If All Goes Wrong: A Concert That Provides Example

Concert Review

Billy Corgan brings the Smashing Pumpkins Back to Life. What Could Go Wrong?

The electronic beat of “Ave Adore” starts. Slowly the members of the Smashing Pumpkins file onstage. Billy Corgan is the last one to reach the stage as he slowly lurks with a plastic pumpkin in hand. Notably, this isn’t the same Smashing Pumpkins. Even though this is their 20th Anniversary tour they are celebrating without two of their original members: James Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky. To my surprise the Smashing Pumpkins now consist of nine members, including Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin.

The 20th Anniversary tour shows are divided up into two set lists, Black Sunshine and White Crosses. This was a White Crosses show. About one-third of the show was made up of new songs. I didn’t expect anything new from an Anniversary tour. (The new material is featured on their new DVD, If All Goes Wrong.) It seemed that the new songs did not transition well into the old. Yet there were exceptions, like the hard-rocking, “As Rome Burns,” a fantastic song with vintage Smashing Pumpkins written all over it.

The first half of the show felt like 1996 and by no means is this a bad thing. The sold out crowd erupted when the intro to “1979” started. The highlight of the show came with the triple threat of “Cherub Rock,” “Zero,” and “Bodies.” These songs were played with such energy and emotion. Soon after, Billy Corgan went on a rant about his love of the Chicago Cubs, sounding very jealous as he cut down Eddie Vedder’s Cubs song. Corgan unnecessarily mentioned that he was sick, apparently asking for sympathy from the crowd. This was followed by incredible versions of “Disarm” and “Galapagos.” From this point the show took a turn for the worst and it plunged into the unknown.

The Pumpkins busted out several new songs that were near or longer than ten minutes. Corgan then decided it would be a good time to play with his guitar effects. The Smashing Pumpkins soon transitioned from rock, to shoe-gaze, to completely boring in just minutes. The atrocious cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s, “The Sound of Silence”, was a perfect example.

The true low point came during the encore when Billy exclaimed, “I’m tired, I want to go home.” He asked, “Who wants me to go home?” Few people raised their hands. He said, “Well if you didn’t want me to go home now, you will after this song.” Billy Corgan was right about this in two ways. One was that I did want to go home after that song, which was fifteen minutes of jamming. While others just left during this song. He was also right because whether or not you liked it the song, it was the last one, so you pretty much had to go home.

The first half of the show was great, and the second half fell right off the Sears tower and plunged to its death. There was no energy during the encore and if there was any from the crowd it was sucked dry, not to mention the encore was only two songs. The show seemed to severely lack the passion I always thought Billy and the Pumpkins had for their music. There wasn’t much interaction with the fans, and being a Chicago show, one might expect more. Billy never even introduced the band. But as many bad points there were in the show, there were also flashes of greatness.

To put it simply Billy Corgan should just focus on the music and drop the immature antics because the live show suffers greatly from this. When the music speaks it speaks clearly.

Best Kept Secret

The Secret Machines

Secret Machines

Self-Released

Action Rating: 6.5/10

The Dallas three-piece is back with their third release, self titled, Secret Machines. The band has made a few big changes for this album: the independence from their label, Warner Bros. (they chose to self-release the album in collaboration with World’s Fair Label Group), and the departure of vocalist/guitarist/co-founder Benjamin Curtis. He left the band early last year to focus on his new project, School of Seven Bells. He was replaced with Phil Karnats, his former band mate from Tripping Daisy.

The record blasts off immediately into the infectiously electronic “Atomic Heels” sounding like a child of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. This song is the most notable example of the change in the band’s sound as it is upbeat and catchy and for them, as well as a rather short song. It’s definitely one of the albums highlights and one of the band's best songs yet.

"Last Believer Drop Dead" is a heavy song with spacey guitar riffs all over the atmosphere. "Underneath the Concrete" never seems to go anywhere but is not a bad song. “Now You’re Gone” and “I Never Thought to Ask” are somewhat familiar as they could each easily fit well on either of their last albums. While "Now You're Gone" is another standout with great use of studio overdubbing near the end.

