Digital Darling: The Self-Released Debut from I Come to Shanghai

(Editor's Note: Solid State, meet Will Ryan. Will, Solid State. Will is a current intern at 7D as well as a local musician in the band Neon Magus. If you like what you read, you can check out more of his music musings at his blog, Psychpunk. -DB)

I Come to Shanghai's debut outgrows the stigma of self-released music, especially after using a unique visual style seen on their website and album cover. It is a modern pallet of innocence and satire; almost a sarcastic imprint of their home of San Francisco, CA. Or the self-proclaimed "Texachusetts" stamp that alludes to the duo's respective places of birth and upbringing — I'll leave that one up to you. The music covers the same type of thematic grounds, and it's very good at that. 

ICTS employs a Radiohead-homage "pay what you want" sales tactic that seems balanced upon those modern elements of music and style. But more power to you if you can pull it off without a major label following and six-album discography to back you up. It would be interesting to mark the "donations" the duo has raked in to date. It's probably nowhere near the pioneers, but I'm sure it's something.

Truth be told, the concept seems harmoniously humble and pretentious all at once, and the latter only because of the way music has been treated over the past decade — which is to say as nothing but a clusterfuck of ones and zeros. Don't worry though, for $10 you can still get a hard copy of the self-titled release. And having the ability to drag your fingers across some sort of printed surface, existing to package the music and give it a smile is a bit comforting. That might be especially true when there's no label to find stamped on the case (aside from the conjoined imprint of MA and TX as copyright). 

It feels right to find something this good existing outside the realm of MySpace Music, labels and ambiguous play counts. That goes tenfold because the ten tracks I Come to Shanghai have put together are very, very good. Like, this could be some of the best music I've heard in 2009, good. And I don't say that lightly — I've been having a pretty good year (Sunn O))), Mono and Grizzly Bear not to be forgotten). 

The debut itself takes a form of psychedelic pop in an almost disconnected way. The music seems to discover an almost ironic voice of pop structure and aesthetic before finding its way deeper into a less earthbound dynamic. Robert Ashley's voice on the album's opening, "Pass The Time" is gravelly and right against your eardrum, before the whole song is able to take a cathartic step back and lose itself within a wash of reverberation and nostalgic synthesis. It's a theme the duo employs throughout the entire album. And that fluctuation of gravity gives the whole thing weight and consistency.

The idea of structure in sonics rather than explicit verse-chorus-verse formula is apparent within the duo's layering of sound and use of production. Each movement is paced perfectly. Those moments where the sound sheds its skin and renders atmosphere are deliberate and memorable.   

I Come to Shanghai's sound seems seeped into the effects of the world. Nostalgia and a zen-like absorbance permeate the album's interior. It's very aware of the world within which it exists — allusions to Eno-eque synth treatments and vocal doo-wop harmonies included. It is dreamy and beautiful. But at times it's intentionally stark and honest. Contrasts are where the group's dynamic begins to ascend into the foreground and creates a lasting thematic and musical effect.

Darlings of the digital enforcement on music, I Come to Shanghai have taken the initiative to create a unique mystique on their own digital island of the internet. You have to give it to those who want to sit down and just write and record some good music. ICTS's debut is a self-released album. And it's one that doesn't need establishment.

Fanboysayswhat

What? The new Wilco album is streaming today! Check it out here.

Rainy Day Music

OK, before we get down to business, I'm just gonna get this out of the way. Did anyone catch the sheer glory that was last night's Celts-Bulls playoff game? Even the most casual fan/non-fan would have been gripped by the last five minutes (which is pretty much all I could catch 'cuz I was buried in the office until about 9pm or so). Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen, you are my hero. If there is a better time to be a sports fan than late April, I can't think of it. Moving on . . .

As I was lurking 'round the office last night waiting for the first music section proofs to come down the pipeline, I happened to stumble across what might just be my favorite new(ish) band — for this week, anyway. At the very least, they're the perfect duo for a gloomy, early spring afternoon.

Human Highway is a collaboration between ex-Unicorns front man Nick Thorburn (currently of Montreal pop darlings Islands) and Toronto songwriter Jim Guthrie (occasionally of Montreal pop darlings Islands). And before you ask, the answer is yes. He's Woody's grandson. (Editor's Note: Actually, I'm not 100% sure on that. I can only find one source to corroborate that Guthrie is, in fact a GUTHRIE. For now, let's just say that he is . . .  -DB)

If you were to peruse the interwebs looking for reviews of their debut, Moody Motorcycle, you'll find the band the band described roughly as such: breezy So-Cal bedroom pop with Everly-esque harmonies. My take: yes . . . well, no.

