Band of the Week: Catherine A.D.

All the religious experience of a Christian chanteuse, but without the religion of anything but a beautiful voice.

Check her out on myspace or go over to bandcamp for free downloads and lovely purchasables.

Catherine A.D. - Missiveh [mp3]

Concert Review: Rasputina @ The Knitting Factory

If you have the profound interest in Nirvana that I do, you'll know that Melora Creager started her proper career as a cellist on the final Nirvana tour, an occupation that "taught her lessons in avoidance of immense fame, which she has successfully practiced since. " Shortly after her stint with the unfortunately-not-so-immortal Kurt Cobain's group, she formed the Traveling Ladies' Cello Society, which promptly mutated into the Rasputina that we know and love today, a Victorian feminist cello rock Goth band conglomeration thing. Although Rasputina changes its line-up nearly as often as Lady GaGa changes her outfits, the band is still going strong, consisting now of Melora, Daniel DeJesus (the group's first male cellist), and Catie D'Amica on percussion.

Attending a Rasputina concert is a little bit like going to an incredibly enthusiastic recital; there isn't going to be any moshing, nothing will get out too of hand, but you've also never seen cellists play until their stings nearly popped off either. Melora is a delight, though a cold one; her patter is constant and clever, almost more suited to a standup routine or a magician's show, but she never seems to lose her calm quiet demeaner, either, that motherly attitude of hers toward the audience and her fellow bandmates. DeJesus, clearly the least experienced, and experiencing problems with his cello's end-pin which required masking tape and finally a hold-between-the-knees approach, received sympathetic looks from Melora throughout, and finally a drawled, "I can wait for you all day, honey." When you go to see Rasputina, know that you're three feet from professionals, and while they're not nearly as subdued as a Ben Sollee style pop-cellist, they're also not going to go punk band crazy on you. It's pleasant, and they're damn good, but you still almost do wish they would traipse just a little bit more off the deep end.

3.8/5

Rasputina - Holocaust Of Giants [mp3]

The real showstopper and delight for me at this concert, though, was, surprisingly, the opening performer, Larkin Grimm. Her life alone is something I can admire - born into a hippie commune run by "The Holy Order of MANS" to parents of German, Sinti, Afro-Caribbean, English, French, and Cree descent (which may explain her her utterly exotic beauty), the young Larkin Grimm attended Yale for some years, only to drop out and wander the wilds of Alaska. It was then she began singing, and dear God, what singing. I haven't gotten chills from a live performance in quite sometime, but her deep, rich voice set the hairs on the back of my neck twirling.

Larkin's performance was augmented and altered from her usual freak folk with the addition of a crazy-awesome drummer (whose hatful of feathers posed a most entertaining distraction, billowing in the wake of his enthusiastic pounding) and a bassist and back-up singer, Cindy Lou Gooden, whose own little band, V. Fresh, I find quite delightful. Altogether, a phenomenal performance. Make no mistake, I am now stalking you, Lady Grimm.

5/5

Larkin Grimm - Dominican Rum [mp3]

And from Cindy Lou Gooden:
V. Fresh - The Clientele [mp3]

Metal Madness Monday: Luna Mortis

In honour of Iron Maiden's new release, I present to you the only female-fronted metal band that has ever reminded me of the aforementiond British greats: Luna Mortis.

I found these guys (and gal) browsing through YouTube one wintry afternoon, and was surprised to hear very Maiden-esque guitar parts, and (curiouser and curiouser) something that sounded remarkably like a female Bruce Dickinson. Granted, there already is a cover band called the Iron Maidens, but Luna Mortis does its own thing in high gothy fashion, with a bit more screaming than I entirely like sometimes, but still, I have to give Mary Zimmer credit for not conforming to the stereotype of most poppy or high-pitched female singers.

Indulge:

Luna Mortis - Forever More [mp3]

Metal Madness Monday News: Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

Iron Maiden's fifteenth studio album came out last week, and they sound pretty much the same as ever, though I think the guitar parts have slowed down a bit. Can't blame them - they're like 200 years old now, though doing much better than the likes of Gun N' Roses and other decrepit bands that try to push albums out way past their prime and after a decade long (or more) hiatus. Iron Maiden, however, has found the secret of eternal youth: keep producing, keep touring. Seems to be working quite nicely for 'em.

Pick up your copy of The Final Frontier wherever people sell anything.

Iron Maiden - El Dorado [mp3]

Video: Johnny Cash Does Elvis

Oh, you slick and amusing Man in Black.

Literature Corner Connections: Venus In Furs

I've been a de Sade fan since long before I should have known who he was. I dare say, if I meander any direction in the land of S&M, it's toward the S portion, and I utterly love his Voltairian wit and cynicism. I doubted that I could ever like anyone who took it from another angle in that respect.

