Alex Nackman @ The Troubadour 1.30.07

My good friend Alex Nackman played a great show at The Troubadour on Jan. 30th. Below is the setlist. If you haven't heard his new album "Sunrise Falls" check it out, it's his best yet. It was great to see Alex perform with a full band who after only a few hours of practice sounded great and worked together to make Alex sound that much better. He's currently touring the East Coast after a few dates out here on the Left Coast.



*Sunrise Falls
*Dionysus
*Stay Where You Are
*Proximity
*Holiday
*Amsterdam Avenue
*Wings (acoustic)
*Unlock My Gate (acoustic)
*Photo -> Your Eyes (acoustic)
*Hold The Line
*Venice

Advanced Buzz

I'm in love with Bloc Party. I make no bones about it. From the first listen of Silent Alarm they had me hook, line, and sinker. They encompass pretty much everything I love about bands who make great music. They are a bunch of guys who got together and formed a band. Friends, yes, but also eclectic bringing all of there influences into the fold. They are great musicians. I've seen them live and was probably one of the best shows I've ever seen. Their music doesn't get old, it's sounds fresh and no one can claim they sound like someone else. This new album due out February 6th is no different.

I've been listening to this album for a few weeks now and with each listen hear something new and great. Make no mistake this is not a repeat of the previous record. This is new creation. A move forward. There are still the catchy hooks, driving guitar riffs, and intense drumming. The drumming seems to move to the forefront of this record. It really drives the album where the lead guitar was more prominent on the previous effort. I have no problem with this because it still sounds awesome.

Kele's lyrics are also in top form on A Weekend in the City. Said to be inspired by everything in city life he explores new vocal techniques that are accomplished with skill and precision. An example of this experimentation comes on "The Prayer." He switches between all octaves of his range from a deep baritone to a tenor falsetto. It also helps that there is a loop of him humming in the background in a chanting monk fashion. This track reminds me of a track of TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain but more rocky. He sings, "Tonight make me unstoppable / and i will charm, i will slice i will dazzle / i will outshine all."

It's hard to pick standout tracks from a Bloc Party album because they are all crafted as if they could each be singles in their own right. But if I had to choose they'd be (the sure single, and previously heard on tour) "Waiting for the 7.18," "I Still Remember," "Song for Clay," and the aforementioned "The Prayer." Each of these tracks see Bloc Party take their brand of rock to interesting, yet familiar, new places. I tried to listen to this album objectively the first few times through, and feel that I was successful with that. I don't know what various other bloggers have or will say about this effort but it seems to stay true to what Bloc Party fans like and expect from the band. It a great springboard to what is sure to be an amazing touring act in 2007. ~~~




For all intents and purposes I shouldn't have this next album yet either. I was lucky enough to be forwarded a link that leaked the entire new The Arcade Fire album Neon Bible a few days ago. The link has been dead for a while now, and read that many leaked versions were fake. I can tell you that this is definitely not fake.

I spent the first day I had this on my iPod at work listening to it all the way through at least four times. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it compared to their amazing debut. And I think I've finally come to some sort of conclusion after listening to both albums back-to-back.

Funeral had drive and momentum; a coherence that left you excited for the next song and didn't realize time was passing. On Neon Bible there are definately stand out tracks and hooks that scream ARCADE FIRE but there are others that are downright confounding.

