Have you ever thought of writing songs for an emo band?
No, because there's no crying in rock 'n' roll. (Nikki Sixx in an interview with the Cleveland Free Times)
The Suburbs Are Killing Us not only is a great name for a blog, but also offers daily songs and commentary. The music is refreshingly diverse, this is an mp3 blog worth reading.
With a great lineup sure to tear many indie hearts in two (two stages, many excellent musicians playing concurrently), the Sasquatch Music Festival looks like the place to be Saturday, May 29th.
"If someone has a problem with the way I do this stuff with a band, they can always listen to the record when they get home," Dan Bejar (Destroyer) tells the Raleigh Independent, echoing my own feelings. I am constantly amazed that people go to live shows and expect note-for-note reenactments of albums.
Athens, Georgia's Athfest has set the schedules for their outdoor stages. The festival runs June 17-20, catch The Tom Collins, Camper Van Beethoven and The Sunshine Fix (among others) for free! Athfest's outdoor shows, combined with the plethora of club shows usually offered that weekend, make this our likely destination rather than Birmingham's City Stages, which is held the same weekend. (via The Day Jobs
"It's an interesting time right now. Some people are just not able to be free-thinking, and some people are openly critical of everything that's going on. There's the idea that it's unpatriotic to question what your government is doing, when it seems to me, and to most of the rest of the world, that a healthy skepticism is essential in a democracy." Sloan's Patrick Pentland is interviewed by the Cleveland Free Times.
"At first glance, Fuckin A is a just wad of geeky, repetitive pop punk in sore need of some antihistamine. Lean closer, though, and you'll notice a chaotic splay of soul, thought and emotion wherein Minor Threat drops acid with Robert Pollard and armed revolution swaps spit with drunken heartache." The Denver Westword reviews the excellent Thermals record, Fuckin A.
"We just wanted to ... make a record that was lasting. How long you last depends on how lasting the stuff that you're making is." Nick Stumpf of the French Kicks plots his band's future in a talk with SF Weekly.
If you had the following choice of three shows, which would you attend (this is my dilemna for the coming Sunday): Sondra Lerche; Sloan; Destroyer & Frog Eyes. Destroyer is the only band I've seen of the bunch, but with Dan Bejar not backed by Frog Eyes (my friends who have seen this lineup are split in their opinions).
Posted by david on May 13, 2004The Sasquatch Fest lineup made me wet myself. No joke. I stand here in a pool of my own shame.
Sloan live are a dicey proposition. Sometimes they're great, other times they're just ehhh.
Posted by: frank on May 13, 2004 08:13 AMI can tell you that I really didn't like the Destroyer show here in NYC. He played all new songs -- which I don't like anyway. But my companion -- who likes the new album -- didn't like them b/c they were totally different then the album. I know Bejar doesn't care. Frog Eyes mostly sucks, but has flashes of Pixies-ish brilliances.
Posted by: Timothy Paul on May 13, 2004 11:09 AMGo see Sloan. I saw them Tuesday night in Boston and they kicked total arse. I don't know what Frank's talking about, because I've seen them five or six times now and have always seen a good show. They played a lot of the new album, which is great, and some good old stuff, and they had a lot of fun doing.
Great job on the blog, BTW. It's the best music blog I read.
Posted by: Jay on May 13, 2004 11:18 AMsloan!
Posted by: whistle on May 13, 2004 01:57 PMBackstabbin', ooooooh backstabbin'!
Sloan, homie. All the way.
Posted by: Marleigh on May 13, 2004 01:59 PMsondre lerche fer sure! he's great live. don't you want to listen to sunny, happy romantic pop songs?
Destroyer and Frog Eyes all the way, and I don't think Frog Eyes suck most of the time, but there is definitely moments that stand way above the rest. Saw the same lineup Tuesday in DC.
Posted by: matt on May 13, 2004 02:42 PMI say definitely not Sondre Lerche, and probably Sloan. I've never heard Destroyer and Frog Eyes, but I've seen both Sondre Lerche and Sloan live, and I can tell you that Sloan puts on a show that's more fun.
Posted by: _ on May 13, 2004 03:03 PMAnd let me reiterate since I entered it in the wrong place last time!
Big ups to you & yer lrg. heart, David! You're the beez kneez!
Posted by: cp on May 13, 2004 07:33 PMsondre lerche!!
Posted by: liz on May 14, 2004 02:11 PM