Courtney Barnett Covers the Lemonheads' "Bein' Around"

I really don't know anything about Courtney Barnett, but when you cover the Lemonheads you're almost guaranteed to have me check it out. "Bein' Around" might be my least favorite Lemonheads song, but it's still a Lemonheads song. It's not that it's a bad song, but it just seems to be the one song that always gets played at every Lemonheads/Evan Dando show. 

Courtney Barnett has a really fresh take on the song. Gone is the slight country drawl in Evan's original, replaced by a dreamy, more ethereal sound. It's a way to make a song I've heard roughly 10,000 times new again, and is totally worth a listen.

To learn more about Courtney Barnett, check out her website. For more information on what Evan Dando and the Lemonheads are up to, check out their criminally out of date website. (Also, I have listened to some of her own music. It's pretty spectacular. Go here to watch her beyond great "Avant Gardener."

Benjamin Booker - "Violent Shiver"

Ever since it was announced that he was playing the Newport Folk Festival, I've been obsessed with Benjamin Booker. With only two videos on all of YouTube, you couldn't help but wonder where he came from, and listening to his music was a revelation. It combines equal parts Delta Blues and the MC5. It's a combination that doesn't break new ground while somehow sounding completely fresh and vital.

Today, we finally see the premiere of a new official video from Benjamin Booker for the song "Violent Shiver." It's a song that showed up on a previous YouTube video, but it means that we're that much closer to an official release. You can even now download the song off iTunes. I absolutely can't wait for this album, or even an official release date for it.

Right now, you can go over to Benjamin Booker's page on the ATO Records website for more information. We can all hope that an album release in Fall 2014 means as early in the fall as possible.

The Julie Ruin and Screaming Females, Flywheel, Easthampton, MA 4/1/14

I've been dying to see The Julie Ruin ever since the band announced they existed, so when they're tour finally came to New England, I knew I had to go. Unfortunately, their Boston date didn't work with my schedule, but luckily they were starting the tour in Easthampton, MA, so I headed west for the show.

The Flywheel is an odd, yet cool venue. It's an "arts collective" that is housed in the former town hall. They have a bunch of art classes offered, and I'm pretty sure the room bands play in is used as a daycare during the day. There are even bins filled with blocks and kids' toys in the corner. It's an all ages venue, which means the crowd was young. Really young. Luckily, there were enough solo middle aged guys like myself milling about to keep the creepy old guy factor down to a minimum. Plus, it really was an all ages show. At one point I found myself between a 60 year old woman and a 10 year old girl. Not the usual club gig.


Screaming Females opened the show with a 45 minute set. I've been into them for a while, but I've never quite made it out to see them. I completely regret that now. Led by Marissa Paternoster, Screaming Females tore through songs such as "Rotten Apple" with a vengeance. Marissa plays guitar with the passion of Kurt Cobain mixed with the guitar solos of J Mascis. J Mascis was even at the show and moved right in front of the stage during their set to watch her play. When absolute legends are that interested in your technique, you're doing something right. Their sound is on the more aggressive side of early 90s alternative mixed with punk and melodies. They're definitely worth braving an all ages show for.

I assumed the kids would start filing out after Screaming Females set, but they stayed and were even more enthusiastic for The Julie Ruin, exploding as soon as Kathleen Hanna took the stage. The Julie Ruin are much more fun than Bikini Kill, while still keeping the political side of things (Kathleen Hanna introduced one song by saying "This one's about identity politics."). Live I heard more of a B-52s sound that I somehow missed on the album. Kathleen was pretty chatty and clearly enjoying being back on stage. At one point she told a story about inadvertently getting free yoga from a women's cancer center. With only one album and one EP for a catalog, they reached back for a Bikini Kill song, "This Is Not a Test," and one from Le Tigre, "Eau d'Bedroom Dancing." Absolute highlights of the show included "Oh Come On" and "Cookie Road."

For more information on the tour, check out the websites for both Screaming Females and The Julie Ruin. 

