Live Review: Suffering Fuckheads @ the Seamonster, 4/30

A friend of mine who came to the Seamonster with me last night commented after leaving the show, “I don’t know — I’m just really not that into jazz.”  Something about too many notes, where’s the ideas, the beat, etc: common criticisms and hurdles with the form.  Personally I do not listen to jazz much at home and when I do it will probably Skies of America as oppossed to Miles Davis or Charlie Parker.  Live, though, I usually find jazz refreshing.  Even the Suffering Fuckheads.

The Fuckheads’ core consists of Mike Peterson on drums (the Accussed, Sean) and local Hammond maestro, Ron Weinstein.  (For last night’s show they were joined by a trumpeter and guitarist.)  Despite the intense hyperbole spouted by their MySpace page* the Fuckheads are not nearly all that skronky-blast-beaty-or-avant-gardy, at least in the final sound.  Peterson and Weinstein fly furiously through rhythmic and melodic ideas, using jazz stanards and originals to simply give them some ground to fly.

Peterson is almost a one man show in himself.  Looking like some demented, red-bearded woodsman who beats the skins somewhere between grindcore precision and Elvin Jones swing, it takes awhile to fly throught he sheer wall of his playing to decipher lightspeed rush of various rhythms, shifts, and musical jokes.  Weinstein counters appearing like a enthusiastic teenager in a happy older man’s body, intertwining flying jazz bass-lines and a variety of organ techniques — Herbie Hancock getting out there in Booker T. Jones’ body with Charlie Haden’s soul lost in his right hand.  (Never enough hyperbole, y’know).

Despite being a gloriously gone noise, the intensity/oddness comes mainly from the viciousness of the playing.  As organ and drums wind up insane fury, they never break into intentional skronk, abrasiveness, or atonal wankery.  Their weird schizoid genius is constantly filtered through (here’s a gasp to the post-avant-garde-modernism-whatever crowed) a dominance of their instruments and a desire to play music, and not deconstruct it.  Whenever the trumpet slides in for a solo, chorus or jam, whatever fury was being brewed seems to disspiate.  It’s a sound that let’s you know you’re firmly on ground, somewhere in a George Mitchell song, and not some John Zorn experiment.

The Fuckheads are too freaky to get caught up in the aesthetics of shock and awe.  They play.  They shred.  They take no prisoners.  But they also sound damn good.

The Suffering Fuckheads perform every other Thursday at the Seamonster Lounge (2202 N 45th Street).  Next show is Thursday, 5/14.

*”The Suffering Fuckheads music is a lethal cocktail of skronk and blues, post- bop coupled with turbulent blast-beats, and tenderyet-skewed ballads (Beautiful Love) along side innovative band originals (Bar Slut). The Suffering Fuckheads are not sonic wallpaper. They are not going to behave and play background music. They are not going to play your next shitty dinner party. They are not going to play your wedding, but they might do your divorce.”

Death Cab Videos Unavailable on Own Site

Straight from a particularly Kafka-esque chapter in the Long, Sad Saga of Music Copyright comes news that Death Cab for Cutie’s own videos are unavailable on their site. Reason? Warner Music’s takedown notice caused YouTube to remove the videos.

The result is that DCfC’s site now has no DCfC videos because it depended on YouTube to host and stream them. Now that they’re gone from YouTube, no vids.

Warner Music has been keeping itself very busy as of late by sending YouTube takedown notices for videos it believes are unauthorized, and its zeal has now caused a bit of embarrassment for one of its own artists. The band Death Cab for Cutie had posted several of its videos–found via YouTube–to its official website, but fans found over the weekend that they couldn’t watch them… due to a copyright claim from Death Cab for Cutie’s own record label, Warner Music. The blooper left the band red-faced (it has since removed the embeds from the site)–and it highlights how crazy the DMCA takedown game has become.

Thanks to Ars for notice of this story.

Backseat Lover Plays Tribute to Pearl Jam

Backseat Lover is a Pearl Jam tribute band.

Obama Inauguration Party @ King Cobra

“Join us for the worldwide celebration…. and invite your friends. (The grand ol party can suck it).”
What: Goodbye Party
Host: King Cobra
Start Time: Tuesday, January 20 at 4:00pm
End Time: Wednesday, January 21 at 2:00am
Where: King Cobra

The Godfather of Rocksteady

Alton Ellis (1938-2008) was revolutionized an entire genre of music and was truly a musical great. He will be deeply missed.  For more information on Alton Ellis and his musical career we recommend reading the BBC’s homage to his legacy.

