News: Greta Gertler

Greta Gertler, an Australian singer-songwriter in Brooklyn, is currently raising funds to finance her upcoming new record The Universal Thump. So far she has raised $7,370 out of a $15,000 goal that she has to meet by Dec. 9. Gertler and her band will be mounting a benefit concert at The Living Room in NYC on Dec. 7. For information visit
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/GretaGertler/
the-universal-thump-the-new-album-by-greta-ger

Photo by Carol Lipnik

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Book Review: David Bowie

Bowie: A Biography
By Marc Spitz
Published by Crown, 430 pp.
Review by David Chiu

This year marks a milestone for David Bowie: It was 40 years ago that he released his first hit single “Space Oddity,” which launched the career of one of music’s most innovative artists ever. As fans and critics have learned, it’s hard to pin down who the real David Bowie is given his various guises: the glitter rock star Ziggy Stardust, the Philly soul boy, the Thin White Duke, early ‘80s New Romantic and currently rock’s elder statesman.

Author Marc Spitz attempts to answer the questions about the life and music of this enigmatic artist in this new unauthorized biography. Well researched with interviews with former Bowie associates, contemporaries and musicians influenced by the artist, the book documents a life that started out very ordinary. For a couple of years the young David Jones languished in obscurity with a couple of failed albums commercially early on until 1971’s Hunky Dory broke the door for him.

From there on Spitz chronicles a period in the ‘70s when Bowie was unstoppable as a recording artist (Ziggy Stardust, Station to Station, the Berlin trilogy records) and a celebrity (appearances on the Dick Cavett show, the movie The Man Who Fell To Earth, and that memorable Christmas duet with Bing Crosby). After a hugely successful commercial period with Let’s Dance during the MTV era, Bowie found himself in a creative rut for the rest of the ‘80s, as Spitz also documents, followed by a return to form starting in the mid-‘90s. Today Bowie has not been much in the news nor has he released a new album in over six years, raising speculation whether the man has retired from the scene altogether. (Although with David Bowie, you can never really predict anything).

It would have been tempting to dwell into the more personal aspects of Bowie’s life and to some extent author Spitz does address these, warts and all: Bowie’s troubled half-brother Terry, who later committed suicide; the artist’s bout with drugs during the ‘70s; the influence of his aggressive former manager Tony DeFries, personal assistant Corinne Schwab and former wife Angie; and his sexuality. But fortunately the book doesn’t fall into being another expose of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Clearly Spitz is respectful, maybe reverential, towards Bowie’s career and influence towards generations of artists from Siouxie Sioux to Madonna. In addition Spitz adds some personal passages or asides in relation to an aspect of Bowie’s life or music.

Bowie makes clear of the artist’s imprint on various musical styles: glitter rock to avant-garde to punk to New Wave. Until David Bowie himself writes his own memoir, this biography may be the closest the public will ever get to know the real artist behind those fascinating facades.

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CD Review: Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton
Dolly
RCA/Legacy
By David Chiu

To most people, the mention of Dolly Parton’s name probably conjures up an image of a larger-than-life country music superstar known for her vivacious, spunky and photogenic personality. But at her essence, Parton is a legendary artist whose work has tremendous depth. Certainly she is best known for her hit songs (“9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Here You Come Again”) , many of which has topped the country charts as well as crossed over into pop. However Parton has also recorded many other songs that showcase her talents as a singer and songwriter that the mainstream public might have overlooked.

This is where this new 4-CD boxed set comes in with a whopping 99 songs spanning her first single “Puppy Love” from 1957 to her final work for Columbia Records in 1993. Those listening to Parton’s work for the first time through this compilation may be surprised to hear some of her earlier songs bordering on pop music than country (“The Love You Gave,” “Nobody But You,” “Don’t Drop Out”).Eventually she made her name in country throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, especially on her famous duets with Porter Wagoner (11 of which is on this set,) and her most popular hits such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (later immortalized as Whitney Houston’s inescapable cover smash from The Bodyguard soundtrack).

