what's coming up

here are a few bands that i plan to cover. check them out if you want to get a head start...
TED LEO + PHARMACISTS, the arcade fire, cranberries, pat Green

-Nick

I'm Back

I’m finally back after spending some time in San Francisco, Miami, and most recently Las Vegas - apologies to those waiting my review of A HOUSE. I first want to throw out a few 80’s bands that I think are worth listening to. I was sitting in TRYST at the Wynn on Saturday night and the DJ was spinning some great 80’s stuff. It reminded me to not strictly focus on some of the great new stuff coming out, but to also remind everyone about some great old stuff you might not be that familiar with or maybe just forgot about. So here is my list of 5 80’s bands that I think are a must- when we talk Delorean 80’s

1. The Men Without Hats
2. Erasure
3. Lightning Seeds
4. XTC
5. New Order

Hit these up once the weather gets a little warmer.

A HOUSE- I am the Greatest- Is in my opinion, the most underappreciated album I can think of. The album as whole is dark, funny, and sprinkled with greatness. I am afraid, is an incredible acoustic ballad, where Dave Couse keeps it simple- “I am afraid to lose control, I am afraid of growing old, I am afraid to die, but it’s something I must do.” Take it easy, has a more friendly rock style, while still maintaining the purity of Couse’s lyrics. Listen to Endless Art just to make sure you know people you should. Check this album out- it is one of my favorites- and one that I hope people will much belatedly throw their arms around.

The Good, The Bad, & The Queen

"The Good, The Bad, & The Queen" is a very interesting, very British album created by a souped-up rock collective including the bass player from The Clash, the guitarist from The Verve, the singer from Blur and the drummer from Fela Kuti's The Africa 70 . . . AND if that isn't enough, the record is produced by Danger Mouse, who has worked with Gnarls Barkley & Gorillaz.

There is a spooky quality to the music, and each song blends beautifully into the next as the topics range from London to Iraq. If the listener is familiar with the previous work of the artists individually, you will certainly be able to hear each one's stamp on the record. But the group must work well together because while the astute listener may find it fascinating to pick out each musician's contribution, the album is astonishingly cohesive. Astonishing because while I didn't do the research, I would wager that nine times out of ten groups made up of musicians who are already successful, "supergroups" if you will, are a mess.

'History Song,' a sad, acoustic guitar driven piece, and 'Kingdom of Doom,' a hypnotic piece in which a piano is used as percussion are my favorite tracks off the album, but every one is decent. This record really has that British rock sound all over it, and it is fantastic.

Luminescent Orchestrii

Check out this tremendous performance of a song called "Pecto Rubuli" by Luminescent Orchestrii, a Romanian-gypsy-punk band out of NYC that has been playing this fantastic music since 2002. And unfortunatley, schlub that I am, I was only introduced to their music THIS YEAR! I will keep this short since you can see it for yourself in the clip below, which will also lead you to other videos if you want more.

This group has everything that makes this author a happy camper: energetic performances, talented musicians, and lots of funkiness. Let me know if you agree.

Mason Jennings: If You Need A Reason

Many artists release EP's with B sides that are of little interest to anyone but uber-fans who want to know everything about the artist, but Mason Jennings has given us 5 solid songs on this recording.

In my opinion the title track probably should have been put on Jennings' last album, 'Boneclouds.' With its catchy melody and chorus it is better than quite a few of the songs that made the cut. The tracks 'Sacred Place' and 'To You' are also very strong, and will please anyone who is already a Mason Jennings fan. The remaining two songs, 'Fighter Girl' and 'Boneclouds' are not horrible, but do seem like early sketches of the ideas Jennings developed for the full album.

For the low cost this EP is definitely worth it, for those unfamiliar with Jennings' work and old fans alike.