« April 2005 | Main | June 2005 »
May 27, 2005
Sounds Like...
I've never been one of those people who accuse bands of ripping other bands off. I also try to refrain from such absolute statements that begin with "I never..." As I have already contradicted myself by this post's third sentence I will come full circle and say that I have indeed accused bands of sounding like others that came before them. As they say, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
2005 is a crazy time. A world where bands are classified as New New Wave, Post-Postpunk, and Garage Rock Revival. I honestly can say that I didn't see the 80's thing coming back, but I can dig it. As LCD Soundsystem sings in "Losing My Edge":
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.
Inspired by, biting off of, or influenced? Usually it's thrown around in a derogatory way, but if its good does it matter? Below are examples of imitation that are not lacking awesomeness.
Dead 60s - Riot Radio (Unabashedly picking from The Clash)
Brian Jonestown Massacre - No. #1 Hit Jam (Boozy Rolling Stones)
Modest Mouse - Styrofoam Boots / It's All Nice On Ice, Alright (Bob Dylan)
The Strokes - The End Has No End (Art imitating video games?)
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On (The kids love Prince)
--Posted on behalf of the Merry Swankster, who failed to invoke cloture on his own nomination.
Tags: Covers, Dead 60s, Modest Mouse, Strokes, Spoon
Posted by Merry Swankster at 07:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 17, 2005
Swank: One Nation Under Contrast
We love our guns and march for peace. We dance to hippie rock and jam to hip hop. The spectrum is varied and wide and fully embraceable. We take our irony very seriously. Today the Merry Swankster is all over the map, flyover states not excluded. [ed. note: the Editors of the Slant find the term "Flyover States" to be exclusionary and offensive. However, we do not edit content based on these factors and encourage a free exchange of ideas. Even from the coastal elite.]
The Decemberists - 16 Military Wives (Dark satire, but bouncy)
Akiva - Holler Hermosa (Idyllic pacific crooning)
Flaming Lips - Do You Realize (Surreal rock princes' beauty in truth)
Kings of Leon - The Bucket (Road diary from last week's It band)
Pavement - Elevate Me Later (Bicoastal muse? Fame? Classic.)
10cc - I'm Not In Love (1974 booty call)
--Posted on behalf of the Merry Swankster, who is in Southern California working on a defense strategy with his lawyer.
Tags: Decemberists, Akiva, Holler Hermosa, Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, Pavement, 10cc
Posted by Merry Swankster at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2005
Post Coachella Swank
Your Swank has arrived.
Post Coachella Festival
The Merry Swankster traversed the California desert and temporarily resided amidst the golf courses and retirement homes of Indio, CA for the 6th annual Coachella Music & Arts Festival. 90 acts on 5 stages in two days made for some excruciating choices on who to see. As with most of Swankster's picks, he zeroed in on all the right bands at Coachella. The weekend buzz revolved heavily around the Slant's previously mentioned M.I.A., Bloc Party and The Arcade Fire. None failed to please.
In a one hour set, The Arcade Fire managed to survive a near electrocution (lead singer's mic), spewing bloody fingers (keyboardist), scaffold climbing, stage diving, cymbal/mic stand battles, and accordions (!). Bloc Party should take the prize for best musical performance with a genuinely enthusiastic show from this impossibly young British band with an impossibly amazing drummer. M.I.A. performed a rare festival encore in response to rabid fans demanding more. I dare you to listen to her debut album, Arular, and not boogie.
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika) (Making Rock and Roll dangerous again, literally)
Bloc Party - The Answer (British Bleeding hearts/Amazing drummer)
The Kills - Cat Claw (Sexual tension acted live with Guitar)
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Hat tip: New Order)
M.I.A. - Fire Fire (Believe the Hype)
Nine Inch Nails - March of the Pigs (Still convincingly angry in aught-five)
--Posted on behalf of the Merry Swankster, who, sadly, lost his seat in the British Parliament in yesterday's elections.
Tags: Coachella, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, The Kills, Joy Division, M.I.A., Nine Inch Nails
Posted by Merry Swankster at 07:25 AM | Comments (0)
