actor.

16. That girl with the very weird hair with one of the brothers and...gah.

17. The time I saved Tracee Mae from a pervert who wanted to harass her. That pervert eventually got married to someone and seemed OK.

18. THE video.

19. The scandal of owning that unreleased documentary that included footage of the Bowery Ballroom shows, Jack pissing in the street, and Meg watching porn.

20. "New York Confuses Me"

21. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 1 - the hilarity of the pre-show. New York "It's all good" vs. Midwest Internet Delusions.

22. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 2 - the security guard from the Elvis Costello show who remembered me and was happy to see me.

23. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 3 - the concert itself. Black Jack Davey.

24. The Irving Plaza Concert Part 4 - the alley, after the show. "I know you - asshole."

25. The MSG Show - the ultimate moment of success, only to be upstaged by Nick Cave.

26. Back to wristbandgate: waiting on the line, a woman coming up to me to tell me she is a big fan of mine and the comments I've written on the fan site, and she is glad to just say hello.

27. The night I thought I just happened to come across the Raconteurs playing a fashion show and instead it turned into Jack thinking we were following his van. HEY! Pick a different street to drive! I was trying to get to the subway! Punk.

28. The whole I-only-know-the-Dirtbombs-because-of-them thing.

29. Feeling almost coldly indifferent to the reunion on Conan's last Late Night.

30. After all the success, and all those who got to enjoy the ride, and ironically after my own scoffing - it was just me and the Greenhornes one night in New Jersey. Fitting.

31. When they were on the MTV Awards, and Meg mumbled something, and my sister said "They're weird".

32. The first time Jack referred to himself as president of a corporation, when a dopey Chicago DJ played a record too early.

33. $80 for a .45 7" record - and it would have been at least $250 if the seller hadn't only advertised it as a Dirtbombs single. Clever.

33A: Two Words - Arthur Dottweiler

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 1 - "Support Your Local Pennypacker"

2011-01-30T21:44:00.007-05:00

The Sonic Parthenon Show: Episode 1 - "Support Your Local Pennypacker"

SPS 01 - Mp3

Intro
"I Can't Turn You Loose" by the Blues Brothers
"Internet Killed The Video Star" by The Limousines
"Sheena is a Punk Rocker" by the Ramones

Set 1
"What You've Got" by the Dirtbombs
"Chips Ahoy" by the Hold Steady
"All the Wine" by the National
"Gold Guns Girls" by Metric

Set 2
"I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge" by Blind Willie Johnson
"Maggie's Farm (Live)" by Bob Dylan
"Jailbreak" by AC/DC
"Let's Build A Home" by the White Stripes

Set 3
"Soul Kitchen" by X
"Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads (from Stop Making Sense)
"I'm Not Angry" by Elvis Costello
"I'm So Bored With the USA" by the Clash

Set 4
"New York City Cops" by the Strokes
"Y Control" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Wolf n the Lamb" by Hawaii Mud Bombers
"That Great Love Sound" by the Raveonettes

Set 5
"Get Rhythm" by Johnny Cash
"Deanna" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Don't Touch My Hat" by Lyle Lovett
"Ethylene" by John Hiatt
"Come On Up to the House" by Tom Waits

Outro
"Down by the Water" by the Decemberists

Extry, Extry
The special rebroadcast intro, first aired Thursday, February 3, 2010

Just a little bit longer...

2011-01-29T17:47:00.004-05:00

We're just hours away now from the debut of the Sonic Parthenon Show at thorradio.com.

Following the broadcast, which begins at 7PM Eastern (there will be a special batch of songs played in the hour or so before the launch so tune in early), the playlist will be posted here. It may very well even be archived for on-demand listening.

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt @ Beacon Theater

2011-01-23T01:07:00.003-05:00

Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt
@ Beacon Theater
New York, NY - January 22, 2011

When I was in college about ten years ago, and I began my massive expansion of music exploration through the Internet, I rather quickly got into the catalogs of both Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. Even when the middle of the last decade centered almost exclusively on ear splitting feedbacking whiskey-drenched jams, I still set aside time for a helpin' of "That's Right You're Not From Texas" or "Etheleyne". I was especially drawn to Hiatt over the years due to his ability to cross over from country and singer-songwriter territory into straight out rock n roll. And even as late as last year, he was STILL putting out songs to be eaten up like "The Open Road".

So this bill was a sort of dream ticket long coming, even though it was a special acoustic set-up and not two full bands with dedicated sets. The fellas made the Beacon feel rather intimate as they traded songs, helped each other out a bit, and fed each other stories and questions. If this had been at Rockwood Music Hall or the Mercury Lounge, this would have been nothing short of perfect. Nevertheless, hearing songs like "L.A. County" and "Drive South" stripped down to their essence at the Beacon was something very special.

It had an unscripted feel to it despite this being a semi-regular tour for these two. An overzealous fan's throwing out of "perfectly good" during a discussion on guitars led to Hiatt choosing to play his imperial "Perfectly Good Guitar". The story highlight of the night also stemmed from a shout-out: it came in the form of Lovett's "Fat Babies", a ridiculous mock-folk song from early in his career that he used in Houston clubs to trick folkies into singing with him.

Though I hadn't given these guys much fanfare in the last few years (despite Hiatt's continued output), this needed to be - another rite of passage. A few weeks ago, hearing "She's No Lady" coming over the PA while waiting for cold cuts, sent me into a small jig, scaring the shoppers around me. This music still speaks.

The Sonic Parthenon Show To Kick Off January 30.

2011-01-17T00:01:00.003-05:00

This is much pretty much tentatively official: 2 weeks from tonight will be the Sonic Parthenon Show debut. That's January 30, 2011 at 7PM Eastern Time. Brought to you on thorradio.com and by the makers of ZOLAX, the ultimate relief in all stress medication. But don't be too surprised, if another test run show airs between now and then.

Shwa Losben; Bryan Dunn; Luke Wesley @ Rockwood Music Hall

2011-01-14T10:40:00.004-05:00

Shwa Losben; Bryan Dunn; Luke Wesley
@ Rockwood Music Hall
New York, NY - January 13, 2010

A friend of Pennypacker decided to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her expunging from the womb with some old friends including a trio of musicians and their cohorts well known around here. Shwa did a version of "So Cry" that gave this old black heart the chills. Bryan Dunn, who I last saw perform at the final reviewed gig of 2009, took part in the first reviewed gig of 2011 with his usual array of impeccably crafted tunes. And I was finally introduced to the work of Luke Wesley who has the same instinct to make these sharp, savvy songs. An inserted cover of Cohen's "Hallelujah" was an added benefit.

But don't let these nice fellas fool you. There is rock n roll punk danger here. After all, who else could bring on a RAID BY THE NYPD?! OK it wasn't a raid. It was a mere regulatory building inspection. But the unit was led by a well manicured man in a wide-brimmed fedora and trench coat (I shit you not on this people). So it COULD have been dangerous, dangerous circa 1946.

If you read this blog regularly, you know there's been a little whining around here lately about a dearth of excitement on the concert calendar. This is what happens when you get spoiled. And it's very easy to get spoiled in New York where on seemingly any night of the week you can find guys like these guys (and plenty of gals too) doing what they do. Sometimes the hack that writes this blog needs a reality check and needs to be reminded of what he's got right here in front of him in the Big Apple. And what better way to get that dose of medicine? Playing these artists on The Sonic Parthenon Show. THAT'S RIGHT, WE'RE PLUGGING! Shwa, Bryan, Luke, and the rest of New York's best and brightest will be heard on Pennypacker's trampling of all things internet radio streaming in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

The Sonic Parthenon Show Is Coming To Thor Radio.com

2011-01-10T12:47:00.006-05:00

As I addressed a couple of months ago, things just ain't the same in the Sonic Parthenon universe. When a Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt super show next week, and a Blasters comeback show in March, are the only exciting dates on the calendar, you know it's time to rethink the big picture. But as I also alluded to in my lament, there was a way out. A way to stem the tide. It came in the form of an Internet radio network named Thor Radio (thorradio.com or look for it via Live 365 and the old Google matrix). The kindly DJ Rez gave Pennypacker a couple of guest shots over the last few months to help remember what it used to be like around here.

Well the time has come. The time has come to announce to the world that Elwood D. Pennypacker is taking his Sonic Parthenon franchise worldwide - "mass comunnacashun" as Governor Pappy O'Daniel once said in O Brother Where Art Thou?
In the coming weeks, debuting on the stream of Thor Radio, Elwood D. Pennypacker will be hosting The Sonic Parthenon Show. We're still working out the kinks - launch date, length, doing it live vs. recorded, making sure Ray Davies' muscles are loose and free - but we're getting closer and closer to the big to-do. Thor Radio itself may very well be undergoing a transformation as a new fleet of DJ's may be coming together to do what they do best: play records and speak in non-sequiturs (well, the latter may just be my domain but still).

The time has come to cross this Rubicon and admit that we have to look backwards a bit. We're going to play what we like now and plenty of it, but we're going back to times lived recently and times before our time. We're going to remember scenes and 'zines, we're going to pay tribute to our radio heroes past and present, we're going to sit and dawdle and think of no good reason to play Wang Chung. We're going to have special themed shows and gimmicks you can shake a stick at. Above all, we're going to have fun. Well someone's going to have fun. It may or may not be me, all depending on whether I can figure this microphone out.

So join in why don'tcha? Bring the family (well maybe not the kids since the FCC has no say over the absinthe-infused declaratives that may be sent over the digital airwaves). We'll be in touch with a start date and with more information about other DJ's and schedules at Thor Radio, and we'll probably spruce up The Sonic Parthenon Blog a bit in getting ready for The Sonic Parthenon Show. In the meantime, sit tight, hang loose, and remember: protect ya neck.

Sonic Parthenon's The Year in Music 2010 - Part 2: The Concerts

2010-12-26T18:22:00.002-05:00

Basia Bulat @ Professor Thom's

Ra Ra Riot; The Antlers @ BAM

Black Taxi, The Frontier Brothers, Atomic Tom, Hailey Wojcik & Her Imaginary Friends @ The Studio at Webster Hall

The Dirtbombs; Davila 666 @ Knitting Factory

Death @ Europa

The Hold Steady @ Bowery Ballroom AND the Music Hall of Williamsburg

The National @ BAM

Camera Obscura @ One Hanson Place

Norah Jones @ Prospect Park

Apples in Stereo @ South Street Seaport

The Ramblers; Bryan Dunn @ Mercury Lounge; Patrick Thomas @ Rockwood Music Hall

Psychobilly Luau: Pyscho Charger, The Arkhams, The Othermen @ Bell House

Parliament-Funkedelic; The Ohio Players @ Wingate Field

Siren Music Festival 2010: Matt & Kim, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart; Surfer Blood, Screaming Females

George Thorogood & The Destroyers @ Asser Levy Park

The Swell Season; The Low Anthem @ Prospect Park

The Gories; Death @ Lincoln Center

Metric; Joan as Police Woman; Holly Miranda @ Prospect Park

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; The Budos Band @ Prospect Park

The Wedding Present; Savoir Adore @ South Street Seaport

Metric @ Juicy Couture

The Hold Steady @ Beacon Theater

Grinderman @ Best Buy Theater

Sonic Parthenon's The Year in Music 2010 - Part 1: The Playlists

2010-12-26T18:21:00.002-05:00

Early 2010

Spring 2010 Part 1

Spring 2010 Part 2

Summer 2010, Vol. 1

Summer 2010, Vol. 2

Autumn and the End of 2010, Part 1

Autumn and the End of 2010, Part 2

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn and the End of 2010, Part 2

2010-12-26T13:27:00.003-05:00

Land of Talk - "Sweet Coin"
Land of Talk returned in 2010 with another dose of doe-eyed melancholy. This one has a pulsing beat that can actually make you move.

The Limousines - "Internet Killed The Video Star"
If/When the Sonic Parthenon Radio Hour actually takes off the ground at Thor Radio, don't be too surprised if this is the first song played. Apart from its obvious message, this song from a San Francisco duo, pulls a fast one - complaining about the youth's turn from instruments and three chords to synths and pop factory tween hits by sounding just like the latter. Except in a good way. I haven't seen an ironic soap box stand like this since Sideshow Bob used television in order to decry it.

Menomena - "Taos"
Menomena - Dooo Dooo Dooo Dooooo - Menomena - Dooo doo doooo doooooo. Sorry. This eclectic Indie band has a fun, fast, noisy shambles here.

