Walk Hard
Good musical parody walks a fine line. Play it too broadly and it’s good for a laugh the first time, and then you never want to revisit it again. Who wants to listen to a comedy routine when you already know the punch lines? Play it too subtly and it’s just not that memorable. Why listen to an imitation of serious artists when you can listen to the real thing? Walk Hard, the soundtrack to the John C. Reilly spoof of musical biopics, gets it just right. Covering a dizzying variety of musical styles, from ‘50s rockabilly through ‘60s folkie... read more
Atlanta’s Burning - Black Lips, Deerhunter, Snowden, The Selmanaires - Variety Playhouse - 11/30/07
Above: The Selmanaires Photos taken at Variety Playhouse by Stephen Lindley Above: Snowden Above: Deerhunter Above: Black Lips Related links: News: Director Chris Dortch talks ATL music documentary We Fun Band of the Week: Deerhunter Band of the Week: The Selmanaires ... read more
The Mountain Goats - Chicago - The Empty Bottle - 11/15/07
Photos taken at The Empty Bottle by Chris Gubbels Photo by Trischa Splitter Related links: News: Moutain Goats lay out plans for next album Paste‘s 100 Best Living Songwriters #81-90 LastPlaneToJakarta.com ... read more
Watermelon Slim
Seeing his picture, you might think you’re looking at Tom Waits tricked out for the Grand Ol’ Opry. But nope, that’s Watermelon Slim. And Watermelon Slim is one Delta Mack Daddy, the most exciting and authentic blues performer I’ve heard in years. Surely the ghosts of Muddy and the Wolf are smiling. Mr. W. Slim is one William P. Homans of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—Vietnam veteran, truck driver, forklift operator, sawmiller, firewood salesman, collection agent, funeral-parlor director, small-time criminal, watermelon farmer, college graduate times three, and member of Mensa. You can hear all that and more in his songs, which have... read more
Inside the Cookie Studio
What you see here are the remains of a very sad but very sugar-filled mini-party the Paste staff and interns just had in our kitchen to celebrate/mourn the last day and second-to-last day of our two multimedia interns, Sara and Marvin*. We usually like to mark such occasions with the consumption and or overconsumption of two things: alcohol and/or baked goods. Today we went skipped the booze and went straight for the cookies. These in particular are from our down-the-street neighbors, The Cookie Studio. They just opened up a little while ago and they’re quickly becoming a Paste... read more
The Hold Steady and Art Brut - New York City - Terminal 5 - 11/21/07
Above: Art Brut Photos taken at Terminal 5 by Sean Edgar Above: The Hold Steady Related links: We’re An American Band: The Hold Steady Holds Steady (Paste 31 cover story) Paste: Art Brut Perfects its Rock Talk TheHoldSteady.com ... read more
In Praise of Obscurity
In the current issue of Paste, esteemed music critic Geoffrey Himes laments the decentralization of the music industry, and points out that his favorite album of 2007 will go unnoticed, even by most ardent music fans. And I’ll see Geoffrey’s obscure artist and raise him two: my three favorite albums of 2007 are by a Boston wunderkind named Ezra Furman, a bunch of Ohio indie rockers called Southeast Engine, and a Virginia country/folk neo-hippie named Devon Sproule. Who? Are those albums better than the ones released by Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, and The National, the albums that occupy the... read more
Deer Season
Today is the start of gun deer season in Ohio, a high holy day for Bubba and Wanda and their progeny. Schools are closed in many counties in southeastern Ohio, not because of weather or natural disaster, but because the savvy superintendants have learned that little Maideen and Bubba Jr. are going to be out hunting with pa, and won’t be bothered by little things like homework. Supper’s on the line. And so I bring you a very special high holy day playlist: 1. Twin Killers – Deerhoof 2. Sun – Lost Fawn 3. Peace and Quiet – The Rifles... read more
Barry Manilow and Brian Boitano Together At Last
Our esteemed Web Editor Austin Ray is a hard working man with a keen and discerning journalistic eye, but he is obviously too busy preparing his Turkey. How else could he have missed the big news coming out of the Bay Area about Barry? No, not Barry Bonds bidding farewell to San Francisco’s AT&T Park following his indictment, about AT&T Park welcoming Barry Manilow and famed figure skater and South Park whipping boy, Brian Boitano for a one night singing and skating extravaganza on Dec. 5th. As reported in the Hartford CT, Examnier: (we promise this is NOT from The... read more
Worst Christmas Albums of All Time?
