Music Reviews 2 - rpg punk

Edible Onion

Edible Onion is a small indie label out of Philadelphia. What makes Edible Onion interesting is that all of their releases are hand made!

From the Edible Onion website:
We silk-screen and sew record jackets together, hand paint labels, attach flower pedals to record jackets, and more… to make every record we release individually unique and special. We hope to put something beautiful back into the art of releasing music amidst the frenzy of the digital world.

I think this is wonderful! Digital music has its place, as we listen to MP3 players on the bus, or while we’re walking somewhere, or even on our home computers – it’s convenient.

But nothing, NOTHING, beats the aesthetic value of something you can physically hold, put on a shelf, look at and enjoy.

You might have 10,000 mp3’s on your drive, but when your drive craps out (and it will eventually), all of those songs are gone. forever.

Vinyl records have existed for decades, actually about a century. And vinyl records are still being made because people want to be able to see, feel, smell, and love their music.

Edible Onion takes it one step further by actually making their records with love.

“We hope to put something beautiful back into the art of releasing music”

That says it all right there.

In May, they are releasing a compilation album called, A Cure For The Broken-Hearted in an accordion style book filled with watercolor paintings and information about the songs contained within.

How awesome is that?

here is a link to one of the songs on the compilation album. It is from Minneapolis based band, The Chord and the Fawn. The song is called, “Love, Sex, and Rock N’ Roll”

http://www.edibleonion.com/media/acftbh/love-sex-and-rock-n-roll.mp3

Concert Review: Burglar, Mount Carmel, American Nude

Last week my roommate and I needed something to do, so we forced a friend to be our designated driver and headed out to Circus to see Burglar. First things first though, there were two other bands to see before Lindsay, Meghan and the boys came on; American Nude and Mount Carmel.

American Nude started out with a song that was straight up guitar-driven 80’s power metal. Well, for about 30 seconds anyway. But that 30 seconds was as glorious as Manowar’s hair in ’86. This was their second-ever gig, and while I didn’t (and still do not) know them personally, I was hoping it went well for them.

But then, something happened. American Nude is not a metal band. In fact, it’s pretty difficult to arbitrarily label them into a genre because they were all over the map; switching styles mid-song. Their first couple songs (with the exception of what I mentioned above) were mash-ups of Filter and Nickelback with traditional delta blues thrown in. The male singer’s voice would change mid-song between Dave Matthews an Eddie Vedder; in fact, the last few songs sounded very much like Pearl Jam songs, which is a conclusion both my roommate and myself came to independently.

American Nude were very good musicians, with an obvious amount of talent that you could perceive, but it seemed kind of squandered in that everything they played sounded like someone else; they don’t seem to have their own voice quite yet.

Nest up is Mount Carmel. For some reason their name bugged me and I dismissed them before they even started playing.

Big mistake.

These dudes kicked all kinds of ass. Good ol’ garage metal ala Black Sabbath, the Sword, even the Black Keys. Huge amount of blues influence.

The drumming was sweet; you could feel it thumping in your chest like a second heart. I was tapping both feet on the ground, bobbing my head, and slappin’ my thighs with my hands. The guitar was fuzzy and as heavy as a piano falling 10 stories on to your head.

I wish I could say more about these guys, but my notes are spotty and illegible.

And now the headliners of the evening; Burglar.

One of the things I like about Burglar is their use of gimmicks. The band members are always dressed up and looking sharp, and they look comfortable doing it. I’ve seen Lindsay the horn player dressed up as a mariachi player and Meghan, the lead singer, dance around the stage like Carmen Miranda wearing a fruit-filled hat.

That’s another thing; Burglar is one of the few bands where every time I have seen them perform, most of the crowd is dancing. Even better, most of the crowd is women! Maybe I shouldn’t have written that last part; I don’t want guys rushing to Burglar shows and ruining my good time.

Anyway, on this particular evening, Columbus’ best Parisian lounge act was on; a mellophone, an upright bass, guitar, drums, keyboard, and of course a sultry singer slinking across the stage. She can seduce a crowd with not only her voice, but a shake of her hips, a bend at the waist, or just a sly seductive glance and a wink.

But this particular show, she was more laid back. They all seemed to be, actually. Which isn’t bad, not at all.

