Don’t you Forget about: Simple Minds

This is a new series for my blog. In addition to my usual essays, I’ll be posting YouTube videos by bands that I believe deserve a second chance.

THIS WEEK'S VIDEO: Simple Minds “I Travel”
It’s rather unfortunate that Simple Minds are only remembered for their cover of “Don’t You Forget About Me” and their shameless arena rock grandstanding during the mid to late 1980s. When they started, Simple Minds was one of the most intriguing and challenging groups around. Their first five albums, recorded between 1978 and 1982, boasted the influence of American New Wave, Giorgio Moroder, avant-garde jazz and punk. Yet their music never came off as contrived or frigid. There was always a believable emotional edge to their songs.

The song “I Travel” was the first single from Empires And Dance (1980). Vocalist Jim Kerr wrote the politically charged number after noticing the stark differences between East and West Berlin. While Kerr would later regret his “unmoved” vocal performance on the album version, he certainly makes up for it in concert. I stumbled upon this German TV performance a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to stop watching it since.



LINKS:
More Information on “I Travel”

My Life With Dead Beat, Part II: Interview with Haley Baptiste

Interviews like the one posted below are the sort of thing that prompt people to post comments expressing their confusion over what they just read. But to be fair, I kinda guess that Andrew would play straight man to Haley's joker. It's irreverent and quirky encounters like these that keep music journalism from being an dry and tedious bore.
Sadly, we never got around to talking about Felt or Maximum Joy.


Your dad (pictured above)used to play in the Beatnik Flies. Did you decide to start playing the drums because of him?
Not that it's any of your Zagat rated businesses, but my dad still plays in the Beatnik Flies.
I never had a choice in deciding to play music, seein' as how come along the lines of for the first 5 years of my life I spoke only in tongues and Beatles lyrics which led my old ma and pa to do the only thing they could think of: which was to...(Ed. note-abruptly cuts off)
And then I never stopped playing music again, tin can telephones notwithstanding...




How do you write songs with Dead Beat?
1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
3. Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
5. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal.
Return to freezer 2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
8. Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until
meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once


Would you ever consider recruiting other musicians to play with you and Andrew?
I don't know that I would recruit any other musicians to play with us,
per se, but I am definitely interested in recruiting anyone associated
with the Nurgle Death Guard Marine Army to join our group.
Also, the ineffable Samuel Chotzinoff once said "... it is impossible to deny that his music is a soporific, by the side of which the telephone book is a strong cup of coffee." I think that explains a lot, too.

Right now you play on a miniature set, thus giving your group a distinctly twee sound. Would you ever make moves to a full-size kit? Or would that change the dynamic of Dead Beat?
I.would. Never.


Why do you think that a lot of girls don't play in bands. Do you believe it's social conditioning or a genuine lack of interestt?
I think I'd like to focus more on why more boys don't play in bands, because I feel like the number of boys getting inspired by Led Zeppelin is shrinking at an alarming rate. Can you answer that? Since you're a boy? You know?


Well I don't stuff my jeans like Robert Plant used to, so I guess I can't respond. Regardless, do you have any predictions for 2008? What trend is going to sweep the underground music world and render everything that we currently enjoy obsolete?
I have a lot of predictions for 2008.
1. I will cut my hair
2. You will cut your hair
And listen... Just because I alone am privy to the next big trend that is going to sweep the underground music world doesn't mean everyone else should be. I worked really hard for my omniscience.

Five groups that you'd like to see reunite?
I cant answer that right now. (See third question down).

Ok, Five favorite songs right now ?
1. Crazy Town – whatever that song is called (ed. note-"Butterfly")
2. Velocity Girl – "Crazy Town"
3. Primal Scream – "Velocity Girl"
4. Motley Crue – "Primal Scream"
5. That plan didn't work out cause I hit a dead end. More songs should be titled "Motley Crue"


Every now and then you'll tell stories about visiting Brighton, England. Would you like to share a little something about your time spent in that dreary seaside town?
Nope
Fine!!! Then tell me a little bit about your other side projects
Right now I'm working on an essay I hope to get published. It's titled Pussy Control :How Prince Changed the Face of Sexual Politics with One Greatest Hits Album. It's about five groups I'd like to see reunite

My Life with Dead Beat

Dead Beat were once known as The Husbands, and this created an incredible amount of confusion, as there is a band from California with the same name. When they played their first show at the Wonderland Bar in Washington DC, I remember overhearing some people say “Oh this isn’t the right group at all!” Needless to say they soon changed their name to the Ex-Husbands before settling on Dead Beat.

