Levon Helm, Crooked Fingers, Toyah Willcox with The Humans

Ok, so last year I had a ‘Top 10′ list. What can I say; 2011 was kind of a struggle. But I did discover a common theme for this year’s favorites: delivering a stellar performance in the face of adversity. Whether it was a legendary performer who had overcome personal struggles to come back, absolutely blazing (Toyah Wilcox, Levon Helm, and Eric Bachmann with his band Crooked Fingers); or just a rough night (lead singer Evan Way of The Parson Red Heads being really sick but soldiering on anyway, and The Drowning Men and their ‘road trip from hell’); my soaring admiration combined with musical prowess to create these special evenings.

Levon Helm at the Life Is Good. Festival – Sept. 25

As drummer and sometimes lead singer for legendary 60s group The Band, Levon Helm’s strong, distinctive vocals were a highlight of several of their classics – “The Weight”, “Up on Cripple Creek”, “Ophelia” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. Yet in the late 1990s, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, no question the worst news a singer could receive. Rather than have a laryngectomy (as his doctor suggested), he instead went through radiation treatments which fortunately in time proved successful. While his voice of course isn’t what it once was, he took a turn at some lead vocals throughout the show, and his skill and fortitude sent that enthusiastic, supportive crowd over the edge. It was a very emotional experience, and my first time seeing him. Amazing. Read my review on Ryan’s Smashing Life (and check out Kira Doucette’s wonderful photos).

The Humans with Toyah Willcox at Church of Boston – Sept. 25

Catching up with Toyah’s career over the years (I had no idea she had been mostly an actress), I read about her early life, which included battling extreme physical disabilities from birth, including many operations and years of therapy, and the alienation that type of childhood experience will cause. In addition to overcoming all that (I’m guessing it’s what propelled her independent, ambitious spirit), she came back to the U.S. with her band, The Humans, after primarily an acting career in England. It was their first time here in the states, doing a small handful of club dates with no clue as to how they’d be received. Brave as hell. And they put on a brilliant show that had the vibe of a Broadway musical, in her performance and delivery. I was impressed with her back in the ’80s when I was a big fan, and I’m even more impressed now. She’s one special lady, and knowing more about her, my admiration of this powerful singer and performer has increased exponentially. I didn’t get any video or photos that evening, but you can read my advance of the show for a little background.

The Parson Red Heads at Great Scott – Sept. 26

It’s not just that The Parson Red Heads are based in Portland, Oregon, and that they’d been traveling cross country in a van on a national tour to promote their new album, Yearling. Or that being a small indie band, they all still have “day jobs,” and Evan continues to do his – as a web developer – from the road, while on tour. Or that some of these shows, in places where people don’t yet know them, have been for small handfuls of people. On top of it all, he had to get ridiculously sick. But being the troopers that they are, not only did the show go on, but it went on beautifully, with their warm and loving embrace of sunshine-filled West Coast folk-rock and those delicious harmonies. And when Evan’s voice gave out, they revamped their entire set ‘on the fly’, with Sam taking over vocal duties… stunningly. They sounded great, and it was obvious they won over an audience of new fans. Love these guys.

Also check out: Happy We Agree with Sam on lead vocals.

Crooked Fingers at T.T. the Bear’s Place – Nov. 6

Before this latest album with his band, Crooked Fingers, Eric Bachmann had a kind of “vision quest” in Taipei, where it seems he was trying to figure out just what he wanted to do with his life. He might have stayed and been an English teacher, but fortunately for us, he came back, released an album, and went on tour – with both Crooked Fingers and his “other band,” Archers of Loaf. One still gets the sense that there’s some lingering ambivalence, but that only adds to the power of his lyrical gravitas and emotionally stirring music. Here’s my review of the show.

The Drowning Men (and The Airborne Toxic Event) at The Orpheum Theatre – Nov. 19

For the full story on what made this particular show so special, see my article, The Airborne Toxic Event and The Drowning Men: A Road Story. Being in a touring rock band and traveling in a van cross country is stressful enough without being hit by a drunk driver on some godforsaken stretch of highway in the dead of night. Apart from the miracle that no one was hurt (thank god), the fact that The Drowning Men could perform at all that night – never mind as well as they did – is quite astonishing.

You can see their performance of their wonderful song “Rita” in the article above, with good friends Airborne adding to the merriment. Here’s some more of their lovely set, in the nearly sold out Orpheum Theatre.

Honorable mention to Airborne as well for a great show, despite having two radio promotions to deal with earlier in the day (which included a beautiful acoustic set at The Black Rose – thanks ‘FNX!), after what was probably no more than a few hours of sleep. I don’t need to remind any readers of this blog how much I love that band.

In the video below, Mikel defies the limits of human endurance (and I think of common sense as well) with his performance of “Something New” and “Does This Mean You’re Moving On?”:

This hot and hazy summer marks The Airborne Toxic Event’s five-year anniversary of their existence, and this coming Saturday marks the third-year anniversary of my first time seeing them. Though I’ll actually be at the Newport Folk Festival this weekend, covering this legendary event for Ryan’s Smashing Life, my band has very thoughtfully put together a string of East Coast dates, so we can properly celebrate. What’s more, they’ve just announced a big autumn tour (Orpheum Theatre, Sat 11/19!) that will see them visiting many places, including – for their first time – Anchorage, Alaska. I mean, how could you not want to see them in a place called Bear Tooth Theatre?

