Heavy Metal Detektor

MusicOMH's Top 50 of 2008.

2008-12-04T08:44:00.002-05:00

MusicOMH.com is one day away from releasing the last of its Top 50 albums of 2008.

Doesn't the picture say it all?

Check out older reviews by yours truly in spots 12 & 11. I can sure pick 'em, huh?

Ra Ra Riot - Tallahassee - Club Downunder.

2008-10-09T11:19:00.002-04:00

We in Tallahassee are blessed. No one in their right mind would think that Tallahassee gets some of the greatest acts in the world to come perform on a dinky little stage for a small group of usually unappreciative college kids. But over the years I've seen some of the best live acts around today grace Tallahassee's stages.

If you want big names, how about Dick Dale, Wilco, Andrew W.K., and Spoon? If you want increasingly popular bands, how about Rilo Kiley, The Hold Steady, Death Cab For Cutie, and so on and so on. If you want semi-obscure bands, how about getting an average of two unsigned bands (or bands on very tiny labels), some of which actually make it to the big leagues? We got those. And I've seen them all. In Tallahassee.

I was absolutely floored last night when Ra Ra Riot rolled into town.

Everything they did was synchronized without being mechanical. They were one of the fastest bands to set up after their openers that I've ever seen, and that gets points right off the bat. They also played all of their songs super-fast, which usually doesn't work for me since I know the recordings so well. But this time, it just blew me away -- they were done with their set and going into their encore (no bullshit offstage time spent fucking around in the greenroom) 45 minutes in. I wanted 45 minutes more.

Onstage, everyone in the band moved with the music. Even when one guy was playing only a tiny keyboard for a song, he was leaning into it, getting real low, involved. And it wasn't cheesy at all -- it was organic. They really liked it. A lot of band members were singing along with the songs while playing, but not into a microphone. I usually hate this in bands, but in this one, it just worked out so well. They actually liked playing for us.

Two girls on strings (electric cello, electric violin), one guitar, one bass, one drummer. And it was beautiful. Everyone could play well, and everyone did. I lose words for these sort of performances -- they transcend language. Even the words they're singing don't matter (even though they're very good).

I was really excited, because I didn't know how the material on record would translate on stage. But they nailed it. So much better than the recording, but at the same time, now I have more respect for their album. Which I had written a review for.

Definitely in the top ten percent of concert experiences for me. And I didn't even like the opener.

Radiohead @ Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, 6 May 2008

2008-05-08T23:19:00.000-04:00

Radiohead @ Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, 6 May 2008
by: Justin de la Cruz

***

I'm allowed to post this in all of my online outlets (e.g. Facebook, blogs) because it was the pinnacle of a series of jaw-dropping concerts that I've seen within the last couple of months. Caribou w/ Fuck Buttons at Club Downunder, Elf Power at the Beta Bar, and now Radiohead at the weirdly shaped Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa. I am truly lucky to have seen all of these, but Radiohead was head and shoulders above the others. They rival Wilco at The Moon as my favorite concert experience now...

Band of Horses at Beta Bar, Easter Sunday 2008

2008-03-26T11:55:00.003-04:00

Link to review at musicOMH.com

I've started writing reviews for musicOMH.com, which will likely cut into my already lackluster efforts here. HOWEVER, for things they don't need/want reviews for, I'll still post them here. Like, pretty much, every show in April:

3 April - Tokyo Police Club (I've seen them at the same venue before)
4 April - The Weakerthans
7 April - Caribou (with Fuck Buttons opening)
10 April - Iron & Wine (with Califone opening)
17 April - British Sea Power

CDU Beta Bar

Bill Callahan at CDU 2/19/08.

2008-02-26T14:55:00.003-05:00

With a persistent, haunting baritone voice, Bill Callahan (formerly Smog or (Smog)) took the stage at the Club Downunder last week with an acoustic guitar, an electric lead player, and a drummer with a great big bushy beard.

He played a taut set of polished songs with similar structures -- the song would start off brooding, floating along until a big, bright chorus hit in, or the band would just start rocking out.

Callahan's past fourty and has been writing and performing songs for twenty years, so I'll forgive him if his songs do not have much variety. He's evidently found his niche. It was a pleasant (if not life-altering or eye-opening) performance, and Callahan didn't overstay his welcome. Even when the crowd expected an encore, after only just about an hour set, the band did not return.

