Still playing this evey day. Pernice’s finest work in five years, glad to see him re-embrace his former ‘70s-esque orchestral pop. Nice remake of “Grudge****” too, a la THE BEATLES “Let it Be” meets BADFINGER.
I thought it was time for another DESCENDENTS LP, but never thought producer/drummer BILL STEVENSON and one of his bandmaters would do it backing EVAN DANDO on his songs instead. Close your eyes and you expect MILO AUCKERMAN. Some of Dando’s best songs in years, and that familiar attack, equals a fine, fine record
This isn’t out until November 28, but prepare yourself for one of JOHN ANDREW FREDERICK’s most determined works, indulging more his longstanding MY BLOODY VALENTINE and minor dreampop influences than his folk-pop leanings that he also excels at. On early listens, fabulous!
Have I already a Byrds box set with most of this stuff, and all their LPs and rarity LPs? Sure. But this came in the mail and hasn’t left my turntable much, anyway. Man, I’m a sucker for those three part harmonies like jet engines and such great songs on the first two discs, and I am starting to like the country stuff on the other two more than I used to though it still doesn’t compare. And I didn’t get the DVD disc with the TV appearances but maybe if I beg…
OK, I haven’t stopped playing this every day since I first got it two weeks ago. I’m still mourning the demise of the great New Zealand popsters THE MUTTONBIRDS, but some of the sting has been taken off by the fine work by one of the ex-members ALAN GREGG as MARSHMALLOW and now, at long last, this first ever solo LP by the band’s ex-leader and industry vet. Right off the bat there’s a couple of great pop tunes that will remind you of his best former work (like “While You Sleep”) such as “This is London” and “Toy Factory Fire,” which as ever feature his lovely voice and knack for the little things in his observations.
A more obtuse album than the first three, but still highly engaging, involving, and unique. COLIN MELOY is such a huge pleasure of mine, I recently flew to Portland to interview him and his bandmates for our upcoming issue. Am I crazy? You decide. (Great city to hang around in, by the way. So many bikes, and such nice people. I walked for miles!)
I wrote the liner notes for this and love watching it. The footage in the new American Harcore movie (which I am in, briefly, and also think you’d love) is even hotter than this, but as this is complete songs of the Bad Brains at the tail end of their 1979-1983 period as the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in history, I still can’t take my eyes off it.
After waiting 29 years to see them, they sure didn’t disappoint. They kicked some great rock ‘n’ roll punk butt, in fact, especially “Burn My Eye.” Everything may sound like a sped up version of THE MC5’s thickening of CHUCK BERRY, but that doesn’t matter. One of the more convincing reunions in recent memory.
Three Avengers shows in two nights? I could have seen five! One of the five or six greatest American punk rock bands in history delivered three frenzied, great sets, and though Maxwells had a surprisingly dead crowd for an early show, kind of killing that gig, at the other two the audience was as wild as the band. That’s what shows felt like 25-30 years ago! Want a taste? Check out WFMU’s live recording from their studios on the 9th, it is in their archive. If I could have gotten out of bed I could have seen that too!
I wasn’t totally sold on the new material that took up a third of this show (guess I will have to hear it on record, might like it more), but aside from that awful “You Better You Bet” they still insist on playing, the old stuff was lights out again. So long as they have ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND and, crucially, ZAK STARKEY on drums, they can blow us all away with those stunning versions of “Who Are You,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Amazing Journey.” Don’t tell me how old they are, that’s just the most irrelevent thing you can say—either that can bring it still, or they can’t. RINGO STARR’s kid is one of the most exciting drummers I have ever seen, and the only true heir I can think of to KEITH MOON this side of the young RAT SCABIES (who really should have replaced Moon after the latter’s death in 1978). Man, at times, you think you’re at Monterrey, or the Filmore East, or The Isle of Wight, it’s so good.
