Category Archives: Review

The Weakerthans – Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre – DVD/CD Review

Many fans of indie rock know who The Weakerthans are and what exactly they do.  For years now the Canadian four (and sometimes up to six) some have been creating amazing albums that are heavy on the indie but also incorporate folk and twang into their material.  They are a band that I label as an “accident band”.  What I mean by that is I became a fan of them by accident.

Back in the days of slinging coffees at the café at the Borders Books & Music I worked at I came across a Weakerthans’ album at a listening station one day while on break.  This was at a time and age when the internet was still ruled by AOL and MySpace was just an idea waiting to be hatched out.  I remember clearly putting the headphones on at the listening station and checking out a couple tracks from Left and Leaving.  Liking what I heard, I recall reading a bio about the band while listening to more tracks and taking a double look at the card when it mentioned one time Propagandhi member John Samson.  Seriously, my mouth dropped open.

I was maybe 23 at the time and was slowly opening my musical tastes more.  Being a punk rocker at heart I was in awe that the bassist of one of my favorite punk rock bands was fronting such a melodic and low-key band.  I heard enough, grabbed the CD, and took it to the register for purchase.  Needless to say my musical appreciation was given a boost thanks to the Weakerthans and to this day I am still an avid fan though I have yet to see them live.

Having missed them the couple times they did roll though Cleveland one could say I was excited to see that they had released  a live DVD/CD titled Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre on Epitaph Records/ANTI- Records.  Performed in their hometown of Winnipeg, Canada in April of 2009, the band recorded the performance at the Burton Cumming’s Theatre (yes, the sweet mustached Burton Cummings of The Guess Who).   Just to clarify I believe the theatre was named after the classic rock musician and that he has nothing to do with it.

The DVD/CD captures the perfect evening of a show with the talented indie rockers as well as their dedicated fans who filled the venue up the night it was recorded.  With no fancy light shows or theatrics the band hit the stage and played a very fun and great sounding show.   Their sound, I should add, almost sounds studio and one could be fooled until the fans started hooting and hollering after every song.

Playing songs old and new the band just sounded amazing and looked ever so comfortable on the stage.  Hearing them open with “Everything Must Go” really reminded me why I have been a fan for so long but seeing how happy they were performing the song brought a whole new appreciation from me for them.  With the crowd cheering and the band just having fun it was apparent that this show was going to be a good one.  Speeding things up they broke into “Tournament Of Hearts” immediately after.  With five members on stage it appeared as if Samson’s wife Christine Fellows was hiding in the shadows offering vocals as well.

The band’s (and the crowd’s) friend Julie played on some songs as well including “Night Windows” where she offered some violin. Keeping the show rolling the band broke into “Reconstruction Site” a twangy delight of a song to listen to as well.  The band completely rocked out during “Aside” all while Samson smiled big while singing.  “Bigfoot” was another track I really got a kick out of with all the instrument playing.

Hearing perhaps my favorite Weakerthans song of all time, “Plea From A Cat Named Virtue”, put the biggest smile on my face even if I was watching a recording of the show.  The song revolving around a wise feline carried on perfectly, even the trumpet playing at the close of the song.  Samson also offered a simple impromptu guitar solo that was cut short on the CD but the DVD shows the humorous moment.

During “Wellington’s Wednesdays” Samson pulled up a fan on stage named Ernesto who had the pleasure of filling in a guitar solo in the key of E.  I must say after a nervous start Ernesto started jamming hard with the rest of the band as Samson took the honorary member’s place in the crowd for a short moment.  The band then followed up “The Reasons” as well as “Sun In An Empty Room”.  I swear if it were not for the fans cheering at times my mind tried to argue with me that I was not listening to a live album.

Overall the show was a fun time full of a great set by an outstanding band.  The DVD featured shots of the band throughout the 75 plus minute performance with good angles as well as occasionally would focus in on a true fan singing along.  Capturing The Weakerthans in their hometown was one hell of an idea and even if I have not seen them live in the flesh, I am glad I had the opportunity to have this performance in my possession.

