Twin Cities News:
— Culture Bully is teaming with First Avenue today in offering a pair of tickets to some upcoming shows; Dir En Grey on Nov. 20, Drinking with Ian on Nov. 28 & The Belfast Cowboys on Dec. 3. The first three people to email chris@culturebully.com will get to choose their destiny… their concert destiny.
— Also on the First Avenue tip, the club is holding its second annual Too Much Turkey free Thanksgiving dinner on November 27. Sovietpanda vs. free turkey = !!!
— City Pages profiles the Absent Arch.
— Muzzle of Bees reviews Atmosphere’s Chicago show at the Vic Theatre.
— How Was The Show interviews the Western Fifth.
— CP’s David Hansen has some serious hate for Deerhunter.
— Ben Sollee and The Herbaliser both stopped by The Current to perform a set.
— A Night in the Box, Martin Devaney, Eliza Blue & Mary Everest will be playing the 331 Club this Saturday in support of Andromeda Alexander, a new mother of twins who has been recently diagnosed with leukemia. The benefit is set to help raise money for Alexander who does not have health insurance.
— Don’t forget to become a friend of Culture Bully on MySpace or a fan on Facebook!

Local Concert Highlights:
— H20, Bane, Electricity & Cruel Hand @ Triple Rock Social Club (5:00)
H20: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Bane: (MySpace)
Cruel Hand: (MySpace)
— Ladyhawk @ Turf Club (9:00)
(Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Ladyhawk “War” (mp3)
Ladyhawk “The Dugout” (mp3)
— Freeway, Trama, St. Paul Slim & Muja Messiah @ Element (9:00)
Freeway: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Trama: (MySpace)
St. Paul Slim: (MySpace)
Muja Messiah: (MySpace)
Muja Messiah feat. M.anifest “Paper Planes” (mp3)
Muja Messiah “True Lies” (mp3)
Muja Messiah “True Lies (demo)” (mp3)

Daily Audio Downloads:
— The Bodies Obtained “Hear & Believe” (mp3)
(MySpace)
— Eksi Ekso “O God, They’ve Frozen” (mp3)
— Eksi Ekso “Killing Texas” (mp3)
— Eksi Ekso “Just Leave” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace)
— Larsen & Furious Jane “Vietnam Pool Boy” (mp3)
— Larsen & Furious Jane “Local Nobility” (mp3)
(MySpace)
— Little Boots “Meddle (Baron von Luxxury’s Technicolor Remix)” (mp3)
(MySpace)
— The Secret History “It’s Not the End of the World, Jonah” (mp3)
(MySpace)
— The Sword “How Heavy This Axe” (mp3)

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[by Chris DeLine]

“Chinese Democracy” opens with a shrieking Axl Rose whose voice overwhelms a surprisingly sharp rhythm section. The song ignites the near-mythological album, also tossing aside any preconceived notion of what Chinese Democracy should sound like. But at this point in time, any interested listener has had access to various bits and pieces of the album for not simply weeks, but years - questioning not why it has taken 17 years to release a follow up to the brilliant Use Your Illusion albums, but rather why has it taken so much time to release tracks that sound essentially like they did a few years ago?

The dramatics behind Chinese Democracy are more than enough to suggest that there is some sort of credence behind its drastically prolonged release date, the band’s constantly changing lineup and Axl’s own perfectionism barely skimming the surface of the album’s history, but as a listener, a fan even, it’s hard to not initially feel like Chinese Democracy isn’t really worth the wait. Such a feeling first springs up with “Shackler’s Revenge,” which churns out a thumping “Dragula“-like riff before breaking into one of the album’s many solid choruses. Despite the solid composition, there’s an awkwardness in the transition to the next song that results from the puzzle-piece reality of Chinese Democracy; on an individual basis, each song is at the very worst, good, but as a whole, the album is a culmination of parts pieced together over the course of well over a decade. It’s there that the initial feeling of disappointment sets in.

photo: George Chin

The street glam feel of “Shackler’s Revenge” is followed by the album’s first stand-out, “Better,” but lost in that transition is the previously mentioned feeling of solidarity between the album’s unique parts. Then again, forget 17 years, how is a recording that has taken five years to compile supposed to reflect a consistent focus or artistic goal? In 2003 when the first rough demo of “I.R.S.” began circulating, the song presumably reflected Axl’s focus as a musician in 2003 - is it even possible to suggest that 13 more songs, added over the course of five years, would hold any sort of consistency? In that respect, Chinese Democracy is one of the most unique rock & roll albums ever recorded - not only has Axl had to overcome personal and public expectations of the music, but he’s had to combine nearly two decades worth of rough drafts into something fluid. Despite the awkward transition between “Shackler’s Revenge” and “Better,” when consideration is made for the process behind the transition, it’s amazing that the tracks sound as good together as they do.

