BoogMusic

Sweden 1, Long Island 0.  Weird-on, Fever Ray.

In 2004 The Croup, a studio project conceived by Jason Gambrell and Casey Brandt, released its self-titled debut album.  Described on CDBABY as “Bluegrass with… post-punk sensibilities”, The Croup is an album as sweet as it is hornery, as concise and coherent as it’s bleary-eyed and rambling: it’s as if the band went into the studio with a lot of enthusiasm only to find it sweaty with only room temperature Grolsch to take the edge off.  That might not actually be very far from the truth- most if not all of this album was recorded in the bedroom that was converted into a studio in Casey Brandt’s Brooklyn apartment in the middle of summer with the AC off for noise purposes.  Not that the album suffers for it; rather, instead of crashing into the alcohol-fueled chaos of early Replacements albums, The Croup growls quietly (“Coney Island”), snarls a curse (“Debilitate”), then apologizes with a sweetness so subtle it’s both surprising and sublime (“Rock and Roll”, “In This Hole”).

That was in 2004.  Since then, both Jason Gambrell and Casey Brandt have moved onto other musical projects, and indeed, Brandt has since moved to Maryland.  Before moving, however, Brandt and Gambrell were able to write and record at least ten tracks for a second album, more akin to Brian Eno than early Wilco.  Ambitious as this follow up effort may be, in this age of ftp sites, Skype, and MySpace pages I see no reason why we can’t expect to see a second Croup album sometime in the near future.

At this point I should mention that I am friends with both Jason and Casey and have made music with both Jason and Casey: I hate to use this blog to shame, but as both your friend and your former colleague, for god sakes finish the second Croup album!  It’s been six years now, don’t let this turn into your Chinese Democracy. I shame because I love.

Here is the video for Coney Island off the first album, released about three weeks ago.

Today Devo releases Something For Everybody, their ninth studio album and first in twenty years.  While it probably won’t go down as their strongest effort, Something shows Devo hasn’t really lost anything in the last twenty years (they have reunited in the past decade for a number of gigs and to sue McDonald’s; the “New Wave Nigel” character featured in Happy Meals was apparently a misappropriation of trademarked elements of the band’s look).  Opening with”Fresh”, Somebody is full of songs we have always expected from Devo: frantic pop songs wryly celebrating society’s unabated journey down the toilet.  The highlight of the first half of the album is “Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man)”, which features the best use of the phrase “don’t taze me, bro” outside of Gainsville, Fla.  It was released with this Target-Ad-esque video last April:

The Album has been available for stream on ColbertNation.com for a few days- Gerald Casale, speaking Kai Ryssdal on Market Place, said this about the band’s publicity strategy:

Ryssdal: So here’s where I do the “wait a minute” thing, because you guys now on this album have sort of gone that way — you’re using focus groups, you’re letting the audience pick the tracks that are going to be on the actual CD. I mean, you’re buying into it. A clever marketing ploy, probably, but I mean, you are doing it?

Casale: Well, it’s partly satirical, but it’s also having your cake and eating it too. Because we decided, what’s the one thing that Devo never did — which was play ball. We don’t exclude ourselves from the de-evolution process… That is definitely the culture we all live in. I mean, look what’s happened — the implosion of the music business in general, the functions of labels are almost gone, people have devalued music in terms of its cultural important and they feel they shouldn’t even have to pay for it. And with all the home-recording techniques, everybody puts out CDs and everybody thinks they can become the next huge act by using social networking like Facebook or MySpace. And it’s all largely an illusion. What’s happened is that so many CDs are put out per month, possibly 10,000 a month. Nobody can possibly even know half the music that exists out there. And so marketing is everything. Marketing is the end-all, be-all of our society.

(here is the interview in full)

If anything, there are moments of seemingly jarring sincerity near the end of the album – “No Place Like Home” to my recollection is the only Devo ballad I can think of (correct me if I’m wrong).  Having said that, however, the sincerity, at least musically, transforms more into a pastiche of Depeche Mode-esque emoting- how could Devo avoid jamming a tongue into that much cheek?  Really though, the thing I miss the most from early Devo on this album is the guitar work- Something is pretty much a straight forward electronic, strange dance album; I always thought Devo had really good guitar hooks.

Devo’s has always been and continues to be great, even if now they look more like five different versions of your boss wearing the same Halloween outfit to the office party than prophets from the future dystopia- I guess being part of the de-evolution includes the inevitable sixty year old paunche.  Too bad we can’t all work for dudes like that.

PLEASE INDULGE ME

This video has nothing to do with Devo, but it’s one of my favorite things ever from the Simpsons, and when I was looking for the photo of Roddy McDowell I was drawn to the siren song of the greatest musical that never was.  Let it stand here forever as my tribute to the undying genius of Phil Hartman.

