Music Snobbery

The Davey Dance Blog: I Wanna Dance!

I can't decide whether Davey's Dance Blog is super-idiotic genius funny or mildly funny for one minute. In any event, there's a guy, Davey in this case, who travels the word, sets up a camera and breaks out the moves. It's a one-man version of  The Torrance Community Dance Group. I 'd like to know how he finds backup dancers in every country.

Here's what you waste time at working watching:

• Belle & Sebastian's "Sukie in the Graveyard" as done at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass.
• Interpol's "Say Hello the the Angels" in NYC
• Justice Vs. Simian's "We Are Your Friends" in Germany
• I'm From Barcelona's "Treehouse" in .... Barcelona. Nifty!
• The Sunshine Underground's "Put You In Your Place" done in the NYC subway. My favorite...

Adele Set for Live U.S. Debut in NYC, L.A and SXSW

There was a time when being called '"the next Amy Winehouse" would be a compliment. Not so much these days. How about the next ... ummmm .... ummmm ... nobody in the particular?

Adele Adkins, who was No. 1 New Artist of 2008 from BBC, is ready to plant her musical flag in the U.S. in March. She's booked a few dates at the usual SXSW cycle and will hit both coasts afterwords...

• March 18: Joe's Pub, New York
• March 20: Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles

Her debut album, 19, was released in the U.K. this week (no U.S. deal yet). If you want to compare it to Back to Black, it seems like two different approached on classic soul. Adele has more of a classical, piano driven angel to the genre. Her voice will put you in a trance, rather then get you all sexed-up. You'll listen to 19 and be like, "Whoa, that's serious". The big rave up on the album is the Mark Ronson track, "Cold Shoulder."

I will certainly check her out. See if she can deliver the goods live. In the meantime, check out her best known song, "Chasing Pavements."

MusicSnobbery Playlist, Vol. 11: This, That and Lot of Ukuleles

* The School, Let It Slip -- No, it's not a new track from Camera Obscura, but they sure sound like it. The School is another in a long line of band's that hard to find if you google them. In any event, this Cardiff seven-piece have the same look, feel, smell as Camera, but still have some fine, memorable tracks.

* Pants Yell!, Tried to be Good -- And shirts scream. Hailing for Cambridge, Mass., this Oxford-pop band are in the new breed of preppy indie bands.

* Spanish Prisoners, Some Among Them Are Killers -- A local band creeping up on the scene, they opened up for Jack Penate over at Union Hall the other week. Make sure to check out, "God Does His Laundry." 

* Sweet Divines, HoneyThistle -- The Dansettes are no more. So like Uncle Tupelo, the former members created separate bands. Jamie & Leah formed the Nouvellas, while Jennie formed this band, The Sweet Divines. Both are in the old school soul vein.

* Fanfarlo, Sand and Ice -- Bill from SoundBites turned me onto this U.K. band. David Bowie gave them a ringing endorsement recently. Imagine if Jonathan Richman fronted Belle & Sebastian and you got the sound.

* My Sad Captains, Bad Decisions -- I love the name of this band. More happy sounding songs about feeling bad.

* Viva Stereo, Diatribe -- A little electronic rock mixed in here from this Glasgow outfit.

* Hey Willpower, Hundredaire -- More lo-fi dance pop, this time from San Francisco.

* The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Teenage Kicks -- Come on, with a name like that, isn't it worth two minutes of your time? I tried to get an .mp3 of their version of "Shaft" but couldn't find it.

* Laura Groves, I Am Living -- Great sound on this new face from the U.K. Think Laura Veirs with an accent.

Top 5 Musical Moments from Paul Thomas Anderson Films

I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!

This list could easily be a list all from Boogie Nights, one of my favorite films of all times. Alas, we have to consider Punch-Drunk Love, Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. There's not any memorable music scenes in Hard Eight.

5. "Wise Up" from Magnolia -- This song could have ranked higher for it not for the Tom Cruise factor. It's the part of the film, at around the 6 1/2 hour mark, where all the characters sing the same Aimee Mann song. Each of the character are at their emotional end and the song ties them all together. As legends goes, PTA was inspired to write the movie based on hearing Mann's songs. Also in the film, you can't go wrong with some Supertramp. As a side note, I have sort of connection to Mann. Drop me a line and I'll tell you.

4. "Machine Gun" from Boogie Nights -- It's hard to pinpoint two montages from Boogie Nights to single out. Dirk Diggler in the studio, the opening tracking shots, Sister Christian to Jessie's Girl, the coked-up scenes with Todd Parker set to Compared to What. I enjoy the rise to power of Dirk Diggler set to the Commadors song. It has all the cheesy elements -- glamor shots, magazine headlines, split screens and quick scenes of Dirk fucking. At the end of the montage, you have a big choreographed number at the disco. If I had the time, I would want to learn every move of that scene.

