Victor’s guest tomorrow on Expanding Awareness will be discussing dowsing (in olden times called water witching).
Victor Robert Venckus presents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. The broadcast is now archived for two weeks. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
It was a quote from a song off their new CD, “Colonia”, that was quoted in last week’s Phoenix that piqued my interest and got me out to see this show. “Love is stronger than Jesus. Don’t you know that love can kill anyone? So bring it on.” The tracks I heard on MySpace sounded quite promising, poppy and yet with that darker tinge that instantly reels me in. But that’s all I knew. I never heard of Nina Persson’s previous band The Cardigans (with whom she gained worldwide popularity, though of course that passed me by completely). So I saw this band without knowing really anything at all about them, and maybe that’s the best way to first see someone. It was a smallish but enthusiastic audience (120-130?). I knew this would be interesting when I saw their stage setup – a few intriguing looking floor lamps, small tables with tablecloths on which various pieces of their equipment were placed… as I was enveloped in this mood of cabarets and salons, I was thinking it would not be out of place for her to sing while stretched out on a divan.
Nina Persson of A Camp
Indeed, Nina Persson is quite an elegant chanteuse with a gorgeous voice, but she also has an edginess that comes through in her lyrics and performance, which really appealed to me. For A Camp, she’s accompanied by her husband Nathan Larson (soundtrack composer and formerly with Shudder to Think) on bass and Niklas Frisk (Atomic Swing) on guitar. I’m going to take a rough stab at this and say Kevin March on drums and Anna Ternheim on keyboards and backing vocals, but someone please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m going by a half-heard band introduction and names off the new CD, so my apologies to band members and fans alike.
I’m not generally a huge fan of what I’ll call schmaltzy show tunes, but while I definitely hear a bit of that in their sound, it’s mixed with ’60s pop, ’80s New Wave, and even some country in her vocals (I guess A Camp’s debut album, back in 2001, had more of a country influence). Which all makes for an interesting and I felt surprisingly effective combination. It just works. There’s also Nina’s stage presence, which is magnetic and inviting. The way she segued between her brief, sweet song introductions and her performance, along with the rather majestic musical arrangements, gave the show a theatrical air.
It was a dramatic opening with “The Crowning” (first song from their new CD Colonia), which is a deliciously subversive show tuney piece with tinkly toy piano and acerbic lyrics of a royal coronation. They followed with a mix of tracks from their two albums including a Daniel Johnston cover “Walking the Cow” (on their first CD), and a Grace Jones cover, “I’ve Done It Again”. Nina and Niklas performed the duet “Golden Teeth and Silver Medals” (from the new album) which normally would be way too schlocky for my tastes, but done live in the subterranean Middle East turned cabaret for this evening, I really enjoyed it, and they harmonize beautifully together. “Bear On The Beach” was incredibly lovely, followed by another standout, “I Signed The Line”. I quite liked “Algebra” as well (from their debut CD), but I don’t have that one yet so I’m not as familiar with it. They finished with “Stronger Than Jesus”, and came back to do two encores, to rapturous applause.
Highlights for me from their new release, as I’m listening to it now: “The Crowning”; “Stronger Than Jesus” – a playful sixties sound belies the bitter, cynical lyrics, with the great line “We’re believers trusting strangers, any monkey looking like a savior”; “Bear on the Beach” – beautiful, breathy, wistful, with those lovely vocals; “I Signed The Line” – sweet song of marital regret; “It’s Not Easy to be Human Anymore” – very, very pretty, melancholy, dreamy orchestration with Nina’s crystalline vocals; and the delightful closer “The Weed Had Got There First”.
~ Setlist ~
The Crowning
Love Has Left the Room
Frequent Flyer
Angel Sadness
Walking the Cow (daniel johnston)
Golden Teeth
I’ve Done It Again (Grace Jones)
Bear On The Beach
I Signed The Line
Algebra
I Can Buy You
Chinatown
My America
Stronger Than Jesus
(encores)
Song for the Leftovers
The Weed
Note: Boys Keep Swinging (David Bowie, from his Lodger album) was on the setlist for the encore, but wasn’t played. Bummer!
