(February 2023) Episode 475 is JAPANDROIDS, an indie guitar/drum duo from Vancouver. My feeling about them is this: the teens who thought they were punk because they listened to Blink 182 grew up to be the Millennials who assumed they were still edgy/cool by liking Japandroids a decade later. I wanted to like this band, and I appreciate the energy, but it comes off as annoying hipster-fuel. So, Millennial.
Episode 474 is LA COLONIE DE VACANCES, a collective of four French bands PNEU, MARVIN, ELECTRIC ELECTRIC and PAPIER TIGRE. I didn’t know what to label this music until I came upon the term “math rock,” essentially the intersection of prog rock and indie rock, featuring irregular rhythms, guitars that eschew chords, hyperactive drumming and avoidance of melody. King Crimson would be the godfather of math rock. Among the groups, Pneu is a raw power trio, Papier Tigre features vocals, Electric Electric is techno-focused and Marvin is aggressive and techno-rhythmic. When they get together live as La Colonie de Vacancies the four bands arrange themselves in a quad and play at each other in controlled chaos. Sounds cool.
(February 2023) Episode 473 is THE DAMNED. Known in the punk pantheon for being the first UK punks to issue a record and to tour the United States. Their first album is superlative, drawing relatively more from the garage rock antecedents of punk. Can’t praise it enough. But it goes off the rails quickly: a couple ok post-punk albums and then eight blah rock records – it’s soooo boooring.
(February 2023) Episode 471 of the “opus project” is JAMES GANG. You know them as Joe Walsh’s first band and for their eternal classic rock radio hits “Funk #49” and “Walk Away.” The first three albums (1969-71) are a good helping of enjoyable funk rock. But then Walsh left and the rest is mostly forgettable boogie and soft rock.
(January 2023) Episode 470 is ULTHA, a black metal group from Germany. If Hell had a house band, it might sound like Ultha. It’s a double-pedal propelled wall of dark sound. There are vocals in there somewhere but they are mixed so far down they resemble distant screams of a person being tortured in a dungeon. Admittedly this music has niche appeal, and it’s not my favorite subgenre of metal. But I do find myself drawn to audacity of music at the extremes (fast, slow, loud, minimal, chaotic, experimental).
(January 2023) Episode 469 of the “opus project” is MICHAEL GORDON. A contemporary composer and one of the co-founders of the Bang on a Can collective (with wife Julia Wolfe of episode 347 and David Lang episode 453). Styles include dissonance, minimalism, unusual instrumentation (2x4s), reinterpretations of classic works, pop culture. There is a lot of variety to keep you interested. Some of his earlier works featured rock guitar, and he emphasizes multimedia works and unusual operas.
(January 2023) Episode 468 is REGINA SPEKTOR. I can overcome my aversion to “singer-songwriters” with Regina Spektor. She uses her versatile voice like an instrument, confident yet delicate, neither emo nor operatic. Her lyrics and wordplay are interesting, and melodies inventive. I prefer her earlier, sparer recordings — mostly just her voice and peppy piano — over her later lush and orchestrated albums, although two of my favorite songs are on her latest release (“Up the Mountain” and “SugarMan”).
(January 2023) Episode 467 is KYUSS. If grunge and doom metal had a baby, it would sound like Kyuss. Drop tuned goodness. But adding the groove and funk metal elements, Kyuss defies categorization. The best aspect is the absolutely delicious tone they get through the amps. It’s as if hot lava were edible like fudge. Yum. This is fantastic stuff, and you are required to listen at maximum volume.
(January 2023) Episode 466 is CHUCK BROWN (and the Soul Searchers). Known as the “Godfather of Go-Go.” Go-go is a subgenre of funk and soul that became popular in the Washington, DC, area from the mid-70s. Its main feature is a particular rhythmic pattern, which you will recognize as the beats pounded by the guys who play the paint buckets on downtown DC streets. Brown didn’t have much national fame but was a big deal in the DC scene. His hit “Bustin’ Loose” is played after wins by the Washington Capitals and Wizards, and after home runs by the Nationals.
Favorite album: We the People (released under “The Soul Searchers”)
Favorite song: Ashley’s Roachclip
Compared to expectations: same
Recommendation: I prefer the first two early 70s albums of classic funk, but the 79-80 albums are also funky good
(January 2023) Episode 465 is AGNOSTIC FRONT. Coming out of the New York City hardcore scene, they helped pioneer crossover thrash. While I’m not a punk connoisseur, their early punk stuff sounds pretty good to me (their opening EP is 10 songs in 6:22 – classic). Unlike peer bands that crossed over once from punk to thrash, Agnostic Front went back and forth over the years. In later years Roger Miret’s vocals get annoying.
Opus Project 