3. "Proven Lands" from There Will Be Blood -- I'VE ABANDONED MY CHILD ... I'VE ABANDONED MY BOY. The film is just mind-blowing. It's looks like McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Days of Heaven, but plays like Citizen Kane: The Maniac Years. The scene that stand out to me is when the oil well exploded and makes H.R. deaf. Eventually, the whole thing goes up in flames into the night. Jonny Greenwood has the scene punctuated with heavy percussion and string arrangement that gives the scene a pulse.

2. "He Needs Me" from Punch-Drunk Love -- Not many people were into this film. I love it and I hate Adam Sandler films in general. I appreciate films that take risks and doesn't blatantly tell you what to think. On the soundtrack, Jon Brion remixes "He Needs Me" from the film Popeye, sung by Shelley Duvall and written by Harry Nilsson. In the movie, Barry cashes in his frequent flier mileage from all the pudding he purchased to fly to Hawaii. He gets there so he can meet up with Lena in the ultimate staged love meeting. They are in silhouette and a punch of tourist walk in and out of frame. It's strange, but it works.

1. "God Only Knows" from Boogie Nights -- It's the finest Beach Boys song. I've heard it at about 5 of the past 6 weddings I've attended. Like in Magnolia, this song is the emotional climax of the film where all the character's stories are wrapped up. Some end with happiness, others not. Watch out for Buck's Super Stereo ... WORD! I come away think, "Sure, they're strung out porn stars, but at least they have each other."

Nicole Atkins & The Sea/Craig Wedren/The Parlor Mob @ Bowery Ballroom

It's taken me a few days to recover from Friday night's shenanigans. Yeah, it was a crazy fun show with the Atkins crew for her first headlining show at Bowery Ballroom. My buddy took full-advantage of the spotlight and performed a show that put the paying masses in the thralls of rock ecstasy.

One of the great things about being around music is seeing a band start out and become something of a known act with a fan base. Through the years, I've seen Nic when she's played in front of ten people, at bowling alleys and in front of buffet lines.In the past year, she's been on Letterman and Conan, fronted a commercial and released a proper full-length debut on a major label. That's not shabby for a girl from Neptune.

As you know, she, her band and assorted related characters are my buds, so I'm biased. Still, Friday's show was a blast to watch. From her coming out to the theme from Twin Peaks to the all-star jam at the end of the show, you have to admit that she's come into her own. The big "Wow Factor" for me was that I saw couples in the crowd who paid to see her. Think about it this way -- you have plenty of Friday night options in NYC when you're in a couple. Of all the things you can do, you come to a Nicole Atkins & The Sea show. You get the tickets in advance before they sell out (which it was), have a little dinner before hand, then head to the Bowery. You have a great time, then go home and make sweet love to each other. I think that's the ultimate compliment.

When Nic came out, she first said, "When first question is -- who are you people?" Yup, she has fans who are not relatives.The other funny thing I witness is she had people asking for the setlist. I'm interested to hear about other cities when she goes out on tour.

Anyway, the gig was a great display of what she's all about. She might have throw back Roy Orbison meets Springsteen songs, but my bud can rock the house. Even if I wasn't part of Team Atkins, the encore with special guests doing a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" was one for the ages. Let's go over the participants. Opening act The Parlor Mob joined in as did Craig Wedren of Shudder to Think. Then, my boy Stephen Warwick of the North Carolina's Secondhand Stories and my boy J Stuart from the Cloud Room rocked out as well. I'm glad I got recording of it because it killed.

So when she comes to your town, please check her out. She'll be booking local bands to open up for her so it's your chance to hear what she likes as well.

It's funny because I've been to untold amount of her shows and I finally got some decent pictures of her. As a side note, this post marks the debut of my new computer!!! My five-year old P.O.S. has been replaced by a tricked-out HP, so screw you Justin Long and your MAC.

As mentioned before, Craig Wedren, the lead singer of the defunct 80-90s rock band Shudder to Think was one of the opening acts. The singer has been delving into film composing, mostly comedies like The Ten, Wet Hot American Summer, School of Rock and Laurel Canyon. His solo work is straight-up indie rock similar to his Shudder to Think days.

Finally, I'd like to introduceyou to my good buddies The Parlor Mob from Asbury Park, NJ. They make Wolfmother and Kings of Leon look like a bunch of bed wetters. After a few years of checking-in on them, they are ready to kick your ass properly. They come at your hard and don't let up with their frantic classic rock and Zepplin inspired vocals. It was fucking wicked seeing them come into their own. They'll be with Nicole on her tour next month and into March. Plus, their debut album, And You Were a Crow, will be out on Roadrunner Records in May. So, get to the show early, rock out and tell what you think.

