MOG - stevecrossrock's Posts

It's been a while... best of 2007

stevecrossrock — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:20:38 GMT

So here it is finally, my top ten albums of 07. Keep in mind these are taken from the albums I ACTUALLY BOUGHT AND/OR ACQUIRED. I'm sure there's lots of other great stuff that came out in 07, but this is all I have to go on.

Best albums of 2007:

1. The Nobility- The Mezzanine Formerly known as Jetpack and Jetpack UK, these local boys have dropped one of the best records the Nashville rock community has seen in many years. Sean Williams' songwriting really "hit the spot" on this album. The strong Kinksy feel of the songs is only bolstered by the relatively simple and straight-forward analog production style of Murfreesboro producer/engineer Brian Carter. The masterful songcraft, full yet concise instrumentation, and simplistic production style all come together in just the right places to make this a very satisfying listen. The rotating cast of bass players hasn't hindered their live show, either.

2. Miracle Fortress- Five Roses Miracle Fortress is the brainchild of Graham Van Pelt from the Montreal band Think About Life. The album was recorded in his home and has a bit of a lo-fi vibe, yet the songs are somewhat complex in their instrumentation and arrangements. The songs have quite obvious Beach Boys and Phil Spector influences and feature lush vocal harmonies and plenty of reverb. Overall it's a very satisfying and soothing listen that can both lift the mood of a rainy day or boost that of a lazy sunny afternoon.

3. Justice- Cross Dancing suddenly became cool for hipsters this year, and no indie dance party was complete without the hit single D.A.N.C.E. from this breakthrough debut album. These two French DJs seem to have defined the sound of "indie dance music" with their hard, thick beats, gritty synth lines, and strobe-like vocal stabs. It's rare that I'd put an all-electronic album on my "best of" anything list, but the shorter, more traditional song structure makes this album appeal to my taste. They even managed to D.A.N.C.E. their way to a grammy nomination.

4. Black Lips-Good Bad Not Evil These Atlanta garage rockers had slipped under my radar until my spring radio interns in 05 turned me on to them. This album is much more polished and poppy than their previous material, but in my opinion that doesn't hamper the quality of the album. Obviously more radio-friendly and "accessible" than anything they've done to date, this album has only broadened their fanbase and with all the touring they've done over the past year, probably allowed them to quit their day jobs.

5. LCD Soundsystem- Sounds of Silver The second effort of New York dance mogul James Murphy is an easy choice for everyone's top albums of 07. This guys really knows how to lay down some grooves and though I find myself regularly skipping some of the tracks on this album, overall it's a winner in my book. It doesn't quite have the effect that his breakthrough self-titled debut had, but it doesn't disappoint, either.

6. Glossary-Better Angels of Our Nature These local Americana boys (and girl) cranked out yet another phenomenal record full of well-crafted songs, and gave it all away for free. They made a statement (coincidentally around the same time Radiohead released "In Rainbows" digitally for whatever the hell you wanted to pay for it) by offering the record for free digitally on their website, and it was so well-recieved that it crashed the server. This album is somewhat lighter-hearted than the heavey-handed "For What I Don't Become," as the band seems to develop and progress in all the right ways.

7. White Stripes-Icky Thump Jack and Meg made a serious statement that they aren't quitting anytime soon and still rock like they always have. I just hope Jack can keep from going crazy with all the projects he's rumored to be involved with... movies, other bands (including but not limited to The Raconteurs).

8. Arcade Fire-Neon Bible This album took Arcade Fire from "pretty cool new indie band" to "HUGE indie superstars that went almost mainstream." Oh hell... let's face it, they are mainstream... they played a song onstage with The Boss afterall. They haven't let their success affect their lives in a negative way, however, as they're taking a year or so to cool off from the intense touring of 2007. As an album, I'm not sure if I can say I like more or less than "Funeral," but it's worthy of mention here nonetheless.

9. Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Yet another great, solid album from Britt Daniel & co. I can't say much about them because I'm relatively new on the "Spoon scene," but this album is worth every penny.

10. Of Montreal- Hissing Fauna,... Although not their best work in my humble opinion, this album is a very strong and personal statement of frontman Kevin Barnes, and he needed to make this record. It's easily the darkest of the whole O.M. catalog, and it's main characteristic is Barnes' lyrics that take a much deeper, more personal turn than ever before. Say goodbye to the whimsical, circus-like dreamland of his older material. Say hello to the REAL Kevin Barnes, having REAL life issues and sorting through them lyrically.

