Beer Rating: 2 Beers
Last halloween 2003 was the first time I saw Metric at Bottom of the Hill at the urging of my friend Elaine. So, my friends and I met up at a nearly empty venue and they played their hearts out, entertaining the crowd like crazy. That was also the first time I absolutely fell head over heels for Emily Haines. Not exactly in a maniacal, sexual sense, but solely in a "she's crazy and awesome!" sense. I mean, who wouldn't go head over heels for someone who does leg kicks and is not afraid to head bang as if this was a Danzig show? My friends and I also snuck into their dressing room, hung out with them, drank all their beers, and took a group photo with them.
After that date, I saw them three more times. Once at Slim's where Emily and I once again met and I proclaimed to her that I would "love to have her koodies." Another at Great American this year. Then her solo gig at Cafe Du Nord which was weird but cool at the same time. And now this show.
For the first time I have ever seen Metric, Emily was wearing something other than her altered "Staff" t-shirt, skirt, and mid-high boots ensemble. This time, she was wearing this altered vest with a star on the heart, with a much shorter skirt, and the same mid-high boots. After I saw her, I knew this was going to be a different show.
The band came on at around 11pm. People say that the opening bands were atrocious, so I was glad to show up so late in the evening. They started off with "Old World Underground," which is the typical song they start with. James, Jules, and Josh were in top form as always. The only hitch was James was having problems with his bass in the beginning of the song, prior to Emily taking the stage, so they had to prolong the intro a bit to accomodate the technical glitch.
Metric pretty much played their entire debut album, with some new songs mixed in there, of which three I heard before and another that I haven't. The newest song featured Emily singing a very slow song, ala her "Static Anonimity" style songs, but then proceeded to rock out hard towards the end. During this song, James had another technical glitch and urged Jules to stop drumming. Nonetheless, they continued, and the song went alright.
As is customary in their shows, they do an extended version of Dead Disco. This time, this version reached a mind bogling 25 minutes, with Emily voicing her opinion on the election, the fact that there have been more than 100,000 deaths in Iraq since the U.S. invaded it (she had the number Sharpied on her arm), that James and Jules are now Oakland residents while Josh and her continue to be dual U.S. and Canadian citizens, and she crowd surfed for a little bit, jumping from the second highest speaker - stage right (where I was). I wanted to catch her, but I thought better and just admired her jumping from there.
A fantastic show! Emily Haines is definitely one of the best lead singers in a live show. You never know what to expect, other than a fantastic show. Metric is definitely one of those bands I love to see - regardless of how many times I have seen them prior and regardless of the setlist being the same the previous times I have seen them. No regrets.
29 October 2004
26 October 2004
Interpol (Warfield, 26 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 1-2 beers
Is it Halloween already? Why? Because all the freaks were out tonight at the Interpol show last night. Besides the Interpol boys looking sharp (Carlos D. was wearing a superb get up as well as the other members), there were certain crowd members who were down right annoying. Let me give some LOSER recognition to the girl who thought that Interpol was a trance band. This lame ass was dancing and was dressed as if she were at Burning Man. What a tool! Not only that, she was constantly having her pig tails hit me in the face and her dancing was constantly hitting me in the chest. So, I did what every person does in this situation: stick your elbow out so that when she hits you, she hits her spine and spit every now and then at her bag and umbrella if she's stupid enough to put it next to you. Yeah! I hope you had a sticky time lame ass!
Anyways, I digress. Interpol I have seen 3 times: once at the Fillmore, another at Curiosa, and tonight. This was, by far, the best Interpol show I have seen. Definitely the best show for the weekend. They were tight in every song, the lead singer had a great voice, and the crowd was awesome (despite the hippy chick). Interpol played a majority of songs from their new album, "Antics." "Slow Hands" received the best reception out of the lot (hmmm...I wonder why?). They also played a handful of songs from their debut album such as "PDA."
