Lost Memories

Weezer – Hurley

It’s almost gotten annoying how much Weezer exposure there is these days. Three albums in three years, constant appearances, and touring? Give me a break man. This most recent release is Weezer’s first on indie label Epitaph Records, does that mean a return to their indie roots? No, this might even be Weezer’s most commercial release yet.

Eight out of the ten tracks were collaborations with other songwriters and though I praised that move on the last album, lightning doesn’t strike twice. These aren’t like cool people either, they’re the kind of producers/songwriters that write for people like Katy Perry and Hanson. It’s hard to say how big of an impact they really had on this record, but I’d rather Rivers take some time off to work on his compositions, maybe then he wouldn’t need so much assistance.

There’s not a lot of standout tracks on Hurley but there’s definitely moments that remind me of why I like Weezer. “Unspoken” is so close to being a great song if the first half was as good as the end. Leadoff single “Memories” is fine but doesn’t hold much of a candle to past Weezer singles. “Where’s My Sex” attempts to capture the quirkiness of the Pinkerton, telling a story where the word “sox” is replaced with “sex”, it’s alright.

It’s still better than Make Believe era Weezer but it only further cements that Weezer is far from ever being considered an “Alternative” band again. Next time let’s hope they take a break and work on the one thing that’s most important, their music.

Favorite Tracks: “Memories”, “Ruling Me” “Where’s My Sex”

R.I.P Kevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy
1915-2010
I was deeply saddened to hear today that film/television actor and Seattle native Kevin McCarthy died recently, so I had to write a brief memorial. Known to most audiences as the engaging star of the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers Kevin McCarthy had a long varied career in dramas, comedies and horror flicks. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Biff in the 1951 version of Death of a Salesman, played the villain in UHF and worked extensively with director Joe Dante. Some of McCarthy’s collaborations with Dante include; Piranha, The Howling, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Innerspace, and Looney Tunes Back in Action (Maybe he was just doing his pal a favor.)

McCarthy worked well into old age and passed away last weekend from natural causes, he was 96 years old. I didn’t even come close to summing up his resume either, he did a lot of television and stage work without ever slowing down, he will be missed.

Nothing To Riot Home About

Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard

Ra Ra Riot put out a pretty enjoyable little debut with The Rhumb Line a few years back. They kind of came off to most people as more string-y version of Vampire Weekend, which was certainly a valid comparison considering these guys are friends with Vampire Weekend. But unlike VW, Ra Ra Riot don’t quite find themselves shaking that sophomore slump that so many indie-pop bands seem to find themselves in these days.

From the first track you get the idea that this album is a little more subdued and solemn, with less of the driving melodies that made Ra Ra Riot’s debut a blast. And for the most part these songs are just not that interesting, they’re not bad, they just end up feeling kind of bland. So it’s not that surprising when the album’s best moments comes from songs like “Boy” or “Too Dramatic” that are more upbeat and feature singer Wes Miles more playful vocal performances. And the thing I liked about the heavy use of strings on The Rhumb Line was the way they juxtaposed against the franticness of the band’s rhythm section, be here you don’t really get a whole lot of that. However, the strings still give the band a slightly more interesting sound than your average indie-pop outfit.

For the most part though, even the poppier material just isn’t as catchy as the stuff on Ra Ra Riot’s debut, and for a band like this to work I feel like the songs have to have that pop-oriented quality. But really it’s not like I was expecting anything exceptional out of these guys, in fact this is more or less what I kind of expected out of a second album from Ra Ra Riot.

Favorite Tracks: “Boy”, “Massachusetts”, “Kansai”

Little Drummer Boys

The Drums – The Drums

I was awaiting the release of this album a long while before it actually came out but then it when it finally did I must of forgotten about it or suffered some amnesia or something. Cut to about a month ago when I heard it surprisingly enough in my brother’s car. I didn’t think anyone knew about this indie-surf band, but it re-triggered something and I had to check it out. Their leadoff single “Let’s Go Surfing” had an irresistible bare bones indie charm so what else did these guys have to offer?

Much like their catchy single, The Drums rely on very basic arrangements soaked in reverb. Though there was something about their sparseness that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, until I did some wiki research. Shockingly The Drums don’t have a bass player, rather they have two guitarists that each fill different roles. One providing melodic patterns while the other drones in a hypnotic fashion. So instead of a low end on the tracks you have a kind of twangy rhythm played much like a bass. It’s a daring move that took me awhile to notice, so I suppose mission accomplished, but it’s still played like a bass so it’s still kind of odd.

The Songs are produced in an echoey way that almost reminds me of The Cure minus Robert Smith. The vocals here are often soft or straightforward with pleasant backing voices bouncing around in the mix. The guitars and drums keep to simplistic patterns that compliment the calming melodies. The only big problem here is how similar these songs all sound. Sometimes I could swear I heard the same song twice or something. These guys have clearly established a defining sound but they rely on it so heavily it comes off as repetitive. I’d really like to see them go out of their comfort zone on more tracks and maybe experiment a little more with different arrangements Basically it’s a nice record but easily forgettable aside from a few of the earlier tracks.