“Street of Dreams” continues by rining true to the Guns N’ Roses of the past. Like “Catcher in the Rye” does later in the album, “Dreams” finds a balance between a daunting mountain of sound and that horrible armpit of a niche known as a “rock-ballad.” It’s in “Dreams” that Axl becomes a victim of his own creation, because at about a minute and a half into the song, a guitar comes crashing in, attempting to rip it in half, and the resulting feeling is that… well, Slash could have destroyed this song. Though the solo that later materializes easily stands up to anything else on Chinese Democracy, the song unleashes a shadow of past-successes that casts a cloudy feeling of sentimental longing for a band that no longer exists. Here, the idea of living in the moment and appreciating what it is that Guns N’ Roses have turned into becomes secondary to the what-ifs, if only temporarily. But the eventual reality of the situation isn’t that the songs could have been better if performed by the original band members, but rather that they sound just as good now as it probably would have in 1995 - no matter who’s performing them.

photo: George Chin

There are a few exceptions, “Scraped” in particular, that sound out sightly of place, but as the album continues ahead those sharp transitions become softer and Chinese Democracy starts to sound like something complete. Questioning at first why the album took even a few years to “perfect” becomes superficial as the album rolls on - the key to Chinese Democracy isn’t that it’s a culmination of 17 years, but rather that no song on the album stands as something entirely out of place. Any song could effectively have been released during the past 15 years and it wouldn’t have sounded any better or worse at any point time than it does now. Hearing “I.R.S.” and “Madagascar” two years ago for the first time, I can’t say that I’m any less impressed by them now than I was then. How many albums from any of rock’s giants can the same be said for? Think of the bands that have been releasing mediocre albums since 1993, U2’s Pop or Metallica’s Reload for instance; chances are that time will prove those albums even more dated sounding and stuck in the moment than they sound now. Such a reality is one that I don’t believe Chinese Democracy will have to face.

In his review, Chuck Klosterman began by questioning the relevance of even attempting to review the album, “Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It’s more like reviewing a unicorn.” Summing up a few words in reflection of the music pales in comparison to the epic release and the history behind it. Putting aside all thought on expectation, what the demos sounded like, why the album has taken so long to release, and if the final product sounds remotely good all becomes secondary to the fact that Chinese Democracy is finally a reality. For what it’s worth though, when considering the obstacles faced prior to its release, it’s nothing short of remarkable how good the album sounds.

Guns N’ Roses: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)

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[photos/video: Brody McCoy]

Ben Sollee: (Official) (MySpace)

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[review: Erik Thompson]
[photos: Jeremy Nelson]

It’s never a good sign when the first thing Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox says to the audience is “I’ve got some bad news to tell you.” I immediately became worried that the show was in jeopardy, but it just turned out that guitarist Whitney Petty was back at the hotel with the flu, and unfortunately wouldn’t be making the gig. So, it would be up to Bradford and Lockett Pundt to manage the guitar assault for the evening, a task which they took to admirably once the sound issues were worked out. It’s also never a good sign when Bradford has to yell “This monitor is fucked” during opening track “Cryptograms.” The song sounded amazing from the crowd, incidentally, with no audible buzzing in the vocals that Bradford would allude to. So, with encouragement from the audience, the band soldiered on into “Never Stops,” one of my favorite tracks from Deerhunter’s incredible new record Microcastle. But Bradford had enough of the monitor issue, stopping the song outright just a minute or two in, and demanding that the issue get resolved before the band continued, more for the crowds benefit than the bands, with Bradford exclaiming that he didn’t want us to have to listen to a lousy show and have a bad trip. So, after the tech fixed the issue, Bradford joked “Take it from the chorus…Just kidding. We’re starting the song again,” and with that, finally, the show took off.

“Never Stops” soared, being led by the bouncy bass line of Josh Fauver, and the two guitar attack that brought the song to a cacophonous finish. “Dr. Glass,” off the Fluorescent Grey E.P. was next, and it was clear that the band were locked in at this point, or at least locked in after drummer Moses Archuleta returned from his mid-set between-song bathroom break. It certainly wasn’t the smoothest of starts for Deerhunter, but the sublime sound of their music more than made up for any glitches, be they technical or, ahem, physical.

