Robyn Hitchcock: City Winery, New York, NY (11/19/2016)

 Ex-Soft Boys/Egyptians front man Robyn Hitchcock has been making music for almost forty-years. It's something of a surprise that he's as vital a live performer as he is. He's been a troubadour in the lone-man-with-an-acoustic-guitar sense for well over twenty of those forty years. His latest album The Man Upstairs (Yep Roc) is something of an odd summation of his acoustic leanings and where he comes from as an artist.

Hitchcock performed a few songs from the record (namely "San Fancisco Patrol") as well as some of his most well-known songs ("Balloon Man", "One Long Pair Of Eyes" & "Queen Elvis"). Australian country artist (and frequent collaborator as of late) Emma Swift join Robyn on harmony vocals for a few songs as well. He even dipped deeper into the back catalog with "Uncorrected Personality Traits" and "Trilobite" as well.

At 63, Robyn is as an engaging a performer as ever. He also makes himself very accessible after the shows, hanging out at the merch table, patiently signing anything for anyone.

A nice show by Robyn, as always.

Thanks to Doug Mashkow of CD Island and The New Music Scene.

Gene Clark: Two Sides To Every Story (High Moon Records/2013)

The late, great Ex-Byrd Gene Clark never quite had the record sales to reflect the quality of his work. The soulfulness of his material was nearly without equal and the depth of feeling of his voice is truly exceptional. Recorded in 1976 on Clark's own dime, and originally released on RSO Records in 1977, on his fifth solo album Two Sides To Every Story, even if his muse seems to come and go, Clark is fine form.

The album's best original songs; "Silent Crusade", "Past Addresses", "Kansas City Southern", "Home Run King" - the album's lone single -  and "Lonely Saturday" all plainly lay bare Clark's greatest strengths. His ability to simplify his lyrics and still be somehow amazingly poetic are over these tracks. The covers of "Give My Love To Marie" and "In The Pines" are well-executed.

Clark is aided by plenty of country rock luminaries; Emmylou Harris, Doug Dillard and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter are all well-accounted for. The album was produced by Thomas Jefferson Kaye who produced Clark's previous album, the legendary No Other album. However, whereas No Other was wonderfully excessive, Two Sides To Every Story is a fairly scaled-back affair.

Reissued in 2013 on High Moon Records for Record Store Day in a limited-numbered pressing of 5,000 copies. It comes with a beautiful twenty-four page booklet and an MP3 download card twenty-one bonus tracks including a full set from 1975 and a twelve-minute promotional interview from 1974. However, it does not contain the album itself, only the twenty-one bonus tracks.

A beautiful package and a must have for fans of The Byrds, Gene Clark or classic country rock from he 1970's.

Here's the video review:

Off!: The First Four EPs (Vice Records/2010)

Off! is a Los Angeles hardcore punk rock supergroup. Formed by Keith Morris of Black Flag and Circle Jerks and Steve McDonald of Redd Kross, Mario Rubalcaba of Rocket From The Crypt and Dimitri Coats from Burning Brides in 2009. The band recorded and released The First Four Eps 7” box set in 2010 on Vice Records.

The First Four EPs box set contains four 7" EP records, a very nice booklet with artwork from Raymond Pettibon and a download code. Produced by Coates and engineered by McDonald, the release is sixteen songs in just eighteen minutes. The package itself is beautiful. The tracks themselves are uniformly excellent. The music is simultaneously simple yet challenging. It's simply a must-have release for fans of classic punk rock.

Very most highly recommended. 

Here's the video review:

Teenage Fanclub: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY (10/15/2016)

Scotland's Teenage Fanclub have just released their tenth studio album, Here. Their tour stopped at New York's Bowery Ballroom and I eagerly attended the show. It was my sixth time seeing TFC and second time seeing them at Bowery Ballroom. I'd first seen the band in 1993 at CBGB's. Their sound has changed considerably since then - with each album the band seems to ditch the Big Star/Jesus And Mary Chain influence more and more and they've become closer to being Crosby, Stills & Nashesque.

Norman Blake, Gerard Love & Raymond McGinley still deliver the goods. The band were in good form and their twenty-song set contained plenty of old favorites (including "Star Sign", "The Concept", "Radio" and "About You"). The band started the set off appropriately enough with "Start Again" and closed with their epic debut single "Everything Flows". In between the band played newish and genuinely new material (including the fine new single "I'm In Love").

The subtlety of the band's material is a something of a strength unto-itself, and the understatedness of the songs reveal themselves over-time. Which, if you're unfamiliar with, may not reveal themselves immediately, especially in a live setting. Thankfully for me, I knew all of these songs very well and wasn't clinging to a hope that the band was going to break out into a loud medley of material from their Bandwagonesque album. I was however disappointed that they didn't play "What You Do To Me", "Hang On" and even "Sparky's Dream", but I'll get over this some day.

Sneakers: Sneakers (Omnivore Recordings/2014)

North Carolina's Sneakers are known for containing Chris Stamey and Will Rigby of the dB's and Mitch Easter of Let's Active. Before those people formed their respective bands, they released some of the most challenging and well-recorded independent Power Pop records of the 1970's.

