Week At A Glance - Concerts Of Note 11/26 - 12/2
Scythian
*Wednesday, 11/28 @ 9:00 p.m. - Scythian @ Castaways [$8 adv. / $10]
Celtic D.C. groovers bring their high-energy rock to Ithaca for a long night of jamming.
*Thursday, 11/29 @ 9:00 p.m. - Beers Metal @ The Haunt [$5 over 21 / $7 under 21]
As you might expect, this upstate New York collective delivers spirited anthems to chug brews by. With LedYard and Fosgate.
*Friday, 11/30 @ 10:00 p.m. - Indobox @ The Nines [$5]
Massachusetts dance-rockers bring their hard grooves back to Ithaca, where they recorded a live album earlier this year.
Thom Yorke is cool enough to turn down a Beatle
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In a story sure to turn the British music scene upside down, genius Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke allegedly denied a duet request from former genius Paul McCartney. NME reports?that the former Beatle?recounted the inquiry?on a recent?U.K. talk show:
“I asked Thom to do a duet, but he said he couldn’t because he only felt happy working on his own and Radiohead’s?material.”
Snap! Sharp Notes is truly floored by this news. First off, it is very cool that someone has the spine to say no to the pompous superstar, who has been so bold in recent years as to attempt to change Beatles history by overstating?his role in his writing partnership with John Lennon. Furthermore, McCartney has released a slew of underwhelming solo outings in the past decade, one of which was popular only through aping?Yorke’s own sound with the help of longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.
On the other hand, if Yorke’s move is not an intentional?jab?at the big-headed legend, we are thrilled that he is so happy in creating his own music. (We’re ignoring the fact that Yorke has been part of numerous stunning duets with artists such as PJ Harvey and?Bj?rk). With all of the brilliance exhibited on last year’s sol0 debut The Eraser and the recently-released Radiohead disc In Rainbows, it is no surprise that Yorke would want to shy away from an overwrought collaboration with an artist who sells more on the basis of star power than creativity.
Whatever the reason, we commend Yorke for another renegade move in a year full of them. Between stories such as this and the unprecedented release of In Rainbows, Radiohead are reaffirming their forward-thinking relevancy nearly every day.
The Killers Raid Their Archives…and other New Tuesday Releases
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The Killers
-The Killers - Sawdust- Vegas glammers return with an album of b-sides which actually bests last year’s dull Sam’s Town.
-Boyz II Men - Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA - Your mom’s favorite group sets out to once again dominate the charts with this smooth collection of classic soul interpretations.
-Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works- Jersey screamers return with their third full-length of mathcore craziness, sure to warm the heart of the coldest metalhead.
-Celine Dion - Taking Chances - Get ready to hear all of the songs from Dion’s newest release on the soundtrack to the next schmaltzy movie playing near you!
-Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere In The Between- Third-wave ska legend Tomas Kalnoky returns with the sophomore album of?inspired reggae-punk from his newest band.
Week At A Glance - Concerts Of Note 11/12 - 11/18
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Polyethylene
*Tuesday, 11/13 @ 7:30 p.m. -?Arlo Guthrie?@?The State Theatre [$35]
Folk singer revives the spirit of his father Woody in a night of politically-charged protest anthems.
*Thursday, 11/15 @ 10:00 p.m. -?Jimkata @?The Haunt [$5]
Local reggae-rockers play for their loyal Ithaca fanbase, still celebrating their recently-released eponymous EP. With Mystic Trick and Nils Nusens.
*Saturday, 11/17 @ 9:30 p.m. -?Polyethylene @?Castaways [$7]
Indie Boston buzz band brings their unique blend of musicianship to Castaways. With Japhy Ryder.
I Honestly Have No Problem With Pete Doherty’s Heroin Addiction
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Pete Doherty, currently the frontman of Babyshambles and formerly of The Libertines, is such a point of discussion in the tabloids that?gossips worldwide gab about his personal life, even if they have never heard his music. To be sure, his run-ins with the law are pretty fascinating. Let’s create a fun, bullet-pointed list of all of the trouble Doherty has found himself in, mostly due to the unstable ratio of heroin in his bloodstream:
-He was a prostitute in his younger days to support his drug habit.
-He dissolved The Libertines after breaking in to bandmate Carl Bar?t’s apartment, allegedly to pawn his friend’s possessions for drug money.
-He has been arrested several times on charges ranging from drug possession to assault to theft.
-He has engaged in physical altercations with members of his various bands while on stage.
-He often is drugged beyond comprehension on stage, forgetting lyrics, butchering chords and falling asleep while playing.