PB&J go hip hop

stevecrossrock — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:29:55 GMT

I had the opportunity to see/photograph Peter Bjorn and John at City Hall in Nashville on Aug. 8th. I was a little skeptical of their ability to fill that 1200 person venue, and my skepticism proved to be somewhat well-founded. I doubt there were more than 400 people there, but that didn't stop them from bringing their A-game. They had a fill-in drummer, citing family emergencies for John's absence and Peter, the "frontman" looked eerily like Rollum Haas of the Features. The first part of their set was good but not great, though the crowd seemed to keep the energy up more so than the band. Finally they kicked it into high gear toward the end of the set and Peter's stage antics became more and more interesting. They took the stage for an encore and the crowd was finally getting to their energetic apex. During the last song, three African-American guys took their shirts off and started really going crazy, front and center in the crowd. Now, I had been noticing these three gentlemen all throughout the show simply because something about three guys obviously from a solid hip hop background and Peter Bjorn & John just doesn't seem to go together. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they were there, but those guys were obviously a little out of place standing in a crowd of indie hipsters standing in their tight jeans with their arms crossed... doing the occasional "white-boy bounce." I pondered on this for a few minutes and finally toward the end of the show, it clicked. KANYE WEST! That's the connection. In case you hadn't heard, Kanye West used the beat/whistle/bass riff from "Young Folks" for a B-side track on an EP (if I'm not mistaken), then asked PB&J to be his backing band for a festival performance in Sweden. Suddenly it all came together. These guys were obviously Kanye West fans who had discovered PB&J through him. I thought to myself, "what an interesting phenomenon, I wonder if this has been a common occurrence at their shows." It would be interesting to find out if it has... Congratulations, Mr. West, the hip hop kids are showing up at indie rock shows because of you! A successful cross-genre connection if you ask me. Now we just need TV on the Radio to cover Snoop Dogg and we'll be set. Either way, the show was awesome, as PB&J pulled the aforementioned gentlemen onstage, which set in motion a barrage of fans rushing the stage, that resulted in a very Girl Talk-esque dance party on the stage. I think Nashville made an impression on them... whether it was good or bad is up to interpretation of Bjorn's last statement, "We love this shithole."

Photos:

The Mezzanine

stevecrossrock — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:13:22 GMT

Yet another phenomenal album from Nashville is about to hit shelves tomorrow 7/31. The Nobility will be releasing their album "The Mezzanine." Produced and engineered by the amazing Brian Carter in Murfreesboro, this album is a masterpiece. I can't stop listening to it! This band has come a long way since their days as Jetpack. They've shed the 90's Weezer-esque skin for a much more mature, 60's influenced sound. Sean Williams' songcraft combined with all analog production will have you thinking Kinks/early Beatles from the first few chords. It's no surprise that 60's British pop is basically all they listened to while making this record. Brain Carter basically "got it just right" with the production, though there are a few places that I think could've used a little more EQ, especially on the vocals. I absolutely adore every second of every song on this album, and while you may not share such an extreme sentiment, I assure you this album will not disappoint.

P.S. Another band I'm really digging at the moment is the 1990's. Check out their album "Cookies."

Get some JUSTICE!

stevecrossrock — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:48:55 GMT

My interest in electronic music has very VERY slowly grown since I started college. I used to be a purist when I was a drummer in High School... I just hated everything that had electronic drums. I thought that if it didn't have natural, real drums, it was just "fake," that they were "cheating." Oh how things have changed. When I got to college in 2000 I started to open up to some electronic music when I discovered the world of Fruity Loops, and then the world of Reason. Those programs were interesting to me, and the first sub-genre of electronic music I got into was jungle/drum & bass. I started listening to this M'boro band called Junk Buddha, and their drummer's style mimicked the syncopated, frantic electronic rhythms of jungle/drum & bass. This was the gateway that opened me up to electronic music, and even a little hip-hop. My taste in electronic music is still very selective, however, and I've never enjoyed the tech-y, trancey stuff that you find at raves and such. I enjoy material that's still rooted in the concept of a "song" rather than just loops of layered patterns fading in/out and being run through annoying filters and envelopes. Lately I've been really enjoying the retro disco-ey stuff that's been becoming popular in the indie dance parties such as Left Can Dance. To me, the pinnacle of this mini-movement right now is JUSTICE. This French duo's new album is the shit. It's one of the first times I've been able to actually enjoy a whole electronica album all the way through. Some of you may be way more immersed in this scene than I am, and are probably thinking of some other artist who's hot beatz would blow my mind, and if so, please let me know. I'm certainly no veteran of electronic music, therefore I'm still navigating my way through its history and learning where it came from and where it's going. All that said, if you want a danceable good time, check out JUSTICE's new album +. (It's actually a crucifix symbol, but I'm too lazy to look up the key combo to type that character.)

