Rave's Raves Blog

Arcade Fire will brighten the rest of 2010

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs…Detailed reviews are sprouting up everywhere, so let me simply say I feel this is damn good. It’s easily the most anticipated album of summer and might hold that crown for all of 2010.  People really root for these guys. No band has influenced more musicians over the past decade than Arcade Fire.  I’ve written about the immense pressure these guys probably felt while writing and recording.  The Suburbs might not quite match Funeral or Neon Bible, but it gives Arcade Fire an iconic trio of releases.  As they are one of the world’s finest live bands, their tour will be a titanic success.  Many of these new songs will sound amazing in concert.  When a journalist wrote after a recent gig that the new stuff didn’t sound like the band’s imitators, I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.  Three of the first four leaked songs were more straight forward and didn’t feature much of the AF uniqueness we know and love.  “We Used to Wait’” was the most inventive, and I found it interesting that song became the UK single while basic rocker “Ready to Start” was selected here in the USA.  Had the band become solid but uninspired?  The full-length contains more formula-sounding music than I’d wished for, but it’s a relief to know they didn’t fully desert the astonishing instrumentation that makes them special.  I wonder if advancing the more formula songs was an effort to mess with us, or if it just happened that way.  I’m really liking “We Used to Wait”, “Swamp II”, and “Rococo”.

Best Coast–Crazy For You and Wavves–King of the Beach…Not only are these two of the most buzzed-about new albums, but they feature LA-based artists who share a lo-fi 60′s vibe.  Best Coast(BC) leader Bethany Cosentino and Wavves king Nathan Williams are also a romantic pair, and I would have loved to have been in on their early chats about 60′s artists they love.  Interesting that Pitchfork gave both albums an 8.4.  How’s that for neutrality?  BC has a real girl group feel while Wavves has a harder party band sound.  Both albums exude the concept of endless summer, and I’m all for anything new that keeps the 60′s sound fresh and current.  Check-out BC tracks “Boyfriend”, “Crazy For You” and “Our Deal”.  I recommend Wavves’ “Idiot”, “King of the Beach”, and “Baby Say Goodbye”.

Chill Wave artist Washed Out has the pretty song "You and I"

I arrived in Chicago the day after Pitchfork concluded.  It seems the biggest buzz was on LCD Soundsystem, Local Natives, Surfer Blood, and Sleigh Bells. I’ve seen the first three and would definitely agree.

People are writing and raving about the latest subgenre Chill Wave and wondering how long it will last. Leading bands include Washed Out, Memory Tapes, and Neon Indian.  I’m now hearing Panda Bear all over the place.  Chill Wave is very low-key as the title would suggest.  In my mind, it’s related to lo-fi and shoegaze, where the indie trend has been leaning away from bright, up-tempo sounds.  Most indie-electro has become quieter and darker as well.  I usually go for the more upbeat stuff as my regulars know.  By nature, laid-back lower-fi music has a tougher chance of crossing over to larger audiences, but that’s usually fine with artists and fans loving the music.  As for how long these trends will last, it will be the same as every other style such as garage rock and “new rave”.   Most artists won’t be around for more than a few years.   Those with the best songs, freshest sounds, and best live shows will usually survive the longest.  At that point, the term Chill Wave may be past-tense but long-term artists don’t require categorization anyway.

At 35, this is the longest-running conference of its kind.

The Conclave just completed its 35th annual conference.  It’s more of a radio programming forum than a music discussion, and the subject matter usually covers all formats in general.  Lots of midwest radio peeps attend, along with a number of national-level execs and personalities.  Egos are checked at the door and the sense of community is high.  Scholarships are awarded to deserving students, and many college students are in attendance.

