Eli "Paperboy" Reed @ Mercury Lounge 6.3.10

Photo from Boston.com.

It's time to dust off the Stax t-shirt. I went to see Eli "Paperboy" Reed (he got his nickname from an old hat of his) at the Mercury Lounge a few blocks away from the office on the early show bill at around 7:30. While not a sold out show, it was pretty packed for an early Thursday and I grabbed a couple of Circus Boy pints while waiting around for the show to begin. My girlfriend and I chatted with some of the AOL Music crew and EMI (Reed is currently on Capitol Records) and I was fairly excited seeing as how I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing an oldies throwback artist since my stretch of Pipettes shows or Camera Obscura (ok so maybe those weren't that long ago).

There are a lot of old school showman things about Reed (from Boston area) and his band the True Loves. Keyboard man doubling as MC, smiling drummer, muscular horn section, smooth bass player (sunglasses were the bonus), and Reed himself with a rockabilly haircut and suit-donning. Having a backing band like the True Loves makes you a contender because there are so many pieces that fit. The sound levels were all in check although they could have bumped up the saxaphones and other instruments as needed, but everyone was heard. Tight drumming and wild, shimmering guitar (he broke strings by the end, so you know he's not playin' around). Toward the end he took off his jacket, and the obvious pockets of sweat all over his purple shirt on this hot evening always makes a great statement. They are here to work us over with classic soul music. Does he hit you in the gut with every song? No. But hitting high points 4 or 5 times during the show is part of what soul is about; it's about a commanding presence instilling the righteousness of a higher being in ya. It's kind of like a really intense, goosebumps-inducing version of rinse and repeat.

There are many other things that I enjoyed about the show. The music, while people would say it's a derivative of classic soul that has been done better, is good but in a live setting it can be electric. It's the kind of music you really should experience live because the set up is so tried and true (which is part of why I love punk so much as well). Again, the fullness of the band shines and it's just so sweaty and not pristine and just pops so well. It's an old formula that still works beautifully no matter how much acts have evolved.

Reed's smiling, crooning, and screaming push the pace and makes the music something to root for. He's kind of like the young, boy-ish looking kid who could belt out tunes with his band on the corner on a hot summer day and would draw a crowd. That's the kind of heartfelt nature that you see on stage.

It's interesting that there is such strict devotion to his source music and influences, and there's a very pure feeling in the music even if it doesn't reach the top of the mountain with every tune. When they were on fire though and getting into call-and-response and shaking everything down, it was really a joy to watch and re-affirms that it's all about the live aspect to music, the sound coming from everywhere, the visual sweat, and little nuances that won't necessarily be found in a recording. I actually wouldn't have minded seeing a couple more covers to connect the audience even more and bridging the musical generations. However, I do understand that it's not about a revival, but about moving forward with a particular genre and making it new.

If you're interested Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves will be at The Bell House in Gowanus later this month on Saturday June 19.

Anywho, you can find his MySpace page filled with bio information and also a music video for "Come and Get It" from his new album of the same name which comes out in the US August 10 (already out in the UK, you know, where they understood soul probably as well as we did).


COME AND GET IT (Official Music Video)

Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves | MySpace Music Videos

Laura Veirs coming to Mercury Lounge February 15th with 'July Flame'

I like 4th of July, it's a nice break from work in the middle of the summer, if you're like me and don't take many vacations because you don't know how to.

Not that 4th of July necessarily has anything to do with singer/songwriter (I really hate that term) Laura Veirs' new record, July Flame. It could be about a fling that happened in July. Or Fire Island. Or you know, a fruit (thanks Wikipedia for crashing my jokes).

This is a really nice record, and it's gentle and sage-like and folksy at parts without being "haunting" or overcooked. It's very accessible which speaks to me because even though I like a lot of different kinds of music accessibility is always something I look for and not shy away from (not that I don't listen to difficult music, you know, to keep my credibility). The album is thoughtful in the instrumentation and variety of sounds produced. It feels like a person who takes the time to think about things and rather than actively deciding something, he or she gives whatever she's working on a little time and things just fall into place.

The vocals are like the lightest wave, moving slowly but as they get closer, it hits you with a bit more power than you were expecting. It's a nice feeling. By the time you're at the punchier "Summer Is A Champion" you know you've found your new Sunday afternoon walking iPod music.

You can check out more about the concert here which also has a link to buy tickets. How convenient. It's also only 12 bucks. How convenient again.

Rival Schools @ Mercury Lounge 11/06

Rival Schools I feel pretty much have a built in fan-base from the other famous bands that they are associated with, namely Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits. The band can be overshadowed by the kind of superstar status that their members have attained being a productive part of not only one, but several influential bands in the hardcore scene. Walter Schriefels is not dissimilar to a Bob Nanna of Friction, Braid, and Hey Mercedes, even in that the last band mentioned is a bit lighter in sound and more melodic by nature as well as Rival Schools is.



So seeing them with a couple of co-workers who share a love for many of the same bands was a real treat; namely, I was hanging out with a couple of dudes who while only eclipsing my age by 4 or 5 years, were heavily involved or listening to music that I was growing up to only peripherally since I could not drive or go to shows and whatnot. It matters to them more to see a band like Rival Schools, and it's something I looked forward to even though ultimately I probably would prefer a band like Metroschifter.

The interesting thing tonight was that they opened for Bad Brains early on at 9pm at Irving, so naturally them being 45 minute over schedule was foreseen. I skipped the opening bands although I wished to have seen The King Left, as we had a couple drinks at Gawker while playing that Rock Band game and failing on Jane's Addiction and Sex Pistols of all bands, and then had to attend a farewell party to another co-worker at Bob Bar (or Bar Bob).

