The Days of Lore

I want my MFNW: Part 1

Saturday, September 11th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 1 Comment

I’m walking up Broadway to the Hotel Lucia, where my MFNW wristband (or bracelet, if you want to get all girly about it) awaits. This thin, white plastic band will handcuff me to MFNW all weekend, guaranteeing that I will drink copious amounts of beer, eat Taco Bell at least twice, get very little sleep, and essentially make all kinds of bad decisions. Oh yeah, I’ll see some music, too.

As I approach the hotel’s entrance I see a woman and two men walking the opposite direction. I freeze, mouth agape. “I think that was Chrissie Hynde,” I tell my friend. He’s already 10 feet ahead of me, unaware of what just transpired. “I’m going to go ask her.” I retreat, even jog a little. I get within a few feet of them and I stop. Why did I stop? Because I’m afraid that a) if it isn’t Chrissie Hynde, this woman will think I’m some sort of a jackass and b) if it is Chrissie Hynde, she will think I’m some sort of a jackass. Why does this bother me? Because I’m a jackass. But that was absolutely, without a doubt, Chrissie Hynde.

I’d only been to the Crystal Ballroom once before to see The Hold Steady. It’s cavernous. The wooden floor bounces. James Brown has performed there. The Electric Prunes, too (not together, though that would have been incredible). Ted Leo and the (& the, + ) Pharmacists have already started their set. I’m not super familiar with his newer music—the only album I own is Treble in Trouble—but this is rock ‘n’ roll. And Leo shreds on guitar. And the large crowd loves it. And that was Chrissie Hynde. I pogo in the beer line, order a $3.75 PBR (which, with a squeeze of lime, turns into a $6 Corona), pogo some more. Repeat three times. And Leo + Pharmacists exit the stage.

The Thermals get better looking with each album (is that even possible?). And they played a lot of songs from their latest, equally attractive, album Personal Life. But before doing so, they led off with “Here’s Your Future” from their masterstroke The Body, the Blood, the Machine. I think even the uninitiated could point out The Thermals’ evolution based solely on this set. The no-frills punk of songs like “No Culture Icons.” The lithe rage of “St. Rosa and the Swallows.” The it’s-always-sunny-in-Portland power pop of “Now We Can See.” And the economical, moody New Wave of “Never Listen to Me” from Personal Life. But every song bounces (more so than the floor). And The Thermals have turned into great performers as well. Always fun. Kicking off the encore with a cover of Weezer’s “My Name is Jonas” didn’t hurt, either. Rivers Cuomo keeps getting weirder. The Thermals keep getting better.

Decisions, decisions. Do I listen to the little angel on my shoulder and see David Bazan? Or do I go with the devil telling me to go to the Baroness show at Dante’s? I listen to neither, and instead listen to my friend who’s hell-bent on seeing Bazan. I’m game … besides isn’t Bazan more Godless than the four members of Baroness combined?

I’m glad—nay, ecstatic—that Bazan is playing with a band again. I love his voice. I love the weird little chords and dynamics he inserts into his songs. But most of his songs trudge along at the same pace—without more guitars, it would be nap-time. Of course, there are his lyrics. And the obligatory Q-&-A sessions, where members of the audience ask Bazan why he turned his back on Christianity. Oh, and he does write some great songs (Pedro the Lion’s Achilles Heel is one of my favorites). It was a lively performance, and I’m pretty sure Bazan is more exited than I am to be playing with a full band again. Because he said so.

I’m getting tired. I pull out my notebook and scan my MFNW checklist: Copious amounts of beer? Check. Taco Bell? Very little sleep? Check and check. And deciding not to talk to Chissie Hynde would definitely be considered a bad decision (because that was definitely Chrissie Hynde). Check. See you tomorrow, MFNW.

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Tags: Chrissie Hynde, David Bazan, MFNW, Taco Bell, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Thermals

The Thermals get personal

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 2 Comments

Betcha didn’t see that headline coming. I admit I’ve had a bit of a crush on The Thermals for a few years … who in their right mind wouldn’t?