First Listen: New Releases for April 1

This new release period was really, really annoying. On top of everything else with this week, the new Nickel Creek (the only album I really wanted to hear this week) isn't on Spotify yet, so I'm stuck with, frankly, a lot of underwhelming stuff this week. Ah well, I listen to it so you don't have to, right?

Steel Panther - All You Can Eat: Listen, there's definitely a part of me a few years ago that really liked what Steel Panther was doing. The joke band doing overly sexualized hair metal, however, has really run its course for me, and the wit behind it just feels gone for me. If you're still into it, I won't judge at all, but you'll know VERY quickly if this is still your thing within a few songs.

Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else: Cloud Nothings are a bit of a buzzy band. They seem to have settled into this not-quite-punk thing that comes across as more noisy than revolutionary for me. Whatever genre you want to put them into, this feels like a natural evolution from their previous album (which also didn't wow me), so this might be another one of those things that I'm just not getting.

Thievery Corporation - Saudade: Thievery Corporation has done a sort of bossa nova jazzy electronic thing for some time, and Saudade is their attempt at the Brazilian genre of the same name. It's actually pretty good overall, assuming you're into this sort of thing. It's absolutely worth giving a shot.

S. Carey - Range of Light: S. Carey is the name of the drummer for Bon Iver, and the album is a bit of a folky take overall without the weird Bon Iverian vocal stylings. It's good, but nothing in it especially stands out in my mind. For fans of folky stuff of Bon Iver, I think.

Manchester Orchestra - Cope: Now this is probably the highlight of the week for me. I've been enjoying Manchester Orchestra ever since hearing "I've Got Friends" from a few years ago. This album is about as epic as indie rock can generally get - the right mix of melodic rock and some heavy crunch. It's absolutely a highlight of recent releases, and anyone who is looking for a good rock record should really check this one out.

Kaiser Chiefs - Education, Education, Education and War: Kaiser Chiefs are another one of those bands that had a killer, killer debut album and haven't quite done the trick for me since. "Ruby" was a great song a few years ago, but, overall, I've found them to not quite reach the heights of their first attempt. The new album certainly has some moments, but lacking a standout track or any real solid sound to push it across the finish line...

Punk Goes 90s Volume 2: Cover compilations can be very hit and miss. Outside of the cover of Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn," I have nothing nice to say about this at all. Moving on...

White Hinterland - Baby: White Hinterland sounds like a musical act that still isn't quite sure what they're trying to be. This sounds like a knock against them here, but it's not. While I think this album feels uneven, it's still very interesting as a whole, and I enjoy listening to it as a somewhat difficult album. The problem I have is that it comes across as almost incomplete or unwilling to take the plunge into the genres its dabbling in. That will keep it from being a classic, but it's still a solid album to listen to overall.

Dillon - The Unknown: I've been trying to figure out how to describe Dillon for days. It's not quite singer-songwritery, it's not really electronic, it's accessible with a degree of difficulty attached to it. The piano that starts the album doesn't lend itself to the beats that persist through much of the album. In a sense, it's a very mysterious record; different from everything around it. It's refreshing, for sure, but whether I love it remains to be seen.

Band of Skulls - Himalayan: The British outfit Band of Skulls comes back with some more melodic indie rock to close things out this week. Between this and Manchester Orchestra, it's a good week for indie rock, as this one is a little less rawk and a little more melodic. It feels right in line with their earlier work, perhaps it's more mainstream sounding in some places, but overall, perhaps my favorite album of the week. Definitely worth a listen.

Newport Folk Festival Update!

