In the player

Exciting news! The CD player in our new car started working. Now I can listen to my own music again on my commute, which is fantastic. Some of what I'm enjoying right now:

Submarines "Honeysuckle Weeks" (mmm....dreamy pop music)
Late of the Pier "Fantasy Black Channel" (batshit insane--it's like someone tried to recreate a Girl Talk or Avalanches album with live instruments--really, really cool)
Girl Talk "Feed the Animals" (speaking of...)
Matt Pond PA "Last Light" (love these guys, but I heard they broke up, so this is their final album)
Sonia Dada "s/t" (for some reason, I've been on an inexplicable Sonia Dada kick lately)
Broken West "Now or Heaven" (just started listening to this; it's quite good so far)

2nd sample article

Neko Case Hates Madison…

…not really, but it sure seems that way after Case’s second consecutive near-miss with the New Pornographers April 21 at the Orpheum. To be fair, the last time the New Pornographers were here was a rescheduled show because their drummer needed an emergency appendectomy after a Chicago show. Of course, it happened to be during Case’s solo tour. But to break an ankle the day of the show? Please, Ms. Case, just admit you dislike our fair city. Fortunately, the rest of the band has still shown up both times and played stellar shows on each occasion. Their recent tour comes in support of the recently released Challengers, an ambitious album that, at first listen, does not have the immediacy of previous releases. It’s softer, subtler, and more nuanced that what Carl Newman and company have come up with before.

Joining the New Pornographers on this tourstop was Okkervil River, an Austin band who has made good on the strength of literate storytelling and the band’s complex melodies and song structures. Lead singer Will Sheff led the band through a variety of songs from their most recent albums, The Stage Names and Black Sheep Boy, alternating between up-tempo, driving hits like “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and slow-burning, sweeping mini-epics “For Real” and “A Girl In Port” (with its reference to the Crystal Corner Bar). Sheff wears his emotions on his sleeves (and in his lyrics) and comes across as a performer genuinely interested in making the audience feel what he is feeling as he’s singing these songs. The rest of the band are accomplished enough to feed off each other and shape their playing to match those emotions. Okkervil River closed their set with “Unless It’s Kicks,” an all-out floor-stomper that begins with a simple guitar riff and Sheff’s voice, then gradually swells to include everyone on the same kick. As Sheff’s voice grew more exuberant, so too each member of Okkervil River seemed to be trying to outplay each other. It’s an indie anthem if ever there was one.

Arguably a tough act to follow, Okkervil River set the stage for the New Pornographers, who despite missing Neko and Dan Bejar, still managed to impress. Carl Newman again proved himself a whip-smart songwriter who has a singular ear for writing a pitch-perfect pop gem. The band started slowly with a couple of mellower numbers from the recent Challengers, but eventually incorporated more well-known songs (including “Sing Me Spanish Techno” and “The Laws Have Changed”) with the newer material. While Newman and Co. were once again technically proficient, they frequently seemed to be going through the paces. None of the youthful exuberance and manic energy exhibited by Okkervil River earlier—or the band themselves during their last concert in Madison—was present during the New Pornographers’ extended set, except perhaps in the form of Newman’s niece, Kathryn Calder, who plays keyboards and sings the female leads. Her impassioned stage presence helped the audience forget about Neko Case’s absence. A highlight of the set was the performance of “Myriad Harbour,” a Dan Bejar-penned song from Challengers. Bejar rarely tours with the New Pornographers anymore, so Okkervil’s Will Sheff handled the vocal duties. The band around him seemed to perk up and gave one of the liveliest performances of the evening.

Following a short break, Newman, Calder, and the rest of the Pornographers returned for a two-song encore. With the audience screaming various titles, Newman calmly stepped to the microphone and uttered, “Whatever you’re shouting, this one’s better,” and immediately broke into ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” The band followed the surprising (and fantastic) cover with “Slow Descent into Alcoholism,” from the first album, Mass Romantic. A personal favorite of this author, the New Pornographers rarely play it live, so the audience ended up getting their money’s worth.

Overall, it was a fantastic evening. The atmosphere in the Orpheum was electric, especially when Sheff joined the New Pornographers for a song, and two great indie rock ensembles proved that great pop music still exists. Now we just have to wait until they come back to town. (Incidentally, Okkervil River will be back in September, headlining at the Barrymore.)

Top 5 titles Article

A while ago, I wrote two short articles that I submitted to the local paper, as they were looking for a local music writer. They decided to "go in another direction," so I present them here.

