Another Pretty Face

From: dem
Date: Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:52 pm

First Listen Review:
1973, NYC, there was a band called Another Pretty Face (APF). They were huge on the east coast. Music magazines didn't understand glam any more than they understand music now. There were great write-ups and pictures and lots of "sings like Bowie, sounds like Roxy" comparisons. I actually liked those references. APF is my favorite glam band of all time. I am biased a bit because T (front man) was my boyfriend and I spent some time living with him and the band. I have had these songs in my head all these years and have tracked down T's current project (Zen For Primates), as well as a 1980 APF release that didn't do the band justice at all. I have always wanted that 1973 APF sound on my turntable instead of just a memory. All these years later, it is finally being released. It is produced by Ed Stasium, and it is the real first thing that he produced.

His bio:
Producer Ed Stasium first surfaced in 1970 fronting the band Brandywine, appearing on their sole LP Aged. When he returned to the music industry three years later, it was as a recording engineer, working on a wide variety of projects ranging from the Chambers Brothers' Unbonded to Barry Miles' Magic Theater to Sha Na Na's Sha Na Na Now. Stasium's long affiliation with American punk and new wave -- and the latter-day alternative rock they jointly inspired -- began in 1977, the year he engineered both the Ramones' Leave Home and Talking Heads' Talking Heads '77. His production career began a year later with the Ramones' Road to Ruin, followed in 1979 by work on the group's It's Alive and the soundtrack to the film Rock 'N Roll High School. Stasium enjoyed perhaps his greatest success during the latter half of the 1980s -- in addition to engineering Mick Jagger's Medium Cool, he scored a major hit with Living Colour's Vivid, and also produced acclaimed outings from Soul Asylum (Hang Time), the Long Ryders (Two Fisted Tales) and Julian Cope (Saint Julian). In 1990, he helmed the Smithereens' hit 11, reuniting with the group a year later for Blow Up; Marshall Crenshaw's Life's Too Short and Motorhead's 1916 appeared around the same time. Productions from acts including the Hoodoo Gurus (Crank) and the Reverend Horton Heat (Space Heater) followed as the decade progressed. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

I'll be posting more about the APF release as the issue date nears--looking like 6-8 weeks. T sent me a copy (pre-final mix) but it is brilliant. The great lost glam album and, perhaps, the definitive glam statement. As queer as Jobriath, as musical as Roxy, and as a band they were absolutely unafraid to cover a good song. Versions of Bang A Gong and Da Do Ron Ron are not to be believed. Can't wait to share this with you.
--Dem

Big Day Out plus -- Sydney

From: melanie
Date: Mon Jan 26, 2004 7:02 pm

Here is a rambling Sydney Big Day Out account.... I went to side shows all week, then went to both Fri and Sat BDO.

Having seen the Darkness 3 times in the last week, OMG they are amazing live!!!!!! I don't care if they are serious or not, I think they are serious, but in a very knowing theatrical way. One of the lycra jump suits on Saturday had a devil's tail on it - you don't allow that if you can't appreciate the humour of it. I saw them in a small club, and they put on the most amazing show. Saw them twice at the BDO, 1pm, relatively few people there and they just owned that stage. They are probably one of the most entertaining bands I've ever seen. Music totally derivative, still rock, but they've put the "show" back in showbiz. I think they are more theatre than band, but what fun!! They were followed by The Datsuns, who were really good, made me forget The Darkness for a while, but after they'd finished I was back to The Darkness was my highlight.

Also saw The Strokes 3 times, 2 BDOs and a 5000 punter hall. There were very tight, but only Julian had any interaction with the crowd, it was almost like an incredible backing band, with the singer. The lights were very pretty to look at, but added to the non-personality on stage - they whole stage was continually awash with almost a single colour, nothing was picked out. I did enjoy them a lot though - the 2 BDOs I watched them form the VIP area in the stands – very glad I did the first night since a huge thunderstorm came over mid set, amazing pink sky with the lightening, and it poured. The Saturday BDO, still watched them from the comfort of the stands, and kept being accused of enjoying them too much - jaded industry people...

Saw Muse at a smallish 1200 punter club show, and most of their sets at the BDOs, very dramatic and tortured. Seeing Muse and Lost Prophets, I can sort of understand what TCTC came out of, I think I wasn't keeping up with English music there for a while...

JET were amazing (keep using that word) They've got a keyboard player for some of the set now and it's filled out the sound a lot. Their confidence level has gone up, and they didn't have the weak vocalist singing any songs in the 45min set - very hard, and obviously enjoying themselves. Pia from the Dandy Warhols played tambourine for Are you Gonna be my Girl? Members of The Strokes, and Kings of Leon watched from the side. They played on a side stage, but would've done OK on the main stage. They certainly pulled a lot of people off to the sidestage - the most packed I saw it both days.

