Road trips a high point in the Low life
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
After a few weeks on the road, indie rock trio Low is heading home to the frosty confines of Duluth, Minn. Guitarist Alan Sparhawk – along with his wife, Mimi Parker (drums), and Zak Sally (bass) – talk about the family road trip that is a Low tour.
“Our eldest is almost 6, and she's been coming with us since she was 6 or 8 months old,” said Sparhawk, who brings his two children on the road with him everywhere the band travels. “We have a nanny. We're real lucky that we can get out and do this without losing our shirts. We're a family and we just try and do everything we can together.”
Despite the hardships, Sparhawk feels touring as a family is important to his band's existence.
“We generally enjoy being on tour,” said the singer-guitarist. “We feel like it's important for us and integral to who we are. We toured a lot when we started out, and it was the best way for us to progress and reach bigger audiences.”
The band is currently touring behind “The Great Destroyer,” one of the better releases to emerge from 2005. On the group's first album for SubPop records (its eighth overall), the threesome paired with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. The result finds Low exploring a more aggressive sound compared with the hushed mesmerizing music that gained the band notoriety.
Much like Low's touring mentality, “The Great Destroyer” emerged from Sparhawk and Parker's family first mentality.
“We actually tracked a lot of the album at home,” said Sparhawk. “We have a reel-to-reel eight-track machine we use. From early on, we've always had some form of recording device at home. At the same time, I really like working with people who really know how to use that stuff. It makes a big difference.”
Part of Low's charm comes from the vocal pairing of Parker and Saparhawk, whose harmonies add emotional depth to the band's stripped-down rock sound. The pair's seeds were sown in a small community outside the northern Minnesota outpost of Fargo.
“I've actually known Mim since we were in fourth grade,” said Sparhawk. “We grew up in a smaller community. It was just a small class, so basically you're with the same kids through grade school, junior high and high school. We started dating when we were 16.”
Like any spouse, Sparhawk can't help but spill a story about Mimi's singing resumé before Low.
“Mimi had been singing a lot,” said Sparhawk with a chuckle. “She and her sisters used to sing a lot. Her mother would take out the accordion, dress them in matching outfits and make them entertain friends.”
After high school, the duo moved to Duluth to attend college. Parker stayed in school while Sparhawk began to tour with bands and cut his teeth in the music business: “We'd sit around and sing songs, but we didn't really go for it as far as working together until after we were married.”
Low made noise on the indie circuit with its combination of angelic vocals intertwining with low-fi song structures. Despite the comparably supercharged intensity of “The Great Destroyer,” the band still finds its artistic ground zero in its vocal harmonies.
“I wasn't even singing or writing songs until we started Low, so Mim was always the harmony,” said Sparhawk, who like a good spouse knows when to give credit to his wife. “I would say Mim is really the key when it comes to the vocals. I've always struggled with singing. Over the years, I've learned a little bit more and gotten a little bit better. She's a big factor in how our vocals work together.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Big fish in his own pond
Matt Pond et al. are gaining fans from media play as well as a new, joyful sound
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
'Is there a reason we're swerving so much?” barks Matt Pond at the undisclosed band member driving his van. “It's windy? Well, when it's windy we slow down.” Pond – along with Brian Pearl (guitar, piano), Dan Crowell (drums), Daniel Mitha (bass), Dana Feder (cello) and Steve Jewett (guitar) – are traveling from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati as the band Matt Pond PA.
“It was never my intention to be here in a van telling people to slow down on the way to a show,” jokes Pond, the hum of the van – probably moving slower at this point – in the background. “My intention was probably to be a history professor or something much quieter and calmer. I think I just wanted the brown tweed jacket and the pipe. I could have it, but it wouldn't work in the van. I think everyone would object to the pipe smoking.”
To give Pond credit, he'd just woken up from a midday nap to find a journalist from San Diego on his cell phone and his tour van skittering along a Midwestern back road.
As Pond and his band's music filters into the public consciousness, American audiences are starting to get a far more pleasant wake-up call. The group's 2005 album, “Several Arrows Later,” finds it stepping away from its uptight intellectual indie rock background, putting forth a more joyful set of tunes. Everything sounds more relaxed, resulting on a truly beautiful and accessible record.
As a testament to Matt Pond PA's ability to reach a mainstream audience, the quintet can add its name to the ever-expanding roster of excellent bands gracing the soundtrack of TV's “The O.C.”
Matt Pond the man hails from New Hampshire. Matt Pond PA the band started in Philadelphia in 1998. After numerous lineup changes, the group calls Brooklyn home after moving to New York in 2003. Asked about his band's name, Pond takes a second to reflect on his changing perspective on his music and his career.
“We have a strong Pennsylvanian following,” noted Pond, after playing Pittsburgh the night before. “I think they're just as confused as everybody else by our name. I used to like the name of our band because I think I enjoyed the confusion and the alienation it caused. But now, I think we're just going to stay with this name. So we're not going to be Matt Pond NY anytime soon.”
In Matt Pond PA's previous eight albums, the string arrangement stood front and center alongside Pond's clever songwriting. On “Several Arrows Later,” the work of cellist Eve Miller (Rachel's) and violinist Margaret White (Sparklehorse, Comas) integrates seamlessly with catchy pop hooks and sharp interplay between all five band members. Cellist Feder now tours with the band.
“We've always had cellists in the band so it sounds like we really concentrated on strings,” said Pond. “It's a really cool instrument to work with, it blends well. In a larger sense, we try to incorporate orchestration, not just strings but all kinds of instruments, especially on the last record.”
Matt Pond PA's ninth album displays a pleasing balance between Pond's sweet vocals, subtle strings, wistful pedal steel, upbeat drumming and delicate guitar lines. The balancing act found other band members stepping up to take charge: “For the last record, Brian and Dan put a lot into it in terms of arranging and putting their energy into it. They really treated it as their own, which it is.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
'Is there a reason we're swerving so much?” barks Matt Pond at the undisclosed band member driving his van. “It's windy? Well, when it's windy we slow down.” Pond – along with Brian Pearl (guitar, piano), Dan Crowell (drums), Daniel Mitha (bass), Dana Feder (cello) and Steve Jewett (guitar) – are traveling from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati as the band Matt Pond PA.
“It was never my intention to be here in a van telling people to slow down on the way to a show,” jokes Pond, the hum of the van – probably moving slower at this point – in the background. “My intention was probably to be a history professor or something much quieter and calmer. I think I just wanted the brown tweed jacket and the pipe. I could have it, but it wouldn't work in the van. I think everyone would object to the pipe smoking.”
To give Pond credit, he'd just woken up from a midday nap to find a journalist from San Diego on his cell phone and his tour van skittering along a Midwestern back road.
As Pond and his band's music filters into the public consciousness, American audiences are starting to get a far more pleasant wake-up call. The group's 2005 album, “Several Arrows Later,” finds it stepping away from its uptight intellectual indie rock background, putting forth a more joyful set of tunes. Everything sounds more relaxed, resulting on a truly beautiful and accessible record.
As a testament to Matt Pond PA's ability to reach a mainstream audience, the quintet can add its name to the ever-expanding roster of excellent bands gracing the soundtrack of TV's “The O.C.”
Matt Pond the man hails from New Hampshire. Matt Pond PA the band started in Philadelphia in 1998. After numerous lineup changes, the group calls Brooklyn home after moving to New York in 2003. Asked about his band's name, Pond takes a second to reflect on his changing perspective on his music and his career.
“We have a strong Pennsylvanian following,” noted Pond, after playing Pittsburgh the night before. “I think they're just as confused as everybody else by our name. I used to like the name of our band because I think I enjoyed the confusion and the alienation it caused. But now, I think we're just going to stay with this name. So we're not going to be Matt Pond NY anytime soon.”
In Matt Pond PA's previous eight albums, the string arrangement stood front and center alongside Pond's clever songwriting. On “Several Arrows Later,” the work of cellist Eve Miller (Rachel's) and violinist Margaret White (Sparklehorse, Comas) integrates seamlessly with catchy pop hooks and sharp interplay between all five band members. Cellist Feder now tours with the band.
“We've always had cellists in the band so it sounds like we really concentrated on strings,” said Pond. “It's a really cool instrument to work with, it blends well. In a larger sense, we try to incorporate orchestration, not just strings but all kinds of instruments, especially on the last record.”
