My Kind of Lover

I can't say enough good things about this band Locksley. Last week I wrote a little about 'em. It's like if late '60s garage bands had access to better production. And lived in our time. And came from Wisconsin. Listen to it. Now.

LINK: Locksley

Don't Make Me Wait

Click that picture up there. Listen to the song "Why Not Me." Do it. Right now. What are you thinking? Supergrass? The Kinks? The Sights, maybe?

I doubt you're thinking that this is the sound of four guys from Wisconsin who moved to Brooklyn, NY to get more attention for their band. But if you did, you'd be right. Funny, six years ago Detroit would've been the place for a band like this to move to for attention.

Simpler in influence than the Arctic Monkeys, younger than Supergrass, and more British Invasion than the Sights are these days, Locksley has a chance. This is one of those bands who critics find it so easy to discuss and throw around comments like 'pop-infused hooks' and 'punk enthusiasm'. Neither of those would be wrong, but it would be unjust to bestow such tired cliches on a band that does what they do so well.

It is poppy and hooky and they most certainly have a punk energy running through their songs. In fact, I'm quickly reminded of The Exploding Hearts who had a very similar sound, but theirs was more rooted in '70s power-pop. The boys in Locksley seem almost too good to be true with their hooks and all four of 'em taking turns singing. I swear I'm listening to The Raspberries or The Move or Badfinger or The Kinks. And just like the Exploding Hearts, these guys took a sound that they liked and made it their own.

The album doesn't sound forced, nor does it sound completely derivative. Original and fun and upbeat with good lyrics. They don't fuck around.

Go here to check out their MySpace page, and here for their site.

Papillon de Madame

It's been a few weeks now, and I've been listening to this CD on and off, and I really like it. Singer-songwriter-ish vocals and lyrics with minimal electro beats. Lots of bleeps and bloops. But it isn't arrhythmic like Solex, and it isn't folky like Beth Orton. It's just...nice.

Lisa Papineau has already made a name for herself as a vocalist with Air and M83, and now she has her very own solo album. But she didn't do it all by herself. You'd think she did if you read the liner notes and saw what all she played...but she didn't. She had help. Thomas Huiban is credited with bass, synthesizers, singing, beats, triangle, kalimba, and guitar. Matthieu le Senechal Delosmone de Villeneuve played the Rhodes piano, clavinet organ, guitar, mandolin, accordion, synthesizers, sang, and made some beats. Then Bob Merrymountain created the string arrangements, played synthesizers, percussion, sang, and did some live programming and choreography (?). Lisa gets in on it with melodies, words, singing, beats, bells, synthesizers, cymbals, guitar jack, and one lousy Rhodes part. That's all verbatim from the liner notes. We are also told that Lisa Papineau endorses chicory, a pleasing non-caffeinated warm beverage.

Despite all of this instrumentation, "Night Moves" is a very subtle record. And Bob Seger is nowhere to be found. This is decidedly not a rock album.

I'm a fan. But I don't like the track "Shucking. Jiving." It sounds like a Meg Lee Chin outtake, and I never liked her stuff all that much anyway.

In the Morning of the Day

I think it was sometime before the movie Goodwill Hunting made Elliott Smith an indie-folk god when a million and one of my female friends were pushing him on me. He was good at what he did, he was a great songwriter, very talented, but I'm not so into it. I don't know why. Sometimes, I just can't get down with the sad bastard music.

But sometimes I can. When I first put in this new CD from Goldenboy, I immediately thought of the new-ish songs that Kevin Shields did for the Lost In Translation soundtrack. So I started listening to the rest of the album, and it is sad bastard-y, but I still like it. I hear some Johnny Marr in the music, and some Kevin Shields as well as Elliott Smith in the vocals and lyrics. It's textured and poppy.

Goldenboy consists of Shon Sullivan and Bryan Bos. Apparently Shon toured with Smith years ago and he referred to Sullivan as 'Goldenboy'. It's taken a couple weeks, but these two are growing on me. Their new album "underneath the radio" comes out on October 3rd. I have a track you can check out, it's called "Summer of the Evening." You can check out more songs on their MySpace page, and if you click on the picture above, you can check out their regular site.

God Gave Rock and Roll To You

Tonight I attended a show at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit. This is the full title of the show: Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents the Rolling Rock and Roll Show delivered by the AT&T Blue Room. Did you get all of that?

I wasn't going to go this show...part of me wanted to see it, but part of me thought that $20 was too much. The latter part of me had it right the first time. A friend invited me to the show yesterday, and when I say invite, I mean she said she would put me on the list. I agreed to go, but then changed my mind because I've been out a lot lately. This afternoon my roommate talked me into going. So, for me, this show was sponsored by Deanna (guest list add) and Mike (drinks). Thank you. It was worth it at least to see what it was all about.