The DVD/CD ranks high with my all time favorite live albums and I have listened to it multiple times now and I am not just saying that.  Great music by a bunch guys made even more entertaining by the simple fact that they were having a blast while doing their job.  If you are a fan of indie rock or just want to spend the evening with some great music do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre.

Track Listing (DVD/CD):
01. Everything Must Go
02. Tournament of Hearts
03. Our Retired Explorer (Dines with Michel Foucault in Paris in 1969)
04. Night Windows
05. Reconstruction Site
06. Aside
07. Civil Twilight
08. Bigfoot
09. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
10. The Reasons
11. Sun In An Empty Room
12. Left and Leaving
13. Wellington’s Wednesdays
14. Benediction
15. Manifest
16. One Great City!
17. This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open
18. Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure

You Down With The EG At The OG In The C(anton)?

Photo By Allison Edwards
Photo By Allison Edwards

Saturday night I conquered new territory, saw a show, and got to hang out with old friends.  It was a very quick and triumphant evening full of laughter, new faces, and 80’s/90’s sitcom references sung in the key of The Electric Grandmother (TEG).

Let me explain because I am sure you are scratching your head right now…

TEG, aka my great friends Pete and his awesome wife Mary Alice (MA), decided to grace the city of Canton, OH with their presence and play a show at a place called Old Glory (more on OG in a moment).

So what kind of music do they play?  The answer is Sitcom-core.  Take one part 80’s & 90’s sitcom love and add it to freaky beats and a roller-coaster of vocals that are pure raunchy yet hilarious.  That is Sitcom-core.  I should also add TEG has been doing their thing before Nerd-core was even fathomed – so no haters please, they are pros at this and honestly, it is way more entertaining.

The two person team is musically and visually entertaining with Pete belting out the singing and creating the beats while MA takes care of a slide show like no other that coincides with the music.  It is like nothing you have ever seen or heard and you need to have an appreciation for cheesy ass television to even remotely have a clue.  It’s fun and meant to be fun and they are also my friends so I guess that makes it even more special to me every time I get to see them.

Photo by Allsion Edwards
Photo by Allison Edwards

Aside from them making what TEG is, I have known Pete for half my life now and he along with Mary Alice are two of the most genuine people I know.  Sadly I do not get to see them as much as I would like to as they reside in Columbus but we still communicate quite often.  Needless to say when they told me they were going to be performing at a venue in Canton I was most than pleased and canceled all zero plans I had that evening to go and see them.

Now I am not familiar with Canton at all but thanks to my trusty GPS I was able to find Old Glory, at least I thought I did.  The sign on the building said Old Glory Tattoos and for a quick moment thought I found the wrong place and was about to give the bird to my GPS.  You see, I have a bad history of GPS’s taking me through the ghetto of different cities.  I have driven through the projects of Baltimore once on account of a GPS thinking it knew the quickest route to a venue so once I learned that Old Glory Tattoos is now Old Glory I just laughed.

Old Glory is basically a DIY house.  They are working on getting a liquor license so they can sell beer during shows and turn into a business but until then they open their doors to all who want to attend free of charge.  Until that happens the venue is BYOB and smoking is welcomed (not a fan) since technically they are not a business.  The owners of the place were super awesome and I wish I was able to remember their names but to make a long story short the place was a tattoo shop in a not-so-good part of town so he decided to close the shop up and open up something fun – a place where bands could play music.

Photo By Allison Edwards
Photo By Allison Edwards

There was no cover for the show as mentioned before but donations to the venue and the bands was accepted.  Supposedly there were to be 5 bands all together that were to play that night but only 3 showed up and stayed.  I guess one band showed up called Hollywood Lies (no link necessary, I am not going to promote them) and said they would be back but never came back.  Apparently they played the Warped Tour and they were too good for OG.  Kinda of a douche move if you ask me…  It’s ok though because I did not want to see them play if they were going to have that type of mentality.