Autumn Tour (selected dates)
09/01 Anchorage, AK ~ Bear Tooth Theatre
09/18 Austin, TX ~ Austin City Limits Festival
10/14 New Orleans, LA ~ Howlin Wolf
10/16 Pensacola, FL ~ DeLuna Fest
10/21 San Francisco, CA ~ The Fillmore
10/23 Los Angeles, CA ~ Gibson Amphitheatre ~ LA Weekly Presents LA 101

(10/26-11/7 Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Ireland, Scotland)
(11/09-12/07 U.S., Canada)

11/18 New York, NY ~ Terminal 5
11/19 Boston, MA ~ Orpheum Theatre
11/20 Philadelphia, PA ~ Electric Factory

See their full schedule, BUY TICKETS, and keep up with future news and gigs at their official site. They also have a facebook page, and you can follow them on twitter.

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A Cultural Experience: The Airborne Toxic Event in Boston
(Museum of Fine Arts, House of Blues – May 11, 2011)

High culture and rowdy rock ‘n’ roll: The Airborne Toxic Event’s last visit to Boston.

This was the inaugural “Acoustic Session” at the Museum of Fine Arts, co-sponsored by the MFA and WFNX, with 50 lucky contest winners being treated to a beautiful 6-song set performed amongst religious paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries in one of their elegant galleries. It was a dramatic backdrop with phenomenal acoustics. The band joked about playing in such close proximity to priceless works of art (and I warily eyed the end of Anna’s bow), but it was the perfect setting.

A serene and regal afternoon at the MFA gave way to a full-on extravaganza at a sold out House of Blues for 2400 adoring fans, happy to see Airborne back in their adopted home. It was a special evening that had the vibe of a family reunion, with an onstage marriage proposal and the return of a dearly departed spirit – a heartfelt tribute to Boston legend and Airborne superfan Billy Ruane.

Fellow L.A. Eastsiders Voxhaul Broadcast put out a strong set, with lead singer/guitarist David Dennis a kinetic, whirling dervish. The highlight was most definitely “Loose Change” a crazed space jam from their latest album, Timing Is Everything. They managed to win over an audience virtually unfamiliar with them, even with the restless anticipation of the headliners.

Airborne last played Boston back in September (along with the Calder Quartet at the Somerville Theatre), though by the crowd’s reaction, it seemed like it had been a decade. Their two-hour set was, pardon the pun, a work of art. Beginning with “Numb”, a song from the new album ‘All At Once’ about the rigors of the road, it led into a wonderful selection of their quieter, more emotional ballads, both old and new. The Magnetic Fields’ “Book Of Love” was dedicated to Mikel’s grandparents. “Days of Wine and Poses”, performed in memory of Mr. Ruane (it was his favorite Airborne song), was a special treat, as it’s rarely performed.

“Happiness is Overrated” ushered in the more rambunctious portion of the evening; “Gasoline” was Mikel’s first (and not last) foray into the audience thicket, creating happy chaos. “Something New” was better still, with him running up to the balcony with a cordless mic, attempting an up-close performance for everyone in the room. The band played so beautifully, interacting with that special symbiosis that comes from a multitude of live shows. It’s great to hear more prominent backing vocals from Anna Bulbrook (who has a beautiful voice that perfectly complements Mikel’s) and some serious jazz bass jams from Noah (especially at the start of “Gasoline”), who also brought his upright along for some classical interludes with Anna’s viola.

Their arrangements for the new songs are more layered and complex, nowhere more evident than with “The Kids Are Ready To Die” elegantly transitioning into “Welcome To Your Wedding Day”. Powerful. As an answer to Europeans thinking “Kids” was anti-American, Mikel responded with “We’re not anti-American; we’re just anti- government sending kids to die for somebody’s fucking lie.”

The set design this time out is simple and sophisticated, with a dash of whimsy – a dramatic back curtain and 6 upside-down umbrellas that are illuminated, holding colors like cosmic goblets. Their “literary keyboard stand” (made up of books) is a nice touch for a band that named themselves after a chapter in a DeLillo novel.

Slowly building from quietly romantic into heart-pounding, the concert reached an emotional crescendo with “Sometime Around Midnight” and “Innocence”, breathlessly offered back-to-back, with some eloquent words of appreciation from Mikel to a wildly cheering, enraptured audience – “You know, once you get past all the bullshit of rock ‘n’ roll…all you really want is for someone to hear your song. To know that the songs become part of people’s lives, it just means everything to us.”

A 30-minute encore that became a jumping, celebratory sea of madness closed with the majestic “All At Once,” a reflection of life’s journey encapsulated into a five-minute rock song. It was a perfect evening of fine music with old friends.

Other video: MFA Acoustic Session: All For A Woman | This Losing | The Book Of Love | Papillon/Does This Mean You’re Moving On? | Missy (part one) | Missy (part two)

Evan and Brette Marie Way of The Parson Red Heads

In addition to being greatly impressed with the musical prowess of Alela Diane and her band Wild Divine, I was also greatly impressed with her fans. Going out to a club to see a singer-songwriter, folk band, or similarly delicate and nuanced music can be a dicey proposition. That it was The Parson Red Heads‘ first ever Boston appearance gave me even more anxiety. I wanted it to be special. I wanted to be able to actually hear them. To my surprise and great pleasure, the crowd was quiet and attentive during the Parsons’ set, despite the fact that few had ever heard of them. They repaid the favor by treating us to a beautiful, heartfelt set of songs with strong focus on their upcoming album.

There’s nothing quite like The Parson Red Heads‘ cozy folk melodies and sweet harmonies to instantly melt away stress and sour moods. I had previously only seen them as an acoustic three-piece (Evan and Brette Marie Way, and Sam Fowles), but for this cross-country tour just ahead of Yearling (out Aug. 16 on Arena Rock Recording Company), they expanded to four with bassist Charlie Hester, who also contributed to their life-affirming four-part harmonies. Even with them seriously rocking out – Brette doing a mighty fine job on drums, and Sam impressive as hell on lead guitar – they do so in a gentle and loving way. They’re the very antithesis of the cool, detached hipster, with their immense warmth, ‘one big happy family’ vibe, and trademark white clothes. Refreshing in so many ways, and as lovely and genuine offstage as they are on.

