NONALIGNMENT PACT

Caught the very first show of Sonic Youth’s record promo tour. Although I did not know it was the first show at the time, I can look back now and tell you they might have appeared a little stiff.

Behind them stood four lit columns with abstracted images of human couples. Sort of a sculpted analogy to Sonic Youth’s place in music. You can still clearly see the shape and form but it’s an abstraction.

I had not seen SY in years; felt familiar like an old friend with new stories to tell.

The show was added just days before — it seemed like the tour came out of nowhere from my perspective. It actually felt like everybody, including the band, was a little surprised to be there. And it wasn’t completely packed. It felt, in retrospect, a little like a Broadway preview. They played mostly songs from the new album and they re-interpreted older stuff so rarely did the crowd go into a big uproar for an opening chord.

The opening band was a sexy retro rock trio with some beauty but nothing new to say and regrettably only one guitar lick. They reminded me of a discussion I had right around this time last year with some NAPPers in town for Pitchfork. Someone made the comment that some new band was playing an old worn out sound. This someone might have been me. DD responded, maybe but the difference is that they are doing it now.

I like better what Sonic Youth is doing now. They have, as always, my full respect.

Hello Music Lovers Everywhere! This post will take you back… back to the early rock ‘n roll days when rockabilly first bloomed. This week I really looked at the genre with an historical eye and consulted allmusic.com and found out quite a bit, and even cleared up a few mysteries and made a few long-missed connections.

Rockabilly started in the early 50s with Bill Haley. He brought together a type of country and a type of blues and that produced a jumpy beat that, dare I say, was fun. From what I hear, the 50s were boring, and so America became a hotbed of people looking for something interesting and fun. Rock ‘n roll was it.

The early pure rockabilly sounds started with Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. Right after Bill Haley broke rockabilly open to the public, Elvis Presley came around and crystallized the sound and ‘captured that manic, primal energy that would become a rockabilly staple.’ (From allmusic.com) As he became a superstar not just a couple of years later, that made a bunch of people really take to the genre. I’m not sure its fair to say they were copycats, or just others who thought the sound was just as awesome. So out comes Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Johnny Burnette. Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich did a fair amount of rockabilly, too, though they were really country musicians.

First of all, I can’t believe how alike Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley sound. Now, I tried to find songs that weren’t completely popular, so we might have a chance to listen to them more than once, which is why when I heard Blue Suede Shoes, I was like man, I know its good, but that one is so popular and I already have an Elvis song. Putting two of the same artist would be dumb. But no. I was so smart, I outsmarted myself. That is Carl Perkins singing, not Elvis. Man, what else has he sung that I always thought was Elvis and now I need to go look up Perkins to find?

Because I do love rockabilly. It was probably my first love, actually. If there was any band I saw regularly, it was usually a rockabilly band. And, I did, indeed, kiss the TV set when Elvis came on once. Plus, my Dad is a cowboy and grew up on a farm. He really liked Rock ‘n Roll. My Mom really liked it too. I grew up in America… in Texas. There wasn’t any way I wasn’t going to like rockabilly, really. But also, what a perfect podcast for the Fourth of July.

Being such a fan, I’m surprised that I didn’t realize that it spurred the sounds of The Cramps. I mean, I knew they were similar. I had only known of Reverend Horton Heat being in the psychobilly genre. This sub-genre of rockabilly is my personal favorite. I’d actually really like it if someone could do something more in this category, that’s not stupid.

Mojo Nixon is in this category, for example. My problem is that the periods between the actual music is way too long and therefore his music is unlistenable. However, searching, again on allmusic.com, I found a whole bunch of other artists I didn’t know besides him and my favorite group, so far, is Gun Club. The music speed, punctuation, production, and voice are all so awesome. That sound is the reason flames were painted on cars. Interesting that the refrain is what makes it sound like the 80s its from.

So when they devised their sound, they took it between original rockabilly, like Duane Eddy, and The Cramps. The Storey Sisters did a hybrid between 50s gumball/pop and rockabilly. I don’t think those two ever existed before.

However, I think if you concentrate on the bass sounds and pull from different bands and time periods, you might have a winner, if you wanted to make a rockabilly band these days. I’d stick with a smooth, southern twang in the singing voice, if possible, use a drummer as well as a bassist, I think you’ll do well. Oh, and mrshl will be pleased to note quite a few saxophone uses in rockabilly as well, so you may want to look at that potentially.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has a really nice rockabilly sound in some of its songs, though, in comparison, it is so slick. I didn’t realize the Pussy Galore, Royal Truxx and JSBE connection before yesterday. Awesome.

As much as I love the Reverend, its hard to listen to him all of the time. His music is just not for that. It is so energetic that I feel I must dance, or have a martini, or both. As much of my life is spent not doing either of those, I just can’t listen. But… if there was every going to be a hot band, dancing was expected, martinis were served (or any alkyhal really) and I had a babysitter, that would be one of the top things I would be doing. I love to dance, and I don’t know why, but that type of dancing is one of my favorites for the intensity.