Matt Pond PA's ninth album displays a pleasing balance between Pond's sweet vocals, subtle strings, wistful pedal steel, upbeat drumming and delicate guitar lines. The balancing act found other band members stepping up to take charge: “For the last record, Brian and Dan put a lot into it in terms of arranging and putting their energy into it. They really treated it as their own, which it is.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
In the wake of Katrina, Mardi Gras gets serious
Laissez le bon . . .. . . oh, you know the rest of it – Mardi Gras bash adds heft, and a helping hand
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
San Diego's Mardi Gras festival had its humble roots in the old Gaslamp, a tough downtown neighborhood that rarely drew out-of-town visitors.
Today, the Gaslamp Quarter draws tourists shopping at Horton Plaza and hipsters headed for velvet-rope clubs. Case in point: The Gaslamp Quarter-based music festival Street Scene grew so huge the confines of a burgeoning downtown could not house the sprawling event, forcing a move to Qualcomm Stadium last year.
Now, the Gaslamp Quarter Association's Mardi Gras celebration – traditionally a beer-and-beads affair trying to draw a young demographic downtown – is getting serious about booking high-quality bands and widening the audience attending the event.
Jimmy Parker, the Gaslamp Quarter Association's executive director, spent many years on the road as stage manager for bands as varied as Stone Temple Pilots and the Temptations. One of his primary goals today is fashioning the Mardi Gras celebration after the smaller, more diverse Street Scene of a decade ago.
“I had long conversations with (Street Scene promoter) Rob Hagey talking about talent and the old Street Scene,” said Parker, who continues to work on Street Scene periodically. “That's where we both came from. It's about getting bands like the Truckee Brothers. Who knows? They may sign with Capitol tomorrow and be the biggest thing we've ever seen. That's the idea behind creating this local stage.”
The San Diego-based Truckee Brothers are among the bands playing the K Street Gaslamp Stage for Tuesday's Mardi Gras, a stage dedicated to local acts featuring Reeve Oliver, Dirty Sweet and Lady Dottie and the Diamonds. Gone are the cheesy cover bands.
“In the past it was more out-of-town bands, and the focus really wasn't on the bands (at all),” said Cady Truckee. “I think they're trying to give Mardi Gras more of a Street Scene flavor, especially because Street Scene isn't downtown anymore.”
Along with a shift in focus toward more substantial music acts, this year's Mardi Gras also serves as a reminder of last year's tragic events surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”) marks the last day before the period of atonement called Lent in the Catholic Church. It's a time to let loose and have a good time. Given this year's events, Mardi Gras has a more serious undertone. It's still time to let the good times roll, but also to help people in need.
So as the country turns its eyes back to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season, the Gaslamp Quarter Association realized it was time to import a little New Orleans culture.
The 2006 version of Mardi Gras will include a partnership with the world-famous New Orleans music venue Tipitina's. In wake of Katrina, the Tipitina's Foundation works as a nonprofit organization providing displaced musicians with replacement instruments.
Four New Orleans bands – the Frappe Brass Band, the Wild Apache Mardi Gras Indians, the 504 Brass Band and (former Dirty Dozen Brass Band sousaphonist) Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove – will perform at the Fourth Avenue Tipitina Stage, with all proceeds from that stage going to the foundation.
“I think the right word for us is 'responsibility,'” said Parker. The Gaslamp Quarter's “Mardi Gras celebration has been going for 14 years. So even without Katrina, there's a responsibility if you're throwing a Mardi Gras to throw it in the right spirit. It is Fat Tuesday. It is the beginning of Lent. It's a party to laugh at your sins and your foibles, because the next day is very serious based on the Christian calendar.
“It's stepped up a little bit when you have a Katrina and people dying and ways of life being completely changed. We looked at just having buckets at the door. We looked at partnering with business owners in the French Quarter. And then we found Tipitina's, and it really appealed to everyone involved and spoke to a long-term relationship. We wanted to bring the culture of New Orleans, and especially help out the displaced musicians who lost their livelihoods.
“Musicians are like anyone else: You have to support your family, you have bills. A lot of the people in the music business, they've never been ones to say 'give me a hand.' They want to do their art. They want to work. From the roadie all the way to the promoter, those are hardworking people. When it's taken away, that hurts them more than the money.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
2006 MARDI GRAS AND CARNAVAL SCHEDULE
Brazil Carnaval 2006 (Saturday 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.): Bands include SambaDá featuring vocalist Dahndá da Hora, the Super Sonic Samba School, Mindinho and Capoeira Brasil plus special guest Marcos Santos. Best costume and door prize winners receive roundtrip airfare to Brazil. At 4th & B, 345 B St., downtown; $25 advance / $30 door; (619) 231-4343.
Gaslamp Quarter Mardi Gras 2006 (Tuesday 7 p.m. to midnight): Five stages of Mardi Gras entertainment headlined by KC and the Sunshine Band, Reeve Oliver, Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove and DJ Miss Lisa. Strolling musicians, dancers and the Ladies of Lips will perform. Masquerade Parade with floats begins at 8:30 p.m.
In the Gaslamp Quarter downtown; $15 advance / $20 door; (619) 233-5227.
STAGES AT MARDI GRAS 2006:
G Street Party Stage (DJ Marc Thrasher between sets):
7:30 p.m. – N.R.G.
9 p.m. – Polyester and the Platforms
10:30 p.m. – KC and the Sunshine Band
K Street Gaslamp Stage (DJ Scott Martin between sets):
7 p.m. – Dirty Sweet
8:20 p.m. – Lady Dottie and the Diamonds
9:40 p.m. – The Truckee Brothers
11 p.m. – Reeve Oliver
Fourth Avenue Tipitina's Stage (DJ Mac between sets):
7 p.m. – Frappe Brass Band
8:15 p.m. – Wild Apache Mardi Gras Indians
9:30 p.m. – The 504 Brass Band
11 p.m. – Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove
E Street Club Stage:
7 p.m. – DJs Erick Diaz and Adam Salter
9 p.m. – Scooter & Lavelle
10:30 p.m. – Miss Lisa
The Ladies of Lips will have their own stage at Fourth and G streets.
MORE MARDI GRAS
Hillcrest Mardi Gras (Tuesday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.): Candye Kane, Cash'd Out and the Lips girls will perform, sponsored by the GSDBA Charitable Foundation and the Hillcrest Business Association.
On University Avenue between Third and Fourth avenues; $15-$75; (619) 491-0400; 21 and up.
Mardi Gras Sidebar: Q&A with Christine Portella
Celebrating a 'passion for life'
February 23, 2006
A native of Brazil's party central, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Promotions' Christine Portella grew up reveling in the Carnaval spirit.
For the past 14 years, she and her business partner, Steve Spencer, have produced San Diego's Brazil Carnaval. This year's Carnaval is set for 4th & B Saturday night.
Portella took a few minutes to share her views on Carnaval, Mardi Gras and our ability to celebrate life after misfortune.
Question: Do you remember what it was like growing up in Rio and experiencing Carnaval every year?
Answer: I was born in Rio. I was raised in both countries (the United States and Brazil). My first eight years were here in the U.S. When I was 8, I moved back to Brazil. So my first language is English and I had never even heard Portuguese prior to moving back to Brazil.
It was a drastic change for an 8-year-old. When we moved, it was February during Carnaval. I remember walking in the streets and holding my little sister's hand. All the people in the streets – dancing and singing all day long – I thought my mom had gone crazy bringing us back there.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory from your Carnavals in Rio?
A: A passion for life is such a fundamental (part) of the culture, that I could never pinpoint one favorite. Every single Carnaval that I have been to down there has been an amazing event.
Q: A big theme this year in Fat Tuesday parties is celebrating life after tragedy, specifically the ordeal New Orleans had to endure with Hurricane Katrina. People in Rio probably have to deal with poverty and tragedy on a daily basis. Can you talk about the idea of letting loose for a day in regards to living in Rio and how that applies to this year's celebrations?
A: Again, there is such a passion for life in Brazil. There is a lot of poverty. I'm not proud of this, but it's shocking how much of the country can't read, much less write. We can go on and on about the political, economic and social issues that Brazil is going through. But, regardless, the spirit of Carnaval is celebrated throughout the year.
– CHRIS NIXON
February 23, 2006
A native of Brazil's party central, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Promotions' Christine Portella grew up reveling in the Carnaval spirit.
For the past 14 years, she and her business partner, Steve Spencer, have produced San Diego's Brazil Carnaval. This year's Carnaval is set for 4th & B Saturday night.
Portella took a few minutes to share her views on Carnaval, Mardi Gras and our ability to celebrate life after misfortune.
Question: Do you remember what it was like growing up in Rio and experiencing Carnaval every year?
Answer: I was born in Rio. I was raised in both countries (the United States and Brazil). My first eight years were here in the U.S. When I was 8, I moved back to Brazil. So my first language is English and I had never even heard Portuguese prior to moving back to Brazil.
