And This Bird You Cannot Change
November 19th, 2009Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Wellmont Theatre – November 18, 2009
(Photo: Sean O’Kane)
After more than 30 years in music, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd has earned the right to have a boisterous stage setup. Before their set even started, the stage boasted two acoustic guitars, three keyboards, a piano, two drum sets worth of drums, four flat-screen televisions and a logo that spanned about 20 feet. When all nine touring members took the stage last night at The Wellmont Theatre, they proved just why they’ve earned it by unleashing a set of megahits during a loud and thrilling set lasting longer than an hour.
They played every hit, from the honky-tonk “Gimme Three Steps” to the sweeping ballad “Tuesday’s Gone” (during which raised lighters actually outnumbered cell phones) to the darker grit of “That Smell.” With hardly any material the band has released in the last decade, the night was dedicated to the biggest and best of Lynyrd Skynyrd. All three guitarists constantly rotated solos in practically every song, often dueling back-to-back. Vocalist Johnny Van Zant roamed the stage while belting out each song, either laughing with his bandmates or engaging the crowd by reaching his microphone stand (adorned with a Confederate flag for half the set) over the seats.
As the first few plucky notes of “Sweet Home Alabama” signaled the beginning of the end, the crowd (a mix of people in cowboy hats, American-flag-branded clothing and, of course, Derek Jeter jerseys) roared with delight. When the band finished, they turned their collective attention to one thing, and for the first time ever at The Wellmont Theatre, the crowd actually yelled for “Free Bird” in the correct setting. —Sean O’Kane
Times New Viking Brings the Noise
November 19th, 2009Times New Viking – Mercury Lounge – November 18, 2009
(Photo: Listen Missy)
Whatever you do, don’t call them lo-fi. Immediate? Yes. Recorded with whatever’s on hand as quickly as possible without concern for microphone placement or levels? Yes. But their albums aren’t a reaction against over-produced commercial pop, like the pinnacle of lo-fi pioneers Sebadoh or Guided by Voices in the late ’90s, as much as they are about their process: making the method of capturing the sound another instrument to be played. Instead of bringing this hazy distortion to their live show, Times New Viking plays at a volume that your ears will interpret as in the red. The trio’s particular brand of overblown hiss on their recordings is turned into punk energy live, with Adam Elliott on drums creating surprisingly melodic harmonies with Beth Murphy on keys. The frantic momentum never lasts longer than a minute or two before Elliott calls out the next song on the set list and asks the audience for another beer.
Their attempt at pure spontaneity, to capture a particular moment, is evident even in guitarist Jared Phillips’ approach to the instrument. What’s a left-handed player to do in a right-handed guitar world? Play it upside down. Adapt. The drum kit is stripped down to the bare essentials. Elliott plays hunched over, nearly hitting himself in the head, taking the direction of each melody on his shoulders. It was almost shocking to hear Rip It Off when it was released on Matador Records last year—the sleeve art reflecting the cut-up, barely passable aesthetic of the group’s sonic endgame, which happily continues on their latest, Born Again Revisited. It’s a mistake to get bogged down with sonic textures because at the core they are melodic, catchy songs that sound even better played with the unrestrained force Times New Viking inflicts on a live audience. —Jason Dean
The Dead Weather – Music Hall of Williamsburg – November 17, 2009
November 18th, 2009
See Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson This Friday
November 18th, 2009
With the recent release of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson’s second album, Summer of Fear, on Saddle Creek Records, the Brooklyn-based artist fits in nicely among the label’s other acts, especially alongside the raw, emotional back catalog of Bright Eyes and the twangy confessionals performed by Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows. Though Summer of Fear was recorded during a particularly rough time in Robinson’s life, and stories of heartbreak and hard times are woven throughout the music, when he takes the stage (following musical-melting-pot These United States) at Mercury Lounge on Friday, don’t expect a pity party. Summer of Fear finds Robinson expressing his ennui through righteous, roots-y songs in the tradition of artists like Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, full of cathartic choruses and foot-stomping beats. So please leave your tissues at home, for on Friday, as Robinson tells his tales of woe, we can work through some of our own troubles by singing along as loud as we can. It should be a bit like group therapy (but with the added bonus of a full bar). —Alena Kastin
(See Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, above, playing “Trap Door”—last month during CMJ—broadcast on Seattle’s KEXP radio.)
Meat and Greet: Meet the Meat Puppets
November 18th, 2009
CONTEST ALERT! Win special prizes from the Meat Puppets. We’ll be giving away an amazingly cool autographed poster featuring the LP cover for Meat Puppets II to two lucky winners. Two other winners will receive an autographed CD of the new Meat Puppets LP, Sewn Together, and all of the winners will get a private meet and greet with the Meat Puppets. All you have to do is purchase your ticket for the band’s show at The Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, November 25th, ONLINE through Ticketmaster.com, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win. The winners will NEED to be at the show to receive their prizes. Existing ticket purchasers will automatically be entered in the drawing. All winners will be notified via e-mail by 6 p.m. next Monday. Good luck.
Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Sonic Youth on 11/21
November 17th, 2009
Sonic Youth is a band that keeps moving forward. Sure, they put out their first album, Sonic Youth, way back in 1982. But their most recent effort—their 16th(!) studio disc—the aptly named The Eternal, was released this past June. Not resting on their laurels, they’re playing three local shows over the next eight days. Bad news: They’re all sold out. Good news: You can try to Grow a Pair of tickets to this Saturday’s Terminal 5 show from The House List. Just fill out the form below. List your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Sonic Youth, 11/21) and a brief message telling us your best technique to cope with it getting dark so damn early. Eddie Bruiser, who’s basically nocturnal and doesn’t mind the encroaching darkness, will notify the winner by noon on Friday, November 20th. Good luck.
Your Chance to Meet Joshua Radin
November 16th, 2009
CONTEST ALERT! Want to meet Joshua Radin? He’s playing Webster Hall on Thursday. All you have to do is purchase your ticket for the show ONLINE through Ticketmaster.com, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a meet and greet. The five winners (each with a guest) will NEED TO be at the show to receive this prize because it will happen during sound check. Existing ticket purchasers will automatically be entered in the drawing! Winners will be notified via e-mail by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Good luck.
(Joshua Radin also plays The Wellmont Theatre on Saturday.)
Peaches – Terminal 5 – November 14, 2009
November 16th, 2009
Spend the Weekend with Art Brut
November 13th, 2009Eddie Argos of Art Brut is not kidding. That is the first thing to know: He is not kidding. At all. He is a new style of frontman in a new-style rock band, all aimed at being able to kill hype, crush backlash and traffic in an irony so deep that it finds pay-dirt seriousness. On Art Brut’s first record, the appropriately titled Bang Bang Rock & Roll, released in 2005, Argos waxed philosophical about this new approach: “And yes, this is my singing voice/ It’s not irony/ It’s not rock and roll/ We’re just talking to the kids.”
It wasn’t quite Will Ferrell’s Burgundy-isms (“Milk was a bad choice.”)—true statements that end up being funny. Argos was more in the market of convincing us that serious statements could actually be serious again. It was a challenge, how to take potentially ironic lyrics like “Modern art makes me/ Want to rock out” seriously, but anyone who has seen the band live already knows Argos is very much not kidding. Even when he is being funny, taking on the absurd rise of Kings of Leon, you get the sense that his goal is to do something more difficult: Acknowledge the absurdity of rock and roll without sneering at the kids he wants to move. All this manages to make the world safe for humor and straight faces each, but at no point is it a laughing matter. It’s just talking to the kids. —Geoff Nelson
(Art Brut plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight and The Bowery Ballroom on Sunday. See them, above, playing “DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake,” off their newest disc, Art Brut vs. Satan, in studio for Seattle’s KEXP.)
The Power of Three, Twice
November 13th, 2009White Denim/Brazos – Music Hall of Williamsburg – November 12, 2009
White Denim
In my opinion, Austin, Texas, is one of the truly great American cities, seamlessly patching together disparate archetypes into one coherent, unique population. Last night, two Austin bands rocked Music Hall of Williamsburg with music that carried on the mash-up spirit of their hometown. Ostensibly, the only thing they had in common was that both are guitar-bass-drum trios from the same city, but, taking a step back, you could see how each tied together a wide range of sounds and influences that became their own distinct music. You could break down each bit if you wanted to, but that would defeat the purpose.
The headliner was White Denim. Guitarist-vocalist James Petralli began by setting up several overlapping loops with his guitar to immediately densify the sound. I was not expecting that. Over 20 minutes, a broken guitar string and plenty of awe-inspiring face-melt rock later, they finally took their first pause before quickly diving back into it. They repeated this routine thrice—was it three 20-minute songs or 20 three-minute songs strung together with virtuoso segue and genre-defying sound? Doesn’t matter. The music expertly flip-flopped through styles until all influences were invisible. In true power-trio form, each musician seemed to add more than one-third of the sound, amplifying the music to an awesome better-than-its-parts level. Their new release, Fits, while highly recommended, is a coy hint of the live show’s intensity.
