Temptation

Here are two treasures for you:

The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Just like Honey" (Psychocandy)
This girl in this song is a bee tempting you with her honey. The punchline is only hinted at: she'll sting you in the end.

Sebadoh: "Black-Haired Girl" (Sebadoh III)
Similarly, this song asks a girl, "what kind of trouble [have] I got myself in?" But instead of getting caught by honey, he's tempted by the slightly more literal perfume.

DOWNLOAD: "Just Like Honey"; "Black-Haired Girl"

Let's Find Out About! Tesla Boy...

In my running gag here, I introduce you to bands/artists that I have just recently learned about (maybe you know them already, but they're new to me). And I give you a video to wet your appetite.

Tesla Boy
They don't have an entry yet on Allmusic or even Wikipedia, but Tesla Boy have made a big impression lately on the music blogs. They are an electronic group and, for once, one I can stomach. It's hard to not enjoy their synthy, cheesy, 80s-esque pop with titles like "Electric Lady" and "Spirit of the Night." The group comes from Moscow and Prefixmag calls them possibly "the biggest thing to come out of Russia since t.A.T.u." I guess that's a good thing.


The Rentals
I know I should probably have heard of The Rentals before. But the truth is I hadn't. They were formed 15 years ago by Weezer bassist Matt Sharp, along with drummer Pat Wilson. Maya Rudolph from SNL also played keyboards briefly for the group. Weezer used to rehearse in Sharp's garage (hence "In The Garage")


Le Futur Pompiste
OK, here's a band you definitely haven't heard of. Le Futur Pompiste come from Finland. According to Last.fm:

LE FUTUR POMPISTE is a collective of five friends making pop music. The group members all share the hometown Vaasa, although they are living in Helsinki, Stockholm and Turku at this moment.

Their debut was released back in 2004, but apparently they have a new album which should be out later this year. You have to check out the video below. They look very groovy.


Hockey
Hockey come from Portland, Oregon. They were signed to Epic right out of high school, worked with Jerry Harrison, and moved to Capitol before getting dropped. According to bassist Jeremy Reynolds, "we just didn’t have the songs, or the wherewithal to put the whole thing together." The band started as just Reynolds and singer Benjamin Grubin, but since then, the band has wisely added a guitarist and drummer. Now they're signed to another major label, EMI. They usually get compared to a fusion of LCD Soundsystem, The Killers and The Strokes, but the band lists their influences as Talking Heads, David Bowie and Bob Dylan.


Gladshot
Pop Matters says of the group's self-titled debut, which came out in 2000, "it’s as if someone found the great lost Buckingham/Nicks track and turned it loose" and calls the band "one of the nicest surprises I’ve had all year." That was in 2000 and since then Gladshot has released two more albums on their own Frankly Mills label. That PopMatters review was no hyperbole. They make extremely high quality music and yet, have received little to no attention. This is an injustice, which I hope to remedy even in this small way. Well, I guess they have gotten a little attention. Their song "Feel You" appeared on an episode of Higher Ground, in which Hayden Christiansen tells his father that he's sleeping with his step-mother. I may have never heard of Higher Ground and I hate Hayden Christiansen, but neverthelesss, congrats! Group member Debbie Andrews was once a Broadway actress who played Crissy in Hair at the age 16 and sang "Frank Mills," for which their label is named. Apparently, Meatloaf, who was also in the musical, was the first man Andrews saw naked. That's just unfortunate.


Mother Mother
Allmusic calls their sound "smart and amiable folk-rock with an alternative edge, biting wit, and a jazzy sense of sophistication." They don't just hand out praise like that. Mother Mother are Canadians from Vancouver. They were formed by brother and sister Ryan and Molly Guldemond. They did their debut album with the same producer as fellow Canadians the New Pornographers and Tegan and Sara. Ryan Guldemond seemed hesitant to list influences, but eventually settled on The Beatles, Pixies and Radiohead. Their video (below) is really fucking cool.


The Gay Blades
They come from Jersey City. This is how band member Clark Westfield describes the group:

Two men fast and furiously winding through the cosmos, swallowing up as much blazing speed as possible. We play music fast. We play loud and we try to have as good of a time doing it. We try to make sure everyone does it well. We listen to great music and we try to emulate such great artists by producing music of the highest caliber from our small little brains. We don't take too much care in how we dress or how we look, we just happen to look great all the time. It's not our fault that we were born this way. We're a two piece rock-n-roll band, ultimately.