The album begins closely where the last left off with "Black Mirror." It's instrumentation, with strings and keys and lush orchestration is all here. "Keep The Car Running" is a very perky tune that seems like The Arcade Fire decided to dip into the Folk pool. The repeating mandolin line adds to this feeling. This song is very catchy and I'm sure will be a fun live song. The title track, "Neon Bible" turns the dial back down and becomes very introspective. Next comes the first single, "Intervention" with its pipe organ intro that declares "The Arcade Fire are back." When you hear this song on the radio and think that all the songs will sound like this you would be sorely mistaken. This song could have been on the debut album. It's grand, beautiful and mixes instruments so well you wish all music was this good. I just don't get "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations." And then comes "Ocean of Noise" that doesn't really become interesting till the tail end when the mariachi horns and strings come are added. "The Well and The Lighthouse" is an epic with a mid-song tempo change that it vintage Arcade Fire. The rest of the tracks are also quite good, but for some reason they just don't go from one to another like they did on the first album. Why is that? I don't know. The most confusing song on the album is the last track titled "My Body Is A Cage." It's weird. Plain and simple. Why would they end the album with this? Either way. Enough people are going to check out this album when it finally gets released in March that there will be enough opinions to go around and lay down a verdict. For now, I'll keep listening and trying to piece together this puzzle. ~~~

Listen to These Now

Hippity Hop

I don't believe I've tried to tackle any hip-hop albums yet, but this is a great place to start after a little hiatus. Reviewing a hip-hop album is totally different from anything in the Rock genre. There are variables that are unique; production (beats), lyrics, "flow," style, delivery, content of those lyrics, how they resonate, etc. I'll admit that I don't know everything there is to know about the above things that make up great hip-hop, but I can pick out a great sample or a creative line filled with double meanings. These are the things that impress me with great hip-hop songs or albums. Creativity. Not fitting into the Top 40, hear-it-in-a-club-till-it-sucks mold. Make me think. Listen closely, over and over. I'll admit that sometimes the other crap is catchy upon a few listens, but it's supposed to be. It's radio-ready to be eaten up by teenagers and make parents feel less threatened by using dumb metaphors that seem tame upon first listen. Clipse probably won't get played on the radio, but this album has been buzzing around for quite some time, and was highly anticipated after their debut and mixtape that included the first track off this album "We Got It For Cheap."


Hell Hath No Fury begins with the song that basically put Clipse on the map, the aforementioned "We Got It For Cheap." It's a catchy song that reminds the listener what they've been missing for the past four years as Clipse and the world waited for Sony-BMG to sort everything out and distribute this album. These brothers (Malice and Pusha T) from Virginia Beach, VA sound the same but have distinct styles to their flows. They were brought up thanks to a very early association with the Neptunes. This album is totally full of their beats, each of which are unique and like nothing you've heard before. The beats aren't complex, and for the most part play with rhythm and time that make them sound off-kilter. They bump, thump, hiss, crack, and jab. All of these qualities are perfect backdrops for the hard-hitting lyrical styles of Malice and Pusha T's rhymes.

The Roxy 11.4.06

Last night I saw Jackie Greene at The Roxy on Sunset Blvd. I'd never been to this room, and was excited to see an artist that I thought had the potential to put on a great show. I initially saw Greene on Conan O'Brien back around the time his album American Myth came out in March. There's a clip of this performance on Jackie's MySpace page.

I was pretty much immediately hooked by his sound. This kid plays really rockin' blues rock. He plays electric and acoustic guitars equally well, harmonica, and keys. I'll review the show more in depth later, but wanted to post the setlist, since I know it may be hard to find. Being the uber-dork that I am, I brought my Moleskin notebook and took notes: guitar switches, energy level, sit vs. standing, etc.

The trio that opened for Greene was a reggae group that although that had good energy and genuinely enjoyed playing they made me remember why I don't really like reggae: it all sounds the same. Every song they played eventually sounded the same, no matter if it started in a different key or with a different guitar riff. It all evolved the same way and became predictable and boring. They were pretty good musicians, but the music totally didn't jive with me. On to the good stuff.

Jackie Greene made his appearance in jeans and a black short-sleeve button-down shirt on stage at approximately 10:15pm to a raucous roar from the crowd. Was there any doubt that he'd open with a song titled "Hollywood"? How would you not open with a song named after the town you're performing in? With the energy he was giving off, it was obvious from the start that this would be a great show.