Nick Curran And The Lowlifes - "Kill My Baby"
Nick C and the somethings eh?Hey he's allowed, lay off him. Besides have you heard this pyschobilly boogie swing number? He's going to kill his baby if she don't stop messin' around. I'd believe him if I was you.

Pomegranates - "Skull Cakin'" and "50's"
I first heard Pomegranates on a WOXY live session in 2007 or 8 or so. It was nice but it didn't get me. NOW they got me. Holy moly - out of nowhere, Pomegranates belted out a superb punky song in "Skull Cakin'" and they also threw out there a charming, more (oh no) 80's-ish, power pop song in "50's". One of the best surprises of the year. Good work boys!

Ra Ra Riot - "Boy"
Ra Ra Riot finally, finally, finally have a new album and it took three years to put out more of the same. But that's OK. They still got the charm and the grace.

Stars - The Five Ghosts
While it's by no means another In Our Bedroom After The War, The Five Ghosts is also not the total clunker I've heard described as such. Stars are so smooth as to barely count as anything other than lite music - but they do it with such a fine knack, who could argue?

Superchunk - "Digging For Something"
As I slowly work my way through the years of rock music, going back and picking up the bands I didn't catch on my initial forays, I finally caught up with Superchunk this year, no doubt aided by this fantastic anthem off their new record.

Tired Pony - "Get on the Road"
When I first listened to this song, I was struck by its dramatic beauty. I immediately pictured a solo guy or a male/female duo specializing in alt-country style Indie rock. Probably hailing from the mountain or plains states but too pop for Saddle Creek. But it turns out Tired Pony is Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol with a bunch of friends. Namely Peter Buck. On this song, his best friend is Zooey Deschanel. First, it all makes sense - the song has that familiar slow, build-up, repeat, slow, build-up, repeat Snow Patrol pattern. Second - Zooey has passed the test. Without hype, instant obvious appearance, or any warning - it was just a natural positive response to what I heard.

Thee Oh Sees - "I Was Denied"
Oh I'm tired of garage rock and child-like playing and attitudes. I'm tired of noise and volume for volume's sake and the "la la la la"'s. Except - I like this garage rock and this kind of attitude and this kind of noise and this kind of volume and I love this kind of "la la la la"'s. Damn You Oh Sees!

Wavves - "King of the Beach"
Man Wavves was crap when he debuted. And his behavior didn't do him any favors. Well he grew up fast and made this exceptional rock song, an anthem for the summer (if I had heard it in the summer) and one of the best songs of the year.

Wolf Parade - Expo '86
It took a long time but I finally got around to hearing the rest of this (final?) record from Wolf Parade. In addition to the two great songs I heard before, add "Pobody's Nerfect" to the list of the best of 2010.

Honorable Mentions:
Maximum Balloon - "Absence of Light (feat. Tunde Adepimpe)" (Sitek's solo project)
The Mean - "Mahalia" (sounds like relatives of the Black Keys).
Stag - "These Times" (the last number 1 song of 2010 on the weekly countdown and likely to be the first of 2011 - more on this in the first recap of the next year).

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn and the End of 2010, Part 1

2010-12-26T12:15:00.011-05:00

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Every year it seems the Indie Rock world gets one representative to the big dance - the top of the charts, the Grammy awards, etc. The Arcade Fire appear to be the perennial delegate for as long as they release something. When The Suburbs debuted at number1, it arguably spelled the moment where the number one record in the country was heard - or even heard of - by the fewest number of people yet. That's the bittersweet rub in the Arcade Fire's success. And it makes tracks like "We Used To Wait" and "Month of May" ironic.

Atomic Tom - The Moment
The hard working boys in Atomic Tom hit pay dirt while yours truly was away in London being locked out of the 20-20's show in Islington. Taking advantage of modern bits of technology - namely Iphones and YouTube, the band made a video, the world went wild, and now they are living it up on the television and the charts. But they are the still the work-incensed band that was slugging it in New York City in the last couple of years.

Augustines - "Book of James"
With a flair for the dramatic and a voice to give you the shakes, this song made me think "it reminds me of the late, great Pela". Well what do ya know?! It IS Pela! Sort of. I should have recognized Billy McCarthy's voice in an instant. In fact I did. But I didn't think it was actually the man himself. Pela lives! Sort of.

The Capstan Shafts - "Quiet Wars"/Massy Ferguson - "Long Time, No See"/Poison Control Center - "Being Gone"
A trio of songs that got a lot of Ipod play that fall into a family of country/bar band mixes. The college rock anthem style of the Capstan Shafts is slightly different from the more twangy Ferguson and the jammy PCC, but together they make for a steady stream of Americana.

Cee-Lo Green - The Ladykiller
"Fuck You" - the song that dare not be named - would have been a scandal just ten or twenty years ago. Now it is an automatic hit and no one bats an eye. That's a victory. The Glee treatment was sort of a defeat (we're not on that bandwagon). The Goodie Mob half of Gnarls Barkley is still too dangerous for Ma & Pa America but he's too mainstream for Pitchfork, which makes him the King of the Sonic Parthenon Universe. If "Fuck You" wasn't enough, "Satisfied" and an unbelievably fantastic re-do of Band of Horses' "No One's Gonna Love You" bring home the bacon. If Soul Train was still going, Cee-Lo would be doing it on there, with Ben Bridwell probably helping him out.

The Colourist - "Oh Goodbye"
For a good run there, NPR's Second Stage podcast was delivering songs-to-notice as good as any of the big boy podcasts. This one sort of boggles the mind as being obscure. It is catchy, well-structured, and made for a hit. One of the best songs of the year.

The Corin Tucker Band - "Doubt"
The haunting voice of Sleater-Kinney finally got back into the mix in 2010 with a very natural record. She's sounding great and feeling great and doesn't seem to have lost any time since those first days when Sleater-Kinney made their mark. As if on cue, Carrie and Janet are now working together again as Wild Gift (with Mary Timoney no less). Could it be possible that 2011 will spell the return of...? A fella can dream can't he?

Diamond Rings - "Something Else"/The Hundred in the Hands - "Commotion"
The 80's are back. They've been back for a few years now. In fact, they are too back. Synthesizers are as prominent now as they were when George Michael and Mister Mister were breaking hearts (god help us). Throw in the auto-tune for good measure, and it appears the robot dystopia has finally come to pass. But it's not all doom and gloom. These two songs reflect what works. The Diamond Rings song has that dark side of the New Order tone to it, with a revved up rift to boot. Hundred in the Hands are building a lot of momentum, taking more of the club tack that Ladyhawke rolled with last year - in other words, the lighter side of the New Order tome.

Eliza Doolittle - "Skinny Genes"
A sweeter, friendlier spin on the saucy British ingenue, Eliza Doolittle has a nice, almost too-catchy, too-sweet ditty here. But this isn't what matters. What matters is getting her and Holly Golightly together for a tour.

Fight From Above - "Between The Curves"
Another NPR Second Stage winner - from a concept album about the City of Angels.

Fol Chen - "In Ruins"
If I was to think of what constitutes the music a trendy hipster would listen to in 2010, this is it. Making use of samples (including, yes, 80's samples), bubblegum pop melody, and a sassy female voice, what's missing? Feedback and distortion? I realize I am actually trashing all of this - but I still like this song.

Grinderman - Grinderman 2
The Fall of 2010 belonged to Grinderman, unopposed. With an album that actually sounded good from beginning to end, and a live show that spanked you red, it all seemed to flow easy and inevitably from the delirious "Heathen Child" video. After the smart roll-out, the sequel to 2007's glorious effort upped the ante with the best kick-off song in years - "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man" - a twisted slice akin to the first half of From Dusk till Dawn. As if that wasn't enough, "Worm Tamer" nailed it (especially as done by Warren on the Jools Holland program), "Evil" almost made Howlin' Wolf's song of the same name seem angelic, and "Halls of Montezuma" almost sounded from the U2 mold except in that much more derelict Cave sense of things.

Gross Relations - "You Don't Know Me"
While others are trying to sound 80's, this act is going for more 70's power pop. In fact, this song could be a dead ringer for Bowie's "Heroes".

It's Not You. It's Me - And It's Also You

2010-11-17T21:47:00.003-05:00

Notice something? Yeah things about dried up here at the Sonic Parthenon shop. Per the economy, the staff has been mostly let go - little Timmy was the last intern and this old hack misses that kid's never-give-up attitude, especially when he had to fetch my coffee (there was never enough cream in it). Now only Doris is left to answer the phones while I try to figure out this Telex machine. Heck, we even lost the domain name to a Propecia ad (It's sonicparthenonblog.com now but what does that matter? If you ain't usin' Google for all your clicking link needs, you're an older fogey than I am).

Alright so it wasn't entirely because ticket prices are too high in a time of savings and austerity (and I don't fault some of these price makers - they have to eat too) that has caused the well to run almost entirely dry this year. It's me.

The whole New-York-Rock-Socialite-Taste-Maker movement didn't pan out as it looked like it could have in 2007 and 2008. That life did not have enough of a return (again, a fella's gotta eat). And things being how they are, the day life involves not just a job but a job that takes a lot out of me. The energy is drained by the punch-out. Also there's a girlfriend and friends (and watching the entirety of Battlestar Galactica in a matter of weeks) but you don't need to know about all that. I have a mystique as a solitary type - punching away on a whiskey-soaked Smith-Corona - to uphold!

But also - it's you. YOU - New York Rock Scene and Music in General. I've listened to a ton of singles as usual this year but it's almost entirely from podcasts - public radio songs of the day. Not from word of mouth. Not from the alt-music media. Only these daily stabs in the dark that come lazily to me. And none of these tracks have truly led me to discover new bands to champion beyond that one song.

Where are the collectives and artists' dens? I hate to put it so crassly or with such shallow wanton need for feeling hip but where are the damn scenes?! Don't make me long for expired bulk from 3 years ago and 5 years ago and 10 years ago. Chillwave? What the fuck is chillwave? I like Wavves' "King of the Beach" but that's as close as it's gonna get. I even liked that boyfriend song by Best Coast but I knew what would happen if I went to the overpriced show: I'd be surrounded by spaced-out zombies dressed in Sally Jessy Raphael glasses (lenses optional) and lederhosen.

Bushwick? No.

Why do all the bands on Brooklyn Vegan or Pitchfork or Stereogum all have beards and plaid shirts with the sleeves pulled up? Or oversized shades? Why are there so many 80's techno beats? Why is it taking the Pains of Being Pure at Heart so long to put out the second LP? Why did the Airborne Toxic Event go on a tour with a classical quartet before ever putting out another record? IS there another record?

Also this whole Twitter business. It seems to be the dominant form of communication these days (more so than Facebook) but it does no favors for music and getting music out there. Do bands use MySpace anymore? Their own websites?

Sure, you could say it's me. That I had my fun in the early 2000's with the garage scenes and some of the singer-songwriters. That my shallow, retro fun came in the form of the Darkness and Electric Six and old timey roots acts. That I just couldn't keep pace when things began to change, as they inevitably would, and I would tire of whatever had replaced what I was into as being the most cited, most shared among the Indie music media.

You could also say its me because what I got into after the scenesterism was a response to my own life. I've been harping on the same bands for a couple years now - bands helmed by grown-ups, singing introspective songs. I haven't been with the hipsterati scene because I've just moved on and maybe - maybe - grew up.

Nah. That's not it. You guys just suck now. Stop it.

OK wait - so it's both of us. We have to come to some sort of compromise or we'll walk away from each other and regret it for the rest of our lives. Fortunately, there's a solution:

Hear me tomorrow night at 7PM when I once again join DJ Rez on his rock n roll radio show at http://thorradio.com/ We'll share, we'll love, we'll laugh - we'll learn from each other and from ourselves. You'll hear the sounds of bands of large, abandoned Midwestern cities and of vibrant, soul-inspiring acts from either side of the continent. There will most likely be some visits from across both ponds, the great barons of Punk, New Wave, and Glam. And we'll bring it all back home with some sounds from the great American songwriters - the drunkards, the lonelyhearts, the bastards of young.

This may be our last chance, Scene. Get yourself out of your latest hoola-hooping fake sport activity of the week and get back together with me before I totally ensconce myself in those new Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Nick Cave records and leave you and your eternal, texting-like-there's-no-tomorrow, youth behind once and for all.

Lights out.

P.S: I have never liked Sufjan Stevens. Ever.