Deerhunter

The band has really fleshed out the live sound of their older tracks, adding Sonic Youth-style layers of noise on to tracks like “Hazel St.” and “Like New,” that really turned them into massive, sonorous live songs. The Triple Rock has always been my favorite sounding room in the city, and after the opening fiasco, the sound was fantastic for the duration of the show. And it was clear that after the hi-jinks of past Deerhunter performances, the band was much more into their music now than any sort of on-stage theater, and the set was tightly focused, forceful, and as stirring as any of their shows were in the past. And the strength and vision of their new record is a big reason for that, as well, with the new songs building and crashing over the audience in exquisite waves of sound. The last two or three minutes of “Nothing Ever Happens,” was absolutely sublime (not to mean that the first part of the song was shit, or anything), and was really where the show caught fire.

The band built on that momentum with a stunning guitar heavy version of “Octet,” that built up gradually, until the song completely filled the room and had everyone around me at least smiling if they weren’t moving something. The band really were able to lose themselves completely during the number, with all the members locked into the groove and collectively lost in their sound. “Microcastle” slowed things down a bit, until its rousing finish sparked the show back to life again, and an excellent version of “Vox Celeste” proved to be the nights only offering from Weird Era Cont, the outstanding bonus album released with Microcastle. “Calvary Scars,” found the band stretching the song out a bit and experimenting musically, with Bradford turning knobs extensively in search of that perfect sound, and the other members turning their backs on the audience as they focused on the sound coming out of their amps. It was fantastic, and eased the band off the stage before the encore.

Deerhunter

Remnants of the song were still being looped repeatedly as Bradford came back on stage, much to his annoyance as he tried to thank the audience for coming out on a cold Monday night. After repeated attempts to silence the loop by hitting on a cymbal, Bradford joked, after Moses was able to silence the noise, “See how professional this band is.” “Agoraphobia,” was the first encore, and while sounding incredible, it was also somewhat sleepy, and that continued into set closer “Twilight At Carbon Lake,” which Bradford introduced fittingly as “a lullaby for baby roaches.” So the encore proved to be somewhat languid, until the end of “Twilight,” which brought discord and feedback galore, again echoing Sonic Youth, and ended the set on a high note.

It’s never a good thing when a band has to work through technical issues that plague their sound, but Deerhunter showed great fortitude and dedication in not only working though the issues at the start of the set, but turning in a stellar show once the sound was sorted out. They are touring for a fantastic record, and last night they put on a show worthy of the quality of their entire catalog, and, despite perhaps lacking the theatrics of past shows, the concert was musically sound and experimental in its own right, and certainly made braving the cold on a Monday night worthwhile.

Deerhunter Set List:
Cryptograms
Never Stops
Dr. Glass
Hazel St.
Like New
Little Kids
Nothing Ever Happened
Octet
Microcastle
Vox Celeste
Saved By Old Times
Calvary Scars
Encore:
Agoraphobia
Twilight At Carbon Lake

Times New Viking

I need to make special mention of Chicago’s Disappears, who opened the night with a strong set of guitar heavy minimalist rock that was reminiscent of Velvet Underground and Television, and with our show being their last on the tour with Deerhunter, we were lucky to have them kick off the night. Times New Viking, from Columbus, Ohio, were up next, and while making that sort of racket with their nominal stage set was admirable, their songs suffered from sounding too similar and not really having any real direction, with just simple keyboards and guitar to drive the song along with the drums. Their set was met with approval by most of the crowd, but not necessarily with me, especially when compared to the superb sounds of Deerhunter.

Deerhunter: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Times New Viking: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Disappears: (Official) (MySpace)

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Twin Cities News:
— Cloud Cult, Romantica, the Melismatics and a laundry list of other bands have contributed to the benefit CD, Hope Rocks! Vol. 1 Benefiting Faith’s Lodge.
— Rift interviews the Bill Mike Band.
— How Was The Show reviews The New Monarchs, Ghost in the Water and Laarks’ Kitty Cat Klub show.
— More Cowbell reviews The Rosebuds & Megafaun @ the Turf Club.
— Add Culture Bully as a friend on MySpace or become a fan on Facebook!

