popwreckoning updates |  |
- Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend
- Built to Spill, Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Thievery Corporation, Joshua Radin and Sondre Lerche join (RED)Nights concert series
- Silversun Pickups secret NYC performance now available!
- The Maine fall 2009 tour with Boys Like Girls
| Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend Posted: 18 Aug 2009 12:25 PM PDT Brendan Benson. Jack White. Raconteurs. Fame. So now that's out of the way. On his fourth solo album, Benson continues trying to escape cult hero status and graduate to indie (if not mainstream) stardom on his own terms, evident in his choice employment of producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo and The Bunnymen, but also Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional) to give him his most accessible sound yet. But asides from MOFF sounding noticeably smoother than his previous work, it's business as usual for Benson, who once again crafts a resounding batch of retro-spectable pop nuggets, second only to his work on 2002's Lapalco. Chunky power-chords. Witty rhymes. Stylistic homage. That's the broken down formula for all of Benson's solo work. The title of the album is most likely a self-conscious Benson admitting that his music is not riding any waves or cutting edges, but that its merit lies in its simple, familiar but enduring quality. And the closer to familiarity Benson gets, the more comfortable he often seems. Opener "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" of course steals its title and chorus line from the classic Byrds song of the same name, but stylistically is a punk-y rush with big Cheap Trick-style chord smacks and subtle, placed use of Terry Riley-by-way-of-The Who synthesizer swirls. "Garbage Day" unabashedly nicks its dramatic string section from the back-pages of Motown, marrying it to a song with a metaphor so tongue in cheek ("And if she throws her heart away/I'll be there on garbage day") that it nearly comes off as parody. The song still manages to stand as one of the album's highlights, with its re-imagining of a classic sound giving Benson focus while not restricting him from adding modern touches line a bobbing synth line towards the song's end. Hooks. Hooks. Hooks. Even in songs like the Posies-esque "Eyes On The Horizon" and the funhouse-mirrored "Feel Like Taking You Home" that begin with the softest and most formulaic riffs and rhythms, Benson is never at a loss at working in a chorus or development that redeems the song through it's sheer mathematical "poppy-ness." At times though, because his craftsmanship is so honed in the accepted pop tradition, his choice of changes come as overly familiar and too cushiony (talking to you, "Lesson Learned"). This weakness in Benson's writing was responsible for seriously marring his 2005 album The Alternative To Love, though its reigned in for the most part on MOFF. Brendan Benson – "Feel Like Taking You Home" Brendan Benson vs. Jack White. For some reason, White Stripes vinyl has become ridiculously expensive. I have a copy of Elephant that I bought probably in 04/05 for something like $16.99. If you're looking to grab a copy of the same album on vinyl today, you're going to be paying over $30.00. Why? Because White has fashioned his albums so stylishly and differently from one to the next, they emanate dead sexy cool with all that red, white and black. Benson's albums are not dead sexy cool, but friendly, familiar and reliable. If Jack White were your badass rockstar boyfriend, Brendan Benson would be the good friend that you tell all your secrets to. You might not feel any passion for him, but it's sure nice to have him around. My Old, Familiar Friend is available now from ATO Records. Brendan Benson: website | myspace Related Posts |
| Posted: 18 Aug 2009 10:48 AM PDT Built to Spill, Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Thievery Corporation, Joshua Radin and Sondre Lerche are the latest artists to join the (RED)NIGHTS concert series. They join Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Santigold and others for (RED)'s series of 26 concerts in the U.S. to help fight AIDS in Africa. For the first set of shows, Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Gomez, Santigold, O.A.R., Lisa Hannigan, The Veronicas, Matisyahu and K'Naan each turned one of their concerts (RED) to bring the (RED) experience to life in a new way. At each of these shows, (RED)NIGHTS and the community of acclaimed artists aimed to inspire fans to participate in (RED)’s mission to eliminate AIDS in Africa by pausing to highlight the many ways to get involved and encouraging those in the audience to share the message and experience with others.
Ultimately, it is the goal of (RED)NIGHTS to build a community—of artists, concertgoers and music fans everywhere—that is passionate about helping to fight AIDS in Africa. A portion of the proceeds of each (RED)NIGHTS concert goes directly to the Global Fund.
(RED)NIGHTS arrives on the heels of (RED)WIRE ™, the innovative new digital music service from (RED). The (RED)NIGHTS artists join an impressive community of (RED) artists who are participating in (RED)WIRE, including U2, Coldplay, The Killers, Jay-Z, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Neko Case, Noel Gallagher, Conor Oberst, TV On The Radio, Death Cab For Cutie, Michael Franti and many more. (RED)NIGHTS and (RED)WIRE mark the first time (RED) has moved into the music arena and are a mutual extension of (RED)’s mission, whereby the music community is coming together as a vehicle to raise awareness and funds to help fight AIDS in Africa. Tour Dates: (RED) Nights: website Related Posts |
| Silversun Pickups secret NYC performance now available! Posted: 18 Aug 2009 09:56 AM PDT Iheartradio.com now has available the Silversun Pickups‘ secret NYC show from July 31st. If you missed it, you can check it out now.
Silversun Pickups: website | myspace | Swoon review | @ lollapalooza 2009 Related Posts |
| The Maine fall 2009 tour with Boys Like Girls Posted: 18 Aug 2009 09:34 AM PDT Tempe, Arizona five-piece The Maine have announced a nationwide tour with Boys Like Girls. The six weeks of dates, which kick off October 14th in Buffalo, New York run through November 28th in Boston. Cobra Starship, Rocket To The Moon and Versa Emerge are also confirmed for the tour. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, August 22nd. The tour will support the deluxe edition of The Maine’s Fearless Records debut full-length album Can't Stop Won't Stop, released on iTunes July 14th. The deluxe digital edition features three extra bonus tracks and both of The Maine's music videos. It also includes a 30-minute documentary entitled In Person which features live performances, back stage footage and band interviews. Tour Dates: *Warped Tour 09 @Hurley Stage The Maine: website | myspace | @ warped tour KC 2008 Related Posts |
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