Simply put, invoking the brothers Everly is not to be done lightly. While Human Highway does trade in swooning, often plainly pretty harmonies, there is a ragged quality to their performance that is distinctly, well, non-Everly. And that's not a bad thing. The album's lo-fi sleepiness is undoubtedly part of its charm, and a big reason why I haven't stopped playing it since blowing some eMusic coin on it last night — save for the last five minutes of the Celts game, of course.

Anyway, here's a cool video of the the album's first track, "The Sound." (Note, this isn't the song's official vid, but I actually like it quite a bit more)

Enjoy.

A Few of my Favorite Things (2008 Edition)

So another year has come and gone (and then some . . . sorry). And it was a pretty wild one at that: Obama thrashing McCain; The Not-So-Great Depression; discovering that Tom Brady is mortal after all. A wild, wild year, indeed.

It was also an impressive year for music, in general. Although, when has anyone ever looked back at the previous 365 days (or in this case, 378 . . . ahem) and said, "Wow. That was a really shitty year of music?" Still, we were introduced to remarkable array of tunes in 2008, including some that will likely, or perhaps already have become classics, at least for me.

So here, after at least a modicum of serious consideration and in no particular order, are my favorite (non-local) albums of 2008. In some cases, these are albums I found, or that found me, in 2008 and were not necessarily released last year. And just so we're clear, they aren't presented in a "professional" context. Rather, just as one music fan to another, personal biases intact. I'd love to hear about your favorites too.

(Note: If you missed my "official" top-10 list of local albums of the year, click here.)

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

In a recent e-mail exchange with another critic, I mentioned that I was searching for a tactful way to express my unbridled love for all things Bon Iver in this post. It turns out that I can't. Simply put, For Emma was love at first listen. And my appreciation for the album has only deepened over time, both for the remarkable material found within and for the unexpected personal significance it would eventually carry — you can read about the latter here. I've only recently begun being able to listen to "Flume" again.

I feel the same way about this disc that I did the first time I heard Ryan Adam's Heartbreaker or Wilco's Summerteeth or Built to Spill's Perfect From Now On or Spoon's Gimme Fiction or any number of personal classics. For me, these are not albums. They're revelations; works of art so powerful and complete that they either inspire you to new depths of creativity, or to give up altogether because you know you'll never be that good. Everyone has some equivalent — and if you don't, you're not listening hard enough. Personally, Bon Iver is on that level. So much so that I almost don't want them to make another album. How could it possibly live up? Chances are that it can't — although the few leaked tracks from their forthcoming EP are pretty solid. But even if it doesn't, this album is enough. And so is this Outfield cover . . .

The Low Anthem, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

A completely unexpected delight. Those with their ears more finely tuned to larger media outlets such as Paste magazine or NPR might be familiar with the album as it has garnered some solid press in recent months. But I actually beat those cats to the punch with a review of the disc in early September. Though in all honesty, that was more a product of fortuitous timing. The band had a Monkey House show that week and sent me the disc in advance for review. It's not like I actually sought this one out. (Incidentally, I think that review is my favorite piece from 2008.)

Much like Justin Vernon retreated to the Wisconsin woods for a winter to create For Emma, this Providence-based outfit holed up on Block Island, a small resort island in between Rhode Island and the northeastern tip of Long Island for a winter to record Oh My God. And the results are similarly potent. Seriously, I gotta try the recluse thing some winter.

Starfucker, S********r

Ahh, Portland, Oregon! Hipster Eden. Is it bad that most of my current favorite bands hail from, or have some connection to, the Strip Club Capitol of the US? I swear it's a coincidence. Really.

In any event, Portland's Starfucker get a nod not only for having my unquestioned favorite band name of 2008, but because their self-titled debut — honestly, they should just name all of their albums eponymously — is pure, electro indie-pop fun. Thanks to Mr. Steve Hadeka for pointing me in the direction of a post on Hipster Runoff featuring the band.

Lost Gospel: STARFUCKER POOL PARTY Rawnald Gregory Erickson II from Lost Gospel on Vimeo.

Pretty & Nice, Get Young!
I mentioned this album in my VT-made CD roundup last month. But I didn't feel comfortable including it in the top-10 because Pretty & Nice aren't really a VT band, even though they've got B-Town roots. Regardless, this album knocked me out. In particular, "Piranha" might be my favorite song of the year. Elvis Costello fans, take note.

Delta Spirit, Ode To Sunshine

Higher Ground's Alex Crothers highly recommended this band to me over the summer. And I'm glad he did. The retro indie-rock thing has been all the rage of late — and is perhaps a little played out. But these guys put a gritty spin on the genre and really crank it up live. "People C'mon" has earned a regular slot in my iPod Bowling Mix rotation.

