Joe Pernice solo gigs

I've seen Joe Pernice, in whatever band he was touting at the time, live many times over the years and enjoyed each gig. It's been a while since the last one and given that the gross cost of a ticket is almost twenty notes for the London show, it'll be a while until I see him again. Seriously, touring acts, don't use seetickets. Their mark-up takes the piss.

Tuesday, Jan. 26
The Union Chapel, Islington, London

Unless Mr Pernice is careful, he's only going to sell tickets to long-term fans; the ticket price suggests the thinking might be 'the audience is the same as before, only they're older and wealthier now'. It's often those with most money (those high-powered jobs take their toll, you know) who lose interest in going to gigs. Especially on a Tuesday night.

Tickets are cheaper for the two other dates (no seetickets interference and, of course, held in towns where the streets aren't paved with gold...).

Wednesday, Jan. 27
Oran Mor, Glasgow, Scotland

Thursday, Jan. 28
Academy 3, Manchester, UK

Headache City

Headache City's second album, We Can’t Have Anything Nice, snuck out quietly late last year but makes just as much noise as their self-titled debut from 2006. The turbo-charged speed might be a nod to their Chicago hometown's hardcore history, but the furious thrash and gleeful guitar solos point to a stronger affiliation with both the New York Dolls’ debauched glamour and the original spirit of 76.

Stand By My Side is all ramalama rock’n’roll and handclaps; and if the refrain to Down The Drain (“just watch our lives wash down the drain/we live our lives like we’re insane”) seems well-worn, you can’t help but smile at its panache and the conviction of its delivery.

Unlike their eponymous debut, which was enriched by two songs (Suicide Summer and Wax Pedigree) a cut above the rest, there’s no stand-out classic on We Can’t Have Anything Nice. This makes the album a more even affair and a fraction stronger for it, too.

Interested purchasers have got one option.

Dum Dum Girls single, album and UK tour

Dum Dum Girls' new single Jail La La is out on February 15, inevitably and rather wondrously revealing absolutely no musical progression whatsoever. The debut album, I Will Be, follows on March 29, which will undoubtedly be more of the same. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to mix it.

There’s a UK tour next month, although at the moment “UK” means “London”, but more dates may be added:
25-Feb London Bardens Boudoir
26-Feb London White Light @ Lexington
27-Feb London The Rest Is Noise
02-Mar London White Heat @ Madam JoJos


Anyway, the press release is here:

Released on February 15th via Sub Pop Records (SP869) ‘Jail La La’ is the first, and rather fine blissed-out pop 7” single taken from the Dum Dum Girls debut album, I Will Be (Sub Pop, March 29th). The single will be backed with ‘Play With Fire’ a track which is exclusive to this release and does not appear on the album.

Featured as the #1 best band at 2009’s CMJ festival, Dum Dum Girls have confirmed their FIRST UK shows in February for a series of dates across the capital.

Having released an EP on Captured Tracks, a 7-inch on Hozac and a CD EP on Zoo Music, the Dum Dum Girls churn out blissful pop that falls somewhere between The Ramones and the Ronettes. Which, in our opinion, is a very good thing.

Produced by Dee Dee and Richard Gottehrer (Strangeloves, Voidoids, Blondie, The Go-Gos and, more recently, The Raveonettes), I Will Be is neither lo-fi nor too polished. Just eleven songs in under thirty minutes -- it’s a short tribute to love, fun and the classic pop form of the ’60’s girl groups and early punk rockers.

I Will Be Tracklisting
1. It Only Takes One Night
2. Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout
3. Oh Mein M
4. Jail La La
5. Rest of Our Lives
6. Yours Alone
7. Blank Girl
8. I Will Be
9. Lines Her Eyes
10. Everybody’s Out
11. Baby Don’t Go

Withered Hand's Christmas Gift For You

After the Bible-bashing of Good News – my favourite album of the year and no mistake – there’s no chance that Withered Hand’s Christmas song will make the sleigh bells go ring-ting-ting-a-ling. It's A Wonderful Lie – “this phony bonhomie makes me feel uneasy” – will warm the cold heart of every cynic sick of the authorised seasonal farrago of It’s A Wonderful Life: “Of all of the days I think this could be the worst day/It’s not even the real thing, it’s not Jesus birthday”.

Typically with Dan Willson, religion and sex are uncomfortable if inseparable bedfellows, and the bitter lyrical bent is leavened by whip-smart lines and an unholy marriage of Christianity and the horizontal hokey cokey.

