OZ Beat: Music That Matters

Magnus Sleepwalker
(on Nefarious Records)

One goes through a thoroughly depressing pile of 46 CDs by unknown artists utterly bereft of advanced talent and imagination, calling "Next!," hoping against hope there might be one like this hidden there. Wherefore art though, Cinderella trying to get noticed behind her wretched stepmom/sisters? But at last, here she is, not too late for the ball!

What they remind of is early 1990s (i.e. comeback) Comsat Angels, with some Adam and Eve Catherine Wheel too. It's that marvelous swirling guitar edge, bonded to hard pop tunes that slowly but forcefully unfold and then implode, the pensive touches (love the trumpets and bits of piano, like on "Drinking With Baron," and the feeding back cello on "Awake"), the clear and clear-eyed singing, the long languid passages that give way to building storms, and riffs that catch you from first play. Excellent!

This Chicago group won't fall in line with prevailing indie rock elements, putting up a false intensity. They just let the delighting, surprising turns in their tightly-written and executed music speak volumes. I can't remember the last time I heard such inventive guitar passages from an American band that doesn't ape Neil Young, yet seems like they might have heard Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets or Radiohead's Ok Computer along the way, and understood the dynamic trichotomies of beauty, brain, and aggression inherent in both. I know next to nothing about Stephen and David Wade, George Patrick, or Scott Schaafsma (and Simon Hunt) other than that they had a 2002 debut EP I really need to get. But after playing their LP so much, I might write them a fan letter (and see if the slipper fits).

With music of this striking power right under our noses, the rest of America rock and its overwhelming mediocrity just lost its excuse.
--Jack Rabid

links:
http://www.magnusmusic.net
http://www.nefariousrecords.com

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Saw this west coast hard-core band at the Empty Bottle. The place was empty because International Pop Overthrow is in town. The band's CD is very good and the live show even better. Makes me want to revisit the CD. But, the standout of the night was the drummer. He sat so high above the kit that you could see him from knees--up. The cymbols were so high up that he could just reach them -- or when needed--stand up and bash the fuck out of them. I assumed he was either 7 feet tall with no legs--or 4 feet tall with gorilla arms. In fact, he was human. The band left the stage after a great set--and I cornered the drummer. The dude was completely modest, somewhat taken aback, and so happy that I was asking him about every thing he did behind the drum kit. It turns out that it is simply the way he bangs the drums. You don't have to love this band--although I'm getting close--to fully appreciate an extraordinary drummer. Front man tries hard--drummer steals the show! I couldn't take my eyes off him--even when the front man was writhing on the floor at my feet.
--Dem

The set started strong with 3 cuts from the Scene Creamers CD but quickly turned into a bore. A band that one year ago did one of the most inspired sets I have ever seen, was disappointing last fall and kind of a wate of time last Friday. The new material is very weak and the band seems to be involving into a funk band. That would be just fine--if they could play funk. I love good funk but when it is bad (quite frequently it seems) it is torture. I'm also not getting much of a spark from Ian and his performance has to be at top-level or the band's show to come off. It probably wasn't as bad as I am making it out to be--it was the high expectations that I went to the club with that made the performance seem all that much more lackluster. However, Friday's dismal show was more than made up for last night by BRMC and The Rapture--both bands putting on high-energy tight shows and The Rapture turning in a perfect set from start to finish.
--Dem

Run, run, run to get this CD. Produced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stoneage, it is butt-shaking great rock n roll. These songs are going to translate so well on stage. Solid beats, great vocals and a whole lot of fun. Might be my highest recommendation of a CD for this new year. The CD is fine throughout--but is worth the price for "Miss Alissa" alone. Nothing fancy--just great music. Also, Pixies announced US tour dates--Chicago is November 13th at the Aragon. I don't think on-sale date has been released yet for the
Fall part of the US tour.
--Dem

From: demhopkins
Date: Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:11 pm

