While Uncle Joe is best known as one of America's top Classic Rock historians, throughout his 38-year career he's always been acutely aware of current trends in the music industry. Indeed, Classic Rock itself was the finest new music of its day, composed and performed by artists at their creative peak. For a scholarly insight into today's trends, J.B. presents Rave's Raves.
Rave's Raves are composed by Bruce Ravid, a veteran of Capitol Record's A&R Department and in no way reflect the official viewpoint of Uncle Joe, his staff or management. They are written from Rave's industry viewpoint, originally for friends within the music business, but now shared with the world. New editions appear in April/May, August/September, and December with occasional updates in between. Enjoy!
March 2007
***RAVE'S RAVES #28.2***
SXSW RECAP
It was a good first day at SXSW. The Redwalls' set of all new material showed that their next CD will be more raw, and more like their live show. The last album didn't quite capture their energy and the new direction is exactly what I was hoping for from them. Persephone's Bees didn't play a boring note all night. They're great musicians and stretch out their more popular tunes with highly compelling jams. They're now off of Columbia, and that's probably a good move for the band. Peter Bjorn and John played a solid show while demonstrating more energy and animation than one might expect from their "Young Folks" song. The Automatic were just okay. I had high hopes for them and chose them over The Rapture. Talking to people leaving the Rapture gig, the verdict was unanimously positive. Having seen Lily Allen before, I skipped her show to see P's Bees. I understand she did have a good show but also spent lots of stage time dissing NME, who sponsored the showcase. The crowd wasn't really with her, and I suggest she temper her verbiage a bit. U.S. audiences appreciate reality, but overly negative Brits eventually hurt themselves (see Oasis). The Sunshine Underground from England did some good for themselves in terms of conference buzz. I liked them enough to pay closer attention. Pete Townshend's keynote interview was superb.
Day two highlights were Thomas Dolby and Bloc Party. It was my 3rd time seeing Thomas Dolby since he resumed touring after 12 years in the IT world. Now he's got a horn section and an amazing new song. The crowd loved him as he blinded them with wizardry. Bloc Party's new disc may be low-key, but you'd never know it by their show last night as they blew Austin out of the state of Texas (maybe a good thing). They've always been strong live, and this was the best I've seen them despite sound problems. Amy Winehouse was probably the buzz artist of the conference. Her show was quite good and visual but I didn't feel captivated by the entire set. Amy's drinking habits were mentioned almost as much as her shows. The Pipettes from England are another buzz act who are fun. These 60's-sounding girls also have the dance moves and haircuts from that era. Mando Diao from Sweden are powerful and a good band overall, but their excruciating volume didn't allow us to determine how good they actually are. Britain's Razorlight are good live but material to date still creates doubts as to whether they can break in this country. I think Army of Me (from D.C.) have potential.
Day three found The Fratellis and Peaches leading a talented roost. The Fratellis made a triumphant return to SXSW and their Island Records party set topped my day 3. Pete Townshend joined them on stage earlier that afternoon at the Spin Party for a rendition of "The Seeker." Check out the link to see it. The other major highlight was Peaches. The music is top-notch and the show is pretty much all sex all the time. She played at The Exodus, which has the worst sight-lines of any venue in memory. I couldn't see much of what she was doing up there, or should I say down there. She wrote one of my favorite lines of 2006 in her "Impeach My Bush" opener, when she sings "I'd rather f**k who I want than kill who I'm told to." It was a consistent day for me with lots of other talent. Mika closed the Island party with a few songs on piano, backed by only an acoustic guitar. I also saw him play a few songs with his entire band the second night in a surprise appearance. He's a fun, talented guy loaded with falsettos and other vocals reminiscent of Freddie Mercury. Mika won't be everyone's cup of tea. I can see why folks are buzzing about Tokyo Police Club, Sloan, and The Walkmen as I really liked all three. Robyn Hitchcock performed a delightful acoustic set, highlighted by his "Adventure Rocket Ship" and also a tune dedicated to Karl Rove (no bold deserved), called "I Wanna Destroy You." Children Collide from Australia are a raw, punkish band with great potential and I want to keep an eye on them.