Released on RSD of 2014 in a limited pressing of 1,500 on clear vinyl by Omnivore Recordings, their self-titled debut 7" six-song EP is now a nine-song 10' EP. The songs have a very samey-quality to them; they're all very good but none are immediately memorable and none sticks with you for very long. In that regard, it begs you to return to it since it's obviousness is initially elusive. And the returns, are not diminishing.

So, for fans of The dB's, Let's Active and Power Pop in general.

Here's the video review:

Damon Albarn: Democrazy (Honest Jon's/2003)

Damon Albarn, he of Blur and Gorillaz fame, did what many touring musicians do. He recorded demos of songs in various hotel rooms across the United States. However, unlike the majority of them, he went ahead and released these sketch-like recordings, warts and all.

Recorded in 2003 on Blur's Think Tank tour, these fourteen songs on two ten-inch disks all contain a humble-sounding listenable quality. But this isn't the sort of thing you're going to return to very many times. Drum programs, acoustic guitar, organ and vocals are what you hear. And the songs were recorded simply as just a means of capturing an idea on tape to be worked on further.

Of these songs, "I Need A Gun" went on to become known as "Dirty Harry" by Gorillaz. The remainder apparently never went further than the demo stage.

The artwork on the vinyl itself is beautiful and the die-cut packaging is very nice. So it is collectible for this and this alone. Otherwise, for Damon Albarn/Blur/Gorillaz completeists only.

Here's the video review:

Buzzcocks: Irving Plaza, New York, NY (10/1/2016)

Manchester (Bolton), England's The Buzzcocks have been touring to celebrate the band's 40 anniversary. The band played Irving Plaza earlier this month, and by and large the show was a success. Given the longevity of the band (read: age) I wasn't expecting them to be so full of natural intensity. However the band gave credible, excellent readings of the majority of all the classics. The sound, as it generally always is at Irving Plaza was wonderful. It's still my favorite venue for rock shows in Manhattan.

Just a few songs in, it was crystal clear as to why they're the acknowledged pioneers of Pop Punk. The busy yet efficient drums parts, decidedly individual yet lovelorn lyrics, thoroughly melodic basslines, the crystalline crunch of the guitars and the harmony vocals of leaders Steve Diggle and Pete Shelley. Their brand of  Ramones wall of guitars with their own romantic concerns spawned the likes of The Descendants, Hüsker Dü, Green Day and Blink 182. 

The band performed a twenty-one song set in just over ninety-minutes. The classics "What Do I Get?", "I Don't Mind", "Ever Fallen In Love", "Promises", "Love You More", "Autonomy" and "Orgasm Addict" were all performed and sung-along-to-loudly by the crowd (whose ages seem to range from teenage to retiree). My favorite songs of the evening were "You Say You Don't Love Me", "Why She's A Girl From The Chainstore" and the sublime "Harmony In My Head". The best performance was the bands' trance-y "Moving Away From The Pulsebeat".

A great show from a legendary band. 

The Dream Syndicate: The Dream Syndicate EP (Blue Rose Records/2013)

Los Angeles, California's The Dream Syndicate were one of the leading lights from the early 1980's Paisley Underground scene. The poetic songs of guitarist/vocalist Steve Wynn seemed to successfully update the psychedelic garage rock of The Velvet Underground. The band existed from the early 80's till the late 80's and released five albums and one EP in that time. My personal favorites being their The Days Of Wine And Roses album and The Dream Syndicate EP.

The band had been together for less than one month when they recorded this. It was recorded in an afternoon, ostensibly as a four-song demo to get booked to play shows in the LA-area. "Sure Thing" has distinct Lou Reed feel to the vocals. While "That's What You Always Say" has a really nice late 60's fuzztone guitar part. "Some Kinda Itch" recalls Television. The recordings have a nice, homemade quality to them with controlled feedback and purposeful distortion outlining much of the proceedings.

The Dream Syndicate EP was first released in 1982 on Wynn's own Down There label and was reissued in a limited pressing of 1,000 copies for Record Store Day 2013 on the German label Blue Rose Records. It's a really nice pressing and the artwork is nicely restored and it features liner notes from Steve Wynn himself.

I love the record and would recommend it to anyone interested in the LA scene of the early 1980's.

Here's the video review:

The Donnas: Spend The Night (Atlantic/2002)

Palo Alto, California's The Donnas started out as a fast pop punk outfit on Lookout! Records but transitioned into a Millennial female hard rock answer to Kiss, The Ramones and The Runaways. The bands'  fifth album Spend The Night, was also their most successful charting at # 62 on Billboards Top 200 chart. The Donnas delight in deliciously trashy fun with kick-filled songs about hooking-up with randos, getting high on the pot marijuana, drinking beer  - they actually reference Bud Dry on one song -  (FYI Bud Dry was the beer equivalent of Mötley Crüe) - and general rock and roll partying.

Guitarist Allison Robertson channels Ace Frehley, Keith Richards and Angus Young with relative ease and singer Brett Anderson is always convincing in her convictions.

Highlight include "Take Me To The Backseat", "It's On The Rocks", "Pass It Around" and "You Wanna Get Me High". Spend The Night also contains the bands two biggest hits; "Take It Off" which charted at # 17 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and #31 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Who Invited You" charted on Billboards Hot Singles Sales chart. Both songs have been featured in a bunch of movies and television shows. "Too Bad About Your Girl" while never a commercially released single, had a promo video that received a ton of airplay on MTV at the time. The track "Big Rig" is a vinyl-only exclusive track.