Three shows--threedays. Magnus on Thursday was a lot of the band shaking the rust off. They have stripped down from a five-piece to four and have done a great job of it, although a touch awkward at time, still very impressive. They performed material from the recently released CD, which is getting a really nice response. A nice warm-up to the CD release April 30. The material is so good, but have to get this band to look a little more enthusiastic on stage. Once they start selling the music as performers--there is no stopping them. Franz Ferdinand on Friday was an amazing performance by a new band hitting Chicago for the first time. They sold and then sold harder. Even some of the weaker material worked because there was no way not to love this band's charm, presence and ability to rock. Influences on their sleeves--Starting off sounding like XTC, moving into a Fall-type-song and doing a tune that was spot-on "Blue Monday" by New Order (Ilene and I really thought they were doing it as a cover when it started). But, none of the obvious influences takes anything away from this band and what they accomplish on stage. Heidi, I was shaking my ass. The sold-out crowd loved this band; I'm looking forward to seeing them in June. My guess is that they will grow up a lot in a very short time period (ala Datsuns). Saturday--The Darkness. Neil, I heeded your warning and left the brain outside the door. Completely packed house at a medium sized club (2000 or so is my guess). I found the show really entertaining/funny for most of it. Hated the crowd, who seemed to think it was the second coming of something. This band had to begin as a parody, or outright joke, but from last night they are very serious about it now. One Chicago paper that recommended the show said to see them now because they will be exposed if they do a second album (it also urged them NOT to do a second album). All bets are off--The Darkness announced that they ARE doing a second album. I'm not surprised. I walked out of the show thinking that the 4 major labels are already hunting to find 87 bands just like them. That is something that I would truly hate to see happen. Fun--five stars. Music--barely a twinkle.

I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from seeing this show for the sheer entertainment factor. Having attended some metal concerts in my past and run the gauntlet of musical tastes that I’m sure would be considered “bad,” I can appreciate the fun that something like The Darkness offered. I was excited to see them work it. From the beginning of the show, they built the drama of the entertainment factor. The packed room swelled with fans donning their matching Darkness shirts, all swirling in the build, mesmerized by the large white curtain strung across the stage only adding to the anticipation. Lights dim and against the white sheet shielding the stage, a giant shadow of a man posing with a guitar appears. Immediately the crowd blew into an applause I haven’t heard matched (sadly) by many of the concerts I’ve attended this year.

I was certain that some pyrotechnics might be a nice touch at the beginning, but this was amiss, probably because it did not swing the venue guidelines. Instead as the music started the curtain was dropped from the top down and fell dramatically to reveal the lightshow extraordinare along with The Darkness. Enough long hair to make for a dramatic head bang, one guitarist in his Thin Lizzy t-shirt and the bass player with his handkerchief headband wrapped around his puffy dark hair--looking strikingly similar to the bass player in Spinal Tap. I thought oh yes! This is going to be fun. They started the set with a purely instrumental opening, sounding much like the beginning of an AC/DC intro riff -- except that was the whole song. The crowd went insane at this intro-turned-full-length song while the people next me were screaming “yeah! What a great way to start the show!!” With his white fuzzy low cut vest, the lead singer only wore this shirt for under a minute and off it came to expose tattoos and his black ultra low spandex complete with glitter butterfly sweeping out from the crotch area. More insanity from the crowd.

My favorite song in the entire set was “Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman, Motherfucker.” This was pretty much the whole song… if ever you hear it, you will be able to sing along with confidence. Speaking of, they actually had a little audience interaction on this one and it goes like this, “I saw ‘mother,’ you say ‘fucker.’ Some back and forth with the microphone to the audience and we all sang along. Motherfucker was the word he ended out doing high notes scales. Never heard the word done like before, but it was effective.

Favorite costume change was costume number two: A glitter blue swirly spandex with giant feather sticking out from the spine. Best band interaction: The guitar player and front man rant toward each other, did a jump and high five combo during the song. Best audience member comment: “These guys are fucking amazing… yeah!” Best heavy metal memory: I saw girls sitting on top of their boyfriends shoulders holding up lighters. A long standing metal tradition I had forgotten because I can’t imagine this ever happening at any of the shows I’ve seen lately. And I surmise it’s difficult to maintain balance mobility with your girlfriend on your shoulders in the mosh pit.