Grinderman @ Best Buy Theater

2010-11-15T00:39:00.004-05:00

Grinderman; Armen Ra
@ Best Buy Theater
New York, NY - November 14, 2010

Grinderman can best be described in the moment in which Nick Cave casually threw his tambourine behind him in a moment of rock n roll swagger...only to have that tambourine thwack Warren Ellis right in his face. That lovingly hilarious half-assed cockrockery encapsulates this glorious side project, the Id of the Bad Seeds that first reared its serpentine head in 2007. Back then, Grinderman only appeared at shows in New York and San Francisco. This time, in support of their album sequel, they are embarking on an actual tour and they began their American Sojourn back in the city where they stole the show out from under the White Stripes all those years ago.

The bawdy, delirious, rantings of Cave, combined with the tomfoolery of Ellis - who presumably is holding a family hostage in some Outback shack - and driven by the punk speed thundering of Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos - make for the fittingly disjointed, incongruous, malcontented sounds of Grinderman. Ellis is screaming "Evil" from the floor while Sclavunos is murdering his drums. Cave is changing (or forgetting - as middle aged men are known to do) his lyrics while Casey...well...while Casey discovers his new found beard.

The new record has a sense of epic about it - "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man", "Worm Tamer", and "Evil" sound big. Live, these songs were quick, bashed, and thrown at the audience. The same treatment was given to songs from the first record - "Get It On", "No Pussy Blues", "Grinderman", "When My Love Comes Down to Meet You" and "Love Bomb". But just when it seemed that Cave and co. were going to level you to the ground, they take "Palaces of Montezuma" and give it the Lanois/Eno-ish mystique (as in Joshua Tree) and prop up the extra cut "My Daddy is an Astronaut" with a shocking sense of grace - the kind of grace that adds a severe twist to the work of the Bad Seeds - the grace that keeps Nick from going back to the Birthday Party.

Armen Ra played the theremin for a half hour. He was the first act that I witnessed get heckled in quite a while. But then he played the theme from The Godfather and that seemed to appease the ruffled.

An Open Letter to WRXP

2010-11-07T18:00:00.004-05:00

Dear WRXP 101.9 FM New York,

These are trying times. The great American dynamo has ground to almost a complete halt. Signs of hope are coming but far and few between. The nation's citizens are depressed, angry at everyone (except themselves of course), and when they are not sad about the loss of instant gratification without consequences, they are distracted by their text messages, their social networking pages, and Jersey Shore.

Before people realized the mess they were in, they tried to make the most of it. I recall starting back in that grand old year of 2007, 101.9 on the FM dial in New York City made the most of it when it switched from a smooth Jazz format to an all-encompassing but Indie-flared rock n roll format. Radio's golden days were long behind it, and in a true go-for-broke style, the Emmis Communications corporation had a moment of clarity. Forget the reliability of easy-listening. To hell with teen and tween pop sounds. It was the 21st Century. And before the Internet killed the radio for good and all, here was an easy to find outlet for hearing the Velvet Underground, Elvis Costello, the Ramones, Social Distortion, etc etc. Truly, it was refreshing to hear some of the greats not-well-served by mainstream outlets be given proper prominence alongside Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and all the other legacy acts that dominate the perception of what's popular. In the years to follow, you gave new homes to unappreciated history like the Replacements, X, Split Endz, and any number of punk and Indie acts of old. You opened the window to new blood like the Hold Steady, the National, the Airborne Toxic Event, and Company of Thieves.

Well with 2010 coming to an end, it brings me no pleasure to inform you that in the last year or so, you have shirked your duties as the purveyor of free-thought rock in New York. Perhaps because of the demise of K-Rock at 92.3, or simply because of the lack of viability for Indie-centric rock on a commercial radio station, you have gradually transformed into a run-of-the-mill modern rock station. Where once I heard Westerberg and the boys sing of Alex Chilton, I now hear an endless loop of Linkin Park, Staind, Everclear (Everclear?! For god's sake!), and every single Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers song ever made. It was if someone took the amenable, friendly local record store music nerd whose brain was wired into your playlist and switched 'em out with a backwards-baseball-capped "bruh" from the suburbs. All the life and originality have gone out of you. You're now just another boring, tasteless Walmart-shopping, mindless, American fool.

I implore you to stop. Turn this ship around. Upright the sails. Be different. Take a gamble. You have nothing to lose (except your jobs, but so what?! PRINCIPLE!). Take what good you have left and make it your entire identity, not the sop to those you know truly appreciate what you have to offer. Take Steve Craig's Punk Song of the Day and make it Punk Songs of the Day, ALL Day. Rich Russo's Anything, Anything should be on during the weekday. You know how Devo was going to headline one of your sponsored shows? When you play Devo, don't just play "Whip It"! Bring back playing the Hold Steady and the National like they were number 1 in the country and throw out Linkin Park. I'm begging you. Perhaps I can offer you some newer bands worth your time? There's Atomic Tom, there's the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, there's Tired Pony, the Colourings, Wavves, Fitz & The Tantrums, the Capstan Shafts...There are also some legends you are underserving, and they are coming in new guises you can play: Nick Cave in Grinderman and J. Mascis in Sweet Apple.

To show you I am a reasonable patriot, I will make you a deal: You can play Pearl Jam and the Chili Peppers once a day after 5PM. Heck, I'll even throw in Nirvana for before 5PM, if you give me three daily plays of Talking Heads. I have TV on the Radio and Metric waiting for the green light if you just put down that Puddle of Mudd. Please. Please. Please. Do. Not. Play. Puddle. Of. Mudd. Ever. Again. Ever. Please.

We have a hard road ahead of us. We're only going to make it if we work together. Now is the time for us to do just that. And it can start with you. And the playing of Cee-Lo's "Fuck You" on the air, beep-less, damn-the-FCC, right NOW.

Lovingly,
Elwood D. Pennypacker

The Hold Steady @ Beacon Theater

2010-10-08T11:25:00.003-04:00

The Hold Steady; Wintersleep
@ Beacon Theater
New York, NY - October 7, 2010

During "Little Hoodrat Friend", Craig remarked how it has now been ten years since he first moved to New York at the age of 29 to work in an office. Then he got tired of that and got into a rock n roll band. How nice. Pennypacker is facing down the barrel of the 30 gun these days and not only works in an office, he's entrenched in it. In fact, the Hold Steady had no idea that their debut at the Beacon (which incidentally was also Pennypacker's debut, a shande considering all the years) was also the send-off show for Pennypacker's trip to London (itself unprecedented). A vacation well earned from all the toiling and travails. And it's a job based in the fact that there are a lot of people out there, not working, not as lucky as a Craig Finn or an Elwood D. Heck, Pennypacker is so lucky - his girlfriend is packing his suitcase for him right now.

So yes there was a gig, sorry about that. The sound at the Beacon was a little off for the boys. They sounded like they were coming out of a treble-less radio. Like an old FM transistor. But they played well of course. Tad now shreds on just about any song. And in the great Hold Steady tradition of never giving up on the back catalog, "You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came With)" and "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night" were home runs (meanwhile poor Craig's Twins were getting beaten by Pennypacker's Yankees).

It was also pointed to out Pennypacker that he blended right in with the crowd, a rare but increasingly common occurence. A bunch of stiffs - of all ages but generally around his - watching a bunch of guys living the dream. Uh oh - this may be adulthood. And this is our Springsteen.

Wintersleep fared much better with the Beacon acoustics but their music would have been more fitting with a headliner like David Gray or the Killers. Pennypacker nearly fell asleep. Not the boys' fault. Just after a hard day's work, and enthused by the very adult prospect of a cushioned seat, it was unavoidable.

Metric @ Juicy Couture

2010-09-12T20:01:00.002-04:00

Metric
@ Juicy Couture
New York, NY - September 10, 2010

In the weirdest fucking gig I've ever been to, Metric took part in Fashion Week's second annual Fashion Night Out in which fashion houses put on events like this. Emily and Mr. S did "Gimme Sympathy", "Twilight Galaxy", and the Strokes' "The End Has No End" in a simple piano/acoustic set-up in the back of the store. At first it seemed like nobody was going to be there for this thing, everyone else milling about the clothes while boys in eye pink served glasses of champagne. But suddenly the placed flooded moments before the duo took the stage. Where did these people come from? How did they time it so right? No matter. A fake stuffed-fox wore a beret and a I stood next to Emily Haines while she played piano. Something like that is unlikely to ever happen again.

Rumor Has It...

2010-08-31T22:39:00.003-04:00

There's word around the proverbial campfire this evening that in less than 48 Earth Hours from now, yours truly will be making his Sub-Etha Internet Radio debut at http://thorradio.com/.

That salacious spinner of savory songs, DJ Rez, has apparently been conked on the coconut with a frying pan (cast iron no doubt), and has chosen to allow your Middling Working Boy to sit in with him at Rez HQ for 2 hours of pious rock n roll pontification and playing of said rock n roll. It'll be a meeting of the minds, as the kids say these days, and this old hack will even be playing a handful of his own personal favorites of these years and yester.

The liturgy will be doled out this Thursday, September 2nd at SEVEN in the PM - 2300 Hours Universal Coordinated Time. Remember to dress sharp, phone a friend, and alert the Princeton Astronomical Observatory to be on the lookout for inter-stellar responses to the mass consumption of the digital bandwith.

The Wedding Present; Savoir Adore @ South Street Seaport

2010-08-15T21:53:00.003-04:00

The Wedding Present; Savoir Adore
@ South Street Seaport
New York, NY - August 13, 2010

Admittedly, up until a month or two ago, I had never heard of the Wedding Present but was taken with a radio performance they did. I made no effort to brush up, get acquainted, or do anything else in the build-up to this performance so I have no knowledge of the band except that their well-received record Bizarro was released 21 years ago. I cannot even begin to fake any sort of context for the band, or the review. Except to say that I had a great time watching band that seems to have straddled the point in between early 80's power pop and today's jangly slightly distorted plethora of bands. In other words, they seem to come from exactly the period that they did. And they know their place. The lead singer (whose name I just learned moments ago is David Gedge) said after one song, "I'd like to see the XX write a song like that." Ouch.

I only caught the last couple of songs by Savoir Adore but they sounded as sweetly fine tuned as they did at CMJ last year. The kids are on the move.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2010, Vol. 2

2010-08-12T06:45:00.003-04:00

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Say No To Love"
Along with the Hold Steady's "The Weekenders" and the Joy Formidable's "Whirring", here is the third piece of the puzzle. One of the best songs of the year from one of the best bands of the last few. They don't have much of a catalog yet, and they don't seem intent on deviating from what they know, but they already appear to be in it for the long haul. Here's to them.

Secret History - "My Life with the Living Dead"
A cute number about the biography of a rock star. Zombie-allusions intentional.

Saint Motel - "Butch"
A slick LA rock band? Perhaps. A heck of a song? For sure. That's the thing about Los Angeles. It's a city that can't shake a professional-level talent to apply to the nitty gritty (see the aforementioned Franks, see the not-until-now mentioned Fear whose legendary The Record has recently finally come around here with all its hardcore-with-hooks poetry). Is Rock n Roll TV, the LA-based video podcast with Share Ross, profiling Los Angeles bands again? She should be. Start with these guys.

Sally Seltmann - "Dream About Changing"
Is 60's girl-group back AGAIN? Maybe. Either way, I'll take this.

Stars - "Fixed"
There's no excuse really for why I haven't listened to all of the new Stars record, The Five Ghosts. Nor was there an excuse for missing them at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. There is an excuse for avoiding the upcoming Terminal 5 show. It's at Terminal 5. Anyway, "Fixed" is amazing.

Sweet Apple - "Do You Remember"
Take some J. Mascis, stir it up with other side projects of his and other guys side projects from other bands, and behold Sweet Apple (it took a lot for me to not begin this with a "take a bite of the delicious..."...oops). YOU WANT YOUR ROCK TO ROCK?! AND YOU WANT YOUR ROCK TO SOUND LIKE THE 70'S NEVER WENT OUT OF STYLE?! AND YOU WANT YOUR ROCK TO SOUND LIKE THE BIG ASS ARENA SOUND THAT DIDN'T TURN INTO THE STEAMING TURD OF NEGLECT AND BANALITY THAT IT DID IN ACTUALITY? THEN HERE!

Tokyo Police Club - "Boots of Danger (Wait Up)"
I didn't catch the wave the first time or two this hyped-band came around though I did pay some attention. They've certainly got it now. This song is a wannabe-hit, which in my book is an actual bona fide hit.