The name comes from both a Lou Reed song, "Vicious" and a real gang from Harlem. He describes his music as trash pop, saying,

So, pop music is music that is structured and melodic. Attention to detail as far as lyrics and staying on point, on topic. Trash is just noisy and grimy and fast and fun. So you just put those two together. We like messy, you know. We like sloppy.

He and Puppy Mills, with whom he formed the group, met as both worked at a "flea market/flea circus." For the video, start watching at :30.


The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy was formed in Londonberry, Ireland by Neil Hannon. They soon were opening for My Bloody Valentine. In 1993, the original band broke up, but Hannon continued on as a solo act under the same name. His music has referenced F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wordsworth, and Chekov. They once collaborated with Tom Jones. This is how he replied to criticism that his song "National Express" was pretentious:

Well, I mean, pretention; the very word. Surely that's exactly what everybody in this industry does, pretend to be something or other. A lot of people go 'keep it real', but what exactly are they keeping real? You're basically keeping some mythical '60s rock attitude real, which is fake anyway. So I pretend to be clever!

And this was what he said about the internet in 1999:

I haven't quite worked out what you're supposed to do with the web," - that hiccup again - it seems to appear whenever says a word or phrase seriously that he finds ridiculous, "or what you're meant to be looking for. The idea seems great, but I sit there going, 'hmm, what should I do?' So I looked up philosophy and it gave me a nice little potted history, and that was nice. But there was no contemporary philosophy, nobody talking about stuff - I couldn't find anything. And I don't want to join a Beverley Hills 90210 channel..."

Wonder what he thinks now.


Josh Ritter
Ritter comes from Moscow, Idaho, which makes him the second artist on this list from Moscow technically. He is known for doing the ending credits for Six Feet Under. His single "Me & Jiggs" hit the Irish Top 40. Check out this long interview he did with Triste. He says his main influences are Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, both of whom he didn't listen to until he was 18. He taught himself to play a guitar he bought at K Mart soon after. He originally majored in Neuroscience at Oberlin, but changed his major to American History through Narrative Folk Music.

NL Central News: 3/26

Miguel Tejada today was sentenced to a year of probation for lying to Congress about using steroids. Basically this just means he has to do 100 hours of community service and pay a $5000 fine. Did Tejada get off easy? Kind of. Lying to Congress is about as intelligent as leaving your drivers licence at the scene of a robbery. He could have received up to six months in prison. Remember, much like for Martha Stewart, it was the lying part, not the steroids that did him in. So, are the Astros regretting the Tejada trade yet? To review, they sent Matt Albers, Luke Scott, Dennis Sarfate, Troy Patton and Mike Costanzo to the Orioles in 2007 in exchange for Tejada. Tejada was paid nearly $15 Million last season. None of the players sent to the Orioles made more than half a million last year. Literally a day after the deal was completed, Tejada was listed as a steroid user in the Mitchell Report. Plus, his numbers have dropped each year since 2004 when he posted an OPS+ of 131. Last year he managed only a mediocre 92. Scott, who is four years younger than Tejada (though he was thought to be only two years younger when the deal was made) beat that number by over 15 points last season. And he was paid $14 Million less. If I were an Astros fan, I would literally be losing my mind at this point. As a Cubs fan, I can sit back and appreciate that a rival made a stupid decision (instead of the Cubs for once).

In related news, the Real Age Test that's been annoyingy popping up at me on the Internet is a scam which sends email addresses to pharmaceutical companies, which then bombard you with spam based on your answers to a health survey. Unsurprisingly, this is Oprah's fault.

Links of Note

60-foot penis painted on roof
Ummm...Because why not? The whole thing is so classic. Here is the quote:

An 18-year-old has secretly painted a 60ft drawing of a phallus on the roof of his parents' £1million mansion in Berkshire. It was there for a year before his parents found out. They say he'll have to scrub it off when he gets back from travelling.

(props to Cajun Boy in the City)

Via Deadspin: Wife of Jose Tabata Suspected of Baby-Snatching
I mentioned Tabata, one of the Pirates' top hitting prospects in my NL Central Preview. This story is just shockingly strange. Tabata's wife, who by the way is more than twice his age, is accused of kidnapping a baby from a clinic in Plant City, Florida. And Tabata seems to be throwing his wife under the bus.

