Something Requisitely Witty and Urbane

Rilo Kiley at the Palladium Ballroom - 10-6

There's really only ever been two albums that I've listened too and pretty immediatly thought, "You know, I wanna take this album and make it into a movie," because the album told such a story that it just felt like it was begging to be told on the big screen. The first was Tori Amos' Boys for Pele and the second was Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell.

And before you ask, yes, I do realize that none of this makes me cool.

There is now a third to throw in the mix. Rilo Kiley's new album, Under the Blacklight, which has been out for about a month now, and the band is currently touring in support of. I caught them last night at the Palladium.

First of all, to make the most generic and obvious point along with anyone else who talks about the band these days: Jenny Lewis is a star. There's no doubt about it, she is the centerpoint of the stage... and that almost seems like a point that the band has willingly conceeded. She is growing bigger than the band is, but everyone sorta seems ok with that. The Fleetwood Mac comparisons don't seem to apply to Rilo Kiley, mostly because EVERYONE is doing their own stuff outside of the band.

Onto the show. There's an affectation about Rilo Kiley that could almost border on pretention, but that sorta works for the band. Jenny Lewis and lead guitarist and co-songwriter Blake Stennet were child actors (I remember Jenny from the late '80's Nintendo marketing movie with Fred Savage called The Wizard) and there are times when that history seems to show up in the stage show. It's almost as if, at one point in their lives, they said, "Sure... You want us to be cute... we'll be the cute."

So they have a faux-smarminess about their music that serves as counterpoint to some of their lyrics. Take, for instance, on of my favorite moments of the evening when Jenny lead the entire crowd to wave their hands back and forth to the skippy country tune, "15." She smiled and bounced while singing, "He was deep like a graveyard / She was ripe as a peach / And how could he have known / She was only fifteen."

Or the lyric from the song "Paint's Peeling" from their older (and my favorite) album, The Execution of All Things (which they played quite a few songs from, including leading the crowd in a sing-along to Arms Outstretched): " I’m not going back to the assholes that made me / And the perfect display of random acts of hopelessness / I wish I could stay here but I think we’re all ready / I think we’re all ready…."

Then there's Blake. They took moments in the show to highlight him on lead vocals, with the song off the new release Dreamworld or the old standard Ripchord (consisting of just Blake and a ukulele). I've always thought that Blake sounded a bit too Elliot Smith on the albums. That's fine, but he doesn't stand out.

He's an odd cat. Imagine if Crispin Glover had a band. His guitar is inventive, however, and is really what gives the band its indie credibility. While Jenny provides the star power, his guitar provides the raw and unproduced (at times almost punk) sound which serves as a great balancing act.

It was a really good set. I'm not going to say that Rilo Kiley rocked it (although there were moments), but mostly it was one of those shows that everyone felt really good when they left, they provided some real and original moments that you know another band couldn't have pulled off. It is pretty clear that this is a band who's arrow is pointing up, and are fixing to get much bigger. Well, at least Jenny is, and the rest of the band will come along for the ride.

You sort of get the feeling that they are ok with that.

12 in 12, So far...

Alright, I haven't exactly been able to see 1 concert a month, but I've done pretty well. Here's what I've gotten so far.

Social Distortion
The Shins (Vive Voce opened)
Bishop Allen (part of Dallas Music Fest)
Ted Leo (Love of Diagrams opened)
Bob Dylan (Jimmy Vaughn opened)
Styx/Foreigner/Def Leppard
Wilco (Dr. Dog opened)

That's six shows in nine months, which isn't bad considering I didn't really decide to do this until late February.

I'm going to go see Rilo Kiley in October, Tegan and Sara in November, and there's the New Pornographers sometime soon. That will be 9 shows. so, if I don't put another show in there somewhere, that's pretty damn close and I'd be happy with that.

(Edited to add that I just this morning saw that Ted Leo has added a new show in Denton in November, so I immediately bought tickets. So, add that to the list and it makes 10 shows).

The Big Deal About Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Before I begin this post, let me start by saying that I am actually a big fan of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It is probably my favorite listen in the Wilco catalog.

That being said, I wonder if this album didn't benefit critically from the controversy surrounding its release. Just in case you don't know, the album was highly anticipated as "The album which will put Wilco over the top." The documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart chronicles what happened which was, essentially, that once the completed album was delivered to the Warner's subsidiary Reprise Records, the label ultimately felt that the album was not commercially viable and refused to release it.

Eventually, the album was made available for free on the band's website and became one of the most downloaded albums ever before it was ever released. Wilco was given the option to buy the album, which they did, and were released from their contract. The band was in an enviable position: They now owned a critically acclaimed album outright with the ability to shop it to anyone they wished.

The album was picked up by Nonesuch Records (which, deliciously, was later bought by Warner Brothers. The band had bought the album from Warners and eventually sold it back for a much higher price).

