Let's review the new Bang Camaro Album.
Bang Camaro II proves that these guys are brilliant. They could have done a "more of the same" album and people would still have listened to it, but instead they've improved on the original concept. There are certainly more lyrics this time around.
Those not in the know might write them off as a gimmick or as just a bunch of dudes making fun of eighties metal. Couldn't be more wrong.
Here are the highlights:
"Thunderclap". Yeah. If Cliff Burton was in Thin Lizzy, this is the song he would have recorded. A band that takes the stage to the theme from "Conan the Destroyer" had better have something epic on deck, and this one fits the bill.
"Night Lies", "Miss Illusion" and "Can't Stop the Night" all revive the true spirit of rock and roll. Prettymuch sex and booze reign supreme. Download immediately.
Live. Love. Die. Rock.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Who killed Amanda Palmer?
I wish it had been me.
Jon called me at work on Monday and told me that he got guest listed for the Amanda Palmer show at the Paradise on Tuesday and I could be his plus one. I think her album is pretty good, and I've seen the Dresden Dolls once before and while not exactly my cup of tea, I was impressed.
We missed the opening act because it was a fucking tuesday and people work and parking at the 'dise is about as much fun as, well, parking anywhere in Boston. From what I gathered in the one or two songs I heard they were remakably average.
The show started, and since the album is titled "Who killed Amanda Palmer?" some steampunk/goth/dark cabaret dude came out and began talking like it was her funeral and we were all there to mourn her. This would have been fine if he talked for a minute or so then intorduced her, but it went on way too long. He brought out some piano player to play Amanda's favorite piece, then some old british writer who read a poem about her, then some other steampunk/goth/dark cabaret dude who played violin. While that was going on, some more steampunk/goth/dark cabaret people made their way to the stage and generally looked goth. Eventually they reached into the crowd and lifted up...gasp...Amanda Palmer.
I do enjoy her music, but man, there were too many long theatrical interludes. At one point the focus shifted from the stage to the floor as the extra goth kids who had started the show by lifting Amanda onto the stage did some weird dance thing in the middle of the crowd.
"JUST PLAY YOUR FUCKING SONGS!" was all my brain could scream.
The low point of the night was when she actually auctioned off memorabilia from the stage. I know the music industry is tough, and touring bands need all the help they can get, but I've never seen it sink so low as to sell props from the latest video shoot to the crowd. I still don't know what made me feel worse: the fact that she did it, or that people bought the stuff.
One of the high points was a karaoke version of Rihanna's "Umbrella" towards the end of the show. It cannot be argued that "Umbrella" is not a great pop song, and what made it even better was that it really took the piss out of the goth crowd. Yeah, she sings a bunch of songs about depressing crap, but she can have fun with a top 40 hit too, and it's ok for you to like it.
Throughout the night, the music was solid and in the end that's all that really matters.
Jon called me at work on Monday and told me that he got guest listed for the Amanda Palmer show at the Paradise on Tuesday and I could be his plus one. I think her album is pretty good, and I've seen the Dresden Dolls once before and while not exactly my cup of tea, I was impressed.
We missed the opening act because it was a fucking tuesday and people work and parking at the 'dise is about as much fun as, well, parking anywhere in Boston. From what I gathered in the one or two songs I heard they were remakably average.
The show started, and since the album is titled "Who killed Amanda Palmer?" some steampunk/goth/dark cabaret dude came out and began talking like it was her funeral and we were all there to mourn her. This would have been fine if he talked for a minute or so then intorduced her, but it went on way too long. He brought out some piano player to play Amanda's favorite piece, then some old british writer who read a poem about her, then some other steampunk/goth/dark cabaret dude who played violin. While that was going on, some more steampunk/goth/dark cabaret people made their way to the stage and generally looked goth. Eventually they reached into the crowd and lifted up...gasp...Amanda Palmer.
I do enjoy her music, but man, there were too many long theatrical interludes. At one point the focus shifted from the stage to the floor as the extra goth kids who had started the show by lifting Amanda onto the stage did some weird dance thing in the middle of the crowd.
"JUST PLAY YOUR FUCKING SONGS!" was all my brain could scream.
The low point of the night was when she actually auctioned off memorabilia from the stage. I know the music industry is tough, and touring bands need all the help they can get, but I've never seen it sink so low as to sell props from the latest video shoot to the crowd. I still don't know what made me feel worse: the fact that she did it, or that people bought the stuff.
One of the high points was a karaoke version of Rihanna's "Umbrella" towards the end of the show. It cannot be argued that "Umbrella" is not a great pop song, and what made it even better was that it really took the piss out of the goth crowd. Yeah, she sings a bunch of songs about depressing crap, but she can have fun with a top 40 hit too, and it's ok for you to like it.
Throughout the night, the music was solid and in the end that's all that really matters.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Bob Dylan Rules
Feeling depressed? Listen to "Blood on the Tracks" by Bob Dylan. You'll still be depressed, but at least you'll have a good soundtrack.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
What I did with my summer vacation
Three shows that helped make my year:
Dear Leader at TT the Bear's.
