Sub Pop Records

Still crazy after all these years. Well, not as crazy as much as they still produce great music after all these years. For over 20 years, they have been at the forefront of great music, and continue to be so with no signs of slowing. I know that I spent a lot of money with them in 2009 and am on the same track with 2010. It’s their fault. They keep putting out great records.

The end of 2008 saw the return of the vaunted Sub Pop Singles Club (3.0) which set the tone for a great 2009. 2009 brought us the Sampler CD (the 2009 sampler is below the 2010 sampler). I purchased at least five albums based on songs I heard on the Sampler CD. It was great, and the 2010 Sampler will probably yield the same results.

They are also doing the right thing with vinyl. They know that vinyls still offer the highrest sound quality, and are the preferred choice of people who know about music. They also realize that it is 2010 and everyone who would buy an album on Sub Pop has a portable music playing device (they would have to have at least a computer) so they give everyone who buys a vinyl pressed by Sub Pop a digital download code so that people can put it on their computers, CD players, whathaveyou, you can do that too, without sacrificing quality. I think it is the future of the music industry.

This is all to say that there is still a lot of good music if you know where to look. It is hard to find, but it is there. Don’t give up.

Album Review: The Manics – Fruit EP

Wow, that was a quick couple of months of silence from his blog, but I was inspired by something and I had to share. I got my hands on an EP from a new band called The Manics. I didn’t know what to expect from it. I had never heard of them, but I love trying out new bands and getting pleasantly surprised. The EP is not out yet, but will be soon. It is called “Fruit” and it is not one to be missed. It starts off with the heavy title track that let’s you know right off the bat the direction of the EP and it does not disappoint. The second track, “Doll” is a great ballad that has the singer crying out in despair that he “needs to feel something real”. Not the false hope that people usually cling to.

The third track, “Ellen’s Scars” stands out to me the most. It is seemingly rooted in alternative history. Takes a little form the Pixies with soft verses and very hard choruses. The guitar solo is a lyric copy a la “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. The chorus has a lot of fuzz-tone and feedback to make any “grunge” fan proud. The band took a chance with “Tell Her No”, a Zombies cover. I don’t like covers as much, but I love it when bands take chances and this is a very big chance for a few reasons. the most obvious reason is The Zombies are not that well known.  The Manics pulled it off though, and it is a great cover that has their own stamp on it.

The EP comes to a close with the softer “Stars” that has a simple chord progression a la Weezer. It doesn’t let you off the hook very easily as the EP begins, very hard and fast. “Fruit” shows a lot of range for the band and is a very good effort. I am very excited about what the band will put out in the future. There seems to be a wide range of influences that will prove beneficial in the future. The Manics seem to be well-grounded in music history which automatically makes them better than 90% of bands out there. I hope that everyone else will be as excited about them as I am. If you want to hear their first album (and you should want to), it is available here.

Here are a few pictures of The Manics:

The Soulsavers feat. Mark Lanegan

The Soulsavers came to the nation’s capitol on an absolutely beautiful day, and the Soulsavers only added to the day’s beauty. Touring for their new CD “Broken” (and we are all thanking them for choosing a shorter album name) they decided to play intimate venues. For Washington DC, that meant the Rock and Roll Hotel. The venue was indeed small. They had a soundboard on the stage and there was barely enough room on the stage for all of them, but there were still rocking out.

The opening act was Red Ghost who provided vocals for the cover of “Praying Ground” on “Broken”. I got there in time to hear about half her set (My apt is not Metro accessible and neither is the venue, so getting there was quite a journey). The songs I did hear, however, really impressed me. She has some pipes and can really belt out a tune. I am going to have to get her EP. The rest of the crowd agreed with me as she left to a good ovation (as good as it could be with small crowd).

She walked off stage and I knew what was next. The last time I saw the Soulsavers was in 2007 in Los Angeles. I count that as my favorite concert of all time. A lot of stars were aligned that night. It was the first time I had seen Mark live in over a year, it was at my favorite venue, it was with a band I really enjoy, and I was there with good friends. Now seeing Mark play live is old hat. I’ve seen him 3 times since then and 6 overall. But it is always different when he comes around with the Soulsavers and tonight was no different.