Local Concert Highlights:
— John Legend & Raphael Saadiq @ Northrop Auditorium (7:30)
John Legend: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Raphael Saadiq: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
— The Herbaliser & M.anifest @ Varsity Theater (7:30)
The Herbaliser: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
M.anifest: (Official) (MySpace)
M.anifest “Age of Obama” (mp3)

Daily Audio Downloads:
— Colourmusic “Put In A Little Glass” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace)
— Copycat “Daddy’s Gone” (mp3)
(Glasvegas vs. Elton John)
(Official) (MySpace)
— The Cut Ups “Beautiful Dead To Be” (mp3)
(MySpace)
— Matt Duke “Spilt Milk” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace)
— Faunts “Memories of Places We’ve Never Been (T.H. White remix)” (mp3)
— Faunts “M4 (Part II) (The Paronomasiac remix)” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
— Jensen Sportag “Power Sergio” (mp3)
— Jensen Sportag “2×2″ (mp3)
(MySpace)
— Melanie Fiona “Give It To Me Right” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace)
— Mt. Sims “Dig It In” (mp3)
— Mt. Sims “Window Window” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace)
— Max Tundra “Playboy” (mp3)
(Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
— The Theater Fire “Uncle Wayne” (mp3)
— The Theater Fire “Swashbuckler Blues” (mp3)
(MySpace)

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(here’s the idea: play the tricked out street-tivo version of the video… as the label took down all the “good” versions of the performance… and play the mp3 with it & you’re golden)

The Roots “Lovely, Love My Family” (mp3)

The Roots: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)

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Also: (The Roots on the Late Show with David Letterman 2008) (The Roots on The Colbert Report) (“75 Bars: Black’s Reconstruction” Video) (The Roots on the Late Show with David Letterman 2006)

Blitzen Trapper “Furr (11/17/2008)” (mp3)

Blitzen Trapper: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)

Blitzen Trapper “Furr” (listen)
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Also: (Blitzen Trapper, Horse Feathers & These United States @ Turf Club)

[by Chris DeLine]

On pop-merit alone, “Womanizer” is enough of an earworm to draw interest to Britney Spears’ new album from even the most hesitant of listeners. The single, which is her first chart-topper since 1999’s “…Baby One More Time,” continues Spears’ trend of having about as much lyrical zest as Metallica’s James Hetfield. That being said, it has a beat with a solid enough punch to drown out the overly repetitive chorus, and it comes across as something comfortable to the singer. Seemingly out of nowhere Spears has found reprieve in the studio, one of the few remaining places where paparazzi aren’t lurking and she’s away from the public eye. And away from that drama, her relaxed approach has left her with nearly 30 songs that she has reportedly recorded during the sessions for Circus - 18 of which will see eventually be released. But does a rush of material and a relaxed attitude mean that Britney’s back (bitches)? Not quite.

In 1991, after being rung through the critical washboard, Michael Jackson moved beyond being a sum of his notable eccentricities to release his second chart topping album, Dangerous. While Jackson and Spears are clearly different people in different situations with different public “issues,” Circus might grant Spears’ musical career a similar rebirth. Granted, on the surface Circus doesn’t have the potential for nine singles like Dangerous had (though I’m sure Jive would be willing to milk nine out of the album), but it has a sound suggesting that the musician is taking a serious interest in her work again.

Alongside “Womanizer,” “Radar” sounds vibrant, blending in nicely with the Kanye’s of the current pop-radio-landscape. Its pulsating beat creates a solid base for the song, and Spears’ voice shines within the track. While Spears doesn’t have the range of many other singers, “Radar” succeeds because she’s not trying to reach beyond her capabilities; a trend that is evident throughout Circus. Additionally, “Radar” is heavily produced, but not to a point of detriment, and when blended with her (seemingly) lightly produced vocals it easily stands out amongst the pack. And while “Unusual You” has its blindingly apparent moments of vocal tampering, it’s far from coming close to the level autotune used in Cher’s “Believe;” produced in a way that would make Kanye and Lil Wayne blush with envy.

The biggest problem with Circus is that it sounds like Spears’ “best” tracks from her recording session have simply being tossed together without order. Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes recently spoke on his band’s decision to release a string of EPs rather than a single album, “It’s a little bit more interesting to write and record four songs at a time than having to concentrate on 12-14 songs for a full length. This way you can do something new and exciting… I wish people just recorded singles instead of albums, actually.” Circus is a prime example of an album that should have been a series of EPs. The banger “If U Seek Amy” is rightly lumped with “Unusual You,” but the two standouts are surrounded by ballads and other tracks varying the album’s pace beyond the restraints of tolerance. Simply considering the volume of material produced for the album, four or five EPs could have easily released, each having at least one single, each revealing a different side to Spears. But as is the case, while being a surprisingly strong effort, Circus is too varied for its own good.

