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Big Takeover #61 with THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS’ A.C. NEWMAN began shipping, so you should see it quite soon! Below is a quick description of its contents if you missed my last post!.
Again, now is an excellent time to order it if you would like to receive it (go to http://bigtakeover.stores.yahoo.net/bigtakbacis.html), or subscribe if you’ve been meaning to; or renew your subscription if it has run out. And remember: BIG TAKEOVER ISSUES, BACK ISSUES, TSHIRTS, CDS, AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ALSO MAKE THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT!
If you want to subscribe or renew, just go to bigtakeover.com, and click on the “subscribe now” button to take you to our secure online Yahoo store (and feel free to indicate which issue you’d like to start with, issue 59 (DECEMBERISTS cover), issue 60 (SHINS cover), or the upcoming 61 (New Porns). It’s only $20 for four issues (save 23% off the newstand price including average sales tax), or $32 for overseas. Or, for those in the U.S. you can send us a check made out to “Big Takeover” for $20 to the following address:
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(As ever, there are back issues, T-shirts, and CDs available there as well if you’re interested, for you, or your friends on the holidays!)
Here, again, is what’s in the issue:
Interviews: NEW PORNOGRAPHERS • MAXIMO PARK • THE SHINS, pt. 2 • EMMA POLLOCK (DELGADOS) • THE CRIBS • DON MCGLASHAN (MUTTON BIRDS) pt. 2 • LITTLE STEVEN (Underground Garage/Sopranos) • THE PIPETTES • FIELDS • THE POINTED STICKS • MARY WEISS (SHANGRI-LA’S) • ROGUE WAVE • OKKERVIL RIVER • SEA WOLF • SONDRE LERCHE • SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME • WHEAT • OK GO • HAZEY JANES • ARI SHINE • GREAT NORTHERN • TOMMY WOMACK • EARWIG • THE JONESES • TUNECORE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Editorials: Rick Rubin, Radiohead, “Record Men,” and the Revenue Redirect * Ackerman: On the End of Record Labels * Sommer: On Blue Oyster Cult
Live Reviews: Jon Auer • Bad Brains • Booker T & the MGs • Elvis Costello • Decemberists • John Doe (X) • Roky Erickson • Fiery Furnaces • Long Blondes • Morrissey • Only Ones • Sea and Cake • Sloan • Ralph Stanley • Stooges • Richard Thompson • Toxic Reasons • Voxtrot • Hippiefest (Zombies/Rascals/Badfinger/Mitch Ryder etc.)
Hundreds of CD Reviews: Bad Religion • Bags • Blonde Redhead • Bongos • Bon Mots • Clash • Clientele • Bo Diddley • The Eat • Editors • Effigies • Feist • Flying Burrito Brothers • For Against • Adam Franklin • House of Love • Howling Wolf • Ed Kuepper • Interpol • Junius • Len Price 3 • Libertines U.S. • Loose Salute • New Model Army • Robert Pollard • Ray Price • Radiohead • R.E.M. • Saints • Stephen Hero • Wedding Present • Wilco • Wire • and more!
Hope you all buy it when it’s out!
And/or hope you subscribe, as that is still by far the best way to support the print magazines you love if you want them to keep going. It means a lot to them!
cheers!
Jack R
P.S. I received the following live review about one of the nights from last month’s blowout Cavestomp show at the old Warsaw hall in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, so let me share that with you here. It was penned by DOUG WILLIAMS about the November 3 show:
7p Doors/ DJ POKEMONOJEFF of LYRES!
Doors open, maybe 30 people waiting. Venue is a cool old Polish Community Center, so you can imagine black tie events, wedding receptions, funerals, church gatherings, kids movies on Saturday morning, local theater performances, dance bands, half-court basketball; you name it. Great long curved bar with nice appointments. Everyone working is frightfully polite and helpful. Where am I again? The many TV screens are running old garageband footage non-stop, but the sound is all from the DJ playing similar stuff. Killer killer great tunes, many I’ve never heard. Hall capacity roughly 400, bar and dining room 75. How is this show not a sell-out? Great reasonably priced beers, and I heard the food was awesome too.
8:00p THE STAGGERS
3rd best. 40-60 people when they start. 150ish by the end of their set. This band has their thing goin’ on. Kicking down all the garage band doors as only an Austrian band can. Leg bone and large fake carving knife as props for the singer. Are they okay as carry-on? They sound right, they are rocking it, they have their own thing, the even look right. Even if it did look like MIKE NESMITH playing bass, in proper BILL WYMAN nearly straight up pose.
8:45p THE OUTTA PLACE
Least favorite, though I missed the 1st few songs and I was told they were among the best songs. Poor sound blend, not necessarily PA fault. Keyboardist guesting, so some arrangements and playing blend maybe more at fault. All good players, but I never felt the groove.
9:30p THE SATELLITERS
Seemed real good, but nothing sticks. ‘A’ grade cookie cutter 60’s garage psych. Least favorite of all my companions. Three bands in I’m wondering if the chief fault of a garage-band revival is that one just can’t play this stuff faster or more energetically without it getting away from you. Like driving to the grocery with 1st gear screaming away to bust. Kinda funny, kinda sad. Every band in a row can’t possibly seem like the A-bomb that good garage bands are supposed to be. But whadya want with 5 in a row.
10:25p THE THANES
2nd best. Excellent band, great songs, great singing and musicianship, great dynamics. Need some records! Need to see them again. Wow. We’re waiting for The Sonics, which I’ve placed in the ‘not really happening’ part of my mind, and I’ve no problem digging this band given what I’m waiting for. I think that says it.
11:30p THE SONICS
They close the curtain for the first time. Show is pretty much running on schedule up to now, but it’s a half hour wait. I wonder right before they start if they’ve ever played using stage monitors; they didn’t exist the last time they played.
Best of course. Holy crap. There’s that guitar sound as the curtain opens. He’s playing the same Epiphone guitar shown in the booklet for BOOM, and still sounds like a punk raver. ‘He’s Waiting’ is the opener. There’s the voice; how is it so nearly the same? It’s not of course, it’s a little more RAY CHARLES ‘white R&B shouter’. And yes, he has gained some vocal qualities that I would call assets, that more than make up for not having 20 year old screamer vocal cords anymore. ‘He’s Waiting’ from the first night is on youtube; you’ll get the idea. I can’t stop watching it. I was most concerned with BOB BENNETT and ANDY PARYPA not being present, but DON WILHELM and RICKY LYNN JOHNSON turned in commendable accurate performances. JERRY ROSLIE didn’t sing everything, and I suspect he was trading off vocals to ROB LIND and Don Wilhelm to conserve power. Whatever the reason, he sounded great every time he opened his mouth. LARRY’s high spot was the solo on ‘Night Time is the Right Time’; killed it, dragged it home, ate it raw. They played a few songs from the Jerden LP, and the 20007 live versions killed the originals. Good enough for me.
The real surprise was catching Larry, Rob, and Jerry in the hotel lobby the next morning. Unprompted, Larry confirmed my suspicions and said the monitors had really messed him up. They were, in true garage band form, blowing off an autograph session to go back the club and practice for Sunday night! Jerry seemed to be avoiding the limelight at all costs, but graciously agreed to an autograph – all three original members on our ticket stubs! What a bonus! He seemed doubtful of our claim that the show was great; typical. Hey, practice away buddy! Be nice to see them keep doing this; they won’t get any discouragement from me.