They’re currently on tour in the U.S. and Canada. See their MySpace for their schedule. Highly recommended!
Well, I was going to drive into Boston to see if I could scalp a ticket to see The National at the sold out House of Blues, but 1) I’m still getting over a cold, 2) if I was in the mood for anything, it would be something “low-key”, which the newly opened HOB on Lansdowne Street clearly isn’t (yes, I’m still smarting a bit over the loss of Avalon and Axis, and haven’t been there yet), and 3) Leonard Cohen is in town next weekend, and I absolutely don’t want to be sick for that! So, to assuage my guilt, I’m going to do a mini-band profile for them.
I’ve only just began listening to these guys and have the middle two of their four albums – Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003) and Alligator (2005). Which are both wonderful. Their debut, The National came out in 2001, and their most recent, Boxer, in 2007.
Brooklyn-based, they’ve been around since 1999. Gorgeous baritone vocals (and lyrics) from Matt Berninger and two sets of brothers – Aaron and Bryce Dessner (guitar, bass, and piano – and Bryce on guitar) and Scott and Bryan Devendorf (Scott on bass and guitar; Bryan on drums). Padma Newsome, (from the Clogs) contributes strings, keyboards, and other arrangements. Grand, sweeping, lush, dramatic, literary and lyrical. I promise to revisit when I’ve had a chance to listen to everything.
They’re currently on tour around the U.S. (including the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago on July 18 and All Points West in NYC on July 31. From there, it’s off to Europe for various festivals and shows there. They’re also recording a new album, for tentative release late this year or early next year.
Victor’s guest for tomorrow on Expanding Awareness will be discussing homeopathic treatments for the swine flu and lyme disease.
Victor Robert Venckus presents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. The broadcast is now archived for two weeks. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
Victor’s Expanding Awareness program on Saturday featured Fiona Barrett of Beautiful Food Coaching, speaking about holistic nutrition. Extremely knowledgeable, she provided a lot of information about various foods for specific ailments and purposes, and this was probably one of the busiest “call-ins” for any program.
Victor Robert Venckus presents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. The broadcast is now archived for two weeks. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
One relatively new band I have been hearing about who I “would have seen had I been able to go to Coachella” is the Vivian Girls. When I heard they’d be playing at the Middle East Upstairs, I couldn’t believe my good fortune, as I assumed they were already playing places much larger than that. They were supported by the Libyans and Stupid Party, and judging from the quick listens on MySpace, I was prepared for a thrashy, garagy, ear-bleeding good time. I was not disappointed.
Not being a huge fan of hardcore and mostly wanting to the see Vivian Girls, I didn’t make that extra effort to extract myself off my island to get there in time for the opening band, the Libyans, and so I arrived with just a few songs left. I walked in to an aural maelstrom led by a crazed banshee of a lead singer who I instantly liked (a lot), so it’s a shame I missed most of their set. They have a few singles and EPs available, and have been compared to the Avengers and Angry Samoans – just to give you a rough idea of their sound. Fortunately they’re Boston-based, so hopefully I’ll be able to catch them again. I did, however, arrive in time to hear her reassure the shell-shocked audience “it’s ok, we just have two more songs”, to which some guy said “one more!”, which she promptly fired back with “fuck you!” They then assaulted us with two final, minute-long machine gun blasts, and left the stage. Some guy right up front yelled out “play some more! Come on! Hey, I want my money back!”, in true scathing Bostonian sarcasm, making me, for one fleeting moment, quite proud.
the Libyans: definitely worth checking out, but perhaps not in a small, enclosed space
Their upcoming shows include June 18 at Gay Gardens in Allston and June 19 at “House” in Albany, New York (pretty certain this means somebody’s house and not a club called House; best to email them to find out where).
