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Devo with The School of Rock All-Stars and The Hold Steady – Festival Pier (Philadelphia, PA) – Saturday, June 28, 2008
The second day of the weekend-long School of Rock found the school’s all-stars sandwiched between a rousing set by The Hold Steady, who put on a great set despite playing mostly songs from the new and not yet out yet Stay Positive, and Devo, who played a great set equal to if not better than the show I saw them play in Central Park back in the summer of 2004. And like that show, the rain came right after their set, though thankfully it was just sprinkles and not a large thunderstorm this time around.
The Hot Snakes – Automatic Midnight (Swami)
Back in the late ‘90s, JOHN REIS and RICK FROBERG, both of whom were in the mighty DRIVE LIKE JEHU, started playing together again and the result was this awesome band. The result was like their former band, but with more conventional song structures and much more flat-out rockin’. Don’t let that throw you off, though. This isn’t pop-punk by any stretch of the imagination. This is in your face, in the red, real garage punk of the sort that even back in 2002 (when MTV was briefly pushing the “garage rock revival”) the powers that be wouldn’t touch. Nevertheless, this album (their first) came out in 2000, several years too early for that trend. Nevertheless, this album is notably influenced by WIPERS. Furthermore, although they broke up in 2005, they have the distinction of playing the very last session that JOHN PEEL recorded for the BBC. This isn’t just a mere footnote. This is more evidence of the late Peel’s great taste.
The Rosebuds – Blood and Love (self-released)
A tour only cd-r from last year, this is a compilation of alternate versions of songs from their 1st 2 albums, a few remixes and for the most part, live versions recorded for several different radio stations. Thus, it isn’t the best place for someone to start, but fans should love it. The highlights are multiple versions of the incredible “Boxcar” (including a revelatory acoustic version) and the equally incredible “Shake Our Tree”.
Sonic Youth with The Feelies – Battery Park (New York) – Friday, July 4th, 2008
What a great idea for the annual 4th of July show at Battery Park. Headliners Sonic Youth called on The Feelies (newly reunited after not playing together for 17 years) to open the show because of their knack for playing shows on holidays. Although the setlist wasn’t as mind-blowing as the ones at their Maxwells shows a few nights prior to this show, we still got “Higher Ground” (from 1988’s Only Life), “Doin’ It Again” (from 1991’s Time for a Witness) and the title track from 1980’s Crazy Rhythms. Furthermore, they got an encore! When does that ever happen for an opening band? Anyway once they played their great cover of WIRE’s “Outdoor Miner” and 1980 Stiff single “Fa-Ce-La” (also from Crazy Rhythms), it was time for Sonic Youth and boy did they deliver. It was like the Daydream Nation tour, as at least five of that seminal album’s songs were played (including all 3 parts of “Trilogy”!) It threatened to rain during their set, but thankfully the rain never got above some light sprinkles as they rocked the crowd with ultra-noisy versions of the aforementioned Daydream Nation tracks (especially “Silver Rocket”) along with several from 2006’s great Rather Ripped (including a memorable “Jams Run Free”). For the encore, we got “Making the Nature Scene” and “100%”, the latter complete with the kind of crowd-surfing so common in 1992, when that single and the accompanying album Dirty came out.
Jay Reatard – “Always Wanting More” EP (Matador)
The third single in the planned six single series for Matador is here and like the first two, it’s a corker. If I didn’t like his music so much, I’d almost be tired of explaining how great he is, so I’ll just say that “Always Wanting More” is the second best song in the series so far (the awesome “See Saw”, the A-side of the first single, is still tops). It’s been available as a free mp3 from Matador for months now, but it’s nice to hear it on record as the vinyl crackles. The other tune here, “You Mean Nothing to Me”, actually reminds me a bit of the SAMMY HAGAR-penned RICK SPRINGFIELD tune “I’ve Done Everything for You”, if it was a raw, lo-fi garage punk tune. Also notable is the packaging. This is a one-sided 7” on marble-colored vinyl with an etching on the B-side. This threw me off at first as I didn’t realize both songs would be on the A-side, but no matter. Single #4 (a split 7” with DEERHUNTER with each artist covering each other’s songs) is due on July 24th and I can’t wait!
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue (Legacy)
The long awaited reissue of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson’s lost 1977 classic Pacific Ocean Blue is here and it’s a must for fans. Disc 1 contains the original album and some outtakes and demos (including a previously unreleased version of “Only with You”, which originally appeared on 1973’s underrated Holland album). Disc 2 contains the unreleased album Bambu. Although many fans will have much of this material on bootlegs (or if they’re lucky enough, on vinyl or the blink and you missed it previous CD version of Pacific Ocean Blue), this is still a worthy purchase. Not only it is remastered and unreleased tracks included, but there’s a 40 page booklet with rare photos and liner notes as well. In short, this is an absolute must for hardcore Beach Boys and Dennis Wilson fans.
Mission of Burma – Signals, Calls and Marches (Matador)
Along with their first full-length Vs and the live album The Horrible Truth About Burma, this 6 song EP has been reissued on Matador with several bonus tracks, a bonus DVD of a live performance from that era and a 40 page booklet with liner notes, photos and what not.
As such, this is an incredible package for hardcore fans and the sound on the CD is terrific as well, though if you already have the Rykodisc version, whether or not you’ll wanna get this is up to you.
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive (Vagrant)
Their fourth album will be out in a few weeks and I’m pleased to say that it may their best one yet. Sonically, it’s almost an exact replica of their last album, 2006’s excellent Boys and Girls in America, but I’m not complaining! The title track nicely references YOUTH OF TODAY and 7 SECONDS, the first two songs (“Constructive Summer” and “Sequestered in Memphis”) are destined to be sing-along classics in the same vein as the last album’s “Stuck Between Stations” or “Chips Ahoy” and “Lord I’m Discouraged” is the obligatory BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-esque ballad (ala the last album’s “First Night”). There’s a trace of synths on one track, but otherwise they haven’t changed a thing and they’re all the better for it.
The Feelies – Only Life (A&M)
Although many cite Crazy Rhythms, their 1980 debut, as the best Feelies album and although I think it’s an incredible record, I’ve been listening to their later records more lately, in anticipation of their reunion. This major-label debut from 1988 is probably their most overtly VELVET UNDERGROUND-influenced record and the confluence of BILL MILLION and GLENN MERCER’s guitar and songwriting hit their absolute peak on songs like the beautiful “Deep Fascination” and “Higher Ground”. The VU link is cemented by a faithful cover of “What Goes On” that closes out the album. As of now, this is also the only Feelies album in print as it’s recently been reissued on the Water label.
Versus – Dead Leaves (Teenbeat)
In the mid ‘90s, this collection of demos, singles and compilation tracks was one of my favorites and so in anticipation of their show here opening for Mission of Burma the other night, I pulled this out. I’d almost forgotten how great this stuff is! My favorites are “Astronaut, “Forest Fire,” “Venus Victoria” and the brilliant “Cross the Street”.
