Let the people speak

It’s tough to keep up with all the music these days and even tougher to have something witty to say about it all week after week. Does anyone remember the simple days when you’d save your pennies to buy the latest casette by the Smiths or if you were lucky, catch one of their shows? I’m feeling like a spoiled child these days. I can watch any video, listen to any song, read any info and even create my own music for the world to hear. It’s all too much sometimes and you’d think that as a result there would be a greater variety of music to hear, but I’m rarely impressed. Perhaps I’ve become desensitized by the Youtubes and myspaces out there. So this week I’ll let others do the talking. Here’s a sampling of some of my mail from folks still turned on by the whole music thing. I should be my oldself next week.

Hey Joel,

Just wanted to check in and see if you knew about my fave French, indie-popsters Tahiti 80. The boys did it sexy on this one and collaborated with Outkast and N.E.R.Dís producers to create what Q called a ëshot of pure sunshineí. 

Links below for ëChangesí, the first single off of Fosbury, dropping in November on the Militia Group…US Tour dates below as well.  Let me know what you think.

Au revoir,
Ash

video:
Tahiti 80
Directed by: Jonas Odell (Franz Ferdinand, Madonna)

audio:
Tahiti 80 : Changes
Tahiti 80 : Changes (some other type of download format)

Good evening,

We would like to bring your attention to a promising new Indie-Pop band, Alpha Saloon. Based in Berlin and Munich/Bavaria, they have just released their full length debut “Hello Weltgeist!” on Eldersound records.

“Can you imagine Robert Johnson, Dale Cooper, Debbie Harry and Karl or Groucho Marx gathered around a tropical style rattan table (bending under loads of empty and half empty cocktail glasses), on a casino terrace in a blade runner version of Las Vegas, avidly discussing urbanism, vernacular music, party sociology and substance abuse anecdotes – while popular songs from aeon old 78ís are jangling through some distorted P.A.? And intermingling with that the frantic record-scratching carried over from a nearby 80ís New York block party and the muffled noise from a crowded Mexican speakeasy next door (operated by a former shipís cook from the Bucovina)?

If that sounds like a gathering youíd like to join, then ìHello Weltgeist!î might be just down your alley. A jet propelled rollercoaster ride through Indie-Rock, weird old America, Disco, future-electro, New Wave, Turntablism, 70ís Punk, Country/Western, Glam, Grunge, Post-Punk and Mariachi. Well, itís all Pop after all, isnít it? Fortunately, Alpha Saloon have based this eclecticism extravaganza on a groundwork of solid songwriting skills, mostly evading mere novelty. Yes, terribly talented tunesmiths they are: ‘Hello Weltgeist!’ offers a shitload of catchy melodies, lucsious chord changes and elegant, witty lyrics, that go far beyond your usual ’songs about love and the weather’ fare. And the band seems to be very serious about what they have to say: every song on the recording is performed like they were navigating burning ships or something…”   (Erich Zann, 09/2006)

You can learn more about the band here and you can listen to audio samples from all of the songs on “Hello Weltgeist!” under here.

Four complete songs can be found there as well, which you can download or link to:

Alpha Saloon : Uber German
Alpha Saloon : To Avoid the Apparently Stupid
Alpha Saloon : Modern Times Modern People Modern Talking
Alpha Saloon : Pretty Dancing Person

Hey – love your site – we’re an unsigned band in NYC and thought you’d like our music – you can check out the tunes at http://www.myspace.com/zerobridge.  We’re playing this year’s CMJ – I’ve included the date and bio below…if you’re doing the CMJ thang please come by and check it out.  Let me know if you need anything else – MP3’s, etc.

Thanks,
zerobridge

11/02/2006 09:15 PM
Alphabet Lounge for CMJ
104 Ave C (Cross Street: E 7th Street)
New York, NY 10009

Zerobridge is an actual bridge in Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar. The story goes that as they were building bridges to connect the suburbs to the city center, they would name them by numbers, 1 Bridge, 2 Bridge, etc. The only bridge that was there before construction didn’t have a name, and so they called it Zerobridge. The band zerobridge first formed out of informal jam sessions between brothers Din (vocals/guitar) and Mohsin (drums) in the fall of 1999 in their parent’s basement in Potomac, Maryland. Soon after, Din moved to New York City and was joined by Mohsin the following year when he relocated to New York to attend Fordham University. The two got a rehearsal space, started playing shows, completed an EP and began work on a full-length record. In September 2003, the first self-titled album was finished and in 2004 NYC bassist Greg was recruited to complete the band that is now zerobridge.

From Bluegrass to Quaking Lit

I thought I was too cool for Blue Grass, but now I think Blue Grass is too cool for me. If you haven’t been to San Francisco’s free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, you are certainly missing something special. Okay, it’s not entirely special since still living dead heads roam the greens hoping to reclaim this fest as another tradition to drop acid to. It’s a bit sad to see these kind people clad in their colorful, hemp attire dance mystically to the roots rock of Drive By Truckers, but it’s also so damn San Francisco. The three days of music in Golden Gate park featured the unlikely and hardly bluegrass sounds of Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson and the aforementioned Drive By Truckers. I also got a chance to see the very folksy and yes bluegrassy Freakwater that strangely appear on the indie hip label, Thrill Jockey. I can see why that label jumped the hip train to record these folks. They are genuine and beautifully harmonious. My favorite moment at the fest was watching Richard Thompson. His guitar playing was amazing. I’ve never been a huge Fairport Convention fan, but I do realize their importance as 60’s Brit music innovators. Thompson put on an hour long folky extraveganza that dwarfed the prior perfromance by Costello. Add to this scene a beautiful, cloudless SF day.