(Check out a recent review of another Callahan show on Pitchfork.)

Best and Worst of 2007

2008-01-09T10:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay -- I know you've been on the edge of your collective seats.

I must admit that I don't consider myself an expert in the review of any medium, and thus the following lists are just expressions of my amateur opinion based on personal reactions to these albums. ("Best and Worst" just sounds so much better than "Favorite and Least Favorite.")

Note that I also list these in reverse order (compared to other places), for suspense.

Best Albums of 2007

5. Kanye West - Graduation:
I had only heard the singles from this when I got it, and I really wanted to like it, since I had reinforced my love for The College Dropout (listening to it repeatedly while delivering pizzas) over the summer.
After the first full listen through, I was kind of disappointed that there weren't any really huge numbers like "Jesus Walks" or "Gold Digger," but I gave it some time, and it grew on me. Certainly not your typical 2007 rap offering.

4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
It took me about two weeks to cleanse myself of all the Internet hype surrounding this release before I listened to it. A once-through was again not as satisfying as I thought it would be, but after some time, I've decided that I enjoy it more than Hail to the Thief and that it will probably grow on me more.

3. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Solid album from a solid group. I've been streaming it since about a month before it came out, but I still bought it anyway. Avoid the "bonus" disc that came with the first copies like the plague.

2. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Another strong album from another strong (albeit less consistent and less predictable) band. There was little indication that the album would turn out this way, and I was hoping that the song "We Can Make It Better" would be on there somewhere, since it was played live and was even in a commercial.
Speaking of Wilco live, Kicking Television kicks ass, but even moreso, Wilco themselves kick the most ass live. A profoundly spiritual sensation, Wilco performing at the Moon in Tallahassee was one of my favorite concerts. Ever.
And for some reason, I have to keep holding the torch high for this album. I'm not sure what it is -- most likely the laid back style following the experimental nature of A Ghost Is Born -- but many people's hobby in 2007 was slagging Wilco for Sky Blue Sky. Whatever -- more for me to enjoy myself.

1. The National - Boxer
There was really no indication that Boxer would grow to become my favorite album of the year... except that The National had brought one of my favorite performances from a previously unknown band to CDU before, and that their previous album, Alligator, had slowly wedged its way into my constant listening rotation.
So following another wonderful concert from The National, I bought Boxer and popped it in the stereo. I didn't have much of a response to it, but after a while I realized I was listening to it every day. And I liked it. And I continue to do so, hence its place at the top of my list.

I feel like a pretty lame listener to only have five albums to write about for 2007, so I will now mention the not exactly worst, but ...

Most Disappointing Albums of 2007

5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
4. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
3. Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
2. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
1. Ted Leo - Living With the Living

They all suck. Just kidding. These were just disappointing because I had really loved all of these bands' previous efforts, and my dollars and senses were dashed by how little I liked these new releases. I'm not sure - maybe these will turn up on a "Change of Heart" list in the future, but for now...

Queens of the Stone Age @ The Moon

2007-09-26T20:01:00.000-04:00

John Homme led the Queens of the Stone Age to The Moon last Thursday (Sept. 20) night.

Opening bands Dax Riggs and Howlin' Rain failed to catch my attention. (Sometimes you can just tell by the band name, right?)

Riggs had already started when I got there, half the band naked to the waist, and the singer doing his best Nickelback over the lighter-than-Nickelback backing band's sounds. It was painstakingly mindnumbing until the singer introduced one of the later songs -- "Ride the Death Wall" -- by simply uttering "Ride the Death Wall" right before going into the song. Then it got funny.

Howlin' Rain executed a performance of a less embarassing level, keeping the set short despite its long and rambling songs. The band emitted a strong "southern rock meets jam band" sound, playing out an instance where CCR met a jam-hungry Dave Matthews, or possibly ... Bad Company met Trey Anastasio. The result was that it wasn't nearly as painful to listen to as Dax Riggs, and it was short.

Queens of the Stone Age then took the stage after a brief time to show the first two bands how it's done. Homme ripped through a virtually banterless performance, pounding away with the band with no concern for dynamics. It was just loud.