The neat thing about DIY houses is that there are loyal attendees that will always come out and see what is going on.  Rather than have TEG play just to a handful of folk the owner of OG kept asking them to hold off and kept making phone calls.  By 10:30pm there was a nice collection of music and beer lovers in the house.

TEG took the stage and immediately wowed everyone in the place with “The Day I Pretended To Watch Airwolf”.  Those in the crowd who were there to see TEG knew what to expect but for all of the people that just came in unknowingly they were all very accepting of Sitcom-core to their virgin ears.

I admit I get nervous for my friend’s bands sometimes when they get on stage to a new crowd but I don’t ever need to worry about Pete.  He is one of the punkest kids I know in life and he could really care less what you think about his music.  He is there to have a good time and just do his thing.  The folk in OG Saturday night really did get a kick out of TEG as they played though the night with”England-man American”,”New Coke Rap”, and also fan favorites “Car Phone” as well as a song dedicated to The Golden Girls.  Throughout the songs MA kept the projections moving along with hilarious pictures that reminded all how corny yet memorable television and culture was in the 80’s and 90’s.

By set’s end the place was having fun and that is exactly with TEG came there to do.  Giving away free CDs and making fun of the bands that did not show up to OG that night TEG was all about having a good time.  TEG is not a gimmick by any means and what they do is for the love of performance, gratitude, and plain old generosity.

How generous?  Well TEG is offering all of his synth heavy albums for free download.  Yes, free.  The following are a couple links to download his most recent albums.  Check them out and honestly if you don’t like them delete them but I can guarantee that at least a couple of the songs will crack you up and who knows, you might just become a fan of The Electric Grandmother.  It’s ok, I won’t tell your friends…but you should because it’s ok to like them.

Download This!The Electric Grandmother – Listening Party
Download This!The Electric Grandmother – The Stenographer
Download This!The Electric Grandmother – Pee Sells But Who’s Buying

For more free downloads visit The Electric Grandmother’s website.

Be their friend on Facebook.  TEG writes a pretty funny and to the point blog as well…

Here is a quick documentary done about The Electric Grandmother:

Tony Sly – 12 Song Program – CD Review

After 20 years of fronting well known punk rock act No Use For A Name (NUFAN), Tony Sly continues his passion for music with a different approach by releasing his first full-length solo album.  Last month 12 Song Program dropped thanks to Fat Wreck Chords who have been associated with Sly for most of his career.

Having teamed up with Joey Cape on the 2004 split release Acoustic this is not a new territory for the seasoned punk rocker but is something that he has wanted to do for a couple of years now.  Writing songs in the past that did not fit the NUFAN slot, Sly took recent down time from his band and started recording original material that ranges from folk to pop all with help from his trusty acoustic guitar.

Not going at it all alone on the album Sly received some help from other Fat Wreck musicians/friends including Fat Wreck owner himself Fat Mike as well as Dance Hall Crashers’ Karina Denike who lent her vocals to many of the tracks.  The more mature approach was stripped down and not over produced full of many songs that would be perfect for an unplugged show at a local bar.  With sing along qualities and in depth lyricism this album has a repeat playability written all over it.

Opening track “Capo, 4th Fret” brought back memories of my obsession I had when I first heard the split album with Sly on his acoustic guitar.  The track emulates that of a NUFAN song but of course slowed down and more personable with Sly almost giving reason why he is doing what he does.  “I would live for the sake of others so they could do the same” finished the very lonesome track.

The more upbeat “Via Munich” carried along happy tune about feel good  relationship while away.  Quick and to the point, the track featured Swingin’ Utters‘ Darius Koski on violin.  “The Shortest Pier” jumped back to a miserable feeling of hopelessness.  “AM”, featuring Fat Mike, was one of the songs that stuck in my mind after hearing it.  The song strayed away from sounding like the other tracks on the album with Sly singing at perhaps his most sincere.

