Tag Archives: Indie Rock

What we’re listening to today – Ode to Sad Disco by Mark Lanegan Band

Of the Big Four megabands to emerge from the Seattle grunge explosion of the early 90s, the one that stayed below the radar the most is Screaming Trees. Everyone knows Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. But for many, the more psychedelically inclined ‘Trees have been somewhat forgotten as the years have passed. And that’s a shame. Because not only were the Screaming Trees very often the best of those four bands in purely musical and creative terms but their lead vocalist, Mark Lanegan, was arguably the second best behind the superhuman lungs of Chris Cornell. And really “best” is a massively subjective term to apply in this instance because it assumes we are judging all vocalists by the same measure. If Rock ‘n Roll has taught us anything it’s that the guy with the rough hewn, damaged and soulful sound can trump the fellow with the operatic range. The epically beautiful “Ode to Sad Disco” from the most recent Mark Lanegan Band album, Blues Funeral, is another strong performance in favor of that argument.

So, equally mystifying to me, is why Lanegan remains a fairly subdued commerical force in his many years as a solo act. Continue reading →

What we’re listening to today — Dondante by My Morning Jacket

Before there was Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, there was My Morning Jacket. Hailing from Kentucky and dedicated to pushing their unique brand of alt-country rock to the very edge, the two things you can say about MMJ are: 1) You can never be quite sure what they’re going to try and pull off next and 2) These guys can fucking play. Check out this live version of “Dondante” and see if you don’t agree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNfldEgE8nY

With nine albums under their belt since 1999, My Morning Jacket are as prolific as they are unwilling to be neatly categorized. Country-indie? The new Wilco? Way too easy and pat. But you can safely say that they’re their own men and follow their own vision even if it’s not guaranteed to make them rich. In short, they’re artists. Artists who have toured like maniacs and always put on a killer live show, as 2006’s double album Okonokos (and the fantastic corresponding concert film) prove so well. While you may occasionally fear for the health of lead vocalist Jim James’ throat at times with his wildly committed delivery, there’s no denying that My Morning Jacket make a lasting impression that lingers long after the shouting is over.

RIP Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Just learned of the passing of the ultimate rock iconoclast, Lou Reed, and here is an excellent obit from Jon Dolan at Rolling Stone. Between The Velvet Underground and his solo work, there are really no words to describe his impact on the alternative rock scene. But these tunes begin to scratch the surface:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffr0opfm6I4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugY9CwhfzE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avM0qzEF5I

One could say it was too soon to go at 71 but he packed a lot of hard living and a helluva lot of art into those years. Really, who would have thought he’d survive this long? And what he left behind as his legacy sure ain’t too bad for a punk kid from Brooklyn who couldn’t hit it sideways…

 

What we’re listening to today — Hot Knives by Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst get a lot of shit for being pretentious/hysterical/naive/not Dylan (can we retire that comparison for all future singer-songwriters please?). But I’m a big fan of young Conor because I respect artists who lay everything out there and leave nothing held back, rendering themselves emotionally naked in front of an audience. A song like “Hot Knives” from 2007’s excellent Cassadaga does that in a subtle way, telling a complex and nuanced story with passion and a fine eye for human behavior, and that’s no small accomplishment to stuff into a hard charging 4-minute tune.

Not to mention that young Conor is seriously musically gifted (certainly another source of the sometimes irrational criticism he can provoke among the less talented), with a lyrical sensibility that can be poetic, strident, political and vulnerable, often within the same song. He doesn’t always find the mark and I wish he would lose the gimmick of adding long passages of mystical mumbo jumbo to certain album tracks. And some still carp that this is youth music, too agitating and hypersensitive to appeal to a mature audience. Having been to a Bright Eyes concert I’d have to agree that the fan base seems to be 25 or younger, as well as complete believers. But good Rock ‘n Roll has always largely been for and about the young and their passions and idealism and pain. To dismiss such ambitious and raucously independent music on those terms is to admit to trying to be some sort of arbiter of “mature tastes”. And who the hell wants to be that guy?