After my quick crash course in the Libyans, I scrambled around in my bag for earplugs and was marginally more prepared for Stupid Party. They’re from Brooklyn, NY, with band members “Chuck, Cory, and Johnny”, and they make one hell of a racket. In a good way. Although one gentleman at the back issued his one-word review halfway into their set – “BOR-ING” – and you can probably guess at the band’s response. Personally, I tend to adjust my expectations and what I’m looking to get out of the experience based on the style of music. With hardcore thrash, I’m not standing reverently with my ears uplifted to catch musical nuances and prosaic lyrics. I’m moving around (if I can), and letting the music do what it will. I know all the songs will sound relatively the same, maybe with a different beat here, some unusual breaks or phrasing there. I know it’s going to be fast and ear-splitting loud and if there even are lyrics, they will be wailed and shrieked and completely unintelligible; not meant to be grasped and understood, but rather part of the physical body of noise being hurled at you. You either absorb it or you don’t. They definitely had a groove going, helped in no small part by their astonishing and hyper kinetic drummer. A few people in the audience were swept up in the fury, causing them to leap around in an understandably manic, uncontrolled way. Plus the lead singer had a Ramonesy vibe about him – and a cool Sid & Nancy t-shirt (Nancy, as in the Nancy cartoon). How can you not like that?
Stupid Party
Upcoming Shows
May 19 2009 8:00P – Silent barn w/ shellshag, michael jordan, pregnant + a bunch more | ridgewood, New York
Jun 5 2009 8:00P – DON PEDROS: starcleaner party with shellshag, pregnany, little lungs, grass widow, more | brooklyn, New York
Jun 6 2009 12:00P – 106 emerson place. hillstock. we play at 9, but its an allday show! | brooklyn, New York
The Vivian Girls were the ones I came to see tonight and man, were they amazing! Cassie Ramone on guitar, Kickball Katy on bass, Ali Koehler on drums, and all three contributing vocals with beautiful harmony floating on top of an incredibly tight, wildly rocking fury of sound. The sheer beauty of what they do is far more apparent on their debut full-length album that I’m listening to now; their vocals unfortunately got lost in the mix at the Middle East. It’s the same complaint I always have at shows, and I do feel like a bit of a moron saying this about a punk show, but yes, it was too loud. No, I’m not your feeble grandmother, but the Vivian Girls’ hallmark is their lovely vocal contribution, in addition to some very pretty guitar that acts as a perfect counterbalance to the thrashing, and all that gets quickly lost when the sound is too loud (and poorly mixed). However, as the first time I’ve seen them, and in the presence of a “past-capacity” adoring audience at one of my favorite shoeboxes here in Boston in which to see a cool indie band, they more than made up for the lack of musical subtlety with a blistering performance.
Cassie Ramone of the Vivian Girls
I can’t speak to individual songs, as I’m just becoming acquainted with these lovely ladies from Brooklyn, but they drew us all in immediately upon taking the stage, and you can feel the chemistry they have performing together. Wonderfully garagy and raw, yet a sort of delicacy at the same time with Cassie’s lovely little guitar licks coming in every now and then, and those aforementioned sweet vocals, which – even with the throbbing intensity in that tiny room – you could still get a strong sense of. It was sort of like “wow, you know, I can just tell they’re really, really good. Guess I’d best pick up their album so I can listen to them”. Which of course, in the end, is exactly what you want.
Ali Koehler in a rare serene moment, otherwise this photo would have been just a blur! (she was incredible)
That crazy, wonderful chick from the Libyans who I now have a crush on (anyone out there know her name?) came up to play tambourine on one of the songs (somehow I didn’t quite see her as a tambourine sort of girl, but she was great fun and did just fine). They ended their set with a completely over-the-top and mind-numbing cacophony in which Cassie, Katy and Ali all changed instruments, mid-song, and continued to thrash away, Katy pounding away quite convincingly on the drums, and Ali and Cassie on guitar and bass respectively, alternately playing and pounding with tambourines.
"Kickball Katy" and "that crazy lady from the Libyans"
A deeply satisfying evening, and well worth the partial deafness in one ear.
