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Issue # 49 May 2003 thewigwambam.com |
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| Ignoring Objectivity Since 1998
WIG WAM BAM “Albuquerque zine of music & nepotism” THE NURSERY
? End of an Institution ? in pace requiescat On the corner of Silver and Cornell SE in the student ghetto, the Nursery has been a punk institution of the ‘burque for a decade, passed down like some priceless but squalid heirloom. Living, recording and/or puking within its fetid walls over the years has been a succession of personnel from bands such as Scared of Chaka, Word Salad, Blind 9, the Drags, Flake, the Rondelles, the Alarm Clocks, TNA, Cowboy Up! and many, many more. A gutting /house-cleaning orgy preceded the final move as the Nursery passed from punk into the death-metal hands of Decapitated Jesus. It was a good run. |
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| the Mindy Set, Vena Cava, Foma, the Electric Hobo, the Thermals, the Telephones, Andy Kuhn, the Cramps, the Gore Gore Girls, Icky & The Yuks, the Prids, RAM, The Sweatband, UNM Fiestas, the Roxieharts | ||||||||
4/14/03 @ Launchpad submitted by Zed Stardust Erase Errata, Deerhoof, Les George Leningrad 4/22/03 @ the Knitting Factory, New York City an un-local report submitted by Marvel Girl w/ Apache Chief |
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| LOCAL
MEDIA NM radio, tv, web |
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| www. flcpunx.tk www.rocksquawk.com |
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| LOCAL
SHOWS |
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| the MINDY SET, VENA CAVA, FOMA, the ELECTRIC HOBO 4/12/03 @ Burt’s A night of observations on the sound: The Electric Hobo was mixed just right. This is usually not too hard with only two instruments but believe me, if it goes through a mixing board, someone can fuck it up. Tonight all was well here. The Hobo is always a good opening set. Its safe to say he’s the best combination guitar player/drummer around. As much I enjoy the music, I love watching the faces of people who’ve never seen him before. There’s usually a mix of wow that’s so cool! and this guy’s good! among the dropped jaws and bobbing heads. Its was the last Crawl that I’d seen FOMA when Rage Against Ray was drumming for the group. Now its Mr Testy Cool himself, Heath Dauberman. It’s a good combination except that Heath plays hard just about drowning out the rest of the band. They’re quiet folk, these FOMA people, but if they twisted their knobs upwards a bit, all would be well with the best emotional indie rock that has absolutely no resemblance to emo. San Diego’s Vena Cava on the other hand did little for me: some combination of Lookout! punk, wah-wah rock and a smidgen (just a smidgen mind you) of the Ramones, not really a savory combination. Their sound mix was good. Too bad. The addition of Isaac (Alarm Clocks, Sweatband) to the Mindy Set sounds fine but might cut down the guitar base of the band a bit. But its just an adjustment period; their guitars are too good to take the back stage. Again, judicious tweaking at the board will keep it all in line. The biggest treat of a Mindy Set set is that two of ‘em are never quite alike but that they’re almost too good to be true. They’re right up there at the top of the local band heap. I can’t understand why no one besides me ever says so. the THERMALS, the TELEPHONES, ANDY KUHN 4/17/03@ the WALLS No, ‘The Walls’ is not the latest “big in New York” garage band but a combo home/gallery/show space. You shouldn’t expect many shows here or at least that’s what I’ve been told but don’t believe everything you hear, especially from me. I kept trying to tell everyone that opener Andy Kuhn is ex-Fugees but no one believed (see?) so I finally had to admit it was Fuglees. Your guess is as good as mine who they are but all’s I know is Lauryn Hill was nowhere in sight yo. Kuhn snag while strumming an acoustic guitar and as much as I like traditional string music, this wasn’t it. Just ‘cause its acoustic doesn’t make it folk music. I spent the set trying not to listen, hanging in the back room talking shit with the usual suspects. It wasn’t like the VIPer lounge or anything --that was the basement, reserved for those brave enough to cross the ominous blue tape of authority. It always seems a little funny to me to throw a party and have a place where the people who threw it go to hang without their guests. Of course it was probably just a place to go drink without endangering