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Volume 27, Issue 2, August 19, 2004

music

Farewell to Summer

A look back at a mediocre musical season. Top Five Summer Shows - Meg Shaeffer

1) Reel Big Fish at The Universal Lending Pavilion. Good ska shows are hard to come by but Reel Big Fish stood up to the challenge.
The venue was overpriced but the performance was excellent, and "Rudies" from all over came for a fun-filled night of skanking and beer.

The constant humor, lead singer/guitarist Aaron Barrett's charisma, and the chemistry of the band made for a flawless show that will be forever remembered by anyone who was lucky enough to catch it.

2) Flogging Molly at the Vans Warped Tour. The majority of the bands that played at this concert were lame but Flogging Molly threw down with some true Irish talent.

The vigor of these crass Irish blokes was incredible as ever. Fans packed in just to hear a note or catch a glimpse of these talented and almost immortal musicians.

3) The Vandals at the Vans Warped Tour. For a band that has been around as long as the Vandals it's uncommon for the new performances to surpass the old, but I've seen The Vandals a total of three times and every time has been better than the last.

Although the crowd was small, the performance was huge and guitarist Warren Fitzgerald's comedy relief satisfied. The songs played were unknown by most (since most were sixteen) which made the old school fans face's shine.

4) NOFX at the Vans Warped Tour. Normally, NOFX would be in the number one slot. Even though my fancy was tickled, it just wasn't enough to put me over the top.

The second NOFX graced the stage Fat Mike announced that he was tired and losing his voice. Although his voice was rough and they were all tired, they crowd was amazing and they played awesome songs but the energy that usually comes with their music just wasn't there.

5) The Grand Scheme at Conner O'Neills. This Boulder-local funk band's jam sessions made for wonderful entertainment and the liveliness of the performance forced the majority of the bar to be up and dancing throughout their set.

By the end of the night the whole of the bar was sweaty and exhausted. They played two sets and had the crowd begging for an encore.

Top Five Summer Musical Memories - Sarah Conway

1) The Vans Warped Tour - Disgusting and hot as usual. Every year even bigger than the one before, where vegetarian food is non-existent and it is more about the tattoo parade than the music.
2) Face To Face Farewell Tour Announced - Fourteen years of inspiration... Truly the end of an era.

3) Taking Back Sunday's sophomore release on Victory Records - A more humble and mature take on their high-voltage rock and roll sound.

The kind of record that is good to listen to in the summer while driving with all the windows down, thankful to be alive.

4) Piebald - What an energetic, fun, down-to-earth band.

Their shows create an overwhelming sense of unity and music integrity that ties the crowd to them like lassoes!

5) Extreme Makeover Home Edition - There is no better way to break in a new bedroom adorned with speakers for walls, than to plug in the ol' guitar and rock some Thrice.

Top Five Trends of the Summer - Tuyet Nhi Nguyen

1) Hipster bashing - Electroclash is the new disco which means that it was dead before it started.
2) Reunion tours - The Adicts and Skinny Puppy proved that growing old doesn't mean you can't still rock it like a hurricane.
3) Warehouse blues - The death of Garageland was pretty evident by the lack of out-of-control warehouse parties.
4) On repeat - TV on the Radio "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes," Lucero "Tennessee," and Weezer "Pinkerton."

5) The Absence of a Number Five - It was a lackluster summer when it came down to it; only a handful of notable shows/albums. Better luck next year.

All things considered, it was a sorry summer for music. However, hope springs eternal here at the Met and we're sure the fall will bring musical delights aplenty. To prepare, here's a final, forward looking top five.

Most Eagerly Awaited Upcoming Releases - Adam Goldstein

1) Talking Heads - "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads" Aug. 17

Rhino records has reached deep into the vaults for this 33 track, 2-disc live retrospective of one of the most innovative and probing bands in popular music.

Even more heartening than the sheer amount of material is the fact that the four original members of the band, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Franz, and Jerry Harrison, were intimately involved in the album's production. With their input fans are insured a rich sampling of choice material and a close attention to acoustic details.

2) Guided By Voices - "Half Smiles of the Decomposed" Aug. 24

The only constant member of GBV, Robert Pollard, has announced the arrival of the band's final album, and this effervescent, effusive farewell will do much to distract fans from the loss of such an original contributor to the Indie Rock scene.

The band's final hurrah is sure to be a vigorous and energetic outing, marked by the strong songwriting and stirring instrumentation that GBV fans have come to expect.

Buzz has hinted at an energetic and incisive album that will be a poignant elegy for an innovative and inspiring band.

3) Bjork - "Medulla" Aug. 31

The only predictable aspect of Bjork's music is chang and for her first studio outing in three years it seems that the Icelandic chanteuse will not disappoint, relying on her usual stylistic departures and experiments.

Judging simply from the roster of guest artists that includes Faith No More's Mike Patton, Rahzel from the Roots, an Inuit throat singer, and an Icelandic choir, the upcoming album will unrepentantly fuse pop and rock, folk and orchestral, hip-hop and techno styles into an amalgamation that is pure and unadulterated Bjork.

4) Leonard Cohen - "Dear Heather" Sep. 28 Sure, Cohen's 2001 album "Ten New Songs" was a disappointment, sure, the guy's pushing seventy, and sure, his whole I'm-cloistering-myself-in-a-Buddhist-monastery disappearing act of the late 90s may have diminished his musical presence and pertinence. I don't care. Cohen's career as a poet and songsmith has yielded some of the most resonant and profound popular music of the 20th century, and his track record alone demands that we bestow the benefit of the doubt.

The new album will include 12 new original studio recordings and a cover of the country standard, "Tennessee Waltz". Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best.

5) Tom Waits "Real Gone" Oct. 5

What can you really say about Tom Waits? The dogged, gravelly voiced musical veteran boasts a career that spans 30 years and a discography that spans consistently enjoyable 25 albums, and has proven that profound and heart-rending art can be found in the most gritty and callused places.

For his follow up to 2002's paired releases "Blood Money" and "Alice", Waits has enlisted the services of Primus alums Brian Mantia and Les Claypool, Canned Heat's Larry Taylor, Harry Cody, and other musicians and family members.

Waits says, "Real Gone is an electric pill box... a homogeneous concoction of mood elevators, mind liberators and downers, an alchemical universe of rattling chains, oscillating rhythms and nine pound hammers."
I can't wait.