Continuing to defy categorization, New Orleans eccentric Quintron has a new record out, Sucre Du Sauvage, this month via Goner Records. Sugar of the savage? Sounds about right. Recorded live at the New Orleans Museum of Art, over a four month stint in 2010, Sauvage
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Some folks, particularly those in and around Austin, caught on to Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears shortly before they signed to Lost Highway in 2008. For many of the rest of us, the Black Joe Lewis revelation came in the form of their eponymous EP or, later in 2009, via their debut full-length, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! Their vintage soul-rock vibe arrived alongside a number of other artists with a similar sound that were starting to get attention outside of various local scenes, blogs and word of mouth. The Black Keys had released their coming out party just a year earlier in Attack & Release, and the Keys’ Dan Auerbach had unveiled his solo debut Keep it Hid in February of ’09. On the smoother (but no less sweaty) side of soul, Sharon Jones had built a respectable following after a few strong releases and an undiscriminating approach to venues she and the Dap Kings were willing to play.
So, it seemed BJL’s unwavering and aggressive tour schedule met with a fortuitous period for their brand of music. For those of us who hadn’t seen them live, but had appreciated their small but stout body of work, they fit neatly in that realm. They were another good band with another good neo-soul record that may have garnered plenty of speaker time in our homes, but little distinction beyond their more critically significant soul brethren at the time. For those of us who had yet to see them live, this approach was a disservice to the band.
It’s pertinent to note that this isn’t a record review of BJL’s March release, Scandalous. Nor is this a live show review of their recent Seattle stopover at The Crocodile. This is what happens when a live show opens your eyes to what a band is, and has you wondering once again–what’s the purpose of music? Is it for a record? Or is it for the live experience?
To put it plainly: After hundreds of live shows at mid-sized venues in numerous cities, I’ve never seen a show like this at a venue of this size, and seldom do I see this type of energy at a venue of any size. Very few bands treat a low-capacity room like a 6,000-seat amphitheater, with a palpable sense of respect toward onlookers, a combustible energy across every stage-romping band member, and a two-encore gift like it was New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden with a crowd screaming for more and not going home until they get it. And if that’s not enough, Joe Lewis even played the guitar with his face.
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Greetings from Paris. I'm renting an apartment for a week, walking around a city I haven't visited in 14 years, discovering the new while trying to remember some of my old haunts from the late 90s. While I'm largely avoiding the Internet, I do want to share this nugget with you before I get back to it: Howard Nishioka's "Carnivourous Dogaramus," off his 1979 album, Street Songs. Along with a couple other records, this album has soundtracked my trip thus far---great late 70s, private press, psych . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 26 (SIRIUS), and channel 43 (XM), can now be heard twice, every Friday - Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SIRIUS 190: Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane ++ The One Way Streets — Jack The Ripper ++ The Swamprats — Louie Louie ++ The Modern Lovers — Roadrunner ++ Alex Chilton - My Rival ++ Lou Reed - Gimme Some Good Times ++ Smith Westerns - Be My Girl ++ Yo La Tengo - Little Honda (Beach Boys) ++ The Velvet Underground . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
I grew up in a household where country radio was a staple of our car rides. And I certainly remember Juice Newton's version of "Queen of Hearts" as a song that got quite a bit of airplay. Enough so that, years later, when combing through the vinyl archives of my college radio station, I did a bit of a double take when I picked up Dave Edmunds' Repeat When . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Whatever it is about Scotland that makes its songwriters singularly smart devotees of pop music, it has continued unabated for some time. Alongside the power-pop titans of Teenage Fanclub and twee-minstrels of Belle and Sebastian stands Roddy Frame, better known with a backing band under the moniker of Aztec Camera. Their 1983 debut, High Land, Hard Rain, has long been lauded as a masterpiece, echoing and refining the sound of contemporaries like Orange Juice, but it was followed by increasingly disappointing returns.
