Welcome back and uber-apologies, readers! In case you’ve been wondering where my Carmen Sandiego ass has been the last 2 weeks, well, I’ll tell you. The Californication and the splendor of the Pacific Ocean swallowed me whole and took away my ability to write anything worth reading. I can’t explain it, really. I’m not sure if it was all the sun, the Mexican good eats, the clear weather, laid-back vibe, or the fact that I came home in a bigger funk than when I left for The Golden State, but something shifted in the overhead compartment in my head during flight. But please note– I am back, somewhat. Whatever the fuck that means.
My last two posts were decidedly Kanye-esque (8/19 | 8/26) and you would think his recent VMAs fuckery would inspire a third installment, right? Well, I am happy to report that I’m all Kanye-ed out and will not be mentioning his bitchass for a while. As if his famewhoring ego needs any more attention, as is. The one good thing is I did listen to lots of music in Cali, particularly copious amounts of Jimmy Eat World, Ted Leo, Arctic Monkeys, and assure you this will jumpstart a slew of new Under Cover posts I am amped to share. This week will be dedicated to covers by CAKE, the Sacramento-based band that I spent a good chunk of time falling back in love with while driving around the quaint areas of San Diego, plus I even got to catch them live while there (review to follow!). I’ve been listening to so much CAKE lately that I don’t even have the time to eat cake, let alone bake one. Who doesn’t love a band who has made a career out of clever usage of trumpet, the occasional Moog, witty wordplay, and half-spoken half-singing vocals? Seriously. Here. Enjoy a nice, big spoonful of e-CAKE. –
.CAKE – “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor cover) If you’ve never heard Gloria Gaynor’s original version then clearly you’ve never turned on a radio, gone to a school dance, or suffered through a painfully fun karaoke night at any bar in anytown, USA. Perhaps the de facto female empowerment anthem of this century (chill Aretha, I’ve mentioned you before), I love to hate this song, hate that I love it, and apparently CAKE felt the need to put their own jazzy spin on it from the male point of view. I love lead singer John McCrea’s deadpan vocals, the general “fuck you, I don’t need you” attitude, the mariachi-style trumpet outro that perfectly complements the swan song feel, and the profanity. I read this is Gaynor’s least favorite version due to the profanity (they switched her “I should have changed that stupid lock!” to “I should have changed my fucking lock!”), but for me this actually just gives me more reason to love it. Ha. –
.CAKE – “Mah nà, Mah nà” (The Muppets cover) If you grew up on Sesame Street, then you should instantly recognize this song that was popularized by those ever-nutty Muppets. It’s irritating as hell, it sticks in your head, you’ll find yourself humming it without even realizing why or where it’s from… yeah, it’s just that awesome. This cover is just so gosh darn cute and a pretty ingenious selection to feature on a B-sides and Rarities album. I love the syncopated guitar riffs, hand claps, morsels of Moog, the dude who sporadically yells in the background, and the repetitive “mah nà, mah nà”that basically sounds like The Muppets were in the studio with CAKE. Mah nà, mah nà, do do do do do. –
.CAKE – “War Pigs” (Black Sabbath cover) Okay, so I don’t really think Ozzy Osbourne when I listen to CAKE, but maybe they’re huge Black Sabbath fans? I’m going to go ahead and forgive them for this cover because it may only have been done to pay homage to a band they dig, but it’s sort of awful. When they sing “Now in darkness world stops turning, as you hear the bodies burning” while lacing in a little Moog, it doesn’t send the same chills down my back as when Ozzy sings the same lyrics all ominous and prophetic. I can’t really take this rendition seriously, it’s a doozy. –
.CAKE – “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” (Osvaldo Farrés cover) “You won’t admit you love me, and so… how am I ever to know? You only tell me ‘Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.’” Man, that sounds irritating as hell. Originally known as “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” (or “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” in English) this flirty gem of a little song about confronting a wishy-washy lover was written by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés, translated into English lyrics by Joe Wilson, used in countless movies, and popularized by the likes of Doris Day (my favorite version), Nat King Cole, and even the Spice Girls. With CAKE’s slow groove and jazzy latin flair, the muted drum rolls and saucy trumpet, this song comes alive in new ways, especially since I’ve never heard a male version before. The Doris Day version always makes me want to learn the tango and dance a wishy-washy pseudo-boyfriend off a cliff if he keeps perhaps-ing my ass to death. CAKE’s version just makes me want to blast it while throwing the aforementioned dude’s clothes and assorted unmentionables off my balcony. –
Aussie rockers Wolfmother is about to embark on a headlining tour through the states and beginning Sept. 16, fans can purchase tickets through a presale at MusicToday.