From a technical standpoint, Circus failed hard at doing the sound for Burglar. The vocals were difficult to hear unless you were right up front. The horn tootin’ was impeccable; as a former horn player myself, I love to see brass incorporated into a band, but I can also be pretty harsh in my judgments if I don’t like how it is used. But here, it works great and is wonderful.

All in all, I recommend seeing any of these three bands.

Album Review: Sunset Ammunition by Miclordz & Sauce Funky

the bands myspace site
official site

I was at a Lackluster show and these dudes opened for them. I got a CD from them and told them I would review it. That was last Spring. It took me that long to finally work up the nerve to put this in my CD player. I wasn’t disappointed. Not because it is better than I expected, but because it is exactly what I expected. With a name like Miclordz & Soul Funky, there is very little room for doubt about the caliber of what I have put myself through.

I’ll just do a song-by-song summary.

Intro: the bands’ friends giving testimonials about how much “they make me move,” “make girls shake their ass,” and my favorite; “Mic Lordz & Sauce Funky are the past, the future, and most importantly, Mic Lordz & Sauce Funky is NOW.” and the whitest guy in the world saying, “the sickest funky beats!” Hilarious.

Start the Show: fast song about “let’s start the show.” Really digging the drums in this. This song is basically about how awesome the band is, how the ladies “get laid like futons,” and something about women having sex with them because “we’re number one!”

Funk You Up: this song reminds me the Kottonmouth Kings or the Phunk Junkeez. Not just reminds me of them, this could be a cover of either of those two bands.

First I’m Gonna…: Starts off with individual members of the band explaining how they think about music, the music industry, mainstream music, in previously recorded interviews. Song starts pretty slow, but picks up some steam around 40 seconds in. This is what could be considered the ‘introspective’ song of the album. Lyrically it is about “duckin’ drama,” and dedicating oneself to living life. The phrase, “going to see better days,” is repeated throughout.

Roll With Me: Begins with a guy listening to his voice mail messages. Some cool guitar gets ruined by some Fred Durst imitation raps. “Two shorties (dats right), gotta blunt with a bag, split it up like the jack pot. And now we smoke till we choke, I provoke to get up in that backseat (hopin’ I can poke).” For some reason they slow the song to morose levels then surge again with more rap-rockin’.

Why U So?: Once again the voice mail messages. The first is from some ho who expected the band to pay her tab because they are rock stars. The second message is a bar manager calling to tell them they didn’t pay their tab. The third is another ho who says she wants to go out but has no money and wants them to pay for her. The music once again the Phunk Junkeez, the chorus goes, “why U so, why U so, Why U so MONEY HunGRY!” More mentions of smoking reefer. Ha! they say something about “hungry skeeza’s” which is one of my favorite expressions.

All My People: Now it is the political do-gooder interview excerpts. You know the ones, where the person who is speaking talks earnestly and vaguely about people on the “other side of the world” who suffer because of “us.” Someone else chimes in about fighting the power or something, then another person says that music (I’m guessing the music of Miclordz & Sauce Funky) will bring the world together in peace. The actual song that follows is pretty much the same; but with rap-rock instead of spoken-word.

Rebelling… (R.A.P.E}: Begins with a skit about a girl getting a ride home from work from some dude. The dude says he wants to hook up, the girl says she just wants to be friends. The dude tries to kiss her, she says no, and then he apparently tries to rape her. Remember the Date Rape Song by Sublime? Remember how Sublime tempered the subject material of the song with comical justice and a fresh, fun musical style? This song has none of that. It’s depressing – for a “funk” band, a party band, why the hell would you write a depressing song? Do the frat dudes who listen to you really want to hear this?

Intervention: I’m really trying, but I have no idea what this song is about. If they made this into an instrumental jazz song, it would be worth listening to.

Smooth: Another Limp Bizkit-esque tune, with a jazzy-funky back beat. Apparently about a woman who is smooth.

We Get Live: Once again, a track that starts with pre-recorded interview soundbytes of the band talking about how great they are. I’m getting tired of this. This is like a Fred Durst-Red Hot Chili Peppers mash-up. I hate to keep mentioning Limp Bizkit, but god-damn, it’s everywhere in these songs. People stopped listening to that shit years ago. And furthermore, even the Chili Peppers stopped doing the funk-rock thing like 15 years ago. This is just tired, unoriginal, bland, gimmicky, trite, lame, boring music. Obviously made for frat boys and sorority sluts who like anything soulless as long as it gives the illusion of depth.