I have a limited listening history with the Queens (amounting to the radio airplay plus one day of downloading a few songs) and the concert, albeit outright loud and rockin', did not persuade me to investigate further into the recordings. Heck, if I didn't get in for free, I wouldn't have paid $20 to see the band (and if I did pay that for whatever reason, I don't think I would have enjoyed it enough to rationalize the spending).

One of the key moments of the night came when the otherwise silent Homme started yelling after the completion of a song. He was upset about a pair of guys near the front of the stage who apparently were intruding on other people's good time. He said something along the lines of "I'm not playing another note until these guys are thrown out." And I was surprised, because less than five seconds following, a bouncer came over and started pointing and escorting the guys off.

I've been to a lot of shows and have put up with various levels of crap. I was glad these two were thrown out, because Homme had given them a warning about 10 minutes before, and they were still acting up. It was a sweet revenge against all the people who talk at movies, push in crowds, and are just, generally, jerks.

So, enjoy a song that was sadly not performed at The Moon:

Queens of the Stone Age - Make It Wit Chu

Move over to the band's MySpace for two songs that were performed -- "3s and 7s" and "Sick Sick Sick".

John Vanderslice with Bishop Allen - CDU

2007-09-20T08:28:00.000-04:00

Last night delivered a concert that I expected: a pleasant opening band followed by a lackluster (but not bad) headliner.

Bishop Allen, a band I knew only through supermusic Blog You Ain't No Picasso (which I read, yes, only due to MDL [-- BTW, thnx, d00d; P.S. getta new Blog, L0l]), performed opening duties for John Vanderslice Wednesday night at CDU.

The place was well populated by the time I rolled in at 9:33 p.m., and the band was already well into what I assumed was their opening song. I got an immediate "ultimately indie" vibe from the band's dress -- button-down shirts topped tightly fitting pants, strands of hair conveniently obscured the singer's face. The drummer was in a cowboy garb, complete with cowboy boots.

The songs were okay. Not very innovative, never threw any curves, but delivered in melody and soundscapes. The band had a pretty good lead guitar player who had some interesting sounds to complement the essentially powerpop nature of the band. Bishop Allen's stage presence left a little to be desired, although they were certainly not the least energetic live performers I've seen (Tapes n' Tapes comes to mind).

It was a pleasant set marked by some interesting numbers here and there. Definitely not anything to write home about (though something to Blog about, I suppose). Not a performance that makes me seek out recordings, but if I had spent up to $5 to see the band, I would not have been disappointed.

Speaking of recordings, Bishop Allen ventured to release a separate EP each month of 2006. I can admire the dedication needed, and just the idea itself, although it seems a bit gimmicky.

John Vanderslice soon followed, with a band of apt musicians. They were able to make some neat sounds, combine some cool elements, have a drummer that also played keyboard (Bishop Allen's drummer doubled on glockenspiel from time to time). But for the most part, I just wasn't impressed -- much like the first two times I saw JV at CDU. There's an element of playing it too safe involved in his performances, coupled with a lack of fast-paced tunes. I can handle cutesy songs about a bunny that ran away backed by electronic beats and sounds, but you could speed it up about 10 clicks to get something going every now and again.

Vanderslice can put together a recording, but it seems he cannot rock out. (Again, I must note Tapes n' Tapes with respect to this.)

I suppose I will have to wait an excruciating 12 hours to get my rock on at the Queens of the Stone Age show tonight at The Moon.

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

2007-09-13T08:35:00.001-04:00

I thought it necessary to Blog one of my favorite current bands (just check out the title of this Blog), and I was just given a strong reason to when Spoon appeared on Leno earlier this week. The performance is a very nice indication of what to expect at The Moon in a couple months -- a top-notch original band with deep groves and tight hooks locking in together.

03/26/08 Edit: I've replaced this video with a YouTube of the same song at a different live performance. The Leno video was great, and the following fact still applies. I've read that, with this performance, Spoon was the first band from Merge Records (which hosts Arcade Fire, Dinosaur Jr., and Superchunk, among others) to play Leno.

For Spoon's latest, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the band revisits its earlier aesthetics following the marvelous albeit meandering Gimme Fiction. Outside of the catchy, sparse, and minimalist single "I Turn My Camera On," Fiction teemed with rambling songs that differed from previous Spoon outings, requiring a degree of patience and repeated listenings to fully appreciate it. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, however, strives to catch the listener on the first pass and keep him hooked, much like earlier albums Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight.

