Bands to Watch in 2009

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart:
New York band puts a new twist on the buzzy British guitar pop of the 80s. This is the video for “Everything With You.” Kinda reminds me of the Wedding Present’s “You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends.” Speaking of the Weddoes, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be opening for them in the UK. They’ll be playing at the Black Cat in February.


Zarif:
Like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, I first read about Zarif in the Guardian. It seems as though the UK is chock full of soulful young ladies. Think of her as a less abraisive version of Lily Allen (And that’s not a knock on Lily. I adored her first album and had the pleasure of seeing her perform before she got freaked out by the boredom of touring).

Ida Maria:
I kept seeing Ida Maria's name pop up in Brooklyn Vegan and on other blogs. Apparently she's a very hit or miss performer. When she's on, she's intense and commands your attention. When she's off, apparently she's a bit of a trainwreck. If she manages to hit Washington DC in the near future, I'll make sure to be there so that I can make a proper assessment. Until then, this video for "Oh My God" will have to do.


The Spiritual Machine:
A DC trio who really seem to enjoy throwing darts at the concept of hipsterdom. They successfully manage to mix the braggadocio of funk with the buzzing guitars and heady lyrics of the Fall. They're a fantastic live act and they will crash your after party and totally drink all your drinks.

The Spiritual Machine - The Scene/That Wasn't Me from Jason Mogavero on Vimeo.

And as a bonus:

The Spiritual Machine, Ra Ra Rasputin and Friends - Crosseyed and Painless (live at DC9) from Jason Mogavero on Vimeo.

Gallows Destroy Pub. Punk Rawk Idiocy Is Alive and Well.

Gallows, a hardcore punk band from Watford, Hertfordshire, have been getting quite a bit of attention in NME for a recent gig at a pub London’s Old Blue Pub. Singer Frank Carter was instrumental in leading the crowd to tear the place apart, destroying several chandeliers and a few antique chairs. Having been out of the hardcore/punk loop for many years now, I was a little bit surprised to see such wanton acts of old-school violence getting so much attention from NME.

For a number of reasons, violence has always been tied to the punk rock myth. In the UK during the mid to late 70s, punks rioted and spit to express their frustration with a faltering economy and a broken society. In the United States, much of the violence could be attributed to suburban boredom, as many of the influential hardcore groups came from the suburbs of Washington DC, New York and LA. While I do enjoy going to shows and seeing people dance, and maybe shake each other a bit. But seriously, I am bored by punk violence. There is nothing entertaining about seeing someone getting punched in the face while they’re trying to enjoy a show.

Furthermore, violence at shows is pointless because it can lead to the closure of venues. Thanks to Gallows, it may be possible that no other band may be allowed to play at the Old Blue Pub. That’s fine for them, considering that they’ve got a million dollar deal with Warner Brothers. But for all the little bands that may not have a million places to play this is another hurdle. I remember hearing about VFW halls in New York and New Jersey that refused to have punk or hardcore shows after kids did stupid things like shitting in a cup and leaving it for some old vet to find. It’s sabotage, and it’s stupid.

Gallows' "Staring at the Rude Bois (Ft. Lethal Bizzle)"


BONUS: Footage from the infamous North London Poly Riot, where fans destroyed an entire Student Hall during a performance by the Jesus & Mary Chain.

DECEMBER IN WASHINGTON DC

ALL THESE EVENTS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
*Indicates a DON'T MISS THIS event.

BLACK CAT:
*Mon Dec 1- Mittenfields, Teedo, Loose LIps $8 Backstage 9:00

Fri Dec 5- Sorted Dance Night: Britpop, Soul, Indie Pop w/ DJ Stereo Faith $6 Backstage 9:30

Sat Dec 13- Mousetrap: DC's Biggest Britpop Dance Night $10 Mainstage 9:30

*Sun Dec 21- ROCK'N'SHOP: A Rock'n'Roll Garage. free Mainstage 8:00

*Mon Dec 29- THE DAMNED, THEO AND THE SKYSCRAPERS, ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN $18 Adv/ $20 DOS 8:00