Sam Fowles

The good news for those of you who didn’t make it out – they’ll likely be back in the autumn, following the new album’s release.

Evan Way and Charlie Hester

The enraptured audience was clearly there for Alela Diane, and she was great. A compelling singer-songwriter and originally a solo artist, her latest album, Alela Diane & Wild Divine is her first with a full band. A band that features, curiously enough, both her husband and her father, both on guitar. That’s got to be a little odd! But her father is responsible for first recording her music at his own studio, and he’s an excellent guitarist (and mandolin player). The band’s mostly acoustic country-tinged rock gives Alela’s songs a pleasing buoyancy, though the shiver-inducing stuff came the few times she stepped out on her own with acoustic guitar for a earlier solo piece. The Parsons joined them at one point for a down-home jamboree. It was a nice mix of rockers and ballads from personable and engaging performers.

Alela Diane & Wild Divine

The Parson Red Heads Setlist
Time Is Running Out
You Can Leave It (from Orangutang)
Hazy Dream
Punctual As Usual (from King Giraffe)
Kinds Handing Out
Seven Years Ago
Happy We Agree
I Miss Your Smile (from the Early Birds EP)
Burning Up The Sky

Other videos – The Parson Red Heads: Hazy | Alela Diane & Wild Divine: (medley) | w/The Parson Red Heads

The first track of Questions Are A Burden to Others is an homage to their namesake, and immediately gets down to the business of what instantly knocked me out about the dynamic duo of Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein when I first saw them at Church of Boston. There’s Sophia’s commanding and hypnotic vocals and relentless hammering on the drums; for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how she could maintain such intensity doing both in a live setting.. but she does. Her other half, Michael J. Epstein, shares vocals, most notably on the sinister “Episode 8 – The General”, while he matches her ferocity with nimble bass lines.

“If you want me, come and get me / If you need me, come and find me
Come and try me, if you want me / If you want me, if you want me
If you want me, come and get me / If you want me, do you want me?
WHY WHY WHY”
- The General

In the flesh, I find their music to be remarkably freeing and cathartic. There’s something about the crazy cacophony created by these two people, ways in which the melodies and lyrics repeat, how everything builds and recedes and builds again, that I find ridiculously trance-inducing.

“I intend to set and be set free / so don’t hold your raw dreams up to me / come inside I’ll come to your side if it makes you weak / I will do as I need to do to make you see.”
– Free For All

Surpringly, much of their live intensity comes through on this recording, which is really quite something. Definitely check them out.

Upcoming Show: Thursday, June 23rd at Church of Boston with Doomstar!, White Fence, and The Strange Boys.

Upcoming Video: They’ve been hard at work on a wildly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of The Prisoner music video, which will be unveiled on Thursday. For now, see behind the scenes video and screen captures.

official site | blog | bandcamp | facebook | twitter

album artwork by Molly Zenobia

For an askew, metallic take on the Broadway showtune tradition, have a listen to Lainey SchoolTree’s just-released My Metal Mother. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform at Cafe 939 back some time ago. She has a lovely, technically accomplished and emotionally expressive voice, accompanying herself on piano that night. On this recording, she performs on piano, synths and drums, doing all her own writing, arranging and recording.

The album starts with a traditional ballad, “After You’re Gone”, yet it incorporates synthetic flavorings that give it a bite, and by the time we get to later compositions, and especially the final track, we’re in an entirely different and unexpected place. There are glimmers of 70s soul, 80s synth-pop, and German electronica – all against a charming backdrop of musical theater. Songs like “You Never Go Through” and “Ordinary Life” have those electro-pop touches that add dimension and an interesting twist. Lyrically, there’s surprising darkness and depth that gives this recording a slowly unfolding quality that greatly rewards repeated listens.

“We go into holding on, straight to losing control
into love and despair, into bottomless holes
into what you despise, into enemy eyes
into what we all know’s just ordinary life.”

“Hey, was it the death you wanted to die?
did you get to close your eyes?
was it all nice and dignified?”
- “Ordinary Life”

“Disappearing” is quietly heartbreaking; beautiful in its simplicity of voice and piano; “The Orange Grove” layers Lainey’s ethereal vocals and adds a touch of electronica to produce something dreamlike and psychedelic. The title track, which closes the album, is the most delightfully alien; it’s a walk through Kraftwerk ruins while contemplating lineage – “My metal mother / gives me food and water / to love, she would aspire / but her heart is made of wire. / my human father / measures my progress / rates my acclimation to a life of deprivation.”

Unique and compelling… highly recommended.

About the recording: “So between the dates of February 1st and the 28th, I recorded an album for the RPM Challenge 2011 (http://rpmchallenge.com/). My challenge to myself: write, arrange, produce, record, play, and/or sequence everything yo’self. The result was a transformative experience that changed my life. It was an amazing and often painful exercise in subverting perfectionism, not eating/sleeping, and consolidating my roles as producer / engineer / artist / nutcase.”

Upcoming shows
07/02 Saturday – The Rosebud
w/Molly Zenobia

August @ The Lizard Lounge
Jaggery residency! (I will most certainly list when I have more details..)

schooltreemusic.com | bandcamp | twitter | facebook | youtube

The Mercury Lounge

It is an odd paradox. The Airborne Toxic Event’s audience is getting larger, the hardcore fans more rabid, so many are now singing their praises; and yet, people seem to be actually hearing them less.

