Deerhunter, Webster Hall 9.19.13

There are lots of folks who continue to write, blog and otherwise opine that "rock" is dead.  Listen to the pop stations these days and it is easy to get sucked into to that opinion.  Katy Perry's "Roar" plays more like a lamb, than lion.  Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke are remembered more for their "dancing" than the Marvin Gaye cover they "sang" at last months VMA's.

This space continues to seek out and (hooray!) find bands who are more concerned with crafting songs, playing guitars and leaving their rabid fan base wanting more.

Some, like Georgia based, but New York raised, Deerhunter, remain humbled and happy to simply play in front of an audience receptive and beyond willing to hear what they have to offer.  Singer/Guitarist/Frontman Bradford Cox said as much half way through their fast paced and electric show last Thursday night.  "We may be from Georgia, but in many ways we call New York City our home" he stated toward the middle of their hour and half set.  Or something very similar to that.  They recorded all but one of their 6 records here, including newest release Monomania.  The Webster Hall show last week served as one of the final gigs of the tour.  Call it a homecoming of sorts.

Truth be told Cox is a mystery.  What little I read of him prior to the show did not prepare me for his arrival on stage.  Note, this is the second show in the past few months where the leading "man" was dressed as a woman.  Laura Jane Grace played Bowery not that long ago.  It should be noted that Laura is transgender and Cox has described himself as both gay and asexual.  It's all good, which makes the NYC shows/audiences so freaking cool.  To the many kids in attendance his dress and wig were not a big deal.   What is more alarming is Cox's weight, which comes as a result of Marfan syndrome.

His affliction, which is a genetic defect causing long limbs, thin fingers and an overall narrow body type, is what kept him away from the schoolyard as a kid.  His introverted personality led him to a fondness for music and an outlet for all the harms and torments associated with growing up "different."

It is said he related to Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands...  but that could simply be Wikipedia inter-web fiction.

It was four or five songs in, most likely during the eerily wonderful  "Helicopter" from 2010's Halycon Digest, that Cox's health became less a concern.  He was at ease and relaxed.  His voice was crisp and emphatic.  On stage nothing else matters.  He had a packed house in front of him and a smile on his face.

Deerhunter plays rock and roll music.  3 guitars, a bass and drum kit is all you are getting.  Cox has a deft touch with mixing new and old.  "Revival" and their newest single "Back to the Middle" could be mistaken for 1970s roots rock.  "Desire Lines", the only song NOT sung by Cox that evening (handled most capably by Lockett Pundt), is a celebration of psych rock with an emphasis on guitar jamming.  Cox and Pundt traded riffs for 6 or 7 minutes and it could have gone on far longer with no arguments from anyone.  It is, simply put, a terrific rock song.

It was all high energy and plenty of happy vibes.   Do I need to see them again?  Probably not.  But for a moment, it was joy.

Judgemental homophobia... Syrian conflicts... terrorism in Kenyan malls...UN General Assemblies... Government shut downs...  to hell with all that.

This week has been very difficult and writing this review has been a challenge, albeit trivial.  My community is stinging from the loss of a young father (43) to the horror that is cancer.  He leaves a loving wife, 4 children and the many wonders of "what if?"

Plenty of people talk of "living each day like its your last."  How many of us really do it?

Find what you are passionate about and dive in head first.

One of these days and it won't be long...  it may all be over.

Much love C.A.C.  You will be missed.

Deerhunter, Webster Hall, 9.19.13.  Yeah, that is Bradford Cox in a lovely dress and wig.

Video clip of "Desire Lines"




Deerhunter at Webster Hall, Setlist 9.19.13
Octet
Neon Junkyard
Don't Cry
Revival
Like New
Desire Lines
Hazel St
T.H.M.
Rainwater Cassette Exchange
The Missing
Helicopter
Sleepwalking
Back to the Middle
Monomania
Twilight at Carbon Lake

Encore:
Cover Me (Slowly)
Agoraphobia
He Would Have Laughed

Best of May, 2013

The live shows have been few and far between this Spring for yours truly.  The few shows I have seen,  The Neighbourhood, Youngbood Hawke and last week The Hold Steady and Gaslight Anthem, entertained, but by no means overwhelmed.

Maybe I am too distracted?  The house ain't selling.  The cellar ain't staying dry.  The neighbors across the street are complete ass holes.

Maybe I am too tired.  Softball coaching, driving the Pulaski, walking blocks and blocks on the scorching streets of NYC to deliver a master key, waking up with the dog at 5am, Living. Freaking. Life.

It's a wonderful maze of heartache and joy married to periods of exhaustion, hysteria and sheer panic.  But in a good way.

The entertainment dollar, and more specifically the ability to break free for a few hours, then actually ENJOYING said time, is an elusive temptress.

