Upcoming Show: Rocky Votolato at The Picador in Iowa City 9/18

Photo by Alicia J. RoseA tip of the hat to John Fisher at the CD Warehouse in Cedar Rapids for the heads up on this one– Barsuk artist Rocky Votolato will be playing the early show at the Picador in Iowa City on Tuesday, 9/18. Doors at 6PM, this is an all-ages show and tickets are $7 in advance.

John turned me on to Votolato and his new release The Brag and Cuss, which came out in June. He said that he sells out of this album every time he plays it in the store. I gave the album a listen from the Barsuk site which is streaming the whole album. Give it a listen. I recommend picking this one up.

Since this is a mid-week early show I will plan to hit it with a camera. The opening acts are Portugal the Man and The Great Depression.

Other tour dates coming up for Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato Official Website

Rocky’s MySpace Page

Download “Postcard from Kentucky” from The Brag and Cuss

Tortoise Live in Minneapolis 6/30/07

Tortoise Set List 6/30/07 Sherry and I managed to get three trips to Minneapolis in June– the first two trips were weddings of cousins of hers and the last trip was to see Tortoise at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. I hadn’t been to the Cedar before so I was interested to see what it was like. This would be the first time I have been able to take decent pictures of Tortoise– the last time I saw them was in 2005 in Madison with Daniel Lanois. My pictures from that show were taken with my Treo. This time I was able to bring in my new 10 Megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XTi and my super-fast Canon EF 55mm f/1.8 lens that allowed me to take these accompanying shots without a flash. This lens is $75 and everyone should have one!

While the show was General Admission, I incorrectly assumed that it would have theatre-style seating the way the Barrimore in Madison did. The Cedar is laid out like a gymnasium. There were three sets of three rows of seats along the walls. Thankfully we showed up early enough that we could get seats, but they were on floor level with the standing crowd so sitting in the seats meant you couldn’t see the stage. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get very close to the stage for shots head on, so the best shots were from the left side of the stage.

The opening act was Make Believe. I hadn’t heard of them but they were apparently a touring version of the band Joan of Arc. Looking at some stuff online tonight, apparently the lead singer left the band the show after this one. Frankly, the band really had a problem with the lead singer as far as a number of folks that I talked to were concerned. The band was loud, angular, dissonant like Sonic Youth in their punkier days. The lead singer was really not too interested in being there based on the wandering between-song cracks and dialog with the audience. My wife said that she could deal with the band and that they were pretty good, but the singer didn’t seem to be in sync with them. I would agree. We’ll see what happens with Make Believe if they get a new singer.

Doug McCombs Tuning the Bass VIJeff Parker Tuning Up

After a quick break that had Tortoise setting themselves up– you have to respect a band that still lugs their gear– Tortoise hit the stage and performed what was the best show I’d seen in the four times I’ve seen them since 1998. I think that it helps that they have been touring most of these songs since 2005’s It’s All Around You. These songs and transitions have become very tight and Tortoise seemed very comfortable– they were even talking to the audience! Listening to my collection of live recordings of Tortoise dating back to their first gig in 1992 I very rarely hear much commentary from the band save an occasional “Thanks!”

Herndon and Parker on the Pad

After a funny exchange with the audience about this being an all-ages show and some cracks about how old the band is, they launched into a great “Magnet Pulls Through > Eden 2” followed by “Five Too Many” and “Ten-Day Interval.” The band had done this particular line up of songs earlier in the tour and someone online referred to this as the “number” set of songs.

Tortoise

The rest of the set contains many of the standard songs the band has been playing on tour drawing mainly from the last three albums– It’s All Around You, Standards, and TNT with the occasional song from the first two. That night the band seemed particularly inspired and energetic. I understand that Tortoise is already working on the next album and I hope that this burst of energy means that this album will be as strong as the last three.

Bitney, McEntire, Parker

I’m always astounded by the lock-step drumming that McEntire and Herndon execute on the songs where there are two drummers. It seems to require what would be heavy concentration– with McEntire’s “thousand-yard stare” that has been commented on. McEntire and Herndon provide their drumming prowess in Bumps with Dan Bitney which is a side project that has created a record of beats on the hiphip label Stones Throw.

The encore was a surprise as they did the equivalent of two encores! We were also treated to an “Omnichord” which is always a welcome sonic blast. During the encore, Dan told the audience that they would be covering “Sailing” by Christopher Cross or “Baker Street” as a tribute to songs played at weddings. Instead we were treated to a soaring finale of “Salt the Skies.”

Doug McCombs

A fantastic show that makes me anxious to hear what’s next for Tortoise.

During the teardown, I asked one of the guys helping for a copy of the setlist– that is the handwritten abbreviations at the top and left of this article. This one was taped to Doug McCombs’ pile of effects pedals.

I managed to connect with the taper of this show and I’m working with him on the setlist and edits. I will be seeding this as a torrent on bt.etree.org in the future.

