Fell in Love with a Band
My heart has been captured by a gang of Marked Men. The Marked Men formed in Texas after the breakup of garage-punk band the Reds. Their self-titled album was released by Rip Off Records in 2003. On the Outside followed in 2004 on the Dirt Nap label. (Both records are available on eMusic.) The Marked Men's latest full-length, Fix My Brain, was released in May on Swami Records, the label that is home to the Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, and Rocket from the Tombs (who will be playing the Drive Invasion in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend!) The Swami label's releases have recently disappeared from eMusic. Fix My Brain is an essential purchase.
There is a definite Buzzcocks influence in the catchy melodies and slightly nasal vocals of the Marked Men. The spirit of the Ramones, the Undertones, and the Dickies can also be heard in their harmonies and their buzzsaw riffs. I don't want to give the impression that the Marked Men are a Class of '77 revival band, but neither do they have much in common with the latter-day punk-pop of Green Day or Blink 182. What I like most about the Marked Men is their talent for writing songs that are melodic but powerfully raw and aggressive. They stir my natural emotions! None of the 13 songs on Fix My Brain tops the three minute mark, and the tempos range from fast to frantic.
Two songs in particular have been at the top of my personal hit parade. Here's the title track of the new record, Fix My Brain. The opening chords remind me of "Sand in My Joints". Right Here with You is from their second album. I love the way the harmonies bleed into distortion. The Marked Men are currently on tour in Europe; visit their website or their myspace to see if they'll be playing near you this fall. Their rare "Shit Sandwich" single is streaming on their myspace. That's right, a streaming shit sandwich.
A Fest for the Rest of Us
I'm thinking about making the drive from Atlanta to Gainesville, FL for the Fest 6. Over 180 punk and metal bands from all over the map will converge upon Gainesville from October 26 to October 28 for three days and nights of club gigs and house parties. Music lovers can attend all three days for just $50.
Georgia bands venturing to the Fest this year include Savannah metal mavens Baroness; Athenian math-rockers We Versus the Shark; and one man band Matt Kurz.
The big draws for the Fest this year include reunion shows by Naked Raygun, Seaweed, and Small Brown Bike. These festivals seem to be a trend these days: Raygun is also playing Chicago's RiotFest in November (with SLF and 7Seconds); the Marked Men are at GonerFest this month; and the Figgs will hit Moonfest the same weekend as the Gainesville thing.
My goal is to see the Figgs, the Marked Men, the Riverboat Gamblers, the Ergs, the Methadones, and the High Tension Wires (who are essentially the Marked Men plus the singer from the Riverboat Gamblers). I've waited years for the Figgs to come back to Atlanta or Athens. Since they don't seem to be touring, I guess it's my turn to make a road trip.
Figgs: She's Fine
Marked Men: Fix My Brain
High Tension Wires: I Heart MAO InhibitorsLabels: figgs
Dancing about Music
Writing about music is not like dancing about architecture. Nor is it like herding cats. It's neither impossible nor futile, and it can be done well. Examples of good writing about music abound in this year's music issue of the Oxford American, "The Southern Magazine of Good Writing". There's an excellent piece about Richard Hell (who was born in Kentucky), a respectful profile of Bob Dorough (who wrote and sang "Three Is a Magic Number", and who is a member of the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame), and a convincing comparison between the band Drivin 'n' Cryin and the platypus.
Each year the Oxford American packages its music issue with a wide-ranging compilation CD of Southern music, which is not to be confused with Southern Rock. This year's CD includes Eartha Kitt, Sun Ra, Big Star, the Voidoids, and more. Find it among the literary magazines at your bookstore, or go online and subscribe.
Here's a band that's from the South, and they rock. I've written about the Marked Men before. This particular song packs more energy and hooks into 80 seconds than most songs that are twice (or thrice) as long. I usually listen to it at least three times in a row, because that money note at 0:39 only comes around once.