Polyphonic Spree-City Hall, Nashville

stevecrossrock — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:25:00 GMT

It's not often a band has the whole night to themselves, unless you're talking about a jam band like Phish, etc... but The Polyphonic Spree's opening act dropped off the bill this past monday the 7th, leaving them with a whole night to themselves. This made me happy, because they started about 9ish, and were done by 10:30, meaning that I didn't have to suffer as much the next day at work. I was taking photos of the show for the Nashville Scene, so I got a good spot at the edge of the stage early. The Spree only had about 24 members on this tour, which is slightly less than I'd seen with them in videos from early performances, where they sported anywhere from 30-35. Basically they just shrunk the choir down to 6 people. As expected, they donned black suits with red crosses and Fragile Army patches; a complete reversal from the multi-colored robes of their earlier tours. Their performance is truly something to behold. It's very loud, and theatrical, as would be expected... but nothing can truly prepare you for it. It's almost overwhelming. Tim DeLaughter's small "ramp" at the edge of the stage allows him to take a commanding stance over the audience, and this increases the overall effect. They generally transition from one song to another seamlessly, keeping the energy level up. One guy dressed up in the exact same "uniform" as the band, and Tim pulled him up on stage, gave him the mic and let him belt out one verse of the song, and even let him go up onto the ramp, and this dude seriously could be a rockstar. I got a few pics of him in his 15 min. of fame. That guy's life has probably been changed forever. For the encore, they brought back the "traditional" robes again, and entered from the back of the room and came through the audience. They played a 4 song encore that really turned it up to eleven. I must say that they were even better than I imagined, and I recommend seeing them if you get the chance. It's total euphoria... the show itself is like a drug. But, one can only take so much happiness at once, so I felt the undeniable urge to listen to some death metal on the way home...

In heaven

stevecrossrock — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:16:15 GMT

Right now, I'm in musical heaven. I got home today to find the new Prabir & The Substitutes album in the mail, FINALLY. (I ordered it about a month ago...) It's AMAZING! I can't wait to see them again. They absolutely rock your face off live. You have to check these guys out if they come through your area. They tour almost constantly, so they're bound to be near you sometime soon. Secondly, I opened my email to find that Doug Lehmann had sent me an advance copy of the new Clutters record. What more could I ask for in one afternoon? The new Clutters album, "Don't Believe A Word," is literally a musical orgasm. I kid you not. This record fucking ROCKS. From start to finish. I can see myself putting this album in my top 5 records ever to come out of Nashville. But I won't do that just yet because I haven't had time to digest it fully. People, you HAVE to get this record when it comes out!

UPDATE I changed the mp3 on this post because the old one was at 48KHz sampling frequency, and thus it played at the wrong speed. (It sounded slowed down.) This one is correct.

Decemberists at City Hall

stevecrossrock — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:36:59 GMT

My friends Meagan and Monica are avid Decemberists fans, so I decided to go with them them to see their show at City Hall this past thursday. I dig Picaresque and Crane Wife... and I call myself a fan as well, though not as devoted as they were. My Brightest Diamond was supposed to open, but apparently they cancelled or something, because they didn't play. The only opening act was All Smiles, the new side project of ex-Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild. Their material was rather sleepy and mellow, thus it didn't hold my attention as we were too busy navigating the crowd to get to the bar. But upon hearing some of their recordings, I must say they hold promise. The Decemberists took the stage next, and even though it was only about 945, I couldn't have been happier because I had to work early the next day and then drive to Kingsport. They are one of those bands whose live show sounds almost exactly like the album. I find this rather impressive, as it shows that the band is extremely well-rehearsed and has put a lot of though into their live show, and it also means they have a damn good sound guy. They didn't have much in the way of props, however, only sporting 4 large Chinese globe lanterns. The set was a good mix of old and new, and thus some material was unfamiliar to me, but everything sounded good and tight. They even brought local Americana singer/songwriter Gillian Welch onstage for a couple tunes. Towards the end, however, they kicked it up a notch to a level I'd never expect at a Decemberists show. For one thing, Colin Meloy crowd surfed. Seriously, who would've expected that? Also, during the encore, they got the crowd to create 3 open areas and have a dance-off. Who would've expected a dance-off at a Decemberists show? Lastly, during their final song of the encore, "The Mariner's Revenge Song," they involved the crowd by instructing us how to wail and moan as if being eaten by a whale. Next Meloy coerced the entire crowd to squat/sit down on the floor during the quiet part of the song, then everyone jumped back up into a frenzy when it got loud again. Then guitarist Chris Funk (who is a rather large fellow) managed to crowd surf for a short period of time as well, and finally a giant whale came out onstage and pretended to eat each member of the band. I was quite impressed by their stage presence and ability to take their somewhat droney, folky songs and bring out the energy in them, and then transfer that energy to a crowd. Overall it was an unexpectedly awesome time.

Tigers Con Queso-Better

stevecrossrock — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:20:20 GMT

This is just to get an mp3 of Tigers Con Queso "out there" in the Mog-o-sphere.