On the latter half of disc three is where Parton starts to make overtures towards pop/rock beginning with the classic “Here You Come Again” and “Baby I’m Burnin’”. By the time the ‘80s arrived, Parton became a mainstream superstar with the classic “9 to 5” and the duet with Kenny Rogers on “Islands in the Stream.” The rest of the decade and beyond saw her incorporating more pop styles into country (the New Wave-ish take on the Drifters’ “Save the Last Dance” and “Potential New Boyfriend” as well as the dramatic and sweeping “He’s Alive”), but still sticking close to her roots as on the bluegrass-minded “Time for Me to Fly.”

Dolly covers the range of emotions and topics (mainly relationship songs) that has been part of Parton’s body of work, whether they are tender ballads (“It’s All Wrong,” “You’re the Only One”), lively tunes with attitude (“Romeo”) or melodrama (“Daddy,” “Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark”). Clearly the sheer size and scope of this box set is a grand testament to Parton’s longevity, genius and tremendous success.

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Video: Recent Queen-related clips

Roger Taylor's new song "The Unblinking Eye (Everything's Broken)":



And of course the Muppets' version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" (thanks Jere for bringing it up to my attention):

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CD Review: Engineers

Engineers
Three Fact Fader
KSCOPE
By David Chiu

For those listening to Engineers for the first time through their latest album, it’s almost as if the early ‘90s never left. This British group’s sound is definitely in the shoegazer genre: it’s ethereal and airy and gorgeous. But underneath the sonic layers of guitar and keyboards, there’s a warm quality to the music rather than something cold and distant, particularly on the almost-folk of “Be What You Are” and the upbeat “International Dirge” and “Sometimes I Realise.” There are also moments on the album that also departs from the dominant subdued nature of the record especially the bombastic “The Fear Is Gone” and the driving “Emergency Room,” which is slightly reminiscent of New Order. The introspective and personal lyrics match Simon Phipps’ whispery vocals and the musical atmospherics. Yeah the music is certainly a throwback to the British shoegazers of the era but it’s doesn’t feel dated. Three Fact Fader is edgy for alt and art rock fans, and accessible for pop music listeners.

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CD Review: King Crimson

King Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson
Inner Knot/DGM
By David Chiu

The album that launched the progressive rock movement, King Crimson’s debut is a still a masterpiece 40 years on. With only five songs on the original release and the memorable cover art, In the Court of the Crimson King preoccupied itself in making a bold artistic statement rather than being a vehicle for a hit single. The opening rocker “21st Century Schizoid Man” still burns with intensity with Robert Fripp’s guitar and bassist Greg Lake’s distorted vocals; “I Talk to the Wind” and “Moonchild” are gentle ballads verging between pop, avant-garde and jazz; “Epitaph” is a haunting number; and “The Court of the Crimson King” brings everything to a grandiose and majestic end. Certainly the album’s sound no question is dominated by the explosive jazz-inflected drumming of Michael Giles and the Mellotron/woodwinds playing of Ian McDonald. Remarkably this lineup only lasted a year. In addition to featuring the original album, This special CD/DVD anniversary edition of In the Court also contains bonus tracks (including the full version of “Moonchild”), the record in 5.1. surround sound, and a brief black-and-white filmed performance of the original Crimson performing “Schizoid Man” at Hyde Park in ‘69 as the opening act for the Stones.

