A concept album is not the easiest trick to pull off. The risk of sounding either pompously pretentious or awkwardly forced when attempting to tie an album's worth of material into a coherent narrative is extremely high, as nearly every prog-rock album of the mid-seventies demonstrated. When the new One-Eyed Doll album, Witches, was announced some time back, I was thrilled - it had been way too long since the last album from my favorite current band (2012's Dirty); when word got out that it was to be a concept album telling the tale of the Salem witch trials, I admit to feeling an uneasy shudder. Kimberly and Jason are certainly adept storytellers in the single-song format, but could they create a story arc that both spanned an entire album and maintained the level of energy, creativity and cleverness that has been their hallmark?
The short answer, I'm pleased to report, is "Hell yes!"
Witches is in all ways wonderful. The album swoops in with the frenetic attack of the opener, "Ember," then effortlessly downshifts to the hauntingly beautiful "Prayer" before revving up again for the concert-ready chant-along "Black in the Rye." That juxtaposition of crazed high-energy assault and low-key melancholy continues throughout the album, keeping you constantly spellbound through the finale, "The Ghosts of Gallows Hill."
It would have been easy to simply cast Kimberly as either an actual witch or one of the wrongly accused and make the album's narrative into a character-driven tale; smartly, they did not go that route. Rather, she inhabits different roles in each song, reporting events from a number of points of view and never judging one against another. Here she is being sent to her death, condemned as a witch, there she is leading the angry mob's demands for "More Weight" to be applied to the accused to determine guilt; now she is accusing another as the one who has "Afflicted" her, now she's presenting theories that bacterial infection from spoiled bread caused the hysteria that afflicted Salem. In the end, the listener must draw his or her own conclusions.
Musically, this is the most gothic One-Eyed Doll record yet - which is saying something for a band that sings about vampires and serial killers, and who has recorded in a church. There is both soaring majesty and almost unbearable tension in each tune, and there is something about that banjo that is woven into the sonic tapestry that gilds it all with the perfect haunting edge. As is often the case with One-Eyed Doll, it can be easy to forget that it's only two people making all this deeply layered and nuanced music. Certainly the recording process allows for overdubs and production tricks, but those of us who have seen them live know they can blow the roof off any venue as well as much larger groups.
I am eager to hear how these new tracks will fit into One-Eyed Doll's live sets. In fact, I will get my first chance tonight - they are playing in the Baltimore, MD area (technically Halethorpe, but close enough) at Fish Head Cantina with Cryptic Matter and Kamikaze Kupcakes. If you're in the area, I hope to see you there!
Please enjoy a couple of my favorites from the album: the opener, "Ember," and a live performance of "Black in the Rye." You can purchase Witches directly from the band or through Merchnow.com
Wow, has it really been more than two weeks since I last posted? Much has happened in the ensuing fortnight. Work at my full time job has hit the busiest time of the year, and a new client sits on the horizon for the marketing company I am helping to build - been putting in long days. The cats have been fixed, and yet have not calmed down an iota. They keep me sane, though, as do my family and friends and you, my dear readers. A sincere thank you to those who have sent messages through the Facebook and Twitter pages asking how I'm doing. Pretty well, actually - doctor gave me a clean bill of health, conditionally. (Still a few tests to run. You know, in all my free time...) Just have to work on keeping the stress levels down.
Another thing that helps me when the demons get to playing too rough with me, of course, is music, and there's been a lot of it to enjoy around here lately. If you haven't yet, please take a moment to read my reviews of new albums from The Dollyrots and Amy Gore & Her Valentines. And here I've created yet another handy guide for you of some of the coolest things blaring from my speakers lately - things that should be blaring from yours, too. Your ears will thank you, and so will these artists.
One Eyed Doll- "Comitted (2012)"
Honestly, I did not purposefully wait to do another one of these "listening party" posts until there was new music from my raving fave duo from Austin, Texas. Just a happy accident; an aligning of the stars; serendipity in action. That they've made a new recording of one of my favorites from their entire catalog, and a new video to go with it, makes me grin a big ol' grin; that it could be my theme song given recent events just adds to the cosmic convergence of awesome music and real life. And what are these rumors of a possible new album in early 2013?
The Dying Elk Herd - "Don't Let The Riverbeast Get You"
Also making a reappearance from the last Now Hear This list are local faves The Dying Elk Herd, whose second single (and first video) is decidedly killer. Campy fun and insanely catchy, the Herd strike a bit of a Presidents Of The United States Of America pose on this one. Which is a good thing. A damn good thing. Allegedly from the movie of the same name - at least we can hope so after seeing what they've done in just a three-minute music video. (The MTV-esque chyron at the beginning and end of the clip is a brilliant touch!)
Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave - "Where The Wild Roses Grow (2012)"
So there seems to be a lot of rerecording of oldies but goodies this year. The Dollyrots revamped "Because I'm Awesome," One-Eyed Doll took a new stab at "Committed," and one of the most unlikely yet eerily, hauntingly beautiful duets ever recorded has also been redone. Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue are musicians from Australia, but beyond that there isn't much you'd expect to find in the combined section of their Venn diagram. Yet in 1997 they came together to record a masterpiece. This year, they reunited on a new recording of the track for Minogue's Abbey Road Sessions album, and they nailed it again. Click the link to hear the new take on Soundcloud, and prepare for a shiver down your spine.
Blondie - "Rock On"
It's hard to believe Blondie is approaching four decades (!) of music, but it's not at all difficult to accept that Debbie Harry remains the coolest hot chick (or hottest cool chick) in all of punkdom, still going strong at age 67. (Remember when no one was supposed to trust anyone over thirty? Can we amend that to "under thirty" nowadays?) Just finishing up the wonderfully named Whip It To Shreds tour with fellow old fogies Devo, Blondie unleashed a few new tracks via ReverbNation.com. The best of the bunch is this bass-heavy slink through a song that's as old as the band, David Essex's 1974 hit "Rock On." Smooooth....
Iggy Pop & Zig Zags - "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up"
Speaking of old fogies still rockin' after all these years, the always amazing Iggy Pop surfaced again recently helping to launch an intriguing series of limited edition color vinyl 45s issued on the Light In The Attic label in which a cover version of track the label has reissued is flipped with the original. In this case, the former Jim Osterberg teams up with LA's Zig Zags for a murky gut-crunching take on Betty Davis's 1973 funk soul workout. (That's Betty with a "y," not Bette Davis with an "e," which would have made this an even more cool thing.) Check the clip, then pick up the vinyl:
Songs For Snakes - Charcoal Heather
You want people to hear your band? You gotta take the bull by the horns! You gotta step right up and introduce yourself and blast them with sonic joy. That's how I found out about San Francisco's Songs For Snakes and there seriously awesome Charcoal Heather album, currently available as a name-your-price download from Bandcamp.com. Band member Bill Taylor took it upon himself to send a message to the TWIWGTS Facebook page and point me in the direction of their music, which he describes as "Husker Du and Jawbreaker having a pleasant cup of green tea with Simon and Garfunkel." Well if a description like that doesn't pique your interest, there's something wrong. Nothing wrong with Songs For Snakes, though. My fave track is "St. Mary," but the whole dang LP is just as good. Get it and spread the word.
First Times - "(I Don't Wanna) Party No More"/"Girl On The Run"
Can't tell you a whole lot about First Times other than they're from Helsinki and they've been introduced to the world through this impossible-to-order import debut single. (Anyone read Finnish and willing to help me navigate the webstore for their label, Combat Rock?) Oh, and they rock. Hard. At least on the absolutely killer A-side, anyway. The flip slows the barrage about a half-step and underscores the band's sonic similarity to Sahara Hotnights. I NEED this single, dammit! Catch both songs here via Bandcamp:
Swilson - "Witchtrial Modern Day"
"If Roky Erickson was a member of the cast of Fast Times At Ridgemont High, he'd be Swilson," says Classic Rock Magazine in perhaps the most perfectly crystallized description of any artist ever. Swilson sounds like what every garage band made up of stoned kids thinks they sound like in their own heads. Swilson the man co-hosts the wonderful Advanced Demonology podcast, a monthly offshoot of the indispensable Movies About Girls podcast I've raved about on this blog before; Swilson the band makes wonderful music like "Cool Skull," the title track to a long-awaited EP you can hear at the link above, "Polyester Shirt Polyester Pants" from their debut Demonology LP, and the mindbending "Witchtrial Modern Day," presented for your listening and dancing pleasure here:
1-800-Band - "Maraschino"
For a long time I thought the world was basically out of good, clever band names. Then I found these guys and wondered why no one had thought of this one before. These Brooklynites keep the clever coming in their music, too, bringing an updated 1979-ish New Wave groove into the present day. They've got an album on iTunes and a live set from WFMU on FreeMusicArchive.com. They make me smile.
Angelspit - "Defibrulator"
Not sure how this Aussie electro-punk outfit has escaped my notice over the course of 8 albums. I mean with a punky/plinky sound like theirs and band members with names like Zoog and Destroyx, I should have been all over this. Instead, here I am playing catch-up. At least the oversight is being rectified. This was the shard of sound that first stabbed my eardrums and pulled me into their retro-future-industrial-robot world. It can be found on last year's Hello My Name Is Angelspit. It can be heard right here:
So there you go, a compendium of the sounds keeping my head on straight these days. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or speak up over on the Facebook or Twitter pages. For the record, these picks were made solely on my own enjoyment of the music. Ain't getting any kind of compensation from anyone on the list, save for the enjoyment of their work. If you like what you hear, please support the artists and spread the word.
Promise it won't be two weeks before the next post. No, really...