I've been burned out Of Montreal...

stevecrossrock — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:17:09 GMT

After reading show reviews and hearing about 10 foot dresses and even more costume changes than previous tours, I decided to see Of Montreal for the 4th time. They played the Mercy Lounge, just 5 months after their last Nashville show which also graced the lofty venue. I was asked to shoot the show for the Scene, which would've gotten me on the guestlist, but I had already bought a ticket. Their shows are always entertaining and quirky, but to be honest, I didn't enjoy this show as much as the last one. It had it's ups, but it had some serious downs, too. Most of it is the fact that they played more material from the new record, which I haven't enjoyed nearly as much as their previous two releases. They also launched into a painfully long noise-jam in the middle of the set, which seemed pointless and tiresome. But what better way to come out of that than with a cover of David Bowie's "Starman." They nailed that song, and successfully got the crowd back in high spirits. Then they launched into a segment of selections from Sunlandic Twins and Satanic Panic in the Attic, which then transformed the crowd the big sweaty dance party that has traditionally occurred at their shows. Kevin Barnes must've been feeling lazy last night, because the costume changes were few a far between. I have a feeling that they scaled down their blog/Pitchfork hyped stage show, simply because the Mercy Lounge's stage is too small to acommodate it. They still managed to use the 10 foot ladder, however, during "Gronlandic Edit." It was covered in sparkly fabric, and Kevin climbed up the back of it, so as to give the impression of wearing a 10 foot dress. I was interested to see how they pulled of that insane 5-6 layer vocal harmony part in a live setting. Basically, he hit the high note first, then the others vocalists in the band hit the other notes, and when all voices were used up, Kevin came back down and hit the next lower note, and so on... and I also think they had some parts sampled. Barnes did his usual striptease, getting down to nothing but fishnets and extremely tight purple shorts. I'm just glad he didn't go "all the way" like he did in Vegas. He'd probably get arrested for that in TN anyway... All in all, I'm kinda burned out on Of Montreal now. At least the live show. There's only so much over-the-top theatrical flashiness one can take, and I've had my share. I still love the records, but it will be a while before I'll be in the mood to see them live again. Some photos:

Let's Talk Girl Talk

stevecrossrock — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:21:09 GMT

Girl Talk... all I can say is "OUT OF CONTROL!" It was truly one of the most memorable shows I've seen. It's hard to believe that one guy with a laptop can create such an insane frenzy. If you're not from Nashville, and he's coming to your town, you MUST go see him! I have never seen one person create so much energy and excitement on a stage. A big part of it is the fact that he gets people up on stage dancing with him, and he crowd surfs.... a lot. I never really go into mashups until I heard some of the stuff off "Nightripper." To paraphrase my friend Janet, it's like playing "name that sample." I was able to get some GREAT photos thanks to the awesome security guys who A) created a small space between the stage and the barricades and B) were cool enough to let us photographers in there to get some great photos. Those guys did a great job of keeping things from getting out of hand, while still having fun and not being a total buzzkill. De Novo Dahl was a perfect opening act, as was Plastic Clap. DND brought their usual circus-type atmosphere, filling the stage with balloon arrangements and two dancing people in kangaroo costumes. I've always enjoyed DND, but they have really upped their stage show recently. I've always appreciated bands who do more than just stand there and play their songs. Bands should put more thought into their live shows and try to do something really entertaining and interesting to get the crowd involved. However, music comes first, and you have to play well before you can start adding all the "frills," otherwise it will come across as though you're trying to compensate for a lack of talent by putting on a big theatrical show. Plastic Clap is starting to make a name for themselves. It's hard to take them seriously, but I don't think they intended to be taken seriously in the first place. All I can say is "GHET-TO!" You know you're in for a experience when the crowd starts chanting "we want the clap, we want the clap!" Enjoy the pics below, and if you were at the show and either dancing on stage or remember me taking you picture, go to my flickr page and see if the photo is on there. Girl Talk:

De Novo Dahl:

Plastic Clap

Camera Obscura in Athens!

stevecrossrock — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:00:27 GMT

Thanks to my friends Melanie and Noelle, I was able to make it to Athens, GA this past friday to see one of my favorite bands this year- Camera Obscura. We got there at the perfect time, as the line wasn't too long. It was my first time to Athens, and thus my first time to the 40 Watt. It's a great venue with EXCELLENT sound and a great atmosphere. I highly recommend seeing shows there.

The opening band, M Coast, was rather bland onstage, though I'm sure their recordings would do them much more justice. They just didn't connect with the audience at all. They just kind of stood there and played. I'd like to hear some of their studio work, though.

Despite the sound guys scratching their heads for about 10 minutes trying to fix the keyboards, CO finally took the stage, opening with "Come Back Margaret." Seeing them live, you have mentally prepare yourself to hear more "stripped down" versions of the songs, because they simply can't recreate all those lush string arrangements in a live setting without having to take an orchestra on tour with them. That in mind, they have a great stage show. Tracyanne Campbell's personality is so damn cute, it's impossible not to love them onstage.... not to mention the lovely Scottish accents. They replaced Nigel with this kid who doesn't look a day over 20, who almost stole the show by playing just about everything on the stage. He moved from aux percussion to guitar, even playing the ride cymbal part in "Teenager."