The trio’s latest platter Personal Life finds a poppy middle ground between 2004’s Fuckin A and Now We Can See, which was released just last year. There are still a couple of catchy “whoa oh whoa” songs, but the production is a little grimier thanks to Chris Walla, who coincidentally also produced Fuckin A. Bassist Kathy Foster wrote many of the songs this time around, which coincidentally pushes the bass to the front and allows guitarist Hutch Harris to lay off the power chords and add smaller brush-strokes of noise (listen to “Never Listen to Me” … no really, do not listen to what the song is telling you). Personal life is also the first record since Fuckin A to feature a drummer that isn’t Foster—Westin Glass steps in and ramps up the rhythm section into a lean, mean rock ‘n’ roll machine.

And in case you couldn’t tell from the title, this is not an album about the state of affairs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but rather the proven themes of love and relationships. In fact, most of the song-titles sound like they were pulled from one of those State of the Union-type conversations between two (three?) lovers. Stick around for the hidden track, “Mark Lore Has a Crush on The Thermals.”

“I Don’t Believe You” - The Thermals

Video for “I Don’t Believe You” feat. Sleater Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein

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Tags: Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster, Kill Rock Stars, MFNW, Personal Life, The Thermals, Westin Glass

The Thermals: O Canada!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 2 Comments

The Thermals released a new song today in honor (or should I say, honour) of the winter Olympic games being held in Vancouver. “Canada” is available for download at iTunes, or you can cop yourself a free listen right here.

The song is true Thermals—catchy, raucous, fun, and it’s nice to finally hear drummer Westin Glass on a recording. Is it just me, or do the “Whoa whooooa whoas” throughout the song sound ready-made for a Pepsi commercial? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Tags: "Canada", The Thermals

Best of 2009: TDoL and the Furious 15

Sunday, December 20th, 2009 | musiX, pdX | 12 Comments

Seems like it was only yesterday that I was cobbling together the TDoL best of 2008. Yes, time flies when you’re old and surly. And, yes, I know year-end lists are everywhere, cliché, overdone and a dime a dozen—but I do love them so.

These lists are difficult to make, too. I mean who has time to really absorb a full record when you’re being bombarded with hundreds of albums and mp3s? It was chore to make a list that exorcised both my discerning (wax-clogged) ear and my (beer-besotted) gut—the “I can see what this artist is trying to do here” versus the “this fucking rules and I’m going to sing it at the top of my lungs in my car/boxers” if you will. I prefer the latter—less thinking involved.

The following is a semi-in-depth look at what I liked about music in 2009 … in list form. It’s a magical place where good and evil coexist, where big, dumb rock mingles with smarty-pants indie, a place where it’s Christmas year-round. But before we get down to it, I’d like to present to you the following pre-list list.

Thing(s) to do after reading the TDoL Best of 2009:
1. Leave your own list in the comments.
2. Harshly ridicule and mock my list, also in the comments.
3. Praise my list for its fine taste and heterogeneousness.
4. Tweet/tell your friends to read it and do the same.
5. Explain to me what the hell heterogeneousness means.
6. Click on the album cover to purchase.
7. Note there is no Animal Collective on this list …
8. … or Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
9. But there is a KISS on my list.
10. Thank you for reading.

15. Pacific Dust - The Mother Hips (Camera Records)

After years of wrestling with major label politics and personal demons—all of which led to members taking a two-year hiatus—The Mother Hips came back to release one of their best albums in 2007’s Kiss the Crystal Flake. Pacific Dust feels like its sister record, the Hips again playing to their strengths—gorgeous Bee Gees-inspired harmonies, pop hooks, country licks and the occasional Sabbathian riff. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Mother Hips are criminally underrated.

“Young Charles Ives” - The Mother Hips

14. Crack the Skye - Mastodon (Reprise)

I’m still trying to figure out how Mastodon became so popular among non-metalheads … though they aren’t your typical metal band. With Crack the Skye Mastodon has created a sweeping monster of a record that piles riffs on top of mind-bending prog passages. It’s as beautiful as it is brutal, sort of like Tool. And I guess if hipsters are listening to Mastodon, it means less time spent doting on Merriweather Post Pavilion and It’s Blitz … which is never a bad thing.