It was a drastic change for an 8-year-old. When we moved, it was February during Carnaval. I remember walking in the streets and holding my little sister's hand. All the people in the streets – dancing and singing all day long – I thought my mom had gone crazy bringing us back there.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory from your Carnavals in Rio?
A: A passion for life is such a fundamental (part) of the culture, that I could never pinpoint one favorite. Every single Carnaval that I have been to down there has been an amazing event.
Q: A big theme this year in Fat Tuesday parties is celebrating life after tragedy, specifically the ordeal New Orleans had to endure with Hurricane Katrina. People in Rio probably have to deal with poverty and tragedy on a daily basis. Can you talk about the idea of letting loose for a day in regards to living in Rio and how that applies to this year's celebrations?
A: Again, there is such a passion for life in Brazil. There is a lot of poverty. I'm not proud of this, but it's shocking how much of the country can't read, much less write. We can go on and on about the political, economic and social issues that Brazil is going through. But, regardless, the spirit of Carnaval is celebrated throughout the year.
– CHRIS NIXON
Minus 5: McCaughey shoots off about Gun Album
His aim is true
Scott McCaughey is an indie renaissance man, playing in multiple bands
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
Talking with Scott McCaughey on the phone is a lot like listening to his albums: friendly and pleasant, yet muddled with circuitous logic and odd imagery.
Take, for example, the new album with one of his many projects, the Minus 5. The band nicknamed its eponymous 2006 release “The Gun Album,” and for good reason. The cover features a 9mm handgun, the CD depicts a diagram of a disassembled gun, and three of the 13 tracks mention guns in the lyrics and title.
The quartermaster bakes a radio / The traitor's a ragdoll in the tornado / The funnel fades to gray / With hand upon the bible who's to say? sings McCaughey on “This Rifle Called Goodbye,” the first track greeting listeners on the album. Rife with surreal absurdity, the strangely dark lyrics play a nice counterpoint to the band's sugary pop hooks.
Here's what McCaughey said from his home in Portland, Ore., about the gun theme: “I hate guns. I absolutely hate them. So it's a weird thing for me to have a gun on the cover. But it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time.”
“I use the gun thing as an image that goes through the record,” continued McCaughey, laughing at himself a little as he tries to explain the gun theme. “It's very antithetical to what I stand for and what I am into, but it kept turning up. It seemed representative of all the (stuff) in my life.”
His response is odd and charming, like the collection of jangly pop tunes contained on the album. The strumming retro sound comes honestly. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) again uses his friend and longtime collaborator Peter Buck on the new Minus 5 disc. Buck is famous for creating his own retro pop sound. He returns the favor by using McCaughey as a sideman when recording with his band, R.E.M.
“I've learned so much about ideas for arranging and production (from R.E.M.),” said McCaughey about his time with R.E.M. “Working with those guys, I've picked up so much from all of them. Watching how Michael (Stipe) constructs melodies and works on lyrics is inspiring, watching Mike (Mills) go in at 2 in the morning. I've learned a lot about how he plays keyboards and organ especially. Peter (Buck) – just watching the consistency of how he goes out there. He's so precise on every take.”
McCaughey reached notoriety in indie circles with his band the Young Fresh Fellows, but has gone on to join or create Tuatara (with Buck), the Squirrels, the Lowebeats, the New Strychinies and also serve as “the fifth member” of R.E.M. since 1994.
With a substantial amount of indie cred built up, the new disc features two tracks recorded in Chicago with Wilco, along with guest appearances by John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger/Long Winters), and Colin Meloy and John Moen (the Decemberists).
The Minus 5 will perform in support of “The Gun Album” at the Belly Up Tavern with Robyn Hitchcock, where the band will backup Hitchcock and he'll join them onstage for a few tunes.
"It will be a workout, said McCaughey. "I'm guessing we'll be onstage 2 1/2 hours or close to it. Peter and I have done that quite a few times: Tuatara/Mark Eitzel/Minus 5/Tuatara/Minus 5/Cedell Davis. We've done some long ones when we're playing with all the bands. And the R.E.M. shows are always two-plus hours too, so it's cool. I don't mind. I enjoy it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Scott McCaughey is an indie renaissance man, playing in multiple bands
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
Talking with Scott McCaughey on the phone is a lot like listening to his albums: friendly and pleasant, yet muddled with circuitous logic and odd imagery.
Take, for example, the new album with one of his many projects, the Minus 5. The band nicknamed its eponymous 2006 release “The Gun Album,” and for good reason. The cover features a 9mm handgun, the CD depicts a diagram of a disassembled gun, and three of the 13 tracks mention guns in the lyrics and title.
The quartermaster bakes a radio / The traitor's a ragdoll in the tornado / The funnel fades to gray / With hand upon the bible who's to say? sings McCaughey on “This Rifle Called Goodbye,” the first track greeting listeners on the album. Rife with surreal absurdity, the strangely dark lyrics play a nice counterpoint to the band's sugary pop hooks.
Here's what McCaughey said from his home in Portland, Ore., about the gun theme: “I hate guns. I absolutely hate them. So it's a weird thing for me to have a gun on the cover. But it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time.”
“I use the gun thing as an image that goes through the record,” continued McCaughey, laughing at himself a little as he tries to explain the gun theme. “It's very antithetical to what I stand for and what I am into, but it kept turning up. It seemed representative of all the (stuff) in my life.”
His response is odd and charming, like the collection of jangly pop tunes contained on the album. The strumming retro sound comes honestly. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) again uses his friend and longtime collaborator Peter Buck on the new Minus 5 disc. Buck is famous for creating his own retro pop sound. He returns the favor by using McCaughey as a sideman when recording with his band, R.E.M.
“I've learned so much about ideas for arranging and production (from R.E.M.),” said McCaughey about his time with R.E.M. “Working with those guys, I've picked up so much from all of them. Watching how Michael (Stipe) constructs melodies and works on lyrics is inspiring, watching Mike (Mills) go in at 2 in the morning. I've learned a lot about how he plays keyboards and organ especially. Peter (Buck) – just watching the consistency of how he goes out there. He's so precise on every take.”
McCaughey reached notoriety in indie circles with his band the Young Fresh Fellows, but has gone on to join or create Tuatara (with Buck), the Squirrels, the Lowebeats, the New Strychinies and also serve as “the fifth member” of R.E.M. since 1994.
With a substantial amount of indie cred built up, the new disc features two tracks recorded in Chicago with Wilco, along with guest appearances by John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger/Long Winters), and Colin Meloy and John Moen (the Decemberists).
The Minus 5 will perform in support of “The Gun Album” at the Belly Up Tavern with Robyn Hitchcock, where the band will backup Hitchcock and he'll join them onstage for a few tunes.
"It will be a workout, said McCaughey. "I'm guessing we'll be onstage 2 1/2 hours or close to it. Peter and I have done that quite a few times: Tuatara/Mark Eitzel/Minus 5/Tuatara/Minus 5/Cedell Davis. We've done some long ones when we're playing with all the bands. And the R.E.M. shows are always two-plus hours too, so it's cool. I don't mind. I enjoy it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Imogen Heap in N&D
Heap finds TV, film a comfortable fit
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
January 19, 2006
Take a look at the best movie and television soundtracks from the past few years, chances are you'll see Imogen Heap's name pop up more than once. From "The O.C." to the new "Chronicles of Narnia" movie, the 28-year-old British musician's beautifully crafted, down-tempo electronic music is finding its way to more listeners.
While Heap's breathy voice seemingly is permeating all forms of media, she's still a widely unknown commodity on radio stations and pop charts.
"For whatever reason, I've never had that much luck on the radio," admits Heap during a recent conversation from her London flat. "No matter how commercial I think a song is, it doesn't get picked up. The 'Garden State' album was a big success. That song is probably Frou Frou's most famous song but it never gets played on the radio."
The British chanteuse has scored spots on soundtracks like Zach Braff's movie "Garden State" ("Let Go," as one half of the duo Frou Frou), the "Music From the O.C. Mix 4" disc ("Goodnight and Go"), the excellent "Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends" soundtrack for the HBO series ("Lonely Little Petunia") and most recently the blockbuster fantasy film "The Chronicles of Narnia" ("Can't Take It In").
So why does her music fit so well with cinema, large and small?
"Sonically you can get away with a lot more when you have visuals because you are not just concentrating on the music," muses Heap. "You can be a bit more daring with TV and film than you can on radio."