Marked Men: Don't Lose It
Power to the Populace
I think the self-titled debut of the power pop band Army Navy is one of the best new records of 2008. But I was even happier to hear that Australian power pop quartet Grand Atlantic has returned with a new single, "Trip Wires" (mp3). A new album will hopefully follow in 2009.
Grand Atlantic (not to be confused with Grand Archives or Grand National) made one of my favorite albums of 2007, This Is Grand Atlantic. It was the CD that spent the most time in my car stereo. It was the one I listened to from start to finish. It was the record that cheered me up most when I needed to hear something really great. Grand Atlantic will appeal to anyone who loves power pop with crunchy chords, muscular rhythms and soaring vocal harmonies (e.g., the Posies, Teenage Fanclub, and Redd Kross).
Fans of power pop should also check out the two free holiday songs from the Pointed Sticks, "Power Pop Santa" and "Xmas Time Again" (available free from the band's website).
I was also exceedingly happy to learn that another of my very favorite bands, the Marked Men, will return in 2009 with a new album on Dirtnap called Ghosts. Their three previous albums are all highly recommended. Three new songs are streaming on the Marked Men's myspace, including "Ditch" (mp3). I hope I finally get to see this band in 2009.
Tactical Bakeoff
Other new records I bought and liked in 2009:
Future of the Left: Travels with Myself and Another (reviewed here)
Grand Atlantic: How We Survive (reviewed here)
Hex Dispensers: Winchester Mystery House (mentioned here)
Marked Men: Ghosts (reviewed here)
Obits: I Blame You (reviewed here)
Venice Is Sinking: Azar (reviewed here)
My favorite new songs of 2009, in a zip file: Tactical Bakeoff
(See comments for track listing.) And 2008's favorites: Legacy Management (2008 tracklist here)Labels: Best of 2009
Swerve the Swervants
I fulfilled a long-held desire by attending the Gogol Bordello concert in Atlanta, and I would recommend their live show to anyone. Even if you are not familiar with their songs, the musicians and dancers create a carnivalesque spectacle onstage, and they encourage the crowd to shout and stomp along. It was like standing in front of a parade.
Eugene Hutz suggested that those of us who didn't know the words could simply shout "taranta, taranta" during "every fccking song". "Start Wearing Purple" seemed to be the crowd favorite, perhaps because it was featured (along with Hutz himself) in the film Everything Is Illuminated. The show ended with an epic and exultant version of "Baro Foro".
I decided against driving down to the Fest, mainly because the Figgs and the Marked Men played at the same time (in two different venues). I do wish I could have seen Baroness at the Fest. Baroness is a metal band from Savannah; they have a modern sound, without the cookie monster vocals, but they occasionally harken back to the Southern boogie bands that had twin-guitar and triple-guitar lineups. Check out the guitar leads that start around the 2:15 mark of The Birthing. If you like it, pick up The Red Album, the new debut album by Baroness. Check out the beautiful album cover art at the band's myspace. More art by Baroness frontman John Dyer Baizley is on display here. Some of the art he's done for Baroness and other bands can be purchased on t-shirts here.
Awesome news: Swervedriver will reunite and tour next year! Dates and venues TBA. Coincidentally, the blog Wilfully Obscure recently posted a bevy of Swervedriver rarities. Sweet!
Fierce Critters
Dirtnap Records has announced the vinyl release of There Are No Answers, the second album by Houston trio Something Fierce. (Oddly enough, not the first band by that name.)
Dirtnap calls Something Fierce "Unbelievably catchy, well written, well played ... poppy punk with heart, brains, and hooks. If there’s a catchier band in the current American punk underground, they should really send us their demo!" Dirtnap is the label of the Exploding Hearts, the Marked Men, the Ergs, and the Girls, so they know whereof they speak.
Order the LP here and look for Something Fierce on tour in July and August (July 25 in Atlanta at the Drunken Unicorn). You can stream the album here.
