Ignoring
Objectivity Since 1998
WIG
WAM
BAM
“Albuquerque
zine of music & nepotism”
LOCAL
SHOWS
NM venues,
bands from here or there
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Lynaida
Kaine, the Alpha Experiment, Line In (Line Out?), Hey Dandee!,
Trans 66, Old Man, Karen, Gods Among Men, Fast Heart Mart, Dirty Novels,
the Lovemakers, Fukrot, the MIndy Set, Enon, Evan Dando, Jason and the Argonauts,
Shine Cherries
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LOCAL
RELEASES
NM bands,
any label
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Below the Sound
Full Indian Belly/ Archaic Adding Device
7” vinyl & 3” CD
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WRANGLER
RANCH
Denver Report
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Interpol, the Stills
9/23/03 @ Ogden Theater Denver, CO
with commentary on:
Interpol, the Warlocks
2/21/03 @ Club Congress Tucson, AZ
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Lynaida Kaine
8/26/03 - KUNM-FM, live broadcast Music To Soothe
the Savage Beast
DJ Caterwaul does it again and in fact may be doing it often: getting
some of the ‘burque’s more obscure bands to play in the KUNM studios live
on air during his rotating slot on Music To Soothe the Savage Beast . He
usually pulls the fourth Tuesday eve of the month (sometimes more), right
after The Home of Happy Feet --that folksy/twangy/creole-y show full of obscure
goodness that DJs Barry & Carl have been rotating for nigh on twenty
year. They’s hangin’ on to that slot like a hound dog onto a treed possum,
they is.
As for Savage Beast, Caterwaul spins everything inbetween of Devendra
Banhart, Catpower & Can and that covers a good piece of ground.
Lynaida Kaine I guess hasn’t played for awhile but pulled out a set for
this night’s broadcast. Drummer Eben (Abandon All Hope, Fukrot) is the only
one I know of the group and this stuff is different than the punishing crust
& hardcore beats the man is known for. Measured but disjointed rhythms,
lofty gal vocals and meandering guitars with songs that range from one
to the next with barely a notice. Though the style isn’t my usual, it was
nice listenin’ of a Tuesday evening. Keep tuning in to see who Mr Derelict
Caterwaul will haul into the studio next.
the Alpha Experiment, Trans 66
9/6/03 @ the Burt’s Atomic District
Not only are the “happening” ‘burque bands incestuous
but the clubs are catching incest fever as well. There’s lots of cross-breeding
and hybridization anyway of the clientele that slides back & forth between
Burt’s Tiki Lounge and the Atomic Cantina but , presented by rocksquawk.com,
the Alpha Experiment
All that was missing was the come-on “all for one cover charge” because
neither bar ever asks a cover. That’s good for music-/ booze-hounds but not
always so great for the bands who then mostly get paid in drink tokens instead
of much hard cash. Tonight of course they got double the tokens = double
the drinks = double the drunken playing. And maybe double the hangover Sunday
AM but no reports of the latter have surfaced yet.
There’s been talk of just punching a damn hole in the wall between the
two bars. At this point (liquor license require-ments notwithstanding)
going from the Atomic’s door to Burt’s --and vice versa--is merely a formality.
I slid into Burt’s just in time to catch the last portion of the early
Sweatband set (early = less drunk). One set in and already the Alpha Experiment’s
line-up was askew as the consisted of five bands wandering between
the two clubs like itinerant medieval songsters; in other words, two sets
per band on different stages (make that four sets in toto for Juliet “Sweaty
Novels” Legend who--big fuckin’ surprise--pulled it off gracefully).
Dirty Novels were waiting
for Juliet and a piece or two of equipment, like a jilted June bride left
standing at the altar, wilted flowers in her hand watered by hot salty tears.
sigh.
Soon enough however things were back to more-or-less order. A pretty-new
band called I think Line Out(Line In ?) took the stage instead
of the Prime Certified boys who were out mackin’ and poppin’ elsewhere.
On the whole I didn’t hear much spark from Line Out but then again I wasn’t
paying all that much attention; I was holed up in a booth with a friend I
hadn’t seen in awhile, catching up on news from back in the old country.
Or something. Anyway at least Line In weren’t emo but I couldn’t tell you
much about these youngsters. Maybe next time.
