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)

Lauris: A Revelation!

By Duncan Strauss

I'm fortunate enough to host an afternoon drive music show called the Sonic Detour each Wednesday on WMNF, Tampa's 70,000-watt community radio station, and because I live in an entirely different part of the state (Jupiter Farms, a three-hour drive to Tampa), it just hasn't been practical for me to get plugged into the flourishing Tampa music scene.

That bugs me--during times over the last few decades when I've done radio &/or music journalism, I've also been steeped in my local music scene at the time, and a champion of it. My disconnect in Tampa, my inexperience with its artists and their work, has struck me as a real weak spot of my Sonic Detours.

So about a year ago, I invited Bev Capshaw, a longtime WMNF programmer and supreme expert on (and advocate of) the Tampa scene to start offering local music segments--she's done so ever since, including the first one a few months ago about Lauris Vidal and another one on Lauris two Wednesdays ago, tied to his involvement in the Citrus Circuit Tour, which also features The Takers, Truck Stop Coffee and Have Gun, Will Travel.

She's become such a fast, fervent fan of Lauris, that we've joked--on the air & off--about her having a crush on him.

In e-mailing her this morning with my take on the Citrus Circuit tour, which stopped last night semi-close to my house, at Propaganda in Lake Worth, I later realized the portion about Lauris Vidal might work as a blog post. Let's see:

"Lauris: a revelation! I totally get your crush. I mean, I've really been digging the EP since you did the first local music segment on him, but live (with that incredibly good, muscular, nimble rhythm section), Lauris comes across as an emerging major artist:

insanely gifted, adventurous in a host of ways, a great synthesizer of influences but clearly heeding a powerful muse to yield a wholly original blast of art (the unholy love child of David Byrne & Tom Waits, if those guys had a more pronounced reggae bent? or maybe that was just the 3 beers talking in my head!), plus all the things that spell "special":

unfettered, genuine joy in performing...ease, flexibility & spontaneity...charisma to burn...lotsa intriguing choices (from his instruments, to how he plays them, to how he hears & creates music, to the wonderfully quirky cover of "Paint It Black," etc.)

If I didn't have a few notable personal & professional responsibilities standing in my way, I'm half tempted to volunteer to go on the road as his roadie--just so I could see him perform every night!"

That's the end of that portion of the e-mail to Bev, but not the Lauris tub-thumping. You'd be well advised to get your hands on his EP, "Shoot, Shoot Your Skeletons," visit his MySpace--and catch him live!

“Skeletons” by Lauris Vidal (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Catch Lauris Vidal and the rest of the Citrus Circuit Tour tonight (6/27) at the New World Brewery in Tampa.

A Good Year Living Under These Dark Clouds

Lauris Vidal likes the ukulele. He really does. And he makes it sing. Along with banjoes, lap steel guitars and other instruments from years past.

Vidal's multi-instrumentalist tendencies evokes a post-Raindogs Tom Waits, but with a tenor voice. Vidal's urgent, bluesy folk music is an original, crafted from years developing his craft in Florida clubs.

The Daytona-based Vidal leads the Citrus Circuit Tour which blows through South Florida this week. Joining Vidal will be Tampa's Have Gun Will Travel, who are generating some serious buzz on the state's west coast. Joining the bill is Lake Worth roots rockers Truckstop Coffee and Gainesville honky tonkers, The Takers.

I'll be catching them on Friday. I can not wait

Citrus Circuit Tour

Jun 24, 2009, 8:00 PM Bank & Blues, Daytona Beach, FL

Jun 25, 2009, 8:00 PM Tobacco Road, Miami, FL

Jun 26, 2009, 8:00 PM Propaganda, Lake Worth, FL

Jun 27, 2009. 8:00 PM New World Brewery, Tampa - Ybor City, FL

“Good Years, Dark Clouds” by Lauris Vidal (mp3)(iTunes)(CDBaby)

“Land Of The Living” by Have Gun Will Travel (mp3)(iTunes)

“Taker Easy” by The Takers (mp3)

Punk/Folk Troubadours Hit FLA

Joey Cape

At a time when bands trim the Florida leg from their summer tours as a nod to the creaking economy, three exceptional singer/songwriters are headed to the Sunshine State.

Joey Cape, vocalist of the Southern Cal punk outfit Lagwagon, will lead the Punk/Folk Troubadour Revival into our sweatbox of a state. Joining Cape will be fellow punk folksters Jon Snodgrass and Cory Branan. The three sharing the same stage promises an evening a damn good music.

Along with fronting Lagwagon, Cape explored his poppier influences with Bad Astronaut and the cover band legends Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. On the link below, Cape does a heart-wrenching version of Bad Astronaut's "Killers and Liars." I love the line, "Lying is like murder, It's easier each time." Definitely a songwriter with something to say.

“Killers and Liars (Acoustic)” by Joey Cape (mp3)(iTunes)

Snodgrass is a label mate of Cape and fronted the great and under-appreciated Drag The River. Snodgrass recorded his first solo album earlier this year and is about to release a vinyl and cassette album only (so very old school - schweeet) with good friend Branan. Below is a classic DTR track for your listening pleasure.

“Me & Joe Drove Out To California” by Drag The River (mp3)(iTunes)

Branan is a new name for me, but sign me up. Cory evokes Conor Oberst or Jeff Tweedy in his voice and phrasing. The more I listen, the better it gets. You are going to hear of this guy again. Seriously.

“A Girl Named Go” by Cory Branan (mp3)(iTunes)

Looking forward to their southernmost gig at Propaganda at Lake Worth. However, I suspect the New World Brewery date in Tampa will be the state's can't miss show.

Tour Dates:

Sun. 6/21 - Atlanta, GA : The Earl

Mon. 6/22 - Savannah, GA : The Jinx

Tue. 6/23 - Jacksonville, FL : Jack Rabbits

Wed. 6/24 - Gainesville, FL : Common Grounds

Thu. 6/25 - Tampa, FL : New World Brewery

Fri. 6/26 - Orlando, FL : Will's Pub

Sat. 6/27 - Lake Worth, FL : Propaganda

Sun. 6/28 - New Smyrna Beach, FL : Beachside Tavern

Tue. 6/30 - San Antonio, TX : Rock Bottom

Wed. 7/1 - Houston, TX : Walter's On Washington

Thu. 7/2 - Dallas, TX : Double Wide

Fri. 7/3 - Denton, TX : Andy's Bar

Sat. 7/4 - Austin, TX : Red 7 (Punk Rock BBQ)