Spill It: A Music Blog

What's Happening Now: Monday, March 31

• In Da News: New local supergroup alert! Keep an eye out for The Chauncers, a new collaborative project featuring Mike Lamping (Heartless Bastards), Bob Gayol (The Virgins, Moth), Billy Catfish, Kendall Davis (The Thirteens, Ditchweed), Lisa Walker (Wussy) and other local musicians and artists. A mix of organic, folksy sounds and keyboard-based Indie Rock and Pop (like Wilco and Pavement jammin' around), the group has self-recorded a handful of songs, which you can listen to on the Chauncers' MySpace page here. The band is making its official live debut on June 20 at the Southgate House in Newport. The band has been making video clips of the songs as they make them — here is the one for "Runaway Blues":

• Yet another Cincinnati-based group that can be deemed "super" is The Sundowners, which will make its debut April 19 at The Mad Hatter in Covington. The band came about when members of the local groups Spindle and Krinj got together for a jam session and discovered an immediate chemistry.  Not long after that initial session, the band went to Tampa to record some demos with Mike Major, who has worked with At the Drive In and Sparta (a good indication of what the band sounds like). Give the demos a listen here.  In an effort to scout out a possible record deal, the band has hooked up with HM Management and Concerts, which also works with bands signed to labels like Metal Blade and Victory (including Cincinnati's Victory Records reps, Beneath the Sky). The band's April 19 debut will also be a funeral of sorts for Krinj — the show is being billed as "The Death of Krinj," marking the end of the Northern Kentucky band's 13-year run.

• Popular Cincinnati-based straight-edge Hardcore band Suffocate Faster called it quits last year, but it didn't take long for a new project to emerge from the simmering ashes. Suicide Pact features three former Suffocate Faster members as well as drummer Dustin Dolerhie of Cincy Hardcore band Gladiator. Take a listen to the recordings on their MySpace site (here) and then see them live Thursday night at the Mad Hatter.

On This Day in 2007, the longest concert in the history of the world came to an end. No, it wasn't a Phish show — in Japan, a variety of musicians (from kids to oldsters) played for over 182 hours (taking turns, of course), breaking the old record, 181 hours, set in Canada in 2001.

Tonight: Jaw-dropping guitarist Scotty Anderson hosts an open jam tonight at Grandview Tavern and Grille in Ft. Mitchell, Ky. Anderson's versatile playing (he's a li'l Jazz, a li'l Roots and a lotta talent) has led to him being called one of the most underrated guitarists in the Midwest. Here's a nice clip of Anderson jamming in Macon, Ga. in 2006:

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Friday, March 28

In Da News: You can find an endless stream of folks who act like cigarette smoking is akin to raping babies. And that's fine. But if you're a singer in a Rock band who is playing a Camel-sponsored show, you'd better rethink announcing the dangers of smoking from the stage. Reports are circulating that at the recent South By Southwest festival, Joel Cadbury — singer for huge U.K. band South (which has a much smaller following in the U.S.) — made a passing comment about the "filthy habit" during the band's performance. The reports say that, after spotting a woman with the Camel camel tattooed on her arm (I pray it was fake) during their Camel-sponsored show, Cadbury allegedly said "Don't smoke, it's bad for you." Making it even more innocuous is the fact that Cadbury apparently is also a smoker. Well, the Camel folks didn't think it was funny or educational — after the band's set, they were told that the fleeting comment just cost them their $20,000 performance fee. I don' t know what's worse -- that Camel is paying such a high fee for a relatively obscure band … or that they're not.

Camel's scheme to connect Rock music with smokes has gotten them in trouble before — late last year, the bands Xiu Xiu and Fucked Up filed a class action lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds and Rolling Stone's parent company after they were included (without permission) in an "advertorial" in Rolling Stone magazine. I wish I could boycott their products as a sign of solidarity, but for some reason I just can't put those suckers down. It's almost like they're addictive or something.