Dirty: meh, fuck it. I don’t care anymore.

Sunset Doze: Oh WOW! More soundbytes of the band speaking!

Sauce Funky, may I suggest two things? First, drop the Miclordz. Get them drunk, toss ’em out of the van, and drive off. Second, stop trying to revive rap-rock. It is a genre that should have began and ended with Rage Against the Machine. No one has ever been able to improve on that. Limp Bizkit sucked, Fred Durst sucked, the Phunk Junkeez sucked, and everyone else who has tried it has sucked. You want to call this “funk-rock” or something equivellant, but it’s not. It’s rap-rock. And it needs to die.

Album Review: Closer by Camp Out

http://www.thesixtyone.com/campoutmusic
http://www.myspace.com/campoutmusic

Camp Out is a band out of San Francisco consisting of Maddy Hanks (vocals and guitar) and Jackie Law (keyboard, drums, backup vocals). According to their bio, they like to eat burritos and camp out. Two of my favorite things.

The guitar, bass, and drums are not complicated, and that’s what gives the music strength. The sound is crisp but not robotic; it’s alive and complimentary with the vocals. Speaking of which, the vocals are clear and muddle-free. The recording itself sounds very good; clear, crisp, precise… everything comes through great.

Camp Out layers the vocals, which doesn’t come across as a gimmick or cheesy. The effect actually makes the songs sound more earnest yet fun; like children singing rounds. Which is interesting because the lyrical content of the songs is generally somewhat sad and depressing. It is a nice contrast and Camp Out makes it work very well.

Some songs, like Leave a Light On, and Small Steps, utilize an acoustic guitar playing a nice melody to back the vocals. Small Steps takes me back to a summer night after a particularly bad day. Music that takes me back and elicits such an emotional response definitely has something special about it.

My only complaint about the album is the last song; Crossed Out Face. There is just way too much going on. The vocals, the effects… all are very distracting. Perhaps that was the intention, but it doesn’t come across very well.

For comparison purposes (for those of you who need to compare things), this album is similar to Metric or even the less manic songs by Be Your Own Pet. This is mostly due to Maddy’s ability to sing very innocent one moment, and then bust out with a much more mature voice the next moment. The best way to describe her voice is “pretty.” I don’t mean any of that as an insult; I like both of those bands and I find that style of singing to be very pleasing to the ear.

This isn’t disposable pop garbage, or soulless indie crap. I want to listen to this album again and again. There is a depth and beauty to the music that you don’t often get these days. Or any days for that matter. Thanks Maddy and Jackie, hope to see you sometime.

Review: Dave Matthew’s Band

A few weeks ago, a friend made me hold true to the promise that I would go to a Dave Matthews concert if the ticket was free. This particular concert also happened to be in Virginia Beach at the Verizon Center, and I love road trips.

Funny thing is, this road trip could probably be made into a movie with little or no exaggerations made. But this is a concert review, not a road trip review.

Arriving at the Amphitheater 2 hours early, we pull out some lawn chairs and start drinking beer with the thousands of other people who were doing the same thing. Some people had mini-grills and were cooking out, at least one truckload of frat boys brought a keg.

Two VB police officers came up to us and told us that we could continue drinking, but our beer had to be in cups, not cans or bottles. Fortunately, we had some taco bell cups left over from lunch.

We made friends with two dudes from Delaware who were fresh out of high school. They were drinking Jameson and coke out of big cups, and entertaining the two ladies that accompanied me with stories of past Dave concerts (i’ve noticed that people who love Dave Matthew’s Band often refer to him as if they are close friends). These dudes assured me that I would change my mind about ‘Dave’ once I saw him perform live. I told them maybe that’s true, but don’t hold your breath.

Soon after the doors opened, we went inside to use the restroom and find a spot on the lawn. Our new friends, Dan (we kept calling him Lt. Dan because he’s in ROTC) Chad (i’m probably wrong about his name), split to go buy t-shirts. Later on the found us because my friend Shannon was drunkenly hippie-dancing to the opening band and almost falling over everyone around us.

Speaking of the opening band, I don’t remember their name. However, I saw or heard absolutely no difference between them and Dave Matthew’s, and I do recall that they were named after the frontman. To me, they were musically and lyrically boring, sounding just like Dave Matthew’s Band, but I was in the minority. I could hear preppie douche bags say things like, “oh man, this is sick! i hope he plays [insert song name here]!”