1990 . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Gardens & Villa: I was recently turned on to this coastal California quintet via their connection to Richard Swift who produced group's upcoming, self-titled LP. Having teamed up with Secretly Canadian on the label front, G&V craft new-wavey pop music, reminiscent of the 80s, complete with just-right synth tones and requisite attitude. Sonically, I'm reminded of the smart left turn Abe Vigoda made last year with the release of their
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support. To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Portland, Oregon's Ruban Nielson (former guitarist for New Zealand's The Mint Chicks) steers Unknown Mortal Orchestra in many directions (Glam, Soul, Psych). He corners those markets into a cohesive and radioactive brand of flowery, hook-laden rock on "Thought Ballune," taken from his self-titled, four-song EP. Part classic rock, part Sid and Marty Croft outtake for a children's program that never saw the green light, the song nestles its way into your brain with rusty guitar licks and space . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Before last year's Hampton's Lullaby placed them firmly on the national radar, Athens, GA's Futurebirds self-recorded and released their eponymous debut EP. This week Autumn Tone is releasing a remastered version of the EP digitally in conjunction with a vinyl edition release by nascent Athens label, Holy Owned Subsidiary . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
1990: Love's Arthur Lee joins The Fuzztones at L.A.'s Coconut Teazer absolutely laying waste to his old band's "7 and 7 is." Thanks Scottie Diablo for the tip.
_____________________________________________________________________________________ . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
All three major American counterculture movies of the late sixties benefited from the new vogue for rock soundtracks. The Strawberry Statement mixed purpose-written orchestral themes with mostly familiar numbers by Crosby, Still & Nash and Neil Young, plus the predictable yet appropriate “Something In The Air” and “Give Peace A Chance.” Easy Rider thrummed along to a more eclectic but still fitting . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
(Album artwork: Does it indeed affect our listening experience, and if so, how? Scratch the Surface takes a look at particularly interesting and/or exceptional cover art choices.)
Expectations. We all have them, for better or worse, and with music these expectations are often heightened.
Lou Reed was supposed to be the second coming. Based on his Velvet Underground genius, some expected him to be the next "Bob Dylan," a voice for a new generation, and while Berlin was strong and Transformer hit on most cylinders, the work Reed put out in the seventies rarely met the expectations of his audience. True, he had his fans, and select songs that could stand up to others of the period, but I think a good portion of his fans expected something else. Then you throw Sally Can't Dance into the mix, not to mention Metal Machine Music Pt. 1, and it's just a rebellious slap in the face to "others" expectations. A real punk rock move before punk rock even knew what it was.
I love Lou Reed, and I love most of Reed's early albums, but I think expectations from others ultimately led to his downward soul searching spiral...that is until he found it with Street Hassle.
Street Hassle is about acceptance and power. It's Reed finally acknowledging how much a self-parody he had become. With Street Hassle, Reed had finally both recognized and accepted his prior roles, facades and incarnations, and was now willing to face them head on. Simply put, Lou Reed was finally ready to make a "Lou Reed" album.
Street Hassle's LP cover explains it all, exuding arrogance, confidence, and fear. From the distressed title font letting you know it's not perfect, that he's not perfect, to the "self portrait" with the smug shooting star glimmer in his eye. He has a new found realization and acceptance of his own self-destruction with a "fuck you" mentality. And how does he start this battle off…by sacrificing one of his own children, "Sweet Jane."
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
One on my favorite Elvis albums, even though it's a bootleg, is Cut Me & I Bleed released on Double G Records. The album is a collection of alternate studio, home, and live rehearsal recordings that present "another side" of Elvis. Pedestal removed, Cut Me & I Bleed chooses to present "The King" in a raw, more human, and often explicit manner, one that often eschews the family friendly image constructed by the Elvis foundation.
Of all the tracks (22 in all), the real gem of the bunch, and a personal favorite . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 26 (SIRIUS), and channel 43 (XM), can now be heard twice, every Friday — Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SIRIUS 189: Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane ++ The Gories - Hey, Hey We're The Gories ++ Canarios - Trying So Hard ++ The Arrows - Blue's Theme ++ Screaming Lord Sutch - Flashing Lights ++ The Kinks - You Really Got Me ++ Thee Headcoats - Diddy Wah Diddy ++ The Pebbles - We Love The . . .
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.
To continue reading, become a member or log in.
My friend Thomas hipped me to this track earlier today. It's been on repeat since. The vibe is early 80s melodic post-punk crossed with a nice dose of ambient new wave and ennui. Eddie The Wheel is the project of Eddie Whelan, based in Athens, GA. "Nearsayerfive" is culled from his new EP He's A Scream.
Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is become a member or log in.