A few points of interest.  The latest ratings research shows that average time spent per listen is a mere ten minutes, which explains why songs are repeated so frequently.  Current large market ratings methodology created an increasing fear among programmers regarding potential damage of playing much new music.  The good news is that some of that fear seems to be abating, assuming the newer tunes are of high quality and presented correctly.  Saturday afternoon was devoted to Kurt Hanson’s RAIN Summit Midwest, which covered internet radio.  Of the online-specific music radio outlets, Pandora leads the ratings pack by far.   Thanks to the internet, Kurt states that radio in general may be heading towards a golden age the way FM broadened radio’s reach a generation ago.  Greatly increased radio streaming availability in cars will make a big difference, and that isn’t too far away.  A RAIN panelist said that with it comes to online approaches, “one must either be quick or be dead”.  In general, radio revenues are up a bit this year following a terrible 2009 so that’s encouraging.

Ariel Pink and group are worth keeping an eye on.

Last Friday night began with Harlem at The Echo. I like these guys.  Their “Friendly Ghost” was a fave track earlier this year but I’d heard their live shows don’t match their studio output.  I’m afraid that was the case for me.  They probably wanted to emulate major influences Nirvana in that band’s loud punk early stages, but it was hard to hear anything and the vocals seemed way off.  To be fair, they said they were enduring major technical issues, so I might have gotten them on an extremely bad night.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti were playing downstairs at the sold-out Echoplex. This was a hot ticket and the band has a developed a newfound buzz on their current album.  Ariel’s response to their growing fame?  “If this is your first time seeing us, shame on you!”  This band has traditionally been lo-fi, and that was certainly the sound of their set.  They’ve got some great musical ideas, and Pink has the potential to become a star over time.  The fans were into the show, but I expected a little more excitement in the air.  Definitely a band to keep an eye and ear on.

Philadelphia Grand Jury moved to London from Sydney following their blowout Musexpo LA performance in April.  They’re heading back to Australia for some major gigs.  The band is doing well down under, and their positive vibes appeal to everyone from metalheads to art rockers.  They absolutely deliver live and have a number of strong tunes in the arsenal.  Last night’s show was at the Silverlake Lounge, which is a funky club without much of a stage.  These guys need to be elevated higher so that their energy projects over the crowd.  Still, a good time was had by all.

Always good having the New Porns to play

Here’s the playlist.  You can stream the show here.

The Knack – (Havin’ A) Rave-Up (The Go Deep theme song)
Devo – Don’t Shoot (Fave deeper track on one of 2010′s best albums)
The Postelles – White Night (Hooky song from NY band. Album coming soon. )
Kate Nash – Do-Wah-Doo (Kate in more of a retro direction this time around)
Dr. Dog – Stranger (I think this is perfect for mainstream radio)
The Soft Pack – Mexico (Band got a great Coachella reaction)
Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill (They ended Coachella in true style)
The Constellations – Perfect Day (Leader Elijah also talks late-night Atlanta inspiration. )
LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change (Tough picking a follow-up on this deep album)
Delphic – Counterpoint (Manchester band strong live and worth catching)
The Blue Van – There Goes My Love (iPad commercial tune is about oral sex)
The Futureheads – The Chaos (Band’s energy totally back on this fine album)
22-20′s - Latest Heartbreak (Band gets back together with awesome guitar sound here.)
Lightspeed Champion – The Big Guns of Highsmith (Test Icicles dude returns with fun track. )
The New Pornogrpahers – Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (They recently played this on Letterman)
La Roux – Tigerlilly (My fave deeper track, now that Bulletproof is top ten)
The Knack - (Havin’ A) Rave-Up (The Go Deep theme song)

The Futureheads

Here are some quick impressions of fave June releases:

The Chemical Brothers–Further…These guys were about as consistent as anyone but fell off last time out.  Once again the quality is back, as this full-length is a good listen from beginning to end.  There aren’t any truly memorable songs, but it’s fine either in the background or as a primary focus of yours.  If I were to recommend tracks, I’d go with “Dissolve” and “Swoon”.

The Constellations–Southern Gothic…They have a unique sound and blur genre lines between rock, blues, rap, pop, etc.  Every track has its own feel.  They’re very musical and are one of the better live bands out there.  The album is written about after-hours Atlanta and as Hotlanta is their home town, it’s a subject they know lots about.  The single “Felecia” has been getting strong airplay nationally.  Also check out “Setback” and their superior cover of Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up”.