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CD Review: Morphine

Morphine
At Your Service
Rykodisc/Rhino
By David Chiu

Morphine was a one of a kind band compared to their contemporaries in the ‘90s. Fronted by singer/guitarist Mark Sandman, the Boston-based group’s sound was more rooted in jazz, funk and cinematic noir, thus adding a new meaning to the term alternative rock. (Plus the band configuration was unusual with only guitar, drums and sax). Sadly this year marked the 10th anniversary of Sandman’s death while performing a show in Italy, but the fortunate thing is that Morphine’s dark yet nourishing music continues lives on thanks to this latest release At Your Service. It’s a 2-disc collection of previously unreleased material divided between studio and live stuff. Stylistically the studio recordings here have incredible range, including hillbilly-meets-gospel in “Come Over”; the slow blues of “Hello Baby”; and Middle Eastern with “Lilah II.” A considerable number of the tracks on Disc 1 pay homage to early ‘60s jazz and pop with some noir thrown in, specially with You’re An Artist (which sounds like the son of “Peter Gunn “or “Dragnet”) and “It’s Not Like That Anymore.” For anyone who is listening to Morphine for the first time can detect a certain detachment in Sandman’s singing, which can be ominous (“Lunch In Hell”) and yet cool. Another crucial element to Morphine’s sound is the sax playing of Dana Colley, which adds that jazzy funk to the music. At Your Service is a reminder of a tremendous legacy of adventurous, soul-searching music left by Morphine. (Note: the live CD portion of the set was unplayable on my computers, thus was unable to provide commentary on that).

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Live Review: Dawes

Dawes
Le Poisson Rouge, NYC
Nov. 21, 2009
Review by David Chiu

When Dawes, a four-piece California band, performed live recently at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC this past Saturday, they seem to betray the sound on latest record North Hills. Don’t get the wrong idea—that is meant as a compliment to a band who was recently cited in Rolling Stone as breaking. Their music from that album, which is very steeped in soulful country rock, is fine. But as Dawes played the songs onstage, the music seemed to resonate exponentially.

The band -- vocalist/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, drummer Griffen Goldsmith, bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboardist Alex Casnoff -- played only eight songs but they certainly made the most of their brief set of songs from their debut album; and the energy from the band seemed to gradually increase over the course of the show. It started off with the slow rocker of “That Western Skyline,” and later followed by the subdued "Love Is All I Am" and “If You Let Me Be Your Anchor,” a tender love song with a country groove. From there Dawes really kicked it up a notch with "When My Time Comes," which was the most uptempo number at that point and a highlight. Peace in the Valley provided the climax with some great playing by all the musicians, particularly Griffen on the drums.



One can’t help draw some similarities between Dawes and another quartet from California known for their Southern-influenced rock: Creedence Clearwater Revival. In fact one of the songs performed at the show, “God Rest My Soul,” has a chugging feel that is reminiscent of a classic tune from John Fogerty and the boys. But as their music and stage presence demonstrated at this particular show, Dawes have also forged their own identity.


Photos by David Chiu (from camera phone)

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CD Review: Bad Lieutenant

Bad Lieutenant
Never Cry Another Tear
By David Chiu

If you think the music sounds very reminiscent of a certain ‘80s British pop group, you’re not off the mark as Bad Lieutenant features former New Order members Bernard Sumner and Phil Cunningham. (The only thing missing here is Peter Hook’s signature bass playing). Along with Jake Evans, Sumner and Cunningham bring recognizable elements of their former group to Never Cry a Tear (i.e. “Sink or Swim,” “This Is Home”) but there is more emphasis on the guitar than electronic beats and programming. The result is something more organic and shimmery, especially on tracks like “Shine Like the Sun,” “Running Out of Luck” and “Head Into Tomorrow.” There is also that lyrical sense of detachment echoed by Sumner’s wistful singing that has marked New Order’s songs; however Bad Lieutenant stand on their own enough not to be a mere rehash but a new beginning.

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CD+DVD Review: AC/DC

AC/DC
Backtracks
Columbia
By David Chiu

When you get down to it, this 2-CD collection of studio and live rarities is really for the fan who has or nearly has every thing recorded by the veteran rockers. Admittedly the songs here on this set doesn’t drastically depart from anything stylistically we’d expect from Angus Young and company, which is essentially bone-crunching hard rock. More than half of the studio rarities on Disc 1 is devoted to the Bon Scott era with a mix of swaggering rock (“R.I.P.”); a ballad (“Love Song”); and a slow blues number (“Crabsody in Blue”); the rest is blistering hard rock from Scott’s successor with the menacing vocals Brian Johnston (“Down on the Borderline,” “Love Gun”). The live rarities portion consists of staples such as “Back in Black” (recorded live in ’81), “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Highway To Hell” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” from ’77 featuring Scott. The DVD disc consists of (cheeky) promo videos from 1993 to 2008 (“Hard As a Rock,” “Safe in New York City,” “Rock and Roll Train”) as well as some bonus clips such as “Jailbreak” and “You Shook Me…”). All in all, Backtracks puts everything out there for AC/DC completists.