[Note: the Vivian Girls are off to Europe now, but will be performing at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago on July 19]
Jai Uttal performing at the First Church in Cambridge
It’s probably best to begin this review with a description of what Kirtan is. From its Wikipedia page: “Kirtan (Sanskrit: “to repeat”) is call-and-response chanting performed in India’s devotional traditions.” I was first introduced to the spiritually uplifting Kirtan at one of Mirabai Devi’s public Darshans back about a year ago, so I knew I had to be here.
Jai Uttal is unusual amongst Kirtan performers, in that his music mixes the traditional devotional chant with world music, folk, funk – and with his most recent release, Brazilian rhythms, and even a bit of country blues. Personally, I tend to prefer my Indian chanting “straight up”, but this certainly makes for an interesting and intriguing show, and perhaps will be many world music fans’ introduction into Kirtan. Which is a cool thing indeed.
His performance this evening with Daniel Paul began with traditional Kirtan (on tabla and harmonium), with a super tuned-in audience chanting – and in some cases, dancing – along. Quite an overwhelming experience, even for a jaded Bostonian. Whether or not you have the belief, I think this type of gathering can’t help but affect one on a very deep level. A physical, emotional, and yes spiritual release. This was followed by his more secular world music, moving from harmonium to acoustic guitar, which was less pleasing for me, but clearly others felt differently, and the mix of different styles will likely appeal to a wider audience.
For the full experience of Kirtan, treat yourself to a public Darshan. Such events in the Boston area are regularly announced on Victor Robert Venckus’s Expanding Awareness program, so tune in!
On Expanding Awareness (WZBC 90.3 FM @ 10:00 a.m. or from their two-week archive) right now are Katja Swift and Mischa, once again discussing herbology with host Victor Robert Venckus. Katja Swift has been practicing clinical herbalism since 2001. She teaches regularly at the Boston School of Herbal Studies, and is presenting an ongoing herbal series in Brookline. Mischa offers herb classes at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and is an adjunct faculty at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Victor Robert Venckus resents his Lucid Sounds/Expanding Awareness program on WZBC 90.3 FM (Boston College Radio) every Saturday from 7am – 11am. He begins with New Age, ambient, Native American and world music, with a weekly astrology report from Dietrich Pessin at 9:30 am. Expanding Awareness is at 10am, featuring interviews on paranormal, holistic health, environmental, animal rights and occasionally human rights topics, with listener call-in participation. Victor has been on the air, in some guise or another, since 1975.
This past weekend turned out to be “Focus on Somerville”, a little stomp around my old neighborhood. I mourn the loss of The Someday Cafe and cheap apartments (long, long gone), but some of the bohemia of yore remains, and there’s still cool stuff going on.
A Tribute to Jonathan Richman and Benefit for the Somerville Arts Council
May 2 – PA’s Lounge, Somerville MA
The Family Jewels perform at PA's Lounge
An inspired event, for a most wonderful cause. The Somerville Arts Council presents a wide range of programs, from Davis Square’s ArtBeat to the Illuminations Holiday Tour. They aim to connect Somerville’s lively arts community with the general population of the city and surrounding areas. Ben Morse and Lou Bunk, both members of the Arts Council board, organized and hosted this great musical event at PA’s Lounge. The show featured 11 area bands performing onlyJonathan Richman songs (well, Asa Brebner and the Family Jewels cheated a bit and played covers done by Jonathan Richman, but he was forgiven, since he actually performed with the man. Speaking of Asa, it was a wonderful surprise to see him take part in this, and the place just exploded when he and his band came on stage. A truly fantastic performance.
The following is from my brief scribbled notes, and apologies to all the bands that came on after the Family Jewels, as I left shortly after that. If anyone reading this stayed later, please feel free to send along your thoughts and I’ll add them in!
I love how they organized this concert, with the “plugged in” bands on the main stage, and acoustic acts performing on the other side of the room in the corner, while each new band set up. Great idea, and it worked really well.