Dead Beat is Andrew Bucket (guitar, vocals) and Haley Baptiste (drums,vocals). Both are longtime locals of the DC Metro area and are two of the friendliest faces that you can encounter in the late night party circuit. It is always a pleasure running into either of them. And living where I do, it happens quite often.

Because of internet issues and scheduling conflicts, I was only able to interview Andrew. Be on the lookout for an in depth conversation about Felt, Maximum Joy and all things weird and wonderful with the one and only Haley.

Until then, I present to you Señor Bucket:


First of all, how did you guys get together in the first place? When did it all start?
Well I met Haley at Wonderland in early 2005. It was a very different bar then. I think it was a very different DC then, too. Now you have "cool," yuppies.
Anyway, we were snowed in one weekend at Haley's house and we found a program that recorded music on her cousin's Mac. We were in the basement and there was a drum-set from Haley's youth and immediately next to it was her Dad's guitar. So one-two, we're a band. It was a joke though, we put it on MySpace for our friends to laugh about, but they took it seriously. Then we took it seriously.

Let's talk about your influences. I have to say that you two have pretty eclectic taste in music and it carries over into your work. What got you to pick up instruments and what's keeping you alive right now?
Well Haley and I have similar taste now, obviously. But I know she's had phases that I did not have. Riot grrrl being one of them.
The first band I ever freaked out over was Green Day and I was 11. That's a cute one I'm willing to admit. When I was 18 or 19 I heard the Jesus and Mary Chain and I still listen to them. Mazzy Star is a band I think I'll listen to for the rest of my life. Other bands that I really like are The Popguns, Velocity Girl (from our hometown!), also the original DC scene- The Beatnik Flies, the Slickee boys, and Tru Fax and the Insaniacs.


What music do you dislike right now?
I'm not sure. I don't know if I entirely hate any kind of music. I thought I hated The Killers, even though I'd never heard anything by them, but then I was in the car and heard some song and I thought it was an old New Order b-side…turns out…it was them. I was very embarrassed when Haley Googled the lyrics and told me who it was.
Anyway, I tend to get bored with music more than anything and the most boring music I can think of is Animal Collective.



Alright, look...the indie rock duo is hardly a new or novel approach to music. What is Dead Beat bringing to the game that the White Stripes, Mates of State or the Ravonettes aren't?
Well, duh. We know our roots. The only comparison I would reject is the Moldy Peaches, because we take our music seriously. I would say that we come from a more shoe-gaze/psychedelic school of rock and roll. The White Stripes do the blues, Beat Happening did pop, and we do pop, but we can also sing well. So we have that going for us. I think we're better than those bands to be honest. I mean we're a pretty cute little duo. I think Haley really puts me in context, and I put her in context. Our binary is really, really radiant—and it even blurs a little cuz we're both pretty queer.

Y'all have played a decent number of shows in the DC area. What do you enjoy about it? What do you hate?
I hate worrying about people coming to the show. DC is a small town and most of the clubs are booked by one guy who wants dance bands that are dressed like Ritchie Tenenbaum. So if you have an off-night and nobody comes, that could mean curtains for you at one of these places. But the Velvet Lounge and Wonderland are good to us and I'm getting to the point where I don't really want to play anywhere else unless they offer us the royal treatment, and even then I just don't know.
I also like I love playing with Ra Ra Rasputin. I also love meeting girls and getting free drinks, but my favorite thing, my absolute favorite thing is when you have a new song that you just know is going to be a hit, and you play it really well, and everyone loves it. That's what it's all about.



