Author: h

More of a storytelling than a review, here’s a few snapshots of the sets last night from MFR bands at the BL/ROCK PARTY.

echoes / My set was kicked-up acoustic versions of songs from nickel, the upcoming Be A Ska Rat, and some other projects that aren’t albums yet (“Market Stress”, “We Are 1nes”). Closed with the “My Time” Blacklight Sunshine cover. It feels good to have all fast songs to choose from, and I really like playing sans mics/PA/all that stuff – just voice and guitar, raw.

Shacker / Cory and I did the duo thing on a few songs from The Dimly Lit Room. We didn’t practice, and it didn’t matter; I play Cory’s songs all the time, even just hanging out at home by myself, so we probably sounded like auditory gold dipped in LL Cool J’s private chocolate supply.

12:00 Fence / Like Shacker (short a bassist – Jake in this case), Justin and Jeremy brought the rock. The Fence’s songs range over some broad territory, from melodic hardcore to strummy pop, with some punk edges from time to time.

GILMO / Scott and Allen’s free jazz manages to bring together their considerable technical chops with a non-verbal lyricism that makes their music colorful, beautiful, expressive, and highly entertaining. Their set was my favorite listen of the night, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.

Beach-Puppy / Though I’ve worked a ton with Cory and with BP, I’d never seen him perform before. It was something different, and I loved it. He improvises changes in the lyrics, which is very cool if you know the words from Creepy Eepy (MFR listeners will get a taste of that in a week or two, when an alternate version of “There’s Something To Be Said” is posted to the Furious Instance.

“Sally M/S Ride” / Last night Cory and I announced that we’ve finished editing uncle Charlie’s tapes from his old band, and we played a couple Sally M/S Ride songs. It consistently surprises me that they work acoustic, but somehow they seem to (at least to us… the reaction among the gathered was minimal).

howie&scott / Covered by the Nebraska night and barely backlit in red and blue, we played a couple hits (“Major & Minor”), broke our own hearts (“Stop Walking”), and closed, as promised, with a finale worth the wait; the live acoustic version of “Was I In Bon Jovi For A Second?”

Now I’m drinking leftover Lemon-Lime and thinking about getting back behind the drums for the afternoon. We’ll have to do it again sometime. See you… -h

Last night’s Late Show was probably a repeat; Gladiator was on the couch, not talking about “Cinderella Man” but some trouble he’d gotten into. I’m sure I missed most of it, but apparently he hit somebody? at a hotel? and went to jail.

But Paul Anka was on to promote a new disc, Rock Swings, and he’s been singing for five decades. Nobody told him about The Bad Plus; he covered “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with his big band in a fast lounge style, playing up the “My libido…” line and linking it to the “Hello, hello…” parts by his stage moves. Your opinion how successful he was (or was not) at making the song sexy is probably proportional to your age.

I know most of us kids-to-30-somethings still get into “Teen Spirit,” but hearing the original track makes me a little sick. Watching Anka perform, I realized that Kurt’s suicide really shouldn’t have been a surprise. He saw what the world was doing with his music (on which hung serious ideological weight), co-opting Nirvana’s operating ethos for the sake of greed. And it hasn’t stopped. Why else would Paul Anka be covering it? Don’t tell me it spoke to him on a deep level, and he had to pay tribute. More like get paid, in order to cover the bill from his plastic surgeon.

Nevermind was a good album, and it has had some impact on the course of pop/indie music, but I can’t listen to it. Breaks my heart, like Orwell’s 1984. To be confronted with such idealism and striving, corrupted and turned towards profit/power, is unbearable. If anyone did that to signs, I would be broken.

All this is not Paul Anka’s fault. He’s just a face to put on a larger trouble.

Cody runs sound at WCC on Sunday mornings. That’s what he does; he’s a renegade professional sound-man, for hire to local/touring acts and venues around town. He’s great, he likes round, warm sound (like I do), and he did the gig Monday night at Bunker’s in the warehouse district. I went along, as a friend, and as a techie’s techie; a sort of informal job-shadow. All through my recent job search, Cody was after me to work for a sound company he has connections with. The show was; “Am I able to do this? Would I enjoy this? What would it take to turn sound into a viable career?”

Because my sound education is entirely informal, there are gaps. Example; I had to ask what the crossover processor does (it takes a mono signal, and splits it into multiple outputs based on different frequency ranges – these separate signals are sent to different PA speakers, so you get low tones headed for the subs and higher tones for the smaller speakers). But I understand what is happening to the sound pretty intuitively, once it’s explained. Everything Cody did I could hear or see. He’s fast with making connections between what we hear and the right frequencies to cut to make it better, but that comes with experience. I haven’t worked much with the 31-band EQs that are used at this kind of show; I’m used to the high/mid/low EQs on mixing consoles, and (on the other end of the spectrum) the paragraphic EQ in the Ozone mastering suite I use in the studio.