Let the fun begin. But here’s my nomination: I recently received Conway Twitty’s 1983 album A Twismas Story with Twitty Bird and Their Little Friends. This may possibly be the nadir of recorded music in the 20th century. First, Conway sounds like he’s been pulled away from the honky-tonk to fulfill some contractual obligations. Various reindeer songs appear, as do songs about snowmen, and someone called “Happy the Christmas Clown.” A vocal group that may be The Ray Conniff singers accompanies Conway, and adds that special sixties holiday schlock to the proceedings, chiming in with “like a lightbulb” after Conway... read more
Josh Ritter - 11/5/07 - Western Realms
“To come down to my own experience, my companion and I, for sometimes I have a companion, take pleasure in fancying ourselves knights of a new, or rather an old, order, - not Equestrians or Chevaliers, not Ritters or Riders, a still more ancient and honorable class, I trust.” - Henry David Thoreau, “On Walking” It’s 9 p.m., and I’m sitting in a hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. It’s a Tuesday, but the streets are filled with a mix of dudes-on-business and senior citizens. The drive last night from Portland was really long, and, according to Don Spitler,... read more
My Morning Jacket, Yo La Tengo, The Roots, Tift Merritt, Ian Ball and Heath Ledger all play Dylan
While still recovering from the revelry of Wednesday’s eclectic and well produced I’m Not There Concert celebrating director Todd Haynes Dylan Biopic of the same name, I sadly realized I lost my notes. I should have probably guessed this was going to be the case as they were scrawled on the flimsy cardboard that my trusty partner in crime Mr. Swanhaus used to carry our beers down to the front row. No matter how much my head still hurts I can easily remember the highlights, of which they were many. Right from the get go it was clear that this... read more
Sufjan Stevens - Brooklyn Academy of Music - The BQE Dress Rehearsal - 11/1/07
Photos taken at the Brooklyn Academy of Music by Sean Edgar Related links: News: Sufjan Stevens to speak on meaningful writing Review: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois News: My Brightest Diamond tours, offers exclusive .mp3 ... read more
Josh Ritter - 11/2/07 - Little Blog of Horrors
Mustachio Nut (aka Salvador Rollie) I’ve known Zack for 10 years and have been acquainted with his ring-leader side for almost as long. If there is a scheme to be announced, carried out and dressed in costume for, Zack is in the vanguard with a bull horn. I know for a fact that he was this way before the mustache but I can say that since the mustache has fully taken hold it has become more and more difficult to determine quite where Zack’s personality ends and the mustache’s begins. So, for your reading and (depending on your proclivities) viewing... read more
Manchester Orchestra - Atlanta - The Drunken Unicorn - 10/26/07
Photos taken at The Drunken Unicorn by Stephen Lindley Related links: News: Manchester Orchestra tours more, issues 7”, doc 4 to Watch: Manchester Orchestra TheManchesterOrchestra.com ... read more
Switching It Over To AM
Radio in Atlanta has always frustrated me. I’m a big believer in local radio, which sometimes feels like being a Cubs fan. We have a solid college radio station, which means that I can discover a great (but unidentified) song, but only if I endure four others that border on unlistenable. Our public radio station refuses to play any of the wonderful PRI and NPR programs like “World Cafe” so it can have more time to play classical music. We have two commercial FM stations that I usually bounce between (both of which are much better during specialty programming). But... read more
Voodoo Music Experience - New Orleans, LA - 10/28/07
Above: Fall Out Boy Photos taken at Voodoo Music Experience by Mark Austin Above: Marc Broussard Above: Black Crowes Above: Common Above: Wilco Above: Dr. John Related links: 1,000 Words: Voodoo 2007 Day One 1,000 Words: Voodoo 2007 Day Two Wilco - Sky Blue Sky ... read more
Voodoo Music Experience - New Orleans, LA - 10/27/07
Above: Ghostland Observatory Photos taken at Voodoo Music Experience by Mark Austin Above: Smashing Pumpkins Above: Mute Math Above: Sinéad O’Connor Above: Coheed and Cambria Above: Ben Harper Related links: 1,000 Words: Voodoo Music Experience 2007 Day One 4 To Watch: Mute Math Ghostland Observatory on MySpace ... read more
Air Traffic’s US Debut Setlist
As a child one of my favorite hobbies was collecting stuff. First it was keychains, then stamps, then foreign coins, then rubber ducks. I even collected Olympic Pins and subscribed to Pindemonium magazine (little did I know that this magazine was the work of future-Paste-editor-in-chief Josh Jackson! It’s a small world after all… ) Most recently I have been collecting setlists. As an avid concertgoer, I find setlists to be extremely fascinating. Some are prepared in advance, others scribbled down on the spot. I have setlists written on electrical tape, paper towels, postcards, manilla envelopes, etc. My roommates humor me... read more
Coheed and Cambria, I’m Not There Soundtrack, John Fogerty
Coheed and Cambria – No World for Tomorrow There are concept albums, and then there are meta-concept musical careers. NYC’s Coheed and Cambria are now four albums into an ongoing saga about something or other, revisiting musical motifs and lyrical themes that all vaguely seem to tie in to Rush’s 2112 and dystopian visions of a dark future. Be very afraid. To their credit, these guys have the prog-rock chops to pull it off, and lead singer/songwriter Claudio Sanchez has clearly absorbed some valuable histrionics lessons at the Shrine of St. Geddy Lee. But for better or worse, this... read more