-He has engaged in a very public, drug-fueled, on-again off-again romance with supermodel Kate Moss, which first landed him in tabloid fame.
Doherty’s most recent shocker was last week’s frank admission that he was off heroin and making a recovery after a?brief rehab stint. But Reuters?is now reporting that Doherty is apologizing once again, following the well-publicized release of a video showing him injecting heroin shortly after his initial drug-free promise.
This leads Sharp Notes to two conclusions. First, did anyone actually believe that just because Doherty said he was clean and sober, he wasn’t lying? He’s been a junkie for years, and something tells us that rehab was a publicity stunt to feign Lindsay Lohan-esque strives towards sobriety.
Secondly, the more we listen to, and love, the new Babyshambles disc Shotter’s Nation, it is hard to ignore the fact that, even if he probably wrote the record for drug money, it’s pretty damn good. In fact, in our professional opinion, this is among the best work in?his large body of very good material, with strong hooks supplemented by Doherty’s raggedy-sounding croak. Ultimately, it is hard not to be reminded of a young (and British) Dylan on the verge of his electric career. And Mr. Dylan, although perhaps granted with more willpower and fewer friends with?camera-phones, has been known to dabble in a bevy of interesting drugs during his career.
So what shall we do, America? Chastise Doherty for his actions? Support his recovery?
Nay. As far as Sharp Notes is concerned, we will buy Doherty’s drugs if he is writing music as good as he is right?now. Clearly, heroin has been a source of inspiration for the artist, and why should he stop? Doherty’s addiction has always been strongly reflected in his work (such as the British street-slang title of The Libertines’ debut album Up The Bracket-?a cocaine reference) and he isn’t dead yet. So let’s wait for a while and see what the future brings. After all, Doherty’s Blonde On Blonde could be just around the corner - and we don’t want to break his stride.
A brilliantly shocking article on about Doherty’s life, written by Mark Binelli for Rolling Stone (a must read): Click Here
“Deft Left Hand” from Shotter’s Nation
Up And Rising: Flight Of The Conchords
It’s Wild Bill’s birthday, and a totally righteous gift he bought?himself yesterday on New Music (& DVD!) Tuesday was the first season of the super-rad new?HBO series Flight Of The Conchords. Based on the musical act of the same name, the?duo of New Zealanders?Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement best resembles a less-vulgar, more-awkward version of the Jack Black-helmed Tenacious D.
Known as?”(formerly) New Zealand’s fourth-most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo,” Conchords follows the meta-trials and tribulations of the boys as they try to survive New York City.?But the path to fame is not easy, thanks to limited resources, a useless manager (Rhys Darby), an obsessive fan (Kristen Schaal) and accents which?do not easily?translate into American dialect.
Although the show is brilliant in its understated absurdity, perhaps its biggest downfall is the deficiency of music. Although the Conchords’ tunes are tied into the show at key points, they are often cobbled into shorter forms. Why is this disappointing? Along with their talent of?acting fabulously out-of-place, the boys are great musicians with fun ideas. Whether their songs muse on the intricacies of croissants, robots or partying, each tune is built upon a foundation of sly musicianship. Meshing reggae, soft jazz, gentle pop and techno, the mishmash of styles creates enough of a quirky groove as to be quite listenable without the crutch of television.
Unfortunately, truly great FOTC material is hard to come by (legally)?in the States.?We have to wait until next year for their first?studio full-length, which leaves for slim pickens in the meantime: a rare live album called Folk The World Tour, an even rarer recording of their brilliant self-titled BBC radio series, and a 5-song EP titled The Distant Future, which does little to whet the appetite of the most voracious fans. Sharp Notes will admit that there is a torrent file?out there which has every track culled from the show so far, but in fear that the RIAA will come in the night and steal our iPods, we simply suggest you purchase Season One and wait patiently for more new material.
“She’s So Hot…BOOM!” (live):?shes-so-hotboom.mp3
“Inner-City Pressure” (from Flight Of The Conchords):
The Death Of Their Father Proves That Donny and Marie Osmond Are Indeed Human and NOT Botox-Fueled Robots (Although We Still Have Our Sincere Doubts)
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Musical family dynasties worldwide?were shocked today?as it was announced?that?George Osmond, father of Donny, Marie and the rest of the Osmond family singers, died today of natural causes. The 90-year-old exemplified the classic American success story: devout Mormon serves in World War II, has nine kids after his return home, teaches kids how to sing, and whores them out at a young age in pursuit of fame and fortune.