Iggy Pop and the Stooges fittingly closed Stubb's on the final night with a super set. As expected, Spoon and Kings Of Leon were better than solid. The Wombats from Manchester play with major power and are apparently on the verge of a major deal. Kraack and Smack from Holland put on a fine electro/dance performance for upcoming Direct TV broadcasts.
I didn't have a Fratelli's-sized discovery this year that absolutely knocked me out of my shoes, but I am intrigued by a new Manchester band called Waxplanet. They've only played 30-odd shows, but this edgy indie pop group has some brilliant ideas and I'm excited to watch them develop. I missed Austin's Ghostland Observatory but did catch them in L.A. at The Echo a few months ago. There were SXSW superlatives this dance rock duo, which didn't surprise me at all. The singer is a pure star and I'm betting on a deal for them in the very near future. Several people really liked The Rumble Strips, who are on Island, UK. I missed them but subsequently checked out a few tunes. Good stuff, so keep an eye on them as well.
Speaking of the The Fratelli's, their March 19th debut at L.A.'s sold out Troubadour was hugely triumphant. They play real well but I find it ironic for such a fine pub rock band that they don't establish more of a rapport with the crowd. KLOS' Chris Carter and I were commenting at the show about this band's perfect strategy. Two months of iPod commercial exposure has made them completely familiar. "Flathead" isn't nearly the best song on the album. I believe that these guys are perfectly positioned to have a larger hit with "Chelsea Dagger", which I feel should come next. That song closes the set and works great live. More on them in next month's live section.
I'll be back with Rave's Raves #29 and a Coachella recap at the end of April. Till then...
RAVE ON!!!
February 2007
***RAVE'S RAVES #28.1***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air since January 1)
The Fratellis ("Flathead," "Chelsea Dagger"), Of Montreal (various), Nine Inch Nails, Lily Allen (various), Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire (various), Peter Bjorn And John, The View, LCD Soundsystem, The Shins.
The Fratellis (see below) have been one of the dominant bands in England over the last 8 months, and the placement of "Flathead" in Apple's latest iPod commercial has resulted in that song being the #1 selling single over the last couple of weeks in the U.S. That is amazing for an unknown band that is only receiving limited airplay at this point. I expect that their radio situation will soon change significantly. Along with The Fratellis, Of Montreal and Lily Allen have come up with a fine albums. NIN has "nailed" it again and I hear the entire album is another winner. Arcade Fire are somewhat lower key with fewer hooks this time out, but the album is very consistent and is growing on me in a big way. LCD's new album has a more focused direction, where his last one covered multi-genres in an effective way.
LIVE
England's The View visited L.A. in early January and played at Spaceland. They're huge in England at the moment. While I liked their energy, they're still very rough live at this point. U.K. hits "Wasted Little DJ's" and "Same Jeans" stood out as the two strongest songs... I was able to hit Melbourne's Big Day Out as part of an Australian vacation in January. Upon asking exiting fans which bands they liked the best, Tool and Muse came up most often. Having seen and appreciated Tool in the past, I had other priorities and would have to say that the best shows for me were Muse, Hot Chip and The Violent Femmes. Muse did what they always do live and the word "bombastic" applies whether people love them or hate them. Hot Chip are extremely musical and play a sparkling version of their dance rock. There isn't much happening visually, but those in attendance loved what they heard. I have been waiting to see The Femmes since the Eighties and they were wonderful despite sound problems. Hearing thousands of people singing "Blister in the Sun" was a surreal experience. The Killers put on their usual solid set, but were also beset with audio difficulties and actually sounded better from behind the stage. Mike Skinner (The Streets) showed that he is a formidable front man backed by a powerful rock band. Crystal Method did a great job of ending the evening with almost everyone in motion. The event's big surprise was Sydney's The Presets. Since SXSW 2006, they've zoomed from average bar band status to being major festival artists that had enough drive to thrill thousands of fans. They had a recent hit in Australia as well. Jet's set was heartbreaking. These guys played as well as they could in front of their hometown crowd, yet they got very little reaction. The Cester brothers have been through so much with the passing of their father as well as the disappointing sales of the "Shine On" album. I would imagine the guys were really devastated after that show. As we couldn't arrive until 6:00, we missed people like Lily Allen and Kasabian. I was told that Peaches was actually the artist that got the most press afterwards, and I've long wanted to see her. Sight lines and sound quality were often very poor, so it's great news that the festival will move next year. The U.K.'s Camera Obscura played a sold-out show at L.A.'s El Rey. They're 6-strong, very competent, friendly, a bit humorous, but extremely low key. There were a few moments when I thought they might lose the crowd but most of their fans seemed to leave happy.
