Concert Review: The Killers

The Killers (w/ Ra Ra Riot)
8/10 Horseshoe Casino, Elizabeth, IN

If you aren't aware of it...The Killers are one of the best live shows out there, in the main stream market that is. And the show they have put together in support of their latest album, last year's Day & Age, is fantastic. The only draw back is that it allows for almost no variation in the setlist from show to show.

However, the band takes you on a nice voyage through out their career (although they curiously skip their highly under-rated b-sides collection Sawdust entirely). They go through all of the hits, cover the new material, and brush through a couple of deeper album cuts you might not have expected also. Opening with Day & Age's "Human" was explosive bringing the crowd right into the band's retro fusion world. And closing the main set with "Mr. Brightside" and "All The Things That I've Done" medley was almost too much to take at once...in such a fantastic way.

The lights and pyro-technics and stage set were awe-inspiring (as well as the occasional seizure, I'm sure). Lead singer Brandon Flowers' voice was on top of the whole night, as he chatted-up and worked the crowd from beginning to end, like he was some sort of counter-culture drum-major something. And until you see this band live, you have no idea how important drummer Ronnie Vanucci is to this band. The collective is built entirely on the back of versatile and eclectic style (even more so than most bands).

Ultimately, don't miss this show. But you only have to see it once, because they won't change it up much - but that in no way means to miss it.

And because the venue had no idea how to operate crowd control...I was in a 45 minute line during Ra Ra Riot's set - so I can't speak of their show. Sorry.

Album Review: Wilco

Wilco

Wilco (The Album)

# of spins (out of 5):


Have I ever told you how much I love Jeff Tweedy? Even when he disappoints me (i.e. A Ghost Is Born), I love him. It’s because I deserved it. I know how he gets when I act that way. He does it because he loves me. As Carole King once sang “He hit me and it felt like a kiss.” I’m just saying – Tweedy can use and abuse my musical faculties in any way he sees fit and I will continue to embrace him for it, because he is the man behind such musical masterpieces as Being There, Yankee Hotel Fox Trot, Sky Blue Sky, and the Mermaid Ave. series with Billy Bragg. Tweedy might be all I ever need.

That being said, he in no way abuses my sensibilities on Wilco (The Album). If anything he reminds me why I fell in love with him in the first place. All the way through his voice sounds like it’s caught on the verge of shatter between a whisper and a scream. Lyrically throughout Tweedy has bouts of depression (“Sonny Feeling” and “Country Disappeared”), introspection (“One Wing” and “Everlasting Everything”), hopeless romanticism (“You and I” the undeniably great duet with Feist, and “I’ll Fight”), and all around good humor (the sarcastic “Wilco (the song)” and “You Never Know”). More than any of their previous albums this collection feels like a roller coaster through fragile and temperamental psyche of Jeff Tweedy. We get to see him for better or worse in every frame of mind.

Musically, this does feel vaguely like a continuation of the aforementioned Sky Blue Sky, but that can in no way be taken as a criticism. My biggest problem is that there is very little tempo variation throughout the album, they found mid-tempo and stuck with it. But again, this is Tweedy and I’ll take what he gives me. Daddy knows what I need better than I do.

And really, when it comes to Tweedy doing anything, it goes without saying, one must tune in for his ability to craft darkly clever lyrics; like in “Solitaire” when he sings: “Once I thought the world was crazy/Everyone was sad and chasing/happiness and love and/I was the only one above it.” How can anyone not love his ability to be self-deprecating and sarcastic, while mocking the feeble minded people we all try to avoid?

SO if you’re not a Wilco fan, then Wilco (The Album) will not convert you, and if you are already a fan, it won’t surprise you. It’s just a healthy dose of medicine from Doctor Tweedy.

Album Review: Drive-by Truckers

Drive-by Truckers

Live from Austin, TX

# of spins (out of 5):

What can I say and how should I say it?

Most reviewers are having verbal orgasms over this CD/DVD set, and I don’t really get it. This is not to say I don’t get The Truckers, because believe me I do (if you’ve spent much time on this blog you know they’ve owned a place in my heart since the release of 2003’s Decoration Day). In fact, maybe the reason I don’t get this is because I’m a little jaded, having seen this band (or variations of its past and present members) dozens of times over the years, I have a point of reference. So don’t get me wrong, I would love to appeal to my emotions and rave, but alas, I must yield to my sensibilities.

First of all if you have never actually seen these guys live or never heard either of the band’s previous live documents Alabama Ass Whuppin’ or the DVD only release The Dirty South: Live at the 40 Watt. Then I can understand how this album would suffice, because they are exceptional live and you have nothing to compare it to.

But here’s the thing…

As a live band The Truckers are at their most glorious when unrefined, unhinged, and uninhibited…none of which is compatible with the sterile, soundstage atmosphere that they’re dealing with here. Because remember the whole show is from the band’s episode of the PBS live music series Austin City Limits, which they recorded last Fall. This is not done in a bar, a music club, or some other seedy dwelling (places where The Truckers flourish like fine bacteria) filled with members of their intoxicated but loyal devotees – but rather they’re playing in front of a reserved crowd of mostly sober music execs. This isn’t to say that I don’t understand what a badge of validation it is for these guys to finally get a “Live from Austin City Limits” release, because it is a big deal. But let’s not kid ourselves and pretend that the band on this set is the same Drive-by Truckers I have been (literally) following for six years now.

