Do you love Rock -n- Roll? I mean really love Rock -n- Roll? Most people say they do. Joan Jett said she did (and she was covering The Arrows). Thing is, I don't believe most of those people. Oh yeah, people yell "Rock and Rolllll!" as a battle cry and everyone wants to be a Rock Star (even down to Miley Cyrus), but put real Rock -n- Roll in front of them and they'll most likely balk. But why?
Well, seems to me that true Rock -n- Roll has been bastardized by many forms of Pop music over the years. I have nothing against Pop. I revel in it. Hell, my radio show's slogan is "The Best In International Pop", but Pop and Rock -n- Roll are different beasts, as are Rock, Classic Rock and Southern Rock. None of those things are Rock -n- Roll. In fact, it seems all forms of music from the 1960's on all envy good ol' Rock -n- Roll so much that they constantly try to make ties to it. The lines start to blur to the casual listener who doesn't know better. That's why confusion sets in when such people are confronted with real Rock -n- Roll.
An oft missed point is that Rock -n- Roll is not a pretty thing. It's dirty. It's sexual. It's very name is derived from slang for f**cking. It's also very much an attitude thing. It's rebellious by nature. All these things contribute to why Rock -n- Roll has been all but lost to Western culture. The late 1960's Summer of Love and 1970's Sexual revolution killed it for all future Americans (with small exceptions in the mid 70's and early 90's; both times quickly and decisively killed by corporations). There is no need for teens to rebel anymore. Electronic gadgets and mood controlling medications keep them docile these days... along with idiot parents who want to stay forever young and be their children's best friends. It's a rather disgusting time here in the west.
Thank god for those Japanese. They've always understood, right from the first time it hit them. Why is that? Easy. A repressive society always needs an outlet for rebellious youth to exercise their primal urges. This brings me to today's show and tell band, The Bawdies from Tokyo Japan.
They've been around for a few years now in the indie scene with three albums ("Awaking of Rhythm and Blues", "Yesterday and Today" and "This Is My Story") and an EP ("I Beg You"). They've now been signed to Victor Japan and a new single has been released, "It's Too Late"; produced by Love Psychedelico's Guitarist Naoki. Here's the video for the song:
The enigmatic thing about the new single is that it isn't actually a single. It's touted as one and the first of the two tracks is "It's Too Late", but the second track is an unbanded, full 40 minute live concert at the QUATTRO Club and it's the real reason you should absolutely own this disc. It's a load of their Indie material and covers of "Pretty Vacant" Which they Who up substantially and a brutal rave up on "What'd I Say?". Now it's pretty obvious that you should buy this and CDJapan has it for $16 US before shipping. The link to buy it is below:
Something happens at the 35 minute mark in McFly's new concert video that dropped my jaw in disbelief. I've been a huge fan of theatricality in Rock concerts all my life and it's been interesting to see the level of oneupmanship over the years as technology has caught up with stage theatrics.
More on that in a minute. I want to start from the top. I received the new Mcfly Concert DVD, Radio:Active Live at Wembley, one week ago today. It's a UK import and in PAL format, but that's never stopped me. Mcfly, as you regular readers will know, has captivated me since their inception just a few scant years ago. They began as a power pop band that Evoked the Beach Boys and the Beatles as well as Squeeze and other classic Pop bands of the past 50 years. Over their last 4 albums, their sound has matured rapidly, but steadily and their fan base has caught fire; a worldwide phenomenon around the world and a certified cult band in the USA.
Their latest CD release, Radio:Active, saw them breaking from their record company to form their own label, Super Records ("Saving the world, one song at a time") and finally doing their own thing, their own way, for better or for worse. The DVD of their last concert tour is visual proof that they're possibly the best Rock n Roll band in the world (as of this writing). A heady boast from a rabid fan? Possibly, but Rock n Roll isn't about brooding soundscapes and self Pitying lyrics about how life is a downer. Rock n Roll is about fun, power and winning over every girl that lays their eyes and ears on the band.
For this latest tour, McFly has redesigned their stage set to a futuristic decaying look, with oil cans and large ventilation fans dominating the stage. There're also some pyrotechnic displays that would make KISS nod in approval. The songs come hard and heavy in a mix of songs both current and classic. Then... 35 minutes in, it happens.