Top 5 Albums that have been criminally overlooked

Citizen King Mobile Estates (1999) – Released at a time when rap-rock hybrids and boy bands ruled the musical landscape, Citizen King’s Mobile Estates stands out as a refreshing alternative. Despite having modest radio success with the single “Better Days (and the Bottom Drops Out),” the Milwaukee band never seemed to catch on nationally. Listening to the album today, it sounds like two very different bands have crossed paths. Elements of those rap/rock groups pop up, but are supplemented by the turntable wizardry of Malcolm Michiles and the genuine songwriting skills of keyboardist Dave Cooley and vocalist/bassist Matt Sims. The songs on Mobile Estates are equally at home in the club or at a backyard barbeque. “Under The Influence,” with its weaving synths and disorienting mixing, makes you feel as much. “Basement Show” sounds like you are in the basement where it was probably recorded. It’s Citizen King’s brand of easy-going funk that fits perfectly on a laid-back summer day. This is the kind of music the Black Eyed Peas have been trying to make ever since they went commercial. This is what the Damon Albarn/Danger Mouse collabo The Good, the Bad, & the Queen could have been with a little more tweaking. This is an album worth finding for yourself.

Hallelujah the Hills Collective Psychosis Begone (2007) – A ramshackle collection of tunes with an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink vibe, Collective Psychosis Begone frequently sounds like each band member—there are between five and ten—decided to bring their own stuff to the table. Fortunately, all these sounds coincide to form sculpted, literate stories of love, fights, growing up, going out and everything in between. The album opens with “Sleeper Agent (Just Waking Up),” a six-minute epic that introduces the band slowly, both musically and thematically. “Wave Backwards to Massachusetts” and the title track ramp up the excitement with poppier beats and clever lyrics, before the subtle “The House is All Lit Up” takes things down a notch once again. The range of musical tempos and styles echoes the range of emotions expressed in the lyrics, which frequently read like post-modern poetry. Hallelujah the Hills have vowed to make 30 albums before they hang it up. Based on the 1^st one, let’s hope they can actually pull it off.

k-os Joyful Rebellion (2004) – Much has been made of the mashing up of seemingly disparate genres to create something new and interesting. Artists such as Gnarls Barkley’s Danger Mouse and Greg Gilles (Girl Talk) have become household names in this new category. Yet something can be said for an artist who crosses genres without losing his own style in the process. Such is the case with k-os, a Toronto native and the creative force behind Joyful Rebellion. From the Ray Charles bassline of “Crabbuckit” to the Michael Jackson-esque falsetto on “Man I Used to Be” to the Mariachi feel of “Commandante,” the album plays like a musical world tour, taking listeners through k-os’ wide range of influences. Despite being labeled a hip-hop artist, k-os exhibits strong songwriting skills and his attitude throughout Rebellion is indeed joyful, something markedly missing from most hip-hop albums out there. Listening to this album (and his others), it becomes obvious that k-os revels in making music. Go ahead. Listen to “Crabbuckit” and just try not to bob your head or tap your foot.

Immaculate Machine Fables (2007) – Kathryn Calder may be best known as the niece of Carl Newman and the keyboardist/singer with the New Pornographers. But before joining them on a full-time basis, she was part of Immaculate Machine, another Canadian power-pop group. Fables finds the trio expanding on their earlier work and fine-tuning their beautiful harmonies and understated accompaniments. Sounding like a band that has played together far longer than their three years, the male-female harmonies and tight instrumentation hint at 80s New wave, but with a decidedly folksy feel. Calder’s voice in particular radiates emotion and she is fast becoming a poor man’s Neko Case, without the poverty. Best enjoyed as an entire album, the highlight is “C’Mon Sea Legs,” a sweeping pinnacle of inspiration and fortitude. When the three-part harmony cries out, “c’mon sea legs, pull yourself together / You’re gonna have to learn to like / the rockin’ of the waves,” the plea is heartfelt and the album reaches its nadir, and a certain catharsis settles over the closing tracks. Ever graceful, Fables takes the listener up and over that emotional hill with plenty of help along the way.

Stellastarr* stellastarr* (2003) – With all the excitement over the revival of New Wave music in the past five years, it seems strange that Stellastarr* have received so little attention. Shawn Christensen sounds like he belongs on stage next to David Byrne and Neil Finn, to name a few. His blend of an earnest, brooding persona, a deep voice, and the intermittent yelps and freak-outs follows the template laid down in the 1980s by the aforementioned artists. That’s not say it’s a bad thing—Stellastarr* rise to the challenge, especially on the romping sing-a-long “My Coco” (check out the video on YouTube for proof) and the barely-contained energy of “Pulp Song.” Other tracks find the band slowing down and creating a more haunting atmosphere as Christensen’s voice wavers from dark & heavy to light & trippy over constant bass and drum pounding. All the variance and experimentation is in the vocals, never more evident than on “Somewhere Across Forever” which starts quietly, but builds to three band members singing in rounds (when probably brings to mind memories of elementary school music class for some of you). The dissonance swells until all the parts reunite in a driving, climactic finish. Hopefully, the same can eventually be said for the band itself.