• Did you know there's an "Emo war" going on right now? No, Dashboard Confessional didn't steal Fall Out Boy's girl jeans. In Mexico, "anti-Emo" riots have broken out all over, with the "Emos" being attacked by, according to Time magazine, "punks and metallers" (among other angry young men). The problem is reportedly so bad that most "Emos" are afraid to walk down the street for fear of attack. Many are saying that homophobia is at the core of the problem, what with the Emos dressing all pretty-like with their make-up and tight clothes. I didn't think it was possible, but this "war" may just be more ridiculous than the one in Iraq right now. Read the Time piece here.

On This Day in 1995, Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett announced they were legally separated after almost two years of marriage. Wow, no one saw that one coming.

Tonight: Local Indie band Lonely the Seabird plays its last show ever tonight at the Southgate House's Parlour. The band will be giving away copies of their solid swan-song, Ancient Ships. Read about it here and find show details here. Further worthy options include the return of musician P.J. Herrington (former local, now based in Austin), who is doing an acoustic set at Stanley's Pub tonight with the brilliant Mr. Ric Hickey;  Canada's The Weakerthans are at the Mad Hatter; and something called the "Super Spring Jam" at Jaspers is featuring Bluegrass and Reggae music from the Rumpke Mountain Boys and the artists formerly known as Selecter. Selecter recently announced a name change — call them Super-Massive from now on.

Finally, for no reason whatsoever, a photo. Laura's looking a little TOO cheery lately, no?:

— Mike Breen

 

Small Talk Vs. Deep Conversation: The Accelerated Evolution of Music Criticism

L.A. Times music critic Ann Powers wrote an interesting thought-piece centered around The Raconteurs' critic-avoiding release plan for their just-released new album. (The Racs rush-released the record and sent no preview copies to the press.) Powers addresses the evolving role of music critics and publicity, and mentions how rushes to judgment in the name of being first with a review have increased with the rise of music blogs.

The "no advance copies" policy — which will likely become more common in this era of early leaks (though the fact that advances are sent out at all indicates that the music biz still thinks reviews have value) — is actually very common in the film world. But if a movie doesn't have any advanced screenings for critics, it's usually a sign that the film is prone to bad reviews (in other words, it sucks). In many ways, Hollywood's approach is similar to Jack White and Co.'s in that they want to control how you experience their product; the film studios are basically saying, "We don't want critics to effect the way someone views this movie." Though, ultimately, the movie business usually knows they have a stinker that will only appeal to the lowest common denominator and they don't want critics to point that out before opening weekend. If they really cared about your "experience," they wouldn't make movies available to be viewed on iPods. For Hollywood, it's even more about the money than in the music biz.

Music is different in that a piece of music is more likely to have some nuances that may only reveal themselves on repeated listens. The new, hurried CD review model is actually akin to something music fans (and, yes, critics) constantly complain about — that the corporate music industry is now set up only for quick hits, with no room anymore for "career artists." The argument is that artists sometimes need to develop. While a band's first three albums might tank commercially, that same band might have a masterpiece in them that they're not able to produce because their label kicks them to the curb when it doesn't see hits materializing (and, more often than not, said band calls it quits after being dropped).

What's Happening Now: Thursday, March 27

In Da News: A couple of cool things going on with Cincinnati record store/label Shake It Records. On April 9, Mick Jones of The Clash and Big Audio Dynamite and Tony James of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik will be doing one of only two "in-stores" in the U.S. at the Northside record dealer, signing autographs and hanging out April 9 before their show together at the 20th Century Theater (with their new band, Carbon/Silicon).

Meanwhile, Shake It, the label, is putting out a second edition of its Really Long Gone compilation by Cincinnati Garage Rock pioneers The Customs, due to popular demand. The Customs — whose song "Long Gone" (listen here) has been covered by about a million garage bands and remain very popular among Garage fans and recordheads — will be reuniting for an extremely rare, once-in-a-lifetime performance on May 31.