I managed 2.5 songs of Metallica before retreating to the saftey of a KISS cover band on a small stage - I find Metallica a bit too fierce to cope with.

Flaming Lips were the last band of the day they were on the same side stage Jet played earlier - the Friday night show they had Peaches and entourage in costumes, Saturday was The Strokes (Fab with Drew), Jet, KoL, and others. Delightful show, made everyone very warm and fuzzy and hugging everyone they bumped into afterwards :)

Saw a lot of other stuff, but nothing outstanding (except Kamahl which would probably mean nothing to anyone other than Australians, so I won't bother with that bit... his t-shirts sold out by the 2nd day of his 4 BDO appearances...)

Anti-Flag

From: Andrew
Date: Mon Jan 19, 2004 5:27 pm

Wow, so much energy was put into that show, I can't even describe it. The opening band was Much the Same, followed by None More Black, Against Me!, Rise Against, and finally Anti-Flag. Not much happened while Much the Same was playing, there was an attempt to mosh, but the security guards were always breaking it up. They seemed like they were really tired up on stage. Well, NMB got up and they were even better than the last time I saw them. They played about 3 times faster than they recorded it. They were amazing. I managed to get surfed up on the stage, and took my first stage dive. Amazingly the crowd managed to catch every diver. The security guard saw me, so I got down. The mosh pit was really good- pure slam dancing, and no nazis, just the way I like it. Sadly NMB couldn't play longer, but Against Me had the crowd pretty aggravated. People were throwing a lot of random items at them including- water bottles, quarters, nickles, condoms, food, and paper. Musically they were okay, but not as fast as I hoped. The security at that point couldn't do anything about the mosh pit, so they went on the stage and tried to stop anyone from diving. They were catching quite a few people. Well after Rise Against started playing, this one kid got surfed up on to the stage and he waved at the guards, they took it full sprint at him, and he jumped into the crowd, the security had hold of his shirt, but he slipped away just in time. After he successfully dived the whole crowd cheered for him, and a few songs later, they just gave up on it--PUNKS WIN AGAIN!!!! Rise Against was very fast and aggressive, their lead singer leaning into the crowd was intense, and having us shout the words into the mic. and Anti Flag, when they took the stage it was madness. There was a huge circle pit, and at one point in time about 5 guys jumped into the crowd at the same time, like it was synchronized swimming. So I got on stage again, and started dancing around with the band. I ran up to the end of the stage, and took the biggest leap I could, the crowd surfed me for quite a while, and then some other guys went on stage and started singing into the mics, so by the end of the show there was a full sized mosh pit on the stage with the band. They closed with their song Die For Your Government which everyone knows the words to, and I and some other kids I met at the metro happened to recognize each other, and we were all at the same mic singing the words. It was awesome. Milwaulkee has got a great scene.

YYYs show in NYC

From: Becky Little
Date: Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:59 am

Saw one of the best YYYs shows so far. I’ve only seen them twice so this will make number three, but I must admit I was kind of looking forward to this show only for the fact that I was lucky enough to get a chance to see them in NYC. Started the set with the hidden track off Fever To Tell and that’s when I had to run all the way around the back of the room and off to the side for a better view. My sound wasn’t so hot standing off to the side, but I saw Karen the whole time parading her transparent glitter bodysuit, pink fuzzy boa, complete with leather belted bikini bottoms to match. No doubt this catchy ensemble was inspired by the amazing weather in NYC this weekend… it’s a tropical – 4 degrees wind chill. Parkas in the audience and Karen O in her happy home outfit, the audience may have loved her for that alone.
The sound was much better at Metro in Chicago, and if I could have put this show at the Metro, it would have been perfect (and probably warmer weather in Chicago right now, which is just sick and wrong). But then it wouldn’t have been this show, for the location lending to Karen’s energetic mood. She was all over the stage jumping around… very much her own cabaret and burlesque show all at once.

It was a little different in the sense that she was very quiet while at the same time screaming wonderful deep-throated desperation… and then back to short squealing and crystal vocals. After seeing YYYs in Chicago back in November, it was a little disappointing—an ill Karen and a short show. I have to say right off that about half-way through this show, I was looking at a packed room, listening to Karen O screaming like no other times I’ve seen, and one thought ran through my head. Karen loves NYC and NYC loves her, and she wants to make this special. About 10 minutes later, Karen said to the audience, "I just chipped my tooth on the microphone trying to impress you. Who gives a fuck, right? This is fucking NYC. It’s been sooooooo long. Look at how many people are here!" She just kept repeating NYC … NYC. Then went on to say, "I’d like to dedicate this next one to NYC but I’m not even sure if it’s good enough for you. But I dedicate it anyway." She launched into Art Star. She may have chipped more than a tooth on that one. Beautiful.

