Shows:
The Black Lips show last Saturday night was the first concert I've been to in a very long time, and it was a deliciously sloppy mess. I'm usually not one to hop in the mosh pit, but something about the band's mustaches and silly hats forced me to take off my shirt and tie and thrash about with the rest of the crazies. It's odd, though, because the Black Lips aren't really even that loud or aggressive; they're really just funny and trashy garage rock. I think that the reason that people go so crazy at their shows is that because of their wild reputation -- vomiting onstage, pissing into their own mouths -- people feel like they need to invoke that same spirit in themselves. For whatever reason, the crowd was going nutso and the band played very well, too, focusing mainly on their most recent album, Good, Bad, Not Evil. My friend commented afterward that he could have easily sang better than everyone onstage, and I don't think that anyone would deny that; however, that vocal homeliness created less of a separation between the band and the crowd. The show was not so much a celebration of The Black Lips' music, but more so an excuse to get drunk and act like a big group of idiots, and sometimes that's just what everybody needs.New Music:
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend -- Say what you will about how these guys are so obsessed with Wes Anderson that they used his Futura Bold font on the cover of their album, or about how they all went to Columbia, or how they rhyme "Louis Vuitton" with "Reggaeton" and "Benneton," if this album doesn't put a smile on your face, then you are most likely a douchebag. Taking a great deal of influence from South African music -- or perhaps just taking influence from Graceland -- VW creates excellently catchy pop music with clever lyrics and cheery melodies. As winter turns to spring, there's no better album to ride your bike to and smile wide enough for every one of your Ivy League comrades to see.Key Tracks: "Walcott" (possibly the best melody of the year), "Oxford Comma," "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
Magnetic Fields, Distortion -- In the past, I've never been a huge fan of Stephen Merritt and his band of sad sacks, but this new album finally has me on board. What's different here, as the album's title implies, is that the volume is turned up significantly and the sound is dirtied up a bit. This new sonic approach fits Merritt's sly baritone, most notably on the depressing and clever, "Too Drunk to Dream," which finally answers the question, "What would it sound like if Leonard Cohen sang for Soft Cell?" Merritt splits vocal responsibilities with Shirley Simms, who turns out the Phil Spector sugar on "California Girls," and the My Bloody Valentine sheen on "Drive on, Driver." Overall, Distortion is an excellent record, if not too heavily leaning on its influences.Key Tracks: "California Girls," "Please Stop Dancing," "Too Drunk to Dream"
Stephen Malkmus, Real Emotional Trash -- I don't think this comes out until next week or so, but Soulseek is a beautiful thing. First and foremost, Real Emotional Trash is a fine record with some excellent guitar playing and some killer drumming. The addition of Janet Weiss to The Jicks allows Malkmus to play around with the meatiest band of his career, and he utilizes this gift by crunching out a litany of monster riffs. The problem here is that the songs tend to go on forever, and with three of them exceeding the six minute mark, they really do ramble. Malkmus' trademark wordplay is obviously still here, especially on the outlaw tale of "Hopscotch Willie." In the end, however, Malkmus' lyrics and catchy melodies work better in pop songs like "Stereo" and "Cut Your Hair," not 10-minute epic title tracks. While this album probably is still a fun listen, it makes me wonder when this former leader of the essential 90s band stops making essential music and becomes just another old guy.Key Tracks: "Baltimore," "Hopscotch Willie," "Gardenia"
The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride -- With his past three albums, John Darnielle seemed to be heading towards a great rift between himself and his listeners. Focusing on themes such as methamphetamine addiction, an abusive stepfather, and heartwrenching loneliness in the wake of a serious relationship, Darnielle's albums were just getting more and more personal, lowering his audience's comfort level with each release. On Heretic Pride, Darnielle returns his focus towards stories and characters, while also adding harder instrumentation to his repertoire. The key aspect to that new instrumentation? The addition of drummer Jon Wurster, who used to totally rip shit up in Superchunk, and continues to rip shit up with The Mountain Goats. Combining one of rock's most distinguished lyricists with one of the best drummers of the past 20 years, Heretic Pride proves itself to be a winning album.Key Tracks: "Lovecraft in Brooklyn," "In the Craters of the Moon," "San Bernardino"
Alright, so that's pretty much all I've got for this time around. I'll certainly have another post within the next week, most likely reporting on Sunday's Built to Spill show.