Jose Tabata addressed the matter in a statement released by the team. "I was shocked to be told today that my wife has been arrested for kidnapping. I am hurt, frustrated, and confused by her actions," Tabata said. "I have and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials in anyway that I can. Until I have all of the facts, I cannot comment any further."

PS. I should have put in my Tabata scouting report that he is known as

Mini-Manny "for having quick hands and great bat speed, but also for his bad attitude."

Preach Reverend Preach!

It's been a while since I made a playlist here. So here's a mini for you:

Rev. Gary Davis: "Cincinnati Flow Rag" (Blues & Ragtime)
The Reverend was one of the greatest ragtime blues guitarists of all time, a compatriot of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Willie Johnson. He was also blind, but I guess was one of the few bluesmen to not make that part of his name. He made a few recordings in the thirties before becoming an ordained minister (hence the Rev.). He quit playing blues and began preaching in the streets of Harlem. Like many of the great blues players, he faded into obscurity until the mid-'60s when the folkies decided to find him and convince him to play like he used to. Davis complied and layed down some great songs like this one. I recommend checking out the whole album. Amusingly, a lot of it is pretty raunchy. Not sure if he was still preaching during this period.
DOWNLOAD

Fugazi: "Suggestion" (13 Songs)
This is the rant of the angry non-conformist. Why can't I walk down the street free of suggestion? Indeed.
DOWNLOAD

Apples in Stereo: "Radiation" (New Magnetic Wonder)
Songs about friendship are always the best. I love Elephant Six. It's like a little treasure box of a record company/collective/what not.
DOWNLOAD

My Bloody Valentine: "Blown a Wish" (Loveless)
Has a more beautiful song ever been recorded?
DOWNLOAD

Of Montreal: "Problem with April" (Horse & Elephant Eatery (No Elephants Allowed): The Singles and Songles Album)
Another Elephant Six group delivers a sweet little pop ditty.
DOWNLOAD

Jean Leloup: "I Lost My Baby" (Le Dôme)
This is fantastic pop song. The chorus is in English, the rest is French.
DOWNLOAD

Screwed by Wake Forest

Why oh why did I pick Wake Forest to make the Final Four? This was the question I thought to myself as the CBS ticker announced their embarassing defeat to Cleveland State of all teams. On the positive side, I picked both Siena and Wisconsin, who won in genuinely exciting games over Ohio State and FSU respectively (both games went into overtime). Those games reminded me of the true meaning of March Madness-- rooting for scrappy underdogs to stick it to boring state schools. But still, Wake Forest, eat a dick.

Weekend Notes

1. I went to the Yale Whale (above) last night and saw this exciting matchup between tenth ranked Yale and Brown. Brown was up 2-0 before Yale dominated the rest of the match, scoring four unanswered goals. I spent most of the game heckling Ryan Garbutt. I'm sure he must be used to it by now. Anyway, college hockey is way more exciting than you might expect. And I am going to make a concerted effort to watch hockey in the future (this may or may not have been the first time I have ever watched a hockey game all the way through).

2. I saw Gomorra today. And so far, it leads my list of best films of 2009. I've only seen this and The Watchmen, though, so there may well be some others that have escaped my attention. The film gained interest here in the States for two reasons. One, the author of the book that it's based on, was forced to have a police escort protect him at all times due to death threats, and two, it was produced by Martin Scorsese. This film is bleak and truly uncompromising. It is completely without stylistic frills: no voiceovers, no dream sequences, no flashbacks. It simply tells the story of the Camorra, the most powerful criminal organization in Italy. The movie is filled with violence, not the kind of cartoonish violence in The Watchmen, but real violence, which isn't much fun to watch. The life that is shown in Gomorra is very simple: kill or be killed, either you're "with us" or you're an enemy. There is no central protagonist of the film. But the most sympathetic characters are the kids, two teenagers pretending to be Scarface. Their story is tragic and it demonstrates the unending cycle of corruption and violence that (parts of) Italy has endured. Crime is not glamorous in the movie, but neither are the criminals villified. It is all part of a corrupt system, very much like in my all-time favorite TV series The Wire. The difference is that in The Wire, there are periods of optimism, as well as a sense of humor that allows for breaks from the tragedy. Nothing like that exists in Gomorra, so, while I appreciated the film, I doubt I would want to see it more than once. It is an exhausting experience.