Sometimes I have those nights when all I want to do is sit in a darkened room with maybe a candle or two flickering, and be alone with my mind. It's very different from the bouts with my demons that I have talked about here before; the feeling is neither anxious nor depressed. It's almost meditative, more like my brain needing to take some time to organize the confetti-like bits of thoughts that have become strewn about over time. It can be an odd, mildly unsettling experience, just letting my thoughts wander wherever they want to go. They tend to lead me into an almost dreamlike state where those bits of thoughts, ideas, memories, and whatnot juxtapose into strange combinations, becoming simultaneously familiar and unknown. Yet it is at those times when I do some of my best writing, some of my most effective problem solving, some of my most creative brainstorming. Though it can be a strange journey, it is quite restorative.
Two weeks ago, I was happy to receive my copy of One-Eyed Doll's newest album, Dirty. Regular readers know how I have become a huge fan of the Austin, TX, duo, and when word reached my ears some months ago that a new album was in the works, I was quick to get in on the pre-order list for one of the first 1000 vinyl copies. One-Eyed Doll on vinyl?!? Yes, please! Kimberly Freeman and Jason Rufuss "Junior" Sewell spend a lot of time on the road, however. A lot of time. Since they do everything independently, from touring to recording to distribution to promotion, being on the road meant getting the record out would be delayed. Always connected to their fan base, both Kimberly and Junior kept everyone in the loop, apologizing for the wait and promising it would be worth it. And when the record finally landed on my turntable two Fridays ago, I can tell you without reservation it was worth the wait.
From the first drop of the needle I was taken with the album, and knew immediately I would be raving about it here on the blog. But there was something about this album, something different from all the previous One-Eyed Doll recordings, and at first I couldn't put my finger on it. After two weeks of sitting with the album, it finally struck me: this album takes me to that same sort of place I described above. A place where things are both familiar and unknown, a place where thoughts are shredded and reassembled in ever-changing variations, a place that is unsettling yet restorative.
The strange journey that is Dirty begins with one foot in the familiar. The opening track, "Plumes Of Death," is one of three songs from One-Eyed Doll's back catalog (along with "Roses" and "Fight") that were re-recorded for the new album. All three originally appeared on 2008's Monster. "Plumes" is probably the most different from its original to my ears, although none of the three vary greatly from their earlier incarnation. Still, it's four years later and One-Eyed Doll has matured as a band, so these songs are being performed from a different place. I daresay Kimberly's voice is more confident now; she's playing less of a character here and allowing more emotion to come through.
Settling into a synchronization with Junior has, I think, allowed her to feel more at ease with her own music. Previous albums tempered her pseudo-nightmarish images with winking humor (and succeeded on that level). Junior's strength as a musician lies in his ability to not only interpret Kimberly's songs, but to also anticipate them. He sees where she's going, and is able to clear the path for her. That they implicitly trust each other as artists is apparent, and allows each to occasionally let go of that need to use humor to keep the emotional intensity at bay. Dirty, as a result, is a very open album, a very raw album, yet a very confident and strong album.
The new material on Dirty is among some of the duo's best work. "Dirty Man" is a swampy, bluesy romp; "Envy" (the first video from the album) is a stunning take on trying to measure up to impossible perfection; "Fool Me Once" - my favorite track on the album - tries to break the ties of a relationship that has ended but won't leave.
The music is heavy and cloak-like, and there is a vague melancholy throughout, but it is not a depressed or depressing album by any means. No, this is more like One-Eyed Doll taking a moment after a few years of constant touring, some artistic upheaval, and all of the associated craziness with being an independent band trying to make their mark, and organizing their thoughts and ideas in a darkened room, and just seeing where those thoughts take them. By the time the album closes, they are back to the familiar ("Fight"). They have come full circle, they are fully restored, and they are ready to take on the world again.
Finally have a chance to sit down and share with you Sunday night's fun in Washington DC. A venue I'd never been to before, one band I have become an absolute fanatic of, and one band whose material I'm just getting to know but am being blown away by - those are ingredients for a fun evening, and that's exactly what I got!
In my many years of seeing shows, I had never before actually seen the same band twice in a row. The closest I had come was in 2010, catching Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine on a Friday night in Philly and a Sunday night in Baltimore of the same weekend, but that Saturday night I had seen Gorevette and The Donnas. What a weekend that was! Well, check back-to-back shows by the same band off my bucket list, and the honors go to One-Eyed Doll (natch, if you've been paying attention lately)! My last live show was One-Eyed Doll and Orgy in Baltimore last month; this weekend, I was lucky enough to see the dynamic Doll duo again, this time playing with the simply astounding Peelander-Z in DC at a cool little hole-in-the-wall called DC9.
My brother and I headed south early for the show, knowing we had a little over a two-hour drive and wanting to leave enough time to find the club, grab something to eat, and give ourselves enough of a buffer for unforeseen traffic issues (that 695 beltway can be a beast at times, even on weekends). As it turned out, we pulled into DC with almost two hours to spare, and quickly found the block where DC9 is located, or should I say "hidden." We circled the block at least five times, knowing that we had to be in the right place because we spotted Kimberly and Junior from One-Eyed Doll busily unloading their equipment. Finally we located the club - a tiny, nondescript storefront tucked in among other businesses on 9th Street. A few more circuits around the neighborhood helped us find parking, and we decided to just set up camp at DC9 for beers and burgers before the show.
