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Preview: Peter Beste's Black Metal @ Zune Bar

2008-11-20T21:35:09Z

Los Angeles

This is more about photographs than it is about music, but these are photographs of musicians so I think it counts. Anyway, on Friday night the Zune Bar on Beverly is hosting the opening of Peter Beste's True Norwegian Black Metal exhibit.

If you remember, Beste just put out a book of the same name featuring his photos, which document the black metal scene in Norway. Obviously Norway is home to some of the craziest metal the world has ever seen, and Beste's photos do a great job of capturing it without being exploitative or ironic.

Full details on the party after the jump...

Preview: Rodriguez @ Great American Music Hall

2008-11-20T20:58:49Z

San Francisco

I'm a sucker for "lost classics." There's just something great about discovering a record so out of touch with the times that it's quickly forgotten -- and then rediscovered sounding bizarrely prescient or beautifully archaic or naively lurid. Like Vashti Bunyan's Just Another Diamond Day or the Monks' Monk Time. Or Rodriguez's Cold Fact album.

My NY by caUSE co-MOTION!

2008-11-20T20:44:07Z

New York

Today's My NY entry comes courtesy of Brooklyn's winsome, Rough Trade-styled scruffy punk enthusiasts caUSE co-MOTION! The quartet's infectious and giddy "It's Time!" release on Slumberland Records compiles a handful of OOP seven inches in one tidy CD package. And tonight, they play at Ash's Place (234 Wythe Ave.) with Cheap Time, Jacques Detergent, and Ashley Epps. When they're not on-stage (or adding exclamation points to anything that moves), the boys might be found here:

Preview: The Mighty Underdogs @ The Grand

2008-11-19T22:43:42Z

San Francisco

It's kind of amazing that Lateef the Truth Speaker and Gift of Gab haven't collaborated on a full-length disc before. Both rappers were original members of the Soulsides/Quannum crew up in Davis, CA, and both have seen wide ranging success in the hip-hop world (Lateef with Lyrics Born as Latyrx and on Fatboy Slim's "Wonderful Night," Gab solo and with Blackalicious).

Sure, the Oakland duo had gotten together for the occasional track, most notably on Lateef and the Chief's 2004 number "Best of Me." But the Mighty Underdog's Droppin' Science Fiction (just out on Definitive Jux) is the first time that the pair has swapped lines for a full LP. And they're not alone either, as Headnodic of the SF's Crown City Rockers is along for the ride as producer.

Review: Vivian Girls @ The Smell

2008-11-19T18:35:56Z

Los Angeles

It was fun times at the sold out Vivian Girls show at the Smell last night. They battled through thick crowds, humid temps, and no backline to deliver a surprisingly tight set.

You have to respect The Smell. It's the archetypal ramshackle venue that you remember from high school. It's a shoebox with high ceilings, awkward stage placement, bad sightlines, no ventilation, a total bottleneck near the bathrooms, and some kind of stand selling something organic or vegan (in my day it would've been a food not bombs table). In this it is perfect. And as a youth you're willing to overlook these things and embrace them. They're the things they you learn to love about venues, and you can cherish their imperfections.

Crowntown Showdown tonight!

2008-11-19T17:24:06Z

Charlotte

Head out to Snug Harbor tonight to check out this month's Crowntown Showdown. It's a great way to see a variety of bands for a good price -- and you may get hooked up with the latest copy of Jeff Hahne's Homebrew CD, too!

While the event started out as a competition, it's now a local and regional showcase of talent.

Crowntown Showdown tonight!

2008-11-19T17:24:06Z

Charlotte

While the event started out as a competition, it's now a local and regional showcase of talent.

Review: Quintron, Too Thirsty 4 Love

2008-11-19T16:23:12Z

Atlanta

Quintron and puppet master/spouse, Miss Pussycat, can't quite put together a record that holds the excitement or spectacle of their shows. Too Thirsty 4 Love follows the New Orleans organist's dive into such big, bounding chops as "Waterfall" and "Walk to the Harvest." And never before has the sexually sinister hue heard in "The Boss Wants to Party with You" been so pronounced on Quintron's records. But other songs on the record aren't as easy on the ears.