The cover art features the girls ready to Spend The Night in a wood-paneled bedroom filled with all manner of 80's artifacts; Atari 2600 cartridges, a Colecovision game system, 8-Tracks cartridges on a CRT old-school monitor and Freddy Kruger are also present for the slumber party.

The album is unpretentious, trashy rock n roll fun.

Here's The Video Review:

Adam And The Ants: Kings Of The Wild Frontier (CBS/Sony/2016)

Kings Of The Wild Frontier was the album that started “Antmania” in the United Kingdom. It also contained “Dog Eat Dog” (UK #4), “Kings Of The Wild Frontier” (UK #2) and “”Antmusic”” (UK #2). The album itself reached #1 in the UK, #44 in the US and earned the band a BRIT award for Best Album and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

It featured the Burundi dual drumming of Chris Hughes (aka Merrick) and Terry Lee Mail. The glam meets art rock guitar of Marco Pirroni. There's shades of Ennio Morricone all over the album and images of American Indian meets American Cowboy of the old West. All delivered in a knowingly cam, post-art school way. By all accounts it is a classic album.

Sony has just reissued the album on vinyl. It's absolutely 100% faithful to the original UK release. It even includes the Adam And The Ants Catalogue, which is basically an awesomely cool magazine all about the ants and features a ton of photos and paraphernalia of the time.

Highly recommended for all New Wave lovers. And loves of post-punk and garage too.

Special Thanks To Tee-Vee Game's Dave Rerecich.

And now, here's the video review:

Alex Chilton: Ocean Club '77 (Norton Records/2015)

In 1977, Alex Chilton was in a time of transition. The band he'd fronted as a teen idol The Box Tops broken up in 1970 and the Power Pop legends Big Star – the band that Chris Bell had formed with Alex, Andy Hummell and Jody Stevens - had broken up in early 1975. Chilton had just released the Singer Not The Song EP and to properly promote it he moved in New York. There he formed a band with Chris Stamey (later of the dB's) on bass and Lloyd Fonroff on drums. Later that year the band was known as Alex Chilton and the Cossacks and had Fran Kowolski on keyboards.

Ocean Club '77 is what might be dubbed an official bootleg. It was approved by the Chilton estate. It claims to be a soundboard show. Which it may well be, albeit a poorly-mic'd one. The cover art font doesn't do it any favors either. However, the packaging is nice enough, with nice liner notes as well.

The first thing you hear is Chilton ordering a “Canadian Whiskey & Coca Cola on the rocks” from the stage to the bar. So, immediately you know it's going to be a fairly loose affair. Which it is. Although, it's not too loose as the rhythm section of Stamey & Fonoroff are tight-enough.

The song selection is pretty wonderful. “September Gurls”, “In The Street”, “O My Soul”, “Way Out West” and “Back Of A Car” all get confident airings. The Third nugget “Nightime” does as well – a good year before it's release. “The Letter” gets a different, slower arrangement. “Can't Seem To Make You Mine” (a cover of the Seeds' classic), “Window's Hotel”, “All Of The Time”, “My Rival” and “She Might Look My Way” all of which appeared on the rejected Elektra Demos, are in fine form here. As well as covers of the rock classics “Memphis”, “Wouldn't It Be Nice”, Walk Don't Run” and Nelson Slater's Lou Reed-produced “Dominating Force”.

Definitely recommended for the Chiltonphile of Big Star devotee.  

Here's the very special video review version:

Special Thanks to: Ebet Roberts, Norton Records and Dave Rerecich for making me vanish at the end. Into thin air. 

Redd Kross: Hot Issue (Redd Kross Fashion Records/2016)

Hawthorne, California's Redd Kross were inactive for inactive for nearly ten years. After the band's tour for 1997's Show World, they quietly went on hiatus. Lead guitarist Eddie Kurdziel passed away of a heroin overdose in 1999. Jeff McDonald formed Ze Malibu Kids and Steve McDonald for the Steve McDonald Group. In 2006 the band formally reunited with classic Neurotica-era members Roy McDonald (no relation) and Robert Hecker. This band went on to record the critically acclaimed Researching The Blues album on Merge Records in 2012.

Throughout all of this activity/inactivity the band recorded a wealth of material. Some of which have included on Hot Issue, which is a self-released album in a limited edition of 500 copies. It comes in magazine-styled artwork and includes a download code.

Taking tracks that have been both previously released elsewhere and unreleased from various time periods and compiling them. The results could have been pretty scatter-shot, however the results make for a surprisingly cohesive listen.

“Switchblade Sister” was a single released in the UK, Spain and Canada in the Summer of 1993. By all rights, it probably should have been included on the band's Phaseshifter album, released that September. Roger Joseph Manning of Jellyfish co-produces and appears on “Born To Love You” (which was a free MP3 download in the early 2000's) and “It's A Scream” which appeared in the horror-spoof Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The Thirteenth. “Starlust” appeared on the Jabberjaw compilation album. “Puss N Boots”, the New York Dolls cover, is from the 1981 Hell Comes To Your House comp, when the band was still known as Red Cross. “That Girl” originally appeared as the B-Side to the “Mess Around” single. “Motorboat” is a Kim Fowley cover that was on the SMG This Is Not A Revolution...This Is A Mass Awakening! EP. “Don't Take Your Baby Downtown” is the original version of “Stay Away From Downtown”.