Last night I attended SF’s unique Lit Crawl and loved every minute of Oscar Villalon’s reading at 826 Valencia from his new ‘booklet’ titled, The Way of the Thumb, a facetious account of the 826 three time crowned thumb wrestling champ. Villalon is the book review editor for the San Francisco Chronicle. The reading was followed by a thumb wrestling demonstration and thumb battle royal. The night started with a very sweet story by Tom Kealey who read his piece about volunteering at 826. Two wonderful students followed with their poetry. Later on my wife and I attended McSweeney’s and The Believer reading at 12 Galaxies which was packed. We could barely hear the readers who were at times interrupted by a drunken, literate jock who made loud, hollering yelps as if the on stage poet were expected to play Free Bird. The after party at the Elbo Room was filled with writers I could not identify, but the noise level and impossibility of ordering a drink required us to turn in early.

From the mailbag:

The Rewinds emerged from the Birmingham, Alabama music scene with their creative blend of southern power pop rock. Focused on well-crafted songwriting and influenced by the likes of Paul Westerberg, Guided by Voices, Big Star, Sloan and Superdrag, The Rewinds bring brilliant melodies and hummable hooks to their supercharged live show infecting the audience with their rock and roll energy.  Check them out at: www.myspace.com/therewinds.

The Rewinds features band members Michael Shackleford (vox/guitar), Glenn Drennen (vox/lead guitar), Brooks Marks (drums/vox) and Chris Markham (bass). Mastered by Emily Lazar (The Shins, Third Eye Blind, Depeche Mode, The Stills) at The Lodge in New York, The Rewinds self-titled debut was released on June 6th by Livewire Recordings/Ryko.

The Life and Death of SadSadFun

Now that I’m a filmmaker I have often thought about making a film about the band I was in, sadsadfun, but you know what?  Rock and roll is pretty fucking boring if you’re not a big star.  And you can’t really capture the essence of rock in a movie. You know why?  Because rock and roll is about experiencing the profound density of sound amongst a group of people who are participating in the live musical moment. In other words, it’s all about the LIVE show baby! Have you ever played music in a live venue?  There is nothing like it, and it is hard to describe without sounding like a hippie.  But when the audience and you have mingled with each others ’space’ there is some tranferrence of energy between the musicians and the audience. IT’s life-affirming and addictive as well as potentially disasterous and nauseating. And when it’s over, when your rocking days are gone, it’s a bittersweet memory, and an envious one when you see others up on stage
instead of you.

I was in sadsadfun for, on and off, 5 years (we split up once but got back together a year or so later). We never went anywhere, at least in terms of the music business, besides getting a contract from MTV to have our music on their reality shows (woopee).  As a band and individuals we were so certain that someone would see our musical genius and give us a million dollars and a world tour that we didn’t even try to get attention. Instead we all crashed and burned in our own ways before I had decided that I had had enough and left for Berlin. (That’s another story in itself). With all the weepy stuff said I would like to present just three out of many many songs that my band put together. Check us out, the first is a studio song, the second a live song and the third is the first
song we ever wrote (it’s not bad…really). If you like what  you hear, some of the band continued as the Love X Nowhere and I still do stuff in NYC as the Fiery Trees and Pilot the Morning Fall.

Free downloads:
Fiery Trees : Phoenix Drifts
Fiery Trees : Honey Sweet
Fiery Trees : Valentine
Fiery Trees : untitled
Pilot the Morning Fall : December

Words by FJP

Voxtrot

Last year I was on the web and came across two songs, Wrecking Force and Whiskey, by a band that hails from Austin, Texas called Voxtrot. Okay, they’re catchy got great guitar tones and they’re pretty smart.  But why don’t I want to like them as much as I do like them?  Maybe it’s because I embraced them so quickly.  I’m always worried when i like something too fast because I usually end up hating it.  So far I still like Voxtrot. They have 2 EP’s, Raised By Wolves and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives. The first EP, Raised By Wolves, showcases their influences which I would describe as a more aggressive Belle and Sebastian or Morrisey on his happiest day. It’s pretty rocking. The second EP Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives is a bit softer, oddly enough reminds me of Supertramp at times. It is a very ‘nice’ album but not as compelling as Raised By Wolves.

Enough said, I am looking forward to their full-length and will be seeing them at the Bowery Ballroom in November (and from what I hear it’ll be a great show).

To listen to Voxtrot:

You can get a free download of ‘Soft and Warm’ by signing up on the Voxtrot mailer.

Or check out Voxtrot on myspace.

or

Voxtrot : The Start of Something
Voxtrot : MothersSistersDaughters&Wives

Reviewed by FJP