the legality of the space. While all-ages, the gig didn’t attract more than a few under-agers but since lushes abound at shows, its no surprise that PBR empties were spotted on the sidewalk afterwards. The Telephones cranked up a sweaty set in preparation for a recording session the day after at a studio somewhere between here and Satan Fe. I hope they record more stuff with the effects pedals an’ all, which may be a better direction for the ‘phones than straight-up rock. I forget or maybe I didn’t know where the Thermals are from except for being on Sub Pop. They’re full-on Dexatrim pop washed down with few too many cans of Diet Pepsi. I was getting off on it at first, the vaguely sixties-ish melodies. Too bad that melody--deep under the jangle-- surprisingly came across in the singer’s voice more than anywhere else. The two-drum kit popped and snapped, the guitar sounded dangerously close to Green Day while the basslines were mostly one string. The singer never lost a breath, just like those guys that hang around in all-night coffee shops. Needless to say, this all wore thin by half-set, absolutely relentless in its relentlessness. Why do so many bands pick one sound/tempo and run it into the ground? Speaking of Sub Pop, Marty Crandall was in attendance and told me that the Shins were finally gonna get going on recording that second record that everyone’s been waiting for (due for release and touring the heck out of by fall). I was a bit disappointed that the thing wasn’t already in the can. Such a long wait can either mean its gonna be even better than Oh Inverted World because of extra time & care, or worse because of loss of continuity. I’ll put money on the first option. This is the band that used to be Flake, the Shins being essentially the same personnel with a new sound. If you can pull something like that off, so well, then why not a killer sophomore record? the CRAMPS, the GORE GORE GIRLS, ICKY & the YUKS 4/19/03 @ Sunshine Theater Its no secret I don’t care much for the Yuks. Maybe its me but the purposefully offensive stance is played out. Then again, people who’ve never heard bands like, say, the Sex Pistols (or have any idea of their purpose) might need a challenge to their complacency. But I can’t see songs about prostitutes or “fat girls” as challenging anyone. Am I missing something here? Heresy, I know, but the Cramps really don’t do much for me. The underlying monster-movie faux evil put-on is kinda tired by now. Too, the rockabilly I enjoy is authentic like Janis Martin (1950s) or heartfelt revivalists like Kim Lenz or our own Long Goners; so, the Cramps single-handedly inventing psychobilly is no plus in my book. Ivy Rorshach’s guitar-work, simple as it is, is the only reason left to see the Cramps. Too, I may’ve enjoyed them more if not for the always-atrocious acoustics of the cavernous Sunshine, which might be put to better use as a movie theater. As much I love old-school rock and roll, I prefer it sans tongue-in-cheek, like the Now Time Delegation or the Detroit Cobras (the latter inordinately good for a covers-only band). So, then, what about the Gore Gore Girls? They have the matching white vinyl clothes/go-go boots gimmick which is enjoyable for about three minutes; their musicianship can’t touch Ivy or Nick Knox; their music is also based on aping an older style. So why did I enjoy them so much more? Besides my growing up on the old 60s girl-groups there’s this: better melodies, sweet if slightly off-key harmonies and no put-on. It was simply more fun to dance to the GGGs than the Cramps. I’m a rocknroll heretic so what? Bring on the Spanish Inquisition, I’m not renouncing! the PRIDS, RAM, the SWEATBAND 4/22/03 @ Burt’s This is the way shows ought to be set up: a bill of bands that have little in common but for excellence. Go, Zed! Finally, a Sweatband set where everyone was miked and mixed well, where the true sound of the band came through. Down to a four-piece (now minus keyboards and Mr Blue), its sort of too bad that this is one of the final (if not the final) show as “the Sweatband” in name & style. No one’s losing any tears over the name (it really is ugly) but I hear the next incarnation will be glam rock. Of course, word of this stylistic departure comes from their bassist Mr Glam himself so we’ll just wait and see what the group consensus is. Of special note tonight was Juliet’s voice, strong and clear, the best form I’ve ever heard her in. And no, that has nothing to do with the fact that I know her singing best from when she was still in