If you're a fan of the Kross and can find it, by all means pick it up.  

Here's The Video Review:

Thanks to: Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Atomic Pop Monkey and Redd Kross,

Tubeway Army: Replicas (Atco/1979)

Replicas is the Tubeway Army's second and final album. It successfully marries the monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers and guitars of Gary Numan to the bass of Paul Gardiner and drums of Jess Lidyard. Given the nature of Numan's later work, the album isn't as icy cold as one would assume. 

It is a classic New Wave release and contains the UK #1 hit “Are 'Friends' Electric? As well as the non-charting single “Down In The Park” (which was memorably performed in the classic film Urgh! A Music War!). As well as such fine tracks as “Me! I Disconnect From You”, the instrumental “I Nearly Married A Human” and the title track. This is a great, early synth album and is highly recommended for fans of all things synthesizer and EDM. 

Here's The Video Review:

Bryan Ferry: Beacon Theatre, NY, NY 7/29/2016

I first happened upon Roxy Music in about 2002. I became a huge fan shortly thereafter. Roxy last toured the US in 2001, and I'd passed up on seeing Bryan Ferry twice already so it was high time to see the legend, in the flesh (+ blood). Ferry is 70 years old and, after seeing what a year this has been in way of music casualties, as a bona fide I needed to see him. I'm relieved to say that it truly was worth the wait.

His band was absolutely stellar and obviously very well-rehearsed. His setlist was a list of Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry fan-favorites and greatest hits. The tour was in support of his fifteenth solo album, 2014's Avonmore, and the title track started the night off. His biggest solo hits (in the US) "Slave To Love" and "Don't Stop The Dance" followed. A ton of early Roxy Music classics were also successfully tackled; "Editions Of You", "Ladytron", "Beauty Queen", "Virginia Plain" and lengthy versions of "If There Is Something" and "In Every Dream a Heartache" as well.

Ferry's voice was in fine form and he hit every note perfectly. He was as suave as one could hope he would be. Women of ALL ages were out-and-out screaming for the man in-between songs. One should only hope to be in his condition at age 70.

The Roxy Music classics "More Than This", "Avalon" and "Love Is The Drug" were all greeted with something resembling standing ovations. Perfect readings of  "Oh Yeah (On The Radio)", "Let's Stick Together" and a cover of the John Lennon (tribute) "Jealous Guy" and an emotional performance of the instrumental "Tara" from the Avalon album all made the night even more special than a Roxy/Ferry fan could have even hoped for.

Photos by: Bill Wikstrom

The Fleshtones, Dirty Fences, Paul Collins' Beat, Big Huge. Monty Hall: Jersey City, NJ 7/22/2016

Jersey City's WFMU-FM has a concert space known as Monty Hall, also in Jersey City. It has a decent-sized stage, carpeted floor, fairly good acoustics and two gentleman selling beer cans (Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn Lager, etc) out of two coolers behind a small table. It has a welcoming, relaxed and funky vibe.

Brooklyn, NY's Big Huge started the night off and I was surprisingly captivated by the bands natural cohesion and the lead singer's easy confidence. Since they arrived late, they only played a few songs. All of which were pretty great.

Next up was Power Pop legend and ex-member of The Nerves, Paul Collins, with a new version of The Beat. His band sounded great and Collins himself also sounded like he wouldn't know how to phone it in if he tried. He was enthusiastic and had an easy rapport with the audience. He performed "Rock N Roll Girl", "The Kids Are The Same", "Walking Out On Love" and "Working Too Hard" - all Power Pop classic standards, written by the man himself. He also belted out a version "When You Find Out" from his days with The Nerves. If you have the opportunity to see the good man in person, by all means do.

I spent the majority of Dirty Fences' set talking to my friend Susan in the back of the venue. The band had a fairly generic, hard-rock sound informed by mid-late 1990's MOR guitar rock.

I've seen The Fleshtones at least a dozen-times since 2001. The band is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. And if their performance at Monty Hall is any indication - they're nowhere near retirement. The band, with their easy showmanship and stage moves and who are all in their fifties, put bands in their twenties to shame.

Count Peter Zaremba - who also has a program on Little Steven's Underground Garage - came on stage in a cape, played Farfisa Organ, blew harp and sang like a virtual garage rock legend. Bassist Ken Fox and guitarist Keith Streng's synchronized moves recalled Paul Revere And the Raiders. And drummer Bill Milhizer was as reliable and rock steady as always. The biggest surprise of the night was the return of sometime Fleshtones saxophone player Steve Greenfield(!).

The Fleshtones are a band that sound even more ultra-stupendous with a saxophone. A portion of their brand of freak-beat garage-rock basically demands it. Greenfield played on "I Was A Teenage Zombie" and "Theme From The Vindicators". The band played such latter-day classics as "Bigger And Better", "Feels Good To Feel" and "Let's Go". They encored with the classic single "Shadow Line" and "My Kinda Lovin'". They were phenomenally tight this evening. Great show. Also, I hung out withYo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan and author of Sweat! The Story Of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band biography author, Joe Bonomo. All in all, an awesome night.

You must go to a Fleshtones show to truly experience The Fleshones.