However, my boyrfriend told me I really ought to read de Sade's German antithesis, Sacher-Masoch (the man who put the M is S&M), so I gave it a shot, somewhat skeptical as to what merits I would find in his most famous work, Venus in Furs. It's a good thing I kinda like being proven wrong sometimes, because I LOVED Sacher-Masoch. His writing is far more poetic than de Sade's, and while he does make his primary male characters subservient imbeciles, he empowers his females to such a point that I'm compelled to group him with the early feminists. (I'm also likin' the prevalence of red-heads in this work - gotta support my fellow female daywalkers.)

Because I'm sure you're curious as to what this book is actually about, the plot runs something as follows: An unknown narrator, possibly Sacher-Masoch himself, dreams of a visit from the goddess Venus, draped in furs. Upon awaking, the narrator tells his friend, Severin, of the strange vision. Severin, it appears, has experienced something similar in real life, and hands over a manuscript, Memoirs of a Suprasensual Man, in which he details his time with an earthly Venus, Wanda von Dunajew. After meeting her in a garden and becoming entranced with her beauty and potential cruelty, he signs a contract to be her slave for a period of a year, and the pair set off for Italy with whips and furs and all the necessary accoutrements of a happy little sadomasochistic lifestyle.

One thing I love, though, is that Wanda is not purely cruel; in fact, Severin is the one her coerces her into mistreating him, and at first she is quite reluctant to do so. Indeed, she exhibits a tendency to fluctuate between the brutality that Severin craves and the affection that she wishes to bestow upon him. Instead of presenting her as merely a cold-hearted dom, Sacher-Masoch has made her someone I can truly identify with, and for that I am impressed.

As to how this is relevant to a music blog, if you've ever heard the absolutely wonderful "Venus In Furs" by The Velvet Underground, that's where it comes from. And if you haven't heard it, crack out your favourite cat o' nine tails and have a listen. It's a classic, baby.

The Velvet Underground - Venus In Furs [mp3]

Music Video: All The Damn Kids - Echoes

I'm really freaking lovin' these guys lately.

Go give them loves on myspace or download some free tracks on last.fm

Classics: The Kinks

I went home to visit my parents last weekend. It's actually not a very far trip - about 15 minutes by car - but we still only see each other every couple of weeks and I don't spend the night very often. Anyway, my dad woke me up ridiculously early for pancakes, so while mum and dad ran errands in the morning I napped on the couch, half-listening to an oldies station via digital cable. Suddenly, out of the slew of Neil Sedaka and The Supremes to which I was drifitng rose the opening notes of The Kinks "A Well Respected Man." I love that song, even if I'm a little sad that everyone probably associates it with Juno now.

I'm what you call a "whoops baby," you see. My parents had me sixteen years after the last of their three sons, my awesome older brothers, and I certainly wasn't intentional. Which also means that my parents are as old as most people's grandparents - my dad was actually born before the end of WWII, and two of my brothers are older than my boyfriend's mom. This is kinda awesome, though, because everyone is my family is really into music and I was able to grow up surrounded by every kind of classic rock from the fifties to the eighties from people who had lived it (not to mention fuckwin metal from Chad and an insane amount of classical).

So here's to the memories. Cheers. :)

The Kinks - A Well Respected Man [mp3]

Band of the Week: Katzenjammer

Katzenjammer is a delightful all-girl band from Oslo, Norway, featuring the vocals and varied talents of Anne Marit Bergheim, Marianne Sveen, Solveig Heilo and Turid Jørgensen . I honestly expected these gals to comprise yet another poppy little girl band to disregard (especially considering that the title of their 2008 debut is Le Pop), but boy, was I wrong. Combining rock, pop, folk, and, dare I say, circus elements, the girls of Katzenjammer exude brio and talent. Everyone can sing, and between the four of them they play more than 29 different instruments, ranging from bass balalaika to harmonica to trumpet. From the bluesy strains of "Hey Ho On The Devil's Back" to the country carnival of "To The Sea," these girls seem to be having the time of their lives, and it's hard not to be swept along with them.

Katzenjammer - A Bar In Amsterdam [mp3]

Tim Kasher Solo Album Details

I discovered Cursive last February when they opened for Alkaline Trio along with The Dear & Departed, and man did they put on a good show. The turnout was remarkably minimal - it was a freezing schoolnight, after all - and the other bands seemed somewhat dismayed by how few people had shown up to see them. Not Cursive, though. Those guys rocked it with more energy than any other concert I've seen of theirs (meaning, those shown in the magical land of YouTube). If you ever have the chance to see them live, GO.