“Expired” was an acoustic plucking jam that easily could aid in a drinking problem.  Denike’s beautiful voice matched up with Sly’s towards the end followed by a sample taking from Taking Arizona all surrounded with piano.  This was one of those tracks that deserved another listen immediately.

“Keira” was a likable whisper of a lullaby written by Sly for his daughter.  “Toaster In The Bathtub” was full of witty comparisons to assist in cheering up a certain someone.  This is one of those songs that is best sung with friends loudly whether Sly himself plays it or if it pops up on the jukebox.

“Love, Sick Love” was another choice track of mine on the album even if it was about going different ways.  I could not tell if it was a flute or an organ but whatever instrument was used in the background just kept a certain chill throughout the song with Sly and Denike’s singing.  The lyric in the song “putting out a fire with a flamethrower is strange” might be one analogy I should reference to more often.

Joey Cape helps Sly with vocals on “Amends” and as good as it sounded I was so disappointed with how quick the track was.  At just over 2 minutes I was kind of hoping for a more extended cut of this track as I love hearing the two sing together.  Honestly thinking about it, that would be my only complaint with the entire album; it was too short.

Closing song “Fireball” showcased Sly singing his loudest and perhaps most heartfelt over the other tracks.  The sad song reflected hardship on someone who clearing was without home and had a void in their heart.  The singing matched with the heavy strummed acoustic guitar playing made for one powerful song.  If only there were more tracks on the album to keep that momentum going.

If you were a fan of the Sly/Cape split Acoustic, you will be a fan of 12 Song Program but if you are looking for an extension of NUFAN chances are you will not appreciate this album one bit. It is a punk rocker making music but to a different caliber.

Sometimes punk rockers who grow up trade in their beat up electric guitars and mellow out for a good reason.  It’s not because they are giving up, it’s because they refuse to quit on all the talent they are capable of even if it means slowing down a bit.  Case and point with Tony Sly who dropped a really great release start to finish.  One needs to remind themselves that this is a personal Sly project full of his likable melodies and will rub off a little more unique than when he is with his band that finds a name not that important.

Download This! Tony Sly ‘Via Munich”
Download This!Tony Sly “The Shortest Pier”

Look for Tony Sly to be touring throughout the spring with other Fat Wreck Chords alumni including Teenage Bottlerocket and NOFX.

03/20/10 Austin, TX – SXSW Music Festival w/ Riverboat Gamblers, Teenage Bottlerocket, Cokie The Clown, Dead To Me, Smoke Or Fire, Banner Pilot, Cobra Skulls
04/21/10 Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/22/10 Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/23/10 Billings, MT – Shrine Auditorium w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/25/10 Saskatoon, SK Canada – Odeon Events Center w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket ****SOLD OUT****
04/26/10 Winnipeg, MB Canada – Burton Cummings Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket ****SOLD OUT****
04/27/10 Fargo, ND – The Venue w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/29/10 Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
04/30/10 Covington, KY – Madison Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/01/10 Sauget , IL – Pop’s w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/02/10 Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/04/10 Fort Collins, CO – The Aggie w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/05/10 Albuquerque, NM – The Sunshine Theater w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/06/10 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre w/ NOFX, Teenage Bottlerocket
05/07/10 Las Vegas, NV – Sunset Station Amphitheatre – PUNK ROCK BOWLING w/ NOFX Teenage Bottlerocket, Fucked Up, Youth Brigade, Guilty By Association
05/19/10 Perth, Australia – Amplifier w/ Joey Cape
05/20/10 Adelaide, Australia – Fowlers Live w/ Joey Cape
05/21/10 Hobart, Australia – The Brisbane Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/22/10 Melbourne, Australia – Corner Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/23/10 Wollongong, Australia – Uni Bar w/ Joey Cape
05/26/10 Sydney, Australia – Annandale Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/27/10 New Castle, Australia – Cambridge Hotel w/ Joey Cape
05/28/10 Caloundra, Australia – Kings Beach Tavern w/ Joey Cape
05/29/10 Brisbane, Australia – The Zoo w/ Joey Cape
06/02/10 Wellington, New Zealand – Bar Bodega w/ Joey Cape
06/03/10 Auckland, New Zealand – Thirsty Dog w/ Joey Cape