The Byrds: Sanctuary IV (Sundazed Music/2002)

The Byrds are one of the most influential bands of the 1960's. They seamlessly blended British Invasion pop with folk music. Incorporating psychedelic rock and raga rock. And finally overlapping traditional American country and Bluegrass music with contemporary rock music. Sanctuary series is a four volume collection on Sundazed Music. Volume four is a collection of outtakes and alternate versions of tracks from the bands groundbreaking Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album.

Gram Parsons had joined the band in February of 1968 and immediately asserted his influence and persuading original band members Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman toward Honky Tonk/Country music. This wasn't too difficult as Hillman and McGuinn had their roots in traditional country music. But it was virtually unheard of for a pop band to tackle this. Their Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album confused fans at the time and only reached # 77 on the charts and the classic single “You Ain't Goin' Nowhere” only reached #74. The album is now regarded as a classic and made Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of all-time list in 2003.

Sanctuary Four collects several of the Gram Parson vocal tracks that were originally intended for the Sweetheart album. Those tracks were later released with Roger McGuinn on lead vocals as Parson was still contractually obligated to his previous contract with Columbia Records for his time with The International Submarine Band. Including “One Hundred Years From Now”, “Life In Prison” and “You Don't Miss Your Water”. Plus fantastic non album tracks “Lazy Days” and “You've Got A Reputation”.

Sundazed Music, once again, does a fantastic job on the authentic packaging and liner notes. Recommended for Byrdmaniax and Gram Parsons fans alike.  

Here'e The Video Review:

Special Thanks to doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com

(They Rule)

Supergrass: Life On Other Planets (Parlophone/2002)

Supergrass emerged in the mid 1990's as one of the leading lights of the Britpop movement. They had top-ten UK hits with “Alright” (which was also on the Clueless soundtrack), “Lenny” and “Going Out”. Unfortunately, in the time they existed, they never really broke the US market. However, all of the bands albums were critically acclaimed, including their debut I Should Coco and their fourth album Life On Other Planets.

2002's Life On Other Planets is almost an amalgamation of what made the band so wonderful. Guitar-based pop that acknowledges the past while making contemporary, modern statements. Their are traces of the Buzzcocks, T.Rex and The Small Faces throughout the material. I personally think this the band's most cohesive release as the sequencing of the tracks gives the illusion that material came together somewhat organically.

The three commercially released singles “Seen The Light”, “Grace” and “Rush Hour Soul” are only some of the best songs on the record. “Run”, “Za”, “La Song” and “Evening Of The Day” are my personal favorites on the record of all the album tracks. This is the first album where keyboardist Rob Coombes is an official member of the band.

For my money, easily one of the best records of the 2000's. Highly recommended.  

Here's The Video Review:

The Cure: Seventeen Seconds (Fiction Records/1980)

The Cure's sophomore release, Seventeen Seconds was released in April of 1980. It is the first album to mark a distinct path away from the faster of edgy pop of their debut, Three Imaginary Boys or Boys Don't Cry as it was released in the US. The minimal, precise pop the band plays on Seventeen Seconds had been present on Three Imaginary Boys in the songs “Another Day”, “Accuracy” and the classic “Three Imaginary Boys”.

The album is amazingly successful in creating a definite mood and is psychedelic in a downbeat way. The drums of Laurence Tolhurst and keyboards of Matthieu Hartly are very minimal and precise. Robert Smith's guitar lines are bright and nicely chorused while Simon Gallup's bass lines generally provide the melody lines. “In Your House” is a psychedelic, new wave classic. “Play For Today” although a promo video clip was made for the song and it's appearance on the Staring At The Sea Compact Disc led many to believe it was a single, it was not. Although it does sound like a long-lost classic single.

“A Forest” in fact was a classic new wave single - it was a UK Top 40 hit and reached number 47 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. It's repetitive four-note bass-line, echoing vocals, backwards snare and chorused guitar all combined with a memorable Smith vocal performance make for a very memorable track. “Secrets”, “M” and the title track are effectively moody, lightly gloomy atmosphere pieces. “At Night” is a nocturnal mini-masterpiece. While “Three”, “A Reflection” and “The Final Sound” are basically instrumental exercises.

This is my favorite album by The Cure and I can't say enough good things about it.

Recommended. Highly.   

Here's the video review:

A Very Special Thanks To: Stephen Worth. 

The Cure: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (6/20/16)

The Cure are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year (they formed in 1976, and started recording in 1978). To celebrate their career the band are on tour to (unofficially, at least) celebrate this. And from the offset of the tour, things were reportedly looking good for long-time/hardcore Cure fans. The band had been performing obscure songs they hadn't since the 1980's. And the band played a three-night residency at New York's famous Madison Square Garden. Despite being a longtime Cure fan, I hadn't yet seen the band perform live. So I was especially looking forward to this show.

The Cure line-up in 2016 is, of course, Robert Smith on vocals, guitar and occasional six-string bass, longtime David Bowie-band member Reeves Gabrels on lead guitar, longtime Cure member Simon Gallup on bass, Roger O'Donnell on Keyboards - who made a welcome return to the fold after a long absence - and Jason Cooper, who has been with The Cure since the mid 90's. The band has a wonderful uniformity of sound and sounded fantastic together. It was also fairly obvious that this was a fun show for them. Gallup and O'Donnell's playfully interactions were revealing of that. Smith still sounded in good voice and still looks as he has always (slightly chubby, black clothes, frizzy hair, some lipstick).