We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut 1988-2001
For the second time this year, a book is dictating what I am listening to. Eric Davidson of the New Bomb Turks has put out this half-memoir, half-oral history of the period that essentially picks up where Our Band Could Be Your Life left off. It's brought the Gories, the Mummies, and the Jon Spencer musical family back into my listening fold but now with their return come new old faces and sounds: the Devil Dogs, Didjits, Dwarves, (lots of bands beginning with D) Rocket from the Crypt, the Gibson Brothers, Raunch Hands, etc. And actual A-Bones music on record! Holy crap!

Wolf Parade - "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)" and "Yulia"
I was into Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs before I finally got into Wolf Parade. That's ass backwards but can you blame me? Listen to these songs from the new Expo '86.

Honorable Mentions:
Cochemea Gastelum - "Carlito!"
Cults - "Go Outside"
Ferraby Lionheart - "Harry and Bess"
Frazey Ford - "If You Gonna Go" (Former Be Good Tanyas!)
The Redwood Plan - "How The Game Is Played" (second track from this Northwest band that doesn't get out much - who ARE these guys?)
Ugly Casanova - "Here's To Now" (surprising that an Isaac Brock side project making a comeback has received little traction).

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Summer 2010, Vol. 1

2010-08-12T06:42:00.005-04:00

The Besnard Lakes - "Albatross"
An honorable mention in the spring, this song took up the first half of the summer pretty thoroughly. A vexing blend of 60's pop and distorted noise that too many other bands are overdoing to death these days.

Delta Spirit - "Bushwick Blues"
Will this song for the Delta Spirit what "The Rat" did for the Walkmen? Could it even do for them what "Last Nite" did for the Strokes? It is too soon to tell but it could and should. The San Diego Spirit have been working it for a few years now but they've never sounded like this - which is to say, like a 2000's modern rock band. This song is major.

Devo - Something For Everybody
The occasion for the new Devo LP was cause for yours truly to finally get caught up with the entirety of the Devo catalog. From about "Mongoloid" to "That's Good" I was quite pleased. Nothing was doing after that until the new record. The hit sounding "Step Up", the surprising house-beat-backed "What We Do" (with annoyingly lovely refrain), and the Obama-empathizing "Sumthin'" are the highlights.

Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks"
I always like to point out when I pick up a song from NPR's "Second Stage" podcast. That podcast used to typically be smothered with very Indie, very experimental sounds (though there always good folk and pop surprises). This one takes it to a whole new level. It sounds sweet and pleasant and poppy. But listen to the lyrics. It's about murdering those who like popular music. Is that how it got on there?

Fitz & The Tantrums - "Moneygrabber"
Recently there was love for Sharon Jones on here. Sharon Jones is at the head of an army of soul-reviving forces. I'm picky with this. It takes a lot for me to hear the authenticity and get caught up in it. It has happened with a select few Sharon songs and some of the Heavy. Amy Winehouse...well....Meanwhile, Fitz and the silly named Tantrums have this stupendous butt-kicker.

The Franks - "Ray Gunn Radio"
Every time I say garage rock is over for yet another spell, something keeps it moving along. The LA Franks are devoted to what's good without pandering and without doing it in the "look at us we're sloppy and proud of it, it's our image!" mold. TALENT goes a long way in this genre and it is an under-appreciated quality.

Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
The title track is what really works. It's right where Brian and the kids left off from The '59 Sound. I swear I hear Bruce himself in the backing vocals (uncredited assist?). Between them and the lower profile Screaming Females...does New Brunswick really have a real scene? I mean I know I heard about it...but really? Woah.

The Hold Steady - "Our Whole Lives"
The one song from Heaven is Whenever that I didn't hear before the album was released that has really been on repeat. And I'm not the only one taken by this album track. The host of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me played it when he had Craig on for one of the quizzes (Craig got all 3 questions right!).

The Joy Formidable - A Balloon Called Moaning
"Whirring" is one of the best songs of the year. A candidate for the top spot along side the Hold Steady's "The Weekenders" and a song to be named soon. It has it all: the build-up, the explosion, the aftermath, the regrouping, the repeat of the steps. In fact, it is just like the other two songs. This must be how I like my rock.

Mimicking Birds - "Burning Stars"
A perfectly tight well-made solid folk-pop song, no frills, no muss, just professional delivery.

The Mynabirds - "Numbers Don't Lie" and "What We Gained in the Fire"
Last time - on the Spring playlist - I wrote about John Davis' Title Tracks. This time, it's a moment (or two) for the other half of the departed Georgie James. Laura Burhenn has somewhat channeled the original Mynah Birds of Neil Young and Rick James (still can't believe that really happened) but more over has crafted her own very soulful, very Stax-ballad and folk-rock styled pop. If this is what the two former members of Georgie are doing these days, what would have happened if they had toughed it out?

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; The Budos Band @ Prospect Park

2010-08-08T17:12:00.005-04:00

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; The Budos Band
@ Prospect Park
Brooklyn, NY - August 7, 2010

I didn't catch much of this show because it was insanely crowded and you had to get there early so there was a lot of walking around the area between the bands performances. But I did catch something, a bit of insight: Sharon Jones is worth it. Sometimes, with the Dap Kings records, I get a little "ahhhh it's nice but ehhhh it's a bit dry and toooo much like the great vintage soul it wants to be but not always with that oomph and baaaaaah....". Forget all that. She's great. And this is how soul is meant to sound. You know - New York is not the kind of place that needs to rely on that "hey a local boy/girl made good!" mentality that The Real America has because this city doesn't have a chip on its shoulder or that boonies/sticks way of life. But in the case of Sharon Jones, it's irresistible to say. The former Rikers Island corrections officer really is a remarkable story of success and how sweet it is.

The Budos Band alternated between a great soul/funk wham and a lengthy psychedelic jam. They should have stuck to the former.

CORRECTED: Metric; Joan as Police Woman; Holly Miranda @ Prospect Park

2010-08-06T07:11:00.006-04:00

Metric; Joan as Police Woman; Holly Miranda
@ Prospect Park
Brooklyn, NY - August 5, 2010

Mammoth Correction (August 10th, 2010) - You know why "Eclipse" sounded so much better live than on the record? Because it wasn't "Eclipse"! It was the great song "Black Sheep" from the upcoming and less derision-inducing looking Scott Pilgrim film, thereby making all of my oh-so-witty slams about Twilight completely irrelevant. They didn't even play that damn song. Goes to show what I know when I listen to things one or two times in this mp3-of-the-moment world. And for further ass-kicking, I'm not even entirely confident that they didn't play "Black Sheep" as the kick off at the Terminal 5 show. And what really hurts is that I went back and listened to "Eclipse" after the concert to see if that really is what I heard because I had only heard the song once before. I totally forgot about the OTHER NEW SONG that I had only listened to once but actually liked. But "actually liked" still only counts for one or two listenings in this don't-have-time-to-actually-love-music-gotta-blog-about-it-fast-though 21st century life (see "mp3-of-the-moment" lament above). So the original opening paragraph of the review is modified below. Apologies to the band, apologies to "Black Sheep", and thanks to the Brooklyn Vegan commenters who pointed out a clear bone headed mistake.

Amended review follows:

Metric played pretty much the exact same set (shaved a song or two) in the exact same way as they did at Terminal 5 a few months ago but with I think two big differences.The first was they kicked off with "Black Sheep" - the imposing single from the upcoming film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - NOT the song "Eclipse (All Yours)" - their single from the Twilight soundtrack, which is nevertheless still some big deal with a lot of people (and despite my original error, I still wouldn't know, because I refuse to watch anything in which vampires sparkle in the sun instead of burn - why should my lack of ability as a hack writer get in the way of protecting sound vampire logic?).

"Black Sheep" of course makes sense as a kick off because it fits right into the Metric mold. The other big - and for sure - difference was the band sounded better as a whole in the open air of Prospect Park than they did at the acoustic horror of Terminal 5. Same band, same performance, better venue = the awesome thunder of Metric in full display. And I thought they actually sounded fine at Terminal 5 which goes to show how bad Terminal 5 really is.

I was still reeling from Shaw's solo in "Gold Guns Girls" from the last time and now he's done it again, and now I don't know if I'll recover for the rest of the year.

Emily Haines was having almost too good a time. During the acoustic "Combat Baby" finale, she got distracted by people posturing and being silly in the crowd. But this is her way. The band may have a tight, ultra professional big time production value but they are still people just having fun playing some music. A few weeks ago she used this thing called The Twitter (another big deal I don't quite get), and wrote how it was 2 in the morning and she was sitting across from two big time rock star guys having a conversation and it was one of THOSE oh-my-god-we've-made-it moments. No ego. None. Someone tell that to the two guys having the conversation.

While the open air worked in Metric's favor, it actually backfired against the opening acts. Joan Wasser's shows have been reviewed here before and they've been great. Tonight not so much. A little too meandering for the confines. And she's tired of "To Be Loved"? Really? Holly Miranda played one perfect beautiful soul song (Otis cover?) and a whole bunch of serious alt pop that got lost in the crowd. Both acts would have sounded better in a small club.

The Gories; Death @ Lincoln Center

2010-08-01T09:07:00.003-04:00

The Gories; Death
@ Lincoln Center
New York, NY - July 31, 2010

Well this was an odd one. A heady mix of punks young and old and aristocratic Lincoln Center patrons who shushed those punks and told them to sit down came out for the first half of the second half of the Ponderosa Stomp at Lincoln Center's Out of Doors festival at the bandshell shaped like a split-open pearl onion. This year's theme was "Detroit Breakdown" courtesy of some little old man from Lincoln Center and a jew-fro'd Motor City connoisseur named Dr. Ike. I am not making any of this up. This is not a scene in a Pynchon short.

By all rights and merits, I should be flipping my lid and doing a dance across I-80. During the Detroit Craze, there were two bands that existed some 10-15 years before that were constantly cited as the direct roots of all that was happening at that time. One of those bands were Goober & The Peas. The other were the Gories, the band that would eventually give us the Dirtbombs, the Demolition Doll Rods, and a thousand bastard sons of the Motor City garage rock scene. Both bands have reunited. If this was 2003, 4, 5, even 6, I'd be doing the curly shuffle. Instead I am merely giddy on the inside, full of nostalgia for that nostalgia of a few years ago. By coincidental aid, I recently read the trip down memory lane called We Never Learn, written by Eric Davidson of the New Bomb Turks. It paid heavy focus on the Gories, (and a little bit at the end about the retro garage craze of the early 2000's which was were I came in). I noticed Mr. Davidson in the crowd but didn't get the opportunity to tell him he wrote a good book which shares another certain writer's penchant for run-on sentences and over-the-top descriptions of rock bands.

So this is what those Gories records would sound like if they knew how to play their instruments better! Hitting the notes (all two of 'em), tight and crisp, full of that same energy and raw power but with a deference to professionalism . Hopefully, it still offended the ears of the resident patrons. But only if they knew how it once could have been - a loud, sloppy, stain-your-dress mess. It's nice to see Dan Kroha perform in actual clothes (red shirt with white polka-dots do make the man). It's nice to finally see in action the mysterious, long heard about Peg O'Neil, whose drumming style and stage presence caused some in the crowd around me to observe that she was reminiscent of a another former Detroit resident who drummed in a simple garage band. Of course that drummer arrived well after Peg left the scene so this was a chance to see how that whole puzzle came together. And of course, it's nice to see Mick Collins period.
This was a real treat. "Thunderbird ESQ" and "Nitroglycerin" LIVE and by the band who made those songs. Mick singing the blues - THE BLUES! MICK! I'd never thought I'd see the day. And while all the memories of that time flowed back (not the original time of the Gories but the time in which they were remembered), it didn't feel like a nostalgia show. It felt immediate. It felt like some things were meant to resume and pick up where you left off. If only for 45 minutes.

Death came to Lincoln Center. It was still a medium-paced set, like the one at Europa, but it got a little sweatier and a little more ferocious by the end, as the band fed off the swelling number of people choosing to stand by the barrier and in the aisles. Credit goes to one young man in a green shirt who refused to let the stiffs carry the day. A one man pep rally, the lad danced and half-moshed by his lonesome, which convinced others to at least stand with him and bob their heads. Truly, rock n roll and good decency came together. Which is kind of like Death - the ultimate sounding in loud, talented rock n roll but played by gentlemen with distinct class.

