While Uncle Joe is best known as one of America's top Classic Rock historians, throughout his 39-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!
April 2008
***RAVE'S RAVES #31.2***
SXSW Recap
Day one in Austin was a bit lighter than normal, and I'll skip bands that didn't do it for me. Cut Copy stole the day for me. They lit up the house, and continue to have so much more energy live than their past albums would indicate. The new stuff sounds good live, and the new album will hopefully capture more of their on-stage vibe. The Raveonettes have been one of my faves for years. Just about every review of their new album has been an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Their darker, fuzzier, slower vibe doesn't work nearly as well for me, and their shows have changed in the same way. I had to wonder if maybe they just weren't inspired. Crowd reactions were mild. They seemed so much more into it a couple of years ago at the Troubadour in L.A.
Day two: I'll only put it this way one time, but The Whip from Manchester, sort of a New Order meets 2008 band, absolutely whipped up the crowds during their gigs. For me, they were one of those energizing SXSW surprises, but it turns out that many electro tastemakers in the U.S. are already onto them. Also on the dance side, Toronto's Holy Fuck aced their set with their entirely analogue, all instrumental, hard electronic. Regular readers and listeners know I'm a huge supporter of London's Switches. Their single "Drama Queen" has more hooks than a closet and deserves far more U.S. airplay. These boys easily delivered the goods at their showcases. They've been touring the U.S. extensively and it shows, as their live gigs have come up another notch. I continue to like the U.K.'s Noisettes, and I caught a few songs at their DirecTV taping. Eli 'Paperboy' Reed plays a good-vibe, well-done brand of retro-soul.
After a slower start to the conference, things definitely picked up on Friday. Day three's high of 93 gave us practice for Coachella. Skybombers are the Melbourne band I've been following for a year. They're hot live, and their unofficial SXSW gig was welcome at a time when the new band highlights haven't included as many guitar-oriented groups as in other years. Their glam/punk/rock sound works great, and crowds consistently go for these guys. Their album will come out stateside in late spring. The Cribs are a great live band, and once again came through. Their new single "I'm A Realist" has a shot at major airplay. You're probably wondering how Vampire Weekend did. I'm a fan and would say their live show has some more energy than what I've seen from them on TV. Fans of their music will enjoy the live set, but I don't know if the show itself will blow people away. They're likable up there, and are pretty much straight ahead at this point. MGMT, the other major Brooklyn buzz band didn't get into the costume changes I'd heard about, but they play well, come off well. The set at times made me think of Arcade Fire and at other times reminded me of Pink Floyd. They could have been a little more up-tempo, and I was surprised they didn't play "Kids", which is not only faster-paced, but also is a popular track that may break them into the mainsteam. After playing all week, they may have been tired by Friday night. The Ting Tings are fun and talented; and they had lots of people talking about them. Santogold's cool choreography was a joy to observe. White Rabbits are very musical with lots of piano, a nice discovery on the harder indie/folk side.
Day four was easily the best. L.A.'s Airborne Toxic Event has been attracting serious interest from major labels, as well as leading management companies. As an unsigned band, they are also being played by both KROQ and Indie 103.1 in LA. KROQ might do that once or twice a year. Their live show was ace. It appears that everyone will know this band before long. Sons and Daughters have a new album coming out, and I caught some of their DirecTV appearance, where they played great. It turned out to be a highlight of the conference for me, and I look forward to catching them at Coachella. I've been following The Redwalls a long time, and have seen many of their shows. This one was their best to date. Duffy's wonderful hit 'Mercy' turned out to be the only up-tempo tune in her set. This retro-soul U.K. girl is being called the blonde, clean cut version of Amy Winehouse. She has a great voice and is pleasing to watch, but I'd love to see her juice things up a little bit. The Wombats packed the Liverpool/Manchester showcase, and continued to play with power, while continuing to deliver their tongue-in-cheek lyrics. At the same venue, The Rascals sound like a talented but less accessible Arctic Monkeys, and they'll be interesting to watch. Lead vocalist Miles Kane not only sounds like the Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner, but the two of them have teamed up for The Last Shadow Puppets side project. Two high-energy indie folk bands are Ra Ra Riot and Ezra Furman & the Harpoons. Both played strong sets.