US Government rips off Kaiser Chiefs?

Tell me the soundtrack to this Click It Or Ticket NHTSA ad isn’t a ripoff of the Kaiser Chiefs’ Everyday I Love You Less And Less from Employment.

Listen to the first 15 seconds of each.

Editor Kevin Leaving NWMB

Kevin LeDoux is, I’m sad to report, leaving NWMB as editor. We hope to see him grace these pages as an occasional contributor. I’ll be assuming editor duties once again. Thank you, Kevin. Your contributions to NWMB cannot be overstated.

The situation may leave NWMB with fewer writers, so if  you’d like to write here, contact us.

Partman Parthorse Booted Off Bill By Camel

Yes, Camel sucks, indeed.

You might be wondering what in the world is going on in this picture of Gary Smith, flamboyant frontman of Seattle punk group Partman Parthorse, his distaste for the cigarette giant in plain view. But if you’re keen to the Seattle scene, you’re most likely not surprised at the antics of one of the city’s most thrilling live acts.

Turns out this act of defiance was in reference to the sponsor of a show the band played at the High Dive in February of 2007 (read Philip’s lively account here), where they shared the stage with another explosive and talented local band, The Heavy Hearts. The company’s mobile advertising/survey system was definitely all up in peoples’ grills that night, and I recall thinking, “Wait…people still let Camel sponsor their shows?” I didn’t give it much more of a passing thought than that as I enjoyed the strong musical lineup. However, in a health-conscious city with an indoor smoking ban—in effect since January of 2006—it’s anyone’s guess as to why Camel would still be able to subsidize shows without the names ‘Nickelback’ or ‘Puddle of Mudd’ on the marquee. But I suppose, despite what we may prefer, American corporations still have some clout in this world, even in the seemingly detached enclave of the Seattle music scene.

Unfortunately, that clout has once again reigned supreme, as PMPH, scheduled to play that same High Dive this coming April 26th for their pals the Heavy Hearts CD release show, have been unceremoniously booted from the bill. Obviously, Camel didn’t take too kindly to the anti-smoking message Smith was flaunting last time around, and decided to rectify the situation. I guess I’m not all that familiar with how a conglomerate like Camel comes to sponsor a particular event, but I suspect record labels and club owners and their relationships come into play. Word on the street was that the HH asked PMPH to play the show, only to succumb afterwards to the political whims of the show’s sponsor, and the equine-obsessed band was promptly ‘86ed. Now, who actually succumbed, I’m not sure, but the simple fact that this happened pretty much…sucks. The Hearts appear to be genuine, hardworking musicians, so I can’t imagine they made the final decision. Maybe the High Dive has a hard-on with the unscrupulous backer? Considering the show is free, that may not be too far off the mark.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a cigarette smoker; I think it’s quite possibly one of the most short-sighted, albeit addictive, habits one can engage in. Yet I also believe in free will, so smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, ya know? But when it comes to the sanctioning of certain bands over others based on the preference of well-heeled, crooked cigarette pushers, you’ll forgive me if I find that repulsive.

Stranger Editor Rips Vampire Weekend a New One

Charles Mudede, associate editor of The Stranger and an African-born American, gives his indignant take on Vampire Weekend’s dated Afro-pop fetish. I won’t profess to have a solid opinion on the subject matter, but Mudede does make a compelling argument against the NYC group’s misuse (“appropriation”) of Africa’s indigenous sound.

Here’s a particulary seething excerpt, the context being VW bandleader Ezra Koenig’s recognition and subsequent confusion at Ivy League jackets in a Harlem hiphop store:

If Koenig’s mind had made even the slightest effort to penetrate this mystery in the Harlem store, he would have seen the reflection of his own ideas turned upside down. The Ivy League jackets were simply the inverse of the sound and catchy aesthetic of his band. Here in the Harlem store, low culture is appropriating the codes of high culture; with Vampire Weekend, high culture (rich kids in the richest country on earth, America) appropriates low culture (music made by the poor people in the poorest continent on earth, Africa). And when appropriation is going both ways—streets kids wearing the symbols of university prestige; Manhattan’s upper crust playing Soweto jive—appropriation is not bad. Indeed, it’s strange that Koenig, who celebrates postcolonial interclass/cultural exchanges as the new norm, can only recognize such exchanges when those at the top are taking from those at the bottom and not when those at the bottom are taking from those at the top.