high school, being sneaked into bars through the back door to play. Nope, she just kicked ass tonight. More, please. RAM (Random Access Memory) were also in good form, a two-piece consisting of one guy’s voice and one guy on electronic drum kit. Actually, the third piece was a CD player, where much of the beats and fx came from. That disc was my only complaint because I prefer to hear what human beings can do live rather than how good one can program stuff then romp along with it. But otherwise, the tunes were fine & heartfelt with danceable rhythms, different from what you’d normally hear in a joint like Burt’s. Of course I forgot everyone’s name by now but the singer told me there were planning to hook up with a keyboard player. This will add immensely to the overall sound and maybe dispense with the deadness of the canned music. I await even better things from these guys. Every few issues I’ll enthuse about “one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! ”. Well, its that time again. Portland Oregon’s the Prids are incredible! Danceable without the heavy thumps, emotional without the emo, dense and layered, a snug yet supple fit like a fine kidskin glove. This four piece meshes like nothing you’ve heard in years. The merit of David Frederickson’s guitar and Jairus Smith’s keys are easy to pick up on, being prominent and what we’re trained to listen to. But Mistina Keith’s bass is as much a part of the composition and arrangements as any lead instrument and Lee Zeman is a powerhouse drummer but never overpowers his bandmates. In fact, it would be difficult to cite any of them as playing leads but more like an orchestra that works together for maximum effect. I haven’t bought this much merch from one band in years, like everything they had, right down to shirt and badge. Their recordings excel but only hint at the driving yet contained ferocity of what they pull off live. They’ll be back soon, don’t you dare miss them! UNM FIESTAS 5/3/03 @ Johnson Field the ROXIEHEARTS 5/3/03 @ Launchpad (some useless bands) 5/3/03 @ Burt’s Another year of a dry Fiestas; that is, no beer allowed and it shows. Things are just more subdued anymore. Its less of a party and more of a lame one-world kinda thing with drum troupes, hula hoops and “ethnic” food. I attended through no fault of my own. I happened to strolling by at noon and stopped by to see what the commotion was. I hadn’t even realized it was the Fiestas with all the blow-up bouncy “rides” besides it being set all the way back in the far northwest corner of the Field on account of the new sod in its usual streetside locale. Feels Like Sunday were onstage as I strolled up, sounding better than I remembered but I sure wish they’d amp the tempo by about 8x. Their stuff sounds like radio-friendly “alternative” of the latter 90s but would benefit from lots more crunch. I see unused potential here. Next came a demo of a traditional Afro-Brazilian martial art/ song and dance. Capoeira is played in the center of the joda (circle) with two friendly opponents keeping a low center of gravity while doing spin-kicks and being upside down half the time. The pace & music is provided by the other capoeiristas playing proto-samba rhythms with conga-style bells, tambourines or the similar tamborim and especially the berimbau --a bow and gourd instrument strung with a piano wire and fretted with a smooth stone or coin while tapped with a stick held in the other hand along with a caxixi, a small basketry pebble rattle. Its certainly not the easiest thing to play, requiring strength to hold and fret it with one hand while damping the sound of the open gourd against your stomach. Somehow I wasn’t surprised to see among the capoeiristas Monica Delgado who’s been in lots of rhythm-oriented bands here since at least 1996: Three Ball Combo, Red Earth and currently the percussive Concepto Tambor who played a set of samba/batucada-based tunes later in the day. Concepto was pretty stripped down this time with about six members rather than the former eight or more. In this case, more would’ve been better. From L.A. came the best act of the day, a smooth three-man/one DJ hip-hop group whose rhymes, flows and freestyling were sleek and fluid. I dug it even though I still can’t ‘get down’ by throwing my hands in the air. Don’t seem right somehow. The Eyeliners suffered from awful sound. All that was audible was Laura’s voice, Lisa’s bass and the drummer’s kick. Gel’s guitar was buried deep in the mud. Still, I got to hear my favorite and their most mature song Too