The Damned were too smart and too talented to stay in the punk cul-de-sac, and successfully mixed both psychedelia and goth along with punk and garage with the main reason of success being that they could write and perform a song much better than the average safety-pin victim.
Equal parts brute force and delicate beauty, Mogwai bring a velvet cudgel to the side of your head. And it feels so good.
Even better were selections from 2002’s Blacklisted, her career zenith.
The show really gained strength, however, when he switched to his trusted electric guitar.
Even Morrissey is subject to the House of Rules.
We got “The Town Halo”, arguably the finest song in A.C. NEWMAN’s solo catalog, as the closer.
Everything suddenly fit a little louder, a little more energetic and we were along for the ride!
Kristin Hersh jumpstarts Throwing Muses back into brief existence for a triumphant hometown reunion.
The Rose City’s Biltzen Trapper show off the best from last year’s excellent record, Furr.
The Roots and Antibalas work with rather than against each other in Red Bull’s Sound Clash.
Long-time jazz great Bill Frisell shows that the music form doesn’t need horns or keyboards for definition.
Kung Fu Necktie has a cozy size, selection of great beer on tap, terrific sound and a cozy vibe. I could definitely get used to this place.
THE DICKIES take absolutely nothing seriously, but still leave you humming their songs with hooks that last for days on end.
I can’t think of a single song from The Age of Quarrel that they didn’t play.
They played a cover of the SPARKS classic “Angst In My Pants” as a tribute to RUSSELL MAEL, curator of that evening’s mix CD.
This post-Christmas fix of the New York Dolls live at The Fillmore might just be the best show I’ve seen them play since the 2004 reunion.
SPEEDO knocks back Corona after Corona and is extremely obnoxious towards the audience, but in a really funny way.
TED LEO pours his soul into everything he does and this fact cements the connection with his rabid fanbase.
BRIAN WILSON’s music positively beams with “Love and Mercy”, which is part of why his best work is timeless.
Robyn Hitchcock turns back the clock and sings about trams, alcoholic suicides, and dying leaves. It’s the feelgood record of the season.
Calexico finally rouse the restful
By the end of the night, I was covered in sweat. I felt as if I’d just finished watching a show at City Gardens back when I was a teenager.
Stereolab remains a solid, dependable friend. Don’t be a stranger.
Boston Spaceships achieve lift-off, heading straight for the Big Dipper.
My Bloody Valentine end sixteen years of American live performance silence via a deafening roar to close out the massively successful All Tomorrow’s Parties/New York festival.
Shellac put in the best gig of the day, on day 2 of ATP which was filled with great shows.
All Tomorrow’s Parties, the stamp of excellence. Day 1 looks at the “Don’t Look Back” section, with bands like Thurston Moore and Tortoise playing entire records from their discography.
My Morning Jacket brave the storm, bring the storm.
SONIC YOUTH were terrific despite playing virtually the same setlist as they played last month.
They played virtually all of 45s Singles and Under, so any casual fan would’ve been satisfied with the show.
Radiohead’s now king, but rather than press you against the wall they will lift you out of your seat.
If there were any surprises, it was that they played so much material from The Bends.
For the second and final encore, it was a return to the older, more straight-ahead rockers.
King Buzzo and Dale Crover = rockness personified.
ROGUE WAVE came out for an encore and proceeded to play THE SMITHS classic “What Difference Does It Make”.
The loss of long-time member and impressive guitarist Christopher Kleinberg has not slowed mewithoutYou down at all. In attempts to end the show on time, they simply pulled their shirts over their faces while the crowd screamed for one more song. They finished with the highly energetic “January 1979” and ended with a new one called “God, God, God.” / Just a reminder, too, if you haven’t listened in yet, my radio show for BreakthruRadio.com successfully launched, and again, here’s a good chance to hear a good bit of what I/we have been writing about in our issues these last 28 years.
I don’t want to have to wait another 20 years to see them again!
KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES were just pure, animalistic, rocking garage punk fun!
It started raining during JAY REATARD’s set, but it didn’t matter. In fact, it might have even made it that much more intense.
Despite being absent for “Bring the Noise”, FLAVOR FLAV emerged right before they were set to perform “Don’t Believe the Hype”.
Boris and Torche leave a pile of rubble and tattered eardrums.
Levin, a grizzled veteran by now, has come to a distinctive style that, while certainly inspired by his predecessors’ work, is never obviously derivative of anyone in particular. Nor does it stand in one place; Levin is just as likely to play a melodic phrase as to unleash flying flurries of evolving patterns arpeggiated and/or scalar or soar into the altissimo register of his tenor in ecstatic exultation.
I never got to see BAD BRAINS or D.O.A. in their prime, but this must be similar.
Playing all of Daydream Nation last year must have really sunk in as SONIC YOUTH played nearly a third of that amazing record.
The day the nerds won.
After DEVO got the ubiquitous “Whip It” out of the way early on, then we really got the good stuff.
Polvo shake off the dust and return to form.
VERSUS was a reminder that the marriage of distortion and noise with super sweet melodies and quiet/loud dynamics will never go out of style.
A ROB DICKINSON show wouldn’t be complete with at least a few dips into the Catherine Wheel catalog.
Thankfully R.E.M. were able to translate the energy of their new album Accelerate onto the stage.