Some other albums of note that struck my fancy in 2008:

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular: To borrow a phrase, both kinds of music. Indie and rock.

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes: Answers the question: What would happen if My Morning Jacket played psychedelic chamber-folk?

Grand Archives, Grand Archives: From the same stable as Band of Horses and Horse Feathers.

The Boat People, Chandeliers: Indie-pop from Down Under, mate. Lucksmiths fans, take note.

Vetiver, Thing of the Past:  The songs that made a songwriter. Simply gorgeous.

Horse Feathers, House With No Home: Not as strong as their debut, Words are Dead. Still, more gripping chamber-folk from one the Pacific Northwest's most under-appreciated bands.

Women, Women: Thank you, Tick Tick! Is there anything you can't do?

The Powder Kegs, You and Your Right Now: Stickin' it to disgruntled newgrass fans since 2008. A remarkable evolution. And pseudo-local, no less!

The Everybodyfields, Nothing Is Okay: Actually released in 2007. From Ramseur Records, home of punk-grass darlings The Avett Brothers. If you dug Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell's Begonias, give this disc a shot.

And finally, some albums for which I wish I'd kept the receipt:

Cold War Kids, Loyalty To Loyalty: Sophomore slump, perhaps? Here's hoping.

Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend: I. Don't. Get. It. How are these guys good, exactly? Milquetoast meets vanilla. 

My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges: Don't get me wrong. I love this band and have for years. But this album? Well, let's just say "I'm amazed." And not like I had hoped to be.

The Ravonettes, Lust Lust Lust: Zzzzzzzzz . . .

And that, dear friends, is that. I'm sure I left out some albums — from both lists, actually. Though you'd think since I've been promising this thing for the last week-and-a-half, I could have been a little more thorough. (And you'd be wrong.) In any event, I know it's a little late in the game, but feel free to share some of your favorites below.

Here's to a rockin' 2009.

TVOTR's Scientific Method

If you’re just now discovering TV on the Radio, then you have not been properly seeking or scanning. This tantalizing original band has been the worst kept secret in contemporary music for the last half decade. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) installed the group at the forefront of a new ultra modernism in American music, a cacophonous symphonic meld of clashing stylistic influences fastened on a pop-enthused frame. Dear Science is a stirring addition to their ever proliferating catalog; a stalwart continuation of the band’s hooking groove, and easily one of the best releases of the year.

The combustive escalation of record's jubilant introductory track “Halfway Home” immediately reasserts the bands harmonic originality, truly a piece by band not assuming a torch but dropping it to set ablaze a thrown that is rightfully theirs; "Is it not me?/Am I not culled into your clutch?/The words you spoke I know too much."

The genius of TV on the Radio lies in their ability to melt down conventions of pop, rock and post-punk while retaining only elements they’re interested in, bombastically leaving traditional narratives, accompaniments and song constructions in their wake.

The chaotically danceable “Crying” is a somber pop song in disguise, a rebuke not on customary pop triflings, but a defiance of encroaching authoritarian repression, of "death under masthead," of "the fattening of vultures.” Croons lead singer Tunde Adebimpe, in his starkly original, raspy tenor, "time to take the wheel and the road from the masters." The catchy guitar lick on “Golden Age” blossoms into an orchestral and delightfully hybrid chorus, synth melding with brass, Adebimpe’s voice the calm in the storm.

The group’s hauntingly somber, distended melodies are on full display in “Family Tree,” where an escape from the record's strident din yields a strikingly stark sentimentality. A despairing set of weighty piano chords are the perfect accompaniment to the track's choral ebbs.

The exquisitely celestial “Love Dog” is a surefire candidate for song of the year. While it maintains the group’s charismatic harmonic ascent, it is a state of reverence and directness as yet unheard in their catalog.Much like the record itself, the song is a reckoning by a group whose creative ingenuity remains dominantly unparalleled in American music. "Curse me out in free verse/Wrap me up and reverse/This patience is a virtue/Until its silence burns you.”

Poehler vs. Palin

Happy Monday, Solid State! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine included a quick trip to Maine to visit my very preg-o sister and I think I have a new favorite Maine restaurant. If you're ever in the Old Port, go to Duck Fat, and try the Thai Chicken panini. Mmmm. Love.

Also this past weekend was the much anticipated appearance of VP Candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. And not Tina Fey's Sarah Palin, but the true, rifle-bearing pageant queen herself. I missed the actual show, but watched the videos online with a nervous anticipation that I'm sure most Obama-supporters felt. I mean, what if she totally nailed it?

Luckily, Amy Poehler was the one who nailed it. Even in her 9 1/2 months pregnant state, she completely stole the show from Palin when she stood up during Weekend Update to do an Alaskan-style rap. And so, without further ado, I bring you Poehler filling in for Palin. Enjoy.