3. I'm taking a break from blogging for about a week. So I'll leave you with this:
Nas & DJ Green Lantern: "Seen It All" (The Nigger Tape)
DOWNLOAD

Film Friday

I've spent the past week catching up on some movie-watching. Here is a recommendation, whatever the opposite of a recommendation is, and a couple other things:

The Passenger (Professione: Reporter)
This film was made in 1975 and stars someone named Jack Nicholson. It was directed by the late, great Michelangelo Antonioni. The film begins in Africa with Jack Nicholson as a frustrated reporter who finds his businessman acquaintance dead in the hotel room next to his. Nicholson decides to take on the identity of this businessman, who is, in fact, a weapons smuggler. Therein lies the premise of the film: What is identity? Can you really change who you are? And if so, can I be Jack Nicholson? He was one bad motherfucker if there ever was one. The movie also features the alluring Maria Schneider as a Mystery Girl that Nicholson meets observing architecture in Barcelona. This movie is all about long shots of beautiful places like the African desert and the Spanish coast. Think of the opening of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The movie is not chock full of dialogue or action, so if that kind of thing might make you restless, you should probably look elsewhere. However, the cinematography is incredible. So is the acting by Nicholson and Schneider. If you appreciate the beauty of exotic landscapes and a philosophical experience, you might want to check out this movie, which I might venture to call under-appreciated.

The Watchmen
This movie sucks. Plain and simple. Maybe I don't get it because I didn't read the graphic novel, but really this is just an "adult" version of The Incredibles, right? A lot of the nudity/violence seemed really over the top to me. I'm not one to object to some gore (hell, I'm a big Tarantino fan), but what was the point really of all the excessive blood and guts in every other scene? Not to mention the ridiculous blue penis, which I truly did not need to see. And this movie is not ironic. It is supposed to be serious. But I found myself snickering through the love scenes, the observations of human character held on Mars, and the over-serious Cold War/nuclear holocaust apocalyptic bullshit.

Audrey Tautou
How can you watch Amélie and not fall in love with her? That is all.

Joaquin Phoenix
He's back at his crazy routine. This time he attacked a heckler at a concert. At least he did sound somewhat coherent this time. The video is no longer up unfortunately, but this is the quote:

We have a fucking asshole in the audience... I've got a million dollars in the bank. What have you got, bitch?

Let's Find Out About! The Duke Spirit...

Here is the second installment in my series Let's Find Out About! in which I research bands/artists that I am not familiar with and tell you why you should be a fan of said band/artist. And I post a video to go with each entry.

The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit come from London. They were formed at art school, as any proper band is. They are notable for having a female singer in an otherwise male group, somewhat like Blondie. Their singer, Liela Moss, also happens to be blond. However, I can't find anything too interesting about the group, besides the fact that they like The Pixies and Nick Cave. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. And I think they make pretty good music.


The City and Horses
It is quite difficult to find much of anything about this Brooklyn-based group. In fact, according to their Myspace page they are still looking for new band members:

Anyone else interested in playing? Please? We need people who do these things: keyboard, guitar, trumpet, washboard, penny whistle, bongo drum, spoon, glockenspiel, chord organ, xylophone, microphone, telephone????

Because what band couldn't use a good spoon player? I first found out about the group from Hypeful, which describes the band as having

the kind of innocent and offbeat charm that would fit nicely into a Wes Anderson soundtrack.

And I do love Wes Anderson, especially his soundtracks. This is how the band describes themselves:

The City and Horses play catchy indie pop, literate lo-fi folk, earnest country ballads, electro-sex dance, grunge rock and Mo-Town fop. The members of the band are adorable, and at three inches tall they fit right in your pocket. Attend a show and take one home for yourself!

And, according to Another Form of Relief, the band was formed after singer Marc Cantone's girlfriend dumped him for a "Turkish chef." This intrigues me. Finally, their music is featured in a promo for Jessica Simpson's Collection, which is a perfume or something (see below).


Keri Hilson
Hilson isn't just a new pretty face in the R&B world (but she is pretty). She has been around for a while as a songwriter (for Usher, Ludacris, Ciara, Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls, etc.). And she went to Emory, so she must be pretty damn smart as well. She was signed to Interscope by Timbaland, who is usually a good judge of talent. And, I'm kind of lying when I say I never heard of her because she was featured on a Nas track from his last album, "Hero" (video below). Hell, if Nas likes the girl, I like her too. Finally, she plays ball with R. Kelly, which sounds, if anything, funnier, than the Chappelle's Show skit of Charlie Murphy facing off against Prince.


