Well, nobody got me the Ghostface Doll for Christmas, so maybe some kind soul in Berlin would be willing to order me this set of Legends of Rap trading cards (via Hype Beast).
Having been a baseball card collector back in the day, I cannot explain how cool I think this is. My music collection will feel incomplete without this set of 32 cards (“I’ll trade you a Melle Mel for a Kurtis Blow.”). Order ’em here (can’t tell if there’s shipping to U.S.).
You’d think with how much I’ve been posting on Travis that I’d be stalking the band. I’m not, really. But I did track down this new video for New Amsterdam on the band’s YouTube page.
Like the Selfish Jean video, this one follows a similar theme of tracking the words through visuals/cards (a la Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues).
The video was directed by artist Gary Rough.
Related:
Travis, Marquee Theatre, 11/25/07.
Travis: Selfish Jean video.
Travis: My Eyes video.
Travis: Closer video.
I can’t believe that after seeing Frank Turner last March I haven’t written about his EP, Campfire Punkrock. Good thing, then, that the physical CD just became available in the U.S. on Jan. 8 through Welcome Home Records. It gives me a good reason to strongly urge you to go out and buy it.
I hadn’t heard of Frank Turner before that show in March, and it’s safe to say he left a big impression. Campfire Punkrock gets regular rotation around here for its rowdy flair and drunken honesty. His thick English accent while singing and ability to, ahem, paint a picture in the span of three minutes draws the obvious comparisons to Billy Bragg. But it’s hard to think of a better way to describe Turner than the three simple words he chose on his MySpace page: Folk / punk / country. And that about sums it up – a punk-rock star in the body of a folk singer.
What I said back in March still holds true: “What can you say about a guy with a Black Flag tattoo on his wrist and a Metallica sticker on his (acoustic) guitar? His words feel familiar and unpretentious – we all have our problems and Turner happens to write excellent songs about them.”
One of my favorite tracks on Campfire is This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the One of Me, one of the best kiss-off songs that the Onion AV Club overlooked. This is an anthem for anyone feeling stuck, running around in circles in a place they’ve outgrown: “I still want to be buried here, just like I said, but I’d prefer it if you’d wait until I’m actually dead.”
Watch the video for The Real Damage.
Campfire Punkrock also is available at eMusic.
Rogue Wave, scheduled to play Rhythm Room in Phoenix on Jan. 22 (another fine Stateside Presents offering), has backed out of that date in favor of an 18-and-over show at Tempe Marketplace, our newest beacon of big-box consumerism.
The good news is the show is free. The bad news is that likely means Rogue Wave reversed field on Stateside, a staunch supporter of indie music for more than 10 years in the Valley, and took a last-minute hefty paycheck from Tempe Marketplace (or one of its sponsors; witness cheesy promotional video). For the record, the Rhythm Room cancellation was announced Monday.
In light of drummer Pat Spurgeon’s health issues, I can’t blame Rogue Wave for getting paid. Although it seems like bad business to pull out of a confirmed show just a week before the date.
Without all the information, it’s hard to pass any judgments. But my guess is – and I’m really going out on a limb here – playing outside in a sterile commercialized environment won’t have nearly the same effect as playing in an intimate, nice-sounding venue such as the Rhythm Room.
One of the nicest guys – and probably one of the most talented – you’ll meet is Jon Rauhouse, pedal-steel guru and touring member of Neko Case’s band. (Previously discussed here and a little bit here.)
Rauhouse, on the heels of his 2007 release Steel Guitar Heart Attack (Bloodshot), has picked up a Tempe date, Feb. 8 at Green, a vegetarian restaurant (unique choice).
Also, be sure to check out Rauhouse on Aquarium Drunkard’s fantastic series Off the Record in which artists select favorite places in their hometowns.
I chatted a couple months ago about Mike Doughty’s new record, Golden Delicious, which is due out Feb. 19.
Doughty has released the album’s first video, for the song 27 Jennifers. It’s decidedly low budget – Doughty shot it himself – and looks like it might have been filmed using night-vision goggles. True to form, Doughty rounded up 27 girls named Jennifer for the shoot … and his bass player, Scrap Livingston. Check out pictures of the video shoot at Doughty’s blog.