Fun With Press Releases!

As the "music dude" for the state's preeminent arts rag, I receive a lot of press releases. Like, a lot. For example, on a typical day, I'll usually have about 40 e-mails sitting in my inbox when I arrive in the morning. A full two-thirds are press releases. Of those, maybe half actually pertain to music Seven Days would cover. The ratio is similar over the course of a workday, in which I'll sift through about 100 more missives of varying relevance.

I do read just about everything that crosses my desk. Though I'll admit to quickly trashing some of the more obviously unrelated blurbs. However, every now and then, I stumble across releases that tickle my funny bone. Anyway, here is the latest batch of nominees for worst — or maybe best — PR writing of 2008. And yes, these are from real press releases.

In the category for Best Unintentionally Funny Use Of Quotation Marks: Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson Create One of the Best "Crisply Charming" Releases of the Year

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The current frontrunner for Failure To Check In Which Language The Paper You Are Contacting Is Written: The Classic Rock Experience

Partez en voyage dans le temps pour revivre la magie des années 70 et 80 ou expérimentez-la pour la première fois. The Classic Rock Experience rejoint les générations, comme la musique qui traverse le temps. Vous n’avez plus à regretter d’avoir manqué ces concerts… vous pouvez maintenant y assister. C’est le spectacle ultime pour le fan de rock classique !

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Here we have a double nominee for Best Use Of Unnecessary Capitalization/Exclamation and also Best Writing By An Obviously High Intern (Reggae Version): Sharon Jones-Ticklah Remix "How Long Do I Have to Wait for You" (Reggae Version)

This reggae version of a Dap-Kings' favorite is really TERRIFIC! Reggae mastermind TICKLAH (AKA Victor Axelrod, AKA Earl Maxton) has re-cast Sharon's vocals to the beat of his own drum, and it feels So Right!
     He's taken the original raw tracks from the Dap-Kings' "Naturally" sessions down to his basement laboratory and put some of his Classic-Reggae-Evil-Genius shit all over it. Oh, he played it all on this one: drums, bass, echo-plex. He's got his hooks hitched, his pockets stitched, his mind switched, and this mix is fixed! It's RAW. It's HEAVY. It's RIGHT NOW. So spark that doobie and put your red, black, and green beanie on your turntable, cause this record is going On Your Head!

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And finally, the nominee for Innovation In The Field - Misleading Use Of MySpace: Bleeding Through, for their new album Declaration

And best of all, the fans are responding very positively. Here is a small sampling of some of the comments on the band's MySpace page:
"'Death Anxiety! I'm murdering this song! I've played it to death! LOL"
"New album is punishing. I love it! And as always, it's lyrically amazing."
"It's good to see musicians finding their own style... Blackmetalcore!"
"Can't take it out of my CD player!"
"I thought you were gonna go down the more melodic route but I bought it anyway and I was blown away!"
"I can't stop laughing from how amazing this album sounds"
"Sister Charlatan and Death Anxiety. Wow."
"Declaration is by far the top metal CD in the world!!!!!"

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Best of luck to all of this year's nominees. Keep up THE "good" WORK!

A YouTube Debate, Solid State Style

As Americans, it is of course incumbent upon us to look not to intellectuals, scholars or even leaders for spiritual, moral and political guidance, but rather, to our celebrities. It is especially important in this troubled and tumultuous political season and economic climate. And who better to inspire and moderate these increasingly grave discussions than our most treasured public icons, musicians?

When looking for answers to really tough political questions, in this case McCain vs. Obama, like most red-blooded Americans, I first turn Mr. Shockin' Y'all himself, Toby Keith. Here, he weighs in on Obama (this clip is sound only, and you can skip to the 33 second mark to get to the good stuff).

So it seems Keith is, surpisingly, behind Obama — or at least half of Obama. But to make an informed decision, one really needs to hear both sides of the argument. Representing the McCain camp, Mr. John Rich with his Fox News smash "Raisin' McCain" — Note: here, "Raisin'" is short for "raising" and is not a commentary on the condition of septuagenarian McCain's skin.

Damn. That was persuasive. Lots of flashy red, white and blue stuff, redneck machismo and a hot girl playing the fiddle. And I kind of feel like watching Monday Night Football to boot. Dude's really appealing to my sensibilities as an American.

But to be fair, I can't justify voting for McCain without hearing a musical rebuttal. Thank goodness for Brookfield, VT pop composer, Bobby Gosh. Gosh, 72, wrote the 1976 Top-10 smash single "A Little Bit More" made (sort of) famous by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show. Here, he offers his direct response to Rich's tune, with "Mama's Votin' For Obama." Take it away, Bobby.