One good thing I can say about a Dave Matthew’s concert is that it is a smorgasborg of vapid, slutty, preppy chicks, most of whom are pretty hot and scantily clad. More on that later.

Dave Matthew’s Band comes on and everybody stands and goes crazy. Everybody but me is dancing. Dan and Chad grab me and yell at me to dance. “Don’t be ashamed that you’re white with no rhythm, your surrounded by white people with no rhythm!” I admire their spirit and energy, but Timmy don’t dance, and Timmy definitely doesn’t dance to this kind of music.

I was honestly surprised at how many Dave Matthew’s songs I knew. Probably at least a dozen that I knew the words to the chorus at least. Funny thing is, they are all songs I’ve heard on the radio, and I didn’t think old Dave got that much radio play.

The fiddle player is a beast. He’s the single most entertaining person in the band. Evidently he rarely takes off his sunglasses, so when he actually did take them off, the crowd went ape-shit.

With the exception of the final song, the trumpeter sucked. He just stood in one spot the whole time, and would play one or two or three notes and then stop. Why was he even there? The final song had him play a trumpet solo that quite honestly was amazing. Not Doc Severenson or Dizzy Gilespie amazing, but pretty good nonetheless.

The lead guitarist was competent but i didn’t notice anything all that special about his playing or style. Same with the new sax player. From what I overheard from the crowd, the new sax player can’t hold a candle to the old one. Many were saying that with the previous sax players death, the entire band sounds different and not as good. This made me chuckle because everything sounded exactly the same as on the radio, exactly the same as I expected it to.

An interesting note is that a lot of people follow the band around the country. I was told at the show that the set list was very different than previous shows, which is pretty refreshing. Some bands play the same set list every concert, or just change the order a little bit. So I give you good marks for keeping your fans on their toes, Dave Matthews.

One song of note that was played was Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill, which in my opinion was better than the original.

After it got dark, I was standing behind Lt. Dan and Chad when a dark haired hottie walks up and hugs Chad. He hugs her back and they start swaying together to the music. Soon, his hand is down the back of her pants as she is texting someone on her phone. He says something to her, she replies and he pulls his hand out of her pants, turns around and comes up to me. I said, “hey who’s your friend?” and he shoots back, “hell if I know, just some random drunk girl who is now texting her boyfriend trying to find him. She wanted to make out with me, but if she’s that easy, I’d probably get herpes or something.” Better luck next time dude.

Some weasely looking dirt bag walks up to me. This guy looked like he didn’t belong. He was dirty, greasy, with a goatee. Not like any one else there. He introduces himself with a handshake and says his name is Josh and he’s from Delaware and he’s just looking for some green. I tell him good luck finding it, and turn away. I didn’t have anything, but I sure as shit can spot a cop when I see one, and I sure as shit won’t talk to one for any reason. ‘Josh’ moves on to the group in front of me; no luck their either for drugs, but Chad manages to pass the drunk slut off to Josh. Karma is real folks.

After the concert is was back to the parking lot for another hour due to the traffic jam of people trying to leave. Some people just started tailgaiting again waiting for traffic to die down. Some girl walked up to our car and asked if we wanted any cheetos. Of course we did!

Overall, Dave Matthew’s Band was nothing out of the ordinary. If you are a young douche bag with some game, you can probably get laid quiet easily. Other than that, I really don’t see the appeal. The tickets are expensive, the food is terrible, the beer is overpriced, and the music is bland. However, the people were all very nice and friendly. Possibly the nicest crowd I’ve ever seen at a concert.

Lackluster at Skully’s

This review is like a month late. Sorry Jon. Lost my notebook and had a lot of other things going on. shit happens.

anyway, Lackluster performed at Skully’s. Before them was Black Eyed Betty, and before them was Monolithic Cloud Parade. After Lackluster was another band but i had to leave before they came on.

We’ll start from the openers.

Monolithic Cloud Parade are interesting. Visually, they’re a few white guys of the Trendy-Beard-and-Vintage-Clothing-type and one black dude who plays trumpet and keyboard. I liked the trumpet, although at times it seemed like they just threw a trumpet in a song in a “what the hell, why not?” kinda way. In short, i wouldn’t mind seeing them again.