Favorite Tracks: “Best Friends” “It Will All End in Tears”, “Let’s Go Surfing”

C.A.T.: Slanted and Enchanted

Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

Now that these CAT’s have made their way into the ’90s, I figured I’d have to do a Pavement album at some point, so I’m just gonna get it out of the way with their debut Slanted and Enchanted. You’d probably be hard-pressed to find a more important indie rock album to come out of the ’90s, as it basically did for the indie/underground scene what Nirvana’s Nevermind did for mainstream alternative rock.

This album as well as Pavement as a band were born out of the early lo-fi collaborations between Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg. The two would eventually end up recording a few EPs in noted burned out hippie Gary Young’s basement before eventually recruiting Young to be their drummer. After piecing together the rest of the Pavement line-up, the group recorded Slanted and Enchanted in Young’s home studio before releasing it on Matador Records. The fact that it was recorded in someone’s basement definitely seems fitting for the album’s ragged sound, as Pavement never seemed quite as delightfully unkept as they do on Slanted and Enchanted.

I will admit that I wasn’t quite as ecstatic about this album when I first heard it as I am today. I just don’t think I was quite ready for it when I bought The Luxe and Reduxe Edition back in high school, I mean I was still mainly listening to classic rock after all at that point. I guess some of the arrangements and Stephen Malkmus’s lyrics where just a little too “out there” for me. But of course now I see that that underground aesthetic combined with Malkmus and Kannberg’s knack for these surreal little pop songs are what make Pavement so damn charming, despite the fact that they were never the kind of band that begged for your affection.

I think for a while I actually said that 1995’s Wowee Zowee was my favorite Pavement album, even though that probably just sounds like I was trying to sound cool. But after recently going back over Pavement’s catalogue, I have to admit that I really can’t deny Slanted and Enchanted as their definitive album. So much for being unique.

Favorite Tracks: “Summer Babe (Winter Version)”, “Trigger Cut/Wounded Kite At :17”, “Loretta’s Scars”

Knife to See You

Machete

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Oh what shlocky fun it was to see Rodriguez and Tarantino’s Grindhouse several years ago. The fake trailers were hilarious and Machete was easily my favorite, so you could imagine my excitement when I heard Machete was making it’s way to the silver screen. Though was there really enough there to make an actual movie? I think so, but at times Machete just feels like a feature length trailer. Lots of great kills and snappy one liners but no real substance. Obviously it’s a movie that’s self aware, almost spoofing the action genre, but how far can a movie really go with that concept?

Machete for the most part follows the trailer to a tee. Most of the same scenes from the trailer appear whether they make sense or not. He’s hired, he’s set up, so he gets his vengeance and people die. Building on that original premise there’s now plot lines that include a corrupt senator cracking down on illegal immigrants and an underground revolution that’s a brewing. Mix that all together and what do you get? A bloated plot with too many characters, but then again is that really what this movie is about?

This movie has a contrived plot because the movies it’s spoofing were the same way. It’s not supposed to be serious, at least I hope not and the real point here is to come and watch Danny Trejo slice and dice baddies that spew cheesy dialogue and overact. That’s a lot of fun from time to time but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t grow old after awhile. Gory action can be a blast but not if it’s overused. The kills are inventive but sometimes I feel a scene is only setup to up that kill count.

Another attraction here is the eclectic cast of characters. You have some of your more contemporary stars like the saucy Michelle Rodriguez or the occasionally tolerable Jessica Alba and then you have B-listers like Don Johnson and Tom Savini sharing the screen. Some characters are hit or miss but most of the time I enjoyed watching all these actors I’d never expect to see together. Don Johnson sharing a scene with Robert De Niro? Never would of expected to see that, De Niro by the way steals every scene he’s in. Plus you get smaller character actors like Jeff Fahey getting their chance to shine in a leading role, he’s good too. I could of done without the coked out Lindsey Lohan playing an equally coked out character, I suppose art imitates life, but all in all it was definitely a “different” film going experience.

Before I wrap this up let me as well give kudos to Danny Trejo. It was a real treat to see a veteran character actor in the spotlight and he played it perfectly with piss and vinegar. Nothing like seeing him fight Steven Seagal either, who was actually really funny as the main villain. Maybe Seagal could actually nab some more roles if he hit the treadmill. All in all it’s a mixed bag of campy fun but you’ll of forgotten it by the next morning.

Bumbershoot Revisited

(I tried to find as many pics from the event as possible but aside from the main stage it was slim pickings.)

2010 is a special year. Not only does it mark my first Bumbershoot Festival, it’s also the 40th Anniversary of Bumbershoot. Accompanied by my compatriat Matt “Nancy” Carstens, there were some big draws this year with not only Neko Case and The Decemberists but Bob flipping Dylan! The poet laureate of folk-rock right in front of me? How could I resist?