She hit almost every song off of Fever To Tell and the EP. Some highlights for me were Bang, Miles Away, and Y Control. But tonight’s version of Modern Romance was truly amazing. The vocals were perfection. It really got me. So clear, so heartfelt, as if serenading all of New York. That’s how she ended up the show (last song of a three-song encore). She made them get the disco ball going, swirling lights (gotta love the disco ball romance against a black backdrop), standing center stage quite still and just delivering her voice to fill the room scapes. I closed my eyes and let this one just filter through me. I guess Karen in her home town does make a difference. I was glad to have seen this show despite the many other theater attractions, and after all, tomorrow is another day. She couldn’t say enough about how glad she was to be at home and really gave herself. I just felt like it was very personal for her and I have no doubt that she was trying very much to impress her gratitude for NYC’s existence. It was clear freedom, and I loved her for loving us. Oh there’s nothing like a little music to make you feel right at home. I was so inspired, I walked the 14 blocks back to the hotel (I’m on a business trip) past trash bags piled on the front curbside city streets waiting for pick-ups, the leftover holiday lights, Times Square flash, all-night delis, angry buses, blaring horns, the XXX shows, Empire State Building popping it’s horizon, shoes on pavement of frozen spit; then quiet narrow side streets with their tiny parks, sleepy offices, and brilliant architecture, both old and new. And I think, how could you not love it all? Everything seems a serenade to wake in me the safety of dreams.

Flaming Lips/ The White Stripes

From: dem
Date: Sat Jan 3, 2004 12:46 am

The Aragon Ballroom is exactly that--a ballroom meant for orchestras, not electric music. I've been hanging there for 30 years and this show made me affectionate toward the space for the first time in a long time. Both the Lips and Stripes had done intensive soundchecks and from the minute the Lips took to the stage--it was obvious this was going to be a special night. The Lips did their usual trippy show with a good choice of material and all the psychedelics that one would expect. Then, they literally passed the baton to Jack White. I've seen the Stripes both brilliant and going through the motions in the past. They were on fire as Jack claimed his rightful place as the new guitar god. The stage was framed in red--almost as if the stage had become an intimate caberet. Jack had the spotlight on him throughout the night as well as the stage being lit. The Stripes had some very cool (and much appreciated) psychedelics of their own to turn loose on the crowd and Jack provided guitar solos that made it hard to decide between dancing to the beat or just staring in awe. All the potential that Jack has shown is suddenly very real.

Elephant hinted that Jack would confidently declare himself one of the world's great guitarists--and his performance backed it up. The song selection was decidedly upbeat, as a New Year's Eve show should be. Meg's Ann Margaret / Loretta Lynn persona was only topped by the mammouth sound she demanded from her drums. No, she isn't the greatest drummer--but, as Becky said--she is the right drummer for him at this time. Two CDs ago, it was imaginable to me that Jack would outgrow this "band." He may change lineups in the future—but it won't be because he has outgrown what he has going on right now. The show was simply Jack's guitar caberet and with all of the lights, commitment to performance, and Jack showing that he can deliver vocals with the best of them---it was still Jack and his fucking unparalleled guitar work. One Chicago critic said that Jack seemed awkward in this same room last July and so very at home just these few months later. I didn't get the sense he was out of place last July but I am sure that he has his sights set on much larger arenas--and almost to a person--the crowd that was at this show will follow. The Lips have built their following by delivering the goods live--Jack White proved he can fill those shoes.
--Dem

