Alternative Music Talk

How do you create art when it is very likely that everyone is conspired against you? I have played in bands since I was 12 years old. I have struggled with parents and neighbors, and on the rare occasion police for the chance to rock. It had always seemed like a struggle, like I was part of a revolution in my own small way. But truly, was it the rock they were stifling, or merely the rebelliousness of a typical American teenager. I may never know. However, the Internet is a buzz and word has reached my ears of something truly extraordinary. Something revolutionary in every sense of the world. Taboo breaking and inspiring. Everything that rock and roll should be.

In the kingdom of Saudi Arabia there is a metropolitan city known as Jidda. Within that city, the strict laws of public decency and morals have become somewhat lax allowing for incredible things to happen. Things like the makings of a genuine rock scene. But even more incredible is a little band called The Accolade.

Saudi Arabia is a country where women rarely appear without their faces covered. Their testimony in court is seen as presumption, not fact. They cannot play sports, they cannot drive cars. And they cannot Rock. But that has not stopped The Accolade, an all-female rock band operating within the heart of Jidda. They must practice in secret, they dare not pose for photographs, and even in interviews they do not give their full names. But still, here they are making music; and taboo music nonetheless.

Since coming into the forefront thanks to a New York Times article, their myspace page has been flooded with admirers and their single “Pinocchio” has become a hit around the world. I have listened to the song extensively and to be quite honest, it is not the most unique of songs, but that really is not the point. Dark and Gothic it is, with equal parts Lacuna Coil and System of a Down. It is well played with great vocal harmonies and a beautifully haunting keyboard melody. But again, if an American band released such a song I would merely shrug and probably not think anything of it.

However, it is the mere ACT that is revolutionary; probably more revolutionary than any music movement in history. The punks and the hardcore kids may have had it rough in the late seventies and early eighties with their clashes with authority on all sides, but I seriously doubt they ever ran the risk of being executed for their acts of self-expression. When put that way, the gravity of what these young women are doing really becomes apparent. There are no laws in the kingdom against rock and roll per se, but those who have taken part in it’s creation have been harassed. But they were usually always men and these women are violating much, much more.

I have always believed that it will be art and music that will change the world. That may be naive, but to read these girls’ story only reinforces that for me and we should all encourage such radicalism.

It would be a lie if I said that I didn’t understand why folks think that ska is a joke, a niche that doesn’t matter, a dance hoax. I really do. But people who think that way probably have no idea what a ska band sounds like. And some of those people probably like Sublime (which is really inexcusable), rationalizing it by pretending they were a reggae band with rock tendencies.

For those that know and care, the English Beat began touring again a few years back – they even shared the stage with Devo for a bit. This winter though, the two tone act are planning a set of dates with none other than Bad Manners - who actually come closer to the generally perceived notion of what ska is, although the band predated the ‘90s explosion by a good twenty years or so.

And while this news alone is probably worth being passed along, the Three Floors of Ska show will play host to both of these groups as well. Slated to appear along side their British brethren are the Hub City Stompers (former Inspector 7), Hellcat Record’s Westbound Train, King Django (who has recorded with Rancid), the Allstonians and a host of others.

This yearly show has grown over the past few installments and has become a mainstay of the American ska back drop. Playing host each year is the Knitting Factory (NYC), but recent online references to the show have referred to it as the last of them. There isn’t really any explanation posted anywhere, so for the time being, it seems like it’s over. At least there’s still the High Desert Ska Festival to look forward to every year.

Regardless of all my attempts to remain otherwise, at times it seems that I have possibly become jaded. Perhaps it was the endless touring, the numerous concerts spent watching opening acts from all over the nation try and prove themselves worthy of attention.  Whatever the case, it is rare that I can go to a performance and find myself to be moved by the unknown acts who open the show. Whether it be the smallest of local shows in teen centers and legion halls or at large concert halls and other venues of the sort, I often find myself impatiently dismissing them, eager for the act I am there to see. It is an odd thing for I am normally rabid for discovering new music. Maybe it is the setting, For one reason or another, it is not conductive for me to make such discoveries.

So imagine my surprise, one night in Portland, when an odd little band called Moses Smell The Roses took the stage and held me completely entranced. Their stage set up was odd to say the least. To the right of the basic set up of drums, bass and guitar, were two keyboards, stacked upon one another and a very minimalist set of drums in addition to the full set. There were elaborate curtains donning the stage and when the group took the stage, they were adorned with animal masks: a leopard, a bat, a monkey and a unicorn.

But as I’ve learned over the years, stage antics and theatrics, do very little to make up for lack of musicianship and I was not prepared for anything but a gimmicky mess of noise by an unremarkable experimental band.

Oh, how I was wrong. The music was all over the place. Fast and discordant stampedes of sound would give way to beautifully melodic sections.  Eric Bloombaum, when not adding layers of sound with his innovative keyboard melodies, would take his place behind the other set of drums and engage in incredibly intricate and precise drum duels with Mike Byrne, who at times flew with break neck speed across the skins before him. They did not bother with lyrics, instead allowing for their instruments to weave sound far more interesting than any vocals they could have come up with. James Krutcher and John Sheid did not so much strum their guitars as they did dance across them enticing wicked shrieks and soothing sweeps from one moment to the next. As a unit they could stop on a dime before letting loose once more and between songs held in store brilliant a cappella renditions of Talking Heads songs.