The Swell Season; The Low Anthem @ Prospect Park

2010-07-31T00:03:00.003-04:00

The Swell Season; The Low Anthem
@ Prospect Park
Brooklyn, NY - July 30, 2010

When Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová starred in the miraculous 2007 movie Once, most who saw it said it was a great love story. A few, wiser, people saw it for what it really was: a great story about how an album gets made. These actors were musicians after all. So rather than become big movie stars after the stunning victory at the Oscars for Best Song, the duo went back to what they really know - crafting folk pop (slightly melo-)drama but this time playing to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

In support of a new record, Strict Joy, the Swell Season came to Brooklyn to play to a hypnotized, but almost manic crowd. "Low Rising" from Strict Joy represented the best of where the Swell Season are going - soulful, deep seeded pop music. So no surprise when they later turned out Van the Man's "Into the Mystic", with a backing New York horn section. And they kept the orchestral machinations of the Once soundtrack to a minimum , focusing instead on electric and acoustic guitars, relying on one solid fiddle player for strings. And of course they shined strongest on the sparse acoustic torch songs, just the two of them on "Falling Slowly" (the way the song was meant to be played), and Glenn in particular on the almost over-the-top-it's-so-good "Say It To Me Now".

Meanwhile, The Low Anthem just about stole the damn show. The Low Anthem are a band, and Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is a record, that personifies American roots without immediately summoning a particular brand of it. What's evoked is a creeky, wooden empty room in a house, about sundown, and a few candles or incandescent bulbs alight in a chandelier. The guitars, the horns, the keys, the saw, that amazing upright bass (with a solo for the books) - the ghosts of America, thoughtful and contemplative, lost. Something where Moby Dick, Andrew Jackson, the Civil War, and Leadbelly have a get together.

The Swell Season and the Low Anthem had a get together themselves by the end of the night, with Josh Ritter to boot, in a fitting rendition of the ol' "You Ain't Going Nowhere".

George Thorogood & The Destroyers @ Asser Levy Park

2010-07-29T23:49:00.003-04:00

George Thorogood & The Destroyers; Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
@ Asser Levy Park
Brooklyn, NY - July 29, 2010

The meshegunah rebs at the schuls across the street huffed and puffed over the infernal racket coming from the Asser Levy Park bandshell, as that annoying Marty Markowitz put on yet another display of ungodly offense, this time in the form of that most bad of bad boys, that young whippersnapper named George Thorogood and his depraved, deafening Destroyers.

The only cultural export in the history of the state of Delaware, George Thorogood & the Destroyers put on a show that represented a full-circle reflection. When I was but a mere child, George Thorogood was the guy with the one 80's blues-rock hit "Bad to the Bone" and I knew so because Alvin & The Chipmunks redid the video. About 15 years later, the course of learning music revealed a new truth: George Thorogood was a meaty, snarling rock n roll machine, long honoring the greats like Bo Diddley and Hank Williams and then tearing it up in his own right. He was an underappreciated, unsung hero of what rock n roll meant, not just another stop on the nostalgia tour at the Westbury County Fair.

He showed it tonight. John Lee Hooker may still be the legend of choice via "One Bourbon...", but take "I Drink Alone" to see George himself steer an ode to whiskey abandon. And though he may never have been one for the "punks", "Gearjammer" is STILL as fast and whiplash-ready as anything can get. And to bring it home, the deep, jaunty "Madison Blues". The steady rolling man - the drama-less, almost story-less George Thorogood continues to remind people like yours truly that HOLY CRAP THIS GUY HAS MATTERED.

At the end of the opening set, Southside Johnny said "we're from New Jersey, don't hold it against us!" And we didn't. Because Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes made more like they were from New Orleans, as is their way to be after all these years. With horns strong and the boogie woogie piana a-fingered, this was a ripe way to kick it off.

Siren Music Festival 2010: Matt & Kim, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart; Surfer Blood, Screaming Females

2010-07-18T11:45:00.004-04:00

Siren Music Festival 2010: Matt & Kim, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart; Surfer Blood, Screaming Females
@ Coney Island
Brooklyn, NY - July 17, 2010

It was another brutally hot and obnoxiously crowded Siren fest, fitting for the 10th go-round. But unlike any of the few I've been to before, this one had an all-day worthy line-up on one of the stages and though this year was partially billed as a unique year in which previous performers were brought back, it was all essentially fresh and new to me and it made for the best damn Siren fest I've ever been to.

I have known of the Screaming Females for some time now but I have never give them the time of the day. I had it on good authority that I was missing something special. That the guitar chops and vocals of Marissa Paternoster were of another game entirely, that most musicians are just kicking the can around compared to her. I passed up every opportunity to find out whether this was true. The time to find out came at 2PM on July 17, 2010 in the shadow of the Cyclone. And all that was told before proved to be true. Almost like selling a religion but having the proof to actually make converts, this is the essence, the awesome power, of the Screaming Females. Paternoster's guitar is up there with the guitarists in the bands that I tend to never stop liking and never stop going on about. The fact that the bass and drums are excellent compliments only solidify the deal. The fact that this is how the day started, with this fairly rookie prospect, lent the day the makings of a narrative...

Surfer Blood had a catchy song last year with "Swim (to Reach the End)". They proved to have other songs that were just as catchy. Unfortunately, the one time I saw them was at a CMJ show at Brooklyn Bowl that took too long to set-up and then had tech problems. All that can be forgotten now as the nice Florida boys in Surfer Blood played a very fun, very deft set at Siren. Their excellent (and wild-haired) percussionist kept the whole thing moving along while riffs and melodies abounded. The lead singer (John Paul Pitts I believe?) has a sharp, distinct voice that has a bit of 80's Brit and even a bit of Elvis thrown in. Elvis plus tropical-inspired rock can riskily make one think of "Clambake" but thankfully the gang pulls it off.

After a brief stop home with the Sonic Parthenon crew for lunch, the second half of Siren 2010 began with the now established titans of the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Not content to have had just one album to be remembered by, the Pains are plotting to give us a second, led by the shattering single "Say No to Love". Creatively, the Pains seem to have zeroed in on a small set of themes, riffs, chords, and jangles but they are making the most of them. One of my cohorts at Siren this year was DJ Rez from Thor Radio.com and his take on the Pains was that they while they could play it loud and fast, they are really a pop music act and by nature are very gentle no matter what else they may try to do. So I retorted "Camera Obscura turned to 11". I didn't think of a High Fidelity-style mentioning of the Jesus and Mary Chain to win the day but that was because the heat was getting to me.

The narrative of Siren 2010 came to catharsis with Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. Much like with the babes-in-the-woods Screaming Females, I have never taken the time to listen to the long-toiling, much-respected Ted Leo. In hindsight, now having seen him play, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It was so illogical as to be shameful. But perhaps we can fix that now. What a show! A few songs merited a bit more defining, there was a hardcore sound here, a poppy sound there but by and large, Ted Leo is straight-up, no messing around, can't call it anything else, but ROCK AND ROLL. I haven't had that much fun watching and listening to a band that wasn't the same handful of my favorites in a looooong time. And by loooong time I mean the Screaming Females from four hours before. But before that, it's been a real long time. The narrative came to an end when Marissa from Screaming Females joined Ted and the band on stage for one wild number. There they were - the vet and the rook - bookends of a damned good Siren festival - each making rock n roll that I have neglected for too long and can't neglect anymore.

Oh yeah Matt & Kim. Uhhh...doesn't really fit into the story here...hmmm...ok....cutsie poo song "Daylight" is fun...cutsie poo look and antics has its appeal...nice live set (with the Biz Markie cover, that was nice)...don't quite get the rabid popularity but it's not insane or totally without merit...hey let's get more Nathans!

Parliament-Funkedelic; The Ohio Players @ Wingate Field

2010-07-13T09:45:00.004-04:00

Parliament-Funkedelic; The Ohio Players
@ Wingate Field
Brooklyn, NY - July 12, 2010

The session of Parliament-Funkedelic (heretofore known as "P-Funk") was called to order by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. It was called in honor of Martin Luther King. 2 motions were passed unanimously:

Resolved - The people desire the funk. It is to be surrendered upon demand. This was declared as such because of the funk's necessity. Once the funk was retrieved, it was determined that the funk would be displayed in a turning fashion befitting its matriarchal status.

Resolved - It is so decreed that the festive function as performed by P-Funk cannot be compared to any other festive function because a P-Funk festive function never ceases in its operation.

George Clinton may be a little wayward these days with his doo-rag and baggy clothes and the uncomfortable display of his granddaughter gangsta rapping about sex, but he is still THE George Clinton and he will forever BE THE George Clinton so he can get a pass. The rising tide of the funk, the cascading horns and incessant rhythm, the impenetrable bass lines, and the inherent gravitas of the old man cannot be denied. And to hell with that damned Cynero!

A breakout of the Funk claims a dozen souls in the crowd at this session of Parliament.

The Ohio Players take the rare distinction of being an opening act who played longer than the headliner. And they put on their orchestral soul for most of their act before finally bringing out the Love Rollercoaster. All good funk needs its soul. And in keeping with the openly spiritual calling of the night, the leader of the Ohio Players reminded us all in the audience that HE is always with us, HE will always guide us, HE will always be there in our hearts to show us the way, if only we let HIM in. Of course the HE in question is Marty Markowitz. Who else?

Psychobilly Luau: Pyscho Charger, The Arkhams, The Othermen @ Bell House

2010-07-11T20:12:00.004-04:00

Psychobilly Luau: Pyscho Charger, The Arkhams, The Othermen
@ Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - July 10, 2010

The field of psychobilly (a term for souped-up rockabilly, perfected by the incredible man and band known all the world over as the very good Reverend Horton Heat) gets an annual 2-day luau in New York City and reveals that like all rock n roll sub-genres, it can be a crackerjack bit of diversity. I caught 3 bands:

The Othermen are a wily bunch of cats with an affection and affliction for not just the rockabilly and later 60's garage roots but the perpetual punk revivals of these sounds going back 30 years. This was raw gut punching rock but with a smile and a burp. Your mama would probably run away scared from the ferociousness of the Othermen if she wasn't so busy fawning over their good looks and dorky charm.

The excellently named Arkhams are led by an upright bass-playing doppelganger of young Orson Welles. If that wasn't enough, one of their guitar players could pass for Elvis Costello. For no real reason they have a blondie who dances and strips to her pasties and does it for comedy in addition to sex. I'd have paid more attention to her if the band wasn't so good. But unfortunately for everyone they are. The Arkhams have a deep reserve of powerful songs and they can do mean covers, as they did this time with Fear. This band ought to be hounding the citizens of Gotham for a long time to come. Mwhahahaha - you don't know how happy I am that I can write that.

Psycho Charger do this oft-used method in underground rock: come out and perform in over-the-top scary makeup but turn out to be silly, goofy guys who make no bones about just having some fun. Caked in black make-up almost from head to toe, and decked out only in underwear, the kind of foppish Psycho Charger play the 50's b-movie horror and surf rock. In fact I am pretty sure this its own genre within a genre within a genre and if John Waters ever chooses to remake Ed Wood's "Plan 9", he could make do with this outfit.

The Ramblers; Bryan Dunn @ Mercury Lounge; Patrick Thomas @ Rockwood Music Hall

2010-07-05T20:37:00.004-04:00

The Ramblers; Bryan Dunn; Bucky Hayes
@ Mercury Lounge
New York, NY - July 3, 2010

Patrick Thomas
@ Rockwood Music Hall
New York, NY - July 2, 2010

It was a July 4th weekend for the singers and songwriters in New York City, particularly down on the Lower East Side which last I checked still managed to churn out a snifter of class or two in a sea of clubbers and Sex and the City types.

At Rockwood on Friday, Patrick Thomas played less than an hour but handed out a set to be remembered. He proved to be an adept bar rocker the first time I saw him but this time he displayed some very deliberative, very gut-punching ballads. It must be said folks: he's a keeper.

The Ramblers have that thing. You know the thing in which a band reminds of you this and that but you can't quite name this and that because they sound like a thing all their own. Yeah that thing. Name the greats in country and rock and these guys know it but they have their own graceful spin on what's come before and it makes for a smiley time variety hour.

Alright by now you know if you read this blog you know the work of Mr. Dunn. It was another inspiring set on a New York stage that while it is not the biggest, it is the best (some say the Bowery Ballroom stage is the best and you know what? Bryan's played there too, so there). There's a new record coming. Spread the word. It's gonna be gangbusters.

Bucky Hayes can be a reminder of all things good that must come to pass. But in addition to the roots that make rock what it is, there's also in the Bucky Hayes milieu a desire for the big guitar pop solo, the wailing kind, that has bettered power pop balladry for the last 20 years. I'm a sucker for that stuff.