Thus, it was a fantastic show and I hope to see them again.
Is it Halloween already? Why? Because all the freaks were out tonight at the Interpol show last night. Besides the Interpol boys looking sharp (Carlos D. was wearing a superb get up as well as the other members), there were certain crowd members who were down right annoying. Let me give some LOSER recognition to the girl who thought that Interpol was a trance band. This lame ass was dancing and was dressed as if she were at Burning Man. What a tool! Not only that, she was constantly having her pig tails hit me in the face and her dancing was constantly hitting me in the chest. So, I did what every person does in this situation: stick your elbow out so that when she hits you, she hits her spine and spit every now and then at her bag and umbrella if she's stupid enough to put it next to you. Yeah! I hope you had a sticky time lame ass!
Anyways, I digress. Interpol I have seen 3 times: once at the Fillmore, another at Curiosa, and tonight. This was, by far, the best Interpol show I have seen. Definitely the best show for the weekend. They were tight in every song, the lead singer had a great voice, and the crowd was awesome (despite the hippy chick). Interpol played a majority of songs from their new album, "Antics." "Slow Hands" received the best reception out of the lot (hmmm...I wonder why?). They also played a handful of songs from their debut album such as "PDA."
Thus, it was a fantastic show and I hope to see them again.
Clinic (Great American Music Hall, 24 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 3-4 Beers
There's something ultra gimicky about Clinic. Is it the scrub costumes that the band wears while on stage? Is it the fact that in Winchester Cathedral they barely use the snare drum? Is it the use of the xylophone in almost every other song? Or maybe it's the backing vocals that only consist of "Mmmmmm..."?
Well, whatever it is, Clinic put on a decent show at the GAMH on Sunday night to end their 2 day residency in San Francisco. As great as the GAMH is, the venue is not very technologically ready for multimedia screen effects. Clinic had great background visual effects, but the GAMH can only provide them, as a backdrop, a used white sheet that looks like it was taken out of a hotel in the Tenderloin. So, they have this HUGE projection that was trying to fit into this 5 foot long and wide blanket.
The songs they played were excellent with hits like "Walk with Thee" and some other tracks from their discography. Granted, I don't know many songs from them but I liked what I heard. My friend thought that the lead singer was hella scary with that whole scrub opening for the mouth. I thought they were scary because their use of the bass drum on every song seems to have marked the end of the world. Another reason why they were scary is because I could barely hear their lyrics.
The crowd was into it, but the showing was sparse for this Sunday night. It was an opening band vibe with the crowd.
Overall, a decent gig. Clinic, as seasoned veterans as they are, need to fine tune it some more with their songwriting and tunes.
There's something ultra gimicky about Clinic. Is it the scrub costumes that the band wears while on stage? Is it the fact that in Winchester Cathedral they barely use the snare drum? Is it the use of the xylophone in almost every other song? Or maybe it's the backing vocals that only consist of "Mmmmmm..."?
Well, whatever it is, Clinic put on a decent show at the GAMH on Sunday night to end their 2 day residency in San Francisco. As great as the GAMH is, the venue is not very technologically ready for multimedia screen effects. Clinic had great background visual effects, but the GAMH can only provide them, as a backdrop, a used white sheet that looks like it was taken out of a hotel in the Tenderloin. So, they have this HUGE projection that was trying to fit into this 5 foot long and wide blanket.
The songs they played were excellent with hits like "Walk with Thee" and some other tracks from their discography. Granted, I don't know many songs from them but I liked what I heard. My friend thought that the lead singer was hella scary with that whole scrub opening for the mouth. I thought they were scary because their use of the bass drum on every song seems to have marked the end of the world. Another reason why they were scary is because I could barely hear their lyrics.
The crowd was into it, but the showing was sparse for this Sunday night. It was an opening band vibe with the crowd.
Overall, a decent gig. Clinic, as seasoned veterans as they are, need to fine tune it some more with their songwriting and tunes.