This has nothing to do with music, but I really hope that, for his sake, brilliance does not languish in shit and Steve Strasburg does not suffer the fate of Walter Johnson- pitching excellently for a Washington team that, perennially, just stinks.

In the fall of 1997 I worked in a record store in the Pearl Street mall in Boulder.  That was a long time ago, so it’s probably safe to admit now that I stole a Hank Williams cd from the storeroom.  I had never heard any Hank Williams before that day, but I definitely would recommend going and stealing some right away.  Sorry Rocky Mountain Records.

When I was twenty one I got dumped real bad, drank a lot of whiskey and listened to Hank Williams.  Same thing happened when I was twenty eight.  Same thing’ll happen if (or knowing my luck, when) I get dumped again.  The best part of that equation has always been the Hank.

There’s no better salve for the loser soul than the music of Hank Williams.  No dead man has ever been a better friend to me.  God bless Hank Williams.  Excuse me while I go get drunk.

Recently New York City hosted it’s fourth annual NYC Popfest, a celebration of smiling three-chord simplicity, reverb, and impeccable manners.  Despite being an easy target for cynics everywhere, NYC Popfest is an excellent showcase for up-and-coming bands of a certain type (that type being, if you will, the type that didn’t really like high school, but didn’t really spend any time in detention either).  Here are a few bands featured at the fest with new releases (click the cover art to go to the bands’ sites).

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart- Say No To Love  7″ (June 8 2010)

Like many bands in this burgeoning scene, POBPAH are a Brooklyn-based band with a large debt to the UK “shoe-gazer” bands of the early nineties like the Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine.  To this they add a large dose of Robert Smith’s tunesmith sensibility.  These songs seem by and for the scrawny kid nursing a beer in the corner of the house party- hand jobs in the library, drugs to feel less suburban, falling in love to escape the boredom of living at home; POBPAH chronicle a type of ennui and do it well with catchy melodies that belie the lyrics’ darker intent.  Having said that, with a name like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and a video featuring a be-v-necked band of skinny people so earnestly singing into the camera, it’s a fine line between sincerity and self-parody.  I hope they continue to walk it on the right side.

Allo Darlin- Allo Darlin LP (June 7 2010)

London-based Allo Darlin’ are full of buzz and have not a mean bone in their bodies (featured in a recent NY Times review of the NYC Popfest, Allo Darlin’ were singled out for their unironic rendering of “You’re The One That I Want” as the highlight of the event).  If there were a year book for this year’s NYC Popfest, Allo Darlin’ would be voted most likely to succeed, or most likely to end up in a Volkswagon ad.  Having been weaned on seemingly equal parts Morrissey and Frente, Allo Darlin’ also walk the fine line between the sweet and sincere and that which is completely twee and ridiculous.  One can only hope that their very busy touring schedule will, if not jade them, at least bring them to the realization that their cover of “I Want To Be Sedated” was, in fact, a really lame idea.

Vivian Girls- My Love Will Follow Me 7″ (February 2010)

If the Shangri-Las were raised by Nico, in New Jersey, then they would sound like the Vivian Girls.  Far more raw sounding than the other two bands mentioned in this post (and owing more to the Vaselines than Cocteau Twins) Vivian Girls certainly hit the mark with what they’re going for.  Never has worshiping at the altar of Spector (Ronnie, not Phil) sounded so punk rock.  Not to mention easy on the eyes, I would imagine the Vivian Girls to be the object of desire for every navel-gazing band of emo-wimps with which they’ve shared the stage at Trash Bar.

These are just three of the many bands that played the NYC Popfest, so please don’t just take my word for it.  As with any scene, too much of a good thing, or at least a pretty good thing, can only last for so long.  Especially when one considers that the Brooklyn uber-hip thing seems to be waning (or at least transmogrifying into a hipness of self-loathing; who hasn’t heard a hipster douche passionately rail against the collective hipster douchery of Kings County).  Some of these acts should avoid schtick all together and try actually learning their instruments better- what’s the point of writing a song if you’re going to play it lousy?.  Giving new bands a break is a great thing; please make sure you’re up to the challenge.

see also:

Dream Diary (think Stone Roses without the swagger)

Very Truly Yours (authors of maybe the worst band bio I’ve ever read, these guys are none the less a pop band in the vein of Le Mans)

Best Coast (a fuzz, reverb, lo-fi girl group drone by apparantly three huge stoners- they need more bass in the mix, but definitely worth a listen)

Strange Boys (Ween + ? and he Mysterions- like someone dosed the Memphis Soul Stew)