When I describe DC9 as a "hole in the wall," I mean it in the best sense. It doesn't look like much at first - in fact, with its dark interior and minimal signage, it almost looked like it was closed. Right inside the street-level opening is a bar; on past it were about half a dozen old vinyl-upholstered booths. The place looked straight out of the 1960s - there was even a working old-style cigarette vending machine (the kind where you pulled out the knob for the brand you wanted, for those old enough to remember when those machines were standard issue in bars and restaurants.) My brother and I pulled up seats at the bar and enjoyed some really good sandwiches, fries, and fried pickles - a first for me. There were two more levels to the place. Our bartender, Jessica, told us the bands would be on the second floor, which she said was rated to hold up to 200 people (more about that later); there is also a roof-level deck, which we headed up to just before the show. A nice enough place - I've certainly seen shows in less well-kept establishments!
At the point they opened the doors to the second floor for the show, my brother and I were two of four people waiting. Junior had come out to say hello, and joked that "if it's just going to be the four of you, you'll get a great all-request show. We just need you to create a mosh pit in front of the stage."
As it turned out, it was a small crowd. I did a quick head-count at one point and there were about 30 people, but sometimes those smaller crowds lend themselves to better shows. In the case of One-Eyed Doll, it really allowed Kimberly to interact with everyone throughout the set: bringing one person on stage to sing "You're A Vampire" to him, dressing two more in costume for "Fight," having us vote for which song we wanted to hear by doing an odd running-in-place dance, and spinning us around to stare at the sound guy while she "surreptitiously" made an on-stage costume change (Kimberly: "La la la, nothing going on back here, keep looking at the sound guy, la la la..."). Throughout their set, she spent as much time in the crowd as she did on the small corner stage, and she seemed energized by the interaction. Other than doing the standard opening with "Committed," we got a completely different set than we did in Baltimore a month ago. One-Eyed Doll continue to simply amaze.
Now, I am going to try to describe Peelander-Z to you. If you are familiar with the Japanese "Action Comic Punk Band," you already know what I mean when I say I will try to describe them: their show simply has to be seen - er, experienced - and even then you're left bewildered. But, you're also left smiling, exhausted, and wanting more. You want insanely catchy high-energy music? They deliver that in bulk. Sunday night they stormed through Peelander-Z standards like "So Many Mike," "Taco Taco Tacos," "Get The Glasses," and "S.T.E.A.K." at top speed, never missing a beat. You want costumes? They took the stage in Rezillos-esque space suits; band members and associates appeared dressed as masked Mexican wrestlers, giant squid-like monsters, and bowling pins. You want crowd participation? They had the entire crowd - literally every last one of us - take part in a massive simultaneous limbo beneath a rope held by people in tiger masks; they handed tin bowls and sticks to random fans to keep rhythm; the guitarist walked across the crowd's hands from the stage to the bar on the other side of the room and back; there were sudden baseball and bowling games; there was great celebration of those who, like me, were wearing glasses. At one point, they pulled people up on the stage to take over for band members on guitar, bass and drums. Then they wrapped up the whole night with an utterly unexpected but wonderful cover of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
30 people (by the end of the night the number had grown to maybe 60-65) may sound like a low turnout, but honestly the second floor was not huge. Had there been many more it would have been uncomfortably crowded. I can't imagine how the place could hold 200 people, regardless of what the bartender said! But where many bands might have been discouraged or might have given half-effort performances given the small crowd, both One-Eyed Doll and Peelander-Z gave their all and made it a party-like atmosphere.
This was the kind of show that reminds me why I'm willing to travel to see a show in a tiny venue two hours away from home. You can see a thousand and one wanna-be arena-rock bands who charge exorbitant ticket prices, tell everyone to "put your hands in the air," ask if you're "ready to rock," and run off the stage and hide in their dressing rooms never actually meeting their fans, much less interacting with them. You can pay your money and sit in a seat and clap along politely, but for all that you might as well just listen to the CD at home. But when you leave a show revved up, excited, exhausted, and chattering away about what you've just experienced; when you've actually been a small part of the show itself; when you get the chance to meet and talk with the bands and get the sense that they are just as eager to meet you as you are to meet them; and when you can do all that for a $10 ticket - well, why wouldn't you?
As always, I insist that you go see One-Eyed Doll when they play near you. I also highly recommend experiencing Peelander-Z. Easily two of the most fun bands I've seen in a long time. As always, check the Facebook page for more pics from the show, and if you haven't already, please consider "liking" the page as well.
If you live in Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, or Washington, DC (or close enough to get to any of the three), I am once again going to urge you to go see the most awesome live band you will ever see, One-Eyed Doll!