Merganser
Merganser (Somerville). Performed “He Gave Us the Wine to Taste It” and a few others. Nice sound with standup bass and acoustic guitar. Good stuff. Introduced as “music for indie moms”.
Lou & Emily
Lou & Emily (on “acoustic stage”). I believe this was Lou Bunk, one of the organizers, and he named a band that Emily plays with, but I didn’t quite hear it. They played “Party In The Woods Tonight”, “I’m So Confused”, “Everyday Clothes”, and the absolutely brilliant “Abominable Snowman in the Supermarket” (with Ben Boris – sorry if I don’t have his last name just right). They were truly spectacular.
Hot Molasses
Hot Molasses (Somerville). Another wonderful band (no one was “just ok” – everyone who performed was fantastic). They did “Girlfriend”, “Pablo Picasso”, and “Roadrunner”.
Young and Old
Young and Old (Somerville). I see in my rapidly degenerating notes “REALLY GREAT!!”. So they were. I also scribbled down “guitar & drums”, and their MySpace page doesn’t really say anything more than that (and in fact, not even that), so I’ll have to investigate further. They performed Jonathan’s version of “Amazing Grace”, “A Higher Power” (wonderful), and “Fly Into The Mystery” (also wonderful).
The Family Jewels
The Family Jewels w/Asa Brebner (Cambridge). I already mentioned them, but I’ll gush a bit more – my god, they were amazing! Asa Brebner I’ve heard of frequently, living in Boston as I do, but have never seen him perform. Can’t imagine why not, and I’ll be sure to see him again! He’s hilariously funny and quite an amazing guitarist as well. Legendary as he is on the local scene, I really have no excuse for why I hadn’t discovered him up until now, but well, now I have. A very sweet guy, too. He and the Family Jewels performed “Pretty Little Girl” (by Eddie & the Starlites – I think), “Ka Ding-Dong” (by Boston doo-wop group the G Clefs), and “Roadrunner” to a wildly enthusiastic, adoring crowd. Fantastic.
Two Thieves get ready to perform for the assembled masses
Two Thieves These guys were quite good as well – two acoustic guitars and vocals. I didn’t write down all that they played (three tracks I think), but one was the very lovely “Lonely Financial Zone”.
Throughout the year, Boston and surrounds have “open studios”, where local artists open up their studios (most often it’s their homes) to the public, to display and hopefully hawk their wares. Last Saturday was Somerville’s turn (and I believe Brighton’s as well). This is a chance for Bostonians to support their community artists, and a chance for my confidence to be restored that Somerville hasn’t been entirely turned into a yuppie suburbia, and that there are still wildly creative, interesting people living within its borders.
Due to time constraints, we decided to focus just on Vernon Street Studios, which comprises over 70 artists. To properly view the works of the hundreds of artists who take part in this, you would need weeks and not just one weekend.
The range of creative expression and amount of talent displayed in this one building is breathtaking. I’m no art critic, but I felt myself transported into different worlds as I walked into each studio; from small rooms with a handful of works, to large elaborate spaces with large paintings, unusual sculptures, and even a few video installations. Realistic portraits, romantic impressionist styles, found objects, three-dimensional paintings, impressive tile work, abstract art, expressions of nature, and some sheer whimsy. What I really like about these open studios is that you’re able to see the works and meet the artists where they create, and not in some formal, austere gallery. Each space carries the essence of that particular artist, their influences, themes of their work, personality quirks. This I feel enhances the experience of what must be one of the most direct forms of self-expression.
My two personal favorites…
"Untitled (after Velasquez's Las Meninas)" and "The Unreliable Narrator" by Ann Hirsch
Ann Hirsch Sculpture and mixed media. Her three-dimensional portrayals of monks (resin, wood, and digital print) are startling, vivid, ancient, and timeless. She also has beautifully sculpted monk figurines and powerful, intense and somewhat disturbing figures called “watchers”. This is the one studio I felt compelled to return to.