We started out at about noon. After finding some sketchy parking, we decided our top priority would be to acquire comedy passes for later in the day. Walking over to the comedy booth it took us a few minutes to realize said passes required waiting in one of the longest lines I’d ever seen. So we were like “f&#k this” and went on to check out our first band.

First we saw the The Submarines, an L.A. Pop/Rock group led by the bubbly Blake Hazard. I’d heard them in some iPhone commercials so I had to take advantage of seeing a band I kind of knew. I felt bad they had to do their own sound check while everyone watched impatiently, but they were great. My favorite member was their laptop, it was like a pocket symphony. Nancy liked the drummer who looked like Ben Stiller with an afro. It was a good way to start the morning.

Afterwards we tried the comedy booth again, which now had many signs reading “standby line only” a guy at the booth politely told us that basically meant, “You guys are f@#ked.” So we wandered for a bit, walked by Chris Ballew of Presidents of the U.S.A’s performance, doing a kid’s music side project… We kept walking. Eventually we ended up in the art gallery filled with political and racy paintings, like one of Fred Flintstone drunk. There was also a gigantic popsicle stick sculpture, but whatever, it didn’t even have a riddle on it.

Not wanting to spend double digit dough on fried pickles we then left to go to Dick’s. Good choice. When we returned we decided to see Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers. They turned out to be a country group, but it was the good kind of country, you know? Their steel guitar player was like 60-years-old and I couldn’t stop laughing after Nancy pointed out their mandolin player made Harry Caray expressions. The audience was mostly mad old people, it was enjoyable, but after 20 minutes we got the idea and decided to check out Wheedle’s Groove.

I’d heard of Wheedle’s Groove from a documentary that played at the Seattle Film Festival, but didn’t know much about the group. Supposedly, they’re one of Seattle’s most influential and important 1970s soul acts, so this was a must see. They were introduced surprisingly enough by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, who lots of people booed. Wheedle’s Groove was a nice and funky addition to the day. Nancy and I felt like they were holding back musically–more solos and jamming would of been nice–but they only had about 40 minutes to play 40 years of music. It was exciting seeing a funk brass section and they had about a dozen guest musicians. I liked the performance but Nancy and still left early to secure a good spot for The Decemberists.

Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention, we saw Donald Glover walking by before we saw Wheedle’s Groove, awesome? We went to the main stage at Memorial Stadium. It was a tough call deciding between standing room or seats, but I had to be close for Bob Dylan so standing room it was. Not long after The Decemberists took the stage. Apparently, they hadn’t played a show since the previous January, but they were great. They started with laid back numbers and worked their way to the heavier stuff. I wished they had played “The Crane Wife 3” one of my favorite of their songs, but they had a good energy regardless. I could have done with less audience participation, but it was still fun. Neko Case followed with a breezy alt-country set. Her voice was strong and her backup band was entertaining. Her bass player looked like a long lost ZZ Top member. She jokingly dedicated multiple songs to her missing three legged cat Wayne–named after “The Great One.” I wish I’d prepared more for her set, but I still enjoyed what I wasn’t familiar with. What’s important is she played everything I wanted to hear from Middle Cyclone. The only problem was it was hard to concentrate knowing what was soon to follow.

Anticipation grew as fans flocked closer to the stage. Nancy, I and some other people tightly held our spot, no one was getting through. A half hour must have passed when finally the lights dimmed and the iconic Bob Dylan introduction was delivered. Bobby opened with a Bluesy rendition of “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35” much heavier than I’d ever heard it. What would follow would be an equally rocking set I had many feelings about.

Dylan is an icon and you’d be hard pressed to find another musician these days with such presence. Though I couldn’t help but notice ‘ol Bobby was getting a little long in the tooth. His voice has definitely gone from raspy to full on gargling hot asphalt and he really struggled to belt out some of his own choruses. “Just Like a Woman” or “Like a Rolling Stone” come to mind. In some cases the voice is perfect on the haunting “Ballad of A Thin Man” or “Thunder On The Mountain.” Naturally, I long for the nasally howl of yesteryear, but times change. I would have also liked to see some more ballads. The songs at times blurred together in a blues rock mumble, but it was always interesting.

I think there’s a lot of ways to look at it. For the most part, we should feel fortunate the 69-year-old Dylan still had the energy to perform at all. It may not be the show to end all shows, but it’s a solid show nonetheless that I will never forget. I’d like to see Bumbershoot top this kind of star power next year.

Bob Dylan’s Set
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Bob on keyboard than guitar)
2. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Bob on guitar)
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Bob on guitar)
4. Just Like A Woman (Bob on keyboard)
5. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ (Bob on keyboard)
6. Desolation Row (Bob on keyboard)
7. Cold Irons Bound (Bob center stage with harp)
8. Tangled Up In Blue (Bob center stage with harp)
9. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard)
10. Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on guitar)
11. Thunder On The Mountain (Bob on keyboard)
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob center stage with harp)

(Encore)
13. Jolene (Bob on keyboard)
14. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard)