Clean Hands starting to really take off

After a pretty successful show at the Vnuks Lounge in Cudahy Wisconsin, we've booked quite a few shows going into November. This Friday we're either shooting ourselves in the foot, or boldly making a name for ourselves booking two shows in one night. The first show will be at Starship on Farwell ave. There's a local artist showing some art at the small store, and we're playing some music afterwords. It's more like a glorified practice. I also have to find a way to tune it down a bit since we're in a small store. The 2nd show, we go on at 10:30, and it's at a small venue, but should be well-packed. Either way, it'll be a lot of fun getting our name out there in the thriving music scene.

Chill On The Hill was a THRILL!

Monday night I asked my wife if she'd be interested in checking out Milwaukee's Decibully Tuesday at Chill On The Hill at Humbolt Park. Since we had nothing else going on, we headed down, but missed opening act Juniper Tar. We were both in awe of how many people where hanging out at Humbolt. There were TONS, probably the entire town of Bay View showed up! It was quite enjoyable relaxing on the large hill watching one of the best bands in town. They opened with what sounded like a new song, then went straight into "Sing Out.." They started playing a few older gems, but got into some of the new stuff off World Travels Fast, and even nailed some b-sides and up-coming material for their next record. It was an interesting crowd. Mostly parents with kids, small dogs...and the few in the front dancing to Decibully. One child yelled out after a song "THAT WAS GOOD!" Everyone around him bursted out laughing. Here's the set list in it's entirety in no particular order

Sing Out Sing Out...
My Lighter and Strings
Meg and Magill
Somewhere in the World
Live By The Lake
Penny Look Down
I'm Gonna Tell You
Broken Glass
Let's Not Fight
Don't Believe The Hype
Let Me In My Lord
Blood We Bleed

I think my favourite tunes of the night where Broken Glass (because it sounds AMAZING live) Blood We Bleed and My Lighter and Strings (because they never play that gem). Overall, amazing night. I'm ready and fired up for my band's show Saturday. Hopefully won't break any sticks or do anything stupid.

Top-40 vs. Pop

My wife and I often discuss music in the car while listening to stuff she enjoys, which is mostly top-40.

I've had a problem with top-40 for most of my life, as it's just throwaway crap which, truthfully, is not meant to have a lasting effect.

To the average listener, top-40 and pop are synonymous. However, upon discussing this with my wife, we determined that they are not.

We defined the two as such:

Pop = a genre of music whose songs have sing-along-able hooks, yet tends to not sound dated years later (which is why there can be such thing as pop-punk).

Top-40 = a genre of music that uses all the latest conventions and technologies that burns out rather quickly. Top-40 songs are used in retrospective VH-1 shows, like "I love the 80s."

Let's illustrate:

This is pop:



This is top-40:



Both songs came out in 1999. Which sounds more dated?

I guarantee you that just a few years from now, we'll be talking about Keisha and Lady Gaga nostalgically just like we do with the Backstreet Boys.... or we'll be talking about their comeback albums.

Attack Attack! Easily one of the worst bands ever

These guys are just embarrassing to the art of music. Let's see if they've got the checklist complete: Obnoxious metal-esque guitar riffs? Check. Double bass-blasts? Check. SCREAMMMMINGGGG!!!!!???Check. The cherry on top...AUTO TUNING!? Double Check. But oh, they invented Crab-Core! Watch the video, and you'll see them posing like crabs with their guitars with the obnoxious head-banging.

What's almost worse is that they're on the Warped Tour. A tour I once held as a sacred music festival. A time in the summer when I was a younger lad enjoying bands like Alkaline Trio, The Bouncing Souls, Less Than Jake, NOFX, The Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies, Bad Religion, Unwritten Law, Assorted Jellybeans, Mad Caddies, Frenzal Rhomb, Lagwagon, No Use For A name..etc etc the list keeps going. I've got fond memories of this tour. Unfortunately over the last few years, it's gone down hill. Kevin L, the founder of Warped Tour signs on whomever is hot and popular. And apparently these sand-crabs are big and popular. I have high hopes that one day, their necks snap in a middle of a break-down and their heads roll into the crowds, thus ending Crab-Core.

Police on bicycles? REALLY?

A week ago I was drumming in our screened-in porch (since our basement was recently sealed and worked on) and after about 25 minutes, I saw the two police officers driving up my driveway...ON BIKES! They said "can we talk to you at your door?" Turns out a neighbor perhaps a few blocks or a street down called the police complaining about "loud drumming". Really? I understand that it's extra loud in the porch because of our glass walls, but seriously it was 11 in the morning. As much as I'd love to play in my basement we're still spraying the walls for mold and eventually will be painting a mural in oue of the corners. I guess I don't get why I should have to stop drumming on my only free time because some cranky neighbor couldn't handle 25 minutes of music...Even the police didn't think it was a big deal.

Sumthin' for Everybody

A few quick random thoughts:

1. The new Devo album is amazing. It's the best Devo album since The New Traditionalists. I think each song is better than the previous and despite the mixed reviews, this one is worth a listen to hear a middle-aged Devo show you what they've learned since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps.

2. I made myself a Billy Bragg playlist on my iPod. I love everything Billy Bragg has done, but sometimes I just want to listen to the songs with the biggest punch.

It is as follows in not much of an order - since I mostly listen to this on shuffle:

* A New England
* Between The Wars
* The World Turned Upside Down
* Thatcherites
* Accident Waiting to Happen
* You Woke Up My Neighborhood
* North Sea Bubble
* England, Half-English
* NPWA
* Take Down the Union Jack
* The Beach is Free
* O Freedom
* The Boy Done Good
* Think Again
* Greetings To The New Brunette
* Help Save the Youth Of America
* The Price of Oil
* A Pict Song
* Upfield
* The Space Race Is Over
* Goalhanger
* She's Got A New Spell
* Waiting For The Great Leap Forward
* Bush War Blues
* Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
* All You Fascists

The Brutalist Bricks packs hit after hit

Okay, okay, it's been out for a few months and I really should have reviewed it earlier. Wasn't completely sure if 82 was going to, but decided I might as well do it since he's a busy cat. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists's The Brutalist Bricks is the latest work from the punk/indie/rock group and it's a fantastic follow-up to 2007's Living with the Living. I'm going to jump around on some of the stand-out tracks, so bare with me. The Mighty Sparrow kicks off the album with a catchy chorus and a great hook. Mourning In America (originally released on the Rapid Response EP) is a noisy, fast punk song well worth listening to. I've tried drumming to it, and I'm pretty sure I've got a good idea what drummer Chris Wilson is doing, but it's quite the work out. Ativan Eyes is a lovely song full of distorted guitars and Ted's signature soft vocals. Even Heros Have to Die comes in next with a great beat, and great chorus. Bottled in Cork may be my favourite song. Starts out real quick but quickly cuts the time down and slows down. Gotta love the lines "tell the bartender I think I'm falling in love". Woke Up Near Chelsea is probably my 2nd favourite song. It features some aggressive singing with some great guitar work. Where Was My Brain showcases Leo's love for all things punk rock. Very ramones-esque. One Polaroid a Day kinda has some of the critics scratching their heads. He ditches his typical falsetto vocals with a low-tone style that isn't horrible, but just confusing. I like how he performs it live better, with his normal style of singing. Last Days and Gimmie the Wire both are amazing tracks to finish out the album.
If you're a Ted Leo fan, and you haven't picked this up yet, something may be wrong with you. It's fantastic. It's better then fantastic. It's awesome. Probably one of the best albums of the year. Go grab it, and thank me later.