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CD Review: Bee Gees

Bee Gees
The Ultimate Bee Gees
Rhino
By David Chiu

With the exception of a few tracks and the inclusion of a DVD featuring performance and music video clips, this latest Bee Gees’ compilation doesn’t depart much from the 2001 hits collection The Record. Still, what makes Ultimate special is that it comes on the heels of the Brothers Gibb’s 50th anniversary as a music act. Die-hard fans may quibble about a personal favorite that is not on here but this anthology pretty much covers the gamut of the trio’s three distinct phases: the late ‘60s/early ‘70s romantic ballad period (“To Love Somebody,” “Words,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”); the massively popular mid-‘70s disco era (“Staying Alive,” “Night Fever,” “Jive Talkin’”); and their comeback starting in 1987 (“Alone,” “One,” “You Win Again”). This satisfying hits set of great pop hits should whet the appetite for both fervent and casual fans.

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Interview: Soft Power

Soft Power Amps It Up for Upcoming Brooklyn Show
By David Chiu

Last month I went to the new Knitting Factory in Brooklyn to see the Raincoats and former Slits member Viv Albertine -- two legends of late ‘70s British punk rock music. At the time they were the only two acts I wanted to see. Sandwiched between them was an unknown band (as far I knew) called Soft Power. I had absolutely no idea who this group was prior to their performance when I retreated back to the rear of the venue after Albertine’s set.

However, during Soft Power’s stint, I was really impressed by the music. It was angular-sounding alt-rock music but accessible (in a good way) that it kept my interest throughout their set. When I got home afterwards, I wanted to know more about Soft Power so I went on Google and discovered their MySpace site.

One of the members of the group is singer Mary Timony, whom I first heard of through her 2002 solo album The Golden Dove on Matador Records. As most alt-rock fans know, Timony is best known for her time the groups Autoclave and Helium as well as her a solo career with four albums under her name.

The Washington-DC based Soft Power (originally called Pow Wow) are a relatively new group featuring Timony, Jonah Takagi, Winston H. Yu and T. J. Lipple. Currently they are working on their new album. (Two songs "Izabella" and "La La La" can be heard on their MySpace site). Having played already in New York and other cities, the group is coming back to Brooklyn to perform at Southpaw this Saturday night.

To learn more about Soft Power, NewBeats had a chance to talk to Mary Timony and Jonah Takagi to talk about their band, how they got started and their music.

1. The most obvious question is how did the band form or how did the band members know each other? It seems pretty recent.

Mary: We have all been friends for a while here in D.C., and it just seemed natural to start playing music together.

2. Mary, you’ve been in other bands, including Helium, and of course you've worked as a solo artist. How would you compare the music of and the working relationship within Soft Power to your previous musical projects? Is it similar and/or different, and if so how?

Mary: From my perspective, I was getting a little bit burnt out on doing solo records, and being the front person, and really felt like being involved in a more collaborative project. Soft Power is really fun because it is very collaborative.

3. You guys were originally called Pow Wow but changed it to Soft Power? How did you arrive at that name?

Mary: Well, we heard there was another band from NYC called Pow Wow, so we decided to change it. Jonah came up with Soft Power.

Jonah: There was also a French a capella group that was named Pow Wow.

4. Jonah, could you tell me a little bit about yourself since this is the first time I’ve heard of you through Soft Power? How did you get involved in music?