The Combo featured a couple notable players; Jellybean on guitar (he played drums for Morris Day & The Time – remember, at the end of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” ???), Mike on drums (Prince, Paul Westerberg – both of whom Cody has worked for too), and a Grammy-winning guitarist (wrote the song for J. Vaughn). They played funk/R&B which was fun, and sounded alright; a case of obviously talented players, but no quarterback. Songs meandered (tightly), even going on for considerable periods without a soloist, everone just vamping on their rhythm parts. Still, I thought of all the bands I’ve seen at Knickerbocker’s, and The Combo seemed like an alright Monday night.

Bottom line, I learned something important; if I ever mustered up the courage/machismo/desire/fortitude to do it, I could be a sound guy. Cody’s pretty happy with it, even if it can be crazy work. My concern about this potential path is more the bar/tour scene than anything; everyone’s got a tragic story (which tend to come out, verbalized or not) and for the most part they’re so predictable. I don’t insulate myself from that very well, which could be hurtful/dangerous. At least it’s out there and I’m aware.

I even wore my pure black t-shirt. -h

In the past few months, I’ve written out music/guitar tab on four different howie&scott songs for three different people. That makes it seem worthwhile to clean up and publish those notes and words, so others might learn, play, and enjoy the songs. It’s also a fitting time, as we finish work on the Nebraska Verses and plan a glance back at the roots of Mr. Furious Records in 2001-04. Here are links to tabs (chords in the case of “So In Love…”):

New Title (berlin), from signs.comets (2004)

Major & Minor, from signs.comets (2004)

Thanks For Visiting Me On The Radio, from signs.comets (2004)

I’m So In Love (and Never Thought That It Would Be You), from near and far (2002)

For the uninitiated, guitar “tab” is a type of musical notation that is easily written in HTML format and shared across the internet. Six horizontal lines represent the six guitar strings; numbers on those lines represent the frets on which notes are played, moving from left to right in time (like sheet music). Chords appear as vertical stacks of numbers; lead lines, solos, and arpeggios are spaced out across the lines.

It was by sitting at the computer with a stack of CDs, listening to my favorite songs and reading guitar tabs, that I learned how to play guitar. Besides taking the requests for tabs as a high compliment, it feels like good karma to author some tabs for others. Thanks Cory, Scott, and Kelsey for asking for these. I’m happy to have done them.

The Twin Cities music scene is infinitely worth sharing with you (for the second time!), and what better way than through a mixtape?

This second edition of MIX-MSP is full of the amazing beats, pop, and quirky music that bubbles around a community known more for the Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, and Semisonic. Atmosphere is the Twin Cities’ hottest international export in hip-hop, Vicious Vicious makes irresistable blue-eyed funk, and I’ve got a favorite iTunes playlist of my own that juxtaposes Jeff Hanson with Elliot Smith. Dosh breaks the idea of solo-instrumental music in a thousand pieces, and bands like Thunder In The Valley and Coach Said Not To push the boundaries of pop. But Astronaut Wife, Romantica, and Mark Mallman ground the mix with catchy, memorable tunes.

Like the music on Mr. Furious Records, right-click + “save target as” to download the songs. Also, download last week’s edition of MIX-MSP below; Punk, Rock, and How!

MIX-MSP: BEATS, POP, AND WHY
Links verified 1/September/05

1. “Trying To Find A Balance” / Atmosphere, from Seven’s Travels. rhymesayers.com.

2. “Shake That Ass On The Dance Floor” / Vicious Vicious, from Blood & Clover. viciousvicious.com.

3. “Drop Me a Line” / The Owls, from Our Hopes and Dreams EP. www.theowls.net.

4. “Call It Clear” / Halloween, Alaska, from Halloween, Alaska. www.halloweenalaska.com.

5. “A Tiger Dancing” / Heiruspecs, from A Tiger Dancing. www.heiruspecs.com.

6. “Naoise” / Dosh, from Pure Trash. www.anticon.com.

7. “Superpowers” / Astronaut Wife, from Now That 1999 Is Gone. www.susstones.com.

8. “Manifesto” / Valet, from Life On The Installment Plan. www.valetmusic.com.

9. “Words That I Employ” / Coach Said Not To, from Coach Said Not To EP. www.coachsaidnotto.com.

10. “Altar” / Thunder in the Valley, from Thunder in the Valley EP. walkingdead.net/~titv/.

11. “Just Like Me” / Jeff Hanson, from Son. www.jeffhanson.net.

12. “On My Mind” / Romantica, from It’s Your Weakness That I Want. www.romanticamusic.com.

13. “Hardcore Romantics” / Mark Mallman, from Mr. Serious. mallman.com.

The local music scene in the Twin Cities is infinitely worth sharing with you; MFR listeners and [blog] readers. What better way than with a mixtape?

Enter MIX-MSP, a digital playlist/”mixtape” of links to free, legal mp3s from bands in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Carefully selected, impeccably sequenced, this compilation of Minnesota music might become your new favorite summer soundtrack. The first edition, Punk, Rock, and How covers the rockist angle with plenty of electric guitars, from The Tin Horns’ funky stomp & swagger to Soviettes’ grrl-punk to Kid Dakota’s sparse balladry. Olympic Hopefuls and The Plastic Constellations are essential listening for everybody… don’t miss a track! Download the whole mix!