So we're just hanging around after the show, and I see Tracyanne walk over to the bar, and there's an empty space next to her. I walk over, quickly occupy the space and kindly ask if I could buy her a drink. She says of course, but she has a free drink ticket. I say "well I'll buy you one anyway!" She says, "I'll take a Jack & coke." So I buy her a drink and we chat about random things, and I all but begged her to play Nashville on their next trip across the pond. Then we walk over to Melanie and Noelle, and we chat a little more. She's a tiny lass, couldn't be over 5' 3" and her accent makes her absolutely charming. I must admit, I was smitten. I really didn't think I'd get a chance to meet her, let alone buy her a drink. It was a true honor.

Noelle, Melanie and I said goodbye, went and found a cheap room, and we to Waffle House for some late night hash browns. The next morning we mingled around town and had some delicious brunch, making sure to hit most of the record stores I'd heard about. Then it was back to Nashvegas.

I highly recommend catching them on tour if you can. If you're a fan, they won't disappoint.

My dreams are beginning to come true...

stevecrossrock — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:01:51 GMT

My dreams are slowly coming alive... The Pipettes have announced a few American tour dates this spring. They're playing in Canada March 10, then in NY the 13th, and then hitting up SXSW, followed by a date in Mexico. Surely to GOD they'll book some more dates around there and play somewhere in the southeast so that I can go see them. I'll drive just about anywhere within 500 miles to see them.

Thank you Memphis Industries! Now you just need to get their record released over here, VERY SOON.

Best releases of 2006

stevecrossrock — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:09:07 GMT

Ok, so I decided to finally jump on the "best of 2006" bandwagon and put together a post myself. This is my top eleven releases of 2006. Notice I said "releases" not "full length albums," as this contains a few EP's. And I'm making it eleven because eleven is way cooler than ten. I know there are many other great albums and EP's from this year that aren't on here, but this is my top ten out of the stuff that I actually bought this year. This list might be very different were I not broke and unable to purchase all the music I want. So, without further adeiu, I present "Steve Cross's Top Eleven Albums/EP's of 2006":

1. Camera Obscura-Let's Get Out of This Country This Glasgow group blew my mind with this album. I can't get over Tracyanne Campbell's voice... This album is a much more polished effort than their last, "Underachievers Please Try Harder." Recorded in Stockholm with the magic fairy dust of producer Jari Haapalainen, this album has a very Spector-esque vibe, with lots of thick string arrangements and roomy percussion sounds. This type of production fits CO's sound perfectly. This album is a gem from start to finish.

2. The Privates-Barricades Nashville's "supergroup" finally releases their first real full-length, and it does not disappoint. It was highly anticipated amongst the Nashville indie-rock crowd, and there's much speculation as to the future of the Privates. Frontman Dave Paulson's songwriting has matured and opened up since their earlier material. This record has it all for the indie rock fan: the bouncy, catchy hooks, the slower ballads, and everything in between. Their live shows never disappoint either, with Dave's spastic stage presence and Rollum's wild drumming.

3. Belle & Sebastian-The Life Pursuit As my good friend Joe mentioned in his "best of" for 2006 music, B&S purists may not like this album as much, claiming it's over-produced and on and on... but just take it for what it is, people: a well-done album with the same great songwriting we expect from Stuart Murdoch, with a little more "umph" in the production. Tony Hoffer helped them expand their horizons a little, with different instrumentation and a few other well-placed frills. The lyrics are extremely witty and the melodies are sunny. This is album is fun and satisfying to listen to.

4. The Pipettes-We are the Pipettes Memphis Industries needs to get a clue and get this record out officially in the US, NOW. And they need to get their little polka-dotted asses over here to tour. The Pipettes bring back that 60's girl-pop sound and put a modern twist on it. This is another Spector-sounding album with lush strings, etc... It's all very intentional, though, as they are admittedly more of a "concept" band. But they do it perfectly. Gwenno, Rosay, and Becky are sassy, cute, and stylish, and they can sing harmonies sweet enough to give you a cavity. They've tapped into a retrospective movement in music, and they should ride that wave as far as it will take them.

5. Forget Cassettes-Salt Beth Cameron's latest effort is every bit as deep and heartfelt as the first. As of lately, we should probably just start thinking of Forget Cassettes as "Beth Cameron, with whomever she's playing with at the moment." This album has some very intense, personal material on it, and it's a true masterpiece. Her songcraft is dynamic, complex, and emotional. The production is easily Jeremy Ferguson's best work, with the drums sounding incredibly huge and robust, just as they did on the first album.

6. Futureheads-News and Tributes I've heard many mixed feelings about this UK band's second effort. Many have said that it's too produced and polished, that they lost all the intensity of their first album. True, this album is more polished and the harmonies are much "prettier," drowned with a lot more reverb. But why does that have to be a bad thing? I still enjoy the first album just as much as ever, but this record has a lot to offer. There are some filler tracks for sure, but overall it's a solid album. I'm glad the US version has the bonus tracks from the "Area" EP.