Photo by Brian Lima

It's been a while since I've updated everyone with the Newport Folk Festival line up, and it truly just keeps getting more and more outstanding. Since I last gave an update, Newport has added classic musicians such as reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, established current stars such as a reunited Nickel Creek and Conor Oberst, to next big thing acts like Phox and Reignwolf. I'm particularly excited for Reignwolf, who sound like a more raw version of The White Stripes and The Black Keys. They've also added Rodrigo y Gabriela (somehow making their Newport debut), Puss n Boots featuring Norah Jones, Newport favorite Dawes (pulling double duty as Conor Oberst's backing band), Lucius, Lake Street Dive, The Milk Carton Kids, Gregory Alan Isakov, Lucero, Aoife O'Donovan, Willie Watson of Old Crow Medicine Show, and more!

If you're planning on attending Saturday or Sunday and haven't bought tickets, you're out of luck since both days and multi-day passes are sold out. Friday is still available, and since that's the day Band of Horses, Jimmy Cliff, Jenny Lewis, Robert Hunter, The Devil Makes Three, Lake Street Dive, Reignwolf, Death Vessel, and Phox are playing, it might end up being the best day of the festival. For more information and tickets, head on over to www.newportfolk.org.

Quarterly Report: Albums We Missed So Far

So I try to keep up as best I can with the new releases, but sometimes they're late to Spotify or fall through the cracks. Consider this quarterly report our attempt to catch up.

Katy B - Little Red: I became a fan of Katy B shortly after her first album, On a Mission, came out. It's been a while, but the British singer is back with an even better album of dancefloor tracks. The album is much more cohesive and miles ahead of its predecessor minus one major misstep in a slow ballad-type song. Even the extra bonus tracks on the deluxe edition keep things going. If you're into Europop, you really need to give this album a listen.

Sun Kil Moon - Benji: Mark Kozelek has a very distinct sound no matter what moniker he's recording under, although Sun Kil Moon does tend to trend toward the extreme storytelling side of things. Benji feels a little overwrought, to be frank - it's not really a fun experience, and it's not memorable because of the songs but because of the direct lyrics. I get why people enjoy him, for sure, but this didn't do a thing for me.

Mode Moderne - Occult Delight: If you're sad that Editors and Interpol haven't done much lately to scratch your dark indie pop itch, Mode Moderne might be for you. It's sort of like the 80s Depeche Mode type stuff we only sometimes cop to missing, and while there aren't a ton of memorable individual songs on the album (the "Maps and Legends"-esque "Come Sunrise" excepted), there's more than enough here as a cohesive whole to make it worth a listen.

Neil Finn - Dizzy Heights: Neil Finn's latest effort is getting critically slammed. It's not nearly that bad. It's not memorable, mind you. There's no "Don't Dream It's Over" to be found. If you're a fan, though, it's absolutely worth a look.

Name the Pet - Future / Now: I have no idea how I tripped up on Name the Pet, but in terms of these nice, quiet, synthy albums that pop up every so often, this one is pretty good. Reminds me a little of Sally Shapiro without the disco, or Au Revoir Simone in some regards.

The New Mendicants - Into the Lime: The New Mendicants are a collaboration between Joe Pernice (of The Pernice Brothers), Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub, and Mike Belisky of The Sadies. If you can't guess from that lineup, it's near-perfectly crafted 1990 power pop/alt-rock. I love this album, and I'm not sure if I love it more because of the nostalgia trip it provides or because there are a lot of solid tracks on it. From "Shouting Match" to "A Very Sorry Christmas," the album doesn't really have a misstep (even if, like a lot of 1990s alt-rock, there are some songs that don't pack a huge punch. Really a solid album, you should definitely give it a listen.

Elizabeth and the Catapult - Like It Never Happened: I loved Taller Children, the debut album from Elizabeth and the Catapult. The second album didn't grab me, but Like It Never Happened, while far from perfect, is a great step up. The group is certainly hitting more of the Sara Bareilles-style pop than the weird indie pop that I fell for, but that doesn't make this a bad listen by any regards. The pieces are truly better than the whole of its parts, so if you're a fan of this sort of thing, it's worth a shot.