Good To Be True so all was not lost. You could dismiss them as pop punk but almost startling was the contrast then with the shameful wiener-boy display of the headlining Simple Plan, the ultimate fusion of frat-dude punk and boy-band castratti harmonies. The Eyeliners were tough as nails bitches in comparison to these dorks who make Green Day sound like Dying Fetus. The most entertaining (in a sick way) thing was watching the sheer amount of mosh-action, pogo-ing and crowd-surfing. In this day and age it was like seeing a jitterbug/swing revival company. So my companions and I bailed towards the Walgreens for some beer but mainly to get the fuck out of there. Luckily I caught sight of Midnight Penny in the parking lot who told us to hightail it to the Launchpad for her Roxiehearts set. No matter what the girls said, this was a fine set from the band formerly-known as TNA. As we walked up behind the ‘pad the gentle strains of My Cunt’s On Fire But Its Not For You wafted into the new spring evening. We got inside just in time to hear another twenty minutes of my favorite local gal group. After their set we retired to a booth and ate gratis brisket sandwiches provided by Transmission mag (this was their birthday party by the way) and talked shit with Amy X-Rated, Peninah and anyone else who wandered into our deviant and sacrilegious circle. Melissa and Cara however took off almost immediately for their shifts at the Tiki where we soon followed mostly for the hell of it. Once more, we ignored the bands and hung in the back acting too cool for school yo until midnight when it was decided to pack it up. This was a good thing as I’d left home twelve hours previous for the Saturday paper and hadn’t made it home since. |
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ERASE ERRATA, DEERHOOF, LES GEORGE LENINGRAD 4/22/03 @ the Knitting Factory, New York City an un-local report submitted by Marvel Girl w/ Apache Chief After I had secured my Jack and Coke I wandered through the club toward the sound of music...and entered a different world. The sounds coming from the instruments of Les George Leningrad varied from a solid and simple punk rock sound to the rhythmic clanging of one instrument while the singer yelped short syllabled, high pitched sounds into the mike. They were not just musicians, but performers. The drummer dressed in a too-small sailor suit; the guitarist wearing an oversized, asymmetrical foam head, the keyboardist and vocalist dressed in tattered clothing and smeared paint. All this lent the effect of a mix between a really bad dream and an incredibly amusing performance. As the mesmerized crowd increased the singer's eyes glazed and she threw herself around as if on heroin or some other heavy drug...but when I met her outside on the street a few minutes later she was bright eyed and reeling from the excitement of a great performance. Les George Leningrad (of Quebec) was my favorite band of the night. We missed most of Deerhoof as we were caught up in a conversation about the American health care system vs. Canadian with a friend of Les George Leningrad. (for those of you who don't think politics are punk, do your homework kiddies). However, as I witnessed the ungodly, un-rhythmic noise and the off-key screeching I was glad I had missed most of Deerhoof's set. They had been compared to Don Caballero...the difference being that Don Caballero can play their instruments well enough to do what they do. Picasso painted very well before he ever attempted cubism. Next up was Erase Errata. I rather enjoyed their post-punk/new wave version of rock. Their neon-colorful costumes accentuated their bouncy energy. And I knew that they had to be cool when Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth jumped up on stage and played a song with them. For those of you who missed their last Albuquerque gig, try and catch it next time around. Apache chief offers: Yeah, Les George Leningrad were really something else. They had that whole Liquid Sky/BladeRunner thing down to a "T" and it wasn't a nostalgia act. the music was incredible and captivating, although I’d have to differ with Ms Marvel on the punk thing. To me it came across as post punk/new wave stuff relying on a bass guitar, a drum machine and a speech/singer. Straight up "me and my rhythm box" shit, only accentuated by their otherworldly appearances. I was howling with joy. After the aforementioned chat on socialized health care, the two long island iced teas and the tequila took their toll leaving me utterly worthless. Rather