Next were new favorites Trans 66, playing the more rocking part
of their show, leaning into a bit of electro beats which they would zap
full on in their later set next door.
Going to the Atomic, somehow I managed to see the same
bands, entirely missing the Novels and, sorrowfully,
Hey, Dandee!
(the mastermind behind this whole lavish affair).
All was not lost however as both the Sweats and Trans 66 topped themselves
by not just repeating their first sets but building upon the earlier performances,
dynamics and general inebriation.
I haven’t yet thought of anything bad to say about the Sweatband and
won’t start now (except for the objectionable name but I’m afraid we’re
stuck with it). All I could ask for is a bit more glam in the rock but its
creeping in little by little.
I think watching more of those Gary Glitter and Wizzard videos is key…
Next, the Trans 66 Project (as Cherry Lee said the electro portion
of their show is named) disappointed no one and earned a few new admirers
as well. All the buzz over ‘electroclash’ has been a frustration to me
as its turned out to be plain ol’ dance music under a new name (just as
hack poets are trying to dignify their disconsolate drivel as ‘spoken word'
). The ‘66 is successfully pulling off what I thought (wrongly) the whole
e-clash thing was supposed to be about: combining rock n’ roll with dance
beats and f/x. Simply put, the Trans 66 Project kicks dancefloor ass. I
vote for just combining their whole affair under one name and ‘clashing
all night long.
Old Man
9/10/03 @ Burt’s
As far as I’m concerned, musically, Mikey Day can do no wrong-- except
the f*cker doesn’t play out enough. Now that Cowboy Up! is long to dust
and Old Man is on the scene, that sole complaint may be changing for the
better.
There’s plenty of giddy-up rhythms and some guttural howls, just about
swallowing the microphone as in Cowboy Up!
but also some other stuff like some wailing leads I heard from the parking
lot across the street (shh! don’t tell Mayor Marty I said that!). I missed
about half the set to my dismay but since more shows are on deck, I’m not
suicidal or anything.
The next-to-last number had riffing like a cross between Soviet folk
songs and surf music. Picture Dick Dale born in Kazakhstan, surfing the
Aral Sea and riffing on a balalaika instead of a guitar.
Da, comrade! We like it!
Karen, Gods Among Men
9/12/03 @ Burt’s
Last issue, in reference to what I think --ok, what I know--are the most
vital bands of the ‘burque, I criminally neglected to mention Karen
who are getting closer to the top of the heap every day. Gods Among Men
had some cool & progressive noise-based rhythm-triumphant compositions
(sadly minus their cello) but Karen out do Sonic Youth by actually being
youth while sonically scorching your brain. I had a ringside spot to watch
Justin contorting all around his keyboard like Steve Ditko’s classic Spider-Man
circa 1966.
Tonight was one of Karen’s better sets. I knew it would be straight away
by the fact that Rachel was amped, running around the club accosting all
kinds of people and she faced the audience on stage to boot! Somehow she
managed to lose one (just one) shoe post-set but, like the proverbial glass
slipper, some prince charming fellow found it below a table and presented
it to her, our reigning princess of noise & feedback.
Fast Heart Mart
@Atomic Cantina
the Dirty Novels, the Lovemakers
@ Launchpad
9/13/03
I like Fast Heart Mart about five or six songs in to the set but
then the folky/jazz-y trio loses me for lack of searing rock.. Gabe’s five-string
funky bass is about my favorite portion of the band even though there’s
rumor of certain glam rockers feuding over bass stylings. Me, I haven’t
seen it but the opportunity to spread vicious rumors even further is too
good to resist…
The bass and drums at times function as a poppin’ staccato rhythm section
with Fast Heart Martin’s melodies painting the full picture.
The Dirty Novels set was a bit off kilter which had
nothing to do with the new(ish) line-up who’ve been rockin’ it jus’ fine
for weeks now. I briefly met their new bassist who was soaking up details
from the audience. I met for a minute or two and promptly forgot her name
but I’ll figure it out soon.
At times the Lovemakers’ attitude was better than music which is actually
saying something because although I arrived late from the Atomic thereby
missing most of the set, I wished for more.
Synth-based minimalist dance pop reminiscent of…ummm… insert the name
of an 80s post new-wave early-music-video band fronted by a guy doing Duran
Duran vocal imitations but with better songs and a girlie with tall hair
and smoother voice, both squeezed into shock-red vinyl clothing. In case
that sounds facetious, don’t forget that I already said I liked the Lovemakers.