After growing up in Essex, England (outside of London), the classically trained pianist released her first album, "I Megaphone," in 1998 before teaming up with producer Guy Sigsworth in Frou Frou. Named from the French slang term meaning "the rustling of a woman's skirt," Frou Frou signed with Island Records for 2003's "Details."
Nestled between the sleek pop sounds of Frou Frou and the stripped down trip-hop of Heap's 1998 debut, the vocalist's 2005 disc "Speak for Yourself" finds the middle ground between her previous recordings.
Complete with keyboard-driven melodies and intricate string arrangements, the album contains 12 tracks of thoughtful electronic pop. After working with producers on her first two albums, Heap created "Speak for Yourself" as a completely solo project, filling the roles of performer, engineer and producer.
"I've always wanted to do a record on my own," says Heap. "I bought all this gear for the studio with the intention of doing as much as I could on the record. I wanted this record to be me. "
The entire disc is filled with solid songwriting and musicianship, but the standout track is the a cappella "Hide and Seek." Heap uses the vocoder technology to add a layered metallic tone to vocals, creating a striking effect.
"It's one of those rare magical occasions where a song comes out of nowhere and you don't have to spend four months deciding on a lyric," says Heap. "It just arrived on a plate. I plugged in my vocoder and I plugged in my keyboard into my harmonizing thing. It just came out and there it was at the end of four and a half minutes."
Just as she created the album, Heap performs solo live. Taking full advantage of technology, she manipulates computers and keyboards to re-create her songs onstage: "It's me with my mixing board, my keyboard, my laptop, hard drive with loads of strings loaded on it, my harmonizer, a sequencing box I can play base lines on and make loops on."
Heap also uses an instrument called the Array Mbira, an African thumb piano designed by San Diegan Bill Wesley. The unique device incorporates a five-octave range, and can be used to trigger other sounds through MIDI technology (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).
Despite all the gadgetry, Heap's performances are passionate and intimate affairs.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
January 19, 2006
Take a look at the best movie and television soundtracks from the past few years, chances are you'll see Imogen Heap's name pop up more than once. From "The O.C." to the new "Chronicles of Narnia" movie, the 28-year-old British musician's beautifully crafted, down-tempo electronic music is finding its way to more listeners.
While Heap's breathy voice seemingly is permeating all forms of media, she's still a widely unknown commodity on radio stations and pop charts.
"For whatever reason, I've never had that much luck on the radio," admits Heap during a recent conversation from her London flat. "No matter how commercial I think a song is, it doesn't get picked up. The 'Garden State' album was a big success. That song is probably Frou Frou's most famous song but it never gets played on the radio."
The British chanteuse has scored spots on soundtracks like Zach Braff's movie "Garden State" ("Let Go," as one half of the duo Frou Frou), the "Music From the O.C. Mix 4" disc ("Goodnight and Go"), the excellent "Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends" soundtrack for the HBO series ("Lonely Little Petunia") and most recently the blockbuster fantasy film "The Chronicles of Narnia" ("Can't Take It In").
So why does her music fit so well with cinema, large and small?
"Sonically you can get away with a lot more when you have visuals because you are not just concentrating on the music," muses Heap. "You can be a bit more daring with TV and film than you can on radio."
After growing up in Essex, England (outside of London), the classically trained pianist released her first album, "I Megaphone," in 1998 before teaming up with producer Guy Sigsworth in Frou Frou. Named from the French slang term meaning "the rustling of a woman's skirt," Frou Frou signed with Island Records for 2003's "Details."
Nestled between the sleek pop sounds of Frou Frou and the stripped down trip-hop of Heap's 1998 debut, the vocalist's 2005 disc "Speak for Yourself" finds the middle ground between her previous recordings.
Complete with keyboard-driven melodies and intricate string arrangements, the album contains 12 tracks of thoughtful electronic pop. After working with producers on her first two albums, Heap created "Speak for Yourself" as a completely solo project, filling the roles of performer, engineer and producer.
"I've always wanted to do a record on my own," says Heap. "I bought all this gear for the studio with the intention of doing as much as I could on the record. I wanted this record to be me. "
The entire disc is filled with solid songwriting and musicianship, but the standout track is the a cappella "Hide and Seek." Heap uses the vocoder technology to add a layered metallic tone to vocals, creating a striking effect.
"It's one of those rare magical occasions where a song comes out of nowhere and you don't have to spend four months deciding on a lyric," says Heap. "It just arrived on a plate. I plugged in my vocoder and I plugged in my keyboard into my harmonizing thing. It just came out and there it was at the end of four and a half minutes."
Just as she created the album, Heap performs solo live. Taking full advantage of technology, she manipulates computers and keyboards to re-create her songs onstage: "It's me with my mixing board, my keyboard, my laptop, hard drive with loads of strings loaded on it, my harmonizer, a sequencing box I can play base lines on and make loops on."
Heap also uses an instrument called the Array Mbira, an African thumb piano designed by San Diegan Bill Wesley. The unique device incorporates a five-octave range, and can be used to trigger other sounds through MIDI technology (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).
Despite all the gadgetry, Heap's performances are passionate and intimate affairs.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
Friday, December 23, 2005
NYE 2005: Magic shows
If you're looking for a great New Year's party, one of these events should do the trickBy Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
December 22, 2005
Whenever New Year's Eve crosses my mind, I recall a quote from Billy Crystal as he ponders the meaning of "Auld Lang Syne" in "When Harry Met Sally": "I mean, 'Should old acquaintance be forgot'? Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot?"
The ancient Scottish tune "Auld Lang Syne" translates to "Times Gone By." Whether we understand the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" or not, New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on the good memories we've experienced and to create a few new ones.
If you like live music to ring in the new year, San Diego has one of the best New Year's Eves in recent memory. Local legends (Karl Denson), national upstarts (Hasidic reggae band Matisyahu), international favorites (Mexico's Kinky) and the traditional family celebrations (First Night) are on the schedule.
Here's a rundown of the shows we'd go to if we could:
KARL DENSON'S TINY UNIVERSE
The San Diego jazz-funk band the Greyboy Allstars sent shock waves through the local music scene by providing an organic alternative to the electronic danceable acid jazz of the 1990s.
Led by saxophonist Karl Denson, the Allstars' live shows were packed with funk jams and extended solos – not the noodling jam band style. Denson and his cohorts drew inspiration from James Brown, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns.
The Allstars continue to play a couple of times a year, but Denson devotes much of his time to his own band, Tiny Universe. In 2002, KDTU released "The Bridge," an excellent album featuring Denson on vocals along with the band's trademark funk sound. Tiny Universe currently is working on a studio album, so expect Denson to bust out a few new tunes at this 'Canes gig in Mission Beach.
Dinner packages are available. And, as a side note, our best wishes go out to Allstars co-founder Robert Walter and his family, displaced from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
KINKY & B-SIDE PLAYERS
Self-described as "electro-Latin organic fusion," Kinky has molded a style equal parts hip-hop, pop, rock, disco, funk and electronica. Rising from the Mexican music Mecca Monterrey, the quintet formed in 2000 experimenting with electronic rock heavily influence by techno and DJ culture.
Gilberto Cerezo (vocals, guitar, turntables), Ulises Lozano (keyboards, vocals), Carlos Chairez (guitar, vocals), Omar Gongora (drums, vocals) and Cesar Pliego (bass, vocals) released their infectiously funky self-titled disc in 2001, followed by the more mainstream "Atlas" in 2003.
I saw them at Coachella a few years back and they reminded me of a guitar-slinging Nortec Collective – half live instrumentation, half DJ sampling. Joining Kinky at 4th & B downtown will be San Diego's B-Side Players, mixing splashes of reggae and salsa with steamy politically charged rock.
MATISYAHU
Did I hear that right? A Hasidic reggae singer? Yes, I did. Matisyahu is not a gimmick, this guy has serious chops.
Born Matthew Miller in West Chester, Pa., Matisyahu blends Jewish spirituality with Jamaica's all-ready-heady reggae music. Backed by a razor-sharp band that includes Aaron Dugan (guitar), Josh Werner (bass) and Jonah David (drums), Matisyahu scats, raps and beatboxes with amazing dexterity.
The band's 2005 release, "Live at Stubb's" (recorded at the Austin, Texas, club of the same name), exemplifies Matisyahu's skills with the mike. Those lucky enough to have tickets to this sold-out Belly Up show have a treat in store.
BIG NIGHT SAN DIEGO
This sprawling New Year's celebration is like a First Night celebration for the big kids. You have theme party rooms to choose from: Mardi Gras, Vegas (mock gambling), HiBall, 1970s and '80s retro, hip-hop, electronic dance, dining room, chill-out room and a fireworks viewing zone.