21 October 2004
The Concretes (Great American Music Hall, 20 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 2.5-3 Beers
First off, I just want to vent on one topic before going on a review of this show: farters. There is a tendency for people who drink lots of alcohol to formuate gas in their digestive system. And once this part of the system has just too much of the stuff, that is when your gluteus maximus plays an essential role in relieving you of this. Well, next time you are at a show, and I am behind you, and you need to pass gas, just politely tell me to "save your spot" and go to a corner. Pass your gas, and then proceed. Don't do the silent fart thing and then stink it up.
This is precisely what happened to me last night. As I was enjoying the Concretes' alternate rendition of "Seems Fine," someone lays the silent stinker. Ruined the vibe. Bitch!
Anyways, back to the show. As I entered the GAMH, I was greeted with a bunch of people all in the periphery of the dance floor, thus making the entire dance floor vacant. This was for the opener. It was, as if, the mush pot in duck duck goose is not the cool place to be in. I have never seen this phenomenon before at the GAMH, and it was quite a sight. Fortunately, the crowd decided to become friendly and fill in the middle once the Concretes started.
A majority of the songs they played was from their self-titled sophomore release. I didnt't realize that the Concretes consisted of 9 members (I thought they were only 4) and all of them had a critical part in each and every song. Even the percussion guy with the tambourine(allegedly the producer of their album). The lead singer's voice on the album sounded the same live, with that nice, soft Mazzy Starr-ish voice.
Amongst the many songs they played, my favourites were: Say Something New, You Can't Hurry Love, Lovin Kind, This One's For You, and Seems Fine. As I said above, Seems Fine was done twice. Once with the album version and another with a slower, more country/folksy rendition. Both versions were awesome, and I anxiously await the release of the alternate version. They even played their Christmas song, whose title I do not recall, which they just finished two weeks ago.
In their encore (I think), they played a Rolling Stone's cover . . . yet again whose title I do not remember. Awesome cover though.
Final note: the lead singer was very shy and seemed like she was anxious to leave the stage. She was very cute in that sense. Otherwise, the entire band was enjoying themselves a lot (we even sang "Happy Birthday" to Martin, and were quite peppy.
Overall: an excellent show if it wasn't for the farter.
First off, I just want to vent on one topic before going on a review of this show: farters. There is a tendency for people who drink lots of alcohol to formuate gas in their digestive system. And once this part of the system has just too much of the stuff, that is when your gluteus maximus plays an essential role in relieving you of this. Well, next time you are at a show, and I am behind you, and you need to pass gas, just politely tell me to "save your spot" and go to a corner. Pass your gas, and then proceed. Don't do the silent fart thing and then stink it up.
This is precisely what happened to me last night. As I was enjoying the Concretes' alternate rendition of "Seems Fine," someone lays the silent stinker. Ruined the vibe. Bitch!
Anyways, back to the show. As I entered the GAMH, I was greeted with a bunch of people all in the periphery of the dance floor, thus making the entire dance floor vacant. This was for the opener. It was, as if, the mush pot in duck duck goose is not the cool place to be in. I have never seen this phenomenon before at the GAMH, and it was quite a sight. Fortunately, the crowd decided to become friendly and fill in the middle once the Concretes started.
A majority of the songs they played was from their self-titled sophomore release. I didnt't realize that the Concretes consisted of 9 members (I thought they were only 4) and all of them had a critical part in each and every song. Even the percussion guy with the tambourine(allegedly the producer of their album). The lead singer's voice on the album sounded the same live, with that nice, soft Mazzy Starr-ish voice.
Amongst the many songs they played, my favourites were: Say Something New, You Can't Hurry Love, Lovin Kind, This One's For You, and Seems Fine. As I said above, Seems Fine was done twice. Once with the album version and another with a slower, more country/folksy rendition. Both versions were awesome, and I anxiously await the release of the alternate version. They even played their Christmas song, whose title I do not recall, which they just finished two weeks ago.