There were something like 1,600 bands, including more than a few I wish I'd gotten to see. I'd say that the overall energy level of the conference was down. This might be attributed to the travails currently being endured by the industry. It may also be due to the fact that the indie music is almost becoming mainstream in terms of exposure. It also seems like the band line-up wasn't quite as strong this year. Just about every bar raised the prices of their drinks this year. We big city people are used to paying a lot more in our establishments, and local owners obviously decided they can make a lot more money on us. The conference has become more commercial every year, and we can only hope that it doesn't loose its relevance anytime soon.
RAVE ON!!!
March 2008
***RAVE'S RAVES #31.1***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air since January 1)
Vampire Weekend (various), MGMT (various), Hot Chip, B-52's, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Switches, Ting Tings, The Cribs ("Realist"), Beirut, Gnarls Barkley, Atreyu, Devo, Rumble Strips, Duffy, Flogging Molly.
Vampire Weekend and MGMT, both from Brooklyn, are the buzz bands of the year, and both back up the hype with consistently strong albums. Hot Chip may not show as much heart and soul on the new release, but "Ready for the Floor" is a perfect single and this album does have a nice edge to it. How cool is it that the B-52's have a new CD coming? And I also think that Green Day's Foxboro Hot Tubs 60's garage songs are a great listen. The Switches from the U.K. are finally releasing their delayed album and have been touring heavily behind it. The Ting Tings are from Manchester, and will be releasing their full-length in the U.K. in May. The Cribs were produced by Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. Beirut made many Top 10 lists last year. I'm a bit late to the party but have really begun to like this album. Gnarls admit that they probably won't write another "Crazy," and their new single sounds like a blast from decades past. Atreyu have a great album. Devo (Dell) in the U.K. and the Rumble Strips (Sprint) make this list due to their songs in current TV commercials. As more bands begin to break through television exposure, it may be time to consider new categories for GRAMMY Awards. Duffy is a U.K. girl with a commanding voice and an early-60's style. Flogging Molly are back with a cool tune, just in time for St. Patty's Day.
LIVE
Gallows, from England, are considered to be the first high-profile hardcore punk band to come out there in a long time. They play well and frontman Frank Carter definitely has the goods in a down-to-earth, very real sort of way. It will probably be awhile before this band has a serious shot at airplay, but they already are doing well in their home country and they just played to a virtually sold-out Troubadour. Khaela Maricich of The Blow played at the Henry Fonda in L.A., and provided a very warm show for the crowd. She was on stage alone, singing and dancing to fully produced backing tracks, and telling amusing stories of failed relationships. She's a good performer whose last album had a nice buzz, but her plan is to concentrate on writing songs for other artists. Mika showed why he's so popular around the world, as the sold-out Wiltern Theatre absolutely adored him. His show is about as happy as any pop or rock show I've seen in a long time, and the young girls sure do love this guy. While in London, I saw Mark Ronson at the Hammersmith Apollo. He sold out two nights (10,000) and had a slew of guest vocalists, similar to his critically acclaimed recent album. Ronson is a good showman who also exudes positive vibes. It was a thrill for him to play at the Hammersmith as he was born just five minutes away. No, Amy Winehouse did not make the surprise appearance that everyone was hoping for.
80's Colleagues
Iron Maiden just blew through The Forum in Los Angeles as part of a completely sold-out world tour. The guys will be back for a more extensive North American trek in May/June, and they'll be playing monster European dates throughout the summer. Guitar player Warren Cuccurullo (Duran Duran, Missing Persons) wrote some music with Missing Persons' drummer Terry Bozzio, and it's on Warren's myspace page. Both of the guys were in Frank Zappa's band, and the music definitely has that feel. My favorite track is called "Raging Bullshit."
...and...