The Tings Tings Debut Their First Video

It's for "Great DJ" and proves that Jules doesn't wear sunglasses all the time and Katie doesn't always wear hats (YouTube took down the video, jerks)

Update on Downloading the Dumbest Songs on iTunes

Thanks for all suggestions. To fill you in, I have 50 song iTunes credits and looking to waste it on random songs. Here are my guidelines.

• Nothing modern or popular, No "Fergielicous" or Jonas Brothers
• Something music snobs would know and be embarrassed to know
• I can only purchase one song per artist
• No covers, sorry, already have the Shatner version of "Common People"
• No Don Johnson or Bruce Willis

Here's what I've downloaded so far with your guidence and inspiration.

• "Classic Gas," Mason Williams
• "The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald," Gordon Lightfood
• "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake," The Small Faces
• "Mrs. Brown', You Have a Lovely Daughter," Herman's Hermits
• "Doomsday, Mephiskapheles
• "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," James Lee Stanley
• "Calico Girlfriend," Michael Nesmith
• "Don't Drop the Baby," The Judybats
• "People Who Died," Jim Carroll
• "The Touch," Stan Bush, from The Transformers: The Movie (the song Mark Wahlberg covered in Boogie Nights)

I found out some interesting things in my search: you can't get any King Crimson or the long version of Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." The biggest shock is that they only offer one Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch song, "Good Vibrations."

Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong Set For U.S. Debut, March 11 & 12

The lean mean, Jing Jang Jong machine are heading over here for their U.S. debut before they make the trek down to Austin. They were No. 3 on my list of U.K. bands to watch for in 2008.

• March 11 -- Mercury Lounge (opening for The Pigeon Detective, boooooo)
• March 12 -- Union Hall (yeaaaaahhhhh)

In the meantime, here's their first video, "Lucio Starts Fires"

Ancient Indian Burial Ground 1, Vineland Music Festival 0

The spirits of the Native Americans have spoken, and the Vineland Music Festival will not happen at the haunted Menantico Colony in 2008. The organizer stated that it is a crowded music festival field and they will try again next year. Did somebody have chicken for lunch? BAAAAWWWWK BAAAAAAAAWWWWWKKKK BAAAAAWWWWWKKKKK.

Charles Attal acknowledged that C3 - which promotes Lollapalooza in Chicago and the Austin City Limits Festival - and its British promotion partner, Festival Republic, need to demonstrate to Vinelanders that "these are new-style festivals that are peaceful, family events."

He said that community opposition was "not why we pulled out," however.

Yeah, that's what she said.

Dr. Dog Readies Two Albums in 2008 ... Possible Playoff Run

Just before I begin, I just want to say this "I'VE ABANDONED MY CHILD!!!!"

Moving on.

This year could be the year where Philadelphia's Dr. Dog kicks it up a notch from being a well-respected opening act to big time headliner. They've been the darling tag-alongs for Wilco, My Morning Jacket, The Strokes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Cold War Kids and The Magic Numbers. I think it's time for them to take the lead.

On Feb. 19, the crew will release a B-sides, demos and rarities album called Passed Away, Vol. 1 on the Philly-based Park the Van records. You can hear the whole album now at weallbelong.net, but you'll have to wait until the 19th to have it some sort of physical/traveling/mobile form. Here's the tracklisting:

1. Oh Me Oh My
2. Going Home
3. The Man Who Was Wrong
4. I'm Standing in the Light
5. A Long Time Ago
6. Oh My God
7. Me and My Girl
8. Eyesing the Blues
9. Little Bird
10. Beer Can

Currently, the 5 T-guys are holed up in the studio laying down tracks for album No. 3 (or five if you count their self-released LPs).  In March, they'll take a break and road test the new material on a short tour. Also, they'll be playing with Levon Helm at the Electric Factory's 40th Anniversary Party on Feb. 15. I might be at that one.

• Feb 15: The Electric Factory -- Philadelphia
• Mar 4:  Local 506 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Mar 5: The Pour House -- Charleston, South Carolina
• Mar 6: Jinx -- Savannah, Georgia
• Mar 8: Langerado Music Festival -- Clewiston, Florida
• Mar 11: Bottletree Cafe -- Birmingham, Alabama
• Mar 14-16: SXSW Austin, Texas 
• Mar 18: George’s Majestic -- Fayetteville, Arkansas

Finally, with any luck, the guys can work their way into the Phillies pitching rotation with the help of the Phanatic.

In the meantime, enjoy their latest promo, "Alaska"