At the tiny Pianos on NYC’s Lower East Side last Monday night, Mikel tried to joke about the situation – “Oh, I see the bar’s open… well, it wouldn’t be an Airborne show..”, but it had to suck for them. Eight days in to a 15-day-straight run of shows before a single day off, they were all visibly exhausted, and Mikel had observed a 24-hour “vocal silence” of no talking before the show, in order to preserve his voice. The setlist was drastically altered in favor of quieter ballads instead of vocal chord-straining all-out rockers, and that – along with sweet, sentimental introductions in between every song – should have made this an unusual and very special time for their most loyal fans. There were stories of the early days before Airborne – Mikel’s upstairs neighbor banging on the floor to get him to stop playing, and of previous band members saying “your band’s never going to make it.” Of dragging a broken amp down Ludlow Street, and thanking Pianos for “giving them a shot.” About their first single, “Girls In Their Summer Dresses,” and the tiny label that released it, Square Records. Of all the support they’ve received, the many letters, and the connection with their audience. It should have been an evening of beautiful music and shared experience. Except that the cast of Jersey Shore was in attendance that night.

Pianos, New York City

An inebriated gentleman directly behind me kept yelling out (as in 10 or 12 times), “I love you Mikel!” (who first responded with “I love you too, buddy,” but after about the 8th time, “Yes, I think we’ve established that.” This neanderthal, though professing his love for Mikel, proceeded to sing loudly enough (and out of tune) to nearly drown him out. My quiet requests, desperate pleas, then repeated kicks to the shins, did nothing to stop this. “Please, I came to hear him sing, not you.” “Can’t you tell I don’t care?” Thanks. [Note: I couldn't bear to actually embed this video, but you can see it on YouTube, if you don't believe me...]

So when did Airborne’s fans become a bunch of knuckle-draggers? Has this been a slow and steady transition, one which I am only just now noticing? When Mikel politely asked one guy if he could please be quiet while he tried to speak, he was answered back with “I have one night, dude.” Excuse me? You’ve only going to this one show, so you want to be as noisy as possible so you can’t hear the band (this part I just don’t get at all), and screw all the rest of us? Hey, I drove down from Boston for this show, dude. One fan flew in from Germany, dude. I hate to break it to you, dude, but it isn’t just about you. And what about the band? Maybe a little respect is in order for a hard-working group of people who are here tonight 3,000 miles from home, sharing with you some quality songwriting and sophisticated musicianship in a living room-sized Lower East Side club. [Note to Pianos: This was was my first time in your legendary indie rock band incubator, and man, is it ever awesome. I'll be back!]

An interesting thing is happening, and for all the annoyance of anticipating these two shows for months, then being confronted with this lack of respect (the crowd at the Mercury Lounge was a little better), I leave this experience with my already soaring admiration for this band about 10,000 times greater. Because despite the blind and deaf mob (not all of course, but enough to set the tone in a small room, and that crass album cover could not be more appropriate), the band is becoming more serious. Way more serious. Serious about their music, their message, and especially their commitment to each other. In an unguarded moment after the show, Anna spoke of her admiration for Mikel, how he “puts himself on the line” – not just in the physical sense of being the band’s front man, but emotionally, as the words he sings are of such a personal nature; a window into his soul. Well, that last bit is mine, and I’m paraphrasing here, but she went on to say how it’s a good thing he decided to put together a band, so he didn’t have to be “out there” on his own as a solo artist; that the others could be there for him and support him. I knew they all felt that way, it’s obvious in every interview and in the way they play together, but to hear it expressed like that was deeply moving. That’s the great thing about being so damned weary – people will say the most extraordinary things.

I’m reminded of Mikel’s early description of the band’s camaraderie as “a group of siblings stranded on a desert island”. This is even more true now, as the water rises, more treacherous and perilous, with outside pressures that could threaten even the strongest spirit, clearest vision, and greatest resolve. People’s misinterpretations of what the band represents, what they’re about, the strange “projections” that come from widespread radio airplay and increasing success. Yes, bands are broken up because of drugs and crazy lifestyles, but also because of growing egos stoked by gushing adulation and hollow promises; a lost sense of direction. True success happens on one’s own terms; not to buy in to all the bullshit is the greatest challenge.

Daren, at the Mercury Lounge

The Mercury Lounge was also no happy hippie fest, but for entirely different reasons. For one, no one told me it was hardcore punk night. This might seem like a curious choice for Airborne’s support act – except that Noah’s cousin is the lead guitarist. What’s even more interesting, I recall that when they played the Fillmore West in San Francisco back… well, back when, “Noah’s cousin’s punk band” supported them. And now I find out – it was a different cousin, and a different punk band! (must be something in the genes?). In any case, when the lead singer of State of Decline lounged out on the stage – mohawk and tattoos, eating his dinner before their set, with a young drunken blond promptly hitting on him – I knew it was going to be an interesting evening.

(actual overhead conversation): “What band are you in?… so where’s the afterparty?” | “Do you have any coke? That would make me very happy” | (she leans over and kisses him) | “I can see down your shirt” (she doesn’t seem to mind)

State of Decline were… ok. Crazy antics from the lead singer, with people at the front cautiously keeping their distance as he swung his mic stand inches from their heads. There was a kind of “sameness” to all the songs; nothing terribly distinguishing. Noah’s cousin (I’d provide a name, but I can’t find more than a mention of this band online) did a few songs on his own at the start. A vocalist he’s not. But he’s a decent guitarist, and the songs were such that.. well, from what I could make out, I’d say there’s some potential, but he’d be better off going it alone or with a different band. Sorry guys, just my humble opinion. It was all cool, though, I managed not to get whacked with that mic stand, and it was actually quite a bit of fun. What wasn’t cool was when a friend of theirs, this skinny junkie with bleached out white hair, decided he would climb up on stage and lunge off, hurling himself into the front few “rows”. I have nothing whatsoever against crowd surfing, but there are nights to do this, and nights not to. This really wasn’t that sort of crowd, nor were any of them expecting it, so those who had fast reflexes stepped back quickly, leaving him to land hard on the concrete floor, taking out a few unfortunate folks with him.