I was anxious to see Greene's chops on the harmonica, and I got the chance only 3 songs in with "Farewell, So Long, Goodbye." This was a rocker. A Blues Rocker. In addition to wearing the harmonica a la Dylan he switched guitars to a black Epiphone (I love being close enough to know what gear they're using). This song rocked, the energy was now flowing and the crowd was dancing and totally into the set.

The next song's lyrics could have been written by Johnny Cash lamenting June Carter:
You just can’t trust them pretty girls
They’re only here to wreck your world
And make sure you never get to sleep at night

I don’t know the reasons why
They all wanna hang you out to dry
Till’ you ain’t got strength enough left to fight

Oh but I’m in trouble
Like I know you’re bound to get in trouble too
And I know that it won’t be long
Before the man you love is loving someone new

In addition to great lyrics Jackie switched to the Wayne's World guitar, a.k.a. a pristine all white Strat. At this point, I thought to myself, "man, if I signed a record deal I'd do the same thing...go out and buy a shitload of great guitars." If I counted correctly, Jackie used 6 different axes through the course of the evening when he wasn't seated at the keyboards.

The next standout in my mind was the song "Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Right." This was a change of pace as Jackie sat at the keyboard that was programed to sound like a Hammond organ (think Ray Charles) and started as a sloooow blues song, but kept building till peaking right near the end of the song. The beginning and throughout the song Jackie showed off his keyboard prowess, switching between a piano and organ sounds. There's just a feeling and vibe you have to have when playing that organ sound. When to hold notes and when to go really quick. It's all the emotion in the song and lyrics.

After performing the more well known "So Hard To Find My Way," Greene took a seat in the middle of the stage with his natural finish acoustic and harmonica around his neck to sing "Just As Well." This was a great point to take a little breather and get a couple more slow numbers in. The second song from his chair he introduced as "brand brand brand new." This was performed with a black Gibson acoustic into a vintage bullet mic (the type used by the likes of Little Walter for projecting a harmonica over a band) that also gave his voice a slightly distorted effect.

The end of the set was full of energy from "Mexican Girl" to "I'm So Gone." They stayed off stage as the crowd chanted "Jack-ie Jack-ie Jack-ie" They stayed off in the wings for a couple minutes before taking the stage for a one song encore. The band and Jackie totally jammed out for this encore. Beginning with a drum intro Jackie came out with this sparkling baby blue Fender that he hadn't used all night till now. Greene's guitar melody line in this song is so bluesy it was great. He also sang into the bullet mic. His lead guitarist and him exchanged a couple guitar solos during the song with the lead using a blues slide technique (plastic slide on his left ring-finger). This song lasted in the neighborhood of 7-8 minutes and was a great end to an amazing show.

Jackie Greene @ The Roxy on Sunset, November 4, 2006
Setlist:
1. Hollywood
2. Nothing Comes From Nothing
3. Farewell, So Long, Goodbye
4. By The Side Of The Road, Dressed To Kill
5. The Rusty Nail
6. About Cell Block #9
7. When You're Walking Away
8. Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Right
9. So Hard To Find My Way
10. Just As Well (seated)
11. I Don't Live In A Dream (seated) NEW
12. Down In The Valley Woe -->
13. Mexican Girl
14. Closer To You
15. The Lord Mistreats Me
16. I'm So Gone
====
17. Cold Black Devil / 14 Miles

Halloween Vault

I originally wrote this for the College Reporter the week prior to Halloween.

That magnificent holiday that celebrates absolutely nothing is right around the corner (tomorrow). No, it’s not one of the three Jewish holidays this month; it’s that wonderfully pagan holiday of Halloween. I’m not going to pretend that I know the origins of the holiday or even care what they may or may not be. The fact of the matter is, I love candy and have always disliked getting all dressed up to prove that I deserve your parents’ candy. In fact, when I was little I never got dressed up. I was one of those kids that were always “myself” or a “people person.”

When you're little your costume is pretty cool, and sometimes pre-made by even smaller children in Wal-Mart factories. Boys were either an athlete, super hero, gross goblin or other scary creature. Girls usually stuck to simple radioactive pink things like princesses or My Little Pony gear. My oh my, how things change.