Five groups that you'd like to see reunite
Orange Juice
The Velvet Underground (and I would suggest Mike Watt on bass)
Velocity Girl
Misfits w/ Glen Danzig (of course)
Mazzy Star

Five favorite songs right now
“Shabop Shalom”- Devendra Banhart
“Walking With Jesus” Spacemen 3
“The People I’m Not”- Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
“Ain't No More Cane”- Burt Jansch and Rod Clements
“Black Diamond Halo”- The Beatnik flies w/ Mark Noone from the Slickee Boys

I must say, you two are quite the stylish pair. Would you mind giving away some of your secrets?
I just try to dress like Joe Dolan from the Beatnik Flies or Kim Cane from the Slickee Boys. But, if you don't know them, just read Japanese fashion magazines, it's all about wearing one of everything. Just keep adding things to your outfit, but only one of things that come in pairs. After you have like 25 or 27 things on, you should have a pretty good outfit.




You guys have written a lot of material since the Shoes EP. When can we expect some new recordings ?
Well the Shoes EP was recorded in one day using the microphone hole on a Mac computer. We have some friends at UMD that are going to give us some free studio time and we will probably record there and release a real album by like, Valentines Day. We haven't picked a title and Haley doesn't know this, but I thought maybe we could call it In Rainbows.


Well, I'm excited to hear what you come up with next. Now, tell me a little bit about your other musical endeavors.
We both record by ourselves, but I haven't heard any of her stuff. Her mom says it's really slow music. I usually make people songs as birthday gifts, or just any old occasion gifts, so I have those and maybe 40 songs I've done alone that are very much copying Marc Bolan's early stuff, even copying Leonard Cohen.
Haley and I had an electronic band called The Wicked Stench and we had a dance hit called Décédée, which is French for deceased.
I also have a band called Women that only plays private shows amongst friends and it's a true-blue shoe-gaze thing with lots of reverb and we do these video projection things while we're playing. Nothing new, but if you're going to imitate anything…ya know?


Do you have any predictions for 2008? What trend is going to sweep the underground music world and render everything that we currently enjoy obsolete?
I've already seen the noise thing get kind of good and I think that's pretty cool for the purpose of tear-down/rebuild philosophy. A good noise band can get down to the rudiments of sound and explode even the tiniest nuance. It's like looking through a microscope. The smart musicians, the really smart ones, smarter than any of us, will cultivate these new ways of making sound and will ultimately devise new paradigms. I heard about an instrument made up of a scanner that measured the luminosity of any object you put in front of it and converted the scan into a tonal value. The guy played it by putting things in front of the scanner and then taking them away, then he put on white gloves and played it with his hands.

Dead Beat @ MySpace
Women @ MySpace

Dead Beat will be performing on Saturday October 20th at the Velvet Lounge. Doors are at 9pm.

SNIPPET The Declining State of Black Entertainment Today: VH1 Hip Hop Awards 2007

This year’s VH-1 Hip Hop Honors was arguably the most tragic excuse of an award show I've seen all year.....and I watched the Oscars, the Grammys and the VMAs. Rather than hammer out a lengthy play by play of last night’s events, I’m going to focus on what I believed to be the biggest embarrassments to the honorees.

1.T-Pain.
During a tribute to the New Jack Swing era, T-Pain huffed his way through the Keith Sweat classic “I Want Her” without his trademark auto-tune. What brain surgeon of a programming director allowed this man to sing live? Not only did I discover that T-Pain has a dreadful voice, but the dude has zero stage presence.

2.Busta Rhymes
It was a cameo on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” that launched Busta Rhymes on a path towards international stardom. If you’ve ever seen a clip of Tribe and Leaders of the New School doing the track on the Arsenio Hall show, it’s pretty evident that a young Trevor Smith was on his way to much bigger things.
To see Busta Rhymes this evening was like seeing a drunk uncle wilin’ out on Tanqueray at a family party. He was fat, sloppy and fucking unintelligible. The man wasn't even trying to rap the verse that bought him fame and fortune. He was just screaming at the top of his lungs. The shit was just sorry.

3.Lupe Fiasco
There is no excuse for anyone to fumble the lyrics to “Electric Relaxation.” Especially not Phife’s verse. Period.