Ann Hirsch's studio
Beauty and the Beasties by Resa Blatman (from resablatman.com)
Resa Blatman Paintings & works on paper. Resa specializes in birds of all kinds (and bats) presented in these spectacular swirling patterns that are at once ethereal and whimsical. “Beauty and the Beasties” (featuring a large ostridge) is especially wonderful. My reaction at seeing this one in person was to at first burst out laughing, and then be drawn into the fine details of swirling patterns and other creatures that are woven beautifully into the design, including these “lacy bubbles” that appear throughout. For me, they seem like a sort of life essence that is oozing and dripping from her work. Very unique.
Another of the great, great bands on the Silverlake scene, Radars To The Sky has that wonderful sophisticated folk/pop indie sound with really smart lyrics that I was immediately attracted to when virtually exploring those bands regularly performing at places like Spaceland and The Echo. The husband and wife due of Andrew and Kate Spitser (guitar and keyboards) compliment each other beautifully, especially when also sharing the vocal duties, such as on the lovely “I Might”.
As far as I can tell, the current lineup is:
Andrew Spitser – guitar, vocals
Kate Spitser – keyboards, vocals
Dave Marchese – bass
Kenny Kupers – drums, vocals
Radars to the Sky debut EP (Feb. 2007)
Long Walk Home
Wave Bye to the Sun
Rude Surprise
Home for the Holidays
Basement
Long Walk Home – Right from the first song on their debut release, you’re struck by the lovely vocal interplay between Andrew and Kate, and the band’s bright, jubilant sound.
Wave Bye to the Sun – Highly literary quirky indie pop. Lyrically reminds me of Brian Eno’s solo albums.
Basement – Very different (and incredibly effective) vocal styling used for this one, half-whispered, quiet, introspective. Beautiful. “And it’s lonely in the basement of my heart, it’s even lonelier without you here, my sweetheart.”
The Big Bang EP (Dec. 2007)
I Might
Victoria
Prufrock
Zurich 1958
Big Bang
I Might – Simplicity and starkness of the song’s delivery underscores the rawness of emotions of an on-again, off-again relationship. The internal struggle, the indecision. Beautiful interplay of Andrew and Kate’s vocals.
“The rumble of each passing car, the tenor tone in a tender voice, the taste of bile at every call, the hope it’s him, the fear destroys my will. He calls, he begs, I bend, he leaves, I tell myself again, “I won’t let him back in.” But I might.”
Victoria – Bouncy dancy, pretty pop and Morrisey-like vocals from Andrew belies some ultra-heavy, haunting, disturbing lyrics. The result of the juxtaposition is incredibly powerful.
Live [Mondays [at the Echo] – April 21st, 2008]
(Spaceland Recordings)
You Take It To Heart (unreleased)
Prufrock
Victoria
Sunk My Teeth (unreleased)
Selfish Kids (unreleased)
Zurich 1958
Age of Consent [New Order]
Long Walk Home
I Might
Big Bang
line up for show – Andrew, Kate, Kenny Kupers, Martin Avelar (bass), Seamus Simpson (guitar, xylophone, percussion), Brent Dodson (trumpet), Matt Kozlov (saxophone)
In between songs, they mention The Airborne Toxic Event (Airborne Tox played at this show!) and they also thanked Rademacher (Rademacher played at this show!). You Me and Iowa came on last, and although I’m not familiar with them, I’m sure they’re brilliant as well. I’ll try to fight off my dismay and regret at not having been at the Echo this evening, but I have to explain what this feels like. Let’s see… it’s like being alive at the time of the Renaissance, but living in Peoria. Ok, so I guess Peoria didn’t exist at the time of the Renaissance, but if it had… that’s what it would be akin to. Fantastic live recording, you can feel the audience’s appreciation and excitement.
Lyrics here for their debut and “Big Bang” EPs. See their MySpace to purchase their recordings.
Update!
Radars To The Sky are currently finishing up their first full-length album, hoping to release it in July or August, which will include 5 new songs. In anticipation of the new release, they’ll be putting out a single of “Selfish Kids” (probably in June), with a video as well. Here’s hoping for an East Coast show!