The stage supporting the band rises up into the air as McFly sings Star Girl. Cool enough, I've seen it before, albeit on a smaller scale. It's something that makes me smile. The stage then begins, in total, to sail above and over the audience as the band plays; a Plexiglas floor giving the girls in the audience a good look at their boys. As Star Girl comes to a close, the stage settles down at the back of Wembley Arena, so the fans in the cheaper seats can get a good look at the band. It's a magnificent moment and makes me wish I was there, makes me wonder how much it was to insure this show and how something like this could possibly be topped. I've seen many artists fly over the stage: David Bowie, Garth Brooks, Paul Stanley, Tommy Lee and his drum kit.... Koda Kumi even rose up a hundred feet in the air to see the folks in the back of the stadium, but I've never seen something so incredibly outrageous and unnecessary as this. THIS is Rock n Roll, people.
The band eventually makes it back to the main stage with a cover of Michael Jackson's "Black Or White", a few audience singalongs and a two song encore. The show wraps up in 80 minutes and I was left on my couch wondering what had just happened, it happened so fast. A truly great show and almost as good as the Motion In The Ocean tour.
A McFly Evolution documentary rounds out the disc; an enjoyable piece of the lads and the logistics of the current tour.
I, of course, completely recommend this show. It can be had at CDWOW for a reasonable price (and free shipping!).
Here's Lies from the concert DVD (note the lovely Mylar confetti... ROCK N ROLL ALL NITE, boys!):
Yeah. You all know my one sided love affair with J-pop songstress Kimura Kaela, dear readers. She has, over the last couple of years, scratched her way up to the top of my favorite artists. It's been a good year for being a fan of her's. Last April brought her latest album, "+1", a concert tour followed this summer along with a new single ("Mustache"), a photo book ("Kimura Kaela Collection") and a new DVD of (almost all of) her music video PVs.
Last night, I finally saw her Fuji Television special of her "+1" concert Tour that you'll find in it's entirety below in Youtube playlist format (super special thanks to Youtube user mist1125 for uploading it!). If you love Kaela like I do, you'll love this. If you're not familiar, give it a shot. She's pretty damn electric.
I also finally got the PV DVD in the mail today. It comes in similar packaging to her last 2 DVDs (see the cover below) and it includes 16 videos. For some reason, "Dive Into Shallow" from her Jasper DVD single isn't here, but the rest are in LPCM audio ('cause it's the best!) and high video bitrate. It looks great! It also includes a lenticular sticker of Kaela posing in two ways, depending on which angle you view. Nice package.
...Just got back from The Pipettes show. I had a great time. We (my Compadre Ry and I) arrived about 6:45 or so and the place was just beginning to fill up. I'd never been to Diesel before, so it was a new thing for me. The venue is a smallish place, but the space available is well served. It was an all ages show, so alcohol was restricted to the upper balcony, which stretched along either side of the stage with the rear balcony reserved for the soundboards and such. We stayed on the floor. I believe you should always look up to a performer, not down on them. Symbolic, mebee so. So, I got a Sprite and Ry and I stood at the bar and watched the people file in. When we do stuff like this, I feel like I'm Tim Bisley and Ry is Daisy Stiener; the lead characters in the British TV show, "Spaced". We're both a bit older than the people who go to such concerts (and I'm a bit older than Ry), but our tastes are so very young at heart. I could conceivably see her pushing my wheelchair, and using it as a walker, to see some young upstart band in the far future. Just an observation. Back to the subject at hand.
First up was Monster Bobby. He is the Svengali of The Pipettes; the man behind the polka dots. He came out solo with a sequencer and guitar and began singing a tongue in cheek litany of songs, nearly all clocking in at about a minute long. It was the unholiest mash of folk and Kraftwerk, but I loved it. His sense of humor (humour?) was sharp and crotchety. At one point, he told the crowd, as politely as possible, to please refrain from clapping along as it throws him off. His British dry wit was welcome and set a nice tone for the evening. He even explained that his name meant "Large Member" in Scottish. I immediately thought of a Frankenstein's Monster clad in a British Police Officer's uniform.