In their encore (I think), they played a Rolling Stone's cover . . . yet again whose title I do not remember. Awesome cover though.
Final note: the lead singer was very shy and seemed like she was anxious to leave the stage. She was very cute in that sense. Otherwise, the entire band was enjoying themselves a lot (we even sang "Happy Birthday" to Martin, and were quite peppy.
Overall: an excellent show if it wasn't for the farter.
18 October 2004
Nancy Sinatra (The Knitting Factory - Hollywood, 15 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 3-4 beers
It's always a great thing when you get a free ticket to a show. Especially, if it's a show that you are even interested in. Well, thanks to Elaine's friend Dave, her and I got into the Knitting Factory for gratis to see Nancy Sinatra. Prior to going to her show, I knew three things about Nancy Sinatra: (1) she's a woman; (2) her dad is Old Blue Eyes, Mr. Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra; and (3) she sang that "boots" song. Well, now add another fact to that list: Nancy Sinatra is hip to the scene.
I had my reservations at going to this show. First, the over 40 yr. old crowd is not too appealing since it reminds me that one day, I'll be like one of these guys. However, the crowd was a good mix of young (as young as 6 yrs. old) and old (infinity). Second, I know nothing about Nancy Sinatra's and her songs. Like I said in (3) above, that's the only song I knew of. Finally, will this whole 60s/70s era nostalgia music keep me up? Well, it actually did.
Nancy Sinatra isn't the hip "IT" girl that she was back in the 60s or when she posed for Playboy. No short one piece outfits or high heeled boots in this show, but instead Nancy sported jeans, plain looking shoes, and a sweater that looked like my old J. Crew mock crew neck. However, for being as old as she is, she still is a beautiful woman with a great voice.
Her great voice and on-stage presence was evident throughout the show. She opened up with "Bang, Bang" off the Kill Bill soundtrack. Then she played a slew of songs from her new album which included "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" written to her by Bono and The Edge of U2, a song composed by Thurston Moore, another song composed by Jarvis Cocker, and she did a cover of Morrissey's "Let Me Kiss You."
Of course, what's a Nancy Sinatra show without "Boots..."? Well, she played it and it was a terrific live version of it. Everyone in the crowd was dancing at this point (which is surprising since I didn't know Angelinos dance at live shows). After the show, she had a meet and greet where she signs autographs and chats with fans. I have her autograph and gave her a good handshake. She's a very nice woman.
Overall, a good show that could have been better if I knew more about her.
Then, as I walked outside the venue, I saw We Man from Jackass. Priceless.
It's always a great thing when you get a free ticket to a show. Especially, if it's a show that you are even interested in. Well, thanks to Elaine's friend Dave, her and I got into the Knitting Factory for gratis to see Nancy Sinatra. Prior to going to her show, I knew three things about Nancy Sinatra: (1) she's a woman; (2) her dad is Old Blue Eyes, Mr. Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra; and (3) she sang that "boots" song. Well, now add another fact to that list: Nancy Sinatra is hip to the scene.
I had my reservations at going to this show. First, the over 40 yr. old crowd is not too appealing since it reminds me that one day, I'll be like one of these guys. However, the crowd was a good mix of young (as young as 6 yrs. old) and old (infinity). Second, I know nothing about Nancy Sinatra's and her songs. Like I said in (3) above, that's the only song I knew of. Finally, will this whole 60s/70s era nostalgia music keep me up? Well, it actually did.
Nancy Sinatra isn't the hip "IT" girl that she was back in the 60s or when she posed for Playboy. No short one piece outfits or high heeled boots in this show, but instead Nancy sported jeans, plain looking shoes, and a sweater that looked like my old J. Crew mock crew neck. However, for being as old as she is, she still is a beautiful woman with a great voice.
