// Category Archive for: Current Faves

A History Lesson, Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984

By Less Lee Moore

My interest in this documentary on some of the bands in the mid-80s L.A. punk scene was piqued by the inclusion of Redd Kross, which, as anyone who knows me will attest, is my all time favorite band. Not because they are necessarily the best band in the world, or the most famous, or the most infamous, but because they forever changed my life for the better, a topic too lengthy to get into here, but which is, unsurprisingly, completely relevant to a discussion of A History Lesson Part 1.

This is not your standard glossy, let’s-explain-why-punk-rock-is-so-important documentary. It’s comprised of old footage shot by Dave Travis, a fan and friend of the bands featured—The Meat Puppets, The Minutemen, Twisted Roots, Redd Kross—interspersed with current interviews from members of those bands. The immediacy and importance of all the bands is captured in the grainy footage, and rather than coming across as embarrassing, it’s completely invigorating.
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Scala & Kolacny Brothers, S/T

By Christian Lipski

The Stone Age was followed by the Bronze Age, which was followed by the Iron Age. With every new movie that Hollywood releases, with every mashup video on YouTube or “greatest hits” tour by a reunited band, it becomes more and more clear that we are currently living in the Age of the Remake. This is not always the sign of a lack of ideas, fortunately. Often it’s a way to make people look at something in a whole new light.

Listeners may recognize Scala & Kolacny Brothers from the movie The Social Network, which featured their haunting cover of the Radiohead song “Creep.” Their new self-titled CD is their debut in the US, and they obviously hope to capitalize on the film’s great success here.
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America’s Music Legacy: Dixieland Jazz (DVD)

By Danny R. Phillips

It has been said that Jazz is the only truly American music style. While other genres blend rhythm, tones, and instruments from other countries, Jazz—whether it be Davis, Coltrane, Armstrong, Hancock, Holliday, or Horne (or god forbid, Kenny G.)—was hatched, raised, nurtured, and perfected here within our shores.

Dixieland Jazz, a mash up of blues, ragtime, and other stylings is a perfect choice for the series America’s Music Legacy; it has a rich, colorful history that is explored here by host Al Hirt, the Jazz trumpeter and Dixieland luminary. Much like the Blues installment of the this series, it includes live performances and is packed with clips of giants who have already left us: piano great Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, and Eubie Blake.
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Siriusmo, Mosaik

By Emily Carney

In the last decade and a half, electronic dance music has been hijacked by French artists, the most famous of whom are likely Daft Punk. “French touch” music—originally associated with funked-up 1970s guitar flourishes, synth swoops, and thumping beats—morphed into something wholly futuristic sounding (for example, “Derezzed” from Daft Punk’s soundtrack to Tron: Legacy, and Digitalism’s “Zdarlight,” which was also a paean to Cassius’ producer Philippe Zdar). Although Digitalism originated in Germany, in many cases that country’s contributions to electronic music tended to be overlooked while French touch music took over everything.
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Floating Action, Desert Etiquette

By Less Lee Moore

Although the name Floating Action is derived from a vintage Gretsch drum pedal, it’s perfect metaphor for multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Seth Kauffman’s latest release. Desert Etiquette‘s ten twangy, trebly tunes are like sugar crystals floating on a stream of golden honey, dewdrops sparkling in the sunrise of a chilly spring morning, or the embers flaring from a campfire in the clearing of the dark, snowy forest. Everything is as natural and comfortable as being outdoors.
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PJ Harvey, Let England Shake

By J Howell

If there’s one thing that can be said about Polly Harvey, it’s that she is full of surprises.

While a detailed discussion of the breadth of Harvey’s compelling body of work is beyond the scope of this review, it’s fair to say that while her music has always been inhabited by an often harrowing multitude of characters, the protagonists are generally embattled on an intensely intimate level. Just as often those same characters could arguably be described as victims.
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Over the Rhine, The Long Surrender

By Magda Underdown-DuBois

I was introduced to Over the Rhine when they opened for Ani DiFranco a few years ago. The girlfriend who bought us the tickets explained to me that the married duo of Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler had begun making music in the arena of Contemporary Christian, but had then broadened their reach to incorporate the deeply personal mundane that dominates the singer-songwriter genre these days. When I picked up The Long Surrender, I expected something similar to what I heard onstage so long ago. Their press release and the Notes within (a preface to the duo’s musical story written by their producer Joe Henry) argued against these preconceptions.
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Anna Waronker, California Fade

By Less Lee Moore

Singer/songwriter Anna Waronker has surrounded herself with talented musician friends for her second full-length album, but no voice rings as clear as Anna’s own. Her lovely alto is the shining star in this collection of tunes on which she also plays piano, guitar, synths, and more. Waronker has a real gift for harmonies and melodies; these skills become particularly gratifying in the way she crafts the endings of her songs, as they transcend the typical fade out or repeated chorus, and transform the entire song into something better than the sum of its parts. Additionally, Waronker’s vocal and string arrangements are beautifully crafted.
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Everything In Between: The Decemberists

By Maureen

Beacon Theatre, New York NY
January 25, 2011

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I have to steal a quote I overheard from a fellow fan at the merchandise table: “I’ve seen them many times, and every time it’s like, totally different.” The Decemberists played a three-show block at the historic Beacon Theatre this January. I attended the “middle” show, which was originally the only show, as the other days were added to accommodate incredible ticket demand. This is my third experience with seeing the band live, throughout more than five years of being a fan. This current “Popes of Pendarvia” Tour follows the release of their newest album The King is Dead.
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The Power & The Glory: White Lies Live

By Less Lee Moore

The Mod Club, Toronto ON
January 29, 2010

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Rare is the band that I like immediately upon hearing them; rarer still is the one that can sustain that feeling in a live setting. White Lies have accomplished both.

Hugely popular in Britain, White Lies played just four dates in North America this time around—actually three, since their New York show at the Highline Ballroom was canceled at the last minute due to bad weather. Luckily, Toronto residents did not have to miss them at the Mod Club last weekend.
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