They started with a rocking version of “Ask the Dust” off of the “It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land” CD. Mark walked on stage and they went right into “Ghosts of You and Me” and we were on our way.

The night was a mix of songs from “Broken” and songs from “It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land” with highlights that included “Some Misunderstanding”, “Paper Money”, “Jesus of Nothing”, “Unbalanced Pieces”,  “You Will Miss Me When I Burn”, and “Kingdoms of Rain”. The band was in top form, it seemed, really adding a lot to the music and the live experience.

They ended the set with the seminal “Hit the City” and they walked off stage. The facade quickly ended as the band walked back on stage (minus Rich and Mark) and sang a stirring rendition of “By My Side”. After the song was over, Mark and Rich joined the band back on stage and BLEW us away with the powerful “Revival“. I’ve heard that song over 50 times in the last 2 years, and it still blows me away every time.

The show seemed to end as quickly as it started, but we were left in amazement. After the show was over I made my way over to the merchandise stand to pick up a shirt and a live CD I had heard about. To my great surprise, the live CD was from the show at the Troubadour back in December of 2007. It came full circle.

Interestingly enough, due to the “no flash” rule, I was able to snap probably the best picture I have ever taken.

Pop Music: The Bell Tolls for Thee

Popular music had a good run in America. It lasted from the late 1800s to about the mid-1990s. So, roughly 100 years. We had everything from Ragtime, to Jazz, to Blues, to Rock, to Rap, to Country. Since the vast majority of this time frame was dominated by rock music, I will focus on that. It is, after all, what lead to the downfall of popular music. Some will argue and say that it is not dead. It rose from the ashes of hair metal and glam rock, and it can rise again. I would argue, though that it is dead. We have factors that are in place now that were not in place during other times when good music was pushed aside. I am going to explain why this time it is dead.

There are several factors that lead to the demise of pop music, but the Internet is not one of them. A lot of people (most notably, record executives). It can’t be the Internet. Ever since the early 80s, with the invention of recordable cassette tapes, the technology has been in place to illegally obtain music. Is it easier? Sure, there is no denying that. However, it was not hard in the 80s and 90s to borrow a CD from your friend and record it on to a cassette. A bigger reason than the Internet is that record companies are not putting out music that people want to own. Here is a little case study to prove my point. Fed up with record labels, Nine Inch Nails (NIN) decided to release their record themselves. Granted, you need a lot of money to do this, but that is not the point. They had several options for users. You could buy a super deluxe version for $350, a double CD for $10, or you could download the entire album for free and only pay if you want to. The results were astounding. People were very generous paying for free downloads and NIN sold out of the super deluxe $350 versions as well. They were able to do this because they were giving people music they liked. It was so successful that Radiohead did the same thing a few months later.

A bigger reason are music clubs. Most of them are 21 and over. That presents a huge problem. Most people decide what kind of music they like when they are in high school. Going to a club to see a new band perform is no longer an option for them. If they want to see live music, they are forced to go to the arena shows. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with arena shows. Some really good bands band s have become popular, and have been able to have these shows. However, times have changed. It began with the death of radio.

For a band to get radio play these days is very, very difficult. There are about 5 media companies controlling all the radio stations in the country. They care about ratings so they can charge more for advertising. It’s simple business. They do not entrust DJs to be able to pick songs that will keep listeners from changing stations. No. They have focus groups and only select the most popular to be played on the radio. the popular songs are chosen because the songs fit a pattern they are familiar with. This pattern was started by the record company executives who think they know what hit records are. When Kurt Cobain said that he was waiting for the “dinosaurs” in the music industry to die, it may have sounded hip and cool, but, ironically, it killed music. You see, the dinosaurs knew that they did not know what was popular with kids, so they were more willing to try different things out and were happy with whatever was popular. Now, these young executives think they know what sells with the kids and only accept records that fit into their vision. Music has never been “one size fits all” until now.

Kids today, have a very hard time discovering music that is away from the “mainstream”. That’s too bad because they are missing the best music out there without a doubt. They think they are getting the best. When will perception be reality? When that happens, we’re all going to be sorry.

What’s in a Name?