Flaming Lips/ White Stripes send me to 2004

From: Becky Little
Date: Fri Jan 2, 2004 9:45 pm

i missed Blanche altogether, but after vying for position in the center of the Aragon, Flaming Lips gathered onstage starting off the show with "Fight Test," one of my favorite songs off the new CD. the stage filled with colors and lights to either side of the stage, a giant movie screen backdrop with a naked woman shimmy dancing, surrounded by 20-foot macy's parade balloon figures: happy faced sun, planets, topless females wearing assorted animal heads (the pink panther, a white tiger, etc) and a huge glittery waving alien to tie it all together. i was immediately placed in the middle of the universe, which is exactly where flaming lips belong. they started the trip into 2004 right: great love for everything, sex, fun, twisted, let's fuck everything and come out whole, fulfilled and happy for the spectacular oddity we all are. connecting us all, as if to say let's create our own private universe to celebrate the passing of one time into the next. yet i always get the feeling with flaming lips that no time or space boundaries are applicable, this was no disappointment in seeing them live. then the balloon drop (before the big 2004 drop). giant balloons, yellow, green, blue, white and then regular sized ones to go along, most of which obstructed the view of the stage, but as the music played, it was so right on because it only placed me even deeper into the show, reminding me of planetary life bouncing all around us--here comes the giant yellow balloon... hey that's the sun... and as quick as it descended upon me, it was batted away by my neighbor. there was a great rendition of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, everyone goes nuts. later in the song, Wayne gets out this rubber faced monkey puppet and asks us all to sing with the monkey (not much to ask since much of the show was a sing-along anyway). and who can turn down singing along with a monkey? not me. all i remember is laughing and a giant monkey face in the camera onscreen contorting faces and wide-mouthed, holding the longest note, "but you won't let those robottttttts-----------" the monkey outlasted us all.

one highlight for me was the segways that they showed on the movie screen backdrop. first a black screen with white letters read, "A Public Service Announcement." they show a guy walking into a public bathroom stall, sits down on the toilet, pulls open the top of his head and takes out a piece of his brain. then a close up on his bloody brain piece and a credit card as the guy proceeds to cut up his brain and does a few lines. close up on the nose. Black screen and then public message: "Don't Snort Your Brain" then "Just Like the Flaming Lips... Like We Do." beautiful. of course, a second highlight, Lips do their tribute to Jack White "Thank You Jack White..." and everyone sings as well. let us not forget the sing-along to Auld Ange Syne" Wayne pointing out that it's "Auld" not "Old" so sing it "Owwwllld." another point, crowd goes nuts to the twanging guitar, immediately singing before the song even starts, the movie screen switches to a girl rolling around in a bath with, yep you guessed it, tangerines. everyone singing along to, "She Don't Use Jelly." they ended it all up with "Do You Realize??" perfection. they didn't do many songs, but stretched them as long as possible without ever breaking the magic. i was into this show... all i felt was: love this moment -- just love all the moments -- because it's not gonna last forever, but tonight, let's believe it will. we all did, and happily so. just happy.

a big break in between and the crowd is still riding the good vibe of the Lips, then White Stripes burst in When I Hear My Name. You've all got the playlist from Sir Neil (thanks Sir Neil!). I will rely on Dem and Ilene go with bigger musical commentary, but all I can say having never seen them play live before is: Jack knows no bounds, he could play a stalk of celery and make me wet....he'd probably do the same for the celery. Meg delivers a hit to frame such blazing blues riffs that i can't even imagine a drum solo. why? it's all about getting that guitar to frenzy unreachable heights. and to see him play it like nothing, true amazement. some swaying notes to turn a body into rubber. I think if this music could materialize, i'd see skyscrapers bending against red skies while vibrating shudder jello. Jack would say, "you want the sears tower? here just let me bend it over for you."

then the best part of the evening... the countdown to midnight. as we hit about 30 seconds Wayne was yelling out "ahh come on, hurry up!" then the bullhorn to entrée 2004 and all-arms and troubles thrown to the skies, as red white and black balloons tumble over the audience to that animal stalking low guitar riff and Meg's slamming beat into Seven Nation Army. i was screaming my head off. Wayne blasting off the bullhorn with siren sounds at all the right places. hello 2004--a seven nation army couldn't hold me back. brilliance ... nothing better. Ball and Biscuit -- just reeked of sex and blues slide. one particular fun thing for me was listening to Jack sing. high voice falsettos everywhere (at times i had no idea what he was even saying-- i didn't care. i just wanted to hear him frantic.) it added such twisted audio fetishism that even "We're Going to be Friends" became a little dangerous. i loved it. "Hardest Button to Button," vocals were right on and made me think of a family reunion of serial killers recounting the kills. it was so infectious, his singing, that even Ilene sang some crazy little ditty into my ear matching the high scratchy notes that i had to burst out laughing. she was possessed by Jack, as were we all.

not to say anything less to Meg, she was so into his space kicking down walls, busting down doors, clearing the path, a drum stick as her machete in the jungle as if to say, "Jack, you need some room to play baby? here let me clear the rainforest just to give you a little room." anything for Jack. i must say that my friend Carole, who is not a white stripes fan, said to me on the way out, "you know, i've gotta tell you. that little boy can get sounds out of a guitar that i can't even imagine. it was truly amazing." she may have been converted.

let this be the best new year entrance. they led us in, they led us out, with nothing but reassurance that music can make it all better. here's to 2004. and i hope you all had a beautiful one. :)