This night of the tour had The Sights opening. I've supported the Sights ever since their first shows - through five drummers, two organ players, and at least three bassists. I love seeing them. But I didn't absolutely need to see them tonight. Next up was The Gore Gore Girls. I've never really been a fan, but I have to say they are sounding better than ever. Then there was Atlanta's The Woggles. Those guys were doing this garage rock thing when I was in grade school. The first time I saw them in the late '90s, the only people there were people who are all local rock stars now. Speaking of local rock stars, I couldn't flick a cigarette at tonight's show without hitting someone who's put out a record. The Woggles fucking rocked, and I'm really glad they were getting some exposure. They did it right, too. Lots of energy, tight songs, and the singer hung out in the crowd for a few times, dancing with cute girls and singing to us on our level. I really appreciate that kind of thing. Except when Eric Davidson of the New Bomb Turks does it - he's kind of a prick when he's in 'entertainer' mode. After the Woggles came Mooney Suzuki. They've always been pretty good live, but their over the top rock star schtick is exhausting. At this point in their career, they're venturing into territory that is already well covered: bland poppy rock, the kind of stuff meant for car commercials (incidentally, two of their songs have been in national car commercials).

Finally, the headlining act came on: The Zombies. This was the band that I really wanted to see. I can see those other guys anytime. The billing for the band lists them as "The Zombies" with 'Colin Blunstone - Rod Argent' in smaller print below it. That's because they were the only original members of the band onstage tonight. I'm fine with that, they were the songwriters, Blunstone was the lead singer with that smooth voice (and he still has it!) and Argent's organ provided the backbone to the band's sound. So it's a good thing, right? Maybe. Bass was provided by Jim Rodford, an old friend of the band who played on many Kinks records back in the day. His son was playing drums, I can't remember his name. Guitar was played by some other guy whose name I forget, but he played with Howard Jones and a bunch of other people. Whoever he is, he's quite capable, I just don't remember his name.

Argent dominated the show, and I don't just mean his onstage banter, I mean his fucking songs dominated the show. Did you know that after the Zombies broke up in '67, Rod Argent formed a new band and called it Argent? I always thought that seemed kind of pompous to name a band like that. Anyway, the band Argent also featured Jim Rodford, the same Jim Rodford who played bass with 'The Zombies' tonight. And tonight's setlist featured four Argent songs. That was about three too many. I only say three because Argent had one redeeming song: "God Gave Rock and Roll To You," and they played it at tonight's show. Let me tell you Rod Argent looks like a pedophile. I won't qualify that, but I'll give you a picture of the band Argent from 1973. Argent is second from the left and Rodford is third from the left.



He looks harmless enough, right? Here's what he looked like tonight:



See what I mean? Fucking creepy. He was such a completely pompous asshole. I was so sick of it, I was ready to leave, but then Blunstone announced they were going to play some tracks from their one full-length album Odessey & Oracle (that's the way they spelled it). Good. That was what I wanted to hear. I didn't go out tonight to hear Colin Blunstone's '80s solo hit of the Jimmy Ruffin song "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted." Nor did I come out to hear Rod Argent brag that Jimmy Ruffin once said in an obscure BBC interview that Blunstone's cover was his favorite cover of the song. I also didn't come out to hear Rod Argent fucking brag about someone giving him an award because "She's Not There" has been played five million times on American radio. I fucking wanted to hear some good psych-pop. It took them long enough. It was torture sitting through the first two Argent songs...awful, awful metal-ish crap.

Overall, I have to say it was good to hear Colin Blunstone sing in person. Jim Rodford is an excellent bassist, and the drummer and guitarist were quite capable as well. But Rod fucking Argent...that guy irritates me. Watching his shit-eating grin every time people applauded was the most painful thing...the band should've been billed as Rod Argent, featuring the other guy who sang for The Zombies. That's what it felt like. He kept announcing the Odessey & Oracle songs like it was a revelation to realize how good they are. I'm guessing that's why they only played a couple songs off that album...even they don't get it, that was the best stuff from them. Memorable, influential, and extremely relevant. I wish they saw it that way.

Power and Glory Part One

Lisa Papineau is a singer who has so far made her name as a vocalist with Air and M83. So it should come as no surprise to hear that her first solo album is a similar affair, but it's a bit more stripped down. Her breathy vocals remind me of Lori Carson, and her lo-fi electro sound mixed with organic instruments is a sound reminiscent of Beth Orton. Unlike the latter, Ms. Papineau's sound is a little less folky, and more pop. But not Britney Spears pop, you know what I mean.

Click the album cover below to check out the video for the song "Out To You," and trust me, it's more than just what you see in the first few seconds.

Then you can click on this picture of the artist herself to hear her song "Shucking. Jiving."

Then you can go out and buy the record, cuz it's already out and it's called "Night Moves."