Bill Callahan
Callahan used to go by the name Smog, and under that pseudonym, he's been around for over 20 years and is apparently well-known as an important figure in the lo-fi movement (though I never heard of Smog either). His song "Cold Blooded Old Times" was on the High Fidelity soundtrack. And his song "Held" was in that Cadillac commercial which had Bob Dylan in it a couple years back. He has also been covered by Cat Power and The Flaming Lips, who are both personal favorites of mine. There is another Bill Callahan who is the newly minted Jets assistant head coach, but as far as I know, they are not the same person.


Dead Confederate
Dead Confedare are a Southern rock group from Georgia. Except they say "We are totally not a southern rock band." But they are because they're from the South and they play rock music. I also know this: They were influenced by Nirvana, Pink Floyd and Neil Young and they like to drink. Seem to be pretty good guys and definitely talented as well (see video below (go to 1:16 to see the badass stache on the keyboard player)).


Blitzen Trapper
I know, I should know these guys by now. But I actually just got into their music quite recently. Blitzen Trapper come from Portland, Oregon. Band member Eric Earley was the son of a bluegrass musician who taught him how to play the banjo at age six. The band describes their style as "American music," which really could mean just about anything.


So check out all these guys. And I highly recommend The Conformist. It's a film by the great Bernardo Bertolucci about Fascist Italy. That's where the picture at the top comes from.

Singer of the Day

Martha Wainwright is not the most well-known of the Wainwrights (the others are her brother Rufus, her father Loudon and her mother Kate McGarrigle). But she's my favorite. She was raised in Montreal and has appeared on albums with her other family members. Her own style is quite folky, but also has rock, country and cabaret influences. And she has a great voice. It's like listening to an angel.

Here are three of my favorite Martha Wainwright songs:

"Lolita" is from her debut EP, Martha Wainwright (Six Songs), which came out in 1999. "Mama's not home. We're alone. Let's play house." This is one seductive-ass song.

"Factory" is from her 2002 EP Factory. This is her folk-side. It is a jangly, slow-building tribute to the "poor souls" of the world.

"G.P.T." off of her first album, 2005's Martha Wainwright. It is a beautiful song. And a great example of her child-like voice. Just vintage romantic, dramatic Martha Wainwright.

I sincerely recommend you check out her whole catalog, as I have yet to her a song by her that I didn't like.

DOWNLOAD:
"Lolita"
"G.P.T."
"Factory"

The Ultimate Movie Cast

I was thinking yesterday after watching Boogie Nights, which features one of the best casts in any movie (Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham, Julianne, Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly...), about what my ideal cast would be if I were to create my own movie. In this hypothetical situation, no actor would be unavailable and, of course, they would all be eager as hell to work on my hypothetical film.

Benicio del Toro as the Mysterious Outlaw
There is something very dark and appealing about Del Toro. He gives an overpowering performance in 21 Grams as an ex-con Born Again Christian. I'm going to need fire like that for my movie.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Loser
I don't think he has ever appeared in a bad movie. There is something about him that makes him perfect for playing a pathetic schlub, as he does in Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, 25th Hour, etc.

Willem Dafoe as the Hard-Drinking Detective
Think his role in Boondock Saints mixed with a bit of Platoon. You know you are going to get some serious emotional power with Dafoe in your movie.

Gary Oldman as the Villain
His role in the Professional is by far my favorite on-screen villain ever. He pops pills, talks about classical music, and steals balls from children. What could be better?

Jennifer Connelly as the Female Detective
She goes undercover and ends up having a gratuitous lesbian sex scene with Scarlett Johansson.

Scarlett Johansson as the Stripper with a Heart of Gold
Just because Johansson needs to go topless in a film eventually, am I right? Plus, her ties to del Toro could make for some serious on-screen heat.

Somehow these characters would come together to create a masterpiece. Hell, I'd hardly even have to direct the thing.

And here are a few selections from the movie's soundtrack:

Olivia Tremor Control: "No Growing"
This is the opening music. Dafoe is sitting in the strip club and watching Scarlett Johannson do her thing. Out comes Jennifer Connelly, under cover of course. In the back fo the club, Gary Oldman, wearing an eye patch, strokes his pet poodle and orders the hit on yet another of his enemies.

