05.28.09
Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Don't Care, Sunday at 6:06 pm by jpnance
If the reader will allow me to use the phrase “post-Soundgarden”, I think that’s probably the best way to describe Toadies at this point. Of course, they’ve always had that grunge sound but now Todd Lewis actually kind of sings like Chris Cornell. They use some funny time signatures, too. Really, the main thing distancing these guys from early ’90s Seattle is how unexperimental they are, an artistic reflection of how society doesn’t care about progress anymore, no doubt.
I’ll just say it: No Deliverance is listenable but pointless. I see the live set being long-winded and overdone, kind of like Queens of the Stone Age a couple of years ago. Admittedly, I’m also worried that when they bust into “Possum Kingdom”, I’ll be vividly reminded of high school. Nobody wants that.
THE VERDICT: Nah, there are better uses of my Sunday time. Wait, are there?
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Don't Care, Saturday at 3:52 pm by jpnance
The Departed was a fine movie but maybe it wasn’t worth it. Flogging Molly contributed the trademark tune “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” to the soundtrack and now you hear that song all the freaking time. Whether it’s playing on the radio loudspeaker at the bakery or being used as a minor league ballplayer’s intro music, the city of Boston is happy and I simply don’t care for that.
Oh, wait. That’s a Dropkick Murphys song. How embarrassing.
Am I gonna check out the Flogging Molly set? Yes, for a few reasons, not the least of which is that sometimes punk shows are just inexplicably fun. In the spirit of this guide, though, do I especially care whether or not I see the show? I really can’t say I do.
THE VERDICT: I don’t care but I’ll likely end up there anyway.
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05.27.09
Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Sunday at 5:08 pm by jpnance
This is probably as close to a no-brainer as you get for me. I don’t really expect Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears to just utterly blow me away or anything.
Well, no. I guess I kinda do.
Loud blues with a horn section and a smattering of funky licks are the quickest path to my heart. With tunes like “Sugarfoot” and “Boogie”, these guys have no excuse not to have a hugely fun live set. One thing I’ve noticed while listening through Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! is that there aren’t really any solos of note. I guess they’re trying to keep the tunes accessible but I hope the ACL venue gives them an opportunity to go crazy. Just a thought.
THE VERDICT: Duh.
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Sunday at 5:08 pm by jpnance
This is probably as close to a no-brainer as you get for me. I don’t really expect Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears to just utterly blow me away or anything.
Well, no. I guess I kinda do.
Loud blues with a horn section and a smattering of funky licks are the quickest path to my heart. With tunes like “Sugarfoot” and “Boogie”, these guys have no excuse not to have a hugely fun live set. One thing I’ve noticed while listening through Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! is that there aren’t really any solos of note. I guess they’re trying to keep the tunes accessible but I hope the ACL venue gives them an opportunity to go crazy. Just a thought.
THE VERDICT: Duh.
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Sunday at 4:17 pm by jpnance
As I listened through the first few tracks of To Lose My Life…, the debut album from White Lies, I was readying a favorable post. I was gonna talk about how I didn’t understand what everybody’s problem was with this post-punk sound — example: Pitchfork thinks the entire Killers catalogue is mediocre and they generally didn’t like this record. It seemed fun enough to me and I really kinda dug the grandiose tunes.
Then, around track five, it started to hit me. They all just sound the same. I get tired of hearing myself say that but it’s just so true. “Death”, the opener, is totally not a bad song at all. In fact, if I’d heard it on the radio, I’d probably have thought to myself, “wow, that Killers song was actually pretty good!”
Hm, yeah, now I’m starting to understand.
THE VERDICT: Eh, I’d still kinda like to stop by. What can I say?
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05.26.09
Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Friday at 8:33 pm by jpnance
![Walter \"Wolfman\" Washington](http://whattheballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/walter_wolfman_washington-281x300.jpg "Walter \\"Wolfman\\" Washington")
It’s strange how vividly I’m able to predict how some of these acts will fit into my schedule. With a very high degree of certainty, I can say that Walter “Wolfman” Washington will garner at least a few songs worth of my attention at the WaMu tent on Friday afternoon. I mean, I say this not taking into consideration the other Friday acts and, of course, having no idea what the actual schedule will be, but I’ve been through this song and dance before. Funky blues will get a hold of my ears and not let go.