You have to be in a certain mood, into sliding angularly
(but relaxed) around the dancefloor. Their live show however gets you in
that mood.
Some songs--like Internet Girlfriend for example--sound like lost Rondelles
tracks discovered on dusty 8” tape reels from Steve Shelley’s garage sale.
Overall the blips and bleeps are good stuff. Start the mirror ball!
Karen, Fukrot
@ Burt’s
the Mindy Set
@ Launchpad
9/17/03
Trying to be in two [sic] many places at once, I managed
to only miss one band I wanted to see, out-of-towners Oh My God who Matt
Mindy recommended highly. But being the local music whore I am, in the
end instead of God I chose godlike Karen. Besides I generally prefer
idolatry to spirit anyway…
Well, really, the fact that it was Rachel’s birthday turned the tide
in their favor because I wanted to see her turn twenty-one on stage. Alas,
the timing didn’t work out and she attained her majority well before the
Karen set. Still, she was quite lit all the same; enough, in fact, to
swipe my drink right off the stage wall during Fukrot’s show. I wasn’t upset
or anything, merely amused because I was about to ask her if she needed a
birthday drink. Being a waitress, I guess Rachel believes in self-serve.
Feliz cumpleanos, Rachelita.
Musically, Karen was about as rough as I’ve yet seen them which translates
not all that great tonight but that’s the risk with noisecore--ya never
know where it will end up in any given set. Still, their following is pretty
dead-set and we all hung stageside anyway, rapt in anticipation.
Fukrot shredded, tore and tattered a roaring set of
grindcore of the type that, onomatopoeia-like, sounds just like their name.
Previously I was over at the ‘pad swaying to the lush sounds of the Mindy
Set who manage to lend even their most rocking songs a gentle face.
Like 90s Brit bands Lush, Ride and Seahorses, an agreeble blending of Britpop
and Britrock with a light veneer of shoegaze. Their melodies get prettier
all the time and their playing all the more professional in the best sense
of that term.
Isaac doesn’t press the keyboards in every song but spent a little time
shaking it up like everyone’s favorite tambourine player Davey “Monkees”
Jones. This actually gives us all a chance to really zero in on Mike’s tasteful,
elegant and so-pretty guitarwork--I’m a fan of this man for life.
The Mindy sound, without being commercial, could actually get radio airplay
and brighten up the dull wasteland that broadcasting has become.
Old Man
9/23/03
KUNM-FM, live broadcast Music To Soothe the Savage Beast
Another dose of live rocknroll goodness courtesy of DJ D-Cat, this time
hosting the raucous rockin’ of Old Man, even more rapacious on air than last
I saw ‘em live. I could get used to this live broadcasting pretty quick.
Too bad this may be one of Caterwaul’s last for awhile. Stay tuned…
Enon
9/28/03 @ Launchpad
Never having heard Enon before, I almost ignored the show ‘cause the
name sounds sorta emo to me. But when it was pointed out to me that (1)
Toko Yasuda is ex-Blonde Redhead and (2) there’s lots of processed/synth
sounds, I was there! Good thing I left home earlier than I thought necessary
(although I missed Bum Out Patrol) because I walked in as Enon were just
about set up.
The first couple of tunes were kinda noise-rock but when they broke into
the keyboards, processors, little black boxes an’ stuff, things got danceable
quickly. Now, this is what I’d expected electroclash to be rather than
a mostly tired rehash of dance music: pounding beats played by a live drummer
augmented by solid bass, some searing but not overdone guitar work and ear-splitting
feedback. Ex-Brainiac John Schmersal alarmed me with one tune that had
his voice sounding like (the horror!) a spot-on Leo Sayer imitation but
otherwise all was more than well especially Yasuda’s soft & dreamy
vocals.
Anymore these days, my yardstick for music is does it make me want to
dance? Enon did from start to finish with one of the best blends I’ve ever
heard of synth dream-pop with an edge and commanding beats bookended by squalling
feedback and judicious knob-twisting.
EVAN DANDO, JASON and the ARGONAUTS,
SHINE CHERRIES
9/29/03 @ Launchpad
What the fuck is up with these early Launchpad shows? How about some
fair warning, ‘pad crew?!