Their self-produced EP Frenemies was decorated quite creatively to look like a bag puppet, complete with dangling arms and legs.; It was very clear that these are young men dedicated to more than just their music, they pay attention to every detail of every aspect of the entity.

It is wild and unpredictable, visually and aurally stunning. And so rare is that in today’s homogenized industry.

The ‘90s and the early ‘00s played host to a surreal cultural revelation. Garage rock is really catchy. I have no idea why there was a brief commercial bloom of artists that fall under the auspices of that category, but I wasn’t all to upset to hear new garage bands copping old attitudes. That was probably the last general cultural attitude I agreed with.

Anyway, the ‘90s obviously couldn’t have happened without the ‘80s. And while hipsters now choose to recall that decade as neon colored and spandex filled, it was the time when the first garage ‘revival’ emerged. No one can pin point cultural phenomenon like that but the Chesterfield Kings can’t be a bad place to start. There were others of course, like The Cynics, out of Pittsburgh. But where those bands held the Stones in highest regards, a band in Detroit injected their garage with an equal helping of blues and straight ahead punk.

Most folks will probably be more familiar with the double drums of Mick Collins newer act The Dirtbombs. But the Gories were first and have a pair of rather incredible albums.

You may be asking yourself why all of the explanation regarding a band that no longer exists.

Well, heeding countless heckles about a reunion from the previous decade or so; Collins and company are getting the band back together.

The tour isn’t slated to be too extensive and only two dates thus far have been confirmed: those of Detroit and Memphis. So if you’re in either of those two drastically different US locales, you’re in luck.

If I were to randomly pick an entertainer to host a new television show, I probably couldn’t do too much better than Elvis Costello.

The one time computer programmer turned angsty musician and producer has begun hosting Spectacle (pushed by the Sundance Channel in the US). Airing in Canada as well as the UK, the show, which has been scheduled for 13 one hour episodes, will be primarily Costello interviewing various influential, famous folks.

Already Costello has played host to Lou Reed as well as Elton John. But for the next episode – slated to air on December 17^th – former President Bill Clinton will be the guest. Viewers can only hope for a reprieve from an encore to Clinton’s now famous Arsenio Hall appearance during his election campaign where he played that saxophone.

But I wonder what Costello is going to ask him. The show is supposed to focus on the arts in a very broad sense and apart from linguistics, what does Clinton have to contribute to that discourse? More likely than not, Costello, who has been a US resident for some time, will try to match political wits with one of the most adept and adroit politicians of modern times.

Look for a lot of Obama talk as well as some sort of dissection of Bill Clinton’s charitable work – nothing too out of the ordinary. Most likely Costello has a litany of questions to raise that the handlers of President Clinton have disallowed the host from using. We’ll have to watch to see just what happens and if Costello has the gumption to make some good T.V. by challenging Clinton.

There are those of us that are given to political commentary and social examinations of history. Some become professors, some authors and still there are some that become performers and artists.

Jeffrey Lewis falls into the latter categories. As a performer, he’s come to light within the last year for an album of covers that he created. 12 Crass Songs, Lewis’ follow up to City and Eastern Songs, is just what the title says – 12 covers of the UK anarcho-punk band Crass.

I stumbled upon Lewis playing one evening as was able to hear him perform “Do They Owe Us a Living?” Unfortunately, the crowd wasn’t necessarily familiar with that song and I found myself singing along with one or two others in the crowd. Regardless of that, Lewis, amidst his performances tends to break out giant booklets of comics that he’s penned. Each comic tells some story, whether it’s about economics or how Europeans commit genocide on a regular basis.

To mark the holiday season as well as the consumerism that goes along with it, Lewis gave a UK news outlet, the Guardian, a present. And it’s a comic strip.

A quick read of the strip and there isn’t anything all too revolutionary being related, but this is just another example of a musician/artist attempting promotion through means that traditional folks wouldn’t go through. R.E.M. hasn’t sent me a present in years, for example. But it also points out the fact that Lewis creates because he must, not because he should. And whether or not he was going to send that strip off to the UK or not, it was going to be drawn, illustrated and completed.

Upcoming Performance:
12.20.08 – The Knitting Factory - NYC

Massive Attack
Bristol, England
1988-present
Trip-Hop, Electronica

Links: http://www.myspace.com/massiveattack

Teardrop

Inertia Creeps

Animal Collective
Baltimore, Maryland
2000-present
Experimental, Noise Pop, Psychedelic, Indie Rock

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Collective

Undefinable sound, disturbing imagery, and lots of fun.

Leaf House from Sung Tongs(2004)

Who Could Win a Rabbit from Sung Tongs(2004)

Peace Bone from Strawberry Jam(2007)

TV on the Radio
Brooklyn, New York
2001- present
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk Revival, Art Rock

Links: http://www.tvontheradio.com/

Indescribable sound that encompasses post-punk, a cappella, doo-wop, soul, and rock.

“Golden Age” from Dear Science(2008)

“Wolf Like Me” from Return to Cookie Mountain(2006)