But I sometimes wonder if the album isn't quite as good as some of their earlier albums, but is only now universally regarded as the seminal Wilco album only because of the controversy.

Because, when it comes down to it, the album is fairly unapproachable (especially when you compare it to an album like Summerteeth). The noise tracks that the band experimented with made the album very difficult to listen to at first (and is a style which the band appears to have abandoned on their upcoming album).

The first time I listened to the album, I could barely get through it because it was almost painful at times. In fact, the song that convinced me to give the record a second listen was "Jesus, Etc." which is by far the most approachable song on the album (and the most like recordings on their previous albums). Once you listen to it two, three or even four times, you begin to hear the nuances that make the album great, but isn't that a kind of contradictory thinking? I like music that is dense and opens itself up upon multiple listens, but shouldn't it also be listenable the first time?

Anyway, I'm sure this has been discussed (probably, you know, 3 years ago when the album came out), but I was just listening to it again and had the thought. Wondered what the internets might think.

Black Mirror

Arcade Fire has a stream of the first single to be released from their new album, Neon Bible. It's called "Black Mirror."

It was well known to those who read this blog that Funeral, their first album, was one of my favorite albums ever, and I am esctatic about the new album's March release. I like this cut, but I have a hard time listening to any single cuts from Funeral unless I listen to the whole album, so it's a little strange. Even so, I like what I hear.

UPDATE: Here's the newly released track listings for the album.

My Roommate to Me, yesterday

"The Chili Peppers are really the Beach Boys for today."

I don't know why that seemed so revolutionarily simple to me, but I'd never considered that. You could make a solid argument that the Chili Peppers have out Beach Boy'd the Beach Boys for that West Coast, groovy sound.

A simple statement, and I'm not sure I'll ever look at either band the same way because of it.

500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born (assuming you fit into our 25-ish demographic)

Blender has put out a list of the 500 greatest songs since 1980.  The top slots on the list might be a little debatable, trying a bit too hard to establish its underground/indie cred.  That being said, not too many people would try to square off the reigning champ in such lists, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", with "Billie Jean," and, if it comes down to a battle of those two songs, I think Blender gets it right.

At the very least, the top 50 has some interesting, time-killing writing.

My Lovely Lady Lumps

Hua Hsu of Slate, on the "Horrifically Bad" Black-Eyed Peas song, "My Humps":

"What you gon' do with all that ass/ All that ass inside them jeans? … What you gon' do wit all that breast?/ All that breast inside that shirt?" rapper Will.I.Am teases in response, rendering literal what had heretofore been pretty much literal.

Genius.  Read the whole thing.

2005 Best Of Lists

Last year, Information Leafblower polled some of the music blogs out there, and came up with a top-40 list of the years best music.  That list was invaluable to me, exposing me more new and great music than I could handle.  The 2005 list is out.  The top five are:

1. Sufjan Stevens
2. The National
3. Kanye West
4. LCD Soundsystem
5. Sleater-Kinney

Like last year, many of them come with links to find mp3's of the artists.  A really great list.

Amazon has also put out their top 100, and the top 5 there are:

1. Sufjan Stevens
2. M.I.A.
3. New Pornographers
4. My Morning Jacket
5. Amadou & Mirriam

Both lists have some interesting names.

Picking the Right Karaoke Song - The Fine Art

On Thursday, some friends and I headed to our local watering hole (that's a bar, to you common folk) after work.  When we walked in, we heard the plaintive, slightly off-key warble that was unmistakable.  That's right... It was Karaoke Night.

"But Dylan," you ask, "Karaoke is for losers.  How could you stand it?"  To that I can only reply that, yes, it is for losers, and I count myself as the biggest loser of them all.  I belted out three tunes that night.  I did my standard "Walking in Memphis" (not the stupid country version, but the original, complete with gospel organ), "Levon", and "Midnight Train to Georgia" (no, I was not a Pip.  When your star shines as brightly as mine, you can't squander it as a measly backup singer.  I AM Gladys Knight).

Already you are are marveling to yourselves at such amazing song choices.  Really, those are the perfect Karaoke songs.  Well, I am here to impart my wisdom to you because picking the right Karaoke song is more difficult than people realize.  It is all too easy to fall into some common traps, and I'm here to help you avoid them.