Not bad. But this is why Republicans always win. They've got a slickly produced, high-energy, bumpersticker wisdom-laden rock video — with a hot girl playing the fiddle! Democrats get an old guy with a Casio keyboard, a drum machine and soccer moms holding signs. I'm no closer to a decision than I was when we started.

When in doubt, I find it's best to turn to old friends. In this case, Messrs Stuckey & Murray, a comedy duo from NYC who have a new vid out entitled "We Support Bush" — full disclosure: I went to high school with Jon Murray. As always, with S&M videos (not that kind of S&M, sickos), please view at your own discretion. If you're easily offended, click here instead.

And lastly, in a preview of this Thursday's VP debate between Joe Biden and Tina Fey, er, Sarah Palin, I leave you with this. Sigh.

 

God Bless America.

Holiday! Celebrate!

Good morning, Solid State! And Happy National One-Hit Wonder Day! Today, September 25, we honor all those artists who have achieved one (and only one!) top 40 record.

The top of my one-hit list includes "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, and "Come on Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Riders. And then of course there are the classics; "Rappers Delight" by Sugar Hill Gang, "We're Not Gonna Take it" by Twisted Sister, and Club Nouveau's "Lean on Me". Damn. The campfires that song has seen.

Plus, who could forget this little gem?

Leave your favorites in the comments, and happy celebrating!

The Phoenix vies for "Blockhead" status

The other day Dan came across a great link, and knowing my NKOTB-Reunion obsession, passed it along. Basically, David Thorpe of The Boston Phoenix promised that if enough readers dared him to do so, he would buy and review the newest addition to the New Kids on the Block catalog. The readers fulfilled their end of the bargain, and so Thorpe was forced to fulfill his.

The best part is that Thorpe not only promised to review it, he promised to "write an enthusiastic review worthy of a PR clipping." The resulting copy features tongue-in-cheek lines like, "each and every member of the band is every bit as distinct and memorable as the guy who preceded him, and the guy who follows."

Priceless.

You can read Thorpe's full "review" here.

OMG NKOTB!

I haven't felt moved to post here on Solid State in a while, but today I have news that is definitely worthy of your time.

Tomorrow morning, Thursday, New Kids on the Block will be performing on the Today show.

I love spending my mornings with Matt Lauer. I know, very un-Vermont of me, but don't worry, I can still hear VPR from my neighbor's radio upstairs. Anyway. I was midway through brushing my teeth when I heard the news that NKOTB would be gracing the plaza this Thursday, and am sad to admit that I made a mental note to be home from the gym in time to catch it.

I mean, come on! New Kids on the Block!

Unfortunately the comeback strikes me more sad than it does epic. As is demonstrated perfectly in the group's first music video since its rebirth. Seriously, check it out.

I can't embed it here... as embedding has been disabled by request of Universal Music Group. Dicks.

BUT you can check it out here.

And of course, you can catch it all live tomorrow morning.

AC/DC: Watch For Falling Integrity

Howdy Solid State.

I had been planning a recap of my epic Saturday night about town for today. But then I realized that my one year performance evaluation — yes, it's really been a year — was due like, last Friday. Guess I'll have to lower my grade in the "meets deadlines" field. Anyway, I'll fill you folks in on recap stuff — and why I am once again "allowed" to write about Activists/Dictators — tomorrow. Sorry, Brad.

In the meantime, Mistress Maeve forwarded along this Reuters story about AC/DC releasing their upcoming album exclusively through Wal Mart. You read that correctly. Fucking Wal Mart. According to the article, the band joins the illustrious company of Garth Brooks, Journey and The Eagles as iconic pop acts who've sold their souls to that quintessentially American testament to over-consumption. Too bad I already blew my "economic stimulus" check. I could have bought, like, 250 copies. Sigh . . .

Window Seat: At High Altitude With Luminaries of Norwegian Jazz

In the coming weeks, you'll notice a new voice or two contributing to the cyber-pages of Solid State — in addition to myself and the lovely and talented Bridget Burns. At the moment, we have an abundance of freelance music writers adding their two cents to the the physical manifestation of the paper, and with only two CD reviews per week, the workload is a little light. So in an effort to give the newbies something to do — and to help keep their chops in order — we thought, "why not unleash them on the blog?" We couldn't come up with a good reason not to, so I'd like to introduce Mr. John Pritchard.

Solid State, John. John, Solid State. Welcome to the fray.

DB

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Munich-based improvisational jazz label ECM Records is releasing to some of the most remarkable music being made in the world right now. That’s a bold statement, yes. But one that can be made with confidence. It is perhaps better said that they have been releasing remarkable music, several hundred records across numerous styles, incorporating a vast group of artists since their inception in 1969.