Anyway, it appears that lead singer Tim Kasher is going the way of so many lead singers before him and making a solo album, which sounds like a fantastic idea. It's called The Game Of Monogamy and will be released on October 5th, and features musical assistance from the other members of Cursive and Minus the Bear. Tracklist as follows:

1 Monogamy Overture
2 A Grown Man
3 I’m Afraid I’m Gonna Die Here
4 Strays
5 Cold Love
6 Surprise, Surprise
7 There Must Be Something I’ve Lost
8 Bad, Bad Dreams
9 No Fireworks
10 The Prodigal Husband
11 Monogamy

You should prolly, like, pre-order this or something. Just sayin'.

Cursive - From The Hips [mp3]

Menomena Doo Doooo Doo-Doo-Doo

I'm surprised at how classy Boise can be at times. Menomena's new album Mines has actually consistently been in the top ten sales at Record Exchange for the last couple weeks here. Then again, I guess the people who shop at RE aren't exactly the type who pick up the latest Britney Spears at Walmart.

Anyway, I still haven't gotten around to listening to the entire album yet, but I have had this song circling through my head for a few days now.

Menomena - Five Little Rooms [mp3]

Check out their myspace . They're lovely folk.

Oh, and hell yeah, Menomena is totally coming to the Neurolux on October 16th for only 10 dolla. I am pleased.

Metal Madness Monday Presents: Lacuna Coil

I love music. I love all sorts and types of music, so long as talent is involved, and I think that any genre can exhibit talent. That said, I suppose the vast majority of this blog is probably going to end up about music of the alternative/indie/punk persuasion, since I like the widest variety in those categories, and thus have far more to discuss with all y'all. Still, I'm always a bit sad that most music blogs that focus on what's hip with a certain crowd often 1) completely dirsregard that there can be good music outside of the aforementioned genres and 2) that music exists outside of North America, Britain, and Australia. I hope to remedy the situation by introducing you to bands that fall outside of this spectrum, that you may like, but would never have found without sifting through a vast sludge of less-talented and often downright grating mainstream idiots.

And so, I propose that every Monday will be devoted to news of metal. Good metal. Like the first band I want to introduce to you: Lacuna Coil.

Lacuna Coil hails from Milan, Italy, and has the confusing distinction of being compared to Evanescence, because Evanescence is apparently the only female-fronted metal-ish band people know. In all actuality, this comparison makes no sense. Coil is one of the most mesmerizing bands I've heard, very hypnotic - Cristina Scabbia's deeper vocals resound through any song, and the bassline tends to put me in a near-trance. The band has gotten heavier over the years, but they still play a wicked acoustic set, as you can see:

Admittedly, I'm not the hugest fan of Andrea Ferro's vocals, but I can take 'em, because the band as a whole is still bloody enjoyable to listen to, and they're critical to your music knowledge as one of the bands that helped pioneer and popularize the goth metal scene. (Learn your goth history, kids, we're already far behind the Europeans in that respect.)

Incidentally, I've missed these guys twice in concert. Third time's the charm, right?

I bestow upon thee - SAMPLINGS!

Lacuna Coil - Cold Heritage [mp3]
Lacuna Coil - Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode Cover) [mp3]

Concert Review: Warped Tour 2010 @ The Idaho Center

This year marked my third spree at Warped Tour, which is the haven of all punkness, if you didn’t know, though the number of shitty screamo bands seems to increase by the year (“the assholes” of the arena, as Face to Face called them). The amusement is primarily centered on concerts, but good ol’ Warped is also characterized by a perpetual skate show and absurdly overpriced beverages. That said, it’s a great deal for about $30 (or $35, if you pre-order like I did, which gives you an awesome 3D ticket that can actually survive the moshes and a shiny little compilation CD – very much recommended).

Some highlights:

Reel Big Fish
I fucking love these guys. They are absolutely everything that makes ska such a fantastically fun genre – catchy, eccentric, humorous, talented, versatile. Their audience interaction was delightful, ranging from the constant joke that they were going to abandon stage after every song to a set of variations in which the audience was driven to alternately square dance, head bang, or just groove out. Unexpectedly, these boys also do a mean Metallica cover.

Hey Monday
I first saw this band back in 2009 when they supported All Time Low on the Glamour Kills Tour along with We the Kings. Certainly one of the “poppiest” groups on the circuit (to quote cute little lead singer Cassadee Pope), they have quite an enthusiastic live show, and spiced up this year’s performance with some screams from Attack! Attack! during “I Don’t Wanna Dance.” Comparable to Paramore, but I like these guys better (though I guess that isn't saying much, considering I don't really like Paramore).

After Midnight Project
I found this group compelling when I first discovered “Take Me Home” as an iTunes free download, and was curious to see if they held up live. No worries – AMP packs a fair punch, with an impassioned performance from lead singer Jason Evigan (who, incidentally, happens to be the son of actor Greg Evigan of B.J. and the Bear).