Shine Cherries must’ve begun their set at suppertime
‘cause I only heard two songs by the time I got there, even with the extra
effort to get in early. Too bad ‘cause it was the extend-o version Shine
Cherries with Ryan Martino on drums and Chris Pearson of Denver’s the Czars
trading bass & keys with our own Johnny “Wrangler” Cassidy. What I heard
was great; never has despondency sounded so dynamic.
The Argonauts (trio) were clean and neat as always
with Jason Daniello’s big vocals and earnest tunes but I always wish for
a bit more punch as I’ve heard in the past, maybe a guitar player with
more snarly leads. The Bowie cover Moonage Daydream was as rockin’ as it
got, done well but still quite under control rather than as risky as it
could’ve been.
Until the New Pornographers came along three years ago, no one offered
more hooks per LP than Evan Dando-- well, technically, the Lemonheads
but we all know that band name has been a catch-all for whatever Dando’s
done since 1989’s Lick rather than an actual working band.
Not having heard the new CD but only that a few Calexico members back
Dando on it, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the new material: slowcore?
introspective singer-songwriter dissections?
Naw! To everyone’s delight, former Sassy mag alt.rock pin-up boy Dando
pulled out the pop stops, both old and new. He had a hard-working band
with tons of snappy drum fills, nice an’ jangly guitars and even bass hooks
(!): a sea of breath-taking pop, blithe melancholia bordering but never
crossing into sap, conjuring hazy snapshot memories of days past.
All that was missing were the icing-on-the-cake, honeysweet backing vocals
from past guests Juliana Hatfield and Belinda Carlisle. Speaking of whom,
Hatfield will return to this same stage in a few weeks. I guess it would’ve
been too much to ask that the two original Blake Babies and “special friends”
tour together?
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LOCAL
RELEASES
NM bands,
any label
|
Below the Sound
Full Indian Belly/ Archaic Adding Device
7” vinyl & 3” CD
Dirty Decibel Records
Oops, forgot to add this to last month’s Below the Sound release show
review. Here we have a neat package two songs on vinyl and the same tunes
plus two more on one of those nifty little 3” CDs you know you’re bound to
lose sooner or later.
Self-recorded and self-released, these tunes catch the band where they’re
at right now (pay attention, they shift all the time!): hard-hitting &
heavy solid downtempo desert dreaming rock. Good shit all around.
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WRANGLER
RANCH
Denver Report
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Interpol, the Stills
9/23/03 @ Ogden Theater Denver, CO
with commentary on:
Interpol, the Warlocks
2/21/03 @ Club Congress Tucson, AZ
submitted by Johnny Wrangler
The rock and roll rodeo circus is alive and well here
in Denver. Last nights lasso led me to the Ogden theater to catch Interpol
with sthe Still. I had seen Interpol this
past February at the fantastic and historic Hotel Congress in Tucson AZ
and was quite impressed with their performance and showmanship... especially
bassist Carlos Dengler (who has some of the best bass moves and fingering
techniques I have seen in a while). The show in Tucson was hot on the heels
(some pun intended) of the Great White pyro-disaster in Rhode Island and
therefore had been moved from the Hotel's interior, Club Congress, to the
parking lot in front of the hotel. All the better actually. The night was
perfect, clear, and quite comfortable for a February evening...oh yeah,
we're in Tucson. Interpol's set that night was, as far as I could tell,
flawless; and the sound was incredible. Sometimes outdoor shows lose alot
of the immediacy of sound; the bass doesn't quite rumble your insides, the
guitars can't seem to match the tones you might be accustomed to, and vocals
float away without any coherency. Not that night...perfect and fun. The
band seemed energetic and comfortable and well-rehearsed.
I was surprised by the addition of a keyboard player as the core of Interpol
are two guitarists (D. Kessler & P. Banks) bass (Carlos), and drums
(S. Fogarino). The keys definitely added some atmosphere without being too
busy or up front in the mix. The keyboardist and bassist are definitely
working the mid 80's goth look; black clothes, black hair ( think the Cure,
Jesus and Mary Chain ).