For the price, this is probably your best New Year's Eve bargain: There's a food buffet and all drinks are included, plus bands (Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Rookie Card, Common Sense, Flock of '80s) and DJs (Jon Bishop, Miss Lisa, Happee, Kid Krazzy and Mike Czech) for just over $100.
If you want to shell out another $50, you get access to the V.I.P. section, with its own casino, its own lounge and upgraded drinks and food. Fireworks will help ring in the new year, and discounted rooms are conveniently available at the venue – the Sheraton on Harbor Island – so no excuse to drink and drive.
THE MOTHER HIPS
After forming in 1991 at Chico State in Northern California, these four guys spread the good word about the Mother Hips through constant touring and excellent sunny pop songs by Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono.
Ten years later, the band had found a devout following throughout California and beyond, but tired of the road. The Mother Hips split up to pursue solo projects (check out Bluhm's 2003 EP "The Soft Adventure").
After a hiatus of five years, the Mother Hips' heavenly harmonies and neo-psychedelic rock return in the form of the 2005 EP "Red Tandy." Bluhm (guitar, vocals, keys), Loiacono (guitar, vocals, keys), Paul Hoaglin (bass) and John Hofer (drums) know how to put on a great show, drawing on their many years on the road.
FIRST NIGHT ESCONDIDO
With First Night San Diego taking the year off in 2006, Escondido's New Year's Eve celebration marks the county's only family-oriented First Night. Buttons ($10 before Christmas and $15 after, free for kids under 6) will get you into 12 stages of music and theater, including everything from classical music to puppet shows.
Stretching from Grape Day Park to Escondido City Hall and the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, this alcohol-free event is absolutely crammed with more than 100 performers, including musicians, magicians, stilt walkers, jugglers and puppeteers. The evening finishes off with a midnight fireworks display.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Pet sounds: It's all about the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen's long march continues at House of Blues
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
December 8, 2005
In the 1980s and stretching into the early 1990s, England began cranking out a particular style of alternative rock that called for chiming guitars, emotive high-tenor vocals, compact jangly rock tunes.
Along with bands like U2 (up through 1983's "War"), the Church and the Cure, Liverpool's Echo & the Bunnymen led a pack of British bands forging a new sound that spawned a generation of kids wearing eyeliner with hair in their eyes (think Ally Sheedy's character in "The Breakfast Club," but with more makeup).
Known for its unusual name and the distinctive vibrato-filled vocal style of Ian McCulloch, the band's roots were in the meeting of singer McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant as teenagers in Liverpool. The group – sick of answering mundane questions about the Bunnymen name – made up a story about the band's drum machine, "Echo." The tall tale made a lot of music journalists a bit red in the face after the news came out.
"Yeah, that story is rubbish," Sergeant has said about the fictional story of the band's naming. "We used to tell the press we got the name from the drum machine, but that was just to shut people up, you know? We just wanted a name that was completely different, and Echo was just a word we liked. Now, Bunnymen, there was an idea behind that, of these weird, spirit, bunny things that, like, existed only in folklore. There's one on the cover of our first single, 'Pictures on My Wall.'"
Fueled by strong support in the UK and on American college radio, word began to spread quickly about Echo & the Bunnymen. Mixing neo-psychedelic dreamy eclecticism and solid songwriting from McCulloch and company, the band scored Top 10 albums in the United Kingdom (1981's "Heaven Up Here" and "Porcupine" and 1984's "Ocean Rain") while gaining a foothold in the American market.
Plucking crisp guitar lines – awash with delay and reverb much like the early work of U2's the Edge, Sergeant created sonic landscapes while McCulloch's lyrics and voice set Echo & the Bunnymen apart from the glut of 1980s New Wave British bands.
The band's 1987 eponymous album – featuring songs like "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" – gave the guys from Liverpool their biggest audience yet. The release afforded the opportunity to work with one of the band's heroes: Doors organist Ray Manzarek.
McCulloch left the band in 1988 to pursue a solo career and released a couple of solo discs ("Candleland" in 1989 and "Mysterio" in 1991). Original drummer Pete de Freitas died in a 1989 motorcycle accident. Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson forged on with new lead singer Noel Burke and released "Reverberation" in 1990 to little popular response. "Candleland" produced a hit in "Proud to Fall" (it reached No. 1 in the United States on the Modern Rock charts), but in retrospect it feels empty without Sergeant's deft guitar licks.
Echo & the Bunnymen's cinematic songwriting style found it's way to the big screen along the way, most memorably in "Pretty in Pink" ("Bring on the Dancing Horses") and "The Lost Boys" (with the remake of the Doors' "People Are Strange"). Later, "The Killing Moon" found its way into 2001's "Donnie Darko," along with 2004's "The Girl Next Door."
In 1997, the surviving Bunnymen (McCulloch, Sergeant and Pattinson) reunited to record "Evergreen," which found the band stumbling through 12 over-orchestrated mundane tracks. Said McCulloch of joining his mates again: "It's not so much a reunion as the second half of a very long march."
Echo & the Bunnymen took a more stripped down approach in 1999's "What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?" The album exhibits a strummy carefree attitude to the band's brooding early work. On 2001's "Flowers," McCulloch and Sergeant revisit their 1960s psychedelic influences, evoking the Animals and the Doors.
From the sparkling, glistening high guitar notes of "Stormy Weather" – the first song on Echo & the Bunnymen's 2005 album "Siberia," the English band recaptures the ethereal alternative pop music of it's heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
All the while, McCulloch's voice provides depth and contrast to the four-minute pop songs. Twenty-seven years after first creating Echo & the Bunnymen, McCulloch and Sergeant still know how to make songs that sound relevant and sincere. The two bring Echo & the Bunnymen to the House of Blues tomorrow night for a trip down memory lane.
"The only way for me to live forever is through great songs," McCulloch said a few years ago. "And that's what I intend to keep doing during my songwriting life – just to go for timeless greatness."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
The essential Echo & the Bunnymen
"Crocodiles" (1980, Sire): First albums are always fascinating to revisit, like finding yourself at an archaeological dig excavating the roots of an ancient civilization. If the band sticks around long enough to develop its own sound, you can trace it all back to the debut disc. In "Crocodiles," we find Ian McCulloch searching for his trademark vocals. Sergeant's great guitar lines are almost absent, smothered by layers of pianos and keyboards. Songs likes "Do It Clean" are dead ringers for a U2 cut. This is not the greatest Echo album, but an interesting study nevertheless.
"Heaven Up Here" (1981, Sire): The band's second album finds the four guys from Liverpool sliding into their trademark sound, a real emotional performance from McCulloch. A truly varied record, songs sway from crystalline ballads to sharp-edged New Wave funk a la early Talking Heads. Seemingly all of a sudden, McCulloch's voice has gained a high, haunting timbre. "Heaven Up Here" remains an excellent snapshot of English New Wave.
"Ocean Rain" (1984, Sire): The heavy orchestration of the opening track, "Silver," marks a new era for Echo. But Sergeant's guitar work and McCulloch's gloomy lyrics help offset the floating harmonies, especially on tracks like "Crystal Days" and "The Yo-Yo Man." "The Killing Moon" stands the test of time due to the eerie mix of bittersweet harmonies and lyrics like Under blue moon I saw you / So soon you'll take me / Up in your arms / Too late to beg you or cancel it / Though I know it must be the killing time / Unwillingly mine. Also check out the 1985 greatest hits record "Song to Learn & Sing" for an excellent compilation of Echo's early material.
"Echo & the Bunnymen" (1987, Sire): Like a refrain that tumbles around in your head for years, whenever I think of Echo & the Bunnymen I hear the chorus of "Lips Like Sugar." The thumping beat of "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" follows a close second. This album is so accessible it's almost too much, all wrapped up in 1980s pop sensibilities. But the self-titled disc still yields a few timeless songs through all the production.
"Siberia" (2005, Cooking Vinyl): Using a phrase like "return to form" turns my stomach, but I'm tempted in describing "Siberia." Gone is the angst of "Heaven Up Here." The fire died out a long time ago. Instead, we get crystal-clear production that doesn't get in the way of a quality collection of songs. McCulloch sounds sharp and Sergeant is riffing in top-notch fashion. This is easily the band's best disc in 20 years.
– CHRIS NIXON
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
December 8, 2005
In the 1980s and stretching into the early 1990s, England began cranking out a particular style of alternative rock that called for chiming guitars, emotive high-tenor vocals, compact jangly rock tunes.
Along with bands like U2 (up through 1983's "War"), the Church and the Cure, Liverpool's Echo & the Bunnymen led a pack of British bands forging a new sound that spawned a generation of kids wearing eyeliner with hair in their eyes (think Ally Sheedy's character in "The Breakfast Club," but with more makeup).