CHANGING TOO QUICKLY!
I'm all for bands having integrity, remaining fresh and allowing their sounds to evolve. But what's up with so many indie bands who do pretty well the first time out, then seem to abandon the very traits that got people into them in the first place? Bloc Party released my favorite album of 2005, yet they've become less frenetic and summarily de-emphasized one of the best rhythm sections in music. Kaiser Chiefs' "Ruby" single is huge in Europe where the band are major stars, but it's not doing all that great in America. There is no bite and it sounds to me like a million formula tunes that have preceded it. The new album rocks, but sounds quite predictable overall. Jet dispensed with their harder rock hooks and paid a major price. I could go on and on. Is it peer pressure that causes bands to overplay the "unique" card? As a former A&R guy, I think I would be pulling my hair out if I were handling some of these artists. I see both sides and was rarely interested in "corporate" artists, but there is a happy medium. The market is difficult enough as it is, and if bands want continued support from struggling labels, they need to find an appealing way to compromise. There's room on albums for all kinds of creativity as long as there are several accessible, interesting songs that can be worked for airplay.
THE FAB FRATELLIS
I discovered this band (see Faves above) last year at SXSW when I hit the Island Records party to see Nine Black Alps. Even most of the Brits in the crowd were then unfamiliar with the band and I started telling people that they were my surprise discovery of the conference. In my SXSW recap, I wrote "Another Brit band, The Fratellis, were a fresh discovery for me. I only caught their last four songs, but lots of people were feeling that they'd uncovered a nugget." I'm told by an Apple friend that the response to their iPod commercial is far greater than normal. With Interscope about to work the "Flathead" single in America — and with their upcoming tour — keep an eye on their rising star.
...and...
Kudos to the Dixie Chicks for their near-sweep of the major GRAMMY Awards! Check out their "Shut Up and Sing" film even if you're only a bit of a fan to appreciate how a band dealt with adversity while maintaining their integrity. Rage Against The Machine was paid $2 million to headline Coachella this year. I understand that the band rejected a $1 million offer last year. Chris Cornell leaving Audioslave is great news to me because those guys are meant to be intense! Check out my latest "Go Deep" shows if you haven't had a chance lately. With all of the great music out there, reaction has been better than ever... There will be a Raves Rave's 28.2 because I will be posting another recap following this year's SXSW marathon. There will also be blogs from Austin on my MySpace page... Meanwhile, I would love any input from you, and make sure you put "RAVES" in the subject line to ensure a response from me. Have a good March until I'm back... Till then...
RAVE ON!!!
December 2006
***RAVE'S RAVES #28***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air)
Muse (various), The Killers ("Bones," "Read My Mind"), Snow Patrol, Jet ("Shine"), Decemberists (various), Cold War Kids (various), Camera Obscura, My Chemical Romance (various), Fall Out Boy, The Blood Arm, The Cat Empire, Foo Fighters.