7. The Features-Contrast EP What started out to be sessions for their next album ended up being an EP, after being dropped from Universal. Jacquire King does an excellent job with them on these 5 songs, and helps them settle into the new, synth-ier keyboard sounds of Mark Bond. This is a slightly new direction for the Features, but a good one. Now we just have to sit back and wait to see what label they end up with. I hope it comes soon, I'm itching for a new full-length.

8. CSS-Cansei De Ser Sexy Though not quite solid throughout, this album is full of some hot tracks. Fun, danceable, electro-rock from Brazil. Singer "Lovefoxxx's" sassy voice fits perfectly on top of the bouncy beats and deep synths. "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" is in my top 5 favorite song titles of all time. I'd love to catch them live sometime. To paraphrase from some music blog I can't remember... if music IS my hot, hot sex... then their show will surely be a 40 minute orgasm.

9. How I Became the Bomb-Let's Go! EP Murfreesboro's own retro 80's dance-rockers had a stellar year with mentions in Billboard, Rolling Stone, and many other publications, and they haven't even released a debut full-length. This EP was expertly produced by the masterful Jason Bulluck at Lake Fever, and all 7 tracks hold their own. Attend one of their shows and you WILL dance, whether you want to or not. 2007 has a lot of promise for these guys, as they will likely release their first full length toward the end of the year.

10. The Rapture-Pieces of the People We Love A bit of a guilty pleasure here. The dance-punk style of the Rapture has been polished and honed on this album, and it comes off quite well in my opinion. Paul Epworth and Ewan Pearson produced most of it, and turned down the "rambunctious" knob on Jenner's lead vocals, while allowing bassist Matt Safer to take the lead on a few tracks as well. Smooth beats and voluptuous bass lines, along with that characteristic cowbell here and there, make this album extremely danceable and a party classic. I still can't get over how they mock their own stiff-legged fans in "Whoo! Alright Yeah...Uh Huh" with the line "People don't dance no more, they just stand there like this... they cross their arms and stare you down and drink and moan and diss."

11. The Comfies-Close To Me EP Ben Harper's newest project had to go through a name change and a couple of bass players before finally releasing their debut EP this year. Ben's songcraft shines on this EP, full of solid hooks while showing a softer, deeper side as well. One thing, however, that will stand out to seasoned ears is that it's pieced together from a few years worth of intermittent recording sessions at a couple different studios. This causes it to sound a little inconsistent with drum sounds, etc... but overall it's a great first effort from a promising band.

I'm quite excited by all that happened for Nashville/Murfreesboro rock this year. I think our scene is getting at least some of the respect it deserves, and we should all be very proud. Nashville and Murfreesboro bands are getting out and playing in other cities, and making a pointed effort to get their music heard by people outside of our scene, and that's exciting. 2007 will undoubtedly be much of the same, and hopefully even better. I'm very anxious to see what this year has in store for Nashville/Murfreesboro music.

my new year's eve post... finally

stevecrossrock — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:12:17 GMT

Ok, so I'm lazy.

I went to the wonderful Grand Palace for their new year's eve party where The Bubblegum Complex, The Mattoid, and How I Became the Bomb were playing. I was happy to be around some of my favorite people in the world, and such a great place, with such great bands. Unfortunately, the Murfreesboro fire dept. was actually doing their jobs that night, and decided to come check out the venue. Since Grand Palace shows are always spun as "live recording sessions" and "in-store performances," and it's not an official venue, I don't believe they ever got an official occupancy permit... Thankfully Bingham and Alex had the smooth moves to convince the fire guys that we'd be ok, but we couldn't let anyone else in, and a staff member had to stand at each exit. This was at about 10pm, so there were quite a few people who couldn't get in. The crowd that was already there, however, was fairly sizeable, and we all had a great time despite the buzz kill. Let me remind anyone reading this not to be angry at the fire dept. According to Grand Palace, they were hitting all venues and clubs that night, making sure everyone was operating according to fire codes, they didn't single us out, and they were just doing their jobs. It was bound to happen eventually, and I hope that they will make a few upgrades such as exit signs, etc... so that everything will be legit. Fire codes exist for a reason, and I'd hate to see something terrible happen there, and a lot of good people get hurt or killed, especially since I'd probably be one of those people.

Because of the delay, the Mattoid was still on stage in the middle of their set at the stroke of midnight. They counted down and of course everyone made out for 10 seconds and then the show went on. I finally got a new year's kiss. A couple actually.

The Bubblegum Complex actually impressed me. They have a new drummer, the great Ryan Bruce, and they actually played a really good set. To be honest, they never "wowed" me before, but in this show they had something that they didn't have before.

The Mattoid never ceases to amaze me. I've thoroughly enjoyed every single live show I've seen of theirs. They always change it up a little, and have something new and conistently weird up their sleeves. I wish I'd brought my camera in, it was in my car, but I just didn't feel like going back out after the fire dept. fiasco. I talked the lead guy (can't remember his Finnish name) and hopefully I'll get an interview with him on my radio show soon. That will be LOTS of fun.

