New Song from The Whigs

After Hours HQ favorites, The Whigs, has just released the title track of their new album, In The Dark, which is set for release in early 2010. The song finds the Athens, Ga. trio stretching out from the straight-ahead Replacement-like sprint of its debut. There is more than a breeze of Franz Ferdinand in the track.

The song, released free by the band, accomplishes its task of stoking excitement for the upcoming disc. Count me in and don't delay. Now, if only they could swing down to FLA for a couple of shows...

“In_The_Dark” by The Whigs (mp3)

TOUR DATES:

*** % indicates shows with The Features as direct support ***
*** # indicates shows with The Dead Trees as support ***
*** $ indicates shows with Mean Creek as support ***

10-28-09: Boston, MA - Middle East % # (also with Mean Creek; 18+)
10-29-09: Syracuse, NY - Funk & Waffles % # (all ages; also on sale at the venue box office and at Soundgarden record store)
10-30-09: Buffalo, NY - The Mohawk % # (16+)
10-31-09: Akron, OH - Musica % # (all ages; early show)
11-02-09: Cincinnati, OH - Madhatter % # (all ages)
11-03-09: Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall % # (all ages)
11-04-09: Indianapolis, IN - Birdy's % # (21+)
11-05-09: Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom % # (18+)
11-06-09: Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge % # (18+)
11-07-09: Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock % # (18+)
11-10-09: Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater % # (16+)
11-13-09: Vancouver, BC - The Media Club % # (19+)
11-14-09: Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern % # (21+)
11-15-09: Portland, OR - Doug Fir % # (21+)
11-17-09: San Francisco, CA - The Independent % # (21+)
11-18-09: Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar % # (21+)
11-19-09: Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour % # (all ages)
11-20-09: Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar % # (21+)
11-21-09: San Diego, CA - SOMA (sidestage) % # (all ages)
12-01-09: Austin, TX - Emo's % (all ages)
12-02-09: Dallas, TX - The Loft % (all ages)
12-04-09: Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse % (all ages)
12-05-09: Chattanooga, TN - Rhythm & Brews % $ (21+)
12-08-09: Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre % $ (16+ w/ ID, under 16 must have parent)
12-10-09: Washington, DC - Black Cat % $ (all ages)
12-11-09: New York, NY - Fillmore @ Irving Plaza % $ (all ages)
12-12-09: Philadelphia, PA - North Star % $ (21+)
12-14-09: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 % $ (18+)
12-15-09: Charleston, SC - Pour House % $ (18+)

The Sweet Sound of The Sounds

The catchy pop of Swedish new wave revivalists, The Sounds, always finds a happy little corner in my central cortex. A little spot, with a whiff of nostalgia, that allows me to still enjoy Blondie and Missing Persons and move my ass to newer artists like Lykke Li.

After spending much of the summer opening for No Doubt, The Sounds are the now the headliners on a welcomed swing through South Florida. On Tuesday, September 29th, the band will be in Tampa performing at the Ritz Ybor. After the show, the party moves down the street to Gaspar's Grotto for a listening party for The Sounds' new album.

After Tampa, they will move on to The Revolution in Fort Lauderdale on the 30th and Rokbar in Miami Beach on October 1st. Joining the group through the Sunshine swing is the Cincinnati-based Foxy Shazam.

“No One Sleeps When I’m Awake” by The Sounds (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Bruce @ 60

Bruce Springsteen turned 60 this week.

A marker of time noted by many including none other than Brian Williams on Wednesday's NBC Nightly News. Perhaps a fitting tribute for a man who was introduced to the world through dueling covers of Time and Newsweek. Still, Bruce is the only "Next Dylan" to have matched the hype.

I found Bruce in high school when I traded an LP of Queen's Jazz to a friend for an 8-track of Born to Run. (Best Trade Ever!) From the opening harp of "Thunder Road," lights flicked on where none had existed. My life had changed in a chord change. The next week I went out and bought his first two albums and signed up for the journey. Bruce didn't disappoint. It continues to be a great ride.

As an artist, he has always pushed himself to greater limits and musical exploration through the years. Not always successful. I still find Devils & Dust dreadful. However, Tunnel of Love and Lucky Town have grown to become beloved additions to my collection after an early dismissal.

His music is true. The shows, even now, are blissful 3-hour marathons testifying to the power of rock n' roll. I've had the pleasure of seeing Springsteen and the E Street Band perform several times and each time they deliver on the promise of rock and roll. The promise of passion, rebellion, freedom, faith and community - with a thundering beat. Just as when they started out along the Jersey Shore, Springsteen and friends remain the World's Greatest Party Band.

For your listening pleasure, Bruce explains how he chose rock as his profession during the legendary 1978 Agora Ballroom concert in Cleveland. It is a Big Smile.

“Growin' Up (Live)” by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (mp3)

A Great Album About Cricket - The Game - Seriously

For an ardent fan of wooden bats striking pitched balls, I've never understood the game of cricket one iota. With that in mind, listening to The Duckworth Lewis Method's self-titled release - an album symphonically devoted to the sport had all the trappings of a long slog.

What emerged is an engaging English pop gem that is, at times, captivating in its swings from Ziggy Stardust-style rock to chamber music with voiceovers and nearly everything in between. This collaboration of The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and Pugwash's Thomas Walsh is named after a unfathomable cricket calculation that soars over my head like a steroid-pummeled baseball.

The album's best track, "The Age of Revolution," employs an infectious roots rock groove about the game's format change to promote a quicker match. Yes, it is a very serious cricket album.

For us non-fans of the game, don't focus on words - just enjoy a well crafted album of eccentric English pop.

