In the interest of cleaning out my scattered brain of the junk it’s been accumulating in the past month or so, I figured I’d use this entry to compile a bunch of thoughts and observations that I don’t think are blog-worthy enough on their own. Some of them probably aren’t even blog-worthy when they’re mashed together, either, but that’s OK. Just skip it if it’s boring.
On Tuesday, I reviewed The Wallflowers show at Northern Lights. While waiting outside the venue before the doors opened, I ran into one James Frederick, open mike host at Caffe Lena and creator of the “Inside the Open Mic” video series (I wrote a story about in January; read it here).
We chatted for a bit, and I asked him about a post he had made on his MySpace page announcing the final video in the series. He told me the series was starting to become too much of a routine for him, and that he was looking to try something new. I was kind of hoping he’d expand the series out to other open mikes in the area, but either way, the 15 videos he did make are all entertaining and interesting looks at some top-notch local musicians. Check them out at his Web site, www.jamesfrederick.net..
If you’re a musician, I’d recommend checking out Drome Sound, at 3905 State St. in Schenectady. Earlier this week, I apparently decided I had a little bit too much money, and that a new guitar for the arsenal would be just the thing to spend it on. My girlfriend insisted I had to get rid of one of my other seven guitars before I bought a new one, so I decided to trade in my Epiphone Les Paul Junior (a bad impulse buy from a few months back) and an old Peavey Bandit guitar amplifier that I used in my college punk rock band. I had tried trading these items in at Guitar Center, but I felt their estimate was a bit low — and they didn’t even bother to try out the gear.
Granted, Drome Sound didn’t give me that much more for the items, but the gentleman there actually sat down and talked to me about the equipment, playing both the guitar and the amplifier. I didn’t get a chance to look around the place much (I knew exactly what I wanted, so I didn’t bother), but judging from the walls of guitars and amplifiers I did see, I’ll be back there in no time, buying more equipment I don’t need. Plus, the Squier Jagmaster I did buy was $30 cheaper than anywhere else I’ve seen it (and for you brand elitists turning up your noses at the mention of a Squier, all I have to say is don’t knock it until you’ve played it).
As usual, I’ve been discovering bands both new and old (well, mostly old). First up is Metric, a Canadian four-piece that’s just released its third proper studio album, “Fantasies.” They mix heavy punk guitars with 1980s pop sheen, which is kind of the norm for indie/alternative rock these days, except they write killer hooks, which is arguably not the norm for indie/alternative rock these days. And lead singer Emily Haines sounds so much like Kim Deal that for nearly a month, I thought single “Help I’m Alive” was in fact a new Breeders song every time I heard it on EQX.
Australian art rockers The Church perform at The Egg tonight. The name honestly did not ring a bell with me when the show was first announced. I later found out, while doing research for my pick in yesterday’s It’s the Weekend section, that I’ve been a fan of the band for some time, ever since hearing the song “Under the Milky Way” in the film “Donnie Darko” my freshman year of college. Although I had no idea the song was called “Under the Milky Way,” or that a band called The Church played it. This all goes back to my odd inability to remember both lyrics and song titles, while when it comes to melodies, guitar riffs, drum beats, bass lines and even entire solos, I have a photographic (or is it phonographic?) memory.
After reviewing Colin Hay at The Egg in April (which you can read here), I was automatically a fan, and began searching for his solo albums. In particular, I was looking for “Man at Work,” an album in which he “covers” a bunch of his old Men at Work songs acoustically. However, after searching in vain for months, I decided to buy Men at Work’s second album, 1983’s “Cargo.” I’d always been a little bit turned off by Men at Work — in the past, I’ve felt their songs were too upbeat and, well, ’80s. But having a full album to digest turned me around on them. I’d really wanted the acoustic version of “Overkill” off the “Man at Work” album, and picked up “Cargo” as a compromise to myself, since it has the original version of the track. Now I’d say I like both versions about the same.