Known for its unusual name and the distinctive vibrato-filled vocal style of Ian McCulloch, the band's roots were in the meeting of singer McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant as teenagers in Liverpool. The group – sick of answering mundane questions about the Bunnymen name – made up a story about the band's drum machine, "Echo." The tall tale made a lot of music journalists a bit red in the face after the news came out.
"Yeah, that story is rubbish," Sergeant has said about the fictional story of the band's naming. "We used to tell the press we got the name from the drum machine, but that was just to shut people up, you know? We just wanted a name that was completely different, and Echo was just a word we liked. Now, Bunnymen, there was an idea behind that, of these weird, spirit, bunny things that, like, existed only in folklore. There's one on the cover of our first single, 'Pictures on My Wall.'"
Fueled by strong support in the UK and on American college radio, word began to spread quickly about Echo & the Bunnymen. Mixing neo-psychedelic dreamy eclecticism and solid songwriting from McCulloch and company, the band scored Top 10 albums in the United Kingdom (1981's "Heaven Up Here" and "Porcupine" and 1984's "Ocean Rain") while gaining a foothold in the American market.
Plucking crisp guitar lines – awash with delay and reverb much like the early work of U2's the Edge, Sergeant created sonic landscapes while McCulloch's lyrics and voice set Echo & the Bunnymen apart from the glut of 1980s New Wave British bands.
The band's 1987 eponymous album – featuring songs like "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" – gave the guys from Liverpool their biggest audience yet. The release afforded the opportunity to work with one of the band's heroes: Doors organist Ray Manzarek.
McCulloch left the band in 1988 to pursue a solo career and released a couple of solo discs ("Candleland" in 1989 and "Mysterio" in 1991). Original drummer Pete de Freitas died in a 1989 motorcycle accident. Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson forged on with new lead singer Noel Burke and released "Reverberation" in 1990 to little popular response. "Candleland" produced a hit in "Proud to Fall" (it reached No. 1 in the United States on the Modern Rock charts), but in retrospect it feels empty without Sergeant's deft guitar licks.
Echo & the Bunnymen's cinematic songwriting style found it's way to the big screen along the way, most memorably in "Pretty in Pink" ("Bring on the Dancing Horses") and "The Lost Boys" (with the remake of the Doors' "People Are Strange"). Later, "The Killing Moon" found its way into 2001's "Donnie Darko," along with 2004's "The Girl Next Door."
In 1997, the surviving Bunnymen (McCulloch, Sergeant and Pattinson) reunited to record "Evergreen," which found the band stumbling through 12 over-orchestrated mundane tracks. Said McCulloch of joining his mates again: "It's not so much a reunion as the second half of a very long march."
Echo & the Bunnymen took a more stripped down approach in 1999's "What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?" The album exhibits a strummy carefree attitude to the band's brooding early work. On 2001's "Flowers," McCulloch and Sergeant revisit their 1960s psychedelic influences, evoking the Animals and the Doors.
From the sparkling, glistening high guitar notes of "Stormy Weather" – the first song on Echo & the Bunnymen's 2005 album "Siberia," the English band recaptures the ethereal alternative pop music of it's heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
All the while, McCulloch's voice provides depth and contrast to the four-minute pop songs. Twenty-seven years after first creating Echo & the Bunnymen, McCulloch and Sergeant still know how to make songs that sound relevant and sincere. The two bring Echo & the Bunnymen to the House of Blues tomorrow night for a trip down memory lane.
"The only way for me to live forever is through great songs," McCulloch said a few years ago. "And that's what I intend to keep doing during my songwriting life – just to go for timeless greatness."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
The essential Echo & the Bunnymen
"Crocodiles" (1980, Sire): First albums are always fascinating to revisit, like finding yourself at an archaeological dig excavating the roots of an ancient civilization. If the band sticks around long enough to develop its own sound, you can trace it all back to the debut disc. In "Crocodiles," we find Ian McCulloch searching for his trademark vocals. Sergeant's great guitar lines are almost absent, smothered by layers of pianos and keyboards. Songs likes "Do It Clean" are dead ringers for a U2 cut. This is not the greatest Echo album, but an interesting study nevertheless.
"Heaven Up Here" (1981, Sire): The band's second album finds the four guys from Liverpool sliding into their trademark sound, a real emotional performance from McCulloch. A truly varied record, songs sway from crystalline ballads to sharp-edged New Wave funk a la early Talking Heads. Seemingly all of a sudden, McCulloch's voice has gained a high, haunting timbre. "Heaven Up Here" remains an excellent snapshot of English New Wave.
"Ocean Rain" (1984, Sire): The heavy orchestration of the opening track, "Silver," marks a new era for Echo. But Sergeant's guitar work and McCulloch's gloomy lyrics help offset the floating harmonies, especially on tracks like "Crystal Days" and "The Yo-Yo Man." "The Killing Moon" stands the test of time due to the eerie mix of bittersweet harmonies and lyrics like Under blue moon I saw you / So soon you'll take me / Up in your arms / Too late to beg you or cancel it / Though I know it must be the killing time / Unwillingly mine. Also check out the 1985 greatest hits record "Song to Learn & Sing" for an excellent compilation of Echo's early material.
"Echo & the Bunnymen" (1987, Sire): Like a refrain that tumbles around in your head for years, whenever I think of Echo & the Bunnymen I hear the chorus of "Lips Like Sugar." The thumping beat of "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" follows a close second. This album is so accessible it's almost too much, all wrapped up in 1980s pop sensibilities. But the self-titled disc still yields a few timeless songs through all the production.
"Siberia" (2005, Cooking Vinyl): Using a phrase like "return to form" turns my stomach, but I'm tempted in describing "Siberia." Gone is the angst of "Heaven Up Here." The fire died out a long time ago. Instead, we get crystal-clear production that doesn't get in the way of a quality collection of songs. McCulloch sounds sharp and Sergeant is riffing in top-notch fashion. This is easily the band's best disc in 20 years.
– CHRIS NIXON
Chitty chitty bang bang bang: !!! in ND
For !!!, funk music still 'charges us up'
By Chris Nixon
December 8, 2005
Three repetitive sounds: "Chk chk chk" or "pow pow pow" or "uh uh uh." You could add "jump, jump, jump" or "jam, jam, jam" to the list. Take three one-syllable words and fill in the blank. The pronunciations are endless and endlessly amusing, much like the improvisational music of !!! – an eight-piece punkish funk band based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Sacramento.
With a catalog packed with 20-minute dance-inducing jams, the name !!! – taken from the subtitles of the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy" – reflects the octet's outsider mentality. The band combines pieces of punk, funk, DJ culture, retro disco, indie rock and jam band, yet its doesn't fit into any of those scenes.
Transcending genre, !!! creates an atmosphere ripe for audience participation in the form of movement, whether it's people simply jumping up and down or engaging in more traditional dance steps.
"Ultimately, I want the music to make people jump out of their skins when we're playing," said guitarist Mario Andreoni from his hometown of Sacramento. "Whether that means somebody is totally going bonkers or somebody's trying to reach for (stuff) up in the sky, it doesn't really matter to me."
While growing up in Sacramento, the eight band members – John Pugh (drums), Nic Offer (vocals), Allan Wilson (percussion, horns), Tyler Pope (guitar, keys), Justin VanDerVolgen (bass, sound), Dan Gorman (percussion, horns), Jason Racine (percussion) and Andreoni – earned their musical chops playing in punk or rock bands. But, eventually, the guys wanted to make music similar to what they heard filling the dance clubs they haunted.
"When everybody first started, it was all punk music," remembered Andreoni. "But everybody in the band is such a huge music lover. When we were teenagers we always went to the clubs or we always wanted to go to the clubs. We all danced. It wouldn't matter what kind of music we were dancing to, that's what was always on our minds."
Taking elements of early Talking Heads (when that band was a herky-jerky funk band), percussive world music, funk and soul with punk-rock energy, !!! forged its own sound.
Since its inception in 1997, the band has released two full-length discs (a self-titled debut in 2000 and "Louden Up Now" in 2004), along with numerous 12-inch extended play singles and remixes. !!! shares band members with the dance-rock bands Out Hud and LCD Soundsystem.
While the music ranges from indie-inspired disco to noisy experimental rock, funk is the common thread through all !!! music.
"Making funky music is just part of what we do when we get together," said Andreoni. "When we jam and just have fun playing off each other, that's generally what happens. There's still so much that can be done with funk and dance music. So it's still something that charges us up and it's always on our minds."