OK there was some good shit that went down.
The Highlights:
*Tracy Morgan rockin' a shearling coat and black Shelltoes.
*KRS-1...always a pleasure, sir.
*Ice-T's Crip-walkin
*Whodini doing “Friends”
*Harvey Keitel introducing Snoop Dogg
*A Tribe Called Quest closin’ out the show. Yes, Jarobi was there too. And yo, I had no idea that Phife was that short. Or maybe it's because Q-Tip is just really really tall.

Confession

When I was 18, I received a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. At the time I was playing in my first group, SCAM, and I decided to get some music that was supposed to “inspire me.” I decided to get a copy of the Ramones’ compilation All the Stuff and More Volume 1. I heard so much about them from my friends and I always liked hearing their music in skateboard videos (Plan B, Second Hand Smoke, slam section) so I figured why not!

About a week later, I returned the album and exchanged it for Pink Floyd’s Animals. Thirty years ago, a move like that would be considered treason by many. Thankfully, I was born into a generation that is a lot more open-minded to variety.

To this day, I still don't listen to a lot of punk or hardcore. Black Flag, Minor Threat, The Meatmen, Dead Kennedys, and a handful of others. I'm not nostalgic for the times when I used to listen to those groups obsessively, simply because I thought of them as a springboard. They were, gateway groups. As great as the early 80s was for punk music, there was so much more happening.

But why should I apologize? It's not like people are going to chew me out for admitting that I like Pink Floyd. Hell, The Mars Volta have built their career on some of the more difficult (and frustrating) corners of Pink Floyd's back catalogue. And while they often come off as self-indulgent or even downright awful, you have to admit, their first EP and album were pretty timeless. Summer of 2003, anyone?

Fin!

PS I'm one of those people who prefers the Clash's later albums (London Calling, Sandinista! and Combat Rock) to their "punk" stuff. Deal with it.

Why yes, I own this establishment (Part 2)

Part Two of Colonel K as bar owner series!

I'm actually more enthusiastic about numbers 51-100 because the selection is a lot more fun. I feel as though this half of the list includes the albums that would really get a party started. Outkast, Kraftwerk, James Brown, The Jam...they're all present and accounted for.

Sadly, some people didn't like 1-50. One commenter stated:

"But may I suggest you reserve 30 or so of the remaining places for the biggest selling album of each year since 1977. While this may mean you'll be forced to grudgingly purchase albums by the likes of Garth Brooks, it will save you alot of grief from customers not quite accustomed to the off-key caterwauling of the Mars Volta."

I couldn't help but chuckle (and then frown) when I read this. But rather than go into a lengthy rant, I'm going to put it very simply.
I chose these albums for MY fantasy jukebox for the following reasons:
a) These discs than adequately reflect my taste
b) They would attract a clientele that does not view music as wallpaper or background noise.
b) I don't care for Garth Brooks.

Besides, almost none of these albums would count as abraisive or difficult. Some of them may be loud (Slayer, the Jesus and Mary Chain, PIL), but there's nothing tuneless or difficult.

51. At the Drive In “Relationship of Command”
52. Iron Maiden “Number of the Beast”
53. Slayer “Reign in Blood”
54. The Cure “Pornography”
55. James Brown “Live at the Apollo 1962”
56. Three Six Mafia “Most Known Hits”
57. Fela Kuti “Zombie”
58. ABBA “Gold”
59. Gangstarr “Moment of Truth”
60. Ultramagnetic MCs “Critical Beatdown”
61. Portishead “Dummy”
62. De La Soul “3 Feet high and Rising”
63. Peter Gabriel “3 (aka Melt)”
64. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are BlackStar
65. Paul McCartney “Ram”
66. The Pale Fountains “Pacific Street”
67. Gang of Four “Entertainment!”
68. Outkast “ATLiens”
69. Fleetwood Mac “Rumors”
70. U2 “Achtung Baby”
71. Operation Ivy “Operation Ivy”
72. Daft Punk “Daft Punk”
73. RJD2 “Dead Ringer”
74. Notorius BIG “Ready to Die”
75. New Order “Substance”
76. Morrissey “Viva Hate”
77. Madvillian “Madvillany”
78. Lou Reed “Transformer”
79. Kraftwerk “Computer World”
80. The Feelies “Crazy Rhythms”
81. Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables”
82. Neu! “Neu!”
83. Can “Tago Mago”
84. The Jam “Greatest Hits”
85. The Jesus and Mary Chain “Darklands”
86. The Last Poets “The Last Poets”
87. The Rapture “Echoes”
88. Les Savy Fav “Inches”
89. Ladytron “604”
90. Public Image Ltd. “Metal Box”
91. Ride “Nowhere”
92. Rolling Stones “Some Girls”
93. Serge Gainsbourg “Melody Nelson”
94. Suede “Suede”
95. Blur “Think Tank”
96. Oasis “(What’s the Story?) Morning Glory”
97. The Zombies “Odessy and Oracle”
98. Fela Kuti “ITT”
99. Black Uhuru “Sinsemlia”
100.Steely Dan “Aja”