HIBTB never disappoints. They've become a solid bet to always put on a good show. We all danced and had a great time. Here's to 2007. May it be the best year of our lives.

UPDATE Added 1/6/07: I've just read that Grand Palace will no longer be able to have shows. Since they were never a legit "venue," I guess we all should've seen it coming. From what I hear, all shows booked there will be transferred to Casa Burrito. Hey, at least they have super cheap beer there...

The Privates are taking over

stevecrossrock — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:06:09 GMT

The Privates have been considered Nashville's "supergroup" by many, considering that frontman Dave Paulson played with the Pink Spiders for about a year, drummer Rollum Haas also drums for the Features, guitarist/keyboardist Ryan Norris plays in Lambchop, and bassist Keith Lowen plays in De Novo Dahl, and has previously played in at lest 5 other Nashville bands. I'm here today to tell you that "supergroup" doesn't come close to describing the quality of their latest effort (and first official "full length"). I have had the priviledge of owning a copy of this album since this past sunday, when I had them as guests on my radio show. From start to finish, this album is a masterpiece. Dave's songwriting has matured since their first 9 song "mini-album." The songs are incredibly catchy, but in a sophisticated way. I can't take this album out of my stereo. It was recorded at Lake Fever Productions, one of the favorites for many local indie bands who are looking for quality work on a budget. The production on this album is perfect for the band's sound. It's very minimalist, and not over-produced in the slightest. I highly recommend this album when it comes out next tuesday, and I also highly recommend checking out their CD release show this saturday at the End in Nashville. Opening acts are Apollo Up! and Lylas. For a recording of my interview with them from my radio show, go here.

Matt Mahaffey in JC

stevecrossrock — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:04:16 GMT

I had the convenient pleasure of seeing Matt Mahaffey, (sElf, Wired All Wrong, Beck) perform a solo gig in Johnson City, TN over the Thanksgiving break. Matt is originally from northeast TN and thus has many friends in the area's small but steady music scene. One of those friends organized a benefit show for the late Mike Mahaffey's kids' college fund, much like the one last year at the Exit/In in Nashville, which featured sElf in full force. This show in JC (at Gatsby's) featured a cover band of local musicians who knew Matt and Mike, then Matt playing a solo set, and finally Matt reuniting with friends Brian Carter and Michael Jeffers (Pinmonkey), as their old high school band 1492. The highlight of the night, was of course Matt's solo set, which started off with him doing some sElf tunes with guitar & vocals, and ended with him doing a set in which he played drums with both feet and one hand, omnichord (circa Gizmodgery era) with the other hand, and singing. I knew he'd pull out some sort of multi-instrumental madness... but this was really fun to see. He even covered Beck, AC/DC, Blur, and Justin Timberlake. Only Matt could pull all that off and make it not lame. Here's a photo from the show, but a full set of the photos I took can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplysteve/sets/72157594394542753 Also, I videotaped the show and will have some clips on my youtube by the end of the week hopefully. My youtube: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=stevecrossrock

In other news.... I'm still in love with the Pipettes. Why the hell can't they come across the pond and take away America's Pipette-ginity? They'll be a smash hit when the come over here! I will personally see to it that they are. I will blackmail people into coming to their shows if I have to. But then after finally seeing them, I know everyone will see the light, and realize that they're quite possibly one of the greatest things to come out of the UK... EVER. But I swear, when they do eventually make it over, they just might have to get a restraining order against me.....

Just kidding.

Maybe.

Don't fuck with the Reverend

stevecrossrock — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:04:03 GMT

I decided to finally make it out to catch a rock n roll sermon from the great Reverend Horton Heat for the first time tonight. I had no idea what a serious cult following he had. He rocked to a packed out Mercy Lounge with Nashville's own burlesque show Panty Raid opening. I missed most of Panty Raid, as the show started a little earlier than expected, but the Reverend more than made up for it. I'm not a seasoned punkabilly or psychobilly fan, so I didn't quite know what to expect. The crowd was quite different from what I've grown accustomed to lately. It's always weird when you go to show of a genre you like, but aren't really into the scene. But I must say it was refreshing to see people moshing to some real rock and roll, and just having a damn good time, instead of standing around with their jaded arms crossed, waiting to be impressed. I didn't expect people to mosh to rockabilly, but then again I guess it makes sense.

The highlight of the night for me was when this drunk dumbass kept leaning up in the stage and the Reverend got right down in his face and shoved him back and goes, "you better back off the stage you little pussy, I'll kick your fuckin' ass!" Hell yeah, preach it Reverend! He may be near 50 years old but he'll still whip your ass. Don't fuck with the Reverend!

I had a major Nashville moment when he covered Folsom Prison Blues and Get Rhythm back to back. He pulls those off quite well.

It was really amusing to see the mosh pit area when he played his more Elvis-ey songs, because half the people were trying to dance with someone poodle skirt style, while the other half was still trying to mosh. An interesting dichotomy.

My advice: go see the Reverend next time he comes to town, and get a lesson on the gospel of rock and roll.