Apparently, a lot. It is on an everyday occurrence that I get mocked for listening to bands with less than common names. But is it because people think the band’s name is dumb, or is it because they have not heard of it and immediately dismiss it? I am positive that it is the latter. You see, people will willingly listen to a band no matter what the name is if it is popular and on the radio, and will look for any excuse to shun music that is not on the radio. Why is that? well, I am here to give it to you straight. People are lazy. People don’t want to take the time to find good music. They want to be told what to like. It’s the truth and no one can deny it.

I get made fun of all the time because I listen to bands with names like “Creature with the Atom Brain”, “The Gutter Twins”, the “Meat Puppets”, “Beat Happening”, “Love Battery”, and “Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands”. I was even accused, once, of making “Love Battery” up. People will dismiss these bands because of their name, but will willingly listen to bands with names like “Creedence Clearwater Revival”, “Chumbawumba” (don’t pretend like you didn’t listen to that unbearably awful song of theirs, I know you did. Quit lying.), “Panic! At the Disco”, “Counting Crows”…well, I have made my point. Two years ago, if I told people that I listened to “PLain White T’s” (I don’t), they would have dismissed it, but since they had a hit song their name is not so stupid any more.

So, in order for people not to think that my bands name was not stupid, I would have to get heavy rotation on a top 40 station. Well, that is where the problem is. Unless you are on a major label, you will not be on the radio. Part of the problem is distribution. Radio station want to make money, playing songs that only a limited number of listeners can actually buy would notbe a good way to attract new listeners, or even keep old listeners. The bigger problem, however, is the practice of “payola“, or pay for play. Even though it is illegal, it is still rampant.

So people listen to bands with names that are just as “dumb” as the names of bands that I listen to, it’s just that they don’t know it because the shepherd, I mean, DJ tells them which bands are cool, and which ones are not. So when you hear of a band, don’t automatically judge it based on the name, or whether or not it gets “played” on the radio, just listen. If you don’t like it after you listen, fine, but don’t automatically dismiss it. Think for yourselves people. I know it’s hard, but you will thank yourself when you do.

Album Review: I am the Golden Gate Bridge by Creature with the Atom Brain

After hearing the first song released for this album, “Crawl Like a Dog,” I was pretty excited to hear the rest of the album. However, the album was not what I expected. Don’t misinterpret me, the album is awesome. It is very close to being the best album that came out in 2007. It wasn’t what I expecting in that every track wasn’t such a heavy rock song that “Crawl Like a Dog” was. Each track brought its own flavor to the album.

The album started off rocking with “16 Inch Revolver.” The start and top of the rhythm, for me, was a great addition to the song. Each time it stopped and started, more layers were added on making for a very cool sound. There also seemed to be a tribute to Steve Albini on the album. Steve Albini was famous for being the “master of the fuzztone.” He produced all of the noise band “The Jesus Lizard’s” album when they were on the Touch and Go label. Albini also had a noise band of his own called “RAPEMAN” (the name was taken from a Japanese comic of the same name). The track “Rapeman’s Scalp” from Creature with the Atom Brain had a lot of noise rock elements that the other tracks do not have.

From what I can gather, “Is That Lady Sniff?” is the lead single. I say that because it is the only song with a video. The album version of the song is different than the version they used in the video. I thought that was really cool. It is something I have never seen before and it is a nice break form the mainstream. The album version is heavier and rocks harder than the soft, acoustic video version does. I Am the Golden Gate Bridge rocks harder than most music I listen to these days, but that does not make it any less good. I strongly suggest all of you buy it today. It is scientifically proven that it will make you cooler.

Todd Thurman

The New Face of Grunge Rock

Yes readers, grunge rock (or whatever you want to call it) is still going on strong. Thanks to the fine folks over at Sub Pop Records and the resurrection of the vaunted “Sub Pop Singles Club” where they send you vinyl of up and comers that they just signed. There have been many great singles to come from that (as well as a few duds). One single has always stood out as the best ever since I heard it. Despite being only the second single in the series, it is still the best. I am talking, of course of the band Unnatural Helpers. They are the same do-it-yourself no-nonsense style that came to summarize what was known as the grunge movement in the late 80s and that dominated all aspects of mainstream music in the early 90s.