“Divinations” - Mastodon

13. Amorum Tali - Purple Rhinestone Eagle (Eolian Records)

Led by lanky guitar-whiz Andrea Genevieve, Purple Rhinestone Eagle strings together mighty riffs that crackle over the rib-rattling rhythm section of Morgan Ray Denning and Ashley Spungin. Amorum Tali (Talons of Love) stands firmly at the intersection between San Francisco flower power and Birmingham doom, especially on “Walk With the Wizard.” Add the fact that the lyrics often touch on deeper social and political issues and you have an incredibly potent rock machine.

“Walk With the Wizard” - Purple Rhinestone Eagle

12. Now We Can See - The Thermals (Kill Rock Stars)

The Thermals’ Kill Rock Stars debut doesn’t quite match the barbed nastiness of 2006’s The Body, the Blood, the Machine—it’s still intense, however, as guitarist/vocalist Hutch Harris reflects on his time on Earth after offing himself in the very first song. Now We Can See is a polished piece of wicked pop punk—songs are more refined, hooks sharper. And it took only, what, three releases for bassist Kathy Foster to finally lay down some backing vocals? Now we can hear!

“I Let It Go” - The Thermals

11. Popular Mechanics - Surrogate (Tooth & Nail)

Surrogate hails from Chico, Calif., touring only occasionally and putting out some incredible pop records on a label that puts out some incredibly god-awful records. Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Chris Keene has come into his own after playing hired gun in his previous band Number One Gun, writing smart, earnest, well-produced indie rock that should make fans of Nada Surf take notice. Keene’s influences are all over the map, but it only takes one spin to make Popular Mechanics feel like home.

“Whiskey (Vomiting Words)” - Surrogate

10. Wilco (The Album) - Wilco (Nonesuch)

Well, hand it to Jeff Tweedy and Co. for coming up with their most experimental album title in 2009. So the music within doesn’t come anywhere near the eclecticism of masterstroke Yankee Hotel Foxtrot —it’s simply another tried-and-true batch of songs that further cements Tweedy as one of the great tunesmiths of his generation. And musical wunderkinds Glenn Kotche and Nels Cline again show magnificent restraint. I just like that Wilco continues to simply do what comes natural.

“Country Disappeared” - Wilco

9. Power Move - Screaming Females (Don Giovanni)

Screaming Females got a lot of play at TDoL this year, usually in my car as I was being transformed into a screaming male. The aptly-titled Power Move is a fuzzed-out, riff-laden rock ‘n’ roll that shrewdly pulls from each of the last four decades. The highlight, of course, is Marissa Paternoster, the band’s 5-foot-2 guitar goddess who cranks out noodly solos over an air-tight rhythm section. Album opener “Bell” shows that, as is the case with most shredders, it’s usually the riffs that really scream.

“Bell” - Screaming Females

8. Breaks In the Sun - WEINLAND (Badman Recording Co.)

What strikes me most about Portland’s WEINLAND, is the Jekyll and Hyde they pull with their recordings and live shows. Although Breaks In the Sun comes from less of a dark place than 2008’s La Lamentor, there’s still a calmness and beauty to it. Adam Shearer’s hushed vocals are the centerpiece, floating through emotionally-charged country folk songs brimming with pop hooks. Live WEINLAND transforms into a gritty bar band that would probably buy you a beer. It’s rather impressive.

“Autumn Blood” - WEINLAND

7. Love and Curses - Reigning Sound (In The Red)

It’s unfortunate that Greg Cartwright is known only by weirdos who still like to spend hours scouring dusty bins for records by dead people. Love and Curses is the North Carolina quartet’s first record of new material since 2004, and big guitars and swirly organ still rule here. Cartwright’s voice is a little more ragged this time around, but he sure knows how to convey tenderness and despair whether he’s representing the everyman or a jilted lover. Yes, everyone should listen to more dead people.