New Addition: 2005 Fender Standard Telecaster

2005 MIM TelecasterI wasn’t expecting to pick up another guitar so soon after the purchase of my American Hardtail Strat in May– nor was my wife, really! Thankfully, Sherry has been very cool about my recent guitar purchases and tries to understand the necessity for more than one 6-string electric!

I subscribe to an e-mail search of the Cedar Rapids Music-Go-Round on Fender Guitars and saw this 2005 Made-in-Mexico Telecaster aka “Standard Telecaster.” I thought it looked very clean and was a unique combination of Arctic White with a white pickguard and maple neck.

Initially I debated about whether I liked the color combination. I went in and played it a couple of times and eventually decided that it was as nice a Tele as I am likely to see used. MGR doesn’t get a lot of Telecasters in and eBay prices seem to be a bit inflated in my opinion. So, I traded a couple of effects pedals I wasn’t using– an Ibanez TS808 Original Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro Guitar Effect Pedal and a Boss OC-3 Super Octave Pedal I bought back in the early-Nineties for use with my bass that I never really used.

I’m really happy with it. Overall, I’d be pretty hard-pressed to find anything about it that seemed lower quality than an American version of it. The fit and finish are very good and it is a decent playing guitar. Nice clean slappy twang to it that sounds great through the homebrew tube amp I’m using. Sherry says that she prefers the tone of this guitar over my other ones.

I paid $299 before my pedal trades and it came with a non-Fender gig bag. A very good deal considering that it looks and plays new.

Check out the Fender Standard Telecasters at Reverb.com!

Fender Frontline Finally “In Home”!

At long last I received my Frontline In Home yesterday. I’d assume most of you who signed up have also received yours. It is received with mixed feelings, however. I’m a bit disappointed with how small it is– it’s about 5 1/2 x 8 1/2″ and around 35 pages. The old Frontline was magazine sized and much thicker. I liked to have the big catalog as a reference of the current line. This version of Frontline is really more of a way for Fender to send out updates on new gear and interesting stuff with the idea that the reader would visit fender.com or their dealer to get details on the gear included or to get information about other products not included.

Included in this issue is a tear-out card that will give the holder a free T-Shirt after they get it signed by their local Fender dealer after they test drive gear. Not a bad deal. I can always use more Fender-wear. I’ll likely go get that signed this weekend.

Other interesting content includes a bit on the Andy Summer Tribute Tele (apparently this went to press too early to include the Joe Strummer Tribute), The new “Pro” series Strats and Teles which have the “most requested modifications offered by the Custom Shop,” the Limited Edition ’57 Stratocaster which celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the ’57, the Vintage Hot Rod Series which brings back a Telecaster with a humbucker in the neck postition in the Fender line, a couple of entries in the Squier line including an SSH Tele (when is a Tele not a Tele?) and another with a humbucker in the neck position . We are also introduced to the unexpected (at least by me) Squier Drum line.

I hope that we see more mailings from Fender and other giveaways would be cool, too.

Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell (review)

New Maps of Hell by Bad ReligionBad Religion was one of those bands that I had heard of but never had the opportunity to hear prior to this release. New Maps of Hell marks the fourteenth release by Bad Religion in their 27-year history. Those 27 years have seen the band with a number of member changes– this version of Bad Religion is a superset of the vocalists, guitarists and bass player the band has had over the years. The core of the band is the three original members Greg Graffin (vocals), Brett “Mr. Brett” Gurewitz (guitars), and Jay Bentley (bass). Added to them is Greg Hetson (guitars) from the legendary Circle Jerks and Brian Baker (guitars) from Minor Threat. On drums for the last three albums is session player Brooks Wackerman who does a capable job catapulting the avalanche of guitars on this album. With a pedigree like this you would expect a textbook execution of punk and hardcore.

Except it really isn’t.

New Maps of Hell seems to me to be the refinement of– and possibly the development of– the punk and hardcore sound that the members of this band helped define in the ’80s and ’90’s. With a lot of help from Grammy-nominated producer Joe Barresi who worked on albums from Queens of the Stone Age, Tool and Weezer we have a very polished and consistent record– almost RADIO FRIENDLY. The album’s first single “Honest Goodbye” is being pushed to alternative markets already. That is a good midtempo rocker to bring the appeal to the masses with its anthemic lead vocals from Graffin and sunny almost Queen-like harmonies.

I’ve had the opportunity to listen to this album during my morning commute for a couple of weeks. Initially I was a bit put off by the fact that all of the songs have exactly the same production, but it is a grower and I found myself singing along with the choruses on most of the songs. Some standout tracks are “Honest Goodbye,” “Heroes & Martyrs,” “Dearly Beloved,” the rallying cry of “New Dark Ages,” “Lost Pilgrim.” “Before You Die” sounds like a song Green Day wishes they recorded.

The album’s lyrics, while not specifically political in nature, deliver a message of disappointment and disillusionment with the current state of Western society. It is this frustration that propels the tempo and mood of the album. A consistent snapshot of the Summer of 2007. Forty years after the Summer of Love we are living the same hangover that followed it.

