“No one ever said it was over.” Son Volt, with songwriter Jay Farrar at the helm, will begin recording their fourth full length album at the end of September. Update: Whole new line-up…
Benchley: Naming the Band
The Letters of Gary Benchley, Rock Star: Naming the Band – a report on avant-garde art parties, a surprise visit from his sister, and the future of punk rock.
Gore Gore Girls – Astral Man
“Astral Man” by the Gore Gore Girls from their album, Up All Night. More MP3s.
Icarus Line – Penance Soiree
Icarus Line – Penance Soiree (V2)
Listening to Penance Soiree is like getting punched in the face. It doesn’t feel that great but it’s still life-affirming. God damn it, you know you’re alive. You want to root for these Iggy-inspired bitches until you realize they’re from L.A. And then the vague shortcomings start to make sense. Yeah sure, it starts out sounding badass and abrasive, but then you realize they’re tempering it with some Janes Addicted bullshit. Hey Los Angeles, lay off the fucking chorus pedal. And while you’re at it, cut your hair, you fucking hippies. Fuck you.
Of course it’s no surprise that these are the same kids responsible for buddyhead.com, hands down the best music site on the whole fucking internet. These guys really do embody honest punk rock in 2004. While playing South by Southworst at the Hard Rock Cafe a couple years ago, they smashed a display case that held the holy relic that was a guitar signed by Stevie Ray Vaughn (Austin’s patron saint) and had the audacity to attempt to plug that bitch in and play it. They were immediately chased out of the state of Texas. That, my friends, is punk fucking rock. Fuck you.
And that’s why we are willing to forgive them their Janesisms and obvious L.A. influences and embrace this album as if it were perfect. It’s not, but it’s still refreshing. Especially from something coming straight outta Los fucking Shitsville. It scares your neighbors and when your friends walk in on you listening to this, you realize that they might think you’re a drug addict.
Quasar Wut-Wut on NPR!
Chicago Public Radio’s Hello Beautiful featured a sneak preview of Quasar Wut-Wut‘s “Oh My Dear” from the album, Taro Sound (Glorious Noise Records, 2004). Stream it!
Drive By Truckers – The Dirty South
The Drive By Truckers – The Dirty South (New West)
The Drive By Truckers are in a dangerous spot. They’re coming off of two critically praised albums, somewhat non-stop touring and the most poisonous dart of them all, industry buzz. There’s a lot riding on their new record The Dirty South and after you strip away all the whispers and expectations what’s left is a monument of modern southern rock and proof positive that this band matters.
“Where the Devil Don’t Stay” opens the album with a slow stomp on the bass drum sounding like a prelude to a barroom dustup. The guitars ring like funeral bells and before the 20-second mark Daddy’s playing poker in the woods. It doesn’t take long to see why the Truckers have become the standard of modern Southern rock which all others are measured against. To put it simply, they mean what they say and tell the truth.
It’s easy for a band to take stake in where they call home and try to drum up some local pride and mystique from outsiders to create an image. So what’s different about this band? The Drive By Truckers aren’t writing “Sweet Home Alabama” over and over again, they’re not afraid to paint an ugly picture and love it all the same. “Puttin’ People on the Moon” (mp3) deals with outlaws turned Wal-Mart employees and cancer riddled wives with no health insurance in a world where space exploration seems more important to the folks in charge.
They love their legends but moreso the real stories behind them, and there’s always another side of the story that hasn’t been told by Disney or Hollywood. Tall tales are told without sugary esthetics (“The Day John Henry Died”), heroes are sung about without blind admiration (“Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”), and southern history is rewritten from the perspective of the bad guy (“The Boys From Alabama”).
The album flows from bluesy stomps to jangley country pop to mournful shuffles. The hard driving three-guitar frontline gives the faster songs a depth and lushness not often found in this era of two-piece bands and power trios. The slower numbers are allowed to creep in and curl up with just a room mike on an acoustic guitar and a well placed bass drum.
Whether it’s tearing up or turning down The Dirty South remains solid with well oiled, home grown musicianship and stories told with an accent you can’t fake. The Drive By Truckers have delivered another gem of Southern culture and I have faith that they’ll do it again.
Mp3s available at their site.
Hot Snakes – Hi-Lites
“Hi-Lites” by Hot Snakes from Swami Records off their new album, Audit in Progress. Via Punknews.
Gary Benchley, Rock Star: At the Pavilion
The Letters of Gary Benchley, Rock Star: At the Pavilion – Aspiring rock star Gary Benchley returns from summer vacation with a story about romance, patriotism, and sexual frustration.
Smith, Elliott – Twilight
“Twilight” by Elliott Smith from his upcoming album on Anti, From a Basement on a Hill.
DKT/MC5 Electrifies the City of Lights
Like everyone who cares about real rock and roll, Glorious Noise loves the MC5. When it comes to good old sloppy punk rock, the MC5 pretty much wrote the book. Or at least one of the early chapters. So when we missed the American leg of the first reunion tour of the surviving members (Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson and Michael Davis), we were disappointed. There was no other recourse than to fly to Europe to catch one of those dates. You gotta do what you gotta do.