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April 26, 2006
Retrohump Day - Ghost of Coachella Future
Last week, Mssr. Swankster gave you a sampling of legendary acts that have been reconstituted especially for Cali's mammoth Coachella festival. Hot off of lazarus acts by Gang of Four, the Stooges, and the Pixies, this year the Coach scores, Depeche Mode, and Tool? Clearly a renewed focus is needed. Some acts that have yet to reform, and possible future targets for the festival organizers.
the Smiths - "Hand in Glove"
(live in Madrid 1984)
The white whale of reunion concert fantasies, is probably never going to happen. Some Spin jerk wrote a whole book about it. But, then again, Morrissey's supposedly rethinking the whole celibacy thing, and how long can he hold out on that claim of never going to Canada again because of the poor seals? His historic resolve may be cracking yet.
My Bloody Valentine - "Only Shallow"
A more reasonable prime target, and one that'd definitely give you Stooges/ Pixies type crowd furor. Imagine a two day desert sun demented audience when those waves of lovely guitar radiation filter out among them. They didn't so much break up as disappear, so painful personal reconnections could largely be avoided. Live footage, not so much, but this video gives you an idea, albeit one obscured in a visual approximation of the layers of noise cradling the melody.
Jesus and Mary Chain - "In a Hole"
(the Old Grey Whistle Test, 1985)
They only actually broke up in 1999 and all, but every year that "Lost in Translation" lives on in DVD form a new group of kids waiting to freak out to "Just Like Honey" is spawned. Maybe rope Primal Scream-er Bobby Gillespie back to man the stand up drum kit, make it an event? It probably won't be as cool as this clip's threat to completely disintegrate at any moment (and nobody wants old pros faking amateurism), but I'll still take it over "Stinkfist."
Elastica - "Waking Up"
(Live @ "Festival Bar" 1995)
This one might just be me, but hot damn would I be all over an Elastica concert. Judging from the soccer game level reception they get from the anonymously European "Festival Bar" crowd, they might be a sleeper crowd favorite. I think it'd be perfect. I mean, what was Elastica good at if not taking hip but unwieldy post punk influences and sexing them up for the dancefloor? Isn't that what a large swath of celebrated 00's indie music has set its sites on? They were derivitive ten years ahead of their time! Maybe we'll get an uptick in interest when the Long Blondes LP finally drops.
Elastica enthusiasts old and young are encouraged to also check out the video for "Car Song" in which the girls are ghostbusters in retro futuristic Japan, here. Criminally left of of that recent Spike Jonze DVD, saved by You Tube.
...and looking far into the future...Coachella 2014:
Unicorns - "I Was Born a Unicorn"
Tags: the Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Elastica, Unicorns, Coachella,
Posted by Jeff Klingman at April 26, 2006 09:04 AM
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