But nay, don’t refer to George Osmond as the white?Joseph Jackson, the father and manager / promoter of his kids’ group, The Jackson Five. Nay, consider this one-time insurance salesman as?the white Joseph Jackson who fathered a less-than engaging child act. The Jackson clan?shone with?considerable musical genius at a young age, while the Osmonds were always the slightly-disturbing version of a young singing group. While the Jacksons were gettin’ down, the Osmonds were gettin’ awkward, fusing their music with an overt spirituality which?soon brought them from endearing to bizarre.
By the ’80s, as the careers of Janet and Michael began to skyrocket, Donnie and Marie, the cornerstones of the Osmonds, began to fade into self-parody. In fact,?few?artifacts of their recording career still exist, save their perennial Christmas albums, which gradualy?gather dust sitting on?your grandmother’s mantle.
No matter - George Osmond did the best he could to raise a pious family. And the next time Donny is hosting a reality show that gets cancelled after two episodes, or Marie talks like a crazy cat lady while shilling her dolls on QVC, they will surely have a glint of sadness in their eyes for their dear departed father.
P.S. - I hope someone keeps an eye on Marie - she seems like she?could use some?support. (bad taste?)
Snoop Dogg stops by Donny and Marie’s 1998?talk show to embarrass white people:
Jay-Z Kicks It Old School…and other New Tuesday Releases
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Jay-Z
-Jay-Z - American Gangster- Hova spits like it was ‘96 on this welcome return-to-form disc, largely inspired by the just-released, Denzel Washington-starring crime drama of the same name.
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-Sigur R?s - Hvarf-Heim - This odds-and-sods collection from the popular Icelandic group challenges you to stay awake during two discs-worth of pleasant, ambient, and super-minimalist noise.
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-Angels And Airwaves - I-Empire- Tom DeLonge still tries to convince himself that breaking up blink-182 was a good idea with a second album from his U2-aping band.
-Demon Hunter - Storm The Gates Of Hell- Perhaps the most surprising fact about the band’s fourth full-length is that it touts the group’s Christian values as much as?their metalcore influences. Who knew?
-Dust Galaxy - Dust Galaxy- Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation unveils his newest role?as frontman of this psychedelia-based rock group.
The Verve Reunites! (But No One Seems To Care)
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?Sharp Notes has always wondered what the big deal was with The Verve, but apparently they are back in a big way, playing their first show?in nearly 10 years Friday as part of their highly-touted reunion.
The band formed in 1989, but never really hit it big until the massive international success of their 1997 single “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” The song itself?is almost entirely ripped from an orchestral composition?of the 1965 Rolling Stones chestnut “The Last Time.”?Yet the popularity of the plodding power?ballad exploded, until it seemed to be?a staple on every mixtape and?movie trailer around.
The ubiquitous nature of the song has always been a mystery for several reasons. First off,?the track?really isn’t that good. The strings, while powerful, become repetitive during the tune’s bloated running time of 5:58. The lyrics, strewn with generalized angst not out of place in an off-night at the poetry slam (”You’re a slave to money then you die” - really?), quickly become tiring due to singer Richard Ashcroft’s constant assertions that he “can change.” And the general pacing of the song is so lumbering and without resolve that it doesn’t make the listener particularly sad or happy - just kind of bummed.
So if their hit single isn’t that great outside of the nostalgia attached to it, what’s all the Verve buzz about? Music critics love to highlight the group’s deeper album tracks, but to Sharp Notes, their b-sides sound like less affable Oasis cuts. Minus any melody and charisma, of course.
So kudos, The Verve. We don’t really understand your massive appeal, but keep on doing your thing and making people happy. Meanwhile, if you strive to be as Oasis-y as much of your work implies, do what the Gallaghers do - steal Beatles songs instead.
BONUS - For all fans of The Verve frustrated by this post, here is an online karaoke version of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” that is so long and boring it is sure to alienate nearly all of the guests at your next shindig:
Week At A Glance - Concerts Of Note 11/5 - 11/11
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Yo La Tengo
*Thursday, 11/8 @ 9:00 p.m. -?Freekbass?@?The Haunt [$5 over 21 / $7 under 21]
Cincinnati-based funkers incorporate the best elements from mentor Bootsy Collins into?their hard-driving funk. With The Rozatones and Monkmeat.
*Friday, 11/9 @ 9:30 p.m. -?Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 @?Castaways [$8]
Rock?stalwart, workaholic and ex-Dream Syndicate frontman?Steve Wynn brings his crack younger band to Ithaca. With Romp.
*Sunday, 11/11 @ 7:00 p.m. -?Yo?La Tengo / Broken Social Scene?@?Cornell University’s Barton Hall?[$15]
Get ready for a big ol’ night of indie love when these two giants of the genre join forces at CU.
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