It’s not even that Wolf Tracks is that interesting to me (it’s fine but I wish it was more upbeat). I can just clearly imagine the set being engaging, having huge solos and audience interaction, and just generally being a fun time. It certainly doesn’t hurt that twelve-bar blues is one of my favorite sounds. I guess my high school obsession with Tower of Power is still latent in some capacity.
THE VERDICT: Pretty much automatically.
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Friday at 8:33 pm by jpnance
It’s strange how vividly I’m able to predict how some of these acts will fit into my schedule. With a very high degree of certainty, I can say that Walter “Wolfman” Washington will garner at least a few songs worth of my attention at the WaMu tent on Friday afternoon. I mean, I say this not taking into consideration the other Friday acts and, of course, having no idea what the actual schedule will be, but I’ve been through this song and dance before. Funky blues will get a hold of my ears and not let go.
It’s not even that Wolf Tracks is that interesting to me (it’s fine but I wish it was more upbeat). I can just clearly imagine the set being engaging, having huge solos and audience interaction, and just generally being a fun time. It certainly doesn’t hurt that twelve-bar blues is one of my favorite sounds. I guess my high school obsession with Tower of Power is still latent in some capacity.
THE VERDICT: Pretty much automatically.
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Friday at 7:20 pm by jpnance
Where do I begin?
I have to admit that I must be a terrible Austinite. I had no clue where the famous “Hi, How Are You” mural came from before I started looking into Daniel Johnston a few days ago. Let’s get this clear: Songs of Pain is really good. I imagine I’ll enjoy a decent chunk of his other albums when I go through them (I already know I love “Walking the Cow”). Beyond that, some of the covers of his songs are wonderful — see: TV on the Radio’s “Walking the Cow” and Beck’s “True Love Will Find You in the End”. Johnston is, it seems, an Austin icon in every sense.
That said, I seriously can’t decide if I want to see this set or not. By all accounts, Johnston is a severely overweight man whose mental health is sharply deteriorating and, frankly, I just don’t know if I want to experience it in person. I was already afflicted with Bob Dylan a couple of years ago and I see this being eerily similar: a bunch of people cheering and applauding because the man is trying his best. I suppose I can’t very well say that I “don’t care” about Johnston’s show but, wow, I’ll have to keep thinking about this.
THE VERDICT: Ick. I guess so. I’m pretty terrified, though.
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05.21.09
Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Saturday at 7:46 pm by jpnance
Ah, yes. I was wondering when the Austin Kiddie Limits stuff would start showing up. As far as a children’s entertainer goes, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo isn’t bad at all. He touts his music as “hip hop for kids with the sound that’s all grown-up” and, really, he’s not far off. If you’ll allow that the rhymes are gonna be cute and uplifting, “Gotta Be Me” is actually a pretty fresh song. “Luck” and “The Last Dragon” aren’t as catchy but, you know, I’m glad somebody is tapping this market.
Will I bother, though? Admittedly, it wouldn’t be the first time I trekked over to the Kiddie Limits stage. I made sure to see what Ben Kweller was up to over there a couple of years ago. If the timetables are permissive, I could see myself catching a song or two. I bet the kiddie breakdancing floor (a real thing) will be going nuts.
THE VERDICT: I wouldn’t say I’m “looking forward to it” or anything but, yeah, we’ll see.
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Posted in ACL 2009 Preparation, Care, Saturday at 7:09 pm by jpnance
I admit I’m probably a sucker for dance rock but I still think The Virgins are legitimately good. Although I’m a year late hearing about their self-titled record, I’m glad I did. The whole album is absolutely worth listening to but, if I’m picking out some highlights, don’t you dare miss “Rich Girls”, “Fernando Pando”, or “One Week of Danger”.
The production is polished and the licks are sharp, sure, but let’s not miss the point: this set is gonna make people get up and dance. There’s no way I’m missing that. I just want to entertain the delusion that I’m on to these guys before anybody else.
THE VERDICT: Oh, absolutely.
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If the reader will allow me to use the phrase “post-Soundgarden”, I think that’s probably the best way to describe Toadies at this point. Of course, they’ve always had that grunge sound but now Todd Lewis actually kind of sings like Chris Cornell. They use some funny time signatures, too. Really, the main thing distancing these guys from early ’90s Seattle is how unexperimental they are, an artistic reflection of how society doesn’t care about progress anymore, no doubt.
![Walter \"Wolfman\" Washington](http://w2.whattheballs.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/walter_wolfman_washington.jpg "Walter \\"Wolfman\\" Washington")