1. First thing is to get to know the crowd.  You never, EVER want to be the first person to sing.  Even the second slot is too soon.  The ideal spot for your first song is seventh, though sixth can be substituted if the crowd is especially sparse.  Here's why:  You need to gage the crowd's reactions to the songs that go before you.  If, for instance, someone gets up and sings the Dixie Chicks, and immediately there is a mass exit to the restrooms, you know that you are dealing with a more particularly urban crowd, but if they begin to two-step, then this might not be your kind of audience.  (See Rule #3).  However, if the first person up starts singing "Holla-Back Girl" (as in "I ain't no..."), and the audience goes nuts, then you know you are dealing with a younger, and slightly less sophisticated crowd.  Picking something from the sixties or seventies might not be your best bet.  Knowing what kind of crowd you are in is key to selecting a song with widespread appeal.
2. Avoid songs with long instrumentals.  This seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be amazed how many people pick "Copacabana" in an attempt to be ironic, but forget about the 2 minute long instrumental portion which leaves them naked and vulnerable on stage.  The only possible results are standing there, boring the hell out of your audience or attempting some lame lambada number.  Either way, you lose.
3. Country music is never acceptable.  Ever.  Period.  Country music is the lazy songwriter's medium, and it is incredibly easy to sing.  Unfortunately, upon your selection of a country song, you have been automatically lumped into "wants to be on American Idol and be the next Carrie Underwood" territory.  That is never good.  The rules are a little different for old school country.  Yes, we all like "Ring of Fire", and, yes, it might be satisfying to get to sing "... She got run over by a damned old train," but those songs are cliche'd.  90% of all Karaoke nights include these songs, and you don't want to be the one who does them.
4. Rap music is never acceptable.  Ever. Period.  I know that you like big butts, and I know that you are having trouble lying about it.  But no one knows the third verse to any rap song well enough to pull it off, and this will lead to only one possible outcome (See #6).
5. Overly obscure songs are not your friend, but neither are overly obvious ones.  This is a tough part, especially for those who consider themselves especially musically literate.  I'll point to my choice of the song "Levon."  The more obvious Elton John choice would have been "Tiny Dancer," but everyone knows it.  By choosing "Levon," a song that many don't know but that has a rocking hook, you get the benefit of Elton John cheesiness™ but you also appear to have a better than average knowledge of deeper album cuts.
6. Duets are fine, but group sings are not.  Picking the right duet is a science, but less so than the solo song (Basically, avoid anything from "Grease").  Group songs are nothing but audible torture for the audience, who cannot wait until the song is over.  This is because, inevitably, there is one person in the song who can sing, and the rest can't, leading to an unbearable cacophony.
7. Know your voice.  You'll notice that my three choices were all fairly similar in range and style.  This wasn't by accident.  I know that I can't sing anything by 311 or Nirvana, because my voice is more traditional (I was classically trained, you know).  So, the songs I chose are all by noted vocalists.  Knowing what kind of song fits your voice best is important. 
8. Know your song.  There is nothing more annoying to the audience and mortifying for the performer to get up on stage, only to realize that you never knew how the melody of the verses sounded.  Your performance was doomed from the start.
9. Pick a song that has a dynamic moment or two.  It can be very tempting to pick a safe song that everyone knows.  The best example is "Stand by Me," which is melodically very simple, but takes a special kind of voice to sing it well.  Simple songs are hard to do live because you have to be a born performer with a certain innate quality to your voice to pull it off (John Lennon).  This is why "Walking in Memphis is the perfect song to pick.  It has two great vocal moments. Three, I just thought of a third.  The first is "Down in the Jungle Room."  The second is "... when you haven't got a prayer" (should only be attempted if you know how to flip into your falsetto.  The third, and perhaps the greatest of all Karaoke moments is "Ma'am I am tonight."  No matter what is going on in the crowd, everyone will stop down for that moment.
10. Finally, know when to quit.  It doesn't matter how talented you are, or how much you killed on your earlier songs.  No one likes a stage hog (the only exception is if you are called up for an encore).

So, there you are.  Some simple but important rules.  Other than that, have fun with it.  Above all, don't be afraid to look a little stupid (small amounts of idiocy can actually aid a good Karaoke performance).  Please feel free to steal any of my song choices, as they have already been prescreened and selected by a master in the craft.

Angel of Harlem

U2 played Dallas this past Saturday, and over the past couple of days, a story from the concert has begun making the rounds.  This is pretty cool:

After traveling from Austin, where Sunjay, a pre-med student at the University of Texas, and Vijay live, they headed with their sister and some other friends to AAC at 10 a.m., hoping to get as close to the stage as they could. While waiting in line, they concocted a sign that Sunjay feels was the key to his success.

The sign, written in red ink on yellow poster board, simply said, "Angel of Harlem" on it with the progression of guitar chords in the song and a note saying, "In case you forgot," since the band had yet to play the song on this tour. During the first encore, Bono peered from the stage at Sunjay and asked, "Do you know how to play it?" To which Sunjay says he screamed back, "Yeah! Yeah, I can play it!"

A few minutes later, he was summoned to the stage, and a guitar tech was handing him an instrument.

I just heard a radio interview with Sunjay, and he also got Bono to swap sunglasses - his $20 Eckard's pair for Bono's Armani's.  It's all downhill from here, Sunjay.  Good to get the greatest moment of your life out of the way at 19.