Interview: Mathis Hunter of the Selmanaires

2008-11-19T15:56:44Z

Atlanta

For today's interview we call out drummer Mathis Hunter of Noot d' Noot and the Selmanaires.

Who are you?
Bimbi, Smoofus, Mathis. Aural Exciter.

Describe yourself in three words.
Seeker, Listener, Glistener

Who -- dead or alive -- would most you like to meet?
Lame Deer or Don Juan Matus. Wouldn't mind learning to shapeshift and fly.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Limbaugh is pretty jive, but rather than slap him, I'd like to keep feeding him ham sandwhiches and oxycontin.

What song do you wish you had written?
Too many to count. Right this second, I'm wondering what Chuck D and Flav thought when the Shocklee brothers played them the beat for "Fight The Power."

Interview: Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning

2008-11-19T15:02:45Z

Tampa-Sarasota

It's 10:30 a.m. on a Friday in Toronto, and Broken Social Scene co-founder Brendan Canning has been awake a total of 20 minutes. For the next 20 minutes, he will talk to Creative Loafing, via phone, about his new solo debut album, his role in the long-running indie-rock collective (or, as BSS is often called, an "indie-rock supergroup"), the departure of star Scenester Feist and his unending quest for a good cup of coffee. Oh yeah, Canning also dishes on how pissed he gets when served a "shit meal."

You're resting before embarking on a big tour that takes you to Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg on Nov. 21. What's your typical routine on an off day?

Me and my gal wake up, read the paper, drink some tea or coffee. Pet the dog, make food, hit the gym, play soccer ...

Are you a gym regular?

I try, but no. The tunes are a bummer in the gym. So I can't stay there very long.

IFC recently aired The Rawside Of... Brendan Canning. Were you comfortable watching yourself on television?

I only watched it once. It's a little funny watching myself, but it's not too bad.

On it, you're depicted as a perfectionist. Do you agree with that characterization?

I don't know if I'm a perfectionist. I don't think so. I spend a whole lot of time going over a piece of music in the studio, getting lost in it, but that's only about music. Well, and food, too. If I'm served a shit meal, it puts me in a foul mood. Or coffee. You only get one shot, generally. The first cup of coffee has to be a pleasant experience. That's basically what you get when you're touring. You wake up with a mission: Find a good cup of coffee.

Will Starbucks suffice?

I don't mind Starbucks. It's not the worst. But I'd rather find a nice little mom-and-pop shop.

Judging by the IFC doc, your first solo album -- Something For All of Us... -- caused some serious stressing.

It was definitely stressful. But I don't think they filmed anything particularly stressful. They came in on the last day when we were recording drums. Everyone's girlfriend and dog were there because of the cameras. The whole process of working with new guys is tough. Once the honeymoon period is over, it's like, "Holy fuck, how am I gonna finish a record with these guys?" I was worried.

Preview: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Reissues

2008-11-19T14:52:14Z

Tampa-Sarasota

Creedence Clearwater Revival released a most impressive run of six sizzling roots rock albums between the span of 1968 to 1970 (hear that, Axl?). Chief revivalist John Fogerty appropriated the sounds of the swampland -- although he grew up in California -- and crafted a distinctive, brand of Americana resulting in a slew of hit singles (and imitators).

For years, most fans were content to enjoy the radio staples on collections like Chronicles Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Review: Against Me!'s Tom Gabel, Excellent Heart EP

2008-11-18T22:25:00Z

Tampa-Sarasota

What do you do when your hipster-approved punk band ascends from relative obscurity to widespread commercial success? If you're Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel, whose Gainesville band blew up with last year's excellent full-length New Wave -- and its catchy party-girl-grown-old hit single "Thrash Unreal" -- you return to your folk roots and issue the ass stomping, street cred bolstering, solo EP Heart Burns, which we first reported here.