Snowmine - Dialects: Brooklyn's Snowmine chose to put their newest album out independently, and it doesn't sound like an indie release, which isn't a bad thing. I have trouble categorizing them, as they have elements of standard rock, electronic, a lead singer who often channels Ben Gibbard, and anthemic choruses across the board. The struggle for categorization is part of what makes the album fun, as you go in listening for one thing and end up hearing something else entirely. A nice chameleon of a record.

+/- - Jumping the Tracks: +/- sounds a lot like the music I was addicted to in 2002-2005. Nontraditional, stilted indie rock with a lot of interesting choices and soundscapes. They're not really a throwback as much as producing a sound that isn't really the "in thing" right now. It certainly hits the right spots when it comes to this sort of sound, I just can't pretend it's for everybody. If you like to be challenged a bit or want to hear something a little different than what's been prevalent, this is worth the time.

Curtis Eller's American Circus - How to Make It In Hollywood: A friend turned me onto Curtis Eller a while ago - she's the same person who got me addicted to Two Man Gentleman Band however many years ago, so when it comes to sometimes goofy, sometimes historical rootsy music, I tend to trust her judgement. The new album by Curtis Eller is at its most polished even if the cohesive unit is not quite as good as my personal favorite of his, 1890. Overall, though, this is an album that you really need to make it a point to listen to. You aren't likely to be disappointed.

My Own Worst Enemy - "Paul Revere"

Boston's My Own Worst Enemy released quite possibly the most Boston release in years with their new 7" single, "Paul Revere." The song re-imagines Paul Revere's ride in a more modern day setting, looking for pizza and beer, wandering throughout many Boston neighborhoods. It name checks Boston landmarks such as Winter Hill and Fenway Park. It's a slice of not quite throwback 90s indie power pop, with fuzzed out guitars and a chant along "Hey!" 

The b-side is another tribute to one of Boston's own. "Angel of the Underground" sings the praises of Mary Lou Lord. The title comes from both Mary Lou's love of championing and promoting lesser known bands (she was an early supporter of both Nirvana and Elliott Smith) as well as her tendency to busk in the T. It's a loving tribute to someone that's slipped out of the spotlight a bit as of late.

You can listen to and purchase "Paul Revere" on My Own Worst Enemy's Bandcamp page. For more information on My Own Worst Enemy, check out their website.

First Listen: New Releases for March 25

A strange week overall.

BEGINNERS - BEGINNERS: I went into this release assuming another electro-pop female-fronted EP, and it ended up actually being a pretty decent indie pop record. I can't say there's much that stands out on a whole, but as a cohesive piece, the five songs here are a great start, and I'll be looking forward to what comes next.

The Belle Brigade - Just Because: I tripped up on The Belle Brigade's first album a few years back and generally liked it. It's pretty much adult alternative with a bit of a rootsy feel underneath, and their sophomore effort, Just Because, is more of the same. I won't say it all works, as it does feel a little overlong, but it does sound as if they have dodged that sophomore slump a bit. Definitely worth a listen.

The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia Live at the Wonder: The Dandy Warhols are probably a top five band all time for me, and Thirteen Tales easily a top ten all time album. I didn't see them when they toured on the anniversary of the release last year and, honestly, this live album doesn't make me regret it. I hate how sterile it sounds, and I've heard some of these songs live before and they are certainly more interesting in person. As a superfan, skip this.

Coil / Nine Inch Nails - Recoiled: The first of two posthumous releases this week, the Coil remix of some of the Downward Spiral-era NIN work is also a fans-only affair, but works better in a lot of ways. My wife, on the other hand, calls it "creepy kids music," so you'll know pretty fast whether this is for you or now.

The Baseball Project - 3rd: The Baseball Project, featuring Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, and now Mike Mills, release their third baseball-themed album this week, right on time for Opening Day. I loved their first album, wasn't so hot on the second, but 3rd is a return to form of sorts. A lot of great stories, a lot of great musicianship (you can hear a lot of the focus from Peter Buck on this in particular), and it's certainly a fun ride. Worth a listen.