Jonah: I’ve been playing other people's music for a while mostly backing up friends. When I met Mary and we started playing together, she encouraged me to start writing. It's been interesting, I haven't quite figured out an approach that works consistently. Right now I'm into throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what sticks.


5. This is more of a comment than a question, and perhaps you can elaborate or tell me if I am completely off the mark, but my impression of Soft Power’s music is that it’s angular, guitar-centric, heavy and yet melodic. Is that a fair description?

Mary: I think so, also a lot of the songs we are now recording sound pretty different from each other I think, but that seems like a good description of the songs that are up on MySpace.

Jonah: I agree, sometimes I feel like we are incredibly schizophrenic sounding.

6. I like the two songs I heard on the MySpace site, including "Izabella." Can you tell me the story behind that tune?

Mary: That song came from a guitar part I had recorded about 10 years ago on a crappy little digital recorder from RadioShack. It ran out of batteries, and I threw the recorder in a drawer, and forgot about it. Then last year I was cleaning out the drawer, and found the tape recorder, and changed the batteries. I heard the guitar part, and decided it would be a good song for Soft Power.

7. Again this is more of a comment but I like the instrumental interplay between you guys. Can you describe the music-making process in the band—who writes the music and the lyrics? Where do you draw your inspiration as far as lyrics go?

Jonah: Usually, Mary or I will demo something at home and then bring it to practice. Things get re-worked, sometimes over-worked and sometimes un-worked until it sounds like music. It's pretty collaborative with the best songs coming from the clearest vision.

8. If I read correctly, you are working on a new album? If so, how is that progressing and when do you anticipate it being released? And are you signed to a label or do you plan on putting out this record yourselves?

Mary: We are indeed working on a new record. We are just finishing overdubs now, actually. We are not entirely sure what the plan is yet, but we hope to have it out by this spring/summer.

9. You guys have toured recently—what has been the highlight(s) so far—something exciting, fun or weird?

Mary: Jonah has good stories, he can answer this one.

Jonah: We've only played a handful of shows and to be honest, there is not much to report. Besides the entertaining banter, two things that come to mind. The power went out at the last show we played and I try to get people to stop at Tony Luke's in Philly whenever we go to NY, it worked once.

10. Mary this question is particularly for you and I wouldn't be surprised if you get asked this a lot: I had no idea that you were referenced in the Death Cab for Cutie song “Your Bruise.” Do you know the guys from Death Cab, why did they name you in the song, and what was your initial reaction at the time when you first heard it?

Mary: I don't think I have ever met the guys from Death Cab, actually, and I don't know the story behind that reference in the song. I have heard it, because my friend Brendan Canty is working on a movie about Death Cab, and he played the song for me.


11. For you guys, how is it like performing in NYC? Is it a different vibe playing there compared to D.C.?

Jonah: NYC is great. It seems like you can never play enough up there, as long as you submit to it's mercy. Anything goes, getting lost in Bushwick, getting your car towed, bed bugs, finding a bathroom, weird backlines... D.C. is great, really supportive community, but you have to be careful. D.C. is a small town. No matter how good a show you put on, if you're playing all the time it will get hard to bring people out.

12. What are your thoughts of the music scene today (I know that’s a very broad general question), especially in alternative rock? Are there any current or new bands that you listen to and like a lot?

Mary: Two bands that I have heard lately that I like a lot are the Icy Demons, and Talk Normal.

Jonah: I danced hard in a cabin in the woods listening to MGMT. I don't know what they are up to these days, but the Ex Models are pretty awesome.

13. So what’s next for Soft Power after this upcoming show in Brooklyn? More recording and/or touring?

Just going to power through finishing recording, and mixing, and mastering, and get this sucker out!!