930 CLUB:
Mon Dec. 1-Vampire Weekend w/ The Teenagers
7pm Doors.Sold Out

Tues Dec. 2-Vampire Weekend w/ The Teenagers
7pm Doors. Sold Out

Fri Dec. 5-Nada Surf w/ Delta Spirit & The Jealous Girlfriends
8pm Doors. $20.00

Mon Dec.8-Ray Davies w/ Locksley
7pm Doors. $40.00

Sat Dec 13-Ghostland Observatory w/ Dmerit -DJ Set
7pm Doors., $20.00

*Fri Dec 19- THE LAST POETS
7pm Doors .$25

*Sat Dec 20 - CSS
7pm Doors. $20.00


DC9:
Sat Dec 6-KIDS Dance Party (Meistro of Dirty Bombs/Top ranking, Lil El, and Jackie O)

*Wed Dec 10-Ra Ra Rasputin w/the Spiritual Machine, Fffever and Exactly.
$8.

Velvet Lounge:

Tue Dec 9-PWRFL People, Kitty Hawk, Pree (of Le Loup), Hume
Doors 9pm/Show 9:30pm/$8/18+!

Sat Dec 27 -A.C.
Doors 9pm/Show 10pm/18+

BACKSTAGE

I was bored at home the other night when I stumbled upon the Smoking Gun’s list of celebrity riders .(A rider is a contract that specifies a list of what amenities should be provided for the performer). The demands that some artists make on the staff at venues range from typical, easy to find comforts (booze, sandwiches, adult magazines) to the maddeningly trivial (special aged cheese, no leather). Some were simple (Guns N Roses, Eric Clapton) and others were very complex (50 Cent, Kiss, Paul McCartney).
As I glanced over these lists, I realized that there is no way I'd ever make it as an event coordinator. I'd probably just crumple up these lists and toss them in the garbage.

Complaints aside, here are some of the more amusing ones (Click to view the full document):

MIA
One container dried mangoes, one container of dried blueberries, aged cheese. What the hell? Eight (8) Ferro Rocher Gold Balls. Heaven forbid you provided MIA with six or seven.

COLDPLAY
48 Cold Strong Continental Lagers (Becks or equivalent, Not Stella, Not US Beers). Ugh, snobs

THE KILLERS
8 packs of sugar-free gum; 20 lint free clean backstage towels; 40 lint free backstage towels.

50 Cent
50’s rider demands that you not only provide dinner, but breakfast and lunch as well. And while his demands for Cuban cigars are somewhat reasonable, it’s actually against the law to obtain them.

U2 (1992 ZOO TV Tour)
Sadly, the entire rider is not posted. Thankfully someone was able to get a copy of the most important page: ALCOHOL REQUIREMENTS. Good to know that Bono and co. still know how to bro down after a show.

I understand that a good number of the demands for food and drink are somewhat reasonable. Just like how every employee of X office deserves health-care, sick days and the occasional promotion, a touring musician should be allowed certain comforts to make them feel at home when he/she is on the road.
However, I do believe that most riders tend to be incredibly wasteful. There’s no doubt in my mind that a sizeable percentage of the food, drinks and supplies that are provided backstage are thrown away. And while I wholeheartedly understand the need for towels after shows, why on earth do the Killers need forty towels? If your band has 4 people, that’s 10 towels per person. Who the fuck sweats so much that he needs 10 towels to dry off?

And as pointed out in the Sonic Youth biography "Goodbye 20th Century," expansive tour riders take money out of the artist's tour earnings. Despite the fact that Sonic Youth were on Geffen Records for a little more than a decade, they rarely asked for more than some light food and drink, maybe a bottle of hard alcohol here or there. In the end, the band continues to turn a profit while on tour, and even managed to finance their own studio. Then again, Sonic Youth and many other bands I admire come from the punk rock school of thought.
But it's something to think about. All that food and drink is coming out of your pocket! Spend wisely.

For the Smoking Gun's full list of backstage riders, click HERE

NOVEMBER IN WASHINGTON DC

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY YOURS TRULY:

Black Cat:
Tue Nov 4- DEERHUNTER, TIMES NEW VIKING, KNYFE HYTS $13 Adv/ $15 DOS Mainstage 8:00

Wed Nov 12- DIPLO, NO AGE, ABE VIGODA, BOY 8 BIT, TELEPATHE $15 Mainstage 7:30

Tue Nov 18- LITTLE JOY (featuring Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos, Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes, and Binki Shapiro), THE DEAD TREES $10 Backstage 9:00

Sat Nov 8- THE SEA AND CAKE, DEATH VESSEL $15 Mainstage 9:00

9:30 Club:
SUN. NOV. 2 Hercules and Love Affair w/ The Dance Party 10pm

MON. NOV. 24 Sondre Lerche w/ Sylvie Lewis 6pm Doors.