The band opened with the mid-tempo "Out Of This World" from Bloodflowers followed by the wonderful "Pictures Of You" and the fine "Closedown" both from Disintegration. I was overjoyed when the band launched into "High" - a personal favorite from the Summer of 1992's Wish - "A Night Like This", "Push" (which had nearly everyone up dancing) and "In Between Days" (the band's first Billboard Top 100 hit) all of which came from The Head On The Door album. The performed most of their US hits ("Just Like Heaven", "Love Song", "Lullaby") notable absences were "Friday I'm In Love" and "Fascination Street", both of which were performed at the previous MSG shows.

The band performed some classics that they don't always perform - all of which were favorites of mine;  the lilting "The Caterpillar", the bonafide psychedelic classic "A Forest",  the new wave synth dance pop classics "The Walk" and "Let's Go To Bed", the late 80's club classics "Hot! Hot! Hot!" and "Why Can't I Be You" (both of which had the entire place up and dancing frantically), "Play For Today" and "At Night" from their Seventeen Seconds album, the rarity "Bananafishbones" and "Shake Dog Shake" from The Top, "Close To Me" and "Kyoto Song" also from The Head On The Door. The band played for over three hours performing 31 songs with four (!) encores.

Opening band The Twilight Sad were a fitting opening band and were a pleasant surprise.

Overall, The Cure were amazing and exceeded all expectations that I had going in to the show. If you're a Cure fan and are hesitant about seeing them. Don't be. I highly recommend seeing them if/when you have the chance.  

Photos by Bill Wikstrom.

Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour, Northside Festival, McCarren Park, Brooklyn NY 6/12/16

The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album is one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time. Rolling Stone Magazine has placed it at #2 in it's 500 Greatest Album Of All Time list. Paul McCartney has famously said that no one is educated musically, until they've listen to it. The late George Martin has also said that "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper never would have happened. Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds". It basically went on to inspire an entire genre of music (Baroque Pop).  So,
to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, Brian Wilson took the road with his very adept band and Beach Boy Al Jardine and one-time Beach Boy (circa 1971-1974) Blondie Chaplin.

They headlined the Northside Festival at McCarren Park in Brooklyn this year. The band opened with a half-dozen Beach Boys classics - "California Girls, "I Get Around", "Surfer Girl" & "Don't Worry Baby" sung by Brian with his wonderfully capable band, plus "Wild Honey" and "Sail On Sailor" with Blondie on lead vocals. Then the band performed the entire Pet Sounds album in sequence. which includes the classics: "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B", "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", "Caroline, No" and "God Only Knows". Plus a whimsical singalong version of "Row Row Row Your Boat" as per request of Mr. Wilson, which was a pretty hilarious highlight. 

The band closed things out with sincere readings of "Good Vibrations", "Barbara Ann", "Surfin' USA" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" - all of which produced a fantastic audience response. It should be noted just how great his band were and how authentic they sounded with obvious love and respect towards to original arrangements of the songs.

Madrid's Hinds, a garage rock combo and were touring in support of their Leave Me Alone album. They were a welcome, if small, surprise. And made for a fine opener who perhaps deserved a better response. Ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam, backed by a string section also performed as well.

Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food (Sire Records/1978)

More Songs About Buildings And Food is Talking Heads second album. It was the first in a trilogy of albums to be co-produced (with the band) by ex-Roxy Music synth layer and ambient music pioneer Brian Eno. Eno seemed to bring out the best aspects of the band and their interaction with one another. Eno also played synths, keyboards, additional guitars, percussion and backing vocals to the album.

The album more also contains more danceable elements to the songs and rhythm section of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz have become a tight unit. Jerry Harrison's role in the band is even more developed as this point as well. David Byrne's songs are quirky in the same way they were on Talking Heads '77, however there is a more seemingly organic nature to the material. All of the parts played are extremely purposeful yet wonderfully understated.

The cover art is comprised of 529 close-up Polaroids of the band which was done by the late artist Jimmy De Sana. And now resides in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The album reached #29 in the US eventually going Gold and peaked at #21 in the UK charts.

“Stay Hungry”, “Warning Sign”, “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” and especially “The Big Country” are among the bands simplest yet somehow greatest songs, in my humble opinion. The band also achieved their biggest chart hit to date with a Top 40 cover of the Al Green song “Take Me To The River”. The band had previously had a minor hit with “Psycho Killer” which only reached #92 on Billboard's Single Charts. However “Take Me To The River” landed them spots on American Bandstand and Saturday Night Live which formally introduced them to America at large.

This is one of my all-time favorite albums and I can't recommend it highly enough.  

Here is the video review:

Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Get Happy!! (Columbia/1980)

Get Happy!! is the fourth album by Elvis Costello, third with the Attractions. Unlike his other albums with The Attractions, it has a distinctly R&B feel. It is also, in my humble opinion, Elvis' most cohesive creative statement with The Attractions. Produced by Nick Lowe, who had produced all of Costello's albums to date, does a wonderful job with achieving the perfect balance of getting a suitable R&B production on many of the tracks, while getting the best out of the band and what makes them great.