“The Bells” - Reigning Sound

6. Sonic Boom - KISS (KISS Records)

Chaim Witz and Stanley Eisen made good on their promise to deliver a klassik KISS album, and the former’s songs are the best of the bunch … don’t tell him I said that. Sonic Boom is one kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll party loaded with sexual innuendo, cheesy lyrics (I’m talking Easy Cheese between two slices of Velveeta sprinkled with Cheetos), riffs, cowbells, ripping guitar solos, walking basslines and anthemic choruses. Attn. hipsters: Wouldn’t it be totally ironic if you played this at your next party?

“Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)” - KISS

5. S/T - The Yule Logs (self-released)

A holiday album on a year-end list? Take away the snow, Santa and menorahs and you’re left with some damn catchy songs with Brit pop jangle and Beach Boys harmonies. The hardest working band in snow business plows through classics as well as a few equal-opportunity originals like “Hanukkah Mambo!” and “Christmastime Is Here (Again!).” And I’ve been listening to it non-stop since August … which means either I’m weird, or it’s just that good. Probably a little of both.

“Christmastime Is Here (Again!)” - The Yule Logs

4. Seconhand Runner - Bodhi (self-released)

Bodhi’s influences are as clear as day—Bowie, The Stooges, Gary Numan—yet they manage to end up sounding like nobody but Bodhi. “Kids Are So Nice” is a fine slice from MTV’s early days when new wave, Nina Blackwood (and videos) ruled. Brian Carr’s voice is the glue that holds the myriad influences in place, even when the band decides to throw a new wave country song into the mix (”Bystander”). Went from 0 to No. 4 on my year-end in less than three weeks.

“Kids Are So Nice” - Bodhi

3. S/T - Harper Simon (Tulsi/Vagrant)

“Shooting Star” grabbed me before I even knew who Harper Simon’s pops was. Simon’s debut is a love letter to Nashville. He recorded there, recruited producer Bob Johnston (Nashville Skyline) as well as noteworthy Nashville musicians including pedal steel player Lloyd Green (Sweetheart of the Rodeo). Not surprisingly, he ended up with a beautiful, warm country record. Simon can’t help but sometimes sound like his father Paul—not a bad thing unless, of course, we’re talking about Graceland.

“Shooting Star” - Harper Simon

2. S/T - The Pains of Being Bure at Heart (Slumberland)

Boy-girl harmonies, jangly guitars and hooks up the wazoo (which is less painful than it sounds) reign throughout the New York quartet’s debut. As guitarist/vocalist Kip Berman explained to TDoL earlier this year: “I feel that pop is so wonderfully broad a style of music that you could never ever get bored or fully exhaust it—it’s infinite.” With all the press that TPoBPaH received in 2009, it’s nice to know that they aren’t interested in resting on their laurels. Hell, they might actually be in this for the long haul.

“Young Adult Friction” - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

1. And Girls Club - The Strange Boys (In The Red)

In The Red put out some incredible records this year from King Khan and BBQ Show, Reigning Sound and Thee Oh Sees, but nothing grabbed me as immediately as the debut from Austin, Texas’ The Strange Boys. The combination of chops, songs and enigmatic confidence made these young(ish) boys sound well beyond their years. The band doesn’t go for lo-fi or silly garage-rock aesthetics, instead churning out no-nonsense, R&B-fueled rock ‘n’ roll that falls somewhere between Meet the Beatles! and Bob Dylan’s Newport Folk Festival performance. Guitarist/vocalist Ryan Sambol coyly unleashes his general disaffection through nasally vocals, while jangly guitars and a booming rhythm section crank out the soundtrack for a misfits sock hop. Effortless and fun. Come to think of it, the only thing lo-fi about The Strange Boys might be the album’s cover. But who really looks at those anymore?