Find the money to a night out?  Not overly difficult to attain.  Ok maybe a little.

Find the combination of 1) a thing you kinda want to see and 2) the want and availability of kinda doin it is as complex as the equation Matt Damon solved in Good Will Hunting.

That's a convoluted way to say it's been tough catching live shows lately.  And the past few have not had my full attention, for a shit ton of reasons.  

Lucky for me I am in the car often.  Luckier still I subscribe to SiriusXM and Spotify.  This is by no means an ad.  Pandora, ITunes,  and anything but terrestrial radio provide today's listener to an inordinate amount of music, both old and new.  I was in a rental car a few weeks back and came upon the NYC FM stations for an hour or so.  I couldn't help it.  I was trapped!  WHO CAN STAND IT??  Morning zoo's are still around.  The obnoxious car pitchmen who speak rapidly and insult your intelligence are still around.  Then, after all that, they play JLo and T Swift for hours on end.

Trust me, there is plenty of good stuff out there.  And you should be listening to it.  A healthy crop of new material from new bands, like Smith Westerns, and established acts such as The National, has made the first half of 2013 most pleasant to listen to.  We do it every month, and we dare you to say these tracks don't rock and/or roll.  Or beep and boop.  Or get all sappy on your shit.  Or gasp, make you think.  Take 15 minutes, click on a link or two, and remember life isn't all commercially interrupted nonsense meant to play in the background.   Find your outlet.  Then barge right in.

Kurt Vile "Never Run Away"  This is a guy every good indie, hipster blogger worships to.  This blogger has heard the name for several years and with great regularity confused him with The War on Drugs.  DJ's call him influential.  Other musicians speak fondly of him.  But damn it this blogger could tell you nothing of the man, and most certainly his music.  This track I know.  This track I love.  It appears on his recently released LP Wakin on a Pretty Daze.  Vile is soft on guitar and subtle with vocals.  Let's put it this way, I want to know more about this Vile character.  What kind of indie, hipster am I?  

Deerhunter "Back to the Middle"   Bradford Cox and his band of misfits I do know.  For one, he created one my my all time favorite songs.  Secondly, he played "My Sharona" for over an hour to silence a heckler.  That kind of commitment and jaded humor will get you everywhere says me.  His new record, Monomania, came out 5.7.  Good old fashioned, 70s inspired rock and roll.  Not the Zeppelin kind you might be looking for.  But we all like The Cars and Tom Petty too, right?

Phoenix "Trying To Be Cool"  On paper I should hate this song.  The French band annoys me cause they are French.  The singer is married to Sofia Coppola, who may be Hollywood's most overrated filmmaker.  ScarJo's ass aside, Lost in Translation was a colossal bore.  And don't get me started on The Virgin Suicides.  SNORE!!!!  But my daddy didn't make The Godfather 2 so I will just sit here and write the blues.  Oh, and reluctantly say these frogs are pretty good and this song is darn catchy.

Smith Westerns "Varsity"  Great harmonies, deft arrangement, and just a really fun vibe is laid out here.  Somehow I think Zach Braff would use this song if he filmed a surf movie with Greta Gerwig as an gal who just can't catch a wave, I mean break.

Vampire Weekend "Ya Hey"  Hardly seems right putting these guys in the mix.  They do have the #1 record in America.  They have a PR department that never sleeps.  Hell, they all have Ivy League educations.  They are gleefully uncool, yet massive stars who continue to put out signature hooks and whimsical lyrics.  It's in the bloodstream now, and there was nothing we can do.

Red Hands "Walk Off the Earth"  This track follows the Indie adult alt/pop blueprint circa Foster the People on.  You got your percussion.  You got your guy and girl singer.  Harmonies and tribal beats overwhelm the senses.  Let's not forget this band had the viral cover of Gotye.  Annoying and douchey (but clever.)  And when I hear "walk off the Earth" I am reminded of Sharri Shepherd's refusal to accept basic science.  You don't know the world is flat??  And you collect a paycheck to talk about things?  Good grief.  This song will have you tapping your feet though.  And isn't that what it's all about?

Small Black "No Stranger"  And now for the 80s synth part of the program.  This act has Pet Shop Boys DNA I tell ya.  Maybe a little OMD too.   Don't act like you don't know, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark!  What?  Was my school the only one that changed the lyrics of "If You Leave" to serenade the graduating class?  And am I the only one who failed chorus?  Small Black is a Brooklyn act.    If you have to label it the blogosphere calls it "chillwave."  Frankie says whatever.