Exclusive pre-sale offers include a trial membership to The Wolfies, Wolfmother’s official fan club, and opportunities to pre-order Cosmic Egg with your tickets, plus one lucky fan and a guest at each show will win a meet and greet with Wolfmother! General on sales for all shows begin Friday, Sept. 18.
Tour dates: Oct. 29 – House of Blues / Dallas, TX Oct. 30 – Stubbs / Austin, TX Oct. 31 – Voodoo Festival / New Orleans, LA Nov. 2 – Tabernacle / Atlanta, GA Nov. 3 – The Fillmore / Charlotte, NC Nov. 4 – 9:30 Club / Washington, D.C. Nov. 6 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia, PA Nov. 7 – House of Blues / Boston, MA Nov. 8 – Terminal 5 / New York, NY Nov. 11 – Kool Haus / Toronto, ONT Nov. 12 – Clutch Cargo / Pontiac, MI Nov. 13 – Riviera Theater / Chicago, IL Nov. 14 – State Theater / Minneapolis, MN Nov. 16 – Ogden Theater / Denver, CO Nov. 17 – The Depot / Salt Lake City, UT Nov. 19 – Roseland Theater / Portland, OR Nov. 20 – Paramount Theatre / Seattle, WA Nov. 21 – Queen Elizabeth Theater / Vancouver Nov. 23 – Fox Theater / Oakland, CA Nov. 24 – The Wiltern Theater / Los Angeles, CA
Wolfmother’s new album Cosmic Egg drops Oct. 27.
While waiting for the tour to visit your city and the album to drop, enjoy this fun video of Wolfmother with The Killers as they perform a cover of The Animals‘ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”
Not so 'Far' that she can't be reached…Regina Spektor's recent performance proves that her performance needs to be seen before she's unobtainable.
For those not in the know Soviet-born, Bronx-raised and classically trained folk-pianist turned quirkster-songwriter, Regina Spektor began her career as a solo artist with training from the Manhattan School of Music and Purchase College. After honing her skills as a solo artist in New York’s East Village, Spektor scored a contract with Warner Brothers’ record label Sire Records in 2004 and this little piano lady with a huge smile and wide eyes hasn’t looked back.
In the passing years since The Strokes took their first tour in 2003 with then the little-known opening solo act, the tides have changed for Regina – scores of fans have been gathered, collaborations with the likes of Keane,Ben Folds and The Kings of Leon have garnered attention and the previously main stage drummer (Fabrizio Moretti) well, he’s become the opening act with a little-known and sweet band called Little Joy. The now 29-year-old Spektor has taken the Indie and Pop World(s) by nothing short of a tidal wave and as seen by the turn out at the recent Chicago Theater performance this past Saturday, it appears that Regina’s reign will not come to a downfall any time in the near future.
Stepping on stage to reveal a florally white dress, pink shoes and bright red lips – Regina Spektor swiftly walked to her silhouetted piano and struck up the first chords (”The Calculation”) to kick off what was to be a special evening of new offerings from her recently-released fourth album. For added flair, Regina also had in tow drummer (McKenzie Smith), cellist (Dan Cho) and violinist (K Ishibashi) to help aid in bringing the underlying sounds, intricacies and plush arrangements of her recordings to life.
The first half of the 90-minute performance played tribute to Far by highlighting on all but two tracks. Of the new material, the George Orwell inspired “Machine” was possibly one of the earliest and best performances of the evening – Spektor, in fine form and equally matched by cello and drums, brought forth a tortured story only intensified by samplings, deep vocal screeches, and darkly tinged solos on cello. “Folding Chair” proved as driving as ever with Spektor showing off her vocal prowess for finite intonations and trills, while “Laughing With" brought everything back to the essence of who Regina Spektor is – an artist with an ability to touch people at the truest and most honest level.
Songs such as: “Bobbing For Apples,” “That Time,” “Apres Moi,” “Human of the Year” and “Man of 1000 Faces” rounded out the solo portion of the evening while “Poor Little Rich Boy” certainly became the crowd pleaser as The Village- inspired artist managed to whittle down a drum stick to mere shavings from self-percussion on a wooden chair.
As “Samson,” “Us,” “Fidelity” and “Hotel Song” saw the re-emergence of Regina’s band during the encore, one can tell that of the greatest item which Regina brings as an artist is her ability to reach an audience through talent, intimacy and personality by giving us warts and all.