At one point during a lull in the set somebody in the audience yelled
"Play the bass McFly!" alluding to Back to the Future nerd-dad Marty McFly
(played by insane Crispin Glover)...>>> well, if the shoe (or hairstyle)
fits. Really, Carlos has that sort of wispy "comma" across the head that
needed patting back occasionally despite two cans of hairspray. He looked
out sheepishly at the audience like "Aww gee...who said that?" The set was
culled from their Matador release Turn on the Bright Lights and was augmented
by two "new" songs slated for an upcoming release.
The opening/closing band, Warlocks, got two sets
(before and after Interpol) and were set up on the stage inside the club.
Their music is over-indulgent heroin/cocaine drones that last as long as
they want. I believe that this band goes from 6-10 members depending on
who is or isn't blissed out on some sort of "medication." To the best of
my knowledge, despite my medication, there were 2 drummers, a bassist,
a cute but apathetic looking female keyboardist/tambourinist, three f -holed
hollowbodies that got feedback frenzy, and slurry vocals riffing on about
Cocaine Blues and other assorted Stoogey-Velvet Underground subject matter.
Every song kind of blended together and none of the players seemed impressed
at all to be on stage. Afterwards, I dropped by the merch booth and eavesdropped
on an impromptu interview with one of the Warlocks.
"What are you listening to these days?" asked the interviewer.
"The Shins" replied the Warlock. Oh yeah!
I picked up an EP of the Warlocks and...it's not bad. Definitely sludgy
garage rock grooves.
OK, so if only the show in Denver had been as good. Openers, the Stills,
a young five-piece came out strong although the vocals were kind of generic.
The music apparently has been likened to that of Joy Division (along with
the Interpolers who deny that they've ever heard of them...yeah right),
but I'd say they have a mid 80's alternative palette. Kind of like Ocean
Blue, the La's, and definitely New Order around Power, Corruption and Lies.
I swear two of the songs were lifted from that album and just fitted with
different lyrics. Ok but not so great. They will be returning to Denver
Oct. 7th at the Larimer Lounge. Maybe I'll give them a second chance.
My bass player friend, Chris Pearson (from the Czars),
and I found ourselves "stage-right" to catch the cool stylings of Interpol's
bass player. The purple lights swirling through the dimly lit stage definitely
added an element that was missing from the Tucson show. The set unfurled
with the opening track off of BOTBL and the crowd was definitely wooed by
the moodiness and ambience. I mentioned the "Play the Bass McFly" story earlier
in the night to a friend of Chris' and wouldn't you know it, that guy yells
out "Play the Bass McFly" at the start of their second song. Not cool! The
set progressed with uneasy results, and the self-confident band that I had
been wowed by in AZ was crumbling under itself. Right around the fourth song
or so I noticed that, singer/guitarist, Paul Banks' guitar was slightly
out of tune. Nobody seemed to notice, not even Paul himself... for THREE
FUCKING SONGS!!!
To borrow another line from Back to the Future: "You are my density."
At one point, I half-heartedly yelled "Tune your guitar!" He didn't.
But eventually he came around. Right about his point in the evening Paul
says a "thank you, you're a great crowd" egging the guy next to me to scream
"Welcome to Iowa!" What is it with these people. As soon as the band starts
feeling comfortable some idiot shoots 'em down. The light show was really
incredible but the sound and execution were not. The silver lining in this
dark cloud is the bass player. He does the coolest little runs in between
the root of the main riff and definitely has the stage presence to make
up for the other guys. Oh well, they can't all be good shows I guess. I
think these guys might be burning out. Their tour schedules look torturous
even for the most exuberant of young rockers. 3 months in the States, 3
months in Europe, 3 months back in the States...and on and on. I give 'em
one more album.
I'm gonna start saving some money, buy a Delorian, and rethink this "flux-capacitor"
dealy-o and maybe, just maybe, all the bad shows can be mended, and all
the Marty McFlys will become rock stars.
Until then, this is Johnny Wrangler signing
off 'til next time.
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Wig Wam Bam (by Captain America PO BX
4865 Albq NM 87196 captainamerica1941@hotmail.com)
awkwardly
lurches forth monthly and may (or not) be found at Launchpad, Atomic Cantina,
mecca Records & Books, Natural Sound, Free Radicals clothing &
accessories, Newsland, Damaged Goods Records, Burt’s Tiki Lounge and scrunched
under couch cushions at the hipper homes around town.
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