Apples in Stereo @ South Street Seaport

2010-06-28T09:48:00.002-04:00

Apples in Stereo
@ South Street Seaport
New York, NY - June 26, 2010

It figured that as the Apples in Stereo have been a kind of PG version of the Flaming Lips, that they would be ripe to cap off a kids day theme event. After playing their mix of 60's acid-free acid-rock and their new stabs at disco ("Dance Floor" is still killing after a few months) the band got together with the opening act, the Broooklyn Youth Chorus and some of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, for a version of "Energy". Chief Apple Robert Schneider was so touched by hearing children and strings accompany the song he wrote for his own child, he asked them to do it again without the Apples and it was a sweet moment. Then there were fireworks. That's how you do in this town.

Norah Jones @ Prospect Park

2010-06-09T22:57:00.003-04:00

Norah Jones
@ Prospect Park
Brooklyn, NY - June 9, 2010

In June 2003, I saw Norah Jones for the first time in a soaking Philadelphia rain. Now, almost 7 years to the day, I see her in full concert for only the second time...and again in a steady, soaking rain. In between these gigs, Norah has done herself pretty well - becoming a music world heavy after her stunning debut record, settling into a popular but not overwhelming rhythm through a few more solo records, some major collaboration (including with some old schmo named Ray Charles), and a couple of side projects dabbling in country and some silly grungey punk-rock for the rock club crowd. Her last major solo record, last year's The Fall, was promised as a "Tom Waits"-y turn from her usual major sellers. Assuming that meant a more sinister hobo-ish facade to her Jazzy blues and country, Norah didn't deliver. But she did make a more modern sounding (and more guitar-based) record while retaining her delicate, sometimes almost too-good-to-be-true sense of what the music is all about.

Polka-dotted and flowered-haired, Norah fittingly kicked off Celebrate Brooklyn's 32nd season at the Band Shell in Prospect Park as a fairly new Brooklyn resident (she can stay, most of these chatty, "look I'm so funny I need to shout something out that I think is witty" yipsters can go, just leave the money). She showed some of that Brooklyn grit by playing most of The Fall (including "Back to Manhattan" which sounded beautiful despite ill-fitting). She ignored Come Away With Me till the very end, playing a sparse version of the Big One, "Don't Know Why", before concluding the set with "Lonestar" and the encore with the first LP title track. "Sunrise", "What Am I To You" and "Creep On In" were trotted out from Feels Like Home, and Not Too Late, a semi letdown that was also too quickly forsaken, wasn't entirely forgotten when Norah played the underrated "Sinkin Soon" which is way more Tom Waits-y than anything on The Fall.

Never content to just do her own work, even after three albums of almost all originals, Norah had her still newly revamped play some Cash ("Cry, Cry, Cry" for the Sun Records lovers) and Neil Young. She spent a lot of time on electric guitar but still looked to old country and the standards for inspiration. Norah is taking little pokes in progress as time goes on but she is still, and always will be, the gem of her generation, the great communicator of a variety of sounds, speaking to the music world on a plain and simple level. Like a Brooklyn girl should.

Camera Obscura @ One Hanson Place

2010-06-06T16:02:00.002-04:00

Camera Obscura
@ One Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY - June 6, 2010

All gigs should almost be like this. In the hallway of Brooklyn's landmark old skyscraper - a flea market full of cabana wear, old western pulp novels, Archie comic bottletop earrings, and live Lou Reed and Miles Davis records. Downstairs in the old vault of the old Williamsburg Savings Bank, Camera Obscura played a short set in prep for tomorrow night's sold out show at the Grand Ballroom. Free, with ice cream. What we could have done without were the stuffy heat and the lack of sightlines and the odd crowd too busy talking to notice that the band had come out and started playing. Regardless, the band sounded fine if a bit muted in the confines. But that didn't stop the run from "Let's Get Out of This Country" to "Eighties Fan" (with "French Navy", "Hey Lloyd...", and a couple others thrown in) feeling perky. Little things like this make me wish that of all the bands who actually DON'T live in Brooklyn, this band really probably should. Sigh.

Conan O'Brien (and many friends) @ Radio City Music Hall

2010-06-02T01:24:00.002-04:00

Conan O'Brien; Reggie Watts
@ Radio City Music Hall
New York, NY - June 1, 2010

Just 200 feet from the scene of the crime, Conan O'Brien made his performing return to New York City via the Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour, a lengthy cross-continental romp designed to keep him fresh and in the public consciousness while Jay Leno entertains a couple million soft-headed old fuddy-duddies and Conan himself prepares for his autumn return on TBS.

The basic format of the live show was a drawn out, uncensored (but still fairly PG-13, TV-14 whatever) version of his television show. Andy Richter was back in his old sidekick role. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog appeared in a taped monologue which included an old Conan-era Simpsons bit - the dubbed-in specific proper noun to fit between the generic jokes. That bear who found onanistic pleasure (and whose original name may be the intellectual property of the guys across the street) was there.

Despite the old format, Conan relied somewhat surprisingly on musical numbers - including a poke at mundane upper class upbringing and ending the show with a cover of "The Weight" (snob moment: the version was clearly inspired by the Band's performance in The Last Waltz, what with the Cokettes singing verses). But Conan's emphasis on music was unnecessary as he continues to work with the once-upon-a-time Max Weinberg 7 (now known as the Legally Prohibited Band). The outfit, now officially led by Jimmy Vivino, remain the amazingly tight and talented troupe they have been for 17 years. How did Mark Pender hold that note?!?! Also none too shabby was the appearance of Vampire Weekend - playing a rocking version of "Wolcott" in the guest-band slot.

And in the stand-up guest slot was Deon Cole, a staff writer on the Tonight Show run, who relied on a narrative of surveying the audience for future material and racial difference humor (and who riffed on some hipster's pretty direct racial bait call-out). Good delivery, creepy eyes.

The big spectacle though were the marquee guests. Stephen Colbert appeared in character to question Conan's New York credentials and to challenge Conan to a dance-off. Stephen pulled his classic fake injury move in order to get a sub in. Who else but Jon Stewart - Conan's future 11pm rival - dressed in Mexican dance regalia to save his Comedy Central colleague? If that wasn't enough, Paul Rudd, John Krasinski, and Bill Hader all appeared to pull the lever for random Walker, Texas Ranger clips - the clips needing no celebrity cameos to be extremely awesome.

With all of this surrounding him, it was easy - and perhaps somewhat purposely so - to forget that Conan was the star of all this. As naturally funny as Conan is, the goofy, lanky, awkward geek always shined most when being in good company. That company includes the audience. Unlike any other late night host, Conan had a direct, almost intimate relationship with his fans. That intimacy carried over into the live show, specifically in a bit in which the crowd is supposed to respond in conversation with Conan. The crowd quickly caught on that they/we were supposed to be difficult and to make Conan feel inadequate. And everyone pretty much got the joke.

Conan's bitterness over the fiasco at NBC came up consistently throughout the show but it never dominated the set (despite the tour title and the crazily close surroundings of this venue). And the bitterness was tinged with that sweet sense of humanity this guy has always had. Conan made as much fun of his own expected, perceived despondency as he made of the suits (and The Chin) at the network. And his rant about living in a media world which has not one but two shows about guys who make cakes, maybe signaled that the future of Conan's comedy may be in the vein of a wise old salty crank.

Reggie Watts, a fast rising comedic/music talent, opened the night with the kind of skill at dissecting and reinventing the English language in ways not seen since the likes of Carlin. His explanation of music, and the balladry of how an owl eats, took apart both the art of description and the deceptive ease of how certain music feels. The parody on rap was biting and a bit heavy handed but was dwarfed by Reggie's actual ability to rap. His accent switching was an old trope but a well crafted one. Nothing proves the persnickety nature of the language like an Oxford accent.

Metric @ Terminal 5

2010-05-17T00:15:00.002-04:00

Metric; Bear in Heaven
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - May 16, 2010

Capping off a weekend of if it ain't broke, don't fix it, Metric affirmed that bands that matter develop a sound, finesse it, work with it, deviate in creative yet familiar ways and just simply give it their all. I passed up seeing the band play this venue last June, thinking they would be back again in the late summer or early fall. But they didn't come back. And so 2009 passed in which I didn't see a live performance by one of my favorite bands, one of the best live acts in the world, and it was in the year in which they put out their first record in four years, the best record of 2009 - Fantasies.
And because Fantasies is essentially an album of 10 singles, Metric's live game is now on another level. They were already an immense experience but there were still whispers of the original soft-spoken electric-pop duo that made its way up in New York before hauling off to Toronto. Now armed with an array of well-worked loud rock n roll numbers, Metric is all MEGA all the time. It really shines on "Gold Guns Girls" in which Mr. Shaw unloads a live solo for the ages. It's hard to make the guitar stand out in bass-and-drum heavy T5 but Jimmy Shaw tamed the beast. It's no surprise that "Stadium Love" is designed to work exactly as its name intends - an anthem to end all anthems. When I first heard this song at the Highline show in 2008, I spent the next 8 months searching every day for some sort of recording of it to get that feeling back. I had to wait till Fantasies. Then live I had to wait till tonight. It was worth the wait.
The music wasn't the only thing amplified. The light show, something of a Metric staple, has gone off the charts. I mean the seizure-inducing-charts. Tone it down, guys. In fact the only thing not amped up to 11 was "Combat Baby", which is now the set-ending acoustic balladeer (and it was fine but the original sound was missed).
Am I really going to get through this without writing about Emily? I could say, "I already did. She IS Metric." But that's inaccurate. While her voice and her stage presence and her lyrics make her the center of gravity, she is - and she knows she is and embraces it - part of a bigger picture. With Jimmy, Josh, and Joules, Emily has more than just a trio of talented guys. She has a BAND. It has been a weekend (and a good few weeks) of reminders of what it means in rock n roll to have a BAND.

Bear in Heaven are your typical Indie band of the moment: they sound both a bit spaced-out and a bit like an 80's soundtrack. They have prominent facial hair action. And they have "Bear" in their name. They were better than I was originally willing to give them credit for. The lead vocalist (he of the 'tache) had a heck of a voice and put it to use.

The National @ BAM

2010-05-16T17:17:00.004-04:00

The National
@Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard Gilman Opera House
Brooklyn, NY - May 15, 2010

Years ago, the biggest band in Indie was the Arcade Fire. Premised on one record. And during their run for that record, they had as an opening act the National. Some five, six years later, the Arcade Fire are something of an occasional project that are thought of with more nostalgia than anything else. And the National have continued to rise and rise, in both popularity, praise, and in their own sense of sound and intensity. Record after record, show after show, the National build and build. Alligator may or may not prove to be the peak of their albums, but they have been riding a wave ever since, and right now, everything they touch turns to gold.

This charity show, filmed by DA Pennebaker, and broadcast live on YouTube (and archived here) was an Event. Capital E. Not because of the acclaimed filmmaker documenting it, not because of the celebrities in the crowd, but because the band made it so. People came to SEE and HEAR this band. And they got what they came for. During the immense "Bloodbuzz, Ohio", Matt Berninger made his way out into the crowd and lifted up by hand the seated members of the audience. Just because the National are a band for people with substance doesn't mean the people with substance can't let loose. It's in that way that a band that is sometimes as right and proper as the National can still lay claim to being a rock n roll band.

And the band radiated for all this. In the shine of all the lights from the broadcasting cameras, the National - joined by Padma, and Sufjan, and the rest of their extra bandmates - coursed through High Violet, a record that even with some soggy mid tracks, has enough of that rising tide of shimmering glow that define the band. The National probably break the record for most songs that give goosebumps.

Not to be outdone by the new record, prior successes found new ways to sparkle. "Apartment Story" has reached a new high, becoming something of an anthemic rock song. "All the Wine" is showcased as the heart-pumper it is, though it is being toyed with and reshaped as in an experiment. "Abel" and "Mr. November" remain the showstoppers, your last glimpses of the time our baritone vocalist screamed till he sounded like he bled. Like the last time the National played BAM, Berninger took it to the crowd over and above and across the seats, but this time all the way to the back and practically out the door. Again, despite their sometimes rigid milieu, the National are a ROCK band and you did come to see a rock show.

Perhaps enthused and embued with the energy of the crowd, and the momentum of all the new record is bringing, the National were as talkative and happy as I've ever seen them. Matt wasn't just doing his hypnotic fits, he was letting us know he was enjoying doing them. Good lord, there was even lengthy joking banter between the band. Everything clicked.

So this band is an event. But they make that connection on an intimate level. And this band is in some snazzy company. But they aren't part of a hard-to-figure-out elite. They're just some guys from Cincinnati who moved to Brooklyn and play in a band and they just so happened to become the best at what they do.