WED. NOV. 26 The Still High Tour • METHOD MAN and REDMAN w/ Termanology & Big Pooh
7pm Doors.

SUN. NOV. 30 Q-TIP w/ The Cool Kids & Pacific Division 7pm Doors.

VELVET LOUNGE:
FRI. Nov. 7 Velodrome Dance Party (Italo Disco, HI NRG, etc)
FEATURING A SPECIAL SET BY Ra Ra Rasputin.
DJ sets by Scott B. and Ed Porter.
9pm

THE ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL:
SAT. Nov 01 Murs, w/ Kidz in the Hall, Big Pooh of Little Brother, and Isaiah
830pm

SAT. Nov. 15 The Dance Party w/Ra Ra Rasputin, Greenland, and the Nunchucks
DOORS 8:30PM. FIRST BAND 9PM
(and upstairs on that very same night)
Garutachi Indie Dance Night! with DJ Ca$$idy and Austin.
21+ | 930PM-230AM

Scottish post-punk legends Orange Juice to REUNITE

What an incredible piece of news I've just received (courtesy of Jason M. of the Spiritual Machine). According to Idolator Orange Juice will be reuniting when they are honored by Nordoff-Robbins, a music therapy organization. Edwyn Collins, the group's frontman suffered a debilitating stroke several years ago, and later contracted a serious infection while in hospital. While his road to recovery has been a difficult one, he has never given up hope. Furthermore, in recent years, the his work with Orange Juice has gained recognition from a new generation of post-punkers. Fellow Glaswegians Franz Ferdinand, for example, have repeatedly praised the work of Orange Juice.

Now the real question is, which version of Orange Juice will be performing with Edwyn? Will it be the scrappy Postcard era version of the group? Or will it be the awkward, yet more confidently funky Polydor lineup? Maybe both? I have no idea. I know this sounds a bit absurd, but I do believe that it would be worth the money to fly to the UK to witness this evening.

So please enjoy these clips from YouTube. We love you Edwyn!

"Poor Old Soul" and "Rip It Up"


"I Can't Help Myself"


"Dying Day"

The Smiths to reunite for Coachella 2009 ???

The Pixies
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Smiths

These are among the messiest and most painful breakups in pop music. Frank Black dissolved the Pixies and informed his bandmates by fax. The Jesus and Mary Chain notoriously split on stage at a House of Blues show in 1998. But the Smiths, probably had the most difficult breakup of all. Johnny Marr left the group before their final album was released. And in the 1990s, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, band’s rhythm section sued Marr and singer Morrissey claiming that they’d been jilted out of songwriting royalties.

In the last five years, however, we’ve seen the reunions of both the Pixies and the Jesus and Mary Chain. We’ve also been lucky enough to see Gang of Four, My Bloody Valentine and Mission of Burma return to the stage. So you can imagine that I was not that surprised when I checked out NME this morning to see a story about a possible Smiths reunion for Coachella 2009. Apparently “the buzz around the people who used to work for the band is they could play Coachella for a ludicrous amount of money.” Now, rumors of a Smiths reunion are nothing new. But given the current musical climate, maybe we need the Smiths to come back and remind us why they were so great in the first place. And it seems as though someone may've come up with enough cash to get them to forget about the fact that there was a showdown in a British courtroom a decade ago.

Now I saw Morrissey back in 2005, and he was pretty good. His voice was strong and he was very impressive as a performer. And yes, I sang along when he played songs from his old group. Nonetheless, those songs sounded incomplete without Marr’s jangling guitars, or Rourke and Joyce’s solid bass and drums. I they reunited, I know it wouldn’t be the same. But the Smiths broke up when I was 5 years old. They're all still very strong performers. I'd be a fool to miss a chance to see them live. And who cares about the money. If it means that they can live a little more comfortably, then great.

I have suffered horrible conditions and long waits for only a few bands (ahem, Radiohead). After all the Smiths have done for me, spending three days in the California deserts would be nothing.

“Bigmouth Strikes Again”
(From the Old Grey Whistle Test, 1986
Featuring Craig Gannon on rhythm guitar).


UPDATE:
The story has just been refuted by Johnny Marr's management.
Click here for the whole story. Sigh