It's refreshing to see touring musicians pick up different instruments during indie rock shows and I love the organic variety we're hearing on more and more albums. I truly enjoy synthesized music, but bands like Arcade Fire have made instrumentation a welcome trend. On my Go Deep shows, the bands getting the strongest reactions are mostly those who would be considered more "musical." If you haven't checked out on my my webcasts lately, I encourage you to, and you can find them at my Rave's Raves site. Thanks to WSUM GM Dave Black and all of the guests who appeared on my 8-hour Rave-athon January 15. They have a great bunch of people at the station, and I look forward to doing more with them in the future. Keep an eye on this space for my SXSW updates, and I'll be back in early May with Rave's Raves #32 and a Coachella recap. Until then,
RAVE ON!!!
December 2007
***RAVE'S RAVES #31***
RAVE'S FAVES (on the air)
The Hives (various), Louis XIV, Spoon (various), Foo Fighters ("Ruin"), Calvin Harris, Killers, Bad Religion, 1990s (various).
This isn't a long list by any standards, but I do feel that 2007 was a pretty good year for music, especially in the first half of the year. The Hives album is one of the year's best, although airplay and sales haven't met expectations up to this point. With more exposure and touring, I think this album is good enough to break through in 2008. Their "Tick Tick Boom" single may not have been the best choice, in my humble opinion. The Louis XIV track grabbed me immediately and is gathering a bit of airplay steam. Mainstream alternative radio continues to move further and further away from indie artists, and one can only hope the pendulum swings back toward more variety. At least L.A.'s KROQ consistently plays anything new by Bad Religion, and that's a good thing. 1990s have received strong college radio play and continue to be one of my favorite newer bands.
TOP AIRPLAY SONGS AND TOP CD'S OF THE YEAR
First the airplay tracks:
#1. Arcade Fire – "Intervention"
#2. Amy Winehouse – "Rehab"
#3. Mika – "Grace Kelly"
#4. Fratellis – "Chelsea Dagger"
#5. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – "Falling Slowly" (from the movie "Once")
#6. Arctic Monkeys – "Brianstorm"
#7. LCD Soundsystem – "North American Scum"
#8. Louis XIV – "Guilt By Association"
#9. Beck – "Timebomb"
#10. Maximo Park – "Girls Who Play Guitars"
It's interesting to note that songs 2, 3, and 4 all came from Island Records in the UK. It was easier ranking songs than CD's. I had five albums in my top tier this year, including three which tied for second:
#1. Arcade Fire
#2. Arctic Monkeys
#2. Fratellis
#2. The Hives
#5. Mika
#6. Of Montreal
Arcade Fire was the band of the year, both live and in the studio. The next three CD's were all very close, not to mention that they're all in similar genres. Of Montreal had two releases this year, and this is their "Hissing Fauna..." album of new tracks. In no particular order, honorable mention goes to Datarock, Spoon, 1990s, LCD Soundsystem, Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen.
80's Colleagues
Iron Maiden will be on a monster tour early in the new year. Advanced ticket sales are spectacular once again. Duran Duran's new album is pretty good, but it hasn't exactly set the world on fire. It seems like radio and the general public weren't too excited about the band's new Top 40 direction. Before the release, lead singer Simon LeBon said that the original plan was for the project to sound more like modern alternative groups such as Bloc Party. Much of the album is still in that vein, and many of the tracks do sound like the Duran Duran we've known for years. The Knack continue to roll and just played to over 4,000 people in Spain. Singer Doug Fieger and The Motels' singer Martha Davis appeared on the successful Countdown reunion tour, that hit a number of Australian markets.
...and...
Lots has been written and said about the current writer's strike. I've never been in a union, but it's always been a mystery to me why people can't just stay in a fricking room and work things out. The saddest part about strikes is the innocent parties who are affected. On the musical side, just think of all the artists whose crucial television appearances had to be canceled... I'm pleased to announce that I will be returning to WSUM for an 8-hour marathon on Tuesday, January 15th. You'll be able to hear it live on the Internet, and there will more details posted on my website as we approach the date... Thanks to Uncle Joe Benson for hosting these Raves on his own fine unclejoe.com site. As of this writing, I eagerly await his Uncle Joe's Rockin' Christmas syndicated show... I wish you the very best of holidays and a great 2008. Stay in touch, and feel free to write anytime. I look forward to hearing from you guys and I respond to all emails. Until next time...