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Spring 2010 Part 2

2010-05-11T19:33:00.002-04:00

Nellie McKay - "If I Ever Had a Dream"
Feisty, combative McKay has gone all-smooth in her loving tribute to Doris Day.

Mumford & Sons - "Little Lion Man"
This deceptive pop song by these folky Brits grew on me something fierce and proves that the banjo really works as a background rock instrument.

Tallest Man on Earth - "King of Spain"
Between the big rock bands, the punk rock, and the dance grooves all over the scenes, it's good to take a step back and just take in a singer and their guitar. Like this one for instance.

The Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition"
I can't commit to this being a rock band in the way that a lot of people think of them. But they are substance over style. Would I be slapped for saying I hear those late 70's/early 80's crooners like Hall & Oates, not just the English pop of the time? The point is, this song was used to excess in (500) Days of Summer, the movie that helped me break up with Zooey Deschannel (hey what about that second She & Him record? I'm busy).

Two Door Cinema Club - "Eat That Up, It's Good For You"
This was an honorable mention on the last playlist. I had no inkling it would grow on me and then accelerate into a dominant Ipod favorite. It's in the vain of the cutesy-poo Indie pop I have been loving for a couple of years. They make me continue to use the present tense. In the present participle form anyway.

Title Tracks - "Every Little Bit Hurts"
Following the sudden break-up of Georgie James, John Davis continues his highly melodic power pop ways with Title Tracks and he sports this nifty single that was a highlight of the spring. Unlikely Dischord Records label star?

Honorable Mentions
The Besnard Lakes - "Albatross"
Broken Bells - "The Mall & Misery"
Class Actress - "Let Me Take You Out"
Sierra-Leone Refugee All-Stars - "Living Stone"
Angus & Julia Stone - "Santa Monica Dream"
Tracey Thorn - "Why Does The Wind"

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Spring 2010 Part 1

2010-05-11T19:20:00.008-04:00

In continued proof that the album is dead, this period's playlist is almost exclusively singles. The two exceptions are almost unfair givens, especially considering I only listened to one of them in full for the first time today. That being said, the next playlist may very well be almost entirely made of albums as the Summer of 2010 promises to be a ridiculously productive LP season.

Against Me - "I Was A Teenage Anarchist"
I once dismissed band as a pop-punk throwaway with a take-it-or-leave-it social consciousness, but they got me. An anthem for every bitter, disappointed, idealistic, ideological lefty who remembers their youth of rage when they caught they could make a difference. Sigh. Old times.

Apples in Stereo - "Dance Floor"
Club-infused rock has become the almost dominant form of Indie rock, at least in terms of the screaming multitudes of bands (while more varied and more conventional Indie rock acts - the Spoons, the Animal Collectives, the Grizzzzzzzzzzzzly Bears - zzzz's for sleep) are considered the elite. The very cheery, sunny Apples in Stereo take a stab at the dance floor with "Dance Floor" and completely obliterate everyone else away. The record is probably good. I should listen to it. Soundtrack of the summer.

Birthday Suits - "Table Talk"
A loud, boisterous bit of speak-sing rock. Cute band name.

Julian Casablancas - "Out of the Blue"
Phrazes for the Young kind of loses its way but at least I gave it a try. This single from the Strokes singer's solo record is not only the best of the bunch, it is a killer. The opening verse is some of the most amazing lyrics I've heard in a long, long time:

Somewhere along the way
My hopefulness turned to sadness
Somewhere along the way
My sadness turned to bitterness
Somewhere along the way
My bitterness turned to anger
Somewhere along the way
My anger turned to vengeance
And the ones that I make pay
But never the ones who deserve it
And the ones who deserve it
They'll never understand it.
Yes, I know I'm going to hell in a purple basket
At least I'll be in another world
But you'll be pissing on my casket

Goldfrapp - "Rocket"
So this Lady Gaga. Everyone seems to be making a big deal of this Lady Gaga. Thing is, someone out there kind of has all that same magnetism, and that penchant for catchy, Euro club hooks & melodies, without making a fool of herself. Her name is Alison Goldfrapp. And yes that is her real name. I guess.

John Hiatt - "The Open Road"
Johh Hiatt is more of a respected songwriter than anything else which is a damn shame because he has some of the most thoroughly lasting recording work of any of his peers. From "Sure As I'm Sitting Here" to Slow Turning and Bring The Family to "Perfectly Good Guitar" and "Everybody Went Low", he has never stopped making great music. He didn't break with "My Baby Blue" a few years ago and he's done it again "The Open Road". He has always been one of my favorite artists if only because he makes a hit, it's a grand slam.

The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever
You know I like it. But seriously - "The Weekenders" - should be a big hit putting the boys in stadiums. And maybe it just will. Or not. Either way, it's not Separation Sunday or Boys & Girls in America but it is good. Very very good. It is equal parts blatant pop-rock and total classic rock throwback. But there is still the deference to the bar band and hardcore punk that are the combined roots of Craig Finn's lyrics and musical preferences. It's not the Kirby Puckett-style home run of their two big documents, but it's a triple if not an in-the-park play-at-the-plate, like Stay Positive (like the end of the Twins-Braves World Series). Think I'm done with the baseball analogies?

Jaguar Love - "I Started A Fire"
I will never forget how I saw all of 15 seconds of this band at Siren Festival to walk away. It was that bad that fast. Yet, back then they also had "Highways of Gold" which was a catchy rocker once you got passed the grating high pitched vocals of Johnny Whitney (formerly of the terrible Blood Brothers). Now in "I Started a Fire", Whitney has tempered the vocals some and it makes for another hit song. I am almost sorry I hated those 15 seconds. Almost.

Damien Jurado - "Arkansas"
It took a couple of weeks after listening to this song to realize I've seen this guy. He opened for Okkervil River on The Stage Names tour. He was so serene and Indie (big I) as to fade away but that laid back style has found its footing. This almost doo-wop-ish memory is serene in the right way.

Lonelady - "Intuition"
I know nothing much except that I like this song. That goes for knowledge of the artist and life in general. The Internet gives me knowledge. Of the artist. Not necessarily life in general. Are we understood?

The National - High Violet
Upon initial listen of the whole LP, it seems "Blood Buzz Ohio" may be the true highlight. But by no means have the National struck out. "Terrible Love" - which comes off gleaming in that Pitchfork film - is exactly the National as we know them, before a few tracks establish a bit of a more inward, less dramatic affair (not so much a return to the first couple records as a new way of looking at old things). "Afraid of Everyone" represents the real new approach to this record: Matt Berninger has forsaken those Alligator screams seemingly for good. After the bass-voiced Boxer, Matt seems to have discovered a steady higher pitch for large swaths of song. It's good. But the bass in that lurking, menacingly disarming voice is the gravity of the band. To say nothing of the continued swells of symphonic fury the Dessners and Devendorffs do so well. The National's most "Chamber Pop" sounding record yet, (a label I never quite liked but maybe finally understand), High Violet ends with an incredible back-half. It looked the National were going down early in the 5th but leave it to the regional relatives of the Big Red Machine to come from behind and win in the bottom of the 9th. I told you I wasn't done with baseball analogies.

Free Summer Fun continues...

2010-05-05T14:57:00.001-04:00

See the updated entry (and the calendar blog of course) -

Added today: Siren Festival's preliminary line-up (the Pains, Surfer Blood), Lincoln Center Plaza with the Gories, Mitch Ryder, Death, and ? & the Mysterians.

Celebrate Summer

2010-05-04T14:57:00.011-04:00

Wed Jun 9
Norah Jones @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sat Jun 12
Allan Toussaint @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sat Jun 26
Apples in Stereo @ South Street Seaport (FREE)

Sun Jun 27
Gil Scott-Heron @ SummerStage (FREE)

Wed Jun 30
Beth Orton @ Rockefeller Park (FREE)

Thu Jul 1
Oblivians; Andre Either @ Knitting Factory (FREE RSVP)

Sat Jul 3
Portugal The Man @ Governors Island (FREE)

Sun July 4
She & Him @ The Beach at Governor's Island (FREE)
Old 97's @ South Street Seaport (FREE)

Thu Jul 8
Phosphorescent; Dawes @ Pier 54 (FREE)

Fri Jul 9
Bear in Heaven @ South Street Seaport (FREE)

Sat Jul 10
Lucero @ Governor's Island (FREE)

Sun Jul 11
The Roots; Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Fri Jul 16
Thee Oh Sees; Golden Triangle @ South Street Seaport (FREE)

Sat Jul 17
Siren Festival: Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Harlem, The Night Marchers, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Earl Greyhound, Screaming Females @ Coney Island (FREE)
Raphael Saadiq @ SummerStage (FREE)
Dr. Dog @ Governor's Island (FREE)

Tue Jul 20
Rufus Wainwright @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Thu Jul 22
The Antlers; Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54 (FREE)

Fri Jul 23
Free Energy @ South Street Seaport (FREE)

Fri Jul 30
The Swell Season; Low Anthem @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sat Jul 31
The Gories @ Lincoln Center Plaza (AFTERNOON SHOW) (FREE)
Mitch Ryder, ? & The Mysterians, Death @ Lincoln Center Plaza (EVENING SHOW) (FREE)
Sonic Youth @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sun Aug 1
St. Vincent; Tune-Yards; Basia Bulat @ SummerStage (FREE)

Thu Aug 5
Metric; Holly Miranda; Joan as Police Woman @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sat Aug 7
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; Budos Band @ Prospect Park (FREE)

Sun Aug 8
The xx; Jack Penate; Chairlift @ SummerStage (FREE)

Thu Aug 12
White Rabbits @ East River Park (FREE)

Sat Aug 14
Neon Indian @ The Beach at Governor's Island (FREE)

The Hold Steady @ Bowery Ballroom AND the Music Hall of Williamsburg

2010-04-18T12:13:00.004-04:00

The Hold Steady; J. Roddy Walston & The Business
@ Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY - April 17, 2010

The Hold Steady; The Oranges Band
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY - April 17, 2010

In the most notable one night-two gig cross-water event since Phil Collins played London and Philadelphia at Live Aid, the Hold Steady wrapped up a short tour as they continue to integrate the songs from their upcoming record, Heaven is Whenever. The shows were a study in contrasts, none of it to do with the band (except for having almost completely different setlists). The early Bowery show had a composed, almost subdued audience. When the band came out and Craig began with "Positive Jam" (a first in my experience), the audience was silent, in rapt attention - something that never happens at New York shows anymore. Amazing. The later Music Hall show had a more typical Hold Steady crowd - excessively exuberant in the middle but generally respectful (most mosh pits have guys sticking their middle finger in the air, Hold Steady mosh pits have guys - and gals - using their index finger). Even the types who seem liked yuppie scenesters just-to-be-there were actual damn fans of the band.

The big story of course, besides the new record, is that the Hold Steady are now Franz-less. The character that was the sharply dressed, bewhiskered, accordion playing keyboardist Franz Nicolay (who deliberately stuck out like a dandy version of a sore thumb but fit right in musically and wonderfully at that) is off to other pastures. He had to be replaced by two guys for the live show. Steve Selvidge on guitar (twin guitar attacks - at one point at the Williamsburg show, Craig had a fit of joy on having guitar solo in stereo) and Dan Neudstadt on keyboards and various accoutrement. The lack of an accordion wasn't really noticeable. The replacement of the harmonica with a guitar solo on "Southtown Girls" wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't the same.

When the band (and/or Vagrant) decided to release news of the new album, they said it would be a less hooky and sing-a-long affair. Then they promptly leaked 3 songs, two of which are not just hooky and sing-a-long but are produced slickly enough to qualify as pop songs - "Hurricane J" and "The Weekenders". The latter number - a sequel to "Chips Ahoy" as Craig pointed out at the Bowery show - is already an instant classic that belongs in the canon. And the former isn't too shabby either. The production value was striking and a little much upon first listen but "Hurricane J" is a terrific song and as expected, it - and "The Weekenders" - and the straight up old time rocker "Rock Problems" - all kill live. The shows also included other new songs from Heaven is Whenever - and these are the ones that are a little less insta-rock, and a little more sit-and-listen, namely "A Slight Discomfort" (heard at Bowery) and "Barely Breathing", "The Sweet Part of the City", and "We Can Get Together" (heard at MHOW).

It cannot be promised that all of Heaven is Whenever will be what someone like me wants it to be, but there is nothing to indicate so far - and certainly nothing in the continued caliber of the live show to indicate - that the Hold Steady are going to be knocked from their perch any time soon.