What we’re listening to today — Roadrunner by The Modern Lovers

Here’s a feisty little ditty to kick off the week: The definitive version of eternal boy-man Jonathan Richman’s rockin’ “Roadrunner” as performed by the original incarnation of The Modern Lovers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgRYncR1Nog

“Roadrunner (Twice)” is what happens when the Velvet Underground is cross-pollinated with Tommy James & the Shondells in the fertile pleathor bench seat of a salt-rusted Plymouth. Richman’s adenoidal warble declaims his love of Rock’ n Roll, driving the Massachusetts turnpike and AM radio while being urged on by future Talking Head Jerry Harrison’s dominant and dancing keyboards, future Car David Robinson’s hyper tom tom and cymbal-driven drumming and Ernie Brooks’ anchoring bass refrain. This cut is from the seminal LP The Modern Lovers, which was only released in 1976 on Beserkely Records, nearly 5 years after the demise of the original lineup. While Richman re-recorded the song several different ways (and later refused to play it in concert for many years) and he continued calling his backing bands “The Modern Lovers”, it’s this original version that made such a huge impression on the future of American DIY music. It packs a helluva lot of unbridled joy in its 4-minute run time and it arguably launched a multitude of geek-rockers from the Feelies to the Talking Heads to They Might Be Giants to Weezer and many more of the less-than-macho bands in the rock spectrum. In our age when nerds rule, Richman and Co. helped kick off the revolution.

What we’re listening to today — Wherever You Go by Built to Spill

First let me say that I think Doug Martsch of Built to Spill is a certified rock guitar genius and if you do not know of his work, you really should. While the facile comparison to Neil Young is frequently deployed because of his singing style (and encouraged by the epic cover of “Cortez the Killer” on 2000’s Live, which clocks in at a massive but fantastic 20+ minutes), his playing also displays flashes of Jeff Beck, Hendrix and Tom Verlaine.

“Wherever You Go” from 2006’s You In Reverse shows BTS and Martsch at their tightest and is a fine representation of their style: slow-winding buildups to intense peaks; swirling multilayered production; cryptic and knowing lyrics; and that searing guitar soaring and punching through it all. With legendarily difficult and technical arrangements, BTS comes across as a jam band with a major difference: there is no noodling. There is only precision and ambition, even when the songs are long and circular. While they may never release another album as Built to Spill and they were never a huge commercial success, I feel strongly that Martsch and his mates will be looked back upon as a high water mark for real instrument Alternative rock in the 90s and early 2000s. Listening to them certainly proves that one well constructed and original song–and even more so, an album of them–is infinitely more satisfying than an iPod full of the pap produced by the latest interchangeable artificially manufactured bands and network karaoke winners. They may not be telegenic but they sure do kick ass. And their heart will wear you down.

What we’re listening to today – Nevertheless by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

There are artists and there are artist’s artists, those who are always one step ahead and showing the rest how it’s done. The Brian Jonestown Massacre are in the latter category. Infamous before they were famous, the BJM have long gone unrecognized as what they really are…one of the best bands of the last 20 years. “Nevertheless” is an example of the BJM at their finest. Equally catchy and expansive, this one never gets old.

You can find it on the 2001 album “Bravery, Repetition, and Noise“, which also features an excellent cover of The Cryan’ Shames song, “The Sailing Ship”.

As a bonus, this fan generated video features footage of a canoodling Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, from the 1973 film Don Juan (or If Don Juan Were A Woman). How can you go wrong?

Earworm of the Day: Strange Powers by The Magnetic Fields

With a bouncy, chuggy beat accented by continually shaking sleigh bells, a flute somewhere in the background and a disembodied chorus of “ooh-ooh”s, “Strange Powers” manages to be part oompah, part fast buggy ride over the boardwalk and 100% hooky. Frontman, multi-instrumentalist and lead vocal Stephen Merritt’s laconic baritone is swathed in reverb amongst all the musical merriment, as he delivers his declarations of infatuation via deceptively cynical lyrics. It takes at least two listens to figure out quite what’s happening. But at a mere 2:42, it’s such a catchy tune I’m betting you’ll play it more than twice.

Though it still sounds fresh as a daisy, “Strange Powers” was originally released way back in 1994 on Holiday. It is also the title of a 2010 documentary on the band (which is primarily Merritt’s baby) that can be rented on Amazon. I’m going to have to check it out and get back to you all.

Plug the song into your Pandora or download it from iTunes or Amazon.

What we’re listening to today–Down the Line by The Gutter Twins

Here’s something a little grungy to kick off your Monday by the collaboration of 90s hard-alternative vets Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Gregg Dulli (Afghan Wigs) known as The Gutter Twins.

A much more souped up version of this tune than that of the songwriter, José González (his is also very good just mellow/acoustic–you can compare it here), it appears on the Twins’ 2008 Adorata. Along with a strong cup of java, it should help get you going.

Plug it into your Pandora station or download from iTunes (Adorata is not currently available on Amazon).