In fact, Ga could be seen as a compromise between Girls' infectious grooves and Moonlight's experimental nature. Ga offering "The Ghost of You Lingers" immediately reminded me of the arguably superior experimental effort "Paper Tiger" from Moonlight.

Album opener "Don't Make Me a Target" could be the most typical Spoon song on Ga (not necessarily a bad thing), while the middle section of "Don't You Evah," "Rhthm and Soul," and "Eddie's Ragga" display the band's ability to form the deepest of grooves. And although every song could be considered "pop" to a degree, horn laden tracks "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" and "The Underdog" constitute some of the best offerings of the pop realm by an essentially "indie" rock band. (I don't think Spoon is inherently indie outside of being on an independent label. Britt Daniel has acknowledged a significant influence from indie icons The Pixies, but also from mainstream groups like Fleetwood Mac and The Clash, and given the right opportunity -- this album release, for example -- I think Spoon could do very well in a Wilco-esque realm of mainstream rock without national radio exposure.)

At under 40 minutes, Ga clocks in at what Daniel would consider to be a perfect album length (he cites Beatles albums in his argument), and the surprisingly short running time for everything that is happening during the course of the recording certainly demands repeated listens. Longtime Spoon fans shouldn't be disappointed with this group of songs, although it does veer away from Fiction territory and heads a little more towards pop territory. But rest assured -- Spoon is one of the few amazingly consistent recorded bands in existence. The band takes its time to deliver excellent recordings every time, and it's about time that it is getting the attention it deserves in the form of TV spots, movie soundtracks, and general pop culture awareness.

The National - Club Downunder

2007-09-12T02:51:00.001-04:00

(Photo by Abbey Drucker. L to R: guitarist Aaron Dessner, singer Matt Berninger, drummer Bryan Devendorf, guitarist Bryce Dessner, and bassist Scott Devendorf)

Brooklyn quintet The National performed to an unusually responsive crowd at Florida State's Club Downunder Tuesday night. Touring in support of the recently released Boxer, The National exhibited its craft of atmospheric sounds, driving beats, and chilling, emotional lyrics to a sizable crowd (70+) of mostly college-aged young adults.

Previous visits to Tallahassee yielded significantly smaller turnouts for the group, a fact recognized by singer Matt Berninger early in the set. This time around, the band was embraced by an energized core of young people near the stage, who jumped up and down and danced frantically around Berninger whenever he ventured into the crowd.

One of the noted hallmarks of The National sound is a competing dichotomy of rhythm section versus accompaniment. What makes for a fantastic live experience is the seemless combination of a driving, almost dance-y rhythm section and a floating accompaniment in the form of guitars and keyboards. Berninger is in a sense the lukewarm water of the music, asserting his lyrics sometimes very rhythmically, other times floating along with the guitars.

The other striking thing about The National's live sound are the dynamics. Many bands tout themselves as the loudest thing around, others introduce loud sections with tiny sections of quiet brooding, and still others distinctly separate "soft" songs and sounds from "loud" ones. The National moves effortlessly from one plain to another, and the mix was so remarkably refined at Club Downunder that listening without earplugs was a viable option, even in trying to keep track of every sound that was emanating from the group. That said, when The National wanted to rock out, it certainly rocked out, complete with a touring violinist who went violently insane at certain times throughout the performance.

All of the musicians in the group are an artful, talented bunch. Drummer Dryan Devendorf rivals Larry Mullen Jr. as best human portraying a robotic drummer. Although his movements are slight, Devendorf's drumming is hyponotic and precise. Both guitarists flaunt picking and lead lines drenched in reverb and chorus, as well as very clean, crunchy tones. Berninger ties everything together with a strong baritone that prevails even during the noisier sections. When everything comes together and ascends out of the softer sections, it seems like the sounds expand the physical space of the club itself, pushing everything outwards.

The live show was definitely a thing to behold. The first time I saw The National (also at Club Downunder), I left feeling genuinely concerned about singer Matt Berninger. The emotion put into each National show is a thing rare to behold in any band.

The National performing "Fake Empire" - The Late Show with David Letterman - July 24, 2007

Guitarist Aaron Dessner mentioned that the intial chord structure for "Fake Empire" (the opening track on Boxer) was created the last time that the band was in Tallahassee -- on the piano in Club Downunder's hospitality room.