Many a friend has shirked at the prospect of improvisational music, let alone jazz from Norway, upon my introduction of the idea. But few have been disappointed after listening. I doubt there is a music lover of any genre who would not appreciate the work of the Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen, leader of the eponymous Tord Gustavsen Trio.

The Trio’s three ECM releases, Changing Places (2003), The Ground (2004)
and Being There (2007) can unflinchingly be described as melodically groundbreaking
– an apogee in the long evolution of not only the piano, but of human sound.

Gustavsen’s piano is ravishingly expressionist – it bends; it levitates. Songs like
“Still There” and “Blessed Feet” off last year's Being There are, in moments, conspicuously traditional jazz. Until they plunge into esoteric lows or ascend to magically biting trebles.

Since its release (and despite its title), I have made the trio's seminal album The Ground my listening choice each time I am on board an airplane. There is something that correlates the delicate double bass of Harald Johnsen and cold cabin air; something in Jarle Vespestad's spare but faultless drumming
that is perfect for cruising altitude. It is a sound that, although unadorned, manages to somehow embody the very essence of modernity.

Every artist on ECM is worthy of exploration, however audio samples are (strangely) not available for listening at their homepage. But here are links to some particularly interesting ECM artists: Tord Gustavsen Trio, the Christian Wallumrud Trio and Trygve Seim.

Scarlett Fever

Some of you are likely aware that husky-voiced blonde bombshell, Scarlett Johansson, has been recording an album of Tom Waits covers — with a little help from Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, no less — due out next month. Actors turning to music — whether out of boredom, the need to stave off "Where Are They Now?" status for a few seconds longer or laboring under genuine delusions that they posess actual musical talent — is hardly a new phenomenon. But that doesn't mean it should be allowed to continue.

To wit, who could forget gems such as Tony Danza's The House I Live In? Or Alyssa Milano's Look In My Heart? (We're still waiting on records from Judith Light or Danny Pintauro to complete the "Who's The Boss" hat trick of ignominy). Better yet, whose collection could possibly be complete without Bruce Willis' The Universal Masters Collection? Seriously? He has a whole fucking "Masters Collection?" Die hard indeed. Joey Lawrence box set anyone? How about a Scott Baio Complete Masterworks?

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. William Shatner's spoken word stuff, while not explicitly "good," per se, is at least oddly entertaining. Billy Bob Thornton is actually pretty decent as well — though he was a musician long before Sling Blade. And Zooey Deschanel's work with M. Ward as She & Him is simply fantastic. Generally speaking though, the forays of actors into music are almost always embarrassingly awful, bringing us back to Ms. Johansson and Tom Waits.

Like any number of red-blooded, heterosexual American males, I love Scarlett Johansson — though not in a creepy Internet-stalker kind of way, mind you . . . ahem. And like any number of superficially depressed American high school students, I was weaned on Tom Waits — in particular, The Early Years Vols. 1 & 2. The gravelly voiced saloon troubadour was a staple on practically every romantically motivated mix-tape I made from the time I was 16. Perhaps that explains why I never had a girlfriend in high school . . . but I digress.

In any event, I adore Tom Waits. Every serious music fan has certain artists they hold as "untouchable," songwriters for whom it is near sacrilege for anyone to attempt to cover — ironically, those are exactly the types of usually iconic artists whose songs are most often done by others. For me, Tom Waits is that artist. Go ahead and hack up Dylan. Release a box set of Beatles tributes. I couldn't care less. But don't mess with Tom.

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In order, the ten most egregious offenses of Waits-icide — in my opinion, a crime worthy of punishment by death or a career writing jingles for Burger King — are as follows:
10. Rod Stewart -"Downtown Train"
9. Everything but The Girl - "Downtown Train"
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter - "Downtown Train"
7. Patty Smyth - "Downtown Train"
6. The Manhattan Transfer - "Foreign Affair"
5. The Walkabouts - "Yesterday Is Here"
4. Bette Midler - "Shiver Me Timbers"   
3. Meatloaf - "Martha"
2. Rod Stewart - "Tom Traubert's Blues"
1. Hootie & The Blowfish - "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You"

****

Given my affection for both Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits, I view the former's upcoming release with a conflicted morbidity. The karaoke scene in Lost In Translation proved Johansson can sing. But does anyone really believe she's artistically capable of pulling off a Waits cover album? Of course not. That's like asking Marylin Monroe to do Sinatra . . . or algebra, for that matter.

Sadly, judging by "Falling Down," the first video from the album posted today by Pitchfork — who couldn't even bring themselves to "Pitchfork" it, fer chrissakes! — my suspicions/fears appear to be confirmed. Check it out and see if you don't agree. Sigh . . .