Overall Regina’s voice on this evening was as loose and precise as one would hope – this performer can show that her range and precision are not just proven in the studio, unfortunately this did not begin to reveal itself until at least 30 minutes into the set. At times Regina’s presence to hold the stage energy and focus (esp. during her band’s absence) may be due to the size of the Chicago Theater’s 3,880 seats or this artist may just be too polite and shy for her own good. And perhaps as this artist has grown from her solo days to packed houses, some of her mystique may have gave way to a bombardment of media, press, interviews, phone calls, fan sites and the day-in-day-out life of a touring musician who has the ability to sell out 4,000 seat houses in a matter of a few hours. Whatever the case may be anyone who was witness to this show could tell you from the constant yells and barrage of cat calls which Regina has come to accept on a nightly basis, the only thing that seems to matter to her 20 to 60-year-old concert-goers are the connections and messages which each person seems to gain from this true artist.
Somewhere between the Colorado Rockies and Santa Fe, New Mexico, Jesse Elliot and These United States were on a tour bus soaking in Americana, the road, and the "Knight Rider" car. All this for the love of music. At 1 p.m. I had the honor of calling Jesse to chat about their journey, their tour, and their cell phones.
Jesse Elliot, These United States: Hey man, sorry about that, I have come to realize that my cell phone is worthless. I never understood how important it was to have reception until I didn't have it. Thomas Starks, PopWreckoning: That’s ok, sir. I truly understand. So where are you now? JE: We are, I think, driving through the eastern ridge of the Rockies. It's so beautiful out here. PW: And where is your next stop? JE: We're headed to Santa Fe to play at Corazon. We've been playing with a lot of metal bands. It's been really cool. PW: Nice, I love that area for music, New Mexico, Arizona, so much talent out there. JE: Yeah this tour has really been good.
PW: So tell me about the tour. This particular one you seem to be ALL OVER the place, Festivals, Colleges, Venues, Radio Stations–do you feel the difference in each and do you like it? JE: Wow, that's really interesting that you ask that. Most people don't get that each place by nature is different. With the college sets it forces us to be more simple with the sets. You never know if you'll be playing a concert hall or a cafeteria, so it's been an experience, but in the same respect, the venues are great too. We love them all for very different reasons.
PW: So does this tour you’re on, does it have a name, or a distinction?
Jesse laughs and calls out to the band "Hey guys, do we have a name for this tour? Think about that for a minute."
JE: It's funny we were just talking about that, and right now we don't have a name. If you can think of one and send it our way, with our approval, we'll name it that. We're always on the road though, like that candy that doesn't quit…the Everlasting Gobstoppers, that's what it's called, we're on the "Gobstoppers" tour.
PW: Looks like you beat me to the punch. So this label you're on right now, what's it called and are they mainly responsible for the booking or are you involved in it as well? JE: Yeah, we're with United Interests out of Boulder Colorado. We just had a dinner thing with them. It was really good to spend some time with them, ya know? They're good people. PW: I had an opportunity to speak via email with Erin Barnes. I have to tell you, I have rarely witnessed a label to forward speaking in their adoration of its bands. They love you. JE: Really? Aww man, that's so cool. We have been really active with them and the booking agent in where and when we play. It's been great. The Monolith (Festival in Morrison Colorado) was pretty amazing! We like to play the rock and roll music for the people.
PW: So does the road affect your writing at all? JE: With the great many sounds we come across, it does affect our music, and writing. Some of it makes us want to quit. But there are more reasons to keep going, like, I'm staring at a million mountains right now. TS: I think you just wrote a lyric. JE: HAHA Yeah, it's something else…..
Jesse stops talking to me, a band mate catches his attention and informs that the "Knight Rider" car is on the road, everyone wants to see it.
PW: So you have had a rotating line up, why is that? JE: Well, it was that way for about a year and a half. People's other projects and so forth. I've been able to work with some very talented people too. But the line up now as I see it is solid as Robbie, Tom, Justin, Collin and I. I see us all playing together 60 years from now saying things like "Hey remember when we were good?" We'll be playing the same songs too.
PW: Speaking of songs, this new LP, Everything Touches Everything, what was it that brought out that name? Were you in a moment, was it heavy? Because that title is pretty weighty. JE: Actually, it's a quote from Borges. We wanted to take from someone who was much better than us.
PW: Ahhh, still the songs in it are also quite heavy. Do you write as a collective or alone? JE: Well, I write with acoustic guitar, but then I bring it to the band and we all have a say. Like there may be a song that I think is it, but then it doesn't turn out ya know.