Photo: Courtesy of Soft Power's MySpace page

Soft Power will be playing at Southpaw, 125 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, on Friday Nov. 14. For information: http://www.myspace.com/softpowerband

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Book Review: Blues & Chaos

Blues & Chaos
The Music Writing of Robert Palmer
Edited by Anthony DeCurtis
Scribner
Review by David Chiu

When it comes to music journalism, the late Robert Palmer is in a class all by himself. He was the first pop music critic of The New York Times as well as the author of Deep Blues and a contributor to publications such as Rolling Stone and Penthouse. His liner notes have graced recordings by Miles Davis, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin. And throughout his extraordinary career Palmer has interviewed many musical legends such as Eric Clapton, John Lennon, David Bowie and Muddy Waters.

Palmer died in 1997 at age 52 but left a great legacy of music writing behind him. He wrote about nearly every musical style: rock, pop, soul punk, blues, jazz, world music and the avant garde.Now his work has been compiled into a superb anthology edited by Rolling Stone contributor Anthony DeCurtis titled appropriately Blues & Chaos. Hopefully this collection will spark renewed interest and appreciation of Palmer’s writings. (Full disclosure: I was involved in the research aspect of the book five years ago as an unpaid intern).

DeCurtis does a great job is showcasing the spectrum of the writer’s musical knowledge in Blues and Chaos. The book is divided into several chapters, each devoted mostly to a style of music Palmer tackled. Some of these segments include early rock and roll, jazz, the blues (profiles of Muddy Waters and Lightnin’ Hopkins), punk, classic rock and John Lennon (a New York Times interview Palmer had done with Lennon just a month before the former Beatle’s murder on Dec. 8, 1980). In addition to covering popular figures, Palmer also gave a voice for artists or music that may have been not widely-known, such as bluesman Robert Pete Williams or the pop group the '5' Royales.

Nothing was ever off limits to Palmer, who himself was also a musician. In his introduction DeCurtis references Ira Robbins’ assessment of Palmer’s own music writing: ‘Don’t worry, I know everything,’ and that is so apt. For example, his Q&A’s, like the one he did with Eric Clapton in 1985, are amazing because they read like casual and thoughtful conversations. While his writing is scholarly, Palmer never lost sight of what the story should really about—the music and the artist behind it.

The types of artists and music he covered would seem out of character in today’s mainstream publications—for example, you probably won’t find that many jazz reviews currently in Penthouse, nor would you have a lengthy piece about Morocco (where he has previously traveled) in Rolling Stone. That’s the amount of freedom and influence Palmer had back then or perhaps it’s more of how music journalism has changed.

So for music fans and students of excellent arts writing, Blues & Chaos is required reading. It’s a wonderful tribute to a man who was not only a great journalist and critic but a huge music enthusiast first.

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Live Review: Amy Millan/Bahamas

Amy Millan/Bahamas
Mercury Lounge
Nov. 5, 2009
By David Chiu

It was roots-rock night Canada style last Thursday at the Mercury Lounge where two pretty good acts were on the bill: an established artist from Montreal who is associated with the bands Stars and Broken Social Scene; the other an up-and-comer from Toronto.



Amy Millan headlined the bill and delivered a warm and intimate evening of folk and country music. Though I wasn’t able to stay for the entire set, it appeared that Millan and her four-piece band were really in the zone that evening. They played tunes from Millan’s latest album, the exquisite Masters of the Burial, as well as her previous album Honey From the Tombs. The band first launched into a capella singing of the gospel-ish “Some Day” (a song originally by Blue Highway) before going into the ballad “Low Sail.” Those tunes were followed by other songs in the folk-country vein. As for her own performance Millan sang wonderfully with a lovely and breathy voice that is reminiscent of Suzanne Vega.



The opening act was Bahamas, which is essentially singer/guitarist Afie Jurvanen, who has played with Feist and the aforementioned Amy Millan. At first glance one might have thought Jurvanen looked more like a truck driver than a rock and roller thanks to his flannel shirt, jeans and cap. That perception changed the moment he played his guitar and he showcased his impressive prowess as both instrumentalist and singer. Accompanied by just a drummer, Jurvanen delivered tuneful old-school rock (his debut album is called Pink Strat). Jurvanen was also an entertaining performer on stage whether he was moving his body as he played guitar or joking with the audience.

Photos: David Chiu

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DVD+CD Review: Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull
Live at Madison Square Garden 1978
Capitol/EMI
By David Chiu

If you were too young to see Jethro Tull in their ‘70s heyday, this latest DVD/CD set highlighting their 1978 Garden performance is the closest thing possible. As shown here in the DVD portion of the set, it isn’t your typical performance as it was originally broadcasted internationally for television. The concert actually started with the first three songs, which is only represented in the audio portion of the DVD, then followed by the actual TV broadcast, and then goes back to the audio-only performances of the final three songs once the broadcast was over. Even Tull frontman Ian Anderson’s admits in the sleeve notes that the whole set-up seemed a bit unconventional. Regardless, the band was still at their progressive rock glory performing both popular tunes like “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” and then-new songs like “Heavy Horses” and “No Lullaby.” Visually and musically the band was electric highlighted by Anderson’s campy yet energetic stage presence. This new release will probably only appeal to die-hard Tull fans but it’s entertaining if you love that era of bombastic rock.

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CD Review: XX and Gossip

The xx
xx
XL Recordings

Gossip
Music for Men
Columbia

By David Chiu

Two up-and-coming bands—one from the UK, the other from Olympia, Washington.


Fronted by the vocals of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, the xx is a British four-piece band who were recently here in New York for CMJ. Their sound can be best described as ethereal yet minimalist electropop music with some ‘60s-sounding guitar playing. While the mood is chilly and distant throughout the debut, the xx's music isn’t without humanity and soul, especially on tunes like "VCR" and the standout "Shelter." There is also a romantic and sexy quality to the music such as on the uptempo "Crystalised" and the groove-minded and cerebral "Infinity." Along with the instrumentation, the dual vocals of Sim and Croft add to the dream-like nature of the music and the lyrical sense of yearning. Call xx thinking person’s electropop.

On the opposite end Gossip, whose focal point is singer Beth Ditto, is a bit more musically eclectic and brighter-sounding, especially on Music For Men. For both indie rock and commercial pop fans Music for Men has something for everyone: very infectious dance tunes in Men in Love" and "Love Long Distance," and the aggressive rock of "2012" and "8th Wonder." For her part Ditto is an amazing singer whose commanding and soulful voice brings some grit and drama that fits so well with the emotional lyrics. If anything, Gossip’s music is feisty and edgy compared to most cookie-cutter pop.

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CD Review: Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out (40th Anniversary Edition)
ABKCO
By David Chiu

Throughout their long career, the Rolling Stones have released numerous live albums. Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, however, is probably considered their all-time best. Recorded from their shows at Madison Square Garden in November 1969 and released the following year, Ya-Ya’s captured the Stones at their creative zenith of the Beggar’s Banquet/Let It Bleed era. The performances were loose, raw and electrifying: from the raucous “Live With Me,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Midnight Rambler,” to the rockin’ finale of “Street Fighting Man.” This new edition includes five additional performances from those concerts including “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” a medley of “Under My Thumb/I’m Free” and a blues showcase of “Prodigal Son” and “You Gotta Move.” Adding to the completeness of the event are the fantastic blues-soul laden sets by opening acts B.B. King and Ike and Tina Turner (what a dream bill!). There’s also a short film directed by Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter) on the DVD featuring the performances of those previously unreleased live songs—and some offstage footage, including that of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out finally get the deluxe treatment and offers both old and young fans the opportunity to experiences those now-legendary Garden shows from 40 years ago.

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News: New Neil Young Live Album

Reprise Records just announced today the upcoming release of a new Neil Young live album from its Archives series to be relased on Dec. 8. Called Dreamin’ Man Live ’92, this album is a collection of acoustic solo performances dating back to the release of Young’s Harvest Moon.