The second act was Nicole Atkins and the Sea. She introduced herself and the band as that, but what I heard (old age creeping in, I guess) was The Kracken and the Sea. I thought maybe they liked "Clash Of The Titans" a little too much. Nicole Atkins was cute in a one piece, grey dress with a bib and skinny tie at the neck. The band looked like a jovial bunch of Rock -n- Roll miscreants.
Nicole Atkins and the Sea. She was wearing a bandoleer of bullets as a crown but by the time I got the camera phone out, she had placed it on the mike stand.
When they started playing, though, I was speechless. It was the tightest band I'd heard in a long, long time. Then Nicole began to sing. I haven't been this impressed by someones voice since seeing LP live the first time. In fact she sounded a bit like both LP and Mazzy Star, leaning towards the former. Her songs were very pleasing to the ear, with echoes from the ghosts of pop music past popping up in each song. One song had wonderful ELO/Beatlesque minor chord counterpoint. Another song included a vocal riff from Ben E. King's"Spanish Harlem" and another song felt a Todd Rundgren vibe to it. Yet another song ended with a Sleigh Bell and Glockenspiel in a wonderful Brian Wilson inspired moment. About 4 songs into the set, I was smitten with Ms. Atkins. I found the palms of my hands were becoming sweaty. Crush time!
Towards the end of the set, members of The Pipettes' backing group, The Cassettes, descended upon the stage wearing full head masks of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Colin Powell and carrying rubber dart guns and military helmets. This was not expected, obviously, and was a wonderful unscripted moment for the evening that had everyone cracking up. Apparently, the two groups had been practical joking each other the entire run of the tour and this was the grand finale of it all, since Nicole Atkins and the Sea were playing their last tour date with The Pipettes that very evening.
The Set ended with a Patty Smith tune and I immediately made a bee line for the merchandise table to buy her CD. I wanted to beat the rush. She's amazing and I suggest you seek out her music. It's well worth it.
The Pipettes then began their set with a faux radio broadcast over the loudspeakers. They took the stage with "Dance and Boogie" a song that's on the album that I didn't remember hearing before. I told Ry that they opened with a new song! (Sorry, Ry, I just didn't recognise it at the time. Silly me.). They immediately went into "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" with the obligatory finger wag dance.
"Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me", but even a 2MP camera phone can't capture live images so well.
Let me pause here for a moment to say some things about The Pipettes. First of all, I retract what I wrote in the last post about these girls. That is, I said they weren't astounding. Maybe astounding is still a hefty word, but I will tell you this is the best I've ever heard them sound. This was my first time seeing them live and in person. Every other time, I'd seen them on television programs and on live boot CDs. I am pleased to say that they are meant to be seen live and they sounded brilliant. Their energy is off the chart, too. Every song, they change the line up, so everyone gets a good look at all of the girls. I also have to say something about my taste in women. It's no secret I LOOOOOOVE women. To a fault, I do. I fell for Nicole Atkins 4 songs in. Well, when I first began listening to The Pipettes, I was all about Rosay (the brunette with lips like Marianne Faithful) and then, after the "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" and "Pull Shapes" videos, I changed my mind and was all about Gwenno. I even pouted a bit that I was on the wrong side because Gwenno usually stood on the other side and I wanted to get a good look at her. Well, Rosay did come out on my side and I immediately became all about Rosay again (I swear she looked directly at me and gave me that crooked little sexy smile. Yeah, I know. Onstage, the audience is just a blur of colors. I've been there, I've seen it... But dammit, let me have my fantasy!). It became all about Rosay so much so, that when she did change places with Gwenno, I found myself looking to the other side of the stage for Rosay. Damn my fickleness. 'Course, when they first appeared, I exclaimed, "Aw! Gwenno dyed her hair!" as she went from a blonde to a redhead. I don't think that had anything to do with it, though.
Rosay sings "Why Did You Stay?". Yeah, blurry again. Damn cell phone.
I digress. They played their entire "We Are The Pipettes" album along with the EP only "Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman" and "Really That Bad". They drank some complimentary Whiskey shots onstage (and complained about the quality, LOL) and even played with some audience members up front. They instructed the audience on the dance moves needed for "Pull Shapes" and encouraged us to all clap along to the music (I looked at Monster Bobby, he didn't seem fazed).