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
One of the best bands to see live at Warped Tour. For sheer talent, you can’t beat the Reverend’s fingerpicking and Breezy Peyton’s spirited action on the washboard. Furthermore, these guys are dedicated – the Reverend apparently has played through two cases of pneumonia, a broken hand, and now an eye injury (though I rather think the eye-patch added to the show). Highlights included the Teddy Dog of Death (in which the audience formed a wall of death and then ripped a giant stuffed animal into infinitesimal balls of fluff) and Breezy’s ending washboard smash.

Anti-Flag
Iconic band for those of the hardcore left-wing punk persuasion. Liberal I may be (though I really hate to claim any political affiliation, and tend to veer toward anarchy when pressed), I’ve never been much of an Anti-Flag fan. Thus, I primarily watched this performance from a hill adjacent to the stage. Still, good show all around, and with the wicked sunburns my shoulders were getting by that point, it was more fun, I think, just to observe the enormity of the circle-pit they had going from a bit of a distance.

VersaEmerge
If Paramore and one of the more mainstream female-fronted symphonic metal bands had a lovechild, that child would be VersaEmerge. A little heavier than your average female alt band, and with more strings in the background, I can certainly enjoy this group on record now and then. Live, however, I found the lead singer’s vocals a bit too shrill for the mike, and left after about three songs for another snow cone.

Riverboat Gamblers
Wiki calls this band’s live shows “deranged.” I call them creative. Spastic lead Mike Wiebe varies between strangling his fellow band members with the microphone cord, wheeling the lead guitarist around on a cart during his solo, and starting the world’s slowest circle pit. Loads of fun.

Dropkick Murphys
I’m happy to say I have now seen both Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys in concert, and my conclusion is that yes, Flogging Molly is more awesome, both on recordings and in person. Don’t get me wrong, Dropkick Murphys is still a fantastic band live, especially if you love an Irish pirate variety of punk (as I assuredly do), but nothing compares to the sort of drunken frenzy Flogging Molly can whip their fans into.

Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. is a batshit insane power rocker and I love him for it. He’s also bloody talented – between dancing, singing (shouting?), showing off on guitar, and banging away at a keyboard, the man never permits a dull moment. My conclusion: of all the performers at Warped Tour, he is the one I would most like to drink with.

Alkaline Trio
Oh, Alkaline Trio, what mixed feelings I have about you live. This is the second time I’ve seen them since February, and I’ve been suffering so many disappointments - and yet, I still feel the urge to hug Matt Skiba every time I get close. The band has a tendency to turn the volume a bit too far toward 11 (Spinal Tap style), which makes some sense, as their bass parts are more complicated than most, but unfortunately this also makes it very difficult to discern vocals, which I would rather like to hear. I also wasn’t a huge fan of their February release, This Addiction, an enormous let-down, since Crimson and Remains are two of my favorite albums in the history of music. Still, I can’t help but love them, and Skiba brought tears to my eyes with his earnest little thank you to the crowd for sticking around (they were one of the very last bands to play at Warped), because “they weren’t sure anyone would be there.”

Bits o’ this and that:

The Rocket Summer
Strangely effeminate rock band from Texas. Not bad, though.

Far From Finished
I missed who was going onstage after Reel Big Fish, and thought these guys were going to be Every Time I Die. Until they started singing and actually sounded good.

The Summer Set
Caught a wee bit of these fellows in passing, and they seemed a pretty decent little alternative band. Very stereotypical-sounding, but still catchy.

Face to Face
Cool punk band I’d actually never heard of before. Loved their diatribe against the screamos, as well as their onstage collaboration with the Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.

Neo Geo
I think the best description for this band is “really tiny.” The lead singer is a female munchkin, the crowd was sparse (though dedicated). Still, I give them props for energy, even if they did sound a bit like the Chipmunks at times.

iwrestledabearonce
Hate the music, love the merch.

We Are the In Crowd
Mix of male and female vocals. Not bad, but like a lot of bands at Warped Tour, they have a very clichéd sound and equally clichéd lyrics.

AM Taxi
Worst cover of “Paint It, Black” ever, but an otherwise tolerable performance. Pleasantly husky vocals.

Ivy League
Chill as hell reggae rock. Two of my friends apparently napped to this band, and it was a compliment.

Breathe Electric
Pop electronic scene music. I don’t want to like them, but they were very very catchy, I must admit. Good waiting music, anyway.

Lastly:

WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU SUM 41? I have the worst luck in the world with that band. Bought tickets to their concert back in fall of 2007, and they never showed, and now they did the same thing for Warped Tour, though apparently the lead singer got beat up in Japan a few days ago or something. Fair 'nuff.