I have to agree with him. It certainly should be a two way street, as Mudede points out, and the fact that the band’s leader wasn’t quite sensitive to that is a bit perplexing. He goes on to point out:

And it’s not just African music they are appropriating; it’s impoverished African music from the ’70s, ’60s, and ’50s. Since the 1980s, Afro pop has less and less sounded poor. The biggest names in the business—Papa Wemba, King Sunny Ade, Thomas Mapfumo, Stimela, Youssou N’Dour—have aspired to and maintained the production values of the rich and famous. Vampire Weekend are not faithful to this trend. They instead simulate the sounds of preindependence, pre-postmodern Africa.

It’s difficult to know exactly what the band’s intent is—or whether Koenig truly believed what Mudede indicts him for—but if it’s to pay homage to Africa’s musical past or emulate the current trend of African music (i.e. the band’s reference to the kwaito movement in Soweto, urban Johannesburg), they fail on both fronts. It’s particularly interesting to hear the author’s take on the ubiquitous Paul Simon comparison, as well (Graceland, woo-hoo!). 

Anyway, it’s an interesting read regardless of your opinion. To digest the whole nine yards, click here.

Poll: What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a show?

This Ed Vedder tour gets me thinking… “Some shows are just *worth* the expense.” Maybe you’re a huge Stones fan, and you have $300 burning a hole in the glovebox of your Bentley. Maybe you’re a broke college student but flying to Chicago for the Soundgarden fan club show wasn’t to be missed. Maybe it was stealing a twenty from your roommate for a night at the Offramp, and it eventually cost you the relationship.

Not to play Ross Reynolds here, but what’s your story? What’s the most you’ve ever shelled out?
OR conversely, what’s the least you ever paid for the best show you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten into?

My answer: NIN/David Bowie “INSIDE” tour. Shoreline Amphitheatre, San Jose, CA. $45 before incontinence charges. That was a mountain of cash for my broke college sophomore ass in 1995.

And someone in front of El Corazon (or whatever it was called then) dragged me into the sold-out Queens of the Stone Age show in ‘01 or ‘02. I was trying to buy tickets but this guy had a +3 and only two people showed up. “Follow me,” he said, and I got to witness a kick-ass performance with Mark Lanegan on vox and Dave Grohl on skins. Free-ninety-nine.

Oh, Irony

From an email I just got from Vandenberg Communications:

SEATTLE — Eddie Vedder will embark on a small, West Coast, solo tour beginning April 2nd in Vancouver, BC and ending April 15th in San Diego (full list of tour dates below).

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Friday, February 22nd at 10am* PST through www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Entire press release, dates and ticket prices after the jump…

What’s Cooking in the KEXP Kitchen?

Like many of you readers who are KEXP members/donors, I received a vague and unexpected message from Tom Mara at KEXP on 22 January which alluded to some upcoming collaboration. It instantly though maybe inaccurately reminded me of the change from KCMU -> KEXP and the “outcry” that followed.

So what of this message today? This morning’s email brings the news of an alliance with Radio New York and I am left with… “So what?”

I carefully read the Q & A and didn’t find an answer to “How does my listening experience change as a result of this news?” There was a lot of preemptive defense for the hand-wringing types: “How much will this cost?” “Is John leaving Seattle?” and most amusingly: “Did Paul Allen/Michael Bloomberg and Greg Nickels make this happen?”

So here I am, confused. But not terribly anxious or upset. I anticipate a lot of dialogue as this thing is brought to the table.

See: http://kexp.org/newyork/qa.aspx for more.

Rock the Vote, Ya’ll!

In light of the Washington State Caucuses happening this Saturday, please GO SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATE tomorrow. But since it is a music blog, I guess I should probably tie it into music somehow, right? Well I was curious to see who popular musicians are supporting — I found this interesting little tidbit on the internet I thought I would share:

REPUBLICANS
Mike Huckabee: Ted Nugent

John McCain: Burt Bacharach

Mitt Romney: Pat Boone, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond

DEMOCRATS
Hillary Clinton: Madonna, Carly Simon, Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, Carole King, Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, 50 Cent, Mya, Timbaland, Barbra Streisand, Merle Haggard, Elvis Costello

Barack Obama: Babyface, Jeff Tweedy, the Goo Goo Dolls, Macy Gray, Ne-Yo, Will Smith, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick Jr., Pete Wentz , Win Butler (arcade fire), will.i.am/the Black Eyed Peas, the Grateful Dead, Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst, Joanna Newsom, the Cool Kids, Stephan Jenkins, OK Go, Shudder to Think, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam

Also the most ridiculous quote I read from 50 cent: “(Hilliary) is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term” 50 cent is LAME.