Tracklisting is below:

Dreamin’ Man
Such A Woman
One Of These Days
Harvest Moon
You And Me
Hank To Hendrix
Unknown Legend
Old King
Natural Beauty
War Of Man

Source: Reprise Records press release

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CD Review: Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello
Live at the El Mocambo
Hip-O/UME
By David Chiu

Finally this rare 1978 live recording by Elvis Costello and the Attractions from Toronto sees the light of day again. Originally a promotional-only disc for radio, Live at the El Mocambo was first issued in 1993 as part of the 2 ½ Years boxed set that has since gone out-of-print. Now reissued as a standalone disc, Live captures Costello at the height of his popularity as the king of New Wave. Most of the set list draws from his first two albums My Aim is True and This Year’s Model, and the performances here are explosive such as “Lip Service,” “The Beat” and “Welcome to the Working Week. And even a song that had orginally a slower tempo on the studio album is given a faster, rockier treatment live such as “Less Than Zero.” The band was definitely smoking that day, so much so that at the end of the disc you can hear the crowd demanding an encore! Full of relentless energy, Live at the El Mocambo is a must for fans who love early period Costello.

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Book Review: Led Zeppelin and the Velvet Underground

Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times
A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band
By Jerry Prochnicky and Ralph Hulett
Foreword by Anthony DeCurtis
Published by Abrams
216 pp., $35.00

The Velvet Underground: New York Art
Edited by Johan Kugelberg
Published by Rizzoli
320 pp., $50.00


Reviews by David Chiu

Granted these are two totally different bands on opposite ends of the rock spectrum: Led Zeppelin, the epitome of hard/arena rock music, and the Velvet Underground, the godfathers of alternative rock. Yet these two groups do share some things in common as they were also rebels during their time and are still considered influential to this day. Recently two new illustrated books devoted respectively to Zeppelin and the Velvets only add to their aura.


Although it has been nearly 30 years since the group officially disbanded after the death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin still captures the imagination and interest of rock fans everywhere – one could look at the 2007 one-off reunion show in London as an example of their enduring popularity. Prochnicky and Hulett’s Good Times, Bad Times is a celebration of 40 years of Zep in pictures by various photographers starting from when the group was first known as the New Yardbirds. Page after page features a striking shot of what Zep did best: electrify audiences with their magnetic stage presence, especially in Jimmy Page’s guitar moves and vocalist Robert Plant’s charismatic mannerisms. Augmenting many great live photos from venues, such as Madison Square Garden and the Oakland Coliseum, are some candid shots of a band that valued their privacy -- like John Paul Jones spending time with his family and John Bonham strumming on a guitar. There’s also some interesting photographs of Page and Naked Lunch author William S. Burroughs sitting together, and Plant holding a dove in one hand and a beer bottle in the other onstage. The book concludes with a photograph of the surviving members at the aforementioned 2007 show. A foreword by Anthony DeCurtis frames Zep in a historical context and their legacy. While it’s only a photo book, Good Times, Bad Times still leaves a deafening impact as if you were leaving a Zep show in their heyday.


While Good Times Bad Times focuses on Led Zeppelin’s history mainly through photographs, The Velvet Underground: New York Art: tells the story of the New York City alt-rock group through interviews, articles, flyers and mementos in addition to pictures (Note: this book only goes up to the end of the band in the early ‘70s and does not reference the early ‘90s reunion in photos). For those who particularly enjoy the Andy Warhol/Nico phase of the band, this book devotes almost half of its pages to that era. In addition to some wonderful photos of the band on and off stage (i.e. the portraits of the lovely Nico and Lou Reed side by side; Maureen Tucker tossing a football) there are also great artifacts such as posters, Warhol’s famous banana artwork for the first VU album, record company publicity pictures and ads. Interestingly, published clippings of stories and reviews reveal the mindset of the critics at the time, like when the Velvets played at the annual psychiatrists dinner in 1966. There’s also a lively conversation between Lou Reed and Maureen Tucker about the Velvets for this book and remembrances from the late Sterling Morrison and Doug Yule. This book is a pure delight for any Velvets fan.

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