Tomorrow night (Friday 4/13), they will be in Philadelphia at The Fire on Girard Avenue; Saturday night they'll be in Baltimore at one of my favorite venues to see a show, The Ottobar, and Sunday night they play DC at at DC9. They are touring with Japanese (via New York) "action comic punk band" Peelander-Z. Both bands are big on audience participation, so this should be a fun series of shows.
I really wanted to try to pull the triple-shot, but it looks like Sunday night in DC is the only show I'm going to get to. (My old transportation issue again - maybe One-Eyed Doll will be the thing that actually inspires me to learn to drive after all these years...) But, if you're able to get to any (or all) of the shows, by all means GO! As I mentioned in my post about their last trip to Baltimore, One-Eyed Doll put on an incredible performance. You will not be disappointed, and at roughly $10 - $12 a night, how can you go wrong? That's huge entertainment value for your dollar! And tell Kimberly and Junior that I sent you!
If you go, and you'd like to share your review of the show here on the blog, I'd be pleased to publish a guest post or two. Let me know either on the comments section here or on the Facebook page! If you're in DC Sunday night - see you there!
Yeah, it's pretty much going to surprise no one that I'm about to rave over One-Eyed Doll's performance in Baltimore last night at Ram's Head Live, but that's because I'm a sensible person. How anyone can see the mighty Austin, TX duo in action and not be blown away is simply incomprehensible!
Was beyond psyched to finally get to see One-Eyed Doll live after months of singing their praises here on the blog, over on my Facebook page, and, frankly, anywhere anyone would listen. Assiduous readers will recall that shortly after I was introduced to the band they were scheduled to play in Allentown, PA - not too far away from good ol' Lancaster - and I was geared up for that show only to find it cancelled at the last minute. (Long time friends will recall that I like to use the word "assiduous" whenever I can. I can be a vocab snob sometimes.) Of course, as soon as the current tour in support of Orgy was announced and a Baltimore show was added to the itinerary, I knew I would be there come hell or high water!
I've mentioned before that Baltimore is swiftly becoming my favorite town for music. It's only about an hour and a half each way from where I sit in PA, and this particular venue is easy to get to (pretty much a straight shot down I-83 right into the city) and has an attached parking garage with entrance right to the club door - no waiting in long preshow lines on the street like most clubs! Heck, the restroom even had an attendant - and after many years of experiencing seriously dodgy if not outright vomitous club bathrooms, it was nice to see a clean one that didn't make me feel like I should burn my shoes after setting foot inside.
The show was originally scheduled to be three bands, with Richmond, VA's Faultline joining One-Eyed Doll and Orgy on the bill. Had a chance to talk with One-Eyed Doll's drummer Jason Rufus "Junior" Sewell before the show at the merch table, and learned that Faultline would not be there. Apparently, they have split up the band. So, it became a two-band show with each band getting a little more stage time. Nice.
Technically the set-up was One-Eyed Doll opening for Orgy, but it felt more like Orgy mopping up after One-Eyed Doll tore the place down! Kimberly Freeman is simply an unstoppable force. From her stark good-little-goth-girl look to her gymnastic choreography (how does she kick that high?), she seizes your attention from the moment she steps onstage and never lets you out of her clutches. She tells stories, insists on crowd participation, showers the front rows with mouthfuls of water, stalks around the stage like a lioness protecting her territory, and collapses in apparently complete exhaustion between songs only to quickly rise and begin the process anew. She is constant motion, leaping the barricade to become one with the crowd, tumbling back onto the stage like a rag doll, literally bending over backwards for her performance at times. She pulls various hats out of a bag behind her amp, but none of them stay on her head very long: a few seconds of wild hair-whipping headbanging sends each one flying. Yet through all the fury, her guitar never stops - and when you look past the show, she's a damn good guitarist.
Speaking of damn good, if you can somehow manage to summon the strength to tear your eyes away from Kimberly, you'll notice Junior bashing his drums as though his job is to pound them into the ground like nails in a board. On this evening, his intensity was such that by the midpoint of their set one of his cymbals was literally cracked halfway though! While he may not be the visual focal point of the show, he is the constant driver of it's ferocity.
On this night, they scorched through an excellent set, opening with "Committed" and including "Nudie Bar,""Fight," "Pao!," and "Be My Friend" among others - a good representation of their material and their wicked sense of humor. The closer was an awesome rendition of "Monster," culminating in Kimberly's running leap across the stage into Junior's drum kit, sending drums, cymbals, and Junior sprawling across the floor. Always helpful, she then picked Junior up by the throat and drug him to center stage where they took their bow before demanding that we all follow her as she leaped the barricade into the crowd and became our pied piper leading us to the merch table, where she and Junior spent the better part of the next hour or so talking to fans, signing autographs, and taking pictures. Kimberly and Junior are simply two of the nicest, friendliest people. They truly seem honored by their fans' adulation, and were more than willing to spend time with each and every person.