The opener, Brazos, was the stripped-down, dreamy groove-pop version of the same blind-influence mash. Keep an eye on these guys. Highlighted by a greased-pig bass that surprised me with its slipperiness, the trio got quite a bit of bounce out of its sound. After their too-short set, the crowd gave a hearty applause befitting a headliner. —A. Stein
Spend Friday the 13th with Lenka
November 12th, 2009
She started out acting (she even trained with Cate Blanchett)—first on TV, in the medical drama G.P., then as the host of a cartoon show and then, finally, in movies. But Lenka Kripac also had musical urges, so she joined the electronica band Decoder Ring in her native Australia. But even that wasn’t enough. So in 2007, like so many before her, she dropped her last name and decamped to Los Angeles seeking something bigger. Later on, and also like so many before her, she headed to upstate New York to record her debut solo album, Lenka, in Woodstock. Not only has her disc been well received but also several of the singles have made their way into commercials and TV shows. And now Lenka is making her way to Mercury Lounge tomorrow night. Check her out, above, playing “The Show” and “Trouble Is a Friend” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and then go see Lenka in person and let her sunny music brighten your rainy Friday.
Dan Auerbach Rocks Webster Hall
November 12th, 2009Dan Auerbach – Webster Hall – November 11, 2009
Just as Jack White has done work outside of the White Stripes, first with the Raconteurs and now the Dead Weather, Dan Auerbach, one half of the power-blues machine that is the Black Keys, also fronts a second band with a bigger sound. His backing band, the Fast Five, is made up of the San Antonio rock group Hacienda—Antonio Abraham Villanueva on keys, Dante Schwebel on guitar, Jaime Villanueva on drums and Rene Villanueva on bass—plus My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan on drums and percussion. (Hallahan, eyes closed and mouth open, played the maracas and the triangle with the unrestrained mirth of a small child.)
Last night at a crowded Webster Hall, Auerbach and Co. made their way through Auerbach’s solo album, Keep It Hid, released in February, plus a few other songs, including a cover of Rocking Horse’s “Oh Carol.” The show began with some relatively quiet harmonizing before kicking into a higher, louder gear. They played more than an hour of a winning combo of gritty blues and dirty rock and roll, including “My Last Mistake,” “Money and Trouble” and “When the Night Comes.”
The encore began with Rene Villanueva, whose bass thumped ferociously all night, laying down a dancing bassline. As the audience enthusiastically clapped along, the band shifted into a tight blues riff that blew up into raging mayhem. When the song ended, just Auerbach remained onstage. “Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said before launching into the last song, “Goin’ Home.” The line “be thankful for all you got” drew cheers and applause. And then he finished with “So long/ I’m going/ I’m going home,” and then the crowd went wild and the stage went dark. —R. Zizmor
Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com
A First Date with the XX
November 12th, 2009The XX/Jon Hopkins – The Bowery Ballroom – November 11, 2009
(Photo: Mina K)
The XX show that sold out Mercury Lounge last night, and then subsequently The Bowery Ballroom, was one for the pretty people. It was a scene, but it was all the better thanks to the eye candy! Pretty people have good taste in music, too. Anyhow, Jon Hopkins, the opener, definitely deserves a mention because his fantastic mixing of melodies and crazy beats was unassuming, yet it totally entranced the jaded hipsters (some of whom even danced!) waiting for the headliners.
It was my first time seeing the XX live, in spite of the number of shows they have played in NYC over the last few months. At the start of their set I thought they sounded a bit forced, almost metronomic, and I kept wanting them to slip up. This distance, however, seems to be a calculated effort. Their seductive vocals are perfectly counterbalanced by the bass and synth beats, so seeing them live is, in the words of a friend, much like a first date—the initial impression is great, but the future potential is all in your imagination. This dynamic creates a very interesting energetic suspension, particularly on songs like “Basic Space,” and their closer, “Stars.” Listeners are drawn to the songs but slightly rebuffed before they can get inside them. Overall, the appeal of a band like the XX is much like the promise of a kiss (or more) at the end of the night—always something to look forward to, whether or not it actually happens. —Anna Loosli
(Jon Hopkins opens for the Asteroids Galaxy Tour tonight at Mercury Lounge.)
Start Your Weekend with Some Soul
November 12th, 2009It began as a record label. Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley decided they no longer wanted past musical gems to “sit in a temperature-controlled room dying for a chance to be played.” They wanted the spotlight to shine on the writers and musicians who’d created this essentially unheard music. So they dug into their record collections to remaster and reissue a host of soul, pop and funk songs. But why stop there? Like the Stax Records revue tour of Europe in 1967, Numero’s Eccentric Soul Revue is made up of a revolving group of singers performing with a very talented backing band, in this case, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. Why are we telling you this? Because Numero’s Eccentric Soul Revue is playing Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow night. Check out the trailer, above, and then get your weekend started right by getting down to some sweet, sweet soul in the BK.