The whole thing is 13 songs…another symptom of t.v. taping. In their natural habitat this band is only getting warmed up after 13 songs…they’re regularly known for their two-and-a-half to three hour shows – so forcing them to condense it into 83 minutes, just feels wrong. There are some gems dug up from their first two records, but their middle four albums are ignored almost entirely to stack the set with songs from 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. While still a great album – loading the set with its songs, while ignoring crowd favorites from previous records, makes this feel less like a live document and more like a promotional stop in an album cycle.

Ultimately, is it bad? Nope. It’s The Truckers, if there is anything this band can do, it’s play live. But is this the career defining live set that people are hailing it to be? Hell, no. Once again, buy a ticket to their next show, then check out Alabama Ass Whuppin’ (although it’s long out of print, you might still be able to download it somewhere), and the DVD The Dirty South: Live at the 40 Watt. After doing that, go back and listen to Live from Austin, TX…you’ll see what I mean.

Concert Review: Marcy Playground

Marcy Playground (w/ Hot Action Cop)
8/1/09 Phoenix Hill Tavern, Louisville, KY

Marcy Playground is remembered as one of the biggest one-hit-wonders of the 90's, but in retrospect I don't know why. I mean, I understand they did only have one REAL hit song, but the fact is that the band is so good...how did they never make it work? Seeing their concert last night, just reinforces that question.

The band is out in support of their new album "Leaving Wonderland...in a fit of rage", which is an astonishingly good album in its own right (album review coming soon). They tore through of their old songs like "Poppies" and "Saint Joe on the Bus" were great reminders of the days when people liked one song, and still ended up buying a really great album (although "Cloak of Elven Kind" was sadly missing from the set). Some of the great songs from their pseudo-dark period, like "Punk Rock Superstar" and "Rock n' Roll Heroes", also showed up throughout. And of course they played "the song". Which didn't seem contrived or nostalgic like when most 'one hit wonders' hit into their signature hit. The audience was excited for it and the band seemed just as excited to play it. And I'll admit, I'm one of the few people that is pro-concert sing-a-longs - and it filled the room amazingly.

John Wozniak's voice is a force of nature and how that has gotten passed me for the last decade is shocking. And when the band closed with a cover of (the nearly cliche) "Hallelujah", I was skeptical. But they sold me...full band, Buckley's arrangement, and Woz's voice - their rendition of that song easily shoots to the top of that rapidly increasing list of people who cover that song.

The weak part of the evening was opening act Hot Action Cop. They're a band that plays mediocre music very well. They put on a good show, but their musical style clashes badly with that of Marcy Playground. Hot Action Cop feels like a bad remnant from the rap-rock craze of the late 90's that we all try to forget. And the entire band should be sentenced to anafterlife in the flaming pits of hell for their cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".

Album Review: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs (Sid n Suzie)

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs (aka Sid n Suzie)

Under the Covers Vol. 2

# of spins (out of 5):


This is Vol. 2 in the Sweet/Hoffs collaborative Under the Cover series, and I am officially excited about their future ventures. The first one focused on their favorite music from the sixties, and this one focuses on the seventies. And as before, their song selection is surprising but reasonable…no real classic rock standards, but nothing too far left of the classic rock radio dial, either.

Their voices were meant to sing together, they weave lavish vocals around the melodies of the songs that you love but would never think to remeber. It might sound odd, but they do a very strong version of Grateful Dead’s “Sugar Magnolia” – with a slicing guitar part that does The Dead justice and makes it impossible for even the staunchest of Deadheads to criticize.

Sweet and Hoffs vocal interplay dwarfs that of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks when it comes to their version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News”. But when you hit their glorious renditions of Eric Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues”, Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes”, and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” back-to-back-to-back – you can’t help but think, “there’s no way they can top that run of searing covers.” And alas, it is. It crescendos with those, and while everything here is strong, nothing quite measures up after that. Save for inspired tracks like Yes’ “I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People”, John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth”, Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” (Hoff’s whiskey growl on this is enigmatic), and George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness”.

Ultimately at sixteen songs, there are just too many for all of them to be as good as this album is at its best. I would say, scratch the Todd Rundgren and Bread songs all together, and perhaps pick a different Little Feat tune (“Sailin’ Shoes” instead of “Willin’” maybe?) and this album would have been as classic as the songs on it. Regardless, this does not foil my excitement for their future endeavors – hopefully they’ll follow this all the way through with Vol. 3 being full of 80’s songs, Vol. 4 being filled with 90’s songs, Vol. 5 picking through what's decent of the new millennium, and maybe throw in a Vol. 6 that dips all the way back to the 50’s – I don’t mean to plot their careers out for them or anything…but as a fan I would LOVE to see this trajectory.