Did you know Shake It has a TV commercial? Not sure if its been aired (or will be) on television, but here it is, YouTube-style (with music provided by Cincy's own The Virgins!):

• The big investigative report about the shooting of Tupac Shakur (an earlier, non-fatal shooting, not the one that killed the rapper) by the L.A. Times has turned out to be a big, stinky pile of horse poo. Can they take away author Chuck Phillips' Pulitzer Prize as a result? The report cited various FBI reports and unnamed sources when it suggested that associates of Sean Combs (owner of Tupac's label's chief rival, Bad Boy Records) were responsible for a 1994 "ambush" of Tupac at a New York recording studio. The great Web site, The Smoking Gun (which unearthed the lies author James Frey told Oprah), did its own investigation and discovered that documents cited in the piece were forgeries doctored on a prison typewriter by a well-known con man. The Times and Phillips have back-pedaled, issuing apologies for the false report and announcing its own "internal investigation" of the matter.

• The Raconteurs have made a new video. Jack White would like you to brush your teeth, stand on one leg and wear 3-D glasses while watching it. That control freak!

• Taking a cue from minor league hockey promotion (free burrito for everyone in the crowd if there's a hat trick!), Dr. Pepper is going to give every person in America one can of its product if Axl Rose releases Chinese Democracy in 2008. Is bankrupting Dr. Pepper incentive enough for Mr. Rose? If he gets the album out, will Dr. Pepper try to pawn off its disgusting "cherry chocolate" brand instead of the real DP? Did someone really need to invent a cherry-chocolate flavored soda in the first place? Oh, the questions this challenge has raised!

UPDATE: In a shocking development, Axl responded to Dr. Pepper's challenge … and he's not pissed! He even said he'd share his can with Buckethead (who, for some reason, was disqualified from the contest, along with Slash).

On This Day in 2005, original Crowded House drummer (and occasional guest on The Wiggles) Paul Hester committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in a Melbourne park. He was just 46. Crowded House has reformed (they released their first album in 14 years, Time on Earth, to wide critical acclaim) and recently announced a tour of small U.S. clubs this spring.

Tonight:  Hip Hop group Tanya Morgan (whose members are from Cincinnati and Brooklyn, or, as they say, "Brooklynati") bring their current two-month club tour to the Gypsy Hut tonight. Genius local turntable crew Animal Crackers also performs. And bring some extra dough — while most Gypsy shows are free, this one will run you $7. Well worth it, though — TM is one of the best in the underground game. Give 'em a listen here and find show details here.

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Tuesday, March 25

In Da News: The new R.E.M. album, Accelerate, is out next Tuesday, but you can listen to the whole thing right now here. It's pretty rockin' (for R.E.M.).Elsewhere in R.E.M.land, Michael Stipe announced for the millionth time that he is indeed gay. A UK news agency released the story of Stipe's sexuality as if it had a scoop (Stipe has been saying he is, at the very least, bisexual since practically the band's inception), so Stipe had some fun and held a press conference via YouTube:

• The AP is reporting that Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins are suing former label Virgin Records for hurting their credibility. I knew those Corgan bald wigs I saw at Wal-Mart were a bad idea. Actually, Virgin reportedly used the band's music in a promo campaign with Amazon.com and Pepsi, something Corgan claims they had no right to do.

• The Department of Justice finally approved the merger of satellite radio companies XM and Sirius after a year of deliberation. I wish our government would spend that kind of time on things like,  you know, going to war and stuff. The FCC still has to approve the deal and some in the satellite radio biz are sweating any "conditions" the regulatory branch might insist upon before approval (the FCC doesn't exactly have warm and fuzzy feelings about satellite radio or its biggest star, Howard Stern). When/if the merger is completed, satellite customers would see lower rates and a combination of programming (with some music stations being combined or axed).