PW: This particular LP has plenty of Biblical undertones, specifically, "Conquest and Consequence." You make reference to the beheading of John the Baptist, a blood red sky and Jesus on the cross, can you elaborate on that? JE: I think politics are fascinating, the Bible is fascinating. The Bible is a list of some of the most amazing stories ever told, why not draw from it? We also worked around that song for a while, finally took a 4th crack at it, and there it was. (He takes a census of the song to his band mates) It's one of the best tracks for sure for us.
TS: How do you feel when you are compared to other bands, simply because of the nature of music? I, myself, felt tones of Modest Mouse. Does it bother you? JE: Take it seriously, but not too seriously..especially if it's a harsh criticism. Just learn from it if you can.
TS: And how do you feel about someone referring to you in any specific genre, like Folk or Americana? JE: I think Americana is probably the best place we fit, because it's so broad. I like Americana, as a great big stew pot. It's like it's all of it like a mutt. I love those types of dogs, just a bit of everything, scruffy, like us. TS: I like that concept too.
Jesse stops for a moment, there is a silence, then talking in the background.
JE: We're passing "Garden of The Gods" road, all we see is a Days Inn and a Super 8. It's funny.
It's interesting to hear out loud how his mind processes; he's not afraid to say it.
PW: So Jesse, tell me, after this tour, will you go right back on the road, or into studio? JE: Definitely back into studio. We have a batch of about 20 songs to pull from, too, so we're excited to see where it goes. PW: And where will it go, studio wise? Back to DC? JE: Kinda going all over the place for the next one. Maybe Philly or Colorado. PW: Well, I thank you, Jesse, and thank your band for me. It was a pleasure to speak with you and I'm hoping to catch a live set soon. Jesse….Jesse?
At 1:43 p.m. The Rockies cut us off. We were done anyway. Funny how it all just works out.
Miike Snow, the Swedish pop trio, has been shaking around and denting up the music scene this past 2009. When the band came out with the debut of their two singles "Burial" and "Animal" earlier this year with remixes by DJ Mehdi and Treasure Fingers in tow, people were perplexed as to what this entity "Miike Snow" was. The band had emptiness on their myspace, there was nothing on Wikipedia or anywhere on the internet for that matter. Nobody knew if "Miike Snow" was a band, DJ, solo artist, etc. A mystery that indeed helped build a buzz around them. Eventually, the covers were lifted and light shone on them as a pop trio from Sweden that not only produced stellar songs but also remixes galore.
The group consists of singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt and the producing team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, also known as Bloodshy & Avant, that have produced such tracks as "Toxic" for Britney Spears, as well songs for Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Kylie Minogue. Miike Snow released their self-titled debut album this year and have kept busy remixing tracks for man prominent artists.
.Miike Snow – “Burial” "Burial" feels like a modern day classical song, beautifully starting off with soft pianos. The notes are matched with deep and encompassing vocals, all continuing on the mid tempo, emotional notes that is Miike Snow.
.DJ Mehdi Remix This is a great remix by Mr. Mehdi; airy, summery, electrofied pop, tinged with an elated nostalgia. It's intricate, featuring stretched vocals, plenty of synthesizers (as all mixes do), and light bounces on a piano. It was my favorite track earlier this year.
.Miike Snow – “Animal” A mid tempo track with a simple style that builds into muted drum beats, emotive vocals and cool, emotional pop. Andrew Wyatt's vocals are touched with a little auto tune and the harmonies project far and wide during the chorus. The instrumental portions of the track feature airy pianos and vocal hymns for a gentle pop feel.
.Peter Bjorn & JohnRemix This is by far my most favorite remix of a Miike Snow track. It's stripped down, fast, raw and sharply accentuates Andrew Wyatt's vocals. And Andrew Wyatt has some awesome vocals. Lines like "There was a time when my world was filled with darkness, darkness, darkness", are so bare boned, surrounded only by splashes of drums and pulsing percussion, it creates an amazing effect. The mix takes Miike Snow's airy, sweet, sounds and throws plenty of edge into them.
.Treasure Fingers Remix Upbeat and lush is the best way to describe Treasure Finger's remix. It plays around with the vocals, chopping them up on the cutting board for the always appreciated stuttering effect. In fact, most of the vocals are left out for more of an instrumental tune. All that is featured vocally towards the end of the song is the chorus. Musically it features extremely strong percussion, plenty of synths and a slightly quicker version than the original.