And then of course we got Bereket shawarmas (I apologize because I can't remember the particular name of the sandwich) and it was amazing. I didn't even want to go to the show. I just wanted another one because it was amazing. And delicious. Especially after many beers. Dan Williams thought the same thing, but Loni Berg...eh ra Berman skipped out. It was awesome Loni. There.

Rival Schools came on to the hope of new material (which is true) and a familiarity that the crowd had with the old standards, anticipation of a long hiatus building and the band's age shining through. There's is an undeniable Quicksand imprint, and both have a somewhat unique 90s sheen to them (even though Rival Schools was bigger around 2001) with hoarse vocals but a "grungier" (hate to use it but I guess it's the simplest way to describe it) feel than some of the other bands of the time I think. There's a patience and a slower pace almost; save some election talk there was little banter between songs and they pushed through most of United By Fate, their only officially released LP to date and a couple covers. Songs like "Travel By Telephone" and "Used For Glue" came back suddenly, but the audience really kept their cool; it's as if "hey this is what I came for, that's totally cool, and I'm possibly a bit old to be moshing". The atmosphere was energetic but not overwhelming, as if the fans were a bit nostalgic and were a bit frozen in the wake of songs that they probably hadn't heard live in a while. The new songs pushed a bit more pop and conventional but sounded fresh and pretty tight. It was an economic show, expected and very professional and definitely satisfying.

Rival Schools "Used for glue"


As always, Mercury is a great, low-ceiling affair but the temperature was kept at a moderate level until a pit started to develop during the last three songs or so and I got clocked in the chin and bit my tongue which caused a gnarly little abrasion for a day or two. They are one of those bands because of their pedigree and connections over the years, you may have been able to glance at all the ex-label people and the community that has supported them in their prime and now. It's a cool snapshot of mostly people who have gone on to do other things, or fans, like my co-workers, that may have moved beyond them at some point but got a great glimpse of a new record from an old dawg.

For more pictures and context, go to Brooklyn Vegan's post which graciously took an excerpt from this review: Brooklyn Vegan - Rival Schools & The King Left @ Mercury Lounge - pics

To see them on MySpace, click HERE.

Oxford Collapse @ the Mercury Lounge 9/27

I really like Oxford Collapse. It's cool that they are under the radar at Sub Pop. It's also cool that they have a cool name. And it's also cool that they just seem like regular guys who aren't even that cool. They aren't that hip. In fact, I'm sure if you had a misunderstanding with them, you might think they are assholes. Who knows. I just think that there's a particular swagger to their music. It's drunk, it's loud, it's sloppy but deceptively so because underneath all the distortion and howls there are real guitar hooks, real gems there. It's exciting to see them live again, and at the largest venue I've seen them at, the lovely Mercury Lounge. The sound is great, one of the openers, Takka Takka, was amazing live, with balanced guitars (I still hate 3-guitar bands but I'll make an exception in this case), rolling bass lines and tight, simple drumming.

Openers kept hyping up Oxford which was kind of funny because after the umpteenth time of a band member shouting "you guys are in for a real treat" the crowd probably thought, "these guys must be real pretentious". But they aren't; they watched the opening bands with support and encouragement, and that's the kind of community that music needs to have, an open, hey-i'm-in-the-crowd-too aspect.

I caught the second opener, Grandma's Boy, their second show ever, a foursome of young hip flower girls and dueling vocals, the taller one with a husky, deep power, and the other, a more precocious, somewhat perversely sexualized (fitting with their lyrics including songs like "Pink Chocolate"). It was cool, they settled into a groove, most of their songs consisting of two-chord progressions and mid-tempo 4/4 beats. It's like if Shonen Knife were less punk, even more simple, and talked about sex with obvious innuendos.

Takka Takka was really tight, I really enjoyed their songs, all varied, and the lead vocalist sounded great; I was thinking Echo and the Bunnymen the entire time, I hope that is a cool comparison. At first I wondered why they needed a percussionist, and 3 guitars, but they have some really nice little ditties that warranted a triple guitar attack. Very professional stuff, and they put their little keyboard to just the right amount of use, coming in with eclectic sounds at good moments.

And so Oxford came on around 11:45. By the end of the show, you know it's awesome when the backs of the bandmembers' shirts are just soaked with sweat from convulsing and kicking out the jams. They ripped through numbers like "Molasses" and songs from their new album "Bits" with a real urgency and fury. I wished they could have played Lady Lawyers but anywho. They have the unfortunate situation that most of their fans seem to be indie rock people who don't dance or do anything, although their songs are certainly moshable.

I think they are a solid band because they really have a punk feel, there's vibrancy at the root of their music, which is uncomplicated and certainly sticks to the guitar-drum-bass formula. They sing about getting ridiculous and loosing sight and stutter and wail about and wade in shit. They don't mind getting dirty I think. They sound normal, and not normal for indie rock, or punk, or garage rock, or whatever. They don't posture with their vocals, their melodies are clear and are backed by rambling drums, and it's music made more on impulse and catching that great moment, extending it for 2 or 3 minutes, and doing it all over again. They are a fun band to watch, when a bassist can come out to the audience and drink a patron's beer during a song, that's rude and odd and amazing. They aren't wimps on stage and prance around like it really matters to them, showing it not with just head bopping, but with head banging.

Check out Oxford Collapse's MySpace here. Or if you want to make it official, go here.

For Takka Takka, go here. Their song "Fever" is on the Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist soundtrack available next week.