Just like the music on Mr. Furious Records, right-click + “save target as” to download the songs. Next Tuesday, next edition of MIX-MSP; Beats, Pop, and Why!

(“MSP” refers to the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul)

MIX-MSP: PUNK, ROCK, AND HOW
Links verified 1/September/05

1. “Ballad of Nonsenso” / The Tin Horns, from The Champions of Victory. myspace.com/tinhorns.

2. “Blue Stars” / The Soviettes, from LP. www.thesoviettes.net.

3. “Davico” / The Plastic Constellations, from Mazatlan. theplasticconstellations.com.

4. “Holiday” / Olympic Hopefuls, from The Fuses Refuse To Burn. www.olympichopefulsmusic.com.

5. “Motobike” / Olympic Hopefuls, from The Fuses Refuse To Burn. www.olympichopefulsmusic.com.

6. “Road Kill” / The Bleeding Hickeys, from Lovers and Haters, Unite! www.bleedinghickeys.com.

7. “New Infection” / The Melismatics, from New Infection. www.melismatics.com.

8. “Surprise, Surprise” / Landing Gear, from Break-Up Songs For Relationships That Never Happened. www.landinggearmusic.com.

9. “Aries” / Die Electric!, from Push Pull. www.dieelectric.com.

10. “Where We Shine” / The Cardinal Sin, from Oil and Water. thecardinalsin.com.

11. “Winterkill” / Kid Dakota, from The West Is The Future. www.kiddakota.com.

12. “Twister Party Fails To Get Dirty” / Chariots, from Congratulations. www.chariots-music.com.

13. “Bed of Stars” / Dallas Orbiter, from Magnesium Fireflies. www.dallasorbiter.com.

Openers Harp and Finial were a collision of country bar-rock, angular post-punk, and less-than-half ironic shredding and associated guitar histronics. Made me happy music started an hour late, and I caught the first act. Closer Kid Dakota was sparse and moving, with Darren unexpectedly precise on guitar; fantastic, as expected. I said hello after the show, picking up a ten-bone copy of So Pretty (which is always about $17 at Cheapo) and giving him a MFR button.

But it’s Dosh that has become a Twin Cities favorite of mine. Sometime during my first week in Minneapolis, I caught a morning-drive interview with Martin Dosh on Radio K; it didn’t include any actual music, but hearing people talk about Dosh’s music made me need to hear it.

Which didn’t happen until January, and Radio K’s “Local Music Day.” At home I recorded Olympic Hopefuls’ live in-studio performance, along with some others throughout the afternoon, and Dosh was one of them. To hear the sounds he could make, and know it was just one guy, was a beautiful mystery, a magic trick that made me feel eight years old in a good way. Dosh’s live songs start with little, click-y loops over which he layers electric piano and drums in imaginative, jazzy, hip-hoppy, childish ways. The tracks I’ve downloaded from his studio albums are good, and seeing his show Saturday night was very good, but it’s those radio performances that I love best (Dosh has an EP available of his set for KLAX in Los Angeles). Knowing it’s only him making sound from moment to moment, but being unable to see what’s coming next; something wonderful without a name happens in that space.

My first real karaoke experience began at “KJ” Sexy Chocolate fired up the Godfather of Soul and proceeded to shake and spin better than he sang; apparently, he felt good (ba-da ba-da ba-da bap – he knew that he would). Chester rocked New Jersey-style (“Wanted Dead or Alive”), we couldn’t talk CJ or Sarah & Natalie into anything, and I alternately killed Boyz II Men’s “On Bended Knee” (melismas + Nebraska boy = noooo!) and gave a straight, if inspired, take on “Say It Ain’t So.”

But the evening’s gems were the potential social research master’s theses just lying around the club, waiting for someone to pick them up and run:

“Achieving Status and a Reputation for Humility Simultaneously Through Human Spectacle” – What is the nature of the dual attraction we universally feel towards live microphones, and its associated nervous fear obeserved when possession of a mic is obtained?

“Towards a Unified Model of the Repression of Awareness of Irony” – In the subgroup of people who take karaoke seriously, how is this inherently unstable worldview maintained? (It would seem to collapse either into postmodern detachment and amusement, or the realization that karaoke is not a credible venue for serious, non-ironic artists – yet the phenomena of taking karaoke seriously endures in some individuals).

“Juxtaposition of Culturally-Defined Opposites as a Source of Meaning” – Combining sociology with aesthetics, how does the re-introduction of humanness (imperfection) into the object of pop music contribute to the value of a karaoke performance? Case studies: Young bartender barking Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know” as a passable hardcore song. Asian woman covering “Hotel California” respectably. First-year seminary student absorbing crowd with a performance of “Immigrant Song.”

Credit to Tina for the better half of these. If you actually write the paper, promise to send us a link!