The National "Demons"  Giving these guys space in an alt column is as useless as praising Vampire Weekend.  Wait, that has been done here too.  Drinking the Kool-Aid they call it.  But what a tasty blend it is.  Deep and dour yet hopeful and inspirational.   Is Small Black is Brooklyn "chill wave" The National are Brooklyn royalty.  Their triumphant return is this Wednesday at the House Jay Z built (Barclay's fool!)  They are promoting their outstanding LP Trouble Will Find Me.  Quite possibly the best band you never heard of.  Do something about that please.


Beach Fossils "Clash The Truth"  Essentially Beach Fossils is NYC multi instrumentalist Dustin Payseur's brain child and baby.  Guitars, hooks, synths are all here, front and center.  Judd Nelson might like this playing when he tears signs off the walls of school halls.

Frightened Rabbit "Woodpile"  Before I knew anything about these guys I heard this song and thought "Hey, Snow Patrol have a new song?"  Then I found out they were from Scotland and probably were spoon fed Gary Lightbody and his power ballads.  Sean Connery's accent has nothing on this guy and it works so well.  I have heard far worse influenced by total lame o's.  I am talking to you Olly Murs!!

Have a great month all and enjoy the summer!!

Keep cool, be safe and tell all your friends about this silly little blog you can't get enough of.

(I mean this one)

Asbury Park, 5.23.13  Restore the Shore!!

It was far from an ideal night for a concert.  Cold and 50 degrees with a steady rain is NOT Memorial Day weather and it kinda sucked.  We left before Gaslight Anthem.  Sucked.  And for the record there is never a need to see a show here again.  Save the money, stay on the boardwalk and watch from there.  The sound was super loud too!!  I Know, I know if it's too loud, you're too old.  Not so, there is loud good and loud bad.  This is loud bad, trust me.

The Hold Steady, Stone Pony

Embarrassed this was my first visit to the historic Stone Pony (albeit never inside the doors.)  

Shameless Promotion

A good friend sent me this the other day:  The Truth

It's been about a year since this blog has become an attempt to reach a mass audience rather than mere catharsis.  The results have been mixed, at best.   But the mission remains the same.  And there are no signs of letting up.

This space is designed for many voices.  We encourage your participation and feedback.  Although primarily written from a suburban father/husbands perspective, that does not, er, should not, prevent those of all ages, demographics, etc...  to chime in.

After all, the suburbanite has a lot to learn.  Like, how does a Baby Boomer expect their kin to support there ever living, yet increasingly expensive asses over the next decade?  Stop playing golf and figure out how to support yourselves!!  We are barely able to support ourselves!!  What do you want us to do about Social Security?  Why do you continue to wear black socks with white sneakers?

And you over there, the 20 something recent college graduate.  What on Earth are you doing with yourself?  Can their be that many tech jobs out there to sustain a generation?  Will baristas ever make 100k a year?  How do you plan to solve the energy crisis?  Global warming?  The continuing success of the Kardashian's?

Us 40 somethings are very much in the middle.  Our best creative days seem to be behind us.  Should the economy rally it might provide some added security.  But if you are among the true middle class isn't it assumed you will be working until the day you die?  Does anyone rely on a pension anymore?

That's the point, isn't it?   If we are going to dig ourselves from the massive hole we find ourselves in shouldn't we ALL be communicating?

To that end we would love to hear from any and all of you.

How do you make your living?  Where do you live?  What are the biggest challenges you face day in/day out?  How do you tell your child to stand up for him or herself?  How do you correctly ask for a raise?  What is the best way to leave a job?  What are the best TV shows?  Movies?  Downloaded songs?

What can you/we/I do to make this place a better one?

Some might think it starts at the top.  Maybe we need to go all Egypt on our Government??  Let's start a revolution!  Let's demand fair trade, an emphasis on math and science in our schools, the abolishment of the two party political system (and Newt Gingrich once and for all!)

Others want bigger government.  More spending.  Healthcare provided by your friendly bureaucrat and then served with a smile.

Ok.  Have that opinion.  No telling who is right these days?  But these, and many other conversations, NEED to be had as we head into another Presidential Election.

For this columnist the journey is maybe (maybe) a little more trivial.

Work hard.  Play a little harder.

Art, film, and in particular music, will be prominently displayed here.

That is but part of the overall landscape that is 2012 America.  But what a part it is.  If not for art and culture what are we?  What am I?

That is beyond hypothetical.  Cause it will never happen.  As long as there are things like this, I'm gonna keep writing:

Eels

Ben Folds

Joe Jackson

Gomez

Stones

Gotye

Beirut

Jack White

The National

Deerhunter

To name but a few...


Join us?  What say you?

Kindly become a fan on Facebook:  The Guide on Facebook
Follow on Twitter: Guide on Twitter

Spread the Word and continue the dialogue.  Reach out should you want to contribute.

As always thanks for the support and let's all destroy this weekend!!!

Oh, and if you have 3 Devils tickets for next Thursday be in touch ;-)