It's A Wonderful Lie, Withered Hand’s Christmas gift to sceptics, misanthropes and pessimists everywhere, can be downloaded here.

Box Elders live

The two best gigs of the year were Box Elders and Box Elders. Twice in the past 10 days they thrilled two London venues with ringing guitars, bubblegum psych organ, songs kept short‘n’snappy, and showmanship – a stand up drummer keeping the teenage beat and playing keyboard at the same time! maracas thrown for crowd participation! long hair flailing! shit-eating grins! – of the highest order.

Third on the bill at the tiny Ryan’s Bar on Saturday – and only getting that gig due to a cancellation – they played with so much energy and fizz that all newcomers were instantly captivated. There was no let up between songs, save from the occasional pause for breath to say “we’re Box Elders”.

Someone in the crowd did say “you’re the best band in the world”. He was right. He was also the drummer from the headline act. I didn’t stay to watch them. No disrespect, but there are maybe only five bands in the world who could have followed Box Elders. This time next year they’ll probably be playing to five times as many people; the year after that even more.

At both gigs, I checked the faces (all completely fucking happy) to see who was there because one day loads of people who weren’t there are going to say they were. If you weren’t, you should’ve been.

Hacia Dos Veranos

“We're timeless; we follow in a tradition of brilliant bands. In 10 years' time people will reel us off as one of the greats.” Lawrence

If Lawrence’s, uh, crystal ball had been a little clearer, it would’ve suggested that ‘in 20 years' time great bands will reel Felt off as their main influence’. More specifically, the cascading Spanish guitars and pulse-quickening rhythms of The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories have echoed through 2009, most recently in Argentina’s Hacia Dos Veranos, who have a bewitching instrumental charm and rare melodic craft.

Like The Clientele, Hacia Dos Veranos explore Maurice Deebank-era Felt via West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band’s sleepy pyschedelia and Galaxie 500’s enigmatic atmospherics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Alasdair Maclean from The Clientele plays on two songs from their forthcoming second album.

Warning: May Contain Indie

Symptoms include: whingeing, low production values, involuntary celibacy, minimal career prospects, second-hand clothes and an inescapable feeling that things will never be as good as they used to be.



Each year, I compile a CD of my favourite new songs and give copies to friends who just don’t buy that many new records. Their reasons for straying from the only true path vary – they may have kids who take up all their time and money; they may be captains of industry too stressed after the working day to seek out new sounds; or they may have decided that, actually, all the best records were made between 1966 and 1968, so why bother with what are bound to be pale imitations.

Responses to these compilations are similarly varied to the point of delusional:
“I can see why you like it…”
“Has music really not changed in the past 25 years?”
“I am now cool.”

Essentially, this mix is just a collection of suggestions and jumping-off points: some friends will find new bands to love; others may find their ennui justified. 2009 has been a particularly strong year for music – just like last year, in fact, and the year before that; people who describe certain years as being low in great musical output are people who simply don’t look hard enough. This year's gems are:

1. Cold Game – Myron & E and the Soul Investigators
2. In June – Summer Cats
3. Stay – Box Elders
4. Tell It In My Ear – Fergus & Geronimo
5. Record Shop - Help Stamp Out Loneliness
6. This Girl – Cookin’ on 3 Burners feat Kylie Auldist
7. Something’s Happening – Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
8. The Ills (instr) – Mayer Hawthorne
9. Miss Tierney – Wake The President
10. Dancing – Standard Fare
11. Hey Boy – Magic Kids
12. Meet You In The Rain – The Cavalcade
13. Heart Collector – Stolen Hearts
14. Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me – First Base
15. I Can’t Feel So Happy Now – Personal and the Pizzas
16. Old Folks – Real Estate
17. No Idea – Member of the Wedding
18. Broken Arm – The Shackles
19. Lust For Life – Girls
20. Chord – David Kilgour and Sam Hunt
21. I Am Nothing – Withered Hand
22. Contour and Context – Brown Recluse
23. Plots Are For Cemeteries – Bricolage
24. The Devil Gives Me Everything Except What I Want –
Willie West and the High Society Brothers

That mix represents 24 of the best songs of the year. There are many of equal quality that didn’t make the cut, either because I thought most recipients of the compilation would already have them or because I didn’t spend that much time compiling it. It’s just a bit of fun.