Orgy turned out to be better than I expected, especially given the task of having to try to follow One-Eyed Doll. This tour is Orgy's return after 7 or 8 years of inactivity; in actuality, this version of the band contains only one original member, Jay Gordon, and his newly-assembled troupe of musicians. Orgy was one of those bands that always somehow flew under my radar in the '90s. Of course, I knew of their cover of New Order's "Blue Monday," and had heard other tracks here and there, but I never really got into their music for whatever reason. They sounded good last night, though - a bit like Pretty Hate Machine-era Nine Inch Nails crossed with a slicker-sounding Pop Will Eat Itself. But even with five band members and an LED light show projected behind them, they didn't produce the same energy that two people with a guitar, drums and a bag of hats had created earlier in the night. And while Orgy's set has inspired me to go back and learn what I missed the first time around, they ran probably about three songs too long - it all started to sound same-y too me.
Overall, I don't think I could have spent a better twenty bucks for a Sunday night's entertainment. Now, I want you to listen to me closely: if One-Eyed Doll plays anywhere near you, you must - MUST - go see them. Drop whatever else you're doing, change plans, whatever, but you must go. I promise you will not be disappointed! I sure wasn't!
As always, more pics from the show will be up on the That's What I Was Going To Say Facebook page later tonight. Stop by and maybe "like" the page while you're there, won't you?
After a rough couple of weeks, The Universe turns around and gives me a truly awesome gift:
ONE-EYED DOLL ARE GOING TO BE IN BALTIMORE NEXT SUNDAY MARCH 11!!!!
After missing out on seeing Kimberly and Junior in Allentown, PA on their last tour due to a cancellation, I get another chance. Here they are in the area again, and you can bet your ass I'll be there!
One-Eyed Doll will be at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, opening for Orgy. It's an all-ages show with doors at 6:30. Faultline (from my old stomping grounds, Richmond VA!) is also on the bill - 3 bands for only $20! Can't beat a deal like that with a stick!
What, you don't know One-Eyed Doll? Are living under a rock somewhere?!? For those of you yet unenlightened, here's a video primer on Austin, TX's greatest export:
I feel it's important to state that right off the bat. Yes, I know that in these waning days of the year it's the thing bloggers do: countdowns of the best or worst songs, albums, movies, varieties of soup, what have you. And I hate those kinds of posts, because they always lead to the same arguments among the commenters: "How could you rank X higher than Y? Are you insane?"
2011 was a pretty damn good year for music. Lots of fantastic stuff out there if you're willing to dig for it. So, despite my reticence to join in with the year-end-list crowd, I'm doing it anyway - but I'm not ranking these in any order. Think of this more as a "buying guide" provided to you by your old pal Bryan. You're welcome.
Another note before we dive in: yes, I know one or two titles here might technically have been 2010 releases, but I'm including them because they got a lot of airplay around here this year, and thus they are 2011 releases in spirit. And it's my list. So suck it. Here we go:
Freezepop - Imaginary Friends/Secret Companion
Originally released in the fall of 2010, Freezepop's fourth album, Imaginary Friends, was reissued this year as part of a limited edition two-disc package with nearly another album's worth of bonus material, Secret Companion. Founding members Liz Enthusiasm and The Other Sean T. Drinkwater, along with relative newcomers Robert John "Bananas" Foster and Christmas Disco-Marie Sagan (it took two people to replace the departed Duke of Pannekoeken!) continue the band's remarkable ability to recreate a spot-on circa-1983 synthpop sound updated for the 21st century. It's a fuller, lusher sound these days, but that's not a bad thing. Their insanely clever lyrics and constant ironic wink will leave you wondering at times where the line between tribute and parody lies, but you'll be dancing the whole time, so does it really matter? "Doppelganger" is the single, and it is simply outstanding:
Shilpa Ray & her Happy Hookers - Teenage and Torture
Pounding out blues-based punk-tinged rawk-n-roll on her harmonium and spewing forth raging vocals that will pin you to the wall if you're not careful, Shilpa Ray has drawn favorable comparisons to just about every emotion-fueled female musical icon you can name from Ella Fitzgerald to Chrissy Hynde and beyond, yet she stands quite uniquely on her own with no comparison being quite accurate. "Heaven In Stereo," the first single from Ray's band's second LP, is representative of the driving, insistent sound you'll find throughout. Rough-edged but stunning. Don't miss this one!
Crisis of Conformity - "Fist Fight!"/"Kick it Down and Kick it Around" (single) Saturday Night Live's greatest musical export since The Blues Brothers turns out to be this nostalgia-fueled celebration of mid-80s hardcore. The brainchild of Fred Armisen, Crisis of Conformity found life in a single skit last season (a newlywed's father gets his old band together at his daughter's wedding reception, and the four graying middle-aged friends launch into "Fist Fight!" while wrecking the place). All of the by-the-book moves are here, from the mid-song tempo change to the nonsequitor name-checking of Ronald Reagan and Alexander Haig. Armisen should know those moves - his pedigree is real, having played drums for Chicago's Trenchmouth in his youth. Drag City Records released the single this year; the clip includes both songs.