I got their single from Sub Pop in September. I have just about worn down the vinyl playing it so much. Thankfully, Sub Pop records come with download codes so you can download tracks to your computer and listen on yor iPod. Old school meets new school in a really cool way. I truly think this is the future in music. Anyway, back to Unnatural Helpers. They combnie punk and pop that hasn’t been seen since the earlier days of Mudhoney. They are fast and furious with their songs. The Singel had 4 tracks on it and it lasted about 6 Minutes.

I was intrigued by them so I reached out to Sub Pop via Twitter to see if I can find out when the were going to drop their first album. They informed me that they already self-released an album in 2005. Doesn’t get anymore grunge than that. Hearkens back to the early days of Beat Happening.

“Grunge” is more than a term to describe music form Seattle from 87-91. It is a style of music that breaks away from the mainstream. Strips out the overdubbing and overproducing and leaves you with raw emotion. That can happen at any time from any place. I hope that Unnatural Helpers are the start of the Grunge Revival the music and fans so desperately need.
Todd Thurman

An Evening with Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan

February 10, 2009 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA will go down as one of the concerts where all who attended will count themselves as lucky. The concert was billed as “An Evening with Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan.” They promised a stripped down acoustic setting featuring songs that neither of them have performed in years. It did not disappoint. In fact, it far exceeded my already high expectations. At this point, I should point out that the opening act – Happy Chichester – was really good. Fans at the Troubadour were demanding that he play more songs when he finished his set.

Photo by: Nancy Paulikas. Used with permission

After the opening act, chairs were set up and Greg Dulli, Mark Lanegan, and Dave Rosser walked out. Dave and Greg, carrying guitars, Mark with his signature black shirt and disheveled hair. They started the evening with a couple Gutter Twins tunes – “The Body”, “All God’s Children,” and “The Stations.” They then moved to their extensive back catalog. Greg first tore the house down with the Afghan Whigs tune “If I Were Going.” After he was done he said:

Mark sees that and raises me

Mark raised him indeed with an absolutely incredible rendition of the Screaming Trees classic “Sworn and Broken.”

Greg moved to the keyboard and they sang “We Have Met Before” from the Gutter Twins’ EP “Adorata.” Mark followed with a cover of “Creeping Coastline of Lights” and his own “Resurrection Song” I really wish I could say that the Troub was silent during the downbeats of these songs, but there was plenty of chatter. Way too much chatter for such a great concert. Now it was Greg’s turn and he threw in “The Twlilte Kid” and “The Lure Would Prove Too Much” in this seeming game of one-upmanship by the two artists that have reached “cult status,” but as Dulli pointed out:

Cult status isn’t financially lucrative. Look at the cars we drive. Thank God for Europe

It was Mark’s turn with “Kimiko’s Dream House”. Greg followed with “Summer’s Kiss” and “King Only”. Mark answered that call with “Sunrise” and “The River Rise” Both blew me away as I am a huge fan of the album “Whiskey for the Holy Ghost” from which both songs appear. The show ended with “Sunset Machine” and “In a Heavenly Way.” The latter song was absolutely incredible.

After a few minutes of applause they came out for an encore that included “Candy Cane Crawl” and “One Hundred Days” If there is anything that can make “One Hundred Days” better it was most definitely Petra Hayden’s violin. They also did “Tennessee Waltz.” Dave Rosser sang that song and whenever he releases a CD, I will be first in line to get it. Amazing musician. They ended the show with “All I Have to Do is Dream” and Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

Probably my favorite aspect of the show was the relaxed nature and the back and forth banter. They were putting themselves out there with the stripped down set and could not hide behind the rock, or pyro. It is something that is very rare in music today and something that is desperately needed. Instead of creating “bands” that music execs think will sell records and hide their lack of talent behind studio tricks and pyro, why don’t they sign people with talent? The last time they did the record company made more money then they ever had before and they haven’t made that much since. Why doesn’t someone put 2 and 2 together?

Todd Thurman

Gutter Twins Part Deux

The Gutter Twins Hit the City on November 7th, so I took the Metro over to the Black Cat club in Northwest DC to see them. Doors opened up at 9:00, and I got there around 9:45. When I got there the scene was pretty empty. I made my way to the front of the stage and settled in for the show.