The Darkness instructed everyone to get out their lighters for their ballad, and this audience was amazing. They all had lighters up in seconds and he was counting them out. Anytime the singer would do anything (he was fond of the thumbs-up sign), the audience immediately mimicked it back. Even down to the sign of Satan, all gave the sign back, and he even took time to nicely explained to us all what that meant. I was starting to question the audience at this point. I don’t think they took Neil’s advice, but really were taking them seriously as musicians. Many people around us were not laughing and they were quite upset at the laughter coming from Dem and I (one guys next to us was laughing. Three out of 2000 isn’t bad.) This thought was only later confirmed when while by the bar (after feeling the need to back away from our front stage position to avoid an increasingly ravenous crowd), I overheard three people talking about the band. One saying “You know he [the lead singer] is really working hard and not too happy with the way this tour is going. He’s such perfectionist. But I have to say this album is the best I’ve heard in 20 years.”

The problem I see with The Darkness is this: possibly they did take themselves too seriously because of all the hype and because of how seriously the audience was taking it. They finished out the encore with “(I Believe) in a Thing Called Love.” We were way at the back of the venue by then because the crowd was ravenous, but it turned out to be a good thing even though that’s the song I wanted to hear. I made the mistake of looking at the stage for the last costume change and was blinded momentarily by the flood wall of white lights that were probably used to simulate spacecraft lighting for the film Close Encounters. I might have been blinded, but the people up front probably had radiation burns.


I found myself having a lot of fun and digging on some of the tunes until The Darkness announced “Here’s a brand new one that we’ve never played before in our lives, one that we’d like to include on our second album. It’s called up shit creek without a paddle.” Uh oh. I do hope that statement was all a part of the fun. I started to get a little lost when I felt maybe they weren’t kidding and although it may have started as a wonderful concept band, they may have actually bought their own act. This required some thought on my part (after I left the show, sorry, I couldn’t help myself).

Things the Darkness might want to consider adding to future gigs to sustain the extravanganza if they are serious about a second album and tour:

1) Stuffing of the crotch (Dem’s idea). I believe this to be a brilliant idea and one that should be practiced often in these cases. With each costume change by the front man—he did three—his low cut spandex swept along his pubic line to show off his flames tattoo coming off a not so impressive package. If the flames on your tattoo run the risk of being bigger than the actual package they’re coming off of, I’d say it’s time for a new suit or a bigger sock.

2) Don’t just throw guitar picks into the audience, maybe throw the actual guitars too, because I wonder if they were needed anyway.

3) Drum solo. Where the hell was that? I was anticipating it all night long and it never came. Any self-respecting 80s throwback should know that this is the reason everyone comes to the show.

4) Additional love lost ballad. My friend Bill always told me that the only reason metal bands included them in their set was because it afforded the boyfriends time to get more drinks and make a bathroom stop. They had one ballad, which reminded me of Journey, but it just wasn’t enough.

5) More mid-air jumps ending with high-fiving on stage between guitarists. This is just fun to watch and seems to get the audience revved for the next round of one-chord solos.

6) Guitar solos played with body parts. They had the guitar solo being played behind the back, which works if you are Jimi Hendrix because you are already a guitarist. But when your pink glitter guitar has stopped being the major focal point, and you are actually trying to play the guitar, things like playing with tongues, your butt, or maybe your hair. If they had piled high 80s glam metal hair, it would have been stiff enough to pick out a couple chords.

7) Gymnastics lessons. The lead singer attempted many David Lee Roth high splits jumps (and I have seen David Lee Roth pull them off live), but he ended up looking a little like a sad rendition of leap frog or possibly kindercare tumble mat hour. Unless that was the point, then kudos Darkness for the comedy. They should add more slip and falls to the show, it might be even better.

8) Not sure if it can be done, but I might like to see a tragic gardening accident occur onstage with the drummer. Maybe he could practice horticulture while doing his drum solo and then self-combust…. And they could pull someone out of the audience to go on tour with them as replacement drummer. It would be a combination of the movies Spinal Tap and Rock Star.

9) Try to hide the surprised expression that you are actually onstage playing music. Mr. Thin Lizzy t-shirt man reminded me throughout of someone saying, “Hey everybody look at me… I’m playing a guitar!” I swear when he had to do the third guitar change, he was still feeling around inspecting the guitar like “Where the heck does this thing unplug from?” Then the roadie had to help him figure it out, so it’s good that they have some assistance.

