Supergroup Terrible Things goes for "seminally emo" on its eponymous debut.
Blah blah punk-emo supergroup blah.
“Former Taking Back Sunday member Fred Mascherino rallies an ex–Coheed head and a Hot Rod Circuit alum around a song cycle about the deadly arsons that plagued his Pennsylvania hometown.”
Yadda yadda yadda Spin yadda. Yadda!
Funny Ha Ha: taking aim at wack records, buster singles and triflin' bands.
Yesterday we got caught up on a few things. Today, a few more — namely, a handful of reviews from the October and November issues of Spin.
Blasto!
A list of recommended L.A.-area shows for the coming week (plus clips for instant gratification). Click “details” for descriptions. More after the jump.
No Age sport the noise-pop crown (it's invisible). Photo by Todd Cole.
I likes the No Age lots. I’m a sucker for that old time noise-pop, and apparently you are too. Last week the Hollywood Bowl was stuffed by go-time, when hometown heroes Dean Spunt (he of the Fred Perry stare) and Randy Randall (Mr. Pec Pockets up there) opened for none other than Sonic Youth and Pavement. Trashcan royalty, united. Anyhow, I used that madeup phrase (“trashcan royalty”) in a (p)review of the new No Age record, Everything in Between, a little while back. Pretentious of me, right? But there’s new stuff to read (also L.A. Weekly), and it’s not so fancy.
1) Randall and I went on a little mission into the Valley. He needed an amp (which he scouted out on Craigslist) and I needed a story. Call it a barter. Unfortunately, you can’t play with the amp, but you can read the story.
2) Like to listen while you work? Stream the entire new No Age album.
TVOTR's Dave Sitek is a Maximum Balloon amongst maximal balloons.
Ha ha ha, clever headline, yes! If only I’d have thought of that when I wrote the review for The A.V. Club. At least 10 commenters could’ve taken me to task for egregious punning on the name of TV on the Radio’s David Andrew Sitek’s new solo project Maximum Balloon (awkward mouthful alert!). Instead they talked about dude’s breath. Sigh. You should read about it anyway though, because I say things like this:
“Sitek’s solo material pushes that familiar TVOTR sound further, but ditches those strange blues almost entirely in favor of shocking pinks — radio-ready pop songs featuring a handful of guest vocalists.”
But the comments are waaaay more interesting. Dig in!
Mexicans With Guns: Zacatecas Glitch? Norteño Crunk?
Hide the women and children. It’s going down at Low End Theory tonight. I will be there, hopefully with a calavera painted on my grill.
Not an official music video, but it’s got some crazy imagery. Prolly NSFW:
Chromeo aim for "maximum dancefloor penetration" on Business Casual.
I like the word “wistful” right now. I’ve used it too much. It’s now made the moratorium list. Yes, “wistful” is on hiatus. It apologizes to its fans. Here’s where it all started, in a review for The AV. Club of Chromeo’s third (!) album, Business Casual. Choice quote:
“Like Hot Chip before them, Montreal’s Dave 1 and P-Thugg have set out to prove that they’re better musicians than they are ironic, party hat-wearing hipsters.”
Mysterious, right? Read the harrowing conclusion over here.
Semi Precious Weapons. They look douchesque, but they're just fabulous.
Being fabulous isn’t easy. I’ve never tried myself, but only because it’s such a commitment. Look at that photo up there — you’ve really gotta put it out there. Though I pride myself on the “open shirt look,” I just don’t have a good sneer, or bad hair. Damn me. You may think I’m poking fun (and I am, a little), but Semi Precious Weapons frontman/godhead Justin Tranter gives really great interview, and his story is a worthy read. Plus, considering his band’s been touring with Lady Gaga for about 90 years (exaggeration alert), he’s everywhere — which qualifies him as newsworthy. No more excuses. Just read it.
(“It” also happens to be in the November issue of Spin magazine.)
Fountains of Wayne performing at the Troubadour. With young people!
So, like, I had no idea people still cared about Fountains of Wayne but, you know, “if you build it” and suchlike. The Troubadour was packed out/in on Friday night for the dudes, who got a little help from drummer Brian Young’s son, a girl named Marilyn on her 18th b-day, and a guy who looked like a miniature take on the mustachioed fellow from Local Natives. Look! The guy is singing along! He knew all the lyrics! And he wasn’t even born when the band formed! From one-hit wonders to … stuff hip(pie) moms and their hip(ster) sons bond over?
Anyway, I reviewed the thing for Spin, and made far more sense doing so than I expected to, which is prolly why no one commented. Also, Erik Voake is dope (say it with me: “Erik Voake is dope“).
That's a picture of a tumbleweed. Someone named Michael Anthony took it.
But dammit, I didn’t. Any time things get quiet around here, it just means VERY exciting things are happening elsewhere. Or, quite possibly, that my intern had to go back to school, bless her. But look at this! My WordPress analytics (wank wank) tell me that people have kept coming (didn’t foresee the awkwardness of combining wanking with the end of that sentence). You care! You really, really do! Shucks, guys. I feel purty special.
So that tumbleweed signifies what’s been going on at the surface level ’round Funny Ha Ha (shoulda used that picture of the kitten hanging on for dear life), but underneath (say, in that water up there), all kinds of things have been happening. There’ve been features, reviews, news stories, wild accusations, yellow journalism, blue images (NSFW, ya’ll!), tons of new free MP3s and other stuff that it seems you like. Plus, I’ve been drinking beer. Stuff like Theobroma and Knuckle Sandwich. Get it.
SO, when I’m done emptying my wallet and soul at Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank (bless them too), I’m actually going to update Funny Ha Ha with everything (absolutely everything) that’s happened over the past month. Because of you. You, and my need as a starving freelancer with a craft beer habit to appear busy and, hence, desirable for hiring.
Chris Writes Things 