The Beatles: "Two of Us"
This is the ultimate song of love and it goes perfectly with any romantic montage, especially for a sunny day, lovers with their hands intertwined. That kind of thing. I see Philip Seymour Hoffman and Willem Dafoe having a very touching moment.

The Box Tops: "The Letter"
This is clearly the music playing in the bar when del Toro enters. He looks haggard and immediately sits down at the bar stool and orders a double shot of tequila. Willem Dafoe has been sitting in the bar and quickly catches sight of del Toro, whom he knows is a bandit on the run.

DOWNLOAD: "No Growing" (Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle)

Crossing the Red Sea With...

Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts should be considered one of the great British punk albums, up there with Singles Going Steady, Damned Damned Damned and Never Mind the Bullocks. But, sadly, ask many otherwise knowledgeable punk fans if they know about T.V. Smith and Gaye Advert and you're going to get some blank stares. Which is a shame. Because they made some of the most fun and often hilarious punk of the mid-70s. The band was formed in 1976 by Smith and Advert, who had grown up in Bideford, a small town in southwest Britain. By '77, they were touring with the likes of the Damned and the Jam and made an appearance on John Peel's BBC Radio One show.

Without further ado, let's get into the album:
It begins with the delightful "One Chord Wonders," a song about only being able to play one chord, but not giving a damn. Isn't that the punk spirit, right there? Next is "Bored Teenagers," another appropriately-titled song for the punk era. Most of the songs are in the 2 to 2:30 minute range, all perfectly compact little pieces of punk fury. One of the greatest punk songs ever is "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," which comes right out of some delightfully campy 70s horror flick. It starts with tribal drumming, and then comes the spooky whisper, "Gary...Gilmore's...Eyes". The premise is that the singer is looking through the eyes of Gary Gilmore, the serial killer who donated his eyes to science.

There is a lot of humor on this album, but also some serious anger with Britain of the 1970s. This comes through in "No Time to Be 21"

Strip down to the bare facts of it.
Into the cold heart, no hope and all that shit.
No chances, no plans.
I think I'll be somebody else.
Or else a madman.
It's no time to be 21,
To be anyone.

"On Wheels" sounds like a clear predecessor to the Dead Kennedys, with its spooky, slow building bass line, and its story about a wheelchair and its lifeless inhabitant. The last song on the album is also the angriest and one of the finest anthems of punk rock. Here's a sample from "Great British Mistake":

The great British mistake was looking for a way out,
Was getting complacent, not noticing
The pulse was racing.
The mistake was fighting.
The change, was staying the same.
It couldn't adapt so it couldn't survive,
Something had to give.
The people take a downhill slide into the gloom.
Into the dark recesses of their minds.

For me, this is one of the most underrated political manifestos of this movement, up there with "Pretty Vacant," "Blank Generation," or "White Riot." The whole thing is a perfect punk album, filled with self-deprecating humor, reflections on teenage angst, anger at the powers that be, and little horror-film gems.

The Adverts made one more album, 1979's Cast of Thousands before they broke up, but by that time they had transitioned into new wave. Crossing the Red Sea is their masterpiece and I urge you to buy a copy for yourself.

Download: "Gary Gilmore's Eyes"

Let's Find Out About!

For some reason, I always like to know the story behind a band. Usually, I find that I like bands whose back stories are interesting, rather than some band of dullards who somehow made some nice music. For example, take Robert Johnson, who sold his soul to the Devil to play guitar. Without that story, he's just an exceptionally innovative blues singer, who would probably be about as well known as Robert Wilkins. Have you ever heard of Robert Wilkins? Thought not. And I take extra pleasure every time I listen to Screamin' Jay Hawkins, knowing that Jay, who was raised by a Native American witch doctor, was a failed boxer and opera singer, and that he often entered stage from a coffin, and was known to have fathered approximately 75 children. So here are a few artists that I had never heard of until recently. I like their music. Their stories may be the deciding factor for whether I will continue to listen to them.