Something Fierce: Teenage Ruins
Spring, Sprang, Sprung
Is it too early to declare the best record of 2009? No, I'm not talking about Enema Collective. The Marked Men's fourth album, Ghosts, came out in January on Dirtnap Records. Fifteen songs in a glorious half hour; each song like a diamond in its precision, clarity and brilliance. Fans of the Dickies, Buzzcocks, and the Ramones need this album. It is available on translucent clear vinyl, impermeable black vinyl, shiny aluminum 5" disc, and ghostly digital files (for those who prefer their music lacking any corporeal presence).
Havilah by the Drones came out last year in Australia, but ATP released it in the USA on 2/17 (on CD and double gatefold LP), and it's awesome. 50 Foot Wave is streaming a new recording called Power + Light online, but no physical release date has been announced. It is also awesome. The debut album by Rick Froberg's equally awesome new band Obits (I Blame You) will be released by Sub Pop on 3/24 (and Obits will play Atlanta at the Drunken Unicorn on St. Patrick's Day, 3/17).
Adam Franklin (of Swervedriver, Toshack Highway, and Magnetic Morning) will release his second solo album, Spent Bullets, on March 31st. Mike Gent of the Figgs released his second solo album on 2/17, and The Figgs' website promises album #10 in summer '09.
April 28th is the release date for Colonia, the second album from A.Camp (Nina Persson of the Cardigans, Niclas Frisk, and Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think). Mark Linkous and Joan Wasser return (both appeared on the first A.Camp album in 2001). Other guests include James Iha and Nicolai Dunger.
Records I Bought and Liked This Year
By no means an exhaustive list of the best of '06. In reverse alpha vision!
You Am I - Convicts (soon to be released domestically by Yep Roc)
Paul Westerberg - Open Season (Underneathica loves ten inch records)
Alan Vega, Alex Chilton and Ben Vaughn - Cubist Blues Redux
(10th anniversary reissue of this unlikely trio's 1996 collaboration, with a bonus disc of live recordings)
Uzeda - Stella (I didn't write about this Italian band, but they rocked me)
Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional (another nice reissue)
Sparklehorse - Dreamt in the Belly of the Man on the Silver Mountain
Radio Birdman - Zeno Beach (classic Aussie surf punks return)
Pernice Brothers - Live a Little (the demo disc was a nice gift to fans)
Pere Ubu - Why I Hate Women (David Thomas brings back the rock)
Mission of Burma - The Obliterati (wayWAYway better than onOFFon)
Anne McCue - Koala Motel ("Sweet Burden of Youth" was the best song title of '06)
Marked Men - Fix My Brain (I can't get these songs out of my head)
Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (you don't like it? I don't care)
Figgs - Follow Jean through the Sea (they're jumping again!)
Duke Spirit - Cuts across the Land (I know it came out last year in the UK)
dEUS - Pocket Revolution (another unexpected return)
Buzzcocks - Flat-Pack Philosophy (same as above)
Richard Buckner - Meadow (oh so sadly beautiful)Labels: figgs
Futures and Pasts
Am I the only one not really feeling this new Black Mountain album? I'm starting to warm up to it, but it seems less like "the future" and more like a dusty old LP that I might drop a buck on in a thrift store. Is this the new trend, hipster metal? Who was it who once said, "We fought wars against this stuff"?
I've recently come across two music blogs that will please those of us who still listen to our old punk rock singles. Always Searching for Music is the project of a Londoner with an enviable collection of singles and LP's from the early days of the punk era. Some of the bands featured are well-known, others less so.
Sailor Jerry is a brand of tattoo art and clothing; it is a store in downtown Philadelphia; and now it is a punk blog. Lots of oldies and goodies, plus some up and comers. They are fans of Atlanta bands like Beat Beat Beat, the Carbonas, and Black Lipps (Inc.) They also like one of my favorite bands, the Marked Men. Both of these bloggers know their punk rock history. And somehow I doubt that either of them would care for a sixteen minute dirge with an organ solo.