Noah's cousin, doing a solo set

State of Decline, in a rare quiet moment when I wasn't afraid my camera would get broken.

After a broken mic stand, food spilled all over the front monitors, and an audience shaking their heads, thinking “what the fuck??”, Airborne took to the stage and ripped through a considerably more rocking set than the night before. Mikel’s voice seemed stronger, the band more energetic, and they hit the ground running with “Papillon”, and wailed through a marvelous version of “The Kids Are Ready To Die” (the punk version, of course), leading gorgeously into “Welcome To Your Wedding Day”. A nice mix of old and new, fast and furious, changing things up completely from the low-key evening at Pianos. “Innocence” finished off the main set, sounding just wonderful, and with less interruption during the exquisite intro than what I was expecting. There was again a surprising element in the crowd, nowhere near as obnoxious as the night before, but still not what I remember of Airborne Tox fans as recent as last year.

For an encore, they launched into “Does This Mean You’re Moving On?”, though Mikel, warily eyeing a few over-exuberant girls in the front who immediately started grabbing at his legs as soon as he came to the edge of the stage, wisely decided against wading in this time. And despite (or because of) the aforementioned floozy, who was now shrieking for “Missy”, they instead closed the evening with “All At Once”.

Fortunately, it seems the audience improved as the week went on (or at least, the handful of amateur drunks got “absorbed” in larger audiences), which I’m glad to hear for those who were able to see all five NYC shows. It’s a shame though, and perhaps an indication that you can never really go home again. Everything has changed. Viewed from a distance, I suppose it’s just part of the band’s evolution. Some things are lost, some things are gained, life goes on. Bring on the All At Once tour.

Night #1 Tonight: Philadelphia, The Trocadero;
Wednesday, May 11 – Boston, House of Blues – tix still available.

Other Videos
Pianos: Wishing Well | It Doesn’t Mean A Thing | The Book Of Love | Gasoline/Does This Mean You’re Moving On?
Mercury Lounge: Wishing Well | Does This Mean You’re Moving On?

The Airborne Toxic Event: All At Once – Out Today!
See the band live at the House of Blues, Wednesday, May 11 – buy tickets
~ For the abridged version of this article, please see Ryan’s Smashing Life ~

Growing Pains

My god, this is excruciating! I’ve been enjoying The Airborne Toxic Event since first listening to demo tracks in 2008, and followed their steady ascent, which for me began at a downtown Boston Irish bar for about 150 people. They released their wonderful debut album on Majordomo, and proceeded to tour for the next 2-1/2 years in support of it. That album grabbed hold of my ears and wouldn’t let go, yet I now find myself approaching their follow-up, nearly three years later, with a curious mix of anticipation and trepidation. Why? Because in that time, they signed with Island Records, amassed a large audience of “casual listeners” with their radio hit, “Sometime Around Midnight,” and spent 2010 in a fancy Hollywood studio with world-renown producer Dave Sardi (Band of Horses, The Walkmen, Oasis). It made me a little nervous. This is the first time I stumbled upon a band early on, and not 10 years after everyone else, so I’m new to this whole “grappling with success” thing. I’m not sure how the band is coping, but as for myself, not terribly well.

Perceptions

Airborne Tox, for some reason, has managed to divide opinion into two polar opposite camps: worshiping followers, and poisonous venom spewers. At the center of this maelstrom is one extremely talented and ridiculously hard-working group of people making what I consider some damn compelling music. A number of people have gotten something stuck in their teeth about this band that they can’t get out. Perhaps they’re disturbed by Airborne’s success story, believing it all came too easily. After a year in a friend’s home studio crafting their debut, 350 gigs to promote it, and then straight into another year recording this one, the band might beg to differ. The major label involvement, heavy radio airplay, and an army of mainstream fans may be off-putting. Or they’re uncomfortable with the unapologetic sentimentality and romanticism of the band’s lead singer and songwriter, Mikel Jollett, who once said that a writer can’t be concerned with how they look while baring their soul to tell a story. Whatever it is, a quick glance at what they’ve been doing lately should convince any doubters that this band is the real thing.

Airborne 2.0

There’s been some remarkable growth for these guys. Everyone’s musical proficiency and performance skill has improved 1,000 times over, not just how well they play together, but individually. Mikel has become a better songwriter – lyrically, and with melody and construction. Musical arrangements are far more complex and intricate. This is a band that obviously spends a lot of time crafting a song, and it shows. All I can hope for as a fan is that they stay true to their core principles throughout this mad journey, and that they can maintain their identity in the raging sea of mediocrity that surrounds them.

Inside All At Once

This is one serious second album. The band spent a year writing, arranging and recording; learning about songwriting techniques and big studio production from Dave Sardi, and whittling down 50 songs to eleven. Heady times, with heady themes to match. The sound is huge and dense as a thicket, and while their first album had playful and jovial moments, this one rarely does. The quieter ballads have a sad, wistful quality; the upbeat pop tunes, a distinct edginess. It’s not easy listening, but it’s deeply rewarding if you spend some time with it. One thing which first struck me was how well music and melody fits the lyrics, each giving something back to the other. Airborne also reinforces their standing as a “genre-free” band, with different moods and treatments for each song’s personality.