Black Eyed Betty. Oh man, here goes. I overheard several women in the audience say that they LOVED the singers shoes. That’s about it. For a more or less bubblegum punk band, they were decent. But this was not a show that they should have been booked at. Completely wrong for the type of crowd, completely wrong for the other bands on the bill, and completely wrong on playing a ridiculously long set of songs that all blended together into a 45 minute mayonnaise-y on white bread punk set.

i would think about seeing them again if it was at a punk show and if their set was shorter by at least 15 minutes. The singer was cute though. very bouncy and smiley. and fishnetty. actually, forget the band, i just want to see her.

Lackluster was really good. One of their best performances to date. Whereas the dance floor was completely empty for the first two bands, people from the front of the bar and from outside filed into the main room after the first couple songs. that’s a pretty good sign that you have a good sound. In fact, out of all the bands from my hometown of Reynoldsburg, Lackluster has the best chance of actually accomplishing something. The song that stands out the most is the brilliant cover of Eddie Murphy’s Party All the Time. when i first heard that they were going to cover this, i thought it was a terrible, horrible, incredibly stupid thing to do. However, i was wrong. It was great! There were trendy scenester kids dancing everywhere! seriously. i haven’t seen a crowd reaction like that for a local band in a long time.

i’ve said my piece. i’m out.

Album Review: Railcars

Railcars – Cities vs Submarines
written and performed by aria jalali*
recorded and produced by jamie stewart
engineered by jamie stewart and shaw waters
mastered by thomas dimuzio
album artwork by claudia o’steen (claudia_osteen@yahoo.com)

*(tracks 2 and 4 – some percussion / mandolin: jamie stewart)
*(track 5 – glockenspiel: dasha bulatova)

(Myspace)

Railcars is a one-man-band out of San Francisco. I know, I know, you’re asking yourself ‘why are you reviewing a band from San Fran, dude?‘ But it’s been tough getting out to any shows lately and these guys (err… guy) ~~were~~ was nice enough to send me this 5 song EP with album art and photos and stuff.

Some background for you: These songs were recorded in the kitchen of Jamie Stewart, whom some of you may know from the band Xiu Xiu.

from the liner notes Aria sent me…
“cities vs submarines is a ten minute journey into aria jalali’s most vivid, reoccurring dreams. railcars is an attempt to bring the images that have haunted aria’s mind to life using drum boxes, synths, and noise pedals with sentiments recreated in lyrical form.

the current four member lineup for railcars’ live performances was established by jalali when asked to play some shows with handsome furs in april 2008, however aria jalali mostly perfors railcars sets by himself, with only a laptop, guitar, a few boss loop station pedals, an ipod shuffle, some radio wires, some noise pedals and some broken keyboards.”

I gotta respect a guy who does it all himself.

Full Review:
There is Ice; It is Blue – This song consists of ridiculous amounts of synthesized electronic noise. I’m pretty sure I heard a cell-phone ring tone layered in there somewhere. The singer (if you can call it singing on this track) sounds like an angry drunk trying to convince someone that they are an asshole by yelling and puking at the same time. I liked this track. the louder you play it, the better it sounds.

Saints are Waiting for Me (Outside my door) – this song has a good amount of electric noise, and a driving drum beat. However, I just can’t get into it as much as There is Ice. It seems disposable; in fact, it is about 30 seconds longer than There is Ice, yet it seems to be over a minute shorter. I can’t put my finger on it, but this song is missing something; like trying to bake a cake when you forgot to throw eggs into the mixing bowl.

Concrete Buildings – The first song with recognizable guitars. This is very Strokes-like, which isn’t necessarily good or bad. I guess that is a matter of personal taste. Simple beat behind it, the vocals sound like they are underwater, which is actually kinda cool. The best part is the ending; the song closes with this noise that sounds like some sort of electrical device being shut off. Jesus, that was a vague description. Think of the sound an old camera flash makes when it charges up – then imagine that sound in reverse.

Through the Trees Lay Smokestacks – 48 seconds of eerie coolness. I wish this was longer. It’s just so… weird. In fact, I’m gonna play it again right now.

Bohemia is Without a Sea – An upbeat track with perhaps the greatest amount of lyrical content on the whole EP. This might be my favorite song out of the 5. There is a lot of stuff going on but not enough to be considered excessive to the point of detracting from the song.