• Velvet Revolver is the opening band for the Led Zeppelin tour! Oh wait, maybe they are breaking up? Oh wait, does anybody really care?

On This Day 40 years ago, the final episode of The Monkees' TV show aired. The band broke up a year later. I might have my music writer license revoked for saying this, but, damn, I love The Monkees. It was the Pop-making machine at its finest, the bridge between Tin Pan Alley and the Spice Girls. Here's a clip of the band getting all trippy with "Porpoise Song," from their blissfully freaky movie, Head. Great song (reminiscent of Meddle-era Pink Floyd, no?):

Tonight: Are fans of former Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Wier's Ratdog really called Dogheads? Find out tonight at the Madison Theater in Covington, where the group performs at 8 p.m. Does Ratdog use the old Dead dancing-bear logo still? You know, the one that is probably the most removed/covered-up tattoo in history (outside of an ex-lover's name)? I think I may have found a new mascot for them (tattoo this):

What's Happening Now: Monday, March 24

In Da News: In reaction to an online leak, Gnarls Barkley put out its new album, The Odd Couple, last week.  It was originally slated to appear in stores on April 8. The set showed up on iTunes March 18 and at retail this past Friday. I mention this mostly because I loved this press statement issued by Gnarls: "With the shifting seasons, furtive romantic entanglements and fierce college basketball rivalries, the latter half of March can be confusing. People need to be soothed and inspired now."

• As previously mentioned, The Raconteurs' new album is out tomorrow, in an effort by the band to get it into everyone's ears (from fans to critics) at the same time. iTunes apparently jumped the gun and put it up today; it was removed quickly, likely after the press (those bastards!) pointed it out. If anyone did download it early, does that ruin the grand "no-promo" experiment, since we all didn't get it at the same time? Reports have surfaced that the band originally intended to release the record without any heads up at all, but record store employees (who, necessarily, would have advance warning) began talking up the rush-release, so the band issued a press release to the media to clarify things.

• Nashville Punk rockers (and former CityBeat "Hot Issue" party house band) Be Your Own Pet didn't have their new album rush-released, but things didn't exactly work out as they had planned. Pitchfork reports that the band's Get Awkward (which came out last Tuesday) was altered by Universal (which distributes the band's label, Ecstatic Peace). Universal removed three songs from the record in the U.S. because, they decided, the lyrics were too violent (even Amazon has the full tracklisting, suggesting this was a way last minute decision). Judging from this interview with 20-year-old singer Jemina Pearl, the band didn't have any say in the matter — they were simply told what was happening. As Pitchfork points out, Universal is the home to Eminem, who is apparently free to explore his own violent fantasies in song without destroying America. Check out one of the offending songs, "Black Hole," on the band's MySpace and see if it makes you go out and kill someone.

Here's BYOP's video for the new song, "Adventure." (A way better live band, in my opinion.):

On This Day in 1992, a class action lawsuit against Milli Vanilli was settled, as a Chicago court ruled that anyone who bought the performers' music before the date their lip-syncing scandal broke was entitled to $3. As MV's biggest fan pre-scandal, I felt incredibly cheated — $3 isn't going to get my giant "Milli Vanilli Are Gods" back tattoo removed! In an effort to "never forget" this heart-breaking musical travesty, here' s a clip of the duo rehearsing:

Tonight: Get your Latin dance groove on tonight as Tropicoso rocks the Mad Frog in Corryville. Or head over to Downtown's Poison Room, where local rockers O' Jove Pity Me (a sorta Christian Screamo Pop Punk Metal band) will tear the roof off the sucka … in the name of Jesus. Check out this interview with the band for some background and info on their new album, Ballroom Epic. Here are the show details.