The first album had themes of alienation, though it mostly dealt with the aftermath of a bad break-up. On this one, it’s still very much a personal story, yet it reaches beyond the emotions of the storyteller, touching upon such topics as life and death, love and war, and how sudden change alters our lives and affects our world view. For Mikel, it came through the loss of four family members in a few years’ time, and grappling with the joys and horrors of a new life on the road. Interspersed are thoughts about soldiers and the hypocrisies and travesties of war (“The Kids Are Ready To Die,” “Welcome To Your Wedding Day”), youthful innocence and a questioning of faith (“It Doesn’t Mean A Thing”), and a sentimental love song (“The Graveyard Near The House”). There are thoughts of that lost relationship, yet this time it’s viewed from an insightful distance (“All For A Woman”). Bringing to life this dizzying array of stories and emotions is an arsenal of melodic hooks and furiously driving rhythm, classical string arrangements and synth lines, and ethereal viola and vocal accompaniment from Anna Bulbrook. A hell of a lot for one album.

They stretch the boundaries of dynamic range, both in sound and message. There are huge, epic productions for “All At Once” and “Welcome To Your Wedding Day,” but also quieter, more intimate moments for “All For A Woman,” “Strange Girl,” and “The Graveyard Near The House.”

From the beginning, you know that All At Once is going to be a major departure from what you thought you knew about this band. The title track is an epic masterpiece about the stages of life, from birth to death, and sudden, perception-altering change. The song is enormous in scope, in its message and execution, and features the Calder Quartet, who are also on “All For A Woman” and “All I Ever Wanted” (“Then we long to be loved, in the rush we become some things we thought we’d never be. / We were surprised by our heart, left wary and scarred, from the nights spent feeling incomplete. / And all those evenings swearing at the sky, wishing for more time.”).

“All For A Woman” is an unabashedly romantic ballad which slowly builds into a heart-swelling, soaring eagle of a song as Mikel contemplates “the muse that inspired the art” (“It was all, it was all, for the look in her eyes / for the promise, and the lie, of a woman.”).

“It Doesn’t Mean a Thing” is a sweet, heartfelt rockabilly-folk tune for Mikel’s hippie parents, in their youthful innocence, trying to understand life’s mysteries and injustices. – “it was a loneliness they would confess, like the world had gone bad I guess, so they’d hold hands, look into the eyes of God / they’d say, ‘tell me why’d you hide from us, why’d you fill this world with wickedness, why’d you spare us from your grace but not the rod?’”

In “The Kids Are Ready To Die,” Mikel examines the making of a soldier, how society exploits a young person’s pent-up anger and restlessness for the purpose of warfare, turning inner rage outward, and addresses the repercussions – “But the day will come when it falls like a cheap house of plastic / and the cards that were dealt will be tossed like a storm in the sky / ‘cause you can only lie for so long before you get something drastic / and the kids are lined up on the wall, and they’re ready to die.” This song, slowed down from its original fast-paced punk tempo to a somber funeral dirge, carries enormous gravitas.

Confrontational and explosive, “Welcome To Your Wedding Day” has an exotic feel with a punk rock aesthetic strongly reminiscent of The Clash. It recalls the news story of a predator drone accidentally hitting an Afghan wedding, and points out the hypocrisy of U.S. words and actions, combining a Middle Eastern melody with a war march of American aggression and bravado – “It’s another fine day of nation building / Let’s have a parade / You can dance on the graves and the bones of the children / If you know what to say.”

“All I Ever Wanted” (with the Calder Quartet) reprises their beautiful arrangement of this lovely song, first heard at their 2009 Disney Hall performance, in all its orchestral, sweeping grandeur.

For all the chaotic fury that begins All At Once, the album closes with the quiet fragility of “The Graveyard Near the House,” about sharing one’s life and growing old with someone, fears of loss, commitment, and disconnection (“And it left me to wonder if people ever know each other, or just stumble around like strangers in the dark. ‘Cause sometimes you seem so strange to me, I must seem strange to you. We’re like two actors playing our parts.”). A perfect marriage of music and lyrics, it features Mikel on acoustic guitar and soft vocals, with Anna’s beautiful harmony, a simple piano melody and viola adding an emotional layer at the end. It’s a beautiful close to an amazing achievement.

Daren, Mikel & Noah at the House of Blues, Boston, October 13, 2009

My key criticism of this album is with the production. The trick, now that they have access to a professional studio and a full array of technology, is to know when not to use it. That cavernous big studio sound and liberal use of reverb gives the music an austere feel, and makes the band sound like they’re a great distance away. Sonically, it’s like being at the back of a giant hall, and perhaps it’s to prepare us purists for that very experience, though it’s not one I look forward to. Their performance is passionate; the music is 1,000 times more powerful. But as a fan, I no longer feel like they’re playing in my living room, and that saddens me. The addition of synthesizers gives the album a distinctly ‘80s feel, and while I’m a fan of those days, it contributes to the austerity. Everything seems a little too perfect, too polished. Playing so much in the past three years, I expect them to sound tight and accomplished, but this is different. For stark contrast, check out their “Bombastic Series” – acoustic, one-shot, one take video clips for each song.

Marketing the Music

For better or for worse, the band is being marketed to a more mainstream audience now. “Changing” and “Numb,” U.S. and UK singles respectively, are very radio-friendly and far more commercial-sounding than anything else on the album. Even the production on the new album is designed to give them a bigger sound, which seems to further ambitions toward stadium-sized success. It’s ironic, then, that the two major rock publications, Rolling Stone and NME, both quickly dismissed the new album, and that the most thoughtful review so far is from fellow blogger Drowned in Sound. Sophisticated songwriting, complex arrangements and weighty subject matter does not make for an easy ride. It’s the sort of music that requires something of the listener beyond passive reception, and not everyone cares to make that commitment. It remains to be seen if mainstream music fans are up to the challenge (I hope they are).