Moving on… so that is the story. Rockabilly was so awesome it immediately produced new forms of rock and evolved quickly after only being in existence for maybe four years. But four years and 5 decades later, we’re still talking about it.

1 – See You Later Alligator – Billy Haley & The Bill Haley Comets – stacey
2 – Lawdy, Miss Clawdy – Elvis Presley – stacey
3 – Blue Suede Shoes (Live) – Carl Perkins – stacey
4 – Dixie Fried – Carl Perkins – mrshl
5 – Broken Hearted – The Moonlighters – stacey (This song has been nameless and artist-less for many years in my library until today.)
6 – Rebel Rouser – Duane Eddy – stacey (This song was also nameless until today. Its so cool to find out what they both are after so long.)
7 – Bo Diddley – Buddy Holly – stacey
8 – Say Mama – Gene Vincent – stacey
9 – Fujiyama Mama – Wanda Jackson – Ghost
10 – Chicken Hearted – Roy Orbison – stacey
11 – Bad Motorcycle – Storey Sisters – Kilian
12 – Crazy Arms – Jerry Lee Lewis – stacey
13 – Hey Porter – Johnny Cash – stacey
14 – I’m Happy – Hasil Adkins – stacey
15 – For the Love of Ivy – The Gun Club – stacey
16 – Trouble of the World – Dexter Romweber & the New Romans – Roberto (winner of finding the band with the longest and most ridiculous name)
17 – Goo Goo Muck – The Cramps – stacey
18 – Cockroach – Tav Falco – stacey
19 – Brokedown Engine – The Gibson Bros. – stacey
20 – It’s Martini Time – Reverend Horton Heat – stacey
21 – Kawasaki Z117 50 Rock N Roll – The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – stacey
22 – Tongue Tied – Betty McQuaid – Kilian
23 – Tragic Tractor Disaster – Crazy Hearse – Roberto

I miss Michael Jackson. Here’s why:

• On the 6-hour drive to NYC this weekend for our band’s Brooklyn debut, I was able to punctuate every song on the radio with a toneless “dah!” without a self-conscious moment.
• At the Brazilian dance club underneath the Williamsburg Bridge, where I found myself somewhere along the lines of the hazy 2 a.m. hour, “Billie Jean” came on and didn’t sound out of place.
• I later heard “Billie Jean” and discovered, for the first time, the extra bass accents on 1(and-2)AND that really, frankly, make the song.
• I love the maturity of the 10/11-year-old Michael on “ABC” and “I Want You Back.”
• I never could stop doing the “Thriller” claw dance. (and if you want to do the whole thing – and I do – look here
• He was incredibly publicly human, no matter how inhuman he may have looked at any particular point. He made it 50 years despite the physical/emotional/psychological trauma of his childhood – I give that a thumbs up.

Look for a much longer post next week about something or other.

Several months ago, I watched the Joy Division documentary* and was set to thinking when Peter Hook mentioned that Ian Curtis sang in an American accent. This is something I’d never really thought about before. I guess being an American teenager when I was first introduced to Joy Division, it didn’t sound unusual to me to hear singing in an American accent. Thinking about it now, though, it seems strange that this Mancunian fellow would adopt a non-specific American accent to sing his songs in.

He certainly wasn’t the first Brit to try out an American accent, of course. Mick Jagger often sings with a Southern accent caricature when he wants you to know he’s singing a country song.

Similarly The Beatles often aped the cadence of their favorite blues artists. But who was Ian Curtis trying to emulate? Midwest newscasters?

The accent swap works the other way, too, but not as often. Americans will often sing in a non-rhotic accent that sounds slightly Anglo, but isn’t quite a full British accent. I ran the sound board for a middle school Christmas pageant several years ago and I remember the music teacher instructing her kids not to pronounce their “r’s.” The resulting mid-Atlantic accent was somewhat comical coming from the mouths of inner city kids. I don’t think anybody thought that was unusual but me, though. But if they had used a proper British accent, people surely would have noticed. It would have sounded ridiculous. I think this is why you rarely hear an American sing in a British accent. With one exception: Punk rock.

There are lots of bands who influenced punk rock, but if you were to pick the one band that really defined the genre, it would be The Ramones. And for some reason, Joey Ramone decided to sing British**.

When The Sex Pistols ripped off The Ramones, they didn’t even have to think about the accent. And when Green Day ripped off the Sex Pistols the circle was complete. Even though it’s an accepted tradition for Americans to adopt a British accent for punk rock, it still sounds funny to me. A number of years ago, I recorded a band in Austin who had songs sung by each member of the band. The last song we tracked vocals for was the first song sung by the drummer and I was somewhat stunned when he ditched his drawl to sound more like Johnny Rotten. After the first take, I headed out to the mound to have a little conference with him and encourage him not to sing like that. He honestly had no idea that he had changed his accent. The other band members, I think, were afraid to say anything to him.