The album contains twenty-tracks, which is unusual for a non-double album release. Fearing audiophile fears of “groove-cramming”, producer Nick Lowe wrote a disclaimer instructing listeners to fear not as there is no loss of quality as the record nears the end of each side. The album also contains some of his best tracks; “New Amsterdam”, “High Fidelity” and “Love For Tender”. Other standouts include “Secondary Modern”, Riot Act” and the Sam & Dave cover of “I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down”. Truth be told all of these songs display Costello's seemingly easy talent of bending phrases to phrases to perfectly fit the rhyme schemes for his always insightful lyrics.

The sleeve has nice retro cover art by the late, legendary artist Barney Bubbles with some editions having ready-made ringwear on the sleeve. It peaked at #2 on the UK charts and #11 in the US, also reaching #11 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 Greatest Album Of The 1980's list in 1989.

I personally cannot recommend this album high enough.   

Video Review, anyone?:

Magazine: Play (Virgin Records/1981)

Manchester's Magazine were one of the finest bands to come out of the post/punk movement. Forming in 1977 after leader Howard Devoto left The Buzzcocks, the band released three excellent albums on Virgin Records. In mid-1980, guitarist extraordinaire, the late-John McGeoch left the band to join Siouxsie & The Banshees. He was replaced by Robin Simon for the Correct Use Of Soap tour (he can also be seen with the band in their appearance in the film Urgh! A Music War). Considering Simon had big shoes to fill in replacing the ever-innovative McGeoch, he fares pretty well here. 


Recorded in late Summer of 1980 at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia opening for XTC, Play is something of a neat little sampler of sorts. It contains the classic Magazine cuts “Because You're Frightened”, “The Light Pours Out Of Me”, “Model Worker”, “Permafrost”, “A Song From Under The Floorboards” and their deconstructionist take on Sly And The Family Stone's “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”. The only glaring omission here is the classic debut single “Shot By Both Sides” (which was the band's only real UK hit). The band sounds in fine form and they certainly have more command than your average opening band.

 Recommended for fans of The Buzzcocks, post-punk and new wave.

 This is the video review:


 

The Electric Prunes: I've Got A World Of My Own (Sundazed Music/2016)

This Record Store Day birthed a single from The Electric Prunes. The Electric Prunes are well-known for the singles “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” and “Get Me To The World On Time”. Both songs were recorded in 1966 and were outtakes for the band's self-titled debut album. The Hollies cover “I've Got A Way Of My Own” features Byrdsian backing harmony vocals and the jaunty “World Of Darkness” sounds like an R&B garage rock standard.

A nice and welcome release from a band that doesn't have their back-catalog exploited as much as other bands.  

Here's The Video Review:

Prince & The Revolution: Parade (Paisley Park Records/1986)

Parade is Prince And The Revolution's third and final album. It's also Prince's eight and also doubles as the soundtrack album to the motion picture Under The Cherry Moon. After the Revolution's dayglo psychedelic experimentation on the Around The World In A Day album, Prince took a step back in terms of excessive arrangements. Parade is Prince's minimalist funk album. The album went platinum in the US, was a top five album and made many critic lists' Album Of The Year. The album also spawned three great singles - the masterpiece “Kiss”, the lightly psychedelic pop of “Mountains” and the more r&b flavored “Anotherloverholenyohead”.

The album is unsuspectingly a heavy listen while simultaneously a light, minimal affair. The album starts with the triumvirate of “Christopher Tracy's Parade” (which was originally titled “Wendy's Parade” and is the name of Prince's character in Under The Cherry Moon as well as his pseudonym for “Manic Monday”), “New Position” (a sexy double entendre) and “I Wonder You” (a psychedelic offering with lead vocals by keyboardist Lisa Coleman). “Do U Lie?”, “Venus De Milo” the title track are all cut from a similar light jazzy pop cloth. “Sometimes It Snows In April” is arguably Prince's greatest ballad and given his untimely death being in April, it now carries and additional weight. The funky “Girls & Boys” was a UK-only single and reached #11 there.

The album, as well as Prince's entire Warner Brothers discography is more than overdue for a proper remastering and reissuing. And if that ever happens, the outtake “An Honest Man” and the B-Sides “Love or Money” and “Alexa de Paris” are begging to be included in said reissue. Parade is an unsuspectingly pleasant, welcome and understated addition to his wonderful catalog. Although Parade ended up being de facto final album by The Revolution, they did record one more. Dream Factory was a double album and eventually morphed into the brilliant 1987 Prince solo album Sign O The Times.

Parade is a highly recommended album.   

Here's The Video Review:

Cheap Trick: Found New Parts EP (Big Machine Records/2016)

Recent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Cheap Trick have been making music for over 40 years. Bang, Zoom Crazy Hello their 17th studio album is their first without co-founder Bun E. Carlos and first with Daxx Nielsen (son of guitarist Rick) is a very nice mix of everything that is great about the Trick.

This Record Store Day release offered the new 10” EP Found New Parts – a reference to their last 10” EP Found All The Parts. It's a four song-sampler from their new album. “When I Wake Up Tomorrow” sounds vocally like a David Bowie track and is a great recording. “No Direction Home” & “Do Yo Believe Me” reference Cheap Trick referencing The Beatles. “Arabesque” is repetitive and riffy and only appears on the Japanese version of the album.

The EP works as both a nice little sampler and a nice collectors piece for fans of the band.