About that album cover…

However delighted I am with the music, I am definitely not a fan of the album’s artwork. When it was used as the backdrop for their second headlining tour in 2009, I found the image crass and disturbing – and even more so now. That may well be the intention. Is it merely an acknowledgment of the band’s increasing popularity, or an editorial comment that fame comes at a price? The audience members are nameless and faceless in their large number, blocked out eyes concealing individual identities. But I also see those blocked eyes as blindfolds, and indeed many of those turning up at the shows, even back in 2009, were doing so on the strength of that one radio hit, unfamiliar with the band’s deeper material (that is to say, everything else on the album), and even less interested in newer songs that were finding their way onto set lists. They showed that disinterest in the form of mindless chatter during quieter, lesser-known songs and general inattentiveness. It’s great to be selling out 2,000 capacity venues, but maybe even nicer to have a few hundred people in a small room with undivided attention, singing along to every song as if they themselves wrote it.

The Future

So here I am now, faced with the prospect that my beloved little indie band who could do no wrong is now involved in an increasing number of mainstream trappings, and I must look past all that to focus on the music, and only the music. Never mind slickly-produced videos (“Changing”), appearances on godawful tv shows (“The Daily Habit”), mainstream music fans and “alternative radio” naming them alongside bland manufactured bands, and ill-advised marketing decisions that currently have hardcore fans grumbling about having to buy multiple copies of the new album for various bonus tracks poked individually into each configuration like Easter eggs. I’m preparing myself for their foray into ‘herd-em-in-like-sheep’ stadium shows, and anything else that puts distance between me and my favorite band.

If this were anyone other than Airborne, I might have already bolted. But there’s the music, you see. Those painstakingly crafted little gems that take my breath away with artistically woven melody and poetry. Individually and together, this band has developed over the past few years in a beautiful way. From Daren Taylor’s heart-pounding percussion that drives the music and perfectly punctuates every phrase and nuance, to Noah Harmon’s jazz bass groove, picking up a bow to become half of the band’s makeshift string section. There’s Steven Chen’s minimalist lead guitar heroics, with each melodic line and flourish lingering in the air, and the stunning fragile beauty of Anna Bulbrook’s viola, equally comfortable romping through a Johnny Cash cover. Anna’s ethereal backing vocals as the perfect counterpoint to Mikel Jollett’s moody baritone, and Mikel’s poetic storytelling, touchingly romantic and sentimental or angst-ridden and acerbic, with raw honesty that is unapologetic. This ragtag gathering of sensibilities and styles combine in a symbiotic way to create sonic magic and cathartic release, elevating their live performances into special events. For all that, I’ll gladly drink the kool-aid.

The Details

All At Once (Island) – release date: Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Deluxe version, with official videos for “Numb” and “Changing” and Bombastic Series (11 acoustic videos of each song) – Amazon

The Vinyl Collection Box Set (Debut album (1 disc), All I Ever Wanted: Live From Walt Disney Concert Hall (2 discs), All At Once (1 disc)) – Remastered on 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl; limited edition, numbered & signed by the band – available from their online store

Video commentary about the album (on Amazon)

The Tour

4/29 Los Angeles, CA – John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
   (4/25-28 Los Angeles shows sold out)
4/30 EdgeFest, Frisco, Texas
5/1 BuzzFest, Houston, Texas
5/6 New York City, NY – Town Hall
   (5/2-5/5 NYC shows sold out)
5/8 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
5/9 Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero (5/7 show sold out)
5/11 Boston, MA – House of Blues
5/12 Montreal, Quebec – La Tulipe
5/13 Toronto, Ontario (sold out)
5/14 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
5/15 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
5/17 Minneapolis, MN – The Varsity Theater
5/19 Chicago, IL – Metro (5/18 show sold out)
5/20 Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club
5/22 Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
5/24 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
5/26 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
5/27 Orlando, FL – The Social
6/1 Salt Lake City, UT – Club Sound
6/2 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
6/5 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
6/7 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
6/8 Seattle, WA – Showbox SODO
6/9 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
6/11 San Diego, CA – House of Blues (sold out)
6/12 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
6/13 Chandler, AZ – Ovations Theatre @ Wild Horse
6/15 Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
6/16 Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades

official site (where you can also listen to the album) | facebook | twitter

Better late than never… (but I come bearing video)

So who says a band can’t achieve huge success on its own terms? No “formula”. No concern about demographics (unless there’s a new genre called “Eastern-European-Gypsy-Mariachi-Southwestern-Desert-Polka-Pop”). DeVotchKa is deliciously uncompromising, with a wildly unique sound and globetrotting vision. What we have here is a phenomenally gifted group of musicians doing what comes naturally, with increasingly larger audiences (such as their Paris stadium show with Muse for 90,000 last year) delighting in the exotic experience.

Tragically sad, gloriously triumphant, and may I just say this: Nick Urata can seriously fucking wail on a bouzouki. Shredding electric guitar solos are one thing… but a bouzouki? Oh yes. And then there are those dreamy romantic vocals that had everyone in the Paradise swooning. He’d switch to a mournful whistling straight off the prairie, and we were suddenly in a spaghetti-western groove for “The Enemy Guns”, sensuous and mysterious. A bit later on, they would all get going on a jam, dual drums pounding away, stand-up bass, and Nick just going at it on that bouzouki… and never mind the mariachi tune they just played, or the German polka, or the sousaphone, accordion and violin… this was a fucking ROCK BAND. They’re everything, really, and it all works. All of it.

With old friends like “You Love Me” and “How It Ends” (which became an audience sing-along) and new favorites, such as the absolutely charming pop tune, “100 Other Lovers”, they seduced and entranced, and left everyone breathless.