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Thursday, March 20

In Da News: The Net is abuzz today with news that Apple is in talks to offer a subscription-based package deal for iPod and iPhone users. The company is reportedly negotiating with all four of the major-label conglomerates to allow subscribers to have access to all of their music (if music fans buy devices pre-bundled that way). Wired is reporting that the "all you can eat"-style subscriptions are being criticized by eMusic (a top competitor of iTunes) CEO David Pakman, who says such a deal would violate anti-trust laws. He says it's unfair for a company with a "monopoly" in one business (music-listening hardware) to use that position to create another monopoly in a totally different business. Though that hasn't hurt Clear Channel.

Would you pay extra for an iPod if you could have unlimited access to iTunes?

On This Day in 1969, John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar (for background and details, just listen to "The Ballad of John and Yoko"). Heather Mills recently replaced Ono as "most horrible woman on the planet" amongst Beatles' fans when she won $50 million divorce settlement from Paul McCartney (and, allegedly, poured water over Macca's lawyer's head).

Tonight: For tonight's entertainment options, why not check out some of the local musicians who play the same place every Thursday night? I bet they'd like to see a few new faces. The Sonny Moorman Group is hosting its free weekly Blues jam at Burbank's in Sharonville; Reggae band Selecter rock steady at Stanley's; and rockers Denial, Strange and Kristen Key hold down the fort at the Blue Note for College Night.

— Mike Breen

What's Happening Now: Tuesday, March 18

In Da News: The Raconteurs (featuring local fellas Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler) might have just one-upped everyone in the "unique distribution concept" arena. The band's sophomore album, Consolers of the Lonely, will be available one week from today (March 25). And it won't just be on some Web site — the album will be available on vinyl, CD or as a download (sorry, no 8-Track) from most of the usual suspects (from iTunes to mom-and-pop record stores to the Big Box stores). The record is coming out with literally no advance warning.

The information was given to the press yesterday in an effort to clear up any confusion among fans (or maybe not pay for any actual advertising and instead rely on the free press this all will generate?). The press release gives various reasons for the last-minute heads-up. There were no advance press copies because band wanted everyone to get the record at the same time "so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's availability, reception and perception."

The press release goes on to say that the band was interested in exploring the advantages of promoting an album after its release, forgoing coveted big "first week sales" numbers in favor of letting fans discover the music and draw their own conclusions, as opposed to picking up a copy because it debuted an No. 1 (or 5 or 39 or wherever). The group is also hoping you'll listen to the whole album instead of cherry-picking single tracks (fighting the old "death of the album" demons downloads have brought); they wanted to make it available digitally only as a full-length, but many online services don't allow that. A video is expected to appear online next Tuesday as well.

It's a heck of a non-marketing ploy. Like the Radiohead experiment, it should work out fine for the band, but only because they've already achieved a level of notoriety (in the Racs' case, something instantly achieved because of the band members' other projects). A new band views this approach about as relevant to them as Madonna's blockbuster marketing budget.

This all seems like an effort for Jack White and Co. to control every last detail, right down to controlling your mindset before you hear it. I'm not sure if some music writers will feel differently because they didn't get to write the first review (check their blogs Tuesday for a flurry of that), but I think it's a great concept. Even from a press standpoint, wouldn't it be cooler to read a review as a shared experience (where reader and writer have had the same amount of time to live with a record) rather than a consumer guide?

Just ’cause, here's The Raconteurs' original video for "Steady, As She Goes," which was put together by indie film God Jim Jarmusch and the fine folks of Cincinnati's Lightborne production house.

On This Day in 1938, Charlie Pride was born. He is considered the greatest African American Country singer of all time. Real quick, name one other African American Country singer.

Tonight: For a Tuesday, it's a pretty good music night. Especially if you're a Roots music fan and you can get to Northside easily. Utah-based Roots/Folk band Band of Annuals is playing a free show at The Comet in Northside. Give them a listen here. Fine local Roots crew the Kentucky Struts are also on the bill. More great music with a rootsy spin can be found at the Northside Tavern, as two of Cincinnati's best Americana-styled singer/songwriters — Jeff Roberson and Mark Utley — do a free show. Perfect night for bar-hopping between the Tavern and The Comet. Just make sure you hop responsibly.