Delphic–Acolyte…Following in the footsteps of various Manchester predecessors, these guys adeptly blend electro and rock.  Delphpic’s main goal is to get people dancing and this album does just that.  Their sound isn’t terribly original, but they do sound fresh, and their live show indicates that the band is ready for prime time.  Cool tracks include “Doubt”, “Halcyon”, “Counterpoint”, and “Submission”.

Devo–Something For Everybody…Possibly their best album overall and one of my 2010 faves so far.  They retained their analogue synth sound but added a 2010 production sheen to make them sound very “fresh”.  There’s a need for more uptempo indie music, and this fits beautifully.  They’ll make many new fans, and the album is a must for old fans.  I like it all and mostly recommend “Fresh”, “Don’t Shoot”,  “What We Do”, and “Please Baby Please”.

The Futureheads–The Chaos…Speaking of uptempo indie music, the FHeads (as I lovingly call them) have returned to the highly energized sound that originally worked so well for them.  They’re getting strong UK attention and some buzz over here with cool tracks like “Heartbeat Song”, “The Chaos”, “Struck Dumb”, and “I Can Do That”.

Anyone who’s followed me knows the kind of shows I normally hit.  I’m about watching emerging rock bands grow and am usually happier in clubs than in arenas.  This was a week with two gigs that were all about fun, and so inspiring.  There was no need to overanalyze–we just enjoyed.

I now understand why people are crazed to see Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings live.  She’s lovable, has a great voice, and is backed by 15.  The Dap-Kings would be straight out of the best soul reviews of the 60′s if they were old enough.  The showbiz factor is very high, and it’s hard not to have a great time.  Interesting that the Wiltern crowd was heavily dominated by white hipsters with few blacks on hand.  She’s been targeted to the indie crowd, having had a large SXSW presence this year.  The Heavy opened.  These Brits are good live but we were hoping the energy-level would have been up another notch.  Their long trek on the road might have taken its toll.  See their Letterman appearance here, where he actually had them play “How Do You Like Me Now” twice.

Gogol Bordello turned the Mayan Theater into the punk version of a Greek wedding, far from the chin-stoking LA vibe one often encounters.  It was like 1,000 people were imported from Wisconsin, where hipsters will break into a polka without a second thought.  If you see them, you’ll probably want to wear tennis shoes but beware because the frolicking women near you just might be wearing sharp heels.  I was happily mauled over and over, and I was nowhere near the stage.  For the uninitiated, a video is worth two thousand words so check out their Jimmy Fallon appearance if you can find it.  Otherwise, watch ‘em here on Jools Holland.

Delphic showed at The Echo last Friday that they're ready for prime time.

They say variety is the spice, and I had it over this past weekend.  Both Delphic and Iron Maiden were ace.  Delphic’s latest album “Acolyte”, a stellar effort, drops in the U.S. June 29.  They conquered a sold-out crowd at The Echo Friday night.  This band more than holds its own and exceeded high expectations.  There’s not a whole lot of showbiz on stage, but the guys are likable, the playing is precise, and the energy is high.  They don’t sound like Cut Copy, but the live vibe is very similar.  Thanks to Jacob Mendez for the pic from Friday.

Full disclosure: I was the original U.S. A&R man for Iron Maiden and can’t possibly convey my pride in how these guys have persevered.  They play as well as ever and were worshiped Saturday by 25,000 at the San Manuel Amphitheatre.  It’s interesting that their crowds get younger and younger.  They’ve always kept their feet on the ground, and have maintained high standards and integrity in everything that they do.  That’s how a band survives at the highest levels.  Their new album comes in August and you can download their “El Dorado” single no charge courtesy of the band.   Singer Bruce Dickenson always has interesting things to add between songs.  On the idea of a heavy metal government: “There would be more drinking and sex, not much would get done, and nobody would be killed.”