Rhino Rules

stevecrossrock — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 02:31:10 GMT

I just recently discovered the beauty of Rhino Records via the great Bawston Sean, and his girlfriend Mandy. I read something on here where he mentioned Mandy getting the 60's girl pop compilation that they put out. I'd heard of Rhino, but really didn't know that much about them. I went to their website and almost died. Everything about them is the epitome of awesomeness. I ordered the girl pop compilation and just got it today. It's amazing! 4 cd's of pure catchy female bliss. The packaging is pure genius, too. It's worth every penny of the $65 it costs. I'll probably end up doing a lot of Xmas shopping on their website. There's at least one compilation on there for just about everyone on my list. But that'd break me up in a hurry. Serously though, if you haven't checked out Rhino Records, do it NOW. There's something on there for everybody.

Oh, and speaking of girl pop, if you haven't heard the Pipettes, you don't know what you're missing. They're from the UK, on Memphis Industries, and they're bringing back that girl group sound with a modern twist. These girls will make you wanna shake what your momma gave you, and more. They're all incredibly hot, too, and wear matching polka dotted outfits most of the time. It's a shame their album is only available via import, and they've never even played a single show in the US. I think we need to start a petition or something to get them over here. Seriously. Just look at them.

I'm now a proud owner of a Macbook Pro. I'm completely addicted to it. I'm so glad to finally have a mac... it's been a long time coming.

Sunshine pop is back!

stevecrossrock — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 04:24:24 GMT

Ladies and gentlemen, the sunny surfy sounds of the Beach Boys have successfully been reincarnated. I present to you The Explorer's Club. These guys from Charleston, SC are doing something that few have dared to do. When you hear the recordings, it's uncanny how similar the lead vocalist, Jason, sounds to Brian Wilson. And they pull of those 4 and 5 part harmonies like few can. Every aspect of their sound is meant to bring back that surf pop sound of the mid to late 60's. It's very refreshing to hear someone doing that, but not coming off as just a Beach Boys rip off. Listen to all the songs on their EP and you'll see that they do indeed have a distinct modern twist to their sound that keeps them from falling into the void of unoriginality. These guys played the Nashville Scene Music Festival this past friday, and then the WMTS benefit show saturday at Grand Palace. Both times they blew the roof off the place, especially with their smokin' cover of Johnny B. Goode. They made cousin Marvin proud. Be on the lookout for this band, for they are headed for high places.

Up close and personal...

stevecrossrock — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:51:57 GMT

Big arena shows are always cool. The light shows, the big sound, the huge crowd going crazy... but sometimes I prefer a nice small venue where you're right up in the face of the band, and the energy exchange between band and crowd is maximum. How I Became the Bomb played at Casa Burrito friday night in Murfreesboro, and it was one of the best shows of theirs I've seen, if not THE best. Even though the sound may not be perfect in there, and even though they have to fight through the crowd just to get to the stage, it's still a cool place to see a show. Granted, they don't have any stage lights in there yet, which is an issue, but when they do, it will rock. I had a blast taking photos. Ryan Bruce is booking the place, and it looks like he's done a great job. He's got a solid month or two of shows booked, last time I saw the calendar. I guess this thing is picking up where La Bamba left off. Heh....

The aftermath....

stevecrossrock — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:52:45 GMT

The Protoshows have come and gone... we've taken casualties, but we must persevere the rest of the battles in Los Angeles and Las Vegas!! Hope rides west in 2006!!

Ok enough Prototalk. The show at the End sat. was amazing. The best yet by far. The TV's really added a lot, and everyone was "on." The guy from Ascent of Everest who was running the TV display had some seriously cool shit cued up. How he was doing it was even cooler... he was running some software on his laptop, and using a midi keyboard as a live controller to run the effects and layering in real-time. Lazer Man & the Non-comms rocked as well. They performed mostly songs from the soundtrack of the upcoming film "Makeout With Violence." I can't wait for that movie to come out... check it out here.

I picked up Matt Pusti's (aka Makeup & Vanity Set) new album, "Charles Park LP." It's every bit as good as the last one, but darker. It's 10 tracks of tasy electro-horror movie-core. You can get a copy via Noedmusic.

Futureheads tour cancelled...

stevecrossrock — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 21:37:26 GMT

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!

The Futureheads have cancelled their US tour. Which means I don't get to see them in a couple weeks at the Exit/In. I'm going to go be depressed now. Hell knows how long it'll take them to get back over here. Barry's wrist apparently has tendonitis.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!

1st Mog....

stevecrossrock — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 02:14:46 GMT

Ok... I have no idea what to put here. I guess it's like a music blog really... so I'll talk about my buds in The Protomen. They're playing next weekend, and this time it's a mini-tour. These will be thier first out of town shows, and they should do well, thanks to the publicity they got in recent gaming magazines. If you live near one of thier shows, you should go seem them. Your life will be changed forever, I promise. www.protomen.com