Fans of the bands are no strangers to the drawn-out long winded jams the band throws in. “The Walls are starting to Crack”, which oozes with a Pink Floyd influence (think of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond). The song starts as a slow burner then breaks down into just acoustic guitar and suddenly in the middle there are random odd noises. Then rips in a guitar solo and the song is back in full swing. Curtis really paints a picture of the lyrics, “The walls are starting to crack/ How could they hold back/ The waves have always broken through.” The music continues in relatively epic fashion and it concludes. Pink Floyd would be proud.

“The Fire is Waiting” is really heavy and filled with huge riffs but clocks in over eleven minutes. It almost feels like they couldn’t decide when to end it and it drags. Aside from the last track, this is a near perfect album for the band.

This is a great album; it immediately starts rocking at the first track. Although they didn’t completely transform their sound, this album is not predictable and was the next logical step for the band. The change in the line-up seems nearly seamless as Secret Machines continue the journey began by the last two albums: Now Here is Nowhere and Ten Silver Drops.

Standout Tracks: Atomic Heels, Last Believer Drop Dead, Now You're Gone, The Walls Are Starting To Crack.

It's Only Rock and Roll

Oasis

Dig Out Your Soul

Reprise

Action Rating: 7/10

Liam Gallagher sings,“Love is a Time Machine.” Indeed, a time machine back to nineteen ninety five. Dig Out Your Soul is the seventh studio album from Oasis. Just like 2005’s Don’t Believe the Truth it is a team effort, with each member contributing to the songwriting. They don’t look to create a new sound but stick to what they know.

The album opens with "Bag It Up", setting the tone. Though it isn’t an attention grabber, it’s a driving Rock and Roll song. “Ain’t Got Nothin” is along the same lines but it is very generic and it feels as it were written in about two minutes, very forced.

“The Turning” is an upbeat song that takes off with an explosive chorus and ends with homage to the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence”. They wear their influences on their sleeves proudly. They are often said to sound like the Beatles and this album is no exception.

“I'm Outta Time” is a very Beatlesesque ballad that even samples a John Lennon interview that you can faintly hear towards the end. But it’s such a beautiful song and definitely one of the album’s best. The slide guitar even sounds like it was provided by George Harrison himself.

Another possible Beatles reference, "love is a litany/a magical mystery," surfaces in “The Shock of the Lightning,” the album’s first single, is another one of the album’s best. This song could very well be Oasis’ best song in years and the drum solo provided by none other than Zak Starkey (Ringo’s Son). This song, along with I’m Outta Time, and the other ballad, “Falling Down”, fit well with the band’s older material.

“To Be Where There’s Life” is Oasis taking a psychedelic journey. Complete with sitar and lyrics that search for deeper meaning. (It does bring to mind a certain band from the sixties.)

“(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” is an interesting song that includes hand claps and a slow burning groove. It stands out on the album and it is a good song but fails to ever climax and drags on for too long.

“Waiting for the Rapture” starts with the same riff as the Doors song “Five to One” but the song eventually comes into its own. “Nature of Reality” is one of the album’s weaker songs but the album ends in great fashion with the vocal echo of “Soldier On”.

Just incase you weren’t aware Oasis is very influenced by the Beatles. Dig Out You Soul as a whole, flows nicely and none of the songs are necessarily bad. At the same time the album is by no means “classic” and not many of the songs are great enough in their own right. It remains in the shadows of Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory. If you like Oasis at all I highly recommend this album. If you are just hungry for some rock and roll Dig Out Your Soul will satisfy your needs.

Standout Tracks: The Turning, The Shock of the Lighting, I'm Outta Time, To Be Where There's Life

Cold War Kids Remain Loyal

Cold War Kids

Loyalty To Loyalty

Downtown

Action Rating: 7.5/10

“We paint paintings/ We write scenes for the stage”, Cold War Kids front man Nathan Willett sings in the slow rolling opener “Against Privacy”. Describing exactly what the Cold War Kids do. They paint vivid pictures with their lyrics and create a backdrop of sounds for the stage upon which they play.

Their sophomore album Loyalty to Loyalty starts just where their last album, Robbers and Cowards, left off. Using the same lo-fi production, they continue to develop their sound of soulful, bluesy, indie rock.

The album’s first single “Something Is Not Right with Me” is an extremely catchy stomper with lyrics like, “I tried to call you collect/ you said you would not accept/ your friends are laughing ‘cause nobody uses pay phones.” The “good old days” is the reoccurring theme of the album. Hence “Dreams Old Men Dream”, which brings up a feeling of nostalgia for simpler times. Nathan sings, "Coca Cola costs a quarter on my block", on the very raw and guitar driven "Mexican Dogs". This song is a rocker (with a hint of The White Stripes).