In a recent interview with Mr. Brett by Billboard about New Maps he states that the original plan for the album was for it to be a two record affair with more variety of style and technique– a sort of White Album that would allow them to revisit their older sound. I think that would be a good next move the band. The album wraps up with “Fields of Mars”– a song with pianos in the opening and bridge that seem out-of-place on this album but that possibly hint where they might have gone.

Be sure to catch Bad Religion this summer as part of the Warped Tour which will be playing near you.

Click Here to listen to “Heroes and Martyrs” from New Maps of Hell.

Bad Religion’s MySpace Page with a number of tracks from New Maps

Bad Religion’s Official Web Page

Get New Maps of Hell from Amazon.com

Travel By Sea Signed to Autumn Tone

Travel By Sea, a band that I reviewed over a year ago on thishere blog has been signed to Autumn Tone. Autumn Tone is a label run by the folks at the great music blog An Aquarium Drunkard. The fantastic Shadows Rise will be reissued by Autumn Tone followed by a new album by the end of Summer titled Days of My Escape.

Congratulations, guys!

Click Here for “Complete Shakeup” from Shadows Rise

B-Sides in the Bins #13 – Cedar Rapids 7/11/07

Tuesday was new release day, and we had a couple of examples of the recent practice by record labels of including Bonuses to incent Joe Recordbuyer into purchasing. Two of the more interesting releases were Interpol‘s Our Love To Admire and Spoon‘s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and both had bonus material available. Interpol had a 7″ single of “The Heinrich Maneuver” with an instrumental version of “Mammoth.” These were available via independent record resellers. Spoon had a version available of their new CD that had a bonus disc of what appears to be demos and outtakes titled Get Nice. It isn’t clear to me which stores/outlets had this version. Target was the only Sunday supplement that mentioned the bonus CD. The other advantage of purchasing this from Target is that this week it is $7.98!

Unfortunately, the bonus CD didn’t include a tracklisting! I could only identify one song, which was a demo-sounding, stomping (literally) version of “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.” When I ripped the disc with iTunes, it actually came up with a track list for this release. Either the label did this, or a very informed fan. For the folks who are concerned, here is the tracklisting for Get Nice:

1. I Got Mine
2. Be Still My Servant
3. Leave Your Effects Where They’re Easily Seen
4. I Summon You (Cool)
5. Mean Mad Margaret
6. Love Makes You Feel
7. You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
8. Tasty Fish
9. Dracula’s Cigarette
10. 1975
11. I Can Feel It Fade Like An AM Single
12. Curfew Tolls

While I was looking for some information on these releases, I stumbled into a really cool blog dedicated to vinyl and bonus releases called SixtyWatt. One to add to the RSS reader.

Pterodactyl to Play the Picador July 25th

Image by Jesse JaneUpcoming on the area concert calendar is noise-rockers Pterodactyl who are touring in support of their first full-length release on Brah Records which is either self-titled or Blue Jay. Pterodactyl will be playing the 19-and-over show at the Picador in Iowa City on July 25th with openers The Tanks, Banana Hands, and The Slats. Doors are at 9PM.

Brah Records is the vanity label spinoff of Jagjaguar co-managed by members of Oneida and is also home to Oakley Hall who opened for Calexico when they played the Englert last September.

Pterodactyl’s new record is a buzzy, banging frenetic record with bouts of melody. Should make for an interesting evening.

Here are the other dates on their Summer Tour:

Thu. July 12
Brooklyn, NY @ Don Pedro’s

Tue. July 17
Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
w/ the Death Set & Ponytail

Wed. July 18
Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
w/ Team Robespierre, Jerk

Thu. July 19
Lexington, KY @ TBA

Fri. July 20
Bloomington, IN @ John Waldron Arts Center

Sat. July 21
Detroit, MI @ Scrummage University

Sun. July 22
Chicago, IL @ Ronny’s (Mauled by Tigers Fest)
w/ Underground Railroad to Candyland, The Bananas and Shellshag
2103 N. California Ave.

Mon. July 23
Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock

Wed. July 25
Iowa City, IA @ The Picador

Thu. July 26
Fargo, ND @ Aquarium

Mon. July 30
Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern

Tue. July 31
Portland, OR Holocene

Thu. August 2
Oakland, CA @ 21 Grand

Fri. August 3
San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
w/ A-Frames, Pyramids

Sat. August 4
Glendale, CA @ Scene Bar
w/ Indian Jewelry, Nymph

Sun. August 5
Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space

Tue. August 7
Austin, TX @ Emo’s

Wed. August 8
Houston, TX @ The Proletariat

Thu. August 9
Shreveport, LA @ Jack Rabbit Lounge

Fri. August 10
Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree

Sat. August 11
Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn

Sun. August 12
Mount Pleasant, SC @ Village Tavern

Tue. August 14
Chapel Hill, NC @ Night Light

Thu. August 16
Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

Here is the band’s website

Here is the band’s MySpace Page

Click Here to Download “Polio” from their newest album.

Click Here to Download “Esses” from their newest album.