The Spinto Band
They were formed in Wilmington, Delaware. Well that is decidedly unexciting. Go on... Their original band name was Free Beer. Now we are talking. Why would you ever change your name from Free Beer, I might ask. And what does Spinto mean? According to Wikipedia according to Rosalind Plowright, a spinto voice is "one that has a tonal colour one down from its range." That is decidedly less cool than Free Beer. But go on. Their breakthrough album was 2005's Nice and Nicely Done on Bar None Records, home (or former home) to Yo La Tengo, the Mendoza Line, and Of Montreal (all bands I like a great deal and have posted about on this here blog). Score one for The Spinto Band. So let's look at a fairly recent interview with the band (usually, in my experience, a pretty good way to judge a group/artist). When asked an excellent question, what music do you listen to that sounds nothing like yours, the band responded, "I wish we sounded more like Cannibal Ox or Del," which is a fantastic answer. I am a huge fan of Cannibal Ox. So you have my support, The Spinto Band. Now get to work on knocking up 75 women.


Crystal Stilts
I have tried scouring the internet for information on this group and have found precious little. What I know is the following: they were formed in Brooklyn, although two (I think) of the members come from Florida. Just about everywhere you look, they are compared to the same bands: New Order, Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, Shop Assistants... I like all of these bands actually, so there could be much worse things to say about a band, in my opinion. I have read several interviews with band members and they don't reveal many interesting details unfortunately. I'd say the jury's still out on this group. They need a bit more attention before I make up mind as to whether they're boring like Coldplay or fuckin' rockstars like the Libertines.


The Golden Filter
I'm usually not much for electronica, but what I've heard of this group is quite unique, very psychedelic, which is my kind of thing. From the internet, I've found that the group is "secretive" and there is virtually no real information about them to be found. So they have mystery going for them. Often, media-shy groups are more interesting then attention-starved whores. For example, The Knife, a group that has tried their best to escape attention, is known for wearing bird masks and making cryptic remarks. Whereas, Courtney Love, I really don't want to see your boobs again. So fascinate me with something weird, The Golden Filter, and I can get over you being secretive.


Andrew Bird
Yes, I had heard of Andrew Bird before, but I hadn't actually listened to him until recently. He lives the lifestyle that I dream about, spending part of his time in Chicago and part of the time on a farm. That's where its at: either among the noise and people of the city or on the farm, with nothing but animals and earth to distract oneself. Plus, the guy's from Chi-city, as am I initially. He is also best known as a multi-instrumentalist. He plays violin, glockenspiel, guitar, mandolin, and he whisles. OK, I can dig it. He was trained in the Suzuki method. Yo, me too. That Suzuki method taught me how to play the piano when I was six years old and I continued with the books all the way through the sixth grade, a fairly large chunk of my life. Bird is currently signed to Fat Possum Records, a label that also is home to excellent groups, such as the Black Keys, the Fiery Furnaces, and the highly eccentric Bob Log III. He lists two of his biggest influences as being jazz-men Johnny Hodges and Lester Young. I happen to own a combined nine albums by those two formidable jazz giants. Andrew Bird is my kind of guy and I will definitely explore more of his music.


King Khan and the Shrines
This group gets a +1 for the name alone. The band was founded in 1999 by King Khan (AKA Blacksnake), formerly of the bands The Spaceshits and Kukamongas. This is straight from their Wikipedia page:

The original Shrines lineup of the (Sensational) Shrines consisted of King Khan on vocals and guitars, Mr. Speedfinger on guitar, Boom Boom Jennes on bass, John Boy Adonis on "big beat," Sam Cook on trumpet, percussionist Ron (A.K.A. Rahn) Streeter (who formerly played for Ike and Tina Turner, Bo Diddley, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and Al Jarreau), Ben Ra on saxophone and Mr. Tom Bone on trombone. Eccentric French organist Fredovitch joined the lineup a week before the group recorded their first album at Toe Rag Studios in London.

This group is fucking awesome!


The Veils
The Veils are a London-based group, led by singer/songwriter Finn Andrews. Andrews grew up in New Zealand and began playing in Devonport with a 12-piece band. That alone is enough to get a little bit of my attention. Finn's father Barry Andrews is actually an accomplished keyboardist who played with David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Brian Eno. Looks like he has good genes, another plus. This is a great quote from Andrews in an interview with my fellow blogger Sixeyes:

I just like dressing up in weird shit from time to time - bands all look the fucking same and I just woke up one morning and thought “Fuck it, I’m putting on an enormous fucking hat.” I don’t wear it anymore though.

Right on, brother. Another good quote (when asked if he always wanted to be a musician):

Oh God no! It looked like the most horrific fucking profession imaginable – I wanted to make films or be a fisherman or something.

See, I too would like to make films or be a fisherman or something. I shall definitely be checking out more of the Veils.