TONIGHT: We’re probably gonna check out the Dan Deacon show at Modified. Our pal Ryan from Muzzle of Bees is in town because he and his girlfriend ran in this marathon on Sunday. (Don’t you feel lazy now?)
Having searched the results, I can tell you Ryan finished in just over four hours. I’ll buy him a nice cold beer tonight as a reward.
I’ll be honest when I say I haven’t kept up much with Pete Rock since he and CL Smooth went their separate ways after 1994’s The Main Ingredient (man, I love that record).
But that doesn’t change the fact that Pete Rock is responsible for some of the best hip-hop production of our generation: Look no further than The World Is Yours by Nas.
Pete Rock returns Feb. 26 with his first solo record in four years, NY’s Finest (Nature Sounds). Guests include Raekwon, Masta Killa, Redman, Little Brother and Jim Jones, who shows up on the lead single We Roll, which features some classic Pete Rock-style horn samples. And though I’ve never been much of a fan of PR on the mic, I think his verse here at least shows a steady, tempered flow – perhaps taking a cue from CL Smooth after all these years.
BONUS:
(Ripped from import vinyl, Never Coming Out EP.)
I’ve been diggin’ Phat Kat’s Carte Blanche (available at eMusic) since I came across it last spring.
Here’s the video for the lead single, Cold Steel, which was produced by Phat Kat’s fellow Detroit son J-Dilla. I love that this video is in black and white, which seems to add to the gritty nature of the song.
The concert lineup is starting to pick up again, so here’s a quick roundup of some noteworthy shows:
Jan. 14: Dan Deacon, Modified Arts.
Jan. 18: Ryan Adams, Rialto Theatre (Tucson).
Jan. 22: Rogue Wave, Rhythm Room.
Jan. 24: Yeasayer with MGMT, Rhythm Room.
Jan. 31: The Blakes, Modified Arts.
Feb. 1: Mr. Lif with the Perceptionists, The Brickhouse.
Feb. 12: Editors, Marquee Theatre.
Feb. 13: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Marquee Theatre.
March 2: Blitzen Trapper with the Shaky Hands, Modified Arts.
March 11: Beach House and Papercuts, Modified Arts.
March 17: Nada Surf, Clubhouse Music Venue.
March 17: Born Ruffians with Cadence Weapon, Rhythm Room.
March 28: The Black Keys, Marquee Theatre (with Jay Reatard?).
March 29: Tokyo Police Club, Clubhouse Music Venue.
April 8: Xiu Xiu, Rhythm Room.
April 20: Tech N9ne and E-40 (!), Marquee Theatre.
WTF. Two great shows on March 17.
And it’s looking all but official: I’m organizing a show for March 8 with Source Victoria and Birdmonster at Angelo’s. If you’re in Phoenix, come on out.
In doing some reading on the Editors – I’m interviewing bassist Russell Leetch today in advance of the group’s Feb. 12 show in Tempe – I discovered the group’s producer, Garrett “Jacknife” Lee, remixed Run-D.M.C.’s track It’s Tricky, from the seminal Raising Hell album.
I don’t mean to disparage the art of the remix or Garrett Lee. But … but … does Run-D.M.C. really need to be overhauled for the club set? Can’t we leave perfection alone? And, yes, Raising Hell (and Tougher Than Leather, for that matter) is damn-near perfection in my mind. I don’t want to dance to Run-D.M.C.; I want to bob my head and wave my arm to them. Remix Bloc Party. Remix Interpol. Just leave Run-D.M.C. alone. And, yes, I hate the designated hitter, too.
If nothing else, the remix appears to feature a verse that’s not on the album cut. “They say I’m overrated, musicians really hate it” is the first line in the first verse, as opposed the original, “I met this little girlie, her hair was kinda curly.”
But while I’m at it, let me just show my disgust with Urban Outfitters, that oh-so mecca of hip that has co-opted Run-D.M.C.’s image so the cool kids can feel down. Words do not describe how annoyed this makes me. What’s worse is the product description on the men’s T-shirt:
“Trust us, you be illin if you don’t cop this cotton tee with vintage Run DMC graphic at the front.”
*Waif-ish employee flips swoopy bangs.*: Get it? You Be Illin’ is the name of a Run-D.M.C. song! Oh, man. That is so clever.
Please, hipsters, stick to your skinny jeans.