Her great voice and on-stage presence was evident throughout the show. She opened up with "Bang, Bang" off the Kill Bill soundtrack. Then she played a slew of songs from her new album which included "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" written to her by Bono and The Edge of U2, a song composed by Thurston Moore, another song composed by Jarvis Cocker, and she did a cover of Morrissey's "Let Me Kiss You."
Of course, what's a Nancy Sinatra show without "Boots..."? Well, she played it and it was a terrific live version of it. Everyone in the crowd was dancing at this point (which is surprising since I didn't know Angelinos dance at live shows). After the show, she had a meet and greet where she signs autographs and chats with fans. I have her autograph and gave her a good handshake. She's a very nice woman.
Overall, a good show that could have been better if I knew more about her.
Then, as I walked outside the venue, I saw We Man from Jackass. Priceless.
10 October 2004
Citizens Here and Abroad (Hemlock Tavern, 8 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 2 beers
My friend Joe calls me up on a lazy Friday evening and tells me, "Hey, you want to see Citizens Here and Abroad?" You don't understand the surge of energy that went into my system. See, Joe burned me a copy of this Bay Area based indie group and thought that it was great stuff. So good that I had to buy a true copy of their debut LP, "Ghosts of Tables and Chairs." The LP is a dreamy collection of moody and artful songs. Best comparison that comes ot mind is Lush back in their shoegaze, pre-"Ladykillers" days.
So, after paying a modest $6 fee, and just coming back from Edinburgh Castle to see another band, i smooshed into the small room at the back of the Hemlock to see them. The sound in the Hemlock isn't exactly Carnegie Hall, but the sound system could have been better and the bands' songs deserved it. Adrienne Robilliard's voice and the instruments that accompanied it would have been fantastic but for the sound. Songs like, "They Stay," "In Flight Movie," and "Appearances" which sound great in the album, were robbed of its "umph" with the thumping drums, rapid fire guitar, and Adrienne's voice because of the sound system.
Regardless, I made the most of it and found the entire show entertaining. I am most amazed with their drummer, Chris Wetherell, whose unorthodox drumming (well, it could be orthodox) form was forceful and unique.
My friend Joe calls me up on a lazy Friday evening and tells me, "Hey, you want to see Citizens Here and Abroad?" You don't understand the surge of energy that went into my system. See, Joe burned me a copy of this Bay Area based indie group and thought that it was great stuff. So good that I had to buy a true copy of their debut LP, "Ghosts of Tables and Chairs." The LP is a dreamy collection of moody and artful songs. Best comparison that comes ot mind is Lush back in their shoegaze, pre-"Ladykillers" days.
So, after paying a modest $6 fee, and just coming back from Edinburgh Castle to see another band, i smooshed into the small room at the back of the Hemlock to see them. The sound in the Hemlock isn't exactly Carnegie Hall, but the sound system could have been better and the bands' songs deserved it. Adrienne Robilliard's voice and the instruments that accompanied it would have been fantastic but for the sound. Songs like, "They Stay," "In Flight Movie," and "Appearances" which sound great in the album, were robbed of its "umph" with the thumping drums, rapid fire guitar, and Adrienne's voice because of the sound system.
Regardless, I made the most of it and found the entire show entertaining. I am most amazed with their drummer, Chris Wetherell, whose unorthodox drumming (well, it could be orthodox) form was forceful and unique.
08 October 2004
Supergrass (Fillmore, 5 October 2004)
Rating: 6 pack
So, Supergrass is celebrating their 10th anniversary by touring selected cities to promote their new best of compilation. Let me tell you something about best of compilations. In my opinion, and in the very general sense, having a best of compilation means either (1) your band is over (see Suede, Pulp); (2) your band is changing direction and will never sound the way it was again (see Blur); or (3) your band has had its day in the sun and their careers are setting.