Don’t know where your caucus is? Find it here: http://www.wa-democrats.org/caucusfinder

This music fan will be supporting Obama tomorrow.

My Favorite Albums of 2007: A Post by Lord Bison (Part II)

So, yesterday I posted the first half of my “dissertation” on my favorite records of the year. Now I give you the rest:

6. Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends (Frenchkiss)

If they could package and sell the insanity and exuberance of a Les Savy Fav live show, the returns would surely be fast and great. Tim Harrington is a one-man wrecking crew, simultaneously entertaining and bamboozling any available on-looker into the sensation of a sweat-and-scream-induced hangover (read my own personal account here). For now, the recordings will have to suffice, and oh, do they ever. These Brooklyn art-punks have always been trendsetters, more willing to rebuff their own machinations than to embrace them; but here they seem—and sound—more comfortable in their shoes than ever before. The most intriguing aspect of the cheekily titled Let’s Stay Friends is the variety of chances these artists take throughout the record: Harrington’s poetic reflection over Syd Barret’s dub-inspired bass line in “Brace Yourself”; the surprisingly pleasant placement of horns during the chorus of “The Lowest Bitter”; the pop-inspired melodies of “Patty Lee” and “What Would Wolves Do?”; and the sentimental acoustics of “Comes & Goes”. The record is not without vintage Les Savy Fav, thankfully, as “The Equestrian” puts Seth Jabour’s brash guitar proudly on display, “The Year Before the Year 2000” would be right at home on 3/5, and Jabour’s swirling guitar combined with the thumping drum march of Harrison Haynes places “Slugs in the Shrubs” squarely in another category. I haven’t even mentioned “Raging in the Plague Age,” a decadent punk-disco jam fit for a king. These guys would know, after all.

Death Cab Member Chris Walla: Music Terrorist

I just heard about this on KEXP, and it sent me scurrying for Google to find out, well, WTF?!

From Chris Walla’s blog:

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog. Mostly it’s because I keep forgetting how to log in. My solo record is coming along nicely, despite the fact that the master drive was confiscated by US Homeland Security at the border (much of the record was recorded between Vancouver and Victoria, BC). I’m told it’s at ‘computer forensics in Quantico’ but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what that means in any real way; you see, there’s exactly no customer service element to our federal government.

My bolds. Note to US government: please drop the fucking paranoia. Please.

It’s not a Kafka novel, and I’m not a prisoner at Guantanamo. My life isn’t so bad. But still, this situation is a concrete and real reminder of what fuels the world we live in: It’s fear and mistrust and suspicion. And oil.

As this country is slowly drained of talent, both technical and artistic, we’re left with nothing save the lonely blue glow of television at night.

www.inrainbows.com

This morning I heard about the new Radiohead record being available for download at a you-name-it price.
Immediately, I pointed my browser to radiohead.com but it took me some time to learn that inrainbows.com was the URL where the album could be retrieved, as long as you aren’t running Safari. Ugh.
I am 0:38 into “Videotape”, the final track. A(nother) great record from Jonny, Thom and company. Well worth the five quid I offered.

Nevermind the record industry. So if you are an artist and you have significant notoriety, it seems your reliance upon the traditional structure of the business has been compromised in your favor.
Go Directly to the Internet. Collect $200.

It’s likely that Trent Reznor is next to release an online record now that he has been released from Interscope. Pearl Jam is one album into an independent career; perhaps they could pull it off. Certainly the success of their live shows being available for download mere hours after show (sans artwork and liner notes) is evidence that the demand is there. Nowadays, being a music consumer requires a personal computer as much as money and headphones, so it’s about time that method of dissemination is utilized more fully.

Another Ugly Neumos Incident

Last night I was walking by Neumos with a friend, and we stopped — on the sidewalk — to look at/listen to whoever was playing via an open door. (Neumos is notoriously hot, and they keep the Pike Street door open during summer events.)

Being a street photographer, I had my camera with me. I raised it to shoot a few frames through the door. Shooting through a door while retaining some of the door’s border — like the wall for instance — can frame a subject beautifully. And there was some real dancing going on in there.

Ok, so let’s compose and fire the shutter. But wait! There’s a hand coming toward me… now it’s filling my frame, and now it’s actually pushing the lens, the camera, and my head back.

No More Pretty Girls?

What happened to Pretty Girls Make Graves? I just got a message that Neumo’s is hosting their final performace, to be held next Saturday night. What the heck?