Los Angeles-based Mariachi El Bronx opened, and they were wonderful in their own right. Moonlighting as an authentic mariachi band (complete with matching traditional outfits, violin, trumpet, and a guitarron), their regular gig is as hardcore punk band El Bronx. Incredibly festive and obviously having a great time on what was their last night on tour with DeVotchKa, you couldn’t help but get sucked in to the fun. Nick invited them up during for an especially exuberant version of “We’re Leaving” with dual trumpets and violins.

A few words about the new DeVotchKa album… Buy It. From the sweeping, orchestral majesty of “The Alley”, to the sweet lovelorn charm of “100 Other Lovers”, to the rollicking adventure of “Contrabanda”, this is a masterpiece. Sentimental love songs in a myriad of flavors. The deluxe version includes a DVD with some tasty morsels – the two official videos for “100 Other Lovers” (beautiful and heartbreaking, the damn thing made me cry) and “All the Sand”, a nice trailer for the album, and brief footage of one of the string arrangements. There’s also two bonus tracks: the “100 Other Lovers” radio mix, and a very nice instrumental, “Firetrucks on the Boardwalk”. The package includes, just like a box of cracker jacks, “a toy surprise inside” – a curious little device called a Zoetrope CD that you put together with a strip containing a repeated design, a cardboard CD cutout, and a chapstick tube, all supplied. Wacky and delightful… much like this fine band.

Other video clips:

Mariachi El Bronx – medley

Mariachi El Bronx (unknown song)

DeVotchKa medley

DeVotchhKa encore (video quite rough, sorry, but it sounds great! watch at the end for a slide bouzouki jam!)

The United Nations of Sound (Richard Ashcroft's new album)

What a wonderful solo acoustic performance from singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) at a venue that usually does not host rock shows, The Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in the South End. Also that night, a great acoustic set from Mike Fiore of Faces on Film. Read my review on melophobe.

Walter Sickert and Zoë Keating

There are decent rock shows, where the bands are solid, the venue’s sound quality is at a good level, and the audience is appreciative. And then every so often there’s an event, some random evening, a moment captured in time and space, when the planets align and something quite magical happens. I suppose in this case there were two such evenings, back to back, as Zoë Keating and Walter Sickert and his ever-enlightening Army Of Broken Toys managed to sell out two shows at what’s rapidly becoming one of my favorite venues to truly appreciate fine music in, Cafe 939. Last Saturday night, it was a potent combination of sophisticated artists, exquisite venue with perfect sound and ambiance, and the audience? Well, put it this way: it was the sort of crowd that made it difficult to ascertain where the spectators ended and The Army of Toys’ Bunny Collective began. Everyone and everything intermingled, boundaries melted away, and we were all performers and performance.

Walter Sickert and The Army of Broken Toys

While I’ve seen Mr. Walter Sickert and his delightful cacophony of Broken Toys on numerous occasions, nothing prepared me for their jaw-dropping, brain-melting fury of a set. Holy shitstorm, are they getting good! Musicians at the peak of their powers, and all that. They treated us to two new compositions to wrap our heads around – “Soldier’s Song” and the awesome, low-down “Devil In The Details.” Brief but breathless, the delicious onslaught included a shredding version of Johnny Cash’s “Sam Hall”, with Rachel Jayson tearing it up on her viola, bow hairs (or whatever they’re called) in disarray. A full complement of Bunnies ran amuk and spread havoc in and around the packed floor, and the faithful chanted along to Toys favorites “Ghostbusters” and that Billboard chart-topper from the Victorian Era, “Off With Her Head!!!”

Zoë Keating

It’s really quite shocking what Zoë Keating can do with a cello (no no, get your mind out of the gutter!). To the uninitiated, a solo cello performance might seem like it would be tiresome and tedious, but there is nothing solitary about Zoë and her cello when she begins to play. By means of a pedal controlled laptop and her cello – I’m convinced, one of the loveliest instruments on the planet – she conjures a string quartet. Sometimes several at once. And a percussionist. It’s downright bizarre… and beautiful.

A classically-trained cellist, she dabbled in computer software and played cello in rock bands, until she decided to combine her two loves to create her unique soundscapes. She’s performed in venues as diverse as technology conferences, museums, and rock clubs; has contributed to soundtracks and has worked with artists from the Ballet de la Generalitat de Valencia to Pomplamoose, Mark Isham, and Amanda Palmer.

Between her inventive and compelling compositions, her technological savvy, and performing prowess, she is truly remarkable. Both visually and aurally striking, she draws you in to her enchanting world, and it’s surprising how versatile the cello is, and how varied the sounds she coaxes from it.

She was warm and engaging between pieces, chatting with the audience throughout, sharing the challenges of being a brand new mom who happens to be on a club tour, having to sneak into venues because her son is, as it so happens, not yet of drinking age. And she spoke of her performing reticence, especially when it came to well-known classical pieces, because they are so exact and precise, and “everyone knows how they’re supposed to sound”. After explaining that she felt far more comfortable when performing in an orchestra than playing solo, she went on to perform her one “cover” of the evening, Beethoven, creating for her accompaniment an entire orchestra… of cellos. Having built up the piece with that introduction, her laptop, behaving very human at that moment, missed its cue. Undaunted, she tapped a few keys and began again, observing that one couldn’t pull that off very well in a formal concert hall (”ah, let’s start that one over, guys”), but the audience didn’t mind whatsoever, and barely noticed, as we were all by that time completely entranced and deep under her spell.

Her latest recording is the absolutely breathtaking Into The Trees.

kristilyn and a friend display her wonderful performance sketches - www.kristilyn.com