Why yes, I own this establishment (Part 1)

Top five dream jobs

1. Music Journalist
2. Staff reporter for major center-left newspaper e.g. New York Times or The Guardian or Le Monde
3. College professor (teaching modern European history)
4. Musician
5. Store owner (music store, unisex boutique, bar or nightclub)

Wonderland, which is located in a leafy section of DC’s Columbia Heights, remains one of the few bars that doesn't make me feel anxious or very, very annoyed. Its well-stocked jukebox makes it the ideal environment for posting up and getting away from your troubles. I was having a drink there this past spring when I decided to draft a list of 100 CDs that I’d want in the jukebox at my bar. For a number of reasons, I never got around to finishing this list.

You know, it is rather unfortunate that I have developed a serious dislike of American customer service. I don’t like the idea of service with a smile because I’ve never been paid a respectable wage to do it. A moody young man such as myself probably wouldn’t make much money in the service industry. Nonetheless, I still dream of the day that I could own a bar, this way it wouldn’t mater how I behaved at work, I’d be the boss!
Until that day comes, this list will remain a fantasy. Oh well.

1. The Clash “Combat Rock”
2. Depeche Mode “Violator”
3. Os Mutantes “A Divina Comédia Ou Ando Meio Desligado”
4. The Smiths “Meat is Murder”
5. Joy Division “Closer”
6. The Faint “Blank Wave Arcade”
7. John Coltrane “A Love Supreme”
8. The Pixies “Bossanova”
9. Echo & The Bunnymen “Ocean Rain”
10. Souls of Mischief “93 Till Infinity”
11. T.Rex “Electric Warrior”
12. The Beatles “Revolver”
13. Spacemen 3 “Perfect Prescription”
14. The Brian Jonestown Massacre “Give it Back”
15. The Dandy Warhols “Come Down”
16. Pink Floyd “Animals”
17. Happy Mondays “Bummed”
18. Minor Threat “Complete Discography”
19. The Meatmen “Studpowercock: The Touch and Go Years”
20. Roxy Music “For Your Pleasure”
21. Jay-Z “The Blueprint”
22. J-Dilla Donuts”
23. King Gheedorah “Take Me To Your Leader”
24. A Tribe Called Quest “The Low End Theory”
25. Duran Duran “Rio”
26. Upsetters “Double Seven”
27. Talking Heads “Fear of Music”
28. Orange Juice “Rip It Up ”
29. Japan “Tin Drum”
30. Primal Scream “Screamadelica”
31. Wire “Chairs Missing”
32. Wu-Tang Clan “Enter the Wu-36 Chambers”
33. Ghostface Killah “Supreme Clientele”
34. Guided By Voices “Alien Lanes”
35. Supergrass “Supergrass is 10”
36. DJ Shadow “Endtroducing”
37. Felt “Absolute Classic Masterpieces Vol 1”
38. British Sea Power “The Decline of British Sea Power”
39. Brian Eno “Here Come The Warm Jets”
40. Boogie Down Productions “Criminal Minded”
41. Television “Marquee Moon”
42. Love “Forever Changes”
43. The Misfits “Collection One”
44. Q and Not U “Different Damage”
45. Stevie Wonder “Songs in The Key of Life”
46. Grace Jones “Nightclubbin’”
47. Pavement “Terror Twighlight”
48. David Bowie “Scary Monsters”
49. Stereolab “Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements”
50. TV on the Radio “Return to Cookie Mountain”

(Part two coming at the end of this week)