Dangerbird Records threw a Delphic party Thursday night.  The Manchester boys played an abbreviated set, and we also got John Fratelli playing acoustic as a bonus.  His voice was trashed and he only played a couple of songs.  John will play some summer festivals with his side group Codeine Velvet Club and begin work on his next album as John Fratelli.  I’m sure he’ll have a full band with him on the road.  As John told me after his set, “Playing alone isn’t my thing.”  Both Fratellis albums and the Codeine full-length have been faves of mine.  As expected, John is stoked about his “Chelsea Dagger” UK hit becoming the signature song of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Black Hawks.

Loving the new Devo album, pretty much from beginning to end.  How fortunate for the “Devolution” movement that leader Mark Mothersbaugh finally decided to get back into the ring.  His close friend, the late Doug Fieger of The Knack had an idea for a “Rock & Roll Funhouse Tour” what would have featured Devo, The Knack, and Cheap Trick.  What a great name!  Devo was amazing at Coachella and will tour this summer…Being a former label guy probably helped, but I really liked “Get Him to the Greek”… I wished I loved the four Arcade Fire songs that have leaked so far.  They’re solid but lack the character we’ve come to expect from these guys.  Imagine the enormous pressure on them, given that they’ve influenced more artists than anyone in the past 15 years.  Someone who saw them play live said that none of the new material sounds like the band’s imitators, which is fine, but the hope is that the full-length will find some new ground to break…Glad to see The Drums debut at #16 on the UK album chart this week.  They’re talented, intelligent guys, and you can catch my SXSW interview with them on my main site…What’s up with the singles charts over there?  There are no rock songs listed until Yaz and New Order check-in at 20 and 22.   Fyfe Dangerfield and Pendulum also managed to crack the top 40.  Word from BBC Radio 1 is that dubstep is about to be very big over there.  Some cool stuff, but this isn’t the rock-oriented British pop world that we’ve known and loved… The reformed British group 22-20′s played at Spaceland last week and their album drops next Tuesday.  They’re very good live but I miss a certain rawness that they had a few years back…Upcoming shows over the next 10 days include Delphic, John Fratelli, Iron Maiden, Gogol Bordello, Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings, and Heavy. How’s that for variety?  I’ll post all of the reviews in a summary of June shows…Finally, Steve Jobs found that his new iPhone wasn’t working with he presented it at the recent Apple Developers Conference.  He asked if anyone had a solution and someone from the audience yelled, “Verizon!”

RAVE ON!!

Berkeley buzz band The Morning Benders have a real grower in their song "Excuses"

Here are favorite artists getting spring cool-station airplay in the US since the April 3 “Rave’s Faves” post:

Muse, Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip, Cage the Elephant, She & Him, LCD Soundsystem, Codeine Velvet Club, Two Door Cinema Club, Yeasayer, Devo, and Stone Temple Pilots were all listed last time.  They continue to sound fresh and get nice spins.  All have deeper songs that are deserving of play.  A few standout tracks for me are Hot Chip’s “Take It In”, LCD’s “I Can Change”, Codeine’s “Little Sister”, Two Door’s “What You Know”, and Yeasayer’s “Rome”.

Check out “Stranger” by Dr. Dog and “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys as well as “Excuses” by The Morning Benders. All three have definite radio hooks that can propel these bands to greater heights. Fave deeper tracks on The Temper Trap album are “Fader” and “Love Lost”.  Mumford & Sons are starting to blow up in the US, and my second song pick for them is “The Cave”.  As Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros move up in the world, I like “40 Day Dream”.  “Setback” would be a perfect second track from the strong Constellations album.  “Heartbeat Song” is a good Futureheads tune and I like title track “Chaos” even more.  Dan Black did very well with “Symphonies”.  I’d love to see title track “You & Me =” get a shot.   “Crash Years” by The New Pornographers is last but not least.

What new rock is getting you excited these days?  Let me know!