— Mike Breen

Fun Question of the Day: Dream Duos Hatched from '90s Bands

Still kicking myself for missing the Gutter Twins show at the Southgate House the other night. The band (led by former Afghan Whig Greg Dulli and Screaming Tree Mark Langegan) has made a cool, sleek album with Saturnalia. Reading some of the press from the twosome's current tour (a mixed bag, but mostly positive) made me wonder about some other '90s music stars. Which two would you like to see team up for a Gutter Twins-style side project? Stephen Malkmus of Pavement and David Yow of Jesus Lizard? Steve Albini and Billy Corgan? Kim Deal and Tad? Chuck Cleaver and the dude from Sponge? What's your dream teaming?

Speaking of the Gutter Twins, check 'em out Wednesday on The Late Show With David Letterman.

— MIke Breen

What's Happening Now: Monday, March 17

Tonight: Happy St. Patrick's Day. Put on a green shirt, call in sick to work (if you haven't already) and hit the clubs and bars today/tonight. Here's a round-up of many of the events happening today. I'm half-Irish (the good half?) and I don't drink, so I'll be having a hearty feast of green-dyed potatoes for dinner tonight in lieu of a binge. Do a shot of Jameson for me if you're heading out.

In Day News: Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are rumored (along with WIlco and Rage Against the Machine) to be coheadlining Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer. Trent Reznor's recent comments about Thom Yorke and Co. might make for an awkward entourage confrontation backstage. Reznor, who recently put his Ghosts I-IV album project up for download without any label help, used the same "pay what you can" sliding scale concept as Radiohead did with their In Rainbows album. But Reznor criticized Radiohead for offering what he called a low-grade "MySpace-quality" stream of the album, calling it a "bait and switch." Though probably more than your average music fan these days, I'm no audiophile. But I downloaded both records and couldn't tell the difference in quality. And I guarantee you I'll listen to Radiohead's album about a million times more than Trent's self-indulgent little project.

• Who killed Rap superstar Tupac Shakur? That remains one of music's great mysteries over a decade after his murder. An investigative story in the LA Times offers some more clues. The piece declares that P. Diddy associates were responsible for an ambush in a recording studio in 1994, when Shakur was shot four times (he accidentally was responsible for one of the bullets entering his body — his gun went off when he was reaching for it and he shot himself in the groin) but survived. The article implies that this moment kicked off the "Hip Hop war" that left Shakur and rival Biggie Smalls dead. The piece suggests Shakur was lured to the studio to record a guest appearance for $7000. He was shot and robbed, allegedly, for refusing to leave Death Row Records for Diddy's Bad Boy. Diddy and the associates named have refused comment so far. After the shooting, Shakur named the parties responsible and vowed to get even. Shakur eventually died, of course, and the two men accused of the first shooting have taken different paths — James Rosemond runs Czar Entertainment (which represents artists like Too Short and The Game) and James Sabatino is in jail for unrelated charges.

UPDATE: Rosemond says it's all lies.

On This Day in 1976, boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was granted a retrial on a murder conviction he (and his many supporters) claimed was wrongly handed down and racially-motivated. A year earlier, Bob Dylan released the song "Hurricane" about the boxer's saga, raising public awareness of the trial and support for the appeal. It took several more appeals, but Carter was finally cleared and released in 1988, 22 years after the initial indictments. Carter, the subject of the 1999 film, The Hurricane, currently lives in Canada and works as a motivational speaker. But even Canadian police can't seem to help wrongly accuse The Hurricane of wrong-doing — in the mid-’90s, Carter was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover cop. One small problem — the suspect police were looking for was said by a witness to be in his 30s. Carter was 60 at the time. The case was dropped. And Carter can't be blamed for wearing a "You got the wrong guy" T-shirt everywhere he goes. Here's a handmade tribute to Dylan's tribute to the innocent man:

— Mike Breen