Over mostly strident acoustic guitar strumming, the bear-voiced singer bellows about familiar themes like the casualties of war, cramming words like "xenophobia" and "ennobled" into pop songs -- making it sound nearly as natural as rhyming "moon" and "spoon." No small feat.

Review: Rachael Yamagata, Elephants ... Teeth Sinking Into Heart

2008-11-18T22:15:01Z

Charlotte

The Deal: 31-year-old releases second studio effort as 14-song, double CD.

The Good: You can't complain about a lack of material here - the first disc is nine songs lasting roughly 50 minutes; the second disc is five tracks and runs just under 20 minutes. Yamagata's smoky vocals evoke plenty of emotion and her songwriting is superb. I started to give up on "Little Life" as a slow and sleepy number, but two minutes in Yamagata's vocals really kick in and the song gets a new life. "Sunday Afternoon" is a nine-minute epic that goes from lone piano moments to kicked-up choruses full of strings and heartfelt singing to a brief moment of exploratory instrumentation reminiscent of Pink Floyd. It's no wonder why she's worked with artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams, Jason Mraz, Connor Oberst and Mandy Moore. The musical layers add just the right flavor when needed - found in the form of string sections or horns. Her voice goes well with the whispered style of LaMontagne on "Duet." The second disc is five songs - including a few more upbeat pop songs that show her diversity as a singer, songwriter and artist. Yamagata can set a mood in slower songs and bring the right energy for the faster ones.

Preview: Waylon Jennings,Outlaw Shit

2008-11-18T22:06:49Z

A gifted, deep-voiced singer, razor-sharp songwriter and expert interpreter, Waylon Jennings reigned supreme in the 1970s as country music's top outlaw. Like Toby Keith but infinitely cooler and more talented, Jennings churned out about a half-dozen awesome albums that ran from 1973's Lonesome, On'ry and Mean to 1978's I've Always Been Crazy. Crazy includes the hit "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand," Jennings' candid retelling of his infamous cocaine bust from the year before.

It would take Jennings until the mid-1980s to get off blow and then his health or reputation never fully recovered the way, say, Johnny Cash's did, before diabetes buried Jennings in early 2002. The only thing of importance to surface in the years since Jennings' death is the recently released Waylon Forever, an EP featuring Pops backed by son Shooter Jennings. Key track? A chilling remake of "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" dubbed "Outlaw Shit."

Live review: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band @ Variety Playhouse, Fri., Nov. 14th

2008-11-18T21:55:18Z

Atlanta

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band played a good but not amazing show at the Variety Playhouse Friday night. Good, because it convinced me to buy the new four-song tour LP they were selling in the lobby. Not amazing because out of the songs they played that I was familiar with, I preferred the recorded versions. Not because the live versions were so bad, but because the live setting didn't add much to the Conor Oberst experience.

No longer billed as Bright Eyes, Oberst is enlisting the Mystic Valley Band to make music that's a little less ambitious and not quite as unique. This made for a tight singalong album that played to their strengths as folk rockers with pop sensibilities. Oberst is still the quivering balladeer and the more traditional surroundings are a good match now that he's maturing well into his 20s. He's not the boy genius heir to Dylan (groan) that kind of looks like a girl anymore. Now he's got three guitars in his band, maybe unnecessary for his style of music, but it adds muscle to the sound. That, along with his side burns, declare his status as a grown man playing grown man music, even when he's at his most fragile.

I fell for Oberst's music hard when a friend gave me burned copies of I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, two albums he released on the same day in 2005. On I'm Wide Awake, the traditional folk-rock destination he is presently at was clear. On Digital Ash, he put together an industrial folk exploration that remains the most different yet familiar album I've heard. Both were exciting and honest albums with lyrics and a voice specific to a year in his life, but written and sang in a way that was universal and timeless.