Anyway, I don’t know where I’m going with this post and I guess it was just an elaborate way to set up this link I found with David Lee Roth singing the entirety of Eat ‘Em and Smile in Spanish. This impresses me and I encourage our Spanish speaking contributor to critique his accent. ¿Hace que suene como un gringo?

In other news, here is a new Beck project covering The Velvet Underground:

And Nixon talking about his favorite music.

*It’s a good documentary, if you’re at all into Joy Division, and it appears somebody has put it on YouTube.

**Interestingly, U2 covered this song and Bono re-Americanized the accent.

Anybody experimented with electronically amplifying a violin? Tell me about that.

Fooling around at the studio last night, we attached a guitar string through two plastic cups using bottle caps as locks. Any noise made btwn the two cups, on the string and so forth was picked up quite nicely with a microphone.

The Chicago Scene

Chicago is so full of music in the Summer, it is impossible to go a few days without catching something cool. Saw the Dirty Projectors and the Sea And Cake in the park on Monday. I was busy with kids for most of the DP set but I could tell they really had their harmonies on. The crowd was way in to them which kind of surprised me since no one here on NAP seems to like them but me. I didn’t think they’d have such a strong fanbase. The Sea And Cake are local heroes. Their set soft and sleepy as usual. Very nice for a hot Monday evening in the park.

Road bikes on the South Lake Shore path the other day. Ran into a drum circle like no other. Not a hippy thing. More of an elderly African Sun Ra thing. We were only white folks. Along with the congos and things they had some trumpet, flute, piano and African dancers. Just an improtu jam in the park. Still Tricia said it was the best thing she’s seen in Chicago since we moved here eight years ago.

Got a free ticket to see X the other night. Sweltering show, dripping sweat. Saw photos on facebook later, John Doe looked like death while Billy Zoom looked as cool and dry as Bob Eubanks.. They were great though. Right on the money. Set list was built online by fan vote. Billy Zoom is completely ready for Branson, Missouri btw. Complete absence of youth at concert. It was, however, the last night of a three night gig at the Double Door.

Maybe next time we’ll have another chat with him. I thought it was kind of fun. However, as his work is rather chaotic this week, and the store needs a lot of attention, the poor guy kinda just passed out after eating a hamburger and watching Sponge Bob.

I had thoughts that I’d wait for him to wake up from his nap and go read and THEN write a great entertaining post, but, I feel it will then be my turn to fall asleep. And as I don’t want to be an ahole and miss a day, here it goes…

A few years ago, about 7 actually, my life took a turn and I molted almost all of my friends away. This wasn’t by choice, but really freaky times. After 7 years, another child, the start of the cookie store, a career change and a layoff, I feel I am finally getting back to normal. But normal has taken a different form.

I’ve been around a lot of change and I’m done with it. I can’t stomach risky times anymore or the feeling that my whole world is on the edge of all being taken away, again. I have lived for awhile off of what I could sell and literally the pennies I found on the floor, and sadly, those thoughts have come back again. A nice safe life where I can pay attention to my house, my children, my relationship, my aged dog and my yard is what I want most. Friends are rather awesome too. I’ll take a nice helping of them.

Now, despite being in the middle of the eye of the cookie store sustainability hurricane, I’m there. Next week I enter the world of the SAHM. If you are not familiar with this code, it stands for Stay At Home Mom. Along with this new status, I will also have limited knowledge of the inner workings of the cookie store. This is how I save my marriage and enjoy my life. Artie thought it would be best as he saw the store was driving me to the brink, and boy, was he right!

Doing what is necessary for our home has provided such awesome opportunities! That budget I keep trying to do but am always too busy to do? I actually started it yesterday and actually put it in the calendar to remind me to monitor it on a scheduled basis. In fact, before that, we actually devised a budget and started the tracking of it in two different applications. More than that, I can actually do laundry now – and the Dishes! I have painted every room in the house except for my own bedroom. Gasp! It will now be painted. Paint will be my birthday present to myself.

I even, and this I just realized tonight, have time to explore new music, and possibly even create art.

And so, despite my inner resolve (developed in college and honed in Houston) to do anything that resembled moving to the suburbs, looking like a soccer mom in a minivan, or not having a career, I am now doing all of those things. And there’s more… I might be a Conservative and listening to Dr. Laura and then reading part of one of her books was actually inspiring. I don’t even get it. How does something like this happen?

I guess what I thought was The Way before doesn’t work out for everyone in every case. I mean, really, that door didn’t merely close. It SLAMMED shut.

By lack of other choices, this path felt good and was available. I’m hitting the road!

Right after I take a nap.