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go listen to Baio's "How Do You Talk To Girls?" on repeat and have myself a good cry.
   

 

The Jazz(wo)men Cometh

Last week in Sound Bites, I remarked that folks reading the paper the day it hit newsstands would be doing so while I was attending a press conference announcing the lineup and sponsors of this year's Discover Jazz Festival, and that it was a sure of spring. It seems I was only half right.

Since that column ran, the weather has been undeniably spring-like. Eat your heart out Tom Messner. Unfortunately, I got my dates mixed up. Last Wednesday, I strolled into the Amy Tarrant Gallery at the FlynnCenter only to "discover" . . . a completely empty room. D'oh! The conference was actually yesterday, not a week ago.

I did end up attending, and I'm glad I did. The food was really, really good. Oh, and the lineup is pretty sweet too.

In particular, there was a lot of buzz around an up-and-coming R&B singer named Ledisi, who was recently nominated for two Grammys — Best R&B Album and Best New Artist, the latter of which she lost to Amy Winehouse. Hailed by pundits who hail such things as a blend of Ella Fitgerald and Erykah Badu, Ledisi is one sultry soul siren, equally adept at delivering slinky R&B and smoky jazz. Should be a great show.

The following is a clip from her appearance on PBS' "Great Performances: We Love Ella!" There's kind of a lot of talking — and the second half of the video features jazz a cappella ensemble Take 6. But the music in between is a tantalizing taste of what we can expect in a couple of months. Enjoy!

You can check out the rest of this year's lineup here.

My First Re-Mix

Have you ever listened to a Radiohead song and wished you could give it the Danger Mouse treatment? Maybe combine "Fake Plastic Trees" with DMX's "Ruff Ryder's Anthem." Or "High and Dry with" Afroman's "Because I Got High." That'd be sick. You could even call the album The Blends. (rimshot!)

I'm here all night, folks. Please, tip your waitress.

Aaaaanyhoo . . .

The always forward-thinking Radiohead has just taken the next step in band-fanboy interactivity, teaming up with GarageBand and iTunes to offer their new single, "Nude," as a remixable track. Here's how it works:

1. Purchase all five "stems" from iTunes. Stems are the individual components of the song — guitar, voice, drums, etc.

2. You'll be sent an access code to a ready-to-open GarageBand file. Open. Mix. Repeat as necessary.

3. Upload the finished remix to radioheadremix.com where other rabid Yorkephytes will vote on their "favourite" tracks.

4. Kick back, open a PBR tallboy and wait for Brian Eno to call.

Currently, Toronto's avant noise outfit Holy Fuck — Best. Band name. Ever. — are winning in a landslide.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enter. The contest runs through May 1, so there's plenty of time. You don't even need GarageBand to do it as the file works in numerous platforms. You can also download a widget for your Facebook or MySpace profiles so your friends can vote for you. Neat-o.

Anyone else kinda curious to see what Greg Davis could do with this?

A penny for your... music?

Any Pennywise fans out there?

While driving to Maine late last Friday night and listening to my favorite Maine (by way of Boston) radio station, FNX, I was lucky enough to catch an episode of Loveline. I haven't listened to much Loveline since high school (the only Vermont broadcast comes out of Woodstock), but from time to time I find I'm a little down, and the only cure is to hear Southern teenage gay boys question how soon after their rim job they should be tested for HPV. Not HIV, which you can be tested for, but HPV. Which men can't be tested for, and frankly, only in rare instances even affects you if you only sleep with men.

Oh, sorry, I just went all Mistress Maeve on you.

Back to the music.

So last week's Loveline show featured Pennywise, a band I've never really followed save for seeing them play with Stretch Arm Strong. But they've been around forever. No really, forever. As in twenty years.

This year, actually, this past Tuesday, the band released its ninth LP... for free on Myspace. Yep. Through a partnership with both Myspace and Textango, Pennywise announced that its latest album will be free online from March 25 through... I believe April 6. I can't quite remember the end date. It was late at night and I was distracted by all the rim job talk.

The band admitted while on Loveline that Myspace may have been a little less than pleased with how the deal turned out... something about not really informing the higher ups until after the paperwork had been signed... but in the end no one backed out and the tracks are in fact available. For free. Right now.

So if any of you answered yes to my question of being a Pennywise fan, head right on over here. You do have to be a Myspace member to qualify, which could cost a few cool points if you're too indie for stuff like that, but if you're too indie for stuff like that, you're probably not really into Pennywise anyway.

Bright Ice.

So my car broke down Tuesday night. Which, considering my not-so-central location combined with my crippling fear of walking alone at night is really just... totally awesome.

A situation made all the more awesome by this week's icy rain.