a shame since Deerhoof and Erase Errata have been highly recommended to me for several years. I actually had no idea Kim Gordon was there, nor do I remember a single note either band played. Sorry. I'd like to mention Manitoba's if it's okay. If not don't put this in there just to be polite. [who, me? --editor] Manitoba's, NYC: What's cooler than a bar owned and operated by Dick Manitoba of the Dictators (a great rock n' roll band)? Nothing, really. This tiny dive serves its drinks strong, but that's not the best part. The walls are lined with punk memorabilia: original photographs taken in the mid-to-late seventies of Stiv Bators, The Ramones, members of Television, Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols, Debbie Harry and other punk rock greats. My personal favorite was a picture of the Ramones in 1976 traveling to a gig via subway transporting their Mosrite guitars in shopping bags. It's like a punk rock museum and worth visiting any and every time you visit NYC. Apache Chief: concerning Manitoba's, the photo of Joey Ramone with the giant jar of mayonnaise was the highlight for me. it was an entirely cool and enjoyable locale with good beers and excellently prepared mixed drinks. they even let dogs hang out in the bar! Two thumbs up! ANGELS of LIGHT, DEVENDRA BANHART 4/14/03 @ Launchpad submitted by Zed Stardust Honestly, it was the best show I've seen in several years. I'd say "ever" but I don't know that that's true as combined weekends like the Shakedown were technically the most fun I've ever had. Devendra Banhart blew everyone’s mind away and Michael Gira/Angels of Light followed up sucking the destroyed brains off the floor and licking the last of the juices straight from the skull. |
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www. flcpunx.tk I’m fudging a little here ‘cause Durango, Colorado hasn’t been New Mexico territory since 1848 but that’s close enough for me. Before going to a conference up there I tried find their local music scene online but my searches for ‘Durango + punk’ kept yielding one H.W. “Punk” Blackstone, an engineer of the local rail line back in the 1930s. So I resigned myself to hearing no live music on this short trip (no way I was gonna listen to Colorado granola hippies) but as consolation I got to hear Vandanna Shiva at nearby Fort Lewis College, a speaker/writer/activist with essential views on social and environmental justice (check her out at www.vshiva.net). When I spotted some patch punks in the crowd --you know, those kids covered from head to toe in patches, the ones that really mean it?-- I just had to go bug them please, is there a show tonight? Punk, grind, anything, even godhelpme emo? I was out of luck but they graciously directed me to their local website. Here I found a nicely laid out site for Durango show listings, links and (dear to my heart) dumpster diving advice. It was a little strange to see the site refer to themselves as a “punk club” but I suppose its a nod to the college administration to make ‘em a legit campus organization. I don’t know, I’m making that up but in any case, its good to know that there’s pockets of weirdos everywhere. www.rocksquawk.com I’ve been meaning to write this up for some time since its been online for months but procrastination is just--aw forget it. I’ll tell ya later. Rocksquawk.com is the brainchild of Dandee (Icelandic) Fleming. Its specific to the ‘burque, and rather than “here’s what’s up in town” it’s a place for you to squawk about local shows, scenes, bands, whatever. I’ve posted a few reviews (oh great, just what the world needs: more of Captain America’s jaundiced opinion)and every once in a while I check in to see which bands have put up links to their sites. Its as good as you/we make it so why don’t you toss something out there into its cyberspace? Surely you have something worthwhile to say. I don’t but that hasn’t stopped me yet… |
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LETTERS DEPT. Ever a wealthspring of knowledge, taste and attitude, the ever-helpful Marvel Girl e-mailed in with this clarification: You said in your April issue, did Keith Moon release a solo record? Well, the answer is Yes. It was entitled Two Sides of the Moon or something like that and it sucked. Wig Wam Bam (by Captain America PO BX 4865 Albq NM 87196 captainamerica1941@hotmail.com) |
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| Wig Wam Bam is written by Captain America |
po box 4865 | albuquerque, nm 87196 |
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