Is an onslaught of (mostly) refreshing material enough to reinforce the Dangerous comparison? Not really. But it’s her attitude tha’s helping influence her reintroduction to the epicenter of pop music. Rather than releasing an album of material furthering the public’s belief that she’s lost within her own reality, she’s putting songs out that suggest that she’s firm where she’s at right now. In “Womanizer” Spears hisses “You say I’m crazy, I got your crazy,” and while it’s a dimly lit stab at her naysayers it suggests that she’s coming to grips with her life. She’s not the most stable person in the world, but it is what it is. Circus doesn’t represent anything that would necessarily suggest that Britney is “back,” but rather, that she’s just here making some good songs - and for the first time in a very long time, she’s comfortable with that.

Britney Spears: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)

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Glasvegas: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)

Glasvegas “Glasvegas” (listen)
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Also: (Glasvegas “Glasvegas” Review)

[review: Josh Keller]
[photos: Jon Behm]

There can be a certain loneliness to a touring band that can lead to an unnerving monotony, which in turn can lead to some rather dull shows. Everyone has been to the show were the bands are simply going through the motions in order to get done with the set list and move on to the next anonymous town. Luckily for the crowd gathered at the Turf Club Sunday night for the Rosebuds and Megafaun show, this was definitely not the case. This excellent show had the feel of a drunken reunion in someone’s basement where old friends were getting together and having fun playing their music while listening to some of their favorite bands.

Megafaun

The show brought together two bands that had at one point featured Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame, so it was no surprise to see Vernon milling around among old friends before the show. It is not uncommon for guests to come out and play with other bands, but there was clearly a different level of respect and admiration displayed among the bands at tonight’s show. They did not simply jump on stage and leave when they were done, but when their bands were not on stage, they were front and center, cheering and singing along to their friend’s music, which in turn created many memorable moments. It seemed like half the show was either played with guests on stage or on the floor in the middle of the crowd, which just added to the great communal feeling of the show.

Megafaun

Megafaun, Justin Vernon & The Rosebuds

The Rosebuds took the eat desert first theory and had their friends join them on stage for their very first song. The band was joined by all three members of Megafaun and Justin Vernon to help them sing and play various bells and shakers. The non-Rosebuds left after the song, but they didn’t go far as they stood near the front and sang along to their friends’ set. The Rosebuds played their slightly dark yet still soulful indie rock with most of the material coming from the last release, the excellent electronic tinged Night of the Furies, and their most recent disc, the back to the basics Life Like. The band, led by the male-female combo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, sounded great and had the crowd dancing for the majority of the show. They even attempted, with some mild success, creating a dance (ala the Macarena) to accompany their songs “Bow to the Middle,” one of the standout tracks from Life Like.

The Rosebuds

There was a loose and fun feeling to their whole set that helped make their already infectious music seem even more engaging. At the end of their set, they grabbed their acoustic instruments and their friends in Megafaun and headed out onto the floor. They circled the area in the front of the stage where Vernon had been watching and started a loose acoustic jam where they played a couple older songs and had the entire crowd (including Vernon) singing along. It was one of those moments you could tell was special by the number of cameras and cell phones taking videos and pictures. The best part was that it seemed like the performers were having as much fun as the crowd was, which made for a really great moment.

The Rosebuds

Openers Magafaun look like they came straight from central casting for an outlaw alt-country rock and roll band. Their shaggy beards and rustic looks were matched by bouncing, banjo led rock and roll that they played for the first portion of their 45 minute set. During the middle of the set they focused more heavily on their noisy soundscapes and more adventurous noodling that put the banjo away and brought out the effect pedal boards. Like Wilco, they seem to have little trouble mixing two elements (alt-country and noisy freakouts) that would not seem like they would naturally fit together. They ended their set with an epic song that combined the two worlds in a long song that started and ended with a standard harmonized country stomper with an extended sonic meltdown in the middle. When they finished their official “set,” they decided to play one more song on the floor with Justin Vernon. The band used acoustic guitar and banjo to stumble through a traditional folk song that was both haunting and beautiful and fully utilized the bands great harmonies and Vernon’s chilling lead vocals. It was the kind of performance that was so natural and genuine that it brought smiles to every face in the club.

Megafaun & Justin Vernon

The show opened with local twee-pop band Now Now Every Children. The band, with an aesthetic that looks like an underage American Apparel ad, is one of the rising stars on the local Afternoon Records label. Their music is classic female fronted indie pop with a slight edge to it. They have some good songs and their stage confidence has risen significantly since the first time I saw them last year at their EP release show and are a local band that are definitely worth checking out.

(video: Brody McCoy)

The Rosebuds: (Official) (MySpace) (Wikipedia)
Megafaun: (MySpace)
Now, Now Every Children: (Official) (MySpace)

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Also: (Interview with The Rosebuds)