Place Supergrass in the third category. Don't get me wrong. They have created some fantastic albums, with "I Should Coco" being my favourite, but there was just something plain about Supergrass tonight and in all their albums after that. They don't have that same amount of enthusiasm and freshness in their songs. They've become more mature. Sometimes maturity takes the fun out of life, but Supergrass went from being ridiculously fun ("Alright," "Caught by the Fuzz") to just plain, well, serious (see all songs after "I Should Coco").
Tonight, Supergrass did just that: bore the hell out of me. It was an okay show, but the songs did not have that same "umph" that I would have expected out of Gaz and co. The crowd was also so-so into it, with a few die hards in the front. Otherwise, the show was average by my standards. I think my friend said it best, "I was too busy eating nachos to tell you about the show."
It's a damn shame. Or maybe I'm the one getting older? Hmmm....
So, Supergrass is celebrating their 10th anniversary by touring selected cities to promote their new best of compilation. Let me tell you something about best of compilations. In my opinion, and in the very general sense, having a best of compilation means either (1) your band is over (see Suede, Pulp); (2) your band is changing direction and will never sound the way it was again (see Blur); or (3) your band has had its day in the sun and their careers are setting.
Place Supergrass in the third category. Don't get me wrong. They have created some fantastic albums, with "I Should Coco" being my favourite, but there was just something plain about Supergrass tonight and in all their albums after that. They don't have that same amount of enthusiasm and freshness in their songs. They've become more mature. Sometimes maturity takes the fun out of life, but Supergrass went from being ridiculously fun ("Alright," "Caught by the Fuzz") to just plain, well, serious (see all songs after "I Should Coco").
Tonight, Supergrass did just that: bore the hell out of me. It was an okay show, but the songs did not have that same "umph" that I would have expected out of Gaz and co. The crowd was also so-so into it, with a few die hards in the front. Otherwise, the show was average by my standards. I think my friend said it best, "I was too busy eating nachos to tell you about the show."
It's a damn shame. Or maybe I'm the one getting older? Hmmm....
Show Calendar: New Additions
New Additions Include:
- 10/13: Bob Dylan @ The Grand at Regency Center
- 11/14: Wilco @ The Fillmore
- 12/11: The Hives @ Warfield
- 12/13: The Von Bondies @ Cafe Du Nord
- 10/14: Do Make Say Think show edited from 10/24 to 10/14
- 11/16: Blonde Redhead support Liars dropped, Helio Sequence added
- 11/17: Blonde Redhead support Liars dropped, Helio Sequence added
- 11/21: Dirty Vegas is now supporting Tears for Fears
- 11/28: Album Leaf is now supporting Pinback
03 October 2004
The Libertines (Fillmore, 1 October 2004)
Beer Rating: 2 Beers
There are certain rock stars that look good with their shirts off (a young Iggy Pop, the dude from Har Mar Superstar) and then there are the unlikely lads of the Libertines. If you got flab hanging out of your side, please keep the shirt on. It makes you look more rock n roll. And cooler. The whole shirts off thing is only appropriate for hot festival events or if you're the keyboardist for the Dandy Warhols.
Anyways, the Libertines were awesome on stage. This is the first time I have seen them, and they must have played 20+ songs in their slightly over 90 minute set. It sure helps though that each song is under 3 1/2 minutes, but who's counting. They played the usual hits from their debut album including, but not limited to, "Boys in the Band."
The crowd was mad fer it. I was mad fer it. My friend Sergio got a free ticket from some guy giving it away. I had 2 Stellas in my system. It was all good in the 'hood.
As you can see, I'm tired as hell. Helping people move, shopping at IKEA, and putting together IKEA furniture takes its toll. A better review for Supergrass, I promise!
There are certain rock stars that look good with their shirts off (a young Iggy Pop, the dude from Har Mar Superstar) and then there are the unlikely lads of the Libertines. If you got flab hanging out of your side, please keep the shirt on. It makes you look more rock n roll. And cooler. The whole shirts off thing is only appropriate for hot festival events or if you're the keyboardist for the Dandy Warhols.