Here's the video review:


Special thanks to: Bun E. Carlos and Big Machine Records.

Big Star: Complete Columbia (Volcano/2016)

This year's Record Store Day spawned a number of interesting releases. One of which was Complete Columbia from Memphis, TN cult legends, Big Star. On April 25, 1993 Big Star reunited to play at University Of Missouri. The band hadn't played together since early 1975, and given Chilton's inclination to dismiss the band in interviews it was surprising to even drummer Jody Stevens that the reunion ever happened. Fortunately, it did. The two students who were in charge of the Spring Fling concert at the University Of Missouri were huge Big Star fans and called Jody Stephens, at Ardent Studios (where Stephens still works). He agreed to do the show if Chilton would. To everyone's surprise, Chilton agreed.

The Posies' Jon Aur and Ken Stringfellow, filled in the line-up to replace the late Chris Bell on guitar and the (now) late Andy Hummel on bass, respectively. The band played a great, if sloppy, performance. Legendary music journalist Bud Scoppa, a huge fan of the band, was at this time head of A&R at Zoo Records, recorded the show and it was released to favorable reviews. The album cover artwork is something of a reference to the Radio City artwork and even features a photo from William Eggleston (who also took the photo that adorns Radio City).

The RSD release is the first domestic vinyl release of the album and contains six additional bonus tracks from the show. Upping the number of tracks to 21 over the 1993 CD's 14. It's an excellent and must-have release of any Big Star fan.

Here's The Video Review:

I.R.S. Greatest Hits Vols 2 & 3 (IRS Records/1981)

I.R.S. Records was one of the most influential American record labels of the New Wave era. International Record Syndicate was the brainchild of Miles Copeland III (older bother of Police drummer Stewart). Copeland founded the British record labels Illegal Records and Faulty Products in 1977 and 1978, respectively. He had previously established a relationship with A&M Records and in 1979 along with Jay Boberg and Carlos Grasso, made a deal with them to distribute IRS Records.

I.R.S. was responsible for exposing the general public at large with the likes of The Go-Go's, The Cramps, R.E.M., The Fleshtones, Wall Of Voodoo, The Buzzcocks, Oingo Boingo, The Fall and countless other alternative music acts of the late 1970's and 1980's.

Released in 1981, I.R.S. Greatest Hits Volume 2 & 3 is a double-album sampler of then-current recordings, released on the label. It personally introduced me to several bands when I first heard it. Namely The Cramps, The Fleshtones, The Buzzcocks, The Damned and The Stranglers. The album features two songs by Stewart Copeland's pseudonym while he was in The Police, rare single tracks from both Squeeze and The Police. It features notable entries from somewhat obscure acts like Humans, Fashion, Skafish, Payoloa$ and Patrick D. Martin. It also features curiosities from ex-Velvet Underground cellist John Cale, ex-Damned guitarist Brian James, ex-Squeeze keyboardist/BBC personality Jools Holland, and BBC6 personality Tom Robinson. It contains great songs by The Buzzcocks, The Damned, The Fall, The Stranglers, The Cramps and The Fleshtones.

The album is inconsistently excellent and overall is a pretty good representation of the music that I.R.S. Records. It was a pretty important album in shaping my own musical tastes growing up. There can't be too many better albums of it's kind. It's a great alternative music sampler of the early 1980's.  

Highly Recommended!

Here's the video review (including an awesome K-Tel-esque commercial) :

The Suburbs: Credit In Heaven (Twin/Tone Records/1981)

The Suburbs were one of the greatest bands to come from Minneapolis in the 1980's. Originally a jumped-up, noisy new wave quintet, and later evolving into a more moody, danceable outfit. The band's first record in 1978, was also the first ever released on the Twin/Tone label (later home to Soul Asylum and The Replacements) and would serve as the band's label until 1983. In that time they released two albums, two EP's and three singles.

The second of those albums was Credit In Heaven. An ambitious double-album platter, with a nice and varied track selection and clear production via Paul Stark (who would later produce The Replacements' Hootenanny album). The album's lone single “Music For Boys” reached number 66 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play singles chart. And it became something of a new wave club staple.

While there is a singularly originality to The Suburbs and their material; a few points of references are Roxy Music, Talking Heads and David Bowie. Beej Chaney's vocals point to Iggy Pop, while Chan Polling's voice recalls Bryan Ferry. “Cigarette In Backwards” sounds like a boozy Roxy Music. “Drinking With An Angel” sounds like Iggy Pop fronting Talking Heads. “Idiot Voodoo” and “Dish It Up” sound like absolute new wave dance classics, while “Tape Your Wife To The Ceiling” and “Spring Came” sound like they should be alternative radio classics. Being that it is a double-album there are a few lesser tracks (namely “Macho Drunk”, “Postcard” and “Girlache”). But even those tracks don't detract from the overall cohesiveness and general effectiveness of the album.

The band's playing is tight and the arrangements accentuate the excellently understated rhythm section of bassist Michael Halliday and drummer Hugo Klaers. Lead guitarist the late Bruce C. Allen is shown to be an original player and effective foil to Chaney's spare, quirky parts. And Polling is an a master at knowing what to piano parts to play and what not to play. There is a shared sense of understatement which is common to all.

A highly recommended album.  

Here's the video review:

Special thanks to: Doug Mashkow of New Music Scene and CD Island.