All I could think when I looked out the window Wednesday morning was that if I still lived in Connecticut, it would almost be spring.

Of course there is an upside to walking everywhere. That is... ipod time! Because as much as I dislike icy puddles, I do love tuning out the world for a half hour to listen to music I forgot I even liked.

You know when you fall in love with a song and you listen to it over, and over, and over, and then eventually stop, and then four years later it randomly shows up on your shuffle playlist and you almost fall over with the brilliance of the tune you had long ago forgotten? Well, the brilliance... and the ice?

That happened to me yesterday with "Something Vague" by Bright Eyes.

The song appears on the 2000 release, Fevers and Mirrors, and I still remember the winter in Maine that my friends Erin, Laura, and I discovered it. When it suddenly came into my earphones yesterday I was instantly brought back to the Halloween that our plans to go to Salem were ruined, and we instead drove around the backwoods of western Maine listening to that one track over and over again. You know, right after we stopped at the local tattoo shop to get Erin's lip pierced. All hail my extremely emo college years.

I love that the song has a definite crescendo and a definite resolution, and while I know Conor Oberst has his share of haters, I've always been a fan of his lyrical ability. The way his voice cracks over "And I'll hang like a star, fucking glow in the dark" gets me every time.

I realize the song is pretty depressing, but sometimes when life sucks, the only thing that helps is to listen to a story of someone whose life sucks even more. I'm certainly not saying Bright Eyes can cure Seasonal Affective Disorder, but if you just feel like moping because you're sick of being iced over, this could be the song for you.

Ooooor you could just head over to the Monkey tonight around 8:00 for the benefit show I'm hosting in support of the fight against Crohn's and Colitis. Gregory Douglass is playing. And Paddy Reagan, and Colin Clary and A Magog too!

No, seriously, do you want to go?

Because this really isn't a shameless plug. I just really need a ride.

Bombs Away!

A few months ago, I requested the assistance of the loyal denizens of Solid State to help me craft the ultimate iPod mix for my bowling league. I'm not sure that I've ever quite nailed it, exactly. But over the last 12 weeks or so, my partner-in-crime, Jeremy Gantz, and I have come awfully close. Currently, my iTunes library runneth over, so this could be the week. We'll see.

Believe it or not, this week is basically my last chance at perfection, both in terms of actual bowling and ultimate iPod mix wizardry, as it's the final week of regular season play for the Whiskey Ball Gutter League. We do have two weeks of playoffs lined up, but this is likely the last hurrah for the whole crew. Sniffle. By the way, we're taking applications for next year's league, so if you're interested, let me know.

Anyway, as tonight marks the end of arguably the coolest thing I've ever done, I though I'd pass along this YouTube clip that was sent to me by a WBGL member. It's pretty much the greatest clip ever.

It does however, contain a remarkable amount of profanity, so if foul language ruffles your feathers, fuck off.

In honor of the 2007-2008 Whiskey Ball Gutter League, I present "The Big Lebowski: The F*cking Short Version." Enjoy.

MTV vs. AIDS

The plan was for me to write a nice post for you all summarizing the music-related movie I watched this weekend from my Netflix. Unfortunately, my cold is back. And it was about halfway through the documentary that even the collective cuteness of the Bens (Lee, Kweller, and Folds) couldn't keep me from passing out on my futon.

So no wrap up yet.

Although I would like to say to the aforementioned cold; seriously? No, really, seriously? I eat healthy, I work out to a fault, I sleep so much it affects my social life, and I take my vitamins. I mean, what better tequila-mixer than a little Emergen-C?

Kidding.

Anyway. After the movie clicked off and the TV was back on, I did dream a little MTV-News that might interest some of you. And a quick on-line check this morning affirmed that it was true.

That is, rapper Common would like you to write a lyric about the importance of HIV-testing.

I tend to jump around from cause to cause, but I've always had a special place in my heart for the importance of HIV-testing. In fact, two years ago (my god, have I really lived here that long?) I decided to try and meet some new friends in the music scene by compiling a CD with just that message, in support of Vermont CARES. It's actually how I met most of you, dear readers, as you were pretty much all on it! Swale, The Jazz Guys, Nest Material, Pretty & Nice, even Dan!

Anyway, I know that most of you don't write rap (although I did catch Lee's wigged-version of white rapper this past Thursday...), but luckily you don't have to. Common is just looking for a good message - in any genre. The bad news is that you have to be 25 or under, which I'm pretty sure eliminates a large part of this reading audience. The prize? Common will perform the lyric on MTV networks - which I know is a major goal in all of your lives.

If you do happen to be interested in the contest, you can check out all the details here.

And I promise, once this cold finally gets off my back (I mean, seriously!) I will write something other than regurgitated MTV.