After some sort of sabbatical in Belgium, Aaron Perrino returned to Boston to save us from republicans. I hadn't been to TT's for a while, it was nice to be back. Some band from Belgium called the Rones opened both nights and did a great job despite having an audience of 8 people max, at least 4 of whom were checking their cell phones at any given moment. Boston veterans Taxpayer tore up the first show, and new guys the Fatal Flaw filled out the second. It's been a few years since I caught Taxpayer (actually I think it was with Dear Leader last time), they did not disappoint. The Fatal Flaw are an east coast/west coast mash up of indie bands, I'd seen them at the Pill in Allston a couple weeks before, and they promise to be big. Finally we got to Dear Leader. Right from the start, they knocked it out of the park. "Nightmare Alleys", "Nation", "Billionserved", "My Life As a Wrestler"... the highlight was "Labor On" on night two. I have decided that America needs Dear Leader.
Bang Camaro at the Hard Rock
The Camaro triumphantly returned home to Boston to signal the end of their "rock rebellion" tour. How can you not love a band who takes the stage to the soundtrack from Conan the Destroyer? They are all that is rock. I'd seen them a bunch of times before they took off, and caught up with them in Austin, Tx (I was on vacation and they allowed me to join their man choir for the night). The Austin show was great, and being on stage certainly made my summer, but I think the Hard Rock show edges it out for the following reasons:
1. Free Booze. I don't mean just free beer, I mean free booze. Free Whiskey? Sure. Free Scotch? You got it.
2. The company of friends. I went to Austin alone, which was great and I would do it again in a second. I needed to get away and clear my head in a city with zero possibility of running into people I know, and it worked perfectly. The only downside was that no one I knew was there to bear witness to my rock 'n roll adventure singing the encore to Bangs set. For the Boston show, Brian and Jon came along, and the shared experience was much better.
3. They let me up to sing again, and it was rock glory.
Bang Camaro are a band that seem like a gimmick (there is anywhere from 10-15 singers, depending on the show), but they all have serious chops. Serious. Chops.
Trap Them at Anchors Up
Born from the ashes of December Wolves and Backstabbers, Inc., Trap Them grabs you by the throat and never lets go. I don't generally go in for the harcore, but I know these guys from my days at Newbury Comics and I know that they are the real thing. A truly great band transcends genre and the change of pace was just what I needed. I like my hipster bars and indie rock friends, but it's important to mix it up once in a while (and there were certainly no white belts or non-prescription glasses in the crowd). The opening bands were ok. Run of the mill hardcore in my opinion (please keep in mind that I am not well versed in this area), but the moment Trap Them took the stage the basement crowd stood transfixed. It was amazing. 25 minutes later the drummer was collapsed at the back of the room in a heap of sweat drenched flesh, the singer was sitting on the front of the stage bleeding from self-inflicted wounds caused by repeatedly smashing the microphone into his forehead, and the other two band members were fleeing the sauna of a room for cooler temperatures outside.
Dear Leader at TT the Bear's.
After some sort of sabbatical in Belgium, Aaron Perrino returned to Boston to save us from republicans. I hadn't been to TT's for a while, it was nice to be back. Some band from Belgium called the Rones opened both nights and did a great job despite having an audience of 8 people max, at least 4 of whom were checking their cell phones at any given moment. Boston veterans Taxpayer tore up the first show, and new guys the Fatal Flaw filled out the second. It's been a few years since I caught Taxpayer (actually I think it was with Dear Leader last time), they did not disappoint. The Fatal Flaw are an east coast/west coast mash up of indie bands, I'd seen them at the Pill in Allston a couple weeks before, and they promise to be big. Finally we got to Dear Leader. Right from the start, they knocked it out of the park. "Nightmare Alleys", "Nation", "Billionserved", "My Life As a Wrestler"... the highlight was "Labor On" on night two. I have decided that America needs Dear Leader.
Bang Camaro at the Hard Rock
The Camaro triumphantly returned home to Boston to signal the end of their "rock rebellion" tour. How can you not love a band who takes the stage to the soundtrack from Conan the Destroyer? They are all that is rock. I'd seen them a bunch of times before they took off, and caught up with them in Austin, Tx (I was on vacation and they allowed me to join their man choir for the night). The Austin show was great, and being on stage certainly made my summer, but I think the Hard Rock show edges it out for the following reasons:
1. Free Booze. I don't mean just free beer, I mean free booze. Free Whiskey? Sure. Free Scotch? You got it.
2. The company of friends. I went to Austin alone, which was great and I would do it again in a second. I needed to get away and clear my head in a city with zero possibility of running into people I know, and it worked perfectly. The only downside was that no one I knew was there to bear witness to my rock 'n roll adventure singing the encore to Bangs set. For the Boston show, Brian and Jon came along, and the shared experience was much better.
3. They let me up to sing again, and it was rock glory.
Bang Camaro are a band that seem like a gimmick (there is anywhere from 10-15 singers, depending on the show), but they all have serious chops. Serious. Chops.
Trap Them at Anchors Up
Born from the ashes of December Wolves and Backstabbers, Inc., Trap Them grabs you by the throat and never lets go. I don't generally go in for the harcore, but I know these guys from my days at Newbury Comics and I know that they are the real thing. A truly great band transcends genre and the change of pace was just what I needed. I like my hipster bars and indie rock friends, but it's important to mix it up once in a while (and there were certainly no white belts or non-prescription glasses in the crowd). The opening bands were ok. Run of the mill hardcore in my opinion (please keep in mind that I am not well versed in this area), but the moment Trap Them took the stage the basement crowd stood transfixed. It was amazing. 25 minutes later the drummer was collapsed at the back of the room in a heap of sweat drenched flesh, the singer was sitting on the front of the stage bleeding from self-inflicted wounds caused by repeatedly smashing the microphone into his forehead, and the other two band members were fleeing the sauna of a room for cooler temperatures outside.
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