Citing world music and DJ culture as major influences (Andreoni name-drops Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti and DJs Rub and Tugs specifically), !!! draws upon percussion-driven music from all genres. That's probably why you'll see most of the band pick up a cowbell or various other items to beat on during extended drum breaks in its fiery live sets, including Monday's show at the Casbah in Middletown.
"I think that 75 percent of the band is frustrated drummers," Andreoni said. "After our first drummer left the band – who was just an amazing drummer – we all filled in the blanks while we were jamming. Also hearing as much world music as we do, a lot of the percussion-heavy Brazilian music was a touchstone. After we heard that stuff, we decided we needed to be a seriously percussive band."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
By Chris Nixon
December 8, 2005
Three repetitive sounds: "Chk chk chk" or "pow pow pow" or "uh uh uh." You could add "jump, jump, jump" or "jam, jam, jam" to the list. Take three one-syllable words and fill in the blank. The pronunciations are endless and endlessly amusing, much like the improvisational music of !!! – an eight-piece punkish funk band based in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Sacramento.
With a catalog packed with 20-minute dance-inducing jams, the name !!! – taken from the subtitles of the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy" – reflects the octet's outsider mentality. The band combines pieces of punk, funk, DJ culture, retro disco, indie rock and jam band, yet its doesn't fit into any of those scenes.
Transcending genre, !!! creates an atmosphere ripe for audience participation in the form of movement, whether it's people simply jumping up and down or engaging in more traditional dance steps.
"Ultimately, I want the music to make people jump out of their skins when we're playing," said guitarist Mario Andreoni from his hometown of Sacramento. "Whether that means somebody is totally going bonkers or somebody's trying to reach for (stuff) up in the sky, it doesn't really matter to me."
While growing up in Sacramento, the eight band members – John Pugh (drums), Nic Offer (vocals), Allan Wilson (percussion, horns), Tyler Pope (guitar, keys), Justin VanDerVolgen (bass, sound), Dan Gorman (percussion, horns), Jason Racine (percussion) and Andreoni – earned their musical chops playing in punk or rock bands. But, eventually, the guys wanted to make music similar to what they heard filling the dance clubs they haunted.
"When everybody first started, it was all punk music," remembered Andreoni. "But everybody in the band is such a huge music lover. When we were teenagers we always went to the clubs or we always wanted to go to the clubs. We all danced. It wouldn't matter what kind of music we were dancing to, that's what was always on our minds."
Taking elements of early Talking Heads (when that band was a herky-jerky funk band), percussive world music, funk and soul with punk-rock energy, !!! forged its own sound.
Since its inception in 1997, the band has released two full-length discs (a self-titled debut in 2000 and "Louden Up Now" in 2004), along with numerous 12-inch extended play singles and remixes. !!! shares band members with the dance-rock bands Out Hud and LCD Soundsystem.
While the music ranges from indie-inspired disco to noisy experimental rock, funk is the common thread through all !!! music.
"Making funky music is just part of what we do when we get together," said Andreoni. "When we jam and just have fun playing off each other, that's generally what happens. There's still so much that can be done with funk and dance music. So it's still something that charges us up and it's always on our minds."
Citing world music and DJ culture as major influences (Andreoni name-drops Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti and DJs Rub and Tugs specifically), !!! draws upon percussion-driven music from all genres. That's probably why you'll see most of the band pick up a cowbell or various other items to beat on during extended drum breaks in its fiery live sets, including Monday's show at the Casbah in Middletown.
"I think that 75 percent of the band is frustrated drummers," Andreoni said. "After our first drummer left the band – who was just an amazing drummer – we all filled in the blanks while we were jamming. Also hearing as much world music as we do, a lot of the percussion-heavy Brazilian music was a touchstone. After we heard that stuff, we decided we needed to be a seriously percussive band."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Night&Day: Getting down with DM
Depeche Mode's formula for longevity: 'You really have to strive to find something new and the challenge has to be in the work'
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 17, 2005
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. ABC. Adam and the Ants. Duran Duran. While these bands dominated charts in the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic, British trio Depeche Mode (which translates as "fast fashion" or "fashion dispatch" from French) emerged as a darker alternative to the era's pretty boy dance music.
DM eschewed the fashionable New Romantic scene (despite often getting thrown in the same category), drawing upon Goth and industrial for lyrical and musical inspiration. The band's trademark sound resulted in thinking people's dance music. That's a theme the band has tried to maintain throughout its quarter century of making music.
After 25 years and 19 full-length albums (including "Best Of" compilations and remix albums), the trio of vocalist Dave Gahan, multi-instrumentalist Martin Gore and keyboardist Andrew Fletcher have weathered the pitfalls of fame, fortune and the music industry to release its 11th studio album in 2005, "Playing the Angel."
"The sheer fact that we've managed to achieve as much as we have in the 25 years that we've known each other (is amazing)," said Gahan via the band's Web site depechemode.com. "We have sort of survived that, you know. I would have thought, out of all the kind of bands (in the '80s), this would have been the one I'd have put money on not to still be around. We've probably got a lot more in common with bands like U2 and R.E.M. than we have of any of our peers that we came up (with), just with sheer longevity. I think you really have to strive to find something new and the challenge has to be in the work."
The early years
Depeche Mode's early days focused on the songwriting of Vince Clarke, which resulted in the happy-go-lucky sound of DM's first album, "Speak and Spell," released in 1981. When Clarke left the band (later to form Yaz and team with Andy Bell in Erasure), Gore took over the principal songwriter's chair (though he had written two songs on the debut "Big Muff" and "Any Second Now").
With Gore at the songwriting helm and Gahan developing a more powerful vocal style, Depeche concentrated on a more serious sound still suitable for clubs. Albums like 1982's "A Broken Frame" and 1983s' "Construction Time Again" exhibited the band's synth-driven sound, but 1984's "Some Great Reward" – with the hits "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" – found an audience in the United States.
Tackling issues of race ("People") and alternative lifestyles (S&M in "Master and Servant"), Gore's lyrics provided emotional depth to the band's early sound: full of metallic, chirping '80s keyboards and faux hand claps.
"Music for the Masses," released in 1997, marked a turning point in the band's artistic development and started to realize DM's full potential as an alternative tour de force.
Songs like "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Strangelove" showcased Gahan's fully evolved voice. As a band that relied heavily on technology in the 1980s, its early songs can sound dated 20 years later (while still providing kitschy guilty pleasures).
But "Music for the Masses" is genuine enough to stand the test of time.
Highs and lows
The 1990s found Depeche Mode exploring edgier musical territory. With the help of producer Flood (who updated the beats and stretched the band sonically), DM created in the early 1990s two of its best albums: 1990's "Violator" and 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion."
"Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" (both from "Violator") remain among the group's finest songs, and both found a huge audience in the States and abroad.
After the commercial and artistic highs of the early 1990s, the later part of the decade found the band in disarray. Multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilder left in 1994. Struggling with drug addiction, Dave Gahan attempted suicide in 1995 and suffered a heroin-cocaine "speedball" overdose in 1996. After rehab, Gahan cleaned himself up and has stayed sober for the past nine years.
"All I really saw was blackness," Gahan told Rolling Stone recently. "I was kind of a goner. That was the start of me trying to do something different with my life."
Despite releasing 1997's "Ultra," Depeche Mode went separate ways in the subsequent years. Gahan and Gore explored solo careers, while Fletcher started his own label.
Dealing with the past
Most Depeche Mode zealots fall clearly into one of two categories (and aren't afraid to tell you): 1980s fan or 1990s fan. And for good reason: the band's sound changed dramatically in two decades. Since 2000, Depeche Mode has sought to find the common ground between the two eras while still exploring and finding new sounds.
Bjork producer Mark Bell pushed the trio in new electronic directions on 2001's "Exciter," full of pitter-patter beats and swirling keyboards. Despite the artistic accomplishments, the disc bitterly disappointed commercially. Longtime fans rejected the album (due to the new sounds) while others viewed DM as simply a nostalgic oddity.
On this year's "Playing the Angel," Depeche Mode enlisted producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves) to combine all the band's past incarnations into one album.
"Angel" sheds the atmospherics of "Exciter" and reunites the group with more danceable beats. "John the Revelator" finds Gahan crooning at his best, while Gore busts out his guitar again on "Suffer Well." Gahan also pens a few tracks for the first time on a DM album, a major point of contention in the past.
Said Gahan (via depechemode.com): "No matter what you put into the pot, it becomes Depeche Mode."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
THE BEST OF DEPECHE
After releasing nearly 20 full-length albums and countless EPs, singles and remixes, digging through the Depeche Mode catalog can be an overwhelming experience. But when you boil it all down, DM produced five great albums representing different stages in its career.