“This Girl Taught Me a Dance” - The Strange Boys

The Best of the Rest of the Best …

Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors

Paint the Fence Invisible - Drug Rug

To Be Still - Alela Diane

Rose City - Viva Voce

Survival Strategies in a Modern World - Liechtenstein

Tags: Alela Diane, Amorum Tali, And Girls Club, Best of 2009, Bitte Orca, Bodhi, Breaks In the Sun, Crack the Skye, Dirty Projectors, Drug Rug, Harper Simon, KISS, Liechtenstein, Love and Curses, Mastodon, Now We Can See, Pacific Dust, Paint the Fence Invisible, Popular Mechanics, Power Move, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Reigning Sound, Rose City, Screaming Females, Secondhand Runner, Sonic Boom, Surrogate, Survival Strategies In a Modern World, The Mother Hips, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Strange Boys, The Thermals, The Yule Logs, To Be Still, Viva Voce, WEINLAND, Wilco, Wilco (The Album), year-end list

Now You Can Win: The TDoL Thermals Contest

Monday, March 16th, 2009 | musiX | 8 Comments

I’ve made a damned fool of myself with how often I’ve mentioned The Thermals in this space. I will not apologize. Only a few weeks to go until the release of The Thermals’ new record Now We Can See (out April 7 on Kill Rock Stars).

To help celebrate the event The Days of Lore, in conjunction with the fine folks at InSound, is holding its first-ever contest called—Now You Can Win: The TDoL Thermals Contest. The winner will receive a very snazzy Thermals T-shirt, which can be viewed right … here. The winner also gets a free download of the new record. Is there any way I can enter my own contest? I’m being told that I cannot. OK then.

All you have to do is write your favorite Thermals lyric in the comments section of this post and provide your name and e-mail address. Also, if you’re on Twitter—and I know you are—Tweet your pals about the contest … Tweet, Tweet! Deadline for entries is midnight (PDT), Monday, March 30. The winner will be announced that same week on Friday, April 3, and the loot will be sent right to your door. Total retail value of this package: PRICELESS.

“Now We Can See” - The Thermals

“An Ear For Baby” - The Thermals (The Body, the Blood, the Machine)

Hutch and Kathy performing “I Let It Go” for an MTV feature on PDX music

Tags: Kill Rock Stars, Now We Can See, Now You Can Win: The TDoL Thermals Contest, The Thermals

The Thermals: Top of the pop

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | musiX | No Comments

Like I said, you haven’t heard the last of me doting over the new Thermals album (out April 7 on KRS). A few weeks ago I posted the demo version of the excellent “I Let It Go.” Today the band released the title track to Now We Can See—a shiny, sparkly piece of pure power pop that might be poppier than anything they’ve ever popped out. If you’re not humming along to the chorus after listening, ask a friend to hold a mirror up to your mouth.

“Now We Can See” - The Thermals

Tags: Kill Rock Stars, Now We Can See, The Thermals

Now we can see … and hear

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 | musiX, pdX, politiX | No Comments

I awoke this morning to the scent of hope … and coffee. And it smelled so good. Yesterday, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America, and with that, things have already changed. His speech was good—not great—I’ll give it a 7.5. Put it next to any speech by George Walker Bush, and it’s an 11.5. Aretha Louise Franklin’s performance: a solid 10. She still brings it. So, enough talk about her hat.

With all of these feel-good feelings and scents and sounds I was reminded of my interview with The Thermals’ Kathy Foster in December. I asked her what the new record would be like given the changes taking place in the Oval Office. Of course, 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine was a punchy punk rock diatribe on the state of affairs under neo-conservative Christian influence. Foster calls Now We Can See (out April 7 on KRS) more of an “Obama record.”

“It’s mostly written from the perspective of someone who’s died and is looking back at their time on Earth, realizing their own mistakes and those humanity has made. Now we can see! Yes we can!”

I like her feel-good optimism. The new album is one of my most highly anticipated—i.e., you haven’t heard the last of me doting over Now We Can See. Now you can listen.

“I Let It Go” - The Thermals (demo, Now We Can See)

Tags: Aretha Franklin, Barack Hussein Obama, Kathy Foster, Now We Can See, The Thermals