The album has a variety of musical influences. “Golden Gate Jumpers” is a tale about someone attempting suicide and Nathan is the voice of reason. This song is very unique to modern day as it could be a ragtime song. A tribal drum beat starts “Welcome to the Occupation,” a perfect representation of how important and amazing the rhythm section of the band is. “Relief” doesn't seem to fit the rest of the album as it is very electronic yet it's catchy chorus makes it one of the key tracks.

“I’ve Seen Enough” slowly builds up from some soft, haunting, minor piano chords with Nathan singing “How’s it gonna feel when summer ends/ Out of money out of friends.” Then the drums kick in along with a guitar (complete with reverb) and distorted bass. "I've Seen Enough" is the highlight of the album as it is just a perfect song. The album does end in epic fashion with the stripped down “Cryptomnesia” The title, “Cryptomnesia” is defined as a memory bias whereby a person falsely recalls generating a thought, an idea, a song, or a joke, when the thought was actually generated by someone else. What a very interesting concept!

Cold War Kids have created another great album. The album is just as good as their as their last, keeping with the same gritty formula. Only a couple songs are mediocre and that's being harsh.

These guys are truly artists. That’s really what Cold War Kids provide as they release their music in this digital age. The cover artwork and the photography in the booklet were taken by the band add a very unique touch. Just as the title song says, Cold War Kids make art, their lyrics are poetic, and their music is unique. I can't wait for the next album. Thank God for this damn good band!

Standout Tracks: Mexican Dogs, Something Is Not Right With Me, Welcome To the Occupation, I've Seen Enough, Every Man I Fall For, Relief

Whatever Happed To My Rock And Roll

Concert Review

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Shake Milwaukee

A breeze hits me and I hear nothing but the roar of motorcycle engines. I myself do not ride a motorcycle but tonight it seemed that everyone else in Milwaukee did. This is home of the Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary Festival. Harley was kind enough to set up some free street shows around the city beginning the night before the actual fest. Headlining the first of the shows is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, a very fitting choice for a festival dedicated to motorcycles. The opener was a jam band, Tea Leaf Green, who set a good mood amongst the crowd. The people nearest to the stage were dancing up a storm, but this could also have been due to the sponsorship from Miller Lite. During the set change, members of security surprised the crowd (particularly us in the front row) by moving a barricade in place by the stage. It was more than unnecessary considering moshing was highly unlikely to take place and that the overall demographic of this crowd consisted of forty to fifty-year-olds celebrating Harley’s Anniversary. The audience exceeded the crowd before the stage as people were watching from the windows of the surrounding buildings. I noticed that there weren’t too many folks in this crowd who seemed familiar with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at all. It looked like the band had landed themselves a gang of new ears.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the stage around 9:00 pm and launched straight into the groove of “666 Conducer.” Right away you could tell the band was “on.” Guitarist/vocalist Peter Hayes seemed a lot more animated onstage than in previous shows. The normally energetic bassist/vocalist, Robert Levon Been, was also tearing it up. This newfound energy was rumored to be the result of the addition of drummer Leah Shapiro, of the band Dead Combo. In keeping up momentum the band quickly cranked out “Berlin” and “Weapon of Choice:” both singles from their latest album Baby 81. They played non stop for an hour and a half set, playing select songs from every album and EP that they have. They even threw out a few deep cuts such as “The Show is About to Begin” along with the always epic “American X.”

At this point in the show it became more obvious that the band was able to sway the crowd in their favor. Those who came just looking for a party began to give the band their full attention. However, the only real crowd interaction the band gave was when they thanked the audience and introduced the last number of the night saying, “We’ve got one more for you.” BRMC ended the night with “Heart & Soul,” a perfect summary of exactly what the band had unleashed into this performance.

After the show, I watched as the band packed up their gear. This was not difficult since backstage was the street. Their roadies were helping, but the band was doing a lot of the work. It really showed that being in a band is not easy. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has had four albums out, 2 EP’s and their songs were featured in television shows such as: Generation Kill, The Sopranos, Entourage, 24, and Six Feet Under. With all that exposure, they still pack their own equipment.