Capsule review: An interesting listen with some unique ideas. Play it loud when drinking PBR or Heinekin at your scenester friends’ house.

4 Song Review: Your Favorite Assassin

(Myspace)
(Official Page)
I first saw Your Favorite Assassin a few years ago at the Billiard Club. Later, I saw them play an opening slot at Cafe Bourbon Street. At the Billiard Club, they played a fine cover of Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away.” I honestly don’t remember any of the songs they played at Cafe Bourbon Street, but I remember thinking that they had a more dynamic stage presence there than at the Billiard Club. Their live show is fast paced and pretty exciting. A lot of that has to do with their Frontwoman, known as the DBK. Their Myspace page lists their impressive influences (Notables: Bad Brains, the Dwarves, X, New Bomb Turks, Brainiac). They have a couple singles recorded and 1 full length album and an EP out now, with another full length due out this fall. I recommend checking them out if you can catch a live show.

Resistor
This song is fast and furious. DBK’s vocals are loud and fuzzy (both are good things) and backed by… well I’m not entirely sure, but I’ll assume it is Mike the guitarist. Heavy guitars and drums through the whole song. The chorus sees the female lead wailing like a banshee with the male back-up singing behind her. I’m not a fan of that style (it seems too close to Linkin Park rap-rock to me), personally, I would rather just hear the chick scream. Bass is drowned out, which is unfortunate, but you honestly won’t miss it. A fast dirty track, I could listen to this a few times in a row. In fact, I just did.

Deeper the Wounds
A slower, acoustic song. Not indicative of their other work. This song is has elements of the aforementioned ‘X‘ in it. Unfortunately, it is kind of generic. The subject matter of the lyrics is nothing new. Everything you know is a lie, everyone you know will betray you, yadda yadda yadda. However, the recording is crisp and clear. I can see this song being a favorite for disaffected teenagers who have yet to come to grips with the fact that life sucks.

Like a Saint
This song reminds me of the glory days of 80’s metal. I’m sure my metal purist friends may disagree, but the vocals and breakdowns just have a badass-ness that I can’t quite put my finger on. Probably the singing. You don’t hear too much actual singing in heavy songs anymore. It’s either raspy screaming or dog-fart grunting. The bass is loud and clear, and the guitar compliments the singing. Good stuff. Like if DRI teamed up with Lita Ford.

Blood Oranges
The singing at the beginning of this song is ok, but what really caught me is when her voice got quiet about 20 seconds in. The transition from upper-register to the low, near whisper was very much like Jucifer (who are bad ass btw). This song seems like it was recorded as an experiment in using different vocal effects. FX aside, Blood Oranges shows the range of the singer and along with Like a Saint, really shows how powerful her voice can be.

4 Song Review: Verner Caliper

Veteran Columbus rockers Verner Caliper seem to be a local enigma; they’ve been playing together for over 13 years and have yet to produce a full length album. They are also producing some of the most original rock songs that you (yes, YOU) have recently heard. Several of their songs are posted on their website vernercaliper.com, but to get a true sense of their sound, you must see their live show.

Background

The recorded version of this song found on their site is a few years old. It is charming at times, but tends to drag on a bit. The current version of the song however, is something to behold. This song reminds me of an old steam engine. It starts with a slight jolt and quickly finds its chugging rhythm, pounding steadily down the track. The older version of the song arrives safely at the next station, but in its current incarnation, the train loses control and settles into a barreling rampage. It does eventually reach the station, but the passengers are shaking and the conductor is drunk.

Collapse

This song is still one of VC’s staples even after 10 years. It begins soft and sensitive with a chiming, almost hypnotic guitar riff. The drums and bass join in and soon we are on a march to musical freedom, at least until the chorus rips our heads off. The maturity of this song is impressive, especially having been written in high school.

Cut and Dried

This catchy, fun little ditty will have you tapping a foot and maybe bobbing a head. Its high energy, feel-good rebelliousness, and 2 minute length will leave you wanting more.

In Response

While not technically a “new” song, this song is “newer” in terms of the Verner Caliper timeline. The opening electric riff is accompanied by a twelve string acoustic which combine for a haunting effect. If I had to compare this song to any other band it would probably be Rush, simply because of the complexity of the material, the timing changes, and the chops to pull it off. Songs like this just aren’t made very often.