All songs are singles unless otherwise noted. The Killers' "Mind" is a flawlessly-written tune that is screaming to be a hit for them when it's released in January. If the song is as big as I think it will be, it could propel the band to dizzying heights. The Jet album hasn't performed that well, and it might be the Oasis-sounding ballads that save it. Camera Obscura has gotten strong indie play, including both major satellite channels. MCR and Fall Out Boy have come up with great radio tracks. For my ears, this is the most compelling FOB tune yet. The Blood Arm is an L.A. band getting played on Indie 103.1. The Cat Empire's "Sly" is an interest blend of rock, ska, and hip hop. They're from Melbourne, Australia. The Foo Fighters' "Skin and Bones" is a welcome change in sound for them, and Dave Grohl states their new album will incorporate lots of new ideas. This comes at a perfect time for this band.
TOP AIRPLAY SONGS AND TOP CD'S OF THE YEAR
First the airplay tracks:
#1. Muse – "Knights of Cydonia"
#2. Art Brut – "Moving to L.A."
#3. Muse – "Starlight"
#4. Camera Obscura – "Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken"
#5. Peaches – "The Boys Wanna Be Her"
Muse recorded two tracks that were perfect for mainstream and indie airplay as well as for my iPod. I can't understand why Art Brut's "L.A." wasn't released as a single. It had the hooks and the humor. Speaking of hooks, the Camera Obscura song was perfectly crafted. Maybe too pop for mainstream alternative, but indie stations embraced it pretty well. The Peaches track could have been a perfect Joan Jett-type hit in the Eighties, and I thought it would do better than it did. Honorable mention goes to The Strokes ("Live Once"), The Killers ("Mind"), Paul Oakenfold, Of Montreal, Persephone's Bees, Dirty Pretty Things ("Bang"), and Elbow ("Station").
Four full-lengths made my top tier for 2007:
#1. Art Brut
#2. Muse
#3. Elbow
#4. Goldfrapp
Art Brut dropped domestically in May despite having been a U.K. release in 2005. It became a benchmark for all '06 releases, and nothing quite matched it for uniqueness, fun, and overall good music. The Muse album was almost as good as their 2004 "Absolution" release. Elbow made the perfect mellow album while Goldfrapp's disc was loaded with great songs, many of which are now on TV. I fully believe she'll become mainstream if her next album is on this level. Other releases came close, including Hot Chip, Butch Walker, Decemberists, The Killers, Peaches, Nine Black Alps, Arctic Monkeys, Hard-Fi, and The Subways.
LIVE
Imogen Heap is so comfortable on stage, and she related to the Wiltern Theatre crowd as if she were performing in a lounge. She's very high quality and her fans love her, but there was a tad too much down-tempo music for me. I've long been interested to see Panic! At The Disco, and I finally caught up with them at the Long Beach Arena. The sound was terrible, but lead singer Brendan Urie is an appealing frontman and the band play well. Their dance troupe is onstage most of the time and usually adds a lot to the show. Lily Allen seems to have a real shot at U.S. success. She played at the Avalon in Hollywood at Indie 103.1's Wreck The Halls holiday party. After seeing her, I don't get the Gwen Stefani comparisons. While they both are ska-influenced, Gwen is more showbiz while Lily seems very approachable. She's the kind of girl you'd say something to if standing next to her in a "que." Lily has a fine voice as well. BTW, I believe Gwen herself was at this show checking Lily out. Headlining was uber cover band Camp Freddy, featuring Dave Navarro and others. Lots of familiar faces appeared. The highlight of the set was "Man In A Box" with Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell.
...and...
I continue to hit Madison whenever I can. During my last visit in late October, I subbed at WSUM for fine rock DJ Randy B. while he was out of town. Thanks, Randy! I'll return on January 9th for my own 8-hour mini-marathon from 10am-6pm Central time, 8-4 Pacific, and 4pm-12am GMT. I'll do a 5-hour "Go Deep" with the best of the mid-decade. For the final three hours, Madison radio icons Jonathan Little, Tom Teuber and Rick Murphy will take hour-long turns joining me and spinning some of their faves... It feels like New Years Eve was just a few months ago, but the time has come again for me to wish you a super holiday season and a really great 2007! I'll be back in a couple of months, and until then...