I caught the last few songs of the J. Roddy set at the Bowery and one day The Business will have to decide if they will be one of those one-note bands (a la AC/DC and the Ramones) or shock the world and change up their sound. In the case of their Lynyrd Skynyrd style-rock either choice wouldn't be a bad one. I will forever associate them with having CALLED IT. Seeing them at a Merc show, saying to myself "Hey these guys could open for the Hold Steady" and turn my head and see Craig Finn rocking out to 'em.

The Oranges Band have been around ten years but I have never heard of them. They are at times hard driving and at times a little more laid back (though not much). They are mature, substantive, and professional but also full of life and piss and vinegar. In other words, if I had seen them play somewhere small some time ago, I'd have said "Hey these guys could open for the Hold Steady" and I'd have CALLED IT AGAIN!

Death @ Europa

2010-04-04T02:01:00.003-04:00

Death; Rough Francis; Sister Anne
@ Europa
Brooklyn, NY - April 2, 2010

Once upon a time in the 70's ghetto of Detroit, the three brothers Hackney made loud, bellicose, but soulful stabs at the gut of rock n roll and were ready to turn the world of rock on its head. And the record industry knew it. But the brothers called themselves Death and the lord almighty of records (Clive Davis) said thou can'test call thyselves Death for tis unsellable. And maybe he was actually right but we will never know for Death chose not to compromise and with that promptly concluded themselves. They moved to Vermont and became a diverse concept of projects, namely gospel and reggae, the name of Death having been retired. One of the brothers passed away, and the world seemed destined to not know the word and sound of Death until one of the surviving brothers' sons (Bobby Sr. begat Bobby Jr.) discovered the work of his father and uncles and so began the crawl from out of the ashes and history and the rebirth of Death.

For The Whole World To See overwhelmed the Indie rock world last year. Treated as a fresh, new release because it actually sounded fresh and new, the short LP of what would have been, could have been, the most critical rock record between Fun House and Never Mind The Bollocks, ushered in not only a renaissance of Death appreciation (to say nothing of outright discovery) but the return of Death itself. Death alive again. Bobby Sr. and Dannis Hackney playing shows.

So Death came to Europa. And those years of rural Green Mountain gospel and reggae definitely had an effect on the brief explosion of urban melodic noise that was the reason we all came to see Death. Despite coming to the stage in the dark, in Grim Reaper cloaks, with a gospel-era photo of their late brother David overlooking them, all giving us a taste of the rock spectacle that might have been, the reincarnation of Death is mellower, tamer than what was put on wax all those years ago. This is best encapsulated in "Keep on Knockin'". What was an utter hurricane of controlled fury has become a more laid back, jammy affair. So it was a bit of a come down from the anticipation. But - the spirit was there, and the brothers Hackney were graceful and eloquent and warm and loving to the unbelievably packed crowd. It was a giant family experience and for that it was worth it.

And it really was a family experience. Bobby Jr. brought his band Rough Francis to the stage and they really captured the essence of that original burst of Death. Perhaps better called "Son of Death", Rough Francis started off like a sloppy garage band but became tighter and tighter as their set went on, peaking in a rampaging cover of the Damned's "New Rose". Who knew how rowdy things got up in Burlington.

Sister Anne are a local straight-from-the-source punk band. Mixing badass heavy riffage with girly delight, Sister Anne could be compared too easily but not offensively to the Slits. And the presence and ferocity of a soul-tinged lead singer also easily draw comparison (in all the good ways) to the Bellrays. But there is a spark of originality and showmanship in this band, and an appeal all their own.

I Don't Like The Dead Weather So Why Don't You Do Something About It, Chump? (or: More Confessions of an Internet Troll)

2010-03-25T21:41:00.005-04:00

It was another morning of eggshells and coffee grinds and another day of files and faxes and it was a day headed for conclusion with a rant, somewhere probably using the sub-ethanet, about bricks through politicians' windows and powders in envelopes and about guys with Parkinson's being assaulted by chicken-shit dirtbags. But alas, that had to be put aside. For an old nemesis, who of course used to be an old friendly face (as is often the case with a nemesis), reared his head. Not because he has a live record and documentary out that will be sure to tickle my nostalgia after I get over the excessive eagerness over new Hold Steady and National records. Not because someone recently portrayed him as being the normal one in that documentary about him, Edge, and Jimmy Page. Not even because his third and most current band put out a new song/video. Though it's related to that one.

Here is how it happened: I was reading the Pitchfork internet magazine when I came across the album details for that third project's new album. And buried at the end of the article was this: "[Nemesis] also took to the [current band]'s blog yesterday to post what seems to be a collection of other peoples' negative reactions to "Die By the Drop". Wow."

So - in the parlance of our times - I clicked the link.

They weren't just "other people". The contents of this blog posting from a notoriously selectively public figure were direct copied-and-pasted posts from the Internet message board of his first band. It appears some of those first band's fans don't like the direction he's gone in. It also appears he doesn't like that they don't like it, and he wants them to know it.

But as you can see if you click that link now, you need to be a subscribed member to read it (Update: you need to PAY if you want to read it, now - and it appears he's rewritten it, whatever it is now). That wasn't the case this afternoon when Pitchfork published it. So maybe he doesn't want everyone to know that he knows it.

It would be enough of a stink for a big time rock star to reveal to the world that he cares deeply about what fans of one thing that he does/did think of what he's doing now. It's more of a stink in this case. And I know. Because I was once one of those posters.

It's no secret to those who know me. I was, for four years, an avid, active, excessive poster on that message board. One of the all time kings of it. And a troll to boot. 10,000-plus posts. A fair deal of it, instigation. A fair deal of the instigation aimed at some of the decisions made by You-Know-Who. There was the idea, the possibility, that the Old Man himself read the board. And then the idea came that he posted - in secret identities - retorts and responses. Some fell into the camp that he was too big a rock star to care. Others - including myself - thought he was right in the muck, unable to shake that strangely intimate Internet-era relationship a musician can have with their fans.

Time passed, I moved on (or was driven out depending on how you think about it). But here today was proof in the pudding. He's not hiding anymore (well he's hiding again now but it's too late for backsies). He wasn't passed the information along by a sycophantic and sympathetic close tie to the board. He just upped and put it out there. And he did it in exactly the way I would have expected: a simple copy-and-paste. A "Look World! Look at how the people who have worshiped me have now forsaken me. Look at these traitors." Sick fuck. Remember what Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park? "Boy, I hate being right all the time." Well what with the man making his wife distinctly dolled-up to look like someone he once had a go-round with and now making old time fans of his feel like they can't write or express themselves without their one time idol breathing fire at them (and I know some of these people, this must be freaking them out), it appears no one is safe from the reach of a mad man. And sadly, as in all cults, the flock take it on the chin in order to keep believing.

And who would have thunk any of this way back when a few lost souls popped on a couple of records that sounded like they were made straight out of Clarksdale 1932 by way of London '73.

As I light the match over the gasoline I just poured on the bridge, it is incumbent on me to say the following: I like some of the Dead Weather but as a project, they stink. That b-side of the Gary Numan song was fine. And the riffs on a lot of that first record are OK. But I saw and heard this new one. I remember most of that first record. The deliberate cool of it criss-crossed with the pandering to suburban yokels who can't get out of Puddle-of-Mudd or whatever the hell is like that these days. The hair and mustaches have to go too. How is it that after a project that involved a fake biography, a color scheme, and rules and regulations, this straight by-the-numbers metal act seems more fake that anything he's done previously? The question answers itself.

So I don't like it. And I just voiced myself about it. What are you gonna do about it?

The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Early 2010

2010-03-01T21:57:00.004-05:00

Acrylics - "All of the Fire"

Right as 2009 wound down, the last new jingle I heard that I responded to was this local act that I thought was a pure Deli Magazine discovery but turned out was a Stereogum-prepped hit-to-be (ain't that a modern music phrasing). Reminds me of Fleetwood Mac but likable. There's also this band out there from Los Angeles called Music Go Music who sound like Abba. What is going on?

The Bravery - "Slow Poison"

Big cheese mainstream modern pop-rock...in a good way. I would never sell this to your grandkids as gold but it sure beats the heck out of whatever else is really popular these days. Who is that anyway? What's her name? The blond girl with the grammys that Kanye hated on? Whoseits...

Basia Bulat - Heart of My Own

The LP is not dead! Basia Bulat has constructed another, maybe even stronger, full length album of songs for a winter's night. Particularly listen to "The Shore". Good lord.

Dawes - "When My Time Comes"

The full album listening is hours away but it can no longer wait. The word must be spread - with harmonies as pristine as some thing in nature to fulfill this analogy, and with more than a friendly helping of inspiration from the likes of The Band, here are Dawes and one of those laid back but effervescently powerful numbers. You'd so expect them to be another beard-and-plaid band but they ain't. How about that?

Editors - "Papillon"

Everyone I hear or read in regards to the new Editors record say they sound very different. I don't hear the difference. In fact I continue to hear the band that does Interpol better than Interpol. They put out something good each time, and they do it again with, at the very least, this Factory Records tribute which should not be confused with the Airborne Toxic Event song of the same name.

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

See? Again. Rumors of the album's demise were exaggerated - though not greatly and admittedly eventually will be true...maybe. The resilient boys in the Hot Chip will not give up on the ol' complete documentation of efforts and why should they? Clubbing, by all accounts, would be a dead art form if not for these Brits. The title track alone is enough to merit the love.

The Low Anthem - "Charlie Darwin"

It took a better part of a year to finally give a solid listen to just this one song after hearing show after show via the interweb of this very stark, crisp band. By the end of the year I'll have the whole record down (it took 8 months to finally listen to the entire Fanfarlo record and that turned out delayed gangbusters). As deeply intellectual and heartfelt without pretension as it can get.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Higher Than the Stars"

Not quite ready for another album, the Pains couldn't let this one wait or slip by. A good old fashioned single! It still remains to be seen if this band is a continuous sound or a more varied enterprise but this indicates some consistency and that's very fine for them.

Patrick Thomas - Build Me A City

After catching this chap at Rockwood, I was mightily impressed. The record is fine, especially something called "Spring Street Baby" which is like Randy Newman down in the Big Easy on a Saturday Night.

Willowz - "Destruction"

I've seen Willowz twice. I saw the goods but I was underwhelmed. Something wasn't gelling. Lo and behold, some years on, they are still going. And not only are they going, they have ARRIVED. "Destruction" is a no-fooling-around rock song, just a few minutes in the mess o' glory. Good work kids. You won me.

Yeasayer - "Ambling Alp"

Didn't loathe that first Yeasayer album but I wasn't exactly all over it like the vast majority of the Indie rock world. They were the thinking man's answer to Vampire Weekend (bill buddies once upon a time FYI) but that didn't necessarily mean they were better. Well hold the phone Charlie. Check this out. While large chunks of the accompanying album leave much to be desired, take this song, wrap it up, and send it to everyone you know because already I can't see a better song coming out this year. This is something else. What a wallop. It sounds like the best of their Brooklyn cohorts in MGMT, with whiffs of the Flaming Lips and the previous album's sound to boot. Just a perfect song. Stick up for yourself, son!

Honorable Mentions:

ALO - "Man of the World"
Cute Lepers - "Smart Accessories"
Lightspeed Champion - "Marlene"
Two Door Cinema Club - "Eat That Up, It's Good for You"

The Dirtbombs; Davila 666 @ Knitting Factory

2010-02-26T07:52:00.002-05:00

The Dirtbombs; Davila 666
@ Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY - February 25, 2010

After a relatively lengthy gap since their last New York performance (15 months), the Dirtbombs made what I think was their Williamsburg debut on a late, snowy, Thursday night at the recently relocated Knitting Factory. In a much more important first, yours truly saw a changed Dirtbombs line-up for the first time in his fandom as Zach Whedon now patrols bass to Mick's left. The kid is a Dirtbombs natural, following and anchoring in all the right parts, and he can take a solid leap off a drum kit. The band went to the well for this special free show that had a couple of corporate sponsors - delivering a "this is how we do" set in their more rollicking, stuck-in-thee-garage mode of things that they change up with the more towering, rock-your-world mode they were in on the last major tour. The appearance of "What You Got" was the highlight of the night, and this ought to be a future set-list standard, especially considering the extra stompy opening. A cover of the ol' "Daddy Rolling Stone" was on the bill too which made for a pleasant surprise.

Davila 666 are Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico who play garage rock. The sloppier Black Lips-esque stuff went on a bit too long, but the more tight, chord-focused purer punk songs were borderline excellent. I can't tell if they are singing in English or Spanish. It's all "awargahawarhaha". Which, when you think about it, is the universal language of garage punk anyway.