10) Go to 11.

--Becky

Date: Tue Mar 16, 2004 9:34 pm

The best of plans--go so awry. I got to see TCTC in Toronto and it ranks as one of the best shows in my life. What I saw in NYC (about a 40-45 minute show) was not just doubled--but 10-fold. 15 songs stretching over 1.5 hours and all on fire. Was lucky to be standing at the stage in a great club--Lee's Palace. Even copped the set list. The crowd screamed for more after the band left and the music was turned up and the lights on. The band literally brought tears to my eyes. Songs like "Did You Miss Me" completely changed when used toward the end of the set instead of an opener like in NYC. Music Box continues to be one of the most amazingly performed live songs I have seen. I will use the October review comparison--no band has done this to me since Roxy Music in early 1970s. Didz has to be the best bassist in rock and great to look at. Ben is the front man extraordinaire--mouthing nothing but feeling where the music is going until his next line. The smiles from the entire band, knowing their words are coming from Ben's mouth and being completely comfortable allowing him to voice their poetry. At the same time, every band member except the drummer mouthing every word whether they are near a microphone or not. Again, except the drummer, everybody in the band performs whatever function is necessary to achieve the sound. The CDs just can't do them justice--even blaring on headphones. I love this band so much that having to miss them in Detroit and Chicago justs eats at me. But, shit happens. The Toronto show was total magic and if I didn't have to work I would follow this band wherever they go. I feel so fortunate to have just seen them again. I can't wait too long for another fix.
--Dem

From: Neil
Date: Tue Mar 9, 2004 12:12 pm

Saw the Libertines on Saturday, the middle of three London gigs that rounded off their UK tour. They filled the 5,000 capacity venue for all three, so it probably marks their entrance to a higher plane of rock notoriety or, if you prefer, fame. We spent most of the afternoon in the pub chatting to all and sundry, among them four lads who had traveled down from Liverpool. They'd already seen the band in their own city but were so stoked they had to see them again. I know how they feel! I'm afraid that gig details are sketchy because of the aforementioned pub stop and various Libs-style indulgences, but suffice to say they are still on top form and the new stuff sounds as interesting and idiosyncratic and energetic as ever.

Glad Dem & Co liked BSP. I like them too, but can see they are very much an acquired taste, so Heidi may find they are not for her. Their shows are always a spectacle and it sounds like the Chicago one was no exception. Did the giant bear make an appearance?

I trust all you Americans will be making every effort to see Franz Ferdinand on their current US tour. Trust me - it will be worth it. And remember - it's leather for leisure and velcro for sport!
--NeilM

"Bring me...... a shrubbery!!"
"A shrubbery?"

Yes, a shrubbery! And there was no lack of it at The Bottle Saturday night. I've been sick as shit all week and had to talk my way out of a hospital stay on Thursday, but there was no way I was going to miss BSP on Saturday! I wanted taxidermy animals and a hefty side order of shrubbery and I was going to get it! Damn it!

Standing at the stage had it's advantages and disadvantages. Advantage: we were able to grab the keyboard player's shrubbery ourselves and wave it around for a while- (we feared pissing people off, but figured to hell with it! Wave the shrubbery!! Wave it! Share it!! Pass it!) Disadvantage: getting a face full of dandelion heads and assorted feathers and other really bad things to breath as the band came on stage and dumped a big old bag full of forest findings on the front row faithful.

I agree whole heartedly with Dem, the musicianship demonstrated was absolutely amazing, but as usual, what struck me was how much fun these guys were having on stage! My favorite, was at the end of the show when the keyboardist jumped up from the milk crate he'd been riding hobby horse style all evening, (adorned in our stolen shrubbery and a fallout helmet with a duck and some leaves stenciled on it) grabbed the guitarist and flipped him over his back, holding him upside down while the dude kept playing, then they both tumble to the ground, somersaulting around the stage, (still playing mind you)....brilliant! They blew me away too! Well worth the health risk kids!

Opening act Kaito UK (?) were an interesting flashback for me. Reminding me at times of The Slits, The B-52's, X-Ray Specs and as Becky pointed out Belinda Carlisle (of The Go-Go's). Wish they had varied their sound a little more, but I really did like what I heard and saw.
--Sky