BRMC have been touring for two years straight off their last album. In that time, they have played well over two hundred shows. For the last couple of months they have been opening for Stone Temple Pilots, playing half hour sets across the country. It seemed refreshing for the band to be able to open up their catalog. After the show, an older man with a grey beard dressed in leather tapped me on the shoulder and asked me, “What was the name of that band? They were awesome!” I told him and left knowing that true rock and roll still exists.

Attack & Release, But I Can't Put It Down

The Black Keys

Attack & Release

Nonesuch

Action Rating: 8/10


For their fifth album Attack & Release the dynamic duo of Dan Auerbach (guitar and vocals) and Pat Carney (drums) decided they would do some experimenting.

Interesting enough Danger Mouse was working with Ike Turner and the Black Keys were asked to be Turner’s backing band. The Black Keys also helped writing songs for Turner.

Then Turner passed away and rather than abandon the whole thing, the Black Keys used some of the songs as their own and so fate was a key component in Attack & Release.

They stuck with Danger Mouse to produce the album, making it their first album with an outside producer. It was also recorded for the first time in an actual studio rather than Pat’s basement. And suddenly the Black Keys sound began to morph.

The album opens with, “All You Ever Wanted”, an acoustic song, which immediately gives you the notion they have tried something new and the outcome here end up being a stunning song. The album also ends on a similar note, featuring a beautiful duet with bluegrass singer Jessica Lea Mayfield.

The Black Keys are known for being riff-oriented but now the song writing has developed, making the vocals and lyrics stand out.

A good example of this is the song “Lies” which is one of the album’s best. Dan’s vocals are haunting when singing “I got a stone where my heart should be/ And nothing I do will make you love me.”

The album’s first single “Strange Times” oozes with Danger Mouse production. The upbeat rhythm and a rocking riff result in a song you can dance to.

Although The Black Keys don’t completely shy away from their patented blues rock. “I Got Mine” and “Remember When (Side B)” are great examples of The Keys’ best.

The album overall has such a different feel to it as there is not much guitar theatrics as they are known for. This is a little disappointing but they made up for it with quality song writing. I wouldn’t say they have changed genres, but as I said before there isn’t much blues-rock, rather more blues.

The addition of the organ shows a more soulful direction, which was upsetting. Yet after a couple plays, the album becomes addicting.

It is good to see that this Black Keys experiment wasn’t one gone wrong but instead an experiment resulting in one of their best albums.

Standout Tracks: I Got Mine, Strange Times, Lies, Psychotic Girl, All You Ever Wanted, Remember When (Side B), Oceans and Streams

Midnight Boom!

The Kills

Midnight Boom

Domino Records

Action Rating: 6.5/10

The Kills might be something you’re familiar with. A band that consists of only two people (one male, one female) playing a form of garage rock.

No it’s not The White Stripes and besides what I have stated, they don’t have much more in common with The White Stripes but rather the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s.

The Kills do create their own unique sound which they develop further on their latest release, Midnight Boom.

Alison Mosshart delivers her vocals sounding overconfident and cool and Jamie Hince plays distortion fueled riffs, all done over automatic drum beats, giving it a modern vibe.

The album starts with “U.R.A. Fever” a song with dual vocals that lays down a cool groove and hooks you in.

In the danceable, “Sour Cherry”, Alison asks, “Am I the only sour cherry on the fruit stand?” “Sour Cherry” is the heaviest song on the album, and it is also one of the best.

Other highlights include “What New York Used to Be”, which is dark and sexy and sounds like Lou Reed could have written it.

"Getting Down" is another catchy song that plays off dual vocals and their usual formula.

Hand claps begin "Black Balloon" as they are used to keep the beat throughout the song. "Black Balloon" provides a nice contrast in the album as it is one of the albums only slower songs.

The key to The Kills success lies within the title of one of their songs, "Hook and Line". The songs are loaded with hooks that make them catchy and lyrics provide some good one-liners. Otherwise lyrically the band is very shallow but the music is typically what shines.

Just as the title implies, the album is ideal for a late night listen but make sure your ready to groove. If you’ve never heard The Kills, this is the place to start. I do have to say though; pun intended that this album is really killer.

Key Tracks: URA Fever, Cheap and Cheerful, Tape Song, Black Balloon, Sour Cherry, What New York Used to Be