Van Buren Boys - Up All Night
Fans of The Exploding Hearts, Paul Collins' Beat, or other hard-edged power pop should line up for this one, the second full-length LP from The Van Buren Boys. Their first effort, 2009's Six String Love, was a helluva debut whose only drawback was that every song sounded very samey (that they all sounded like The Clash's "Gates Of The West" helped mitigate that, of course). With Up All Night, The Van Buren Boys (Seinfeld fans should get the reference) find the confidence to stretch a bit beyond that safe zone. The result is a twangy, guitar-ringing sound that should put a big ol' smile on the faces of those other bands' fans.
They Might Be Giants - Join Us
What could I possibly say about They Might Be Giants that would add anything new or insightful to the many, many songs of their praise over the past 25 years or so? You know everything you need to: John Flansburgh and John Linell are freakin' geniuses when it comes to writing insidiously catchy songs with lyrics far wittier than you or I could ever come up with, and the well from which their creativity springs seems to be bottomless. This year's album is no exception. Just get it.
Shonen Knife - Osaka Ramones
It is truly amazing to consider how far The Ramones' influence has reached over the years. What would music sound like today had they not existed? Scary prospect, isn't it? Many, many artists have attempted to repay their debt by either covering Ramones songs (or occasionally, full albums!) or penning tributes. Few have done so with the unbridled enthusiasm of the wonderful Shonen Knife. Joey Ramone himself gave the girls the nickname "The Osaka Ramones" after hearing them play; they have always said they learned to play rock and roll by listening to The Ramones and The Beatles. Well, if you're gonna do it, you couldn't ask for better teachers! On Osaka Ramones, Shonen Knife reverentially honor the classics: "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Rock 'n' Roll High School," "Beat On the Brat" - they're all here. My personal fave, though, is their take on "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker." Enjoy!
Poly Styrene - Generation Indigo
Former X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene's comeback album also, sadly, turned out to be her swansong. Released shortly before losing her battle with cancer, Generation Indigo presented Poly in prime form. In 1977 she was singing about a world of dayglo and genetic engineering and disposable society; in 2011 she was still going on about such modernisms being foisted on us in place of real human interaction("Virtual Boyfriend"). Her vocal style, once described as shrieking out songs "with all the delicacy of a cat in heat," had grown into a confident, strong, unique voice that served her well whether the sound was hard, soft, reggae, dance, whatever. Enjoy "Thrash City," one of the best tracks on an excellent album:
Madam Adam - Madam Adam
From the hard rock side of my record collection I offer South Carolina's Madam Adam. Discovered this band opening up for Halestorm here in Lancaster, PA, about this time last year, and was very impressed. Granted, they're not breaking any new ground here: it's just no-frills, by-the-book rock-n-roll with tinges of Aerosmith and Cheap Trick. It's a sound that will always sell because it's just good. It's party music; it's music for speeding down the highway in a car filled with too many friends; it's music for blasting on your stereo and violently air-guitaring until the neighbors pound on the door and demand you turn it down. Crank up the single "Sex Ain't Love" and see for yourself:
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Buy Beg or Steal
After half a dozen albums, it's a shame Switzerland's Hillbilly Moon Explosion haven't found a larger audience. Basing their sound in American rockabilly with a modern twist, not entirely unlike HorrorPops, Hillbilly Moon Explosion are at once very familiar and very foreign. You could jump in just about anywhere in their discography and be pleasantly surprised at the gems you'll find, but the prize found in this year's release is their cover of Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark's "Enola Gay," about the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war. Brilliant!
Kimberly Freeman - Into Outer Space
I discovered Austin, Texas' One-Eyed Doll earlier this year, and they have quickly become one of my favorite bands. As I've gotten to know their material, I've discovered that Kimberly Freeman is a remarkably talented and unbelievably creative force. Within the framework of One-Eyed Doll she is all over the musical map (as noted in earlier posts, they run the gammut from death metal screaming to hook-laden pop to children's-song chanting); outside of One-Eyed Doll, her solo work finds even more facets to her fascinating musical world. I could rave about her work for hours, but that would take away time you could be spending listening for yourself! Check out "Fame And Loathing," the single from Freeman's 2011 solo album Into Outer Space, then follow the link to the One-Eyed Doll site and start exploring!
Amy Gore & Her Valentines - "Drivin' Around"
A late entry in the 2011 sweepstakes, but a winner nonetheless, is the debut track from Amy Gore's current ensemble. Best known for her work in The Gore Gore Girls and her teaming with Nikki Corvette to form Gorevette, Amy gathered up these particular Valentines for a one-off gig in her native Detroit. They discovered they really enjoyed playing together, and ta-da: a new band is born! "Drivin' Around" is one of those tracks that nearly defies genre. It's a solid chunk of whaddaya-wanna-do-tonight-I-dunno-whadda-you-wanna-do guitar rock, with a simple but insidiously catchy chorus and sound that holds great promise for a full album's worth of goodies from the band. Soon Amy? Please?