One moment you’re an innocent little girl who always dreams of being a princess -- but by the time you’re in college and daddy’s not around to help you into your costume -- then you're a prostitute. It’s really quite amazing, the theory of princess to prostitute. I don’t mean actual prostitute, just an excuse to dress in lingerie for a night. It is quite the show. Of course I cannot help but notice these types of things when walking around at night and think I’m in Vegas. As well as wonder what thought process goes on when picking out these barely-there costumes. Sometimes it’s not strictly “I’m a prostitute” it’s something like: “I’m a sexually adventurous cat” or “I’m a scantily clad school girl” or “I’m a secretary on Casual Sex Friday” or “I’m trying to help pay for my expensive liberal arts education and like to pole-dance for exercise.”

Whatever the reason ladies, just be careful. Some dude is going to get the wrong idea and attempt to give you a treat you may not want. Mind you, if it’s Godiva Truffles, he may be genuine and a keeper. On the other hand, what’s the big deal in getting dressed up? I understand that it can be fun and entertaining, and maybe I’m a huge party-pooper. Maybe I want costumes that are funnier or make you think slightly to understand. I don’t know.

All I do know is that I want candy. I don’t want little boxes of raisins, or pencils, or fruit. What is that crap? I also want to be the first to go up to the house that has the big bowl and sign that says, “please take one piece.” Yeah, that’s not happening. Candy collecting is a competition and if my pillowcase doesn't weigh more than yours and give me more cavities, I've lost. So, while you are all dressed up, drunk, or working a corner, I’ll be stealing candy and egging your house. Happy Halloween.

n.b. I dressed up thise year as a pseudo-version of Tom Sawyer, except my whitewash brush wasn't wide enough and was confused for Van Gogh. Good, Good Times

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

I guess I'm slightly late to writing about the new Shins album Wincing the Night Away that recently leaked (about a week ago) like a sieve that had been blasted with a shotgun. I got it off OiNK and have listened to the album twice. I read all the comments on stereogum which ran the gamut from "life changing" to "mediocre." Pretty much all of the comments bothered me on some degree.
How did music come to this? What I mean is the inability to adequately judge albums on their own merit (or lack thereof). Here is the scenario I'm referring to: Band comes out with debut LP. LP is praised as changing the face of music as we have known it. Band tours as saviors. Band goes back into studio with extremely high expectations. Band toils endlessly for months or years honing their sound and writing another 12 songs. Finally, LP #2 comes out to eager fans. The album is either: A) More of the same great music, but more finely tuned B) A different direction but executed perfectly C) A different direction but kinda "out there" D) Dreadful.

These have all happened to bands that made great music. Unfortunately we've entered the Age of the Single, Internet leaking, and rediculous scrutiny. Would someone say to The Who or Led Zeppelin back in the day and say, "yah know guys, it's all sounding great, but kinda the same...and that sucks." It just wouldn't happen. Today, if a band does something the same but exceptionally well the reviewers say "They're playing it safe. Even though it sounds good, they're not evolving as a band or trying new things to step out of their comfort zone and create something new and exciting." OR "The band has taken too many risks and gotten away from what they produced so well on their last effort. It's as if they didn't know they had something great sitting in their musical lap, and went forward trying to show off and take down Music. It's all sounding pompous and should stick to what they do best." This is the state of Pop music...unless you're Kanye West, in which case everything you do is safe from criticism.

Think about the bands that have yet to release anticipated Sophomore efforts: Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, The Shins (technically), Maroon 5, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and I could go on. All the these bands have to hit the mark perfectly to come away unscathed. You know that critics are waiting anxiously to tear them to shreds and call them out as only having one great album in their tank. I hope they all knock it out of the park. Why would I want to listen to mediocre or crappy music from some of my favorite bands? This is the definition of a Catch-22. Which is better and less damning; a new direction that might "scare" fans or the same great stuff but lacking any real musical growth?