Afterhours started playing at around 10. For those who do not know of the Italian band, get to know them. They are really good. They started of the night with a cover of “My Time (Has Come)“  They hit us hard with their songs and never let up. It was truly the best opening act I have ever seen. They could headline any other venue, just not when the Gutter Twins are on the same bill.

Afterhours ended at around 1105 and the roadies started to tear down their stuff and get ready for the Gutter Twins. They laid out the setlists

After a few more minutes, the band finally came out and came out rocking with “Idle Hands”. “Seven Stories Underground” was among many highlights as Mark’s vocals seemed to be in top form. the next went to 2004′s hit single “Hit the City” and it was an awe inspiring performance. For “Hard Time Killing Floor,” “Bete Noire” and “Down the Line” Greg Dulli came over rand sat at the Rhodes Piano and the Keyboard which were about three inches from my face, so that was cool.

No zoom was used in that photo. They slowed it way down for “St. James Infirmary Blues”, and let me tell you, when Lanegan sings it, you can feel it. Here is a sampling of the kind of intensity he brings to the table.

The set was a good mix of stuff off of “Saturnalia“, covers, and stuff from their EP “Adorata“. That was really good for me because I have not heard anything off of “Adorata” because it’s an electronic only release and I don’t like not having a physical copy of the records. I enjoyed the songs so much I almost wanted to buy it. I’m not going to until I see a physical copy though.

The highlight of the night, for me, came at the end of the set. “Front Street” was the song. It was Greg Dulli’s first song as a member of “The Gutter Twins” and I know how proud of it he is. He started to sing it and the crowd quickly joined in. By the end of it, he had trouble singing over the crowd and was putting everything he had left into this song. Really amazing. Really cool to be in a place that enjoys music as opposed to the hipster LA scene.

The band went offstage and I had flashbacks to the Avalon concert when they did not come back. I knew this would be different though because we were really into the show and we wanted more. The band was happy to oblige and after no more than two minutes, came back on stage. Mark sang a chilling version of “I Was in Love With You” and we were also joined by the lead singer of Afterhours on keyboards. They continued with “Methamphetamine Blues”. That also rocked the house down. Fittingly, they finished the night with the down-trodden “Number 9″. A somber song that capped off the evening perfectly.

More Pics:

The Lonely Trojans

I walked in to a local record store here in DC ( in Adam’s Morgan to be exact) to see if I could find any jazz or blues albums. I took a look at the rock section just for Kicks. I never expect to find anything even remotely good in the rock LP sections. Not that there isn’t any good rock LPs, it is just that these record stores are really small and are not likely to have any Screaming Trees or Beat Happening, but younever know, so I always check. I have yet to find any though. I did find something today though.

I was flipping through the L’s, I guess I was looking for Love Battery, but I found the Lonely Trojans. The cover caught my eye because the guy on the cover was wearing a Nirvana shirt. Normally, I wouldn’t care because just wearing a Nirvana shirt doesn’t automatically make one cool. All it means is that you were either alive in 1992 or had parents that were alive in 1992.  This was different though. I looked at the back cover and the record was made in 1991, so they recorded the record and took that picture before Nirvana got big. Upon closer examination of the shirt, I realized that it had Chad Channing on it.  I figured these guys must be cool so I  picked up the EP.

They came from Chicago (home to Touch and Go Records, Steve Albini, RAPEMAN, Veruca Salt, and the Jesus Lizard; to name a few) and recorded on Limited Potential Records. The Lonely Trojans are Mike Meadows (Drums), Chris Morrison (Vocals and Guitar), and Gerard Schumacher (Bass and Vocals). Morrison is the songwriter of the group. They come out hard and fast. Very Mudhoney-esque in their songs, but have their own identity as well. The EP is 6 songs and it is titiled “Three Guys, Six Songs”. Can’t get anymore grunge than that.

While they never made it “big” (or anywhere close) they are still part of the movement and, I think, worth checking out. You can buy the EP for $5 buy clicking on the picture from Chris Morrison himself. They are as indy as they come. Perhaps even more indy then Albini if such a thing is possible. Go ahead and take a chance. You will not regret it. I am sure glad I did.

Todd