OK, those are my picks for 2011. How about yours? Any glaring omissions here? Have at it in the comments section! And also, please have a safe and happy New Year!
So, no sooner do I put up a post raving about One-Eyed Doll and being psyched that they would be playing close enough to Lancaster for me to actually go see them, then this news from Kimberly Freeman herself:
Just my luck. No word yet on why the cancellation, but the date is off of the band's tour dates page. That's a bummer. But, check their tour and if they're going to be near you, go see them! And tell them they need to come to PA!
Since I won't get to see them live, I'm taking this opportunity to post another clip. "PAO!"
Realized that it's been over a week since my last post, so I figured I should bring you folks up to date on a few things happening in this neck of the woods:
NaNoWriMo - Started the month out with a bang, writing like a fiend! It's much easier to do, I've discovered, when you have a clear goal (1600 words a day) and fellow writers aiming for the same goal with whom to compare notes, celebrate milestones, and cheer each other on past the hurdles. It's been neat watching my short story grow and take shape, and getting to know the characters who populate the story better. I have most of the novel outlined now; at this point, I am putting flesh on the bones. Should be easy, right? Nope - I hit a wall this weekend and must admit to letting a couple days pass without writing a word. I'll be back at it tonight, though. My local writers' group meets tomorrow night, so I better have something to show them! (Right guys?)
NW4NW & 6WS - The Monday New Wave for the New Week posts and weekly Six Word Sunday entries are on indefinite hiatus. I don't know whether that's a concern or not: the poll I ran here in October about continuing NW4NW sent me a decidedly mixed message. The votes that came in were 100% in favor of continuing NW4NW; however, despite there being an audience that includes 234 who follow on Facebook and 933 who follow on Twitter, only 4 (4!) of you voted. So, for now, I've decided both series of posts are getting a rest. I am still open to your thoughts and opinions (hell, I'm practically begging for them!), so please post either in the comments field below, or on either the Facebook or Twitter pages.
What's The Name of That Song? - Still have yet to discover the title and artist for the remaining mystery song posted here a month ago today. Please take a moment to listen - someone out there has to know who and what this is! It's still driving me crazy, and - no promises - but there just may be a reward in it for you:
mystery song #1
Recent Discoveries - A couple of nifty websites and a truly awesome band have landed on my radar screen in the past few weeks, and, as always, when I find the neat stuff I share it with you! The two websites are actually Tumblr blogs, and have been added to the blogroll on the lefthand side of the screen here (keep scrolling down; you'll find it! And while you're there, check out some of the other sites I have linked there).
First is Things Could Be Worse, a wonderful collection of dryly yet wickedly funny drawings by Benjamin Dewey, referred to as the "Tragedy Series." Almost like a virtual set of trading cards, these one-panel webcomics are brilliant visualizations of Dewey's warped reminders that, no matter how bad your day is going, someone else somewhere at some point in time has had it worse. One of my faves:
Those of you who follow my posts about my challenges with Social Anxiety will join me in celebrating the second site, Social Anxiety Things. Most of the entries are simply that: brief descriptions of those moments all of us who battle Social Anxiety Disorder know all too well. For those who live it every day, it's a bit of the constant reassurance we need that we really are not alone; for those who are fortunate not to suffer such anxieties, the site offers a bit of a window into the worlds of those who do, which may help you better understand friends or family who experience it. The site takes submissions from readers, so scattered among the regular items you will occasionally find folks sharing stories of both anxiety attacks and successful "wins" when they overcame the hurdles anxiety threw into their paths. The occasional video shows up as well, and suggestions for coping skills are offered. Together, these varied entries make up a reassuring and wonderful site, and I for one am glad it exists! As an example, here's a recent Social Anxiety Thing that I certainly relate to:
And now, my "band of the moment": My friend JK introduced me to Austin, TX's punk/metal/awesome duo One-Eyed Doll about a week ago, and they are all I have been listening to since! I have become utterly smitten with singer/guitarist/driving force Kimberly Freeman, who, together with drummer "Junior" (Jason Rufuss Sewell, who also does most of the production work), is putting out some truly original, highly enjoyable, often hysterical and always intelligent material which ranges from death metal screaming to pretty pop balladry to children's-song chanting and back again, often within the same song. Not ones to sing about the mundane, One-Eyed Doll tackle lyrical subjects like the difficulties serial killers have in making friends ("Be My Friend"), the troubles with dating the undead ("You're A Vampire"), the joy of video game victory ("Battle On"), and the sheer delight of being insane ("Committed"). As luck would have it, One-Eyed Doll will actually be playing near here (The Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, PA, to be exact) on November 25th. We will be there, and you'll be treated to another road story afterwords! Meantime, here's One-Eyed Doll's fantastic "You're A Vampire":
OK, that should about catch you up from my world. More neat stuff coming up in the near future!