“The Age of Revolution” by The Duckworth Lewis Method (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Future Film Soundtracks from Chi-town

In honor of AH contributor Ian's imminent departure to film school and a bevy of new adventures in the Second City, we present three offerings for his future film soundtracks. As we are in the business of opinions, also offered are suggested sequences to accompany these instrumentals or damn-near instrumentals.

“Torpedo” by Hawaii Mud Bombers (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Nothing sparks your indie cred like placing a Swedish surf punk group on your play list. In "Torpedo," the Hawaii Mud Bombers channel Dick Dale and provide the perfect getaway music.

“Knife Chase” by Tom Waits (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

A little darker than the upbeat "Torpedo," "Knife Chase" by AH deity Tom Waits screams of grittiness, back alleys and too many late nights. Save this for your film noir.

“Mosquito” by the Mosquitos (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

With this little indie rock/bossa nova, the NYC/Brazilian trio provides a quirky little ditty that evokes the seductive rhythms of summer. Or, if you are feeling a little Tarantino-ish, match this song up with a frightening mosquito attack in a classic horror style.

Have fun. Explore your art. Create big smiles.

Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes.

Robert Altman

There are more than a couple bands, largely British bands, who should be saying a deep prayer of thanks to filmmaker John Hughes.

Hughes, the premier chronicler of 80s teenage angst, died this past week of a heart attack on the streets of New York. Not only did Hughes make some of the more memorable comedies of the 80s, he introduced scores of new bands to a bevy of midwestern teens. I know, I was one of them.

More than a few times did I head to the record shop immediately after staying for the soundtrack credits for the latest Hughes flick at the multiplex.

The closing scene of The Breakfast Club, where a not-so-convincing sensitive, tough guy Judd Nelson puts Molly Ringwald's earring in and throws his fist into the air, left an army of testosterone-fueled teenagers humming the movie's theme song. For the popular British band, it was their stateside break. The scene still soars.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

In another finale, OMD was featured at the prom in Pretty in Pink (which was inspired by the Psychedelic Furs classic). As a result, the British bank Orchestral Manoeurvres in the Dark immediately became a staple for proms across the nation. Still, Duckie got hosed.

“If You Leave” by OMD (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

In perhaps my favorite John Hughes film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Hughes give Matthew Broderick a break of a lifetime. In this classic school-skipping flick, there are numerous memorable tunes - remember Danke Schoen - but the obscure "March of the Swivelheads" by The Beat drove the film to its finale.

“March of the Swivelheads” by The Beat (mp3)

Big in Japan

By Ian Minor

Hatsune Miku is the newest pop idol to make it big in Japan, a place that seem to be able to not get enough pop. At the age of fifteen her resume is impressive, she sings and dances.

She has made several albums, most of which have cracked the top five. She’s one of the few to make an impression in other countries, such as the U.S. and Mexico.

She’s cute, has a great voice and is an all around nice person. There’s only one problem.

Miku doesn’t exist.

I mean that literally, not in a “she’s only a persona made by the record company” way. Hatsune Miku is from a program called Vocaloid made by Yamaha. Type in your lyrics and she’ll sing them, tweak it around, put in your music and you’ve got a song. The first ones were released in 2004 in the U.K. It had mild success, enough for them to make a new version. Vocaloid2 was radically different in several ways.

First, this was the first Japanese Vocaloid with an actual human was behind the mic, rather then just being a computer, resulting in less songs being sung by HAL’s twin brother. Secondly, while not the first to have an image, it was the first to be thought of as a character as much as a program. They thought about what type of character would appeal to the all of Japan, thus choosing an innocent girl.

To say it was a hit is an understatement, it was a phenomenon. Songs filled popular music websites in Japan, some made by famous producers, some by people in basements. Fans made countless videos for her. One of her songs is even played at graduations, becoming their version of Green Day's “Good Riddance.” However as her fame grew, some fans grew discontent. Miku was too pure, too carefree. Miku had become a J-pop singer, which is good for popularity, but less so for musical creativity.

So when the second Vocaloid came out, the fans decided that they would make anything they wanted. Yamaha was only to happy to comply and released Kagamine Rin & Len, a set of female and male twins. Instantly the fans went to work, creating darker and different music. They covered every genre, from rock to rap and even classical. They began telling stories with their songs and videos. This included the mini-operas “Daughter of Evil” and the Holocaust inspired “Paper Planes.”

I find it rather interesting, as the music scene, is filled with supposed “fake” stars, that actually fake characters can rise to the top (at least in Japan). Like the Gorillaz and Dethklok before them, people seem to love musicians where there is no public involvement by humans. Is they’re something to learn from this? Probably, but for now, let’s just enjoy the music.

“World Is Mine” by Hatsune Miku (mp3)

“Prisoner” by Kagamine Twins (mp3)

On a Manic Dylan Binge

This fever has been building for quite awhile, but now I am in the midst of a full-blown Bob Dylan binge.

His latest album, which rocks with Los Lobos' David Hidalgo's accordion, and the recent Rolling Stone interview have definitely stoked the flames. Now, I can listen to little else.

Young, old, acoustic or electric, the hits and the rarities, it doesn't matter. I'm listening to it all. The man can turn a phrase and plumb the depths. I'm amazed every time.

Dylan's radio show on XM/Sirius is a consistent enjoyable listening experience. Bob closed his third season in April with the appropriate theme of "Goodbye." Some speculate that Dylan is done with his radio show and is moving on. That would be a shame, but Bob has left enough for us to enjoy. Listening is like sitting on the back porch with the coolest man on earth - which it pretty much is.

You can peruse archived shows at this wonderfully obsessive Dutch Dylan website. For just a taste, check at the seasonally-relevant link below.

Enjoy.

I have a fever to attend to.

“Hot Fun in the Summertime (w_Bob Dylan intro)” by Sly & The Family Stone (mp3)