The Bomb – Speed Is Everything– CD Review

Hey Jawbox fans, have you been looking for something to tide you over until they finally drop something new this year?  I can’t promise that they will even release new material but that set on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon really brought suspicions to the table.  Let’s hope for the best and until then I have a recommendation for you.

The band I speak of is called The Bomb.  Why should you check them out you ask?  Simple, J. Robbins of Jawbox recorded and mixed The Bomb’s most recent album Speed Is Everything.  He might have also contributed some singing throughout the album as did Dan Yemin from Paint It Black.  This is The Bomb’s second release and was released on No Idea Records.

Need more reason to check out this band I speak of?  Well I can tell you that the band includes former members of Naked Raygun, The Methadones, and even Four Star Alarm.  Oh I might as well throw in that they also cover a Flock Of Seagulls song – more on that in a bit.

This Chicago foursome features Jeff Pezzati, as well as Jeff Dean, Pete Mittler, and Mike Soucy.  With years of experience in the music world they came together and dropped a sophomore release that can stand strong next to a two decade old Naked Raygun album with no intimidation at all.  Perhaps that is a bold statement but after listening to it I think many of you can and will agree.  To me it has a sound that fits in that, dare I say classic, era perfectly.

“The Kids” and “Holiday” really have a post-punk sound straight from the early nineties and fans of that era will appreciate.   “The Rescue” was interesting as the song was sung from a hero point of view with interesting lyrics including hiding the goods.  “Haver” had a little harder punk feel throughout making for a good listen.

As mentioned previously the band took at stab at covering a Flock Of Seagulls song and I honestly like it more than the original.  When “Space Age Love Song” started I immediately knew it was a cover but was unable to immediately grab of whom but after a quick Google check that all changed.

Dan Yemin lends his pipes on the fast fist-pumping “Integrity” track that really rises over the rest when it comes to speed in the album.  “Spaceman” was another track I appreciated on the album a lot with it’s old school post-hardcore sound.  Title track “Speed Is Everything” was another notable track on the album and I even got a kick out of the album ending track “Blown Away”.

I could not help but think of other acts like Husker Du and Jawbreaker while listening to the CD as well as of course Jawbox.    Heavy drumming and straight forward guitar playing formulate a solid album of course with post-Naked Raygun singing styles.  I am shocked this band has not gotten a ton of hype seeing what they are made of but perhaps that makes this album that much more likable.  Old school fans of punk rock will adore this CD, well, at least I do.

Screw all that crunk-punk, emo baby, try too hard crap that recent bands have been dishing out, you kids need to check out The Bomb.  God, I feel old now saying that.  I feel like I just told all the punk kids to stay off my lawn…

DOWNLOAD THIS! The Bomb – “Spaceman”

Here is a live video of the band at a record store in NYC. Notice the excitement in the kid’s faces…

Concert Review: Frank Turner / Flogging Molly / The Architects – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH – 03/05/2010

It was a sold out kind of night last night in Cleveland thanks to a couple of events that were going on.  First there was the sold out Cleveland Cavaliers game going on at the Quicken Loans Arena.  It was Sunggie night after all so you know everyone and their mother wanted to get a glorified Cavs robe and cheer on the hometown team.  Apparently a new Guinness World Record was set for the most ridiculous looking people all in one place at one time. I’m sorry but being part of “largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets” is not something that I want to think about in Cleveland on a Friday night.

Luckily for me and many other folk there was something much better going on just around the corner at the House Of Blues sans the Snuggies.  UK artist Frank Turner and some Celtic punk rock band called Flogging Molly were playing a sold out show and I was a part of it.  There was Guinness there too, the kind that is best served in pint glasses.