The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams: To be honest, the last few releases from The Hold Steady have left me cold. I didn't go into this one expecting much, but this album has inadvertently ended up being one of the best albums of the week as well as a solid contender for great albums released this year. There are a lot of solid individual songs as well as the sort of cohesiveness we haven't seen from them since at least Stay Positive. A great, old-fashioned rock record from a band that has really returned to form.

A Tribute to Bob Dylan in the 80s: So, this is a thing that exists. Honestly? I'll leave it up to you as to whether you think this is worth it. As I don't have this sort of nostalgia for 80s Dylan, well...

Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars: Speaking of 1980s music from classic acts, the "lost" Johnny Cash album Out Among the Stars released this week. It's got a few classic Cash moments, for sure, and a number of winners on the album, but nothing that will jump out at you like his great songs from early on. Definitely a nice hidden gem, though.

Morgan O'Kane - The One They Call the Wind: I hadn't heard of Morgan O'Kane at all, but Ken sent me this one to check out and it is great. Subtle, musical folk and roots music, lots of great banjo sounds, a few solid songs that stick in your craw a bit. If you dig the sort of interesting ways some bluegrass/folk musicians are expanding their musical palatte, this is absolutely for you. Definitely give this one a listen.





Also out this week:

* Tokyo Police Club - Forcefield
* Bardo Pond - Refulgo
* The Bad Plus - The Rite of Spring

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - Ruined Your Childhood

Ruined Your Childhood is a kids' album that's not meant for kids. No, really. I don't mean it's kids' music that even parents can like. I mean the opening line is "I wanna fuck myself right out of this hole." Not exactly what you want your kid sharing at preschool. Or maybe you do.

Each track is set up as a channel surfed by a kid who's mom is out shaking her ass and trying to find a man. Not all 22 tracks are songs, some are transitions between songs or intros. But the songs are one of the most disturbing that I have ever heard. It has a level of creepiness that Marilyn Manson has been working for years trying to produce. It shows off their usual folk/punk/vaudeville/noise rock on crack sound (what they call "steamcrunk") but this album is so unbelievably dark. I assumed given that it's a kids' album that's not for kids it would be tinged with the macabre but overall silly. Throughout the entire album there is this groove of pure dread. It sounds like the inside of David Lynch's brain. With song titles like "Lullaby for an Antichrist" and "Slaughterhouse Sweetheart," you kind of know what you're getting.

You can get a copy of Ruined Your Childhood for the "Name Your Own Price" option at Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' Bandcamp page. You can also find more information on the band at their website. If you happen to be in the Boston area, go see them at the Middle East Downstairs on May 9. You can buy no fee tickets here. Finally, they just released a video for "Ourselves" off last year's Soft Time Traveler. Watch it below.

Quite Possibly the Coolest Record Store Day Exclusive Ever - Faux Real

I've never really been a huge Record Store Day person. I love the concept, but lately it seems like you have to get there the second the store opens and hope they happen to have the ultra rare 7" of some 20 year songs you already have in three other formats. It might seem like blasphemy, but I've always been more interested in hard to find content than product.

That being said, I can't wait to get my hands on Faux Real. Faux Real features a bunch of up and coming indie bands playing songs by bands that don't really exist. For example, Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz covers "Pretend to Be Nice" by Josie & the Pussycats. I feel like this type of album already exists somewhere, but if it doesn't, it's about damn time. Another Western Mass band, Potty Mouth, covers "Take Me Away," which is apparently by a band called Pink Slip from Freaky Friday. The 2003 Lindsay Lohan version, so yes, this will make you feel old. But you also get Bent Shapes covering "Ow! My Face" by Mystik Spiral, Trent's band in Daria. The song even features the dialogue from the show that took place during the performance of the song. How has no one done this one yet? The song I'm most looking forward to is Field Mouse covering The Wonders, which could only possibly be "That Thing You Do."

Faux Real will be put out by Father/Daughter Records on Record Store Day, April 19. Pretend you're buying the kids some Easter candy and get in line for this one.