Concert Review: Here Comes Your Weekend Parking Lot Blowout III

Surly Girl Saloon/Goody Boy Parking Lot, June 5 2008
Surly Girl (myspace), (Official Website)
Columbus Music Co-op (Myspace)

Here Comes Your Weekend Parking Lot Blowout is an annual concert/mini-festival sponsored by the Betty’s-family restaraunt group, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and the Columbus Music Co-op. It is Free Admission, goes from 3 – Midnight, and had 11 bands play this year.

A great idea, run by great people.

I did have a problem with the concert as the sound up front was pretty terrible. The vocals were coming out of speakers positioned about 10 feet in front of the stage, which means they were behind all the people in front of the stage. What this means in layman’s terms is that if you wanted to actually be able to see a band play, you weren’t able to hear the vocals.

Here is this years line up, from first to last (with nifty descriptions and links!):
The Kyle Sowashes (link) (another link): too early for me.

Bush League All-Stars (link): I’ve wanted to see ’em for a while, but didn’t get there in time.

Vegetative State (link): They were finishing their last song as I was walking up. I wish I could have seen them, as I like their sense of humor and flashy ways. They describe their sound as “Shitt Christian homocore.”

Church of the Red Museum (link): I’ll be honest, they weren’t as impressive as I had been led to believe. With the exception of the girl with the horn and violin, they were all very trendy and d-baggy. Sorry Tom Butler, but you seem cooler on the radio. Musically, I think there is simply too much going on. They’re trying to go in every direction at once. Also, something else that bothered me is that everyone; guitars, bass, horn, violin, drums, electric piano, all played on the same beat. Hmm… maybe I didn’t phrase that properly. Every instrument played a note at the same time as every other instrument. There was very little overlapping sound. It might seem like a minor point, but it makes the music sound choppy. Perhaps that was the intention, but I didn’t care for it.

Lara Yazvac: Didn’t see her as I went to the Surly Girl for some shade and a place to sit. Ms. Yazvac is the singer for the Tough and Lovely. It would have been interesting to see what she did on her own without the rest of the band. You can listen to the Tough and Lovely here, as Lara doesn’t seem to have her own web site.

Brainbow (link) (another link): What hasn’t already been said about Brainbow by better critics than I? They were incredible, which is pretty neat-o for an instrumental band that looks like Vikings who have been on vacation too long. They sounded great, they held the crowd in the palm of their hands. I really wish I saw them play with Blueprint.

Fly Union (link): This was one of the worst rap groups I’ve ever seen or heard. Unimaginative, derivative, unoriginal, boring. At one point their DJ simply slid in an M.I.A. CD and hit play. I swear to god I am not making that up. The organizers would have been better off resurrecting the Columbus Mob’s carcass and putting them on stage. Columbus Alive should be seriously questioning why they put these guys on their “Bands to Watch” list.

Great Plains: Ron House’s newest (actually, oldest) endeavor. Great Plains was House’s band before the Slave Apartments, back in the ’80s. Before watching (and enjoying) Great Plains play, I hadn’t noticed just how much an influence Keith Morris (of Black Flag) had on old Ron. Which is both odd and sad on my part, as I’ve seen Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments more than a couple times and love early Black Flag. Meh, shit happens I suppose. Anyway, for looking like he’s 100 years old, the Old Man still has more fire in his left pinky finger than most front men have in their entire bodies.

El Jesus de Magico (link): El Jesus de Magico… I’m not sure what to say. Darlings of the Columbus music press and Donewaiting.com, El Jesus de Magico sounds ridiculously good. Although the singing tends to sound like someone yelling unintelligible gibberish. All the members of the band are fun to watch; interestingly enough, the singer/frontman is probably the least fun to watch. Although I did like how he timed his thrashing with the cymbals. Also, i KNOW I’ve seen the young lady who plays bass somewhere else. Is she in another band?

Times New Viking (link): Ok, I suck. This is one of those bands whom I’ve been meaning to see for years and just never got around to it. Now they are blowing up and this was their last show in Columbus before going on tour all over the place. Fuck. Oh, and of course I missed seeing them again this time.

Deadsea (link) (another link): I vow, right here right now, that I will see both Times New Viking and Deadsea before I die. And as a side-vow I pledge to be sober enough to remember seeing them!