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| censored-03 |
 Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 3:31 am |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 3058
Location: Gotham, Big Apple, The Naked City
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Quote: ...Bowie's Low, Heroes, and The Lodger, Iggy's Lust for Life and The Idiot, and Eno's Another Green World and Before and After Science on rotation for a few days now. To me, these records are the epitomy of what good, adult pop music should strive for. Intricate and innovative without sounding pretentious, melodious and danceable but intelligent,... |
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"Life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel."
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| zwirnm |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 12:38 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 46
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
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The first and only time I saw the Eels in concert, it was part of their 1998 tour for Electro-Shock Blues, with Lisa Germano opening and performing with the band. This is one of the most legendarily depressing records in modern pop, up there with Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers, and yet it's a masterful album, and surely the best thing E had ever done to date. In the succeeding years, the Eels have released a steady stream of records, but I've sensed a diminishing rate of return with their successive albums. I remained a dedicated fan but it was hard to get excited by Souljacker or Shootenany!, the last two records, and Dreamworks appeared to have agreed by dropping them quietly. But the recent two-disc Blinking Lights and Other Revelations has generated a lot of attention, and I asked my friend Julianne to get tickets for me ahead of time for their Portland gig. So as Julianne and I stood outside and befriended other Eels fans, the line stretched far behind us into the rainy night.
After some tour bus issues -- the band was stranded by the Mormon temple on the outskirts of town -- and technical problems involving a film projector that had to be abandoned, the Aladdin finally let in the crowd, and without too much additional delay, E and the Eels took the stage, accompanied by a four-piece string section. Big Al and The Chet, the other Eels members, are Portlanders and members of the James Low Band, and they brought a crowd of locals into the audience who cheered their every solo. But E simply steals the show. He's cultivated and perfected the persona of a dapper older bandleader, wearing a suit, smoking a cigar, and carrying a walking stick while jumping between piano, harmonium, and guitars. With his beard, attire, and gruff vocals, he's adopted the persona of a man far older and wiser than his years. But E is wickedly funny, something that his albums haven't always displayed. For a guy whose life has been a long and bitter sequence of personal losses (Electro-Shock Blues is about his mother's terminal cancer and his sister's suicide), he has learned to modulate the stark lyrics of his songs with deadpan humor. And he knows his audience, which is a larger and more enthusiastic one than you might imagine. Mixing a host of affecting new songs from Blinking Lights with a mix of older material and some wonderful cover material, he and the Eels did an absolutely great set that -- yes -- left the audience delighted.
Given the gravity of E's material, that's a remarkable feat, but it demonstrates what an effective songwriter he is, and how skillful his band members are. Big Al and The Chet displayed proficiency on everything from drums to dulcimer to acoustic bass to pedal steel guitar to musical saw, and the four-piece string section provided both dramatic heft to the ballads and a lot of added rhythm to the upbeat numbers. "Going to Your Funeral Pt. 2" (from Electro-Shock Blues was the stark opening number, followed by some ballads from Blinking Lights but things picked up quickly with pleasant surprises like "The Only Thing I Care About" (from E's solo Broken Toy Shop, Shrek soundtrack number "My Beloved Monster", and the chipper "I Like Birds" from Daisies of the Galaxy. There was a ripping cover of The Left Banke's "Pretty Ballerina", which was made for a string quartet accompaniment, and a soft piano version of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." Souljacker was represented by a few of the noisier rock numbers, "Dog Faced Boy" and "Bus Stop Boxer", but there was a pair of rock songs from the new album too, "Going Fetal" and "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)". But I find E most effective when he uses just enough added instrumentation to back up his thoughtful pop songs, most of which are perfectly functional as standalone guitar or piano numbers. "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" from Blinking Lights and "Spunky" from Beautiful Freak were exemplars of that form.
After a host of false endings and encores, the band returned for one last brief set with the house lights already up -- with E in pyjamas! -- on Prince's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" and closed with an instrumental of "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues," the shoulda-been hit from Daisies of the Galaxy. Each member left in turn to appreciative applause, ending with the string section, and the audience filed happily out into the dark. That's right, happily. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:53 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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One of my favorite new albums that I picked up this last week.
http://www.concertedefforts.com/artists_JDOE.asp
ehle... this may be something you'd like. There is a song called "Ready" with Kristin Hersh on vocals. Very cool.
And John Doe will be at the Urabn Lounge in Salt Lake a week from tonight. Clients and other domestic matters permitting, I'll be going.
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:02 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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I heart John Doe and most especially, X. Thanks for the head's up, chilly.
Has anyone else been wondering about the newest list in town? The Spin Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years? I kinda dig Radiohead being on top, and am completely shocked and satisfied that The Smiths, Pavement and Pixies round out the top 10. (although, I'd pick Doolittle over Surfer Rosa, just a matter of timing for me I reckon).
I've tried to find the whole list, but can't, so if anyone finds it, please link it? |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:04 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
Posts: 8424
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| I love John Doe. I wish his solo work was more interesting. X is one of my alltime favorite bands. |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:17 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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Marc wrote: X is one of my alltime favorite bands.
All of a sudden, the bar's weren't open this morning
They musta been voting for the
President or something |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:53 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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| ALERT!: Rilo Kiley on Ferguson tonight. |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:42 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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ehle64 wrote: Marc wrote: X is one of my alltime favorite bands.
They musta been voting for the
President or something
Ur welcome, ehle. I know that one... "The New World"
I kind of figured Marc liked X.
How about...
Thousands of lights
Thousands of people
She's forgotten him for the bodies around her
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:44 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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Marc wrote: I love John Doe. I wish his solo work was more interesting. X is one of my alltime favorite bands.
I've seen X several times, but have never seen a solo John Doe. Anything to expect? He's got 5 albums under him, so I would imagine his set list will be long enough.
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| shannon |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:23 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1628
Location: NC
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| The Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! album is fucking brilliant. Get it. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:41 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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http://clapyourhandssayyeah.com/shows.php
Checking out the MP3s from their site... pretty cool so far.
Reminds me of a cross between Radiohead and Talking Heads (no pun intended)
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| shannon |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:19 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1628
Location: NC
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| People always compare them to Talking Heads, Yo La Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, and Modest Mouse, but without fail, every time I listen to this record I get that "Stop Whispering" song from Pablo Honey in my head. Chilly, you're the only other person I know of that has associated that guy's voice with Thom's. Congrats. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:30 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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shannon wrote: People always compare them to Talking Heads, Yo La Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, and Modest Mouse, but without fail, every time I listen to this record I get that "Stop Whispering" song from Pablo Honey in my head. Chilly, you're the only other person I know of that has associated that guy's voice with Thom's. Congrats.
I couldn't think of the name of that song... thanks, shannon.
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| Macca00 |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 6:26 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Liverpool/England
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| Just heard Barrett Strong's original version of "Money (That's What I Want)" on BBC Radio 2. Must be the only time when a "white" band brought something else to a song by an African-American singer/songwriter. Lennon's wracked, manic vocals turned it into an early Beatle masterpiece. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 6:36 pm |
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| Back in the 60's a bunch of us expatriots used to hang out at a cafe in the left bank that had a great jukebox. About half the crowd were Black Americans, musicians and soldiers. We would play Money by the Beatles all the time. Twist and Shout was another favourite. |
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