Anyways, the Libertines were awesome on stage. This is the first time I have seen them, and they must have played 20+ songs in their slightly over 90 minute set. It sure helps though that each song is under 3 1/2 minutes, but who's counting. They played the usual hits from their debut album including, but not limited to, "Boys in the Band."
The crowd was mad fer it. I was mad fer it. My friend Sergio got a free ticket from some guy giving it away. I had 2 Stellas in my system. It was all good in the 'hood.
As you can see, I'm tired as hell. Helping people move, shopping at IKEA, and putting together IKEA furniture takes its toll. A better review for Supergrass, I promise!
01 October 2004
Music Review: The Delgados, "Universal Audio"
Rating: 8/10
I have to admit, I didn't really like The Delgados at first. It all stemmed when my friend and I were driving to Los Angeles and during the entire trip, she would play tracks from a couple of albums ad nauseum. It drove me nuts! There's only so much of the line "this is not my house" that I can take.
But that was several years ago, and I'd like to think that my taste in music has evolved and I have a keener ear. Fortunately, The Delgados are one of those bands that I hated at first, but now consider one of the "special bands" that require me to have their complete discography.
"Universal Audio" is not a major departure from their previous releases. It seems to be a continuation of "Hate" in some respects because it's louder and poppier. One need only hear their first single "Everybody Come Down" to see this extra pop present. Also, it seems that Paul Savage is finally having more gusto in his voice. "Get Action!" seems like a different rendition of "Hate" and he actually emits an almost scream during the chorus. Which I find surprising.
My favourite track of them all is "Girls of Valour," another Paul vox song with a really catchy guitar riff and a variety of background noises. It may sound like a typical pop song, but it is much more complex than that. I can't really describe it, but it's just a great song.
The lowdown: a must have CD that will not upset die hard Delgados fans because it isn't a radical change from their previous albums. I look forward to seeing them live in November.
Music Review: Solex, "The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock"
Rating: 7/10
For some reason, I knew that this was going to be a good CD. Why? With titles like, "Fold Your Hand Child, You Walk Like an Egyptian" and "My B-Sides Rock Your World," you know that something HAS to be good. Well, I was right.
Named after a small, Hungarian-made scooter, Solex is the project of Amsterdam-based record-shop owner and songwriter Elisabeth Esselink. This being Solex's first album in three years, this album has a lot of varying sounds - with one track seemingly different from others (at times).
Of course, I checked out the funny titles first. "My B Sides Rock Your World" starts off with a modest piano keys and then slowly becomes a bass and drum dominated song. Not drum and bass. Elisabeth's voice is semi-Lali Puna like in this track. There's something sexy about a girl saying "my b sides rock your world."
"Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like An Egyptian" is obviously the next track to check out. Starts off kinda jangly at first, with an annoying fly buzzing about in the background. Then it becomes even more jangly. Purely an instrumental.
However, silly tracks aside, this is an awesome album. "The Boxer", "You're Ugly", "Hot Diggitydog Run Run Run", and "You've Got Me" are some of the stand out tracks on the record. After a few listens, I compare them to ESG because of the low-fi no wave sound that is present.
Show Calendar: New Additions
Here's what's newly added to the Show Calendar:
- October 7: The Trash Can Sinatras (Acoustic) @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
- October 15: R.E.M. @ Greek Theatre, Berkeley
- October 21: Elefant @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
- October 22: PJ Harvey @ Warfield
- October 23: Leisure (Britpop Dance Party) @ Cherry Bar
- November 5: Jonathan Richman @ Great American Music Hall
- November 5: Nancy Sinatra @ Bimbo's
- November 11: Dogs Die in Hot Cars @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
- November 18: Le Tigre (DJ Session) @ Popscene: 330 Ritch
- November 19: The Futureheads @ 330 Ritch
- December 1: The Kills @ Bottom of the Hill
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