So here's Depeche Mode 101, a handful of discs worth the spin:
"Some Great Reward" (1984): Depeche Mode's fifth album serves as a snapshot of the band's early years, giving U.S. listeners their first taste of DM's early synth-driven sound. Singles like "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" brought Depeche's alternative (socially, lyrically and musically) dance sound worldwide.
"Music for the Masses" (1987): Darker, slower, more Goth and less dance party music than "Some Great Reward," DM's ninth album lays on the minor synth chords while giving Gahan free emotional range to accentuate his dramatic vocal style. The album represents an important step in the band's development, moving away from dance floor beats and toward more artistic expression.
"Violator" (1990): Combining the darker themes of "Music for the Masses" and Depeche Mode's earliest experiences creating dance tracks, this album pieced it all together. Thought-provoking enough for the headphones and rhythmic enough for the clubs, this disc struck a chord with youth and turned into DM's most successful album, spawning such hits as "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus." Though still primarily fueled by synthesizers, the album has a more organic feel. Case in point: Gore's exploration of bluesy guitars in "Personal Jesus."
"Songs of Faith and Devotion" (1993): Both touched by the expert production of Flood (Nine Inch Nails, U2), "Violator" and this album represent an artistic high-water mark for Depeche Mode. This release finds Gore reaching for his guitar more often than ever before. The result is a brooding and harder-edged sound, juxtaposing guitars and Gahan's pained, plaintive vocals (the singer would attempt suicide two years later).
"Playing the Angel" (2005): Just released, this marks the first DM release since the downtempo atmospherics of 2001's "Exciter" (an experimental outing well worth a listen). Depeche Mode's latest record returns to the well that sprung "Violator" and "Faith and Devotion": smart electronic dance music. Instead of desperately trying to escape DM's past triumphs, "Playing the Angel" embraces them.
– CHRIS NIXON
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 17, 2005
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. ABC. Adam and the Ants. Duran Duran. While these bands dominated charts in the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic, British trio Depeche Mode (which translates as "fast fashion" or "fashion dispatch" from French) emerged as a darker alternative to the era's pretty boy dance music.
DM eschewed the fashionable New Romantic scene (despite often getting thrown in the same category), drawing upon Goth and industrial for lyrical and musical inspiration. The band's trademark sound resulted in thinking people's dance music. That's a theme the band has tried to maintain throughout its quarter century of making music.
After 25 years and 19 full-length albums (including "Best Of" compilations and remix albums), the trio of vocalist Dave Gahan, multi-instrumentalist Martin Gore and keyboardist Andrew Fletcher have weathered the pitfalls of fame, fortune and the music industry to release its 11th studio album in 2005, "Playing the Angel."
"The sheer fact that we've managed to achieve as much as we have in the 25 years that we've known each other (is amazing)," said Gahan via the band's Web site depechemode.com. "We have sort of survived that, you know. I would have thought, out of all the kind of bands (in the '80s), this would have been the one I'd have put money on not to still be around. We've probably got a lot more in common with bands like U2 and R.E.M. than we have of any of our peers that we came up (with), just with sheer longevity. I think you really have to strive to find something new and the challenge has to be in the work."
The early years
Depeche Mode's early days focused on the songwriting of Vince Clarke, which resulted in the happy-go-lucky sound of DM's first album, "Speak and Spell," released in 1981. When Clarke left the band (later to form Yaz and team with Andy Bell in Erasure), Gore took over the principal songwriter's chair (though he had written two songs on the debut "Big Muff" and "Any Second Now").
With Gore at the songwriting helm and Gahan developing a more powerful vocal style, Depeche concentrated on a more serious sound still suitable for clubs. Albums like 1982's "A Broken Frame" and 1983s' "Construction Time Again" exhibited the band's synth-driven sound, but 1984's "Some Great Reward" – with the hits "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" – found an audience in the United States.
Tackling issues of race ("People") and alternative lifestyles (S&M in "Master and Servant"), Gore's lyrics provided emotional depth to the band's early sound: full of metallic, chirping '80s keyboards and faux hand claps.
"Music for the Masses," released in 1997, marked a turning point in the band's artistic development and started to realize DM's full potential as an alternative tour de force.
Songs like "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Strangelove" showcased Gahan's fully evolved voice. As a band that relied heavily on technology in the 1980s, its early songs can sound dated 20 years later (while still providing kitschy guilty pleasures).
But "Music for the Masses" is genuine enough to stand the test of time.
Highs and lows
The 1990s found Depeche Mode exploring edgier musical territory. With the help of producer Flood (who updated the beats and stretched the band sonically), DM created in the early 1990s two of its best albums: 1990's "Violator" and 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion."
"Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" (both from "Violator") remain among the group's finest songs, and both found a huge audience in the States and abroad.
After the commercial and artistic highs of the early 1990s, the later part of the decade found the band in disarray. Multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilder left in 1994. Struggling with drug addiction, Dave Gahan attempted suicide in 1995 and suffered a heroin-cocaine "speedball" overdose in 1996. After rehab, Gahan cleaned himself up and has stayed sober for the past nine years.
"All I really saw was blackness," Gahan told Rolling Stone recently. "I was kind of a goner. That was the start of me trying to do something different with my life."
Despite releasing 1997's "Ultra," Depeche Mode went separate ways in the subsequent years. Gahan and Gore explored solo careers, while Fletcher started his own label.
Dealing with the past
Most Depeche Mode zealots fall clearly into one of two categories (and aren't afraid to tell you): 1980s fan or 1990s fan. And for good reason: the band's sound changed dramatically in two decades. Since 2000, Depeche Mode has sought to find the common ground between the two eras while still exploring and finding new sounds.
Bjork producer Mark Bell pushed the trio in new electronic directions on 2001's "Exciter," full of pitter-patter beats and swirling keyboards. Despite the artistic accomplishments, the disc bitterly disappointed commercially. Longtime fans rejected the album (due to the new sounds) while others viewed DM as simply a nostalgic oddity.
On this year's "Playing the Angel," Depeche Mode enlisted producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves) to combine all the band's past incarnations into one album.
"Angel" sheds the atmospherics of "Exciter" and reunites the group with more danceable beats. "John the Revelator" finds Gahan crooning at his best, while Gore busts out his guitar again on "Suffer Well." Gahan also pens a few tracks for the first time on a DM album, a major point of contention in the past.
Said Gahan (via depechemode.com): "No matter what you put into the pot, it becomes Depeche Mode."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
THE BEST OF DEPECHE
After releasing nearly 20 full-length albums and countless EPs, singles and remixes, digging through the Depeche Mode catalog can be an overwhelming experience. But when you boil it all down, DM produced five great albums representing different stages in its career.
So here's Depeche Mode 101, a handful of discs worth the spin:
"Some Great Reward" (1984): Depeche Mode's fifth album serves as a snapshot of the band's early years, giving U.S. listeners their first taste of DM's early synth-driven sound. Singles like "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" brought Depeche's alternative (socially, lyrically and musically) dance sound worldwide.
"Music for the Masses" (1987): Darker, slower, more Goth and less dance party music than "Some Great Reward," DM's ninth album lays on the minor synth chords while giving Gahan free emotional range to accentuate his dramatic vocal style. The album represents an important step in the band's development, moving away from dance floor beats and toward more artistic expression.
"Violator" (1990): Combining the darker themes of "Music for the Masses" and Depeche Mode's earliest experiences creating dance tracks, this album pieced it all together. Thought-provoking enough for the headphones and rhythmic enough for the clubs, this disc struck a chord with youth and turned into DM's most successful album, spawning such hits as "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus." Though still primarily fueled by synthesizers, the album has a more organic feel. Case in point: Gore's exploration of bluesy guitars in "Personal Jesus."
"Songs of Faith and Devotion" (1993): Both touched by the expert production of Flood (Nine Inch Nails, U2), "Violator" and this album represent an artistic high-water mark for Depeche Mode. This release finds Gore reaching for his guitar more often than ever before. The result is a brooding and harder-edged sound, juxtaposing guitars and Gahan's pained, plaintive vocals (the singer would attempt suicide two years later).
"Playing the Angel" (2005): Just released, this marks the first DM release since the downtempo atmospherics of 2001's "Exciter" (an experimental outing well worth a listen). Depeche Mode's latest record returns to the well that sprung "Violator" and "Faith and Devotion": smart electronic dance music. Instead of desperately trying to escape DM's past triumphs, "Playing the Angel" embraces them.
– CHRIS NIXON
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