Common Market
A rare hip-hop group from the Pacific Northwest, Common Market is also fairly unique in that both its members, MC RA Scion and DJ Sabzi are members of the Bahá'í Faith, a religion founded in Persia in the nineteenth century, which I otherwise know just about nothing about. The group has been praised by KRS-One, a deity of hip-hop, for

spitting in the Tradition of the conscious Hiphop movement.

Which is good, I guess. RA Scion has previously lived in Zambia and Greece, which could definitely make for an interesting life. This video officially gets my attention. Check out RA Scion's beard for goddsakes. The guy looks ridiculous and I love it.


Illinois
As I previously mentioned, I was born in Chicago, so this group takes its name from my home state, which makes me like them more than if they were named, say, Indiana. I actually wrote that sentence before reading this interview, bandleader Chris Archibald did with Shoutmouth:

Tell me of the legend of Illinois.

Chris: I named it Illinois because my great-grandfather's name was Illinois Archibald. And my grandfather's name is Indiana Archibald.

So why didn't you go with Indiana?

Chris: Well, I didn't fucking know. It's no big deal. Are you from Indiana or something?

I'm from Colorado.

Chris: Well, then Illinois is better.

Yes! Love this band already. They actually come from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a county which boasts five colleges/universities, three of which are Bucks County Community College, Philadelphia Biblical University, and Holy Family University in Newtown. Sounds like an exciting place to grow up. I also love his response to this question:

Do you feel special when you play in Illinois, then?

Chris: Oh, yeah, fuck; we're in Illinois. The first time we played in Illinois, we went on tour with The Kooks. It was Cinco de Mayo, man. I got hammered. Hammered. It was a good time.

Oh, hells yeah! They also toured with Menomena, who I don't believe is around anymore, but they were a very interesting group back in the day. Haha this is a hilarious interview actually. Here is the end:

Are you pumped for any other Lollapalooza bands?

Chris: TV on the Radio, The Hold Steady, Cold War Kids -- they're our good buddies. Some of these fags like Pearl Jam...I'm not a big Pearl Jam fan.

What's your drink of choice?

Chris: Jameson Irish Whiskey.

I love that shit, too [point to my shirt].

Andrew: You guys are like two lovers.

Chris: Just don't cum on me.

Okay.

Illinois, you have won me over with this excellent example of a rockstar interview, here, despite this epically shitty, homemade digital short below.


Handsome Furs
Handsome Furs come from Montreal, home to the best music in Canadia. The group is a husband and wife and a short story writer, and the husband Dan Boekner, also plays for Wolf Parade, a group that I have heard of, though I must say, have not listened to much of. Their new album, Face Control, is based on the custom they observed in Eastern Europe, in which club patrons will pay large sums of money to sit at certain tables, and bouncers still reserve the right to throw them out based solely on their appearance. I'm a big fan of the Eastern Europe clubbing scene so this appeals to me quite a deal. Not! Apparently Dan got drunk and got in a fight with G. Love (of the Special Sauce), which was then broken up by Heath Ledger (RIP). He also once did acid at Dimmu Borgir, a natural lava field in Iceland. Yes, you have intrigued me, Handsome Furs.


Elvis Perkins
Elvis is the son of Anthony Perkins. That Anthony Perkins. From Psycho and Murder on the Orient Express. Perkins was bisexual and died from AIDS. And Elvis' mother, Life magazine photographer Berry Berenson was onboard American Airline Flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11. That is one tragic life. Elvis has an extremely talented/eccentric extended family as well. His aunt is actress is Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon, Cabaret). His grandfather is Osgood Perkins, who was a successful Broadway actor and appeared in the original Scarface. His grandmother is

Countess Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha de Wendt de Kerlor, better known as Gogo Schiaparelli, a socialite of Italian, Swiss, French, and Egyptian ancestry.

His great-grandmother is fashion designer Elsa Shiraparelli. His great-grandfather was

Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a Theosophist, Spiritualist,lecturer and psychic medium.

His great-great uncle was

Giovanni Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer who believed he had discovered the supposed canals of Mars

And his great-great aunt was

Senda Berenson (1868 – 1954), an athlete and educator who was one of the first two women elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame

And finally, he is a descendant of Talmudic scholar Isaac Abrabanel. That is quite a family history. His life sounds like it comes straight from The Royal Tenenbaums, complete with craziness, brilliance, and tragedy. I don't need to know anything more about him really. This is enough to draw me in.