Getting back to the girls themselves, they all wore polka dot clothes, each with their own flavor (flavour?) and up close, the outfits looked like they were hand made, which was impressive. All three were in fine voice with Rosay being the greatest surprise. In most of the music videos, she looks like she's just a support voice, but in concert, she carries a lot of the lead vocals and plays keyboard on a lot of the songs, too. Far from being the Irlene Mandrell of the group, Rosay was revealed to me to be the heart, soul and backbone of the group. RiotBecky seemed to be the glue of the group, however. She ran about the stage the most of the three and I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't the originator of the dance routines for the group. Gwenno.... well, Gwenno is the beauty of the group. She's stunningly gorgeous and has a wonderful soprano voice that tops the harmonies like a cherry on dessert. All in all, their energetic performances, infectious personalities and lovely harmonies made everyone in the audience very happy. They encored with "ABC" and "We Are The Pipettes" and then, poof, they vanished up the stairs and away.
RiotBecki takes the stage and the slow lens of the camera phone totally "Jacob's Ladder"s her face.
What was next is kind of different for me. I usually find a way to meet the band, especially if they're from another country. Yeah, I'm a groupie, but singers and musicians fascinate me. I love hanging out and talking about music and such. It's probably because my dad was a Singer and Bass Player. I didn't do that tonight, though. Maybe I should have, but I felt like, I'll probably see them again sometime. I also a was a bit intimidated to meet three lovely British girls. I'm very shy when it comes to meeting people I admire. Strange. An autograph and a personal pic would've been nice, though. Mebee someday.
I had a most excellent time and I would see both groups again at the drop of a hat. Thanks Compadre Ry, for accompanying me. I had a gear time!
UPDATE 11/21/07!!! I've seen Nicole Atkins before and it never registered!
She was on Letterman on October 30th:
And she's on this American Express commercial:
I saw both of these and it never registered. Wow. It's cool though, 'cause now I'm fully tuned in... and so are you! Dig!
Update 11/28/07: I wasn't wrong after all about "Dance and Boogie" being a new track. The original UK pressing of "We Are The Pipettes" has 14 tracks, while the US pressing that came almost a year later has 16. The last two tracks on the US version were added especially for that release. Those songs are "Baby, Just Be Yourself" and "Dance and Boogie". While I did buy the US release just to support the lasses, I still only listen to he UK relese regularly. That's the reason I didn't recognise "Dance and Boogie" when The Pipettes opened their set with it. So, it was a new track after all... at least to old fans!
This Monday, the 19th, The Pipettes are coming to Club Diesel on the South Side (former Nick's Fat City,1601 E. Carson St. 15203) to perform an all ages show. They'll be taking the stage at 8:30, but opening acts Monster Bobby (who plays guitar in The Pipettes' backing band, The Cassettes) and Nicole Atkins will be taking the stage at 6:30 and 7:30, respectively. Doors open at 6:00 and tickets are $12.00 at the door / $10.00 advance.
Who are the Pipettes? They are a trio of luvvly lasses from Brighton, England that are somewhere the Shangri-las and the B-52's (without that pesky Fred Schneider). They dress alike in polka dotted outfits and sing songs that seem to come straight from 1963, but with the modern lyrical style of today. In that alone, they're both retro and current. Indeed, they're not kidding when they state their intention "To turn back the clock to a time before the Beatles ruined everything". Kinda refreshing, eh? What I take from that is to mean they're taking us back to a time when pop music was fun and didn't have to have a pertinent meaning, or make us feel any other emotion than fun and escapism. Let's face it, the Beatles (great as they were) unwittingly turned nearly everyone who bought their albums into half wit music intelligentsia. Those damned Hippies did their share to ruin things, too. The Pipettes go a long way to correct such matters.
That's not to say they're astounding. I'll admit, their live performances aren't perfect and there are some unpolished edges here and there, but, taken with the entire package (clothes, dance moves for every song, attitude, their all male backing band The Cassettes) their live show is a real kick. Those wanting aural perfection from live performances may want to stay home and just listen to the record. Everyone else looking for a great time will want to come see Gwenno, Riot Becky and Rosay. Here are some music videos to help you make up your mind:
Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
Pull Shapes
Judy
ABC
Dirty Mind
We Are The Pipettes (Live)
I'll be there on Monday and I hope you come, too. Say "Hi!" if you do.
(P.S. Watch the videos and learn the dances. It's part of the Pipetiquette!)