With many shows I attend I usually focus on the headlining act.  Where I am a fan of Flogging Molly and always will be, this night was all about me seeing Frank Turner live for the first time.  I am pretty sure I am the only person who was more excited for the one time punk rocker turned folk rock musician over the Irish punkers.

Opening act The Architects from Kansas City, MO started off the night with a bang.  Having never heard of them before they grabbed my attention with their straight forward rock n roll styles.  The foursome had great stage presence and the crowd rewarded them with constant approval.  I later learned that three of the members of the band used to be in the ska act The Gadjits. featuring the three Phillips brothers.  After hearing the Architects’ set I never would have fathomed them being in a ska band prior.  Great set by a great band I hope to hear more from in the future.

To say I was excited when Frank Turner and his nameless band took the stage would be an understatement.  With smiles on all of the band member’s faces they broke into “The Road” which just sounded amazing live.  I am sure it is safe to say not a lot of the people packed into the House Of Blues knew who Turner was but after just a couple songs in the crowd soon learned about the UK sensation who openly admitted that it was his first time in Cleveland as well as offered apologies if the set sucked at he was fighting a nasty cold.

Pointing to the crowd for a volunteer Turner chose a young fan to play harmonica on “Dan’s Song” knowing fully that the kid never played the harp in his life.  With a quick lesson Turner played the song alone on acoustic guitar and gave the honorary band member of the night “the look” when it was time for him to play.  Sure it did not sound like the recorded version or anything close to it but it was hilarious.

Armed with his acoustic guitar Turner continued the night along with his band playing like it was his most important show of his career.  He proudly yelled “Hello, Cleveland” to the crowd and fought his illness through each song.   It was apparent how ill he was feeling but he kept trucking along through the set that included “Poetry Of The Deed” as well as “Love, Ire, & Song” as well as “Back In The Day”.

From where I planted my feet the fans around me all seemed to enjoy Turner who let many in on a little secret telling them all that is was not actually a folk artist but a punk rocker who plays folk music.  Closing the night out with “Photosynthesis” I could only hope for a headlining show the next time Turner and crew come back to Cleveland.  They put on a great show and I am thrilled to be able to say I saw Turner live finally.

Without a doubt everyone was Irish for the night as Flogging Molly is notoriously known for spreading the Irish cheer around with their likable Celtic punk rock sing along jams.  Once the seven-piece took the stage it was clear how many people were packed into the venue to see them.  Fueled mainly on Jamison and Guinness the crowd showed no sign of calming down throughout the set.  Entertaining as always, Dave King pranced around the stage with Nathan Maxwell slapping the bass and the rest of the crew just playing a solid strong set.

I stayed for about the first half of the set and will try and post Flogging Molly’s set list on here the moment I find it.  Remember, I was there for Frank Turner, so once things started getting really crazy I packed up and headed towards the exit.  I have nothing against Flogging Molly at all but I have seen them multiple times and really am used to the good times they exhume.  Being a proud Irishman myself I know all too well what an evening of Irish music and stouts can do to my body so I chose to play it safe.  I am pretty sure not many followed my idea and are still battling the Irish flu today.

Speaking of flu it was reported by Frank Turner himself on Twitter that he had to pull from the Detroit show tonight so I am even more pleased I was able to see him last night.

Here is his Tweet he posted:

@fthc – MotherF***ER. Very sad to say I’ve got to pull tonight’s show in Detroit. Sick as a dog, no voice. A thousand apologies.

Get well soon Frank Turner and thank you for fighting through your amazing set last night in Cleveland.  It was a highlight to my year.

Frank Turner Set:
The Road
Try This At Home
Dan’s Song
Reasons Not To Be An Idiot
Sons Of Liberty
Poetry Of The Deed
Love, Ire, & Song
Back In The Day
Photosynthesis

(I may have missed a song or entered the wrong one.  Corrections always welcomed.)